The Himalayan yew (Taxus baccata L.) is widely but sparsely distributed along the cool temperate belt between 2600 and 3300 m asl of the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve (NDBR), Garhwal Himalaya. Traditionally, the bark of this plant is used for preparing beverages locally called Namkin Chay, medicines and its wood as a timber in various regions of the Himalaya. However, due to its excessive collec...

Background: The antioxidant components have been identified in some pine species. Antioxidant properties of proantocyanidins reduce free radicals induced by DNA fragmentation and lipid proxidation and also proanthocyanidines could curb lipid peroxidation. Objective: In this study, we analyzed different parts of Pinus eldarica (bark, seed and needle) and assessed their antioxidant contents. ...

With a growing world population, the lack of reliable water sources is becoming an increasing problem. Reusing greywater could alleviate this problem. When reusing greywater for crop irrigation it is paramount to ensure the removal of pathogenic organisms. This study compared the pathogen removal efficiency of pine bark and activated charcoal filters with that of conventional sand filters at th...

Bauhinia variegata Linn. (Kanchnar/Rakta kanchan), is a widely used medicinal plant by the tribals throughout India and popular in various indigenous system of medicine like Ayurveda, Unani and Homoeopathy. In the present investigations, the anticarcinogenic activity of Bauhinia variegate bark extract was evaluated using two stage protocol in skin papillioma model in Swiss albino mice. The sign...

Tree mortality caused by bark beetle infestation has significant effects on the ecology and value of both natural and commercial forests. Therefore, prediction of bark beetle infestations is critical in forest management. Existing predictive models, however, rarely consider the influence of long-term stressors on forest susceptibility to bark beetle infestation. In this study we introduce pre-d...

BACKGROUND ACEII transcription factor plays a significant role in regulating the expression of cellulase and hemicellulase encoding genes. Apart from ACEII, transcription factors such as XYR1, CRE1, HAP2/3/5 complex and ACEI function in a coordinated pattern for regulating the gene expression of cellulases and hemicellulases. Studies have demonstrated that ACEII gene deletion results in decreas...

OBJECTIVES The leaf and bark of Thevetia peruviana (Family: Apocynaceae) plant was administered for 24 h to the freshwater fish Catla catla (Hamilton) to evaluate their piscicidal activity in laboratory and cemented pond condition. MATERIALS AND METHODS AND RESULTS The LC0 values of lef and bark extracts of different solvents (i.e., acetone, diethyl ether, ethyl alcohol, chloroform and carbon...

Scholars have long recognised the important role bark cloth plays in articulating status in Polynesian societies. In life (and death), Polynesian chiefs were traditionally presented (or shrouded) with copious quantities of bark cloth, the precise number of strips contingent on status. The considerable economic expenditure required to produce such large quantities reflects the significance of th...

Randia dumetorum Lam. (RD) (Rubiaceae) is traditionally used by some tribes of Assam and Manipur of North East India for the treatment of liver ailments. In this context, to scientifically validate this indigenous traditional knowledge, we have evaluated the antioxidant and hepatoprotective activity of RD leaf and bark. The methanol extracts of RD leaf and bark were evaluated for in vitro antio...

BACKGROUND Cephalotaxus spp. are known to possess various therapeutic potentials. Cephalotaxus griffithii, however, has not been evaluated for its biological potential. The reason may be the remoteness and inaccessibility of the habitat where it is distributed. The main aim of this study was to: (1) evaluate multiple biological potentials of stem bark of C. griffithii, and (2) identify solvent ...