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Cabari Gregório & D.B.O.S.Cardoso (Leguminosae, Papilionoideae) is a recently described neotropical genus of trees, with species predominantly distributed in the Amazon basin. After robust evidence from a recent phylogenetic analysis of nuclear and plastid DNA sequence data, the genus was segregated from Clathrotropis (Benth.) Harms. Cabari is a genus of large trees with imparipinnately compound leaves and opposite leaflets, inflorescences terminal or less often axillary, woody pods with elastically dehiscent valves, and large seeds. In this taxonomic revision, the genus comprises three species: C. brachypetala, C. brunnea, and C. macrocarpa. We provide morphological descriptions and taxonomic comments for all species, as well as an identification key, three new synonyms, color plates, line drawings, and maps of geographic distribution. Cabari Gregório & D.B.O.S.Cardoso (Leguminosae, Papilionoideae) é um gênero de árvores neotropicais recentemente descrito, com espécies predominantemente distribuídas na bacia amazônica. Após evidências robustas de uma análise filogenética recente de dados de sequências de DNA nuclear e plastidial, o gênero foi segregado de Clathrotropis (Benth.) Harms. Cabari é um gênero de árvores grandes com folhas compostas imparipinadas e folíolos opostos, inflorescências terminais ou menos frequentemente axilares, legumes lenhosos com válvulas elasticamente deiscentes e sementes grandes. Nesta revisão taxonômica, o gênero compreende três espécies: C. brachypetala, C. brunnea e C. macrocarpa. Nós fornecemos descrições morfológicas e comentários taxonômicos para todas as espécies, bem como uma chave de identificação, três novos sinônimos, pranchas com imagens, ilustrações e mapas de distribuição geográfica. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Underutilised crops suffer from under-investigation relative to more mainstream crops, but often possess improved stress tolerance and/or nutrition, making them potentially important for breeding programmes in the context of climate change and an expanding human population. Developing basic genome resources for underutilised crops may therefore catalyse analyses to facilitate their use, through improved understanding of population structure, phylogeny, candidate genes, and linkage mapping. We carried out nuclear and plastid genome sequencing and assembly for five underutilised legumes: jack bean, sword bean, Kersting's groundnut, moth bean, and zombi pea. Using only 'off-the-shelf', free-to-use bioinformatic tools, we also developed a simple but effective pipeline to identify thousands of markers, which could be applied in other species. We assembled 53–68% of the genome and 73–95% of the gene space in the five legumes. The assemblies were fragmented but nevertheless useful for identifying between 34,000—60,000 microsatellites. Examination of 32 markers in zombi pea revealed 16 primer pairs which amplified in at least half of the eight accessions tested and were polymorphic. We also present nuclear genome size estimates for 17 legume taxa (12 for the first time), comprising the above five species as well as other domesticated legume species and crop wild relatives. We aim for the newly developed markers and genome size estimates presented here to be useful for the research community by aiding genomic and population genetic studies for these taxa, and to provide information on approaches that can be applied for investigating other important yet underutilised crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Winged bean (Psophocarpus tetragonolobus L.) is an underutilized legume of the family Fabaceae. We assembled 58,811 unigenes from the publicly available winged bean RNAseq data sets and discovered 4107 perfect SSRs. Seventy-eight of the 166 SSRs amplified into a single band, of which 22 were polymorphic in 79 germplasm accessions of winged bean constituting eight populations from India, Thailand, Nigeria, Indonesia, Taiwan, the Philippines, and Papua New Guinea. We found 60 alleles at the 22 polymorphic SSR loci, with a mean value of 2.73 per locus. With a mean of 0.36, the PIC values for the SSR loci ranged from 0.11 to 0.64. We recorded the maximum genetic diversity in advanced breeding lines (I = 0.67, He = 0.41) and the minimum genetic diversity in the germplasm accessions collected from Manipur (I = 0.44, He = 0.28), a north-eastern Indian state. The AMOVA analysis indicated that within-population variation was significantly higher (85%) than between-population variation (15%). The pairwise Nm values between the populations ranged between 0.69 and 3.41, thereby indicating the varying level of gene flow between them. The analysis of the population structure based on the Bayesian model-based clustering algorithm revealed two distinct groups among the eight populations with different levels of introgression. The fuzzy clustering based on the Manhattan method also identified a similar number of groups, with 72% similarity between the two clustering methods. However, the Neighbour-Joining (NJ)-based clustering grouped all the accessions into four clusters. Nevertheless, all three clustering methods unanimously indicated that most African accessions tended to group, and their leftover members were spread across the hypothetical geographical populations, which indirectly support the African origin of the winged bean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two previously unreported isoflavonoids, placoisoflavones A and B (1 and 2), along with five known compounds, calopogonium isoflavone B (3), jamaicin (4), 6-methoxycalopogonium isoflavone A (5), vestitol (6), and caviunin (7) have been isolated from the stems of Placolobium vietnamense N.D.Khôi & Yakovlev. The structures of all isolated compounds were fully characterized using spectroscopic data and comparison with the previous literature. The cytotoxicity of all isolated compounds was evaluated against HepG2 cell line, and compound 1 showed the most potent cytotoxicity with an IC50 value of 8.0 μM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate the optimization of Ultisol soil using biochar and compost to increase nodule formation and performance of soybeans. The trial was conducted at the Research and Teaching Farm, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Jambi, for six months from April through to October 2021. Three levels of compost (5 t ha-1, 10 t ha-1, and 15 t ha-1) were tested in combination with three levels of biochar (5 t ha-1, 10 t ha-1, and 15 t ha-1). A completely randomized design was employed with three replications. Each experimental unit consisted of 20 plants, and 25% of the population was taken as sample plants. Results indicated that the application of soil ameliorant in the form of Tithonia compost and biochar could increase soil pH and nutrient contents and reduce the C/N ratio. Tithonia compost + biochar improved Ultisol productivity as indicated by increased nodule formation and soybean growth. The combination of Tithonia compost and biochar, each of 15 t ha-1, was the best combination for the optimization of Ultisol, which produced the highest biological nitrogen fixation rate and resulted in the best soybean growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Controlled experiments at the level of individual plants show that legume species use different strategies for the regulation of symbiotic dinitrogen fixation in response to nitrogen availability. These strategies were suggested to improve legume fitness in the context of the plant community, although rarely studied at this level. We evaluated how nitrogen availability and conspecific vs heterospecific interactions influenced the strategy of regulation of nitrogen fixation.We grew two species of herbaceous legumes representing two different strategies of regulation without interaction, under treatments of deficient and sufficient nitrogen availability, with conspecific or heterospecific interaction.We found that Hymenocarpus circinnatus maintained a facultative strategy of downregulating nitrogen fixation when nitrogen was available under both con‐ and heterospecific interactions, as was also found for this species when grown alone. Vicia palaestina also downregulated nitrogen fixation under both con‐ and heterospecific interactions but did not regulate fixation when grown alone. Our results showed that under nitrogen limitation, interaction with a neighboring plant reduced fitness, reflecting a competitive effect.Our findings suggest that when interacting with other plants, downregulation of nitrogen fixation is more likely, therefore reducing the energetic cost of fixation, and improving plant performance in competitive ecological communities, especially when nitrogen is available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Lupins and other legumes have been considered as alternative plant-based protein sources to soybeans for both humans and livestock. Furthermore, they can contribute to more sustainable agricultural systems. The productivity and chemical composition of legumes is highly variable between species, cultivars, and with the edaphoclimatic conditions. Methods: This work evaluated the adaptability of seven Lupinus cultivars in two different sowing locations, during two consecutive years, through the characterization of their seed, as a means of investigating their suitability to be used as a source of food and/or feed. Results and discussion: Lupinus angustifolius cv. Tango and Lupinus luteus cv. Acos were the most stable genotypes across the environments when considering the seed and protein production, while L. luteus cv. Alburquerque and L. luteus cv. Mister showed less variation in the total alkaloid content across the environments. The edaphoclimatic conditions affected seed and protein yields, as higher rainfall resulted in high productivity. The lower temperatures observed in the first year at both locations caused a reduction in the production of alkaloids in L. luteus cv. Acos and Cardiga. Due to the high alkaloid content of some of the studied cultivars their use as food or feed can pose some safety concerns. However, these cultivars can have high levels of resistance to herbivore and insect attacks, which can be of the utmost importance for the use of these crops for recovering poor or exhausted soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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We examined the biology and life history of Calomela intemerata Lea (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), to determine its potential as a biocontrol agent of Acacia auriculiformis A.Cunn. ex Benth. (Fabaceae), an environmental weed in Florida, USA. We analysed data from field surveys in northern Australia and determined life‐history parameters and larval feeding under controlled laboratory conditions. In the field, both larvae and adults of C. intemerata fed throughout the year on young shoots of A. auriculiformis. Two geographically isolated populations of C. intemerata were collected from Northern Territory and north Queensland, Australia. We examined developmental time, survival, and size of immature stages in the laboratory at 25 °C. Following development through four instars, larvae move to the soil for pupation. Egg‐to‐adult development was approximately 23 days. Adults were long‐lived – several individuals survived >8 months. Females began ovipositing about 8 days after emergence and laid on average >1000 eggs each. On the invasive Florida A. auriculiformis, larvae of the Northern Territory population performed better than the north Queensland population regarding leaf consumption and developmental rate. The biological attributes of C. intemerata such as short generation time, high fecundity, and a long adult life, combined with the extensive damage larvae and adults inflict to young vegetative growth when feeding, make it a promising candidate biocontrol agent for management of A. auriculiformis in Florida. Formal host specificity testing is currently underway in Florida. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Equations using the product between L and W are the most suitable for estimating the LA. • The models y ^ = 0. 747 * L W 0.981 and y ^ = 0. 696 * LW is the most appropriate to estimate the area of leaflets of C. fistula. • The proposed non-destructive method has high precision in C. fistula plants. The leaf area is an important parameter for plant growth and development, usually determined by direct and destructive methods. In these methods, high-cost equipment is mainly used, requiring more time and restrictions in the analyses. Therefore, the study sought to construct, through regression models, allometric equations that allow estimating the area of leaflets of Cassia fistula L. by a non-destructive method using the linear dimensions of the leaflets. Six hundred leaflets of different sizes and shapes were randomly collected in adult species matrices. Each leaflet's length, width, and leaf area were measured using digital images. Next, the products were calculated between length and length, width and width, and length and width. Two regression models were used to construct five allometric equations to predict the area of leaflets of C. fistula. All the proposed equations can be used to estimate the leaf area of the species; however, the best equations were constructed using the power and linear without intercept models, being the most indicated to estimate the leaf area of the species, presenting the highest determination coefficients (R² = 0.9949 and 0.9993), Pearson's correlation coefficients (r = 0.9374 and 0.9374), Willmott's agreement index (d = 0.9987 and 0.9986), and lowers Akaike information criterion (AIC = 1071.3 and 1098.2) and normalized root mean square error (NRMSE = 7.2 and 7.1). Thus, the models y ^ = 0. 747 * L W 0.981 and y ^ = 0. 696 * LW should be applied to estimate the area of leaflets of C. fistula. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During field surveys, carried out between 2021 and 2022 in northeastern Algeria, two populations of Tipuana tipu (Benth.) Kuntze were discovered. One population was located in the middle of a quite natural habitat in the Filfilla region (wilaya of Skikda). This population seems more or less established and can be considered to be at the beginning of the naturalization process, a degree of naturalization not previously reported in Algeria and mainland North Africa. The surveys also revealed several populations of Paraserianthes lophantha (Vent.) I.C. Nielsen, a species that was recently reported as naturalized in Algeria but for which details on its naturalization were lacking. Details about the localities in which the two species were observed are given, including a present map of their distribution and field photographs. A key for the identification of both genera is also provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: In Morocco's semi-arid and sub-humid climates, the fodder legume Lupinus luteus is cultivated for its high economic and ecological value. In this work, we characterized some microsymbionts of L. luteus isolated by trapping from plants grown in soils of the agricultural area of Zaer, Morocco. Methods: The phenotypic and genotypic diversity, the plant growth-promoting abilities, and the symbiotic efficiency of rhizobia isolated from root nodules of L. luteus were analyzed. Results: Based on their REP-PCR fingerprinting results, eighteen strains were selected for Multilocus sequence analysis (MLSA) using rrs, glnII, gyrB, recA, and rpoB housekeeping genes, which revealed that all the strains belong to the genus Bradyrhizobium. Some strains were close to B. lupini and B. canariense. However, the remaining strains grouped apart from all described Bradyrhizobium species. Phylogenetic analysis of the nodA and nodC symbiotic genes showed that all the strains are members of the symbiovar genistearum. Quantitative evaluation of selected plant growth-promoting activities showed that the strains solubilize phosphate, and produce auxins and siderophores. All the strains used as inoculum in greenhouse experiments significantly improved the growth of L. luteus under nitrogen-free conditions. Conclusions: Bradyrhizobium lupini and B. canariense are the main rhizobia nodulating L. luteus in the Zaer region. In addition to their high nitrogen fixation efficiency, these isolates also exhibit plant growth-promoting activities. These results highlighted one of the major reasons for the success of yellow lupine in this area without nitrogen fertilizers and pointed to the possibility of formulating these rhizobia into an effective inoculum for L. luteus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cassia auriculata , a widely grown medicinal plant in China, has not been fully studied in terms of its secondary metabolites. In our pursuit of new bioactive metabolites from Cassia plants, we conducted a phytochemical reinvestigation on C. auriculata. This investigation resulted in the isolation of three new (1−3) and six known (4−9) flavones. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods, including extensive 1D- and 2D NMR techniques. Interestingly, Compounds 1 - 3 are rare flavones bearing an unusual (4-methylfuran-2- yl)methyl moiety. In addition, Compounds 1 - 3 were evaluated for their anti-tobacco mosaic virus (anti-TMV) activities. The results showed that Compounds 1–3 exhibited potential anti-TMV activities with inhibition rates of 26.8%, 30.5% and 34.6% at a concentration of 20 μ M, respectively, and these rates are close to that of the positive control. Compounds 1 - 9 were also tested for their anti-rotavirus activities. The results revealed that 1–9 exhibited potential anti-rotavirus activity with therapeutic index (TI) values in the range of 13.3–20.8. These values are lower than that of the positive control (with a therapeutic index of 23.4). [Display omitted] • Three new flavones were isolated from Cassia auriculata. • Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic analysis. • The results showed that compound 1–3 exhibited potential anti-tobacco mosaic virus activities. • The results revealed that compound 1–9 exhibited potential anti-rotavirus activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: The dynamics of a plant population are influenced by both biotic and abiotic factors that interfere with the phenotype of the individual, indicating how species develop in the occupied environment. Riparian plant species are subject to environmental fluctuations, such as periodic flooding regimes and severe droughts, which may result from climate change. Aims: The aim of this study was to evaluate the morphological growth responses of individuals of Inga vera subsp. affinis (DC.) T.D.Penn. in controlled drought and flooding conditions by observing variations in functional traits using controlled experiments. Methods: Individuals were subjected to partial flooding and dry periods, and functional traits, such as leaf area, root height and dry mass, were analysed. The difference between treatments was tested using unifactorial statistical analysis of variance (ANOVA). Key results: Fifteen-day-old individuals of Inga vera subsp. affinis kept under flooding conditions showed lower root height and dry mass compared to plants exposed to drought treatment; 50-day-old plants under flooding conditions also presented lower root dry mass than did plants in drought treatment, maintaining the result after the resilience period. Conclusions: Root dry mass was the most affected variable in individuals of Inga vera subsp. affinis under flooding conditions, even after the recovery period. In general, plants in the control and drought treatments did not differ significantly considering the analysed variables. Implications: Given the current climate change conditions, an increase in the frequency and duration of extreme events, such as floods and droughts, is expected. Thus, understanding how phenotypical traits of species already adapted to flooding conditions behave under water stress and waterlogged conditions for longer periods of time is essential to explain plant responses and predict future survival scenarios for the species. Photograph of a seedling of a tropical riparian tree, Inga vera subsp. affinis. The study of the ecology of native species in tropical environments offers a range of information about the development of forests, including more specific characteristics such as variations that can occur within a single species. Trees are very well adapted to this type of environmental variation such as flooding, but species can show very resilient responses and development to times of drought in these environments, even at young ages, demonstrating the importance of preservation and management of tropical native forests. Photograph by Rosana Feitosa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antecedentes: Las leguminosas pertenecientes a la familia Fabaceae del orden Fabales, son una fuente de proteína de amplio consumo. Se han descrito reacciones de hipersensibilidad mediadas por IgE a las leguminosas, siendo los alérgenos más estudiados el maní y la soya. En la región mediterránea y en India, las lentejas, garbanzos y arvejas se han considerado alérgenos importantes, y se ha informado que las leguminosas representan la quinta causa más común de alergia alimentaria en niños menores de cinco años en España. En América Latina, hay pocos reportes de alergia a las leguminosas diferentes al maní, y éstos son, especialmente, en población pediátrica. Objetivo: Describir el caso de alergia mediada por IgE a leguminosas, en una paciente adulta. Reporte de caso: Se describe el caso de una paciente de 65 años, quien reporta un cuadro de 20 años con evolución consistente de urticaria generalizada, compañada de angioedema y disnea, que ocurre, en forma inmediata, tras el consumo lentejas, fríjoles, garbanzos, soya y carnes frías; y requiere de ingresos al servicio de urgencias por esta causa. Tolera maní. No se reporta anafilaxia en otro contexto diferente a los descritos. Ha presentado prurito generalizado con la exposición a vapores de la cocción de fríjoles. Antecedentes patológicos: hipertensión arterial, diabetes mellitus tipo II, hipotiroidismo. Alérgicos: Anafilaxia por Penicilina a los 30 años. Otros antecedentes: Reacción local extensa con picadura de himenópteros. Prick test trofoalérgenos: soya 3 mm. Prick to prick proteína a base de soya comercial 7mm, garbanzo 5mm, lenteja 6mm y fríjol 7mm. Fue negativa para trigo y maní (Imagen 1). (Adjunta en archivo separado). Tiene reporte de triptasa normal. Se dio indicación de porte adecuado de adrenalina y evitación estricta de leguminosas, excepto maní. Conclusiones: La alergia a las leguminosas es poco conocida en nuestro medio, y afecta principalmente a los niños. Sus manifestaciones clínicas incluyen reacciones leves y anafilaxia. Se ha informado, un alto grado de reactividad cruzada entre las leguminosas. Las lentejas tienen reactividad cruzada con garbanzos y fríjoles. La alergia al maní también puede estar asociada con la alergia a lentejas, garbanzos y guisantes, pero se informa con menos frecuencia.

