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In the current investigation, zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles and Fe-doped ZnO nanoparticles were sustainably synthesized utilizing an extract derived from the Rumex dentatus plant through a green synthesis approach. The Scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX), Ultra-violet visible spectroscopy (UV–vis) spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) techniques were used to examine the compositional, morphological, optical, and thermal properties of both samples. The doping of iron into ZnO NPs has significantly influenced their properties. The analysis firmly established that both ZnO NPs and Fe-doped ZnO NPs have hexagonal wurtzite structures and spherical shapes by XRD and SEM. The EDX analysis suggests that iron atoms have been successfully integrated into the ZnO lattice. The change in color observed during the reaction indicated the formation of nanoparticles. The UV–vis peaks at 364 nm and 314 nm confirmed the presence of ZnO NPs and Fe-doped ZnO NPs, respectively. The band gap of ZnO NPs by Fe dopant displayed a narrowing effect. This indicates that adding iron ions to ZnO NPs offers a control band gap. The thermal study TGA revealed that Fe-doped ZnO NPs remain stable when heated up to 600 °C. The antibacterial efficacy of ZnO NPs and Fe-doped ZnO NPs was evaluated against several bacterial strains. The evaluation is based on the zone of inhibition (ZOI). Both samples exhibited excellent antibacterial properties as compared to conventional pharmaceutical agents. These results suggest that synthesizing nanoparticles through plant-based methods is a promising approach to creating versatile and environmentally friendly biomedical products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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]

The adaptive significance of phenotypic differences between females and males can provide insights into sex‐specific selection and the evolution of sexual dimorphism. Dioecious plants commonly exhibit sexual dimorphism in height, although its ecological and evolutionary significance have rarely been examined experimentally. Here, we investigate the functional consequences of the temporal reversal of height dimorphism for pollen and seed dispersal in dioecious Rumex hastatulus Baldw., a species in which males are taller than females at flowering and the reverse pattern occurs at fruiting. Populations of this colonizing weed are wind‐pollinated and seeds are wind‐dispersed. In a glasshouse experiment we manipulated the height of pollen donors and using sex‐specific genetic markers compared the paternal success of males of contrasting height and investigated whether seed families showed evidence of sexual dimorphism in early life‐history traits. In a second glasshouse experiment using fruiting plants we also examined how female height influenced the distance that seeds were dispersed. We found that taller males had significantly higher siring success than males of equivalent height to flowering females. Similarly, taller females dispersed fruit to greater distances than shorter females. Female seeds were significantly heavier than male seeds and germinated more rapidly, although early seedling growth was greater in males. Our study suggests that the striking sex reversal of height in R. hastatulus likely functions to optimize the contrasting reproductive functions of the sexes by promoting increased pollen and seed dispersal distances. Improved dispersal quality could limit inbreeding and reduce local mate and resource competition within populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coleophora hydrolapathella (Hering, 1921) is reported breeding on Curled Dock (Rumex crispus L.) at Rye Harbour NNR (East Sussex) and Dungeness (East Kent) where it is also using Great Water Dock (Rumex hydrolapathum L.). These are the first records for both vice counties, and appear to be the first of this rare species feeding on anything other than R. hydrolapathum. Differences in the biology of C. hydrolapathella on the two hosts and its status in the UK are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rumex obtusifolius (broad‐leaved dock) is a problematic weed that reduces yield and nutritional value of forage in grasslands of temperate regions worldwide. We conducted an on‐farm study to identify management practices and environmental factors that influence the risk of the occurrence of R. obtusifolius in high densities in permanent, productive grasslands used for forage production. Following a common protocol, a paired case–control design was implemented in Switzerland (CH), Slovenia (SI), and United Kingdom (UK) to compare parcels with high densities of R. obtusifolius (cases, ≥1 plant m−2) with nearby parcels free of or with very low densities of the species (controls, ≤4 plants 100 m−2). A total of 40, 20, and 18 pairs were recorded in CH, SI, and UK respectively. Parameters measured included data about management practices and history, vegetation cover and composition, and soil nutrients and texture. Across countries, increased vegetation cover reduced the relative risk of R. obtusifolius occurrence. By contrast, increased soil phosphorus and potassium and high soil bulk density raised the relative risk. These effects were consistent across countries, as no interactions between country and any of the factors were observed. The two indicator species for case parcels, Plantago major and Poa annua, were typical species of disturbed areas and fertile soils, while indicators for control parcels were characteristic of grasslands under medium to high management intensity (e.g., Festuca rubra, Cynosorus cristatus, Anthoxantum odoratum). We conclude that the risk for grassland infestation with R. obtusifolius can be significantly affected by management practices. Prevention measures should target phosphorus and potassium fertilisation to the forage plants' requirements, minimise soil compaction, and maintain dense swards. [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]

