Plant Parts Research Articles

Elimination of Exogenous Pollution Influence on the Microelement Composition of Medicinal Plants

INTRODUCTION. The compendial analytical procedure for determining the content of heavy metals and arsenic impurities in herbal drugs does not differentiate between endogenous and exogenous elemental impurities. Higher-precision data on the microelement composition of plants, particularly data on endogenous and exogenous impurities, could be instrumental in chemosystematics and in the identification of raw materials.AIM. This study aimed to modify the analytical procedure for quantifying macro- and microelements in herbal drugs with the intention to eliminate the influence of exogenous pollutants on test results.MATERIALS AND METHODS. The study focused on herbal drugs from the Boraginaceae family, including reproductive shoots of lungwort (Pulmonaria mollis Wulf. ex Hornem) and leaves of common borage (Borago officinalis L.). A portion was spiked with elemental pollutants. All herbal drugs were ground and fractionated by sieving. Quantitative determination was performed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Statistical analysis of the results used Microsoft Excel and Statistica 8 software.RESULTS. A total of 30 elements were quantified in 9 fractions of herbal drugs with different particle sizes. Cluster analysis showed that unfractionated herbal drugs and the fraction comprising particles smaller than 0.2 mm formed sepa rate clusters, indicating significant differences in elemental compositions. Grubbs’ test confirmed that these two samples were significantly different from the others. The fraction of particles smaller than 0.2 mm had the maximum content of the spiked elements; more than 90% of the spiked amounts were recovered from this fraction. The high content of elements observed in unfractionated herbal drugs was due to the plant parts that would have passed the 0.2 mm sieve had they been ground and fractionated.CONCLUSIONS. The use of unfractionated herbal drugs leads to a systematic error in the results of elemental content determination, which significantly hinders the applicability of such results for the identification of herbal drugs. To ensure reliable results in the determination of the microelement status of plants, the authors suggest performing additional fractionation of herbal drugs and discarding the fraction under 0.2 mm.

Chemical Composition and Nutritional Value of Flowers and Fruits of Cytisus striatus (Hill) Rothm.

In ancient times, the shoots of certain species within the Cytisus genus were used as animal feed. Cytisus striatus is a plentiful and widespread shrub that has long been utilized as a soil fertilizer in the Iberian Peninsula. The flowers of this shrub have traditionally been employed for medicinal purposes. However, the nutritional value of yellow broom flowers and fruits remains largely unexplored. In this study, flowers and fruit of C. striatus (Cytisus striatus) were collected from natural shrubs at three different locations in Portugal during the same year. An analytical assessment of their macro and micronutrient content was conducted. Regarding nutritional composition, flowers and fruits exhibited a fibre content of 18% and 42%, protein content of 21% and 12%, lipid content of 2% and 1%, carbohydrate content of 43% and 14%, and ash content of 4% and 3%, respectively. Potassium was the most abundant mineral, with concentrations of approximately 20,094 mg/kg in the flowers and 11,746 mg/kg in the fruits, followed by calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium. Compared to some edible flowers and fruits, these plant parts of C. striatus showed macro and micronutrient values similar to species such as lavender, lupins, and cowpea pod husks.

Metabolic profiling of different parts of Physalis alkekengi L. var. franchetii (Mast.) Makino based on UPLC-Q-Orbitrap-HRMS coupled with bioactivity assays

