Solution Of Tween Research Articles

Solubilizer of bacterial origin surfactin increases the biological activity of C60 fullerene.

Currently, there exists conflicting data regarding the biological activity of unmodified fullerene C60. Various sources report its toxicity, geroprotective activity, and potential interaction with DNA. Contradictory findings regarding the toxicity of C60 may arise from the use of toxic solvents, as well as the influence of bioavailability and bioactivity on the preparation conditions of C60 suspensions. Furthermore, the microbiota of experimental animals can impact geroprotective activity results by releasing surfactants that facilitate substance penetration through the cell membrane. In this study, we selected conditions for solubilizing fullerene C60 in a solution of surfactin, a surfactant of bacterial origin, as well as in a 2% aqueous solution of TWEEN 80, employing ultrasound. Through bioluminescent analysis using lux biosensors in Escherichia coli MG1655, we observed that C60 in surfactin reduced induced genotoxic and oxidative stress. Given that surfactin enhances membrane permeability to fullerene C60, suspensions of fullerene in designated concentrations of surfactin can be regarded as a DNA protector and antioxidant, warranting further investigation as a promising component of novel drugs.

Evaluation of anthelmintic activity of the essential oils from leaves and rind of Aegle marmelos (Linn.) Correa ver. Bel of family Rutaceae of Pakistan

In this study ‘anthelmintic activity of essential oils (EOs), of leaves and rind of Aegle marmelos (Linn.) Correa ver. Bel was evaluated. ‘Adult motility assay’ was employed using Haemoncus contortus adult worms. EO was applied at three levels viz. 10, 35 and 50µL/10 ml in phosphate buffer solution (PBS) plus 10µL of tween 20 (as carrier/emulsifier). Levamisole was used as a positive control at 0.55 mg/ml concentration. Each concentration of essential oils obtained from different plant parts exhibited varied anthelmintic activity. The best dose dependant effect on adult mortality was by EOs from Aegel rind (R2 values 0.981) followed by EOs from leaves (R2 values 0.86.). LC50 were 34.92 and 26.65 for rind and leaves EOs respectively. Change in the color of the dead worms was an indicator parameter of the fact that the EOs might have damaged the skin of the worms or after transcutaneous penetration into the body has disrupted the circulatory system by causing constriction of blood vessels. It is concluded that EOs extracted from A. marmelos have anthelmintic properties.

Effect of Tween and CTAB surfactants on aqueous solubility of the silibinin anticancer drug studied by using physicochemical properties at 310.15 K

The silibinin (SB) is an anticancer drug exhibits partial solubility in aqueous medium due to its slightly hydrophobic nature. In this context, the aqueous solubility of SB with Tween 40 (Tw 40), Tween 60 (Tw 60), Tween 80 (Tw 80) and Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) surfactants at 310.15 K are reported. The physicochemical properties (PCPs) such as density (ρ, g cm−3), Apparent Molar Volume (Vϕ, cm3·mol−1), viscosity (η, mPa.s), surface tension (γ, mNm−1), friccohesity (σ, s.m−1), activation energy (Δµ2*, kJ/mol), and molecular radii (r, nm) of SB with aqueous solution of Tw 40, Tw 60, Tw 80 and CTAB surfactants separately. The PCPs reflects the state of intermolecular forces (IMF) developed between SB and aqueous solutions of Tween (40, 60, 80) and CTAB surfactants with concentration varied from 25 to 150 µM (µM). This study focused on intermolecular interacting mechanism determined by using PCPs to evaluate self-aggregation potential of SB in aqueous surfactants solution. The PCPs data furnished interaction and structure breaking behavior of SB with surfactant molecules. The development of hydrogen bond (HB), hydrophilic, hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions of SB with surfactants which revealed that the structure dependent interacting activities enhances with increasing concentration of SB in aqueous surfactants.

Effect of irradiated nonionic surfactant on drug-protein binding

In this work, the effect of γ-irradiated surfactants on drug–protein binding has been assessed. Irradiated aqueous solutions of Pluronic F-127, Pluronic L-35, Tween 20, and Tween 80 surfactants were used. Gamma irradiation was carried out for three different doses, to these four surfactants viz., 6, 30, and 36 kGy. Two drugs, Ornidazole (ONZ) and Telmisartan (TMS) were used for the binding study. The effect of four irradiated surfactants in the presence of drug – Bovine serum albumin (BSA) protein was analyzed. The drug solutions in methanol-aqueous media were combined with BSA in the initial step. In the next two succeeding steps, drug–BSA interaction in the presence of unirradiated and irradiated surfactants were carried out. The results of drug-BSA due to addition of irradiated and unirradiated surfactants were compared. The interaction processes were assessed through UV Spectroscopy, DLS, zeta potential, turbidity, and docking studies. Improved binding was observed for both the drugs and four surfactants for irradiated surfactants as determined from the binding constant values using UV spectroscopic studies. The DLS measurements demonstrated no general trend of increase or decrease in micellar size with absorbed dose. The binding and change in the size of micelles were observed to be highly drug and surfactant-specific. Among the four surfactants, irradiated Pluronic F-127 showed higher binding affinity. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the effect of γ-irradiated surfactant on drug–BSA interaction. This can be applied to other drug–protein systems to tune their interaction to the required level. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma

