The contamination, bio-concentration and distribution of mercury (Hg) in wild mushrooms of the genus Tricholoma such as T. equestre, T. portentosum, T. columbeta, and T. terreum were studied, and the ...possible dietary intake and risk for human consumers in Europe was estimated. Mushrooms, together with the associated forest topsoils were collected from 10 unpolluted and geographically distant areas, far from local or regional emission sources, in Poland (2 sites) and Croatia (8 sites). The Hg contents were in the range 0.10 ± 0.06 to 0.71 ± 0.34 mg kg−1 dry matter in caps and 0.04 ± 0.02 to 0.38 ± 0.13 mg kg−1 in stems. The corresponding topsoil concentrations varied over a relatively narrow range between sites, from 0.013 ± 0.003 to 0.028 ± 0.006 mg kg−1 dry matter. Overall, the study results showed low levels of mercury both, in edible Tricholoma mushrooms and forest topsoils from background (unpolluted) forested areas in Croatia and Poland. The morphological distribution showed considerably greater concentrations of mercury in the caps relative to the stems with ratios ranging from 1.6 ± 0.6 to 3.9 ± 1.8. T. equestre showed good ability to bioconcentrate Hg, with bioconcentration factors (BCF) values in the range 18 ± 7 to 37 ± 18. The data suggests that Tricholoma mushrooms from unpolluted areas in southern and northern regions of Europe can be considered as a low risk food from the point of view of the tolerable Hg intake.
•Mushrooms are a valuable food all over the world.•Mercury concentrations in Tricholoma spp. from Croatia and Poland were determined.•Tricholoma spp. mushrooms efficiently bio-accumulate mercury.•Hg intake via Tricholoma spp. poses no health risk for studied regions.
Heavy metals cause serious problems in the environment, and they can be accumulated in organisms, especially in the higher fungi. The concentration of Ni, Cr, Pb, Cd, and Hg in 10 species of edible ...mushrooms in Medvednica Nature Park, Croatia was therefore determined. In addition, the similarity between the studied species was determined by cluster analysis based on concentrations of the aforementioned metals in the fruiting bodies. The contents of nickel, chromium, lead, cadmium, and mercury in the fruiting bodies of mushrooms were obtained by X-ray fluorescence spectrometry. The highest concentrations of Ni (3.62 mg kg
−1
), Cr (3.01 mg kg
−1
), and Cd (2.67 mg kg
−1
) were determined in
Agaricus campestris
. The highest concentration of Pb (1.67 mg kg
−1
) was determined in
Macrolepiota procera
, and the highest concentration of Hg (2.39 mg kg
−1
) was determined in
Boletus edulis
. The concentration of all heavy metals significantly differed (
p
< 0.001) between examined saprophytic and ectomycorrhizal mushrooms. Considering anatomical part of the fruiting body (cap-stipe), a considerably higher concentration of the analyzed elements was found in the cap for all mushroom species. According to calculated bioconcentration factors, all the examined species were found to be bioexclusors of Ni, Cr, and Pb and bioaccumulators of Cd and Hg. Cluster analysis performed on the basis of the accumulation of the studied metals revealed great phenotypic similarity of mushroom species belonging to the same genus and partial similarity of species of the same ecological affiliation.
Salt stress negatively affects the growth, development, and yield of horticultural crops. Nitric oxide (NO) is considered a signaling molecule that plays a key role in the plant defense system under ...salt stress. This study investigated the impact of exogenous application of 0.2 mM of sodium nitroprusside (SNP, an NO donor) on the salt tolerance and physiological and morphological characteristics of lettuce (
L.) under salt stress (25, 50, 75, and 100 mM). Salt stress caused a marked decrease in growth, yield, carotenoids and photosynthetic pigments in stressed plants as compared to control ones. Results showed that salt stress significantly affected the oxidative compounds (superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX)) and non-oxidative compounds (ascorbic acid, total phenols, malondialdehyde (MDA), proline, and H
O
) in lettuce. Moreover, salt stress decreased nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P), and potassium ions (K
) while increasing Na ions (Na
) in the leaves of lettuce under salt stress. The exogenous application of NO increased ascorbic acid, total phenols, antioxidant enzymes (SOD, POD, CAT, and APX) and MDA content in the leaves of lettuce under salt stress. In addition, the exogenous application of NO decreased H
O
content in plants under salt stress. Moreover, the exogenous application of NO increased leaf N in control, and leaf P and leaf and root K
content in all treatments while decreasing leaf Na
in salt-stressed lettuce plants. These results provide evidence that the exogenous application of NO on lettuce helps mitigate salt stress effects.
