Family Malvaceae Research Articles

Exploring Wild Edible Plants in Malakand, Pakistan: Ethnobotanical and Nutritional Insights

Human beings have used wild edible plants (WEPs) for food since ancient times. The poor and underprivileged people of the district of Malakand, Pakistan, also depend on wild edible plants (WEPs) to fulfill their food and nutrition needs. Wild edible plants (WEPs) are a potential solution for overcoming food shortages for families living in rural areas. The current study evaluated the ethnobotanical, nutritional, and elemental potential of some wild edible plants (WEPs) commonly used by local people in the district of Malakand, Pakistan. Ethnobotanical information was collected from local people through a semi-structured questionnaire. The ethnobotanical information collected about wild edible plants revealed that two wild edible species belong to the family Fabaceae, two plant species belong to the family Polygonaceae, and one plant species belongs to each family Amaranthaceae, Brassicaceae, Chenopodiaceae, Malvaceae, Oxalidaceae, and Portulaceae. The plants collected were all herbs, and the parts used as edible parts were mostly leaves and young shoots. All the collected plants were predominantly used as vegetables by local people. The proximate nutritional analysis was carried out according to the official methods of AOAC (from 2016). The proximate nutritional analysis revealed that the selected WEPs are a good source of important nutrients like carbohydrates, proteins, fibers, fats, and caloric energy. The proximate nutritional analysis of selected WEPs revealed that the highest (%) moisture content was calculated in Nasturtium officinale W.T. Aiton (90.45 ± 0.3); the highest dry matter (%) was present in Oxalis corniculata L. (21.60 ± 0.2); the highest ash (%) in Chenopodium album L. (17.80 ± 0.3); the highest crude fibers (%) in Meliolotus indicus (L.) All (16.45 ± 0.5); the highest crude protein (%) in Meliolotus indicus (L.) All (14.40 ± 0.1%); the highest crude fats (%) in Rumex hastatus Don. (3.80 ± 0.04); the highest percentage of carbohydrates in Portulaca oleracea L. (65.38 ± 0.6); and the maximum energy value was calculated for Portulaca oleracea L. (321.38 ± 0.4 Kcal/100 g). The elemental analysis of wild edible plants (WEPs) was carried out through energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX). The EDX analysis showed that these WEPs consist of crucial and imperative elements such as C, O, N, P, Mg, K, S, Ca, Al, Si, Cl, Fe, Cu, Na, and Zn, which are integral parts of the human diet. Following the results of the EDX elemental analysis, Portulaca oleracea accounted for the highest concentration (%) of carbon, Oxalis corniculata accounted for the highest concentration (%) of oxygen, and Nasturtium officinale accounted for the maximum concentration of nitrogen (9.70%). The current study revealed that the research area is rich in diversity of wild edible plants (WEPs), a cheap and economical food source for locals. The study also showed that these wild edible plants (WEPs) possess all the crucial nutrients and elements imperative for human food and health. These wild edible plants (WEPs) will play a key role in a sustainable food system in the future.

Ethnomedicinal Uses of Family Malvaceae Plants Among the Rural and Common People of Meerut Region (Uttar Pradesh) India

Ethnomedicinal Uses of Family Malvaceae Plants Among the Rural and Common People of Meerut Region (Uttar Pradesh) India

Effect of organic and inorganic source of nutrient on growth, yield and quality attributes of okra seed cv. Kashi Pragati

Okra [Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench] is an economically important vegetable crop belonging to the Malvaceae family grown in sub-tropical and tropical parts of the world. It originated in tropical Africa, also known as lady’s finger or bhindi. Because of its richness in nutrition, taste, medicinal and industrial value, okra is one of the most popular vegetables in all sections of people (Harisha et al. 2021). The fruits are harvested at tender stage and consumed as a vegetable. Okra usually required 90-100 days for complete the production cycle. Okra can be cultivated in Kharif and Rabi in both seasons. All parts of okra fresh leaves, buds, flowers, pods, stems and seeds can be used for different purposes; hence, it is a multipurpose crop in terms of its uses (Gemede et al. 2015; Maurya and Yadav 2021).

