International Parasitic Plant Society

Welcome to the homepage of the International Parasitic Plant Society (IPPS). The IPPS is dedicated to advancing scientific research on parasitic plants. Our goals include increasing the understanding of these amazing plants, providing a platform for exchange among and beyond the scientific community as well as helping to decrease the crop damage inflicted by weedy parasitic plants.

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The 17th World Congress On Parasitic Plants (WCPP) will be held 3–7 June 2024, Nara, Japan.

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Cistanche tubulosa

Cuscuta reflexa

Cynomorium coccineum

Cytinus hypocistis

Viscum album

Phoradendron sp.

Orobanche hederae

Orobanche kochii

Conopholis americana

Pholisma arenarium

Lathraea clandestina (Purple toothwort)

Aphyllon californica

Arceuthobium oxicedrii

Buchnera americana

Striga hermonthica

Orobanche crenata

Pedicularis resupinata

Phelipanche aegyptiaca

Agalinis sp.

Castilleja sp.

Scybalium fungiforme (Balanophoraceae, Santalales)

Cuscuta campestris

Cuscuta monogyna

Phelipanche ramosa

Orobanche crenata

Cuscuta monogyna on Ziziphus spina-christi

Orobanche teucrii

Orobanche gracilis

Cuscuta gronovii

Euphrasia cf. salisburgensis

Castilleja cf. chromosa

Lindenbergia muraria

Rhinanthus cf. serotinus

Viscum cruciatum

Striga hermonthica on sorghum in a rhizotron

Boulardia macrolepis

Dasistoma macrophylla

Aeginetia indica on Setaria

Striga gesnerioides Indigo (Florida) strain

Lathraea squamaria

Cistanche phelypaea

Cistanche violacea

Orobanche minor on clover in Japan

Orobanche cumana on sunflower in Israel

Striga hermonthica on maize in Kenya

Phelipanche nana on Oxalis pes-caprae

Orobanche crenata on pea near Gesher Haziv (ISR)

Orobanche pallidiflora

Orobanche bartlingii

Orobanche lutea

Orobanche alba

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Most Recent ‘Parasitic Plant’ publications

