The distribution of poly(A)-containing RNA [poly(A)+RNA] in pollen grains of Hyoscyamus niger during normal gametophytic development and embryogenic development induced by culture of anther segments was followed by in situ hybridization with [3H]-polyuridylic acid as a probe. No binding of the isotope occurred in pollen grains during the uninucleate phase of their development. Although [3H]poly...

Tropinone is an alkamine intermediate at the branch point of biosynthetic pathways leading to various tropane alkaloids. Two stereospecifically distinct NADPH-dependent oxidoreductases, TR-I and TR-II, which, respectively, reduce tropinone to 3alpha-hydroxytropane (tropine) and 3beta-hydroxytropane (psi-tropine), were detected mainly in the root of tropane alkaloid-producing plants but not in n...

Aspergillus niger has shown production of metal chelating compounds mainly oxalic acid and citric acid. Production of oxalic acid by Aspergillus niger was found maximum in presence of Pb, followed by Cu+Pb and Cu. With increase in concentration of Pb to 50, 100 and 250 mg/L, the production of oxalic acid was increased. Whereas increase in concentration of Cu+Pb and Cu, resulted in decreased pro...

BACKGROUND The D-galacturonic acid derived from plant pectin can be converted into a variety of other chemicals which have potential use as chelators, clarifiers, preservatives and plastic precursors. Among these is the deoxy-keto acid derived from L-galactonic acid, keto-deoxy-L-galactonic acid or 3-deoxy-L-threo-hex-2-ulosonic acid. The keto-deoxy sugars have been found to be useful precursor...

Antioxidants are vital substances which possess the ability to protect the body from damage caused by free radical-induced oxidative stress. A variety of free radical scavenging antioxidants exist within the body which many of them are derived from dietary sources like fruits, vegetables and teas. This article describes a test method for screening the antioxidant activity of 60 Iranian plant...

heavy metal pollution is a worldwide problem with serious environmental consequences. the objective of the present experiment was to investigate whether arginine as nitric oxide precursor and or polyamines substrate can decrease the destructive effects of oxidative stress induced by nickel contamination in hyoscyamus niger plant. in this study the effects of arginine pretreatment on alkaloid co...

Investigating Genetic Diversity and Relationships in some Henbane (Hyoscyamus spp.) Populations Based on Polymorphisms Resulting from Retrotransposon Insertion

Plants are the important sources of drugs. Secondary metabolites are responsible for therapeutic propertiesin plants. Three compounds including (-)-hyoscyamine, its racemate atropine, and scopolamine (hyoscine) are the most famous tropane alkaloids in the Solanaceae familly. Nowadays, attempts to developthese alkaloids in biotechnological procedures which are principally based on the hairy root...