Silver Queen Research Articles

Antiviral and Cytotoxic Activities of Ilex aquifolium Silver Queen in the Context of Chemical Profiling of Two Ilex Species.

The leaves of Ilex paraguariensis (known as Yerba mate), used as a popular beverage, are a very well-recognized plant material with various biological activities, including analeptic (because of caffeine), anti-obesity (phenolics, saponins), antimicrobial, and antiviral (phenolics, saponins). Here, the chemical compositions of the leaves of two European Ilex species (× meserveae and aquifolium) with three varieties each were investigated. The terpenoid, saponin, and polyphenolic fractions were submitted for LC-MS or GC-MS analysis against a standard Mate leaf. In addition, the aroma profiles of all the species were analysed using HS-SPME-Arrow prior to GC-MS analysis. All fractions were subjected to antiviral and cytotoxic assays. We found 86 compounds in all accessions, with limonene, linalool, and p-cymene being predominant. There were minor similarities between the volatile compositions of the European and South American species. We found ursolic and oleanolic acid to be the main compounds in the terpenoid fraction. Mono-caffeoylquinic acids and di-caffeoylquinic acids were the main constituents of the polar fractions. About 180 compounds from the saponin group were tentatively identified, of which 9 and 3 were selected as distinctive markers for I. meserveae and I. aquifolium, respectively. Based on chemical screening, I. aquifolium Silver Queen was chosen as the source of terpenoid and saponin fractions and polyphenol extracts. The most substantial inhibition of cancer cell growth was observed with saponin in the case of the MCF7 (human breast cancer) cell line, while for LoVo and L929 cell lines (human colorectal cancer and reference mouse fibroblasts), it was slightly weaker. These results should be analysed further as a promising chemoprevention of colorectal and gastrointestinal cancers. Saponin and polyphenolic extracts exhibited similar activities against HSV-1 and HAdV-5, with 4-log reduction in virus titres. This study focuses our attention on a field of potential antiviral formulations derived from European holly.

Study of the ascorbic acid accumulation in Thymus L. genus species of Ukraine flora

The Thymus L. genus species are extremely widespread in temperate countries and number up to 200 main wild plants, of which up to 50 have been identified in the modern Ukraine flora. Extracts from the official species of the Thymus L. genus are part of effective herbal preparations with pronounced anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antioxidant activities. A promising direction of modern phytochemical research is the determination of the presence and accumulation of biologically active ascorbic acid in the herbs of widespread wild and cultivated species of the Thymus L. genus. The aim of the work is to determine the presence and accumulation of biologically active L-ascorbic acid in the herbs of four widespread wild and cultivated species of the Thymus L. genus of Ukraine flora using thin layer chromatography (TLC) and spectrophotometry methods during vegetation season. Materials and methods. The research used herbs of four widespread wild and cultivated species of the Thymus L. genus of Ukraine flora during the growing season (June – August 2023). The presence and quantitative content of ascorbic acid were determined by TLC on a “Biostep” CD 60 densitometer (Germany) and spectrophotometry on a “Lambda 365’ device (USA). Results. TLC and spectrophotometry methods were used to determine the presence and quantitative content of ascorbic acid in the herbs of four widespread Thymus L. genus species of Ukraine flora during the growing season. Accumulation of the compound was higher during flowering of cultivated species than wild plants. For the herbs Thymus vulgaris L. up to 39.10 ± 3.88 mg%; Th. x citriodorus (Pers.) Schreb. var. “Silver Queen” up to 36.19 ± 3.59 mg%. Conclusions. Considering the results obtained by TLC and spectrophotometry methods, it can be concluded that the determination of ascorbic acid presence and content in the Thymus L. species genus herbs is appropriate for obtaining cosmetology preparations with pronounced anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and regenerating activity for normal and problem skin.

