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Distribution of three endangered medicinal plant species and their colonization with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi
Abstract
A field study of 12 districts of arid zones of Rajasthan was undertaken to evaluate the occurrence of three selected endangered medicinal plant species (Leptadenia reticulata, Mitragyna parvifolia, Withania coagulans), and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal (AMF) associations with them. Five genera were identified in the rhizosphere of these selected plant species. A high diversity of AMF was observed which varied between different host plant species. Among the five genera, Glomus occurred most frequently, with ten species, Acaulospora and Scutellospora were found with three species, respectively, while Gigaspora and Paraglomus were detected with one species each. Glomus constrictum, Glomus fasciculatum, Glomus geosporum, Glomus intraradices, Glomus mosseae and Glomus rubiforme were the most dominant species. The AMF spore density was not clearly affected by the host plant suggesting that biotic factors may be relatively less important than abiotic/edaphic factors for establishing population pattern. The spore density of AMF had a strong positive correlation with soil pH and organic carbon content and a negative correlation with Olsen's P content of the soil. The association with AMF of these plant species native to the harsh environmental conditions of the Indian Thar Desert may play a significant role in the re-establishment and conservation of these multipurpose endangered medicinal plants.
... The Solanaceae family embraces 84 genera, comprising 3000 species, distributed all over the globe [6]. The genus Withania contains 26 species, only 2 of which, W. somnifera and W. coagulans (known as Paneer booti, Ashutosh booti or rishyagandha), are economically and medicinally important in many regions [7]. Other potentially important species are W. simonii, W. adunensis, and W. riebeckii. ...
... It is cultivated throughout the dry tropical parts of Afghanistan, Baluchistan, Canary Islands, China, Congo, Egypt, India, Iran, Israel, Jordan, Madagascar, Morocco, Nepal, Pakistan, South and East Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, and Yemen [14]. According to the biological classification, Withania belongs to the kingdom Plantae (plants), the sub-kingdom Tracheophytes (vascular plants), division Angiospermae, class Eudicots, clade Asterids, order Solanales, family Solanaceae, sub-family Solanoideae, tribe Physaleae, genus Withania, and species somnifera (2n = 48), adpressa, coagulans, frutescens [5,7,[15][16][17] (Table 1). Anticholinesterase, anti-cancereous, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and antioxidant properties [24] According to Charaka, one of the main donors of Ayurveda, W. somnifera has miraculous potential. ...
... These compounds are polyoxygenated and oxidize all C atoms of the steroid nucleus [5]. A new dimeric thiowithanolide also isolated from roots from W. somnifera, is named ashwagandhanolide as shown in Figure 3. Withanolides act as a precursor hormone, in that it can be transformed into human physiology as needed [7]. W. somnifera is also sometimes referred to as Indian Ginseng because it structurally resembles ginsenosides (the active constituents of Panax ginseng). ...
Withania somnifera L. Dunal (Ashwagandha), a key medicinal plant native to India, is used globally to manage various ailments. This review focuses on the traditional uses, botany, phytochemistry, and pharmacological advances of its plant-derived constituents. It has been reported that at least 62 crucial and 48 inferior primary and secondary metabolites are present in the W. somnifera leaves, and 29 among these found in its roots and leaves are chiefly steroidal compounds, steroidal lactones, alkaloids, amino acids, etc. In addition, the whole shrub parts possess various medicinal activities such as anti-leukotriene, antineoplastic, analgesic, anti-oxidant, immunostimulatory, and rejuvenating properties, mainly observed by in vitro demonstration. However, the course of its medical use remains unknown. This review provides a comprehensive understanding of W. somnifera, which will be useful for mechanism studies and potential medical applications of W. somnifera, as well as for the development of a rational quality control system for W. somnifera as a therapeutic material in the future.
... It is also traditionally used for various ailments [32]. After intensive field survey in 12 districts in Western Rajasthan (Indian Thar Desert), Panwar et al. [33] reported the occurrence of L. reticulata from various districts. This species was also found over hedges, open forests, and on lower slopes of hills [34]. ...
... While studying the distribution of three endangered medicinal plant species such as (L. reticulata, Mitragyna parvifolia, and Withania coagulans) and their association with Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF), Panwar and Tarafdar [33] found that better establishment of these medicinal plants can be achieved by using AMF [33]. These fungi enhance the absorption of phosphorus (P) and other elements, improve water uptake, and enable the plants to withstand high temperatures. ...
... While studying the distribution of three endangered medicinal plant species such as (L. reticulata, Mitragyna parvifolia, and Withania coagulans) and their association with Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF), Panwar and Tarafdar [33] found that better establishment of these medicinal plants can be achieved by using AMF [33]. These fungi enhance the absorption of phosphorus (P) and other elements, improve water uptake, and enable the plants to withstand high temperatures. ...
Leptadenia reticulata (Ritz.) Wight (Asclepiadaceae), a traditional medicinal plant species, is widely used in traditional medicine to treat various ailments such as tuberculosis, hematopoiesis, emaciation, cough, dyspnea, fever, burning sensation, night blindness, cancer, and dysentery. In Ayurveda, it is known for its revitalizing, rejuvenating, and lactogenic properties. This plant is one of the major ingredients in many commercial herbal formulations, including Speman, Envirocare, Calshakti, Antisept, and Chyawanprash. The therapeutic potential of this herb is because of the presence of diverse bioactive compounds such as α-amyrin, β-amyrin, ferulic acid, luteolin, diosmetin, rutin, β-sitosterol, stigmasterol, hentriacontanol, a triterpene alcohol simiarenol, apigenin, reticulin, deniculatin, and leptaculatin. However, most biological studies on L. reticulata are restricted to crude extracts, and many biologically active compounds are yet to be identified in order to claim the traditional uses of L. reticulata into evidence-based uses. At present, L. reticulata is a threatened endangered plant because of overexploitation, unscientific harvesting, and habitat loss. The increased demand from pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and veterinary industries has prompted its large-scale propagation. However, its commercial cultivation is hampered because of the non-availability of genuine planting material and the lack of knowledge on its agronomical practices. In this regard, micropropagation technique will be useful to obtain true-to-type L. reticulata planting materials from an elite germplasm to meet the current demand. Adopting other biotechnological approaches such as synthetic seed technology, cryopreservation, cell culture, and genetic transformation can warrant conservation as well as increased metabolite production from L. reticulata. The present review summarizes scientific information on the botanical, agronomical, phytochemical, pharmacological, and biotechnological aspects of L. reticulata. This comprehensive information will certainly allow better utilization of this industrially important herb towards the discovery of lead drug molecules.
... [7,8] LP fibers were used as antihistaminic and expectorant. [9,10] Some literature also referred its applications in gout and rheumatism. [11] In Bikaner region, it has been considered good for constipation, whereas its infusion mixed with buttermilk is used in uterine prolapsed. ...
... Free radical scavenging activity of extract and fractions was estimated by the standard procedure with little modifications. [20,21] Different concentration (5,10,20,40,80, and 100 µg/mL) of extract and fractions were prepared in methanol. The 2, 2-diphenyl-1picrylhydrazyl was prepared for the antioxidant assay. 2 mL of each extract and fractions were mixed with 1 mL of methanol containing DPPH (0.8 mmol/L). ...
... [34,35] The antihistaminic and anti-allergic properties of Clerodendrum serratum are attributed to the presence of saponin. LP extract was tested against the organisms E. coli (8.0, 7.0, 16.0, and 18.0 mm) followed by P. aeruginosa (9,11,21, and 19 mm); S. aureus (10,11,12, and 14 mm); C. albicans (12,12,14, and 15 mm); C. tropicalis (10,11,14, and 13 mm); and C. krusei (7,9,11, and 11 mm), respectively. Table 3. ...
Background: Leptadenia pyrotechnica (LP) is a well-known traditional shrub used by the tribes of Africa and Asia. Locally, it is called as Khimp and recognized as therapeutic uses as well as animal fodder. Aims: The present study investigates the preliminary phytochemical contents, free radical scavenging, and antimicrobial activity against the bacterial and fungal strains of ethanolic extract and its fraction of LP (Decne.). Materials and Methods: Ethanolic extract and fractions of LP were used to different phytochemical qualitative screening methods to identify the constituents presented in it. Total flavonoids and total phenolic contents were determined to justify its antimicrobial activity. The antibacterial and antifungal activity of the extracts was measured by disc diffusion method, minimum inhibitory concentration, minimum bactericidal concentration, minimum fungicidal concentration, and zone of inhibition against the bacterial and fungal strains. 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl free radical scavenging activity had used to evaluate the in vitro antioxidant activity of extract and fractions. Results: Preliminary phytochemical screening of extract and fractions showed the presence of alkaloids, terpenoids, phenols, flavonoids, glycosides, saponins, tannins, and steroids. Reducing efficiency revealed dose-dependent inflation in concentration (6.25-200 µg/µL) with respect to quercetin and gallic acid. The presence of phenolic compounds, terpenoids, and flavonoids contribute to potent antimicrobial activity against bacterial and fungal strains. Conclusion: The present research work concluded the effectiveness of different extract and fractions at various concentrations against the bacterial and fungal strains. Free radical scavenging activity embarks its contribution as antimicrobial along with the presence of terpenoids, flavonoids, and phenolic residues.
... People in Gujarat and Kathiawar use this plant as a pot herb [22]. After intensive field survey in 12 districts in Western Rajasthan (Indian Thar Desert), Panwar and Tarafdar [29] reported the occurrence of L. reticulata from various districts. This species was also found on hedges, in open forests, and on the lower slopes of hills [30]. ...
... While studying the distribution of three endangered medicinal plant species such as (L. reticulata, Mitragyna parvifolia, and Withania coagulans) and their association with Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF), Panwar and Tarafdar [29] found that better establishment of these medicinal plants can be achieved by using AMF [29]. These fungi enhance the absorption of phosphorus (P) and other elements, improve water uptake, and enable the plants to withstand high temperatures. ...
... While studying the distribution of three endangered medicinal plant species such as (L. reticulata, Mitragyna parvifolia, and Withania coagulans) and their association with Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF), Panwar and Tarafdar [29] found that better establishment of these medicinal plants can be achieved by using AMF [29]. These fungi enhance the absorption of phosphorus (P) and other elements, improve water uptake, and enable the plants to withstand high temperatures. ...
Leptadenia reticulata (Retz.) Wight & Arn. (Apocynaceae), is a traditional medicinal plant species widely used to treat various ailments such as tuberculosis, hematopoiesis, emaciation, cough, dyspnea, fever, burning sensation, night blindness, cancer, and dysentery. In Ayurveda, it is known for its revitalizing, rejuvenating, and lactogenic properties. This plant is one of the major ingredients in many commercial herbal formulations, including Speman, Envirocare, Calshakti, Antisept, and Chyawanprash. The therapeutic potential of this herb is because of the presence of diverse bioactive compounds such as α-amyrin, β-amyrin, ferulic acid, luteolin, diosmetin, rutin, β-sitosterol, stigmasterol, hentricontanol, a triterpene alcohol simiarenol, apigenin, reticulin, deniculatin, and leptaculatin. However, most biological studies on L. reticulata are restricted to crude extracts, and many biologically active compounds are yet to be identified in order to base the traditional uses of L. reticulata on evidence-based data. At present, L. reticulata is a threatened endangered plant because of overexploitation, unscientific harvesting, and habitat loss. The increased demand from pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and veterinary industries has prompted its large-scale propagation. However, its commercial cultivation is hampered because of the non-availability of genuine planting material and the lack of knowledge about its agronomical practices. In this regard, micropropagation techniques will be useful to obtain true-to-type L. reticulata planting materials from an elite germplasm to meet the current demand. Adopting other biotechnological approaches such as synthetic seed technology, cryopreservation, cell culture, and genetic transformation can help conservation as well as increased metabolite production from L. reticulata. The present review summarizes scientific information on the botanical, agronomical, phytochemical, pharmacological, and biotechnological aspects of L. reticulata. This comprehensive information will certainly allow better utilization of this industrially important herb towards the discovery of lead drug molecules.
