Mussaenda Erythrophylla Research Articles

Natural sensitizer extracted from Mussaenda erythrophylla for dye-sensitized solar cell

In this study, a natural dye from the flowers of Mussaenda erythrophylla extracted separately in ethanol and de-ionized water was employed as a photosensitizer in DSSCs. The quantitative phytochemical analyses were performed on both extracts. The existence of flavonoids (anthocyanin) and chlorophyll a pigments in the ethanol extract of the dye was confirmed by the UV–Visible spectroscopy. The stability study performed on the said ethanol extract confirmed that the dye extracted in ethanol was stable in the dark and did not degrade for nearly 50 days. The presence of the dye molecules and uniform adsorption of them on the P25-TiO2 surface were confirmed by fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy, respectively. Moreover, the influence of dye concentration and pH on the optical properties of the dye was also studied. The natural dye extracted in ethanol was employed in DSSCs, fabricated by utilizing the said dye sensitized P25-TiO2 photoanodes, {I}^{-}/{I}_{3}^{-} electrolyte, and Pt counter electrode. Photovoltaic performances of the fabricated devices were determined under simulated irradiation with the intensity of 100 mWcm–2 using AM 1.5 filter. The device fabricated with the P25-TiO2 photoanode sensitized by the dye extracted in ethanol at pH = 5 exhibited the best power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 0.41% with the JSC of 0.98 mAcm–2 which could be attributed to the optimum light absorption in the visible region of solar spectrum by the chlorophyll a and anthocyanin molecules in the extracted natural dye.

GREEN SYNTHESIS OF SILVER NANOPARTICLES FROM AQUEOUS LEAF EXTRACT OF MUSSAENDA ERYTHROPHYLLA AND ITS ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY

The synthesis of silver nanoparticles from medicinal plant extracts has been carried out due to its environment-friendly approach. Mussaenda erythrophylla of the family Rubiaceae has traditional medicinal values. Silver nanoparticles are synthesized from the fresh leaf extract of this plant using AgNO3. The synthesis of nanoparticles is conrmed by the FTIR spectrophotometer which shows maximum absorption at 440 nm. The UV spectra and visual observation showed that the color of the fresh leaf extract turned brownish-yellow after forming silver nanoparticles. The antimicrobial activity of aqueous leaf extract and AgNPs on E.coli is studied by disc diffusion method. It is found that the AgNPs has more antimicrobial property than the leaf extract

Vacuum drying: a new technique for drying ornamental flowers and bracts

The vacuum drying technology was standardized as a new way for drying of ornamental flowers and bracts for preparing value added dry flower products. The results of experiment concluded that embedding in silica gel and vacuum oven drying (temp. 55°C with 100 mmHg pressure) for 2.5 h was best suitable for drying of Wedelia trilobata flowers, 3 h was appropriate for Ixora chinensis flowers and Mussaenda erythrophylla bracts, and 5 h was found ideal for Ageratum conyzoides flowers.

Antiplasmodial activity and cytotoxicity of plant extracts from the Asteraceae and Rubiaceae families

