The aim of this work was to develop protocols for micropropagation of selected Rubus cultivars – ‘Tulameen’ and ‘Black Jewel’ (Rubus idaeus L.), ‘Black Satin’ (Rubus fruticosus L.) and ‘Tayberry’ (Rubus fruticosus x Rubus idaeus). Nodal segments carrying dormant buds were used for in vitro culture establishment. For shoot initiation, MS medium containing 8 g*L phytoagar, 30 g*L sucrose, 1 mg*L ...

The genus Rubus L., indigenous to six continents, includes blackberries, raspberries, and their hybrids and is commonly referred to as brambles or briers. Rubus species were a food and medicinal source for native peoples soon after the Ice Age. This short article presents only a sample of the wealth of historical reports of medicinal uses for Rubus. Brambles were documented in the writings of t...

Nuclear DNA flow cytometry was used to differentiate ploidy level and determine nuclear DNA content in Rubus. Nuclei suspensions were prepared from leaf discs of young leaves following published protocols with modifications. DNA was stained with propidium iodide. Measurement of fluorescence of 40 genotypes, whose published ploidy ranged from diploid to dodecaploid, indicated that fluorescence i...

The aim of the present investigation was to investigate the nephro-protective activity of fruits extracts of Rubus ellipticus (Smith) at a dose of 200 mg/kg body weight on acetaminophen (APAP) induced naphro-toxicity in male albino rats. APAP significantly increased the levels of serum creatinine, serum urea, blood urea nitrogen and kidney weight while the volume of urine reduced. The pet.ether...

Rubus stunt, a disease associated with phytoplasma infections in wild and cultivated Rubus species, is a major challenge in the production of raspberries, blackberries, and loganberries. Phytoplasmas are cell wall-less bacteria inhabiting the phloem and are transferred by phloem feeding insects. As the time between infection of a plant and the development of disease symptoms can take up to 1 ye...

Berries, from the genus Rubus, are among the vital components in a healthy diet. In this study, 80% methanol extracts from the three wild Rubus species (Rubus moluccanus L., Rubus fraxinifolius Poir., and Rubus alpestris Blume) were evaluated for their phytochemical contents (total phenolics, flavonoid, anthocyanin, and carotenoid content), antioxidant (DPPH, FRAP, and ABTS assays), antiacetylc...

Here, we present the genome of a strain of Erwinia amylovora, the fire blight pathogen, with pathogenicity restricted to Rubus spp. Comparative genomics of ATCC BAA-2158 with E. amylovora strains from non-Rubus hosts identified significant genetic differences but support the inclusion of this strain within the species E. amylovora.

Rubus L. is a large and taxonomically complex genus, species of which exhibit apomixis, polyploidy, and frequent hybridization. Most of Chinese Rubus are assigned in two major sections, Idaeobatus and Malachobatus. To explore the phylogenetic relationships within Chinese Rubus, inferences upon three chloroplast DNA (rbcL, rpl20-rps12, and trnG-trnS), nuclear ribosomal ITS, and two low-copy nucl...

At least two lineages of Mesozoic birds are known to have possessed a distinct feather morphotype for which there is no neornithine (modern) equivalent. The early stepwise evolution of apparently modern feathers occurred within Maniraptora, basal to the avian transition, with asymmetrical pennaceous feathers suited for flight present in the most basal recognized avian, Archaeopteryx lithographi...

Dichloromethane and/or ethanol extracts of 30 plants used as traditional medicines in Bukoba district, northwestern Tanzania were evaluated for brine shrimp toxicity. Among the 50 extracts tested, 32 extracts (64%) showed very low toxicity with LC50 values above 100 microg/ml. Among these 12 (24%) which had LC50 >500 microg/ml can be categorized as being practically non-toxic. Among the remaini...