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Ma H, Zhang E, An Y, Wei Y, Zhang L. Characterization of the complete chloroplast genome of the rare medicinal plant: Mandragora caulescens (Solanaceae). Mitochondrial DNA B Resour 2024; 9:812-817. [PMID: 38911521 PMCID: PMC11191837 DOI: 10.1080/23802359.2024.2368213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2024] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/25/2024] Open
Abstract
In this study, we assembled high-quality chloroplast genomes of Mandragora caulescens through a reference-guided approach using high-throughput Illumina sequencing reads. The resulting chloroplast genome assembly displayed a typical quadripartite structural organization, comprising a large single-copy (LSC) region of 85,233 bp, two inverted repeat (IR) regions of 25,685 bp each, and a small single-copy (SSC) region of 18,207 bp. The chloroplast genome harbored 141 complete genes, and its overall GC content was 38.0%. In maximum-likelihood (ML) and Bayesian inference (BI) trees, the 19 Solanaceae species formed a monophyletic group, dividing into two main clades. M. caulescens and Nicandra physalodes formed a monophyletic group, suggesting a close relationship between the two species. The M. caulescens cp genome presented in this study lays a good foundation for further genetic and genomic studies of the Solanaceae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heqin Ma
- School of Biological Science & Engineering, Key Laboratory of Ecological Protection of Agro-pastoral Ecotones in the Yellow River Basin National Ethnic Affairs Commission of the People’s Republic of China, North Minzu University, Yinchuan, PR China
| | - Erdong Zhang
- School of Biological Science & Engineering, Key Laboratory of Ecological Protection of Agro-pastoral Ecotones in the Yellow River Basin National Ethnic Affairs Commission of the People’s Republic of China, North Minzu University, Yinchuan, PR China
| | - Yajing An
- School of Biological Science & Engineering, Key Laboratory of Ecological Protection of Agro-pastoral Ecotones in the Yellow River Basin National Ethnic Affairs Commission of the People’s Republic of China, North Minzu University, Yinchuan, PR China
| | - Yuqing Wei
- School of Biological Science & Engineering, Key Laboratory of Ecological Protection of Agro-pastoral Ecotones in the Yellow River Basin National Ethnic Affairs Commission of the People’s Republic of China, North Minzu University, Yinchuan, PR China
| | - Lei Zhang
- School of Biological Science & Engineering, Key Laboratory of Ecological Protection of Agro-pastoral Ecotones in the Yellow River Basin National Ethnic Affairs Commission of the People’s Republic of China, North Minzu University, Yinchuan, PR China
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Campos M, Kelley E, Gravendeel B, Médail F, Maarten Christenhusz JM, Fay MF, Catalán P, Leitch IJ, Forest F, Wilkin P, Viruel J. Genomic, spatial and morphometric data for discrimination of four species in the Mediterranean Tamus clade of yams (Dioscorea, Dioscoreaceae). ANNALS OF BOTANY 2023; 131:635-654. [PMID: 36681900 PMCID: PMC10147332 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcad018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2022] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Among the numerous pantropical species of the yam genus, Dioscorea, only a small group occurs in the Mediterranean basin, including two narrow Pyrenean endemics (Borderea clade) and two Mediterranean-wide species (D. communis and D. orientalis, Tamus clade). However, several currently unrecognized species and infraspecific taxa have been described in the Tamus clade due to significant morphological variation associated with D. communis. Our overarching aim was to investigate taxon delimitation in the Tamus clade using an integrative approach combining phylogenomic, spatial and morphological data. METHODS We analysed 76 herbarium samples using Hyb-Seq genomic capture to sequence 260 low-copy nuclear genes and plastomes, together with morphometric and environmental modelling approaches. KEY RESULTS Phylogenomic reconstructions confirmed that the two previously accepted species of the Tamus clade, D. communis and D. orientalis, are monophyletic and form sister clades. Three subclades showing distinctive geographic patterns were identified within D. communis. These subclades were also identifiable from morphometric and climatic data, and introgression patterns were inferred between subclades in the eastern part of the distribution of D. communis. CONCLUSIONS We propose a taxonomy that maintains D. orientalis, endemic to the eastern Mediterranean region, and splits D. communis sensu lato into three species: D. edulis, endemic to Macaronesia (Canary Islands and Madeira); D. cretica, endemic to the eastern Mediterranean region; and D. communis sensu stricto, widespread across western and central Europe. Introgression inferred between D. communis s.s. and D. cretica is likely to be explained by their relatively recent speciation at the end of the Miocene, disjunct isolation in eastern and western Mediterranean glacial refugia and a subsequent westward recolonization of D. communis s.s. Our study shows that the use of integrated genomic, spatial and morphological approaches allows a more robust definition of species boundaries and the identification of species that previous systematic studies failed to uncover.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Campos
