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Planta Med 2021 Jun 11. Epub 2021 Jun 11.

Departament de Farmacologia, Facultat de Farmàcia, Universitat de València, Spain.

Sleep disorders are common among the general population and can generate health problems such as insomnia and anxiety. In addition to standard drugs and psychological interventions, there are different complementary plant-based therapies used to treat insomnia and anxiety. This review aimed to find and examine the most recent research on the use of herbal medicines for treating anxiety and insomnia as compiled from clinical trials, as well as to assess the safety and efficacy of these medicines and to elucidate their possible mechanisms of action. Read More

Planta Med 2021 Jun 11. Epub 2021 Jun 11.

Laboratory of Neuro-organic Chemistry, Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.

Alzheimer's disease is a growing general health concern with huge implications for individuals and society. Beta boswellic acid, a major compound of the plant, has long been used for the treatment of various inflammatory diseases. The exact mechanism of beta boswellic acid action in Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis remains unclear. Read More

Environ Pollut 2021 Jun 4;286:117524. Epub 2021 Jun 4.

Leibniz-Institut für Ostseeforschung Warnemünde (IOW), D-18119, Rostock, Germany. Electronic address:

Microplastic (MP) has been detected ubiquitously in freshwater systems. Until now MP sampling, however, is predominantly based on short-term net or pumping and filtration systems which can only provide snapshots of MP abundance; especially in flowing water bodies. To improve representativeness in the determination of MP occurrences in these aquatic compartments, an integrative approach that covers larger water volumes for a longer period of time is required. Read More

J Environ Radioact 2021 Jun 8;237:106667. Epub 2021 Jun 8.

State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, School of Radiation Medicine and Protection, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, China; Collaborative Innovation Center of Radiological Medicine of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions. Electronic address:

The release of liquid effluent of nuclear power into aquatic system increases with the rapid development of nuclear facilities in coastal and inland regions. Aquatic model animals are very important for the study of the radiation hazards to non-human biota in water environment and its extrapolation of dose-effect relationship to human models. However, the study of the radiation dose rate calculation model of the aquatic animal zebrafish is still on the homogeneous isotropic model used for the protection of the environment. Read More

Curr Opin Plant Biol 2021 Jun 8;63:102059. Epub 2021 Jun 8.

Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, Department of Biology, New York University, 12 Waverly Pl, New York, NY 10003, United States. Electronic address:

Single-cell genomics, particularly single-cell transcriptome profiling by RNA sequencing have transformed the possibilities to relate genes to functions, structures, and eventually phenotypes. We can now observe changes in each cell's transcriptome and among its neighborhoods, interrogate the sequence of transcriptional events, and assess their influence on subsequent events. This paradigm shift in biology enables us to infer causal relationships in these events with high accuracy. Read More

Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces 2021 Jun 6;205:111901. Epub 2021 Jun 6.

Enzyme and Microbial Biochemistry Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, India. Electronic address:

β-lactam antibiotics are one of the most commonly used drugs for treating bacterial infections, but their clinical effectiveness has been severely affected with bacteria developing resistance against their action. Production of β-lactamase enzymes by bacteria that can degrade β-lactams is the most common mechanism of acquiring such resistance, leading to the emergence of multiple-drug resistance in them. Therefore, the development of efficient approaches to combat infections caused by β-lactamase producing and multidrug-resistant bacteria is the need of the hour. Read More

Aquat Toxicol 2021 May 28;237:105879. Epub 2021 May 28.

Key Laboratory of Aquatic Botany and Watershed Ecology, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, PR China; Sino-Africa Joint Research Centre, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, PR China; Center for Plant Ecology, Core Botanical Gardens, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, PR China. Electronic address:

Toxicity in aquatic plants, caused by excess ammonium in the environment, is an important ecological problem and active research topic. Recent studies showed the importance of the enzyme Glutamate Dehydrogenase (GDH) in detoxifying ammonium. However, these results mainly derived from species comparisons, hence some mechanisms may have been obscured due to species differences. Read More

Plant Physiol Biochem 2021 May 28;166:177-190. Epub 2021 May 28.

