Ranunculus Sceleratus Research Articles

Validating the properties of Ranunculus sceleratus Linn. by performing spectroscopic techniques and modern chromatography

Ranunculus sceleratus Linn. is one of the well-known medicinal plants, being used from the ancient time in India and commonly called as “Jal dhaniya”. It belongs to Ranunculaceae family derived from two Latin Words “Rana” means frog and “unculus” means little and referred together as “little frog” and also species sceleratus for cursed. It is an aquatic perennial herb. It consists of a herbaceous hollow stem, firm tap root, branched rhizome and leaves having a smooth upper side. The green plant is toxic for livestock and uncomfortable to human skin. This plant can grow up to 0.60 m tall, and also used as a food, medicine and possess other uses. Ranunculus sceleratus Linn. is commonly spread in the temperate and cold region in Global distribution (Indonesia, Malaysia, Nepal, Sri Lanka and India). According to Bentham and Hooker classification “Genera Plantarum”, this plant belongs to the division Polypetale of Dicotyledones which processes more than 600 species. The Phytochemical screening was performed according to API norms, in addition to this UV VIS, FTIR, TLC and HPLC test were also carried out for further validation. The spectroscopy and chromatography examination revealed the presence of flavonoids, phenols and various other Phytoconstituents in Ranunculus sceleratus Linn. The spectroscopy and chromatography validation can help us it for medicinal and commercial purposes.

Phytoremediation potential of heavy metal accumulator plants for waste management in the pulp and paper industry

The present manuscript has focused on the heavy metal; accumulation potential by common native plants i.e. Chenopodium album L., Ricinus communis, Ranunculus sceleratus, and Rumex dentatus growing on the disposed of pulp and paper mill effluent sludge. The sludge showed the abundance of benzene propanoic acid tert- butyldimethylsilyl ester, Octadecanoic acid, TMS, Hexadecanoic acid, TMS, cinnamic acid-α-phenyl-TMS ester, β-sitosterol TMS, 4-mercaptobenzoic acid as residual complex organic compounds along with heavy metals Fe (98.30 mg/L−1), Zn (51.00 mg/L−1), Cu (3.21 mg/L−1), Cd (9.11 mg/L−1), Mn (18.27 mg/L−1), Ni (5.21 mg/L−1), (Hg 0.014 mg/L−1) which were above the prescribed limit of environmental standard. The complexation of organic compounds with heavy metal restricts the bioavailability of metals to plants. But the metal analysis in various parts of the plant showed a significant amount of metal accumulation. Further, histological observations of root tissue through TEM showed apparent deposition of metal granules near the cell wall and vacuole as adoption features of plants. But the variable concentration of metal accumulation in different parts by various plants indicated the variable potential of tested plants with various metals. This also indicated their metal bio-availability and movement to plant tissue. Further, their bioconcentration factor (BCF) and translocation factor (TF) > 1.0 indicated the hyperaccumulation tendency of plants Mn was accumulated maximum in leaves C. album (69.38 mg/kg−1) followed by Cu (25.75 mg/kg −1), As (23.20 mg/kg −1), Fe (20.90 mg/kg −1) and Pb was maximum accumulated (22.41 mg/kg −1) in R. cummunis leaves. The result revealed that arsenic has been accumulated in higher amount root, shoot and leaves of all tested plants. The metal accumulator plants showed phytoremediation potential also by reducing various pollution parameters after growth on sludge. These potential plants may be used as biotechnological tools for the eco-restoration of polluted sites.

Population status and ecology of the episodic moss Physcomitrium eurystomum Sendtn. in Britain