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond TW9 3DS, UK
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, University of Seville, 41012, Spain
- Universidad de Zaragoza-Escuela Politécnica Superior de Huesca, 22071, Huesca, Spain
| | - Emma Kelley
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond TW9 3DS, UK
| | - Barbara Gravendeel
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden 2333 CR, The Netherlands
- Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental Sciences, RIBES 6500 GL, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Frédéric Médail
- Institut Méditerranéen de Biodiversité et d’Écologie marine et continentale (IMBE), Aix Marseille University, Avignon University, CNRS, IRD, Campus Aix, Technopôle de l’Environnement Arbois-Méditerranée, F-13545 Aix-en-Provence cedex 4, France
| | | | - Michael F Fay
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond TW9 3DS, UK
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Pilar Catalán
- Universidad de Zaragoza-Escuela Politécnica Superior de Huesca, 22071, Huesca, Spain
- Grupo de Bioquímica, Biofísica y Biología Computacional (BIFI, UNIZAR), Unidad Asociada al CSIC, Zaragoza 50018, Spain
| | | | - Félix Forest
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond TW9 3DS, UK
| | - Paul Wilkin
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond TW9 3DS, UK
| | - Juan Viruel
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond TW9 3DS, UK
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Huang J, Xu W, Zhai J, Hu Y, Guo J, Zhang C, Zhao Y, Zhang L, Martine C, Ma H, Huang CH. Nuclear phylogeny and insights into whole-genome duplications and reproductive development of Solanaceae plants. PLANT COMMUNICATIONS 2023:100595. [PMID: 36966360 PMCID: PMC10363554 DOI: 10.1016/j.xplc.2023.100595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Revised: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Solanaceae, the nightshade family, have ∼2700 species, including the important crops potato and tomato, ornamentals, and medicinal plants. Several sequenced Solanaceae genomes show evidence for whole-genome duplication (WGD), providing an excellent opportunity to investigate WGD and its impacts. Here, we generated 93 transcriptomes/genomes and combined them with 87 public datasets, for a total of 180 Solanaceae species representing all four subfamilies and 14 of 15 tribes. Nearly 1700 nuclear genes from these transcriptomic/genomic datasets were used to reconstruct a highly resolved Solanaceae phylogenetic tree with six major clades. The Solanaceae tree supports four previously recognized subfamilies (Goetzeioideae, Cestroideae, Nicotianoideae, and Solanoideae) and the designation of three other subfamilies (Schizanthoideae, Schwenckioideae, and Petunioideae), with the placement of several previously unassigned genera. We placed a Solanaceae-specific whole-genome triplication (WGT1) at ∼81 million years ago (mya), before the divergence of Schizanthoideae from other Solanaceae subfamilies at ∼73 mya. In addition, we detected two gene duplication bursts (GDBs) supporting proposed WGD events and four other GDBs. An investigation of the evolutionary histories of homologs of carpel and fruit developmental genes in 14 gene (sub)families revealed that 21 gene clades have retained gene duplicates. These were likely generated by the Solanaceae WGT1 and may have promoted fleshy fruit development. This study presents a well-resolved Solanaceae phylogeny and a new perspective on retained gene duplicates and carpel/fruit development, providing an improved understanding of Solanaceae evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering and Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Ecological Engineering, Institute of Plant Biology, Center of Evolutionary Biology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China; Guangxi Key Laboratory of Plant Conservation and Restoration Ecology in Karst Terrain, Guangxi Institute of Botany, Guangxi Zhuangzu Autonomous Region and Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guilin 541006, China
| | - Weibin Xu
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Plant Conservation and Restoration Ecology in Karst Terrain, Guangxi Institute of Botany, Guangxi Zhuangzu Autonomous Region and Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guilin 541006, China