in Google Scholar

  1. Strigolactones in rhizosphere communication: multiple molecules with diverse functions YJ Kee, S Ogawa, Y Ichihashi, K Shirasu… - Plant And Cell …, 2023 - academic.oup.com Sunday 04 June 2023 … for root parasitic plants, and as hyphae branching factors for arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, recent studies have also identified them as chemoattractants for parasitic plants, …
  2. Development Stages of Orobanche Crenata Weed on Faba Bean Under Pot Experiment with Varied Weed Seed Rates and at Field Natural Infestation MM Desta, W Mohammed, SA Kemal - Available at SSRN 4462123 - papers.ssrn.com Saturday 03 June 2023 … Orobanche crenata Forskal is indigenous in Mediterranean basin and found in the genus Orobanche … The most important Orobanche species is Orobanche crenata. The …
  3. Structural analysis of a hormone-bound Striga strigolactone receptor A Arellano-Saab, T Skarina, Z Xu, CSP McErlean… - Nature Plants, 2023 - nature.com Friday 02 June 2023 … We find that when SL binds the Striga receptor, ShHTL5, a series of conformational changes relative to the unbound state occur, but these events are not sufficient for …
  4. The Language of Cancer Communication in Africa H Simba, J Onwuka, B Chimera, YM Saleh… - … Biomarkers & Prevention, 2023 - AACR Friday 02 June 2023 Purpose: Communication is an essential aspect of cancer care and awareness but has been largely understudied in the African setting. There is no documentation, to our …
  5. In vitro cultivation and biocontrol potential of Botryosphaeria visci against European mistletoe (Viscum album L.) Y Bilonozhko, T Krupodorova, A Rabokon… - Acta Botanica …, 2023 - hrcak.srce.hr Friday 02 June 2023 … control of white mistletoe (European mistletoe) additional … from infected parts of mistletoe was evaluated by microscopy. … Re-infection of European mistletoe in laboratory …
  6. [PDF][PDF] ONE POT SYNTHESIS OF COPPER OXIDE NANOPARTICLES FOR ANTIBACTERIAL AND ANTICANCER ACTIVITIES S Dhir, R Dutt, N Verma, S Chaudhary, N Vashist - eurchembull.com Saturday 27 May 2023 … [15-22] With this intention we are trying to synthesise Copper oxide NPs from Cuscuta reflexa stem extract. Cuscuta reflexa belonging to family Convolvulaceae is a …
  7. A tale of two mistletoes: phenology and fauna associated with two sympatric species J Pincheira, J Villarroel, JI Orellana, FE Fonturbel - Botany, 2023 - cdnsciencepub.com Tuesday 30 May 2023 … Mistletoes are parasitic plants that largely rely on animals for … animal species composition differences between mistletoe … We conducted the mistletoe surveys during the …
  8. Herbal supplements suppress pro-inflammatory cytokines, boost humoral immunity, and modulate adipokines to enhance the productivity traits of rabbit bucks in hot … JO Abubakar, DO Temidayo, OAH Ololade… - Tropical Animal Health …, 2023 - Springer Friday 26 May 2023 … tropical herbs Viscum album (mistletoe), Moringa oleifera (… of Moringa, Phyllanthus, and mistletoe for an eight-week … fed with Phyllanthus and mistletoe supplements was …
  9. The impact of extract of mistletoe on tumour cells and hemostasis of human plasma RY Marunych, DL Kolesnik, ON Pyaskovskaya… - Journal of Medicinal …, 2023 - jomped.org Friday 26 May 2023 … Contribution: This research makes it possible to study mistletoe as a light and cheap anticancer therapy plant and cure blood coagulopathy or construct antibleeding …
  10. Parasitic Plants in African Agriculture LJ Musselman, J Rodenburg - 2023 - digitalcommons.odu.edu Thursday 25 May 2023 … in African Agriculture brings together for the first time in a single volume, the ecology, biology, damage, and control of all groups of African parasitic plants including both …
  11. Toxicity of House Plants to Pet Animals Z Siroka - Toxins, 2023 - mdpi.com Saturday 20 May 2023 … This semi-parasitic plant belongs to the Loranthaceae family and … mistletoe is a semi-parasitic plant, its toxicity can also depend on the species of tree it grows on. Mistletoe …
  12. [HTML][HTML] Large Field Screening for Resistance to Broomrape (Orobanche crenata Forsk.) in a Global Lentil Diversity Panel (GLDP) (Lens culinaris Medik.) Y En-nahli, K Hejjaoui, R Mentag, NE Es-safi, M Amri - Plants, 2023 - mdpi.com Tuesday 23 May 2023 Broomrape (Orobanche crenata Forsk.) is a serious problem causing important losses to lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) production and productivity in Mediterranean …
  13. [HTML][HTML] Assessment of antimicrobial and anthelmintic activity of silver nanoparticles bio-synthesized from Viscum orientale leaf extract DG Kumar, RR Achar… - BMC …, 2023 - bmccomplementmedtherapies … Tuesday 23 May 2023 … In the present study, unexplored parasitic plant was chosen with medicinal properties. The plant was known for its traditional medicinal uses along with its significant toxic …
  14. Choline accumulation in mistletoe leaves (Viscum album L.) and the effect of extracts based on them on the course of the sporadic form of Alzheimer's disease in … D Pozdnyakov, S Adzhiakhmetova… - Arabian Journal of …, 2023 - revues.imist.ma Sunday 21 May 2023 … in white mistletoe leaves and to study the effect of white mistletoe leaf extract on the course of the sporadic form of Alzheimer's disease in rats. White mistletoe leaves are …
  15. [PDF][PDF] Effect of Sowing Date of Resistant and Susceptible Faba Bean, Vicia faba L. Cultivars on Orobanche crenata Forsk Seed Bank and Faba Bean Production EMH Hegazi, WE Khafagi, MA Attia… - article.agriff.net Saturday 20 May 2023 … naturally Orobanche infested soil. Moreover, the Orobanche seeds production was determined as an indication of seed bank future adding in soil. Under Orobanche free …

