Lepidium Sativum Research Articles

INCORPORATION OF BATHUA LEAVES (CHENOPODIUM ALBUM) AND GARDEN CRESS SEEDS FOR THE PREPARATION OF VALUEADDED BAKERY PRODUCT

Bathua leaves and Garden cress seeds are incorporated with Bajra millets and Cinnamon herbs for the development of value-added food product and the acceptability of the prepared product. The product Pita bread was prepared by incorporating Bathua leaves powder, Garden cress seeds powder, Bajra flour, and Cinnamon powder served as treatments T1 , T2, and T3 respectively, T0 without incorporation of dehydrated leaves, and coarse grains served as control. The organoleptic evaluation was carried out using the nine-point hedonic scale. Based on the findings, it was observed that T2 was found to be best with regard to color, texture, taste, and overall acceptability. The addition of prepared leaves and seed powder, as well as Bajra flour, led to an increase in the chemical composition of the T2 product. The Pita bread had a moisture content of 30.9%, an ash content of 1.26 g per 100 g, and a protein content of 17.6 g per 100 g. The fat content was 18.82 g per 100g, while the fiber content was 1.6 g per 100g. The product also contained 2.43/100g of iron and 26 mg/100g of calcium. The carbohydrate content in the product was 52.67 g per 100g, and the energy content was 450.12 kcal per 100 g. Additionally, the DPPH radical scavenging activity was found to be 76.7%. At the current cost of raw materials, the price of Pita Bread per 100 g of dry ingredients was T0 (control) at Rs. 7.79, while T1 was priced at Rs. 11.65. T2 was priced at Rs. 13.03, and T3 was priced at Rs. 14.31. Thus, it can be concluded that Bathua leaves, and Garden cress seeds can be incorporated in the preparation of different food products to improve their nutritional properties and sensory acceptability.

Allelopathic potential of Helleborus dumetorum and its prospects for conservation with gardening

To tackle global biodiversity loss, we will need to sustain biodiversity beyond protected areas. Here we present a case study of a rare and threatened native species Helleborus dumetorum. First, we assessed by laboratory experiments if H. dumetorum has a competitive advantage over weeds because of its allelopathic potential; secondly, we reviewed the literature to discuss if this threatened species could be conserved as an ornamental species for gardening while at the same time its cultivation would benefit local biodiversity. Using bioassays, we tested the allelopathic potential of aqueous extracts of H. dumetorum leaves and of soil samples, collected at or away from H. dumetorum plants, on garden cress Lepidium sativum germination and seedling development. The results confirmed the presence of H. dumetorum aqueous allelochemicals in leaves as well as allelopathic effects of the soil where H. dumetorum was growing, supporting the competitive advantage of H. dumetorum. Literature review combined with our observations in the field indicated more characteristics of H. dumetorum suitability for ornamental purposes and species’ conservational opportunities: easy and successful transplanting, survival in various habitats, no invasive potential, flowering in early spring, long-lived leaves. Our study shows, that considering threatened native plants for ornamentals could have a multitude of benefits for local biodiversity.

Evaluating the Prebiotic Potential of Lepidium Sativum Seed Mucilage as a Nutraceutical Ingredient

The current study investigates the prebiotic potential of Lepidium sativum L. seeds mucilage on different lactobacilli strains. The quantification of the total reducing sugar in the mucilage was attained by Ultraviolet-Visible Spectrophotometric method. The mucilage exhibited efficient resistance against α-amylase and artificial gastric juice hydrolysis compared to standard prebiotic inulin. The mucilage also exhibited efficient activity necessary for the augmentation of almost all strains of lactobacilli. In vitro studies also exhibited that lactobacilli amount was at par to standard prebiotics (p<0.05) in the medium supplemented with the mucilage. The study led to conclude that the seed mucilage of Lepidium sativum exhibits efficient prebiotic activity and thereby can be used as a potential functional nutraceutical supplement.

