Journal of Applied Research on Medicinal and Aromatic Plants最新文献

Mentha is a cosmopolitan genus of medicinal and aromatic plants, which is characterised by the essential oils in its leaves and its therapeutic and aromatic qualities. Mint species are usually cultivated as a perennial crop and therefore susceptible for various pests and diseases. Root-knot nematodes of the genus Meloidogyne are one of the pathogens that can reproduce on mint and cause plant growth reduction. To better understand the pathogenicity of Meloidogyne on mint we studied whether an increasing number of Meloidogyne affects plant growth and essential oil content in the leaves. For our greenhouse experiments, we selected peppermint (Mentha x piperita ˈMultimenthaˈ) as the major mint variety cultivated in Central Europe and the root-knot nematode M. hapla that can pose a major threat in temporal regions. In addition, we evaluated the pathogenicity and reproduction of M. chitwoodi, M. fallax and M. incognita on peppermint and other commonly grown mint varieties in Central Europe, i.e. Mentha x piperita ˈFränkische Blaueˈ, apple mint (M. rotundifolia) and spearmint (M. spicata). None of the studied root-knot nematode species had a negative impact on plant growth of peppermint ˈMultimenthaˈ. However, high densities of M. hapla caused a reduction in the essential oil content. In conclusion, peppermint ˈMultimenthaˈ turned out to be a good host for M. hapla, but a non-host for M. chitwoodi, M. fallax and M. incognita. Plant growth of all four mint varieties was not affected by M. hapla infestation. In addition, peppermint ˈMultimenthaˈ and spearmint were more susceptible to M. hapla than apple mint and peppermint ˈFränkische Blaueˈ.

Anethum graveolens L., an aromatic plant grown during winter season belongs to the family Apiaceae. The leaves and seeds of the plants are widely consumed in India. The seeds of the plants are rich in aroma, due to the richness of essential oils whereas the leaves hold immense potential due to their antioxidant and heavy metal stress alleviation properties. However, the genetic diversity of A. graveolens from North Western Himalayan has not been explored so far. Therefore, the genetic diversity of A. graveolens was investigated using 33 random amplified polymorphic (RAPD) and 27 inter sequence specific region (ISSR) markers. Out of the 33 random primers, only 4 RAPD markers resulted in PCR amplification whereas 18 ISSR markers resulted in reproducible PCR amplification. Out of these ISSR markers, 11 markers accounted for 75–100 % of the polymorphism across all the accessions. Additionally, protein profiling was also used to investigate the diversity of A. graveolens landraces. Overall, the cluster analysis using Neighbor joining (N-J) and unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA) method followed by principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that the accessions of A. graveolens irrespective to their geographic distribution shared the common group. Furthermore, the antioxidant potential of the local landraces was also investigated based on the free radical scavenging potential using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay. The present current study on exploration of A. graveolens diversity can be helpful in developing conservation strategies of its local germplasm prevalent in North Western Himalayan region.

Rhodomyrtus tomentosa is a valuable plant for medical and pharmaceutical uses. The plant reproduces through seeds; however, the seeds become dormant, resulting in low germination rates. The industrial demand for this plant is expanding, making sustainable propagation a major challenge. The present study aims to evaluate different techniques for breaking the dormancy of R. tomentosa seeds. A randomized design was used to evaluate different techniques for breaking the dormancy of R. tomentosa seeds, including de-operculum, chemical scarifications, and exogenous gibberellic acid (GA₃), in both laboratory conditions at ambient temperature (25 ± 2 °C) and field conditions. The characteristics of R. tomentosa fruit and seeds were assessed. The average mass, width, and length of fruits were 1.90 g, 13.78 g, and 15.27 g, respectively. The average seed/ripe fruit contained 57 seeds, and the mass of 1000 seeds was 2.64 g. Seed viability (100 %) was achieved in the treatment with 0.075 % tetrazolium at 45 °C for 3 h, but a germinated seed was only 13.00 %. The study of breaking seed dormancy in laboratory conditions revealed that de-operculum significantly enhanced seed germination up to 83.00 % within 15 days, compared with control treatment of 13.00 % within 34 days (p ≤ 0.01). In contrast, 10 % KNO₃ for 24 h under field conditions resulted in the highest seed germination rate of 91.00 % within 34 days, while de-operculum treatment showed 63.00 % of seed germination within 15 days. In addition, the seed water imbibition rate between control and de-operculum seeds was evaluated. The results demonstrated that the control seeds absorbed water more slowly than the de-operculum seeds, indicating that de-operculum promoted faster germination. The findings concluded that breaking seed dormancy is important for R. tomentosa seed germination. De-operculum and KNO₃ were discovered to be effective ways of breaking seed dormancy in R. tomentosa.

