This study was carried out to evaluate the effects of Astragalus on human nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) viability and apoptosis and to investigate the mechanism of Astragalus in a NPC cell line (CNE2). Cell viability was measured using the MTT assay. CNE2 cells treated with Astragalus were stained with acridine orange/ethidium bromide and subjected to fluorescence microscopy. Bcl-2, Bax, caspa...

Conservationists often propagate rare species to improve their long-term population viability. However, seed dormancy can make propagation efforts challenging by substantially lowering seed germination. Here I statistically compare several pretreatment options for seeds of Astragalus cicer L.: unscarified controls and scarification via physical damage, hot water, acid, and hydrogen peroxide. Al...

Abstract Five flavonol glycosides, including a new glutaryl-conjugated compound, were isolated from methanolic extract of the endemic Balkan species Astragalus thracicus Griseb. Based on NMR and MS spectra, one compound was identified as kaempferol 3-O-[?-glucopyranosyl-(1?4)-?-rhamnopyranosyl-(1?6)-(2-3-hydroxy-3-methylgutaroyl)-?-galactopyranoside)] (1). The other compounds, all known, maurit...

—Phylogenetic analyses of large data sets pose special challenges, including the apparent tendency for the bootstrap support for a clade to decline with increased taxon sampling of that clade. We document this decline in data setswith increasing numbers of taxa in Astragalus, the most species-rich angiospermgenus. Support for one subclade, Neo-Astragalus, declinedmonotonicallywith increased sam...

The article provides information about rare and newly described species for the flora of Urals adjacent territories, namely: Astragalus saphronovae Kulikov, Atraphaxis decipiens Jaub. et Spach., Carex amgunensis F. Schmidt, Galium densiflorum Ledeb., Jovibarba globifera (L.) J. Parn., Najas minor All., Potamogeton nodosus Poir., Pseudorchis albida Á. Löve D. Löve, Salix myrsinites L., Veronica ...

Sulfate and selenate uptake were investigated in both selenium (Se) hyperaccumulators (Astragalus racemosus and Astragalus bisulcatus) and closely related nonaccumulator species (Astragalus glycyphyllos and Astragalus drummondii). Sulfur (S) starvation increased Se accumulation, whereas increased selenate supply increased sulfate accumulation in both root and shoot tissues. cDNAs for homologs o...

Only a few species of the large Astragalus genus, widely used for medicinal purposes, have been thoroughly studied for phytochemical composition. The aim of our research was to investigate the rarely studied species A. glycyphyllos L. and A. cicer L. for the distribution of mineral elements and phytochemicals in whole plants at two growth stages and in morphological fractions. We also investiga...

BACKGROUND Astragalus memebranaceus is a traditional Chinese herbal medicine used in treatment of common cold, diarrhea, fatigue, anorexia and cardiac diseases. Recently, there are growing evidences that Astragalus extract may be a potential anti-tumorigenic agent. Some research showed that the total saponins obtained from Astragalus membranaceus possess significant antitumorigenic activity. Ga...

Astragalus membranaceus is commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine for strengthening the host defense system. Astragalus membranaceus-polysaccharides is an effective component with various important bioactivities, such as immunomodulation, antioxidant, anti-diabetes, anti-inflammation and neuroprotection. In the present study, we determine the effects of Astragalus membranaceus-polysaccha...