Search

In seeds with impermeable coats, i.e., physical dormancy (PY), dormancy break may occur at room temperature during ex-situ storage or when seeds experiencing similar conditions when buried in the soil. Here, we tested the influence of initial seed moisture content and storage on dormancy break in the seeds of Adenanthera pavonina, Bauhinia racemosa, Cassia fistula, Dodonaea viscosa, and Delonix regia. Drying results in most seeds of these species becoming water-impermeable. We arbitrarily chose two moisture ranges, shallow (impermeable, high moisture content) and absolute (impermeable, low moisture content) PY, and stored the seeds at room temperature for 8.5 years. The moisture content at which the permeable to impermeable transition occurred and the range constituting shallow and absolute PY varied between species. Across species, the shallow PY group had a significantly higher number of nondormant seeds at the end of storage, whereas the absolute PY group did not show any germination, except c. 20% germination in A. pavonina and C. fistula. Thus, PY break in seeds stored at room temperature may occur after several years, but this largely depends on the initial seed moisture content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several barriers contribute to reproductive isolation between plant species, which can be classified as pre- or post-pollination. Understanding the strength of these barriers could clarify the factors that maintain reproductive isolation and thus species integrity. In this study, we quantified reproductive isolation between two bat-pollinated co-occurring Bauhinia species (B. acuruana and B. pentandra) with similar flower morphology. Over the course of 18 months, we assessed reproductive isolation between these two Bauhinia species by quantifying the individual strengths and absolute contributions of five pre- and post- pollination barriers. Our data showed that both species are completely isolated in their reproduction by a combination of several barriers. Although they co-occur in a few populations, we found a high degree of geographic isolation between them. And although their flowering periods overlap, there is a significant difference in flowering peaks. Both species have the same pollinating bats, but the interspecific transfer of pollen between the plant species may be reduced due to the different length of the flower stamens, resulting in different pollen deposition on the bats' bodies. We have documented complete incompatibility between taxa and conclude that pre- and post-pollination barriers are important factors in preventing gene flow, even in contact zones between these two species of Bauhinia. We highlight that our work is the first study to use methods to estimate the strength of reproductive isolation barriers between bat-pollinated species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bauhinia faberi via. Microphylla (BFM) is an important tree species for vegetation restoration in the dry valley of southwestern China. However, there were few studies on the application of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in improving the drought adaptation of BFM. In order to investigate the response of BFM to water stress (WS), we tested four inoculation treatments ((no AMF, Control), Glomus mosseae (GM), Glomus intraradices (GI), Glomus mosseae + Glomus intraradices (GMI)) in pots, experimented under three field water holding capacity (WHC) of 70%, 50% and 30%. The changes of seedling survival rate (SR), AMF relative root length colonization rate (Col), growth, photosynthetic parameters, water status and leaf nutrients were examined. The results showed that under 30% WHC drought conditions, SR with dual inoculation of AMF was not higher than with single inoculation of GM, suggesting that increasing the diversity of AMF did not definitely improve plant SR, and that the species of inoculated AMF might have an important impact on SR. The sensitivity of dual inoculated Col to water stress was lower than that of single inoculation, which was more favorable for dual inoculated BFM seedlings adapting to drought environment. The overall drought resistance ability (D) also showed that dual inoculation of AMF improved plant drought adaptation compared with single inoculation, which was related to the higher Col of dual inoculated AMF. This study is of practical importance to promote vegetation restoration in arid areas in a cost-effective and environmentally friendly manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bauhinia forficata Link. is a native South American plant, which possesses volatile compounds with pharmaceutical and medicinal properties such as antidiabetic and anti-inflammatory effects. However, the conservation and propagation of this plant are complicated by its recalcitrant seeds and delayed flowering transition. Hence, tissue culture is employed for the safe and efficient propagation of B. forficata. However, the optimal conditions for the in vitro cultivation of B. forficata remain unknown. Thus, this study aimed to characterize the volatile profile of adult B. forficata field plants and evaluate the effects of different light intensities (43 and 70 μmol m−2 s−1), gas exchange rates (14 and 25 µL L−1 s−1), and exogenous sucrose concentrations (0, 20, and 30 g L−1) on their in vitro development. The results showed that β-caryophyllene is the major volatile compound produced by B. forficata. Moreover, culturing in a medium containing 30 g L−1 of sucrose and flasks with membranes that allow CO2 exchange at the rate of 25 µL L−1 s−1 produced vigorous and hardened plants with high survival rates independent of irradiance. This study is the first to report the optimal in vitro culture conditions for B. forficata as a reference for future studies on micropropagation and secondary metabolite production using this species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, an experimental investigation has been carried out for optimization of engine operating parameters to achieve superior performance and lesser exhaust emissions in a single cylinder diesel engine powered by Bauhinia variegata methyl ester (BVME). The responses like brake thermal efficiency (BTE), brake specific fuel consumption (BSFC), carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons (HC) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) were investigated by varying the three input parameters- engine load (4–12 kg) equivalent to torque of (7.3–21.8 Nm), injection pressure (190–210 bar) and