Anthemis Tinctoria Research Articles

Evaluation of native herbaceous plants for green roof applications in Istanbul

Green roofs are important components by providing several benefits in urban environments. To achieve these benefits, appropriate plant selection is crucial. Therefore, a study was conducted to evaluate the plant diversity of the Istanbul and Marmara Region of Turkey for potential native suitable plants for green roofs. In this regard, suitable plants for extensive green roofs were investigated among international studies. Detected plant species were compared to taxa in the A2 grid square of Flora of Turkey P.H. Davis (1965-1985). At the second stage of the study, among listed plants, specific open field measurements were performed on 5 selected native plant species including Anthemis tinctoria L., Euphorbia myrsinites L., Prunella vulgaris L., Stachys thirkei C.Koch and Veronica chamaedrys L., which were collected from their natural habitats in Marmara region. The selected plants were placed in two different substrates, each comprising a mixture of lava rock or pumice with municipal waste compost in a volume ratio of 8:2. Measurements, including plant growth index, chlorophyll fluorescence, plant coverage ratio, and plant taxa survival, were conducted over a study period of 53 weeks. All the plant species have reached the phenomenological stage of blossoming in the study. The highest survival rate was observed on Veronica chamaedrys grown in pumice substrates treatments. Prunella vulgaris well adapted to the green roof environment. Despite the number of individual losses, Stachys thirkei exhibited a relatively higher revitalization ability, while Euphorbia myrsinites demonstrated greater drought resistance. A.tinctoria failed to adapt to the limited green roof substrate depth.

Biological activities of different plant species belonging to the Asteraceae family

Achillea biebersteinii and Anthemis tinctoria, which are widely distributed species of the Asteraceae family, are used in folk medicine in the form of herbal tea or extract in the treatment of many diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the chemical content, antimicrobial, antioxidant, enzyme inhibitor activities and cytotoxic effects of 80% ethanol extract of these two species and make a comparative analysis. In accordance with the data obtained, the major component of A. biebersteinii was determined as Cyclododecane (14.47%), while that of A. tinctoria was determined as Phytol (23.15%). A. biebersteinii, which showed moderate activity in terms of antimicrobial activity, produced more active inhibition than A. tinctoria did. Both plants showed high levels of antioxidant activity. The total phenol and total flavonoid contents of A. tinctoria were higher than those of A. biebersteinii. It was determined that there was no significant activity when the extracts were compared with galanthamine, which is the reference drug in terms of enzyme inhibitory activity. When the in vitro anticancer activity of human breast cancer cell line was examined, it was determined that A. tinctoria had a cytotoxic effect at high concentrations (IC50;0.82mg/mL), and A. biebersteinii showed strong cytotoxicity at all concentrations (IC50;<0.0625mg/mL). These two plants of the same family were evaluated in terms of many different biological parameters and it was revealed that A. biebersteinii was more active than A. tinctoria. However, in vivo studies are needed to determine whether these plants can be used as phytotherapeutic agents.

РАЗРАБОТКА И ВАЛИДАЦИЯ СПЕКТРОФОТОМЕТРИЧЕСКОЙ МЕТОДИКИ ОПРЕДЕЛЕНИЯ СОДЕРЖАНИЯ ФЛАВОНОИДОВ В ПУПАВКИ КРАСИЛЬНОЙ ТРАВЕ

The aim of this work is development and validation of a spectrophotometric technique for quantification of total flavonoids in terms of rutin in potentially medicinal plant Anthemis tinctoria herb. According to the literature, Anthemis tinctoria is used in folk medicine as a hepatoprotective, hemostatic and means, and its extracts in the experiment exhibit antimicrobial, cytostatic and antioxidant activities. In this work, we used sample of Anthemis tinctoria herb harvested in the summer of 2021 during the period of mass flowering in vicinity of Perm city (valley of the Vasilievka river, Adishchevo railway station). The raw materials were dried at room temperature, with sufficient ventilation, without direct exposure to sunlight, stored separately from other types of raw materials. According to the experiments the optimal conditions for determining of total flavonoids: grinding the raw material to a size passing through a sieve with a diameter of 1 mm, the optimal concentration of ethyl alcohol extractant is 50%, the analytical wavelength is 410 nm, the extraction time in a boiling water bath is 45 minutes, the ratio of extraction and complexing agent - 2% alcohol solution of aluminum chloride - 2:5. The technique was validated in accordance with the requirements of State Pharmacopeia of Russia 14th edition, the relative error of determination with a reliable probability of 95% was 4.00%. The technique can be used in further work to conduct studies of biological activity.