Laboratory of Extremophile Plants, Center of Biotechnology of Borj Cedria, (CBBC), P. O. Box 901, 2050, Hammam-Lif, Tunisia; Department of Plant Proteomics, Institute of Plant Genetics, Leibniz University of Hannover, Herrenhäuser Str. 2, 30419, Hannover, Germany.

Plants native to extreme habitats often face changes in environmental conditions such as salinity level and water availability. In response, plants have evolved efficient mechanisms allowing them to survive or recover. In the present work, effects of high salinity and salt-stress release were studied on the halophyte Cakile maritima. Read More

Plant Physiol Biochem 2021 Jun 4;166:160-176. Epub 2021 Jun 4.

Department of Botany, S.P. College, Srinagar, Jammu, and Kashmir, India.

Drought tolerant plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) can confer drought tolerance in plants, when inoculated, and this effect can be more pronounced by their combined application with silicon oxide nanoparticles (SiO NPs). In this research, drought-tolerant and plant growth-promoting rhizobacterial strains were isolated from the rhizospheric soil of wheat plants growing in the arid region of Pakistan. Out of 30 isolated strains, three rhizobacterial strains were selected based on their drought tolerance, higher phytohormones (indole acetic acid (IAA), abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinin (CK), and osmolyte (proline and sugar) production ability. Read More

Water Res 2021 May 28;201:117307. Epub 2021 May 28.

Department of the Built Environment, Aalborg University, 9220 Aalborg Øst, Denmark.

A complete plastic particle mass balance was established at Sweden's second-largest wastewater treatment plant. It comprised material collected at its two bar screens, a 20 mm and a 2 mm one, in the influent water after the 20 mm screen, the effluent water, and the digested sludge. Macro- and microplastics above 500 µm were analysed individually applying ATR-FTIR, while microplastics of 10-500 µm were analysed by µFTIR imaging with automated particle recognition. Read More

Mol Plant 2021 Jun 8. Epub 2021 Jun 8.

National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, 430070 Wuhan China; Institute of Plant Science Paris-Saclay (IPS2), CNRS, INRAE, University Paris-Saclay, 91405 Orsay, France. Electronic address:

Fertilization constitutes a critical step in the plant life cycle during which the gamete genomes undergo chromatin dynamics in preparation for embryogenesis. In mammals, parental chromatin is extensively reprogrammed through the global erasure of DNA methylation. However, in flowering plants it remains unclear whether and how DNA methylation is remodeled in gametes and after fertilization in zygote. Read More

Mol Plant 2021 Jun 8. Epub 2021 Jun 8.

Ghent University, Laboratory of Functional Plant Biology, K. L. Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000 Gent, Belgium. Electronic address:

Mol Plant 2021 Jun 8. Epub 2021 Jun 8.

State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China;. Electronic address:

Iron (Fe) storage in plant seeds is not only necessary for seedling establishment following germination, but also a major source of dietary Fe for human and animal life. Seed Fe accumulation was known to be low during early seed development. However, the underlying mechanism and biological significance remain elusive. Read More

J Ethnopharmacol 2021 Jun 8:114316. Epub 2021 Jun 8.

Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Kulliyyah of Pharmacy, International Islamic University Malaysia, Kuantan, 25200, Malaysia. Electronic address:

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: The genus Pterocarpus (Fabaceae) has about 46 species that are distributed over Asia, especially Indonesia, Africa, and several countries in America. Particularly, P. indicus and P. Read More

J Ethnopharmacol 2021 Jun 8:114315. Epub 2021 Jun 8.

