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Cold temperatures harm tropical crops, but understanding how molecular signals help plants cope could aid in climate change adaptation. This study tested if sodium nitroprusside (SNP), a nitric oxide (NO) donor, could improve potato tolerance to cold. Potato seedlings, treated or non-treated (0.5 mM) with SNP, were exposed to cold stress (0 and ‒2 °C) for 6 h. The study was conducted in a completely randomized design, incorporating three factors in three replications. Results showed that cold stress reduced physiological and biochemical parameters in all seedlings, but less so in those treated with SNP. SNP treatment boosted physio-biochemical activity and increased levels of soluble sugars and enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants. Seedlings treated with SNP and exposed to cold stress had lower levels of H 2 O 2 and malondialdehyde, suggesting that NO may alleviate the harmful effects of cold. The analysis conducted using PCA demonstrated correlations between variables and treatment groups. Notably, the first two principal components (PC1 and PC2) accounted for 77.6% and 78.1% of total variance, respectively, under both 0 and − 2 °C temperatures. Under temperatures below 0 °C, the results of the factor analysis (FA) revealed that PC1 exhibited the highest distribution of data, containing the most prominent variation in Squared cosine values (SCV) values at 0.79. Among the variables, Electrolyte leakage (EL) had the best representation in PC1, with the corresponding maximum SCV values at 0.78 under − 2 °C. This result highlights the potential use of SNP in manipulating cold tolerance in potato plants.

Traditional antitumor chemotherapy faces great challenges, such as multi-drug resistance (MDR) and poor penetration into tumor tissues. The newly emerging nitric oxide (NO)-based gas therapy has been recognized to reduce MDR and has improved permeation into tumor tissue. In this study, NO-generating prodrug sodium nitroprusside (SNP) was doped to hollow mesoporous Prussian blue (PB) nanoparticles to fabricate NO-generating nanoparticles (NO-PB), which was further loaded with doxorubicin (DOX). DOX loaded NO-PB (DOX-NO-PB) was released quicker at pH 6 compared with neutral pH, suggesting NO-PB may facilitate the release of loaded drug in acidic tumor tissue. The capacity of NO production by NO-PB was measured, and the results showed the presence of NO in the culture medium from 4T1 cells incubated with NO-PB and inside the cells. NP-PB could be detected by photoacoustic imaging (PAI) in tumor tissue in 4T1 tumor bearing mice, suggesting this nanoparticle may serve as contrast agent for the noninvasive diagnosis of tumor tissues. NO-PB suppressed the growth of tissues in 4T1 tumor bearing mice. DOX-NO-PB showed more potent anti-tumor effects in 4T1 cells and tumor bearing mice compared with free DOX and NO-PB alone, indicating that the combination of DOX and NO-PB exhibited synergistic effects on tumor suppression. This study provides a novel nanocarrier for gas therapy with additional PAI imaging capacity. This nanocarrier can be utilized for combination therapy of NO and chemotherapeutics which may serve as theranostic agents.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a conceivable new risk factor for cognitive disorder and dementia. Uremic toxicity, oxidative stress, and peripheral-central inflammation have been considered important mediators of CKD-induced nervous disorders. Nitric oxide (NO) is a retrograde neurotransmitter in synapses, and has vital roles in intracellular signaling in neurons. This research aims to determine the effectiveness of NO in CKD-induced cognitive deficits by considering the nuclear factor-erythroid factor 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)/ heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) signaling pathway and the important roles of cystathionine beta-synthase (CBS, H2S producing enzyme). Forty rats were divided into four experimental groups: sham, five-sixth (5/6) nephrectomy (5/6Nx, CKD), CKD + NO donor (Sodium nitroprusside, SNP), CKD + SNP and a CBS inhibitor (amino-oxy acetic acid, AOAA). To assess the neurocognitive abilities, eleven weeks after 5/6Nx, behavioral tests (Novel object recognition test, Passive avoidance test, and Barnes maze test) were done. Twelfth week after 5/6Nx, blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and serum creatinine (sCr) levels, as well as the nuclear factor-erythroid factor 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) expression levels and neuronal injury in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex were assessed. As predicted, the levels of BUN and sCr (both P  < 0.001) and neuronal injury in the hippocampus ( P  < 0.001 for CA1; CA3; DG) and prefrontal cortex ( P  < 0.001) increased in CKD rats as well as 5/6Nx induced reduction of Nrf2 (both P  < 0.001) /HO-1( P  < 0.001; P  < 0.01 respectively) pathway activity in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex in CKD rats. Moreover, CKD leads to cognitive disorder and memory loss (Novel object recognition test (NOR) ( P  < 0.001), Passive avoidance test (PA) ( P  < 0.001) and Barnes maze (BA) (Escape latency ( P  < 0.001); Error ( P  < 0.001)). SNP treatment significantly improved Nrf2 (both P  < 0.001) /HO-1 ( P  < 0.001; P  < 0.05 respectively) pathways and neuronal injury ( P  < 0.001 for CA1; CA3; DG) in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex in CKD rats as well as enhanced learning and memory ability in CKD rats. However, ameliorating effects of SNP on cognitive disorder (NOR ( P  < 0.05), PA ( P  < 0.001) and BA (Escape latency ( P  < 0.05); Error ( P  < 0.001)) and Nrf2 ( P  < 0.01; P  < 0.001 in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex respectively) /HO-1 ( P  < 0.05 in both) signaling pathway activity were nullified by CBS inhibitor and H2S reduction. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that NO improved CKD-induced cognitive impairment and neuronal death which is may be depended to CBS activity and endogenous H2S levels.

