Antimicrobial, Antioxidant and Cytotoxic Activities and Phytochemical Screening of Some Yemeni Medicinal Plants

The traditional medicine still plays an important role in the primary health care in Yemen. The current study represents the investigation of 16 selected plants, which were collected from different localities of Yemen. The plants were dried and extracted with two different solvents (methanol and hot water) to yield 34 crude extracts. The obtained extracts were tested for their antimicrobial activity against three Gram-positive bacteria, two Gram-negative bacteria, one yeast species and three multiresistant Staphylococcus strains using agar diffusion method, for their antioxidant activity using scavenging activity of DPPH radical method and for their cytotoxic activity using the neutral red uptake assay. In addition, a phytochemical screening of the methanolic extracts was done. Antibacterial activity was shown only against Gram-positive bacteria, among them multiresistant bacteria. The highest antimicrobial activity was exhibited by the methanolic extracts of Acalypha fruticosa, Centaurea pseudosinaica, Dodonaea viscosa, Jatropha variegata, Lippia citriodora, Plectranthus hadiensis, Tragia pungens and Verbascum bottae. Six methanolic extracts especially those of A. fruticosa, Actiniopteris semiflabellata, D. viscosa, P. hadiensis, T. pungens and V. bottae showed high free radical scavenging activity. Moreover, remarkable cytotoxic activity against FL-cells was found for the methanolic extracts of A. fruticosa, Iris albicans, L. citriodora and T. pungens. The phytochemical screening demonstrated the presence of different types of compounds like flavonoids, terpenoids and others, which could be responsible for the obtained activities

A new species of Achillea (Asteraceae: Anthemideae) from south-east Peloponnisos, Greece

It belongs to A. sect. Ptarmica and further, to a small group of taxa known under the illegitimate sectional name 'Anthemoideae'. In Greece, A. occulta has no close allies. The taxonomically related taxa, i.e. A. barrelieri (Ten.) Sch. Bip., A. mucronulata Bertol., A. oxyloba (DC.) Sch. Bip. and A. schurii Sch. Bip. are found in the Italian Peninsula, the Alps and the Carpathians. Phytogeographically, the finding of a species with such taxonomic connections in south-east Greece was unexpected. The new species grows in semi-shade, often hidden in suitable limestone rock hollows and the foot of rocks, together with several other Greek endemics. Its chromosome number of 2n = 18, counted in root tips, is also reported and illustrated. © 2005 The Linnean Society of London

A new species of Centaurea (sect. Phalolepis, Compositae: Cardueae) from eastern Peloponnisos, Greece

A new species of Centaurea L., Centaurea leonidia Kalpoutz. & Constantin., from two localities west and southwest of the town of Leonidio in eastern Peloponnisos, Greece, is described and illustrated. It belongs to C. sect. Phalolepis, and taxonomically its closest relatives are C. heldreichii Halacsy, a very localized species from south-west Sterea Ellas (Greece) and, surprisingly, C. niederi Heldr., which belongs to sect. Acrolophus. The new species is currently known from two populations of less than 100 individuals each, growing on almost inaccessible cliffs close to the convent of Agios Nikolaos Sintzas (St. Nicolas of Sintza) and the slopes of Poundes summit. Several other Greek endemic species are found in the same areas. Centaurea leonidia is scientifically important as it belongs to a small group of taxa, which, although they are members of sect. Phalolepis, have close allies in sect. Acrolophus. The chromosome number of C. leonidia, 2n = 18, counted in root tips, is also reported and illustrated. © 2004 The Linnean Society of London

The rediscovery of stachys virgata (Lamiaceae), a rare endemic of peloponnisos,greece: taxonomy, distribution, karyology and conservation

