Potential Plant Species Research Articles

A Trait-Based Protocol for the Biological Control of Invasive Exotic Plant Species

Selecting appropriate native species for the biological control of invasive exotic plants is a recurring challenge for conservationists, ecologists, and land managers. Recently developed trait-based approaches may be an effective means of overcoming this challenge. However, we lack a protocol and software platform that can be used to quickly and effectively select potential native plant species for performing biological control of the invasive exotic plant species. Here, our study introduces a protocol and a software program that can be used for trait-based selection of appropriate native plant species for performing biocontrol of invasive exotic plant species. In particular, we illustrate the effectiveness of this software program and protocol by identifying native species that can be used for the biological control of Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit, a highly invasive plant species found in many parts of the world. Bougainvillea spectabilis was the only native species selected by our software program as a potential biocontrol agent for L. leucocephala. When separately planting 4 seedlings of B. spectabilis and two unselected species (Bombax ceiba, and Ficus microcarpa) as neighbors of each individual of L. leucocephala for 3 years, we found that B. spectabilis, which was functionally similar to the invasive L. leucocephala, significantly limited the invasion of the latter, while the unselected native plant species could not. That was because all the seedling of B. spectabilis survived, while half seedlings of unselected species (B. ceiba and F. microcarpa) died, during the experimental period when planted with L. leucocephala seedlings. Moreover, the growth of L. leucocephala was restricted when planted with B. spectabilis, in contrast B. ceiba and F. microcarpa did not influence the growth of L. leucocephala. Overall, our software program and protocol can quickly and efficiently select native plant species for use in the biological control of invasive exotic plant species. We expect that this work will provide a general protocol to perform biological control of many different types of invasive exotic plant species.

Morphological characterization of Calophyllum Inophyllum as a biodiesel

Nyamplung (Calophyllum inophyllum Linn.) is one of the most potential forest plant species to be flourished. C. inophyllum seed can be deformed into oil as biofuel. Biofuel is very important to mitigate climate change impact as it reduces greenhouse gas emission from transportation sector. Mostly C. inophyllum grows along the coastline, especially in Ngombol and Grabag, Purworejo. There are a lot of C. inophyllum plant populations at these sites, but its varieties are not studied yet, therefore it is necessary to study the characterization of its morphology. This study aimed to obtain morphological character data and analyze C. inophyllum plants’ diversity in Purworejo. Samples were selected intentionally (purposive sampling). Thus morphological data elaborated descriptively and the cluster was analyzed by NTSYS (Numerical Taxonomy and Multivariate Analysis System) program. The study showed the diversity and also the similarity of morphological characters. C. inophyllum fruit and seed’s morphological character had its fruit length 2.1 – 3.1 cm, fruit diameter 1.93 – 1.95 cm, fruit weight 3.04 – 12.82 g, fruit shape is spherical/round, and fruit hardness 92.5 – 99.57 N. Moreover, it had seed length 1.16 – 2.22 cm, seed width 1.16 – 1.79 cm, seed weight 0.74 – 3.06 g, seed shape were spheroid, ellipsoid, reniform and the color was yellow. The morphological characters’ variance was 26%, which was categorized as low and Grabag district had more potential for growing and production than Ngombol regency.

Phytodiversity distribution in relation to altitudinal gradient in Salma Mountains – Saudi Arabia

This study was conducted to assess the phytodiversity distribution in relation to altitudinal gradient in Salma Mountains, a naturally protected habitat in Ha’il region in the north of Saudi Arabia. Seventeen (17) sampling sites covering three altitudinal zones (i.e. valley, foot and top mountain) were randomly selected within the study area. Within each site and altitudinal zone, the floristic composition and the potential plant species of economic values were assessed and evaluated. A total number of 163 plant species belong to 101 genera and 41 families were identified in this study. Their economic values were also classified into forage (32%), edible (8.7%), medicinal (21.3%), ornamental (30.7%), weeds (18%) and rare species (14%). In addition, results obtained from different altitudinal zones of Salma Mountains, showed that 24 species were spread in the adjacent valley to the mountains, where 32 species spreading at the foot of the mountains and 40 found occupying the top of the mountains. The rest of species have been found to occupy larger geographical distribution in all altitudinal parts. Across the altitudinal gradients, species richness has been found to be consistent with a monotonically increasing pattern with a high richness at high altitudes. The current study suggests that such naturally protected ecosystem can provide a refuge for native plant species and serve as seed bank for a future restoration program in Ha’il region and other similar habitats in Saudi Arabia.

