Perennial Herbaceous Plant Research Articles

A comprehensive review of Aconitum heterophyllum

Aconitum heterophyllum, commonly known as Ativisha or Indian Atees, is a perennial herbaceous plant with a rich history of use in traditional medicine systems across Asia, particularly in Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Traditional medicine systems have utilized Aconitum heterophyllum for centuries to treat various health conditions, including fever, digestive disorders, respiratory ailments, and pain-related conditions. It is also known for its antipyretic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and sedative properties, among others. The pharmacological activities of Aconitum heterophyllum are attributed to its bioactive compounds. Studies have demonstrated its analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects, along with antipyretic and immunomodulatory properties. It has also shown promising antimicrobial activity and potential as an anticancer agent. However, safety concerns arise due to the presence of toxic alkaloids, particularly aconitine, which can be harmful if not properly processed or used in excessive amounts. Traditional preparation methods, such as boiling and purification, are employed to reduce toxicity and enhance safety. This review emphasizes the importance of cautious and responsible use of Aconitum heterophyllum in medicinal practices. While its therapeutic potential holds promise for various health conditions, further research is required to validate its efficacy and safety for modern medical applications. By bridging traditional knowledge with modern scientific investigations, this review aims to contribute to the understanding of Aconitum heterophyllum's medicinal properties and its potential role in modern medicine. The synthesis of traditional wisdom and contemporary research findings underscores the significance of this ancient medicinal plant as a valuable resource for natural medicine and drug development.

Genome-Wide Identification and Characterization of Gibberellic Acid-Stimulated Arabidopsis Gene Family in Pineapple (Ananas comosus)

The gibberellic acid-stimulated Arabidopsis (GASA) gene family plays a crucial role in growth, development, and stress response, and it is specific to plants. This gene family has been extensively studied in various plant species, and its functional role in pineapple has yet to be characterized. In this study, 15 AcGASA genes were identified in pineapple through a genome-wide scan and categorized into three major branches based on a phylogenetic tree. All AcGASA proteins share a common structural domain with 12 cysteine residues, but they exhibit slight variations in their physicochemical properties and motif composition. Predictions regarding subcellular localization suggest that AcGASA proteins are present in the cell membrane, Golgi apparatus, nucleus, and cell wall. An analysis of gene synteny indicated that both tandem and segmental repeats have a significant impact on the expansion of the AcGASA gene family. Our findings demonstrate the differing regulatory effects of these hormones (GA, NAA, IAA, MeJA, and ABA) on the AcGASA genes. We analyzed the expression profiles of GASA genes in different pineapple tissue parts, and the results indicated that AcGASA genes exhibit diverse expression patterns during the development of different plant tissues, particularly in the regulation of floral organ development. This study provides a comprehensive understanding of GASA family genes in pineapple. It serves as a valuable reference for future studies on the functional characterization of GASA genes in other perennial herbaceous plants.

Leaves and pseudostems extract of Curcuma longa attenuates immunoglobulin E/bovine serum albumin-stimulated bone marrow-derived cultured mast cell activation and passive cutaneous anaphylaxis in BALB/c mice

