Perennial Herbaceous Plant Research Articles

A biorefinery approach for the conversion of Cynara cardunculus biomass to active films

Cardoon (Cynara cardunculus), an herbaceous perennial plant able to grow with high productivity in dry and hot regions, as well as in unproductive soils, was used as a biomass source for the production of both bioactive compounds derived from leaves and proteins extracted from seeds. Naviglio® technology was found as an efficient method to obtain a cardoon leaf extract (CLE) characterized by high phenol content and oxygen scavenging activity. On the other hand, cardoon proteins (CPs) were demonstrated to give rise to handleable greenish films endowed with promising mechanical and barrier properties in the presence of glycerol used as plasticizer. Hence, the CLE was used to functionalize the films that were further characterized. Film microstructure observed by SEM revealed a good compatibility among CPs and CLE, showing a uniform distribution of the leaf extract components throughout the film network that reflected, in turn, an improvement in the mechanical and barrier properties of the obtained material. In addition, the CLE containing films exhibited higher hydrophobicity, as indicated by the contact angle measurement and by the evaluation of water solubility and swelling degree experiments. Finally, CLE-containing films showed a marked antioxidant activity, highlighting the potential of Cynara cardunculus to be exploited as a biorefinery where different low-value renewable biomass materials are turned in several higher value bio-based products.

English

The perennial herbaceous plant, Rehmannia glutinosa Libosch, is one of traditional Chinese medicines with a long history of cultivation and medicinal use. However, in production of R. glutinosa, replanting disease severely affected its yield and medicinal quality. Replanting disease is the special stress including biotic and abiotic factors. The membrane proteins system plays the important role in process of plants responding to stress factors. In this study, the differentially expressed root tissue membrane proteins between first planted and replanted R. glutinosa were identified through the isobaric tag for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ). As a result, the membrane protein extraction kit could highly effectively extract the membrane proteins from R. glutinosa root tissue. A total of 698 differential membrane proteins between first planted and replanted R. glutinosa were obtained. Functional analysis revealed that the differential membrane proteins were involved in various metabolic pathways, including transport and breakdown, signal transduction, membrane trafficking and environmental response. Two important molecular events that occurred in cellular membrane of replanted R. glutinosa including the imbalance of ROS (Reactive Oxygen Species) metabolism and immune response were identified in this study. When replanted R. glutinosa plants faced the complex environment factors in rhizosphere, the proteins located in cellular membrane were often first activated to response to stress stimulus, resulted in the upregulated expression of a large number of LRR-RLKs (Leucine-rich repeat receptor-like kinases) receptor proteins. Meanwhile, the Ca2+ signal proteins and related receptor proteins transmitted and responded to the replanting stress, which induced severe oxidative stress response in the cell membrane of R. glutinosa, membrane peroxidation, intracellular signal disorder, and eventually produce replanting disease. Our findings provided the theoretical and data foundation for elucidating the key mechanisms associated with replanting stress. © 2021 Friends Science Publishers

In Vitro Antioxidant and Enzyme Inhibition Activity of Hesperis İsatidea (Boiss.) D.A. German & Al-Shehbaz (Brassicaceae) and its Anatomy

Hesperis isatidea (Brassicaceae) is a perennial herbaceous endemic plant known as “Allıgelin”. It has traditional use concerning the cough, wound, cold and vulnerary in the form of decoction and poultice in Eastern Turkey. In this study, the in vitro antioxidant activity (DPPH, ABTS, FRAP, and metal chelating) and enzyme inhibitory activities (anticholinesterase, anti-tyrosinase) of H. isatideae were evaluated. Besides, the transverse sections were taken from the leaf, stem and fruit to determine the morphological and anatomical features of H. isatidea. The characteristic elements of the preparations were determined by Leica CME stereomicroscope and the distinctive features were shown in photographs. The obtained results of in vitro antioxidant and enzyme inhibitory assays suggest that H. isatidea may useful to develop bioactive compounds rich nutraceuticals for health care.

