Floristic Composition Research Articles

Intestinal microecological transplantation for a patient with chronic radiation enteritis: A case report

BACKGROUND The gut microbiota is strongly associated with radiation-induced gut damage. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness and safety of intestinal microecological transplantation for treating patients with chronic radiation enteritis. CASE SUMMARY A 64-year-old female with cervical cancer developed abdominal pain, diarrhea, and blood in the stool 1 year after radiotherapy. An electronic colonoscopy was performed to diagnose chronic radiation enteritis. Two courses of intestinal microecological transplantation and full-length 16S rRNA microbiological analysis were performed. The patient experienced short- and long-term relief from symptoms without adverse effects. Whole 16S rRNA sequencing revealed significant differences in the intestinal flora’s composition between patient and healthy donors. Pathogenic bacteria, such as Escherichia fergusonii and Romboutsia timonensis , were more in the patient. Beneficial bacteria such as Faecalibacterium prausnitzii , Fusicatenibacter saccharivorans , Ruminococcus bromii , and Bifidobacterium longum were more in the healthy donors. Intestinal microbiota transplantation resulted in a significant change in the patient's intestinal flora composition. The composition converged with the donor's flora, with an increase in core beneficial intestinal bacteria, such as Eubacterium rectale , and a decrease in pathogenic bacteria. Changes in the intestinal flora corresponded with the patients' alleviating clinical symptoms. CONCLUSION Intestinal microecological transplantation is an effective treatment for relieving the clinical symptoms of chronic radiation enteritis by altering the composition of the intestinal flora. This study provides a new approach for treating patients with chronic radiation enteritis.

Flora of Sidhi District, Madhya Pradesh-II

Flora of Sidhi district, Madhya Pradesh based on the collections made during the 5 exploration tours conducted between l962 and 1971 is presented. A short account of the vegetatiot and its floristic composition along with other essential features of topography, climate, geology and soil are given in this paper. Systematic enumeration of about 680 species belonging to 417 genera under 103 families with keys to the taxa, reference citation, description and critical notes will be published in part II, which is under preparation. 8 species have been recorded for the first time from Madhya Pradesh.

Floristic Composition and Phenological, Pattern of Vegetation in the North of Srinagar

The paper presents floristic and ecological study of three diverse habitats towards the north of Srinagar. 162 species of flowering plants are enumerated. Data concerning frequency and phenological pattern of the species found in these habitats reveal that short lived early flowering species are predominant in exposed habitats with loose soil structure and perennial forms in shady compact-soil habitats. Shading produces a lag in the phenological pattern of species. Late flowering species are mostly restricted under shaded tree canopy.

Weed Flora of some Fields and Plantations of Dehra Dun

The paper gives an account of weeds occurring in wheat, paddy and sugarcane fields and tea plantations in the neighbourhood of Dehra Dun, Uttar Pradesh. Phenological data of weeds thus collected have been given. A list of 204 species has been appended to give an idea of weeds occurring in the above said crops. Floristic analysis has been given in order to discuss the composition of the weed flora. During the study, Vicia tetrasperma (Linn.) Moench. and Acalypha australis Linn, were recorded for the first time from the Uppet Gangetic Plains and India respectively, which have been published as separate notes.

Contributions to the Flora of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands

The Andamans and Nicobars are two groups of islands, lying in the Bay of Bengal between the latitudes 6°41' and 13°41' North and longitudes 92°11’ and 94°00' East. The Andamans consist of 204 islands, while the Nicobars are made up of 22 islands.Geology, soil and climate of these islands are discussed. A brief resume of the botanical history of these islands is presented.The vegetation of the Andamans is classified into 1. Mangrove forests 2. Beach forortr 3. Evergreen forests, situated at lower elevations in alluvial land and valleys 4. Deciduous forests 5. Moist evergreen forests at higher elevations 6. Vegetation in cleared lands and open areas. In Nicobars the following types of vegetation are met with 1. Beach forests 2. Evergreen forests 3. Grass lands 4. Marine vegetation. The floristic composition of these vegetations is discussed in detail.A floristic analysis is presented. The approximate number of Phanerogamic species may, amount to 1000 and 700 for the Andamans and Nicobars respectively. The flora has been subjected to the influence of Burma and Malaysia. A number of non-indigenous species have intruded and mixed well with the Andaman flora. A third feature is presence of plants of their own, with a number of endemic species.

