Morphological characterization and interspecific variation among five species of Ziziphus genus to select superiors in Iran

BACKGROUND

Several species of the genus Ziziphus are used worldwide for their medicinal and therapeutic properties. The present study aimed to investigate the phenotypic variation of five species of the Ziziphus genus, including Z. jujuba Mill. (25 accessions), Z. mauritiana Lam. (25 accessions), Z. spina-christi L. (25 accessions), Z. nummularia L. (10 accessions), and Z. xylopyrus Willd. (10 accessions) from Markazi, Sistan-va-Baluchestan, and Khuzestan provinces, Iran.

RESULTS

The investigated accessions have significant differences in terms of all the measured as revealed using analysis of variance (ANOVA, P < 0.01). The range of fruit weight was 0.43-1.29 g in Z. jujuba, 17.85-29.87 g in Z. mauritiana, 0.94-3.44 g in Z. spina-christi, 0.93-2.02 g in Z. nummularia, and 0.91-3.02 g in Z. xylopyrus. All the measured traits showed significant and positive correlations with each other. Multiple regression analysis (MRA) results showed that fruit length, stone width, stone weight, stone length, and fruit width have significant effects on fruit weight, and thus their fluctuations have a significant effect on increasing or decreasing fruit weight. The accessions were grouped into two main clusters using hierarchical cluster analysis. The first cluster (I) included all the accessions of Z. mauritiana, while the second cluster (II) contained the accessions of the rest species forming two sub-clusters.

CONCLUSION

Based on the commercial characters, accessions no. 12, 13, 17, 23, and 24 in Z. jujuba, accessions no. 3, 9, 17, 18, 20, 22, and 23 in Z. mauritiana, accessions no. 5, 6, 8, 13, 19, 22, and 24 in Z. spina-christi, accessions no. 3, 7, and 9 in Z. nummularia, and accessions no. 2, 4, 7, and 10 in Z. oxyphylla showed the highest fruit weight and thus can be suggested as superior for cultivation or use in breeding programs due to having larger fruits.

Anti-inflammatory Effects of Ziziphus Jujube Mill on LPS-induced Acute Lung Injury in Mice

Ziziphus Jujuba Mill (Z.J) is a well-known ethnomedical source of biologically active compounds with anti-inflammatory effects. However, its significance in acute lung injury (ALI) has never been studied. The present study aimed to explore whether Z.J could attenuate lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory responses in an experimental model of ALI. Male BALB/c mice received an intratracheal administration of LPS (n=32) or phosphate buffer saline (PBS) (control, n=8). Within 1, 11, and 23 h post-LPS injection, mice were randomly assigned to receive intraperitoneal treatments of saline, dexamethasone (2 mg/kg), and 100 and 200 mg/kg of Z.J extracts, respectively. 24 h after intratracheal administration of LPS, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and lung tissues were harvested and assessed for inflammatory cell influx, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) levels, and histological assessments. Treatment with Z.J extracts (100 and 200 mg/kg) and dexamethasone effectively reduced LPS-induced neutrophil and other inflammatory cell influx into the lung tissue compared to the untreated group. additionally, both doses of Z.J extracts (100 and 200 mg/kg) significantly ameliorated the lung wet-to-dry ratio and histopathological damage. Furthermore, compared to the untreated ALI mice, Z.J extract at the highest dose could significantly reduce the TNF-α level.   The present findings indicated that Z.J could effectively ameliorate LPS-induced ALI inflammatory responses and might be considered a promising alternative therapy for the ALI phenotype.

