Tao Shutian’s research while affiliated with Nanjing Agricultural University and other places

The chapter delves into the burgeoning field of nanotechnology and its transformative potential in sustainable agriculture. With increasing challenges in resource efficiency, environmental impact mitigation and food security, nanotechnology presents innovative solutions through nanopesticides, nanofertilisers, nanofungicides, nanoherbicides and nanosensors. These applications enhance crop health, improve nutrient utilisation, reduce soil toxicity and offer precision in agricultural practices. The chapter explores various methods for nanoparticle generation, their role in smart agricultural inputs and the significance of comprehensive toxicity assessments. It emphasises the importance of nanotechnology in addressing global agricultural challenges, particularly in developing nations, while highlighting the need for further advancements in process design, risk assessment and regulatory frameworks to exploit its potential fully.

To make full use of young pear fruit thinned from the trees for optimal fruit load during cultivation, this study explored the nutritional diversity in young fruit of seventy-nine different pear varieties, focusing on their bioactive compounds. Our results showed significant variability in total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and antioxidant activity of pear varieties. The TPC values ranged from 0.317 ± 0.051 mg GAE/g to 0.0054 ± 0.021 mg GAE/g FW; the highest TPC value has been found in Lixian new bapan, mulberry pear, and red pear varieties, while the lowest value has found in yaqing, weining fragrant pear and apple pear varieties. Similarly, the TFC values demonstrated substantial differences, with Lijiang sesame pear (0.16 ± 0.01), Lixian new bapan (0.13 ± 0.04), and Xiangyuan (0.13 ± 0.02) pear exhibiting the highest flavonoid content. Antioxidant activity, assessed using the Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP) assay, varied significantly, indicating diverse phytochemical profiles across the varieties. HPLC analysis showed that the high value of bioactive compounds is chlorogenic acid (17.86 ± 4.5), arbutin (2.57 ± 0.3), Epicatechin (1.57 ± 0.27), rutin (0.04 ± 0.03) and ferulic acid (0.30 ± 0.04) found in the mulberry pear variety. Molecular docking studies revealed that chlorogenic acid, Epi-catechin, Rutin, and Ferulic acid showed strong affinity towards proteins such as Nrf2, NF-κB, and iNOS, suggesting potential health benefits. These findings provide valuable insights for breeders, nutritionists, and the food industry, emphasizing the importance of the nutritional quality of pear fruits, and their recycling utilization in the production practice.

Plants are regarded as a valuable and inexpensive source of new drug development, and a variety of plant compounds are now being used in clinical trials to treat a variety of ailments. The goal of this work was to characterize and evaluate the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of Justicia adhatoda L. leaf extract (Acanthaceae). The presence of alkaloids, saponins, tannins, phytosterols, phenols, and proteins in the leaf extract of J. adhatoda was determined using phytochemical screening. While the identification of different compounds in the leaf extract was carried out by HPLC analysis. Similarly, the anti-inflammatory potential of the leaf extract was assessed in Carrageenan and Formalin-induced inflammatory mice models. The phytochemical analysis of the leaf extract indicated a positive test for alkaloids, saponins, tannins, phytosterols, phenols, proteins , and amino acids, while the negative test for carbohydrates, and glycosides, flavonoids, and diterpenes. Moreover, among the detected compounds, gallic acid was found in the highest concentration with a 45.42% composition. The leaf extract showed the highest antibacterial activity against E. coli, while the lowest activity against Listeria was observed. The leaf extract of J. adhatoda revealed promising anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and antioxidants activities both in vitro and in vivo. Similarly, the detected compounds portrayed variable pharmacokinetic as well as binding affinities with the target proteins. In conclusion, the leaf extract exhibited significant antioxidants and antibacterial activities using in vitro assays. Similarly, the extract also revealed promising anti-inflammatory activities in vivo while exhibiting variable Pharmacokinetics and binding affinities towards protein target using computational tools.

Plants are regarded as a valuable and inexpensive source of new drug development, and a variety of plant compounds are now being used in clinical trials to treat a variety of ailments. The goal of this work was to characterize and evaluate the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of Justicia adhatoda L. leaf extract (Acanthaceae). The presence of alkaloids, saponins, tannins, phytosterols, phenols, and proteins in the leaf extract of J. adhatoda was determined using phytochemical screening. While the identification of different compounds in the leaf extract was carried out by HPLC analysis. Similarly, the anti-inflammatory potential of the leaf extract was assessed in Carrageenan and Formalin-induced inflammatory mice models. The phytochemical analysis of the leaf extract indicated a positive test for alkaloids, saponins, tannins, phytosterols, phenols, proteins , and amino acids, while the negative test for carbohydrates, and glycosides, flavonoids, and diterpenes. Moreover, among the detected compounds, gallic acid was found in the highest concentration with a 45.42% composition. The leaf extract showed the highest antibacterial activity against E. coli, while the lowest activity against Listeria was observed. The leaf extract of J. adhatoda revealed promising anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and antioxidants activities both in vitro and in vivo. Similarly, the detected compounds portrayed variable pharmacokinetic as well as binding affinities with the target proteins. In conclusion, the leaf extract exhibited significant antioxidants and antibacterial activities using in vitro assays. Similarly, the extract also revealed promising anti-inflammatory activities in vivo while exhibiting variable Pharmacokinetics and binding affinities towards protein target using computational tools.