Abstract Studies have underscored a growingdemand for innovative practices in the cultivation of seedlings from forest species, with a notable emphasis on the utilization of organic waste, inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), and phosphate fertilization. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of organic residues, inoculation with AMF, and phosphorus on the growth and quality of Peltophorum dubium (Spreng.) Taub. seedlings. Two independent experiments were conducted. In Experiment I, treatments included inoculation with various AMF species: control (without inoculation), Clareoideoglomus etunicatum, Rhizophagus heterosporum, Rhizophagus clarum, and MIX (a combination of the three AMF species), all in conjunction with varying doses of phosphorus (0, 60, 120, 180, and 240 mg kg-1 soil). In Experiment II, treatments comprised a control group (without AMF) and inoculation with Glomus clarum, Gigaspora margarita, Gigaspora albida, Clareoideoglomus etunicatum, and MIX (a combination of the four AMF species), each associated with four substrates: S1) soil + coarse sand – SCS, S2) SCS + poultry manure, S3) SCS + cattle manure, and S4) SCS + sheep manure. Peltophorum dubium seedlings exhibited heightened growth with the inoculation of R. heterosporum, R. clarum, and MIX. Positive responses were observed in seedlings when exposed to organic residues, particularly sheep manure, resulting in increased biomass production and enhanced Dickson quality index. The AMF inoculation, specifically with R. heterosporum, R. clarum, and MIX, provided optimal growth conditions for P. dubium seedlings. Remarkably, the utilization of organic residues, notably substrates with chicken manure and cattle manure, exerted substantial positive effects on both growth and quality of P. dubium seedlings.