Antibacterial and antifungal activity of the extract Of medicinal plant Malva neglecta Wallr

The most commonly used plant namely Malva neglecta (family Malvaceae) was brought under study after observing their medicinal values. The aim of this study is to demonstrate the antibacterial activity of Malva neglecta Wallr against (Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Klebsiella pneumonia, pseudomonas aerginosa and Bacillus cerus) and to determine the antifungal activity of these plants against the fungi (Aspergillus niger, Fusarium solani). The study showed that the Malva neglecta have potent activity against tested bacterial species and fungal species. The plant showed best activity against most of the bacterial and fungal strains, therefore these plant can be used to treat different microbial disease and infections.

Phytochemical Profile of Cola pachycarpa K. Schum. (Malvaceae) Leaf and Stem Ethanol Extracts

Background and Aim: Cola pachycarpa K. Schum. is a lesser-known member of the genus Cola called “Monkey kola” in the family Malvaceae. The leaf and fruit is used in the treatment and management of cancer in folklore medicine. The present study is carried out to explore the phytoconstituents present in the ethanolic extract of the leaf and stem of Cola pachycarpa by GC-MS analysis.
 Methods: Leaf and stem were collected, identified, sliced, air-dried, pulverized, extracted with ethanol and concentrated using standard methods. The ethanolic extract of the extracts was used for the GC-MS analysis. QP2010SE Shimazu, Japan System GC-MS was used for the analysis. The compounds were identified by the gas chromatography coupled with the mass spectrometry. The molecular weight and structure of the compounds of test materials are ascertained by interpretation of the mass spectrum of GC-MS using the database of National Institute Standard and Technology (NIST).
 Results: GC-MS analysis of the leaf and stem ethanol extracts of C. pachycarpa revealed the presence of 64 and 47 chemical constituents respectively which includes 1-propanol, 2-amino-2-methyl (31.34%), undecanal, 2-methyl (4.00%), phenol, 2,6-dimethoxy (4.18%), n-Hexadecanoic acid (3.35%) and vitamin E (5.15%) and the most abundant in the stem extract were: 1,4-Benzodioxin-6-sulfonamide,N-[2-(dimethylamino)ethyl- (30.10%), .alpha.D-Galactopyranoside, methyl (12.56%), Phenethylamine,.alpha.-ethyl- (10.96%), 4-Methylpiperazine-2-carboxylic acid (5.78%) and Guanosine (3.86%).
 Conclusion: The presence of various bioactive compounds may be responsible for the application of Cola pachycarpa in the treatment and management of various ailments in folklore medicine. However, in vitro and in vitro studies, isolation of individual phytoconstituents and their mechanism of action may proceed to find a novel drug or lead compound for use as medicine.

Pharmacognostical studies on the leaves and stems of Hibiscus hispidissimus Griffith

Traditionally medicinal plants have been used for the prevention and treatment of various diseases. Hibiscus hispidissimus Griffith is one of the unexplored medicinal plants, distributed in the Western Ghats of India and also found in China, Thailand, Sri Lanka, etc. Common names include ‘Comfort root’, or ‘Hill hemp bendy’. Vernacular names are Uppanacham in Malayalam and Sathambasthi in Sanskrit. It is used as food and medicine. Tribal healers traditionally use this plant for anthelmintic, antibacterial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, anti-arthritic, diuretic, nephroprotective, and hepatoprotective activities1. The present study is focused on the evaluation of macroscopical, microscopical characters and physicochemical parameters of leaves and stems of Hibiscus hispidissimus Griffith belongs to the family Malvaceae. The result of the study can be used to develop pharmacognostic standards for the drug, which helps in determining the identity and purity of the drug. The microscopical characters and physico chemical parameters are useful in preparing herbal monograph for particular species of medicinal plants.

