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Lower winter temperatures may negatively affect winter survival by preventing maximum cold acclimation before freezing temperatures. The process of cold acclimation requires adaptation to both light and low temperatures, depending on the duration of exposure. Accordingly, research is needed to identify strategies to promote cold acclimation and increase freezing tolerance. Therefore, this experiment was conducted to investigate whether a shorter or more extended preconditioning cold treatment can improve the cold hardiness of hollyhock and its threshold of winter hardiness. The results showed that both 14 (CP1) and 28 days of Cold Preconditioning (CP2) decreased electrolyte loss, increased the activity of SOD, CAT, and APX enzymes, inhibited accumulation of Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and delayed the increase of Malondialdehyde (MDA) content, while non-acclimated plants experienced a decrease in MDA. No difference was observed in antioxidant activity and photosynthetic parameters between CP1 and CP2. Although proline and water-soluble sugar contents were higher in plants subjected to 28 days of cold preconditioning than in those treated for 14 days, no significant difference was found in survival percentage. Low temperatures decreased photosynthetic parameters, while increasing leaf contents of Abscisic Acid (ABA) and phenolic. The results suggested that 14-day cold preconditioning could be used to increase cold tolerance for non-acclimated hollyhocks to grow in the field at -4°C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of three levels of salinity on physio-biochemical traits in 10 Alcea rosea (hollyhock) varieties were evaluated. It was observed that salt stress increased both the total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) in some varieties and decreased them in others. The greatest increases in both TPC and TFC were recorded in the Saman variety (104% and 62%, respectively) when cultivated under severe salt stress, indicating that this is the most salt-tolerant variety amongst those tested. The most abundant phenolic compound recorded was ellagic acid, and the phenolic compounds that showed the greatest increases in concentration due to salt stress were p-coumaric acid (87% in the Isfahan variety) and chlorogenic acid (142% in the Mahallat variety). Salt stress was also shown to decrease the production of diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) in all varieties. The highest concentration of DPPH (133%) was recorded in the Shiraz 1 variety, grown under conditions of severe salt stress. Salt stress also increased the mucilage content present in the petals, leaves, and seeds of some of the selected varieties. These data suggest that the selection of salt-tolerant varieties of hollyhock for direct cultivation or for use in future breeding programs is feasible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the oxidative stability of instant fried noodles by applying free and microencapsulated black hollyhock extracts (BHE) and borage extracts (BE) (BE, BHE, ME‐BE and ME‐BHE). At first, the BE and BHE were encapsulated with whey protein and maltodextrin at a 90:10 ratio through a spray dryer. After evaluating particle characteristics (including anthocyanin content, zeta potential, polydispersity index (PDI), particle size, and morphology), they were added to the noodle formulation (wheat flour 78.5%, NaCl 0.78%, and water 21.21%) at 1% w/w level, and the physicochemical (proximate analysis, pH, color, cooking loss, and texture), sensory properties (taste, odor, color, texture, and overall acceptability), and oxidative stability (acid value, peroxide value, anisidine index, thiobarbituric acid index, conjugated dienes) of the fried noodles were studied. The results showed that the microcapsules had uneven shapes with angular surfaces. There was no significant difference between the zeta potential, particle size, PDI, and encapsulation efficiency of BE‐ and BHE‐loaded microcapsules, and the values reported fell between −34.96 and −34.84 mV, 1.128 and 1.195 μm, 0.247 and 0.283, and 80.08% and 83.47%, respectively. Adding extracts to the functional noodles decreased cooking loss and pH compared to the control. The noodles exhibited a darker color. BE and BHE reduced the oxidation of fried noodle oil, with microencapsulated extracts showing stronger effects during storage (p <.05). Sensory evaluation indicated high acceptability for all samples. Encapsulation effectively preserves the natural antioxidant activities of BE and BHE, providing potential benefits for food processing and storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alcea rosea, known as hollyhock, is an ornamental dicot flower in the Malvaceae family, and it has been used for different purposes, ranging from traditional medicine to food applications, through the use of its leaves, roots, and seeds. The hollyhock flowers possess several properties, including a diuretic, cooling, demulcent, emollient, febrifuge, and astringent effects. Hollyhock flowers were commonly included in a traditional medicine formulation for hypoglycemic or hypolipidemic treatments. Along with its use in traditional medicine, it has also been considered a valuable ingredient in some traditional food preparations; however, the processing of hollyhock into a new food product has not been studied. Accordingly, this study aimed to evaluate the production of a new product, a milk-based Hollyhock (Alcea rosea) powder, and its powder product characterization via particle size, water activity, density, flowability, etc., in addition to the determination of its chemical composition (with 5.73% ash and 29.12% protein). In this paper, we report the application of spray-dried milk-based hollyhock flower extract to produce a new ready-to-drink product of this medicinal plant for food sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hollyhock (Alcea rosea (Linn). Cavan) is an herbaceous flowering plant with significant applications in urban greening, soil remediation, and traditional medicine. However, its genetic diversity and molecular characteristics at the population level have not been explored yet. Here, the phenotypic and genetic diversity of 162 hollyhock accessions from China revealed extensive variation among 11 traits and strong correlations between several quantitative traits. Whole-genome re-sequencing of 32 randomly chosen accessions identified 10,468,760 core single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) distributed evenly across the genome, except for on chromosome 21, and the average nucleotide diversity (π) was calculated to be 0.00397. Principal component analysis showed that these 32 accessions could be divided into four subpopulations, which was in agreement with the population structure analysis, and the subpopulations were strongly correlated with geographic location. A neighbor-joining dendrogram displayed similar clusters, except for accessions HuB25 and HLJ28, which formed two separate clusters. Our findings illuminate the genetic diversity in hollyhock and provide valuable information for hollyhock breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Leaves of hollyhock (Alcea rosea) exhibiting vein chlorosis and yellow mosaic symptoms were collected at public sites in Lausanne and Nyon, two cities of western Switzerland. Diagnostic methods untangled in samples from both sites the mixed infections of a novel isometric virus, tentatively named “Alcea yellow mosaic virus” (AYMV) with the carlavirus Gaillardia latent virus. A new potyvirus was also identified in samples from Nyon. A combination of Illumina, Nanopore and Sanger sequencing was necessary to assemble the full-length genome of AYMV, revealing an exceptionally high cytidine content and other features typically associated with members of the genus Tymovirus. The host range of AYMV was found to be restricted to mallows, including ornamentals as well as economically important plants. Phylogenetic analyses further showed that AYMV belongs to a Tymovirus subclade that also gathers the other mallow-infecting members. The virus was readily transmitted by sap inoculation, and the weevil species Aspidapion radiolus was evidenced as a vector. Transmission assays using another weevil or other insect species did not succeed, and seed transmission was not observed.