The increasing resistance of parasites to antimalarial drugs and the limited number of effective drugs are the greatest challenges in the treatment of malaria. It is necessary to search for an alternative medicine for use as a new, more effective antimalarial drug. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the in vitro antimalarial activity and cytotoxicity of extracts from plants belonging to the Asteraceae and Rubiaceae families. The phytoconstituents of one hundred ten ethanolic and aqueous extracts from different parts of twenty-three plant species were analyzed. Evaluation of their antimalarial activities against the chloroquine (CQ)-resistant Plasmodium falciparum (K1) strain was carried out using the lactate dehydrogenase (pLDH) assay, and their cytotoxicity in Vero cells was assessed using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) colorimetric method. A total of 40.91% of the extracts were active antimalarial agents. Three extracts (2.73%) exhibited high antiplasmodial activity (IC50 < 10 μg/ml), twenty-four extracts (21.82%) were moderately active with IC50 values ranging from 10–50 μg/ml, and eighteen extracts (16.36%) were mildly active with IC50 values ranging from 50–100 μg/ml. The ethanolic leaf extract of Mussaenda erythrophylla (Dona Trining; Rubiaceae) exhibited the highest activity against P. falciparum, with an IC50 value of 3.73 μg/ml and a selectivity index (SI) of 30.74, followed by the ethanolic leaf extract of Mussaenda philippica Dona Luz x M. flava (Dona Marmalade; Rubiaceae) and the ethanolic leaf extract of Blumea balsamifera (Camphor Tree; Asteraceae), with IC50 values of 5.94 and 9.66 μg/ml and SI values of 25.36 and >20.70, respectively. GC–MS analysis of these three plant species revealed the presence of various compounds, such as squalene, oleic acid amide, β-sitosterol, quinic acid, phytol, oleamide, α-amyrin, sakuranin, quercetin and pillion. In conclusion, the ethanolic leaf extract of M. erythrophylla, the leaf extract of M. philippica Dona Luz x M. flava and the leaf extract of B. balsamifera had strong antimalarial properties with minimal toxicity, indicating that compounds from these plant species have the potential to be developed into new antiplasmodial agents.

Chemical constituents of Mussaenda erythrophylla Schumach. & Thonn. (Rubiaceae) and their chemophenetic significance

The chemical investigation of the CH2Cl2/MeOH (1:1) extract from the aerial part of Mussaenda erythrophylla Schumach. & Thonn. (Rubiaceae) resulted in the isolation of sixteen known compounds (1–16) distributed in coumarins, flavonoid glucosides, quinic acid derivatives, triterpenoids, monoglycerid, steroids, tetraterpenoid and polyol. The structures of the compounds were determined by spectrometric and spectroscopic analysis including MS and NMR data followed by their comparison with reported ones in the literature. The chemophenetic significance of the isolated compounds was discussed. The crude extract and some of the isolated compounds were assessed in vitro for their antileishmanial, cytotoxic and antiplasmodial activities. The crude extract of M. erythrophylla showed moderate antileishmanial activity (IC50 = 61.6 μg/mL) while the hexane soluble fraction showed good antileishmanial activity (IC50 = 31.06 μg/mL) compared to the reference drug amphotericin B (IC50 = 0.11 μM). Compounds 11 and 9 also exhibited potent antileishmanial activity (IC50 = 53.7–52.0 μM). The crude extract as well as the ethyl acetate soluble fraction also exhibited good antiplasmodial activity (IC50 = 7.43 ± 0.00 μg/mL and 14.49 ± 2.96 μg/mL respectively), while compounds 11, 15 and 16 showed weak activity with IC50 > 20 μM compared to the reference drug artemisinin (IC50 = 0.014 ± 0.001 μM).

Structural characterization of green synthesized magnetic mesoporous Fe3O4NPs@ME

Mesoporous magnetite nanoparticles (Fe3O4NPs) were synthesized by using the leaf extract of Mussaenda erythrophylla (ME) by a cheap and simple method – green synthesis. The synthesized Fe3O4NPs@ME were characterized by various techniques. A strong absorption spectrum without any specific peak in the UV–vis image designated the formation of iron-containing nanoparticles. XRD image confirmed the presence of only magnetite and the purity was ascertained by the absence of other forms of iron-containing nanoparticles. The average crystallite size was calculated as 18.58 nm and the lattice parameter was 8.38 Å which was close to the magnetite standards. FE-SEM image portrayed spherical aggregates and EDS showed signature peaks for Fe and O elements. XPS image showed the presence of peaks for oxygen, ferrous, and ferric ions which are consistent with magnetite along with carbon on the surface. Mesoporous structure (5.78 nm) was affirmed by BET results which showed a higher surface area (174.15 m2/g) than the commercial one. The FTIR bands obtained at 454.25 and 667.39 cm−1 corresponded to the distinctive Fe–O linkage, substantiating the formation of magnetite. The stability of the magnetite at very high temperature was validated by TGA results which showed a 15% total reduction in weight. The magnetite showed superparamagnetism with a low saturation magnetization value (5.14 emu/g) which confirmed the existence of non-magnetic surface layers arising from the phytomolecules residing in the leaf extract of M. erythrophylla. Hence, the pure, crystalline, and mesoporous Fe3O4NPs@ME with large surface area obtained by the above-mentioned facile procedure will surely make an impact in many areas such as catalysis, adsorption, and biomedical engineering.

