Anchusa Azurea Research Articles

Heavy metals and arsenic uptake by wild vegetation in the Guadiamar river area after the toxic spill of the Aznalcóllar mine

On 25 April 1998, approximately 4.5 hm 3 of pyritic sludge, containing 5000 mg of As kg −1 among other pollutants, was spilled into the Agrio and Guadiamar rivers and the surrounding agricultural areas (Aznalcóllar, Seville, Southern Spain). Many trace metals such as Pb, Cu, Zn, Cd, Tl, Sb and As reached the Doñana National Park, the largest wetland area in Europe, affecting soils, different plant and animal species. In order to recuperate the affected lands by employing plants capable of accumulating high levels of contaminants in shoots, periodical field surveys have been made to identify the metal-tolerant species that are spontaneously growing in the polluted soils, and are able to uptake one or various of the contaminants. Among the 99 different plant species studied, Anchusa azurea, Beta vulgaris, Chamaemelum fuscatum, Convolvulus arvensis, Cynodon dactylon, Diplotaxis virgata, Erodium aethiopicum, Lavatera cretica, Malva nicaeensis, Silybum marianum and, above all, Amaranthus blitoides highlight as the most promising to be used in the remediation of the affected area.

γ-Linolenic acid purification from seed oil sources by argentated silica gel chromatography column

The polyunsaturated fatty acid γ-linolenic acid (GLA,18:3ω6), which has several pharmaceutical properties, has been purified from the seed oil of three plant species, Anchusa azurea, Scrophularia sciophila and Echium fastuosum. The process consists of four main steps, (i) simultaneous extraction and saponification of the seeds; (ii) urea fractionation method; (iii) urea-concentrate methylation; (iv) argentated silica gel column chromatography of the urea-concentrate methylated. Argentated silica gel chromatography yields high purity GLA in the process in A. azurea and S. sciophila, with yields in the combined process of 73 and 64%, respectively. With E. fastuosum, the recovery for the combined process was 60%, with a final purity 86%, due to the presence of the α-linolenic acid (ALA, 18:3ω3), which elutes with GLA in the chromatography column. The suitability of a process without urea concentration is also compared and discussed.

Puccinia recondita causing leaf rust on cultivated wheats, wild wheats, and rye

Aecial and telial host range, interfertility, teliospore dimensions, and amount of nuclear DNA were determined for Puccinia recondita collected either worldwide from species of cultivated wheats (Triticum aestivum and Triticum turgidum ssp. durum and rye (Secale cereale), or from wild emmer (Triticum turgidum ssp. dicoccoides) and four species of wild wheat (Aegilops) in Israel. The results indicate that the collections belong in two major groups: Group I (from cultivated wheats and wild emmer), which has Thalictrum speciosissimum (in the Ranunculaceae) as principal aecial host; and Group II (principally from wild wheats or rye), which has several species in the Boraginaceae, such as Anchusa aggregata, Anchusa italica, Echium glomeratum, and Lycopsis arvensis as aecial hosts. In glasshouse experiments, intercrosses could be made readily among collections within Groups I and II but not between the two groups. Group I consisted of all collections from Triticum aestivum, Triticum turgidum ssp. dicoccoides, and most collections from Triticum turgidum ssp. durum. For Group I collections, four species of Aegilops, Hordeum maritimum, S. cereale, as well as Triticum aestivum and Triticum turgidum ssp. durum and ssp. dicoccoides could all serve as telial host in glasshouse experiments. Group II consisted of four types, all clearly different from Group I. Type A was from Triticum turgidum ssp. durum found in fields near Anchusa italica, which was its only aecial host; Triticum aestivum, Triticum turgidum ssp. durum, and Triticum turgidum ssp. dicoccoides could serve as telial hosts. Type B was from Aegilops ovata and had E. glomeratum, Anchusa undulata, and L. arvensis as aecial hosts. Type C was from Aegilops longissima, Aegilops sharonensis, and Aegilops variabilis and had Anchusa aggregata, Anchusa undulata and L. arvensis as aecial hosts. Type D was from S. cereale and had L. arvensis and Anchusa undulata as aecial hosts. In addition to differences in host range, teliospores were wider and bigger in cross sectional area, and nuclear DNA content of pycniospores was 1.3–1.6 times greater in Group II than in Group I. The results suggest that Groups I and II have evolved separately for an extended period and are now morphologically distinct and genetically isolated from each other. Furthermore, differences in both telial and aecial host species, in teliospore dimensions, and in amount of nuclear DNA indicate that subgroups within Group II are beginning to show genetic divergence. Key words: aecial hosts, Aegilops, Anchusa, Echium, Hordeum, leaf rust, Lycopsis, Puccinia recondita, Puccinia triticina, Secale, Thalictrum, Triticum.

Analgesic Studies on Some Iraqi Medicinal Plants Part II

It was found that the extracts of Myrtus communis, Peganum harmala and Withania somnifera exhibited significant activities in either the hot-plate test or in benzoquinone and/or acetic acid-induced writhing in mice. The extracts of Artemisia herba-alba. Anchusa italica. Vicoo pentanema and Quercus infectoria failed to produce significant effects in either test at the doses used.

Cytology of Anchusa and Its Relation to the Taxonomy of the Genus

1. Anchusa italica and its varieties are shown to be allotetraploids. This is in accord with Johnston's theories of reticular phylogenetic relationships in the Boraginaceae. 2. The following chromosome numbers were found: Anchusa barrelieri 2n = 16, A. capensis 2n = 16, A. hybrida 2n = 16, A. officinalis 2n = 16, A. ochroleuca 2n = 24, A. italica 2n = 32, A. italica vars. Pride of Dover, Dropmore, and Opal 2n = 32, Brunnera macrophylla 2n = 12, and Caryolopha sempervirens 2n = 22. 3. The origin of the triploid seedling of Anchusa ochroleuca is discussed. 4. The removal by Johnston of Brunnera macrophylla from the genus Anchusa is substantiated by the number and character of its somatic chromosomes. 5. The similar systematic treatment of Caryolopha sempervirens is also supported by cytological observation. 6. Johnston's combining the sections Buglossum and Euanchusa is in agreement with their cytological similarity.