He has participated in numerous international and national conferences and is well-versed in a range of analytical tools relevant to mycopathological research. Dr. Meena has authored over 150 peer-reviewed publications, including research articles, review articles, and book chapters. Additionally, he has published six books with international publishers. He has been recognized in the "World Ranking of Top 2% Scientists" database, released by Stanford University, USA, and Elsevier for the year 2024. This marks the third consecutive years ‒ 2022, 2023, and 2024 ‒ that he has been listed among the top 2% of scientists globally.
EDUCATION
Dr. Mukesh Meena completed his M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Botany from the Department of Botany, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India. He is currently serving as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Botany at Mohanlal Sukhadia University, Udaipur, Rajasthan. Dr. Meena previously worked as a post-doctoral research fellow at the Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, India.
RESEARCH, TEACHING, or OTHER INTERESTS
Agricultural and Biological Sciences, Plant Science, General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology, Biotechnology
153
Scopus Publications
10361
Scholar Citations
46
Scholar h-index
111
Scholar i10-index
Scopus Publications
Comprehensive profiling of potato responses to Alternaria alternata and its toxins (TeA and AOH): ultrastructural, biochemical and multivariate insights Adhishree Nagda, Mukesh Meena BMC Plant Biology, 2026 Leaf spot caused by Alternaria alternata poses a major threat to potato production, yet the distinct impacts of its key toxins remain unresolved. This pathogen releases a range of secondary metabolites that interfere with normal leaf function and accelerate disease progression. Among them, alternariol (AOH) and tenuazonic acid (TeA) stand out as potent phytotoxins, known for triggering oxidative damage and weakening host tissues during infection. In the present work, we employed a multidisciplinary approach to investigate the physiological, biochemical, histochemical, ultrastructural, and gene-expression responses of potato leaves subjected to A. alternata and its host-specific toxins, AOH and TeA. Histochemical assays confirmed enhanced accumulation of ROS (H 2 O 2 , O 2 · − ), callose deposition, and lipid peroxidation. Pathogen infection induced necrotic lesions and chlorosis, with SEM and TEM analyses revealing distinct cytological damage. A. alternata and TeA caused extensive tissue collapse, membrane disruption, and organelle disintegration, whereas AOH was less destructive, primarily inducing vesicle accumulation and chloroplast disorganization. This represents the first ultrastructural evidence of AOH induced cytotoxicity in plant tissue, highlighting its underestimated role in plant stress. Antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), and glutathione reductase (GR), along with defense related enzymes including phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL), polyphenol oxidase (PPO), peroxidase (POX), exhibited significant induction, which was supported by Native-PAGE revealing treatment-specific isoform expression of SOD and CAT. SDS-PAGE demonstrated altered host protein profiles, with distinct induction of mid-molecular weight (40–50 kDa) and high-molecular weight (~ 75 kDa) proteins under toxin and pathogen stress, indicating activation of defense associated proteins. Gene expression analysis further demonstrated a clear temporal increase in Cu/Zn-SOD , CAT1 , and APX , with the strongest activation observed at 24–48 h, following the pattern: pathogen > TeA > AOH. Principal component analysis (PCA) accounted for 82.13% and 12.52% of the total variance across all measured parameters. Correlation and clustering analyses highlighted early pigment loss followed by delayed activation of oxidative stress-responsive enzymes, while exhibiting strong negative correlations between pigments and ROS, alongside positive correlations among stress-related enzymes. The severity of oxidative damage followed the trend: pathogen > TeA > AOH. These findings reveal stress signatures and defense shifts, providing mechanistic insights into Alternaria pathogenesis and toxin-driven oxidative damage in potato. Advancing the understanding of host-pathogen-toxin dynamics and offering a foundation for resistance breeding in Solanaceous crops against leaf spot disease.
