Response of Broiler Chickens to Oral Administration of Ocimum Gratissimum Leaf Extracts

The study was carried out on one hundred and ninety-five day-old broiler chicks of cobb500 to study the effect of Ocimum gratissimum leaf extracts on growth performance, blood profile, microbial population in the faecal and gut samples. The chicks were randomly selected into five groups with thirty-nine chicks per group and each group replicated thrice. The groups were: control (synthetic antibiotics), extracts from 200 g fresh leaf, 400 g fresh leaf, 40 g air-dried leaf and 80 g aid-dried leaf per litre of water respectively. Data collected were subjected to one-way Analysis of Variance. The growth performance except mortality was similar (P>0.05) across the groups. Albumin, urea, cholesterol, alkaline phosphate and sodium were influenced (P<0.05) at the starter phase while only alkaline phosphate was significantly (P<0.05) highest in birds on 400 g of fresh leaf extract at the finisher phase. Neutrophil was highest (P<0.05) in birds on 400 g of fresh leaf extract while those on 200 g had higher values of lymphocytes and eosinophil at starter phase. At finisher phase, birds on antibiotics and 80 g of air-dried leaf extract had higher (P<0.05) white blood cell. Faecal total microbial population was least (<0.05) in birds on antibiotics and 200 g fresh Ocimum gratissimum leaf extract at starter phase. The study concluded that the adoption of Ocimum gratissimum leaf extract as prophylactic treatment against bacteria should be encouraged among poultry farmers.

Potential Distribution of Blumea Balsamifera in China Using MaxEnt and The Ex-Situ Conservation Based on its Effective Components and Fresh Leaf Yield

Blumea balsamifera is a famous Chinese Minority Medicine, which has a long history in Miao, Li, Zhuang and other minority areas. In recent years, due to the influence of natural and human factors, the distribution area of B. balsamifera resources has a decreasing trend. Therefore, it is very important to analyze the suitability of B. balsamifera in China. Following three climate change scenarios (SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5) under 2050s and 2070s, geographic information technology (GIS) and maximum entropy model (MaxEnt) were used to simulate the ecological suitability of B. balsamifera. The contents of L-borneol and total flavonoids of B. balsamifera in different populations were determined by gas chromatography (GC) and ultraviolet spectrophotometry (UV). The results showed that the key environmental variables affecting the distribution of B. balsamifera were mean temperature of coldest quarter (6.18-26.57 ℃), precipitation of driest quarter (22.46-169.7 mm), annual precipitation (518.36-1845.29 mm) and temperature seasonality (291.31-878.87). Under current climate situation, the highly suitable habitat was mainly located western Guangxi, southern Yunnan, most of Hainan, southwestern Guizhou, southwestern Guangdong, southeastern Fujian and western Taiwan, with a total area of 24.1×104 km2. The areas of the moderately and poorly suitable habitats were 27.57×104 km2 and 42.43×104 km2, respectively. Under the future climate change scenarios, the areas of the highly, moderately, and poorly suitable habitats of B. balsamifera showed a significant increasing trend, the geometric center of the total suitable habitats of B. balsamifera would move to the northeast. In recent years, the planting area of B. balsamifera has been reduced on a large scale in Guizhou, and its ex situ protection is imperative. By comparison, the content of L-borneol, total flavonoids and fresh leaf yield had no significant difference between Guizhou and Hainan (P > 0.05), which indicated that Hainan one of the best choice for ex-situ protection of B. balsamifera.

High-Yield Production of Receptor Binding Domain of SARS-CoV-2 Linked to Bacterial Flagellin in Plants Using Self-Replicating Viral Vector pEff

The development of recombinant vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 is required to eliminate the COVID-19 pandemic. We reported the expression of a recombinant protein Flg-RBD comprising receptor binding domain of SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein (RBD) fused to flagellin of Salmonella typhimurium (Flg), known as mucosal adjuvant, in Nicotiana benthamiana plants. The fusion protein, targeted to the cytosol, was transiently expressed using the self-replicating vector pEff based on potato virus X genome. The recombinant protein Flg-RBD was expressed at the level of about 110–140 μg per gram of fresh leaf tissue and was found to be insoluble. The fusion protein was purified using metal affinity chromatography under denaturing conditions. To increase the yield of Flg-RBD, the flow-through fraction obtained after loading of the protein sample on the Ni-NTA resin was re-loaded on the sorbent. The yield of Flg-RBD after purification reached about 100 μg per gram of fresh leaf tissue and the purified protein remained soluble after dialysis. The control flagellin was expressed in a soluble form and its yield after purification was about 300 μg per gram of fresh leaf biomass. Plant-produced Flg-RBD protein could be further used for the development of intranasal recombinant mucosal vaccines against COVID-19.

