Ashwaq T. Althobaiti’s research while affiliated with Taif University and other places

Moringa is the sole genus in the family Moringaceae used for medicinal and nutrient purposes. Morphological features, phytochemical attributes, and molecular characterization were used for the genetic association and classification among Moringa oleifera, M. peregrina, and M. stenopetala. Moringa peregrina recorded a similarity of 84% lonely and placed M. stenopetala with M. oleifera into a cluster score with a similarity of 95.3%. M. peregrina is characterized by phenolic content (243 mg/100 g), flavonoids (7 mg/100 g), and antioxidant activity (1226.85 mg/100 g). GC-MS analysis revealed that M. oleifera contained twenty compounds with 2-decenal (E) (39.14%), 2-undecenal (15.51%), nonanal (3.60%), and 2-octenal, (E) (2.48%), while M. peregrina identified eighteen compounds with 2-decenal (Z) (25.42%), 2-docecen-1-al (9.35%), and 13-Docosenoic acid, methyl ester, (Z) (4.16%). M. stenopetala identified fifteen compounds containing 2-decenal (E) (26.67%), 2-undecenal (24.10%), and nonanal (4.40%). A broad sense of similarity has been scored between M. oleifera and M. stenopetala by the phytochemical compositions, especially the similarity in the main compounds such as 2-decenal (E), 2-undecenal, and nonanal. It can be concluded that efforts need to be expanded to pay attention to study Moringa taxa, due to the rarity of Moringa peregrina, and the focus should be on sustainable utilization and conservation. The potential of these taxa would greatly benefit indigenous species in terms of their maintenance, and there is a need for more comprehensive bio-prospecting studies. Therefore, this study evaluates the variability among Moringa and highlights the significance of leaf and seed ultrastructure to provide more information and evaluate potential approaches.

An informal group of scientists from multiple nations formed the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group (APG), in which experts work together for the development of taxonomy of angiosperms. The group took into account all new information about diverse plant species using a high steering phylogenetic investigation. The APG has developed four classification systems from 1998 through 2003 and 2009 up until 2016. Since, the previously classified angiosperm species and their wild relatives were not fully based on monophyletic grouping, the classification has a lot of shortcoming and faults. According to the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group system, the Phyllanthaceae of order Malpighiales is most important with Euphorbiaceae sensu lato as a pantropical family comprised of hundreds of genera and thousands of species. It has several physical characteristics which are the same as Euphorbiaceae sensu stricto. The most important characteristics include unisexual flowers and a syncarpous ovary. Further, the flowers have an axile-apical placentation without pistillode (rudimentary pistil). In the Middle East region, the critical taxonomic review of six important genera from 10 taxa of sub-families Phyllanthaceae and Euphorbiaceae were studied for various characteristics using the latest nomenclature, type citation, and keys for each genus and species. Euphorbia are very rich in natural plant products which have an incredible chemical composition and functional diversity. Compounds were found highly significant and have been the subject of extensive research globally. Further, the genetic composition of Euphorbia is diverse, maturing in various growth forms, cyathial features, and habitats. The molecular characterization of the family Euphorbiaceae also showed a diverse species composition. The members of the family Euphorbiaceae exhibit a palisadal exotegmen with cellular bundles in association with vascular bundles on inner integument as synapomorphies for several major clades. Within current studies on phylogeny and classification of Euphorbia subg. Esula are burning topics comprised of diverse species that make the genus most significant in the kingdom plantae..

