Borage Research Articles

The Role of Annual Flowering Plant Strips on a Melon Crop in Central Spain. Influence on Pollinators and Crop.

Planting flower strips adjacent to crops is among the habitat-management practices employed to offer alternative floral resources to pollinators. However, more information is needed to understand their potential spill-over of pollinators on nearby insect-pollinated crops. Over the course of two consecutive years, the suitability of a flower mixture of 10 herbaceous plants for pollinators was evaluated on a weekly basis, in a randomized block design of two melon plots (10 × 10 m2) with or without 1 m-wide flower strips. Floral coverage and pollinator visits to the plant species, as well as pollinator visits and the yield and quality of the crop, were assessed. Additionally, the selected mixture was tested for 1 year in a commercial field in order to ascertain how far the flower strip could influence visitors in the crop. The most suitable species for a flower strip in central Spain based on their attractiveness, floral coverage and staggered blossom were Coriandrum sativum L., Diplotaxis virgata L., Borago officinalis L. and Calendula officinalis L. The flower strip can act as either pollinator competitor or facilitator to the crop, depending on their floral coverage and/or the predominant species during the crop bloom period. The concurrence of blooming of the rewarding plant C. officinalis with the melon crop should be avoided in our area. In the commercial field, the bee visitation rate in the melon flowers decreased with the distance to the flower strip. No influence of the specific flower strip evaluated on crop productivity or quality was found.

Ethanolic extracts of Borago officinalis L. affect growth, development and energy reserve profile in the mosquito Culex pipiens

Ethanol extracts of leaves and flowers from Algerian Borago officinalis L. (Polemoniales: Boraginaceae) were evaluated against fourth instar larvae (L4) of Culex pipiens L. (Diptera: Culicidae). The larvicidal bioassay revealed that leaves extracts (LC50= 2.49%) exhibited higher activity than flowers extracts (LC50= 2.55%) against L4. Moreover, females were found more sensitive compared to males (sex-ratio was skewed towards males). On the other hand, the flower extract caused marked delayed effects on growth (decrease of female weight) and development (increase in duration of larval and pupal stages). The biochemical analyses showed a decrease in carbohydrate and lipid contents and an increase in protein levels in all tested stages (L4, pupa and adults male and female), with more significance in females.

Enhancing the Quality and Yield of European Borage (Borago officinalis) by Simultaneous Application of Granulated Compost, Vermicompost and Mycorrhiza

The application of organic fertilizers alone or in combination with bio-fertilizers is important for sustainable agriculture, healthy agricultural production and restoring soil quality. Compost, vermicompost and mycorrhiza amendments could improve soil quality and plant yield. However, little is known about their impact on yield and quality of European borage (Borago officinalis L.). To evaluate the effects of vermicompost, granulated compost, and mycorrhiza on qualitative and quantitative traits of B. officinalis an experiment was carried out based on a randomized complete block design arranged in a factorial experiment with three replications. Organic fertilizers in five levels (0, 5 and 10 t/ha vermicompost and 3 and 6 t/ha granulated compost) and mycorrhiza (Glomus mosseae) in two levels (with and without) were considered. It was shown that the effects of organic fertilizer and mycorrhiza application on nitrogen content were significant in such a way that the maximum nitrogen content was obtained by 10 t/ha vermicompost and mycorrhiza inoculation treatment. The main effects of organic fertilizer and mycorrhiza on phosphorus and potassium contents were also significant. The maximum values were obtained when 10 t/ha vermicompost and mycorrhiza were applied together. Total chlorophyll content, flower-bearing branches, mucilage, and phenol were measured in all three harvests. The results indicated that the interaction effect of harvesting time, organic fertilizer, and mycorrhiza was only significant on chlorophyll content. The maximum chlorophyll content (0.958 mg g-1 freshweight) was detected in the third harvest when 10 t/ha vermicompost and mycorrhiza were applied. Maximum mucilage content (4.23%), phenol content (5.07%) and flower-bearing branches (57.45 g m-2) were obtained by 10 t/ha vermicompost treatment. The results suggested that chemical fertilizers could be replaced by organic fertilizer and mycorrhiza to reduce soil and water contamination in the agroecosystems.

Tswana traditional health practitioners' perspectives on the management of diabetes and hypertension: a qualitative study using focus group discussions.