Field Report and Survey ofFiorinia phantasma(Hemiptera: Diaspididae), Potential Pest of Palms, and Ornamental Plants in the United States

AbstractFiorinia phantasma Cockerell & Robinson is an invasive, polyphagous pest recently found causing frond losses in ornamental palms in Miami-Dade County and in nurseries in Palm Beach County, Florida, USA. In this article, we document the discovery of this pest, its associated damage, closely related species, potential host plant species, a field guide, basic diagnostics, field dispersal, and available management options. Fiorinia phantasma is a pest of concern for ornamental plants demanding quick development of its management in Florida and preventative measures for other states in the United States. This article will help in detecting, identifying, and managing its early infestations.

Non-host volatiles disturb the feeding behavior and reduce the fecundity of the green peach aphid, Myzus persicae.

The association of crops of value with companion plants could be one of the strategies to reduce the harmful effects of pests. We hypothesize that volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by some aromatic plants may negatively impact M. persicae, disturbing its feeding behavior and consequently its reproduction. VOCs emitted from six potential companion plant species affected the reproduction of M. persicae feeding on pepper plants, Capsicum annuum. Reproduction of M. persicae was reduced when exposed to VOCs from leaves of Ocimum basilicum and flowers of Tagetes patula. Thus, species and phenology of the companion plant can influence the effect. The VOCs from O. basilicum and T. patula also reduced phloem feeding by the aphids based on electropenetrography (EPG). The reduced fecundity of M. persicae could be linked to aphid feeding disruption provoked by the VOCs emitted by O. basilicum in the vegetative stage or T. patula cv. Nana in the flowering stage. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.

Root architecture, rooting profiles and physiological responses of potential slope plants grown on acidic soil.

Globally, there has been an increase in the frequency of landslides which is the result of slope failures. The combination of high intensity rainfall and high temperature resulted in the formation of acidic soil which is detrimental to the healthy growth of plants. Proper plant coverage on slopes is a prerequisite to mitigate and rehabilitate the soil. However, not all plant species are able to grow in marginal land. Thus, this study was undertaken to find a suitable slope plant species. We aimed to evaluate the effect of different soil pH on root profiles and growth of three different potential slope plant species namely, Melastoma malabathricum, Hibiscus rosa-sinensis and Syzygium campanulatum. M. malabathricum showed the highest tolerance to acidic soil as it recorded the highest plant height and photosynthetic rate. The root systems of M. malabathricum, H. rosa-sinensis and S. campanulatum were identified as M, VH- and R-types, respectively. The study proposed M. malabathricum which possessed dense and shallow roots to be planted at the toe or top of the slope while H. rosa-sinensis and S. campanulatum to be planted in the middle of a slope. S. campanulatum consistently recorded high root length and root length density across all three types of soil pH while M. malabathricum showed progressive increase in length as the soil pH increased. The root average diameter and root volume of M. malabathricum outperformed the other two plant species irrespective of soil pH. In terms of biomass, M. malabathricum exhibited the highest root and shoot dry weights followed by S. campanulatum. Thus, we propose M. malabathricum to be planted on slopes as a form of soil rehabilitation. The plant species displayed denser rooting, hence a stronger root anchorage that can hold the soil particles together which will be beneficial for slope stabilization.

