Melatonin Alleviates Abscisic Acid Deficiency Inhibition on Photosynthesis and Antioxidant Systems in Rice under Salt Stress

Melatonin and abscisic acid,as major plant hormones,play important roles in the physiological and biochemical activities of crops,but the interaction between the two under salt stress is not yet clear.This study investigated the endogenous levels of melatonin and abscisic acid in rice by using exogenous melatonin,abscisic acid,and their synthetic inhibitors,and examined their interactions under salt stress.The research results indicate that melatonin and abscisic acid can improve rice salt tolerance.Melatonin alleviated the salt sensitivity caused by abscisic acid deficiency,increased antioxidant enzyme activity and antioxidant content in rice treated with abscisic acid synth-esis inhibitors,and reduced total reactive oxygen species content and thiobarbituric acid reactive substance accu-mulation.Melatonin also increased the activity of key photosynthetic enzymes and the content of photosynthetic pigments,maintaining the parameters of photosynthetic gas exchange and chlorophyllfluorescence.In summary,melatonin alleviated the effects of abscisic acid deficiency on photosynthesis and antioxidant systems in rice and improved salt tolerance.This study is beneficial for expanding the understanding of melatonin regulation of crop salt tolerance.

Effects of salt and rice flour concentration on microbial diversity and the quality of sour meat,a Chinese traditional meat

This study investigated the effects of salt(3%and 6%,m/m)and rice flour(10%and 20%,m/m)addition in sour meat,a traditional Chinese fermented meat.It was found that salt has greater effect than rice flour addition in spontaneous fermentation.Low-salt groups had lower pH and higher titratable total acid.In the low-salt groups,the dominant genera were Lactobacillus and Lactococcus,whereas Staphylococcus,Weissella,and Tetragenococcus were dominant in the high-salt groups.Higher total free amino acids and essential amino acids,organic acids,hexanoic acid ethyl ester and octanoic acid ethyl ester were found in the low-salt groups.The RDA analysis revealed that Lactococcus was closely related to product quality,with the S3F10(3%salt and 10%rice f lour)group outperforming the others in the sensory evaluation.Therefore,3%salt and 10%rice flour were considered more appropriate for the production of healthy and tasty fermented sour meats.

Effects of Salt Stress on Fatty Acid Composition of Thylakoid Membrane of Two Rice Cultivars Differing in Salt Tolerance

[Objective] The aim of the study is to understand the changes of fatty acid composition of rice thylakoid membrane under salt stress.[Method] Under salt stress of different concentrations of NaCl,rice seedlings of Pokkali and Peta with six leaves and one central leaf were used as experimental materials to extract the fatty acid from their thylakoid membranes,and gas chromatograph(1890)was used to analyze fatty acid composition.[Result] Fatty acid component 14∶0,18∶0,16∶1(3t),18∶1 in both the two experimental materials showed little variations in the first four days of salt stress,whereafter they increased slightly;while the fatty acid component 16∶0 and level of saturation of fatty acid(LSFA)showed the similar variation trend in the first four days of treatment compared to those of the fatty acid components mentioned above,whereafter they rose in Pokkali and presented an opposite variation trend in Peta;fatty acid component 18∶3 and level of unsaturation of fatty acid(LUFA)reduced all the time under stress condition,and the reducing amplitude in 100 mmol/L NaCl treatment group was smaller than that of 100 mmol/L NaCl treatment group,and in Pokkali was smaller than that in Peta under specific conditions.Meanwhile,level of saturation of fatty acid in both experimental materials increased,and the rising amplitude in Peta was smaller than that of Pokkali.[Conclusion] With regard to LUFA,Pokkali is endowed with more salt tolerance than Peta.