IntroductionThe literature suggests the involvement of Traditional Health Practitioners (THPs) perspectives in treating diabetes and hypertension in Africa. This study sought the perspectives of Tswana THPs in the management of both diabetes and hypertension.MethodsUsing a semi-structured interview guide, four Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) sessions were held with 40 THPs; FGD1 (12) FGD2 (6); FGD3 (13) and FGD4 (9) who were purposely selected from Bojanala and Dr. Ruth Sekgopomati Districts in the North-West Province of South Africa.ResultsTswana THPs perceived diabetes as a “sugar” disease and described hypertension as a disease associated with the abnormal flow of blood in a patient's body. In addition, some of the signs and symptoms of both diabetes and hypertension mentioned by Tswana THPs agreed with scientific literature. Tswana THPs employed the use of the following plants: borago officinalis, ziziphus mucronata, hypoxis hemerocallidea, sutherlandia frutescens, senna italica, urginea sanguinea and eucalyptus globulus in the management of diabetes and hypertension.ConclusionSome of the medicinal plants employed by THPs in the management of both diabetes and hypertension has been proven scientifically to be effective against these chronic conditions.

Development of novel microsatellite markers for Alkanna tinctoriaby comparative transcriptomics.

Premise Alkanna tinctoria (Boraginaceae) is an important medicinal herb with its main distribution across the Mediterranean region. To reveal its genetic variation and population structure, microsatellite markers were developed and validated in four Greek populations.Methods and Results RNA‐Seq data of the related species Arnebia euchroma and Echium plantagineum were assembled and mined to identify conserved ortholog sets containing simple sequence repeat motifs. Fifty potential loci were identified and then tested on A. tinctoria, of which 17 loci were polymorphic. The number of alleles ranged from one to nine, and the levels of observed and expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.000 to 1.000 and 0.000 to 0.820, respectively. Most of these loci could be successfully amplified in eight other species of Boraginaceae (Alkanna graeca, A. hellenica, A. sfikasiana, Echium vulgare, E. plantagineum, Lithospermum officinale, Borago officinalis, and Anchusa officinalis).ConclusionsThis study provides the first set of microsatellite loci for studying the genetic variation and population structure of A. tinctoria and shows their potential usefulness in other Boraginaceae species.

Suitability of Borago officinalis for Minimal Processing as Fresh-Cut Produce

Borage (Borago officinalis L.) is a wild vegetable appreciated as a folk medicine and for culinary preparations. The introduction of borage as a specialized cultivation would allow for the diversification of vegetable crops and would widen the offerings of raw and minimally processed leafy vegetables. Thus, the aim of the research was to evaluate the quality and shelf-life of fresh-cut borage stored at different temperatures. Borage plants were grown during the autumn–winter season and immediately minimally processed after harvest. Fresh-cut borage leaves packed in sealed bags were stored at 2 or 6 °C for 21 d. Weight loss, total soluble solids (TSS), titratable acidity (TA), ascorbic acid, nitrates, leaf color characteristics and overall quality were determined through the storage period. Borage plants were deemed suitable for minimal processing. Storage temperature significantly influenced the rate of quality loss. Borage leaves had an initial nitrate content of 329.3 mg kg−1 FW that was not affected by temperature or storage. TSS and TA were higher in leaves stored at 6 °C. TSS, TA and ascorbic acid content increased during storage. Minimally processed borage leaves stored at 2 °C had lower weight loss and leaf color modifications during storage and a longer shelf life than those stored at 6 °C, so were still marketable after 21 d of storage.

Attraction of green lacewings (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) to native plants used as ground cover in woody Mediterranean agroecosystems

Using native seeds to establish semi-natural habitats is a novel strategy to restore biodiversity and ecosystem services such as biological control. As green lacewings (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) are regarded as major biological control agents in different crops, the objective of this study was to test the attractiveness of selected native plant species to lacewings. During a two-year (2016–2017) field experiment near Villarrubia (Andalusia, Spain), 42 native plant species belonging to 13 families were planted. Plant development was monitored, and arthropods were vacuumed from each plot twice during the peak May flowering period. Green lacewings were observed to use 28 of the 36 well developed species to reproduce, feed and/or rest. Chrysoperla lucasina was the predominant species among the captured adults. No clear pattern of attraction common to all species was observed during the two-year sampling period. In 2017, eight plant species showed above-average chrysopid abundance. In addition, Acari abundance correlated positively with chrysopid abundance. Given the attraction of chrysopids, the effect of pests and disease on olive orchards and satisfactory plant development, we consider Biscutella auriculata, Borago officinalis, Silene colorata, Crepis capillaris, Nigella damascena and Papaver rhoeas to be the native plant species best suited to host chrysopids and to restore ground cover in perennial Mediterranean crops.