Bioactivity screening of endophytic fungi from Sterculia urens and GC–MS metabolites profiling of the potent isolate Chaetomium meridiolense Garima Yadav, Mukesh Meena, Priyankaraj Sonigra Scientific Reports, 2026 Endophytic fungi associated with medicinal plants are recognized as promising sources of bioactive secondary metabolites. In this study, fungal endophytes were isolated from healthy leaves of Sterculia urens, an ethnomedicinal plant with documented therapeutic relevance, and evaluated for their phytochemical composition and biological activities. Nine endophytic fungi were screened for antioxidant potential using DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging assays and for antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Salmonella typhi through minimum inhibitory and bactericidal concentration analyses. Among the isolates, Chaetomium meridiolense exhibited comparatively higher antioxidant and antibacterial activities and was therefore selected for detailed metabolic investigation. This isolate also showed elevated phenolic and flavonoid contents, suggesting a chemical basis for its bioactivity. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis revealed a metabolite profile enriched with terpenoid- and phenolic-derived compounds. Multivariate statistical analyses indicated positive associations between phenolic enrichment and observed antioxidant and antibacterial effects. Overall, this study provides new insight into the bioactive potential of C. meridiolense associated with S. urens and supports the relevance of endophytic fungi as potential sources of biologically active metabolites for further exploration.
Phytochemical and bioactive insights into endophytic fungi from Wrightia tinctoria with emphasis on Xylaria rohrensis metabolites potential Garima Yadav, Priyankaraj Sonigra, Adhishree Nagda, Tushar Mehta, Abhishek Sahoo, Mukesh Meena, Prashant Swapnil Scientific Reports, 2026 Endophytic fungi represent a prolific reservoir of bioactive compounds with potential therapeutic and biotechnological applications. In this study, nine endophytic fungi were isolated from healthy plant parts of the medicinal plant Wrightia tinctoria and evaluated for their phytochemical profiles, antioxidant properties, and antibacterial activities. Among them, Xylaria rohrensis consistently exhibited the strongest bioactivity, with high levels of phenolic and flavonoid contents, correlating with strong antioxidant activity and growth inhibition of both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Based on these results, X. rohrensis was selected for further chemical characterization. Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy revealed prominent absorption bands corresponding to hydroxyl, carbonyl, and aromatic functional groups, confirming the presence of phenolic and flavonoid compounds. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis identified a diverse array of secondary metabolites, including phenolic derivatives, sterols, and fatty acids, several of which are known for their antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. To our knowledge, this is the first detailed report describing the metabolite composition and biological potential of X. rohrensis as an endophyte. Multivariate analyses, including principal component analysis (PCA) and correlation studies, demonstrated clear associations between metabolite abundance and biological activity. These findings highlight X. rohrensis as a promising source of novel natural products and expand our understanding of the functional roles of endophytic fungi in medicinal plants.
Isolation, Development and Validation of Chromatographic Methods for the Estimation of Linoleic Acid from Different Parts of Euphorbia neriifolia Linn. Priya Chaudhary, Devendra Singh, Mukesh Meena, Pracheta Janmeda Current Analytical Chemistry, 2026 Objectives: This is the first report on the development and validation of thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC)-densitometric methods for the identification of linoleic acid (LA) in petroleum ether extract (PEE) of Euphorbia neriifolia (EN) stem (ST), latex (LX), and bark (BA). Methodology: Chromatographic analyses were performed on silica gel-G and silica gel 60 F254 plates and the antioxidant activities of isolated compounds were investigated by 2,2-diphenyl-1- picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) spectrophotometric assay. Results: The chromatographic analyses revealed better spots and well-separated peaks of LA with retention factor (Rf) values at 0.54 (ST), 0.40 (LX), and 0.64 (BA), respectively. The linearity of the calibration curve ranges from 10-50 ng/spot (ST), 10-100 ng/spot (LX), and 50-200 ng/spot (BA). The proposed method was characterized by better accuracy, better robustness, and good precision, ranging from 0.173 to 0.372% (intra-day) and 0.185 to 0.205% (inter-day). The value of the limit of detection and quantification equal to 1.04 and 3.16 ng/spot in ST, 0.87 and 2.64 ng/spot in LX, and 0.177 and 0.53 ng/spot in BA determined the sensitivity of the method. In the obtained chromatogram, no peak was observed other than the LA which determined the specificity of the method. The % RSD of < 2% after periods of 12, 24, 36, 48, and 72 h determined the stability of standard LA. Conclusion: Thus, the fingerprinting method is valuable in determining the adulterants and in routine quality control of formulations and herbal drugs.
