Citrus Aurantium Research Articles

Antibacterial Potential Of Orange (Citrus Aurantium) Peels Against Selected Gram-Positive and Gram-Negative Bacteria Isolated From Futa Botanical Garden Soil

Antibacterial Potential Of Orange (Citrus Aurantium) Peels Against Selected Gram-Positive and Gram-Negative Bacteria Isolated From Futa Botanical Garden Soil

Development and Characterization of Polyherbal Anti-acne face gel using Liquorice and Palash extract

Anti-acne herbal formulations are used to treat acne vulgaris and also have the added benefit of not having any side effects, unlike synthetic medications. Acne is a bacterial-induced inflammatory skin disease caused by blockages in the pilosebaceous and inflammation. Antibiotics, both topical and systemic, are always used to treat acne, however antibiotic resistance can impair the success rate of acne treatment. The creation of effective therapeutic medicines relies heavily on medicinal plants. So, natural medicines are more acceptable because they are believed to be safer and have fewer adverse effects than manufactured ones. In the global market, herbal formulations are in high demand. The goal of this study is to produce and characterise herbal anti-acne face gel that contains neem (Azdirachta indica) extract, liquorice root (Glycyrrhiza glabra) extract, orange peel (Citrus aurantium var. sinensis) extract, and palash (Butea monosperma) flower extract. Although there are a variety of topical herbal formulations for acne on the market, we recommend creating a polyherbal formulation using a variety of herbal and synthetic ingredients. The plant has been found to have antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties in the literature. The prepared extract was screened to identify the presence or absence of various active principles like phenolic compounds, carbohydrates, flavanoids, glycosides, saponins, alkaloids, protein and amino acid. Polymers in various proportions were used to create several formulations ranging from F1 to F8. Colour, appearance, consistency, washability, pH, and spreadability and stability of prepared formulations (F1 to F8) were all examined.

Efficiency of Some Abiotic and Biotic Agents on Vicia faba L. Rust and Chocolate Spot Diseases

A variety of soil- and air-borne pathogens can attack faba bean plants, leading to rust and chocolate spot diseases that seriously affect plant yield. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of certain essential oils as abiotic agents and biotic agents as safe alternatives to fungicides for both diseases. Double foliar applications of these essential oils and biotic agents significantly reduced the development of faba bean rust and chocolate spot incidence. The highest reduction in faba bean rust (92.7%) was achieved after spraying with jojoba oil, followed by 88.9% and 85.3% for grape and bitter orange oils, respectively. Furthermore, biotic inducers such as Bacillus subtilis, Trichoderma harzianum, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae reduced chocolate spot incidence by 100.0%, followed by a 72.3% reduction with bitter orange, thyme, black seed, and jojoba oils. The second foliar treatment with B. subtilis, T. harzianum, black seed oil, jojoba oil, and chitosan increased faba bean protein contents more than the first treatment. Individual foliar sprays with chitosan and grape oils enhanced catalase (CAT) specific activity, with the highest levels achieved after the first and second foliar applications, respectively. S. cerevisiae and lemongrass oil induced the highest peroxidase (POD) specific activity after both spray applications. Black seed oil induced the highest chitinase (CHIA) specific activity after the first foliar application, while lemongrass oil achieved the highest level after the second spray. The second foliar application of moringa oil, black seed oil, jojoba oil, chitosan, B. subtilis, and S. cerevisiae stimulated the formation of new protein bands in treated faba bean plants, which were not found after the first application. Therefore, the abiotic and biotic agents used in this study could be considered good and safe alternatives for resistance against these foliar diseases, reducing the harmful effects of synthetic fungicides.

Identification of Volatile Molecules and Bioactivity of Gruyt Craft Beer Enriched with Citrus aurantium var. dulcis L. Essential Oil.

