Poisonous Species Research Articles

A comparison of the accuracy of mushroom identification applications using digital photographs

Objective To compare the accuracy of three popular mushroom identification software applications in identifying mushrooms involved in exposures reported to the Victorian Poisons Information Centre and Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. Background Over the past 10 years, an increasing number of software applications have been developed for use on smart phones and tablet devices to identify mushrooms. We have observed an increase in poisonings after incorrect identification of poisonous species as edible, using these applications. Design We compared the accuracy of three iPhone™ and Android™ mushroom identification applications: Picture Mushroom (Next Vision Limited©), Mushroom Identificator (Pierre Semedard©), and iNaturalist (iNaturalist, California Academy of Sciences©). Each app was tested independently by three researchers using digital photographs of 78 specimens sent to the Victorian Poisons Information Centre and Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria over a two-year period, 2020–2021. Mushroom identification was confirmed by an expert mycologist. For each app, individual and combined results were compared. Results Picture Mushroom was the most accurate of the three apps and correctly identified 49% (95% CI [0–100]) of specimens, compared with Mushroom Identificator (35% [15–56]) and iNaturalist (35% [0–76]). Picture Mushroom correctly identified 44% of poisonous mushrooms [0–95], compared with Mushroom Identificator (30% [1–58]) and iNaturalist (40% [0–84), but Mushroom Identificator identified more specimens of Amanita phalloides correctly (67%), compared to Picture Mushroom (60%) and iNaturalist (27%). Amanita phalloides was falsely identified, twice by Picture Mushroom and once by iNaturalist. Conclusions Mushroom identification applications may be useful future tools to assist clinical toxicologists and the general public in the accurate identification of mushrooms species but, at present, are not reliable enough to exclude exposure to potentially poisonous mushrooms when used alone.

Temperature, pressure, and adsorption dependent redox potentials: III. Processes of CO conversion to value‐added compounds

AbstractCarbon monoxide (CO) is a primary air pollutant and a poisonous species for human beings, animals, and some catalytic reactions. Meanwhile, CO is also a versatile feedstock in the chemical industry to produce high‐value chemicals and clean fuels, which has stimulated extensive research interests in exploiting efficient CO conversion processes. Redox potential is a key thermodynamic quantity in these processes whereas only standard reduction potentials at 25°C and 1 atm are currently available. Herein, it is the first time to report the effects of temperature (0–1000°C), pressure (1–100 atm), and adsorption on the redox potentials of 18 CO conversion reactions to form carbon dioxide, methane, straight‐chain alkanes (ethane, propane, and butane), light olefins (ethylene, propylene, and butylene), benzene, alcohols, aldehydes, acids, and dimethyl ether, based on theoretical calculations. It was noticed that gas‐phase, aqueous‐phase, and adsorption‐state redox potentials decrease with increasing temperature at an increased rate while they show different responses to pressure change. Namely, gas‐phase and most aqueous‐phase redox potentials increase with pressure at a gradually declined rate, while adsorption‐state redox potentials are not influenced by pressure. Most importantly, the significant differences up to 2.06 V under varied conditions highlight the necessity of applying operando redox potentials for CO conversion reactions.

Pseudo-Pt Monolayer for Robust Hydrogen Oxidation.

Heteroepitaxial core-shell structure is conducive to combining the advantages of the epilayer and the substrate, creating a novel multifunctionality for catalysis application. Herein, we report a pseudomorphic-Pt atomic layer (PmPt) epitaxially growing on an IrPd-core matrix (PmPt@IrPd/C) as an efficient and stable catalyst for alkaline hydrogen oxidation reaction that exhibits ∼29.2 times more mass activity enhancement than that of benchmark Pt/C. The PmPt@IrPd/C catalyst also gives rise to ∼25.0 times more enhancement than Pt/C during a 50,000-cycle accelerated stability test. This robust stability originates from the resistance to carbon corrosion owing to the stronger H2O interaction instead of carbon oxide (COx) poison species, and the modulated hydroxyl (OH*) adsorption could inhibit the OH* species from shuffling the surface Pt atoms away from the substrate. Moreover, the anion-exchange membrane fuel cells assembled by PmPt@IrPd/C with an ultralow Pt loading of 0.009 mgPt cm-2 in the anode can deliver a power density of 1.27 W cm-2.

