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Graphical abstract, Natural products and traditional medicine are rich sources for developing therapeutics for chronic inflammatory diseases. However, the way from natural products/traditional medicines to Western pharmaceutical practices is not always straightforward. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), chronic diseases are the greatest threat to human health. 3 of 5 people die due to chronic inflammatory disorders worldwide like chronic respiratory diseases, stroke, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, and obesity. Various nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are used to reduce inflammation and pain, but there are many side effects of these drugs' administration. Medicinal plants have therapeutic anti-inflammatory effects with low or no side effects. Ziziphus plant species are generally safe and not toxic to humans. Many studies on the Ziziphus species have shown that their therapeutic properties are attributed to the roots, leaves and fruits. Unfortunately, Ziziphus species from different regions worldwide with anti-inflammatory properties have not been documented in a single review paper. Therefore, it is crucial to establish ethnobotanical knowledge and applications of Ziziphus species against chronic inflammatory diseases. The current article exhaustively reviews phytochemical profile, pharmacological studies, toxicological effects, and ethnobotanical uses of Genus Ziziphus in chronic anti-inflammatory diseases. The present review article also highlights the most promising experimental data on Ziziphus extracts and pure compounds active in clinical trials and animal models of chronic inflammatory diseases. This review would be a valuable resource for contemporary researchers in the field to understand the promising role of the Ziziphus genus in chronic inflammatory disorders.

Medicinal plants have been used to treat diseases for centuries. One group of such plants is Ziziphus species belonging to Rhamnaceae family. The extracts from plants of this genus has been found beneficial for the treatment of cancer caused by high production of reactive oxygen species resulting from different oxidative stress mediated conditions. The mechanism of anticancer activity of two different species of this plant (Z.jujube and Z.mauritiana) have been discussed in this review. The constituents of this plant include the flavonoids, triterpenes, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, iron, zinc, copper and polysaccharides such as reducing and non-reducing sugars. The underlying mechanisms of both species include the (Tumor protein P53) P53, (signal transducer and activator of transcription) STAT, (Matrix metalloproteinases) MMPs, (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats) CRISPR and flavonoids and triterpenic acid mechanisms. The effects of the extract on different cells lines in both in vitro and in vivo models have been studied by observing the induction of apoptosis and reduction in angiogenesis leading to reduction in progression and proliferation of cancer cell lines. The biological properties of Ziziphus include the anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anticancer and hepato-protective characteristics.

The objective of this study was to determine the phytochemical profile and antimicrobial activity of leaf and bark extracts of Ziziphus mauritiana and Ziziphus mucronata. For this purpose, an extraction by maceration using ethanol was carried out and the extracts were subjected to antibacterial activity assessment through qualitative and quantitative approaches. The qualitative tests were performed using agar well diffusion method while for quantitative tests minimal inhibitory, bactericidal and fungicidal concentration (MIC, MBC or MFC) were used determined through microdilution in microplates method. The antimicrobial mechanisms such as cell lysis and action on the proton pump of the extracts were also studied. The highest extraction yield was obtained with the Z. mauritiana leaf extract (28.8%). In addition, the highest contents of polyphenols (256.6 mg GEA/g DM) and flavonoids (165.2 mg CE/g DM) were obtained with the bark of Z. mucronata. The bark extracts of Z. mauritiana exhibited highest antibacterial activity (36.7 mm on Staphylococcus aureus) while, Z. mucronata extracts are more active on fungi, with the highest activity on Candida albicans (26.7 mm). The antimicrobial activity of the extract increases with the concentration and, regarding the MBC/MIC and MFC/MIC ratio, the extracts showed bacteriostatic activity on the different bacteria and fungi and the possible mechanism included an activity on the proton pump. The bark and leaf extracts of Z. mauritiana and Z. mucronata could be used in traditional medicine to treat infections due to these multiple pathogens.

SummaryThe genusZiziphus(Rhamnaceae) is revised for Borneo. 13 species are recognised using morphological evidence, including three new endemic species:Ziziphus cuspidata,Z. domatiataandZ. puberula. Borneo is therefore the island with the greatest known diversity ofZiziphusspecies. The area surrounding Mount Kinabalu is particularly diverse, with nine species occurring in Ranau. Two new varieties ofZ. borneensisare also described here,Z. borneensisvar.ranggamandZ. borneensisvar.velutina, five new synonyms are established, including the placement ofZ. elmerias a synonym ofColubrina beccariana. A taxonomic treatment, including a preliminary IUCN conservation status assessment, is presented for each species and variety.

Background SEPALLATA3 (SEP3), which is conserved across various plant species, plays essential and various roles in flower and fruit development. However, the regulatory network of the role of SEP3 in flowering time at the molecular level remained unclear. Results Here, we investigated that SEP3 in Ziziphus jujuba Mill. (ZjSEP3) was expressed in four floral organs and exhibited strong transcriptional activation activity. ZjSEP3 transgenic Arabidopsis showed an early-flowering phenotype and altered the expression of some genes related to flowering. Among them, the expression of LATE ELONGATED HYPOCOTYL (AtLHY), the key gene of circadian rhythms, was significantly suppressed. Yeast one-hybrid (Y1H) and electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSAs) further verified that ZjSEP3 inhibited the transcription of AtLHY by binding to the CArG-boxes in its promoter. Moreover, ZjSEP3 also could bind to the ZjLHY promoter and the conserved binding regions of ZjSEP3 were found in the LHY promoter of various plant species. The ectopic regulatory pathway of ZjSEP3-AtLHY was further supported by the ability of 35S::AtLHY to rescue the early-flowering phenotype in ZjSEP3 transgenic plants. In ZjSEP3 transgenic plants, total chlorophyll content and the expression of genes involved in chlorophyll synthesis increased during vegetative stages, which should contribute to its early flowering and relate to the regulatory of AtLHY. Conclusion Overall, ZjSEP3-AtLHY pathway represents a novel regulatory mechanism that is involved in the regulation of flowering time.

