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Plumbago indica L. contains naphthoquinones that are derived from six acetate units. To characterize the enzyme catalyzing the first step in the biosynthesis of these metabolites, a cDNA encoding a type III polyketide synthase (PKS) was isolated from roots of P. indica. The translated polypeptide shared 47–60% identical residues with PKSs from other plant species. Recombinant P. indica PKS expressed in Escherichia coli accepted acetyl-CoA as starter and carried out five decarboxylative condensations with malonyl coenzyme A (-CoA). The resulting hexaketide was not folded into a naphthalene derivative. Instead, an α-pyrone, 6-(2′,4′-dihydroxy-6′-methylphenyl)-4-hydroxy-2-pyrone, was produced. In addition, formation of α-pyrones with linear keto side chains derived from three to six acetate units was observed. As phenylpyrones could not be detected in P. indica roots, we propose that the novel PKS is involved in the biosynthesis of naphthoquinones, and additional cofactors are probably required for the biosynthesis of these secondary metabolites in vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Goldcrests Regulus regulus are found wintering in high numbers from October to April in the Adriatic coast and islands, feeding mainly on insects in the undergrowth and on the ground. Common Leadwort Plumbago europaea L. continues to flower on stone walls well into October, exposing its sticky calyx and seed capsules for at least 30 days, meaning a threat to small birds by clinging to their feathers. The entangled feathers restrain the birds in their free movement, which either die or become easy prey for cats, rats or birds of prey. As estimated from plant coverage rate (0.63% of stone walls) and the number of observed birds "captured" by Common Leadwort (5), at least 47 Goldcrests could have been killed by this natural trap in the built-in area of the island of Olib (0.388 km²) during one month. At lower coverage rates (<0.1%) such as in the outer areas of the island of Olib and in the outskirts and central areas of neighboring Silba island, such losses could be much lower, but because of the considerable distribution overlap between of this plant species and the wintering areas of Goldcrests, this mortality factor should not be overlooked. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Boletín Latinoamericano y del Caribe de Plantas Medicinales y Aromáticas is the property of Universidad de Santiago de Chile and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Prostate cancer is one of deadliest cancers in the universe especially in Africa. A lot of work has been done on the treatment and control of breast cancer, colon/colorectal cancer, skin cancer, etc. Only a few works on prostate cancer has been published in literature. The conventional method of treatment used is almost not affordable by many cancer patients due to high cost of drugs and therapy. Also, the cumulative side effects arising from the treatment is enormous to patients. Hence, there is need to exploit local herbs that contain active anticancer ingredients that are readily available and affordable with little or no side effects. The present review was carried out to evaluate published works on medicinal plant species used for treatment and control of prostate cancer in Africa for twenty years (2001-2021). A total number of 48 plant species with 40 families were retrieved from database using ScienceDirect, Google scholar, Web of Science, Springerlink, Scopus, PubMed, and BioMed. All the plant species were reported to possess cytotoxic activity against prostate cancer cell lines in vitro and in vivo. The most cited plant species according to literature sources are Hypoxis hemerocallidea, Plumbago zeylanica, Gongronema latifolium and Mangifera indica. Plant families that were used more in treating prostate cancer were Apocynaceae, Fabaceae, Asteraceae, Cucurbitaceae, Bignoniaceae, Lamiaceae. We conclude that more research be carried out on the medicinal plants' usage on the treatment of prostate cancer and further bio-prospecting drugs from the enlisted plants should explored by the pharmaceuticals in Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Response to simultaneous stressors is an important facet of plant ecology and land management. In a greenhouse trial, we studied how eight plant species responded to single and combined effects of three soil concentrations of the phytotoxic munitions constituent RDX and two levels of water-resourcing. In an outdoor trial, we studied the effects of high RDX soil concentration and two levels of water-resourcing in three plant species. Multiple endpoints related to RDX fate, plant health, and plant survival were evaluated in both trials. Starting RDX concentration was the most frequent factor influencing all endpoints. Water-resourcing also had significant impacts, but in fewer cases. For most endpoints, significant interaction effects between RDX concentration and water-resourcing were observed for some species and treatments. Main and interaction effects were typically variable (significant in one treatment, but not in another; associated with increasing endpoint values for one treatment and/or with decreasing endpoint values in another). This complexity has implications for understanding how RDX and water-availability combine to impact plants, as well as for applications like phytoremediation. As an additional product of these greenhouse and outdoor trials, three plants native or naturalized within the southeastern United States were identified as promising species for further study as in situ phytoremediation resources. Plumbago auriculata exhibited relatively strong and markedly consistent among-treatment mean proportional reductions in soil RDX concentrations (112% and 2.5% of the means of corresponding values observed within other species). Likewise, across all treatments, Salvia coccinea exhibited distinctively low variance in mean leaf chlorophyll content index levels (6.5% of the means of corresponding values observed within other species). Both species also exhibited mean wilting and chlorosis levels that were 66% and 35%, and 67% and 84%, of corresponding values observed in all other plants, respectively. Ruellia caroliniensis exhibited at least 43% higher mean survival across all treatments than any other test species in outdoor trials, despite exhibiting similar RDX uptake and bioconcentration levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Boletín Latinoamericano y del Caribe de Plantas Medicinales y Aromáticas is the property of Universidad de Santiago de Chile and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The application value of 70 kinds of flowers in Hefei City was evaluated by analytic hierarchy process (AHP). From the three aspects of adaptability, ornamental value and economic