Evaluation of Mussaenda erythrophylla Schumach. &amp;Thonn. for Anthelmintic Activity

Medicinal plants are an essential source of treatment for various ailments. The Rubiaceae family is a rich source of medicinally important herbs. Mussaenda is an active member of the family Rubiaceae. It is largely seen in parks and gardens as an ornamental plant of India. It is a native of Western tropical Africa. Helminths are a wide choice of organisms which include worms such as parasitic intestinal worms, whipworms (Trichuris trichiura), (Ascaris lumbricoides) or hookworms (Necator americanus and Ancylostoma duodenale) etc. Helminthiasis is a condition of infection by worms. It is commonly known as worm infection As per WHO statistics near about 2 billion peoples are infected by soil-transmitted helminths worldwide. The infected class of peoples were found to be nutritionally and physically impaired. The current study aims at exploring the anthelmintic property of the leaves of Mussaenda erythrophylla Schumach. &amp; Thonn. Anthelmintic properties of Mussaenda erythrophylla leaves extracts using petroleum ether(60-80°C), chloroform, ethyl acetate and methanol were evaluated against Phertima posthuma(Indian earth worms) at five concentrations viz.,10mg/ml,20mg/ml, 30mg/ml, 40mg/ml and 50mg/ml. Piperazine citrate is used as the reference standard. The duration taken for paralysis and death of the Phertima posthuma were assessed for all the groups. Methanolic extract of Mussaenda erythrophylla shows moderately significant anthelmintic property as compared to the non-treated group.

Evaluation of Mussaenda erythrophylla Schumach. &amp;Thonn. leaves against human lung carcinoma

Evaluation of Mussaenda erythrophylla Schumach. &amp;Thonn. leaves against human lung carcinoma

Mussaenda erythrophylla: A new host of ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma asteris’ in India

Leaf yellowing symptoms were observed in Mussaenda erythrophylla at Digiyana Park, Jammu during June 2016. Leaf yellowing and flat stem symptoms were also observed on nearby planted Catharanthus roseus and Celosia argentea, respectively. Amplicons of ~ 1.25 kb were consistently amplified in nested PCR assays with DNA extracted from all the symptomatic Mussaenda erythrophylla, Catharanthus roseus and Celosia argentea samples using primer pairs P1/P7 followed by R16F2n/R2. However, no amplifications were achieved with any of the asymptomatic plant samples. Pair wise sequence comparison of the ~ 1.25 kb products of 16S rDNA sequence of M. erythrophylla leaf yellowing, C. roseus leaf yellowing and C. argentea flat stem phytoplasma isolates revealed 99.8% sequence identity with ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma asteris’ related strains. Phylogeny and virtual RFLP analysis of 16S rDNA sequences confirmed the affiliation of ‘Ca. P. asteris’ subgroup I-B with all the three symptomatic plant samples. This is the first report of association of ‘Ca. P. asteris’ subgroup I-B with M. erythrophylla worldwide.

Separation and Assay of Three Anti-Cough Drugs Pseudoephedrine, Dextromethorphan and Chlorpheniramine in Pharmaceutical Forms by using single RP-HPLC Method

One of the deadliest diseases threatening the human being is Cancer. It causes severe chronic defects on the human mankind. Various types of cancer affect the human beings. Medicinal plants serves as an important tool for the treatment of various diseases and disorders. In vitro cytotoxicity is one of the important markers for cancer evaluation. Mussaenda is an active member of the family rubiaceae. The present study aims at exploring the cytotoxicity potential of the leaves of Mussaenda erythrophylla Schumach. & Thonn. through MTT assay. Methanolic extract of leaves of Mussaenda erythrophylla was evaluated against Vero, MCF-10, MCF-7, HT-29, A-549 and HEPG-2 cell lines. The study was carried out at 250µg/ml, 125µg/ml, 62.5µg/ml and 31.25µg/ml. The methanolic extract was found to be cytotoxic against all the cell lines under investigation. However, the extract is found to be more potent and effective against A-549 (Human Lung cancer cell lines) with IC50 value 30.68 µg/ml.