A collection of the decorative plants of the Polar Experimental Station Branch VIR

The article presents a taxonomic analysis for the decorative plants collection in the Polar Experimental Station of the VIR branch. The collection fund of floral and ornamental plants of the VIR Polar Experimental Station currently contains 208 species, 90 cultural forms and varieties from 53 families. The collection of annual crops is represented by 21 genera, 22 species, 69 varieties from 14 families. Perennial herbaceous decorative plants on the Polar OS VIR have 101 genera, 140 species from 40 families. The collection of decorative shrubs at the Polar Experimental Station consists of 20 genera, 47 species from 11 families. From the collection of herbaceous floral and decorative crops, the plants from the Asteraceae family are most represented. The Asteraceae occupies a dominant position in the collection of annuals in terms of the number of species and varieties (8 genera, 9 species, 24 varieties). The families Solanaceae and Violaceae each have one species, but the number of cultivars cultivated at the station (9 and 18, respectively) makes it possible to distinguish them from the general composition of the collection of annuals. Among the decorative herbaceous perennials, the largest number of species (≥10) are the families: aster (18 genera, 24 species), buttercup (7 genera, 12 species), carnation (5 genera, 10 species), rosaceae (7 genera, 10 species). The family Rosaceae in the collection of decorative shrub plants is predominant in number and has 10 genera and 29 species. All decorative plants of the VIR Polar Experimental Station nursery of different life forms are introduced. The main work is aimed at attracting modern varieties, new species, and intraspecific forms to the collection. The analysis of the taxonomic structure of plant species, varieties and forms allows us to identify and recommend the most resistant to extreme growing conditions plants that have high decorative qualities, taking into account modern trends in urban floristics.

Shrub influence on soil carbon and nitrogen in a semi-arid grassland is mediated by precipitation and largely insensitive to livestock grazing

Dryland (arid and semi-arid) ecosystems globally provide more than half of livestock production and store roughly one-third of soil organic carbon (SOC). Biogeochemical pools are changing due to shrub encroachment, livestock grazing, and climate change. We assessed how vegetation microsite, grazing, and precipitation interacted to affect SOC and total nitrogen (TN) at a site with long-term grazing manipulations and well-described patterns of shrub encroachment across elevation and mean annual precipitation (MAP) gradients. We analyzed SOC and TN in the context of vegetation cover at ungrazed locations within livestock exclosures, high-intensity grazing locations near water sources, and moderate-intensity grazing locations away from water. SOC was enhanced by MAP (p < 0.0001), but grazing intensity had little effect regardless of MAP (p = 0.12). Shrubs enhanced SOC (300–1279 g C m−2) and TN (27–122 g N m−2), except at high MAP where the contribution or stabilization of shrub inputs relative to grassland inputs was likely diminished. Cover of perennial herbaceous plants and litter were significant predictors of SOC (r 2 = 0.63 and 0.34, respectively) and TN (r 2 = 0.64 and 0.30, respectively). Our results suggest that continued shrub encroachment in drylands can increase SOC storage when grass production remains high, although this response may saturate with higher MAP. In contrast, grazing – at least at the intensities of our sites – has a lesser effect. These effects underscore the need to understand how future climate and grazing may interact to influence dryland biogeochemical cycling.

Planting Material of Enset (Ensete ventricosum), a Key Food Security Crop in Southwest Ethiopia, Is a Key Element in the Dissemination of Plant-Parasitic Nematode Infection.

