Scientifica最新文献

{"title":"In Vitro Hypoglycemic and Antioxidant Activities of Dichloromethane Extract of Xerophyta spekei","authors":"Michael Musila Ndile, W. Makori, C. Kibiti, M. Ngugi","doi":"10.1155/2023/6652112","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2023/6652112","url":null,"abstract":"Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder which has greatly led to an increase in morbidity and mortality globally. Although Xerophyta spekei is widely used for the management of diabetes among the Embu and Mbeere communities in Kenya, it has never been empirically evaluated for its hypoglycemic activity. This study was carried out to verify the hypoglycemic activity of dichloromethane (DCM) extract of Xerophyta spekei as well as its antioxidant activity using various in vitro techniques. Phytochemicals associated with its antioxidant activity were identified through GC-MS. Data were subjected to descriptive statistics and expressed as mean ± standard error of the mean (X̄ ± SEM). Comparison between various variables was performed by using unpaired Student’s t-test and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), followed by Tukey’s post-hoc test. The confidence interval was set at 95%. The obtained results were presented in tables and graphs. Results showed that there was no difference in α-amylase inhibition activity between the plant extract and the standard (IC50 525.9 ± 12.34 and 475.1 ± 9.115, respectively; p > 0.05). Besides, the glucose adsorption activity of the extract increased with an increase in glucose concentration (from 5.89 to 32.64 mg/dl at 5 mmol and 30 mmol of glucose, respectively; p < 0.05). The extract also limited the diffusion of glucose more than the negative control (7.49 and 17.63 mg/dl, respectively; p < 0.05). It also enhanced glucose uptake by yeast cells. In addition, the studied plant extract showed notable antioxidant activities. The therapeutic effects exhibited by this plant in managing diabetes mellitus and other ailments could be due to its antioxidant as well as its hypoglycemic activity. The study recommends the evaluation of X. spekei for in vivo hypoglycemic and antioxidant activities. Besides, the isolation of bioactive phytochemicals from the plant may lead to the development of new hypoglycaemic agents.","PeriodicalId":21726,"journal":{"name":"Scientifica","volume":"7 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2023-12-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139147860","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Trophic Interactions of European Hake <i>Merluccius merluccius</i> (Linnaeus, 1758) in Benthic Communities off the Moroccan Mediterranean Coastline: Seasonal and Ontogenetic Shifts.","authors":"Douaa Slimani, Souad Abdellaoui, Najib El Ouamari, Nassir Kaddouri, Khaoula Kasmi, Rajae Mouedden, Mostafa Layachi, Jamal Settih, Khalid Chaabane","doi":"10.1155/2023/8865128","DOIUrl":"10.1155/2023/8865128","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The European hake, &lt;i&gt;Merluccius merluccius&lt;/i&gt; (Linnaeus, 1758), is one of the most important resources for Mediterranean fisheries. Due to its pivotal role in energy transfer from lower to higher trophic levels, this species is a crucial component of the ecosystem's functioning. The ecological role of &lt;i&gt;Merluccius merluccius&lt;/i&gt;, off the Moroccan Mediterranean Sea (southern Alboran Sea), was investigated, exploring seasonal and ontogenetic shifts, geographical variations in prey composition, and feeding strategy. Between November 2020 and July 2022, a total of 402 hake specimens were collected by oceanographic bottom trawl surveys (MEDITS) that were carried out during warm and cold seasons to assess their diet and feeding habits. The sample was analyzed according to fish sizes and seasons, and qualitative/quantitative feeding indices were calculated. The trophic spectrum of &lt;i&gt;Merluccius merluccius&lt;/i&gt; included 24 prey items in total, mainly belonging to &lt;i&gt;Osteichthyes&lt;/i&gt; (12), &lt;i&gt;Crustacea&lt;/i&gt; (10), &lt;i&gt;Cephalopoda&lt;/i&gt; (1), and &lt;i&gt;Polychaeta&lt;/i&gt; (1), suggesting a generalist behavior of this predator as in numerous regions of the Mediterranean Sea, with several species that occasionally occurs in its diet. In the Moroccan Mediterranean Sea, &lt;i&gt;Osteichthyes&lt;/i&gt; proved to be the most important prey item (%IRI = 78.56) among the different zoological groups, followed by &lt;i&gt;Crustacea&lt;/i&gt; (%IRI = 16.22). The other food items were occasionally and randomly consumed, and cannibalism was low (0.8%). Hierarchical cluster analysis and nonmetric multidimensional scaling (nMDS) showed