Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a group of metabolic diseases characterized by hyperglycemia resulting from defects in insulin secretion, action, or both. The prevalence DM globally 2019 was estimated to be 9.3% the world’s population. Complications include nephropathy, neuropathy, retinopathy, stroke and coronary heart disease. Traditional plants have been used management diabetes mellitus, an examp...

A commonly observed preferential association was quantified between mature native mesquite (Prosopis articulata) trees and the seedlings of six cactus species (Pachycereus pringlei, Opuntia cholla, Lophocereus schottii, Machaerocereus gummosus, Lemaireocereus thurberi, Mammilaria sp.) in a previously-disturbed area of the Sonoran Desert of Baja California, Mexico. We hypothesized that, in addit...

To counter systemic risk of infection by parasitic wasps, Drosophila larvae activate humoral immunity in the fat body and mount a robust cellular response resulting in encapsulation of the wasp egg. Innate immune reactions are tightly regulated and are resolved within hours. To understand the mechanisms underlying activation and resolution of the egg encapsulation response and examine if failur...

The forage cactus cultivar Mexican elephant ear (MEE) [Opuntia stricta (Haw.) Haw.] has been widely used in the semi-arid of Brazil because its resistance to carmine mealybug. Therefore, it is necessary establish planting and harvesting management strategies for this cultivar. This study evaluated effect cutting intensity (preservation mother cladode, + primary cladodes) different densities (55...

Understanding which species are introduced and become invasive, and why, are central questions in invasion science. Comparative studies on model taxa have provided important insights, but much more needs to be done to unravel the context dependencies of these findings. The cactus family (Cactaceae), one of the most popular horticultural plant groups, is an interesting case study. Hundreds of ca...

Several procedures using high-performance liquid chromatography with photodiode-array detection have been developed to create phytochemical and toxicological profiles of phenylalkylamine derivatives in biological samples (e.g. plant materials and urine). Mescaline-containing cactus samples were extracted with basic methanol, using methoxamine as internal standard; the extraction and clean-up of...

We describe the gut bacterial diversity inhabiting two saprophagous syrphids and their breeding substrate (decayed tissues of the columnar cactus Isolatocereus dumortieri). We analyzed the gut microbiota of Copestylum latum (scooping larvae that feed on decayed cactus tissues) and Copestylum limbipenne (whose larvae can also feed on semiliquid tissues) using molecular techniques. DNA was extrac...