... Higher AMF spore density was observed in neutral and slightly alkaline soil conditions which was in agreement with the findings of Sreevani and Reddy (2004) who found a higher number of spores in soils with neutral and slightly alkaline soil. Soil pH negatively correlated with both SD and RC, and these observations were consistent with the results of Songachan et al. (2014) but contradicted with the findings of Burni et al. (2011), and Panwar and Tarafdar (2006) who reported a direct relationship between pH and SD. Soil pH has been reported to influence the AMF reproduction potential as well as their structural composition , but this is still linked to other factors like host plant. ...
... Vegetation cover densities with higher OC had higher percent root colonization (Table 1 and Fig. 4b). AMF SD and RC showed an inverse relationship with Available Phosphorus., and the results were in good accord with those of Panwar and Tarafdar (2006)and Birhane et al. (2010). Certain AMF species sporulate abundantly under low P availability in the soil (Table 1) and as observed by Kahiluoto et al. (2001). ...
Arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi (AMF) are vital in the regeneration of vegetation in disturbed ecosystems due to their numerous ecological advantages and therefore are good indicators of soil and ecosystem health at large. This study was aimed at determining how the seasonal, vegetation cover density, edaphic and anthropogenic factors affect AMF root colonization (RC) and spore density (SD) in Desa’a dry Afromontane forest. AMF RC and SD in the rhizosphere of five dominant woody species, Juniperus procera, Olea europaea, Maytenus arbutifolia, Carissa spinarum and Dodonaea angustifolia growing in Desa’a forest were studied during the rainy and the dry seasons in three permanent study vegetation cover density plots (dense, medium, and poor). Each plot (160 × 40 m2) has two management practices (fenced and unfenced plots) of area. A 100 g sample of rhizosphere soil from moisture-free composite soil was used to determine spore density. Spore density ranged from 50 to 4467 spores/100 g soil, and all species were colonized by AMF within a range of 4–95%. Glomus was the dominant genus in the rhizosphere of all species. Vegetation cover density strongly affected SD and RC. The SD was significantly higher (p < 0.05) in the poor vegetation cover density than in the other two and lowest in the dense cover; root colonization showed the reverse trend. Management practices significantly (p < 0.05) influenced AMF SD and RC, with the fenced plots being more favoured. Seasons significantly (p < 0.05) affected RC and SD. More RC and SD were observed in the wet period than the dry period. Correlating AMF SD and RC with soil physical and chemical properties showed no significant difference (p > 0.05) except for total nitrogen. Disturbance, vegetation cover density, season and total nitrogen are significant factors that control the dynamics and management interventions to maintain the forest health of dry Afromontane forests.
... Husna et al. (2015) reported that 15 AMF species were found (predominantly Glomeraceae) and grouped into 5 families and 9 genera from the rhizosphere of Pericopsis mooniana in Southeast Sulawesi Province, Indonesia. AMF was found to be in symbiosis with three endangered medicinal plant species in Rajasthan, India (Panwar and Tarafdar 2006). Root colonization of Vitis vinifera subsp. ...
Husna, Tuheteru FD, Albasri, Arif A, Basrudin, Nurdin WR, Arman E, Agustin DI, Saribadu J, Rahmat, Dermawansyah A, Daliana, Lody LP, Deri AS, Safitri I. 2022. Diversity of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi of Kalappia celebica.): An endemic and endangered plant species in Sulawesi, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 23: 5290-5297. Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) are a group of fungi belonging to Phylum Glomeromycota. AMF has a symbiotic relationship with higher plants, including endangered species in various climatic regions and land types. Research on AMF diversity related to endemic and endangered tree species in the tropics is still limited. This study aimed to examine the diversity of AMF in the natural habitat of Kalappia celebica Kosterm. (kalapi) in Southeast Sulawesi Province, Indonesia. Samples of soil and roots of K. celebica were collected from six natural habitat locations, i.e., Konawe District (Anggatoa and Abuki Villages), East Kolaka District (Lalingato and Anggaloosi Villages) and Kolaka District (Lalonaha and Lapao Pao Villages). The AMF spores were isolated by using the pouring method, followed by wet filtration. AMF identification was carried out by observing the morphology of AMF spores. A total of eight AMF species belonging to three genera Viz. Glomus, Funneliformis and Rhizophagus were isolated. Among the species identified, five species belong to genus Glomus, two species belong to the genus Funneliformis and one species belongs to the genus Rhizophagus. Glomus sp.1 and 2 and F. mosseae had the highest spore density, relative density and frequency, and importance index values. The AMF highest spore density was obtained in Anggaloosi Village of East Kolaka District. Soil properties such as organic C, total N and clay were positively correlated with spore density and negatively correlated with AMF colonization. The Simpson’s Index ranged from 0.42 ± 0.117 to 0.86 ± 0.068. The range of Shannon-Wiener Index was 0.12 ± 0.208 to 0.99 ± 0.198, while the Evenness Index ranged from 0.17 ± 0.189 to 0.75 ± 0.106. These findings indicated that K. celebica species are rich in AMF diversity. These symbiont fungi are key components of the ecosystem. Further research is needed to develop their use as promoters of plant establishment in conservation and restoration of those sites.
... Husna et al. (2015) reported that 15 AMF species were found (predominantly Glomeraceae) and grouped into 5 families and 9 genera from the rhizosphere of Pericopsis mooniana in Southeast Sulawesi Province, Indonesia. AMF was found to be in symbiosis with three endangered medicinal plant species in Rajasthan, India (Panwar and Tarafdar 2006). Root colonization of Vitis vinifera subsp. ...
Husna, Tuheteru FD, Albasri, Arif A, Basrudin, Nurdin WR, Arman E, Agustin DI, Saribadu J, Rahmat, Dermawansyah A, Daliana, Lody LP, Deri AS, Safitri I. 2022. Diversity of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi of Kalappia celebica.): An endemic and endangered plant species in Sulawesi, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 23: 5290-5297. Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) are a group of fungi belonging to Phylum Glomeromycota. AMF has a symbiotic relationship with higher plants, including endangered species in various climatic regions and land types. Research on AMF diversity related to endemic and endangered tree species in the tropics is still limited. This study aimed to examine the diversity of AMF in the natural habitat of Kalappia celebica Kosterm. (kalapi) in Southeast Sulawesi Province, Indonesia. Samples of soil and roots of K. celebica were collected from six natural habitat locations, i.e., Konawe District (Anggatoa and Abuki Villages), East Kolaka District (Lalingato and Anggaloosi Villages) and Kolaka District (Lalonaha and Lapao Pao Villages). The AMF spores were isolated by using the pouring method, followed by wet filtration. AMF identification was carried out by observing the morphology of AMF spores. A total of eight AMF species belonging to three genera Viz. Glomus, Funneliformis and Rhizophagus were isolated. Among the species identified, five species belong to genus Glomus, two species belong to the genus Funneliformis and one species belongs to the genus Rhizophagus. Glomus sp.1 and 2 and F. mosseae had the highest spore density, relative density and frequency, and importance index values. The AMF highest spore density was obtained in Anggaloosi Village of East Kolaka District. Soil properties such as organic C, total N and clay were positively correlated with spore density and negatively correlated with AMF colonization. The Simpson’s Index ranged from 0.42 ± 0.117 to 0.86 ± 0.068. The range of Shannon-Wiener Index was 0.12 ± 0.208 to 0.99 ± 0.198, while the Evenness Index ranged from 0.17 ± 0.189 to 0.75 ± 0.106. These findings indicated that K. celebica species are rich in AMF diversity. These symbiont fungi are key components of the ecosystem. Further research is needed to develop their use as promoters of plant establishment in conservation and restoration of those sites.
... W. somnifera is known as a wild plant in the northwestern areas of India, expanding from the mountainous region of Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu to an altitude of 1,500 m (68). Due to its economic and medicinal properties, it is being widely cultivated (more than 4,000 ha) in drier parts of India (69,70). ...
Poultry production contributes markedly to bridging the global food gap. Many nations have limited the use of antibiotics as growth promoters due to increasing bacterial antibiotic tolerance/resistance, as well as the presence of antibiotic residues in edible tissues of the birds. Consequently, the world is turning to use natural alternatives to improve birds’ productivity and immunity. Withania somnifera, commonly known as ashwagandha or winter cherry, is abundant in many countries of the world and is considered a potent medicinal herb because of its distinct chemical, medicinal, biological, and physiological properties. This plant exhibits antioxidant, cardioprotective, immunomodulatory, anti-aging, neuroprotective, antidiabetic, antimicrobial, antistress, antitumor, hepatoprotective, and growth-promoting activities. In poultry, dietary inclusion of W. somnifera revealed promising results in improving feed intake, body weight gain, feed efficiency, and feed conversion ratio, as well as reducing mortality, increasing livability, increasing disease resistance, reducing stress impacts, and maintaining health of the birds. This review sheds light on the distribution, chemical structure, and biological effects of W. somnifera and its impacts on poultry productivity, livability, carcass characteristics, meat quality, blood parameters, immune response, and economic efficiency.
... The distribution of AM fungal species is affected by various factors including both biotic and abiotic factors (Hayman, 1982). Some studies indicated that abiotic factors may be more important than biotic factors for establishing population patterns (Panwar and Tarafdar, 2006). However, other studies suggested that abiotic factors alone are not sufficient in explaining AM species distribution, and some biotic factors have to be taken into account (Uhlmann et al., 2004). ...
The status of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal populations in soil and root samples collected from different pastures of Turkey was studied. Soil physicochemical parameters as well as AM fungal population parameters including spore density (SD), frequency of mycorrhization (F%) and intensity of mycorrhization (M%) were measured and compared in soil and root samples. The correlation between these parameters was also determined. The fungal spores from soils with the highest population indices were propagated, purified and morphologically identified. The significant differences were observed on physicochemical parameters as well as AM fungal population indices among different soil samples and regions. The maximum and minimum averages of fungal spore density, mycorrhizal frequency and intensity of mycorrhization were observed in Sinop and Aydın soils, respectively. Also, a positive correlation was observed between fungal spore density and intensity of mycorrhization in different sampling regions. The results showed that there is a negative correlation between AM fungal indices (spore density and mycorrhizal colonization intensity) with soil EC, pH, available P, and available K. On the other hand, a positive correlation could be observed between AM fungal indices and soil organic matter. Based on morphological methods, 4 definite and 2 indefinite AMF species were identified after fungal propagation. The definite fungal species were Funneliformis caledonius, Rhizophagus fasciculatus, Rhizophagus intraradices and Glomus versiforme. The indefinite species were Glomus sp. and Paraglomus sp.
... Moreover, the evolution of AMF species has led to the development of such appearances that yield advantages in an arid environment (Sykorova et al. 2007), few of which can tolerate drought stress and are broadly dispersed. Glomus species belong to the semi-arid Mediterranean ecosystem and thus adapted to thrive in a water scarcity environment (Panwar and Tarafdar 2006). Plants under drought stress implement diverse approaches to avoid stress or augment drought tolerance or both (Fan and Liu 2011), which allow the plant to resist or maintain a water status under water scarcity. ...
