Polygonum Bistorta Research Articles

Mechanism of Polygonum bistorta and Zingiber roseum Against Toxicity

The present study was carried out to observe the hepatoprotective effect and antioxidant activity of the aqueous extract of the roots of Polygonum bistorta (PB) (100 mg/kg) and Zingiber roseum (ZR) (100 mg/kg) in rats treated with carbon tetrachloride (0.15 ml/kg, i.p.). Extract of PB and ZR at the tested doses restored the levels of liver homogenate enzymes (glutathione peroxidase, glutathione-S-transferase, superoxide dismutase and catalase enzymes significantly. The activities of MTT assay significantly recovered the damage towards normal. This study shows that Zingiber roseum has a more liver protective effect in comparison to Polygonum bistorta and against carbon tetrachloride- induced hepatotoxicity and possess antioxidant activities and extracts exhibited moderate anticancer activity towards cell viability at higher concentration.

Changes in pasture and cow milk compositions during a summer transhumance in the western Italian Alps

The changes occurring in pasture and milk compositions during summer grazing were studied following a transhumance of a dairy cattle herd in the western Italian Alps. During three consecutive grazing periods (P1, P2, and P3) the cows exploited, in sequence, mountain pastures located at 1200-1260 m a.s.l. (A1), alpine pastures at 2000-2200 m a.s.l. (A2), and then returned to A1 pastures. The botanical and nutritional compositions of pastures, as well as cow milk yield, gross composition and fatty acid (FA) profi le were assessed during the transhumance. Within the pastures, a cluster analysis allowed the recognition of five vegetation types and seven vegetation sub-types; their allocation and plant species composition differed among the exploited grazing areas. The average Pastoral Values were signifi cantly higher in the mountain (A1P1, A1P3) than in the alpine pastures (A2P2) due to the abundance of high- and medium-quality forage species such as Dactylis glomerata L., Polygonum bistorta L., and Festuca rubra s.l.. Nevertheless, the nutritional quality of the herbage offered to the animals did not differ between A1P1 and A2P2, while it was significantly higher in A1P3 due to a younger vegetation phenological stage. The nutritional parameters were found to be correlated to the pasture botanical composition and phenology: organic matter digestibility and net energy for lactation were correlated negatively to the phenological stage and the Specific Contribution (SC) of Poaceae and positively to the SC of Fabaceae and Asteraceae. Milk yield significantly declined while milk protein increased during the grazing season, following the advance of cows’ stage of lactation. Milk fat and lactose percentages did not vary significantly among the grazing periods. The same was also observed for milk FA, with the exception of palmitic acid, whose level was lower in A2P2 if compared to the other two periods. Significant correlations were found between the percentages of some FA in milk and the SC of the main botanical families of the grazed pastures. In particular, linoleic acid was negatively correlated with the SC of Poaceae and positively correlated with the SC of Fabaceae . Results showed that the changes in the nutritional composition of pastures depended on variations in pasture botanical composition and phenology at the time of grazing, and that such factors concurred with animal-related factors in affecting milk quality during the grazing season.

Pharmacological role of polygonum bistorta and its active principle on albino rats

S 21 ANNUAL CONFERENCE —2013 M o lcu la r a n d C llu la r B io lo g y PHARMACOLOGICAL ROLE OF POLYGONUM BISTORTA AND ITS ACTIVE PRINCIPLE ON ALBINO RATS Deepak Kumar Mittal, Deepmala Joshi Jiwaji University, Gwalior, India, Deen Dayal Upadhyay University,

Hepatoprotective effects of polygonum bistorta (LINN) and its active principle against acetaminophen -induced toxicity in rats