Deciphering the rhizosphere microbiome of a bamboo plant in response to different chromium contamination levels

Bamboo has been considered a potential plant species for phytoremediation due to its high biomass and heavy metal (HM) resistance. However, little is known about the interactions between bamboo and soil microbial activities in HM-contaminated soils. Here, we investigated the characteristics of microbial communities in the rhizosphere soil of Lei bamboo (Phyllostachys praecox) along a chromium (Cr) gradient. We found that the soil Cr content was positively correlated with the total organic carbon (TOC) and HCl-extractable Cr but negatively correlated with the pH and bacterial and fungal Shannon indices. Proteobacteria and Ascomycota predominated in the bamboo rhizosphere under Cr pollution. A co-occurrence network showed that two of the most Cr-sensitive bacterial genera and keystone taxa were from the Acidobacteria, indicating that this phylum can be as an indicator for the studied Cr-polluted soils. Redundancy analysis revealed that both the soil bacterial and fungal community compositions were significantly correlated (p < 0.05) with Cr, pH, TOC, alkali-hydrolysable N (AN), and available phosphorus (AP). The increase in TOC as the Cr content increased can be ascribed to an adverse Cr effect on the soil microflora, probably because the microbial biomass was less effective in mineralizing soil C under Cr-polluted conditions.

Seed germination and early seedling growth of six wetland plant species in saline-alkaline environment

This study focused on the effect of saline and alkaline stress on six typical wetland plant species during seed germination and early seedling growth stages. Based on the indicators of germination, seedling growth and ionic absorption in seedlings, relatively saline and alkaline tolerant plant species were selected and tolerance mechanism was discussed. Results showed that the existence of saline and alkaline stress inhibited the capacity of germination and early seedling growth of most tested plant species to varying degrees, therein effects of saline-alkaline stress were greater than saline stress. Based on the results of principal component analysis (PCA), germination percentage, K+ content, plant height, Na+ content and Na+/K+ ratios can be selected as representative indicators for saline and alkaline tolerance evaluation during seed germination and early seedling growth stages. Among tested species, Juncus effusus and Vetiveria zizanioides exhibited relatively higher saline and alkaline tolerant capacity during their seed germination and early seedling growth. Additionally, both species increase K+ accumulation and retain lower Na+/K+ ratios, which might be their tolerance mechanisms at ion level. In conclusion, V. zizaniodes and J. effusus were recommended as potential plant species for restoring degraded saline-alkaline wetlands and/or establishing constructed wetlands for treating saline wastewater.

Plant-based skin lightening agents: A review

Hyperpigmentation is a skin disorder that occurs widely in the human population in which darkened patches or spots appear on the skin. Cosmetic products containing natural skin lightening agents are regarded as a safe alternative and effective approach to this hyperpigmentation problem. The review paper aims to discuss on some potential plant species with skin lightening properties by focusing on the presence of responsible bioactive compounds and their specific mechanisms of action in minimizing melanin production in hyperpigmentation problem. The finding shows that different bioactive compounds have various modes of action on melanin biosynthesis pathway including tyrosinase inhibition, melanosomes transfer inhibition, anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. Some plants with skin lightening activity contain several bioactive compounds which contribute to an enhancement of skin lightening effects and inhibition of hyperpigmentation. In conclusion, the screening of potential skin lightening ingredients from natural sources is very crucial process before formulation development for an effective skin lightening product.

Phylogenetic analysis of hyperaccumulator plant species for heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

Increasing concentration of heavy metals (HMs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the soil may impose a serious threat to living organisms due to their toxicity and the ability to accumulate in plant tissues. The present review focuses on the phylogenetic relationships, sources, biotransformation and accumulation potential of hyperaccumulators for the priority HMs and PAHs. This review provides an opportunity to reveal the role of hyperaccumulators in removal of HMs and PAHs from soils, to understand the relationships between pollutants and their influence on the environment and to find potential plant species for soil remediation. The phylogenetic analysis results showed that the hyperaccumulators of some chemicals (Co, Cu, Mn, Ni, Zn, Cd) are clustered on the evolutionary tree and that the ability to hyperaccumulate different pollutants can be correlated either positively (Cd-Zn, Pb-Zn, Co-Cu, Cd-Pb) or negatively (Cu-PAHs, Co-Cd, Co-PAHs, Ni-PAHs, Cu-Ni, Mn-PAHs). Further research needs to be extended on the focus of commercializing the techniques including the native hyperaccumulators to remediate the highly contaminated soils.

