Treatment of the Allura red food colorant contaminated water by a novel cyanobacteria Desertifilum tharense

The biosorption properties of a newly isolated and identified cyanobacterium called Desertifilum tharense were investigated in the current study. Following morphological and molecular identification (16S rRNA sequencing analysis), the food colorant removal potential of this new isolate was determined. Moreover, the isotherm, kinetic, and thermodynamic studies were performed, and also the biosorbent characterization was studied after and before colorant biosorption with FTIR and SEM analysis. Additionally, the changes in chlorophyll content of the biosorbent were examined after and before colorant treatment. The newly isolated cyanobacterial biosorbent removed 97% of Allura red food colorant/dye at 1,500 mg L−1 initial dye concentration successfully at optimal conditions. Langmuir isotherm and pseudo-second-order kinetic models were fitted with the biosorption of the dye. The D-R model showed that the biosorption process physically occurred. The chlorophyll-a content of the biosorbent was negatively affected by the biosorption. The newly isolated and identified cyanobacterium seems to be a successful candidate for the use to treat highly dye concentrated wastewaters.

Interactive Impact of Biochar and Arbuscular Mycorrhizal on Root Morphology, Physiological Properties of Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) and Soil Enzymatic Activities

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) inoculation and biochar amendment has been reported to improve the growth of several crop plant; however, their role in stress amelioration individually as well as in combination has not been worked out. Limited information is available about the synergistic use of biochar and Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF). Here, we investigated the synergistic effect of biochar and AMF on plant development, root architecture, the physiological performance of fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum), and soil enzymatic activities. Biochar and AMF were shown to have a considerable effect on plant height, according to the data (53.3 and 66.6%, respectively), leaf number (22.5 and 45.1%), total root length (19.8 and 40.1%), root volume (32.1 and 71.4%), chlorophyll a content (26.0 and 17.8%), chlorophyll b content (50.0 and 28.9%), total chlorophyll content (30.0 and 18.1%), and carotenoid content (60.0 and 48.0%) over the control treatment. There was a considerable increase in plant height when biochar and AMF were combined together by 80.9%, total root length by 68.9%, projected area by 48.7%, root surface area by 34.4%, root volume by 78.5%, chlorophyll a content by 34.2%, chlorophyll b content by 68.4%, total chlorophyll content by 44.5%, and carotenoid content by 84.0% compared to the control. Our results recommend that the combination of biochar and AMF is advantageous in fenugreek growth, microbial biomass, and soil enzyme activities.

Analysis of leaf chlorophyll content of paddy plants during vegetative stage grown in soil media containing macroalgae organic fertilizer

Chlorophyll is a green pigment in leaves that functions to absorb light energy for photosynthesis. The value of chlorophyll concentration in leaves indicates the health status of a plant and healthy plants will produce more fruit. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of chemical fertilizer (CF) and solid algae fertilizer (SAF) with different doses on the concentration of chlorophyll in paddy leaves. This research is important to do to determine the potential of macroalgae in reducing the dose of chemical fertilizer use in agricultural activities. In this study, paddy plants were given four different treatments, namely control (without CF and SAF); 100% chemical fertilizer (CF); 100% solid algae fertilizer (SAF); 50% chemical fertilizers and 50% solid algae fertilizers (CF+SAF). Each treatment consisted of ten pots. The results showed that the administration of SAF in the form of a combination of SAF 50% and CF 50% had a significant effect on the increase of chlorophyll b content of the leaves of paddy plants. However, there were no significant difference in chlorophyll a content between CF and CF+SAF group. Current results show that addition of SAF could potentially increase growth quality in paddy plants due to the increase of chlorophyll b content which absorbs higher frequency of blue light for photosynthesis.

