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The reproductive potential of Callosobruchus chinensis L. on stored pulses treated with different botanicals was studied invitro at Department of Entomology, SHUATS, Prayagraj, India during 2020-2021. The experiment was conducted at ambient room temperature of 28±20C and relative humidity of 65 to 70% and was laid in Completely Randomized Design with twelve treatments (Neem oil, Castor oil, Pungam oil @0.2ml/10gm of seeds and plant powders neem leaf powder, neem seed kernel powder, Vasambu rhizome powder, Turmeric powder, Custard apple leaf powder, Eucalyptus leaf powder, Lantana camara leaf powder, Notchi leaf powder @0.2g/10gm of seeds, insecticide (Rynaxypyr) @ 0.01ml/1kg of seeds) and untreated control. Among all the treatments besides chemical, the lowest egg deposition of Callosobruchus chinensis L. was recorded on the pulses treated with plant oils Neem oil, castor oil and Pungam oil@ 0.2ml/10gm of seeds (0.00). Among the plant powders, vasambu rhizome powder @ 0.2g/10gm of seeds recorded the lowest egg deposition on Redgram (3.00), Black gram (4.00) and Greengram (5.00). Among all the three pulses the highest oviposition was observed on greegram due to the smoothness of seed coat of the grain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The experiment was carried out in randomized block designwiththree replications during Kharif, 2019 at Crop Research Centre of Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel University of Agri. & Tech., Meerut. The result revealed that Cow urine + Cannabis sativa @ 7500 ml/ha was found mostsafe to spider population followed by Cow urine + Lantana camara @ 7500 ml/ hawhile Neemoz @ 2500 ml/ha was least safe to spider population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Lantana camara, Parthenium hysterophorus, Ageratum conyzoidus and Ricinus communis are underutilized plants. These plants are traditionally used in many health related areas. The context and purpose of the study: To investigate the photochemicals present in underutilized plants Lantana camara, Parthenium hysterophorus, Ageratum conyzoidus and Ricinus communis: Methods: Qualitative, quantitative screening, compound identification by UV-VIS method and Fluorescent spectroscopy and FT-IR based identification of functional groups of active chemical components were studied. Organic solvents leave extracts (ethanol, methanol, acetone) were tested for availability of secondary metabolites. Results, the main findings: UV-VIS spectrum showed different peaks with different absorption in all plants. The method of quantitative analysis in UV-VIS spectrum was proved in terms of linearity, LOD and LOQ AND various secondary metabolites were detected in the plant extracts. Florescent analysis confirmed the presence of secondary metabolites like alkaloids and phenolics. The FT-IR spectrum values indicated the presence of C-H stretching, O-H bending, C-C stretching and confirmed the presence of alcohols, phenols, alkanes and amines in acetone extracts. Conclusion: The results confirmed the fact that these plants poses important bioactive components useful for human mankind, so further investigation may needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Butterflies make an important part for plant-pollinator guild. These are nectar feeder or occasionally pollen feeder and thus proboscis of the butterfly species are considered as one of the most important variable in relation to the collection of food from plants. In butterfly-plant association, nectar source is principally determined by quality of nectar, corolla length, and nectar quantity. For the butterfly, nectar uptake is determined by proboscis length because flowers with long corolla restrict butterfly species containing shorter proboscis. Empirical studies proved that butterfly species with high wing loading visit clustered flowers and species with low wing loading confined their visit to solitary or less nectar rich flowers. The present study tries to investigate the flower preference of butterfly species from Lycaenidae family having very short proboscis, lower body length, lower body weight and wing span than the most species belonging from Nymphalidae, Pieridae, Papilionidae, and Hesperiidae. Results: Butterflies with shorter proboscis cannot access nectar from deeper flower. Although they mainly visit on less deeper flower to sucking nectar, butterflies with high wing loading visits clustered flowers to fulfill their energy requirements. In this study, we demonstrated flower choice of seven butterfly species belonging to Lycanidiae family. The proboscis length maintains a positive relationship with body length and body weight. Body length maintains a positive relationship with body weight and wing span. Wing span indicate a strong positive relationship with body weight. This study proved that these seven butterfly species namely Castalius rosimon (CRN), Taracus nara (TNA), Zizinia otis (ZOT), Zizula hylax (ZHY), Jamides celeno (JCE), Chilades laius (CLA), and Psuedozizeeria maha (PMA) visit frequently in Tridax procumbens (TPR), Ocimum americanum (OAM) and Syndrella nodiflora (SNO). The species do not visit Lantana camara (LCA) and Catharanthus roseus (CRO) plants. Conclusion: The present study proved that butterfly species visits frequently in Tridax procumbens (TPR), Ocimum americanum (OAM) but less frequently in Syndrella nodiflora (SNO). So, that study determined the butterfly species helps in pollination of these herbs that in turn helps the conservation of these butterfly species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to examine the current and future invasion potential of L. camara in Ethiopia under climate and land use/land cover changes and describes its possible range shift using an ensemble modeling approach. Under the current environmental condition, 4.2% of the total area of Ethiopia is suitable for L. camara invasion with three invasion hotspots identified in: the central, the northern, and the eastern Ethiopia hotspots. Of the total suitable areas, 0.6% has highest suitability, while 1.3% and 2.3% have moderate and low suitability, respectively. In 2050s, the area of highly suitable area for L. camara is expected to increase by 50% and 53.8%, while moderately suitable area is expected to increase by 43.5% and 51.9% under RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 climate scenarios, respectively. Highly suitable area for the species is projected to increase by 62.5% and 68.4% by 2070 under RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios, respectively. This study has revealed that L. camara will likely expand its invading ranges towards areas characterized by warmer temperature as this climatic condition become more favorable. The results of this study can provide valuable information for strategic planning for invasive species, by identifying areas prone to invasion for possible mitigation-related interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Management of Fusarium oxysporum causing cashew wilt disease is a current focus in cashew industry, in Tanzania. Limitations of practiced cultural and chemical management, triggered evaluation of Azadirachta indica and Lantana camara against F. oxysporum in this study. Fresh leaf crudes of botanicals were extracted, impregnated on PDA at three doses (0, 0.4 and 0.6 ml/20 ml of Medium) and then incubated for five days. The tested botanical extracts significantly inhibited growth of F. oxysporum after five days of incubation (p ≤ 0.05). Application of A. indica (0.6 ml) and L. camara (0.4 ml) inhibited growth of F. oxysporum by 43.2% and 35.8% compared to control (0%). Significant correlation, revealed increased performance of botanical extract with increase of its doses (p < 0.001). The findings provide the promising efficacy of A. indica and L. camara on management of F. oxysporum on cashew. Further studies on in-vivo and field efficacy of botanicals are required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, the sensitivity of the