Rhizomes Of Plants Research Articles

Assessment of ethnopharmacological potential of Cyperus difformis L. in terms of its’ phytochemistry, antibacterial, antioxidant and anticancer attributes

The present research was carried out on Cyperus difformis L., commonly found sedge weed in rice field to evaluate its’ ethnopharmacological potential in terms of phytochemical constituents, antibacterial, antioxidant and anticancer activities. FTIR spectroscopy of powdered material of plant parts, rhizome (with roots), leaves and flowers showed the presence of three main chemical groups, i.e. -OH (alcohol), -C=O (carbonyl) and -CO-O-CO (anhydride). The phytochemical composition of n-Hexane, chloroform and ethanol crude extracts of same parts analysed by GC-MS and n-Hexane extract of various parts indicated 14 compounds with highest (10) in flowers extract followed by six compounds in chloroform and five in ethanol extracts of plant parts. The antibacterial activity was assessed against Salmonella enterica, E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus by using well diffusion method and similar resistance was shown by n-Hexane and ethanol extracts while noticeable inhibition by chloroform extract, especially by leaves showing zone of inhibition, 16.17±0.52mm, comparable with Gentamycin 18±0.11mm. The antioxidant activity in terms of DPPH Scavenging activity was found higher in n-Hexane and chloroform extracts, especially leaves i.e., 54.6±0.43 & 43.45±0.53 as compared to that of ethanol extracts. The percentage activity was increased with an increase of concentration of extracts. Antiproliferative activity checked by SRB proliferative assay and the crude extracts of plant parts of C. difformis showed good activity against A2780 and HCT116 cancer cells in three days. C. difformis having therapeutic action as well as its’ ethnopharmacological history, being used as fodder, it may be recommended good herbal fodder for the dairy animals.

Functional compounds of ginseng and ginseng-containing medicine for treating cardiovascular diseases.

Ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A.Mey.) is the dry root and rhizome of the Araliaceae ginseng plant. It has always been used as a tonic in China for strengthening the body. Cardiovascular disease is still the main cause of death in the world. Some studies have shown that the functional components of ginseng can regulate the pathological process of various cardiovascular diseases through different mechanisms, and its formulation also plays an irreplaceable role in the clinical treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, this paper elaborates the current pharmacological effects of ginseng functional components in treating cardiovascular diseases, summarizes the adverse reactions of ginseng, and sorts out the Chinese patent medicines containing ginseng formula which can treat cardiovascular diseases.

Identification of LsPIN1 gene and its potential functions in rhizome turning of Leymus secalinus

BackgroundContinuous tilling and the lateral growth of rhizomes confer rhizomatous grasses with the unique ability to laterally expand, migrate and resist disturbances. They play key roles especially in degraded grasslands, deserts, sand dunes, and other fragile ecological system. The rhizomatous plant Leymus secalinus has both rhizome buds and tiller buds that grow horizontally and upward at the ends of rhizome differentiation and elongation, respectively. The mechanisms of rhizome formation and differentiation in L. secalinus have not yet been clarified.ResultsIn this study, we found that the content of gibberellin A3 (GA3) and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) were significantly higher in upward rhizome tips than in horizontal rhizome tips; by contrast, the content of methyl jasmonate and brassinolide were significantly higher in horizontal rhizome tips than in upward rhizome tips. GA3 and IAA could stimulate the formation and turning of rhizomes. An auxin efflux carrier gene, LsPIN1, was identified from L. secalinus based on previous transcriptome data. The conserved domains of LsPIN1 and the relationship of LsPIN1 with PIN1 genes from other plants were analyzed. Subcellular localization analysis revealed that LsPIN1 was localized to the plasma membrane. The length of the primary roots (PRs) and the number of lateral roots (LRs) were higher in Arabidopsis thaliana plants overexpressing LsPIN1 than in wild-type (Col-0) plants. Auxin transport was altered and the gravitropic response and phototropic response were stronger in 35S:LsPIN1 transgenic plants compared with Col-0 plants. It also promoted auxin accumulation in root tips.ConclusionOur findings indicated that LsPIN1 plays key roles in auxin transport and root development. Generally, our results provide new insights into the regulatory mechanisms underlying rhizome development in L. secalinus.

SmDXS5, acting as a molecular valve, plays a key regulatory role in the primary and secondary metabolism of tanshinones in Salvia miltiorrhiza.