ABSTRACT Introduction. Physcomitrium eurystomum is rare in Europe and threatened with extinction. This study investigates its status and ecology in Britain. Methods. A detailed search was made for P. eurystomum at all sites where it has been reported in Britain, plus four other locations nearby. Geographic coordinates of colonies were recorded with GPS units and used to derive counts of occupied Ordnance Survey (OS) grid cells at resolutions of 1, 10 and 100 m. DNA barcoding was used to help identify non-fruiting plants. Habitat and community composition were recorded by relevés. Results. In this study Physcomitrium eurystomum was found at five locations, one in Hertfordshire and four in West Norfolk, and occupied 109 OS 1 m grid cells. A small pond in West Norfolk (Wicken Pond) supported the majority (61%) of the population. DNA barcoding helped confirm its occurrence at Wilstone Reservoir (Hertfordshire), at which it was thought extinct. The moss occured exclusively within the drawdown zone of seasonally fluctuating freshwater bodies, both natural and artificial. Vegetation was dominated by vascular plants, most frequently Agrostis stolonifera, Persicaria lapathifolia, Ranunculus sceleratus, Rorippa palustris and Stellaria aquatica. Soil pH varied from strongly acidic to slightly alkaline. Conclusions. Unsuccessful searches of five sites with historic records raises concern for the species. The significant importance of Wicken Pond has not been recognised previously and suggests statutory protection of the site is warranted. The non-native and invasive Crassula helmsii is a major risk to P. eurystomum at sites in Britain and elsewhere in Europe.

Bioactive constituents and allelopathic activities of the invasive weed Ranunculus sceleratus L. Nile Delta, Egypt

Ranunculus sceleratus L. (celery-leaved buttercup) is a herbaceous plant grows in wet and moist habitats and is native to temperate and boreal North America and Eurasia. Moreover, it is listed as an invasive weed in northern Africa, Europe and Asia. This study aimed to determine some secondary products in R. sceleratus (Shoot and Root system) collected from canal banks of drains, Nile Delta, Egypt and to demonstrate their antioxidant and allelopathic potential. Results revealed that, methanolic extract of R. sceleratus rich in phenols, saponins and tannins. The antioxidant activity of the R. sceleratus has IC50 value of 0.37 mg/ml and 0.34 mg/ml for shoot and root, respectively, compared to 0.15 mg/ml for catechol. At 400 mg/ml, Chenopodium murale germination was inhibited by 79.74% and 92.64 for shoot and root extract, respectively, compared to control. However, the shoot growth was reduced by 76.06 % and 87.96 %, with the same sequence. The root growth was more sensitive to the allelopathic effect compared to the shoot, where it was inhibited by 82.68% and 98.67%, respectively, compared to control at the highest concentration. The obtained results on this invisive weed R. sceleratus could be a source of eco-friendly bioherbicides against C. murale and as a source of antioxidants.

NAA at a high concentration promotes efficient plant regeneration via direct somatic embryogenesis and SE-mediated transformation system in Ranunculus sceleratus

The novel methods for efficient plant regeneration via direct somatic embryogenesis (SE) and SE-mediated transformation system under high concentration of NAA in Ranunculus sceleratus were established. On MS media containing a high concentration of NAA (10.0 mg/L) in the dark, all inoculated explants (root, stem and leaf) formed somatic embryos at high frequencies, respectively, 66.03, 126.47 and 213.63 embryoids per explant, and 100% of the embryoids developed into plantlets on 1/2 MS rooting media. Morphological and histological analyses revealed that SE in R. sceleratus followed a classical pattern. All inoculated explants can be used as receptors for genetic transformation in R. sceleratus, through direct SE-mediated method after Agrobacterium infection. RcLEC1-B, as a marker gene, changed the number and morphology of flower organs and the development of cuticle in R. sceleratus, which indicated that the efficient transgenic system of R. sceleratus was established. To our knowledge, this is the first observation that both direct SE and transgenic transformation system, via induction of a single plant growth regulator, have been successfully constructed in R. sceleratus.

TianJiu therapy for α-naphthyl isothiocyanate-induced intrahepatic cholestasis in rats treated with fresh Ranunculus sceleratus L.