Transcriptome Profiling of Cu Stressed Petunia Petals Reveals Candidate Genes Involved in Fe and Cu Crosstalk

Copper (Cu) is an essential element for most living plants, but it is toxic for plants when present in excess. To better understand the response mechanism under excess Cu in plants, especially in flowers, transcriptome sequencing on petunia buds and opened flowers under excess Cu was performed. Interestingly, the transcript level of FIT-independent Fe deficiency response genes was significantly affected in Cu stressed petals, probably regulated by basic-helix-loop-helix 121 (bHLH121), while no difference was found in Fe content. Notably, the expression level of bHLH121 was significantly down-regulated in petals under excess Cu. In addition, the expression level of genes related to photosystem II (PSII), photosystem I (PSI), cytochrome b6/f complex, the light-harvesting chlorophyll II complex and electron carriers showed disordered expression profiles in petals under excess Cu, thus photosynthesis parameters, including the maximum PSII efficiency (FV/FM), nonphotochemical quenching (NPQ), quantum yield of the PSII (ΦPS(II)) and photochemical quenching coefficient (qP), were reduced in Cu stressed petals. Moreover, the chlorophyll a content was significantly reduced, while the chlorophyll b content was not affected, probably caused by the increased expression of chlorophyllide a oxygenase (CAO). Together, we provide new insight into excess Cu response and the Cu–Fe crosstalk in flowers.

Culture Growth of the Cyanobacterium Phormidium sp. in Various Salinity and Light Regimes and Their Influence on Its Phycocyanin and Other Pigments Content

A strain of the filamentous non N-fixing cyanobacterium Phormidium sp. isolated from the Messolonghi (W. Greece) saltworks, was cultured in the laboratory at six different combinations of salinity (20-40-60 ppt) and illumination (low-2000 lux and high-8000 lux). At salinities of 60 and 40 ppt and in high illumination (XL-8000 lux), the growth rate (μmax) presented the highest values (0.491 and 0.401, respectively) compared to the corresponding at 20 ppt (0.203). In general and at all salinities, the higher illumination (XL) gave the highest growth rates and shorter duplication time (tg) in comparison to the lower illumination (L). On the contrary, phycocyanin, phycoerythrin and allophycocyanin production was extremely increased in the lower illumination (L) in all salinities, from ~14 fold at 40 and 60 ppt to 269 fold at 20 ppt of those corresponding to higher illumination (XL). Similar analogies were also recorded for the other two billiproteins. Chlorophyll-a content was also higher in lower illumination at all salinities in contrast to total carotenoids that did not exhibit such a pattern. The high growth rate and high phycocyanin content along with the rapid sedimentation of its cultured biomass can set this marine Phormidium species as a promising candidate for mass culture.

Seagrass Cholorophyll-a, Biomass and Carbon Algorithms Based on the Field and Sentinel-2A Satellite Data at Karimunjawa Island, Indonesia

Chlorophyll-a in seagrass biomass is functioned for the photosynthetic process and store the organic carbon in their biomass of the leaf, rhizome, and root. Ecologically has functioned as blue carbon in reducing global warming adaptation and mitigation strategy. The study aimed to explore seagrass species, chlorophyll-a content, biomass and carbon stock at Karimunjawa Island. Develop algorithms of the Sentinel-2A satellite data based on field seagrass chlorophyll-a, biomass and carbon and at Pokemon and Bobby beach Karimunjawa Island. Four species of seagrass found at Bobby and Pokemon beach are Holodule pinifolia with a density of 160.44 ind.m−2 , Enhalus acoroides with 26.22 ind.m−2, Halophila ovalis with 6.67 ind.m−2 and Thalassia hemprichii with 4.44 ind.m−2.The lowest seagrass chlorophyll-a is 5.854 mg.ml−1 found in H. pinifolia and the highest is 20.819 mg.ml−1found in E. acoroides at Pokemon beach. The range of seagrass chlorophyll-a at Bobby beach was 3.485 - 14.133 mg.ml−1 in T. hemprichii. The smallest individual biomass dry weight was found in T.hempirichii with 1.32 g.dry.weight per individu, and the biggest in E.acoroides with 6.98 g.dry.weight per individu. The highest seagrass biomass at Pokemon beach was in E. acoroides with 236.93 g.m−2 which has a wide leaf morphology and the lowest in H. pinifolia with 75.91 g.m−2 with the smallest leaf morphology. The range of seagrass biomass at Bobby beach is 97.62 - 264.48 g.m−2 which is dominated by T.hempirichii. The range of seagrass carbon was 109.63 - 136.82 gC.m−2at Pokemon beach, and in the range of 95.00 - 114.01 gC.m−2 at Bobby beach. Algorithm of seagrass chlorophyll-a = -36.308 (B3/B4)2 – 140.41(B3/B4) + 83.912 ; biomass = -7028.3 (B3/B4)2 + 14948 (B3/B4) – 7764.4; carbon = -17.529(B2/B3)2 + 143.82(B2/B3) – 5.3362 for Pokemon beach. Algorithm of chlorophyll-a = 455.02 (B2/B4)2 + 823.72 (B2/B4) + 375.48; biomass = -14699 (B3/B2)2 + 28395(B3/B2) – 13537; and carbon = - 0.001(B3/B4)2+ 0.209(B3/B4) - 10.203 for Bobby beach. The use of Band-2 (0.490 ????m), Band-3 (0.560 ????m) and Band-4 (0.665 ????m) Sentinel-2A satellite data in the development of seagras chlorophyll-a, biomass and carbon algorithm was found to be significant.