Physiological Mechanism of Salicylic Acid for Alleviation of Salt Stress in Rice

Soil salinity is one of the most important problems of crop production in estuarine and coastal zones. Improvement in salt tolerance of major food crops is an important way for the economic utilization of coastal zones. This study proved that the application of salicylic acid(SA) improved the growth and yield under salt stress conditions and investigated its physiological mechanisms for salt tolerance. The investigation on the effect of SA for salt tolerance during germination showed that the decreased rates of germination and growth(in terms of shoot and root lengths) by the salt stress were significantly increased by the SA application(SA + NaCl). The treatment of SA to the high and low saline soils enhanced the growth, yield and nutrient values of rice. The effects of SA on Na^+, K^+ and Cl~– ionic accumulation were traced under salt stress condition by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry and ion chromatography. It was revealed that the increased accumulation of Na^+ and Clˉ ions by the salt stress were reduced by SA application. An increased concentration of endogenous SA level was detected from the SA-treated rice varieties(ASD16 and BR26) by liquid chromatography electrospray Ionization-tandem mass spectrometry. The activities of antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase, catalase and peroxidase were increased by salt stress whereas decreased by the SA application. The study proved that the application of SA could alleviate the adverse effects of salt stress by the regulation of physiological mechanism in rice plants. In spite of salt stress, it can be applied to the coastal and estuarine regions to increase the rice production.

Effect of Ascorbic Acid and Silicium on Photosynthesis, Antioxidant Enzyme Activity, and Fatty Acid Contents in Canola Exposure to Salt Stress

The effects of exogenous ascorbic acid and silicium on leaf fresh weigh, seed yield, photosynthesis, changes of the activities of major antioxidant enzymes, nitrate reductase activity, proline accumulation, chlorophyll content, and fatty acid composition were investigated in salt-stressed canola. A hydroponic pot experiment was conducted based on randomized complete block design, factorial arrangement was used with 16 combinations of salinity stress （0, 100, 200, and 300 mmol L-1 NaC1）, ascorbic acid （0 and 30 mmol L-1）, and silicium （2 and 4 mmol L-1 from potassium silicate） with three replicates. The results showed that salinity significantly decreased leaf area and leaf fresh weight, seed yield, photosynthesis, nitrate reductase activity, chlorophyll content, and seed protein percentage. Conversely, respiration, antioxidant enzymes activity, proline accumulation, and linolenic acid percentage increased due to salt stress. Ascorbic acid application improved photosynthesis and seed yield and mitigated antioxidant enzyme activity. In addition, nitrate reductase activity and chlorophyll a and b were positively affected by ascorbic acid. Regarding silicium application, that was found that leaf area, leaf fresh weight, seed yield and photosynthesis, ascorbate peroxidase activity, nitrate reductase activity, and chlorophyll content increased, while respiration decreased. Furthermore, silicium had not significant effect on antioxidant enzyme activity. In general, ascorbic acid and silicium were involved in the defensive mechanisms against salinity stress and it can be suggested that, ascorbic acid and silicium application had positive effect on canola growth under conditions of salt stress.

Effects of Cinnamic Acid on Bacterial Community Diversity in Rhizosphere Soil of Cucumber Seedlings Under Salt Stress

To investigate the effects of a plant autotoxin, cinnamic acid, on bacterial communities in the rhizosphere soil of cucumber seedlings under salt stress, we used cucumber as the experimental material, cinnamic acid as the autotoxin, and NaCl to apply salt stress. Bacterial communities in the rhizosphere soil were analyzed using polymerase chain reaction （PCR）, denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis （DGGE）, and clone sequencing. Salt stress decreased the diversity of bacterial species in rhizosphere soil of cucumber seedlings at several growth stages. Cinnamic acid exacerbated the effects of salt stress at high concentrations, but alleviated its effects at low concentrations. Cloning and sequencing results indicated that DGGE bands amplified from soil samples showed high homology to uncultured bacterial species. Cinnamic acid at 50 mg kg^-1 soil improved cucumber growth and was the most effective treatment to alleviate the effects of salt stress on bacterial communities.