The effect of three levels of salinity on physio-biochemical traits in 10 Alcea rosea (hollyhock) varieties were evaluated. It was observed that salt stress increased both the total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) in some varieties and decreased them in others. The greatest increases in both TPC and TFC were recorded in the Saman variety (104% and 62%, respectively) when cultivated under severe salt stress, indicating that this is the most salt-tolerant variety amongst those tested. The most abundant phenolic compound recorded was ellagic acid, and the phenolic compounds that showed the greatest increases in concentration due to salt stress were p-coumaric acid (87% in the Isfahan variety) and chlorogenic acid (142% in the Mahallat variety). Salt stress was also shown to decrease the production of diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) in all varieties. The highest concentration of DPPH (133%) was recorded in the Shiraz 1 variety, grown under conditions of severe salt stress. Salt stress also increased the mucilage content present in the petals, leaves, and seeds of some of the selected varieties. These data suggest that the selection of salt-tolerant varieties of hollyhock for direct cultivation or for use in future breeding programs is feasible.

Leaves of hollyhock (Alcea rosea) exhibiting vein chlorosis and yellow mosaic symptoms were collected at public sites in Lausanne and Nyon, two cities of western Switzerland. Diagnostic methods untangled in samples from both sites the mixed infections of a novel isometric virus, tentatively named "Alcea yellow mosaic virus" (AYMV) with the carlavirus Gaillardia latent virus. A new potyvirus was also identified in samples from Nyon. A combination of Illumina, Nanopore and Sanger sequencing was necessary to assemble the full-length genome of AYMV, revealing an exceptionally high cytidine content and other features typically associated with members of the genus Tymovirus. The host range of AYMV was found to be restricted to mallows, including ornamentals as well as economically important plants. Phylogenetic analyses further showed that AYMV belongs to a Tymovirus subclade that also gathers the other mallow-infecting members. The virus was readily transmitted by sap inoculation, and the weevil species Aspidapion radiolus was evidenced as a vector. Transmission assays using another weevil or other insect species did not succeed, and seed transmission was not observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Climate change predictions indicate that drought and extreme heatwaves will become more frequent and extreme in many regions. Drought is the main abiotic stress that severely reduces plant yield across the globe. Thus, this may have negative consequences for the agricultural soils, as it limits the availability of water and nutrients to soil microorganisms and plants that develop on these soils. To cope with this situation, the use of organic amendments is the best option. Recent studies have shown that the application of organic fertilizers can affect soil moisture and thus, mitigate the negative effect of climate change on that parameter. Organic amendments increase soil organic matter content thus improving soil physical, chemical, and biological properties, and therefore, can confer drought resistance to soils. The application of organic residues has been presented as a great strategy against soil degradation in semiarid environments. However, the interactions between organic amendments and drought in hollyhock plants are not fully known. Here, we evaluate whether the organic amendment influences the physiological traits of hollyhocks and soil properties under drought conditions. Materials and Methods The experiment was conducted in the research field at Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran. The experiment consisted of three factors (cultivars, organic amendments, and drought) with organic amendments and drought having four and three levels, respectively. Drought treatments were controlled by a TDR at 80, 60, and 40% FC. The three sources of organic amendments were used cow manure, rice hull and wheat straw. Seeds were planted in cocopeat, perlite, and peat mixture trays in the greenhouse with an average temperature of 20 °C and under a photoperiod of 14 hours of light and 10 hours of darkness with a light intensity of 400 μmol-1 m2. In the 5-6 leaf stage, seedlings were transferred in pots (18 cm high and 8 cm in diameter) containing field soil. The plants were transferred to the field with four different substrates (field soil, field soil + manure, field soil + rice hull, and field soil + wheat straw) and were exposed to drought stress for one month during the flowering stage. This analysis examined both the physical and chemical properties of the soil, including changes in the macroelements nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Results and Discussion Soil nitrogen changes were significantly affected by the interactions of ecotype with drought, ecotype with the medium, and drought stress with medium. The highest nitrogen changes were recorded in Mashhad ecotype under 80% FC. Nitrogen content in amended soil had an increasing trend during the experiment, but the amount of nitrogen had a decreasing trend in soil. In all media under stress, the amount of soil phosphorus was increased and the highest amount of phosphorus was observed in soil + manure at all irrigation regimes. The highest amount of potassium in both ecotypes was observed in soil + manure. The amount of potassium in amended soils under stress significantly increased, but in all organic amendments with increasing drought stress from 80 to 40% FC, the potassium content decreased. In both ecotypes, soil salinity was increased in all culture media. Han et al. (2016) stated that the amount of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium in the amended soil was higher than the substrates containing chemical fertilizer. The medium EC was alkaline at the end of the experiment and the salinity of the culture medium increased compared to the control. This study revealed a negative correlation between electrolyte leakage and dry weight in hollyhock plants. Furthermore, all measured physiological and growth parameters were significantly affected by the treatments. Notably, the Mashhad ecotype grown in soil supplemented with animal manure at 80% field capacity (FC) exhibited the highest levels of physiological traits (SPAD and relative water content) and growth index (dry weight).The application of manure + soil by providing macro elements reduces the negative effects of drought stress. Conclusion The type of crops grown in arid and semi-arid regions should be reconsidered. Also, some plants with high water requirements should be replaced with plants with low and unexpected water requirements. Because hollyhocks are low-expected plants that grow well in drought areas, so they can be considered as suitable species for cultivation in low-input systems and can tolerate drought situations by 40% FC in amended soil.