Determination of the Effect of Garden Cress (Lepidium sativum L.) on the Ripening Parameters of White Cheese

The aim of this study is to reveal the effect of Lepidium sativum L. on the ripening characteristics of White cheese. A control White cheese without garden cress and White cheeses with four different concentrations of garden cress (0.6-1.2-1.8-2.4%) were produced and their dry matter, fat, and protein contents; pH and titratable acidity levels; water-soluble nitrogen (WSN) and trichloroacetic acid-soluble nitrogen (TCA-SN) were determined and electrophoretograms showing α- and β-casein degradation rates were obtained for the storage of 90 days. The addition of garden cress did not affect WSN and TCA-SN values significantly (P>0.05). Both α- and β- casein degradations increased with storage; the latter being relatively less broken down. The degradation levels for α-casein were similar for all cheese types while β-casein was more degraded when garden cress was included in the cheeses. There was no statistically significant difference between cheese samples in terms of sensory properties (P>0.05). The results suggest that garden cress may carry a β-casein specific protease and could be conveyed with White cheese successfully. This study will contribute to the limited knowledge on the utilization of garden cress in food products. Also, the application of garden cress is thought to expand the product variety in the market.

Effect of different organic manures on production of Lepidium sativum under Morus based agroforestry system

Agroforestry is a sustainable land use system that integrates trees and shrubs on farmlands and rural landscapes to enhance productivity, profitability, diversity and ecosystem sustainability. In the present study effect of different organic manures on production of Lepidium sativum (a veterinary galactogogue/medicinal herb) under open conditions and Morus alba based agroforestry system was investigated. The experiment comprised of 8 treatments. It was observed that treatment T7 recorded higher plant height whereas other growth and yield parameter were recorded to be maximum in treatment T6. Highest number of branches, number of main stem, number of pods, yield parameters were observed in treatment T6 while the lowest was recorded in treatment T4. From the economical point of view, the treatment T3 resulted in higher net return (1154.27 USD $ ha-1) and BC ratio (2.44). Bangladesh J. Bot. 51(4): 797-805, 2022 (December)

Changes in Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics of Losartan in Experimental Diseased Rats Treated with Curcuma longa and Lepidium sativum.

The current study investigated "pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics interactions" of losartan with Curcuma longa (CUR) and Lepidium sativum (LS) in hypertensive rats. Hypertension was induced by oral administration of L-NAME (40 mg/kg) for two weeks. Oral administration of CUR or LS shows some substantial antihypertensive activity. The systolic blood pressure (SBP) of hypertensive rats was decreased by 7.04% and 8.78% 12 h after treatment with CUR and LS, respectively, as compared to rats treated with L-NAME alone. LS and CUR display the ability to potentiate the blood pressure-lowering effects of losartan in hypertensive rats. A greater decrease in SBP, by 11.66% and 13.74%, was observed in hypertensive rats treated with CUR + losartan and LS + losartan, respectively. Further, both the investigated herbs, CUR and LS, caused an increase in plasma concentrations of losartan in hypertensive rats. The AUC0-t, AUC0-inf and AUMC0-inf of losartan were increased by 1.25-fold, 1.28-fold and 1.09-fold in hypertensive rats treated with CUR + losartan. A significant (p < 0.05) increase in AUC0-t (2.41-fold), AUC0-inf (3.86-fold) and AUMC0-inf (8.35-fold) of losartan was observed in hypertensive rats treated with LS + losartan. The present study affirms that interactions between CUR or LS with losartan alter both "pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics" of the drug. Concurrent administration of losartan with either CUR or LS would require dose adjustment and intermittent blood pressure monitoring for clinical use in hypertensive patients. Additional investigation is necessary to determine the importance of these interactions in humans and to elucidate the mechanisms of action behind these interactions.

Nematicidal activity of sweet annie and garden cress nano-formulations and their impact on the vegetative growth and fruit quality of tomato plants

