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► Extraction and characterization of microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) from Setaria glauca (L) P. Beauv. ► Sustained drug release property of microcrystalline cellulose. ► Higher ...antioxidant and no cytotoxicity of the MCC.
Microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) is generally produced through acid hydrolysis of woody plants and agro sources. MCC synthesized from a common wild grass Setaria glauca (L) P. Beauv was characterized to explore the possibility of application in pharmaceutical industry especially as a drug delivery vehicle. The SEM, TGA, XRD and FTIR investigations of the prepared MCC reveal that the 5–30μm long, non aggregated MCC rods have high crystallinity index of 80% and were stable at 286°C. The preliminary investigation of the MCC incorporated micro beads containing isoniazid, one of the first line drugs for treatment of tuberculosis was carried out in the simulated intestinal fluid (SIF). The MCC incorporated micro beads with isoniazid drug load showed sustained release upto 24h with release of 0.521μg of isoniazid equivalent drug in the SIF system. No cytotoxicity of the MCC was observed in the haemolytic assay. The MCC also showed good antioxidant activity. Thus, the study reveals that the MCC can be prepared from an inexpensive and abundant grass species. The MCC have properties advantageous for application in the pharmaceutical industry and may be explored further in drug delivery research.
Seed germination partly depends on both base temperature (Tb) and base water potential (Ψb), which currently are known only for a small number of species. Laboratory experiments were conducted to ...estimate these parameters for 14 weed species using the ‘x‐intercept’ method. Tb and Ψb (°C and MPa) for the 14 weed species were as follows: Amaranthus retroflexus (8.9 and −0.95), Ambrosia artemisiifolia (3.6 and −1.28), Avena fatua (2.2 and −1.02), Capsella bursa‐pastoris (4.5 and −0.95), Chenopodium album (5.9 and −0.80), Echinochloa crus‐galli (6.2 and −1.19), Geranium dissectum (0.6 and −3.31), Matricaria perforata (2.0 and −0.75), Picris echioides (5.2 and −0.79), Polygonum lapathifolium (5.8 and −1.55), Senecio vulgaris (2.5 and −1.23), Setaria pumila (8.6 and −0.75), Solanum nigrum (11.6 and −0.89) and Veronica hederifolia (0.2 and −1.67). The two parameters were used to determine potential germination times during expected non‐dormancy periods for three contrasting climatic years in Dijon, France. The number of potential germination days varied little among the tested climatic years, but substantially among species, ranging from 95 ± 9 days for V. hederifolia to 280 ± 7 days for M. perforata. These results may be of value for development of predictive growth models and understanding times when weed control may be most feasible.
Green foxtail Setaria viridis (L) Beauv. and yellow foxtail Setaria pumila (Poir.) Roem. & Schult. are among the most abundant and troublesome annual grass weeds in cereal crops in the Northern ...Plains of the United States and the Prairie Provinces of Canada. Greenhouse and laboratory experiments were conducted to examine the differential responses of both weed species to foliar applications of the new triazolopyrimidine sulfonamide acetolactate synthase-inhibiting herbicide, pyroxsulam, and to determine the mechanism(s) of differential weed control. Foliar applications of pyroxsulam resulted in >90% control of yellow foxtail at rates between 7.5 and 15 g ai ha–1, whereas the same rates resulted in a reduced efficacy on green foxtail (≤81%). The absorption and translocation of 14Cpyroxsulam in green and yellow foxtail were similar and could not explain the differential whole-plant efficacy. Studies with 14Cpyroxsulam revealed a higher percentage of absorbed pyroxsulam was metabolized into an inactive metabolite in the treated leaf of green foxtail than in the treated leaf of yellow foxtail. Metabolism studies demonstrated that, 48 h after application, 50 and 35% of pyroxsulam in the treated leaf was converted to 5-hydroxy-pyroxsulam in green and yellow foxtail, respectively. The acetolactate synthase (ALS) inhibition assay showed that ALS extracted from green foxtail was more tolerant to pyroxsulam than the enzyme extracted from yellow foxtail was. The in vitro ALS assay showed IC50 values of 8.39 and 0.26 μM pyroxsulam for green and yellow foxtail, respectively. The ALS genes from both green and yellow foxtail were sequenced and revealed amino acid differences; however, the changes are not associated with known resistance-inducing mutations. The differential control of green and yellow foxtail following foliar applications of pyroxsulam was attributed to differences in both metabolism and ALS sensitivity.