S 21 ANNUAL CONFERENCE—2013 D LI (median 282, 5). The median ALT level was 2100 IU/L(2004000). Drug-induced hepatotoxicity occurred more frequently due to the followings: chemotherapy 20 (48%), Halotan 8 (20%), antituberculous, analgetics 4 (10%), and antidiabetics 2 (5%) respectively and others 6 (12%). Out of 42 in 34 (80%) patients were diagnosed hepatocellural injury, with elevation of aminotransferase levels as predominant symptom, in the rest of them was found cholestatic injury with elevated ALP levels. Ascit was found in 10 (23%) patients, 2 (4.8%) died from acute liver failure. The recovery period of 40 patients lasted for 4-12 weeks. Conclusions: Drug-induced hepatotoxicity was 7.8% among the patients with acute hepatitis.Risk factors of drug-induced hepatotoxicity were: age, gender and large BMI/obesity.The most frequent cause of drug-induced hepatitis was chemotherapy with compatibility of several drugs. Corresponding Author. Hasmik Ghazinyan. E-mail: ghazinian@gmail.com HEPATOPROTECTIVE EFFECTS OF POLYGONUM BISTORTA (LINN) AND ITS ACTIVE PRINCIPLE AGAINST ACETAMINOPHEN -INDUCED TOXICITY IN RATS Deepak Kumar Mittal, Deepmala Joshi, Sangeeta Shukla Jiwaji University, Gwalior, India, Deen Dayal Upadhyay University,

Anticancer Constituents and Cytotoxic Activity of Methanol-Water Extract of <em>Polygonum Bistorta</em> L.

This study was specifically designed to identify anticancer constituents in methanol-water extract of Polygonum bistorta L. and evaluate its cytotoxicity. For this purpose methanol-water (40:60 v/v) extract was subjected to conventional preparative high pressure liquid chromatography and 13 fractions were obtained. Constituents of obtained fractions were separated and identified with the help of GC-MS and LC-DAD-ESI-MS. Anticancer phenolic compounds such as gallic acid, protocatechuic acid, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, chlorogenic acid, vanillic acid, syringic acid, catechol, 4-methyl catechol, syringol and pyrogallol and fatty acids such as linoleic acid, myristic acid and palmitic acid were separated from different fractions. Fractions were evaluated for their cytotoxic activity on a rarely studied human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line (HCCLM3). 11 fractions showed good to strong cytotoxicity in a range of 200 µg/mL-800 µg/mL, whereas 2 fractions did not show any activity even at 800 µg/mL and no anticancer constituent was detected from them. 50 percent growth inhibition (GI50) values for five most active fractions were calculated and results were in a range of 86.5 (±3) µg/mL-126.8 (±3) µg/mL. 3 out of these 5 most active fractions were found to contain phenolic content in them whereas all other fractions containing phenolic content did possess cytotoxic activity that may suggest the importance of phenolic constituents in anticancer activity. Moreover, the results also showed a definite dose dependent relationship between amount of fractions and cytotoxic activity.

Hepatoprotective role of Polygonum bistorta and tannic acid on APAP treated rats

Hepatoprotective role of Polygonum bistorta and tannic acid on APAP treated rats

EFFECT OF MOBILE PHASE COMPOSITION AND pH ON HPLC SEPARATION OF RHIZOME OF POLYGONUM BISTORTA

A simple, sensitive, and reliable HPLC method was developed for the overall separation of different chemical constituents present in the rhizome of Polygonum bistorta. The extraction conditions including soaking, sonication for 30 minutes, and heating for one hour were selected to achieve complete extraction. Different chromatographic conditions such as mobile phase composition and pH were studied and compared in the Reversed Phase separation mode to acquire fingerprinting profiles. 30 distinct peaks were obtained and 3 phenolic acids (gallic acid, protocatechuic acid, and chlorogenic acid) with anticancer bioactivity were identified by comparing their retention times with reference marker compounds in the optimized method. The excellent repeatability was tested by calculating relative standard deviations (RSDs) for retention times and peak areas and resultant values were less than 0.5% and 1.2%, respectively, for these respective compounds. This method can be used for quality assessment and further identification, quantification, and purification of the important bioactive constituents present in the rhizome of Polygonum bistorta.

