Increased Zygote-Derived Plantlet Formation through Rescue of Immature Embryos of Highly Apomictic (Cactaceae).

(prickly pear cactus) is an important forage and food source in arid and semiarid ecosystems and is the most important cactus species in cultivation globally. The high degree of apomixis in the species is a hindrance in plant breeding programs where genetic segregation is sought for the selection of superior genotypes. To understand if embryo rescue could increase the proportion of zygotic seedlings, we compared the mature seed-derived seedlings with those regenerated from embryo rescue at 20, 25, 30, 35, and 40 post-anthesis days (PADs) in four Italian cultivars.

Antitumor Effect of (Boraginaceae) Essential Oil through Inhibition of the Activity of the Topo II Enzyme in Acute Myeloid Leukemia.

It was previously shown that the antitumor and cytotoxic activity of the essential oil (EO) extracted from the aerial parts of appears to involve a pro-oxidant mechanism in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cell lines. Its most abundant compound is a hydroxy-methyl-naphthoquinone isomer. Important pharmacological activities, such as antitumor, antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral and antiparasitic activities, are attributed to naphthoquinones, probably due to their pro-oxidant or electrophilic potential; for some naphthoquinones, a mechanism of action of topoisomerase inhibition has been reported, in which they appear to act both as catalytic inhibitors and as topoisomerase II poisons.

Phytol and Heptacosane Are Possible Tools to Overcome Multidrug Resistance in an In Vitro Model of Acute Myeloid Leukemia.

Drug resistance is the ability of cancer cells to gain resistance to both conventional and novel chemotherapy agents, and remains a major problem in cancer therapy. Resistance mechanisms are multifactorial and involve more strictly pharmacological factors, such as P-glycoprotein (P-gp) and biological factors such as inhibitor of apoptosis proteins (IAPs) and the nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) pathway. Possible therapeutic strategies for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) have increased in recent years; however, drug resistance remains a problem for most pa-tients.

Influence of Culture Conditions on In Vitro Asymbiotic Germination of and (Orchidaceae).

This study is the first approach to in vitro asymbiotic germination of two species of Sicilian threatened terrestrial orchids, and Seeds were collected in the wild and cultured in two different media-Orchimax medium (OM) and Murashige and Skoog (MS)-and exposed to different photoperiods and temperatures to evaluate the best conditions for the specific stages of development. The germination of was very high on OM (95.5%) and lower on MS medium (21.

Carbon and nitrogen isotopic values in Lithops aucampiae during leaf development.

Lithops (Aizoaceae) are succulent plants consisting of a pair of opposite succulent leaves inserted on an extremely short stem. The apical meristem produces a new leaf pair that develops between the older pair, recycling water and metabolites. This peculiar anatomy and growth form make ecophysiological studies quite challenging.

In Vitro Modulation of P-Glycoprotein Activity by Essential Oil on Acute Myeloid Leukemia Cell Line HL-60R.

species have a large spectrum of traditional medicinal uses. We tested the biological activities of the essential oil (EO) of Drake in an acquired multidrug resistance leukemia model to assess whether the EO obtained by hydrodistillation of stems was able to reverse the resistant phenotype. HL-60R cell lines are characterized by the overexpression of P-glycoprotein (P-gp), inhibitors of apoptosis proteins (IAPs) and constitutive expression of NF-κB.

From ecosystems to socio-economic benefits: A systematic review of coastal ecosystem services in the Baltic Sea.

Seagrass meadows, algal forests and mussel beds are widely regarded as foundation species that support communities providing valuable ecosystem services in many coastal regions; however, quantitative evidence of the relationship is scarce. Using the Baltic Sea as a case study, a region of significant socio-economic importance in the northern hemisphere, we systematically synthesized the primary literature and summarized the current knowledge on ecosystem services derived from seagrass, macroalgae, and mussels (see animated video summary of the manuscript: Video abstract). We found 1740 individual ecosystem service records (ESR), 61% of which were related to macroalgae, 26% to mussel beds and 13% to seagrass meadows.

Water relations of two Sicilian grapevine cultivars in response to potassium availability and drought stress.

We investigated the response of two Sicilian grapevine cultivars, Catarratto and Nero d'Avola, to potassium deficiency and drought stress. Two-year-old plants grafted on 1103 Paulsen were grown in agriperlite, with or without potassium in the fertigation solution for six weeks, and subjected to moderate drought stress by suspending irrigation for one week. Potassium content of leaves, roots and xylem sap were measured with an ion-selective electrode.

Antitumor Mechanism of the Essential Oils from Two Succulent Plants in Multidrug Resistance Leukemia Cell.

Drug resistance remains a major challenge in the treatment of cancer. The multiplicity of the drug resistance determinants raises the question about the optimal strategies to deal with them. Essential oils showed to inhibit the growth of different tumor cell types.

Essential Oil Composition of and in Vitro Biological Activity on Two Drug-Resistant Models.

Drug resistance is a major obstacle in antibiotic and antitumor chemotherapy. In response to the necessity to find new therapeutic strategies, plant secondary metabolites including essential oils (EOs) may represent one of the best sources. EOs in plants act as constitutive defenses against biotic and abiotic stress, and they play an important role in the pharmacology for their low toxicity, good pharmacokinetic and multitarget activity.