Ethnopharmacological relevanceCurcuma longa, known as turmeric, is an herbaceous perennial plant belonging to the genus Curcuma. It is dispersed throughout tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. Since ancient times, turmeric has been used as an ethnomedicinal plant in the Ayurvedic system, particularly in Asian countries. Rhizomes of turmeric possess several pharmacological properties that give high value as a medicinal remedy for treating a range of conditions, including inflammation, pain, allergies, and digestive issues. Moreover, turmeric leaves and pseudostems also contain a variety of health-enhancing secondary metabolites, such as curcumin, flavonoids, and other phenolic compounds, which exhibit anti-inflammatory, antitumor, antibacterial, and antioxidant properties. Aim of the studyAllergic diseases are a group of immune-mediated disorders mainly caused by an immunoglobulin E (IgE)-dependent immunological response to an innocuous allergen. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effect of leaves and pseudostems extract of turmeric (TLSWE-8510) on IgE/bovine serum albumin (BSA)-stimulated allergic responses in mouse bone marrow-derived cultured mast cells (BMCMCs) and passive cutaneous anaphylaxis (PCA) in BALB/c mice. Materials and methodsThe effect of TLSWE-8510 on mast cell degranulation has been evaluated by investigating the release of β-hexosaminidase and histamine in IgE/BSA-stimulated BMCMCs. Additionally, anti-allergic properties of TLSWE-8510 on IgE/BSA-stimulated BMCMCs were investigated using suppression of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB), and spleen tyrosine kinase (Syk)-linker for T-cell activation (LAT)-extracellular-signal-regulated kinase (ERK)-GRB2 associated binding protein 2 (Gab2) signaling pathway and downregulation of allergy-related cytokines and chemokines expression. Furthermore, in vivo, studies were conducted using IgE-mediated PCA in BALB/c mice. ResultsTLSWE-8510 treatment significantly inhibited the degranulation of IgE/BSA-stimulated BMCMCs by inhibiting the release of β-hexosaminidase and histamine dose-dependently. Additionally, TLSWE-8510 reduced the expression of high-affinity IgE receptors (Fc epsilon receptor I-FcεRI) on the surface of BMCMCs and the binding of IgE to FcεRI. Besides, the expression of cytokines and chemokines is triggered by IgE/BSA stimulation via activating the allergy-related signaling pathways. TLSWE-8510 dose-dependently downregulated the mRNA expression and the production of allergy-related cytokines (interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-3, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-13, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and interferon (IFN)-γ), and chemokines (thymus and activation-regulated chemokine (TARC), and regulated upon activation, normal T cell expressed and secreted (RANTES)) by regulating the phosphorylation of downstream signaling molecules, NF-κB, and Syk, LAT, ERK and Gab2 in IgE/BSA-stimulated BMCMCs. Moreover, PCA reaction in IgE/BSA-stimulated BALB/c mice ears was effectively decreased by TLSWE-8510 treatment in a dose-dependent manner. ConclusionsThese results collectively demonstrated that TLSWE-8510 suppressed mast cell degranulation by inhibiting the release of chemical mediators related to allergies. TLSWE-8510 downregulated the allergy-related cytokines and chemokines expression and phosphorylation of downstream signaling molecules in IgE/BSA-stimulated BMCMCs. Furthermore, in vivo studies with IgE-mediated PCA reaction in the BALB/c mice ears were attenuated by TLSWE-8510 treatment. These findings revealed that TLSWE-8510 has the potential as a therapeutic agent for the treatment of allergic diseases.

Chemical constituents with chemotaxonomic value from Asparagus lycopodineus (Baker) Wang et Tang

Asparagus lycopodineus (Baker) Wang et Tang (Asparagusate) is a perennial herbaceous plant that is used medically in China. In the current study, A. lycopodineus was phytochemically studied for the first time, which led to the isolation of fourteen compounds, including nine steroids (1-9), four lignans (10-13), and one flavone (14). Among them, five compounds (1, 3, 4, 13, and 14) have never been found in the Asparagus genus before. The chemotaxonomic significance of the isolated compounds was discussed based on the results combined with literature analysis. Some of the isolates, such as aspafilioside A (8), 3′-hydroxy-4′-methoxy-4-dehydroxynyasol (11), and (+)-syringaresinol (12), showed a narrow distribution in the Asparagus genus, which might serve as unique chemotaxonomic metabolites for the identification of A. lycopodineus. In addition, the results also highlight the close evolutionary relationship among A. lycopodineus, A. cochinchinensis and A. filicinus.

Taxonomic Reinstatement of the Endemic Chinese Species Iris thoroldii (Iridaceae) from I. potaninii and Reassessment of I. zhaoana.

