Family Leguminosae Research Articles

A review of guar gum processing, properties, and its food applications

Guar gum is a new agrochemical derived from cluster bean endosperm. Guar gum powder is widely used as an ingredient in the culinary, pharmaceutical, paper, textile, explosive, oil well drilling, and cosmetics industries. Guar gum is made from the seeds of the drought-tolerant plant Cyamopsistetragonoloba, which belongs to the Leguminosae family. Indian cluster bean, guar, and guaran are terms for the guar gum flour and galactomannan fraction of guar gum. Guar gum's capacity to create hydrogen bonds with water molecules makes it suitable for industrial usage. As a result, it's mostly utilized as a thickener as well as stabilizer. It also aids in the management of a variety of health issues, including diabetes, bowel motions, heart disease, and colon cancer. The manufacturing, processing, composition, characteristics, food applications, and health advantages of guar gum are discussed in this article.

Diagnosis of hollow trees in an area of effective sustainable forest management in the Amazon forest

The sustainable practices of Forest Management activities are used with the objective of minimizing impacts to the environment, as well as exploring tree individuals with qualities that aim at the highest volumetric yield in sawmills. However, some characteristics may not be diagnosed before logging, as is the case with hollow trees, commonly found in forested areas. Thus, the objective was to diagnose the occurrence of hollow trees in two areas of forest exploitation, for the knowledge of individuals at the family and botanical species level. In order to carry out thediagnosis of the occurrence of hollow trees, data on the effective exploitation of trees in the Company's Forest Management areas were obtained through a collection of information on two Annual Production Units - UPA, named according to the company's specification as named as UPA ITP11 and UPA FLA01. In each UPA, tree individuals were identified by gender, species, family, distribution, presence of hollowness and the basic density of their wood. The results show that in the UPA ITP11 area, 7.38% of the total trees explored, had hollowness, while in the UPA FLA01 area it was 4.88% and that the majority had high basic density. Twenty botanical families were identified in the exploration areas, where the Leguminosae family obtained the greatest representation. A total of 49 botanical species explored were identified, being Manilkara huberi (Ducke) Stanley, as basic high density wood. Regarding the frequency of occurrence of hollowness, the species Dinizia excelsa Ducke, popularly known as Angelim Vermelho, stood out for the two areas under study. However, it is shown the considerable existence of hollow trees among the trees selected for forest exploitation, reinforcing the importance of better targeting of appropriate methodologies for their identification, as well as, the better volumetric utilization of logs in sawmills, in order to certify the sustainability for the activity, regardless of the structural aspect of forestry individuals.

Comparative Study of Understory Between Exotic Monoculture Plantation (Acacia Sp.) and Adjacent Natural Sal (Shorea Robusta) Forest

To achieve forest management goal it is important to maintain biodiversity. This paper compares understory plant species diversity between exotic monoculture plantation (Acacia auriculiformis) and adjacent natural sal (Shorea robusta) forest. A total of 35 sample plots were taken by random sampling from six patches of adjacent natural sal forest and exotic monoculture plantation. Shannon-Wiener diversity index, species richness and evenness were calculated and compared. Result revealed that, a total of 2,218 plants of 42 species were recorded in natural sal (Shorea robusta) forest. Dominant families were Apocynaceae and Verbanaceae, having three species in each family. Shannon-Wiener diversity index was 2.1 and mean species richness was 14.4. On the contrary, 2,827 plants were found from 15 species in exotic monoculture (Acacia auriculiformis) plantation study area. Dominant family was Leguminosae family. Three species were found under Leguminosae family. Shannon-Wiener diversity index was 0.86 and mean species richness was 4.47. Therefore, Shannon diversity index and richness were significantly higher in natural sal forest as compared to exotic monoculture plantation. Species evenness of natural sal forest was 0.8 and 0.6 for monoculture plantation which indicates less equitable distribution of understory vegetation in monoculture than adjacent natural sal forest. With regard to herb species, evenness was significantly lower in monoculture plantation (0.03) as compared to natural sal forest (0.52). There was no equitable distribution for the herb species under monoculture plantation. Jaccard’s similarity index showed that 36% shrub species and 30% of herb species were same in exotic monoculture plantation area and adjacent natural sal forest.

