Datura Plants Research Articles

Antiviral activities of streptomycetes against tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) in Datura plant: Evaluation of different organic compounds in their metabolites

A total of 20 strains of actinomycetes were isolated from Al-Kharj (K) and Al-Madina (M) areas in Saudi Arabia. Among these strains, six were selected for antiviral activity screening which are K1, K2, K3, M1, M2 and M3. All the selected strains were characterized morphologically to be under the genus Streptomyces. Primary and secondary screenings were performed against seven human pathogenic microorganisms such as Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6633, Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853, Salmonella suis ATCC 13076, Shigella sonnei ATCC 11060 and Candida albicans ATCC 1023. In the data, all the obtained six selected strains had shown a positive and very promising result with little variations. The bioactive compounds were extracted from the strains using solvent extraction methods. The tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) was obtained from tomato plants and the extract was prepared using a simple technique of homogenizing in water and filtration. Tobacco mosaic virus and the metabolites of streptomycetes strains were applied to the selected Datura metel plant leaves. After incubation for one week, it was found that the viral infection symptoms in the form of local lesions caused by the TMV were notably reduced on the plant leaves in the presence of bioactive metabolites. Further, in this study, gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS) analysis of all the crude metabolites of streptomycetes strains were performed for the determination of different compounds.

RODENTICIDAL EFFECT OF DATURA PLANT LEAVES UNDER LABORATORY AND FIELD CONDITIONS

The rodenticidal effect of datura plant leaves was studied under laboratory and field conditions. In both free choice and non-choice feeding tests, the chopped green leaves and dry powdered leaves baited with crushed maize, in different ratios, were tested for their rodenticidal activity. The results indicated that the dry powdered baits were more effective than the chopped green baits. Males of albino rats, Rattus norvegicus albinus, were more susceptible than females and pregnant females for all tested cases. In addition, data illustrated that, less amounts of different bait ratios were consumed by females followed by pregnant females and males. With increasing the amount of treated bait rather than crushed maize, the mortality percentages increased and the time to death decreased. This means that the rodenticidal effect of the datura plant leaves considerably differed according to leave condition (green or dry) and bait ratios. The field results were in harmony with the laboratory results as (1 crushed maize : 2 dry powdered leaves) was the most effective against the Shaw jird, Meriones shawi (population reduction, 62.07%).

LC-MS Quantitative Determination of Atropine and Scopolamine in the Floral Nectar of Datura Species

The present study aimed at determining selected alkaloid components in the nectar of Datura species, to elucidate whether the alkaloid content of the floral nectar can lead to intoxication. A simple and rapid liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray mass spectrometry analysis was developed for the quantitative determination of atropine and scopolamine, the main toxic alkaloids of the Datura species. This method allowed the direct coupling of an electrospray mass selective detector to the LC system. Under these conditions, atropine and scopolamine were well separated from other components and detected with mass spectrometry (mass selective detector). Simultaneous determination of atropine and scopolamine was performed with gradient elution on an Ascentis Express C18 (Supelco) reversed-phase column based on a new fused core particle design. Liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray mass spectrometry was used in positive ion mode. Atropine and scopolamine produced protonated species at m/z 290 and 304 (which are also the base peaks). Our data confirmed that the alkaloid characteristics for the vegetative and reproductive parts of the Datura plants may also occur in the nectar secreted by the flowers. In Datura species with large flowers and high nectar amounts, the alkaloid content increases proportionately and thus the nectar may be a potential source of intoxication.

An unusual case of anisocoria by vegetal intoxication: a case report

A 12 year old boy presented with an acute onset of anisocoria and blurred vision. Ocular motility was normal but his right pupil was dilated, round but sluggishly reactive to light. There was no history of trauma, eye drops' instillation, nebulised drugs or local ointments. His past medical history was negative.A third nerve palsy was considered but the performed cerebral MRI was normal.On further anamnestic investigation the boy revealed that he had spent the morning doing gardening, and especially working on a "trumpet plant". Datura and Brugmansia are well known toxic plant; all Datura and Brugmasia plants contain, primarily in their seeds and flowers, tropane alkaloids such as scopolamine, hyoscyamine and atropine. Systemic and local intoxications have already been described.The day after anisocoria was much less evident and completely resolved in three days.We present this case of an unusual cause of mydriasis to underline once more the importance of a well and deeply conducted medical history.

