We investigated the importance of specialized behaviors in the use of enemy-free space by comparing the host-use behavior of two closely related moths, Heliothis subflexa Guenee and H. virescens Fabricius. Heliothis subflexa is a specialist on plants in the genus Physalis, whereas H. virescens is an extreme generalist, feeding on plants in at least 14 families. Heliothis subflexa uses the infla...

The genus Physalis includes a number of commercially important edible and ornamental species. Its high nutritional value and potential medicinal properties leads to the increased commercial interest in the products of this genus worldwide. However, lack of molecular markers prevents the detailed study of genetics and phylogeny in Physalis, which limits the progress of breeding. In the present s...

Recently, commercial interest in Physalis species has grown worldwide due to their high nutritional value, edible fruit, and potential medicinal properties. However, many Physalis species have similar shapes and are easily confused, and consequently the phylogenetic relationships between Physalis species are poorly understood. This hinders their safe utilization and genetic resource conservatio...

Six withanolides (1-6), as well as two known withanolides (physachenolide D 7 and withanoside VI 8), were isolated from the aerial parts of Physalis coztomatl (Solanaceae). Structural elucidations of 1-6 were achieved through 2D NMR and other spectroscopic techniques, while the structure of 1 was confirmed by X-ray crystallographic analysis. In addition, the stereochemical orientation of the 17...

We developed a HPLC/MS method for the identification and determination of solanine in plants. This method was applied for samples of Solanum dulcamara (from Iaşi and Vânători Neamţ areas in Romania) and Physalis alkekengi (from Bucium and Breazu, Iaşi, Romania) during August-September 2009. Isolation of solanine was performed by extraction with a mixture consisting of water/methanol/acetic acid...

The paper presents the results of the qualitative and quantitative determination of scopoletin (SLT) in Physalis alkekengi and Solanum dulcamara (Solanaceae) by highperformance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC/MS). The plant samples were harvested around Iasi on July 2007, July 2008, August-September 2009. Scopoletin was extracted from dried leaves by two methods: with metha...

Physalis peruviana (physalis) has long held a place in folk medicine in the tropical countries where it grows. Here, the aim of this study was to evaluate the potential nephroprotective impact of physalis extract against carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced kidney injury and to explore the possible mechanisms by which this plant exerts its beneficial effects. Rats were randomly divided into equa...

The present study was designed to investigate the possible antidiabetic, hypolipidaemic and antioxidant effects of physalis. Diabetes was induced in Albino rats by administration of alloxan monohydrate (150 mg/kg, body weight i.p). Physalis was administered at a single 1 ml dose per day to these diabetic rats for 21 days. The effect of physalis on blood glucose, serum insulin and pancreatic ins...

Physalis minima is an important medicinal plant of Indian System of Medicine. This plant is reported for its diuretic, laxative and antiinflammatory activities. However, the plant is not well scrutinized for its antimicrobial potential. The major chemical constituents reported from the plant are phenolics and alkaloids, which suggest that the plant may turn out to be a potent antiinfective agen...

Physalis peruviana, commonly known as Cape gooseberry, is an Andean Solanaceae fruit with high nutritional value and interesting medicinal properties. In the present study we report the development and characterization of microsatellite loci from a P. peruviana commercial Colombian genotype. We identified 932 imperfect and 201 perfect Simple Sequence Repeats (SSR) loci in untranslated regions (...