Wild edible fool’s watercress, a potential crop with high nutraceutical properties

Background Fool’s watercress (Apium nodiflorum) is an edible vegetable with potential as a new crop. However, little information is available regarding the antioxidant properties of the plant and the individual phenolics accounting for this capacity are unknown. Methods The antioxidant properties of twenty-five wild populations were analysed and individual phenolics present in the species reported and compared with celery and parsley. The antioxidant activity was measured as the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl hydrate (DPPH) free radical scavenging capacity, and the total phenolics content (TPC) via the Folin-Ciocalteu procedure. The individual phenolics constituents were determined via high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) as aglycones. Results The average DPPH and TPC of fool’s watercress were 28.1 mg Trolox g−1 DW and 22.3 mg of chlorogenic acid equivalents g−1 DW, respectively, much higher than those of celery and parsley. Significant differences for both DPPH and TPC, which may be explained by either genotype or environmental factors, were detected among groups established according to geographical origin. Quercetin was identified as the major phenolic present in the leaves of the species, unlike parsley and celery, in which high amounts of apigenin and luteolin were determined. Quercetin represented 61.6% of the phenolics targeted in fool’s watercress, followed by caffeic acid derivatives as main hydroxycinnamic acids. Discussion The study reports the high antioxidant properties of fool’s watercress based on a large number of populations. Results suggest that quercetin accounts for an important share of the antioxidant capacity of this potential new crop. The study also provides a basis for future breeding programs, suggesting that selection by geographical locations may result in differences in the antioxidant properties.

Evaluation of triclopyr triethylamine for the control of wetland weeds

Several experiments evaluating the susceptibility of aquatic and wetland weeds to triclopyr TEA were carried out using potted plants Seedlings of grey willow (Salix cinerea) alder (Alnus glutinosa) and purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) and cuttings of crack willow (S fragilis) primrose willow (Ludwigia peploides) water celery (Apium nodiflorum) water cress (Nasturtium officinale) and monkey musk (Mimulus guttatus) were collected in the field and grown in cultivation At least 2 months after potting up triclopyr TEA was applied to run off at rates between 025 and 5 v/v This resulted in excellent control of all weeds at all rates except for purple loosestrife which was not controlled well at the lowest rate