Red sage, the dry root and rhizome of the herbaceous plant Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge, is widely used for treating various diseases. The low content of tanshinones (terpenoids) has always restricted development of the S. miltiorrhiza industry. Here, we found that SmDXS5, a rate-limiting enzyme-coding gene located at the intersection of primary and secondary metabolism, can effectively change the transcription level and secondary metabolome profile of hairy roots of S. miltiorrhiza, and significantly increase the content of tanshinones. Agrobacterium rhizogenes was used to infuse S. miltiorrhiza explants, and hairy roots of S. miltiorrhiza expressing the SmDXS5 gene were obtained successfully. We identified 39 differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs) by metabolomics based on ultra-high performance liquid chromatography quadrupole exactive mass spectrometry and multivariate statistics. These DAMs might be key metabolites of SmDXS5 gene regulation. RNA sequencing was used to compare gene expression between the hairy roots of the SmDXS5 overexpressing group and the blank control (BC) group. Compared with the BC group, 18,646 differentially expressed genes were obtained: 8994 were upregulated and 9,652 downregulated. The combined transcriptome and metabolome analyses revealed that the mevalonate and methylerythritol phosphate pathways and synthase gene expression levels in the SmDXS5 overexpressing group were upregulated significantly, and the accumulation of tanshinone components was increased significantly, which promoted the process of glycolysis and promoted the transformation of carbohydrates to secondary metabolism. Moreover, the expression of SmPAL, the first rate-limiting enzyme gene of the phenylpropane pathway, decreased, reducing the accumulation of phenolic acid, another secondary metabolite. Therefore, SmDXS5 can be defined as a 'valve' gene, mainly responsible for regulating the distribution of primary and secondary metabolic flow of tanshinones in S. miltiorrhiza, and for other secondary metabolic pathways. The discovery of SmDXS5 and its molecular valve function in regulating primary and secondary metabolism will provide a basis for the industrial production of tanshinone components, and cultivation of high quality S. miltiorrhiza.

Deterioration of Omeprazole Suspension Due to Inappropriate Storage Practice

Dental complications are the main health problems worldwide and can cause harmful and irreversible loss to general human health. Therefore, there is a need to treat these problems. Most of the techniques for the prevention of these oral diseases are costly and lengthy; therefore, there is a need to introduce some effective, low-cost, and easy methods or medicine to deal with oral health issues. The combined mixture of extracts from T. chebula and A. nilotica proven to treat sore throat and ulcers of the mouth. Eucalyptol is one of the main compounds in the essential oil used for the preparation of an endodontic solvent and mouthwash. The important components present in the rhizome of the turmeric plant which can be used for the treatment of oral complications are essential oils (turmerones) and curcuminoids. Plant-based extracts can be used to prepare several types of mouthwash, toothpaste, and gel due to the presence of anti-microbial activities and a large number of beneficial compounds. This review paper aims to find the role of medicinal plants and their properties for the effective treatment of oral diseases in dentistry.

Ginger germplasm classification and identification of morphological markers related to rhizome yield

AbstractGinger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) is a rhizomatous plant with wide usage in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries. The inclusion of ginger rhizomes in the home remedies for prophylaxis related to COVID‐19 infection may have caused a sharp rise in global ginger demand that has exceeded supply. To meet this demand, there is a need to identify high yielding genotypes with desirable attributes. The objectives of this study were to characterize and identify morphological markers that are associated with high rhizome yields. Ten ginger genotypes were assessed for 2 yr for their yield and phytochemical and mineral compositions under a randomized complete block design with three replications. A hierarchical cluster analysis was performed on the genotypes based on eight morphological attributes and 15 phytoconstituent contents. The results showed three clusters and two outliers. The dendrogram identified cluster A with genotypes KD‐2 and EN‐1 as the highest rhizome yielder. The pseudo‐stem diameter (.808), leaf width (.743), plant height (.722), and the number of leaves plant−1 (.641) showed the highest correlation coefficients with the ginger rhizome yield. The path coefficient analysis showed that 70.6% of the contribution of the pseudo‐stem diameter to the rhizome yield occurred through its indirect effect on the leaf width (47.2%) and plant height (23.4%). These markers should be considered in selecting high‐yielding ginger genotypes for production.