traits, 12 indicators were summarized to establish a comprehensive evaluation system. The results show that the application of grade-I plants (J ≥ 3.664 2) in flower borders is the most suitable, and they include 19 species of plants such as Osmanthus fragrans var. thunbergii, accounting for 27.14%. The application of grade-II plants (3.231 9 ≤ J ≤ 3.664 1) in flower borders is suitable, and 36 species of plants such as Jacobaea maritima are included, with the proportion of 51.42%. The application of grade-III plants (2.793 5 ≤ J ≤ 3.231 8) in flower borders is relatively suitable, and they contain 8 species of plants such as Acer palmatum 'Atropurpureum' (Van Houtte) Schwerim, accounting for 11.42%. Grade-IV plants (J ≤ 2.793 4) can be applied in flower borders under special circumstances, and include 6 species of plants such as Muehlenbeckia complexa Meisn., accounting for 8.57%. The results can provide reference for the selection of flower border plants in Hefei. The locations and types of 40 flower borders were summarized to provide a basis for the development direction and future planning of flower borders in Hefei. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An updated checklist of butterfly species recorded from the Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON) campus, constitute a total of 178 species of butterflies, including previous records of 101 species. The butterfly species represent Papilionidae (17), Pieridae (22), Nymphalidae (55), Lycaenidae (54), Riodinidae (1) and Hesperiidae (29). Seventy-seven species are new additions. Among the 178 species, 56 (31.46%) were found to be very common, 74 (41.57%) were moderately common, 42 (23.60%) were rare and 6 (3.37%) as very rare in sightings. Ninety plant species belonging to 33 families as larval host plants of 160 butterfly species were also recorded in the present study. Host plants of 18 species of butterflies were not available in the study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Boletín de la Sociedad Argentina de Botánica is the property of Sociedad Argentina de Botanica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Melanoplus differentialis, which is a pest native to the Americas, causes serious damage to landscape trees and farmland. It has adapted to the domestic environment and is on the rise. M. differentialis was first identified on natural habitat in 2020 in Ulsan. This study aims to identify the habitat status, host plants, and ecological characteristics of M. differentialis in South Korea. Melanoplus differentialis overwinters in egg pods in the ground. Nymphs were identified from April, and adults from June to November. M. differentialis was distributed in a region, which consisted of 16 orders, 18 families, and 32 species of host plants, among which M. differentialis preferred species of Asteraceae and Fabaceae plants. On measuring the soil temperature at oviposition sites during the overwintering season, the minimum soil temperature in winter was 0.37 °C from December 2020 to March 2021 and 2.3 °C from December 2021 to March 2022. The results provide basic data that could facilitate the minimization of damage to ecosystems and crops by determining the habitat status and ecological characteristics of M. differentialis in South Korea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant-pollinator interactions are important for the evolution and survival of the species involved. Plant-pollinator networks on oceanic islands are often small in size and as a consequence the connectance is high suggesting a substantial generalisation level. Further, linkage level for insular plants is shown to be lower than on mainland. The present study investigates a plant-pollinator network on the Galápagos Islands that is unique because of its very small size. We recorded pollinator visits to plant species as well as pollen grains on insect bodies. The combination of these data increased the observed number of interactions. The values for connectance and linkage level for plants were found to be consistent with similar values found in other network studies. There were no relation between the abundance of plant species and the number of pollinating species. The dominating pollinator species was the Galápagos carpenter bee Xylocopa darwini. Specimens of the shorthorned grasshopper Halmenus cuspidatus turned out to carry pollen from five plant species out of twelve and are probably functioning as pollinator. Bagging experiments revealed dependency on insect visits for a high seed set for most of the plant species, but only one species Plumbago scandens seemed to possess a pollen limited seed set. The network showed an asymmetric pattern of number of interactions per species with a few species having several interactions and many species a few. This pattern is supposed to result in a rather robust community, but is also fairly sensitive if the dominant species are threatened. The high connectance value found could, however, counteract this vulnerability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An investigation was conducted among 360 people from the local population of the Western Middle Atlas of Morocco to identify medicinal plants used for treating skin diseases. Various parameters, including Relative Frequency of Citation (RFC), Family Use Value (FUV), Plant Part Value (PPV), Informant Consensus Factor (ICF), and Fidelity Level (FL), were used for data collection and assessment. During the investigation, 45 medicinal plant species belonging to 33 families were documented, with the most important family being Euphorbiaceae (FUV = 0.292). The highest ICF value (ICF=0.991) was mentioned for skin cancer. The poultice was found to be the primary method for preparing the majority of remedies (51%). Leaves were the most commonly used plant part (PPV = 0.476), and Allium sativum L. was the most widely used species (RFC = 0.302). These findings are a preliminary step towards conserving and popularising these plant species, promoting sustainable practices in traditional medicine, safeguarding biodiversity, and integrating these valuable botanical resources into modern healthcare systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Every year, cancer kills millions of people around the world. Finding more selective anticancer agents is essential to improve the low survival rates of patients with metastatic cancers. Since the research of natural products is a valuable approach to the discovery of new compounds and the Iberian flora offers a rich source of unstudied plants, we have carried out a random screening of 76 plant species from 43 families collected in Andalusia (South of Spain). Using non-malignant cells (HaCaT) and lung cancer cells (A549), we found that the extract from Arum italicum Mill. subsp. italicum (Araceae), Mandragora autumnalis Bertol. (Solanaceae), Rhamnus alaternus L. (Rhamnaceae), and Lomelosia simplex (Desf.) Raf. subsp. dentata (Jord. & Fourr.) Greuter & Burdet (Dipsacaceae) showed selective cytotoxicity against lung cancer cells. Extracts of plant species belonging to the Iridaceae family showed high selective activity against cancer cells, highlighting that the Xiphion xiphium (L.) M.B. Crespo, Mart.