Microbiological and clinical effects of a Proanthocyanidin-enriched extract from Rumex acetosa in periodontally healthy carriers of Porphyromonas gingivalis

Rumex acetosa significantly inhibits the adhesion of Porphyromonas gingivalis (P.g.) to eukaryotic host cells in vitro. The objective of this randomized placebo-controlled pilot-trial was to analyze effects of a mouth rinse containing 0.8 % (w/w) of a quantified proanthocyanidin-enriched extract from Rumex acetosa (RA1) on microbiological, clinical, and cytological parameters in systemically healthy individuals without history of periodontitis, harboring P.g. intraorally. 35 subjects received a supragingival debridement (SD) followed by mouth rinsing (3 times daily) with either RA1 mouth rinse solution (test) or placebo (control) for 7 days as adjunct to routine oral hygiene. Supragingival biofilm samples were taken at screening visit, baseline (BL), 2, 4, 7 and 14 days after SD. P.g. and 11 other oral microorganisms were detected and quantified by rtPCR. Changes in the oral microbiota composition of one test and one control subject were assessed via high throughput 16S rRNS gene amplicon sequencing. Approximal Plaque Index (API) and the modified Sulcular Bleeding Index (SBI) were assessed at BL, 7- and 14-days following SD. Brush biopsies were taken at BL and 14 d following SD. Intergroup comparisons revealed no significant microbiological, cytological, and clinical differences at any timepoint. However, a significant reduction in SBI at day 14 (p=0.003) and API at day 7 (p=0.02) and day 14 (p=0.009) was found in the test group by intragroup comparison. No severe adverse events were observed. The results indicate that RA1 mouth rinse is safe but does not seem to inhibit colonization of P.g. or improve periodontal health following SD.

Selenium Biofortification of Three Wild Species, Rumex acetosa L., Plantago coronopus L. and Portulaca oleracea L., Grown as Microgreens

Microgreens of wild herbs are a source of healthy compounds. Selenium (Se) biofortification of microgreens could help increase the Se content and thus contribute to Se requirements in humans. We evaluated whether three wild herbs, Rumex acetosa L., Plantago coronopus L., and Portulaca oleracea L., were suitable for biofortification in order to obtain products with high nutraceutical value. In the first experiment, the three species were enriched with Na2SeO4 at 0 and 1.5 mg Se L−1, and the effects of Se on the nutraceutical characteristics of microgreens were evaluated. In the second experiment, using P. oleracea enriched with 0, 1.5, 5, and 10 mg Se L−1, we investigated whether there was a relation between the increasing Se concentrations in the nutrient solution and the Se content in microgreens. The Se added was taken up by roots and accumulated in the aerial part. P. coronopus exhibited the highest ability to accumulate selenium, and the Se-enriched microgreens showed the highest chlorophyll and flavonoid content. The strong correlation between the Se concentration in the growth solution and the Se accumulated in P. oleracea may enable the cultivation of microgreens with the targeted Se content. The resulting Se-biofortified microgreens of wild species could represent a new vegetable product with high nutraceutical value also ensuring a sufficient dietary intake of Se.

Ethno-veterinary practice for the treatment of animal diseases in Neelum Valley, Kashmir Himalaya, Pakistan

