Article

Pollen on the Shroud of Turin: The Probable Trace Left by Anointing and Embalming

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Abstract

This study proposes an alternative interpretation of the pollen grains found on the Christian relic of the Shroud of Turin, the majority of which belong to entomogamous plants. The examination of the images in the literature and the observation of modern pollen under light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy reveal that the most abundant pollen on the relic may be attributed to the genus Helichrysum (Asteraceae family) instead of Gundelia tournefortii. The other most important pollen found belongs to the Cistaceae-Cistus spp.—the Apiaceae—probably Ferula spp.—and the Anacardianceae—the genus Pistacia. These pollen grains could have come from plants used to obtain expensive and valuable substances that would have been the basis for the oils of Helichrysum, ladanum and galbanum, as well as for mastic and terebinth products; this fact has not been considered by previous authors. Ancient historical records give us references that could link the pollen traces to a mixture of balms and ointments employed for preparing the body for funeral and burial. For this reason, the palynological study reveals coherency with these historical records about the rituals, as reported on by the important scientists Pliny the Elder and Dioscorides, dating back to the first century ad.

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... In this case, it was easy for science to ascertain that they are due to linen of different origin and/or manufacturing (Jumper et al., 1984;Schwalbe and Rogers, 1982). Subsequently, in 2017, an article by Marzia Boi who investigated the pollen present on Turin Shroud, questioned the knowledge already acquired for several decades (Boi, 2017 and. The scientist examined the images of pollen present in scientific literature and observed modern pollen using (OM) optical microscopy, SEM (Scanning Electron Microscope) and her experience in palynology. ...
... To act quickly they used the ointments brought by the women. For this we believe that the Nicodemus'mixture was absent on the Shroud, while the scents that come from the plants already mentioned were present (Boi, 2017 and. ...
Article
We want to investigate the quantity of aromas brought by Nicodemus to the Sepulcher, also using research results on the Shroud of Turin. In the Gospel of John we read about 100 pounds. Nicodemus, a member of the Sanhedrin and a secret follower of Jesus, would have brought that quantity with the intention of using it. We have investigated the Gospels, the presence of aromas and the one of pollens and we have concluded that the above mixture of aloe and myrrh were absent on the Shroud. There, the present pollens were from Helichrysum, Cistus, Ferula and Pistacea: plants that provided high quality aromatics oils; Gundelia Tournefortii and Zygophyllum Dumosum pollens were absent. We think that Nicodemus wanted to treat the body of the Nazarene like the one of Asa, king of Judah, who had a funeral worthy of a king, even though he had forsaken the Lord. Thus, if an extraordinary funeral was arranged for Asa, it seemed fitting to Nicodemus to organize a more important funeral for the Son of God
... 7 The antique hypothesis was reinforced by the last reinterpretation of the images of the pollen grains that were present on the linen cloth. 36 It comes after decades of debate on the identification of the pollen grains. Contrary to the assertions of some supporters of authenticity, 37 doubts on the quality of the collected data were reasonable. ...
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This study critically reviews four decades of academic research on the Shroud of Turin, a highly debated archaeological artifact. Employing advanced epistemological methods such as argument mapping and Bayesian analysis, the study systematically evaluates the two leading hypotheses: the medieval creation of the Shroud and its authenticity as the burial cloth of Jesus of Nazareth. This examination suggests a warrant for the proponents’ belief in the authenticity hypothesis. It highlights the vitality and complexity of the controversy surrounding the dating and image formation process of the Shroud of Turin.
... However, there are many factors that may affect 14 C results, such as the condition of the textile, the sample pre-treatment and the interpretation of the results. One of the most well-known example of 14 C dating of a textile is that of the Turin shroud which radiocarbon dating placed in the Medieval period [10,11], a result which is being disputed regarding the accuracy of the calendar age range, the representativity of the samples, and in comparison to alternative methods like pollen analysis (e.g.) [12,13]. The potential of textiles as suitable 14 C samples has been disputed in the past, when in the 1950s, 14 C dating results of certain Coptic textiles in the Louvre collection, gave contradictory results to the stylistic dating of the finds. ...