Anti-inflammatory and cytoprotective effects of selected Pakistani medicinal plants in Helicobacter pylori-infected gastric epithelial cells

Ethnopharmacological relevanceHelicobacter pylori infection is associated with gastritis, peptic ulcer, and gastric cancer. Due to its high global prevalence and uprising resistance to available antibiotics, efforts are now directed to identify alternative source to treat and prevent associated disorders. In the present study, effect of selected indigenous medicinal plants of Pakistan was evaluated on the secretion of interleukin-8 (IL-8) and generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in a bid to rationalize their medicinal use and to examine the anti-inflammatory and cytoprotective effects in gastric epithelial cells. Materials and methodsAGS cells and clinically isolated Helicobacter pylori strain (193C) were employed for co-culture experiments. Anti-Helicobacter pylori activity and cytotoxic effects of the selected plants were determined by serial dilution method and DNA fragmentation assay respectively. ELISA and flow cytometry were performed to evaluate the effect on IL-8 secretion and ROS generation in Helicobacter pylori-infected cells. ResultsAt 100μg/ml, extracts of Alpinia galangal, Cinnamomum cassia, Cinnamomum tamala, Mentha arvensis, Myrtus communis, Oligochaeta ramose, Polygonum bistorta, Rosa damascena, Ruta graveolens, Syzygium aromaticum, Tamarix dioica, and Terminalia chebula exhibited strong inhibitory activity against IL-8 secretion. Of these, four extracts of Cinnamomum cassia, Myrtus communis, Syzygium aromaticum, and Terminalia chebula markedly inhibited IL-8 secretion at both 50 and 100μg/ml. Cinnamomum cassia was further assessed at different concentrations against Helicobacter pylori and TNF-α stimulated IL-8 secretion, which displayed significant suppression of IL-8 in a concentration-dependent-manner. Among the plants examined against ROS generation, Achillea millefolium, Berberis aristata, Coriandrum sativum, Foeniculum vulgare, Matricaria chamomilla and Prunus domestica demonstrated significant suppression of ROS from Helicobacter pylori-infected cells (p<0.01). ConclusionResults of the study revealed anti-inflammatory and cytoprotective effects of selected medicinal plants which could partially validate the traditional use of these plants in GI disorders particularly associated with Helicobacter pylori. Furthermore, results obtained may lead to possible future candidates of chemoprevention against peptic ulcer or gastric cancer.

Determination of the Volatile Fraction of Polygonum bistorta L. at Different Growing Stages and Evaluation of Its Antimicrobial Activity against Two Major Honeybee (Apis mellifera) Pathogens

The composition of the volatile fraction of Polygonum bistorta L. (also known as bistort or snakeroot) was investigated. Fresh aerial parts of this plant species were collected in the Western Italian Alps during the summer at three different phenological stages, namely vegetative, flowering, and fruiting, and steam-distilled in a Clevenger-type apparatus. The oils accounted for 0.004 to 0.010% of the fresh plant material, and their compositions were determined by GC/FID and GC/MS. The composition of the oils during the vegetative period varied both in quantity and quality; several classes of compounds were found with a predominance of alcohols in the vegetative phase, terpenes and linear-chained saturated hydrocarbons in the flowering phase, while saturated aliphatic acids and their methyl esters were predominant in fruiting phase. The most abundant compounds were 3-methylbut-3-en-1-ol in the vegetative phase, linalool in the flowering phase, and dodecanoic acid and its methyl ester in the fruiting phase. The obtained essential oils were then tested against two major bee pathogens, i.e., Paenibacillus larvae and Melissococcus plutonius, and against a reference bacterial species, Bacillus subtilis. Data were compared to those obtained with reference standards used against those pathogens such as the essential oils obtained from leaves and bark of Cinnamomum zeylanicum (cinnamon), and the antibiotic oxytetracyclin.

