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M. Iftikhar Hussain
CITACA, Agri-Food Research and Transfer Cluster, Campus da Auga, Universidad de Vigo, 32004 Ourense, Spain

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Review
Published: 28 August 2021 in Plants
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Allelopathy is an ecological phenomenon that involves the production and release of biomolecules from different crops, cultivated plants, and bacteria or fungi into the soil rhizosphere and impacts other organisms in the vicinity. Sorghum possesses vital allelopathic characteristics due to which it produces and releases different biomolecules from its root hairs, stems, and grains. Several studies have reported that sorghum acts as an allelopathic crop, decreasing the growth and eco-physiological attributes of surrounding plants and weeds growing simultaneously or subsequently in the field. Sorghum allelopathy has been exploited in the context of green manure, crop rotations, cover crops, and intercropping or mulching, whereas plant aqueous extracts or powder might be an alternate method of weed control. A diverse group of allelochemicals, including benzoic acid, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, vanillic acid, ferulic acid, chlorogenic acid, m-coumaric acid, p-coumaric acid, gallic acid, caffeic acid, p-hydroxibenzaldehyde, dhurrin, sorgoleone, m-hydroxybenzoic acid and protocatechuic acid, have been isolated and identified from different plant tissues of sorghum and root exudates. These allelochemicals, especially sorgoleone, have been investigated in terms of their mode(s) of action, specific activity and selectivity, release in the rhizosphere and uptake and translocation in sensitive species. The present review describes the importance of sorghum allelopathy as an ecological tool in managing weeds, highlighting the most recent advances in the allelochemicals present in sorghum, their modes of action, and their fate in the ecosystem. Further research should focus on the evaluation and selection of sorghum cultivars with high allelopathic potential, so that sorghum allelopathy can be better utilized for weed control and yield enhancement.

ACS Style

M. Iftikhar Hussain; Subhan Danish; Adela M. Sánchez-Moreiras; Óscar Vicente; Khawar Jabran; Usman Khalid Chaudhry; Ferdinando Branca; Manuel J. Reigosa. Unraveling Sorghum Allelopathy in Agriculture: Concepts and Implications. Plants 2021, 10, 1795 .

AMA Style

M. Iftikhar Hussain, Subhan Danish, Adela M. Sánchez-Moreiras, Óscar Vicente, Khawar Jabran, Usman Khalid Chaudhry, Ferdinando Branca, Manuel J. Reigosa. Unraveling Sorghum Allelopathy in Agriculture: Concepts and Implications. Plants. 2021; 10 (9):1795.

Chicago/Turabian Style

M. Iftikhar Hussain; Subhan Danish; Adela M. Sánchez-Moreiras; Óscar Vicente; Khawar Jabran; Usman Khalid Chaudhry; Ferdinando Branca; Manuel J. Reigosa. 2021. "Unraveling Sorghum Allelopathy in Agriculture: Concepts and Implications." Plants 10, no. 9: 1795.

Chapter
Published: 03 August 2021 in Sustainable Agriculture Reviews
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Electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) is a non-invasive approach to characterize the electrical properties such as resistance and capacitance of many materials including biological tissues. For measurement, the plasma membrane acts as an electrical insulator that controls the movement of ions and electrolytes across the cells. Under application of a voltage to a tissue, an electric current flows through cell walls, from cell to cell and in fluids, giving rise to an electrical impedance. The magnitude of the impedance and its phase angle can be measured at multiple frequencies using an analyzer. Here we review EIS theory, instrumentation, application, model validation and data assimilation for studying of physiological and biochemical changes in biological tissues. EIS thus allows to understand cellular and synthetic membranes, cell biophysics and ionic systems. Ions are the main current carriers inducing the impedance inside tissues. The symplastic and apoplastic resistances form a parallel impedance circuitry at a given frequency. EIS allows to assess physiological attributes, leaf water content, root size and fruit quality traits. Impedance dispersions are described using Nyquist graphs. Best fitting circuit parameters can be optimized.

ACS Style

M. Iftikhar Hussain; Ali El-Keblawy; Nosheen Akhtar; Ahmed S. Elwakil. Electrical Impedance Spectroscopy in Plant Biology. Sustainable Agriculture Reviews 2021, 395 -416.

AMA Style

M. Iftikhar Hussain, Ali El-Keblawy, Nosheen Akhtar, Ahmed S. Elwakil. Electrical Impedance Spectroscopy in Plant Biology. Sustainable Agriculture Reviews. 2021; ():395-416.

Chicago/Turabian Style

M. Iftikhar Hussain; Ali El-Keblawy; Nosheen Akhtar; Ahmed S. Elwakil. 2021. "Electrical Impedance Spectroscopy in Plant Biology." Sustainable Agriculture Reviews , no. : 395-416.

Journal article
Published: 19 July 2021 in Sustainability
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Salinity is a major constraint in improving agricultural productivity due to its adverse impact on various physiological and biochemical attributes of plants, and its effect on reducing nitrogen (N) use efficiency due to ion toxicity. To understand the relationship between sodium chloride (NaCl) and increased N application rates, a pot study was performed in which the ammonical (NH4+) form of N was applied as urea to maize crops at different rates (control, 160, 186, 240, 267, 293, and 320 kg N ha−1) using two salinity levels (control and 10 dS m−1 NaCl). The results indicate that all biochemical and physiological attributes of the maize plant improved with increased concentration of N up to 293 kg ha−1, compared to those in the control treatment. Similarly, the optimal N concentration regulated the activities of antioxidant enzymes, i.e., catalase activity (CAT), peroxidase activity (POD), and superoxide dismutases (SOD), and also increased the N use efficiencies of the maize crop up to 293 kg N ha−1. Overall, our results show that the optimum level of N (293 kg ha−1) improved the salinity tolerance in the maize plant by activating stress coping physiological and biochemical mechanisms. This may have been due to the major role of N in the metabolic activity of plants and N assimilation enzymes activity such as nitrate reductase (NR) and nitrite reductase (NiR).

