Borage Research Articles

Nectar Production in Oilseeds: Food for Pollinators in an Agricultural Landscape

Pollinating insects are in decline throughout the world, driven by a combination of factors including the loss of forage resources. The maize (Zea mays L.)– and soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.]–dominated agriculture of the Central and Midwestern United States produces a landscape relatively devoid of nectar and pollen resources. Introducing specialty oilseeds into current crop rotations could provide abundant floral resources for pollinating insects as well as a high‐value crop for growers. We investigated the nectar sugar resources and insect visitation throughout flower anthesis of nine specialty oilseed crops in west‐central Minnesota and eastern South Dakota during the 2013 and 2014 growing seasons. Total sugar produced over anthesis (TS) was highest for echium (Echium plantagineum L.) at 472 kg ha−1. Canola (Brassica napus L.), crambe (Crambe abyssinica Hochst.), echium, borage (Borago officinalis L.), and cuphea (Cuphea viscosissima Jacq. × Cuphea lanceolata W. T. Aiton) produced enough sugar in one hectare to supply the annual sugar needs of a least one managed honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) colony. Pollinators visited flowers of all crops, with as many as 90 insects min−1 observed. Our study is unique as we measured nectar sugar production, flower density, and insect visitation throughout anthesis for multiple specialty oilseed crops, providing a seasonwide perspective of the flux of nectar resources for pollinators. Adding specialty oilseed crops into current crop rotations could aid in reversing pollinator decline by providing forage resources that are lacking in the current agricultural landscape.

Cancer Prevention and Health Benefices of Traditionally Consumed Borago officinalis Plants.

Nowadays, healthy eating is increasing the demand of functional foods by societies as sources of bioactive products with healthy qualities. For this reason, we tested the safety of the consumption of Borago officinalis L. and its main phenolic components as well as the possibility of its use as a nutraceutical plant to help in cancer prevention. The in vivo Drosophila Somatic Mutation and Recombination Test (SMART) and in vitro HL-60 human cell systems were performed, as well-recognized methods for testing genotoxicity/cytotoxicity of bioactive compounds and plant products. B. officinalis and the tested compounds possess antigenotoxic activity. Moreover, B. officinalis wild type cultivar exerts the most antigenotoxic values. Cytotoxic effect was probed for both cultivars with IC50 values of 0.49 and 0.28 mg·mL−1 for wild type and cultivated plants respectively, as well as their constituent rosmarinic acid and the assayed phenolic mixture (IC50 = 0.07 and 0.04 mM respectively). B. officinalis exerts DNA protection and anticarcinogenic effects as do its component rosmarinic acid and the mixture of the main phenolics presented in the plant. In conclusion, the results showed that B. officinalis may represent a high value plant for pleiotropic uses and support its consumption as a nutraceutical plant.

Antioxidant power, anthocyanin content and organoleptic performance of edible flowers

The growing need for nutraceutical new foods has generated interest in edible flowers. This flower trait inspired us to conduct experiments aimed at evaluating both the antioxidant activity and anthocyanin content in twelve species commonly used as ornamental plants. The antioxidant power of the edible flowers was very high compared to common vegetables and/or fruits. Except for the low values of Borago officinalis (only 0.5mmol FeSO4 100g−1 fresh weight; FW), the antioxidant power in the edible flowers ranged from 3.6 for Calendula officinalis to 70.4 for Tagetes erecta. Part of this high antioxidant activity is often due to their high anthocyanin content at least in the case of the more pigmented flowers (red or blue). For example in the red varieties of Viola×wittrockiana, Dianthus×barbatus, Pelargonium peltatum the high anthocyanin content (12.4, 13.3, 12.5mg cyn-3-glueq.100g−1 FW, respectively) was associated to a high antioxidant activity. Indeed the best nutraceutical performances (antioxidant and/or anthocyanin values) were shown by more pigmented flowers. A panel test was also carried out in order to evaluate the different degree of the flower’s palatability. This taste evaluation showed a high biodiversity of sensory profiles showing the greatest appreciation for Trapaeolum majus, Ageratum houstonianum and Viola×wittrockiana. Finally, the overlap between nutraceuticals and organoleptic aspects highlighted promising species for a potential market targeting new foods aimed at satisfying both taste and health.