As populações de Amburana cearensis (AC) têm diminuído no bioma Caatinga por conta da atividade extrativista. A implantação de campos comerciais é importante, demandando tecnologias sustentáveis, como o ultrassom (US), para melhorar o vigor e a germinação de sementes. Este trabalho teve por objetivo testar o tratamento de sementes de AC com o uso de US, para melhorar o vigor e a qualidade das plântulas. Para isso, sementes de AC foram submetidas à exposição de 0, 1, 2, 3 e 4 min em US, sendo testadas quanto ao vigor e qualidade. Os resultados foram analisados por ANOVA e teste de Tukey. O tratamento de sementes de A. cearensis em armazenamento com 3 min de exposição em US (42 kHz) pode ser interessante para o manejo silvicultural dessa espécie.

Common broom Cytisus scoparius (L.) Link is a native shrub, common both in Europe and Poland and in many other areas of the world, it is considered an invasive plant. e size of the organs of generative reproduction and the factors determining it are still poorly understood. The study of the size of broom flowers, fruits, seeds and leaves was carried out on 16 plots in western Poland. Habitats were described using Ellenberg’s index values, which allowed us to divide the study into two types: warm, rich in nitrogen, and moister with higher pH. It has been shown that a significant part of the variability in the size of flowers and their elements is conditioned by inter-individual differences. Some features (wings and keel area, number of seeds, or nitrogen content in stems) are also dependent on the type of habitat. Probably the key factor influencing the size of generative organs and the number of seeds is the availability of water in the environment. In more moist habitats and with a higher pH, the organs of generative reproduction are larger, and the nitrogen content is lower. The size of individual elements of the perianth is significantly correlated with each other, and the number of seeds depends on the size of the keel. Depending on environmental factors, the size of the generative organs may affect the efficiency of pollination, which in turn determines the size and number of seeds. The ability of C. scoparius to adapt to various edaphic conditions, the ability to establish symbiosis with atmospheric nitrogen-fixing bacteria, and the production of size-diverse flowers that can be pollinated by insects of various sizes determine its invasive success.

ABSTRACT Comparison of the structure of inductive and constitutive isoflavonoids of Fabaceae reveal a stronger trend towards the biosynthesis of compounds endowed with more potent antioxidant properties to characterize the former metabolic category. The function of inductive isoflavonoids should thus defense of plant tissue against injury-stimulated oxidative burst.

Natural landscapes are increasingly impacted by nitrogen enrichment from aquatic and airborne pollution sources. Nitrogen enrichment in the environment can eliminate the net benefits that plants gain from nitrogen-fixing microbes such as rhizobia, potentially altering host-mediated selection on nitrogen fixation. However, we know little about the long-term effects of nitrogen enrichment on this critical microbial service. Here, we sampled populations of the legume Acmispon strigosus and its associated soil microbial communities from sites spanning an anthropogenic nitrogen deposition gradient. We measured the net growth benefits plants obtained from their local soil microbial communities and quantified plant investment into nodules that house nitrogen-fixing rhizobia. We found that plant growth benefits from sympatric soil microbes did not vary in response to local soil nitrogen levels, and instead varied mainly among plant lines. Soil nitrogen levels positively predicted the number of nodules formed on sympatric plant hosts, although this was likely due to plant genotypic variation in nodule formation, rather than variation among soil microbial communities. The capacity of all the tested soil microbial communities to improve plant growth is consistent with plant populations imposing strong selection on rhizobial nitrogen fixation despite elevated soil nitrogen levels, suggesting that host control traits in A. strigosus are stable under long-term nutrient enrichment.

The molecular complexity of the carbohydrates consumed by humans has been deceptively oversimplified due to a lack of analytical methods that possess the throughput, sensitivity, and resolution required to provide quantitative structural information. However, such information is becoming an integral part of understanding how specific glycan structures impact health through their interaction with the gut microbiome and host physiology. This work presents a detailed catalogue of the glycans present in complementary foods commonly consumed by toddlers during weaning and foods commonly consumed by American adults. The monosaccharide compositions of over 800 foods from diverse food groups including Fruits, Vegetables, Grain Products, Beans, Peas, Other Legumes, Nuts, Seeds; Sugars, Sweets and Beverages; Animal Products, and more were obtained and used to construct the "Davis Food Glycopedia" (DFG), an open-access database that provides quantitative structural information on the carbohydrates in food. While many foods within the same group possessed similar compositions, hierarchical clustering analysis revealed similarities between different groups as well. Such a Glycopedia can be used to formulate diets rich in specific monosaccharide residues to provide a more targeted modulation of the gut microbiome, thereby opening the door for a new class of prophylactic or therapeutic diets.

Brazilian soils are predominantly rich in aluminum, which becomes mobile at pH < 5, affecting sensitive plants; however, some species have developed aluminum tolerance mechanisms. The purpose of this study was to compare the physiological responses of Crotalaria genus species, family Fabaceae, which have the ability to associate with nitrogen-fixing bacteria under the influence of Al3+ in the soil. The soil used was Oxisol; the experimental design was in randomized blocks in a factorial scheme (2 × 3): soil factor (available toxic aluminum content; correction of dolomitic limestone—MgCO3) and species factor (C. juncea; C. spectabilis; C. ochroleuca); cultivated within 43, 53, and 53 days, respectively, with five replications; 30 experimental samples. Mass and length, pigments, gas exchange, and changes in nitrogen metabolism were evaluated. C. juncea showed a higher concentration of amino acids in the leaves, internal carbon, and stomatal conductance in soil with Al3+, as well as higher production of ureides, allantoinic acid, allantoic acid, proteins, and amino acids in the nodules, with 78% of the Al3+ accumulation occurring in the roots. C. ochroleuca demonstrated greater shoot length and nodule number production in limed soil; in soil with Al3+, it showed a 91% increase in chlorophyll a content and 93% in carotenoids. C. spectabilis showed a 93% increase in ureide production in the leaves in soil with Al3+.

(1) Background: The utilization of medicinal plants in the management of diabetes is of great importance to the health of the indigenous population on the African continent. The high cost of orthodox conventional medicines coupled with the perceived side effects encourages the high patronage of indigenous medicinal plants in the management of this metabolic disorder. We conducted a review on the indigenous African medicinal plants that could be useful in preclinical and clinical trials in the field of diabetes mellitus research. (2) Methods: Data were mined from research articles published and associated with the use of medicinal plants in the management of diabetes on the African continent (from January 2019 to March 2024). Literature from ethnobotanical studies on the African continent was searched from the Google Scholar, SCOPUS, Medline, Web of Science and PubMed databases. We employed the following keywords: “indigenous plants”, “diabetes in Africa” and “antidiabetic effect of medicinal plants”. (3) Results: A total of 52 medicinal plants belonging to 31 families were recorded in this study. Amaryllidaceae (14.28%), Fabaceae (9.52%) and Asteraceae (9.52%) were the most cited plant families. The frequently used indigenous medicinal plants on the African continent were Allium sativum L. (n = 6), Olea europaea L. (n = 6), Azadirachta indica A. Juss (n = 5), Allium cepa L. (n = 5) and Moringa oleifera Lam. (n = 5). The highly cited parts of the plant used in the management of diabetes were the leaves (45.55%), bark (14.44%) and bulbs (12.22%). The preferred methods of the preparation of herbal medicines were decoction (45.23%) and infusion (25%). Oral (52.32%) was the preferred route of the administration of herbal medicine on the African continent. (4) Conclusions: The data revealed some similarities in the way countries on the African continent manage diabetes. This interesting observation will assist in our quest towards obtaining a standardized protocol using indigenous medicinal plants to combat diseases on the African continent.