gut microbes of dengue fever mosquito Aedes aegypti to Indian traditional medicinal plants was evaluated. The microbes were isolated from the midgut of laboratory-reared fourth instar larvae of Ae. aegypti and grown on Luria-Bertini agar plates at an optimum temperature of 27ºC. The microbial colonies were differentiated based on their characteristics such as size, shape, opacity, elevation, consistency, and rate of growth. The axenic culture of different strains was obtained by streaking method. Ten different types of microbial clones were identified up to species level using Biolog's advanced phenotypic technology. Five Indian traditional plants: Ocimum sanctum, Azadirachta indica, Catharanthus roseus, Curcuma longa, and Syzygium aromaticum and an invasive obnoxious weed Lantana camara were used in the present study. The extracts of the specific parts of individual plants were prepared in ethanol and hexane using 'Soxhlet apparatus'. The extracts were screened for their antimicrobial activities by disc diffusion assay. The results indicate that the plants used in the present study possessed antimicrobial activities against gut microbes of Ae. aegypti. However, the sensitivity of different microbes to the extracts varied. The zone of inhibition observed after 24 h of incubation revealed that ethanol extract of A. indica has the most potent antibacterial activity; followed by that of S. aromaticum, C. longa and O. sanctum. L. camara and C. roseus were least effective against gut microbes of Ae. aegypti. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coating the fruits using edible gums increases the appearance quality, improves the color and reduces their shrinkage at the end of the drying process. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of coating with wild sage seed, basil seed and xanthan gums on the appearance characteristics of dried quince slices in the infrared system. In this study, quince slices with a thickness of 0.5 cm were coated using wild sage seed, basil seed and xanthan gums (concentration of 1%) and then placed in an infrared dryer and the effects of radiation power (250 and 375 W) on the appearance characteristics were examined. Also, for modeling the color change index, the Power, Quadratic, Gompertz, Logistic, Richards, MMF, and Weibull models were used. Color indexes including lightness, redness, yellowness and color changes as well as changes in the samples area during drying time were examined. The calculated lightness index for the drying process of quince samples showed that the coated samples with wild sage seed gum were brighter. In terms of color change index, coated quince slices with wild sage seed gum showed the lowest color changes during drying time and the average values of this index for the uncoated sample, coated with wild sage seed, basil seed and xanthan gums were equal to 35.09, 20.20, 43.40 and 28.33, respectively (250 W). For modeling the color change index, the MMF model had less error than the others models. The results showed that the coating with wild sage seed gum maintained the appearance of the dried product and also the least shrinkage in the drying duration and at different radiation powers were observed in these coated samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of plant pathogens for biological control (biocontrol) of invasive alien plants in South Africa was reviewed in 1991, 1999 and 2011. In this review, subsequent progress and projects undertaken in the years 2011 to 2020, on both classical agents using exotic pathogens and inundative agents using indigenous pathogens, are detailed. We report on the impact of several previously introduced exotic fungi, monitored during this period. A significant highlight is the completion of 30 years of annual monitoring, from 1991 until 2020, of the impact of Uromycladium morrisii Doungsa-ard, McTaggart, Geering & RG Shivas (Raveneliaceae) on the density of Acacia saligna (Labill.) Wendel (Fabaceae), with declines of up to 98% recorded at monitored sites. Post-release monitoring also suggested that Entyloma ageratinae R.W. Barreto & H.C. Evans (Entylomataceae), introduced when Ageratina riparia (Regel) R.M.King & H.Rob (Asteraceae) still had a very limited invaded range in South Africa, has prevented the weed from realizing its potential as an invader. Uromycladium woodii Doungsa-ard, McTaggart, Geering & R.G. Shivas (Raveneliaceae) has been established on Paraserianthes lophantha (Willd.) I.C.Nielsen (Fabaceae), as has Puccinia xanthii Schwein (Pucciniaceae) on Parthenium hysterophorus L. (Asteraceae). Prospodium transformans (Ellis & Everh.) Cummins (Raveneliaceae) failed to establish on Tecoma stans (L.) Juss ex Kunth var. stans (Bignoniaceae), while efforts to release Puccinia lantanae Farl. (Pucciniaceae) on Lantana camara L. (Verbenaceae) are underway. Of the established exotic pathogens that are classical biocontrol agents, two are considered to cause extensive damage, two considerable damage, and two moderate damage, to their target weeds. Puccinia arechavaletae Speg. (Pucciniaceae), an adventive fungus that is established on Cardiospermum grandiflorum Sw. (Sapindaceae) following an unknown path of introduction, is proving to be a damaging agent and the implications of its presence in the country are discussed. Early season augmentation of Puccinia eupatorii Dietel (Pucciniaceae) on Campuloclinium macrocephalum (Less.) DC. (Asteraceae) was tested to determine whether damage could be increased, but no difference in the rust's incidence and severity was evident between augmented and naturally infected plants at the end of the growth season. The identity of the indigenous fungus registered as Stumpout®, for the control of coppice growth after felling of Acacia mearnsii De Wild. (Fabaceae), was confirmed as Cylindrobasidium torrendii (Bres.) Hjortstam (Physalacriaceae) rather than C. laeve (Pers.: Fr.) Chamuris, as previously thought. The application of another indigenous fungus, Colletotrichum acutatum J.H. Simmonds (Glomerellaceae), by means of helicopter flights has facilitated its establishment on Hakea sericea Schrad. & J.C. Wendl (Proteaceae), in inaccessible mountainous terrain. For registration purposes, toxicity testing (oral rat LD50) of these indigenous fungi are required. Lethal doses of Cylindrobasidium torrendii, C. acutatum and Pseudolagarobasidium acaciicola Ginns (Phanerochaetaceae), the latter for use against Acacia cyclops G. Don. (Fabaceae), exceeded 2000 mg kg–1 body weight and all three fungi are thus considered safe for application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lantana camara L. 'lantana' continues to pose economic and ecological challenges in South Africa. The present review provides a brief overview of biological control (biocontrol) agents established in South Africa, including their combined impact and individual performance of four agents released during the recent past. In total, 16 biocontrol agents are fully established on lantana in South Africa, and three of these are either indigenous or inadvertently introduced into the country. Despite the establishment of these agents, biocontrol of lantana is not effectively reducing the density of the weed, particularly in the inland regions of the country. However, recent studies showed that biocontrol is causing a significant reduction in plant growth, biomass and seed production at various sites in the coastal region of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) and the continental area of Mpumalanga province. The sap-sucking mirid Falconia intermedia has been observed to resurge at a number of sites following its crashing countrywide after its release in 1999. Falconia intermedia is, however, still confined to the warm low-lying regions of the country. The flower-galling mite Aceria lantanae has dispersed widely throughout South Africa and some neighbouring countries. The mite reduced flower production of susceptible varieties by up to 97% in the humid coast of KZN. Eleven years after its release, the root-feeding flea beetle Longitarsus