The contamination of soil with total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) may result in dramatic consequences and needs great attention, as soil rehabilitation would need more effort from a sustainability perspective. However, there is still no known general method since the remediation technology is strictly site-specific. Adaptive biological system dynamics can play a key role in understanding and addressing the potential of situ-specific biological combinations for soil pollutants removal. The potential worst-case of TPH contamination reflects soil affected by heavy industrial activities, such as oil refineries. Therefore, the experimental trial was conducted on a 2,000 m² area from a contaminated site located in northern Italy. We evaluated the remediation potential over time (270 days) assessing (i) the phytoremediation efficiency of two species of Poaceae (Festuca arundinacea Schreb. and Dactylis glomerata L.) and two species of Fabaceae (Medicago sativa L. and Lotus corniculatus L.) and (ii) the role of the indigenous bacteria flora and endo-mycorrhizae consortium addition in plant growth promotion. We also induced resistance to contamination stress in a field experiment. Thirty-three indigenous bacteria selected from the contaminated soils showed marked plant growth promotion. Moreover, functional metagenomics confirmed the metabolic capability of hydrocarbon-degrading microorganisms living in the polluted soil. Our data showed that soil enzymatic activities increased with hydrocarbon degradation rate after 60 days. Both Poaceae and Fabaceae resulted in remarkable remediation potential. Stress markers and antioxidant activity indicated that the selected plant species generally need some time to adapt to TPH stress. In conclusion, our evaluation implied both the rhizosphere effects and functional features of the plant and suggested that plants should (i) have marked tolerance to specific contaminants, (ii) be characterized by an extensive root system, and (iii) be susceptible to arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) infection.

Soil is a complex matrix where biotic and abiotic components establish a still unclear network involving bacteria, fungi, archaea, protists, protozoa, and roots that are in constant communication with each other. Understanding these interactions has recently focused on metagenomics, metatranscriptomics and less on metaproteomics studies. Metaproteomic allows total extraction of intracellular and extracellular proteins from soil samples, providing a complete picture of the physiological and functional state of the “soil community”. The advancement of high-performance mass spectrometry technologies was more rapid than the development of ad hoc extraction techniques for soil proteins. The protein extraction from environmental samples is biased due to interfering substances and the lower amount of proteins in comparison to cell cultures. Soil sample preparation and extraction methodology are crucial steps to obtain high-quality resolution and yields of proteins. This review focuses on the several soil protein extraction protocols to date to highlight the methodological challenges and critical issues for the application of proteomics to soil samples. This review concludes that improvements in soil protein extraction, together with the employment of ad hoc metagenome database, may enhance the identification of proteins with low abundance or from non-dominant populations and increase our capacity to predict functional changes in soil.

In this work, the effect of dyes extracted through the Naviglio method (an eco-innovative solid-liquid extraction technique) was tested, which proved interesting for such an extraction. The dyes extracted from Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Miller waste were treated to maximize the extraction of the coloring molecules. The extraction method was compared with conventional methods under the same conditions. The results showed that the extracts obtained with the different techniques, in the same extraction conditions (solvent, pH, temperature, time), were richer in the pigments for the extract obtained with the Naviglio method. The stability of the dyes was tested before the staining. A plant-based fiber, cotton, as well as an animal-based fiber, wool, were chosen for the staining tests. For the two types of fiber, two etching methods were used: one with rock alum, a method widely used to fix a color and one with lemon juice, a method used for a long time by rural populations who practiced the coloring of hides and tissues. In addition, the qualitative content of the pigments was also verified with an HPLC profile of the Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Miller extracts. Ultimately, the results suggest that the Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Miller fruit can be of great interest as a natural source of dyes and be used for tinctures.

Ophiobolin A, a fungal toxin from Bipolaris species known to affect different cellular processes in plants, has recently been shown to have anti-cancer activity in mammalian cells. In the present study, we investigated the anti-proliferative effect of Ophiobolin A on human melanoma A375 and CHL-1 cell lines. This cellular model was chosen because of the incidence of melanoma malignant tumor on human population and its resistance to chemical treatments. Ophyobolin A strongly reduced cell viability of melanoma cells by affecting mitochondrial functionality. The toxin induced depolarization of mitochondrial membrane potential, reactive oxygen species production and mitochondrial network fragmentation, leading to autophagy induction and ultimately resulting in cell death by activation of the mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis. Finally, a comparative proteomic investigation on A375 cells allowed to identify several Ophiobolin A down-regulated proteins, which are involved in fundamental processes for cell homeostasis and viability.

Total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs) are a persistent environmental organic contaminant. The possibility of obtaining synergistic effects between plants and microorganisms has further increased the possibility of alternative techniques for bioremediation. Oloptum miliaceum (L.) Röser & H.R. Hamasha and Pennisetum setaceum (Forssk.) Chiov. are, undoubtedly, good model plants for phytoremediation because they have large roots, leaf biomass, and a fast and effective renewal capacity, also, they have a great capacity to host endophytes in their roots. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) based on carbon fraction number was a basic technique used to determine the hydrocarbon degradation, and microorganism’s population was identified by high-throughput sequencing of 16s rRNA. The microbial consortium used allows the plant to increase overall biomass, adapt more in terms of redox biology (Superoxide dismutase SOD, catalase CAT, ascorbate peroxidase APX, guaiacol peroxidase GPX), and stress markers (Glutathione S-transferase GST, Phenylalanine Ammonia Lyase PAL, Proline content, and lipid peroxidation MDA). In addition, the photosynthetic efficiency and the soil dehydrogenase activity were monitored. After 240 days, the percentage of TPHs removed in Group 2 was 94%, whereas in Group 1, it was 78% in Oloptum miliaceum and Pennisetum setaceum. The removal of aliphatic hydrocarbons (C₁₃–C₃₆) was observed in Oloptum miliaceum and Pennisetum setaceum inoculated with the consortium of indigenous bacteria selected from rhizosphere soil and mycorrhizae strains. Our data demonstrate that, the Poaceae, in relation to its great ecological and vegetative potential, could be a great candidate for extensive remediation of soils contaminated by TPHs.

According to projects and practices that the Italian botanists and ecologists are carrying out for bringing “more nature in the city”, new insights for a factual integration between ecological perspectives and more consolidated aesthetic and agronomic approaches to the sustainable planning and management of urban green areas are provided.