Erodium Species Research Articles

Enzyme Inhibitory Activities and RP-HPLC Analysis of Geranium and Erodium Species.

The genera Geranium and Erodium (Geraniaceae) have been documented to possess diverse ethnopharmacological uses, including diabetes mellitus. Relevant to their ethnopharmacological use, the current study aimed to evaluate the α-glucosidase, α-amylase, acetylcholinesterase (AChE), and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) enzyme inhibitory activity of ethanol extracts from 46 samples belonging to thirty-one species of Geranium (20) and Erodium (11) collected throughout Türkiye. The majority of the extracts displayed a marked α-glucosidase and α-amylase inhibitory activity. Besides, 23 extracts out of 46 exhibited a concentration-dependent inhibitory effect over 50 % towards AChE. The highest AChE inhibition was found in G. subcaulescens collected from Konya with an IC50 value of 4.73±2.96 μg/mL. E. somanum, E. leucanthum, and E. sipthorpianum exhibited the most potent α-glucosidase inhibitory activity, while E. birandianum and E. pelargoniiflorum were the most active extracts against AChE and BChE, respectively. Three extracts that had inhibitory activity over 50 % against four of the enzymes were selected and proceeded to RP-HPLC analysis. Geraniin and ellagic acid were identified as major compounds in the active extracts. Most species screened in the current study were examined for the first time against α-glucosidase, α-amylase, AChE, and BChE.

The complete chloroplast genome of Erodium cicutarium (Linnaeus) l’ Héritier ex Aiton 1789 (Geraniaceae): genome characterization and phylogenetic consideration

Erodium cicutarium is an annual herbaceous plant valued for its applications in traditional medicine. However, the chloroplast genome of E. cicutarium has yet to be reported. In this study, we assembled chloroplast genomes of Erodium cicutarium using Illumina sequencing reads. The chloroplast genome was 114,652 bp long, harbored 111 complete genes, and its overall GC content was 39.1%. In Maximum Likelihood (ML) and Bayesian inference (BI) trees, the 13 Erodium species divided into three main clades, with E. cicutarium and E. carvifolium forming a monophyletic group, suggesting a close relationship between the two species. The E. cicutarium cp genome presented in this study lays a good foundation for the Erodium.

An evaluation of volatiles and phenolic compounds in conjunction with the antioxidant capacity of endemic endangered species of Erodium hendrikii Alpinar

This study considers the chemical composition of an endemic endangered Erodium species (E. hendrikii), which grows naturally in the Turkish flora. The non-polar compounds and fatty acids from air-dried above-ground parts of the plant were analyzed using GC–MS, while phenolic acids and flavonoids were evaluated using UHPLC-MS/MS. Palmitic acid (5.23 mg/g dw) followed by linoleic acid (3.81 mg/g dw) were the major fatty acids, and n-hexadecanal (60.75%, dw) followed by n-tetradecanal (12.99%, dw) were the main non-polar compounds identified in the plant. The major phenolic acids (nmol/g dw) in the plant were protocatechuic acid (90.07) in free, ferulic acid (430.90) in ester, gallic acid (2450.51) in glycoside, and ester-bound (527.05) forms. The crude extract was represented by the highest caffeic acid (3189.56) content. In addition, hesperidin (259.56 nmol/g dw) was determined as the major flavonoid in the crude extract. This crude extract was further fractioned via solid-phase extraction and its three further partial fractions were obtained using water, ethyl acetate, and methanol. The methanol fraction yielded the highest antioxidant capacity among the fractions. A strong correlation and linear regression were determined between the phenolic contents and antioxidant capacity values of the crude extract and the three further partial fractions of the plant. These findings represent the first data concerning the phytochemical composition of E. hendrikii Alpinar and may be useful in the future development of antioxidant and antimicrobial agents for food preservatives against problems of food deterioration.

Antiproliferative and cytotoxic activity of Geraniaceae plant extracts against five tumor cell lines.