Taxonomic and Ecological Significance of Foliar Epidermal Characters in Four Taxa of Mussaenda L. (Rubiaceae) in Nigeria

Aims: This study investigated leaf epidermal features as taxonomic markers in delimiting two West African species (M. elegans and M. erythrophylla) and two Philippine infraspecific species (M. “Doña Aurora” and M.“Doña Luz”) of Mussaenda L. in Nigeria and their ecological significance.&#x0D; Study Design: The experiment adopted a Completely Block Design (CBD) of four plant taxa from two study locations with 10 replicates each, totaling 80 samples.&#x0D; Place and Duration of Study: The study was carried out in the Department of Plant Science and Biotechnology, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, between June and September, 2010.&#x0D; Methodology: Fresh leaves were collected from the Tropical Rainforest (TRF) and Derived Savanna (DS) vegetations of Nigeria under the same weather conditions. Leaf epidermal strips were prepared by clearing method, stained with Safranin and observed under the light microscope.&#x0D; Results: The stomata are of the paracytic type borne on polygonal to irregularly shaped, wavy epidermal cells. Simple trichomes were also a common feature in all taxa. Mussaenda erythrophylla has significantly (P ˂ 0.05) the least dense stomata (84.51 ± 0.73 mm-2) while M. “Doña Aurora” has the densest stomata (230.98 ± 2.67 mm-2). M. elegans and M. “Doña Aurora” have significantly the highest stomata index (28.48% and 28.98% respectively) while M. “Doña Luz” has the lowest (24.31%). Samples from the TRF have significantly higher density, index and size of stomata in M. elegans and M. “Doña Luz” than those from DS. Quantitative trichome parameters also vary among the taxa. The fewest trichomes were observed in M. elegans (7.90 ± 0.14 and 11.75 ± 0.21) while they are most abundant in M. “Doña Luz” (11.77 ± 0.11 and 18.90 ± 0.51). Ecological conditions affected these variables as trichomes were more abundant in the specimens collected from DS locations.&#x0D; Conclusion: Epidermal features are proven significant tools in taxonomic delimitation and as environmental indicators in predicting climatic changes and environmental pollution.

Effect of naphthalene acetic acid on sprouting and rooting of stem cutting in Mussaenda species

Mussaendas are increasingly popular for the showy colour they provide during much of the year in garden landscapes. However, root formation in stem cuttings is a major challenge for cultivation of Mussaenda species. Therefore, the experiment was carried out at the Landscaping section of the Department of Horticulture, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh during the period from August to November 2018 to study the effect of phytohormone naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) on sprouting and rooting of stem cuttings in Mussaenda species. The two-factor experiment consisted of three Mussaenda species viz., Mussaenda frondosa (White flag bush), Mussaenda philippica (Pink flag bush) and Mussaenda erythrophylla (Red flag bush), and five concentrations of NAA viz., 0 (control), 0.1%, 0.2%, 0.3% and 0.4%. The experiment was laid out in randomised complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. The results revealed that all the traits related to sprouting and rooting potential of stem cuttings were significantly influenced by combined effects of Mussaenda species and various NAA concentrations. The maximum sprouted bud per cutting (3.57), highest number of roots per cutting (5.88) and the longest root length (4.32 cm) were recorded from M. philippica except number of leaves per stem cutting (4.42) in M. erythrophylla. The increasing concentrations of NAA application responded positively on sprouting and rooting characters in all three Mussaenda species used for this experiment. The best results obtained from the treatment where NAA was applied at the concentration of 0.3% with 3.92 sprouted buds per cutting, 4.77 leaves per cutting, 7.15 roots per cutting and 5.26 cm length of roots. The treatment combination of M. philippica (Pink flag bush) and 0.3% NAA, followed by NAA at 03% with M. erythrophylla (Red flag bush) was found to be best in terms of sprouting and rooting of stem cuttings in Mussaenda.&#x0D; Progressive Agriculture 30 (1): 48-54, 2019

