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Allelopathy is a biological process in which one organism releases biochemicals that affect the growth and development of other organisms. The current investigation sought to determine the allelopathic effect of Rumex acetosella on white clover (Trifolium repens) growth and development by using its shoot extract (lower IC50 value) as a foliar treatment. Here, different concentrations (25, 50, 100, and 200 g/L) of shoot extract from Rumex acetosella were used as treatments. With increasing concentrations of shoot extract, the plant growth parameters, chlorophyll and total protein content of Trifolium repens decreased. On the other hand, ROS, such as O2.− and H2O2, and antioxidant enzymes, including SOD, CAT, and POD, increased with increasing shoot extract concentration. A phytohormonal study indicated that increased treatment concentrations increased ABA and SA levels while JA levels were reduced. For the identification of allelochemicals, liquid‒liquid extraction, thin-layer chromatography, and open-column chromatography were conducted using R. acetosella shoot extracts, followed by a seed bioassay on the separated layer. A lower IC50 value was obtained through GC/MS analysis. gammaSitosterol was identified as the most abundant component. The shoot extract of Rumex acetosella has strong allelochemical properties that may significantly impede the growth and development of Trifolium repens. This approach could help to understand the competitive abilities of this weed species and in further research provide an alternate weed management strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An understudied problem in plant heavy metal biology is the effects of acute versus gradual or chronic metal exposure. The aim of the present study was to compare the growth and physiological responses of Rumex hydrolapathum Huds. plants subjected to gradual or acute Mn stress treatment in controlled conditions. Heavy metal was applied to substrate either as one 1.00 g L−1 Mn dose (acute treatment) or the same dose in four steps of increasing amounts within 12 days (gradual treatment). Peroxidase activity in actively photosynthesizing leaves was used for monitoring induced biochemical changes resulting from Mn treatment. The number of leaves per plant significantly increased in the case of gradual treatment with Mn, but this effect was not statistically significant for acute treatment. Leaf fresh mass significantly decreased in both cases due to the decrease in leaf water content, but dry biomass of leaves was not affected, with no significant differences between the two types of treatments. A significantly lower chlorophyll fluorescence parameter Performance Index in large leaves of plants under the acute Mn treatment than in plants under the gradual treatment was evident. An increase in leaf peroxidase activity by Mn treatment was proportional to the metal dose received, but plants in the acute treatment with 1.00 g L−1 Mn had a significantly lower peroxidase response in comparison to the gradual treatment with 1.00 g L−1 Mn. In conclusion, under gradual treatment, biochemical changes related to the induction of tolerance to the heavy metal are expressed, as indicated by the continuous increase in leaf peroxidase activity after each treatment step. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Y chromosomes are thought to undergo progressive degeneration due to stepwise loss of recombination and subsequent reduction in selection efficiency. However, the timescales and evolutionary forces driving degeneration remain unclear. To investigate the evolution of sex chromosomes on multiple timescales, we generated a high-quality phased genome assembly of the massive older (<10 MYA) and neo (<200,000 yr) sex chromosomes in the XYY cytotype of the dioecious plant Rumex hastatulus and a hermaphroditic outgroup Rumex salicifolius. Our assemblies, supported by fluorescence in situ hybridization, confirmed that the neo-sex chromosomes were formed by two key events: an X-autosome fusion and a reciprocal translocation between the homologous autosome and the Y chromosome. The enormous sex-linked regions of the X (296 Mb) and two Y chromosomes (503 Mb) both evolved from large repeat-rich genomic regions with low recombination; however, the complete loss of recombination on the Y still led to over 30% gene loss and major rearrangements. In the older sex-linked region, there has been a significant increase in transposable element abundance, even into and near genes. In the neo-sex-linked regions, we observed evidence of extensive rearrangements without gene degeneration and loss. Overall, we inferred significant degeneration during the first 10 million years of Y chromosome evolution but not on very short timescales. Our results indicate that even when sex chromosomes emerge from repetitive regions of already-low recombination, the complete loss of recombination on the Y chromosome still leads to a substantial increase in repetitive element content and gene degeneration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, an HPLC-DAD method with high separation efficiency, detection sensitivity, and selectivity was developed and validated for the simultaneous qualitative and quantitative determination of anthraquinones (aloe-emodin, rhein, emodin, chrysophanol, and physcion) in Rumex acetosella L. and Rumex crispus L. plants collected at different regions and times. Optimal method conditions were determined by studying different mobile phases, mobile phase compositions, flow rates, column, column temperatures, injection volume, and wavelength of the compounds. Validation studies were carried out to prove the validity of the developed method. The correlation coefficients for all compounds were found to be in the range of 0.9991–0.9997, and the calibration curves were linear in the concentration range of 0.1–1.0 μg/mL. The limits of detection and quantification values were calculated in the range of 0.014–0.017 and 0.017–0.057 μg/mL, respectively. The developed and validated method indicated that it is effective and suitable for determining aloe-emodin, rhein, emodin, chrysophanol, and physcion in extracts of Rumex plants. In addition, the antioxidant activities of the plant extracts were determined using the Cupric Ion Reducing Antioxidant Capacity and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazil radical assays, revealing their antioxidant properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Rumex nervosus is abundant in East African and Arabian countries, and is used in curing gastrointestinal diseases as well as in wound healing. The current study intends to assess Rumex nervosus aqueous extract's anti-inflammatory benefits compared to its nanoparticles on rat paw edema and its gastric mucosal protection against ulceration. Materials and methods: In-vitro cytotoxicity effects and antioxidant activity of Rumex nervosus nanoparticles versus aqueous extract were studied, followed by a pilot in vivo pharmacological study to determine the suitable dose of nanoparticles that would be used in the safety and efficacy studies in comparison with the aqueous extract. Its protective effects on arthritis and soft tissue inflammation were studied in rat paw edema and gastric ulcer models. Rumex nervosus extract (250 and 500 mg/kg) and nanoparticles (3.3 and 6.6 mg/kg) were given to four groups of rats orally before induction of paw oedema with subplantar 0.2 ml (1% w/v) formaldehyde or gastritis with oral ethanol 1 ml (70%), besides negative, positive control and reference groups. Results: Paw volumes and gastric ulcer indices, as well as the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant parameters (kappa β, Paraoxonase1, and Malondialdehyde) that were measured in sera showed a marked reduction in groups treated with high doses of Rumex nervosus extract, and nanoparticles. Histopathologic and histochemical assessment of the stomachs confirmed the other investigations. All results were significant compared to positive control untreated groups. Conclusions: Most studies demonstrated Rumex nervosus's protective anti-inflammatory benefits with the superiority of large doses of nanoparticles, offering a promising natural solution for low cost against inflammation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study, synthesis, and application of nanomaterials in medicine have grown exponentially in recent years. An example of this is the understanding of how nanomaterials activate or regulate the immune system, particularly macrophages. In this work, nanoparticles were synthesized using Rumex hymenosepalus as a reducing agent (AgRhNPs). According to thermogravimetric analysis, the metal content of nanoparticles is 55.5% by weight. The size of the particles ranges from 5–26 nm, with an average of 11 nm, and they possess an fcc crystalline structure. The presence of extract molecules on the nanomaterial was confirmed by UV-Vis and FTIR. It was found by UPLC-qTOF that the most abundant compounds in Rh extract are flavonols, flavones, isoflavones, chalcones, and anthocyanidins. The viability and apoptosis of the THP-1 cell line were evaluated for AgRhNPs, commercial nanoparticles (AgCNPs), and Rh extract. The results indicate a minimal cytotoxic and apoptotic effect at a concentration of 12.5 μg/mL for both nanoparticles and 25 μg/mL for Rh extract. The interaction of the THP-1 cell line and treatments was used to evaluate the polarization of monocyte subsets in conjunction with an evaluation of CCR2, Tie-2, and Arg-1 expression. The AgRhNPs nanoparticles and Rh extract neither exhibited cytotoxicity in the THP-1 monocyte cell line. Additionally, the treatments mentioned above exhibited anti-inflammatory effects by maintaining the classical monocyte phenotype CD14++CD16, reducing pro-inflammatory interleukin IL-6 production, and increasing IL-4 production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Colorectal cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer death and the third most common cancer diagnosed in the United