Taro is an important root vegetable and has several medicinal and therapeutic properties. The two major therapeutic ingredients are flavonoids and triterpenoids, which are of prime importance. Additionally, the plant has antibacterial, antiparasitic, antiallergic, and anti-inflammatory properties. People often use it to treat a number of diseases by prescribing them as medications. Researchers from the pharmaceutical industry can thrive on C. esculenta by using whole-plant extracts. The identification of valuable terpenoids and therapeutics and their preparations are profusely dealt with in this article. Also, the new structural details of connective tissue are also studied as it helps researchers to investigate further uses of taro for humans, it is well known that xanthan can be obtained commercially as stabilizers, thickeners, binders, and more. It is essential to explore this plant for both medicinal and pharmaceutical properties.

Biological polymers such as tissue-engineered scaffolds and skin grafts with improved properties are very required in the pharmaceutical field. The wound-dressing gelatin/chitosan/moringa leaf extract (G-CH-M biopolymer) was synthesised and characterised. The blood compatibility, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antibacterial activities of the biopolymer were investigated. Our results showed that S. aureus swarming motility was drastically affected. However, the biopolymer had no significant effect on the swarming motility of E. coli compared to the control. In addition, biopolymers showed high antibacterial capacities, especially against S. aureus. The biopolymer was also found to be effective in protecting plasmid DNA against oxidative stress. Furthermore, the biopolymer exhibits greatly suppressed hemolysis (lower than 2%), even at a high concentration of 50 mg/mL. These results indicated that this novel biopolymer formulation could be further developed for wound care and contamination prevention.

The effect of varying concentrations of crude oil pollution on the germination and growth parameters of Mucuna pruriens (Var. cochinchinenesis) was investigated. The following treatments were used; 0ml, 100ml, 200ml, 400ml, 800ml 1600ml respectively. The germination of velvet bean was 100% but growth was found to be inhibited by a wide range of treatments (800ml and 1600ml). the lag phase of proceeding growth is also reduced at this treatment. Growth inhibition is attributed primarily to the characteristics of oil, which acts as a physical barrier to water and oxygen uptake. Reduction in the growth and development of plants was observed in the polluted treatments as against the control (non–polluted treatment) because of the deleterious effect of the petroleum products on the morphological parameters (plant height, number of leaves and leaf area) tested for. Velvet beans treated with lower treatment (100ml and 200ml) were observed to be more productive when compared to the control experiment. Consequently, as the crude oil exceeds the plant absorbing capacity at 800ml and 1600ml respectively, the growth retards, chlorosis, presence of tough apical meristem, and defoliation from the base of the plant.

Interest in developing novel crop protectants has gained attention in the recent decade due to the hazardous effects of synthetic pesticides on humans and the environment. The citrus industry worldwide is threatened by the D. citri, the primary vector of phlo-em-limited bacterium (HLB) or citrus greening. However, there is no cure for citrus greening available. Diaphorina citri management largely depends on synthetic insecticides, but their massive application leads to resistance in pest populations. Therefore, alternative pest management strategies are needed. Our results indicated fewer D. citri adults settled on plants treated with ABEO than on control 48 h after re-lease. The psyllid fed on citrus leaves treated with ABEO significantly secreted less honeydew than the control. The essential oil showed potent ovicidal activity against the D. citri eggs with LC50 5.88 mg/mL. Furthermore, we also explore the fitness of D. citri on ABEO-treated and untreated Citrus × sinensis by using two-sex life table tools. The results indicated that the intrinsic rate of increase (r) was higher on untreated seedlings (0.10 d−1) than those treated with a sub-lethal dose of ABEO (0.07 d−1). Similarly, the net re-productive rate (R0) was higher for untreated seedlings (14.21 offspring) than those treated (6.405 offspring). Notably, the ABEO were safer against Aphis melifera, with LC50 ranging from 31.05 to 55.86 mg/mL, which is relatively higher than the LC50 24.40 mg/mL values against D. citri. Our results indicate that ABEO exhibits toxic and behavioral effects on D. citri that could be useful for managing this pest.

Botanical living collections within botanical gardens represent a crucial global asset for plant diversity. Particular emphasis should be given to dendrological collections, considering their key role in contribution to biodiversity conservation, support scientific inquiry, enhance educational initiatives and support on involvement of the public. The introduction of plants, especially woody plants, is one of the important problems in botanical science, solved in botanical gardens and arboretums. Establishment and development of the Dendrological collections in Botanical gardens is a way to have a comprehensive representation of diverse plant species from different biogeographical regions and continents. Current paper first time presents establishment, development, current status and future perspective of dendrological collections of Yerevan Botanical Garden in the linkage to introduction of woody plants in Armenia.

