Raed Alkowni | An-Najah National University (original) (raw)

Papers by Raed Alkowni

The coat protein of the newly found closteroviruses Grapevine leafroll associated vir rus 9 (GLRa... more The coat protein of the newly found closteroviruses Grapevine leafroll associated vir rus 9 (GLRaV-9) was used for comparative analysis with other members of the family Closteroviridae. The amino acid alignments using ClustalW demonstrated a significant homology between the GLRaV-9 sequence and the Grapevine leafroll associated virus 5 (86%) and Pineapple mealybug wiltrassociated virusr1 (56%). GLRaV-9 and GLRaV5 were proved to be serologically distinct by using GCG sequence analysis software package that indicate the significant variation (26%) within their polypeptide sequences at the N-terminus of their coat protein. The phylogenetic analysis, grouped GLRaV-9 with mealybug transmitted viruses (GLRaV-1, -3, -5, and PMWaV-1, -2), suggesting the mode of the transmission of this newly found closterovirus. * * Corresponding author: ralkowni@aauj.edu :صخللما في همادختس�ا تّم دق )Grapevine leafroll associated virus 9( ىمس�لماو اثيدح فس�تكلما س�ويرفلل فلغّلما ينتوبرلا مادختس�اب ةينيملاا ...

Agriculture, 2022

The high level of copper (Cu) accumulation in the soil, the risk of surface water contamination, ... more The high level of copper (Cu) accumulation in the soil, the risk of surface water contamination, and the potential public health problems due to Cu entering the food chain have raised concerns on the use of Cu compounds in agriculture, including olive growing. As a consequence, there is worldwide regulatory pressure on agricultural systems to limit the use of Cu compounds. Hence, a field trial was carried out to evaluate the effectiveness of low copper containing chemicals to control olive leaf spot (OLS) disease caused by Venturia oleaginea. The trial was conducted in 2021 in an olive (cv. Nabali Baladi) grove in Palestine. Copper complexed with lignosulphonate and gluconate (Disper Cu Max®) and the self-defense inducer Disper Broton GS® were evaluated and compared to dodine and the traditionally and frequently used copper hydroxide. In addition, untreated trees were used as the control. Treatments were made in March, July, and August. In March 2021, leaves grown in 2020 were prese...

Chemosensors, 2022

This study aimed to remove carbamazepine from aqueous solutions, using functional silica phenylam... more This study aimed to remove carbamazepine from aqueous solutions, using functional silica phenylamine (SiBN), which is characterized and showed excellent chemical and thermal stability. Adsorbents based on silica were developed due to their unusually large surface area, homogenous pore structure, and well-modified surface properties, as silica sparked tremendous interest. It was determined to develop a novel silica adsorbent including phenylamine and amide (SiBCON). The adsorbents obtained were analyzed by various spectroscopy devices, including SEM, FT-IR and TGA analysis. The maximum removal rates for carbamazepine were 98.37% and 98.22% for SiBN and SiBCON, respectively, when optimized at room temperature, pH 9.0, initial concentration of 10 mg·L−1 and contact time of 15 min. Theoretical tools are widely used in the prediction of the power of interactions between chemical systems. The computed data showed that new amine modified silica is quite effective in terms of the removal of...

Medicinal plants are finding their way into pharmaceutical derivatives, cosmetics and food supple... more Medicinal plants are finding their way into pharmaceutical derivatives, cosmetics and food supplements. The present study was undertaken to investigate the leave extracts of eleven plant species; Malva sherardiana, Plumbago europaea, Ephedra alata, Arum Palestinum , Centaurea dumulosa , Eruca Sativa, Teucrium polium, Bupleurum subovatum , Geranium robertianum , Ononis speciosa and Plumbago auriculata for their potential activity against human bacterial pathogens and antioxidant efficiency. The crude extract of the plant leaves and selected antibiotic was evaluated against five different bacterial pathogens : Staphylococcus aureus, (gram positive), Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis, Klebsiella sp., and Pseudomonas aeroginosa (gram negative) using agar well diffusion method. The Gram-positive bacteria S. aureus showed the higher susceptibility of inhibition with most plant extracts mainly Plumbago europaea methanol extract with zone of 12 mm, Centaurea dumulosa extract with 10 mm in...