States. Several anticancer compounds from natural products have been of great interest in cancer chemotherapy and are currently in clinical trials. Natural products that present the targeted killing of cancerous cell and are soluble in water with minimal side effects are ideal candidates. In this study, water-soluble compounds from Rumex crispus plants were screened for anti-proliferative and apoptotic activity against human colorectal adenocarcinoma (DLD-1) cells. The most potent fraction with the highest cell killing and caspase fold change rates was selected for further experiments. The observed changes were further validated by measuring the caspase fold change using RT-qPCR. Furthermore, gene transcript levels were evaluated using an RT2 Profiler assay and a microarray experiment. Our results showed that the most potent L19 fraction exhibits anti-proliferative activity in a dose-dependent manner. The L19 fraction was found to induce apoptotic pathways by triggering different caspases and inflammatory pathways through the activation of non-apoptotic genes. Our study identified and validated the anticancer property of the L19 fraction, which can serve as a strong lead compound for the synthesis of other novel potent analogues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plants contain bioactive substances and secondary metabolites that have a variety of functions, including antibacterial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer activities. In this study, the content of bioactive compounds in five medicinal plants was determined, i.e., Plantago major L., Armoracia rusticana, Hypericum perforatum L., Rumex acetosa L., and Urtica dioica L., from 38 locations. Additionally, the antimicrobial effect of extracts of bioactive compounds from the above-mentioned plants was checked. The experiment used an original method of extracting bioactive compounds. Purpose of the research: the assessment of antimicrobial activity and chemical characterization of extracts obtained using our own method of isolating bioactive compounds from green parts of medical plants in Poland. Based on the research, the presence of bioactive compounds, i.e., phenolic acids and flavonoids, was found in the tested plant extracts. The results of this study suggest that the geographic parameters of the locations where these plants grow have different effects on their biochemical composition and biological activity. The results showed that all tested plants had significant antibacterial activities. Rumex acetose L. showed the highest antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli and Salmonella enteritidis. These studies supplement the existing literature on the subject with information about the antimicrobial properties of the tested plant extracts that can be used in herbal medicine. The results have significant implications for the pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and cosmetic sectors, establishing a foundation for future research in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Weed detection is considered the gold standard in smart agriculture field. An automated detection of weed procedure is a complicated task, specifically detection of Rumex weed due to different real-world environmental conditions, including illumination, occlusion, overlapped, growth stage, and colours. Few works have done to classify Rumex weed using machine learning. However, the performance is still not at the level required for agriculture communities and challenges have not been solved. This work proposes Region-Convolutional Neural Networks (R-CNNs) and VGG16 model based on colour space information to classify Rumex weed from grassland. The first step of the proposed method is to convert the images from RGB colour to HSV space colour due to robustness to lighting changes and removing shadows. Then, the images is divided into regions and we used selective search to select regions based on colour information. After that, the selective regions is entered into CNNs based imagenet weight and VGG16 model to extract features and the SVM classifier is used to classify these features into two classes (Rumex or Grass). This paper is investigated the effectiveness of our proposed method over real-world images under different conditions. The findings have shown that the proposed method superior comparing with other AI existing techniques. The results demonstrate that the proposed method has an excellent adaptability over real-world images in grassland environment. The findings provide valuable insight of using artificial intelligence in the agriculture field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of dietary supplementation with Rumex nervosus leaves (RNL) on fatty acid (FAs) indices, organoleptic evaluation, performance index, and feed efficiency were investigated. This study consists of five treatments. Broilers in treatments 1–4 received basal feed plus RNL at doses of 0, 1, 3, and 5 g/kg, while broilers in treatment 5 received basal feed plus the antibiotic Colimex. On day 34, FAs profile and organoleptic assessment were evaluated, and performance index and feed efficiency were determined for the entire experimental period. Results showed that FAs profile of the breast meat was affected by treatments with varying degrees (p˂0.05). The 1 g RNL resulted in the highest eicosapentaenoic acid + docosahexaenoic acid, which resulted in the highest meat lipid quality, the highest elongation index, improved organoleptic characteristics, and tended to improve performance index, feed efficiency, and nutritional index. The 5 g RNL treatment reduced total saturated fatty acids (ƩSFAs), omega-6/omega-3 ratio, especially linoleic acid/α-linolenic acid ratio, alanine aminotransferase, and increased total omega-3 fatty acids, unsaturation index, and Δ9-desaturase. In conclusion, RNL can be introduced to broiler diets, especially at an incorporation rate of 1 g, and it promotes broiler health and performance because it contains phytoconstituents that can alter the content and indices of FAs meat and improve storability and sensory quality. Oxidative chemicals increase lipid peroxidation and decrease sensory quality of broiler meat. As antioxidants, natural RNL inhibit oxidative degradation and prevent lipid peroxidation. RNL contains phytoconstituents that increase the fatty acid content and oxidative stability of meat. Fat deposition and associated markers in breast meat differed between low and high RNL levels. RNL improved nutritional index, sensory quality, performance index, and feed efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A leaf spot disease was observed on red veined sorrel (Rumex sanguineus) growing in a commercial greenhouse in northern NSW, Australia, in July 2021. Cercospora rumicis was found in association with the leaf spot and was identified morphologically and by sequencing two gene regions, histone-3 (HIS) and calmodulin (CAL). Koch's postulates were fulfilled through pathogenicity tests, including the inoculation of potted plants and a detached leaf assay. This is the first report of Cercospora rumicis in Australia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Outcomes of weed biological control projects are highly variable, but a mechanistic understanding of how top-down and bottom-up factors influence the success of weed biological control is often lacking. We grew Rumex obtusifolius, the most prominent native weed in European grasslands, in the presence and absence of competition from the grass Lolium perenne and subjected it to herbivory through targeted inoculation with root-boring Pyropteron spp. To explore whether the interactive effects of competition and inundative biological control were size-dependent, R. obtusifolius was planted covering a large range of plant sizes found in managed grasslands. Overall, competition from the grass sward reduced aboveground biomass and final root mass of R. obtusifolius about 62- and 7.5-fold, respectively, and increased root decay of R. obtusifolius from 14 to 58%. Herbivory alone increased only root decay. However, grass competition significantly enhanced infestation by Pyropteron spp. and, as a consequence, enhanced the impact of herbivory on aboveground biomass and final root mass. The synergistic effect was so strong that R. obtusifolius plants grown from initially smaller roots did no longer develop. Inoculating R. obtusifolius with Pyropteron species in grasslands should be further pursued as a promising inundative biological control strategy in the weed's native range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ecology and diversity of flowering parasitic plants and their hosts are poorly investigated and usually ignored in Saudi Arabian plant communities. Therefore, this work aimed at assessing the ecology and diversity of parasitic plants and their hosts along an elevation gradient in the Al-Baha region (1300–2400 m.a.s.l.). Different quantitative vegetation parameters were applied to analyze the collected data. Eight parasitic plants from six genera and four families were identified along the gradient, with 67% of them being zoochorously dispersed species. They accounted for approximately 23.5% (8 out of 34) of those found throughout Saudi Arabia. Perennials, stem hemiparasites, and biregional taxa accounted for around 62.5% of the total parasites, whereas indigenous species accounted for 75%. The dominant family of parasitic species was Loranthaceae (50%), and Phragmanthera austroarabica A.G.Mill. & J.A.Nyberg was the most important species (IVI = 107.28). Orobanche cernua Loefl. and Loranthella deflersii (Tiegh.) S.Blanco & C.E.Wetzel were restricted to the dry zone (low elevation) only, while the other parasites were distributed across the surveyed region. Twenty-three host plants were identified throughout the study region. About 83% of them were phanerophytes and bioregional plants, with 91% being perennial species. The prevalent host plant family across all sites was Fabaceae, with Nicotina glauca Graham being the most important host species (IVI = 32.44%). P. austroarabica and Plicosepalus curviflorus Tiegh. preferred Vachellias as host plants, while Vachellia flava (Forssk.) Kyal. & Boatwr. was the heavily infected host by P. austroarabica. P. austroarabica had a broad spectrum of host range (13 host plants), while O. cernua had a very narrow host range (only Rumex nervosus Vahl). Individual parasite and host species were markedly more abundant in the wet zone than in the low-altitude dry zone. Further research is needed to fully understand such distinctive groups of plants and their negative and positive ecological consequences on plant biodiversity and natural ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study aimed to explore the traditional knowledge and practices of indigenous communities in Bahawalpur and adjacent regions, Pakistan, to treat a variety of diseases with a particular focus on the usage of ethnomedicinal wild plants. The objective of the study was to collect and evaluate local and indigenous knowledge regarding the quantity, variety, use and management of resources by the people. Data were gathered using Rapid Appraisal Approach (RAA), which involved in-person interviews. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics methods as well as common ethnobotanical analytical techniques viz. use value (UV), relative frequency of citation (RFC), informant consensus factor (ICF), fidelity level (FL), relative importance (RI), frequency index (FI), family use value (FUV), family importance value (FIV), popular therapeutic use value (POPUT), plant part value (PPV), preference ranking (PR), cultural significance index (CSI), rank order priority (ROP) and Jaccard index (JI). A total of 158 plant species from 49 families were identified. The perennial herbs made up 72% of the documented species of therapeutic plants. There were 21 different species in each of the two major plant families i.e., Fabaceae and Poaceae. The maximum ICF were calculated for gonorrhea and paralysis (1.0) and maximum POPUT was calculated for skin disorders (0.088) and cough (0.077), respectively. The maximum UV was found for Rumex crispus (0.57) and RI for Leucaena leucocephala (4.38). Heliotropium crispum had the highest FL value (83%) and is used to treat kidney diseases. Alhagi maurorum had the greatest RFC (0.009) and FI (0.93). Arecaceae (0.45) and Fabaceae (13.39%) had the greatest FUV while Poaceae and Fabaceae had the highest FIV (13.29 for each). Leaves were the most frequently used plant part (35%). Alhagi maurorum (4.0) and Rumex crispus (32.57) had the highest CSI and ROP, respectively. The maximum JI (28.31) was calculated for Cholistan desert. These results showed the local population's reliance on herbal remedies to treat prevalent illnesses. To demonstrate the viability of species, it′s crucial to emphasize both the use and conservation of these species. Adopting innovative applications, enhancing their value, and prioritizing the protection of multipurpose wild plants in inhabited environments is vital. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The potential for malachite green dye saturated effluent to severely affect the environment and human health has prompted the search for effective treatment technologies. Thus, this study was conducted with the goal of developing activated carbon from Rumex abyssinicus for the adsorptive removal of malachite green dye from an aqueous solution. Unit operations such as drying, size reduction, impregnation with H3PO4, and thermal activation were used during the preparation of the activated carbon. An experiment was designed considering four main variables at their respective three levels: initial dye concentration (50, 100, and 150 mg/L), pH (3, 6, and 9), contact period (20, 40, and 60 min), and adsorbent dosage (0.05, 0.01, and 0.15 g/100 mL). Optimization of the batch adsorption process was carried out using the Response Surface methodology's Box Behnken approach. The characterization of the activated carbon was described by SEM for surface morphology with cracks and highly porous morphology, FTIR for multi-functional groups O–H at 3506.74 cm−1 and 3290.70 cm−1, carbonyl group stretching from aldehyde and ketone (1900–1700 cm−1), stretching motion of aromatic ring C=C (1543.12 cm−1), stretching motion of –C–H (1500–1200 cm−1), vibrational and stretching motion of –OH (1250.79 cm−1), and vibrational motion of C–O–C (1049.32 cm−1), pHpzc of 5.1, BET for the specific surface area of 962.3 m2/g, and XRD for the presence of amorphous structure. The maximum and minimum dye removal efficiencies of 99.9% and 62.4% were observed at their respective experimental conditions of (100 mg/L, 0.10 mg/100 mL, pH 6, and 40 min) and (100 mg/L, 0.15 mg/100 mL, pH 3, and 20 min), respectively. Langmuir, Freundlich, Toth, and Koble-Corrigan models were used to evaluate the experimental data, in which Koble-Corrigan model was found to be the best fit with the highest value of R2 0.998. In addition to this, the kinetic studies were undertaken using pseudo-first-order, pseudo-second-order, intraparticle diffusion, and Boyd models, and as a result, the pseudo-second-order model proved to have a better fit among the kinetic models. The kinetics and isotherm analysis revealed that the nature of the adsorption to be homogenous and monolayer surfaces driven by chemosorption. Furthermore, the thermodynamics study revealed the nature of adsorption to be feasible, spontaneous, and endothermic. On the other hand, the reusability study depicted the fact that the adsorbent can be utilized for five cycles with a negligible drop in the removal efficiencies from 99.9 to 95.2%. Finally, the low-cost, environmentally benign, and high adsorption capacity of the adsorbent material derived from Rumex abyssinicus stem could be used to treat industrial effluents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Autonomous weeding robots need to accurately detect the joint stem of grassland weeds in order to control those weeds in an effective and energy-efficient manner. In this work, keypoints on joint stems and bounding boxes around weeds in grasslands are detected jointly using multi-task learning. We compare a two-stage, heatmap-based architecture to a single-stage, regression-based architecture—both based on the popular YOLOv5 object detector. Our results show that introducing joint-stem detection as a second task boosts the individual weed detection performance in both architectures. Furthermore, the single-stage architecture clearly outperforms its competitors with an OKS of 56.3 in joint-stem detection while also achieving real-time performance of 12.2 FPS on Nvidia Jetson NX, suitable for agricultural robots. Finally, we make the newly created joint-stem ground-truth annotations publicly available for the relevant research community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Microglial cells are immune cells that operate within the central nervous system. Abnormally activated microglia cause neuroinflammation, which is linked with neurodegenerative disease. Previous research has revealed that Rumex crispus root extract exerts anti-inflammatory effects. However, it is not known whether Rumex crispus leaf extract (RLE) has anti-inflammatory effects on murine microglial cells, such as BV-2 cells. This study proposed to investigate the impact of RLE on inducing inflammation by LPS in BV-2 cells. Methods: LPS was used to induce inflammation in BV-2 cells, and then cell survival, changes in the levels of inflammation-related factors and pro-inflammatory cytokines, and NF-κB and MAPKs signaling pathway activity were evaluated in the presence or absence of RLE. Results: RLE treatment resulted in a reduction in nitric oxide (NO) production triggered by LPS without causing cytotoxic effects. In addition, both protein and mRNA expression levels of iNOS and COX-2, which were upregulated by LPS, were significantly decreased by RLE. Also, RLE effectively reduced the transcriptional expression and further suppressed the increased production of inflammatory cytokines by LPS stimulation. Additionally, RLE effectively suppressed the inflammatory response of BV-2 cells stimulated by LPS via interference with NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways. Conclusions: Taken together, our results confirm the effective suppression of the inflammatory response induced by LPS in BV-2 cells by RLE. Consequently, we suggest that RLE holds promise as a preventive agent against diseases triggered by microglial inflammatory responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among antihyperglycemic drugs used for treating diabetes, α-glucosidase inhibitors generate the least adverse effects. This contribution aimed to evaluate the potential antidiabetic activity of Rumex crispus L. by testing its in vitro α-glucosidase inhibition and in vivo antihyperglycemic effects on rats with streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes. Better inhibition of α-glucosidase was found with the methanol extract versus the n-hexane and dichloromethane extracts. The methanol extract of the flowers (RCFM) was more effective than that of the leaves (RCHM), with an IC50 of 7.3 ± 0.17 μg/mL for RCFM and 112.0 ± 1.23 μg/mL for RCHM. A bioactive fraction (F89s) also showed good α-glucosidase inhibition (IC50 = 3.8 ± 0.11 μg/mL). In a preliminary study, RCHM and RCFM at 150 mg/kg and F89s at 75 mg/kg after 30 days showed a significant effect on hyperglycemia, reducing glucose levels (82.2, 80.1, and 84.1%, respectively), and improved the lipid, renal, and hepatic profiles of the rats, comparable with the effects of metformin and acarbose. According to the results, the activity of R. crispus L. may be mediated by a diminished rate of disaccharide hydrolysis, associated with the inhibition of α-glucosidase. Thus, R. crispus L. holds promise for the development of auxiliary drugs to treat diabetes mellitus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The environmental pollution and human health impacts associated with the discharge of massive dye-containing effluents necessitate a search for cost-effective treatment