Toxic plants such as Delphinium spp. (i.e., larkspur) are a significant cause of livestock losses worldwide. Correctly determining the causative agent responsible for the death of an animal, whether by disease, poisonous plant, or other means, is critical in developing strategies to prevent future losses. The objective of this study was to develop an alternative diagnostic tool to microscopy an...

* The carbon costs of reproduction were examined in four subalpine herbaceous plant species for which number and size of flowers respond differently under a long-term infrared warming experiment. * Instantaneous measurements of gas exchange and an integrative model were used to calculate whole-plant carbon budgets and reproductive effort (RE). * Of the two species for which flowering was reduce...

Delphinium denudatum known as Jadwar, is critically enlarged Himalayan herbs, which was once commonest species. It is distinguished by its relatively small blue or violet color and it is one of the important drugs used as indigenous medicine in India, especially in Unani medicine system. A number of studies have been done on its phytochemical and pharmacological properties. Bioactive constituen...

Isolation of a number of bioactive compounds from medicinal plants such as acetylcholinesterase inhibiting steroidal alkaloids, homomoenjodaramine and moenjodaramine from Buxus hyrcana, anti-epileptic terpenoids delphadienones I and II from Delphinium denudatum, and potent leishmanicidal compound ajoene from Allium sativum have been achieved through bioactivity-guided isolation.

Genetic engineering of roses and other plants of floricultural importance to give them a truly blue petal color is arguably one of the holy grails of plant biotechnology. Toward this goal, bluish carnations and roses were previously engineered by establishing an exclusive accumulation of delphinidin (Dp)-type anthocyanins in their petals via the heterologous expression of a flavonoid 3',5'-hydr...