bethae is still largely confined to the vicinity of its release sites, where it is severely damaging lantana. Although populations of the petiole weevil Coelocephalapion camarae collapsed at many sites following its release, the weevil has persisted for over 15 years at two isolated sites in KZN province. Efforts are being made to mass rear and redistribute L. bethae and C. camarae in order to improve their establishment and dispersal rate. To cope with varietal resistance and climatic extremes, attempts to find new strains of the existing and promising biocontrol agents are continuing. To justify the continued development of additional agents, the ecological and economic benefits of biocontrol should be assessed, particularly in the coastal region where biocontrol is more effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lantana camara is primarily a bird-dispersed invasive plant species that has spread quickly across South Africa in disturbed areas. We re-examined the distribution of Lantana at Rodger and Twine's (2002) study site (R&T) in a highly grazed communal area and an adjacent conserved area in 2019. R&T found that Lantana was more common in the communal area than in the conserved area. Glyphosate herbicide was sprayed to suppress Lantana from 2016 to 2019 in the conserved area only. We re-examined the bird-dispersal hypothesis by surveying subcanopy and intercanopy environments. We found more Lantana in the subcanopy than in the intercanopy. There were more Lantana plants in the conserved area, but there were virtually none in the communal area. Most concerning was the apparent resprouting of Lantana despite herbicide application. We used sequential aerial photographs and found that there has been an increase in woody cover in the conservation area since 2013, which may exacerbate the problem with this invasive plant. We conclude that it is not communal grazing per se that causes the encroachment of Lantana, and that it has more do with the woody cover of native plants, as concluded by R&T. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gold nanoparticles have found their application as optical probes, antibacterial agents, catalyst and sensors. Here, we report the synthesis of gold nanoparticles (GNPs) using leaf extract (LE) of three different plants viz., Populus alba (PA), Lantana camara (LC) and Hibiscus arboreus (HA). The effect of reaction temperature and concentration of leaf extracts (LEs) were studied in detail on the synthesis and size of GNPs. The prepared GNPs were chemically characterized by UV–Vis and FTIR whereas the morphological analysis was done using DLS, TEM and SEM. When 5% PA LE was used at 65 °C, almost uniform shaped GNPs were obtained of size ~ 16.3 ± 0.7 nm. The as prepared GNPs showed antibacterial activity against both Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli with MIC value of ~ 100 µg/ml. Further, these GNPs were also used for the degradation of toxic dyes viz., methylene blue (MB) and congo red (CR). Overall, present studies suggested the use of green synthesized GNPs in both biomedical and analytical field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Genetic mutations have a significant role in causing cancers, and plants are effective on cancer recovery by producing metabolites. In this regard, the present study aimed to evaluate the Lantana camera anti-mutation effects applying Salmonella typhimurium in the Ames test. Methods: To this end, the plant was prepared from the Iran National Botanical Garden in 2018 (Tehran, Iran), and the methanolic extracts of its leaves and flowers were obtained by the percolation method. Then, anti-mutagenic activities were studied by the Ames method and the assessment of the rate of reverse mutations in mutant Salmonella typhimurium. Mutant strains cannot grow on minimal mineral media thus only those bacteria that have acquired a wild genotype after reverse mutation in the presence of the mutagen are able to grow on this medium. The plant extract, along with a mutagen substance was used to evaluate its anti-mutagenic effects by counting grown colonies and calculating the mean mutation inhibitory index according to the "Ong" formula. Finally, anti-mutagenic activities were retested by adding the sterile extract of the mouse liver (S9), and the data were analyzed by SPSS statistical software, version 22.Results: In general, the results showed that the mean number of grown colonies decreased significantly despite the plant material in comparison with the standard. According to the "Ong" formula, the percentage of inhibition was [1-T/M]×100. Based on the results, T grew a number of colonies on each petri dish despite the mutagen and extract, and M grew a number of colonies in positive control plates. Eventually, mutation inhibition percentages in leaf extracts were significantly higher than those of flower extracts, which were 75.59 ± 0.73 (+S9) and 84.79 ± 0.17 (-S9), as well as 49.57 ± 0.55 (+S9) and 62.32 ± 0.23 (-S9), respectively (P < 0.05). Conclusion: In general, the leaves and flowers of L. camara demonstrated anti-mutagenic activities with higher activities in the leaves compared to flowers.

The present study was carried-out at Antoniadis Research Branch, Horticultural Research Institute, Agriculture Research Center (ARC), Alexandria, Egypt during two successive seasons of 2018 and 2019. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of irrigation water contaminated with lead on the growth of Lantana camara plants and the possibility of using citric acid spray treatments to overcome the effects of lead pollution. Seedlings of Lantana camara were planted individually in plastic pots (20 cm diameter) filled with 5 kg of sandy soil. The lead contaminated irrigation water treatments were 0,100, 200 and 300 mg/l. The plants were also monthly sprayed by citric acid at concentrations of 0, 250 and 500 mg/l. The results showed that for vegetative growth parameters there were no significant difference in the interaction between lead concentrations in water of irrigation and foliar spray by citric acid, while significant reductions were observed in all parameters after irrigation with lead contaminated water. However, significant increases in vegetative growth parameters were observed after 500 mg/l citric acid application. For chlorophyll and carbohydrate contents, the highest significant value was obtained in plants irrigated with tap water and sprayed with 250 mg/l citric acid while the highest significant level of lead content in leaves, stem and roots was obtained due treatment by 300 mg/l lead without application of citric acid.

The present study was carried-out at Antoniadis Research Branch, Horticultural Research Institute, Agriculture Research Center (ARC), Alexandria, Egypt during two successive seasons of 2018 and 2019. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of irrigation water polluted with nickel on the growth of Lantana camara plants and the possibility of using citric acid spray treatments to overcome the effects of nickel pollution. Transplants of Lantana camara were planted individually in plastic pots (20 cm diameter) filled with 5 kg of sandy soil. The nickel polluted irrigation water treatments were 0, 100, 200 and 300 mg/l. The plants were monthly sprayed with citric acid at concentrations of 0, 250 and 500 mg/l. The results showed that for vegetative growth parameters there were non significant differences in the interaction between nickel concentrations and foliar spray with citric acid, while significant reduction was observed in all parameters after irrigation with nickel polluted water and significant increase in vegetative growth parameters were observed after 500 mg/l citric acid application. For total chlorophyll and carbohydrate content, the highest significant values were obtained in plants irrigated with tap water and sprayed with 250 mg/l citric acid while the highest significant level of nickel content in the leaves, stem and roots was obtained due treatment by 300 mg/l nickel without application of citric acid.

