Search Results (51)

The Water-Level-Fluctuation Zones (WLFZ) of the Lower Jinsha River, as a typical transition areas between land and water, show crucial ecological functions. However, the relationship between soil nutrients and microbial communities in different plant communities of the WLFZ is poorly understand. Therefore, we chose four typical plant communities, including Parthenium hysterophorus (P. hysterophorus), Ziziphus mauritiana (Z. mauritiana), Cynodon dactylon (C. dactylon), Zea mays (Z. mays), as a long-term plant communities experiment-monitoring site in a WLFZ of the Lower Jinsha River. By using high-throughput sequences, Mantel test and Mediation model, we explored the changing characteristics of soil nutrients and microbial communities, especially bacteria and fungi, and their driving role in the microbial stability in four typical plant communities. The results indicated that soil properties and enzyme activities noticeably changed among four types of different plant communities in the WLFZ, of which their P. hysterophorus and Z. mauritiana treatments were eventually higher than their of Z. mays and C. dactylon treatments. In the bacteria and fungi communities, the OTU number of P. hysterophorus and Z. mauritiana treatments were higher than their of C. dactylon and Z. mays treatments, which showed that the bacterial biomarkers only explained with the order, but the fungal biomarkers could explain with species. The bacterial and fungal diversity among four types of different plant communities in the WLFZ significantly changed such that the bacterial and fungal explanations of principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) was at 42.45% and 28.17%, respectively, and the anosim analysis of bacteria and fungi showed the p was 0.001 and the R was at 0.6995 and 0.7491. The bacterial and fungal co-occurrence network patterns presented that the bacterial community structure of the C. dactylon and P. hysterophorus treatments were the most complicated under the Z. mauritiana and Z. mays treatments, whereas the communities stability of C. dactylon and P. hysterophorus treatments were notably lower than that of their Z. mauritiana and Z. mays treatments. Lastly, the CCA, mantel test and intermediary analysis indicated pH served as the primary direct driver in the Z. mauritiana community, soil moisture exerted dominant effects in Z. mays and P. hysterophorus, while in C. dactylon, bacterial stability was indirectly modulated by pH mediated through SMC changes. This study highlights the major role of soil nutrients and enzyme activities in driving ecosystem stability of bacterial and fungal communities in four different plant communities in the WLFZ. Full article

This study evaluated the influence of four thermal pretreatment techniques—autoclaving, hot-air oven treatment, hot-water immersion, and microwave irradiation—on Parthenium hysterophorus biomass to improve its biodegradability and biogas generation potential under batch anaerobic digestion. Among the investigated methods, hot-air oven pretreatment at 110 °C for 90 min exhibited the most significant enhancement in biomass solubilization, as indicated by a 51.5% rise in soluble chemical oxygen demand (sCOD) and an increase in volatile fatty acids (VFAs) compared with the untreated control. These compositional improvements facilitated faster hydrolysis and led to a 25.73% higher cumulative methane yield in biochemical methane potential (BMP) assays. Structural analysis revealed pronounced alterations in the lignocellulosic matrix, with reductions in hemicellulose and partial delignification improving substrate accessibility. Complementary characterisation using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) confirmed the disruption of crystalline cellulose regions and modification of functional groups, supporting the observed biochemical improvements. Collectively, the results demonstrate that hot-air oven pretreatment is a practical and energy-efficient approach for enhancing the digestibility of P. hysterophorus biomass, promoting its utilisation as a sustainable feedstock for renewable biogas production and environmental management of this invasive weed. Full article

Allergic rhinitis and asthma remain major public-health challenges, with airborne pollen serving as a key environmental driver. This study investigates the temporal association between aeroallergen exposure, patient healthcare utilization, and allergy medicine consumption at the MNIT Jaipur dispensary from 2015 to 2020, focusing on Holoptelea integrifolia pollen as a primary allergen. Patient visit data and medicine issuance records were analyzed to evaluate seasonal co-trends using descriptive time-series and statistical tests, including Pearson correlation and Mann–Whitney U. The analysis revealed consistent peaks in both patient visit and medicine issuance during February–April, corresponding with H. integrifolia pollen release, and secondary peaks during August–September and October, coinciding with Amaranthus spinosus, Parthenium hysterophorus, and monsoon mold activity. A moderate positive correlation (r = 0.58, 95% CI: 0.22–0.79, p = 0.007) and significant differences between high- and low-patient months (U = 107.5, p = 0.043, 95% CI of difference: 1323–3620 units) indicating that increased healthcare utilization coincides with seasonal aeroallergen exposure. These findings highlight the potential of medicine consumption data as a cost-effective proxy for allergen surveillance, aiding early warning and preparedness for seasonal allergy management. Integration of such pharmaco-epidemiological insights with dispersion models may strengthen predictive frameworks for pollen exposure and public-health response. Full article