Iris thoroldii is a perennial herbaceous plant with yellow, blue, or purple flowers. The species is native to the Tibetan Plateau and adjacent areas. In the literature and databases, I. thoroldii has long been treated in synonymy with I. potaninii. Currently, yellow-flowered plants of I. thoroldii are considered I. potanii, and blue-flowered plants are considered I. zhaoana, a replacement name for I. potaninii var. ionantha. This study aimed to clarify the taxonomic identity of I. thoroldii. A critical examination of original material, herbarium specimens, images of living plants, and the literature has shown I. thoroldii to be different from I. potaninii in some previously neglected macromorphological traits and to be conspecific with I. zhaoana. Thus, I. thoroldii is removed here from the synonymy of I. potaninii and accepted as a distinct species. This is endemic to China (central Gansu, Qinghai, and northwestern Sichuan provinces, and also Xinjiang Uygur and Tibet autonomous regions) and reaches the highest elevations compared with all other species in the genus Iris s.l. A revised taxonomy of I. thoroldii is provided, and two color forms, often co-occurring, are accepted: the autonymic yellow-flowered form (including a new synonym I. tigridia var. flavescens for which a lectotype was designated) and a form with blue or purple colors is proposed here, I. thoroldii f. ionantha. In addition, images of type specimens and detailed photographs of living plants for easy identification, along with the list of specimens of I. thoroldii that were examined, and also, comments on its distribution and habitats are provided.

Biological Characteristics of Poisonous Species of the Ranunculus L. Genus in the Flora of Nakhchivan

Annual and perennial herbaceous plants belonging to the Ranunculus L. genus of the Ranunculaceae family were studied. It has been established that 103 out of 2000 species of the family are common in Azerbaijan and many of them are poisonous. In the taxonomic spectrum of the Nakhchivan flora, 55 species belonging to 14 genera of the Ranunculaceae family were identified. As a result of the research, toxic compounds were identified in 47 species belonging to 11 genera. Ranunculus L. is widespread in pastures and meadows and is represented by 33 species and 15 species, of which 13 are poisonous pasture plants. It is important to survey the distribution area of Ranunculus L. species, especially poisonous species, and improve the quality of pastures.

Products for Sportspeople Containing Constituents Derived from the Common Bean Phaseolus vulgaris L. (Fabaceae)-A Narrative Literature Review.

The third-largest land plant family, Fabaceae (Papilionaceae), includes trees, shrubs, and perennial or annual herbaceous plants containing both numerous beneficial constituents (e.g., proteins, carbohydrates, dietary fibre) and antinutrients (e.g., saponins, tannins, phytic acid, gossypol, lectins). The consumption of leguminous plants allows sports people to complete their requirements for nourishment but, on the other hand, it contributes to digestive system ailments. Therefore, the aim of the presented study was to review the experimental articles and patents referring to the application of common (kidney) bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)-based nutritional products for athletes. The survey of the literature was carried out according to PRISMA statements by browsing Scopus, PubMed and ISI Web of Science databases, as well as Google Scholar, Google Patents and Espacenet Patent Search engines using factorial combinations of the following keywords: ('common bean' or 'kidney bean' or 'Phaseolus vulgaris') and ('athlete' or 'sport') and ('food' or 'nutrition' or 'diet'). Altogether, 84 patents issued in the years 1995-2023 were noted. The majority of patents were developed by research teams consisting of at least four authors representing scientists affiliated in the United States of America and China. The patents refer to the production of food ingredients, nutritional products, and compositions: (i) for relieving fatigue, enhancing endurance, and increasing muscle mass and strength, (ii) for maintaining physical and mental health, and (iii) for controlling body weight. Moreover, the analysis of 19 original articles indicated the substantial acceptability of meals containing the common bean. To summarize, the performed investigations demonstrate the considerable use of Phaseolus vulgaris in sport nutrition and the growing acceptance of this trend.

Evaluation of Different Integrated Disease Management Approaches for Rhizome Rot of Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe.) Caused by Ralstonia solanacearum (Smith.) under Field Conditions

Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe.,) is a slender herbaceous perennial plant belonging to the family Zingiberaceae, medicinally important and commercial spice crop. India is the largest producer of ginger and accounts for about 1/3rd of the total world output. Ginger is grown in Kerala, Karnataka, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim and other parts of India. The production of ginger is greatly influenced by diseases caused by bacteria, fungi, viruses, mycoplasma and nematodes. One of the diseases of ginger is bacterial wilt caused by Ralstonia solanacearum, which causes yield loss of up to 80 percent. A field experiment was conducted with integrated approaches to manage the ginger rhizome rot caused by R. solanacearum (Smith). The experiment was laid out with a Randomized Completely Block Design (RCBD) including nine treatments and four replications. The experiment results revealed that, rhizome treatment with Streptocycline @ 0.5 g + COC @ 3.0 g/l of water + soil application with neem cake 3q/ha followed by drenching with bleaching powder (33%) @ 2.0 g/l + Metalaxyl MZ @ 1.0 g/lit for water three times at 20 days intervals + Ginger special spray 45 DAS, starting with the initiation of the disease was significantly most effective and recorded a higher yield of 110.27 q/ha with least disease incidence of disease (14.23 %). Integrated management of rhizome rot of ginger through soil solarization revealed that, among the different treatments, the treatment treated with soil solarization + rhizome treatment with Streptocycline @ 0.5 g + Copper Oxy Chloride @ 3.0 g/lit of water + Soil application of Pseudomonas fluorescens @ 10 kg along with 25t FYM /ha recorded higher yield of 115.23 q/ha with less percent disease incidence (8.20 %).

Analysis of carboxylic acids of Astragalus dasyanthus Pall. herb

One of the fundamental issues in modern pharmacy is the expansion of the range of medications based on plant-derived raw materials with specific targeted effects. An example of such a plant is the woolly-flowered milkvetch (Astragalus dasyanthus Pall.). This perennial herbaceous medicinal plant belongs to the Fabaceae family and is listed in the Red Book of Europe. Astragalus dasyanthus Pall. is cultivated for pharmaceutical purposes. The herb of a plant exhibits sedative, cardiotonic, hypotensive, and diuretic effects, as well as hepatoprotective and antioxidant properties. The herb of Astragalus dasyanthus Pall. contains polysaccharides (arabinose, bassorin), flavonoids (quercetin, kaempferol), glycyrrhizin, starch, and triterpenoid saponins, which contribute to the broad spectrum of the plant’s pharmacological activity. Continuing the investigation of this plant, it is advisable to study the qualitative and quantitative composition of organic and fatty acids. By the HPLC method, the following organic acids were identified and determined quantitative content: tartaric (8.68 mg/g), citric (7.69 mg/g), oxalic (6.90 mg/g), succinic (5.01 mg/g), isocitric (1.30 mg/g), and malic (0.49 mg/g). The saturated and unsaturated fatty acids were determined by the GC/MS method. The Astragalus dasyanthus Pall. herb contained seven fatty acids. High concentrations of fatty acids such as pentadecanoic acid (4.16 mg/g), linoleic acid (1.73 mg/g), and stearic acid (1.14 mg/g) predominate in woolly-flowered milkvetch. The character of many processes in which these organic and fatty acids take part may be associated with the medicinal properties of this plant pursuant to its use in medicine and, therefore, may contribute to the insight into its therapeutic properties.

Development of polymorphic simple sequence repeat markers in Agastache rugosa and their application in genetic evaluation and cross-taxon transferability of Agastache species

Agastache is a genus of perennial herbaceous plants belonging to the mint family, Lamiaceae. Several Agastache species are commercially cultivated and used as medicinal, culinary, and ornamental plants. However, information on the genetic diversity and population structure of the species remains unclear. In the present study, genetic diversity within Agastache species was analyzed using simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. In this study, 249,746 SSRs were identified in the A. rugosa genome and primer pairs were designed for 56,675 SSRs. The majority of SSR repeat types were dinucleotides (60.65%), followed by trinucleotides (12.38%), and pentanucleotides (12.10%). PCR conditions were established for 250 primer pairs, 111 of which were found to be polymorphic in A. rugosa germplasm. The number of alleles (NA) ranged from 2 to 19, major allele frequency (MAF) ranged from 0.11 to 0.95, observed heterozygosity (HO) ranged from 0 to 0.89, and polymorphic information content (PIC) ranged from 0.09 to 0.92. Cross-species amplification of SSRs markers in other Agastache species showed amplification rates of 82.6% for A. foeniculum and 78.1% in A. urticifolia, with an average of 80.37%. Cluster analysis of the 19 A. rugosa accessions using SSRs markers revealed four major clusters, and population STRUCTURE analysis using 79 SSRs markers revealed three groups and three subgroups among the A. rugosa populations. The SSRs markers developed can contribute to applications such as varietal identification, genetic diversity analysis, and population structure analysis of A. rugosa germplasm.

