Nanotechnology in Plant Metabolite Improvement and in Animal Welfare

Plant tissue culture plays an important role in plant biotechnology due to its potential for massive production of improved crop varieties and high yield of important secondary metabolites. Several efforts have been made to ameliorate the effectiveness and production of plant tissue culture, using biotic and abiotic factors. Nowadays, the addition of nanoparticles as elicitors has, for instance, gained worldwide interest because of its success in microbial decontamination and enhancement of secondary metabolites. Nanoparticles are entities in the nanometric dimension range: they possess unique physicochemical properties. Among all nanoparticles, silver-nanoparticles (AgNPs) are well-known for their antimicrobial and hormetic effects, which in appropriate doses, led to the improvement of plant biomass as well as secondary metabolite accumulation. This review is focused on the evaluation of the integration of nanotechnology with plant tissue culture. The highlight is especially conveyed on secondary metabolite enhancement, effects on plant growth and biomass accumulation as well as their possible mechanism of action. In addition, some perspectives of the use of nanomaterials as potential therapeutic agents are also discussed. Thus, the information provided will be a good tool for future research in plant improvement and the large-scale production of important secondary metabolites. Elicitation of silver-nanoparticles, as well as nanomaterials, function as therapeutic agents for animal well-being is expected to play a major role in the process. However, nanosized supramolecular aggregates have received an increased resonance also in other fields of application such as animal welfare. Therefore, the concluding section of this contribution is dedicated to the description and possible potential and usage of different nanoparticles that have been the object of work and expertise also in our laboratories.

Rooting of the Endemic Brazilian Species Campomanesia pubescens using Biotechnological Techniques

not available Plant Tissue Cult. & Biotech. 31(2): 173-177, 2021 (December)

Indigenous Lipase Producing Bacteria for Lipid-rich Wastewater Treatment

This study was undertaken to evaluate the removal of lipid-rich organic matter from wastewater by lipase producing bacteria. Ten potential lipase producing bacteria were isolated from lipid-rich environments in and around Dhaka Metropolitan city. Three of them produced lipase higher than 10 U/ml. These three isolates and their consortium were used for synthetic wastewater treatment in the laboratory. The initial COD value of synthetic wastewater was 1,200 mg/l. COD removal efficiencies in the synthetic wastewater were 74.75, 73.33 and 66.67% by the Stenotrophomonas maltophilia e-a22, Pseudomonas aeruginosa 12 and Bacillus subtilis 20B, respectively. Stenotrophomonas maltophilia showed better COD removal performance (74.75%) in case of monoculture. But consortium showed better COD removal (83.33%) than that of monoculture. Therefore, it could be concluded that consortium of three isolates will be more useful for wastewater treatment as seed cultures in the wastewater treatment plant associated with the lipid-rich wastewater. Plant Tissue Cult. & Biotech. 31(2): 135-142, 2021 (December)

In vitro Propagation of Vanda testacea (Lindl.) Reichb. F, a Medicinally Important Threatened Orchid

The present study was planned to enable in vitro conservation of Vanda testacea, a highly medicinal orchid species through in vitro asymbiotic seed germination technique in Mitra orchid medium supplemented with cytokinins (Kn - 4.65 μM, BAP - 4.44 μM), and auxin (NAA- 5.37 μM). The germination frequency and initiation of germination was higher in NAA augmented medium and seedlings developed in 12.50 ± 0.50 weeks. Coconut water (20%) proved optimum for the multiplication of protocorm like bodies. Activated charcoal successfully checked the release of brownish exudates in the cultures. Plant Tissue Cult. & Biotech. 31(2): 153-160, 2021 (December)

Development of an Efficient In vitro Regeneration Protocol for Chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat)

An efficient and rapid in vitro regeneration protocol was developed for chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat) using two local varieties of Bangladesh namely, BARI Chrysanthemum-2 (BARI Chry-2) and local yellow (Y). MS medium supplemented with nine different concentrations and combinations of BAP and IAA was employed to optimize regeneration protocol using young in vitro derived leaf explants. Direct organogenesis was observed from the leaf explants on MS medium supplemented with 0.5 mg/l BAP and 2.0 mg/l IAA (T6) for both the varieties. This treatment (T6) induced shoot buds directly on the adaxial surface of the leaf providing the highest regeneration percentage (90% for BARI Chry-2 and 94.73% for Y), the highest number of shoot/explant (7.6 for BARI Chry-2 and 8.6 for Y) and maximum length of the shoot after six weeks (3 cm for BARI Chry-2 and 2.9 cm for Y) of culture. Explants with initially regenerated shoots were subculture on hormone free MS medium for shoot elongation after 4 weeks of their inoculation. During elongation of shoots, 90-95% of the regenerated shoots produced roots spontaneously in hormone free MS medium within 7-8 weeks of their inoculation. Rooted plantlets were transplanted to the field following hardening where 100% plantlets were survived and produced flower without any variation. Plant Tissue Cult. & Biotech. 31(2): 161-171, 2021 (December)

Aklimatisasi Anggrek Species Hasil Kultur Jaringan Melalui Pemberdayaan Masyarakat Dusun Gempol

