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Smooth pigweed is one of the most troublesome weeds in Argentina. The objective of this study was to evaluate the sensitivity of 50 smooth pigweed accessions to fomesafen, topramezone, glyphosate, 2,4-D, and dicamba. Accessions were collected from soybean fields in various cropping areas in Argentina. The herbicide treatments included 2,4-D (1,140 g ae ha–1), dicamba (560 g ae ha–1), fomesafen (250 g ai ha–1), topramezone (34 g ai ha–1), and glyphosate (1,080 g ae ha–1). Plant survival was evaluated 30 d after each treatment application. Of the smooth pigweed accessions tested, 84% and 76% were susceptible (0% survival) to 2,4-D and dicamba, respectively. More than 90% of the accessions showed high (>60%) survival to glyphosate. While none of the accessions showed total sensitivity (0% survival) to the other herbicides evaluated, 43% and 72% of the accessions showed greater than 60% survival to fomesafen and topramezone, respectively. The differences in survival among accessions confirm the existence of genetic variability in Argentinian smooth pigweed and suggest that weed management practices should be prioritized to preserve the efficacy of these commonly used herbicides. Nomenclature: 2,4-D; dicamba; fomesafen; glyphosate; topramezone; smooth pigweed; Amaranthus hybridus L.

L. is an annual herb that belongs to the Amaranthceae family, a type of multi-purpose grain, vegetable and feed crop that has received considerable attention due to its great economic value. However, the composition of polysaccharides from has rarely been previously reported. In this study, the aboveground part of was used as material and polysaccharides were isolated by the hot water extraction method. Two acidic polysaccharides were isolated and purified by the Sevage method and diethylaminoethyl cellulose-32 column chromatography. Two acidic polysaccharides were obtained from : AHP-H-1 and AHP-H-2. There were significant differences between the monosaccharide content from each sample according to gas chromatography-mass spectrometer. AHP-H-2 had higher antioxidant activity in vitro than AHP-H-1. The 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging rate of two mg/mL AHP-H-2 was 80%, its hydroxyl radical scavenging rate was approximately 48.5%, its superoxide anion radical scavenging rate was 85.3% and its reduction ability of Fe was approximately 0.92. The total antioxidant capacity of each milligram of AHP-H-2 was 6.5, which was higher than ascorbic acid. The results of the study promote the effective use of and provide a theoretical basis for its development.

Background: Cyclophosphamide (CP) is an anticancer agent, but its chronic administration induces ovarian toxicity Objective: We evaluated the effects of aqueous extract (AE) and methanol extract (ME) of Amaranthus hybridus (A. hybridus) on CP-induced ovarian toxicity in rats. Materials and Methods: 40 female Wistar rats (10 wk, 170-200 gr) were distributed into 8 groups (n = 5/each) as follows: 1) healthy control; 2) CP+distilled water (10 ml/kg/d); 3) CP+3%-tween 80 (10 mL/kg/d); 4) CP+clomiphene citrate (2 mg/kg/d); 5, 6) CP+AE of A. hybridus (55 and 110 mg/kg/d); and 7, 8) CP+ME of A. hybridus (55 and 110 mg/kg/d). After 28 days of treatment, estrus cyclicity, ovarian and uterine weights as well as estradiol levels and ovarian histology were determined. Results: CP induced ovarian toxicity after 28 days of exposure. More specifically, CP disturbed the estrus cycle, decreased ovary and uterus weights (p = 0.04), and the 17-β estradiol level (p = 0.04), and induced severe ovarian damages. Remarkably, A. hybridus significantly increased (p = 0.03) the ovarian weight (AE and ME at all doses) and uterus weight (ME at 110 mg/kg/d), compared with the CP-treated rats. Moreover, the 17-β estradiol level was significantly elevated (p = 0.02) in rats given clomiphene citrate and A. hybridus (AE 110 mg/kg/d; ME 55 mg/kg/d). Finally, the ovaries of rats given plant extracts had many corpus luteum and normal follicles, and no cystic follicles. Conclusion: A. hybridus prevented the detrimental effects of CP on ovarian function, which could support its traditional use as a fertility enhancer. Key words: Cyclophosphamide, Amaranthus hybridus, Toxicity, Estradiol, Rat.