Plant species are not only used as fodder or forage but also contribute substantially in the treatment of various health disorders, particularly in livestock. This study is the first quantitative ethnobotanical effort on ethnoveterinary uses of medicinal plants conducted in the Upper Neelum Valley of Azad Jammu & Kashmir, Pakistan. Information pertaining to cure different ailments of animals were collected from 126 informants through semi-structured interviews, group discussion and field walks. In order to identify the plant species used and their preferred habitats, elderly and experienced members of the tribes, locally known ’Budhair’ (aged), were interviewed and sometimes accompanied in the field. The data was further analyzed through ethnobotanical indices. In all, 39 plant species, belonging to 31 genera and 21 families were documented which were used by the indigenous communities of Kashmir Himalaya for curing 21 different diseases of 7 different types of livestock. The highest number of ethno-medicinal plants were contributed by the Polygonaceae family, followed by Crassulaceae, Asteraceae and other families. Roots were the most used part of the plant for preparing ethnoveterinary medicines, followed by the aerial parts. The highest frequency of citation (41) and relative frequency of citation (7.32) was recorded for Saussurea lappa, followed by Rumex acetosa (37/6.61), Rumex nepalensis (36/6.43), Thymus linearis (28/5.0) and Angelica cyclocarpa (28/5.0). The highest use value was recorded for Saussurea lappa (0.33), followed by Rumex acetosa (0.29), Rumex nepalensis (0.29), Thymus linearis and Angelica cyclocarpa (0.22 each). The current study has made an important contribution towards the preservation of indigenous plants-based knowledge from extinction. The phytochemical and pharmacological investigations of the plants with high use value can be a potential source of novel drugs to treat health problems of animals and humans.

Language of Administration as a Border: Wild Food Plants Used by Setos and Russians in Pechorsky District of Pskov Oblast, NW Russia

Socio-economic changes impact local ethnobotanical knowledge as much as the ecological ones. During an ethnobotanical field study in 2018–2019, we interviewed 25 Setos and 38 Russians in the Pechorsky District of Pskov Oblast to document changes in wild plant use within the last 70 years according to the current and remembered practices. Of the 71 botanical taxa reported, the most popular were Vaccinium vitis-idaea, Vaccinium oxycoccos, Vaccinium myrtillus, Betula spp., and Rumex acetosa. The obtained data was compared with that of 37 Setos and 35 Estonians interviewed at the same time on the other side of the border. Our data revealed a substantial level of homogeneity within the plants used by three or more people with 30 of 56 plants overlapping across all four groups. However, Seto groups are ethnobotanically closer to the dominant ethnic groups immediately surrounding them than they are to Setos across the border. Further study of minor ethnic groups in a post-Soviet context is needed, paying attention to knowledge transmission patterns.

Secondary Metabolites, Ferulic Acid and p-Hydroxybenzoic Acid Induced Toxic Effects on Photosynthetic Process in Rumex acetosa L.

The elimination of broadleaf weeds from agricultural fields has become an urgent task in plant and environment protection. Allelopathic control is considered a potential approach because of its exclusive and ecological safety measures. Plant secondary metabolites also called allelochemicals are released from plant leaves, roots, stem, bark, flowers and play significant roles in soil rhizosphere signaling, chemical ecology, and plant defense. The present study was carried out to evaluate the impact of two allelochemicals; ferulic acid (FA) and p-hydroxybenzoic acid (pHBA) on photosynthetic characteristics; Fv/Fm: efficiency of photosystem II photochemistry in the dark-adapted state; ΦPSII: photosynthetic quantum yield; NPQ, non-photochemical quenching; qP, photochemical quenching, and photon energy dissipation (1−qP)/NPQ in Rumex acetosa following 6 days exposure. R. acetosa seedlings were grown in perlite culture, irrigated with Hoagland solution and treated with allelopathic compounds FA and pHBA and were evaluated against the photosynthetic attributes. Both compounds behaved as potent inhibitors of photosynthetic traits such as Fv/Fm, ΦPSII, qP, and NPQ in R. acetosa. Photon energy dissipation (1−qP)/NPQ increased significantly from days 3 to 6. Higher dissipation of absorbed energy indicates the inactivation state of reaction centers and their inability to effectively use the absorbed energy in photosynthesis. These results indicated the potential allelopathic application of FA and pHBA for control of broadleaf weed, Rumex acetosa.

