Contribution to the knowledge of the folk plant medicine in Calabria region (Southern Italy)

A series of research on plants used in Calabria (Southern Italy) in the folk plant medicine was carried out in the last twenty years. The use of 104 taxa distributed into 42 families are described. Among the major findings: Ceterach officinarum as hypotensive; Heliotropium europaeum in the case of urinary inflammations; Silybum marianum for haemorrhoids; Arundo donax for pertussis and cystitis; Allium cepa for sties and flu; Laurus nobilis as galactagogue; Passiflora incarnata for burns, haemorrhoids and skin inflammations; Scrophularia canina for rhagas and wounds; Urtica membranacea for tussis and tonsillitis.     

Needle blight caused by Dothistroma pini in Slovakia: distribution,host range and mating types

Dothistroma needle blight (DNB) has been observed in Slovakia during the last two decades. Up until 2017, Dothistroma septosporum has only been detected and molecularly confirmed to cause DNB in Slovakia. Here, we report the detection of Dothistroma pini at six localities around Slovakia, representing different plantation types. Four pine species (Pinus sylvestris, P. nigra, P. mugo and P. jeffreyi) were confirmed as hosts of D. pini in Slovakia, of which only P. mugo has been previously reported as host in Slovakia. Three gene regions (ITS, EF1 –α, and ß-tubulin) of each of the 13 isolates were sequenced and assigned as D. pini. Based on ITS sequences, the studied isolates represent the haplotypes Dp_HAP.1, Dp_HAP.2. Both mating types were detected but at different localities. Our results suggest that in addition to D. septosporum, D. pini may contribute to DNB also in Slovakia.     

白羊自然保护区野菜资源研究

通过对四川白羊保护区的野菜资源调查,得出保护区野菜资源较为丰富,共计25科,52属,69种,以被子植物为主.其中草本植物占59种,灌木7种,乔木3种.具有代表性的种有荚果蕨、车前、紫花碎米荠、野胡桃、枸杞、楤木、蒲公英、卵叶韭等.开展保护区的野生蔬菜产业开发具有很大的前景.     

An ethno-pharmacobotanical survey in the Sarrabus district (south-east Sardinia).

The therapeutic uses and methods of administration of 70 plants in the traditional medicine of Sarrabus (south-east Sardinia, Italy) are documented. Among these species, some were not reported previously for Sardinia, while others turn out to have an original therapeutic use.     

Towards exploration of plant-based ethno-medicinal knowledge of rural community: basis for biodiversity conservation in Bangladesh

Because lack of data impedes the assessment of the conservation of medicinal plants, ethno-medicinal studies are important to fill this gap. This study considered the traditional use of plants for health care by the rural communities in two forested and non-forested regions of Bangladesh. A total of 230 respondents were interviewed accompanied by field observation and voucher specimen collection. Altogether, 68 species of medicinal plants belonging to 38 families distributing over 58 genera were recorded, of which 22 species were common in both regions. Trees were the most commonly utilized growth form and leaves were the most commonly used plant part. Forests and homesteads were the major sources of medicinal plants in forested and non-forested regions, respectively. High use versatility (Relative Importance >1) was represented by 14 species; Emblica officinale L. and Allium sativum L. were the most versatile species. Forty-one individual ailments were treated with the medicinal plants recorded. The ailment categories ‘respiratory problems’ and ‘sexual problems’ received the highest score from the calculation of informants’ consensus factor (F _ic) in forested and non-forested regions, respectively. The findings could contribute in the pharmaceutical sector by directing further investigation of bio-active compounds in medicinal plants. Secondly, results could inform the clues for conservation strategies of forest resources in that region.     