-Azorín & Mavrodiev flower extract was more selective against lung cancer cells than the standard anticancer drugs, cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil. This extract also showed modest selective cytotoxicity against bladder carcinoma cells (T24). The number of cells in the G1 phase increased after treatment with the extract from Xiphion xiphium. Our research indicates that various plants are potential sources for the isolation and development of new anticancer drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the Age of Enlightenment, many Poles pursued medical studies at various European universities. One of them was Jan Dominik Piotr Jaśkiewicz. Born on 6 July 1749 in Lviv to an Armenian family, he moved to Vienna in the late 1760s to study medicine at the university under the supervision of renowned professors: Anton de Haën, Heinrich Johann Nepomuk von Crantz, Nikolaus Joseph von Jacquin, and others. Jaśkiewicz graduated in 1775 with a Doctor of Medicine degree, based on the thesis titled "Dissertatio inauguralis medica sistens pharmaca regni vegetabilis", in which he provided a list, description, and healing properties of some plant species, arranged according to the systematics of Carl von Linnè (Linnaeus). Through his dissertation, Jaśkiewicz popularized in Poland the views of the Viennese medical school, among others, on the medical use of digitalis. For some time he remained in Vienna, attempting to secure a suitable position. Between 1780 and 1783, Jaśkiewicz expanded his knowledge of nature through travels to Italy, Germany, and France. After presenting his mineralogical observations in Paris, Jaśkiewicz was appointed as a correspondent member of the Paris Academy of Sciences. It was during this time in Paris that Jaśkiewicz met Jan Śniadecki, who later became his friend, colleague, and patient. Subsequently, Hugo Kołłątaj appointed Jaśkiewicz as a professor of natural history and chemistry at the Crown's Main School in Kraków (Jagiellonian University). He began his lectures in Kraków on 1 October 1783. It should be emphasized that Jaśkiewicz laid the foundations for Polish scientific vocabulary. He also played a crucial role in establishing a chemical laboratory and organizing a botanical garden and a cabinet of natural history. In February 1783, Jaśkiewicz took on the position of a hospital physician (director) at the St. Barbara Academic Hospital, where he focused on organizing the hospital's finances and management. Around the same time, he declined additional remuneration for this role. In 1787, Jaśkiewicz assumed the duties of the house physician for the Wielopolski margrave in Pińczów. Jaśkiewicz died in Kraków on 14 November 1809. Throughout his life, he was an active physician and performed his medical career independently of other duties. Jaśkiewicz gained considerable recognition and popularity for his achievements in the medical field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we present a preliminary checklist of butterfly larval host plants from the Bankura and Purulia districts, which are a part of the Chotanagpur Plateau of West Bengal, India. The authors found 223 plant species from 52 plant families, which were used as larval hosts by 124 butterfly species. In terms of the use of plant families and species, we discovered a strong positive association between Nymphalidae and Hesperiidae and between Lycaenidae and Pieridae. According to our two-way ANOVA findings, there are notable variations in plant usage among butterfly families, which were elaborately discussed using hierarchical classical clustering. Most of the plant species utilized were from the Fabaceae and Poaceae families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mt Elgon is an ancient transboundary volcanic mountain found at the Kenya-Uganda boarder possessing high plant diversity. This study documents an updated checklist of the mountain's vascular plants obtained through random-walk field excursions and retrieval of herbarium specimen tracing back to 1900. We compiled 1709 species from 673 genera in 131 families. One new species of the family Cucurbitaceae was also reported. This checklist records respective habitat, habits, elevation ranges, voucher numbers and global distribution ranges of each species. Native and exotic species were also distinguished, where 8.4% of the total species in 49 families were exotic species. There were 103 endemic species, while 14 species were found to be both rare and endemic. IUCN conservation status revealed 2 Critically Endangered, 4 Endangered, 9 Vulnerable and 2 Near Threatened species. This study presents the first and most comprehensive plant inventory of Mt Elgon that will facilitate further ecological and phylogenetic studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The biotic assembly of the Revillagigedo Archipelago, Mexico, was analysed under an evolutionary biogeographic framework. We undertook a parsimony analysis of endemicity with progressive character elimination of 194 plant and animal species, which allowed us to identify the archipelago as a complex area or node where Nearctic and Neotropical biotic components overlap. We undertook a cladistic biogeographic analysis using the phylogenetic information of 42 taxon-area cladograms, from which one general-area cladogram was obtained: (Revillagigedo, (Sonoran, (Baja California, (Veracruzan, Pacific Lowlands)))). These results suggest that the Revillagigedo Archipelago may be classified as a province, although we prefer to keep it as a district of the Pacific Lowlands province. We identified two cenocrons (temporally integrated set of taxa) that can be dated to the Pliocene–Pleistocene: one Nearctic that dispersed from the Baja California Peninsula, and another Neotropical where the species dispersed from the Pacific coast to the islands. The geological information and the general-area cladograms allowed us to propose a geobiotic scenario for the archipelago where the islands are probably the result of volcanism associated with the oceanic Mathematician Ridge, and the arrival of the cenocrons to the archipelago may have occurred during the Pliocene–Pleistocene, after the islands were available for colonisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A wide range of novelties and significant developments in the field of veterinary science to treat helminth parasites by using natural plant products have been assessed in recent years. To the best of our knowledge, to date, there has not been such a