Comparative chloroplast genomics, phylogenetic relationships and molecular markers development of Aglaonema commutatum and seven green cultivars of Aglaonema

Aglaonema commutatum is a famous species in the Aglaonema genus, which has important ornamental and economic value. However, its chloroplast genome information and phylogenetic relationships among popular green cultivars of Aglaonema in southern China have not been reported. Herein, chloroplast genomes of one variety of A. commutatum and seven green cultivars of Aglaonema, namely, A. commutatum ‘San Remo’, ‘Kai Sa’, ‘Pattaya Beauty’, ‘Sapphire’, ‘Silver Queen’, ‘Snow White’, ‘White Gem’, and ‘White Horse Prince’, were sequenced and assembled for comparative analysis and phylogeny. These eight genomes possessed a typical quadripartite structure that consisted of a LSC region (90,799–91,486 bp), an SSC region (20,508–21,137 bp) and a pair of IR regions (26,661–26,750 bp). Each genome contained 112 different genes, comprising 79 protein-coding genes, 29 tRNA genes and 4 rRNA genes. The gene orders, GC contents, codon usage frequency, and IR/SC boundaries were highly conserved among these eight genomes. Long repeats, SSRs, SNPs and indels were analyzed among these eight genomes. Comparative analysis of 15 Aglaonema chloroplast genomes identified 7 highly variable regions, including trnH-GUG-exon1-psbA, trnS-GCU-trnG-UCC-exon1, trnY-GUA-trnE-UUC, psbC-trnS-UGA, trnF-GAA-ndhJ, ccsA-ndhD, and rps15-ycf1-D2. Reconstruction of the phylogenetic trees based on chloroplast genomes, strongly supported that Aglaonema was a sister to Anchomanes, and that the Aglaonema genus was classified into two sister clades including clade I and clade II, which corresponded to two sections, Aglaonema and Chamaecaulon, respectively. One variety and five cultivars, including A. commutatum ‘San Remo’, ‘Kai Sa’, ‘Pattaya Beauty’, ‘Silver Queen’, ‘Snow White’, and ‘White Horse Prince’, were classified into clade I; and the rest of the two cultivars, including ‘Sapphire’ and ‘White Gem’, were classified into clade II. Positive selection was observed in 34 protein-coding genes at the level of the amino acid sites among 77 chloroplast genomes of the Araceae family. Based on the highly variable regions and SSRs, 4 DNA markers were developed to differentiate the clade I and clade II in Aglaonema. In conclusion, this study provided chloroplast genomic resources for Aglaonema, which were useful for its classification and phylogeny.

Study of carotenoids and chlorophylls content in Thymus L. essential oils genus species at the reproductive period

The genus Thymus (Thymus L., Lamiaceae L.) is polymorphic, containing various races and forms with minor morphological differences. Up to 200 species have been identified in the world, of which up to 50 are found in Ukraine.
 Widespread wild essential oil species of the genus Thymus L. in Ukraine are: creeping thyme, Crimean thyme, Dnieper thyme, Marshall's thyme, flea thyme, Pallas's thyme. Successfully cultivated: common thyme, Spanish white thin thyme, Spanish white flowering thyme, creeping thyme, lemon thyme.
 Thyme is known for its rich chemical composition. Carotenoids and chlorophylls contribute to the accumulation of essential oil, polyphenolic compounds, antioxidant, detoxification and radioprotective effects.
 For the standardization of raw materials of Thymus L. species, it is advisable to determine the accumulation of carotenoids and chlorophylls during the reproductive period.
 The purpose of the work is to identify and determine the quantitative content of carotenoids and chlorophylls during the reproductive period in the herb species of the genus Thymus L. of the flora of Ukraine.
 Raw materials were collected in steppe biocenoses and specialized farms of southeastern Ukraine during the reproductive period (May–September 2018–2023) according to generally accepted methods. They were dried at 35 ºС to a moisture content of no more than 10%. n-Hexane extracts (1:100) were used to identify substances and establish their quantitative content. The determination was made by thin-layer chromatography (TLC) followed by densitometry and spectrophotometry.
 By the methods of thin-layer chromatography and spectrophotometry in n-hexane extracts from grass species of the genus Thymus L. of flora of Ukraine 4 carotenoids and 2 chlorophylls were identified. Cultivated species had the highest content: Th. vulgaris L. and Th. x citriodorus (Pers.) Schreb. var. «Silver Queen».
 The accumulation of carotenoids and chlorophylls in the raw materials of the genus Thymus L. during the reproductive period was studied. The results indicate the expediency of standardization of the studied raw materials according to the accumulation of carotenoids and chlorophylls.