Assessment of Populus wood chemistry following the introduction of a Bt toxin gene

Unintended changes in plant physiology, anatomy and metabolism as a result of genetic engineering are a concern as more transgenic plants are commercially deployed in the ecosystem. We compared the cell wall chemical composition of three Populus lines (Populus trichocarpa Torr. & A. Gray x Populus trichocarpa Bartr. ex Marsh., Populus trichocarpa x Populus nigra L. and Populus deltoides x Populus nigra) genetically modified to express the Cry3A or Cry3B2 protein of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) with the cell wall chemistry of non-transformed isogenic control lines. Three genetically modified clones, each represented by 10 independent transgenic lines, were analyzed by pyrolysis molecular beam mass spectrometry, gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and traditional wet chemical analytical methods to assess changes in cell wall composition. Based on the outcome of these techniques, there were no comprehensive differences in chemical composition between the transgenic and control lines for any of the studied clones.     

生物埂不同植物类型下土壤分离水力学特性研究

【目的】探明川中丘陵区六棱型预制网格式生物埂不同植物类型下土壤分离能力与细沟水流水力学特性间的数学关系。【方法】野外采集生物埂坡面麦冬和韭菜2种植物根系下的原状土样(直径10 cm),以单一网格式生物埂裸坡为对照,建立室内模拟细沟(长4 m,宽0.12 m,深0.1 m),在3个坡度(15°、20°、25°)、5个流量(39.86、59.98、79.67、100.45、121.16 L/min)的完全组合条件下进行冲刷试验,探讨水力学参数(雷诺数Re、弗汝德数Fr、Darcy-Weisbach阻力系数f、曼宁系数n)与土壤分离能力间的数学定量关系。【结果】1)不同植物类型下生物埂土壤分离能力表现为麦冬(均值2.24 kg/(s·m^2))>对照(均值1.34 kg/(s·m^2))>韭菜(均值1.09 kg/(s·m^2))。2)土壤分离能力与水流流态与流型参数之间均呈幂函数正相关,其中与雷诺数Re呈极显著幂函数正相关(均值R^2=0.75,P<0.01),与弗汝德数Fr呈显著幂函数正相关(均值R^2=0.27,P<0.05)。3)土壤分离能力与水流阻力参数间的关系主要呈负相关,其中与Darcy-Weisbach阻力系数f呈显著幂函数负相关(均值R^2=0.36,P<0.05),而与曼宁系数n之间的幂函数关系不显著(均值R^2=0.16,P>0.05)。【结论】与麦冬相比,韭菜增强土壤抗侵蚀能力的效果更显著。水力学参数中,水流流态流型参数中雷诺数Re预测土壤分离能力的效果相对较好,水流阻力参数中以Darcy-Weisbach阻力系数f效果较好,总体比较,以雷诺数预测土壤分离能力效果最好。     

福建省尤溪县野生葡萄科植物资源调查与开发利用

采用实地样线调查、访问、查阅已有资料的方法,对福建省尤溪县野生葡萄科植物资源进行调查。结果表明:该区野生葡萄科植物有6属,26种(含变种),开发利用价值较大的种类有显齿蛇葡萄(Ampelopsis grossedentata)、三叶崖爬藤(Tetrastigma hemsleyanum)、毛葡萄(Vitis heyneana)、广东蛇葡萄(Ampelopsis cantoniensis)、蛇葡萄(Ampelopsis glandulosa)、异叶地锦(Parthenocissus dalzielii)、牯岭蛇葡萄(Ampelopsis glandulosa var.kulingensis)、大叶蛇葡萄(Ampelopsis megalophylla)、葛藟葡萄(Vitis flexuosa)、蘡薁(Vitis bryoniifolia)、三裂蛇葡萄(Ampelopsis delavayana)和乌蔹莓(Cayratia japonica)。对该区野生葡萄科植物的种类、花果期、果实特征、生活型、生态环境、频度、分布以及主要用途等进行分析,并提出保护与开发利用建议。     