Culture Growth of the Cyanobacterium Phormidium sp. in Various Salinity and Light Regimes and Their Influence on Its Phycocyanin and Other Pigments Content

A strain of the filamentous non N-fixing cyanobacterium Phormidium sp. isolated from the Messolonghi (W. Greece) saltworks, was cultured in the laboratory at 6 different combinations of salinity (20-40-60 ppt) and illumination (low-2000 lux and high-8000 lux). At salinities of 60 and 40 ppt and in high illumination (XL-8000 lux) the growth rate (μmax) presented the highest values (0.491 and 0.401 respectively) compared to the corresponding at 20 ppt (0.203). In general and at all salinities, the higher illumination (XL) gave the highest growth rates and shorter dublication time (tg) in comparison to the lower illumination (L). On the contrary, phycocyanin, phycoerythrin and allophycocyanin production was extremely increased in the lower illumination (L) in all salinities, from ~14fold at 40 and 60 ppt to 269fold at 20 ppt of those corresponding to higher illumination (XL). Similar analogies were also recorded for the other two billiproteins. Chlorophyll-a content was also higher in lower illumination at all salinities in contrast to total carotenoids that did not exhibit such a pattern. The high growth rate and high phycocyanin content along with the rapid sedimentation of its cultured biomass can set this marine Phormidium species as a promising canditate for mass culture.

Manifestations and environmental implications of microbially-induced calcium carbonate precipitation (MICP) by the cyanobacterium Dolichospermum flosaquae

The aim of this work is to explore the ability and magnitude of the temperate cyanobacterium Dolichospermum flosaquae in microbially-induced calcium carbonate precipitation (MICP). Environmentally, MICP controls the availability of calcium, carbon and phosphorus in freshwater lakes and simultaneously controls carbon exchange with the atmosphere. Cultures of flosaquae were grown in BG11 medium containing 0, 1, 1.5, 2 and 4 mg Ca2+ L−1, as cardinal concentrations previously reported in freshwater lakes, in addition to a control culture (BG11 containing 13 mg Ca2+ L−1). Growth (cell number, chlorophyll a, and protein content) of D. flosaquae was generally reduced by elevating calcium concentrations of the different salts used (chloride, acetate, or citrate). D. flosaquae exhibited its ability to perform MICP as carbonate alkalinity was sharply increased up to its highest level (six times that of the control) at a citrate concentration of 4 mg Ca2+ L−1. Calcium carbonate was formed at a pre-precipitation stage as the minimum pH necessary for precipitation (8.7) has been scarcely approached under such conditions. In this work, MICP took place mostly empowered by photosynthesis and respiration. Residual calcium exhibited its lowest value at 4 mg Ca2+ citrate L−1, coinciding with the highest alkalinity level. Precipitated calcium was increased with chlorophyll a content, but not with increasing cell numbers.