Annual Flowering Plant Research Articles

Whole-genome assembly and annotation of the firecracker penstemon (Penstemon eatonii).

The penstemons are ornamental annual flowering plants native to the Intermountain West and Rocky Mountains and commonly used for urban landscaping. Elite commercial penstemons are generally susceptible to abiotic stresses, including drought, root rot, cold, and high salinity. Firecracker penstemon (Penstemon eatonii), however, is much more tolerant to these stresses than most elite cultivars. Importantly, firecracker penstemon has been reported to hybridize with many other penstemons and therefore provides the opportunity to develop more tolerant elite cultivars through strategic crossing. To facilitate the study and utilization of firecracker penstemon, we sequenced and annotated the genome of a P. eatonii accession collected from Utah, USA. We also performed low-coverage, whole-genome sequencing of 26 additional accessions from three different varieties of P. eatonii. This chromosome-scale genome assembly is the most contiguous and complete Penstemon genome sequenced to date.

РОДОВОЙ СОСТАВ И АГРЕССИВНОСТЬ ГРИБНЫХ БОЛЕЗНЕЙ У ОДНОЛЕТНИХ ЦВЕТОЧНЫХ КУЛЬТУР

In the context of the development of the agro-industrial complex and the replacement of imported plant material in the Russian Federation, the development of methods and technologies for the prevention and control of diseases and pests is a priority area of agrarian science. Fungal diseases cause great damage to both vegetable and ornamental crops. Some of the most harmful phytopathogens are fungi of the genus Fusarium (Fusarium Link). The objective of the study is to identify and determine the aggressiveness of the pathogenic mycobiota complex present on annual flowering plants of the Lamiaceae Bromhead family. During immunological studies on plants, fungal pathogens from the genera Alternaria Nees, Fusarium Link, some species of Pythium spp. and representatives of lower mold fungi Penicillium Link, Mucor Fresen were identified. Based on this, a collection of the most common pathogens from the genera Alternaria (5 samples) and Fusarium (10 samples) was created. When testing the selected samples using the method of L.M. Sokolova, the strains of alternariosis did not show high pathogenicity, the damage score of the tested material was from 0.5 to 1.0. When testing the strains of fusarium, the damage score varied from 1.0 to 4.0. Based on this, only one aggressive strain FAK-7 was selected, which had a damage score of 4.0 for the tested material. This pathogenic strain was isolated from the root system of the snapdragon selection line A-5-1. This strain will be involved in the selection process to work on the resistance of snapdragon lines and varieties to root rot.

Two FT genes synergistically regulate the reproductive transition of loquat

Unlike annual flowering plants that exhibit a single reproductive cycle encompassing vegetative growth, flowering, and senescence within a single year, perennial woody trees undergo a transition between vegetative and reproductive growth every year after a long juvenile phase. Most woody fruit trees bloom when it turns warm in spring, and the fruit ripens in summer or autumn. However, as a member of the Maloideae subfamily, the loquat tree blooms in the cold autumn and winter, and the fruit matures in the spring. To explore the regulatory mechanism of loquat flowering, we characterized two FLOWERING LOCUS T homologous genes in loquat, EjFT1 and EjFT2. qRT-PCR results revealed that EjFT1 and EjFT2 exhibited nearly opposite expression patterns in various tissues. EjFT1 was mainly expressed in young tissues; EjFT2 was mainly expressed in mature leaves, open flowers, and fruits. EjFT2 exhibited an obvious circadian rhythm and was regulated by EjCO. After the trees were exposed to short-day conditions or sprayed with exogenous GA3, the expression of EjFT2 was strongly inhibited, and the loquat tree did not produce floral buds. Furthermore, the yeast two-hybrid, bimolecular fluorescence complementation, and Dual-luciferase assay experiments revealed that both EjFT1 and EjFT2 interacted with EjFD, with the EjFT2-EjFD protein complex enhancing the activity of EjAP1-1 and EjAP1-2 promoters, while EjFT1-EjFD inhibited the activity of the EjAP1-1 promoter. Protein structural analysis of EjFT1 and EjFT2 suggested that differences in amino acid residues at Val123/Leu123, Ser157/Ala157, and Val158/Ala158 may be the reason for their functional differences. Our results showed that EjFT1 and EjFT2 may cooperatively regulate the floral bud differentiation of loquat by competitively binding with EjFD. EjFT2 regulates the onset of loquat floral bud differentiation by responding to photoperiod and gibberellin signals, while EjFT1 is involved in the vegetative growth of loquat. These findings provide important clues for the investigation of the regulatory mechanism of loquat flowering and advance the exploration into the multiple roles of FT homologous genes in regulating the reproductive transformation and vegetative growth of flowering plants.

