scholarly journals Dormancy break in seeds of "quina" (Strychnos pseudoquina A. St.-Hil.)

2011 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 507-511 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.M. Vasconcelos ◽  
M.A. Rodrigues ◽  
S.C. Vasconcelos Filho ◽  
J.F. Sales ◽  
F.G. Silva ◽  
...  

"Quina" (Strychnos pseudoquina A. St. Hil) is a medicinal plant species from the Brazilian Cerrado. As its seeds show dormancy, they were subjected to the treatments pre-cooling at 5ºC during 7 days, pre-heating at 40ºC during 7 days, pre-soaking in sulfuric acid PA during 5 and 15 min, pre-soaking in boiling water during 5 and 15 min, pre-soaking in 100 and 200 ppm gibberellic acid during 48 h, pre-soaking in distilled water during 24 and 48 h, and mechanical scarification to break dormancy. Counts were daily conducted from the 2nd day after the experiment implementation until the germination stabilization at the 65th day. The germination speed index (GSI) and the germination percentage were evaluated. Germination rates above 96% were reached in seeds pre-soaked in water during 48 h and substrate moistened with water or KNO3.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rupali Sharma ◽  
Hukum Singh

Abstract Human-induced CO2 emissions since the preindustrial era have accumulated CO2 in the atmosphere which has influenced the plant structure and function including bio-chemical constituents of the plant system. The Himalayan vegetation has been predicted to be more vulnerable and sensitive to climate change. However, it is still not well documented that how atmospheric CO2 concentration will change the biochemical constituents considering nutrients status of Himalayan endangered plants in future climate change. Hence, we examined the impacts of elevated CO2 concentrations (ambient- ~ 400, 600, and 800 µmol CO2 mol− 1) on biochemical constituents (chlorophyll, carotenoids, ascorbic acid, protein, and total sugars and carbon partitioning) and nutrients response (potassium, phosphorus, and magnesium) in leaf, stem and root tissue of Asparagus racemosus Willd. (an endangered medicinal plant species of Himalayas). The results showed that the elevated CO2 concentration significantly (p ≤ 0.05) enhanced the chlorophyll, protein, total sugars, and carbon accumulation conversely diminished ascorbic acid in leaf tissues. The nutrients accumulation especially potassium and magnesium were significantly (p ≤ 0.05) improved while phosphorus accumulation suppressed under elevated CO2 concentration. Moreover, elevated CO2 notably altered protein, sugars, carbon, and nutrients partitioning in plant tissues viz. leaf, stem, and root of A. racemosus. The fate of rising atmospheric CO2 concentrations beyond 800 µmol CO2 mol− 1 will require much more study. Further studies are needed to understand the impacts of elevated CO2 concentration as well as a combination with other associated climatic variables on biochemical response particularly bioactive ingredients/health-promoting substances and nutrient profiling of this and other endangered medicinal plant species for improving livelihood support of the society.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Anywar ◽  
E. Kakudidi ◽  
R. Byamukama ◽  
J. Mukonzo ◽  
A. Schubert ◽  
...  

Introduction: Despite concerns about toxicity, potentially harmful effects and herb-drug interactions, the use of herbal medicines remains widely practiced by people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV) in Uganda.Objective: The objective of the paper was to comprehensively review the literature on the toxicity and chemical composition of commonly used medicinal plant species in treating PLHIV in Uganda.Methods: We reviewed relevant articles and books published over the last sixty years on ethnobotany, antiviral/anti-HIV activity, toxicity, phytochemistry of Vachellia hockii, Albizia coriaria, Bridelia micrantha, Cryptolepis sanguinolenta, Erythrina abyssinica, Gardenia ternifolia, Gymnosporia senegalensis, Psorospermum febrifugium, Securidaca longipendunculata, Warburgia ugandensis and Zanthoxylum chalybeum and their synonyms. We searched PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Science Direct and Google Scholar.Discussion: Most of the plant species reviewed apart from P. febrifugium, S. longipedunculata and C. sanguinolenta lacked detailed phytochemical analyses as well as the quantification and characterization of their constituents. Crude plant extracts were the most commonly used. However, purified/single component extracts from different plant parts were also used in some studies. The U87 human glioblastoma was the most commonly used cell line. Water, ethanol, methanol and DMSO were the commonest solvents used. In some instances, isolated purified compounds/extracts such as Cryptolepine and Psorospermin were used.Conclusion: Cytotoxicity varied with cell type, solvent and extract type used making it difficult for direct comparison of the plant species. Five of the eleven plant species namely, A. coriaria, C. sanguinolenta, G. ternifolia, P. febrifugium and Z. chalybeum had no cytotoxicity studies in animal models. For the remaining six plant species, the crude aqueous and ethanol extracts were mainly used in acute oral toxicity studies in mice. Herbalists reported only A. coriaria and W. ugandensis to cause toxic side effects in humans. However, selective cytotoxic plant extracts can potentially be beneficial as anticancer or anti-tumour drugs.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-25
Author(s):  
Sidra Ahsan Shah ◽  
Wajeeha Iqbal ◽  
Muneeba Sheraz ◽  
Bilal Javed ◽  
Syeda Sadaf Zehra ◽  
...  

Bajwat Wildlife Sanctuary is a complex riverine ecosystem and is unique because of the presence of river Chenab, various seasonal streams, lakes, and Head Marala barrage. These ecogeographic conditions provide diverse natural habitats for various plant and animal species to grow uninterrupted and have undocumented ethnopharmacologically important medicinal flora. The present study involves the first-ever extensive investigation to document the ethnopharmacological knowledge on medicinal plants of local healers and inhabitants of the Bajwat Wildlife Sanctuary to treat ailments. The unstructured and semistructured interviews of the local healers and inhabitants were conducted that included 130 individuals. The ethnomedicinal formulations, their method of preparation, mode of administration, parts of the plant used, diseases cured, and their categorization along with species use report (UR) were analyzed. The ethnopharmacological study led to the enlisting of 114 medicinal plant species belonging to 97 genera and distributed among 47 plant families. 2029 URs were collected with 42 general disease categories. Each plant species was reported 18 times to cure various diseases (∼18 UR), while ∼48 URs were collected on each disease category by local informants. Digestive issues (290 URs, ∼14.29%) and skin infections (279 URs, ∼13.75%) were found most commonly among the occupants of the area. The oral administration (69%) of herbal drugs and the preparation of plant extracts (32%) were the most common ethnopharmacological strategies. Inhabitants of the area were well aware of the limited use of poisonous plants. 8 (∼7%) out of the total 114 medicinal plant species were listed in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as Least Concern, while Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehnh. was enlisted as near-threatened. The results of the present investigation show that the occupants of the Bajwat have sound information about the ethnopharmacological consumption of medicinal plants, and some of the novel ethnomedicinal formulations were reported which provide the basic data for further pharmacological research.


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