Medicinal plants constitute an inexhaustible reservoir of the most effective folk remedies thanks to the valuable bioactive compounds they contain. The present work is based on the phytochemical study and the dosage of some phenolic compounds (flavonoids, polyphenols) as well as the evaluation of the antioxidant activity (anti-radical activity DPPH, anti-radical activity ABTS) of the three Saharan and Mediterranean plants Matricacia pubescens, Salvia verbenaca and Santolina africana. They are used in traditional Algerian medicine. The phytochemical screening made it possible to highlight the presence of flavonoids and tannins in all the extracts of the three plants. These compounds are well known for their beneficial health properties, particularly due to their anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and antioxidant effects. The total phenolic and flavonoid contents were estimated using the Folin-Ciocalteu reagent and the aluminum chloride reagent respectively. The antioxidant and free radical scavenging activity was determined by several standard methods using a spectrophotometer (DPPH• anti-radical activity, ABTS•+ anti-radical activity). Evaluation of the content of phenolic compounds shows the richness of S.verbanaca in flavonoids and polyphenols with contents 25.17 ± 0.02 mg EQ/g of extract, 72.80 ± 0.02 mg EAG/g of extract respectively. The results of this study highlight the importance of phenolic compounds, in particular flavonoids, in the antioxidant properties of the Saharan and Mediterranean plants studied. Salvia verbenaca, with its high levels of flavonoids and polyphenols, stands out particularly for its high antioxidant potential. Statistical analysis reveals the existence of a correlation between the content of antioxidants (flavonoids, polyphenols) and antioxidant activity .These results confirm the traditional use of these plants in Algerian folk medicine and suggest their potential for the development of new natural therapeutics based on their bioactive extracts.

Acerola (Malpighia emarginata DC.), a tropical fruit, is renowned as one of the richest natural sources of vitamin C. Breeding programs are essential for identifying superior genotypes with the desired attributes for various applications. This study aimed to evaluate the genetic diversity of acerola based on fruit quality traits. Fruits from 35 acerola genotypes, sourced from an active germplasm bank, were harvested at the fully expanded—green—and ripe—red—maturity stages. They were assessed in terms of thei diameter, mass, color, firmness, soluble solids (SS) content, titratable acidity (TA), SS/TA ratio, and vitamin C content. Genetic diversity was analyzed using two approaches: (i) a classical hierarchical clustering method, the unweighted pair-group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA), based on the Mahalanobis distance, and (ii) artificial neural networks via Kohonen self-organizing maps. Significant genetic diversity was observed across all quality traits at both maturity stages. Both clustering methods were consistent in identifying the genetic diversity among the acerola genotypes. The ‘Okinawa’ genotype was the most divergent at the green stage due its higher mass and firmness, as well as its high vitamin C content, making it ideal for industrial vitamin C extraction. At the red maturity stage, 'BRS Rubra' was the most divergent, exhibiting the highest SS content and SS/TA ratio, making it suitable for fresh consumption and processing. The SS/TA ratio was the trait that contributed the most to the genetic diversity of acerola, accounting for 24.8% and 46.4% at the green and red stages, respectively. These results underscore the importance of genetic diversity studies in identifying superior genotypes with desirable quality traits. The considerable genetic variability found offers valuable opportunities for future breeding efforts to improve acerola fruit quality and enhance its market potential.

Background: Although the presence of ytterbium (Yb) in topsoils from Leicester city (UK) could represent some risks for the population, consuming wild edible mushrooms species would not represent a risk. The aim of this study was to elucidate past air contamination with Yb using tree bark.

Methods: Thin layers of bark were collected from 96 trees in Leicester (n=55) and surrounding rural/suburban areas (41) at 1.50–1.80 metres from the ground. Yb was monitored by ICP-MS in cleaned/ground/homogenised samples mineralised with HNO₃/H₂O₂ [LoD=0.075 ng/g dry weight (dw)].