| | - Junwen Zhai
- Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration for Orchid Conservation and Utilization, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Yi Hu
- Department of Biology, the Huck Institutes of Life Sciences, the Pennsylvania State University, University Park, State College, PA 16802, USA
| | - Jing Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering and Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Ecological Engineering, Institute of Plant Biology, Center of Evolutionary Biology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Caifei Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering and Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Ecological Engineering, Institute of Plant Biology, Center of Evolutionary Biology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Yiyong Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering and Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Ecological Engineering, Institute of Plant Biology, Center of Evolutionary Biology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Lin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering and Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Ecological Engineering, Institute of Plant Biology, Center of Evolutionary Biology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | | | - Hong Ma
- Department of Biology, the Huck Institutes of Life Sciences, the Pennsylvania State University, University Park, State College, PA 16802, USA.
| | - Chien-Hsun Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering and Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Ecological Engineering, Institute of Plant Biology, Center of Evolutionary Biology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China.
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Benítez G, Leonti M, Böck B, Vulfsons S, Dafni A. The rise and fall of mandrake in medicine. JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY 2023; 303:115874. [PMID: 36395976 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2022.115874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Revised: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Mandrake (Mandragora sp.) is one of the most famous medicinal plants. It has been in continuous medical use throughout written history and is still in use today in popular medicine. AIM OF THE STUDY Mandrake derived drugs once played an important role in medicine and in magical practices. Today, the role of mandrake in popular medicine is marginal. However, natural products present in mandrake such as atropine and scopolamine, as well as their semi synthetic derivatives continue to hold and important role in medicine. Here we aim to trace the development of historical rationales and scientific events that led to the abandonment of mandrake as a medicine. MATERIALS AND METHODS We review the medicinal uses of mandrake drugs since antiquity in an attempt to pinpoint use patterns that were popular in certain periods of time and others that are more general. We compare the uses from the native territories to those from regions where the plant got introduced and use literature reporting mandrake's chemistry and pharmacology in order to explain the diachronic changes of use patterns. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION We found information about 88 different medicinal uses for mandrake, grouped into 39 conditions. According to the number of different medicinal uses, the most versatile period was the medieval (37), followed by the Renaissance (31), the classical (27), and the modern period (21). Considering the higher number of textual sources and use-records collected for the Renaissance period, the decrease of versatility in comparison to the medieval period appears robust. This seems to indicate a more consolidated use pattern, that might be conditioned by the reproduction of classic textual sources as well as by a less experimental approach and reduced popularity of mandrake in medicine. The introduction of the volatile anaesthetics with more reliable narcotic effects set the seal on using mandrake in surgery but opened the way for atropine being used as a prophylactic and antidote during surgical interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillermo Benítez
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Granada, Campus de Cartuja s/n, 18071, Granada, Spain.
| | - Marco Leonti
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria, 09042, Monserrato, CA, Italy.
| | - Barbara Böck
- Instituto de Lenguas y Culturas del Mediterráneo y Oriente Próximo, CSIC, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Simon Vulfsons
- Institute for Pain Medicine, Rambam Health Care Campus, Technion Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel.
| | - Amots Dafni
- Department of Environmental and Evolutionary Biology, Institute of Evolution, Haifa University, Haifa, Israel.