Effects of Potassium Fertilization, Cultivar Specifics and Seedling Temperature Regime on Growth Parameters and Yield of Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.)

Background: Potassium fertilization shows beneficial effect on formation of tomato vegetative biomass and productivity. The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which split potassium application and seedling temperature regime affects the growth parameters (leaf number, leaf area, fresh leaf weight and LAI) and yield of various tomato cultivars. Methods: A pot experiment was conducted to investigate the impact of single dose and split potassium fertilization treatments, cultivar specifics and seedling temperature regime on growth parameters and yield of tomato. Ten high yielding classic round shape tomato cultivars with determinate growth habitat were planted on Fluvisol. Single and split potassium fertilization treatments were tested. Result: The seedlings growth temperature regime and splitting the potassium fertilization treatment did not have a significant effect on the development of leaf biomass in tomato plants. Results revealed that leaf number, leaf area, fresh leaf weight and LAI of tomato plants was significantly affected by the cultivar genetic factor. Tomato yield were significantly affected by cultivars and split potassium fertilization treatments. Cultivars that measured the highest leaf area, fresh leaf weight and LAI and were also the highest yielding ones. A positive correlation between LAI and tomato fruit yield was observed.

Effects of different treatments of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) on the growth & physiological characteristics of lotus (Nelumbo nucifera)

Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn.) is an aquatic perennial plant with various values, such as ornamental flowers, vegetables, food, and herbal medicine. It is cultivated and consumed throughout the different regions in Vietnam as a symbol associated with local culture. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of four other treatments of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) on the growth of lotus in crop 2021. In the present study, we examined the effects of 4 treatments: control - no AgNPs (CT), treating the soil with AgNPs 4mg/L 5 days before planting (T1), treating plants with AgNPs 4mg/L before planting (T2), and a combination of soil treatment, plant treatment, and periodic foliar application at 4mg/L (T3). The results show that AgNPs application by different methods significantly increased plant height, leaf diameter, fresh leaf weight, dry leaf weight, and some biochemical aspects compared with the control. Furthermore, exposure to AgNPs elevated the activities of peroxidase (POD), superoxide dismutase (SOD). Among the different of AgNPs applications, plants treated with T3 showed the highest efficiency. In addition, the chlorophyll content and diameter of floating and upright leaves were positively correlated with dry leaf mass. Thus, the current use of AgNPs in agricultural sciences offers the prospect of researching their impact on various plants in the future.

Validating Field Regeneration Capacity for Selected Accessions of Gossypium hirsutum Using Callus Induction and Regeneration Capacity

Gossypium hirsutm undergoes a rapid clonal propagation to regenerate a mature plant through tissue culture. In this research, cotton leaf regeneration level for 21 accessions in the field (new leaves) was observed after the first harvest, and a comparison between field regeneration level and callus induction with its regeneration capacity (new shoots and roots) for the same 21 accessions was carried out. During the flowering stage of Gossypium hirsutum, biochemical (Proline), physiological (chlorophyll and carotenoid content) analysis was carried out. Phenotypic observations (plant height, leaf area, fresh leaf weight, dry leaf weight, flower and boll number) were also carried out on 21 accessions for each accession. Callus induction and regeneration capacity of roots and shoots for hypocotyl, cotyledons and shoot tip tissues was used to validate field regeneration capacity through analysis of variance. ZS061, LuMian378, JiMian863, and ZS065 have highest drought tolerance while ZhongMianSuo24, LiaoYangDuoMaoMian, and BeiZheGongSheMian have the lowest tolerance to drought stress. Accessions with both field and callus regeneration capacity were identified.