Aim:To determine the antiproliferative and cytotoxic activities of Geranium and Erodium species against human cancer and noncancer cell lines, respectively.Methods:Twenty-one species of Geranium and Erodium were extracted and screened against cancerous and noncancerous human cell lines.Results:In a dose-response manner, G. glaberrimum, G. asphodeloides, E. brandianum and E. leucanthum were able, with variable potency, to inhibit cellular proliferation. Except for E. brandianum, all extracts induced cellular autophagy in tumor cells with similar levels to that of rapamycin; but, only E. brandianum induced cellular apoptosis, likely through Bcl2 and BAX protein expressions.Discussion:This is the first study to report the potential antiproliferative effects of ethanol extracts of several Geraniaceae species.

Assessment of genetic structure and diversity of Erodium (Geranaiceae) species

Erodium Aiton (Geraniaceae) with 75 species is distributed in all continents except Antarctic. Its main diversification center is Mediterranean region with 62 species. The genetic diversity was assessed through Sequence-related amplified polymorphism. To uncover genetic diversity and species characteristics in Erodium species, were studied through a combination of morphological and molecular data. 70 individuals related to seven Erodium were collected in 7 provinces. A total of 96 (Number of total loci) (NTL) DNA bands were produced through polymerase chain reaction amplifications (PCR) amplification of seven Erodium species. These bands were produced with the combinations of six selective primers. The total number of amplified fragments ranged from 10 to 25. The genetic similarities between seven species are estimated from 0.70 to 0.85. Clustering results showed two major clusters. This study also detected a significant signature of isolation by distance (Mantel test results). Present results showed that sequence-related amplified polymorphism have the potential to identify and decipher genetic affinity in Erodium species. Current results have implications in biodiversity and conservation programs. Besides this, present results could pave the way for selecting suitable ecotypes for forage and pasture purposes in Iran.

Comparison of individual based approaches using RAPD markers for identifying genetic relationships in Erodium (Geranaiceae)

Genetic diversity research is required to understand the conservation and management of plant resources in all ecosystems. In Iran, there are 15 different Erodium species. Erodium genetic diversity has not been studied extensively using Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD). As a result, six species were gathered and learned from six different Iranian locales. A total of 82 plant specimens were collected. Our objectives were to assess Erodium species genetic diversity and to identify Erodium species genetic diversity. 2) Is there a link between a species's genetic makeup and geographic location? 3) Population and taxon genetic structure. Erodium species were separated into two groups using an unweighted pair group technique with arithmetic mean and principal component analysis. In Erodium, gene flow (Nm) was relatively modest (0.33). The Mantel test revealed a link between genetic and geographical distances (r = 0.77, p=0.0001). We identified many genetic variations in the Erodium species, which indicates that it can adapt to changing circumstances. According to recent findings, RAPD markers and morphometry approaches may investigate Erodium species genetic diversity.

Study on genetic diversity between Erodium (Geranaiceae) species based on inter-simple sequence repeat markers

Identifying the accurate boundaries of a species is critical to have a better perspective of any biological studies. Therefore, species delimitation is a subject of extensive part of studies in the framework of biology. Erodium species possess significant pharmacological and biological activities. The whole plant was used as astringent and haemostatic in uterine and other bleeding Therefore, due to the importance of these plant species, we performed a molecular data analysis for this species. For this study, we used 60 randomly collected plants from 5 species in five provinces. Amplification of genomic DNA using 10 primers produced 52 bands, of which 50 were polymorphic (98.48%). The obtained high average PIC and MI values revealed high capacity of ISSR primers to detect polymorphic loci among Erodium species. The genetic similarities of five collections were estimated from 0.77 to 0.91. According to Inter-Simple sequence repeats (ISSR) markers analysis, E. cicutarium and E. malacoides had the lowest similarity and the species of E. malacoides and E. oxyrrhynchum had the highest similarity. The aims of present study are: 1) can ISSR markers identify Erodium species, and 2) to investigate the species inter-relationship? The present study revealed that ISSR markers can identify the species.