Christ's torn jujube (Ziziphus spina-christi L.) is a medicinal plant that has many benefits for curing or treating diarrhea, fever, and cancer. One of the compounds that play role is an alkaloid. This study was generated to identify the alkaloid compounds in the leaves of the Christ’s jujube torn using the UV-Vis spectrophotometry method. Christ's torn jujube leaves were macerated using 3 types of solvents with different polarity levels i.e., n-hexane, ethyl acetate, and methanol. Furthermore, phytochemical screening of alkaloid compounds was carried out. A Christ jujube leaf sample that was positive for alkaloids was found in the ethyl acetate extract; then identified using thin layer chromatography with eluent n-hexane: ethyl acetate (8:2), yielding 4 points with an Rf value of 0.25; 0.4 ; 0.52 ; and 0.62. Furthermore, phytochemical screening of alkaloid compounds was carried out. Christ' torn jujube which were positive for alkaloids present in the ethyl acetate extract were identified using thin layer chromatography with n-hexane eluent: ethyl acetate (8:2), yielding four spots with an Rf value of 0.25; 0.4 ; 0.52 ; and 0.62. The four spots were identified using UV-Vis spectrophotometry, obtained a wavelength of 248 ; 268 ; 268 ; and 255. Based on the identification results on the leaf extract, each stain was suspected to contain cantin-6-one alkaloid compounds.

Ziziphus spina‐christi (L.) Willd. is a multi‐purpose plant and is very popular found in local markets because of its high nutritional and medicinal values. The present work was carried out to study morphological and chemical properties of native accessions of this species. There were significant differences among the accessions investigated based on the morphological and chemical characters. Total phenolic content ranged from 4.84 to 49.58 mg/g fresh weight (FW). Total flavonoid content varied from 0.45 to 2.29 mg/g FW. Antioxidant activity measured with DPPH ranged from 0.32 to 16.99 mg/g FW, while it ranged from 6.64 to 84.15 µM FeSO4 FW with the FRAP method. The total phenol content showed significant and positive correlations with total flavonoid content (r = 0.33), antioxidant activity obtained with DPPH (r = 0.85), and antioxidant activity obtained with FRAP (r = 0.54). The ward dendrograms divided the accessions studied into two major clusters based on morphological and chemical characteristics. Based on the traits related to fruit quality such as fruit weight, fruit skin color, and fruit flavor, as well as in terms of chemical characteristics related to medicinal properties such as total flavonoids and antioxidant activity, 17 accessions were superior that could be used in breeding programs or cultivated directly. The present results can be used in defining conservation strategies, genetic improvement, and crop production., Based on the traits related to fruit quality, 17 accessions were superior that could be used in breeding programs or cultivated directly.

Agrobacterium tumefaciens is one of the most serious pathogenic bacteria. It is responsible for one of the most devastating crown diseases that account for the maximum yield loss and quality attributes of the ber (Ziziphus mauritiana) fruit plant. Powdery mildew of ber incited by Oidiumerysiphoides f. sp. ziziphi is the most important disease that causes maximum reduction in yield and quality of ber fruits. In the present work, we have carried out the spectroscopic investigations on healthy and bacterial crown gall diseased ber fruits (Ziziphus mauritiana) in order to detect the chemical changes that may take place in the elemental and molecular composition of the ber fruits with the occurrence of crown gall on their surface. Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) was used for the elemental analysis and FTIR spectroscopy was employed to understand the change in molecular components such as sugar and starch, carbohydrates, fats, lipids, and proteins. LIBS results revealed the decreasing trends of mineral elements calcium (Ca), and increasing trends of magnesium (Mg), potassium (K), silicon (Si), manganese (Mn), and sodium (Na) in diseased samples as compared with healthy samples. Partial least square discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) of the LIBS data has been carried out to find out the differences among the different sample classes. We were able to distinguish healthy fruit samples as compared with diseased ones on the basis of their elemental differences using PLS-DA method. It has been concluded that the chemical changes (elemental and molecular) observed in the ber fruit samples were basically due to the infestation by Agrobacterium tumefaciens, which was further confirmed by the isolation method.

Wild edible fruit species are commonly consumed and utilized in different parts of Ethiopia for staple food, filling seasonal food shortages, emergency food during a famine, and household income generation. There is a pressing need for domestication and improvement of some wild edible fruits for increased production, diversifying income for small-scale farmers, and conservation of the diminishing wild edible fruit resources. A total of 37 widely utilized and marketed wild edible fruit species falling into 23 families were recognized as of used in different parts of the country. Of which, 26 species are identified as available in local markets in different parts of the country. Ziziphus spina-christi, Syzygium guineense, Balanites aegyptiaca, and other nine species were identified as a priority wild edible fruit species from available information based on utilization extent, preference ranking by farmers, product marketability, and conservation needs for the species. There exists a lack of scientifically planned genetic variation evaluation, superior variety selection, genetic improvement, and seedling production initiatives for indigenous wild edible fruit species in Ethiopia. All of the 37 widely utilized and marketed wild fruit species have not developed to their full potential in terms of quality, production scale, and market in the country. Identifying and selecting priority species, strengthening botanical information, germplasm collection and improvement, production and processing technologies, increasing the supply of improved planting materials, and promoting on-farm cultivation of wild edible fruit-based agroforestry systems were identified as key future strategies for domestication and wider cultivation of wild edible fruit species.

Collection of three sexual morphic fungal species occurring on the leaf surface of three plant species (Dalbergia obtusifolia, Syzygium fluviatile and Ziziphus mauritiana) collected in Yunnan Province, China, have shown that they are morphologically distinct. Phylogenetic analyses of partial sequences of internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) and large subunit rDNA (LSU) placed the three species in Trichomerium (Trichomeriaceae) but are sufficiently different from all known species. Therefore, three new species, Trichomerium multisetosum, T. xishuangbannaense and T. yunnanense are described with detailed, illustrated descriptions and notes.

Indian Jujube (Ziziphus mauritiana) is rich in minerals, vitamin C and amino acids. Jujube juice was converted into a powder by foam mat drying (FMD) using a minimum amount of maltodextrin. For FMD, drying temperature (Td; 45 °C, 55 °C, 65 °C), egg albumin (EA; 5, 10, and 15%) and maltodextrin (7%) were used as process parameters and optimized by RSM coupled with FFD. Solubility (84–79.7%) and L* (82.3–75.4) value of product decreased on increasing process parameters. Flowability decreased on increasing the EA concentration and drying temperature (≤ 55 °C) and thereafter increased. Total phenolic content (TPC) decreased with Td and increased with EA (≤ 11%) and thereafter decreased. Solubility, flowability, TPC, colour, aroma and taste showed a quadratic model. Models were validated by re-experimenting at optimum conditions which were found to 54.91 °C (Td), 11.563% (EA) with solubility (86.66%), flowability (1.109), TPC (20.769 mgGAE)/100 g), colour (ΔE; 11.7), aroma (6.565) and taste (6.717) having 81.3% desirability.

