Five hydroalcoholic extracts of edible plants from Calabria region (Italy) used in local traditional medicine for the treatment of inflammatory diseases were evaluated for their in vivo topical anti-inflammatory activity (inhibition of croton oil-induced ear oedema in mice) and in vitro antioxidant and antiradical properties (inhibition of linoleic acid oxidation and bovine brain liposomes pero...

Unlike most other plant microsomal desaturases, the Delta6-fatty acid desaturase from borage (Borago officinalis) contains an N-terminal extension that shows homology to the small hemoprotein cytochrome (Cyt) b5. To determine if this domain serves as a functional electron donor for the Delta6-fatty acid desaturase, mutagenesis and functional analysis by expression in transgenic Arabidopsis was ...

In this research we investigated the role of Si in improving salt tolerance in  the medicinal plant Borago officinalis L. Borago was pretreated with 0, 0.5  and 1.5 mM Si (as sodium silicate, Na2(Si O2)3) and then treated with four levels of NaCl, namely, 0, 60, 90 and 120 mM NaCl. Then the effects of silicon and NaCl were observed on some physiological and biochemical parameters such as lipid ...

Interest in oilseeds and oilseed crop production has recently been heightened by the growing potential for biofuels. Traditional oil seed crops, such as sunflower (Helianthus annuus L., Asteraceae), flax (Linum usitatissimum L., Linaceae), and more recently canola (Brassica napus L., Brassicaceae) have become crops of major importance in the region. The key to their production success is multi-...