Manipulating the frequency of intra-plant parts influences the foraging behaviour of a facultatively florivorous grasshopper

Studying density- (total available resources) and frequency-dependent (relative abundance of resources) foraging by herbivores can shed light on our understanding of insect–plant interaction. However, these concepts are rarely investigated on different resources within an individual plant, such as flowers and leaves, even though this can be informative on how each plant individual allocates different resources and defends against florivory and folivory. We performed manipulative experiments in an insectary on the facultatively florivorous grasshoppers (Xenocatantops humilis) and flowering twigs of the tropical dogwood (Mussaenda erythrophylla). The tropical dogwood was used because each plant has both typical leaves and modified calyx lobes of the flowers which function as attractive flags. By manipulating the densities and frequencies, in terms of biomass, of leaves and flag calyx lobes, we aimed to investigate the following questions: (1) Do the grasshoppers exhibit density- and/or frequency-dependent foraging of the intra-plant structures? (2) Do the grasshoppers show a dietary preference for the intra-plant structures? (3) Do relative and/or total biomasses of the intra-plant structures affect the intensity of corolla feeding? Our results provide support for frequency-, but not density-dependent foraging. We found that relative consumption and total herbivory increase with the relative biomass of the preferred flag calyx lobes, whereas a larger corolla diameter increases the intensity of corolla feeding. Our findings suggest that the colourful flag calyx lobes attract unwanted herbivores but could potentially be a decoy against folivory.

Effect of different growth regulators on propagation of Mussaenda (Mussaenda erythrophylla ‘Rosea’) in subtropical zone of West Bengal

An experiment was carried out to study the effect of different growth regulators on propagation of Mussaenda (Mussaenda erythrophylla ‘Rosea’) during rainy season in subtropical zone of West Bengal under naturally ventilated polyhouse. Significant differences among the treatments on root emergence and proliferation were noticed. All the growth regulators like IAA, IBA and NAA @1000, 2000, 3000 ppm significantly improved the rooting in cutting of Mussaenda over the control. Early rooting was observed in July month cuttings in all treatments than the June month cuttings. The highest percentage of rooting (80%) was observed in July month cuttings when treated with NAA @ 3000 ppm. The maximum number of roots (24.00/cutting) and root length (6.90 cm) was also recorded in the same treatment. Rooted cuttings were transferred to the earthen pots after 45 days of cutting, 98% cuttings survived and established, when cuttings were treated with NAA @ 3000 ppm in the month of July. But the most meaningful results for all the attributes were recorded with NAA @3000 ppm. This treatment was found most effective for rapid multiplication of Mussaenda through tip cuttings under subtropical zone of West Bengal.

Phyto-synthesis of silver nanoparticles from Mussaenda erythrophylla leaf extract and their application in catalytic degradation of methyl orange dye

Nanotechnology has played a definitive role in defending the environment-related issues. The prime reason for this claim is that nanotechnology sowed the seeds for the green synthesis of nanoparticles, rather than using noxious and persistent chemicals, thus leading to the eradication of biological risks. A plethora of plant-mediated metal nanoparticle (especially, silver) synthesis has been carried out and is still successfully continuing, because of its simple approach, instant synthesis mechanism, long-term stability and eco-friendly nature. The current article accounts for an environmentally safe method for silver nanocatalyst synthesis using the leaf extract of Mussaenda erythrophylla, for the first time. The UV–visible absorption spectrum of the silver nanoparticle solution displayed a distinct peak at 414nm. As identified by FTIR spectroscopy, the leaf extract acts as a source of a variety of phytochemicals and are primarily responsible for reduction to zero-valent silver. The nanoparticles were further characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled to energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDAX), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and photon correlation spectroscopy (PCS). Analysis using SEM confirmed the formation sub-100nm sized particles and EDAX proved the existence of elemental silver in the sample. XRD analysis established the crystalline nature – face-centred cubic – of the nanoparticles. The zeta potential value of −47.7mV, defines the good stability of the silver nanoparticle solution. The article highlights the degradation of the azo dye, methyl orange, using silver nanoparticles as a promising catalytic agent and sodium borohydride as a reductant.

