Survey of medicinal plants and patterns of knowledge in district Swabi/ Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

To investigate and document the indigenous knowledge on the medicinal flora of the native communities in Swabi district, Pakistan. A field survey was carried out and data was based on semi-structured interviews, group discussions, and questionnaire from 8 villages. 180 local individual of local communities were interviewed and collected data were analyzed by quantitative and descriptive index. During the survey, 81 species belonging to 45 families were reported. Solanaceae was the leading family with 7 species. Herb (48%) was the dominant plant habit and leaf (24%) was the most preferred used part for indigenous medicine. Moreover, decoction (28.93%) was the most prestigious method. According to the result, the highest use value was documented for Jaundice ailment (1.00-0.81). Besides, 11 plants added to the endangered species list. Local experts of Swabi district practice a huge variety of ethnomedicinal plants in treating a wide spectrum of disorders, especially those plants used to cure jaundice. Our finding suggest that the pharmacological potential across some of these plants has been therapeutically validated however still need to explore the pharmacological properties of other species. Hence, the present investigation, aside from being a source of new insight for ethnobotanical and pharmacological cure of many disorders, might contribute to upgrade the sustainability, conservation, and management of medicinal flora in the Bachai Sikandari, district Swabi

Survey of medicinal plants and patterns of knowledge in district Swabi/ Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

To investigate and document the indigenous knowledge on the medicinal flora of the native communities in Swabi district, Pakistan. A field survey was carried out and data was based on semi-structured interviews, group discussions, and questionnaire from 8 villages. 180 local individual of local communities were interviewed and collected data were analyzed by quantitative and descriptive index. During the survey, 81 species belonging to 45 families were reported. Solanaceae was the leading family with 7 species. Herb (48%) was the dominant plant habit and leaf (24%) was the most preferred used part for indigenous medicine. Moreover, decoction (28.93%) was the most prestigious method. According to the result, the highest use value was documented for Jaundice ailment (1.00-0.81). Besides, 11 plants added to the endangered species list. Local experts of Swabi district practice a huge variety of ethnomedicinal plants in treating a wide spectrum of disorders, especially those plants used to cure jaundice. Our finding suggest that the pharmacological potential across some of these plants has been therapeutically validated however still need to explore the pharmacological properties of other species. Hence, the present investigation, aside from being a source of new insight for ethnobotanical and pharmacological cure of many disorders, might contribute to upgrade the sustainability, conservation, and management of medicinal flora in the Bachai Sikandari, district Swabi

Identification and Expression Analysis of Acid Phosphatase Gene (<i>PAP</i>) in <i>Brassica napus</i>: Effects of <i>cis</i>-Acting Elements on Two <i>BnaPAP10</i> Genes in Response to Phosphorus Stress

Purple acid phosphatases (PAPs) play a key role in phosphorus (P) assimilation and redistribution in plants, catalyzing the hydrolysis of phosphate esters to produce inorganic phosphate (Pi). In this study, a total of 77 PAP genes were identified in B. napus. The candidate genes were divided into three groups and ten subgroups based on the phylogenetic analyses and exon-intron organization. Among these 77 BnaPAP proteins, 35 exhibit typical metal-ligating residues characteristic of known PAPs, whereas certain unaltered amino acid residues were absent or displaced in other BnaPAPs. A computational prediction was conducted, revealing that the majority of PAPs contain signal peptide motifs and display a range of N-glycosylation levels, as well as transmembrane helix motifs. An analysis of previously obtained RNA-seq data revealed that 55.84% (43 of 77) of the BnaPAPs responded to Pi deficiency. Moreover, we conducted a preliminary examination of the expression profiles of BnaPAP genes in response to salt stress, and discovered that 42.86% (33 of 77) of these genes were induced under salt stress, either in the shoots or in the roots. Further qRT-PCR and GUS analyses revealed that BnaC9.PAP10 and BnaA7.PAP10, two paralogs of BnaPAP10s, were induced by Pi deficiency. Notably, BnaC9.PAP10 exhibits robust induction, compared to the relatively mild induction observed in BnaA7.PAP10. Our research shows that BnaA7.PAP10 uniquely responds to Pi stress via the W-box, while BnaA7.PAP10 predominantly responds via the P1BS element, and the differences in cis-regulatory elements (CREs) within their promoter regions specifically contribute to their distinct expression levels under Pi stress. Our findings provide valuable insights and establish a foundation for future functional studies of BnaPAPs

Responses of Legumes to Rhizobia and Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Under Abiotic Stresses: A Global Meta-Analysis

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and rhizobia play a pivotal role in enhancing crop productivity, shaping microbial community structure, and improving soil quality, making them key components for sustainable ecosystem development. The symbiotic relationship between AMF and rhizobia is crucial for facilitating efficient biological nitrogen fixation and nutrient absorption, thereby reducing the dependence on chemical fertilizers and promoting sustainable agricultural practices. The findings of various studies, however, indicate that soil environment can impede the symbiotic relationship between AMF and rhizobia. We conducted a comprehensive meta-analysis of 158 articles from 1980 to 2022 to explore the synergistic interactions in legume&ndash;AMF&ndash;rhizobium systems and the potential mechanisms underlying this synergism. Our findings revealed that the inoculation with AMF and/or rhizobia significantly (p &lt; 0.001) increased legume plant nitrogen content, phosphorus content, shoot biomass, yield, AMF colonization rate, and the number and weight of nodules compared to uninoculated controls (effect size d &gt; 0). Moreover, there was a substantial synergistic effect between AMF and rhizobia (p &lt; 0.001). Nevertheless, soil salinity stress, drought stress, and pH stress could hinder the positive effects of inoculation treatments, possibly due to the plant trade-off strategies under abiotic stress conditions. This research may potentially lead to new solutions for sustainable agricultural systems amidst the challenges posed by global climate change