Plants from the Fabaceae family are widely distributed around the world, especially in Europe, Asia and North America. They are a rich source of isoflavones, compounds with estrogen-like activity, which are suspected of having a chemopreventive effect against hormone-dependent cancers. Following the PRISMA guidelines, we conducted a systematic review aimed at assessing the impact of Fabaceae plant extracts on hormone-dependent cancer cells and the content of active compounds in plant raw materials. We analyzed the results of 63 articles from in vitro and in vivo studies describing the effect of plant extracts containing isoflavones on cancer cells, along with their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant potential. In the process, we determined the research limitations and future research directions. The collected results indicate the plant species with potentially high contents of phytoestrogens and anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and cytotoxic properties. They point to the potential use of plants in the diet as a source of compounds offering cancer prevention.

The baru (Dipteryx alata Vog.), a fruit native to the Cerrado biome, is well-known for its almonds, which are extensively exploited and exported. Unfortunately, the remaining parts of this fruit are often discarded. This study investigates the fixed chemical constituents of the baru, including the bark, pulp, endocarp, and almonds, using the PS–MS technique in positive and negative ionization modes. Notably, this research presents the first chemical profile of baru almonds in both their raw and roasted states. The analysis identified 57 compounds reported for the first time in a baru and 24 common compounds. The majority of these compounds are classified as flavonoids. In both ionization modes, the peel exhibited a higher proportion of phenolic compounds, although the chemical compounds varied among the peel, pulp, almond, and endocarp. These findings highlight the perspective of bioeconomy and biotechnology. By staggering baru fruit production alongside extractivists, we can optimize the utilization of all parts of the fruit. Furthermore, given the knowledge of the biological properties of flavonoids and the baru composition, we recommend additional studies to analyze their potential in preventing chronic non-communicable diseases.

Skin aging is an inevitable and intricate process instigated, among others, by oxidative stress. The search for natural sources that inhibit this mechanism is a promising approach to preventing skin aging. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the composition of phenolic compounds in the micellar extract of Phaseolus vulgaris sprouts. The results of a liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS) analysis revealed the presence of thirty-two constituents, including phenolic acids, flavanols, flavan-3-ols, flavanones, isoflavones, and other compounds. Subsequently, the extract was assessed for its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-collagenase, anti-elastase, anti-tyrosinase, and cytotoxic properties, as well as for the evaluation of collagen synthesis. It was demonstrated that micellar extract from common bean sprouts has strong anti-aging properties. The performed WST-8 (a water-soluble tetrazolium salt) assay revealed that selected concentrations of extract significantly increased proliferation of human dermal fibroblasts compared to the control cells in a dose-dependent manner. A similar tendency was observed with respect to collagen synthesis. Our results suggest that micellar extract from Phaseolus vulgaris sprouts can be considered a promising anti-aging compound for applications in cosmetic formulations.

Lespedeza davurica (Laxm.) is a leguminous plant with significant ecological benefits, but its embryonic development mechanism remains unclear. We investigated the flower bud differentiation, megaspore and microspore formation, gametophyte development, and embryo and endosperm development in L. davurica. Our aim was to elucidate the relationship between the external morphology and internal development processes of male and female floral organs during growth, as well as the reproductive factors influencing fruiting. The results indicated that although the pistil develops later than the stamen during flower bud differentiation, both organs mature synchronously before flowering. L. davurica pollen exhibits three germination grooves, a reticulate outer wall, and papillary structures on the anther surface. In vivo pollination experiments revealed abnormal spiral growth of L. davurica pollen tubes within the style and the occurrence of callus plugs, which may reduce the seed setting rate. The anther wall development follows the dicotyledonous type, with tetrads formed through microspore meiosis exhibiting both left–right symmetry and tetrahedral arrangements. L. davurica has a single ovule, and the embryo sac develops in the monosporic polygonum type. After dormancy, the zygote undergoes multiple divisions, progressing through spherical, heart-shaped, and torpedo-shaped embryo stages, culminating in a mature embryo. A mature seed comprises cotyledons, hypocotyl, embryo, radicle, and seed coat. Phylogenetic tree analysis reveals a close genetic relationship between L. davurica and other leguminous plants from the genera Lespedeza and Medicago. This study provides valuable insights into the regulation of flowering and hybrid breeding in leguminous plants and offers a new perspective on the development of floral organs and seed setting rates.

Food legumes are crucial for all agriculture-related societal challenges, including climate change mitigation, agrobiodiversity conservation, sustainable agriculture, food security and human health. The transition to plant-based diets, largely based on food legumes, could present major opportunities for adaptation and mitigation, generating significant co-benefits for human health. The characterization, maintenance and exploitation of food-legume genetic resources, to date largely unexploited, form the core development of both sustainable agriculture and a healthy food system. INCREASE will implement, on chickpea (Cicer arietinum), common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris), lentil (Lens culinaris) and lupin (Lupinus albus and L. mutabilis), a new approach to conserve, manage and characterize genetic resources. Intelligent Collections, consisting of nested core collections composed of single-seed descent-purified accessions (i.e., inbred lines), will be developed, exploiting germplasm available both from genebanks and on-farm and subjected to different levels of genotypic and phenotypic characterization. Phenotyping and gene discovery activities will meet, via a participatory approach, the needs of various actors, including breeders, scientists, farmers and agri-food and non-food industries, exploiting also the power of massive metabolomics and transcriptomics and of artificial intelligence and smart tools. Moreover, INCREASE will test, with a citizen science experiment, an innovative system of conservation and use of genetic resources based on a decentralized approach for data management and dynamic conservation. By promoting the use of food legumes, improving their quality, adaptation and yield and boosting the competitiveness of the agriculture and food sector, the INCREASE strategy will have a major impact on economy and society and represents a case study of integrative and participatory approaches towards conservation and exploitation of crop genetic resources.

Albizia kalkora (Roxb.) Prain 1897, belonging to the family Fabaceae, is not only a landscape tree but also a medicinal plant. At present, few plastomes have been reported from Albizia, which delays the in-depth phylogenomic studies and the development of high-resolution discriminating markers for this genus. Herein, we sequenced the first plastome of A. kalkora by NGS technology. The genome is a circular structure (176,158 bp), containing a large single-copy (LSC) region (91,521 bp), a small copy (SSC) region (5237 bp), and two inverted repeat (IR) regions (39,700 bp each). It has 35.45% GC content and encodes 109 unique genes, which are 76 protein-coding, 4 rRNA, and 29 tRNA genes. The genetic distance analysis of the intergenic spacer regions for A. kalkora, A. odoratissima and A. bracteate shows four intergenic regions with very high K2p values, namely, ccsA-ndhD (15.04), matK-rps16 (10.77), rps11-rpl36 (17.63) and rps3-rps19 (20.08), which can discriminate the three Albizia species. In addition, we identified ten pairs of regions that could be utilized to design primers to discriminate the three Albizia species. The phylogenetic analysis showed Albizia was closely related to Samanea. The results in this study will provide valuable information to elucidate the classification, identification and evolutionary history of Albizia.

