α-costic acid, the main sesquiterpenoid isolated from Dittrichia viscosa (L) Greuter, induces oxidative stress and autophagy in tomato.

Dittrichia viscosa (L.) Greuter, a perennial plant in the Asteraceae, has strong allelopathic activity due to the high content of various secondary metabolites. The bicyclic sesquiterpenoid α-costic acid is the most abundant secondary metabolite of D.

Effects of Bipolaris yamadae strain HXDC-1-2 as a bioherbicide against Echinochloa crus-galli in rice and dry fields.

Background: Barnyardgrass (Weed Science Society of America recommended) or Barnyard grass (Britannica recommended) (Echinochloa crus-galli (L.) P. Beauv.

(±)-3-Deoxyradicinin Induces Stomata Opening and Chloroplast Oxidative Stress in Tomato ( L.).

Radicinin is a phytotoxic dihydropyranopyran-4,5-dione isolated from the culture filtrates of a phytopathogenic fungus of the invasive weed buffelgrass (). Radicinin proved to have interesting potential as a natural herbicide. Being interested in elucidating the mechanism of action and considering radicinin is produced in small quantities by , we opted to use (±)-3-deoxyradicinin, a synthetic analogue of radicinin that is available in larger quantities and shows radicinin-like phytotoxic activities.

Correction: Masi et al. Araufuranone: A New Phytotoxic Tetrasubstituted Dihydrofuro[3,2-b]furan-2()-One Isolated from . 2022, , 1274.

In the original article [...

Are root parasitic broomrapes still a good target for bioherbicide control?

Root parasitic weeds of the genera Orobanche and Phelipanche (commonly named broomrapes) are responsible for enormous yield losses of several crops all around the world. Traditional weed management methods, including among others the use of herbicides, soil fumigation and solarization, and mechanical, agronomic or physical methods, may have limits of use or can provide a modicum of control. Difficulties in controlling parasitic weeds are due to both the enormous number of seeds produced by each plant that can remain viable for many years, even in the absence of a host, and to the unique physiological and biological properties of the parasite.

Biochemical Analyses of Bioactive Extracts from Plants Native to Lampedusa, Sicily Minor Island.

Major threats to the human lifespan include cancer, infectious diseases, diabetes, mental degenerative conditions and also reduced agricultural productivity due to climate changes, together with new and more devastating plant diseases. From all of this, the need arises to find new biopesticides and new medicines. Plants and microorganisms are the most important sources for isolating new metabolites.

Soil Moisture Sensor Information Enhanced by Statistical Methods in a Reclaimed Water Irrigation Framework.

Time series modeling and forecasting play important roles in many practical fields. A good understanding of soil water content and salinity variability and the proper prediction of variations in these variables in response to changes in climate conditions are essential to properly plan water resources and appropriately manage irrigation and fertilization tasks. This paper provides a 48-h forecast of soil water content and salinity in the peculiar context of irrigation with reclaimed water in semi-arid environments.

Araufuranone: A New Phytotoxic Tetrasubstituted Dihydrofuro[3,2-b]furan-2(5)-One Isolated from .

is a perennial vining plant species native to South America. It was introduced into many countries for ornamental and medicinal purposes as well as for its edible fruits, but it has become highly invasive, generating severe environmental problems. Biological control using bioherbicides and natural compounds is an interesting control option.

Cyclopaldic Acid, the Main Phytotoxic Metabolite of , Induces Programmed Cell Death and Autophagy in .

Cyclopaldic acid is one of the main phytotoxic metabolites produced by fungal pathogens of the genus , causal agents, among others, of the canker disease of plants of the Cupressaceae family. Previous studies showed that the metabolite can partially reproduce the symptoms of the infection and that it is toxic to different plant species, thereby proving to be a non-specific phytotoxin. Despite the remarkable biological effects of the compound, which revealed also insecticidal, fungicidal and herbicidal properties, information about its mode of action is still lacking.

Inuloxin A Inhibits Seedling Growth and Affects Redox System of Mill. and L.

Allelochemicals are considered an environment-friendly and promising alternative for weed management, although much effort is still needed for understanding their mode of action and then promoting their use in plant allelopathy management practices. Here, we report that Inuloxin A (InA), an allelochemical isolated from , inhibited root elongation and growth of seedlings of and at the highest concentrations tested. InA-induced antioxidant responses in the seedlings were investigated by analysing the contents of glutathione (GSH) and ascorbate (ASC), and their oxidized forms, dehydroascorbate (DHA), and glutathione disulphide (GSSG), as well as the redox state of thiol-containing proteins.

Defense against the Pathogenic Fungus Is Dependent on the Integrity of the Unfolded Protein Response.

Heald & Wolf is a worldwide-spread necrotrophic fungus closely related to the genus, well-known because many member species provoke severe diseases in cereal crops and studied because they produce sesterpenoid phytoxins named ophiobolins which possess interesting biological properties. The unfolded protein response (UPR) is a conserved mechanism protecting eukaryotic cells from the accumulation of unfolded/misfolded proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). In plants, consolidated evidence supports the role of UPR in the tolerance to abiotic stress, whereas much less information is available concerning the induction of ER stress by pathogen infection and consequent UPR elicitation as part of the defense response.

Terpestacin, a toxin produced by var. , the causal agent of a severe foliar disease of oleander ( L.).

Since 1987, several cytochalasins were isolated from var. , the causal agent of foliar blight disease of oleander ( L.), and chemically and biologically characterised.

Evaluation of (L.) Greuter Dried Biomass for Weed Management.

