Aconitum heterophyllum Wall. ex Royle; an endemic, highly medicinal and critically endangered plant species of Northwestern Himalaya in peril

: Aconitum heterophyllum is a precious endemic medicinal plant of Northwestern Himalaya. It possesses a number of curative effects and is accounted for having diuretic, hepatoprotective, antipyretic, analgesic, antioxidant, alexipharmic, anodyne, anti-atrabilious, expectorant, immunostimulant, febrifuge, anthelminthic, anti- cancerous, anti-diarrhoeal, anti-emetic, anti-inflammatory, anti-flatulent, anti-periodic, anti-phlegmatic, anti-diabetic, antifungal, antimicrobial, antiviral and carminative properties. Further, it is an important ingredient of many Ayurvedic formulations. Its pharmacological potential may be attributed to of the presence of many biologically active phytochemicals like aconitine, mesaconitine, acetylaconitine, heterophylline A, and heterophylline B. Owing to its high therapeutic uses and market value, the plant is being exploited for its tubers from the wild. Further, there are some reproductive constraints due to which the population of the plant in the wild is waning at a rapid rate. Due to these factors, Aconitum heterophyllum has been categorized as critically endangered; demanding focused conservation strategies and cultivation efforts.

Introduction pages

Notulae Botanicae Horti Agrobotanici Cluj-Napoca (NBHA): The papers published in Issue 2, Volume 49, 2021 represent new exciting researches in different topics of life science, respectively in plant science, horticulture, agronomy and crop science. Among the interesting articles we invite you to find news about: Genome-wide identification of WD40 superfamily genes and prediction of WD40 gene of flavonoid-related genes in Ginkgo biloba; Evaluation of mitotic activity in tapetal cells of grapevine (Vitis L.); Light-emitting diode spectra modify nutritional status, physiological response, and secondary metabolites in Ficus hirta and Alpinia oxyphylla; Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria associated to candelilla rhizosphere (Euphorbia antisyphilitica) and its effects on Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings; Agronomical, physiological and molecular evaluation reveals superior salt-tolerance in bread wheat through salt-induced priming approach; Temperature-mediated shifts in chlorophyll biosynthesis in leaves of chlorophyll b-lacking rice (Oryza sativa L.); Basal stem cluster bud induction and efficient regeneration for the Tibetan endemic medicinal plant Swertia conaensis; A proposal for modifying coppicing geometry in order to reduce soil erosion in the forest areas; Exploring mycorrhizal fungi in walnut with a focus on physiological roles; Advance in mechanism of plant leaf colour mutation, etc. The Impact Factor communicated by ISI Clarivate (June 30, 2021), is IF 2020 = 1.444 (position 157 of 235 journals, Q3 in Plant Sciences). The metrics in Scopus – Elsevier (June 2, 2021): CiteScore 1.7 (#40/86 in Horticulture). ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Announcement From Volume 49, Issue 1, 2021, Notulae Botanicae Horti Agrobotanici Cluj-Napoca journal uses article numbers in place of the traditional method of continuous pagination through the volume. This step helps us to maintain a rapid, efficient production process by being able to define pagination as soon as a paper is accepted. For papers that use article numbers, the page number of full-text articles will start from 1 to the last page and the citation needs only to list the article number. The journal will continue to appear quarterly, as before, with four annual numbers (see Publication Frequency).

Antiplasmodial activity of faloak bark (Sterculia quadrifida, R.Br.) extract from East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia

The current development of antimalarial drug resistance encourages researchers to discover and develop novel antimalarials. One of its alternatives for antimalarial discovery is using medicinal plants remembering the success of artemisinin. Sterculia quardrifida R. Br. bark, locally name as faloak, is an endemic medicinal plant from East Nusa Tenggara that has been used traditionally to treat malaria. However, its antimalarial activity has not been investigated, yet. This study was aimed to evaluate the antiplasmodial activity of ethanolic extract of faloak bark against Plasmodium falciparum in vitro. Using FCR-3 P. falciparum strain, the ethanolic extract was evaluated on various concentration (1, 10, 50, and 100 μg/mL, respectively). The IC50 value was determined by the relationship between concentration and percentage of growth inhibition. The result showed that the percentage of inhibition of P. falciparum was concentration dependent, higher concentration resulting on higher percentage of inhibition with the IC50 42.399 ± 9.517 μg/mL. It can be concluded that the ethanolic extract of faloak bark have moderate antiplasmodial activity against P. falciparum in vitro.

Basal stem cluster bud induction and efficient regeneration for the Tibetan endemic medicinal plant Swertia conaensis

The artificial rapid propagation system for Swertia conaensis T. N. Ho et S. W. Liu was explored to screen the appropriate plant regeneration method and to provide an efficient propagation mode, useful for artificial breeding technology or for further research and development of the Tibetan endemic medicinal plant. In this study, the most suitable explant and hormone were chosen according to single factor test. Next, the effects of different hormone combinations on basal stem cluster bud induction, callus induction, adventitious bud occurrence and plant regeneration were investigated by using complete combination and orthogonal experiment. The obtained results showed that the explants suitable for in vitro of S. conaensis were stem tips with leaves, which were regenerated through the method of basal stem cluster bud occurrence in the MS medium with 2.0 mg∙L-1 6-BA, 0.5 mg∙L-1 NAA, but the proliferation coefficient was low, only 3.16 after 40 days of culture. Subsequently, the proliferation coefficient failed to improve, irrespective of change of the concentration ratio of 6-BA and NAA. Therefore, in the orthogonal experiment of adding ZT, the MS medium with 1.0 mg∙L-1 ZT, 0.5 mg∙L-1 NAA and 2.5 mg∙L-1 6-BA induced a large number of callus green and compact, with 86.30% callus occurrence rate. After 40 days of culture, the rate of adventitious bud occurrence was 96.55% and the proliferation coefficient was high (10.37). The rooting rate was 100% in the 1/2MS medium with 0.5 mg∙L-1 NAA. The survival rate of regenerated plants was more than 95%. Indirect organogenesis was more efficient than direct organogenesis in in vitro culture of S. conaensis. In this study, the efficient and stable regeneration system of S. conaensis was achieved through the method of explant to callus to adventitious buds, which provided an effective way to an endangered species.

A new species of Echidnodella (Asterinales, Lembosiaceae) from Western Ghats of Kerala State, India

Black mildews belong to a wide range of leaf inhabiting fungal genera, which causes severe damage to the living leaves, affect photosynthetic efficiency, cause physiological imbalances, and reduces the plants’ aesthetic value. During a survey of foliicolous fungi in Vagamon hills of Kerala state’s Western Ghats region, an endemic medicinal plant Xanthophyllum arnottianum was found infected with an undescribed species of black mildew causing fungal genus Echidnodella. Their mycelia are non-appressoriate and devoid of hypostroma. Thyriothecia are oval, ellipsoidal, X or Y shaped, elongated producing eight uniseptate brown coloured ascospores in each bitunicate asci. Echidnodella was distinguished from the allied genus Echidnodes in the absence of paraphyses and from the genera Lembosia and Morenoella in the lack of appressoria (haustoria). This new species, Echidnodella vagamonensis is described and illustrated in detail to provide the consolidated account of the species known on this host genus.