Capparis Spinosa Var Research Articles

BLOSSOMING BENEATH THE DROPS: UNRAVELING THE GROWTH DYNAMICS OF CAPPARIS SPINOSA VAR. INERMIS ACROSS DIVERSE IRRIGATION LEVELS

This study explores the intricate growth dynamics of Capparis spinosa var. Inermis under diverse irrigation levels, shedding light on the plant's response to varying water regimes. Employing a comprehensive approach, we investigated key physiological and morphological parameters to unravel the nuanced interplay between irrigation and growth. Our findings provide valuable insights into optimizing water management practices for the cultivation of Capparis spinosa var. Inermis, contributing to sustainable agriculture and ecological conservation.

The Capparis spinosa var. herbacea genome provides the first genomic instrument for a diversity and evolution study of the Capparaceae family.

The caper bush Capparis spinosa L., one of the most economically important species of Capparaceae, is a xerophytic shrub that is well adapted to drought and harsh environments. However, genetic studies on this species are limited because of the lack of its reference genome. We sequenced and assembled the Capparis spinosa var. herbacea (Willd.) genome using data obtained from the combination of PacBio circular consensus sequencing and high-throughput chromosome conformation capture. The final genome assembly was approximately 274.53 Mb (contig N50 length of 9.36 Mb, scaffold N50 of 15.15 Mb), 99.23% of which was assigned to 21 chromosomes. In the whole-genome sequence, tandem repeats accounted for 19.28%, and transposable element sequences accounted for 43.98%. The proportion of tandem repeats in the C. spinosa var. herbacea genome was much higher than the average of 8.55% in plant genomes. A total of 21,577 protein-coding genes were predicted, with 98.82% being functionally annotated. The result of species divergence times showed that C. spinosa var. herbacea and Tarenaya hassleriana separated from a common ancestor 43.31 million years ago. This study reported a high-quality reference genome assembly and genome features for the Capparaceae family. The assembled C. spinosa var. herbacea genome might provide a system for studying the diversity, speciation, and evolution of this family and serve as an important resource for understanding the mechanism of drought and high-temperature resistance.

Capparis spinosa var. inermis Turra: Presentation, Uses and Socio-economic Benefits

The caper (Capparis spinosa var. Inermis Turra) is a bushy sub-shrub, 30 to 50 cm high. It is a small "sarmentose" shrub with unarmed twigs belonging to the Capparaceae family. It is a species of Saharo-Arabian and Mediterranean origins, which is characterized by food, ecological, socio-economic and ornamental importance. It is also known for its medicinal and therapeutic virtues, which are very interesting given the pharmacological activities of the phytochemicals present in the different parts of the caper tree (roots, leaves, buds, fruits, bark and seeds). Its mode of propagation is by seed or by semi-woody, woody, semi-herbaceous and herbaceous cuttings.

Profile of bioactive compounds of Capparis spinosa var. aegyptiaca growing in Egypt

The present study was designed to investigate polyphenolic and sulphur contents of the aerial parts of Capparis spinosa var. aegyptia (Lam.) Boiss., Capparaceae, wildly growing in Egypt. The chemical compositions of the water distilled essential oil were investigated by GC/MS analysis where the major constituent of the oil was methyl isothiocyanate (24.66%). Hydroethanolic extract was evaluated by LC-HRESI-MS⿿MS in both positive and negative modes. Forty-two compounds were identified including quercetin, kaempferol and isorhamnetin derivatives in addition to myricetin, eriodictyol, cirsimaritin and gallocatechin derivatives. Quercetin tetrahexoside dirhamnoside as well as kaempferol dihexoside dirhamnoside have not been identified before in genus Capparis. Phenolic acids, such as quinic acid, p-coumaroyl quinic acid and chlorogenic acid were also identified. Evaluation of cytotoxic activity of hydroethanolic extract against three human cancer cell lines (MCF-7; breast adenocarcinoma cells, Hep-G2; hepatocellular carcinoma cells and HCT-116; colon carcinoma) using 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazole-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay showed significant effect with IC50 values 24.5, 24.4 and 11μg/ml, compared to Doxorubicin as a standard cytotoxic drug. C. spinosa revealed itself as a promising candidate for nutraceutical researches.

Physicochemical properties of seeds of Capparis species growing wild in Turkey

While Capparis spinosa var. herbaceace (2009) seeds collected from the Mardin-midyat region contains the highest protein (22.25%), C. spinosa var. spinosa seeds (2009) collected from the Muğla-Milas region contained the lowest protein (18.25%). In addition, oil contents of C. spinosa and Capparis ovata seeds changed between 27.74 to 31.09 and 28.66 to 31.40%, respectively. Crude cellulose contents of C. spinosa and C. ovata seeds were found as 28.24 and 29.67%, respectively. It was found that ash content of C. spinosa and C. ovata seeds were found between 2.13 and 2.23%, respectively. Phenolic matter content of C. spinosa and C. ovata were found between 1.98 mg (GAE) and 1.76 mg (GAE), respectively. Radical activity values of C. spinosa and C. ovata were determined as 83.432 and 83.718%, respectively.