Water scarcity and global warming make drought-tolerant plant species more in-demand than ever. The most drastic damage exerted by drought occurs during the critical growth stages of seed development and reproduction. In the course of their evolution, plants form a variety of drought-tolerance mechanisms, including recruiting beneficial microorganisms. Legumes (one of the three largest groups of higher plants) have unique features and the potential to adapt to abiotic stress. The available literature discusses the genetic (breeding) and physiological aspects of drought tolerance in legumes, neglecting the role of the microbiome. Our review aims to fill this gap: starting with the physiological mechanisms of legume drought adaptation, we describe the symbiotic relationship of the plant host with the microbial community and its role in facing drought. We consider two types of studies related to microbiomes in low-water conditions: comparisons and microbiome engineering (modulation). The first type of research includes diversity shifts and the isolation of microorganisms from the various plant niches to which they belong. The second type focuses on manipulating the plant holobiont through microbiome engineering—a promising biotech strategy to improve the yield and stress-resistance of legumes.

ABSTRACT Decomposition processes and mineralization are essential to determine the time to deploy and manage species in consortia or rotations. The aim of this article was study the dynamics of biomass decomposition and release of macronutrients of plant residues of Fabacea. The species used were: jack bean (Canavalia ensiformis), pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan), dwarf mucuna (Mucuna deeringiana) and sunn hemp (Crotalaria juncea). The experiment was conducted in the field in a randomized block design, 4 x 5 factorial, four species of green manure and five times (0, 30, 60, 90, and 120 days). In the results, sunn hemp and pigeon pea had lower decomposition and release of C, N, K, and Mg. All species, K and P showed similar half-lives (t1/2). For N, sunn hemp presented the lowest coefficient of mineralization (k), 0.0040 g g-1 dia-1, associated with highest t1/2 (173.3 days), already, jack bean showed the highest k (0.0122 g g-1 dia-1) associated with the lowest t1/2 (56.8 days). In edaphoclimatic conditions, use of the jack bean and the dwarf mucuna is recommended for supply of nutrients in shorter periods of time for subsequent crops. However, sunn hemp and pigeon pea are recommended for greater persistence of mulch on the soil.

IntroductionLupins and other legumes have been considered as alternative plant-based protein sources to soybeans for both humans and livestock. Furthermore, they can contribute to more sustainable agricultural systems. The productivity and chemical composition of legumes is highly variable between species, cultivars, and with the edaphoclimatic conditions.MethodsThis work evaluated the adaptability of seven Lupinus cultivars in two different sowing locations, during two consecutive years, through the characterization of their seed, as a means of investigating their suitability to be used as a source of food and/or feed.Results and discussionLupinus angustifolius cv. Tango and Lupinus luteus cv. Acos were the most stable genotypes across the environments when considering the seed and protein production, while L. luteus cv. Alburquerque and L. luteus cv. Mister showed less variation in the total alkaloid content across the environments. The edaphoclimatic conditions affected seed and protein yields, as higher rainfall resulted in high productivity. The lower temperatures observed in the first year at both locations caused a reduction in the production of alkaloids in L. luteus cv. Acos and Cardiga. Due to the high alkaloid content of some of the studied cultivars their use as food or feed can pose some safety concerns. However, these cultivars can have high levels of resistance to herbivore and insect attacks, which can be of the utmost importance for the use of these crops for recovering poor or exhausted soils.

ABSTRACT Climate influences species distribution and selects different morphological traits. The Chaco biome has climatic gradients, leading us to question morphological trait distribution. Using Fabaceae as a study model, we aimed to understand how the dispersal traits of this family, such as fruit types, dispersal syndromes and dispersal units, are distributed along the climatic gradients in the Chaco. We performed a spatial analysis in order to generate spatial predictors and thus identify on which spatial scales climate and soil variables are relevant to the distribution of the traits. Also, we used Threshold indicator rate analysis to identify the variation of the traits along the gradients. Temperature seasonality, precipitation seasonality, and annual mean precipitation are significant predictors of the distribution of the analyzed traits. Anemochory and barochory show the occurrence of reductions in intermediate gradient values for temperature seasonality. Regarding precipitation seasonality, craspedium showed greater reductions. At intermediate values of the rainfall gradient, we observed an increase in the occurrence of drupes and follicles. Craspedium increases in drier regions. Understanding the dispersion patterns of Fabaceae, a group of significant ecological and ethnological relevance in the Chaco, should contribute to the consolidation of conservation plans in different dry forest areas in South America.

Cassia species have a long history of utilization in various traditional medicine systems worldwide, and they are widely consumed for medicinal purposes, particularly the officinal species. The aim of this review article is to provide a comprehensive overview of the botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry, and pharmacology of the Cassia genus. A thorough literature review was conducted using major scientific databases, publishers, and online websites such as Science Direct, Scopus, PubMed, Springer, POWO, among others. It is important to note that the taxonomy of the Cassia genus has undergone changes over time, resulting in the reclassification of some plants into the Senna and Chamaecrista genera. Therefore, this review includes relevant data on the three genera: Cassia, Senna, and Chamaecrista spp. The findings of the review indicate that Cassia, Senna, and Chamaecrista spp. have been extensively used for medicinal purposes in various traditional medicine systems, including Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Islamic Traditional Medicine (ITM), Unani medicine, and Ayurveda. These plants have traditionally been employed to treat respiratory and gastrointestinal conditions, as well as skin disorders. In ITM, the reported species include Cassia acutifolia, Cassia fistula, Senna occidentalis, and Senna tora. In TCM, the most commonly used species are Cassia occidentalis, Cassia tora, Senna alexandrina, Senna occidentalis, and Senna singueana. These plants are rich in phytochemicals such as anthraquinones, alkaloids, and flavonoids, which contribute to their diverse pharmacological activities. These activities include antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antidiabetic, antiulcer, hypolipidemic, anti-atherosclerotic, and hepatoprotective effects. Based on the available literature, it can be concluded that the Cassia genus possesses significant preventive and therapeutic potential. The rich phytochemical composition and wide range of pharmacological activities make Cassia species a valuable resource in the field of natural medicine.

