Leaf Parts Research Articles

Phytochemical Analysis of Different Parts of Acalypha Indica L.

Acalypha indica L. is an herbaceous medicinal plant, which is grown abundantly in Bangladesh. Bangladeshi people typically use various parts of this plant for various primary healthcare treatments. The current research was conducted to check and quantify various phytochemicals and mineral components of the assorted parts of Acalypha indica L. The screening analysis shows that studied all phytochemicals were present in the leaf part but not in stem and shoot parts and some were missing or trace amount in root. Total phenol, flavonoid, and tannins content on a dry weight basis ranged from 0.53-0.82 mg GAE/g, 0.02-1.47 mg QE/g and 0.21-0.32 mg TAE/g respectively. Among the phytochemicals the leaf contains the highest amount of flavonoid (1.47 mg QE/g), and lowest in stem (0.02 mg QE/g). Similarly, the amount of minerals like Fe, Zn, K and Pb was 0.23-0.40 mg/kg, 0.01- 0.021 mg/kg, 1.55-2.85 mg/kg and 0.149-0.204 mg/kg respectively. K was the largest volume of mineral for both leaf and stem. Lowest quantity of Zn was observed in most cases. This finding indicates that the studied plant might be good source of phytochemicals. J. Bio-Sci. 29(1): 69-77, 2021 (June)

AN INVESTIGATION OF THE ANALGESIC AND ANTI-INFLAMMATORY EFFECTS OF AERIAL PARTS OF FLACOURTIA JANGOMAS

Objective: The present study was aimed to evaluate the analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects of leaf and stem part aqueous extract of Flacourtia jangomas.
 Methods: Aqueous extract of leaves (ALE) and aqueous extract stem (ASE) part of Flacourtia jangomas were sequentially prepared by maceration process and subjected to a preliminary phytochemical screening. The anti-inflammatory activity was assessed by the carrageenan-induced acute rat paw oedema model and Analgesic activity was evaluated by acetic acid-induced writhing model and hot plate method in mice. The data were analysed by one-way ANOVA followed by post hoc Dunnet’s test by using SPSS V.15 (student trail version).
 Results: The preliminary phytochemical analysis of extracts of leaves and stems indicated the presence of carbohydrate, alkaloids flavonoids, phenols, tannins, saponins. The extracts showed significant anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities with a dose-dependent manner. The ethanolic extract from the leave extract of Flacourtia jangomas at the dose 200 mg/kg has 55.6% significant anti-inflammatory activity compared to the standard drugs (44.4%). Even at the low dose leave extract has more potent than aqueous stem extract. Where in analgesic effect by Hot plate method basal reaction time results showed that aqueous extract of stem part at the dose of 200 mg /kg has a significant effect at 120 mts 10.0 sec when compared with std pentazocine 13.0 sec. In peripheral analgesic method Acetic acid-induced writhing model results have not shown much more significant when compared with standard drug (42.1%). The potential to cause anti-inflammation by stem extract was comparatively less than that of leave extract. Thus it could be concluded that Flacourtia jangomas leave extract possess significant anti-inflammatory activity
 Conclusion: Our findings suggest that Flacourtia jangomas extract is safe and has potential anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities, which promote this use as a food supplement against pain and inflammation related to inflammatory diseases.

A Comparative Analysis of Machine Learning Algorithms for Detection of Organic and Nonorganic Cotton Diseases

Cotton is the natural fiber produced, and the commercial crop grown in monoculture on 2.5% of total agricultural land. Cotton is a drought-resistant crop that provides a reliable income to the farmers that grow under the area with a threat from climatic change. These cotton crops are being affected by bacterial, fungal, viral, and other parasitic diseases that may vary due to the climatic conditions resulting in the crop’s low productivity. The most prone to diseases is the leaf that results in the damage of the plant and sometimes the whole crop. Most of the diseases occur only on leaf parts of the cotton plant. The primary purpose of disease detection has always been to identify the diseases affecting the plant in the early stages using traditional techniques for better production. To detect these cotton leaf diseases appropriately, the prior knowledge and utilization of several image processing methods and machine learning techniques are helpful.