Mineral contents of seed and seed oils of Capparis species growing wild in Turkey

The mineral contents of seed and seed oils of Capparis species growing wild in Turkey were established by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry. Capparis spinosa var. spinosa (2010) and Capparis ovata var. canescens variety (2009) were determined to be rich in terms of mineral matter as 19,514.60 and 16,995.92ppm as a total, respectively. C. spinosa var. spinosa collected from Muğla-Milas region (2009) had the highest amount of Ca with 1,010.67ppm in C. spinosa species and in C. ovata species. C. ovata var. canescens collected from Ankara-Beypazarı (2010) region had the highest amount of Ca with 833.92ppm Ca amount in C. spinosa var. spinosa, inermis, herbaceae seeds decreased in 2010. C. spinosa var. inermis collected from Antalya-Serik (2010) in C. spinosa species had rich amount of Ca with 123.78ppm and C. ovata var. palaestina seed oils collected from Mardin-Savur region (2009) had rich amount of Ca with 253.71ppm in C. ovata species. The oil of C. spinosa var. herbaceae variety collected from Mardin-Midyat region (2010) was determined to have the highest major mineral matter (Ca, K, Mg, Na, and P) with 1,424.37ppm in C. spinosa species. It was also determined that as a result, caper seed and oils were found to be important sources of nutrients and essential elements.

Biochemical and technological properties of seeds and oils of Capparis spinosa and Capparis ovata plants growing wild in Turkey

The physical and chemical properties of seeds of Capparis spinosa var spinosa and Capparis ovata Desf var. canescens (Heywood) were determined. Seeds were evaluated for dry matter, crude protein, crude oil, crude fibre, crude energy and ash. Contents of Al, Ca, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Na, P and Zn in both the seeds were also determined by Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectrometry (ICP-AES). The main fatty acids identified by gas chromatography were oleic (38.45% and 44.62%), linoleic (23.71% and 18.26%) and palmitic (10.23% and 8.41%) acids. The seeds were found to be rich in oil and minerals and fatty acids, suggesting that they may be valuable for edible oil sources and industrial by-product. The data may also be useful for the evaluation of nutritional information. Also, physical properties such as length (3.76 mm and 3.68mm), unit mass (0.012 g and 0.012 g), geometric mean diameter (2.92 mm and 2.87 mm), projected area (0.092 cm 2 and 0.095 cm 2 ) , sphericity (0.778 and 0.781) , kernel density (728.44 kg/m 3 and 794.50 kg/m 3 ), porosity (30.21 % and 37.06 %), bulk density (502.88 kg/m 3 and 488.48 kg/ m 3 ), static (0.345 - 0.665 and 0.369-0.658) and dynamic coefficient (0.297 - 0.563 and 0.314 – 0.558) of friction of C.spinosa and C.ovata species were measured at 5.18% and 4.93% moisture content levels, respectively.

Investigation on the Mineral Contents of Capers (Capparis spp.) Seed Oils Growing Wild in Turkey

Minor and major mineral contents of seed oils of Capparis ovata Desf. var. canescens (Coss.) Heywood and Capparis spinosa var. spinosa used as pickling products in Turkey were determined by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry. The seed oils contained Al, P, Na, Mg, Fe, and Ca, in addition to fatty acids. The highest mineral concentrations measured were 14.91-118.81 mg/kg Al, 1,489.34-11,523.74 mg/kg P, 505.78-4,489.51 mg/kg Na, 102.15-1,655.33 mg/kg Mg, 78.83-298.14 mg/kg Fe, and 1.04-76.39 mg/kg Ca. The heavy metal concentrations were less than the limit of detection in all oil samples. The results may also be useful for the evaluation of nutritional information.