Effects of Active Compounds of Nigella sativa in COVID-19: A Narrative Review.

SARS-CoV-2 infection that led to the COVID-19 pandemic has changed human health and the economy globally. SARS CoV-2 is a type of Coronaviruses that has caused pneumonia and its complications with many deaths over the past two years. The use of hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine, accepted as generally safe for patients with autoimmune diseases or malaria, was attempted in many trials for COVID-19 treatment. Nigella sativa (NS) (black caraway, also known as black cumin, nigella or Kalonji) is an annual flowering plant of the Ranunculaceae family, chemically composed of the main constituent natural Thymoquinone (TQ) (30%- 48%) in forms of thymohydroquinone, dithymoquinone (Nigellone) is a native to wider regions, including parts of eastern Europe, west Asia, North of Africa and east of Myanmar. In this review, we explored the Randomized Controlled Trial, Controlled Trial, and Systematic review studies that support Nigella sativa Thymoquinone-targeted SARS-CoV-2 targeting. Therefore, A literature search was performed for publications published on the electronic databases (PubMed, Embase, Scopus, CNKI, and Google Scholar) for Nigella sativa, black seeds, Kalonji, coronavirus, SARS-CoV -2 and COVID-19. This review aimed to find relevant evidence of Nigella sativa preferences as a natural feasible remedy with no side effects in COVID-19. Studies reported the benefits of NS as beneficial, another appropriate remedy for patients with COVID-19. However, all studies have shown limitations, such as limiting clinical symptom outcomes due to regulations imposed by isolation policies and lack of adequate funding. Therefore, the evidence suggests that the chemical contents of NS are a safe and possible treatment for COVID-19 patients that helps to improve COVID-19 infection in patients with no side effects. Nigella sativa seeds were one of the well-documented herbal products. Three reviewed randomized controlled trials reported that NS reduced covid-19 risk and could improve immune function. It was also helpful in upper respiratory infections such as asthma and bronchitis, with one RCT showing that honey and NS significantly improved symptoms, viral clearance, and mortality of COVID-19 patients. This review concludes that NS has a positive barrier effect on people at risk of acquiring a COVID-19 infection.

Molecular detection of ‘Candidatus phytoplasma aurantifolia’ associated with virescence and phyllody of Zinnia peruviana: A new record for India

AbstractZinnia peruviana (Asteraceae) is an annual flowering plant cultivated in various gardens of Mysore, the south of Karnataka state, India. During 2021, phytoplasma‐like symptoms such as virescence and phyllody were observed on Zinnia in Mysore local gardens. A total of 10 symptomatic and five asymptomatic samples were collected, and the DNA was amplified by PCR using primers specific to 16S RNA and secA genes. The nucleotide sequence analysis showed that the 16S RNA and SecA gene sequences were most similar to those of ‘Ca. P. aurantifolia’, with identities greater than 99%. The phytoplasma sequence from this study shared a common clade with ‘Ca. P. aurantifolia’ when phylogenetic analysis was done. Similarly, the reference sequences for the 16S rRNA and SecA region confirmed the identity of the phytoplasma associated with the leaves of Zinnia. This is the new host record for ‘Ca. P. aurantifolia’ (16SrII‐D) phytoplasma associated with Z. peruviana from India.