A Contribution to the Flora of Khari Reserve Forest, Mandla District, Madhya Pradesh

This paper presents the essential features of topography, soil type, climate, vegetation and floristic composition of Khari Reserve Forest, Mandla District, Madhya Pradesh. It includes an enumeration list of about 388 species belonging 286 genera and 86 families of Angiosperms and Pteridophytes.

A Contribution to the Flora of Palghat District, Kerala

This paper presents an account of the floristic composition of Walayar, Malampuzha and Dhoni Reserve Forests, Palghat District, Kerala State. An enumeration of species, genera and families of Angiosperms and Pteridophytes is given.

Centres of Development and Patterns of Distribution of the Family Melastomataceae in Indo-Malesia

1.The Melastomataceae is a homogeneous family of about 220 genera and 5300 species and is generally confined to the tropical and subtropical regions, avoiding arid conditions and attaining prolific developments in the rain forests between the tropic of cancer and the tropic of capricorn. More than one half of the World's melastomataceous genera (about 120) and two-thirds of the total number of species (about 3353) are confined to the New World. The melastomataceous flora of Indo-Malesia consists of 64 genera and about 1300 species. In the Old World the incidence of melastomataceous species for Indo-Malesia and Africa is in the ratio of 2:1.2.The present distribution of Melastomataceae in both the New World and the Old World is discussed on the basis of Wegener's hypothesis of "Continental Drift". Instead of considering the island of Madagascar as the centre of origin of the family in a restricted way, it is considered that "Gondwanaland" was ideally suited for the melastomataceous flora and those blocks that moved away after the breaking up of this huge continental mass in the Late Cretaceous, each carried their own share of melastomataceous species which, after gradual establishment in new situations during a long span of time and space, proliferated into several new taxa by an intensive process of evolution.3.The Deccan Peninsula + Ceylon block in drifting over the Indian Ocean must have carried the original Gondwanaland stock and gene-pool of the Melastomataceae which later-when this block was fused with Laurasia and the Tethys Sea had disappeared-became the centre of development of the family in continental Asia. Then Melastomataceae could further develop on the southern part of Laurasia and from there migrate eastward to the Malesian islands, the Western Pacific and northern Australia.This implies the conclusion that, though Australia also formed part of the ancient Gondwanaland, this cannot have carried part of the ancient Gondwanaland Melastomataceae when Australia drifted apart.4.An attempt has been made to assess the centres of distribution of Indo-Malesian Melastomataceae and from this study the following four centres of development are proposed : (i) The Deccan-Ceylon centre, (ii) The Himalayan-Yunnan centre, (iii) The Sunda centre and (iv) The Philippine-Papuan centre.5.The Island of Borneo is unique in having the largest number of genera-42 out of the Indo-Malesian total of 64 genera-and the largest number of species i.e. 257. Perhaps, it is due to the part played by the mountain of Kinabalu in enriching the floristic composition of Borneo. It is generally considered by phytogeographers that Kinabalu is a great sanctuary of flora, past and present, and a nursery of endemic elements.

A Contribution to the Botany of Orissa

This paper presents the essential features of geology, topography, soil, climate, vegetation and floristic composition of the tropical deciduous and tropical semi-evergreen/evergreen forests occurring in parts of Cuttack district, Keonjhar district, Mayurbhanja district and Bolangir-Sambalpur districts of Orissa. An enumeration of about 868 specie of angiosperms, gymnosperms, pteriodophytes and fungi representing 1845 field numbers collected between 1957-1959 is appended. It includes 34 species and ten genera found as new records for Bihar and Orissa and 60 species found as new records for Orissa only.

Flora of Bulandshahr District

The paper gives an account of the vegetation of the district of Bulandshahr in Central Uttar Pradesh. Edaphic, climatic, biotic and other factors determining the floristic composition of the district have been discussed in the paper. Aquatic and cultivated plants, avenue trees and orchard plants have been mentioned. A list of 376 species has been appended to give an idea of the flora of the District. Cuscuta capitata Roxb. and Clinopodium umbrosum (M. Bieb.) Koch have been reported for the first time from the U. P. plains.

A Botanical Tour to Tirap Frontier Division, NEFA (India)

A botanical tour in the southern parts of Tirap Frontier Division lying to the south-east of the Margherita-Nampong-Pangsupass line and bordering upon Burma and Manipur, undertaken over a period of 20 days during August-September, 1958, pelded 518 species of angiosperms and 120 species of pteridophytes amongst others. This paper presents the geology, topography, soil and vegetation together with a comprehensive analysis of the floristic composition of the vegetational types and is followed by enumeration of the species of angiosperms in the Appendix.Analysis of the species collected and belonging to angiosperms established the following ten families as the richest ones on the basis of the number of species. Orchidaceae (50), Rubiaceae (29), Gramineae (28), Urticaceae (27), Leguminosae (21), Compositae (19), Cyperaceae (19) and Gesneraceae (17), Verbenaceae (12), Labiatae (12). These together represent about 45% of the species collected. About 68 species not recorded by Kanjilal et al(1934-1940) have been reported as additions to the dicotyledonous flora of Assam and NEFA. Several are reported here as new records of species for India.