Context- and scale-dependent effects of floral CO2 on nectar foraging by Manduca sexta.

Typically, animal pollinators are attracted to flowers by sensory stimuli in the form of pigments, volatiles, and cuticular substances (hairs, waxes) derived from plant secondary metabolism. Few studies have addressed the extent to which primary plant metabolites, such as respiratory carbon dioxide (CO(2)), may function as pollinator attractants. Night-blooming flowers of Datura wrightii show transient emissions of up to 200 ppm above-ambient CO(2) at anthesis, when nectar rewards are richest. Their main hawkmoth pollinator, Manduca sexta, can perceive minute variation (0.5 ppm) in CO(2) concentration through labial pit organs whose receptor neurons project afferents to the antennal lobe. We explored the behavioral responses of M. sexta to artificial flowers with different combinations of CO(2), visual, and olfactory stimuli using a laminar flow wind tunnel. Responses in no-choice assays were scale-dependent; CO(2) functioned as an olfactory distance-attractant redundant to floral scent, as each stimulus elicited upwind tracking flights. However, CO(2) played no role in probing behavior at the flower. Male moths showed significant bias in first-approach and probing choice of scented flowers with above-ambient CO(2) over those with ambient CO(2), whereas females showed similar bias only in the presence of host plant (tomato) leaf volatiles. Nevertheless, all males and females probed both flowers regardless of their first choice. While floral CO(2) unequivocally affects male appetitive responses, the context-dependence of female responses suggests that they may use floral CO(2) as a distance indicator of host plant quality during mixed feeding-oviposition bouts on Datura and Nicotiana plants.

Biolistic inoculation of plants with Tomato yellow leaf curl virus DNA

Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV) full-length DNA was amplified by PCR and cloned into a bacterial plasmid. The cloned TYLCV DNA was excised from the plasmid, ligated and the resulting monomeric circular double-stranded TYLCV DNA was used to inoculate tomato ( Solanum lycopersicom) and datura ( Datura stramonium) plants by particle bombardment. The bombarded plants produced typical disease symptoms, similar to those produced following whitefly-mediated inoculation, albeit 5–7 days later than whitefly-inoculated plants. The success rate of inoculating tomato plants by particle bombardment averaged 37%, whereas with datura plants, it averaged 85%. With whitefly-mediated inoculation of TYLCV, the success rate of inoculation was also higher in datura plants than in tomato plants. Bombardment of datura plants with a linear form of TYLCV DNA also resulted in viral infection, with an inoculation success rate similar to that with the closed-circular TYLCV DNA. Bombarding datura plants with the bacterial plasmid containing the cloned TYLCV DNA did not result in viral infection, but bombardment with a bacterial plasmid containing a cloned dimer of TYLCV DNA yielded an infection rate of 50–100%. This is the first report of TYLCV inoculation of plants using particle bombardment of a cloned monomeric linear or closed-circular form of TYLCV double-stranded DNA.

Datura contamination of hay as the suspected cause of an extensive outbreak of impaction colic in horses : clinical communication

Datura poisoning of horses is extensively reviewed. An outbreak of intractable impaction colic affecting 18 of 83 horses was stopped by withdrawing dried tef hay contaminated with young Datura plants. The dried, botanically identified Datura stramonium and D. ferox contained respectively 0.15% mass/mass (m/m) hyoscyamine as well as 0.16% m/m hyoscine (scopolamine) and only hyoscine at a concentration of 0.11% m/m. Immature, unidentifiable plants resembling D. stramonium, contained 0.14% m/m and 0.12% m/m of the 2 respective tropane alkaloids. The outbreak was characterised by protracted and repeated colic attacks due to impaction of the large colon and/or caecum without any other anti-muscarinic signs. Comparative analyses of single specimens of dried seed of the 2 species collected from both fertilised and waste areas revealed that young South African Datura spp. had levels of tropane alkaloids comparable to those in the well-known toxic seed and were, consequently, equally toxic. The inherent danger of tef hay being contaminated with Datura is emphasised. To our knowledge this is the 1st field case of poisoning in horses ascribed to the vegetative parts of Datura spp.