Hatay Yöresinde Yayılış Gösteren Bazı Erodium L’Herit (Geraniaceae) Türlerinin Polen ve Tohum Mikromorfolojileri

In this study, pollen and seed micromorphology of 7 naturally distrubuted Erodium species (E. acaule, E. amanum, E. botrys, E. cucitarium, E. gruinum, E. malacoides and E. moschatum) in Hatay Province (Turkey) have been studied. Palynological analysis showed that pollen grains were generally medium, spheroidal and spheroidal subprolate, radially symmetrical, tricolporate and reticulate-clavate ornamentation. The seed characters were found ovate-eliptic and oblanceolate in shape, with rugose-foveate, reticulate-foveate and bireticulate-foveate ornamentation. The results demonstrated that characters such as pollen size, pollen shape, seed size, seed shape, seed surface ornamentation and seed cell pattern were found important and useful for the identification of Erodium species investigated.

Ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry and biological activity of Erodium species: A review.

Erodium spp. is a genus that can be found in all continents that has been traditionally used in folk medicine to treat many diseases such as hemorrhage, dermatological disorders, indigestion, and inflammatory diseases. Moreover, Erodium leaves have been used for the preparation of salads, omelets, sandwiches, sauces and soups, among other food products. The objective of this review was to show the recent and relevant studies about extraction of bioactive compounds, the phytochemical characterization, the potential biological activities and toxicological evidence reported in both in vitro and in vivo studies from Erodium spp. In addition, the use of Erodium spp. as natural compounds against the development of diseases were also showed. This review highlights the traditional use of Erodium species in several countries as a therapeutic agent to treat several diseases (such as constipation, dermatological disorders, diabetes, indigestion, urinary inflammations, and as carminative agent), the factors influencing the extraction of bioactive compounds (mainly species and solvent composition on phenolic compounds) and phytochemical profile (presence of essential oils and alkaloids), the scientific evidence about its anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial (against both spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms), antiviral and other health-related activities (anti-protozoal and anti-viral activity) as well as the toxicological evidence. Erodium spp. is a relevant source of compounds with antioxidant, antimicrobial, and biological activity, which support its potential exploration in pharmacological and food area. Major efforts are necessary to advance the knowledge about Erodium genus regarding the relation between traditional use and scientific evidence, optimization of extraction conditions, the influence on biological mechanisms at animal and clinical levels, and bioaccessibility and bioavailability of bioactive compounds.

High water-use efficiency and growth contribute to success of non-native Erodium cicutarium in a Sonoran Desert winter annual community.

The success of non-native, invasive species may be due to release from natural enemies, superior competitive abilities, or both. In the Sonoran Desert, Erodium cicutarium has increased in abundance over the last 30 years. While native species in this flora exhibit a strong among-species trade-off between relative growth rate and water-use efficiency, E. cicutarium seems to have a higher relative growth rate for its water-use efficiency value relative to the pattern across native species. This novel trait combination could provide the non-native species with a competitive advantage in this water-limited environment. To test the hypothesis that E. cicutarium is able to achieve high growth rates due to release from native herbivores, we compared the effects of herbivory on E. cicutarium and its native congener, Erodium texanum. We also compared these two species across a range of environmental conditions, both in a common garden and in two distinct seasons in the field, using growth analysis, isotopic compositions and leaf-level gas exchange. Additionally, we compared the competitive abilities of the two Erodium species in a greenhouse experiment. We found no evidence of herbivory to either species. Physiological measurements in a common environment revealed that E. cicutarium was able to achieve high growth rates while simultaneously controlling leaf-level water loss. Non-native E. cicutarium responded to favourable conditions in the field with greater specific leaf area and leaf area ratio than native E. texanum. The non-native Erodium was a stronger competitor than its native congener in a greenhouse competition experiment. The ability to maintain relatively higher values of water-use efficiency:relative growth rate in comparison to the native flora may be what enables E. cictarium to outcompete native species in both wet and dry years, resulting in an increase in abundance in the highly variable Sonoran Desert.