Adventitious root cultures of Arnebia euchroma: A sustainable alternative for the production of natural pigments

Arnebia euchroma is a valuable Himalayan herb, whose roots are savagely harvested from the wild to extract red naphthoquinone pigments with applications in food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. The primary objective of this study was to induce A. euchroma adventitious roots and use the same for the production of naphthoquinone pigments. A number of media and auxin types were tried for the formation of adventitious roots from leaves of A. euchroma under in vitro conditions. The data showed 100% root induction on semi-solid Schenk & Hildebrandt (SH) medium fortified with 2.5 mg/L indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) after 4-weeks of culture. Thereafter, factors like inoculum density and sucrose concentration were optimized to maximize adventitious root growth and pigment production in liquid shake flask cultures. The results revealed a significantly high root biomass (7.00 ± 0.25 g/L dry weight (DW)) and pigment (192.92 ± 1.61 mg/g DW) yield in SH medium having 10 g/L inoculum density, 0.5 mg/L IBA and 5% sucrose concentration. In addition, the cultivation of adventitious roots in Balloon-Type Bubble Bioreactor (5 L cap.) was also done, which showed comparably lower root biomass (4.33 ± 0.09 g/L DW) yield to shake flask culturing, however, resulted in higher pigments accumulation (195.36 ± 1.95 mg/g DW). The chemical profile of in vitro induced adventitious roots cultivated in shake flask and bioreactor was also compared with parent plant rhizome using Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography. As per the results, deoxyshikonin and β, β-dimethylacrylshikonin were found to be the key pigments in adventitious roots, although shikonin was not detectable which otherwise also present in parent plant rhizomes. Considering the shorter cultivation cycle (4-weeks) and regenerative potential of induced adventitious roots along with comparable metabolic profile, the developed process seems to be a feasible alternative for the production of natural pigments.

Chemical characterization and antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-septic activities of the essential oil from the aerial parts of Atractylodes macrocephala Koidz

Atractylodes macrocephala Koidz. (AM) is a rhizome plant traditionally used as an herbal medicine to normalize gastrointestinal function and treat inflammation-related diseases. However, there are no comprehensive studies that have examined the chemical composition or biological activity of the aerial parts of AM, which may be a promising raw material for the pharmaceutical industry. The aim of this study was to investigate the constituents, anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-septic activities of the essential oil of the aerial parts of Atractylodes macrocephala (EOAPA). The chemical composition analysis of EOAPA by gas chromatography-quadrupole-time of flight-mass spectrometry (GC-Q/TOF-MS) led to the identification of 73 components, and the dominant compounds were hinesol (12.61%), β -eudesmol (11.51%), and atractylone (5.8%). EOAPA significantly inhibited lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW264.7 cell expression of monocyte chemokine-1 (MCP-1), interleukin-6 (IL-6), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in a dose-dependent manner via regulating the nuclear transcription factor-κB (NF-κB) pathway, which may be related to its strong reactive oxygen species (ROS)-scavenging ability against LPS challenge at cellular level. While, its antioxidant activity in vitro was weak. Finally, LPS-induced septic shock in mice confirmed that EOAPA can effectively prevent mouse death by downregulating the levels of inflammatory factors in serum, such as IL-6, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interferon-γ (IFN-γ). The above results showed that there is satisfactory potential for EOAPA to be developed and applied as a natural pharmaceutical and cosmetic additive.

Modulation of Macrophages Using Nanoformulations with Curcumin to Treat Inflammatory Diseases: A Concise Review.

Curcumin (Cur), a traditional Chinese medicine extracted from natural plant rhizomes, has become a candidate drug for the treatment of diseases due to its anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antioxidant, and antibacterial activities. However, the poor water solubility and low bioavailability of Cur limit its therapeutic effects for clinical applications. A variety of nanocarriers have been successfully developed to improve the water solubility, in vivo distribution, and pharmacokinetics of Cur, as well as to enhance the ability of Cur to polarize macrophages and relieve macrophage oxidative stress or anti-apoptosis, thus accelerating the therapeutic effects of Cur on inflammatory diseases. Herein, we review the design and development of diverse Cur nanoformulations in recent years and introduce the biomedical applications and potential therapeutic mechanisms of Cur nanoformulations in common inflammatory diseases, such as arthritis, neurodegenerative diseases, respiratory diseases, and ulcerative colitis, by regulating macrophage behaviors. Finally, the perspectives of the design and preparation of future nanocarriers aimed at efficiently exerting the biological activity of Cur are briefly discussed.