Results: The levels of Yb in the tree bark samples were similar when comparing both main areas, i.e., urban versus rural (median and ranges, in ng/g dw): 1.205 (0.375-12.146) vs. 1.206 (0.672-4.731). However, some samples collected from trees monitored across the urban area showed the highest content of Yb. The trees that grow in these locations might indicate areas of pollution within the city, which should be further investigated for levels of atmospheric particulate matter and their Yb composition. These results correlate with previous studies performed on 106 wild mushrooms and 850 topsoils collected from the same areas; thus, although the levels of Yb were slightly higher in mushrooms and topsoils collected in the rural areas, these were non-significant (p-value=0.723), suggesting similar potential sources of Yb throughout Leicestershire. Levels were slightly higher than the range reported in bark samples from Pinus ponderosa trees growing in an area with an inactive open-pit uranium mine in eastern Washington (US; 0.37-3.85 ng/g dw), suggesting some atmospheric contamination of Yb in Leicester city and surrounding areas.

Conclusions: Although Yb is described as having low toxicity, the levels found in the trees monitored suggest some anthropic pollution of Yb in Leicester city that should be further investigated to identify potential risks to human health.

Bambara groundnut (Vigna Subterranea (L) Verdc.) is one of the smart underutilized and neglected crops of African legumes. Due to cleistogamy, the crop has not been improved regardless of breeding efforts made by different research agencies, hence mutation breeding using gamma irradiation could be used for this crop improvement. Gamma irradiation is a mutagenic agent that induces genetic and phenotypic variability in crops. The optimum doses must be determined before starting a mutation breeding program. The four Bambara groundnut genotypes were treated with gamma irradiation at 0, 100, 200, 300, 400 and 500 Gray(Gy). The study aimed to determine the optimum mean of the lethal dose at 50% (LD₅₀) and growth reduction at 50% (GR₅₀), using a linear regression model. The analysis of variance showed that the growth parameters (seedling length, petiole length and biomass) are significant. The investigation of gamma irradiation on survival percentage, seedling length, biomass and leaves was also conducted. The LD₅₀ for NAMCREAM, NAMBLACK, NAMBROWN and NAMRED are 182, 251, 283 and 395 Gy respectively. The GR₅₀ for NAMCREAM, NAMBLACK, NAMBROWN and NAMRED are 202, 385, 423 and 446 Gy respectively. The optimum doses were determined and variation was observed in gamma-irradiated genotypes and growth parameters. The results from this study will be used for a large-scale mutagenesis plant breeding program.

Stripe (yellow) rust (YR) is a major disease of wheat grown in the mid hills and river basin area, but with the incursion of new aggressive races adapted to warmer temperatures, it has migrated and spread across Terai/plains of Nepal. Formerly, the national breeding program focused on development of agro-ecological specific resistant varieties, but with the occurrence of YR aggressive races, the strategy has been changed to tackle all three rust-resistant varieties for all domains. The advanced breeding lines were evaluated in the hot spot "Pyuthan" for three consecutive years, 2021/22, 2022/23 and 2023/24, with 84, 124 and 160 entries, respectively, after the knockdown of popular wheat varieties " Sorgadwari" and "WK 1204" with aggressive race 238S119 (238E159) in 2020. The new yellow rust races "238S119" and "46S119" pose threat to national wheat production. The experiments were conducted in an augmented design. In 2021/22, out of 84 entries, 48 entries showed a resistant to moderately resistant/moderately susceptible reaction with severity value less than 30 %. Similarly, in the year 2022/23 and 2023/24, out of 124 and 160 entries, 102 and 122 entries showed resistant to moderately resistant reaction. This indicates that the national wheat breeding program has excellent genetic materials to overcome the incursion of new YR races in Nepal. The newly released biofortified wheat varieties Zinc Gahun 1, Zinc Gahun 2, Bheriganga and Himganga and the pipeline varieties NL 1446, NL 1488, NL 1179, NL 1450 and BL 5168 displayed a good level of resistance against these new aggressive races. The farmer's acceptance test (FAT) and seed multiplication of these high-yielding YR-resistant varieties were also carried out in the farmer's field to replace the popular variety "Sorgadwari", which has covered almost 80% of total area in Pyuthan. The agronomically superior varieties with around a 8-10 % grain yield advantage over "Sorgadwari" along with durable resistance to all three rusts, namely NL 1446, NL 1488, NL 1179 and BL 5168, are the pipeline varieties to be released in the near future for the mid-hill ecology of Nepal.