Endocrinology Division, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, 226031, India. Electronic address:

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Dalbergia sissoo DC. (Indian rosewood or Sheesham) is a traditional medicinal plant, reported since time immemorial for its analgesic, anti-nociceptive, anti-inflammatory, and immuno-modulatory properties. D. Read More

J Ethnopharmacol 2021 Jun 8:114313. Epub 2021 Jun 8.

Department of Pharmacy, International Islamic University Chittagong, Chittagong, 4318, Bangladesh; Faculty of Pharmacy, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 50300, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Electronic address:

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Glycosmis pentaphylla (Retz.) DC. is a perennial shrub indigenous to the tropical and subtropical regions of India, China, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Philippine, Java, Sumatra, Borneo and Australia. Read More

J Ethnopharmacol 2021 Jun 8:114304. Epub 2021 Jun 8.

Faculty of Agriculture and Food, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, 650500, China. Electronic address:

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Anneslea fragrans Wall. is traditionally used as a folk medicine in treating indigestion, fever, dysentery, diarrhea, and liver inflammation in China, Vietnam and Cambodia. However, its anti-inflammatory activity and mechanism under a safety therapeutic dose as well as the main chemical components have not yet been fully investigated. Read More

Genomics 2021 Jun 8. Epub 2021 Jun 8.

State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, Henan 455000, China; Zhengzhou Research Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China.

Propylea japonica has been regarded as one of the most remarkable natural enemies against aphid in China. However, the mechanism of juvenile hormone (JH) regulation of reproduction in P. japonica is still unclear. Read More

J Biotechnol 2021 Jun 8. Epub 2021 Jun 8.

ICAR-National Institute for Plant Biotechnology, New Delhi, 110012, India. Electronic address:

An extreme temperature regime beyond desired level imposes significant stress in crop plants. The low and high temperature stresses are one of the primary constraints for plant development and yield. Finger millet, being a climate resilient crop, is a potential source of novel stress tolerant genes. Read More

Food Chem Toxicol 2021 Jun 8:112330. Epub 2021 Jun 8.

Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Mauritius, Réduit, Mauritius.

Astragalus L. (Fabaceae) is an important genus with numerous species having various traditional medicinal uses making them of interest for scientific investigations to ascertain their therapeutic benefits. In the present study, the quantitative polyphenolic profiles of methanolic extracts from different parts (leaves, flowers, and roots) of two endemic Astragalus species growing in Turkey, i. Read More

Food Chem Toxicol 2021 Jun 8:112327. Epub 2021 Jun 8.

Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biotechnology, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Republic of Korea. Electronic address:

Red onion skin waste (ROSW) was analyzed for extraction of naturally occurring 4'-O-glucoside of quercetin, spiraeoside (SPI) with promising biological activities. Reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography was used to determine the SPI content in three different solvent extracts of ROSW: water (12.2 mg/g), methanol (27. Read More

Int J Biol Macromol 2021 Jun 8. Epub 2021 Jun 8.

Laboratory of Biomanufacturing and Food Engineering, Institute of Food Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China. Electronic address:

Feruloyl esterase is an indispensable biocatalyst in food processing, pesticide and pharmaceutical industries, catalyzing the cleavage of the ester bond cross-linked between the polysaccharide side chain of hemicellulose and ferulic acid in plant cell walls. LP_0796 from Lactobacillus plantarum was identified as a feruloyl esterase that may have potential applications in the food industry, but the lack of the substrate recognition and catalytic mechanisms limits its application. Here, LP_0796 showed the highest activity towards methyl caffeate at pH 6. Read More

Int J Biol Macromol 2021 Jun 8. Epub 2021 Jun 8.

School of Medical Instrument and Food Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093, China; Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety, the Ministry of Education of China, Institutes of Agricultural Science and Technology Development of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, Jiangsu, China. Electronic address:

Sorghum steaming properties are important for both flavor and brewing efficiency of baijiu (Chinese alcohol liquor). However, it is currently unclear with respects to structural factors that affect sorghum steaming properties during baijiu production. In this study, starch fine molecular structures were characterized by size-exclusion chromatography and fluorophore-assisted carbohydrate electrophoresis for 8 sorghum varieties used in baijiu production. Read More

Environ Res 2021 Jun 8:111426. Epub 2021 Jun 8.