TianJiu (TJ) therapy, one type of cold moxibustion, applies to specific acupuncture points with herbal patches of hot nature, providing a constant irritant to the skin until the presence of hyperemia and blistering. Traditional and clinical reports suggest that TJ is an effective therapy for the treatment of jaundice with fresh Ranunculus sceleratus L. (RS), in which protoanemonin is one of the main irritant constituents. However, the therapeutic effect of TJ treatment with fresh RS against intrahepatic cholestasis has not been studied in animal experiments. Present study was undertaken to investigate the effect of TJ treatment with fresh RS against intrahepatic cholestasis in rats and provide an experimental basis for the underlying mechanism of TJ therapy. Male intrahepatic cholestatic Sprague-Dawley rats induced by 2% α-naphthylisothiocyanate (ANIT, 80 mg/kg B.W.) were treated by TJ therapy with fresh RS. The levels of serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), direct bilirubin (DBIL), total bilirubin (TBIL), total bile acid (TBA), hepatic malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitric monoxide (NO), as well as hepatic body ratio, bile flow and hepatic histopathological assay were measured and evaluated to investigate the therapeutic effect of TJ treatment with fresh RS. Phytochemical analysis of fresh and dried RS was performed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometer (GC-MS). After TJ treatment with fresh RS, the abnormally elevated levels of serum AST, ALT, ALP, DBIL, TBIL and TBA, as well as hepatic MDA and NO at 108 h were reduced significantly (versus model group, P < 0.01). The hepatic body ratio, bile flow and hepatic pathological change of cholestatic rats at 108 h in TJ group were restored when compared with those of model group. Thirty-one compounds including lactones, flavonoids and phenolic acids were identified and determined by GC-MS analysis. The content of protoanemonin in fresh RS (9.49%) was about 25-fold higher than that in dried RS (0.38%). TJ treatment with fresh RS exhibited good therapeutic effect on ANIT-induced intrahepatic cholestasis in rats, which may be due to the attenuated oxidative stress in the liver tissue. It is rational for the ancients to choose fresh RS as TJ herbal patches because of its abundant protoanemonin with the character of irritant. The qualitative and quantitative results of GC-MS analysis provided the chemical basis of TJ therapy with fresh RS, which can be regarded as a simple and efficient method for the treatment of cholestasis hepatitis.

Salinity tolerance of aquatic plants indicated by monitoring data from the Netherlands

Data on salinity tolerance of aquatic plant species are scarce, but required to better understand species’ responses in multiple stressed environments. We analyzed data from a Dutch Water board in the province of Zeeland according to the occurrence of plant taxa in relation to salinity (chloride concentration). The dataset contained 862 samples of plants (altogether 46 taxa) and chloride concentrations. The smallest range was found for Nuphar lutea occurring in sites with 43 to 140 mg l−1 Cl−. The widest range was observed for Glaux maritima occurring in sites with 710 to 22,000 mg l−1 Cl−. Two species (N. lutea and Potamogeton trichoides) had an optimum lower than 100 mg l−1 Cl−, while three taxa (G. maritima, Salicornia spp. and Ulva spp. (=non-filamentous)) had an optimum higher than 10,000 mg l−1 Cl−. Change points (CPs) were determined on salinity class level along the gradient. These CPs are defined as the class, at which the largest change in occurrence is determined. The CP of taxa that are relatively sensitive, such as Sparganium erectum and Carex riparia, were below 200 mg l−1 Cl−, while relative tolerant taxa, such as Stuckenia pectinata and Ranunculus sceleratus, had CPs at concentrations that were more than tenfold higher. The upper limit of the salinity range at which taxa occurred in the study area were generally similar to the few limits that were previously published. Implications for assigning species to water body types for implementing the Water Framework Directive in the Netherlands are discussed.

Demographic parameters of the predaceous ladybird, Hippodamia variegata (Goeze), on the aphid species, Aphis craccivora (Koch), reared on four host plants

The reproductive and demographic attributes of the aphidophagous ladybird, Hippodamia variegata (Goeze) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), when fed on the aphid species, Aphis craccivora (Koch), reared on four host plants, viz. Dolichos lablab L., Vigna unguiculata L. Walp, Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp., and Ranunculus sceleratus L., were investigated in the laboratory to find host suitability for the production of the ladybird. Results indicated that there was a significant effect of host plant on both reproductive and demographic parameters of the predator. The host plant suitability was in the rank order D. lablab = V. unguiculata > C. cajan > R. sceleratus. This ladybird started reproducing very early and laid a high number of eggs for a longer period of time when the adults were fed on aphids raised on D. lablab and V. unguiculata. Both the fecundity and percent egg hatching increased significantly in the case of the abovementioned two host plants. Similar host plant effects were found on demographic parameters of H. variegata, with significantly high values of net reproductive rate (rm), short generation (Tc), and doubling times (D.T.) on D. lablab and V. unguiculata. Age-specific fecundity of H. variegata at all host plant treatments was triangular in function with an initial increase in ovipositional rate with age, followed by attainment of peak and gradual decline till egg laying ceases. These peaks were higher on the host plant treatments, D. lablab and V. unguiculata. Sub-optimal values of both reproductive and demographic parameters were found on the host plant, R. sceleratus. Thus, it could be concluded that both D. lablab and V. unguiculata were the suitable host plants to raise aphid, A. craccivora, for the augmentative rearing of the ladybird, H. variegata.

