Botanical drugs—A brief review of the industry with comments on recent developments

Economic Botany - Old-World sources of botanical drugs are still foremost, despite attempts during the two World Wars to develop American sources of Digitalis, Juniper berries, African peppers,...     

Factors controlling induction of reproduction in algae—review: the text

This review surveys on the influence of different environmental factors like light (intensity, quality, photoperiod), temperature, season, nutrients (inorganic, organic), biotic factors (algal extracellular products, bacterial association, animals grazing), osmotic stress, pH of the medium, wave motion and mechanical shock, pollution, and radiations (UV, X-rays, gamma radiation) on the induction (or inhibition) of algal reproduction like cell division in unicellular algae, and formation of zoospores, aplanospores, akinetes, cysts, antheridia, oogonia, zygospores, etc.     

Tropical biodiversity loss and people – A brief review

1. Download : Download full-size image

Massive anthropogenic land use changes are taking place in the tropics. These changes have not only jeopardized native biodiversity but also people. Environmental apathy, corruption, poor natural resource governance, poverty and lack of conservation funding remain formidable challenges for conservation biologists. Any meaningful success in tropical conservation will, hence, need active collaboration by the civil society, biologists, social scientists, lawyers, funding agencies, national and multinational corporations, governments and non-governmental organizations. Concerted research efforts are urgently needed to understand the imperiled tropical biodiversity.     

16. Dispersal of freshwater algae — a review

A survey is given on the various methods for dispersal of freshwater algae. Dispersal factors are either water or air, or organisms — from beetles, dragonflies and mammals to birds, the latter being the most important group. The question of dispersal distances is discussed, in relation to dispersal mechanisms and to the resistance of the algae to transport conditions. Man's recent importance in algal dispersal is emphasized.     

Cape aloes—A review of the phytochemistry,pharmacology and commercialisation of Aloe ferox

Aloe ferox Mill. (= A. candelabrum A. Berger), commonly known as the bitter aloe or Cape aloe, is a polymorphic species indigenous to South Africa. The plant has been used since ancient times as a generic chemopreventive and anti-tumour remedy in folk medicine and it has a well-documented history of use as a laxative. In addition to the plethora of traditional medicinal uses, A. ferox has recently gained popularity as an ingredient in cosmetic formulations and food supplements. Anti-oxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anticancer and antimalarial activities, etc. have been reported. In addition, the ability of Cape aloes to enhance the transport of poorly permeable drugs has enjoyed recent research interest. Due to its medicinal and commercial importance it has been a popular research topic for natural product scientists who have isolated several chromones and anthrones from the leaf exudate and finished product (bitters). A summary of the historical and modern day uses, commercialisation, chemical composition and biological properties of this coveted ethnomedicinally and commercially important species is presented.     

Green synthesized nanoparticles in the fight against mosquito-borne diseases and cancer—a brief review

Nanobiomedicine and parasitology are facing a number of key challenges, which mostly deal with the paucity of effective preventive and curative tools against mosquito-borne diseases and cancer. In this scenario, the employ of botanical and invertebrate extracts as reducing, stabilizing and capping agents for the synthesis of nanoparticles is advantageous over chemical and physical methods, since it is one-pot, cheap, and does not require high pressure, energy, temperature, or the use of highly toxic chemicals. Considering the overlooked connection between mosquito vector activity and the spread of cancer in USA, this review focused on the current knowledge available about green synthesized nanoparticles with efficacy against mosquito-borne diseases and cancer. Green fabricated metal nanoparticles showed antiplasmodial activity that often encompasses the efficacy of currently marked drugs for malaria treatment. They have been also reported as growth inhibitors against dengue virus (serotype DEN-2), with moderate cytotoxicity on mammalian cells. However, this feature is strongly dependent to the botanical agents employed during nanosynthesis. In addition, green nanoparticles have been successfully used to reduce mosquito young instar populations in the field. The final section focuses on some issues for future research, with special reference to the chemical standardization of the botanical extracts used for nanosynthesis and the potential effects on green fabricated nanoparticles on non-target organisms.     