EFFECT OF SALINITY STRESS ON BIOCHEMICAL PARAMETERS AND GROWTH OF BORAGE (BORAGO OFFICINALIS L.)

Salinity is one of the most important limiting factors for growth and product of plants around the world. Identification of salt tolerant varieties and improvement of plants tolerance are the most effective way to increase its performance. Experiments were conducted in a hydroponic system in order to study the reaction of borage (Borago officinalis L.) to salinity in terms of developmental changes and pigment content. Salinity was applied by 100 mM Sodium Chloride and Sodium Sulfate salts by the ratio of two to one on borage at the 4-leaf stage. Wet and dry weights of shoots and roots, chlorophyll, protein, proline, anthocyanins, soluble carbohydrate, and reducing carbohydrates were determined. Decrease in fresh and dry weights of shoots and roots was observed in the salinity condition and the fresh weight loss in shoots was significant (p<0.05). Chlorophyll content also decreased but this was not significant. Salinity stress decreased the amount of protein in shoots and roots compared to control. Proline contents in leaves and roots increased significantly under salt stress compared to control. On the average, in comparison to control, salinity stress decreased the amount of soluble carbohydrates in roots and shoots but this reduction was not significant.The amount of reducing sugars under salinity stress increased in shoots in comparison with control but they decreased in roots. Moreover, the amount of anthocyanin increased under salinity stress in comparison with control plants. It was concluded that borage was able to resist against stress due to the changes in the contents of these compounds under salinity.

Review of Anti-Inflammatory Herbal Medicines.

Medicinal plants and their secondary metabolites are progressively used in the treatment of diseases as a complementary medicine. Inflammation is a pathologic condition that includes a wide range of diseases such as rheumatic and immune-mediated conditions, diabetes, cardiovascular accident, and etcetera. We introduce some herbs which their anti-inflammatory effects have been evaluated in clinical and experimental studies. Curcuma longa, Zingiber officinale, Rosmarinus officinalis, Borago officinalis, evening primrose, and Devil's claw are some of the introduced medicinal herbs in this review. Since the treatment of inflammation is not a one-dimensional remedy, this review tries to reach a multidimensional therapeutic approach to inflammation with the help of herbal medicine and modification in lifestyle.

Removal of Cadmium and Manganese by an Ecofriendly Biomass

Borago officinalis has successfully been evaluated as a biosorbent for the removal of cadmium and manganese from aqueous solutions in batch and column systems. Maximum biosorption for Cd and Mn ions was obtained at original pH values of the solutions. The temperature‐independent and fast biosorption of Cd and Mn onto B. officinalis could be observed. The biosorption data were successfully correlated with the pseudo‐second‐order kinetic and Langmuir isotherm models. The maximum monolayer biosorption capacities were found to be 40.26 and 20.42 mg g−1 for Cd and Mn, respectively. Column studies were carried out at the optimum flow rate of 1.0 and 0.5 mL min−1 for Cd and Mn, respectively. The highest desorption yield could be achieved using 0.01 M HNO3 as desorbing agent. Fourier transform infrared spectrometry, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Brunauer, Emmett and Teller analysis and energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy showed that the biosorption of Cd and Mn onto B. officinalis involved different mechanisms mainly electrostatic interaction, complexation and chemical‐ion exchange. As a conclusion, this study indicated that B. officinalis could be an ecofriendly biosorbent and could effectively remove Cd and Mn from aqueous solutions.