Insecticidal effect from waste extract of two local spices plant on the rice weevil

In an attempt to found natural and cheaper methods for the control of rice weevil, waste extract from two local spices plant were evaluated. Ethanol extracts (mix of leaf and stem parts) of Zingiber zerumbet and Amomum cardamomum were tested on rice weevil for their insecticidal effect. The rice weevil was treated under four different exposure times (0, 1, 2, and 3 hours) and then maintained for 3 weeks in the rice storage. The difference in weight loss of rice (WL) was assumed as feed consumption, and it was an indicator of the insecticidal effect. Percentage of WL were analyzed using ANOVA. The results showed that exposure time was significant to WL on both extracts (LSD test; α < 0.05). The insecticidal effect with the lowest WL of rice occurred in a 3-hour treatment. The percentage WL in A. cardamomum is lower than those in the Z. Zerumbet. In conclusion, both plants’ waste extract decreased the feeding activity on the rice weevil, but the waste extract of A. cardamomum is more effective than Z. zerumbet. This study demonstrates that a waste extract of A. Cardamomum has potency as an insecticide for rice weefil, when appropriate formulation and application methods have been developed.

Plant-Back Intervals of Imicyafos Based on Its Soil Dissipation and Plant Uptake for Rotational Cultivation of Lettuce and Spinach in Greenhouse

The plant-back intervals (PBIs) of imicyafos were investigated for rotational cultivation of lettuce and spinach in greenhouses. Imicyafos dissipation in soil and its plant uptake were evaluated by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Bioconcentration ratios (BCRs) were calculated by comparing the residues in plants to the initial residue in soil. The BCRs were used to calculate the soil acceptable residues (SARs) transferable to plants at the Positive List System (PLS) level. The number of days, PBIs for reaching SARs were obtained from the dissipation equation for imicyafos in soil. In soil, imicyafos followed first order dissipation kinetics (R2 = 0.975) with a half-life of 40.8 days. The BCRs ranged from 0.041 to 0.469 in the edible leaf parts of lettuce and 0.006 to 0.134 in those of spinach. The SARs ranged from 0.021 to 0.244 for lettuce and 0.075 to 1.667 mg kg−1 for spinach. The PBIs of imicyafos were estimated to be 213.9 to 357.3 days for lettuce and 100.8 to 283.6 days for spinach. This study suggests at least a minimum 1-year interval after the final application of imicyafos as a management method that complies with the PLS for the rotational cultivation of lettuce and spinach.

In-vitro Cytotoxic activity of Papaverine compound isolated from Aqueous Ethanolic leaf extract of Erythrina subumbrans (Hassk.) Merr.

Natural compounds that occur either in pure form or as extract after standardization from medicinal plants, provide a limitless chance for new discovery leads because of consummate chemical diversity. The rising demand for compounds that occur naturally during screening studies, that has therapeutic action predominantly on the vegetative part of the plant has grown across the world. In this study, Papaverine compound was isolated from aqueous Ethanolic extract (80%) from vegetative (leaf) part of herbal plant Erythrina subumbrans (Hassk.) Merr. Isolated compound was subjected for characterization studies like Thin layer chromatography (TLC), Mass spectrophotometry (MS), Fourier Transform Infra-Red (FTIR), 1H and 13C Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Confirmatory study using the aqueous ethanolic crude extract by MS technique and mass library match confirms the presence of Papaverine compound. Further, in-vitro cytotoxic activity using Human Melanoma cell line (A375) was carried out using the isolated compound (papaverine), Aqueous ethanolic extract and standard Cisplatin. Six different Concentration ranging from 3.125 to 100 µg/ml were prepared. Control samples were prepared without standard and samples solution. Absorbance measured at 570 nm in UV-Vis spectrophotometer using a microplate reader and the % of viability was calculated. IC50 value of Aqueous ethanolic extract of Erythrina subumbrans, isolated compound-Papaverine and standard Cisplatin exhibits value of 82.14µg, 23.43 µg &amp; 4.02 µg respectively.