comprehensive review of 19 years of articles on the anthelmintic potential of plants against various types of helminths in different parts of the world. Therefore, the present study reviews the available information on a large number of medicinal plants and their pharmacological effects, which may facilitate the development of an effective management strategy against helminth parasites. An electronic search in four major databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar) was performed for articles published between January 2003 and April 2022. Information about plant species, local name, family, distribution, plant tissue used, and target parasite species was tabulated. All relevant studies meeting the inclusion criteria were assessed, and 118 research articles were included. In total, 259 plant species were reviewed as a potential source of anthelmintic drugs. These plants can be used as a source of natural drugs to treat helminth infections in animals, and their use would potentially reduce economic losses and improve livestock production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the vascular flora of the Lalmai hill area of the Cumilla district has been thoroughly explored. This study reveals the occurrence of 923 species of vascular plants under 594 genera and 141 families in the study area, which represents 23.75% of the total 3886 plant species reported from Bangladesh until now. About 68.15% of these species are native and 31.85% are exotic to Bangladesh. Pteridophytes are represented by 30 species belonging to 21 genera and 11 families, whilst Gymnosperms are represented by eight species under seven genera and six families. Magnoliopsida (dicotyledons) comprises 661 species, including four subspecies and two varieties, from 429 genera and 96 families, accounting for 71.54% of the vascular flora of the study area. Liliopsida (monocotyledons) represents 225 species under 137 genera and 28 families, making up 24.35% of this flora. In Magnoliopsida, Fabaceae with 55 species is the largest dicot family, followed by Asteraceae, Malvaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Lamiaceae and Rubiaceae. Most of the species of Liliopsida (68%) are represented by the five families viz., Poaceae, Cyperaceae, Araceae and Commelinaceae. Poaceae with 75 species is the largest monocot family, followed by Cyperaceae, Orchidaceae, Araceae and Arecaceae. The genus Cyperus is the largest in the study area. The species Antidesma roxburghii Wall. ex Tul. of Phyllanthaceae is rediscovered in Bangladesh. Most of the Magnoliopsida and Liliopsida are herbs (59.80%), which are followed by trees (21.02%), shrubs (17.23%), and palms (1.41%). About 64.57% of the species are recorded as wild, but a significant percentage (27.41%) is planted and cultivated (8.02%). The majority of the species are found to grow in eight categories of habitat viz., roadside, fallow land, homestead, woodland, garden, scrub jungle, agricultural field and grassland. Eight plant species, listed in the Red Data Book of Bangladesh including six as Data Deficient (DD), one Not Evaluated and one Endangered (EN) species, are harboured in the study area. We strongly recommend the adoption of a master plan for minimizing all major threats to the vegetation and habitats of this area and sustainable development, utilization and conservation of its plant resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

About 80% of angiosperms form a monosporic Polygonum-type embryo sac, whereas in the remaining species, eleven other types of embryo sac are found. Evidence as to the type of embryo sac is lacking for many plant species, and the role of higher-ploidy endosperm is unknown. In contrast to the rest of the Apiaceae, where a Polygonum-type embryo sac (3n endosperm) has been reported, the few species of the Azorelloideae studied to form a Drusa-type embryo sac (3n endosperm) or a Penaea-type embryo sac (5n endosperm). This variation within Azorelloideae makes this subfamily, and its genus Azorella in particular, a good candidate for studying the evolutionary importance of the embryo sac and endosperm in diversification. We studied the variation in the type of embryo sac and the ploidy level of the endosperm in Andean-Patagonian Azorella and closely related Pozoa on a sample of 101 individuals from 31 populations of 21 species. We employed flow cytometric seed screening and calibrated the results of ploidy level estimation against embryological observations. In addition, we examined the genome size variation of the species sampled. All species of Azorella formed Penaea-type embryo sacs and a pentaploid endosperm, whereas one species of Pozoa formed triploid and the other tetraploid endosperms. Variations in the type of embryo sac and endosperm ploidy have probably shaped the evolution of the different lineages of Azorelloideae in the southern Andes. A Penaea-type embryo sac, which represents a likely synapomorphy of Azorella, is a feature of underestimated significance in the evolution of angiosperms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was undertaken to document alien and invasive flowering plant species in the Western Ghats (Hassan district, Karnataka, India), with background information on family, habit, habitat, longevity, nativity, and uses. A total of 312 alien species belonging to 236 genera in 79 families are listed. The majority belong to family Asteraceae (36 species), followed by Fabaceae (21 species), and Amaranthaceae (17 species). Herbs constitute the majority (59%) of alien species followed by shrubs (17 %). Around 36% the alien taxa are native to tropical America. Of 314 alien species, 122 were intentional introductions, with a majority (39%) introduced for ornamental purposes; 24% of species have naturalized, while 33% display as invasive. There is an urgent need to gather regional data on the diversity of invasive alien plant species in order to study the impact on native vegetation and biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is progressive and ultimately fatal, with current drugs failing to reverse and cure it. This study aimed to find plant species which may provide therapeutic bioactivities targeted to causal agents proposed to be driving AD. A novel toolkit methodology was employed, whereby clinical symptoms were translated into categories recognized in ethnomedicine. These categories were applied to find plant species with therapeutic effects, mined from ethnomedical surveys. Survey locations were mapped to assess how this data is at risk. Bioactivities were found of therapeutic relevance to 15 hypothesised causal bases for AD. 107 species with an ethnological report of memory improvement demonstrated therapeutic activity for all these 15 causal bases. The majority of the surveys were found to reside within biodiversity hotspots (centres of high biodiversity