Synergistic action of Erigeron annuus L. Pers and Borago officinalis L. enhances anti-obesity activity in a mouse model of diet-induced obesity

Prior studies show that Borago officinalis L. (BO) can suppress lipid accumulation in 3 T3-L1 adipocytes. Similarly, we recently revealed that Erigeron annuus L. Pers (EA) can significantly diminish both lipid accumulation and adipocyte differentiation in 3 T3-L1 cells through an AMPK (AMP-activated protein kinase)-dependent mechanism. Accordingly, the objective of this present study was to evaluate the anti-obesity activity of EA and/or BO using an animal model of obesity. Obesity was induced in C57BL/6 J mice by feeding a high-fat diet (HFD; 60 kcal% fat) for 3 weeks, followed by administration of EA and/or BO (100-200 mg/kg body weight) or positive control Garcinia Cambogia (GC) (100 mg/kg body weight) for an additional 8 weeks. The anti-obesity effect of EA and/or BO was assessed by measuring body weight, adipocyte size, lipid accumulation, and expression level of genes associated with adipogenesis. We found the administration of EA and/or BO significantly attenuated increases in body weight gain, adipocyte size, and lipid accumulation in obese mice induced by HFD. In addition, western blot analysis revealed that HFD-mediated increases in expressions levels of adipogenic genes such as PPARγ, C/EBPα, and SREBP-1c were diminished by EA and/or BO. Moreover, EA and/or BO significantly stimulated the production of adiponectin, a unique adipokine known to stimulate the breakdown of fat/lipids, whereas adiponectin levels were reduced in mice fed a HFD. Notably, a combination of EA and BO was more effective at modulating such parameters than EA or BO alone. Taken together, these results demonstrate that an anti-obesity effect of EA and/or BO can reduce adipocyte hypertrophy and modulate the expression of adipogenesis-associated genes.

First Report of Fusarium oxysporum Causing Wilt and Root Rot in Common Borage (Borago officinalis) in Spain

First Report of <i>Fusarium oxysporum</i> Causing Wilt and Root Rot in Common Borage (<i>Borago officinalis</i>) in Spain

Phytochemical characterization of Borago officinalis L. and Centaurea cyanus L. during flower development.

The present work details the nutritional and chemical compositions of borage and centaurea, at three flowering stages. Water was the main constituent, followed by total dietary fiber. Both flowers showed statistically different (p < 0.05) nutritional and chemical profiles, although in both, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) (mainly linoleic and α-linolenic acids), free sugars (3.9-28.9% dw as fructose, glucose, and sucrose), tocopherols (with the major contribution of α-tocopherol from 1.24 to 2.75 mg/100 g dw), carotenoids (0.2-181.4 mg/100 g dw, mainly as lutein), and organic acids (6.1-14.4 g/100 g dw, mainly malic, succinic, and citric acids) were quantified. Concerning flowering, significant differences (p < 0.05) were found for some components, particularly carotenoids; however, no specific trend was observed in either of the two flower species. Thus, the present study shows that each flower species, as well as their flowering stages, may have different phytochemical and nutritional compositions.

Hypoglycemic Activity of Tilia americana, Borago officinalis, Chenopodium nuttalliae, and Piper sanctum on Wistar Rats.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is considered the epidemic of the 21st century. Traditional medicine uses plants to treat DM; many of these have hypoglycemic effects in both animal models and diabetic patients. Our objective was to evaluate the hypoglycemic activity of Tilia americana, Borago officinalis, Chenopodium nuttalliae, and Piper sanctum on diabetic rats. The methanolic extracts of the plants under study were obtained by Soxhlet extraction. Toxicity was evaluated on Artemia salina; the antioxidant potential was evaluated using the DPPH technique. Hypoglycemic capacity at doses of 250 and 500 mg/kg was tested on Wistar rats with diabetes induced by alloxan (120 mg/kg). The toxicity on A. salina was null for the extracts of B. officinalis and P. sanctum, moderate for T. americana, and highly toxic for C. nuttalliae. The relevant extract of T. americana var. mexicana showed antioxidant activity. Three plants of the studied plants showed hypoglycemic activity: Tilia Americana (p = 0.0142), Borago officinalis (p = 0.0112), and Piper sanctum (p = 0.0078); P. sanctum was the one that showed the greatest reduction in glucose levels at a lower dose.

