Volume 68 (2022): Issue 2 (June 2022)

Introduction: Monarda citriodora L. plant belongs to the Lamiaceae family. It is a medicinal and aromatic plant, an annual herb, one of important sources of thymol compound. This plant has various purposes such as medicinal properties, food industry, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals industry, a  powerful antioxidant and antimicrobial activity.

Objective: There is an ongoing need to find safe, natural sources of plant nutrients. Moringa leaves and pomegranate peels extracts are being used as a secure source of natural nutrients, and natural growth regulators on the growth and productivity of plants. Applying these bio stimulants helps avoid the excessive use of industrial materials in agriculture. So, this experiment was carried out to determine the effect of both moringa leaves extract, and pomegranate peels extract as a bio regulator on the productivity of M. citriodora plant.

Methods: This experiment was carried out during two seasons (2017/2018 and 2018/2019) at the Experimental Station of Adlya Farm, Sekem Company, ElSharkia Governorate, Egypt, to study the influence of some natural extracts of moringa leaves and pomegranate peels on growth, yield as well as some chemical constituents of the dry herbs, such as total carbohydrate, total flavonoids compounds, total phenolic content, NPK content and essential oil contents and its components and determination of free radical scavenging activity of M. citriodora L. plant.

Results: Both extracts of moringa leaves and pomegranate peels positively affected growth, yield, and chemical constituents compared to untreated plants. Moringa leaves extract had more effect compared with pomegranate peels extract. The main essential oil constituents were thymol, p-cymene, and carvacrol compounds.

Conclusion: The application of bio-stimulants of moringa leaves extract (MLE) and pomegranate peels extract (PPE) positively affect the growth and production of M. citriodora plant.

Introduction: Phyllanthus niruri L. (PnL) is a herbaceous plant containing flavonoid quercetin and can be used as an immunomodulator to prevent Covid-19. However, the flavonoid content and yield of herbs extract were not maximized. Therefore, PnL herbs were planted in various harvest periods and application of NPK-chitosan nanopolymer fertilizer to estimate these parameters.

Objectives: Determine the effect of NPK-chitosan nanopolymer fertilizer and harvesting age on herb extracts also determine the grouping pattern and correlation between responses based on FTIR-ATR spectral pattern using a chemometric approach.

Methods: Each group consisted of 50 plants. The formulation of NPK-chitosan nanopolymer fertilizer based on the dose of NPK consisting of the first dose is 15.5 grams/group, the second dose is 31 grams/group, and the third dose is 7.5 grams/group. Grouping of differences in harvesting age for plants consisted of 4, 6, and 8 weeks after the plant (WAP). Extraction used ultrasound-assisted extraction, and data were analyzed using a chemometric approach.

Results: Extract with the highest yield was found in second harvest time and third doses of fertilizer (W2D3) which is 9.73 %, and the highest TFC obtained in an extract with second harvest time and first doses of fertilizer (W2D1) is 17.34 mg QE/g. Total flavonoid content and extract yield were influenced by functional groups at wavenumbers 3486.77–3157.12 cm⁻¹ (1); 1740.96–1670.34 cm-1 (3); 1425.02–1272.62 cm-1 (5); 1257,753–1138,81 cm⁻¹ (6); 1131.38–945.53 cm-1 (7); 711.36–529.23 cm-1 (8).

Conclusions: The results showed that harvest time and fertilizer dose affected the growth parameters of PnL, total flavonoid content, and yield of extract. Functional groups in IR spectra also have positive and negative correlations with total flavonoid and yield extract responses.

Introduction: Valorisation of the genetic resources of crop plants is related to the protection of biodiversity.

Objective: The morphological and agricultural valorisation of 21 genotypes of flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) was carried out. Ten accessions of fibre flax were investigated: Fortuna, Izolda, Lazur, Swadzimski, Zwisły, Ariadna, Bryta, Waza, Milenium, Golęciński from Poland; Jordan, Tabor from Czech Republic; Argos, Venus from France; Baltuciai, Vega 2 from Lithuania: Irma, Persey from Ukraine; Rusicz from Russia and Alba from The Netherlands. The evaluation was also made for one linseed varieties from France, Drakkar.

