Increasing availability of soil arsenic is of significance for accelerating phytoremediation efficiency of As-polluted sites. The effects of seven amendments, i.e., citrate, oxalate, EDTA, sodium polyacrylate (SPA), phosphate rock (PR), single superphosphate (SSP), and compost on fractionation and phytoavailability of soil As were investigated in lab culture experiment. The results showed that ...

The fern Pteris vittata tolerates and hyperaccumulates exceptionally high levels of the toxic metalloid arsenic, and this trait appears unique to the Pteridaceae. Once taken up by the root, arsenate is reduced to arsenite as it is transported to the lamina of the frond, where it is stored in cells as free arsenite. Here, we describe the isolation and characterization of two P. vittata genes, AC...

In this paper two new species of Leptophyes from southern Italy are described, L. calabra n. sp. and L. sicula n. sp.. Both species are similar to the common L. punctatissima and the recently described L. lisae from Greece, but can be identified by a combination of morphological and biacoustical characters. Descriptions of both species are provided and an illustrated key to the European species...

Pteris vittata L., a fern was evaluated for its alpha amylase inhibitory potential owing to its previously reported antihyperglycemic activity. This Pteridophyte was also assayed for its free radical inhibition ability in ABTS decolourisation assay followed by quantification and HPTLC of polyphenols. The Porcine pancreatic alpha amylase inhibition was studied invitro and compared with standard ...

The wolf spider genus Birabenia Mello-Leitão, 1941 is revalidated, comprising B. birabenae Mello-Leitão (type species) and B. vittata (Mello-Leitão) comb. n. The monotypic genus Melloicosa Roewer is synonymised with Birabenia by the transfer of its type species Gnatholycosa vittata Mello-Leitão. Three species, Hogna taeniata (Mello-Leitão), Geolycosa sanogastensis (Mello-Leitão) and Paratrochos...

Three new species of the spider genus Philoponella Mello-Leitão, 1917 are described: Philoponella opelli n. sp. from Brazil and Ecuador, and Philoponella fluviidulcifis n. sp. , and Philoponella duopunctata n. sp. from Brazil. New records for Philoponella vittata (Keyserling, 1881), P. republicana (Simon, 1891), P. fasciata (Mello-Leitão, 1917) and P. divisa Opell, 1979 are provided for Brazil ...

Pteris vittata sporophytes hyperaccumulate arsenic to 1% to 2% of their dry weight. Like the sporophyte, the gametophyte was found to reduce arsenate [As(V)] to arsenite [As(III)] and store arsenic as free As(III). Here, we report the isolation of an arsenate reductase gene (PvACR2) from gametophytes that can suppress the arsenate sensitivity and arsenic hyperaccumulation phenotypes of yeast (S...

The pattern of genetic variation of the lizard Mabuya maculilabris from São Tomé Island (Gulf of Guinea) was investigated using a combination of three mitochondrial DNA gene fragments. Forty-eight haplotypes were recovered among 66 individuals covering the whole island. The genealogy inferred from the most parsimonious network of haplotypes allows us to detect two main and long branches departi...

The extent of arsenic (As) and metal accumulation in fronds of the As hyperaccumulator Pteris vittata (Chinese brake fern) and in leaves of Cyperus involucratus, which grow on the surface of an old flotation tailings pond in the Zambian Copperbelt province, was studied. The tailings consist of two types of material with distinct chemical composition: (1) reddish-brown tailings rich in As, iron ...