In this study, we analyzed the essential oils (EOs) extracted by steam distillation from the leaves and flowers of Parthenium hysterophorus L., grown in three different locations in southern Ecuador: Espíndola (ESP), Loja (LOJ) and Quilanga (QUI). Approximately 97.45%, 98.27% and 95.99% of the oil constituents were identified using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and gas chromatography–flame ionization detection (GC-FID). Sesquiterpene hydrocarbons were predominant in the EOs. The most representative constituents of the sample from ESP were germacrene D (35.08%), myrcene (11.32%), (E)-β-ocimene (10.21%), (E)-caryophyllene (7.90%), germacra-4(15),5,10(14)-trien-1-α-ol (5.18%) and (E, E)-α-farnesene (4.99%), with an AChE IC₅₀ of 14.78 and with 16.38 and 93.16 µg/mL from ABTS and DPPH, respectively. The EOs from LOJ were characterized by the abundant presence of germacrene D (28.30%), myrcene (13.95%), (E)-β-ocimene (10.51%) and isolongifolan-7-α-ol (8.26%), with an AChE IC₅₀ of 16.65 and with 36.18 and 158.43 µg/mL from ABTS and DPPH, respectively. Finally, the EOs from QUI contained germacrene D (32.20%), myrcene (13.36%), (E)-β-ocimene (8.54%), (E, E)-α-farnesene (6.77%), germacra-4(15),5,10(14)-trien-1-α-ol (5.69%) and (E)-caryophyllene (5.37%), with an AChE IC₅₀ of 10.69 and with 14.50 and 92.98 µg/mL from ABTS and DPPH, respectively. This study identifies chemotypic variation in P. hysterophorus collected from different locations and, for the first time, the AChE inhibitor was evaluated. These findings provide a scientific basis for the clinical application of P. hysterophorus EOs in the future treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. Full article

Parthenium weed (Parthenium hysterophorus L.) is one of the most noxious and fast-spreading invasive alien species, posing a major threat to ecosystems, agriculture, and public health worldwide. Mechanistic and correlative species distribution models are commonly employed to determine the potential habitat suitability of parthenium weed. However, a comparative analysis of these two approaches for parthenium weed is lacking, leaving a gap in understanding their relative effectiveness and ability to describe habitat suitability of parthenium weed. This study compared the mechanistic model CLIMEX with random forest (RF), the best-performing of a suite of correlative models. When compared against occurrence records and pseudo-absences, measured by area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, true skill statistic, sensitivity, and specificity, the results revealed higher performance of RF compared to CLIMEX. Globally, RF predicted 7 million km² (2% of the total land mass) as suitable for parthenium weed, while CLIMEX predicted 20 million km² (13%). Based on binary maps, RF and CLIMEX identified 67 and 20 countries as suitable, respectively. For Bhutan, globally trained RF predicted 8919 km² (23% of the country’s total 38,394 km²) as currently suitable, with high suitability in the southern, west–central, central, and eastern districts, particularly along major highways. For the future, the 10 general circulation models downscaled to Bhutan showed a decrease in suitability across four scenarios (SSP126, SSP245, SSP370, SSP585) and three periods (2021–2050, 2051–2080, 2071–2100), with a northward shift in suitable habitats ranging from 2 to 76 km. Additionally, 2049 (23%) km² of agricultural land is currently at risk of being invaded by parthenium weed. Correlative and mechanistic models are based on different niche concepts (i.e., realized and fundamental, respectively), and therefore combining them can provide a better understanding of actual and potential species distributions. Given the high suitability of parthenium weed under the current climate and its potential negative impacts in Bhutan, early action such as early detection and control of infested areas, regular survey and monitoring, and creating public awareness are proposed as risk mitigation strategies. Full article

