Effect of Growth Environment on the Bioactivity of Selected Plant Species

Within the pharmaceutical industry there has been an increase in the number of synthetic drug molecules available to treat various conditions. While these synthetic drugs have proven useful, there has been growing public concern about the potentially negative long-term effects of synthetic agents on the body. Therefore, there is an increased interest in using plant extracts and purified compounds as a more natural alternative. The goal of this study was to evaluate the cytotoxicity levels, and specific biological activity and capability of three plant species: Lonicera maackii (amur honeysuckle); Malus sp. ‘Adirondack’ (crabapple); and Allium vineale (wild garlic). The wild garlic and crabapple species were taken directly from the field for testing. Amur honeysuckle was dug from the field in January, and transplanted indoors under grow lights. These plants were then subjected to three separate treatments: control treatment - water to field capacity with no fertilizer; positive treatment - water to field capacity with fertilizer; and negative treatment - half of the water given to the field capacity treatment with no fertilizer. The rationale for choosing these different treatments was to evaluate the effects of specific growing conditions on the production of bioactive secondary metabolites by these plant species. The biological evaluation included the following assays: brine shrimp – a measure of cytotoxicity, lettuce seed germination – effect on germination and length of radicle, β-carotene bleaching, diphenylpicrylhyrazyl (DPPH) free-radical scavenging, and lipase inhibition thin layer chromatography (TLC) bioautographic assays. Results from these experiments indicate that the biological and chemical profiles of the selected plant species were influenced by the environmental conditions under which the plants were grown

Concentration of the stable isotopes of chromium by the electromagnetic process /

Work performed at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Y-12 Area, Oak Ridge, Tennessee."Date Declassified: November 18, 1954.""March 7, 1951."Includes bibliographical references.Mode of access: Internet