ACS Style

Syed Javed; Muhammad Arif; Sher Shahzad; Muhammad Ashraf; Rizwana Kausar; Taimoor Farooq; M. Hussain; Awais Shakoor. Can Different Salt Formulations Revert the Depressing Effect of Salinity on Maize by Modulating Plant Biochemical Attributes and Activating Stress Regulators through Improved N Supply? Sustainability 2021, 13, 8022 .

AMA Style

Syed Javed, Muhammad Arif, Sher Shahzad, Muhammad Ashraf, Rizwana Kausar, Taimoor Farooq, M. Hussain, Awais Shakoor. Can Different Salt Formulations Revert the Depressing Effect of Salinity on Maize by Modulating Plant Biochemical Attributes and Activating Stress Regulators through Improved N Supply? Sustainability. 2021; 13 (14):8022.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Syed Javed; Muhammad Arif; Sher Shahzad; Muhammad Ashraf; Rizwana Kausar; Taimoor Farooq; M. Hussain; Awais Shakoor. 2021. "Can Different Salt Formulations Revert the Depressing Effect of Salinity on Maize by Modulating Plant Biochemical Attributes and Activating Stress Regulators through Improved N Supply?" Sustainability 13, no. 14: 8022.

Journal article
Published: 14 July 2021 in Sustainability
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Exposure to toxic metals (TMs) such as cobalt (Co) can cause lifelong carcinogenic disorders and mutagenic outcomes. TMs enter ground water and rivers from human activity, anthropogenic contamination, and the ecological environment. The present study was conducted to evaluate the influence of sewage water irrigation on cobalt (Co) toxicity and bioaccumulation in a soil-plant environment and to assess the health risk of grazing livestock via forage consumption. Cobalt is a very necessary element for the growth of plants and animals; however, higher concentrations have toxic impacts. Measurement of Co in plant, soil and water samples was conducted via wet digestion method using an atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The Co pollution severity was examined in soil, forage crops (Sorghum bicolor Kuntze, Sesbania bispinosa (Jacq.) W. Wight, Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers., Suaeda fruticosa (L.) Forssk. and Tribulus terrestris L.) in blood, hair and feces of sheep, cow and buffalo from district Toba-Tek-Singh, Punjab, Pakistan. Three sites were selected for investigation of Co level in soil and forage samples. Highest concentration of Co was 0.65 and 0.35 mg/kg occurring in S. bicolor at site I. The sheep blood, cow hair and sheep feces samples showed highest concentrations of 0.545, 0.549 and 0.548 mg/kg, respectively at site I and site II. Bioconcentration factor, pollution load index, enrichment factor and daily intake were found to be higher (0.667, 0.124, 0.12 and 0.0007 mg/kg) in soil, S. bicolor, S. fruticosa and in buffalo, respectively, at site I. It was concluded that forage species irrigated with wastewater are safe for consumption of livestock. However, though the general values were lower than the permissible maximum limit, it was observed that the bioaccumulation in the forage species was higher. Therefore, soil and food chain components should be avoided from trace metal contamination, and other means of nonconventional water resources should be employed for forages irrigation.

ACS Style

Muhammad Hussain; Zafar Iqbal Khan; Majida Naeem; Kafeel Ahmad; Muhammad Awan; Mona Alwahibi; Mohamed Elshikh. Blood, Hair and Feces as an Indicator of Environmental Exposure of Sheep, Cow and Buffalo to Cobalt: A Health Risk Perspectives. Sustainability 2021, 13, 7873 .

AMA Style

Muhammad Hussain, Zafar Iqbal Khan, Majida Naeem, Kafeel Ahmad, Muhammad Awan, Mona Alwahibi, Mohamed Elshikh. Blood, Hair and Feces as an Indicator of Environmental Exposure of Sheep, Cow and Buffalo to Cobalt: A Health Risk Perspectives. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (14):7873.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Muhammad Hussain; Zafar Iqbal Khan; Majida Naeem; Kafeel Ahmad; Muhammad Awan; Mona Alwahibi; Mohamed Elshikh. 2021. "Blood, Hair and Feces as an Indicator of Environmental Exposure of Sheep, Cow and Buffalo to Cobalt: A Health Risk Perspectives." Sustainability 13, no. 14: 7873.

Journal article
Published: 02 July 2021 in Plant Production Science
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ACS Style

Abuzar Ghafoor; Hassan Karim; Muhammad Ahsan Asghar; Ali Raza; M. Iftikhar Hussain; Hafiz Hassan Javed; Iram Shafiq; Peng Xiao; Hu Yue; Bushra Ahmad; Amir Manzoor; Ummar Ali; Yongcheng Wu. Carbohydrates accumulation, oil quality and yield of rapeseed genotypes at different nitrogen rates. Plant Production Science 2021, 1 -20.

AMA Style

Abuzar Ghafoor, Hassan Karim, Muhammad Ahsan Asghar, Ali Raza, M. Iftikhar Hussain, Hafiz Hassan Javed, Iram Shafiq, Peng Xiao, Hu Yue, Bushra Ahmad, Amir Manzoor, Ummar Ali, Yongcheng Wu. Carbohydrates accumulation, oil quality and yield of rapeseed genotypes at different nitrogen rates. Plant Production Science. 2021; ():1-20.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Abuzar Ghafoor; Hassan Karim; Muhammad Ahsan Asghar; Ali Raza; M. Iftikhar Hussain; Hafiz Hassan Javed; Iram Shafiq; Peng Xiao; Hu Yue; Bushra Ahmad; Amir Manzoor; Ummar Ali; Yongcheng Wu. 2021. "Carbohydrates accumulation, oil quality and yield of rapeseed genotypes at different nitrogen rates." Plant Production Science , no. : 1-20.