Background: Fermentation has been recognized as one of the oldest ways of food processing that increase food quality by increasing nutrient bio-availability through the reduction in anti-nutrient compositions. The present study evaluated the effects of fermentation on nutrients and anti-nutrients composition of jujube (Ziziphus mauritiana Lam) seed. Methods: The seed of Z. mauritiana was fermented for 24 hr. Standard analytical procedures were used to analyse the proximate, minerals, amino acid, fatty acid and anti-nutrient compositions of the seed sample at 0, 6, 12, 18 and 24 hr of fermentation. Results: The seed has high amounts of proteins, minerals, amino acids and low levels of anti-nutrients. The seed also has higher unsaturated than saturated fatty acids. Fermentation significantly increased the minerals compositions, decreases anti-nutrients and some amino acid levels but had no plausible effects (p>0.05) on proximate contents of the seed. Fermentation for 6 and 12 hr had no significant (p

Erlitou (Henan province, China) is a Bronze Age site which occupies a prominent position in the study of early state and civilization of China. 359 charcoal fragments >4 mm and 40 charred fruit stones unearthed during the 2010 and 2011 excavation seasons at Erlitou have been analysed. Wood charcoals belong to 18 taxa: Platycladus, Pinus, Picea, Prunus armeniaca, Prunus persica, Quercus (deciduous oaks), Celtis, Zelkova, Broussonetia, Ziziphus, Salix, Toona, Koelreuteria, Sophora, Melia, Bambusoideae and 2 unidentified broadleaved species. In addition, 39 Prunus persica stones and 1 Ziziphus stone have been identified. The anthracological results indicate that the main types of woodland vegetation were Quercus broadleaved forest, and coniferous and broadleaved forest during the Erlitou Culture period (1750-1520 BC) including Platycladus orientalis coniferous forest and deciduous vegetation composed of oak, Zelkova, Salix, Toona and some fruit trees such as apricot, peach and Chinese date. Our study indicates a vegetation adapted to a warmer and more humid climate in phases 2 and 3 of the Erlitou Culture period (1680-1560 BC) becoming drier in phase 4 (1560-1520 BC). By the late Erligang period (1400-1300 BC) climate becomes again warmer and more humid. It also suggests that oak played an important role as firewood and possibly for wooden artefacts and as a food source. The appearance of charcoals of apricot, peach and Chinese date also suggests that fruits were consumed, while Chinese hackberries could have been used either as food or fodder.

Infection is the most common ilnness in public. One of the triggers of infection is bacteria. Bidara leaf (Ziziphus mauritiana L) is a plant that has antibacterial compounds is phenolics, saponins and triterpenoids/steroids. The study aims to test antibacterial potency Staphylococcus. antibacterial activity testing was carried out using paper disc difussion methode, the etanol extract show antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus Aureus which is characterized by the presence of clear zone on the media. The results of ethanol extract of bidara leaves with concentrations of 30%, 50% and 70% against Staphylococcus aureus bacteria, the average diameter of inhibitory zones respectively were 8,39 mm, 10,64 mm and 12 mm with the positive control diameter of inhibition zone was 23,46 mm, the negative control diameter of inhibition zone was 0 mm.

Les séquelles, après un accident vasculaire cérébral, sont importantes et les patients handicapés moteurs très nombreux. La présente étude a pour objectif de définir le profil phytochimique des cinq plantes les plus utilisées pour traiter les séquelles des AVC en Côte d’Ivoire, d’évaluer leur capacité antioxydante et leur toxicité. Après le screening phytochimique, la teneur en phénols et flavonoïdes ont été quantifiés par la méthode colorimétrique de Folin-Ciocalteu. L’évaluation quantitative du potentiel antioxydant des extraits a été réalisée in vitro par le test au DPPH (1,1-diphényl-2-picryl-hydrazyle). Les tests ont mis en évidence la présence de polyphénols, de tanins et de flavonoïdes dans tous les extraits aqueux. Ces métabolites sont importants dans la prévention et le traitement des maladies cardio-vasculaires. Les taux les plus élevés de polyphénols sont présents dans les extraits aqueux d’écorce de tige de Ficus mucuso (83425,29 μg EAG/g MS) et de rameaux feuillés de Zizyphus mauritiana (74517,24 μg EAG/g MS). La plus forte teneur en flavonoïdes a été observée dans l’extrait aqueux de rameaux feuillés de Ziziphus mauritiana (20,28%). Des capacités antioxydantes importantes ont été observées dans les extraits aqueux du mélange écorces de tige/feuilles de Tamarindus indica (CI50 = 0,1269 mg/ml) et dans l’extrait d’écorce de tige de Ficus mucuso (0,1335 mg/ml). Les tests de toxicité aigüe montrent que l’extrait aqueux de l’écorce de tige de Ficus mucuso, par voie orale, à 5000 mg/kg de pc, est légèrement toxique chez les souris.Mots clés : AVC, séquelles, plantes médicinales, phytochimie, toxicité. English Title: Phytochemistry, antioxidant activity and acute toxicity of medicinal plants used against the sequelae of stroke in Côte d’IvoireThe sequelae after a stroke are significant and there are many patients with motor disabilities. The purpose of this study is to define the phytochemical profile of the five plants most used to treat the sequelae of stroke in Côte d'Ivoire, to assess their antioxidant capacity and their toxicity. After the phytochemical screening, the content of phenols and flavonoids were quantified by the colorimetric method of Folin-Ciocalteu. The quantitative evaluation of the antioxidant potential of the extracts was carried out in vitro by the DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl) test. The tests revealed the presence of polyphenols, tannins and flavonoids in all the aqueous extracts. These metabolites are important in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease. The highest levels of polyphenols are found in aqueous extracts of stem bark of Ficus mucuso (83425.29 μg EAG/ g DM) and leafy twigs of Zizyphus mauritiana (74,517.24 μg EAG / g DM). The highest content of flavonoids was observed in the aqueous extract of leafy twigs of Ziziphus mauritiana (20.28%). Significant antioxidant capacities were observed in the aqueous extracts of the stem bark / leaf mixture of Tamarindus indica (IC50 = 0.1269 mg / ml) and in the extract of the stem bark of Ficus mucuso (0.1335 mg / ml). Acute toxicity tests show that the aqueous extract of the stem bark of Ficus mucuso, taken orally, at 5000 mg / kg bw, is slightly toxic in mice.Keywords: Stroke, sequelae, medicinal plants, phytochemistry, toxicity.

