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Osmotic stress is a serious physiological disorder that affects water movement within the cell membranes. Osmotic stress adversely affects agricultural production and sustainability and is largely caused by soil salinity and water stress. An integrated nitrogen-fixing bacteria (NFB) soil amendment and an exogenous foliar application of Aloe vera leaf extract (ALE), and moringa leaf extract (MLE) were evaluated on roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) growth, calyx yield, secondary metabolites, and tolerance to osmotic stress in salt-affected soil. The osmotic stress markedly decreased above- and below-ground development of the roselle plant, but integrated NFB soil amendment with ALE or MLE foliar application significantly alleviated its negative impacts. Broadly, an improvement was observed in chlorophyll, carbohydrates, and protein levels following NFB and extracts foliar application, as well as a significant enhancement in antioxidant production (total phenols, ascorbic acid, and FRAP), which decreased peroxide production and increased stress tolerance in plants. Under osmotic stress, the roselle calyx revealed the highest anthocyanin levels, which declined following NFB soil amendment and foliar extract application. Additionally, an enhancement in nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) contents and the K/Na ratio, along with a depression in sodium (Na) content, was noticed. The integrated application of Azospirillum lipoferum × ALE exhibited the best results in terms of enhancing above- and below-ground growth, calyx yield, secondary metabolites, and tolerance to osmotic stress of the roselle plants cultivated in the salt-affected soil.

Syzygium cumini (L.) Skeels (jamun) is an ornamental tree species that is sensitive to salinity. Salinity stress is a major challenge, particularly in regions with saline irrigation water. In the present study, the ameliorative potential of foliar application of an aqueous extract of Delonix regia (Poinciana) flowers (PFE) to saline water-irrigated jamun seedlings was investigated over a period of two years. PFE was effective in mitigating the harmful effects of salinity on plant growth, physiology, and biochemistry. Salinity-induced reductions in plant height, leaf area, and biomass which were significantly alleviated by PFE foliar application. The extract also enhanced antioxidant activity, as indicated by increased ferric reducing antioxidant potential (FRAP) and phenolic content, while also reducing hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) levels and membrane damage as indicated by the accumulation of malondialdehyde (MDA). Additionally, the foliar application of PFE promoted the accumulation of free proline, an essential osmo-protectant, further enhancing the plant’s resilience to salinity stress. These findings highlight the potential of PFE as an eco-friendly bio-stimulant to improve salinity tolerance in jamun and pave the way for sustainable salinity management strategies in other crops as well.

Due to the growing knowledge about the microorganism–plant relationship, medicinal plants have gained great attention in their bio fertilization programs using biostimulants based on microorganisms. Plectranthus amboinicus (Lour.) Spreng. is a perennial herb belonging to the family Lamiaceae and has therapeutic and nutritional properties attributed to its natural phytochemical compounds, which are highly valued in the pharmaceutical industry. A pot experiment was conducted to evaluate the efficiency of Rhodotorula muciligenese (Y1), Candida sake (Y2), Candida apicola (Y3), and Candida kunwiensis (Y4) yeast strains in concentrations of 0 (C1), 1 × 104 (C2), 1 × 107 (C3), and 1 × 109 (C4) CFU mL−1 on the growth performance, productivity, and antioxidant activity of P. amboinicus plants. Yeast applications promoted growth attributes, nutritional value, and antioxidant activity in P. amboinicus leaves. Candida apicola exhibited the greatest root growth, herb weight, and essential oil production; it also stimulated carbohydrates, protein, and mineral content, as well as DPPH and FRAP activities. Whereas Rhodotorula muciligenese recorded the lowest values in this respect, among the concentrations used, the 1 × 107 CFU mL−1 concentration showed the highest values in this respect. These new findings showed that the foliar application of Candida apicola not only maximized the growth and productivity but also maximized the nutritional value and antioxidant activity of P. amboinicus.

