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The purpose of this study is to evaluate the use of arabinoxylan as potential suspending agent, an effective alternative to commercially used excipients for the preparation of pharmaceutical suspensions. Alkali extraction was done to separate arabinoxylan from ispaghula (Plantago ovata) seed husk by alkali extraction its physicochemical characterization was done and the suspending properties of arabinoxylan isolated were evaluated comparatively with those of bentonite at different concentration ranges of 0.125,0.25,0.5 and 1% in Zinc oxide suspension. The parameters employed for evaluation were sedimentation volume, degree of flocculation, flow rate, density, pH, redispersibility, microbiological evaluation and particle size analysis. Physicochemical characterization of arabinoxylan indicates its suitability as excipient as it has fair flow properties, low moisture content and almost neutral pH. Arabinoxylan at low cone. 0.125% showed sedimentation volume comparable to commercially used suspending agents such as bentonite 1% while suspensions containing higher concentrations such as 0.25% (sedimentation volume 92%), 0.5% (sedimentation volume 94%) and 1% cone, (sedimentation volume 98%) of arabinoxylan remained almost completely suspended during study period of 7 days. Formulations containing 0.125% and 0.25% arabinoxylan as suspending agents are easily redispersible as compared to bentonite containing formulation while formulation containing 0.5% arabinoxylan are moderately redispersible while formulation containing 1% suspending agent gel upon storage and was not redispersible. Furthermore arabinoxylan produces stable, highly flocculated suspension, which fulfilled microbiological, and particle size specifications, however the formulations containing higher arabinoxylan 1% concentration gel upon storage. So it is concluded that arabinoxylan could be used as effective suspending agent at low concentrations in Zinc oxide suspension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chlorophyll content in leaves of isabgol (Plantago ovata Forsk.) genotypes viz., GI-2, HI-96, PB-80 and HI-5 was studied under salt stress at different EC levels viz., control (without salt), 5 and 10 d/Sm of nutrient supplemented NaCl salt solutions in sand filled polythene bags. The results revealed a significant decrease in chlorophyll 'a' and chlorophyll 'b' contents with increasing EC levels. Reduction in chlorophyll 'a' and chlorophyll 'b' contents was maximum in the genotype PB-80 and minimum in the genotype GI-2 indicating the higher tolerance of genotype GI-2 and higher sensitivity of the genotype PB-80 to salt stress among all genotypes studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The enzymatic mechanism that governs the synthesis of the xylan backbone polymer, a linear chain of xylose residues connected by β-1,4 glycosidic linkages, has remained elusive. Xylan is a major constituent of many kinds of plant cell walls, and genetic studies have identified multiple genes that affect xylan formation. In this study, we investigate several homologs of one of these previously identified xylan-related genes, IRX10 from Arabidopsis thaliana, by heterologous expression and in vitro xylan xylosyltransferase assay. We find that an IRX10 homolog from the moss Physcomitrella patens displays robust activity, and we show that the xylosidic linkage formed is a β-1,4 linkage, establishing this protein as a xylan β-1,4-xylosyltransferase. We also find lower but reproducible xylan xylosyltransferase activity with A. thaliana IRX10 and with a homolog from the dicot plant Plantago ovata, showing that xylan xylosyltransferase activity is conserved over large evolutionary distance for these proteins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plantago ovata Forsk. (isabgol) is a valuable medicinal plant; its seeds and shell have a significant role in pharmacy as a laxative compound. Increasing soil contamination with cadmium (Cd) is one of the major concerns and is responsible for toxic effects in plants. This investigation was aimed to analyze the role of biofertilizers in alleviation of cadmium stress, given at the rate of 0, 50, and 100mgkg-1 of soil. The plants of isabgol, were grown in pots with and without application of AM fungi and Azotobacter (alone and combination). Cadmium showed negative effect on growth and biochemical component whereas proline and MDA content increase with increasing cadmium concentration. Addition of bio-fertilizer showed better