Article
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Archaeological textiles are suitable material for radiocarbon dating as they are mainly made of organic matter, such as plant and/or animal fibres. Radiocarbon dating provides objective age estimates of archaeological finds, based on measurements of the carbon-14 isotope present in the organic matter against an internationally used reference standard. However, the quantity and quality of carbon present in the organic matter of archaeological textiles can be affected either by the conditions under which the find was preserved (such as carbonisation, chemical change of organic matter to carbon, and mineralisation, which is the gradual replacement of organic matter by metal degradation products), or by the application of certain interventive methods of conservation (such as, consolidation and the application of organic adhesives that add foreign organic matter/carbon to the textile). Six case studies of archaeological textiles dated using the carbon-14 method are presented here. Two carbonised textile finds, two which were mineralised (one treated with adhesives in the past), and a final two which come from inhumation burials (similar to the textile previously treated with adhesives). This paper includes a discussion and review of the dating method, focusing on sample selection, sample preparation, and by evaluating the efficiency of the technique on textile finds at various states of preservation. This study shows that efficiency of the technique is highly dependable on the amount of carbon present in the finds, which does not seem to be affected by carbonisation, but is greatly affected by mineralisation and the incorporation of foreign organic matter, like synthetic consolidants.
... µm, sculpture echinate. Boi (2017) described this taxon as having a tricolporate pollen, with an average size of 48 μm in diameter, spheroidal or suboblate in equatorial view, circular in polar view, and isopolar. another study was done by Wortley et al. (2017) with the same taxon, with similar results. ...
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the pollen morphology of 17 taxa of Gundelia, of which 13 taxa are endemic to turkey, was investigated by light microscopy (LM) and scanning electron microscopy (SeM). In this study, the pollen morphology of 16 taxa except G. tournefortii was investigated for the first time. the quantitative data were analyzed by descriptive statistics and multivariate statistics. the pollen grains are oblate spheroidal and prolate spheroidal in shape with the polar diameter of 37.01-61.2 μm and the equatorial diameter of 31.2-63.4 μm. The smallest pollen grains were observed in G. anatolica, G. rosea and G. tournefortii, while the largest pollen grains were observed in G. vitekii, G. komagenensis and G. colemerikensis. Pollen ornamentation is echinate in LM and echinate-microperforate in SeM. Statistically, the relationships between pollen characters of the examined taxa were identified using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Clustering Analyzis. In addition, a dendrogram was constructed by applying UPGMA based on the determined 15 pollen morphological characters, and the degree of their relationship was discussed. Polar axis, equatorial diameter and colpus length were the major explanations of the pollen morphological characters' total variation in PCA. Pair group method was used to divide the main pollen taxa into three groups based on the pollen morphology by using arithmetic averages analysis (PCA scatterplot and cluster analysis). As a result, the pollen shape, polar axis, equatorial diameter and spine length were important characters distingushing the taxa from each other. We found some matches and mismatches between pollen and morphological characters, whose significance requires further study.
... Currently, non-specialists consider this general conclusion straightforward disproof of the hypothesis that the TS is an antique linen cloth (Ball 2017). However, since 2005, a growing number of studies have provided elements and arguments contradicting the medieval hypothesis (Rogers 2005;Poulle 2009;Fanti and Malfi 2014;Bevilacqua et al. 2014;Boi 2017;Casabianca 2017). In 2013, a new statistical study based on a regression analysis seriously called into question the reliability of the conclusions of the 1988 dating (Riani et al. 2013). ...
Article
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In 1988, three laboratories performed a radiocarbon analysis of the Turin Shroud. The results, which were centralized by the British Museum and published in Nature in 1989, provided ‘conclusive evidence’ of the medieval origin of the artefact. However, the raw data were never released by the institutions. In 2017, in response to a legal request, all raw data kept by the British Museum were made accessible. A statistical analysis of the Nature article and the raw data strongly suggests that homogeneity is lacking in the data and that the procedure should be reconsidered.