Isolation and characterization of cellulose nanocrystals from Chinese medicine residues.

Nanocellulose has become a vital material with excellent and crucial properties in the field of nanotechnology and advanced materials science. Plant-based traditional Chinese medicines are mostly plant rhizomes, which contain a large amount of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. In this study, carboxylated cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) were prepared from traditional Chinese medicine residues (CMR) by sequential periodate-chlorite oxidation without mechanical treatment. The obtained nanocelluloses were analyzed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and X-ray diffractometry (XRD); the carboxyl content and specific surface area were also measured, simultaneously. XRD results revealed that the crystallinity index decreased after sequential oxidation; however, the cellulose I structure was maintained. From the morphology analysis, the average length and width of CNCs were 139.3 and 10 nm, respectively. From the FTIR analysis, with the particle size decreasing, hydrogen bonds were broken and recombined. TGA results showed that the thermal property was decreased with a reduction of nanocellulose particle size and crystallinity index. This study is the first to refine utilization of traditional Chinese medicine residues as a potential source of cellulose, that is, to prepare nanocellulose efficiently with high carboxyl content which finds its application in nanomaterials.

The Credible Role of Curcumin in Oxidative Stress-Mediated Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Mammals.

Oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction are associated with the pathogenesis of several human diseases. The excessive generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and/or lack of adequate antioxidant defenses causes DNA mutations in mitochondria, damages the mitochondrial respiratory chain, and alters membrane permeability and mitochondrial defense mechanisms. All these alterations are linked to the development of numerous diseases. Curcumin, an active ingredient of turmeric plant rhizomes, exhibits numerous biological activities (i.e., antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and antimicrobial). In recent years, many researchers have shown evidence that curcumin has the ability to reduce the oxidative stress- and mitochondrial dysfunction-associated diseases. In this review, we discuss curcumin’s antioxidant mechanism and significance in oxidative stress reduction and suppression of mitochondrial dysfunction in mammals. We also discuss the research gaps and give our opinion on how curcumin research in mammals should proceed moving forward.

Effect of Different Level of NPK and CRF for Plant Growth and Rhizome Yield in Arrowroot (Maranta arundinacea L.)

The present investigation was carried out to Effect of different level of NPK and CRF for plant growth and rhizome yield in Arrowroot (Maranta arundinacea L.) was conducted in the horticulture Research Farm, Department of Horticulture, Naini Agricultural Institute, Sam Higgin bottom University of Agriculture Technology and Sciences, Prayagraj (U.P.) during July 2021- April 2022. The experiment was laid out in RBD with 11 Treatments with 3 replications. The results revealed that the treatment T10 100% CRF(Control Release Fertilizer)performed the best in terms in Plant height (140.22), leaf length (49.06), leaf width (19.10), No. of tillers(14.33), fresh weight per plant (736.33), Number of rhizomes per plant (11.33), yield of rhizomes per plant (11.78), yield of rhizomes per hectare (81.81), Maximum cost benefit (3.50). Therefore, the treatment T10 100% CRF is the best when compared to other treatments. As, the highest benefit cost ratio was observed in T10 100% CRF. i.e. (3.50).

Kırmızı yapraklı Japon akçaağacının çelikle üretilmesinde farklı sera ortamları ile oksinlerin etkileri