A Mini-Review on the Chemical Constituents and Biological Activities of Lysimachia capillipes Hemsl.

Abstract: Lysimachia capillipes Hemsl. is an annual flowering plant, mainly distributed in some parts of Asia. In the early 1970s, it was discovered by the folk of Le'an county, Jiangxi province. Lysimachia capillipes Hemsl., contains many bioactive components (flavonoids, saponins, volatile oils, organic acids, etc.) and has a wide spectrum of pharmacological activities. This plant medicine was used in the treatment of cold cough, asthma, rheumatism, pain, irregular menstruation, neurasthenia, restoring deficiency, expelling roundworm, anti-tumor, etc. in Chinese folk. In this minireview, the progress on the chemical constituents and biological activities of Lysimachia capillipes Hemsl., was comprehensively summarized by searching the CNKI, PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases using “Lysimachia capillipes Hemsl.” or “Manshanxiang” as the keywords. This article may provide a reference for researchers for further study of Lysimachia capillipes Hemsl.

Features of growing new cultivars of annual flowering plants in Kola Subarctic

Annual flower plants are widely used in landscaping of cities of Kola Subarctic. The selection of sustainable, promising species of annuals and the development of agricultural technology for their cultivation are priorities. For the first time in the conditions of the Murmansk region, 7 new cultivars of annuals were tested: Callistephus chinensis (L.) Nees cv. Fan var. Deep rose and White, Antirrhinum majus L. cv. Potomac Cherry Rose, Calendula officinalis L. cv. Costa Yellow and cv. Calypso Orange with Black Center, Tagetes erecta L. cv. Big Top Gold, Tagetes patula L. cv. Hot Pack Gold and cv. Alumia Cream Brulee. Flowering time ranged from 55 (Callistephus chinensis cv. Fan) to 120 days (Calendula officinalis cv. Calypso Orange with Black Center). The main biometric indicators (height, diameter of flowers and inflorescences) fully corresponded to plants grown in more southern regions for 4 cultivars (Callistephus chinensis cv. Fan, Calendula officinalis cv. Costa Yellow and cv. Calypso Orange with Black Center, Tagetes patula cv. Hot Pack Gold), 3 others were rated lower. According to most indicators, the cultivar Calypso Orange with Black Center had high decorativeness, due to compactness of bushes and duration of flowering (120 days). The features of agricultural technology of the tested cultivars at the seedling stage were the following: adjustment of timing of sowing seeds, obligatory 3-4-week hardening, regular application of fertilizers and growth stimulants. On the whole, the new cultivars have successfully adapted to the conditions of the region, retaining their decorative properties. therefore, they can be considered promising for flower decoration of populated areas of the Kola Subarctic.

Evaluation of China Aster (Callistephus chinensis L. Nees) Cultivars for Growth, Yield and Quality Parameters under Southern Telangana Zone

