Fruit- and vegetable-derived foods have become a very significant source of nutraceutical phytochemicals. Among vegetables, red chicory (Cichorium Intybus L. cultivar) has gained attention for its content of phenolic compounds, such as the anthocyanins. In this study, we evaluated the nutraceutical effects, in terms of antioxidant, cytoprotective, and antiproliferative activities, of extracts o...

Microclimate in different positions on a host plant has strong direct effects on herbivores. But little is known about indirect effects due to changes of leaf traits. We hypothesized that herbivory increases from upper canopy to lower canopy and understory due to a combination of direct and indirect pathways. Furthermore, we hypothesized that herbivory in the understory differs between tree spe...

Photosynthetic capacity is one of the most sensitive parameters in vegetation models and its relationship to leaf nitrogen content links the carbon and nitrogen cycles. Process understanding for reliably predicting photosynthetic capacity is still missing. To advance this understanding we have tested across C(3) plant species the coordination hypothesis, which assumes nitrogen allocation to pho...

Free-living animals must make dietary choices in terms of chemical and physical properties, depending on their digestive physiology and availability of food resources. Here we comprehensively evaluated the dietary choices of proboscis monkeys (Nasalis larvatus) consuming young leaves. We analysed the data for leaf toughness and digestibility measured by an in vitro gas production method, in add...

In recent decades petroleum pollution in the tropical rainforest has caused significant environmental damage in vast areas of the Amazon region. At present the extent of this damage is not entirely clear. Little is known about the specific impacts of petroleum pollution on tropical vegetation. In a field expedition to the Ecuadorian Amazon over 1100 leaf samples were collected from tropical tre...

Leaf colour is usually used as a guide for assessments of nutrient status and plant health. We propose a new inexpensive, hand-held and easy-to-use technique for the detection of chlorophyll content and foliar nitrogen content in plants based on leaf colour. This method provides a rapid analysis and data storage at minimal cost and does not require any technical or laboratory skills. Most of th...

Seasonal dynamics of total non-structural carbohydrates (TNC) in relation to the leaf-fruit ratio were measured over five years at different grapevine phenological stages in oneand two-year-old canes, trunks and roots of the cultivar 'Chasselas' (Vitis vinifera L.). Carbohydrates were mainly stored as starch in different parts of the grapevine during the growing season. Soluble carbohydrates re...

In hepatocyte cultures, insulin stimulates cellular accumulation of K+, partly (approximately 20%) by net replacement of cell Na+, but largely (approximately 80%) by increasing the cell K++Na+ content, with a consequent increase in cell volume. An increase in cation content occurred within 5 min of exposure to insulin and was not secondary to metabolic changes. Insulin also increased the cation...