Stachys virgata, a rare Greek member of S. subsect. Rectae, was hitherto known from historical collections made in the north-eastern and southern parts of Peloponnisos, the last one dated in 1844. Its only recent record, on Poros Island in 1940, is not supported by a herbarium specimen. The species was rediscovered in 2005, 161 years after its last collection, and subsequently documented in 18 populations (1 of them now extinct) distributed along the eastern slopes of Mt. Parnonas and Mt. Madara in east Peloponnisos. We review the species’ description and distribution based on both historical records and recent collections, select a specimen deposited in the Natural History Museum, Paris (P) as a lectotype, and count its chromosome number, 2n = 34, for the first time. We evaluate the species’ taxonomic relationships and consider its threats and conservation status based on our own field work and several years of monitoring. S. virgata totals 355 mature plants and 12 out of its 18 populations comprise 20 plants or fewer. Based on the IUCN criteria, S. virgata falls under the Endangered (EN) category and specific conservation measures are proposed. Finally, we provide a key distinguishing S. virgata from the other Greek members of S. subsect. Rectae. © 2015 Magnolia Pres

Two new Allium (A. Sect. Cupanioscordum, Amaryllidaceae) species from Greece

Allium iatrouinum from Evvia Island (W Aegean, Greece) and A. pycnotrichum from Mt. Parnon (SE Peloponnisos, Greece) are described and illustrated. They belong to A. sect. Cupanioscordum, which includes ca. 24 species so far, mainly distributed in the Mediterranean region. Both species are diploid/dysploid (2n = 2x = 14), related to each other and also related to other dysploid members of the A. cupanii group, especially A. hirtovaginatum (W Turkey) and A. maghrebinum (Tunisia, Algeria). The new species grow in rocky habitats and occur in restricted mountain areas, where they flower in summer, mostly from July to August. © 2017 Magnolia Press

Allium orestis sp. nov. (Amaryllidaceae) from Parnon and Taigetos mountains, south Peloponnisos, Greece

Allium orestis Kalpoutzakis, Trigas & Constantinidis sp. nov. (Amaryllidaceae) from Parnon and Taigetos mountains (south Peloponnisos, Greece) is described and illustrated. It belongs to A. sect. Codonoprasum, and its closest relatives are A. rausii, a local endemic species of Ossa and Pilion mountains (east-central Greece) and A. anzalonei, another localized species from west-central Italy. The new species grows in the understorey of Castanea sativa forests and is currently known from three areas on Mt Parnon and one locality on Mt Taigetos. The chromosome number of A. orestis, 2n =2x =16, is reported and a metaphase plate is illustrated. © 2012 The Authors. Nordic Journal of Botany © 2012 Nordic Society Oikos

Multivariate morphometric analysis and taxa delimitation in two narrow greek endemics: Astragalus maniaticus and Aethionema saxatile subsp. corinthiacum

Astragalus maniaticus and Aethionema saxatile subsp. corinthiacum have vague taxonomic relationships. Astragalus maniaticus was placed in sect. Hypoglottis but shows affinities to A. suberosus subsp. haarbachii of sect. Platyglottis. The Aethionema saxatile complex is an intriguing group due to the wide distribution and morphological variability of its taxa. In order to elucidate the variation patterns of these two taxa and to test their morphological identity, we carried out several multivariate morphometric (stepwise canonical and classificatory) analyses. They revealed that Astragalus maniaticus cannot be distinguished from A. suberosus subsp. haarbachii on morphological grounds. Therefore, it is transferred to sect. Platyglottis and regarded a heterotypic synonym of A. suberosus subsp. haarbachii. The taxonomic interpretation of Aethionema saxatile subsp. corinthiacum necessitated a broad revision of the Ae. saxatile group in Greece and detection of its relations with Ae. rhodopaeum, a Bulgarian endemic. The analyses showed that Ae. saxatile subsp. corinthiacum represents a distinct taxon; likewise, three additional subspecies receive support of similar strength: subsp. creticum, subsp. graecum and subsp. oreophilum. Intermediate forms between subsp. oreophilum and subsp. saxatile were detected in NW Greece. Ae. rhodopaeum is more variable than its original circumscription and is considered as another subspecies of Ae. saxatile. © 2016 Società Botanica Italiana