Artikel Review : Bioaktivitas Bunga Rosella (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) Beserta Pemanfaatannya

Hibiscus sabdariffa is a species of the Malvaceae family which has long been used by humans as a traditional medicine. The use of Hibiscus sabdariffa as a traditional medicine is related to its bioactivity. Hibiscus sabdariffa has several pharmacological potentials, namely: 1) anticancer; 2) antioxidants; 3) antibacterial; 4) antiaging; 5) antiseptic; and 6) antihypertensive. The method of writing this article is a literature review published online, especially on Google Scholar using the keywords Hibiscus sabdariffa, bioactivity and utilization of Hibiscus sabdariffa. The results of this review state that rosella flowers (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) have potential as anticancer, antioxidants, antihypertensive antibacterials, and low caffeinated tea drinks.

Screening of Okra Genotypes against Powdery Mildew under Natural Epiphytotic Conditions

Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench) is a globally crucialannual vegetable belonging to family malvaceae, it is the most broadly distributed vegetable all over the world. Among the fungal diseases affecting okra crops, powdery mildew caused by Erysiphecichoracearum DC. is the most crucial disease-causing considerable yield losses. Host plant resistance is one of the most practical, economical and feasible methods of management of plant diseases. An attempt was made to identify sources of resistance which could be used in developing resistant variety to mitigate loss in farmer’s field.Fifty okra genotypes were screened for their response to powdery mildew under natural epiphytotic conditions during Rabi, 2020-21Results revealed that, out of fifty genotypes screened, none of them showed immune and resistant reactions to powdery mildew. However, one genotype i.e., EC329404 showed a moderately resistance reaction. Twenty genotypes showed a moderately susceptible reaction. While twenty-two genotypes showed susceptible reaction, and one genotype viz., IC42531 showed a highly susceptible reaction. The average ‘r’ value ranged from 0.070 to 0.123. The highest average ‘r-value (0.123) was observed in genotypes IC42524 and EC329405, with the least average ‘r’ value in genotype EC329415 (0.070). For yield, It was found that most of the genotypes screened were potential yielders and recorded good yield despite the pathogen attack. Thus these high-yielding genotypes can be utilised in back cross-breeding along with disease resistant parent (EC 329404) to obtain resistant variety with high-yielding potential.

Phytochemical Analysis and Antioxidant Activity Test of Bayur Medicinal Plants (Pterospermum Javanicum)

Bayur (Pterospermum javanicum) is a plant species from the Malvaceae family which is a medicinal plant that is often found in Indonesia, especially in the forests of Central Sulawesi. Bayur leaf extract is used as an external medicine, namely to treat back pain, sprains, gout, scabies, cysts, itching, peeling skin and festering wounds. As an internal medicine, namely to treat diarrhea, gastrointestinal disorders, respiratory disorders, lowering high blood pressure, insomnia, blood urine and as a cosmetic. This study aims to screen phytochemicals and analyze the antioxidant activity of bayur medicinal plants. The method used for the phytochemical test is a qualitative method by observing the change in color and shape of the liquid after testing. The DPPH method was used to determine its antioxidant activity. The results showed that bayur leaf extract contained alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, steroids and terpenoids, while bayur bark positively contained alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins and terpenoids. The results of the antioxidant activity test of bayur leaf and bark extracts using the DPPH method, bayur leaves have an IC50 of 62.438 ppm and bayur bark has an IC50 of 75.878 ppm. The antioxidant activity of bayur leaves and skin is in the strong category

Evaluation of the antioxidant activity, genotoxic, and cytotoxic effects of the ethanolic leaves extract of Abutilon hirtum (Lam.) Sweet using in vitro assays