Industrial waste and sewage deposit heavy metals into the soil, where they can remain for long periods. Although there are several methods to manage heavy metals in agricultural soil, microorganisms present a promising and effective solution for their detoxification. We isolated a rhizofungus, Aspergillus terreus (GenBank Acc. No. KT310979.1), from Parthenium hysterophorus L., and investigated its growth-promoting and metal detoxification capabilities. The isolated fungus was evaluated for its ability to mitigate lead (25 and 75 ppm) and copper (100 and 200 ppm) toxicity in Triticum aestivum L. seedlings. The experiment utilized a completely randomized design with three replicates for each treatment. A. terreus successfully colonized the roots of wheat seedlings, even in the presence of heavy metals, and significantly enhanced plant growth. The isolate effectively alleviates lead and copper stress in wheat seedlings, as evidenced by increases in shoot length (142%), root length (98%), fresh weight (24%), dry weight (73%), protein content (31%), and sugar content (40%). It was observed that wheat seedlings possess a basic defense system against stress, but it was insufficient to support normal growth. Fungal inoculation strengthened the host’s defense system and reduced its exposure to toxic heavy metals. In treated seedlings, exposure to heavy metals significantly upregulated MT1 gene expression, which aided in metal detoxification, enhanced antioxidant defenses, and maintained metal homeostasis. A reduction in metal exposure was observed in several areas, including normalizing the activities of antioxidant enzymes that had been elevated by up to 67% following exposure to Pb (75 mg/kg) and Cu (200 mg/kg). Heavy metal exposure elevated antioxidant levels but also increased ROS levels by 86%. However, with Aspergillus terreus colonization, ROS levels stayed within normal ranges. This decrease in ROS was associated with reduced malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, enhanced membrane stability, and restored root architecture. In conclusion, rhizofungal colonization improved metal tolerance in seedlings by decreasing metal uptake and increasing the levels of metal-binding metallothionein proteins. Full article

Parthenium hysterophorus L. (Asteraceae), commonly known as famine weed in South Africa, is one of the most invasive weeds worldwide, accountable for losses to biodiversity, agriculture, the economy, and the health of livestock and human beings. The spread of this weed is not easy to manage or reverse. With globalization, trade, and human movement, it will continue to spread, allowing its range to expand into new areas. This weed has serious adverse effects on rangeland and agricultural crop production. Because of its unique characteristics, its invasiveness and competitive success rates are attributed to its high reproductive ability, fast growth rate, tolerance to environmental stresses, climate change adaptability, allelopathic potential, and unpalatability to animals. Parthenium hysterophorus dominates diverse habitats by spreading quickly as a contaminant of grain and other crop products and through farm machinery. It is widely distributed and has become problematic in various countries, including South Africa. It has successfully invaded several provinces in the country since its introduction in 1880. Since plant invasions are not universal, this study aimed to review research that has been conducted on the aggressive weed P. hysterophorus to understand the ecological characteristics that enable its successful establishment, the economic costs associated with its detrimental impacts, and to briefly assess knowledge gaps to improve its management strategies. Full article

Parthenium weed (Parthenium hysterophorus L.) is an emerging production constraint in many summer crops including sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench), but limited control options are available. In this field study, the efficacy of sole and sequential applications of a pre-emergence (pendimethalin) and a post-emergence (bromoxynil) herbicide was evaluated for parthenium weed control in grain sorghum over two years. Pendimethalin or bromoxynil alone could only provide 54% and 63% control, whereas their sequential application provided 86% control of parthenium weed over the weedy treatment. The sorghum plants in pendimethalin followed by bromoxynil treatment had the highest leaf fresh weight per plant, plant dry biomass, plant height, and the number of heads among the herbicide treatments. Sorghum fresh forage yield, dry fodder yield, 1000-grain weight, and grain yield were highest in the weed-free treatment followed by the pendimethalin followed by (fb) bromoxynil treatment. Overall, the herbicide treatment performance was in an order of pendimethalin fb bromoxynil > bromoxynil > pendimethalin for weed control and sorghum yield improvement. These results suggest that pendimethalin followed by bromoxynil may provide acceptable control (>85%) of parthenium weed and may improve sorghum grain yield (up to 23%). Full article

A thorough life cycle assessment (LCA) was conducted to determine whether wood pellets were a viable substitute for non-renewable fuels like oil and gas, especially for heating. To evaluate the properties of wood pellets and their effects on the environment, the study was conducted in the Hazara division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. A few factors were investigated, including the carbon and water footprints and the identification of potential growth opportunities in the production of wood pellets. One kilogram of wood pellets served as the analysis reference unit. Raw materials were obtained from sawmills and furniture stores to make the wood pellets. Sawdust, a bio binder, and lubricating oil were used in the production process along with the pelletizer machine. SimaPro 9.2 software was used in the environmental footprint assessment to evaluate several environmental effects, including eutrophication, ozone depletion, abiotic depletion, rusting, human toxicity, and aquatic ecotoxicity. The highest contribution was shown by the wood pellets produced from the softwood sawdust as 149.8558 in marine aquatic ecotoxicity. The study’s findings showed that using lubricating oil during the production of wood pellets significantly affected the overall environmental results. The characterization of wood pellets showed that the Higher heating Values (HHV) resulted from burning wood pellets made from sawdust of Melia azedarach as 24.79 MJ/kg. Softwood mixed species recorded the highest water footprint and damage assessment impact and the highest carbon footprint of 0.186 CO₂ e. With a 3.84 × 10⁻⁷ DALY (disability-adjusted life years) measurement, softwood mixed species showed the highest contribution to human health damage among the damage categories. In terms of cost, producing one kilogram of wood pellets from softwood mixed species was priced at 22 PKR, the lowest among the assessed species. The highest cost of 26 PKR was associated with producing wood pellets from Parthenium hysterophorus and Diospyros lotus. Full article