Effects of Compound Fertilization on Growth and Alkaloids of Datura Plants

The effect of 0, 100, 200, 400, 600, and 800 kg ha−1 rates of Sangral, a complex chemical fertilizer, on growth, alkaloid content, drug yield, and nutrient uptake of datura (Datura innoxia Mill.) plants was studied during two successive seasons. The plant height, the number of branches and leaves/plant, the fresh and the dry weights increased with increasing fertilizer rates up to 800 kg ha−1; however, the maximum increase was recorded at 600 kg ha−1. Total alkaloid and drug (hyoscyamine + scopolamine) contents also increased with increasing the fertilization level to a peak value at 600 kg ha−1. It then, decreased at 800 kg ha−1 level. Plant leaves and fruits were the most valuable organs for alkaloid and drug accumulation followed by stems, roots, and crowns, respectively. Nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) in the leaves were linearly increased by increasing fertilizer level. It seems that compound fertilizers increase the availability of essential nutrient elements necessary for datura growth and metabolism, causing vigorous vegetation and high chemical production. These results suggest that appropriate doses of compound fertilizers, containing both macro- and micro-elements, can maximize growth, vigor, and chemical composition of datura plants grown in sandy soils of Saudi Arabia.

Comparison of the Nucleotide Sequences of Ferredoxin-cDNAs among some Datura Plants

The nucleotide sequences of partial ferredoxin (Fd)-cDNAs (corresponding to the amino acid sequence of 22-87 in the total 97 amino acids of ferredoxin) were determined for Datura arborea, D. stramonium, D. metel, and related Datura plants. Non-synonymous substitutions were noted at 4 positions and a synonymous substitution was seen at position 82 (Gln [CAA] (arborea) vs. Gln [CAG] (stramonium and metel)). The nucleotide sequence of Fd-cDNA may provide more detailed information regarding the relative taxonomic positions of plants than the amino acid sequence. However, Datura plants in the same section (metel, fastuosa, and innoxia) and of different varieties (stramonium var. stramonium and stramonium var. tatula) showed identical Fd-cDNA nucleotide sequences. This result suggests that there are very close relationships among the plants in each group.

Effects of Compound Fertilization on Growth and Alkaloids of Datura Plants

Effects of Compound Fertilization on Growth and Alkaloids of Datura Plants

Trumpet Flowers of the Sonoran Desert: Floral Biology ofPeniocereusCacti and SacredDatura

The floral biology of night‐blooming Peniocereus cacti and Datura plants was studied in North America's Sonoran Desert. In populations of two rare cactus species (Peniocereus greggii and Peniocereus striatus), individual plants bloom synchronously on less than five nights per year and are self‐incompatible. In contrast, the abundant Datura discolor and Datura wrightii bloom nearly continuously from spring to autumn and are self‐compatible. Flowers of all species studied are visited by hawk moths at dusk and by honeybees and native bees the following morning. Hawk moths have the appropriate behavior and body dimensions to pollinate Peniocereus effectively, but visits are rare. Nonnative honeybees also visit P. greggii and may contribute incrementally to fruit set. Peniocereus and Datura flowers are highly reflective at all wavelengths above 400 nm but lack UV reflectance or contrast. All species studied secrete 10–80 μL of sucrose‐rich nectar within flared corollas so deep that moths must land within them, ensuring pollen carriage. These flowers provide rich energetic resources for hawk moths because the caloric content of a single flower would support from 3 to 20 min of hovering flight. Floral scents were more species specific than visual cues because D. discolor and D. wrightii emit complex blends of terpenoid, benzenoid, aliphatic, and nitrogenous scent compounds, whereas flowers of P. greggii produce only eight benzenoid compounds (all of which are present in Datura species) and Peniocereus striatus is scentless. Peniocereus cacti may benefit from sequential mutualism with the more abundant Datura species by way of pollinators nurtured as larvae by Datura foliage and as adults by Datura floral nectar.