Abutilon hirtum (Lam.) Sweet belongs to the Malvaceae family and is a perennial shrub commonly known as Indian mallow, which is distributed in tropical regions and many different areas in Saudi Arabia. A. hirtum is an economically and a medicinally useful plant in different zones of the world for healing various diseases. The current research explores the in vitro antioxidant characteristics and cytotoxic and genotoxic potential effects of the ethanolic leaf extract of A. hirtum (LEAH). Mitotic index (MI), micronucleus (MN), and chromosomal aberration (CA) tests were performed in Allium cepa, and MTT assays were performed using human dermal fibroblast, adult (HDFa) and breast cancer (MCF7) cell lines. The comet assay was used to assess the genotoxic effect of LEAH. The antioxidant activity of LEAH was evaluated by DPPH and superoxide anion free radical scavenging assays. The results revealed that the cytotoxic effects of LEAH on Allium cepa were significantly changed in an inverse relationship with MI (general average for 3 times 0.275) and a direct relationship with MNs and CAs against concentration and treatment time, for highest concentration 1.351 mg/ml were 0.74 and 1.81 respectively. In addition, the MTT test revealed a dose-dependent cytotoxic impact, with the % cell viability decreasing as the concentration of LEAH increased, the lowest % cell viability (19.54) and highest inhibition (80.46) were obtained with 4.40 mg/ml of LEAH. In general, the results indicated that A. hirtum has a damaging effect at high doses; however, a cell safe effect, and a strong antioxidant and DNA protective effect at carefully calculated doses was observed. This provides credibility to justify its general therapeutic activity. Moreover, future studies should identify bioactive molecules and their molecular mechanisms responsible for potential therapies.

Diet composition of wild columbiform birds: next-generation sequencing of plant and metazoan DNA in faecal samples

Accurate knowledge of a species’ diets is fundamental to understand their ecological requirements. Next-generation sequencing technology has become a powerful and non-invasive tool for diet reconstruction through DNA metabarcoding. Here, we applied those methods on faecal samples of Common Woodpigeons Columba palumbus, European Turtle Doves Streptopelia turtur, and Stock Doves C. oenas to investigate their dietary composition. By applying primer pairs targeting both the ITS2 region of plant nuclear DNA and the mitochondrial COI region of metazoan DNA, we provide a complete picture of the food ingested and estimate the dietary overlap between the columbiform species during the breeding season. Animal DNA was present very rarely, and a diverse range of plants from the class Spermatopsida dominated the diet, with Asteraceae, Brassicaceae, Cucurbitaceae, Fabaceae, and Poaceae as the most frequently represented families. Generally, we detected a variability between species but also amongst individual samples. Plant species already known from previous studies, mainly visual analyses, could be confirmed for our individuals sampled in Germany and the Netherlands. Our molecular approach revealed new plant taxa, e.g. plants of the families Malvaceae for Woodpigeons, Lythraceae for Turtle Doves, and Pinaceae for Stock Doves, not found in previous studies using visual analyses. Although most of the plant species observed were of wild origin, the majority of cultivated plants found were present in higher frequencies of occurrence, suggesting that cultivated food items likely constitute an important part of the diet of the studied species. For Turtle Doves, a comparison with previous studies suggested regional differences, and that food items (historically) considered as important part of their diet, such as Fumitory Fumaria sp. and Chickweed Stellaria media, were missing in our samples. This indicates that regional variations as well as historic and current data on diet should be considered to plan tailored seed mixtures, which are currently proposed as an important management measure for conservation of the rapidly declining Turtle Dove.

Pharmacological Activities of <i>Gongura</i> (Roselle) Leaf: Recent Advances

Gongura (Hibiscus sabdariffa) is an annual herbaceous plant widely used in folklore practice for its leafy vegetable, belonging to the family Malvaceae. Over the past decade, various pharmaceutical and phytochemical studies of this plant has shown significant outcome, which are currently accepted and used in therapeutics. The presence of organic acids in higher quantity enhances the medicinal value of this plant. Activities observed in the deferent parts of the plant, such as diuretic, antihypertensive, antibacterial, antifungal, antiparasitic, antipyretic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anticancer, antiobesity, antidiabetic, antihypertensive, antianemic, and anti-pyreticactivity. Based on the mentioned medicinal significance of H. sabdariffa plant, we planned to review the recent studies of all parts of the plant, their nutritional value, and phytoconstituents.

First report of rootstalk rot of Hibiscus mutabilis caused by Fusarium oxysporum in China.