Effect of Echinacea purpurea (L.) Moench and its extracts on the immunization outcome of avian influenza vaccine in broilers

Ethnopharmacological relevanceEchinacea purpurea (L.) Moench (EP) is a perennial herbaceous flowering plant with immunomodulatory effects. However, the immunomodulatory effects of EP on broilers after vaccination are still unclear. Aim of the studyThe aim is to study the effect of EP and Echinacea purpurea (L.) Moench extracts(EE) on avian influenza virus (AIV) immunity, and further explore the potential mechanism of immune regulation. Materials and methodsBroilers were fed with feed additives containing 2% EP or 0.5% EE, and vaccinated against avian influenza. The samples were collected on the 7th, 21st, and 35th day after vaccination, and the feed conversion ratio (FCR) was calculated. Blood antibody titer, jejunal sIgA content, tight junction protein, gene and protein expression of TLR4-MAPK signaling pathway were also detected. ResultsThe results showed that vaccination could cause immune stress, weight loss, increase sIgA content, and up-regulate the expression of tight junction proteins, including zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1), Occludin, and Claudin-1, as well as the genes of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), myeloid differentiation primary response 88 (MyD88), receptor-associated factor 6 (TRAF6), activator protein 1 (AP-1) protein gene expression on TLR4-mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway, and the protein expression of MyD88, extracellular regulated protein kinases (ERK), and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK). EP and EE could increase the body weight of broilers, further improve antibody titers, decrease FCR, increase sIgA levels, up-regulate the expression of tight junction proteins, including ZO-1, Occludin, and Claudin-1, as well as the genes of TLR4, MyD88, TRAF6, and AP-1 and the protein expression of MyD88, ERK, and JNK in the TLR4-MAPK signaling pathway. ConclusionIn conclusion, EP and EE can increase the broiler's production performance and improve vaccine immune effect through the TLR4-MAPK signaling pathway.

The protective effects of curcumin against cigarette smoke-induced toxicity: A comprehensive review.

Cigarette smoking (CS) is a crucial modifiable risk of developing several human diseases and cancers. It causes lung, bladder, breast, and esophageal cancers, respiratory disorders, as well as cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. Because of these adverse health effects, continual efforts to decrease the prevalence and toxicity of CS are imperative. Until the past decades, the impacts of natural compounds have been under investigation on the harmful effects of CS. Turmeric (Curcuma longa), a rhizomatous herbaceous perennial plant that belongs to the Zingiberaceae family, is the main source of curcumin. This review is an attempt to find out the current knowledge on CS's harmful effects and protective potential of curcumin in the pulmonary, liver, brain, gastrointestinal, and testis organs. According to the present review, simultaneous consumption of curcumin and CS can attenuate CS toxicities including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, gastrointestinal toxicity, metabolic diseases, testis injury, and neurotoxicity. Moreover, curcumin suppresses carcinogenesis in the skin, liver, lungs, breast, colon, and stomach. Curcumin mediates these protective effects through antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic, and anti-carcinogenicity properties.

Age-induced Changes in Ginsenoside Accumulation and Primary Metabolic Characteristics of Panax Ginseng in Transplantation Mode

BackgroundGinseng (Panax ginseng Mayer) is an important natural medicine. However, a long culture period and challenging quality control requirements limit its further use. Although artificial cultivation can yield a sustainable medicinal supply, research on the association between the transplantation and chaining of metabolic networks, especially the regulation of ginsenoside biosynthetic pathways, is limited. MethodsHerein, we performed Liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry based metabolomic measurements to evaluate ginsenoside accumulation and categorise differentially abundant metabolites (DAMs). Transcriptome measurements using an Illumina Platform were then conducted to probe the landscape of genetic alterations in ginseng at various ages in transplantation mode. Using pathway data and crosstalk DAMs obtained by MapMan, we constructed a metabolic profile of transplantation Ginseng. ResultsAccumulation of active ingredients was not obvious during the first 4 years (in the field), but following transplantation, the ginsenoside content increased significantly from 6−8 years (in the wild). Glycerolipid metabolism and Glycerophospholipid metabolism were the most significant metabolic pathways, as Lipids and lipid-like molecule affected the yield of ginsenosides. Starch and sucrose were the most active metabolic pathways during transplantation Ginseng growth. ConclusionThis study expands our understanding of metabolic network features and the accumulation of specific compounds during different growth stages of this perennial herbaceous plant when growing in transplantation mode. The findings provide a basis for selecting the optimal transplanting time.