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He Y, Li T, Zhang R, Wang J, Zhu J, Li Y, Chen X, Pan J, Shen Y, Wang F, Li J, Tian D. Plant Evolution History Overwhelms Current Environment Gradients in Affecting Leaf Chlorophyll Across the Tibetan Plateau. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:941983. [PMID: 35898216 PMCID: PMC9309890 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.941983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
AIMS Leaf chlorophyll (Chl) is a fundamental component and good proxy for plant photosynthesis. However, we know little about the large-scale patterns of leaf Chl and the relative roles of current environment changes vs. plant evolution in driving leaf Chl variations. LOCATIONS The east to west grassland transect of the Tibetan Plateau. METHODS We performed a grassland transect over 1,600 km across the Tibetan Plateau, measuring leaf Chl among 677 site-species. RESULTS Leaf Chl showed a significantly spatial pattern across the grasslands in the Tibetan Plateau, decreasing with latitude but increasing with longitude. Along with environmental gradient, leaf Chl decreased with photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), but increased with water availability and soil nitrogen availability. Furthermore, leaf Chl also showed significant differences among functional groups (C4 > C3 species; legumes < non-legume species), but no difference between annual and perennial species. However, we surprisingly found that plant evolution played a dominant role in shaping leaf Chl variations when comparing the sum and individual effects of all the environmental factors above. Moreover, we revealed that leaf Chl non-linearly decreased with plant evolutionary divergence time. This well-matches the non-linearly increasing trend in PAR or decreasing trend in temperature during the geological time-scale uplift of the Tibetan Plateau. MAIN CONCLUSION This study highlights the dominant role of plant evolution in determining leaf Chl variations across the Tibetan Plateau. Given the fundamental role of Chl for photosynthesis, these results provide new insights into reconsidering photosynthesis capacity in alpine plants and the carbon cycle in an evolutionary view.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yicheng He
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, China
- School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Tingting Li
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, China
| | - Ruiyang Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, China
| | - Jinsong Wang
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, China
| | - Juntao Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, China
| | - Yang Li
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, China
| | - Xinli Chen
- Faculty of Natural Resources Management, Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, ON, Canada
| | - Junxiao Pan
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, China
| | - Ying Shen
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, China Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, China
| | - Furong Wang
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, China
| | - Jingwen Li
- School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Dashuan Tian
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, China
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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Añibarro-Ortega M, Pinela J, Alexopoulos A, Petropoulos SA, Ferreira ICFR, Barros L. The powerful Solanaceae: Food and nutraceutical applications in a sustainable world. ADVANCES IN FOOD AND NUTRITION RESEARCH 2022; 100:131-172. [PMID: 35659351 DOI: 10.1016/bs.afnr.2022.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The Solanaceae family is considered one of the most important families among plant species because, on one hand encompasses many staple food crops of the human diet while, on the other hand, it includes species rich in powerful secondary metabolites that could be valorized in medicine or drug formulation as well as nutraceuticals and food supplements. The main genera are Solanum, Capsicum, Physalis, and Lycium which comprise several important cultivated crops (e.g., tomato, pepper, eggplant, tomatillo, and goji berry), as well as genera notable for species with several pharmaceutical properties (e.g., Datura, Nicotiana, Atropa, Mandragora, etc.). This chapter discusses the nutritional value of the most important Solanaceae species commonly used for their edible fruit, as well as those used in the development of functional foods, food supplements, and nutraceuticals due to their bioactive constituents. The toxic and poisonous effects are also discussed aiming to highlight possible detrimental consequences due to irrational use. Finally, considering the high amount of waste and by-products generated through the value chain of the main crops, the sustainable management practices implemented so far are presented with the aim to increase the added-value of these crops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikel Añibarro-Ortega
- Centro de Investigação de Montanha (CIMO), Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Bragança, Portugal
| | - José Pinela
- Centro de Investigação de Montanha (CIMO), Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Bragança, Portugal.
| | - Alexios Alexopoulos
- Laboratory of Agronomy, Department of Agriculture, University of the Peloponnese, Kalamata, Messinia, Greece
| | - Spyridon A Petropoulos
- Department of Agriculture, Crop Production and Rural Environment, University of Thessaly, Volos, Greece
| | - Isabel C F R Ferreira
- Centro de Investigação de Montanha (CIMO), Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Bragança, Portugal
| | - Lillian Barros
- Centro de Investigação de Montanha (CIMO), Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Bragança, Portugal.