The Nutritional Dynamics of Common Weeds in the Rangelands of the Akdağ Mountains, Samsun

In this study, common weed species (Anthemis sp., Anthemis tinctoria L., Pilosella hoppeana Schultes, Doranicum orientale Hoffm, Muscari neglectum Guss. ex Ten., Ornithogalum armeniacum Baker, Ornithogalum narbonense L., Ornithogalum wiedemannii Boiss., Anchusa azurea Miller, Echium plantagineum L., Echium vulgare L., Ajuga orientalis L., Stachys germenica L., Juncus sp., Anacamptis pyramidalis L., Ophrys apifera Huds., Carex panicea L., Ranunculus sp., Hypericum perforatum L., Primula elatior L. Hill., and Galium rotundifolium L.) of the rangelands of Akdağ mountains, Samsun were evaluated by principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis (CA). These species were collected at least three times in two consecutive years. The proximate nutrients (organic matter, ash, crude protein, ether extract, neutral and acid detergent fibre, non-fibrous carbohydrate and hemicellulose), neutral detergent fibre properties (nitrogen-free neutral detergent fibre and in vitro neutral detergent fibre digestibility), and forage quality indicators (digestible dry matter, dry matter intake, metabolizable energy, net energy lactation, estimated net energy, total digestible nutrients, relative feed value, and relative forage quality) were assessed by chemical analysis and empirical equations. There were significant variations in the nutritional dynamics among the weed species. The PCA results demonstrated a relationship between the dietary dynamics assessed. Component 1 (65.5%) and component 2 (14.5%) described 80.0% of the total variation, with eigenvalues of 11.788 and 2.609 in the weed species, respectively. The loadings plot of components shows that most forage quality indicators were distributed to Quadrant 1 and Quadrant 4. Three clusters are observed from the CA for the weeds with significant linkage distance, indicating relatively high independence for each cluster. Due to high variation in their nutritional dynamics, the weed species (P. elatior, O. wiedemannii, O. narbonense, and G. rotundifolium) were more similar on component 1 ordination and in Cluster 1 of the dendrogram. In conclusion, our results suggest that the highlighted species have significant potential for grazing livestock as forages and could fulfilling the possible forage gap in the grazing system.

Assessment of the resistance of highly ornamental plants of autochthonous flora to increased concentrations of pollutants

Aim. The purpose of the work is to assess the resistance of highly decorative plants of the native flora to a high level of salinity and the content of zinc, lead and cadmium for landscaping urban and roadside areas. Methods. We used seed germination under laboratory conditions with soaking in solutions of sodium chloride and salts of zinc, lead and cadmium, as well as the method of in vitro cell selection to increase resistance to salinity of Verbascum nigrum L. Results. The resistance of 7 species of highly decorative plants, representatives of the autochthonous flora of Belarus, to increasing concentrations of lead, zinc and cadmium salts was assessed. Germination capacity, length and morphology of roots, length of seedlings during germination of seeds of Betonica officinalis L., Centaurea jacea L., Verbascum nigrum, Knautia arvensis (L.) Coult., Galium verum L., Anthemis tinctoria L., Anthemis arvensis L., Viscaria vulgaris Bernh., Achillea millefolium L. in the presence of sodium chloride are shown. It has been shown that the in vitro cell selection method is promising for the selection of resistant lines of Verbascum nigrum. Conclusions. The presence of lead, zinc and cadmium salts had a significant effect on the average length of the root, hypocotyl, and cotyledonous leaves, as well as the germination capacity of highly decorative species of autochthonous flora. The most resistant to salinity were yarrow (Achillea millefolium), brown knapweed (Centaurea jacea) and black mullein (Verbascum nigrum). Lines of Verbascum nigrum, capable of growing in vitro at a sodium chloride concentration of 5 g/L, were selected. Keywords: salinity, heavy metals, seed germination, highly decorative species.