Journal article
Published: 05 February 2021 in Biomolecules
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The elimination of broadleaf weeds from agricultural fields has become an urgent task in plant and environment protection. Allelopathic control is considered a potential approach because of its exclusive and ecological safety measures. Plant secondary metabolites also called allelochemicals are released from plant leaves, roots, stem, bark, flowers and play significant roles in soil rhizosphere signaling, chemical ecology, and plant defense. The present study was carried out to evaluate the impact of two allelochemicals; ferulic acid (FA) and p-hydroxybenzoic acid (pHBA) on photosynthetic characteristics; Fv/Fm: efficiency of photosystem II photochemistry in the dark-adapted state; ΦPSII: photosynthetic quantum yield; NPQ, non-photochemical quenching; qP, photochemical quenching, and photon energy dissipation (1−qP)/NPQ in Rumex acetosa following 6 days exposure. R. acetosa seedlings were grown in perlite culture, irrigated with Hoagland solution and treated with allelopathic compounds FA and pHBA and were evaluated against the photosynthetic attributes. Both compounds behaved as potent inhibitors of photosynthetic traits such as Fv/Fm, ΦPSII, qP, and NPQ in R. acetosa. Photon energy dissipation (1−qP)/NPQ increased significantly from days 3 to 6. Higher dissipation of absorbed energy indicates the inactivation state of reaction centers and their inability to effectively use the absorbed energy in photosynthesis. These results indicated the potential allelopathic application of FA and pHBA for control of broadleaf weed, Rumex acetosa.

ACS Style

M. Hussain; Manuel Reigosa. Secondary Metabolites, Ferulic Acid and p-Hydroxybenzoic Acid Induced Toxic Effects on Photosynthetic Process in Rumex acetosa L. Biomolecules 2021, 11, 233 .

AMA Style

M. Hussain, Manuel Reigosa. Secondary Metabolites, Ferulic Acid and p-Hydroxybenzoic Acid Induced Toxic Effects on Photosynthetic Process in Rumex acetosa L. Biomolecules. 2021; 11 (2):233.

Chicago/Turabian Style

M. Hussain; Manuel Reigosa. 2021. "Secondary Metabolites, Ferulic Acid and p-Hydroxybenzoic Acid Induced Toxic Effects on Photosynthetic Process in Rumex acetosa L." Biomolecules 11, no. 2: 233.

Review
Published: 27 December 2020 in Plants
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Temperature across the globe is increasing continuously at the rate of 0.15–0.17 °C per decade since the industrial revolution. It is influencing agricultural crop productivity. Therefore, thermotolerance strategies are needed to have sustainability in crop yield under higher temperature. However, improving thermotolerance in the crop is a challenging task for crop scientists. Therefore, this review work was conducted with the aim of providing information on the wheat response in three research areas, i.e., physiology, breeding, and advances in genetics, which could assist the researchers in improving thermotolerance. The optimum temperature for wheat growth at the heading, anthesis, and grain filling duration is 16 ± 2.3 °C, 23 ± 1.75 °C, and 26 ± 1.53 °C, respectively. The high temperature adversely influences the crop phenology, growth, and development. The pre-anthesis high temperature retards the pollen viability, seed formation, and embryo development. The post-anthesis high temperature declines the starch granules accumulation, stem reserve carbohydrates, and translocation of photosynthates into grains. A high temperature above 40 °C inhibits the photosynthesis by damaging the photosystem-II, electron transport chain, and photosystem-I. Our review work highlighted that genotypes which can maintain a higher accumulation of proline, glycine betaine, expression of heat shock proteins, stay green and antioxidant enzymes activity viz., catalase, peroxidase, super oxide dismutase, and glutathione reductase can tolerate high temperature efficiently through sustaining cellular physiology. Similarly, the pre-anthesis acclimation with heat treatment, inorganic fertilizer such as nitrogen, potassium nitrate and potassium chloride, mulches with rice husk, early sowing, presoaking of a 6.6 mM solution of thiourea, foliar application of 50 ppm dithiothreitol, 10 mg per kg of silicon at heading and zinc ameliorate the crop against the high temperature. Finally, it has been suggested that modern genomics and omics techniques should be used to develop thermotolerance in wheat.

ACS Style

Adeel Khan; Munir Ahmad; Mukhtar Ahmed; M. Iftikhar Hussain. Rising Atmospheric Temperature Impact on Wheat and Thermotolerance Strategies. Plants 2020, 10, 43 .

AMA Style

Adeel Khan, Munir Ahmad, Mukhtar Ahmed, M. Iftikhar Hussain. Rising Atmospheric Temperature Impact on Wheat and Thermotolerance Strategies. Plants. 2020; 10 (1):43.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Adeel Khan; Munir Ahmad; Mukhtar Ahmed; M. Iftikhar Hussain. 2020. "Rising Atmospheric Temperature Impact on Wheat and Thermotolerance Strategies." Plants 10, no. 1: 43.

Journal article
Published: 13 December 2020 in Plants
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Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) is a halophytic crop that shows resistance to multiple abiotic stresses, including salinity. In this study we investigated the salinity tolerance mechanisms of six contrasting quinoa cultivars belonging to the coastal region of Chile using agro-physiological parameters (plant height (PH), number of branches/plant (BN), number of panicles/plant (PN), panicle length (PL), biochemical traits (leaf C%, leaf N%, grain protein contents); harvest index and yield (seed yield and plant dry biomass (PDM) under three salinity levels (0, 10, and 20 d Sm−1 NaCl). The yield stability was evaluated through comparision of seed yield characteristics [(static environmental variance (S2) and dynamic Wricke’s ecovalence (W2)]. Results showed that significant variations existed in agro-morphological and yield attributes. With increasing salinity levels, yield contributing parameters (number of panicles and panicle length) decreased. Salt stress reduced the leaf carbon and nitrogen contents. Genotypes Q21, and AMES13761 showed higher seed yield (2.30 t ha−1), more productivity and stability at various salinities as compared to the other genotypes. Salinity reduced seed yield to 44.48% and 60% at lower (10 dS m−1) and higher salinity (20 dS m−1), respectively. Grain protein content was highest in NSL106398 and lowest in Q29 when treated with saline water. Seed yield was positively correlated with PH, TB, HI, and C%. Significant and negative correlations were observed between N%, protein contents and seed yield. PH showed significant positive correlation with APL, HI, C% and C:N ratio. HI displayed positive correlations with C%, N% and protein content., All measured plant traits, except for C:N ratio, responded to salt in a genotype-specific way. Our results indicate that the genotypes (Q21 and AMES13761) proved their suitability under sandy desert soils of Dubai, UAE as they exhibited higher seed yield while NSL106398 showed an higher seed protein content. The present research highlights the need to preserve quinoa biodiversity for a better seedling establishment, survival and stable yield in the sandy desertic UAE environment.

