Undoubtedly, it is important to remain vigilant and manage invasive grasses to prevent their spread and mitigate their negative impact on the environment. However, these aggressive plants can also play a beneficial role in certain contexts. For example, several invasive grasses provide valuable forage for livestock and have disease control potential. Therefore, a research experiment was conducted to explore the pros and cons of this approach, not only for surrounding vegetation but also for human and animal disease control. The study is primarily focused on developing livestock feed, plant-derived herbicides, and an understanding of the phytotoxic effects of invasive species. All plant parts of Cenchrus ciliaris L., Polypogon monspeliansis L., and Dicanthium annulatum (Forssk.) Stapf, were tested for their phyto-chemical screening, proximate, and toxicity analysis which was caused by the methanolic extract of these grass species. Qualitative phytochemical screening tests were performed for proximate composition analysis and toxicity assessment essays. The phytochemical analysis revealed the positive results for alkaloids, flavonoids, coumarins, phenols, saponins, and glycosides, while negative for tannins. Comparison of proximate analysis intimated maximum moisture (10.8%) and crude fat (4.1%) in P. monspeliensis, whereas maximum dry matter (84.1%), crude protein (13.95%), crude fiber (11%), and ash (7.2%) in D. annulatum. Five (10, 100, 500, 100, 10,000 ppm) and three (10, 1000, 10,000 ppm) different concentrations of methanolic extract prepared from C. ciliaris, P. monspeliansis, and D. annulatum were used respectively for root inhibition and seed germination essay. Furthermore, three different concentrations (10, 30, 50 mg) of plant fine powder were used for sandwich method test. There was a significant decline in the growth rate of experimental model radish seeds (P > 0.005), and results from sandwich method tests showed suppressed growth of root hairs, inhibiting the anchoring of the radish seed. In comparison, results manifest that; P. monspeliansis indicated an upsurge of inhibition (66.58% at 10,000 ppm), D. annulatum revealed soar germination (75.86% in controlled conditions), and C. ciliaris exhibited dramatic shoot up of inhibition because of sandwich method test (14.02% at 50 mg). In conclusion, although grasses are toxic, it is important to consider the beneficiary account.

Cadmium (Cd) contamination in soil has a hazardous impact on tobacco growth. The present study investigated the role of soil-applied silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) in reducing Cd stress in tobacco by exploring morphological traits, photosynthetic efficiency, ROS (H₂O₂ and O₂·⁻) levels, antioxidants as defense markers, cell death/viability, cellular and subcellular structural changes, and real-time qRT-PCR-based gene expression analysis. The treatments comprised a control (CK), 20 mg kg⁻¹ cadmium (Cd) stress, 50 μM amino silver nanoparticle (Ag-NP) suspension, and combined cadmium and silver nanoparticle (Cd + Ag-NP) application. Results indicate that tobacco leaves recorded the maximum Cd content (144.53 μg g⁻¹), followed by stems (70.96 μg g⁻¹) and roots (50.15 μg g⁻¹). SEM and TEM analyses indicated Cd-induced stomatal injury and massive damage at the subcellular level. Confocal microscopic visualization clarified ROS accumulation and cell death caused by Cd-mediated redox imbalance. However, the application of Ag-NPs effectively reduced Cd bioaccumulation (BCF) and the root-to-shoot Cd translocation (TF) rate. Moreover, the Ag-NP application (Cd + Ag-NPs) mitigated Cd-induced oxidative damage by improving the activities/levels of the antioxidants APX, AsA, and SOD by 248.45%, 132.67% and 29.43%, respectively, compared with Cd alone. Ag-NPs also upregulated the expression of genes related to growth, chlorophyll, carotenoid biosynthesis, and antioxidative defense. Therefore, Ag-NPs can be employed as a sustainable approach to reduce the environmental toxicity impact of Cd and ensure food safety.

Cadmium (Cd) is a toxic heavy metal that causes morphological and physiological changes to plants, which eventually leads to a decline in growth and productivity. Nanoparticle-based amelioration of Cd toxicity in plants is an environmentally friendly and cost-effective approach. Nevertheless, the interaction between iron nanoparticles (FeNPs) and Cd in soybean ( Glycine max L.) is still not well documented. This research was conducted to evaluate the effects of soil application of FeNPs on soybean plants exposed to Cd stress. The size, surface morphology, and crystalline nature of the FeNPs were observed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Soil amended with FeNPs (50 mg L ⁻¹ ) decreased reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation and improved photosynthetic performance in comparison with Cd treatment (40 mg kg ⁻¹ ). These enhancements of peak fluorescence (Fp), maximum potential efficiency of photosystem II (Fv/Fm), photochemical quenching (Qp), and fluorescence decrease ratio (Rfd) were positively correlated with leaf stomatal opening and growth, while negatively correlated with non-photochemical quenching (NPQ), H ₂ O ₂ , and O ₂ ^·− content. Subcellular localization via transmission electron microscopy analysis showed that the FeNPs improved the intracellular integrity with the development of key cellular organelles and active Cd sequestration in plant vacuoles. Furthermore, FeNPs inhibited oxidative stress by 34%–56% via the modulation of antioxidant enzymes, i.e., superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), glutathione (GSH), ascorbic acid (AsA), catalase (CAT), and reductase activity. Overall, FeNPs serve as a potent ameliorative agent against Cd-induced phytotoxicity by enhancing antioxidant defense mechanisms, optimizing photosynthetic performance, preserving cellular integrity, and significantly suppressing oxidative stress.