Fisetin is an important phyto-flavonoid that possesses very good anti-oxidant, anti-Parkinson's and anti-cancer activities. A bioanalytical method was developed and validated for the estimation of fisetin in the rat's plasma using reverse phase ultra-fast liquid chromatography combined with a C-18 reverse phase column. Quercetin was used as an internal standard. The mobile phase was composed of acetonitrile

A method for micropropagation of Coccoloba uvifera (L.) L. has been developed through bud proliferation from surface-sterilized nodal explants collected from a 9 yr old mature tree. Ninety six percent of the explants exhibited bud development on agar-gelled Murashige and Skoog's (MS) medium supplemented with 3.0 mg L−1 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) if incubated at 26 ± 2 °C, under 40–50 µmol m−2 s−1 spectral

Climate change and rising sea levels increasingly threaten agriculture, especially in the coastal regions. Banana cultivars, especially the Cavendish clones, are sensitive to salinity stresses, which results in decreased production. In the current study, we evaluated the water deficit stress remediating effects of silicon nanoparticles (SiO2NPs) on micropropagated banana cv. “Grand Nain” - either under

Lactuca dregeana DC. is a rare and poorly understood southern African endemic taxon currently known only from three localities in the Northern Cape. It is evidently closely related to Eurasian and north African L. serriola L. and cultivated L. sativa L., and has high potential for utilisation in lettuce breeding. However, only three accessions of that name, which have been used in several modern studies

Vertically transmitted Epichloe endophyte can be beneficial to host grasses. In order to achieve high seed and endophyte viability under storage, knowledge of optimal seed moisture content and germination behavior of endophyte-infected grass seed is required. In the current research project, Achnatherum inebrians seeds were adjusted to different moisture contents to investigate effects on germination

Flavonoids belong to the extensive group of polyphenols and have several biological activities such as anti-inflammatory, anti-ulcer, anticancer, antiviral, antibacterial, and antispasmodic. These compounds can thus be explored as a tool against multidrug resistant bacteria, as nosocomial infections now constitute a major public health problem worldwide. We have carried out a structural characterization

Nostoc flagelliforme is a terrestrial cyanobacterium distributed in arid or semiarid steppes in western and northwestern China. Cyanophycin is synthesized by cyanophycin synthetase (CphA), which serves as a storage polymer for nitrogen, carbon, and energy in N. flagelliforme. In the present study, cphA (GenBank Accession No.: KX469292), an open reading frame (ORF) of 2706 bp encoding a protein of 901

Sweetpotato [Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.] is a relatively cheap source of nutrients for humans in most developing countries, including those in sub-Saharan Africa. Breeding for essential quality traits is an important goal of sweetpotato breeding programs. This may include root protein content (RPC), since protein-energy malnutrition is a common problem worldwide. The objective of this study was to quantify

Medicinally important steroid-based compound diosgenin is usually obtained from the secondary metabolic products of several plant species. Diosgenin has been proven as a prospective bioactive drug lead to the pharmaceutical industries as having anti-cancer activity, anti-microbial activity, anti-thrombic activity, anti-diabetic activity, cardioprotective activity, anti-inflammatory activity, osteoarthritis

Farmers and herders often interface ethno-veterinary knowledge and modern veterinary to treat their livestock. Viability of livestock production in local communities is continuously under the threat due to different diseases including retained placenta. The current study documented medicinal plants used to treat retained placenta and associated diseases in Dinokana communities, North West Province

The aim of the study was to investigate genotoxic and cytotoxic activities of Artemisia vulgaris L. and Artemisia alba Turra methanol extracts concerning their chemical composition, separately and in co-treatment with a known mutagen (mitomycin C, MMC). For these evaluations, the cytokinesis-block micronucleus (CBMN) assay as the method for measuring MN frequency in human peripheral blood lymphocytes

Southern Africa harbours a diverse range of wild edible indigenous fruits, which have provided populations with food for years and most are anticipated to have potentially good nutritional value. The aim of this study was to conduct a literature survey as a means to identify knowledge gaps and to conduct mineral and vitamin analyses. A total of 60 species, distributed in 35 families are recorded. Selected

Brazilian pepper (Schinus terebinthifolia) is a tree native to subtropical South America that was introduced into South Africa in the early 1900s as an ornamental plant. The tree has since escaped cultivation and has invaded ruderal and pristine habitats along the eastern coast of South Africa. Brazilian Pepper is also one of the most problematic invasive alien plants in Florida, USA. We modelled the

Context This is the first study on the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of Leuzea conifera (Asteraceae). Objective The objective of this study is to evaluate in vitro the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities and to determine total phenols, total flavonoids content of different organic extracts of Leuzea conifera roots. Material and methods The in vitro antioxidant activity of the

