Search Results (5)

Root exudates of the invasive Solidago canadensis and the cereal crop Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench cv. ‘Hybridsorgo’ were tested for allelopathic interactions against native and invasive plant species in a controlled environment. After the surface was sterilized, the seeds of two invasive species (Bromus sterilis and Veronica persica) and two native species (Youngia japonica and Rumex acetosa) were germinated and transplanted into the soil (1:1 mixture of coco peat and sand) that had been conditioned for one month by the cultivation of Solidago canadensis and Sorghum bicolor, both in combination or as unplanted controls. After an additional eight weeks of growth, morphometric measurements of the shoot and root, including foliar characteristics and above- and below-ground biomass accumulation, were performed. The results revealed significant inhibitory effects of root exudates released by Sorghum bicolor and Solidago canadensis on native species’ productivity and physiology. The invasive species exhibited variable growth responses, with Veronica persica showing reduced shoot and root expansion, but Bromus sterilis revealed increased shoot and root biomass allocation and nutrition under the exudate treatments. Exudates from Solidago canadensis and Sorghum bicolor together showed synergistic negative effects on native species, while they promoted growth and nutrition in Veronica persica. Taken together, the differential species responses indicate that the tested native species were more sensitive to the allelopathic compounds than the invasive species, which is in line with the theory of novel weapons. The legacy effects of root exudates of both Sorghum bicolor and Solidago canadensis could promote invasive establishment through imposing allelochemical interference competition against native plant species. Understanding the specific allelopathic mechanisms may help with the development of integrated strategies for managing invasive species. Full article

Gingivitis and periodontitis are inflammatory disorders caused by dental plaque and calculus. These disorders often lead to tooth loss if not treated properly. Although antibiotics can be used, it is hard to treat them due to the difficulty in supplying effective doses of antibiotics to lesion areas and side effects associated with long-term use of antibiotics. In the present study, attempts were made to provide in vitro and in vivo evidence to support anti-inflammatory activities of TEES-10^®, a mixture of ethanol extracts of Ligularia stenocephala (LSE) and Secale cereale L. sprout (SCSE) toward gingivitis and periodontitis by performing the following experiments. TEES-10^® with a ratio of 6:4 (LSE:SCSE) showed the best effects in both stimulating the viability and inhibiting the cytotoxicity. In in vitro experiments, TEES-10^® showed an ability to scavenge 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl and superoxide radicals and remove ROS generated in periodontal ligament cells treated with lipopolysaccharide. TEES-10^® also enhanced the viability of stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth and stimulated the osteogenic differentiation of deciduous teeth cells. In in vivo experiments using rats with induced periodontitis, TEES-10^® significantly decreased inflammatory cell infiltration and the numbers of osteoclasts, increased alveolar process volume and the numbers of osteoblasts, decreased serum levels of IL-1β and TNF-α (pro-inflammatory cytokines), and increased serum levels of IL-10 and IL-13 (anti-inflammatory cytokines). These results strongly support the theory that TEES-10^® has the potential to be developed as a health functional food that can treat and prevent gingival and periodontal diseases and improve dental health. Full article

Sodic-alkalinity is a more seriously limiting factor in agricultural productivity than salinity. Oat (Avena nuda) is a salt-tolerant crop species and is therefore useful in studying the physiological responses of cereals to alkalinity. We evaluated the differential effects of sodic-alkalinity on two naked oat lines, Caoyou1 and Yanke1. Seedlings of the two lines were exposed to 50 mM alkaline salt mixture of NaHCO₃ and Na₂CO₃ (18:1 molar ratio; pH 8.5) for 2 weeks in a soil environment. Sodic-alkalinity exposure led the assimilation of abundant Na⁺ at similar concentrations in the organs of both lines. However, Caoyou1 showed much stronger growth than Yanke1, exhibiting a higher dry weight, total leaf area, and shoot height under sodic-alkalinity. Further analysis showed that Caoyou1 was more sodic-alkalinity tolerance than Yanke1. This was firstly because of differences in the oxidative stress defense mechanisms in leaves of the two lines. Antioxidant enzyme activities were either slightly elevated (catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), guaiacol peroxidase (GP), glutathione reductase (GR)) or unaltered (superoxide dismutase (SOD)) in Caoyou1 leaves, but some enzyme (SOD, GPOX, GR) activities were significantly reduced in Yanke1. AnAPX1 transcript levels significantly increased in Caoyou1 under sodic-alkalinity conditions compared with Yanke1, indicating its better antioxidant capacity. Secondly, the related parameters of Mg²⁺ concentration, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) activity, and AnPEPC transcript levels in the leaves showed significantly higher values in Caoyou1 compared with Yanke1. This demonstrated the effective utilization by Caoyou1 of accumulated HCO₃⁻ in the irreversible reaction from phosphoenolpyruvate to oxaloacetate to produce inorganic phosphorus, which was elevated in Caoyou1 leaves under alkalinity stress. Overall, the results demonstrated that the greater sodic-alkalinity tolerance of Caoyou1 is the result of: (1) maintained antioxidant enzyme activities; and (2) a higher capacity for the phosphoenolpyruvate to oxaloacetate reactions, as shown by the higher PEPC activity, Mg²⁺ concentration, and total phosphorus concentration in its leaves, despite the lower soil pH. Full article

The aim of the study was to evaluate grain yields, protein yields, and net metabolic energy yields of different combinations of spring types of barley, oat, and wheat arranged in 10 mixtures and grown under different soil types. Naked cultivars of barley and oat were used. The three-year field experiment was conducted at the Agricultural Advisory Centre in Szepietowo, Poland. The study showed that the major factor determining yields of the mixtures was soil quality. Within the better soil (Albic Luvisols), the highest yield was achieved by a mixture of covered barley and wheat and by a mixture of covered barley with covered oats and wheat, but only in treatments with lower sowing density. Moreover, on the better soil, significantly higher protein yields were obtained for mixtures of barley (covered or naked grains) with wheat as compared to the mixture of covered barley with covered oats, or the mixture of covered barley with naked oats and wheat. The highest yields of net metabolic energy, regardless of soil type, were obtained from a mixture of naked barley with wheat, while the lowest from a mixture of covered barley with naked oats and wheat. Mixed sowings increase biodiversity of canopies, which allows a better use of production space. They also increase health and the productivity of plants. Full article

Gluten is a complex mixture of storage proteins in cereals like wheat, barley, and rye. Prolamins are the main components of gluten. Their high content in proline and glutamine makes them water-insoluble and difficult to digest in the gastrointestinal tract. Partial digestion generates peptide sequences which trigger immune responses in celiac and gluten-sensitive patients. Gluten detection in food is challenging because of the diversity, in various food matrices, of protein proportions or modifications and the huge number of immunogenic sequences with differential potential immunoactivity. Attempts to develop standard reference materials have been unsuccessful. Recent studies have reported the detection of a limited number of dominant Gluten Immunogenic Peptides (GIP) that share similarities to epitopes presented in the α-gliadin 33-mer, which showed to be highly proteolytic resistant and is considered to be the most immunodominant peptide within gluten in celiac disease (CD). GIP were detectable and quantifiable in very different kind of difficult to analyze food, revealing the potential immunogenicity by detecting T-cell activity of celiac patients. But GIP were also found in stool and urine of celiac patients on a supposedly gluten-free diet (GFD), showing the capacity to resist and be absorbed and excreted from the body, providing the first simple and objective means to assess adherence to the GFD. Methods to specifically and sensitively detect the most active GIP in food and biological fluids are rational candidates may use similar analytical standard references for determination of the immunopathological risk of gluten exposure in gluten-related diseases. Full article