The flavor profile of young shoots, flower buds, and unripe fruits of capers growing wild in Turkey

The purpose of this study was to establish the chemical composition of the essential oils obtained from different parts such as young shoot, flower bud, and fruit of C. spinosa and C.ovata plants growing wild in Turkey. Young shoots, flower buds, and unripe fruits of caper plants were gathered from C. spinosa and C. ovata growing wild in Mersin (Mut) and Konya (Selcuklu) in Turkey in August 2003. The essential oils of all samples were hydrodistilled in portions in a circulatory Clevenger’s all glass apparatus for 4 hours. For identification of components, we used an analytical Hp 5890 gas chromatograph equipped with an FID (GC) and a DELSI 121 C apparatus fitted with a flame ionization detector and a CP WAX 51 fused silica column (25 m × 0.3 mm; 0.25 μm film thickness). Temperature was programmed from 50°C for 5 min and programmed to reach 220°C at the rate of 3°C per min. An ACP WAX 51 fused silica WCOT column (60 m × 0.3 mm) for GC/MS was used with helium as carrier gas. For GC/MS a CPWAX 52 fused silica CB column (50m × 0.25 mm) was used with helium as carrier gas (flow rate 1 mL/min) and coupled to a HP mass spectrometer: ionization energy 70 eV. Temperature programming was from 50‐240°C at the rate of 3°C/min. The samples were injected at injector temperature 240°C. The constituents of essential oils of young shoots, flower buds, and unripe fruits of Capparis spinosa var. spinosa and Capparis ovata Desf. var. canescens growing wild in Turkey were identified by GC-MS. The constituents identified in the essential oils are listed in Table 1. The yields of the essential oils of fresh young shoots, flower buds, and unripe fruits from C. spinosa and C. ovata were 0.064% and 0.081%, 0.02 % and 0.071%, and 0.075% and 0.064% (v/w), respectively. The major components in all samples were methyl isothiocyanate, octasulfur, and ethyl linoleate. Where as methyl isothiocyanate, ( E)-hexan-2-en. (Z)-hexan-3-en-1ol, and 3,4-bis(methylthio)-1,2,5-thiadiazidine are important components of young shoots of C. spinosa, methyl isothiocyanate and octasulfure were identified as major constituents of C. ovata young shoot oil. It was previously reported that the extract of C. spinosa contained methyl isothiocyanate, acetonitrile, benzaldehyde, dimethyl trisulfide, octan-3-ol, octanoic acid, cyclooctasulfure, and furfural [10]. In addition to sulfides, isothiocyanates, and other flavor molecules, elemental sulfur was identified for the first time in a non-processed food. Our results were generally similar to the literature findings with regard to the components. The observed differences are probably due to different environmental and climatological factors that can influence the oil composition.

Soil–vegetation relationships in a coastal desert plain of southern Sinai, Egypt

The present study provides an analysis of soil, vegetation types as well as structure and species distribution in 19 sites in El-Qaa plain along the Gulf of Suez (south Sinai, Egypt), and focuses on the environmental factors that control the species distribution. A total of 203 species belonging to 39 families of the vascular plants are recorded. Asteraceae, Fabaceae, Chenopodiaceae and Poaceae are the largest families. Grasses constitute only 9% of the recorded species, while the woody perennials (shrubs and sub-shrubs) are highly dominated (46%). Therophytes and chamaephytes are the most frequent, denoting a typical desert life-form spectrum. Floristic composition in the different geomorphologic landscape units showed differences in species richness. The highest mean species richness of 19.7±1.7 is recorded in the wadi channels. The lowest species richness values are recorded in the coastal shore and playas (6.0±1.4) and in the alluvial fans (mean of 8.4±1.6 species). Chorological analysis revealed that 46% of the studied species are uniregional, being native to the Saharo-Arabian region. On the other hand, about 50% of the recorded species are biregional and pluriregional, extending their distribution all over the Saharo-Arabian, Sudano-Zambezian, Irano-Turanian and Mediterranean regions. Classification of the vegetation is analysed using two-way indicator species analysis (TWINSPAN) techniques resulted in the recognition of five vegetation groups, each of definite vegetation and soil characters, and could be linked to a specific geomorphologic unit. Capparis spinosa var. spinosa occupied the terraces, Cornulaca monacantha, Convolvulus lanatus and Deverra tortuosa inhabited the alluvial plains, Launaea nudicaulis and Artemisia judaica characterized the wadi channels, Acacia tortilis subsp. raddiana and Leptadenia pyrotechnica characterized the alluvial fans and Tamarix nilotica, Zygophyllum album and Nitraria retusa on the playas and the coastal shore. Ordination techniques as detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) and canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) are used to examine the relationship between the vegetation and studied soil parameters. Nine soil variables are included: electrical conductivity, pH, calcium carbonate, gypsum, organic matter, gravel, fine soil fractions and soil saturation percentage. Analysis with DCA gave results similar to CCA, suggesting that there is a relatively high correspondence between vegetation and soil factors. DCA axis 1 showed significant positive correlation with CaCO 3, pH, soil saturation and organic matter, and interpreted as a calcium carbonate—soil saturation gradient. DCA axis 2 showed significant correlation with pH, gypsum and electric conductivity, and interpreted as an electric conductivity—gypsum gradient. Application of CCA indicated that soil surface sediment, CaCO 3, soil saturation, pH and organic matter are the main operating edaphic gradients in the area. These gradients are related closely to the first three canonical axes, and accounted for 67% of the species–environment relationship among the sites.