L. is an annual, erect or less commonly ascending herb that is a member of the family. Polysaccharides extracted from traditional Chinese medicines may be effective substances with antioxidant activity. In this study, we isolated crude polysaccharides from (AHP-M) using microwave-assisted extraction. Then, the AHP-M was purified by chromatography with DEAE-32 cellulose, and two fractions, AHP-M-1 and AHP-M-2, were obtained. The structural characteristics of AHP-M-1 and AHP-M-2 were investigated, and their antioxidant activities were analyzed in vitro. We found that the monosaccharide composition of AHP-M-1 was different from that of AHP-M-2. The molecular weights of AHP-M-1 and AHP-M-2 were 77.625 kDa and 93.325 kDa, respectively. The results showed that the antioxidant activity of AHP-M-2 was better than that of AHP-M-1. For AHP-M-2, the DPPH radical scavenging rate at a concentration of 2 mg/mL was 78.87%, the hydroxyl radical scavenging rate was 39.34%, the superoxide anion radical scavenging rate was 80.2%, and the reduction ability of Fe was approximately 0.90. The total antioxidant capacity per milligram of AHP-M-2 was 6.42, which was higher than that of Vitamin C (Vc). The in vitro test indicated that AHP-M-1 and AHP-M-2 have good antioxidant activity, demonstrating that L. polysaccharide has immense potential as a natural antioxidants.

Residual herbicides remain the primary tool for efficient weed control in cucurbit crops because of the lack of crop tolerance to many POST herbicide options. Field experiments were conducted in New Jersey in 2018 and 2019 to determine weed control efficacy and tolerance of direct-seeded cucumber ‘Python' and summer squash ‘Gold Prize’ to S-metolachlor applied at 0.7 or 1.4 kg ai ha–1 at planting (PRE) or when crops reached the second- to third-leaf stage (EPOST). Regardless of applied rate, S-metolachlor PRE or EPOST provided 96% to 100% control 3 wk after planting (WAP) of smooth pigweed, large crabgrass, and giant foxtail. S-metolachlor PRE significantly improved American black nightshade and carpetweed control 3 WAP with respect to bensulide, and smooth pigweed with respect to clomazone + ethalfluralin. Summer squash showed excellent tolerance, regardless of S-metolachlor rate or timing of application, with stunting not exceeding 17% 4 WAP and 3% 7 WAP at the 1.4 kg ha–1 rate. Marketable yield decreased by 15% with S-metolachlor PRE or POST at 1.4 kg ha–1 with respect to clomazone + ethalfluralin, a reduction not noted when comparing with bensulide or the handweeded control. Marketable fruit number plant–1 and individual fruit weight were not affected by S-metolachlor applications. Conversely, cucumber was more sensitive to S-metolachlor than summer squash was with 30% seedling emergence reduction and 36% to 43% stunting 4 WAP when S-metolachlor was applied PRE at 1.4 kg ha–1. EPOST application resulted in 15% to 26% cucumber injury 1 wk after treatment. Marketable yield declined by 21% and 39% with the 0.7 and 1.4 kg ha–1 rates of S-metolachlor, respectively, compared with clomazone + ethalfluralin. Therefore, S-metolachlor may be a novel alternative to already labeled residual herbicides for summer squash, but unacceptable injury and yield reduction do not support its registration on cucumber. Nomenclature: Bensulide; clomazone; ethalfluralin; S-metolachlor; American black nightshade, Solanum americanum Mill.; carpetweed, Mollugo verticillata L.; giant foxtail, Setaria faberi Herrm.; large crabgrass, Digitaria sanguinalis (L.) Scop.; smooth pigweed, Amaranthus hybridus L.; cucumber, Cucumis sativus L.; summer squash, Cucurbita pepo L.

The aim of this work was the characterization of three endemic plant species [quelite cenizo and quintonil ( quelite s), and purslane], from Mexico, in terms of their physicochemical, nutritional and antioxidant properties. These species are highly used by rural populations in their local dishes. Nevertheless, scarce information exists about their nutritional and functional properties. The experimental included physicochemical properties, nutrimental composition, qualitative and quantitative analysis of antioxidants by HPLC. The results showed that purslane was the sample with the highest concentration of total carotenoids (2.85 mg/g DW), and with the highest antioxidant activity by DPPH and FRAP methods. Quelite cenizo and purslane displayed similar values for antioxidant activity by ABTS method, nevertheless, the former showed higher values for total phenolics (10.24 mg GAE/g DW) and flavonoids (17.57 mg QE/g DW) content than the latter. Finally, quintonil showed similar results for total chlorophyll (70.50 mg/g DW) and protein (3.65 g/100 g FW) to those found in quelite cenizo. The contents of Fe, Ca, and Mg were higher in quintonil, meanwhile the contents of P, K and Zn were higher in quelite cenizo. The analysis by HPLC also showed the presence of ferulic, and chlorogenic acids as the most abundant phenolic acids, meanwhile rutin and phloridzin were the main flavonoids in the quelites , displaying higher contents than in the purslane. Therefore, it can be assumed that these samples possess high nutritional quality and could be considered for their use in strategies to improve food security in rural populations.