Concerted and Selective Electrooxidation of Polyethylene‐Terephthalate‐Derived Alcohol to Glycolic Acid at an Industry‐Level Current Density over a Pd−Ni(OH)2 Catalyst

AbstractElectro‐reforming of Polyethylene‐terephthalate‐derived (PET‐derived) ethylene glycol (EG) into fine chemicals and H2 is an ideal solution to address severe plastic pollution. Here, we report the electrooxidation of EG to glycolic acid (GA) with a high Faraday efficiency and selectivity (>85 %) even at an industry‐level current density (600 mA cm−2 at 1.15 V vs. RHE) over a Pd−Ni(OH)2 catalyst. Notably, stable electrolysis over 200 h can be achieved, outperforming all available Pd‐based catalysts. Combined experimental and theoretical results reveal that 1) the OH* generation promoted by Ni(OH)2 plays a critical role in facilitating EG‐to‐GA oxidation and removing poisonous carbonyl species, thereby achieving high activity and stability; 2) Pd with a downshifted d‐band center and the oxophilic Ni can synergistically facilitate the rapid desorption and transfer of GA from the active Pd sites to the inactive Ni sites, avoiding over‐oxidation and thus achieving high selectivity.

Concerted and Selective Electrooxidation of Polyethylene-Terephthalate-Derived Alcohol to Glycolic Acid at an Industry-Level Current Density over a Pd-Ni(OH)2 Catalyst.

Electro-reforming of Polyethylene-terephthalate-derived (PET-derived) ethylene glycol (EG) into fine chemicals and H2 is an ideal solution to address severe plastic pollution. Here, we report the electrooxidation of EG to glycolic acid (GA) with a high Faraday efficiency and selectivity (>85 %) even at an industry-level current density (600 mA cm-2 at 1.15 V vs. RHE) over a Pd-Ni(OH)2 catalyst. Notably, stable electrolysis over 200 h can be achieved, outperforming all available Pd-based catalysts. Combined experimental and theoretical results reveal that 1) the OH* generation promoted by Ni(OH)2 plays a critical role in facilitating EG-to-GA oxidation and removing poisonous carbonyl species, thereby achieving high activity and stability; 2) Pd with a downshifted d-band center and the oxophilic Ni can synergistically facilitate the rapid desorption and transfer of GA from the active Pd sites to the inactive Ni sites, avoiding over-oxidation and thus achieving high selectivity.

Phytochemical screening of Datura using GC-MS in Shivalik and mid- Himalayan regions of Himachal Pradesh

Datura stramonium is a poisonous plant species reported in almost every corner of India which belongs to the family Solanaceae with a well-known history of ethno medicinal applications. The present study has attempted phytochemical screening of Datura in Himachal Pradesh based on altitude differences. In the present study, methanol extracts of D. stramonium were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS) to identify the important phytochemical constituents. In the present investigation, we have also attempted to provide proof of differences in the concentrations of phytochemicals within the same species as stated in previous literature. In the study, Datura stramonium was taken into consideration as an important toxic plant encountered in poisoning and abuse cases in Himachal Pradesh. Datura specimens were collected from selective regions of Himachal and were grouped according to altitude. The samples were carefully dried and subjected to microscopic examination and phytochemical screening. The GC–MS analysis of methanol extracts from seeds detected the presence of 15 phytochemical compounds. The GC-MS reports revealed variability in alkaloid concentrations with altitude. The area percentage occupied by the alkaloid peak was considered an indication of concentration. Scopolamine peak area percentage was between 21.46-27.06 in the mid – Himalayan region, while in the Shivalik region it was between 9.86-16.10. The samples from lower altitude regions had a lower content of Scopolamine in comparison to that of the higher altitude. This data can help in better forensic profiling of Datura. This may prove helpful in studying the origin of forensic evidence obtained at the scene of the crime.

