Plant Mixtures Research Articles

Global warming induces the succession of photosynthetic microbial communities in a glacial lake on the Tibetan Plateau

As an important freshwater resource in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, glacial lakes are being immensely affected by global warming. Due to the lack of long-term monitoring data, the processes and driving mechanisms of the water ecology of these glacial lakes in a rapidly changing climate are poorly understood. This study, for the first time, reconstructed changes in water temperature and photosynthetic microbial communities over the past 200 years in Lake Basomtso, a glacial lake on the southeastern Tibetan Plateau. Temperatures were reconstructed using a paleotemperature proxy based on branched glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (brGDGTs), the cell membrane lipids of some bacteria, and photosynthetic microbial communities were determined by high-throughput DNA sequencing. The reconstructed mean annual air temperature (MAAT) at Lake Basomtso varied between 6.9 and 8.3 °C over the past 200 years, with a rapid warming rate of 0.25 °C /10 yrs after 1950s. Carbon isotope of sediment and n-alkane analyses indicate that ≥95% of the organic matter in Lake Basomtso is derived from a mixture of terrestrial C3 plants and endogenous organic matter inputs, and the proportion of endogenous organic matter in the sediments has gradually increased since the 1960s. The sedimentary DNA analyses of the sediment core reveal that Chloracea is the most dominant prokaryotic photosynthetic microbial group (84.5%) over the past 200 years. However, the relative abundance of Cyanobacteria has increased from ≤6.8% before the 1960s to 15.5% nowadays, suggesting that warmer temperatures favor the growth of Cyanobacteria in glacial lakes. Among eukaryotic photosynthetic microorganisms, the Chlorophyceae have been gradually replaced by Dinoflagellata and Diatomacae since the 1980s, although the Chlorophyceae still had the highest average relative abundance overall (30–40%). The Pb isotopic composition, together with the total phosphorous concentration, implies that human activity exerted a minimal impact on Lake Basomtso over the past 200 yrs. However, the synchronous fluctuations of total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN), and metal elements in sediments suggest that temperature appears to have a strong influence on nutrient input to Lake Basomtso by controlling glacial erosion. Global warming and the concurrent increase in glacial meltwater are two main factors driving changes in nutrient inputs from terrestrial sources which, in turn, increases the lake productivity, and changes microbial community composition. Our findings demonstrate the sensitive response of glacial lake ecology to global warming. It is necessary to strengthen the monitoring and research of glacial lake ecology on the Tibetan plateau, so as to more scientifically and accurately understand the response process and mechanism of the glacial lake ecosystem under global warming.

Effect of boiling time on the stability of the phenolic compounds in wedang uwuh after gastric digestion

Plant-based products are an excellent source of dietary phenolic compounds, such as herbal drinks, juices, dried fruits, etc. Wedang uwuh is one of the herbal drinks that is made from a mixture of herbal plants. In previous studies, it has been reported that the boiling time affects the total phenolic content and antioxidant capacity of wedang uwuh. However, there has been no research on the effects of digestion on the stability of the phenolic components in wedang uwuh. This study aims to evaluate the stability of phenolic compounds of wedang uwuh after gastric digestion simulation with different boiling times of 5, 10, and 15 minutes. This research used total phenolic content assay, and DPPH• radical scavenging capacity to determine the stability of phenolic compounds after gastric digestion simulation. We found that the boiling time affected the amount of extractable and stability of the phenolic compounds in wedang uwuh during gastric digestion. There was a degraded capacity of DPPH radical scavenging after gastric digestion. The total phenolic and antioxidant capacity before consumption did not indicate the quantity of bioaccessible. Further research using intestinal digestion simulation is needed to obtain the bioaccessibility of wedang uwuh.

Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) and hyacinth bean (Lablab purpureus) in combination provide greater suppression of mile-a-minute (Mikania micrantha) than either crop alone.

