Mohammad Faisal

The objective of the research was to evaluate the most effective Glucose (Glc) dose for improving growth, physiological traits, and biochemical responses of two okra varieties, Sakata-713 and Neelam. At 25 days after planting, foliar treatment of different doses of Glc (0, 15, 30, 45, and 60 mM) was applied. At 30 and 45 days after sowing (DAS), sampling was conducted to analyse several physio-biochemical parameters, and 60 DAS yield traits were recorded. The data show that exogenous Glc treatment improved cell division, photosynthetic performance, gas exchange parameters, and mineral nutrient status. Furthermore, Glc treatment also improved activities of enzyme involved in carboxylation–decarboxylation balance (carbonic anhydrase) (CA), nitrogen assimilation (nitrate reductase) (NR), the Calvin cycle (Rubisco), glycolytic metabolism (hexo-kinase) (HXK), and the tricarboxylic acid cycle (succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) and fumarase (FUM)). This increase led to increase in production of osmolyte (proline), secondary metabolites (total phenols, flavonoids, and anthocyanins), and improved carbohydrate metabolism. The exogenous application of Glc maintained redox balance by reducing content of reactive oxygen species and lipid peroxidation with the help of antioxidant enzymatic scavenging system. The promotion effect of Glc followed the order: 30 mM > 45 mM > 15 mM > 60 mM > 0 mM. Moreover, Sakata-713, displayed more promising outcome than Neelam.

Chromium (Cr) contamination severely reduces soybean growth by impairing photosynthesis, nutrient uptake, and osmolyte balance, posing a significant threat to food security. This study evaluated the synergistic effects of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and jasmonic acid (JA) in mitigating chromium (Cr) stress in soybean plants. Chromium stress markedly reduced delta amino levulinic acid (64.33%), Glutamate-1-semialdehyde (66.87%), carotenoids (58.11%), RuBisCo activity (73.01%), and total soluble sugar (48.34%), while increasing oxidative damage as indicated by higher malondialdehyde and electrolyte leakage. Co-application of CNTs and JA effectively mitigated Cr-induced oxidative stress in soybean by reducing hydrogen peroxide and malondialdehyde levels. It also improved SPAD chlorophyll, PSII efficiency, net photosynthetic rate, and transpiration rate, along with increasing flavonoid, protein, and iron content, while lowering Cr accumulation. Chromium stress significantly reduced total phenols (51.11%), flavonoids (57.12%), free amino acids (50.06%), carbon (46.12% & 53.07%), phosphorus (53.34% & 50.22%), copper (39.64% & 41.28%), and zinc (52.03% & 63.74%). However, CNTs and JA application reversed these effects by enhancing total phenols, flavonoids, free amino acids, carbon, phosphorus, copper, and zinc. Additionally, Cr accumulation in both shoots and roots was significantly reduced with CNTs and JA supplementation. Therefore, CNTs and JA mitigated Cr toxicity by improving growth, photosynthesis, antioxidant enzymes activity, and nutritional homeostasis. These findings demonstrate the potential of CNTs and JA as sustainable nano-hormonal based strategy for reducing Cr accumulation in soybean and safeguarding food security.

Chromium (Cr) contamination in agricultural soils represents a serious challenge to rice productivity and food security, underscoring the need for innovative approaches to improve Cr-tolerance and alleviate its detrimental effects on plant growth and development. Recently, nanotechnology has been increasingly used to improve the tolerance of plants exposed to metal stress. In view of the beneficial roles of nanoparticles in mitigating metal stress in plants, this study was conducted to assess the effectiveness of cerium dioxide nanoparticles (CeO ₂ NPs) in alleviating Cr-induced toxicity in rice plants. Chromium stress (100 µM) and CeO ₂ NPs (100 ppm) were applied at the seed stage by soaking the seeds in their respective solutions for 12 h prior to sowing. Chromium stress markedly increased the contents of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) by 67%, hydrogen peroxide (H ₂ O ₂ ) by 62%, superoxide anion (O ₂ • ^- ) by 58%, and methylglyoxal (MG) by 63% compared with control plants. In contrast, Cr stress significantly reduced the concentrations of starch (51%), sucrose synthase (49%), amylase (68%), chlorophyll (69%), and RuBisCO (67%). However, the application of CeO ₂ NPs markedly enhanced plant growth and biomass accumulation, alleviated oxidative stress, and stimulated antioxidant enzyme activities in rice plants subjected to Cr stress. Overall, these results demonstrate that the application of CeO ₂ effectively alleviates Cr-induced stress in rice plants and offers promising prospects for advancing NP-based phytoremediation strategies.

Aechmea bracteata (SW.) Griseb, (Mexican bromeliad) is a symbiotic, vascular epiphyte (Bromelioideae: Bromeliaceae) predominantly located in central Mexico to the North-West Venezuela and the Carib...

Nano-biochar (1% w/w) effectively mitigated arsenic toxicity in soybean by improving growth, reducing oxidative stress, and enhancing antioxidant responses, enhancing crop resilience.