To undertake scientifically appropriate management and conservation practices, understanding the reproductive biology of endemic and threatened species is critical. Dactylorhiza hatagirea is an important medicinal plant whose reproductive strategies and adaptive evolution mechanisms are still not fully clear. The present study was conducted in the North-western Himalaya of India to understand the reproductive biology, breeding system and pollination ecology of D. hatagirea; an endemic and critically endangered orchid. It is a perennial herb that grows along the altitudinal gradients of 2100–3107 m.a.s.l. and overcomes harsh winters through underground perrenating tubers. The flowering commences from May to July and the flowers are completely zygomorphic with male and female reproductive organs fused to constitute gynostemium. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) show significant statistical difference (p < 0.05) between the floral traits for most of the characters. Each flower bears two dark green colored pollinaria with an average of 212.14 ± 14.4 pollinia. Pollen occur as tetrads and polyads in massulae and their viability was greater than 95 ± 4.2 %. Stigma receptivity was confirmed on the day of anthesis and reaches its peak on 5–6th day. Cruden outcrossing index (5), asynchronous anthesis, conspicuous inflorescences, nectaries, presence of rostellum and herkogamy points towards outcrossing nature while pollen ovule ratio (1.27 ± 0.4) and the greater value of self-incompatibility (0.9) reflect that plants are potent cross-breeders. Pollination treatments significantly impacted seed set in D. hatagirea (one-way ANOVA; F = 23.14; p = 0.001) with an average seed set of 92.75 % ± 0.95 for manual xenogamy (p < 0.01), 89.5 % ± 2.38 for geitonogamy (p < 0.01) and 17 % ± 2.2 for bagged inflorescences (p<0.05). Pollination syndrome is exclusively entomophilly. Insignificant difference was reported in the timining for the insect visitation to flowers (calculated value = 3.4; critical value = 5.1; p < 0.01), however different environmental factors created a significant impact on the frequency of insect visitation (calculated value = 9.7; critical value = 4.3; p < 0.01). Apis cerana, Apis mellifera and Bombus asiaticus show highest pollination indices (p < 0.01) and were characterized as dominant pollinators. This study provides a detailed explanation and substantial understanding regarding operative reproductive mechanism of this threatened medicinal plant and can be used by conservation biologists to develop holistic and effective conservation strategies and address the unique challenges that this threatened species face in the wild.