Determination of hepatoprotective effect of Mussaenda erythrophylla in paracetamol induced hepatotoxicity

Background: Hepatotoxicity may be defined as liver injury caused by drugs and chemicals. Drug-induced liver injury is a major reason for withdrawing drugs from a market by Food Drug Administration, and it is based on the fact that drug-induced liver injury is responsible for more than 50% of all cases of acute liver failure. Many studies revealed about the hepatotoxic potential of paracetamol. Hence, the present study has undertaken to evaluate the hepatoprotective effect of Mussaenda erythrophylla (ME) in paracetamol induced hepatotoxicity in Wistar albino rats. Methods: The ethanolic extract ME studied for its hepatoprotective effect on paracetamol induced acute liver damage in Wistar albino rats. The degree of protection was measured using biochemical parameters such as serum glutamate oxalate transaminase (SGOT), serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase (SGPT), total bilirubin (TBL), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione (GSH) peroxidase (GPx), GSH, and ceruloplasmin levels. Results: Paracetamol treated group had enhanced levels of SGPT, SGOT, TBL (p<0.001) and decreased levels of GSH, SOD, and GPx (p<0.001) when compared with control group. Treatment with silymarin and also 200 mg/kg of MEleaf extract had significantly (p<0.001) brought down the elevated levels of SGPT, SGOT, and TBL and an increase in the levels of GSH, SOD, (p<0.01), GPx and ceruloplasmin (p<0.001). Conclusion: The results showed that ethanolic extract of ME leaf extract possesses significant hepatoprotective activity.

Mass cloning of Rose and Mussaenda, popular garden plants, via somatic embryogenesis

Protocols were developed for propagation of Rosa hybrida cv. Landora and Mussaenda erythrophylla cv. Rosea via somatic embryogenesis by manipulating growth regulators and culture conditions. Calli were induced from young leaf explants of Rosa hybrida cv. Landora and Mussaenda erythrophylla cv. Rosea on Murashige, Skoog medium supplemented with 6-benzylaminopurine or kinetin along with indole-3-acetic acid or 2,4-dichloroacetic acid within four weeks of culture. The calli were subcultured either in the same medium or in a modified medium for induction of embryogenic callus. Embryogenic calli in rose were developed on Murashige, Skoog medium supplemented with 0.5&amp;ndash;1.0 mg/l 6-benzylaminopurine, 2.0 mg/l 2,4-dichloroacetic acid, and 400&amp;ndash;800 mg/l l-proline or l-glutamine. The results showed that stimulation of auxin-induced somatic embryogenesis by proline has a great impact on development of somatic embryos and secondary somatic embryogenesis in rose. In Mussaenda, embryogenic calli were developed on Murashige, Skoog medium supplemented with 0.5&amp;ndash;1.0 mg/l 6-benzylaminopurine, 2.0&amp;ndash;3.0 mg/l indole-3-acetic acid, and 10 mg/l ascorbic acid. Somatic embryos were isolated and transferred to half-strength Murashige, Skoog medium supplemented with 0.25&amp;ndash;0.5 mg/l 6-benzylaminopurine + 0.1 mg/l gibberelic acid + 5.0 mg/l adenine sulfate and 2% sucrose for maturation and germination. About 70% somatic embryos of Mussaenda germinated. The rose somatic embryos, however, did not germinate. The somatic embryos of rose, when incubated in the dark at 4&amp;deg;C for two weeks and transferred to 1/2 strength Murashige, Skoog medium supplemented with 0.5 mg/l 6-benzylaminopurine, 0.25 mg/l gibberelic acid, and 2% sucrose, showed 60% germination. The seedlings showed a distinct shoot development but the radicles were blunt without well-defined root system. The shoots were harvested and cultured in the multiplication medium containing Murashige, Skoog medium supplemented with 1.0 mg/l 6-benzylaminopurine and 0.1 mg/l indole-3-acetic acid for four weeks and then subcultured in the same medium for further multiplication. The somatic embryos of Mussaenda erythrophylla cv. Rosea germinated into normal plantlets with distinct shoot and well-developed root system. The somatic embryo-derived plantlets grew normally and flowered within two months of transfer to the field.