The article offers information on the occurrence of Scrobipalpa clintoni Povolny, 1968 on the Moray Coast. Topics include the discovery of Scrobipalpa clintoni on the Ardnamurchan peninsula in western Scotland, its naming in honor of E. C. Pelham-Clinton, the identification of its larvae feeding in the stems of Rumex crispus L., and its subsequent findings at various coastal sites in Scotland where R. crispus growth.

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]

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]

Docks are a widespread problem in grassland, necessitating novel management solutions as pesticides become increasingly regulated. The objective was to investigate the role of soil test Potassium (K) concentrations (Morgan's solution; Na acetate + acetic acid, pH 4.8; STK) on competitiveness of docks in grassland. The experimental site (52°21 N, 7°18 W) was reseeded with perennial ryegrass in October 2009. A plot experiment was laid down in a randomised complete block design with seven rates of fertiliser K (0, 50, 100, 150, 200, 250 and 300 kg ha−1) and eight replicates. Dock numbers were measured over 6 years (2010–2015) and herbage production over 5 years (2012–2016). There was poor alignment between fertiliser K and STK in the early years of the study, however this alignment improved over time. While fertiliser K had no effect on dock numbers, there were positive correlations between STK early in the study and dock numbers m−2 throughout the study. Dock numbers m−2 were relatively static between 2010 and 2012 and increased substantially between 2013 and 2015. Between 2013 and 2016 there were strong inverse relationships (r > −.765; p <.001) between dock and grass herbage production. Towards the end of the study the lower annual fertiliser K inputs (0 and 50 kg ha−1) resulted in lower (p <.01) dock root and herbage production with an associated increase (p <.05) in grass herbage production. It is evident there is a threshold STK for permanent grassland infested with docks at which grass is more competitive for plant‐available soil K than the docks to the detriment of the dock component of the sward. [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 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]

Peatlands are receiving increasing attention in palaeoenvironmental research and represent very useful terrestrial archives for reconstructing vegetation, climate and human history. Previous palaeoenvironmental studies in the Fotsch Valley, Stubai Alps, Austria, focused on geoarchaeological investigations on the Ullafelsen representing a very important prehistorical encampment site used by Mesolithic hunter-gatherers (10.9–9.5 cal. kyr BP). In order to contribute to a better understanding of the landscape evolution of the Fotsch Valley, we here studied the close-by subalpine 'Potsdamer Hütte Mire' by applying radiocarbon dating as well as elemental, biomarker, compound-specific stable isotope, palynological and macrofossil analyses on bulk peat samples. The calculated age-depth model using R Bacon indicates the beginning of peat formation during the Early Holocene and shows a strongly reduced peat accumulation rate (PAR) from 170 to 121 cm depth (8.5–2.1 cal. kyr BP) and/or a striking hiatus. Results of leaf wax-derived n -alkane biomarkers as well as macrofossils and palynological indicators reflect the local presence of coniferous trees and the synchronous expansion of deciduous trees during the Early Holocene. The above-mentioned strongly reduced PAR and/or hiatus coincides with the Neolithic, the Bronze and the Iron Age, and goes hand in hand with strong changes in vegetation and an increase of micro-charcoal and black carbon. Despite age uncertainties, these changes can be explained with strongly increasing human and livestock activities in form of deforestation, domestic fires and the beginning of Alpine pastoralism. The latter is confirmed by the finding of pasture and cultural indicator pollen (Cerealia-type, Rumex, Plantago lanceolata, Poaceae) occurring since the Middle to Late Bronze Age. The oxygen isotope composition of sugar biomarkers (δ18Osugars) likely reflects the dry versus humid climatic variability associated with the Holocene climatic optimum during the Mesolithic, the Roman Age, the Late Antique Little Ice Age, the Middle Ages and the Little Ice Age. [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]