Excessive nitric oxide (NO) causes extensive damage to the nervous system, and the adrenergic system is disordered in many neuropsychiatric diseases. However, the role of the adrenergic system in protection of the nervous system against sodium nitroprusside (SNP) injury remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the effect of ganoderic acid A (GA A) against SNP injury in neural cells and the role of adrenergic receptors in GA A neuroprotection. We found that SNP (0.125−2 mM) dose-dependently decreased the viability of both SH-SY5Y and PC12 cells and markedly increased NO contents. Pretreatment with GA A (10 μM) significantly attenuated SNP-induced cytotoxicity and NO increase in SH-SY5Y cells, but not in PC12 cells. Furthermore, pretreatment with GA A caused significantly higher adrenaline content in SH-SY5Y cells than in PC12 cells. In order to elucidate the mechanism of GA A-protecting SH-SY5Y cells, we added adrenaline, phentolamine, metoprolol, or ICI 118551 1 h before GA A was added to the culture medium. We found that addition of adrenaline (10 μM) significantly improved GA A protection in PC12 cells. The addition of β1-adrenergic receptor antagonist metoprolol (10 μM) or β2-adrenergic receptor antagonist ICI 118551 (0.1 μM) blocked the protective effect of GA A, whereas the addition of α-adrenergic receptor antagonist phentolamine (0.1 μM) did not affect GA A protection in SH-SY5Y cells. These results suggest that β-adrenergic receptors play an important role in the protection of GA A in SH-SY5Y cells against SNP injuries, and excessive adrenaline system activation caused great damage to the nervous system.

The study sought to investigate the effect of two low temperatures (8 °C ± 1 °C and 12 °C ± 1 °C) and various ethylene inhibitors (salicylic acid [SA], sodium nitroprusside [SNP] and 1‑methylcyclopropene [1-MCP]) on the storage life of guava cv. ‘Arka Mridula’. Hence freshly harvested mature green guava fruits were treated with ethylene inhibitors like SNP, SA and 1‑MCP. The fruit surface colour, texture, reduced respiration, and reduced ethylene rate along with biochemical parameters like total soluble solids, titratable acidity, ascorbic acid, total sugars, total phenols, total antioxidants, total flavonoids, and sensory quality were also high and better maintained throughout the storage period in 1‑MCP (500 ppb) treated fruits. A concentration-dependent effect on all the above attributes, which was significantly superior to control but inferior to 1‑MCP, was noticed due to SNP and SA treatments. Thus, 1‑MCP treatment combined with cold storage is a propitious way to extend the storage of guava and can be used to provide 1–2 weeks of extended marketability depending on the storage temperature, whereas synthesis inhibitors can be a second line of inhibitors to extend the post-harvest life of guava.

Dormancy is a property of many mature seeds, and experimentation over the past century has identified numerous chemical treatments that will reduce seed dormancy. Nitrogen-containing compounds including nitrate, nitrite, and cyanide break seed dormancy in a range of species. Experiments are described here that were carried out to further our understanding of the mechanism whereby these and other compounds, such as the nitric oxide (NO) donor sodium nitroprusside (SNP), bring about a reduction in seed dormancy of Arabidopsis thaliana. A simple method was devised for applying the products of SNP photolysis through the gas phase. Using this approach it was shown that SNP, as well as potassium ferricyanide (Fe(III)CN) and potassium ferrocyanide (Fe(II)CN), reduced dormancy of Arabidopsis seeds by generating cyanide (CN). The effects of potassium cyanide (KCN) on dormant seeds were tested and it was confirmed that cyanide vapours were sufficient to break Arabidopsis seed dormancy. Nitrate and nitrite also reduced Arabidopsis seed dormancy and resulted in substantial rates of germination. The effects of CN, nitrite, and nitrate on dormancy were prevented by the NO scavenger c-PTIO. It was confirmed that NO plays a role in reducing seed dormancy by using purified NO gas, and a model to explain how nitrogen-containing compounds may break dormancy in Arabidopsis is presented.