Thymes are considered the most popular herbs in Palestine due to their considerable medicinal and... more Thymes are considered the most popular herbs in Palestine due to their considerable medicinal and nutritional values. However, at the same time they are also threatened or endangered due to intensive harvesting. Five of the most important thyme species grown naturally in Palestine (wild-types) were collected and their responses to artificial media supplemented with various plant growth regulators had been tested. The results revealed the effectiveness in using the artificial media (MS) with hormonal combinations to regenerate thymes from all five species. The study revealed that callus was induced better with MS media maintained 2mg/L 2,4-D and 0.2 mg/L for all thymes species. Meanwhile media with 1mg/L kinetin and 0.3 mg/L Gibberellic acid were found optimum for shoot proliferation. The best shoot proliferation was recorded for Thymus incanus (96%). Developed shoots were easily rooted on media contained 0.01mg/L 2,4 D. Moreover, Organogenesis of thyme plant derived from callus was ...

A greenhouse tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) cultivar trial was conducted at the experimen... more A greenhouse tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) cultivar trial was conducted at the experimental farm of Tbhirine in Souss Massa Region (AGADIR). In this study the tolerance of tomato varieties to irrigation turn in soilless culture was evaluated. Four varieties of grape tomato were being used (Colby, Delica, Granit and Pitenza). Tree irrigation turns used in this study were (T1: Normal Irrigation Turn, T2: minus -1 irrigation, T3: minus -2 irrigations) and treatments were randomly distributed according to RCBD, with three replications. Varieties were affected differently by water stress, but, in the early growth stage no significant difference was observed. After the 3rd week of trial, Colby variety provides the best agronomic parameters regarding the apex elongation and stem diameter. However, Production parameters revealed that Pitenza and Delica varieties gave more flowers per plant (134-108 Flow/Plt) for a normal irrigation scheduling and (105 Flow/Plt) in water stress cond...

Journal of Plant Pathology, 2015

SUMMARY A virus disease of fig (Ficus carica) known as fig mosaic (FM) is widely spread in Palest... more SUMMARY A virus disease of fig (Ficus carica) known as fig mosaic (FM) is widely spread in Palestine, where its severity varies according to the cultivar and the growing area. At least 10 viruses and three viroids have been detected so far in fig trees. This study reports the results of a preliminary survey carried out in Palestine to secure information on the viruses associated with mosaic-infected figs. Samples were collected from scattered trees, fig orchards and nurseries of different areas of central Palestine, where figs are traditionally grown, and tested for the presence of Fig mosaic virus (FMV), Fig latent virus 1 (FLV-1), Fig badnavirus-1 (FBV-1), Fig leaf mottle-associated virus 1 (FLMaV-1) and 2 (FLMaV-2), and Fig cryptic virus (FCV) in addition to Apple dimple fruit viroid (ADFVd). The following viruses. FMV, FBV-1, FLV-1 and FLMaV-2, were detected by RT-PCR. FBV-1 was the most widespread followed by FMV. The genetic diversity of FMV was assessed by sequencing a fragme...

Pakistan journal of pharmaceutical sciences, 2018

The emerging drug resistance bacteria increased the demand on the discovery of antibiotics from n... more The emerging drug resistance bacteria increased the demand on the discovery of antibiotics from natural sources. This research was aimed to study the antibacterial reactivity; as well as the phytochemicals, of the wild type of Cyclamen persicum, using nine different extraction methods where four solvents (Methanol, Ethanol, Hexane; and Water) were involved with varied extraction periods ranged from 2 up to 10 hours. The antibacterial activity of crude methanol extract (CME) was found as the best method of extraction, with particular emphasis on the method with prolonged extraction time of (10 hrs). The antibacterial activities of produced CME were determined by using agar diffusion method against two of gram-positive bacteria and two gram-negative ones. The CME treated Mueller-Hinton-Agar plates, were exhibited antibacterial effects against the gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis) by showing of inhibition zone after overnight incubation, while nothing...