Root-knot nematode is one of the major problems that face the agricultural production of several vegetable crops. Chemical nematicides have been banned because of their healthy and environmental undesirable attributes. So, this study aimed to evaluate the potential use of sweet annie (Artimisia annua) and garden cress (Lepidium sativum) as green routes for the development of effective and eco-friendly alternative nematicides. Nematicidal activity of sweet annie and garden cress aqueous extracts (500 g/L) in the original and nano-forms were evaluated against Meloidogyne incognita in tomato planted in infected soil under greenhouse conditions. Nineteen phenolic compounds were identified in A. annua extract, which was dominated by chlorogenic acid (5059 µg/100 mL), while 11 compounds were identified in L. sativum extract, that dominated by p-hydroxybenzoic acid (3206 μg/100 mL). Nano-particles were characterized with smooth surface, spherical shape and small size (50–100 nm). Under laboratory, the nano-formulations showed mortality percentage of M. incognita J2 greater than the original extract from. Vegetative growth parameters of tomato plants treated with A. annua and L. sativum extracts significantly improved compared to the control plants. Also, biochemical analysis revealed that the extracts were able to induce tomato plants towards the accumulation of phenolic compounds and increasing the activity of defensive enzymes (protease, polyphenol oxidase and chitinase) resulting in systemic resistance. Regarding tomato fruits yield and quality, the studied treatments significantly improved the yield and physicochemical parameters of tomato fruits in terms of fruit weight, diameter, TSS, pH, lycopene content and color attributes gaining higher sensorial acceptance by the panelist. Generally, both extracts represent promising nematicide alternatives and have potential use in crop management. The nano-form of A. annua extract outperformed the nematicidal activity of other studied treatments.

In vitro study of the antimitotic power and in vivo acute toxicity of aqueous and organic extracts of the aerial part of Haloxylon scoparium Pomel. and evaluation of the correlation between the chemical profile and their biological activities

The present study was conducted on the extracts from the aerial part of Haloxylon scoparium Pomel. The current research has focused on the evaluation of the antimitotic activity with the Lepidium sativum phytotest on aqueous (decocted, infused, macerated) and organic extracts (methanolic extract, methanolic macerated, ethyl acetate extract, chloroform extract and petroleum ether extract) extracts of the aerial portion of Haloxylon scoparium. In order to visualise the correlation between the content of chemical compounds in the aqueous and organic extracts with the results of the Lepidium sativum phytotest, we have used the principal component analysis (PCA). Then, we were interested in studying the acute in vivo toxicity of the methanolic extract and the decocted of Haloxylon scoparium. Antimitotic activity has shown that the methanolic extract exhibited high inhibition of Lepidium sativum germination (IC50=128.16±3.89 µg/mL) than colchicine (IC50=474.66±1.86 µg/mL). The decocted also showed high inhibition compared to the other aqueous extracts (IC50=1359.00±106.69 µg/mL). The correlation study showed that there is a strong correlation between Lepidium sativum phytotest and total polyphenol (r=0.9453) and flavonoid (r=0.9884) composition. In addition, the MLD50 of the methanolic extract and the decocted was estimated at 2000 mg/kg. The present study shows that Haloxylon scoparium could be a potential antimitotic of low toxicity.

Evidence for Health-Promoting Properties of <i>Lepidium sativum</i> L.: An Updated Comprehensive Review

Lepidium sativum L. is a common herb distributed worldwide, used as a food ingredient and therapeutic agent in traditional medicine for treating health-related disorders. L. sativum and its extracts have been described to possess numerous biological activities including antimicrobial, antidiabetic, antioxidant, antidiarrheal, anticancer, and numerous health-promoting effects in in vivo and in vitro studies. The purpose of this review is to summarize the findings describing important biological functions and therapeutic effects of L. sativum in various cell lines and animal models. In this review, the English-language articles were gathered from electronic databases including Web of Science, PubMed and Google Scholar with no time limit applied to any database. The search terms used in this review include, "Lepidium sativum L." and/or "chemical composition", "health benefits", "antimicrobial", "antioxidant", "anticancer", "diuretic", "nephro-protection", "antidiarrheal", "antidiabetic", "anti-asthmatic", "neuroprotection", "metabolic", "bone fracture", and "reproductive performance". Additional and eligible studies were collected from reference lists of appropriate articles. The information presented will be helpful to attract more interest toward medicinal plants by defining and developing novel clinical applications and new drug formulations in the future. Pre-clinical studies showed that L. sativum possesses potent health-promoting effects involving various molecular mechanisms. Taken all together, data suggested that identified herbal plants such as L. sativum, can be exploited as nutritional and therapeutic agents to combat various ailments. Despite much research in this field, further comprehensive in vitro/in vivo studies and clinical trials are needed to identify the mechanisms underlying the biological and therapeutic activities of L. sativum.