H. Mutabilis (Cotton rose or confederate rose) is a deciduous shrub in the Malvaceae family, with ornamental, medicinal and edible values (Fan et al. 2015). In May to August 2020, 40.4% of potted plants of H. mutabilis were found to have root and stalk rot in Chengdu Botanical Garden (E104°7'28″, N30°45'57″). At first the leaves of affected H. mutabilis turned yellow and wilted, followed by the stem and root cortex became dark brown and rotten. Finally, the whole plant died within two months. Root and stem produced white mycelium when the humidity exceeded 90%. Samples taken from the lesions were surface disinfested for 3 min in 4% sodium hypochlorite, rinsed in sterile water and plated on potato dextrose agar (PDA), 35 single-spore cultures with similar morphology isolated from symptomatic tissues were obtained and subcultured. After seven days at 25°C in the dark, the mycelium of a representative culture MFR1 covered the entire plate surface (9 cm diameter). The aerial mycelium of cultures were white and fluffy at first and produced lavender pigment on the back of the cultures in the later stage. After seven days, the cultures produced abundant sickle-shaped macroconidia which have 3 to 5 septations and some oval or oblong microconidia which have 0 to 1 septation. Macroconidia 22.35~46.67 μm (mean 32.11 μm) in length and 4.32~7.72 μm (mean 5.21 μm) in width (n = 100). Microconidia 7.10~21.85 μm (mean 11.62 μm) in length and 2.76~6.84 μm (mean 4.20 μm) in width (n = 100). Based on these characteristics, isolates were tentatively identified as Fusarium sp. (Crous et al. 2021). Pathogenicity was tested on 1-year-old potted seedlings of H. mutabilis by root-zone irrigation inoculation in Sichuan Agricultural University (Jia et al.2019). Conidia suspension (1×107conidia/mL,collected from MFR1 )was poured into the soil along the plant roots. The same amount of distilled water was poured around the roots of the control plants. All inoculated and control plants were incubated in the greenhouse (about 25 ± 2°C). The experiment was performed three times. Within 25 days after inoculation, all plants inoculated with pathogens showed symptoms similar to those in the field, whereas the controls remained symptomless. The pathogen was reisolated from all inoculated plants, and the cultural and morphological characteristics were the same as those of the original isolate. After DNA extraction and PCR amplification, the translation elongation factor 1-alpha (TEF) and RNA polymerase II second largest subunit (RPB2) genes of a representative culture MFR1, were sequenced (O'Donnell et al. 2010) and deposited in GenBank (accession numbers OK334295 and ON316728, respectively). The TEF and RPB2 sequences were 99.7% and 99.39% identical to those of F. oxysporum (MN892354 and MZ198892). The result was confirmed by multilocus phylogenetic analysis. Through morphological identification and molecular analyses, the pathogen was identified as F. oxysporum. F. oxysporum is known to infect cotton (Dowd et al.2004), soybean (Ellis et al.2016) and banana (Fourie et al.2011) among other hosts, but it is the first report of F. oxysporum infecting H. mutabilis in China or worldwide. This disease seriously reduced the survival rate of H. mutabilis and may become an important reason to hinder the increase of H. mutabilis in potted seedlings stage. Moreover, the findings will provide theoretical basis to solve the bottleneck problem affecting the popularization and propagation of H. mutabilis.

First Report of Rust Disease on Alcea rosea Caused by Puccinia modiolae in Korea.