Creation of ten new variety of Begonia through interspecific Hybridization: A Study from Bali Botanic Garden’s Collection

Begonia is one of the plant genera and very popular as an ornamental plant. Bali Botanic Garden has collected and conserved at least 90 species and 241 exotic Begonia. As an ornamental plant, Begonia has unique, special and beautiful characteristic in its leaf, flower and plant features. Interspecific hybridization is commonly used to improve the morphological character of Begonia. The purpose of this study is to define new variety of Begonia from the interspecific hybridization of Bali Botanic Garden Begonia’s collection. From 2014 until 2022, ten new varieties of Begonia obtained from several species: B. acetosa, B. caravan, B. cuculata white, B. fenicis, B. fimbriata red, B. goegoensis, B. incarnate, B. listada, B. longifolia, B. semperflorens, B. silver queen, B. sizemorae, B. sudjanae, B. tuberosa and B. variepeltata. The new variety are: Begonia “Tuti Siregar”, Begonia “Longisilver”, Begonia “Longigreen”, Begonia “Sizequeen”, Begonia “Bedugul”, Begonia “Eka Karya”, Begonia “Vena Red”, Begonia “Ardaka”, Begonia “Lugrayasa” and Begonia “SuGo”. Out of the ten new varieties, eight varieties have been registered with the Center of Plant Variety Protection and two have already granted Plant Protection Variety Right.

Antibacterial Activity of Ethanolic Extracts of Aglaonema commutatum Schott and its Cultivars against Enterococcus faecalis Strains

The application of plants coming from tropical and subtropical regions in the management of bacterial infections can be considered a positive occurrence in most traditional medicine practices. Consequently, plants having antimicrobial activity against various pathogens can be considered great assets. Moreover, increased problems associated with side effects and bacterial resistance to chemical drugs have prompted us to focus on the antibacterial potentials of some plants belonging to the Aglaonema genus. The purpose of the current study was to examine the antibacterial activity of ethanolic extracts derived from Aglaonema commutatum Schott and its cultivars (Malay Beauty, Silver Queen, and Silver King) against two Enterococcus faecalis strains, i.e. Enterococcus faecalis (Andrewes and Horder) Schleifer and Kilpper-Balz 51299™ (resistant to vancomycin; sensitive to teicoplanin) and Enterococcus faecalis (Andrewes and Horder) Schleifer and Kilpper-Balz 29212™. These plants were cultivated under glasshouse conditions at M.M. Gryshko National Botanical Garden, National Academy of Science of Ukraine. The testing of the antibacterial activity of the plant extracts was carried out in vitro by the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion technique. Results of this study revealed that the extracts derived from leaves of A. commutatum and cv. Silver Queen exhibited higher inhibitory activity against the growth of E. faecalis (Andrewes and Horder) Schleifer and Kilpper-Balz 51299™ than the extracts from cv. Melay Beauty and Silver King. Maximum in vitro inhibition was scored by cultivar Silver Queen, followed by A. commutatum, cv. Malay Beauty and Silver King. On the other hand, extracts derived from leaves of A. commutatum cv. Melay Beauty and Silver Queen exhibited higher inhibitory activity against the growth of E. faecalis (Andrewes and Horder) Schleifer and Kilpper-Balz 29212™ than the extracts derived from the cv. Silver King and A. commutatum. Maximum in vitro inhibition was scored by cv. Malay Beauty, followed by cv. Silver Queen and Silver King, and A. commutatum. Therefore, this plant can be used to treat various diseases caused by E. faecalis strains. There is a lot of potentials for this plant to treat infections caused by these bacteria. Therefore, these plants may be helpful in the management of infections caused by E. faecalis, especially in traditional medicine practices. However, further research is required to understand the mechanisms involved in antimicrobial activity.

Study by GC-MS method of Thymus x citriodorus (Pers.) Schreb. var. “Silver Queen” extracts component composition