A Review of Plant Bioindicators in Wetlands

With the increasing human population, the protection of water resources is becoming a critical issue. Wetlands are one of the most important water resources, helping assimilate pollutants. Hence, the ecosystem integrity of wetlands is important. Plant bioindicators with phytoremediation (physiologically removing pollutants from the ecosystem by plants) capacity can be very helpful in this regard. Based on the current literature, this study specifically aims to overview plant bioindicators with phytoremediation ability. A systemic literature review (SLR) method was used to find a detailed overview of the most relevant research. A total of 70 plants were identified as bioindicators. Out of all the indicator plants, <em>Phragmites australis</em>, <em>Sorghum saccharatum, Lepidium sativum, Sinapis alba, Apium nodiflorum, Arundo donax, Bolboschoenus maritimus, Juncus acutus, Nasturtium officinale</em>, <em>Typha angustifolia</em> and <em>Typha domingensis</em> was identified as the most studied bioindicator plants. The literature review revealed that these plant bioindicators had treatment impacts on metals, nutrients, urban runoffs and wastewater. According to studies, the roots of these plant bioindicators are primarily for absorbing pollutants, which is a specific physiological property of phytoremediation. Hence, the study concluded that for specific waste materials this set of plant bioindicators can be strong contenders for understanding wetland ecosystem integrity and their physiological mechanisms of phytoremediation can provide a blueprint for developing “bioindicators” for wetlands.

Effect of C. cyminum and L. sativum on Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics of Antidiabetic Drug Gliclazide.

Numerous herbs are reported to have anti-hyperglycemic activity and are frequently used in combination with prescription drugs to lower the blood glucose levels in diabetic patients, without proper knowledge about the possibility of herb-drug interaction. To investigate the effect of cumin and garden cress on pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD) of gliclazide (GLZ) in nicotinamide-streptozotocin diabetic model. Diabetic animals of groups II-IV were treated with GLZ, cumin, 'cumin + GLZ', garden cress and 'garden cress + GLZ'. Herb's treatments were given for two weeks, and GLZ was administered in a single dose. Blood glucose levels (BGLs) were measured at pre-determined time points. Plasma samples of pharmacokinetic study were analyzed using UPLC-MS/MS. GLZ fragment at m/z 324.1>127 was monitored. Cumin and garden cress have shown 15.3% and 15.9% reduction in mean BGL (1-24h) (p-value < 0.001), respectively. GLZ reduced mean BGL by 30.0%, which was significantly better than cumin and garden cress (pvalue <0.05). Concurrently administered "garden cress + GLZ" demonstrated the highest reduction in mean BGL (by 40.46%) and showed a prolonged effect. There was no significant advantage of simultaneously administered 'cumin + GLZ'. Cumin did not affect PK of GLZ. Garden cress has significantly enhanced AUC0-t (by 69.8%, pvalue 0.0013), but other PK parameters Cmax, Tmax, and Kel were close to the control group. PK/PD-based herb-drug interaction was observed. Concurrently administered garden cress + GLZ showed improved antidiabetic effect and has enhanced GLZ bioavailability.

Assessment of the allelopathic potential of some naturalized tree and shrubby introducents under conditions of the northern steppe Dnieper region

Nowadays, introduced alien tree and shrubby species have become integral components of the green infrastructure in cities and suburban artificial forest plantations around the world, and their participation in regional dendroflora is steadily increasing. Along with autochthonous species, tree and shrubby introducents perform a wide range of ecological functions and ecosystem services, but, with successful naturalization and increased invasive activity, they can cause negative biological, environmental, social, and economic consequences. The potential for the evolution of adventive species in secondary habitats in the direction of increasing allelopathic activity and competitiveness compared with native species determines the need for assessment of allelopathic potential as a possible predictor of their successful invasive activity. The allelopathic activity of the species was determined by the bioassay method based on the effect of water extracts of different concentrations obtained from dry biomass of leaves on the germination of testing culture seeds of Raphanus raphanistrum subsp. sativus (L.) Domin and biometric indicators of seedlings of Lepidium sativum L. It was determined that in the conditions of the northern steppe Dnieper region, naturalized tree and shrubby introducents Celtis occidentalis L., Morus alba L., Lonicera tatarica L., Mahonia aquifolium (Pursh) Nutt., Prunus virginiana L., Prunus serotina Ehrh., Rhus typhina L. have significant allelopathic potential, which can be a predictor of increasing their competitiveness compared with native species and increasing invasive activity within the region. Water extracts from dry leaves of the studied tree and shrubby species had an inhibitory effect on seed germination and biometric indicators of testing cultures seedlings; the intensity of this effect varied depending on the plant species and extract concentration. Assessment of the allelopathic potential of the alien tree and shrubby species used in urban and suburban green planting is a necessary measure for preliminary identification of potentially invasive species, which will contribute to the increase of efficiency of green infrastructure management.