China aster (Callistephus chinensis L. Nees) is a half hardy annual flowering plant and is grown for cut as well as for loose flowers. The cut flowers are used in flower arrangements, vases, bouquets, for interior decorations, etc. The loose flowers are widely used for making garlands, for decorations, for worship and are also used in social functions.
 The present investigation was carried out during the year 2018-19 and 2019-20 at farm of Regional Agricultural Research Station, Palem, Telangana to evaluate the china aster varieties under Southern Telangana zone with respect to growth, flower yield and quality characters. Data in this study revealed that, all characteristics varied significantly among the varieties. Maximum plant height, plant spread, number of primary and secondary branches and number of leaves were observed in the variety Phule Ganesh White and the least was recorded in the variety Arka Archana.
 The variety Phule Ganesh White took less number of days for flower bud initiation (52.05), minimum number of days to 50% flower opening (61.63) while more number of days were recorded in the variety Kamini (56.32 and 68.53, respectively). Maximum stalk length was recorded in Phule Ganesh White (20.60 cm) and minimum was recorded in Arka Archana (9.80 cm). In addition, Flower diameter was more (7.00 cm) in both the varieties Phule Ganesh White and Local White, while minimum was detected in Phule Ganesh Pink (5.40cm). The variety Phule Ganesh White recorded more number of flowers per plant (48.7), more flower yield per plant (111.00 g plant-1) and maximum flower yield per hectare (4.64 tha-1). Whereas lowest number of flowers per plant (37.40), flower yield per plant (57.50 g plant-1), flower yield per hectare (2.08 t ha-1) was observed in Arka Archana. Maximum vase life for cut flower (6.00 days) were recorded in Arka Poornima and least was observed in Arka Aadya (3.70 days). Maximum shelf life for loose flowers was recorded in Phule Ganesh White (3.20 days) and minimum was recorded in Arka Archana (1.70 days).

Patterns of frequency and density dependence are highly variable in diverse annual flowering plant communities.

Applications of ecological theory to natural communities often assume that competitive, negative density-dependent processes are the only type of interaction important for diversity maintenance. Recent advances suggest that positive interactions within trophic levels (e.g. plant-plant) may also affect plant coexistence. Though positive plant-plant interactions theoretically might result in positive or nonmonotonic frequency or density dependence (FD/DD), less is known about how commonly these patterns occur, or which ecological processes might result in such patterns in natural plant communities. In this study we test for signals of variable frequency and density dependence in annual flowering plant communities in Western Australia, and search for evidence that interactions among plants during flowering might induce positive or nonmonotonic FD/DD in flowering plants. Using four common annual wildflower species, we ask if plant fecundity exhibits positive or nonmonotonic FD/DD, and if pollinator-mediated plant-plant interactions during flowering change patterns of FD/DD relative to pollinator-independent plant interactions. Three species exhibited nonmonotonic (hump-shaped) density dependence, and only one species experienced strictly negative density dependence. Each species exhibited a different pattern of frequency dependence (positive, negative, weakly nonmonotonic, and no detectable frequency dependence). Pollinator-mediated plant-plant interactions during flowering induced both nonmonotonic density dependence and negative frequency dependence in one species. Importantly, the extent of variation in FD/DD observed in our study brings into question the dominance of negative density and frequency dependence in theory, suggesting instead that demographic responses of plants to their communities fall along a continuum of possible density- and frequency-dependent patterns.

A Field Survey of Syrphid Species and Adult Densities on Annual Flowering Plants in the Northeastern United States.

With the long-term goal of exploring the viability of conservation biological control of cabbage aphid Brevicoryne brassicae (L.) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) in the northeastern United States, adult syrphid flies (Diptera: Syrphidae) were observed on several species of annual insectary plants at farm sites in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire. Insectary plant species included alyssum, Lobularia maritima (L.) (Brassicales: Brassicaceae), buckwheat, Fagopyrum esculentum (Moench) (Caryophyllales: Polygonaceae), phacelia, Phacelia tanacetifolia (Bentham) (Boraginales: Hydrophyllaceae), calendula, Calendula officinalis (L.) (Asterales: Asteraceae) and ammi, Ammi majus (L.) (Apiales: Apiaceae). Among these insectary plants, alyssum had the longest bloom period and attracted the most syrphids. We identified 21 species of syrphid flies from insectary plants. The three most prevalent species collected were the aphidophagous Toxomerus marginatus (Say) (Diptera: Syrphidae) (70.1% of samples) and T. geminatus (Say) (Diptera: Syrphidae) (8.8% of samples), as well as the non-aphidophagous Syritta pipiens (L.) (Diptera: Syrphidae) (13.1% of samples). The benefits of including these insectary plant species as a companion to Brassica (L.) (Brassicales: Brassicaceae) cropping systems are discussed.