Alcea rosea, in the family Malvaceae, is a biennial plant native to China and is grown typically for gardening in Korea (Lee 2003). Seven microcyclic Puccinia species have been reported on A. rosea: P. heterogenea, P. heterospora, P. lobata, P. malvacearum, P. platyspora, P. sherardiana, and P. modiolae (Demers et al. 2015; Aime and Abbasi 2018). In early May 2022, characteristic symptoms of rust were observed on four of ten seedlings of A. rosea purchased at a wholesale nursery (36°50'19.8″N, 128°55'28.7″E) in Bonghwa, Korea. Rust spots were present on almost 90% of the 1,000 seedlings of A. rosea in that nursery during our survey in late May. Through a distribution survey from June to July 2022, similar symptomatic leaves were additionally collected from the leaves of A. rosea grown in gardens at five sites in Gimcheon (two sites), Gumi (one), Seongju (one), and Busan (one). Spots were yellow-orange the center surrounded by chlorotic haloes on the adaxial leaf surface, and reddish-brown or dark brown pustules on the abaxial leaf surface. Over time, the spots enlarged and coalesced, causing the decay of large sections of the leaves, and heavily infected leaves fell early. Spermogonia, produced at the center of the chlorotic spot on the adaxial leaf surface, were subepidermal, obovoid, and 113.2-164.5 × 97.6-153.3 μm in size. Telia were reddish-brown to dark brown, round, mostly grouped, 0.28-0.61 mm in diameter, and mainly formed on the abaxial leaf surface but sometimes on the adaxial leaf surface also. Teliospores were two-celled, but rarely one- or three-celled, and were fusoid and 37. 6-110 × 12.4-21.5 μm in size; the wall was yellowish or almost colorless, smooth, 1.2-2.6 μm thick at the sides, and up to 7.4 μm thick at the apex. The morphological characteristics were similar to those of P. modiolae, although the teliospores in our study were longer than those observed by Aime and Abbasi (2018). For phylogenetic analysis, genomic DNA was extracted from the teliospores of each regional specimen. Partial 18S, internal transcribed spacer (ITS), and partial 28S sequences were amplified using primers NS1, ITS4, ITS5, and LR11. The PCR products were sequenced (Celemics, Seoul, Korea) and deposited in GenBank. The ITS-partial large subunit (LSU) sequence and 28S sequences had 100% homology with other P. modiolae sequences deposited in GenBank (accession numbers are shown in Fig. 2). In the phylogenetic trees of the ITS and LSU sequences, the isolates collected in this study were grouped with the reference sequences of P. modiolae, including the Korean isolate (ON631218) recently reported on Malva verticillata by Lee et al. (2022). For the pathogenicity test, the teliospores with germinating basidiospores were suspended in sterile distilled water and smeared on the upper surface of asymptomatic A. rosea leaves in August. The inoculated plants were sprayed with distilled water and kept in the dark with saturated moisture for 24 h in an isolated glass house of the Animal & Plant Quarantine Agent. After 2 weeks, typical rust spots and telia of P. modiolae were observed on the leaves of the inoculated plants, but not in the control plants, which were only sprayed with distilled, sterilized water and otherwise treated similarly to the inoculated plants. The results of this study show that the casual fungus is P. modiolae, which has been commonly found in A. rosea in Korea. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of P. modiolae in A. rosea in Korea.

Taxonomic significance of seed macro-micromorphology of Turkish Alcea L. (Malvaceae) through light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy.

Seed morphological properties of 19 taxa belonging to the genus Alcea L. (Malvaceae) distributed in Turkey were investigated using a light microscope and scanning electron microscope to identify their characters and to evaluate their diagnostic value. The seeds are reniform with a rounded apex and base, reniform in shape, and light to dark brown, grayish-brown, or blackish-brown in color. The seed length ranges from 2.22 to 6.5 mm and seed width from 1.72 to 6.5 mm. The indumentum at the ventral and dorsal regions of the seed differs in density. Three types of seed coat ornamentations were observed: reticulate, reticulate-rugulate, and reticulate-ruminate on the dorsal and lateral faces. Principal component analysis was used to evaluate the important seed morphological characteristics among the taxa studied, with four components accounting for 90.761% of the total variance. Numerical analysis revealed that seed size, color, seed surface patterns on dorsal and lateral sides, indumentum at dorsal and ventral regions, and periclinal surface sculpture of epidermal cells are particularly the most useful variables for discriminating the Alcea taxa. The findings also showed a partial relationship among the Alcea taxa clusters, based on seed morphology and the systematics of these taxa, based on general macromorphology. Taxonomic key using the seed features is provided to identify the species studied. The current work will contribute to the knowledge about the family Malvaceae, and microscopic macro-micromorphological analysis can be used for identification by the taxonomists for further studies on this family. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: Seed color, indumentum and surface sculpturing have systematic value for separating the taxa. Seed morphology of the Alcea taxa was studied via light microscope and scanning electron microscope. Numerical analysis provided the contribution of seed characters to taxa relationships.