Distribution, Importance and Diseases of Soybean and Common Bean: A Review

The crops belonging to the family Leguminosae are the second to cereal crops of agricultural significance due to their high nutritional value. Soybean is native to East Asia and was originated in China while common bean is native to Central and Southern America originated in Peru. Both soybean and common bean are erect, bushy annual herbaceous plants growing up to 150 and 40 centimeters in height, respectively. They have enormous food and medicinal values. Soybean and common bean are important leguminous crops which are excellent source of high-quality proteins, minerals, vitamins, polyunsaturated fats, and other nutrients for both human and other animal feeds. Soybean is beneficial for weight loss, diabetics as dietary supplements, bone loss in women and minimizing cancer risks while common bean is useful for preventing constipation, lowering cholesterol levels and reducing the risk of heart diseases. Pests, pathogens and weeds cause harmful effect resulting in low production of both the legume crops. The present review focuses on the overview, different importance and diseases of soybean (Glycine max) and common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris). In addition, attention has been paid on various aspects of these two legumes namely taxonomy, morphological features, origin and distribution along with their pests and diseases.

Investigation of the physicochemical and pharmacognostical properties of Anzaroot (The manna of Astragalus sarcocola Dymock.) according to the World Health Organization

Background: Anzaroot is a manna produced from Astragalus sarcocola Dymock (Family Leguminosae) that is widely distributed in Fars, Kerman, Baluchestan and Hormozgan in Iran. Since the study of the physicochemical properties and quality control (QC) of herbal materials results in the validation and standardization for clinical uses, in accordance with World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, it is necessary to carry out for Anzaroot which has indication in traditional medicine. Methods: Anzaroot was identified and determinated scientific name by a systematic specialist after purchasing from Niak pharmaceutical co. in gorgan. Physicochemical and pharmacognostical properties of Anzaroot have been determinated According to the WHO guidlines. Results: Anzaroot is a very bitter, crisp and fragile manna and non-stick in dry state, which is seen as separate binary grains under the microscope. The moisture content, foreign matter, sucrose content, total ash and water-soluble ash were reported 5.25 ± 0.2, 2.8 ± 0.2, 12.09 ± 0.04, 9.8 ± 0.5 and 2.9±0.15, respectively. It has significant foaming index, 72% Solublity in water and less than 50% in 96% ethanol and not swelling index. The levels of lead, mercury and cadmium were 0.0006, 0.0002 and 0.0007 ppm and total flavonoid content was reported 18.61 μg/ml with respect to standard Quercetin at 415 nm. Conclusion: This study can be a novel idea for the discovery or development of pharmaceutical products based on Anzaroot of Iran and its diverse therapeutic properties, such as the common cold, contusion, and bone fracture in traditional medicine.

Recent Therapeutic Interventions of Fenugreek Seed: A Mechanistic Approach.

Fenugreek seeds have widespread relations with Ayurveda, Unani, and Arabic medicine. The seeds were useful for the treatment and prevention of different ailments. Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) or methi is from the Leguminosae family and are primarily known for its anti-diabetic and hypocholesterolemic activities. The germinated fenugreek seeds were used in the treatment of E.coli infection in Germany and France. The important phytoconstituents responsible for such medicinal applications are saponins, polyunsaturated fatty acids, galactomannans, trigonelline, and 4-hydroxy isoleucine. Flavonoids, apigenin 6,8-di-C-glucoside, apigenin-6-C-glucosyl-8-C-galactoside, 6-Cgalactosyl- 8-C-arabinoside are the chief ingredients of fenugreek seeds; responsible for reducing blood glucose while given to diabetic rats, whereas important flavones are epigenin, luteolin and vitexin. The other major bioactive components in fenugreek seeds are polyphenols like rhaponticin and isovitexin. Fenugreek seeds contain phosphorus and are categorized into different classes such as inorganic phosphorus, phospholipids, phytates, phosphor-proteins, and nucleic acid. Germinated seeds profusely filled with amino acids with amino acids, proteins, ascorbic acid, sugars. Further, this review shares information about the recent therapeutic intervention not covered earlier; on in vivo and in vitro and some clinical applications against certain interesting ailments other than older applications. This review includes certain nano delivery systems of Fenugreek seeds and their medicinal application.