Methods: The studied genotypes of flax were the research material in two locations: in 2010 in Pętkowo and in 2011 in Wojciechów. The valorisation of the tested morphological and agricultural traits was carried out traditionally. Some of the valorised morphological features were also presented in the form of data for the International Flax Database.

Results: Venus, Argos, Tabor and Jordan are varieties with a high fibre content in the stem. The highest fibre yield was found in Vega 2 in Pętkowo and Milenium in Wojciechów, and the lowest in Lazur in Pętkowo and Drakkar in Wojciechów. In both locations and years, the following cultivars were characterized by the highest seed yields: Lazur, Jordan, Argos, Vega 2, Golęciński and Persey. Cultivars Milenium in Pętkowo and Bryta in Wojciechów were the least valuable in terms of seed yield.

Conclusions: Morphological and agricultural valorisation differed in both locations and years. The conducted experiment confirms the literature data that the valorisation results of flax accessions depend on agrometeorological conditions.

Introduction: Common sage is cultivated in Europe and North America. It has strong antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal properties. This plant can be infected by different pathogenic fungi species, such as Alternaria alternata, Fusarium spp. (F. culmorum, F. equiseti, F. oxysporum), Phomopsis sclarea and Botrytis cinerea. Those species are the most frequently isolated fungi from sage stem base.

Objective: The aim of this study was to identify the causal agent of common sage wilt disease.

Methods: Studies were carried out in 2018–2020. 23 fungal isolates were identified based on their morphology and with use of PCR technique. Length and width of 100 conidia growing on SNA medium were measured after 7 days. Koch’s postulates were checked and the development of one fungus isolate (no. 13) was compared on seven media: the CMA, MEA, OA, PCA, SNA, PDA and Czapek medium. Sequences of the second largest subunit of RNA polymerase II (RPB2) were used to identify the pathogen.

Results: The fungus formed 3 kinds of spores: thin-walled, hyaline, slightly folded at the base, mostly 4-cell macroconidia, oblong, hyaline one- or two-cell microconidia and oval thick-walled chlamydospores. The Koch’s postulates were fulfilled. The fungus formed the most abundant aerial mycelium on the Czapek medium, and the least on the CMA medium. On the SNA medium, the mycelium grew into the medium and the aerial mycelium was not formed. The obtained RPB2 nucleotide sequence was 100% similar to the Fusarium oxysporum sequence deposited in GenBank (NCBI).

Conclusions: The results of this research can be used in further studies on the biological diversity of this species.

Introduction: Gynura procumbens is an important medicinal plant that contains different types of chemical constituents that show tremendous curative effects.

Objective: The aim of this research work was comparative karyomorphological analysis between in vitro and in vivo grown selected medicinal plant species.

Methods: The roots were collected properly from naturally grown plants and in vitro propagated plants and pretreated with 1,4-para-dichlorobenzene (PDB) for 2.00 – 3.00 hours at room temperature. After pretreating with PDB the roots were washed thoroughly and kept in 1:3 (v/v) aceto-alcohol for 24 hours and then, transferred to 70% alcohol (v/v) for preservation. After that completing staining process, prepared slides were observed under microscope for karyotype analysis & ideogram preparation.

Results: This research work reveled that both mother plant and tissue culture raised plants had 2n=20 chromosomes in somatic cell. No telocentric or acrocentric chromosome observed in the basic set of chromosomes. Both plants had 3 submetacentric and 7 metacentric chromosomes in the basic set of chromosomes. The centromeric formula for both plants was 3sm + 7m. The length of individual chromosome of in vivo plants ranged from 6.20 to 11.24 µm, whereas chromosome length of in vitro grown plants ranged from 6.08 to 11.22 µm. The total form percent (TF%) of naturally grown plants and micro-propagated plants were same (43.93%). Mother plant had 2A type of karyotype, the formula being 2Lsm + 4Msm + 4Mm + 10Sm. In vitro grown plant had also 2A type of karyotype which could be expressed by the formula, 2Lsm + 4Msm + 2Mm + 12Sm.

Conclusion: The results of cytological studies point out that chromosome numbers of naturally grown plants and micro-propagated plants were same. There were very little karyotypic variations observed in case of both micropropagated and mother plants.

Introduction: This paper presents the results of research about the antioxidant properties of extracts from 5 moss species, namely Brachythecium rutabulum, Callicladium haldanianum, Hypnum cupressiforme, Orthodicranum montanum and Polytrichastrum formosum. The macerates of each above mentioned species in water and ethanol (50% and 96%) solutions were analysed.