The Thyme L. genus is quite common in Ukraine, herbal extracts are part of many effective herbal medicinal products that are widely used in modern phytocosmetology. Today, genus Thymus x citriodorus (Pers.) Schreb. var. “Silver Queen” is poorly studied but promising in terms of sufficient raw material base and BAS. Therefore, the GC-MS method of designating the component of the extract from herb splint is relevant. The aim of the work is to determine by the GC-MS method of the component alcohol extracts (1:10) compositions of Thymus x citriodorus (Pers.) Schreb. var. “Silver Queen” herbs from Ukrainian flora. Materials and methods. For the experimental studies, we used alcoholic extracts of Thymus х citriodorus (Pers.) Schreb. var. “Silver Queen” from herbs (1:10) harvested from Ukrainian flora. The component composition of extracts was analyzed using an Agilent 7890B gas chromatography with 5977B a mass – spectrometric detector. Results. By the GC-MS method were revealed up to 63 compounds. Two compounds were not identified. It is important to note, that seven biologically active compounds were revealed in a concentration over 5 %: oleic acid (10.35 ± 1.42 %), caryophyllene oxide (9.62 ± 0.97 %), matricarin (7.59 ± 0.86 %), trans-citral (6.35 ± 0.75 %), β-bisabolene (6.15 ± 0.75 %), thymol (5.46 ± 0.70 %). Conclusions. Taking into account by GC-MS method, it can be concluded that the studied species is relevant for further phytochemical study.

PERLINDUNGAN KONSUMEN TERHADAP JUAL BELI COKLAT SILVER QUEEN BLOCK DALAM PERSPEKTIF HUKUM EKONOMI SYARIAH

Buying and selling silver queen block chocolate is currently in great demand by consumers. However, there are several problems in buying and selling chocolate in practice, including the lack and incompatibility of information about the chocolate being sold. This study highlights consumer protection for buying and selling silver queen block products and the responsibility of business actors to buy and sell silver queen block products in the marketplace. The research, including normative juridical research, is legal research using a literature review. The study results show that consumer protection against buying and selling silver queen block chocolate is in the form of the right for consumers to know the factual information about the purchased silver queen block chocolate. Meanwhile, if the consumer feels aggrieved as a result of consuming the chocolate, the buyer receives compensation from the seller in the form of a refund and replacement of goods equivalent to or following the value of the goods returned, this regulation is following applicable law with Article 19 of Law Number 8 of 1999 concerning Consumer Protection. When viewed from the perspective of sharia economic law, the concept of khiyar in online buying and selling is able to provide protection for buyers when the goods ordered are not in accordance with expectations and the application of the khiyar concept in practice will create transactions that provide benefits and avoid harm.

Study of the antimicrobial and fungicidal activity of the essential oil Thymus x citriodorus (Pers.) Schreb. var. “Silver Queen”

The main problem of modern phytotherapy is the medicinal plants that have a sufficient raw material base and contain a large number of biologically active substances. Treatment of diseases with synthetic drugs leads to the development of resistance to pathogenic microflora and the appearance of allergic reactions. Therefore, to solve this problem, it is necessary to find new plant-based antimicrobials that are safe for long-term use and have a wide spectrum of action. The aim of the work was to study the antibacterial and fungicidal activity of the essential oil of Thymus x citriodorus (Pers.) Schreb. var. “Silver Queen”. Materials and methods. The essential oil of Thymus x citriodorus (Pers.) Schreb. var. “Silver Queen” was used for the experimental part. To test the antimicrobial and antifungal action of the essential oil, reference test strains, gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, as well as yeast-like fungi of the genus Candida were selected. The studies were performed in vitro using the disco-diffusion method. Results. Studies have shown that the essential oil of Thymus x citriodorus (Pers.) Schreb. var. “Silver Queen” has a significant antibacterial effect against S. aureus ATCC 25923 (diameters of growth inhibition were 14.60 ± 1.52 mm) and fungicidal effect Candida albicans ATCC 885-6530 (29.30 ± 2.82 mm). Antibacterial activity of the essential oil was detected in relation to E. coli (19.60 ± 1.85 mm). It was experimentally proven that the essential oil had no bactericidal effect on the test strain of P. aeruginosa. Conclusions. It was found that the essential oil of the studied hybrid species Thymus x citriodorus (Pers.) Schreb. var. “Silver Queen” shows a significant antibacterial activity and is promising for further research.