Essential oil of Cyphostemma juttae (Vitaceae): Chemical composition and antitumor mechanism in triple negative breast cancer cells.

The genus Cyphostemma (Planch.) Alston (Vitaceae) includes about 150 species distributed in eastern and southern Africa and Madagascar. Some species are used in traditional medicine and their biological activities, including antiproliferative effects against cancer cell lines, have been demonstrated.

Floral scent in a sexually deceptive Ophrys orchid: from headspace collections to solvent extractions.

Sexually deceptive orchid flowers use visual, tactile and olfactory cues of female insects in order to attract males of one or a few closely related species as pollinators. Ophrys L. is the most species-rich genus of sexually deceptive orchids in the Mediterranean Basin.

Floral scent in Iris planifolia (Iridaceae) suggests food reward.

Iris species can adopt different pollination strategies to attract their pollinators, generalized shelter-mimicking, specialized deceptive sexual-mimicking or food-rewarding. As attractive stimuli, Iris flowers may use their colours, large-size, symmetry, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). However, relatively few studies investigated Iris floral olfactory cues in the context of plant-visitor/pollinator interactions.

Chemical composition, in vitro antitumor and pro-oxidant activities of Glandora rosmarinifolia (Boraginaceae) essential oil.

The biological properties of essential oils have been demonstrated in the treatment of several diseases and to enhance the bioavailability of other drugs. In natural habitats the essential oils compounds may play important roles in the protection of the plants as antibacterials, antivirals, antifungals, insecticides and also against herbivores by reducing their appetite for such plants or by repelling undesirable others. We analyzed by gas-chromatography mass spectrometry the chemical composition of the essential oil of aerial parts of Glandora rosmarinifolia (Ten.

Is in vitro micrografting a possible valid alternative to traditional micropropagation in Cactaceae? Pelecyphora aselliformis as a case study.

Several taxa of Cactaceae are endangered by overcollection for commercial purposes, and most of the family is included in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora (CITES). Micropropagation may play a key role to keep the pressure off wild populations and contribute to ex situ conservation of endangered taxa. One of the limits of micropropagation is the species-specific requirement of plant regulators for each taxon and sometimes even for different genotypes.

Floral volatiles in a sapromyiophilous plant and their importance in attracting house fly pollinators.

Floral scent in sapromyiophilous plants often consists of complex blends with not only fetid (e.g., sulfides) but also sweet (e.

Do island plant populations really have lower genetic variation than mainland populations? Effects of selection and distribution range on genetic diversity estimates.

Ecological and evolutionary studies largely assume that island populations display low levels of neutral genetic variation. However, this notion has only been formally tested in a few cases involving plant taxa, and the confounding effect of selection on genetic diversity (GD) estimates based on putatively neutral markers has typically been overlooked. Here, we generated nuclear microsatellite and plastid DNA sequence data in Periploca laevigata, a plant taxon with an island-mainland distribution area, to (i) investigate whether selection affects GD estimates of populations across contrasting habitats; and (ii) test the long-standing idea that island populations have lower GD than their mainland counterparts.

Warfarin-associated hematomyelia.

A 71-year-old woman on warfarin (2.5 mg daily) developed severe low back pain with reduced touch sensation and weakness of the lower limbs that progressed to complete paralysis within 28 to 30 hours. Imaging revealed bleeding at the D4 through D11 level, however the patient refused emergency laminectomy.

Does short-term potassium fertilization improve recovery from drought stress in laurel?

Xylem hydraulic conductance varies in response to changes in sap solute content, and in particular of potassium (K(+)) ion concentration. This phenomenon, known as the 'ionic effect', is enhanced in embolized stems, where it can compensate for cavitation-induced loss of hydraulic conductance. Previous studies have shown that in well-watered laurel plants (Laurus nobilis L.

Essential oils of Chiliadenus lopadusanus (Asteraceae).

The essential oils from the leaves and flowers of Chiliadenus lopadusanus growing on Lampedusa Island were obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by GC-MS. The major component was camphor (39.4% in the leaves and 24.

Essential oils composition of two Sicilian cultivars of Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill. (Cactaceae) fruits (prickly pear).

The essential oils composition of the skin, pulp and seeds from fruits of two Sicilian cultivars of Opuntia ficus-indica (cv. Sanguigna and cv. Surfarina) has been obtained by hydrodistillation and the possible antioxidant, antimicrobial and semiochemical roles have been investigated comparing the data with those reported in the literature.

Essential oils composition of Periploca laevigata Aiton subsp. angustifolia (Labill.) Markgraf (Apocynaceae-Periplocoideae).

The essential oil of roots, branches, leaves, flowers and fruits of Periploca laevigata Aiton subsp. angustifolia (Apocynaceae) from Lampedusa Island has been obtained by hydrodistillation and its composition analysed. The analyses allowed the identification and quantification of 86 volatile compounds.

Essential oil composition of the fruits of Periploca laevigata Aiton subsp. angustifolia (Labill.) Markgraf (Apocynaceae - Periplocoideae).

The essential oil of the fruits of Periploca laevigata Aiton subsp. angustifolia (Labill.) Markgraf (Apocynaceae) from Lampedusa Island was obtained by hydrodistillation and its composition was analysed.