Biologically Active Compounds and Antioxidant Activity of the Plants from CSBG SB RAS Collection of the Asteraceae Family

The article presents Data on the content of biologically active compounds (BAC) and the total phenolic antioxidants activity (TPA) evaluated for leaves and inflorescences of Achillea millefolium, Anthemis tinctoria, Artemisia absinthium, A. dracunculus, Leucanthemum vulgare, Pyrethrum balsamita, P. macrophyllum, Tanacetum vulgare. The leaves and inflorescences of the plants contain flavonols, catechins, tannins, carotenoids, pectin substances. High content of phenolic compounds was found in Artemisia dracunculus and Achillea millefolium (352.34 – 398.99 mg/g of DW). The highest level of catechins was registered in inflorescences (8.01 mg/g) and leaves (4.58 mg/g) of Artemisia absinthium. The content of pectin substances in the studied plants was quite high, with the biggest share of protopectins (50.6 – 95.9 mg/g). The maximum quantity of pectins was found in the leaves and inflorescences of Leucanthemum vulgare (11.2-12.7 mg/g), protopectins – in the leaves of Tanacetum vulgare (95.9 mg/g). The highest content of carotenoids was found in the leaves of plants, except for Leucanthemum vulgare. The highest antioxidant activity was recorded for water-ethanol extracts from leaves of Achillea millefolium (up to 1.09 mg/g) and inflorescences of Artemisia dracunculus (0.94 mg/g) plants due to the increased content of phenolic compounds, in particular flavonols and tannins, compared to the other species.

Anthemis tinctoria L. var. tinctoria L. Bitkisine Ait Fenolik Bileşiklerin LC-ESI-MS/MS ile Miktar Tayini ve Bitkinin Biyolojik Aktivitelerinin Belirlenmesi

Mevcut çalışmada, Tire/İzmir’den toplanan ve halk arasında, boyacı papatyası veya sarı papatya olarak adlandırılan Anthemis tinctoria var. tinctoria bitkisi fenolik profili ve biyolojik aktiviteleri bakımından incelenmiştir. Toplam fenolik ve flavonoit içeriği spektrofotometrik olarak belirlenmiş olup, 30 adet fenolik bileşiğin dedeksiyonu ve miktar tayini LC-ESI-MS/MS cihazı ile yapılmıştır. Bitkinin metanol ekstresine ait asetilkolinesteraz, bütirilkolinesteraz ve tirozinaz enzim inhibisyonları 96 kuyucuklu mikroplaka okuyucu ile saptanmıştır. Ayrıca bitkinin antioksidan kapasite tayini DPPH ve CUPRAC yöntemleriyle belirlenmiştir. Metanol ekstresinin toplam fenolik ve flavonoit miktarları sırasıyla 21.4±4.2 (mg GAE/g ekstre) ve 9.7±2.56 (mg QE/g ekstre) olarak bulunmuştur. Miktar tayininde, fenolik asit olarak 3-hidroksibenzoik asit (1167.3±0.72 µg/g ekstre) ve ferulik asit (845.8±1.98 µg/g ekstre), flavonoit olarak morin (1598.4±2.15 µg/g ekstre) ve kersetin (1416.0±1.83 µg/g ekstre) bileşikleri en yüksek konsantrasyonda bulunmuştur. Asetilkolinesteraz, bütirilkolinesteraz ve tirozinaz enzim inhibisyonlarının IC50 değerleri ise sırasıyla 254.7 ±4.86 μg/mL, 166.2±3.74 μg/mL ve 415.7±1.85 μg/mL olarak hesaplandı. Ayrıca bitkinin antioksidan kapasitesi sırasıyla 302.18±2.74 ve 514.62±3.82 mg TE/g ekstre olarak bulunmuştur.

Petroleum hydrocarbons degradation in contaminated soil using the plants of the Aster family.