Prediction of the second critical micelle concentration of aqueous tween and span solutions via CPA EoS: Application of the quantitative theory in growth of wormlike micelles

A new combination of previously established molecular-thermodynamic methods was offered in conjunction with the Cubic Plus Association (CPA) equation of state (EoS) for the assessment of the second critical micelle concentration (SCMC), and curvature parameters in aqueous solutions of non-ionic surfactants encompassing Tween 80, Tween 60, Span 80, and Span 60. This combination will yield a quantifiable examination that adheres to creating the micelles resembling worms, enabling the optimization of critical curvature parameters, as well as the prediction of the SCMC. This previously well-known model is reliant upon theoretical components, including chain conformation, headgroup-steric effects, and interfacial tension pertaining to the energy of micelle-free systems. So, the optimized curvature parameters obtained because of these forces can be used as the input of CPA EoS to independently count the association interactions and predict the SCMC for the first time. For the aforementioned surfactants, the first critical micelle concentration (FCMC) data was previously used to modify five pure parameters of the CPA EoS. Consequently, applying the adjusted parameters, the SCMC of noted aqueous solutions has been predicted reasonably using CPA EoS.

Influence of Lemongrass Essential Oil (Cymbopogon flexuosus) Supplementation on Diabetes in Rat Model.

(1) Background: Species of the genus Cymbopogon and its essential oil are known for their antioxidant and hypoglycemic effects. This study aimed to investigate the impact of the essential oil of Cymbopogon flexuosus (EOCF), and its major component, citral, on glycemic, lipid, antioxidant parameters, and oxidative stress in a type 1 diabetes (DM1) rat model. (2) Methods: Initially, EOCF was analyzed by Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and the antioxidant activity of EOCF and citral was evaluated. Next, male Wistar rats (3 months old, 200-250 g) induced with DM1 using Streptozotocin (STZ) were divided into four groups: negative control supplemented with an 80% Tween solution, two groups of animals supplemented with EOCF (32 mg/kg and 64 mg/kg) and with citral (32 mg/kg), and treated for 14 days. Measurements of blood glucose levels and body weight were taken; after euthanasia, biochemical markers, including lipid profile, uric acid, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST), were evaluated. (3) Results: The predominant compounds in EOCF were α-citral (53.21%) and neral (19.42%), constituting 72.63% citral. EOCF showed good antioxidant activity, significantly greater than citral. EOCF supplementation demonstrated a mitigating effect on glycemic, lipid, and hepatic abnormalities induced by DM1. (4) Conclusions: EOCF emerges as a promising therapeutic option for the management of DM1.

Isolation, Identification, and Antibacterial Testing of Essential Oil from Green Betel Leaf (Piper Betle L.) Using Well Diffusion Method

Green betel leaves have been traditionally employed within communities for various medicinal purposes, owing to their rich composition. These leaves are endowed with secondary metabolites encompassing flavonoids, phenols, saponins, and essential oils. Notably, the essential oils within green betel leaves possess a spectrum of biological properties, including antioxidant, antifungal, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antitumor, anti-Alzheimer's, and anti-carcinogenic activities. In this study, the essential oil from green betel leaf collected from Klaten, Central Java, Indonesia, was isolated using water-steam distillation. The components of this isolate were identified using GC-MS analysis. Antibacterial activity was assessed against Staphylococcus epidermidis ATCC 12228 (S. epidermidis) and Escherichia coli (E. coli) using the well-diffusion method at various concentrations (25%, 50%, 75%, 90%, and 100%). Chloramphenicol served as the positive control, while a solution of Tween 20 in distilled water used as the negative control. The essential oil derived from green betel leaves exhibited a brownish-yellow color, possessed a distinctive betel aroma, and had a concentration of 0.21% v/w, a refractive index of 1.5001, and a specific gravity of 0.961 g/mL. The GC-MS analysis revealed the presence of 44 components, with the five most abundant constituents being acetyl chavicol (20.65%), germacrene- D (11.55%), eugenol (8.94%), trans-caryophyllene (7.92%), and chavicol (5.74%). Regarding antibacterial activity, the isolate demonstrated strong activity against S. epidermidis ATCC 12228 at a concentration of 75%, yielding an inhibition zone diameter of 12.33 mm. Similarly, it exhibited strong activity against E. coli at a concentration of 90%, resulting in an inhibition zone diameter of 12.67 mm.