compression ratio (17.5–18.1). The effective MOORA-PCA and TOPSIS-PCA hybrid approach was developed and used to optimize the input parameters which were found to be as engine load of 8 kg or torque 21.7782 Nm, injection pressure of 200 bar and compression ratio of 18:1. At optimal input parameters, the values of the BTE, BSFC, CO, HC, and NOx were found to be 30.3%, 0.32 kg/kW- h, 0.035%, 43 ppm, and 701 ppm, respectively, for the B20 blend of Bauhinia variegata methyl ester with diesel fuel operation. The achieved cylinder pressure and heat release rate of BVME and its blend were found to comparatively lower than diesel fuel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Root traits associated with resource foraging, including fine-root branching intensity, root hair, and mycorrhiza, may change in soils that vary in rock fragment content (RFC), while how these traits covary at the level of individual root branching order is largely unknown. Methods: We subjected two xerophytic species, Artemisia vestita (subshrub) and Bauhinia brachycarpa (shrub), to increasing RFC gradients (0%, 25%, 50%, and 75%, v v− 1) in an arid environment and measured fine-root traits related to resource foraging. Results: Root hair density and mycorrhizal colonization of both species decreased with increasing root order, but increased in third- or fourth-order roots at high RFCs (50% or 75%) compared to low RFCs. The two species tend to produce more root hairs than mycorrhizas under the high RFCs. For both species, root hair density and mycorrhizal colonization intensity were negatively correlated with root length and root diameter across root order and RFCs. Rockiness reduced root branching intensity in both species comparing with rock-free soil. At the same level of RFC, A. vestita had thicker roots and lower branching intensity than B. brachycarpa and tended to produce more root hairs. Conclusion: Our results suggest the high RFC soil conditions stimulated greater foraging functions in higher root orders. We found evidence for a greater investment in root hairs and mycorrhizal symbioses as opposed to building an extensive root system in rocky soils. The two species studied, A. vestita and B. brachycarpa, took different approaches to foraging in the rocky soil through distinctive trait syndromes of fine-root components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bauhinia vahlii Wight & Arn. is an important multipurpose, woody climber used by the rural communities in India for various economic activities as well as for medicinal purposes. Indiscriminate extraction of the woody climber has led to population decline in its distribution range. Climate change has further led to the amplification leading to drastic decline of the natural populations. Therefore, the present study aimed to map the potential distribution of B. vahlii in India using ecological niche modelling (ENM) tools for the current and future climate change scenarios using RCP 2.6 and RCP 8.5. The maximum entropy model was performed using presence-only data of a total of 38 non-overlapping occurrence points obtained from multiple authenticated online portals and through a detailed field investigation. A rise in very high probable zones was observed under both the future climate change scenarios by 0.2% (RCP 2.6) and 0.5% (RCP 8.5) area increase compared to the current climatic scenario. The areas of moderately probable zones pose an increase by 4.5% in RCP 2.6 and a slight decrease by 0.4% in RCP 8.5, while the least probable zones were found to be decreasing in both the cases by 7.3% and 3.6%, respectively. It is predicted that B. vahlii will respond variably under different climate change scenarios based on the species' response to the variations in bioclimatic variables. The predicted impacts of climate change need to be integrated for conservation and management of this economically important, multipurpose woody climber. There is an urgent need for immediate policy intervention and implementation to save this species from the increasing anthropogenic pressure for various economic purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bauhinia thonningii is a woody leguminous tree species, which is endowed with enormous soil improvement, medicinal, nutritional, and socio-ecological benefits in African. The current study was carried out to systematically review and document findings on the multiple benefits of B. thonningii and thereby identify gaps and opportunities for further comprehensive studies. A systematic and manual search was conducted to retrieve relevant articles published from 1974 to June 2021. Electronic databases of PubMed (Medline), Google Scholar, and grey literature were employed to access the studies. Accordingly, 100 articles and 2 thesis papers were finally included in this study. The study shows B. thonningii tree species improve soil fertility and its abundant litter accumulated from the leaves of B. thonningii trees contributed to increased organic carbon and total nitrogen content. The plant parts are used in several traditional medicine to treat different human and animal ailments. The pods and seeds of the plant contained a lot of important nutrients and nutritional value, beneficial to human as well as animal health. The plant plays a key role in biomass production and carbon sequestration potential. Owing to its multiple benefits, there is an urgent need to facilitate the scaling-up of the use of the tree by using various approaches. The findings will serve as a useful reference for further in depth investigations on the multifunctional uses of the plant across different ecozone as well as supporting the scale up of the benefits of the species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The resulting extract was subjected to column chromatography on silica gel and eluted gradiently with CHCl SB 3 sb -MeOH (10:1-1:1) to give fractions 1 (60 g), 2 (80 g), 3 (90 g), and 4 (60 g). All fractions were fractionated by reversed-phase silica gel column chromatography and eluted gradiently with MeOH-H SB 2 sb O (2:8-1:0) to get 16 subfractions (Subfrs. Compounds B 7 b (16.4 mg) and B 3 b (12.2 mg) were purified from Fr. 2C-9 and compound B 10 b (46.5 mg) was obtained from Fr. 2A-6. Shimadzu semipreparative HPLC, Bruker AM-400 (400 MHz) and Bruker AM-500 (500 MHz), silica gel (200-300 mesh; Qingdao Marine Chemical Factory, Qingdao, China), C18 reverse-phase silica gel (50 mm; YMC, Japan), fibre melt point tester (WRX, BELL Analytical Instruments Co., Ltd.), Sephadex LH-20 (GE Healthcare, Sweden), chromatographic column (YMC-Pack ODS-A, 150 mm × 20 mm, 5 m), water (Coca-Cola Co.), methanol and formic acid (Wuhan Zhongtian Chemical Co. Ltd.), chloroform, methanol, petroleum ether, and acetone (Tianjin Fuyu Fine Chemical Co. Ltd.). [Extracted from the article]