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) represent a group of soil fungus which resides in symbiotic association with plant roots. AMF are obligate biotrophs. The completion of their life cycle depends on their ability to colonize the root of a host plant. A variety of benefits to the host plants have been attributed to mycorrhizae, most often enhanced uptake of immobile nutrients from the soil. Moreover, mycorrhizal plants also exhibited an improved resistance to root pathogens. AMF fall in the category of biofertilizers. Likewise, it is widely supposed that the inoculation of AMF offers tolerance to host plants against various stressful conditions like heat, salinity, drought, metals, and extreme temperatures. AMF may both assist host plants in the up-regulation of tolerance mechanisms and prevent the down-regulation of key metabolic pathways. AMF are a natural symbiotic association with host plant roots which deliver essential plant inorganic nutrients to host plants and this way they improve growth and yield under unstressed and stressed regimes. The role of AMF as a biofertilizer could possibly reinforce plants’ adaptability against a varying environment. Thus, further research focusing on the AMF-mediated advancement of crop quality and productivity is needed. The present article will provide comprehensive knowledge of AMF and their influence on host plants, their advantages and applications, and consequently the importance of the relationships of different plant nutrients with AMF.KeywordsArbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF)Plant growthCrop productionSustainable agricultureSoil health
... The genus Withania belonging to the family Solanaceae is a well-recognized genus comprising of several medicinal plants (1). Among 23 reported species of Withania, Withania somnifera and Withania coagulans, are among economically important (2). W. coagulans Dunal, is usually referred to as 'Indian cheese maker' or 'vegetable rennet' due to its milk coagulating properties (3,4). ...
Withania coagulans (Stocks) Dunal commonly known as Doda panner/ Indian Rennet is a well-known medicinal plant but remains underutilized mainly due to scarce distribution in nature and extremely poor germination rate. In the present study oil was extracted from seeds of Withania coagulans which was subsequently subjected to FTIR and GC-MS analysis to identify phytochemical components of extracted oil. FTIR analysis revealed presence of diverse group of compounds including alcohols, alkane, alkene, aldehyde, ketone and halo compounds. GC-MS analysis depicted presence of 49 phytoconstituents in the oil extracted from seeds of W. coagulans. among which hexanoic acid, n-hexadecenoic acid, Vitamin E, gamma-Tocopherol, squalene, fucosterol, 2-Pyrrolidinone, 1-methyl, octadecanoic acid represent major phytoconstituents identified. Several compounds identified to be present in extracted oil have been reported to possess one or more pharmacological activity. Hence, the study suggests validation of plant oil to be utilized as ingredient of different pharmacological, cosmetic and other food products.
... Environmental variations, host phenology, interspecific competition and regional spatial dynamics can all influence the population, distribution, and composition of AM fungal communities in various ecosystems (Öpik et al. 2006;Melo et al. 2019). Information on the AMF spore density in rhizosphere of P. verticillatum is not available, but it was recorded in the range of 3.01 to 2860 spores by many researchers with other medicinal plants, e.g., 10 spores in Ludwigia linifolia and 382 spores/100 g of soil in Leucas aspera (Bukhari et al. 2003); 84 spores/100g in Withania coagulans and 147 spores in Mitragyna parvifolia (Panwar and Tarafdar 2006); spore density ranged from 47.53 in Datura stramonium to 177.4 in Mimosa pudica per 50 g of soil sample ; 27 spores/10 g of soil in the rhizosphere of Adhatoda vasica and 196 spores in Zanthoxylum acanthopodium (Singh et al. 2017); 3.01 spores density per 50 g in Peumus boldus and 37.30 in Matricaria chamomilla (Urcoviche et al. 2014); AM fungal spore density varied from 270 (Leonurus heterophyllus) to 2860 (Lophatherum gracile) per 100 g soil (Wang and Jiang 2015). Bhat et al. (2014) isolated and identified 151 spores/100g and 24 spores/100g of natural soil of C. roseus at two sites and Glomus was found to be the predominant genus in the rhizosphere of both the sites. ...
Kumar A, Tapwal A. 2022. Diversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and root colonization in Polygonatum verticillatum. Nusantara Bioscience 14: 53-63. Diversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) associated with Polygonatum verticillatum (L.) All. was investigated in two sites of Himachal Himalaya, India. A total of 15 AMF species were isolated and identified from the rhizosphere soil of P. verticillatum. The spore density was 1.48 ± 1.91 and 3.99 ± 3.78 per 20 gram of rhizosphere soil at site-I and site-II, respectively. Mycorrhizal colonization in the roots of P. verticillatum was recorded 46.12 and 52.23 percent at site-I and site-II, respectively. The mycorrhizal structures like darkly stained endophytic hyphae, coiled intracellular hyphae, Y-shaped hyphae and 'H' connection (Arum type) were recorded.
... Habitat restoration, one of the basic measures for plant species protection, requires accurate information on the current and future distributions of species (i.e. under climate change circumstances) in each habitat Panwar and Tarafdar, 2006;Zhang et al., 2019). Thus, understanding the relationships of species with environmental factors and predicting their changes have become one of the fundamental challenges for ecologists (Dai et al., 2013;Kong et al., 2021;Lundholm and Larson, 2003). ...
Nepeta crispa Willd. is a very rare medicinal plant that grows in a very limited habitat in western Iran. In recent years, due to climate change, many plants have become endangered, which poses a very serious threat to very rare species such as N. crispa Willd. In the present study, we aimed to model the current and future potential geographical distributions and identify the most relevant environmental factors influencing the distribution of N. crispa Willd. an endemic plant species in west of Iran. The species distribution was modeled with the maximum entropy model by using presence data (160 sampling points) and a total of 15 climatic and environmental variables. To predict possible shifts in the geographical distribution due to climate change, we used the Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 2.6 and RCP 8.5 for 2050 and 2070 for two Global Climate Models (GCMs). The jackknifing method was used to evaluate the contribution of the environmental variables to the model. We found that elevation, annual mean temperature, geology and precipitation of the driest quarter were the most important variables in determining the habitat of N. crispa. The species habitat suitability maps and models were efficient in predicting the habitat suitability distribution for N. crispa in the current conditions with an Area Under the ROC Curve (AUC) of 0.983. Our modeling approach also demonstrated that climate change would expand the habitat range of N. crispa in the Alvand mountain areas in Iran towards higher elevation (above 2000 m.a.s.l). Conservation measures should therefore predominantly concentrate on the elevation range between 2000 and 3500 m.a.s.l. Knowledge of current distribution of the N. crispa and predicting its potential future geographical distribution under different climate change scenarios provide useful information for conservation actions in Iran.
... Turangzai) while studying the rhizosphere of C. For both plant species, the highest percentage of spores (i.e. 38.98%, 48.24%) was observed to be for Glomus species (Table-1 (Zhang et al., 2004;Panwar & Tarafdar, 2005;Su & Guo, 2007;Kamalvanshi et al., 2012;Kavitha, Nelson, 2013). ...
... W. somnifera has a pan tropical distribution ( Fig. 2) but commonly found in drier regions of Southern Asia, Central Asia and Africa, especially in India, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, South Africa, Morocco, Sind, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Egypt, Congo, Jordon, Mediterranean regions along with the Canaries and Cape of Good Hope (Javanshir, 2000;Sharma, 2004;Panwar and Tarafdar, 2006;Mir et al., 2012;Mandal and Reddy, 2017). It mainly grows along roadsides and waste lands in arid and semi-arid regions of Rajasthan, Haryana, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab in India. ...
Ethnopharmacological relevance.
Withania somnifera, commonly known as Ashwagandha, is an important medicinal herb belonging to family Solanaceae. It is widely used in folkloric and Ayurvedic medicines since antiquity. Traditionally, the plant is highly practiced throughout the globe as immunomodulator, anti-inflammatory, anti-stress, anti-parkinson, anti-alzheimer, cardio protective, neural and physical health enhancer, neurodefensive, anti-diabetic, aphrodisiac, memory boosting etc. The plant is also effective in combating various cancer and related problems of colon, mammary, lung, prostate, skin, blood, liver and kidney.
Aim of this review.
The present review represents the critical assessment of the literature available on the anticancerous role of W. somnifera. The present study throws light on its diverse chemical compounds and the possible mechanisms of action involved. This review also suggests further research strategies to harness the therapeutic potential of this plant.
Materials and methods.
The present review is the outcome of a systematic search of scientific literature about ‘Withania somnifera and its role in cancer prevention’. The scientific databases viz. Google Scholar, Science Direct, Pubmed and Web of Science were searched from 2001 to 2019. Textbooks, magazines and newspapers were also consulted. This review summarizes all the published literature about its therapeutic potential for the treatment of different types of cancers.
Results.
W. somnifera has been widely used in traditional and ayurvedic medicines for treatment of numerous problems related to health and vitality. The plant is a reservoir of diverse phytoconstituents like alkaloids, steroids, flavonoids, phenolics, nitrogen containing compounds and trace elements. Withanolides are the major alkaloids which renders its anticancer potential due to its highly oxygenated nature. The plant is highly effective in combating various types of cancers viz. colon, mammary, lung, prostate, skin, blood, liver and kidney. Previous studies depict that this plant is more effective against breast cancer followed by colon, lung, prostate and blood cancer. Furthermore, from different clinical studies it has been observed that the active constituents of the plant like withaferin-A, withanolide-D have least toxic effects.
Conclusion.
The present review confirms the various medicinal values of W. somnifera without any significant side effects. Withaferin-A (WA) and Withanolides are its most promising anticancer compounds that play a major role in apoptosis induction. Keeping in mind the anticancerous potential of this plant, it is suggested that this plant may further be investigated and more clinical studies can be performed.
... [5][6][7] Out of all these species, the W. coagulans and W. Somnifera are financially and curatively important. [8][9][10] As the name suggest the herb has milkcoagulating property due to the presence of an enzyme, which is a plant hormone. The active principle named "Withanin" found in the seeds of the fruits is ferment like animal rennet. ...
People spend about one third of their life in sleeping. The various sedative and hypnotic drugs currently used have various adverse drug reactions. In 1977 Budhiraja et al. have done insufficient work on the Withania coagulans – a susceptible species that is not found plentiful in the world. Therefore, it was critical to discover the Central Nervous System (CNS) depressant activities of alcoholic extract of Withania coagulans fruits in Swiss albino mice by means of actophotometer.
The spontaneous locomotor action was assessed by means of the actophotometer. The CNS depressant medications reduce the exploratory action in rodent as they weaken the motor coordination so that rodent is stationary for a considerable time. Thus, there is fewer interruptions to the rays of light. This spontaneous locomotor movement duration is statistically compared with the control, standard and the test drugs.
There was statistically highly significant (p-value < 0.001) relationship witnessed between alcoholic excerpt of Withania coagulans fruits with spontaneous locomotor action in Swiss albino mice on the photoactometer.
The alcoholic excerpt of Withania coagulans fruits established the CNS depressant action in Swiss albino mice by photoactometer.
... aggregatum, G. fasciculatum, G. geosporum, G. intraradices, and G. mosseae are observed in the roots of Indigofera tinctoria, I. aspalathoides, and Eclipta prostrata (Sundar et al. 2011). Because of the significant role in the abiotic stress-relieving potential, five genera of AM fungi were isolated from Indian Thar Desert habituated medicinal plant Leptadenia reticulata, Mitragyna parvifolia, and Withania coagulans (Panwar and Tarafdar 2006). Awasthi and his group showed the compatibility and synergy between AM fungus Glomus mosseae and rhizobacterium Bacillus subtilis and suggested the use of consortia for Artemisia annua cultivation to achieve maximum herbage and artemisinin content in leaf. ...