Transcriptome-wide expression analysis of MYB gene family leads to functional characterization of flavonoid biosynthesis in fruit coloration of Ziziphus Mill

The Ziziphus mauritiana Lam. and Z. jujuba Mill. are the two most economically important members of the genus Ziziphus. The fruit color of Z. mauritiana remains green throughout fruit development in the majority of commercial cultivars, whereas its close relative, Z. jujuba Mill. turns from green to red in all cultivars. However, the lack of transcriptomic and genomic information confines our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying fruit coloration in Z. mauritiana (Ber). In the present study, we performed the transcriptome-wide analysis of MYB transcription factors (TFs) genes in Z. mauritiana and Z. jujuba, and identified 56 ZmMYB and 60 ZjMYB TFs in Z. mauritiana and Z. jujuba, respectively. Through transcriptomic expression analysis, four similar MYB genes (ZmMYB/ZjMYB13, ZmMYB/ZjMYB44, ZmMYB/ZjMYB50, and ZmMYB/ZjMYB56) from Z. mauritiana and Z. jujuba were selected as candidate key genes regulating flavonoid biosynthesis. Among these genes, the ZjMYB44 gene was transiently highly expressed in fruit, and flavonoid content accumulation also increased, indicating that this gene can influence flavonoid content during the period of fruit coloration in Z. jujuba. The current study adds to our understanding of the classification of genes, motif structure, and predicted functions of the MYB TFs, as well as identifying MYBs that regulate flavonoid biosynthesis in Ziziphus (Z. mauritiana and Z. jujuba). Based on this information, we concluded that MYB44 is involved in the flavonoids biosynthesis pathway during the fruit coloring of Ziziphus. Our research results provide an important understanding of the molecular mechanism of flavonoid biosynthesis resulting in fruit coloration and laying a foundation for further genetic improvement of fruit color in Ziziphus.

Genomic constitution and relationships of Ziziphus species collected from Malakand Division, Pakistan

Polyploidization has played a major role in plant evolution and can alter plant morphology, phenology, and ecology within only one or a few generations. Ziziphus species are economically as well as nutritionally important fruit-yielding trees. Identification of genotypes with unique traits or those with higher ploidy levels or a broader genetic base could lead to further improvements within the species. The current study has assessed the ploidy levels in the Ziziphus species (Ziziphus jujuba Mill. and Ziziphus nummularia (Burm. f. Wight & Arn) with phenotypic traits, flow cytometry, and chromosomal count as well as with SSRs markers. Morphological traits were inferred to be the most important drivers of trait variations among the investigated genotypes. The total sugar, total cAMPs, titratable acid, and chlorophyll (a, b, and total) were also significantly different in contrast with diploid plants, which showed that tetraploid Ziziphus had the potential to increase nutritional contents. Out of twenty (20), five (5) Z. jujuba genotypes (ZJL-9, ZJL-12, ZJL-17, ZJL-18, and ZJL-19) were found tetraploid 2n = 4x = 48, with genome size ranging from 965.9 to1238.8 Mb that was significantly higher than the tetraploid Z. jujuba Mill. variety Dongzao. Similarly, Z. nummularia ZNL-07 to ZNL-15 have found tetraploid 2n = 4x = 72 with genomic sizes ranging from 1152.2 to 1746.8 Mb respectively. Simple sequence repeats (SSRs) marker was applied to assess the genetic relationship within Ziziphus genotypes. To the best of our understanding, this is the first report on the identification of naturalized random tetraploids within the Pakistani Ziziphus species. This study provides important insights into the genomic architecture of Ziziphus species with implications for classification, conservation, and improvements of Ziziphus germplasm resources.

Distribution of polyphenolic compounds, antioxidant potential, and free amino acids in Ziziphus fruits extract; a study for determining the influence of wider geography