Difference in Essential Oil Composition of Rhizome of Polygonum bistorta L. from Different Asian Regions and Evaluation of its Antibacterial Activity

Essential oils of rhizome of Polygonum bistorta L. collected from three different Asian regions (Shanghai, China; Guizhou, China, and Lahore, Pakistan) were extracted by hydrodistillation and analyzed by GC-MS. 81 compounds were obtained and 77 were successfully identified. The percentage yield ranged between 0.11 % - 0.29 %. A significant difference in their chemical composition was also found. Major constituents and their percentage ranges were determined as: furfural (0.4 - 16.4 %), oleic acid (4.3 - 8.9 %), oleic acid methyl ester (0.3 - 8.6 %), palmitic acid (4.8 - 6.6 %), 5-methyl furfural (0.5 - 6.5 %), linoleic acid (0.6 - 4.2 %), linoleic acid methyl ester (0.2 - 4.0 %) and cosanes (tetracosane to nonacosane). Similarity tests based on chemometric analysis were performed and results clearly showed the difference in composition among samples. The sample of Pakistani origin and one sample of Chinese origin were separately tested against 2 different bacterial strains and a difference was observed in their antibacterial activities as well.

Chemopreventive effect of a mixture of Chinese Herbs (antitumor B) on chemically induced oral carcinogenesis.

In this study, we evaluated chemopreventive efficacy of Antitumor B, a Chinese herbal mixture of six plants (Sophora tonkinensis, Polygonum bistorta, Prunella vulgaris, Sonchus arvensis L., Dictamnus dasycarpus, and Dioscorea bulbifera) on the development of 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide (4NQO) induced oral squamous cell carcinomas in A/J mice. Antitumor B, delivered through diet, inhibited 4NQO-induced oral cancer development by 59.19%. The reduction of cell proliferation appears to be associated with efficacy of Antitumor B against 4NQO-induced oral cancer in A/J mice. The expression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and phosphorylated EGFR (Tyr1173) were down-regulated by Antitumor B. Tissue distribution of Antitumor B was determined using obacunone, matrine, and maackiain as marker chemicals. We found significant amounts of obacunone, matrine, and maackiain in the blood after 1-wk treatment. The concentrations of these three compounds did not increase further at 18 wk, suggesting that plasma concentrations had reached a steady-state level at 1 wk. There was no significant body weight loss and there was no other obvious sign of toxicity in Antitumor B-treated mice. These results suggest that Antitumor B is a promising agent for human oral cancer chemoprevention.

Hepatoprotective effects of Polygonum bistorta (Linn.) and its active compound against acetaminophen-induced toxicity in rats

Hepatoprotective effects of Polygonum bistorta (Linn.) and its active compound against acetaminophen-induced toxicity in rats

Anti-inflammatory activity of Polygonum bistorta, Guaiacum officinale and Hamamelis virginiana in rats.

The aqueous ethanolic extracts of Polygonum bistorta L. Polygonaceae, Guaiacum officinale L. Zygophyllaceae and Hamamelis virginiana L. Hamamelidaceae were screened for anti-inflammatory activity. Administered (100 and 200 mg kg-1, p.o.) before the induction of carrageenan rat paw oedema, extracts of P. bistorta significantly suppressed both the maximal oedema response and the total oedema response (monitored as area under the time course curve). H. virginiana was inactive and G. officinale was only active at 200 mg kg-1. At 200 mg kg-1 administered before the induction of adjuvant arthritis, P. bistorta significantly inhibited both the acute and chronic phases of the adjuvant-induced rat paw swelling, while G. officinale and H. virginiana were only active against the chronic phase. Further studies on P. bistorta (100-800 mg kg-1) revealed a dose-dependent inhibition of the carrageenan-induced rat paw oedema over the dose range 100-400 mg kg-1, the E50 value being approximately 158.5 mg kg-1. The extract (200 mg kg-1), administered after the onset of the inflammatory responses reversed the course of both the carrageenan- and adjuvant-induced rat paw swelling. The results confirm that the extracts of P. bistorta, G. officinale and H. virginiana contain anti-inflammatory substances.