Impact of climate change on the spatial distribution of endemic legume species of the Guineo-Congolian forest, Africa

Legumes (family Leguminosae) are an economically important and widely distributed species found in several regions of the world, including the Guineo-Congolian (GC) forest region. Recent studies have reported the impact of climate change on plant biodiversity. Thus, understanding the distribution pattern of the endemic legume species of the GC region under current and future climate scenarios are imperative for long-term conservation management plans. We used 762 occurrence data of the 237 endemic legume species to elucidate the habitat suitability and impact of climate change on the species. Analyses used an ecological niche modeling ensemble method to map the current and future (2050–2070) distribution patterns of the endemic legumes under the RCP 4.5 scenario. Further, we generated the ensemble of four different species distribution modeling methods to predict areas where climatically suitable regions is lost or gained under future climate change. The model predicted the current suitable areas for endemic legumes to be Southern Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Republic of Congo (COG), and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Our findings indicate precipitation of Warmest Quarter and seasonality as the significant climatic variables affecting the habitat suitability of endemic legumes in the GC regions. Results showed areas such as the coastal region of Cote d' Ivoire, southwest province of Cameroon, Central African Republic, COG (Ngounnie), central DRC, and southern Nigeria will experience >40% loss of climatically suitable areas by 2050. Also, species such as Baphia maxima, and Psophocarpus scandens were projected to experience a 70% reduction in their climatically suitable areas under future climate scenarios. Our study concludes that the projected distribution of the endemic legume species in the GC region will consequently decline in the future due to the gross effect of climate change. The anticipated changes in the distribution patterns of the endemic legumes could have significant ecological and socio‐economic significance. Therefore, we recommend improved conservation to protect the endemic legume species and its associated habitats in GC forest.

Effect of the Chromatographic Fractions of Abrus precatorius Leaf on the Histology of Uterus and Ovary of Female Wistar Rats

Aim: To determine the effects of chromatographic fractions of Abrus precatorius leaf extracts on the histology of the ovary and uterus.
 Study Design: Abrus precatorius plant contain woods in a twinning form and belong to the Fabaceae (Leguminosae) family. It has red and black seeds. Abrus precatorius also possess a pod which is short and stout brownish in color [1]. The plant grows in bushes and farm and sometimes in hedge. Abrus precatorius are said to be taken for tuberculosis and painful swellings [2]. According to Ross [3], they can be used as laxative, expectorant and aphrodisiac medicines and are sometimes used in urticaria, eczema, stomatitis, conjunctivitis, alopecia areata, migraine, lymphomas/leukemia and dysmenorrhea. Experiment has demonstrated that the seed have the ability to retard fertility both in male and female [4]. Studies done in the past revealed that the plant Abrus precatorius can kill cells or cause cell death at the same time leading to death of tumor [5]. Extraction of the leaves of A. precatorius with methanol has shown through previous study to possess bronchodilatory effect and its use traditionally in the management of asthma [6]. Extracts obtained from the roots, has good antibacterial activity especially against Staphylococcus aureus (Prabha et al. 2015). In a study performed in Tanzania, it was confirmed that boiling the leaves of A. precatorius with water and taking it orally as three table spoonful in twice daily dosage regimen for the treatment of epilepsy is helpful [7].
 Female wistar rats were treated with chromatographic fractions of A. precatorius, F1, F2, F3 and F4 (30 mg/kg, 60 mg/kg, 90 mg/kg, 120 mg/kg and 150 mg/kg) for thirty days. One hundred and ten Wistar rats were divided into twenty-two (22) groups of five rats each. All the rats were weighed before and during the experiment. Group 1 (Control) received 0.5 mls, Phosphate Buffer Solution (PBS); Group 3-7. received 30 mg/kg, 60 mg/kg, 90 mg/kg, 120 mg/kg and 150 mg/kg of F1. Group 8-12 received 30 mg/kg, 60 mg/kg, 90 mg/kg, 120 mg/kg and 150 mg/k of F2. Group13-17 received 30 mg/kg, 60 mg/kg, 90 mg/kg, 120 mg/kg and 150 mg/kg of F3 and Group 18-22 received 30 mg/kg, 60 mg/kg, 90 mg/kg, 120 mg/kg and 150 mg/kg of F4 respectively. The fractions/drugs were administered orally. The rats were treated with chromatographic fractions of A. precatorius, F1, F2, F3 and F4 (30 mg/kg, 60 mg/kg, 90 mg/kg, 120 mg/kg and 150 mg/kg) for 30 days. The animals were sacrificed, dissected and the uterus and ovaries obtained for histology study. The study revealed histological evidence that the chromatographic fractions of Abrus precatorius leaf do not have any potential adverse effect on the ovary and uterus of the Wistar Albino rats.