Ziziphus fruits have attracted much attention within the field of medicine due to their high potential against central nervous system disorders. Abundance of secondary metabolites and their composition is key to the pharmaceutical potential and commercial qualities of plants. The in vitro antioxidant activities of Ziziphus nummularia (Burm. f.) and Ziziphus oxyphylla Edgew fruit extract were analyzed using 2,2‐diphenil‐1‐pycrilhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2′‐azino‐bis (3‐ethylbenzothiazoline)‐6‐sulfonic acid (ABTS) free radical scavenging assay methods. Phenolic profiles were explored using high‐performance liquid chromatography‐diode array detector (HPLC‐DAD). The result revealed high concentration of polyphenols and their antioxidant potential. In Z. nummularia, the total phenolic content (TPC) (80.270 ± 0.422 μg/ml), DPPH (62.03 ± 0.98 μg/ml), ABTS (66.32 ± 0.73 μg/ml), and TFC (90.683 ± 0.274 μg/ml) were recorded. However, in Z. oxyphylla, DPPH and ABTS values were 60.66 ± 0.56 μg/ml and 61.55 ± 0.77 μg/ml, respectively, indicative of the impacts of climate and soil nutrients. The overall screening of phytochemicals revealed that both the Ziziphus species contain diverse bioactive compounds, including spinacetine‐3‐O‐(2 feruloyl glucopyranosyl)‐glucopyranoside, kaempferol‐3‐O‐glucoside‐7‐O‐glucoside, and caffeic acid; p‐hydroxybenzoyl hexose, p‐coumaric acid, salicylic acid, and ellagic acid pentoxide. Additionally, the highest concentrated amino acid noted was of Lue 0.19 g/100 g with 596.00 retention time (RT), followed by Thr>Ale>Isl>Phya>Val in Z. nummularia. Similarly, the highest concentration of Lue amino acid was recorded as 0.18/100 g with 564.52 RT followed by Pr>Thr>Ale>Lue>Isl>Phya>Val in all genotypes of Z. oxyphylla. Reporting of polyphenols rich and stable species along with identification of favorable regions of cultivation for amino acid, polyphenols, and higher antioxidant potential may lead the way for the identification of elite clones of the species as well as may result in new drug discovery.

Bioactive Compounds and Antifungal Activity of Leaves and Fruits Methanolic Extracts of Ziziphus spina-christi L

Zizyphus spina-christi L. has antimicrobial properties because of the presence of biologically active compounds. Alternaria is an opportunistic pathogen that causes leaf spots, rots, and blights on a variety of plant parts. This study aimed to reduce the usage of synthetically derived fungicides. Identification of the bioactive components present in leaves and fruits methanolic extracts of Z. spina-christi was performed using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The efficacy of the two methanol extracts was tested against (a) in vitro fungal growth and (b) pathogenicity control on non-wounded and wounded tomato fruits. The results revealed that gallic acid and ellagic acid were the major components in leaves extract while quercetin was the major component in fruits extract. In addition, Phenol, 2,5-bis(1,1-dimethylethyl) (40.24%) and Decane, 2-methyl-(18.53%) were the most abundant components in the leaf extract, and the presence of D-mannonic acid, 2,3,5,6-tetrakis-o-(trimethylsilyl), and γ-lactone (22.72%) were major components in fruits extract. The methanolic extracts of Z. spina-christi leaves and fruits demonstrated significant antifungal activity against the growth of Alternaria alternata, A. citri, and A. radicina with variable inhibition percentages at different concentrations. Pathogenicity was increased when the skin was injured, as expected. Both extracts reduced the percentage of infected fruits.

Uncovering the first complete plastome genomics, comparative analyses, and phylogenetic dispositions of endemic medicinal plant Ziziphus hajarensis (Rhamnaceae)

BACKGROUND

Ziziphus hajarensis is an endemic plant species well-distributed in the Western Hajar mountains of Oman. Despite its potential medicinal uses, little is known regarding its genomic architecture, phylogenetic position, or evolution. Here we sequenced and analyzed the entire chloroplast (cp) genome of Z. hajarensis to understand its genetic organization, structure, and phylogenomic disposition among Rhamnaceae species.

RESULTS

The results revealed the genome of Z. hajarensis cp comprised 162,162 bp and exhibited a typical quadripartite structure, with a large single copy (LSC) region of 895,67 bp, a small single copy (SSC) region of 19,597 bp and an inverted repeat (IR) regions of 26,499 bp. In addition, the cp genome of Z. hajarensis comprises 126 genes, including 82 protein-coding genes, eight rRNA genes, and 36 tRNA genes. Furthermore, the analysis revealed 208 microsatellites, 96.6% of which were mononucleotides. Similarly, a total of 140 repeats were identified, including 11 palindromic, 24 forward, 14 reverse, and 104 tandem repeats. The whole cp genome comparison of Z. hajarensis and nine other species from family Rhamnaceae showed an overall high degree of sequence similarity, with divergence among some intergenic spacers. Comparative phylogenetic analysis based on the complete cp genome, 66 shared genes and matK gene revealed that Z. hajarensis shares a clade with Z. jujuba and that the family Rhamnaceae is the closest family to Barbeyaceae and Elaeagnaceae.