Wheatgrass and Antioxidant Levels in Carbon Tetrachloride-induced Hepatotoxicity in Rats

© 2011, INASL 43 Wheatgrass and Antioxidant Levels in Carbon Tetrachloride-induced Hepatotoxicity in Rats JK Kamboj*, SV Rana*, RP Ola*, DK Dhawan**, K Vahiphei*** Departments of Gastroenterology and ***Pathology, PGIMER, Chandigarh Background: Wheatgrass (Triticum aestivum), rich in various antioxidants, is known to treat a number of conditions including burns, common cold, anemia, cough, fever and eczema, etc. Aim: Therefore, this study was planned to determine the effect of wheatgrass on antioxidant levels and oxidative stress induced by CCl4 in hepatic tissue of rats. Materials and Methods: Eighteen Wistar rats with body weight of 120–150 gms were divided into 3 groups. Group 1—rats in this group were given normal saline injection subcutaneously twice a week for 4 weeks. Group 2—carbon tetrachloride was administered subcutaneously at a dose of 2 mL/Kg body weight twice a week for 4 weeks in this group. Group 3—wheatgrass was administered orally at 80 mg/100 g body weight in drinking water for 4 weeks along with CCl4 injection given subcutaneously twice a week at a dose of 2 mL/Kg body weight wheatgrass dose was started 2 weeks prior to first injection of CCl4. Reduced glutathione (GSH) was measured in liver tissue for antioxidant levels and lipid peroxidation (LPO) for oxidative stress. Results: GSH level was significantly decreased while LPO increased in hepatic tissue of group 2 (CCl4 treated rats) as compared to group 1 (controls). In group 3 (CCl4 + wheatgrass treated rats), GSH level was increased while LPO decreased as compare to group 2. Conclusion: This study shows that wheatgrass treatment decreased the oxidative stress and increased the antioxidant levels in CCl4 induced hepatotoxicity. Conflict of Interest: None Comparative Hepatoprotective Activity of Polygonum Bistorta Extract and Its Active Compound Against Carbon Tetrachloride-Induced Hepatotoxicity in Rats DK Mittal School of Studies in Zoology, Jiwaji University, Gwalior, India Aim: Many herbal preparations have been recommended in alternative system of medicine for the treatment of hepatic disorder. Druginduced hepatotoxicity is still a significant unresolved clinical problem as liver is the most common site of damage. Present findings is based on the protective effect of PB extract and TA against acute and sub chronic APAP and CCl4 intoxication. Methods: Male Sprague Dawley strain rats (150 ± 10 g body weight) were administered a single bolus dose of APAP (2 g/Kg, p.o.) and CCl4 (0.15 mL/Kg, i.p.). Plant extract (Polygonum bistorta) and its active principle (tannic acid) was given at the dose of 100 mg/Kg and 25 mg/Kg, respectively (p.o.) after 24 hours of toxicant administration. Results: The effect of PB, TA and silymarin on AST, ALT, SALP, Blood sugar, Protein, Albumin, Bilirubin, Urea, Creatinine were observed against APAP toxicity. Further, the effects of the PB and TA was confirmed on LPO, GSH, ATPase, SOD, GR, GPx, G6PDH, GST, AH, AND were estimated against CCl4 intoxication. Conclusions: TA produced significant hepatoprotective effect by decreasing the activities of above biochemical indices followed by PB extract. Histopathological and ultrastructural observations and in vitro study by MTT assay supported above findings. Conflict of Interest: None 03_JCEH-Abstract.indd 43 3/18/2011 11:13:05 AM

Comparative Hepatoprotective Activity of Polygonum Bistorta Extract and Its Active Compound Against Carbon Tetrachloride-Induced Hepatotoxicity in Rats

