The lectin from Datura stramonium can be inhibited by oligomers of N-acetylglucosamine. This property was exploited to purify the lectin by affinity chromatography on Sepharosefetuin. The purified lectin is a glycoprotein in having subunits of 40 000 and 45 000 mol.wt.

For animals to execute odor-driven behaviors, the olfactory system must process complex odor signals and maintain stimulus identity in the face of constantly changing odor intensities [1-5]. Surprisingly, how the olfactory system maintains identity of complex odors is unclear [6-10]. We took advantage of the plant-pollinator relationship between the Sacred Datura (Datura wrightii) and the moth ...

partaken of a quantity of datura leaves, prepared in the form of curry, with rice, which he afterwards acknowledged to have voluntarily taken. On admission, he lay perfectly unconscious, with severe spasmodic muscular twitchings and stertorous breathing. Skin cool; pulse about 108?, feeble. Pupils dilated and insensible to the effects of light. The stomach pump was immediately introduced, but d...

BACKGROUND Combinations of floral traits - which operate as attractive signals to pollinators - act on multiple sensory modalities. For Manduca sexta hawkmoths, how learning modifies foraging decisions in response to those traits remains untested, and the contribution of visual and olfactory floral displays on behavior remains unclear. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Using M. sexta and the flo...

The present study was carried out to determine the phytochemical profile and antibacterial activity of Andrographis paniculata and Datura metel extracts. For the present investigation, extracts of A. paniculata and D.metel were prepared by extraction in methanol, chloroform, acetone and benzene and were compared for their antibacterial activity. The antibacterial activities were assessed by mea...

All Indian species of the genus Lordiphosa Basden are reviewed, with descriptions of four new species, L. curva Fartyal & Toda, sp. n. of the denticeps species group and L. ayarpathaensis Kandpal & Singh, sp. n., L. makaibarensis Pradhan & Chatterjee, sp. n. and L. srinagarensis Sati & Fartyal, sp. n. of the nigricolor species group. Two of the new species, L. ayarpathaensis and L. makaibarensi...

Insects pinpoint mates, food and oviposition sites by olfactory cues. Recognizing and localizing a suitable target by olfaction is demanding. Odor sources emit characteristic blends of compounds that have to be identified against an environmentally derived olfactory background. This background, however, does not necessarily disturb the localization of a source. Rather, the contrary. Sex pheromo...

Traits that are attractive to mutualists may also attract antagonists, resulting in conflicting selection pressures. Here we develop the idea that increased floral nectar production can, in some cases, increase herbivory. In these situations, selection for increased nectar production to attract pollinators may be constrained by a linked cost of herbivore attraction. In support of this hypothesi...