Hollyhock (Alcea rosea (Linn). Cavan) is an herbaceous flowering plant with significant applications in urban greening, soil remediation, and traditional medicine. However, its genetic diversity and molecular characteristics at the population level have not been explored yet. Here, the phenotypic and genetic diversity of 162 hollyhock accessions from China revealed extensive variation among 11 traits and strong correlations between several quantitative traits. Whole-genome re-sequencing of 32 randomly chosen accessions identified 10,468,760 core single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) distributed evenly across the genome, except for on chromosome 21, and the average nucleotide diversity (π) was calculated to be 0.00397. Principal component analysis showed that these 32 accessions could be divided into four subpopulations, which was in agreement with the population structure analysis, and the subpopulations were strongly correlated with geographic location. A neighbor-joining dendrogram displayed similar clusters, except for accessions HuB25 and HLJ28, which formed two separate clusters. Our findings illuminate the genetic diversity in hollyhock and provide valuable information for hollyhock breeding.

Water scarcity and dwindling natural resources due to global warming are negatively impacting ornamental plant survival. Soil fertility remains a problem in arid and semiarid regions. In this study, the effects of four media (arable soil, arable soil + cow manure, arable soil + rice hull, arable soil + wheat straw) on macronutrient content and quantitative characteristics of Alcea rosea L. under drought stress were investigated. Application of organic amendments mitigated the negative effects of drought in the soil and increased the available organic macronutrients. The application of organic amendments increased the total N, P, and K content in the soil and leaves of hollyhock. Total soluble sugars (by 11.9%), RWC (by 8.75%) and phenolics (by 36.4%) of hollyhock were significantly improved by the application of organic amendments at 80% FC. The amended soil (soil + cow manure) increased the activities of superoxide dismutase and ascorbate peroxidase at 80% FC. Moreover, the soil + cow manure proved to be the best supplement to improve leaf area and dry weight. In conclusion, the application of organic amendments can be successfully used as a costeffective management method to improve soil fertility and crop production in arid and semiarid areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water scarcity and dwindling natural resources due to global warming are negatively impacting ornamental plant survival. Soil fertility remains a problem in arid and semiarid regions. In this study, the effects of four media (arable soil, arable soil + cow manure, arable soil + rice hull, arable soil + wheat straw) on macronutrient content and quantitative characteristics of Alcea rosea L. under drought stress were investigated. Application of organic amendments mitigated the negative effects of drought in the soil and increased the available organic macronutrients. The application of organic amendments increased the total N, P, and K content in the soil and leaves of hollyhock. Total soluble sugars (by 11.9%), RWC (by 8.75%) and phenolics (by 36.4%) of hollyhock were significantly improved by the application of organic amendments at 80% FC. The amended soil (soil + cow manure) increased the activities of superoxide dismutase and ascorbate peroxidase at 80% FC. Moreover, the soil + cow manure proved to be the best supplement to improve leaf area and dry weight. In conclusion, the application of organic amendments can be successfully used as a cost-effective management method to improve soil fertility and crop production in arid and semi-arid areas.

