Total flavonoid contents, reductive ability and radical scavenging activity were studied in the methanol extracts of Arum maculatum L. and Physalis peruviana L. The results revealed that A. maculatum extract had total flavonoids of 535.3±109.9 µg/ml, which was significantly higher than the recorded flavonoids in P. peruviana extract (352.0±12.7 µg/ml). Assessment of reductive ability revealed that both extract were effective in such activity and concentration-dependent. The highest absorbance was found at the concentration 0.64 mg/ml of A. maculatum methanol extract (0.929±0.006), which was significantly higher (P ≤ 0.05) than the corresponding concentration of P. peruviana extract (0.850 ± 0.050) or trolox (0.278±0.010), but the second extract also showed a significant increased absorbance compared to trolox. The results of DPPH radical scavenging activity confirmed those of reductive ability, and again the highest concentration (0.500 mg/ml) of both extracts (A. maculatum and P. peruviana) recorded the best radical scavenging activity (93.33±0.58 and 95.33±2.52%, respectively), which was significantly higher than that of vitamin C (64.67±5.03%). In conclusion, both extracts can be considered as important medicinal plants that have the potential of anti-oxidant and free-radical scavenging activities.
The present work included new information about pollen of eighteen Spp. of Stachys L. in Iraq ;showed their importance in diagnostsis.
Pollen shapes in equatorial view were ellipsoid in most spp .and spherical - subspherical , spherical - subprolate and subprolate -
ellipsoid in others; while they were spherical - subspherical in polar
view . Pollen was tricolpate except St.iberica M.B.georgica Rech.f. &
Ten. Which has tetracolpate and that was new for the genus.
The smallest pollen were seen in St.kotschyi Boiss. & Hohen. but the biggest were in St.benthamiana Boiss.
Astragalus mesogitanus is a new recorded species for Iraqi flora, from Onobrychium genus section, was collected from Erbil district, all morphological features were described in details as well as some micromorphological character as the trichomes and were provided with dimensions and plates, section key was also updated which illustrated the importance of standard (corolla) trichomes in species identification. Keywords: Astragalus, Fabaceae, Iraq, New record, Onobrychium, Trichomes.
Fraxinus ornus L. is considered as a special species that is frequently planted as a decorative tree in most of the country. The cross-sections of the root and stem are circular in shape and in the secondary growth stage, the vascular tissue in the root and stem consists of secondary xylem in radial rows and the type of vessels in the xylem are ring pours wood. Epidermal cells of leaves undulate on the upper and lower side, hairs are uniseriate and unicellular and the stomata appeared in the abaxial surface only is anomocytic type. The vertical-section of blade leaf includes upper epidermis and lower epidermis followed by the palisade layer and spongy layers. The cross-section of petiole horseshoe shape and the vascular bundles are cover
... Show MoreThe antimicrobial activity of ginger extracts ( cold-water, hot-water, ethanolic and essential oil ) against some of pathogenic bacteria ( Escherichia coli , Salmonella sp , Klebsiella sp , Serratia marcescens, Vibrio cholerae , Staphylococcus aureus , Streptococcus sp) was investigated using Disc diffusion method , and the results were compared with the antimicrobial activity of 12 antibiotics on the same bacteria . The results showed that the ginger extracts were more effective on gram-positive bacteria than gram-negative . V. cholerae and S. marcescens,were the most resistant bacteria to the extracts used , while highest inhibition was noticed against Streptococcus sp (28 mm) . The ethanolic extract showed the broadest antibacterial ac
... Show MoreAntibiotic resistance is the major growing threat facing the pharmacological treatment of bacterial infections. Therefore, bioprospecting the medicinal plants could provide potential sources for antimicrobial agents. Mimusops, the biggest and widely distributed plant genus of family Sapotaceae, is used in traditional medicines due to its promising pharmacological activities. This study was conducted to elucidate the antimicrobial effect of three unexplored Mimusops spp. (M. kummel, M. laurifolia and M. zeyheri). Furthermore, the mechanisms underlying such antibacterial activity were studied. The Mimusops leaf extracts revealed significant antibacterial activities against the five tested bacter
... Show MoreThe current study included a detail morphological study of all parts of the two species of the genus Tropaeolum L. (Tropaeolumceae) cultivated in different gardens, the roots, stems, leaves, flowers and fruit were studied in detail, also the pollen grains were studied, and there are photographs for all that parts were putted. A specimens of that taxa were studied in some Iraqi herbaria. The study found that there are many characters were used in differentiation of two species under study.
The anatomical features of Agave americana L. leaf have been described, transverse sections of the leaf have been examined, the epidermis is single-layered on both surfaces, the stomata are sunken and mesophyll is (2-3) layers of parenchyma cells, vascular bundles are collateral type. The pollen of A. americana was studied. The observation was made with L.M. (Light microscope) and S.E.M. (Scanning electron microscope) to determine the significance of pollen features as taxonomic characters. The pollen was monades, homopolar, monosulcate, and with large size, subprolate in shape from P/E ratio (Polar axis/ Equatorial diameter) and furrow length and width, exine thickness and ornamentation.
The Capparis spinosa L. is a species has a great interest in the field of traditional medicine for its pharmacological properties with many bioactive compounds. Our study is aiming at the recovery of this species through a phytochemical analysis and an evaluation of antibacterial and antioxidant activities of leaves of Capparis spinosa L. collected from natural habitats within the region of Al-Jadriya, Baghdad, Iraq. Phytochemical investigation demonstrated the presence of flavonoids, phenols, alkaloids, tannins, and glycosides in the methanolic extract of leaves. The quantitative analysis of total phenolic contents is being performed by Folin-Ciocalteau method and expressed in terms of gallic acid equivalents. C. spinosa exhibited progress
... Show MoreTwo field experiments were performed to study the response of two species , Nigella sativa L. and Nigella arvensis L. within different sowing dates at spring and autumn seasons which included 1st and 20th March, 10th April and 1st May for spring season, while the sowing dates for the autumn season were, 2nd November, 21st November, 11th December, 31stDecember and 20thJanuary. Both experiments conducted according to the Completely Randomized Block Design (CRBD) within three replications at hallabja/Kurdistan Region, located [35°12'48.7"N; 45°57'34.4"
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