In natural systems, diverse plant communities tend to prevent a single species from dominating. Similarly, management of invasive alien plants may be achieved through various combinations of competing species. We used a de Wit replacement series to compare different combinations of sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam), hyacinth bean (Lablab purpureus (L.) Sweet) and mile-a-minute (Mikania micrantha Kunth) through measures of photosynthesis, plant growth, nutrient levels in plant tissue and soil, and competitive ability. Cultured alone sweet potato and hyacinth beans exhibited higher total biomass, leafstalk length, and leaf area than mile-a-minute. In mixed culture, either sweet potato or hyacinth bean or both together significantly suppressed the mile-a-minute parameters, i.e., plant height, branch, leaf, adventitious root, and biomass (P<0.05). Based on a significantly lower than 1.0 relative yield of the three plant species in mixed culture, we showed intraspecific competition to be less than interspecific competition. Calculated indices (relative yield, relative yield total, competitive balance index, and change in contribution) demonstrated a higher competitive ability and higher influence of either crop compared to mile-a-minute. The presence of sweet potato and hyacinth bean, especially with both species in combination, significantly reduced (P<0.05) mile-a-minute's net photosynthetic rate (Pn), antioxidant enzyme activities (superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, catalase, and malondialdehyde), chlorophyll content, and nutrient content (N, P, and K). In soil with mile-a-minute in monoculture soil organic matter, total and available N, total and available K, and available P were significantly greater (P<0.05) than in soil with sweet potato grown in monoculture, but less than in soil with hyacinth bean grown in monoculture soil. Nutrient soil content was comparatively reduced for plant mixtures. Plant height, leaf, biomass, Pn, antioxidant enzyme activities, and plant and soil nutrient contents of sweet potato and hyacinth bean tended to be much greater when grown with two crops compared to in mixture with just sweet potato or hyacinth bean. Our results suggest that the competitive abilities of both sweet potato and hyacinth bean were greater than that of mile-a-minute, and also that mile-a-minute suppression was significantly improved via a combination of the two crops compared to either sweet potato or hyacinth bean alone.

Utilization of Plants in Postpartum Maternal Care in Watulea Village, Central Buton Regency

The fact is that some people have giving birth medically, but postpartum care is still done traditionally. The treatment used concoctions of various types of plants. This study aims to preserve traditional knowledge through documenting community knowledge regarding postnatal care using plants by traditional methods in Watulea Village, Central Buton. The selection of respondents was carried out by purposive sampling technique. Data related to goals was collected by semi-structured interviews with 3 healers and 11 women who had used plants in postpartum care. Data from the interviews were the plant information such as local names, parts of the plants used, and descriptions of the traditional use of plants, including how to prepare and utilization. Data processing is done by descriptive analysis and presented in the form of tables and narratives. The result show that 23 species, belonging to 16 families which were used either singly or a mixture of various plants in the form of 3 types concoction, namely ramuan minum, ramuan mandi, and ramuan balur. Even though the plant compounds used have not been fully scientifically proven regarding the intended properties although it is proven that some of the ingredients used in these ingredients contain substances that are beneficial to the body-, their use has been going on for generations because of the positive impact felt directly by consumers.

Balanced Mix Design Benchmarking of Asphalt Mixtures Produced in Vermont

Performance testing is an important tool to complement volumetric properties for improving asphalt pavement performance. Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) began evaluating the Hamburg wheel-tracking test (HWTT) in 2015, the Illinois flexibility index test (I-FIT) in 2018, and the indirect tensile cracking test (IDEAL-CT) as another index-based test to investigate along with the I-FIT, as a step toward balanced mix design (BMD) implementation. An increase in the use of recycled materials in asphalt mixtures produced in Vermont was anticipated in their Standard Specifications for Construction. This study is an attempt in this direction. The tests were conducted on reheated plant mixtures sampled from paving projects in Vermont and the results were analyzed to (1) develop baseline rutting and cracking performance; (2) evaluate the effects of mixture properties on performance test results; (3) compare IDEAL-CT results and I-FIT results; and (4) compare performance test results with specification criteria proposed by VTrans for evaluating the rutting and cracking resistance of asphalt mixtures. Several mixture properties, viz., nominal maximum aggregate size (NMAS), binder grade, binder content, and recycled content, were found to have significant effects on mixture rutting and cracking resistance. The test results showed a direct correlation between FI and CTindex for the dataset of VTrans mixtures. The information from this research will help VTrans to achieve its goal to move beyond the use of volumetric properties for asphalt mixture design and acceptance and serve as an example for other agencies in exploring the implementation of BMD for improving asphalt pavement performance.