Physalis alkekengi L.var. franchetii (Mast.) Makino (PAF) is an important edible and medicinal plant resource in China. Historically, phytochemical studies have primarily examined the calyx and fruit due to their long-standing use in traditional Chinese medicine for their ability to clear heat and detoxify. Metabolites and bioactivities of other parts such as the leaves, stems and roots, are rarely studied. The study involved conducting metabolic profiling of five plant parts of PAF using UPLC-Q-Orbitrap-HRMS analysis, in conjunction with two bioactivity assays. A total of 95 compounds were identified, including physalins, flavonoids, sucrose esters, phenylpropanoids, nitrogenous compounds and fatty acids. Notably, 14 aliphatic sucrose esters, which are potentially novel compounds, were initially identified. Furthermore, one new aliphatic sucrose ester was purified and its structure was elucidated by 1D and 2D NMR analysis. The hierarchical clustering analysis and principal component analysis showed the close clustering of the root and stem, suggesting similarities in their chemical composition, whereas the leaf, calyx and fruit clustered more distantly. Orthogonal partial least-squares discriminant analysis results showed that 41 compounds potentially serve as marker compounds for distinguishing among plant parts. Variations in activity were observed among the plant parts during the comparative evaluation with biological assays. The calyx, leaf and fruit extracts showed stronger antibacterial and anti-inflammatory activities than the stem and root extracts, and 19 potential biomarkers were identified by S-plot analysis for the observed activities, including chlorogenic acid, luteolin, cynaroside, physalin A, physalin F, physalin J, apigetrin, quercetin-3β-D-glucoside and five ASEs, which likely explain the observed potent bioactivity.

A Comparative Study of Two Oroxylum indicum (L.) Kurz. Phenotypes Based on Phytochemicals and Antioxidant Effects, and the Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Leaf and Pod Extracts.

Indian trumpet tree Oroxylum indicum (L.) Kurz exhibits a wide range of biological activities in all plant parts, including anti-inflammation, antioxidant, and wound-healing activities. In Thailand, there are tall- and short-stem phenotypes. The latter are preferred for commercial cultivation due to their fast growth and lower harvesting cost. This study aimed to compare the chemical profiles and antioxidant effects of leaves and young pods between two phenotypes using principal component analysis (PCA) and then to evaluate the anti-inflammatory potential of the selected phenotype's plant parts. The biomarker contents were quantified by HPLC. The antioxidants were determined using the DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP models. Nitric oxide (NO) production assays in LPS-induced RAW264.7 macrophages were performed to determine the anti-inflammatory property of the extracts. The PCA revealed that there were no differences in total phenolic content, total flavonoid content, or antioxidant activities between short- and tall-stem phenotypes. Higher potency of the NO-inhibitory effect was achieved from the leaf extract than the pod extract. These results support using the short-stem phenotypes for utilizing the leaf and pod of O. indicum, and suggest choosing the leaf part for further anti-inflammatory product development.

Preserving Nature’s Treasure: A Journey into the In Vitro Conservation and Micropropagation of the Endangered Medicinal Marvel—Podophyllum hexandrum Royle

Podophyllum hexandrum Royle, also known as Podophyllum emodi Wall, holds significant ecological, ornamental, and medicinal values. However, it has become endangered due to overexploitation, prolonged seed dormancy, slow natural regeneration, and climate change. This study developed an efficient in vitro protocol for callogenesis and micropropagation of P. hexandrum to conserve germplasm in in vitro conditions. Callus formation from various plant parts, including the leaf, stem, rhizome, radicle, and cotyledon, was induced using Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with different plant growth regulators. The combination of benzyladenine at 1 mg L−1 and 4-dichlorophenoxy acetic acid at 3 mg L−1 was optimal for biomass production, yielding 215.88 ± 0.31 mg, with growth per gram at 8.32 ± 0.32 and a growth rate of 13.62 ± 0.25 mg/day on MS medium. For shoot proliferation, benzyladenine (3.5 mg L−1) and naphthalene acetic acid (0.5 mg L−1) combined with activated charcoal showed the highest shoot induction percentage per explant. For shoot regeneration from calluses, 6-benzylaminopurine (0.5 mg L−1) and thidiazuron (2 mg L−1) were most effective, producing superior shoot length, number of regenerations, and regeneration percentage. Root induction was successful with α-naphthalene acetic acid supplementation (0.5 to 1.5 mg L−1) in MS medium, resulting in the highest number per explant (4.08 ± 0.08), length (5.45 ± 0.15 cm), and rooting rate (87.00 ± 1.66%) of roots in plantlets. Subculturing for callus culture was performed every 28 days for up to four subcultures to prevent nutrient depletion and toxic metabolite accumulation, ensuring tissue health and viability. Continuous subculturing of callus on MS medium maintained healthy P. hexandrum germplasm in vitro. Overall, this micropropagation protocol provides a rapid system for conserving P. hexandrum germplasm.