AIM This study was performed to investigate the effects of Lactobacillus plantarum (LP) on the in vitro gas production (GP) kinetics and ruminal fermentation parameter of three species of tropical forage Ziziphus mauritiana, Acacia victoriae and Moringa oleifera. METHODS AND RESULTS Treatments were (i) Z. mauritiana (Z) without LP (-ZLP), (ii) Z. mauritiana (Z) with LP (+ZLP), (iii) A. victoriae (A) without LP (-ALP), (4) A. victoriae (A) with LP (+ALP), (5) M. oleifera (M) without LP (-MLP) and (6) M. oleifera (M) with LP (+MLP). The LP was used at 0·5 Mcfarland (1·5 × 108 colony-forming unit per millilitre (CFU per ml)). Kinetic of GP (GP from the fermentable fraction [b], GP rate [c] and lag phase [L]) and GP were affected (P

Medicinal plant is any plant that, in some way, can help in the treatment of a health problem, inhibiting the disease and reducing symptoms, or one that has its scientifically proven effectiveness. They have therapeutic properties due to complex chemical substances of different compositions, where these substances contain secondary metabolites such as phenolic compounds, alkaloids, terpenoids, flavonoids and saponins. Plants of the genus Ziziphus, according to the literature and popular use, are highlighted due to their versatility, usually with nutritional and medicinal potential. Ziziphus cotinifolia Reissek is endemic to Brazil, exclusively present in the caatinga. Scientific records on medicinal and / or phytochemical properties of the species Z.cotinifolia are scarce. Thus, the objective was to perform a phytochemical screening test, in order to identify the secondary metabolite groups of the plant species under study, with the part of the plant collected for the test being the stem bark. The extract was prepared in 35 ml of distilled water to obtain an aqueous solution. Seven 3 ml portions of each solution were separated and placed in test tubes, duly identified. Subsequently, a further 10 mL portion was separated, placed in a beaker and heated in a water bath until the liquid part had completely evaporated. According to the applied methodology, the results would be evaluated by means of precipitation, coloring and foaming reactions. With the performance of phytochemical screening, it was possible to see groups of chemical compounds from the secondary metabolism of anthocyanin and anthocyanidin plants, free pentecyclic triterpenoids and saponins. Phytochemical analysis provides data on the presence or absence of secondary metabolites in plants, allowing the isolation of the active ingredients essential for new herbal medicines. KEYWORDS: Juazeiro, secondary metabolites, screening. RESUMO: Planta medicinal é toda planta que, de alguma forma, pode auxiliar no tratamento de um problema de saúde, inibindo a doença e diminuindo os sintomas, ou aquela que tenha sua eficácia comprovada cientificamente. Elas têm propriedades terapêuticas devido substâncias químicas complexas de diferentes composições, onde essas substâncias contêm metabólitos secundários como compostos fenólicos, alcalóides, terpenóides, flavonoides e saponinas. Plantas do gênero Ziziphus, conforme a literatura e o uso popular são destacadas devido à sua versatilidade, geralmente, com potencial nutritivo e medicinal. Ziziphus cotinifolia Reissek é endêmica do Brasil, exclusivamente presente na caatinga. São escassos os registros científicos sobre as propriedades medicinais e/ou fitoquímica da espécie Z.cotinifolia. Assim, objetivou-se realizar teste de triagem fitoquímica, afim de identificar os grupos metabólitos secundários da espécie vegetalem estudo, sendo a parte da planta coletada para a realização do teste foi a casca do caule. Preparou-se o extrato em 35 mL de água destilada para obter uma solução aquosa. Separou-se sete porções de 3 mL de cada solução as quais foram colocadas em tubos de ensaio, devidamente identificados. Posteriormente, foi separado mais uma porção de 10 mL, colocada num béquer e aquecida em banho-maria até a evaporação total da parte líquida. De acordo com a metodologia aplicada, os resultados seriam avaliados por meio de reações de precipitação, coloração e formação de espuma.Com a realização da triagem fitoquímica foi possível constatar como grupos de compostos químicos provenientes do metabolismo secundário das plantas antocianina e antocianidina, triterpenóides pentecíclicos livres e saponinas. A análise fitoquímica fornece dados sobre a presença ou a ausência de metabolitos secundários nas plantas, permitindo fazer o isolamento dos princípios ativos essenciais para novos fitoterápicos. PALAVRAS-CHAVE: Juazeiro, metabólitos secundários, triagem.

Ziziphus spina-christi has been traditionally used as a folk medicine for a variety of therapeutic benefits. However, there is no well-documented information regarding the protective role of this plant against toxicity induced by the overdose of trace metals, including iron. This work aimed to investigate the major components, as well as the antioxidant profile of aqueous extracts from different Z. spina-christi plant parts (seed, pulp, and almond), and to assess the protective effect of seed extract against iron-induced oxidative DNA damage using Tetrahymena pyriformis as a cellular model. Cells were incubated with iron (II) chloride (FeCl2) FeCl2 (1000 μM) in the absence or presence of seed extract. Lipid peroxidation and reactive oxygen species production were measured using biochemical assays. Intracellular iron accumulation was evaluated through Perl’s Prussian blue staining and ferrozine assay. The DNA damage was evaluated by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, PCR, and restriction enzyme digestion of metallothionein (MT) gene. HPLC–DAD analysis revealed 21 different phenolic compounds; most of them were identified in the seed extract, while the almond extract exhibited a weak phenolic composition. Accordingly, seed extract showed important in vitro antioxidant activities. Pre-treatment with seed extract significantly reduced the impact of FeCl2, by attenuating MTT reduction, preventing iron accumulation, modulated antioxidant enzyme activity, reduced lipid peroxidation and significantly inhibited DNA damage. Collectively, data showed that Ziziphus spina-christi seed might act as an iron chelator agent with antioxidant properties offering effective protection against cytotoxicity and oxidative DNA damage induced by iron (II) chloride overload.

