Rice-husk biochar effects on organic carbon, aggregate stability and nitrogen-fertility of coarse-textured Ultisols evaluated using Celosia argentea growth

There are insufficient data supporting the enormous potential of biochar in highly weathered tropical soils. This glasshouse study assessed rice-husk biochar (RHB) effects on soil organic carbon, aggregate stability and nitrogen fertility of sandy-loam Ultisols which were evaluated using spinach (<em>Celosia argentea</em>) growth. Five RHB rates 0, 5, 10, 20, and 40 g per two-kg-soil (0, 7.5, 15, 30 and 60 t ha⁻¹, respectively) were studied under 0, 4, 8, and 12 weeks of incubation (WOI). Batched potting of treatments enabled sowing on one date. Treatment effects on soil quality were assessed at sowing and spinach growth six weeks later. Soil organic carbon generally increased with RHB rate, with the greatest increments (37%) in maximum rate relative to no-biochar control for 8 WOI. Aggregate stability also generally increased with RHB rate, the range being 7.21%-17.21% for 8 WOI, beyond which it decreased in 10 and 20 but not 40 g pot^–1. Total nitrogen was always highest in maximum rate, increasing with rate only for 8 WOI. Treatment affected plant height more clearly than leaf count. Optimum rates were 5 or 10 g pot^–1 for 8 and 4 WOI, respectively (plant height) and 10 g pot^–1 for 8 WOI (leaf count). Soil organic carbon influenced soil aggregate stability (R² = 0.505) which in turn was quadratically related to plant height (R² = 0.517), indicating stability threshold for spinach. Adding RHB at 40 g pot^–1 (≈ 60 t ha⁻¹) to coarse-textured tropical soils is suggested to sustain its soil aggregating effect beyond the growth phase of short-cycle leafy vegetables which require a lower rate (10 g pot^–1) 8 weeks before sowing. The observed role of soil aggregate stability in spinach growth rather than the overall effects of RHB should guide further search for edapho-agronomic optimum rate of RHB.

First Report of Root-Knot Nematode Meloidogyne enterolobii on Cockscomb (Celosia argentea var. cristata) in Taiwan

Cockscomb (Celosia argentea) is commonly found in subtropical and temperate zones of Africa, South America and South East Asia, and is a popular ornamental plant in the family Amaranthaceae. Cockscomb has been known to contain antiviral proteins, betalains, and anthocyanin, which can be applied in beneficial ways (2). In September 2020, a cockscomb plant (Celosia argentea var. cristata) showing typical galling root symptoms likely infected by root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne sp.) was collected from a garden in Taichung, Taiwan, and a quick exam of several individuals using MK7F/R primers (7) indicating they were M. enterolobii. Nematode population was established from a single egg mass and was later used for species identification and pathogenicity tests. Five perineal patterns of mature females from the single female population show round to oval shapes with weak lateral lines. Dorsal arches are moderate to high, almost squared, with the smooth ventral striae. Second-stage juveniles are vermiform and have a slender tail, tapering to rounded tip with distinct hyaline region at the tail terminus. Morphological measurements of 28 J2s revealed body length = 457.2 ± 20.6 (416.1-506.9) μm, body width = 16.0 ± 2.0 (13.4-20.3) μm, stylet length = 14.7 ± 0.5 (13.9-15.9) μm, dorsal gland orifice to the stylet base = 4.0 ± 0.5 (2.0-4.8) μm, and tail length = 56.0 ± 3.8 (47.4-60.3) μm. Female perineal patterns and morphometric data are similar to the original description of Meloidogyne enterolobii (9). DNA purified from approximately 1500 juveniles using GeneMark Tissue & Cell Genomic DNA Purification Kit (GeneMark, Taiwan) was used to amplify 18S rDNA fragment, D2-D3 expansion segments of 28S rDNA, and a COII region on mtDNA with primer sets 1A/MelR, D2A/D3B, and C2F3/1108, respectively (4,5,6). The 18S rDNA sequence (OK076893) of this study shares 99.94% nucleotide identity with those of M. enterolobii isolated from the United States (KP901058) and China (MN832688). D2D3 sequence of haplotype 1 (OK076898) shows 100% identity to those of M. enterolobii from China (MT193450) and Taiwan (KP411230). Sequence of haplotype 2 (OK076899) shows 99.86% identity to those of M. enterolobii from the United States (MN809527) and China (MN269945). Sequence of the COII region (OK086042) show 99.86% identity to that of M. enterolobii from China (MN269945). Phylogenetic trees of the three gene sequences were plotted following Ye et al.(10), revealing that the newly described root-knot nematode on Cockscomb is grouped with other M. enterolobii isolates. DNA fragment amplified by primer sets Me-F/R(3) and MK7F/R specifically targeting of M. enterolobii yielded 236 bp and 520 bp, respectively. Pathogenicity tests were assayed, from July to September 2021, on three-week-old nematode-free cockscomb plant directly germinated from seeds of SkyStar® (ASUSA SPIKE SEEDS, Taipei, Taiwan) planted in a 10.5 cm diameter pot filled with 600 ml sterilized peat moss: sand (1:1, v/v) soil in a 28℃walk-in chamber. Nematode eggs were extracted using 0.05% NaoCl as described by Vrain(8), and cockscomb plants (n=3) were inoculated by adding 6000 eggs (10 eggs/ cm3). Cockscomb plants treated with water were used as mock controls. Rf value of the inoculated plants were determined by the method of Belair and Benoit (1) 45 days after inoculation, and the average was 4.13. No galls were observed on the roots of control plants. The results confirmed that cockscomb is the new host of M. enterolobii. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of M. enterolobii on Celosia argentea var. cristata in Taiwan.