ACS Style

M. Iftikhar Hussain; Adele Muscolo; Mukhtar Ahmed; Muhammad Ahsan Asghar; Abdullah J. Al-Dakheel. Agro-morphological, Yield and Quality Traits and Interrelationship with Yield Stability in Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) Genotypes under Saline Marginal Environment. Plants 2020, 9, 1763 .

AMA Style

M. Iftikhar Hussain, Adele Muscolo, Mukhtar Ahmed, Muhammad Ahsan Asghar, Abdullah J. Al-Dakheel. Agro-morphological, Yield and Quality Traits and Interrelationship with Yield Stability in Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) Genotypes under Saline Marginal Environment. Plants. 2020; 9 (12):1763.

Chicago/Turabian Style

M. Iftikhar Hussain; Adele Muscolo; Mukhtar Ahmed; Muhammad Ahsan Asghar; Abdullah J. Al-Dakheel. 2020. "Agro-morphological, Yield and Quality Traits and Interrelationship with Yield Stability in Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) Genotypes under Saline Marginal Environment." Plants 9, no. 12: 1763.

Review
Published: 17 November 2020 in Plants
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Lodging is one of the most chronic restraints of the maize-soybean intercropping system, which causes a serious threat to agriculture development and sustainability. In the maize-soybean intercropping system, shade is a major causative agent that is triggered by the higher stem length of a maize plant. Many morphological and anatomical characteristics are involved in the lodging phenomenon, along with the chemical configuration of the stem. Due to maize shading, soybean stem evolves the shade avoidance response and resulting in the stem elongation that leads to severe lodging stress. However, the major agro-techniques that are required to explore the lodging stress in the maize-soybean intercropping system for sustainable agriculture have not been precisely elucidated yet. Therefore, the present review is tempted to compare the conceptual insights with preceding published researches and proposed the important techniques which could be applied to overcome the devastating effects of lodging. We further explored that, lodging stress management is dependent on multiple approaches such as agronomical, chemical and genetics which could be helpful to reduce the lodging threats in the maize-soybean intercropping system. Nonetheless, many queries needed to explicate the complex phenomenon of lodging. Henceforth, the agronomists, physiologists, molecular actors and breeders require further exploration to fix this challenging problem.

ACS Style

Ali Raza; Muhammad Ahsan Asghar; Bushra Ahmad; Cheng Bin; M. Iftikhar Hussain; Wang Li; Tauseef Iqbal; Muhammad Yaseen; Iram Shafiq; Zhang Yi; Irshan Ahmad; Wenyu Yang; Liu Weiguo. Agro-Techniques for Lodging Stress Management in Maize-Soybean Intercropping System—A Review. Plants 2020, 9, 1592 .

AMA Style

Ali Raza, Muhammad Ahsan Asghar, Bushra Ahmad, Cheng Bin, M. Iftikhar Hussain, Wang Li, Tauseef Iqbal, Muhammad Yaseen, Iram Shafiq, Zhang Yi, Irshan Ahmad, Wenyu Yang, Liu Weiguo. Agro-Techniques for Lodging Stress Management in Maize-Soybean Intercropping System—A Review. Plants. 2020; 9 (11):1592.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ali Raza; Muhammad Ahsan Asghar; Bushra Ahmad; Cheng Bin; M. Iftikhar Hussain; Wang Li; Tauseef Iqbal; Muhammad Yaseen; Iram Shafiq; Zhang Yi; Irshan Ahmad; Wenyu Yang; Liu Weiguo. 2020. "Agro-Techniques for Lodging Stress Management in Maize-Soybean Intercropping System—A Review." Plants 9, no. 11: 1592.

Journal article
Published: 24 September 2020 in Flora
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Few plants can survive and grow equally well in salty and salt-free substrates (i.e., habitat-indifferent halophytes). Such plants provide a good opportunity to understand physiological and biochemical mechanisms underlying salinity tolerance. In this study, we investigated the environmental salinity impacts on several physiological and biochemical features of Suaeda vermiculata, a habitat-indifferent halophyte. Samples of different organs were collected from S. vermiculata from both a highly saline marsh habitat (HSMH) and non-salty gravel plain (NSGP) for the determination of the following physiological and bio-chemical features: chlorophyll and carotenoids, proline, malondialdehyde (MDA), and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), antioxidant enzymes (Catalase, CAT; guaiacol peroxidase, GPX; Ascorbate peroxidase, APX) activities. Elemental compositions in soil and plant samples from both habitats were also assessed. Results showed that plants from HSMH had significantly lower values of chlorophyll a, b, carotenoids and leaf biomass, compared to those from NSGP. Roots from HSMH attained higher levels of antioxidant enzymes (CAT, GPX, APX) and lower values of reactive oxygen species (MDA and H2O2), indicating that the enzymes are more likely scavenging the reactive oxygen species (ROS). The enzyme activities and ROS levels were much lower in the shoots of both HSMH and NSGP than in roots. Accumulation of sodium was higher in leaves and shoots than roots of S. vermiculata. This study indicates that Suaeda vermiculata is a salt tolerant plant with adaptations to different environments through down-regulation of different biochemical and physiological features to avoid oxidative stress.

ACS Style

Naeema Al-Shamsi; M. Iftikhar Hussain; Ali El-Keblawy. Physiological responses of the xerohalophyte Suaeda vermiculata to salinity in its hyper-arid environment. Flora 2020, 273, 151705 .

AMA Style

Naeema Al-Shamsi, M. Iftikhar Hussain, Ali El-Keblawy. Physiological responses of the xerohalophyte Suaeda vermiculata to salinity in its hyper-arid environment. Flora. 2020; 273 ():151705.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Naeema Al-Shamsi; M. Iftikhar Hussain; Ali El-Keblawy. 2020. "Physiological responses of the xerohalophyte Suaeda vermiculata to salinity in its hyper-arid environment." Flora 273, no. : 151705.