Climate change, inadequate possessions, and land degradation all pose obstacles to modern agriculture. In the current scenario, the agriculture industry is mainly dependent on the use of ...chemical-based pesticides and fertilizers that impact soil health and crop productivity. Moreover, water scarcity leads farmers in drastically affected regions to use heavy metal-enriched water sources mainly originating from industrial sources for field crops irrigation. Soil pollutants can be carried into the human body via dust and water, creating negative health effects varying from simple symptoms, e.g., nausea and diarrhea and reaching death in critical cases. Thus, to clean soil contaminants, and improve soil fertility and agricultural production, alternatives to chemical fertilizers must be developed. Therefore, using beneficial microbes found in plant-associated soil microorganisms offers an effective strategy to alleviate some of these challenges, improving soil fertility, and crop yield, and protecting plants from stress conditions. Through the use of synergistic interactions, the synthetic consortium strategy seeks to improve the stability of microbial communities. In this review, synthetic consortia and their potential use in agriculture were discussed. Further, engineering new effective synthetic consortia was suggested as an effective approach in the concept of environmental bioremediation of soil pollutants and contaminants.
Ektomikorizne simbioze između gljiva i višegodišnjih biljka prirodno su prisutne u gotovo svim kopnenim ekosustavima. Ektomikoriznom zajednicom biljke osiguravaju organske tvari za ishranu gljiva, a ...zauzvrat dobivaj povećanu apsorptivnu površinu korijenovog sustava te brojne druge dobrobiti kao što su poboljšana ishrana bilja, povećana tolerantnost na štetočinje, toksicitet teških metala te uvjete suše i zaslanjenosti, povećan rast i prinosi. Budući da se staništa gljiva u ovom slučaj tartufa u Hrvatskoj sve više iscrpljuju, kao alternativa nudi se plantažni uzgoj tartufa. U radu su prikazane mogućnosti proizvodnje presadnica za uzgoj tartufa. Ovaj rad dat će doprinos spoznajama o mogućnostima proizvodnje kvalitetnog sadnog materijala za uspješnu proizvodnju tartufa.
Ectomoycorhizal symbiosis between mushrooms and perennial plants is naturally present in almost all land ecosystems. Ectomycorhizal community perennial plants provide organic nutrients for fungus nutrition, and in return acquires an increased absorption surface of the root system and numerous other benefits such as improved herbal nutrition, increased pest tolerance, heavy metal toxicity, drought and salinity, increased growth and yields. In case of truffles in Croatia the mushroom habitats are increasingly depleted, and an alternative is offered to planting truffles. The paper presents the possibilities of producing seedlings for truffle cultivation. This paper will contribute to the knowledge about the possibilities of producing quality planting material for the successful production of truffles.
In East Africa,
(L.f.) is a well-known medicinal herb. Its leaf is primarily studied in light of its ethnobotanical use. In terms of phytochemistry and biological activity, its flower is not studied. ...In a prior study, our team looked into phytochemical screening, antioxidant activity, and total phenolic levels. This study aims to compare the profiles and biological activities of the leaf and flower samples of
and to present therapeutic alternatives. The leaf and flower sample powders were extracted with methanol using ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE). HPTLC profile was obtained using CAMAG-HPTLC equipped with VisionCATS software. Antimicrobial agar well diffusion assay and minimum inhibition concentration (MIC) were determined. The leaf and flower extracts of
showed antibacterial activity with a MIC value of 20 µg/mL against
and
. Similarly, 40 µg/mL was found to be effective against
.
flower is a rich source of flavonoids and phenolic acids. Because of its antibacterial properties and profile, which are almost the same, the flower is emerging as a viable option for medicinal alternatives.