© 2011, INASL 43 Wheatgrass and Antioxidant Levels in Carbon Tetrachloride-induced Hepatotoxicity in Rats JK Kamboj*, SV Rana*, RP Ola*, DK Dhawan**, K Vahiphei*** Departments of Gastroenterology and ***Pathology, PGIMER, Chandigarh Background: Wheatgrass (Triticum aestivum), rich in various antioxidants, is known to treat a number of conditions including burns, common cold, anemia, cough, fever and eczema, etc. Aim: Therefore, this study was planned to determine the effect of wheatgrass on antioxidant levels and oxidative stress induced by CCl4 in hepatic tissue of rats. Materials and Methods: Eighteen Wistar rats with body weight of 120–150 gms were divided into 3 groups. Group 1—rats in this group were given normal saline injection subcutaneously twice a week for 4 weeks. Group 2—carbon tetrachloride was administered subcutaneously at a dose of 2 mL/Kg body weight twice a week for 4 weeks in this group. Group 3—wheatgrass was administered orally at 80 mg/100 g body weight in drinking water for 4 weeks along with CCl4 injection given subcutaneously twice a week at a dose of 2 mL/Kg body weight wheatgrass dose was started 2 weeks prior to first injection of CCl4. Reduced glutathione (GSH) was measured in liver tissue for antioxidant levels and lipid peroxidation (LPO) for oxidative stress. Results: GSH level was significantly decreased while LPO increased in hepatic tissue of group 2 (CCl4 treated rats) as compared to group 1 (controls). In group 3 (CCl4 + wheatgrass treated rats), GSH level was increased while LPO decreased as compare to group 2. Conclusion: This study shows that wheatgrass treatment decreased the oxidative stress and increased the antioxidant levels in CCl4 induced hepatotoxicity. Conflict of Interest: None Comparative Hepatoprotective Activity of Polygonum Bistorta Extract and Its Active Compound Against Carbon Tetrachloride-Induced Hepatotoxicity in Rats DK Mittal School of Studies in Zoology, Jiwaji University, Gwalior, India Aim: Many herbal preparations have been recommended in alternative system of medicine for the treatment of hepatic disorder. Druginduced hepatotoxicity is still a significant unresolved clinical problem as liver is the most common site of damage. Present findings is based on the protective effect of PB extract and TA against acute and sub chronic APAP and CCl4 intoxication. Methods: Male Sprague Dawley strain rats (150 ± 10 g body weight) were administered a single bolus dose of APAP (2 g/Kg, p.o.) and CCl4 (0.15 mL/Kg, i.p.). Plant extract (Polygonum bistorta) and its active principle (tannic acid) was given at the dose of 100 mg/Kg and 25 mg/Kg, respectively (p.o.) after 24 hours of toxicant administration. Results: The effect of PB, TA and silymarin on AST, ALT, SALP, Blood sugar, Protein, Albumin, Bilirubin, Urea, Creatinine were observed against APAP toxicity. Further, the effects of the PB and TA was confirmed on LPO, GSH, ATPase, SOD, GR, GPx, G6PDH, GST, AH, AND were estimated against CCl4 intoxication. Conclusions: TA produced significant hepatoprotective effect by decreasing the activities of above biochemical indices followed by PB extract. Histopathological and ultrastructural observations and in vitro study by MTT assay supported above findings. Conflict of Interest: None 03_JCEH-Abstract.indd 43 3/18/2011 11:13:05 AM

Restoration of Species‐Rich, Nutrient‐Limited Mountain Grassland by Mowing and Fertilization

Mowing and management to reduce nutrient levels have often been successfully used to restore species‐rich grasslands in various parts of Europe. However, such treatments have failed to restore the species‐rich Central European mountain grasslands dominated by Polygonum bistorta. P. bistorta builds an extensive underground rhizome system that monopolizes available nutrients in these nutrient‐poor grasslands, enabling this species to persist at high densities even in the presence of mowing. Therefore, we tested a restoration approach using a factorial combination of fertilization and mowing, as well as a litter removal treatment. The experiment was run over 5 years and species composition response to these treatments was recorded at two spatial scales. Mowing suppressed flowering and cover of P. bistorta and promoted target grassland species and richness. Fertilization prevented nutrient impoverishment and increased height and dominance of the broad‐leaved grasses with which many species‐rich grassland herbs could coexist. The additive effect of the mowing/fertilization treatments was strong enough to act as a driver of P. bistorta suppression and associated community change. The litter removal treatment, however, had little effect on plant composition. The experiment demonstrates that in nutrient‐limited grasslands, increasing nutrient levels in addition to mowing to manage competition for light can be used to control dominants. This contrasts with restoration of systems where after abandonment increased nutrient levels lead to the establishment of tall dominants that suppress other species by competition for light.