Magnetic Fe3O4/MIL-101 composite as a robust adsorbent for removal of p-arsanilic acid and roxarsenic in the aqueous solution

The p-arsanilic acid (p-ASA) and roxarsenic (ROX) are typical organic arsenic compounds (OACs), which can be evolved into highly poisonous inorganic arsenic species in the aqueous solution. Herein, a magnetic MOFs-based composite of Fe3O4/MIL-101 was successfully obtained by a stepwise solvothermal method and further used in the adsorption of p-ASA and ROX. The structural and physicochemical characteristics of Fe3O4/MIL-101 were firstly investigated in detail. It was found that Fe3O4 microspheres were evenly embedded on the polyhedral MIL-101 surface after the solvothermal process and exhibited a strong superparamagnetic property. After adsorption, a simple external magnetic field can be used to quickly separate the composite from the aqueous solution. The adsorption experiments indicated that the composite is an excellent adsorbent with maximum adsorption capacities of 683.44 and 946.57 mg·g−1 for p-ASA and ROX, respectively. In addition, the effects of composite dosage, initial pH and co-existing anions on the adsorption efficiency were investigated. The main adsorption mechanism consists of the existence of hydrogen bonding, π-π stacking and As-O-Fe coordination between Fe3O4/MIL-101 composite and OACs. We believe that this study would be very meaningful to promote the application of magnetic MOFs based composites for effective adsorption for OACs in the environmental remediation.

Otrovne i alergene biljne vrste uz vrtiće na području gradskih četvrti Novi Zagreb

Plantings surrounding kindergartens are an integral part of urban green spaces. These open areas play a very important role in the lives of children, in their development, their eating habits, and environmental awareness. For this reason, it is extremely important to select adequate plant species, which are not dangerous for the children. There are 10 public and 9 private preschool institutions in the entire area of the two Novi Zagreb (East and West) city districts. Only public kindergartens have been included in this research. The aim was to determine the size of green open space surrounding public kindergartens, analyse woody plants on site, determine the taxonomic affiliation of plant species, and detect the presence of poisonous and allergenic plant taxa. In green space surrounding kindergartens in the Novi Zagreb – East city district, 49 taxa of trees, and 18 taxa of shrubs and woody climbers from a total of 22 plant families have been identified. Similary, in the Novi Zagreb – West city district, 49 taxa of trees, and 24 taxa of shrubs and woody climbers from a total of 26 plant families have been determined in kindergarten plantings. A total of 32 poisonous taxa, and 36 allergenic taxa have been catalogued in the Novi Zagreb – East city district, while a total of 34 poisonous taxa, and 42 allergenic taxa have been listed in the Novi Zagreb – West city district. The most poisonous species were: Taxus baccata, Prunus laurocerasus and Sambucus nigra. The species with the highest allergenic potential were: Thuja occidentalis, Betula pendula and Acer platanoides.

Occurrence and diversity of poisonous plants in urban community gardens

Abstract Urban community gardens promote human health, offer recreational space and support urban biodiversity. Urban gardens are situated in diverse landscape contexts and have diverse social contexts with gardeners of various horticultural experiences and backgrounds, both of which results in the wide plant species variety of urban garden habitats. These plants represent a range of traits, one of which may be the production of substances that are poisonous to humans. These plants may also be of ecosystem functioning and biodiversity conservation value, creating an ecosystem service trade-off of human health promotion. In this paper, we report on the occurrence of poisonous plant species in 30 urban community gardens in two German cities (Berlin, Munich) and discuss potential concerns around poisonous and highly poisonous plants in urban gardens. We conclude that, depending on the garden participants as well as the goals of the garden organization, poisonous plants should be carefully monitored and managed to dually mitigate health risks while supporting biodiversity conservation. We propose possible strategies to manage potential threats posed by these plants while simultaneously allowing them to reside alongside people in urban gardens.