Journal article
Published: 18 September 2020 in Plants
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We studied the polyphenol (phenolic compounds and flavonoids) composition and allelopathic effects of Acacia melanoxylon R. Br. aerial foliage aqueous extract (0%, 25%, 50%, 75% and 100%) on the seedling growth and plant biomass of the general biotest species, lettuce (Lactuca sativa). Mean leaf fresh weight, leaf dry weight, root fresh weight and root dry weight were decreased following exposure to Acacia aerial foliage, flowers aqueous extract (AFE) and phyllodes aqueous extract (APE) after 6 days. The reduction in plant dry biomass was more than 50% following treatment with AFE. The decrease in mean root length was approximately 37.7% and 29.20% following treatment with Acacia flowers extract (AFE) at 75% and 100% concentration, respectively. Root dry weight of L. sativa was reduced by both flowers and phyllodes extract. The reduction of protein contents in lettuce leaves following Acacia foliage extract proved that both AFE and APE exhibit polyphenols that causes the toxicity which led to decrease in leaf protein contents. High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) was employed to analyze the A. melanoxylon flowers and phyllodes. A total of 13 compounds (accounting for most abundant compounds in flowers and phyllodes) include different flavonoids and phenolic compounds. The phytochemical compounds detected were: Gallic acid, protocatechuic acid, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, p-hydroxybenzaldehyde, vanillic acid, syringic acid, p-coumaric acid, and ferulic acid. The major flavonoid compounds identified include rutin, luteolin, apigenin, and catechin. Allelopathic effects of flower and phyllodes extracts from A. melanoxylon may be due to the presence of above compounds identified by HPLC analysis.

ACS Style

M. Iftikhar Hussain; Mohamed A. El-Sheikh; Manuel J. Reigosa. Allelopathic Potential of Aqueous Extract from Acacia melanoxylon R. Br. on Lactuca sativa. Plants 2020, 9, 1228 .

AMA Style

M. Iftikhar Hussain, Mohamed A. El-Sheikh, Manuel J. Reigosa. Allelopathic Potential of Aqueous Extract from Acacia melanoxylon R. Br. on Lactuca sativa. Plants. 2020; 9 (9):1228.

Chicago/Turabian Style

M. Iftikhar Hussain; Mohamed A. El-Sheikh; Manuel J. Reigosa. 2020. "Allelopathic Potential of Aqueous Extract from Acacia melanoxylon R. Br. on Lactuca sativa." Plants 9, no. 9: 1228.

Journal article
Published: 06 September 2020 in Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences
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The date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) is an important fruit crop with significant pharmaceutical potential. Little data are available on comparative pharmaceutical importance of the date pits. We designed this study to assess the antitumorigenic effects of date palm pits extracts from different Emiratis varieties. We used MDA-MB-231 cells derived from triple negative breasts cancer tissues as a model. We found that out of the 17 date pits extracts from 6 Emiratis varieties, three (Khalas extract in water + acetone (1:1), Abu-Maan extract in MeOH + Chloroform (1:1) and Mabroom extract in water + acetone (1:1)) were found effectively cytotoxic and changed morphology of cells in dose and time dependent manner. We found the maximum effect at 2.5 mg/mL concentration at 72 h. We calculated IC50 values for these varieties at 24 h. IC50 values for Khalas, Abu-Maan and Mabroom were 0.982 mg/mL, 1.149 mg/mL and 2.213 mg/mL respectively. We treated the cells with IC50 values of extracts and observed changes in protein profile using human kinase array kit. After analyzing the results, we suggest that EGFR/ERK/FAK pathway, eNOS and src family proteins are targets of these extracts. We conclude that date pits extracts can be a possible therapeutic agent against cancer and we suggest further studies.

ACS Style

Muhammad Nasir Khan Khattak; Abdallah Shanableh; Muhammad Iftikhar Hussain; Amir Ali Khan; Muhammad Abdulwahab; Wameed Radeef; Mohammad Harb Samreen. Anticancer activities of selected Emirati Date (Phoenix dactylifera L.) varieties pits in human triple negative breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells. Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences 2020, 27, 3390 -3396.

AMA Style

Muhammad Nasir Khan Khattak, Abdallah Shanableh, Muhammad Iftikhar Hussain, Amir Ali Khan, Muhammad Abdulwahab, Wameed Radeef, Mohammad Harb Samreen. Anticancer activities of selected Emirati Date (Phoenix dactylifera L.) varieties pits in human triple negative breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells. Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences. 2020; 27 (12):3390-3396.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Muhammad Nasir Khan Khattak; Abdallah Shanableh; Muhammad Iftikhar Hussain; Amir Ali Khan; Muhammad Abdulwahab; Wameed Radeef; Mohammad Harb Samreen. 2020. "Anticancer activities of selected Emirati Date (Phoenix dactylifera L.) varieties pits in human triple negative breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells." Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences 27, no. 12: 3390-3396.

Journal article
Published: 08 July 2020 in Forests
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Plants have evolved photoprotective mechanisms in order to counteract the damaging effects of excess light in hyper-arid desert environments. We evaluated the impact of surface canopy positions on the photosynthetic adjustments and chlorophyll fluorescence attributes (photosystem II photochemistry, quantum yield, fluorescence quenching, and photon energy dissipation), leaf biomass and nutrient content of sun-exposed leaves at the south east (SE canopy position) and shaded-leaves at the north west (NW canopy position) in the invasive Prosopis juliflora and native Prosopis cineraria in the extreme environment (hyper-arid desert area, United Arab Emirates (UAE)). The main aim of this research was to study the photoprotection mechanism in invasive and native Prosopis congeners via the safe removal—as thermal energy—of excess solar energy absorbed by the light collecting system, which counteracts the formation of reactive oxygen species. Maximum photosynthetic efficiency (Fv/Fm) from dark-adapted leaves in P. juliflora and P. cineraria was higher on NW than SE canopy position while insignificant difference was observed within the two Prosopis congeners. Greater quantum yield was observed in P. juliflora than P. cineraria on the NW canopy position than SE. With the change of canopy positions from NW to SE, the reduction of the PSII reaction center activity in the leaves of both Prosopis congeners was accelerated. On the SE canopy position, a significant decline in the electron transport rate (ETR) of in the leaves of both Prosopis congeners occurred, which might be due to the blockage of electron transfer from QA to QB on the PSII acceptor side. On the SE canopy position; Prosopis leaves dissipated excess light energy by increasing non-photochemical quenching (NPQ). However, in P. cineraria, the protective ability of NPQ decreased, which led to the accumulation of excess excitation energy (1 − qP)/NPQ and the aggravation of photoinhibition. The results also explain the role of different physiological attributes contributing to invasiveness of P. juliflora and to evaluate its liaison between plasticity of these characters and invasiveness.