The Chemical Composition and Biological Activities of Essential Oils from Zanthoxylum rhetsa Grown in Son La, Northwest Vietnam

Essential oils (EOs) from the stem barks, leaf petioles, fruit petioles, fresh leaves, and fresh and dried fruits of Zanthoxylum rhetsa were extracted by hydrodistillation. The volatile compounds of the products were analyzed by gas chromatography (GC-FID) and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MSD). Monoterpene hydrocarbons formed the predominant fraction of all six EO samples, of which sabinene is one of the major components (from 12.37% to 41.13%). For the leaf petiole EO, limonene (25.01%), sabinene (14.56%), and linalool (12.63%) are the major constituents, while the main constituents of fruit petiole EO were terpinolene (19.66%), terpinen-4-ol (19.07%), and sabinene (17.83%). The major components of stem bark EO are terpinen-4-ol (18.23%), sabinene (12.37%), α-phellandrene (7.34%), β-phellandrene (6.32%), and γ-terpinene (6.12%), while sabinene (38.35%), terpinen-4-ol (13.71%), γ-terpinene (6.47%), and limonene (6.02%) are the major constituents of fresh leaf EO. For the EOs of dried fruits and fresh fruits, sabinene, terpinolene, limonene, and terpinen-4-ol are the major constituents. The essential oils were also tested for their cytotoxic and antimicrobial activities. The results revealed that six EOs at concentrations of 50 μg/mL exhibited inhibitory activity against at least one tested cancer cell line but were nontoxic on Vero normal cells. Most EOs showed moderate antimicrobial activity against F. oxysporum; however, there were no obvious activity against B. subtilis and S. aureus.

Chemical Profiling, Toxicity and Anti-Inflammatory Activities of Essential Oils from Three Grapefruit Cultivars from KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa

The medicinal potential and volatile composition of different parts of three cultivars of grapefruit (Citrus paradisi) were evaluated for their toxicity and anti-inflammatory activities. Fresh leaf and fruit peel were separately isolated by hydrodistillation for 4 h. The essential oils were subjected to GC/GC-MS analysis for chemical profile. Toxicity of the essential oils in mice were evaluated using Lorke’s method, while an anti-inflammatory assay was performed in a rat model using egg albumin-induced oedema. The oils obtained were light yellow in colour, and odour varied from strong citrus smell to mild. Percentage yield of fresh peel oil (0.34–0.57%) was greater than the fresh leaf oil yield (0.21–0.34%). D-limonene (86.70–89.90%) was the major compound identified in the leaf oil, while β-phellandrene (90.00–91.01%) dominated the peel oil. At a dosage level of 5000 mg/kg, none of the oils showed mortality in mice. An anti-inflammatory bioassay revealed that all the oils caused a significant (p < 0.05–0.01) reduction in oedema size when compared to the negative control group throughout the 5 h post induction assessment period. The study reveals that the oils are non-toxic and demonstrate significant anti-inflammatory activity. Our findings suggest that the leaf and peel oils obtained from waste parts of grapefruit plants can be useful as flavouring agents, as well as anti-inflammatory agents.

Effect of Drying Method and Storage Days on Essential Oil Yield and Quality of Rue (Ruta Chalepensis) leaves

The genus Rue (Ruta chalepensis) is an aromatic medicinal plant used in the folk as an herbal remedy medicine for the treatment of a variety of disorders in Ethiopia. Information about the effects of drying methods and storage days on essential oil physical properties is limited. The fresh leaf of rue was collected from the Wondo Genet Agriculture research center and was subjected to sun and shade drying methods and four storage days (0,5,10, and 15) days for each day's moisture content and essential oil extraction using hydro distillation. The obtained essential oils were analyzed for physical properties (specific gravity and refractive index). The highest value of moisture content in percent was recorded at 0-day storage days with the value of 73.533 and the lowest one was recorded at 15-day sundry with the value of 8.400. The highest and lowest value of essential oil content in volume by weight in percent was 0.673 and 0.174 at 0 day and 10-day sun, respectively. The highest and lowest value of essential oil content weight by weight in percent was 0.996 and 0.287 at 0 day and 15-day sun, respectively. The results showed that the rue dried under shade had a higher level of moisture content, essential oil content, volume by weight and weight by weight, specific gravity, and refractive index compared to the rue leaf dried under sun-drying methods. In the case of storage days in all parameters except refractive index and specific gravity, the rue fresh leaf (0 days) was higher in moisture content and essential oil contents compared to others storage days. This study provides evidence that drying herbs for different storage days and different drying methods affect the essential oil content and physical properties of essential oil.