Search

Core Ideas: Early spring Defendor (florasulam) applications effectively inhibit dandelion blooming.Apply Defendor prior to 75 accumulated growing degree days (base = 50°F) to suppress dandelion blooms.Defendor application timing is weeks earlier than traditional phenoxy herbicides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A glucose oxidase (GOx) based p-NiO/n-Bi 4 Ti 3 O 12 sandwich heterojunction was fabricated and explored as a glucose electrochemical sensor. The constructed GOx/p-NiO/n-Bi 4 Ti 3 O 12 sandwich structure effectively prevents the leakage of GOx. Dandelion-like Bi 4 Ti 3 O 12 nanowires were directly grown on the titanium foil substrates, and dense NiO nanoparticles were deposited by employing pulsed laser deposition at room temperature. Amperometric measurements towards glucose were carried out, and efficient direct electron transfer was successfully achieved. The enzyme biosensor showed a linear range from 20 μM to 3.55 mM (R = 0.999) with an ultrahigh sensitivity of 215 μA mM −1  cm −2 , response time within 2 s, low detection limit of 1.26 μM (S/N = 3) and high specificity. The apparent Michaelis-Menten constant (Km app) was estimated to be 0.22 mM. Intercrossed nanowires and interconnected pores favor the electrons transfer and the massive GOx loading. Binder-free feature leads to a seamless connection between Bi 4 Ti 3 O 12 nanowires and the substrate. Co-catalysis of GOx and p-NiO/n-Bi 4 Ti 3 O 12 heterojunction plays a synergetic role in gaining performance boosts. The GOx based p-NiO/n-Bi 4 Ti 3 O 12 heterojunction biosensor remedies the limitation of enzyme-based glucose sensor and be potentially applied in practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents ecological characteristics of meadows with Taraxacum sect. Palustria in Pogórze Dynowskie. Field studies were carried out using the patrol method. Floristic description was made, methods of meadow use were evaluated and habitat conditions were determined based on Ellenberg's bioindication method on every meadow with marsh dandelions. Analyses were performed in eight sites with T. mendax, T. paucilobum, T. polonicum, T. portentosum and T. vindobonense. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cover Image Left: Taraxacum platycarpum, a native dandelion. Right: Taraxacum offi cinale, a naturalized dandelion. Photographs by Fumio Yoshie, Senshu University Campus, Kawasaki, Japan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Herbal plants and their derived products are extensively used particularly in many Asian, African, and other countries of the world as they are considered as ideal feed additives because of their non-residual effect and ability to influencethe ecosystem of gastrointestinal microbiota in a positive way. Further, the enzymatic treatment of these herbs helps in their efficient utilization by the host. Dandelion leaves and fenugreek seeds have been reported to have positive effect in terms of improving the performance of broiler chicken, but not much literature is available regarding their effect on gut histomorphology; therefore, the present study was conducted to explore the effect of these herbs either alone or in combination with or without enzyme treatment on histomorphology of liver and small intestine of broiler chicken. Materials and Methods: To achieve the envisaged objective, 273-day-old commercial broiler chicks were procured from a reputed source and reared together until 7 days of age. On the 7th day, the chicks were individually weighed, distributed randomly into 7 groups of 3 replicates with 13 chicks each. Birds in the control group were fed diets without additives (T1). The other six treatment groups were fed the basal diet supplemented with 0.5% dandelion leaves (T2), 1% fenugreek seeds (T3), combination of 0.5% dandelion leaves and 1% fenugreek seeds (T4), enzyme treated dandelion leaves 0.5% (T5), enzyme treated fenugreek seeds 1% (T6), and combination of enzyme treated dandelion leaves (0.5%) and (1%) fenugreek seeds (T7). The histomorphological study of liver and small intestines was conducted among different treatment groups. Results: The results revealed the hepato-protective nature of both dandelion leaves and fenugreek seeds either alone or in combination with or without enzyme treatment when compared with the control group. Moreover, thhistomorphological findings of jejunum revealed the beneficial effect of dandelion leaves, fenugreek seeds and enzymes on the intestinal mucosa in terms of cellular infiltration, architecture of villi, villus height/crypt depth ratio, thereby improving the intestinal health. Conclusion: The dandelion leaves and fenugreek seeds have hepato-protective nature and beneficial effect on the intestinal morphology particularly when included along with enzymes in the diet of broiler chicken. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physiological and biochemical characteristics were evaluated in dandelion plants ( Taraxacum officinale) growing naturally in an urban environment. The study area was located in Pisa, Italy, and 27 sites in the municipality were chosen to assess the biochemical and physiological features of dandelion plants and the trace metal content in the urban soil. Concentrations of elements including, Cr, Cu, Mn and Zn were analysed in the soil together with dandelion shoot and root tissues collected from the various sites. Chlorophyll a fluorescence analysis, the pigment content, antioxidant power and phenol content were determined in dandelion. The results showed very limited soil pollution due to trace metals in the urban sites. However, dandelion showed Zn uptake and translocation although no damage was observed in the plants. Our results highlight that dandelion plants are able to survive in a constrained environment thanks to the high phenol content which is effective in combatting the oxidative stress induced by heavy metals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