First report of leaf spot disease caused by Xenodidymella glycyrrhizicola on Glycyrrhiza glabra

Glycyrrhiza glabra (liquorice) is a perennial shrub belonging to the Fabaceae family. It is a native of Mediterranean areas and primarily cultivated for its extracts which are used in the pharmaceutical and food industries, and in the manufacture of food supplements (Hayashi & Sudo, 2009). Several foliar diseases, such as powdery mildew, rust and leaf spots, have been reported to endanger the long-term viability and production of liquorice (Farr & Rossman, 2023). In 2022, a leaf spot disease was observed on c. 40% of the two-year-old plants in a liquorice field in Ankara, Turkey. Leaf spots were brown-to-black in colour, sometimes with a light brown centre. Lesions coalesced to large areas of blighted tissue with age (Figure 1a). Branches and petioles also became covered in oval lesions (Figure 1b). Pieces (5 × 5 mm) from lesion margins were surface sterilised in 70% ethanol (30 seconds) and 1% NaOCl (1 minute) and rinsed three times with sterile water. Phoma-like colonies were isolated from surface-sterilised parts of diseased tissues on potato dextrose agar (PDA). One representative isolate (Xg_Gg01), purified using the hyphal tip method, was selected for molecular, morphological and pathogenic characterisation and transferred to plates containing fresh PDA, oatmeal agar (OA), and malt extract agar (MEA) for seven days at 25°C with 12 hr light and 12 hr dark cycles. Colonies on MEA reached about 45 mm in diameter, margin regular and white, brown towards the centre, which was brown and orange due to conidial discharge from pycnidia (Figure 2a). Colonies reaching about 50 mm in diameter on the OA were marginally regular and olivaceous, with a colour change to black due to pycnidia formed towards the centre (Figure 2b). Colonies on the PDA reached about 43 mm in diameter, and the margin was regular and pale olive; the middle and centre were black due to dense pycnidia, and light brown conidial discharge was observed in the centre (Figure 2c). Pycnidia were mostly superficial or immersed in agar, ostiolate, 230–470 × 190–365 μm, and globose or subglobose and brown, becoming irregular-shaped and black with age (Figure 3a). Conidia were aseptate, variable in size and shape, oblong, broadly ellipsoidal, hyaline, becoming pale brown with age and measured 6.1 ± 9.3 × 3.4 ± 6.4 μm (Figure 3b). The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) of ribosomal DNA, partial 𝛽-tubulin gene (TUB2) and RNA polymerase second largest subunit (RPB2) loci of isolate Xg_Gg01 were amplified and bidirectionally sequenced with the universal primer sets; ITS1/ITS4 (White et al., 1990), BT2a/ BT2b (Glass & Donaldson, 1995), and 5f2 (Reeb et al., 2004)/7cr (Liu et al., 1999), respectively. A BLAST search of the resultant sequences (GenBank Accession Nos. OQ568230 for ITS, OQ571627 for TUB2, and OQ571628 for RPB2) showed 99.61–100% nucleotide identity with the holotype strain CBS 684.97 of X. glycyrrhizicola from New Zealand. The combined maximum-likelihood tree of ITS, TUB2, and RPB2 regions with 1000 bootstrap replicates showed that the isolate from the current study was clustered with strains of X. glycyrrhizicola derived from GenBank with strong support (Figure 4). Koch's postulates were fulfilled by spraying 10 ml of a spore suspension (106 spores/ml prepared in a 0.1% Tween-20 solution) of isolate Xg_Gg01 on each of five two-month G. glycyrrhizicola plants in trial pots. The plants were covered with plastic bags for 24 hr post inoculation. After seven days, spots were observed on the inoculated plants’ leaves and petioles (Figure 1c). No symptoms were observed on control plants, sprayed with sterile distilled water only. A morphologically identical X. glycyrrhizicola was isolated from affected tissues. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of X. glycyrrhizicola associated with leaf spots on G. glabra (Farr & Rossman, 2023). The fungus was previously reported on Glycyrrhiza lepidota in Iran (Ahmadpour et al., 2022) and New Zealand (Hou et al., 2020). However, G. glabra constitutes a new host record for this pathogen in Turkey and worldwide.