growth and higher pigment concentration under cadmium stress as compared to the control. The dual inoculation of AM fungi and Azotobacter was found to be the best in reduction of cadmium stress and promotion of growth parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Psyllium husk ( Plantago ovata , Family: Plantaginaceae) contains a high proportion of hemicellulose, composed of a xylan backbone linked with arabinose, rhamnose, and galacturonic acid units (arabinoxylans). Polysaccharide was isolated from Psyllium husk using solvent precipitation method. The isolated polysaccharide was evaluated for various physicochemical parameters. The rheological behavior of polysaccharide (1% w/v in water) was studied using Brookfield viscometer. Polysaccharide derived from the husk of P. ovata was investigated as superdisintegrant in the fast dissolving tablets. Valsartan, an antihypertensive drug, was selected as a model drug. The tablets of Valsartan were prepared separately using different concentrations (1, 2.5, 5, 7.5% w/w) of isolated Plantago ovata ( P. ovata ) husk polysaccharide (Natural) and crospovidone as a synthetic superdisintegrant by direct compression method. The prepared tablets were evaluated for various pre-compression and post-compression parameters. The drug excipient interactions were characterized by FTIR studies. The formulation F4 containing7.5% polysaccharide showed rapid wetting time and disintegration time as compared to formulation prepared using synthetic superdisintegrant at the same concentration level. Hence batch F4 was considered as optimized formulation. The stability studies were performed on formulation F4. The disintegration time and in vitro drug release of the optimized formulation was compared with the marketed formulation (Conventional tablets). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Introduction Comprehensive chemical profiling of herbal medicines (HMs) is a major challenge in chemical characterisation of source materials. Many analytical platforms such as gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) have been applied to the characterisation. However, the great complexity of analytical results has been an obstacle. Chemometric resolution methods as a supplementary tool for data processing are proposed for solving this problem. Objective To develop and demonstrate the ability of chemometric techniques in the characterisation of volatile components in herbal medicines. Methods The volatile components of Plantago ovata were extracted using a solvent extraction method. GC-MS analysis were performed using an Agilent HP-6890 gas chromatograph equipped with a HP-5MS capillary, interfaced with an Agilent HP- 5973 mass selective detector. Resolved spectra were identified by matching against the standard mass spectral database of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Results Results of this study show that the 71 constituents that are qualitatively recognised represent 94.53% of the total relative content of constituents from Plantago ovata oil, whereas without applying the chemometric methods only 51 constituents were recognised by direct searching utilising a mass database. In addition the presence of valuable components such as thymol, 2,4-decadienal, linoleic acid and oleic acid in Plantago ovata oil has been demonstrated. Conclusion GC-MS combined with chemometric resolution methods, such as multivariate curve resolution-alternating least squares (MCR-ALS), will provide a reliable means for rapid and accurate analyses of unknown complicated practical systems. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A field experiment was conducted to assess the effect of inorganic fertilizers and organic manure on plant growth and seed quality of isabgol in a hot arid region. Plant growth parameters viz., plant height, number of tillers plant-1 and dry matter accumulation was significantly higher with NPK + FYM as compared to other treatments. Yield attributes such as spike length, number of spikes plant-1 and number of grains spike-1 were also significantly higher with NPK + FYM. Highest grain (13.40 q ha-1) and straw (30.21 q ha-1) yield was obtained with the application of NPK + FYM, which was at par with NPK + Zn. Application of NPK + FYM recorded the highest N, P and K contents. However, highest Zn content was observed with NPK + Zn. The highest protein content in grain (12.43%) and straw (5.13%) was found with the treatment NPK + FYM, which was at par with NPK + Zn. The results clearly showed that the application of inorganic