Reductive smelting of spent lead–acid battery colloid sludge in a molten Na_2CO_3 salt

Lead extraction from spent lead–acid battery paste in a molten Na2CO3 salt containing Zn O as a sulfur-fixing agent was studied. Some influencing factors, including smelting temperature, reaction time, Zn O and salt dosages, were investigated in detail using single-factor experiments. The optimum conditions were determined as follows: T = 880°C; t = 60 min; Na2CO3/paste mass ratio = 2.8:1; and the Zn O dosage is equal to the stoichiometric requirement. Under the optimum conditions, the direct recovery rate of lead reached 98.14%. The results suggested that increases in temperature and salt dosage improved the direct recovery rate of lead. XRD results and thermodynamic calculations indicated that the reaction approaches of lead and sulfur were Pb SO4→Pb and Pb SO4→Zn S, respectively. Sulfur was fixed in the form of Zn S, whereas the molten salt did not react with other components, serving only as a reaction medium.

Effect of acid phosphatase produced by Trichoderma asperellum Q1 on growth of Arabidopsis under salt stress

Salt stress is a major environmental factor that inhibits crop growth.Trichoderma spp.are the most efficient biocontrol fungi and some of the strains can stimulate plant growth.Phosphate solubilization is known as one of the main mechanisms in promoting plant growth,but the underlying mechanisms of phosphate solubilization in the salinity still need to be explored.The Trichoderma asperellum Q1 isolated and identified in our lab is a beneficial rhizosphere biocontrol fungus with a high phosphate solubilization activity.It could produce acid and alkaline phosphatases when using insoluble organic phosphorus as the sole phosphorus source,the salt stress increased the phosphorus-solubilization ability of the strain and the activities of the two enzymes.Furthermore,an acid phosphatase was purified from the fermentation broth by ammonium sulphate precipitation,ion-exchange,and gel filtration chromatography.Its molecular weight was 55 k Da as determined by SDS-PAGE.The purified acid phosphatase was used to investigate growth performance of Arabidopsis thaliana by plate assay and the result showed that it contributed to Arabidopsis growth by transforming organic phosphate into a soluble inorganic form under salt stress.To our knowledge,this is the first report on acid phosphatase purification from T.asperellum and its function in regulation of plant growth under salt stress.

Analysis of Organic Acids Accumulated in Kochia Scoparia Shoots and Roots by Reverse-phase High Performance Liquid Chromatography Under Salt and Alkali Stress

Several organic acids accumulated in Kochia Scoparia shoots and roots were studied by means of reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography with a C18 column. Five types of binary organic acids were separated. The organic acid concentrations were determined in K. Scoparia seedlings stressed by saline （NaCI） and alkaline （NaHCO3） at the same Na^＋ concentration. Concentrations of organic acids are stimulated by alkaline because the cells will adjust their pH values through the accumulation of organic acids, when the environment is basic. The concentrations of oxalic acid and succinic acid are higher than those of other organic acids, including tartaric acid and malic acid, and the concentration of citric acid is the lowest. The concentrations of the organic acids in the roots are higher than those in the shoots under salt（NaCI） stress, but the results are opposite while the roots are under alkali （ NaHCO3 ） stress. This indicates that there are different adaptive strategies for K. Scopar/a seedlings in organic acid metabolism under salt and alkali stress.