Виявлення лектиноподібних білків у рослинах тютюну та дурману, інфікованих вірусом тютюнової мозаїки

Виявлення лектиноподібних білків у рослинах тютюну та дурману, інфікованих вірусом тютюнової мозаїки

The use of enzyme — linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for quantitative detection of potato virus Y in potato and other test plants

ELISA was used to detect PVY in crude extracts of virus preparations from artificially infected leaves and tuber sprouts of different potato cultivars, extracts and intact leaf discs of some hosts, as well as some other herbaceous test plants. The ELIS A method was rapid and sensitive enabling PVY detection three days after inoculation of potato seedlings, which was 5–7 days before symptoms appearance. Fifty five days after planting was the best stage for PVY detection in potato sprouts. ELIS A could detect PVY in intact leaf discs without homogenization in solanum, potato, pepper, tomato, datura and wild tobacco plants. It gave positive reaction with extracts containing PVY but not with five other plant viruses.

Characterization of ornamental Datura plants transformed by Agrobacterium rhizogenes

Datura arborea and D. sanguinea hairy roots were produced by cocultivation of leaf fragments with Agrobacterium rhizogenes strain NCPP 1855. Adventitious buds emerged spontaneously, without exogenous growth regulators, from seven hairy root clones of D. arborea and from one hairy root clone of D. sanguinea. Regenerated plants were successfully acclimatized in the greenhouse. The integration of the bacterial TL-DNA into the genome of the putative transformed plants was confirmed by Southern blot analysis. Transgenic plants displayed increased ability to root in vivo. Morphological traits with relevant ornamental value like plant height, leaf number, size and shape, internode number, and internode length were also affected. Transformation by wild-type Ri TL-DNA provided the chance to study plant growth and differentiation and to select improved genotypes.

Solar Ultraviolet-B Radiation Affects Seedling Emergence, DNA Integrity, Plant Morphology, Growth Rate, and Attractiveness to Herbivore Insects in Datura ferox.

To study functional relationships between the effects of solar ultraviolet-B radiation (UV-B) on different aspects of the physiology of a wild plant, we carried out exclusion experiments in the field with the summer annual Datura ferox L. Solar UV-B incident over Buenos Aires reduced daytime seedling emergence, inhibited stem elongation and leaf expansion, and tended to reduce biomass accumulation during early growth. However, UV-B had no effect on calculated net assimilation rate. Using a monoclonal antibody specific to the cyclobutane-pyrimidine dimer (CPD), we found that plants receiving full sunlight had more CPDs per unit of DNA than plants shielded from solar UV-B, but the positive correlation between UV-B and CPD burden tended to level off at high (near solar) UV-B levels. At our field site, Datura plants were consumed by leaf beetles (Coleoptera), and the proportion of plants attacked by insects declined with the amount of UV-B received during growth. Field experiments showed that plant exposure to solar UV-B reduced the likelihood of leaf beetle attack by one-half. Our results highlight the complexities associated with scaling plant responses to solar UV-B, because they show: (a) a lack of correspondence between UV-B effects on net assimilation rate and whole-plant growth rate, (b) nonlinear UV-B dose-response curves, and (c) UV-B effects of plant attractiveness to natural herbivores.

Plant Architecture and Allocation in Different Neighborhoods: Implications for Competitive Success

A plant's competitive ability is determined by its capacity to acquire resources from resource pools shared with neighbors. Resource acquisition abilities depend on plant part placement in relation to available resources. Using a model system of annuals, we examined how the architecture of and allocation to plant parts was affected by different neighbor species. Species having different morphologies were grown as "targets" (target plants) in continuous canopies of each of four neighbor species in the greenhouse. Architectural and allocational traits of Abutilon theophrasti did not vary significantly with neighbor identity. Several architectural and allocation traits of Dutura stramonium and Polygonum penslvanicum plants did vary significantly among neighbor identities; however, in all but two cases, analyses of covariance revealed that these differences were due to differences in shoot biomass among neighbors. We could therefore not relate changes in architecture and allocation to the effects of specific neighbors, and therefore to competitive ability under specific conditions. In all species part masses were more variable than part lengths or areas, suggesting that allocational flexibility in these species allowed them to maximize part size at the expense of part mass to some extent. When we examined within plant biomass allocation patterns among plants of different size classes, regardless of neighbor, we found differences among species in how these patterns changed with plant size. Abutilon and Datura plants in the smallest size class showed a marked reduction in allocation to stems in the upper canopy, while producing similar numbers of nodes, when compared to plants in the largest size class. By contrast, Polygonum plants in the smallest size classes produced many fewer nodes than, but had a relative allocation pattern similar to, plants in the largest size class. These differences had consequences for plant shape, and so suggest differences among species in architectural response to shading. Any such response that allowed a plant to increase its resource—gathering ability would represent an important mechanism of competition.