The biomedical applications of the secondary metabolites produced by the harmful algal blooms were studied over a few decades ago. Only few research studies have been reported on the medicinal properties of the secondary metabolites produced by the cyanobacteria Microcystis aeruginosa. The present study was aimed to screen the Biological activities of GC fractionated Benzeneacetanomide and Norvaline

In this study, the morphological, genetical (molecular) and elemental compositions of morphologically similar three endemic Lathyrus L. species such as L. phaselitanus Hub.-Mor. & Davis, L. lycicus Boiss. and L. belinensis N. Maxted & D. J. Goyder belong to genus Lathyrus in Turkey were investigated. In the morphological part, some important parameters such as stem shape, plant height, leaflet number

Scaevola sericea (Gaertn.) Roxb., which is a semi-mangrove halophyte, displays low seed germination (SG) and poor development. A model system was established to assess seed viability (SV) and enhanced SG in response to 2,3,5-triphenyl-tetrazolium chloride (TTC), and to detect SV under different storage conditions and duration to establish an optional storage method for seeds. Percentage SG (SG%) was

Dracocephalum kotschyi Boiss. and D. polychaetum Bornm. (Lamiaceae family) are wild medicinal herbs native to Iran and a source of potential bioactive compounds for pharmaceutical and food industries. For their bulk production, the present work aimed to investigate the effects of explants, different plant growth regulators (PGRs), and photoperiod conditions on the callus induction and cell suspension

The use of herbal medicines has become popular globally because of their efficacy and safety. Sternbergia species are known as imperative medicinal plants due to their alkaloid contents. In this study, we aimed to investigate the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antidiabetic activities of the ethanol and aqueous extracts from the bulbs of Sternbergia lutea ssp. lutea and Sternbergia lutea ssp. sicula

The goal of this study was to evaluate the role of seed inhabiting bacterial endophytes on finger millet seedling development and protection from fungal infection. This study has shown that removal of endophytic bacteria from millet seeds compromised seedling health, however, re-inoculation of the same bacterial isolates restored its growth. A total of six endophytic bacteria were isolated from surface-sterilized

The effects of smoke-derived karrikins (KAR1) on the contents of endogenous signal molecules including (Ca2+)–calmodulin (CaM), brassinolide (BL) and Jasmonic acid (JA) and secondary metabolite Salvianolic acid B (SAB) in Salvia miltiorrhiza hairy roots have been investigated. The results showed that the burst of Ca2+–CaM, BL and JA were early responses of S. miltiorrhiza responding to KAR1. Treatments

In the context of climate change, understanding fig trees physiology is very important, since the areas of fig production registered a large climate variability that severely affects fruit quality. The present study was conducted to evaluate the seasonal changes of physiological leaf behaviour of two Tunisian fig cultivars, Zidi and Bither Abiadh during two years. Plants were subjected to full irrigation

Soil salinization is considered as one of the most important risks for agricultural soils. The objective of this experiment was to study the ecophysiological and the biochemical behaviour of two cultivars of Olea europaea L., 'Chemlali' and 'Koroneiki' under two salinity levels (100 and 200 mM NaCl) and the potential alleviation induced by gibberellic acid (GA3) foliar sprays. Salinity treatments significantly

Phytosociological studies provide plot-based vegetation data which can be used for numerous purposes. Recently, the potential of historical phytosociological plot data has been emphasised as a means to study vegetation change over time. Vegetation change occurs naturally but also as a result of land use and climate change. In order to quantify change, the current vegetation has to be compared with

Recalcitrant seeds are shed at relatively high water contents and are metabolically active, initiating germination without exogenous provision of water. There is an urgency for these seeds to be conserved in light of the rapidly diminishing numbers of indigenous species and associated genetic diversity. This may be achieved by long term storage of whole seeds or seed germplasm. This study centred on

In oases ecosystems, date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) is a plant that has several socio-economic and environmental roles. During the last decades, the cultivation of date palm and its development are threatened by several constraints, in particular, organic and mineral matter depletion. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of a seaweed extract (SWE) derived from the brown

Total phenolics in extracts of different parts of Parkia roxburghii varied from 80.1 (flowers) to 311.6 mg/ g GAE (Pods) with moderate amounts of flavonoids and high antioxidant activity (50.1–92.4%). The pods of Parkia roxburghii were found to be potent DPPH radical scavengers followed by leaves, seeds and then flowers as evident by their low IC50, EC50 values and reasonably high ARP values (34.5–230

The floral morphology and pollination of S. guineense subsp. macrocarpum were investigated on ten trees selected for a study of floral phenophases in the natural forest of Bassila, located in the Sudano-Guinean zone (Benin). For the floral analysis, the two stages considered were flower buds for preflowering data and open flowers for flower data. To determine the pollination mode and identify main