Ethnobotany of plants used by the Thari people of Nara Desert, Pakistan

This paper reports the results of an ethnobotanical survey of medicinal plants used by the Thari people of the Nara Desert, Sindh, Pakistan. Fifty-one plant species distributed across 28 families and 43 genera were discovered to have medicinal uses by local inhabitants of the Nara Desert. Twenty-one of those species are proposed to have new uses not recorded in the Indo-Pak folk herbal medicinal literature. Boraginaceae and Amaranthaceae were the most dominant families (5 species; 2 and 4 genera, respectively) of medicinal plants, followed by Asteraceae, Capparidaceae, Convolvulaceae, Poaceae, Scrophulariacea and Zygophyllaceae. About 44 types of ailments were treated with various parts of the 51 medicinal plant species. For treating ailments, the use of the whole plant was higher (53%) than leaves (18%), roots (14%) and fruits (10%) alone.     

Water stress, photosynthesis and early growth patterns of cuttings of three Populus clones

Photosynthetic attributes, leaf area and early root growth patterns were studied in three Populus clones to identify traits associated with superior growth potential on sites where water could be a limiting factor. It was found that early root growth and superior leaf area production were more closely related to growth potential than were photosynthetic capacity or carboxylation efficiency. A hybrid clone of Populus nigra var. charkowiensis (syn. P. nigra var. plantierensis) x P. nigra cv. 'Incrassata' (NE308) had more leaf area production and greater root system development in both wet and dry soil than did a P. trichocarpa clone (T6) and a P. balsamifera clone (B3). Despite greater above- and below-ground productivity, plants of clone NE308 had significantly lower photosynthetic capacity and carboxylation efficiency and a slightly higher CO(2) compensation point than plants of clones T6 and B3. Rapid early leaf and root growth appear to be key attributes associated with productivity in these clones regardless of soil water availability.     

Free radical scavenging activity of extracts prepared from fresh leaves of selected Chinese medicinal plants

The free radical scavenging activity of the 80% methanolic extracts from fresh leaves of 300 Chinese medical woody plants was assessed with the aid of the stable DPPH radical. Among the plants screened, 56 species had strong free radical scavenging capacities, with IC50 values lower than 0.5 mg leaves per milliliter. Analysis of the medical uses of these plants showed that most of them are employed for their effects on hemostasis, as anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial or for treatment of dysentery. These uses may be directly linked to the content in tannins and flavonoids and consequently to their free radical scavenging activities.     

Food medicine and minor nourishment in the folk traditions of Central Italy (Marche,Abruzzo and Latium)

A series of research projects on wild plants used in Central Italy (Marche, Latium and Abruzzo) as food medicine and for minor nourishment was carried out in the years 1979-2000. This study reports a summary of the data personally collected in the field. Minor nourishment appears to be still consistently utilised: wild plants are consumed preferably in salads, boiled or in omelettes. Some therapeutic properties are attributed by people to the alimentary plants, often documented by the scientific literature. In this study, folk alimentary and/or therapeutic food uses of 126 entities distributed among 39 families are described. Particular folk uses concerning cultivated plants are also reported. In this paper, for the first time pharmacobotanical properties are systematically emphasised for the folk food species of Central Italy. References to analogous alimentary uses in Central Italy are documented. Comparisons among different food traditions are also discussed.     

欧洲黑杨转Bt毒蛋白基因植株大田抗虫性测定

近几年,基因工程发展很快,通过基因工程已获得了各种各样的转基因植物,如抗虫转基因农作物的棉花（ＧｏｓｙｐｉｕｍｈｉｒｓｕｔｕｍＬ．）、水稻（ＯｒｙｚａｓａｔｉｖａＬ．）、马铃薯（ＳｏｌａｎｕｍｔｕｂｅｒｏｓｕｍＬ．）、玉米（ＺｅａｍａｙｓＬ．）、小麦...     

