Fig wasps and fig trees are mutually dependent, with each of the 800 or so species of fig trees (Ficus, Moraceae) typically pollinated by a single species of fig wasp (Hymenoptera: Agaonidae). Molecular evidence suggests that the relationship existed over 65 Ma, during the Cretaceous. Here, we record the discovery of the oldest known fossil fig wasps, from England, dated at 34 Ma. They possess ...

The results of analysis of soil and tree leaves samples collected from heavy traffic affected area of Agra city show that average concentration of Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb, Mn and Zn ranged from 0.953.42, 3.2811.26, 2.18-4.05, 3.04-8.10, 0.91-1.42 and 2.83-5.94 ppm , respectively in soil samples. The maximum concentration of Ni (2.68ppm) and Co (4.82 ppm) was observed in the leaves of Ficus religiosa and...

Paracoccus denitrificans and its near relative Paracoccus versutus (formerly known as Thiobacilllus versutus) have been attracting increasing attention because the aerobic respiratory system of P. denitrificans has long been regarded as a model for that of the mitochondrion, with which there are many components (e.g., cytochrome aa3 oxidase) in common. Members of the genus exhibit a great range...

Rong Yu,1,2 Shuai Dong,1,2,3 Cengiz Şen,4 Gonzalo Alvarez,5 and Elbio Dagotto1,2 1Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, USA 2Materials Science and Technology Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 32831, USA 3Nanjing National Laboratory of Microstructures, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, People’s Republic of China 4D...

Many of the world's rural populations are dependent on the local provision of economically and medicinally important plant resources. However, increasing land-use intensity is depleting these resources, reducing human welfare, and thereby constraining development. Here we investigate a low cost strategy to manage the availability of valuable plant resources, facilitated by the use of isolated F...

The anti-inflammatory and analgesic activity of various extracts of Ficus glomerata Roxb. were evaluated in experimental animals. We have determined the anti-inflammatory and analgesic activity of various extracts of the dried fruits of Ficus glomerata by oral administration at doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg of body weight to healthy animals. The extracts were studied for their anti-inflammatory ac...

BACKGROUND β-D-Galactosidases (EC 3.2.1.23) catalyze the hydrolysis of terminal non-reducing β-D-galactose residues in β-D-galactosides. Cold-active β-D-galactosidases have recently become a focus of attention of researchers and dairy product manufactures owing to theirs ability to: (i) eliminate of lactose from refrigerated milk for people afflicted with lactose intolerance, (ii) convert lacto...

This study is the first report to suggest a morphological phylogenetic framework for the seven varieties of Ficus deltoidea Jack (Ficus: Moraceae) from the Malay Peninsula of Malaysia. Several molecular-based classifications on the genus Ficus had been proposed, but neither had discussed the relationship between seven varieties of F. deltoidea to its allies nor within the varieties. The relatio...

Opuntia ficus-indica belongs to the Cactaceae family and is widespread in semi-arid and arid regions. Cactus pears are known for their health promoting properties which are due to a variety of bioactive molecules. This study aims to identify and quantify phenolic acids, flavonoids and betanin from spineless Opuntia ficus-indica fruits. Fresh mature samples were crushed, and extracted with 50% a...

PREMISE OF THE STUDY Microsatellite primers were developed to investigate population genetic structure in Ficus hirta (Moraceae). METHODS AND RESULTS Sixteen microsatellite primers were developed and optimized for F. hirta using Illumina paired-end sequencing of pre-receptive and receptive developmental-phase female flowers. Out of 16 primers, nine were found to be polymorphic in four populat...