Host-Specific Effects of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi on Two Caragana Species in Desert Grassland

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), which form symbioses with most land plants, could benefit their hosts and potentially play important roles in revegetation of degraded lands. However, their application in revegetation of desert grasslands still faces challenges and uncertainties due to the unclear specificity of AMF-plant interactions. Here, Caragana korshinskii and Caragana microphylla were inoculated with either conspecific (home) or heterospecific (away) AM fungal communities from the rhizosphere of three common plant species (C. korshinskii, C. microphylla and Hedysarum laeve) in Kubuqi Desert, China. AMF communities of the inocula and their home and away effects on growth and nutrition status of two Caragana species were examined. Results showed that AMF communities of the three inocula from C. korshinskii, H. laeve and C. microphylla were significantly different, and were characterized by high abundance of Diversispora, Archaeospora, and Glomus, respectively. The shoot biomass, photosynthetic rate, foliar N and P contents of C. korshinskii only significantly increased under home AMF inoculation by 167.10%, 73.55%, 9.24%, and 23.87%, respectively. However, no significant effects of AMF on C. microphylla growth were found, regardless of home or away AMF. Positive correlations between C. korshinskii biomass and the abundance of AMF genus Diversispora were found. Our study showed strong home advantage of using native AMF community to enhance C. korshinskii growth in the desert and presented a potentially efficient way to use native AMF in restoration practices.

The comparative estimation cerebroprotective activity decoctions of plants genus Caragana Lam.

The ability of herbal decoctions from 17 Caragana species to prevent retrograde amnesia of the conditioned reflex of passive avoidance after maximal electroshock (MESh) was investigated. Decoctions from 8 species were effective as antiamnestic remedies. The restoration of motor components of oriental reflex losing after MESh was accelerated by 15 from 17 species according to different indices. Decoctions from C. lacta, C. arborescens were not effective in this test. Decoctions from C. grandiflora, C. pumila, C. jubata, C. microphylla, C. stenophylla, C. altaica, C. pygmaea, C. frutex, C. spinosa, C. buriatica demonstrated higher cerebroprotective activity taking into account sum of test.

Jungle Cat Felis chaus Schreber, 1777 (Mammalia: Carnivora: Felidae) at high elevations in Annapurna Conservation Area, Nepal

To date, the Jungle Cat Felis chaus has been recorded in the lowlands and mid-hills in Nepal. Photographic evidence, however, is scarce, particularly in alpine habitat. Here we present the first photographic records of the Jungle Cat in an alpine habitat in Lower Mustang of the Annapurna Conservation Area, Nepal. It was recorded by camera traps at elevations of 3,000–3,100 m in 2014 and 2016 in 10 detections during 2,755 trap days. In July 2016, one individual was sighted at an elevation of 3,300m. The habitat of these records comprised riverbed, a poultry farm adjacent to agricultural land and shrubland of Juniper and Caragana species.

Comparative estimation vassseland hepatoprotective properties galenic plant drugs of 16 Caragana Lam. species

According to reductions traditional Chinese and Tibetian medicines Caragana Lam. species are using for treating patients with a lot of diseases including vascular and hepatobiliary pathology. Substantiation such using are confirmed experimentaly. Decoctions overground parts 13 from investigated 16 Caragana species demonstrated hepatoprotective properties keeping detoxycal liver function of mice after injection CCL4 and 8 of them prevented the losing glycogen concentration in liver. Vessel protective properties were demonstrated by 12 decoctions and 15 etanol tincturеs caragana species.