Fundamentally different repetitive element composition of sex chromosomes in Rumex acetosa

Background and Aims Dioecious species with well-established sex chromosomes are rare in the plant kingdom. Most sex chromosomes increase in size but no comprehensive analysis of the kind of sequences that drive this expansion has been presented. Here we analyse sex chromosome structure in common sorrel (Rumex acetosa), a dioecious plant with XY1Y2 sex determination, and we provide the first chromosome-specific repeatome analysis for a plant species possessing sex chromosomes. Methods We flow-sorted and separately sequenced sex chromosomes and autosomes in R. acetosa using the two-dimensional fluorescence in situ hybridization in suspension (FISHIS) method and Illumina sequencing. We identified and quantified individual repeats using RepeatExplorer, Tandem Repeat Finder and the Tandem Repeats Analysis Program. We employed fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) to analyse the chromosomal localization of satellites and transposons. Key Results We identified a number of novel satellites, which have, in a fashion similar to previously known satellites, significantly expanded on the Y chromosome but not as much on the X or on autosomes. Additionally, the size increase of Y chromosomes is caused by non-long terminal repeat (LTR) and LTR retrotransposons, while only the latter contribute to the enlargement of the X chromosome. However, the X chromosome is populated by different LTR retrotransposon lineages than those on Y chromosomes. Conclusions The X and Y chromosomes have significantly diverged in terms of repeat composition. The lack of recombination probably contributed to the expansion of diverse satellites and microsatellites and faster fixation of newly inserted transposable elements (TEs) on the Y chromosomes. In addition, the X and Y chromosomes, despite similar total counts of TEs, differ significantly in the representation of individual TE lineages, which indicates that transposons proliferate preferentially in either the paternal or the maternal lineage.

Sorrel (Rumex acetosa L.): Not Only a Weed but a Promising Vegetable and Medicinal Plant

Sorrel (Rumex acetosa L.) is a perennial, dioecious herb occupying a variety of habitats. Sorrel has been utilized as a wild gathered plant for thousands of years and as a cultivated plant for centuries. Primarily roots but also other tissues have been used in folk remedies since ancient times. In recent investigations, different phytochemical and pharmacological activities of Rumex have been analyzed, and many bioactive compounds have been detected. Sorrel is also a tasty plant and its leaves are a good source of macronutrients and micronutrients. However, the presence of high levels of oxalic acid reduces the bioavailability of some minerals, especially calcium, when using uncooked plant parts. Further investigations on different sorrel compounds are needed to show their true effect. It is beneficial that sorrel is easily propagated and there are no serious insect or disease problems. A few types of R. acetosa seeds are presently available commercially, including wild types and a few cultivars.

Thlaspi sylvestre Jord. (= T. caerulescens J. & C. Presl), update on the localities and sites of a rare species in the flora of Slovenia / Thlaspi sylvestre Jord. (= T. caerulescens J. & C. Presl), dopolnjena vednost o razširjenosti in rastiščih redke ...