Studies on the Flora of the Pakasura Hills (Hulical Drug R.F.) in the Nilgiri District, Madras State

The Pakasura Hills remained botanically unexplored so far and four seasonal explorations were completed during 1957-58. The slopes of the mountain which reach an altitude of 2,097 M. show zonations in their vegetation represented by the Southern Tropical Thom Type, Tropical Secondary Dry Deciduous Type, Nilgiri Sub Tropical Evergreen Type and Wet Temperate Type of Forests. Some of the plants introduced on the Nilgiris have become naturalised and run wild adding new elements to its floristic composition. The collections from this area include species of plants which are not recorded by Fyson and Gamble for the Nilgiris though some of them are reported by the latter as occurring in the Western Ghats in a very general way.

Multivariate statistical analysis of bioavailability of heavy metals and mineral characterization in selected species of coastal flora

This study presents a thorough investigation into the concentration of heavy metals and mineral composition within four distinct coastal flora species: Cyperus conglomeratus, Halopyrum mucronatum, Sericostem pauciflorum, and Salvadora persica. Employing rigorous statistical methodologies such as Pearson coefficient correlation, principal component analysis (PCA), analysis of variance (ANOVA), and interclass correlation (ICC), we aimed to elucidate the bioavailability of heavy metals, minerals, and relevant physical characteristics. The analysis focused on essential elements including copper (Cu), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn), magnesium (Mg2+), calcium (Ca2+), sodium (Na+), potassium (K+), and chloride (Cl–), all of which are known to play pivotal roles in the ecological dynamics of coastal ecosystems. Through PCA, we discerned distinctive patterns within PC1 to PC4, collectively explaining an impressive 99.65% of the variance observed in heavy metal composition across the studied flora species. These results underscore the profound influence of environmental factors on the mineral composition of coastal flora, offering critical insights into the ecological processes shaping these vital ecosystems. Furthermore, significant correlations among mineral contents in H. mucronatum; K+ with content of Na+ (r = 0.989) and Mg2+ (r = 0.984); as revealed by ICC analyses, contributed to a nuanced understanding of variations in electrical conductivity (EC), pH levels, and ash content among the diverse coastal flora species. By shedding light on heavy metal and mineral dynamics in coastal flora, this study not only advances our scientific understanding but also provides a foundation for the development of targeted environmental monitoring and management strategies aimed at promoting the ecological sustainability and resilience of coastal ecosystems in the face of ongoing environmental challenges.

Studies on the Flora of the Andaman Islands

Studies and observations, made on the flora of the Andaman Islands during a botanical exploration tour in 1959, are recorded in this paper. Andamans are a group of large and small islands 204 in number, lying in the Bay of Bengal between 13°41'and 10°30' N. latitudes, and 92°11'and 93°7'E. longitudes.Important vegetation types commonly met with in these islands are the Mangrove forests, Beach forests, Deciduous forests and Evergreen forests at lower and higher elevations. The floristic composition of the South, Middle, and North Andamans are described in detail. A floristic analysis of the Andaman Islands, based on the collections made during the above tour is presented. An enumeration of the plants collected, is given at the end.

A Botanical Tour to Subansiri Frontier Division (NEFA)

A botanical collection tour along the 100 Km. road track passing through, the Dafla hills and Apatanang valley and lying between Kimin (213 m.) and Ziro (1525 m) in the Subansiri F.D., undertaken during September 1959 yielded 383 species of angiosperms and 66 species of Pteridophytes amongst others. This paper presents the topography, climate and vegetation together with a comprehensive analysis of the floristic composition of the vegetational types and is followed by enumeration of the species in the appendix.Vegetation in the Dafla hills area visited is ascribed to tropical evergreen forest from Kimin to Pitepool and to subtropical evergreen forest, and grassland formation between Kherbari and Hapoli, the last one representing a biotic climax.Apatanang valley is a flat alluvial plain of about 20 sq. miles representing the bed of dried up lake and is very suitable for rice and millet cultivation. Pinus wallichiana and Dendrocalamus sikkimensis are extensively planted in the surrounding hillocks.The analysis of the distribution data shows the occurrence of a large number of species in the area as common to neighbouring. region e.g. Assam sharing 260 species; Sikkim, 119 species; Western Himalayas, 107 species; Burma, 51 species; Manipur, 15 species; Bengal, 29 species; Bihar and Orissa, 13 species and Deccan Peninsula, 28 species.Borreria ocymoides, Torenia asiatica and Cyanotis papilionacea, so far reported as restricted to Deccan Peninsula, Impatiens porrecta, I. paludosa and Solanum khasianum, as enemic to Khasia hills, Argyreia wallichii as endemic to Sikkim, Exacum tetragonum var. stylosa and Dendrobium chrysotoxum reported by Hooker from Burma have now been collected from Subansiri F.D.