Lavandin (Lavandula x intermedia Emeric ex Loisel.) is a sterile natural hybrid obtained from the crossing of lavender (L. angustifolia Mill.) and spike lavender (L. latifolia Medik.), and its cultivation has gained great importance in Spain. This work is aimed to study the chemical composition of essential oils (EOs) of lavandin from clones ´Grosso´ and ´Super´ cultivated in Spain. For this purpose, 215 EOs, obtained by steam distillation between 2016 and 2022 in agricultural farms located in 13 provinces of Spain, were analyzed by gas chromatography (GC) in three public R&D centers: the Regional Institute for Agrifood and Forestry Research and Development of Castilla-La Mancha (IRIAF), the Agrarian Technological Institute of Castilla y León (ITACyL) and the Agrifood Research and Technology Center of Aragon (CITA). The chemical composition of the EO of lavandin showed great inter- and intra-varietal variability, with the main compounds being linalool, linalyl acetate, camphor and 1,8-cineole. The results showed that the contents of camphor and 1,8-cineole were higher in ´Grosso´ (7.2% vs 5.0% and 5.7% vs 3.8%, respectively), while those of linalool and linalyl acetate were higher in ´Super´ (35.8% vs 34.2% and 33.7% vs 27.2%). Among minor compounds, the lavandin 'Super' exhibited a higher content of β-Z-ocimene and β-E-ocimene, and a lower content of terpinen-4-ol compared to 'Grosso´. Additionally, eleven compounds of lavandin 'Grosso' were compared within the ranges established by ISO 8902:2009 standard, revealing that only 18% of the samples complied with it for all of these compounds. In this sense, the contents of α-terpineol, linalool and lavandulyl acetate were above the upper limit of the standard in respectively 49%, 23% and 21% of the samples. On the contrary, 36% of the samples for β-Z-ocimene and 32% for linalyl acetate were below the range of this regulation. Unfortunately, these discrepancies with the ISO regulation exclude numerous EOs from the market despite their value in different sectors like perfumery, cosmetics, aromatherapy, phytosanitary or pharmacy. This work could serve as a guidance and/or reference study of Spanish essential oil of ´Grosso´ and ´Super´ clones for stakeholders involved in the lavandin EO market.

Black pepper (Piper nigrum L.), a highly sought-after spice crop with medicinal properties, requires careful evaluation and selection due to its perennial nature and associated resource requirements. Being a perennial, yield trials across years are feasible and practical in this crop rather than that across locations. However, parameters to assess the yield trial data and/or derive criteria to select superior cultivars with stable performance are lacking in black pepper. In this study, we examined the genotype-by-year interaction (GYI) pattern and its impact on black pepper yield, as well as the selection parameters for identifying stable and high-yielding cultivars. Average Yield Relative Environment Maximum (YREM) and Best Linear Unbiased Predictor (BLUP) emerged as the most effective measures for evaluating cultivar performance, as they accounted for relative yield and stability. Among the evaluated cultivars, OPKM displayed better stability estimates. However, considering high mean yield along with all the stability estimates, the HP 2173 ranked first. Notably, even with single-location multi-year trial data, the single-year YREM and BLUP values showed significant predictive power for future performance which is most preferred in perennial crops. Additionally, the use of multi-year average performance (YREM and BLUP) as quantitative criteria for selecting or rejecting genotypes in future breeding programs proved to be effective.

Salt resistance studies have, unfortunately, mainly been focused on conventional crops, with very few studies being conducted on the potential of available halophytes as new crops in the future. Portulaca oleracea L. has been listed as one of the most used medicinal plants by the World Health Organization as an edible halophyte. It is a fast-growing herbaceous annual with high nutritional relevance. The present work was designed to determine the effect of six soluble salts (NaCl, Na₂SO₄, KCl, CaCl₂, CaCO₃, and MgCl₂) on germination of P. oleracea seeds. The effect of salinity was tested on final germination percentage (FGP%), and germination tolerance index (GTI%) using five concentrations (0, 200, 300, 400, and 600 mM) of each salt. In addition, laboratory experiments were conducted to assess the effects of salinity on germination recovery from high saline conditions (600 mM). Salinity level and salt composition significantly influenced germination attributes. P. oleracea seeds were non-dormant, exhibited approximately 100% germination in distilled water. Both FGP and GTI gradually decreased with increasing salinity. This study showed that seeds of P. oleracea can germinate under 300 mM in all tested salts. The salts causing germination inhibition exhibited specificity, with an increasing trend observed in the following sequence: MgCl₂ > Na₂SO₄ > NaCl > KCl > CaCl₂ > CaCO₃. Transferring ungerminated seeds from 600 mM to distilled water recovered their germination ability. Based on these results, we can conclude that P. oleracea is a high salt-tolerant species that can tolerate a variety of salts found in soil. Therefore, P. oleracea may be considered a promising species for improving ecological balance in saline soils.