Resources of <i>Rhaponticum uniflorum</i> (Asteraceae) in Transbaikala

Abstract—This study examins coenopopulations of a perennial herbaceous plant Rhaponticum uniflorum (L.) DC. (Asteraceae) from different plant communities of Transbaikalia in the Republic of Buryatia and the Trans-Baikal Territory. Coenopopulations of R. uniflorum were studied in Gramineous-Filifolium, Gramineous-Artemisia-herb, Gramineous-Artemisia, Artemisia-Stipa, Filifolium-Artemisia-Gramineous, Gramineous-herb, Gramineous-Galium and other associations. Such grasses and sedges as Stipa krylovii Roshev., Leymus chinensis (Trin.) Tzvelev, Poa botryoides (Trin. ex Griseb.) Roshev., Agropyron cristatum (L.) Beauv., Achnatherum sibiricum (L.) Keng ex Tzvelev, Carex pediformis C.A. Mey. are found in associations with R. uniflorum. The maximum yield of the aerial part of R. uniflorum is 30.7 ± 3.5 g/m2 (air-dry weight) in Phlojodicarpus-Filifolium association, the minimum is 0.9 ± 0.1 g/m2 (air-dry weight) in Gramineous-Artemisia-herb association. It has been established that the occurrence of the species varies from 15 to 67% and averages 33%. We assessed the resource potential of R. uniflorum raw materials in Transbaikalia: the biological volume (17 563 kg, air-dry weight), exploitation volume (11 221 kg, air-dry weight), and the annual potential harvest (2242 kg, air-dry weight) were estimated.

Improving Steviol Glycosides Production in Stevia Rebaudian Bertoni by Plant Tissue Culture Technology

Plant tissue culture techniques have made tremendous progress in the production of various active compounds of interest, including Steviol Glycosides in Stevia. Stevia rebaudiana is a perennial herbaceous plant known for its sweet-tasting leaves that contain active substances used as natural low-calorie sweeteners called Steviol glycosides. Because of its high sweetness and low-calorie nature, it is an alternative to sugar. However, conventional cultivation of Stevia plants for the production of Steviol Glycosides faces challenges such as long growth cycles, changes in chemical composition, and environmental determinants. Therefore, plant tissue culture is an alternative for the production of large quantities of Steviol Glycosides by altering various factors such as nutrient media, growth regulators, and response. Photovoltaic and tissue culture methods have been successfully used for plant propagation as well as the production of high-quality glycosides. Through techniques such as callus culture, organogenesis, and somatic embryo culture, large quantities of cotyledons can be rapidly established from small plant parts in a relatively short time. With further advances in tissue culture techniques and an understanding of the physiology and genetics of stevia, the potential for large-scale production of glycosides using Tissue culture methods is a promising technique for the commercial use of this natural sweetener.

The Innovative Business Model Design of Mugwort Industry Based on Grounded Theory

Mugwort (Artemisia Argyi), is a herbaceous perennial plant. Mugwort and mugwort products have a very broad prospect of domestic and international market demand. However, the mugwort industry only has scale advantage but no competitive advantages, which has greatly affected the development of the mugwort industry. Based on the grounded theory, this paper conducted various research methods, such as visiting and reviewing a large amount of literature related to the mugwort industry for tertiary coding analysis in order to explore the key points in the design of innovative business models for the mugwort industry. The results of the study show that the innovative business model can be developed in four aspects: product proposition, sales proposition, value proposition, and brand building. From this basis, the corresponding optimisation path options are proposed. It is expected that the results of this study will help enterprises and sectors related to the mugwort industry to have a better understanding of the solutions to existing problems, as well as create high-value products and services effectively, so that the mugwort industry can embark on an intensive, efficient and healthy development path.