Discipline of Earth Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar, Gujarat, 382355, India. Electronic address:

Groundwater is under heavily threat owing to enormous infilteration of dairy farm originated wastewater into it. The anoxic environment in the groundwater due to mixing of organic rich wastewater can produce significant alterations in the groundwater quality. It is therefore necessary to treat such wastewaters before discharging to surrounding areas. Read More

Environ Res 2021 Jun 8:111462. Epub 2021 Jun 8.

School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, China.

An accurate local biogenic volatile organic compound (BVOC) emission inventory in Shandong Province is crucial for air pollution control in Shandong and the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, China. We estimated the multi-year isoprenoid emissions from natural vegetation in Shandong Province at a spatial resolution of 4 km × 4 km using the MEGAN2.1 model. Read More

J Exp Bot 2021 Jun 11. Epub 2021 Jun 11.

Key Laboratory of Plant Immunity, Department of Plant Pathology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China.

Plant and animal intracellular nucleotide-binding and leucine-rich repeat (NLR) receptors play important roles in sensing pathogens and activating defense signaling. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the activation of host defense signaling by NLR proteins remain largely unknown. Many previous studies have determined that the coil-coil (CC) or Toll and interleukin-1 receptor/resistance protein (TIR) domain of NLR proteins and their dimerization/oligomerization are critical for activating downstream defense signaling. Read More

J Exp Bot 2021 Jun 11. Epub 2021 Jun 11.

State Key Laboratory for Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, JCIC-MCP, CIC-MCP, Nanjing Agricultural University, No.1 Weigang, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210095, P.R. China.

Although lagging behind studies in humans and other mammals, R-loop studies in plants have recently entered an exciting stage in which the roles of R-loops in gene expression, genome stability, epigenomic signatures, and plant development and stress responses are being elucidated. Here, we reviewed the strengths and weaknesses of existing methodologies, which were largely developed for R-loop studies in mammals, and then we discussed the potential challenges of applying these methodologies to R-loop studies in plants. We then focused on recent advances in the functional characterization of R-loops in Arabidopsis thaliana and rice. Read More

Plant Cell Physiol 2021 Jun 11. Epub 2021 Jun 11.

Division of Life Science, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, Saitama 338-8570, Japan.

Phosphatidylserine (PS) is involved in various cellular processes in yeast and animals. However, PS functions in plants remain unclear. In Arabidopsis, PS is relatively enriched in flower and root tissues, and the genetic disturbance of PS biosynthesis in PHOSPHATIDYLSERINE SYNTHASE1 (PSS1)/pss1 heterozygotes induces sporophytic and gametophytic defects during pollen maturation. Read More

J Food Prot 2021 Jun 11. Epub 2021 Jun 11.

LMU München: Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat Munchen Schoenleutner Strasse 8 GERMANY Oberschleissheim 85764.

The application of plant extracts (PEs) could be a promising option to satisfy consumers' demand for natural additives to inhibit growth of variable pathogenic bacteria. Thus, the aim of this study was to develop a standardized microdilution method to examine the antimicrobial effects of ten hydrophilic plant extracts against two strains of C. perfringens facing various food-relevant influencing factors. Read More

PLoS One 2021 11;16(6):e0252506. Epub 2021 Jun 11.

West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana.

Information on the genetic diversity, population structure, and trait associations of germplasm resources is crucial for predicting hybrid performance. The objective of this study was to dissect the genetic diversity and population structure of extra-early yellow and orange quality protein maize (QPM) inbred lines and identify secondary traits for indirect selection for enhanced grain yield under low-soil nitrogen (LN). One hundred and ten inbred lines were assessed under LN (30 kg ha -1) and assayed for tryptophan content. Read More