Recent loss of plastid-encoded ndh genes within Erodium (Geraniaceae)

Plastid genomes in the flowering plant family Geraniaceae are known to be highly rearranged based on complete sequences representing the four major genera Erodium, Geranium, Monsonia, and Pelargonium. In this paper we report on the genome sequence of a second species of Erodium, E. carvifolium, representing the second major clade (clade II) in the phylogeny of this genus. Comparison of this genome sequence to the previously published sequence of E. texanum from clade I demonstrates that the plastid genomes of these two species encode the same number of proteins but differ greatly in their relative degree of rearrangement; 14 kb of additional sequence in E. texanum contains complex repeats associated with rearrangement endpoints, whereas the plastid genome of E. carvifolium is streamlined at 116 kb and displays no unique alterations in gene order. Furthermore, these species from both major clades of Erodium contain intact NADH dehydrogenase (ndh) genes, but the 11 ndh genes are represented as pseudogenes in a small clade of 13 species. It is unclear whether plastid-encoded ndh genes have been lost entirely or functionally transferred to the nucleus. This is the third report of the absence of functional ndh genes, and the current study describes the most recent loss of these genes among photosynthetic seed plants and the second such loss among angiosperms. The other ndh losses from Pinaceae/Gnetales and Orchidaceae are much more ancient. Comparative biochemistry between Erodium species with and without plastid-encoded ndh genes may elucidate changes in photosynthetic function and the role of the Ndh complex.

Chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of Erodium species: E. ciconium L., E. cicutarium L., and E. absinthoides Willd. (Geraniaceae)

AbstractThe present study gives results of chemical composition analyses and antimicrobial activity testing of three Erodium species: E. ciconium L., E. cicutarium L., and E. absinthoides Willd. Essential oils were obtained by hydro-distillation from air-dried entire plants and analyzed by GC and GC-MS. A total of 209 different compounds were identified: 162 for E. cicutarium, 107 for E. ciconium, and 79 for E. absinthoides. Antimicrobial activity (broth microdilution method) of the oils was screened against a panel of Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria and a number of fungi. Moderate susceptibility of all tested strains was observed. Determined MIC values were 0.156–5 mg mL−1 (bacterial strains) and 0.039–0.325 mg mL−1 (fungal strains). Major component of the most active oil, palmitic acid, was also tested for activity together with stearic and myristic acids.

Systematic Revision of Erodium species in Egypt as Reflected by Variation in Morphological Characters and Seed Protein Electrophoretic Profile

Systematic Revision of Erodium species in Egypt as Reflected by Variation in Morphological Characters and Seed Protein Electrophoretic Profile

Preliminary investigations on the presence of alkaloids in the genusErodiumL'Her. (Geraniaceae)

Summary Thirty eight Erodium species were screened for alkaloids in order to establish any chemotaxonomic significance and secondly to relate the findings with any pharmacological properties.

Reproductive Hierarchies in Erodium: Effects of Variation in Plant Density and Rainfall Distribution

Reproductive hierarchies in even—aged plant monocultures often reflect the dynamics of intraspecific competition and, by their influence on effective population number, can alter significantly the relative importance of genetic drift in the evolution of plant populations. In experimental populations of Erosium boytrs and E. brachycarpum, I examined the interactive effects of intraspecific competition and rainfall variability on the development of reproductive hierarchies in these annual species. Reproductive inequality within monocultures of both species increased with increasing plant density and plant productivity, as measured by seed production, was determined by rainfall distribution. The magnitude of reproductive inequality was dependent on the interaction of sowing density, reproductive inequality was greatest in populations that experienced early autumn precipitation and lowest in populations exposed to drought during flowering. In contrast, at the lowest sowing density there was no significant effect or rainfall pattern on reproductive inequality. Effective population number was relatively insensitive to increases in population density because of increased inequality in reproduction at higher population densities. Reproductive variance could be a major contributor to drift variance in dense populations of both Erodium species.

The genus Erodium in southern Africa

A taxonomic treatment of Erodium L’Herit. (Geraniaceae) in southern Africa is presented. Eight species, of which two are possibly no longer present in southern Africa, are recognized. All of these species are exotics from Europe and the Mediterranean Region. Only Erodium cicutarium (L.) L’Herit. is widely distributed over southern Africa, the rest are largely concentrated in the south-western Cape where they inhabit moist situations. Erodium incarnatum (L.) L’Herit, only indigenous Erodium species in southern Africa is to be transferred to Pelargonium.