Sapindaceae familyasının bir üyesi olan kırmızı yapraklı Japon akçaağacı (Acer palmatum Thunb. ‘Atropurpureum’) da dekoratif özellikleri ile park ve bahçelerde sıklıkla tercih edilen bir kültivar olduğundan üretim yöntemlerinin belirlenmesi önem arz etmektedir. Buradan hareketle, kırmızı yapraklı Japon akçaağacı çeliklerinin köklendirilmesinde Sera-1 (20±2°C hava sıcaklığı, 25±2°C köklendirme masası sıcaklığı ve %70±2 nem düzeyi) ve Sera-2 (20±2°C hava sıcaklığı, 20±2°C köklendirme masası sıcaklığı ve %70±2 nem düzeyi) olmak üzere farklı sera ortamları ile oksinlerin (3000 ve 5000 ppm dozlarında IAA, IBA ve NAA) etkilerinin incelenmesi çalışmanın amacını oluşturmaktadır. Karadeniz Teknik Üniversitesi Kanuni Yerleşkesinde bulunan anaç bitkiden mayıs ayında alınan ve perlit köklendirme ortamına dikilen yumuşak çelikler üzerinde ilk kallus ve ilk kök oluşum tarihleri, köklenme yüzdesi, kallus yüzdesi, kök boyu ve kök sayısı değerleri belirlenmiştir. Elde edilen veriler üzerinde yapılan varyans analizi sonucunda, köklenme yüzdesi açısından sera ortamları arasında %99 güven düzeyinde ve fitohormonlar arasında %95 güven düzeyinde istatistiksel olarak anlamlı farklılıklar meydana gelmiştir. Çelikler dikildikten 109 gün sonra Sera-1 ortamında yer alan NAA 5000 ppm işleminde ilk kök oluşumu meydana gelirken, en yüksek köklenme yüzdesi de yine aynı sera ortamı ve işlemde %63,33 olarak tespit edilmiştir. Çalışma neticesinde, köklendirme masası sıcaklığının hava sıcaklığından 5°C daha yüksek olması daha iyi bir köklenme için önerilebilir.

Inoculation of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Isolated from Peach Orchards and Vineyards in Aldrighi Peach Rootstock Plants

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi species (AMFs) present intraspecific differences in the ability to stimulate plant growth and depend on genetic and environmental factors involved among the biotic agents. This work aimed to evaluate the influence of the AMFs Glomus clarum and G. etunicatum isolated from peach orchards and vineyard on the vegetative growth, content of nutrients and carbohidrate contents on Aldrighi peach rootstocks plants. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse, with a split-plot experiment, with 15 plants per plots and four repetitions. The plants inoculated with AMFs had higher responses in height, diameter, leaf area, fresh and dry biomass of shoots and content of reserves, due to the increased absorption of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in excess of non-inoculated plants. Data were submitted to analysis of variance using the Statistical Analysis System (SAS) program and the means were compared using Duncan's test at a 5% significance level. Simple correlation analyzes were performed using Pearson's correlation coefficient (r) with maximum values represented by r = 1 and r = -1. All AMF isolates benefited the Aldrighi peach rootstock plants, accelerating vegetative development and increasing macronutrient content. The study showed a correlation between root colonization and the increase in plant development parameters. The symbiosis efficiency was higher with isolates from peach orchards, when compared with isolates from grapevine orchards.

Hepatoprotective potency of Lagenandra toxicaria and Ariopsis peltata against CCl4 induced liver fibrosis in Wistar rats

Lagenandra toxicaria (LT) and Ariopsis peltata (AP) belongs to the family Araceae. LT is being traditionally used to cure bilious symptoms and wound healing. AP leaves are edible and the rhizome has medicinal value. With such a wide range of medicinal applications, it's essential to scientifically authenticate traditional usage and find the plant's bioactive components. Here, we have examined the anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective potency of these plant extracts. The in-vivo liver fibrosis was induced in Wistar male rats using CCl4 and was treated with various concentrations of the methanol and water extracts of the plant rhizomes. In the in-vitro anti-inflammatory assay, LT methanol extract showed 42 % protection at 600 mg/ml which is higher than the other extracts. Among the AP and LT extracts, the 600 mg/kg methanol extract of LT treated rats showed a decreased (p<0.05) serum alanine/aspartate aminotransferase and total bilirubin levels. The plant extract brought about an amelioration of CCl4 induced pathological effects and a significant reduction in the severity of inflammation, fatty metamorphosis, necrosis and liver fibrosis. Overall, the results suggest that LT rhizome could be effective in the treatment of liver fibrosis. It is possible that this is related to the presence of anti-inflammatory and antioxidant chemicals such as 9-octadecenamide, flavonoids and phenols in the extract.