Therapeutic Potential of Genus Pongamia and Derris: Phytochemical and Bioactivity.

Genus Pongamia and Derris belong to the Leguminosae family and are reported synonymously in literature. Although many compounds have been isolated from different plant parts but seed oil is known to produce non-edible medicinally important furanoflavonoids. The seed oil, commonly known as Karanj oil in Ayurvedic and Siddha traditional systems of medicine, is reported for the treatment of various skin infections and psoriasis. Several phytopharmacological investigations have proved the medicinal potential of furanoflavonoids in the skin and other disorders. Not only furanoflavonoids but several other important phenolic constituents such as chalcones, dibenzoylmethanes, aurones, isoflavones, flavanone dihydroflavonol, flavans, pterocarpans, rotenoids, coumarins, coumestans, stilbenoids and peltygynoids and their glycosides have been reported for different biological activities including antihyperglycemic, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, insecticidal, anti-alzheimer's, gastro protective, antifungal, antibacterial, etc. In the present review, the phytochemistry and pharmacological activities of the genera Pongamia and Derris have been summarized.

PROMOTION OF ORGANIC AND SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE THROUGH THE USE OF BIO-FERTILIZERS

Tamarind (Tamarindus indica) belongs to the family Leguminosae. It is commonly growing in tropical and subtropical regions now and is one of the most important plant resources as cuisine materials. Antioxidative activity of tamarind seeds was investigated. An ethanol extract prepared from the seed coat contained antioxidative activity as measured by the thiocyanate and thiobarbituric acid (TBA) method. Essential oils are highly odorous droplets found in minimal quantities in the flowers, stems, leaves, roots and barks of aromatic plants. They are not recognized as true oils as the vegetable oils, but highly fluid and volatile. Experts recognize an essential oil by its aroma and test the oil characteristics such as vaporization and crystallization point using Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC). DSC has emerged as a powerful experimental technique for determining thermodynamic properties of biomacromolecules. Volatile components of tamarind leaves and seed locally grown will be isolated by Microwave Assisted Extraction (MAE). The presence of essential oil as the volatile components will be investigated to determine whether this method is effective or not to extract the oil from tamarind leaves and seed. The parameters that will be measured are the time for the oil droplets formation and the optimum temperature for the extraction of oil. At the end of the extraction, amber color oil was obtained. Results showed that the time for the oil droplets formation increasing with the increasing weight of sample for both tamarind leaves and seed samples. The optimum temperature for the extraction obtained was 125ºC with the yield of 1.2 mL of seed oil. The vaporization and crystallization point of oil are presented in the DSC curve and the specific heat capacity of the oil are calculated.