Biological activity of four plant oils, against the red palm weevil, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Oliver), (Coleoptera Curculionidae)

In the present study, four botanical oils of Melissa officinalis, Borago officinalis, Laurus nobilis and Carapichea ipecacuanha were tested against newly emerged adult males and females of the red palm weevil, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Oliver) for investigating their insecticidal activity, their effects on some bilogical aspects and morphogenetic abnormalities in the all stages.The results revealed that the males of Rhynchophorus ferrugineus were more susceptible to the four botanical oils than the females, followed by the immature larvae. The larvae showed different degrees of susceptibility to the four botanical oils, they showed the highest susceptibility to C. ipecacuanha and the lowest to B. officinalis oil at LC50 levels. Both adult males and females showed the highest susceptibility to C. ipecacuanha and the lowest to L. nobilis oil at LC50 levels. Also, the obtained results showed that the four tested oils disrupted some biological aspects of the tested insects. These oils markedly reduced male and female longevity, female fecundity and hatchability of the laid eggs. Morphogenetic abnormalities such as darkness of pupae, incomplete adult eclusion , dwarfism and crumpled wings and legs of adults appeared in the different stages of the insect as a result of treatment with the four tested oils.

Impact of microbial communities on floral nectar chemistry: Potential implications for biological control of pest insects

Nectar-producing plants are increasingly used in agroecosystems to provide biological control agents (BCAs) such as predatory insects and parasitoids with necessary sugars to fulfil their nutritional requirements. However, it has recently been shown that nectar is commonly infested by microorganisms which may change the chemistry of the nectar and therefore its attractiveness and nutritional suitability for insects. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of nectar-inhabiting microorganisms on nectar chemistry of three co-flowering plant species that are commonly used to provide BCAs with sugar resources (Borago officinalis L., Centaurea cyanus L. and Symphytum officinale L.). First, we assessed the abundance and visitation rate of flower-visiting insects on these plant species. Further, we identified the culturable microbes inhabiting the floral nectar and assessed changes in pH, total sugar concentration, main nectar sugars and amino acids. Flowers of all three plant species were found to be visited by a wide range of insects, with B. officinalis being the most attractive plant species for BCAs. Nectar microbial community structure differed significantly between plant species, irrespective of experimental field site. Microbial contamination affected both sugar and amino acid concentration and composition. Especially, sucrose and the fructan sugars 1-kestose and neokestose were found at significantly lower concentrations in contaminated nectar. Further, microbial contamination resulted in a significant increase of alanine and glycine, and a decrease in threonine and valine. Further research is needed to investigate the precise impact of these changes on the efficacy of biological control agents to control pest insects.

Content of micronutrients, mineral and trace elements in some Mediterranean spontaneous edible herbs.

BackgroundThe analysis of mineral elements composition was determined in three wild edible herbs (Cichorium intybus L., Sonchus asper L. and Borago officinalis) collected in seven different sampling sites which were characterized by different pollution grade. The detection of mineral elements (Ca, K, Mg and Na), micronutrients (Cu, Fe, Li, Mn and Zn) and heavy metals (As, Cd, Hg, Ni and Pb) was performed.ResultsThe results obtained show that in most cases a direct relationship appeared between the amount of elements and the sampling sites. The highest concentrations of heavy metals were found in samples grown in polluted soils. These evaluations showed that contaminants in plants may reflect the environmental state in which they develop.ConclusionThe examined species are a good source of mineral elements and micronutrients, making them particularly adapt to integrate a well-balanced diet. The accumulation of heavy metals showed that contaminants in plants may reflect the environmental state in which they develop. Results showed high concentrations of heavy metals in samples taken in locations characterized by high human activity and in some samples from the local market, of which no one knows the collection area.

Officinalioside, a new lignan glucoside from Borago officinalis L.