Antioxidant and hepatoprotective activity of polygonum bistorta (Linn.) and its active principle against acetaminophen-induced liver toxicity in male rats

Antioxidant and hepatoprotective activity of polygonum bistorta (Linn.) and its active principle against acetaminophen-induced liver toxicity in male rats

Evidence for Selective Caching by Arctic Ground Squirrels Living in Alpine Meadows in the Yukon

Male arctic ground squirrels (Spermophilus parryii) rely on food they cached the previous year for the energy they need to compete for mates each spring. We collected cheek-pouch contents of arctic ground squirrels trapped during three summers (2000–02) as an indication of what squirrels cached. Among adults, both males and females carried material in their cheek pouches, but males did so more frequently than females (4.4% vs. 0.6% of captures). Males carried material later in the summer than females, and also carried different material (seeds and rhizomes as opposed to nesting material). These differences probably reflect different purposes of cheek-pouch contents—females carried material for immediate use, whereas males carried food for caching. Only 24 of over 100 species of vascular plants growing at our alpine study site were carried, and presumably cached, by male arctic ground squirrels. The seeds or rhizomes of one species, Polygonum viviparum, were found in over 90% of cheek-pouch contents examined, even though that species grew at relatively low density and was no more common than another species in the same genus (Polygonum bistorta) that was never found in cheek-pouch contents. Collectively, this evidence indicates that males are highly selective in what species they cache. Many of the species carried by arctic ground squirrels in this study have also been found in Pleistocene fossil caches from central Yukon, indicating that food preferences of this species may have remained stable over time.

Hidden diversity in the non‐caryophyllaceous plant‐parasitic members of Microbotryum (Pucciniomycotina: Microbotryales)

Members of the fungal genus Microbotryum are well‐known parasites on eudicotyledonous plant hosts. However, recent studies focused exclusively on Microbotryum species being parasites in the anthers of Caryophyllaceae in which strong host‐specificity was confirmed by molecular analyses. Consequently, species numbers have risen considerably as multi‐host parasites were split up in so‐called cryptic species. We subjected three non‐caryophyllaceous Microbotryum groups to molecular phylogenetic analyses to see whether we would confirm multi‐host morphospecies or if host‐specific cryptic species in these selected groups could be revealed as well (i.e. a group of non‐caryophyllaceous anther smuts, parasites on different Fallopia species, and parasites on Polygonum bistorta and Polygonum vi‐viparum). We applied a multiple analysis strategy to correct for varying alignment effects on a two‐locus dataset (ITS and LSU rDNA). The results obtained by the different approaches are uniform; high host‐specificity exists in the non‐ caryophyllaceous anther smuts, but overlapping host ranges occur in the parasites of Fallopia species. Results for the parasites of Polygonum are similar, with Microbotryum bistortarum being separated into three lineages and M. marginale forming a lineage on P. bistorta which apparently is conspecific with M. bistortarum p.p. Our study shows that phylogenetic patterns within Microbotryum are much more complicated than deduced from morphological observations alone. Even though Microbotryum species are highly host‐specific, it is impossible to identify species based solely on host taxa affiliation. Species status is reinstated for the anther smut on Salvia pratensis.

Hepatoprotective effects of Polygonum bistorta and active principles on albino rats intoxicated with carbon tetrachloride and paracetamol

Hepatoprotective effects of Polygonum bistorta and active principles on albino rats intoxicated with carbon tetrachloride and paracetamol