Gempol Village is a village on Mount Ungaran that has made efforts to preserve orchid species. Through mentoring and training from the UNNES Research Team which began in 2011, as well as greenhouse facilitation from PT Indonesia Power, the Gempol village community who are members of the Omah Sawah Community began to make efforts to conserve orchid species. The results of the identification of the problems experienced by community groups as foster partners can be grouped into three aspects, namely knowledge and skills of acclimatization of orchids from plant tissue culture, post-acclimatization management/care, and supporting infrastructure for acclimatization of tissue cultured orchids, where these three aspects are interrelated. The methods used include lecture and question and answer activities, practice, and mentoring. The result achieved is that the orchid species acclimatization activity in Gempol Hamlet, Ngesrepbalong Village has been carried out with satisfactory results. Activities are carried out through training and assistance to community groups who are members of Omah Sawah. The results of the evaluation of the participants showed that the participants' understanding and skills improved after this activity was carried out, even providing ideas for participants to apply to cultivated orchids. The result is enough to generate economic income for the participants, because some of their cultivated orchids are sold. Abstrak Dusun Gempol adalah satu dusun di Gunung Ungaran yang telah melakukan upaya pelestarian anggrek species hutan . Melalui pendampingan dan pelatihan dari Tim Peneliti UNNES yang dimulai pada tahun 201, serta fasilitasi greenhouse dari PT Indonesia Power, masyarakat Dusun Gempol yang tergabung dalam Komunitas Omah Sawah mulai melakukan upaya pelestarian anggrek species. Hasil identifikasi terhadap permasalahan yang dialami kelompok masyarakat sebagai mitra binaan dapat dikelompokkan menjadi tiga aspek, yaitu pengetahuan dan keterampilan aklimatisasi anggrek hasil kultur jaringan tanaman, pengelolaan/ perawatan pasca aklimatisasi, dan sarana prasarana penunjang aklimatisasi anggrek hasil kutur jaringan, dimana ke tiga aspek ini salingterkait. Metode yang dilakukan, meliputi kegiatan ceramah dan tanya jawab, praktik, dan pendampingan. Hasil yang dicapai adalah kegiatan aklimatisasi anggrek species di Dusun Gempol Desa Ngesrepbalong telah dilaksanakan dengan hasil yang memuaskan. Kegiatan dilaksanakan melalui pelatihan dan pendampingan terhadap kelompok masyarakat yang tergabung di Omah Sawah. Hasil evaluasi terhadap peserta menunjukkan bahwa pemahaman dan ketrampilan peserta meningkat setelah dilakukan kegiatan ini, bahkan memberikan ide bagi peserta untuk menerapkan pada anggrek budidaya. Hasilnya cukup membuahkan pemasukan ekonomi bagi peserta, karena beberapa anggrek budidaya mereka laku dijual.

Changes in chemical composition of cover crops residue during decomposition

ABSTRACT: Crop residues decomposition are controlled by chemical tissue components. This study evaluated changes on plant tissue components, separated by the Van Soest partitioning method, during cover crop decomposition. The Van Soest soluble fraction was the first to be released from the crop residues, followed by cellulose and hemicellulose. Lignin was the crop residue component that suffered the least degradation, and for certain crop residue types, lignin degradation was not detected. The degradation of the main components of crop residues (soluble fraction, cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin) is determined by the chemical and structural composition of each fraction.

First report of Alternaria alternata causing the golden spot in xoconostle (Opuntia matudae) in Hidalgo, México

The species<em> Opuntia ficus-indica</em> is affected by pests and diseases, one of the most important of these being golden spot. The latter has been reported in various countries, including Mexico. Symptoms similar to those of golden spot in <em>O. ficus-indica</em> have been observed in the xoconostle crop (<em>Opuntia matudae</em> Scheinvar, cv. Rosa). The objective of this study was to isolate and identify the causative agent that causes the symptoms, which resembled those of the disease described as golden spot in <em>O. ficus-indica</em>. Simple random sampling in the field (10 plots) was carried out on xoconostle plants that presented the described symptoms. Slices of diseased plant tissue were cut and placed in Petri plates with PDA medium. Compliance with Koch’s postulates showed that the isolated (one aislated) of <em>Alternaria</em> sp. obtained from the field samples colonized the cladodes after inoculations in the greenhouse. Through taxonomic keys, <em>Alternaria</em> sp. was identified as the causative microorganism. Molecular characterization of the isolated <em>Alternaria</em> sp. was identified as <em>Alternaria</em> <em>alternata</em>. This is the first report worldwide of <em>Alternaria alternata</em> as the causal agent of golden spot in a xoconostle crop.

Effect of LED Lighting on Physical Environment and Microenvironment on In Vitro Plant Growth and Morphogenesis: The Need to Standardize Lighting Conditions and Their Description

In the last decades, lighting installations in plant tissue culture have generally been renewed or designed based on LED technology. Thanks to this, many different light quality advances are available but, with their massive implementation, the same issue is occurring as in the 1960s with the appearance of the Grolux (Sylvania) fluorescent tubes: there is a lack of a methodological standardization of lighting. This review analyzes the main parameters and variables that must be taken into account in the design of LED-based systems, and how these need to be described and quantified in order to homogenize and standardize the experimental conditions to obtain reproducible and comparable results and conclusions. We have designed an experimental system in which the values of the physical environment and microenvironment conditions and the behavior of plant tissue cultures maintained in cabins illuminated with two lighting designs can be compared. Grolux tubes are compared with a combination of monochromatic LED lamps calibrated to provide a spectral emission, and light irradiance values similar to those generated by the previous discharge lamps, achieving in both cases wide uniformity of radiation conditions on the shelves of the culture cabins. This study can help to understand whether it is possible to use LEDs as one standard lighting source in plant tissue culture without affecting the development of the cultures maintained with the previously regulated protocols in the different laboratories. Finally, the results presented from this caparison indicate how temperature is one of the main factors that is affected by the chosen light source.