Physiology of medicinal and aromatic plants under drought stress

Drought poses a significant challenge,restricting the productivity of medicinal and aromatic plants.The strain induced by drought can impede vital processes like respiration and photosynthesis,affecting various aspects of plants’growth and metabolism.In response to this adversity,medicinal plants employ mechanisms such as morphological and structural adjustments,modulation of drought-resistant genes,and augmented synthesis of secondary metabolites and osmotic regulatory substances to alleviate the stress.Extreme water scarcity can lead to leaf wilting and may ultimately result in plant death.The cultivation and management of medicinal plants under stress conditions often differ from those of other crops.This is because the main goal with medicinal plants is not only to increase the yield of the above-ground parts but also to enhance the production of active ingredients such as essential oils.To elucidate these mechanisms of drought resistance in medicinal and aromatic plants,the current review provides a summary of recent literature encompassing studies on the morphology,physiology,and biochemistry of medicinal and aromatic plants under drought conditions.

Distribution pattern and conservation of threatened medicinal and aromatic plants of Central Himalaya, India

A study was conducted to examine the distribution pattern of four rhizomatous medicinal and aromatic plant species （MAPs） viz., Angelica glauca, Pleurospermum angelicoides, Rheum emodi and Arne- bia benthamii in different forest stands in Central Himalaya. Results show that A. glauca and P. angelicoides had a higher （50%） frequency at Chipkoan, Garpak and Phagati forest, R. emodi had a higher （60%） frequency at Rishikund, Suki and Himtoli, and A. benthamii had a higher （70%） frequency at Suki and Khambdhar The densities of A. glauca （0.6 plants·m -2 ） and P. angelicoides （0.5 plants·m -2 ） were higher at Chipkoan and Garpak sites than at other micro-sites, while densities of R. emodi （0.8 plants·m -2 ） and A. benthamii （1.0 plants·m -2 ） were higher at Suki and Khambdhar sites. A. glauca had highest total basal covers （TBC） （1.2 cm 2 ·m -2 ） at Chipkoan, P. angelicoides had highest TBC （0.92 cm 2 ·m -2） at Lati kharak site, A. benthamii had the highest TBC （6.48 cm 2 ·m -2 ） atKhambdhar, and R. emodi had highest TBC （4.53 cm 2 ·m -2 ） at Rishikund. For the four studied species, A. glauca showed a contagious distribution, P. angelicoides and R. emodi showed the random and A. benthamii showed the regular type of distribution.

Economic Development through Medicinal and Aromatic Plants(MAPs) Cultivation in Hindu Kush Himalaya Mountains of District Swat, Pakistan

Poverty is pervasive in the Swat Valley in northwestern Pakistan, and most people survive by farming small landholdings. However, many supplement their meager subsistence earnings by collecting and selling plant material for use in herbal medicine. This material is wild-harvested, but collectors seem not to fully appreciate the potential value of the plant material they collect nor the longterm impact their collection has on local plant populations. A model project supported by the International Food Policy Research Institute(IFPRI)persuaded small-scale farmers in four different villages to use some of their land for cultivating traditionally wild-harvested species of medicinal and aromatic plants(MAPs) with high market value. The farmers were provided seeds or rhizomes of five MAPs and asked to monitor their germination and growth on 25 m2 plots during a 12 month period. At the end of the study, growth and yield data from the four localities were compared and economic analyses conducted to determine the profitability of the species based on yields, prevailing market prices, and costs of production. Five of the cultivated species were subsequently marketed and their value evaluated:Sesamum indicum, Linum usitatissimum, Ocimum basilicum, Nigella sativa and Viola pilosa. The MAPs V. pilosa and O. basilicum were the most profitable,whereas Nigella sativa was the least profitable because of its low germination rate. The net income from all but Nigella was higher than that would have been earned by planting the same area with the predominant cereals or tomatoes. In addition to demonstrating the feasibility and financial benefits of cultivating MAPs as a cash crop, this model study identified a number of additional steps that would increase the benefits of MAPs cultivation in this area.A combination of specialized education, market infrastructure development and a small loans program would enable farmers to increase their agricultural income without damaging the area's plant diversity.

