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Topic Review
Sulfur in Plant Defense
Sulfur (S) is an essential plant macronutrient and the pivotal role of sulfur compounds in plant disease resistance has become obvious in recent decades. These compounds include sulfur containing amino acids such as cysteine and methionine, the tripeptide glutathione, thionins and defensins, glucosinolates and phytoalexins and, last but not least, reactive sulfur species and hydrogen sulfide. SDCs play versatile roles both in pathogen perception and initiating signal transduction pathways that are interconnected with various defense processes regulated by plant hormones (salicylic acid, jasmonic acid and ethylene) and reactive oxygen species (ROS). Importantly, ROS-mediated reversible oxidation of cysteine residues on plant proteins have profound effects on protein functions like signal transduction of plant defense responses during pathogen infections. Indeed, the multifaceted plant defense responses initiated by SDCs should provide novel tools for plant breeding to endow crops with efficient defense responses to invading pathogens.
  • 1.9K
  • 17 Dec 2020
Topic Review
Venus Flytrap (Dionaea muscipula)
The Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) is one of the most iconic carnivorous plants known for its rapid leaf movement and unique insect-trapping mechanism. Native to nutrient-poor bogs in the southeastern United States, D. muscipula has evolved complex morphological, physiological, and ecological adaptations that facilitate carnivory. This entry provides a comprehensive academic overview of the Venus flytrap, encompassing its taxonomy, habitat, trapping mechanism, digestive physiology, reproductive biology, genetic underpinnings, ecological role, conservation status, and evolutionary significance.
  • 1.9K
  • 04 Jun 2025
Topic Review
Milk Thistle Seed and Hempseed
In accordance with Commission Regulation (EC) No 726/2004, the use of antibiotics as stimulators of animal growth and performance has been banned in all European Union countries since 2006 (due to the elimination of antibiotic residues from the human food chain). Due to this ban, many scientists are studying alternative approaches to the use of various biologically active substances with a growth-promoting e ect. A promising direction is the use of alternative feeds containing bioactive compounds or mixtures of natural origin, or the use of phytoadditives or plant extracts, probiotics, prebiotics, symbiotics or oilseed by-products, such as hempseed cakes and milk thistle seed cakes in animal nutrition.
  • 1.9K
  • 29 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Plant Non-Coding RNAs
Plant non coding RNA review paper highlight the current knowledge of plant microRNAs, siRNAs, and lncRNAs, focussing on their origin, biogenesis, mode of actions, and their fundamental roles in plant response to abiotic stresses.
  • 1.9K
  • 17 Dec 2020
Topic Review
Ways of Light Energy Utilization in C4 Photosynthesis
Most C4 plants that naturally occur in tropical or subtropical climates, in high light environments, had to evolve a series of adaptations of photosynthesis that allowed them to grow under these conditions. Some mechanisms that function under changing light conditions, particularly in high light intensity, are universal and are also found in C3 plants. However, some are modified in C4 plants to provide more efficient CO2 assimilation. The close relationship between the light phase of photosynthesis and the enzymatic reactions in chloroplasts, and the associated demand for ATP and NADPH, results that in C4 plants the linear and cyclic electron transport operate in a different ratio in the chloroplasts of mesophyll (M) and bundle sheath (BS) cells. In addition, differences in the intensity of light reaching M and BS chloroplasts and in the thylakoid structure (granal and agranal) will affect the processes of the redistribution of excitation energy between photosystems and the dissipation of its excess. Therefore, it can be assumed that, in the M chloroplasts, because of increased incoming light energy, the mechanisms related to the dissipation of excess energy must function better than in BS chloroplasts to prevent photosystems from photoinhibition and, in consequence, from a decrease in ATP and NADPH. On the other hand, BS chloroplasts, which receive less light energy, must have better functioning mechanisms that allow for its efficient use.
  • 1.9K
  • 06 Apr 2022
Biography
Beatrice M. Sweeney
Eleanor Beatrice Marcy "Beazy" Sweeney (1914-08-11–1989-07-17) was an United States of America plant physiologist and a pioneering investigator into circadian rhythms. She was Professor, Emerita at University of California, Santa Barbara. Having started her career as a botanist, serendipity led her to dinoflagellate research. She investigated circadian rhythms in photoluminescent dinoflagella
  • 1.9K
  • 30 Dec 2022
Topic Review
Abiotic Stress Tolerance in Crops
Abiotic stresses mainly include drought, salinity, extreme temperatures, flooding, oxidative stress, nutrient deficiencies, and heavy metal stress.