Most Recent 'Parasitic Plant' publications

in Scopus

  1. First Report of the Branched Broomrape (Phelipanche schultzii (Mutel) Pomel.) on Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Mill.) in Morocco Majda El Amri, Moez Amri, El Mostafa Kadir, Zine El Abidine Triqui, Slimane Khayi, Rachid Mentag Horticulturae, volume 9 Thursday 08 June 2023 Holoparasitic broomrape weeds (Orobanche and Phelipanche spp.) are a major biotic constraint limiting the production of important food crops. Parasitism caused by Phelipanche spp. is considered to be a serious threat, particularly in the Mediterranean region. In this study, the broomrape species collected from infested fennel fields in Sid L’Mokh... Holoparasitic broomrape weeds (Orobanche and Phelipanche spp.) are a major biotic constraint limiting the production of important food crops. Parasitism caused by Phelipanche spp. is considered to be a serious threat, particularly in the Mediterranean region. In this study, the broomrape species collected from infested fennel fields in Sid L’Mokhtar in the Central West of Morocco was described and identified morphologically and molecularly. For molecular identification, 700 bp ITS regions were PCR-amplified from two representative individuals, OA and OY-4. The obtained sequences exhibited more than 99% similarity with the P. schultzii sequence (MT026593). In addition, maximum likelihood analysis placed our species with other referred P. schultzii in the same clade. Through molecular analysis, the broomrape species attacking fennel was identified as P. schultzii. This is the first record of the broomrape species P. schultzii parasitizing fennel (Foeniculum vulgare syn. Foeniculum officinale) in Morocco. Therefore, it should be considered that this parasite could spread to other cultivated fields causing severe yield losses, requiring urgent action through efficient control measures to avoid further spread of this parasitic weed.
  2. Evaluation of Cuscuta reflexa seed essential oil on TPA-induced inflammation in mice Zulfa Nooreen, Nasir A. Siddiqui, Pranay Wal, Ankita Shukla, Ram Swaroop Verma, Ateeque Ahmad, Sudeep Tandon, Saad Alkahtani, Abdullah A. Alkahtane, Akram Mohammad Journal of King Saud University - Science, volume 35 Wednesday 07 June 2023 Objectives: Cuscuta reflexa is parasitic plant of subtropical and temperate areas, commonly named as amarbel or akasvel in India. Present study is to investigate the In-vivoanti-inflammatory potential of C. reflexa seed essential oil. Materials and methods: In this study the essential oil was hydro-distilled from dried seeds and analyzed for chemic... Objectives: Cuscuta reflexa is parasitic plant of subtropical and temperate areas, commonly named as amarbel or akasvel in India. Present study is to investigate the In-vivoanti-inflammatory potential of C. reflexa seed essential oil. Materials and methods: In this study the essential oil was hydro-distilled from dried seeds and analyzed for chemical profiling and anti-inflammatory activity. In –vivo activity was performed on mice inducing TPA as disease causing agent. Study of biochemical parameter and oxidative stress was performed by taking homogenate of ear pinna of mice. Results: Chemical analysis is done by GC and GC-MS study, we found β-Bisabolene and Hexahydro farnesyl acetone as the major component as 13.2 and 14.2% respectively along with cis-chrysanthenyl acetate, caryophyllene oxide, carotol, caryophyllene oxide. In-vitro activity of cell viability was assessed using RAW 264.7 macrophages, showed no reduction in viable cell in the processed culture. In-vivo it significantly reduces the inflammation by inhibiting pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α). Conclusions: Cuscuta reflexa seed essential oil was found effective in the management of inflammation by encountering the inflammatory mediators (cytokines).
  3. Chemical pattern recognition of Cuscutae Semen before and after stir-frying with wine based on UPLC fingerprint multi-component quantitative determination Xiu Ru Zhang, Ming Yu, Ya Qing Cui, Chun Mei Jiao, Ren Wei Guan, Rui Qi Guo, Cuicui Zhang, Jian Qiang Lin, Hui Bin Lin Chinese Traditional and Herbal Drugs, volume 54, pages 2733-2740 Wednesday 07 June 2023 Objective To establish UPLC fingerprints of Cuscutae Semen and Cuscutae Semen stir-frying with wine, and to study the changes of chemical constituents of Cuscutae Semen before and after processing by multivariate statistical analysis and quantitative determination, so as to provide reference for quality evaluation of Cuscutae Semen. Methods The fin... Objective To establish UPLC fingerprints of Cuscutae Semen and Cuscutae Semen stir-frying with wine, and to study the changes of chemical constituents of Cuscutae Semen before and after processing by multivariate statistical analysis and quantitative determination, so as to provide reference for quality evaluation of Cuscutae Semen. Methods The fingerprints of 15 batches of Cuscutae Semen stir-frying with wine and 15 batches of raw Cuscutae Semen were established and determined by UPLC. The chromatographic column was Thermo AccucoreTM C18 (100 mm × 4.6 mm, 2.6 μm), the mobile phase was acetonitrile-0.1% phosphoric acid water, column temperature was 30 ℃, gradient elution, the injection volume was 2 μL, and volume flow rate was 0.4 mL/min. Segmented wavelengths were used. The fingerprint was analyzed and evaluated by similarity evaluation, hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), principal component analysis (PCA), and quantitative determination of nine main components to