Host plant-mediated prey preference and consumption by an aphidophagous ladybird, Menochilus sexmaculatus (Fabricius) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae)

The impact of host plant-aphid combination on the prey consumption and prey preference by adult ladybird, Menochilus sexmaculatus (Fabricius) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) was studied, using aphid-prey, Aphis craccivora (Koch) and Lipaphis erysimi (Kalt.), in the laboratory. Monotypic aphids, A. craccivora, raised separately on Indian bean, Dolichos lablab L., and poison buttercup, Ranunculus sceleratus L., and L. erysimi cultured on radish, Raphanus sativus L., and mustard, Brassica campestris L., were provided. Adult male and female ladybirds consumed significantly greater number of A. craccivora infested on D. lablab than those on R. sceleratus. Similarly, they consumed a greater number of L. erysimi raised on R. sativus than those on B. campestris. The results indicated that host plant allelochemicals/toxicants had a direct effect on the palatability and prey consumption, as the ladybird treated the same aphids differently that was raised on different hosts. Prey preference, using a choice condition, was tested by providing both the aphid species raised on toxic hosts in a common microcosm. Both adult male and female of M. sexmaculatus preferably consumed the aphid, A. craccivora-infested R. sceleratus over L. erysimi-infested B. campestris in all diet treatments. The preference indices (β and C) further skewed the results towards A. craccivora, which suggest that ladybirds preferred A. craccivora on encountering aphids raised on toxic hosts. It could be concluded that dietary selection in ladybirds depends largely on the aphid–host combination, and a suitable host may aid the augmentative rearing of both aphids and ladybirds.

In vitro Antifungal activity of somee higher plant extracts against Alternaria brassicae (Berk.) sacc. and A. brassicicola (Schw.) Wiltsh

The aqueous extracts of 10 plant species viz. Alangium solviifolium (root), Cestrum nocturnum (leaf), Ranunculus sceleratus (leaf), Ageratum conyzoides (stem), Annona squamosa (leaf), Zingiber officinale (rhizome), Nicotiana plumbaginifolia (fruit), Adhatoda vasica (fruit), Saraca indica (bark), Cannabis sativa (leaf) were assayed in vitro for antifungal activity against Aternarias pp.-the causal organisms of leaf blight of crucifers. The assessment of fungi toxicity was carried out by poisoned food technique on the basis of percent of inhibition in colony diameter of the test fungi Alternaria brassicae and A. brassicicola. The extracts of all plant species were found to be effective against test fungi. Among them, the aqueous extracts of root of Alangium solviifolium showed total inhibition of mycelial growth against both species of Alternaria. The present study was found out a source of biofungicide, so that environmental hazards can be minimized by using these chemicals.

Trace metal accumulation by Ranunculus sceleratus: implications for phytostabilization.

This study investigated the growth response of Ranunculus sceleratus to pollution and its capacity to accumulate trace metals for its use as a phytoremediator in Lake Maruit, Egypt. Three basins (main basin, fish farm, and southwestern basin) representing the natural distribution of the plant as well as the pollution loads in the lake, were chosen for collecting plant and sediment samples. In each basin ten quadrats (0.5m × 0.5m), distributed equally along two sites, were selected for measuring growth parameters, nutrients, and trace metal concentration. The highest biomass of the shoot and root (610 and 236gm-2) was recorded in the main basin and fish farm, respectively. R. sceleratus accumulated high concentrations of Cu and Pb (27.7 and 9.9mgkg-1), while toxic concentration of Mn (2508.0mgkg-1) in their roots compared to shoots. The bioaccumulation factor (BF) for the investigated metals was greater than one, and in the decreasing order: Ni (27.1) > Zn (20.0) > Cd (16.4) > Cu (7.7) > Mn (3.9) > Pb (3.6). The translocation factor of all analyzed trace metals was less than one. The ability of R. sceleratus to accumulate Mn, Ni, Cu, and Pb in its roots indicates the potential use of this species for phytostabilization of these metals (mainly Mn) in contaminated water bodies.