fertilizers significantly increase isabgol yield, nutrient content and grain quality when applied with organic manure as compared to sole application of inorganic fertilizers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A biomaterial was successfully synthesized from Plantago ovata by using an FeCl-induced crude extract (FCE). The potential of FCE to act as a natural coagulant was tested for the pretreatment of real textile wastewater. Tests were performed to evaluate the effects of FCE quantity, salt concentration, and wastewater pH on chemical oxygen demand (COD) reduction during a coagulation/flocculation process. Experimental results indicated that the wastewater could be effectively treated by using a coagulation/flocculation process, where the BOD/COD ratio of the effluent was improved to 0.48. A low coagulant dose, 1.5mg/L, achieved a high COD removal percentage, 89%, at operational conditions of neutral pH and room temperature. The experimental data revealed that the maximum COD removal occurred at water pH<8. Increasing the salt promoted the COD removal. The settling and filterability characteristics of the sludge were also studied. Scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy studies were conducted to determine the sludge structure and composition, respectively. Overall, FCE as an eco-friendly biomaterial was revealed to be a very efficient coagulant and a promising option for the removal of COD from wastewaters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The biogenic synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and their potent application against dye degradation and phytopathogens are attracting many scientists to nanotechnology. An attempt was made to synthesize silver nanoparticles using Plantago ovata leaf extract and test their effectiveness in removing organic dyes and antifungal activity. In the present study, stable AgNPs were synthesized from 0.1 mM AgNO 3 and authenticated by observing the color change from yellow to red-brown, which was confirmed with wavelength UV-Vis spectrophotometer detection. The crystalline nature of the particles was characterized by x-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns. Furthermore, the AgNPs were characterized by high-resolution transmission electron microscope and scanning electron microscope investigations. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and Raman spectra were also used to confirm the size and structure of the synthesized AgNPs. The elemental analysis and functional groups responsible for the reduction of AgNPs were analyzed by electron dispersive spectroscopy and fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy Fourier transforms infrared, respectively. A new biological approach was taken by breaking down organic dyes such as methylene blue and congo red. The AgNPs effectively inhibit the fungal growth of Alternaria alternata . This could be a significant achievement in the fight against many dynamic pathogens and reduce dye contamination from waste water., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Githala, Raj, Dhaka, Mali and Trivedi.)

other superdisintegrants natural origin is preferred because they are comparatively cheaper, abundantly available, non-irritating and nontoxic in nature. An attempt has been made for the development of orodispersible tablets of the Sotalol hydrochloride, using different concentrations of natural superdisintegrating agents like plantago ovata mucilage, Bhringaraj powder, synthetic and semi synthetic superdisintegrants like cross povidone and croscarmellose sodium by direct compression method. Disintegration time and drug release were taken as the basis to optimize the orodispersible tablet. All the tablets were Prepared & evaluated for various parameters like hardness, weight variation, friability, thickness, disintegration time wetting time and dissolution time. Among all the formulations, formulation containing 5% w/w of natural superdisintegrant (Plantago ovata mucilage) was found to be shown faster and high drug dissolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study on the detection of genetic variability in Plantago ovata (P. ovata), a medicinal herb, and its several wild allies using molecular markers. It mentions that genomic DNA was isolated from young leaves of accessions of P. ovata, purified, and quantified. The study concludes that amplified fragment length polymorphism and simple sequence repeat markers are useful for assessing genetic diversity and determining their phylogenetic relationships.