Ruminant grazing in the tropics requires supplementation given the nutritional characteristics of pastures to cover protein needs. The objective of this research was to evaluate the yield and chemical quality of chepil (Crotalaria longirostrata Hook. & Arn) forage at different seeding densities and cutting frequencies to obtain the optimum harvest time. The experiment was set up in a completely randomized design with three replications. The treatments were planting densities T1: 200 000; T2: 100 000; and T3: 50 000 plants ha-1. The variables evaluated were: dry matter yield, morphological composition, growth rate, leaf:stem ratio, intercepted radiation, plant height, crude protein, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, dry matter, and ash. For the 64-day cutting frequency, the three densities presented the highest yield with 3406, 3500, and 4200 kg MS ha-1, for 200 000, 100 000 and 50 000 plants ha-1, respectively (p < 0.05). PC decreased (p < 0.05) in T2 and T3 (23 %) in comparison to T1 (24 %). The planting density with the highest percentage of crude protein was 200 000 plants ha-1 with 24 %. The densities of 100 000 and 50 000 plants ha-1 presented a lower crude protein percentage, with 23 % (p < 0.05). It is concluded that the optimum cutting time is at 36 days of regrowth, when the chepil is planted at a density of 100 000 plants ha-1, and harvested at the frequency of 36 days of regrowth, since 95 % of intercepted radiation and better quality between yield and chemical characteristics, mainly crude protein, are obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cervical cancer ranks fourth in incidence among women worldwide. Cisplatin is currently the first-line drug of treatment for cervical cancer; however, it causes serious adverse effects. Therefore, it is crucial to explore natural products for cervical cancer treatment. Prosopis laevigata is a medicinal plant frequently used for ophthalmological and gastrointestinal infections. In this study, we used the MTT cell viability assay to evaluate the cytotoxic effect of a wood extract from Prosopis laevigata (Extract T7) in SiHa, HeLa, Ca Ski, and C-33 A cancer cell lines. Phosphatidylserine translocation and cell cycle evaluations were performed to determine the mechanism of cellular death. The extract's safety was evaluated using the Ames test with Salmonella typhimurium strains, in vivo acute toxicity assay, and repeated dose toxicity assay in mice. We also identified phenolic compounds of Extract T7 through liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry. Naringin, catechin, and eriodictyol demonstrated a higher concentration in Extract T7. Additionally, Extract T7 exhibited a cytotoxic effect against cervical cancer cells, where C-33 A was the most sensitive (IC50= 22.58 ± 1.10 µg/mL and 14.26 ± 1.11 µg/mL at 24 h and 48 h respectively). Extract T7 induced death by apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in the G2 phase in C-33 A. Extract T7 was not mutagenic. No toxicological effects were observed during acute toxicity and repeated dose toxicity for 28 days. Therefore, further evaluations of Extract T7 should be conducted to identify the complete mechanism of action for potential anti-tumoral activity and safety before conducting studies in animal models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Entada phaseoloides (Fabaceae) is a large woody climber that is found widely in southern China and other tropical and subtropical areas worldwide. The genus Entada contains ~30 species and E. phaseoloides is most commonly found in China. The E. phaneroneura and E. pervillei are endangered species. Previous studies had focused on medicinal components, transcriptional regulation and nuclear genomes. Phylogenetic relationships within the Entada are poorly understood and the chloroplast genome of Entada has not been disclosed. In this study, we performed short-read sequencing of E. phaseoloides and assembled and analyzed its chloroplast genome. Methods: Dry specimen leaves of E. phaseoloides were subjected to DNA extraction and sequenced using the Illumina Novoseq platform. The chloroplast genome was assembled using Get Organelle, annotated using CPGAVAS2 and Geneious Prime. Long repeat and SSR analysis were performed using the Reputer and MISA software, respectively. Phylogenetic analyses were performed using IQTREE and MrBayes software. Result: The complete chloroplast genome of E. phaseoloides was 159,963 bp in length and had a quadripartite structure with large single copy of 89,972 bp and a small single copy of 19,309 bp separated by inverted repeats of 25,341 bp. A total of 112 genes in E. phaseoloides comprised 78 protein-coding genes, 30 transfer RNA genes and 4 ribosomal RNA genes. We carried out phylogenetic analysis based on homologous protein-coding genes among 21 species derived from Fabaceae. We found that the phylogeny was largely congruent with prior hypotheses about the position of E. phaseoloides in evolutionary branches. The E. phaseoloides had a closer relationship with the P. africanum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The varieties creole are traditionally grown plant, adapted in places where the crops are developed and present in seeds banks of many famers. Thus the objective of this study was to investigate the performance of the germination process and possible toxic effects. Were used seeds of creole cultivars of beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), using different concentrations of aluminum. We used a randomized completely design with four repetitions of 25 seeds and the treatments were distributed in 4 x 5 factorial scheme, consisting of four bean cultivars (Carioca, Butter, Black, Red) and five concentrations (0.0, 2.5, 5.0, 7.5, and 10.0 mg L-1) of aluminum sulfate. The characteristics analyzed were percentage of germination, percentage of abnormal seedlings, germination speed index, root length, length of the base of the seedling to the hypocotyl, hypocotyl length of seedlings to the epicotyl, root dry mass and shoot dry mass. The variables germination percentage and germination speed index were not affected by the toxic effect of aluminum. The variables percentage of abnormal seedlings, root length and shoot showed a significant reduction with the increase in aluminum sulfate concentrations, thus showing a greater correlation between them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crotalaria nicobarica, a new species from Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India is described and illustrated along with conservation status. This new species closely resembles C. lunulata Heyne ex Wight and Arn., C. paniculata Willd. and C. ramosissima Roxb. which occurs in western and eastern peninsular India and occupies forest edges and cut‐slopes of hillocks, but the new species is distinct in morphology of vegetative and reproductive characters from all previously known species. Based on its hairyness, persistent bracts and bracteoles, silky pubescence of vexillum and style, and oblong stalked pods, the species is referred to C. sect. Crotalaria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Premise: Paubrasilia echinata (common names, pau brasil, brazilwood) is the national tree of Brazil and an endangered species endemic to the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. Over its wide distribution of 2000 km, its leaflets morphology exhibits extensive plasticity. Three morphotypes are commonly identified based on leaf size, but it is unclear if they represent distinct taxa or a single polymorphic species. This study aims to clarify the taxonomic position of the three morphotypes to inform conservation decisions. Methods: A morphometric study of leaf characters of herbarium specimens was coupled with genetic analyses using genotype‐by‐sequencing data. We used maximum‐likelihood and coalescent methods to evaluate the phylogenetic and population structure of the species. We compared these with a morphological dendrogram built from hierarchical clustering. Results: Two of the three morphotypes formed separately evolving lineages, the third morphotype formed two geographically separate lineages, and northern trees with intermediate leaf morphology formed a separate fifth lineage. Leaflet size varied by over 35‐fold, and although morphological clustering generally matched the genetic patterns, there were some overlaps, highlighting the cryptic diversity within this group. Conclusions: Our genetic and morphological results provide some evidence that cultivated trees from different states in Brazil seem to have a limited genetic origin and do not reflect the broader genetic and geographical diversity of the species. As a result, more