In this work, for the first time, a gruyt beer and the same one after the addition of Citrus aurantium essential oil (AEO), were investigated to determine the composition of the volatile fraction. The applied analytical techniques, such as Head Space/Solid Phase Microextraction-Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (HS/SPME-GC-MS) and Proton Transfer Reaction-Time of Flight-Mass Spectrometer (PTR-ToF-MS), allowed us to identify the content of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). From the comparison between the two beer samples, it showed that the one after the addition of AEO was particularly richened in limonene and a series of minor terpene compounds. AEO was also characterized by GC/MS analysis and the results showed that limonene reached 95%. Confocal microscopy was used to look at riboflavin autofluorescence in yeast cells. It was found that beer with AEO had twice as much fluorescence intensity as the control. A spectrophotometric analysis of total polyphenols, tannins, and flavonoids, and a bioactivity screening, including 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2'-Azinobis-(3-Ethylbenzthiazolin-6-Sulfonic Acid) (ABTS) radical scavenger, chelating, reducing, antiglycative ones, were also carried out. Moreover, the tolerability of the tested samples in human H69 cholangiocytes and the cytoprotection towards the tert-butyl hydroperoxide (tBOOH)-induced oxidative damage were evaluated. Under our experimental conditions, the beers were found to be able to scavenge DPPH and ABTS radicals and chelate iron ions, despite weak antiglycative and reducing properties. The tested samples did not affect the viability of H69 cholangiocytes up to the highest concentrations; moreover, no signs of cytoprotection against the damage induced by tBOOH were highlighted. Adding AEO to beer resulted in a moderate enhancement of its DPPH scavenging and chelating abilities, without improvements in the other assays. Conversely, AEO and its major compound limonene were ineffective when assessed at the concentrations added to beer. This evidence suggests that the addition of AEO may enhance the organoleptic features of the beer and slightly potentiate some of its bioactivities.

A Review of Botanical Aspects and Various Pharmacological Actions of Bergamot (Citrus bergamia) Essential Oil

In this review article, there is a brief about Bergamot essential oil, this article tells about the descriptive information about botanical aspects, significance and characteristics, anatomy, chemistry, its pharmacological activity, and toxicology of Bergamot essential oil. Citrus bergamia Risso, a combination of Citrus limon L and Citrus aurantium is the scientific name for the citrus fruit known as bergamot. It belongs to the family Rutaceae and the genus Citrus. BEO shows different type of pharmacological activity like anti-anxiety, wound healing, neuroprotective, anti-depressant, antiproliferative, antibacterial, anticancer, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive, anti-mycoplasmal, anti-fungal andAntiallodynic. BEO contains various volatile and non-volatile fractions.

Effect of foliar application with PRO-SOL and humic acid on some growth and chemical characteristics of sour orange (Citrus aurantium) seedlings.

This study was carried out on six months old sour orange (Citrus aurantium) seedlings in the lath house/ Agriculture College/AL-Qasim Green University in Babylon province, Iraq, from March 2020 to October 2020 with aim of investigating the impact of spraying PRO-SOL fertilizer (0.0, 1.5, 3.0 and 4.5) gm.L-1 and Humic acid (HA) (0.0, 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0) gm.L-1 independently or in combination on the vegetative and chemical characteristics of sour orange seedlings. In 2021, a factorial experiment with three replications was conducted on local sour orange seedlings. The findings indicated that spraying with PRO-SOL fertilizer at a concentration of (4.5 gm.L-1) and HA (3 gm.L-1) promoted the seedling growth indices(the height of the plant, diameter of stem, number of leaves, and area of leaf), chemical parameters (chlorophyll and carbohydrate percent) also the leaf mineral content of N, P, and K. Keywords: PRO-SOL; HA; Foliar spray; Citrus aurantium seedling; lathhouse; Organic fertilizer.

Root growth of citrus rootstocks (sour orange and Volcamriana) affected by foliar nutrition with coconut liquid and dry yeast extract