Ethnobotanical study on traditional cosmetics practiced by the Dayak Kayong of West Kalimantan, Indonesia

Abstract. Sari LCS, Lovadi I, Wardoyo ERP, Randi A. 2024. Ethnobotanical study on traditional cosmetics practiced by the Dayak Kayong of West Kalimantan, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 25: 2937-2944. Various ethnic groups across the globe have practiced traditional cosmetics and many studies on cosmetic plants and their uses in Indonesia have been conducted. However, there is no ethnobotanical information on cosmetic plants and their uses, particularly in Dayak Kayong of Ketapang District, West Kalimantan, Indonesia. This study reports on cosmetic plants and their traditional uses by the Dayak Kayong community. We conducted semi-structured interviews from April to June 2022 with 30 respondents living in Nanga Tayap Sub-district in Ketapang District. Non-probability sampling was employed to select respondents based on their knowledge and practice of traditional cosmetics. Three indices, namely Frequency of Citation (FC), Informant Consensus Factor (ICF), and Fidelity Level (FL), were employed to analyze the ethnobotanical data. The Dayak Kayong community utilizes 26 plant species from 20 families for traditional cosmetics. The most frequently used plant part are leaves (34.62%), followed by fruits (19.23%), sap (15.38%), rhizomes (11.54%), flowers (11.5%), roots (3.85%), and seeds (3.85%). Important cosmetic plants based on FL include Aquilaria malaccensis, Areca catechu, Dendrobium sp., Gluta renghas, Lansium domesticum, and Sindora sp. The high FL documented for cosmetic plants in this study needs further investigation into potential plants for use in the cosmetics industry.

Vendor Selection in the Cosmetic Industry using Analytics Hierarchy Process (A Case Study of Saejiva Company)

The Indonesian fragrance industry, under the cosmetic industry, is growing, with an increasing income per capita in the perfume category, despite a dip in 2020. The global natural fragrance market, growing at an estimated 9% CAGR from 2023 to 2032, shows a strong preference for essential oil-based fragrances. Essential oils, derived from natural plant parts, are costly to produce due to large-scale machinery, skilled labor, and environmental factors. Companies often outsource these aspects to reduce costs and focus on core competencies like marketing and sales. Saejiva, a natural fragrance brand, currently faces challenges in vendor selection, experiencing issues with inefficiency, delays, and poor product quality from previous vendors, has the effect of reducing potential profits and necessitating a reevaluation of their vendor choices. This study uses the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) to help Saejiva select a new vendor by prioritizing criteria that meet the company’s requirements and recommending the best vendor. Data was collected through literature reviews to identify relevant criteria, Focus Group Discussions (FGD) to find essential criteria for the company, and AHP questionnaires. Saejiva’s C-level executives acted as experts in the FGDs and AHP questionnaires to determine criteria priorities and vendor alternatives. The results showed the importance levels of criteria as follows: capability (0.3668), quality (0.1848), cost (0.1382), service (0.1068), capacity (0.0654), delivery (0.0606), warranty (0.0525), and performance history (0.0249). The importance levels of vendor alternatives were SKI (3.1994), AVF (2.7415), and SHB (2.0591). Thus, the best vendor recommended for Saejiva is SKI as the next vendor.

Identification of Plant Compounds with Mass Spectrometry Imaging (MSI).

The presence and localization of plant metabolites are indicative of physiological processes, e.g., under biotic and abiotic stress conditions. Further, the chemical composition of plant parts is related to their quality as food or for medicinal applications. Mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) has become a popular analytical technique for exploring and visualizing the spatial distribution of plant molecules within a tissue. This review provides a summary of mass spectrometry methods used for mapping and identifying metabolites in plant tissues. We present the benefits and the disadvantages of both vacuum and ambient ionization methods, considering direct and indirect approaches. Finally, we discuss the current limitations in annotating and identifying molecules and perspectives for future investigations.