An experiment was carried out during 2017-19 to study the morpho-physical and bio-chemical characters of Thai Apple ber (Ziziphus mauritiana Lamk.) grown in Assam. The leaves of Thai Apple ber fruits collected from different locations of Assam showed elliptic shape with serrate leaf margin, obtuse apex and oblique base. The colour of mature leaves was observed to be dark green. The leaf length, leaf breadth and petiole length of Thai Apple ber fruits shows a great variations among all collection. The plant of Gela Pukhuri and Simen Chapori recorded early flowering and harvesting among the Thai Apple ber plants of other locations in the present study. The fruits of Boitamari (BC-8) recorded longest fruit (5.10cm) while, maximum fruit weight (53.08g) was recorded in BC-1 (Simen Chapori). The shape and surface of seeds was found to be ovate and warty and pulp-stone ratio ranged from 18.76 - 23.28.The biochemical analysis reveals that the quality characters like moisture content, TSS, titratable acidity, TSS-acid ratio and ascorbic acid content differed. Total sugar (6.37 - 7.81%) and reducing sugar (2.44 - 3.06%) contents varied significantly among the Thai Apple ber fruits of different locations. The highest vitamin A (16.08 μg/100g) were found in Gela Pukhuri (BC-3) and highest protein (0.87g/100g) was found in BC-2 (Bongalmora). The calcium and phosphorus contents of the Thai Apple ber fruits ranged from 20.48mg/100g to 23.50mg/100g and 24.08mg/100g to 25.25mg/100g, respectively. It can be concluded that Thai Apple apple ber fruits can successfully be grown under sub-tropical area of Assam. The ber fruits collected from Simen Chapori (BC-1) was found best in terms of biochemical composition i.e. TSS, TSS/ acid ratio, total sugar, reducing sugar and moisture content.

Genetic variability of 84 accessions of three Ziziphus species including Z. spina-christi, Z. nummularia and Z. mauritiana were analyzed using a combination of morphological traits and translation initiation codon (ATG) polymorphism. Both morphological and molecular data revealed a high level of inter and intra specific variations among the accessions. Accordingly, 90.49% of amplified fragments were polymorphic among the accessions with the mean values of 0.37 for polymorphic information content (PIC), 3.31 for resolving power (RP), and 1.95 for marker index (MI). The phylogenetic clustering clearly delineated the entire germplasm into three well supported distinct clusters according to the species sources. According to the Nei's genetic identity, Z. spina-christi and Z. nummularia were the most similar species and had high differentiation with Z. mauritiana. Moreover, the highest values for Shannon’s information index (I = 0.505) and gene diversity (h = 0.347) were recorded in Z. spina-christi indicating there is higher genetic diversity compared with two other species. Four private alleles were identified in two species which could be beneficial for accessions authentication in argumentative situations. Moreover, results of the Mantel test showed there were moderate correlation between molecular and morphological matrices. In addition, estimation of bivariate correlations revealed there were significant positive and negative correlations between different variables, which offer a practical application of this information during phenotype based selection in ber improvement programs. The results of this investigation highlight the efficiency of translation initiation codon polymorphism for genetic characterization and accurate authentication of Ziziphus accessions as well as detecting and tagging morphologically important traits in this genus that would be helpful for implementation of effective conservation strategies and even broaden current genetic diversity.

The leaf-beetle genus Platypria Guérin-Méneville, 1840 comprises two subgenera and 34 species (Chrysomelidae: Cassidinae: Hispini). Host plants are documented for eight species and indicate mostly perennial species of Fabaceae and Rhamnaceae. Larvae and pupae have been documented for two Platypria species. This paper presents novel natural history data, based on a field study of populations of Platypria (Platypria) hystrix (Fabricius, 1798) on Erythrina stricta Roxb. and Pueraria phaseoloides (Roxb.) Benth. in Kerala, south India and on Erythrina variegata L., Pueraria montana var. lobata (Willd.) Maes. & S. Almeida and Mucuna pruriens (L) DC in Assam, northeast India. Three new Fabaceae hosts are reported for P. (P.) hystrix. Brief notes and new host records, based on field observations, are also provided for the other three species of Platypria in India – P. (P.) chiroptera Gestro, 1899, P. (P.) echidna Guérin-Méneville, 1840 and P. (P.) erinaceus (Fabricius, 1801). Platypria females slit the leaf to lay a single egg which is covered with secretions that harden as an ootheca, the egg covering in Cassidinaes. l. There are five larval stages, each with the typical ‘hispine’ mining form and behaviour – a flattened cream-coloured body, chitinised head capsule and claws, and feeding on mesophyll and leaving irregular blotch mines on the host leaves. Pupation occurs in an independent pupal mine and lasts about a week. These observations suggest new potential phylogenetic character hypotheses that can stimulate better data collection on leaf-mining Cassidinae and help resolve evolutionary patterns amongst these basal mining genera.

The present study was conducted to assess the allelopathic potential of Zizypusmauritiana against some crop species. Plant materials of Z.mauritiana were collected from Ahmad Abad District Karak and dried at room temperature (25-30˚C). Allelopathic studies conducted by using aqueous extracts from various parts including mature leaves, bark, fruit rain water and mulching in various experiments invariably retarded the germination, plumule, radical growth, fresh and dry weight of Trictium aestivm, Zea mays, and Cicer arietinum., used as a test species. The aqueous extracts obtained after 48 h were more inhibitory than 24h. Leaves were more toxic than fruit and bark. Rain water and mulching experiments also proved to be inhibitory. It is suggested that the various assayed parts of Z.muritianahave strong allelopathic potential at least against the tested species. Further investigation is required to see its allelopathic behavior under field condition against its associated species and to identify the toxic principle.

The study conducted to investigate the performance of Red Sokoto goat fed graded level of Ziziphus mauritiana (Magarya) leaves as milk enhancer. Ziziphus mauritiana is widely distributed and evergreen plant of the study area; perhaps it could play an important role as fodder. A Feeding trail for 12 weeks was carried out to determined weight gain, milk yield by Red sokoto goats fed graded level of Ziziphus mauritiana. Twenty Red Sokoto goats were randomly allotted to five treatments as A (Negative control), B (0%,C (10%), D (20%) and E C (30%) of four replicates. The four experimental diets formulated were designate as B (0%,C (10%), D (20%) and E C (30%) inclusion levels of the test ingredient, Parameters measured were does and kids weight changes, milk yield, total solid, protein, fat, solid not fat, pH and ash. The result showed that the ash content of the experimental diets varied significantly (P< 0.05) across the treatments, with 0% inclusion level having the highest ash content (12.29%) followed by 10% inclusion level (11.83%) while 30% inclusion level had the least (09.22%). The crude protein (CP) content was higher in 30% inclusion level (16.11%) , while EE and CF were however higher in 30% inclusion level 6.33% and 30.75%) respectively. Milk yield was estimated by the weigh-suckle-weigh method. The result revealed that milk yield, total solid, SNF, fat and ash varied significantly (P

The use of different plant materials for the green synthesis of metal oxides is considered as an environmentally friendly method, since it does not involve the use of toxic chemicals and harsh conditions. In this study, zinc oxide (ZnO) particles were synthesized using aqueous leaf extract of Ziziphus mauritiana Lam. Synthesized ZnO particles were characterized using X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and field emission scanning electron microscopy. Antioxidant activities of the as-prepared ZnO were evaluated using 2-2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH·) assay, with varying ZnO concentration. The synthesized ZnO was found to effectively scavenge DPPH·. Antibacterial studies using agar disc diffusion method showed that the synthesized ZnO particles with concentration of 25, 50, 100, 200 and 400 mg/mL showed antibacterial activities against Staphylococcus aureus, whereas no antibacterial activities were observed against Escherichia coli. Hence, phytogenically synthesized ZnO could be a potential candidate for different biological applications.