Micellar solubilization of binary organic liquid mixtures for surfactant enhanced aquifer remediation

AbstractAlthough non‐aqueous phase liquids (NAPLs) are typically released to the environment as complex mixtures, most investigations of subsurface remediation focus on single contaminants and ignore the potential effects of co‐constituents on mass recovery and groundwater plume evolution. In this study, we investigate the dissolution and micellar solubilization of binary NAPL mixtures in completely mixed batch reactors and heterogeneous aquifer cells using a commercially‐available nonionic surfactant, Tween® 80. Micellar solubilization of trichloroethene (TCE), tetrachloroethene (PCE), decane, and dodecane measured in batch studies containing binary mixtures of TCE/PCE or decane/dodecane exhibited nonideal behavior that could not be predicted using Raoult's law. For a mixed PCE/decane NAPL, micellar solubilization of PCE was approximately 40% less than predicted, while decane was over 100% greater, which was attributed to expansion of the micelle core. In two aquifer cells containing different size fractions of quartz sand and low‐permeability lenses, the initial NAPL (1:1 TCE:PCE) saturation distributions resulted in “pool” fractions (PFs) of 0.88 and 0.36. During the initial water flood, the greater aqueous solubility of TCE relative to PCE resulted in preferential removal of TCE from the source zone. However, when a 4% (wt) solution of Tween® 80 was introduced, preferential micellar solubilization of PCE relative to TCE resulted in enhanced removal of PCE, with TCE mass discharge reduced from 97% and 90% and PCE mass discharge reduced from 79% and 53%. The observed relationships between mass discharge and mass removal indicating that plume evolution is strongly influenced by the initial NAPL saturation distribution, changes in the mole fraction of NAPL constituents, and regions of high NAPL saturation that persist over time.

Sesamol counter act toxicity of arsenic on testicular tissues

The main aim of the study includes analyzing the protective effects of sesamol of testicular in arsenic-induced toxicity. Primarily there have been different treatments and sample preparation methods that includethe mixing of drugs seasonal and arsenic, as they were immersed into the aqueous solution of tween 80 and further arsenic stabilisation was done using gum of 0.2%. A total of four groups, each group having 8 rats selected. Testicular catalase is decreased in arsenic treated rats whereas testicular (Glutathione synthetase) GSH, testicular (nitric oxide) NO and testicular malondialdehyde are increased in arsenic treated rats. These indicate sesamol has a protective effect against arsenic induced testicular toxicity.

Thermodynamic modeling of density, viscosity and critical micelle concentration of aqueous Tween and Span solutions via Cubic plus association equation of state

The Cubic Plus Association (CPA) equation of state (EoS) has been offered to separately compute different thermodynamic properties of the aqueous non-ionic surfactant solutions, including Tween 80, Tween 60, Span 80, and Span 60. These surfactants have been modeled for the first time, and 5 pure components parameters of the CPA EoS have been fitted to the Critical Micelle Concentration (CMC) data at various temperatures. Tweens and Spans surfactant molecules have been modeled as associating constituents via considering 3 × 2B association scheme. Furthermore, applying the adjusted parameters, the liquid mixture density of the noted aqueous solutions has been predicted marvelously at various temperatures. Moreover, the liquid mixture viscosity has been compared reasonably using four different theories at ambient conditions. Besides, the effects of temperature have been investigated in the case of liquid mixture viscosity. Additionally, several new correlated equations have been introduced considering the optimized parameters of non-ionic surfactants.

First Report of Leaf Spot Disease Caused by Gibbago trianthemae on Sesuvium portulacastrum in China.

Sea purslane (Sesuvium portulacastrum L.) , a member of the family Aizoaceae, is a sprawling perennial herb with smooth, fleshy, glossy green leaves grown in most coastal areas, and is highly tolerant to salt, drought and heavy metals, which make it a pioneer plant species for dune fixation, seawater desalination and phytoremediation in coastal areas (Lokhande et al., 2013). In addition, it can also be used as vegetable, livestock feed, ornamental and medicinal plant. During the investigation of coastal plant germplasm resources of Fujian province of China in June 2021, a severe leaf spot disease of S. portulacastrum was observed. Infected leaves showed round, sunken, dark-brown necrotic lesions with maroon to brown margins, and severely diseased plants showed considerable leaf necrosis and premature defoliation. Typical infected leaves of S. portulacastrum were collected from Houhai (25°18'11.54''N, 119°14'31.98''E), located in Putian city, Fujian province. After isolation and purification, one fungal isolate SPHH was obtained. Colonies of SPHH on PDA medium reached 4.0 cm in diameter after 7 days at 26℃. On the medium prepared with S. portulacastrum leaves (fresh leaves 200 g/L, glucose 15 g/L, agar 20 g/L, pH 6.5) at 26℃ with cycled light (12 h light/12 h dark) for 7 days, conidiophores were slightly pigmented, solitary or loosely fasciculate, erect, rarely branched, septate, and slightly swollen at the apex with sympodial proliferation; mature conidia were yellow-brown, smooth, beakless, ellipsoid, muriform, possessing 3-4 transverse septa with slight constriction at the median septum and 1-4 longitudinal septa, with average dimension of 31-41 × 15-22 μm (n=100). Conidia germinated from apical, lateral and basal cells to form multiple germ tubes. Germ tubes could develop into secondary conidiophores to produce similar conidia. These morphological characteristics were similar to those of Gibbago trianthemae (Simmons, 1986). Until now, G. trianthemae has only been reported as the pathogen on horse purslane (Trianthema portulacastrum L.) in Cuba, the USA, Venezuela, India, Pakistan and Mexico (Simmons, 1986; Aneja and Kaushal, 1999; Akhtar et al., 2013; Rubén et al., 2020). The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of rDNA was amplified and sequenced using primers ITS1F and ITS4 (Gardes and Bruns, 1993; White et al., 1990). The resultant amplicon sequence (NCBI accession No. OK513442) showed 99.64% identity (559 bp/561 bp) with the ITS of G. trianthemae strain GT-VM (NCBI accession No. KJ825852, Kumar et al., 2016). A phylogenetic tree was constructed using the ITS sequences of strain SPHH, G. trianthemae strains and other strains from genera Dendryphiella, Paradendryphiella, Stemphylium and Pleospora. Strain SPHH was located within the same clade with G. trianthemae strains. Healthy S. portulacastrum plants were spray inoculated with the conidial suspension (105 conidia/mL) of SPHH and were kept at 26℃ with high humidity. Round, water-soaked lesions were observed on inoculated plant leaves 3-5 days after inoculation, similar to the symptoms found in the natural environment. As the lesions expanded, infected leaves gradually became chlorotic and abscised after 7-10 days. Plants inoculated with 0.02% Tween-20 solution which was used to prepare the conidial suspension of G. trianthemae remained symptomless. All pathogenicity tests were performed in two independent biological replicates, with five technical repeats for each, and similar results were obtained. Re-isolation of G. trianthemae from the diseased tissues of inoculated S. portulacastrum fulfilled Koch's postulates. Thus, G. trianthemae was the causal agent of the leaf spot disease of S. portulacastrum. This is the first report of G. trianthemae as a pathogen on S. portulacastrum. G. trianthemae has great potential for development as a mycoherbicide against T. portulacastrum (Mitchell, 1988; Kumar et al., 2016.), however, due to the ecological and certain economic importance of S. portulacastrum, management of this fungal disease on S. portulacastrum may be necessary.