Traditional knowledge, phytochemistry, and pharmacological properties of the African genus Scadoxus (Amaryllidaceae)

The genus Scadoxus (family: Amaryllidaceae) is native to Africa and it comprises a great variety of ornamental, medicinal, and poisonous plant species. In India, it is represented by only a single species, Scadoxus multiflorus . The genus has a wide range of traditional uses. However, scientific validation of the traditional uses requires extensive pharmacognostic research along with toxicity and safety evaluation. Various scientific databases such as PubMed, Science Direct, Google Scholar, and Web of Science were utilized to search the research articles for this review. This review work is a comprehensive study of the genus Scadoxus about its taxonomy, geographical distribution, traditional uses, phytochemistry, toxicity, and pharmacological activities for the first time. • This review followed the articles during the period of 1958 – 2022 (64 years) and aims to give a piece of comprehensive knowledge about the genus Scadoxus for the first time. • The African genus, Scadoxus , is rich in various bioactive compounds but its phytochemistry and pharmacological activities are still now underrated. • Most of the species are concentrated in various regions of Africa, especially in South Africa. A single member has worldwide distribution and is also found in India. • Pharmacological activities like antimicrobial, cholinesterase inhibitory, cytotoxic, antioxidant, neuroprotective, immunostimulatory, and analgesic activities are reported here. • A special concern is needed to conserve the single representative, Scadoxus multiflorus , of this genus in India.

Pd Metallene Aerogels with Single-Atom W Doping for Selective Ethanol Oxidation.

The development of advanced electrocatalysts with satisfactory C1 pathway selectivity for the ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR) is critical. Herein, a bubbling CO-induced gelation method is developed in acetic acid at 50 °C to construct single-atom W-doped Pd metallene aerogels (denoted as SA W-Pd MAs) within 1 h. In light of the metallene structural advantages of noble metal aerogels and single-atom W decoration, the resultant SA W-Pd MAs exhibit an outstanding EOR performance with high C1 pathway selectivity. Density functional theory calculations validate that the SA W-Pd MAs greatly improve the formation of the CH3O intermediate and the transformation of poisonous CO species to CO2, thus resulting in high C1 pathway selectivity. Therefore, this work not only offers an effective gelation method to fabricate noble metal aerogels with atomic-scale building blocks but also presents guidance to develop high-efficiency EOR electrocatalysts.

Age Structure and Self-Thinning of Four Poisonous Forbs in Alpine Meadows on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

Age structure and self-thinning indicate the development of plant species and their adaptability to the environment, and the proportion of poisonous plants could reflect the status of grasslands degradation. Little is known about age structure and self-thinning of poisonous dicotyledonous forbs in the alpine meadows on the Tibetan Plateau. We selected four poisonous dicotyledonous species, namely Anaphalis lacteal, Stellera chamaejasme, Pedicularis kansuensis, and Gentiana straminea, and determined their age structures by using number of branches, crown diameters, and plant heights and their self-thinning by using dry weights and different components (branches, leaves, and inflorescences). The populations of the four species were pyramid shaped with a rich seedling and juvenile base, which demonstrated a strong ability to increase in number rapidly and adapt to the environment. The Godron index indicated that the stability of age structures of the four species were A. lacteal > S. chamaejasme > G. straminea > P. kansuensis. Significant self-thinning was exhibited by branches of A. lacteal, branches and leaves of S. chamaejasme, and inflorescences of P. kansuensis. The self-thinning exponents from the allometric relationships between biomass and density differed at the level of branches, leaves, and inflorescences in the four poisonous forbs. We concluded that the populations of the four poisonous species were stable and able to increase in number rapidly on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.

Poisonous Plants Species Prediction Using a Convolutional Neural Network and Support Vector Machine Hybrid Model

