Traditional uses of medicinal plants for dermatological healthcare management practices by the Tharu tribal community of Uttar Pradesh, India

The aim of present study was to explore and document medicinal plants used for the traditional dermatological healthcare management practices by the the Tharu tribal community of Uttar Pradesh. The study was conducted during 2000–2004. Information was gathered from 230 informants residing in 46 villages in Terai region of Indo-Nepal boarder using questionnaires; oral interviews and group discussions. Total 92 medicinal plant species were cited for the preparation of 113 crude drug formulations. Voucher specimens of cited plant species were collected and identified as belonging to 82 genera and 49 families. Thirty-nine medicinal plant species were reported for the first time for dermatological healthcare problems from India. The dermatological healthcare problems managed were cut and wounds, ringworm, leprosy, eczema, scabies, leucoderma, boils, carbuncles, pimples, skin blemishes, spots, eruption, and burns etc. The most commonly and popularly used medicinal plant species for management of dermatological healthcare problems in the study area were Curcuma longa L., Azadirachta indica A. Juss and Melia azedarach L. It is concluded that dermatological healthcare management practice in the study area depends largely on wildly growing medicinal plant species. There is an urgent need to properly conserve the medicinal plant species growing in this area for human welfare. There is also need for further phytopharmacological studies to provide scientific explanation for the usages of 57 medicinal plant species for which to the best of our knowledge phytopharmacological literatures are not available.     

Physiological and Biochemical Responses of French Bean to Excess Cobalt

ABSTRACT

French bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) cv. ‘Anupama’ was grown in refined sand at variable levels of cobalt (Co), i.e., 0.0001 (control), 0.05, 0.10, 0.20, 0.40, and 0.50 mM, supplied as cobalt sulfate. The symptoms of excess Co (0.50 mM) appeared at day 35. In addition to growth depression, the young leaves developed chlorosis from the apex leading toward the base; the chlorosis intensified, changed to necrosis, and the infected leaves dried and withered. Under excess Co (> 0.0001 mM), the flowers produced were fewer in number, smaller, and many failed to mature, leading to lower seed yield. Excess Co (> 0.0001 mM) decreased the biomass, seed yield (number and weight), concentration of chlorophyll, Hill reaction activity, and activity of catalase, and deteriorated the quality of produce (sugars, starch, and protein nitrogen (N)), but it increased the concentration of phenols and activity of certain enzymes, i.e., peroxidase, ribonuclease, and acid phosphatase. The concentration of Co in various parts of French bean increased with an increase in Co supply and that of iron (Fe) decreased concomitantly. The values of threshold of toxicity and toxicity of Co were 26 and 72 μg g^?1 in young leaves of French bean, respectively.     

Screening potatoes for resistance to late blight (Phytophthora infestans) under field conditions

Summary Late blight incidence under natural epiphytotic conditions was recorded on 270 potato germplasm accessions for three years. Replication effect was non-significant, whereas genotype and year effects were significant for AUDPC (area under disease progress curve). Disease incidence on the second date of observation (when the control had almost completely blighted) accounted for 85 to 96 percent of the variation in AUDPC. Spearman’s Rank correlation coefficients between AUDPC and disease incidence grades scored on 1–9 and 1–5 scales (on second date of observation) based on the means of three years data were similar to those calculated based on the means of any two years. It is concluded that grading the accessions based on discrete scales at an appropriate single date for two years in a non-replicated trial would be sufficient robust to broadly group accessions into different levels of resistance to late blight. Ten accessions were found to be highly resistant.     

Effect of coconut palm wine (Toddy) on carbohydrate metabolism in pregnant rats and fetuses

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of an alcoholic beverage (Toddy) and the equivalent quantity of ethanol on carbohydrate metabolism in utero. Female rats were exposed to Toddy from coconut palm (24.5 ml/kg body weight/day) and ethanol (0.52 ml/kg body weight/day) for 15 days before conception and throughout gestation. On the 19th day of gestation, hypoglycemia was seen in both the treated groups, but it was more in the Toddy-treated group. Synthesis of glycogen was elevated on exposure to ethanol/Toddy but its degradation was enhanced only in alcohol-exposed rats. Key enzymes of citric acid cycle and gluconeogenesis were inhibited on administration of both alcohol and Toddy. Activity of glycolytic enzymes were increased. Toddy seemed to potentiate the toxicity induced by alcohol, indicating the additive effects of congeners.     

Comparative performance of potato crops raised from microtubers induced in the dark versus microtubers induced in light

Summary The performance of potato crops raised from two types of microtuber, green (induced in light-dark photoperiod) and white (induced in continuous darkness), of 18 genotypes was studied for 22 morphological and agronomic characters. Mean squares due to microtuber type, genotype and their interaction were mostly significant for various characters. Green microtubers were better than white microtubers for subsequent crop performance for most of the characters including tuber yield and general impression. This was mainly due to more eyes and shorter dormancy in green microtubers than in white microtubers. The in vitro system of microtuberization by serial culture of axillary buds in separated nodes, as used in the present study, was found to be genetically stable for the propagating material.     

