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Parsimony reconstructions of evolution of some fruit and exocarp characteristics in Atraphaxis. One of the shortest phylogenetic trees based on the combined plastid data set (trnL–trnF and rpl32–trnL (UAG)) of Atraphaxis, with Bactria ovczinnikovii and Persepolium salicornioides taken as outgroups. a Merism of the gynoecium. b Radial size of exocarp cells in ribs. c Lumen/exocarp cell radial size ratio. d Shape of lumen in exocarp cells in ribs
Source publication
Exocarp anatomy of 30 species of Atraphaxis has been studied to shed light on possible diagnostic and phylogenetic significance of carpological characters. The diversity of the exocarp structure observed in Atraphaxis was comparable to that in the entire tribe Polygoneae. The size of the exocarp cells, the size and shape of the lumen and its branch...
Citations
... The genus Atraphaxis L. comprises approximately 35 species distributed throughout Northeast Africa and Eurasia, from Southeast Europe to Eastern Siberia, China and Mongolia [2][3][4]. It is widely represented in the territories of Kazakhstan on rocky and gravelly slopes of mountains in in environments characterized by saline, gravelly, and stony substrates, as thickets of shrubs or subshrubs [5]. ...
Citation: Abilkassymova, A.; Kozykeyeva, R.; Aldana-Mejía, J.A.; John Adams, S.; Datkhayev, U.; Turgumbayeva, A.; Orynbassarova, K.; Saroja, S.G.; Khan, I.A.; Ross, S.A. Phytochemical and Micro-Morphological Characterization of Atraphaxis pyrifolia Bunge Growing in the Republic of Kazakhstan. Molecules 2024, 29, 833. Abstract: Atraphaxis pyrifolia is a native species of Central Asia, known for curing several disorders. The species has little knowledges about its chemical composition and any information about its morphological characteristics despite its importance in traditional Asian medicine. This is one of the first approaches to the phytochemical and morphological characterization of this species. Micro-morphology was performed on the stem, and leaf parts of this plant to profile the morpho-anatomical characters using brightfield, fluorescence, polarized and scanning electron microscopy. Leaves were extracted with hexane and methanol. The hexane extract was analyzed using GC-MS analysis revealing the major presence of γ-sitosterol and nonacosane. The methanolic extract was submitted to Vacuum Liquid Chromatography and Sephadex LH-20. HPTLC, HR-ESI-MS and NMR techniques were used to identify the main compounds. Four glycosylated flavonoids were isolated: 8-O-acetyl-7-O-methyl-3-O-α-L-rhamnopyranosylgossypetin (Compound 1), and 7-O-methyl-3-O-α-L-rhamnopyranosylgossypetin (Compound 3), and two other compounds reported for the first time in the literature (Compounds 2 and 4). The findings presented herein furnish pertinent information essential for the identification and authentication of this medicinal plant. Such insights are invaluable for facilitating robust quality control measures and serve as a foundational framework for subsequent endeavours in metabolic, pharmacological, and taxonomical analyses.
... Fruit color associated with amount of phenolics in exocarp cells may be related to differences in the timing of seed germination. Species with light brown fruits are common, while those with dark or black fruits are mostly local endemics (Yurtseva et al., 2022). ...
Atraphaxis spinosa L. is one of the 48 species in the Atraphaxis genus in
the Polygonaceae family. This species is a perennial shrub-shaped plant that
has a strong root system, is resistant to salty and arid soils, and can grow in
nutrient-poor soils (Bentham and Hooker, 1880; Pavlov, 1970; Lovelius, 1979;
Tavakkoli et al., 2013; Yurtseva et al., 2016; Temel et al., 2017; RBG, 2023).
The plant sheds its leaves in winter and forms shoots and leaves again in spring
(Karakuş and Keskin, 2018). Shoots and leaves of Atraphaxis spinosa are
grazed by camels, sheep and goats (Shahriary et al., 2012; Rakhimova and
Rakhimova, 2022). It also serves as a shelter for wild animals (Zadeh and
Kharasmi, 2013).
Species of the genus Atraphaxis are xerophytic shrubs growing in steppe and semidesert habitats on various soil types, including saline ones. Despite much interest in Atraphaxis species as sources of phenolic and polyphenolic compounds, information on approaches to the cultivation of these plants’ tissues is not available in the literature. In this study, an in vitro technology of A. frutescens propagation was developed for the first time. The Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 0.5 µM 6-benzylaminopurine was chosen as optimal. Microshoots were successfully rooted on the ½ MS medium without auxins or supplemented with 1 µM indole-3-butyric acid. All the media regarding the in vitro propagation contained 3% of sucrose and 0.6% of agar. The subcultivation period was 30 days. The A. frutescens in vitro culture showed resistance to osmotic stress (up to 150 mM D-mannitol) and to a wide pH range: 3.8 to 8.3. Under the influence of the culture medium, there was an increase in concentrations of catechins, tannins, phenolic acids, and saponins and in the total phenolic content and a decrease in the levels of flavonols as compared to a natural sample. Cultivation of samples on culture media with D-mannitol reduced the levels of flavonols and phenolic acids as compared to a control medium. The highest concentrations of tannins, catechins, and flavonols were noted at pH 8.3, and the same was true for saponins at pH 3.8. Meanwhile, no significant correlations were found between phenolic compounds and antiradical activity. Thus, in vitro culture of A. frutescens microshoots can serve as an alternative source of valuable classes of secondary metabolites such as catechins, tannins, saponins, and phenolic acids. In future studies, to create large-scale in vitro systems of A. frutescens, the selection of a proper bioreactor type and optimization of process parameters will be crucial for maximizing secondary-metabolite production.