  • 1.9K
  • 25 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Illicium verum Hook f. (Star Anise)
Illicium verum Hook f. (star anise) is considered an important species in Traditional Chinese Medicine and is also used in contemporary medicine in East Asian countries. It occurs in natural habitats in southeastern parts of China and Vietnam, and is cultivated in various regions in China. The raw materials—Anisi stellati fructus and Anisi stellati aetheroleum obtained from this species exhibit expectorant and spasmolytic activities. The European Pharmacopoeia (4th edition) indicates that these raw materials have been used in allopathy since 2002. The biological activities of the above-mentioned raw materials are determined by the presence of valuable secondary metabolites such as monoterpenoids, sesquiterpenoids, phenylpropanoids, and flavonoids. Recent pharmacological studies on fruit extracts and the essential oil of this species have confirmed their antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant activities and thus their medicinal and cosmetic value.
  • 1.9K
  • 28 Jan 2022
Topic Review
Frankincense Extracts
Boswellia serrata counts among the most intensively studied anti-inflammatory medicinal plants with more than 650 publications recorded in the PubMed literature database up to now. In folk medicine lipophilic frankincense extracts are used as alternatives to anti-inflammatory steroidal drugs (i.e., glucocorticoids) or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for the treatment of diseases associated with inflammation like rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, asthma, atopic dermatitis, and inflammatory bowel diseases.
  • 1.9K
  • 11 May 2021
Topic Review
Light Quality Effects on Plants
Effect of light quality on indoor experiments, aiming to reach near to natural growth.
  • 1.9K
  • 26 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Plant Biostimulants
Modern agriculture is being challenged by deteriorating edaphoclimatic conditions and increasing anthropogenic pressure. This necessitates the development of innovative crop production systems that can sustainably meet the demands of a growing world population while minimizing the environmental impact. The use of plant biostimulants is gaining ground as a safe and ecologically sound approach to improving crop yields.
  • 1.9K
  • 12 Mar 2024
Topic Review
Biostimulants in Plant
Adverse environmental conditions due to climate change, combined with declining soil fertility, threaten food security. Modern agriculture is facing a pressing situation where novel strategies must be developed for sustainable food production and security. Biostimulants, conceptually defined as non-nutrient substances or microorganisms with the ability to promote plant growth and health, represent the potential to provide sustainable and economically favorable solutions that could introduce novel approaches to improve agricultural practices and crop productivity. Current knowledge and phenotypic observations suggest that biostimulants potentially function in regulating and modifying physiological processes in plants to promote growth, alleviate stresses, and improve quality and yield. 
  • 1.8K
  • 23 Jan 2021
Topic Review
Bacillus spp. as Bioagents for Sustainable Agriculture
Bacillus spp. improves crop growth in both direct and indirect ways through nitrogen fixation, P and K solubilization, phytohormones production, quorum quenching, biofilm formation, and lytic enzymes production. Moreover, Bacillus spp. boost plant resistance towards the notorious phytopathogens. As Bacillus spp. is eco-friendly, promotes plant growth, confers resistance against diseases, improves soil fertility, non-toxic, naturally occurring microbe, and supports sustainable agriculture, there is a need to explore the potential of native Bacillus spp. and to use them in bioproduct development to support sustainable agriculture.
  • 1.8K
  • 01 Feb 2023
Topic Review
Salt Tolerance in Rice
Soil salinization caused by the accumulation of sodium can decrease rice yield and quality. Identification of rice salt tolerance genes and their molecular mechanisms could help breeders genetically improve salt tolerance.
  • 1.8K
  • 15 Nov 2021
Topic Review
PGPR Augmentation in Plants under Drought Stress
Drought stress is a major abiotic stress that significantly affects agricultural productivity every year as the plants undergo several morphological, biochemical, and physiological modifications, such as repressed root and shoot growth, reduced photosynthesis and transpiration rate, excessive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), osmotic adjustments, and modified leaf senescence regulating and stress signaling pathways. Such modifications may permanently damage the plants; therefore, mitigation strategies must be developed. The use of drought-resistant crop cultivars is more expensive and labor-intensive with few advantages. However, exploiting plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) is a proven alternative with numerous direct and indirect advantages.