Heavy Metal Accumulation in Cockscomb (Celosia Argentea Linn) Grown in Soil Amended With Chicken Manure

Heavy metals such as Cadmium (Cd), Copper (Cu) and Manganese (Mn) in chicken manure can contaminate soil and bioaccumulate in edible tissues of plant to cause food chain contamination. This study investigated the influence of chicken manure on heavy metal load of soil and accumulation in tissues of Celosia argentea. Air-dried chicken manure from battery cages (conventional chicken manure-CCM) and free range birds (local chicken manure-LCM) were used for the pot culture. Chicken manure was applied as amendment at the rate of 0, 4, 6, 8 and 10 t ha-1 in 5 kg soil. Treatments were replicated trice in a Completely Randomized Design. Results showed that soil metal pollution increased with rates of amendment. Metal pollution indices; contamination factor, degree of contamination, elemental pollution index, pollution load index and total contamination factor were significantly (p < 0.001) higher in soil amended with CCM than LCM. Bioaccumulation coefficients (BAC), bioaccumulation factor (BAF) and transfer factor (TF) of metals were higher in tissues of celosia grown with CCM than LCM. Furthermore, above 4 t ha-1, growth and yield were not significantly influenced by amendment rates. Mobility of metals from soil to tissues of celosia increased in the order Cu > Mn > Cd. Chicken manure above 4 t ha-1 potent health risks of Cu exposure to consumers of celosia.

Response of Celosia Argentea (Plumosa) to Spraying With Growth Regulars (ABA and GA3)

The experiment was carried out in lath house, College of Agriculture/University of Kirkuk for the agricultural on 15-3-2021. The concentrations of Abscisic acid (ABA) were (0, 10, 20, 40) mg.l-1, Gibberellin (GA3) were (0, 50, 100, 200) mg.l-1. Results showed that Spraying with a concentration of 40 mg.L-1 of ABA and a concentration of 100 mg.L-1 of GA3 gave a significant increase in most of the vegetative and flowering characteristics, as it was superior in plant height, number of plant branches, leaf area, chlorophyll percentage, wet and dry weight. As for the characteristics of flower growth, it was significantly superior in number of flowers, flower diameter, vase life, number of flowering branches, wet and dry weight of flowers.