Introduction to Cancer Metabolism Gomathi Mohan, Mukesh Meena, Manzer H. Siddiqui, Gaurav Raturi, Pracheta Janmeda, Priya Chaudhary Cancer Treatment and Research, 2026
Mechanistic basis of the symbiotic signaling pathway between the host and the pathogen Mukesh Meena, Adhishree Nagda, Tushar Mehta, Garima Yadav, Priyankaraj Sonigra Plant Microbe Interaction Recent Advances in Molecular and Biochemical Approaches Volume 1 Overview of Biochemical and Physiological Alteration During Plant Microbe Interaction, 2023
Role of fungi in bio-production of nanomaterials at megascale Mukesh Meena, Prashant Swapnil, Garima Yadav, Priyankaraj Sonigra Fungi Bio Prospects in Sustainable Agriculture Environment and Nano Technology Volume 3 Fungal Metabolites Functional Genomics and Nano Technology, 2021
Microbial genes involved in interaction with plants Chandra Bali Patel, Vivek Kumar Singh, Anand Prakash Singh, Mukesh Meena, R.S. Upadhyay New and Future Developments in Microbial Biotechnology and Bioengineering Microbial Genes Biochemistry and Applications, 2018
Virulence factors and their associated genes in microbes Mukesh Meena, Prashant Swapnil, Andleeb Zehra, Mohd Aamir, Manish Kumar Dubey, Chandra Bali Patel, R.S. Upadhyay New and Future Developments in Microbial Biotechnology and Bioengineering Microbial Genes Biochemistry and Applications, 2018
Effect of different environmental conditions on growth and sporulation of some Trichoderma species Laboratory of Mycopathology, Microbial Technology, Centre of Advanced Study in Botany, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi-221 005, India, A. Zehra, M.K. Dubey, Laboratory of Mycopathology, Microbial Technology, Centre of Advanced Study in Botany, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi-221 005, India, M. Meena, Laboratory of Mycopathology, Microbial Technology, Centre of Advanced Study in Botany, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi-221 005, India, R.S. Upadhyay, Laboratory of Mycopathology, et al. Journal of Environmental Biology, 2017
Penicillium enzymes for the food industries Mukesh Meena, Andleeb Zehra, Manish K. Dubey, Mohd Aamir, Ram S. Upadhyay New and Future Developments in Microbial Biotechnology and Bioengineering Penicillium System Properties and Applications, 2017
Role of Penicillium Species in Bioremediation Processes Andleeb Zehra, Manish K. Dubey, Mukesh Meena, Mohd Aamir, Chandra B. Patel, Ram S. Upadhyay New and Future Developments in Microbial Biotechnology and Bioengineering Penicillium System Properties and Applications, 2017
Fungal toxins and their impact on living systems Vivek Kumar Singh, Mukesh Meena, Andleeb Zehra, Arti Tiwari, Manish Kumar Dubey, R. S. Upadhyay Microbial Diversity and Biotechnology in Food Security, 2014
Production and technological applications of enzymes from microbial sources Applications of Microbial Genes in Enzyme Technology, 2013
RECENT SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS
Harnessing weeds for sustainable fungal disease control and nanotechnology innovations P Chauhan, A Tapwal, M Meena, P Swapnil Discover Plants 3 (1), 69 , 2026 2026
Comprehensive profiling of potato responses to Alternaria alternata and its toxins (TeA and AOH): ultrastructural, biochemical and multivariate insights A Nagda, M Meena BMC Plant Biology 26 (1), 194 , 2026 2026 Citations: 1
Fusarium oxysporum induced pathogenesis in ginger ( Zingiber officinale ) associated with oxidative stress responses, antioxidant defense mechanisms and … M Meena, G Yadav, P Sonigra, T Mehta, A Nagda, A Sahoo, P Swapnil, ... Scientific Reports , 2026 2026
Fatty Acid-enriched Euphorbia neriifolia Alleviates the NPIP-induced Lung Cancer Via Modulating Oxidative Stress and Apoptosis in Swiss Albino Mice P Chaudhary, M Meena, D Singh, P Janmeda Cell Biochemistry and Biophysics, 1-29 , 2026 2026
Molecular mechanisms and evolutionary adaptations of transporters for photosynthates and specialized metabolites in plants S Bhagat, A Sahoo, M Meena, P Swapnil Plant cell reports 45 (3), 64 , 2026 2026
