Impact of the quality of organic amendments on size and composition of the weed seed bank

In addition to improving the soil quality, organic amendments of soils may affect weed seed survival, emergence, growth and reproduction. This study evaluated the effects of applications of different qualities of organic amendments on size and composition of the weed seed bank in a field under sequential cropping over 4 years. Fertilisation systems tested included farmyard manure, vegetable fruit and garden waste compost, two types of farm compost differing in carbon:nitrogen (C:N) ratio, cattle slurry and mineral fertiliser. All organically amended plots received equal amounts of C. Crop growth was equalised on all plots by applying supplemental mineral N. Seed bank sampling took place in May 2009 to a depth of 10 cm. The weed seed bank was analysed using the seedling emergence method. Despite equal crop growth in fertilised plots, total seed bank density was lowest in plots amended with compost with low C:N ratio and highest in slurry-amended plots. Observed differences in seed bank densities reflected differences in soil organic carbon content and microbial biomass. At plot level, hard-coated seeds in the seed bank (e.g. Chenopodium spp.) were inversely related to soil microbial activity. Observed differential responses of species to applied fertilisers might be attributed to interspecific differences in resistance against microbial seed degradation. Compost-based fertilisation systems could be sustainable tools for incorporation into integrated weed control strategies aiming at depleting the weed seed bank

Study of the content of carbonic acids in the herbs of Сapsella bursa-pastoris (L.) Medik

Carboxylic acids are key compounds that play an important role in metabolism. They activate the endocrine glands, affect human immune status, have antioxidant, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effects. Plants rich in carboxylic acids are recommended for the prevention of various diseases. A promising source of biologically active substances are Capsella bursa-pastoris, which has a significant content of vitamins, flavonoids, organic, hydroxycinnamic, fatty acids, macro-and micronutrients, tannins. Capsella bursa-pastoris is known for such healing properties as wound healing, antimicrobial, antibacterial, antitumor, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antihypertensive, hepatoprotective. The plant material of Capsella bursa-pastoris has a hemostatic effect and stimulates the contractile activity of the uterus. The aim of the study was to study the qualitative composition and quantitative content of carboxylic acids in the herb of Capsella bursa-pastoris (L.) Medik. by chromato-mass spectrometry. For the study, we used the herb of Capsella bursa-pastoris (L.) Medik., which was collected during flowering period. Qualitative analysis of the content of organic acids was carried out by thin layer chromatography. Identification and quantitative content of carboxylic acids were performed by chromato-mass spectrometry on an Agilent Technology 6890N chromatograph with a mass spectrometric detector 5973N. 33 carboxylic acids were identified in the herb of Capsella bursa-pastoris – 14 organic and 19 fatty acids. The total content of organic acids is 8 041.60 ± 84.00 mg/kg with a predominance of aliphatic acids (citric, malic, fumaric and succinic). The fatty acid complex of the Capsella bursa-pastoris herb is represented by 11 saturated and 9 unsaturated fatty acids. The content of total fatty acids was 21 161.90 ± 256.45 mg/kg, of which the proportion of unsaturated acids is significantly higher than saturated. Linolenic, linoleic, palmitic acidsare dominant. The obtained resultsmake it possible to predict the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity of herbal medicines based on the raw materials of Capsella bursa-pastoris

Antioxidant property, traditional uses and chemical composition of seed oil plants of North-east India: A mini- review

Apart from being used as food, seed oils have also been used traditionally as medicinal products by several communities. However, the full medicinal potential of many seed oil plants is yet to be properly reviewed, particularly for their antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. North-East India has rich resources of seed oil plants. The availability of detailed information on these plants is quite limited. This review aims to explore and evaluate these seed oil plants of the North-East India with particular emphasis on their antimicrobial and antioxidant activities as well as chemical compositions. A comprehensive literature search on seed oil plants of this region has been performed. Seed oil yielding plants of this region can be categorized into two categories: plants that are used traditionally as sources of edible or medicinal oils and plants that are used for purposes other than as sources of oils. Many seed oil plants of this region have been reported to possess antimicrobial and antioxidant properties, and to produce various types of compounds. This review also highlights the importance of these plants in contributing to the local as well as the national economy of India

Unravelling salt stress tolerance: physiological, morphological and genetic components in crop species and model plants