CONCLUSION

All the genome features such as genome size, GC content, genome organization and gene order were highly conserved compared to the other related genomes. The whole cp genome of Z. hajarensis gives fascinating insights and valuable data that may be used to identify related species and reconstruct the phylogeny of the species.

Genus Ziziphus for the treatment of chronic inflammatory diseases

Natural products and traditional medicine are rich sources for developing therapeutics for chronic inflammatory diseases. However, the way from natural products/traditional medicines to Western pharmaceutical practices is not always straightforward. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), chronic diseases are the greatest threat to human health. 3 of 5 people die due to chronic inflammatory disorders worldwide like chronic respiratory diseases, stroke, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, and obesity. Various nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are used to reduce inflammation and pain, but there are many side effects of these drugs' administration. Medicinal plants have therapeutic anti-inflammatory effects with low or no side effects. Ziziphus plant species are generally safe and not toxic to humans. Many studies on the Ziziphus species have shown that their therapeutic properties are attributed to the roots, leaves and fruits. Unfortunately, Ziziphus species from different regions worldwide with anti-inflammatory properties have not been documented in a single review paper. Therefore, it is crucial to establish ethnobotanical knowledge and applications of Ziziphus species against chronic inflammatory diseases. The current article exhaustively reviews phytochemical profile, pharmacological studies, toxicological effects, and ethnobotanical uses of Genus Ziziphus in chronic anti-inflammatory diseases. The present review article also highlights the most promising experimental data on Ziziphus extracts and pure compounds active in clinical trials and animal models of chronic inflammatory diseases. This review would be a valuable resource for contemporary researchers in the field to understand the promising role of the Ziziphus genus in chronic inflammatory disorders.

genotypes using pomological and chemical proprieties

Ziziphus spina-christi (L.) Willd. is a multi-purpose plant and is very popular found in local markets because of its high nutritional and medicinal values. The present work was carried out to study morphological and chemical properties of native accessions of this species. There were significant differences among the accessions investigated based on the morphological and chemical characters. Total phenolic content ranged from 4.84 to 49.58 mg/g fresh weight (FW). Total flavonoid content varied from 0.45 to 2.29 mg/g FW. Antioxidant activity measured with DPPH ranged from 0.32 to 16.99 mg/g FW, while it ranged from 6.64 to 84.15 µM FeSO4 FW with the FRAP method. The total phenol content showed significant and positive correlations with total flavonoid content (r = 0.33), antioxidant activity obtained with DPPH (r = 0.85), and antioxidant activity obtained with FRAP (r = 0.54). The ward dendrograms divided the accessions studied into two major clusters based on morphological and chemical characteristics. Based on the traits related to fruit quality such as fruit weight, fruit skin color, and fruit flavor, as well as in terms of chemical characteristics related to medicinal properties such as total flavonoids and antioxidant activity, 17 accessions were superior that could be used in breeding programs or cultivated directly. The present results can be used in defining conservation strategies, genetic improvement, and crop production.