JOM, 2020

Bacterial deactivation by cell-wall rupturing is widely described. Complete mineralization of bot... more Bacterial deactivation by cell-wall rupturing is widely described. Complete mineralization of both aqueous gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus and gram-negative Klebsiella pneumoniae , leaving no organic species, is described here for the first time. Solar-simulated radiation (with ~ 5% UV), with ZnO nanoparticle photocatalyst, is used. In addition to complete bacterial deactivation (~ 100%), their mineralization is achievable with time. Both bacteria, with thick and thin peptidoglycan layers, are mineralized. In thicker walled S. aureus, ~ 72% mineralization is achievable, while in thinner walled K. pneumoniae , mineralization is ~ 85%. Anthocyanin-sensitized ZnO shows higher catalytic efficiency under purely visible light, while pristine ZnO particles are more effective under simulated solar radiation. The results show the feasibility of using direct solar radiation in photocatalytic water disinfection without the need to use other more costly and hazardous methods. The study is especially useful to many societies having limited access to safe drinking water.

Letters in Drug Design & Discovery, 2019

Background: Nigella sativa L. (N. sativa) has been reported to have biological activities such as... more Background: Nigella sativa L. (N. sativa) has been reported to have biological activities such as anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and anti-fungal activities. Objective: This study aims to develop N. Sativa colloidal-emulgel with the evaluation of its antibacterial, anti-oxidant and in-vivo irritation and sensation testing. Method: Colloidal-emulgel formulations were prepared for N. sativa using different surfactants (Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (S.L.S) and sucrose ester). N. sativa emulsion formulations were prepared using heat inversion technique. After that, the optimum formulation was mixed with Carbopol to produce the colloidal-emulgel. The droplet size, size distribution, and rheological behavior were measured for emulgel formulations. Anti-bacterial and anti-oxidant activities were also reported in the in vivo studies for sensitivity, irritancy and spreadability. Results: It was found that the sucrose ester was able to produce the optimum emulsion formulation with d...

Journal of Plant Pathology, 2019

Tomato, a top cash crop, is infected by a number of viruses that cause drastic yield losses. Rece... more Tomato, a top cash crop, is infected by a number of viruses that cause drastic yield losses. Recently an unusual viral syndrome that resembled somewhat that induced by tobacco mosaic virus has been observed in Northern Palestine. The most affected tomatoes were of cultivars ‘Ikram’ and ‘Azmeer’. A study aimed at revealing the cause of the disease, identified the presence of an apparently undescribed tobamovirus. The virus genome was entirely sequenced and shown to be composed of 6391 nucleotides. Sequence analysis indicated that this virus was an isolate of tomato brown rugose fruit virus (TBRFV). This is the first time TBRFV was detected in Palestine on tomatoes and the name tomato brown rugose fruit virus-Palestinian isolate (TBRFV-Ps) is suggested. Molecular tools were developed for specific detection of the virus and sanitary actions to protect tomato production from TBRFV were recommended.

The effects of different seed treatments on the germination percentage and rate of Gundellia tour... more The effects of different seed treatments on the germination percentage and rate of Gundellia tournefortii seeds were studied.Seeds were collected from Jamaeen area near Nablus city. The normal healthy seeds were separated from small shrinked seed and used in the defferent trails. Three expermints were conducted in which the effect of presoaking, scarification and stratification on the seed germination was investigated. The higher germination percentage (48%) was obtained when the outer seed coat wasremoved after the seeds were presoaked in water. This percentage was highly significant than other results obtained with the other treatments. The use of concentrated sulfuric acid for 15 and 30 minutes to tender the seed coat didn't increase the germination percentage of the treated seeds over that of the control Similar effects was also exhibited when the seeds were soaked in hot water for different intervals. Cold stratification at 4-5' didn't significantly increase the ger...

