BACKGROUND Pteris vittata L. is rich in flavonoids which exhibit different bioactivities. In order to investigate the flavonoids components of P. vittata L., extracts of the plant were isolated by column chromatography on silica gel and Sephadex LH-20. RESULTS Four flavonoids compounds were obtained, the structures were identified as kaempferol (1), quercetin (2), kaempferol-3-O-d-glucopyrano...

BACKGROUND AND AIMS The phylogenetic relationships among 27 vetch species belonging to the subgenus Cracca of the genus Vicia were studied in comparison with three species of Lathyrus section Lathyrus on the basis of isozyme variation. METHODS Isozymes encoded by 15 putative loci of ten enzymes were resolved by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and isozyme variation was analysed by using par...

Due to the importance of chitinolytic enzymes for insect, nematode and fungal growth, they are receiving attention concerning their development as biopesticides or chemical defense proteins in transgenic plants and as microbial biocontrol agents. Targeting chitin associated with the extracellular matrices or cell wall by insect chitinases may be an effective approach for controlling pest insect...

Arsenic (As) is an ubiquitous trace metalloid found in all environmental media. Its presence at elevated concentrations in soils derives from both anthropogenic and natural inputs. Arsenic is a toxic and carcinogenic element, which has caused severe environmental and health problem worldwide. Technologies currently available for the remediation of arsenic-contaminated sites are expensive, envir...

We investigated the effects of chromate (CrVI) and phosphate (P) on their uptake and translocation in As-hyperaccumulator Pteris vittata (PV). Plants were exposed to 1) 0.10 mM CrVI and 0, 0.25, 1.25, or 2.50 mM P or 2) 0.25 mM P and 0, 0.50, 2.5 or 5.0 mM CrVI for 24 h in hydroponics. PV accumulated 2919 mg/kg Cr in the roots at CrVI₀.₁₀, and 5100 and 3500 mg/kg P in the fronds and roots at P₀...

The 90% aqueous ethanol extract of an Egyptian natural medicine, the roots of Bryonia cretica L., was found to exhibit a strong inhibitory effect on the proliferation of human leukemia U937 cells. By bioassay-guided fractionation, we isolated two new cucurbitane-type triterpene glycosides, bryoniaosides A and B, were isolated from the roots of Bryonia cretica L. together with 16 known cucurbita...