Plants live in association with microbes in both above- and belowground
part, as some are beneficial and some are harmful to the plant. Microbes which are
found within the plant tissue, namely, endophytes, can have beneficial, neutral, or
detrimental effects on plant health and development. Several works have been done
on plant-microbe interactions and microbial diversity of rhizospheric region of
medicinal plants. Therefore, plant secondary metabolite and root exudates which
include various sugars and organic acids influence biogeochemical reactions and
thus plant metabolism. Signaling molecules like strigolactones induce the colonization of the mycorrhiza fungi with plant root and stimulate the germination of the
parasitic plant such as Striga. Similarly, the flavonoids secreted by leguminous roots
increase the growth of symbiotic and nonsymbiotic nitrogen-fixing bacteria and also
attract pathogenic oomycetes as well. Root-associated microflora and endophytes
(fungi or bacteria) help plant growth by secreting the plant hormone (auxin/cytokinin) and nutrients like phosphorus, nitrogen, and iron. Microbial association withroot may induce plant resistance against the several biotic and abiotic stresses, such
as toxic metals, pathogens, drought, high temperature, saline soils, adverse soil pH,
and transplant shock. Study the plant-microbe interaction in the era of nextgeneration sequencing opens a new way to understand their association as well as
help in improvement of sustainable agriculture. Finding answers of these questions
“Who is there?” and “What are they doing?” extended by “How do they live under
given conditions?”, “How do they respond to environmental changes and perturbations?”, “How do they interact with each other?”, and “How do they affect plant
growth and development?” may be used in the future to support plant growth and
improve crop yield. Exploration of endophytic or rhizospheric microbes in the future
for enhancement of secondary metabolites in medicinal plants might be a new vista
opened for the sustainable agriculture practices. In this chapter, we will focus our
attention to the role of medicinal plant-microbe interaction to root and shoot in
positive and negative aspect.
... The plants of this family are known to contain cytotoxic and tumoricidal C/D-cis-polyoxypregnane esters and glycosides. The branches, leaves and bark of Leptadenia pyrotechnica are used in folk medicine to prepare antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory, antihistaminic, antibacterial, diuretic, uroliths expulsion, expectorant, gout and rheumatism remedies (Panwara and Tarafdarb, 2006). The plant is a typical desert shrub growing in different regions of Egypt, especially in the Eastern Desert and Sinai Peninsula. ...
... [5][6][7] Out of all these species, the W. coagulans and W. somnifera are financially and curatively important. [8][9][10] As the name suggest the herb has milk coagulating property due to the presence of an enzyme, which is a plant hormone. The active principle named "Withanin" found in the seeds of the fruits is ferment like animal rennet. ...
Background: People spend about one third of their time in sleep every day. The various sedative and hypnotic medications used today have numerous side effects. In the late seventies a very little work was done on the Withania coagulans - a vulnerable species that is found scattered in the world. Therefore, it was essential to discover the CNS depressant activities of aqueous extract of Withania coagulans fruits in swiss albino mice by using actophotometer.Methods: The spontaneous locomotor activity was evaluated by using the actophotometer. The CNS depressant drugs decrease the locomotor activity in mice as they impair the motor coordination so that mice stay at one place for the longer time. Therefore, there is less disruption of the beams of light. This spontaneous locomotor activity time is statistically correlated among the control, standard and the test drugs.Results: There was statistically highly significant (p value <0.001) association observed between aqueous extract of Withania coagulans fruits with spontaneous locomotor activity in swiss albino mice on the actophotometer.Conclusions: The aqueous extract of Withania coagulans fruits demonstrated the CNS depressant activity in swiss albino mice by actophotometer.
... g -1 soil). The result is important to preliminarily assess AM abundance in the rhizome of two medicinal plants and with that of Panwar and Tarafdar (2006) and Thapa and others (2015) comparable, contributing to better understanding in the mycorrhizal community of medicinal plants in different environmental conditions in general. ...
Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi are soil eukaryotes that belong to phylum Glomeromycota and have symbiosis with the vast majority of higher plants’ roots. AM fungi are believed to be coevolved with terrestrial plants, the abundance and diversity of AM fungal communities as a result are host plant dependent. A survey of AM fungi from the rhizospheres of medicinal plants in Northern Vietnam including gurma Gymnema sylvestre and turmeric Curcuma longa was carried out. From the extracted total DNAs of the medicinal plants’ rhizosphere soil samples, 35 mycorrhizal fungal species were identified by analyzing small subunit rRNA gene sequences. Result revealed that genus Glomus is the most abundant in the AM communities of G. sylvestre and C. longa, followed by Gigaspora and Acaulospora. Besides, AM species belonging to genera Scutellospora, Diversispora and Rhizophagus were observed in almost all rhizosphere soil samples. The spore counting by wet sieving and decanting method uncovered a variation in AM spore density of gurma and turmeric rhizosphere. In general, AM species were found more abundantly and more diverse in collected rhizome soil samples of C. longa (27 species belonging to 10 genera) than of G. sylvestre (17 species found belonging to 7 genera). The observed difference in AM communities of G. sylvestre and C. longa supports evidence for the dependence of AM fungal species on host plants, and indicates that AM fungi may have relation to the host plants’ secondary metabolite production.
... Winter cherry, W. somnifera L (Solanales: Solanaceae) is a local plant to east Mediterranean and south Asia (Parwar and Tarafdar, 2006) and has been used in traditional medicine (Bhattacharya et al., 2001). In Iran, this plant is better known locally as Panirbaad, grown only in Sistan and Baluchistan province, Khash (28 • 13 16 N 61 • 12 57 E) and Saravan (27 • 22 15 N 62 • 20 03 E) cities (Keykha et al., 2017). ...
The effect of Withania somnifera a medicinal plant seed extract was tested against lesser mulberry pyralid, a potential pest of mulberry. The mulberry leaves were used for silk production in rural areas of northern Iran. The extract was administered orally by leaf dipping method in two lower (5%W/V) and higher (15%W/V) dosages to third instar larvae (<24 h) for biological assays and to fifth instar larvae (<24 h) for Physiological studies. The results showed formation of larvoids (Ls), larval-pupal intermediates (LPIs), pupoids (Ps) and pupal-adult intermediates (PAIs). The results showed increased larval duration by 1.7 and 2 folds in 5 and 15% treatment, respectively. Fecundity of resultant adults was decreased by 1.2 and 1.3 in 5 and 15% treatment, respectively. Except approximate digestibility (AD) and consumption index (CI) all other feeding indices showed reduction. The feeding deterrence was prominent at 15% (87%) and 5% showing 48% deterrence. Our enzymatic and non-enzymatic assessments upon treatment showed reduction in key components, except detoxifying enzymes. However, the activity of an important enzyme involved in cuticle hardening and immunity called phenoloxidase was reduced. We also investigated the histology of midgut for further analysis and found drastic changes in main cellular elements. Immunological changes following treatment was noticeable in reduced Total Hemocyte Count but surprisingly increased Differential Hemocyte Count. However, the hemocytes structure was extremely damaged. The reduced number of eggs in treated but survived adults indicated reduced ovaries, with vacuolization both in trophocytes and oocytes. The key chemical compounds showed reductions particularly at 15%. The present results are concomitant with few earlier studies on this medicinal plant and deserve further studies particularly in deriving key chemicals that alter metamorphosis similar to insect growth regulators.
... Habitat restoration, one of the basic measures for plant species protection, requires accurate information on the current and future distributions of species (i.e. under climate change circumstances) in each habitat Panwar and Tarafdar, 2006;Zhang et al., 2019). Thus, understanding the relationships of species with environmental factors and predicting their changes have become one of the fundamental challenges for ecologists (Dai et al., 2013;Kong et al., 2021;Lundholm and Larson, 2003). ...
Assessment of forest soil and vegetation characteristics provides basic and essential information for the protection and rehabilitation measures in forest ecosystems. Therefore, regard to the importance of this issue, the distribution of different soil properties and vegetation diversity in relation to conservation management and degradation investigated in the oak forests of Ilam province using geostatistical methods. First, in each area, 50 plots were determined by a systematic random method. In each plot, the percent cover of plant species estimated. Also, soil samples (0 to 20 cm) collected by selecting three random points in each plot. After calculating different soil properties and understory plant species diversity, the accuracy of Kriging and Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW) in estimating of variables investigated. Then the distribution map prepared for those variables that their estimation accuracy was acceptable. The results showed that there is a spatial dependency between soil properties and diversity, richness and evenness and their distribution map of these variables can be prepared with suitable accuracy. So, the distribution map of variables which had appropriate accuracy and estimation accuracy (R2> 0.5) was provided that included saturated moisture percentage (IDW method), soil salinity (Kriging), exchangeable magnesium (IDW), calcium (Kriging), Lime percentage (IDW), total Phosphorus (IDW), organic carbon (Kriging), soil bulk density (IDW), litter rate (IDW), total nitrogen (IDW) and Shannon–Wiener index (Kriging). The results of this study showed that habitat degradation weakens the spatial structure of soil attributes and plant species diversity.
... aggregatum, G. fasciculatum, G. geosporum, G. intraradices, and G. mosseae are observed in the roots of Indigofera tinctoria, I. aspalathoides, and Eclipta prostrata (Sundar et al. 2011). Because of the significant role in the abiotic stress-relieving potential, five genera of AM fungi were isolated from Indian Thar Desert habituated medicinal plant Leptadenia reticulata, Mitragyna parvifolia, and Withania coagulans (Panwar and Tarafdar 2006). Awasthi and his group showed the compatibility and synergy between AM fungus Glomus mosseae and rhizobacterium Bacillus subtilis and suggested the use of consortia for Artemisia annua cultivation to achieve maximum herbage and artemisinin content in leaf. ...
Plants live in association with microbes in both above- and belowground part, as some are beneficial and some are harmful to the plant. Microbes which are found within the plant tissue, namely, endophytes, can have beneficial, neutral, or detrimental effects on plant health and development. Several works have been done on plant-microbe interactions and microbial diversity of rhizospheric region of medicinal plants. Therefore, plant secondary metabolite and root exudates which include various sugars and organic acids influence biogeochemical reactions and thus plant metabolism. Signaling molecules like strigolactones induce the colonization of the mycorrhiza fungi with plant root and stimulate the germination of the parasitic plant such as Striga. Similarly, the flavonoids secreted by leguminous roots increase the growth of symbiotic and nonsymbiotic nitrogen-fixing bacteria and also attract pathogenic oomycetes as well. Root-associated microflora and endophytes (fungi or bacteria) help plant growth by secreting the plant hormone (auxin/cytokinin) and nutrients like phosphorus, nitrogen, and iron. Microbial association with root may induce plant resistance against the several biotic and abiotic stresses, such as toxic metals, pathogens, drought, high temperature, saline soils, adverse soil pH, and transplant shock. Study the plant-microbe interaction in the era of next-generation sequencing opens a new way to understand their association as well as help in improvement of sustainable agriculture. Finding answers of these questions “Who is there?” and “What are they doing?” extended by “How do they live under given conditions?”, “How do they respond to environmental changes and perturbations?”, “How do they interact with each other?”, and “How do they affect plant growth and development?” may be used in the future to support plant growth and improve crop yield. Exploration of endophytic or rhizospheric microbes in the future for enhancement of secondary metabolites in medicinal plants might be a new vista opened for the sustainable agriculture practices. In this chapter, we will focus our attention to the role of medicinal plant-microbe interaction to root and shoot in positive and negative aspect.
... Though twenty-three Withania spp. are known to be widely distributed in world, only two species of Withania viz, W.coagulans (L.) Dunal and W.somnifera (L.) Dunal are medicinally significant 10,11 . Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal is a small and woody shrub, erect, greyish, perennial about two feet in height. ...
