Developmental instability and plant potential fitness in a Mediterranean perennial plant, Retama sphaerocarpa (L.) Boiss

: Arctium lappa or burdock (Compositae family) is a perennial plant, native to Europe, Northern Asia and North America. Burdock roots are known as detoxifying herb to clear toxins from the bloodstream. It seems that its effects are on the liver functions as the main part of body in detoxifying the bloodstream. The aim of this review article was to evaluate the potency of burdock in management of liver functions in detoxifying the bloodstream. The information was extracted from electronic resources (Google scholar, Science Direct, Springer, Magiran). The results of our investigation exhibited that the studies are limited to animal studies, but the results of investigations showed that burdock roots detoxify the liver against ethanol, carbon tetrachloride (CCL4), acetaminophen, cadmium and zinc oxide by improving the functions of liver enzymes. The antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and prebiotic effects of burdock roots may involve in its effects on liver enzymes and detoxifying the blood. The large clinical studies are required to confirm its efficacy on liver functions and detoxify the liver.

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Fluctuating Asymmetry and Developmental Instability, a Guide to Best Practice

Symmetry ◽

10.3390/sym13010009 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

pp. 9

Author(s):

John H. Graham

Keyword(s):

Measurement Error ◽

Best Practices ◽

Environmental Stress ◽

Fluctuating Asymmetry ◽

Best Practice ◽

Developmental Instability ◽

The Past ◽

Size Scaling ◽

Research Designs

Best practices in studies of developmental instability, as measured by fluctuating asymmetry, have developed over the past 60 years. Unfortunately, they are haphazardly applied in many of the papers submitted for review. Most often, research designs suffer from lack of randomization, inadequate replication, poor attention to size scaling, lack of attention to measurement error, and unrecognized mixtures of additive and multiplicative errors. Here, I summarize a set of best practices, especially in studies that examine the effects of environmental stress on fluctuating asymmetry.

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Nature, Nurture, and Noise: Developmental Instability, Fluctuating Asymmetry, and the Causes of Phenotypic Variation

Symmetry ◽

10.3390/sym13071204 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (7) ◽

pp. 1204

Author(s):

John H. Graham

Keyword(s):

Fluctuating Asymmetry ◽

Phenotypic Variation ◽

Deterministic Chaos ◽

Monozygotic Twins ◽

Developmental Instability ◽

Nonlinear Feedback ◽

Developmental Variation ◽

Sewall Wright ◽

Developmental Noise ◽

And Behavior

Phenotypic variation arises from genetic and environmental variation, as well as random aspects of development. The genetic (nature) and environmental (nurture) components of this variation have been appreciated since at least 1900. The random developmental component (noise) has taken longer for quantitative geneticists to appreciate. Here, I sketch the historical development of the concepts of random developmental noise and developmental instability, and its quantification via fluctuating asymmetry. The unsung pioneers in this story are Hugo DeVries (fluctuating variation, 1909), C. H. Danforth (random variation between monozygotic twins, 1919), and Sewall Wright (random developmental variation in piebald guinea pigs, 1920). The first pioneering study of fluctuating asymmetry, by Sumner and Huestis in 1921, is seldom mentioned, possibly because it failed to connect the observed random asymmetry with random developmental variation. This early work was then synthesized by Boris Astaurov in 1930 and Wilhelm Ludwig in 1932, and then popularized by Drosophila geneticists beginning with Kenneth Mather in 1953. Population phenogeneticists are still trying to understand the origins and behavior of random developmental variation. Some of the developmental noise represents true stochastic behavior of molecules and cells, while some represents deterministic chaos, nonlinear feedback, and symmetry breaking.

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Beneficial Actions of Orostachys japonica and Its Compounds against Tumors via MAPK Signaling Pathways

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu13020555 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (2) ◽

pp. 555

Author(s):

Soyoung Hur ◽

Eungyeong Jang ◽

Jang-Hoon Lee

Keyword(s):

Molecular Mechanisms ◽

Epithelial To Mesenchymal Transition ◽

Malignant Tumors ◽

Treatment Options ◽

Underlying Mechanism ◽

Mapk Signaling ◽

Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase ◽

Antitumor Effects ◽

Mesenchymal Transition ◽

Perennial Plant

Tumors are one of the most life-threatening diseases, and a variety of cancer treatment options have been continuously introduced in order to overcome cancer and improve conventional therapy. Orostachys japonica (O. japonica), which is a perennial plant belonging to the genus Orostachys of the Crassulaceae family, has been revealed to exhibit pharmacological properties against various tumors in numerous studies. The present review aimed to discuss the biological actions and underlying molecular mechanisms of O. japonica and its representative compounds—kaempferol and quercetin—against tumors. O. japonica reportedly has antiproliferative, anti-angiogenic, and antimetastatic activities against various types of malignant tumors through the induction of apoptosis and cell cycle arrest, a blockade of downstream vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-VEGFR2 pathways, and the regulation of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. In addition, emerging studies have highlighted the antitumor efficacy of kaempferol and quercetin. Interestingly, it was found that alterations of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling cascades are involved in the pivotal mechanisms of the antitumor effects of O. japonica and its two compounds against cancer cell overgrowth, angiogenesis, and metastasis. In summary, O. japonica could be considered a preventive and therapeutic medicinal plant which exhibits antitumor actions by reversing altered patterns of MAPK cascades, and kaempferol and quercetin might be potential components that can contribute to the efficacy and underlying mechanism of O. japonica.

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