RNA-seq of Ranunculus sceleratus and Identification of Orthologous Genes among Four Ranunculus Species.

Ranunculus L. is an early diverging clade in the Angiosperm phylogeny. The split between terrestrial and aquatic/semi-aquatic lineages within the genus occurred within 20 Ma (Emadzade and Horandl, 2011), which is much younger than for some well-known aquatic lineages such as Ceratophyllum and Potamogeton. Ranunculus sceleratus Linn. is a semi-aquatic plant commonly found in paddy fields, streams and lakes in Asia, Europe and North America (eFlora of China, http://www.efloras.org/). The plant has also been studied for its unique toxicological and pharmacological properties (Prieto et al., 2003). Its karyotype is 2n = 32, x = 8 in mainland China (Yang, 2000). It usually roots in inundated soils, with stems and leaves emergent. The semi-aquatic R. sceleratus has been hypothesized to be an inter-mediate type in the transition from a terrestrial to aquatic habitat within the genus (Barrett et al., 1993; Prieto et al., 2003). In this study, we generated RNA-seq data of R. sceleratus and analyzed this in relation to the RNA-seq data of Ranunculus bungei Steud., Ranunculus cantoniensis DC., and Ranunculus brotherusii Freyn (Chen et al., 2015). Our aim was to generate RNA-seq data of R. sceleratus and identify the orthologous genes among the four species. Links to deposited data RNA-seq data of R. sceleratus was deposited at NCBI sequence Reads Archive (no. SRP072329). It is in SRA format. ITS sequence of R. sceleratus was deposited in GenBank (no. {type:entrez-nucleotide,attrs:{text:KT957621,term_id:949478889,term_text:KT957621}}KT957621). All the unigenes of R. sceleratus, data matrices of ITS and chloroplast DNA, sequences of the 3455 putative orthologous clusters identified using the program OrthoMCL, and 884 clusters after filters were deposited in figshare (https://figshare.com/s/f40d8f9bd8f894f2d630; sequences in fasta format). These data can be used for further transcriptome assembly, selective pressure estimation, phylogenetic analyses, etc.

Screening of &lt;i&gt;Ranunculus sceleratus&lt;/i&gt; for enzyme inhibition, antibacterial and antioxidant activities

&lt;p&gt;Enzyme inhibition potential of various fractions of &lt;em&gt;Ranunculus sceleratus&lt;/em&gt; was checked against α-glucosidase, butyrylcholinesterase, acetylcholinesterase and lipoxygenase enzymes. n-Butanol fraction showed very good activity (77.5 ± 1.0% inhibition at 0.1 mg/mL) against α-glucosidase. Its IC&lt;sub&gt;50&lt;/sub&gt; value was 35.7 ± 1.0 µg/mL comparable to quercetin (IC&lt;sub&gt;50&lt;/sub&gt; value 16.5 ± 0.4 µg/mL). Antibacterial activity was checked against five bacterial strains by 96-wells microplate assay using ciprofloxacin, a standard antibiotic. Chloroform, ethyl acetate, n-butanol and aqueous fractions showed excellent activity against &lt;em&gt;Pseudomonas aeruginosa&lt;/em&gt;, (MIC at 7.1, 7.8, 5.6 and 5.3 respectively), which is greater than standard antibiotic ciprofloxacin (MIC 10.0). The antioxidant potential of all the fractions was evaluated. Ethyl acetate soluble fraction exhibited highest percent inhibition of DPPH radical as compared to other fractions. It showed 80.9 ± 1.2% inhibition of DPPH radical at a concentration of 30 µg/mL. These results suggest that &lt;em&gt;R. sceleratus&lt;/em&gt; is a valuable herb, which inhibits the oxidative stress mechanism that lead to degenerative diseases. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;

Late Pleniglacial and Late Glacial lake-mire transformations in south-eastern Poland reflected in aquatic and wetland vegetation changes

