Positive effects of leaves of Erodium glaucophyllum on lipid peroxidation and antioxidant defence depletion induced by obesity.

Medicinal plants are sources of natural antioxidants thanks to their secondary metabolites. Previous studies showed that administration of Erodium glaucophyllum (EG) (Geraniaceae family) was found to alleviate the deleterious effects of obesity-induced damage on liver, heart and kidney. This study, carried out on adult male Wistar rats, evaluates the inhibitory effects of supplementation with E. glaucophyllum extract on obesity. Under our experimental conditions, administration of Erodium aqueous extract decreased the total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, and triglycerides levels as well as ASAT, ALAT, LDH, PAL levels and TBARS concentration; and increased the (HDL) with the antioxidant enzymes (SOD, CAT, GPx) in liver, heart and kidney, compared to HFD group. The anti-obesity effects of the Erodium extract in several organs were mainly due to the interaction of these bioactive molecules (polyphenols, flavonoids, and tannin compounds) and the enzyme system which could be determined by phytochemical analysis.

Tolerance strategies of two Mediterranean native xerophytes under fluoride pollution in Tunisia.

A field study was conducted along a fluorine gradient of soil pollution in Tunisia from Gabes, the most polluted site, to Smara, the reference site. Variations of fluoride (F) concentrations in soils were detected over 1 year in Gabes, Skhira, and Smara. F concentrations in the aerial part of two native plant species, i.e., Erodium glaucophyllum and Rhanterium suaveolens, were above the usual background concentrations. Bioaccumulation factors ranged from 0.08 to 1.3. With F concentrations in aerial parts up to 355 mg kg-1, both species may be described as F accumulators. Both species showed an earlier vegetative growth in Gabes than in Smara. However, some difference between their strategies could be observed, i.e., E. glaucophyllum shortening the period of its vegetative growth with an escape strategy and R. suaveolens decreasing its ratio of alive/dead parts potentially lowering the F toxicity by storage in dead cells. However, at a tissue level, mechanisms of tolerance were similar. Leaf section micrographs of both species showed a higher calcium accumulation in leaf midveins at Gabes than at Smara, confirming the role of calcium in plant F tolerance strategies.

Synthesis of NiO nanoparticles via a green route using Monsonia burkeana: The physical and biological properties.

NiO nanoparticles have emerged as ideal candidates in various fields due to their magnetic, electrical and optical properties. The coupling of plant extracts that have anticancer and antibacterial properties with NiO nanoparticles has increased their usage in the biomedical field. In this work, we report on the novel synthesis of NiO nanoparticles using a local medicinal plant, Monsonia burkenea. The nickel nanoparticles were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), Scanning electron microscope (SEM), High-resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). FTIR showed that the extraction of the plant phytochemicals was successful and the green synthesized nanoparticles from plants contained the phytochemical groups that are found in the Monsonia burkeana plant. XRD and HRTEM confirmed the successful formation of NiO nanoparticles with an average particle size range of 20 nm. These results were also corroborated by elemental mapping and EDX, where the dominant groups were identified.The Monsonia burkeana NiO particles exhibited selective bactericidal activity against Gram-negative strains, such as E. coli and P. aeruginosa. Additionally, cytotoxicity studies showed the materials did not have any anti proliferative effect against A549 lung cancer cells but could be used as potential drug delivery vehicles against human cancers.

Biofabrication of polyphenols coated Nano palladium and its in-vitro cytotoxicity against human leukemia cell lines (K562).

The biofabrication of palladium nanoparticles (PdNPs) using aqueous leaf extract of Pelargonium graveolens is reported herein. The polyphenols present in the Pelargonium graveolens extract are mainly responsible for reduction and subsequent stabilization of formed PdNPs. UV-Visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis) absorption and reaction color change from yellow to brown indicated the formation of PdNPs. The as synthesized PdNPs were studied by using characterization techniques such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), Zeta potential measurements and Selected area electron diffraction (SAED). FTIR analysis and Zeta potential measurements showed the capping of polyphenols onto the surface of PdNPs, which further responsible for preventing aggregation of PdNPs. TEM image showed that the PdNPs exists in the range from 50 to 150nm. Also, XRD pattern revealed the crystalline nature of as synthesized PdNPs. The in vitro cytotoxicity studies of Pelargonium graveolens extract capped PdNPs was conducted using human leukemia cell lines (K562) by following an MTT cell viability assay and is found that the cytotoxicity is dose dependent. Further, the synthesized PdNPs will open a new opportunities in the field of biomedicine. Also, the produced method is an alternative to the chemical synthetic approaches that are being used nowadays.