•DNA methylation can cause heritable phenotypic modifications in the absence of changes in DNA sequence. Environmental stresses can trigger methylation changes and this may have evolutionary consequences, even in the absence of sequence variation. However, it remains largely unknown to what extent environmentally induced methylation changes are transmitted to offspring, and whether observed methylation variation is truly independent or a downstream consequence of genetic variation between individuals. •Genetically identical apomictic dandelion ( Taraxacum officinale) plants were exposed to different ecological stresses, and apomictic offspring were raised in a common unstressed environment. We used methylation-sensitive amplified fragment length polymorphism markers to screen genome-wide methylation alterations triggered by stress treatments and to assess the heritability of induced changes. •Various stresses, most notably chemical induction of herbivore and pathogen defenses, triggered considerable methylation variation throughout the genome. Many modifications were faithfully transmitted to offspring. Stresses caused some epigenetic divergence between treatment and controls, but also increased epigenetic variation among plants within treatments. •These results show the following. First, stress-induced methylation changes are common and are mostly heritable. Second, sequence-independent, autonomous methylation variation is readily generated. This highlights the potential of epigenetic inheritance to play an independent role in evolutionary processes, which is superimposed on the system of genetic inheritance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reprints the article "Evidence-Based Systematic Review of Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) by Natural Standard Research Collaboration," by Brooke Sweeney, Mamta Vora, Catherine Ulbricht, Ethan Basch, previously published in the journal "Natural Standard." Account of synonyms, common names and related substances; Background of dandelion; Account of historical and theoretical uses; Overview of dosing and toxicological aspects; Description of precautions and contraindications; Information on interactions with other drugs.