technology. Therefore, this research work is conducted with the objective of investigating the potential of Rumex abyssinicus-derived activated carbon (RAAC) for the adsorption of Brilliant Blue Reactive (BBR) dye from aqueous solutions. Chemical activation with H3PO4 followed by pyrolysis was used to prepare the adsorbent. Characterization of the developed adsorbent was done using proximate analysis, pH point of zero charge (pHpzc), scanning electron microscope (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR), Brunauer, Emmett, and Teller (BET), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The experimental design and the effect of independent variables including pH (2, 6, and 10), initial dye concentration (50, 100, and 150 mg/L), adsorbent dosage (0.05, 0.1, and 0.15 g/100 mL), and contact time (20, 50, and 80 min) were optimized using the response surface methodology (RSM) coupled with Box Behnken design (BBD). The analysis results revealed the exitance of high specific surface area of 524 m2/g, morphological cracks, and the presence of multiple functional groups like –OH, C=C, alkene, and amorphous structure. Maximum removal efficiency of 99.98% was attained at optimum working conditions of pH 2, contact time of 50 min, dye concentration of 100 mg/L, and adsorbent dosage of 0.15 mg/100 mL, reducing the pollutant concentration from 100 to 0.02 mg/L. Evaluation of the experimental data was done using Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin, and Sips isotherm models, in which the Langmuir model was found to be the best fit with the experimental data at R2 0.986. This shows that the adsorbent surface is homogeneous and mono-layered. Furthermore, the kinetic study confirmed that the pseudo second-order model best describes the experimental data with R2 = 0.999. In general, the research work showed that the low cost, environmental friendliness and high adsorption capabilities of the activated carbon derived from Rumex abyssinicus could be taken as an effective nt for the removal of BBR dye from aqueous solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plants are commonly used in folk medicine. Research indicates that the mechanisms of biological activity of plant extracts may be essential in the treatment of various diseases. In this respect, we decided to test the ethanolic extracts of Bidens tripartita herb (BTH), Galium verum herb (GVH), and Rumicis hydrolapathum root (RHR) on angiogenic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties and their total polyphenols content. In vitro studies using endothelial cells were used to see tested extracts' angiogenic/angiostatic and anti-inflammatory properties. The DPPH assay and FRAP analysis were used to detect antioxidant properties of extracts. The Folin-Ciocalteu analysis was used to determine the content of total polyphenols. The results of gas chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis was also presented. In vitro study demonstrated that BTH, GVH, and RHR ethanolic extracts significantly increased cell invasiveness, compared with the control group. Increased endothelial proangiogenic invasiveness was accompanied by reduced metalloproteinase inhibitor 1 (TIMP-1) and raised in metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9). Only BTH and GVH significantly reduced cell proliferation, while BTH and RHR facilitated migration. Additionally, tested extracts reduced the production of proangiogenic platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF). The most potent anti-inflammatory capacity showed BTH and GVH, reducing proinflammatory interleukin 8 (CXCL8) and interleukin 6 (Il-6), compared to RHR extract that has slightly less inhibited CXCL8 production without affecting IL-6 production. Moreover, we confirmed the antioxidant properties of all examined extracts. The highest activity was characterized by RHR, which has been correlated with the high content of polyphenols. In conclusion, the modifying influence of examined extracts can be promising in disorders with pathogenesis related to angiogenesis, inflammation and free radicals formation. BTH is the best choice among the three tested extracts with its antiangiogenic and anti-inflammatory properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plants with high biomass adapted to conditions of increased moisture and with significant salt tolerance appear to be particularly attractive candidates for phytoremediation studies. The aim of the present study was to examine the tolerance of Rumex hydrolapathum plants to freshwater, saltwater inundation, and soil contaminated with heavy metals, as well as its metal accumulation potential in controlled conditions. Six separate vegetation container experiments in controlled conditions were performed with R. hydrolapathum plants to study the effects of soil moisture, waterlogging with NaCl, soil Cd, soil Cr, soil Ni, and soil Pb in the form of a nitrate or acetate. Optimum plant growth occurred in waterlogged soil conditions. As the concentration of NaCl used for waterlogging increased, the mass of living leaves decreased, but that of dry leaves increased. As a result, the total biomass of leaves did not significantly change. R. hydrolapathum plants were extremely tolerant to Cd and Pb, moderately tolerant to Ni, and relatively sensitive to Cr. The plants had high capacity for metal accumulation in older and senescent leaves, especially for Na+, K+, Cd, and Ni. R. hydrolapathum plants can tolerate soil waterlogging with seawater-level salinity, which, together with the metal tolerance and potential for metal accumulation in leaves, make them excellently suited for use in a variety of wastewater treatment systems, including constructed wetlands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, an attempt has been done to explore the phytochemicals and proximate compositions from an edible plant Rumex vesicarius, which is found in the wild habitats in United Arab Emirates. Extracts were prepared from the dried powder of the areal parts of the plant using methanol as solvent in Soxhlet. The extract was tested for phytochemicals and also studied for the proximate composition. The antioxidant power of the extract was determined by using four different assays (ABTS, DPPH, superoxide anion and hydroxyl radical scavenging activity). The results revealed that the extracts contain phytochemicals, which can be used as effective radical scavengers. The antioxidant activities were highly significant in the extract, which shows that this plant has high potential to be used in traditional and alternative medical systems. The present information would be of helpful for the future isolation and pharmacologically active compound identification from this plant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aerial seed banks facilitate population persistence by extending the temporal range of seed dispersal. Knowing the temporal range of germination will improve our understanding of the relationship between seed germination dynamics and aerial seed bank storage duration. We tested the effects of temperature (12/12 h of 5/10, 10/20, 20/30 and 25/35 °C) and light variation (12 h light/12 h darkness and 24 h darkness per day) on germination of Rumex obtusifolius L. seeds retained in an aerial seed bank for 0, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 months. Freshly harvested R. obtusifolius were non-dormant and exhibited germination rates of up to 92%. Overall, seeds of R. obtusifolius germinated reliably at all but the lowest temperature (5/10 °C). Seeds maintained high viability throughout the collection period, indicating that fluctuating weather conditions had little influence on seed germination. Thus, the species can maintain viable seeds in aerial storage for up to 10 months and contribute viable seeds to the soil seed bank year-round. This ability to maintain a renewed soil seed bank contributes to the species' strong resilience in colonizing disturbed areas and makes it a difficult weed to control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Machine learning has enabled the long-sought breakthrough of automated single-plant weed detection. Ecorobotix ARA is one of the first commercially available spot sprayer that allows automated single-plant treatment of broad-leaved dock plants in meadows. Compared to the treatment of the whole surface with standard field crop sprayers, herbicide reductions of over 90% can be realised. The aim of the present research was to investigate the accuracy of plant recognition and spraying. The results of the measurements for three meadows show that over 90% of broad-leaved dock plants were correctly detected. Measurements using a fluorescent tracer in the spray liquid showed that 89% of the dock leaf surface was sprayed while 11% of the leaves were left out. Overall, the results are promising and prove that this technology, which has been the subject of research for over 40 years, is now ready for on-farm usage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated whether the process of ensiling and in vitro digestion in rumen juice, as well as the response to soaking in pig or cattle slurry, affects the germination rate and germination energy of Rumex obtusifolius (broad-leaved dock) seeds. Seeds were subjected to different treatments (200 seeds each) in three experiments: (I) seed ensiling (8 weeks) followed by in vitro rumen digestion (24, 36 and 48 h); (II) the soaking of non-ensiled and ensiled seeds in cattle or pig slurry (2, 4 and 24 weeks); and (III) the in vitro rumen digestion (24, 36 and 48 h) of non-ensiled and ensiled seeds followed by soaking in cattle or pig slurry (24 weeks). The control treatment included untreated seed (0—non-ensiled seed; 0—no in vitro rumen digestion; and 0—no soaking in slurry). Germination tests (germination rate and germination energy) were then conducted in four replicates in the germination chamber under alternating day (20–35 °C for 14 h under light) and night conditions (17–20 °C for 10 h without light) at 75% relative humidity. Experiment I showed that ensiling significantly (p ≤ 0.001) reduced both the germination rate and germination energy of R. obtusifolius seeds. In addition, the length of in vitro digestion duration that the non-ensiled seeds were subjected to significantly (p ≤ 0.001) reduced their germination energy but not the total germination rate. However, the seeds that were subjected to the process of ensiling and in vitro digestion in the rumen lost their germination completely. The Experiment II investigated the effects of soaking non-ensiled seeds in slurry and showed that germination rates were comparable in pig and cattle slurry. Longer soaking times significantly reduced the germination rate, with no germination observed after 24 weeks. The Experiment III considered the combined effects of in vitro digestion and slurry soaking and showed that rumen digestion reduced the proportion of germinable seeds. Germination was inhibited in pig slurry, while in cattle slurry, a decreasing germination rate was observed with increasing digestion time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are many manuscripts in institutions that preserve and exhibit cultural heritage such as museums, galleries, and libraries. These manuscripts are of great value because of their witnessing to the past and the historical and cultural significance they have accumulated. In addition to the organic nature and the natural aging of the paper, which is generally used as the primary carrier material in these objects, other materials used in the manuscripts are an obstacle to their preservation and reaching future generations. In this study, the 62-volume animal encyclopedia, which is known to be written in the name of animals, plants, and Islamic science at the end of the fifteenth century (1487–1501) and added to an Ottoman Library, was examined analytically. A total of 40 samples consisting of paper, ink, dye, and leather samples were analyzed using high performance liquid chromatography with a diode array detector (HPLC–DAD). After all, information on material characterization and deterioration product(s) was obtained. As a result of the analysis, vanillic acid, and its derivatives due to the natural aging of the paper and chrysophanic acid and its derivatives caused by fungi, which are the result of unfavorable environmental factors, were determined. It was concluded that the ink used in the manuscripts was iron-gall ink. In addition, it was determined that madder, weld, buckthorn, redwood, rhubarb, or dock plants were used as dyestuffs in paper and leather samples. Also, it was deduced that the leather samples were tanned with the vegetable tanning method using tannins. Since tannic acids were determined in the dyestuff analysis of three paper samples with ink, elemental analysis was performed on black ink by scanning an electron microscope with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM–EDX). As a result of this analysis, the element of iron has been detected and it has been confirmed that the black ink is iron-gall ink. It is inevitable that this study will guide conservation experts in restoration and conservation studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rumex obtusifolius is a problematic weed in temperate grasslands worldwide as it decreases yield and nutritional value of forage. Because the species can recruit from the seed bank, we determined the effect of management and soil properties on the soil seed bank of R. obtusifolius in intensively managed, permanent grasslands in Switzerland (CH), Slovenia (SI), and United Kingdom (UK). Following a paired case-control design, soil cores were taken from the topsoil of grassland with a high density of R. obtusifolius plants (cases) and from nearby parcels with very low R. obtusifolius density (controls). Data on grassland management, soil nutrients, pH, soil texture, and density of R. obtusifolius plants were also collected. Seeds in the soil were germinated under optimal conditions in a glasshouse. The number of germinated seeds of R. obtusifolius in case parcels was 866 ±152 m-2 (CH, mean ±SE), 628 ±183 m-2 (SI), and 752 ±183 m-2 (UK), with no significant difference among countries. Densities in individual case parcels ranged from 0 up to approximately 3000 seeds m-2 (each country). Control parcels had significantly fewer seeds, with a mean of 51 ±18, 75 ±52, and 98 ±52 seeds m-2 in CH, SI, and UK, respectively, and a range between 0 and up to 1000 seeds m-2. Across countries, variables explaining variation in the soil seed bank of R. obtusifolius in case parcels were soil pH (negative relation), silt content (negative), land-use intensity (negative), and aboveground R. obtusifolius plant density (positive). Because a large soil seed bank can sustain grassland infestation with R. obtusifolius, management strategies to control the species should target the reduction in the density of mature plants, prevention of the species' seed production and dispersal, as well as the regulation of the soil pH to a range optimal for forage production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pollen and plant macrofossil analyses supported with radiocarbon dating were conducted on a Holocene core from the peat bog Beliya Kanton (1547 m a.s.l.) located in the Western Rhodope Mountains (South Bulgaria). In the early Holocene until ~10 000 cal. BP the mountain slopes were covered by Pinus, admixed with Betula, Juniperus and shrubland of Ephedra among herb communities dominated by Poaceae, Cichorioideae, Achillea, Artemisia, Brassicaceae species. Subsequently, the afforestation continued with the expansion of broadleaved oak forests with Tilia, Ulmus and Corylus which reached their maximum distribution ~8800 cal. BP. Gradually, these forests began to retreat, replaced at many places first by Corylus and later on by Picea abies, Abies alba and Fagus. The formation of the contemporary coniferous belt with the dominance of Pinus - Picea abies and fragmented mixed coniferous-deciduous communities in the late Holocene was attributed not only to climate change but also to diverse human interference in the natural forest cover. During the last 2000 years the continuous presence of Juniperus, Juglans, Rumex, Cirsium, Plantago lanceolata and Hordeum pollen indicated intensive stock-breeding, grazing and crop cultivation. The fragments of charred wood testify to tree felling and fire clearances on flat ground to obtain new pasture land. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monk's rhubarb, Rumex alpinus L. (R. alpinus), is a perennial plant native to the mountains of Central and Southern Europe. Currently, the distribution of R. alpinus has been partly affected by its utilization as a vegetable and a medicinal herb. In the mountains of the Czech Republic, it is considered an invasive plant, probably introduced into the Krkonoše Mountains by colonists from the Alps. This study's main aim was to verify whether R. alpinus was introduced into the Krkonoše Mountains by alpine colonists or whether it was anthropogenically introduced from the Carpathians. Furthermore, the genetic structure of native and introduced populations of R. alpinus was determined. For the evaluation of genetic structure, 417 samples of R. alpinus were collected from the Alps, Carpathians, Balkan, Pyrenees, and Czech Mountains. In total, 12 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers were applied. The results of AMOVA showed a high 60% variation within populations, 27% variation among groups, and 13% among the population within groups. The overall unbiased gene diversity was high (̂ĥ = 0.55). The higher level of genetic differentiation among populations (FST = 0.35; p <.01) indicated restricted gene flow between populations. Compared to native populations, limited genetic variability was observed in the nonnative populations. It was concluded that local adaptation, low gene exchange, and genetic drift affected the genetic diversity of nonnative R. alpinus. The results support a genetic link between Alpine and Czech genotypes of R. alpinus, while the Carpathians genotypes corresponded to the Balkan genotype. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The experiment studied the effects of different levels of Rumex patientia spp. leaf powder inclusion in laying hens' diets on their physical parameters and yolk color intensity. The study was conducted on 168 Hy-line laying hens (30 weeks aged), assigned in 3 treatment groups (C, E1 and E2) and housed in an experimental hall equipped with Big Dutchman cages, placed on 3 tiers with digestibility cages (3 treatments × 28 replicates × 2 birds per cage). Feed and water were administrated ad-libitum. During the entire 5 weeks experimental period (one week of accommodation), performance parameters were recorded: average daily feed intake(g/day/hen), feed conversion rate (g feed/g egg), laying rate intensity (%) and average egg weight (g). Eggs yolk color is generated by carotenoids as a nutritional response, which depends on their amount, type, and ratio. One of the most important aspects in how consumers rate the quality of food is color. The experimental results demonstrated that an inclusion rate of 1.5% and 3% Rumex patientia species leaves powder improved the yolk color intensity without negative effects on production performances and egg quality parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among biological methods, green synthesis of the nanomaterials using plant extracts was shown to be an environmentally friendly, economical, and simple approach. In the current study, the biogenic synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) was achieved using the leaf extract of Hibiscus tiliaceus, in order to prevent the contamination of the tissue culture media and induce callus growth. The nanostructures of the fabricated AgNPs were characterized using UV–visible spectroscopy, Fourier transform infra-red spectra (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), zeta size, and zeta potential techniques. Our results indicate that The UV–vis spectrum of AgNPs exhibited an absorption band at 415 nm. The FTIR analysis