Parthenium hysterophorus, Lantana camara and Ageratum conyzoides are considered among the world’s top twenty notorious terrestrial weeds due to their reproduction potential and hazardous nature. They can grow within a few weeks and cover entire agricultural land (Parthenium hysterophorus), forest land (Lantana camara) and native vegetation (Ageratum conyzoides). These terrestrial weeds are difficult to manage as they re-grow miraculously even after being completely obliterated. The availability of Parthenium hysterophorus, Lantana camara and Ageratum conyzoides in abundance make them attractive feedstock for anaerobic digestion process. Anaerobic co-digestion of Parthenium hysterophorus, Lantana camara and Ageratum conyzoides were performed using cow dung as inoculum and food waste as co-substrate and compared with their anaerobic mono-digestion process. The mono-digestion process resulted in lower biogas yield due to the accumulation of toxic inhibitors. Co-digestion studies are essential to balance nutrients and dilute toxic inhibitors. Different food/microorganisms (F/M) ratios (0.5, 1.0, 1.5. 2.0, 2.5 and 3.0) were optimized for the comparison of mono-digestion and co-digestion of Parthenium hysterophorus, Lantana camara and Ageratum conyzoides through 1L biochemical methane potential batch assays. Due to co-digestion with food waste, biogas yields for Parthenium hysterophorus, Lantana camara and Ageratum conyzoides increased by 17.86%, 10.5% and 15.17% respectively. The reactors were scaled up to 20L capacity to evaluate the spike in biogas yield for the weeds through a daily-fed two-stage anaerobic digester and the enhancement of biogas through anaerobic co-digestion process for Parthenium hysterophorus, Lantana camara and Ageratum conyzoides were examined to be 82.9%, 73.3% and 83.01% respectively compared to the mono-digestion process. Operation of a two-stage anaerobic digester showed successful augmentation of biogas production from these noxious terrestrial weeds through the anaerobic co-digestion process with food waste.

Invasive alien plants are considered as one of the major causes of loss of native biodiversity around the world. Remote sensing provides an opportunity to identify and map native and invasive species using accurate spectral information. The current study was aimed to evaluate PlanetScope (3 m) and Sentinel (10 m) datasets for mapping the distribution of native and invasive species in two protected areas in Pakistan, using machine learning (ML) algorithms. The multispectral data were analysed with the following four ML algorithms (classifiers)—random forest (RF), Gaussian mixture model (GMM), k-nearest neighbour (KNN), and support vector machine (SVM)—to classify two invasive species, Lantana camara L. (common lantana) and Leucaena leucocephala L. The (Ipil-ipil) Dzetsaka plugin of QGIS was used to map these species using all ML algorithms. RF, GMM, and SVM algorithms were more accurate at detecting both invasive species when using PlanetScope imagery rather than Sentinel. Random forest produced the highest accuracy of 64% using PlanetScope data. Lantana camara was the most dominating plant species with 23% cover, represented in all thematic maps. Leucaena leucocpehala was represented by 7% cover and was mainly distributed in the southern end of the Jindi Reserve Forest (Jhelum). It was not possible to discriminate native species Dodonea viscosa Jacq. (Snatha) using the SVM classifier for Sentinel data. Overall, the accuracy of PlanetScope was slightly better than Sentinel in term of species discrimination. These spectral findings provide a reliable estimation of the current distribution status of invasive species and would be helpful for land managers to prioritize invaded areas for their effective management.

Invasive plant species can disrupt recovery pathways by altering species interactions and ecosystem structure and functioning. The species compositional changes induced by Lantana invasion are primarily driven by gradual changes in species density. This research tries to analyze the effect of Lantana camara invasion of density, dominance, important value index, species richness, and evenness in the Lake Tana subbasin. The finding revealed that species dominance (48.36) in the not invaded area is higher than invaded area (121.07). The total number of species recode in invaded (2031) area was lower than in the uninvaded area (5085). The uninvaded area (3.73) is richer in terms of species composition than invaded area (2.84). The invasive species Lantana camara affects the density, frequency, and important value index of other species by suppressing their composition. It also affects the species distribution by affecting species evenness and richness of the study area. The invasive species affect biodiversity composition and ecosystem services in the Lake Tana sub-basin. Comprehensive management strategies should be designed by the government, policymakers, and environmentalists to minimize the effect of Lantana camara invasion on biodiversity composition.

Background: Invasive alien species (IAS) are broadly distributed all over the world by disturbing or reducing the growth and development of native vegetation. Lantana camara is basically a noxious weed and have a potential to invade a region's indigenous vegetation. Even after knowing all its harmful effects, there has been a little research on various mechanisms followed by this plant to harm the plant species. Results: Random sampling was performed to take plant samples without any bias, to study various mechanisms carried out in plant species. Chemical fingerprinting of samples were then performed in various abiotic stress conditions (cold and hot) to study changes in L. camara under these stressful conditions in order to find the reason behind the invasiveness of this plant species. Stress indicator like malondialdehyde (MDA)/lipid peroxidation was also performed and increased lipid peroxidation during both extremities showed that plant is experiencing oxidative stress. ROS imaging was performed on the leaves of L. camara, which also showed rise in ROS staining during extreme conditions. Elevated peaks (major and minor) and detection of secondary metabolites like glycine betaine in chemical fingerprinting observed under stressful conditions showed that plant may produce some increased level of metabolites in stress conditions that might play a role in minimizing the oxidative stress that plant is facing. Conclusions: On the behalf of obtained results, it can be assumed that Lantana camara has the capability to survive in or tolerate extreme environmental abiotic stress conditions by producing or agglomerating various stress-reducing metabolites.

Lantana camara Linn contains a diverse array of metabolites that exhibit therapeutic potential. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential of L. camara leaves, which were collected at the Ie-Seu'um geothermal area in Aceh, Indonesia, as an anti-inflammatory through network pharmacology and in vitro analysis. The ethanolic extract derived from L. camara underwent identification utilizing gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to verify chemical constituents for drug-likeness properties. The evaluation of anti-inflammatory activity included network pharmacology and a series of in vitro investigations using two methods: protein inhibition and albumin denaturation assays. The findings revealed that the extract contained a domination of terpenoids and fatty acids class, which met the evaluation criteria of drug-likeness. Network pharmacology analysis identified the top five key proteins (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma, prostaglandin G/H synthase 2, epidermal growth factor receptor, hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha, and tyrosine protein kinase-Janus kinase 2) involved in inflammation-related protein-protein interactions. Gene ontology enrichment highlighted the predominance of inflammatory responses in biological processes (BP), cytoplasm in cellular components (CC), and oxidoreductase activity in molecular functions (MF). In vitro analysis showed that the extract inhibited protein activity and protein denaturation with inhibitory concentration (IC 50 ) values of 202.27 and 223.85 ppm, respectively. Additionally, the extract had antioxidant activity with DPPH- and ABTS-scavenging IC 50 values of 140 ppm and 163 ppm, respectively. Toxicological assessment by brine shrimp lethality assay (BSLA), yielding a lethal concentration (LC 50 ) value of 574 ppm (essentially non-toxic) and its prediction via ProTox 3.0 that indicated non-active in hepatotoxicity, carcinogenicity, immunotoxicity, mutagenicity, and cytotoxicity. These results suggested that L. camara holds noteworthy effectiveness as a potential candidate for complementary medicine in the realm of inflammatory agents, warranting further investigation in clinical settings., Competing Interests: All the authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest., (© 2024 The Author(s).)