Botanical recycled concrete, or concrete bonded with wood, is formed by heat pressing the mixture of concrete and wooden waste. Botanical recycled concrete is a relatively new material and the relationship between production condition and its real-world performance is not clear yet. This experimental study investigated the influence of several production condition factors on the density and bending strength of botanical recycled concrete. As a result, temperature and mass ratio of concrete powder to wood flour presented significant effects on the density of this botanical recycled concrete. The increase in production temperature resulted in a remarkable increment in density and bending strength. This is probably due to increased wood flowability and accelerated compaction and bonding formation. The fineness of wood flour had a significant effect on improving bending strength. This is attributed to a larger contact surface between the wood substance and concrete particles.

Background: The commonly known assumption that combinations of several herbs in one formulation can have better efficacy due to additive or synergistic effects has not been systematically studied despite some evidence supporting the synergy concept. Study aim: The study aimed to reveal the molecular interactions in situ of host cells in response to the intervention of BHP and justify the benefits of implementing BHP in clinical practice. Results: This overview provides the results of recent clinical and network pharmacology studies of botanical herbal preparations (BHP) of Rhodiola with other plants, including Ashwagandha, Green Tea, Eleutherococcus, Schisandra, Eleutherococcus, Leuzea, Caffeine, Cordyceps, Gingko, Black Cohosh, saffron, and L-carnosine. Conclusions: The most important finding from network pharmacology studies of BHP was the evidence supporting the synergistic interaction of BHP ingredients, revealing unexpected new pharmacological activities unique and specific to the new BHP. Some studies show the superior efficacy of BHP compared with mono-drugs. At the same time, some a priori-designed combinations can fail, presumably due to antagonistic interactions and crosstalk between molecular targets within molecular networks involved in the cellular and overall response of organisms on the intervention. Network pharmacology studies help predict the results of studies to discover new indications and unpredicted adverse events.

Spodoptera frugiperda is a significant economic pest of maize in Uganda. Many Ugandan maize farmers employ synthetic insecticides as their main form of control despite the negative impacts of these chemicals. The study aimed to determine the effect of synthetic, semi-synthetic and bio-pesticides on maize leaf damage, and abundance of S, frugiperda and its parasitoids in Wakiso and Lira districts. The experiments were laid out in an RCBD with six treatments in 2020 and nine treatments in 2021, replicated four times. The treatments with the biggest decrease in leaf damage and infestation were Amdocs and Roket®, followed by Nimbecidine. The biopesticides were not always more effective than the untreated control, though; their efficacy was often lower than that of synthetics, semi-synthetics, and botanical. We recovered one egg parasitoid, Telenomus remus, and seven egg and egg-larval parasitoids (Coccygidium luteum, Coccygidium sp., Cotesia icipe, Chelonus sp., Micranisa sp., Charops cf. diversipes, and Tachinidae sp. Among these, C. cf diversipes, Chelonus sp., C. luteum, C. icipe and Tachinidae were the most abundant. Parasitism was low, averaging 10% for eggs and 5.3% for larvae. Synthetic, the semi-synthetic and Nimbecidine often increased higher yield when compared with the untreated control. There were genrally low population of parasitoids, althoguh there were some indications of reduced population of parasitoids in plots treated with Amdocs and Roket®, while percent parasitism was not affected. In some instances, higher yields were even realized in untreated control. While considering the tactics to integrate, assessing the practices more compatible with biological practices will be necessary.

Mucormycosis (previously called zygomycosis or phycomycosis), an aggressive, life-threatening infection is further aggravating the human health-impact of the devastating COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, a great deal of mostly misleading discussion is focused also on the aggravation of the COVID-19 accrued impacts due to the white and yellow fungal diseases. In addition to the knowledge of important risk factors, modes of spread, pathogenesis and host defences, a critical discussion on the botanical insights into the main causative agents of mucormycosis in the current context is very imperative. Given above, in this paper: (i) general background of the mucormycosis and COVID-19 is briefly presented; (ii) overview of fungi is presented, the major beneficial and harmful fungi are highlighted; and also the major ways of fungal infections such as mycosis, mycotoxicosis, and mycetismus are enlightened; (iii) the major causative agents of mucormycosis are critically discussed; (iv) the systematic position, occurrence, structure, and the major modes of reproduction are summarized for Rhizopus sp. and Mucor sp., the major causative agents of mucormycosis; (v) the other causative agents of mucormycosis includes Cunninghamella bertholletiae, Apophysomyces elegans, Lichtheimia (Absidia), Saksenaea, and Rhizomucor pusillus are briefly introduced; (vi) facts related with the infection-misnomers based on fungi colour are also highlighted; and lastly, (vii) the major take-home message and clues for future research on the subject are listed.