identified the functional groups which could involve in the reduction of silver ions to AgNPs, this was also confirmed by the (hkl) diffraction peaks in the XRD diffractogram. Moreover, the TEM analysis showed a spherical nanoparticle with a size ranging from 21 and 26 nm. Thereafter, the potential antibacterial and antifungal activity of the biogenic AgNPs was evaluated against Bacillus pumilus and Alternaria alternata which were isolated from the in vitro culture media and identified based on 16S rDNA and ITS rDNA sequences, respectively. The results showed that the AgNPs significantly inhibited the growth of Alternaria alternata and Bacillus pumilus at all applied concentrations (5, 10, 20 and 40 mg/L). Compared to the control more fungal radial growth reduction (42.59%,) and bacterial inhibition (98.12%) were registered in the plates containing high doses of AgNPs (40 mg/L). Using Rumex nervosus explants, the biosynthesized AgNPs were tested for their impact to promote callus growth. The obtained results showed a significant effect of AgNPs on callus fresh weight at all applied doses. Moreover, AgNPs treatments showed a polymorphism of 12.5% which was detected by RAPD markers. In summary, the results revealed that AgNPs (40 mg/L) can be effectively added to the in vitro culture media for reducing microbial contamination and improving callus growth while greatly maintaining its genetic stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rumex vesicarius belongs to the family Polygonaceae and is a traditional herb used for the treatment of various diseases and disorders. The current research was focused on evaluating the influence of the stage of plant growth on phytochemistry and biological activity. The hydroalcoholic extracts of frontal and mature leaves were evaluated for total phenolic acid by the Folin ciocalteu method and flavonoid content by the Aluminum chloride method. The physicochemical parameters like ash values, extractive value, amount of moisture, loss on drying, and crude fibers were evaluated using standard methods. The antioxidant activity was estimated by 1, 1-Diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl and Hydrogen Peroxide Scavenging method. HPLC study was carried out using gallic acid and quercitin as biomarkers. Total phenolic acid and total flavonoid content were more in mature leaf i.e., 290.66±0.85 µg/ml and 16.33 ±0.70. HPLC investigation exhibited more area under the curve for quercitin and gallic acid in the mature leaf. The extract of the mature leaf exhibited good antioxidant activity when compared to the frontal leaf extract. The variance in the activity was credited to the stages of development which play a key role in the production of plant metabolites. This could aid in ascertaining the best growth stage for harvesting the plant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The consumption of foods polluted with different foodborne pathogens such as fungus, viruses, and bacteria is considered a serious cause of foodborne disease in both humans and animals. Multidrug-resistant foodborne pathogens (MRFP) cause morbidity, death, and substantial economic loss, as well as prolonged hospitalization. This study reports on the use of aqueous Rumex leaf extract (ARLE) in the synthesis of silver nanoparticles (ARLE-AgNPs) with versatile biological activities. The synthesized ARLE-AgNPs had spherical shapes with smooth surfaces and an average hydrodynamic size of 27 nm. ARLE-AgNPs inhibited the growth of Escherichia coli ATCC25721, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC27843, Streptococcus gordonii ATCC49716, Enterococcus faecalis ATCC700813, and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC4342. The ARLE-AgNPs were more active against Escherichia coli ATCC25721 than other harmful bacterial strains (26 ± 3 mm). The zone of inhibition for antibacterial activity ranged between 18 ± 3 mm and 26 ± 3 mm in diameter. The nanoparticles' MIC values varied from 5.19 µg/mL to 61 µg/mL, while their MBC values ranged from 46 µg/mL to 119 µg/mL. The nanoparticles that were created had antioxidant potential. The cytotoxic activity was tested using normal fibroblast cell lines (L-929), and the enhanced IC50 value (764.3 ± 3.9 g/mL) demonstrated good biological compatibility. These nanoparticles could be evolved into new antibacterial compounds for MRFP prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To develop novel 2-cyanoacrylate derivatives with potential bioactivity, a number of 2-cyanoacrylate compounds, including substituted pyrazole or 1,2,3-triazole ring, were designed, prepared, and structurally detected by 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and elemental analysis. The biological assessment displayed that some designed compounds had significant herbicidal activities against Brassica juncea, Chenopodium serotinum, Rumex acetosa, Alopecurus aequalis, Polypogon fugax, and Poa annua at a dosage of 1500 g/ha. Furthermore, some derivatives still expressed satisfactory herbicidal activities against Brassica juncea, Chenopodium serotinum, and Rumex acetosa when the dosage was lowered to 150 g/ha, especially the inhibitory effects of compounds 9a, 9d, 9f, 9i, 10a, 10b, 10e, and 10n against Brassica juncea were all over 80%, compounds 9d, 9f, 9g, 9h, 9i, 10h, 10i, 10m, 10n, and 10o possessed more than 70% inhibition rates against Chenopodium serotinum, and compound 9d indicated 70% herbicidal activity against Rumex acetosa. These results provided an important basis for further design and discovery of biologically active 2-cyanoacrylate compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The composition of an ethanol extract from the roots of Rumex tianschanicus Losinsk of the Trans-Ili Alatau wild flora was studied in order to determine its antiulcer activity. The phytochemical composition of the anthraquinone–flavonoid complex from (AFC) R. tianschanicus revealed the presence of numerous polyphenolic compounds, the most abundant of which are anthraquinones (1.77%), flavonoids (6.95%), and tannins (13.39%). The use of column chromatography (CC) and thin-layer chromatography (TLC) in conjunction with UV, IR, NMR spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry data allowed the researchers to isolate and identify the major components of the anthraquinone–flavonoid complex's polyphenol fraction: physcion, chrysophanol, emodin, isorhamnetin, quercetin, and myricetin. The gastroprotective effect of the polyphenolic fraction of the anthraquinone–flavonoid complex (AFC) of R. tianschanicus roots was examined in an experimental model of rat gastric ulcer induced by indomethacin. The preventive and therapeutic effect of the anthraquinone–flavonoid complex at a dose of 100 mg/kg was analyzed using intragastric administration per day for 1 to 10 days, followed by a histological examination of stomach tissues. It has been demonstrated that prophylactic and prolonged use of the AFC R. tianschanicus in laboratory animals resulted in significantly less pronounced hemodynamic and desquamative changes in the epithelium of gastric tissues. The acquired results thus offer fresh insight into the anthraquinone and flavonoid metabolite component composition of R. tianschanicus roots, and they imply that the examined extract can be used to develop herbal medicines with antiulcer activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rumex confertus is a rhizomatous, invasive, and difficult to control plant. Nevertheless, for sustainable agriculture, studies to biologically control R. confertus continue. Towards this, considerable attention has been devoted to investigating the emission of a wide array of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from herbivore-damaged plants, which are known to induce protection measures in neighboring, undamaged plants. The goals of this study are to (1) determine if the profile of green leaf volatiles (GLVs), which are organic compounds naturally produced by undamaged plants, is similar to that provoked by the chemical stimulants Z-jasmone (ZJA) and dihydrojasmone (DJA), (2) establish if the Apion miniatum beetle's reproductive choices are influenced by their sex and mating status, and (3) assess if chemically stimulated GLV emissions can be used as signals to attract pests to R. confertus for biological control purposes. Synthetic forms of naturally produced Z-jasmone (ZJA) and dihydrojasmone (DJA), which can act as either an attractant or a repellent of various species of insects, were used to treat R. confertus. In olfactory analysis, the behavioral responses of individual insects to mated and unmated insects and to two GLV blends were evaluated. It was found that unmated male insects were fairly equally divided between going for food (Y-tube olfactometer arm with a GLV blend) and opportunities for reproduction (Y-tube olfactometer arm with unmated females). However, an increase in the GLV blend concentration attracted the insects. Meanwhile, unmated females were definitely indifferent to food and, independent of the GLV blend dose, were more interested in reproduction. Mated males, even with weak feed stimuli, increased their reproduction activity, in opposition to mated females. We provide evidence that synthetic GLV blends can be used to attract predators, making their use an effective means to biologically control R. confertus. The idea of applying synthetic GLVs as a biological control is based on the insects' mutual relationships, which work as follows: (i) mated males fully invade the weed, (ii) reproduction-driven females follow the mated males to R. confertus, and (iii) the unmated males follow the females with the purpose to reproduce. Therefore, all insect groups (mated and unmated males and females) can be induced to invade the weed. Upon feeding, the insects will damage the generative organs of R. confertus. We propose that the use of chemical stimulants to increase GLV emissions can be effectively used for weed (here R. confertus) control by attracting a plant pest (here A. miniatum). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The bacterium Xylella fastidiosa induces many plant diseases causing yield losses and plant death. It is passively delivered into the xylem sap by spittlebugs vectors. These insects are small hemipterans of the Aphrophoridae family mostly ranging from 7 to 9 mm in length. They are quite polyphagous, sucking xylem sap from a multitude food plant species (spontaneous, ornamental and cultivated) present in forest, dry grassland and fruit orchards. Four spittlebug species naturally occur in Tunisia. Two species, Philaenus tesselatus and Neophilaenus campestris, seem to be potential vectors. Consequently, the risk of spreading the bacteria is important because of the exchanges between countries. Knowledge of the vector will enforce the available measures against plant pathogen invasion and help to control plant importations from infected countries. The present study is an update on the situation of potential vectors of Xylella fastidiosa in Tunisia. Investigations in nine Tunisian regions (Nabeul, Bizerte, Béja, Jendouba, Zaghouan, Kairouan, Ben Arous, Tunis and Manouba) from 2018 to 2021 allowed for the observation of 3758 Aphrophoridae among a total of 9702 Auchenorrhyncha individuals collected by sweep net. Four Aphrophoridae species were identified with Philaenus tesselatus as most abundant (62%), followed by Neophilaenus campestris (28%), Neophilaenus lineatus (5%) and Philaenus maghresignus (5%). Aphrophoridae individuals were found to be particularly abundant in both forests of Nabeul and Jendouba, secondarily in olive groves and dry grassland. Furthermore, their distribution on weed hosts was followed in these two regions where nymphs and adults are widely distributed. P. tesselatus appears to be the most abundant species as determined either by conventional sweep netting for adults or by plant sampling on Sonchus, Smyrnium, Cirsium, Rumex, Polygonum and Picris for nymphs. Limited numbers of adults of P. maghresignus were detected by sweep netting, while nymphs of this species were found on Asphodelus microcarpus only. N. campestris was found in high numbers on plants belonging to the Poaceae family in forests, dry grassland and olive groves whereas N. lineatus occurred on herbs under or near olive trees and in dry grasslands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Red sorrel is a common herbaceous perennial weed species in lowbush blueberry fields that may be managed with acetolactate synthase (ALS)-inhibiting herbicides. Greenhouse and field experiments were established to determine the crop tolerance and potential efficacy on red sorrel of tribenuron-methyl, nicosulfuron + rimsulfuron, foramsulfuron, flazasulfuron, pyroxsulam, and halosulfuron-methyl. Ramet density of greenhouse-grown red sorrel plants established from root fragments was reduced by tribenuron-methyl, flazasulfuron, and pyroxsulam, though tribenuron-methyl and flazasulfuron were the most consistently effective herbicides under field conditions. Spring non-bearing year tribenuron-methyl and flazasulfuron applications reduced both non-bearing and bearing year total red sorrel ramet density and reduced non-bearing year red sorrel flowering ramet and seedling density without injuring lowbush blueberry. Fall non-bearing year tribenuron-methyl and flazasulfuron applications reduced bearing year red sorrel total and flowering ramet density, and this application timing should be evaluated further to improve understanding of crop injury risks. Fall bearing year tribenuron-methyl and flazasulfuron applications reduced non-bearing year red sorrel total and flowering ramet density but did not reduce seedling density. Nicosulfuron + rimsulfuron, foramsulfuron, pyroxsulam, and halosulfuron-methyl efficacy on red sorrel were inconsistent or limited, and these herbicides are not recommended for red sorrel management in lowbush blueberry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The comprehensive identification of secondary metabolites represents a fundamental step for the assessment of bioactivities and pharmacological properties of traditional herbal drugs. Rumex usambarensis (Dammer) Dammer has been described as a multipurpose remedy in different African traditional pharmacopoeias, but its phytochemical profile has not been properly investigated. Herein we report a high throughput metabolomic screening, based on ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-travelling wave ion mobility spectrometry quadrupole time-of-flight (UHPLC-TWINS-QTOF), which was performed for the first time on different R. usambarensis plant parts. By applying high-resolution mass spectrometry-based metabolomics and chemometric analysis, a complete discrimination of different aerial parts was obtained, with the annotation of 153 significant metabolites in leaves, stems, and flowers, suggesting an easy authentication and discrimination route. Phytochemical data were correlated to antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. Flavonoids, benzopyranes, chromones, and xanthones derivatives, along with a richer phytocomplex, might be responsible for the stronger bioactivities obtained from flowers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores how hydroalcoholic extracts of Campomanesia lineatifolia R. and P. seeds affect the germination and viability of seeds from two weeds, Rumex crispus and Amaranthus hybridus. The phenolic compounds were initially characterized using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography. In seeds sown in Petri dishes, four concentrations of hydroalcoholic extracts (0%, 3%, 6%, and 9% w/v) were used for single and continuous applications. The mean germination speed, mean germination time, germination percentage, and seed viability were evaluated. Epigallocatechin gallate, quercetin-3-glucoside, epicatechin gallate, ursolic acid, epigallocatechin, and trans-cinnamic acid were the main compounds discovered in that order. Notably, while the germination percentages of both species were reduced with a single application (38.5% for R. crispus and 52% for A. hybridus), they were reduced by 76.2% and 58.34% with a continuous application, respectively. A delay in germination was also observed, which produced changes in germination speed throughout the experiment. With a 9% application, the number of nonviable seeds of R. crispus increased by 40.53%, whereas in A. hybridus, viability decreased by at least 70.8%. Overall, the phenolic compounds in C. lineatifolia extract are thought to inhibit the germination process of the evaluated species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, methylene blue was adsorbed using the adsorbent obtained from Rumex Crispus L. plant stems. Taguchi Experiment design was used to optimize the adsorption conditions. The optimized conditions in the study are temperature, initial concentration, pH, and particle size. ANOVA analysis was performed to determine the effectiveness of the parameters. From the results, optimum levels were determined as 20 oC for temperature, 120 mg/L for concentration, pH=6.5, -0.425 mm for particle size. The estimated amount of qt under optimum conditions was calculated as 65.58 mg/g. The most important contribution to the adsorption process by ANOVA analysis was pH with 62.8%, initial concentration with 29.6%, temperature with 5.4%, and particle size with 2.3%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Medicinal plants have been prescribed by traditional healers for the treatment of Sexually Transmitted Infections STIs for years. This study documents therapeutic plants used against STIs in Thaba 'Nchu, South Africa. Information was gathered through semi-structured interviews with traditional medical practitioners between March and December 2017. Information on medicinal plants, their local names, and their uses against STIs was gathered. The use value (UV) of the plant species, frequency of citation (FC) and the informant consensus factor (ICF) were calculated for the plants and STIs included in the study. Plants were used to treat infections such Herpes zoster (ICF=0.4) as gonorrhoea (ICF=0.11), vaginosis (ICF=0.2), symptoms of HIV/AIDS (ICF=0.1) and pubic lice (ICF=0.1). A total of 35 plant species were identified for the treatment of STIs. Most medicinal plants in the study area came from the families Asteraceae (21%), Fabaceae (17%), Solanaceae (13%) and Hyacinthaceae (13%). Bulbine narcissifolia, Pentanisia prunelloides, Hypoxis hemerocallidea, Scabiosa columbaria, Xysmalobium undulatum Rumex lanceolatus, Eucomis autumnalis, Dicoma anomala and Salvia runcinata were frequently used. The preferred method for preparation of remedies were decoctions made from the roots (72%), whole plant (17%), leaves (7%), fruits (2%) and bark (2%) which were consumed orally. This study contributes to the documentation of plants used for STIs to conserve the information for future generations. A selection from the most frequently mentioned plants for treatment of STIs may be used for further phytopharmacological investigations and subsequently be used for the development of new antimicrobial agents for global use and for the socioeconomic development of local communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present study was to compare the effect of various salts composed of different cations (Na+, K+) and anions (chloride, nitrate, nitrite) on growth, development and ion accumulation in three Rumex species with accessions from sea coast habitats (Rumex hydrolapathum, Rumex longifolius and Rumex maritimus) and Rumex confertus from an inland habitat. Plants were cultivated in soil in an experimental automated greenhouse during the autumn–winter season. Nitrite salts strongly inhibited growth of all Rumex species, but R. maritimus was the least sensitive. Negative effects of chloride salts were rather little-pronounced, but nitrates resulted in significant growth stimulation, plant growth and development. Effects of Na+ and K+ at the morphological level were relatively similar, but treatment with K+ salts resulted in both higher tissue electrolyte levels and proportion of senescent leaves, especially