Glucosinolate composition of young shoots and flower buds of capers (Capparis species) growing wild in Turkey.

The content and glucosinolate composition of young shoots and raw flower buds of Capparis spinosa var. spinosa and Capparis ovata Desf. var. canescens at three different sizes (x <or= 8 mm, 8 < x <or= 13 mm, and x > 13 mm) were investigated by HPLC with UV detection. Samples were harvested in August 2001 in Turkey. Twelve different glucosinolates were identified in the young shoots and buds of both species. Total content of glucosinolates ranged from 6.55 micromol/g (large buds of C. spinosa) to 45.56 micromol/g (young shoots of C. ovata). The main glucosinolate was glucocapperin, which amounted to approximately 90% of the total glucosinolates. In both species the total glucosinolate content varied in dependence on the bud size, whereas a greater variability was given for buds from C. spinosa.

PICKLING CAPER FLOWER BUDS

ABSTRACTCaper flower buds of Capparis ovata var canesces and Capparis spinosa var spinosa were fermented in 5% and 10% brines, then subsequently stored in brines of 2% or 6% but with acetic acid, citric acid, sugar, or tarragon extract added. Most of the treatments were pasteurized at 80C, but some were not. Sensory evaluation was applied at intervals up to 360 days. C. ovata buds fermented in 5% brine and stored in 2% brine + 1% acetic acid, 6% brine + 1% acetic acid, or 6% brine + citric acid were judged the best. Buds of C. ovata kept their bright yellowish color during storage. For all samples, firmness gradually decreased during storage. C. spinosa samples decreased in firmness more than C. ovata. The texture of the buds was significantly protected by pasteurization and by the addition of sugar and tarragon extract.

Pickling process of capers (&lt;i&gt;Capparis spp.&lt;/i&gt;) flower buds

Middle sized (8 Capparis spinosa var. spinosa and C. ovata var. canescens from June in brines containing 5,10,15 and 20% salt and from August in brines of 15% salt, and three different size (x 13 mm) buds of C. . ovata var. canescens from June in brines of 15% salt were pickled for two months fermentation. Some chemical and microbiological analyses were done in brines during fermentation. Most suitable salt concentration for lactic acid bacteria (LAB) activity were 5% and partly 10%. Acidity, LAB activity, sedimentation and hardness were reduced by increasing bud size in C. ovata . Small buds of C. ovata for pickling product had advantage for colour and flavour, however, more sediment and partly softening showed disadvantage. For both species, pickling time was determined as 40 to 50 days in regard of end-product flavour and odour, brine acidity and pH, and LAB activity.

An Ultrastructural Investigation of the Anther Wall and Tapetum inCapparis SpinosaL. VAR.Inermis

SUMMARYElectron microscopic observations were carried out on anther wall and tapetal cells of Capparis spinosa var. inermis. The tapetum is single-layered and is of secretory type. In the early stages the cells are vacuolate and multinucleate. The tapetum plastids are always devoid of starch. The orbicles are smooth surfaced and spherical with diameters averaging 300 nm. The middle layers are precociously formed by vacuolate, organelle-poor cells. The endothecium shows typical wall thickenings. The plastid populations in the wall layers change from apparently photosynthetically active chloroplasts to amyloplasts and later to senescent chloroplasts. A peculiar chloroplast type is present in cells near the vascular bundle. The epidermis has a cuticle eventually exhibiting a complex network of sinuously linear ridges.

Leishmaniasis in the Jordan Valley. IV. Attraction of Phlebotomus papatasi (Diptera: Psychodidae) to plants in the field.

The attraction of Phlebotomus papatasi to 12 plant species was examined in the field using plantbaited traps. Of the species tested, 8 attracted significantly more flies than unbaited controls, with Capparis spinosa var. aravensis, Solanum nigrum, Prosopis farcta, and Atriplex halimus giving the highest catches. Traps provided with a source of humidity also gave significantly higher catches than controls. Laboratory tests showed that 86.4, 75.6, 71, 52.1, and 43% of the P. papatasi fed on Prosopis farcta, Capparis spinosa, Ricinus communis, Solanum nigrum, and Kochia indica, respectively; these plants were also attractive to sand flies in the field. None of the flies fed in the laboratory on Atriplex halimus, Tamarix nilotica, or Chenopodium ambrosioides, which were attractive in the field, and 2.3, 4.7, 10, and 14.2%, respectively, fed in the laboratory on the nonattractive Salsola vermiculata, Suaeda aegyptiaca, Solanum incanum, and Amaranthus retroflexus.