Formulation and Characterization of Mucoadhesive Polymeric Films Containing Extracts of Taraxaci Folium and Matricariae Flos.

Taraxaci folium and Matricariae flos plant extracts contain a wide range of bioactive compounds with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. The aim of the study was to evaluate the phytochemical and antioxidant profile of the two plant extracts to obtain a mucoadhesive polymeric film with beneficial properties in acute gingivitis. The chemical composition of the two plant extracts was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. To establish a favourable ratio in the combination of the two extracts, the antioxidant capacity was determined by the method of reduction of copper ions Cu2+ from neocuprein and by reduction of the compound 1.1-diphenyl-2-2picril-hydrazyl. Following preliminary analysis, we selected the plant mixture Taraxaci folium/matricariae flos in the ratio of 1:2 (m/m), having an antioxidant capacity of 83.92% ± 0.02 reduction of free nitrogen radical of 1.1-diphenyl-2-2picril-hydrazyl reagent. Subsequently, bioadhesive films of 0.2 mm thickness were obtained using various concentrations of polymer and plant extract. The mucoadhesive films obtained were homogeneous and flexible, with pH ranging from 6.634 to 7.016 and active ingredient release capacity ranging from 85.94-89.52%. Based on in vitro analysis, the film containing 5% polymer and 10% plant extract was selected for in vivo study. The study involved 50 patients undergoing professional oral hygiene followed by a 7-day treatment with the chosen mucoadhesive polymeric film. The study showed that the film used helped accelerate the healing of acute gingivitis after treatment, with anti-inflammatory and protective action.

Multicomponent Photocomposition as A Source for Development New Anti-Inflammatory Medicines

The results of experimental studies on mature white male rats showed that phytocompositions 1, 2 and 3 containing various extracts of medicinal plants have a distinct antiphlogogenic activity. Among the studied phytocollections, composition 3 showed a higher anti-inflammatory activity compared to other studied phytocollections. The studied new mixtures of medicinal plants have a higher antiphlogogenic activity than canephron, especially phytocomposition 3, and in terms of their pharmacological activity, it is not inferior to the gold standard non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug - sodium diclofenac.

Responses of soil fauna community under changing environmental conditions

Soil faunas account for 23% of known animal species and play a crucial role in ecosystem processes such as mineralizing nutrients, regulating microbial community composition, forming soil aggregates, and enhancing primary productivity. However, due to global climate change, population density, community composition, and distribution patterns of soil fauna vary. Understanding the responses of soil fauna to major environmental change facilitate the conservation of biodiversity. Therefore, a review work of recent researches for analysing the effects of key environmental factors on soil fauna, such as warming, drought, food quality, and soil physical-chemical properties was studied. For most species, warming may exert a positive effect on their abundance and population development, however, it can inhibit the survival and reproduction of hibernating species. Drought leads to low soil porosity and water holding capacity, which reduces soil fauna population and changes their community composition. Drought also can reduce the coverage of flora and alter microclimate of the soil surface, which in turn indirectly reduces fauna abundance. Climate warming and elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide can reduce litter quality, which will force soil fauna to change their dietary choices (from higher-quality foods to poor quality foods) and reduce reproduction for survival. However, it is still predicted that enhanced species richness of plant (or litter) mixtures will positively affect soil fauna diversity. Habitat loss caused by the deterioration of soil physical-chemical property is primary factor affecting soil fauna. We mainly discuss the threats of increased salinity (a major factor in arid land) to soil fauna and their potential responses to anthropogenic disturbance in saline soils. The increase in soil salinity can override other factors that favour habitat specialists, leading to negative effects on soil fauna. Moreover, we find that more studies are needed to explore the responses of soil fauna in saline soils to human activities. And the relationship of important ecological processes with soil fauna density, community structure, and diversity needs to be redefined.