Alpinia oxyphylla Miq. (A. oxyphylla) is a favorable medicinal and edible plant, its fructus has various biological activities. In the present study, ultrasonic extraction (UE) of the active constituents from Alpiniae oxyphyllae Fructus (A. oxyphyllae Fructus) was optimized using central composite design and the extract was characterized for its activities. The results suggested that under optimum UE conditions (ethanol concentration (60%, v/v), solid-liquid ratio (1:40), and number of extractions (4)), the total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and total triterpene content (TTC) were 11.92 mg GAE/g DW, 15.37 mg RE/g DW, and 58.04 mg UAE/g DW, respectively. The 8 major compounds in A. oxyphyllae Fructus extract were identified and quantified by ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem electrospray ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-ESI-QTrap-MS) and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The extract of A. oxyphyllae Fructus obtained by UE based on optimal parameters had higher TPC, TFC and TTC, better antioxidant activities, antibacterial activities and enzyme inhibitory activities as compared to boiling water extraction (BWE) and maceration extraction (ME).

Polygonum chinense L. (synonym: Persicaria chinensis) was considered a medicinal food homology plant, which was often used in herbal tea. This plant is rich in phenolic acid compounds that possess antibacterial, antioxidant, and other pharmacological properties. Although phenolic acids of P. chinense have been investigated pharmacologically, the genetic basis of phenolic acid biosynthesis in this plant is unknown due to the lack of a reference genome. In this study, we employed a combination of transcriptomics and bioinformatic analysis to construct a transcriptome database for three tissues (flowers, leaves, and stems) of P. chinense, and extracted genes related to the biosynthesis of phenolic acids. In total, 90,635 unigenes with a mean length of 1224 bp were obtained, 70,915 of which were functionally annotated. Seventy-eight differentially expressed genes (DEGs) associated with the phenolic acid biosynthetic pathway were identified, with five DEGs (CL4812–1, CL7291–1, CL5600–1, CL6332–3, and Unigene12384) being singled out as candidate genes putatively involved in the regulation of phenolic acid biosynthesis through correlation analysis. A comprehensive sequence analysis of these candidate genes was subsequently performed. The phylogenetic tree and the structural model were constructed, and molecular docking studies were conducted for the 4-coumarate-CoA ligase. Additionally, the expression levels of 12 unigenes encoding key enzymes involved in phenolic acid biosynthesis were validated using quantitative reverse transcription-PCR. Our study provides candidate genes at the transcriptional level for further investigation of the molecular regulatory mechanisms involved in phenolic acid biosynthesis, as well as a scientific basis for the development of P. chinense as a food-medicine dual-purpose plant.

Ferula assa-foetida L. is a high-value spice and medicinal herb. It is used as a common condiment in Indian cuisines and essential part of traditional medicine in Ayurveda and Unani system from pre-historic times. It has been used in the drug industry due to its distinctive phytochemistry and pharmacological activity. Besides, this plant has a high potential to diversify sources of farmers’ income and improve their livelihood, especially living in the Himalayan periphery. However, cultivation of this herb is hindered by several challenges such as low germination and plant survival, extended dormancy phase, specific agro-climatic conditions and poor oleo-gum resin extraction methods. Moreover, there are limited studies focused on its reproductive biology and breeding technology, which are the basis of any genetic improvement and variety development programme. Hence, there is an emerging need to develop modern agro-technology and promising high yielding genotypes to promote its large-scale cultivation. This comprehensive review summarizes valuable insights into the historical account, ethnobotany, geographical distribution, agrotechnology, molecular characterization, pharmaceutical uses and world trade in asafoetida.