Recovery of frog and lizard communities following primary habitat alteration in Mizoram, Northeast India

Background

Community recovery following primary habitat alteration can provide tests for various hypotheses in ecology and conservation biology. Prominent among these are questions related to the manner and rate of community assembly after habitat perturbation. Here we use space-for-time substitution to analyse frog and lizard community assembly along two gradients of habitat recovery following slash and burn agriculture (jhum) in Mizoram, Northeast India. One recovery gradient undergoes natural succession to mature tropical rainforest, while the other involves plantation of jhum fallows with teak Tectona grandis monoculture.

Results

Frog and lizard communities accumulated species steadily during natural succession, attaining characteristics similar to those from mature forest after 30 years of regeneration. Lizards showed higher turnover and lower augmentation of species relative to frogs. Niche based classification identified a number of guilds, some of which contained both frogs and lizards. Successional change in species richness was due to increase in the number of guilds as well as the number of species per guild. Phylogenetic structure increased with succession for some guilds. Communities along the teak plantation gradient on the other hand, did not show any sign of change with chronosere age. Factor analysis revealed sets of habitat variables that independently determined changes in community and guild composition during habitat recovery.

Conclusions

The timescale of frog and lizard community recovery was comparable with that reported by previous studies on different faunal groups in other tropical regions. Both communities converged on primary habitat attributes during natural vegetation succession, the recovery being driven by deterministic, nonlinear changes in habitat characteristics. On the other hand, very little faunal recovery was seen even in relatively old teak plantation. In general, tree monocultures are unlikely to support recovery of natural forest communities and the combined effect of shortened jhum cultivation cycles and plantation forestry could result in landscapes without mature forest. Lack of source pools of genetic diversity will then lead to altered vegetation succession and faunal community reassembly. It is therefore important that the value of habitat mosaics containing even patches of primary forest and successional secondary habitats be taken into account.     

Excess Nickel Modulates Oxidative Stress Responsive Enzymes in Groundnut

Groundnut plants exposed to excess nickel (Ni) produced visual symptoms of toxicity that intensified with increasing level and duration of metal supply. Decreased concentrations of pigments along with a marked increase in the activities of anti-oxidative enzymes such as superoxide dismutase, ascorbate peroxidase, and peroxidase suggest strong induction of oxidative stress due to excess Ni. The decreased activity of catalase may suggest interference of excess nickel in iron metabolism of plants. The appearance of metal specific toxicity is a likely result of damage predominantly due to enhanced generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) at higher (300–400 μM) nickel supply. The threshold of toxicity (10% growth reduction) and toxicity (33% growth reduction) values of Ni in groundnut were 26 and 72 μg g^?1 in leaves, 17 and 94 μg g^?1 in stem and 45 and 240 μg g^?1 in roots respectively.     

An analysis of the persistence and potency of film‐coated seed protectant as influenced by various storage parameters

BACKGROUND: An efficient delivery system for seed‐protectant chemicals is needed in light of several disadvantages of conventional seed treatment methods. This study evaluates the efficacy of film‐coat application in maintaining the persistence and potency of imidacloprid on Lycopersicon esculentum (L.) Mill. seeds after simultaneous storage under ambient and regulated environment in paper and aluminium packages. RESULTS: High‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) revealed 0.135 mg kg^?1 of herbage material to be the threshold value beyond which absolute control was obtained, and with film coating the latter was achieved even with half‐dosage seed treatment, irrespective of the storage condition. The technique provided early protection to the crop and also nullified the deleterious effects of ambient storage on the persistence and potency of the pesticide. CONCLUSION: Film coating enabled superior pesticide dosage as well as higher biological efficacy to be achieved. Hence, in addition to being an ecofriendly alternative, the technique would be a more economically viable option for storage of treated seeds. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry     

Hypoglycemic activity of Nymphaea stellata leaves ethanolic extract in alloxan induced diabetic rats

The ethanolic extract of leaves of Nymphaea stellata given by oral route to diabetic rats at dose of 100 and 200 mg/kg/day for seven days reduced significantly by 31.6 and 42.6 % the plasma glucose level increased by intraperitoneal injection of 120 mg/day of alloxan. Moreover, the treatment significantly affected the plasma level of cholesterol and triglyceride.     

Antibacterial spectrum of Hypericum hookerianum.

The antibacterial activity of the chloroform, acetone and methanol extracts of Hypericum hookerianum leaves and stems was evaluated. All extracts showed antibacterial activity against six different gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, the methanol extracts exhibiting the maximum inhibitory activity at 400 microg/ml.