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5 Duboisia myoporoides leaves, fl owers and fruit. Photograph was taken by Dr Ian Cock in Brisbane in 2011
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Despite having the smallest land mass of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF)-declared ecozones, Oceania is amongst the most diverse floral regions of the world. Geographically, the region consists of Australia and New Guinea as the largest land masses, as well as the islands of Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia. Due to the island nature of the region,...
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... Traditional medicines are largely overlooked as treatment options for depression, despite being extensively recognized as effective alternatives. In fact, the use of the Polynesian Kava Kava plant is one of the best known and well-documented examples of Oceanic medicinal plants (Cock and Cheesman, 2016). Despite this, most work concentrates on Asian traditional medicines and plants due to their extensive, recorded use over a long period. ...
... Nevertheless, Oceanic plants offer great therapeutic alternatives and the authors highlight some major plants specific in the treatment of depression. Though not all-inclusive, the review selects major representative plants and provides backgrounds Mitchell Henry Wright, 1* Derek Anthony Pica II 1 1 Division of Environmental and Biomolecular Systems, Institute of Environmental Health, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA. ...
... White flowers (Figure 1b) are produced and develop into globose berries (5 mm in diameter). The use of several Duboisia spp. in traditional Australian bush medicine to treat gastrointestinal maladies and eye disease has been documented [13][14][15] .Furthermore, the leaves, flowers and twigs of several Duboisia spp. may have been used by the first Australians as sedatives and hyptnotics, [13][14][15] although conclusive documentation is lacking. ...
... The use of several Duboisia spp. in traditional Australian bush medicine to treat gastrointestinal maladies and eye disease has been documented [13][14][15] .Furthermore, the leaves, flowers and twigs of several Duboisia spp. may have been used by the first Australians as sedatives and hyptnotics, [13][14][15] although conclusive documentation is lacking. The phytochemistry of D. leichhardtii has not been extensively reported. ...
... (although the relative levels differ between species/locations). 15 these alkaloids have attracted interest as all have potent psychoactive properties via acetylcholine receptor antagonism. Thus, they are indicated as sedatives and hypnotics (or stimulants at low doses). ...
Introduction: Duboisia leichhardtii F.Muell. is a medium to large tree which is native to subtropical regions of eastern Australia. Duboisia spp. contain a number of psychoactive tropane and pyrrolidine alkaloids with reported antibacterial activity. Despite this, D. leichhardtii leaf extracts have not been rigorously examined for growth inhibitory properties against many bacteria, including the bacterial triggers of autoimmune inflammatory diseases.
Methods: The antimicrobial activity of D. leichhardtii leaf solvent extracts was investigated by disc diffusion and growth time course assays against a panel of bacterial triggers of autoimmune diseases. The growth inhibitory activity was further quantified by MIC determination and growth time course assays. Toxicity was determined using the Artemia franciscana nauplii bioassay.
Results: Methanolic and aqueous D. leichhardtii leaf solvent extracts were potent inhibitors of the bacterial triggers of rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis. The methanolic extract displayed the most potent bacterial growth inhibitory activity. It was particularly potent against P. mirabilis (MICs of 85 and 116 µg/mL against reference and clinical strains respectively) and P. vulgaris (MIC of 187 µg/mL). The methanolic extract was also a good inhibitor of K. pneumoniae growth (MICs of 143 and 118 µg/mL against reference and clinical strains respectively). The aqueous and ethyl acetate extracts were also potent bacterial growth inhibitors, albeit with higher MIC values. The antibacterial activity of the methanolic and aqueous D. leichhardtii leaf extracts were further investigated by growth time course assays which showed significant growth inhibition in cultures of P. mirabilis and K. pneumoniae within 1 h of exposure. All extracts were determined to be nontoxic in the Artemia franciscana nauplii bioassay, indicating their safety for use in preventing these autoimmune inflammatory diseases.
Conclusions: The lack of toxicity of the D. leichhardtii leaf extracts and their growth inhibitory bioactivity against the bacterial triggers of rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis indicate their potential in the development of new therapies targeting the onset of these diseases.
Fennel is a perennial plant though the crop is used as biennial. Growing fennel seedlings and planting it in open ground at the phase of 4–5 leaves reduces the growing season and increases crop productivity of the plant. The beginning of growth phases and development of fennel plants depends on the seedlings planting time. The accelerated process of the crop budding phase is noted at its early planting on April 20. The large-scale flowering of fennel was noted only 19 days after planting and fruit formation – after 27 days for seedlings planting on May 10. It was found that linear growth of seedlings at the early stage of planting (April 20) was the largest at row spacing of 15 cm and was 38,6 cm at the flowering period of fennel, that is 12,2 cm larger than in the 45 cm row spacing. The linear growth of crops in the main phases of fennel vegetation was lower for planting seedlings on May 10 compared to April 20. A faster acceleration of the growth and development phases as well as linear growth of fennel was noted for early planting of seedlings – on April 20. After planting fennels seedlings in the open ground, it was found that plants grow slowly (2–3 cm per decade) until the budding stage, and from the budding to fruit formation stage the growth rate of plants increased by 11.0–17.8 cm. Phenological observation of fennel plants leaf apparatus formation was carried out immediately after the shoots appearance. It was established that the first pair of true leaves formed in 10 days after sowing of seeds in the greenhouse, and the fifth pair of leaves – in 50–55 days. The leaves weight grew most during the budding stage – the fruit production of fennel plants depended on the seedlings planting time. The maximum value was noted for planting on May 10 and for 45 cm row spacing and made 10.86 g. The main indicator of fennel performance is its fruits and seeds weight. Plant mass and its individual parts grew and the ratio of green mass parts changed during the growth and development of the crop. Thus, the leaves weight on the experimental sites was 2.1–3.1 g or 37.5–38.3 % at the budding phase. Leaves weight was 4.7–7.8 cm2/m2 or 38.0–51.7 % during the fennel fruit formation. At the budding phase the leaves weight increased by 8.1 % for planting the seedlings with an intermediate row of 15 cm (compared to 45 cm row spacing) respectively, and the leaves weight was 13,7 % higher by the fruit formation time. The plants density in the area (intermediate row 15 cm) contributed to increase in individual fennel productivity (green mass of plants). The maximum yield of fennel seeds in the experimental sites was noted for the row spacing of 45 cm – 5.9 kg/10 m2. Thus, the most favorable conditions for fennel growth and development are under seedling planting on April 20, as the maximum yield is noted here. The denser placement of plants in the area (15 cm spacing) contributes to individual productivity increase (green plant weight, including leaves and stalks). Increasing the row width (up to 45 cm) contributed to the maximum yield of fennel seeds up to 5,9 kg/10 m2. Key words: fennel, seedlings planting terms, row width, productivity, leaf apparatus.