Effects of Exogenous Trehalose on the Metabolism of Sugar and Abscisic Acid in Tomato Seedlings Under Salt Stress

Salt stress a ects the growth and development of plants, which results in a decrease in crop quality and yield. In this study, we used tomato seedlings treated with salt and trehalose as experimental materials and analyzed them using the technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution analysis to select the optimal trehalose concentration for treatment. We also determined the contents of sugar and abscisic acid (ABA) and detected the expression of genes involved in the metabolism of sugar and ABA by quantitative real-time PCR. Results showed that the optimal trehalose concentration was 2 mmol/L for tomato seedlings under salt stress. Exogenous trehalose decreased the starch content and increased the soluble sugar con- tent by a ecting the expression of genes related to the metabolism of starch and soluble sugar. Exogenous trehalose altered the accumulation and distribution of sugar by inducing the upregulation of sugar transporter genes. Furthermore, trehalose increased the ABA content to induce salt stress response by regulating the expression of genes related to the synthesis and metabolism of ABA. In conclusion, trehalose can e ectively alleviate salt stress and enhance salt tolerance of tomato. These ndings provide a novel perspective and a better resource to investigate the salt tolerance mechanism and a new method for alleviating salt stress in tomato.

Three Salts of Labdanic Acids from Andrographis paniculata (Acanthaceae)

Three salts of labdanic acids, named as magnesium andrographate, disodium andrographate and dipotassium andrographate 19-O-beta -D-glucoside were isolated from the hydrophilic extract of Andrographis paniculata Nees. (Acanthaceae), together with guanosine, uridine, 6-epihardpagide, procumbide, violanthin and apigenin 7-O-beta -D-glucoside. Their structures were determined by spectroscopic analysis and chemical transformation.

Anodising of 2024-T3 aluminium alloy in electrolyte of sulphuric-boric-phosphoric mixed acid containing cerium salt as corrosion inhibitor

The effect of cerium salt as an inhibitor in anodising of the2024-T3aluminium alloy was studied.Scanning electronmicroscopy equipped with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy was used to study the surface composition of the alloy before andafter surface preparation.A mixed electrolyte of10%sulphuric acid,5%boric acid and2%phosphoric acid containing0.1mol/Lcerium sulphate salt was used as the anodising electrolyte.Sealing treatment was also done in boiling water and molten stearic acid.Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and salt spray techniques were performed in order to investigate the corrosion behaviourand durability of the oxide films,respectively.It was concluded that the presence of cerium ions in anodising electrolyte resulted inthe increase in homogeneity,the rate of oxide film growth and also the thickness of the oxide layer,owing to the high oxidisingpower of cerium ion.

Cloning of Bile Salt Hydrolase Gene and Its Expression in Lactic Acid Bacteria

According to the sequence of the bile salt hydrolase （BSH） gene of Bifidobacterium and the restriction enzyme cutting sites of expression vector pNZ8148, primers were designed and the bile salt hydrolase （BSH） gene was gotten from Bacillus bifidus ATCC 29521 by PCR. BSH gene was inserted into lactic acid bacteria expression vector pNZ8148 to construct the recombinant pNZ8148-BSH. The recombinant pNZ8148-BSH was transferred into lactic acid bacteria NZ9000 with electrotransformation method. And the recombinant which could express BSH protein was obtained. It was identified by SDS-PAGE electrophoresis and activity verification. The result could provide a rationale reference for expressing BSH in lactic acid bacteria.

Clinical Non-inferiority Trial on Treatment of Coronary Heart Disease Angina Pectoris of Xin-blood Stasis Syndrome Type with Lyophilized Salvia Salt of Lithospermic Acid Powder for Injection

Objective： To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of lyophilized Salvia salt of lithospermic acid powder for injection （SSLA） in treating coronary heart diseases angina pectoris （CHD-AP） of Xin-blood stasis syndrome type, and to conduct the non-inferiority trial with Danshen injection （丹参注射液, DSI） as positive control. Methods： An non-inferiority clinical layered, segmented, randomized, and blinded trial on three parallel and multiple centered groups was conducted in 480 patients with stable effort angina grade Ⅰ , Ⅱand Ⅲ, who had two or more times of attack every week. The 240 patients in test group A were treated with SSLA 200 mg added in 250 ml of 5% glucose solution for intravenous dripping every day; the 120 patients in test group B were treated with SSLA but the dosage doubled; and the 120 patients in the control group were treated with DSI 20 ml daily in the same method as SSLA was given. The clinical effectiveness and safety were evaluated after the patients were treated for 14 days. Results： The results showed that the markedly effective rate in test groups A, B and control group was 37.45 %, 36.75 % and 30.09 % respectively, while the total effective rate in them was 88.09%, 89.74% and 67.26% respectively. Statistical significance was shown in comparisons of the therapeutic effect between control group with test group A and test group B, with that in the two test groups superior to that in the control group, and non-inferiority trial showed eligibility （P〈0.01）. Adverse reaction appeared in 8 patients in the test groups and 2 in the control group. Conclusion： SSLA has definite therapeutic effect in treating patients with CHD-AP, with its effect not inferior to that of DSI, and no evident toxic-adverse reaction.