Cryopreservation of eukaryotic algae – a review of methodologies

Since pioneering work in the early 1960s, there has been growing interest and numerous experimental investigations into the cryopreservation of algal material. Mostly, these studies relate to the requirement for long term preservation and storage of algal material contained in culture collections or used in the seaweed mariculture industry. The present review deals with techniques used in the cryopreservation of biological samples and their application to both micro- and macroalgae. Methods for the prevention of cell damage and freezing injury during the cooling and low-temperature storage of algal material are discussed with reference to the effect on viability of such variables as cooling rates, final temperatures attained, the use of various types and concentrations of cryoprotectants, thawing rates, and storage times and temperatures. Some consideration is also given to the various methods used for increasing cell viability, including the induction of freezing tolerance. Cryopreservation protocols employed by numerous workers in this field are detailed, and concluding remarks are made on those techniques and conditions providing optimum viability of cryopreserved algae. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Insects and packaging — A review

This paper reviews the interactions of insects with food packaging, and measures which may be taken to limit damage.     

Pesticides and birds—A review of the situation in Great Britain in 1965

Capsule Arrival date strongly influenced date of breeding and breeding success.

Aim To check our hypothesis that in years with low April temperatures, i.e. when storks started to breed, the relationship between timing of breeding and success would be absent, meaning that migrants would have no advantage by returning early to their breeding area.

Methods We collected data in Poznań province, western Poland during the period 1983–2002. Based on local climatological data we selected eight cold spring years and compared them with the 12 ‘normal’ years. We analysed how weather affected the timing and arrival pattern of White Stork.

Results The two groups of years did not differ significantly in population size, but in normal years the arrival date of both parents was earlier. Arrival date strongly influenced (was positively correlated with) date of breeding and (negatively correlated with) breeding success.

Conclusion The slopes describing the above relationships did not differ significantly between the two groups of years. Therefore, we speculate that natural selection strongly favours birds that return early from the wintering grounds.     

Can the activities of the large scale cortical network be expressed by neural energy? A brief review

This paper mainly discusses and summarize that the changes of biological energy in the brain can be expressed by the biophysical energy we constructed. Different from the electrochemical energy, the biophysical energy proposed in the paper not only can be used to simulate the activity of neurons but also be used to simulate the neural activity of large scale cortical networks, so that the scientific nature of the neural energy coding was discussed.     

Alcohol drinking and risk of leukemia—A systematic review and meta-analysis of the dose–risk relation

The association between alcohol and leukemia risk has been addressed in several studies in the past two decades, but results have been inconsistent. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to quantify the dose–risk relation. Through the literature search up to August 2013, we identified 18 studies, 10 case-control and 8 cohorts, carried out in a total of 7142 leukemia cases. We derived pooled meta-analytic estimates using random-effects models, taking into account the correlation between estimates, and we performed a dose–risk analysis using a class of nonlinear random-effects meta-regression models. Stratified analyses were carried out on leukemia subtypes and groups, in order to identify possible etiologic differences. Compared with nondrinkers, the relative risks (RRs) for all leukemia were 0.94 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.85–1.03], 0.90 (95% CI, 0.80–1.01) and 0.91 (95% CI, 0.81–1.02) for any, light (≤1 drink/day) and moderate to heavy (>1 drink/day) alcohol drinking, respectively. The summary RRs for any alcohol drinking were 1.47 (95% CI, 0.47–4.62) for acute lymphoblastic leukemia, 0.94 (95% CI 0.77–1.15) for chronic lymphocytic leukemia, 1.02 (95% CI, 0.86–1.21) for acute myeloid leukemia and 0.93 (95% CI 0.75–1.14) for chronic myeloid leukemia. The subgroup analysis on geographical area for all leukemia combined showed RRs of 0.84 (95% CI, 0.76–0.93), 0.92 (95% CI, 0.83–1.01) and 1.32 (95% CI, 1.02–1.70) for studies conducted in America, Europe and Asia, respectively. We did not find an increased risk of leukemia among alcohol drinkers. If any, a modest favorable effect emerged for light alcohol drinking, with a model-based risk reduction of approximately 10% in regular drinkers.     