find the difference components before and after processing. Results In the established fingerprint of Cuscutae Semen, a total of 19 common peaks were matched. The products from Ningxia and Inner Mongolia showed a high similarity. In the cluster analysis, Cuscutae Semen could be clearly distinguished from Cuscutae Semen. The four principal components extracted by PCA can be used to distinguish raw and processed products. Orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) can also be used to distinguish the eight different components of Cuscutae Semen before and after processing, according to VIP values, they were ranked as peaks 1, 10, 2, 5, 8 (cryptochlorogenic acid), 4 (neochlorogenic acid), 18 (quercetin), and 17 (isochlorogenic acid C). The results showed that the contents of hyperin, isoquercitrin, quercetin, neochlorogenic acid and cryptochlorogenic acid increased, while the contents of shikonin, kaempferol, chlorogenic acid and isochlorogenic acid C decreased. Conclusion The established UPLC fingerprint and content determination results are of great significance for the quality control and overall evaluation of Cuscutae Semen and its processed products.
  4. Investigations on the morpho-anatomy and histochemistry of the European mistletoe: Viscum album L. subsp. album Valter Paes de Almeida, Irailson Thierry Monchak, João Vitor da Costa Batista, Mirio Grazi, Hartmut Ramm, Vijayasankar Raman, Stephan Baumgartner, Carla Holandino, Jane Manfron Scientific Reports, volume 13 Tuesday 06 June 2023 Viscum album L. (Santalaceae) is an important medicinal plant traditionally used to treat several diseases, including cancer therapy. This paper provides detailed morpho-anatomical characteristics of the leaves, stems and berries of Viscum album subsp. album growing as hemi-parasite on the branches of Malus domestica (Suckow) Borkh. (Rosaceae) to a... Viscum album L. (Santalaceae) is an important medicinal plant traditionally used to treat several diseases, including cancer therapy. This paper provides detailed morpho-anatomical characteristics of the leaves, stems and berries of Viscum album subsp. album growing as hemi-parasite on the branches of Malus domestica (Suckow) Borkh. (Rosaceae) to aid species identification and botanical characterization. Additionally, for the first time, microchemical analyses of all tissues and Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy analyses of the calcium oxalate crystals are provided for the first time. The plant features leathery presents green leaves with parallel veins, small yellow unisexual flowers in 3-flowered cymes, and the dioecious inflorescences usually consist of three flowers, with female flowers generating white fleshy berries, in which a seed is embedded in the mucilaginous mesocarp, normally containing two embryos. Anatomically, the analyzed leaves were isobilateral and amphistomatic, and showed straight anticlinal epidermal cell walls, thick cuticles with epicuticular wax crystalloids, and paracytic stomata. The midrib is flat on both sides and has a single vascular bundle, whereas the strongly shortened petiole is concave-convex in shape and contains five bundles. The stems show a primary structure with a ring of nine vascular bundles enclosing the pith. Calcium oxalate druses and cubic and quadrangular prisms were observed in different plant parts. The results of this study provide new microscopy information that can help in the authentication of mistletoe raw materials.
  5. Mistletoes Noah K. Whiteman Current Biology, volume 33, pages R467-R469 Tuesday 06 June 2023 dc:description
  6. Shotgun metagenomics dataset of Striga hermonthica-infested maize (Zea mays L.) rhizospheric soil microbiome Olubukola Oluranti Babalola, Olumayowa Mary Olowe, Ayansina Segun Ayangbenro Data in Brief, volume 48 Tuesday 06 June 2023 This dataset includes shotgun metagenomics sequencing of the rhizosphere microbiome of maize infested with Striga hermonthica from Mbuzini, South Africa, and Eruwa, Nigeria. The sequences were used for microbial taxonomic classification and functional categories in the infested maize rhizosphere. High throughput sequencing of the complete microbial... This dataset includes shotgun metagenomics sequencing of the rhizosphere microbiome of maize infested with Striga hermonthica from Mbuzini, South Africa, and Eruwa, Nigeria. The sequences were used for microbial taxonomic classification and functional categories in the infested maize rhizosphere. High throughput sequencing of the complete microbial community's DNA was performed using the Illumina NovaSeq 6000 technology. The average base pair count of the sequences were 5,353,206 bp with G+C content of 67%. The raw sequence data used for analysis is available in NCBI under the BioProject accession numbers PRJNA888840 and PRJNA889583. The taxonomic analysis was performed using Metagenomic Rapid Annotations using Subsystems Technology (MG-RAST). Bacteria had the highest taxonomic representation (98.8%), followed by eukaryotes (0.56%), and archaea (0.45%). This metagenome dataset provide valuable information on microbial communities associated with Striga-infested maize rhizosphere and their functionality. It can also be used for further studies on application of microbial resources for sustainable crop production in this region.