Relationship Between the Gut Microbiota and Neurological Deficits in Patients With Cerebral Ischemic Stroke.

The aim of the paper was to investigate the composition and structure of intestinal flora in patients with cerebral ischemic stroke (CIS), and to investigate the relationship between gut microbiota (GM) and different levels of stroke severity. In this study, 47 CIS patients (16 mild, 21 moderate, and 10 severe) and 15 healthy controls were included. General information, clinical data, and behavioral scores of the enrolled subjects were collected. Deoxyribonucleic acid in fecal intestinal flora was extracted and detected using high-throughput Illumina 16S ribosomal ribonucleic acid sequencing technology. Finally, the correlation between the community composition of intestinal microbiota and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score in CIS patients was analyzed. Compared with healthy controls, there was no statistically significant difference in Alpha diversity among CIS patients, but the principal coordinate analysis showed significant differences in the composition of the GM among stroke patients with different degrees of severity and controls. In CIS patients, Streptococcus was significantly enriched, and Eshibacter-Shigella, Bacteroides, and Agathobacter were significantly down-regulated (P < .05). In addition, the relative abundance of Blautia was negatively correlated with the NIHSS score. Our results show that different degrees of CIS severity exert distinct effects on the intestinal microbiome. This study reveals the intestinal microecological changes after brain injury from the perspective of brain-gut axis. Intestinal microorganisms not only reveal the possible pathological process and indicate the severity of neurologic impairment, but also make targeted therapy possible for CIS patients.

CONIFEROUS LEAF-BEARING FOREST BIOMASS ASSESSMENT BY THE EXAMPLE OF THE EDUCATIONAL AND EXPERIMENTAL SOIL AND ECOLOGICAL CENTER OF LOMONOSOV MOSCOW STATE UNIVERSITY “CHASHNIKOVO”

The aim of the work was to assess the contribution of the following components - biomass and mortmass of tree stands, undergrowth, living ground cover, and forest litter - to the total organic matter’s pool of plant community. The object of the study was a territory of coniferous-deciduous forest located in Solnechnogorsk City District of the Moscow region, in which five permanent sample trial plots of 50·50 m were allocated. The greatest contribution to the total organic matter mass of studied plant communities was made by forest stand perennial parts (up to 87%) and forest stand mortmass (up to 14%), and phytomass of deciduous trees in stand containing 32 to 98%, which was connected with incompleteness of forest restoration succession process. The contribution of forest litter was no more than 3%; litter deposit was low (0,18-1,21 kg·m-2), which is not typical for spruce forests, as is the fact that all litter is of the destructive type. Living ground cover in terms of floristic composition and ecological-coenotic structure was typical for the subzone of coniferous-deciduous forests; its contribution to the overall productivity of forest biogeocenosis was insignificant. The spatial intrabiogeocenotic structure of litter reserves and living ground cover biomass distribution was disturbed compared to typical spruce forests due to the high proportion of deciduous species in the forest stand. Deciduous species inclusion in the tree tier, typical of the final stage of formation of a secondary coniferous forest during succession, caused a slight increase in the intensity of the biological cycle, which was indicated in this case by a decrease in the supply of litter and a simplification of their structure. Since the biomass and mortmass of tree stand make the greatest contribution to the sequestration of carbon by forest biogeocenoses, it is these components that require the most detailed assessment during monitoring observations, the purpose of which is to assess the carbon reserves of terrestrial ecosystems.

