Acizzia convector Burckhardt & Taylor, sp. nov., a psyllid originating from Australia, is described from material from Australia (NT), South and Southeast Asia (Brunei, Cambodia, India, Laos, Malaysia [Sabah], Singapore and Thailand) and North America (USA [Florida from six counties]). The new species is diagnosed and illustrated, and a key is provided to identify the adults of Acizzia species adventive in the New World. The new species develops on Acacia auriculiformis and A. mangium (Fabaceae), two mimosoids planted and widely naturalised throughout the tropics. While the presence of A. convector sp. nov. in Florida is probably recent (earliest record from October 2014), it occurs in Southeast Asia at least since the 1980s. The wide distribution of the host plants in tropical Africa and South America would allow the psyllids also to occur there.
Current policy is driving renewed impetus to restore forests to return ecological function, protect species, sequester carbon and secure livelihoods. Here we assess the contribution of tree planting to ecosystem restoration in tropical and sub-tropical Asia; we synthesize evidence on mortality and growth of planted trees at 176 sites and assess structural and biodiversity recovery of co-located actively restored and naturally regenerating forest plots. Mean mortality of planted trees was 18% 1 year after planting, increasing to 44% after 5 years. Mortality varied strongly by site and was typically ca 20% higher in open areas than degraded forest, with height at planting positively affecting survival. Size-standardized growth rates were negatively related to species-level wood density in degraded forest and plantations enrichment settings. Based on community-level data from 11 landscapes, active restoration resulted in faster accumulation of tree basal area and structural properties were closer to old-growth reference sites, relative to natural regeneration, but tree species richness did not differ. High variability in outcomes across sites indicates that planting for restoration is potentially rewarding but risky and context-dependent. Restoration projects must prepare for and manage commonly occurring challenges and align with efforts to protect and reconnect remaining forest areas. The abstract of this article is available in Bahasa Indonesia in the electronic supplementary material. This article is part of the theme issue 'Understanding forest landscape restoration: reinforcing scientific foundations for the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration'.
As we navigate the modern era, the intersection of time-honoured natural remedies and contemporary scientific approaches forms a burgeoning frontier in global healthcare. For generations, natural products have been foundational to health solutions, serving as the primary healthcare choice for 80% to 85% of the world's population. These herbal-based, nature-derived substances, significant across diverse geographies, necessitate a renewed emphasis on enhancing their quality, efficacy, and safety. In the current century, the advent of biogenic phytonanoparticles has emerged as an innovative therapeutic conduit, perfectly aligning with principles of environmental safety and scientific ingenuity. Utilizing green chemistry techniques, a spectrum of metallic nanoparticles including elements such as copper, silver, iron, zinc, and titanium oxide can be produced with attributes of non-toxicity, sustainability, and economic efficiency. Sophisticated herb-mediated processes yield an array of plant-originated nanomaterials, each demonstrating unique physical, chemical, and biological characteristics. These attributes herald new therapeutic potentials, encompassing antioxidants, anti-aging applications, and more. Modern technology further accelerates the synthesis of natural products within laboratory settings, providing an efficient alternative to conventional isolation methods. The collaboration between traditional wisdom and advanced methodologies now signals a new epoch in healthcare. Here, the augmentation of traditional medicine is realized through rigorous scientific examination. By intertwining ethical considerations, cutting-edge technology, and natural philosophy, the realms of biogenic phytonanoparticles and traditional medicine forge promising pathways for research, development, and healing. The narrative of this seamless integration marks an exciting evolution in healthcare, where the fusion of sustainability and innovation crafts a future filled with endless possibilities for human well-being. The research in the development of metallic nanoparticles is crucial for unlocking their potential in revolutionizing fields such as medicine, catalysis, and electronics, promising groundbreaking applications with enhanced efficiency and tailored functionalities in future technologies. This exploration is essential for harnessing the unique properties of metallic nanoparticles to address pressing challenges and advance innovations across diverse scientific and industrial domains.
Three new species of the fungal-inhabiting plant bug genus Punctifulvius Schmitz, 1978 (Cylapinae: Fulviini) are described, namely P. aleksanderi n. sp. from Selangor, Malaysia, P. parvus n. sp. from East Kalimantan, Indonesia, and P. sakaerat n. sp. from Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand. The present discovery represents the first record of the genus from the Oriental Region. Punctifulvius members are now confirmed to be widespread from the cold temperate climatic zones in the eastern Palearctic regions, across the tropics of the Oriental Region, to the temperate rainforest of Australia. Punctifulvius kerzhneri Schmitz, 1978 is recorded from Taiwan for the first time. The systematic position of Teratofulvioides Carvalho & Lorenzato, 1978 is discussed, and its single species Teratofulvioides punctatus Carvalho & Lorenzato, 1978 is redescribed. Color adult habitus images of Punctifulvius aleksanderi, P. kerzhneri, P. parvus, P. sakaerat, and Teratofulvius punctatus, images of male (P. parvus and P. sakaerat) and female (P. aleksanderi) genitalic structures, as well as scanning electron micrographs of selected structures of P. aleksanderi, P. kerzhneri, P. parvus, P. sakaerat, and T. punctatus are provided. Key to the species of Punctifulvius is given.