Enset (Ensete ventricosum), is a perennial herbaceous plant belonging to the family Musaceae, along with banana and plantain. Despite wild populations occurring in eastern, central and southern Africa, it is only in Ethiopia that the crop has been domesticated, where it is culturally and agriculturally symbolic as a food security crop. Although an under-researched orphan crop, enset serves as a staple food for about 20% of the Ethiopian population, comprising more than 20 million people, demonstrating its value in the country. Similar to banana and plantain, enset is heavily affected by plant-parasitic nematodes, with recent studies indicating record levels of infection by the root lesion nematode Pratylenchus goodeyi. Enset is propagated vegetatively using suckers that are purposely initiated from the mother corm. However, while banana and plantain suckers have proven to be a key source of nematode infection and spread, knowledge on the infection levels and role of enset suckers in nematode dissemination is lacking. Given the high levels of plant-parasitic nematodes reported in previous surveys, it is therefore speculated that planting material may act as a key source of nematode dissemination. To address this lack of information, we assessed enset planting material in four key enset growing zones in Ethiopia. A total of 340 enset sucker samples were collected from farmers and markets and analyzed for the presence of nematodes. Nematodes were extracted using a modified Baermann method over a period of 48 h. The root lesion nematode P. goodeyi was present in 100% of the samples, at various levels of infection. These conclusive results show that planting material is indeed a key source of nematode infection in enset, hence measures taken to ensure clean suckers for planting will certainly mitigate nematode infection and spread. The effect of nematode infection on yield and quality on enset remains to be investigated and would be a way forward to complement the nematode/disease studies conducted so far and add valuable knowledge to the current poorly known impact of pests and diseases.

Chemical Constituent Analysis and Antioxidant Activity of Leaf Essential Oil of Curcuma xanthorrhiza

Curcuma xanthorrhiza Roxb. (Zingiberaceae) is a herbaceous perennial plant valued for its use in the pharmaceutical and food industry. In spite of its multipurpose use, the chemical composition of the leaf essential oil of the species is not known till date. Thus, the current work was undertaken to study the phytochemical composition and antioxidant activity of leaf essential oil of C. xanthorrhiza. GC/MS analysis of the leaf essential oil revealed the presence of 53 constituents; the major constituents being germacrone (18.76 %), xanthorrhizol (12.22 %), germacrene B (7.19 %), eucalyptol (6.89 %), γ-eudesmol acetate (6.33 %), ar-curcumene (6.06 %), β-himachalene (5.75 %) and curzerene (5.24 %). The essential oil was sesquiterpenoid in nature, with sesquiterpenes comprising 76.4 % of the oil. It consisted of 50.04 % oxygenated sesquiterpenes, 26.36 % sesquiterpene hydrocarbons, 10.31 % oxygenated monoterpenoids, 5.92 % aromatics, and 4.33 % monoterpene hydrocarbons. The DPPH and ABTS assay showed moderate antioxidant activity with IC50 value- 55.57±0.02 μg/mL and 24.42 μg/mL, respectively. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the phytochemical composition and antioxidant activity of leaf essential oil of C. xanthorrhiza and this finding might be useful in undertaking advanced research on natural products.

The complete chloroplast genome of Alhagi sparsifolia Shap. (Leguminosae)

Alhagi sparsifolia Shap. is a perennial herbaceous plant belonging to the genus Alhagi, Leguminosae. This species is of high nutritional, medicinal and ecological values. The complete chloroplast genome was 128,418 bp and lost an IR (inverted repeat) region. Further annotation revealed the chloroplast genome contains 108 genes, including 75 protein coding genes, 29 tRNA genes, and 4 rRNA genes. A total of 103 simple sequence repeats (SSRs) were identified in the chloroplast genome. This chloroplast genome resource will be useful for study on the evolution and genetic diversity of A. sparsifolia in the future.

Winter belowground: Changing winters and the perennating organs of herbaceous plants

