Mechanistic insights into the plant biostimulant activity of a novel formulation based on rice husk nanobiosilica embedded in a seed coating alginate film.

Seed coating ensures the targeted delivery of various compounds from the early stages of development to increase crop quality and yield. Silicon and alginate are known to have plant biostimulant effects. Rice husk (RH) is a significant source of biosilica.

Microbial Removal of Heavy Metals from Contaminated Environments Using Metal-Resistant Indigenous Strains.

Contamination of soil with heavy metals has become a matter of global importance due to its impact on agriculture, environmental integrity, and therefore human health and safety. Several microbial strains isolated from soil contaminated by long-term chemical and petrochemical activities were found to manifest various levels of tolerance to Cr, Pb, and Zn, out of which and exhibited above-moderate tolerance. The concentrations of target heavy metals before and after bioremediation were determined using electrochemical screen-printed electrodes (SPE) modified with different nanomaterials.

Sustainable Recovery of Anthocyanins and Other Polyphenols from Red Cabbage Byproducts.

The objective of this work was to develop a sustainable process for the extraction of anthocyanins from red cabbage byproducts using, for the first time, apple vinegar in extractant composition. Our results showed that the mixture 50% (/) ethanol-water, acidified with apple vinegar, used in the proportion of 25 g of red cabbage by-products per 100 mL of solvent, was the best solvent for the preparation of an anthocyanin extract with good stability for food applications. The chemical characterization of this extract was performed by FTIR, UV-VIS, HPLC-DAD, and ICP-OES.

Spectroscopic Analyses Highlight Plant Biostimulant Effects of Baker's Yeast Vinasse and Selenium on Cabbage through Foliar Fertilization.

The main aim of this study is to find relevant analytic fingerprints for plants' structural characterization using spectroscopic techniques and thermogravimetric analyses (TGAs) as alternative methods, particularized on cabbage treated with selenium-baker's yeast vinasse formulation (Se-VF) included in a foliar fertilizer formula. The hypothesis investigated is that Se-VF will induce significant structural changes compared with the control, analytically confirming the biofortification of selenium-enriched cabbage as a nutritive vegetable, and particularly the plant biostimulant effects of the applied Se-VF formulation on cabbage grown in the field. The TGA evidenced a structural transformation of the molecular building blocks in the treated cabbage leaves.

Adsorption of Sb (III) on Oxidized Exfoliated Graphite Nanoplatelets.

In this work, Sb (III) adsorption on oxidized exfoliated graphite nanoplatelets (ox-xGnP) was evaluated for the first time, to the best of our knowledge. The ox-xGnP were characterized by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Brunauer⁻Emmet⁻Teller (BET) analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) equipped with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and Zeta potential analysis. The adsorption parameters, such as pH and contact time, were optimized, and the best adsorption capacity obtained was 8.

Selenium Analysis and Speciation in Dietary Supplements Based on Next-Generation Selenium Ingredients.

Selenium is essential for humans and the deficit of Se requires supplementation. In addition to traditional forms such as Se salts, amino acids, or selenium-enriched yeast supplements, next-generation selenium supplements, with lower risk for excess supplementation, are emerging. These are based on selenium forms with lower toxicity, higher bioavailability, and controlled release, such as zerovalent selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) and selenized polysaccharides (SPs).