Botanical Studies最新文献

Background: Astragalus membranaceus, a valuable medicinal plant, is widely used in the pharmaceutical, food, and nutritional industries due to its rich bioactive compounds. Its increasing demand has led to extensive cultivation of A. membranaceus to supplement natural resources and ensure a stable supply. However, comparing the metabolic characteristics of natural and cultivated plants is essential for understanding their quality, authenticity, and potential pharmacological differences.

Results: We conducted a comparative analysis of polysaccharide and monosaccharide composition and untargeted metabolite profiling in the roots of natural and cultivated A. membranaceus plants in Mongolia. The levels of alcohol soluble total polysaccharides and the major abundant monosaccharides were similar between natural and cultivated A. membranaceus roots. Whereas several less abundant monosaccharides showed reduced levels in the cultivated roots. Untargeted metabolomic profiling identified a total of 157 metabolites, among which 42 and 35 were differentially accumulated in natural and cultivated roots, respectively. Most metabolites showed increased levels in the cultivated roots; however, 32 metabolites were enriched in natural roots. Functional pathway enrichment revealed distinct metabolic features between the two root types. In natural roots, pathways related to stress response, biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, and energy production were enriched. In cultivated roots, the enriched metabolic pathways were linked to primary metabolism, growth, and energy production.

Conclusions: Our findings reveal distinct metabolic characteristics between natural and cultivated A. membranaceus roots, likely shaped by differences in growth environments, soil conditions, and adaptive metabolic reprogramming. These results provide a valuable reference for evaluating, authenticating, and distinguishing natural and cultivated A. membranaceus roots, and offer insights into their pharmacological potential and quality control.

Background: Carnation and Dianthus (Dianthus spp) are globally cultivated as a cut flower, yet high summer temperatures in Taiwan significantly reduce the yield and quality of commercial cultivars. To enhance stress tolerance traits such as heat resistance and disease resistance, interspecific and intergeneric hybridization with native species is a viable approach. Since the success of hybridization is influenced by genetic distance, this study aimed to clarify the phylogenetic relationships among native species, commercial cultivars, and interspecific hybrids using internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers.

Results: Phylogenetic analysis based on RAPD markers effectively differentiated among native Taiwanese species, commercial varieties, interspecific hybrids, and outgroup taxa. ITS markers, on the other hand, were more informative for identifying parent-offspring relationships. Notably, Dianthus superbus var. longicalycinus from Taiwan and Japan, despite sharing the same scientific name, exhibited clear distinctions in both morphological traits and molecular profiles.

Conclusions: The combined use of RAPD and ITS markers provides complementary insights into the genetic relationships within the Dianthus genus. These findings not only support the strategic use of molecular markers in breeding programs but also highlight the need to reassess taxonomic classifications among morphologically similar varieties. This study provides genetics, breeding tools, and germplasm information for future Dianthus breeding.

Background: This study explores the continuity and transformation of wild plant foraging practices in Biella, Piedmont (northwestern Italy), over the past 55 years. The aim was to assess how cultural, economic, and environmental shifts have shaped local ethnobotanical knowledge and practices, using a 1970 survey as a baseline for comparison. Ethnobotanical fieldwork was conducted with 15 local informants to document current wild plant uses for food and herbal teas.

Results: The resulting dataset of 82 species was compared with a historical record of 93 species to identify patterns of continuity, loss, and innovation. Three main patterns emerged: (1) the disappearance of certain traditionally foraged plants, not due to ecological absence but largely because of socio-economic changes like the decline of pastoralism and the loss of daily interaction with mountain environments (2) the emergence of new foraging practices involving species that grow near settlements, linked to evolving lifestyles and land use; and (3) a relatively robust preservation of traditional ecological knowledge when compared to other Alpine areas. This resilience is attributed to the area's geographic marginality, the socio-economic aftermath of the textile industry's collapse, and the strength of local traditions such as home gardening and communal land use.

Conclusion: Wild plant foraging remains a living tradition in Biella, marked by both persistence and adaptation. The findings underscore the dynamic nature of ethnobotanical knowledge and its potential role in sustainability, food security, and cultural heritage preservation amid rural and peri-urban change.

Background: Seeds of temperate terrestrial (hardy) orchids are considered more difficult to germinate compared to their tropical epiphytic counterparts, presumably because they have higher levels of abscisic acid (ABA) in their seed coats which prevents seeds from germinating prematurely during winter dormancy. In nature, ABA is gradually broken down (stripped) by natural weathering, triggering germination. This process can be shortened artificially, however, by using chemical bleaching agents and cold-moist stratification with mixed results. In this study, we explored the use of fluridoneto break seed dormancy in a hardy orchid native to North America, Platanthera leucophaea (Nutt.) Lindl. This organic compound (IUPAC name: 1-methyl-3-phenyl-5-[3-(trifluoromethyl) phenyl] pyridin-4(1H)-one) is a commercial herbicide that inhibits ABA biosynthesis. We added fluridone directly to agar media prior to seed sowing in vitro. Both symbiotic and asymbiotic germination techniques were applied that involved two different agar media, with and without added fluridone. Symbiotic germination was carried out using standard oatmeal agar inoculated with a mycorrhizal fungus (Ceratobasidium), whereas asymbiotic treatments utilized P723 agar medium.

Results: Seedling development within some of the replicate plates progressed to Stage 3 in all treatments, but development was marked in all asymbiotic plates containing fluridone leading to leaf elongation, 385 days after sowing.

Conclusions: As an herbicide, fluridone's use as a media additive to propagate a rare photosynthetic orchid seems counterintuitive, but its use in vitro to stimulate seedling development has the potential to benefit conservation efforts for this and possibly other hardy orchid species.

Background: Drought stress is a major constraint to the growth and productivity of Phaseolus vulgaris, particularly in dry regions. Utilizing natural biostimulants offers an eco-friendly approach to enhancing drought tolerance by modulating plant physio-biochemical responses. This study investigates the effectiveness of diluted lemon fruit juice (DLFJ) and diluted bee honey (DBH) as foliar biostimulants to mitigate drought-induced stress in P. vulgaris under two irrigation regimes: full (100% ETc) and deficit irrigation (60% ETc).

Results: Both DLFJ and DBH treatments significantly enhanced photosynthetic efficiency, relative water content (RWC), membrane stability index (MSI), osmoprotectant levels, antioxidant activity, and nutrient accumulation under drought conditions. Among all treatments (4% and 8% DBH, and 3% and 6% DLFJ), DBH-4% was the most effective. It significantly increased chlorophyll and carotenoid contents, photosynthetic efficiency, leaf integrity (RWC and MSI), osmoprotectant levels, antioxidant activities, and green pod yield under 60% ETc compared to untreated controls. It also markedly reduced oxidative stress markers (e.g., malondialdehyde and hydrogen peroxide) and further boosted enzyme activities, including superoxide dismutase, catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, and glutathione reductase.

Conclusions: These findings demonstrate that DBH-4% is a promising and sustainable biostimulant for improving drought resilience in P. vulgaris. Its rich content of antioxidants and osmoprotectants confers significant physiological and agronomic gains under water-limited conditions.