Sprouts are an attractive food product that contains high amounts of nutritional substances and has pro-health features. Sprout consumption has strongly increased despite its potential risk to health due to its microbial load. Both the safety and shelf life of sprouts may be negatively affected by a high microbial load. To reduce the microbial contamination in sprouts before consumption, the initial microbial load on the seeds needs to be controlled. Many herbal sprouts have been recommended for diabetes, and fenugreek is one of these sprouts. Thus, the current experiment aimed at disinfecting fenugreek seeds using microwave (5, 10, and 20 s) and hot water (30, 45, and 60 s) treatments for different durations. The best-disinfected sprouts with the highest nutritional properties were used to evaluate their influence on streptozocin-induced diabetic rats in comparison with fenugreek seed feeding. Microwave treatments showed the highest sprout length, fresh weight, total free amino acids, antioxidants, reducing sugars, and total phenols. Additionally, microwave seed treatments showed the lowest bacteria and mold counts on sprouts produced relative to hot water treatments, and the best seed treatment was a microwave for 20 s, which gave the best values in this respect. Feeding diabetic rats with different fenugreek seeds or sprout rates (0, 5, 7.5, and 10% w/w) improved body weight, restricted the growth of glucose levels, lowered total cholesterol and triglycerides, and improved HDL compared with the positive control group, and fenugreek sprouts at higher rates showed the maximum improvements in blood glucose, total cholesterol, and triglycerides. Treating fenugreek seed with microwave radiation for 20 s to disinfect the seeds before sprouting is recommended for lowering the microbial load with optimum nutritional and antioxidant activity, and feeding diabetic rats with these sprouts at the rate of 7.5 and 10% had promising effects on hyperglycemia and associated disorders.

Schefflera plant is propagated and grown under greenhouse cultivation, and most of these greenhouses are low-cost. In the summer, the heat generated in greenhouses becomes a limiting factor for plant growth and, subsequently, limits the production of high-quality species under greenhouse conditions. The powder of banana (B), orange (O), and pomegranate (P) peels and their combinations were added as soil supplementation at rates of 8 and 16 g/pot to the pots of Schefflera plants, which were grown during the summer season under a low-cost greenhouse. The growth analysis was estimated after 150 and 180 days from planting. Heat conditions significantly inhibited the relative growth rate, crop growth rate, and absolute growth rate (AGR) of Schefflera plants, but fruit peel applications were shown to markedly mitigate its negative impact. Fruit peel applications augmented the shoot and root growth rates and leaf pigments, decreased AGR reduction, promoted relative water content, increased membrane stability index (MSI), and alternated the phenotypic plasticity index (PPI). Fruit peels significantly increased total phenol and flavonoid levels as well as the antioxidant activity (DPPH), which positively alleviated the oxidative damage (decreased H 2 O 2 and MDA contents) that occurred in plant leaves, and induced heat-shock protein synthesis, leading to plants with greater heat tolerance. Orange peel application at the rate of 16 g/pot to the potting soil is more beneficial for root initiation and development during the early phases of Schefflera plant life, as well as more effective in increasing the aerial portions and inducing resistance to heat conditions in low-cost polyethylene greenhouses.

Osmotic stress is a serious physiological disorder that affects water movement within the cell membranes. Osmotic stress adversely affects agricultural production and sustainability and is largely caused by soil salinity and water stress. An integrated nitrogen-fixing bacteria (NFB) soil amendment and an exogenous foliar application of Aloe vera leaf extract (ALE), and moringa leaf extract (MLE) were evaluated on roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) growth, calyx yield, secondary metabolites, and tolerance to osmotic stress in salt-affected soil. The osmotic stress markedly decreased above- and below-ground development of the roselle plant, but integrated NFB soil amendment with ALE or MLE foliar application significantly alleviated its negative impacts. Broadly, an improvement was observed in chlorophyll, carbohydrates, and protein levels following NFB and extracts foliar application, as well as a significant enhancement in antioxidant production (total phenols, ascorbic acid, and FRAP), which decreased peroxide production and increased stress tolerance in plants. Under osmotic stress, the roselle calyx revealed the highest anthocyanin levels, which declined following NFB soil amendment and foliar extract application. Additionally, an enhancement in nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) contents and the K/Na ratio, along with a depression in sodium (Na) content, was noticed. The integrated application of Azospirillum lipoferum × ALE exhibited the best results in terms of enhancing above- and below-ground growth, calyx yield, secondary metabolites, and tolerance to osmotic stress of the roselle plants cultivated in the salt-affected soil.

Recently, Sesbania grandiflora (L.) Poir. trees gained great attention due to their potent concentration of antioxidants and active compounds, which can be employed in many fields. Employing natural antioxidants to enhance crop growth and production is an important topic owing to their beneficial effects on public health, particularly in the production of medicinal and aromatic plants under stressful conditions. However, there are no studies that have examined the effect of Sesbania grandiflora leaf extract (SLE) as a stimulator on medicinal plant production. Hence, this investigation aims to shed more light on this gap. This study was carried out to evaluate the efficiency of SLE on the plant performance, calyx yield, and therapeutic values of Hibiscus sabdariffa L. grown under saline conditions. Roselle plants were foliarly sprayed with SLE at SLE1 (10%), SLE2 (20%), SLE3 (30%), and SLE4 (40%). Control plants were foliar sprayed with water. The obtained results revealed that plant height, fruit traits, and sepal yield were significantly improved following SLE supplementation as compared to untreated plants. Secondary metabolite levels were also enhanced by SLE. In addition, the leaf pigments, total phenolics, ascorbic acid, carbohydrates, protein, ferric reducing antioxidant potential (FRAP assay), radical scavenging DPPH assay, antioxidant activity (IC50), and nutrients of roselle leaves were improved due to SLE foliar spray. Among the SLE doses applied, SLE 30% was the most effective dose, as it increased the sepal yield ha − 1 by 63 and 45.1% over the control for the first and second seasons, respectively, and decreased the antioxidant activity (IC50) of roselle leaves by 22.8 and 21.2% lower than the control plants for the first and second seasons, respectively. Conclusively, the results obtained indicated that roselle plants growing in saline soil could benefit from SLE as a natural growth stimulator.