This paper presents reconstruction of lake/mire vegetation changes recorded in a continuous profile, which spans the Late Pleniglacial and Late Glacial in south-eastern Poland. This is done on the basis of pollen, non-pollen palynomorphs (NPPs), plant macrofossils and diatom evidence. Initially, a small eutrophic lake, which originated and developed through permafrost thawing, existed at the site from ca. 14,910 cal. BP. The lake was characterized by mass algae blooms and wide taxonomic diversity of Potamogeton representatives. The succession of submersed macrophytes started with the appearance of Characeae and ranged from communities composed of taxa preferring alkaline conditions and the thin organic layer at the bottom, such as Potamogeton filiformis and Potamogeton praelongus, to those requiring alkaline-neutral waters with a thick organic layer (e.g. Potamogeton alpinus, Potamogeton friesii, Potamogeton obtusifolius and Potamogeton pectinatus). Despite the alkaline pH of water in the lake, there were also suitable niches for Nuphar pumila, a taxon associated with acidic waters. About 13,730 cal. BP a rich fen developed within the lake basin where Carex was prevalent, with more oligotrophic patches being occupied by Sphagnum mosses. The water table of this mire fluctuated, which is visible in the irregular occurrences of NPPs suited to an aquatic environment. The local vegetation points to slightly alkaline conditions on the fen. An eutrophic water body reappeared ca. 12,700 cal. BP and was functioning at least until ca. 11,620 cal. BP. This alteration of palaeoecosystem created niches for Ranunculus sceleratus in the shoreline section of the water body. The algae content and Potamogeton diversity was significantly smaller than in the water body that had existed there during the Late Pleniglacial and early Late Glacial. The succession of submersed macrophytes was the reverse of that of the initial water body. Taxa preferring more neutral-acidic conditions, such as P. alpinus, appeared at the onset of the renewed lake. Together with the accumulation of a layer of calcareous-detritus gyttja there was the spread of more ‘alkaline’ taxa, such as P. pectinatus and Myriophyllum spicatum. The present study revealed a lack of diatoms in the deposits along the entire length of the profile. In the case of peat section it stems from limited niches for their occurrence in fen habitats and their consequent low concentrations in peat deposits. However, the problem of the diatoms' absence in lacustrine sediments remains unsolved.

Environmental restoration effects of Ranunculus sceleratus L. in a eutrophic sewage system

This study investigated the environmental restoration effects of Ranunculus sceleratus in a sewage system microcosm trial, including the removal of pollutants and algal inhibition. We compared the removal of pollutants by R. sceleratus in a eutrophic sewage system in the presence and the absence of algae. The rate of removal without algae was 16.2–20.5% of that with algae. NH4+–N was removed most readily by R. sceleratus. The effects of R. sceleratus on the growth of Microcystis aeruginosa were also investigated in two allelopathic modes. The level of algal inhibition after the addition of an extract of Ranunculus scleratus was 57.1–78.9% greater than that in a co-culture test. To understand the role of allelopathy interference with algal development, we also determined the total flavonoid contents of plants, which ranged from 3.57 g to 20.19 g per plant. The cell density of Microcystis aeruginosa was negatively correlated with the total flavonoids in R. sceleratus, although aquatic macrophytes may contain other allelochemicals involved with algal inhibition in addition to flavonoid compounds. The environmental effects of R. sceleratus were significantly correlated with its growth stage (or water retention time), plant height, and biomass. This study suggests that R. sceleratus has potential for the low-effort and sustainable management of freshwaters, particularly the removal of nutrient pollutants and the reduction of excessive algal growth, which may be attributable to allelochemicals such as flavonoids. The in situ environmental restoration effects of R. sceleratus require further investigation at the ecosystem level.

Ranunculus sceleratus: a new host of ‘Candidatusphytoplasma cynodontis’ in India

Little leaf symptoms were observed on Ranunculus sceleratus at Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, India and collected samples resulted positive using PCR assays with phytoplasma universal primers P1/P7 followed by nested PCR with R16F2n/R16R2 primers. Selected nested PCR amplified products were cloned and sequenced. Sequence comparison revealed 99% identity with ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma cynodontis’. Phylogenetic analysis and computer-simulated RFLP patterns further confirmed that the phytoplasmas associated with little leaf disease of R. sceleratus are related to ‘Ca. P. cynodontis’ and belong to 16SrXIV-A subgroup. This is the first report of 16SrXIV-A phytoplasma association with little leaf disease of R. sceleratus in the world.