In this study, the effect of root powder to water (RP/W) ratio (0.05, 0.10, and 0.15% w/v), temperature (30, 60, and 90 °C) and pH (3, 7, and 11) were investigated by response surface methodology to extract mucilage. The optimized conditions of mucilage extraction were the RP/W ratio (0.104% w/v), temperature 50.54 °C, and pH 3.00. The maximum content of protein, carbohydrate, and fat achieved at a temperature of 30 °C. The maximum content of dry mucilage, total phenolic and antioxidant activity obtained at a temperature of 90 °C while it was at a temperature of 60 °C for total flavonoids contents. The maximum protein, carbohydrate, fat, total phenolic contents and antioxidant activity was obtained at pH 3. The maximum content of dry mucilage was achieved at pH 11. The rise in the Hollyhock's RP/W ratio caused an increase in the content of total phenolic, total flavonoids, and protein content of extracted mucilage, but the reduction in fat and carbohydrate contents. Differential scanning calorimetry proves that the heat profile of the sample is endothermic. Thermal gravimetric analysis indicated that a decrease of the sample's weight to the amount of 70.22%, occurred in the temperature range of 480.96 °C to 536.37 °C. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy spectrum confirmed the existence of carboxyl groups in polysaccharide of Hollyhock's root mucilage. The results of this study approved that mucilage of Hollyhock's root is a natural antioxidant compound and has the potential for utilization in the food and drug industry as a new ingredient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to investigate the allelopathy of alfalfa（Medicago sativa L.）on seed germination and growth of hollyhock（Althaea rosea Cavan）, the surface layer soil（5~10 cm）at the alfalfa rhizosphere（R）and 20, 40 cm, and 60 cm away from the alfalfa rhizosphere（D20, D40, D60, respectively）were collected. The contents of allelochemicals in soil extracts of these samples were detected by high performance liquid chromatography（HPLC）. The effects of different soil extracts on the seed germination of hollyhock were studied using a bioassay method, and physiological and ecological indexes such as biomass, chlorophyll, malondialdehyde（MDA）, and soluble sugar of hollyhock under intercropping conditions were determined by pot experiment. The results showed that the contents of five organic acids were highest at the alfalfa rhizosphere, and decreased gradually with increasing distance. Compared with the control, under R treatment, the germination percentage and germination index decreased by 6.23% and 31.32%, respectively; The root length and seedling length decreased by 56.11% and 48.94%, respectively. The results of the pot experiment showed that the intercropping of alfalfa and hollyhock significantly inhibited the aboveground and underground biomass of the hollyhock by 8.01% and 23.99%, respectively, which could also decrease the chlorophyll content, and increase the MDA content and soluble protein content. The study indicates that alfalfa has an obvious allelopathic effect on hollyhock, and should not be planted too densely, keeping at least 60 cm spacing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are important because of their wide usages in medical applications, optoelectronic devices, biosensor, and catalysis. Here in, we have developed a low-cost, facile, eco-friendly and efficient approach for green synthesis of AuNPs by reduction of gold ions into stable AuNPs using Alcea rosea aqueous leaf extract. The synthesized A. rosea -AuNPs were characterized by different techniques such as UV–visible, TEM, SEM, EDX, XRD, FTIR and Zeta sizer. TEM images displayed that the A. rosea leaf extract could produce triangular, pentagonal, hexagonal and spherical nanoparticles with varying sizes (4–95 nm), while XRD demonstrated crystalline structure of synthesized A. rosea -AuNPs. The FTIR spectrum showed different functional groups, which may be responsible for reducing gold ions to metallic A. rosea AuNPs. The yield of A. rosea -AuNPs synthesized by this study was around 99.99%. Such very high yield of AuNPs demonstrates the plentiful biomolecules in the A. rosea leaf extract for sufficient reduction of Au(III) ions, and the quite high efficiency of this biosynthesis methods. The as-obtained AuNPs exhibited antioxidant activity against DPPH and ABTS radicals, as well as catalytic activity in degradation of 4-nitrophenol pollutant. The results represent potential applications of these nanoparticles in the biomedical and industrial applications. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • First research evaluated the potential ability of A. rosea leaf extract for biosynthesis of AuNPs. • A low-cost, fast and eco-friendly approach for synthesis of AuNPs using A. rosea leaf extract. • A. rosea leaf extract could synthesize triangular, pentagonal, hexagonal and spherical AuNPs. • The yield of AuNPs in this work was around 99.99%. • The mechanism of antioxidant activity of AuNPs has been suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Althaea rosea (Linn.) flower is a common plant that is often used to control inflammation in Uyghur ethnic medicine. However, its active ingredients remain uncertain and difficult to identify, severely limiting its use as a valuable crop. This paper aims to establish a rapid assay strategy for the integration of ultra-performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC/Q-TOF-MS/MS) and a biologically active (NF-κB inhibitor) luciferase reporter detection system to explore various anti-inflammatory compounds of A. rosea (Linn.) flowers. Potential anti-inflammatory components were screened using the NF-κB activity assay system and simultaneously identified based on mass spectrometry data. Four structural types of NF-κB inhibitors (phenolic acid, hydroxycinnamic acid, flavonoid, and dihydroflavone) were identified. Further cytokine assays confirmed their potential anti-inflammatory effects as NF-κB inhibitors. Compared with traditional chromatographic separation, integrated UPLC/Q-TOF-MS/MS identification compounds, and biological activity verification are more convenient and more reliable. This strategy clearly demonstrates that fingerprinting based on MS data not only can identify unknown components but also is a powerful and useful tool for screening trace active ingredients directly from complex matrices. A. rosea (Linn.) exhibits great health and pharmaceutical value and may contribute to the development of new anti-inflammatory drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enrichment of diet