The coat protein of the newly found closteroviruses Grapevine leafroll associated vir rus 9 (GLRa... more The coat protein of the newly found closteroviruses Grapevine leafroll associated vir rus 9 (GLRaV-9) was used for comparative analysis with other members of the family Closteroviridae. The amino acid alignments using ClustalW demonstrated a significant homology between the GLRaV-9 sequence and the Grapevine leafroll associated virus 5 (86%) and Pineapple mealybug wiltrassociated virusr1 (56%). GLRaV-9 and GLRaV5 were proved to be serologically distinct by using GCG sequence analysis software package that indicate the significant variation (26%) within their polypeptide sequences at the N-terminus of their coat protein. The phylogenetic analysis, grouped GLRaV-9 with mealybug transmitted viruses (GLRaV-1, -3, -5, and PMWaV-1, -2), suggesting the mode of the transmission of this newly found closterovirus. * * Corresponding author: ralkowni@aauj.edu :صخللما في همادختس�ا تّم دق )Grapevine leafroll associated virus 9( ىمس�لماو اثيدح فس�تكلما س�ويرفلل فلغّلما ينتوبرلا مادختس�اب ةينيملاا ...

Agriculture, 2022

The high level of copper (Cu) accumulation in the soil, the risk of surface water contamination, ... more The high level of copper (Cu) accumulation in the soil, the risk of surface water contamination, and the potential public health problems due to Cu entering the food chain have raised concerns on the use of Cu compounds in agriculture, including olive growing. As a consequence, there is worldwide regulatory pressure on agricultural systems to limit the use of Cu compounds. Hence, a field trial was carried out to evaluate the effectiveness of low copper containing chemicals to control olive leaf spot (OLS) disease caused by Venturia oleaginea. The trial was conducted in 2021 in an olive (cv. Nabali Baladi) grove in Palestine. Copper complexed with lignosulphonate and gluconate (Disper Cu Max®) and the self-defense inducer Disper Broton GS® were evaluated and compared to dodine and the traditionally and frequently used copper hydroxide. In addition, untreated trees were used as the control. Treatments were made in March, July, and August. In March 2021, leaves grown in 2020 were prese...

Chemosensors, 2022

This study aimed to remove carbamazepine from aqueous solutions, using functional silica phenylam... more This study aimed to remove carbamazepine from aqueous solutions, using functional silica phenylamine (SiBN), which is characterized and showed excellent chemical and thermal stability. Adsorbents based on silica were developed due to their unusually large surface area, homogenous pore structure, and well-modified surface properties, as silica sparked tremendous interest. It was determined to develop a novel silica adsorbent including phenylamine and amide (SiBCON). The adsorbents obtained were analyzed by various spectroscopy devices, including SEM, FT-IR and TGA analysis. The maximum removal rates for carbamazepine were 98.37% and 98.22% for SiBN and SiBCON, respectively, when optimized at room temperature, pH 9.0, initial concentration of 10 mg·L−1 and contact time of 15 min. Theoretical tools are widely used in the prediction of the power of interactions between chemical systems. The computed data showed that new amine modified silica is quite effective in terms of the removal of...

Medicinal plants are finding their way into pharmaceutical derivatives, cosmetics and food supple... more Medicinal plants are finding their way into pharmaceutical derivatives, cosmetics and food supplements. The present study was undertaken to investigate the leave extracts of eleven plant species; Malva sherardiana, Plumbago europaea, Ephedra alata, Arum Palestinum , Centaurea dumulosa , Eruca Sativa, Teucrium polium, Bupleurum subovatum , Geranium robertianum , Ononis speciosa and Plumbago auriculata for their potential activity against human bacterial pathogens and antioxidant efficiency. The crude extract of the plant leaves and selected antibiotic was evaluated against five different bacterial pathogens : Staphylococcus aureus, (gram positive), Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis, Klebsiella sp., and Pseudomonas aeroginosa (gram negative) using agar well diffusion method. The Gram-positive bacteria S. aureus showed the higher susceptibility of inhibition with most plant extracts mainly Plumbago europaea methanol extract with zone of 12 mm, Centaurea dumulosa extract with 10 mm in...