A comparative assessment of morphological and molecular characterization among three Ziziphus species

Genetic variability of 84 accessions of three Ziziphus species including Z. spina-christi, Z. nummularia and Z. mauritiana were analyzed using a combination of morphological traits and translation initiation codon (ATG) polymorphism. Both morphological and molecular data revealed a high level of inter and intra specific variations among the accessions. Accordingly, 90.49% of amplified fragments were polymorphic among the accessions with the mean values of 0.37 for polymorphic information content (PIC), 3.31 for resolving power (RP), and 1.95 for marker index (MI). The phylogenetic clustering clearly delineated the entire germplasm into three well supported distinct clusters according to the species sources. According to the Nei's genetic identity, Z. spina-christi and Z. nummularia were the most similar species and had high differentiation with Z. mauritiana. Moreover, the highest values for Shannon's information index (I = 0.505) and gene diversity (h = 0.347) were recorded in Z. spina-christi indicating there is higher genetic diversity compared with two other species. Four private alleles were identified in two species which could be beneficial for accessions authentication in argumentative situations. Moreover, results of the Mantel test showed there were moderate correlation between molecular and morphological matrices. In addition, estimation of bivariate correlations revealed there were significant positive and negative correlations between different variables, which offer a practical application of this information during phenotype based selection in ber improvement programs. The results of this investigation highlight the efficiency of translation initiation codon polymorphism for genetic characterization and accurate authentication of Ziziphus accessions as well as detecting and tagging morphologically important traits in this genus that would be helpful for implementation of effective conservation strategies and even broaden current genetic diversity.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12298-021-01000-7.

Natural history of Platypria (Platypria) hystrix (Fabricius, 1798) on Fabaceae host plants, with notes on other Platypria species in India (Chrysomelidae, Cassidinae, Hispini)

The leaf-beetle genus Platypria Guérin-Méneville, 1840 comprises two subgenera and 34 species (Chrysomelidae: Cassidinae: Hispini). Host plants are documented for eight species and indicate mostly perennial species of Fabaceae and Rhamnaceae. Larvae and pupae have been documented for two Platypria species. This paper presents novel natural history data, based on a field study of populations of Platypria (Platypria) hystrix (Fabricius, 1798) on Erythrinastricta Roxb. and Puerariaphaseoloides (Roxb.) Benth. in Kerala, south India and on Erythrinavariegata L., Puerariamontanavar.lobata (Willd.) Maes. & S. Almeida and Mucunapruriens (L) DC in Assam, northeast India. Three new Fabaceae hosts are reported for P. (P.) hystrix. Brief notes and new host records, based on field observations, are also provided for the other three species of Platypria in India - P. (P.) chiroptera Gestro, 1899, P. (P.) echidna Guérin-Méneville, 1840 and P. (P.) erinaceus (Fabricius, 1801). Platypria females slit the leaf to lay a single egg which is covered with secretions that harden as an ootheca, the egg covering in Cassidinaes. l. There are five larval stages, each with the typical 'hispine' mining form and behaviour - a flattened cream-coloured body, chitinised head capsule and claws, and feeding on mesophyll and leaving irregular blotch mines on the host leaves. Pupation occurs in an independent pupal mine and lasts about a week. These observations suggest new potential phylogenetic character hypotheses that can stimulate better data collection on leaf-mining Cassidinae and help resolve evolutionary patterns amongst these basal mining genera.

Medicinal seeds Ziziphus spinosa for insomnia: A randomized, placebo-controlled, cross-over, feasibility clinical trial

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the feasibility of implementing a clinical trial protocol of the herbal seeds Ziziphus spinosa (ZS) for people with insomnia.

DESIGN AND SETTING

A randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled, cross-over feasibility trial in Melbourne, Australia.

INTERVENTIONS

After two-week run-in participants were randomized to either ZS (encapsulated granules; 2 g daily) or placebo for four weeks. After four-weeks wash-out, participants swapped to the other treatment for four weeks.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Sleep quality assessed by the Insomnia Severity Index and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Quality of life, mood, functional impairment and sleep parameters were also assessed.

RESULTS

Twelve participants were randomized and completed both periods of cross-over (six in each sequence). Feasibility endpoints were acceptable. Improvements for sleep quality measured on the PSQI were statistically significant during the ZS treatment periods compared to placebo (t = -2.276, df = 10, 95 % CI -3.3 to -0.04, p = 0.046). There was no evidence of any significant carryover effects. However, there were period effects. Other outcomes showed no statistically significant difference between the treatments. Subjective sleep parameters measured on sleep diaries showed improvements after ZS in terms of total sleep time, sleep efficiency and sleep onset latency, but not after placebo. ZS was well tolerated with only minor adverse events.