different feeding habits of two main groups separated at 60% similarity: small specimens &lt;10 cm TL, primarily feed on zooplanktonic prey, while medium and large specimens hold a diet based on &lt;i&gt;Osteichthyes&lt;/i&gt; with crustaceans. Furthermore, a significant positive relationship between hake and fish prey size was confirmed. Seasonally, mesopelagic &lt;i&gt;Osteichthyes&lt;/i&gt; were the main food prey in the summer season, while pelagic species were predominant during the autumn. SIMPER analysis revealed that the prey items contributing the most to the differences between seasons and length classes were &lt;i&gt;Engraulis encrasicolus&lt;/i&gt;, &lt;i&gt;Micromesistius poutassou&lt;/i&gt;, &lt;i&gt;Boops boops&lt;/i&gt;, &lt;i&gt;Macroramphosus scolopax&lt;/i&gt;, gobids, &lt;i&gt;Gadiculus argenteus&lt;/i&gt;, and most of &lt;i&gt;Crustacea&lt;/i&gt;. The diet does not appear to be influenced by sex (&gt;0.05). A trophic level (TROPH) of 4.1 was calculated, indicating that the species is a top predator (quaternary consumers). The TROPH values ranged between 2.58 and 4.38 from juveniles to adults, increasing asymptotically with the size of specimens. In contrast to what has previously been found in other Mediterranean regions, where ichthyophagous hake feed mostly on pelagic &lt;i&gt;Osteichthyes&lt;/i&gt;, such as &lt;i&gt;Engraulis encrasicolus, Sardina pilchardus&lt;/i&gt;, and &lt;i&gt;Micromesistius poutassou&lt;/i&gt;, the study points up the vital role played by Atlantic horse mack","PeriodicalId":21726,"journal":{"name":"Scientifica","volume":"2023 ","pages":"8865128"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2023-12-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10764652/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139098633","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Seed Germination Enhancement of Two <i>Balanites</i> Species (<i>B. aegyptiaca</i> (L.) Del. and <i>B. rotundifolia</i> (Tiegh.) Blatt.) Using Different Presowing Treatments in Ethiopia.","authors":"Mohammed Adefa Seid, Tigist Wondimu, Asfaw Degu, Awol Assefa","doi":"10.1155/2023/5571489","DOIUrl":"10.1155/2023/5571489","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><i>B. aegyptiaca</i> and <i>B. rotundifolia</i> are known to be multipurpose trees with various uses and values. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the seed germination behaviours of <i>B. aegyptiaca</i> and <i>B. rotundifolia</i> under different presowing treatments. Hence, seeds were collected from the Central and Southern Ethiopian Rift Valley regions. Then, a total of 864 fruits (seeds) subjected to eight different presowing treatments and planted in pots arranged in a completely randomized design (CRD) were tested for each species. The mean germination percentage (GP), mean daily germination percentage (GD), mean germination time (GT), and mean germination index (GI) were computed. One-way ANOVA showed the presence of significant GP, GD, GT, and GI among treatment groups at <i>p</i> < 0.05 under both <i>Balanites</i> species. For <i>B. aegyptiaca</i>, Tukey's HSD test showed that seeds soaked with 98% H₂SO₄ for 10 minutes (<i>98HSO10m</i>) and 20 minutes (<i>98HSO20m</i>) have the highest GPs (87 ± 8.8 and 82 ± 10.2, respectively) that are significant at <i>p</i> < 0.05. The seeds soaked in 75°C hot water for 10 minutes and subsequently cooled for 12 hours (<i>HW75d</i>), <i>98HSO10m</i>, and <i>98HSO20m</i> have the highest GDs (2%) that are significant at <i>p</i> < 0.05. Moreover, <i>98HSO20m</i>, <i>98HSO10m</i>, and seeds soaked in cold water for 48 hours at room temperature of 25°C (<i>CW48h</i>) have the shortest GTs (24 ± 2.2, 25 ± 0.5, and 25 ± 1.3, respectively), and <i>98HSO10m</i> and <i>98HSO20m</i> have the highest GIs (1.04 ± 0.09 and 1.01 ± 0.08, respectively) that are significant at <i>p</i> < 0.05. For <i>B. rotundifolia</i>, the control recorded the highest cumulative germination (i.e., 71), followed by CW48h (i.e., 51). However, Tukey's HSD tests generally indicated that no treatment group resulted in significant differences in the means of GP, GD, GT, and GI at <i>p</i> < 0.05. So, no treatment group was observed to enhance the germination of <i>B. rotundifolia</i> compared to the control. However, this study generally indicated potential seed enhancement technologies for <i>B. aegyptiaca</i> with greater implications for propagation, conservation, and sustainable utilization of the species in the agricultural and pastoral communities of Ethiopia.