This study aimed to improve the root growth indicators of the citrus rootstock (Volcamriana and sour citrus) by spraying them with coconut liquid extract and yeast extract. The experiment was carried out using the Randomised complete blocks design (R.C.B.D) as a factorial experiment with three factors: the citrus rootstock (sour orange and lemon Volcamriana) and the extract of coconut liquid with three concentrations (200, 100, 0) ml. L-1 and dry baking yeast extract in three concentrations (0(8, 4, g.L-1 with three replicates. At the end of June of 2023 the measurements were taken and the results were analyzed according to the statistical design used, and the averages were compared according to the selection of the least significant difference and at the level of probability 0.05, and the most important results reached: rootstock Volcamriana excelled in the studied root qualities (root length, root diameter, root size , dry weight of root group) while the treatment of coconut liquid 200 ml L-1 and the treatment of dry yeast extract at a concentration of 8 g L-1 achieved significant superiority for the studied qualities (root length , root diameter , root size , dry weight of the root group) By giving it the highest averages. The treatment of the binary interaction between )rootstock Volca mriana + coconut liquid 200 ml L-1) and treatment (rootstock Volca mriana + dry baking yeast extract at a concentration of 8 g L-1) and treatment (coconut liquid 200 m. L-1 + dry baking yeast extract at a concentration of 8 g L-1 are the highest averages in the root qualities studied.The triple overlap treatment gave) rootstock Volca mriana + coconut liquid 200 ml L- + 1dry baking yeast extract at a concentration of 8 g L-1 significantly excelled in the majority of the studied growth qualities) root length , root diameter, root size, dry weight of the root group (.

Synephrine and Its Derivative Compound A: Common and Specific Biological Effects.

This review is focused on synephrine, the principal phytochemical found in bitter orange and other medicinal plants and widely used as a dietary supplement for weight loss/body fat reduction. We examine different aspects of synephrine biology, delving into its established and potential molecular targets, as well as its mechanisms of action. We present an overview of the origin, chemical composition, receptors, and pharmacological properties of synephrine, including its anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer activity in various in vitro and animal models. Additionally, we conduct a comparative analysis of the molecular targets and effects of synephrine with those of its metabolite, selective glucocorticoid receptor agonist (SEGRA) Compound A (CpdA), which shares a similar chemical structure with synephrine. SEGRAs, including CpdA, have been extensively studied as glucocorticoid receptor activators that have a better benefit/risk profile than glucocorticoids due to their reduced adverse effects. We discuss the potential of synephrine usage as a template for the synthesis of new generation of non-steroidal SEGRAs. The review also provides insights into the safe pharmacological profile of synephrine.

Evaluation of the growth efficiency of some citrus rootstocks for spraying melatonin growth regulator under salt stress conditions

This research was conducted to determine the impact of spraying the increased regulator melatonin on the tolerance of some citrus roots to salt stress. The results showed that the Sour Orange root was significantly superior to the rest of the citrus rootstocks and recorded the highest increase in the rate (Height, diameter, quantity, and area of leaves for the plant), while the root Volkamer lemon was significantly the best by recording the highest rate of arid mass of the root system and plant life. Furthermore, irrigation with electrical connection water (1.7 sec.m-1) led to obtaining the highest values ​​for vegetative plant girth growth characteristics (plant girth, stem diameter, number of leaves, leaf area, dry weight of the vegetative and root system and root length). Moreover, treatment with the growth regulator melatonin at a concentration of (100 mg.L-1) showed the most significant percentage in the trait (plant height, diameter of the stem, number of leaves, size of the leaves, and dry weight of the vegetative both root system and root length). As well as the binary and triple interactions between these study factors led to a clear significant superiority in the studied traits compared to the comparison treatment, as the triple interaction treatment (Sour Orange root + melatonin at 100 mg. l-1 as the concentration+ salinity of irrigation water at a concentration of 1.7 decimens.m-1) was the most significant treatment by giving the highest increase in the rate of vegetative characteristics. Finally, the treatment (rootstocks Volkamer lemon + melatonin at 100 mg.l-1 as the concentration + salinity of irrigation water at a concentration of 1.7 dm. m-1) recorded the highest rate of length and weight of the root when it is a dry system. Keywords: melatonin; rootstocks; salinity

Multiple bioactivities of choerospondin obtained from blossom of Citrus aurantium L. Var. Amara engl. And its anti-inflammation and anti-atherosclerosis action pathways