The geometric attributes and physical, mechanical, and chemical properties were determined for 11 Indian jujube (Ziziphus mauritiana Lamk.) cultivars grown in Saudi Arabia including Zaytoni, Kashmiri, Komethry, Um-Sulaem with spines, Toffahy, Um-Sulaem without spines, Abdel-Sattar, Pu-Yun, Pu-Pineau, seedy ber, and buddling ber. The geometric mean diameter, surface area, sphericity, and shape index of the fruits ranged from 20.61 to 42.48 mm, 1339.58–5666.92 mm2, 71.39–96.80%, and 110.25–275.18%, respectively. The fruit physical properties, i e fruit weight, fruit volume, stone weight, flesh weight, true fruit density, and pulp-stone ratio varied from 4.71 to 39.02 g, 4.78 to 42.75 cm3, 0.11 to 2.35 g, 4.61 to 36.67 g,0.913 to 1.055 g/cm3, and 7.90 to 43.11, respectively. In addition, the mean color value of L*, a* and b* for the fruits ranged from 64.48 to 96.33, 2.65–4.05, and 6.32–84.36, respectively. The mechanical properties, including elastic range, bioyield force, modulus of elasticity, plastic range, and rupture force ranged from 2.31 to 8.86 mm, 21.64–325.77 N, 14.15–124.09 N/s, 0.83–3.45 mm, 56.42–364.21 N, and 107.77–480.91 N/s, respectively. The greatest rupture force belonged to the Pu-Pineau cultivar and the smallest belonged to the Um-Sulaem without spines cultivar at the horizontal orientation of both cultivars. The fruit chemical analysis values for total soluble solids, titratable acidity, total soluble solids/titratable acidity ratio, and vitamin C ranged from 13.43 to 23.55%, 0.48–1.27%, 14.24–39.85%, and 55.27–164.47 mg/100 g, respectively. The relevant data obtained for the 11 varieties of Indian jujube are valuable for developing and designing machines for processing operations, transportation, separating, packing, sorting, and harvesting. Additionally, the findings revealed considerable variation in chemical content, physical and mechanical characteristics among the tested cultivars.

Research work on the genetic diversity within Pakistani and Chinese Ziziphus species is limited, and to date, no single report on the application of DNA barcoding attempt for identification of Ziziphus species is available in literature. Therefore, the current study was designed to assess diversity and relationships among Ziziphus species genotypes and to develop a unique identity card and for their conservation. The study has used 99 simple sequence repeats (SSR) markers for gaining insights into the genetic diversity within 200 genotypes of four Ziziphus species. Successful amplification was achieved with 59 SSRs; and was applied for understanding the population structure and relationships among the Ziziphus species/genotypes. Unique SSR fingerprints of three highly polymorphic loci were used for developing molecular identity cards for each genotype. A total of 158, 165, 168, 157 and 168 alleles were amplified from Z. jujuba Mill., Z. nummularia (Burm.f.) Wight & Arn., Z. oxyphylla Edgew. (Pakistani origin), Z. mauritiana Lam. and Z. jujuba Mill., (Chinese origin) respectively. Alleles per locus ranged from 2 to 6, averaging 2.83, 2.82, 3.366, 2.80 and 3.09. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) revealed high genetic variability (83%) whereas; fixation index (0.014) and gene flow estimates (1.32) indicated frequent gene flow within Ziziphus species. STRUCTURE and PCA analysis resolved all genotypes into five populations. Further, molecular identity cards were developed for all genotypes. The overall results indicated prevalence of genetic variability and relationships among Ziziphus species; yet the same Z. jujuba species across geographical boundaries has retained unique alleles and this may facilitate development of agronomically desirable and genetically improved Ziziphus cultivars.

Fossil charcoals from archaeological sites provide direct evidence for the relationship between environmental change and ancient peoples’ livelihoods in the past. Our identification of 5811 fossil charcoal fragments from 84 samples suggested temperate deciduous and mixed conifer-broadleaved forests as the dominant vegetation at the Erdaojingzi site in northeastern China ca. 3500 cal yr BP; the major representative taxa were Quercus, Pinus, and Ulmus. Four woody plants probably supplied humans with food resources at the Erdaojingzi site, including Quercus, Ulmus, Amygdalus/Armeniaca, and Ziziphus. The nuts of Quercus were utilized as staple foods because of their rich starch content. The leaves of Ulmus may have been used by humans because of their massive dietary fibre. Amygdalus/Armeniaca and Ziziphus probably provided fruits for humans. Based on the coexistence approach (CA) used on the fossil charcoals, we found that the MAT anomaly was 7.9 ± 5.9°C at ca. 3500 cal yr BP, which is almost the same as the modern one (7.8°C), while the MAP was halved from 772 ± 301 mm at ca. 3500 cal yr BP to 370 mm currently. The wet climate might have facilitated significant development of rain-fed agriculture, promoted the emergence of large settlements, and eventually facilitated the birth of civilization.

In the area of Nano technological research, green synthesis of Nanoparticles (NPs) has pulled in a ton of interest in light of the fact that the green-synthesized Ag NPs show more prominent antimicrobial and inhibitory qualities, in perspective on which they could be utilized in various applications in the areas of medical and drug delivery. It might be the most appropriate option for the conventional techniques that are commonly conflicting and exert dangerous impacts on the earth. In this research, green synthesis of silver NPs using Ziziphus mauritiana leaf extract was carried out. The synthesized Ag NPs were characterized using UV–V is spectrophotometry, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques. The consequences of UV-Vis spectroscopy showed plasma resonance peaks around 413 nm, that exhibited the existence of Ag NPs. The result observedfromSEM demonstrated thatNPs werefound inspherical and in the 4–96 nm range. The practical gatherings forNPs synthesis using organic compounds with minimized procedure of biosynthesis and stabilization of silver NPs were studied with FTIR and were observed to be phenols, alcohols, primary amines, and alkenes. The XRD pattern demonstrated the FCC structure of AgNO3 and average particle was observed to be 12.0 nm.