</p>","PeriodicalId":21726,"journal":{"name":"Scientifica","volume":"2023 ","pages":"5571489"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2023-12-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10761227/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139088183","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Quantitative and Qualitative Phytochemical Analysis of <i>Manilkara zapota</i> (Sapodilla) Extract and Its Antibacterial Activity on Some Gram-Positive and Gram-Negative Bacteria.","authors":"Shahla Hashemi Shahraki, Fereshteh Mohamadhasani Javar, Mehdi Rahimi","doi":"10.1155/2023/5967638","DOIUrl":"10.1155/2023/5967638","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>A molecule's antibacterial and antiviral action is exclusively linked to substances that selectively eradicate bacteria and viruses or inhibit their growth without significantly damaging adjacent tissues. The purpose of this research is to evaluate quantitative and qualitative phytochemical analysis and the antibacterial effects of <i>Manilkara zapota</i> fruit extract on some Gram-positive (<i>Staphylococcus aureus</i>, <i>Enterococcus faecalis</i>, <i>Micrococcus luteus</i>, <i>Bacillus cereus</i>, and <i>Listeria monocytogenes</i>) and Gram-negative (<i>Escherichia coli</i>, <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i>, and <i>Klebsiella pneumoniae</i>) bacteria in laboratory conditions. Qualitative chemical screening was used to identify different classes of active chemical compounds, and quantitative analysis of the chemical composition of the plant was used to measure the contents of flavonoid, total phenol, anthocyanin, and antioxidant activity. Antibacterial effects of <i>Manilkara zapota</i> ethanol extract were determined by disk diffusion methods, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC). Qualitative chemical screening revealed the presence of flavonoids, tannins, quinones, terpenoids, and glycosides while the presence of saponins was not observed. The bacterial inhibition zones against <i>Listeria monocytogenes</i>, <i>Enterococcus faecalis</i>, <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i>, <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i>, <i>Micrococcus luteus</i>, <i>Escherichia coli</i>, <i>Klebsiella pneumoniae</i>, and <i>Bacillus cereus</i> are 15.44 ± 0.33, 12.23 ± 0.11, 8.85 ± 0.2, 14.22 ± 0.33, 15 ± 0.44, 9.33 ± 0.13, 10.33 ± 0.36 and 14.55 ± 0.45 mm, respectively. MIC and MBC of the extract in Gram-positive bacteria were 25 and 50, and in Gram-negative bacteria were 50 and 100 mg/ml, respectively. The findings imply that <i>Manilkara zapota</i> extract includes a good amount of plant compounds and can be a significant source for a variety of uses, including antibacterial.</p>","PeriodicalId":21726,"journal":{"name":"Scientifica","volume":"2023 ","pages":"5967638"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2023-12-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10761219/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139088182","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cytotoxic Activity of Saponins and Sapogenins Isolated from <i>Chenopodium quinoa</i> Willd. in Cancer Cell Lines.","authors":"Genesis N Carpio-Paucar, Andrea I Palo-Cardenas, Alejandro N Rondón-Ortiz, Alejandro Pino-Figueroa, Elvis Gilmar Gonzales-Condori, José A Villanueva-Salas","doi":"10.1155/2023/8846387","DOIUrl":"10.1155/2023/8846387","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The cytotoxic properties of two extracts from <i>Chenopodium quinoa</i> Willd. and three synthetic sapogenins were evaluated in different cancer cell lines (A549, SH-SY5Y, HepG2, and HeLa) to investigate their cytotoxic effects and determine if these cell lines activate the caspase pathway for apoptosis in response to saponin and sapogenin treatment. The saponin extracts were isolated from the agro-industrial waste of <i>Chenopodium quinoa</i> Willd., while the sapogenins were identified and quantitatively determined by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). Among these compounds, ursolic acid was the most active compound, with high IC₅₀ values measured in all cell lines. In addition, hederagenin demonstrated higher caspase-3 activity than staurosporine in HeLa cells, suggesting an anti-cytotoxic activity via a caspase-dependent apoptosis pathway. HPLC analysis showed that the concentration of hederagenin was higher than that of oleanolic acid in ethanolic extracts of white and red quinoa. The ethanolic extracts of white and red quinoa did not show cytotoxic activity. On the other hand, the synthetic sapogenins such as ursolic acid, oleanolic acid, and hederagenin significantly decreased the viability of the four cell lines studied. Finally, by Caspase-3 assay, it was found that HeLa undergoes apoptosis during cell death because hederagenin produces a significant increase in PARP-1 hydrolysis in HeLa cells.