Nutritional intervention has been emerged as a popular strategy to improve quality of human life. Here we extracted and identified choerospondin (CHO), a dietary flavonoid glycoside from blossom of Citrus aurantium L. var. amara Engl. Different models were employed to screen the antioxidant, anti-tumor, anti-obesity, anti-inflammation and anti-atherosclerosis effects of CHO. The data showed that CHO displayed enhanced resistance to oxidative stress. Anti-proliferative effects against MCF-7, HepG2 and H1299 cells were also observed by CHO administration. CHO intervention potently inhibited 3 T3-L1 preadipocytes differentiation by suppressing transcription of some key adipogenic factors. Especially, CHO supplementation exhibited marked decreases of nitric oxide production in LPS-induced macrophages, significant reductions of cholesterol uptake and increases of cholesterol efflux in ox-LDL-loaded macrophages. These facts indicated that CHO showed greater anti-inflammation and anti-atherosclerosis potential. Futher, CHO markedly inhibited inflammatory responses through blunting mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphorylation and nuclear factor-kappa B activation. CHO application also reversed foam cell formation by regulating cluster of differentiation 36, phospholipid ATP-binding cassette transporter A1, phospholipid ATP-binding cassette transporter G1 and scavenger receptor class B type 1 expression. In conclusion, these data provided strong evidences that CHO possessed various pharmacological effects, including antioxidant, anti-tumor, anti-obesity and especially anti-inflammation and anti-atherosclerosis properties.

Inheritance pattern of tetraploids pummelo, mandarin, and their interspecific hybrid sour orange is highly influenced by their phylogenomic structure.

Citrus polyploidy is associated with a wide range of morphological, genetic, and physiological changes that are often advantageous for breeding. Citrus triploid hybrids are very interesting as new seedless varieties. However, tetraploid rootstocks promote adaptation to different abiotic stresses and promote resilience. Triploid and tetraploid hybrids can be obtained through sexual hybridizations using tetraploid parents (2x × 4x, 4x × 2x, or 4x × 4x), but more knowledge is needed about the inheritance pattern of tetraploid parents to optimize the efficiency of triploid varieties and tetraploid rootstock breeding strategies. In this work, we have analyzed the inheritance pattern of three tetraploid genotypes: 'Chandler' pummelo (Citrus maxima) and 'Cleopatra' mandarin (Citrus reticulata), which represent two clear examples of autotetraploid plants constituted by the genome of a single species, and the 'Sevillano' sour orange, which is an allotetraploid interspecific hybrid between C. maxima and C. reticulata. Polymorphic simple sequence repeat (SSR) and single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers were used to estimate parental heterozygosity restitution, and allele frequencies for centromeric loci were used to calculate the preferential pairing rate related to the proportion of disomic and tetrasomic segregation. The tetraploid pummelo and mandarin displayed tetrasomic segregation. Sour orange evidenced a clear intermediate inheritance for five of the nine chromosomes (1, 2, 5, 7, and 8), a slight tendency toward tetrasomic inheritance on chromosome 3, and intermediate inheritance with a tendency toward disomy for chromosomes 4, 6, and 9. These results indicate that the interspecific versus intraspecific phylogenomic origin affects preferential pairing and, therefore, the inheritance patterns. Despite its high level of heterozygosity, the important preferential chromosome pairing observed in sour orange results in a limited diversity of the genotypic variability of its diploid gametes, and consequently, a large part of the genetic value of the original diploid sour orange is transferred to the tetraploid progenies.

Extraction of Essential Oils from Sweet Orange Leaves (Citrus Aurantium) Using the Microwave Hydrodistillation (MHD) Method

This study aims to utilize sweet lime leaves which are only waste that has no value, where sweet lime leaves are one of the ingredients that contain essential oils. Apart from the skin, it turns out that this sweet lime leaf can also be extracted using the Microwave Hydrodistillation (MHD) method. This study uses three variables namely; the F/S ratio used was 0.375 g/mL; 0.5g/mL; 0.65 g/mL, power 150 watts, 300 watts, and 450 watts, and time 30, 60, and 90 minutes. The extraction method is carried out using fresh ingredients with a solvent volume of 200 ml. The test carried out is the GC-MS test. The results of the test method and the purpose of this study were to determine the limonene content in the extraction of sweet lime leaves using the MHD method with variations in ratio, power, and time. The optimum yield of essential oils is at a power of 300 W, 90 minutes, and a ratio of 0.625 with a yield of 0.373%. The biggest components produced in the MHD method of extracting citrus leaves were Germacrene D 29.51%, Alpha-Copaene 18.47%, CIS-CAROPHYLNE 15.42%, 9-Eicosene (E) 8.58% and Limonene 5.51%.