The present work is designed to study the possibility of antibacterial effect of plant extracts against some known pathogens and the use of its constituents present there for preparation of pharmaceutical products. Studies on the antibacterial activity of leaf extracts of Withania somnifera (L.) was evaluated using zone of inhibition studies and minimum inhibitory concentration. The microorganisms used includes Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus pyrogens, Salmonella typhimurium and Vibrio cholerae. This extract exhibits antibacterial activity against these experimental strains. Inhibition zones are revealed by methanol extract which are comparatively more than the ethanol extract. For methanol extract Vibrio cholerae shows the least inhibition zone (30.12 ±1.11 mm), where as Streptococcus mutans exhibits the highest inhibition zone (34.33±0.56 mm). Similarly the ethanol extract, Streptococcus mutans shows the highest inhibition zone (32.33±1.14 mm) and Vibrio cholerae shows the least inhibition zone (29.31±1.52 mm). Among the Gram-negative bacteria's Salmonella typhimurium was the most susceptible bacteria strain for both ethanol and methanol extract, where as Streptococcus mutans was also one of the most susceptible Gram-positive bacteria. This probability can open up a new vista in preparation of medicines. The use of plant extracts for specific pathogen can be authenticated by such experiments.
... Many Asclepiadaceous constituents have been intensively investigated as possible antitumor agents and also as potential bioactive chemicals (Gopiesh and Kannabiran, 2007). Many medicinal uses of Leptadenia pyrotechnica are reported in traditional medicine, the branches of the plant are diuretic and the bedouins use the infusion of branches for treatment of retention of urine and to help expel uroliths (Panwara and Tarafdarb, 2006). Also, the plant yields a fiber which is used in indigenous medicines as an antihistaminic and expectorant (Farnsworth, 1996). ...
... Native AMF ecotypes have come up after a long span of adaptation to the soils of extreme characteristics [28]. A number of investigations pointed out that Glomus species are typical of semi-arid Mediterranean ecosystems and are able to grow under water deficit conditions [27,[29][30][31][32][33]. ...
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) establish symbiotic interaction with 80% of known land plants. It has a pronounced impact on plant growth, water absorption, mineral nutrition, and protection from abiotic stresses. Plants are very dynamic systems having great adaptability under continuously changing drying conditions. In this regard, the function of AMF as a biological tool for improving plant drought stress tolerance and phenotypic plasticity, in terms of establishing mutualistic associations, seems an innovative approach towards sustainable agriculture. However, a better understanding of these complex interconnected signaling pathways and AMF-mediated mechanisms that regulate the drought tolerance in plants will enhance its potential application as an innovative approach in environmentally friendly agriculture. This paper reviews the underlying mechanisms that are confidently linked with plant–AMF interaction in alleviating drought stress, constructing emphasis on phytohormones and signaling molecules and their interaction with biochemical, and physiological processes to maintain the homeostasis of nutrient and water cycling and plant growth performance. Likewise, the paper will analyze how the AMF symbiosis helps the plant to overcome the deleterious effects of stress is also evaluated. Finally, we review how interactions between various signaling mechanisms governed by AMF symbiosis modulate different physiological responses to improve drought tolerance. Understanding the AMF-mediated mechanisms that are important for regulating the establishment of the mycorrhizal association and the plant protective responses towards unfavorable conditions will open new approaches to exploit AMF as a bioprotective tool against drought.
... However, the identity of the AMF species was not reported. Panwar and Tarafdar (2006) reported that endangered medicinal plant species -Leptadenia reticulate, Mitrangyna parvifolia and Withania coagulans, growing in Thar desert, India were found to be colonized by 18 species of AMF belonging to over five genera, Acaulospora, Gigaspora, Glomus, Paraglomus and Scutellospora. Glomus species were reported to be the most dominant species accounting for over 50% of total isolates. ...
The diversity of plant communities has been continuously declining due to habitat loss, invasive species and anthropogenic disturbances. This way, many valuable plant species have become extinct and others would have also the same fate even before they are discovered. Therefore, an urgent requirement is to devise long-term strategies to ensure their conservation and prevent their extinction from the earth. Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) can impart multiple beneficial effects on plant growth, health, nutrition, productivity, stress relief as well as soil fertility and stability. Many endangered species live in symbiosis with AMF. However, studies pertaining to the role of AMF in conservation practices are meager, with mechanisms yet to be unraveled. Owing to vast area requiring large fungal inocula and complexity of plant community structures, application of AMF in field sites may not be feasible. However, seedlings of endangered plants can be raised in vitro or in vivo and inoculated with AMF to be replanted in native areas. Key issues that need be addressed for a successful application of mycorrhizal technology in conservation practices are: i) determination of the specificity of the endangered plant to any AMF population, ii) identification of the AMF taxon involved in symbiosis with the endangered plant, iii) evaluation of the individuality and plasticity of the AMF taxon, iv) elucidation of the mechanisms involved in promoting growth and survival of the plant and, v) identification of the relevant developmental stage of the endangered plant for replanting in native habitats. AMF can provide a cost-effective strategy for the re-establishment and regeneration efforts that can be ecologically viable as well.
... as predominant AMF in cherry orchards of Himachal Pradesh. The pre-dominance of Glomus in present study is in agreement with Panwar and Tarafdar (2006); Mridha and Dhar (2007); Sharma et al. (2009) and Burni et al. (2011) as they are well adaptable to varied edapho-climatic conditions (Pande and Tarafdar 2004). During survey of five different apple orchards in Himachal Pradesh (India) Pramod et al. (2006) found Glomus as most widely occurring species with highest spore count, followed by genera Gigaspora, Scultellospora, Acaulospora, Entrophospora and Sclerocystis which occurred irregularly with lower spore density. ...
A study was conducted to assess the diversity and distribution of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in pome (apple and pear) and stone (cherry) fruit orchards in North Western Himalayan Kashmir. A total of 222 AMF isolates were isolated from the rhizosphere of apple, pear and cherry plants from the four districts of Kashmir valley viz., Srinagar, Ganderbal, Baramulla and Shopian. The maximum number of AMF isolates were found in district Baramulla (60) followed by Ganderbal (57), Srinagar (53) and Shopian (52) with Simpson’s species diversity index of 0.58. Twenty-nine AMF species, belonging to 7 genera were identified, besides 16 species belonging to three genera were identified up to genus level. Out of these, six species viz., Glomus xanthium, Scutellospora tricalypta, S. armeniaca, Dentiscutata erythropa, Septoglomus deserticola and S. constrictum have not been reported from India so far so these are the first records from India. Glomus species was the most common and predominant AM fungus with frequency occurrence of 60.75%, followed by Acaulospora spp. (22.82%), Scutellospora spp. (8.05%) and Septoglomus spp. (4.69%). However, Dentiscutata spp., Fumneliformis spp. and Gigaspora spp. were rarely encountered.
... The Sudanese's W Samnifera (S-WS) root powder, use as remedy against tinge [17][18][19][20]. The chemical investigations of the roots, leaves and fruits of W. somnifera resulted in the isolation and characterization of several steroidal lactones, flavonoids, alkaloids, saturated, and unsaturated fatty acids, which responsible for the wide array of pharmacological activities [21][22][23]. ...
The present study was aimed to determine trace and major elements in Moroccan and Sudanese medicinal plants Withania Somnifera by using Inductively Coupled Plasma-Atomic-emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). The studies revealed that three major elements, namely, K, Ca and Mg, and four trace elements, Fe, Pb, Se and Zn were determined which are healthy for human body. The considered metals and their concentrations were found to vary in two samples. Several factors may account for variations in mineral concentration, which include different geographic areas, soil composition and environmental changes.
... Turangzai) while studying the rhizosphere of C. For both plant species, the highest percentage of spores (i.e. 38.98%, 48.24%) was observed to be for Glomus species (Table-1 (Zhang et al., 2004;Panwar & Tarafdar, 2005;Su & Guo, 2007;Kamalvanshi et al., 2012;Kavitha, Nelson, 2013). ...
... It is well documented that oestradiol hormones are powerful modulators of Ca metabolism by activating renal enzyme VD3 1 hydroxylase in the kidney Bansal et al., 2013). Panwar and Tarafdar (2006) reported that Withania somnifera (WS) and Withania coagulans (WC) are known as economically important species of Withania and are widely cultivated. Withania somnifera L. (Solanaceae) is an annual herb and a rich source of bioactive compounds (Khan et al., 2009). ...
This study was performed to evaluate the effects of hydroalcoholic extracts of Withania somnifera (WS) root, Withania coagulans (WC) fruit and 1, 25-dihydroxycholecalciferol [1, 25-(OH)2 D3] on bone mineralization, mechanical, and histological properties of broiler chickens. A total of 550 male one-day-old Ross 308 broiler chickens were randomly allotted to 55 pens, with 10 birds per pen (replicate), and reared for 42 days. A completely randomize d design was used with 11 dietary treatments including a positive control diet with adequate Ca; a negative control diet (Ca concentration reduced by 30%); and a negative control diet supplemented with either WS or WC extracts at three levels (0, 75 and 150 mg/kg diet) or 1, 25-(OH)2-D3 at two different levels (0 and 0.5 μg/kg diet). Diets were given ad libitum from one to 42 day of age. Dietary treatments did not affect feed intake and feed conversion efficiency. On days 21 and 42, one bird per replicate was killed and tibiae were removed. Among the birds that were given negative control diet, the highest Ca retention values were noted in those that received 75 mg/kg WC (84.67%) or 150 mg/kg WS (83.09%) with 0.5 μg/kg 1, 25-(OH)2 D3. At 21 days of age, the highest tibia Ca values were obtained in birds fed negative control diet supplemented with 150 mg/kg WS or WC with no dietary supplementation of 1, 25-(OH)2 D3 (38.652 and 38.433 % respectively). No significant effects on tibia Ca were noted at 42 days. There were no significant differences (P>0.05) between experimental treatments for all tibia bone biomechanical properties. The addition of 75 mg/kg WS and 1, 25-(OH)2 D3 to negative control diets resulted in significant increase (P<0.05) in tibia mineralize d zone width. The present study showed that dietary supplementation of WS and WC at 150 and 75 mg/kg, respectively improved Ca retention and the effects were more pronounced in the presence of 1, 25 (OH)2 D3. Administration of 150 mg/kg WS and WC had beneficial effects on bone calcification. Also, synergistic effects of WS and 1, 25-(OH)2 D3 resulted in significant increase in tibia mineralized zone width. © 2018, Pakistan Agricultural Scientists Forum. All rights reserved.
... The species were from the genera Glomus (8 species), Acaulospora (6 species), Scutellospora (2 species) and Gigaspora (1 species) 27 reported around 21 AM fungal species in roots of the important medicinal plants such as Indigofera aspalathoides, Eclipta prostrata and Indigofera tinctoria. Five genera of AM fungi were identified in the rhizosphere soil of 3 different medicinal plant species namely, Withania coagulans, Mitragyna parvifolia and Leptadenia reticulata 28 . ...
The study of rhizospheric microbial flora for the enhancement of aroma compounds is well recognized. The rhizosphere microbes also play very important role in improving medicinal values of plants. Rhizospheric microbes affect the plant physiology by imparting several useful effects such as nitrogen fixation, nutrient uptake, and production of secondary metabolites in the medicinal and aromatic plants. Recent days there are increasing the interests in the research of the relation between rhizosphere microbes associated with medicinal plant for the improvement of quality of medicinal plants. A large variety of fungi and bacteria is recognized in the rhizosphere soil of medicinal plants that showed significant effect in secondary metabolite alteration and uptake of plant nutrient. There are reports that rhizosphere fungi not only enhanced the growth parameters in plants but also considerably modulated essential oil’s quality. This study highlighted the researches performed on active role of rhizosphere fungi on explored medicinal and aromatic plants. As the use of organic material is one of the constituents of good agricultural practices (GAPs). Therefore, this review also investigates the environmental concerns reducing the use harmful chemicals as well as recommendation for utilization of biological and organics in agriculture. Therefore, a proper understanding of role of rhizosphere mycoflora associated with the medicinal plants is essential.