Objective: Total phenolic acids, total flavonoids and total flavonols concentrations and content of carotenoids was determined. Also some phenolic compounds were determined by HPLC.

Methods: The 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2′-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) radical scavenging activities and the advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP) formation inhibition were studied.

Results: The obtained results showed that the extracts prepared with 50% ethanol had the strongest radical scavenging activities. Every 50% ethanol extract also inhibited formation of AOPP. 96% ethanol extracts had the lowest free radical scavenging activities, although B. rutabulum extract strongly inhibited protein oxidation. Pearson’s correlation showed that the radical scavenging effects of water extracts and extracts prepared with 50% ethanol are dependent on the presence of phenolic acids and flavonoids.

Conclusion: The results suggest the moss extracts as materials for potential use in pharmacy or cosmetology.

Introduction: Ephedra foliata Boiss. ex C.A. Mey of the Ephedraceae family is an evergreen shrub distributed throughout North Africa and Southwest Asia. It has been a characteristic source of alkaloids like ephedrine, pseudoephedrine and other related mixes, which are of great importance for their biological and pharmacological potential.

Objective: This study is aimed to evaluate the antimicrobial potential and phytochemical constituents studies on stem, leaves and flowers extracts of E. foliata.

Method: The air-dried plant sample was powdered with an electric grinder, then extracted successively with solvents, namely petroleum ether, petroleum benzene, ethyl acetate, methanol, and aqueous using Soxhlet apparatus for 72 hours. The solid matter was separated by filtration and then solvents were evaporated with a vacuum rotary evaporator to obtain the crude extracts. Freshly prepared crude extracts were subjected to the standard procedures of preliminary phytochemical screening for the investigation of the presence or absence of different phytoconstituents. The result showed the presence of reducing sugars, flavonoids, and cardiac glycosides. Antimicrobial activity of the crude extract was determined by agar well diffusion method.

Results: Ethyl acetate extract showed the highest antimicrobial activity against all the tested pathogens (Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Yersinia enterocolitica, Streptococcus pneumonia, Aspergillus terreus, Cladosporium herbarum and Candida tropicalis). All five extracts inhibited the growth of Y. enterocolitica.

Conclusion: The antimicrobial properties of E. foliata extracts are of great interest in light of the ongoing threat of microbial resistance to conventional antibiotics. Phytoconstituents present in the E. foliata extracts might be a good alternative to modern antimicrobials as a natural compound.

Fatty acids are important structural and functional elements of human body. We can distinguish several types: among others polyunsaturated fatty acids, which include omega-3 fatty acids (ω-3PUFA) and omega-6 fatty acids(ω-6PUFA). The first group has pleiotropic health-promoting effects, while the second group, ω-6PUFA, negatively affects the homeostasis of the human body and contributes to the development of numerous diseases. Both the amount and the relative ratio of these acids in the diet is an important factor affecting health and quality of life.

Laboratory and clinical studies indicate that ω-3PUFA have a positive effect on the therapy of illnesses such as obesity and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). ω-3 PUFA supplementation also appears to have a helpful effect in the adjuvant treatment of colorectal cancer and recovery.

Cytokine storm is believed as a major root cause for multi-organ failure and death in severely infected diabetic patients with COVID-19. This condition is treated with anti-inflammatory drugs, mainly steroids, to recover people from critical conditions. However, steroid therapy causes immune suppression and uncontrolled hyper-glycaemia in post-COVID. This altered immune-metabolism provides a fertile environment for the infection of a black fungus, Rhizopus arrhizus which causes mucormycosis in diabetic patients. It is a life-threatening infection causing death in different countries. It is treated either with anti-fungal drugs, surgical debridement, or adjunctive therapies. The available therapies for mucormycosis have been associated with several drawbacks. Thus, the present review has explored and suggested herbs-spices based adjunctive therapy for possible realignment of the impaired immune system in the post-COVID diabetic subjects. The consumption of herbal therapeutics after COVID-19 could realign the impaired immune-metabolism in the post-COVID and thereby exert prophylactic effects against mucormycosis. Furthermore, the suggested herbal sources could help in the discovery of novel therapeutics against the COVID-19 associated mucormycosis.