Opposite trends in the genus Monsonia (Geraniaceae): specialization in the African deserts and range expansions throughout eastern Africa.

The African Austro-temperate Flora stands out by its important species richness. A distinctive element of this flora is Monsonia (Geraniaceae), mostly found in the Namib-Karoo but also in the Natal-Drakensberg, the Somalian Zambezian and the Saharo-Arabian regions. Here, we reconstruct the evolution and biogeographic history of Monsonia based on nuclear and plastid markers, and examine the role of morphological and niche evolution in its diversification using species distribution modeling and macroevolutionary models. Our results indicate that Monsonia first diversified in the Early Miocene c.21 Ma, coinciding with the start of desertification in southwestern Africa. An important diversification occurred c. 4-6 Ma, after a general cooling trend in western South Africa and the rising of the Eastern African Mountains. The resulting two main lineages of Monsonia are constituted by: (1) Namib-Karoo succulents, and (2) herbs of the Natal-Drakensberg plus three species that further colonised steppes in north and eastern Africa. The highest diversity of Monsonia is found in the Namib-Karoo coastal belt, within a mosaic-like habitat structure. Diversification was likely driven by biome shifts and key innovations such as water-storing succulent stems and anemochorous fruits. In contrast, and unlike other arid-adapted taxa, all species of Monsonia share a C3 metabolism.

Population variation affects interactions between two California salt marsh plant species more than precipitation.

Species that occur along broad environmental gradients often vary in phenotypic traits that make them better adapted to local conditions. Variation in species interactions across gradients could therefore be due to either phenotypic differences among populations or environmental conditions that shift the balance between competition and facilitation. To understand how the environment (precipitation) and variation among populations affect species interactions, we conducted a common garden experiment using two common salt marsh plant species, Salicornia pacifica and Jaumea carnosa, from six salt marshes along the California coast encompassing a large precipitation gradient. Plants were grown alone or with an individual of the opposite species from the same site and exposed to one of three precipitation regimes. J. carnosa was negatively affected in the presence of S. pacifica, while S. pacifica was facilitated by J. carnosa. The strength of these interactions varied by site of origin but not by precipitation treatment. These results suggest that phenotypic variation among populations can affect interaction strength more than environment, despite a threefold difference in precipitation. Geographic intraspecific variation may therefore play an important role in determining the strength of interactions in communities.

Carbon allocation from source to sink leaf tissue in relation to flavonoid biosynthesis in variegated Pelargonium zonale under UV-B radiation and high PAR intensity.

We studied the specific effects of high photosynthetically active radiation (PAR, 400-700 nm) and ecologically relevant UV-B radiation (0.90 W m(-2)) on antioxidative and phenolic metabolism by exploiting the green-white leaf variegation of Pelargonium zonale plants. This is a suitable model system for examining "source-sink" interactions within the same leaf. High PAR intensity (1350 µmol m(-2) s(-1)) and UV-B radiation induced different responses in green and white leaf sectors. High PAR intensity had a greater influence on green tissue, triggering the accumulation of phenylpropanoids and flavonoids with strong antioxidative function. Induced phenolics, together with ascorbate, ascorbate peroxidase (APX, EC 1.11.1.11) and catalase (CAT, EC 1.11.1.6) provided efficient defense against potential oxidative pressure. UV-B-induced up-regulation of non-phenolic H2O2 scavengers in green leaf sectors was greater than high PAR-induced changes, indicating a UV-B role in antioxidative defense under light excess; on the contrary, minimal effects were observed in white tissue. However, UV-B radiation had greater influence on phenolics in white leaf sections compared to green ones, inducing accumulation of phenolic glycosides whose function was UV-B screening rather than antioxidative. By stimulation of starch and sucrose breakdown and carbon allocation in the form of soluble sugars from "source" (green) tissue to "sink" (white) tissue, UV-B radiation compensated the absence of photosynthetic activity and phenylpropanoid and flavonoid biosynthesis in white sectors.

Emergence of spontaneous twist and curvature in non-euclidean rods: application to Erodium plant cells.

We present a limiting model for thin non-euclidean elastic rods. Originating from the three-dimensional (3D) reference metric of the rod, which is determined by its internal material structure, we derive a 1D reduced rod theory. Specifically, we show how the spontaneous twist and curvature of a rod emerge from the reference metric derivatives. Thus, the model allows calculating the unconstrained equilibrium configuration of a thin rod directly from its internal structure. The model is applied to the study of cells from members of the Geraniaceae plant family and their configurational response to dehydration. We show how the geometrical arrangement of cellulose fibrils on the cell walls determines the helical shapes of isolated cells.