... Furthermore, different other publications help to build protocols as well as demonstrate that pollen is an efficient evidence to search in objects or people implicate in a crime [12][13][14][15][16]. Moreover, palynology had helped to found funeral rituals and old ointments in very old objects [17,18]. ...
... The issue is about how the body image was generated, either pre or post mortem, and how much time was needed to create it. One factor that should be considered is the probable use of burial ointments (Boi 2012(Boi , 2017Fazio et al. 2015a), which would have helped to fix the TS body image. In addition, the visible oxidation of the linen fibres (Fazio et al. 2015b(Fazio et al. , 2016) is a thus far inexplicable and unknown phenomenon, and there are no other equivalent burial cloths with which to compare this image, as well as fewer data about ancient types of crucifixion. ...
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The imprint of the feet and lower limbs, as well as the blood and rivulets, present on the Shroud of Turin were analysed with regard to anatomical and pathological characteristics. In the dorsal image of the cloth, the crucifixion position shows the left foot on top of the right one; in the frontal view, the feet are almost parallel. The nail used in the crucifixion was driven through the foot. In the frontal image, the knees, the tibiae and the ankles seem to be parallel with different varus–valgus angles; the left one is straighter than the right one, which shows a greater angle. Because of this parallelism, both ankles show a plantar flexion that is dissimilar in the dorsal images. We describe for the first time the anatomical study of the image of the Shroud through modern concepts. At the level of biomechanics and anatomy, the image on the Shroud of Turin does not comply with modern knowledge; in fact, the image fails with regard to some aspects that we cannot interpret yet.
Chapter
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This open access book offers a fully illustrated compendium of glossary terms and basic principles in the field of palynology, making it an indispensable tool for all palynologists. It is a revised and extended edition of “Pollen Terminology. An illustrated handbook,” published in 2009. This second edition, titled “Illustrated Pollen Terminology” shares additional insights into new and stunning aspects of palynology. In this context, the general chapters have been critically revised, expanded and restructured. The chapter “Misinterpretations in Palynology” has been extended with new research data and additional ambiguous terms, e.g., polyads vs. massulae; the chapter “Methods in Palynology” has been extensively enhanced with illustrated protocols showing the majority of the methods and techniques used when studying recent and fossil pollen with LM, SEM and TEM. Moreover, additional information about the description and publication of pollen data is provided in the chapter “How to Describe and Illustrate Pollen Grains.” Various other parts of the general chapters have now been updated and/or extended with more comprehensive textual passages and new illustrations. The chapter “Illustrated Pollen Terms” now features new and more appropriate examples of each term, including additional LM micrographs. Where necessary, the entries for selected pollen terms have been refined by rewording or adding definitions, illustrations, and new micrographs. Lastly, new terms are included, such as “suprasculpture” and the prefix “nano-“ for ornamentation features. The chapter “Illustrated Pollen Terms” is the main part of this book and comprises more than 300 widely used terms illustrated with over 1,000 high-quality images. It provides a detailed survey of the manifold ornamentation and structures of pollen, and offers essential insights into their stunning beauty. Springer link: http://www.springer.com/de/book/9783319713649
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The genus Warionia, with its only species W. saharae, is endemic to the northwestern edge of the African Sahara desert. This is a somewhat thistle-like aromatic plant, with white latex, and fleshy, pinnately-partite leaves. Warionia is in many respects so different from any other genus of Asteraceae, that it has been tentatively placed in the tribes Cardueae, Cichorieae, Gundelieae, and Mutisieae. Until now, a comprehensive study of Warionia to have a complete context for discussing its taxonomic position is lacking. The general morphology, anatomy, palynology and chromosome number of W. saharae are investigated here, and the species is described and illustrated. Laticifers in leaves and stems indicate a relationship with Cichorieae, and are associated with the phloem, in contact with it or with the surrounding sclerenchyma sheath. The pollen features indicate a strong relation with Cardueae, namely the structure with Anthemoid pattern where the columellae are joined to the foot layer, the ectosexine with thin columellae, the endosexine with stout and ramified columellae, the conspicuous spines with globose bases and conspicuous apical channels, and the tectum surface very perforate. Chromosomal counts resulted in 2n = 34. The morphological and palynological evidence positions Warionia between the tribes Cardueae and Cichorieae suggesting that it could be a remnant of the ancestral stock that gave rise to both tribes.