Metabolome and transcriptome profiling reveals anthocyanin contents and anthocyanin-related genes of chimeric leaves in Ananas comosus var. bracteatus

BackgroundAnanas comosus var. bracteatus is a colorful plant used as a cut flower or landscape ornamental. The unique foliage color of this plant includes both green and red leaves and, as a trait of interest, deserves investigation. In order to explore the pigments behind the red section of the chimeric leaves, the green and red parts of chimeric leaves of Ananas comosus var. bracteatus were sampled and analyzed at phenotypic, cellular and molecular levels in this study.ResultsThe CIELAB results indicated that the a* values and L* values samples had significant differences between two parts. Freehand sections showed that anthocyanin presented limited accumulation in the green leaf tissues but obviously accumulation in the epidermal cells of red tissues. Transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses were performed by RNA-seq and LC-ESI-MS/MS. Among the 508 identified metabolites, 10 kinds of anthocyanins were detected, with 6 significantly different between the two samples. The cyanidin-3,5-O-diglucoside content that accounts for nearly 95.6% in red samples was significantly higher than green samples. RNA-Seq analyses showed that 11 out of 40 anthocyanin-related genes were differentially expressed between the green and red samples. Transcriptome and metabolome correlations were determined by nine quadrant analyses, and 9 anthocyanin-related genes, including MYB5 and MYB82, were correlated with 7 anthocyanin-related metabolites in the third quadrant in which genes and metabolites showing consistent change. Particularly, the PCCs between these two MYB genes and cyanidin-3,5-O-diglucoside were above 0.95.ConclusionPhenotypic colors are closely related to the tissue structures of different leaf parts of Ananas comosus var. bracteatus, and two MYB transcription factors might contribute to differences of anthocyanin accumulation in two parts of Ananas comosus var. bracteatus chimeric leaves. This study lay a foundation for further researches on functions of MYBs in Ananas comosus var. bracteatus and provides new insights to anthocyanin accumulation in different parts of chimeric leaves.

Uptake, distribution and translocation of imidacloprid-loaded fluorescence double hollow shell mesoporous silica nanoparticles and metabolism of imidacloprid in pakchoi

Fluorescent labeling techniques have been increasingly used to study the transport of pesticides in crops instead of radioisotope techniques due to the high cost, low resolution and handling and disposal of radioisotope materials. Nevertheless, the use of fluorescent labeling techniques to study the uptake and translocation mechanisms of pesticides in crops has rarely been reported. The distribution, translocation and metabolism of imidacloprid in the vegetable pakchoi were studied via a combination of fluorescence microscopy and UPLC-MS/MS. The translocation rate of imidacloprid-loaded fluorescence double hollow shell mesoporous silica nanoparticles (FL-MSNs@Im) under sunlight conditions were observed by fluorescence microscopy to be higher than that under the dark. The FL-MSNs@Im was mainly transported from the ducts to the stem and leaf parts through transpiration under hydroponic conditions. In contrast, FL-MSNs@Im was transported downward mainly through the sieve tubes of the phloem driven by photosynthesis after the foliar spray. Moreover, fewer metabolites of imidacloprid from FL-MSNs@Im were produced than those from 70% Im granules. This work revealed how FL-MSNs@Im was absorbed, distributed and translocated as well as how the released imidacloprid was metabolized in pakchoi plants.

A potential species for cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries: Insight to chemical and biological investigation of naturally grown and cultivated Salvia multicaulis Vahl

The importance of Salvia L. species, being used as traditional medicine, in the scientific world is increasing day by day. The relationship between health and traditional-modern life, promotes the creation of new value added food products. Within this context, in this study, it was aimed to biologically and chemically investigate the essential oil and ethanol extracts of the Salvia multicaulis Vahl. Chemical and biological study results of naturally grown and cultivated (uninvestigated in the literature) samples of S. multicaulis were compared. The essential oil, aroma and terpenoid-steroid contents of the species were determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS) and phenolic content by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS). In addition, the bioactivities of the extracts were screened for antioxidant, cytotoxic, antialzheimer, antiurease, antityrosinase, antielastase and anticollagenase activities. It was found that the enzyme activities of the essential oil and the antioxidant activities of all ethanol extracts of the species were quite high. It was determined that especially essential oil and the ethanol extracts of the leaf parts exhibited high cytotoxic effect in cancer cell lines (PDF (Healthy primary dermal fibroblast cell line), HT-29 (colon cancer cell line), MCF-7 (breast cancer cell line), Caco-2 (colon cancer cell line) and Skov-3 (ovary cancer cell line)). According to the GC–MS results, in the natural specimen 1,8-cineole (33.05 %) and d-limonene (21.18 %), in the cultivated sample 1,8-cineole (42.35 %) and α-pinene (15.74 %) were detected to be as the major components of the essential oil and aroma, respectively. It was observed that both natural and cultivated samples were rich in β-Sitosterol. Moreover, the root extract of natural samples was found to be richer than the other extracts in terms of abieatane diterpene (ferruginol, cryptanol, sugiol, and inuroyleanone) compounds. According to the LC–MS/MS results, it is seen that both natural and cultivated samples are very rich in rosmarinic acid. Especially, the flower part of the natural sample (98.10 mg analyte/g extract) was found to contain more rosmarinic acid than the other parts. Due to the high total phenolic and rosmarinic acid content, cytotoxic, anti-aging, and antioxidant potential of the ethanol extract of the leaf parts of the species, it has the potential to be used as a food supplement, food preservative and in the pharmaceutical industry.