“The Silver Queen”: US Imperialism and ASongofIceandFire

“The Silver Queen”: US Imperialism and <i>A</i><i>Song</i><i>of</i><i>Ice</i><i>and</i><i>Fire</i>

Improvement of the safety of multi-floor housing

To improve the safety in common areas of multi-storey buildings (lift halls, common corridors), it is proposed to renovate interiors of the areas. Such areas usually have no permanent ventilation. Thus, they can accumulate pathogenic microorganisms and viruses. The effective solution for reducing the danger is phytoncides plants. For successful phytodesign, an assortment of phytoncides plants of 11 species has been developed: Aspidistra elatior, Aglaonema “Silver queen”, Aglaonema “Maria”, Chlorophytum comosum, Chlorophytum capense, Dracena marginata, Monstera deliciosa, Philodendron scandens, Sansevieria triaeffieria trichelifera, Zamiaculcas zamiifolia. The offered assortment completely corresponds to climatic features of premises. For the normal growth and development of plants in the absence of natural light, three options for additional effective illumination are proposed.

Cut-off in their prime? Response of two landscape shrubs to different levels of root pruning, during active and quiescent growth phases

ABSTRACT Shrubs have an important role in the future design of urban landscapes. Due to city-densification and pressure on space, shrubs are increasingly preferred over trees for urban amenity plantings. In contrast to trees, however, relatively little information exists on how shrubs adapt to urban stress. This includes their responses to physical root injury, that might occur through trenching or transplanting activities. Two shrub taxa, Philadelphus coronarius ‘Aureus’ and Euonymus fortunei ‘Silver Queen’, were used to investigate the effects of severity and time of root injury on plant viability, and how additional fertiliser influenced recovery. A novel ‘split-pot’ system was developed to differentiate where root injury was induced. Results showed that both taxa were relatively resilient to root-pruning, although root injury was more detrimental during active growth than when plants were quiescent. This re-enforces the notion that transplanting of shrubs should be avoided in the summer. Shoot development was not more detrimentally affected by severe root-pruning compared to light pruning. There was also evidence that uniform severe pruning across the root-ball stimulated stronger root-regeneration compared to root systems differentially injured. No consistent response to fertiliser was noted. Results have implications for the resilience and management of shrubs within the urban landscape.

The Response of Two Drip-Irrigated Sweet Corn Varieties to the Twin-Row Production System in the Dry Mediterranean Region

Introduction: Minimizing production costs for drip-irrigated crops by reducing the number of driplines per unit-area is an urgent need to address the sustainability of the present production system. Materials and Methods: A two-year field experiment (2017 and 2018) was carried out to assess the effects of twin-row crop production system on two sweet corn varieties (Zea mays L.: an introduced variety “Silver Queen” and a local variety “White Kokab”) grown in a clay loam soil in the dry Mediterranean region. Three-row crop/dripline spacing configurations for each variety with three replicates were tested as: (i) single-row system at 75-cm crop row spacing with 75-cm dripline spacing (a dripline for each crop row), (ii) single-row system at 75-cm crop row spacing with 150-cm dripline spacing (a dripline for two crop rows), and (iii) twin-row system, 37.5 cm apart, on 150-cm centers, with 150-cm dripline spacing (a dripline for each twin-rows). Results and Conclusion: The local variety was better than the introduced variety in husked cop yield (13.93 t ha-1) and irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE, 1.92 kg m-3). Results also showed that the twin-row system with 150-cm dripline spacing provided similar husked cop yield and IWUE as the conventional 75-cm dripline spacing due to the more favourable rootzone soil water status; and both were higher in the two attributes than the single-row 150-cm dripline spacing. With 50% less unit-area driplines, twin-rows with 150-cm dripline spacing was considered to be more productive, economical and environmentally friendly.

The Once and Future Silver Queen of the Rockies: Georgetown, Colorado, and the Fight for Survival into the Twentieth Century. Mining the American West. By Christine A. Bradley and Duane A. Smith

The Once and Future Silver Queen of the Rockies: Georgetown, Colorado, and the Fight for Survival into the Twentieth Century. Mining the American West. By Christine A. Bradley and Duane A. Smith

IDENTIFICATION OF THE ANTIBACTERIAL EFFICACY OF ETHANOLIC EXTRACTS FROM AGLAONEMA COMMUTATUM SCHOTT LEAVES AND ITS CULTIVARS AGAINST ESCHERICHIA COLI STRAIN