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Dafni A, Blanché C, Khatib SA, Petanidou T, Aytaç B, Pacini E, Kozuharova E, Geva-Kleinberger A, Shahvar S, Dajic Z, Klug HW, Benítez G. In search of traces of the mandrake myth: the historical, and ethnobotanical roots of its vernacular names. JOURNAL OF ETHNOBIOLOGY AND ETHNOMEDICINE 2021; 17:68. [PMID: 34863248 PMCID: PMC8645077 DOI: 10.1186/s13002-021-00494-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mandrake (Mandragora spp.) is one of the most famous medicinal plant in western cultures since Biblical times and throughout written history. In many cultures, mandrake is related to magic and witchcraft, which is said to have a psychosomatic effect (especially when mandrake contains narcotic compounds) in addition to the pharmacological influence, as occurs with other narcotic magical plants. Due to its unique properties and related myths, it is not surprising that this plant has many names in many languages. METHODS This paper presents an attempt to reconstruct the historical, ethnobotanical, and folkloristic roots of 292 vernacular names of Mandragora spp. in forty-one languages. We used the plant's morphological data, philology, myths and legends, medicinal properties and uses, as well as historical evidence and folkloric data, to explain meaning, origin, migration, and history of the plant's names. RESULTS The names were classified into the following main categories: Derivatives of mandragora (19 languages), alraun (7) and of yabroukh (5). The salient groups of the plant's vernacular names are related to: Anthropomorphism (33 names in 13 languages); Similarity to other plants (28/9); Supernatural agents (28/9); Narcotic effects (21/8); Leaves, fruits, and seeds (21/8); Aphrodisiac properties (17/10); Use of a dog (15/9); Gallows (14/5); Black magic, sorcery, witchcraft (13/8), and Medicinal use (11/7). CONCLUSIONS This frequency distribution of the mandrake's vernacular names reflects its widespread reputation as related to the doctrine of signatures, beliefs in its supernatural, natural, and mythic powers, and to a lesser extent, its uses in magic and medicine. A spatiotemporal analysis of the mandrake's names supports the old idea that the pulling ceremonies for this plant originated in the Near East and that various other myths related to this plant may have originated in different places and periods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amots Dafni
- Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology and Institute of Evolution, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel.