Amaranthus hybridus L. has great potential for use in phytoremediation of soils contaminated with cadmium (Cd). In this study, we found higher absorption of Cd by the roots of A. hybridus than by its other organs. To understand the mechanism of Cd accumulation in A. hybridus roots, a comparative proteomic approach was used to differentiate the two-dimensional electrophoretic profiles of root proteins in Cd-free and Cd-treated plants. Twenty-eight differentially expressed proteins were successfully identified using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization tandem time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Of these, 10 were specifically expressed under Cd stress, and another 11 were upregulated and 7 downregulated by >2.5-fold under Cd stress. We observed increased expression of proteins involved in energy metabolism, protein metabolism, stress and defense, and signal transduction. These changes likely enhanced Cd tolerance and enrichment in A. hybridus . The downregulated proteins were mainly involved in the synthesis of microRNAs, cell walls, and other structural components. These observations were further confirmed by quantitative fluorescence PCR. The resulting differences in protein expression patterns suggest that redirection of root cell metabolism might be an important survival mechanism for A. hybridus under Cd stress.

Plant diseases are a serious problem for agricultural crops, the food industry and human health. Significant efforts have been made in recent years to find natural products that could reduce the growth of plant pathogens and improve food quality. At present, there is an increased interest in plants as a source of biological active compounds that can protect crops from diseases. Important sources of these phytochemicals are lesser-known pseudocereals such as amaranth. The objective of this study was to determine the antifungal activity of leaf extracts of four amaranth species (A. cruentus, A. hypochondriacus × hybridus, A. retroflexus and A. hybridus). The antifungal potency of amaranth extracts was analyzed against selected strains of fungi. The results suggested that the antimicrobial properties of the tested extracts varied depending on the amaranth species and the fungal strain. The studied extracts inhibited the growth of Fusarium equiseti, Rhizoctonia solani, Trichoderma harzianum and Alternaria alternata. A lower inhibitory effect of the extracts was recorded against F. solani, while no inhibitory effect was observed against F. oxysporum and Colletotrichum coccodes.

Amaranth species represent a diverse group of plants. Many of them are a rich source of secondary metabolites with many positive biological effects. Total phenolic, total flavonoid and rutin content, antioxidant activity against superoxide and hydroxyl radicals, FRAP (Ferric-reducing ability of plasma) assay and DPPH (2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging assay were determined in ethanol extracts of dried leaves of the new Slovak amaranth varieties ‘Pribina’ and ‘Zobor’. The amount of total phenolic substances (‘Pribina’ GAE 38.3 mg.g−1 DM and ‘Zobor’ GAE 26.1 mg.g−1 DM), content of total flavonoids (‘Pribina’ QE 26.5 mg.g−1 DM and ‘Zobor’ QE 20.3 mg.g−1 DM) and rutin (‘Pribina’ 50.8 mg.g−1 DM and ‘Zobor’ 15.2 mg.g−1 DM) were higher in the variety ‘Pribina’, compared to the variety ‘Zobor’. A statistically higher antioxidant activity against superoxide radical (1.63%·mg−1g−1 DM), hydroxyl radical (3.20%.mg−1g−1 DM), FRAP assay (292.80 µmol.L−1·mg−1.g−1 DM) and DPPH (54.2 ± 1.78 µg.mL−1 DM) were detected in the ‘Pribina’ variety. Antiradical and antioxidant activities of both extracts showed high positive correlations in relation to the content of total phenolic substances, total flavonoids and rutin. Amaranth is an undemanding crop on specific environmental conditions and is resistant to abiotic and biotic stress.

In this work, the reducing power of three reductants: hydrazine (chemical), ascorbic acid (mild) and the extract of Amaranthus hybridus (green) were investigated. Graphene oxide (GO) was synthesized by modified Hummer’s method and was reduced by hydrazine (RGO-HZ), ascorbic acid (RGO-AA) and the extract of Amaranthus hybridus (RGO- AH ). GO, RGO-HZ, RGO-AA and RGO- AH were characterized using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and ultraviolet visible spectrometry. The FTIR spectra showed the presence of oxygen functionality groups in GO which were reduced in all RGOs. The morphological properties showed that RGOs sheets were exfoliated forming clusters with roughened surfaces while the optical energy band gaps of 2.19, 3.90, 3.60, and 3.20 eV were estimated for GO, RGO-HZ, RGO-AA and RGO- AH respectively. It can be concluded that the three reductants demonstrated good reducing capacities. The ascorbic acid and the extract of Amaranthus hybridus , apart from being environmentally friendly, can also be good substitutes for the dangerous chemical hydrazine.