with edible flowers as sources of antioxidants may have beneficial effect on human health. The goal of the study was to check whether the popular edible flowers can provide protection against oxidative DNA damage, which is the main risk factor of aging and initiation of carcinogenesis. The analysis included hydrolates, 40% tinctures and essential oils from edible flowers Alcea rosea, Bellis perenis, Calendula officinalis, Calluna vulgaris, Centaurea cyanus, Citrus aurantium, Heliantus annuus, Hibiscus sabdarifa, Jasminum grandiflorum, Lavandula augustifolia, Matricaria chamomilla, Primula vulgaris, Rosa centifolia, Rosa damascena, Rosa rugosa, Sambucus nigra, Tagetes patula, Trifolium pratense and Viola cornuta. Antioxidant power, polyphenol content, cytotoxicity and DNA damage level were analysed. Oxidative DNA damage was induced by hydrogen peroxide. Most of the flowers acted as chemopreventive agents. Roses, French marigold, lavender, heather, elderflower, horned pansy and cornflower can be particularly useful in protecting human DNA against oxidative damage. The best antioxidant and genoprotective properties were observed in Rosa genus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the oxidative stability of instant fried noodles by applying free and microencapsulated black hollyhock extracts (BHE) and borage extracts (BE) (BE, BHE, ME-BE and ME-BHE). At first, the BE and BHE were encapsulated with whey protein and maltodextrin at a 90:10 ratio through a spray dryer. After evaluating particle characteristics (including anthocyanin content, zeta potential, polydispersity index (PDI), particle size, and morphology), they were added to the noodle formulation (wheat flour 78.5%, NaCl 0.78%, and water 21.21%) at 1% w/w level, and the physicochemical (proximate analysis, pH, color, cooking loss, and texture), sensory properties (taste, odor, color, texture, and overall acceptability), and oxidative stability (acid value, peroxide value, anisidine index, thiobarbituric acid index, conjugated dienes) of the fried noodles were studied. The results showed that the microcapsules had uneven shapes with angular surfaces. There was no significant difference between the zeta potential, particle size, PDI, and encapsulation efficiency of BE- and BHE-loaded microcapsules, and the values reported fell between -34.96 and -34.84 mV, 1.128 and 1.195 μm, 0.247 and 0.283, and 80.08% and 83.47%, respectively. Adding extracts to the functional noodles decreased cooking loss and pH compared to the control. The noodles exhibited a darker color. BE and BHE reduced the oxidation of fried noodle oil, with microencapsulated extracts showing stronger effects during storage ( p  < .05). Sensory evaluation indicated high acceptability for all samples. Encapsulation effectively preserves the natural antioxidant activities of BE and BHE, providing potential benefits for food processing and storage., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was carried out in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a conflict of interest., (© 2023 The Authors. Food Science & Nutrition published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

To identify possible cadmium (Cd) accumulators or hyperaccumulators among ornamental plants, a pot experiment involving increasing Cd concentration (0, 5, 15, 30, 60, and 100 mg kg −1 ) was conducted among seven species. The principal objective was to screen for ornamental plants with an exceptional ability to accumulate and translocate Cd ions as well as sufficient biomass for harvesting. Regarding shoot biomass, root biomass, plant height and tolerance index (TI), Malva rotundifolia showed high tolerance to Cd and Malva crispa , Sida rhombifolia , Celosia argentea and Celosia cristata medium tolerance; Althaea rosea and Abutilon theophrasti were more sensitive to Cd than the other plants. A hormetic response was induced by Cd in M. crispa , C. argentea , C. cristata and M. rotundifolia . Based on its capacity for Cd accumulation, bioaccumulation coefficients (BCFs) and translocation factors (TFs), M. rotundifolia was selected from candidate plants after 60 days of exposure to Cd-contaminated soil and found to have accumulated more than 200 mg kg −1 Cd in its roots and 900 mg kg −1 in its shoots. Moreover, M. rotundifolia BCFs and TFs were higher than 1.0, with the former ranging from 1.41 to 3.31 and the latter from 1.03 to 7.37. Taken together, these results indicate that M. rotundifolia can be classified as a model hyperaccumulator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was carried out to determine the heavy metal contents of hollyhock (Alcea rosea L.) in roadside soils of Van Lake Basin. The leaf samples of the hollyhock were taken from the roadside areas affected by heavy metal pollution due to intensive motorized traffic and from areas 30 m from the roadside by taking into account prevailing wind direction in 10 different locations. There were only significant differences for Mn, Cu, and Zn contents of leaves according to the sampling locations. The mean Fe (383.3 mg kg-1), Mn (50.2 mg kg-1), Cu (19.2 mg kg-1), Zn (23.9 mg kg-1), Cd (17.9 mg kg-1), Cr (5.1 mg kg-1), Ni (3.2 mg kg-1), and Pb (3.2 mg kg-1) contents of leaves sampled from roadside areas were significantly higher than mean heavy metal contents of leaves sampled from the areas 30 m from the roadside. The increasing ratios in mean heavy metal contents of leaves were ordered as Cd (309.3%) > Cr (248.9%) > Ni (130.6%) > Fe (75.9%) > Pb (64.3%) > Mn (40.6%) > Cu (26.1%) > Zn (22.7%). High heavy metal uptake by the plants grown near the roadside occurred due to pollution by intensive motorized traffic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dihydrokaempferol-4'-O-glucopyranoside, a flavanonol glucoside, is the major compound in the flower of Alcea rosea L. which possesses significant antioxidant and anticancer activity against HepG-2 cell line and thus can be considered a marker compound for A. rosea L. We attempted to establish a new simple, validated high-performance thin-layer chromatographic (HPTLC) method for the quantitation of dihydrokaempferol-4'-O-glucopyranoside to help in the standardization of the hydroalcoholic extracts of A. rosea L. flowers and to evaluate the best method for its extraction from the plant material. The separation was carried out on an HPTLC aluminum plate pre-coated with silica gel 60F-254, eluted with ethyl acetate-methanol-water-acetic acid (30:5:4:0.15 v/v). Densitometric scanning was performed using a Camag TLC scanner III, at 295 nm. A linear relationship was obtained between the