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Context: Ziziphora clinopodioides Lam. (Lamiaceae) is an annual or perennial herb or subshrub widely distributed from the Mediterranean to central Asia and Afghanistan. In Xinjiang, China, the whole herb has been used in traditional Kazakh and Uygur medicines as anti-febrile and detoxicating drug. Aims: To characterize macroscopical, microscopically of the overground part of the Z. clinopodioides, explore and establish the macro-morphology, micro-morphology, quality and physicochemical parameters standards for this plant. Methods: Pharmacognostical and phytochemical investigations were conducted in terms of macroscopic, microscopic and preliminary phytochemical parameters. Results: The vegetable material can be identified by structural features of the flowers, structural characteristics of the stem, specific pale brown hesperidin can be regarded as identification character. This crude drug showed the characteristic physicochemical values like total ash (7%), insoluble ash (1.3%), water soluble ash (3.7%), moisture (7.5%). The ethanolic extract contained flavonoids, organic acids, alkaloids, and glycosides. Conclusions: Various pharmacognostical characters that observed in this study can be an effective supplement to further research of this ethnomedicinal plant. Meanwhile, the results of this paper deal with pharmacognostical studies on the Ziziphora clinopodioides in an attempt to mitigate the adulteration to the crude drug.

Luo, Z., Yuan, X, Chen, X., & Cui, X. (March-April, 2017). Phytoextraction potential of wetland plants for Copper in Water Bodies. Water Technology and Sciences (in Spanish), 8(2), 43-50. Copper is the most common heavy metal contaminant in the environment. Wetland construction engineering and technology have been used to control water pollution due to their low cost and efficiency and the hydrophytes have been the most important constituents of wetland construction. In this experiment, during April of 2014, Cu2+ accumulation content in different parts of Acorus calamus and Phragmites australis were investigated based on hydroponic experiments of different Cu2+ concentration solutions. Cu2+ concentrations in the water body were 0, 10, 25, 60, 100, 200 and 500 mg/l, respectively. The results showed that there were significant Cu2+ concentration differences between the above- and below-ground parts of Acorus calamus and Phragmites australis. Cu2+ content in the above- and belowground parts of wetland plants increased with hydroponic solution Cu2+ concentrations, resulting in a significantly positive correlation between Cu2+ content and concentrations of hydroponic solutions. There was a significant difference in Cu2+ content in the wetland plants under all hydroponic solution Cu2+ concentrations. Acorus calamus exhibited the greatest Cu2+ accumulation in above- and below-ground parts. Acorus calamus and Phragmites australis can be selected for application on the phytoremediation of water polluted by heavy metals due to their excellent Cu2+ accumulation ability.