ACS Style

M. Iftikhar Hussain; François Mitterand Tsombou; Ali El-Keblawy. Surface Canopy Position Determines the Photosystem II Photochemistry in Invasive and Native Prosopis Congeners at Sharjah Desert, UAE. Forests 2020, 11, 740 .

AMA Style

M. Iftikhar Hussain, François Mitterand Tsombou, Ali El-Keblawy. Surface Canopy Position Determines the Photosystem II Photochemistry in Invasive and Native Prosopis Congeners at Sharjah Desert, UAE. Forests. 2020; 11 (7):740.

Chicago/Turabian Style

M. Iftikhar Hussain; François Mitterand Tsombou; Ali El-Keblawy. 2020. "Surface Canopy Position Determines the Photosystem II Photochemistry in Invasive and Native Prosopis Congeners at Sharjah Desert, UAE." Forests 11, no. 7: 740.

Review
Published: 27 May 2020 in Environmental Science and Pollution Research
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Feeding 9 billion by 2050 is one of major challenges for researchers. Use of diversified crops, nonconventional water resources and rehabilitation of marginal lands are alternate options to produce more food to face climate change projections. Adaptation to climate change through climate smart agriculture practices, agroecology activities, and crop-based management packages can help transform the marginal lands from environmental burdens into productive and economic blocks. This review discusses the recent advancements on specialty group of alternate crops (oil seeds, legumes, cereals, medicinal, lignocellulose, and fruit crops) which can adapt in the marginal environments. Availability of alternate water resources (saline water, treated wastewater) for irrigation cannot be omitted. Crop diversification systems involving drought and salt-tolerant crops are likely to be the key to future agricultural and economic growth in the regions where salt-affected soils exist and/or saline aquifers are pumped for irrigation. These systems may tackle three main tasks: sustainable management of land resources and enhancement of per unit productivity; intensification of agroecological practices to increase soil fertility; and improving productivity of marginal lands for diversified climate smart crops. This review explores various aspects of marginal lands and selection of tolerant crop genotypes, crop diversification, and agroecological practices to maximize benefits.

ACS Style

Muhammad Iftikhar Hussain; Muhammad Farooq; Adele Muscolo; Abdul Rehman. Crop diversification and saline water irrigation as potential strategies to save freshwater resources and reclamation of marginal soils—a review. Environmental Science and Pollution Research 2020, 27, 28695 -28729.

AMA Style

Muhammad Iftikhar Hussain, Muhammad Farooq, Adele Muscolo, Abdul Rehman. Crop diversification and saline water irrigation as potential strategies to save freshwater resources and reclamation of marginal soils—a review. Environmental Science and Pollution Research. 2020; 27 (23):28695-28729.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Muhammad Iftikhar Hussain; Muhammad Farooq; Adele Muscolo; Abdul Rehman. 2020. "Crop diversification and saline water irrigation as potential strategies to save freshwater resources and reclamation of marginal soils—a review." Environmental Science and Pollution Research 27, no. 23: 28695-28729.

Review
Published: 22 January 2020 in Plants
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Mesquite (Prosopis juliflora (Sw.) DC), is an medium-sized tree (family Fabaceae, subfamily Mimosoideae), that has been intorcuded around the world. It is a noxious invasive species in Africa, Asia, and the Arabian Peninsula and a source of highly allergenic pollen in. The present article reviews the adverse allergenic effects of P. juliflora pollen on human and animal health. Several studies have diagnosed that allergenic pollens from Prosopis spp. can provoke respiratory problems. Prosopis pollen extracts have 16 allergenic components of which nine proteins were recognized as major allergens with some of them showing cross-reactivity. Clinically, understanding Prosopis pollen production, flowering seasonality, pollen load, and dispersal in the atmosphere are important to avoid allergic consequences for local inhabitants. Climate change and other pollution can also help to further facilitate allergenic issues. Furthermore, we document other human and animal health problems caused by invasive Prosopis trees. This includes flesh injuries, dental and gastric problems, and the facilitation of malaria. This review summarizes and enhances the existing knowledge about Prosopis flowering phenology, aeroallergen, and other human and animal health risks associated with this noxious plant.

ACS Style

M. Iftikhar Hussain; Ross T. Shackleton; Ali El-Keblawy; María Del Mar Trigo Pérez; Luís González. Invasive Mesquite (Prosopis juliflora), an Allergy and Health Challenge. Plants 2020, 9, 141 .

AMA Style

M. Iftikhar Hussain, Ross T. Shackleton, Ali El-Keblawy, María Del Mar Trigo Pérez, Luís González. Invasive Mesquite (Prosopis juliflora), an Allergy and Health Challenge. Plants. 2020; 9 (2):141.

Chicago/Turabian Style

M. Iftikhar Hussain; Ross T. Shackleton; Ali El-Keblawy; María Del Mar Trigo Pérez; Luís González. 2020. "Invasive Mesquite (Prosopis juliflora), an Allergy and Health Challenge." Plants 9, no. 2: 141.