Summary: Two new species of the genus Phanera, P. laotica Mattapha & Lanors. and P. rubra Lanors. & Mattapha, are described and illustrated. Their taxonomic affinities are discussed. They were discovered in central Lao PDR and are assessed here as endemic and rare species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Visceral leishmaniasis is one of the ignored parasitic infection affecting millions of people globally. Currently, available treatment options are unsatisfactory because of high cost and side effects of the leishmanicidal drugs. Therefore, herbal medicines provide a promising choice for the detection of efficient and novel leishmanicidal therapeutics which can rejuvenate the immune response of the host with less adverse effects. The objective of the present study was to determine the in vitro and in vivo effect of hydroethanolic extract of Bauhinia variegata (HEBV) against Leishmania donovani. Methods: The in vitro efficacy and cytotoxicity of HEBV was checked against L. donovani and THP1 human macrophages. Further HEBV (500 and 1000 mg/kg b.wt.) were given orally to inbred BALB/c mice infected with L. donovani for 2 weeks and euthanized on 14th post treatment day. Various parameters like parasite load, delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) responses, T cells, Th1/Th2 cytokines, histological and biochemical tests were investigated. Results: HEBV showed marked antileishmanial activity with cell cycle arrest at sub-G0/G1 phase. HEBV was found to be more effective at higher dose in declining parasite concentration in the spleen as compared to the lower dose. Moreover, the extract augmented the DTH reaction and T cell responses in the infected mice. Oral administration of HEBV caused the enhancement of disease-suppressing Th1 cytokines and suppression of disease-progressing Th2 cytokines with no toxicities. Conclusion: Thus, HEBV showed the antileishmanial efficacy through the generation of pro-inflammatory immunity of the host which further suggests the mechanistic exploration of it as a leishmanicidal therapeutic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The anti-inflammatory effects of the plant protease inhibitor BbCI (Bauhinia bauhinioides cruzipain inhibitor), which blocks elastase, cathepsin G, and L, and proteinase 3 has been demonstrated. Here, we investigated the recombinant rBbCI-His(6) (containing a histidine tail) in an experimental venous thrombosis model of vena cava (VC) ligature in rats, comparing to heparin. We evaluate the effects of the inhibitors (native or recombinant) or heparin on the activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) and prothrombin time (PT) in human and rat plasmas. The rats undergoing treatment received a saline solution or increasing concentrations of rBbCI-His(6), heparin, or a mixture of both. After 4 h of ligature VC, thrombus, if present was removed and weighed. aPTT, PT, and cytokines were measured in blood collected by cardiac puncture. aPTT, PT, and bleeding time (BT) were also measured at the time of VC (vena cava) ligature. rBbCI-His(6) (0.45 or 1.40 mg/kg) does not alter aPTT, PT or BT. No differences in coagulation parameters were detected in rBbCI-His(6) treated rats at the time of VC ligature or when the thrombus was removed. There was a significant decrease in the weight of thrombus in the animals of the groups treated with the rBbCI-His(6) (1.40 mg/kg), with the rBbCI-His(6) mixture (1.40 mg/kg) + heparin (50 IU/kg) and heparin (100 IU/kg) in relation to control group (saline). The growth-related oncogene/keratinocyte chemoattractant (GRO/KC) serum levels in rats treated with rBbCI-His(6) (1.40 mg/kg) or heparin (200 IU/kg) were reduced. In the experimental model used, rBbCI-His(6) alone had an antithrombotic effect, not altering blood clotting or bleeding time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Rock fragments are widespread in soil profiles. Despite direct effects of rock fragment content (RFC) on vegetation and soil properties, how plants respond to variations in RFC remains poorly understood. In this work, we investigated responses of two contrasting xerophytic species to varying RFC. Methods: Root biomass allocation, vertical distribution and above-ground growth were measured in Artemisia vestita and Bauhinia brachycarpa after 2 years of growth in an experiment with four levels of RFC (0, 25, 50 and 75% ν ν−1). Results: The responses of above-ground growth and total biomass of both species showed a unimodal curve with values increasing up to intermediate RFC (25% and 50%) and then declining. Both species increased relative biomass allocation to roots at the highest RFC level (75%). A. vestita had a shallow rooting profile and greater declines in plant growth with high RFC compared with B. brachycarpa which had a deeper rooting profile. Conclusion: We found that intermediate RFCs were beneficial for growth of both species and both species increased root-to-shoot ratios to compensate for high RFC. The higher overall root fraction and deeper rooting profile may make B. brachycarpa more suitable than A. vestita for areas with high RFC, enabling greater extraction of increasingly limited soil resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present work was to extract novel natural cellulosic fibers from the leaves of purple bauhinia trees. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that, the morphological, physical, chemical, structural, mechanical, and thermal properties of purple bauhinia fibers (PBFs) have been investigated and characterized. The lateral surface of PBFs exhibited impurities, and cellulosic and non-cellulosic constituents, while, the transverse section appeared porous. The high cellulose (60.54%) and low hemicellulose (9.17%) contents of PBFs indicated the potential to exploit the fibers as a reinforcement material in polymer composites. Analysis of the functional groups present in the PBFs confirmed the cellulose and hemicellulose contents. The crystallinity index of the PBFs was found to be 54.98%, and the crystallites were ordered in nature. The optimal mechanical properties were found to be a tensile strength of 373.3 MPa, a tensile modulus of 5.31 GPa and an elongation at break of 6.9%. The maximum degradation temperature of the PBFs was 341 °C, and the thermal activation energy of the fibers was determined using three different approaches. The results showed that, these fibers have the potential to be used as a reinforcement material for the fabrication of polymer composites with better mechanical and thermal properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The green synthesis of NPs through plant extracts can be a modest, one-pot alternative synthesis to the conventional physical or chemical method. The prime focus of this study is to produce MNPs by the reducing effect of Bauhinia tomentosa leaf extract, and it was immobilized in porcine pancreatic lipase (PPL). Synthesized NPs were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectroscopy, UV–Vis Spectrometry, Thermogravimetry, and Differential Scanning Calorimeter (DSC), Zeta potential test, VSM, BET and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). The effect of process parameters was studied, about the efficiency of immobilization are enzyme stability, the extent of enzyme reusability, its separation from products, the activity of immobilized enzyme, recovery, and its loss. Finally, the immobilized lipase was used for the synthesis of 1,3-diolein using enzyme-mediated esterification of oleic acid and glycerol. Under optimized condition (reaction temp-55 ∘ C; molar ratio-2.5:1; pH-7) diolein yield was achieved to be 94%. Therefore, this work was further used for the industrial production of 1,3-diacylglycerol since a perfect enzyme-catalyzed process was observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amedicinally important plant Bauhinia variegata found in tropical region is a beautiful flowering plant which is used as food additive among its various other uses. Viewing its importance, we worked to explore its hidden phytochemicals through isolation and characterization. Therefore, in this work, ethyl acetate fraction of B. variegata furnished three new compounds. Initially the compounds were isolated and purified through column chromatography using different solvent systems in order of increasing polarity and then the obtained compounds were analyzed by mass spectrometry, IR spectrophotometry, and NMR spectroscopy techniques. According to HREI-MS data, Variegat C was assigned the molecular formula of C22H26O4 (m/z = 354.1831), Variegat D as C31H36O6 (m/z = 504.2512), and Variegat E as C25H26O7 (m/z = 438.1679). Based on the results of spectral analysis and structure elucidation, the three compounds were identified as (1) 3-acetyl-7-ethoxy-4-methyl-5-(2-methyl-propenyl)-naphthalene-2-carboxylic acid ethyl ester, (2) 10-hydroxy-2-(2-oxo-propyl)-7-propyl-anthracene-1,6-dicarboxylic acid 1-methyl ester 6-(2,2,4-trimethyl-pent-3-enyl) ester, and (3) 3-ethoxy-1,8-dihydroxy-4-(2-methylpropenyl)-9,10-dioxo-9,10-dihydro-anthracene-2-carboxylic acid secbutyl ester for compounds Variegat C, D and E, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mycobacterial infections and fast-growing strains are increasing globally with 8 million new cases and 1.8 million fatalities per annum worldwide. The acid-fast bacterium, Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.t), can spread diseases like tuberculosis (Tb) and weaken the immune system. In Ayurveda, the Bauhinia genus is most valued for the treatment of tuberculosis lymphadenitis. The objective of the present study is to identify anti-tubercular compounds from the under-investigated medicinal plant B. vahlii Wight and Arn. using bioassay guided isolation. The antimycobacterial activity was evaluated against non-virulent strains: Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Ra (ATCC 25177) and Mycobacterium bovis BCG (ATCC 35743). Also, antibacterial and cytotoxicity activities were tested to identify the specificity of the isolated metabolites. Bioassay-guided isolation yielded three known flavonols, namely quercetin (1), ombuin (2), and kaempferol (3), from the methanolic extract of bark of B. vahlii. The results of antimycobacterial activity tests revealed that 2 showed much better mycobactericidal activity than 1 and 3 under ex vivo condition with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values ranged from 0.05 ± 0.01 to 0.26 ± 0.01 nM, and half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values ranged from 2.85 ± 0.14 to 7.21 ± 1.09 nM against dormant and active forms, respectively. Also, compound 2 showed higher resistance with MIC values > 100 μg/mL against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and the least cytotoxicity up to 100 μg/mL concentration against the tested series of cancer cell lines. The results revealed the Ayurvedic use of extracts of the Bauhinia genus for treating tuberculosis, and the key bioactive compounds were found to be flavonols (1–3). The present work provides the first evidence for the presence of antimycobacterial compounds in B. vahlii. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal nanoparticles have numerous applications such as optics, biomedical sciences, drug delivery, catalysis and electronics. The present work deals with the green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) using leaves extract of Bauhinia tomentosa Linn. and its photocatalytic and in vitro biological activities. The Ag NPs were synthesized via hydrothermal method by adding plant leaf extract. The synthesized Ag NPs were comprehensively characterized by XRD, FTIR, SEM, EDAX and HR-TEM. The green treated Ag NPs have spherical shape with uniform size of 8-25 nm. The optical energy gap of the Ag NPs was determined from the diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. Photocatalytic activity of green treated Ag NPs was studied using an organic dye Rose Bengal under solar irradiation and these nanoparticles showed efficacy in degrading the dye within a few hours of exposure. The detailed in vitro antibacterial and anticancer activities of the green treated Ag NPs were investigated. The Ag NPs was found to have effective antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. The MTT assay and the microscopic observations of cell morphology revealed, a potent anticancer effects of the synthesized nanoparticles on breast cancer cell line (MCF-7). According to the results, the present reported anisotropic silver nanoparticles with controlled shape and size were synthesized by a simple and efficient method and it has great potential for cost-effective environmental remediation and nanomedicine applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Bauhinia