Do recent research studies validate the medicinal plants used in British Columbia, Canada for pet diseases and wild animals taken into temporary care?

Ethnopharmacological relevanceThere are insufficient safe and effective treatments for chronic pain in pets. In cases such as osteoarthritis there is no commercially available cure and veterinarians use NSAIDs to manage pain. Pet owners may have to plan for a lifetime of plant-based treatment for the conditions that lead to chronic pain in pets. Phytopharmacotherapies have the advantage of being less toxic, cheap or free, readily available, are more likely to be safe for long-term use and have the potential to reset the immune system to normal functioning. Aim of the studyTo examine the recently published medicinal plant research that matches unpublished data on ethnoveterinary medicines (EVM) used for pets in Canada (British Columbia) to see if the EVM data can provide a lead to the development of necessary drugs. Materials and methodsIn 2003 semi-structured interviews were conducted with 60 participants who were organic farmers or holisitic medicinal/veterinary practitioners obtained using a purposive sample. A draft manual prepared from the data was then evaluated by participants at a participatory workshop that discussed the plant-based treatments. A copy of the final version of the manual was given to all research participants. In 2018, the recently published research matching the EVM data was reviewed to see if the EVM practices could serve as a lead for further research. Results and conclusionMedicinal plants are used to treat a range of conditions. The injuries treated in pets in British Columbia included abscesses (resulting from an initial injury), sprains and abrasions. Dogs were also treated with medicinal plants for rheumatoid arthritis, joint pain and articular cartilage injuries. More than 40 plants were used. Anal gland problems were treated with Allium sativum L., Aloe vera L., Calendula officinalis L., Plantago major L., Ulmus fulva Michx., Urtica dioica L. and Usnea longissima Ach. Arctium lappa, Hydrangea arborescens and Lactuca muralis were used for rheumatoid arthritis and joint pain in pets.Asthma was treated with: Linum usitatissimum L., Borago officinalis L., Verbascum thapsus L., Cucurbita pepo L., Lobelia inflata L., and Zingiber officinale Roscoe. Pets with heart problems were treated with Crataegus oxyacantha L., Cedronella canariensis (L.) Willd. ex Webb & Berth, Equisetum palustre L., Cypripedium calceolus L., Pinus ponderosa Douglas ex Lawson, Humulus lupulus L., Valeriana officinalis L., Lobelia inflata L., Stachys officinalis (L.) Trev., and Viscum album L. The following plants were used for epilepsy, motion sickness and anxiety- Avena sativa L., Valeriana officinalis, Lactuca muralis (L.) Fresen., Scutellaria lateriflora L., Satureja hortensis L., and Passiflora incarnata L.Plants used for cancer treatment included Phytolacca decandra, Ganoderma lucidum, Lentinula edodes, Rumex acetosella, Arctium lappa, Ulmus fulva, Rheum palmatum, Frangula purshiana, Zingiber officinale, Glycyrrhiza glabra, Ulmus fulva, Althea officinalis, Rheum palmatum, Rumex crispus and Plantago psyllium. Trifolium pratense was used for tumours in the prostate gland. Also used were Artemisia annua, Taraxacum officinale and Rumex crispus.This review of plants used in EVM was possible because phytotherapy research of the plants described in this paper has continued because few new pharmaceutical drugs have been developed for chronic pain and because treatments like glucocorticoid therapy do not heal. Phytotherapuetic products are also being investigated to address the overuse of antibiotics. There have also been recent studies conducted on plant-based functional foods and health supplements for pets, however there are still gaps in the knowledge base for the plants Stillingia sylvatica, Verbascum thapsus, Yucca schidigera and Iris versicolor and these need further investigation.