Abstract The physical avoidance of overwinter damage is important for determining the success of herbaceous perennial plants in climates with cold winters. Exposure to damaging frost can be affected by contemporary climatic change, which can include an increase in winter air temperatures, changes in precipitation and changes in the timing and severity of warm and cold events. In this review, we consider the specific adaptations of herbaceous plants to avoid harsh winter conditions via perennating organs, what is known about their responses to warming winters, and what future directions the research of overwintering in herbs should explore. Herbaceous plants have adapted to harsh winter conditions in part by investing carbohydrates into belowground organs of perennation instead of aboveground biomass. The location of renewal buds and stored carbohydrates belowground increases their protection against freezing temperatures, and they can be further protected via insulation from plant litter or snow cover. Climate change can affect overwintering organs by altering snow cover depth and duration, thus increasing or decreasing the exposure of plants to frost, and may initiate an earlier or a later onset of growth in the spring. Winter warming can increase productivity in some species, but directly or indirectly decrease it in others and may lead to a loss of specialized plants, for example, in snowbed communities. Plants with shallow structures and taproots may be particularly vulnerable to increased soil frost penetration resulting from reduced snow cover. Measures of organ biomass and storage carbohydrate content can be used to assess how winter conditions affect allocation, storage, and the potential for growth in the spring. When destructive measures cannot be taken, the use of trait measures, such as perennating organ type, or its traits, such as depth and size of bud bank, can add further strength to the assessment of responses across multiple species. To fully understand the effects of changing winter conditions on perennial herbaceous plants, researchers must better account for plant overwintering strategies, their drivers, costs, and benefits. A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.

Comparison of Essential Oils Composition Between in-vitro Plantlets and Greenhouse Plants from Various Populations of Dracocephalum kotschyi Boiss.

Dracocephalum kotschyi species belongs to the family Lamiaceae, a perennial herbaceous medicinal plant that is native to Iran and is considered an endangered species. In-vitro plantlets (seven populations) were raised in MS medium supplemented with 0.1 mgl-1 BAP and 0.01 mgl-1NAA and the rooted plantlets were acclimatized successfully under greenhouse conditions.In- vivo plants (eight populations) were propagated under greenhouse condition. The essential oils were isolated by hydro distillation and identification of chemical compounds was done by a combination of capillary GC and GC-MS instruments. Twenty-five and forty compounds were identified in the different populations of in-vitro plantlet and in-vivo plant constituting 85.8%-99.68% and 85.1%-95.06% of essential oils, respectively. The major components of in-vitro plantlet on different populations were Verbenone (2.5%-82.47%), Geranyl acetate (28.35%-62.07%), Methyl geranate (0.98%-79.06%), Neral (0.64%-3.13%), Geranial (4.93%-14.39%), Limonene (0.37%-10.36%) and E-Anethole (7.62%-20.71%). The composition of essential oil from greenhouse plant populations were dominated by Neral (11.24%-74.80%), Limonene (0.17%-25.26%), Geraniol (0.54%-40.81%), Geranial (0.04%-9.15%), Methyl geranate (0.16%-28.48%), E-Anethole (0 %-0.1%) and Verbenone (0.39%-23.96%). The highest values of Neral, Limonene and Geraniol percentage were obtained from greenhouse conditions. In contrast, the maximum values of Verbenone, Geranyl acetate, Methyl geranate, Geranial, and E-Anethole were observed in the essential oils of in-vitro plantlets. This study demonstrated difference of chemical composition between in-vitro plantlets and greenhouse plants of different populations on D. kotschyi species. Also, new chemotypes of D. kotschyi has been introduced for further research.

Butterfly Pea (&lt;i&gt;Clitoria ternatea&lt;/i&gt; L.: Fabaceae) and Its Morphological Variations in Bali

Butterfly pea (Clitoria ternatea L.) is an important perennial herbaceous plant with a range of uses as ornamental plants, fodder crops, medicine, and sources of natural food colorant and antioxidants. The leaves and pods are commonly used as a source of protein in fodder, while the flowers are usually dried and processed as a high antioxidant-containing tea. The blue variant of butterfly pea was the most commonly used variety, although there are quite diverse butterfly pea varieties. The present study aimed to observe the morphological variations among the 26 butterfly pea accessions that originated from a wide range of areas in Bali. The explorative method was used to obtain diverse specimens (accessions) of butterfly pea in Bali, and subsequently, morphological characterization of the accessions was performed. The primary data of morphological traits that were recorded included stems, leaves, flower structures, flower colors, pods, and seeds. The data were analyzed descriptively to determine the morphological variations between accessions. The results showed three major morphological variations: (i) the colour of the flower (corolla), (ii) the corolla structure, and (iii) the stamen structure. The colour of corolla has four variations: white, mauve, light blue, and dark blue; while the corolla structure has two variations: normal and multiple layered corollas. The stamen character showed a correlation with the structure of the corolla. The normal corolla has diadelphous stamens, while the multiple layered corollas have solitary stamens. These morphological variations are the genetic richness of Indonesia’s biodiversity and should be protected and conserved.