Background Breast cancer and colon cancer are among the most prevalent malignancies worldwide, representing significant public health challenges. This study aimed to evaluate the potentially cytotoxic effect of fruit ethanol extracts of four selected Callistemon species: Callistemon citrinus (Curtis) Skeels, Callistemon macropunctatus (Dum.Cours.) Court, Callistemon viminalis (Sol. ex Gaertn) and Callistemon subulatus Cheel against breast (MCF-7) and colon (Caco-2) cancer cell lines in order to investigate the mechanism of action. Methods metabolic profiling of the four selected Callistemon species was assessed using UPLC-ESI-MS/MS analysis. The in vitro cytotoxicity effects of the tested ethanol extracts against breast (MCF-7) and colon (Caco-2) carcinoma cell lines were assessed by means of 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2- yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The most active extract cell cycle analysis was subjected to flow cytometry. In-silico docking analysis of the most abundant metabolites against cell cycle regulatory enzymes was conducted, followed by molecular docking simulations for top binders. Results Among the four tested Callistemon species, the extract derived from C. macropunctatus exhibited the most potent cytotoxic activity, with IC₅₀ values of 5.45 ± 0.34 µg/mL against MCF-7 breast cancer cells and 10.24 ± 0.59 µg/mL against Caco-2 colon cancer cells. These values indicate a higher cytotoxic potency compared to the reference drug staurosporine (IC₅₀ = 7.72 ± 0.46 µg/mL for MCF-7 and 5.16 ± 0.2 µg/mL for Caco-2). As a result, C. macropunctatus was selected for further analysis related to its ability to induce apoptosis and mechanistic effects. In total, sixteen compounds were tentatively identified, with flavonoids, lignans, and meroterpenes emerging as the dominant metabolites.Specifically, the extract caused S-phase arrest in MCF-7 breast cancer cells while both G0/G1 and S-phase arrest in case of Caco-2 colon cancer cells, indicating a broad-spectrum efficacy in disrupting cell cycle progression across different cancer types. To elucidate the underlying mechanisms, in-silico docking simulations were conducted to assess the binding affinities of the identified compounds towards CDK6, a critical regulator of the cell cycle. The evaluated compounds showed promising binding affinities ranging from − 6.5 to -9.7 kcal/mol, surpassing the binding efficiency of the co-crystal ligand of cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK6). Amongst the detected phenolic compounds, avicularin, nilocitin, and quercetin 3- O -(2’’-galloyl)- β -D-galactopyranoside exhibited the highest docking scores. These compounds formed strong interactions with essential amino acid residues in the CDK6 active site, suggesting a strong potential for inhibiting CDK6 activity. Conclusion These findings warrant further exploration of C. macropunctatus extract as a promising anti-cancer agent, with a focus on elucidating its role of CDK6 inhibition and its antiproliferative effects.

Many of the most critically injured were flown by military planes to Cairo, where some may have died, accounting for the discrepancy in the figures. Dozens of the less seriously injured were taken to a hospital at Sharm el Sheik, a larger town on the southern tip of the Sinai peninsula. While investigators and government officials said it was far too soon to draw any firm conclusions, some said they believed that the profile of this attack was so close to that of the other two, in Taba in 2004 and Sharm el Sheik in 2005, that they would prove to be connected. And that only served to underscore a reality that has already unnerved the authorities: that the Sinai, a place that historically has not bred radical thinking, may have become an incubator for terrorism. Ibrahim Ahmed, 19, moved from Cairo a year ago to make a living at the Ghazala Supermarket. Osama Ramsis, 34, moved from Cairo 16 years ago and worked in the Santa Clause Jewellry store. (English spellings are sometimes unconventional.) In Mona Lisa, another jewelry store, was Ahmed Tabakh, 23, who moved from Banha five years ago. In the spice shop was Abdullah Hassan, 21, who moved from Qena a year ago. In the Carpet Center was Ahmed Melihah, 20, who moved from Kafr el Sheik.