  7. Erianthemum nimbaense and Phragmanthera cegeniana (Loranthaceae), two new Endangered mistletoes from the Nimba Mountains in Guinea, West Africa Carel C.H. Jongkind Kew Bulletin, volume 78, pages 229-233 Tuesday 06 June 2023 Erianthemum nimbaense Jongkind and Phragmanthera cegeniana Jongkind, two new mistletoe species (Loranthaceae) from the Nimba Mountains in Guinea are described and their conservation assessments are presented. E. nimbaense is the first Loranthaceae with flowers in spikes seen west of Nigeria and also the first Erianthemum known from this part of Afr... Erianthemum nimbaense Jongkind and Phragmanthera cegeniana Jongkind, two new mistletoe species (Loranthaceae) from the Nimba Mountains in Guinea are described and their conservation assessments are presented. E. nimbaense is the first Loranthaceae with flowers in spikes seen west of Nigeria and also the first Erianthemum known from this part of Africa. Both species are assessed as endangered (EN).
  8. Spreading–Vanishing Scenarios in a Time-Periodic Parasitic–Mutualistic Model of Mistletoes and Birds in Heterogeneous Environment with Free Boundary Jie Wang, Jian Wang, Lin Zhao Journal of Dynamics and Differential Equations, volume 35, pages 1409-1434 Tuesday 06 June 2023 In this paper, we investigate the asymptotic dynamics of a time-periodic parasitic–mutualistic model of mistletoes and birds in heterogeneous environment with the especial concerns over the spreading–vanishing scenarios, in which the Stefan class free boundary is introduced as the spreading frontier. By defining the ecological reproduction numb... In this paper, we investigate the asymptotic dynamics of a time-periodic parasitic–mutualistic model of mistletoes and birds in heterogeneous environment with the especial concerns over the spreading–vanishing scenarios, in which the Stefan class free boundary is introduced as the spreading frontier. By defining the ecological reproduction number and generalizing it as the spatial-temporal risk index, a considerably universal spreading–vanishing dichotomy and the sharp criteria are first established in birds world in the absence of mistletoes, and some estimates of the asymptotic spreading speed of the free boundary provided that spreading occurs are also obtained. Furthermore, the comprehensive considerations containing the spreading frontiers, asymptotic profiles and estimates of the asymptotic spreading speed are exhibited in mistletoes-birds world by the monotone iteration technique with the proper upper and lower solutions. The results suggest that even for the spreading case, the mistletoes population will eventually persist in long term provided that its own risk index is larger than 1, otherwise it may be eradicated.
  9. Large Field Screening for Resistance to Broomrape (Orobanche crenata Forsk.) in a Global Lentil Diversity Panel (GLDP) (Lens culinaris Medik.) Youness En-nahli, Kamal Hejjaoui, Rachid Mentag, Nour Eddine Es-safi, Moez Amri Plants, volume 12 Tuesday 06 June 2023 Broomrape (Orobanche crenata Forsk.) is a serious problem causing important losses to lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) production and productivity in Mediterranean countries. Despite intensive breeding activities, no resistance sources against O. crenata have been identified so far. In this study, a Global Lentil Diversity Panel (GLDP) of 1315 genoty... Broomrape (Orobanche crenata Forsk.) is a serious problem causing important losses to lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) production and productivity in Mediterranean countries. Despite intensive breeding activities, no resistance sources against O. crenata have been identified so far. In this study, a Global Lentil Diversity Panel (GLDP) of 1315 genotypes including local populations, landraces, accessions, improved lines and released varieties were evaluated for their resistance to O. crenata under highly infested field conditions at ICARDA Marchouch research station, Morocco. The trial was conducted according to an augmented design with repeated susceptible checks. The best-performing genotypes were selected based on the correlations between Orobanche infestation parameters and agronomic performance. Results showed significant variation (p < 0.005) among the studied genotypes and between the tested genotypes and checks for BY, D2F, D2M, PH, EODW and NEO. Out of the 1315 tested genotypes, only (1%) showed high to moderate resistance levels to O. crenata. Most of these genotypes are improved lines originating from different breeding programs. the PCA analysis clustered all the tested genotypes into four different groups. Good resistance levels were recorded for the genotypes ILL7723, ILL 7982, ILL 6912, ILL 6415, ILL 9850, ILL 605, ILL 7915, ILL 1861 and ILL 9888 showing a parasitism index and grain yield ranging from 1.69 to 5.99 and 10.97 to 60.19 g m−2, respectively. Person’s correlation showed significant negative correlations between agronomic traits and infestation parameters. Both the path and spatial analysis showed that the D2F, NEO, D2OE, SEV and parasitism index (PI) were the strongest driver traits that influenced the seed yield (SY).