Essential Oil Analysis of Coriander Plant of Konya Region

Coriander is a small aromatic perennial herbaceous plant that grows widely in western Asia, India, Pakistan, the Mediterranean basin, and the United States. Although all parts of the plant can be eaten, its fresh leaves and dry seeds are used more. fructose, sucrose), alkaloids, flavones, resins, tannins, anthroquinones, sterols (β-stesterol and β-cytosterelin), and fixed oils. Has a small amount of carminative agent. Coriander plant samples were collected by a specialist pharmacist and phytotherapist (Muammaer Şen). Cultured medicinal marshmallow herb flower was harvested and dried. The dried plant was sorted and packed in packages of 50 grams using precision scales. 100gr of randomly selected samples. It was sent to BATAM laboratory for analysis. The essential oil analysis of the coriander plant of the Konya region has been found in accordance with the pharmacopoeia standards. Coriander plant is used to take advantage of its heavy metal removal feature. Many factors can affect the essential oil ratio of the plant. It is possible to make maximum use of the essential oils of the coriander plant by making the environmental factors suitable.

Organic Pineapple Production Technology in Tripura – The lone AEZ for Fruits in North East India

Tripura is a land of high hills, hillocks, interspersed with rivers and valleys having moderately warm and humid climate, well distributed annual rainfall of 2500 mm. The terrain soil and climate of Tripura are ideally suited for rain-fed Horticulture. Tripura, being endowed with fertile soils, abundant moisture and sub-tropical climate offer immense scope for production of a wide variety of tropical and sub-tropical fruits. The climatic conditions of the state suitable for production of a large variety of horticultural crops chief among which include ‘Queen’ and ‘Kew’; varieties of Pineapple. Pineapple (Ananas comosus L.) is a monoecious, monocotyledonous, monocarpic and xerophytic herbaceous perennial plant and its perennial in nature is propitiated through suckers. ‘Queen’ and ‘Kew’ (‘Smooth Cayenne’) are the main cultivars grown in different parts of Tripura. Among the states of north east India Assam is leading in terms of area and production and Tripura is just behind the Assam both in terms of area and production. Tripura produces 178.45 thousand MT from 12.57 thousand ha area (Anonymous, 2017), which is India’s fifth leading state of in pineapple production and Tripura is also share 9.30 per cent of India’s total pineapple production. The variety ‘Queen’ being the most popular for fresh consumption and occupying the largest area. These varieties are well known in the rest of the country. These Fruit products are free of any chemical residue thus making the fruits of Tripura products of organic farming. Pineapple production for export market is a realistic for organic cultivation for small scale organic farmers. The positive effects of organic pineapple production by default in Tripura competing on the global export market for pineapple.

Amomum tsaoko fruit extract exerts anticonvulsant effects through suppression of oxidative stress and neuroinflammation in a pentylenetetrazol kindling model of epilepsy in mice.

