Apium Research Articles

FIRST REPORT OF ‘CANDIDATUS PHYTOPLASMA SOLANI’ IN PEPPER AND CELERY IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

In August 2015, in Bijeljina (Semberija province of Bosnia and Herzegovina) pepper and celery plants were surveyed for phytoplasma infections. During the survey pepper plants (Capsicum annuum ) of cvs Fortesa, Niska Sipka and Amanda showing stunting and leaf yellowing were observed, while celery plants (Apium graveolens L.) variety ‘Giant Prague’, expressed leaf whitening and stunting; the percentages of symptomatic plants ranged from 20 to 30%, respectively. Leaf samples from symptomatic and asymptomatic plants were tested to verify phytoplasma presence using nested-PCR/RFLP analyses. Results of 16S rDNA RFLP analyses with Tru1I and tuf typing using HpaII (Langer and Maixner, 2004) indicated the presence of a ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma solani’-related strain in all the symptomatic samples tested. There was no variability in the tuf gene and only tuf-type b was detected. Four symptomatic pepper and two celery samples were selected for further characterization amplifying vmp1 and stamp genes (Fialova et al., 2009; Fabre et al., 2011). The nucleotide sequences of the obtained amplicons were submitted to GenBank (accession Nos. KU340846-51 and KU295501-06 for vmp1 and stamp sequences, respectively). Homology with ‘Ca. P. solani’ sequences from database was 96- 100% for the vmp1 and 99-100% for the stamp gene. Combined RFLP analyses using Tru1I and Hpy188I on stamp and RsaI on vmp1 genes distinguished four ‘Ca. P. solani’ lineages indicating the presence of genetic variability among the phytoplasmas studied. This is the first report of ‘Ca. P. solani’ presence in symptomatic pepper and celery in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Influence of food resource on the development of Liriomyza trifolii Burgess 1880 (Diptera-Agromyzidae)

In order to limit the devastation caused in the celery (Apium graveolens L., 1753) plots by Liriomyza trifolii Burgess in Nkolondom, (Southern Cameroon), farmers proceed to the anarchic use of synthetic insecticides in addition to the pruning of the infested leaves as sanitary harvests. These infested leaves resulting from sanitary harvests are immediately abandoned in the furrows. The main objective of the present study was to assess the efficiency of pruning as a control method versus L. trifolii. The durations of the development of the pre-imaginal stages, the fitness and the sex-ratio of L. trifolii we are were evaluated using both whole plants and pruned parasitized leaves, respectively in the laboratory and the celery plot during the warm-dry and cold-humid seasons. The results obtained showed that the average duration of the pre-imaginal development cycle of L.trifolii varied between 16.53 ± 0.26 days in the laboratory with cut leaves during warm-dry period to 21.98 ± 0.3 days with entire plants in the garden during cold-humid period. It was also shown that from infested cut leaves emerged leafminers were able to cause serious damages to healthy celery plants in the plot. No significant difference was observed between the cut leaves sex ratio (1/0.96) and that of the whole plants (1/0.91); (χ2 = 2.38; df = 1; P=0.12). The L. trifolii sex ratio which is slightly biased toward females was not affected by the food resource. Key words: Apium graveolens, Liriomyza trifolii, leafminer, pruning, sex ratio, fitness.

Yielding of leaf celery Apium graveolens L. var. secalinum Alef. depending on the number of harvests and irrigation

Leaf celery (Apium graveolens var. secalinum) is a vegetable with medicinal and spicy properties. Its numerous intensely fragrant leaves can be cut several times during the plant growing period. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of irrigation and number of harvests on leaf celery yield of the cultivars ‘Afina’ and ‘Gewone Snij’. Plant irrigation significantly increased leaf yield and plant height of leaf celery. Higher total yield was obtained from non-irrigated plants when leaves were harvested three times, whereas for irrigated plants yield was higher in the case of two leaf harvests. Irrespective of the experimental factors, higher yield was obtained from the cultivar ‘Gewone Snij’.

Nutraceutical potential and bioassay of Apium graveolens L. grown in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa-Pakistan