Apomictic plants often produce pollen that can function in crosses with related sexuals. Moreover, facultative apomicts can produce some sexual offspring. In dandelions, Taraxacum, a sexual-asexual cycle between diploid sexuals and triploid apomicts, has been described, based on experimental crosses and population genetic studies. Little is known about the actual hybridization processes in nature. We therefore studied the sexual-asexual cycle in a mixed dandelion population in the Netherlands. In this population, the frequencies of sexual diploids and triploids were 0.31 and 0.68, respectively. In addition, less than 1% tetraploids were detected. Diploids were strict sexuals, triploids were obligate apomicts, but tetraploids were most often only partly apomictic, lacking certain elements of apomixis. Tetraploid seed fertility in the field was significantly lower than that of apomictic triploids. Field-pollinated sexual diploids produced on average less than 2% polyploid offspring, implying that the effect of hybridization in the 2x-3x cycle in Taraxacum will be low. Until now, 2x-3x crosses were assumed to be the main pathway of new formation of triploid apomicts in the sexual-asexual cycle in Taraxacum. However, tetraploid pollen donors produced 28 times more triploid offspring in experimental crosses with diploid sexuals than triploid pollen donors. Rare tetraploids may therefore act as an important bridge in the formation of new triploid apomicts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Selected cultural and environmental variables were investigated for their influence on the efficacy of Phoma herbarum and Phoma exigua to cause disease on dandelion ( Taraxacum officinale ) under growth room conditions. In both species, mycelial fragments caused significantly greater disease severity on dandelion than spore suspensions. Mycelial age was not an important factor in disease severity caused by P. herbarum , with all cultures causing high disease ratings. However, younger cultures of P. exigua caused the greatest disease severity on dandelion, but significantly less than that caused by P. herbarum . The initial pH of the growth medium (potato dextrose broth) did not affect disease severity caused by either Phoma species. Increasing concentrations of mycelia of P. herbarum were applied to dandelions that were then exposed to various leaf wetness durations. Disease severity increased with increasing leaf wetness duration. For dandelions exposed to no leaf wetness duration, the greater the mycelial concentration, the greater the disease rating. However, for dandelions exposed to all leaf wetness durations, all concentrations of mycelia caused similar disease ratings. As P. herbarum caused high disease ratings on dandelion, it therefore warrants further investigation as a potential bioherbicide for the control of this weed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Male-sterility was found in diploid dandelions from two widely separated populations from France, and its inheritance was analysed by crossing a diploid male-sterile dandelion to diploid sexuals and triploid apomicts. Nuclear genetic variation, found in full-sib families, segregated for male-fertility, partial male-sterility, and full male-sterility, and also segregated for small-sized versus normally sized pollen. The crossing results are best explained by a cytoplasmic male-sterility factor in combination with two dominant restorer genes. Involvement of the cytoplasmic male-sterility factor was further investigated by chloroplast haplotyping. Male-sterility was exclusively associated with a rare chloroplast haplotype (designated 16b). This haplotype was found in seven male-sterile plants and one (apparently restored) male-fertile individual but does not occur in 110 co-existing male-fertile plants and not in several hundreds of individuals previously haplotyped. Apomicts with cytoplasmic male sterility were generated in some test crosses. This raises the question as to whether the male sterility found in natural dandelion apomicts, is of cytoplasmic or of nuclear genetic nature. As many breeding systems in Taraxacum are involved in shaping population structure, it will be difficult to predict the evolutionary consequences of nuclear-cytoplasmic male-sterility for this species complex.Heredity (2004) 93, 43-50. doi:10.1038/sj.hdy.6800478 Published online 12 May 2004 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The change of triglyceride composition in seeds of certain plants of the Cucurbitaceae family and Taraxacum officinale during ripening was studied by HPLC. A small decrease in the content of palmitic derivatives in Cucurbitaceae seed oil and a questionable change of the triglyceride composition of T. Officinale seed oil were found. Data for the triglyceride composition were compared with calculations performed assuming an equally probable statistical distribution of fatty-acid radicals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article the author discusses the research conducted by K. J. Verhoeven and colleagues, which shows that cytosine methylation in asexual triploid dandelions can change into some loci when induced with stress. He mentions that the stress conditions include low nutrients, while the changes in methylation were seen through amplified fragment length polymorphism technique. He cites that the results of the study raise many questions about the heritable stress-induced methylation patterns.

The article presents a study of the pine-cone willow gall and the dandelion. The seeds of the pine-cone gall are scattered in spring from the ripened woolly catkins. The dandelion is a popular plant due to its universal distribution. The flower of the dandelion contains a milky juice that is intensely bitter to prevent itself from being eaten by insects or higher animals.

The article offers information on dandelion, also known as lion's tooth and blow ball. Dandelion can be used as fresh or dried in teas, capsules or extracts, while its leaves can be used in salads or as a cooked edible green. Side effects associated with dandelion use include upset stomach and diarrhea. It is also contraindicated in people with inflamed or infected gallbladder and those with blocked bile ducts.