Lantana camara is widely known as a garden plant, but its use for various medicinal purposes is widespread in traditional medicine. In the frame of this study, L. camara was subjected to several different extraction techniques, including supercritical carbon dioxide extraction, accelerated solvent extraction (ASE), homogenizer-assisted extraction, microwave-assisted extraction, ultrasound-assisted extraction, maceration, and Soxhlet extraction. The investigation encompasses the analysis of the chemical composition alongside assessments of biological activities, such as antioxidant and enzyme-inhibition potential and cytotoxicity of the obtained extracts. The obtained results showed that the extract obtained by accelerated-solvent extraction was the richest in the content of total phenols and of individual compounds. Of the 17 components identified in total, hispidulin was detected in the highest concentration (5.43-475.97 mg/kg). In the antioxidant assays, the extracts obtained by accelerated-solvent and microwave extraction possessed the highest level of antioxidant and antiradical protection. All obtained extracts showed enzyme-inhibitory action on amylase, glucosidase, tyrosinase, and cholinesterase, showing a high potential for application against diseases induced by excessive activity of these enzymes. Cytotoxic analysis was performed on normal and tumor cells, whereby the obtained IC 50 values were in the range of 7.685-79.26 µg/mL, showing the high cytotoxicity of the obtained extracts. Using Z score analysis, ASE resulted in an optimal combination of tested quality characteristics of the L. camara extracts., (© 2024 Deutsche Pharmazeutische Gesellschaft.)

This study evaluates the efficacy of essential oils against Sitophilus oryzae (L.), Rhyzopertha dominica L. and Tribolium castaneum Herbst in wheat stored in superbags under laboratory condition. The results reveal that the essential oil of Chenopodium botrys, Citrus reticulata, Lantana camara, and Pinus roxburghii at 0.4% alone or in combination of C. botrys+ C. reticulata, C. reticulata+ P. roxburghii, L. camara+ P. roxburghii, C. botrys+ P. roxburghii at 0.2% each completely check the feeding and breeding of these pests. The essential oil of C. botrys, C.reticulata, L.camara, and P. roxburghii at 0.4% either alone or in combination (as above) at 0.2% check the infestation and weight loss, up to twelve months of storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Medicinal plants have several therapeutic properties; they have been used for a long time to treat different diseases. Lantana camara L. has been widely used by man for healing these diseases. In this study, four leaves extracts of L. camara were subjected to preliminary phytochemical screening to determine the presence and/or the absence of phytochemical constituents; In addition, they were tested for hemolytic activity on human erythrocytes. This activity is performed using the UV-Vis spectrophotometer method at 520 nm and at five different concentrations (125 µg/ml, 250 µg/ml, 500 µg/ml, 750 µg/ml, and 1000 µg/ml). The phytochemical screening showed the presence of various phytochemical groups such as phenolic compounds, saponins, sterols, tannins, flavonoids, reducing compounds and the absence of alkaloids in the four extracts. These same extracts showed average hemolytic activity sequentially: chloroformic extract, petroleum ether extract, aqueous extract and then methanolic extract. This activity is dependent on the concentration of the extract. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lantana camara Linn (Verbenaceae) is a natural plant that thrives in tropical climates and is relatively easy to cultivate. In Indonesia, this plant is still often considered as a weed. When held, the unpleasant smell and sticky hand make people dislike this plant even though the flowers are diverse. The essential oil was extracted from the leaves of L. camara by hydrodistillation. This study aimed to see how cytotoxic L. camara essential oil was against HeLa carcinoma cells. This research aimed to discover if L. camara essential oil was cytotoxic to HeLa cancer cells. The GC-MS investigation of an essential oil recognized ten compounds; two main constituents of the oil were Caryophyllene (27.65%) and Germacrene D (23.01%). The essential oil showed cytotoxicity on HeLa cervical cancer cell lines. The cytotoxic effect of oil was determined using MTT, IC50 values were 44.86 µg/mL + 0.07. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The oil uptake and high‐fat/oil content problem associated with fried food products can be decreased using polysaccharides (mucilages and gums) as edible coatings. In this study, the efficiency of seeds mucilages (Balangu, Basil, and Wild sage), and xanthan gum as edible coatings on the oil uptake, moisture retention, and physical properties (color indexes and surface shrinkage) of potato strips during oil frying have been examined. Coating treatment with seeds mucilages and xanthan gum significantly decreased the moisture loss and oil uptake of potato strips (p <.05). Lightness (L*) index values of uncoated‐control and coated potato strips decreased during frying. The lowest and highest color change intensity (∆E) and surface shrinkage (%) values were observed for the potato strips coated by Wild sage seeds gum and uncoated‐control sample, respectively. The MMF (Morgan‐Mercer‐Flodin) model was selected as the best equation for describing the color changes intensity kinetics of untreated and treated potato strips during frying. The appropriate coating suspension for reducing the oil content of fried potato strips and improving product appearance quality was 1.0% Wild sage seeds gum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple and economical method was developed for the extraction and isolation of pentacyclic triterpenoid lantadene A from the leaves of Lantana camara. The lantadene A displays significant anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties via the inhibition of IKK-mediated NF-κB protein. Therefore, the derivatives of lantadene A were synthesised to further optimise the pharmacophore for anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities. The synthesised compounds were docked into the active site of IKK to find the most potent inhibitor of IKK. Molecular docking studies revealed that 3β,22β-diisobutyl substituted lantadene derivative (10) binds to the IKK protein with the highest affinity. Furthermore, in the in silico ADMET studies, the lead IKK inhibitor (10) was found to be Ames non-toxic, non-carcinogen, and a weak inhibitor of hERG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new oleanane-type triterpenoids with an epoxy bridge between C-3 and C-25, named lantacamaric acids A and B, were isolated from the leaves and stems of Lantana camara L. (Verbenaceae). In addition, seven known triterpenoids, two known iridoid glycosides, four known phenylethanoid glycosides, one known flavonoid glycoside, and one known cyanogenic glycoside were isolated. Their structures were determined based on the spectroscopic data. Furthermore, the cytotoxic activities of the isolated triterpenoids toward HL-60 cells were examined. The IC50 values of all compounds were obtained and ranged from 1.16 to 68.4 μM, with three compounds exhibiting stronger activities than the positive control, cisplatin. In addition, the structure-activity relationship was investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: In this study, we report a novel biomass‐derived porous carbon nanostructures (BD‐PCNSs) obtained from Lantana camara stem (LAC) using a simple and low‐cost preparation method. LAC biomass was processed with a temperature‐controlled hydrothermal precarbonization cum pyrolysis technique and followed by alkaline surface activation to achieve BD‐PCNSs. The physicochemical properties for the obtained BD‐PCNSs material were confirmed using X‐ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, nitrogen sorption isotherms, and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy. As‐prepared BD‐PCNSs exhibited excellent performances toward supercapacitance and wastewater treatment. BD‐PCNSs showed high‐specific capacitance ~146 Fg−1 in the aqueous electrolyte with excellent coulombic efficiency, and