The total number of discovered plant species is increasing yearly worldwide. Plant species differ from one region to another. Some of these discovered plant species are beneficial while others might be poisonous. Computer vision techniques can be an effective way to classify plant species and predict their poisonous status. However, the lack of comprehensive datasets that include not only plant images but also plant species’ scientific names, description, poisonous status, and local name make the issue of poisonous plants species prediction a very challenging issue. In this paper, we propose a hybrid model relying on transformers models in conjunction with support vector machine for plant species classification and poisonous status prediction. First, six different Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) architectures are used to determine which produces the best results. Second, the features are extracted using six different CNNs and then optimized and employed to Support Vector Machine (SVM) for testing. To prove the feasibility and benefits of our proposed approach, we used a real case study namely, plant species discovered in the Arabian Peninsula. We have gathered a dataset that contains 2500 images of 50 different Arabic plant species and includes plants images, plant species scientific name, description, local name, and poisonous status. This study on the types of Arabic plants species will help in the reduction of the number of poisonous plants victims and their negative impact on the individual and society. The results of our experiments for the CNN approach in conjunction SVM are favorable where the classifier scored 0.92, 0.94, and 0.95 in accuracy, precision, and F1-Score respectively.

Sorption properties of carbonized biopolymers of plant origin

Studies of carbon nanomaterials (CNM) synthesized from lignocellulosic biomass, and natural and technical lignins were carried out. For the first time, we suggested using stems of Sosnovsky hogweed, one of the most aggressive and poisonous invasive plant species, to produce CNM. The influence of the choice of raw materials and synthesis conditions on the sorption and surface-porous characteristics of the samples was evaluated. The main regularities of adsorption processes from aqueous media with a low concentration (0.625 μg/ml) of uranium were established. We found that strong retention of uranium characterizes carbonized biopolymers (CBP) samples, a significant amount of which (67–70%) is not desorbed either by water or aqueous solutions of CH3COONH4 and HCI (1 M). In addition, we found out that the carbon nanomaterials we synthesized can adsorb mycotoxin T-2. The obtained results indicated a high innovative potential of CNM.

A Review on: Morphological, Phytochemical and Medical Important of Some Wild Euphorbiaceae Poisonous Plants

The plants are very important for living organisms, there would be no life on earth if plants did not exist. Furthermore, when animals or humans consume many plants, they can have negative consequences. Plant toxicity is associated with a multitude of chemical toxins such as alkaloids, glycosides, proteins, and amino acids. There are numerous examples of poisonous species present in different families, one of them Euphorbiaceae. Euphorbiaceae is one of the four largest cosmopolitan families of flowering plants with 313 genera and around 8100, species. Morphological, phytochemical properties and medical uses for 11 wild species of Euphorbiaceae growing in Saudi Arabia were collected in this paper. Two species (Euphorbia fractiflexa and Jatropha glauca) don’t have data for its chemical and medical properties and need a lot of study. For the species growing on the Saudi Arabia, all studied species need further study except for Euphorbia granulata and Ricinus communis.

Resources of Iranian agarics (Basidiomycota) with an outlook on their antioxidant potential.

Agaric fungi are an important group of macromycetes with diverse ecological and functional properties, yet are poorly studied in many parts of the world. Here, we comprehensively analyzed 558 agaric species in Iran to reveal their resources of edible and poisonous species as well as their ecological guilds and luminescence potential. We also made a thorough survey of the antioxidant activity of the species. Phylogenetic relationships were reconstructed based on nuclear ribosomal LSU and ITS sequences. Our results reveal that agarics of Iran comprise about 189 edible, 128 poisonous, 254 soil saprotrophic, 172 ectomycorrhizal, 146 wood-inhabiting, 18 leaf/litter-inhabiting, 9 parasitic, and 19 luminescent species. Twenty percent of the Iranian agaric species possess antioxidant activity, phylogenetically distributed in four orders and 21 agaric families. About 5% of the antioxidant species can be considered strong antioxidants, many of which are also edible and could be utilized to develop functional foods. This is the first study combining phylogeny and antioxidant potential of agaric mushrooms in a large scale, and the obtained results would guide the selection of agaric taxa to be examined in the future for taxonomic revisions, biotechnological applications, and applied phylogeny studies.

