Research Articles (Biotechnology)

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https://hdl.handle.net/10566/16115

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Browsing by Author "Aina, Omolola"

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    Plant biomarkers as early detection tools in stress management in food crops: a review
    (Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH, 2024) Aina, Omolola; Bakare, Olalekan O.; Fadaka, Adewale O.
    Main conclusion: Plant biomarkers are objective indicators of a plant’s cellular state in response to abiotic and biotic stress factors. They can be explored in crop breeding and engineering to produce stress-tolerant crop species. Abstract: Global food production safely and sustainably remains a top priority to feed the ever-growing human population, expected to reach 10 billion by 2050. However, abiotic and biotic stress factors negatively impact food production systems, causing between 70 and 100% reduction in crop yield. Understanding the plant stress responses is critical for developing novel crops that can adapt better to various adverse environmental conditions. Using plant biomarkers as measurable indicators of a plant’s cellular response to external stimuli could serve as early warning signals to detect stresses before severe damage occurs. Plant biomarkers have received considerable attention in the last decade as pre-stress indicators for various economically important food crops. This review discusses some biomarkers associated with abiotic and biotic stress conditions and highlights their importance in developing stress-resilient crops. In addition, we highlighted some factors influencing the expression of biomarkers in crop plants under stress. The information presented in this review would educate plant researchers, breeders, and agronomists on the significance of plant biomarkers in stress biology research, which is essential for improving plant growth and yield toward sustainable food production.
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    Sargassum incisifolium and Ulva spp metabolites activity and their molecular dynamics simulation against Fusarium oxysporum 14-alpha-demethylase
    (Elsevier B.V., 2025) Aina, Omolola; Klein, Ashwil; Fadaka, Adewale O.
    Fusarium oxysporum, a major agricultural pathogen, poses severe risks to crops worldwide. With increasing resistance to conventional antifungal agents, there is an urgent need for alternative treatments. Seaweeds such as Ulva spp. and Sargassum incisifolium are promising sources of bioactive compounds that may offer novel antifungal properties. This study investigates the antifungal activity of acetone extracts from Ulva spp. and Sargassum incisifolium against F. oxysporum, with the goal of identifying specific bioactive compounds responsible for this activity and evaluating their effectiveness quantitatively. We prepared acetone extracts from both seaweed species and assessed their antifungal activity using a series of in vitro assays. The total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant capacity were determined for each extract. LC-qTOF-MS/MS was employed for phytochemical profiling, while molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations were used to predict interactions between identified compounds and the 14-alpha-demethylase enzyme of F. oxysporum. The TPC was 2.72±0.009 and 2.23±0.009 GAE/mg dry weight for Ulva spp and S. incisifolium. Additionally, significant antioxidant activity was observed, with IC50 values of 8.38±0.06 µg/mL for Ulva spp and 8.01±0.07 µg/mL for S. incisifolium, which are comparable to ascorbic acid (5.23±0.04 µg/mL). Phytochemical analysis revealed high levels of terpenoids, phenolics, and fatty acids. In molecular docking, compounds such as medicocarpin, corynanthine, and merulinic acid demonstrated strong binding affinities (binding energies ≤ -7.5 kcal/mol). Molecular dynamics simulations confirmed stable interactions over 100 ns, with medicocarpin exhibiting the most stable binding profile. The study demonstrates that acetone extracts of Ulva spp. and S. incisifolium possess significant antifungal activity against F. oxysporum. Medicocarpin, in particular, emerged as a promising candidate for further development as an antifungal agent. These findings underscore the potential of seaweed-derived compounds as antifungal agents against fungal pathogens and highlight the need for further investigation into their practical applications in plant disease management. Specifically, Medicocarpin emerged as a promising in silico candidate, warranting further experimental validation.