Bioactivity screening of endophytic fungi from Sterculia urens and GC–MS metabolites profiling of the potent isolate Chaetomium meridiolense G Yadav, M Meena, P Sonigra Scientific Reports , 2026 2026 Citations: 1
Multilevel evaluation of Hyptis suaveolens essential oil against papaya postharvest fungal pathogens: in vitro, mechanistic and in vivo evidence P Sonigra, G Yadav, A Nagda, T Mehta, M Meena, A Sahoo Food Chemistry, 148007 , 2026 2026 Citations: 1
Flavonoids as signals for plant–beneficial microbe interaction A Sahoo, SP Behera, A Pal, M Meena, P Swapnil Flavonoids for Plant Development and Stress Tolerance, 101-112 , 2026 2026
Phytochemical and bioactive insights into endophytic fungi from Wrightia tinctoria with emphasis on Xylaria rohrensis metabolites potential G Yadav, P Sonigra, A Nagda, T Mehta, A Sahoo, M Meena, P Swapnil Scientific Reports , 2025 2025 Citations: 3
Deciphering the Molecular Roles of Antimicrobial Peptides in Plant Innate Immunity and Their Potential Applications in Crop Protection S Yadav, J Likhita, S Kumar, M Shelke, R Pal, MK Prajapati, PR Behera, ... Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, 110961 , 2025 2025 Citations: 2
Nanopore sequencing for molecular diagnostics of plant pathogens and environmental monitoring to enhance crop health and sustainability A Malik, M Suthar, S Tailor, K Jain, RK Gaur, M Meena, A Marwal Discover Plants 2 (1), 376 , 2025 2025 Citations: 2
Unlocking the potential of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi: exploring role in plant growth promotion, nutrient uptake mechanisms, biotic stress alleviation, and sustaining … I Bhupenchandra, SK Chongtham, AG Devi, P Dutta, MR Sahoo, ... Journal of Plant Growth Regulation 44 (12), 6802-6840 , 2025 2025 Citations: 100
Influence of Hyptis suaveolens growth stage on essential oil composition, antimicrobial and antioxidant activities P Sonigra, M Meena Scientific Reports , 2025 2025 Citations: 4
Diversity, pathogenicity, and mycotoxin profiling of Alternaria species infecting potato in India A Nagda, M Meena World Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology 41 (11), 480 , 2025 2025 Citations: 5
Deciphering the complex signaling networks in Phytophthora infected plants: Insights into microbiome interactions and plant defense mechanisms R Arutselvan, S Kumar, AU Akash, K Greeshma, SS Sinha, AS Khan, ... Plant Physiology and Biochemistry 228, 110222 , 2025 2025 Citations: 5
Phytocompounds and pharmacological insights of Leptadenia pyrotechnica : a new perspective on drug discovery D Kumari, D Singh, M Meena, P Janmeda Discover Applied Sciences 7 (10), 1089 , 2025 2025 Citations: 3
Biotechnological Innovations for Microplastic Degradation: A Synthetic Biology Perspective P Yadav, C Yadav, A Joshi, M Meena, J Arora Next Research, 100878 , 2025 2025 Citations: 3
Phytoremediation for a sustainable future: Integrating plant based strategies in soil and wastewater remediation A Sahoo, SP Chhotaray, I Meher, SP Behera, A Pal, M Meena, P Swapnil, ... Bioresource Technology Reports, 102266 , 2025 2025 Citations: 11
Tapping the microalgal potential: genetic precision and stress-induction for enhanced astaxanthin and biofuel production A Yadav, S Sharma, Nitesh, R Meena, R Bhardwaj, P Swapnil, M Meena Biotechnology for Biofuels and Bioproducts 18 (1), 92 , 2025 2025 Citations: 10
Unveiling the hidden culturable endophytic fungal diversity in aerial vegetative parts of Wrightia tinctoria (Roxb.) R.Br. of southern Aravalli hills G Yadav, M Meena Scientific Reports 15 (1), 29378 , 2025 2025 Citations: 5
MOST CITED SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS
Recent Developments in Enzymatic Antioxidant Defence Mechanism in Plants with Special Reference to Abiotic Stress VD Rajput, Harish, RK Singh, KK Verma, L Sharma, FR Quiroz-Figueroa, ... Biology 10 (4), 267 , 2021 2021 Citations: 900
Regulation of L-proline biosynthesis, signal transduction, transport, accumulation and its vital role in plants during variable environmental conditions M Meena, K Divyanshu, S Kumar, P Swapnil, A Zehra, V Shukla, M Yadav, ... Heliyon 5 (12) , 2019 2019 Citations: 556