Thymes are considered the most popular herbs in Palestine due to their considerable medicinal and... more Thymes are considered the most popular herbs in Palestine due to their considerable medicinal and nutritional values. However, at the same time they are also threatened or endangered due to intensive harvesting. Five of the most important thyme species grown naturally in Palestine (wild-types) were collected and their responses to artificial media supplemented with various plant growth regulators had been tested. The results revealed the effectiveness in using the artificial media (MS) with hormonal combinations to regenerate thymes from all five species. The study revealed that callus was induced better with MS media maintained 2mg/L 2,4-D and 0.2 mg/L for all thymes species. Meanwhile media with 1mg/L kinetin and 0.3 mg/L Gibberellic acid were found optimum for shoot proliferation. The best shoot proliferation was recorded for Thymus incanus (96%). Developed shoots were easily rooted on media contained 0.01mg/L 2,4 D. Moreover, Organogenesis of thyme plant derived from callus was ...

A greenhouse tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) cultivar trial was conducted at the experimen... more A greenhouse tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) cultivar trial was conducted at the experimental farm of Tbhirine in Souss Massa Region (AGADIR). In this study the tolerance of tomato varieties to irrigation turn in soilless culture was evaluated. Four varieties of grape tomato were being used (Colby, Delica, Granit and Pitenza). Tree irrigation turns used in this study were (T1: Normal Irrigation Turn, T2: minus -1 irrigation, T3: minus -2 irrigations) and treatments were randomly distributed according to RCBD, with three replications. Varieties were affected differently by water stress, but, in the early growth stage no significant difference was observed. After the 3rd week of trial, Colby variety provides the best agronomic parameters regarding the apex elongation and stem diameter. However, Production parameters revealed that Pitenza and Delica varieties gave more flowers per plant (134-108 Flow/Plt) for a normal irrigation scheduling and (105 Flow/Plt) in water stress cond...

Journal of Plant Pathology, 2015

SUMMARY A virus disease of fig (Ficus carica) known as fig mosaic (FM) is widely spread in Palest... more SUMMARY A virus disease of fig (Ficus carica) known as fig mosaic (FM) is widely spread in Palestine, where its severity varies according to the cultivar and the growing area. At least 10 viruses and three viroids have been detected so far in fig trees. This study reports the results of a preliminary survey carried out in Palestine to secure information on the viruses associated with mosaic-infected figs. Samples were collected from scattered trees, fig orchards and nurseries of different areas of central Palestine, where figs are traditionally grown, and tested for the presence of Fig mosaic virus (FMV), Fig latent virus 1 (FLV-1), Fig badnavirus-1 (FBV-1), Fig leaf mottle-associated virus 1 (FLMaV-1) and 2 (FLMaV-2), and Fig cryptic virus (FCV) in addition to Apple dimple fruit viroid (ADFVd). The following viruses. FMV, FBV-1, FLV-1 and FLMaV-2, were detected by RT-PCR. FBV-1 was the most widespread followed by FMV. The genetic diversity of FMV was assessed by sequencing a fragme...

Pakistan journal of pharmaceutical sciences, 2018

The emerging drug resistance bacteria increased the demand on the discovery of antibiotics from n... more The emerging drug resistance bacteria increased the demand on the discovery of antibiotics from natural sources. This research was aimed to study the antibacterial reactivity; as well as the phytochemicals, of the wild type of Cyclamen persicum, using nine different extraction methods where four solvents (Methanol, Ethanol, Hexane; and Water) were involved with varied extraction periods ranged from 2 up to 10 hours. The antibacterial activity of crude methanol extract (CME) was found as the best method of extraction, with particular emphasis on the method with prolonged extraction time of (10 hrs). The antibacterial activities of produced CME were determined by using agar diffusion method against two of gram-positive bacteria and two gram-negative ones. The CME treated Mueller-Hinton-Agar plates, were exhibited antibacterial effects against the gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis) by showing of inhibition zone after overnight incubation, while nothing...