The agricultural sector is seriously impacted by climate change, leading to potential risks to food security. In terms of global food production, maize ranks third. As a result, crop production and food security depend critically on assessing the effects of climate change and developing measures to adapt maize. Regarding adaptability, changing planting dates and using different agrochemicals are more effective than other management. Crop models are part of a global decision support system to help farmers maximize yields despite unpredictable weather patterns. To mitigate yield loss and protect the ecosystem, it is essential to use efficient maize-sowing practices in the field. This experiment was carried out to identify the most favorable sowing dates that maximize yield while ensuring the crop’s productivity and the integrity of the surrounding ecosystem remain intact. The main aim of this experiment was to mitigate the different climatic conditions by exogenous application of salicylic acid (SA) and sodium nitroprusside (SNP) on pigments and sugar content in maize under different sowing dates. A field experiment was carried out in the School of Agriculture, Lovely Professional University, Punjab, India, during the spring season of 2022. The experiment dealt with various maize crops, PMH-10, sourced from the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Punjab. The experiment was conducted in an open-air environment. The experimental setup was laid out in a split-plot design. The results stated that foliar application of salicylic acid and sodium nitroprusside successfully influenced high-temperature tolerance and low temperature at the reproductive phase and initial vegetative stages with other growing climatic conditions of maize in early and late sowings when controlled by increasing the chlorophyll index, carotenoids content, and sugar content of maize.

Browning is a major problem in the tissue culture of woody plants. Previous studies have shown that nitric oxide (NO) plays a role in regulating plant responses to stress, but its effect on browning in the tissue culture of Malus remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the impact of exogenous NO donor sodium nitroprusside (SNP) on the browning of Malus sieversii stem tip explants. The results demonstrated that the addition of 50 μM SNP significantly reduced explant browning. Further analysis revealed that exogenous NO decreased the browning index (BD) and levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and superoxide anion radical O2−. Additionally, NO treatment increased the activity of antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX). NO treatment also enhanced the activity of phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL), which contributed to the accumulation of flavonoids and inhibited the activity of polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and peroxidase (POD), which are key enzymes involved in the browning process. Furthermore, 50 μM SNP significantly promoted the accumulation of non-enzymatic antioxidants such as proline (Pro), soluble sugar (SS), and soluble protein (SP). Therefore, the results suggest that NO is able to counteract excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) damage by enhancing both the enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant systems, resulting in a reduction in browning in stem tip explants. Consequently, an improvement in the in vitro propagation efficiency of Malus sieversii shoot tip explants can be achieved.

Taxus is a famous medicinal and landscape tree species. The aim of this study was to explore the effect of exogenous nitric oxide (NO) on the resistance of Taxus plants to acid rain stress and to identify Taxus species with strong acid rain resistance by principal component analysis and comprehensive evaluation. In this study, sodium nitroprusside (SNP) was used as the exogenous NO donor. The effects of different SNP solution concentrations on the antioxidant systems of three Taxus species subjected to simulated acid rain stress (pH = 3.0) were compared. In order to achieve this goal, we determined the rate of O2- production, the ASA and GSH contents in leaves of three Taxus plants (Taxus mairei, Taxus chinensis, and Taxus yunnanensis). At the same time, the active leaves of some antioxidant enzymes (SOD, POD, CAT, APX and GR) were determined. For Taxus chinensis plants subjected to acid rain stress, treatment with an SNP concentration of 0.25 mmol·L-1 led to the most significant improvements in the antioxidant system. For Taxus mairei and Taxus yunnanensis, the treatment with the SNP concentration of 0.50 mmol·L-1 was best for improving their antioxidant systems under stress. Meanwhile, Taxus chinensis had the strongest resistance to simulated acid rain, followed by Taxus mairei and Taxus yunnanensis.

Water availability is becoming a significant concern for crop production worldwide. In light of this, a study was conducted in maize crop to explore the effectiveness of various osmoprotectants including sodium nitroprusside nanoparticles (SNP NP) at a concentration of 90 ppm, melatonin (MEL), at 25 ppm and salicylic acid (SA) at 100 ppm in mitigating the adverse effects of drought, by evaluating their impact on morpho-physiological, biochemical and yield attributes of maize (Zea mays L.). Drought stress was induced by withholding irrigation during both the vegetative and reproductive stages of maize and then drought-stressed plants were foliar sprayed with different osmoprotectants. Results revealed that among the osmoprotectants tested, foliar application of salicylic acid at 100 ppm exhibited the most substantial improvement in morpho-physiological parameters (plant height, stem diameter, leaf number, root length, leaf area index, relative water content, leaf chlorophyll and carotenoid content) as well as biochemical parameteters like proline and soluble protein content increased, and enhanced membrane stability under drought conditions. The use of SA proved outstanding as it led to a remarkable 75% higher biological yield than plants subjected to drought stress. On the other hand, the SA foliar spray was successful, resulting in a 78.8% in grain yield. However, the extent of improvement varied depending on the growth stage at which the osmoprotectants were applied. While the foliar application of osmoprotectants showed promising results during the vegetative phase than the reproductive phase of maize. Nonetheless, the osmoprotectants' foliar spray exhibited a yield advantage by preserving photosynthetic pigments and the maize plants' ability to produce seeds under drought stress.