Due to the high energy demands and environmental hazards of physical and chemical methods, it is now essential to produce nanoparticles using plant sources as reducing and stabilizing agents. In this study, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were biosynthesized using an aqueous extract of Parthenium hysterophorus aerials as a reducing and stabilizing agent. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized using UV–Vis spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering (DLS), and transmission electron Microscopy (TEM). UV–Vis spectroscopy indicates that the peaks of AgNPs and AuNPs are at 422 and 538 nm, respectively. The results of the DLS analysis showed that both Au and AgNPs are monodispersed and stable and have mean hydrodynamic sizes of 53.55 nm and 68.12 nm, respectively. According to an XRD analysis, the generated AgNPs and AuNPs are face-centered cubic crystals with average crystalline diameters of 33.4 nm and 30.5 nm, respectively. TEM image depicted that the synthesized NPs mainly have spherical shapes with particle size in the range of 3.41–14.5 nm for AuNPs and 5.57–26.3 nm for AgNPs. These biologically produced AuNPs and AgNPs were investigated for their antibacterial, antifungal, and antioxidant effects. Both AuNPs and AgNPs were found to strongly influence the growth of bacterial pathogens, with a maximum zone of 22.3 and 19.7 mm in Escherichia coli and a minimum zone of 11.7 and 10.3 mm in Salmonella enterica, respectively. The synthesized AuNPs and AgNPs reduce the numbers of viable fungi by 51.06% and 47.87%, respectively. The DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) assay revealed that the synthesized AuNPs and AgNPs have significant radical scavenging ability with 88.75% and 86.25% inhibition and 33.62 μg/mL and 42.86 μg/mL of IC₅₀, respectively. Therefore, an aqueous extract of aerial parts of P. hysterophorus can be a suitable precursor for synthesizing AuNPs and AgNPs, with numerous applications. Due to their smaller size, AuNPs have better antimicrobial and antioxidant activities than AgNPs. This study supports the conservation by a utilization strategy of invasive alien plant species control and management (such as P. hysterophorus) for biodiversity conservation and environmental sustainability. Full article

Lignin isolated from agricultural residues is a promising alternative for petroleum-based polymers as feedstocks in development of antimicrobial materials. A polymer blend based on silver nanoparticles and lignin–toluene diisocyanate film (AgNPs–Lg–TDIs) was generated from organosolv lignin and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). Lignin was isolated from Parthenium hysterophorus using acidified methanol and used to synthesize lignin capped silver nanoparticles. Lignin–toluene diisocyanate film (Lg–TDI) was prepared by treating lignin (Lg) with toluene diisocyanate (TDI) followed by solvent casting to form films. Functional groups present and thermal properties of the films were evaluated using Fourier-transform infrared spectrophotometry (FT–IR), thermal gravimetry (TGA), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), UV–visible spectrophotometry (UV–Vis), and Powder X-ray diffractometry (XRD) were used to assess the morphology, optical properties, and crystallinity of the films. Embedding AgNPs in the Lg–TDI films increased the thermal stability and the residual ash during thermal analysis, and the presence of powder diffraction peaks at 2θ = 20, 38, 44, 55, and 58⁰ in the films correspond to lignin and silver crystal planes (111). SEM micrographs of the films revealed the presence of AgNPs in the TDI matrix with variable sizes of between 50 to 250 nm. The doped films had a UV radiation cut-off at 400 nm as compared to that of undoped films, but they did not exhibit significant antimicrobial activity against selected microorganisms. Full article