(L.) Greuter, a plant species common in the Mediterranean basin, produces several bioactive compounds, some of which have herbicidal effects. A number of greenhouse and field experiments were carried out in order to evaluate if these effects could be obtained also by using the whole plant biomass, to identify the efficacious doses, determine their effects on seed germination and weed emergence, and to evaluate influence of soil characteristics on biomass efficacy.

Augmented phytotoxic effect of nanoencapsulated ophiobolin A.

Ophiobolin A is a secondary phytotoxic metabolite produced by some pathogenic fungal species responsible for severe plant diseases, considered to play a role in disease development and symptom appearance. Herein we investigated whether the phytotoxic activities of ophiobolin A against weed species could be improved by nanoencapsulation. Given the rapid natural degradation of the compound, it was hoped that nanoencapsulation would prolong the phytotoxic effects or enhance the bioactivity, thus leading to improved weed control capabilities.

Drophiobiolins A and B, Bioactive Ophiobolan Sestertepenoids Produced by .

Two new bioactive ophiobolan sestertepenoids, named drophiobiolins A and B ( and ) were isolated from , a fungus proposed as a mycoherbicide for biocontrol of They were isolated together with ophiobolin A, the main metabolite, 6--ophiobolin A, 3-anhydro-6--ophiobolin A, and ophiobolin I. Drophiobolins A and B were characterized by NMR, HRESIMS, and chemical methods as 7-hydroxy-7-(6-hydroxy-6-methylheptan-2-yl)-1,9a-dimethyl-3-oxo-3,3a,6,6a,7,8,9,9a,10,10a-decahydrodicyclopenta [][8]annulene-4-carbaldehyde and 6-(hydroxymethyl)-3',9,10a-trimethyl-5'-(2-methylprop-1-en-1-yl)-3a,4,4',5',10,10a-hexahydro-1,3'-spiro[dicyclopenta[,] [8]annulene-3,2'-furan]-5,7(2,9a)-dione. The relative configuration of drophiobolins A and B, which did not afford crystals suitable for X-ray analysis, was determined by NOESY experiments, while the absolute configuration was assigned by comparison of their experimental and TDDFT calculated electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectra.

Biodegradable polymers as carriers for tuning the release and improve the herbicidal effectiveness of Dittrichia viscosa plant organic extracts.

Background: The organic extracts (OEs) of Dittrichia viscosa, a ruderal plant common in the Mediterranean regions, proved to have herbicidal properties. In order to improve OE effectiveness and to develop novel eco-friendly bioherbicidal products, different amounts of OE were included in poly(butylene succinate)- and polycaprolactone-based films (PBS and PCL, respectively). Particular attention was given to the study of interactions between the polymers and OEs, with a deep spotlight concerning the influence of OEs on structural, morphological and thermal properties of both polymers, in order to assess the OE releasing kinetics from the matrices and its tuned herbicidal action against seeds.

Application of QMRA to MAR operations for safe agricultural water reuses in coastal areas.

A pathogenic () O157:H7 and O26:H11 dose-response model was set up for a quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) of the waterborne diseases associated with managed aquifer recharge (MAR) practices in semiarid regions. The MAR facility at Forcatella (Southern Italy) was selected for the QMRA application. The target counts of pathogens incidentally exposed to hosts by eating contaminated raw crops or while bathing at beaches of the coastal area were determined by applying the Monte Carlo Markov Chain (MCMC) Bayesian method to the water sampling results.

Secondary metabolites produced by , the causal agent of anthachnose of lupin ( spp.).

is the causal agent of lupin ( L.) anthracnose, a destructive seed-borne disease affecting stems and pods. Despite that several biological studies have been carried out on this pathogen, the production of secondary metabolites has not yet been investigated.

Encapsulation of inuloxin A, a plant germacrane sesquiterpene with potential herbicidal activity, in β-cyclodextrins.

Inuloxin A is a promising plant phytotoxic sesquiterpene that deserves further studies to evaluate its potential as a bioherbicide. However, its low solubility in water and its bioavailability could hamper its practical applications. For this reason, inuloxin A was complexed with β-cyclodextrins by using three different methods, i.

Safe nanotechnologies for increasing the effectiveness of environmentally friendly natural agrochemicals.

Natural compounds and living organisms continue to play a limited role in crop protection, and few of them have reached the market, despite their attractiveness and the efforts made in research. Very often these products have negative characteristics compared to synthetic compounds, e.g.

Lentiquinones A, B, and C, Phytotoxic Anthraquinone Derivatives Isolated from Ascochyta lentis, a Pathogen of Lentil.

A strain of the pathogenic fungus Ascochyta lentis isolated from lentil ( Lens culinaris) was studied to ascertain its capability to produce bioactive metabolites. From the culture filtrates were found three new anthraquinone derivatives, named lentiquinones A (1), B (2), and C (3), and the known lentisone. From the mycelium, four known analogues were identified, namely pachybasin (in larger amount), ω-hydroxypachybasin, 1,7-dihydroxy-3-methylanthracene-9,10-dione, and phomarin.

Geophysical and hydrological data assimilation to monitor water content dynamics in the rocky unsaturated zone.

In recent years, geophysics is increasingly used to study the flow and transport processes in the vadose zone. Particularly, when the vadose zone is made up of rocks, it is difficult to install sensors in the subsurface to measure hydrological state variables directly. In these cases, the electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) represents a useful tool to monitor the hydrodynamics of the infiltration and to estimate hydraulic parameters and state variables, such as hydraulic conductivity and water content.