care is likely needed to preserve the overall genomic diversity of this endangered and iconic species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grasslands are vital to both agriculture and society. Each grassland is unique, being made up of a different mix of species with different forage qualities. Due to the complexity of the vegetation, the nutritional value of the forage is influenced by climatic factors, botanical composition and the moment of harvest. The study was carried out in the experimental field of ResearchDevelopment Institute for Grassland (I.C.D.P.) Brașov, within the experiment, 12 forage mixtures for grasslands were analysed, each with a different composition. The data analysed in this paper belong to the 2022 results obtained from the field samples. The quality of the fodder obtained from each variant was analysed by determining the main quality parameters: crude protein (CP), ash (ASH), crude fiber (CF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), lignin (ADL), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), digestibility of dry matter (DDM) and digestibility of organic matter (DOM). Following the analyses, it was determined that the fodder obtained from the studied variants fell into a good to excellent quality class, the quality of the fodder harvested on the first and third mowing being especially noteworthy. According to the analysis of variance, statistically significant differences (p≤0.05) were recorded between most of the variants, regarding the quality of the forage. From the mixtures recommended usage perspective, stand out the mixtures recommended to be used by grazing (Variant 9 - ICDP - 70%G, 30%F; Variant 10 - Grazemax Hot and Dry - 90%G, 10%F; Variant 11 - Prima Sementi - 87%G, 13%F; Variant 12 - Zanandreea - 63%G, 37%F) with a good protein and mineral elements content, low crude fiber, NDF, ADF, ADL content and high digestibility, followed very closely by the mixtures recommended to be used by mowing (Variant 1 - ICDP – 60%G, 40%F; Variant 2 - Cutmax Orig. - 85%G, 15%F; Variant 3 - Cutmax Clover - 70%G, 30%F; Variant 4 - Prima Sementi - 85%G, 15%F), with highest protein and total mineral elements content, intermediary values for crude fiber, NDF, ADF, digestibility and the highest value for lignin content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethnobotanical information indicates that Indigofera conferta is used in northern Nigeria for the management of poisonous snakebites and the methanol extract was previously reported to have antivenin activity. In this study, we report the isolation of an oxyprenylated bioactive secondary metabolite; 2',4'- dihydroxy-4-prenyloxychalcone from the chloroform fraction of the aerial parts of the plant's methanol extract and the in vivo evaluation of the compound against Naja nigricollis venom. The compound has demonstrated significant (p < 0.05) and dose-dependent antivenin activity against LD99Naja nigricollis venom. At a dose of 10 mg/kg, the compound protected 60% of the animals tested from death. The observed activity lends credence to the traditional use of the plant in the management of snake bites in northern Nigeria. The compound, 2',4'- dihydroxy-4-prenyloxychalcone, could also serve as a lead in the development of novel antisnake venom agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Uromyces striatus on Trifolium repens from District Swat and U. strobilanthis on Strobilanthes urticifolia from District Abbottabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pakistan, are described based on morpho-anatomy and molecular data. This is the first detailed description of these species in Pakistan, along with the first complete molecular phylogeny inferred from 28S rDNA gene sequences. These are new reports from Pakistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Functional traits shape the distribution of taxa across environments. However, it remains unclear whether trait and environmental niche evolution are correlated, and what happened first: trait change facilitating environment shifts (pre‐adaptation) or environmental change leading to trait change (adaptation). We focus on a species‐rich Neotropical legume radiation to shed light on this enigma. Location: Neotropics. Time Period: Cenozoic. Major Taxa Studied: Fabaceae: Papilionoidae: Swartzia. Methods: We assembled leaflet, fruit and petal size data from monographs and herbarium collections for 86 to 96% of the c. 180 Swartzia species, inferred a dated Swartzia phylogenetic tree from existing DNA sequences covering 38% of the species and integrated these with distribution, soil and climate data. We used phylogenetic linear regression to quantify trait–environment relationships and applied comparative methods to evaluate modes of correlated evolution between traits and environments. Results: Leaflet and petal size were strongly linked to climate, while fruit size was not associated with climate or soil characteristics. Evolutionary transitions to relatively low rainfall and low temperature environments were conditional on the evolution of small leaflets, whereas transitions to wet and warm environments were preceded by the evolution of larger leaflets. In contrast, transitions to the warmest or coldest environments were followed, rather than preceded, by petal loss. Main Conclusion: Our results show that the macroevolution of functional traits has influenced the broad‐scale distribution of Swartzia across Neotropical rainforest, seasonally dry, montane and inundated habitats. We suggest that trait evolution is conditional on environmental change but both pre‐adaptive and adaptive processes may occur. These processes are important to understand the distribution of diversity at both regional (e.g. Amazonia) and global biogeographical scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seedling production is crucial to assist restoration and conservation practices of tropical rainforest species. In the present study, we evaluated seedling production of Clathrotropis brunnea Amshoff, a legume tree native to tropical forests of Colombia. Seedling emergence parameters were assessed regarding two classes of seed mass (small seeds < 6.0 g and large seeds > 6.1 g) and tree levels of seed moisture content (control, 30% and 25%). Initial growth was evaluated in two sizes of plastic bags (small: 10 cm diameter x 25 cm height, with a volume of 1,700 cm3, and large: 15 cm x 35 cm and volume of 3,900 cm3), besides tree growth periods in the nursery (170, 205 and 235 days after sowing - DAS). Large seeds provided higher seedlings and reached a greater emergence percentage (93%) compared to the small ones (79%). On average, seeds reached 73% of emergence in the three moisture levels, including when desiccated from 47% in the control (fresh seeds) to 25%. To optimize seedling production and costs, large seeds can be sown in small bags, growing for a minimum of 205 DAS. The in-field performance of the produced seedlings remains to be tested according to these recommendations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Premise: β‐Cyanoalanine synthase (β‐CAS) and alternative oxidase (AOX) play important roles in the ability of plants to detoxify and tolerate hydrogen cyanide (HCN). These functions are critical for all plants because HCN is produced at low levels during basic metabolic processes, and especially for cyanogenic species, which release high levels of HCN following tissue damage. However, expression of β‐CAS and Aox genes has not been examined in cyanogenic species, nor compared between cyanogenic and acyanogenic genotypes within a species. Methods: We used a natural polymorphism for cyanogenesis in white clover to examine β‐CAS and Aox gene expression in relation to cyanogenesis‐associated HCN exposure. We identified all β‐CAS and Aox gene copies present in the genome, including members of the Aox1, Aox2a, and Aox2d subfamilies previously reported in legumes. Expression levels were compared between cyanogenic and acyanogenic genotypes and between damaged and undamaged leaf tissue. Results: β‐CAS and Aox2a expression was differentially elevated in cyanogenic genotypes, and tissue damage was not required to induce this increased expression. Aox2d, in contrast, appeared to be upregulated as a generalized wounding response. Conclusions: These findings suggest a heightened constitutive role for HCN detoxification (via elevated β‐CAS expression) and HCN‐toxicity mitigation (via elevated Aox2a expression) in plants that are capable of cyanogenesis. As such, freezing‐induced cyanide autotoxicity is unlikely to be the primary selective factor in the evolution of climate‐associated cyanogenesis clines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]