PURPOSE: In situ immobilization of heavy metal-contaminated soils with the repeated incorporation of amendments can effectively reduce the bioavailability of soil heavy metals. However, the long-term ...application of amendments would lead to the destruction of soil structure and accumulation of soil toxic elements, ultimately affecting food security and quality. Thus, the sustainability of the amendments in a heavy metal-contaminated soil was evaluated from 2010 to 2012. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Batch field experiments were conducted in the soils, which were amended with apatite (22.3 t ha⁻¹), lime (4.45 t ha⁻¹), and charcoal (66.8 t ha⁻¹), respectively. The amendments were applied only one time in 2009, and ryegrass was sown each year. Ryegrass and setaria glauca (a kind of weed) were harvested each year. Concentrations of copper (Cu) and cadmium (Cd) were determined by batch experiments. Five fractions of Cu and Cd were evaluated by a sequential extraction procedure. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Ryegrass grew well in the amended soils in the first year, but it failed to grow in all the soils in the third year. However, setaria glauca could grow with higher biomass in all the amended soils. The treatment of apatite combined with plants was more effective than lime and charcoal treatments in removing Cu and Cd from the contaminated soils by taking biomass into account. Apatite had the best sustainable effect on alleviating soil acidification. The Cu and Cd concentrations of CaCl₂-extractable and exchangeable fractions decreased with the application of amendments. Moreover, apatite and lime could effectively maintain the bioavailability of Cu and Cd low. CONCLUSIONS: Apatite had a better sustainable effect on the remediation of heavy metal-contaminated soils than lime and charcoal. Although all the amendment treated soils did not reduce soil total concentrations of Cu and Cd, they could effectively reduce the environmental risk of the contaminated soils. The findings could be effectively used for in situ remediation of heavy metal-contaminated soils.
• Premise of the study: Species limits of the emerging model organism Setaria viridis (tribe Paniceae, subtribe Cenchrinae) are not well defined. It is thought to be related to S. adhaerens, S. ...faberi, S. verticillata, and S. verticilliformis and in North America occurs with the morphologically similar S. pumila. An integrated approach was taken to evaluate its variation and relationships with the other taxa.• Methods: Statistical morphology, flow cytometry, molecular phylogenetics, and growth experiments were employed to examine the group’s physical variation, polyploidy, evolutionary relationships, and drought ecology, respectively.• Key results: Setaria viridis contributed one genome to the tetraploids S. faberi, S. verticillata, and S. verticilliformis; the other genome of the latter two was contributed by S. adhaerens. Setaria pumila is unrelated. Morphologically, S. viridis is most similar to S. faberi, but all tested accessions of S. viridis were diploid, whereas those of S. faberi were all tetraploid. Principal component analysis of 70 morphological characters consistently separated S. viridis from S. faberi, largely by spikelet characters. The diagnostic morphological characters are not affected by watering. Setaria faberi is far more sensitive to drought, in terms of mortality and morphological stunting, than S. viridis or S. pumila.• Conclusions: Setaria viridis is a diploid species and has contributed to several polyploid derivatives. The most morphologically similar of the polyploids is S. faberi, which differs in spikelet features, phylogenetics, genome size, and ecological response to drought. Researchers using field-collected S. viridis as a model organism will benefit from the clear delimitation provided in this study.
The yellow dwarf (YD) disease complex epidemics in cultivated cereals grown in a specific period of the year mainly depend on the presence of potential reservoir alternative hosts harbouring both the ...viruses and the vectors over the off‐season and serve as a source of inoculum in subsequent cropping season, further spread being supported by efficient aphid vectors. As such, an extensive and intensive exploration to generate base line information on the identity and prevalence of YD viruses barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV)‐PAV, BYDV‐MAV and BYDV‐SGV; cereal yellow dwarf virus (CYDV)‐RPV; and maize yellow dwarf virus (MYDV)‐RMV on wild annual and perennial grasses and forage cereals alternative hosts was conducted consecutively during 2013–2015 main‐ and short‐rainy seasons in cereals growing belts of Ethiopia. Random sampling was employed to collect the samples that were tested by the tissue blot immunoassay (TBIA) to identify the YDVs associated with the hosts using a battery of virus‐specific polyclonal antibodies. Of 13,604 samples analysed, YDVs were detected in 392 (2.9%) samples, which consisted of various wild grasses, forage cereals and three cultivated crops. YDVs were identified from at least 26 grass species and forage cereals, some of them are new records, and some are previously documented hosts. To our knowledge, this is the first report of YDV infection of Andropogon abyssinicus (FresenR.Br. ex Fresen.) (BYDV‐PAV), Avena abyssinica Hochst (BYDV‐PAV), Bromus pectinatus Thunb. (BYDV‐PAV and BYDV‐MAV), Eragrostis tef (Zuccagni) Trotter (BYDV‐PAV), Eragrostis sp. (BYDV‐PAV), Hyparrhenia anthistrioides Stapf. (BYDV‐PAV), Panicum coloratum L. (BYDV‐PAV), Polypogon monspeliensis (L.) Desf. (BYDV‐PAV), Setaria pumila (Poir.) Roem & Schult (BYDV‐PAV, BYDV‐SGV and MYDV‐RMV), Setaria australiensis (Scribn. & Merrill) Vickery (BYDV‐PAV, BYDV‐MAV and CYDV‐RPV) and Snowdenia polystachya (Fresen.) Pilg (BYDV‐PAV, BYDV‐MAV, BYDV‐SGV, CYDV‐RPV and MYDV‐RMV).
Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi are mainly thought to facilitate phosphorus uptake in plants, but they can also perform several other functions that are equally beneficial. Our recent study sheds ...light on the factors determining one such function, enhanced plant protection from root pathogens. Root infection by the fungal pathogen Fusarium oxysporum was determined by both plant susceptibility and the ability of an AM fungal partner to suppress the pathogen. The non-susceptible plant species (Allium cepa) had limited F. oxysporum infection even without AM fungi. In contrast, the susceptible plant species (Setaria glauca) was heavily infected and only AM fungi in the family Glomeraceae limited pathogen abundance. Plant susceptibility to pathogens was likely determined by contrasting root architectures between plants, with the simple rooted plant (A. cepa) presenting fewer sites for infection.AM fungal colonization, however, was not limited in the same way in part because plants with fewer, simple roots are more mycorrhizal dependent. Protection only by Glomus species also indicates that whatever the mechanism(s) of this function, it responds to AM fungal families differently. While poor at pathogen protection, AM fungal species in the family Gigasporaceae most benefited the growth of the simple rooted plant species. Our research indicates that plant trait differences, such as root architecture can determine how important each mycorrhizal function is to plant growth but the ability to provide these functions differs among AM fungi.
Setaria pumila and Digitaria sanguinalis are undesirable, C4 annual grass species in intensively managed temperate and subtropical dairy pastures. A comparative, small-plot study was established in ...Lolium perenne-based dairy pastures to determine the extent to which these species are grazed and how this relates to changes in their nutritive value over summer–early autumn. Setaria pumila was taller than D. sanguinalis before grazing (16–24 and 10–17cm, respectively) and was grazed to lower post-grazing height and less post-grazing groundcover than D. sanguinalis: height 4.1 and 4.7cm, cover 67 and 83%, respectively, averaged over January–March (summer–early autumn). Nutritive quality was similar for both species (with metabolisable energy values for December–March averaging 11.1, 10.0, 8.5 and 9.0MJkgDM-1) and is unlikely to be a key determinant of differences in grazing defoliation. In addition, post-grazing cover and post-grazing height for both annual grasses increased over the grazing season and were associated with declining nutritive value of both species. The nutritive value of L. perenne was higher than that of both S. pumila and D. sanguinalis and it did not decline over the grazing season (December–March: 11.3, 11.5, 9.3 and 11.4MJkgDM-1). Although S. pumila and D. sanguinalis were grazed in all months, they readily produced new panicles between grazings. Given this, these annual grasses are likely to spread in Lolium perenne-based dairy pastures unless interventions are used.
Predicting weed emergence dynamics can help farmers to plan more effective weed control. The hydrothermal time concept has been used to model emergence as a function of temperature and water ...potential. Application of this concept is possible if the specific biological thresholds are known. This article provides a data set of base temperature and water potential of eight maize weeds (velvetleaf, redroot pigweed, common lambsquarters, large crabgrass, barnyardgrass, yellow foxtail, green foxtail, and johnsongrass). For five of these species, two ecotypes from two extreme regions of the predominant maize-growing area in Italy (Veneto and Tuscany), were collected and compared to check possible differences that may arise from using the same thresholds for different populations. Seedling emergence of velvetleaf and johnsongrass were modeled using three different approaches: (1) thermal time calculated assuming 5 C as base temperature for both species; (2) thermal time using the specific estimated base temperatures; and (3) hydrothermal time using the specific, estimated base temperatures and water potentials. All the species had base temperatures greater than 10 C, with the exception of velvetleaf (3.9 to 4.4 C) and common lambsquarters (2.0 to 2.6 C). All species showed a calculated base-water potential equal or up to −1.00 MPa. The thresholds of the two ecotypes were similar for all the studied species, with the exception of redroot pigweed, for which the Veneto ecotype showed a water potential lower than −0.41 MPa, whereas it was −0.62 MPa for the Tuscany ecotype. Similar thresholds have been found to be useful in hydrothermal time models covering two climatic regions where maize is grown in Italy. Furthermore, a comparison between the use of specific, estimated, and common thresholds for modeling weed emergence showed that, for a better determination of weed control timing, it is often necessary to estimate the specific thresholds. Nomenclature: Barnyardgrass, Echinochloa crus-galli (L.) Beauv. ECHCG; common lambsquarters, Chenopodium album L. CHEAL; green foxtail, Setaria viridis (L.) Beauv. SETVI; johnsongrass, Sorghum halepense (L.) Pers. SORHA; large crabgrass, Digitaria sanguinalis (L.) Scop. DIGSA; redroot pigweed, Amaranthus retroflexus L. AMARE; velvetleaf, Abutilon theophrasti Medik. ABUTH; yellow foxtail, Setaria pumila (Poir.) Roemer & J. A. Schultes SETLU.
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