Involvement of glucosinolates and phenolics in the promotion of broccoli seedling growth through the modulation of primary and secondary metabolism.

Secondary metabolites play an essential role in plant defense. However, the role of glucosinolates and phenols in brassica crop yield in the context of environmentally friendly agricultural practices has not been established. Our study investigated the effects of a Brassica extract, rich in these metabolites, on the physiology and metabolism of broccoli (Brassica oleracea L.

In Silico and In Vivo Evaluation of the Maqui Berry ( (Mol.) Stuntz) on Biochemical Parameters and Oxidative Stress Markers in a Metabolic Syndrome Model.

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a complex disease that includes metabolic and physiological alterations in various organs such as the heart, pancreas, liver, and brain. Reports indicate that blackberry consumption, such as maqui berry, has a beneficial effect on chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, obesity, and diabetes. In the present study, in vivo and in silico studies have been performed to evaluate the molecular mechanisms implied to improve the metabolic parameters of MetS.

Salt-tolerance mechanisms in quinoa: Is glycinebetaine the missing piece of the puzzle?

Salinization of arable land has been progressively increasing, which, along with the effects of climate change, poses a serious risk to food production. Quinoa is a halophyte species that grows and is productive in highly saline soils. This study addresses the mechanisms of response and adaptation to high salinity.

Thermal evaluation of plant biomass from the phytostabilisation of soils contaminated by potentially toxic elements.

The combination of phytoremediation of soils contaminated by potentially toxic elements with energy production by combustion of the generated biomass can be a sustainable land management option, combining the production of renewable bioenergy with soil restoration while minimising energy consumption and CO emission. In this work, plant biomass from phytoremediation of soils contaminated by potentially toxic elements was studied as solid biofuel for combustion by thermal analysis and biomass composition. Six plant species were grown in two soils with differing degrees of contamination: Brassica juncea, Cynara cardunculus, Atriplex halimus, Nicotiana glauca, Dittrichia viscosa, Retama sphaerocarpa and Salvia rosmarinus.

Pharmacological evaluation of the anxiolytic-like effects of an aqueous extract of the Raphanus sativus L. sprouts in mice.

Raphanus sativus L. (Brassicaceae), commonly known as radish, is consumed worldwide as a vegetable. However, its benefits on mental health are unknown.

Training in tools to develop quantitative risk assessment of fresh produce using water reuse systems in Mediterranean production.

Water resources are increasingly coming under pressure specially around the Mediterranean area, leading to water scarcity and a deterioration in water quality. The use of treated wastewater represents an alternative source to enhance the demand for irrigation water. Water reuse in combination with the promotion of the use of water-efficient technologies in industry and water-saving irrigation techniques could lead to good qualitative and quantitative water status for surface and ground water bodies.

Almond diversity and homozygosity define structure, kinship, inbreeding, and linkage disequilibrium in cultivated germplasm, and reveal genomic associations with nut and seed weight.

Almond [Prunus dulcis Miller (D.A. Webb)] is the main tree nut species worldwide.

A multi-pollutant methodology to locate a single air quality monitoring station in small and medium-size urban areas.

Air quality management is underpinned by continuous measurements of concentrations of target air pollutants in monitoring stations. Although many approaches for optimizing the number and location of air quality monitoring stations are described in the literature, these are usually focused on dense networks. However, there are small and medium-size urban areas that only require one monitoring station but also suffer from severe air pollution.

Assaying the use of sodium thiosulphate as a biostimulant and its effect on cadmium accumulation and tolerance in Brassica oleracea plants.

An optimal uptake of mineral elements is crucial to ensure both crop yield and quality. The use of biostimulants is taking relevance to improve the nutrition of crops. Sulphur (S) is one of the elements with great potential within biostimulants.

Comparative effect of elicitors on the physiology and secondary metabolites in broccoli plants.

Elicitation is an economic and sustainable technique for increasing the content of secondary metabolites, mainly bioactive compounds, in plants grown for better human nutrition. The aim of this study was to compare the physiological responses (water relations and mineral nutrition) and the enrichment in glucosinolates (GLSs) and phenolic compounds of broccoli plants (Brassica oleracea L. var.

Biochar reduces the efficiency of nitrification inhibitor 3,4-dimethylpyrazole phosphate (DMPP) mitigating NO emissions.

Among strategies suggested to decrease agricultural soil NO losses, the use of nitrification inhibitors such as DMPP (3,4-dimethylpyrazole phosphate) has been proposed. However, the efficiency of DMPP might be affected by soil amendments, such as biochar, which has been shown to reduce NO emissions. This study evaluated the synergic effect of a woody biochar applied with DMPP on soil NO emissions.

Ecological and functional adaptations to water management in a semiarid agroecosystem: a soil metaproteomics approach.

Climate change models point to a decrease in water availability in semiarid areas that would compromise the maintenance of sustainable agriculture. Here, we used a grapefruit agroecosystem model to evaluate the responses of the active soil microbial community - as a microbial subset directly involved in soil functionality- undergoing strategies to cope with the low water availability in south-east Spain. For this purpose, we tested the impacts of: (i) water quality: transfer-water from a river (TW) or reclaimed-water from a wastewater-treatment plant (RW); and (ii) water quantity: continuous optimal amount of water or reduced irrigation (RDI) in the temporal frame when the crop is less sensitive; and their interactions.

How DELLAs contribute to control potassium uptake under conditions of potassium scarcity? Hypotheses and uncertainties.

Maintenance of the inward transport of potassium (K) by roots is a critical step to ensure K-nutrition for all plant tissues. When plants are grown at low external K concentrations a strong enhancement of the activity of the AtHAK5 transporter takes place. In a recent work, we observed that the gai-1 mutant of Arabidopsis thaliana, which bears an altered function version of a DELLA regulatory protein, displays reduced accumulation of AtHAK5 transcripts and reduced uptake of Rubidium, an analog for K.

Photosynthesis and growth reduction with warming are driven by nonstomatal limitations in a Mediterranean semi-arid shrub.

Whereas warming enhances plant nutrient status and photosynthesis in most terrestrial ecosystems, dryland vegetation is vulnerable to the likely increases in evapotranspiration and reductions in soil moisture caused by elevated temperatures. Any warming-induced declines in plant primary production and cover in drylands would increase erosion, land degradation, and desertification. We conducted a four-year manipulative experiment in a semi-arid Mediterranean ecosystem to evaluate the impacts of a ~2°C warming on the photosynthesis, transpiration, leaf nutrient status, chlorophyll content, isotopic composition, biomass growth, and postsummer survival of the native shrub Helianthemum squamatum.

Metal(loid) allocation and nutrient retranslocation in Pinus halepensis trees growing on semiarid mine tailings.

The goal of this study was to evaluate internal metal(loid) cycling and the risk of metal(loid) accumulation in litter from Pinus halepensis trees growing at a mine tailing disposal site in semiarid Southeast Spain. Internal nutrient retranslocation was also evaluated in order to gain insight into the ability of pine trees to cope with the low-fertility soil conditions at the tailings. We measured metal(loid) concentrations in the foliage (young and old needles), woody stems and fresh leaf litter of pine trees growing on tailings.

Leaf anatomical traits which accommodate the facultative engagement of crassulacean acid metabolism in tropical trees of the genus Clusia.

Succulence and leaf thickness are important anatomical traits in CAM plants, resulting from the presence of large vacuoles to store organic acids accumulated overnight. A higher degree of succulence can result in a reduction in intercellular air space which constrains internal conductance to CO2. Thus, succulence presents a trade-off between the optimal anatomy for CAM and the internal structure ideal for direct C3 photosynthesis.