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]

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]

Compared to their native range, non-native plants often experience reduced levels of herbivory in the introduced range. This may result in reduced pressure to produce chemical defences that act against herbivores. We measured the most abundant secondary metabolites found in Rumex spp., namely oxalates, phenols and tannins. To test this hypothesis, we compared native (UK) and introduced (NZ) provenances of three different Rumex species (R. obtusifolius, R. crispus and R. conglomeratus, Polygonaceae) to assess whether any significant differences existed in their levels of chemical defences in either leaves and roots. All three species have previously been shown to support a lower diversity of insect herbivores and experience less herbivory in the introduced range. We further examined leaf herbivory on plants from both provenances when grown together in a common garden experiment in New Zealand to test whether any differences in damage might be consistent with variation in the quantity of chemical defences. We found that two Rumex species (R. obtusifolius and R. crispus) showed no evidence for a reduction in chemical defences, while a third (R. conglomeratus) showed only limited evidence. The common garden experiment revealed that the leaves analysed had low levels of herbivory (~ 0.5%) with no differences in damage between provenances for any of the three study species. Roots tended to have a higher concentration of tannins than shoots, but again showed no difference between the provenances. As such, the findings of this study provide no evidence for lower plant investments in chemical defences, suggesting that other factors explain the success of Rumex spp. in New Zealand. [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]

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 abyssinicus is a medicinal plant widely to treat numerous diseases. • Different parts of the plant and methods have been used for the extraction and isolation of secondary metabolites. • Anthraquinones and terpenoids are the major classes of compounds mostly isolated from the plant, in addition to flavonoids, acids and ceramides. • Phytochemicals of the plant have been shown to exhibit significant pharmacological effects in vitro and in vivo. Throughout history, humans have used plants and plant-derived medicines to treat different diseases. Medicinal plants are used to manage a wide range of ailments and have played an essential role in discovering new drugs. Herbal medicines have been reported as promising due to their rich secondary metabolites profile, and many registered new drugs are derived from natural products or their derivatives. Rumex abyssinicus is a flowering plant widely spread in the highlands of tropical Africa. The plant has been used in traditional medicine to treat numerous diseases and has also found applications in textile, tanning, and allied industries. R. abyssinicus is known to produce different classes of secondary metabolites with significant pharmacological effects, including anthraquinones, acids, terpenoids, ceramides, and flavonoids. Their pharmacological potential includes anticancer, antimicrobial, anti-oxidant, antiviral, antileishmanial, anti-Alzheimer, anti-diabetic, antimalarial, anti-inflammatory, wound healing, and nephroprotective effects. This review highlights the investigation carried out on Rumex abyssinicus , focusing mostly on its phytoconstituents, extraction procedure, and their reported pharmacological activities. We also discussed different parts of the plant used to prepare extracts and isolate secondary metabolites from the plant. This investigation demonstrated that R. abyssinicus, a plant widely used in herbal medicine and of pharmacological importance, has yet to be explored enough and thus constitutes an important standpoint for future research in the isolation and identification of novel phytochemicals. In addition, isolated compounds constitute potential candidates that could be explored and developed as potent drugs used in the treatment of various ailments like cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer, infectious and inflammatory diseases. Although, this medicinal plant has to be explored; "green extraction" of its high-value phytochemicals is recommended for the safety of ecosystem and conservation of the plant species. [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]

Searching and finding low-cost natural nutritional solutions high in bioactive nutrients is imperative on today’s livestock. Genus Rumex includes about 150 species of annual, biennial and perennial herbs distributed mostly in temperate areas, including Romania. As reported by some authors, dry matter (DM) and crude fibre (CF) concentration of this plant can gradually increase from spring to first cut in June and fat concentration is similar to alfalfa and maize. Rumex spp. leaves can be considered as a phytoadditive with antioxidant, antibacterial and antiparasitic properties, anticoccidial and antiinflammatory activities. The benefits of plant are due to its chemical composition: anthraquinones, tannins, flavonoids and phenolic acids. Some of these compounds have shown anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. This natural alternative source of nutrients can be collected from its natural habits and can be recommended as a valued medicinal herb and appreciated culinary vegetable. Some studies concluded that Rumex spp. can be used as fodder for livestock with real benefits effects on production performances, intestinal health, serum parameters and milk composition. Several broilers’ studies noticed positive effects of patience dock on growth performances, duodenal morphology, serum thyroid hormones, and cecal microbiota. Taking into consideration the reported positive effects of Rumex spp. a dietary moderate inclusion in animal feed can be recommended. [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]

