Mangrove’s Plant: An updated Review on Ethnobotanical, Phytochemical and Pharmacological Potential of Barringtonia racemosa

The conventional usages and traditions of people in Barringtonia racemosa (L.) (B. racemosa) mangrove plant species in their day-to-day life and therapeutic techniques. B. racemosa (L.) belongs to family Barringtoniaceae, with single-seeded, oval-shaped fruit and a tall tree dispersed in India's east and west coasts. B. racemosa (L.), titled as putat, a fish poison tree or powder puff tree, is a precious plant species due to its medicinal values. Its fruit pulp is used in fish poison and diarrhea, asthma, coughs, analgesic and antipyretic, and has significant antitumor activity. Flavonoids and phenolic acids are the primary metabolites of the leaves and are used to reduce hypertension and purgative. In addition, the pulverized leafage, barks, and roots are used to lessen the inflammation and chickenpox. Among the phenolic compounds specified in the leaves of B. racemosa (L.) include ferulic acid, naringin, gallic acid, rutin, luteolin, protocatechuic acid, kaempferol, quercetin, and ellagic acid. Conventional remedial practices have the whole plant as a therapy for itch; the antimalarial activity is reported in roots. The bark or leaf are used in abscesses, sores, serpent bites, rat poisonings, gastric ulcers, hypertension, chickenpox. In contrast, the kernels or seeds are sourced for carcinogenic disorders and eye inflammation. The current review emphasized the ethnobotanical, phytochemistry and pharmacological activities of B. racemosa (L.) proved through various scientific facts.

Phyto-Cleaning of Particulate Matter from Polluted Air by Woody Plant Species in the Near-Desert City of Jodhpur (India) and the Role of Heme Oxygenase in Their Response to PM Stress Conditions

Particulate matter (PM) is one of the most dangerous pollutants in the air. Urban vegetation, especially trees and shrubs, accumulate PM and reduce its concentration in ambient air. The aim of this study was to examine 10 tree and shrub species common for the Indian city of Jodhpur (Rajasthan) located on the edge of the Thar Desert and determine: (1) the accumulation of surface and in-wax PM (both in three different size fractions), (2) the amount of epicuticular waxes on foliage, (3) the concentrations of heavy metals (Cd and Cu) on/in the leaves of the examined species, and (4) the level of heme oxygenase enzyme in leaves that accumulate PM and heavy metals. Among the investigated species, F. religiosa and C. myxa accumulated the greatest amount of total PM. F. religiosa is a tall tree with a lush, large crown and leaves with wavy edge, convex veins and long petioles, while C. myxa have hairy leaves with convex veins. The lowest PM accumulation was recorded for drought resistant S. persica and A. indica, which is probably due to their adaptation to growing conditions. Heavy metals (Cu and Cd) were found in the leaves of almost every examined species. The accumulation of heavy metals (especially Cu) was positively correlated with the amount of PM deposited on the foliage. A new finding of this study indicated a potentially important role of HO in the plants’ response to PM-induced stress. The correlation between HO and PM was stronger than that between HO and HMs. The results obtained in this study emphasise the role of plants in cleaning polluted air in conditions where there are very high concentrations of PM.

A review of the phytochemical compounds and pharmacological activities of Eurycoma longifolia

Eurycoma longifolia belongs to Simaroubaceae family. It is a tall tree and has different local name from many countries and this review consisted of their traditional usage, phytochemical compounds and pharmacological activity. A systematic review was conducted to study the scientific work of E. longifolia which published in the last 10 years and minimum 20 articles that published in the last 2 years, published in Pubmed, Scopus etc. also has a digital object identifier (DOI). E. longifolia was a popular traditional medicine. The leaves wasused as supplement for giving birth, its bark as anthelmintic and its roots as antimalaria, laxative, antidiabetic etc.Due to high demand of this plant there are various formula of E. longifolia available in health food market. Many studies have been performed to determine the active constituents and pharmacology activities of E. longifolia. Alkaloid, quassinoid, polyphenols, flavonoid, polysaccharide, triterpenoid were found in E. longifolia. Quassinoids is a major phytochemical compound in E. longifolia which has various types like eurycumanone, eurycomanol, eurycomadilactone and eurylactone. Quassinoids has bitter taste and often found in Simaroubaceae family.Pharmacological activities of E. longifolia such as anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antioxidant, antimicrobial, antidiabetic, anti-osteoporotic activities. The literature review results showed that E. longifolia can be considered as medicinal plant for human. In the future, further studies on mechanism of pharmacology activity of E. longifolia are warranted.

Persistent impact of conventional seismic lines on boreal vegetation structure following wildfire

Linear disturbances from geological exploration (i.e., seismic lines) have an extensive footprint across much of Canada’s western boreal forest; however, how seismic lines interact with subsequent wildfire remains poorly understood. We assessed whether wildfires effectively mitigate the footprint of seismic lines by promoting forest recovery. We evaluated the forest structure of legacy seismic lines burned in 2001 and 2002 by comparing them against adjacent unburned control plots, using metrics derived from airborne laser scanning (ALS) data collected between 2007 and 2009. Airborne laser scanning metrics identified persistent differences in vegetation height and structure between seismic lines and adjacent forest controls, seven to nine years post-fire. Median canopy height was 2.90 m lower on upland seismic lines and 1.94 m lower on lowland seismic lines than on adjacent controls, corresponding to a 21% and 25% height reduction, respectively. Field surveys revealed greater graminoid and non-vascular plant cover, and lower tall-tree cover and dead vegetative matter, on seismic lines, in comparison with controls. Our results show that tree recovery remains significantly delayed on most upland and lowland burned seismic lines in our study area, and that additional management efforts or longer timescales may be required to restore these fragmented landscapes.

Pterocarpus macrocarpus (Burma padauk).

P. macrocarpus is a medium to large (usually up to 25 m tall, but sometimes up to 35 m tall) tree native to Myanmar, northern Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. It is a light-demanding, frost sensitive species, and natural regeneration is generally best in dry, open forest, and in disturbed areas. In its native range it grows best on sandy loams (Hundley, 1957). In Puerto Rico, it has grown well on soils ranging from sandy loams to well-drained clays (Francis, 1989). A volume table is available for a trial plantation in Laos; trees had attained an average height of 14.5 m after 13 years (Hjelm, 1995). Although small trees coppice well, coppicing ability declines with size.

Reinforcing the Structural Stability of Old Nationally Important Trees with FRP Wraps

This study evaluated the structural effects of applying fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) wraps around their trunks to support old trees of national importance. High wind loads such as windstorms or hurricanes represent a major threat to tall trees, and researchers have assessed the structural behaviors of trees under wind loads using both analytical and experimental approaches. As yet, however, there is no widely accepted method to safely reinforce the structural stability of nationally and historically important tall trees subject to severe wind loads. Traditional reinforcing methodologies can actually damage supported areas as the supports are relatively stiff compared to the main trunk, introducing stressful interactions. FRP materials have high tensile strength, durability, and flexibility; hence, wrapping them around the surface of the tree trunk could enhance the overall stability of a tall tree subjected to high winds without sacrificing the tree’s visual aesthetics or damaging the bark. This study applied nonlinear finite element (FE) analyses to evaluate the complex structural behaviors of the wood and FRP wraps, both of which are anisotropic materials. The results revealed that FRP wraps offer a highly effective way to enhance the structural stability of tall trees with minimal cost.