The Formulation and Stability Test of The Balm Emprit Ginger (Zingiber officinale var. amarum) Essential Oil

Emprit ginger (Zingiber officinale var. amarum) is a rhizome plant that is much of the time tracked down in the locale. Tanasitolo, Kab. Wajo. Its utilization is most generally utilized as a cooking zest, defeating joint inflammation, muscle torment, treating colds, treating hacks, as a characteristic cell reinforcement and warming the body. The compound parts contained in emprit ginger (Zingiber officinale var. amarum) are zingiberene, shagaol, sap, and gingerol which are adequate as cancer prevention agents and mitigating or then again reflexology. This study aims to decided how to of ginger emprit (Zingiber officinale var. amarum) as a salve form of a natural balm. This type of research is a direct observation in the laboratory using the distillation method to obtain the essential oil in ginger emprit (Zingiber officinale var. amarum) was then made in the form of a balm with different concentrations of essential oils, namely F1 (0 g), F2 (1.5 g), and F3 (2 g) using accelerated stability testing on the balm preparation, stored for 6 days with 3 cycles (40C and 400C) the observations included organoleptic tests (shape, smell, and colour), homogeneity test, pH test, spreadability test, adhesion test, and specific gravity.. This study indicate that a stable balm preparation that meets the standard requirements based on SNI with accelerated stability testing is formula F3 with a concentration of 2 grams of ginger essential oil. Emprit ginger (Zingiber officinale var. amarum) can be formed in a balm preparation.

Effects of Urtica dioica agglutinin on glycotargeting of the vasculature: an in ovo study on chicken embryo.

The angiogenesis process is a pivotal cellular process involved in both developmental and pathological circumstances. In this study we investigated effect of Urtica dioica agglutinin (UDA), as an unusual phyto-lectin from the chitin-binding protein family, on the angiogenesis of chicken embryos. The UDA was extracted from plant rhizomes and purified by affinity chromatography column. The activity of this lectin was assayed by hemagglutination test on the human RBCs. Anti-angiogenic effect of UDA on the extra-embryonic layer of the chick egg was studied in the different concentrations. Our results showed that the minimum concentration of UDA for agglutination were 48.00 and 15.00 µg mL-1 in macro- and microscopic studies, respectively. Because the number and length of the vessels were dramatically decreased at 100 µg kg-1 of UDA, the lectin had an inhibitory effect on angiogenesis of the embryonic vasculature of the chick. We concluded that UDA might target the vascularization events through binding to GlcNAc-conjugates. More investigations are needed to clarify the angiogenesis-related therapeutic roles of this interesting biomolecule.

Addressing functionalities of agricultural robotic (agribots) and automation in the agriculture practices: What’s next?

This paper presents and explores the functionalities of automation and agricultural robotics (agribots) in recent years for agricultural operations. The explicit challenges fronting agribots and automation with regards to the operative implementation of Industry 4.0 are discussed. In this paper, several research works and developments on automation and agribots from different scopes and field areas are reviewed to explore recent agricultural practices. The first technology is on the automation work on developing a control algorithm that uses a single sensor that could recognise landmarks in the row-type plantation environment. This is followed by the navigation of a vehicle using a laser range finder (LRF) to a point-to-go aim location in the plantation by generating a control algorithm equipped with a sensor for an autonomous agricultural vehicle to detect the landmarks in the row-type plantation setting. The second technology is related to an automation device by developing an automated detector and counter (Oto-BaCTM) for bagworm census using deep learning with a Faster Regional Convolutional Neural Network (Faster R-CNN) and normal camera. Meanwhile the third technology is related to agribots via the design and development of a fully automated Agriculture robot (Agribot) for harvesting underground plants (rhizomes) with the assistance of transmission and receiving parts using microcontroller software. Another agribot technology would be on the development of Thorvald II agricultural robotic system, utilising a modularity hardware whereby the robot consists of standard modules and can be reconstructed to handle tasks in various types of environments. The first automation technology results showed the performance of the navigation systems to operate the tractor autonomously along the test path without any crashes on the guide cones. The second automation technology on the Oto-BaCTM performance, produced a positive Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient between the two variables (percentages of detection and temperature), R2 = 0.997 and p = 0.02 for Trial 1 and R2 = 0.888 and p = 0.04 for Trial 2. Meanwhile, the third technology on the Agribot, successfully picked up the rhizome plants, sprayed pesticides, and traced of the soil moisture content. Finally, the last automation technology which was on the development of Thorvald II, came out with positive results on the pass traction test, all
 obstacles, and the incline test. The harvesting robot detected the ripe tomatoes at a 95% success rate by implementing the self-developed algorithm that applied the Adaboost and APV classifiers. However, a 5% miss detection occurred due to the leaf obstruction. The multi-robot system can be designed to handle pest control tasks via UAVs and UGVs. For weed patch recognition, the developed algorithms showed their robustness by precisely distinguishing and mapping the crop rows with a 100% accuracy, while the inter-row weed patches with an accuracy of 85%, and it was proposed to detect the early growth stage based on the weed maps through site-specific weed management. By implementing a 3D fruit detection algorithm, the precision for pepper, eggplant, and guava datasets was 0.864, 0.886, and 0.888, while the recall dataset was 0.889, 0.762, and 0.812, respectively. The proposed algorithm was effective and robust; hence it is appropriate to be applied as an agricultural harvesting robot. A roadmap in applying swarm robotics is described towards the weed control problems and is being implemented within the Swarm Robotics for Agricultural Applications scope. Thus, a baseline result was introduced specifically for monitoring and mapping out weeds in a field via a swarm of UAVs. Hence, the impact on the use of agribots and automation technologies is the realization of a more efficient systems potential to be operated in safe conditions and are cost effective for the farmers, allowing farmers to focus more on improving overall production yields. As a recommendation, there is a need for research and development of multipurpose and adaptive algorithms to be incorporated into different sensor platforms.