Oil extraction is one of the causes of soil contamination with the total petroleum hydrocarbons. The objective of this study was to clarify the effect of Asteraceae plants on the degradation of petroleum hydrocarbon in contaminated soil. Initial soils with 40 and 90gkg-1 of total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) were prepared. There were three treatments: (1) no addition, (2) addition of FeCl3 and nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) solution, and (3) addition of FeCl3 + NTA and the cultivation of nine Asteraceae plants. The concentration of TPH was measured using infrared spectrophotometer, 2 and 3months after transplanting (MAT). Shoot and root dry weights were measured 3 MAT. The concentration of TPH in soil cultivated with Cosmos caudatus was lower than that of the initial soil (40gkg-1 TPH), 2 MAT. The concentrations of TPH in soils cultivated with Calendula officinalis, Callistephus chinensis, C. caudatus, and Tagetes sp. were also lower than that in the initial soil, 3 MAT. The concentrations of TPH in soils cultivated with Achillea filipendulina, Anthemis tinctoria, Tagetes erecta, Chrysanthemum coronarium, C. officinalis, C. chinensis, and C. caudatus were lower than that in the initial soil (90gkg-1 TPH), 2 MAT. The concentrations of TPH in soils cultivated with T. erecta, A. tinctoria, Zinnia elegans, C. chinensis, C. caudatus, and Tagetes sp. were lower than that in the initial soil, 3 MAT. A. filipendulina and C. coronarium died at both 40 and 90kg-1 TPH soils. These results suggest that the roots of Asteraceae plants degrade petroleum hydrocarbon in contaminated soil and C. chinensis and Z. elegans are more suitable for using TPH remediation. Plant survival and extensive root system are important factors for the remediation of TPH in contaminated soil.

Quantifying the attractiveness of garden flowers for pollinators

There is great interest in planting urban areas to benefit pollinating insects, with the potential that urban areas and gardens could act as an extensive network of pollinator-friendly habitats. However, there are a great many different plant cultivars available to the gardener, and a paucity of evidence-based advice as to which plants are truly most attractive to flower-visiting insects. Here, we report insect visitation to metre square plots of 111 different ornamental plant cultivars at a site in central UK. Data were collected over 5 years, and comprise over 9000 insect observations, which were identified to species (for honeybees and bumblebees) or as ‘solitary bees’, Syrphidae, Lepidoptera and ‘others’. Unlike some previous studies, we found no difference in numbers of insects attracted to native or non-native species, or according to whether plants were annuals, biennials or perennials, but we did find that native plants attracted a significantly higher diversity of flower-visiting insects. Overall, the most-visited plants were Calamintha nepeta, Helenium autumnale and Geranium rozanne. However, patterns of visitation were quite different for every insect taxa examined. For example, different species of short-tongued bumblebees showed little overlap in their most-preferred plant cultivars. Interestingly, very similar plant cultivars often attracted different insect communities; for example, 72% of visitors to Aster novi belgii were honeybees or bumblebees, while the related Anthemis tinctoria, which also has daisy-like flowers, did not attract a single honeybee or bumblebee but was popular with solitary bees, hoverflies, and ‘other’ pollinators. Some plant cultivars such as Eryngium planum and Myosotis arvensis were attractive to a broad range of insects, while others attracted only a few species but sometimes in large numbers, such as Veronicastrum virginicum and Helenium autumnale which were both visited predominantly by honey bees. It is clear that we do not yet fully understand what factors drive insect flower preferences. Recommendations are made as to which flower cultivars could be combined to provide forage for a diversity of pollinator groups over the season from early spring to autumn, though it must be born in mind that some plants are likely to perform differently when grown in different environmental conditions.

Hydrological and plant performance of green roofs in the climate context of the Veneto Plain (north-eastern Italy): preliminary results