CONCLUSIONS

ZS is an acceptable and well-tolerated herbal candidate for the treatment of insomnia. The feasibility objectives of this study were achieved and ZS improved both subjective sleep quality and quantity compared to placebo. ZS should be explored in future clinical trials.

Effect of Training with or without Ziziphus Jujuba Extract on Cardiokines in Heart Tissue of Myocardial Infarcted Rats

Background:

Today, the importance of physical activity as a preventative way for cardiovascular disease has attracted much attention.The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of 6 weeks of interval training with or without extract of Ziziphus jujuba on lipocalcin-2 (LCN2) and adiponectin levels in heart tissue in male Wistar rats with myocardial infarction.

Methods:

Thirty male Wistar rats (mean weight, 180–220 g and age, 2–3 months) were divided into five groups, including (1) Healthy control; (2) Isoprenaline-treated group (ISO); (3) ISO + jujube extracts (JE); (4) Trained ISO rats; and (5) Trained ISO rats + JE. Exercise was performed (5 days/week, for 6 week including 54-min cycles with speed of 23 m/min and 54-min cycles with speed of 15 m/min). After 48 h of the last training session, the rats were sacrificed, and their heart tissue was excised. The significant level of statistical data was analyzed by one-way ANOVA test.

Results:

LCN2 levels significantly decreased in trained ISO rats + JE group after 6 weeks of interval training with JE consumption, compared to ISO group. However, the consumption of jujuba extracts with and without interval training did not show any significant changes in adiponectin levels of rat's heart tissue, compared to ISO (P < 0.05).

Conclusions:

Because the LCN2 inflammatory factor decreased after 6 weeks of exercise and consumption of the extract, it seems that performing interval training with JE consumption can be an effective method in the cardiac rehabilitation phase after a heart attack.

Metabolites profiling of Ziziphus leaf taxa via UHPLC/PDA/ESI-MS in relation to their biological activities

Ziziphus plants are well recognized for their nutritive and medicinal value worldwide, albeit their chemical profile has yet to be fully reported. The secondary metabolites profile of three traditionally used Ziziphus leaf accessions was investigated via ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to photodiode array and electrospray ionization mass detectors (UHPLC/PDA/ESI-MS). A total of 102 metabolites were characterized revealing the first holistic approach onto Ziziphus leaf metabolome and to include the first report of several novel flavonoids and cyclopeptide alkaloids. Fragmentation pattern for cyclopeptide alkaloids was proposed via ESI-MS. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed close metabolite resemblance among Z. spina-christi and Z. mauritiana leaf specimens found enriched in saponins and distinct from that of Z. jujuba in which quercetin-3-O-(2-pentosyl)-rhamnoside was most abundant. Further, in-vitro antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antidiabetic assays revealed for Z. spina-christi and Z. mauritiana strong effects compared to Z. jujuba and in correlation with their metabolites repertoire.

Between domestication and civilization: the role of agriculture and arboriculture in the emergence of the first urban societies

The transition to urbanism has long focused on annual staple crops (cereals and legumes), perhaps at the expense of understanding other changes within agricultural practices that occurred between the end of the initial domestication period and urbanisation. This paper examines the domestication and role of fruit tree crops within urbanisation in both Western Asia and China, using a combination of evidence for morphological change and a database that documents both the earliest occurrence of tree fruit crops and their spread beyond their wild range. In Western Asia the domestication of perennial fruit crops likely occurs between 6500 bc and 3500 bc, although it accompanies a shift in location from that of the earliest domestications within the Fertile Crescent to Mesopotamia, where the earliest urban societies arose. For China, fruit-tree domestication dates between ca 4000 and 2500 bc, commencing after millet domestication and rice domestication in Northern and Southern China, respectively, but within the period that led up to the urban societies that characterised the Longshan period in the Yellow River basin and the Liangzhu Culture in the Lower Yangtze. These results place the domestication of major fruit trees between the end of the domestication of staple annual crops and the rise of urbanism. On this basis it is argued that arboriculture played a fundamental role within the re-organisation of existing land use, shifting the emphasis from short-term returns of cereal crops into longer term investment in the developing agricultural landscape in both Western and East Asia. In this respect perennial tree crops can be placed alongside craft specialisation, such as metallurgy and textiles, in the formation of urban centres and the shaping the organisational administration that accompanied the rise of urbanism.

