Agricultural land is extensively affected by salinity stress either due to natural phenomena or by agricultural practices. Saline stress possesses two major threats to crop growth: osmotic stress and oxidative stress. The response of these changes is often accompanied by variety of symptoms, such as the decrease in leaf area and internode length and increase in leaf thickness and succulence, abscission of leaves, and necrosis of root and shoot. Salinity also delays the potential physiological activities, such as photosynthesis, transpiration, phytohormonal functions, metabolic pathways, and gene/protein functions. However, crops in response to salinity stress adopt counter cascade mechanisms to tackle salinity stress incursion, whilst continuous exposure to saline stress overcomes the defense mechanism system which results in cell death and compromises the function of essential organelles in crops. To overcome the salinity, a large number of studies have been conducted on silicon (Si); one of the beneficial elements in the Earth’s crust. Si application has been found to mitigate salinity stress and improve plant growth and development, involving signaling transduction pathways of various organelles and other molecular mechanisms. A large number of studies have been conducted on several agricultural crops, whereas limited information is available on horticultural crops. In the present review article, we have summarized the potential role of Si in mitigating salinity stress in horticultural crops and possible mechanism of Si-associated improvements in them. The present review also scrutinizes the need of future research to evaluate the role of Si and gaps to saline stress in horticultural crops for their improvement.
A reduction in crop productivity in cultivable land and challenging environmental factors have directed advancement in indoor cultivation systems, such that the yield parameters are higher in outdoor cultivation systems. In wake of this situation, light emitting diode (LED) lighting has proved to be promising in the field of agricultural lighting. Properties such as energy efficiency, long lifetime, photon flux efficacy and flexibility in application make LEDs better suited for future agricultural lighting systems over traditional lighting systems. Different LED spectrums have varied effects on the morphogenesis and photosynthetic responses in plants. LEDs have a profound effect on plant growth and development and also control key physiological processes such as phototropism, the immigration of chloroplasts, day/night period control and the opening/closing of stomata. Moreover, the synthesis of bioactive compounds and antioxidants on exposure to LED spectrum also provides information on the possible regulation of antioxidative defense genes to protect the cells from oxidative damage. Similarly, LEDs are also seen to escalate the nutrient metabolism in plants and flower initiation, thus improving the quality of the crops as well. However, the complete management of the irradiance and wavelength is the key to maximize the economic efficacy of crop production, quality, and the nutrition potential of plants grown in controlled environments. This review aims to summarize the various advancements made in the area of LED technology in agriculture, focusing on key processes such as morphological changes, photosynthetic activity, nutrient metabolism, antioxidant capacity and flowering in plants. Emphasis is also made on the variation in activities of different LED spectra between different plant species. In addition, research gaps and future perspectives are also discussed of this emerging multidisciplinary field of research and its development.
To manage nutrient deficiencies, plants develop both morphological and physiological responses. The studies on the regulation of these responses are limited; however, certain hormones and signaling components have been largely implicated. Several studies depicted ethylene as a regulator of the response of some nutrient deficiencies like iron, phosphorous and potassium. The present study focused on the response of sulfur in the presence and absence of ethylene. The experiments were performed in hydroponic nutrient media, using oilseed rape grown with or without sulfur deficiency and ethylene treatments for 10 days. The ACC oxidase and ACC synthase were observed significantly reduced in sulfur‐deficient plants treated with ethylene compared to control. The biomass and photosynthetic parameters, including the expression of multicomplex thylakoidal proteins showed a significant increase in sulfur deficient plants supplemented with ethylene. The enzymes related to sulfur regulation such as sulfate adenyltransferase, glutamine synthetase and O‐acetylserine (thiol)lyase also showed similar results as shown by the morphological data. The relative expression of the sulfur transporter genes BnSultr1, 1, BnSultr1, 2, BnSultr4,1, BnSultr 4,2, ATP sulfurylase and OASTL increased in sulfur‐deficient plants, whereas their expression decreased when ethylene was given to the plants. Fe and S nutritional correlations are already known; therefore, Fe‐transporters like IRT1 and FRO1 were also evaluated, and similar results as for the sulfur transporter genes were observed. The overall results indicated that ethylene regulates sulfur acquisition by regulating the expression of sulfur transporter genes in oilseed rape (Brassica napus).
Mung bean is a low-cost high-protein legume that is sensitive to salinity. Salt stress has been demonstrated to be mitigated by silicon (Si). In legumes, the potential for silicon (Si)-mediated abiotic stress reduction has mainly been ignored. Moreover, there is little information on the specific role of comparable Si (sodium silicate) concentrations in salinity stress reduction. As a result, the current study investigated the impact of two distinct Si concentrations (1 and 5 mM) on the physiochemical features of the “mung bean,” one of the most extensively cultivated legumes, when exposed to salinity (10, 20, and 50 mM NaCl). Salinity stress reduced growth variables such as biomass, nodule formation, plant length, height, and photosynthetic measures, which were mitigated by silicon supplementation at 5 mM sodium silicate. The inclusion of silicon increased the expression of photosynthetic proteins such as PSI, PSII, and LHCs under salt stress. Salinity stress also caused oxidative damage in the mung bean in the form of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and superoxide radical (O2−), leading in increased lipid peroxidation (MDA) and electrolyte leakage. In contrast, 5 mM sodium silicate tends to scavenge free radicals, reducing lipid peroxidation (MDA) and electrolyte loss. This was linked to significant silica deposition in the leaf epidermis, which eventually functioned as a mechanical barrier in mitigating the deleterious effects of salt stress. Si supplementation also decreased Na+ uptake while increasing K+ uptake. Silicon, specifically 5 mM sodium silicate, was found to minimize salinity stress in mung bean by altering physio-chemical parameters such as photosynthetic machinery, Na+/K+ homeostasis, mechanical barriers, osmolyte production, and oxidative stress.
In recent years, numerous research outcomes were established on various naturally occurring compounds that have been shown to have beneficial antioxidant and other biological activities. Antioxidant defence mechanism plays a vital role in combating various diseases mainly due to oxidative stress. However, various models have been utilized to identify their bioactivities using these compounds (quercetin, gallic acid and curcumin). Their toxicity level also has to be explored to determine the threshold levels on the usage of these compounds. In this study, we investigated the lethal concentration of these compounds and abnormalities, biochemical and morphological changes in zebrafish embryo (Danio rerio). Toxicity level was evaluated by calculating the LD 50 on the embryonic stages at 24, 48 and 72 h. Antioxidant parameters such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione (GSH) and biological assays such as lipid peroxidation, protein estimation were performed. Microscopic evaluations were also observed to find out morphological abnormalities. However, these naturally derived compounds are reported to have their protective and curative role in many health complications. From the above assays, we are studying the effect of the drugs in both biochemical and molecular way in the zebrafish model organism.
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