under threat), with loss of traditional knowledge the most common threat. Our findings suggest that the documented plants provide a large resource of AD therapeutic potential. In demonstrating bioactivities targeted to these causal bases, such plants may have the capacity to reduce or reverse AD, with promise as drug leads to target multiple AD hallmarks. However, there is a need to preserve ethnomedical knowledge, and the habitats on which this knowledge depends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alien plant species have captured attention of the scientific community, ecologists, and environmentalists throughout the world. Like other regions, the Himalayan region is also grappling with the disrupting impacts of plant invasions. Based on an extensive review of studies conducted on alien plant species in the Indian Himalayan region, we report 728 alien plant species belonging to 450 genera under 108 families in the state of Uttarakhand, which represents 15% of the state's flora. Fabaceae (89 species under 49 genera) followed by Asteraceae (63 species under 43 genera) and Poaceae (50 species under 35 genera) were the most diverse families amid alien species. Eucalyptus (15 species) followed by Ipomoea and Euphorbia (12 species each) and Pinus (11 species) were the most diverse genera. The maximum numbers of aliens (mostly herbs) in the state were introduced from America, followed by Europe. Owing to relatively high number of alien plant species in Uttarakhand, it is submitted that serious ecological and socio-economic consequences are likely to escalate in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main objective of the present study is to identify and record the medicinal plants used by the indigenous tribal communities living in the Amarkantak region of central India. A semi-structured interview schedule was developed to collect ethnobotanical data of the traditional medicinal plants used by the tribes by interviewing the informants. In this study, a descriptive statistical analysis was applied to describe the data. More than 100 practitioners were interviewed in this research, and a total of 118 plant species from 63 families and 108 genera were identified. The most dominant was the family Fabaceae, comprised of 20.63% of total plant species recorded. The most commonly used parts of the plant were the roots (43.96%), and the decoction was the most commonly employed preparation technique (54.85%). The identified diseases were grouped into 13 separate classes out of the 44 disease conditions based on informants' reports. Therapeutic uses of the collected medicinal plants will provide a basic information that can help scientists to perform more research related to conservation of biodiversity of important plant species and also phytochemical/pharmacological evaluation of these most important species of therapeutic significance will provide potential lead compounds for new drug discovery and development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herbicide resistance due to the increasing reliance on herbicides is a near-term challenge for the world's agriculture. This has led to a desire to develop new herbicides with a novel mode of action, to address resistance in weed species. Lamiaceae, a large dicotyledonous plant family, is very well known for the multitudinous pharmacological and toxicological properties of its member species. Moreover, many species of this family are significant for their allelopathic activity in natural and laboratory settings. Thus, plants in Lamiaceae have the potential to be sources of alternative herbicides. However, gaps in our knowledge need to be addressed prior to adopting these allelopathic activities in agriculture. Therefore, we review the existing state of knowledge about the Lamiaceae family, the reported allelopathic properties of plant extracts, and their isolated allelochemicals under laboratory, greenhouse, and field conditions. In addition, we offer a perspective on existing challenges and future opportunities for adopting the allelopathic properties of Lamiaceae plant species for green agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poisonous plants can be of immense economic importance. Several poisonous plants can be a source of medicines. Research on poisonous plants of East India is largely missing. A primary initiative has been taken to enumerate the poisonous plants naturally grown in the district of Nadia, West Bengal. This research paper reveals that the district harbours 25 poisonous plants belonging to 15 families and 14 genera. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Outcrossing plant species are more likely to exhibit autonomous selfing in marginal habitats to ensure reproduction under conditions of limited pollinator and/or mate availability. Distyly is a classical paradigm that promotes outcrossing; however, little is known about the variation in floral traits associated with distylous syndrome in marginal populations. In this study, we compared the variation in floral traits including stigma and anther height, corolla tube length, herkogamy, and corolla diameter between the central and peripheral populations of the distylous Primula wannanensis , and assessed the variation of floral traits at early and late florescence stages for each population. To evaluate the potential consequences of the variation in floral traits on the mating system, we investigated seed set in each population under both open-pollinated and pollinator-excluded conditions. The flower size of both short- and long-styled morphs was significantly reduced in late-opening flowers compared with early opening flowers in both central and peripheral populations. Sex-organ reciprocity was perfect in early opening flowers; however, it was largely weakened in the late-opening flowers of peripheral populations compared with central populations. Of these flowers, disproportionate change in stigma height (elongated in S-morph and shortened in L-morph) was the main cause of reduced herkogamy, and seed set was fairly high under pollinator-excluded condition. Our results provide empirical support for the hypothesis on the evolution of delayed autonomous selfing in marginal populations of distylous species. Unsatisfactory pollinator service is likely to have promoted reproductive assurance of distylous plants with largely reduced herkogamy mimicking "homostyles." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ethnomedicinal practices of Marma indigenous community of Bangladesh is considered rich. This study aimed to compile their medicinal plant usage to get fresh insights into newer ethnobotanical uses. Ethnomedicinal information was collected through open‐ended/semi structured techniques following field interview, plant interview and market survey from key informants. Documented data was further analyzed using different quantitative indices. The Jaccard index was also calculated to show the degree of similarity with previous studies conducted in Bangladesh and abroad. A total of 196 plants from 75 families belonging to 164 genera were documented in the survey. Gastrointestinal disorders epitomized the foremost complaints sort with the use of 72 plant species, followed by pain and inflammation (63 species). Leaves (42.8%) were the principal source of medication while trees were the major plant type used in the ethnobotanical practice. The original application of ethnomedicinal plants within our study was compared with 44 previous ethnomedicinal research studies and the Jaccard index (JI) ranged from 0.78 to 46.78. The highest similarity within the country was recorded with studies from the Bandarban district while the lowest was from the northern region. Similarly, the highest similarity with reports from neighboring countries was with Chanduali district of UP, India and the lowest with FATA, Pakistan. Importantly, our literature study exhibited that this study recorded 23 species with new ethnomedicinal uses. The Marma community still depends on plants to treat different complaints/diseases. This compilation may provide a future resource for further phytochemical and pharmacological studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Guihaia is the property of Guihaia Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper documents the traditional knowledge of medicinal plants that are in use in Nayakpod tribal people residing in and around the Pranahita Wildlife Sanctuary, Mancheryial district, Telangana, India. Ethnomedicinal uses of plant species along with botanical name, vernacular name, family and mode of administration are presented. Most remedies were taken orally, accounting medicinal use. Most of the remedies were reported to have been from trees and climber species. The most widely sought after plant parts in the preparation of remedies in the study area are the leaves and root. High number of medicinal plant species available for the treatment of skin diseases and indigestion. The study emphasizes the potentials of the ethnobotanical research and the need for the documentation of traditional knowledge pertaining to the medicinal plant utilization for the greater benefit of mankind. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacterial resistance is rapidly emerging worldwide and endangering the efficacy of commercial antibiotics. Scientific interventions are greatly needed to find out natural sources which can be used to manage antibiotic resistance crisis. Traditional healers from the Borneo were directly interviewed for selecting ethnomedicinal flora and antibacterial action of identified plant species were explored. Plant extracts were obtained by four different extraction techniques viz. grinding with 95% ethanol, decoction (boiling), cold infusion and blending, and were tested against multi-resistant bacterial species (Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli) through two bioassays viz. agar well diffusion and disc diffusion methods. The results revealed that 19 plant species out of 35 exhibited antimicrobial activity against B. cereus and S. aureus while 15 showed activities against P. aeruginosa and E. coli. Among all plants, Anacardium occidentale extract made by decoction method depicted a maximum zone of inhibition (2.0 cm) against P. aeruginosa in both disc diffusion and well diffusion techniques. However, the zone of inhibition against P. aeruginosa recorded with five commercial antibiotics i.e., Erythromycin, Ceftriaxone, Streptomycin, Amoxicillin and Penicillin was 0, 1.6, 0.4, 0 and 0.2 cm, respectively. Thus, Anacardium occidentale can represent a natural alternative against this multi-resistant bacterial strain. Our study also verified that some tropical plant extracts have the potential to cure important bacterial infections and need further investigation for proper drug development, medication, and administration from the perspectives of safety, efficacy and pharmacoeconomics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Different tribal communities like Sabars, Santals and Mundas living in the intense forest, maintaining their identity still in the midst of the modern population consume fruits and vegetables indigenous to them for their daily requirements. Among these, fifteen plant species were collected and investigated for the indigestible polysaccharides and their prebiotic properties. Plant extracts were processed with HCl buffer and α-amylase, and indigestible polysaccharide content was determined. Based on extract yield and indigestible polysaccharide content, Dioscorea hispida, Dioscorea wallichii, Diospyros melanoxylon and Diospyros mespiliformis were selected as sources for studying their prebiotic effect on probiotics. Selected extracts demonstrated promising growth stimulatory effect on various Lactobacillus species under defined conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of the Botanical Research Institute of Texas is the property of Journal of the Botanical Research Institute of Texas and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Plant hormones are small molecules resulting from various essential metabolic pathways that play a critical role in the regulation of plant growth and development. The majority of plant species are the rich source of valuable bioactive compounds, where these compounds actively participate in various aspects of biosynthesis such as drugs, fragrances, flavor, dye, pigments, and pesticides. The dynamic role of bioactive compounds on a commercial scale surrounds the interest of the researchers and pharmaceutical industry. Therefore, it is a prerequisite to explore new species that produce these compounds beyond its flora. For this, several strategies were explored keeping the objective of bioactive compounds. In recent, the induction of adventitious roots by different PGRs and culturing the production of highly valuable compounds in several endangered plant species are practicing. The adventitious roots establish from cutting not only reduce pressure on natural populations but also helps in the conservation of these species and it can further be utilized for the production of bioactive compounds to up-scale the agricultural and pharmaceutical industries. Thus overall, these extinct species playing a beneficial role in our ecosystem as well as expand the area of new drug discovery for the welfare of human beings. Based on this limelight, the current review article focused on summarizing the application of plant growth regulator, especially auxin and cytokinin, and the progress made in the recent past in the area of initiation and establishment of adventitious root cultures for the production of bioactive compounds in laboratory conditions of biologically endangered and