Ground cover management with mixtures of flowering plants to enhance insect pollinators and natural enemies of pests in olive groves

The potential of ground cover management with mixtures of selected plants to provide habitats for pollinating insects and natural enemies of pests in an olive grove in southern Greece, was studied over a period of 3 years (2011–2013). The management consisted of the establishment of 3 m2 patches of sown plant species or spontaneous natural vegetation between trees along tree lines. The sown plant species in the mixtures were Sinapis alba L. (Brassicaceae), Glebionis segetum (L.) Fourr. and Glebionis coronaria (L.) Cass. ex Spach (Asteraceae), Vicia sativa L. and Pisum sativum L. (Fabaceae), Borago officinalis L. (Boraginaceae), Coriandrum sativum L. and Pimpinella anisum L. (Apiaceae). Sowing was performed in autumn or spring and the peak flowering period occurred at the end of March to end of April, and at the end of May to end of June, respectively. Visual estimation of flower cover, counts of pollinator landings on flowers and presence of beneficial arthropods (suction sampling) were performed in three 7–10 day intervals during peak flowering, for each experimental year. Overall, patches with sown plant mixtures attracted higher numbers of pollinating Hymenoptera compared to native vegetation, especially mining bees and honey bees (Apis mellifera) as well as megachilids and bumble bees (Bombus spp.). Sinapis alba, present in both sown and native vegetation patches, attracted mainly mining bees and honey bees. The flowering mixture with C. sativum and B. officinalis was more attractive to honey bees than the one with G. coronaria as main flowering species but they were both equally attractive to mining bees, although the species composition may well have been different. Hymenopterous parasitoids, primarily Braconidae and Chalcidoidea, were sampled from the patches and the olive fruit fly parasitoid Opius concolor (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) was recorded on olive trees adjacent to the flowering patches. Large numbers of predators, namely Orius sp. (Hemiptera: Miridae) and lacewings (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae), were recorded in the patches, principally in those with the mixture containing mostly S. alba. Our results suggest that ground cover in patches with suitable flowering species could be part of a sustainable olive crop management system, providing food and refuge for pollinating insects and beneficial arthropods.

Medicinal plants as a source of future anti-pruritic drugs: A comprehensive review

Pruritus is a distressing sensation of the skin that provokes the desire to scratch. Medicinal plants have been proposed as a worthful source for identifying new bioactive molecules. The aim of this study was to evaluate some medicinal plants and their phytochemicals used in the management of pruritus. Medicinal plants including Avena sativa, Borago officinalis, Capsicum frutescens, Curcuma longa, Fumaria spp., Mentha x piperita and Oenothera biennis showed the promising anti-pruritic activity in human studies. In experimental studies, Angelica sinensis, Betula platyphylla, Matricaria chamomilla, Rumex Japonicus, Saururus chinensis and Vaccinium myrtillus are among the best medicinal plants for management of pruritus. Essential oils, alkaloids, saponins, sterols, terpens, phenolic compounds, and fatty acids were the bioactive constituents of herbs which exhibited their anti-pruritic activity through different mechanisms. The most predominant mechanisms involved in activity of plant-derived molecules in pruritis include reducing serum IgE and proinflammatory cytokines, stabilizing mast cells, suppressing the Th2 cellular response, suppressing the expression of substance P and NF-κB, inhibiting prostaglandin E2 production, and activating receptors involved in itch sensation. Overall, several medicinal plants and its bioactive compounds have shown marked activity in the management of pruritus and therefore can be considered as an alternative source of treatment.

GC-MS analysis of the volatile profile and the essential oil compositions of Tunisian Borago Officinalis L.: Regional locality and organ dependency

Seeking to explore new local natural resources, volatile profile as well as essential oil compositions of Tunisian Borago officinalis L. were analyzed. The current study aims at investigating the effects of the geographic origin and the plant part (flowers, leaves, and rosettes leaves) on the volatile profile of Borago officinalis L. The aerial parts were collected from three bioclimate zones in Tunisia namely Tunis, Bizerte, and Zaghouan. The essential oils were extracted by hydro distillation. The chemical composition of the latter was determined by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. Furthermore, an experimental procedure combining solid phase microextraction and gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry was implemented to study the volatile profile of Borago officinalis L. It was set up to assess the influence of different plant organs obtained from various sites on the aromatic profile.Essential oil yields ranged from 0.14 ± 0.00% to 0.18 ± 0.01%. Benzenacetaldehyde was the major compound of the essential oils (7.11–9.16%). Chromatographic analysis revealed that the chemical compositions vary considerably from one region to another. The ones extracted from Bizerte and Zaghouan collections were characterized by the predominance of aldehydes (27.02% and 35.16%), followed by oxygenated monoterpenes (20.64% and 20.58%). The essential oils obtained from the third collection (Tunis) showed the predominance of oxygenated monoterpenes (27.23%), followed by aldehydes (23.93%) and oxygenated sesquiterpenes (12.22%).The aldehydes were identified as the major chemical class in the flowers’ volatile compounds dominated by octanal (13.32–16.42%) as well as in the leaves where nonanal was the major one (10.49–11.55%). In the rosettes aromatic profile, the oxygenated monoterpenes were the main chemical class with a percentage ranging from 39.45 to 46.64%. A relatively high content of acids (10.15%) was exclusively determined in Zaghouan flowers’ volatile profile.Principal Component Analyses and Hierarchical Clustering Analyses were pertinent tools to differentiate the volatile fractions. The findings showed a remarkable difference and significant variations in quality and quantity of the secondary metabolites.