The present study investigates the nutritive and pharmacological potential of Apium graveolens commonly available as wild plant in Peshawar and suburbs of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region of Pakistan. For this purpose, plants of A. graveolens L. was collected from its natural habitat at mature stage (seedling stage) from Palusi, near KPK Agricultural University, Peshawar Pakistan. Similarly, celery seeds were obtained from 3 different ecological zone markets of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa including Peshawar, Swat and Dera Ismail Khan Regions of KPK Pakistan. Analysis of the data revealed that all the examined plants contained appreciable amount of moisture, ash, fat, protein and fiber. The wild celery had good level of vitamin C and β-carotene. The phytochemical screening of methanolic extracts of celery showed the presence of various groups of compounds including tannins, steroids, phenolic acids, terpenoids, flavonoids, volatile oils and saponins, whereas cardiac glycosides was absent in all the samples. Among the antioxidant parameters, a significant amount of total phenols and tannins were observed. Likewise elements analyzed were in the order of Na> P> K> Ca> Mg> Fe> Cu> Mn> Zn> Ni> Pb> Pt> Cd> Se> Cr. The results further revealed that Mg, Ca, P, K and Na were present in fairly high amount. The methanolic extract of all the examined celery showed positive antibacterial activity against different strains tested. Similarly, antifungal potential of the celery was determined againstTrichphyton longifuss, Candida albicans, Aspergillus flavus, Microsporum canis, Fusarium solani and Candida glabrata in concentration 200 µg ml-1 of dimethyl sulfoxide(DMSO). The results revealed that all the organic solvents (hexane, chloroform, methanol) and water extracts showed no brine shrimp lethality and leishmanicidal activity. Key words: Bioassay, proximate, antibacterial, antifundal, Apium graveolens.

Evaluation of the Antitoxic Effect of Phthalides from Apium graveolens in Acrylamide Intoxication I. Evolution of the Hepatic Cytolysis and Proteosynthetic Parameters in Acrylamide Intoxication on the Background of Phthalide Protection

Acrylamide is a toxic compound formed during thermical processing of foods that contain amino acids, mainly asparagine, and reducing sugars. The toxicodynamics of acrylamide, exerted mainly by its major metabolite glycidamide, is expressed by mutagenic, carcinogenic and imunosupressive effects. Due to its toxicity and its high prevalence in aliments, the present paper approaches a possible way of reducing the toxic effects of acrylamide by using phytotherapeutical means. In this direction, the antitoxic potential of some phytopreparates obtained from Apium graveolens (Apii aetheroleum, extractive solutions from A. radix, A. folium and A. semen) were monitorized on the background of acrylamide intoxication. The antitoxic potential of phthalides has been evaluated by determining biochemical parameters: hepatic cytolysis parameters (aspartate aminotransferase, alanil aminotransferase, lactate dehydrogenase) and protesosynthesis parameters (colinesterase, total poteins, albumins). The biochemical investigation confirmed the antitoxic potential fo phthalides from celery, the highest protection being obtained for the phytopreparate from Apii semen.

AND DOSAGE RANGE TESTS OF TENSIGARD AS A HYPOTENSIVE PHYTOPHARMACA

Tensigard is a phytofarmaca product of Agromed ( PT. Phapros Tbk., Semarang) formulated for antihypertension therapy. The product comprises celery extract ( Apium graveolens ) 75 % and kumis kucing extract ( Orthosiphon stamineus Benth ) 25 %. The aims of the research is to study whether Tensigard has an effect to decrease blood pressure in the normo and hypertensive (adrenaline induced hypertension) experimental animals. The specific aim of the study is to determine the D50 value of Tensigard to lower the blood pressure of the hypertensive experimental animals. The tests were conducted using anesthetized using anesthetized cats which were randomly divided into two groups, each of which consisted of 35 normotensive cats and the other 35 cats with hypertension (due to adrenaline treatment, in which the blood pressure was increased about 1,5 times than normal value). Furthemore, each group was devided into seven sub groups, each of which consists of 5 cats. One sub group was used as the control group, while the remaining sub groups were treated with Tensigard (6 dosage levels). The results of the studies indicated, that Tensigard has a hypotensive effect in the cats, either with normal or hypertension (adrenaline induced). The D50 value of the hypotensive effect in hypertensive cats is 16,37  1,08 mg/kg BW., in which the extrapolation of this dosage value for a 50 kg, human being is about 249,05 mg. Key Word : tensigard, antihypertension, effective dosage

The effect of GA3 on psoralens and on columbianetin, a phytoalexin associated with celery resistance to pathogens during storage

The effect of GA 3 on concentration of psoralens and the phytoalexin columbianetin involved in celery (Apium graveolens) resistance to pathogens during storage was reported. After one month of storage at 1°C, incidence ofcelery decay increased from zero (before storage) to 35%, and the concentration of columbianetin decreased from 46 to 6 μg g- 1 FW. Concentration of psoralens during that time increased from 10 to 62 pg g-1 FW. When celery was treated with GA 3 prior to storage, incidence of decay increased only to 4%. Concentrations of columbianetin decreased to 23 pg g- 1 FW and of psoralens increased only to 28 pg g-1 FW.

NEW FORMS OBTAINED BY HYBRIDIZATION OF APIUM GRAVEOLENS AND PETROSELINUM HORTENSE

NEW FORMS OBTAINED BY HYBRIDIZATION OF APIUM GRAVEOLENS AND PETROSELINUM HORTENSE