This PhD Thesis address fundamental mechanisms of salt stress response in plants from an agronomic, physiological, morphological and genetic point of view. Specifically we considered salt stress tolerance performances of eleven wild species of Cruciferae, closely related to Arabidopsis thaliana (Chapter 1). In the second chapter, salt tolerance has been related to main morphological and physiological traits of two cultivars of sweet basil (Genovese and Napoletano). Finally (Chapter 3) we considered how salinity stress tolerance of tomato may be affected by a constitutive over-expression of genes involved in wounding responses. Part of this research has been conducted at Purdue University (Indiana - USA) and at the experimental station of the University of Bologna, located in Teresina (PI – Brazil)

Quantification of regulating ecosystem services provided by weeds in annual cropping systems using a systematic map approach

Cian Blaix received a PhD grant from the Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna in Pisa in the International PhD Programme on AgrobiodiversityEcosystem services have received increasing attention in life sciences, but only a limited amount of quantitative data are available concerning the ability of weeds to provide these services. Following an expert focus group on this topic, a systematic search for articles displaying evidence of weeds providing regulating ecosystem services was performed, resulting in 129 articlesPostprint (updated version

Hypotensive medicinal plants according to ethnobotanical evidence of Iran: A systematic review

Hypertension is called the silent killer because it leads finally to death silently and asymptomatically. If hypertension is not controlled at early stages, it disturbs the functions of cardiovascular system and other organs of the body. The aim of this review article is to report the medicinal plants used to treat hypertension in traditional medicine according to ethnobotanical evidence of different regions of Iran. This helps to offer different medicinal plants used to treat hypertension in these regions in a systematic manner, and approaches and keys to discover effective substances and develop new herbal drugs to researchers as well as to inform them of folk knowledge about using medicinal plants to prevent hypertension. In this article, 47 medicinal plants from 17 different regions in Iran were reported to be used to lower blood pressure. These plants can be investigated in animal studies and clinical trials to be used in developing herbal drugs for prevention and treatment of hypertension. © 2016, Sphinx Knowledge House. All rights reserved

Tracciabilit\ue0 dell'origine del latte alpino mediante lo studio del profilo alcaloidico naturale

In 2015, 162.8 million tonnes of cow\u2019s milk were produced in the EU-28, headed by Germany and France with 33 and 26 million tonnes respectively, while Italy was in seventh place with 11 million tonnes (Eurostat statistics explained), and world milk production is forecast to grow. In a globalised market, demand is growing for secure information about product traceability, and the consumer trend is increasingly moving towards conscientious purchasing, which avoids adulteration and fraud. Traceability is a powerful tool for pursuing different objectives: reinforcing consumers\u2019 trust and loyalty to a product, peace of mind to promote product preference, and increasing confidence in the overall food chain quality system. As regards milk, in Italy the Decreto Interministeriale of 9 December 2016 made indication of the origin of raw milk materials on the packaging label mandatory, as stated by Regulation (EU) No. 1169/2011. In the same way, not only is the country of origin important, but also the differentiation between milk from highland and lowland areas, due to the evident implications for food quality. The different dietary regime of animals is the basis of the characteristics distinguishing alpine milk from intensive farming milk, and analytical controls usually exploit these properties. This work aimed to propose new markers for alpine dairy product traceability by focusing on one of the most abundant and ubiquitous groups of secondary metabolites in plants, namely alkaloids. In this work we developed a combined targeted and untargeted screening method for alkaloid profiling, using liquid chromatography coupled with high resolution mass spectrometry. Online SPE pre-treatment of herbal and milk sample extracts was proposed in order to reduce the impact of the matrix effect on instrumental response. Quantification of 41 analytes with reference to pure analytical standards, and putative identification of a further 116 alkaloids, confirmed on the basis of accurate mass, isotopic pattern, chromatographic retention time and fragmentation profile, were proposed. Moreover, the alkaloid profiles of over 60 alpine herbs sampled in two natural pastures in the eastern Italian Alps were defined, providing evidence that alkaloid composition represents an interesting tool for individually characterising plant families, with the most encouraging results for the Poaceae species. The composition and variability of alkaloids ingested by dairy cows grazing on the two grasslands was also investigated, verifying the possibility of discriminating animal diets from different pastures. Lastly, the variability of alkaloid profiles for milk samples produced by cows grazing on the two pastures was defined and the possibility of discriminating them with regard to pasture origin