Nutrition and health functionality of hemp products in wheat cereal products – butter cut-out biscuits and leavened pastry

Abstract Native to China, hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) is an annual herb whose anatomical parts are widely used by for technical, food, and medical purposes. Hemp is traditionally considered a controversial crop due to its cannabinoid content. For industrial and food usage, however, the content of psychoactive tetrahydroxycannabinol (known as THC) is limited by EU Regulation (0.2%). In some countries, including the Czech Republic, the supportive and therapeutic effect of THC has led to the legalization of controlled cultivation (Elkoplast Slušovice, hemp with 6–19% THC) and the use of hemp on prescription. Due to the high content of proteins, fats, and fibre in hemp seeds, they are suitable for increasing the nutritional value of food. For cereal products, it is recommended to use wholemeal or defatted flour in dosages limited by the sensory quality of the final products, e.g., up to 10% for pastry. The use of the leaf and flower part in powdered form is acceptable in the amount of 4% max. Within the laboratory production of hemp-enriched cut-out biscuits and bread buns of standard consumer quality, the expected rise in the content of protein and dietary fibre was confirmed.

Isolation, Characterization and Biological Activities of Stigmasterol from Leaf Part of Crescentia alata Kunth (Bignoniaceae)

The present investigation deals with the extraction, separation, isolation, identification, characterization and biological evaluation of the stigmasterol from methanolic extract on leaves of C. alata Kunth using bio-guided fractionation and spectral analytical methods. The biological activities investigated were antimicrobial and cytotoxicity. Leaf crude extract of C. alata obtained from 80% methanol was successively extracted with hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate and n-butanol. Ethyl acetate fraction afforded a bioactive compound by bioassay-guided fractionation. The characterization of isolates was done by biochemical and spectral methods. The active fraction obtained and isolated compound were tested for their antimicrobial activities. The cytotoxicity of the isolated compound on Hela cell line, estimated with the MTT assay. The ethyl acetate fraction has exhibited highest effective antimicrobial activities and the fraction afforded a compound stigmasterol. The compound isolated stigmasterol from leaf of C. alata showed strongest antimicrobial effect against all microbial strains were tested with minimum inhibitory concentration values ranging from 1.95 to 125 μg/mL. The cytotoxicity studies indicated that the isolated stigmasterol possesses much potential against Hela (mammalian cancer) cell line. Overall, the stigmasterol compound was the most dynamic as far as the antibacterial and antifungal potential of the leaves of C. alata confirm the conventional utilization of this plant in treating different respiratory sufferings and its related manifestations. The properties of the bioactive phytochemical compound stigmasteol recommend that the powerful and wide range of antimicrobial and anticancer operators and may fill in as the lead compound in the advancement of novel restorative medications.

Plant growth stage and leaf part to diagnose sweet corn nitrogen status using chlorophyll sensor and scanner image analysis

The application and use of image analysis to assess the plant nitrogen (N) status has gained importance especially in precision agriculture for cereal plants using aerial remote sensing or even ground-based commercial N sensors. The objective of this work was to propose the plant growth stage and leaf parts possible to be used in sweet corn plant for N diagnosis using the SPAD chlorophyll meter and a table scanner images. A field experiment was carried out at the Federal University of Viçosa. A randomized block design was used, in a 4x3x5 factorial scheme (growth stages x leaf parts x N doses), with five replications. SPAD reading and scanner images were obtained for Red, Green and Blue (RGB) were obtained using the ImageJ® software. The data were submitted to analysis of variance and Pearson's correlation analysis at a 5% probability. Reading position on the middle part of the leaf at V10 and at R1 growth stages are suitable for assessing sweet corn N status using SPAD with 51.40 and 45.09 as an optimal reference value, respectively. RGB values determined with the scanner also was suitable for assessing the N status of sweet corn. The technique does not require special expertise for its application. It is proposed table containing optimal reference values of SPAD and RGB colors in the medial part of the sweet corn leaf at V10 and R1 development stages of corn plant.