BackgroundChronic epilepsy is a multifaceted common brain disorder with manifold underlying factors. Epilepsy affects around 70 million peoples worldwide. Amomum tsaoko is a perennial herbaceous plant that is extensively cultivated in many provinces of China reported to exert immense biological activities.ObjectiveThis research work was aimed to reveal the therapeutic actions of ethanolic extract of A.tsaoko fruits (EE-ATF) against the pentylenetetrazol (PTZ)-provoked convulsive seizures in the mice.MethodologyThe convulsive seizures were provoked to the animals via administering 70 mg/kg of PTZ through intraperitoneally to trigger the convulsive seizures then treated with the EE-ATF at 50, 75, and 100 mg/kg orally 30 min prior to PTZ challenge. After the 30 min of PTZ challenge, animals closely monitored for signs of convulsion, generalized clonic and tonic convulsion durations, and mortality. A sub-convulsive dose 35 mg/kg of PTZ was used to provoke the kindling and seizure stages were examined using standard method. The levels of dopamine, GABA, glutamate, and Na + K + ATPase and Ca + ATPase activities in the brain tissues were studied using marker specific assay kits. The oxidative stress and antioxidant markers studied using standard methods. The mRNA expressions of COX-2, TNF-α, NF-κB, TLR-4, and IL-1β in the brain tissues were studied using RT-PCR analysis. The brain tissues were examined histologically.ResultsEE-ATF treatment remarkably decreased the onset and duration of convulsion and suppressed the seizure severity and mortality in the PTZ animals. EE-ATF treatment appreciably ameliorated the PTZ triggered modifications in the GABA, glutamate, dopamine levels and Ca + 2ATPase and Na + K + ATPase activities in the brain tissues. EE-ATF suppressed the mRNA expressions of NF-κB, IL-1β, TLR-4, TNF-α, and COX-2. The status of antioxidants were elevated by the EE-ATF. Histological findings also demonstrated the curative actions of EE-ATF.ConclusionOur findings evidenced that the EE-ATF substantially ameliorated the PTZ-provoked convulsive seizures in the mice.

Hillslope Erosion Mitigation: An Experimental Proof of a Nature-Based Solution

Soil erosion during rainfall events is affected by several factors, such as topography, soil type, land management, and vegetation cover. In this study, a series of tests investigates the influence of selected perennial herbaceous plants with a deep and strong rooting system, called MC1, on runoff generation and soil erosion. The tests on the investigated nature-based solution have been performed in the Cape Fear experimental hillslope with natural and artificial rainfall and for different vegetation heights. For all the experiments, runoff, soil moisture, and erosion data were observed and collected. The results obtained in this study suggest the following conclusions: (1) MC1 is effective in terms of soil erosion reduction already with a minimum vegetation height equal to 30 cm; (2) MC1 maximum efficiency, in terms of soil loss reduction, has been reached for a vegetation height equal to 70 cm; (3) In terms of the eroded material, the use of MC1 allows for a reduction of soil loss up to 300 times higher than the bare soil condition; (4) The use of MC1 allows for a reduction in the runoff coefficient up to 1/3 of the corresponding value in the bare soil condition.

DEVELOPMENT OF FLAVONOIDS QUANTITATIVE DETERMINATION METHOD IN GLYCYRRHIZA PALLIDIFLORA HERB (GLYCYRRHIZA PALLIDIFLORA MAXIM.)

The licorice genus (Glycyrrhiza L.) plants are widely used in conventional and traditional medicine in different countries around the world. The genus includes about 15 species, but only three of them - G. glabra, G. uralensis and G. inflata are well studied and included in the Europe and Asia pharmacopoeias. Pale-flowered licorice (Glycyrrhiza pallidiflora Maxim.) is a perennial herbaceous plant from the false (not sweet) licorice section (Pseudoglycyrrhiza Krug.), which do not accumulate glycyrrhizin derivatives. This East Asian species grows in the Russian Far East. The distribution area of G. pallidiflora is limited. Only a few of its geographically isolated habitats are known: within the Khabarovsk city, near the Sarapulskoe village (Lower Amur) and in the Primorsky Kray on the Ryabokon Peninsula on the Lake Hanka southeastern coast. The G. pallidiflora successful introduction on the Kemerovo region-Kuzbass territory has been carried out over the past 5 years in the “Apothecary garden” territory of the Kuzbass Botanical Garden of the Institute of Human Ecology, FRC UUH SB RAS, Kemerovo. Currently, the scientific literature contains limited information on the composition and quantitative content of biologically active compounds (BAC) in the aerial part of G. pallidiflora. Therefore, the main task is to conduct phytochemical studies of the main classes of BAC, which have a pronounced pharmacological activity. We have proposed the amount of flavonoids quantitative determination method in the pale-flowered licorice herb, introduced in Kuzbass, by the differential spectrophotometry method, based on aluminum (III) chloride complexation reaction. The flavonoids extraction conditions from raw materials have been studied. They depend on the ethyl alcohol concentration, the plant raw materials grinding degree, the extraction time, and the raw materials and extractants ratio. The optimal extraction conditions were selected and a quantitative determination method was developed. On the base of it was established that the amount of flavonoids content in the herb of pale-flowered licorice (Glycyrrhiza pallidiflora Maxim.), in terms of rutin, is from 2.25 ± 0.38% to 2.44 ± 0, 04%. The relative error of the proposed method is ± 3.21%.