Cordyceps cateniannulata and Cordyceps javanica: first report of pathogenicity to Glycaspis brimblecombei (Hemiptera: Aphalaridae).

Cultivation of species of the genus Eucalyptus is important for the Brazilian economy, with 6.97 million hectares planted. Glycaspis brimblecombei Moore (Hemiptera: Aphalaridae), detected in Brazil in 2003, has dispersed and now damages Eucalyptus crops in all regions of this country. The location and identification of entomopathogenic fungi isolates may increase the options for integrated pest management. The objective of this research was to evaluate the pathogenicity of Cordyceps cateniannulata and Cordyceps javanica isolates to G. brimblecombei. Ten nymphs of G. brimblecombei, with or without lerps, were placed per Eucalyptus leaf cut with one of its edges on hydroretentive gel inside Petri dishes. The fungi isolates were suspended in a solution of Tween 80 (0.1%) at the concentration of 1.0 x 108 conidia mL-1 and sprayed on the G. brimblecombei nymphs. The mortality of this insect was evaluated daily for seven days, and the dead individuals were transferred to humid chambers. The conidia viability of the isolates was greater than 93%. The mortality of G. brimblecombei nymphs, seven days after the application of the fungi, was 100%. This is the first report of the pathogenicity of C. cateniannulata and C. javanica isolates, occurring naturally in the field, to G. brimblecombei.

First report of Curvularia lunata causing Curvularia leaf spot of corn in Delaware.