Small things can make a big difference: a comparison of pollen and macrobotanical records of some food plants from medieval and post-medieval cesspits in the Netherlands and northern Belgium

This paper presents a review of records of pollen and botanical macroremains of a selection of food plants from late and post-medieval cesspits (12th century-19th century ad) in the Netherlands and northern Belgium. The presented data demonstrate that several food plants remain largely invisible in the macrobotanical records. These are all plants from which the flowers or flower buds (Borago officinalis, Capparis, Carthamus tinctorius, Crocus sativus, Syzygium aromaticum) or leaves (Anthriscus cerefolium, Spinacia oleracea) are eaten, or that are typical components of honey (Cistus). As a result, little is known about the import or local production and consumption of these food plants in these times. This review now shows that past use of some of these plants is reflected in the pollen assemblages of (post-) medieval cesspits. For the first time, a large archaeobotanical dataset is presented, including pollen, providing information on the past use of these plants between the 12th and 19th century ad in the Netherlands and Belgium.

Gastroprotective Effect of Borago Extracts against Indomethacin-Induced Gastric Ulcer in Rats

Gastric ulcer stays one of the perilous sicknesses in the world. In spite of the fact that there are numerous medications utilized for the treatment of gastric ulcer, the vast majority of these deliver a few adverse impacts. The aim of this investigation was to assess the antiulcer effects of Borago (Borago officinalis L) leaves extract (BL), flowers extract (BF) and the mixture of leaves and flowers extracts (Mix) against gastric ulcer induced by indomethacin in rats and compared with ranitidine as a reference drug. Gastric ulceration was stimulated by indomethacin at one dose (30 mg/kg b.w. Intraperitoneal (i.p)). BL and BF were administered orally at two doses of 100 and 200 mg/kg b.w, Mix was given orally at a dose of 200 mg/kg b.w. and ranitidine at a dose of 20 mg/kg b.w. for three weeks before the injection of indomethacin. The results appeared that indomethacin significantly decreased pH value, mucin content, catalase activity (CAT) and nitric oxide (NO), while, increased ulcer index, total acidity, free acidity and malondialdehyde (MDA) comparing with control group.While, pretreatment with Borago extracts provided a significant decrease in ulcer index, total acidity,free acidity, MDA, and associated with a significant rise in pH value, mucin content, CAT and NO compared to indomethacin group. The protection provided by the extracts of Borago is similar to ranitidine. Histological studies of stomach mucosa affirmed these outcomes. Borago has protective against indomethacin which caused gastric ulcer because of it contains antioxidant properties. The results of the present suggest that Borago can be utilized against gastric ulcer impacts as well as to decrease antagonist drugs adverse effects.

Alkaloidy pirolizydynowe – źródła i zagrożenie dla zdrowia ludzi

The pyrrolizidine alkaloids are commonly found in many plants. They are present in well-known medicinal plants as: comfrey (Symphytum officinale L.), common butterbur (Petasites hybridus L.), coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara L.) or borage (Borago officinalis L.). Some of this plants are not used in phytotherapy or are used with big restrictions. We must pay attention that several human food products can be a source for pyrrolizidine alkaloids ingestion as a consequence of pollution of farmlands by plants originated from families: Senecio, Echium, Heliotropium, Crotalaria, Boraginaceae and Eupatorium. When harvesting, it may lead to contamination of food grains and feed for livestock. In consequence, pyrrolizidine alkaloids are detected in food products just like: baker’s goods, cakes, milk, cheese, yoghurts or meet.

Anti-Inflammatory Drugs and Herbs with Special Emphasis on Herbal Medicines for Countering Inflammatory Diseases and Disorders - A Review.