Development of Prangos ferulacea essential oil based nanoemulsions/pickering emulsion and examination of their performance in mayonnaise shelf life

The increasing demand to replace chemical antimicrobial agents with natural compounds leads to the use of some plant extracts and essential oils (EOs) as natural preservatives. Nanoemulsion (NE) with Tween 80 as wall material and Pickering emulsions (PE) stabilized with carbohydrate (Arabic gum (AG)) or protein (sodium caseinate (SC)) wall materials. First of all, the PEO was obtained from two parts of plant: flowers and leave, and characterized by GC-MS and the IC50 index measurement. The Prangos ferulacea essential oil (PEO) extracted from leave was selected for the next tests due to slightly higher antioxidant activity compared to the flower's EO. The leave's PEO was encapsulated in three forms: nanoemulsion (NE) with Tween 80 as wall material and Pickering emulsions (PE) stabilized with carbohydrate (gum Arabic (GA)) or protein (sodium caseinate (SC)) wall materials. The NE had the smallest particle size and the highest antioxidant and antimicrobial (S. aureus and E. coli) activity. AG-stabilized PE recorded the highest encapsulation efficiency (85.37 ± 1.97 %). The occurring of new chemical interactions between PEO and wall materials and uniformly shaped PE microcapsules were approved by FT-IR and FE-SEM tests, respectively. Free and encapsulated PEO were added to the mayonnaise, and the samples were analyzed during storage at 4 °C for 60 days. Peroxide value and TBA index gradually increased for all mayonnaise samples, but this increase was lower for samples containing NE and SC-stabilized PEO capsules. In general, carriers stabilized with the simultaneous application of protein and carbohydrate performed better compared to their single application in sensory tests in mayonnaise.

Comparative assessment of pantothenic, aspartic, ascorbic and tartaric acids assisted Pb-phytoextraction by sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.).

Phytoextraction of lead (Pb) is a challenging task due to its extremely low mobility within soil and plant systems. In this study, we tested the influence of some novel chelating agents for Pb-phytoextraction using sunflower. The Pb was applied at control (0.0278mM) and 4.826mM Pb as Pb(NO3)2 through soil-spiking. After 10days of Pb addition, four different organic ligands (aspartic, ascorbic, tartaric, and pantothenic acids) were added to the soil at 1mM concentration each. respectively. In the absence of any chelate, sunflower plants grown at 4.826mM Pb level accumulated Pb concentrations up to 104µgg-1 DW in roots, whereas 64µgg-1 DW in shoot. By contrast, tartaric acid promoted significantly Pb accumulation in roots (191µgg-1 DW; + 45.5%) and shoot (131.6µgg-1 DW; + 51.3%). Pantothenic acid also resulted in a significant Pb-uptake in the sunflower shoots (123µgg-1 DW; + 47.9%) and in roots (177.3µgg-1 DW; + 41.3%). The least effective amongst the chelates tested was aspartic acid, but it still contributed to + 40.1% more Pb accumulation in the sunflower root and shoots. In addition, plant growth, biochemical, and ionomic parameters were positively regulated by the organic chelates used. Especially, an increase in leaf Ca, P, and S was evident in Pb-stressed plants in response to chelates. These results highlight that the use of biocompatible organic chelates positively alters plant physio-biochemical traits contributing to higher Pb-sequestration in sunflower plant parts.

Determination of Toxic Elements in Botanical Dietary Supplement Ingredient Reference Materials.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has produced over 40 botanical dietary supplement Standard Reference Materials® (SRMs) and reference materials (RMs) with values assigned for chemical markers and/or active compounds. Although environmental accumulation or inadvertent introduction of toxic elements (arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury) is a potential source of exposure in botanical dietary supplement products, the majority of the dietary supplement SRMs/RMs do not have values assigned for the four major toxic elements. To determine As, Cd, Pb, and Hg content in the current inventory of NIST botanical dietary supplement SRMs/RMs. Fifteen SRMs/RMs suites of plant part, extract, and finished products [i.e., solid oral dosage form (SODF)] were analyzed for As, Cd, Pb, and Hg using nitric acid microwave-assisted digestion followed by quantification using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. Results for control samples were in good agreement with certified values indicating that the analyses of 38 individual botanical SRMs/RMs were in control. Characterization of linked plant/extract SRMs/RMs derived from the same source materials demonstrated that while extraction processes can often yield extracts with lower toxic element content for Hg or As, it is also possible for mass fraction levels to remain unchanged or even increase following extraction. The results fill significant knowledge gaps in toxic element content ranges for SRMs/RMs where no NIST assigned values existed, in particular for Hg content and for extract and SODF matrices. With comprehensive toxic element content now available, researchers can better select appropriate dietary supplement SRMs/RMs for use as controls in the analysis of dietary supplement ingredients and products. Results for As, Cd, Pb, and Hg are reported for 38 dietary supplement SRMs/RMs including 6 suites of plant, extract, and SODF and 9 pairs of plant and extract from the same batch of plant material.