Cellulose is a naturally existing element in the plant's cell wall and in several bacteria. The unique characteristics of bacterial cellulose (BC), such as non-toxicity, biodegradability, hydrophilicity, and biocompatibility, together with the modifiable form of nanocellulose, or the integration with nanoparticles, such as nanosilver (AgNP), all for antibacterial effects, contributes to the extensive usage of BC in wound healing applications. Due to this, BC has gained much demand and attention for therapeutical usage over time, especially in the pharmaceutical industry when compared to plant cellulose (PC). This paper reviews the progress of related research based on in vitro, in vivo, and clinical trials, including the overall information concerning BC and PC production and its mechanisms in wound healing. The physicochemical differences between BC and PC have been clearly summarized in a comparison table. Meanwhile, the latest Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved BC products in the biomedical field are thoroughly discussed with their applications. The paper concludes on the need for further investigations of BC in the future, in an attempt to make BC an essential wound dressing that has the ability to be marketable in the global marketplace.
Ficus deltoidea from the Moraceae family has been scientifically proven to reduce hyperglycemia at different prandial states. In this study, we evaluate the mechanisms that underlie antihyperglycemic action of Ficus deltoidea. The results had shown that hot aqueous extract of Ficus deltoidea stimulated insulin secretion significantly with the highest magnitude of stimulation was 7.31-fold (P < 0.001). The insulin secretory actions of the hot aqueous extract involved K(+) (ATP) channel-dependent and K(+) (ATP)-channel-independent pathway. The extract also has the ability to induce the usage of intracellular Ca(2+) to trigger insulin release. The ethanolic and methanolic extracts enhanced basal and insulin-mediated glucose uptake into adipocytes cells. The extracts possess either insulin-mimetic or insulin-sensitizing property or combination of both properties during enhancing glucose uptake into such cells. Meanwhile, the hot aqueous and methanolic extracts augmented basal and insulin-stimulated adiponectin secretion from adipocytes cells. From this study, it is suggested that Ficus deltoidea has the potential to be developed as future oral antidiabetic agent.
The Indian Himalaya is rich in plant species, including many medicinal plants, greatly valued by local inhabitants for health care needs. The study in Urgam Valley of Uttarakhand, India, is to identity and document traditional knowledge of medicinal plants. The study revealed high consensus on medicinal plant usage, with 51 species belonging to 31 families used for local health care. Number of species and uses known increases with age, and elders and specialist healers retain higher levels of traditional medicinal plant knowledge, having unique knowledge of medicinal plants and their uses as well as preparation.
There have been numerous non-scientific reports on the behavioural effects of Asian plants in humans who consumed these plants wholly or part thereof. Knowledge passed from generation to generation informs us of plants that increase effort and stamina, such as during paddy planting after the ingestion of Mitragyna speciosa Korth (ketum) as a tea supplement. Centella asiatica and Myristica fragrans are used as herbs to improve memory and to treat epilepsy, respectively. Zizyphus mauritiana is used to treat headache and burn pain, acts as an antitussive, and reduces rigor mortis immediately after death. These plants, which have been identified to exhibit analgaesic, muscle-relaxing, and nootropic effects, may contain important bio-compounds for medicinal chemistry and pharmaceutical research in Malaysia. The electrophysiology properties of these plants and their effects on epilepsy, behaviour, and pain will lead Malaysia to future new drug discoveries.
Swertia cordata and Swertia chirayita are temperate Himalayan medicinal plants used as potent herbal drugs in Indian traditional systems of medicine (Ayurvedic, Unani and Siddha).
The incidence of cancer is increasing each year, which generates concerns regarding the efficacy of the current treatment options. This has caused patients to seek alternatives to complement or to replace surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy.Annona muricataand other plants have been shown to have promising compounds that can be utilised in the treatment of cancer. Native to the tropical and subtropical parts of the world,A. muricataplant extracts contain compounds that are particularly effective against cancer cells. In light of increasing concerns regarding the limitations of cancer treatment in hospitals, this review attempts to highlight the benefits ofA. muricataand its potential to be integrated as one of the treatment options against cancer.