  10. Phytochemical Profiling, and Antioxidant Potentials of South African and Nigerian Loranthus micranthus Linn.: The African Mistletoe Exposé Siyabonga Hlophe, Kokoette Bassey Plants, volume 12 Tuesday 06 June 2023 Loranthus micranthus Linn. (Loranthaceae) is a botanically significant hemiparasite that grows on tree branches or trunks and is used in traditional medicine. This study compares the antioxidant activity and qualitative phytochemical screening of Nigerian and South Africa Loranthus micranthus Linn. Standard techniques for phytochemical screening we... Loranthus micranthus Linn. (Loranthaceae) is a botanically significant hemiparasite that grows on tree branches or trunks and is used in traditional medicine. This study compares the antioxidant activity and qualitative phytochemical screening of Nigerian and South Africa Loranthus micranthus Linn. Standard techniques for phytochemical screening were deployed while thin layer chromatography (TLC) bio-autography was utilized to analyze antioxidants qualitatively. Quantitative antioxidant analysis was performed using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH); hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) free-radical scavenging; and ferric chloride reducing power. The results of qualitative phytochemical screening revealed the presence of flavonoids; glycosides; saponins; phenolic compounds; phlobatannins; tannins; and terpenoids. As for the antioxidant potentials of the four extracts—i.e., Nigerian dichloromethane (NGDCM); South African dichloromethane (SADCM); Nigerian methanol (NGMeOH); and South African methanol (SAMeOH)—the SADCM extract had more creamy bands compared to the Nigerian, thus indicating potentially more antioxidant compounds. A better complementary antioxidant potential was observed for the Nigerian methanol extracts over their South African counterparts. The DPPH quantitative analyses underpin that the SADCM exhibited greater scavenging activity compared to the NGDCM, but this was less than the gallic acid control, with the highest activity at a concentration of 0.2 mg/mL and 0.4 mg/mL, respectively. However, as the concentration increased from 0.6 to 1.0 mg/mL, the SADCM again dominated in its antioxidant potential over all the analytes. The half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values obtained were [SADCM = 0.31 mg/mL, NGDCM = 0.51 mg/mL, SAMeOH = 0.51 mg/mL, NGMeO = 0.17, gallic acid = 1.17 mg/mL, and BHT = 1.47 Mg/mL)]. Both the H2O2 scavenging and the Fe3+ to Fe2+ reduction assays mirrored a similar trend in the antioxidant potentials of all the analytes except for the BHT, which performed better in the ferric chloride reduction assay at a concentration of 0.2–06 mg/mL. Based on the facts gathered, it can be inferred that the South African and Nigerian Loranthus micranthus Linn. are chemically equivalent. This is in support of their similar morphology and taxonomical classification, notwithstanding the environmental, biological, and edaphic impacts experienced by each plant.
  11. Effective Striga control and yield intensification on maize farms in western Kenya with N fertilizer and herbicide-resistant variety Dries Roobroeck, Geoffrey Kimutai, Fred Kanampiu, Wilson Ng'etich, Kristina Roing de Nowina, Bernard Vanlauwe Field Crops Research, volume 296 Monday 05 June 2023 Context: Maize production in western Kenya is limited by the spread of parasitic weed Striga hermonthica and depletion of soil nutrient stocks. Nitrogen (N) fertilizer and imidazolinone resistant (IR) maize are key elements in the agronomic toolbox to control infestations and enhance yields Research question: The circumstances under which their use... Context: Maize production in western Kenya is limited by the spread of parasitic weed Striga hermonthica and depletion of soil nutrient stocks. Nitrogen (N) fertilizer and imidazolinone resistant (IR) maize are key elements in the agronomic toolbox to control infestations and enhance yields Research question: The circumstances under which their use, individually or combined, is most effective on farmer fields have not been well documented. Inappropriate management decisions and low returns on investments arise from this knowledge gap, causing hunger and poverty in smallholder communities to persist. Methods: Experiments were carried out on 60 fields in three different agroecosystems of western Kenya using full-factorial treatments with non-herbicide treated maize (DH) and herbicide treated maize (IR), and N fertilizer omission and application. Trials were stratified on a field with low and high soil fertility within individual farms and repeated over two seasons. Results: Cultivating IR maize instead of DH maize decreased the emergence of Striga with 13 shoots m−2 on average while applying N fertilizer on DH maize led to a reduction of 5 shoots m−2 on average. Decreases of Striga by use of IR maize and N fertilizer were between 6 and 23 shoots m−2 larger at the site with high levels of infestation than at the sites with medium or low emergence. Input of N fertilizer increased grain harvests by 0.59 ton ha−1 on average while use of IR maize enhanced the productivity with 0.33 ton ha−1 on average. Use of N fertilizer had similar yield effects in all three sites, whereas use of IR maize at the site with high Striga emergence increased maize production by 0.26–0.39 ton ha−1 more than at the sites with medium or low emergence. Conclusions: The greater Striga responses to IR maize and the greater yield responses to N fertilizer demonstrate their use could be optimized according to field conditions and management goals. Combining IR maize and N fertilizer has larger added yield benefits where their individual effects on grain productivity are smaller. Significance: Findings from this study indicate that farmers in western Kenya require guidance on how to align the use of herbicide resistant maize and inorganic N inputs with the level of Striga infestation and maize yield on their fields for effectively controlling the pernicious weed and enhancing food production.