Influence of Extremely Low Temperatures of the Pole of Cold on the Lipid and Fatty-Acid Composition of Aerial Parts of the Horsetail Family (Equisetaceae).

The lipid composition of two species of vascular plants, Equisetum variegatum Schleich. ex. Web. and E. scirpoides Michx., growing in the permafrost zone (Northeastern Yakutia, the Pole of Cold of the Northern Hemisphere), with average daily air temperatures in summer of +17.8 °C, in autumn of +0.6 °C, and in winter of −46.7 °C, was comparatively studied. The most significant seasonal trend of lipid composition was an accumulation of PA in both horsetail species in the autumn–winter period. Cold acclimation in autumn was accompanied by a decrease in the proportion of bilayer-forming lipids (phosphatidylcholine in the non-photosynthetic membranes and MGDG in photosynthetic membranes), an increase in the desaturation degree due to the accumulation of triene fatty acids (E. scirpoides), and an accumulation of betaine lipids O-(1,2-diacylglycero)-N,N,N-trimethylhomoserine (DGTS). The inverse changes in some parameters were registered in the winter period, including an increase in the proportion of “bilayer” lipids and decrease in the unsaturation degree. According to the data obtained, it can be concluded that high levels of accumulation of membrane lipids and polyunsaturated FAs (PUFAs), as well as the presence of Δ5 FAs in lipids, are apparently features of cold hardening of perennial herbaceous plants in the cryolithozone.

Phytochemical and Antimalarial Effects of Ecballium elaterium (L.) Rich. Growing in Iran

Background: Malaria is a well-recognized parasitic disease and a serious public health problem worldwide, particularly in tropical and subtropical areas. Objectives: This study was conducted to investigate the antimalarial properties of extracts with different polarities from the various parts of Ecballium elaterium (L.) Rich. (or wild cucumber) as a perennial herbaceous plant growing in Gilan and Azerbaijan provinces of Iran. Methods: The air-dried and powdered fruits, seeds, and roots of E. elaterium were extracted using three solvents with different polarities, n-Hexane (n-Hex), dichloromethane (DCM), and methanol (MeOH). The MeOH extract of roots was subjected to fractionalizing by a C18 Sep-Pak cartridge. All extracts and fractions with different polarities were assessed for their antimalarial activity using the cell-free beta-hematin formation test, and the structural groups of the fractions were identified by Thin-Layer Chromatography (TLC). Results: According to our results, the MeOH extracts of the plant’s roots presented considerable antimalarial effects with an IC50 value of 0.124 ± 0.0002 mg/mL. Bioactivity-guided fractionation of root MeOH extract by solid phase extraction (SPE) afforded six fractions. The 20% fraction showed the most potent antimalarial effect with an IC50 value of 0.167 ± 0.002 mg/mL. Moreover, the three fractions of 80%, 60%, and 100% methanol/water demonstrated considerable antimalarial activities. Phytochemical analysis of potent fractions of E. elaterium suggested the presence of flavonoids in 20% and 60% fractions and flavonoids and triterpenoids in 80% and 100% fractions. Conclusions: According to our primary phytochemical investigation on the six SPE fractions, it is recommended to purify the active constituents of the most effective fractions and investigate their biological effects in animal models.