Selection of potential Indonesian plant species for antioxidant

Diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) is commonly complication of diabetes mellitus. Antimicrobial and antioxidant herbs can be used as complementary therapy in DFU and these properties will be strengthened by silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). This study was performed for screening of Indonesian herbs promising as antioxidant which can be subsequently involved in the green synthesis of AgNPs. Antioxidant of eight herbs extracts were evaluated using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl method. Their total group of compounds were quantified as well. Phyllanthus niruri and Orthosiphon stamineus exhibited the strongest antioxidant power with IC50 of 102 and 133 μg/ml, followed by Curcuma domestica, Stelechocarpus burahol, and Curcuma xanthorriza with the IC50 of 363, 481, and 540 μg/ml, respectively. Sonchus arvensis, Apium graveolens, Centella asiatica did not have antioxidants activity. Total phenolics from the highest is: O. stamineus > C. domestica > C. xanthorrizha > P. niruri > S. burahol > S. arvensis > A. graveolens > C. asiatica, whereas total flavonoids order is O. stamineus > S. burahol > P. niruri > A. graveolens > C. asiatica > S. arvensis > C. xanthorrizha > C. domestica. We concluded that O. stamineus was the most suitable herb to be used as a bioreductor in the green synthesis of AgNPs.

Potential of ethno-veterinary medicine in animal health care practices in the South Pacific Island countries: a review.

The South Pacific island countries (SPIC) are among the most vulnerable countries in the world to economic shocks, climate change and natural disasters. Agriculture including livestock production makes important contribution to socio-economic development in the region. However, the livestock sector is marred by many livestock diseases, which are crippling the economies as well as threatening the food security of the island nations, most of which have high dependence on imports. Limited veterinary medical facilities, high cost of conventional medicine and remoteness of some rural farming communities make it difficult for farmers to treat their diseased animals. Nevertheless, the island nations are endowed with vast reserves of medicinal plants in diverse ecosystems including mangroves, rainforests and tropical dry forests. Despite the ubiquity of traditional medicine systems, most of the plant species have been used to treat human aliments in the SPIC and very few farmers utilise herbal medicine to treat their animals. This review highlights the common diseases affecting livestock production in the SPIC, threats to ethno-veterinary knowledge, and potential plant species and their efficacies to treat animal diseases and parasites. It also discusses the common methods of preparation of veterinary herbal medicine and possible ways of making the medicine available in the formal and informal markets in the region. It is envisaged that the review will stimulate further ethno-veterinary research among livestock disease management practices in the SPIC.

A review on the Phytochemistry and Pharmacological properties of Picralima nitida Durand and H. (Apocynaceae family): A potential antiCovid-19 medicinal plant species

A review on the Phytochemistry and Pharmacological properties of Picralima nitida Durand and H. (Apocynaceae family): A potential antiCovid-19 medicinal plant species

Screening potential plant species for arresting particulates in Jharia coalfield, India