Effect of Spraying with Coconut Liquid and Yeast Extract on Vegetative Growth Traits of Citrus rootstock (Citrus aurantium and Volkameriana)

The experiment was conducted in the plant canopy at Horticulture and Landscape Department, College of Agriculture / University of Kerbala, Iraq for the period from mid-February to the end of June 2023 using Randomized Complete Block Design (R.C.B.D) as a factorial experiment with three factors: citrus rootstock (Citrus aurantium and Volkameriana) and coconut liquid extract with three concentrations of (0, 100, 200) ml L-1 and dry yeast extract in three concentrations (0, 4, 8) g L-1 and with three replications. The most important results indicated the superiority of the Volkameriana rootstock in most of the studied growth characteristics (plant height, stem diameter, number of leaves, leaf area, shoot dry weight), while the treatment of coconut liquid 200 ml L-1, as well as the treatment of dry yeast extract with a concentration of 8 g L-1 achieved a significant superiority for the above studied traits and gave the highest rates. The two-way interaction treatment between (rootstock and coconut liquid) and (rootstock + dry yeast extract) not a significant, as for and (coconut liquid 200 ml L-1 + dry yeast extract at a concentration of 8 g L-1) achieved the highest rates in most of the studied traits. The triple interaction treatment (Volkameriana rootstock + coconut liquid 200 ml L-1 + dry yeast extract at a concentration of 8 g L-1) achieved significant superiority in most of the studied growth characteristics (seedling height, stem diameter, number of leaves, leaf area, shoot dry weight). While the triple overlap treatment (Citrus aurantium + coconut liquid 200 ml L-1 + dry yeast extract at concentration of 8 g L-1) achieved the highest rate of relative moisture content of the leaves, as it gave the highest rates (38.833 cm, 4.2033 mm, 78.667 leaves seedlings-1, 2398.67 cm2, 37.863 g seedlings-1) (70.3 15%, respectively.

Estimation of secondary compounds content of some citrus leaves and their relationship by dietary preference for yellow scale insect Aonidiella. Orientalis (Hemiptera: Diaspididae)

The yellow scale insect Aonidiella orientalis is an important pest of citrus trees as it absorbs sap from leaves and fruits, causing leaves to turn yellow and deform fruits and drop them. The results of study showed nutritional preference of the insect over some of studied citrus species, as sour orange was the most preferred, followed by lemon and grapefruit, mandarin and oranges were least preferred, with a rate of 22.3, 13.3, 11.7, 10.8, 3.9, and insect / 2 inch2, respectively. while results showed a difference in the content of citrus leaves from the secondary compounds, with highest concentration of phenols and total flavonoids in orange leaves compared to the lowest concentration in grapefruit, the highest concentration of alkaloids was in sour orange compared to the lowest concentration in lemons. highest concentration of total terpenes was in lemon and the lowest concentration was in orange, as for concentration of Lemonic acid, the highest concentration was in lemon leaves, and the lowest was in grapefruit, sour orange, mandarin and orange, respectively. The results also showed that Ascorbic acid in citrus gave the highest concentration in sour orange leaves, and the lowest was in lemon, grapefruit, mandarin and orange, respectively.

Antibacterial activity of silver nanoparticles synthesized from Citrus aurantium and its synergistic effect of the combination of silver nanoparticles with ampicillin against Proteus mirabilis

Abstract Background: Proteus mirabilis is one of the most infectious organisms that cause a various infections involving those of the skin, wounds, and urinary tract. This study describes the synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNps) and using it as an antibacterial agent. Objective: To determine the activity of AgNps and synergistic effect of combination of AgNps with ampicillin (AMP). Materials and Methods: Out of 205 samples, 32 isolated were identified as P. mirabilis and determine the inhibition zone by using AgNps and its combination with AMP. The AgNps were biosynthesized by Citrus aurantium and then characterized using Ultraviolet (UV)-visible spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscope (TEM). The antibacterial activity of AgNps was done using well diffusion agar method and the activity was evaluated by calculating the increase in the inhibition zone and reduction in the bacterial growth. Results: The synthesized AgNps was first characterized by UV-visible spectroscopy which showed a peak between 400 and 500 cm–1. The color changes from clear yellow to red or brown color indicate the formation of AgNps. The particle size of AgNps was calculated and found to be 21.24 nm by XRD. The TEM images showed the presence of very regular particles in shape of nanospheres with a particle size in the range of 10–28 nm. Different concentrations (25, 50, 75, 100 µg/mL) were used for determining the activities of AgNps and the combination of AgNps with AMP, and the result showed that the most efficient in inhibition zone was at concentration 100 µg/mL. Conclusion: This study concluded that the green synthesized AgNps from C. aurantium leaves extract have most potential as antibacterial against P. mirabilis.