Background: Comparing with the several types of infrastructures, linear infrastructures are known to facilitate the spread of undesirable species in ecosystems. Recently, some new man-made habitats (e.g., gravel pads of the high-voltage towers, solid wastes and sewage habitats) were established along the Deltaic Mediterranean coast of Egypt as a result of the construction of the E-W coastal international highway. The current study evaluates the floristic composition associated with the pads of high-voltage towers that had been constructed for stabilizing the power line towers in the North Nile Delta. Plant cover was measured for 22 randomly stand. Results: Eighty-four species were recorded, of which 35 are perennials (41.6%), 2 biennials (2.3%) and 47 annuals (56.0%) belonging to 23 families. The largest families were Asteraceae (16 species), Poaceae (15 species), Chenopodiaceae (12 species), and Fabaceae (7 species). Ten aliens (10.7%) out of the 84 species were recorded. Therophytes have the highest percentage (58%), followed by hemicryptophytes (14%), chamaephytes (11%). Six vegetation groups were recognized in the study area after the application of two way indicator species analysis (TWINSPAN), Arthrocnemum macrostachyum, Phragmites australis, and Mesembryanthemum nodiflorum have the highest presence percentage. Both of Salsola cyclophylla and Solanum villosum were recorded for the first time in North Nile Delta. Natural habitat had the highest a-diversity, but the lowest ß-diversity (4.9, 15.4), while gravel pads had the reverse (2.7, 30.8). Some species which are native to the desert habitats (e.g., Rumex pictus, Salsola kali, and Carthamus tenuis) were able to invade the North Nile Delta. Conclusions: Habitat of gravel pads is an expressing form about the intense of disturbance in Deltaic Mediterranean coast of Egypt. More of efforts should be carried out to avoid more human disturbances that creating as ruderal habitats which open the gate to invasive species in the flora of North Nile Delta. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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]