cyclic retention affirms its green energy storage device fabrication. Also, maximum adsorption capacity (106.4 mg g−1) was achieved for the efficient removal of ibuprofen from wastewater and proven as a promising eco‐friendly, and low‐cost absorbent material claim its practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spodoptera littoralis has been recognized as a very destructive polyphagous insect, thus, searching for novel bioagents is the current challenge. Endophytic fungi have been recognized as repertoire for bioactive compounds. Thus, the objective of this work was to isolate endophytic fungi inhabiting Lantana camara and evaluating their insecticidal activity against S. littoralis. Aspergillus nidulans, an endophyte of L. camara, displayed a significant larvicidal activity towards 2nd larval instar of S. littoralis. The morphological identity of A. nidulans has been confirmed from the molecular sequence of ITS region, with genbank accession # MK367603 and deposition # AUMC 14095. The bioactive metabolites of A. nidulans were extracted with EtOAc and DCM and their bioactivity towards S. littoralis was assessed. The values of LC50 were 22.6 and 34.4 µg/mL for dichloromethane and ethylacetate extract, respectively after 18 days of treatment. The chemical identity of insecticidally active compounds was resolved by GC-MS analysis, revealing the presence of major compounds namely 1-docosanol and 1-octadecanol on the EtOAc extract, while cis-9-hexadecenoic acid, and 1-octadecanol were found in the DCM extract. These results indicate that this endophytic fungus could be a potential source for bioactive metabolites and can be used in integrated pest management and other important applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Species community structures shape ecosystem functions, which are mostly stronger pronounced in intact than in degraded environments. Riparian forests in semiarid Africa provide important habitats for endangered plant and animal species and provide various ecosystem functions, that is, services to people settling along these streams. Most of these riparian forests are severely disturbed by human activities and dominated by invasive exotic plant species in the meanwhile. Thus, ecosystem functions are negatively influenced. While most studies have analyzed a specific metric to measure the degree of ecosystem function, little is known about how strongly different ecosystem functions respond to anthropogenic disturbances in parallel. In this study, we analyzed a set of four proxies of ecosystem functions, ground‐dwelling arthropod abundances, pollination, seed dispersal, and predation, along a highly disturbed riparian forest in southeastern Kenya. We assessed the land cover and land use manually and with an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle. Our data show that ecosystem functions respond differently to vegetation cover, human disturbances, and the availability of the invasive exotic shrub Lantana camara. The occurrence of representatives from the groups Saltatoria and Formicidae profits from heterogeneous habitat structures and natural riparian forest, while representatives of the Araneae profit from high proportion of agricultural fields. In general, predation is higher in mixed land use and natural riparian forest, while pollination and seed dispersal showed no significant trend in regard on land coverage. Along with this, predation also increased with rising proportion of natural riparian forest, while the proportion of agricultural land negatively affects predation, but in parallel showed a slightly significant positive trend with seed dispersal. Human disturbances and the occurrence of the invasive exotic L. camara shrub did not significantly affect our metrics of ecosystem functioning, except of the negative impact of human disturbances on pollinators. In conclusion, our results underpin that ecosystem functions respond highly variable and individually to environmental changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is grown globally and it is affected by many widespread diseases and infestations in all the groundnut growing areas. In Eritrea, leaf spot diseases are prevalent that is caused by fungi (Passalora arachidicola and P. personata) and results great losses. Botanical pesticides play an important role to control fungal infections due to their non-phytotoxic and ecofriendly nature. This study intended to evaluate the efficacy of selected botanicals viz., Neem (Azadirachta indica), Melia (Melia azadirach), Lantana (Lantana camara), Datura (Datura metel) and Marigold (Tagetes patula) on plant height, intensity of leaf spots disease and yield of groundnut in Hamelmalo zoba, Eritrea, during 2017-2018. Extract of neem leaves (5.66, 14.10 and 25.38%) showed high significance in plant height after 20, 40 and 60 days, respectively, as compared to untreated control (21.07%) and mancozeb (treated control). The lowest disease intensity was recorded in the application of neem extract (15%w/v) at different days after sowing. However, mancozeb (2 g/liter) was the most effective and followed by Neem > Melia > Lantana showed improvement in plant growth and maximum reduction in disease intensity. The highest reduction rate in 'disease incidence' and 'disease severity' was found in Neem extract application (63.11 and 40.29) after mancozeb (56.52 and 36.18) at 95 DAS at 5% significant level. Among the botanicals, plants treated with Neem extract was observed with highest number of pods (89.45) and yield (98.10 q/ha) followed by Melia (5% w/v) i.e. 87.59 and 95.02 respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, weed plants viz., Calotropis procera, Ricinus communis, Lantana camara, Achyranthes aspera, Wedelia chinensis, and Colocasia esculenta were evaluated against Meloidogyne incognita affecting spinach. For in vitro egg masses hatching experiment, four different concentrations of aqueous extracts of weed leaves, i.e. 100%, 50%, 10%, and 1%, were analyzed. All the extracts showed varied but significant results over control (Distilled water). Furthermore, C. procera and R. communis treatment significantly inhibited J2s hatching (100% inhibition) at the 4th and 7th days of incubation in 100% concentration, while C. esculenta inhibited the least. In pot study, it was also found that the pots treated with 50 and 100 g dry leaf powder of C. procera has efficiently suppressed the root-knot disease in spinach and significantly increased growth in terms of length, fresh and dry weights, number of leaves and biochemical parameters such as chlorophyll, carotenoid content and nitrate reductase activity followed by A. aspera, L. camara, R. communis, W. chinensis while C. esculenta showed the least effect amongst the treatments. Thus, the results provide considerable data for the use of weed plants to manage the root-gall disease in spinach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fried food products are very popular due to their unique characteristics such as color, smell, taste and desirable texture. Controlling frying conditions and using edible hydrocolloid coatings (gums) is one of the best ways in reduction of oil uptake, moisture retention and improving the appearance properties of fried foods. In this study, different concentrations of wild sage seed gum (0, 0.5, 1 and 1.5%) were used to coating of zucchini slices during deep frying at 155, 170 and 185°C and the relationship between process parameters and the quality of final product were modeled by genetic algorithm-artificial neural network method. The results of this study showed that coating with wild sage seed gum reduced the oil uptake of the final product and in terms of appearance characteristics, the coated samples were lighter. Coating pretreatment maintained the final product moisture and the size of the samples coated with 1.5% gum was larger than the other samples (lower surface changes percent). This process was modeled by genetic algorithm-artificial neural network method with 2 inputs include wild sage seed gum concentration and frying temperature and 7 outputs include oil percentage, moisture content, yellowness index (b* ), redness index (a* ), lightness index (L* ), color changes intensity (ΔE) and surface changes. The results of modeling showed