PHYTOCHEMICAL AND PHARMACOLOGICAL ACTIVITIES OF JUSTICIA PROCUMBENS L.: A REVIEW

Justicia procumbens L. is usually known as water willow which belongs to family Acanthaceae growing widely in southern regions of China, Japan, Vietnam, India and Australia. It is one of the important herbal being used in Ayurvedic system of medicine. The plant contains various active compounds like arylnaphthalide and diarylbutane lignans, glycosides, flavonoids. Few pharmacological properties including anti-inflammatory, anti-arthritic, anti-arrhythmic, anti-asthmatic, anti-proliferative, anti-allergic, antibacterial, cytotoxic and anti-HIV activities activity have been reported for this plant. Conventionally, it is used for the treatment of fever, inflammation, cold, cough, asthma, cancer, snake bites etc. The current review is created with an intended to focus on the numerous ethnobotanical and traditional uses as well as the phytochemical and pharmacological report on Justicia procumbens.

Direct Seeding of Bottomland Oaks in Oklahoma

Competition control with a broad spectrum herbicide prior to planting and placement of a fertilizer tablet near the seed spot failed to improve establishment or height growth of direct seeded water, willow, or Shumard oaks on a bottomland site in southeastern Oklahoma. The percentage of seed spots stocked with a living seedling exceeded 35%, or 1460 seedlings/ha (590/ac) given the initial spacing of 1 x 2.4 m (3.2 x 8 ft). This success is generally comparable to results obtained in more favorable environments in the Mississippi Valley. The fertilizer treatment, applied as a single fertilizer tablet placed near the seeded spots at the time of seeding, reduced stocking by 12-15% during an especially stressful growing season. Bare-root, 1-0, water/willow oak seedlings planted for comparision exhibited 80-90% survival. South. J. Appl. For. 15(1):17-22.

Comparison of Chemical Site Preparation Treatments in the Georgia Piedmont

Chemical site preparation treatments were compared against each other and against mechanical treatments in a randomized complete block design. Two studies were conducted with spring (June) and late summer (September) treatment dates. Efficacy was measured 2 years after treatment as percent control on individually identified stems and as percent change per acre from subplot data. Combinations of Tordon K®, Tordon 101® mixture, Garlon 4®, Galon 3A®, Velpar L®, and Roundup® herbicides were tested.* For the spring study, combinations of Tordon + Garlon 4 herbicides effectively controlled red maple, dogwood, and red oaks. Tordon 101 + Garlon 4 was the most effective treatment on water/willow oaks. Among the treatment on sweetgum. Velpar L was the most effective treatment on water/willow oaks. Among the late summer applied treatments, Roundup provided the best overall control of the hardwood species examined. A shear, rake, and disk treatment provided comparable control to chemical treatments in the spring study, but at a higher cost. Double chopping was not an effective treatment in the late summer study. South. J. Appl. For. 14(1):24-32.

Biological Notes on Eupera cubensis (Bivalvia: Sphaeriidae) from Kansas

The occurrence of Eupera cubensis (Prime) in Kansas represents a north central range extension. The species appears to be more common in root systems of the water willow, Justicia americana, than in riffle areas or backwater areas. Scanning electron photographs are given to illustrate important shell characteristics. The generative performance of E. cubensis appears to increase with increasing age up to 3 yr, with as many as 64 larvae, all in the same stage of development, in larger (older) parents.