medicinally valuable species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Threatened Taxa is the property of Wildlife Information Liaison Development and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The paper provided ethnomedicinal uses of 37 plants belonging to 35 genera and 25 families used for curing various diseases by the Gond tribe of district Dindori, Madhya Pradesh. Ethnomedicinal survey was conducted in the remote villages in district Dindori, during the period of January 2013 to January 2014. The plant species have been arranged alphabetically with their family, local name and ethnomedicinal uses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Central Indian region consists mainly with Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh states of India and occupied the core zone of the country. The various tribal communities comprise about 24% population of Central India. The scrutiny of literature on ethnoveterinary medicines of Central India indicates that there are about 270 plant species under 218 genera and 84 families are used by tribal and rural communities of Central India for the treatment of 139 types of different ailments, diseases and disorders of their pet/domestic animals. This indigenous knowledge and practice of tribal and rural people is based primarily on locally available medicinal plants found in their surroundings. Therefore, all these medicinal plants should be scientifically screened in order to find out newer sources of ethnoveterinary drugs of herbal origin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper provided ethnomedicinal uses of 37 plants belonging to 35 genera and 25 families used for curing various diseases by the Gond tribe of district Dindori, Madhya Pradesh. Ethnomedicinal survey was conducted in the remote villages in district Dindori, during the period of January 2013 to January 2014. The plant species have been arranged alphabetically with their family, local name and ethnomedicinal uses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the information about angiosperm species in Bhadrak District of Odisha, India. In so doing, we assess the state of floristic knowledge across ecoregions of the district and pinpoint our understanding of the district flora. This study is first of its kind conducted in the district showing current status of the angiosperm diversity. A total of 383 species (262 native species and 121 non-native species) belonging to 282 genera under 93 families are recorded as per APG III classification. These taxa are distributed in 12 superorders and 39 orders; 26.7% of the native species were reported from the superorder Fabids, 20.6% from superorder Malvids, 19.8% from superorder Lamids and 15.6% from superorder Commelinids. One hundred and twenty one non-native species were represented in 12 superorders. Native species of the order Fabales (35), Poales and Lamiales (27) each, Malphigiales (18), Malvales (14), Gentianales (13), Carylophyllales and Solanales (12) each and Myrtales and Sapindales (11) each, account for about 68.7% of the species in the district. Eighty one non-native species belong to these orders. The analysis of the plant species based on growth habits showed highest proportion of herbs followed by trees, shrubs and climbers. Some of the reported species are used for the treatment of various ailments and also for edible purposes. Plant species diversity, distribution and population structure provide baseline information for conservation and sustainable management of available resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of medicinal plants for treatment of humans and animals is entrenched in the Maasai culture and traditional knowledge related to it is passed on from one generation to the next. A handful of researchers have in the past decades documented this knowledge. No single study has documented medicinal plant uses of the Maasai community as a whole. This review provides a consolidated database of the diversity and uses of medicinal plants among the Maasai in Kenya. The study will help conserve traditional medicinal plant knowledge that is valuable for the development of modern medicine. Relevant information on medicinal plants used by the Maasai of Kenya was extracted from journals, books, M.Sc., and Ph.D. dissertations. We found evidence of 289 plant species used by the Maasai of Kenya in traditional medicine. Most species were used to treat health conditions in the categories gastrointestinal and respiratory system disorders. The most used families were Leguminosae, Asteraceae, Malvaceae, Euphorbiaceae, and Lamiaceae. Medicines were commonly prepared as a decoction and administered through oral ingestion, with roots reported to be the preferred plant part for medication. The Maasai preference for roots compared to other plant parts may be unsustainable and could threaten species availability in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study consolidated our understanding on the weeds of Bhadrak district, Odisha, India based on both bibliographic sources and field studies. A total of 277species of weed taxa belonging to 198 genera and 65 families are reported from the study area. About 95.7% of these weed taxa are distributed across six major superorders; the Lamids and Malvids constitute 43.3% with 60 species each, followed by Commenilids (56 species), Fabids (48 species), Companulids (23 species) and Monocots (18 species). Asteraceae, Poaceae, and Fabaceae are best represented. Forbs are the most represented (50.5%), followed by shrubs (15.2%), climber (11.2%), grasses (10.8%), sedges (6.5%) and legumes (5.8%). Annuals comprised about 57.5% and the remaining are perennials. As per Raunkiaer classification, the therophytes is the most dominant class with 135 plant species (48.7%).The use of weed for different purposes as indicated by local people is also discussed. This study provides a comprehensive and updated checklist of the weed speciesof Bhadrak district which will serve as a tool for conservation of the local biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An ethnobotanical survey was conducted to collect information from traditional healers on the use of herbal medicine in Doddakavalande Hobli, Nanjangud taluk of Mysore District. The indigenous knowledge of local healers was documented through questionnaire and personal interviews. In the present study, about 19 respondents of age group between 50 to 89 yrs gave information of traditional medicines used to cure different ailments. Of about 35 plant species belonging to 26 families were used for the treatment of human ailment s. In which family Fabaceae and Polygonaceae contained 3 plant species, followed by Acanthaceae, Amaranthaceae, Apocynaceae, Cucurbitaceae, Poaceae contained 2 species each, and the rest of the families