Novel betulin derivative is responsible for the anticancer folk use of Ziziphus spina-christi from the hot environmental habitat of UAE

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Several natural products derived from plant sources are developed to remarkable medicines based on their traditional uses. Ziziphus, a worldwide known plant, is proven for potential cytotoxic activity. However, the plant growing at the unique hot environmental climate of UAE was never investigated. Different phytochemicals may be produced from the same plant genotype at different climates leading to variable pharmacological activities.

AIM OF THE STUDY

The study was conducted in order to investigate phytochemicals in the UAE native Z. spina-christi plant and its anticancer activity.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Z. spina-christi plant were collected, dried and dissected into leaves, stems and thorns. The plant organs were subjected to comparative fractionation-based anticancer assay followed by spectroscopic analysis of a uniquely isolated compound.

RESULTS

The results indicate that a novel betulin derivative (13-dehydrobetulin) isolated from plant stem exhibited substantial anticancer activity specifically against liver cancer and with wide therapeutic range.

CONCLUSIONS

Growth of cytotoxic traditionally-known plant remedy at harsh environmental habitat advances its anticancer activity due to production of novel phytochemical with optimum activity and minimal toxicity. Furthermore, such approach may be a future to develop novel lead compounds with optimum activity.

Long and attenuated: comparative trends in the domestication of tree fruits

This paper asks whether we can identify a recurrent domestication syndrome for tree crops (fruits, nuts) and track archaeologically the evolution of domestication of fruits from woody perennials. While archaeobotany has made major contributions to documenting the domestication process in cereals and other annual grains, long-lived perennials have received less comparative attention. Drawing on examples from across Eurasia, comparisons suggest a tendency for the larger domesticated fruits to contain seeds that are proportionally longer, thinner and with more pointed (acute to attenuated) apices. Therefore, although changes in flavour, such as increased sweetness, are not recoverable, seed metrics and shape provide an archaeological basis for tracking domestication episodes in fruits from woody perennials. Where available, metrical data suggest length increases, as well as size diversification over time, with examples drawn from the Jomon of Japan (Castanea crenata), Neolithic China (Prunus persica) and the later Neolithic of the Near East (Olea europaea, Phoenix dactylifera) to estimate rates of change. More limited data allow us to also compare Mesoamerica avocado (Persea americana) and western Pacific Canarium sp. nuts and Spondias sp. fruits. Data from modern Indian jujube (Ziziphus mauritiana) are also considered in relation to seed length:width trends in relation to fruit contents (flesh proportion, sugar content). Despite the long generation time in tree fruits, rates of change in their seeds are generally comparable to rates of phenotypic evolution in annual grain crops, suggesting that gradual evolution via unconscious selection played a key role in initial processes of tree domestication, and that this had begun in the later Neolithic once annual crops had been domesticated, in both west and east Asia.

Comparative Analysis of the Complete Chloroplast Genome of Four Known Ziziphus Species