Knowledge and Traditional Uses of Some Aromatic and Cosmetic Plants Species in the Western Highlands of Cameroon

The valorisation of plant genetic resources following the Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) process of the Nagoya Protocol requires the mastery of traditional knowledge associated with their uses by local populations. The objectives of this study were to survey the aromatic or cosmetics plants species used by the populations and to collect information on the knowledge associated with their uses in the Western highlands of Cameroon. Ethnobotanical surveys were carried out in 12 localities, where 251 individuals, including 206 men and 45 women, whose ages ranged from 25 to 81 years were interviewed. Information on each of the plant species mentioned and their different uses were recorded. A total of 103 species in 81 genera and 46 families were cited for aromatic or cosmetic uses, of which the most represented were the Lamiaceae (18 species), Asteraceae, and Zingiberaceae (7 species each). The identified plants were grouped into four categories of use: medicinal (56.31%), cosmetic (10.68%), food (6.80%), and cultural (1.94%). Most of the species surveyed were herbaceous (66%) with leaves being the most used part. The diversity index values of the respondents showed 10 species that were very well known and used by the populations: Eryngium foetidum, Chenopodium ambrosioides, Ocimum gratissimum, Piper umbellatum, Cinnamomum zeylanicum, Aframomum melegueta, Citrus limon, Costus afer, Cyperus rotundus, and Mondia whitei. These species were mainly used for: cough, spiritual protection, sexual weakness, cysts, diabetes, prostate, rheumatism, filaria, insomnia, female sterility, jaundice, scabies, haemorrhoids, high blood pressure and asthma. The results obtained constitute a valuable source of information that can contribute to the establishment of value chains allowing the effective valorisation of species following the ABS process.

ROLE OF MEDICINAL AND AROMATIC PLANTS IN MODERN URBAN COMMUNITIES OF BRUSSELS

Medicinal and aromatic plants(MAPs)have been used by humans for centuries.A big part of the knowledge and interest in MAPs was lost during periods of intensive industrialisation and urbanisation.According to the estimations of the United Nations,the world urban population is expected to increase by 84%by 2050.

Effect of mixed-cropping and water-stress on macro-nutrients and biochemical constituents of rhizomatous medicinal plants in Central Himalaya,India

Plants in the alpine zone mainly depend on the reserved food materials stored in their rhizomes for the next growing season. We investigated the effect of mixed cropping （Phaseolus vulgaris L. var. Pinto） with four rhizomatous medicinal plants, i.e., Angelica glauca, Arnebia benthamii, Rheum emodi and Pleurospermum angelicoides as well as three levels of water stress treatment under two conditions （shade net and open field） on macronutrients （NPK） and biochemicals （carbohydrates and protein）. The experiment was conducted by completely randomized design （CDR）. The data were analyzed with ANOVA as well as CDR. The experimental results show that in all the species shade conditions with sever water stress （SSWS） increased the level of macronutrients （NPK）. However, （N） concentration was highest under shade with mixed cropping （SMIX）. Under SMIX, carbohydrate content was highest than open field control conditions （CONT）. This investigation results demon- strate that mixed cropping of medicinal plants with Phaseolus vulgaris could be a good livelihood option in the mountainous regions of Indian Central Himalaya. And the water-stress conditions along with mixed cropping could improve the biochemical constituents in the rhizome of these species.

Some Antimicrobial Activity Plants Growing in Rize Region Used in Alternative Medicine

Rize has a different and special flora because of its geographical position, climate, and topography. The natural plants of Rize have a very big usage potential and value in some sort of intrustrial branches. In particular, the antimicrobial activity of natural plant oils and extracts has formed the basis of many applications, including raw and processed food preservation, pharmaceuticals, alternative medicine and natural therapies： These natural plants can be listed as follows： Artemisia absinthium L., Achi[[ea millefolium L., Astragalus schizopterus Boiss, Ajuga orientalis L., Humulus lupulus L,, Mentha longifolia L., Melissa officinalis L., Thymus pseudopulegioides Klokov et Des., Plantago major L., Rhus L., Hypericum perforatum L., Camellia chinensis L., Taraxacum officinale Wobb., duniperus communis L., etc.. In the present study, the bio-eco-morphological features of some antimicrobial activity plants, their active substance content, their effectuality and usage as traditional medicine in Rize region were discussed. It was observed that these herbs are preferred by experts and they are sold in the neighborhood markets and spice stores, and the local people are quite interested in these medicinal herbs.