| | - Cesar Blanché
- GREB-BioC, Botany Laboratory, Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, University of Barcelona, Av. Joan XXIII S/N, 08028, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | | | - Theodora Petanidou
- Laboratory of Biogeography and Ecology, Department of Geography, University of the Aegean, 81100, Mytilene, Greece
| | - Bedrettin Aytaç
- Department of Arabic Language and Literature, Faculty of Languages, History and Geography, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Ettore Pacini
- Department of Life Sciences, Università degli Studi di Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Ekaterina Kozuharova
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacognosy, Medical University of Sofia, Dunav 2 sr., 1000, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | | | - Soli Shahvar
- Department of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies, The Ezri Center for Iran and Persian Gulf Studies, The University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Zora Dajic
- Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Applied Botany, University of Belgrade, Nemanjina 6, 11080, Belgrade, Republic of Serbia
| | - Helmut W Klug
- Centre for Information Modelling, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Guillermo Benítez
- Department of Botany, University of Granada, Campus Universitario de Cartuja, 18071, Granada, Spain
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Deanna R, Wilf P, Gandolfo MA. New physaloid fruit-fossil species from early Eocene South America. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2020; 107:1749-1762. [PMID: 33247843 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.1565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2020] [Accepted: 08/19/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE Solanaceae is a scientifically and economically important angiosperm family with a minimal fossil record and an intriguing early evolutionary history. Here, we report a newly discovered fossil lantern fruit with a suite of features characteristic of Physalideae within Solanaceae. The fossil comes from the early Eocene Laguna del Hunco site (ca. 52 Ma) in Chubut, Argentina, which previously yielded the only other physaloid fruit fossil, Physalis infinemundi. METHODS The fruit morphology and calyx venation pattern of the new fossil were compared with P. infinemundi and extant species of Solanaceae. RESULTS Physalis hunickenii sp. nov. is clearly distinct from P. infinemundi in its fruiting calyx with wider primary veins, longer and thinner lobes, and especially in its venation pattern with high density, transverse tertiary veins; these features support its placement in a new species. In comparison with extant physaloid genera, the calyx venation pattern and other diagnostic traits reinforce placement of the new fossil, like P. infinemundi, within the tribe Physalideae of Solanaceae. CONCLUSIONS Both species of fossil nightshades from Laguna del Hunco represent crown-group Solanaceae but are older than all prior age estimates of the family. Although at least 20 transoceanic dispersals have been proposed as the driver of range expansion of Solanaceae, the Patagonian fossils push back the diversification of the family to Gondwanan times. Thus, overland dispersal across Gondwana is now a likely scenario for at least some biogeographic patterns, in light of the ancient trans-Antarctic land connections between South America and Australia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rocío Deanna
- Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal, IMBIV (CONICET-UNC), CC 495, Córdoba, 5000, Argentina
- Departamento de Ciencias Farmacéuticas, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas (FCQ, UNC), Medina Allende s.n., Córdoba, 5000, Argentina
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, 80305, USA
| | - Peter Wilf
- Department of Geosciences and Earth and Environmental Systems Institute, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, 16802, USA
| | - Maria A Gandolfo
- L.H. Bailey Hortorium, Plant Biology Section, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, 14853, USA