Patterns of photosynthesis and starch allocation in seedlings of four bottomland hardwood tree species subjected to flooding

Effects of short-term (32 days) flooding on photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, relative growth rate and tissue starch concentrations of flood-intolerant Quercus alba L. (white oak), bottomland Quercus nigra L. (water oak), bottomland Fraxinus pennsylvanica Marshall. (green ash) and flood-tolerant Nyssa aquatica L. (water tupelo) seedlings were studied under controlled conditions. Net photosynthetic rates of flooded N. aquatica seedlings were reduced by 25% throughout the 32-day flooding period. Net photosynthetic rates of flooded Q. alba seedlings fell rapidly to 25% of those of the control seedlings by Day 4 of the flooding treatment and to 5% by Day 16. In F. pennsylvanica and Q. nigra, net photosynthetic rates were reduced to 50% of control values by Day 8 but remained at approximately 30 and 23%, respectively, of control values by Day 32. Leaves of flooded Q. alba seedlings accumulated approximately twice as much starch as leaves of non-flooded control plants, whereas root starch concentrations decreased to 67% of those of control plants by the end of the 32-day flooding treatment. In contrast, flooding caused only a small increase in leaf starch concentrations of N. aquatica plants, but it increased root starch concentrations to 119% of those of the control plants by the end of the experiment. The co-occurring bottomland species, Fraxinus pennsylvanica and Q. nigra, differed from each other in their patterns of stomatal conductance and root starch concentrations. We conclude that the maintenance of low leaf starch concentrations, and high pre-flood root tissue starch concentrations are important characteristics allowing flood-tolerant species to survive in flooded soils.     

Fertilization—Effects on deciduous tree growth and browsing by moose

Knowledge of plant–herbivore interactions is fundamental for understanding foraging patterns of herbivores and their effects on the ecosystem as well as the human use of natural resources. The nutrient resources available for plants may determine not only growth rate, but also the amounts of secondary compounds in the plant tissues. As a consequence, browsing pressure on plant communities by large herbivores can be affected by fertilization and nitrogen deposition. We conducted a field fertilization experiment to test the hypothesis that fertilization leads to increased sapling growth and increased browsing by a large herbivore, the moose (Alces alces). The study was conducted on fertilized and unfertilized plots (50 m × 50 m) in northern Sweden. The plots were located in Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) stands of young succession stages with an intermixture of deciduous species. Fertilization with 600 kg calcium–ammonium–nitrate per ha (=200 kg N ha⁻¹), was conducted in spring on one of the plots in each of 25 paired plots. The other plot in each pair was kept as control. The effect of fertilization on plants and browsing pressure was evaluated on five deciduous tree species in June and August the year after fertilization. Both browsing from preceding winter (bites) and current summer (leaf strips and bites) was recorded. Shoot size and other shoot variables increased with fertilization. Fertilization increased winter browsing for most species, but few differences were statistically significant. The late summer recording (August) showed pronounced differences in browsing pressure (leaf strips and bites) between control and treatment. In June, only a trend of increased browsing (leaf strips) was found for all species on fertilized plots. Generally, the pressure of leaf stripping was low in June, probably due to the short time the annual shoots had been exposed to moose browsing. Number of summer bites (recorded in August) was significantly higher on fertilized plots for the Betula spp., and the trend was similar for the other tree species. Within species, there was no difference in strip length between the treatments. The result indicates that fertilization can be used as a habitat improvement for ungulates within wildlife management. But, fertilization is also likely to lead to an increased risk of browsing damage, which is undesirable if forests are being fertilized for increased forest production.     

Ethnopharmacobotany in Tuscany: plants used as antihypertensives

Among the more than 400 plants used in popular medicine in Tuscany, over 30 are used in the therapy of hypertension. For some of them their use is already known while for others there is no documentation. In this work we present the first results obtained from research carried out on antihypertensive plants belonging to Gentianaceae and in particular Gentiana kokiana.     

