In a test of early genetic evaluation of the growth potential of 14 families of open-pollinated Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga rnenziesii [Mirb.] Franco), measures of growth and phenology of seedlings grown in a coldframe were correlated with height of saplings in evaluation plantations at 9, 12, and 15 years. Fifteen-year height was most strongly correlated with measures of seedling budset (r = -0.5...

Pistacia integerrima is one of twenty species among the genus Pistacia. Long horn-shaped galls that develop on this plant are harvested and used in Ayurveda and Indian traditional medicine to make "karkatshringi", a herbal medicine used for the treatment of asthma and different disorders of respiratory tract. However, until now, the molecular mechanisms of action of "karkatshringi" and its chem...

Non-parenchymal cells might play an important role in the modulation of xenobiotic metabolism in liver and its pharmacological and toxicological consequences. Therefore, the role of cell-to-cell interactions in herbal induced liver toxicity was investigated in monocultures of cells from the human hepatocyte cell line (HepG2) and in co-cultures of cells from the HepG2 cell line and cells from th...

The unripe fruits of certain species are red. Some of these species disperse their seeds by wind (Nerium oleander, Anabasis articulata), others by adhering to animals with their spines (Emex spinosa) or prickles (Hedysarum spinosissimum). Certainly neither type uses red coloration as advertisement to attract the seed dispersing agents. Fleshy-fruited species (Rhamnus alaternus, Rubus sanguineus...

One of the most striking characteristics of gall-forming insects is the variability in gall position, morphology, and complexity. Our knowledge of the driving forces behind the evolutionary divergence of gall types is limited. Natural enemies, competition, and behavioral constraints might be involved. We present a cladogram, based on sequences of COI and COII (1952bp), of mitochondrial DNA for ...

Since ancient times, products from mastic tree, Pistacia lentiscus L., are known as part of the traditional pharmacopoeia of several Mediterranean countries. In the aim to know the different uses of this shrub in local traditional medicine of Constantine province (north east Algeria) a survey was conducted among herbalists and pharmacists of the region. The most widely used product of this shru...

Forest community structure may be influenced by seedling density dependence, however, the effect is loosely coupled with population dynamics and diversity in the short term. In the long term the strength of conspecific density dependence may fluctuate over time because of seedling abundance, yet few long-term studies exist. Based on 11 years of seedling census data and tree census data from a 2...

Low seedling quality is a pervasive problem for smallholder forestry in the Philippines. Intervention measures to improve seedling quality are being examined in a research project funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research. Field trials have been established as part of this ‘seedling enhancement project’ to compare performance on outplanting of Gmelina arborea when ...

background: testosterone level in men decreases with aging (andropause) and androgen deficiency is responsible for a variety of behavioral symptoms such as anxiety. the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of pistacia atlantica (bane) fruit extract on anxiety-like behavior in intact and gonadectomized rats. materials and methods: in this study, adult male rats were divided into two g...