Mechanism of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge extract to alleviate Chronic Sleep Deprivation-Induced cognitive dysfunction in rats

BackgroundBidirectional communication between the gut microbiota and the brain may play an essential role in the cognitive dysfunction associated with chronic sleep deprivation(CSD). Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge (Danshen, DS), a famous Chinese medicine and functional tea, is extensively used to protect learning and memory capacities, although the mechanism of action remains unknown. PurposeThe purpose of this research was to explore the efficacy and the underlying mechanism of DS in cognitive dysfunction caused by CSD. MethodsDS chemical composition was analyzed by UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS. Forty rats were randomly assigned to five groups (n = 8): control (CON), model (MOD), low- (1.35 g/kg, DSL), high-dose (2.70 g/kg, DSH) DS group, and Melatonin(100 mg/kg, MT) group. A CSD rat model was established over 21 days. DS's effects and the underlying mechanism were explored using the open-field test(OFT), Morris water-maze(MWM), tissue staining(Hematoxylin and Eosin Staining, Nissl staining, Alcian blue-periodic acid SCHIFF staining, and Immunofluorescence), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, Western blot, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction(qPCR), and 16S rRNA sequencing. ResultsWe demonstrated that CSD caused gut dysbiosis and cognitive dysfunction. Furthermore, 16S rRNA sequencing demonstrated that Firmicutes and Proteobacteria were more in fecal samples from model group rats, whereas Bacteroidota and Spirochaetota were less. DS therapy, on the contrary hand, greatly restored the gut microbial community, consequently alleviating cognitive impairment in rats. Further research revealed that DS administration reduced systemic inflammation via lowering intestinal inflammation and barrier disruption. Following that, DS therapy reduced Blood Brain Barrier(BBB) and neuronal damage, further decreasing neuroinflammation in the hippocampus(HP). Mechanistic studies revealed that DS therapy lowered lipopolysaccharide (LPS) levels in the HP, serum, and colon, consequently blocking the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway and its downstream pro-inflammatory products(IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, iNOS, and COX2) in the HP and colon. ConclusionDS treatment dramatically improved spatial learning and memory impairments in rats with CSD by regulating the composition of the intestinal flora, preserving gut and brain barrier function, and reducing inflammation mediated by the LPS-TLR4 signaling pathway. Our findings provide novel insight into the mechanisms by which DS treats cognitive dysfunction caused by CSD.

Vulnerability of the Pteridoflora Towards Climate Change in the West Albertine Rift: Case of the Mountain’s Stages of the Kahuzi-Biega National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

The present article aims at analysing the floristic composition of Lycophytes and Ferns to test the disturbances on the vegetation structure occurring in the mountains zones of the Kahuzi-Biega National Park (KBNP), further, to prove/underline the main threat and the vulnerability which actually is impacting the biodiversity in the mountains of the Western Albertine Rift due to climate changes and resulting in habitat loss as well as result of anthropogenic activities. The KBNP is located at the crossroad of the phytogeography regions of the Guinea-Congolese and Afromontane between 650 to 3326 m of altitude. During 10 years, we conducted comparison studies in the habitats (disturbed and undisturbed) encountered on the vegetation that scales between 1250 à 3300 m of altitude in 30 plots, 15 transects on a one kilometre. The results obtained reveal a variation in the flora composition within the three stages. The difference in the height, the diametric distribution (trees and shrubs) as well as the presence of Pteridophytes between undisturbed and disturbed habitats is highly significant within the 10 years’ observations. In stable and mature parcels, Pteridophytes constitute a very rich, diversified and stable population. Permanent threat manifested through the fragility of the habitats and is further translated by a modification of the floristic composition of the canopy, and sometimes trough the taming of the undergrowth in disturbed parcels. The mountainous part of the KBNP might probably constitute a climatic refuge for Pteridophytes in the Albertine Rift considering their diversity. Furthermore, considering these adaptations, the diversity and the specificity of the biotopes occupied, as well as the bioecological services recognized to Lycophytes and Ferns, they are the real markers for bioindicators of the delicatessen towards climate changes observed in the western rift Albertine. However, anthropogenic effects and sometimes, natural hazards resulting in this protected area, may also constitute a source of vulnerability for Pteridophytes

Mosses of Cockburn Island plateau, Antarctica

Abstract Located east of the Antarctic Peninsula, Cockburn Island is a small island in the James Ross Archipelago. Studies of mosses on the island are scarce. The oldest studies date from the first half of the nineteenth century to the most recent in 1993. The number of records of mosses is very small due to the difficulty of accessing the area. Here, we report an updated composition of the moss flora of the plateau, in which four new records have been found: Bryoerythrophyllum antarcticum, Ceratodon purpureus, Pohlia wilsonii and Schistidium lewis-smithii. The occurrence of these species on the plateau shows that the ranges of these species have expanded from the Antarctic Peninsula to the east. This collection highlights the need for further research into the dynamics of moss flora in the context of climate change.