This study aimed to evaluate the antibacterial activity of ethanolic extracts obtained from the leaves of Aglaonema commutatum Schott and its cultivars («Malay Beauty», «Silver Queen», and «Silver King») against Escherichia coli (Migula) Castellani and Chalmers (ATCC® 25922™) strain. The leaves of Aglaonema commutatum plants and its cultivars, cultivated under glasshouse conditions, were sampled at M. M. Gryshko National Botanic Garden (NBG), National Academy of Science of Ukraine (Kyiv, Ukraine). The leaves were brought into the laboratory for antimicrobial studies. Freshly sampled leaves were washed, weighed, and homogenized in 96% ethanol (in proportion 1:19) at room temperature. The extracts were then filtered and investigated for their antimicrobial activity. Escherichia coli (Migula) Castellani and Chalmers (ATCC® 25922™) strain was used in our study. Antimicrobial activities of various ethanolic extracts obtained from leaves of Aglaonema commutatum plants and its cultivars («Malay Beauty», «Silver Queen», and «Silver King») against Escherichia coli (Migula) Castellani and Chalmers (ATCC® 25922™) strain was screened in the current study. The testing of the antibacterial activity of the plant extracts was carried out in vitro by the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion technique. The leaf extracts from A. commutatum «Silver Queen» and A. commutatum 'Silver King' exhibited higher inhibitory activity than the extracts from A. commutatum and A. commutatum «Malay Beauty». Maximum in vitro inhibition was scored by A. commutatum «Silver Queen», followed by A. commutatum «Silver King», A. commutatum, and A. commutatum «Malay Beauty». In particular, the leaf extracts from A. commutatum «Silver Queen» and A. commutatum 'Silver King' exhibited higher inhibitory activity than the extracts from A. commutatum and A. commutatum «Malay Beauty». Maximum in vitro inhibition was scored by A. commutatum «Silver Queen», followed by A. commutatum «Silver King», A. commutatum, and A. commutatum «Malay Beauty», which presented inhibition zones of (18.6±1.2) mm, (16.1±0.9) mm, (15.7±1.1) mm, and (13.5±1.0) mm, respectively. In the case of the positive controls, 96% ethanol possesses a mild anti-E. coli effect, which presented inhibition zones of (9.5±1.2) mm. The inhibition zone diameters were increased by 96% (p&lt;0.05) for A. commutatum «Silver Queen», by 69 % (p&lt;0.05) for A. commutatum «Silver King», by 65 % (p&lt;0.05) for A. commutatum, and by 42 % (p&lt;0.05) for A. commutatum «Malay Beauty». Thus, the use of these plants in traditional medicine and veterinary medicine was experimentally confirmed as a potential source of raw materials for the development of medicines in the future, as well as for the development of innovative feed for farm animals.

The microscopical investigation of diagnostic diseases of Thymus х Citriodorus var. «Silver Queen» herbs

The actual problem of modern pharmacy is the study of promising essential oil plant species with pronounced antimicrobial and anti-inflamattory activity for their further introduction in medical practice. Species of one of the most famous Thymus L. genus are characterized by a great diversity and distribution in the world flora. The genus has about 400 species, of which up to 50 are identified in the modern flora of Ukraine. They are widespread in countries of Europe, Minor Asia, Middle Asia, North Africa, and the Mediterranean basin. Phytochemical studies the species of the Thymus L. genus were established the accumulation of various biologically active substances: essential oils, flavonoids, hydroxycinnamic acids, polysaccharides, tannins, fatty oils, vitamins, triterpene saponins, amino acids, bitterness, gums, inorganic elements. Essential oils and herbal extracts are part of phytopreparations with pronounced antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity. Ornamental varieties of this species are successfully cultivated in Western Europe and Ukraine: «Silver Queen», «Doone Vally», «Golden Duarf», «Bertram Anderson».&#x0D; Lemon thyme (Thymus x citriodorus Pers. Schreb. var. «Silver Queen») is promising for cultivation and introduction into medical practice. The plant has the necessary raw materials and a promising composition of biologically active compounds. The aim of the work is to install the characteristic microscopic diagnostic features of lemon thyme herb (Thymus x citriodorus Pers. Schreb. var. «Silver Queen»), harvested in Ukraine. We carried out a morphological, anatomical and microscopic study of fresh and dried herbal raw materials. The results of the research were obtained with a «Micromed XS-3320» microscope with a digital camera (5 mpix) in combination with a computer and «Biolam» with an FN-6 photo nozzle for direct and reflected light. When conducting morphological, anatomical and microscopic study of herbal raw materials of lemon thyme, common and distinctive features were established. Morphological, anatomical and microscopic studies of lemon thyme herbal raw materials were conducted and common and distinctive features were established. The established distinctive diagnostic features of lemon thyme can be used to identify herbal raw materials and are included in the draft article of the state pharmacopoeia of Ukraine «Herba Thymus x citriodorus Pers. Schreb. var. «Silver Queen».