Molecular Characterization of Neoscytalidium spp. The Cause of Wilting of Branches and Blackening of the Stem

The study was conducted in the Faculty of Agricultural Engineering Sciences in the laboratories of the Plant Protection Department 2019, with the aim of diagnosing the pathogen of Branch Wilt and blackening of stems, outwardly and molecularly. The results of isolation from infected Malus domestica, Morus alba, Punica granatum, Citrus sinensis, C. aurantium, Ficus elastic, Ficus benjamina, Ricinus communis and Populus euphratica trees showed that twelve isolates of Neoscytalidium spp. were obtained. As a percentage of the frequency of the fungus in the visited orchards of apple trees (Al-Tarmiya and Saffronia) and berries (Al-Tarmiya) 88.9%, and in pomegranates (Al-Tarmiya) and sour oranges(Al-Jadriya) 66.6%, while the lowest frequency was recorded in orange trees (Al-Jadriya), which amounted to 33.3%. The results of the nucleotide sequencing of the isolates of the fungus Neoscytalidium spp. The presence of three types of fungi: N. novaehollandiae isolated from apple, Morus and pomegranate trees, Ficus, Castor and N. dimidiatum isolated from apple and Morus trees, Populus and N. hyalinum isolated from apple, orange, sour orange and ficus trees. The apple isolates 1, 2, and 3, Morus isolate 1, the pomegranate isolate, and the Ficus isolate showed a 100% congruence rate, while the Morus 2, orange, ficus, and Populus isolates showed a congruence rate of 99%, while the orange isolate congruence 98%, and the Castor isolate recorded a congruence rate of 97% with the isolates. Global registered in the International Gen Bank. The nucleotide sequences of the three species N. hyalinum, N. novaehollandiae, and N. dimidiatum in the International Genebank Organization, and this is the first record of these species in Iraq on the hosts isolated from them in this study.

Chemical Response of Citrus Rootstocks to Spraying with Coconut Liquid and Dry Yeast Extract

The experiment was conducted in the plant canopy at Horticulture and Landscape Department, College of Agriculture / University of Kerbala, Iraq for the period from mid-February to the end of June 2023 using Randomized Complete Block Design (R.C.B.D) as a factorial experiment with three factors: citrus rootstock (Citrus aurantium and Volkameriana) and coconut liquid extract with three concentrations of (0, 100, 200) ml L-1 and dry yeast extract in three concentrations (0, 4, 8) g L-1 and with three replications. The most important results indicated the superiority of the Volkameriana rootstock in most of the studied growth characteristics (N %, P%, K%, carbohydrate %, chlorophyll content), while the treatment of coconut liquid 200 ml L-1, as well as the treatment of dry yeast extract with a concentration of 8 g L-1 achieved a significant superiority for the above studied traits and gave the highest rates. The two-way interaction treatment between (Volkameriana rootstock + coconut liquid 200 ml L-1) and (Volkameriana rootstock + dry yeast extract at a concentration of 8 g L-1) and (coconut liquid 200 ml L-1 + dry yeast extract at a concentration of 8 g L-1) achieved the highest rates in all of the studied traits. The triple interaction treatment (Volkameriana rootstock + coconut liquid 200 ml L-1 + dry yeast extract at a concentration of 8 g L-1) achieved significant superiority in all the studied growth characteristics (N %, P %, K %, carbohydrate content, and leaf chlorophyll content), as it gave the highest rates of (2.1117%, 0.6867%, 1.9700%, 19.9570%, 4.999 mg. fresh weight-1) respectively.