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Arbia F, Ayari-Gribaa O, Souilem F, Chiboub W, Zardi-Berguaoui A, Jannet HB, Ascrizzi R, Flamini G, Harzallah-Skhiri F. Profiles of the Essential Oils and Headspace Analysis of Volatiles from Mandragora autumnalis Growing Wild in Tunisia. Chem Biodivers 2019; 16:e1900345. [PMID: 31390142 DOI: 10.1002/cbdv.201900345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2019] [Accepted: 08/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Mandragora autumnalis Bertol. (Solanaceae family), synonym of M. officinalis Mill., occurs in North Africa and grows natively in Northern and Central Tunisia, in humid to sub-arid climates. The ripe fruits of mandrake are odiferous with a particular, indescribable, specific odor, shared, to a lesser extent, by the leaves and roots. We carried out an investigation of the essential oils (EOs) and of the aromatic volatiles emitted by fresh leaves, roots and ripe fruits of M. autumnalis growing wild in Central Tunisia. The EOs were obtained from freshly collected plant material by hydrodistillation, while the volatile emissions from the powdered M. autumnalis tissues were sampled by headspace solid phase microextraction (HS-SPME); both types of samples were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Fifty-one compounds representing 96.2-98.6 % of the total oil compositions were identified in the three tissues and belonged to different chemical classes specifically in 16 esters, 12 alcohols, 12 hydrocarbons, 6 ketones, 3 aldehydes and 3 acids. The main constituents were pentadecanoic acid (34.2 %) and hexadecanol (26.3 %). A total of 78 volatile compounds emanating from M. autumnalis tissues, representing 94.1-96.4 % of the total volatile compositions, were identified: 22 esters, 11 alcohols, 9 aldehydes, 14 ketones, 7 nitrogen, 10 hydrocarbons, 2 lactones, 1 sulfur and 2 ethers. Ethyl hexanoate (12.3 %) and 1,3-butanediol (12.3 %) were at the highest relative percentages. This study characterizes and distinguishes M. autumnalis from Tunisia and attributes the compounds responsible for the intoxicating and particular odor of fruits. Chemosystematic of Mandragora autumnalis based on the identification of essential oils and headspace volatiles of each of its organ can be used to characterize this species according to its geographic distribution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feten Arbia
- Laboratory of Bioresources: Integrative Biology and Valorization (LR14-ES06), High Institute of Biotechnology of Monastir, University of Monastir, 5000, Monastir, Tunisia
| | - Olfa Ayari-Gribaa
- Laboratory of Bioresources: Integrative Biology and Valorization (LR14-ES06), High Institute of Biotechnology of Monastir, University of Monastir, 5000, Monastir, Tunisia
| | - Fedia Souilem
- Laboratory of Bioresources: Integrative Biology and Valorization (LR14-ES06), High Institute of Biotechnology of Monastir, University of Monastir, 5000, Monastir, Tunisia
| | - Wiem Chiboub
- Laboratory of Bioresources: Integrative Biology and Valorization (LR14-ES06), High Institute of Biotechnology of Monastir, University of Monastir, 5000, Monastir, Tunisia
| | - Afifa Zardi-Berguaoui
- Laboratory of Heterocyclic Chemistry, Natural Products and Reactivity (LR11ES39), Team: Medicinal Chemistry and Natural Products, Faculty of Science of Monastir, University of Monastir, Avenue of Environment, 5019, Monastir, Tunisia
| | - Hichem Ben Jannet
- Laboratory of Heterocyclic Chemistry, Natural Products and Reactivity (LR11ES39), Team: Medicinal Chemistry and Natural Products, Faculty of Science of Monastir, University of Monastir, Avenue of Environment, 5019, Monastir, Tunisia
| | - Roberta Ascrizzi
- Dipartimento di Farmacia, Università di Pisa, Via Bonanno 33, 56126, Pisa, Italy
| | - Guido Flamini
- Dipartimento di Farmacia, Università di Pisa, Via Bonanno 33, 56126, Pisa, Italy.,University of Pisa, Centro Interdipartimentale di Ricerca 'Nutraceutica e Alimentazione per la Salute' Nutrafood, Via del Borghetto 80, 56124, Pisa, Italy
| | - Fethia Harzallah-Skhiri
- Laboratory of Bioresources: Integrative Biology and Valorization (LR14-ES06), High Institute of Biotechnology of Monastir, University of Monastir, 5000, Monastir, Tunisia
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Schlesinger D, Davidovich Rikanati R, Volis S, Faigenboim A, Vendramin V, Cattonaro F, Hooper M, Oren E, Taylor M, Sitrit Y, Inbar M, Lewinsohn E. Alkaloid chemodiversity in Mandragora spp. is associated with loss-of-functionality of MoH6H, a hyoscyamine 6β-hydroxylase gene. PLANT SCIENCE : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL PLANT BIOLOGY 2019; 283:301-310. [PMID: 31128700 DOI: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2019.03.