A new lignan glucoside, officinalioside (1), was isolated from n-BuOH fraction of the aerial parts of Borago officinalis L., together with four known compounds: actinidioionoside (2), roseoside (3), crotalionoside C (4) and kaempferol 3-O-β-D-galactopyranoside (5). The structure of the new compound was established by means of spectroscopic and chemical analyses. Compounds 1 and 2 showed a moderate DPPH radical scavenging activity (IC50: 52.6 ± 1.70 and 41.3 ± 0.25 μM, respectively) comparable with that of the standard trolox (16.6 ± 2.2 μM) without any significant cytotoxicity towards human cell line A549 (IC50 > 100 μM).

The effect of silicon on alleviation of salt stress in borage (Borago officinalis L.)

The effects of exogenous silicon (Si) on salt (NaCl)-stressed borage (Borago officinalis L.) plants were investigated in this study. Six levels of Si (0, 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5 mM) and two levels of NaCl (0 and 120 mM) were applied to study the effect of NaCl and Si on some physiological, biochemical and anatomical properties of Borago officinalis L. Salt stress reduced fresh and dry weight, protein contents and catalase activity. In contrast, proline, glycine betaine, malondialdehyde and activity of superoxide dismutase and ascorbate peroxidase increased in salt-stressed plants. The results of anatomical study of leaf cross section showed that salt stress resulted in noticeable anatomical variations such as increase in thickness of leaf blade and thickness of palisade parenchyma cells. Other interesting variations in salt stress include changes in structure and numbers of trichome and stomata. Si treatment in comparison with the plants only treated with salt resulted in an improvement in the studied physiological parameters, especially at 1.5 mM level. Also, Si treatment could moderate the negative effects of salt treatment on the studied anatomical attributes.

Modeling of dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction for determination of essential oil from Borago officinalis L. by using combination of artificial neural network and genetic algorithm method.

Dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME) coupled with gas chromatography was applied for the extraction and determination of essential oil constituents of the Borago officinalis L. In this study, an experimental data-based artificial neural network (ANN) model was constructed to describe the performance of DLLME method for various operating conditions. The volume of extraction and dispersive solvents, extraction time and salt effect were the input variables of this process, whereas the extraction efficiency was the output. The ANN method was found to be capable of modeling this procedure accurately. The overall agreement between the experimental data and ANN predictions was satisfactory showing a determination coefficient of 0.982. The optimum operating condition was then determined by the genetic algorithm method. The optimal conditions were 248 µL volume of extraction solvent, 260 µL volume of dispersive solvent, 2.5 min extraction time and 0.16 mol L(-1) of salt. The limit of detection and linear dynamic range were 0.15-24.0 and 1.2-1,800 ng mL(-1), respectively. The main components of the essential oil were δ-cadinene (31.02%), carvacrol (24.91%), α-pinene (20.89%) and α-cadinol (16.47%).

Induction of androgenesis and production of haploid embryos in anther cultures of borage (Borago officinalis L.)

Borage (Borago officinalis L.) is an important medicinal plant with different culinary, pharmaceutical and industrial properties. Unfortunately, there are no published reports on the establishment of protocols to produce DHs in this species up to now. In this work, we show for the first time the induction of borage microspores to become embryogenic calli, from which haploid embryos are produced. In addition, we evaluated the effect of using different flower bud sizes, carbon sources, concentrations of 2,4-D and BAP, cold (4 °C) pretreatments and heat shock treatments. Production of total calli, embryogenic calli and callus-derived embryos was differently affected by the different parameters studied. Our results showed that the use of 5–7 mm-long flower buds, a cold (4 °C) pretreatment during 4 days, a 32 °C heat shock for 3 days, and the addition of 3 % maltose and 2 mgl−1 2,4-D and 1 mgl−1 BAP to the culture medium, was beneficial for embryo production. Overall, this work demonstrates that DH technology is possible in borage, and opens the door for future improvements needed to finally obtain borage DH plants.