Increasing Fatty Acids in Rice Root Improves Silence of Rice Seedling to Salt Stress

Salt stress is one of the major abiotic stresses around the world, and salt salinity is one of the major constrains affecting rice production (Tu et al, 2014;Reddy et al, 2017). According to the statistics, more than one billion hectares of the land in the major continents are affected by salinity (Fageria et al, 2012;Zhou et al, 2018). Rice is a salt sensitive crop, considered more sensitive to salt stress during early stage (Hasanuzzaman et al, 2009). Understanding the method to improve plant salt tolerance is a potential way to enhance agriculture productivity in the future (Jing and Zhang, 2017). Polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) on plasma membrane plays important roles in salt tolerance through enhancing the activity of Na^+/H^+ transporters (López-Pérez et al, 2009).

Influence of Neutral Salts and pH on Exchangeable Acidity of Red Soil and Latosol Colloids

In the present work, the exchangeable acidity of a red soilcolloid and a latosol colloid at different pH during reacting withfour neutral salts was measured. The results show that theexchangeable acidity increased with increasing amounts of the neutralsalts added, and the relation between them was almost linear. Whenthe amount of the neutral salt added was lower than a certain value,the slop of the line was high, and the slop turned low when theamount exceeded that value, so there was a turning point in eachline. The addition amounts of the neutral salts for the turningpoints were affected by the cation species of the neutral salts, butpH had less effect on them. After the turning points occurred, theexchangeable acidity of the red soil colloid still graduallyincreased with the addition amounts of the neutral salts, but that ofthe latosol colloid did not increase any more.

1-Heptanesulfonic acid sodium salt:One pot efficient synthesis of 2-aryl-1-arylmethyl-1H-1,3-benzo[d]imidazoles

Synthesis of 2-aryl-1-arylmethyl-1H-1,3-benzo[d]imidazoles by the reaction of o-phenylenediamine with substituted aromatic aldehydes in the presence of 1-heptanesulfonic acid sodium salt （10 mol%） at room temperature. The reactions were performed in acetonitrile：water （8：2）. The method was proved to be eco-friendly, convenient and the products were isolated with good yields （82- 90%）.

