Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Ethnobotanical surveys are detecting an increasing frequency of exotic plant species in pharmacopeias, which has led researchers to investigate the role of such species in traditional medical systems. According to the diversification hypothesis, exotic species are included to complete pharmacopeias, i.e., to treat diseases for which no native species are known, thus broadening the scope of the plant repertoire.
Materials And Methods: The present study was conducted at two rural communities in northeastern Brazil aiming at a survey of the plants known or used by the population to treat endo- and ectoparasitic diseases in humans and animals. In addition, plant extracts exhibiting acaricide activity were assessed using the engorged female immersion and larval packet tests (LPT).
Results: The results of the present study showed a tendency for native species to be used against ectoparasites and exhibit a broader scope of use compared to exotic species. In turn, exotic species were predominantly indicated to treat diseases caused by endoparasites, although there was an overlap of native and exotic species relative to some therapeutic purpose, e.g., ticks. Only two of the plant species tested exhibited acaricide activity (Nicotiana glauca Graham and Croton blanchetianus Baill.), and in both cases, the activity was weak.
Conclusion: The ethnobotanical data do not fully support the suggested hypothesis. Overall, the wide versatility of exotic species was not exclusively used to treat parasitic diseases in humans and animals. In addition, the selection of acaricide plants based on the ethnopharmacological study generated uninteresting results.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2014.07.036 | DOI Listing |
J Ethnobiol Ethnomed
January 2025
Department of Biology, College of Natural and Computational Science, Arba Minch University, Arba Minch, Ethiopia.
Background: Homegardens (HGs) are well-time-honored traditional land use systems in small plots of land with purposely designed intricate structure and a mixture of planted vascular plants (VPs) for different purposes. Hence, the present study was initiated to investigate the ethnobotanical information of vascular plants of homegardens and their use, conservation and management practice by the people of Dawuro in southwestern Ethiopia.
Methods: A total of 162 farmer informants were selected and interviewed within a distance of < 2 km, 2-4 km and > 4 km between the natural forest and homegardens, and 0.
Pest Manag Sci
January 2025
Forest Ecology and Restoration Group (FORECO), Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad de Alcalá, Madrid, Spain.
Background: Biological control in integrated pest management (IPM) often overlooked avian predators until the emergence of the ecosystem services approach. Birds are now recognized as key regulators of pest populations in agroforestry landscapes due to their high mobility. The invasive yellow-legged hornet, introduced into Europe in 2004, threatens agriculture, beekeeping and native pollinators.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAnimals (Basel)
December 2024
HUN-REN Veterinary Medical Research Institute, Tábornok u. 2., H-1143 Budapest, Hungary.
Avian pox is a globally spread viral disease affecting a wide spectrum of wild and domesticated bird species. The disease is caused by a diverse group of large DNA viruses, namely, avipoxviruses (genus , family ). In this study, gross pathological examination and histopathological examination of skin lesions and several organs suggested acute poxvirus infection of a Eurasian crane (, Linnaeus, 1758).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAppl Environ Microbiol
January 2025
Legume Rhizobium Sciences, Food Futures Institute, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia, Australia.
Unlabelled: Rhizobia are soil bacteria capable of establishing symbiosis within legume root nodules, where they reduce atmospheric N into ammonia and supply it to the plant for growth. Australian soils often lack rhizobia compatible with introduced agricultural legumes, so inoculation with exotic strains has become a common practice for over 50 years. While extensive research has assessed the N-fixing capabilities of these inoculants, their genomics, taxonomy, and core and accessory gene phylogeny are poorly characterized.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Environ Manage
January 2025
Department of Life Sciences, Kathmandu University, Dhulikhel, Nepal.
The extent of alien taxa impacts on river ecosystem health is unclear, but their frequency continues to rise. We investigated 1) the prevalence of including alien taxa in common bioindicators used in river bioassessment, 2) the effect of alien taxa on the richness and abundance of natives, and 3) whether including alien taxa in bioassessment tools increased their sensitivity to river degradation. In the 17 countries analyzed fish represented the greatest number of alien species (1726), followed by macrophytes (925), macroinvertebrates (556), and diatoms (7).
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