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In this paper we suggest that observations of the different intensities of the dorsal and ventral images on the Shroud of Turin can be accounted for by the presence of burial ointments and/or perfumes. This is a new approach, valuable because of the strong disagreement between the results of various previous experiments to determine chemical substances on the Shroud. We will show that the image intensity of both images varies measurably and consistently between the dorsal and ventral images, in areas that nevertheless represent the same cloth-body distance, and suggest that this variation is due to the different amount of burial ointments covering the upper and lower surfaces of the body as it lay on the cloth.
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This paper evaluates red ochre phenomena as a fossil indicator for developments of human capacities and red color choice in cultures. The archaeological record reveals that, from Early Palaeolithic to historical times, the collectors and users of red ochre have always been a distinctive minority (probable exceptions being the Magdalenian and Paleo-Indian peoples). Nevertheless, red ochre practices have persisted till the present, and the patterns of red ochre use show astonishing regularities. Beginning with the Neandertal populations, they revolve predominantly around the ideational complex of death-life-kin. Homo sapiens sapiens introduces the second dominant theme into red ochre symbolism, fertility-procreation. Archaeology demonstrates that it is biology which makes the choice of red color pigments possible; biological foundation and red color choice interact. It thus seems unwarranted to suppose that human red color behavior is solely a process of relating; recognizing is also part of this process. Red color pigments became a symbolic vehicle through recognizing and relating. These developments led to the transformation of red ochre into human (female) blood, a basic element in the symbolism of the "mother" prevalent in present-day nonliterate societies but probably also developed by Upper Palaeolithic and successive peoples. Modern civilized man, with his capacity for abstration, came to use the red color for powerful social and cultural symbols in which his ambivalent emotional reactions to the color "red" became universally expressed and understood.
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Gundelia tournefortii L. (Compositae: Gundelieae) is described and illustrated, and its strange inflorescence morphology highlighted. The history of the discovery of this fascinating plant is covered from one of the first natural history collections made in the late 16th century in the Levant. The problematic taxonomy of this genus is discussed, both supragenerically and infragenerically. The species has very rarely been cultivated throughout its recent history, making a commentary on its cultivation and propagation a little difficult. The wide range of uses cover a history dating back at least 10,000 years, from the Neolithic sites of Iraq and Turkey, to its present day usage in the region. The importance of herbarium specimen data, as well as literature, for the ethnobotany of taxa is emphasized. A possible biblical connection is commented on in relation to the Shroud of Turin.
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This review deals with the art of (anatomical) embalming. The first part contains a brief historical review of the history of embalming, starting with ancient cultures such as the Egyptians and the lesser known Chinchorro culture, then going down the centuries and describing the anatomical techniques developed over the last two centuries. The second part deals in detail with the chemicals used for embalming purposes. The third part deals with several approaches to evaluating embalming methods, their suitability for biomechanical testing, antimicrobial properties, histological appearance, and usability. The fourth and final part analyze the European Biocidal Products Directive (98/8/EC) in the light of embalming.
