Adaptive changes in photosynthetic performance and secondary metabolites during white dead nettle micropropagation.

The white dead nettle, Lamium album L., is an herb that has been successfully cultivated under in vitro conditions. The L. album micropropagation system offers a combination of factors (light intensity, temperature, carbon dioxide (CO2) level, humidity) that are limiting for plant growth and bioactive capacity. To get a better understanding of the mechanism of plant acclimation towards environmental changes, we performed a comparative investigation on primary and secondary metabolism in fully expanded L. album leaves during the consecutive growth in in situ, in vitro, and ex vitro conditions. Although the genetic identity was not affected, structural and physiological deviations were observed, and the level of bioactive compounds was modified. During in vitro cultivation, the L. album leaves became thinner with unaffected overall leaf organization, but with a reduced number of palisade mesophyll layers. Structural deviation of the thylakoid membrane system was detected. In addition, the photosystem 2 (PS2) electron transport was retarded, and the plants were more vulnerable to light damage as indicated by the decreased photoprotection ability estimated by fluorescence parameters. The related CO2 assimilation and transpiration rates were subsequently reduced, as were the content of essential oils and phenolics. Transfer of the plants ex vitro did not increase the number of palisade numbers, but the chloroplast structure and PS2 functionality were recovered. Strikingly, the rates of CO2 assimilation and transpiration were increased compared to in situ control plants. While the phenolics content reached normal levels during ex vitro growth, the essential oils remained low. Overall, our study broadens the understanding about the nature of plant responses towards environmental conditions.

Electro-audio-visual method for diagnosis and treatment.

This method can be applied to the non-drug treatment of diseases. It provides an exact evaluation of the healing effect by keeping the acupuncture point from overload. This method is realized by a bistable/monostable square wave oscillator. The electrical pulses for the treatment of the acupuncture point are delivered from the noninverted oscillator output. Their electrical parameters: frequency, pulse duration, rise time and coefficient of filling depend on the constantly changeable biophysical parameters of the acupuncture point, such as complex skin impedance (z), and total infrared skin thermal emission (te). Pulses from the inverted oscillator output are provided to the acoustic and visual channels. In the acoustic channel, the pulses are controlled only by amplitude. The visual output channel pulses apply to the amplitude- frequency circuit, where an amplitude-frequency analysis is performed. The output pulses of three electrical filters (low, middle and high frequency), control three sources of light, respectively red, green, and blue. Three colors blend on the white screen, as the color picture is modulated by the two biophysical parameters of the acupuncture point. These parameters are in a constant dynamics. The audio channel output information is delivered to the audio-information gate of the patient, reaching the Central Nervous System (CNS). The video channel output information is applied to the video-information gate and then to the patient's CNS, preparing it for appropriate therapeutical programs.