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Mohannad G. AL-Saghir
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ABSTRACT: Pistacia is an economically important genus because it contains the pistachio crop Pistica vera L. which has edible seeds of considerable commercial importance. The phylogenetic relationships among the species are controversial and not well understood. The phylogeny of Pistacia was revised in detail through the present study. The following taxa are recognized: Pistacia atlantica Desf., Pistica chinensis Bunge subsp. chinensis , Pistica chinensis subsp. falcata (Bess. ex Martinelli) Rech. f., Pistica chinensis subsp. integerrima (J. L. Stew. ex Brandis) Rech. f., Pistica eurycarpa Yalt., Pistica khinjuk Stocks, Pistica lentiscus L. subsp. lentiscus , Pistica lentiscus subsp. emarginata (Engl.) AL-Saghir, Pistica mexicana Humb., Bonpl., and Kunth, P. x saportae Burnat, Pistica terebinthus L., Pistica vera L. and Pistica weinmannifolia Poiss. ex Franch. In conclusion, the study reveals the phylogenetic and taxonomic relationships among Pistacia species. In addition, it shows that the genus is monophyletic and is divided into two sections: section Pistacia and section Lentiscella .
Asian Journal of Plant Sciences. 01/2010;
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Mohannad G. AL-Saghir
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ABSTRACT: In this study we investigate the antibacterial activities of the Cinnamomum cassia (Nees and Th. Nees) Nees ex Blume Bark and Thymus vulgaris L. leaf extracts. Five strains of bacteria, including Bacillus subtilis , Enterobacter aeruginosa , Escherichia coli , Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis were used in the antibacterial tests. Results from the antibacterial tests demonstrated that both plant extracts had an excellent inhibitory effect. The MICs (Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations) of the both plant extracts were 250 μg mL<sup>-1</sup> against all tested strains. These results suggest that Cinnamomum cassia and Thymus vulgaris are beneficial to human health, having the potential to be used for medical purposes and to be utilized as anti-bacterial additives in food products.
Journal of Biological Sciences. 01/2009;
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ABSTRACT: Phylogenetic relationships among four Pistacia species were studied by randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis. The studied species were: P. khinjuk. P. lentiscus , P. terebinthus and P. vera . Genomic DNA was extracted from leaf tissue and RAPD analysis was performed using 23 primers. A total of 248 fragments were generated and 139 bands were polymorphic at the inter-specific level. Subjecting these data to phylogenetic analysis yielded a shortest cladogram that is 34 steps long comprising two main groups. P. khinjuk , P. terebinthus and P. vera , were included in one group, while P. lentiscus formed the second group. The first group included deciduous species with whereas the species included in the second group mostly grow as evergreen shrubs. The cladogram showed that the closest pairs of species were P. khinjuk and we suggest that P. khinjuk may be a descendant of P. vera .
Asian Journal of Plant Sciences. 01/2006;
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ABSTRACT: Pistacia is an economically important genus because it contains the pistachio, P. vera, which has edible seeds of considerable commercial importance. The evolutionary history of the genus and the taxonomic relationships among the species are equivocal. This study is part of a comprehensive phylogenetic study that has been conducted on this genus in order to refine taxonomic and evolutionary relationships by utilizing different types of data (including morphological, cytological, anatomical and molecular). We aim to investigate the evolutionary and taxonomic relationships among Pistacia species. Here we present the first investigation of the leaf structure in all Pistacia species. The following species were studied: Pistacia aethiopica J.O. Kokwaro, P. atlantica Desf., P. chinensis Bunge, P. eurycarpa Yaltirik, P. falcata Becc. ex Martelli, P. integerrima Stew. ex Brand., P. khinjuk Stocks., P. lentiscus L., P. mexicana HBK, P. mutica Fisch. and Mey., P. palaestina Boiss., P. terebinthus L., P. texana Swingle, P. vera L. and P. weinmannifolia Poiss. ex Franch. Leaflets of P. vera , which have random orientation, were isobilateral, while leaflets of the other species were dorsiventral and were oriented horizontally.
Journal of Biological Sciences. 01/2006;
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ABSTRACT: The present research aims to study the stomatal distribution in order to utilize this information for providing more insights into the evolutionary history of the stomata in the genus as well as the evolution and the taxonomy of genus itself. This study is the first one to report the stomatal distribution in all Pistacia sp. which was carried out between the months of March and July, 2005. The studied species were the following: Pistacia aethiopica J. O. Kokwaro, P. atlantica Desf., P . chinensis Bunge, P . eurycarpa Yaltirik, P . falcata Becc. ex Martelli, P . integerrima Stew. ex Brand., P . khinjuk Stocks, P . lentiscus L., P . mexicana HBK, P . mutica Fisch. and Mey., P . palaestina Boiss., P . terebinthus L., P . texana Swingle, P . vera L. and P . weinmannifolia Poiss. ex Franch. All species had anomocytic stomata. In most species, the stomata density was higher on the abaxial surface than the adaxial. The ratio of abaxial to adaxial stomatal density varied from 0.0 to 1.7. Stomatal distribution may provide insights into how Pistacia species evolve in terms of leaf anatomy and respond to different climatic changes. The study indicates that the primitive anatomical condition in the genus is the occurrence of stomata on both adaxial and abaxial surfaces. Stomatal distribution changed (losing stomata on either surface) as the genus moved into regions of higher rainfall.
International Journal of Botany. 01/2005;