concentrations (0.9-3.6 mg) and peak areas with the correlation coefficient (r) of 0.9971 ± 0.0002. The percentage relative standard deviations of intra-day and inter-day precisions were 0.22-1.45 and 0.49-1.66, respectively. The percentage w/w of dihydrokaempferol- 4'-O-glucopyranoside in the flowers of A. rosea L. after maceration and sonication for 15 min was found to be 0.733 g/100 g and 0.928 g/100 g, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two ornamental plants of Althaea rosea Cav. and Malva crispa L. were exposed to various concentrations of lead (Pb) (0, 50, 100, 200 and 500 mg·kg−1) for 70 days to evaluate the accumulating potential and the tolerance characteristics. The results showed that both plant species grown normally under Pb stress, and A. rosea had a higher tolerance than M. crispa, while M. crispa had a higher ability in Pb accumulation than A. rosea. Besides, lower Pb concentration (50 mg·kg−1) stimulated the shoot biomass in both plant species. Pb accumulation in plants was consistent with the increase of Pb levels, and the main accumulation sites were the roots and the older leaves. In addition, the photosynthetic pigments content and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters were influenced by Pb stress. In such case, both of the plants could improve the activities of antioxidant enzymes of superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX), and the contents of the total soluble sugar and soluble protein, which reached the highest value at Pb 100 mg·kg−1, as well as the accumulation of the total thiols (T-SH) and non-protein thiols (NP-SH) to adapt to Pb stress. Thus, it provides the theoretical basis and possibility for ornamental plants of A. rosea and M. crispa in phytoremediation of Pb contaminated areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context:Alcea roseaL. (Malvaceae) has various medicinal uses including anticancer, anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties. However, there is no report on its antidiabetic activity. Objective:Alcea roseaseed extracts were evaluated for antihyperglycaemic and antioxidative potential in diabetic rats. Materials and methods:Single intra-peritoneal injection of alloxan (130 mg/kg b.w.) was used for induction of diabetes in Albino Wistar rats. Antihyperglycaemic and antioxidant activities of methanol and aqueous extracts ofAlcea roseaseed (100 and 300 mg/kg b.w.), administered orally on daily basis for 15 days, were assessedin vivofor fasting blood glucose level and antioxidant status of liver and pancreas. Metformin was used as a positive control. Results:Aqueous and methanol extracts (300 mg/kg b.w.) decreased blood glucose level in diabetic rats by 24% and 46%, respectively. Administration of aqueous and methanol extracts at 300 mg/kg b.w. significantly (p < 0.01) modulated the antioxidant status of liver in diabetic rats by increasing levels of GR (22.5 ± 1.0, 24.4 ± 1.02 μg GSSG utilized/min/mg of protein), GPx (20.7 ± 1.2, 23.6 ± 2.04 μg GSH utilized/min/mg of protein), SOD (36.1 ± 1.7, 39.05 ± 1.5 units/mg of protein) and CAT (1744.5 ± 132.5, 1956.6 ± 125.2 nmol H2O2decomposed/min/mg of protein), respectively. Similar results were observed for pancreas. Discussion and conclusions:Antihyperglycaemic and antioxidative potentials ofAlcea roseaseeds suggest its usefulness in management of diabetes and its complications. This is the first report on antidiabetic activity of this plant. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

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Natural products are considered as promising tools for the prevention and treatment of cancer. The enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) is a histone methyltransferase unit of polycomb repressor complexes such as PRC2 complex that has oncogenic roles through interference with growth and metastatic potential. Several agents targeting EZH2 has been discovered but they often induce side effects in clinical trials. Recently, EZH2 has emerged as a potential target of natural products with documented anti-cancer effects and this discloses a new scenario for the development of EZH2 inhibitory strategies with agents with low cytotoxic detrimental effects. In fact, several natural products such as curcumin, triptolide, ursolic acid, sulforaphane, davidiin, tanshindiols, gambogic acid, berberine and Alcea rosea have been shown to serve as EZH2 modulators. Mechanisms like inhibition of histone H3K4, H3K27 and H3K36 trimethylation, down-regulation of matrix metalloproteinase expression, competitive binding to the S-adenosylmethionine binding site of EZH2 and modulation of tumor-suppressive microRNAs have been demonstrated to mediate the EZH2-inhibitory activity of the mentioned natural products. This review summarizes the pathways that are regulated by various natural products resulting in the suppression of EZH2, and provides a plausible molecular mechanism for the putative anti-cancer effects of these compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leaf samples fromMalva parvifloraplants exhibiting vein yellowing and chlorosis were collected during 2013–14 from Lahore, Pakistan and analysed for the presence of begomovirus and associated DNA satellites through PCR and subsequent sequencing. The identified full-length begomovirus genome shared maximum nucleotide (nt) sequence identity at 92.5% withHollyhock leaf curl virus(HoLCV), representing a new strain, which was tentatively designated as HoLCV-Mal. The betasatellite shared maximum nt sequence identity (92.8%) with Kenaf leaf curl betasatellite (KLCuB) and represents a new isolate of KLCuB. The two identified alphasatellites were 86% identical to each other and shared maximum nt sequence identities at 94.3 and 93.2% withAgeratum conyzoidessymptomless alphasatellite (ACSLA) and Ageratum yellow vein India alphasatellite (AYVIA), respectively. Thus, these are the new isolates of ACSLA and AYVIA identified fromM. parviflorain Pakistan. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of a complete monopartite begomovirus complex fromM. parviflorain Pakistan. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Cd is a heavy metal that contaminates soils. These kinds of heavy metals pose a serious threat to food security, ecosystems, and human health. To improve the phytoremediation efficiency of moderately Cd-contaminated cropland soils and achieve simultaneous production and remediation, intercropping ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) with hollyhock (Althaea rosea) was investigated using pot experiments, and Bacillus thuringiensis (B. thuringiensis) inoculation was used as a booster to strengthen the absorption and accumulation of Cd in plants. The results showed that intercropping (Int treatment) decreased the Cd concentration in plants compared to hollyhock and ryegrass monocropping. However, the Cd accumulation in ryegrass and hollyhock was promoted by B. thuringiensis addition to intercropping (Int-B treatment), as the biomass of ryegrass and hollyhock was 2.33 and 1.13 times that of the Int treatment, respectively. Compared with the Int treatment, the total Cd concentration in soils of the Int-B treatment decreased by 8.1%, while diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid solution extracted Cd (DTPA-Cd) increased by 18.2%, indicating that B. thuringiensis increases the available Cd concentration in soils to promote Cd adsorption by hollyhock enrichment plants. High-throughput sequencing results further revealed that the dominant microflora in the soils of the Int and Int-B treatments were consistent with the control, although their abundance and diversity decreased slightly. Overall, intercropping with B. thuringiensis addition effectively increased the hollyhock remediation efficiency in moderately Cd-contaminated soils, and the concentration of Cd in forage crops of ryegrass was lower than the limit value of "Hygienic standards for feeds' (GB 13078–2017) in China. [Display omitted] • Bacillus enhanced the remediation of Cd contaminated soil by plant intercropping. • Intercropping decreased Cd uptake by ryegrass. • Biomass and the Cd accumulation of ryegrass were promoted by Bacillus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, some ornamental plant species such asAlthaea roseaCavan,Lonicera japonicaThunb,Salvia virgataJacq. (Lamiaceae), andDahlia hybridagrowing in the natural vegetation of Black Sea Region (Turkey) were investigated for their phytoextraction potential of cadmium (Cd) from artificially contaminated soil of 10, 25, 50, and 100 mg/kg concentration under pot conditions. Effect of ethylenediaminetetracetic acid (EDTA) on this removal has also been studied. To evaluate the removal efficiency of the studied plants, the bioconcentration factor (BCF) and translocation factor (TF) values were also calculated. Higher BCF and TF values obtained from stems and leaves ofA. roseaCavan,L. japonicaThunb, andS. virgataJacq. (Lamiaceae) show that those plants might be cultivated and used as hyperaccumulators in the removal of Cd from the contaminated soils. EDTA enhanced the Cd phytoextraction in plants; however, at the same time it resulted in a slight decrease in the dry matter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rust fungi infecting hollyhock and other plants in Malveae are frequently intercepted at ports of entry to the USA, particularly Puccinia malvacearum and P. heterogenea. These two species can be difficult to distinguish and can be further confused with other, less common species of microcyclic rust fungi infecting hollyhock: P. heterospora, P. lobata, P. platyspora, and P. sherardiana. Molecular phylogenetic analysis revealed that P. malvacearum and P. heterogenea are closely related, along with P. sherardiana and P. platyspora. A key to the six microcyclic Puccinia species infecting hollyhock is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study is to investigate the drying kinetics of Yarrow, Coriander and Hollyhock flowers. These three medicinal products were dried using a solar hybrid photovoltaic-thermal dryer. The drying process was examined at the air temperatures of 40°C, 50°C and 60°C and air velocities of 0.5, 1 and 1.5 m/s. The experimental drying data were fitted to different theoretical models to predict the drying kinetics. Nonlinear regression analysis was performed to relate the parameters of the model with the drying conditions. The performance of these models was evaluated by comparing the correlation coefficient (), root mean square error (RMSE) and the chi-square () between the observed and the predicted moisture ratios. Among all the models, the exponential two-term was found to have the best fit in this study. Also the influence of plant type, air temperature and velocity was investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study an ornamental plant ofAlthaea roseaCavan was investigated for its potential use in the removal of Cd, Ni, Pb and Cu from an artificially contaminated soil. Effect of two different chelating agents on the removal has also been studied by using EDTA (ethylenediaminetetracetic acid) and TA (tannic acid). Both EDTA and TA have led to higher heavy metal concentration in shoots and leaves compared to control plants. However EDTA is generally known as an effective agent in metal solubilisation of soil, in this study, TA was found more effective to induce metal accumulation inAlthaea roseaCavan under the studied conditions. In addition to this, EDTA is toxic to some species and restraining the growth of the plants. The higher BCF (Bio Concentration Factor) and TF (Translocation Factor) values obtained from stems and leaves by the effects of the chemical enhancers (EDTA and TA) show thatAlthaea roseaCavan is a hyper accumulator for the studied metals and may be cultivated to clean the contaminated soils. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A Box–Behnken design (BBD) was used to evaluate the effects of ultrasonic power, extraction time, extraction temperature, and water to raw material ratio on extraction yield of alcohol-insoluble polysaccharide of Althaea rosea leaf (ARLP). Purification was carried out by dialysis method. Chemical analysis of ARLP revealed contained 12.69 ± 0.48% moisture, 79.33 ± 0.51% total sugar, 3.82 ± 0.21% protein, 11.25 ± 0.37% uronic acid and 3.77 ± 0.15% ash. The response surface methodology (RSM) showed that the significant quadratic regression equation with high R 2 (=0.9997) was successfully fitted for extraction yield of ARLP as function of independent variables. The overall optimum region was found to be at the combined level of ultrasonic power 91.85 W, extraction time 29.94 min, extraction temperature 89.78 °C, and the ratio of water to raw material 28.77 (mL/g). At this optimum point, extraction yield of ARLP was 19.47 ± 0.41%. No significant ( p > 0.05) difference was found between the actual and predicted (19.30 ± 0.075%) values. The results demonstrated that ARLP had strong scavenging activities on DPPH and hydroxyl radicals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A distinct strain of hollyhock yellow vein mosaic virus (HoYVMV) and Ludwigia leaf distortion betasatellite (LuLDB) were associated