Background: Picking wild edible mushrooms from Leicestershire (England) is not recommended owing to their content of yttrium (Y). To monitor the air quality for this element, samples from tree bark were assessed, as they are considered suitable bioindicators.

Methods: Bark samples were collected from 55 trees from Leicester city and 41 surrounding suburban areas at a height of 1.50–1.80 metres to reduce potential effects of dust from the soil. Samples were cleaned, ground, homogenised and mineralised with HNO₃/H₂O₂ to monitor Y by ICP-MS [LoD=0.00073 ng/g dry weight (dw)].

Results: Slightly higher levels were found in bark samples collected from trees across the suburban and rural areas (median and range, in ng/g dw), specifically 6.339 (1.514-48.705) vs. 6.118 (1.832-126.027), suggesting similar airborne contamination by Y in both areas. Levels of Y were slightly higher in wild mushrooms collected from urban parks and green spaces across Leicester city, although mushrooms were only collected from a nature park situated NW of Leicester city, which might explain the differences. Thus, although the content of Y also varied between tree barks collected across the four cardinal subareas in which Leicester city was divided [NW (4.967) < NE (5.946) < SW (11.677) < SE (32.974)], the distribution found matched the same pattern described in the wild mushrooms collected within the city. Levels of Y in the tree bark were lower than the range reported in bark samples collected from Genoa (Italy; 60-1290 ng/g), which could indicate a lower airborne contamination by Y in Leicester city.

Conclusions: Although our results should be considered as preliminary, in general, lower atmospheric contamination by Y was determined across Leicestershire. However, the high presence of Y detected in edible mushrooms recommends a continuous monitoring of this metal in Leicestershire; this could be easily carried out using tree bark as a bioindicator instead of operating automated monitoring stations, which are more expensive.

Approximately 10000 years ago, wild emmer wheat was domesticated to develop cultivated emmer wheat, Triticum dicoccum, with the AB genome. It is considered as a potential candidate for durum wheat breeding programs due to its compatibility with modern tetraploid wheat. Along with a high protein content and productive tillers, it has also been reported to be a crucial source of different stresses such as yellow rust, common bunt and drought stress. However, the information about its boron toxicity tolerance is limited. Here, we discuss different responses of a boron-tolerant T. dicoccum genotype towards boron toxic growth conditions. The genotype was hydroponically grown under three different boron treatments, Control, 1 mM and 10 mM, in triplicate. The differential expression of several genes under stress conditions was found to be associated with the physiological and biochemical responses of plants. Several transporters including transmembrane proteins, aquaporins and ABC transporters have been determined as potential candidate genes for developing B toxicity tolerance. Not only were caffeine metabolism and photosynthesis–antenna protein pathways highly enriched under high boron, but also oxidative phosphorylation, biosynthesis of secondary metabolites and metabolic pathways showed the maximum number of DEGs. The studied boron-tolerant genotype and the identified significant DEGs can be further used by researchers to introduce B toxicity tolerance in modern wheat accessions.

Acknowledgements: The authors acknowledge the TUBITAK 1001 (No. 119O455) project for the funding provided to conduct this research work.