  12. Complete Remission of BCG-Refractory High-grade Bladder CIS with Pharmacologic Ascorbate and Mistletoe Devra Davis, Dugald Seely, Christopher Morash, Jennifer Armstrong, Maxwell Meng, Phillip Lowe, Mikhail Kogan Alternative therapies in health and medicine, volume 29, pages 6-17 Monday 05 June 2023 Context: Bladder cancer is the fourth-most-common cancer in males in the U.S., who develop about 90% of the high-grade, carcinoma in situ (CIS) of non-muscle involved disease (NMIBC). Smoking and occupational carcinogens are well-known causes. For females without known risk factors, bladder cancer can be regarded as a sentinel environmental cancer.... Context: Bladder cancer is the fourth-most-common cancer in males in the U.S., who develop about 90% of the high-grade, carcinoma in situ (CIS) of non-muscle involved disease (NMIBC). Smoking and occupational carcinogens are well-known causes. For females without known risk factors, bladder cancer can be regarded as a sentinel environmental cancer. It's also one of the costliest to treat due to its high rate of recurrence. No treatment innovations have occurred in nearly two decades; intravesical instillation of Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG), an agent in short supply globally, or Mitomycin-C (MIT-C) is effective in about 60% of cases. Cases refractory to BCG and MIT-C often undergo cystectomy, a procedure with numerous impacts on life styles and potential complications. The recent completion of a small Phase I trial of mistletoe in cancer patients that have exhausted known treatments at Johns Hopkins provides corroboration of its safety, with 25 % showing no disease progression. Objective: The study examined the benefits of pharmacologic ascorbate (PA) and mistletoe for a nonsmoking female patient with an environmental history of NMIBC refractory to BCG, in a non-smoking female with exposures in childhood and early adult life to several known carcinogens, including ultrafine particulate air pollution, benzene, toluene, and other organic solvents, aromatic amines and engine exhausts, and possibly arsenic in water. Design: The research team performed an integrative oncology case study on pharmacologic ascorbate (PA) and mistletoe, both agents shown to activate NK cells, enhance growth and maturation of T-cells, and induce dose-dependent pro-apoptotic cell death, suggesting shared and potentially synergistic mechanisms. Setting: The study began at the University of Ottawa Medical Center in Canada with treatment continuing over six years at St. Johns Hospital Center in Jackson, Wyoming, and George Washington University Medical Center for Integrative Medicine, with surgical, cytological, and pathological evaluations at University of California San Francisco Medical Center. Participant: The patient in the case study was a 76-year-old, well-nourished, athletic, nonsmoking female with high-grade CIS of the bladder. Her cancer was considered to be a sentinel environmental cancer. Intervention: Intravenous pharmacologic ascorbate (PA) and subcutaneous mistletoe (three times weekly) and intravenous and intravesical mistletoe (once weekly) were employed for an 8-week induction treatment, using a dose-escalation protocol as detailed below. Maintenance therapy was carried out with the same protocol for three weeks every three months for two years. Results: The patient has experienced a cancer-free outcome following 78 months of treatments that incorporated intravesical, intravenous, and subcutaneous mistletoe; intravenous PA; a program of selected nutraceuticals; exercise; and other supplementary treatments. Conclusions: This study is the first reported instance of combined treatments to achieve complete remission for high-grade NMIBC refractory to BCG and MIT-C, using intravesical, subcutaneous, and intravenous mistletoe and intravenous PA. It includes pharmacological information on possible mechanisms. In light of the global shortage of BCG, the high proportion of cases refractory to BCG and MIT-C, the unproven use of costly off-label pharmaceuticals, such as gemcitabine, and the relative cost-effectiveness of mistletoe and PA, clinicians should give serious consideration to employing these combined functional medicine treatments for BCG- and MIT-C-refractory NMIBC. Further research is needed with additional patients that can advance our understanding, including standardization of methods for systematically evaluating combined therapies-blinded and non-blinded, nomenclature regarding mistletoe preparation, doses, concentrations, regimes of administration, lengths of treatment, targeted cancer types, and other aspects.
  13. Interspecies and temporal dynamics of bacterial and fungal microbiomes of pistil stigmas in flowers in holoparasitic plants of the Orobanche series Alsaticae (Orobanchaceae) Karolina Ruraż, Sebastian Wojciech Przemieniecki, Renata Piwowarczyk Scientific Reports, volume 13 Sunday 04 June 2023 Little is known about the microbiomes of flower parts, and even less information is available regarding these microorganisms’ colonization of specific niches in parasitic plants. We investigate the temporal interspecies dynamics of the parasitic plants microbiome of flower stigmas in two stages of development: immature stigmas in flower buds and ... Little is known about the microbiomes of flower parts, and even less information is available regarding these microorganisms’ colonization of specific niches in parasitic plants. We investigate the temporal interspecies dynamics of the parasitic plants microbiome of flower stigmas in two stages of development: immature stigmas in flower buds and mature stigmas in opened flowers. We compared two related holoparasitic Orobanche species from localities approximately 90 km apart and