A research was conducted at the Agripolis Campus of the University of Padova (Italy) to evaluate in the climate context of the Veneto plain the hydrological and plant performance of twelve different extensive green roof configurations in plastic trays (green roof microcosms), obtained from a factorial combination of two drainage/ storage layers, two substrates, and three vegetation treatments. The drainage/storage layers tested were a plastic preformed layer and a mineral layer (expanded perlite). The substrates tested were a volcanic medium and a recycled crushed bricks medium. Three types of vegetation were tested: a sedum mix (S. acre, S. album, S. reflexum, S. sexangolare), an herbaceous perennial mix (Bromus erectus, Melica ciliata, Campanula spicata, Potentilla pusilla, Euphorbia cyparissias), and a suffruticose mix (Dianthus spp., Thymus serpillum, Clinopodium nepeta, Artemisia alba, Anthemis tinctoria). In addition, as a control, gravel was considered to mimic a conventional roof with storage layer. The experiment was set in May 2014. The runoff volumes were evaluated by weighing, after each rainstorm, the water collected in tanks placed under the trays. Plant closure was evaluated elaborating digital image analysis taken on monthly basis. The results related to the preliminary phase from July 2014 to June 2015 indicate seasonal effects on the hydrological performance of green roof components; in fact, probably because of the low losses by evapotranspiration, the reduction of rainfall runoff in fall and winter was quite low (on average, about 31.5%), with little differences among the different microcosm configurations. Considering the entire period, the best performance in terms of water retention in our climate context was shown by the green roof configuration composed by suffruticose mix, recycled crushed bricks substrate and expanded perlite drainage/storage layer, which allowed a reduction of 62.7% of the total rainfall runoff compared to 14.1% of the conventional roof with gravel. Canopy closure of suffruticose and herbaceous mixes were higher than that of sedum mix throughout the experiment, and values were increased by crushed bricks medium and perlite drainage/storage layer.

Diversity of agrocoenoses in the Lublin region, Poland

The Lublin region, one of the main agricultural regions in Poland, has very favorable conditions for agricultural production but the development of the agricultural sector has been very slow there. This is due, among other factors, to the extensive farming used on large areas and the fragmentation of fields with numerous fragments of natural ecosystems. In Lublin Province, cereals comprise the highest proportion of the crop structure, especially wheat, but farmers also often cultivate maize, oilseed rape, sugar beet, and legumes for consumption. The biological diversity of agricultural areas is enhanced by growing traditional plant species and varieties. Crop species are accompanied by segetal weeds, sometimes very expansive, sometimes rare and endangered by extinction. In recent years, the following have been the dominant weed species in the region’s crop fields: <em>Galium aparine</em>, <em>Convolvulus arvensis</em>, <em>Papaver rhoeas</em>, <em>Viola arvensis</em>, and <em>Veronica persica</em>. However, there are several locations of occurrence of <em>Muscari comosum</em> (a strictly protected species) and the following unique species: <em>Adonis aestivalis</em>, <em>Anthemis tinctoria</em>, <em>Caucalis platycarpos</em>, <em>Galium tricornutum</em>, and <em>Thymelaea passerina</em>. In Lublin Province, there are many organic farms which contribute to the significant diversity of agricultural plant communities. In this review, we also indicate the biocoenotic role of weeds and their importance in the proper maintenance of agroecosystems and ecosystem services.

Analysis of Active Compounds and Antioxidant Activity Assessment of Six Popular Chinese Juhua Teas

Chrysanthemum is an important traditional Chinese medicine and is drunk daily as a herbal tea. Chlorogenic acids and flavonoids are generally considered as the bioactive compounds. In this work, six kinds of Juhua Tea were analyzed and their active compounds and antioxidant activities were compared. In total, 32 phenolic compounds were profiled and identified using HPLC-DAD/ESI-MSn, composed of chlorogenic acids (10), flavones (8), chalcones (8), flavanones (4) and flavonols (2). Chalcones were the main flavonoids in Kunlun Xueju (Coreopsis tinctoria) extract, while flavones and chlorogenic acids were dominant in the five Chrysanthemum teas. Total chlorogenic acids content (TCA) was highest in Tai Ju (Chrysanthemum morifolium cv. 'Tai Ju') (8.59 ± 0.87 mg/g DW), and total flavonoids content (TF) was highest in Kunlun Xueju (87.2 ± 7.0 mg/g DW), which were both lowest in Ganye Ju (Chrysanthemum eticuspe) (TCA 0.86 ± 0.26 mg/g DW, TF 1.43 ± 0.41 mg/g DW). Huangin Ju (Anthemis tinctoria) possessed the most flavones (19.7 ± 0.6 mg/g DW). Antioxidant capacity of each drink, assessed by Folin-Ciocalteu, DPPH, ABTS and FRAP assays, consistently showed that Kunlun Xueju extract possessed stronger antioxidant activity than the other five, suggesting that the flavonoids content accounted for the free radical scavenging. The present work provides a method for the characterization and quality control of Juhua Tea. Moreover, it is a guideline for consuming choice, due to the different biological functions resulting from chalcones, chlorogenic acids, and flavones.