Sorghum-nematode interactions were previously purported to produce chemicals that confer pre-infectional nematode resistance to the infective second-stage juveniles (J2) of the root-knot (Meloidogyne species) nematodes in the rhizosphere, without any contact to J2 bodies. We tested the null hypothesis in four sorghum cultivars with a wide range of pre-infectional nematode resistance relative to the susceptible tomato cultivar. Post a 56-day exposure of Meloidogyne enterolobii, J2 from soil and root samples were subjected to step-wise fixative solutions and then mounted on slides. Length-related and diameter-related morphometrics were measured using an OMAX microscope – equipped with a digital measuring software. The study was conducted over two seasons and the seasonal interactions on morphometrics were not significant. Relative to the tomato cultivar, sorghum treatments generally increased the length-related morphometrics, but decreased the diameter-related variables in both soil J2 and root J2. The null hypothesis was therefore rejected in favour to the assumption that upon exposure of J2 bodies to botanical chemicals in both soil and root samples, with certain morphometrics being adjusted to ameliorate the potential damage of hydrostatic pressure on internal organs of the infective juveniles. In conclusion, in pre-infectional nematode resistance, J2 bridge chemicals in the rhizosphere and enter the root system, where chemicals still have effects on morphometrics of nematodes.

The use of botanical extracts of the plant Jatropha curcas (Euphorbiaceae) represents a valuable alternative to control insect pests and avoid the detrimental effects on the environment and health that arise due to synthetic chemical insecticides. Thus, we conducted a systematic review to summarize the published evidence on the bioactivity of J. curcas against insect pests. Electronic databases were searched to identify studies that assessed J. curcas extracts against insect pests in various types of crops. We included 39 articles that reported the insecticidal and insectistatic activity of several botanical extracts from J. curcas against insects of eight different taxonomic orders. The evidence demonstrates that aqueous and methanolic extracts from seeds and leaves, seed oil, and petroleum ether seed extracts were effective against insect pests of stored grains, aphids of cabbage, sorghum, fruit flies, and desert locusts. The extracts caused high mortality, controlled the populations, reduced oviposition, diminished hatchability, and increased the antifeedant effect. However, the type of solvent used to obtain the botanical extract and the method of application (contact or food) are fundamental to increase its bioactivity. Therefore, botanical extracts from seeds and leaves of J. curcas should be considered as an alternative against insect pests and may be incorporated into integrative and sustainable management for insect control.

In order to develop novel botanical insecticides, the joint action of Ligusticum chuanxiong oil (LCO) and lemongrass oil (LO) against Aphis citricola van der Goot was determined systematically indoors and outdoors. The chemical profiles of LCO and LO as determined by gas chromatography- mass spectrometry analysis revealed that main compounds from LCO were Z-Ligustilide (44.58%) and Senkyunolide A (26.92%), and that of LO were geranial (42.16%) and neral (32.58%), respectively. The mixture of LCO and LO showed significant synergy against A. citricola, with a common-toxicity coefficient (CTC) value of 221.46 at the optimal ratio of LCO to LO (4: 1, w/w). Based on the results of solvents and emulsifiers screening, L. Chuanxiong oil · Lemongrass oil 20% emulsifiable concentrate (20% LCO · LO EC) was developed, which was confirmed to meet the requirements of a commercial pesticide by quality test. Field trials indicated that the insecticidal activity of the diluted 20% LCO · LO EC (1000 fold dilution) was comparable to conventional pesticide (20% imidacloprid EC) on A. citricola 7 days after application. Thus, the mixture of LCO and LO has the potential to be further developed as a botanical pesticide.