Amaryllidaceae, Anacardiaceae, Apiaceae, Aristolochiaceae, Asteraceae, Cleastraceae, Crassulaceae, Lamiaceae, Lecythidaceae, Meliaceae, Olaceae, Phylanthaceae, Piperaceae, Plumbaginaceae, Poaceae, Polygonaceae, Rutaceae, Smilacaceae, Solanaceae, Styracaceae and Zingiberaceae. Habit wise analysis of medicinal plant species used indicated that herbs (19 species) were the most preferred life form followed by trees (8 species), shrubs (5 species) and climbers (3 species) for drug formulation. Herbal formulations were administrated either internally or applied externally depending on the type of ailment. Local people in the study area possess traditional knowledge of medicinal plants to treat various human ailments, therefore it is necessary to preserve the indigenous knowledge on traditional medicines by proper documentation, identification of plant species used, and herbal preparation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated herb and woody species at rehabilitated forests planted by mahogany and teak, and original, not rehabilitated forests in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Plant species were classified into five use categories: medicine, food, fodder, ornament, and construction. We registered 142 species belonging to 54 families known as useful species with at least one, often more, use categories. The number of useful species was highest for medicine use (107 species). There was a dominance of exotic herb species used for food and annual herbs used for fodder. The number of useful herbs and exotic woody species was highest in teak stands. The number of woody species used for medicine, food, and construction was higher than those for ornament and fodder. All herb species decreased with time, except annual native, that increased. Around 50% of the useful species occurred only once in one site, and some species showed a distribution restricted to one type of stands. Overall, our results seem to show that rehabilitated stands are doing well with regard to useful herb and woody species. We suggest strategies for plant and ecosystem conservation, especially for rare native plant species and species with restricted distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fermented drinks are always found to be connected with the culture and existence of the ethnic tribes throughout the world. Traditional rice beer of North-east India is an indispensible part of tribal life style attached culturally and religiously with them. There are more than 150 major tribes in Northeast India and almost all are having a traditional way of preparing rice beer from time immemorial. The present paper is a comparative review on the methods of preparing rice beer by some popular tribes of Northeastern India. The methodology they use is found to be unique in many senses from rest of the world. The uniqueness not only lies in the starter culture preparation, which is the prime source of yeast but also in the other ingredients like indigenous plant species and rice varieties used as substrate resulting variation in taste and aroma. Almost all the traditional rice beer has unique soothing taste, aroma, colour and nutritional as well as therapeutic values having significant role in their socio cultural lives. In the present scenario the tradition is fading and facing lots of challenges. But, still the traditional rice beer has got lots of scope for its scientific up-gradation and commercialization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study listed 165 species and two subspecies belonging to 65 families and 139 genera from Tehsil Razar, Swabi District, Pakistan, during 2014 and 2015. There were 134 dicots and 31 monocots species. Cupressus sempervirens was the only gymnosperm and Adiantum caudatum was the only pteridophyte. The families Poaceae (20 spp.), Asteraceae (16 spp.) and Papilionaceae (9 spp.) had the highest number of species. Based on the habitat, 105 species (62.9%) were classified as terrestrial mesophytes and 41 (24.5%) were aquatic species. Twenty species were found in both dry and moist habitats. The free- floating hydrophyte Eichornia crispus was also recorded. Twenty-two (13.1%) species were spiny. Three species were climbers: Asparagus adscendens, Asparagus capitatus subsp. gracilis and Convolvulus arvensis. Cuscuta reflexa and Opuntia dillenii were the only leafless species recorded. Leaf lamina was simple in 121 species (72.5%). There were 27 sciophytes and 130 heliophytes. The flora was dominated by therophytes (67 species; 40.1%), followed by hemicryptophytes (23 species; 13.8%). Leaf- size spectrum was dominated by microphylls (60 species; 36%) and leptophylls (39 species 23.4%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Derim is the property of Bati Akdeniz Agricultural Research Institute and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The present study on ethnobotanical, traditional medicinal plants were conducted different locality of Trimbkeshwar taluka during 2018. The study was focused on identifying medicinal plants, disease treated, method of preparation, part of the plant used etc. The data was collected using interview and questionnaires by traditional healers. A total 40 medicinal plant species belonging to 30 families have been reported as employed by the rural folk and tribals. These ethnomedicinal plants species need obviously further scientific evaluation to have new sources of drugs. So it must be preserved and propagated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During meiosis in microsporogenesis, autonomous cellular organelles, i.e., plastids and mitochondria, move and separate into daughter cells according to a specific pattern. This process called chondriokinesis is characteristic for a given plant species. The key criterion for classification of the chondriokinesis types was the arrangement of cell organelles during two meiosis phases: metaphase I and telophase I. The autonomous organelles participate in cytoplasmic inheritance; therefore, their precise distribution to daughter cells determines formation of identical viable microspores. In this study, the course of chondriokinesis during the development of the male gametophyte in Tinantia erecta was analyzed. The study was conducted using optical and transmission electron microscopes. During microsporogenesis in T. erecta, autonomous cell organelles moved in a manner defined as a neutral-equatorial type of chondriokinesis. Therefore, metaphase I plastids and mitochondria were evenly dispersed around the metaphase plate and formed an equatorial plate between the daughter nuclei in early telophase I. Changes in the ultrastructure of plastids and mitochondria during pollen microsporogenesis were also observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Western North American Naturalist is the property of Monte L. Bean Life Science Museum and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)