Mining and related activities cause severe degradation of ambient air quality. A study of particulate matter (PM) across transportation, mining and control (C) sites for dust attenuation capacity (DAC) in selected tree species were carried out in Jharia coalfield (JCF) to estimate the menace of dust pollution and also to measure air pollution tolerance index (APTI). Results indicated that the maximum value of PM10 and PM2.5 ranged from 54 to 174 and 29 to 78 μg m− 3 respectively across all the sites. The maximum values occurred in transportation and the minimum at C for both the particulates. Mining and transportation resulted in an increase in PM10 values by 161 and 200% and PM2.5 values by 100 and 136% respectively as compared to those in C. The mean concentration of PM10 and PM2.5 across the sites exceeded the permissible limit of 100 and 60 μg m− 3 respectively. Transportation was worse than mining due to the high proportion of hazardous fine (PM2.5) particulates. DAC indicated that Tectona grandis (TG) captured maximum dust (2.15 mg cm− 2) with 85% and Peltophorum inerme (PI) the minimum (0.15 mg cm− 2) with 5% efficiency. The trend for DAC showed TG > Ficus glomerata (FG) > Psidium guajava (PG) > Ficus benghalensis (FB) > Ficus religiosa (FR) > Alstonia scholaris (AS) > Aegle marmelos (AM) > Gmelina arborea (GA) > Dalbergia sissoo (DS) > Syzyzium cumini (SC) > Azadirachta indica (AI) > Terminalia arjuna (TA) > Mangifera indica (MI) > Albizia lebbeck (AL) > PI in descending order. APTI based on pH, total chlorophyll, ascorbic acid and relative water content indicated maximum values for TG (17) with 90% and minimum for PI (10) with 57% of the total and is a measure of the sustainability of plants in JCF. The descending order for APTI was TG > PG > FG > FR > FB > AI > MI > SC > DS > GA > AM > AS > AL > TA > PI. Thus, TG is the most suitable and PI the least. Stomatal density is negatively related to DAC and positively related to APTI. DAC therefore, cannot be attributed to a single factor but a mix of complex factors such as morphological and anatomical characteristics of the leaf, particle size, species type, metabolism, location, meteorology and stress conditions. Based on the findings a greenbelt design was proposed to improve the air quality of the mining and transportation areas.

Climate change increases potential plant species richness on Puerto Rican uplands

Modeling climate change effects on species and communities is critical especially in isolated islands. We analyzed the potential effects of climate change on 200 plant species in Puerto Rico under two emission scenarios and in four periods over the twenty-first century. Our approach was based on ensemble bioclimatic modeling using eight modeling algorithms and community richness analysis. Our findings showed that the probabilities of environmental suitability decline for wet climate species and increase for drier and warm climate species in the future periods under both emission scenarios, with stronger effects under the higher emission scenario. Expansion of dry climate species to higher elevations appears to be a prominent response of species to climatic change in the island based on changes in environmental suitability but the actual species redistribution will be influenced by their life histories, potential adaptation, dispersal abilities, species introductions, and species interactions. This potential movement leads to a spatial pattern of species richness at site level that shows a positive relationship with elevation, which becomes stronger in the later periods of the century. The spatial pattern of species richness, if combined with single species projections, can provide critical information for conservation management in the island. Conservation management can support island-wide biological diversity by protecting the wet climate species on the uplands.

Potential Allelopathic Candidates for Land Use and Possible Sustainable Weed Management in South Asian Ecosystem

Weed management is one of the significant challenges of field crops since weeds pose a remarkable threat to crop productivity in South Asian countries, including Bangladesh. Allelopathy, a phenomenon whereby secondary metabolites produced and released by one plant species influence the growth and development of other species can be exploited in sustainable management. The focus of this study was to evaluate potential allelopathic plant species which can be further explored as alternatives to synthetic herbicides or incorporated as part of integrated weed management in sustainable agriculture. Two hundred fifty-two plant samples from 70 families were collected from Bangladesh and evaluated with the sandwich bioassay. Thirty-one percent of the samples showed significant allelopathic potential on lettuce radicle elongation. Among the species that showed substantial inhibition, more than 7% of the samples showed higher inhibition (HI) and 25% showed moderate inhibition (MI) on lettuce radicle. Fruit pulps of Couroupita guianensis (95.4%), fruits of Phyllanthus emblica (95.4%), and Acacia concinna (95.4%) showed the highest inhibition on lettuce radicle elongation. In contrast, the leaf of Bombax insigne had growth promoting activity by stimulating radicle (23%) and hypocotyl (80%) elongation of lettuce seedlings. This result suggested that the species with significant plant growth inhibitory potential may play a vital role as an alternative to the increasing use of synthetic herbicides for sustainable weed management in agricultural land.