EXTRACTION OF ESSENTIAL OILS FROM TAMARIND LEAVES AND SEED USING MICROWAVE EXTRACTION

Tamarind (Tamarindus indica) belongs to the family Leguminosae. It is commonly growing in tropical and subtropical regions now and is one of the most important plant resources as cuisine materials. Antioxidative activity of tamarind seeds was investigated. An ethanol extract prepared from the seed coat contained antioxidative activity as measured by the thiocyanate and thiobarbituric acid (TBA) method. Essential oils are highly odorous droplets found in minimal quantities in the flowers, stems, leaves, roots and barks of aromatic plants. They are not recognized as true oils as the vegetable oils, but highly fluid and volatile. Experts recognize an essential oil by its aroma and test the oil characteristics such as vaporization and crystallization point using Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC). DSC has emerged as a powerful experimental technique for determining thermodynamic properties of biomacromolecules. Volatile components of tamarind leaves and seed locally grown will be isolated by Microwave Assisted Extraction (MAE). The presence of essential oil as the volatile components will be investigated to determine whether this method is effective or not to extract the oil from tamarind leaves and seed. The parameters that will be measured are the time for the oil droplets formation and the optimum temperature for the extraction of oil. At the end of the extraction, amber color oil was obtained. Results showed that the time for the oil droplets formation increasing with the increasing weight of sample for both tamarind leaves and seed samples. The optimum temperature for the extraction obtained was 125ºC with the yield of 1.2 mL of seed oil. The vaporization and crystallization point of oil are presented in the DSC curve and the specific heat capacity of the oil are calculated.

Pharmacological and pharmacognostical aspect of Prosopis juliflora: A review

Prosopis juliflora also called as mesquite or Velayati babul, found all over the world specially in semiarid and arid areas. It is a competitive weed and has been declared as noxious in several countries. WHO found that herbal medicines are used traditionally for the treatment of diseases, nearly 80% of the population utilize plants due to their less side effects and easy availability as compared to allopathic systems of medicine. Prosopis juliflora belongs to family Leguminosae and also has an effective role as traditional medicine. Every part of this species contains a large number of phytoconstituents mainly flavonoids, alkaloids, tannins, phenolics, terpenes and saponins. The plant possesses some pharmacological activity like antibacterial, anti-pustule, antitumor, larvicidal, anthelminthic, antimicrobial, anti-rheumatic, anti-inflammatory, antifungal, antioxidant, antimalarial activities. Despite of its various uses, it is a serious invasive weed and is cytotoxic in nature. Due to ingestion of Prosopis juliflora pods, a neurological disorder “Cara-torta” is most common in the ruminant animals like goats which directly affect mitochondria of nerve cell. So, this article is an aggregate of all the details and information of Prosopis juliflora plant published in different books and journals.

Determination of Different Priming Applications on Vicia freyniana Bronm. Seeds Viability Parametres

Background: Legumes are the second among all the families in terms of varieties and Vicia genus is the third genus within the Leguminosae family. The germination and emergence rates decrease due to some reasons such as non-homogeneous genetic structure of seed or effect of environmental factors on it. For this reason, some quality problems occur. Quality enhancing applications are performed for seeds to have the desired quality levels in seeds and eliminate the problems. The aim of the present study was to determine the viability of Vicia freyniana Bornm. seeds by different priming treatments. For this purpose, the effect of different chemicals in different doses and periods and at what rate the hot water treatment would affect testa dormancy were studied. Methods: This study was conducted in Uşak University Agriculture and Natural Sciences Faculty Research laboratory in 2019. An investigation was conducted to determine the effects of the priming treatments (Soaking and imbibation; 2, 4 and 6% doses of NaCl, CaCl2 and KNO3 salts and 75, 100 and 125 ppm doses of GA3) on seeds of Vicia freyniana Bornm. In the study, the germination rate (%), germination speed (day), germination index (day) and EC values (µS/cm g-1) of the V. freyniana seeds were determined. Result: The highest germination rates were obtained from 2% of CaCl2 and 75 ppm of GA3 treatments and the fastest germination was observed in KNO3 treatment. From the study, it is concluded that 2% dose of CaCl2 and 75 ppm dose of GA3 should be preferred in V. freyniana seeds and the impregnation technique should be preferred among priming methods due to its high germination performance.