Inter-annual facilitation via pollinator support arises with species-specific germination rates in a model of plant-pollinator communities.

Facilitation is likely important for understanding community diversity dynamics, but its myriad potential mechanisms are under-investigated. Studies of pollinator-mediated facilitation in plants, for example, are typically focused on how co-flowering species facilitate each other's pollination within a season. However, pollinator-mediated facilitation could also arise in the form of inter-annual pollination support, where co-occurring plant populations mutually facilitate each other by providing dynamic stability to support a pollinator population through time. In this work, I test this hypothesis with simulation models of annual flowering plant and bee pollinator populations to determine if and how inter-annual pollination support affects the persistence and/or stability of simulated communities. Two-species plant communities persisted at higher rates than single-species communities, and facilitation was strongest in communities with low mean germination rates and highly species-specific responses to environmental variation. Single-species communities were often more stable than their counterparts, likely because of survivorship-persistent single-species communities were necessarily more stable through time to support pollinators. This work shows that competition and facilitation can simultaneously affect plant population dynamics. It also importantly identifies key features of annual plant communities that might exhibit inter-annual pollination support- those with low germination rates and species-specific responses to variation.

Observing Pollinator Attraction to Winter Annual Flowering Plants in an Urban Ecosystem

Observing Pollinator Attraction to Winter Annual Flowering Plants in an Urban Ecosystem

TAXONOMIC COMPOSITION, BIO-ECOLOGICAL PROPERTIES, ORNAMENTAL QUALITIES AND PROSPECTS OF ECONOMIC USE OF THE COLLECTION OF ANNUALS OF THE BOTANICAL GARDEN OF BILA TSERKVA NATIONAL AGRARIAN UNIVERSITY

The article highlighted the results of the analysis of collection of annual flowering-and-ornamental plants in the Botanical Garden of Bila Tserkva National Agrarian University. It was found that the collection of annuals included 76 species and 267 varieties belonging to 61 genera and 27 families. The largest number of species was represented by the families Asteraceae – 25 and Amaranthaceae – 6 species. Callistephus chinensis (L.) Ness. species containing 171 varieties belonging to three classes, 10 types and 44 varietal types and Tagetes L. genus including three species and 42 varieties were distinguished by varietal diversity. The taxonomic composition of the collection of annual flowering-and-ornamental plants was analyzed and it was established that 53% belonged to beautiful flowering plants, 21% to leafy ornamental plants, 10% to fragrant plants, 7% to dried flowers, 5% to climbing plants, 4% to ground cover species. It was established that all species and varieties of the collection differed in origin, height of shoots, nature of branching. According to the methods of cultivation, 78,3% of the species and varieties of the collection were suitable for sowing in open ground, and only 21,7% required a seedling method of cultivation. Analysis of flowering dates showed that 22,5% of the species and varieties of the collection began flowering 8-9 weeks after sowing, 52,3% – after 10-12 weeks and 25,2% – after 13-14 weeks after sowing seeds. Ornamental qualities of annuals, in particular, growth forms and height of plants, color palette of flowers and inflorescences, terry forms of flowers, their aromatic properties, variety of shapes and sizes of leaves, long and abundant flowering and resistance to the conditions of urboecosystems allowed to widely introduce annual flower plants into urban landscaping, in particular, in geometric flower beds, mixed borders, rabatka, borders, solitaires, groups, Moorish lawns, parterre flower beds and to create monoculture gardens.