Purpose: To study the oxidative stress-induced changes by sub-lethal doses of cadmium chloride (CdCl2) and gamma irradiation, two redox-inducing agents, on metallothionein (MT) gene and protein expression in Plantago ovata Forsk (P. ovata). Materials and methods: Chlorophyll content was estimated to study the stress response in P. ovata seedlings following exposure to gamma irradiation and CdCl2. Lipid peroxidation and proline content, two oxidative stress markers, were also studied. The level of metallothionein gene and protein expression was further investigated using polymerase chain reaction (PCR), reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR), immunocytochemistry and flow cytometry. Results: Three MT genes of P. ovata namely PoMT 1, PoMT2 and PoMT 3 were isolated, sequenced and characterized and their expressions were found to be altered in the case of both oxidative stresses in a dose-dependent and tissue-specific manner. The results were in agreement with the observations from immunocytochemistry and FACS analysis. Conclusions: The results suggest that both gamma irradiation and CdCl2 alter redox balance in P. ovata. The metallothionein gene may play an important role in metal tolerance and stress balance. It is conjectured that the stress-mediated imbalance is maintained by altered MT gene and protein expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A green synthesis of highly stable gold and silver nanoparticles (NPs) using arabinoxylan (AX) from ispaghula (Plantago ovata) seed husk is being reported. The NPs were synthesized by stirring a mixture of AX and HAuCl4·H2O or AgNO3, separately, below 100°C for less than an hour, where AX worked as the reducing and the stabilizing agent. The synthesized NPs were characterized by surface plasmon resonance (SPR) spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The particle size was (silver: 5–20nm and gold: 8–30nm) found to be dependent on pH, temperature, reaction time and concentrations of AX and the metal salts used. The NPs were poly-dispersed with a narrow range. They were stable for more than two years time. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The study of nutritional interventions in humans is difficult to assess because the induced metabolic changes are lower than the natural biological variability between subjects. Due to its holistic approach, 1H NMR is one of the preferred technologies for this type of studies, even though it has a very low sensitivity. This work shows how the use of several chemometric algorithms on the measured data compensates for these drawbacks and allows the study of the effects of the nutritional intervention isolating them from the natural variability inherent to human studies. Mild to moderate hypercholesterolemic patients received either placebo or soluble fiber in a low saturated fat diet. Plasma samples were collected at week 0 and week 8. Spectra obtained with NMR equipment were processed with ANOVA simultaneous component analysis (ASCA). The application of clustering techniques revealed different responses based on the patient''s basal state, which allowed the identification of responders from non-responders. Results showed a triglyceride level reduction of up to 15% (p=0.0032), with a higher reduction for those patients with a higher initial lipid profile. Moreover, line-shape fitting techniques applied to the NMR spectra allowed the conclusion that LDL (and VLDL) lipoprotein particles, and more noticeably triglycerides, moved to a profile configuration associated with lower cardiovascular risk. Results shed light on some of the metabolic modifications that husk fiber induces in humans which could not be seen with more conventional data analysis approaches. Our conclusion is that by using the right chemometric techniques it is possible to assess nutritional intervention effects in human NMR human studies despite the low sensitivity and selectivity that the technique offers today. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Purpose: The effect of gamma rays on metallothionein (MT) expression was studied using the medicinal plant Plantago ovata as the test system. Materials and methods: Western blotting and Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) were used for this purpose. Results: Western blot analysis showed significant induction of metallothionein protein following gamma exposure and that induction was highest at 20 Gy gamma dose. At higher gamma doses (100 Gy) MT expression level declined due to degeneration of cells. MALDI-TOF MS analysis indicated the presence of low molecular weight (7-8 kD) MT molecules following the lower radiation doses. Conclusion: It was concluded from the MALDI-TOF MS result that low gamma exposure leads to expression of MT-like protein. At high doses of gamma ray, MT homologues or MT-like protein were not identified, possibly because they might have precipitated due