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The chemical composition and mineral contents of flower bud of tumbleweed (Gundelia tourneforti L.) wild growing in Turkey were studied. The tumble weed flower buds were rich in crude oil, crude protein and crude fiber. At the same time, it proved to be a good source for minerals K, Ca, P, Na, Fe, Mg, Zn. The oil of flower buds were rich in linoleic (57.8%), followed by oleic (28.5%) and palmitic (8.1%). Stearic, vacsenic and arachidic were also found. The total content of sterol of the oil was established as 3,766.60 mg/kg, with β-sitosterol as the predominant sterol that accounted for more than 51.76% of the total amount of sterols. Other sterols were established as 18.52% stigmasterol, 9.82% 5-avenasterol, 6.02% campesterol, 3.68% 7-stigmastenol and 2.63% 7-avenasterol. The total content of vitamin E active compounds in the oil was determined as 51.9 mg/100 g. The predominant isomers were α-tocopherol (48.9 mg/100 g) and γ-tocopherol (1.0 mg/100 g). The head part of Gundelia tournefortii is composed of several groups of flowers. The gundelia is an edible spiny, thistle-like flowering plant. The edible parts are the leaves, stems, roots, and undeveloped flower buds. The soft white part of the young leaves is used in soup. The flowers, leaves, seeds and stems of Tumbleweed are consumed as food sources. At the same time, it is an important food source and a well-known medicinal plant in Eastern Anatolia.
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The examples put forward in this study show that funerary practices specific to these burials can be described even though no visible traces of them aparently remain. Pollens known to withstand the effects of time are among the tracers indeed capable of indicating the nature of plant offerings, of revealing how the deceased were honoured, as well as of determining the constituents of products used in the everyday or professional lives of the individuals buried.
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The Turin Shroud has generated controversy ever since its first known display in 1353. Appearing under suspicious circumstances in an age of relic worship and forgery, it would long ago have been dismissed but for the unusual body image it bears. Scientific scrutiny of this "burial cloth of Christ" began in 1900 with anatomical studies of the apparent body imprint and its wounds suggesting crucifixion. Medical opinion has been unanimous in describing the imprint as that of a real corpse; historical documents, however, reveal an early and fierce opposition by ecclesiastical authorities who believed the image to be a painting. Direct scientific testing of the cloth since 1973 has involved an array of sophisticated nondestructive methods. It has been shown that the image is not painted; blood substances have been detected in the wound areas, but a technologically credible mechanism of image formation has not yet been established. Pollen from European and Middle Eastern plants has been identified in the cloth. A study of archaeological, anthropological, and art historical features of the image indicates that the Shroud man was Semitic and the victim of a Roman crucifixion. The exact correspondence of the wounds of the Shroud figure with those recorded of Christ cannot be taken as fortuitous, and a number of early forgery and imitation hypotheses are considered. The unique pattern of data present in the Shroud image exhibits a specificity comparable to many other historical/archaeological identifications, and the relic may thus be considered reasonably well established as genuine.
Conference Paper
Résumé Lors d'une découverte fortuite, en 1986, dans la commune de Saint-Maurice, le laboratoire départemental d'Archéologie du Val-de-Marne avait mis au jour un sarcophage anthropomorphe en plomb qui contenait une inhumation momifiée. L'épitaphe en cuivre qui recouvrait le cercueil désigne un jeune noble anglais protestant du nom de Thomas Craven, mort en 1636 à l'âge de dix-huit ans et enterré sur instruction de son frère dans le temple de Charenton. Les fouilles archéologiques du cimetière protestant ont eu lieu en 2005 sous la direction de I'INRAP et ont permis de mieux comprendre le rituel funéraire huguenof la relation archéologique avec le temple ainsi que l'état sanitaire d'une population du Sud-Est de Paris. Plusieurs analyses anatomo-pathologiques, scannographiques et paléopathologiques ont été effectuées depuis 1987, jusqu'aux toutes dernières études microbiologiques et archéobotaniques réalisées depuis peu. Le contexte historique nous avait mis sur la voie d'une probable épidémie de peste qui sévissait à Paris à plusieurs périodes du xvri' siècle. Une première série de prélèvements dentaires, pratiquée sur le corps de Thomas Craven et sur plusieurs individus du cimetière protestant, a été soumise à l'Unité des Rickettsies de la faculté de Médecine de Marseille pour une analyse ADN. Les résultats microbiologiques mettent en évidence la présence du bacille pesteux Yersiniapestis sur trois individus, dont le noble Thomas Craven. D'autres prélèvements de bourre (embaumement interne, externe, fond du sarcophage) ont été effectués sur l'ensemble du corps (intérieur de la calotte crânienne sciée, cuisses, jambes, linceul) et mettent en évidence plusieurs taxons végétaux avec une prédominance d'absinthe (Artemisia absinthiurn) et de marjolaine (Origanum majorana). Les analyses polliniques, carpologiques et phytolithiques apportent un nouvel éclairage sur la composition des préparations utilisées par les thanatopracteurs sur des corps de haut dignitaires ou de nobles à la période moderne.