Monetizing ecosystem services of perennial wild plant mixtures for bioenergy

The transition to a sustainable biobased economy promises to free the economy from its dependence on finite fossil resources by replacing them with biomass derived primarily from agricultural production. However, this often threatens the ecosystem services on which its very existence depends, such as climate regulation, erosion mitigation, and biodiversity conservation. A major challenge is that biomass provision is usually the only ecosystem service directly priced in markets. While there are several studies estimating the monetary value of a wider range of ecosystem services for common food and biomass crops, there is limited information for novel bioenergy cropping systems such as perennial wild plant mixtures (WPM). Therefore, this study assesses the monetary value of key ecosystem services of WPM, i.e. nursery services, recreational value, moderation of extreme events, climate regulation, nutrient cycling, erosion prevention, and the provision of biomass. In addition, three contrasting land use scenarios; parking lot, silage maize (Zea mays L.) cultivation for biogas production; and pristine forest; were used for comparison. While parking lot (0.15 €/ha*yr.) and pristine forest (1691.57 €/ha*yr.) yielded the minimum and maximum values, WPM cultivation (624.82 €/ha*yr.) performed surprisingly well compared to silage maize (653.61 €/ha*yr.). Thus, monetization of ecosystem services other than biomass provision made silage maize and WPM cultivation economically comparable by almost fully compensating for the lower biomass provision of WPM. Consequently, using such information to better reward farmers for more social-ecologically sound bioenergy cropping systems could help policymakers improve agricultural sustainability in the long run.

Multidimensional Chromatographic Fingerprinting Combined with Chemometrics for the Identification of Regulated Plants in Suspicious Plant Food Supplements.

The popularity of plant food supplements has seen explosive growth all over the world, making them susceptible to adulteration and fraud. This necessitates a screening approach for the detection of regulated plants in plant food supplements, which are usually composed of complex plant mixtures, thus making the approach not so straightforward. This paper aims to tackle this problem by developing a multidimensional chromatographic fingerprinting method aided by chemometrics. To render more specificity to the chromatogram, a multidimensional fingerprint (absorbance × wavelength × retention time) was considered. This was achieved by selecting several wavelengths through a correlation analysis. The data were recorded using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) coupled with diode array detection (DAD). Chemometric modelling was performed by partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) through (a) binary modelling and (b) multiclass modelling. The correct classification rates (ccr%) by cross-validation, modelling, and external test set validation were satisfactory for both approaches, but upon further comparison, binary models were preferred. As a proof of concept, the models were applied to twelve samples for the detection of four regulated plants. Overall, it was revealed that the combination of multidimensional fingerprinting data with chemometrics was feasible for the identification of regulated plants in complex botanical matrices.

Effect of botanical composition of free-range areas on production results and selected meat quality parameters of organic Yellowleg Partridge chickens