Effects comparison of co-occurring Vachellia tree species on understory herbaceous vegetation biomass and soil nutrient: Case of semi-arid savanna grasslands in southern Ethiopia

The spread of woody plant encroachment is a major concern as it adversely affects herbaceous plant community composition in a savanna ecosystem. Assessing the canopy effects of co-occurring encroaching and non-encroaching woody plant species on the understory herbaceous vegetation biomass and the soil nutrient status can improve our understandings of the link between biological invasions and herbaceous plant community ecology. We examined the canopy and adjacent inter-canopy effects of encroaching and non-encroaching Vachellia species which was previously known as Acacia on herbaceous vegetation biomass in Southern Ethiopia. A total of 12 encroaching (Vachellia drepanolobium) and 12 non-encroaching (Vachellia tortilis) tree species were selected both at an upland and a bottomland site. A 1 m × 1 m quadrat was used to investigate the canopy effects of individual tree species and inter-canopy habitats on herbaceous vegetation biomass. Soil samples were collected under the canopy of selected tree species and the adjacent inter-canopy habitat at a depth of 0–10 cm and 10–20 cm both at the upland and bottomland site. With fixed effect ANOVA, we evaluated the effects of landforms (upland or bottomland), tree species (Vachellia drepanolobium or Vachellia tortilis) and habitats (canopy or inter-canopy habitat) on total herbaceous biomass, perennial herbaceous species biomass and annual herbaceous species biomass. There was no significant (P > 0.05) difference between the canopy and inter-canopy habitat of V. drepanolobium and V. tortilis in terms of the total herbaceous biomass and annual herbaceous vegetation at the bottomland position. The canopy of V. drepanolobium had a negative effect on the biomass production of herbaceous perennial species both at the bottomland and upland site. On the contrary, the canopy of V. tortilis had a significantly positive (P < 0.05) effect on the biomass production of herbaceous perennial plants at the bottomland site. Generally, more soil organic matter accumulation was recorded under the canopy of V. tortilis than it was either under the canopy of V. drepanolobium or in the open savanna grasslands. Our findings indicated that encroaching tree species canopy and co-occurring non-encroaching tree species canopy had a predominantly different influence on herbaceous vegetation biomass. It seemed that encroaching tree species in savannas had a high acquisition and competition for resources. The findings can help improve our understanding on the herbaceous biomass predictions of different life forms in a community of encroached grasslands and non-encroached grasslands in southern Ethiopia.

Selection and validation of appropriate reference genes for RT-qPCR analysis of flowering stages and different genotypes of Iris germanica L

Iris germanica L. is a perennial herbaceous plant that has been widely cultivated worldwide and is popular for its elegant and vibrantly colorful flowers. Selection of appropriate reference genes is the prerequisite for accurate normalization of target gene expression by quantitative real-time PCR. However, to date, the most suitable reference genes for flowering stages have not been elucidated in I. germanica. In this study, eight candidate reference genes were examined for the normalization of RT-qPCR in three I. germanica cultivars, and their stability were evaluated by four different algorithms (GeNorm, NormFinder, BestKeeper, and Ref-finder). The results revealed that IgUBC and IgGAPDH were the most stable reference genes in ‘00246’ and ‘Elizabeth’, and IgTUB and IgUBC showed stable expression in ‘2010200’. IgUBC and IgGAPDH were the most stable in all samples, while IgUBQ showed the least stability. Finally, to validate the reliability of the selected reference genes, the expression patterns of IgFT (Flowering Locus T gene) was analyzed and emphasized the importance of appropriate reference gene selection. This work presented the first systematic study of reference genes selection during flower bud development and provided guidance to research of the molecular mechanisms of flowering stages in I. germanica.