Biology, incidence and morphometrics of the ber fruit fly Carpomyia vesuviana Costa were studied onIndian jujube Ziziphus mauritiana Lamark. The observations revealed that the female laid its eggs in thecavities made by the ovipositor, just beneath the skin of the fruit. The eggs were small, elongate, spindleshaped and creamy white. The duration of lifestages (in days) were- egg 1.90, maggot 8.75, prepupal 4.43(hr), pupal 8.40, adult longevity 13.85; with a total lifecycle of 29.95 days. The length, width and wingexpanse of female measured up to 4.82, 1.33 and 3.91 mm, respectively; and that of male 4.44, 1.21 and3.83 mm, respectively. The incidence was maximum in October followed by December, with the least beingin January. Correlation coefficients of incidence with weather factors revealed a significant and positiveone with maximum RH (0.70) and negative with maximum temperature (-0.54).&nbsp

Thirty (30) growing rabbits of mixed breeds and sexes with an average initial weight of 526.92±0.25g were used for this study to determine the effect of level of inclusion of Ziziphus leaf meal (ZLM) in concentrate diet on the performance of growing rabbits. The experiment was in a completely randomized design involving five treatments, which represented five diets with 0, 10, 20, 30 and 40% levels of ZLM inclusion. Significant differences (p0.05) from treatment 1 and the best feed /gain values.The cost benefit analysis shows a 40.51 % reduction in the cost of feed, following a 10 % inclusion of ZLM in the diet (T2) over the control (T1), while 46.35 and 47.94 % reduction were observed following 20 and 30 % ZLM inclusion (T3 and T4) respectively. In term of apparent profit made, T1 recorded the highest profit (N 35.29) over all other treatments, which was followed by T2 (N30.49), T3 (N15.11) and T4 recorded the least (N 12.99). Inclusion of RHSM in the diet of rabbits resulted in reduction in the cost of feed and feed cost efficiency. From the results obtained it was concluded that dried ZLM could be incorporated up to 30% in the diets of growing rabbits without any adverse effect on their performance.Keywords: Cost benefit, growing rabbits, performance, tannins, Ziziphus leaf meal.

Due to short shelf-life of ber fruits, developing postharvest protocols incorporating nonchemical compounds with the aim of extending its shelf life and maintaining quality is one of the major issu...

Geometridae is one of the most diverse Lepidoptera families; however, little information about Geometridae species is found, even regarding their distribution and basic biology, which are in general restricted to type locality. Lists of species and their host plants are not found for the Semiarid region of the Northeast of Brazil. The present note reports the occurrence of caterpillars of the species Numia terebintharia Guenée consuming leaves of evergreen trees of Ziziphus joazeiro Mart. in a site with xerophilous deciduous Caatinga vegetation in that region. Some trees had approximately 90% of their leaves with injuries. This is the first record of N. terebintharia caterpillars occurring in Brazil and the first record of Z. joazeiro as their host plant. RESUMO Geometridae é uma das famílias mais diversificadas de Lepidoptera e o conhecimento sobre a distribuição e biologia básica de suas espécies é muito limitado, restringindo-se em muitos casos à localidade-tipo. Não há nenhum inventário das espécies ocorrentes no semiárido do Nordeste do Brasil e das suas plantas hospedeiras. Neste trabalho é registrada a ocorrência da espécie Numia terebintharia Guenée em uma área de caatinga dessa região, avaliada a importância desse registro no quadro do conhecimento da distribuição das espécies do gênero e documentada a planta hospedeira de suas lagartas e as injúrias às suas folhas. Algumas árvores de Ziziphus joazeiro Mart. apresentavam cerca de 90% de suas folhas com injúrias. Esse é o primeiro registro da N. terebintharia para o Brasil e o primeiro de sua planta hospedeira.

The effect of post-harvest application of calcium chloride (CaCl2) and gibberellic acid (GA3) on physiochemical properties of ber fruits were studied. Mature ber fruits cv. Umran were dipped in aqueous solutions of calcium chloride (0.5, 1.0 and 1.5%) and gibberellic acid (20, 40 and 60 ppm), for 5 minutes and packed in netlon bags for storage under ambient and cold storage conditions. Ber fruits treated with 1.5% CaCl2 could be stored for longer duration in both storage conditions with higher retention of physiochemical quality of the fruits. Results revealed that physiological loss in weight, fruit weight, palatability rating, titratable acidity showed a declining trend with advancement of storage period and other parameters i.e. total soluble solids, ascorbic acid, reducing sugar, and total sugars showed an increase up to 9 days in ambient storage condition and up to 12 days in cold storage condition, but after 9 days in ambient storage condition and after 12 days in cold storage condition, a decline trend was observed in these parameters respectively. Storage life was extended to 9 days and 15 days of ber fruits treated with 1.5% CaCl2 under ambient and cold storage conditions, respectively.

Jujube (Ziziphus jujubaMill.), a deciduous tree, is well known for its medicinal and nutritional values. Being an extremophile, it has an excellent capability to survive under arid conditions with limited water availability. In this regard, studying the role of water transport regulating proteins such as Aquaporins (AQPs) in jujube is of great importance. Aquaporins, channel-forming proteins are known to have a significant role in the transport of water and many other small solutes in plants. In the present study, computational approaches have identified 36 AQPs, which comprised of 12 NIPs (Nodulin 26-like intrinsic proteins), 10 PIPs (Plasma membrane intrinsic proteins), 10 TIPs (Tonoplast intrinsic proteins), 3 SIPs (Small intrinsic proteins), and 1 XIP (uncharacterized intrinsic protein). Conserved features of AQPs like asparagines-proline-alanine (NPA) amino acid motifs, aromatic/arginine (ar/R) selectivity filters, and Frogger's residues, having a significant role in solute specificity and transport, were also predicted. Homology-based tertiary (3D) structures of AQPS were also resolved using various tools, and subsequently, pore-lining residues have been identified using the 3D structures. The information of pore morphology, along with the conserved features provided through this work, will be helpful to predict solute specificity of AQPs. Analysis of transcriptomic data revealed the tissue-specific or ubiquitous expression of several AQPs in different tissues of jujube. Interestingly, TIP3-1 was found to have fruit specific expression whereas most of the AQPs have a relatively low expression. Based on the present study and previous reports, TIP3s seems to have a significant role in seed desiccation processes. The findings presented here provide pivotal insights into the functions of extremophile specific AQPs, to better understand the role of AQPs and, subsequently, the stress tolerance mechanism in jujube.