Anxiolytic Effect of Borago officinalis (Boraginaceae) Extract in Male Rats

Background: Medicinal plants with natural antioxidants have been shown to be beneficial in a variety of complications such as anxiety. The elevated plus-maze (EPM) is one of the most widely used models to assess anxiety in small rodents. Objectives: This study was designed to characterize the anxiolytic-like activity of Borago officinalis (Linnaeus, family Boraginaceae) or Borage flowers extract, using an EPM test. Materials and Methods: Male Wistar rats weighing 220-250 grams were used in the present study. Thirty minutes after an intraperitoneal (IP) injection of the Borage extract (50, 100, 200 mg/kg) or saline, each animal was placed in the EPM. Animal behaviors in the experimental sessions were recorded by a video camera located above the maze, interfaced with a monitor and a computer in an adjacent room. The time spent in the open arms, the percentage of entries into the open arms of the EPM and the numbers of entries into the closed arms were recorded for five minutes. Results: Statistical analysis indicated that acute IP injection of Borage extract before an EPM trial significantly increased the time spent in open arms and percentage of open arms entries. Whereas, the extract had no effect on the number of closed arm entries. Conclusions: Our results demonstrated that injection of Borage extract might have an anxiolytic profile in rats. However, the exact mechanism (s) related to the active compound (s) in Borage extract should be elucidated in future studies.

Foliar application of micronutrients on essential oils of borago, thyme and marigold

To study the effect of micronutrients foliar applications in medicinal plants contain of Borago, Calendula and Thyme on yield and essence production, the investigations were performed in complete randomized block design with 3 replications at 2011 and 2012 in Shahrekord, Iran. Results showed that Fe2+, Cu2+, Zn2+ and Mn2+ applications on flavonoids, phenols, carotenoids, essence percentage, fresh/dry flower matter, number of flowers, and root/shoot dry/fresh matter in Borago officinalis and Calendula officinalis L.; carvacrol and thymol percentage, essence percentage, number of stem, height, and root/shoot dry/fresh matter in Thymus vulgaris L.,the combinations of 400ppm of Fe, Cu,Zn and Mn (Fe3Cu3Zn3Mn3) produced the greatest amounts in most of measured characters. The most of phenols, carotenoids and flavonoids in Calendula and Borago; thymol and carvacrol in Thyme; weight of dry flower and number of flower per plant in two seasons were produced by Fe3Cu3Zn3Mn3treatment.

Clinical Assessment of Treatment Outcomes Following &amp;lt;i&amp;gt;Borago officinalis&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt; Extract Therapy in Patients Presenting with Cyclical Mastalgia

In order to evaluate the safety and efficacy of Borago officinalis (900 mg borage oil capsules) in the treatment of patients presenting with cyclic mastalgia, 91 subjects were included in the study. Ef- ficacy assessments were performed based on data obtained prior to the start of treatment (Pre- treatment), and after each menstrual cycle (Assessment 2—following 45 days of treatment; and Assessment 3—at the end of the 90-day treatment period). Primary efficacy measures considered the results of the Mastalgia Questionnaire, including a 100 mm visual analog pain scale assessing mean, most intense mastalgia severity, and impact on work, sleep, and sexual activity. Safety and tolerability measures included any changes in vital signs and physical exam in relation to pre- treatment, any changes in clinical laboratory exams in relation to pretreatment, and the occur- rence of adverse events after the first dose of study medication. The VAS scores of the mean mas- talgia and most severe mastalgia both showed statistically significant (p < 0.0001) reductions from Pretreatment to Assessment 3. Mean mastalgia scores improved among 92.3% of the treated patients, while most severe mastalgia scores improved among 93.4% of patients. There were sta- * Corresponding author.