genus is known as “Pata-de-Vaca” and a wide variety of these species are used in Brazilian folk medicine due to their gastroprotective properties. This study aimed to investigate the antiulcer efficacy of the hydroalcoholic extract from B. curvula (HEBC) leaves, as well as its semi-purified fraction (SPFr) and the contribution of their phytochemicals constituents for this effect. For that, ethanol 60%/HCl 0.3 M- and indomethacin-induced gastric ulcer were performed in rodents. Gastric ulcerated tissues were processed for histological, histochemical and biochemical analysis. The oral treatment with HEBC and SPFr decreased the gastric ulcer induced by ethanol/HCl in mice and by indomethacin (only HEBC) in rats. The gastroprotective effect of HEBC was abolished in mice pretreated with Nω-Nitro-l-arginine methyl ester, N-Ethylmaleimide, glibenclamide or indomethacin. Both HEBC and SPFr reduced myeloperoxidase activity in parallel with a decrease of lipoperoxides content at the site of the lesion. On the other hand, HEBC did not alter volume, pH, total acidity or pepsin activity of acid gastric secretion in rats, and neither inhibited the in vitro H(+),K(+)-ATPase activity. Additionally, the compounds identified and isolated from the SPFr, the flavonoids quercitrin (65%) and kaempferol (35%), were able to diminish the extent of ulcerated area induced by both ethanol/HCl and indomethacin. Taking together, these findings show that B. curvula extracts present gastroprotective effect, mainly explained by the presence of flavonoids quercitrin and kaempferol, which may possibly improve the defensive factors of gastric mucosa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, we have reported an eco-friendly, rapid, and simple method for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using Bauhinia purpurea flower extract as non-toxic bioreducing agent. The formation of AgNPs was confirmed by UV-visible spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The synthesized AgNPs were spherical in shape with an average size of 20 nm. Furthermore, the antibacterial activities of the synthesized AgNPs (2-10 mM) against clinical pathogens, Klebsiella sp . and Staphylococcus sp., were evaluated under in vitro conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanotechnology is an emerging field in science and technology, which can be applied to synthesize new materials at the nanoscale level. The present investigation aimed at comparing the synthesis, characterization and in vitro anticancer efficacy of synthesized silver and gold nanoparticles using leaves extract of Bauhinia tomentosa Linn. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were synthesized using aqueous extract of leaves with solution of silver nitrate (AgNO, 1 mM) and chloroauric acid (HAuCl⋅3HO, 1 mM), respectively. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized using UV-visible spectrophotometry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive analysis of X-rays, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis and cyclic voltammetry, which confirmed the reduction of Ag ions to Ag and Au ions to Au. The in vitro anticancer efficacy of AgNPs, AuNPs and aqueous extract of leaves confirmed by MTT assay exhibited IC concentrations of 28.125, 46.875 and 50 μg ml for lung A-549 cells, 103.125, 34.375 and 53.125 μg ml for HEp-2 cells and 62.5, 23.4 and 13.26 μg ml for MCF-7 cells, respectively. The concentrations indicate that both silver and gold nanoparticles as well as aqueous extract of leaves exhibited high anticancer efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Bauhinia racemosa Lam. (BR) has been used widely for the treatment of diabetes since ancient times. Along with its medicinal importance; the tree having great traditional value in India. The protocol was performed using Wistar rats to determine the effect of petroleum ether extract of BR leaves on blood glucose level, adipose tissue and lipid profile. The study was further evaluted to determine insulin level, glucose tolerance, food and water intake of the animals. Methods: Wistar rats of both sexes were selected for the study. Diabetes was induced by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (STZ) 45 mg/kg. Animals were divided into five groups namely control group, diabetic group, reference group (glibenclamide) and two test groups BR-1 (250 mg/kg extract) and BR-2 (500 mg/kg) each group containing 6 animals. Daily dosing was performed for 28 days and feed and water consumption was observed regularly at the end of the study. Results: The main finding of the study for the test extract was that the petroleum ether extract of BR leaves prevented a rise in blood glucose level in STZ induced diabetic animal. Furthermore, extract showed significant antiadipogenic and antihyperlipidemic effect. It improved lipid profile by decreasing the levels of serum triglycerides, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and increasing high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. Extract exhibited the concentration-dependent inhibitory effect with an IC value of 660.26 μg/ml. Conclusions: It can be concluded from the study that BR extract posses signigicant antidiabetic activity by reducing blood glucose level of diabetic rats. It also normalized adipose tissues and lipid level. Due to its potential, it may be an effective drug for treatment of diabetes and related complications like obesity and dyslipidemia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mosquito vectors are responsible for transmitting diseases such as malaria, dengue, chikungunya, Japanese encephalitis, dengue, and lymphatic filariasis. The use of synthetic insecticides to control mosquito vectors has caused physiological resistance and adverse environmental effects, in addition to high operational cost. Biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles has been proposed as an alternative to traditional control tools. In the present study, green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using aqueous leaf extract of Bauhinia variegata by reduction of Ag ions from silver nitrate solution has been investigated. The bioreduced silver nanoparticles were characterized by UV-visible spectrophotometry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), and X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD). Leaf extract and synthesized AgNPs were evaluated against the larvae of Anopheles subpictus, Aedes albopictus, and Culex tritaeniorhynchus. Compared