with yellow vein mosaic of hollyhock. The viral DNA genome (JQ911766) and betasatellite (JQ408216) shared highest nucleotide sequence identity (89.2 %) with HoYVMV (the only available sequence in GenBank) and 92 % identity with LuLDB. Agroinfiltration of HoYVMV and LuLDB induced yellow vein mosaic symptoms on hollyhock, thereby demonstrating causality of the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A combination of an orthogonal L 16 (4) 4 test design and a three-layer artificial neural network (ANN) model was applied to optimize polysaccharides from Althaea rosea seeds extracted by hot water method. The highest optimal experimental yield of A. rosea seed polysaccharides (ARSPs) of 59.85 mg/g was obtained using three extraction numbers, 113 min extraction time, 60.0% ethanol concentration, and 1:41 solid–liquid ratio. Under these optimized conditions, the ARSP experimental yield was very close to the predicted yield of 60.07 mg/g and was higher than the orthogonal test results (40.86 mg/g). Structural characterizations were conducted using physicochemical property and FTIR analysis. In addition, the study of ARSP antioxidant activity demonstrated that polysaccharides exhibited high superoxide dismutase activity, strong reducing power, and positive scavenging activity on superoxide anion, hydroxyl radical, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl, and reducing power. Our results indicated that ANNs were efficient quantitative tools for predicting the total ARSP content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the study on the influence that UV radiation with different energies have on chlorophyll content. In order to study this influence, two plants were analyzed: Hollyhock and Plantain. The plants were exposed to UV-A, UV-B and UV-C radiation. The concentration of chlorophyll was determined with a UV-VIS spectrophotometer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to evaluate the hepatoprotective effects of Alcea rosea against acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity in mice. Aqueous methanolic extract of A. rosea were given orally for 7 consecutive days followed by daily toxic dose of acetaminophen. At the end of treatment period, evaluation of hepatoprotective activity of A. rosea was done on basis of levels of liver enzyme markers (aminotransferases, alkaline phosphatase and bilirubin) and histopathological examination of liver tissues. Acetaminophen significantly increased serum levels of liver enzyme markers whereas, the extract of A. rosea significantly reduced serum levels of elevated liver enzyme markers in dose-dependent manner compared to acetaminophen treated mice group. Histopathological examination of liver tissues also supported the protective effects of A. rosea on liver enzyme markers. We conclude that extract of A. rosea has strong hepatoprotective effects against acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity; thereby, affirming its traditional therapeutic role in liver injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacteria use an unique and sophisticated system for regulating diverse physiological processes in function of their population size. This regulatory procedure, called "quorum sensing" (QS), depends on the synthesis and perception between bacteria of small signal molecules such as acyl-homoserine lactones (AHLs). It is now evident that plants can listen to bacterial signals and respond in sophisticated ways to the information. The anti-QS activity of the methanolic extract of 44 plant species was detected through the inhibition of the QS-related violacein pigmentation in Chromobacterium violaceum CV026 in the presence of 5 mgl–1 of C6-homoserin lactone. In addition, the ability of test plants to produce AHL-mimicking compounds that excite QS-related response in CV026 was investigated. The results revealed that the QS inhibition activity was observed in the leaves and stem extracts of tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus), radish (Raphanus sativus) and hollyhock (Althea officinalis), which repress violacein production in CV026. We have also shown that Trifolium repens contains AHL-mimicking molecules that can activate QS function in biosensor bacterium and induce violacein production in CV026. Methanolic extracts were also able to inhibit QS-regulated virulence in Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum on potato tubers. The results suggest that plants have quorum sensing-mimicking signals that could potentially be used for disrupting quorum sensing of associated bacteria thus controlling their infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scarification with boiling water plus stratification was most effective in improving germination of lliamna rivularis (Douglas ex Hook.) Greene (Malvaceae) in an experiment that compared 3 treatments. Seeds from 15 sites representing 5 western US states were used in the experiment. Initial response of the seedlots to the treatments was similar, apart from one seedlot. The control treatment (intact seeds) yielded poor germination (1.8%). Mechanical scarification (part of the seedcoat removed) improved germination (average germination 49%), but not as much as the combination of boiling the seeds for 120 s plus stratifying them 28 d at 4 °C (average germination 70%). Germinants from the boiling plus stratification treatment appeared to be more vigorous. Impermeability of the seedcoat is the main factor preventing germination, but the response of embryos to stratification may suggest some physiological dormancy. These treatments can be adapted to nursery production of this species, which has ornamental potential and ecological importance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary aim of Aoi-matsuri, which takes place in Kyoto on May 15th, is to uphold the refined traditions and customs of the Heian Court and the ancient songs and dances given as offerings to the celebrated deities. It emphasizes at the same time the role of purification encountered at every step in order to meet the sacred. The festival consists of two main parts - the religious rituals which take place at the two Kamo-shrines and the grand procession parading through the old capital. The bouquet of Japanese traditional arts - ikebana, tea ceremony, poem contest, etc. - displayed at Kamo-shrines as offerings to the ensuing festival as well as the breath-taking landscape and the impressive brightly colored vermillion wooden sanctuaries around, imbued with 13 century-old mystery, make one feel in an out-of-the-world realm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]