BROTH: The Broad Recommender Ontology for Thai Herbs

With Thailand rapidly embracing digital technology, this paper explores how to bridge the gap between traditional Thai herbal remedies and modern healthcare practices. Thai herbs possess a vast array of medicinal properties, from anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial to antioxidant and pain-relieving. This research introduces the Broad Recommender Ontology for Thai Herbs (BROTH), a comprehensive database designed to encompass various aspects of these herbs. BROTH incorporates botanical data, local Thai names, medicinal uses, recommended plant parts, preparation methods, and even local market availability. Furthermore, a smartphone application utilizing BROTH has been developed as a recommender system. Users can search for herbs in Thai using text or voice recognition. The app then connects them with local vendors selling the desired herbs. This project aims to achieve a dual benefit: improving the health of Thai citizens, particularly the elderly, while simultaneously supporting local herb farmers. The System Usability Score (SUS) administered to 75 users resulted in a score of 83.6, which shows high usability. The BROTH recommender system has the potential to positively impact both public health and local businesses in Thailand.

Ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants used to manage human ailments in Lay Gaint District, South Gondar Zone, Amhara Region, Northwestern Ethiopia

The aim of this work is to document and record the use of medicinal plants to treat various ailments in the study area. A total of 84 informants, consisting of 54 men and 30 women, between 35 and 80 years of age were chosen. Additionally, 20 key informants were deliberately selected for their expertise. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews, group discussions, and guided field walks using semi-structured interview questions. Ethnobotanical data were analyzed using quantitative analytical tools such as preference ranking, direct matrix ranking, fidelity level and informant consensus factor. Forty-six medicinal plants belonging to 41 genera and 33 families were collected and identified. Brassicaceae, Ranunculaceae, and Polygonaceae had the highest abundance of medicinal plants used to treat various diseases in the study area. Most of the medicinal plants were herbs (43 %), followed by shrubs (35 %). The study revealed that leaves (45.7 %) were the most frequently used plant parts in the preparation of remedies. The most common mode of administration was oral ingestion (61 %), followed by dermal application (30 %). Zingiber officinale Roscoe and Allium sativum L.had the highest preference rank, whereas Croton macrostachyus Hochst. ex Delile was identified as the most popular medicinal plant due to its multipurpose use. while the value of fidelity level (FL) for medicinal plants in the study ranged from 34 % to 94 %. The study also identified several threats to medicinal plants in the study area, including charcoal production, overgrazing, and agricultural expansion. To prevent the eradication of these medicinal plants, the involvement of local communities in the management and conservation of plant resources is crucial.

Ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants of the Abohoy Gara Mountains, Northern Ethiopia