to aqueous extract, synthesized AgNPs showed higher toxicity against An. subpictus, Ae. albopictus, and Cx. tritaeniorhynchus with LC and LC values of 41.96, 46.16, and 51.92 μg/mL and 82.93, 89.42, and 97.12 μg/mL, respectively. Overall, this study proves that B. variegata is a potential bioresource for stable, reproducible nanoparticle synthesis and may be proposed as an efficient mosquito control agent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Tropical Ecology is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Bauhinia is a leguminous plant species found in almost every part of the world, including southern Africa. In this study, grain composition and protein body microstructure of two indigenous southern African Bauhinia species, B. galpinii and B. petersiana were determined. Protein (38 g/100 g) and fat (23 g/100 g) were the major constituents of Bauhinia. Bauhinia grains also contained substantial amounts of zinc (6 mg/100 g) and iron (3 mg/100 g) when compared to FAO/WHO standards. The parenchyma cells of Bauhinia showed spherical protein bodies with globoids inclusions and these were surrounded by lipids. However, the protein bodies of B. petersiana were smaller in size (7 ± 3 μm) than those of B. galpinii (13 ± 4 μm). The microstructure of protein bodies in Bauhinia is very similar to that of soya, suggesting that the processing technology developed for soya protein may be adopted for Bauhinia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tree root distribution pattern and biomass of seventeen year old trees of Grewia optiva, Morus alba, Celtis australis, Bauhinia variegata and Robinia pseudoacacia were studied by excavation method. B. variegata roots penetrated to a maximum depth of 4.78 m, whereas, M. alba roots were found down to 1.48 m depth. Lateral spread was minimum in B. variegata (1.10 m) and maximum in R. pseudoacacia (7.33 m). Maximum root biomass of 6.30 kg was found in R. pseudoacacia and minimum (2.43 kg) was found in M. alba. For four species viz., G. optiva, M. alba, C. australis and R. pseudoacacia, 68%-87% root biomass occurred within top 0-30 cm soil depth, but for B. variegata this was only 45%. The soil binding factor was maximum in G. optiva and minimum in B. variegata. Soil physico-chemical properties also showed wide variation. The study suggests that B. variegata with a deep root system is the most suitable species for plantation under agroforestry systems. R. pseudoacacia and G. optiva with deep root systems, more lateral spread and high soil binding factor are suitable for plantation on degraded lands for soil conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An investigation of the root bark of Bauhinia pentandra (Fabaceae) led to the isolation and characterization of the cyanoglucoside riachin ( 1). The structure of 1 was established from the IR, HR-ESI-MS, and NMR spectral data, including 2D NMR experiments. The absolute configuration of 1 was determined by circular dichroism spectroscopy. The extract, its various fractions, and the compound riachin from Bauhinia pentandra demonstrated antioxidant potential in DPPH and ABTS tests and exhibited metal chelating activity on ferrous ions (Fe). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the activity of pacharin isolated from the ethanol extract from roots of Bauhinia acuruana on third-instar larvae of Aedes aegypti Linn. (Diptera: Culicidae). The crude ethanol extract showed larvicidal activity at the concentration of 500 μg/mL. Given this larvicidal activity, this extract was submitted to chromatographic fractionation on a silica gel column eluted with n-hexane, dichloromethane, ethyl ether, ethyl acetate, and methanol in order to isolate the active compound(s). Pacharin, obtained in pure form from fraction eluted with ethyl ether, was evaluated for their larvicidal effects against A. aegypti. In these bioassays, the larvae were exposed at concentrations of 500, 250, 100, 50, and 25 μg/mL of the crude ethanol extract or pacharin. After 24 h, the number of dead larvae was counted and the LC values for larval mortality were calculated. Pacharin showed LC value of 78.9 ± 1.8 μg/mL. The structure of isolated compound was identified on the basis of their spectral data (IR, 1D- and 2D-NMR) and by comparison with literature spectral data. The results indicate pacharin as a potential natural larvicide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Classical antipsychotics can produce motor disturbances like tardive dyskinesia in humans and orofacial dyskinesia in rodents. These motor side effects have been associated with oxidative stress production in specific brain areas. Thus, some studies have proposed the use of natural compounds with antioxidant properties against involuntary movements induced by antipsychotics. Here, we examined the possible antioxidant activity of Bauhinia forficata ( B. forficata), a plant used in folk medicine as a hypoglycemic, on brain lipid peroxidation induced by different pro-oxidants. B. forficata prevented the formation of lipid peroxidation induced by both pro-oxidants tested. However, it was effective against lipid peroxidation induced by sodium nitroprusside (IC = 12.08 μg/mL) and Fe/EDTA (IC = 41.19 μg/mL). Moreover, the effects of B. forficata were analyzed on an animal model of orofacial dyskinesia induced by long-term treatment with haloperidol, where rats received haloperidol each 28 days (38 mg/kg) and/or B. forficata decoction daily (2.5 g/L) for 16 weeks. Vacuous chewing movements (VCMs), locomotor and exploratory activities were evaluated. Haloperidol treatment induced VCMs, and co-treatment with B. forficata partially prevented this effect. Haloperidol reduced the locomotor and exploratory activities of animals in the open field test, which was not modified by B. forficata treatment. Our present data showed that B. forficata has antioxidant potential and partially protects against VCMs induced by haloperidol in rats. Taken together, our data suggest the protection by natural compounds against VCMs induced by haloperidol in rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was undertaken with an objective of testing the antibacterial and antifungal activities of Bauhinia purpurea leaves and identifying the bioactive compounds. The antimicrobial activity of leaf extract was determined in aqueous and organic extracts and the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) against six species of pathogenic and non-pathogenic