Saline-alkali soil has become an important environmental problem for crop productivity. One of the most effective approaches is to cultivate new stress-tolerant plants through genetic engineering. Through RNA-seq analysis and RT-PCR validation, a novel bZIP transcription factor ChbZIP1, which is significantly upregulated at alkali conditions, was obtained from alkaliphilic microalgae Chlorella sp. BLD. Overexpression of ChbZIP1 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Arabidopsis increased their alkali resistance, indicating ChbZIP1 may play important roles in alkali stress response. Through subcellular localization and transcriptional activation activity analyses, we found that ChbZIP1 is a nuclear-localized bZIP TF with transactivation activity to bind with the motif of G-box 2 (TGACGT). Functional analysis found that genes such as GPX1, DOX1, CAT2, and EMB, which contained G-box 2 and were associated with oxidative stress, were significantly upregulated in Arabidopsis with ChbZIP1 overexpression. The antioxidant ability was also enhanced in transgenic Arabidopsis. These results indicate that ChbZIP1 might mediate plant adaptation to alkali stress through the active oxygen detoxification pathway. Thus, ChbZIP1 may contribute to genetically improving plants' tolerance to alkali stress.
Rubus fruticosus L. is a shrub famous for its fruit called blackberry fruit or more commonly blackberry. The fruit has medicinal, cosmetic and nutritive value. It is a concentrated source of valuable nutrients, as well as bioactive constituents of therapeutic interest highlighting its importance as a functional food. Besides use as a fresh fruit, it is also used as ingredient in cooked dishes, salads and bakery products like jams, snacks, desserts, and fruit preserves. R. fruticosus contains vitamins, steroids and lipids in seed oil and minerals, flavonoids, glycosides, terpenes, acids and tannins in aerial parts that possess diverse pharmacological activities such as antioxidant, anti-carcinogenic, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial anti-diabetic, anti-diarrheal, and antiviral. Various agrogeoclimatological factors like cultivar, environmental conditions of the area, agronomic practices employed, harvest time, post-harvest storage and processing techniques all influence the nutritional composition of blackberry fruit. This review focuses on the nutrients and chemical constituents as well as medicinal properties of different parts of R. fruticosus. Various cultivars and their physicochemical characteristics, polyphenolic content and ascorbic acid content are also discussed. The information in the present work will serve as baseline data and may lead to new biomedical applications of R. fruticosus as functional food.
Carotenoids are bioactive compounds with remarkably special properties produced by plants in response to internal and external stresses. In this review paper, we focus on the subject of carotenoid biosynthesis and several factors that have been reported to significantly enhance or reduce carotenoid accumulation in studied plant species. These factors include varietal aspects, location, growing season, and type of stress experienced by a plant. In addition, we propose that there are three stress resistance mechanisms in plants: avoidance, tolerance, and acclimation. Better understanding of the environmental factors affecting carotenoid biosynthesis will help researchers to develop methods for enhancing the production of carotenoids and other pigments to desired concentrations in plant crops.
The genus Labisia (Myrsinaceae) is a popular medicinal plant in Malaysia. We examined the genetic relationship among three varieties of L. pumila var. pumila, L. pumila var. alata, L. pumila var. lanceolata and Labisia paucifolia using an ISSR assay. Fifty-eight primers were tested, among which 18 gave reliable polymorphic banding patterns; these yielded 264 polymorphic markers. A similarity matrix was used to construct a dendrogram, and a principal component plot was developed to examine genetic relationships among varieties. Jaccard's similarity coefficient among species ranged from 0.09 to 0.14. At a similarity of 0.117%, species were divided into two main clusters. The mean value of the observed number of alleles, the effective number of alleles, mean Nei's gene diversity, and Shannon's information index were 1.98, 1.64, 0.38, and 0.57, respectively.
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Diabetes mellitus is commonly known to lead to life threatening complications. Among them, hypertension is one complication which may be highlighted. In modern medical society, several drugs and treatment regimen have developed to treat diabetes mellitus. Although they obtain positive impacts, yet there are certain limitations encountered in the management of the disease due to their adverse effects and non-compliance by the patients. Herbs have been valued as a supplement in treating chronic oxidative stress disorder like diabetes mellitus. In the present review, some of the herbs which possess both anti-hyperglycemic and anti-hypertensive properties are being highlighted. Potential herbs which include Andrographis Paniculata, Ammi Visnaga, Allium sativum, Phyllanthus amarus, Ginkgo biloba, Solanum tuberosum, Tuberosum L. Piper sarmentosum and Lamiaceae family are known to possess antihypertensive properties. Various researches have been conducted on these herbs and positive results have been obtained. Based on these results, the present review article discusses the alternative management of diabetic hypertension with the herbal medicine. In conclusion, the present review article stresses on the need to ensure global awareness about the traditional medicines while treating diabetic hypertension.