IntroductionFor many years, medicinal plants have been used in Ethiopia to manage a wide range of diseases. Documenting use of the plants for traditional medicine is necessary bases for obtaining new lead bioactive plant based natural products for the discovery of allopathic drugs, preserving the associated local knowledge and medicinal plants. This study aimed to document ethnobotanical knowledge associated with medicinal plants, parts used, route of preparations, and mode of administration. MethodsThe study was conducted from February 2017 to March 2018. The data were collected by interviewing 177 (139 male and 38 female) informants. Semistructured interviews, group discussions, guided field waks and quantitative approaches, such as informant consensus factors and ranking were used to collect and quantify the data. The data were analysed using Microsoft Excel, t test and analysis of variance (ANOVA). ResultsA total of 57 medicinal plant species belonging to 51 genera in 36 families were used by local people to prevent various ailments. The Asteraceae was the dominant family contributing the greatest number of medicinal plants. Leaves were the most widely used plant parts for treating human ailments (20, 56.7 %). Most of the collected traditional medicinal plants were used for treating human ailments directly (11, 28 %), while crushing was the most common method of preparation for treating livestock ailments (42, 70.2 %). Half of the herbal medicines were prepared for internal use, accounting for 31 (54.4 %). The findings showed that Cynoglossum coeruleum was the most preferred species for treating febrilosis, accounting for 33 cases. The highest informant consensus factor (0.83) was obtained for diseases related to febrilosis, and the lowest (0.56) was obtained for diseases associated with livestock (leech infestation and ectoparasites). ConclusionsThis study showed that medicinal plants in the study area, coupled with rich indigenous knowledge, were used by a large member of the population and are the most important means of treating some common ailments. However, medicinal plants in the study district are under pressure due to both natural and anthropogenic influences. Hence, the declining medicinal plants in the area require the application of complementary on-site and off-site conservation approaches.

Traditional Uses and Pharmacological Effects of Anagallis arvensis: A Review

Anagallis arvesnsis belongs to family primulacae. It is a summer annual herb distributed worldwide or with a global spread abundantly found in Egypt, Palestine, a non-tropical region of South America, Taiwan, and India (more specifically Jammu & Kashmir). Different parts of plant contain variety of active constituents; such as glycosides, saponin, flavonoid, anthraquinone, alkaloids, rutin, kaempferol, oleananetriterpenes, anagalligenin, anagalligenone, stigasetrol, arvenin I, arvenin II, cucurbitacin B, D, E, I,L& Q, n-hexosamine, β-amyrin, sterols carbohydrates, lacceric acid. Anagallis arvensishas recognized medicinal values as an anti-mycotic, antimicrobial, molluscicidal, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-leishmania, antiviral, cytotoxic, and spermatogenesis. The present review will highlight thetraditional uses, phytoconstituents and pharmacological effects of Anagallis arvensis.

Mediterranean Food By-products as a Valuable Source of Bioactive Compounds with Health Properties.

Recently, considerable attention has been focused on the recovery and re-use of waste plant matrices as promising sources of bioactive compounds with health effects. As the Mediterranean diet involves the consumption of great amounts of fruits and vegetables, large quantities of agro-food by-products are generated, causing economic and environmental problems. Such by-products contain a great variety of bioactive compounds whose potential health benefits include anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-- cancer, antimicrobial, hypoglycemic, antidepressant, cardio- and neuro-protective activities. Therefore, in this review, by-products from the most common fruits and vegetables processed in the Mediterranean area, such as tomato, olive, citrus fruit, almond, pomegranate, carob, date, and grape, were taken into account, pointing out the content of bioactive ingredients in extracts obtained from different parts of plants, fruits, and vegetables. Furthermore, studies performed to assess the beneficial effects of extracts obtained from Mediterranean agro-food by-products were reviewed, highlighting the potential benefits of waste plant matrices re-usage in the pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and cosmetic fields.

Intergeneric Comparison of Staminal Trichomes in the Tribe Ipomoeeae (Convolvulaceae).

Hairs or trichomes distributed on the base of filaments in the morning glory family, known as staminal trichomes, differ from those found on other plant parts and have been recognized for their taxonomic value for over a century. In this study, our aim was to investigate the appearance of staminal trichomes in the tribe Ipomoeeae Hall. f., a significant tribe within the family Convolvulaceae, and assess their taxonomic implications. Micromorphological examinations were conducted using clearing techniques on 73 taxa from seven out of eight genera within the tribe, and the data were analyzed using factor analysis of mixed data (FAMD). The results show that, among all examined taxa, only two species lacked staminal trichomes. Glandular staminal trichomes were the most common type observed, and they were the only type observed in Ipomoea, Paralepistemon, Rivea, Stictocardia, and most Argyreia species. Nonglandular staminal trichomes were restricted to Astripomoea, Lepistemon, and some Argyreia taxa. The glandular trichomes in Ipomoea exhibited the largest variation and overlapped with other glandular trichome-bearing genera. However, genera with nonglandular trichomes were readily distinguishable from each other. Both glandular and nonglandular trichomes were basically composed of a stalk and apical cell, yet they varied in shape, size, density, and distribution pattern. This study provides a detailed examination and application of microscale features, emphasizing the significance of micromorphology in plant taxonomy.

