Salinity is one of the serious abiotic stresses adversely affecting the majority of arable lands worldwide, limiting the crop productivity of most of the economically important crops. Sweet basil () plants were grown in a non-saline soil (EC = 0.64 dS m), in low saline soil (EC = 5 dS m), and in a high saline soil (EC = 10 dS m). There were differences between arbuscular mycorrhizal () colonized plants (+AMF) and non-colonized plants (-AMF). Mycorrhiza mitigated the reduction of K, P and Ca uptake due to salinity. The balance between K/Na and between Ca/Na was improved in +AMF plants. Growth enhancement by mycorrhiza was independent from plant phosphorus content under high salinity levels. Different growth parameters, salt stress tolerance and accumulation of proline content were investigated, these results showed that the use of mycorrhizal inoculum (AMF) was able to enhance the productivity of sweet basil plants under salinity conditions. Mycorrhizal inoculation significantly increased chlorophyll content and water use efficiency under salinity stress. The sweet basil plants appeared to have high dependency on AMF which improved plant growth, photosynthetic efficiency, gas exchange and water use efficiency under salinity stress. In this study, there was evidence that colonization with AMF can alleviate the detrimental salinity stress influence on the growth and productivity of sweet basil plants.

Peppermint (Mentha piperita), sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum), and coriander (Coriandrum sativum) are important medicinal plants in the pharmacological industry. These plants are produced in commercial scale but their seeds exhibit low germination percentages under favorable germination conditions. Enhancing seed germination is thus crucial for improving the production of these plants. The influence of gibberellic acid (GA3), indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), indol-3-butyric acid (IBA), and naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) on seed germination of the three plants were investigated. The seeds were soaked in each plant growth regulator at 50, 100, and 150 mg·L−1 for 24 hours at 25 ± 2 °C. Seed germination was checked daily for 20 days and germination parameters including final germination percentage (FGP), corrected germination rate (CGRI), and number of days lapsed to reach 50% of FGP (GT50) were recorded. The phosphorus and protein contents were determined in germinated seedlings on day 21 of culture. All plant growth regulators enhanced seed germination as compared with control. However, GA3 improved seed germination more than IAA, IBA, and NAA. GA3 at 100 mg·L−1 significantly increased the FGP from 22.3% and 33.3% (control) to 74% and 65.6% for peppermint and sweet basil, respectively. Low concentration of GA3 at 50 mg·L−1 increased the FGP for coriander from 27% to 52.3%. GA3 also increased CGRI, GT50, phosphorus, and protein contents in germinated seedlings as compared with control. Seeds of peppermint, sweet basil, and coriander possess a physiological dormancy that could be elevated by GA3 presowing treatment. This study established a successful methodology for optimizing seed germination to satisfy the demand for the medicinal parts of these plants in the pharmacological industry.

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T he molluscicidal activity of Zygophyllum simplex plant leaves powder on Biomphalaria alexandrina and Bulinus truncatus snails after 24 hours of exposure was evaluated under laboratory conditions. The results obtained indicated that the LC$o values for this plant were 42 ppm and 38 ppm and LC90 values were 65 ppm and 60 ppm for B. alexandrina and B. truncatus respectively. The sublethal concentrations (LCo, LCio and LC25) were 4.2, 27 and 34 ppm for Z?. alexandrina and 3.8, 25 and 32 ppm, for B. truncatus. Continuous maintaining of snails in sublethal concentrations (LCo, LCto and LC25) of Z simplex led to an increase in mortality rate of the snails which was significantly higher than that of the control group.The effect of the tested sublethal concentrations of Z simplex on infection of B, alexandrina with 5. mansoni miracidia was studied. The infection rate was significantly lower than that of control snails with reduction rates of 23.5%, 35.1% and 66.9% for snails exposed to LCo, LCjo and LCis, respectively. Prepatent period of exposed snails to LCo, LC10 and LC25 of Zygophyllum was prolonged to be 30.2 ± 2.4, 32.4 + 2.1 and 34.6 ±3.1 days compared to 28.6 ±3.6 days for the control group. Meanwhile, the duration of cercarial shedding was significantly shortened, being 22.8 ± 4.4, 18.3 ±4.9 and 10.5 ± 3.8 days for LCo f LQo and LC25 respectively, compared with 44.2 ±4.8 days for the control snails. Highly significant reductions of total cercarial production per snails and per stimulant were also detected in experimental snails in comparison with the control group.

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