Callus Culture of <i>Aralia cordata</i> Thunb.: Obtaining, Selection of Cultivating Conditions, Somatic Embryogenesis Induction

Introduction. Cell cultures spreads widely in different areas of biology, biotechnology and agriculture. Aralia cordata is a perennial herbaceous plant, which has been listed in Red book of the Russian Federation. Pharmaceuticals which are based on raw materials of Aralia ssp. have valuable types of pharmacological activity and are widely used in oriental medicine. A serious obstacle for resumption of the natural populations is the presence of the period of morphophysiological dormancy in the seeds of the plants, which requires a long-time stratification process. Limitation of the natural geographic range and the combination of biological activities useful for humans make Aralia cordata Thunb. prospective object for in vitro introduction.Aim. The aim of the study is obtaining of the viable cell culture of Aralia cordata Thunb., investigation of the somatic embryogenesis conditions.Materials and methods. Pieces of the leaves of Aralia cordata intact plant from Komarov Botanical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences were used as a primary explants. Pieces of leaves were sterilized in a 2 % benzalkonium chloride solution for 5 minutes, induction of primary callogenesis was carried out on Murasige – Skoog medium. Nutrient media with different constituents were discovered for choosing one for long-time cultivation of calli. Induction of somatic embryogenesis was carried out on the nutrient media with high auxins content. Ethanol extracts from the intact plant and calli cultures were assayed with HPTLC PRO SYSTEM (CAMAG AG, Switzerland).Results and discussion. After two weeks of cultivation, the formation of primary callus was observed on the surface of the explants. The Linsmaier – Skoog medium with a reduced amount of sucrose (20 g/l) was recognized as the most suitable medium for long-term maintenance of cultures. Embryoid structures of Aralia cordata have been obtained, now we are continuing to collect analytics data about this process. Qualitative analysis of the extracts showed that callus cultures accumulate triterpene glycosides, their composition is close to that of the intact plant.Conclusion. A viable strain of callus culture of Aralia cordata Thunb. was obtained, a nutrient medium for long-term cultivation of calli was established. Somatic embryoids have been obtained, and their further development is currently being monitored. A preliminary phytochemical study showed that the composition of the chemical components of calli is close to that of an intact plant.

Estimation of Genetic Variability and Character Association Analysis of Underutilized Ornamental Canna Lily (Canna indica L.)

Background: Canna lily (Canna indica L.) is an edible herbaceous perennial plant in which flowers and rhizomes were commonly used as a food additive and its potentiality was not fully utilized in India. To stun these hindrances, morphological characterizations are needed to determine the genetic variability to improve flower quality and rhizome yield in canna lily. Methods: In the present research, a field experiment was conducted during 2022-2023 in Botanical Garden, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. Twelve accessions were investigated by using a randomized block design with 3 replications. All the observations for 23 quantitative traits were carried out at 0.05 and 0.01 probability. Results: The wide range of genetic variability was observed, a high genetic coefficient of variation ranged from 8.49 to 75.62 % and a phenotypic coefficient of variation ranged from 8.83 to 76.50 % was observed in 20 traits except in time taken for first flowering, rhizome diameter, number of nodes per rhizome. High heritability coupled with high genetic advance as a percent of mean was observed for 21 traits except in time taken for flowering and number of nodes per rhizome. Character association analysis revealed that stem diameter and inflorescence length showed highly significant and positively correlated with flower yield and rhizome yield per plant. Path analysis specified that the number of leaves per clump had a very high and positive direct effect on fresh flower yield per plant.

First Report of Cladosporium cladosporioides Causing Leaf Spot of Aralia cordata var. continentalis in Korea.