In mid-August 2020, small circular tan-colored lesions were detected in leaves of corn, Zea mays, in Sussex county Delaware. Symptoms were observed in many fields, affecting multiple hybrids that were at approximately the dough growth stage (R4). Lesions were present on most plants and individual ear leaf severity ratings ranged from 3 to 14 %. Symptomatic corn leaves were selected from the field and kept in a moist chamber for 24 hrs at 25 °C. In lesions, melanized spores were observed ranging from 21.94 µm to 30.51 µm in length and 7.83µm to 11.70µm in width (n=20). One cm2 leaf sections were extracted and sterilized in a 0.85% sodium hypochlorite solution for 30s followed by a sterile water rinse for 30s. Leaf pieces were then plated onto potato dextrose agar amended with 50µg/ml penicillin-G-sodium salt and streptomycin sulfate. Petri dishes were incubated at 25 °C with a 12-hr photoperiod for 14 days. Colonies were brown-black to lighter gray in color. Media was stained from orange, to dark brown, or not at all. Conidia were melanized and curved with three transverse septa matching the size above. Colony and spore morphology were consistent with the description of Curvularia lunata (Garcia-Aroca et al. 2018). Pure cultures were obtained, and a representative isolate was sequenced to confirm fungal identity by amplifying the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region with primers ITS4 and ITS5. BLAST search results confirmed 100% similarity (483/531 bp) to the C. lunata reference sequence (MK623264). The sequence was deposited in GenBank as accession number MW794323. To complete Koch's postulates, corn (hybrid: Hubner H6187RCSS) was planted into 10 cm pots and maintained at 25°C and a 12 hr photoperiod. A conidial suspension was made by soaking a Petri dish of a 3-week-old fungal colony with 20 ml of sterile water and a drop of Tween-20 solution then, scraping mycelia to dislodge spores. The conidial concentration was calibrated to 5 x 105 spores/ml and 15 ml were applied to each whorl of four three-collar stage plants using a Preval sprayer (Nakoma Products, Bridgeview, IL). Four plants were inoculated with 15 ml sterile DI water as a control. This experiment was repeated twice. Each plant was moved to an incubator and covered with a plastic bag for 24 hr to maintain humidity. Conditions in the incubator were maintained at 25 °C with a 12-hr photoperiod. Inoculated plants displayed small, oval-shaped lesions within four days. No symptoms were observed on the control plants. Symptomatic leaves were harvested and placed into a moist chamber for 24 hrs to sporulate and lesions were plated onto PDA as described above. Culture morphology was consistent with the original isolate, with spores slightly larger ranging from 22.35 µm to 39.29 µm in length, and 8.36 µm to 11.69 µm in width (n=20). Isolates obtained from inoculated plants were sequenced and maintained 100% identity with the reference sequence described above. C. lunata was first reported in Louisiana in 2017 (Garcia-Aroca et al. 2018) and in Kentucky in 2018 (Anderson et al. 2019). This is the first report of Curvularia leaf spot on corn in Delaware. Symptoms developed late in the season, so it is unlikely that yield was affected in 2020. However, the economic impact of this disease in the United States is still unclear, it will be important to monitor potential impacts of this disease in Delaware corn production.

Assessment of Some Ripening Parameters (Antioxidant and Enzymes) during Storage of Banana (Musa acuminata) after Treatment with Calcium Chloride

The valorisation of the large scale production of bananas in the producing countries depends on the safeguarding of the quality during exports throughout the world. The objective of the present study was to extend the shelf life of bananas by elucidating some physical and physiological phenomena that accompany the ripening process. To achieve this, bananas were treated by soaking in solutions of tween 20 for 10 minutes and calcium chloride at 2, 4, 6 and 8% for 30 minutes. The following parameters were evaluated generally in the peel and pulp as a function of time during ripening: green life, firmness of bananas, water content, Brix index, pigments, antioxidant compounds such as ascorbic acid and flavonoids, activity of two enzymes, chlorophyllase and pectin-methylesterase. The green life was 25 days for bananas treated with tween 20 at 4% calcium chloride and almost 15 days for controls. Firmness was lower in bananas treated with tween 20 at 6 and 8% calcium chloride as well as in control bananas. While the Brix index was higher in the latter, photosynthetic pigment contents such as chlorophylls a and b were lower over time. Lycopene, β-carotene and ascorbic acid contents increased significantly during ripening. Flavonoid content in the skin varied less during the sampling period. However, a regression of the latter was noted in the pulp. The enzymatic activity of both chlorophyllase and pectin-methylesterase was increasing during the whole experiment. The effect of the treatments on the majority of the evaluated parameters was elucidated. Although it was not always statistically significant. The treatments with tween 20 at 2 and 4% calcium chloride were the best, certainly because of an adequate integration of calcium chloride in the tissues. On the other hand, the 6 and 8% treatments showed an unexpected result, similar to the control. The integration of a high calcium content would lead to a tearing of the tissues and consequently to a disorganisation of the membrane, resulting in a faster ripening.

Effect of Telmisartan on Arsenic-Induced (Sub-chronic) Perturbations in Redox Homeostasis, Pro-inflammatory Cascade and Aortic Dysfunction in Wistar Rats.