Grafting enhances drought tolerance by regulating stress-responsive gene expression and antioxidant enzyme activities in cucumbers

Water scarcity is a major limiting factor for crop yield production in arid and water-stressed areas worldwide. Cucumber plants have a high transpiration ratio and are vulnerable to drought. Grafting commercial genotypes onto selected strong rootstocks has been useful in mitigating the effects of drought. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the possibility of using a novel rootstock plant’s tolerance to water-deficit stress in inducing drought tolerance in cucumbers by activating the stress-response gene expression and the antioxidant system, which improved the cucumber quality and yield under water-deficit conditions. This field experiment was conducted for > 2 years, 2020 and 2021, with five drought stress tolerant genotypes (i.e., rootstock) and drought-sensitive genotype Luerans (i.e., a scion). They were subjected to various deficit irrigation levels for 12 days, and their agro-physiological and molecular responses to water-deficit stress were assessed. The results of the study showed that the agronomical parameters, including the leaf area (LA), leaf water content (LWC), number of leaves, plant height, root dry matter shoot dry matter, rates of leaf appearance and stem elongation, and total yield significantly increased with grafted cucumber plants than with non-grafted cucumber plants (control) under normal and stressful conditions.Similar results were observed in the physiological measurements in terms of antioxidant enzymes, abscisic acid levels, gibberellic acid content, and lower lipid peroxidation (malondialdehyde, MDA). Grafting of Luerans (section) on five rootstocks significantly raised the activity of antioxidant enzymes (catalase and peroxidase), improved the gibberellic acid and proline accumulation, and reduced the content of lipid peroxidation and abscisic acid. Furthermore, the real-time polymerase chain reaction expression results revealed that transcript levels of the stress-response genes CsAGO1 and CsDCLs increased rapidly and continuously in five rootstock grafting. Concurrently, these findings suggest that grafting with local varieties of novel drought-tolerant rootstock genotypes could improve drought tolerance in drought-sensitive cucumber genotypes.

Metabolic Profile of Agropyron repens (L.) P. Beauv. Rhizome Herbal Tea by HPLC-PDA-ESI-MS/MS Analysis

Agropyron repens (L.) P. Beauv. (couch grass) is a world-wide infesting rhizomatous plant with pharmacological applications. Chemical research is focused on its allelopathic and anti-inflammatory components, which are mainly present in the essential oil. Conversely, the aqueous extracts have been sparingly investigated, although the herbal tea is by far the most used formulation. To fill the gap, the metabolic profile of Agropyron repens rhizome herbal tea was investigated by electrospray ionization (ESI) tandem–mass spectrometry (MS/MS); the phenolic profile was investigated by HPLC-PDA-ESI-MS/MS. ESI-MS fingerprinting was provided, evidencing diagnostic ions for saccharides, organic acids and amino acids. The HPLC-PDA-ESI-MS/MS analysis evidenced at least 20 characteristic phenolic compounds, the most representative being caffeoyl and feruloyl quinic esters, followed by coumaric, caffeic and ferulic acids, and hesperidin among flavonoids. In addition, the essential amino acid tryptophan was identified for the first time. The results suggest new perspectives of applications for Agropyron repens rhizome.