</p>","PeriodicalId":21726,"journal":{"name":"Scientifica","volume":"2023 ","pages":"8846387"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2023-12-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10749722/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139038013","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Assessment of Carbon Sequestration in Private Forests across Two Different Physiographic Regions of Nepal: Implications for Conservation and Climate Change Mitigation","authors":"Rajeev Joshi, Tej Kumar Shrestha, Bijaya Mishra, Jeetendra Gautam, Bijay Maharjan, K. R. Gosai, T. Maraseni, Bijaya Neupane","doi":"10.1155/2023/6599067","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2023/6599067","url":null,"abstract":"Private forests offer diverse ecosystem services, including carbon sequestration and biodiversity conservation, which are crucial for Nepal. However, there is a notable absence of comprehensive research on these services. Assessing carbon sequestration in private forests can have economic advantages for forest owners by promoting resource conservation and contributing to greenhouse gas reduction. This study aims to estimate and compare carbon stocks in private forests located in two distinct physiographic regions of Nepal while also identifying the factors influencing these carbon stocks. The analysis focuses on 16 private forests (with 0.1 to 0.5 hectares) each from Chitwan district (Terai region) and Kavrepalanchok district (Hilly region). Field data collection involved direct measurements of tree and sapling diameter at breast height (DBH), as well as height and class of trees and poles, utilizing a total enumeration method. These collected values were utilized to calculate aboveground biomass (AGTB), aboveground sapling biomass (AGSB), belowground biomass, and carbon stock. Private forests of Terai region were dominated by Shorea borneensis, Tectona grandis, and Dalbergia sissoo, whereas the Hilly region was dominated by Pinus patula, Alnus nepalensis, Schima wallichii, and Quercus leucotrichophora. The aboveground biomass carbon in the Terai region's private forests was estimated to be 83.53 t·ha−1, while in the Hilly region, it was 37.32 t·ha−1. The belowground biomass carbon in the Terai region's private forests was found to be 21.72 t·ha−1, compared to 9.70 t·ha−1 in the Hilly region. Consequently, the estimated total carbon stock in the Terai and Hilly regions' private forests was 105.25 t·ha−1 (386.26 t·ha−1 CO2-eq) and 47.02 t·ha−1 (172.57 t·ha−1 CO2-eq), respectively. Carbon sequestration in the Terai region's private forests was discovered to be 2.24 times higher than that in the Hilly region. These findings underscore the significant potential of private forests, which can generate economic benefits through carbon trading and leverage mechanisms such as REDD+/CDM to promote sustainable conservation practices.","PeriodicalId":21726,"journal":{"name":"Scientifica","volume":"22 23","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2023-12-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138601810","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Cortisol Levels, Histology, and Fine Structure of Various Tissues of Fish <i>Gambusia affinis</i> (Baird and Girard, 1853) after Exposure to Lead.","authors":"Moh Awaludin Adam, Agoes Soegianto, Yenny Risjani, Carolyn Melissa Payus, R Gunawan Pratama Yoga, Nina Hermayani Sadi, Evi Susanti, Ach Khumaidi, Ramli Ramli","doi":"10.1155/2023/6649258","DOIUrl":"10.1155/2023/6649258","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Aquatic organisms demonstrate a high vulnerability to mortality when exposed to Pb, even at low concentrations. The objective of this investigation is to ascertain the histopathological alterations and cortisol concentrations in diverse tissues of <i>Gambusia affinis</i>, with a specific focus on the eggs and larvae, following exposure to varying concentrations of PbCl₂.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Adult specimens of <i>G. affinis</i> measuring 5-6 cm in length were obtained from a commercial fish breeding facility. A total of 8 fish with a 1 : 1 ratio of 4 pairs of broodstock were placed in an 8-liter aquarium. Following the adaptation phase, the broodstock underwent a spawning process that lasted for a duration of 7 days. Throughout the spawning process, assessments were conducted on the progression of the abdominal growth of the broodstock. Eggs ready to hatch and <i>Gambusia</i> larvae were taken and exposed to 0.1 mg/L PbCl₂, 1 mg/L PbCl₂, and control (without PbCl₂) for 24 hours, with three replications. At the end of the experiment, histopathological analysis was conducted using the hematoxylin Ehrlich-eosin staining method and scanning electron microscopic (SEM) observation. The levels of Pb in gills were determined by employing atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The cortisol concentration in organ samples of fish was determined through the utilization of a cortisol ELISA Kit.