that a network with 5 neurons in a hidden layer and using the sigmoid activation function can predict the physicochemical properties of fried zucchini slices. Sensitivity analysis results showed that the changes in the concentration of wild sage seed gum had the highest effect on the yellowness index and then on the surface color changes intensity index of fried zucchini slices. Also, the change of frying temperature has the highest effects on the color changes intensity and lightness indexes of fried samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Botanicals obtained from the plants are well known for the suppression of inimical plant pathogens. The present study explores the efficacy of five locally available plant extracts for their antifungal activity against the early blight of potato incited by Alternaria solani. The extracts include Datura stramonium, Allium sativum, Azadirachta indica, Eucalyptus globulus, and Lantana camara. All extracts reduced mycelial growth and conidial germination of A. solani. In vitro studies showed that extracts obtained from A. sativum and A. indica have significant inhibition of mycelial growth of A. solani (88.80 and 86.62 percent) at 20 percent concentration. Higher concentrations of A. sativum extract caused a higher reduction of A. solani radial growth on potato dextrose agar medium. Extracts obtained from A. sativum and A. indica at 20 percent concentration, were found most effective for inhibition of conidial germination (85.50 and 80.04 percent) respectively of A. solani. Observations by scanning electron microscope (SE M) showed dramatic alteration in A. solani hyphae collapsed and spores shrinked when treated with extract of A. sativum at a 20 per cent concentration. The qualitative and quantitative analysis of various phytochemicals like flavonoids, alkaloids, saponins, tannins, steroids, terpenoids, glycosides, and phenols was showed A. sativum extract better than all the other plant extracts. Observation also revealed that 20 percent concentration of garlic extract has potential to inhibit to A. solani. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analysis of soil samples collected from various banana fields in Kozhikode district was carried out to identify the extent of heavy metal and pesticide contamination. Analysis by atomic absorption spectrometry revealed contamination of lead in some of the banana fields (Omasseri, Balussery, Vengeri & Nanmanda) in the district. The Gas Chromatogram analysis revealed that the banana fields in Kozhikode district were free of organo-chloride and organo-phosphate pesticide contamination. Among the several ornamental plants evaluated for assessing lead phytoremediation potential, Dianthus chinensis L. showed the highest phytoaccumulation potential. Chrysanthemum indicum L., Ruellia simplex C. Wright and Lantana camara L.also showed high lead accumulation. Therefore, these ornamental plants could be used in phytoremediation to remove lead from contaminated soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The availability of quality planting material is one of the most important requirements for increasing the productivity of any ornamental crop. Horticulturists make use of auxins and apply them exogenously to cuttings to generate adventitious roots and balanced shoots. Many studies have illustrated the influence of seaweed extracts on the growth of ornamental crops; their use in vegetative cutting propagation, to our knowledge, has been little investigated. Moreover, there is a lack of information on the influence of IBA and seaweed extract concentration on the carbohydrate content. This research aimed to compare the effects of the commercial seaweed extract, called Goteo®, with that of the phytohormone IBA, on the aerial and root quality traits of stem cutting in two Mediterranean landscaping shrubs: Lantana camara (S1) and Abelia × grandiflora (S2). The treatments applied to semi-hardwood stem cuttings were as follows: C0: untreated control; IBA concentration: 1250 mg L−1; Goteo® concentrations at 1, 2, and 3 mL L−1. In L. camara, the greatest values of rooting percentage were obtained under IBA and Goteo® treatments when compared to the control; in A. × grandiflora, there were no effects among treatments. The presented study shows that Goteo® stimulated adventitious rooting and provided a better rooting quality and shoot development of stem cuttings in Lantana and Abelia. In S1, cuttings treated with Goteo®, at the dose of 3 mL L−1, were greater in the number of roots, growth traits, root morphology and carbohydrate content, than those treated with IBA. In S2, 1 mL L−1 Goteo® concentration could be recommended to obtain high-quality rooted stem cuttings.

The aim of this study was to investigate the changes in color parameters (L*, a*, b* and ΔE) and the area of eggplant slices coated with different concentrations of wild sage seed gum during deep fat frying. In this study, eggplant slices in a cylindrical shape with a thickness of 1 cm were coated using wild sage seed gum in four concentrations of 0.0, 0.5, 0.5 and 1.5%. Then they were placed in the fryer and the effects of frying temperature at three levels of 150, 175 and 200 °C on the appearance characteristics of the samples were investigated. To examine the changes in color indexes including lightness (L*), redness (a*), yellowness (b*) and color changes (ΔE) as well as changes in the area of the samples, images were taken continuously during the frying time. The L* index calculated for the frying process of eggplant samples showed that the coated samples were brighter in terms of lightness and eggplants coated with wild sage seed gum with a concentration of 1.5% had higher L* values. With increasing the concentration of wild sage seed gum from 0.5 to 1.5%, the redness of the samples decreased from 11.77 to 8.38. In terms of color change index (ΔE), eggplants coated with wild sage seed gum showed the least color changes during frying. The mean ΔE values for the control sample, 0.5%, 1% and 1.5% of wild sage seed gum were 44.66, 46.25, 45.85 and 39.80, respectively. For modeling the color change index, the MMF model had less error compared to the Power, Quadratic, Gompertz, Logistic, Richards, and Weibull models and it fitted well with the experimental data. The average area changes calculated for the control sample, 0.5%, 1% and 1.5% of wild sage seed gum were 42.99, 40.49, 39.70 and 38.53, respectively. The results showed that coating of eggplant slices with 1.5% of wild sage seed gum preserves the appearance of the fried product and also the least area changes were observed in these samples in the frying time at different temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A road-map of the genetic and phenotypic diversities in both crops and their wild related species can help identifying valuable genetic resources for further crop breeding. The clary sage (Salvia sclarea L.), a perfume, medicinal and aromatic plant, is used for sclareol production and ornamental purposes. Despite its wide use in the field of cosmetics, the phenotypic and genetic diversity of wild and cultivated clary sages remains to be explored. We characterized the genetic and phenotypic variation of a collection of six wild S. sclarea populations from Croatia, sampled along an altitudinal gradient, and, of populations of three S. sclarea cultivars. We showed low level of genetic diversity for the two S. sclarea traditional cultivars used for essential oil production and for ornamental purposes, respectively. In contrast, a recent cultivar resulting from new breeding methods, which involve hybridizations among several genotypes rather than traditional recurrent selection and self-crosses over time, showed high genetic diversity. We also observed a marked phenotypic differentiation for the ornamental clary sage compared with other cultivated and wild clary sages. Instead, the two cultivars used for essential oil production, a traditional and a recent one, respectively, were not phenotypically differentiated from the wild Croatian populations. Our results also featured some wild populations with high sclareol content and early-flowering phenotypes as good candidates for future breeding programs. This study opens up perspectives for basic research aiming