Scanning microscopic imaging has become a valuable research tool in micromorphology with improved techniques playing an important role in analysing the ultrastructure of leaf specimens. The foliar epidermal anatomy of 25 selected poisonous plants with special emphasis on stomata and trichomes was reported using microscopic techniques, for instance, light micrographs (LMs) and scanning micrographs (SEMs). This study aimed to investigate micromorphologies of studied species that are helpful for the identification of poisonous plants. Plants were collected, pressed, dried, identified and then analysed for microscopic study. For making microscopic slides, 1 or 2 leaves were taken in a test tube and dipped in 30% nitric acid and 70% lactic acid for few minutes, and then placed on petri plates for separating the epidermis. Numerous quantitative and qualitative foliar anatomical features of adaxial and abaxial surfaces, including epidermal cell shapes, stomata size, subsidiary cell size, the pattern of the anticlinal wall, the morphology of the stomatal complex and trichome diversity, were examined. A small number of the considered species had anomocytic and anisocytic stomata; a few species had paracytic stomata, for instance, Ricinus communis, Euphorbia royleana, Buxus pilosula and Sorghum halepense ; and only Ipomoea carnea had cyclocytic stomata in the studied taxa. The epidermal cells of the analysed species were irregular, while some exhibited polygonal, wavy, tetragonal and elongated cell morphologies. Overall, this study emphasises the significance of foliar micromorphology analysis as a valuable resource for identifying potentially poisonous plants and demonstrates its contribution to maintaining public welfare, thereby benefitting public health and safety.

This study examines the role of light microscopic (LM) and scanning electron microscopic (SEM) micromorphological traits of the epidermis in identifying and classifying invasive plants. SEM was conducted to increase our understanding of microscopic qualities that are not visible in light microscopy and to elucidate unclear affinities among invasive species. The study examines invasive species’ morphological and anatomical characteristics from the Pothohar Plateau of Pakistan for the first time. The results showed that various micromorphological features are very useful for species’ accurate identification. Adaxial and abaxial surfaces of leaves showed variations in subsidiary cells, glands, anticlinal wall patterns, stomata, and epidermal cells. Epidermal cell shapes observed were irregular, elongated, rectangular, and polygonal. Epidermal cells having maximum length were calculated in Stellaria media (126.3 μm) on adaxial side. On the abaxial surface, the minimum length was noticed in Eucalyptus camaldulensis (28.5 μm). Both glandular and nonglandular trichomes were examined, ranging from unicellular to multicellular. Most of the investigated specimens of leaves were amphistomatic, while some were hypostomatic, like Alternanthera pungens, Calotropis procera, Cannabis sativa, Lantana camara, and Thevetia peruviana. Leaf epidermal morphology contains numerous useful systematic features for accurate identifications of plant species. The micromorphological attributes under observation provide a standard criterion to the researcher for identifications of invasive flora in future morpho-taxonomic studies.

Among the 70–80 species of the genus Lycium (family Solanaceae) disjunctly distributed around the world, only three are frequently distributed in different locations in Egypt. Due to the morphological similarities between these three species, there is a need for alternative tools to distinguish them. Thus, the objective of this study was to revise the taxonomic features of Lycium europaeum L., Lycium shawii Roem. & Schult., and Lycium schweinfurthii var. aschersonii (Dammer) Feinbrun in consideration of their anatomical, metabolic, molecular, and ecological characteristics. In addition to analysis of their anatomical and ecological features, DNA barcoding was performed for molecular characterization through internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequencing and start codon targeted (SCoT) markers. Furthermore, metabolic profiling of the studied species was conducted based on gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The observed anatomical features of the adaxial and abaxial epidermal layers, type of mesophyll, crystals, number of palisade and spongy layers, and the vascular system showed variations between the studied species. Beyond this, the anatomy of the leaves showed an isobilateral structure in the studied species, without distinct differences. Species were molecularly identified in terms of ITS sequences and SCoT markers. The ITS sequences were deposited in GenBank with accession numbers ON149839.1, OP597546.1, and ON521125.1 for L. europaeum L., L. shawii, and L. schweinfurthii var. aschersonii, respectively. The sequences showed variations in GC content between the studied species; this was 63.6% in L. europaeum, 61.53% in L. shawii, and 63.55% in L. schweinfurthii var. aschersonii. A total of 62 amplified fragments, including 44 polymorphic fragments with a ratio of 70.97%, were obtained in the SCoT analysis, as well as unique amplicons in L. europaeum L., shawii, and L. schweinfurthii var. aschersonii of 5, 11, and 4 fragments, respectively. Through GC-MS profiling, 38 compounds were identified with clear fluctuations in the extracts of each species. Of these, 23 were distinguishing chemicals that could help in chemical identification of the extracts of the studied species. The present study succeeds in identifying alternative clear and diverse characteristics that can be used to distinguish between L. europaeum, L. shawii, and L. schweinfurthii var. aschersonii.