There is little information about moisture changes in different altitudinal belts in mountainous regions of the Southern Russian Far East. We present ecological-taxonomic composition of the diatom flora, the botanical composition of peat of small mountain lake/mire complexes located in the Central Sikhote-Alin within large landslides on the paleovolcano slopes are identified. Frequent changes in diatom assemblages and peat-forming plants indicate unstable hydroclimatic conditions with varying degrees of watering and dry condition up to complete overgrowth of the lakes. Frequent change of sphagnum mosses with different trophic preferences was established. The chronology is based on 11 radiocarbon dates. Accumulation rates reached up to 1.9 mm/year, the temporal resolution for the reconstructions is up to 30–40 years. The tendencies of lake evolution depended on different-scale hydroclimatic changes for the last 4400 yr. The most detailed data for the last 2600 yr were obtained from the Nizhnee Lake sequence, more sensitive to climatic changes. The main reason for the change in the hydrological regime of the lakes was variations in precipitation during short-term climatic changes. The sediment record moisture fluctuations are relatively well correlated with regional patterns reflecting summer monsoon intensity and cyclogenesis activity.

Species of the genus Kalanchoe have a long history of therapeutic use in ethnomedicine linked to their remarkable healing properties. Several species have chemical and anatomical similarities, often leading to confusion when they are used in folk medicine. This review aims to provide an overview and discussion of the reported traditional uses, botanical aspects, chemical constituents, and pharmacological potential of the Kalanchoe species. Published scientific materials were collected from the PubMed and SciFinder databases without restriction regarding the year of publication through April 2023. Ethnopharmacological knowledge suggests that these species have been used to treat infections, inflammation, injuries, and other disorders. Typically, all parts of the plant are used for medicinal purposes either as crude extract or juice. Botanical evaluation can clarify species differentiation and can enable correct identification and validation of the scientific data. Flavonoids are the most common classes of secondary metabolites identified from Kalanchoe species and can be correlated with some biological studies (antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial potential). This review summarizes several topics related to the Kalanchoe genus, supporting future studies regarding other unexplored research areas. The need to carry out further studies to confirm the popular uses and biological activities of bioactive compounds is also highlighted.

The use of Hyperspectral (HS) and LiDAR acquisitions has a great potential to enhance mapping and monitoring practices of endangered grasslands habitats, beyond conventional botanical field surveys. In this study we assess the potentiality of Recursive Feature Elimination (RFE) in combination with Random Forest (RF) classification in extracting the main HS and LiDAR features needed to map selected Natura 2000 grasslands along Polish lowland river valleys, in particular alluvial meadows 6440, lowland hay meadows 6510 and xeric and calcareous grasslands 6120. We developed an automated RFE-RF system capable to combine the potentials of both techniques and applied it to multiple acquisitions. Several LiDAR-based products and different Spectral Indexes (SI) were computed and used as input in the system, with the aim of shedding light on the best-to-use features. Results showed a remarkable increase in classification accuracy when LiDAR and SI products are added to the HS dataset, strengthening in particular the importance of employing LiDAR in combination with HS. Using only the 24 optimal features selection generalized over the three study areas, strongly linked to the highly heterogeneous characteristics of the habitats and landscapes investigated, it was possible to achieve rather high classification results (K around 0.7-0.77 and habitats F1 accuracy around 0.8-0.85), indicating that the selected Natura 2000 meadows and dry grasslands habitats can be automatically mapped by airborne HS and LiDAR data. Similar approaches might be considered for future monitoring activities in the context of habitats protection and conservation

The Serra da Estrela Natural Park (NPSEs) in Portugal stands out as a well-preserved region abundant in medicinal plants, particularly known for their pharmaceutical applications in diabetes prevention and treatment. This comprehensive review explores these plants' botanical diversity, traditional uses, pharmacological applications, and chemical composition. The NPSEs boast a rich diversity with 138 medicinal plants across 55 families identified as traditionally and pharmacologically used against diabetes globally. Notably, the Asteraceae and Lamiaceae families are prevalent in anti-diabetic applications. In vitro studies reveal their significant inhibition of carbohydrate-metabolizing enzymes, and certain plant co-products regulate genes involved in carbohydrate metabolism and insulin secretion. In vivo trials demonstrate anti-diabetic effects, including glycaemia regulation, insulin secretion, antioxidant activity, and lipid profile modulation. Medicinal plants in NPSE exhibit various activities beyond anti-diabetic, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, anticancer, and more. Chemical analysis identifies over fifty compounds like phenolic acids, flavonoids, terpenoids, and polysaccharides responsible for their efficacy against diabetes. The findings underscore the potential of NPSE medicinal plants as anti-diabetic candidates, urging further research to develop effective plant-based anti-diabetic drugs, beverages, and supplements.