Abstract The aim of the conducted research was to assess the impact of the botanical composition of free-range areas on the production results and selected quality parameters of the meat of fattening chickens of the Polish Yellowleg Partridge (Ż-33) breed in organic farming. Three hundred mixed-sex Ż-33 chicks were assigned to three groups: RP1 – free-range area with natural meadow vegetation, RP2 – free-range area sown with a mixture of plants containing ingredients stimulating growth, RP3 – free-range area sown with a mixture of plants rich in carotene. During the experiment, the production results (the weight of the birds, feed consumption, feed conversion ratio per g of weight gain, and mortality) were monitored. Observations were also performed on the behaviour in the free-range areas. On the 140th day of the experiment, a simplified slaughter analysis was carried out, the meat pH was measured, the colour of the muscles was also determined, as well as the water holding capacity and drip loss of the meat. In the meat samples, the content of nutrients and fatty acids was determined, and the peroxidizability index (PI) was calculated. Birds feeding in the RP2 free-range areas were characterised by higher body weight, better feed conversion, and higher dressing percentage compared to birds having access to the RP1 and RP3 free-range areas. On the other hand, the RP3 group Ż-33 chickens were characterised by a higher share of leg muscles and a tendency towards lower fat content in the carcass. It was also found that the meat of birds from the RP2 and RP3 groups was characterised by a higher pH24 compared to Ż-33 chickens from the RP1 group. Access to the RP2 free-range area modified the fatty acid profile, mainly in the leg muscles, reducing the palmitic acid and MUFA content and increasing the PUFA content. It can therefore be assumed that the plant species sown in the RP2 free-range area positively influenced the production results and the quality of the meat of fattening chickens feeding on them. It is therefore appropriate to carry out further studies on the type of vegetation sown in free-range areas in order to improve the efficiency and quality of the meat of organic fattening chickens.

Efficacy of an Herbal Preparation (Atomy's HemoHIM®) against Ventilator-associated Pneumonia: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial.

Despite the standard guideline recommendations to prevent ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), it has remained one of the common lung infections in the intensive care unit (ICU). This clinical trial was designed to evaluate the effect of HemoHIM®, a mixture of traditional Korean medicinal plants, on preventing VAP in ICU patients. This randomized controlled clinical trial was conducted on mechanically ventilated adult ICU patients with a clinical pulmonary infection score of VAP ≤6 in the first 48 h of ventilation. Patients in the intervention group received a packet of HemoHIM daily and orally for 7 days in addition to standard prevention strategies. However, in the control group, only standard prevention strategies were carried out. All patients were followed daily for VAP incidence for 14 days. The overall VAP incidence was 36.4 and 57.4 episodes per 1000 days of mechanical ventilation in the intervention and control groups, respectively (P = 0.041; odds ratio = 0.26; 95% confidence interval = 0.070-0.944). The median length of mechanical ventilation during study follow-up was significantly lower in the intervention than in the control group (P = 0.033). The number of pneumonia-free days during the study was considerably higher in the intervention group (P value of the log-rank test = 0.023). According to the results of this study, the HemoHIM herbal supplement had beneficial effects in preventing the occurrence of VAP and significantly reduced the incidence of pneumonia in the intervention group. Further comprehensive research is required to draw more accurate conclusions.

Pid-Based Bottle Shark Heart Heater Design and Development

Traditional medicines are ingredients or ingredients in the form of plant ingredients, animal ingredients, mineral ingredients, galenic preparations, or mixtures of these materials, which have been used for generations for treatment and can be applied according to the norms in force in society. Bottle shark (Centrophorus atromarginatus) has good prospects as a producer of liver oil; this fish is easy to catch and occurs in relatively large quantities in Indonesian waters. The catch rate until now is only 39% of its sustainable potential. Bottled shark liver oil contains 90% squalene, Vitamin A, and Omega, which are very useful for the human body as a supplement for heart disease and stomach ulcers and increase stamina and brain intelligence. The rapid Development of technology certainly benefits the people who use it. One example of today's use of technology is applying a technology system for the fisheries sector. This tool works automatically to monitor the processing of bottled shark livers. That way, fishermen don't have to worry about cloudy weather or things that will take longer than processing the shark liver bottle. This Bottle Shark Liver Heater uses temperatures at 31˚, 32˚, 33˚, 34˚, and 35˚. With PID (Proportional Integral Derivative) control, the quality of the Bottle Shark liver can be maintained. This tool is supported by a DS18B20 temperature sensor, Arduino uno, Relay, Ceramic Heater element, DC Fan, LCD 16X12, Power Supply, and Switch. It is hoped that the community, with this automatic system device, can make it easier to manage Bottle Shark Liver Oil.