microorganisms: Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhi, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida albicans using the disk diffusion method. The chemical constituents of organic plant extract were separated by thin layer chromatography and purified by column chromatography and further identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. Significant inhibitory activity was observed with methanol extracts of plant against the test microorganisms while less antibacterial activity was observed in hexane, acetone and aqueous extracts. MIC of B. purpurea extract was ≤1,500 μg/ml against S. aureus and B. subtilis while this extract showed no inhibition against Gram-negative S. typhi, E. coli and P. aeruginosa or against fungus C. albicans. Eleven compounds were identified in B. purpurea leaf extract by GC-MS analysis. The composition of B. purpurea revealed the presence of lupeol, stigmasterol, lanosterol, ergosterol, beta-tocopherol, phytol, hexadeconic acids, hexadeconic acids methyl esters, octadecadienoic acids and octadecatrienoic acid. Stigmasterol and lupeol were the most abundant (34.48 and 15.63 %). Other phytosterols like lanosterol (4.15 %) and ergosterol (2.82 %) were also found to be present in this extract. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 20-kDa Kunitz-type trypsin-chymotrypsin inhibitor, Bauhinia purpurea trypsin inhibitor (BPLTI), has been isolated from the seeds of B. purpurea L. by using liquid chromatography procedures that involved ion exchange chromatography on Sp-Sepharose and Mono S and gel filtration on Superdex 75. BPLTI demonstrated protease inhibitory activities of 7226 BAEE units/mg and 65 BTEE units/mg toward trypsin and α-chymotrypsin, respectively. BPLTI was relatively thermal (0-60°C) and pH (3-10) stable and its activity could be decreased by dithiothreitol treatment. BPLTI exhibited a wide spectrum of anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic activities especially on human hepatocellular carcinoma Hep G2 cells. However, it was devoid of a significant antiproliferative effect on immortal human hepatic WRL 68 cells. We show here that BPLTI stimulates apoptosis in Hep G2 cells, including (1) evoking DNA damage including the production of chromatin condensation and apoptotic bodies; (2) induction of cell apoptosis/necrosis; (3) mitochondrial membrane depolarization; and (4) increasing the production of cytokines. Taken together, our findings show for the first time that purified protease inhibitor from B. purpurea L. seeds is a promising candidate for the treatment of human hepatocellular carcinoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) were measured in soil and three plant species samples taken at different land use areas in Shenzhen China. The concentrations of ΣBDEs (BDE-28, BDE-47, BDE-99, BDE-100, BDE-153, BDE-154, and BDE-183) and BDE-209 in the surface soils ranged from 0.23 to 271 and 8.9 to 5,956 ng/g dry weight (dw), respectively. These figures are comparable to that in the soils of electronic waste dismantling sites. BDE-209 was the predominant congener (contributes 85-99% of ΣPBDEs (ΣPBDEs plus BDE-209)) in soils. The regression slopes of total organic carbon and individual BDE congeners were rather gentle, indicating that factors other than soil organic matter regulated the soil concentrations. Proximity to sources of deposition processes might be the major factors. In the plant leaves, ΣBDEs and BDE-209 concentrations ranged from 1.29 to 5.91 and 5.49 to 28.2 ng/g dw, respectively. BDE-209 is also the dominant component, but the contribution was much lower compared with that in soils. Bauhinia purpurea Linn. and Michelia alba DC. show some similarities on the uptake of PBDEs, while Ficus microcarpa var. pusillifolia is different from them. The correlations between plant leaf concentrations and predicted gaseous concentrations were moderate, indicating that gaseous concentration did not influence the leaf concentration significantly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Responses of the endemic leguminous shrub Bauhinia faberi var. microphylla, to various soil water supply regimes were studied in order to assess water stress tolerance of seedlings. Two-month-old seedlings were grown under water supply regimes of 100, 80, 60, 40, and 20% water field capacity (FC), respectively, in a temperature and light-controlled greenhouse. Plant height and leaf number were measured monthly over a 4-month period, while water use (WU), water-use efficiency (WUE), leaf relative water content (RWC), biomass production and its partitioning were recorded at the end of the experiment. Seedlings exhibited the greatest biomass production, height, basal diameter, branch number, leaf number, and leaf area when soil content was at 100% FC, and slightly declined at 80% FC. These parameters declined significantly under 60% FC water supply, and severely reduced under 40 and 20% FC. RWC, WU and WUE decreased, while the ratio of root mass to stem mass (R:S) increased in response to decreasing water supply. Water stress caused leaf shedding, but not plant death. The results demonstrated that B. faberi var. microphylla seedlings could tolerate drought by reducing branching and leaf area while maintaining a high R:S ratio. However, low dry mass and WUE at 40 and 20% FC suggested that the seedlings did not produce significant biomass under prolonged severe water deficit. Therefore, before introducing B. faberi var. microphylla in vegetation restoration efforts, water supply above 40% FC is recommended for seedlings to maintain growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Plant Vigor Hypothesis (PVH) proposes that natural selection on female oviposition choice results from higher fitness of larvae on more vigorous and larger plant modules. For six consecutive years we tested the PVH predictions by investigating the effect of shoot size of Bauhinia brevipes (Fabaceae) on the oviposition preference and offspring survival of the gall-midge Schizomyia macrocapillata (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae). Additionally, we analyzed the effects of bottom-up and top-down mortality forces on the system. The hypersensitive reaction (bottomup effect) accounted for more than 90% larval mortality of S. macrocapillata, making available few galls to be found and killed by natural enemies (top-down effect). Smaller shoots were always more abundant while longer shoots were rare. Nevertheless, the percent number of galls induced by S. macrocapillata was up to 10-fold greater on the largest