Revision of the lower Viséan (MFZ11) calcareous algae and archaediscoid foraminifers of the Sari area (central Alborz,Iran)

The microfloral and microfaunal assemblages of the MFZ11 foraminiferal biozone (late early SomervilleViséan; formerly V2a) are well developed in the Kiyasar section of the Sari area (central Alborz; northern Iran). Regionally, this biozone MFZ11 may be subdivided into three subzones. The lower subzone, MFZ11A, is characterized by the appearances of the algae Koninckopora tenuiramosa, coeloporellacean indet. Fourstonella fusiformis, and Nanopora anglica and, among the foraminifers, by the occurrence of Ammarchaediscus bozorgniai and the disappearance of Eoparastaffella simplex; the absence of Uralodiscus rotundus, U. spp., and primitive Glomodiscus spp. in this subzone is noticeable. The next subzone, MFZ11B1, is well characterized by the appearance of Glomodiscus spp. (G. oblongus and G. cf. miloni) and the local range zone of Pararchaediscus, a genus emended herein and interpreted as a junior synonym of Archaediscus at the involutus stage and Propermodiscus; only a few characteristic issinellacean and palaeoberesellacean algae are present in this subzone. Then, the last subzone, MFZ11B2, is characterized by Hemiarchaediscus (emended herein) and Glomodiscus miloni; the upper part of this latter subzone is only marked by the apparent absence of the archaediscids and the presence of two incertae sedis algae: Crassikamaena scabrosa and Epistacheoides bozorgniai nov. sp. These assemblages indicate that at that time, Alborz remained located on the Perigondwanan southern border of the Palaeotethys, and was probably connected with the Urals as well as the northwestern branch the Palaeotethys, from Belgium to the Donets Basin.     

Molecular genetics of preeclampsia and HELLP syndrome — A review

Preeclampsia is characterised by new onset hypertension and proteinuria and is a major obstetrical problem for both mother and foetus. Haemolysis elevated liver enzymes and low platelets (HELLP) syndrome is an obstetrical emergency and most cases occur in the presence of preeclampsia. Preeclampsia and HELLP are complicated syndromes with a wide variety in severity of clinical symptoms and gestational age at onset. The pathophysiology depends not only on periconceptional conditions and the foetal and placental genotype, but also on the capability of the maternal system to deal with pregnancy. Genetically, preeclampsia is a complex disorder and despite numerous efforts no clear mode of inheritance has been established. A minor fraction of HELLP cases is caused by foetal homozygous LCHAD deficiency, but for most cases the genetic background has not been elucidated yet. At least 178 genes have been described in relation to preeclampsia or HELLP syndrome. Confined placental mosaicism (CPM) is documented to cause early onset preeclampsia in some cases; the overall contribution of CPM to the occurrence of preeclampsia has not been adequately investigated yet. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Molecular Genetics of Human Reproductive Failure.     

A brief introduction of cryo-EM revolution—the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2017

正Seeing is believing!Cryo-electron microscopy(cryo-EM)has greatly expanded the limit of human vision.The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2017 was awarded to Jacques Dubochet,Joachim Frank and Richard Henderson for their development of cryo-EM.This method has revolutionized the structural     

Do furanic and phenolic compounds of lignocellulosic and algae biomass hydrolyzate inhibit anaerobic mixed cultures? A comprehensive review

Nowadays there is a growing interest on the use of both lignocellulosic and algae biomass to produce biofuels (i.e. biohydrogen, ethanol and methane), as future alternatives to fossil fuels. In this purpose, thermal and thermo-chemical pretreatments have been widely investigated to overcome the natural physico-chemical barriers of such biomass and to enhance biofuel production from lignocellulosic residues and, more recently, marine biomass (i.e. macro and microalgae). However, the pretreatment technologies lead not only to the conversion of carbohydrate polymers (ie cellulose, hemicelluloses, starch, agar) to soluble monomeric sugar (ie glucose, xylose, arabinose, galactose), but also the generation of various by-products (i.e. furfural and 5-HMF). In the case of lignocellulosic residues, part of the lignin can also be degraded in lignin derived by-products, mainly composed of phenolic compounds. Although the negative impact of such by-products on ethanol production has been widely described in literature, studies on their impact on biohydrogen and methane production operated with mixed cultures are still very limited.