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As part of a comprehensive analytical survey, Raman spectra were obtained of pigments from ancient Egyptian funerary artefacts dating from the 17th Dynasty to the Graeco-Roman period, using several laser excitation wavelengths. A wide colour palette has been identified with mineral pigments and pigment mixtures; several variations were detected with dynastic changes. The artefacts include sarcophagi, coffin lids, shroud covers and mummy face-masks. Haematite was in universal use throughout the dynastic period studied here, which represents some 2000 years of Egyptian history, but minerals such as cinnabar and minium appear only in artefacts from the Ptolemaic and Graeco-Roman periods. Different pigments were used to produce similar colours on some associated artefacts and several artefacts have mixtures of pigments for a single colour. One 17th Dynasty sarcophagus, dating from ca 1600 BC, had an unusual suite of pigments, with the blue pigment lazurite and a mixture of crocoite, limonite and calcite used as a yellow pigment. This coffin was heavily restored in the 20th Century and these unusual pigments could have arisen from this restoration. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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This paper reviews the remains of plants (cereals, pulses, fruit and vegetables) used as offerings in cremation burials in northern Italian Roman cemeteries between the 1st century b.c. and the 3rd century a.d. The custom of burning plant offerings on the funeral pyre was widespread in the Iron Age, but in the Roman Empire such offerings became more frequent and abundant, with fruit being prevalent and also the recurrent use of various prepared foods (bread, cakes and suchlike). In each cemetery this general scheme exhibits variations probably due to individual, social, ritual and economic differences, but this impression must be still confirmed. The absence of a systematic sampling strategy does not permit a statistical approach to offering data. The aim of this article is to encourage archaeologists and archaeobotanists to pay more attention to methodology in sampling. This would also permit careful comparison of the archaeobotanical data with archaeological, anthropological and historical information and that from written sources. The consistently recorded presence of fruit in cemeteries makes it possible to investigate some aspects of the introduction, cultivation and marketing of certain food plants in northern Italy. KeywordsPlant offerings–Cemetery–Cremations–Roman period–Northern Italy–Fruit
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During the restoration of the main church in Breda (the Netherlands), the city archaeologists rediscovered a tomb with remains of the ancestors of the Dutch royal family. Research was carried out prior to the reburial of the remains. The combination of historical, osteological, dendrochronological and 14C data provided names and dates for 7 of the 8 embalmed bodies. The tomb was in use between A.D. 1475 and 1526. Archaeobotanical results could be compared with several recipes for embalming from the same period. Strikingly many macroremains were found where mainly pollen was expected. This could mean the bodies were resting on a bed of herbs and spices, but it could also have been due to the lack of confidence of the embalmers; they may have used all the available aromatics to conceal the smell of the corpse. At least some of the species were imported from the Mediterranean and/or subtropical regions, but others were probably locally cultivated.