Published data on oxalate poisoning in domestic animals are reviewed, with a focus on tolerance and performance. Oxalic acid is one of a number of anti-nutrients found in forage. It can bind with dietary calcium (Ca) or magnesium (Mg) to form insoluble Ca or Mg oxalate, which then may lead to low serum Ca or Mg levels as well as to renal failure because of precipitation of these salts in the kidneys. Dietary oxalate plays an important role in the formation of Ca oxalate, and a high dietary intake of Ca may decrease oxalate absorption and its subsequent urinary excretion. Oxalate-rich plants can be supplemented with other plants as forage for domestic animals, which may help to reduce the overall intake of oxalate-rich plants. Non-ruminants appear to be more sensitive to oxalate than ruminants because in the latter, rumen bacteria help to degrade oxalate. If ruminants are slowly exposed to a diet high in oxalate, the population of oxalate-degrading bacteria in the rumen increases sufficiently to prevent oxalate poisoning. However, if large quantities of oxalate-rich plants are eaten, the rumen is overwhelmed and unable to metabolize the oxalate and oxalate-poisoning results. Based on published data, we consider that <2.0% soluble oxalate would be an appropriate level to avoid oxalate poisoning in ruminants, although blood Ca level may decrease. In the case of non-ruminants, <0.5% soluble oxalate may be acceptable. However, these proposed safe levels of soluble oxalate should be regarded as preliminary. Further studies, especially long-term studies, are needed to validate and improve the recommended safe levels in animals. This review will encourage further research on the relationships between dietary oxalate, other dietary factors and renal failure in domestic animals.
This review describes the morphological, phytochemical and pharmacological properties of Cinnamomum subavenium (Lauraceae). The plant grows wild in southern Mainland China, Burma, Cambodia, Taiwan, Malaysia and Indonesia. This plant is recorded as having long been used to treat carcinomatous swelling, stomach ache, chest pain, abdominal pain, hernia, diarrhoea, rheumatism, nausea and vomiting. This article enumerates an overview of phytochemical and pharmacological aspects that is useful to researchers for further exploration for the necessary development of this potential herb.
DNA extraction was carried out on 32 medicinal plant samples available in Malaysia using the TriOmic(TM) extraction kit. Amounts of 0.1 g flowers or young leaves were ground with liquid nitrogen, lysed at 65°C in RY1(plus) buffer and followed by RNAse treatment. Then, RY2 buffer was added to the samples and mixed completely by vortexing before removal of cell debris by centrifugation. Supernatants were transferred to fresh microcentrifuge tubes and 0.1 volume RY3 buffer was added to each of the transferred supernatant. The mixtures were applied to spin columns followed by a centrifugation step to remove buffers and other residues. Washing step was carried out twice by applying 70% ethanol to the spin columns. Genomic DNA of the samples was recovered by applying 50 μL TE buffer to the membrane of each spin column, followed by a centrifugation step at room temperature. A modification of the TriOmic(TM) extraction procedure was carried out by adding chloroform:isoamyl alcohol (24:1) steps in the extraction procedure. The genomic DNA extracted from most of the 32 samples showed an increase of total yield when chloroform:isoamyl alcohol (24:1) steps were applied in the TriOmicTM extraction procedure. This preliminary study is very important for molecular studies of medicinal plants available in Malaysia since the DNA extraction can be completed in a shorter period of time (within 1 h) compared to manual extraction, which entails applying phenol, chloroform and ethanol precipitation, and requires 1-2 days to complete.
New carbazole alkaloid, 7-hydroxymurrayazolinine (1), was isolated from the ethanol extract of the leaves of Malayan Murraya koenigii, together with five known carbazole alkaloids, mahanimbine (2), bicyclomahanimbine (3), girinimbine (4), koenimbine (5), and murrayamine-D (6). Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic analysis.
The rapid advances in technology and improved living standard of the society necessitate abundant use of fossil fuels which poses two major challenges to any nation. One is fast depletion of fossil fuel resources; the other is environmental pollution. The porous medium combustion (PMC) has proved to be one of the technically and economically feasible options to tackle the aforesaid problems to a remarkable extent. PMC has interesting advantages compared with free flame combustion due to the higher burning rates, the increased power dynamic range, the extension of the lean flammability limits, and the low emissions of pollutants. This article provides a comprehensive picture of the global scenario of research and developments in PMC and its applications that enable a researcher to decide the direction of further investigation. The works published so far in this area are reviewed, classified according to their objectives and presented in an organized manner with general conclusions. A separate section is devoted for the numerical modeling of PMC.