Hubungan Kekerabatan Fenetik 6 Spesies Anggota Genus Hibiscus Berdasarkan Karakter Morfologi

The Hibiscus genus is a member of the Malvaceae family with striking flowers of various colors. Hibiscus is a genus that is easy to find in Indonesia because it is usually used as an ornamental plant, hedge plant, cut flower, medicinal plant, or tea for drinking. This research was conducted to know the phenetic relationship of 6 species of Hibiscus based on morphological characters. The research was conducted by observing 57 morphological characteristics of 6 species of Hibiscus, then UPGMA (Unweighted Pair Group Method with Arithmatic Mean) analysis using MEGA 11 software. The samples in this study were six species belonging to the Hibiscus genus, namely Hibiscus rosa-sinensis L., Hibiscus tiliaceus L., Hibiscus macrophyllus (Blume) Okenlada, Hibiscus mutabilis L., Hibiscus sabdariffa L., and Hibiscus acetosella Welw. ex Hiern. The results showed that 6 species of Hibiscus formed 3 clusters based on differences in habitus and stem diameter. H. tiliaceus and H. macrophyllus formed cluster one, H. acetosella and H. sabdariffa formed cluster two, while H. rosa-sinensis and H. mutabilis formed cluster three. The closest phenetic relationship is between H. acetosella and H. sabdariffa, with a dissimilarity index of 0.140 or 86% similarity. The furthest phenetic relationship was in H. rosa-sinensis and H. macrophyllus with a dissimilarity index of 0.737 or a similarity percentage of 26.3%.

A Review on Ethnobotanical and Pharmacological Aspects of Gossypium barbadense L. (Cotton)- A Multidimensional Plant

As an ancient medicinal plant, Gossypium barbadense has been used for medicinal, textile and edible purposes since ancient times to benefit humans. This plant belongs to the Malvaceae family originated from Mexico and Peru, and is commonly called ‘Cotton’. Different parts of G. barbadense are used to treat colds, diarrhea, gout, and skin diseases, as well as ear, respiratory, reproductive and neurological problems in Africa, Brazil, and India. From roots and seeds, gossypol, 6-methoxygossypol, and 6,6′-dimethoxygossypol have been isolated, along with these phytochemicals some other compounds, such as triterpenoids and sesquiterpenoids, are known to be present in leaves. The extracts and essential oil of this plant displayed anti-microbial, anti-oxidant, and anti-ulcer activity. The seed oil of this plant is known among all unsaturated edible oils as 'Heart oil' due to its beneficial effects on the heart. The fiber is the longest with excellent quality, used by industries such as clothes and textiles like archival paper, tents, coffee filters, book binding and fishnets. The aim of this study is to validate the limited available data on this multidimensional plant, its phytoconstituents, and pharmacological aspects, and to stress the need of further research to identify new plant-based medicines and other products for full financial and environmental benefits.

An exceptionally well-preserved monodominant fossil forest of Wataria from the lower Miocene of Japan

Byttneriophyllum tiliifolium is a leaf fossil-species of the family Malvaceae that was distributed widely throughout Eurasia from the Miocene to the Pliocene. An affinity to some Malvadendrina subfamilies has been suggested for Byttneriophyllum-bearing plants, but remains to be clarified due to insufficient information on other organs. Here, we report an exceptional lower Miocene fossil locality in Japan where a monodominant forest of the wood fossil-species Wataria parvipora flourished. Notably, the forest floor was covered by a bed consisting almost exclusively of B. tiliifolium. We observed occurrence modes of B. tiliifolium in this bed that confirmed that these leaves were deposited parautochthonously. These observations imply a biological connection between B. tiliifolium and W. parvipora. The wood and leaf characters together might narrow the affinity of Byttneriophyllum-bearing plants down to Helicterioideae within the Malvadendrina, although it is also possible that Byttneriophyllum-bearing plants constitutes an extinct lineage which is characterized by a combination of morphological traits found in several extant lineages. Our results suggest that Byttneriophyllum-bearing plants started to inhabit swamps no later than the end of the early Miocene when the global temperature was getting warmer.