Aralia cordata var. continentalis (Kitag), commonly known as Japanese spikenard, is an upright herbaceous perennial medicinal plant effective in relieving pain. It is also consumed as a leafy vegetable. Leaf spots and blight symptoms on A. cordata resulting in defoliation were observed in July 2021 from a research field with a disease incidence of nearly 40-50% from 80 plants in Yeongju, Korea. Brown spots with chlorotic halos first appear on the upper leaf surface (Fig. 1A). In the later stage, spots enlarge and coalesce; resulting in the leaves to dry-off (Fig. 1B). To isolate the causal agent, small pieces of diseased leaves displaying the lesion were surface-sterilized by 70% ethanol for 30 s and rinsed twice with sterile distilled water (SDW). Later, the tissues were crushed in a sterile 2.0-ml Eppendorf tube with a rubber pestle in SDW. The suspension was serially diluted and spread on potato dextrose agar (PDA) medium, incubated at 25°C for 3 days. A total of 3 isolates were obtained from the infected leaves. Pure cultures were obtained by the monosporic culture technique (Choi et al. 1999). After 2 to 3 days of incubation with a 12-h photoperiod, the fungus initially produced gray mold colonies in olive color, and the edges of the mold appeared white with a velvety texture after 20 days (Fig. 1C). Microscopic observations revealed small, single-celled, rounded, and pointed conidia that measured 6.67 ± 0.23 µm × 4.18 ± 0.12 µm (length × width) (n=40 spores) (Fig. 1D). On the basis of its morphology, the causal organism was identified as Cladosporium cladosporioides (Torres et al. 2017). For molecular identification, pure colonies of three single-spore isolates were used for DNA extraction. A fragment of the ITS, ACT, and TEF1-α were amplified using the primers ITS1/ITS4 (Zarrin et al. 2016), ACT-512F/ACT-783R, and EF1-728F/EF1-986R, respectively, by PCR (Carbone et al. 1999). The DNA sequences from all three isolates (GYUN-10727, GYUN-10776, and GYUN-10777) were identical. The resulting ITS (ON005144), ACT (ON014518), and TEF1-α (OQ286396) sequences from the representative isolate GYUN-10727 were 99 to 100% identical to the C. cladosporioides (ITS: KX664404, MF077224; ACT: HM148509; TEF1-α: HM148268, HM148266). The phylogenetic dendrogram was constructed from the comparative analysis of ITS, ACT, and TEF1-α gene sequences, showing the relationship between Cladosporium cladosporioides and related Cladosporium species (Fig. 2). The isolate GYUN-10727 has been deposited in Korean Agricultural Culture Collection (KACC 410009), and used as a representative strain in this study. For the pathogenicity test, healthy fresh leaves (3 leaves per plant) of 3-months-old A. cordata plants in pots were spray inoculated with conidial suspensions (1 × 10⁴ conidia/mL) of GYUN-10727, which was obtained from a 7-day-old PDA culture. Leaves sprayed with SDW were considered as control. After 15 days of incubation at 25°C ± 5°C under greenhouse conditions, necrotic lesions were observed on the inoculated A. cordata leaves, while control leaves did not develop any disease symptoms. The experiment was performed twice with three replicates (pots) per treatment. The pathogen was re-isolated from the symptomatic A. cordata leaves, but not from control plants, to fulfill Koch's postulates. The re-isolated pathogen was identified by PCR. Cladosporium cladosporioides has been reported to cause diseases in sweet pepper (Krasnow et al. 2022) and garden peas (Gubler et al. 1999). To our knowledge, this is the first report of C. cladosporioides causing leaf spots of A. cordata in Korea. The identification of this pathogen will help develop strategies to efficiently control the disease in A. cordata.

Characterization of Radix Angelicae sinensis by Fluorescence and Near-Infrared Spectroscopies

Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) diels is a perennial herbaceous plant. Its dried root, referred to as radix Angelicae sinensis (RAS), has been used for edible and medicinal purposes. This study is dedicated to spectroscopic characterization and quality detection of RAS powder material or aqueous solution using fluorescence excitation–emission matrix and near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopies. It is the first time that the fluorescence combined with net analyte signal–classical least-squares was able to accurately determine two active substances in 131 RAS batches from five geographical origins in Gansu, China. The concentrations of Z-ligustilide and L-tryptophan were 1.17 ± 0.43 mg g−1 and 0.59 ± 0.19 mg g−1, respectively. A satisfactory NIR-principal discriminant variate model was achieved, enabling the RAS batches to be discriminated by the location. The correct discrimination rates reached 100% for calibration and 87.50% for validation. The work provides an alternative and holistic strategy for reliable fingerprint authentication of RAS materials and helps promote its utility.