The Study of Biological Combination System to Remedy the Polluted River

As a sewage disposal system, a biological combination system of constructed wetlands and sand filters was set up to develop the technology, to improve the disposal performance, to offer the theoretical foundation and technical parameters for realizing the standardized engineering construc- tion. The results show that: 1) The system shows certain removal efficiency to CODCr, TN, NH4-N and TP, however because of the limited space on the bank, the results are not so satisfying.2) Among the aquatic plants selected on the principle of native species, Water Celery, Canna Generalis, Iris and Ranunculus Sceleratus can grow very well.3) The revetments make the DO rise by about 5~7mg/L, of which ecological board revetment has the best re-oxygenation performance.

Review of the application of the traditional Chinese medicinal herb, Ranunculus sceleratus Linn.

Ranunculus sceleratus Linn. is a wetland plant and a widely used traditional Chinese medicinal herb that has been researched intensively. It has many pharmacological effects, such as antibiosis, antiphlogosis, and the relief of articular effusion. R. sceleratus also has water purifying effects because it can adsorb large amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus, decompose suspended organic particles, and accumulate heavy metals such as Fe and Zn, while it may also be used to monitor any variation in these levels. These activities of R. sceleratus are attributable to its secondary metabolites including alkaloids, sterols, tannins, flavonoids, and tryptamine derivatives. The functional chemicals produce by R. sceleratusmight be applied to the control of harmful algae in the future. Key words: Environmental restoration, functional metabolites, potential application,Ranunculus sceleratus, traditional Chinese medicinal herb.

Evaluation of antidermatophytic activity of Ranunculus sceleratus and Pongamia pinnata available in North Eastern Region of India

ObjectiveTo investigate the in vitro antifungal activity of Ranunculus sceleratus (R. sceleratus) and Pongamia pinnata (P. pinnata), collected from North East India. Chloroform, Methanol and Water extracts of the plants were evaluated for anti-ringworm activity against five strains of dermatophytes viz., Trichophyton rubrum (T. rubrum), Trichophyton mentagrophytes (T. mentagrophytes), Trichophyton tonsurans (T. tonsurans), Microsporum gypseum (M. gypseum) and Microsporum fulvum (M. fulvum). MethodsAgar well diffusion method was used to determine the inhibition zone of the different extracts. The minimum inhibitory concentrations of the extracts were determined by broth macro dilution method. ResultsWhen compared, the chloroform extracts of both the plants were found to be highly active against all the tested fungi followed by the methanol extract. The water extract showed the least activity. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the extracts was ranging from 1.25–10.00 mg/mL for chloroform and methanol extracts and greater that 10 mg/mL for the water extracts. ConclusionThe results obtained from the experiments suggest the anti-dermatophytic nature of the plants.

Enhancement of auxin sensitivity in Ranunculus sceleratus by ethylene: A mechanism to escape from hypoxia under temporary submergence

We analyzed auxin-induced and ethylene-enhanced elongation of petiole segments in Ranunculus sceleratus L. The early time course of elongation in petiolar segments was monitored with a computer-based video digitizer system. The application of ethylene-releasing ethrel slightly increased the elongation rate in the absence of IAA. When IAA alone was applied, elongation increased after a latent period of approximately 30 min. Maximal elongation rate was attained immediately after the latent period, and then the stabilized steady rate was recorded. During this phase, addition of ethrel strongly increased the elongation rate after a period of approximately 18 min. Although ethrel could acidify the growth medium, only a small part of the enhanced elongation was due to an acid-growth effect. Most of the growth stimulation was auxin-dependent and must be ascribed to the presence of ethylene. In the presence of ethrel, the log-concentration–response curve of IAA appeared to be shifted to the left. This kinetic analysis indicates an increase, due to ethylene, in the sensitivity of the R. sceleratus petiole to auxin, which results in inducing rapid growth to escape from hypoxia under temporary submergence.