for chloride salts. Increases in tissue water content in leaves were associated with anion type, and were most pronounced in nitrate-treated plants, resulting in dilution of electrolyte concentration. At the morphological level, salinity responses of R. confertus and R. hydrolapathum were similar, but at the developmental and physiological level, R. hydrolapathum and R. maritimus showed more similar salinity effects. In conclusion, the salinity tolerance of all coastal Rumex species was high, but the inland species R. confertus was the least tolerant to salinity. Similarity in effects between Na+ and K+ could be related to the fact that surplus Na+ and K+ has similar fate (including mechanisms of uptake, translocation and compartmentation) in relatively salt-tolerant species. However, differences between various anions are most likely related to differences in physiological functions and metabolic fate of particular ions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interpopulation variability in seed traits may drive the regeneration capacity of a species to colonize different environments. In the present study, we evaluated the variation in seed physical traits (mass / size, water imbibition, shape index) and physiological traits (germination) of five Polygonaceae species. Seeds of Polygonum lapathifolium var. salicifolium, P. lapathifolium, Reynoutria japonica, Rumex trisetifer, and R. obtusifolius were collected from two or three populations in Jiujiang, China. Physical seed traits were measured before germination tests conducted under different combinations of light and temperatures. Most species had a significant variation in seed physical and physiological traits, although populations are geographically close. Interpopulation variation in seed traits appeared to be species-specific, with the highest variation for R. japonica and lowest for R. trisetifer seeds. Germination response to temperature and light conditions also varied among species and populations, being mostly inhibited in the dark treatments. The light dependence of germination can be related to the small seed size, except for the round-seeded Rumex, depending on the temperature regime. Optimal temperature ranges mainly varied from 10/20°C to 25/35°C, with significant decreases in germination percentage at both coolest and warmest extremes. Germination requirements seem to be related to altitudinal gradients in populations of P. lapathifolium and R. japonica seeds.

This study was conducted to evaluate the potential growth and health promotion of Rumex nervosus leaves (RNL) and Cinnamomum verum bark (CVB) supplementation as phytogenic growth promoters on broilers. For 34 days, 540 day-old broiler chicks were randomly assigned to nine groups. Birds were fed the basal diet supplemented with 1, 3, or 5 g/kg RNL, 2, 4, or 6 g/kg CVB. In addition, birds were fed the basal diet complemented with antibiotic (AGP), or basal diet without feed additive as controls. All bird vaccinated for IBV, IBDV, and NDV except negative control (NC). The selected indicators were measured and analysed. Broilers given 1 g RNL were numerically heavier at 34 days and gained more to a degree comparable to the AGP group (p =.053). The addition of CVB at 2 g resulted in the best-feed conversion up to 21 d (p =.04). Throughout the study, dietary treatments had no impact on feed intake. Except for ALT, none of the immune-related parameters or serum biochemical profile differed statistically between treatments when compared to vaccinated control group. When comparing the non-vaccinated un-treated group on day 34, vaccination increased significantly antibody titres to NDV and IBDV. In conclusion, dietary RNL and CVB, especially at low doses, attempted to maximise the performance without compromising health in broiler chickens under typical conditions. Further research into the use of natural herbs under challenging conditions is required to maximise performance, maintain animal productivity, and achieve the ultimate goal of reducing antibiotic use in the poultry industry. Cinnamomum verum bark at a dose of 2 g/kg diet improved feed conversion ratio during the starter period. However, both selected herbs result unsatisfactory improvements in broiler performance at overall period under the ideal hygienic conditions. If broilers are exposed to bacterial challenges, phytogenic feed additives or even antibiotics may manifest their activity in promoting animal health and, as a result, growth performance. Low levels of hepatic enzymes at day 34 of age showed that birds' health was good. Cinnamon powder improves kidney function at day 21 by lowering serum creatinine levels with increasing dose (p <.05). Rumex nervosus leaves or Cinnamomum verum bark have hypoglycaemia activity on day 31 by lowering serum glucose levels as the dose is reduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rumex nervosus leaves (RNL) and Cinnamomum verum bark (CNB), phytogenic herbs, have received much attention in recent years for their antimicrobial properties; however, there is limited knowledge about their potential anticoccidial functions. The prophylactic effects of RNL and CNB were compared with salinomycin, a standard synthetic anticoccidial agent, in broilers experimentally infected with Eimeria tenella (E. tenella). One-day-old broiler chicks (n = 225) were randomly divided into nine groups. Birds were either fed a basal diet containing 1, 3, or 5 g RNL or 2, 4, or 6 g CNB/kg feed, or treated with salinomycin within the basal diet, or the infected (IUT) or non-infected (UUT) groups were fed a basal diet only. Birds infected (n = 25 bird/group) with 40,000 sporulated E. tenella oocysts/bird at d 21 except UUT. Bodweight gain (BWG) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were significantly (p <.05) lower in IUT compared to UUT. On day 7 post-infection (DPI), birds treated with RNL, CNB, or salinomycin had fewer lesions in the caeca and a lower oocyst value, and a higher oocyst reduction rate in the faeces than birds in the IUT. Although RNL was not able to reduce weight loss caused by coccidiosis, CNB at 6 g improved FCR and production efficiency index (PEI) at 7 DPI compared to the infected groups. In conclusion, RNL at 5 g and CNB at 6 g have moderate anti-coccidial activity and could be used to treat poultry coccidiosis in the field. However, more research is needed to identify active ingredients that make it effective compared to commercially available drugs. Phytogenic feed additives prevented weight loss and caecum pathology in broiler chickens at risk of coccidiosis. Rumex nervosus leaves and Cinnamomum verum bark had similar effects to the coccidiostat salinomycin at high doses. Traditional medicinal plants are potential alternatives to pharmaceutical coccidiostats to promote the health and growth of broiler chickens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was conducted to investigate the allelopathic activity of Rumex dentatus aqueous leaf extract on metabolites, reactive oxygen species (ROS), and enzymes activities in Portulaca oleraceae. The results showed a reduction of carbohydrates, protein, DNA, and RNA contents. However, the total phenolics, total flavonoids, and malondialdehyde were enhanced. The ROS such as hydrogen peroxide, superoxide radicals, and hydroxyl radicals were increased in concentration-dependent manner. The activities of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, 6-phosphoglucnate dehydrogenase, nitrate reductase, and glutamine synthetase were reduced in Portulaca leaves as the concentration of Rumex extract increased; however the activities of NADH-oxidase and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase were increased under treatment with the various tested concentrations of Rumex extract. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry profile of aqueous Rumex extract was performed for the detection of the dominant compounds that may reveal the impact on Portulaca metabolites and enzymes activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The European hare (Lepus europaeus) is cosmopolitan species, living in a variety of habitats and showing a diversified diet, that has been described mainly from agricultural meadows and crops, with little information available for extreme environments. Here, we describe, for the first time, the diet of the European hare from Mount Vesuvius, using DNA metabarcoding and high-throughput sequencing on DNA extracted from faecal pellets, a proxy for a population living in a volcanic environment. The DNA from pellets was first genetically assigned to European hare using high-resolution melting analysis. The diet of the hare on Vesuvius is mainly composed of herbaceous species belonging to Fabaceae (86.26% of total diet). The most frequent plant items ingested by the species are Galega officinalis and Lupinus angustifolius (67.10% of total diet), although these are detected only sporadically in the study area. Indeed, the spectrum of available plants also includes other easily accessible wild (i.e. Lolium sp., Bromus sp., Rumex sp.) and cultivated (i.e. Solanum lycopersicum, Cucumis melo, Pisum sativum) plant items, found only in traces in the diet of the hares. Our contribution adds information on the trophic ecology of the European hare, exploring its ability to live in an extreme environment. This could be useful to set a management strategy for conservation of the species, which is ecologically relevant on Vesuvius as prey for birds and mammals, as well as a vegetation modulator via selective grazing by endozoochory. Furthermore, our study represents the latest information on the diet of the hare living in an environment that no longer exists: an extensive fire destroyed about 80% of the woody area after our sampling. The post-fire regrowth is transforming the original environment and consequently the trophic availability for the European hare. Conservation of biodiversity in a national park Ecosystem service of the European hare Management of a Lagomorpha game species [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]