Long-term plant diversity increases soil extractable organic carbon and nitrogen contents in a subtropical forest

Plant diversity is one of the various factors influencing ecosystem functions such as soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) stocks. Soil extractable organic carbon (EOC) and nitrogen (EON) contents are active fractions in soil organic matter, but little is known about the impact of variations in long-term plant diversity on soil EOC and EON contents in forest ecosystems. Utilizing the Biodiversity–Ecosystem Functioning Experiment China platform, we selected long-term plant diversity level treatments, distinguished the functional types of evergreen and deciduous plants, and explored their effects on soil EOC and EON contents. The results showed that soil EOC and EON contents increased significantly with greater plant diversity, which is mainly attributed to proportional increases in complementary effects. After distinguishing plant functional types, we did not find the strong complementary effects at the mixed planting of evergreen and deciduous tree species. Within two-species planting mixtures, evergreen tree species can increase soil EON compared to deciduous tree species. Cyclobalanopsis have a strong carbon and nitrogen storage capacity, suggesting that increasing the plant diversity and the proportion of Cyclobalanopsis planting in forest management will promote carbon and nitrogen accumulation in forest soil. These findings enhance our understanding of long-term forest C and N cycling processes and also provide theoretical support for managing forest soil C sinks.

Contrasting effects of species richness on soil pollutant removal in herbaceous plant communities: the importance of individual species

Many studies have shown that increasing species diversity generally increases ecosystem functioning, but few have evaluated the role of species diversity in soil pollutant removal, especially for organic pollutants. We test the hypothesis that increasing plant diversity can enhance soil pollutant removal. To test the hypothesis, we conducted two experiments: one for removal of cadmium and the other for removal of cypermethrin from the soil. In both experiments, plants were grown in monocultures, four‐ and eight‐species mixtures in soils contaminated with the pollutants. Contaminated soils without plants were also included as controls. Our results showed that the efficiency of cadmium removal from the soil decreased with increasing plant species richness. The negative effect of diversity on cadmium removal was largely attributed to species underyielding in plant mixtures. In contrast, the efficiency of cypermethrin removal from soils increased with increasing plant species richness. The positive effect of diversity on cypermethrin removal was likely due to the presence of Taraxacum mongolicum which had the lowest biomass but the highest removal efficiency. Our results suggest that species diversity may regulate pollutant remediation, and this is pollutant‐dependent. Moreover, the performance of individual species can strongly influence the direction and magnitude of the diversity effect on soil pollutant removal. These species should be treated with cautious in the remediation of contaminated soils.

Current and future control of the wood-boring pest Anoplophora glabripennis.

The Asian longhorn beetle (ALB) Anoplophora glabripennis is one of the most successful and most feared invasive insect species worldwide. This review covers recent research concerning the distribution of and damage caused by ALB, as well as major efforts to control and manage ALB in China. The distribution and destruction range of ALB have continued to expand over the past decade worldwide, and the number of interceptions has remained high. Detection and monitoring methods for the early discovery of ALB have diversified, with advances in semiochemical research and using satellite remote sensing in China. Ecological control of ALB in China involves planting mixtures of preferred and resistant tree species, and this practice can prevent outbreaks. In addition, strategies for chemical and biological control of ALB have achieved promising results during the last decade in China, especially the development of insecticides targeting different stages of ALB, and applying Dastarcus helophoroides and Dendrocopos major as biocontrol agents. Finally, we analyze recommendations for ALB prevention and management strategies based on native range and invasive area research. This information will hopefully help some invaded areas where the target is containment of ALB.

COMPARATIVE EVALUATION OF THE ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF MEDICINAL PLANTS IN THE PERM RE-GION