Background and Aim: Scientists are interested in identifying natural antibiotic substitutes that are effective against drugresistant pathogenic microbes and spoilage fungi to counter pathogens and reduce the major public health problem of antibiotic residues in animal products. This study aimed to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of Rumex nervosus leaves (RNL) as a medicinal herb against four bacterial and two fungal strains using absolute ethanol, 50% ethanol, and aqueous extracts. Materials and Methods: The antimicrobial activities of various RNL extracts against selected microbes were evaluated using the disk diffusion antibiotic susceptibility test, minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs), minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBCs), minimum fungicidal concentrations, and the poisoned food technique. Results: The absolute ethanol RNL extract showed the best bacteriostatic/bactericidal activity against Salmonella Typhimurium, Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus aureus (MIC/MBC: 0.20/0.40, 0.20/0.40, and 0.32/0.65 mg/mL, respectively). The diameter of the zone of inhibition was larger (p < 0.05) for the 100% ethanol RNL extract (8.17 mm) against Salmonella Typhimurium, the 50% ethanol-RNL extract (11.5 mm) against E. coli, and the aqueous RNL extract (14.0 mm) against S. aureus than for any other bacterial isolate. The aqueous RNL extract strongly (p < 0.0001) inhibited the mycelial growth of Aspergillus fumigatus (100%) and Aspergillus niger (81.4%) compared with the control. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that RNL is a promising new natural antimicrobial agent for food preservation. To date, most research on the antimicrobial properties of natural herbs has been conducted in vitro, with few exceptions in vivo and intervention-based research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pollen assemblages provide valuable insights into the beginning of cereal-based agricultural practices and the transition from a hunting and gathering to a sedentary and food-producing way of life. Anthropogenic pollen indicators (APIs) and their precise identification, with respect to taxonomic resolution, can help to document the history of agricultural development, pastoral activities and human-induced land-use changes, particularly for the Holocene Epoch. Moreover, careful selection of pollen types, and/or indices, established for a particular region, are useful for obtaining meaningful reconstructions of anthropogenic activities through time. Specific pollen-markers have been used to deduce the inception of agriculture and the impact of anthropogenic activities on the landscape, from the different regions of the world. For India, Cerealia, and other cultural plant pollen taxa, such as Amaranthaceae, Caryophyllaceae, Brassicaceae, Polygonaceae, Artemisia, Cannabis sativa, Alternanthera, Urtica, Rumex and Borreria have been used as marker pollen types for indicating agricultural practices and other anthropogenic activities. In this communication, we have made an attempt to trace the advent and intensification of agricultural practices in the varied physiographic regions of the Indian sub-continent, on the basis of the available palynological records. We have further critically analysed the plausibility of agricultural practices and other human activities during the Late Pleistocene/Pre and Early Holocene with respect to the Indian scenario. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Himalayas and the Hengduan Mountains of southwest China are hotspots of both climatic and species diversity. Yet, the distribution patterns of semi‐arid plant communities that have arisen throughout the region's complex uplift history remain insufficiently understood. In particular, the striking disjunctions of plants associated with dry river valleys that solely occur on the eastern and western ends of the Himalayan arc, but are absent in between, lack a sound explanation. Here we aim to disentangle the more recent environmental drivers behind the disjunction of the semi‐woody shrub Rumex hastatus found in dry river valleys of the western Himalayas and the Hengduan Mountains. We used ecological niche modeling and enhanced random forest parameterizations (down‐sampling) to infer suitable and unsuitable habitats within the study area during the last glacial maximum, under present climate conditions, and under four future climate scenarios. Annual and seasonal precipitation contributed the strongest to the discrimination between occurrences and the distribution gap, with the latter showing much higher rainfall amounts. The gap was also characterized by low overall habitat suitability, whereas occurrence probabilities in dry river valleys inhabited by R. hastatus were very high. However, some suitable but isolated habitats within the gap were detected in Bhutan and the southeastern Tibetan Plateau. The identified distribution gap was consistent in all simulated scenarios from the last glacial maximum to the near future. Our results suggest that the South Asian summer monsoon system acts as a persistent ecological barrier maintaining the disjunct distribution of dry river valley‐dwelling plants in the western Himalayas and the Hengduan Mountains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Rumex japonicus Houtt (R. japonicus) is used mainly to treat various skin diseases in Southeast Asia. However, there are few studies on its quality evaluation methods and antifungal activity. Objective: To establish the quality control criteria for the effective parts from R. japonicus against psoriasis. Methods: High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was established for its fingerprint, and the similarity evaluation, cluster analysis (CA) and principal component analysis (PCA) were used to reveal the differences of those fingerprints among the tested