Effect of bile salts and bile acids on human gastric mucosal epithelial cells

Objective：To explore the effect of bile salt and bile acid on cultured eternalized human gastric mucosa epithelium GES-1 cells. Methods：Cultured eternalized human gastric mucosa epithelium GES-1 cells were treated with media containing 6 different kinds of bile salts and 3 different kinds of bile acids and their mixture with different concentrations： GCDC（glycochenodeoxychoμte）, GDC （glycodeoxychoμte）, GC（glycochoμte）, TCDC（taurochenodeoxychoμte）, TDC（taurodeoxychoμte）, TC （taurochoμte）, LCA （lithocholicacid）, CA（cholic acid）, DCA（deoxycholic acid）（50 μ mol/L,250 μ mol/L,500 μ mol/L,1000 μ mol/L）, DY（mixture of bile salts） and DS（mixture of bile acids）（250 μ mol/L,500 μ mol/L,1000 μ mol/L,1500 μ mol/L, 2000 μ mol/L）, in comparison with the control group（in normal media without bile salts and bile acids）. Cell proliferation was assessed by MTT（3-[4,5-Dimethylthiaolyl]-2,5- diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide） assay for 72 hours with different concentrations and the apoptotic cells were assayed by flow cytometry （FCM） with Annex V-FITC conjugated with propidium iodide（PI） staining for 24 hours with different concentrations（1500,2000 μt mol/L）. Results：There was no significant difference in morphology and cell proliferation in GC group after 24-72 h. Low concentration（50 μ mol/L） of GCDC, GDC, TCDC, TDC and TC accelerated gastric epithelial cell growth in a dosage-time dependent manner. At middle concentration （250-500 μ mol/L）, it showed positive effect after 24-48 h, while negative effect after 72 h. At high concentration（1000 μ mol/L）, it accelerated gastric epithelial cell growth after 24h and show consistent inhibition even leading to necrosis after 48-72 h. LCA and CA showed a positive effect on the concentration of 50 μ mol/L after 24-72 h, while 250-1000 μ mol/L showed a trend towards apoptosis after 24-72 h. At 50-500 μmol/L, DCA showed proliferation after 24 h and apoptosis after 48-72 h, but showed necrosis after 24-72 h at 1000 μmol/L. DY and DS could facilitate normal gastric mucosa epithelial cell growth at low concentration （250-500 μ mol/L）, however at 1000-2000 μ mol/L the trend shifted from apoptosis to necrosis. FCM with Annexin-V conjugated with PI staining revealed that GCDC, GDC, GC, TCDC, TDC, TC, LCA, CA, DCA, DY and DS induced apoptosis of human gastric mucosal epithelial cells. They were all significantly higher than that of the control（P 〈 0.05）, but there was no significant difference in GC group （P 〉 0.05）. The bile salts induced apoptosis in a time-dose-dependent manner. Conclusion：Our results suggested that bile acid and bile salt is the trigger of injury in human gastric mucosal epithelial cells.

A robust predictive tool for estimating CO2 solubility in potassium based amino acid salt solutions

The acid gas absorption in four potassium based amino acid salt solutions was predicted using artificial neural network(ANN). Two hundred fifty-five experimental data points for CO_2 absorption in the four potassium based amino acid salt solutions containing potassium lysinate, potassium prolinate, potassium glycinate, and potassium taurate were used in this modeling. Amine salt solution's type, temperature, equilibrium partial pressure of acid gas, the molar concentration of the solution, molecular weight, and the boiling point were considered as inputs to ANN to prognosticate the capacity of amino acid salt solution to absorb acid gas. Regression analysis was employed to assess the performance of the network. Levenberg–Marquardt back-propagation algorithm was used to train the optimal ANN with 5:12:1 architecture. The model findings indicated that the proposed ANN has the capability to predict precisely the absorption of acid gases in various amino acid salt solutions with Mean Square Error(MSE) value of 0.0011, the Average Absolute Relative Deviation(AARD) percent of 5.54%,and the correlation coefficient(R^2) of 0.9828.

Salt Effect on the Liquid-Liquid Equilibrium of （Water ＋ Propionic Acid ＋ Cyclohexanol） System at T=（298.2,303.2,and 308.2） K

Effects of salt and temperature on the liquid phase equilibrium of the(water + propionic acid + cyclohexanol) system were investigated.The liquid-liquid equilibrium data in the presence of KCl for various salt ionic strength of 0.5,1.0,1.5,2.0,and 2.5 mol·dm3 and in absence of the salt at T=(298.2,303.2,and 308.2)K were determined.The experimental results were correlated based on the Othmer-Tobias equation and Pitzer ion-interaction model.Thermodynamic properties such as distribution coefficients and activity coefficients of propionic acid in water + cyclohexanol were determined.In addition,the separation factor,S,of the chosen solvent was obtained for the investigated system.