This present study includes twelve species that represent the Ficus genus, namely; aspera, carica, tinctoria subsp. gibbosa, hirta, hispida, neriifolia, palmata, pumila, racemosa, septica, sur, and sycomorus, belonging to the Moraceae family. The species samples were collected from various locations in Egypt. The study focused on the anatomical and molecular characteristics of mature foliage leaves. Since the identification and classification of taxa are highly dependent on the anatomical features of leaves, the anatomical characteristics were recorded in the form of a comparison between the examined plants in the data matrix. This study aims to contribute to the identification of the studied species based on the anatomical details of the matured leaves. Anatomical characterization includes the variations in upper and lower epidermal layers that are covered by a thin or thick cuticle; the number of palisade and spongy layers; crystals; secretory elements; lithocysts; the midrib zone has parenchyma associated with mechanical tissue, vascular system, and investigation of trichomes; on the other hand, in the current study, the phylogenetic analysis was conducted by using the ITS and 5.8 S sequences. From the analysis of all the available data, it could be stated that there is an overall agreement with the anatomical character dendrogram.

Better processing techniques must be utilized widely due to the rising demand for honey. The most common honey processing techniques are applied to melissopalynomorphs to check the quality and quantity of valuable honey using microporous ultrafiltration membranes. It is essential to have the ability to selectively filter out sugars from honey using ultrafiltration. This study authenticated 24 honey samples using membrane reactors ultrafiltration protocol to describe the pollen spectrum of dominant vegetation. The purpose of this study was also to explore nutritional benefits as well as the active phytochemical constituents of honey samples. Honey samples were collected and labeled Acacia, Eucalyptus, and Ziziphus species based on plant resources provided by local beekeepers. A variety of honeybee flora was collected around the apiaries between 2020 and 2021. Honey analysis revealed that the pollen extraction of 24 bee foraging species belonging to 14 families. The honey membrane technology verified the identities of honey and nectar sources. Also, pollen identified using honey ultrafiltration membranes revealed dominant resources: Acacia spp. (69%), Eucalyptus spp. (52%) and Ziziphus spp. Honey filtration using a membrane technology classified 14 samples as unifloral, represented by six dominant pollen types. The absolute pollen count in the honey sample revealed that 58.33% (n = 14) belong to Maurizio's class I. Scanning ultrasculpturing showed diverse exine patterns: reticulate, psilate, scabrate-verrucate, scabrate-gemmate, granulate, perforate, microechinate, microreticulate, and regulate to fossulate for correct identification of honey pollen types. Honey ultrafiltration should be utilized to validate the botanical sources of honey and trace their biogeographic authenticity. Thus, it is imperative to look at the alternative useful method to identify the botanical origin of filtered honey. It is critical to separate honey from adulteration by a standardized protocol. Membrane technology has yielded significant outcomes in the purification of honey.

The aim of the study was to visualize the micromorphology of Amaranthaceous pollen using scanning electron microscopy collected from the Thal Desert. Field collection was conducted from July to September 2021. A total of 14 taxa of the family Amaranthaceae were collected which belong to nine genera. Achyranthes aspera, Aerva javanica, Aerva lanata, Amaranthus graecizans, Amaranthus retroflexus, Amaranthus viridis, Bassia indica, Chenopodium album, Chenopodium ficifolium, Chenopodium murale, Digera muricata, Haloxylon stocksii, Salsola tragus, and Suaeda fruticosa were studied in terms of pollen morphotypes. Pollen were acetolyzed and observed under optical and scanning microscopy. Qualitative and quantitative characters were measured to analyze the pollen to uncover its taxonomic significance. Qualitative characters observed were the shape of pollen in polar and equatorial views; the most frequent shape observed was spheroidal in the polar view, whereas in the equatorial view, prolate spheroidal was the dominant shape. Exine ornamentation is the key characteristic of pollen which is very helpful, and eight different types of ornamentations were observed in collected taxa: smooth sparsely granulate, scabrate-spinulose, microspinulose perforate, microechinate scabrate to metareticulate, granulate, nanospinulate, granulate-spinulose perforate, granulate-perforate echinate, and microechinate perforate. Periporate-type aperture was observed among all taxa. Mesoporia, ektexinous bodies, and tectum features also show variations among Amaranthaceous grains. In quantitative character, A. retroflexus recorded highest in polar view 26.3 μm and the lowest was of C. album 12.2 μm. Highest P/E index ratio was recorded in S. fruticosa (1.12) whereas the lowest for D. muricta (0.94). Exine thickness was highest in S. tragus 2.15 μm and lowest in A. graecizans 0.78 μm. The maximum number of pores was recorded as 32-36 in D. muricata. Artificial taxonomic keys were constructed based on findings that reinforce the importance of the micromorphological ultrastructural diversity of pollen among Amaranthaceous taxa. It was concluded that the descriptions of pollen morphotypes presented greatly contribute to our understanding of desert species identification.