R. japonicus. Network pharmacology analyzed the relationship between the components and psoriasis, revealing the potential targets of R. japonicus. Oxford cup anti-C. albicans experiment was used to verify the antifungal activity of R. japonicus. Results: HPLC was developed for the R. japonicus fingerprint by optimizing for 10 batches of quinquennial R. japonicus from different habitats; the 18 common peaks were identified with 10 characteristic peaks such as rutin, quercetin, aloe-emodin, nepodin, emodin, musizin-8-O-β-D-glucoside, chrysophanol, emodin-8-O-β-D-glucopyranoside, chrysophanol-8-O-β-Dglucopyranoside, and aloin, respectively. The network pharmacology-based analysis showed a high correlation between R. japonicus and psoriasis, revealing the potential targets of R. japonicus. The oxford cup anti-Candida albicans experiment displayed a significant activity response to emodin-8-O-β-D-glucopyranoside and the ethyl acetate fraction of R. japonicus acidic aqueous extract. Conclusions: A new and optimized HPLC method was created, and the research provides an experimental basis for the development of effective drugs related to C. albicans. Highlights: The fingerprint of R. japonicus was organically combined with network pharmacology to further clarify its criteria for quality control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In light of the increasing need, for global health care, traditional medical knowledge is receiving considerable attention in order to fulfil the public health needs not only for human health but also animal health. Objectives: Thus, the aim of the study is to explore ethnomedicinal uses of plants in human and livestock health care of the study area. Methods: Data were gathered through arranged surveys and meeting techniques by focusing on 80 sources in the investigation region during 2018–2020. Quantitative ethnobotanical indices were calculated. Results: Eighty plant species (33 herbs, 21 shrubs, 24 trees and 2 climbers) belonging to 50 families, distributed in 74 genera, were being used in the study area. Forty‐nine medicinal plants in the treatment of 42 human diseases under 52 natural recipes and 40 plants in 34 livestock diseases under 40 recipes were used, in which 9 plants are used commonly in ethnopharmacy and veterinary medicine. Jaccard index was used to predict the similarity and dissimilarity among cities of Pakistan and reflected the novel use of medicinal plants. Results showed that Boerhavia diffusa, Centella asiatica, Morus nigra, Nasturtium officinale, Rumex hastatus and Sageretia thea have the higher use value (UV). Comparative analysis with other studies strongly reflected the novel use of these plants because of the deep‐rooted and unique sociocultural setup of study area. Conclusions: Our research shows that the wild plants used in the study area are extremely varied, both in terms of species and function, and folk medicine is one of the main health care systems in the area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rumex abyssinicus showed strong cytotoxicity against HeLa cells (IC50 = 22.25 μg/mL) and weak cytotoxicity against PC3 and BJ cells with percent inhibition of 58.6, 25.8 and 29.7% at 30.0 μg/mL. It showed moderate antifungal activity against Aspergillus niger with a percent growth inhibition of 55.5% at 3000 µg/mL. It also strongly inhibited oxidative burst with IC50 value of 24.8 μg/mL. DCM (100%) and DCM: EtOAc (1:1) fractions showed strong cytotoxicity against HeLa cells, whilst pet ether: DCM (1:1) fraction showed strong cytotoxicity against PC3 cells with IC50 values of 29.3, 26.3 and 24.3 μg/mL, respectively. Moreover, the DCM: EtOAc (1:1) fraction inhibited ROS production with IC50 value of 18.8 μg/mL. Cytotoxic fractions afforded chrysophanol (1), physicon (2), emodin (3), citreorosein (4) and β-sitosterol (5). Among the isolated compounds, emodin (3) showed strong cytotoxicity against HeLa cells, whilst chrysphanol (1) and physicon (2) showed strong cytotoxicity against PC3 cells with IC50 values of 8.94, 22.5, and 28.5 µM, respectively. In addition, emodin (3) and citreorosein (4) showed strong inhibition against ROS production with an IC50 value of 16.2 and 38.2 μg/mL. The findings of this study suggest R. abyssinicus as a good candidate for cancer and inflammation management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The behavioral responses of Hypera rumicis L. adults to varying blends of synthetic plant volatiles (SPVs) at various concentrations in lieu of single compounds are reported for the first time. For this study, Rumex confertus plants were treated with two blends of SPVs at different quantities that act as either attractants or repellents to insects. Blend 1 (B1) consisted of five green leaf volatiles (GLVs), namely (Z)-3-hexenal, (E)-2-hexenal, (Z)-3-hexenol, (E)-2-hexenol, and (Z)-3-hexen-1-yl acetate. Blend 2 (B2) contained six plant volatiles, namely (Z)-ocimene, linalool, benzyl acetate, methyl salicylate, β-caryophyllene, and (E)-β-farnesene. Each blend was made available in four different amounts of volatiles, corresponding to each compound being added to 50 µL of hexane in amounts of 1, 5, 25 and 125 ng. The effects of the two blends at the different concentrations on the insects were evaluated using a Y-tube olfactometer. Both sexes of the insects were found to be significantly repelled by the highest volatile levels of B1 and by two levels of B2 (25 and 125 ng). Females were also observed to be repelled using B2 with 5 ng of each volatile. Attraction was observed for both sexes only for B1 at the three lower volatile levels (1, 5 and 25 ng). In additional experiments, using only attractants, unmated females were found to be attracted to males, whereas mated females were only attracted to B1. Both unmated and mated males (previously observed in copula) were attracted only to females. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]