The paper considers the antioxidant properties of water and alcohol extractions of fermented and unfermented fireweed of the narrow-leaved fireweed family (Chamerion Angustifolium Onagraceae), St.), bitter wormwood (Artemisia absintium L.), red clover (Trifolium pratense). The effect of the fermentation process, solvent, and extraction time on antioxidant activity (AOA) was studied. A comparative assessment of the antioxidant properties of medicinal plants of the Perm region was carried out. Using the potentiometric method, it was found that the AOA values of water extracts of fireweed angustifolia increase with the time of extraction. Fireweed weakly fermented (finely ground) and fermented (finely ground) have the highest AOA values during extraction within 24 hours. Shoots of young fireweed angustifolia have very low AOA values compared to unfermented and fermented samples. The AOA of aqueous extracts of medicinal plants increases with the time of their extraction. Oregano has the highest AOA value – 2.78×10-2 mol-equiv, and red clover has the lowest value – 0.37×10-2 mol-equiv. The highest value of AOA among mixtures of medicinal plants has a mixture of oregano with fermented fireweed (finely ground) – 2.52×10-2 mol-equiv. It has been established that extracts prepared from 40% ethanol solution for fireweed angustifolia and 20 and 40% for oregano have the highest AOA values. The AOA values for the alcohol extract of oregano increase depending on the time of its extraction.

Socialization Of Community Knowledge Management About Pharmaceutical Products In Suka Damai Village, Langkat, North Sumatra

Socialization of public knowledge management about pharmaceutical products aims to provide information as a form of dissemination in the form of education. This community service was carried out in Suka Damai Village, Langkat district, North Sumatra Province. The purpose of this community service is to provide and practice knowledge about pharmaceutical products through traditional medicines which are mixed from plant ingredients, animal ingredients, mineral ingredients, galenic preparations, or mixtures of these materials. Traditional medicine can be made into a simple product that can be made and practiced by yourself, for example roll on aromatherapy or commonly called freshcare which has many uses in everyday life. Apart from that, other products such as dry instant ginger drinks can also be consumed with various benefits.The use of natural materials can also be used as a way to open business opportunities. Thus, people gain knowledge and know how to make one of the health products that so far when they want to use it they have to buy it first.

Hydrological performance of rain gardens having Calendula officinalis plant with varied planting mixtures.

The rain gardens (RGs) have been one of the best management practices in cities to reduce the impact of urban flooding. However, very little is known about various design parameters of RGs, viz., the type of plantation, planting mixtures, and RG dimensions. This study pertains to examining the influence of planting mixtures on the variations of percolation rates of the RG with Calendula officinalis plant and without plants. Six types of planting mixtures in different experimental RGs have been tried. It has been observed that the percolation rate increases with a higher percentage of compost in the planting mixture for RGs with and without plants. The percolation rate is highest for the planting mixture having 25% compost. The runoff rate reduces with a higher percentage of compost in the planting mixture for RGs with C. officinalis and bare surfaces. No runoff is produced in RGs with plant having a compost of more than 20% in the planting mixture. The outcome of the study will be useful in deciding the composition of the planting mixture which will keep the RG plant healthy and at the same time improve the hydrological performance leading to lowering urban flooding magnitude.

Do Patches of Flowering Plants Enhance Insect Pollinators in Apple Orchards?

Apples depend on insect pollination but intensification of agriculture jeopardizes pollination services in agroecosystems. Concerns about the dependency of crop pollination exclusively on honey bees increase the interest in agricultural practices that safeguard wild pollinators in agroecosystems. The purpose of the study was to assess the potential of floral resource provision in apple orchards to enhance the conservation of hymenopterous pollinating insects and potentially the pollination service to the crop. For this reason, flowering plant mixtures sown in patches inside apple orchards were tested against wild plant patches. Pollinator taxa recorded on the sown and wild plant patches were honey bees, wild bees (Andrena, Anthophora, Eucera, Halictus, Lasioglossum, Megachilidae on both; Systropha only on wild plants; Bombus, Hylaeus, Sphecodes, Nomada, Xylocopa only on sown mixture), syrphids, bee flies. The most abundant pollinator of apple was A. mellifera but wild bees were also recorded (Andrena, Anthophora, Bombus, Xylocopa, Lasioglossum, Megachilidae). The sown mixture attracted a more diverse taxa of pollinators and in greater numbers compared to the weed flora, but it did not have an effect on pollinators visiting apple flowers. Groundcover management with patches of suitable flowering mixtures can enhance pollinator conservation in apple orchards.