Biomarker for genotoxicity—evaluation of the antineoplastic activity of Mussaenda erythrophylla in cultured HeLa cells

Biomarker for genotoxicity—evaluation of the antineoplastic activity of Mussaenda erythrophylla in cultured HeLa cells

Brevipalpus-associated viruses in the central Amazon Basin

A survey of Brevipalpus-transmitted plant viruses (BTrV) was carried out in the cities of Manaus and Presidente Figueiredo, and in the oil exploratory base of Urucu, Amazonas State, Central Amazon Basin, Brazil. The main characteristics considered during the survey were the occurrence of localized symptoms (chlorotic or brown spots, ringspots, green spots in senescent leaves) similar to those previously described for BTrV and infestation by Brevipalpus mites. For the evaluation of the infection by putative BTrV, small fragments of the leaf lesions were fixed in loco and later processed for ultrastructural electron microscopy at Piracicaba, SP. Thirteen plant hosts of presumed BTrV were found. Three of them probably represent previously described BTrV infecting Hibiscus rosa sinensis, H. syriacus and Clerodendrum x speciosum. For the first time we report cases of infection by putative BTrV of nuclear type in chlorotic spot in Piper callosum (Piperaceae), chlorotic ringspot in Monstera deliciosa (Araceae), chlorotic spot in Ruellia chartacea (Acanthaceae), chlorotic spot in Bidens sp. (Asteraceae), green spot in Allamanda chatartica (Apocynaceae), chlorotic spot in Gardenia sp. (Rubiaceae), chlorotic ringspot and green spot in Mussaenda erythrophylla. (Rubiaceae) and of cytoplasmic type in Clerodendrum speciosissimum (Lamiaceaae) and ringspots in Arundina graminifolia (Orchidaceae). All these plants were infested by Brevipalpu. phoenicis.

Three Mussaenda Cultivars Propagated by Stem Cuttings Exhibit Variation in Rooting in Response to Hormone and Rooting Conditions

The effects of 1H-indole-3-butyric acid (IBA), cutting position on stock plants, the date of propagation, the type of rooting substrate and temperature on rooting of mussaenda (Mussaenda erythrophylla Schumach. &amp; Thonn. `Ashanti Blood' and `Rosea', and Mussaenda philippica A. Rich `Aurorae') stem cuttings were determined. Cuttings of `Ashanti Blood' produced the largest number of roots when treated with 15 mmol (3000 ppm) IBA and rooted in perlite at 29 °C (84 °F). Cutting position on stock plants did not affect rooting in any of the three cultivars. Propagation date and temperature of the rooting medium affected root numbers in `Aurorae'. With `Rosea', only the type of rooting substrate affected root number. Rooting percentage was 22%, 48%, and 39% in `Ashanti Blood', `Aurorae', and `Rosea' respectively. After 30 days of propagation average root length was 4, 12, and 4 mm (0.2, 0.5, and 0.2 inch) in `Ashanti Blood', `Aurorae', and `Rosea' respectively. Growers must determine precise rooting conditions for each cultivar to obtain consistent rooting of cuttings. This process may not be economically feasible on a commercial basis because rooting percentages are relatively low. We conclude that other methods of clonal propagation need to be evaluated before uniform rooted stem cuttings of mussaenda can be produced economically.