Integration of attractive and defensive phytochemicals is unlikely to constrain chemical diversification in a perennial herb.

Diversification of plant chemical phenotypes is typically associated with spatially and temporally variable plant-insect interactions. Floral scent is often assumed to be the target of pollinator-mediated selection, whereas foliar compounds are considered targets of antagonist-mediated selection. However, floral and vegetative phytochemicals can be biosynthetically linked and may thus evolve as integrated phenotypes.

Onion Basal Rot Disease Control by Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi and .

Soilborne pathogens reduce 60% of the yield of onion crops. A common fungal pathogen causing wilt disease and severe losses is basal rot (FBR). In this study, the combination of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) with was investigated against FBR.

Wild and Micropropagated Infusions: In Vitro Digestion Effects on Phenolic Pattern and Antioxidant Activity.

This study investigated the in vitro simulated gastrointestinal digestion (GID) effects on wild and micropropagated Apennines Genepì infusions. Wild and micropropagated infusions were compared for their antioxidant activity, phenolic contents, and polyphenolic profiles before and after GID. Before digestion, the wild infusions had higher amounts of phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity than the micropropagated ones.

Ellenberg Indicator Values Disclose Complex Environmental Filtering Processes in Plant Communities along an Elevational Gradient.

Ellenberg indicator values (EIVs) express plant preferences for temperature, light, continentality, soil moisture, pH, and soil nutrients, and have been largely used to deduce environmental characteristics from plant communities. However, EIVs might also be used to investigate the importance of filtering mechanisms in shaping plant communities according to species ecological preferences, a so far overlooked use of EIVs. In this paper, we investigated how community-weighted means (CWM), calculated with EIVs, varied along an elevational gradient in a small mountain in Central Italy.

Use of Lichens to Evaluate the Impact of Post-Earthquake Reconstruction Activities on Air Quality: A Case Study from the City of L'Aquila.

Lichens are widely used as bioindicators of air quality because of their ability to absorb chemical pollutants. We used the Lichen Diversity Value (LDV) index to assess the effects of the urban reconstruction activities in the city of L'Aquila ten years after the 2009 earthquake on air quality. Sampling was conducted from the city centre (still mostly under reconstruction and closed to traffic) to suburban areas (where reconstruction is minimal).

Nanoporous silica gel can compete with the flower stigma in germinating and attracting pollen tubes.

To find nanoporous substrates with hydrodynamic properties useful for pollen hydration and germination, we used the glassy Silica gel and Vycor scales and pollen with different morphological and physiological traits, that of , and that of . For tests, the scales were spread on microscope slides, hand pollinated, and incubated. Pollen germination was evaluated with the stereomicroscope and the tube growth was explored with scanning electron microscopy (SEM).

f. sp. Isolated from L.: In Vitro and In Planta Biocontrol by a Plant Growth Promoting-Bacteria Consortium.

Industrial hemp ( L.) is a multipurpose plant used in several fields. Several phytopathogens attack hemp crops.

Variations in Plant Richness, Biogeographical Composition, and Life Forms along an Elevational Gradient in a Mediterranean Mountain.

Despite the increasing interest in elevational patterns in biodiversity, few studies have investigated variations in life forms and biogeographical composition, especially in the Mediterranean biome. We investigated elevational patterns in species richness, biogeographical composition (chorotypes) and life forms (Raunkiaer classification) along an elevational gradient in a Mediterranean mountain (Central Italy). We found a general hump-shaped pattern of species richness, which can be explained by harsher conditions at the lowest and highest elevations.

In vitro and in planta antagonistic effects of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria consortium against soilborne plant pathogens of Solanum tuberosum and Solanum lycopersicum.

Potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.) and tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum L.), among the main crops belonging to the Solanaceae family, are attacked by several pathogens.

Chemical Characterization of Narcissus poeticus from Sirente -Velino (Apennines - Italy): Galantamine Accumulation and Distribution of Allergenic Compounds in the Flower.

Species of Narcissus (family Amaryllidaceae) are a potential source for large-scale extraction of alkaloids and fragrances. The bulbs typically accumulate a large number of alkaloids, including galantamine, a benzazepine alkaloid proven to be a cholinesterase inhibitor and which is used in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. The presence of galantamine in N.

Volatiles fingerprint of Artemisia umbelliformis subsp. eriantha by headspace-solid phase microextraction GC-MS.

Artemisia umbelliformis subsp. eriantha is a protected species, whose essential oil is used in liqueur industry. Volatile profiles of fresh leaves and flowers from wild plants in comparison with regenerated in vitro plants introduced in experimental fields within an Italian national park were evaluated by headspace-solid phase microextraction gas chromatography mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS).

Volatile fingerprints of artemisinin-rich Artemisia annua cultivars by headspace solid-phase microextraction gas chromatography/ mass spectrometry.

The cultivar Anamed (A3) is a hybrid of Artemisia annua with a high content of the secondary metabolite artemisinin, a well-known antimalarial drug. Here we report for the first time the volatile profile of fresh leaves of this hybrid in comparison with that of Artemisia annua L. wild-type species.

Detection of lead in Zea mays by dual-energy X-ray microtomography at the SYRMEP beamline of the ELETTRA synchrotron and by atomic absorption spectroscopy.

This study is related to the application of the X-ray dual-energy microradiography technique together with the atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) for the detection of lead on Zea mays stem, ear, root, and leaf samples. To highlight the places with lead intake, the planar radiographs taken with monochromatic X-ray radiation in absorption regime with photon energy below and above the absorption edge of a given chemical element, respectively, are analyzed and processed. To recognize the biological structures involved in the intake, the dual-energy images with the lead signal have been compared with the optical images of the same Z.

A rapid method for the quantification of artemisinin in Artemisia annua L. plants cultivated for the first time in Burundi.

We describe a simple, rapid combined method for extracting the antimalarial compound artemisinin from the leaves of Artemisia annua L. cultivated for the first time in Burundi, and quantitating the active principle by high-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray mass spectrometry.