Guava (Psidium guajava) is a vital crop in tropical agriculture, renowned for its rich antioxidant and dietary fiber content. However, its cultivation faces significant challenges from the Peach Fruit Fly (PFF), Bactrocera zonata, which threatens various fruit crops, including guava. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategies, such as the Male Annihilation Technique (MAT), Bait Application Technique (BAT), and the use of botanical compounds, are employed to control this pest. This study, conducted in the fields of the University of the Punjab, Lahore, aimed to evaluate the efficacy of the MAT, BAT, and botanical methods by measuring mortality rates at 24-, 48-, 72-, and 96-hour intervals. For the BAT and botanicals method, the study tested extracts from Neem, Moringa, Citrus, and Parthenium at concentrations of 100%, 50%, and 25%. The results showed that the highest mortality occurred at 100% concentration, with effectiveness decreasing over time but still providing adequate control after 24 and 48 hours. Neem extract at 100% concentration achieved the highest mortality rate of 65.71% after 24 hours, while Parthenium at 25% showed the lowest mortality rate at 23.8%. Moringa and Citrus extracts exhibited moderate effectiveness. The MAT involved nine traps set with three different concentrations (100%, 20%, and 10%) of Polytrin-C and methyl eugenol, each replicated three times. The 100% concentration produced the highest mortality rate within 24 hours, whereas the 10% concentration resulted in the lowest mortality rate. Overall, the MAT proved to be the most effective method, while botanical treatments were the least effective. This study concluded that all IPM strategies tested provided satisfactory control of Bactrocera zonata, with the MAT being the most efficient approach. Among the botanicals, Neem extract was the most effective, and Parthenium the least. The BAT showed moderate effectiveness in managing the pest.

Broomrape (Orobanche crenata Forsk.) is an obligatory parasitic weed negatively affecting faba bean hosts grown in the Mediterranean countries. Breeding resistant/tolerant varieties may provide a reliable measure for proper production under infestation. The acceleration of climate change is represented in drastic fluctuations of the elements, greatly impacting the performance of new varieties, particularly in the case of faba reactions to broomrape, which are identified by quantitative genetics.

The results of ten field trials conducted under naturally broomrape-infested soils in the Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt, during the 2018/2019 and 2019/2020 seasons were used in stability analyses. During each season, five trials were carried out at five planting dates starting at the end of October. In each trial, ten faba bean varieties from different genetic backgrounds and with degrees of reaction to Orobanche infestation were randomly distributed as main plots in RCBD with three replications.

The stability analyses of performance across the twenty environments were performed using three parametric measures: two dynamic (S²d_i and b_i) and one static (CV_i%) stability parameter.

The investigated faba bean cultivars varied significantly in mean performance and stability as measured by all parameters. Based on the ranking of performance by using the centroid method for seed yield plot^-1 or host plant^-1, podded host% and the number of broomrapes, the varieties identified as broomrape-tolerant, particularly the synthetic ones, seemed to be more adaptable across wide environmental conditions and levels of infestation. The seed production of these varieties seems not to be affected across the studied environments in spite of the variable broomrape levels recorded. Thus, for breeding promising and resilient faba bean varieties, lines should be screened under several environmental conditions and those showing reliable performance could be synthesized according to their general combining ability tests.

Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) cultivation is increasingly threatened by bacterial blight caused by Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. punicae (Xap), highlighting the need for resistant cultivars. This study aimed to identify bacterial-blight-resistant sources from indigenous wild Daru populations and assess their potential through hybridization. Wild Daru germplasm was surveyed, collected, and screened using artificial challenge inoculation, with attached leaf assays providing insights into resistance under more realistic conditions. This study identified genotypes SH-14 and SH-16 as having the lowest disease severity (13.30%) and longest incubation periods (9.50 days). SSR marker analysis of 20 primers across 23 genotypes revealed 1119 scorable bands with a high polymorphism ratio of 92.58%. Phylogenetic analysis and clustering highlighted significant genetic diversity and unique alleles in resistant wild genotypes. Hybridization studies with commercial cultivars showed the Bhagwa × SH-16 cross achieving the highest fruit set (88.90%), while the Kandhari Kabuli × SL-23 cross had the lowest (11.0%). Fruit retention varied, with Bhagwa × SL-23 and Kandhari Kabuli × SR-11 having the highest retention percentages. These findings underscore the potential of Himalayan wild germplasm in developing bacterial-blight-resistant pomegranates and emphasize the integration of molecular markers and hybridization in breeding efforts. The research also provides valuable insights for the development of new pomegranate cultivars with enhanced resistance and improved yield potential. Future research will focus on evaluating hybrid progenies, constructing genetic linkage maps, and identifying specific genes associated with bacterial blight resistance in pomegranate.