Global climate change is a significant challenge that will significantly lower crop yield and staple grain quality. The present investigation was conducted to assess the effects of the foliar application of either Si (1.5 mM) or Si nanoparticles (1.66 mM) on the yield and grain quality attributes of two wheat genotypes (Triticum aestivum L.), cv. Shandweel 1 and cv. Gemmeiza 9, planted at normal sowing date and late sowing date (heat stress). Si and Si nanoparticles markedly mitigated the observed decline in yield and reduced the heat stress intensity index value at late sowing dates, and improved yield quality via the decreased level of protein, particularly glutenin, as well as the lowered activity of α-amylase in wheat grains, which is considered a step in improving grain quality. Moreover, Si and nanoSi significantly increased the oil absorption capacity (OAC) of the flour of stressed wheat grains. In addition, both silicon and nanosilicon provoked an increase in cellulose, pectin, total phenols, flavonoid, oxalic acid, total antioxidant power, starch and soluble protein contents, as well as Ca and K levels, in heat-stressed wheat straw, concomitant with a decrease in lignin and phytic acid contents. In conclusion, the pronounced positive effects associated with improving yield quantity and quality were observed in stressed Si-treated wheat compared with Si nanoparticle-treated ones, particularly in cv. Gemmeiza 9.

PULICARIA UNDULATA is one of the aromatic annual herbs used in folk medicine in Egypt. The aerial parts of P. undulata plants were collected from the Red sea coastal desert during the flowering stage and used for phytochemical analysis. It was revealed that P. undulata aerial portions contain phenols, flavonoids terpenoids, saponins, alkaloids, glucosinolates and cardiac glycosides highlighting its participation in drug development and using as an alternative strategy to the harmful synthetic fungicides. The greater accumulation of the bioactive compounds in the methanolic extract was comparable with its higher antioxidant capacity and IC50 value as compared with those of the petroleum ether extract. The GC-MS analysis revealed the occurrence of ten bioactive phytocomponents including cyclotrisiloxane, hexamethyl-, cyclotetrasiloxane, octamethyl-, cyclopentasiloxane, decamethyl, dodecanoic acid, methyl ester, tetrafluorophthalonitrile, gamma-Sitosterol, nonacosane, 4,4,6a,6b,8a,11,11,14b-Octamethyl,4,4a,5,6,6a,6b,7,8,8a,9,10,11,12,12a,14,14a,14b-octadecahydro-2H-picen-3-one, thiazolo[4,5-f]quinoline and 7-methyl-. In addition, the methanolic extract exhibited antifungal activity against the investigated six pathogenic fungal strains: Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus fumigatus, Candida albicans, Microsporum canis, Microsporum boulardii and Trichophyton mentagrophytes. Based on the values of the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC), the methanolic extract has demonstrated a fungicidal effect on M. boulardii IFM 56403, T. mentagrophytes AUMC 11661, M. canis AUMC 11663, and C. albicans AUMC 9142. The cytotoxicity evaluation of the methanolic extract showed safe levels in case of these four fungal strains. The petroleum ether extract, inhibited the tested fungi but with lower efficiency. Our results suggest the promising antifungal activity of P. undulata on medically important fungi.

The negative impacts of fossil fuel on the environment should be replaced by clean and sustainable energy sources worldwide. Therefore, the use of biodiesel as a clean energy source is crucial. Biodiesel is produced from various natural resources through a transesterification process. Considering the importance of this topic, this study focuses on the assessment of oil properties of Thymelaea hirsuta and Echinops spinosus as primary sources for biodiesel production. The two investigated plants were collected from the Western Desert of Egypt. The results showed that the lignocellulosic content was about 57.3 and 79.8 g/100 g in E. spinosus and 59.1 and 82.8 g/100 g in T. hirsuta, respectively. The two investigated samples showed variable lipid contents (30.2–76.1%). The GC-MS fatty acid profile characterized seven FAs in E. spinosus and twelf FAs in T. hirsuta. The greatest CN was calculated in T. hirsuta (379.2) compared to the lowest in E. spinosus (229.9). Furthermore, the values of saponification number (SN) were 27.9 in E. spinosus and 16.07 in T. hirsuta. The value of higher heating value (HHV) was about 47.5 MJ/kg in E. spinosus and 48.3 MJ/kg in T. hirsuta. Meanwhile, T. hirsuta exhibited a higher induction period (IP) value (19.3 h) comparable to that of E. spinosus (4.3 h). The results revealed that both plants are potential sources for biodiesel production according to various international standards for biodiesel production, and this work appears to be one of the first reports regarding such wild xerophytic plants as promising new primary sources for biodiesel production in Egypt.

This study aimed to investigate the physiological and biochemical responses of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.cv. valentino) plants grown in virgin sandy soil incorporated with ceramic wastewater sludge (CWWS), at relatively low concentrations (0.5%, 1% and 2%), for 30 days. Within the different levels used of CWWS, especially at 1%, the enhancement of plants growth was generally proportional with the increase in leaf area, and chlorophyll content, as well as it associated with higher uptake of P, N and K due to higher content of these metals in the CWWS- amended soil. Sucrose, proline and malondialdehyde (MDA) showed enhanced levels with the increase of CWWS application, while, glutathione (GSH) content of common bean plants showed attenuated levels. These results were in alliance with accumulation of higher levels of Fe and Cu metals inside the plant tissues. Antioxidant enzymes such as catalase (CAT), polyphenol oxidase (PPO), showed significantly enhanced activities with increasing the amended ratio of sludge. This increase was also accompanied with the increase in ascorbic acid (AsA) and total phenol contents and a decrease in the activities of ascorbate oxidase (ASO) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) enzymes.