The accumulation of aluminum in the aboveground parts of green manure plants belonging to the Brassicaceae family

The accumulation of aluminum in the aboveground parts of green manure plants belonging to the Brassicaceae family

Investigation of the Stomach Composition and Feeding Habit of Bagrus bayad,(Macropterus) Catfish Specie in Kiri Dam Reservoir, Adamawa State, Nigeria

This study was carried out to investigate the food and feeding habit of Bagrus bayad specie in Kiri Reservoir. Sample collected were one hundred and seventy-four species of Bagrus bayad, randomly sampled for a period of six months. Male and the female were determined by physical observation of the fish gonad. The determination of the food and feeding habit of the fish were done through visceral dissection of the fish from mouth to anus to reveal the intestinal organ. Stomach ware removed and the contents are emptied in to a clean petri-dish. Food materials in the stomachs were analysed under light microscope; and each food item from the content was identified using a provided recommended guide. Data were analysed using percentage, mean and standard deviation. Result of the analysis shows that the food from stomach content are mostly of plant and animal origin. The percentage mean for the food items in the six months shows that plant parts have the highest mean of 17.94% and fish parts have a mean of 16.76%. This is an indication that Bagrus bayad fish are omnivorous, based on this outcome it is recommended that aquaculture farmers of Bagrus bayad should effectively utilised plants and animals’ materials in the formulation of feeds for feeding Bagrus bayad fish in culture.

Mycotoxins in vegetating corn plants from experimental mono-sowing

The aim of present study was to reveal the mycotoxin contamination of vegetative maize (Zea mays L.) plants during the periods of leaf formation and panicle emergence. Early maturing hybrids of the varieties Krasnodarsky 194 MV, Ladozhsky 175 MV and Competence®, resistant to fungal diseases, were grown in the spring-summer period of 2023 on the experimental field of the Russian State Agrarian University – Moscow Agricultural Academy (Moscow) with sod-podzolic soil and the application of NPK fertilizers 16:16:16. For mycotoxicological analysis, aerial parts of plants were collected weekly from the phase of formation of the 3rd leaf (18 days after sowing. Samples of seedlings, leaves and stems (total number – 172), after drying, were ground in a laboratory mill and extracted with a mixture of acetonitrile and water in a volumetric ratio of 84:16 with a consumption of 10 ml per 1 g of sample. Mycotoxin content was determined in extracts after 10-fold dilution with phosphate-salt buffer solution pH 7.5 by indirect competitive enzyme immunoassay. T-2 toxin, deoxynivalenol, diacetoxiscirpenol, roridin A, sterigmatocystin and PR toxin were absent in the samples. Corn seedlings and leaves contained cyclopiazonic acid (CPA), emodin (EMO), mycophenolic acid (MPA), alternariol (AOL), ergot alkaloids (EA), aflatoxin B1 (AB1) and single samples – zearalenone (ZEN), ochratoxin A (OA) and citrinin (CIT) in concentrations from 16 up to 35 μg/kg. Fumonisins of group B are found only in early seedlings. The permanent contaminant of the stems was MPA, whereas EA and CIT were absent. In the seedlings and leaves of all hybrids, the detection of AOL and EA remained stable during the change of development phases, as did the average concentrations of CPA (about 100 μg/kg), AOL (from 17 to 27 μg/kg), EMO (35–58 μg/kg), MPA (28–41 μg/kg), EA (6–18 μg/kg) and AB1 (2 μg/kg). In the stems of plants in phases 7–9 of leaf and sweeping, variation in cases of detection of CPA, EMO, AOL, AB1 and OA was noted by varieties.