Biological features of flowering of the genetic collection of plants of the family Onagraceae Juss. in the forest-steppe conditions of Western Siberia

Data on the timing of the onset of phenological phases and the duration of the flowering period of the genetic collection of annual flowering plants from three sections of the family Onagraceae Juss. are presented: Rhodanthos, Godetia and Phaeostoma of the Clarkia Pursh. generic complex, outside their natural habitats (ex situ), on the collection site of the Novosibirsk State Agrarian University. As a result of the evaluation of the flowering phenomena of Clarkia sections, two flowering periods were identified. The species were distributed into summer-flowering plants C. purpurea from the Godetia section - with a vegetation duration of 102 ± 2 days and summer-autumn C. amoena and C. amoena subsp. Lindleyi from the Rhodanthos section with a vegetation duration of 123 ± 2 days and a species of C. unguiculata blooming throughout the period from the Phaeostoma section with a vegetation duration of 126 ± 2 days. Correlation analysis showed a high dependence of the growth and development periods of Clarkia species on the sum of biologically active temperatures > 10 °C (0.77 - 0.99). Cpurpurea from the Godetia section has the greatest adaptive potential to local climatic conditions, it requires the least amount of biologically active temperatures of the growing season (1903 °C) for growth and development than two other sections: Phaeostoma (2090 °C), Rhodanthos (2188 °C). Thus, all three sections of the Clarkia family Onagraceae Juss. they are characterized by prolonged flowering in the conditions of the forest-steppe of Western Siberia, are promising for urban gardening, differ in the possibility of sowing seeds in the open ground and are suitable for flower beds of continuous flowering.

Characterization of the complete chloroplast genome of Veronica arvensis and its phylogenomic inference in plantaginaceae

Veronica arvensis, which is an annual flowering plant in the plantain family Plantaginaceae, has commonly used as a Chinese herbal medicine to treat malaria in China. Here, the complete plastome of V. arvensis was successfully assembled based on genome skimming sequencing. The plastome of V. arvensis was 149,386 bp in length, comprising a pair of inverted repeats (IR; 24,946 bp) separated by a large single-copy (LSC) region (82,004 bp) and a small single-copy (SSC) region (17,490 bp). The plastid genome encoded 113 unique genes, consisting of 79 protein-coding genes, 30 tRNA genes, and four rRNA genes, with 19 duplicated genes in the IR regions. Six plastid hotspot regions (trnH-psbA, trnK-rps16, atpI-rps2, ndhF-rpl32, ccsA-ndhD and rps15-ycf1) were identified within Veronica. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the representative species from Veronica was monophyletic. V. persica and V. polita formed a maximum clade, followed by sister to V. arvensis.

First Report of Powdery Mildew Caused by Erysiphe cruciferarum on Camelina sativa in Montana.

Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz, also known as false flax, is an annual flowering plant in the family Brassicaceae and originated in Europe and Asia. In recent years, it is cultivated as an important biofuel crop in Europe, Canada, and the northwest of the United States. In June of 2021, severe powdery mildew was observed on C. sativa 'Suneson' plants under greenhouse conditions (temperature 18.3°C/22.2°C, night/day) in Bozeman, Montana (45°40'N, 111°2'W). The disease incidence was 80.67% (150 pots, one plant per pot). White ectophytic powdery mildew including mycelia and conidia were observed on the upper leaves, usually developed from bottom tissues to top parts, also present on stems and siliques. Mycelia on leaves were amphigenous and in patches, often spreading to become effused. These typical symptoms were similar to a previous report of powdery mildew on Broccoli raab (Koike and Saenz 1997). Appressoria are lobed, and foot cells are cylindrical with size 18 to 26 × 7 to 10 μm. Conidia are cylindrical and produced singly, with a size of 35 to 50 × 12 to 21 μm and a length : width ratio greater than two (Koike and Saenz 1997). No chasmothecia were observed under the greenhouse conditions. The symptoms and fungal microscopic characters are typical of Pseudoidium anamorph of Erysiphe (Braun 1995). The specific measurements and characteristics are consistent with previous records of Erysiphe cruciferarum Opiz ex L. Junell (Braun and Cook 2012; Vellios et al. 2017). To identify the pathogen, the partial internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of rDNA of sample CPD-1 was amplified using primers ITS1 and ITS4 (White et al. 1990). The amplicons were sequenced, and the resulting 559-bp sequence was deposited in GenBank (CPD-1, Accession number: OK160719). A GenBank BLAST search of the ITS sequences showed an exact match (100% query cover, E-value 0, and 100% identity 559/559 bp) with those of E. cruciferarum on hosts Brassica sp. (KY660929.1), B. juncea from Vietnam (KM260718.1) and China (KT957424.1). A phylogenetic tree was generated with the CPD-1 ITS sequence with several of ITS sequences of close species with different hosts obtained from the GenBank. Isolate CPD-1 was grouped with pathogens from Brassica hosts rather than the holotype strain (KU672364.1) from papaveraceous hosts. To fulfill Koch's postulates, pathogenicity was confirmed through inoculation by dusting conidia onto leaves of seven healthy, potted, 14-day-old C. sativa seedlings (cv. Suneson). Seven non-inoculated plants served as a control treatment. The plants were incubated in a greenhouse with a temperature of 18°C (night) to 22°C (day). The inoculated plants developed similar symptoms after 7 days, whereas the control plants remained symptomless. The fungus on the inoculated plants was morphologically identical to that was originally observed on the diseased plants. Though many Brassica spp. have been known to be infected by E. cruciferarum throughout the world, powdery mildew of C. sativa cultivar Crantz in natural conditions by E. cruciferarum has been reported only in the province of Domokos in Central Greece (Vellios et al. 2017). To our knowledge, this is the first report of powdery mildew caused by E. cruciferarum on C. sativa in Montana. Though the powdery mildew on C. sativa was observed in the greenhouse conditions in this work, it poses a potential threat to the production of this biofuel crop in the northwest of the United States.

Soil moisture affects plant-pollinator interactions in an annual flowering plant.

Many environmental factors impact plant and pollinator communities. However, variation in soil moisture and how it mediates the plant-pollinator interactions has yet to be elucidated. We hypothesized that long-term variation in soil moisture can exert a strong selective pressure on the floral and vegetative traits of plants, leading to changes in pollinator visitation. We demonstrated that there are three phenotypic populations of Gentiana aristata in our study alpine region in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau that vary in floral colour and other traits. Pink (dry habitat) and blue (intermediate habitat) flower populations are visited primarily by bumblebees, and white (wet habitat) flower populations are visited by flies. These patterns of visitation are driven by vegetative and floral traits and are constant when non-endemic plants are placed in the intermediate habitats. Additionally, the floral communities in different habitats vary, with more insect-pollinated forbs in the dry and intermediate habitats versus the wet habitats. Through a common garden and reciprocal transplant experiment, we demonstrated that plant growth traits, pollinator attractiveness and seed production are highest when the plant population is raised in its endemic habitat. This suggests that these plant populations have evolved to pollinator communities associated with habitat differences. This article is part of the theme issue 'Natural processes influencing pollinator health: from chemistry to landscapes'.

Phytochemical Screening and In vivo Antileukemic Activity of Methanolic Extract of Seeds of Nigella Sativa L. on Benzene-Induced Leukemia in Wistar Rats

Nigella sativa is exquisite bounty of nature to humankind. It is an annual flowering plant of family Ranunculaceae majorly found in Southwest Asia, seeds are used as flavor food. The present work was directed to evaluate antileukemic effect of N. sativa seeds extract in benzene-induced leukemia in female Wistar rats. Seed powder was extracted using petroleum ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate, and methanol. OECD guidelines 423 were used to study acute oral toxicity study and intravenous injection of benzene was given on every 2nd day up to 21 days to induce leukemia. To assess burden of leukemia, various parameters analyzed are body weight (B.W), organ weight, complete blood picture, serum potassium, phosphate, uric acid, and glutathione. The presence of alkaloids, carbohydrates, cardiac glycosides, tannins, phytosterols, and flavonoids is confirmed by phytochemical screening. Acute oral toxicity study found 2000 mg/kg as a safe dose of N. sativa seed extract. Significant decrease in potassium, phosphate, uric acid, WBC, and increase in B.W, glutathione demonstrated therapeutic efficacy of extract in leukemia. Our results confirmed significant antileukemic effect of N. sativa seed extract, suggesting role of this herb for the treatment of malignancies such as leukemia.