Phylogeny of symbiotic genes reveals symbiovars within legume-nodulating Paraburkholderia species

Bacteria belonging to the genus Paraburkholderia are capable of establishing symbiotic relationships with plants belonging to the Fabaceae (=Leguminosae) family and fixing the atmospheric nitrogen in specialized structures in the roots called nodules, in a process known as biological nitrogen fixation (BNF). In the nodulation and BNF processes several bacterial symbiotic genes are involved, but the relations between symbiotic, core genes and host specificity are still poorly studied and understood in Paraburkholderia. In this study, eight strains of nodulating nitrogen-fixing Paraburkholderia isolated in Brazil, together with described species and other reference strains were used to infer the relatedness between core (16S rDNA, recA) and symbiotic (nod, nif, fix) genes. The diversity of genes involved in the nodulation (nodAC) and nitrogen fixation (nifH) abilities was investigated. Only two groups, one containing three Paraburkholderia species symbionts of Mimosa, and another one with P. ribeironis strains presented similar phylogenetic patterns in the analysis of core and symbiotic genes. In three other groups events of horizontal gene transfer of symbiotic genes were detected. Paraburkholderia strains with available genomes were used in the complementary analysis of nifHDK and fixABC and confirmed well-defined phylogenetic positions of symbiotic genes. In all analyses of nod, nif and fix genes the strains were distributed into five clades with high bootstrap support, allowing the proposal of five symbiovars in nodulating nitrogen-fixing Paraburkholderia, designated as mimosae, africana, tropicalis, atlantica and piptadeniae. Phylogenetic inferences within each symbiovar are discussed.

Lupine allergens: Clinical relevance, molecular characterization, cross-reactivity, and detection strategies.

Lupine is commonly utilized as a technological food and ingredient in a great variety of processed products (snacks, bakery, meat, and dairy products) principally owing to its nutritional value and technological properties. However, its ingestion, even at trace amounts (in the range of mg protein per kg of food), can lead to severe adverse reactions in allergic individuals. Lupine belongs to the Leguminosae family, having the conglutins (α-, β-, δ-, and γ-) as allergens, among other proteins. Cross-sensitization of lupine-sensitized individuals with other legume species, mainly peanut, can occur, but the associated clinical reactivity is still unclear. The protection of the sensitized individuals should depend on an avoidance diet, which should rely on the compliance of food labeling and, as such, on their verification by analytical methods. Food processing, such as heat treatments, has an important influence on the structural properties of lupine proteins, altering their detectability and allergenicity. In this review, different aspects related with lupine allergy are described, namely, the overall prevalence, clinical relevance, diagnosis, and treatment. The characterization of lupine allergens and their potential cross-reactivity with other legumes are critically discussed. The effects of food matrix, processing, and digestibility on lupine proteins, as well as the available analytical tools for detecting lupine at trace levels in foods, are also herein emphasized.

Studies on Phenology and Reproductive Biology of Khejri [Prosopis cineraria (L.) Druce