AGRYPON POLYXENAE (SZÉPLIGETI, 1899) (HYMENOPTERA: ICHNEUMONIDAE: ANOMALONINAE); NEWLY RECORDED PARASITOID OF ZERYNTHIA POLYXENA (DENIS & SCHIFFERMÜLLER, 1775) (LEPIDOPTERA: PAPILIONIDAE: PARNASSIINAE) IN THE FAUNA OF SERBIA

Ichneumonid Agrypon polyxenae is a solitary larval-pupal endoparasitoid developing within the caterpillars of the genus Zerynthia and distributed in the western Palearctic. Z. polyxena is the most common host, with its caterpillars feeding on highly poisonous Aristolochia species. Here we report A. polyxenae parasitising Z. polyxena for the first time in Serbia and provide a short species description. This parasitoid has also been recorded on Z. rumina in Spain. We suggest some evidence for its presence in the newly described Z. cassandra in Italy.

Species Composition and Utilization Values of Oil Plants in Xuan Nha Special-use Forest, Son La Provine

This study was conducted to assess the resources of oil plants in Xuan Nha special-use forest, Son La province. The survey period was conducted from July 2018 to June 2021. The results showed that there were 317 species, 196 genera of 62 families belonging to Pinophyta and Magnoliophyta. In addition to the value for essential oils, many species had other values such as 256 medicinal species, 105 edible species, 66 timber species, 35 bonsai species, 20 wine additive species, 9 species used for animal feeds, 7 dye-containing species and 3 poisonous species. The spectrum of life forms of identified species included: SB = 63.41Ph + 11.99 Th + 11.04Cr + 7.57Hm + 5.99 Ch. We have identified 24 species of plants as being endangered in the Vietnam Red Book (2007), 12 species listed in the Governmental Decree and 10 species in the red list of IUCN (2021). These are species with a small number of individuals that need to have policies for conservation and development.

Spatial distribution and density of the invasive sea urchin Diadema setosum in Turkey (eastern Mediterranean)

AbstractThe sea urchin, Diadema setosum, is a poisonous species that originates in the Indo‐Pacific and the Red Sea. Although this species has been recorded in several areas in the Mediterranean Sea, its habitat selection, density, distribution and ecological impacts have not been comprehensively documented to date. This study combined the diving observations (n = 53 sites) and local ecological knowledge (LEK) of SCUBA divers (n = 100) to provide information on the distribution and density of this invasive sea urchin on the Aegean and Levantine coasts of Turkey between September and October 2020. The results indicated that D. setosum was more prevalent along the southern coast of Turkey compared with the western coast, where it is colder. The highest densities of D. setosum were observed in rocky habitats at a depth range of 0–5 m. Moreover, the densities increased with increasing bottom temperatures (up to 150 ind./100 m2). Recent reports from the Levantine and south Aegean coasts highlighted that the densities of D. setosum increased dramatically during the past year. The results of the present study suggested that D. setosum provides shelter for a total of four fish species, including Chromis chromis, Gobius sp., Cheilodipterus novemstriatus and Thalassoma pavo. This species of urchin poses a threat due to its potential grazing and bioerosion effects in the Mediterranean. Thus, future studies should focus on the feeding ecology of D. setosum and the competition with native species that share the same habitat to obtain an improved understanding of the ecological impacts of this invasive species. Although the present study provides the first comprehensive dataset on the density and distribution of this invasive sea urchin for Turkey in the eastern Mediterranean region, we suggest that its population should be monitored for long periods using direct observations, LEK and citizen science.

A field study to restricted poisonous wild plants grown in Al-Kharj region, Saudi Arabia

This study was aimed to define and collect different poisonous plant species that grow in Al-Kharj region, Saudi Arabia and are detrimental to human and livestock. A total of 16 plant species belonging to 12 families were recorded in the current study. These plants were met through surveys conducted by herbalists and smart citizens with skills and experience in the field of toxic plants in the region. For each species reported, botanical and vernacular names, families, and toxic principles are recognized. The most dominant and widespread toxic flowering plants reported in the studied area were the clan of Calotropis procera and Rhazya stricta. Other less widespread poisonous plants such as Citrullus colocynthis, Heliotropium bacciferum, Cassia italica, Alhagi maurorum, Capparis spinosa, Tribulus terrestris and Euphorbia helioscopia as well as Convolvulus arvensis, Zygophyllum coccineum were also observed.