shoots, corroborating the preference prediction of the PVH. Schizomyia macrocapillata should use over-exploit larger shoots to maximize the preference for, and consequently increase the performance on these shoots. Our results partially support the performance prediction of the PVH: (1) the observed survival was higher than expected on longer shoots, and (2) the ratio of survival per shoot was positively related with shoot length only in 2 years. Thus, we found a link between female preference and larval performance on large-sized shoots, at least in some years. The gall-midge attack pattern in this study might be an evolved response to maximize the female preference and increased larval performance on longer shoots of the host plant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new lectin (BvcL) from seeds of a primitive Brazilian Caesalpinoideae, the Bauhinia variegata candida was purified and biochemical characterized. BvcL was isolated by gel filtration chromatography on Sephadex G75 and affinity chromatography on immobilized d-lactose column. SDS-PAGE showed that BvcL under non-reducing condition presents two bands of 68 and 32 kDa and a single band of 32 kDa in reducing condition. However, only one band was seen in native PAGE. The hemagglutination activity of BvcL was not specific for any human blood group trypsin-treated erythrocytes. Carbohydrate inhibition analysis indicated that BvcL is inhibited by lactose, galactose, galactosamine and other galactoside derivates. Amino acid analysis revealed a large content of Ser, Gly, Thr, Asp and Glu and low concentrations of Met, Cys and His. Intrinsic fluorescence of BvcL was not significantly affected by sugar binding galactose; and aromatic-region CD is unusually high for plant lectins. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of 17 residues showed 90% sequential homology to galactose-specific legume lectins of the subfamily Caesalpinoideae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Tropical Ecology is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

We studied seeds in 13 species of the genus Bauhinia L. They can be divided into two groups considerably differing in macro-, micro-, and ultrastructure. The data obtained should be used for the genus taxonomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mechanical and chemical properties as well as microfibril angles of wood tissues from different ontogenetic stages are determined for the neotropical lianas Bauhinia guianensis and Condylocarpon guianense. The mechanical properties include the elastic moduli under bending and under dynamic torsion. The chemical analyses cover (i) the content of cellulose, lignin and hemicelluloses fractions, (ii) the monomeric composition of the uncondensed lignin, and (iii) the composition of the hemicelluloses with respect to neutral monosaccharides. By comparing the wood properties of these lianas with the corresponding properties of wood from self-supporting deciduous trees, common characteristics and differences are revealed. Additionally, the changes in the lignin and polysaccharides fractions as well as the variations in microfibril orientation that occur during ontogeny of the two liana species are discussed with regard to their implications for the mechanical properties of wood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

S.L. Hoti, Heinz Mehlhorn and Giovanni Benelli agree to this retraction. 3 of (Govindarajan and Benelli [1]) Additionally, the article shows significant overlap with a number of previously published articles (Muthukumaran et al. [2], [3], [4]). [Extracted from the article]

The hypothesis of Henriques and Fernandes that several Iberian species of Narcissus ( Amaryllidaceae) are tristylous is reconsidered. Contrary to the opinion of Bateman and most subsequent authors, we believe that the available evidence indicates that some populations of N. triandrus and N. fernandesii, at least, are tristylous; other populations of N. triandrus are distylous. Hugonia cf. penicillanthemum ( Linaceae) from new Caledonia is distylous, but it remains possible that other species of Hugonia are tristylous. The disputed occurrence of heterostyly in S. African species of Bauhinia ( Leguminosae), Cleome ( Capparaceae) and Aneilema ( Commelinaceae), and in Agelaea ( Connaraceae) is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantified chromatographic data on the distribution pattern of phenolic constituents in 15 species of Bauhinia expressed as synthetic numerical indices and polygons indicate a close biochemical kinship among them and do not warrant the splitting of the genus, as has been done on morphologic grounds. However, the grouping of the species, based on similarity coefficients clustered successively by WPGM, does not conform to the grouping on traditional grounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The chemotaxonomy of twelve species of Bauhinia is presented. From the quantified data on the distribution pattern of different chemical constituents, including the free aminoacids, it is inferred that the taxa are closely related and do not warrant splitting of the genus. However, the division of the genus based on certain selected phenolic constituents does not conform to the one on morphological grounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, leaves from 39 phylogenetically distant plant species were sampled and screened for asparaginyl endopeptidase ligase activity using mass spectrometry to test the generality of peptide ligases in plants. A modified version of the sunflower trypsin inhibitor-1 precursor was used as the substrate for reactions with leaf crude extracts and protein fractions. Masses consistent with products of asparaginyl endopeptidase activities that cleave and ligate the substrate into cyclic peptide following the reactions were detected in 8 plants: Nerium oleander and Thevetia peruviana of the family Apocynaceae; Bauhinia variegata, Dermatophyllum secundiflorum, Pithecellobium flexicaule, and Prosopis chilensis of the family Fabaceae; Morus alba of the family Moraceae; and Citrus aurantium of the family Rutaceae. This screening result represents a 20% hit rate for finding asparaginyl endopeptidase ligase activity from the arbitrary plants sampled. Analysis following a 2-h reaction of the substrate with the crude extract of D. secundiflorum leaves showed that the yield of cyclic peptide remained stable around 0.5 ± 0.1% of the substrate over the course of the reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]