Biodiversity significance of therapeutically potential plant species indigenous to North East India

Biodiversity significance of therapeutically potential plant species indigenous to North East India

Pemanfaatan Tumbuhan Obat Masyarakat Marind yang Bermukim di Taman Nasional Wasur, Merauke

Study on the used of medicinal plants by Marind people who lived at Wasur National Park, Merauke was conducted by using descriptive methods which include observation, interview, documentation, literature review techniques, as well as  emic and ethic approaches. During the study there were 46 species which belong to 26 families plants found as medicinal plants used by Marind people to cure about 30 diseases. Among 46 species, there were 7 potential medicinal plant species which known  and used by most Marind people. The seven potential medicinal plant species were Ipomoea triloba L., Bauhinia sp., Pittosporum sp., Kingiodendron platycarpum Bent., Sophora tool mentosa L.Cyrtandra sp., dan Tinopspora disstiflora L. Part of plant used vary from leaf, root, bark, fruit and other part of plant. Compare to other part of plant, leaf was the most common used as traditional medicinal plant. Key words:   traditional medicinal plant, Marind people, Wasur National Park

Comparison of Distichlis spicata and Suaeda aegyptiaca in response to water salinity: Candidate halophytic species for saline soils remediation

ABSTRACTDistichlis spicata and Suaeda aegyptiaca are two potential halophytic plant species for bioremediation of salt degraded soils, and development of saline agriculture. The physiological responses of the species to different levels of salinity (EC 0, 12, 24, 36, and 48 dS/m) in a controlled environment experiment were studied. Both species showed a high level of tolerance to elevated concentrations of salt in the irrigation water. The shoot fresh and dry weights in S. aegyptiaca increased till 36 dS/m and were sustained under 48 dS/m while in D. spicata, both parameters decreased as salinity increased. Glycine betaine accumulation did not change in D. spicata with increasing salinity, whereas proline content revealed a marked increase of 7.13 fold in 48 dS/m salinity compared to the control, which showed its critical osmoprotection role in the plant. In S. aegyptiaca, both osmolytes content significantly increased at high salinity levels (36 and 48 dS/m) up to 3.22 and 2.0 folds, respectively. Overall, S. aegyptiaca had a better potential of Na+ phytoremediation, and tolerated higher salinity compared to D. spicata. In contrast, the vigorous root and rhizome growth in D. spicata made it a proper solution for protecting the soils against further erosion under saline conditions.

Woody species Rhus chinensis Mill. seedlings tolerance to Pb: Physiological and biochemical response

Screening potential plant species is a crucial consideration in phytoremediation technology. Our previous study demonstrated that Rhus chinensis Mill. seedlings had potentials for phytoremediation of Pb contaminated soil. However, its bioaccumulation and tolerance characteristics remain unclear. Seedling growth, LMWOAs secreted by roots, Pb subcellular distribution and chemical forms, and mineral elements in R. chinensis tissues were evaluated under different Pb concentrations (0, 25, 50, 100, 200 and 400 mg/L) in culture solution at 14 days after planting. R. chinensis did not show visual symptoms of Pb toxicity under lower Pb treatments; however, Pb significantly declined the growth of seedlings under higher Pb treatments. Higher Pb stress also decreased the concentrations of nitrogen in leaves, but increased the concentrations of P and K in roots. Pb stress also decreased Mn concentrations in leaves. A great quantity of Pb was uptake and mostly retained in R. chinensis roots. Nonetheless, R. chinensis can still concentrate 459.3 and 1102.7 mg/kg Pb in leaves and stems, respectively. Most of Pb in R. chinensis tissues was stored in the cell wall with HAc-, HCl-, and NaCl-extractable form. LMWOAs secreted by R. chinensis roots showed a strong positive correlation with Pb concentrations in all plant tissues and with P in roots. Our results suggested that Pb deposited in the cell wall and integration with phosphate or oxalate might be responsible for the tolerance of R. chinensis under Pb stress in short period.