An experimental study was conducted in male Wistar rats to explore the antioxidant potential of telmisartan (an AT1 receptor blocker) to overcome arsenic ('As')-induced perturbations in redox homeostasis pro-inflammatory cytokines, prostaglandin-E2 levels and aortic dysfunction in Wistar rats. Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups of six each. Group-I served as untreated control, while group-II received sodium (meta) arsenite (NaAsO2) (10mg/kg b.wt. p.o) for a period of 60days. Experimental rats in group-III received treatment similar to group-II, but in addition received telmisartan (with 1% aqueous solution of Tween 80) @ 10mg/kg b.wt. (p.o) for a similar duration, while rats in group-IV received telmisartan alone. Arsenic exposure resulted in significant (p < 0.05) elevation in the levels of superoxide anion ([Formula: see text]) radicals (control: 768.20 ± 126.77 vs group-II: 1232.75 ± 97.85pmol of NBT reduced/min/mg protein). Telmisartan administration showed significant (p < 0.05) reduction in [Formula: see text] generation (815.34 ± 43.41pmol of NBTreduced/min/mg protein). Sub-chronic exposure to 'As' significantly (p < 0.05) decreased the activities of SOD, CAT, GPx and GR activity and GSH levels in the aorta, thus induced lipid peroxidation (LPO) measured as measured in terms of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) called as malondialdehyde (MDA). However, the administration of telmisartan effectively countered the LPO (24.03 ± 1.18nmol of MDA/g) on account of restoring the levels of aforesaid antioxidant defense system. Telmisartan administration effectively attenuated the 'As'-induced surge in pro-inflammatory cytokines (viz., IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α) levels, as well as countered the activity of cyclooxygenase (COX2) as indicated by a significant (p < 0.05) decrease in PGE2 level in the aorta. In addition to it, there was a significant (p < 0.05) decrease in plasma angiotensin II (Ang-II) levels in experimental rats receiving telmisartan. Quantitative RT-PCR studies revealed that sub-chronic exposure to 'As' upregulated the Nox2 mRNA expression, but there was a 1.2-fold reduction in expression level upon co-administration of telmisartan. Histopathological examination revealed marked recovery from 'As'-induced disruption of tunica adventitia and loss of connective tissue in experimental rats receiving telmisartan. The study concludes that telmisartan can overcome aortic dysfunction induced by sub-chronic exposure to arsenic through drinking water in experimental rats through restoration of redox balance, attenuation of pro-inflammatory cytokines and mediators and downregulation of Nox2 mRNA expression.

The effect tetra butyl ammonium hydroxide and tween on the kinetics of carbon dioxide hydrate formation

In this research, the kinetics of CO2 hydrate formation in the presence and absence of TBAOH as a thermodynamic additive and tween as a kinetic additive is investigated. A high-pressure autoclave equipped with a rocking-cell mixer was applied to determine the effect of TBAOH and tween on the process of carbon dioxide hydrate formation. The findings of the experiments show that using TBAOH had a dual effect on the formation of carbon dioxide hydrate. Low concentrations of TBAOH presented a positive effect on the CO2 hydrate formation kinetics but using this component with a mass fraction of 8% inhibited the quantity of gas uptake and storage capacity (SC) at the feed pressure of 3 MPa. Using 10 and 300 ppm tween 80 promotes the formation of CO2 hydrate kinetics. Investigating the influence of simultaneous utilization of TBAOH and tween 80 on the quantity of the formation CO2 hydrate showed that this system decreased the quantity of CO2 uptake in comparison with aqueous solutions of tween and TBAOH.

First Report of Leaf Rust of Acer mono Caused by Pucciniastrum hikosanense in China.

Acer mono Maxim, mainly distributed in China, Japan, Korea and eastern Russia (Shang et al. 2012), is a widely planted ornamental and pharmaceutical tree (Zhang et al. 2015). In September 2020, leaf samples of A. mono infected by uredinia were collected in Shaanxi Province (34°15'40.06'' N, 108°3'54.54'' E, alt. 432.35m), China. Telia development was observed in late autumn. Voucher specimens were deposited in the Herbarium Mycologicum Academiae Sinicae (no. HMAS249354), China. This led to premature defoliation and in the 90% planting wide incidence. Geospatial investigations revealed that this rust was widely distributed in local urban parks, but was nonpathogenic to A. buergerianum, A. negundo, A. oblongum, A. palmatum and A. rubrum. This fungus was morphologically characterized and most closely matched descriptions of Pucciniastrum. Uredinia were hypophyllous, subepidermal, scattered to gregarious, oval or round, 0.10-0.30 × 0.08-0.15 mm, golden yellow to orange, somewhat pulverulent. Peridia were hemispherical, erumpent with apical pores; peridial cells minute, irregularly polygonal, hyaline to pale yellow; ostiolar cells ellipsoid or roundish. Urediniospores were subglobose, ovate or ellipsoid, 20-33 × 15-21 μm, yellow to pale orange; wall 1-2 μm thick, hyaline to pale yellow, echinulate, somewhere smooth. Pedicels were deciduous, hyaline, minute, fragile. Telia were hypophyllous, subepidermal, intermixed with uredinia, irregularly polygonal, restricted by veins, 0.34-0.91 × 0.21-0.54 mm, and orange to amber brown. Teliospores were produced parallelly single-layered, and were subglobose, oblong, sometimes angular, 23-47 × 16-34 μm, colorless to pale yellow, 1-5 mediastinal, 2-6-celled; lateral wall 1-1.6 μm thick, apical wall 1-3 μm thick, smooth, hyaline. The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and rDNA-28S regions were amplified using ITS1F/ITS4 and NL1/NL4 (Ji et al. 2019) to confirm the identification. The aligned sequences were deposited in GenBank (accession no. MW391829, MW543709, MW541916, MW541917). Phylogenetic trees were constructed based on neighbor-joining (NJ), maximum-likelihood (ML) and Bayesian methods. ML and NJ bootstrap values were calculated by bootstrap analyses of 1,000 replicates with GTR+G+I model using MEGA-X (Kumar et al. 2018), while Bayesian Markov chain Monte Carlo analyses were performed using MrBayes ver. 3.1.2 (Huelsenbeck & Ronquist 2001; Ji et al. 2019). Phylogenetic analysis revealed that HMAS249354 and Pucciniastrum hikosanense were grouped into one clade highly supported by bootstrap values of NJ, ML, and Bayesian posterior probability (Bpp) of 97%/93%/1, respectively. Koch's postulates were fulfilled with 1-year-old healthy plants of A. mono. Fresh urediniospores were collected and suspended in a 0.05% water solution of Tween 20, and 100 μl of urediniospores suspension (106 urediniospores/ml) per leaf (n=10) were sprayed, with another ten healthy leaves sprayed with sterile water as the control. The plants were placed in dark for 48 h and then moved into greenhouse at 22°C with 12 h light per day. Disease symptoms after 10-12 days' inoculation on the inoculated leaves which were identical to the original observations, while the control leaves remained healthy. Previously, P. hikosanense was reported to infect Acer rufinerve Sieb. et Zucc. in Japan (Hiratsuka 1940) and A. rubescens Hayata in Taiwan, China (Dai 1979). This is the first report of leaf rust of Acer mono caused by Pucciniastrum hikosanense Hirats. f. in China.