Utilization of Fish Farm Effluent for Irrigation Short Rotation Willow (Salix alba L.) under Lysimeter Conditions

Efficient utilization, treatment, and disposal of agricultural wastewater and sewage sludge are important environmental risks. In our research, effluent water from intensive aquaculture was evaluated for the irrigation of short rotation energy willow in a lysimeter experiment. Two different water types and their combinations were applied with weekly doses of 15, 30, and 60 mm, respectively. Our results revealed that implementing effluent water instead of fresh water could potentially increase the yield of the willow due to its higher nitrogen content (29 N mg/L). The biomass of irrigated short rotation coppice (SRC) willow plants were between 493–864 g/plant, 226–482 g/plant, and 268–553 g/plant dry weight during experiment period (2015–2017), respectively. However, due to the chemical properties (Na concentration, SAR value) of effluent water, the increase of the soil exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP) was significant and it can lead to soil degradation in the long term. The current study also investigated the relationship between chemical composition of the plant tissue and the irrigation water. In the case of K-levels of willow clones, an increasing trend was observed year-by-year. In terms of N and Na content was localized in leaf parts, especially in samples irrigated with effluent. Less N and Na values were detected in the stem and in the samples irrigated with surface water. In SRC willow plants, phosphorus was mostly localized in the stem, to a lower extent in the leaf part. The difference is mostly observed in the case of the amount of irrigation water, where the P content of the examined plant parts decreased with the increase of the amount of irrigation water. In the case of phenological observations, higher values of plant height were measured during diluted and effluent irrigation. Moreover, the SPAD of the plants irrigated with effluent water exceeded the irrigated ones with surface water.

IDENTIFIKASI KERUSAKAN DAUN PADA TANAMAN BALANGERAN (Shorea balangeran) DI KAWASAN HUTAN DENGAN TUJUAN KHUSUS (KHDTK) TUMBANG NUSA

Damage to the plant leaves can affect the health of the plant. The research aims to identify the damage that occurs in the leaves of the Sorea balangeran plant and calculate the percentage (%) of leaf damage. The location of the study was conducted at the Tumbang Nusa KHDTK BP2LHK Banjarbaru, Central Kalimantan, determined by purposive sampling or deliberate data collection with a specified starting point, observing 639 plants on the leaf section in 2015, identifying plants based on the leaf part written in the form of a tallysheet, calculate the percentage of damages to Sorea balangeran. The types of damages that occur in the leaves include holes, rolling, yellowing, perforating and rolling, rolling and inhaling. The dominant damage to the leaf is hollow leaves by 348 and the lowest is yellow roll by 2 with a percentage of 82.26% for leaves with holes and 0.48 for leaf rolling and yellowing. The percentage of damage to the leaves of the balageran plant showed a percentage of 65.72% that on the leaves of the Balangeran plant studied showed that the leaves were not good. The conclusion from the study of the greatest leaf damage occurred due to perforated leaves and the percentage of damage to the leaves as a whole by 65.72%.Keywords: Balangeran, Damage, Leaf, Identification, Forest

Estimation of total tannin and total phenolic content in plant (Crataegus azarolus L) by orbital shaker technique

The plant of Crataegus Azarolus L, genus that belongs to the Rosaceae family and is a low, dense, spiny tree with a beautiful inflorescence, the phytochemical investigations on genus Crataegus were mainly performed on the leaves, flowers and berries. The objective of this experiment was to determine the ratio of tannin and phenol compound by method orbital shaker extraction. The plant of Crataegus azarolus L was collected in hasanbag mountain soran, Kurdistan. The parts of seed, leaf and steam of Crataegus Azarolus L was extract with water solvent and orbital shaker and assessed yield extraction, total tannin and total phenol. The highest significant value (p&amp;lt;0.05) of yield extraction was observed from leaf (71.56%), compared with other part of Crataegus Azarolus L. On the other hand, the total tannin was showed uppermost in leaf (3.03 kg/mg), and the steam (2.87 kg/mg). Whereas, the smallest total tannin was observed from the seed (1.10%). Furthermore, the total phenolic contents of the plant were observed the lowest value in seed as (0.98 mg GAE/g). Whereas, the total phenol in leaf was observed a higher significantly value (3.68 mg GAE/g) and in steam (1.92 mg GAE/g), with all significant value (p&amp;lt;0.05). This study showed that the leaf and other part of Crataegus Azarolus L, rich in total phenolic and total tannin after orbital shaker method was used.