Effect of Biochar and Process Water Derived from the Co-Processed Sewage Sludge and Food Waste on Garden Cress’ Growth and Quality

Very little is known about how products derived from the hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) of municipal waste affect the availability and uptake of nitrogen in plant nutrition. This study examined the effects of 60% sewage sludge and 40% food waste HTC products, i.e., biochar (BC) and process water (PW), as nitrogen sources on garden cress growth and quality. A fertilization program using four nitrogen doses [(control), 9, 12, and 15 kg da−1 N] and BC, PW, chemical nitrogen (CN), and their combinations were used in a pot experiment conducted under greenhouse conditions. The highest nitrogen dose often produced better results in terms of plant growth and quality. Additionally, fertilization with PW+CN and BC+CN at the highest nitrogen dose significantly improved plant height, plant fresh and dry weight, and root dry weight parameters of garden cress over the previous treatments. The highest stem diameter, number of leaves, and plant area values were obtained in the 15 kg da−1 N dose PW+BC application. The vitamin C content in cress decreased with the increasing levels of CN. The highest vitamin C content was obtained with 15 kg N da−1 PW fertilization. BC+PW and CN fertilization applications improved chlorophyll a, b, and the total contents of garden cress leaves. Moreover, the nitrate (NO3) concentration of cress increased with CN doses while it decreased in all BC and PW administrations. The 9, 12, and 15 kg N da−1 doses of PW+CN and the 15 kg N da−1 dose of BC+CN yielded the highest agricultural nitrogen utilization efficiency (ANUE) values. Plant nutrient content was positively affected in all fertilization applications, except for Na and Cl. However, it was determined that BC+CN fertilizer application improved plant nutrient uptake. Surprisingly, PW+CN treatment at the lowest nitrogen dosage resulted in the highest soil organic matter and total nitrogen content. In conclusion, it has been determined that biochar and process water have a synergistic effect with CN to increase plant growth by improving nitrogen efficiency, but their application alone without CN is insufficient to meet the nitrogen requirement.

The Quality and Germination Rate of Seeds Obtained From Garden Cress Grown Under Water Stress

The objective of this study is to determine the sustainability of seeds obtained from plants subjected to water stress. For this reason, seed quality and germination rates were determined in the seeds obtained from the garden cress plant (Lepidium sativum L.) grown under water stress in both laboratory and greenhouse conditions. In the study, apart from the seeds obtained from the 100% irrigated control plants, seeds from the garden cress irrigated with 50% and 25% water were used. The 1000-grain weight of the garden cress seeds, an indicator of seed quality, varied between 1.975-2.227 g in greenhouse conditions and between 2.121-2.248 g in laboratory conditions, where the changes in both conditions were statistically significant. The germination rates of the garden cress seeds grown under different water stress levels were found to be between 97-99% in greenhouse conditions. It was determined that in laboratory conditions all test subjects had a 100% germination rate. As a result, it was concluded that the seeds obtained from the garden cress plant, which was exposed to water stress during their growing period, continued their vitality despite water stress.

Ecotoxicological Risk Assessment of Actellic 50 EC Insecticide on Non-Target Organisms in Parallel with the Application of Standardized Tests.