JOM, 2020

Bacterial deactivation by cell-wall rupturing is widely described. Complete mineralization of bot... more Bacterial deactivation by cell-wall rupturing is widely described. Complete mineralization of both aqueous gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus and gram-negative Klebsiella pneumoniae , leaving no organic species, is described here for the first time. Solar-simulated radiation (with ~ 5% UV), with ZnO nanoparticle photocatalyst, is used. In addition to complete bacterial deactivation (~ 100%), their mineralization is achievable with time. Both bacteria, with thick and thin peptidoglycan layers, are mineralized. In thicker walled S. aureus, ~ 72% mineralization is achievable, while in thinner walled K. pneumoniae , mineralization is ~ 85%. Anthocyanin-sensitized ZnO shows higher catalytic efficiency under purely visible light, while pristine ZnO particles are more effective under simulated solar radiation. The results show the feasibility of using direct solar radiation in photocatalytic water disinfection without the need to use other more costly and hazardous methods. The study is especially useful to many societies having limited access to safe drinking water.

Letters in Drug Design & Discovery, 2019

Background: Nigella sativa L. (N. sativa) has been reported to have biological activities such as... more Background: Nigella sativa L. (N. sativa) has been reported to have biological activities such as anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and anti-fungal activities. Objective: This study aims to develop N. Sativa colloidal-emulgel with the evaluation of its antibacterial, anti-oxidant and in-vivo irritation and sensation testing. Method: Colloidal-emulgel formulations were prepared for N. sativa using different surfactants (Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (S.L.S) and sucrose ester). N. sativa emulsion formulations were prepared using heat inversion technique. After that, the optimum formulation was mixed with Carbopol to produce the colloidal-emulgel. The droplet size, size distribution, and rheological behavior were measured for emulgel formulations. Anti-bacterial and anti-oxidant activities were also reported in the in vivo studies for sensitivity, irritancy and spreadability. Results: It was found that the sucrose ester was able to produce the optimum emulsion formulation with d...

Journal of Plant Pathology, 2019

Tomato, a top cash crop, is infected by a number of viruses that cause drastic yield losses. Rece... more Tomato, a top cash crop, is infected by a number of viruses that cause drastic yield losses. Recently an unusual viral syndrome that resembled somewhat that induced by tobacco mosaic virus has been observed in Northern Palestine. The most affected tomatoes were of cultivars ‘Ikram’ and ‘Azmeer’. A study aimed at revealing the cause of the disease, identified the presence of an apparently undescribed tobamovirus. The virus genome was entirely sequenced and shown to be composed of 6391 nucleotides. Sequence analysis indicated that this virus was an isolate of tomato brown rugose fruit virus (TBRFV). This is the first time TBRFV was detected in Palestine on tomatoes and the name tomato brown rugose fruit virus-Palestinian isolate (TBRFV-Ps) is suggested. Molecular tools were developed for specific detection of the virus and sanitary actions to protect tomato production from TBRFV were recommended.

The effects of different seed treatments on the germination percentage and rate of Gundellia tour... more The effects of different seed treatments on the germination percentage and rate of Gundellia tournefortii seeds were studied.Seeds were collected from Jamaeen area near Nablus city. The normal healthy seeds were separated from small shrinked seed and used in the defferent trails. Three expermints were conducted in which the effect of presoaking, scarification and stratification on the seed germination was investigated. The higher germination percentage (48%) was obtained when the outer seed coat wasremoved after the seeds were presoaked in water. This percentage was highly significant than other results obtained with the other treatments. The use of concentrated sulfuric acid for 15 and 30 minutes to tender the seed coat didn't increase the germination percentage of the treated seeds over that of the control Similar effects was also exhibited when the seeds were soaked in hot water for different intervals. Cold stratification at 4-5' didn't significantly increase the ger...