to uncontrolled cross-linking and non-specific aggregation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted in Experimental Farm of National Research Centre, during two successive seasons to evaluate the influence of different kinds and levels of organic fertilization (compost, compost tea and humic acid) on the growth, production and chemical constituents of Plantago Ovata plant. Generally, all fertilizer treatments had a pronounce increment for growth parameters of Plantago ovata. The maximum mean values of fixed oil content (%), was recorded as a result of foliar application with humic acid at level of 0.06 %. The superior stimulation for mucilage accumulation was observed with the highest level of compost tea applied followed with the highest humic acid level. The uptake of the nutrients N, P, K, Fe, Zn and Mn, in general, increased significantly as a result of supplying various sources of organic fertilizers. The highest mean value of total carbohydrate content (%) was observed with the highest humic acid level. The highest level of humic acid and compost tea caused the maximum values of soluble and non-soluble sugars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Isabgol (Plantago ovata Forsk) seed germination and emergence in response to drought (Polyethylene glycol 8000) and salinity stress (NaCl), temperature, pH and planting depth were studied in laboratory and greenhouse experiments. Base, optimum and ceiling germination temperature were estimated as 3.35, 21.24 and 35.04 °C, respectively. Isabgol seed is rather tolerant to low water potential and high salt stress. Salinity stress up to 200 mM had no effect on Isabgol seed germination, but the germination decreased by increasing the salt concentration. The drought and salinity required for 50% inhibition of maximum germination were 328 mM and - 1.24 MPa, respectively. High percentage of seed germination (>93%) was observed at pH4-6 and declined to 52-58% at alkaline (pH 7-9) pH. Maximum seedling emergence occurred when the seeds were planted on the soil surface and decreased with increasing the depth of planting; no seed emerged from depth of 3 cm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper deals with influence of habitat on VAM infection in Plantago ovata.growing wild and under cultivation .Plant growing wild showed heavy general VAM infection (100%) as compared to cultivated in which 78% general VAM infection was recorded. In wild P. ovata only 12% of the root segments showed external hyphae while in cultivated P.ovata external hyphae were totally absent. Internal hyphae were 36% in both while vesicular infection was high as compared to arbuscular infection. Variation in vesicles length and hyphal width indicates the presence of multiple VAM infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current study, the efficiency of starch and Plantago ovata extract as coagulant aids is compared in water turbidity removal. The coagulant is ferric chloride and the experiments are run in two ranges of pH 7 and 8. The achieved results of turbidity removal in different turbidity levels of 100, 50 and 20 NTU caused by different concentrations of starch and P.ovata as coagulant aids besides ferric chloride as the main coagulant are compared. According to the achieved results, the use of P.ovata or starch as the coagulant aid may play a key role in reducing the amount of FeCl3 as the main coagulant and consequently decreasing the generated sludge. Furthermore, the remarkable turbidity removal efficiency gained when these coagulant aids are used in comparison with the case when no coagulant aid is introduced is also of interest. Generally, the both coagulant aids seem to be more efficient in pH value of 7 rather than 8. Although both coagulant aids used in this study manifested acceptable turbidity removal efficiencies, P.ovata showed higher capabilities of removal in different turbidity levels and pH values in comparison with starch. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Isolation and thermal analysis of hydrogels from Plantago ovata (PO), Salvia aegyptiaca (SA), Ocimum basilicum (OB) and Mimosa pudica (MP) are reported. The hydrogel obtained from PO was modified by cross-linking, carboxymethylation and ethylation as a model to see the effect of modification on thermal behavior. Activation energy, enthalpy, entropy, free energy change, pre-exponential factor, comprehensive index of intrinsic thermal stability (ITS) were determined from the thermograms. The ITS values indicated good thermal stabilities of the hydrogels. Hydrogels isolated from SA, OB and MP did not show significant differences in their thermal behavior, whereas significant differences in thermal profiles of PO gel and its modified forms were observed. The modified gels exhibited improved thermal stability. Formation of water, 2-hydroxybutanedial, 3-hydroxypropanal and 2-furfuryl alcohol as degradation