Biosynthesis of metal nanoparticles is gaining more importance owing to its simplicity, economical, sustainable route of synthesis of nanoparticles and ecofriendliness. Based on the search to improve and protect the environment by decreasing the use of toxic chemicals and eliminating biological risks in biomedical applications, the present article reports an environment friendly and unexploited methods for biofabrication of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using Raphanus sativus leaf extract. The synthesized AgNPs were characterized by UV-vis spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The absorption spectrum of the dark brown color silver colloids showed a single and prominent peak at 431nm, indicating the presence of AgNPs. Further, catalytic degradation of methylene blue (organic dye) by using AgNPs was measured spectrophotometrically. The results revealed that biosynthesized AgNPs was found to be impressive in degrading methylene blue and can be used in water purification systems.

Fluoride pollution is now recognized as a global problem. The reason fluorides are considered as serious contaminants even when they are present at low levels is that they persist for a long time in air, soil, and water and exert negative effects at all levels of an ecosystem. Thus, immediate attention is the need of the hour to remediate the environment from F pollution. Till date, the conventional methods have been developed primarily to remove F from water. These methods are very slow and expensive. Besides, not much research has been done so far to remediate F from soil. This review focuses on the uptake and accumulation of F by certain aquatic and land plant species. Exploring these plants by analysis of their tissues for accumulated contaminants may open up several opportunities to be utilized to remediate F rich water and soil.

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Alternaria brassicae and Alternaria brassicicola are two major phytopathogenic fungi which cause Alternaria blight, a recalcitrant disease on Brassica crops throughout the world, which is highly destructive and responsible for significant yield losses. Since no resistant source is available against Alternaria blight, therefore, efforts have been made in the present study to identify defense inducer molecules which can induce jasmonic acid (JA) mediated defense against the disease. It is believed that JA triggered defense response will prevent necrotrophic mode of colonization of Alternaria brassicae fungus. The JA receptor, COI1 is one of the potential targets for triggering JA mediated immunity through interaction with JA signal. In the present study, few mimicking compounds more efficient than naturally occurring JA in terms of interaction with COI1 were identified through virtual screening and molecular dynamics simulation studies. A high quality structural model of COI1 was developed using the protein sequence of Brassica rapa. This was followed by virtual screening of 767 analogs of JA from ZINC database for interaction with COI1. Two analogs viz. ZINC27640214 and ZINC43772052 showed more binding affinity with COI1 as compared to naturally occurring JA. Molecular dynamics simulation of COI1 and COI1-JA complex, as well as best screened interacting structural analogs of JA with COI1 was done for 50 ns to validate the stability of system. It was found that ZINC27640214 possesses efficient, stable, and good cell permeability properties. Based on the obtained results and its physicochemical properties, it is capable of mimicking JA signaling and may be used as defense inducers for triggering JA mediated resistance against Alternaria blight, only after further validation through field trials.