  • 1.8K
  • 21 Sep 2022
Topic Review
Plant SWEET Family of Sugar Transporters
The SWEET (sugars will eventually be exported transporter) family was identified as a new class of sugar transporters that function as bidirectional uniporters/facilitators and facilitate the diffusion of sugars across cell membranes along a concentration gradient. SWEETs are found widely in plants and play central roles in many biochemical processes, including the phloem loading of sugar for long-distance transport, pollen nutrition, nectar secretion, seed fifilling, fruit development, plant–pathogen interactions and responses to abiotic stress.
  • 1.8K
  • 11 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Medicinal Value of Black Mulberry
Roughly 100 species of Morus have been described, such as Morus alba (white mulberry), Morus rubra (red mulberry), and Morus nigra (black mulberry). The mulberry plant is monoecious or dioecious, reaching up to 10–12 m in height. Morus nigra (Moraceae family) is commonly distributed in Asia, Africa, Europe, and America. Given its therapeutic properties, the leaves, root barks, branches, and fruits are traditionally used in medicinal preparations to manage diabetes mellitus, atherosclerosis, hyperlipidemia, and hypertension. Various extracts of mulberry leaves were studied over the years, investigating their bioactive compounds’ pharmaceutical in public health concerns, such as diabetes, hepatic diseases, and cardiovascular diseases. This entry is based on a literature review and highlights the beneficial and therapeutic action of black mulberry extracts and their confirmed or hypothesized mechanism of action in diabetes, hepatic disorders, and cardiovascular disease, as indicated by the results of in vivo and in vitro studies, on cell lines, human and animal models.
  • 1.8K
  • 10 May 2021
Topic Review
Vascular Plant
Vascular plants (from la vasculum 'duct'), also called tracheophytes (/trəˈkiː.əˌfaɪts/) or collectively Tracheophyta (from grc τραχεῖα ἀρτηρία) 'windpipe', and φυτά , form a large group of land plants (c. 300,000 accepted known species) that have lignified tissues (the xylem) for conducting water and minerals throughout the plant. They also have a specialized non-lignified tissue (the phloem) to conduct products of photosynthesis. Vascular plants include the clubmosses, horsetails, ferns, gymnosperms (including conifers) and angiosperms (flowering plants). Scientific names for the group include Tracheophyta,:251 Tracheobionta and Equisetopsida sensu lato. Some early land plants (the rhyniophytes) had less developed vascular tissue; the term eutracheophyte has been used for all other vascular plants, including all living ones. Historically, vascular plants were known as "higher plants," as it was believed that they were further evolved than other plants due to being more complex organisms. However, this is an antiquated remnant of the obsolete scala naturae, and the term is generally considered to be unscientific.
  • 1.8K
  • 29 Sep 2022
Topic Review
Downy Mildew Detection and Diagnostics
Downy mildews affect important crops and cause severe losses in production worldwide. Accurate identification and monitoring of these plant pathogens, especially at early stages of the disease, is fundamental in achieving effective disease control. The rapid development of molecular methods for diagnosis has provided more specific, fast, reliable, sensitive, and portable alternatives for plant pathogen detection and quantification than traditional approaches. 
  • 1.8K
  • 11 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Iron Homeostasis in Plants
Plants are able to synthesize all essential metabolites from minerals, water, and light to complete their life cycle. This plasticity comes at a high energy cost, therefore plants need to tightly allocate resources in order to control their economy. Being sessile, plants can only adapt to fluctuating environmental conditions, relying on quality control mechanisms. Remodeling of cellular components plays a crucial role, not only in response to stress, but also in normal plant development. Dynamic protein turnover is ensured through regulated protein synthesis and degradation processes. To effectively target a wide range of proteins for degradation, plants utilize ubiquitination as an essential signal of substrate recognition for the 26S proteasome. Recent progress has been made in understanding the cellular homeostasis of iron. In this review, we highlight the latest publications elucidating the role of Ubiquitin-Proteasome System (UPS) in control of iron metabolism during plant development, as well as environmental stresses.
  • 1.8K
  • 06 Nov 2020
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