空气负离子与植物精气相互作用的初步研究

空气负离子和植物精气是森林环境的主要成分,它们对人和自然有着积极的作用,我们在对森林环境的检测过程中,有重要发现并作了实验证明。

Enabling Sustainable Management of Non Wood Forest Products in South East Europe-Albania＇s Experience

The paper sheds light on the factors enabling sustainable development of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants （MAPs） of Albania; socio-economic, legal and regulatory aspects and institutional capacity related to the MAP sector in the country; sector dynamics, challenges and opportunities; and Albania＇s positioning in the world markets. Stewardship of MAPs natural base in the country remains a challenge as approximately 95% of the MAPs are collected from the wild. Albania continues to be the leader in Sage exports to the US market accounting for 49% of its market share. Statistical data and direct communication with MAP relevant stakeholders reveal that there is a great demand for the Albanian MAPs from the EU and US markets. However, as clearly indicated in this paper, increased competitiveness of this sector in the world markets should be preceded by sustainable management of the MAPs which can be achieved through （1） continuous training and education of the MAP value chain members prior to harvesting season, （2） organic production and （3） commercial cultivation of MAPs. This paper highlights that sustainable management and sector development require combined efforts of all sector stakeholders in an attempt of all respecting Mother Nature＇s generosity, and if harvesting as living forever.

Evaluating Biotic Elicitation with Phenylalanine and/or Yeast for Rosemary (<i>Rosmarinus officinals</i>L.) Sustainable Improvement under Traditional and Organic Agriculture

Rosemary (Rosmrinus officinals) is one of the most important medicinal plants was cultivated for two subsequent seasons field experiment trial (March 2018, 2019) designed as factorial split-plot design with three replicates. The main factor 4 biotic elicitors: control (E1), phenylalanine (E2), yeast (E3) and (E4), E2 + F3 Whereas, the sub-main factor, four fertilizers: (F1) NPK, (F2) 1/2NPK + PGPB and humic acid + PGPB (F3), and moringa dry leaves extract. + PGPB (F4). Statistical analysis for collected data revealed significant promotion for growth traits leading to significant increment biomass yield, secondary metabolites production and quality. Total phenolics, total flavonoids and essential oil its terpenes contents in which solitary, E2, E3 acted positive significant impact while E4exhiboted significant positive impact over E1 whereas, F1-4 achieved significant increment in which, biofertilser f4 > f3 > f2 over NPK biofertilser, while paired E1-4 with F1-4 performed E4E4 exceeded E3F3 exceeded E3F2 that exceeded E1F1. Therefore, multi-repeating elicitation with E2, 3, 4 coupled with Biofertilizers F2, 4 could be considered as eco-friendly innovative reliable practical application for sustainable improvement and sustainable use that exceeded significantly over traditional agriculture NPK alone or 1/2 NPK-PGPB for R. officinals.

Ethnobotanical Study and Vulnerability of Uvariodendron molun­dense(Annonaceae)in Gbado-Lite City(Ubangi Eco-region),Demo­cratic Republic of the Congo

Democratic Republic of the Congo is a real reservoir of medicinal plants.These plants play a major role in the treatment of certain common pathologies in tropical regions.The aim of this study was to list the ethno-medical uses of Uvariodendron molundense,a medicinal and aromatic plant from the Ubangi ecoregion.The ethnobotanical survey was carried out in Gbado-Lite with 200 people using stratified probability sampling.The respondents were interviewed individually on the basis of free consent.The study revealed that the majority of respondents were men(72%)and had a secondary education(37%),followed respectively by illiterates(34%)and those with a primary education(28%),and finally,university graduates represented only 1%of the respondents.83%of the respondents were farmers,while 79%of the respondents were married.The leaf is the most used organ(81%)followed by stem and root bark.U.molundense is used both as food and medicine.The plant treats eight diseases(pain,malaria,cold,hypertension,gastritis,infection,headache and rheumatism).The calculated value of the informant consensus factor is 0.96 and indicates that there is a high degree of consensus among informants regarding the use of U.molundense against these diseases in Gbado-Lite.Decoction is the most commonly used method of preparation(89%)and 50%of the respondents stated that the species is currently not very abundant,while 31%of the respondents felt that the plant was rare.The calculated value of the vulnerability index shows that U.molundense is very vulnerable in its natural environment(Iv˃2.5).