In the Čepovan Valley (Čepovan, hamlet Šulgi), on the northwestern rim of the Banjšice Plateau in the villages of Grudnica (in the Tolmin municipality) and near Sveto to the south of the plateau, we found new localities of Thlaspi sylvestre (T. caerulescens), which complement the existing data on the distribution of this species in Slovenia (Srednji Lokovec, Vrata), and surveyed its sites. Thlaspi sylvestre grows on meadows and pastures in the vicinity of human settlements, in hedges, on road banks, on the forest edge and in an open pioneer forest. Its most common companions are Galium mollugo agg. (G. album), Cruciata glabra, Rumex acetosa, Ranunculus acris, Taraxacum sect. Ruderalia and Veronica chamaedrys. Thlaspi sylvestre most frequently occurs in the communities from the class Molinio-Arrhenatheretea. Our findings confirm Tone Wraber’s assumption that it is not indigenous to Slovenia, and was introduced to the Banjšice Plateau as well as to Grudnica and the Čepovan Valley with human assistance (military transport during World War I). Key words: phytogeography, phytosociology, Thlaspi caerulescens, florula castrensis, Čepovan Valley, Grudnica, Banjšice, Slovenia Izvleček V Čepovanski dolini (Čepovan, zaselek Šulgi), na severovzhodnem robu Banjške planote v vasi Grudnica (občina Tolmin) in pri vasi Sveto v južnem delu te planote smo našli nova nahajališča vrste Thlaspi sylvestre (T. caerules­cens), ki dopolnjujejo njeno do zdaj znano razširjenost v Sloveniji (Srednji Lokovec, Vrata), in popisali njena rastišča. Raste na travnikih in pašnikih v okolici človeških bivališč, v mejicah, na cestnih brežinah, na gozdnem robu in v svetlem pionirskem gozdu. Njene najbolj pogoste spremljevalke so vrste Galium mollugo agg. (G. album), Cruciata glabra, Rumex acetosa, Ranunculus acris, Taraxacum sect. Ruderalia in Veronica chamaedrys. Najpogosteje raste v združbah iz razreda Molinio-Arrhenatheretea. Potrjujemo domnevo Toneta Wraberja, da ta vrsta v Sloveniji ni samonikla in da se je na Banjšice in tudi v Grudnico in Čepovansko dolino priselila s človekovo pomočjo (vojaškimi transporti med prvo svetovno vojno). Ključne besede: fitogeografija, fitocenologija, Thlaspi caerulescens, florula castrensis, Čepovanska dolina, Grudnica, Banjšice, Slovenija

Efeito da adubação silicatada em hortaliças não convencionais

Objetivou-se com esse trabalho verificar a capacidade de hortaliças não convencionais em acumular silício, bem como a resposta destas à adubação silicatada. O experimento foi conduzido em casa de vegetação em 2016. Foram avaliados duas doses de adubação silicatada (0 e 50 mg dm-3 de Si), e nove espécies de hortaliças não convencionais (Maranta arundinacea L., Rumex acetosa L., Amaranthus spinosus L., Amaranthus viridis L., Amaranthus retroflexus L., Amaranthus deflexus L., Amaranthus hybridus L., Stachys byzantina K. Koch e Sonchus oleraceus L.), dispostos em delineamento inteiramente casualizado em esquema fatorial 2 x 9, com quatro repetições. Foram determinadas a massas fresca e seca, assim como o teor de Si em todas as plantas. As espécies avaliadas possuem potencial para acumular silício mediante adubação com o elemento. A aplicação de 50 mg dm-3 de Si proporcionou maior teor de Si nas espécies estudadas. A adubação com Si, de modo geral, não influencia na biomassa dessas plantas.

Effect of Rumex Acetosa Extract, a Herbal Drug, on the Absorption of Fexofenadine

Herbal drugs are widely used for the auxiliary treatment of diseases. The pharmacokinetics of a drug may be altered when it is coadministered with herbal drugs that can affect drug absorption. The effects of herbal drugs on absorption must be evaluated. In this study, we investigated the effects of Rumex acetosa (R. acetosa) extract on fexofenadine absorption. Fexofenadine was selected as a model drug that is a substrate of P-glycoprotein (P-gp) and organic anion transporting polypeptide 1A2 (OATP1A2). Emodine—the major component of R. acetosa extract—showed P-gp inhibition in vitro and in vivo. Uptake of fexofenadine via OATP1A2 was inhibited by R. acetosa extract in OATP1A2 transfected cells. A pharmacokinetic study showed that the area under the plasma concentration–time curve (AUC) of fexofenadine was smaller in the R. acetosa extract coadministered group than in the control group. R. acetosa extract also decreased aqueous solubility of fexofenadine HCl. The results of this study suggest that R. acetosa extract could inhibit the absorption of certain drugs via intervention in the aqueous solubility and the drug transporters. Therefore, R. acetosa extract may cause drug interactions when coadministered with substrates of drug transporters and poorly water-soluble drugs, although further clinical studies are needed.