products was detected in the GC–MS analysis of some of the materials. The possible implications of these results are discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Fast dissolving tablets of freely soluble tramadol hydrochloride and poorly soluble levofloxacin were designed with a view to study the difference in disintegration time, wetting efficiency. In this study, the effects of a natural super disintegrants such as isolated mucilage of Plantago ovata, Hibiscus rosa-sinensis and synthetic super disinegrants like croscarmellose sodium (Ac-di-sol) were compared in the different concentrations (2%-9%) to prepare fast dissolving tablets (FDT) by direct compression method. The blends of all formulations were evaluated for various pre-formulation factors. Tablets were evaluated for weight variation, hardness, disintegration time, drug content, friability and in vitro dissolution. The physicochemical parameters of dried powdered mucilages were studied. The formulations of tramadol prepared with mucilage of Plantago ovata and Hibiscus rosa-sinensis showed disintegration time of 71 sec and 72 sec respectively with 90% drug release within 15 min. Formulations of levofloxacin prepared with mucilage of Plantago ovata and Hibiscus rosa-sinensis showed 72 sec and 75 sec respectively with 90% drug release within 15 min. The results showed that natural super disintegrants found to have better disintegrating property than the most widely used synthetic super disintegrant croscarmellose sodium in the formulations of fast dissolving tablets. The stability studies were conducted as per the ICH guidelines and the formulations were found to be stable. The comparative study of poorly soluble drug levofloxacin and freely soluble drug tramadol hydrochloride did not show any difference in disintegration time or wetting efficiency with natural or synthetic super disintegrants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The objective of this study was to determine the pharmacological basis of the medicinal use of psyllium husk (Ispaghula) in gastrointestinal motility disorders.Methods: In-vivo studies were conducted on mice, and isolated rabbit jejunum and guinea-pig ileum were used in in-vitro experiments.Results: The crude extract of Ispaghula (Po.Cr) had a laxative effect in mice at 100 and 300 mg/kg, which was partially sensitive to atropine or SB203186 (5-HT(4) antagonist). At higher doses (500 and 1,000 mg/kg), Po.Cr had antisecretory and antidiarrheal activity. In guinea-pig ileum, Po.Cr (1-10 mg/ml) had a stimulatory effect, which was partially sensitive to atropine or SB203186. In rabbit jejunum, Po.Cr had a partially atropine-sensitive stimulatory effect followed by relaxation at 10 mg/ml. The relaxation was inhibited by the presence of L-NAME, a nitric oxide (NO) synthase inhibitor, or methylene blue, a guanylyl cyclase inhibitor. Similarly, the relaxant effect of Po.Cr on K(+) (80 mM)-induced contractions, was attenuated in the presence of L-NAME or methylene blue. Activity-directed fractionation of Po.Cr revealed that the gut stimulatory and inhibitory constituents were widely distributed in the aqueous and organic fractions.Conclusion: This study demonstrates that Ispaghula has a gut-stimulatory effect, mediated partially by muscarinic and 5-HT(4) receptor activation, which may complement the laxative effect of its fiber content, and a gut-inhibitory activity possibly mediated by blockade of Ca(2+) channels and activation of NO-cyclic guanosine monophosphate pathways. This may explain its medicinal use in diarrhea. It is, perhaps, also intended by nature to offset an excessive stimulant effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

nutrient medium has been formulated by altering the macro- and micro-elemental concentration in the culture medium for in vitro somatic embryo induction of economically important medicinal plant Plantago ovata Forsk .A comparison was made between induced embryos with normal embryos (produced in Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium) to observe frequency of embryo induction and also to determine regeneration efficiency. In the present investigation, three different media have been formulated. Among them, FM3 (formulated media, treatment 3) was the most suitable for increasing the frequency of somatic embryo production and regeneration of P. ovata Forsk. Better result was obtained using formulated medium than with MS medium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This work evaluates the potential of a hot water extracted arabinoxylan from ispaghula (Plantago ovata) seeds as a safe, effective and economical drug carrier. In thermal analysis integral procedural decomposition temperature and comprehensive index of thermal stability were found to be 308°C and 0.47 respectively. Gel permeation chromatography showed the existence of two components in the fraction. Atomic force microscopy indicated a surface having nanostructure. The tablets incorporating caffeine and diclofenac sodium formulated by the use of arabinoxylan exhibited sustained release profiles in various media. A pH-independent release pattern was observed for caffeine, while for diclofenac sodium the profile was found to be pH-dependent. The arabinoxylan provided a better sustained release as compared with that of Voltral®, a standard diclofenac sodium preparation. The release data suggest Power Law an appropriate model for this system. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (ED-XRF) technique has been used for the determination of trace element profile during different developmental stages of somatic embryogenic callus of an economically important medicinal plant, Plantago ovata Forssk. Somatic embryogenesis is a plant tissue culture-based technique, which is used for plant regeneration and crop improvement. In the present investigation, elemental content was analysed using ED-XRF technique during different developmental stages and also determine the effect of additives—casein hydrolysate and coconut water on the trace elemental profile of embryogenic callus tissue of P. ovata. Subsequent experiments showed significant alteration in the concentration of K, Ca, Mn, Fe, Zn, Cu, Br, and Sr in both the embryogenic and non-embryogenic callus. Higher K, Ca, Fe, Cu, and Zn accumulation was in embryogenic tissue stage compared to other stages, suggesting these elements are crucial for successful embryogenesis. The results suggest that this information could be useful for formulating a media for in vitro embryo induction of P. ovata. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A fast and accurate densitometric method was developed and validated to quantify Plantaginis ovatae semen (also: 'ispaghula seed') in Agiocur®. Ispaghula seeds have a long history of use as a laxative, but still there was no method for the quantification in the medicinal product. Because of the increasing number of guidelines for medicinal products, it was necessary to develop an appropriate method. The selected leading-substance, xylose, in ispaghula seed is the main sugar in the mucilage layer of the seed husks. This mucilage produces the laxative effect by acting mainly mechanically. The effect starts when the seeds come into contact with water, and the mucilage polysaccharides begin to swell. The analytical method is based on the densitometric evaluation of the TLC-plate after the second development with the mobile phase acetonitrile-water (90:10, v/v). The xylose zone occurs at an Rf-value of 0.56. Xylose is completely separated from the other sugars in the hydrolysate. The derivatisation reagent 4-aminobenzoic acid is used to color xylose to a red-brown color. The evaluation in the TLC-scanner is executed by using the peak height at 366 nm. The recovery from xylose in the finished-product-excipient (placebo) mixture is between 102 and 106 percent. The precision of a six-time preparation of the hydrolysate from the seeds of a regular batch amounts to a relative standard variation (RSD) of 1.59 percent. As a result, Agiocur® contains 140 mg/g xylose delivered by the P. ovatae semen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To get best economic returns from the degraded calcareous soils, which otherwise remain barren in arid and semi-arid regions of northwestern India due to non-availability of good quality water for irrigation, experiments were conducted for three years cultivating Plantago ovata Forsk. using saline water for irrigation on sandy loam soil. Six different sowing methods were compared, irrigating with saline water of electrical conductivity of 8.6 dS m-1. The yield was better when seeds were sown in dry soil followed by saline irrigation in comparison to when sown in moist soil created by pre-sowing irrigation with saline water. When different frequencies of irrigation were compared using water of low salinity (ECiw 4.0 dS m-1), high salinity (EC 8.6 dS m-1), and providing irrigation with waters of low and high salinity alternately, the average un-husked seed yield was found to be 1102, 885, and 1159 kg ha-1, respectively, showing significant advantage when the crop was irrigated alternately with water of low and high salinity. There was increase in yield with increase of frequency of irrigation. Experimentation with different doses of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers found that the yield was optimum during first year at 25 kg ha-1 and 50 kg ha-1 during second year. There was an increase in yield when increasing the dose of phosphorus, and there was a significant interaction between nitrogen and phosphorus application. Among eight varieties the best performance was shown by variety JI-4 followed by Sel-10, Niharika, HI-5, GI-2, GI-1, local, and HI-34, in descending order. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]