This paper contributes to the ecotoxicological risk assessment of the Actellic 50 EC insecticide (with 50% pirimiphos-methyl as the active substance) tested on non-target organisms. The insecticide concentrations tested were the same for all organisms (0.1, 0.01, and 0.001 mg L-1 of Actellic 50 EC), with an exposure of 3-5-21 days for plants and 4-5-14 days for animals. The non-target organisms tested were both plants (wheat and two ferns) and animals (the Prussian carp and marsh frog tadpoles). The tested insecticide significantly inhibited the growth of roots in wheat, a result that was also confirmed by a microbiotest application (62% root growth inhibition in sorghum and 100% germination inhibition in white mustard and garden cress). In ferns, even for the lowest concentration, the percentage of germinated spores was inhibited by 40% for Asplenium scolopendrium. The recorded toxicological effects of Actellic 50 EC upon the Prussian carp included a decrease in the respiratory rate and oxygen consumption, an increase in the number of erythrocytes and leukocytes, and an increase in blood glucose levels. The highest concentration (0.1 mg L-1 of Actellic 50 EC) caused a 50% decrease in the survival rate of marsh frog tadpoles after 5 days of exposure, negatively affecting body volume and length. Given the high degree of toxicity of the insecticide Actellic 50 EC, we recommend continuing investigations on non-target species, including both plants and animals, as the sub-chronic effects are quite little known in the scientific literature.

The combination of olive oil and Lepidium sativum improves the deleterious effects resulting from dexamethasone-induced osteoporosis in rats

IntroductionOsteoporosis is characterized by deterioration of bone microarchitecture and reduced bone mass and can increase the risk of fracture. To reduce this risk, the aim of this study was to compare the combination effects of olive oil and Lepidium sativum compared to the conventional drug therapy alendronate.MethodsOsteoporosed-induced rat model was established by administration of dexamethasone in female adult albino rats. The serum level of Ca2+, P3+, and osteocalcin was assessed. In addition, histopathological changes and immunohistochemical expression of osteopontin within bone specimens were performed.ResultsOur results showed that a combination of olive oil and Lepidium sativum had a beneficial therapeutic effect in the treatment of osteoporosis as compared to alendronate therapy. This was demonstrated by increase of serum Ca2+, P3+, and osteocalcin levels in treated compared to control groups. Intriguingly, the highest effect was noticed in rats that received a combination of olive oil and Lepidium sativum compared to the individual treatment. This was reflected by an increase in the cortical bone thickness and a decrease in immunohistochemical expression of osteopontin compared to individual treated groups.ConclusionWe concluded that the administration of a combination of olive oil and Lepidium sativum improves bone mineral health and intensity and reduces the risk of osteoporosis in a rat model.

Use of Medicinal Plants during Pregnancy, Childbirth and Postpartum in Southern Morocco.

Southern Morocco, particularly the Guelmim-Oued Noun region, is rich in a wide diversity of plant species. Pregnant women in this region use medicinal plants during pregnancy and childbirth for various purposes; however, the use of these plants has never been documented. The objectives of this study are threefold: to estimate the prevalence of medicinal plant uses by pregnant women in the province of Guelmim, Morocco, to describe the traditional practices of self-medication and to determine the associated factors. This is a multicenter cross-sectional study with descriptive and analytical approaches. Data were collected using an interview questionnaire, which was administered to pregnant women at health care centers and hospitals in the province of Guelmim. A total of 560 women participated in this study. The prevalence of medicinal plant use was 66.96%. Artemisia herba-alba Asso, Thymus maroccanus Ball., Trigonella foenum-graecum L., Aloysia citriodora Palau, Lepidium sativum L. and Cuminum cyminum L. were the plants with the highest UV. Pain, the induction and facilitation of childbirth, flu syndrome and anemia were the most listed reasons for use. The use of medicinal plants was significantly associated with the level of education (chi-square = 15.651; p = 0.004), and pregnancy monitoring (chi-square = 5.283; p = 0.028). In the province of Guelmim, the prevalence of the use of medicinal plants by women during pregnancy and childbirth is high. Further research is necessary in order to explore potential associated risks and complications.

Physicochemical Characteristics of Biochar from Waste Cricket Chitin (Acheta domesticus).