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The findings of this investigation demonstrated an important bioaccumulation occurrence of Pb within the gills of <i>Gambusia</i> fish that were specifically subjected to 0.1 and 1 mg/L PbCl₂. The histological structures of eggs and larvae that were subjected to PbCl₂ exhibited impairment in comparison to the control group. The present study observed a significant elevation in cortisol levels among fish specimens that were subjected to PbCl₂ exposure.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The findings of this investigation suggest that the occurrence of Pb is linked to a rise in cortisol concentrations in various organs of <i>G. affinis</i> larvae. Furthermore, the research indicates that the exposure to Pb has a notable impact on the histological alterations in the eggs and larvae of <i>Gambusia</i> fish, implying that they are undergoing stress as a result of the Pb exposure.</p>","PeriodicalId":21726,"journal":{"name":"Scientifica","volume":"2023 ","pages":"6649258"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2023-11-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10691898/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138478453","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A Preliminary Study on the Relationship between Arthropod Diversity and Vegetation Diversity in Four Contrasting Ecosystems in Hanthana Mountain Range of Sri Lanka, during the Post-Monsoon Dry Season.","authors":"W A Manasee Weerathunga, A M Gihan Athapaththu, L D Amarasinghe","doi":"10.1155/2023/7608236","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2023/7608236","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study assesses the relationship between arthropod and vegetation diversity in four ecosystems with different types of vegetation, during a post-monsoonal season. We determined the arthropod diversity in vegetation surrounding an aquatic environment (AQ), a broad-leaved wet, evergreen forest ecosystem (BL), a <i>Pinus caribaea</i> monoculture plantation (PN), and a <i>Pinus</i> plantation artificially enriched with indigenous broad-leaved tree species (PNEN) located in the Hanthana mountain range, Sri Lanka. Arthropods randomly sampled from three randomly selected sites (5 m × 5 m) of each ecosystem were identified up to the highest possible taxa using standard identification keys. Woody and herbal vegetation was identified via a plant census. Arthropod and vegetation diversities were computed separately for each site using the Shannon-Wiener Index (H). Arthropods of 68 species and 43 families were found. AQ had the greatest arthropod diversity (<i>H</i> = 2.642), dominated by <i>Olios</i> spp., followed by BL (<i>H</i> = 2.444), dominated by a tettigonid species, <i>Oxytate</i> spp. and <i>Psechrus</i> spp. PN was third (<i>H</i> = 1.411), dominated by <i>Dicaldispa</i> spp. PNEN had the lowest (<i>H</i> = 1.3500), dominated by an ant species. Contrastingly, PNEN had the highest plant diversity (<i>H</i> = 2.614) and PN, the lowest (<i>H</i> = 0.879). In AQ, BL, and PN, the arthropod diversity was linearly dependent on plant diversity (<i>R</i>² = 0.423, <i>p</i> ≤ 0.001), whereas it was not so when PNEN was also included (<i>R</i>² = 0.008, <i>p</i> ≤ 0.001). This shows that higher plant diversity contributes to greater arthropod diversity in ecosystems where human intervention is minimal. But this pattern was not visible in PNEN, which is an artificially created ecosystem.</p>","PeriodicalId":21726,"journal":{"name":"Scientifica","volume":"2023 ","pages":"7608236"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2023-11-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10667053/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138462552","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Estimating the Genetic Diversity of Oranges Citrus spp. in South Sulawesi, Indonesia, Using RAPD Markers","authors":"Mustika Tuwo, Tutik Kuswinanti, Andi Nasruddin, Elis Tambaru","doi":"10.1155/2023/6676038","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2023/6676038","url":null,"abstract":"Oranges hold significant economic importance, being cultivated extensively worldwide and having a large global market. Indonesia, ranked eighth globally as a producer