Plant tissue culture as a perpetual source for production of industrially important bioactive compounds H Chandran, M Meena, T Barupal, K Sharma Biotechnology Reports 26, e00450 , 2020 2020 Citations: 545
Cyanobacteria as a source of biofertilizers for sustainable agriculture D Chittora, M Meena, T Barupal, P Swapnil, K Sharma Biochemistry and Biophysics Reports 22, 100737 , 2020 2020 Citations: 482
PGPR‐mediated induction of systemic resistance and physiochemical alterations in plants against the pathogens: Current perspectives M Meena, P Swapnil, K Divyanshu, S Kumar, Harish, YN Tripathi, A Zehra, ... Journal of Basic Microbiology 60 (10), 828-861 , 2020 2020 Citations: 397
Vital roles of carotenoids in plants and humans to deteriorate stress with its structure, biosynthesis, metabolic engineering and functional aspects P Swapnil, M Meena, SK Singh, UP Dhuldhaj, A Marwal Current Plant Biology 26, 100203 , 2021 2021 Citations: 387
Alternaria toxins: potential virulence factors and genes related to pathogenesis M Meena, SK Gupta, P Swapnil, A Zehra, MK Dubey, RS Upadhyay Frontiers in Microbiology 8, 1451 , 2017 2017 Citations: 289
Efficiency of microbial bio-agents as elicitors in plant defense mechanism under biotic stress: A review A Zehra, NA Raytekar, M Meena, P Swapnil Current Research in Microbial Sciences 2, 100054 , 2021 2021 Citations: 279
Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria as a green alternative for sustainable agriculture H Chandran, M Meena, P Swapnil Sustainability 13 (19), 10986 , 2021 2021 Citations: 262
Alternaria host-specific (HSTs) toxins: An overview of chemical characterization, target sites, regulation and their toxic effects M Meena, S Samal Toxicology Reports 6, 745-758 , 2019 2019 Citations: 258
Mannitol metabolism during pathogenic fungal–host interactions under stressed conditions M Meena, V Prasad, A Zehra, VK Gupta, RS Upadhyay Frontiers in Microbiology 6, 1019 , 2015 2015 Citations: 227
Microbial Biodiversity and Bioremediation Assessment Through Omics Approaches H Chandran, M Meena, K Sharma Frontiers in Environmental Chemistry 1: 570326. doi: 10.3389/fenvc , 2020 2020 Citations: 213
Soil Microbiome: Diversity, Benefits and Interactions with Plants P Chauhan, N Sharma, A Tapwal, A Kumar, GS Verma, M Meena, ... Sustainability 15 (19), 14643 , 2023 2023 Citations: 211
Comparative evaluation of biochemical changes in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) infected by Alternaria alternata and its toxic metabolites (TeA, AOH, and AME) M Meena, A Zehra, MK Dubey, M Aamir, VK Gupta, RS Upadhyay Frontiers in Plant Science 7, 1408 , 2016 2016 Citations: 199
Nanotechnology, a frontier in agricultural science, a novel approach in abiotic stress management and convergence with new age medicine-A review S Mariyam, SK Upadhyay, K Chakraborty, KK Verma, JS Duhan, ... Science of The Total Environment 912, 169097 , 2024 2024 Citations: 189
Characterization of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) isolated from the rhizosphere of Vigna radiata (mung bean) P Kumari, M Meena, RS Upadhyay Biocatalysis and Agricultural Biotechnology 16, 155-162 , 2018 2018 Citations: 188
Antagonistic assessment of Trichoderma spp. by producing volatile and non-volatile compounds against different fungal pathogens M Meena, P Swapnil, A Zehra, MK Dubey, RS Upadhyay Archives of Phytopathology and Plant Protection 50 (13-14), 629-648 , 2017 2017 Citations: 178
Synergistic effects of plant defense elicitors and Trichoderma harzianum on enhanced induction of antioxidant defense system in tomato against Fusarium wilt disease A Zehra, M Meena, MK Dubey, M Aamir, RS Upadhyay Botanical Studies 58 (1), 1-14 , 2017 2017 Citations: 167
In silico prediction, characterization, molecular docking, and dynamic studies on fungal SDRs as novel targets for searching potential fungicides against Fusarium wilt in tomato M Aamir, VK Singh, MK Dubey, M Meena, SP Kashyap, SK Katari, ... Frontiers in Pharmacology 9, 1038 , 2018 2018 Citations: 163
Bioprospecting of endophytes in medicinal plants of Thar Desert: An attractive resource for biopharmaceuticals G Yadav, M Meena Biotechnology Reports 30, e00629 , 2021 2021 Citations: 153