Ziziphus joazeiro Mart., Rhamnaceae, is a plant native to northeast Brazil where it is known as “juazeiro.” Its bark, rich in saponins, is widely utilized in folk medicine and as a supply to produce cosmetics. Aiming at the preservation of the species and the search for an alternative vegetal raw material, the phytochemical profiles of bark and leaves were compared by chemical techniques. The foaming index and gravimetric studies indicated that, in general, bark values were approximately twice than those of the leaves. The same occurred with the hemolysis indexes. Extracts were dereplicated by liquid chromatography with diode array detection coupled to mass spectrometry analyses using an atmospheric pressure chemical ionization source, which indicated that at least 5 saponins were common to all bark and leaf samples. The direct infusion high-resolution mass spectrometry analyses revealed at least 44 different saponins distributed between the bark and leaves of the analyzed plant, of which 40 were described for the first time. The data showed that there were similarities between the studied plant organs as demonstrated by mass spectrometry, foaming index, and hemolysis indexes. Therefore, with the application of a suitable standardization procedure the leaves could be a promising source for obtaining “juazeiro-type” saponins.

In this study, we investigated the modeling of chromium (Cr(VI)) removal using globally available plant biomass: Phragmites australis and Ziziphus spina-christi. Biosorption parameters were initial Cr(VI) concentration (50–800 mg L−1), contact time (1–180 min), adsorbent dose (0.25–2.0 g L−1), and pH (2–8) at agitation speed of 100 rpm. Based on the results of batch experiments and modeling, pseudo-second-order model was fitted to the experimental data where R2 = 0.99; besides, diffusion model played a significant role in the rate-determining step. Isotherm models were fitted in the order of Langmuir > Freundlich > Temkin models. Maximum adsorption capacities were recorded 21.32 mg g−1 and 15.55 mg g−1 for Phragmites australis and Ziziphus spina-christi, respectively. Insights into biosorption behavior were determined using Fourier-transform infrared spectra (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). SEM–EDX revealed the chromium presence and its accumulation on both biosorbents after the biosorption process. Cr(VI) biosorption mechanism is illustrated and can be related to electrostatic interactions, reduction and chelation/complexation with the functional groups of both adsorbents.

Current study was carried out for adaptability and response of newly introduced jujube (Ziziphus mauritiana) variety in desert area of district Umerkot, Sindh with poor quality groundwater (>3500 ppm TSS). Aim of the study was to acclimatize this variety under harsh conditions to uplift the socio-economic situation of local population. The study was carried out for five consecutive fruiting seasons viz. flowering and fruiting season 2013-2014 to 2017-2018. The results revealed that during first fruiting season 2014-15, there were only three branches plant-1, 154 to 239 fruits branch-1, 462 to 879 fruits plant-1, 25.5 to 46.7 g fruit weight, 8.4 to 9.2 mm fruit size, 4.1 to 7.7 kg fruit yield plant-1 and 442.8 to 831.6 kg fruit yield acre-1. But from the third year to onwards i.e from 2015 to 2018 a continuous increase was observed for all characters studied like number of branches plant-1 increased from 5 to 8, number of fruits branch-1 increased from 339 to 375, total fruits plant-1 increased from 1695 to 2538, weight of fruit was increased from 58.6 to 107.15 g, size of fruit increased from 9.2 to 9.8 mm, yield plant-1 was increased from 11.0 to 31.45 kg, yield acre-1 was increased from 1188 to 3396 kg and water use efficiency increased from 2.7 to 10.6 kg m3. Considering the above results, it was concluded that Ziziphus fruit yield, weight and size increases from third year to onwards significantly on brackish water and soil of arid areas of Thar. Pruning each year after fruit harvesting was found to be essential. As this plant with stands in harsh climate of Thar desert successfully, so it provides food in the form of fruits, fodder through leaves and wood for fuel and shelter for humans and animals, thus it will be helpful to the people of Thar in terms of malnutrition, food scarcity and climate change, as well.

Many Plant extracts had proved a potential antifungal activity against a wide range of phytopathogenic fungi. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antifungal activity of the aqueous extracts of Rumex vesicarius L. and Ziziphus spina-christi (L) Desf. against some fungal species. The effect on growth inhibition, conidia germination, sporogenesis, morphological, and ultrastructural characterizations of fungal growth by scanning and transmission electron microscopes, have been investigated. Both plant extracts exhibited an antifungal activity against Fusarium, Helminthosporium, Alternaria, and Rhizoctonia species, besides, the sporogenesis of Alternaria and Fusarium species was suppressed. Both plants induced severe morphological changes in the hyphal shape and surface. We concluded that the aqueous extracts of these plants had strong antifungal activities. More investigations should be performed to evaluate the possible applications in agriculture and in vivo.

Indian jujube (Ziziphus mauritiana Lamk.) is a drought tolerant fruit crop and well adapted to sub-tropical to tropical climates. Seasonal pruning in jujube is essential to sustain the plants as productive with quality fruits because flowers and fruits are borne on young shoots of current season’s growth. This experiment was initiated and accomplished during 2016-18 to assess appropriate extent of pruning in various cultivars of Indian jujube with regard to productivity and fruit quality. Four cultivars of jujube i.e., Dehli Sufaid, Pak White, Umran and Alu Bukhara were subjected to four pruning levels i.e. no pruning, 25%, 50% and 75% pruning by removing unproductive, over-crowded secondary and tertiary branches leaving 3/4 (light), 1/2 (medium) and 1/4 (severe pruning) portion of branch intact with main limb, respectively. Experiment was laid out in randomized complete block design with three replications and statistically analysed in 2-factors factorial way. Pak White initiated new growth earlier (39 days), produced maximum branches per plant (77), shoots (15), panicles (63) and fruits (90) per branch, heavier (38 g) and bulky fruits (44 cm3), with minimum fruit drop (13%), higher yield (184 kg) per plant and fruits carrying the maximum pulp ratio (90%), total soluble solids (16 °Brix), vitamin C content (121 mg /100 g pulp) and total sugars (5.7%). Fifty percent pruning level proved more judicious in all jujube cultivars. Pak White performed the best when subjected to 50% pruning level for all the parameters under study as calculated by interaction between two factors.

This study is based on green, efficient and simple synthesis of silver nanoparticles from Ziziphus mauritiana (Zm) leaves extract as capping and reducing agent. Initially synthesised silver nanopar...