... Al-Garni (2001) reported a wide variation among the samples for spore populations with the field soils and infectivity of AMF with roots from a study on Taif soils and standing crops. On the other hand, several studies reported occurrence and diversity of mycorrhizae in desert plants (Miller, 1979;Rose, 1981;Mejstřík and Cudlín, 1983;Stutz and Morton, 1996;He et al., 2002;Titus et al., 2002;Chaudhry et al., 2006;Panwar and Tarafdar, 2006;Uhlmann et al., 2006) but very few references are available with structural colonization studies and spore population in different countries with desert plants especially from Saudi Arabia. ...
... [15,16] Leptadenia pyrotechnica fibres were used as antihistaminic and expectorant. [17,18] Some literature also referred its applications in gout and rheumatism. [19] In Bikaner region, it has been considered good for constipation whereas its infusion mixed with buttermilkis used in uterine prolapsed. ...
... Glomus was the most dominant genus in exclosure and in grazing land. Glomus is a predominantly genus found to be distributed in soils all over the world (Minal and Anil 2012;Chris 2010) Means followed by the same letter in the same column are not significantly different at P < 0.05 level, mean ± SEM GL grazing land, EX exclosure, LU land use types Burni et al. 2009;Sharma et al. 2009;Wang and Zao 2008;Mridha and Dhar 2007;Panwar and Tarafdar 2006;Burni and Illahi 2004). The predominance of Glomus species under varying soil conditions might be due to its wide adaptability to the varied soil conditions and survive in acidic as well as in alkaline soils (Tanvir et al. 2011;Pande and Tarafdar 2004). ...
Introduction: Exclusion of grazing animals and tree plantations were among the methods used for the restoration of degraded lands in tropical semiarid areas. Exclosures can foster secondary forest succession by improving soil conditions and modifying microclimate for understory growth. This paper compared the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) spore density, root colonization of woody plants and soil chemical properties under exclosure with increasing age, and grazing land at different slope positions. Methods: The study was conducted in northern Ethiopia from 12 exclosure sites paired each with adjacent grazing land in total from 24 sites with four treatments replicated three times. In the entire study, 216 plots were examined of which 108 were in exclosures and 108 in communal grazing lands. There were four age classes and three slope positions in each of the land uses. Composite soil and root samples were collected using nested plots measuring 100m² from four sides of 1763 plants for spore enumeration and root colonization. Soils for chemical properties were collected from the four corners and center of 5 m × 5 m plots. Results: All the 61 woody plant species that belong to 41 families were colonized by AMF. Spore density and root colonization were significantly higher in exclosures as compared to grazing land and increased with increasing ages of exclosures. Foot slope had significantly higher spore density and root colonization than middle and upper slopes. Soil chemical properties were significantly higher in the exclosure, oldest age of exclosure, and foot slope position (except P). AMF spore density and root colonization were significantly positively correlated with soil chemical properties. Conclusions: Exclosures are helpful to restore the AMF spore density and root colonization of woody species and soil fertility.
... climate, soil physicochemical properties and the host plant (Hayman 1982;Brundett 2009;Dehne et al.,1987). It was reported that abiotic factors are more important (Panwar and Tarafdar 2006) in the distribution of AM fungi. The physicochemical results of studied soil sample indicated that the soil was alkaline (pH 7.8). ...
... Withania is a small genus of shrubs which are distributed in the east of the Mediterranean region and extend to South Asia. Among the 23 known species of Withania, only two, Withania somnifera and Withania coagulans, are economically considerable and widely cultivated [2,3]. W. coagulans Dunal is one of the vital medicinal plants. ...
Objective: Withanolides are the biologically active, principle compound present in Withania coagulans, which is having a high medicinal value and possesses potent therapeutic activity. The present study was attempted with an objective to investigate a biomass growth and withanolide production in in vitro root tissues of W. coagulans.Methods: High-performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC) often serves as a method for quantification of major withanolides. In the present study, methanolic withanolide extract of in vitro cultured W. coagulans root tissue were carried out using HPTLC. The HPTLC analysis was performed using precoated silica gel aluminum plate (20 cm × 20 cm) 60F254 (E.MERCK, Germany) with mobile phase toluene: ethyl acetate: formic acid (5:5:1).Results: The optimization of different combination and concentration of plant growth regulators (indole-3-butyric acid [IBA] and indole-acetic acid) was used to stimulate the biomass growth and withanolide production. The maximum biomass growth (7.48±0.25 g/dL) was observed in medium with 4.93 μM−1 IBA. The higher amount of withanolide A (204.98±0.87 μg/L DW) and withaferin A (227.15±0.57 μg/L DW) accumulation was recorded in culture grown on half Murashiga-Skoog media supplemented with 4.93 μM−1 and 2.46 μM−1 IBA.Conclusion: We concluded that in vitro-cultured system could provide unique opportunities for large-scale production of pharmaceutically important compound than field grown plants.
Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi are root symbiont found in association with plants under various geoclimatic and edaphic conditions. Biodiversity of AM fungi is reported from (but not limited to) tropical zones, temperate zones, alpine zones, agricultural soils, mangroves, heavy metal (HM)-polluted soils, acidic soils, saline soils, and alkaline soils. This chapter summarizes the diversity of AM fungi in at least 77 families and 347 genera of land plants. Diversity of AM fungi is most studied in Fabaceae, followed by Asteraceae, Poaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Lamiaceae, and Rubiaceae. Biodiversity of AM fungi is also reported in the families of gymnosperm (i.e., Pinaceae and Taxaceae) and pteridophyte (Ophioglossaceae). AM fungi is also reported from Brassicaceae and Amaranthaceae. With the help of artworks, this chapter elaborates the mechanism of interaction between AM fungi and roots of plants. Various transporters invovled in the symbiotic interaction are well-illustrated in the chapter. In the end, functional aspects including bioprospection of AM fungi is discussed in details.
Background: Semi-natural grasslands as valuable ecosystems are significant for their high biodiversity, cultural importance and landscape values. Quantitative information about medicinal plants in semi-natural grasslands facilitates the evaluation of ecosystem services of these plant communities. Methods: Different literature sources and floristic inventory databases were used to assess the ratio and frequency of medicinal plant species in several Estonian grassland types and the impact of management on these values assessed both in Estonian and Japanese case studies. Lists of medicinal plant species according to different definition scenarios is included as Supplementary Material. Principal Component Analysis was applied for environmental preferences of medicinal plant species compared to other vascular plant species in the semi-natural grasslands. Results: The ratio of medicinal plant species in local total plant species list was the largest in alvars, followed by floodplain and wooded meadows. The average number of medicinal plant species per study plot in wooded meadows and alvars was about twice that found in naturally growing broadleaved forest (according to the most detailed MP species list 7.2, 7.8 and 4.3, respectively). Fertilization of Estonian wooded meadows had no significant impact on medicinal plant species ratio, but decreased the proportion of medicinal plant biomass in total yield. Estonian coastal meadows had a short list of medicinal plant species and the impact of management quality depended therefore on adopted definition scenario. In Japanese Miscanthus sinensis grassland case mowing or burning+mowing combination should be preferred to favor medicinal plant species number. Principal Component Analysis revealed that MP species are more drought-tolerant, common and anthropophyte than the rest of studied grassland species. Conclusions: Alternative usage of herbaceous plant species from semi-natural grasslands is a promising option to achieve sustainable development goals and increase public awareness. Further close cooperation of ecologists, economists and pharmacists is required to guarantee fair and sustainable trade of this ecosystem service in the future.
The central nervous system (CNS) depressant effect is caused by the numerous sedative and hypnotic drugs that are currently used. Though in the late seventies some work was done on Withania coagulans, it is the vulnerable species not widely scattered. Therefore, it was worthy to investigate the CNS depressant activities of alcoholic extract of Withania coagulans fruits in Swiss albino mice by using rota rod test.
To study the motor coordination activity of alcoholic extract of Withania coagulans fruits in Swiss albino mice by Rota Rod Test.
Motor coordination was measured by using the Rota Rod Test. The CNS depressant drugs reduce the endurance time of mice on the rotating rod as they weaken the motor coordination so that mice fall early on the revolving rod. This endurance time is tested statistically among the control, standard and the test drugs.
One way ANOVA was used for the statistical analysis.
The endurance time in Swiss albino mice was statistically highly significantly (p-value < 0.001) associated with the alcoholic extract of Withania coagulans fruits on rota rod test.
The alcoholic extract of Withania coagulans fruits established the CNS depressant activity in Swiss albino mice by rota rod test.
Mitragyna parvifolia (Roxb.) Korth., commonly known as “Kadam,” is an endangered and pharmaceutically valued tree of the family Rubiaceae. The numerous medicinal properties are attributed to the various alkaloids of this plant. Poor seedling survival (due to very small size of seeds, approximately 10,000 per gm), overexploitation and habitat destruction are the major constraints in conserving the wild stocks of this species. This paper reports a significant, improved, and repeatable micropropagation protocol of M. parvifolia using nodal explants of a mature tree. Nodal explants harvested during spring season from the lopped tree differentiated the maximum number of axillary shoots (5.3 ± 0.82 per node) on full-strength Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium containing 3.0 mg L−1 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) and additives (25 mg L−1 each of adenine sulfate, L-arginine, and citric acid and 50 mg L−1 ascorbic acid). Shoots were amplified in vitro through (1) recurrent transfer of mother explants and (2) subculturing on fresh nutrient medium. The greatest number of shoots (13.4 ± 1.26) with an average length of 6.2 ± 1.03 cm was
produced after 4 wk on MS medium containing 0.5 mg L−1 BAP, 0.25 mg L−1 kinetin (Kin), 0.1 mg L−1 Indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), additives, 100 mg L−1 activated charcoal (AC), and 0.8% (w/v) agar. This is the first report of concurrent ex vitro rooting and acclimatization (CEVRA) in M. parvifolia. About 90% micropropagated shoots rooted ex vitro on pulse treatment of 500 mg L−1 Indole-3-butyric acid (IBA; for 5 min) and produced 8.5 ± 0.97 roots per shoot with an average length of 9.40 ± 1.06 cm, after 5 wk. Over 80%of CEVRA plantletswere successfully transplanted to the soil in field. The defined protocol can be
employed for conservation ex situ and restoration/rehabilitation/reintroduction in situ of M. parvifolia.
This chapter discusses the ethnopharmacological properties, phytochemistry, and culture conditions of the Withania species. Withania species is used for treatment of cold and coughs, ulcers, emaciation, diabetes, conjunctivitis, epilepsy, and other ailments. W. somnifera L. (Fam. – Solanaceae) is a sedative, diuretic, anti‐inflammatory, and generally respected for increasing energy and endurance and acts as an adaptogen that exerts a strong immunostimulatory and an anti‐stress agent. The hydroalcoholic extract of W. coagulans shows antidiabetic and antihyperlipidemic, oxidative stress, and anti‐inflammatory activities. Suspension cultures of W. somnifera cells were established and shown to produce withaferin A. These cultures could be strongly elicited by exposure to salacin. Addition of salacin to the cultures in production medium enhanced production levels of withaferin A as compared to unelicited controls.
The diversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) communities in agricultural systems depends on biotic and abiotic factors as well as on cultural practices. This research aimed to evaluate the diversity of AMF present in an altitudinal transect cultivated with cape gooseberry (Physalis peruviana L.). A set of 13 soil samples from cape gooseberry plantations located in the Colombian Andean mountains in the provinces of Cundinamarca and Boyaca were collected during dry (0-20 mm/month) and rainy (150-330 mm/month) seasons between 1500 and 3000 m a.s.l., in order to establish the relationship between the altitudinal characteristics and AMF diversity. The evaluation of the abundance of spores and species and diversity indexes showed the presence of 46 AMF species in the dry season and 31 in the rainy season. This shows the high diversity of AMF in the tropical Andes with spore abundance between 20 and 120 spores 10 g-1 of soil in the rainy season and between 127 and 1531 spores 10 g-1 of soil in the dry season.