Embryological studies on Anthemis tinctoria L.

The chromosome number of <i>Anthemis tinctoria</i> from natural habitats in Poland is n=9. The development of pollen grains is normal. The embryo-sac is of tetrasporic type and the number of antipodal cells is seven, all derived from one-cellular archespore. The embryo development is of Aster type and the endosperm is of nuclear type.

The Evaluation and Light, Abrasion Fastness Values of Colours Obtained from Some Dyeing Plants in Silk Yarn

The silk yarn produced in Turkey finds also an area of usage in the textile handicraft carpet with some areas of textile. As the textile handicraft silk carpets painted with vegetable dyes are very valuable, they are prefered by consumers in the inner and outer markets. In this research; the silk yarn was painted with sage (Salvia sp.), safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.), walnut (Juglans regia L.), madder (Rubia tinctorium L.) and camomile (Anthemis tinctoria L.) plants. During the painting, the mordant and non-mordant method has been used. 100 % plant, and 3% mordant (sodium chloride, ferrosulphate, coppersulphate, alum of aluminium and potassium bichromate) was used during the painting. The mordant process was made with the pre-mordant method by using 3% mordant with a single mordant and adding two mordants in an equal ratio (1.5%+1.5%). 80 painting was made totally and different colours and tones depending on the plants feature was acquired. The acquired colours were examined light and abrasion fastnesses. The acquired colours were evaluated objectively and subjectively.

Cyto-histological processes during the differentiation of the tapetal cells in the anthers of Anthemis tinctoria L., Erigeron annuus (L.) Pers. and E. canadensis L.

Tapetal cells in the anthers of <i>Anthemis tinctoria, Erigeron annus</i> and <i>E. canadensis</i> were uninucleate in the premeiotic stage of the PMC's. Ta-petum differentiation with inhibited cytokinesis took place during the period of meiotic divisions. In <i>E. canadensis</i> both mitoses were normal, wheareas in <i>A. tinctoria</i> and <i>E. canadensis</i> after both first and second mitotic divisions as a result of numerous disturbances polyploid nuclei were formed.

Cytogenetics investigation in different populations of Anthemis tinctoria L. (yellow camomile) accessions from Iran

Cytogenetics investigation in different populations of Anthemis tinctoria L. (yellow camomile) accessions from Iran

Urban ethnobotany study in Samogitia region, Lithuania

The urban ethnobotany study provides a generalized survey on ethnobotanical knowledge preserved in Samogitia (Lithuania) and on the practical application of this knowledge in modern therapy. We registered 113 medicinal plants from 57 plant families used for therapeutic purposes. The most commonly used families of medicinal plants were Asteraceae, Lamiaceae and Rosaceae and the most commonly used plants - Calendula officinalis L., Vaccinium vitis-idaea L., Valeriana officinalis L., Hypericum perforatum L., Artemisia absinthium L., Symphytum officinale L., Quercus robur L., Populus x canescens Aiton, Anthemis tinctoria E.C. Buxton, Achillea millefolium L., Acorus calamus L. and Aesculus hippocastanum L. Most commonly, medicinal plants were used for alimentary tract disorders (22%), disorders of the respiratory tract (20%), wounds, other traumas and bites (10%), renal and urinary tract disorders (10%), nervous and emotional disorders (9%). Despite easily accessible modern medical assistance, the inhabitants of the studied region were actively using their experience in traditional herbal medicine for primary healthcare.