Diseases with inflammatory etiopathology have increased in incidence in recent times. Drugs used for therapeutic management of such inflammatory diseases are relieving the ailment but at the same time also countering serious life threatening consequences. Moreover, they are costly and rarely available at all places. In this context, research and development on medicinal herbs have opened a new era in the prophylactic and therapeutic management of inflammatory diseases. To highlight the importance of anti-inflammatory medicine-synthetic drugs and natural herbs, their constituents, mechanism of action, benefits, side effects and future prospects. The overall aim is to provide better health services to patients regardless of their background on equality basis. Anti-inflammatory herbs have proven beneficial by combating inflammatory responses that lead to severe abnormality in body systems. Inflammation though a protective response to infection or injury and may result in pathological outcome when aggravated or of severe degree thus needs an early intervention for proper resolution. Medicinal plants or their constituents are considered beneficial due to the properties i.e., satisfactory potency, ease of availability, cheapness, less or no side effects, safer and efficient as compared to the synthetic counterparts. These medicinal herbs contain phytoconstituents that can prevent undesirable inflammatory processes and also posses anti-inflammatory activity. Steroids, glycosides, phenolics, flavonoids, alkaloids, polysaccharides, terpenoids, cannabinoids, fatty acids are common phytoconstituents present in these plants. Different mechanisms have been explored for the anti-inflammatory action of these active ingredients. They may synergize the anti-inflammatory pathway enzymes, factors, proteins or interfere with these in the inflammatory pathway like lipooxygenases, cyclooxygenases, tumor necrosis factors, interleukins, prostaglandin, nitric oxide, mitogenactivated protein, nuclear factor, etc. Considering all the above-mentioned factors, further research from molecular to cellular level will enable a better understanding of the mechanisms. Common antiinflammatory herbal plants are Curcuma longa, Zingiber officinale, Rosmarinus officinalis, Borago officinalis, Urtica dioica, Uncaria tomentosa, Vaccinium myrtillus, Olea europaea and much more. They are believed to be without side effects unlike the chemical counterparts or synthetic anti-inflammatory agents e.g. steroids, nonsteroid anti-inflammatory drugs, and immunosuppresants used for controlling and suppressing inflammatory crisis. A proper phytochemical, pharmacological and physiological evaluation will enable their safe and effective use in inflammatory conditions. Many of these anti-inflammatory drugs and herbal preparations have been patented with some under consideration. Natural herbs are safe, effective and better options as anti-inflammatory agents than synthetic ones. The phytoconstituents are as effective with the comparable mechanism of action as synthetic molecules. Future research should focus on molecular mechanisms of different beneficial applications of these herbal plants in various diseases. Recent patents on anti-inflammatory drugs and herbal plants have been covered which provide insight into the current status and future prospects in this field.

An Investigation to the Vermicompost Efficacy on the Activity Level of Antioxidant Enzymes and Photosynthetic Pigments of Borage (Borago officinalis L.) under Salinity Stress Conditions

Salinity stress is one of the most important factors that limit the growth and yield of agricultural crops in arid and semi-arid regions. Activation of the antioxidant system in plants acts as a defense mechanism to build tolerance against salinity. The present factorial experiment was carried out in a completely randomized design. with four replications to evaluate the effect of salinity and application of vermicompost on the activity level of antioxidant enzymes and photosynthetic pigments borage (Borage officinalis L.) under salinity stress conditions. The study treatments consist of four vermicompost levels (0, 5, 10 and 15 wt % potted soil in dry weight) and four salinity levels (0 (control), 4, 8 and 12 ds/m sodium chloride (NaCl)). The results of analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed the considerable influence of salinity stress and vermicompost on the activity level of superoxide dismutase (SOD), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), catalase (CAT) and total chlorophyll enzymes. The findings indicated that incremental salinity increased the activity level of antioxidant enzymes and decreased photosynthetic pigments. The results showed that the use of vermicompost fertilizer raised the levels of chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and carotenoids significantly compared to the control. Based on the comparison of means of the interactions between salinity stress and vermicompost the maximum activity of antioxidant enzymes was obtained by 15 wt % vermicompost treatment at the salinity level of 12 ds/m NaCl. Therefore, the use of vermicompost as an organic fertilizer, in addition to increasing the activity of antioxidant enzymes and photosynthetic pigments, can be a good way to reduce the negative effects of high levels of sodium and chlorine in soils on the growth of borage.