The properties of biochar (BC) from crustacean chitin are relatively well understood, while there are few studies on BC from insect chitin. This study presents the characterization and phytotoxic assessment of BC produced from crickets and cricket chitin. Cricket powder (BCCR) and cricket chitin (BCCH) were pyrolyzed at 500 °C and 700 °C. Physicochemical characteristics, N ad-/desorption, FTIR, were examined. SEM images were also performed. Regardless of the pyrolysis temperature, biochars were characterized by a densely "packed" solid surface/monolithic type with a non-porous structure (0.05-0.22 m2/g) and high content of N (9.4-11.8%). BCCHs showed a higher pH (12.2-12.4) compared to BCCR (8.7-10.8). Based on the XRD analysis, BCs were characterized by an amorphous carbon turbostratic structure and a randomly oriented graphitic-like micro-crystallite structure. FTIR spectra of BCs confirmed the presence of various O2 and N-functional groups on the BC surface. BCCHs added to soil at rates from 0.5 to 1.5% significantly reduced the germination of Lepidium sativum. Stimulation of root elongation was also observed in the case of BCCR500 1.0% and BCCR700 1.5%. Thermal degradation of cricket powder and cricket chitin promotes the formation of organic N-containing heterocyclic rings, which lead to the production of N-doped carbons with potential uses in energy storage and the contaminations sorption.

Allelopathic Activity of Annona reticulata L. Leaf Extracts and Identification of Three Allelopathic Compounds for the Development of Natural Herbicides

Using plant-based allelopathic compounds might be a potent substitute to help mitigate the effects of synthetic herbicides. Annona reticulata L. is often planted for its fruit in residential gardens. This plant is well-documented for its diverse ethnomedicinal uses. However, there is no information in the literature on the allelopathic potential of A. reticulata leaves. Therefore, the allelopathic potential and relevant allelopathic compounds of A. reticulata leaves were investigated in this study. The bioassays were carried out using a completely randomized experimental layout (CRD), and the resulting data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA at p ≤ 0.05. Aqueous methanol extracts of A. reticulata leaves significantly inhibited the growth of three dicots and three monocots (Lepidium sativum L., Medicago sativa L., Lactuca sativa L., Echinochloa crus-galli (L.) P. Beauv., Lolium multiflorum Lam., and Phleum pratense L., respectively). The level of growth inhibition was proportional to the A. reticulata extract concentration. Three compounds were purified through different chromatographic steps, and their structures were determined using spectroscopy and identified as loliolide, 5-hydroxy-3,4-dimethyl-5-pentylfuran-2(5H)-one, and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylethanol. The 5-hydroxy-3,4-dimethyl-5-pentylfuran-2(5H)-one had the greatest effect on suppressing cress root growth, while loliolide had the greatest effect on suppressing timothy shoot growth. The values for 50% seedling growth suppression showed that the compound with the maximum inhibitory activity was loliolide, followed by 5-hydroxy-3,4-dimethyl-5-pentylfuran-2(5H)-one and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylethanol. Therefore, this result suggests that the three compounds might be responsible for the allelopathic effects of A. reticulata leaf extracts, and these compounds have the potential to be used to develop effective bioherbicides.

Effect of graphene oxide on the uptake, translocation and toxicity of metal mixture to Lepidium sativum L. plants: Mitigation of metal phytotoxicity due to nanosorption

Due to its unique structure and exceptional properties, graphene oxide (GO) is increasingly used in various fields of industry and therefore is inevitably released into the environment, where it interacts with different contaminants. However, the information relating to the ability of GO to affect the toxicity of contaminants is still limited. Therefore, the aim of our study was to synthesize GO, to examine the phytotoxicity of different concentrations of GO and its co-exposure with the metal mixture using garden cress (Lepidium sativum L.) as a test organism and to evaluate the potential of GO to affect toxicity of metals and their uptake by plants. The metal mixture (MIX) containing Ni (II), Zn (II), Cr (III) and Cu (II) was prepared in accordance with the maximum-permissible-concentrations (MPC) accepted for the inland waters in the EU. Additionally, the capacity of GO to adsorb metals was studied in specific conditions of the phytotoxicity test and assessed using adsorption isotherms. Our data indicate that in most cases the tested concentrations of MIX, GO and MIX + GO did not affect seed germination, root growth and biomass of roots and seedlings, however, they were found to alter photosynthesis processes, enhance production of carotenoids and H2O2 as well as to activate lipid peroxidation. Additionally, our study revealed that GO affects the accumulation of tested metals in roots and shoots of the MIX-exposed L. sativum. This is due to the capacity of GO to adsorb metals from the growth medium. Therefore, low concentrations of GO can be used for water decontamination.