Fruit maturity evolution of Clementine Mandarin variety (strain 88) grafted on different citrus rootstocks

Abstract. The research was carried out at Ciano Research Station of Lattakia Research Center - General Commission for Scientific Agricultural Research in Damascus in 2019. The fruit maturity evolution of Clementine Mandarin variety (Strain 88) budded on seven citrus rootstocks (Sour Orange, Citrumelo 4475, Citrumelo 1452, Troyer Citrange, Carrizo Citrange, Macrophylla and Cleopatra Mandarin) and planted in 1989 was studied for a period of 84 days, starting from 16th September 2019 to the start of reaping the fruits on 9th December 2019. There were insignificant differences in the average weight increase of the fruit among the studied treatments. Fruit peel thickness significantly increased by (50.15%) in the trees grafted on Macrophylla compared to those grafted on Cleopatra Mandarin, Troyer Citrange and Citrumelo 1452 whose fruit peel thickness increased by (19.21, 9.58 and 2.61%, respectively). The highest increase in total soluble solids (%) was in the trees grafted on Troyer Citrange by (38.10%), while total acids (%) significantly decreased by (18.33%) in the trees grafted on Citrumelo 1452.

Reduction of Citrus Fruit Fungal Rot Disease using the Commercial Bio-Agent Bacillus subtilis

The results of the laboratory experiment on PDA media showed that B. subtilis at all concentrations (0.1ml, 0.5ml, 1ml/plate) led to a significant reduction in the fungal growth of the two pathogenic fungi, P. polonicum and G. candidum, with an inhibition rate that increased with increasing concentration. The effect of B. subtilis on the growth of P. polonicum was higher than that of G. candidum. In the experiment of storing fruits under natural conditions, the results showed the significant effect of B. subtilis in reducing the severity of infection in injured (artificially wounded) citrus fruits (orange, lemon, sour orange) when treated with the spore suspension of G.candidum and P. polonicum, compared to the significantly higher infection severity in the absence of the biological agent B. subtilis. The percentage of spoilage (reduction of the final fruit weight) increased in the fruits due to infection after 7 days of storage in the spore suspension treatments of G. candidum in oranges, especially in the wounded fruits compared to the normal, uninjured fruits. The same is the case with lemon and orange, as it was observed, in general, that the percentage of weight reduction in wounded fruits increased even in the control treatments than in the normal (uninjured) fruits, while the presence of bacteria B. subtilis reduced the spoilage to normal limits that did not differ from the final fruit weight in the control treatment.

Effect of Spraying Nano-Fertilizer (Loenergy Plus) and Hibiscus Extract on the Vegetative Growth Characteristics of the Seedling of Sour Orange Citrus aurantium L.

The experiment was carried out from the middle of March until the end of June in the greenhouse belonging to the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Engineering, the College of Agriculture, and the University of Karbala. To investigate the impact of spraying hibiscus extract and Nano-fertilizer (Loenergy Plus) on the vegetative growth traits of the seedling of the orange starting in 2022. The experiment was set up as a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with two factors: with Nano-fertilizer (Loenergy Plus) and hibiscus extract, each in three concentrations, and three replications, each with 18 seedlings and two seedlings each. Following the completion of the experiment, measurements were obtained, the outcomes were evaluated using the statistical design employed, and the averages were compared using the least significant difference test at the level of probability 0.05. The most significant findings were those of the Nano-fertilizer (Loenergy Plus) treatment, which at a concentration of 1.5 ml L-1 was significantly better than other concentrations in all growth characteristics studied (seedling height rate (cm), stem diameter rate (mm), average number of leaves (leaf /seedling), leaf area (cm2), average leaf chlorophyll content (SPAD unit), and shoot dry weight). Most of the growth characteristics that were examined (seedling height rate (cm), stem diameter rate (mm), average number of leaves (leaf/seedling), leaf area (cm2), rate of leaf chlorophyll content (SPAD unit), and shoot dry weight) were significantly improved by the application of hibiscus extract at an 8 g L-1 concentration. While the binary interaction between the two experimental factors (average seedling height (cm), average stem diameter (mm), average leaf chlorophyll content in leaves (SPAD unit), and shoot dry weight) had no significant effect, there was a significant effect of the bilateral interaction between the two experimental factors on the number of leaves (leaves / seedlings) and the leaf area (cm2).