The plants of the cerra(lo and caatinga ecological provinces of Brazil, the suggested original home of pineapple (3), have many and varied mechanisms whereby they have adapted to the frequent development of moisture stress. The pineapple planit presenits a peculiarly interestinig combination of those traits that have been l)ropose(l for xerophytic and sc!erophyllous plants (10, 15). Preferentia...

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Leaf longevity is controlled by the light gradient in the canopy and also by the nitrogen (N) sink strength in the plant. Stand density may influence leaf dynamics through its effects on light gradient and on plant growth and reproduction. This study tests the hypothesis that the control by the light gradient is manifested more in the vegetative period, whereas the opposite ...

Different formae speciales of Fusarium oxysporum are the main causal agent of Fusarium wilts. In 2008 and 2009 we collected F. oxysporum samples from symptomless Abutilon theophrasti, xanthium strumarium, Chenopodium album, Matricaria perforata, Ambrosia artemisiifolia, Polygonum lapathifolium, Sonchus arvensis, Amaranthus blitoides, Amaranthus retroflexus, Datura stramonium, Sorghum halepense ...

A 65-year-old man presented with recurrent generalized itching since 1 year. Examination revealed lichenified skin over the face and extensors of both extremities. He gave a history of rubbing the pulp of Aloe vera leaves on to his lesions whenever his itching worsened. Clinically, we suspected allergic contact dermatitis, possibly aggravated with Aloe vera. He was patch tested with the plant s...

The medicinal plant Xanthium strumarium L. (X. strumarium) is covered with glandular trichomes, which are the sites for synthesizing pharmacologically active terpenoids such as xanthatin. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of 21-24 nucleotide (nt) non-coding RNAs, most of which are identified as regulators of plant growth development. Identification of miRNAs involved in the biosynthesis of plant s...

When intact plants of Xanthium strumarium L. were water stressed, the youngest leaves accumulated the highest levels of abscisic acid (ABA). On the other hand, when leaves of different ages were detached and then stressed, the capacity to produce ABA was highest in the mature leaves. Radioactive ABA was transported from mature leaves to the shoot tips and young leaves, as well as to the roots, ...

Phytochemical investigation of the natural products from Xanthium strumarium led to the isolation of fourteen compounds including seven caffeoylquinic acid (CQA) derivatives. The individual compounds were screened for inhibition of α-glucosidase, protein tyrosine phosphatase 1β (PTP1β), advanced glycation end products (AGEs), and ABTS⁺ radical scavenging activity using in vitro assays. Among th...