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To better understand relationships within the Asteroideae, the pollen morphology and exine structure of 10 genera and 15 species of Gnaphaliinae were investigated using light, scanning electron, and transmission electron microscopy. All taxa have a Gnaphalioid pattern of exine with an evidently rough foot layer. The tectal complex consists of three main layers that differ in morphology and thickness: a tectum, a median columellar layer, and an internal interlaced sub-columellar layer. The apertural system consists of an ectoaperture, a mesoaperture, and an endoaperture, which intersect, respectively, the tectal complex, the foot layer and the upper part of the endexine, and the inner part of the endexine. On the basis of pollen characteristics, especially those of the spines, all the species examined may be gathered into two groups, one including Helichrysum foetidum, H. italicum, Plecostachys serpyllifolia, and Pseudognaphalium luteo-album and the other including the other 11 species of Gnaphaliinae now investigated. In addition, because Gnaphalieae has been proposed as sister group to several tribes and clades of Asteroideae, a comparison was made between exine pattern in the Gnaphalieae and that in its putatively related tribes. On the basis of previous phylogenetic studies and our present pollen data we suggest that either Astereae, Astereae-Anthemideae clade, or Heliantheae s.l.-Anthemideae clade are the best candidates for the sister taxon/sister group of Gnaphalieae.
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This study was designed to examine the in vitro antioxidant activities of the methanol extracts of four Helichrysum species (Helichrysum noeanum Boiss., H. chionophilum Boiss. & Bal., H. plicatum DC. subsp. plicatum, H. arenarium (L.) Moench. subsp. aucheri (Boiss.) Davis & Kuphicha). The extracts were screened for their possible antioxidant activitiy by two complementary test systems, namely DPPH free radical-scavenging and β-carotene/linoleic acid systems. In the first case, non-polar subfractions of the methanol extracts of Helichrysum species studied did not show any antioxidant activity, while the most active one was H. chionophilum (IC50 =40.5 μg/ml) among the polar subfractions. In the β-carotene/linoleic acid test system, inhibition rates of the oxidation of linoleic acid of H. noeanum and H. arenarium were very close to each other. The inhibition rate of the synthetic antioxidant BHT was determined to be 96%. Since the polar extracts of Helichrysum species dealt with here exhibited interesting antioxidant activities when compared to BHT, we believe that it would be useful to take the results into consideration as an alternative for food processing industries.
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The methanolic extracts of 16 Helichrysum species were investigated for their in vitro antioxidant, radical scavenging and antimicrobial activities. All the extracts showed strong antioxidant and radical scavenging activity. The highest total antioxidant capacity as ascorbic acid equivalents (AAE) of 194.64 mg/g dry extract was obtained for Helichrysum noeanum in the phosphomolybdenum assay. The highest IC50 value (7.95 μg/ml) was observed for the extract of Helichrysum stoechas subsp. barellieri in the DPPH assay. The total phenolic contents of the extracts ranged from 66.74 to 160.63 mg gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/g dry extract. The major component present in the extracts was identified as chlorogenic acid followed by apigenin-7-glucoside and apigenin by HPLC analysis. All the extracts showed significant antimicrobial activity against microorganisms containing 13 bacteria and two yeasts in the agar diffusion method.
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Focusing on Compositae, this paper highlights and exemplifies the range of questions to which pollen morphology may contribute in the investigation of problematic taxa. Using a literature survey and new palynological data from LM and SEM studies, the pollen of a number of “rogue genera” was described and compared with that of potential related taxa in Compositae. Rogue genera are defined as taxa that have traditionally been difficult to classify, usually having highly divergent macro-morphological characters compared to the rest of Compositae. They include genera of known tribe but unknown position within that tribe and genera or small tribes of uncertain position in Compositae, as well as taxa that have recently been placed using molecular data but whose morphology continues to intrigue synantherologists.In the majority of cases, palynology was found to provide new sets of characters which could be compared to the robust hypothesis of relationships shown in the recent DNA-based supertree. Pollen variously provided support and diagnostic characters for some groups (e.g. Hesperomannia, Hoplophyllum, Eremothamnus, Tarchonantheae, Corymbieae and Gymnarrheneae), suggested some possible affinities for taxa currently excluded from phylogenetic studies using DNA (such as Moquinia, Catananche, Pacourina and Platycarpha), or to some degree contradicted existing phylogenies (e.g. Gundelia and Warionia), suggesting areas for future research.