Palynotaxonomical study of honeybees (Apis mellifera var. adansonii) forage and/or preference plants in South-Western Nigeria

The disputed issues of higher plant taxonomy and phylogeny are greatly impacted by pollen morphology because pollen grains have clear distinctive characteristics that are typically labeled. Palynotaxonomical study of Honeybees preference plants in South-Western Nigeria were conducted between the months of May, 2019 and June 2021 using fresh polleniferous materials which were extracted through acetolysis methods. Results showed that ninety-two (92) plant species belonging to thirty-six (36) plant families of apicultural importance most visited by honeybees (Apis mellifera var. adansonii) were documented. At x100 magnification, thorough morphological studies were performed, and the results showed that pollen grains from plant species in the family Asteraceae were spinolous and spherical in shape; those from the Fabaceae sub-families Caesalpinoideae, Mimosoideae, and Papilionoideae, on the other hand, had a great deal of morphological diversity with variations in symmetry, position and distribution. Those of the families Malvaceae was echinate and Myrtaceae were colporate; syncolpate and prolate respectively. However, the variations above were generally reduced within species in the same genera. Tricolpate aperture type was observed in the genus Euphorbia; giving reason for their classification in the same genera. The genus Combretum was all heterocolpate, circular in shape and heteroporate. Sculpturing was psilate or scabrate and pollen shape class were sub-prolate, oblate-spheroidal or prolate spheroidal. Similar form and symmetry observed in all the species studied were reason for their classification into the same family. The study revealed that the flowering period for most of these honeybees’ forage plants were between the months of October to March. Identification, propagation, cultivation, conservation, and sustainable exploitation of these honeybee (Apis mellifera var. adansonii) forage and preference plants would be beneficial in potentially increasing the efficiency of apiculture and commercial cultivation in South-Western Nigeria.

Management of root-knot nematode [Meloidogyne incognita] in bhendi under pot culture condition using zero cost inputs

Bhendi scientifically known as Abelmoschus esculentus belongs to family Malvaceae and also known as Ladies Finger, Okra, Bhindi . It is the most important vegetable crop of the tropical and subtropical regions of the world. It belongs to the genus Abelmoschus and family Malvaceae. Okra is a multipurpose crop valued for its tender and delicious pods. In West Africa, leaves, buds, and flowers of okra are also consumed. The dried seeds provide oil, protein, vegetable curd, and a coffee additive or substitute. Okra dry seeds contain 18–20% oil and 20–23% crude protein. Foliage can be used for biomass, and the dried stems serve as a source of paper pulp or fuel. To a limited extent, okra is used in canned, dehydrated, or frozen forms. It has an average nutritive value of 3.21. It is commercially grown in India, Turkey, Iran, West Africa, Yugoslavia, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Pakistan, West Bengal, Burma, Japan, Malaysia, Brazil, Ghana, Ethiopia, Cyprus, and the southern USA. Chitin has been extracted from various sources like prawn shells, crab shells, egg shells, jack fruit peel, garlic peel and onion peel. The efficacy of chitinase amendments on mortality of active juveniles of Meloidogyne incognita was estimated at various concentrations viz, 100%, 75%, 50% and 25% under three replications of 24 hours, 48 hours and 72 hours and assessment of plant morphometric characters, nematode mortality and root knot index under pot culture conditions.All the six chitinases amendments were tested in vitro to study the nematicidal action on Meloidogyne incognita. In treatment – concentration interaction, the highest nematode mortality (79.65 percent) was observed in Egg shell (100percent) followed by Crab shells (58.16 percent) Similar results were observed in 75, 50 and 25 per cent concentration of the amendments.Among the different chitinases amendments tested, Egg shell showed high degree of nematicidal effect against M. incognita in vitro and the lowest nematode mortality was recorded in onion peel (18.40) at 25 per cent concentration.Among the amendments tested, Egg shell treatment showed significant increase in root length and shoot length (40.22 cm 21.30 cm respectively) and the untreated control plants recorded the least root length and shoot length (19.11 cm and 21.30 ).All the treatments were found to reduce nematodes population in roots and highest reduction was noticed in egg shell treated plants (189.54 and 161.20) soil (250g) and root(5g) respectively.Significant reduction in root knot index (1.5) were observed in the treatment egg shell and carbofuran which recorded (1.0) per cent. The untreated control plant roots showed root knot index of 5.00 per cent.