This research examined the histological micro-structure of tendril vasculature in cucurbitaceous taxa. In this research, the tendril anatomy of 17 taxa of Cucurbitaceae categorized into seven genera, including Cucumis (five species), Cucurbita and Luffa (three species each), Citrullus and Momordica (two species each) while Lagenaria and Praecitrullus (one species each), collected from different areas of the Thal desert were examined via microscopic imaging to explore its taxonomic significance. Tendril transverse sections were cut with a Shandon Microtome to prepare slides. The distinctive characteristics of taxonomic value (qualitative and quantitative) include tendril and vascular bundle shape, variation in the number of vascular bundles, tendril diameter length, layers of sclerenchyma, and shape of collenchyma and epidermal cells. Tendril shapes observed are irregular, slightly oval-shaped, slightly C shaped, angular (4-angled, 6-angled, or polygonal), and star shaped. Quantitative measurements were taken to analyze the data statistically using SPSS software. Cucurbita pepo had a maximum tendril diameter length of 656.1 µm and a minimum in Momordica balsamina of 123.05 µm. The highest number of vascular bundles (12) were noticed in Luffa acutangula var.amara. Angular type was prominent in collenchyma, and irregular shape was dominant in sclerenchyma cells. A maximum of seven to nine sclerenchyma layers were present in Lagenaria siceraria and a minimum of two or three layers in Cucumis melo subsp. agrestis, Cucumis melo var. flexuosus, and Cucumis melo var.cantalupensis. Epidermis cells also show great variations with a rectangular shape being dominant. Statistical UPGMA dendrogram clustering of tendril vasculature traits shows that histological sections studied with microscopic techniques can be used to identify species and will play a vital role in future taxonomic and phylogenic linkages.

This paper described the microstructural features of the histological vasculature family Amaranthaceae. The petiole anatomy of 14 Amaranthaceous species categorized into nine genera, including Amaranthus and Chenopodium (3 species each), Alternanthera (2 species), and Aerva, Achyranthes, Atriplex, Bassia, Digera, and Gomphrena (one species each). Amaranthaceous species were collected from different localities of the Thal desert were examined using a microscopic imaging technique. Petiole transverse segments were cut with a Shandon Microtome to prepare slides. The distinguishing features of taxonomic significance include petiole outline, vascular bundle shape, variation in the number of vascular bundles, petiole length and width, trichomes, layers of collenchyma, and the shape of parenchyma. Petiole shapes were observed as cordate, slender, spherical, and ovoid. Quantitative measurements were taken to analyze the data statistically through SPSS software. Amaranthus retroflexus had a petiole of a maximum length of 760 µm and a minimum in Amaranthus viridis 170 µm. The highest number of vascular bundles, 11 were observed in Alternanthera sessilis. The polygonal-shaped parenchyma and the annular type of collenchymatous cells were prominent. A maximum of 18 collenchyma layers were present in Achyranthes aspera and a minimum of 9 layers in Amaranthus graecizans. Trichomes were examined in six species with bulged pointed ends, and broad glandular bases. Epidermis cells also show great variation, with an irregular shape being dominant. Statistic UPGMA dendrogram and PCA clustering of petiole traits show that histological sections can be utilized to botanical identify Amaranthaceous species and play an important role in future taxonomic and phylogenic relationships.