Background: Khejri [Prosopis cineraria (L.) Druce] belongs to the family Leguminosae and subfamily Mimosoideae. The rural communities encourage the growth of Khejri in their agricultural fields as it improves grain yield and storage biomass production. It is the true multipurpose species and also called as ‘Golden Tree of Desert’, ‘Kalpvriksha’ of the desert, ‘King of desert’, ‘Love Tree’, and ‘Pride of the Desert’. For any tree improvement programme, knowledge of phenology and breeding system is pre-requisite, which also helps in understanding the evolutionary dynamics of a species. The range of genetic variability is controlled by reproductive system, which in turn controls the adaptive change. Pollination mechanisms affect seed set, fertility, gene flow, breeding systems, hybridization and genetic constitutions of tree populations. Methods: In this investigation during 2014-15, ten trees of [Prosopis cineraria (L.) Druce] growing at the research area of Forestry Department of CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar were randomly selected and phenological observations were made on the selected trees at different phenophases. Through selfing, breeding behaviour was examined, by covering the inflorescence with muslin cloth bags before opening. Approximately, an equal number of buds were kept open in close vicinity of the covered branch. Reproductive capacity was estimated from the percentage of fruit setting in marked inflorescence. Result: In present study of Prosopis cineraria, the average fruit set under self-pollination was nil whereas it was 2.03 per cent in open natural pollination. This study confirms previous studies that Prosopis cineraria is a cross-pollinated species.

Natural alkaloids from narrow-leaf and yellow lupins transfer to soil and soil solution in agricultural fields

BackgroundLupin is a promising legume crop, belongs to the Fabaceae (or Leguminosae) family. Lupin production for traditional and functional foods or animal feed is limited, due to the content of toxic quinolizidine (QA)s and indole alkaloids (IA)s. These compounds may not only pose a risk to humans and animals through food consumption, but may also affect soil and aquatic ecosystems. Field experiments were conducted to study the alkaloids content in both narrow-leaved or blue (L. angustifolius) and yellow (L. luteus) lupin plant tissue during a full growing season and understand the environmental fate of alkaloids in soil and water. Suction cups were used to collect soil pore water (soil solution) at four depths: 10, 25, 50 and 70 cm. A full protocol for sample preparation and UPLC–MS/MS quantification of alkaloids in plant, soil and water was developed.ResultsDuring the field experiments the alkaloids in the plant tissues increased, at the harvest stage the content was highest with 21.4 and 24.6 mg/kg dry weight (dw) for blue and yellow lupin, respectively. In soil, alkaloids quantified during the growing season (max concentration was 1.3 × 102 µg/kg dw) and even detected after harvest (0.2 µg/kg dw). In soil pore water samples, alkaloids were not detected during summer, but the concentrations increased to 9.8 × 102 and 1.5 × 103 ng/L for blue and yellow, respectively, in September when autumn precipitation began.ConclusionsThe results show the amount of alkaloids transferred from plant tissue into soil and soil pore water estimated to be on average 0.016% and 0.005% in soil and soil pore water, respectively. Alkaloids leached from topsoil to subsoil layers; the concentrations decline with soil depth. This study demonstrates that alkaloids are mobile compounds in the soil environments, thus lupin production may affect soil or aquatic ecosystems, and reduce water quality.

Extraction, isolation and characterization of Bauhinia variegata flower

Background: Bauhinia variegata Linn. is a native plant of Asia and China. B. variegata is found in tropical regions of the world. It belongs to family Leguminosae. It is used for diarrhea, hemorrhoids, constipation, piles, edema, leprosy, wounds, tumors, etc. Objective: The objective of the present study was to perform extraction of B. variegata flower and isolation of active constituents from the extract. Materials and Methods: The ethanolic extraction of B. variegata flower was performed using the Soxhlet apparatus. The isolation of active constituents from the extract was performed using chromatographic techniques. In column chromatographic studies, n-hexane- [dichloromethane (DCM)] (2:8) was used as an eluting system and further purified through thin layer chromatography (TLC). Compound A and B were isolated through chromatographic techniques, then the molecular formula and characterization of these compounds were carried out with mass and infrared (IR) spectral analysis. Results and Discussion: The percentage yield of B. variegata ethanolic extract (BVE) was found to be 20.8% w/w. The different fractions were F1 having 12.5 grams with n-hexane, F2 (17.1 grams) with CH2Cl2, F3 (21.2 grams) with EtOAc, and F4 (13.4 grams) with EtOH. Compound A and B were isolated from the solvent fractions of n-hexane-DCM (2:8) and EtOAc-DCM (1:9), respectively. The compound A was characterized as 3-hydroxy-6-methoxy-2-phenyl-4H-chromen-4-one. The compound B was characterized as 3-hydroxy-6-methyl-2-phenyl-4H-chromen-4-one. Conclusion: Thus, B. variegata flowers possess active components that need to identify their biological activities.