Climacoptera crassa is an annual halophyte species with great potential for use in the urban landscape. This study was performed to determine C. crassa tolerance to salinity and heavy metal stresses and to compare the plant associated mechanisms to counteract these stresses. For this purpose, the plant seedlings were exposed separately to various concentrations of NaCl (0–700 mM) or heavy metals cadmium

An endophytic fungus, Alternaria GFAV15 with antimicrobial potential was isolated from the green unripe fruit of Tinospora cordifolia, a well-known medicinal plant of semi-arid region of Rajasthan, India. The isolated endophytic fungus from green fruit has been identified on the basis of cultural and morphological characters and was characterized by internal transcribed spacer (ITS 1 and ITS 4) sequence

Physalis angulata L. is an exotic fruit of the Solanaceae family, native to the Amazon region, which has been widely introduced across many tropical and subtropical regions (e.g. Central and South America, Africa, India and Pacific islands). Often characterized as a pantropical invasive weed of crops, gardens and plantations, it contains several chemical compounds of biological interest, such as phenolic

In order to better understand the transformation and distribution of different Se forms in wild peach. Se2−, Se0, Se4+ and Se6+ (from selenomethionine, Se powder, sodium selenite, and sodium selenate, respectively) were added to 4.1-L plastic pots with 15-cm high wild peach seedlings, for a final soil Se concentration of 1.0 mg/kg soil. Growth parameters, Se transaction factors (TFS) and bioconcentration

Variation in environmental conditions, such as light availability, can affect herbicide efficacy by altering leaf morphoanatomy. Accordingly, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the influence of light level and herbicide application on leaf anatomy and herbicide efficacy, using Macroptilium atropurpureum as a model weed species. The experiment involved a factorial design (3 × 4), using three

Amaryllidaceae alkaloids are a particular group of alkaloids exclusive to the Amarylloideae subfamily. Important from a biological and pharmacological point of view, they have antiparasitic, antiviral and antitumoral activities. Notably, galanthamine has been approved by the FDA as an acetylcholinesterase inhibitory drug for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Overall, Amaryllidaceae alkaloids are

Endophytes; a ubiquitous group of microorganisms considered as a gem box of bioactive constituents of medical significance. Studies on this emerging field is very less among the research communities. The present study focused on the molecular phylogenetics of the endophytic fungus that associated with the leaf of Kayea assamica, an endemic plant species of Northeast India and identification of its

Twenty three fungal endophytes isolated from desi cotton (Gossypium arboreum) were evaluated against two important pathogens of cotton Corynespora cassiicola and Fusarium solani, causal agents of leaf spot and seedling rot respectively. The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region analysis was used for species-level identification of the fungal endophytes, wherein Curvularia (11) genus followed by

The Amaryllidaceae family is widely distributed in different regions of the neotropics and temperate areas of the world. Species of the subfamily Amaryllidoideae are unique in producing the alkaloid galanthamine, which inhibits the action of acetylcholinesterase and is used for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. In Perú, 15 genera and 68 species belonging to the Amaryllidoideae have been reported

In grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.), seedlessness is classified into two distinct types: parthenocarpy and stenospermocarpy. Stenospermocarpy (seedlessness due to seed abortion) in grapevine is an agronomically valuable trait which is completely hereditary and not influenced by various environmental factors. Many hypotheses have been proposed for stenospermocarpy. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying

Background/Purpose The fractions were tested to investigate their chemical composition and antifungal potential in vitro. Methods/Results The results obtained through the chromatographic analysis allowed the identification of 28 compounds. Microbiological assays were carried out in order to determine the IC50, cell viability curve and inhibitory effect of the association of the fractions with Fluconazole

Secondary metabolites play an important role in the adaptation of plants to the environment and in their recovering process to stress conditions. Among the different types of stress, the scarcity of water resources is considered a negative factor because it is responsible for productivity losses of several crops. However, plants grown under drought conditions generally produce higher concentrations

Background Morinda morindoides has been used as herbal medicine in Africa for a long time. It possesses potential therapeutic activities such as antiplasmodial, antispermatogenic, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-diarrheal effects, stomach pain and constipation reliefs. However, there has been no literature summarising its potential effects. This study therefore aims to systematically review the therapeutic

Mature plants of S. dunnii Hook. f. produce naphthoquinones in aerial structures and anthraquinones in roots. Immature in vitro-cultured plantlets of Streptocarpus dunnii and S.× hybridus ‘Ruby’ (Gesneriaceae) excrete orange-red metabolites into their growth media (‘artificial’ rhizosphere). Our objectives were to: (i) extract and identify excreted compounds; (ii) determine the phytochemical effects

