Caper (Capparis spinosa L.) is a xerophytic shrub with a remarkable adaptability to harsh environments. This plant species is of great interest for its medicinal/pharmacological properties and its culinary uses. Its phytochemical importance relies on many bioactive components present in different organs and its cultivation can be of considerable economic value. Moreover, taxonomic identificatio...

Evolution of pest resistance reduces the efficacy of insecticidal proteins from the gram-positive bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) used widely in sprays and transgenic crops. Recent efforts to delay pest adaptation to Bt crops focus primarily on combinations of two or more Bt toxins that kill the same pest, but this approach is often compromised because resistance to one Bt toxin causes cr...

The genus Ononis,embraces more than 85 species worldwide. In the present study, materials of two subspecies of O. spinosa from different localities of Iran alongside some other native species of the genus were included in phylogenetic analyses. In addition, over 50 accessions were obtained from GenBank. In order to clarify the exact number of subspecies of O. spinosa in Iran, datasets were obta...

Prunus spinosa, blackthorn, exists as wild populations that inhabit uncultivated uplands of Coruh Valley in the northeastern part of Turkey; the fruit is used to make preserves. We examined genetic diversity in wild-grown Prunus spinosa; 16 individual plants from wild populations of Coruh Valley were sampled and subjected to RAPD (random amplified polymorphic DNA) analysis. We tested 51 random ...

Xylan-type polysaccharides were isolated from the leaves of Argania spinosa (L.) Skeels collected in the Tindouf area (southwestern Algeria). Xylan fractions were obtained by sequential alkaline extractions and purified on Sepharose CL-4B. The xylan structure was investigated by enzymatic hydrolysis with an endo-β(1→4)-xylanase followed by chromatography of the resulting fragments on Biogel P2,...

Background: Numerous plants in traditional practices of medicine have been used to treat cognitive disorders, including neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and other memory related disorders. Materials and Methods: We present here the evaluation of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitory and antioxidant activities of the aqueous methanol extracts of five traditional medic...

The Punica granatum L. var. granatum (pomegranate) has been demonstrated to exert antitumor effects on various types of cancer cells. The present study aimed to evaluate the medicinal herbs Punica granatum L. var. spinosa (apple punice) that are native to Iran. This study was determined to test the possible cytotoxic activity and induction of apoptosis on human prostate cell lines. The effect o...

Prepupae of the rose galling Diplolepis spinosa from areas with relatively cold winters in southern Canada, and Diplolepis variabilis from a milder locale in western Canada, were used to test the hypothesis that mild winter temperatures are detrimental to the survival and potential fecundity of insects. Prepupae of D. spinosa held within or removed from their galls were exposed to simulated ove...

Background & Aim: Salvia spinosa L. is a perennial shrub and aromatic plant belongs to the family Lamiaceae. S. spinosa grows wild in some districts of Iran. The aim of this study was to identify of the chemical components of S. spinosa in Isfahan climatic conditions. Experimental: The aerial parts of the plants were collected from Isfahan province in 2014. The essen...

Problem statement: Although the diversity of marine Actinobacteria have been studied and biotechnologically exploited throughout the world, the studies on marine actinobacteria in Indian peninsula are largely unexplored. Of 9 maritime states in India, only 4 states have been extensively studied for the diversity of actinobacteria. Further, the studies on bioactive actinomycetes from saline soil...