Parthenium hysterophorus L. (Asteraceae), commonly known as parthenium weed, is a highly invasive weed spreading rapidly from northern to southern parts of Pakistan. The persistence of parthenium weed in the hot and dry southern districts suggests that the weed can survive under more extreme conditions than previously thought. The development of a CLIMEX distribution model, which considered this increased tolerance to drier and warmer conditions, predicted that the weed could still spread to many other parts of Pakistan as well as to other regions of south Asia. This CLIMEX model satisfied the present distribution of parthenium weed within Pakistan. When an irrigation scenario was added to the CLIMEX program, more parts of the southern districts of Pakistan (Indus River basin) became suitable for parthenium weed growth, as well as the growth of its biological control agent, Zygogramma bicolorata Pallister. This expansion from the initially predicted range was due to irrigation producing extra moisture to support its establishment. In addition to the weed moving south in Pakistan due to irrigation, it will also move north due to temperature increases. The CLIMEX model indicated that there are many more areas within South Asia that are suitable for parthenium weed growth, both under the present and a future climate scenario. Most of the south-western and north-eastern parts of Afghanistan are suitable under the current climate, but more areas are likely to become suitable under climate change scenarios. Under climate change, the suitability of southern parts of Pakistan is likely to decrease. Full article

Two unrelated plant species, green pea and parthenium weed, harboring typical phytoplasma symptoms, were discovered in Yunlin, Taiwan. Green pea (Pisum sativum.) and parthenium weed (Parthenium hysterophorus L.) are both herbaceous annual plants belonging to the Fabaceae and Asteraceae families, respectively. Displayed symptoms were witches’ broom, phyllody and virescence, which are typical indications of phytoplasma infection. Pleomorphic phytoplasma-like bodies were observed under the transmission electron microscope in the sieve elements of symptomatic green pea and parthenium weed. The iPhyClassifier-based virtual RFLP study demonstrated that the phytoplasma associated with the diseased plants belongs to the 16SrII-V subgroup. The disease symptoms of both plants can be explained by the identification of PHYL1 and SAP11 effectors, identical to those of peanut witches’ broom phytoplasma. The phytoplasma strains identified in this study present a very close phylogenetic relationship with other 16SrII-V subgroup phytoplasma strains discovered in Taiwan. These results not only convey the local status of the 16SrII-V subgroup phytoplasma strains but also encourage attention to be given to preventing the spread of this threat before it becomes pervasive. Full article

Climate change elements including elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂) concentration and soil salinity significantly impact weed biology and management. In this study, we evaluated the performance of a highly invasive plant species, parthenium weed (Parthenium hysterophorus L.) grown at various soil salinity levels (ranging from 0 to 16 dS m⁻¹) at two CO₂ concentrations (ambient: 400 ppm and elevated: 700 ppm). The CO₂ concentration and soil salinity individually affected various early growth attributes of parthenium weed. The interaction between CO₂ and salinity was significant for chlorophyll index, stem dry weight and phenolics content. Parthenium weed plants grew taller (13%), achieved greater leaf area (28%) and produced more dry weight (24%) when raised under elevated as compared with the ambient CO₂. Soil salinity had a dose-dependent, negative effect on various growth attributes, chlorophyll index, relative water content and phenolics content. Even the modest levels of salinity (4.2 to 4.6 dS m⁻¹) caused 50% reduction in dry weights of leaves, roots and whole plants. Sodium ion (Na⁺) concentration peaked at the highest salinity level (16 dS m⁻¹) as compared with the lower salinity levels (0 to 12 dS m⁻¹). Overall, salinity had a negative effect on different growth variables but elevated CO₂ improved growth and phenolics content regardless of the salt stress regime. Hence, parthenium weed could benefit from future atmospheric CO₂ concentration and may invade some salt-affected areas. Full article

The global climate change, including increases in temperature and precipitation, may exacerbate the invasion by P. hysterophorus. Here, MaxEnt modeling was performed to predict P. hysterophorus distribution worldwide and in South Korea under the current and future climate global climate changes, including increases in temperature and precipitation. Under the current climate, P. hysterophorus was estimated to occupy 91.26%, 83.26%, and 62.75% of the total land area of Australia, South America, and Oceania, respectively. However, under future climate scenarios, the habitat distribution of P. hysterophorus would show the greatest change in Europe (56.65%) and would extend up to 65°N by 2081–2100 in South Korea, P. hysterophorus currently potentially colonizing 2.24% of the land area, particularly in six administrative divisions. In the future, P. hysterophorus would spread rapidly, colonizing all administrative divisions, except Incheon, by 2081–2100. Additionally, the southern and central regions of South Korea showed greater habitat suitability than the northern region. These findings suggest that future climate change will increase P. hysterophorus distribution both globally and locally. Therefore, effective control and management strategies should be employed around the world and in South Korea to restrict the habitat expansion of P. hysterophorus. Full article