Removal of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from aqueous solution by raw and modified plant residue materials as biosorbents

Removal of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons （PAHs）, e.g., naphthalene, acenaphthene, phenanthrene and pyrene, from aqueous solution by raw and modified plant residues was investigated to develop low cost biosorbents for organic pollutant abatement. Bamboo wood, pine wood, pine needles and pine bark were selected as plant residues, and acid hydrolysis was used as an easily modification method. The raw and modified biosorbents were characterized by elemental analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The sorption isotherms of PAHs to raw biosorbents were apparently linear, and were dominated by a partitioning process. In comparison, the isotherms of the hydrolyzed biosorbents displayed nonlinearity, which was controlled by partitioning and the specific interaction mechanism. The sorpfion kinetic curves of PAHs to the raw and modified plant residues fit well with the pseudo second-order kinetics model. The sorption rates were faster for the raw biosorbents than the corresponding hydrolyzed biosorbents, which was attributed to the latter having more condensed domains （i.e., exposed aromatic core）. By the consumption of the amorphous cellulose component under acid hydrolysis, the sorption capability of the hydrolyzed biosorbents was notably enhanced, i.e., 6-18 fold for phenanthrene, 6-8 fold for naphthalene and pyrene and 5-8 fold for acenaphthene. The sorpfion coefficients （Kd） were negatively correlated with the polarity index [（O＋N）/C], and positively correlated with the aromaticity of the biosorbents. For a given biosorbent, a positive linear correlation between logKoc and logKow for different PAHs was observed. Interestingly, the linear plots of logKoc-logKow were parallel for different biosorbents. These observations suggest that the raw and modified plant residues have great potential as biosorbents to remove PAHs from wastewater.

Aromatic,Medicinal Plants and Vulnerability of Traditional Herbal Knowledge in a Berber Community of the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco

This article compliments the S18 session( transmission of traditional ecological knowledge and conservation of medicinal plants) at the 13th International Congress of Ethnobiology( ISE) in Montpellier,France( May2012). The aim of the article is to provide an insight into the livelihoods of a Berber community,a village of the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco,of the local biodiversity and most importantly,the prevalent use of medicinal plants for primary health care. It seeks to demonstrate the value of traditional ecological and herbal knowledge for the subsistence of the community and emphasises the vital role that family and community connections play for the transmission of traditional herbal knowledge within the community.

Draft Genome Sequence of Mentha Iongifolia and Development of Resources for Mint Cultivar Improvement

The genus Mentha encompasses mint species cultivated for their essential oils, which are formulated into a vast array of consumer products. Desirable oil characteristics and resistance to the fungal disease Verti- cillium wilt are top priorities for the mint industry. However, cultivated mints have complex polyploid ge- homes and are sterile. Breeding efforts, therefore, require the development of genomic resources for fertile mint species. Here, we present draft de novo genome and plastome assemblies for a wilt-resistant South African accession of Mentha Iongifolia （L.） Huds., a diploid species ancestral to cultivated peppermint and spearmint. The 353 Mb genome contains 35 597 predicted protein-coding genes, including 292 disease resistance gene homologs, and nine genes determining essential oil characteristics. A genetic linkage map ordered 1397 genome scaffolds on 12 pseudochromosomes. More than two million simple sequence repeats were identified, which will facilitate molecular marker development. The M. Iongifolia genome is a valuable resource for both metabolic engineering and molecular breeding. This is exemplified by employing the genome sequence to clone and functionally characterize the promoters in a peppermint cultivar, and demonstrating the utility of a glandular trichome-specific promoter to increase expression of a biosynthetic gene, thereby modulating essential oil composition.