Shigellosis is one of the major causes of death in children worldwide. Flavonoids and phenolic acids are expected to demonstrate anti-shigellosis activity and anti-diarrheal properties. The aerial ...part of
is commonly used against diarrhea. This study aimed to identify flavonoids and phenolic acids responsible for this therapeutic purpose. Antioxidant activity, total phenol content, and total flavonoid content were determined. The antibacterial activity of the aerial part against
spp. was also tested using the agar well diffusion method. HPLC analysis was performed using UHPLC-DAD for different extracts of the aerial part. Autodock Vina in the PyRx platform was used to screen responsible components. Ciprofloxacin was used as a reference drug. An enzyme taking part in pyrimidine biosynthesis was used as a target protein. Molecular docking results were visualized using Discovery Studio and LigPlot1.4.5 software. Antioxidant activity, total phenol content, and total flavonoid content are more significant for the aerial part of
. From HPLC analysis, the presence of the flavonoids, quercetin, myricetin, and rutin and the phenolic acids gallic acid, chlorogenic acid, and syringic acid were identified from the aerial part of
Regarding the antibacterial activity, the aerial part shows considerable activity against
spp. Binding energies, RMSD and Ki values, interaction type, and distance are considered to identify the components most likely responsible for the therapeutic effects and observed activity. Antioxidant activity, total phenol content, and total flavonoid content of the aerial part are in line with anti-shigellosis activity. The top five components that are most likely potentially responsible for therapeutic purposes and anti-shigellosis activity are chlorogenic acid, rutin, dihydroquercetin, dihydromyricetin, and kaempferol.
Heavy metal pollution from industrial wastewaters has become an issue of global concern. These wastewaters are frequently used for inland irrigation which possess a serious risk of heavy metal ...contamination of both soil and cultivated crops. The problem is more common in developing countries like India where industrial wastewaters are often discharged without appropriate treatments. Therefore, this study aimed at assessing the impact of paper mill effluent for irrigation on the growth, productivity, and heavy metal accumulation potential of two rice (Oryza sativa L.) varieties (PB-1121 and PR-121). Water, soil, and rice crop samples were obtained from the vicinity of Saharanpur city, Uttar Pradesh, India, and subsequently analyzed for selected physicochemical and heavy metal parameters. Results showed that paper mill effluent and nearby Kali River water had significant (p < 0.05) loads of pollutants that impacted the soil properties. Moreover, the maximum plant height (123.48 ± 4.86 and 98.83 ± 2.02 cm); total chlorophyll (6.70 ± 0.25 and 6.64 ± 0.17 mg/g); leaf carotenoids (0.67 ± 0.08 and 0.63 ± 0.05 mg/g); starch content (71.08 ± 2.05 and 72.60 ± 1.63%); amylose content (25.10 ± 1.32 and 20.28 ± 1.24%); crop yield (4270.20 ± 75.12 and 5830.58 ± 63.10 kg/ha); and straw yield (5472.05 ± 93.90 and 6683.76 ± 61.26 kg/ha) of PB-1121 and PR-121, respectively, were observed using Kali River water irrigation source as compared to paper mill effluent and borewell water. The order of heavy metal accumulation in rice straw and grain followed: Fe > Mn > Zn > Cu > Cr > Cd. Similarly, the bioaccumulation factors for heavy metals in rice straw and grain were observed as >1 and <1, respectively. Moreover, the target hazard quotient (THQ) showed that there was no potential health risk of heavy metal in rice irrigated with contaminated water supply except for the PR-121 variety irrigated with Kali River water where the health risk index (HRI) value exceeded the limit (>1). As a result, the findings of this study provide useful information about the current state of heavy metal pollution and the health risks associated with rice crops irrigated with contaminated water sources.
The abundant biomass growth of aquatic macrophytes in wetlands is one of the major concerns affecting their residing biota. Moreover, the biomass degenerates within the wetlands, thereby causing a ...remixing of nutrients and emission of greenhouse gases. Therefore, it is crucial to find sustainable methods to utilize the biomass of aquatic macrophytes devoid of environmental concerns. The present study investigates the utilization of the biomass of three aquatic macrophytes, including the lake sedge (CL: Carex lacustris Willd.), water hyacinth (EC: Eichhornia crassipes Mart. Solms), and sacred lotus (NL: Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn.) to produce oyster (Pleurotus ostreatus var. florida) mushrooms. For this purpose, different combinations of wheat straw (WS: as control) and macrophyte’s biomass (WH) such as control (100% WH), CL50 (50% WH + 50% CL), CL100 (100% CL), EC50 (50% WH + 50% EC), EC100 (100% EC), NL50 (50% WH + 50% NL), and NL100 (100% NL) were used for P. florida cultivation under controlled laboratory conditions. The results showed that all selected combinations of wheat straw and macrophyte biomass supported the spawning and growth of P. florida. In particular, the maximum significant (p < 0.05) growth, yield, bioefficiency, proximate, and biochemical parameters were reported using the WH substrate followed by CL, NL, and EC biomass, which corresponds to the reduction efficiency of the substrate parameters. Therefore, the findings of this study reveal that the biomass of selected aquatic macrophytes can be effectively utilized for sustainable mushroom cultivation while minimizing the risk associated with their self-degeneration.
