Soil with heavy metals contamination, mainly lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), and chromium (Cr) is a progressively worldwide alarming environmental problem. Recently, biochar has been used as a soil amendment to remediate contaminated soils, but little work has been done to compare with other organic amendments like compost. We investigated biochar and compost's comparative effect on Pb, Cd, and Cr immobilization in soil, photosynthesis, and growth of maize plants. Ten kg soil was placed in pots and were spiked with Pb, Cd, and Cr at concentrations 20, 10, 20 mg kg−1. The biochar and compost treatments included 0, 0.5, 1, 2, and 4% were separately applied to the soil. The crop from pots was harvested after 60 days. The results show that the highest reduction of AB-DTPA extractable Pb, Cd, and Cr in soil was 79%, 61% and 78% with 4% biochar, followed by 61%, 43% and 60% with 4% compost compared to the control, respectively. Similarly, the highest reduction in shoot Pb, Cd, and Cr concentration was 71%, 63% and 78%with 4% biochar, followed by 50%, 50% and 71% with 4% compost than the control, respectively. The maximum increase in shoot and dry root weight, total chlorophyll contents, and gas exchange characteristics were recorded with 4% biochar, followed by 4% compost than the control. The maximum increase in soil organic matter and total nitrogen (N) was recorded at 4% biochar application while available phosphorus and potassium in the soil at 4% compost application. It is concluded that both biochar and compost decreased heavy metals availability in the soil, reducing toxicity in the plant. However, biochar was most effective in reducing heavy metals content in soil and plant compared to compost. In the future, more low-cost, eco-friendly soil remediation methods should be developed for better soil health and plant productivity.

Bacterial spot, caused by a group of Xanthomonads (Xanthomonas spp.), is a devastating disease. It can adversely affect the Capsicum annum productivity. Scientists are working on the role of antioxidants to meet this challenge. However, research is lacking on the role of antioxidant enzymes and their isoforms in the non-compatible pathogen and host plant interaction and resistance mechanisms in capsicum varieties. The present study was conducted to ascertain the defensive role of antioxidant enzymes and their isoforms in chilli varieties Hybrid, Desi, Serrano, Padron, and Shehzadi against bacterial spot disease-induced Xanthomonas sp. The seedlings were inoculated with bacterial pathogen @ 107 CFU/mL, and samples were harvested after regular intervals of 24 h for 4 days followed by inoculation. Total plant proteins were extracted in phosphate buffer and quantified through Bradford assay. The crude protein extracts were analyzed through quantitative enzymatic assays in order to document activity levels of various antioxidant enzymes, including peroxidase (POD), Catalase (CAT), Ascorbate peroxidase (APX), and Superoxide dismutase (SOD). Moreover, the profiles appearance of these enzymes and their isoforms were determined using native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) analysis. These enzymes exhibited maximum activity in Hybrid (HiR) cultivar followed by Desi (R), Serrano (S), Padron, and Shehzadi (HS). Both the number of isoforms and expression levels were higher in highly resistant cultivars compared to susceptible and highly susceptible cultivars. The induction of POD, CAT, and SOD occurs at the early stages of growth in resistant Capsicum cultivars. At the same time, APX seems to make the second line of antioxidant defense mechanisms. We found that modulating antioxidant enzymes and isoforms activity at the seedling stage was an important mechanism for mitigating plant growth inhibition in the resistant ones.

Purpose: To develop a robust and simple fusion-based methodology for the synthesis of various 5-(-3nitrophenyl) pyrimido[5,4-c] quinoline-2,4(1H,3H)-diones (5-9). Method: The synthesis involved formation of a Knoevenagel product using barbituric acid and 3nitrobenzaldehyde which cyclized on fusing with various sulfanilamides in a sealed tube at 170-212 °C. This resulted in the synthesis of the target quinolines (5-9). To evaluate their antibacterial and antiviral properties, the synthesized quinolines were tested against four gram-negative bacterial strains and four poultry viruses. The MIC and IC50 of each active compound were calculated. Results: Data from NMR, mass spectrometry and elemental analysis confirmed the formation of quinoline scaffolds. Antibacterial screening revealed that all the compounds had antibacterial activities. However, the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of compounds 6-8 and 9 against Proteus vulgaris and Klebsiella pneumoniae showed that these compounds were more active than the standard drug ampicillin. Antiviral studies and IC50 values showed that compounds 5-9 were effective against Newcastle disease virus (NDV) and infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV), while compounds 5, 6 and 8 were active against avian influenza virus subtype H9N2 (AIV); compounds 7 and 8 were active against infectious bronchitis virus (IBV). Conclusion: A simple strategy of fusion of Knoevenagel product with aromatic amines can be used to synthesize highly functionalized quinoline scaffolds which are potential drug candidates for development of new antibacterial and antiviral agents.

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