Functional and Structural Analysis of a Novel Acyltransferase from Pathogenic Phytophthora melonis.

This investigation characterizes an acyltransferase enzyme responsible for the pathogenicity of Phytophthora melonis. The protein was characterized in vitro for its physicochemical properties. The biochemical characterization, including thermal and pH stability, revealed the 35 °C temperature and 7.0 pH as the optimum conditions for the enzyme. Applying the Tween-80 solution enhanced the activity up to 124.9%. Comprehensive structural annotation revealed two domains, A (ranging from residues 260 to 620) and B (ranging from 141 to 219). Domain A had transglutaminase (T-Gase) elicitor properties, while B possessed antifreeze features. Rigorous sequence characterization of the acyltransferase tagged it as a low-temperature-resistant protein. Further, the taxonomic distribution analysis of the protein highlighted three genera in Oomycetes, i.e., Pythium, Phytophthora, and Plasmopara, bearing this protein. However, some taxonomic groups other than Oomycetes (i.e., archaea and bacteria) also contained the protein. Functional studies of structurally analogous proteins spanned 10 different taxonomic groups. These revealed TGase elicitors (10%), phytopathogen effector proteins RxLR (4%), transporter family proteins (3%), and endonucleases (1%). Other analogues having one percent of their individual share were HIV tat-specific factor 1, protocadherin fat 4, transcription factor 1, and 3-hydroxyisobutyrate dehydrogenase. Because the plant infection by P. melonis is a complex process regulated by a profusion of extracellular signals secreted by both host plants and the pathogen, this study will be of help in interpreting the cross-talk in the host–pathogen system.

Fabrication of omniphobic PVDF composite membrane with dual-scale hierarchical structure via chemical bonding for robust membrane distillation

In recent years, omniphobic membranes have drawn much attention due to the strong repellence to various liquids. In this study, a PVDF composite membrane with omniphobic characteristics was prepared by constructing dual-scale hierarchical structure and introducing long chemical chains with the low surface energy. The special architecture was derived from the immobilization of TiO2@PDA@Cu composite nanoparticles on the surface via chemical bonding, and the fluorosilanization treatment with 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorodecyltriethoxysilane for membrane surfaces. A series of characterizations were implemented to explore composite nanoparticles’ morphology and composition, as well as membrane morphology and surface analysis. In addition, anti-fouling and anti-wetting behaviors of pristine and composite membranes were investigated by successive direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD) experiments, in which different contaminations containing inorganic salts, organic matter, surfactants and mineral oil were chosen as the feed. The results displayed that composite nanoparticles were obtained through the chelating effect of polydopamine (PDA) and the dual-scale structure was realized with the assistance of trimesoyl chloride (TMC). The omniphobic membrane exhibited strong repulsive forces to various liquids, such as water, SDBS solution (0.4 mM), CTAB solution (0.4 mM), tween-20 solution (0.4 mM) and mineral oil emulsion (0.2% v/v) with the contact angles of 168.0 ± 2.0°, 157.1 ± 1.5°, 160.0 ± 1.2°, 158.3 ± 1.5° and 152.5 ± 3.0°, respectively. Furthermore, compared to pristine membrane, the omniphobic membrane presented superior stability, higher salt rejection rate and excellent anti-wetting and anti-fouling performances in the DCMD tests. Thus, the composite membrane with superhydrophobic and superoleophobic features possessed great application potential for high salinity wastewater treatment in membrane distillation.