Variation in tropane alkaloid accumulation within the solanaceae and strategies for its exploitation

Petioles from over 1000 individual plants of the genera Datura, Scopolia and Hyoscyamus were analysed to establish the variation in the levels and patterns of tropane alkaloids which occur between plants. Transformed root cultures were initiated from plants of which analyses suggested extremely high or low alkaloid biosynthetic capacities, or favourable alkaloid patterns. These root cultures were then studied in detail by HPLC, GC and GC-MS. Root cultures showed substantial differences in alkaloid patterns between different species, but the quantitative differences in tropoyl esters of α-tropine (hyoscyamine plus scopolamine) observed between different lines were less than those seen between plants. This difference is interpreted as to some extent reflecting the influence of transport and storage effects, as well as biosynthetic capacity, in determining alkaloid levels in plant petioles. In addition, there is some indication that the full biosynthetic capacity may not always be expressed in culture. Despite these limitations, the identification of plants showing favourable characteristics still, however, proved a useful first step in the development of scientifically and potentially biotechnologically interesting root cultures.

Isolation and functional analysis of a set of auxin genes with low root-inducing activity from an Agrobacterium tumefaciens biotype III strain

A new type of root-inducing iaa gene set was cloned from the Ti plasmid of the biotype III Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain Tm-4. These iaa genes are characterized by a very low DNA homology with the well-characterized iaa gene set, iaaM and iaaH, of the "common DNA" region of the biotype I strain Ach5 and by a low root-inducing activity.The biological activities of both iaa gene sets were compared by transferring each into a disarmed Ti vector and by testing the resulting strains on Nicotiana rustica leaf discs, decapitated Datura stramonium stems, tomato plants and Kalanchoë daigremontiana. Tm-4 iaa genes have a reproducibly weaker root-inducing ability on Nicotiana rustica, induce very little tumour growth on decapitated Datura plants or on tomato plants and do not induce roots on Kalanchoë daigremontiana. The Tm-4 iaa region was mapped by λ:: Tn5 transposon mutagenesis and tested on Nicotiana rustica. These tests combined with complementation experiments map the iaa genes to a 4.5-kb region.The Tm-4 iaa genes were able to complement the corresponding Ach5 iaa genes on Nicotiana rustica, indicating that the differences between these genes are quantitative rather than qualitative. Complementation experiments on Kalanchoë showed the iaaM gene of Tm-4 responsible for the overall weak auxin activity of the intact iaa set. In view of the observed structural and functional differences we propose to call the Tm-4 iaa genes TB-iaaM and TB-iaaH and the Ach5 iaa genes A-iaaM and A-iaaH.

Influence of the ion-balance in the growth medium on the yield and alkaloid content ofDatura stramonium L.

Plants ofDatura stramonium var.tatula L. Torr. were grown for 24 weeks on vermiculite and provided with mineral solutions where the relative proportions of the major anions (N, S, P) and cations (K, Ca, Mg) were varied within a constant total.

Henbane mosaic potyvirus pathogenic to wild and cultivated potato

A virus isolated from severely diseased wild plants ofDatura stramonium in Hungary was identified as a strain of henbane mosaic potyvirus (HeMV) by its host range, vector transmissibility, electron microscopy and serology. This W/H isolate of HeMV induced necrotic local lesions onChenopodium quinoa and characteristic systemic symptoms in species ofDatura, Nicotiana andPhysalis but it was apathogenic to species ofCapsicum, Cucumis andPhaseolus. The virus is transmissible by aphids,Myzus persicae, in a non-persistent manner. Electron microscopy showed that it consisted of flexuous filaments, c. 180×12 nm. In plants ofDatura andNicotiana spontaneously infected by and artificially inoculated with HeMV-W/H, pinwheel structures typical of the potyvirus group were found. Serological examinations confirmed the identity of HeMV-W/H with the standard strain of the virus, HeMV-R. Plants of the potato cultivars Desiree and Gracia, graft-inoculated with HeMV-W/H, were latently infected. Inoculated plants of wildSolanum species responded to the virus with systemic symptoms.