characterize their bacterial and fungal communities using 16S rRNA gene and ITS sequences, respectively. We identified from 127 to over 228 OTUs per sample for fungi, sequences belonging to genera: Aureobasidium, Cladosporium, Malassezia, Mycosphaerella, and Pleosporales, constituting approximately 53% of the community in total. In the bacterial profile, we recorded 40 to over 68 OTUs per sample consisting of Enterobacteriaceae, and genera Cellulosimicrobium, Pantoea, and Pseudomonas spp., with an approximately 75% frequency. In microbial communities, higher numbers of OTUs colonizing mature stigmas were recorded than in immature. This implies that the dynamics and concurrence of microbial communities were different between O. alsatica and O. bartlingii and underwent significant changes during flower development. To the best of our knowledge, is the first study of the interspecies and temporal dynamics of the bacterial and fungal microbiomes of pistil stigmas in flowers.
  14. Predicting the effect of global warming on the distribution of a polyphagous tree parasite, Orobanche laxissima, based on climatic and ecological data Renata Piwowarczyk, Marta Kolanowska Global Ecology and Conservation, volume 44 Sunday 04 June 2023 Orobanche laxissima (Orobanchaceae) is a polyphagous holoparasite of the roots of 14 species of trees and shrubs in the Caucasus (the region on the border of Europe and Asia). This parasite is expansive but in a limited geographic area and it was reported to occur in natural or seminatural forest and shrub habitats, and recently also in horticultur... Orobanche laxissima (Orobanchaceae) is a polyphagous holoparasite of the roots of 14 species of trees and shrubs in the Caucasus (the region on the border of Europe and Asia). This parasite is expansive but in a limited geographic area and it was reported to occur in natural or seminatural forest and shrub habitats, and recently also in horticulture and arboriculture. In this study, the ecological niche modeling (ENM) approach was used to estimate the possible effects of climate change on the niche of O. laxissima and evaluate the effect of its parasitic relationships with 10 trees and shrubs and the chances of survival of this species of forest habitats. Moreover, the model for the Last Glacial Maximum was created to evaluate the general pattern of the distribution of studied species niches. Many of the hosts of this parasite are trees that are the dominant component of the most important forests in the Caucasus. Climate change may affect holoparasites both directly through effects on its physiology and indirectly as a consequence of its effects on their host plants and forest communities. The glacial range of O. laxissima was 82% smaller than currently recorded. Its occurrence is related mostly to precipitation in the driest month (bio 14) as this species requires a substantial amount of rain even in the dry season. According to our models, O. laxissima is likely to increase its current geographical range from 30% to 52%, as a response to global warming, especially in areas in the Caucasus, in the Black Sea Region in southern parts of the Crimean Peninsula in Russia, and northern Turkey. Only the most extreme SSP5–8.5 scenario will be damaging for this species, with a 21–35% range contraction. Monitoring parasite populations is a very important part management, and in our case, it can also be useful for predicting the effects of climate change on trees and, in many cases, unique refugial deciduous forest communities, such as the Colchic rainforests.
  15. Germinating seedlings and mature shoots of Cuscuta campestris respond differently to light stimuli during parasitism but not during circumnutation Toshiya Yokoyama, Akira Watanabe, Mariko Asaoka, Kazuhiko Nishitani Plant Cell and Environment, volume 46, pages 1774-1784 Sunday 04 June 2023 Seedlings of the parasitic plant genus Cuscuta (dodder) locate hosts by circumnutation, coil around the host near soil level and form a haustorium, establishing a primary parasitism beneath the canopy. Mature shoots elongating from the parasitic region parasitize other hosts on the upper surfaces of their canopy. Although parasitism by dodder is st... Seedlings of the parasitic plant genus Cuscuta (dodder) locate hosts by circumnutation, coil around the host near soil level and form a haustorium, establishing a primary parasitism beneath the canopy. Mature shoots elongating from the parasitic region parasitize other hosts on the upper surfaces of their canopy. Although parasitism by dodder is stimulated by blue and far-red light, and inhibited by red light, the responses to light signals during the developmental stages are not comprehensively understood. Therefore, we compared the effects of different types of light on both circumnutation and parasitism by germinating seedlings and mature shoots of Cuscuta campestris. Seedlings established parasitism under blue and far-red light, but not under red light, as has been reported repeatedly. By contrast, mature shoots exhibited coiling around the host and haustoria formation even under a red light as well as under blue and far-red light. These findings indicate that C. campestris modified its response to red light during the transition from young seedlings to mature shoots, facilitating parasitism. Light quality did not affect the circumnutation of either seedlings or mature shoots, indicating that circumnutation and the coiling movement that leads to parasitism were regulated by different environmental signals.

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