Kalapi (Kalappia celebica) is an endemic legume of Sulawesi and has been included in the endangered category since the early 1980s. Conservation of the species is possible through ex situ culture techniques. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) can accelerate plant growth which in turn supports the conservation of endangered species. This study aimed to assess the efficacy of local AMF to accelerate the growth of kalapi and increase nutrient uptake in kalapi grown in gold mine tailing media. There were three AMF treatments, Glomus claroideum, Glomus coronatum, and a mixture of both, plus the control. Each treatment was replicated three times, each consisting of five plants. The results show that the highest AMF colony was obtained by kalapi seedlings inoculated with Glomus coronatum and the mixture of AMF. The range of mycorrhizae inoculation effect values was 59.7–71.3%. AMF inoculation increased growth and dry weight of 4-month-old seedlings compared to controls. Dry and total weights of kalapi inoculated with G. coronatum were significantly different from those inoculated with the AMF mixture. However, they are not significantly different from kalapi inoculated with G. claroideum. The results also show that AMF increased nitrogen and phosphorous uptake by the roots, as well as nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, manganese and iron by the shoots. All AMF treatments decreased potassium uptake in the roots, except in kalapi inoculated with G. coronatum. The AMF mixture decreased iron contents the roots by 15%. AMF can be developed into biofertilizer to support the conservation of kalapi in tropical Indonesia.
A carrier based bio-formulation of potassium solubilizing fungi, Penicillium pinophilum, MCC0114 was evaluated for its effect on availability of K and P, plant nutrient status, fruit yield and quality of pomegranate under field condition. Soil inoculation with this bio-formulation was found to improve availability of K and P in soil and plant nutrient status that increased fruit yield by 35% with perceptible improvement in fruit quality. The impact of bio-formulation on fruit yield and quality was much higher, when supplemented with insoluble K bearing mineral. The highest yield (27% higher than that recorded from the application of potassic fertilizer at re-commended dose) and cost-benefit ratio of 1:2.60 were recorded with the conjunctive use of bio-formulation and insoluble K bearing mineral at the rate of 20g K2O tree−1. Higher dehydrogenase, alkaline and acid phosphatase activity, microbial biomass carbon content and population of Penicillium spp. in inoculated soil were due to rhizospheric colonization of P. pinophilumin the bio-formulation indicating its suitability for pomegranate.
Punica granatum L., popularly known as “romã,” “romanzeira,” “mangrano” and “granado” in Latin America and as “pomegranate” in English, recently has been reported to have a high medicinal value. This plant is native to Southwest Asia, more specifically the Middle East, and grows mainly in arid and dry regions with direct solar incidence. The main plant organs used for medicinal purposes are the fruits, particularly the fruit peel, which is usually used to treat infections and inflammation, and the spongy membrane (rag) surrounding the seeds, which is used to produce juice. The main compounds responsible for the biological activity of fruits are polyphenols, ellagic acids and tannins. The wide range and versatility of the medicinal uses of P. granatum have made it the focus of several studies, specifically for its medicinal potential against inflammation and bacterial and fungal infections.
India's Biological Diversity Act 2002 aims to promote conservation, sustainable use and equitable sharing of benefits of India's biodiversity resources. In this context, traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) and its implication in the field of ethnobiology is of special focus in view of its grim scenario due to the diverse environmental perturbations. Therefore, specific emphasis should be given to ethno-medicinal plants while setting priorities for biodiversity conservation in India. Safe, effective and inexpensive indigenous remedies are gaining popularity among the people of both urban and rural areas of India. Critically overview the multifaceted prospects of ethnomedicinal plants in developing world with special reference to India and to identify ethnomedicinal plants within the highly diverse, but threatened ethnomedicinal flora of an Indo-Burma hotspot region, towards which biases by traditional healers are demonstrable.
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are obligate fungi of phylum Glomeromycota which make symbiotic associations with various types of terrestrial plants in different parts of the world. In Indonesia, a total of 72 types of AMF are reported to be symbiotic with many plant species under varying circumstances. Glomeraceae is the family with the largest number of species (36 species). Three types of legumes endangered in Indonesia, namely, Pericopsis mooniana (Thw.), Pterocarpus indicus (Willd), and Kalappia celebica (Kosterm), also have symbiotic association with AMF. Fifteen types of AMF were found in the rhizosphere of P. mooniana (Thw.) and four of them, including the first type reported in Indonesia, namely, Glomus canadense, G. halonatum, Racocetra gregaria, and Ambispora appendicula. Roots of three endangered legume species were colonized by AMF, and internal hyphae showed common AMF structures. AMF inoculation promotes the growth and improvement of tropical forest plantation quality on a greenhouse and nursery scale. AMF is also effective in the improvement and cultivation of endangered species (P. mooniana and P. indicus) and can significantly accelerate the succession and the success of living species in conservation programs and forest restoration types.
A standard method for the quantification of root colonization by vesicular-arbuscular (VA) mycorrhizal fungi is needed. From the examination of roots from three different host species, the estimation of the percentage of the length of root segments containing V A mycorrhizal fungal structures was found to be more accurate than the determination of the percentage of root segments with VA mycorrhizal fungal structures. It was no more time consuming, and was not influenced by segment size. Examination of a minimum of seven samples, each with 25 randomly selected 0-5 to 10 cm root segments, was needed for confidence limits to be within 10% of the mean It is proposed that, for the sake of comparability between studies, this procedure be adopted as a standard method.
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and water retention in roots of four different agroforestry trees intercropped with maize in a semiarid area at Machacos, Kenya, were studied. A randomized block design with four replicates and five treatments consisting of Melia volkensii, Senna spectabilis, Gliricidia sepium, Leucaena leucocephala , and control (treeless plots) was established. In each plot, spore extraction and AMF identification were carried out. Tree root samples from each treatment were collected and assessed for mycorrhizal infection and root water content. The results indicated that the trees under study associated with five genera of AMF. These were Acaulaspora, Glomus, Gigaspora, Scuttelospora and Entrophospora , of which the latter two were not numerous. When compared to other tree species and with treeless plots, plots with Melia volkensii had a significantly higher number of AMF spores ( P < 0.05) in each genus. Root infection percentages were also significantly higher ( P < 0.05) in Melia volkensii as compared to Leucaena leucocephala , Gliricidia sepium , and Senna spectabilis . Correlation existed between AMF root infection % and AMF spore number in the soil ( P = 0.7, P < 0.05). Root water content was significantly higher ( P < 0.05) in Melia volkensii as compared to the other trees, and a significant correlation ( P = 0.9, P < 0.05) between AMF root infection % and water retention in the roots was also found.
Roots of 42 species of angiosperms collected from all vegetation zones on Heron Island were cleared,
stained with chlorazol black E and assessed for vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizae (VAM). Percentage
of root length colonized was determined using the gridline intersect method, while stages in internal
development of the mycorrhizal association were determined by mounting cleared root pieces on
microscope slides and examining them with Nomarski differential interference contrast microscopy.
Fifty-seven percent of the species had VAM and of these the percentage of root length colonized varied
from 3 to 100%. There were no statistically significant differences among the four vegetation zones of
the island in the number of species colonized. About the same proportion of trees and shrubs had VAM
as did the herbs. Two species of Brassicaceae, Lepidium virginicum and Sisymbrium orientale, had
VAM. All but three species with VAM had both arbuscules and vesicles; arbuscules were not found
in Casuarina equisetifolia var. incana, Sisymbrium orientale and Tribulus cistoides.
Almost all natural plant communities contain arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). We hypothesized that the species composition of AMF communities could have the potential to determine plant community structure if the growth response to different AMF species or to communities of AMF species varies among plant species. To test the existence of such a differential response we conducted a pot experiment where each of three plant species, Hieracium pilosella, Bromus erectus,and Festuca ovinawere inoculated with each of four AMF species, or with a mixture of these four AMF species, or were uninoculated. The AMF species originated from a calcareous grassland in which the three plant species also coexisted. We obtained three pieces of evidence suggesting that AMF have the potential to de- termine plant community structure. First, plant species differed in their dependency on AMF, thus varying in degree of benefit received. Second, specific AMF species and a mixture of these AMF species had significantly different effects on several plant growth variables, and these effects were not the same on each plant species. Third, the amount of variation in the growth response of a plant species to four AMF species and to the mixture of AMF species differed among the plant species. Hieracium differed greatly in its growth response to several AMF species while Bromus did not exhibit much variation in its response to different AMF species. The varying mycorrhizal dependency of different plant species has previously been proposed as a mechanism determining plant community structure. However, we found that the mycorrhizal dependency of a plant species can vary greatly because of differential growth responses to specific AMF species compared to the growth of the uninoculated plants. Consequently mycorrhizal dependency, as a measure indicating how much a plant depends on AMF for its growth, is not necessarily a fixed value and therefore cannot be used as a definitive term. In addition, those plant species with highly variable responses to single AMF species or to combinations of AMF species (AMF communities) will be strongly affected by the specific species of AMF that occupy their roots, in contrast to plant species that do not respond differently to different AMF species. We conclude that, through their differential effects on plant growth, AMF species that co-occur as natural AMF communities have the potential to determine plant community structure, and that future studies on plant population and community structure need to consider the strength of their role as a determinant.
Vesicular‐arbuscular mycorrhizal (VAM) infections were examined in 17 different Indian desert tree species. The intensity of infections varied among the species. Maximal infection of roots was recorded for Azadirachta indica, Acacia tor‐tilis, and A. aneura while A. catechu had the lowest rate of infection. Glomus and Gigaspora were the common VAM genera found associated with roots. The VAM infections were common in Opuntia spp. and Euphorbia spp. and the infection rate (30–100%) in these species was comparatively higher than in trees. The VAM infection of Azadirachta indica (neem tree) was observed on roots to 250 cm depth. The intensity of VAM infections varied with the availability of water. The deep‐rooted growth habit along with VAM infections of desert vegetation may be a survival mechanism in competition for water and nutrients with shallow‐rooted and fast‐growing plant species.
This study was conducted to evaluate the population of the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in the semi-rid agro-ecosystem of North Jordan and to evaluate the effect of the biotic and abiotic factors on AMF population. Soil samples were collected from 12 locations where several soil samples were collected from each location. The collected soil samples were analysed for chemical and physical properties and spores were separated from the soil by the floating–adhesion technique and examined by the dissecting microscope. The AMF spores densities vary among locations and crops. The spore density was relatively low, with the highest observed under fruit trees and the lowest under a fallow system. Eight species were identified.Glomus mosseae was the most common species among samples, which was found in 85% of the soil samples collected.G. geosporum was found in 20%, while G. constrictum and G. clarum were found in 10% of the samples collected. G. caledomium was found in 8% of the samples. The lowest occurrence was observed for the G. monosporum and G. clariodum, which were found in only 5% of samples collected. Twenty percent of the samples collected contained Acaulospora spp. The spore density was not clearly affected neither by the host plants nor by the location, which suggest the absence of location or plant specificity for the AMF observed in soils of North Jordan. This may suggest that other factors could have an effect on mycorrhizal distribution. Therefore, biotic factors may be relatively less important than abiotic factors for establishing population patterns. The spore density of AMF had a very weak correlation with the soil pH and electrical conductivity (EC), and no significant correlation with the percentages of soil clay and silt particles. The organic matter (OM) and CaCO3 percentages were significantly positively correlated with AMF spore density. On the other hand, the AMF spore density was negatively related to the soil phosphorus. In conclusion, the G. mosseae was the most common AMF species and no host plant or geographic location specificity was observed, suggesting the population of AMF species was affected mainly by abiotic factors and cropping patterns.