Effects of Gongronema latifolium Benth and Celosia argentea Linn supplemented diet on the hepatic and cardiac functions of high-fat diet-induced hyperlipidemic rats

Purpose The purpose of this study is to assess the effects of two green leafy vegetables (Gongronema latifolium and Celosia argentea) on the hepatic biomarkers [Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT) and Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST)], cardiac biomarkers [Creatine Kinase (CK) and Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDH)] and histopathology of the heart of high-fat diet-induced hyperlipidemic rats, with the aim of evaluating the vegetables as functional foods. Design/methodology/approach Experimental diets consisted of Control Diet (CD), High-Fat Diet (HFD), High-Fat Diet with Blanched Celosia argentea (HCB), High-Fat Diet with Unblanched Celosia argentea (HCU), High-Fat diet with Blanched Gongronema latifolium (HGB) and High-Fat Diet with Unblanched Gongronema latifolium (HGU). Seventy-five albino male rats (weighing 180–200 g) were used. The animals were divided into 15 groups of five albino rats each. Animals in Groups 1, 2 and 3 were fed with CD, HFD only and HFD with Atorvastin (5 mg/kg b.w), respectively. Animals in Groups 4, 5 and 6 were fed with 5, 10 and 15% HCB, respectively. Animals in Groups 7, 8 and 9 were fed with 5, 10 and 15% HCU, respectively, whereas animals in Groups 10, 11 and 12 were fed with 5, 10 and 15% HGB, respectively, and animals in Groups 13, 14 and 15 were fed with 5, 10 and 15% diet-inclusion of HGU, respectively. Findings The incorporation of the vegetal matter into the diet brought about a significant reduction (p = 0.05) in the activities of ALT, AST, CK and LDH when compared with HFD. However, the histological examination showed no pathological lesion, only at 15% inclusion of the vegetables. Originality/value The paper established that the incorporation of Celosia argentea and Gongronema latifolium into diet, most especially at 15% inclusion, may serve as functional food in the management of hyperlipidemia and associated complications.

Phytochemical analysis and antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of Celosia argentea leaves

This study performed the phytochemical screening and bioactivity of Celosia argentea leaves. The phytochemical profile of hexane (Hex), ethyl acetate (AcOEt) and methanolic (MeOH) extracts of C. argentea leaves was observed by Thin Layer Chromatography and spectrophotometric analysis. In the susceptibility test, the disk-diffusion technique was performed. Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) was assessed by microdilution. Minimum Microbic Concentration (MMC) was determined in the extracts which presented MIC. Antioxidant activities were measured using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picril-hidrazil (DPPH), determination of reducing power and total antioxidant capacity (TAC). The results showed a higher content of phenolic compounds (252.02 ± 0.02 mg GAE/g) in the extract AcOEt, and of tannins (103.72 ± 0.004 mg/EAT/g) in MeOH; this was effective against Micrococcus luteus (inhibition of 24.7 ± 0.6 mm). MIC and CMM of the AcOEt for M. luteus were 0.06 and 0.25 mg/mL, respectively. The MeOH extract eliminated 70.4 ± 0.03% of DPPH radical, whereas AcOEt had greater reducing power (289.23 ± 0.05 mg AA/g) and TAC at a concentration of 250 µg/mL (89.6%). This study revealed that C. argentea has phytochemicals with bactericidal and fungicidal potential, in addition to elevated antioxidant power. Key words: antimicrobial, antioxidant, bioactivity.

A A Pharmacological Study of Anupa and Jangala Deshastha Shitivaraka (Celosia argentea Linn.). W.S.R. Mootralkarma

Pharmacology, the science of drug action, has helped to elucidate many basic physiological and pathological mechanisms in health and disease. Various animal experimental models have been designed to study the effect of drugs on living organisms and isolated tissues. These give an insight about where and how a drug acts, the mode of action of a drug, its effect on various body systems and probable adverse effects before administration of a drug. Therefore, the object of pharmacology is to provide such scientific data in animals as well as humans, which forms the basis of rational therapeutics. The Jalamahabhuta is fundamental base of origin for kapha dosha and mootra. These are supposed to have Asray-Asrayi Sambandha . It means these are directly proportional to each other. So by using the drug which is having the mootrala property Kapha may be controlled. Here an effort is made to prove this concept with modern parameters like immunomodulation, anti-inflammatory and antihistaminic activity.