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To evaluate the chemotaxonomic significance of the essential oils of 23 populations of 18 Iranian Ferula species, the chemical composition of the oils was investigated by GC/FID and GC/MS. Altogether, 84 constituents, representing 81.3-99.7% of the total composition of the oils, have been identified. The composition of six species of the genus, i.e., F. oopoda, F. foetida, F. behboudiana, F. diversivittata, F. galbaniflua, and F. hezarlalehzarica, has been reported for the first time. The main constituents identified were α-terpinyl acetate (73.3%), 2,3,4-trimethylthiophene (2; 49.0%), sabinene (75.3%), verbenone (5; 69.4%), β-pinene (59.0-66.3%), and (Z)-β-ocimene (41.7%). Cluster analysis (CA) of the percentage content of the essential oil components of the Ferula species resulted in the characterization of four groups, i.e., taxa containing either i) monoterpene hydrocarbons, ii) oxygenated monoterpenes, iii) organosulfur compounds, or iv) monoterpene, sesquiterpene, and aliphatic hydrocarbons as the principal classes of compounds. Based on the results obtained, the chemical independence of F. hirtella from F. szowitsiana and of F. galbaniflua from F. gummosa at the specific level was concluded and their positions as distinct species were confirmed. The chemotaxonomic relationships among the representatives of the genus Ferula have been discussed in detail.
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Chemical constituents and antimicrobial activity of the essential oils and crude ethanol extract from apical part of Helichrysum stoechas were investigated. The chromatographic and spectrophotometric analysis revealed that the major components of essential oil were alpha-pinene (59%), limonen (16.7%), alpha-bisabolol (9.6%) and beta-carophyllene (4%). The major components of ethanolic extract were 3 isomers of caffeoylquinic acid, 2 isomeric dicaffeoylquinic acids, a pigenin glucosides, quercetin and kaempferol. Both essential oils and ethanolic extracts had significant antimicrobial activity on Staphylococcus aureus , Staphylococcus epidermis and Klebsiella pneumonae in addition to some pathogenic fungi as Candida albicans .
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Estudio histórico sobre las creencias y el culto religioso que practicaban los grupos semíticos de la región occidental de Asia, entre los que se encontraban los habitantes de Siria, los cananeos, los fenicios, los arameos, los hebreos, Palmira y los árabes anteriores al Islam.
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The glycosidic fraction of the flavonoids extracted from the flowering tops of the Helichrysum italicum G. Don was isolated, purified and characterized. This fraction was constituted by three compounds, which were assigned the structure of 4,2',4',6'-tetrahydroxychalcone-2'-glucoside, kaempferol-3-glucoside and naringenin-glycoside. Radical scavenger properties of the single glycosyl-flavonoids and of the in toto glycosidic fraction were tested with in vitro systems where different reactive oxygen species are generated (superoxide ions, hydroxyl radicals) and on lipid peroxidation induced by ADP/Fe2+ and NADPH or CCl4 in rat liver microsomes. The formation of reactive oxygen species was detected by cytochrome c reduction, salicylic acid hydroxylation and hyaluronic acid depolymerization. The action of the glycosidic fraction on the release of TXB2 and 12-HETE in human platelets, after collagen stimulation, was also evaluated. The glycosidic fraction inhibited in a dose dependent fashion lipid peroxidation in rat liver microsomes treated with ADP/Fe2+ or CCl4. This effect is due to the ability of flavonoids to scavenge free radicals at different stages of the process (superoxide ions, hydroxyl and lipid peroxide radicals). The single glycosyl-flavonoids exhibited a different scavenger activity, depending on the oxygen species and the chemical structure of the compounds. No effect of the fraction was observed on TXB2 and 12-HETE formation at 100 microns concentration.