A survey of the natural mycorrhizal potential has been carried out in a representative area of a desertified semiarid ecosystem in the southeast of Spain. Many indigenous plants from the field site were mycorrhizal, including the dominant Anthyllis cytisoides, which had high levels of colonization by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). Low numbers of AMF spores were present in the soil, although a range of species, including Scutellospora calospora, Glomus coronatum, Glomus constrictum, and several Acaulospora species, was represented. Soil infectivities, as determined by a soil dilution method, were similar for most plants tested but were significantly lower for Anthyllis cytisoides. Nevertheless, when a less disruptive method to determine soil infectivity was used, the importance of the mycelial network in maintaining the infectivity of soil under perennial shrubs, such as Anthyllis cytisoides, was highlighted. Seasonal variations in the mycorrhizal infectivity showed that it was higher towards the end of the summer period than in midwinter. In screening trials in a greenhouse, the indigenous AMF did not significantly improve the growth of plants compared with that of noninoculated controls. Augmentation of the soil with an inoculum of Glomus intraradices resulted in improved growth of Anthyllis cytisoides in both sterile and nonsterile conditions, in contrast to results obtained following inoculation with Glomus mosseae or another Glomus sp. Our findings suggest that the indigenous inoculum levels of AMF are inadequate to support an extensive revegetation program in the absence of an additional mycorrhizal inoculum.
The efficiency of eight arbuscular mycorrhizal species, Acaulospora mellea Spain & Schenck, Gigaspora margarita Becker & Hall, Gigaspora gigantea (Nicol. & Gerd.) Gerd. & Trappe, Glomus deserticola Trappe, Bloss & Menge, Glomus fasciculatum (Thaxter sensu Gerd.) Gerd. & Trappe, Sclerocystis rubiformis Gerd. & Trappe, Scutellospora calospora (Nicol. & Gerd.) Walker & Sanders and Scutellospora nigra (Red head) Walker & Sanders, collected from rhizosphere soils of Moringa concanensis, was evaluated for nutrient uptake and enhancement of acid phosphatase, nitrate reductase, peroxidase and polyphenol oxidase activities in this endangered tree of the Indian Thar desert. Culturing was done under glasshouse conditions and analyses were performed 180 days after inoculation. All fungi showed beneficial effects, with G. margarita being the most efficient in promoting all biochemical parameters.
Vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal spore numbers found in three representative forest areas in Jengka were low and well below those recorded in other tropical soils. However, levels of root infection in soil cores were comparatively high. Evidence showed that current forest logging practices influenced significant changes in vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal propagules. Propagules were reduced by 30-50% when forest soils were severely disturbed through heavy soil mechanical compaction, exposure and erosion.
A wide range of natural factors such as lightning-caused fires and geomorphic or palaeotectonic processes may affect the stability of natural ecosystems (Herrera et al. 1993). Additionally, human activities causing pollution of air, water and soil, and overuse of resources like grasslands or clear-cutting of forests have a strong impact on a wide range of ecosystems. They may become degraded to such an extent that spontaneous recovery is strongly limited, especially if the damaging agent is continuously present. In general, successful restoration requires the reconstruction of adequate biological, physico-chemical, hydrological and morphological conditions. Moreover, the presence of hazardous substances can necessitate chemical or bioremediated clean-up. A common reason for the failure of many restoration attempts is the neglect of the fact that the plant root systems are associated with a diverse community of active soil micro-organisms. It is well known that a functioning association between plants and rhizosphere micro-organisms can modify the substratum, facilitate plant establishment under hostile conditions, and counteract the stagnation of the succession.
The enhanced growth of plants infected by vesicular–arbuscular (VA) mycorrhizal fungi results primarily from improved uptake of soil phosphate. Extra phosphate reaches the root through the fungal hyphae, which tap the soluble P in soil beyond the phosphate-depletion zone near the root surface. This mechanism can explain the many corrrelations between root geometry and mycotrophy and other nutritional effects of VA mycorrhizae such as increased uptake of zinc and copper ions. Recently VA mycorrhizae have been shown to increase the levels of chlorophyll and some hormones in plants and to alleviate water stress. Legumes are now receiving considerable attention because VA mycorrhiza affects nitrogen fixation in them indirectly by its action on P uptake. In this review the physiology of the VA mycorrhizal symbiosis is discussed in categories reflecting successive stages in its formation and function: (i) activation of the VA mycorrhizal propagules; (ii) penetration and initial infection of the host plant; (iii) spread of infection in roots; (iv) response of the plant; the components and mechanisms of VA mycorrhizal systems; (v) benefits to the fungus; carbon sinks; and (vi) imbalances in the symbiosis. It is suggested that studies on the physiological complexities of VA mycorrhizal associations should take more account of the biological diversity of VA mycorrhizal fungi and the wide range of host–endophyte–soil specificities.
Extra-matrical spores of Endogone were found to be common in cultivated soils in Scotland. Six types of spores are described which are believed to represent distinct species. In preliminary inoculation experiments 4 of the 6 formed endotrophic mycorrhiza: three of these formed arbuscules and vesicles, and one formed only arbuscules. In field soil extra-matrical spores are much more abundant than spores formed in sporocarps.
Three cycles of successive trap cultures were utilized to determine the taxonomic structure of arbuscular fungi associated with mesquite (Prosopis spp.) from three locations in the Sonoran desertscrub biotic community and one location in the Chihuahuan desertscrub biotic community. Unlike the low species richness found in previous studies of some arid habitats, seven to nine species were recovered from each sampling site. This number is comparable to that found in many other plant communities. Seventy-five percent of the species found after three culture cycles were not detected in the first trap cultures, suggesting that a high proportion of arbuscular fungi in arid habitats may be nonsporulating in the field. Low colonization levels may account for the absence of sporulation, but ecological factors such as moisture limitations also may be involved. Although a total of 10 different species was detected, generic richness was limited, with 9 of these species in Glomus and 1 in Entrophospora. As long as measurement of species richness is based on occurrence of sporulation, successive trap cultures provide a means of detecting nonsporulating mycorrhizal colonizers in arid and other habitats. Keywords: vesicular – arbuscular mycorrhizae, ecology, desert, Glomales.
SUMMARYA standard method for the quantification of root colonization by vesicular-arbuscular (VA) mycorrhizal fungi is needed. From the examination of roots from three different host species, the estimation of the percentage of the length of root segments containing V A mycorrhizal fungal structures was found to be more accurate than the determination of the percentage of root segments with VA mycorrhizal fungal structures. It was no more time consuming, and was not influenced by segment size. Examination of a minimum of seven samples, each with 25 randomly selected 0-5 to 10 cm root segments, was needed for confidence limits to be within 10% of the mean It is proposed that, for the sake of comparability between studies, this procedure be adopted as a standard method.
Spore density and mycorrhizal colonization were studied in four plant species within two sites in a lowland rain forest for a period of 17 months. Although the dominant VA endophyte and plant species examined in each site were different, the variation in spore numbers and mycorrhizal colonization in both sites showed a similar pattern. When spore numbers were high, percentage colonization was low, but as spore numbers began to decline the colonization increased. Highest spore numbers were recorded from Aug. to Oct. while most mycorrhizal colonization occurred from Dec. to March. To account for this variation, the possible interaction between the nutrient status of tropical soils and host plants with the life cycle of the VA endophytes is discussed.
It is well established that young maize plants take-up more P when they are sown in soil that has been left undisturbed after the removal of the shoots of previously grown maize plants. In a growth chamber experiment we eliminated arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi by pasteurization of soil and thus prevented any such stimulation of P uptake for plants growing in undisturbed soil. Arbuscules were absent from roots growing in the pasteurized soil. Arbuscular colonization (the % root length colonized by arbuscules) of roots growing in non-pasteurized soil that had been disturbed by breaking-up and mixing by hand was 32%, compared to arbuscular colonization of 51% in the corresponding undisturbed treatment. Following soil disturbance, non-mycorrhizal fungi showed a response that was similar to that of AM fungi. Colonization of roots in the pasteurized soil by parasitic hyphae in the disturbed treatment was one-third of that in the corresponding undisturbed treatment. At the end of the experiment, the total lengths of hyphae stained with trypan-blue (TB) in the non-pasteurized bulk soil around the roots were 42.5 and 28.7 m g−1 o.d. soil for the undisturbed and disturbed treatments, respectively; corresponding values in the pasteurized soil were almost identical, at 40.1 and 25.0 m g−1. These results show that the extent of production of both AM and parasitic fungi inside roots, and the net production of TB-staining hyphae in the bulk soil around those roots, are all lower during the period of growth following soil disturbance, as compared to the undisturbed situation. Caution should be taken in the interpretation of the functional status of TB-stained hyphae collected from bulk soil in the root zone.
Knowledge and conservation of diversity in symbiotic arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi is of crucial importance for their efficient use in environmental conservation and sustainable plant production systems. The recalcitrance of these microorganisms to pure culture, and the absence of information about plasmogamy, karyogamy or meiosis, means that information about the genetical bases of any variations in their population biology ecological specificity or symbiotic activity is generally lacking. A multidisciplinary approach is necessary to identify significant differences between populations, species or isolates. An overview is presented of some of the morphological, biological and molecular aspects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi that may contribute to defining and understanding biodiversity in this group of symbiotic microorganisms.
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi [AMF] are soil fungi which form a mutualistic symbiosis with the roots of plants. A variety of benefits to the host have been ascribed to mycorrhizae, most often enhanced uptake of immobile nutrients from the soil, notably P. An understanding of the impacts of agronomic practices upon communities of these fungi would help to ensure an opportunity for the utilization of the symbiosis and contribute to the success of sustainable agriculture. Measurement of the diversity of AMF communities in field soils presents a variety of challenges, among them the difficulty of identifying field collected spores, the detection of non-sporulating members of the community, and the lack of relation between functional diversity and the morphological diversity of spores used to delineate species. These challenges, as well as current efforts to overcome them, are discussed and recent research elaborating the effects of agromonic practices upon AMF communities and the effectiveness of mycorrhizae is presented.
In the arid region of western Rajasthan, India, the effect of different vesicular arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (VAMF) were studied on trees (Prosopis juliflora), grass (Cenchrus ciliaris) and crops (Vigna aconitifolia) under field conditions. Plants were grown in poor fertility sandy soil with a low indigenous VAMF population. Growth and nutrient uptake of non-inoculated plants were compared with the growth and nutrient uptake of VAMF-inoculated plants. After 8 weeks of growth, percent root infection increased 2·9-fold in inoculated plants. At maturity of crop and after 1 year growth of grass and trees, shoot biomass, N, P, K, Zn and Cu concentration were significantly improved in all cases of inoculated plants, although Mn concentration decreased significantly. In general, the effect was most pronounced in tree components (Prosopis juliflora), andGlomus fasciculatumwas found to be the most effective VAMF under arid conditions. The results suggest that increased uptake of nutrients by plants with VAMF under field conditions may be a general phenomenon which would have important implications for elemental composition of plants. The effect may also be manifested by other types of mycorrhizal association.
The occurrence of arbuscular fungi and mycorrhizae Glomales in plant communities of maritime dunes and shores in Poland
- Blaszkowski
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Seasonal patterns of vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal occurrence in grasslands
- Sanders
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Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, an essential component of soil microflora in ecosystem restoration
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- R K Kalita
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- D Dutta
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- N C Schenck
- Y Perez
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- B V Shetty
- V Singh
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Microbial dynamics in arid ecosystems-desertification and the potential role of mycorrhizas
- Dhillon
Vesicular arbuscular mycorrhizal associations with some native plants
- Kalita
Distribution of different Glomus species in rainfed areas in Jordan
- Al-Raddad