Prevention of doxorubicin-induced experimental cardiotoxicity by Nigella sativa in rats

IntroductionDoxorubicin (DOX) is an anthracycline cytotoxic chemotherapeutic drug that is commonly used in cancer treatment. A major side effect limiting the clinical use of DOX is cardiotoxicity due to oxidative injury. Nigella sativa (NS) is an annual flowering plant with antioxidant properties. Its seeds contain several bioactive constituents such as saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, thymoquinone, dithymoquinone, thymohydroquinone, and thymol. In this study, we investigated the effect of NS extract on DOX-induced cardiotoxicity. MethodsThe experimental study animals consisted of 28 male Sprague Dawley rats weighing between 300 and 400 g. Four study groups each of seven rats were defined: controls; NS extract; DOX; and DOX+NS. Control and DOX rats received standard food, while each rat in the NS and DOX+NS groups also received 100 mg/kg NS extract orally. At day 28 of follow-up, rats in the DOX groups were administered a single 10 mg/kg intraperitoneal dose of DOX, while rats in the control and NS groups received a single 10 mg/kg dose of physiological saline solution. All animals were monitored for 35 days. On day 35, the rats were decapitated and serum and cardiac tissue samples were obtained. Troponin and NT-proBNP levels were measured in blood sera, while malondialdehyde (MDA), nitric oxide, total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and total oxidative stress (TOS) levels were quantified in sera and tissue samples. Histological alterations that were assessed in cardiac tissue included myocyte disarray, small vessel disease, myocyte hypertrophy, and fibrosis. ResultsThe DOX group had significantly higher NT-proBNP, TOS, and MDA, with greater histopathological derangement. TAC was significantly elevated in the DOX+NS group, which also exhibited significantly lower troponin, TOS, and MDA, as well as significantly higher TAC compared to the DOX group. Histopathological examination showed that the significant structural derangement observed in DOX rats was markedly and significantly reduced in DOX+NS rats. ConclusionOur results suggest that NS extract may prevent DOX-induced cardiotoxicity and thus represents a promising cardioprotective agent.

Sinapis arvensis-Wild Mustard as an AntiSection inflammatory Agent: An In-vitro Study

Introduction: Inflammation is body’s immune response to harmful stimulus. Commonly used conventional antiinflammatory agents are Non-Steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs). But on prolonged long-term use, it causes serious adverse events. So, the search towards natural agents which have anti-inflammatory property are increasing nowadays. Sinapis arvensis is an annual flowering plant which has proven multipurpose medicinal phytoconstituents. Aim: To evaluate in-vitro anti-inflammatory effects of flower extracts of Sinapis arvensis with diclofenac as standard. Materials and Methods: This in-vitro study assessed the laboratory based anti-inflammatory activity, performed using Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) assay in December 2021 at Sree Balaji Medical College and Hospital, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. BSA at pH of 6.8 generated denatured proteins. The anti-inflammatory activity of the sample (flower extracts of Sinapis arvensis) and standard (Diclofenac) was assessed by adding to BSA and percentage of inhibition of denaturation were calculated using the formula based on the absorbance measured. Descriptive statistics was used for analysis of collected data. Results: The concentration-dependent inhibition of protein denaturation was observed for both Sinapis arvensis and Diclofenac. At 100 µg concentration, percentage of inhibition reached up to 81.8% and 100% for Sinapis arvensis and Diclofenac, respectively. Conclusion: The present study showed that flower extracts of Sinapis arvensis exhibited concentration dependent antiinflammatory property invitro which proves to be nearly equivalent with that of the standard Diclofenac.