Ziziphus Mill. (Rhamnaceae) is comprised of about 170 species that are mainly distributed in tropical to subtropical regions, with few in the temperate zone. Several Ziziphus fruit tree species are important energy, nutrient, and medicinal resources for human populations, particularly for those living in rural regions. To date, limited genomic information is available for this genus. Here, we assembled the complete chloroplast genomes of four best known Ziziphus species, i.e., Ziziphus jujuba, Ziziphus acidojujuba, Ziziphus mauritiana, and Ziziphus spina-christi, based on the Illumina Paired-end sequencing method. The chloroplast genomes of the four Ziziphus species are all very similar to one another, and exhibit structural, gene content, and order characteristics that are similar to other flowering plants. The entire chloroplast genome encodes 113 predicted unique genes (85 protein-coding genes, 8 rRNA, and 37 tRNA), 17 of which are duplicated in the inverted repeat regions. Rich single sequence repeats loci (217) were detected in Z. jujuba and 106 SSR loci, composed of A/T, displayed polymorphism across the four species by comparative genomic analysis. We found only four genes under positive selection between Z. jujuba and Z. acidojujuba, and two genes for Z. mauritiana vs. Z. spina-christi, respectively, while half of the 78 protein-coding genes experienced positive selection between the two groups. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that Ziziphus (Rhamnaceae) was sister to Elaeagnaceae, and the four species of Ziziphus were clustered into two groups (Z. jujuba and Z. acidojujuba, Z. mauritiana and Z. spina-christi). Our results provide genomic resources for intrageneric classifications of Ziziphus, and valuable genetic markers for investigating the population genetics and biogeography of closely related Ziziphus species.

Hydrophilic interaction ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry for determination of nucleotides, nucleosides and nucleobases in Ziziphus plants

In this study, a rapid and sensitive analytical method was developed for the determination of 20 nucleobases, nucleosides and nucleotides in Ziziphus plants at trace levels by using hydrophilic interaction ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple-quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry (HILIC-UHPLC-TQ-MS/MS) in multiple-reaction monitoring (MRM) mode. Under the optimized chromatographic conditions, good separation for 20 target compounds were obtained on a UHPLC Amide column with sub-2μm particles within 10min. The overall LODs and LOQs were between 0.11-3.12ngmL(-1) and 0.29-12.48ngmL(-1) for the 20 analytes, respectively. It is the first report about simultaneous analysis of nucleobases, nucleosides and nucleotides in medicinal plants using HILIC-UHPLC-TQ-MS/MS method, which affords good linearity, precision, repeatability and accuracy. The developed method was successfully applied to Ziziphus plant (Z. jujuba, Z. jujuba var. spinosa and Z. mauritiana) samples. The analysis showed that the fruits and leaves of Ziziphus plants are rich in nucleosides and nucleobases as well as nucleotides, and could be selected as the healthy food resources. Our results in present study suggest that HILIC-UHPLC-TQ-MS/MS method could be employed as a useful tool for quality assessment of the samples from the Ziziphus plants as well as other medicinal plants or food samples using nucleotides, nucleosides and nucleobases as markers.

Crude Extract from Ziziphus Jujuba Fruits, a Weapon against Pediatric Infectious Disease

BACKGROUND

Pediatric infectious disease is one of the main problems in cancerous children that treat by chemotherapy drugs. Thus, study in this regard is necessary. The aim of this study was to evaluate antimicrobial properties of ethanolic extract of Ziziphus Jujuba fruits against different infectious pathogens.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This study is descriptive. In vitro antimicrobial activity of extract was assessed on gram negative and gram positive bacteria as well as fungi. The antimicrobial activity was tested by Radial Diffusion Assay (RDA) and Minimal Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) methods.

RESULTS

The results showed a wide antimicrobial activity of the extract against the microbes studied. Escherichia coli was the most susceptible to the extracts among tested microorganisms for which the MIC was 0.65±0.22 mg/ml. Amongst the bacterial strains investigated, Staphylococcus aureus was the most resistant strain with MIC of 2.26±0.68 mg/ml. The ethanolic extract also showed antimicrobial activity on the fungi studied as no growth was observed in 2.35±0.38 and 2.86±0.7 mg/ml concentration for Candida albicans and Aspergillus fumigatus, respectively. The results of qualitive and quantitative test are well indicative of the extract effective activity against the microbes mentioned.

CONCLUSION

Confirming the potential antimicrobial activities of crude extract of Ziziphus Jujuba fruits, this study suggested that ethanolic extracts of this plant is appropriate candidate for treatment of microbial infections, especially pediatric infectious diseases.