The rate o f photosynthesis in intact leaves o f a triazine-resistant biotype o f Amaranthus retroflexus was about 15% lower than that o f a triazine-susceptible biotype. Differences in photosyn­ thesis between resistant and susceptible biotypes o f Polygonum lapathifolium, Poa annua and Solanum nigrum were not significant, and absent in Chenopodium album and Stellaria media. The results are br...

4-Hydroxy-3-methylbut-2-enyl diphosphate reductase (HDR) catalyzes the last step of the 2-C-methyl-D-erythritol 4- phosphate (MEP) pathway to synthesize isopentenyl pyrophosphate (IPP) and dimethylallyl diphosphate (DMAPP). To date, little is known regarding effects of an increase or a decrease of a HDR expression on terpenoid and other metabolite profiles in plants. In our study, an Artemisia ...

At some point during biosynthesis of the antimalarial artemisinin in glandular trichomes of Artemisia annua, the Delta11(13) double bond originating in amorpha-4,11-diene is reduced. This is thought to occur in artemisinic aldehyde, but other intermediates have been suggested. In an effort to understand double bond reduction in artemisinin biosynthesis, extracts of A. annua flower buds were inv...

Salinity in soil and irrigation water is one of the major factors that limit crop productivity. The effects of salinity on growth, lipid peroxidation, the antioxidant defence system and changes in artemisinin content were studied in Artemisia annua L. Salinity treatments were established by adding 0, 50, 100, 150 and 200 mM of sodium chloride (NaCl) to the soil. Salt stress negatively affected ...

Transformed roots are a very promising source of biologically active compounds, but industriallevel production has proved very challenging. Artemisia annua produces artemisinin, a sesquiterpene lactone which is a potent antimalarial. Transformed roots of A. annua have exhibited increased levels of artemisinin when grown in a nutrient mist bioreactor. Additionally, roots showed no evidence of ox...

Schistosomiasis, a neglected tropical disease, imposes substantial health and economic burdens on impoverished groups living in predominantly rural areas. Praziquantel (PZQ) is the only drug available for treatment, it not completely efficacious. Artemisia annua afra infusions were proposed to possess antischistosomal activities recently retracted publication of clinical trial, leading our inve...

The effect of species richness and spatial aggregation on the stability of community productivity in response to drought perturbation was investigated with experimental plant communities. Communities comprising all singleand three-species combinations of the ruderal species, Capsella bursa-pastoris, Tripleurospermum inodorum, Poa annua, and Stellaria media, were established in glasshouse. Habit...