Research article
Published: 20 January 2020 in Environmental Science and Pollution Research
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The shortage of fresh water is a major problem throughout the world, but the situation is worst in the arid and semiarid regions. Therefore, reuse of nonconventional water resources such as treated wastewater (TWW) is a common practice to irrigate field crops, vegetables, and forestry sectors. The present study was conducted to evaluate the significant impact of different heavy metals such as copper (Cu), iron (Fe), chromium (Cr), and zinc (Zn) on the soil and leafy, root, and fruit vegetables following irrigation with TWW through subsurface drip irrigation. Our results indicate that iron (Fe) was highest in lettuce followed by spinach, and Zn and Cr were second and third most abundant element in the different vegetables. Eggplant and radish showed the lowest concentrations of various heavy metals. A significant difference was observed in transfer factor (TF) among vegetables, and highest TFsoil-veg was observed for Fe in lettuce and the lowest for Cr in eggplant. Estimated daily intake (EDI) was the lowest in adults and highest in children. Target hazard quotient (THQ) of Cu, Zn, and Fe being < 1.0 appears relatively safe in all the tested vegetables. Risk index (RI) values showed that heavy metals were lower than 1.0 and hence lower risk for human. The combined HI values for Cu, Zn, Cd, Cr, and Pb were substaintionaly higher 12.8 and 9.21 after consumption of lettuce and carrot. So, consumption of these vegetables should be avoided after irrigation with TWW. Spinach exhibited maximum total coliform loading, while ecological risk was negligible due to sandy nature of soil type. Health risks to human could be reduced through proper selection of suitable vegetables, time of maturity, and consumed organs (leaf, fruit, or root part). Appropriate should be followed to decontaminate the microbial load in order to avoid any risks to human health (both adults and children).

ACS Style

Muhammad Iftikhar Hussain; Asad Sarwar Qureshi. Health risks of heavy metal exposure and microbial contamination through consumption of vegetables irrigated with treated wastewater at Dubai, UAE. Environmental Science and Pollution Research 2020, 27, 11213 -11226.

AMA Style

Muhammad Iftikhar Hussain, Asad Sarwar Qureshi. Health risks of heavy metal exposure and microbial contamination through consumption of vegetables irrigated with treated wastewater at Dubai, UAE. Environmental Science and Pollution Research. 2020; 27 (10):11213-11226.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Muhammad Iftikhar Hussain; Asad Sarwar Qureshi. 2020. "Health risks of heavy metal exposure and microbial contamination through consumption of vegetables irrigated with treated wastewater at Dubai, UAE." Environmental Science and Pollution Research 27, no. 10: 11213-11226.

Review
Published: 30 December 2019 in Food Bioscience
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The date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) is a popular perennial fruit tree cultivated worldwide, especially in West Asia and North Africa. Its fruit (date) is equally liked around the globe. This systematic review critically evaluates past and recent literature from the perspective of nutritional profile and nutraceuticals attributes of different date varieties. A systematic literature search was done using the Scopus, Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International (CABI), Google Scholar and Web of Science databases for references from 1971 to 2017, with 270 articles meeting the inclusion criteria. Date fruit is an inexpensive source of nutrients including carbohydrates, proteins, amino acids and dietary minerals (selenium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, manganese, iron, dietary fiber, vitamins, carotenoids and fatty acids). It also contains polyphenols, anthocyanins, carotenoids, tannins, procyanidins, sterols, flavonols, flavones, anthocyanidins, isoflavones, phytoestrogens phenolic acids, cinnamic acid derivatives, volatile compounds and have strong antioxidant potential. The β-glucan from date fruits have strong anti-tumor, immune-modulating, anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory and cholesterol lowering potential, and encourage the growth of beneficial gut microflora. Pre-clinical studies have shown the anti-mutagenic, hepato-protective, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-fungal, anti-tumor, nephro-protective, cardiovascular disease protective and anti-cancer properties of date fruit flesh, peel and pits.

ACS Style

M. Iftikhar Hussain; Muhammad Farooq; Qamar Abbas Syed. Nutritional and biological characteristics of the date palm fruit (Phoenix dactylifera L.) – A review. Food Bioscience 2019, 34, 100509 .

AMA Style

M. Iftikhar Hussain, Muhammad Farooq, Qamar Abbas Syed. Nutritional and biological characteristics of the date palm fruit (Phoenix dactylifera L.) – A review. Food Bioscience. 2019; 34 ():100509.

Chicago/Turabian Style

M. Iftikhar Hussain; Muhammad Farooq; Qamar Abbas Syed. 2019. "Nutritional and biological characteristics of the date palm fruit (Phoenix dactylifera L.) – A review." Food Bioscience 34, no. : 100509.

Journal article
Published: 09 October 2019 in Plants
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The present study involved measurements of the stable carbon isotope composition (δ13C) and intrinsic water-use efficiency (iWUE) of three C3 leguminous Prosopis spp. (P. juliflora, P. cineraria, and P. pallida) foliage at different canopy positions (east and west) from saline (SLH) and non-saline habitats (NSH). Integrated measurements of the stable carbon isotope composition (δ13C) of plant tissue were broadly used to study iWUE, taking into consideration the effect of leaf age and canopy position on C isotope discrimination. Mature foliage of P. pallida from an SLH with a west canopy position had significantly higher δ13C (less negative) than that from NSH. On the west side, Δ13C values ranged from 17.8‱ (P. pallida) to 22.31‱ (P. juliflora) for a west canopy position, while they varied from 18.05‱ (P. pallida) to 22.4‱ (P. cineraria) on the east canopy side. Because the patterns are similar for the three Prosopis species, the difference in carbon isotope discrimination (Δ13C) between the canopy position (west and east) is relatively consistent among species and sites, ranging between 17.8 ± 4.43‱ for the young foliage in the west and 18.05 ± 4.35‱ for the east canopy position. The iWUE of P. pallida was twice that of P. cineraria. The iWUE of P. juliflora was higher from NSH than SLH. Mature leaves possessed a higher iWUE than the young leaves. We concluded that exotic P. juliflora and P. pallida have higher iWUE values than the native P. cineraria, which might be due to the rapid below-ground development of plant roots in the Arabian deserts of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This could enable the alien species access to deeper humid soil layers or water resources.