at understanding the impact of breeding methods on clary sage evolution, and highlights interesting avenues for clary breeding programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an alternative to synthetic preservatives, the use of plant-based, environmentally sustainable preservatives for wood protection has tremendous potential. The current research analyzed the dimensional stability and longevity of Lannea coromandelica wood using weed extracts viz. Lantana camara L. and Ageratum conyzoides L., respectively. Petroleum ether (PE) and methanolic weed extracts were used to treat wood blocks (5 cm × 2.5 cm × 2.5 cm) at varying concentrations ranging from 0.25 to 2.00%. The PE extract of A. conyzoides resulted in maximum swelling (tangential plane, 6.30%) at 2.00%, volumetric swelling coefficient (13.17%) at 1.50%, and volumetric shrinkage coefficient (7.71%) at 1.00% concentration, while maximum shrinkage (tangential plane, 4.10%) in methanol (M) extract was observed. In L. camara methanolic extract (1.00%), maximum anti-shrink efficiency (37.01%) was recorded. In vitro mycelial growth of the wood-rotting fungus was completely inhibited by PE extract from both weeds. However, the methanolic extract of A. conyzoides resulted in maximal inhibition (75.93%) at a concentration of 2.00%. Also, PE extract (2.00%) of A. conyzoides reduced the fungal colonization to 50%, as compared with control. The lowest weight loss (decay test, 12 weeks) was observed at a 2.00% concentration of L. camara PE extract. The present research highlighted that both A. conyzoides and L. camara could be used as an environmentally sustainable wood preservative substitute that will encourage the utilization of L. coromandelica in wood-based industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Animals with small nervous systems may be prone to limitations in processing ability when confronted with a diversity of stimuli, especially if these involve multiple sensory modalities. We investigated the effect of the odour of the plant Lantana camara and its dominant volatile compound, β-caryophyllene, on the prey choice decisions of Evarcha culicivora, a jumping spider (Salticidae) that frequently visits L. camara as a site to mate and to obtain nectar. Evarcha culicivora expresses a strong preference for blood-fed female Anopheles mosquitoes as prey. We tested juvenile and adult E. culicivora in experiments involving live prey, lures made from dead prey and virtual prey, when presented with no odour, odour from L. camara and β-caryophyllene. We found that, in the presence of the plant-related odours, E. culicivora 's prey preference was no longer expressed. This effect seems to be a consequence of the plant-related odours reducing the extent to which E. culicivora relies on a pre-attack pause and visual fixation routine ('stationing') when seeing prey. Stationing may be critical for adequate visual scanning, and thus correct identification of the prey, as we found that the longer the spider was stationed in front of prey before being subjected to a disruption, the more strongly E. culicivora expressed a preference for blood-fed female mosquitoes. This seems to be an unusual example of a specific modulation of visually based prey choice behaviour being mediated by an environmental chemical cue not pertinent to the prey. • E. culicivora spiders choose Anopheles mosquitoes as preferred prey. • E. culicivora is drawn to the plant L. camara and its volatile β-caryophyllene. • With plant odours, prey choice behaviour becomes nonselective. • Spiders that look for longer are more likely to choose the preferred prey. • Spiders spend less time looking at prey before attack with plant odours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the phytochemical composition and antimicrobial activities of ethanol and methanol leaf extracts of Lantana camara Linn against some clinical pathogens. The ethanol and methanol extracts were obtained by soaking each of the powdered leaf in each solvent. The soaked powdered leaf was allowed to stand for four days at room temperature and later filtered using Whatman filter paper. The filtrate was further concentrated using rotary evaporator and then freeze-dried. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the ethanol and methanol leaf extracts was carried out using agar well diffusion method. The phytochemical analysis was done using standard techniques. Data were analysed using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) to test for significance. Means were separated using Duncan's Multiple Range Test (DMRT). The results of the antimicrobial activity revealed that V. cholerae was the most susceptible while E. coli was the most resistant to plant extracts. The phytochemicals present in the plant leaf had antimicrobial properties and may serve as a good substitute for resistant human pathogens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Degraded forestland in the Wollo floristic region areas are highly invaded with Lantana camara L. species due to the invasive nature of the species and less consent of resource manager. This study was intended to assess the effects of Lantana camara L. on plant diversity and selected soil parameters. Thus, the study forests were stratified into three categories such as highly invaded, moderately invaded and un-invaded forest. In those sites, a total 30 sample plots, for tree and shrub assessment (main plot size of 20 m × 20 m), seedling and sapling (two subplots of 2 m × 5 m), and herbaceous species and soil sampling (five 1 m × 1 m subplots) within each main plot were used. All plant species in all plots were recorded; trees and shrubs Height and Diameter at Breast Height were measured. The data was then analyzed using R-Software. In the study sites, species abundance and basal area decreased with increasing invasion of Lantana camara L. from highly invaded, moderately invaded to an un-invaded site in that order. The invaded site had the least Shannon Weiner (H') value, while the highest value was in the un-invaded site. Phosphorus and organic carbon were highest in the invaded site, followed by the moderately invaded site, and lowest in the uninvaded site. In conclusion, the species result in changing species composition and horizontal structure, then, it is recommended that local communities and policymakers should formulate effective controlling strategies to protect further expansion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Invasive alien species are non-native plant species that displace native species and pose adverse effects to environment, ecosystem, economy, and human health by diminishing the growth of native plants and by exhibiting higher stress tolerance. In our present study, four invasive alien species, namely Lantana camara, Parthenium hysterophorous, Ricinus communis, and Ageratum conyzoides, were studied from different locations. Plants growing under natural environmental conditions were sampled at random in the vicinity of Jalandhar. To gain insights into the biochemical basis of invasiveness of these plants, the samples were subjected to chemical fingerprinting by using UV-Vis, fluorescent, and Fourier transform-infrared (FT-IR) techniques under natural abiotic stress conditions (moderate and hot conditions). Indices of oxidative stress, such as malondialdehyde (MDA), were also studied. MDA levels were enhanced under hot conditions. Elevated peaks (major and minor) were observed in UV fingerprinting during adverse abiotic conditions. Fluorescent spectroscopy also validated the enhanced levels of secondary metabolites. FT-IR spectroscopy confirmed the presence of alkaloids and phenolics during stress conditions. Peaks were identified as rutin, vanillic acid, ascorbic acid, and glutathione reduced. The obtained results showed that under stressful conditions, the studied plants may produce an increased level of metabolites that might play a role in minimizing the oxidative stress faced by these plants. It was concluded that the studied plants, namely P. hysterophorus, L. camara, R. communis, and A. conyzoides, have the potential to cope with abiotic stress such as high temperature, which could be the reason for their invasiveness and vast adaptability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]