Elemental characterization of wild edible plants from countryside and urban areas

Thirteen elements (Na, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, Cr, Co, Cd, Ni and Pb) in 11 different wild edible plants (WEP) (Amaranthus retroflexus, Foeniculum vulgare, Cichorium intybus, Glebionis coronaria, Sonchus spp., Borago officinalis, Diplotaxis tenuifolia, Sinapis arvensis, Papaver rhoeas, Plantago lagopus and Portulaca oleracea) collected from countryside and urban areas of Bari (Italy) were determined. B.officinalis and P.rhoeas could represent good nutritional sources of Mn and Fe, respectively, as well as A.retroflexus and S.arvensis for Ca. High intake of Pb and Cd could come from P.lagopus and A.retroflexus (1.40 and 0.13mgkg−1 FW, respectively). WEP may give a substantial contribution to the elements intake for consumers, but in some cases they may supply high level of elements potentially toxic for human health. Anyway, both ANOVA and PCA analyses have highlighted the low influence of the harvesting site on the elements content.

The influence of addition of Borago officinalis with antibacterial activity on the sensory quality of fresh pasta

Borage (Borago officinalis L.) is a herbaceous plant of the Boraginaceae family cultivated throughout the world for several purposes, including food preparations, mainly beverages and salads. Some Italian recipes use borage as a food ingredient, in particular as condiment for pasta. The aqueous extract (AE) from borage leaves can act as biopreservative in foods due to its inhibition towards the main foodborne pathogen bacteria. Fresh pasta, due to the high content of water, is a food product with a limited shelf life. In order to test the suitability of borage to produce fresh pasta with a prolonged shelf life, borage AE was used in dried form as a raw material for the production of tagliatelle pasta. Pasta produced with fresh borage was used as green tagliatelle control, while pasta produced without borage was used as white tagliatelle control. The colour of the three tagliatelle pasta types was different. A sensory panel was used to test the appreciation of these products prepared following three recipes with Sicilian ingredients. Both pastas produced with borage were preferred to control pasta with any preparation based on cheese, meat or fish as principal flavour ingredient. The present study demonstrated the suitability of borage AE as natural preservative for fresh pasta production.

Patch size has no effect on insect visitation rate per unit area in garden-scale flower patches

Previous studies investigating the effect of flower patch size on insect flower visitation rate have compared relatively large patches (10–1000s m2) and have generally found a negative relationship per unit area or per flower. Here, we investigate the effects of patch size on insect visitation in patches of smaller area (range c. 0.1–3.1 m2), which are of particular relevance to ornamental flower beds in parks and gardens. We studied two common garden plant species in full bloom with 6 patch sizes each: borage (Borago officinalis) and lavender (Lavandula × intermedia ‘Grosso’). We quantified flower visitation by insects by making repeated counts of the insects foraging at each patch. On borage, all insects were honey bees (Apis mellifera, n = 5506 counts). On lavender, insects (n = 737 counts) were bumble bees (Bombus spp., 76.9%), flies (Diptera, 22.4%), and butterflies (Lepidoptera, 0.7%). On both plant species we found positive linear effects of patch size on insect numbers. However, there was no effect of patch size on the number of insects per unit area or per flower and, on lavender, for all insects combined or only bumble bees. The results show that it is possible to make unbiased comparisons of the attractiveness of plant species or varieties to flower-visiting insects using patches of different size within the small scale range studied and make possible projects aimed at comparing ornamental plant varieties using existing garden flower patches of variable area.

Chemical composition and antioxidant activity of Borago officinalis L. leaf extract growing in Algeria

The aqueous and hydroalcoholic extracts of borage (Borago officinalis) leaves from Annaba region (Algeria) were preliminary analyzed for their phenolic profile (total phenolics, total flavonoids, total flavonols, total tannins and total anthocyanins). These extracts were evaluated for their antioxidant properties by different methods such as DPPH radical scavenging, test NBT and total antioxidant activity. The two extracts have exhibited a high antiradical capacity. Indeed, the ethanolic extract showed the lower IC50 values and the highest amount of phenolics (94.09±1.72mg gallic acid/g dry extract). Using LC-MS/MS analysis, it was possible to identify phenolic acids, flavonoids, sterol and for the first time oleuropein was identified in the aqueous extract of the plant. The obtained results have demonstrated that phenolic compounds are the major contributor to the antioxidant activity of plants.