The in vitro antitrypanosomal activity of methylene chloride, methanol and aqueous extracts of the leaves and twigs of five plant species traditionally used in Benin for the treatment of sleeping sickness were evaluated on Trypanosoma brucei brucei and their selectivity was analysed on Leishmania mexicana mexicana and J774 macrophage-like murine cells. The results showed that the four most acti...

INTRODUCTION Plant volatiles (PVOCs) are important targets for studies in natural products, chemotaxonomy and biochemical ecology. The complexity of PVOC profiles often limits research to studies targeting only easily identified compounds. With the availability of mass spectral libraries and recent growth of retention index (RI) libraries, PVOC identification can be achieved using only gas chro...

As a part of a programme on possible utilization of indigenous plant extracts in pest management practices, acetone extracts of eight plant species collected in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, were tested for their larvicidal activity against the yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti L. The buds of Tail Pepper, Piper cubeba L, Capers Capparis spinosa L and Indian Black Berry, Syzygium cumini...

A new species of the genus, Isopsera: Isopsera arcuata Nagar, Mal, Swaminathan sp. nov. (Orthoptera:Phaneropteridae Burmeister, 1838; Phaneropterinae Burmeister, 1838) is described. The holotype (♂) was collected from South India: Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu). The geographical location had the following specifications: 12⁰58 N 77⁰35E 930MSL South India. The described species differs from the two clo...

The genus Teliphasa Moore, 1888 from China is reviewed. Nine species are treated, including descriptions of four new species: Teliphasa spinosa Li, sp. n., Teliphasa similalbifusa Li, sp. n., Teliphasa erythrina Li, sp. n., and Teliphasa hamata Li, sp. n. Photographs of adults, wing venation, and both male and female genitalia are provided, along with a key for the identification of all the Chi...

BACKGROUND Enhancement of tumor cell sensitivity may help facilitate a reduction in drug dosage using conventional chemotherapies. Consequently, it is worthwhile to search for adjuvants with the potential of increasing chemotherapeutic drug effectiveness and improving patient quality of life. Natural products are a very good source of such adjuvants. METHODS The biological activity of a fract...

Recent studies have elucidated the ancient polyploid history of the Arabidopsis thaliana (Brassicaceae) genome. The studies concur that there was at least one polyploidy event occurring some 14.5 to 86 million years ago (Mya), possibly near the divergence of the Brassicaceae from its sister family, Cleomaceae. Using a comparative genomics approach, we asked whether this polyploidy event was uni...

Objective: Fascioliasis caused by Fasciola hepatica L. (Fasciolidae), a digenetic trematode, is a parasitic disease infecting many people worldwide. The present study was carried out to evaluate the molluscicidal and larvicidal activities of Capparis spinosa L. (Capparaceae) aerial parts against Galba truncatula Müll. (Lymnaeidae) and Fasciola hepatica larval stages contaminating this snail in ...