Responses of Erodium to Varying Microsites: The Role of Germination Cueing

I examined the role of germination cueing in the dynamics of Erodium botrys and E. brachycarpum populations exposed to localized, spatial variation within Californian annual grasslands. In laboratory trials, germination rates of both species increased significantly in seeds previously exposed to fluctuating temperatures (25—45°C) during dry storage. Temperature fluctuations per se were more important than temperature maxima for increasing germination rates. Light conditions during germination had no significant effect on germination rates. Field trials were also conducted. Summer soil temperature regimes were characterized for three germination microsites of Erodium: (1) under the dense litter of annual grasses, (2) in bare soil, and (3) under mounds created by burrowing pocket gophers. Diurnal fluctuations in soil surface temperature were 17°—51°C on bare soil, 20°—41° under litter, and 18°—35° under gopher mounds. Summer field manipulations examined the rates of release from seed dormancy for buried seeds; both species showed a strong positive relationship between the germination rates and the mean diurnal range of temperatures for each microsite. To examine whether seed germination rates were accurate predictors of the suitability of a site for Erodium colonization, germinated seeds of both species were introduced into each microsite type at the start of the growing season. Emergence rates and survival were significantly reduced in mound microsites; seed output per plant was lower in litter microsites. There was a strong positive relationship between Erodium colonization success, as measured by net reproductive rate, and the mean summer diurnal range of soil temperatures. The accuracy of the cueing response in predicting site suitability was reduced with drought or heavy grazing. The results overall suggest significant adaptive value for germination cueing in both Erodium species.

Competitive reversals and environment-dependent resource partitioning in Erodium.

Effects of drought and varying plant density on the competitive coexistence of two winter annual Erodium species were studied using multiple regression analysis. Significant indications of resource partitioning were detected for interspecific mixtures under spring drought. Competitive superiority also was environment-dependent with E. botrys dominating with drought in autumn, while E. brachycarpum dominated with drought in spring. The results suggest that competitive coexistence in Erodium is promoted by processes both equilibrial (e.g., resource partitioning) and nonequilibrial (e.g. competitive reversals).

Effects of Predation and Competition on Survivorship, Fecundity, and Community Structure of Desert Annuals

Effects of rodent and ant granivores, watering, and thinning were studied in a diverse community of winter annuals in the Sonoran Desert. Seed predation considerably reduced plant densities, but ants and rodents had qualitatively different effects on the plant community. Ants increased species diversity of annuals by differentially harvesting the numerically dominant species, while rodents preyed selectively on species which dominated the community in terms of biomass. Competition among annual plants reduced growth rate, biomass, and fecundity, but had no significant effect on mortality. One species, Euphorbia polycarpa, apparently increased in density when the density of competing Erodium species was reduced by rodent predation.

Evaluation of natural annual pasture at Trangie in central western New South Wales. 3. Effect of stocking rate on annual-dominated and perennial-dominated natural pastures

A four year experiment is reported during which breeding Merino ewes grazed two natural pasture types at three stocking rates at Trangie in central-western New South Wales. Initially, the pasture on a red brown soil was dominated by cool season annual species, particularly Hordeum leporinum, Erodium species and Medicago species. The pasture on a heavier grey soil was dominated by the perennial grasses Chloris acicularis, C. truncata and Stipa variabilis. Clean wool production of ewes grazing the annual-dominated pasture was significantly (P< 0.05) higher than that of ewes grazing the perennial grass-dominated pasture even though the wool of the ewes grazing perennial pasture had a higher percentage clean yield (P < 0.05). The ewes on the annual-dominated pasture were significantly heavier in autumn and winter, and had a faster rate of wool growth in each season except spring, than ewes grazing perennial pasture. Number of lambs born per ewe, lamb birth weight and lamb growth rate were not affected by pasture type or stocking rate. Stocking rate had a small but statistically significant effect on clean wool production and only small effects on ewe liveweight, regardless of pasture type. When hand feeding of the pregnant ewes became necessary in the poor winters of 1971 and 1972 all stocking rates had to be commenced simultaneously. The significance of perennial grasses in these natural pastures is discussed in relationship to animal production, stocking rate, pasture and soil stability, and regeneration of grasses following favourable seasons.