Effects of Gmelina arborea Powdered Parts on Mortality of Dinoderus porcellus in Yam Chips

The study aims at evaluating the efficacy of different doses of powdered stem and leaf parts of Gmelina arborea on Dinoderus porcellus infesting yam chips in Jos metropolis. The experiment was conducted at the Entomology Laboratory of the Federal College of Forestry, Jos. Samples of infested yam chips and Gmelina arborea were collected in Jos metropolis. Newly emerged adult Dinoderus porcellus were exposed to the yam chips which were mixed with different levels of Gmelina arborea parts powder (0, 5, 10, 15 and 20 g). The setup was monitored for 120 hours and mortality recorded. The study was carried out in a randomized complete design with treatments replicated thrice. Data was analysed using analysis of variance at 1 and 5 percent confidence level and Duncan test was used to separate the means. The results obtained reveal significant differences at p value=0.05 and 0.01. The results reveal that in all the doses, an increase in the amount of the powder resulted in increased incidence of D. porcellus mortality. After 120 hours of exposure, 100 % mortality was recorded from either 15 or 20 g stem bark + leaf powder treatment. From the results obtained, the use of 15 g stem bark+leaf powder of Gmelina arborea could be effective in yam chips preservation which could in turn strengthen food security.&#x0D; Keywords: Yam chips; Dioscorea spp; Stem bark; Botanical; Leaf powder

Pharmacognostic and physicochemical evaluation, HPLC analysis and antiproliferative properties of Kigelia africana (Lam.) Benth

Introduction/Objective of study: Kigelia africana (Bignoniaceae) is enriched with bioactive constituents and has thus found various uses in African folklore. This study aims to evaluate the pharmacognostic, physicochemical, chromatographic and antiproliferative properties of K. africana.Methodology: Standard methods were used to determine the qualitative microscopy, moisture content, ash and extractive value. Furthermore, HPLC analysis was conducted on the samples in order to detect and quantify some phenolic compounds (gallic acid, chlorogenic acid, rutin, ferulic acid, caffeic acid and quercetin). The Sorghum bicolor model was used for the antiproliferative assay. All experiment was carried out in triplicates.Results: Microscopy revealed amphistomata with the presence of non-glandular unicellular, uniseriate trichomes on K. africana leaf. Cellulose, tannins, calcium oxalate crystals on the leaf and stem bark, while the roots lacked calcium oxalate crystals. Ash contents were leaf (21.8 ± 0.1) %w/w, stem bark (4.8 ± 0.03)%w/w and root (3.9 ± 0.2)%w/w. Moisture content was (10.5 ± 0.5) %w/w and (9.5 ± 0.2) %w/w for the root and leaf parts, respectively. All values were within WHO limits for crude drugs. The stem bark and root parts contained more water-soluble constituents than alcohol soluble constituents. From the results of HPLC analysis the leaf, stem bark and root extracts gave 24 peaks, 16 peaks and 30 peaks, respectively, a few peaks matched with reference compounds- quercetin, caffeic acid, ferulic acid and rutin. Results of antiproliferative assay showed that methotrexate was significantly (p ˂ 0.05) more effective than the stem bark (from 2-64 mg/mL) with inhibitions ranging from 72.0 ± 1.4% - 90.0 ± 2.4% and root extracts (from 4 – 64 mg/mL) that had inhibitions ranging from 50.3 ± 1.5% - 97.7 ± 0.4% but comparable with leaf extract (from 16 mg/mL - 64 mg/mL) with inhibitions ranging from 68.4 ± 0.8% - 99.0 ± 0.1%.Conclusion: Further information which can be included in an official monograph of the plant for its proper identification and quality control has been provided by this study. Kigelia africana exhibited effective antiproliferative activities and the presence of phenolic compounds.

Evaluation of Phytochemicals and Bioactive Properties in Mangrove Associate Suaeda monoica Forssk. ex J.F.Gmel. of Indian Sundarbans.