Since its reinstatement, the diversity of the genus Pyropia has never been fully assessed in the Benguela Marine Province in southern Africa (South Africa and Namibia), although it has been included in previous, more general biodiversity assessments. The aim of the present study was to revisit the diversity and identity of species of Pyropia from the region, using an integrative taxonomic approach

This is the first study documenting the distribution and population biology of the Endangered Aloe lettyae, an endemic to the highly threatened Woodbush Granite Grassland (WGG) in Limpopo Province, South Africa. We documented 19 A. lettyae populations and calculated the total area of occupied habitat at 17.5 ha within its extent of occurrence of 123 km2. Most populations were clustered on the south

The golden thistle, Scolymus hispanicus L. (Asteraceae), is a prickly perennial herb that is widely grown in Mediterranean and in Southeastern Europe. The aim of current study was to isolate and identify the constituents of S. hispanicus L. chloroform fraction, and assess their anti-inflammatory activity in-vitro. Chemical investigation led to isolation of one new guaianolide sesquiterpene; namely

Encroachment into the moist coastal grasslands within eThekwini Municipality by Dalbergia obovata, an indigenous forest liana that forms dense monospecific stands, poses a potential biodiversity threat. Identification of the mechanisms of D. obovata diaspore dispersal from neighbouring adjacent forests, and subsequent patterns of propagation within the grasslands, was required to understand how D.

Evidence is presented that the records of Plantago virginica from South Africa and of P. australis from Réunion Island (France) are in fact misidentified specimens of P. tomentosa. These are the first records of P. tomentosa outside South America. The species is native to Argentina, Bolivia, southern Brazil, southern Paraguay, southern Peru and Uruguay. My findings suggest that P. virginica, native

A recent global assessment of terrestrial alien true ferns (Polypodiophyta; hereafter alien ferns) showed that alien ferns have a high probability of becoming naturalised or invasive once introduced. We provide the first systematic assessment, based on field surveys, of the invasion status of this large taxon in South Africa. Thirteen species of alien ferns were recorded outside of cultivation and

Dipteryx alata Vog. is a forest species native to the Brazilian Cerrado with great economic potential, but information on seed behavior during germination and accelerated aging is lacking. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the quality of D. alata seeds during germination and to measure the possible damage caused by aging. The physiological performance of D. alata seeds was investigated

Combretaceae is a large medicinal family prevalent on the African continent. Traditional healers commonly utilize species of this family to treat or cure a wide array of illnesses and diseases. Medicinal flora are known to contain secondary metabolites which may effectively improve an individual's state of health. These medicinal properties are attributed to secondary metabolites, which in some instances

The Talassemtane National Park (PNTLS) represents a significant biome for flora diversity in Morocco and North Africa. Based on its floristic richness and on the rural lifestyle of its population, we hypothesize that the inhabitants of the park hold a substantial knowledge of medicinal plants. The Apiaceae is one of the 20 largest plant families, and one with the significant higher proportion of medicinal

The desiccation tolerant (DT) fern species Crepidomanes inopinatum and Loxogramme abyssinica often grow together in the understory of KwaZulu-Natal Afromontane forests. Crepidomanes inopinatum is a “filmy” fern that dries rapidly because it lacks a cuticle; by contrast L. abyssinica possesses a cuticle, and therefore dries slowly. It was predicted that because C. inopinatum dries quickly, this species

Rooibos extracts, including its derived polyphenolic compounds, are increasingly explored for their ameliorative effects against diabetes-associated complications. An extract of ‘fermented’ (oxidized) rooibos (FRE) can protect cardiomyocytes from diabetic rats against oxidative stress-induced damage, however, its mechanism of action remains unknown. Using an established model of H9c2 cardiomyocytes

This work is part of the valorization of the Haloxylon scoparium plant, belonging to the Chenopodiaceae family and native to southeastern of Morocco. The aim of the present work is to study the chemical composition of this plant, to estimate the phenolic compounds contents of its extracts and to evaluate their antioxidant powers. After extraction by maceration of the aerial and root part of Haloxylon

Phytostabilization of metal enriched substrates in arid and semiarid areas depends on the use of metal-tolerant or metallophyte plants in order to decrease metal mobilization and dispersion. However, the co-occurrence of other abiotic restrictions on plant growth, such as drought and salinity calls for a new perspective for plant selection. Since components of salt and drought tolerance traits of halophytes

Traditional leafy vegetables are increasingly being recognized as parents in plant breeding, and source of improved nutrition and food supply. Wild cucumber (Cucumis myriocarpus), a traditional leafy vegetable has been reported to possess some resistance to root-knot (Meloidogyne species) nematodes; however, the form of nematode resistance in these plants is not documented. The objective of this study