ACS Style

M. Iftikhar Hussain; Ali El-Keblawy; François Mitterand Tsombou. Leaf Age, Canopy Position, and Habitat Affect the Carbon Isotope Discrimination and Water-Use Efficiency in Three C3 Leguminous Prosopis Species from a Hyper-Arid Climate. Plants 2019, 8, 402 .

AMA Style

M. Iftikhar Hussain, Ali El-Keblawy, François Mitterand Tsombou. Leaf Age, Canopy Position, and Habitat Affect the Carbon Isotope Discrimination and Water-Use Efficiency in Three C3 Leguminous Prosopis Species from a Hyper-Arid Climate. Plants. 2019; 8 (10):402.

Chicago/Turabian Style

M. Iftikhar Hussain; Ali El-Keblawy; François Mitterand Tsombou. 2019. "Leaf Age, Canopy Position, and Habitat Affect the Carbon Isotope Discrimination and Water-Use Efficiency in Three C3 Leguminous Prosopis Species from a Hyper-Arid Climate." Plants 8, no. 10: 402.

Review article
Published: 22 May 2019 in Agricultural Water Management
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Land and water are the most basic resources for the food production systems. However, the looming water scarcity is threatening the sustainability of food production systems and is causing the food security challenges. Crop production on marginal and degraded lands using non-conventional water resources may help achieve the food security for the future generations. Non-conventional water resources (NCW), viz. saline water, wastewater and greywater, can be used for food production systems after proper treatment for the rehabilitation of marginal and degraded lands. In this review, experiences and perspectives of use of NCW in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region are discussed. The availability of NCW, their quantity and potential utilization in agriculture, landscaping, and forestry have been highlighted. Apart from Saudi Arabia, Oman, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Kuwait, Qatar and Jordan, wastewater treatment facilities are limited in the MENA region. However, consumption is increasing due to population increase. The changes in soil physical, chemical and biological characteristics, with the use of untreated wastewater, are also elaborated. The pragmatic strategies for NCW treatments including desalination, wastewater treatment, reuse of agricultural drainage water, groundwater extraction and rainwater collection have also been described. Here we reviewed that, (i) Legislation should be done to encourage farmers to use NCW and to grow crop species (safflower, sorghum, millet, carrots, radish, cucumber, tomatoes, eggplant, lettuce) which accumulate relatively very low amounts of metals in their edible parts, especially in pre-urban areas. (ii) Water treatment technologies should be advocated and implemented for the use of NCW. (iii) The NCW reuse should be promoted as an integral component in every country's national development strategic plan. Safe reuse of NCW has great potential, however, that can be effectively used through wise resource planning, and environmental management and financing arrangements.

ACS Style

M. Iftikhar Hussain; Adele Muscolo; Muhammad Farooq; Waqar Ahmad. Sustainable use and management of non-conventional water resources for rehabilitation of marginal lands in arid and semiarid environments. Agricultural Water Management 2019, 221, 462 -476.

AMA Style

M. Iftikhar Hussain, Adele Muscolo, Muhammad Farooq, Waqar Ahmad. Sustainable use and management of non-conventional water resources for rehabilitation of marginal lands in arid and semiarid environments. Agricultural Water Management. 2019; 221 ():462-476.

Chicago/Turabian Style

M. Iftikhar Hussain; Adele Muscolo; Muhammad Farooq; Waqar Ahmad. 2019. "Sustainable use and management of non-conventional water resources for rehabilitation of marginal lands in arid and semiarid environments." Agricultural Water Management 221, no. : 462-476.

Journal article
Published: 30 April 2019 in Biologia
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Plants produce and release a vast variety of secondary metabolites with diversified functions, and possess ecological, toxicological and biological effects that mimic the activities of synthetic chemicals. Coumarins extracted from bacteria, fungi and many edible plants are widely used for their antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, anti-HIV and anticancer activities. This review presents a concise summary based on the latest knowledge of the biological and pharmaceutical uses of coumarin and its derivatives, including an evaluation of future therapeutic potential. The presence of coumarins in various plant organs like fruits, seeds, roots, leaves and latex supplement recent work reported in scientific literature related to these compounds and their development. Due to low production in plants, the upscaling and industrial scale production, commercialization and industry demand of coumarins has faced hurdles. We searched Google Scholar and Web of Science for relevant literature upto 2018 using the keywords pharmaceutical, biological activities and coumarins. This review has thoroughly overviewed the related facts and figures about coumarins and its derivatives, especially in terms of biological and pharmaceutical properties including anti-microbial, anti-viral, anti-diabetic, anticoagulant, estrogenic, dermal photosensitizing, vasodilator, molluscacidal, antithelmintic, sedative and hypnotic, analgesic, hypothermic, anti-cancer activity, anti-oxidant, anti-parasitic, antihelmintic, anti-proliferative, anti-convulsant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-hypertensive activities. The pharmaceutical impact of coumarins on public health is a complex phenomenon, with several questions in relation to safety during medical therapies and consumption through diet. The present review focuses on coumarin clinical studies in the treatment of various chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes, depression, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and HIV. However, further research and review are necessary to broaden the therapeutic effectiveness of coumarin in patients suffering from such ailments.

ACS Style

M. Iftikhar Hussain; Qamar Abbas Syed; Muhammad Nasir Khan Khattak; Baraa Hafez; Manuel J. Reigosa; Ali El-Keblawy. Natural product coumarins: biological and pharmacological perspectives. Biologia 2019, 74, 863 -888.

AMA Style

M. Iftikhar Hussain, Qamar Abbas Syed, Muhammad Nasir Khan Khattak, Baraa Hafez, Manuel J. Reigosa, Ali El-Keblawy. Natural product coumarins: biological and pharmacological perspectives. Biologia. 2019; 74 (7):863-888.

Chicago/Turabian Style

M. Iftikhar Hussain; Qamar Abbas Syed; Muhammad Nasir Khan Khattak; Baraa Hafez; Manuel J. Reigosa; Ali El-Keblawy. 2019. "Natural product coumarins: biological and pharmacological perspectives." Biologia 74, no. 7: 863-888.