Suaeda monoica Forssk. ex J.F.Gmel. (Amaranthaceae), a mangrove associate and ethno-medicinal herb of Indian Sundarbans, was investigated as a promising source of bioactive compounds. Various polar and nonpolar solvent extracts of the leaf and root-shoot parts of the plant exhibited antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal, allelopathic, mosquitocidal, antihaemolytic and antidiuretic potential. Moreover, to meet pharmacological requirements, the antioxidant ability of the plant was validated by both chemical and biological analyses. Extraction yield and presence of different phytochemicals like phenolics, flavonoids, tannins and saponins were compared in various solvent-extracted fractions. Principle component analysis revealed that the antioxidant property present in different extracts maintained a positive correlation with the occurrence of polyphenols (phenolics, tannins and flavonoids). Biochemical evaluation, HPLC examination and GC–MS analysis showed a differential level of the presence of various phytochemicals in different solvent extracts. In contrast to mosquitocidal, antioxidant, antihaemolytic and phytotoxic properties which were observed to be dominant in polar solvent extracts, maximum antibacterial potency was detected in nonpolar n-hexane fractions. Overall, the plant extract is nontoxic in nature and a dose amounting to 3,000 mg/kg was well tolerated by Swiss albino mice. A combination of HPLC and GC–MS analyses showed the presence of a large number of structurally diverse phytochemicals, many of which had already been reported as insecticidal, mosquitocidal, antibacterial, herbicidal, antidiuretic, antioxidant and anti-haemolytic compounds. All these findings support that the least explored traditional edible medicinal mangrove associate S.monoica is enriched with multiple bioactive molecules and may be considered as one of the richest sources of various lead molecules of pharmaceutical importance.

The Cytotoxic Effect of the Extract of Anchusa strigosa (Him Him) Grown in Jordan Against Different Cancer Cell Lines

Anchusa strigosa - prickly alkanet from Boraginaceae grows in roadsides, and fields of a broad range of habitats from mediterranean woodlands, to steppe vegetation, to true desert. It is commonly known as" him him" or "lisan al thawr". Anchusa can withstand hard weather conditions and hence is widely cultivated. The color of its flowers can range from pure white to deep cobalt blue. Various parts of A. strigosa are used in traditional medicine for treating several diseases or symptoms, such as abdominal pain, bronchitis, cough, and diarrhea. The goal of this study was to examine the cytotoxic effect of the crude extract of A. strigosa roots and leaves and their fractions against various tumor cell lines: adenocarcinoma MCF-7, human breast ductal carcinoma T-47D; human breast carcinoma MDA-MB-231; and colorectal carcinomas Caco-2. In conclusion the antiproliferative effect was assessed by SRB assay where it showed that the phytochemical constituents in the leaf part of the plant (A. strigosa) do have more potential in depressing the proliferation rate of the cell lines than the root part.

Genome-wide analysis of spatiotemporal expression patterns during rice leaf development

BackgroundRice leaves consist of three distinct regions along a proximal-distal axis, namely the leaf blade, sheath, and blade-sheath boundary region. Each region has a unique morphology and function, but the genetic programs underlying the development of each region are poorly understood. To fully elucidate rice leaf development and discover genes with unique functions in rice and grasses, it is crucial to explore genome-wide transcriptional profiles during the development of the three regions.ResultsIn this study, we performed microarray analysis to profile the spatial and temporal patterns of gene expression in the rice leaf using dissected parts of leaves sampled in broad developmental stages. The dynamics in each region revealed that the transcriptomes changed dramatically throughout the progress of tissue differentiation, and those of the leaf blade and sheath differed greatly at the mature stage. Cluster analysis of expression patterns among leaf parts revealed groups of genes that may be involved in specific biological processes related to rice leaf development. Moreover, we found novel genes potentially involved in rice leaf development using a combination of transcriptome data and in situ hybridization, and analyzed their spatial expression patterns at high resolution. We successfully identified multiple genes that exhibit localized expression in tissues characteristic of rice or grass leaves.ConclusionsAlthough the genetic mechanisms of leaf development have been elucidated in several eudicots, direct application of that information to rice and grasses is not appropriate due to the morphological and developmental differences between them. Our analysis provides not only insights into the development of rice leaves but also expression profiles that serve as a valuable resource for gene discovery. The genes and gene clusters identified in this study may facilitate future research on the unique developmental mechanisms of rice leaves.