Soft toys are a major source of house dust mites (HDM) and HDM allergens, and sleeping with soft toys is a significant risk factor for HDM sensitization. We studied three techniques to eliminate HDM from soft toys, namely freezing, hot tumble drying and washing with eucalyptus oil. Thirty-six toys (12 in each treatment group) were enumerated for live HDM by the heat escape method before and aft...

Aromatic plants have been commercially used as spices, natural flavor, raw material for essential-oil industry and other medicinal purpose. The use of essential oils continues to rise, both as a separate commodity and indirectly through a large range of beautycare and aromatherapy products. Patchouli (Pogostemon cablin (Blanco) Benth; is a species from the genus Pogostemon and a bushy herb of t...

Lepidoptera pest species from eucalyptus were collected in Eucalyptus urophylla plantations in the region of Três Marias, State of Minas Gerais, Brazil, every 15 days from June 1989 to June 1994 with five light traps. Twelve primary and 15 secondary pest species were collected in the period with an average of 13,387 and 812 individuals per light trap, respectively. Most collected primary pest s...

The forest industry in Uruguay has grown considerably during the last decade. Eucalyptus plantations account for 74% of the forested land, with Eucalyptus globulus being the most widely distributed species. This industry is dedicated exclusively to the production of wood without exploiting the by-products (leaves and small branches). Eucalyptus leaves are known to contain important amounts of e...

Eucalyptus species constitutes the most widely planted hardwood trees in temperate and subtropical regions. In this study, we compared the transcript levels of genes involved in lignocellulose formation such as cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin biosynthesis in two selected 3-year old hybrid Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus urophylla × Eucalyptus grandis) genotypes (AM063 and AM380) that have different ...

A total of 215 root-nodule bacteria were isolated from 3 medicinal legumes including Indigofera tinctoria, Pueraria mirifica and Derris elliptica Benth. naturally grown in 16 provinces of Thailand. The isolates were evaluated for DNA polymorphism using randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis. Isolates generated 92 identical RAPD profiles, indicating highly significant genetic diversi...

Novel species of fungi described in this study include those from various countries as follows: Australia , Agaricus albofoetidus aureoelephanti and parviumbrus on soil, Fusarium ramsdenii stem cankers Araucaria cunninghamii Keissleriella sporoboli Sporobolus natalensis Leptosphaerulina queenslandica Pestalotiopsis chiaroscuro leaves Serendipita petricolae endophyte roots Eriochilus petricola S...

Responses of Melaleuca leucadendra (L.) L., Melaleuca cajuputi Powell, Acacia auriculiformis A. Cunn. ex Benth. and Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehnh. to aluminum (Al) toxicity at low pH are poorly understood. We investigated effects of low pH and exudation of ligands by roots on Al tolerance of these species. Seedlings were grown hydroponically in nutrient solutions at pH 4.2 or 3.5 containing Al...

BACKGROUND The global resurgence of tuberculosis is a significant threat. Lamiaceae members have been used in folk remedies for centuries. This study was designed to assess the in-vitro antimycobacterial activity of eighteen crude extracts from six plants (Lamiaceae) and to characterize their phenolic and flavonoid compounds. METHODS Six Turkish medicinal plants of the family Lamiaceae (Stach...