Differential light responses of Mediterranean tree saplings: linking ecophysiology with regeneration niche in four co-occurring species

The ecophysiological mechanisms underlying plant-plant interactions and forest regeneration processes in Mediterranean ecosystems are poorly understood, and the experimental evidence for the role of light availability in these processes is particularly scant. We analyzed the effects of high and low irradiances on 31 ecological, morphological and physiological variables in saplings of four late-successional Mediterranean trees, two deciduous (Acer opalus subsp. granatense (Boiss.) Font Quer & Rothm. and Quercus pyrenaica Willd.) and two evergreen (Pinus nigra Arnold subsp. salzmannii (Dunal) Franco and Quercus ilex L.), which coexist in mature montane forests. Species differed in both their capacity to withstand high radiation and in their shade tolerance. The two deciduous species were the least tolerant to high radiation, exhibiting both dynamic and chronic photoinhibition in full sunlight, with severe implications for gas exchange and photosynthetic performance. Excess light severely limited the survival of A. opalus subsp. granatense, even minor reductions of excessive radiation (from full sunlight to 80% sunlight) being crucial for sapling survival. Among species, P. nigra was the most tolerant of high irradiances but showed the poorest shade acclimation. Interspecific differences in the mechanisms of response to light provide a partial explanation of the differential regeneration patterns previously reported for these species, with shade-tolerant plants (i.e., deciduous broadleaf species) benefiting the most from associations with nurse plants. We conclude that light availability is an important environmental factor defining the regeneration niche of Mediterranean woody species.     

Testing fertilizer, gypsum, planting season and varieties of wild leek (Allium tricoccum) in forest farming system

Wild leek (Allium tricoccum) is an edible spring ephemeral of the eastern deciduous forests of North America that takes advantage of the short period of high light conditions between snowmelt and canopy closure to accumulate the carbon required to complete its annual growth and seed production. In Québec (Canada), this slow-growing species has been subjected to great harvesting pressure, which forced the provincial government to ban commercial harvest and sales in 1995. An illegal market has since developed and the plant is still under threat. Conservation of existing natural populations might be possible through commercial production of wild leek. To investigate this possibility, we set up plots in four sugar maple forest stands where different organic fertilizer and gypsum (0 or 3,000 kg ha^?1) applications were tested, together with two wild leek varieties, and bulb planting season. The two varieties, tricoccum and burdickii, despite morphological differences, are both suitable for cultivation. Planting bulbs in the spring seems more advantageous than in autumn, but these results will need to be confirmed. Fertilized plants exhibited better growth the year following transplantation than did non-fertilized plants. Belowground:aboveground biomass ratios indicated that plants receiving more fertilizer produced larger bulbs, but leaf size did not differ statistically. According to leaf nutrient analysis, fertilizers would need to be applied each year, whereas gypsum (as a calcium source) can be applied less frequently. Our results indicated a high potential for wild leek as a forest crop, at least when the bulbs are planted.     

Medicinal plant diversity in the flora of Saudi Arabia 1: a report on seven plant families

A preliminary survey on the medicinal plant diversity in the flora of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has been made with seven families: Amaranthaceae, Apocynaceae, Capparidaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Labiatae, Polygonaceae and Solanaceae, as an initial study. These families are represented in the flora with 254 species (i.e. 12% of the total species), and individually with 21, 7, 29, 66, 76, 22 and 33 species, respectively. Of these, 86 species, so far investigated, are medicinal, distributed in these seven families as follows: 7, 5, 12, 20, 23, 7 and 12, respectively. The Labiatae have the highest number (23) of medicinal plants among them while maximum medicinal plant diversity within the family has been observed with the Apocynaceae. An enumeration of these 86 medicinal species is presented with the current nomenclature, Arabic names and medicinal uses. This communication aims at emphasizing the importance of setting up conservation priorities, and sustained development of various medicinal plants of Saudi Arabia.     

滇池湖滨湿地中山杉和黑杨的光合特性

以生长在滇池湖滨湿地中的中山杉(302)和黑杨植株为材料,研究了它们的光合特性。结果表明:中山杉和黑杨均有较高的净光合速率,较适应种植环境;中山杉的水分利用效率较高。从光合生理角度看,中山杉是一个较好的建造滇池湖滨林带的树种。