Chemical and nutritional evaluation of major genotypes of nectarine (Prunus persica var nectarina) grown in North-Western Himalayas.

Nectarine is an important stone fruit after plum and peach. The area under peach cultivation is now getting replaced by nectarine due to its fuzzless nature and high nutritive value. Nectarines are juicy, delicious fruits having low calorific value and have high antioxidant capacity. In India, its cultivation is confined to North-Western and North-Eastern Himalayas. In this study, five major nectarine cultivars growing in India namely, 'Silver Queen', 'Red Gold', 'Spring Bright', 'Independence' and 'Missourie' were harvested at commercial maturity and analyzed for various chemical and nutritional aspects. Our results showed that there were quantitative differences among the genotypes in different parameters analyzed. The predominant sugar in nectarine was fructose which was highest in 'Silver Queen' (14.48mg 100g-1 FW) and lowest in 'Independence' (9.04mg 100g-1 FW). Major organic acids were malic, succinic, citric and acetic acid. The highest malic acid content was recorded in 'Independence' (1.13mg 100g-1 FW) and lowest in 'Red Gold' (0.61mg 100g-1 FW). Nectarine genotypes chiefly contained phloridizin dihydrate and chlorogenic acid as the phenolic component. However, chlorogenic acid was highest in 'Spring Bright' (17.63µgg-1 FW) and lowest in 'Red Gold' (3.67µgg-1 FW). Similarly, a wider variability was recorded in major and minor mineral concentrations among the genotypes. Based on these observations, it can be concluded that among the major nectarine varieties cultivated in India, 'Silver Queen' have higher mineral nutrients than other varieties, and 'Spring Bright' have higher phenolics and antioxidants.

Impact of nitric oxide on shelf life and quality of nectarine (Prunus persica var. nucipersica)

Nectarine is an emerging fruit crop in India which has immense nutritional quality and fairly good amount of antioxidants. In India, peach orchards are being replaced by nectarine primarily because of fuzzless peel. However, shelf life of nectarine is lean due to its climacteric behaviour. Hence, we attempted to observe the effect of nitric oxide (NO), using its donor compound, namely sodium nitroprusside (SNP) on postharvest life and quality of ‘Silver Queen’ nectarine fruit. In this study, fruit of ‘Silver Queen’ nectarine were treated with various concentrations of SNP (0.25 mM, 0.5 mM, 1.0 mM, 1.5 mM) after harvesting at climacteric stage of maturity. Fruit were stored at ambient condition for further analysis on daily basis, after air drying at room temperature. Our results revealed that among the various concentrations of SNP, 0.5 mM was found to be best in reducing physiological loss in weight (PLW), maintaining firmness and retaining higher phenolics, antioxidant activity, exhibiting slower increase in lipoxygenase (LOX) and pectin methylesterase (PME) activity and better quality fruit up to 8 days than 4 days of untreated fruit. Hence, postharvest dip of ‘Silver Queen’ nectarine fruit in 0.5 mM solution of SNP could be recommended for enhancing the shelf life by 4 days.

Tributes

Tributes

Blue Skies into White Space: Southern African Responses to the Trans-African Flight of the Silver Queen, 1920.

The first trans-African flight from London to Cape Town in 1920 was feted by white observers as a major achievement in consolidating the links between South Africa and the British Empire. Probing the comments made by black and white contemporary observers on the meaning of the flight, this article explores the cultural and political connotations of aviation in a colonial and imperial setting. It emphasizes that the celebration of the superiority of Western technology as a tool in the consolidation of white minority rule was marked by white anxieties about African disobedience. The public responses to the flight of the Silver Queen also reverberated with the debates between Afrikaners and British South Africans about the shaping of a white South African identity. Nationalist Afrikaners hesitated to welcome the flight because it was viewed as a symbol of closer connections with the Empire. Cultural differences and political conflicts, not only between whites and blacks but also within the white settler society, influenced the public discourse about technological progress.