Impact of flower-dwelling crab spiders on plant-pollinator mutualisms

Indirect effects in interactions occur when a species influences a third species by modifying the behaviour of a second one. It has been suggested that indirect effects of crab spiders (Thomisidae) on pollinator behaviour can cascade down the food web and negatively affect plant fitness. However, it is poorly understood how different pollinator groups react to crab spiders and, thus, when a reduction in plant fitness is likely to occur. Using continuous video surveillance, we recorded the behaviour of pollinators on two flower species and the pollinators’ responses to three crab spider treatments: inflorescences (1) with a pinned dried spider, (2) with a spider model made of paper, and (3) without spiders (control). We found that pollinators avoided inflorescences with dried spiders only on one plant species (Anthemis tinctoria). Pollinators showed no significant avoidance of paper spiders. Honeybees and bumblebees did not react to dried spiders, but solitary bees and syrphid flies showed a strong avoidance. Finally, we found no evidence that inflorescences with dried spiders suffered from a decrease in fitness in terms of a reduced seed set. We hypothesise that top-down effects of predators on plants via pollinators depend on the degree of specialisation of pollinators and their tendency to avoid spiders. Indirekte Effekte entstehen, wenn eine Art eine Dritte beeinflusst, indem sie das Verhalten einer zweiten Art modifiziert. Es wird vermutet, dass Bestäuber Pflanzen, auf denen Krabbenspinnen (Thomisidae) jagen, meiden und dass sich dies auf die Fitness der Pflanzen niederschlagen könnte, da diese weniger besucht würden. Allerdings ist bisher nicht bekannt, wie verschiedene Bestäubergruppen auf Spinnen reagieren und wann eine Fitnessreduktion der Pflanzen zu erwarten ist. Die Reaktion von Bestäubern auf (1) getrocknete Spinnen, (2) künstliche Papierspinnen und (3) Blüten ohne Spinnen (Kontrolle) wurde auf zwei verschiedenen Blütenarten mit Hilfe von kontinuierlicher Videoüberwachung untersucht. Die Resultate zeigen, dass die Bestäuber auf der einen Pflanzenart (Anthemis tinctoria) die getrockneten Spinnen mieden. Die Bestäuber zeigten keine signifikante Meidung bezüglich der Papierspinnen. Hummeln und Bienen reagierten nicht negativ auf die Spinnen, während solitäre Bienen und Schwebfliegen die Blüten mit getrockneten Spinnen stark mieden. Einen Einfluss auf die Fitness der Blüten hatte dies allerdings nicht, und es konnte kein Unterschied in der Anzahl gekeimter Samen zwischen Blüten mit getrockneten Spinnen und den Kontrollblüten festgestellt werden. Wir stellen die Hypothese auf, dass “top-down”-Effekte auf Pflanzen durch Prädation auf Bestäuber vom Ausmass der Spezialisierung der einzelnen Bestäubergruppen und deren Tendenz Spinnen zu meiden, abhängen dürften.

Antiviral activity and cytotoxicity of the lipophilic extracts of various edible plants and their fatty acids

The lipophilic extracts of a number of edible plants, including Anthemis tinctoria var. tinctoria , A. austriaca , Carduus acanthoides , C. nutans , Cirsium hypoleucum , Cynara scolymus (Asteraceae), Silene vulgaris (Caryophyllaceae), Ajuga chamaepitys ssp. chia var. ciliata (Lamiaceae), Lappula barbata (Boraginaceae), Rumex obtusifolius ssp. subalpinus (Polygonaceae), Digitalis lamarckii (Scrophulariaceae), and Sedum hispanicum (Crassulaceae) were tested against DNA virus Herpes simplex (HSV) and RNA virus Parainfluenza (PI-3) using Madin-Darby bovine kidney and Vero cell lines, and also analysed by capillary gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). Most of the extracts exerted quite appreciable antiviral effect against both viruses, as compared to acyclovir and oseltamivir. Cytotoxicity of the extracts was also determined as maximum non-toxic concentrations (MNTCs). Most of the extracts were found to be rich in saturated fatty acids. No correlation was found between antiviral activity and fatty acid contents of the extracts.

Negative ion ESI–MS analysis of natural yellow dye flavonoids—An isotopic labelling study

Flavonoids are amongst the most commonly used natural yellow colourants in paintings, as lakes, and in historical textiles as mordant dyes. In this paper, evidence from isotopically labelled substrates is used to propose negative ion electrospray collision induced decomposition mechanisms of flavones, flavonols and an isoflavone. These mechanisms include a retro-Diels-Alder fragmentation (observed for flavones and flavonols) and an M-122 fragmentation (characteristic of 3′,4′-dihydroxyflavonols). In addition, the presence of a m/ z 125 fragment ion is shown to be characteristic of 2′-hydroxyflavonols and an ion at m/ z 149 is shown to be characteristic of 4′-hydroxyflavones. Applications of these methods are exemplified by the identification of a minor component of Dyer's camomile ( Anthemis tinctoria L.) and the identification of the dye source in green threads sampled from an 18th Century Scottish tartan fragment.