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2019] [Revised: 03/14/2019] [Accepted: 03/16/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Mandrakes (Mandragora spp., Solanaceae) are known to contain tropane alkaloids and have been used since antiquity in traditional medicine. Tropane alkaloids such as scopolamine and hyoscyamine are used in modern medicine to treat pain, motion sickness, as eye pupil dilators and antidotes against organo-phosphate poisoning. Hyoscyamine is converted to 6β-hydroxyhyoscyamine (anisodamine) and scopolamine by hyoscyamine 6β-hydroxylase (H6H), a 2-oxoglutarate dependent dioxygenase. We describe here a marked chemo-diversity in the tropane alkaloid content in Mandragora spp. M. officinarum and M. turcomanica lack anisodamine and scopolamine but display up to 10 fold higher hyoscyamine levels as compared with M. autumnalis. Transcriptomic analyses revealed that H6H is highly conserved among scopolamine-producing Solanaceae. MoH6H present in M. officinarum differs in several amino acid residues including a homozygotic mutation in the substrate binding region of the protein and its prevalence among accessions was confirmed by Cleaved-Amplified-Polymorphic-Sequence analyses. Functional expression revealed that MaH6H, a gene isolated from M. autumnalis encodes an active H6H enzyme while the MoH6H sequence isolated from M. officinarum was functionally inactive. A single G to T mutation in nucleotide 663 of MoH6H is associated with the lack of anisodamine and scopolamine in M. officinalis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Schlesinger
- Department of Evolutionary & Environmental Biology, University of Haifa, Mount Carmel, Haifa 31905, Israel; Department of Vegetable Crops, Newe Ya'ar Research Center, Agricultural Research Organization, P.O. Box 1021, Ramat Yishay 30095, Israel
| | - Rachel Davidovich Rikanati
- Department of Vegetable Crops, Newe Ya'ar Research Center, Agricultural Research Organization, P.O. Box 1021, Ramat Yishay 30095, Israel
| | - Sergei Volis
- Kunming Institute of Botany, 132, Lanhei Road, Kunming 650201, Yunnan, PR China
| | - Adi Faigenboim
- Institute of Plant Sciences, ARO, The Volcani Center, Bet Dagan, Israel
| | - Vera Vendramin
- IGA Technology Services, Via J. Linussio 51, 33100 Udine, Italy
| | | | - Matthew Hooper
- Cell & Molecular Sciences, The James Hutton Institute, Invergowrie, Dundee DD2 5DA Scotland, UK
| | - Elad Oren
- Department of Vegetable Crops, Newe Ya'ar Research Center, Agricultural Research Organization, P.O. Box 1021, Ramat Yishay 30095, Israel
| | - Mark Taylor
- Cell & Molecular Sciences, The James Hutton Institute, Invergowrie, Dundee DD2 5DA Scotland, UK
| | - Yaron Sitrit
- The Jacob Blaustein Institutes f Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of The Negev, P.O. Box 653, Beer-Sheva 84105, Israel
| | - Moshe Inbar
- Department of Evolutionary & Environmental Biology, University of Haifa, Mount Carmel, Haifa 31905, Israel
| | - Efraim Lewinsohn
- Department of Vegetable Crops, Newe Ya'ar Research Center, Agricultural Research Organization, P.O. Box 1021, Ramat Yishay 30095, Israel.
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Samorini G. The oldest archeological data evidencing the relationship of Homo sapiens with psychoactive plants: A worldwide overview. JOURNAL OF PSYCHEDELIC STUDIES 2019. [DOI: 10.1556/2054.2019.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Modern sophisticated archeometric instruments are increasingly capable of detecting the presence of psychoactive plant sources in archeological contexts, testifying the antiquity of humanity’s search for altered states of consciousness. The purpose of this article is to provide a general picture of these findings, covering the main psychoactive plant sources of the world, and identifying the most ancient dates so far evidenced by archeology. This review is based on the archeological literature identifying the presence of psychoactive plant sources, relying on original research documents. The research produced two main results: (a) a systematization of the types of archeological evidence that testify the relationship between Homo sapiens and these psychoactive sources, subdivided into direct evidence (i.e., material findings, chemical, and genetic) and indirect evidence (i.e., anthropophysical, iconographic, literary, and paraphernalia); and (b) producing a list of the earliest known dates of the relationship of H. sapiens with the main psychoactive plant sources. There appears to be a general diffusion of the use of plant drugs from at least the Neolithic period (for the Old World) and the pre-Formative period (for the Americas). These dates should not to be understood as the first use of these materials, instead they refer to the oldest dates currently determined by either direct or indirect archeological evidence. Several of these dates are likely to be modified back in time by future excavations and finds.
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