of oranges, is one of the countries with high genetic diversity of oranges. This diversity is distributed across various regions of Indonesia, including South Sulawesi. Despite the advancements in DNA-based molecular marker techniques for assessing genetic diversity, information on orange diversity in South Sulawesi is currently unavailable and under-researched. In this study, random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers were utilized to analyze the genetic diversity of oranges in five production centers in South Sulawesi. Leaf samples of 13 orange varieties were collected from the five production centers: Pangkep, Sidrap, Bantaeng, North Luwu, and Selayar in South Sulawesi, Indonesia. Genomic DNA extraction from the orange leaves followed the protocol of the DNA Mini Kit Geneaid. DNA amplification was carried out using the RAPD method with 14 primers: OPE-04, OPH-04, OPH-15, OPN-14, OPN-16, OPR-08, OPR-20, OPW-06, OPW-09, OPX-07, OPX-11, OPX-17, UBC-18, and UBC-51. The RAPD primers yielded 109 amplified fragments ranging in size from 200 to 2000 base pairs (bp), and all RAPD primers showed 100% polymorphism. The genetic diversity value (He) of oranges in South Sulawesi was moderate (0.236). Cluster analysis based on a similarity coefficient of 77% divided the 175 orange genotypes into five groups. The most closely related genotypes were SB6 and SB7, exhibiting 100% similarity, followed by genotypes JS8 and JS9 and JS13 and JS17, with genetic similarities exceeding 99% for each pair. Genotypes P9 and SI5 displayed the highest genetic distance, with a similarity coefficient of 57%. The dendrogram diagram can serve as a basis for selecting desired plant traits in the improvement of plant characteristics through both conventional breeding and genetic engineering activities.","PeriodicalId":21726,"journal":{"name":"Scientifica","volume":" 5","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135340951","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"An Ethnobotanical Survey of Indigenous Knowledge on Medicinal Plants Used by Communities to Treat Various Diseases around Ensaro District, North Shewa Zone of Amhara Regional State, Ethiopia.","authors":"Mikias Teshome, Firew Kebede, Tamene Yohannes","doi":"10.1155/2023/5575405","DOIUrl":"10.1155/2023/5575405","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The study was conducted to investigate and document medicinal plants and associated knowledge on the utilization, management, preparation, and way of administration of the medicinal plant resources in Ensaro district, north Shewa zone, Ethiopia. A total of 100 informants were sampled from four study sites, and questionnaire surveys, semistructured interviews, ranking, and transect walk techniques were employed for data collection in midland, lowland, and highland agroecology and natural forests, riverine forests, and farmlands. Vast sources of the traditional healing knowledge of plant species conveyed from one generation to the next by word of mouth were from a family. A total of 101 medicinal plant species were identified from the study site, which belong to 95 genera and 49 families. These medicinal plants are used to treat about 35 types of human ailments. Families Fabaceae and Poaceae were represented by the highest number of medicinal plant species, followed by the <i>Asteraceae</i>, <i>Lamiaceae</i>, and <i>Euphorbiaceae</i> species. Out of the total medicinal plants' species, 46.53% were herbs and 33.66% were shrubs. Most of them have medicinal properties in their leaf, root, seed, bark, stem, latex, sap seed, and fruits. Medicine from these plant parts is prepared in fresh, dried, and both fresh and dried states. The highest informant consensus was documented for the plant <i>Ocimum lamiifolium</i> used by 75% of informants for its medicinal value in treating fibril illness. <i>Cucumis ficifolius</i> and <i>Eucalyptus globules</i> are used by 41% and 39% of informants ranking second and third, respectively, for their medicinal value. This study revealed that indigenous knowledge of traditional medicine is still popular among local communities in the study area. The conservation strategy practiced by local people is not enough to tackle the erosion of plant species from their habitats. Thus, the conservation of these plants and the associated knowledge base is very essential.</p>","PeriodicalId":21726,"journal":{"name":"Scientifica","volume":"2023 ","pages":"5575405"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2023-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10632060/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"72015322","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}