Comparative Genomics of Spatholobus suberectus and Insight Into Flavonoid Biosynthesis.

Spatholobus suberectus Dunn (S. suberectus), has been widely used in traditional medicines plant source of the Leguminosae family. Its vine stem of which plays an important role in the prevention and treatment of various diseases because it contains various flavonoids. Comparative genome analysis suggested well-conserved genomic components and genetic collinearity between the genome of S. suberectus and other genera of Leguminosae such as Glycine max. We discovered two whole genome duplications (WGD) events in S. suberectus and G. max lineage underwent a WGD after speciation from S. suberectus. The determination of expansion and contractions of orthologous gene families revealed 1,001 expanded gene families and 3,649 contracted gene families in the S. suberectus lineage. Comparing to the model plants, many novel flavonoid biosynthesis-related genes were predicted in the genome of S. suberectus, and the expression patterns of these genes in the roots are similar to those in the stems [such as the isoflavone synthase (IFS) genes]. The expansion of IFS from a single copy in the Leguminosae ancestor to four copies in S. suberectus, will accelerate the biosynthesis of flavonoids. MYB genes are widely involved in plant flavonoid biosynthesis and the most abundant member of the TF family in S. suberectus. Activated retrotransponson positive regulates the accumulation of flavonoid in S. suberectus by introducing the cis-elements of tissue-specific expressed MYBs. Our study not only provides significant insight into the evolution of specific flavonoid biosynthetic pathways in S. suberectus, but also would facilitate the development of tools for enhancing bioactive productivity by metabolic engineering in microbes or by molecular breeding for alleviating resource shortage of S. suberectus.

Medicinal plants used in managing diseases of the respiratory system among the Luo community: an appraisal of Kisumu East Sub-County, Kenya

BackgroundPoor access to healthcare in rural communities causes many people to seek herbalists who use medicinal plants for the treatment of various disease conditions. Most knowledge of traditional herbal medicine makes use of indigenous remedies which are often undocumented and are at risk of being lost. The preservation of this knowledge may facilitate scientific inquiry into promising new therapeutic molecules.MethodsSemi-structured questionnaires were used to collect the sociodemographic information of 30 herbalists in Kisumu East Sub County. The local names of medicinal plants used in managing illnesses of the respiratory system, their habit, active parts, indications, methods of preparation, routes of administration, scientific identity, and conservation status were also recorded. Other reported traditional uses, pharmacological activities, and toxicological data were identified via a literature search.ResultsMost herbalists were female (86.7%), aged between 61 and 70 years (43.3%) with no formal education (56.7%), and had 21–30 years of practice (30%). 44 plant species, belonging to 43 genera and 28 families were identified. Leguminosae and Rutaceae plant families were predominant, leaves were frequently used (33%), and trees were the most common habit (44.4%). Most plants were collected in the wild (79.2%), preparation was mainly by decoction (68.8%), and the administration was mainly orally. The main indication was cough and 79.5% of all documented plant species had previously been reported to have a pharmacological activity relevant to the mitigation of respiratory illnesses. Toxicological data was available for 84.1% of the plant species identified.ConclusionsThe predominant use of roots, root barks, and root tubers by herbalists in Kisumu East Sub County threatens to negatively impact the ecological survival of some plant species. The preservation of herbalists’ knowledge of medicinal plants in the study area is a pressing concern considering their advanced age and little formal education. There is a need to conserve some of the medicinal plants documented in this study. The medicinal claims made by herbalists also warrant scientific scrutiny.