April 2022

Oxalis corniculata (Khati Buti): Classification, Distribution, Characteristics, Chemical constituents, and Ethnomedicinal Uses

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Oxalis corniculata Linn. is found in Asia, Europe, North America, and Africa. It is a member of the Oxalidaceae family. It grows readily among human settlements, roadsides, gardens, and yards in practically all warmer sections of India, particularly in the Himalayas up to 2500 metres in elevation.
It is a delicate-looking, low-growing herbaceous plant found in wet gloomy locations, roadsides, plantations, lawns, and practically all regions throughout the warmer sections of India, especially in the Himalayas up to 8,000 feet altitude. (Hemant and colleagues, 2011)

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Heartleaf Philodendron: Description, Characteristics, Cultivation, Propagation, Chemical Constituents, and Uses

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Propagation of Philodendron species is commonly done via cutting and layering. During the growth season, try to propagate them. Where the leaves touch the stem, tiny brown nubs appear. These nubs will produce roots if they come into contact with soil or water. Cutting a branch just below a root nub and placing it in water with a few bits of horticultural charcoal to lessen the possibility of rot is one of the easiest ways to reproduce this plant. It is potted in rich soil as soon as new leaf development occurs. Hairpins or bent wire can also be used to pin vines to the earth at the root nub. In a relatively short period, the root nub that comes into contact with the earth sprouts new roots. Misting multiple times a day can substantially benefit the plant once the various sections of the Philodendron species are rooted.

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Money Plant (Epipremnum aureum): Classification, Characteristics, and Medicinal Uses

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Epipremnum aureum, also known as the money plant in Asian nations, is a member of the Araceae family and is one of the most simple houseplants to care for. It grows best in bright indirect light or an area protected from the afternoon sun, and stem cuttings can be easily propagated (Sonawane et al. 2011). The money plant is a herbaceous plant classified as a C4 plant because it contains a mechanism for turning carbon dioxide (CO2) into oxygen (O2) during photosynthesis (Sharma 2013). Because photorespiration releases CO2 at a lower rate than other C3 plants, it uses oxygen solely during cellular respiration for light respiration. As a result, with the net increase in oxygen concentration in the atmosphere, the net production of O2 by photosynthesis exceeds the net consumption of O2 during respiration (Sharma 2013).
Epipremnum aureum, often known as golden pothos, is a kind of epipremnum. It is one of the most widely used tropical ornamental plants in hanging baskets. Epipremnum aureum is a potent air purifier. Unlike other plants that produce carbon dioxide at night, it continues to produce oxygen.

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Orange jasmine Plant (Murraya paniculata): Distribution, Morphological Characters, Chemical constituents, and Medicinal Uses

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Murraya paniculata is the most widely distributed Murraya species, appearing in the tropics and subtropics of Asia and Oceania. It can be found across much of India and the Andaman Islands, up to a height of 1500 meters. From India and Sri Lanka to Myanmar (Burma), southern China and Taiwan, Thailand, and eastward via the Malesian region to northeastern Australia and Caledonia. The therapeutic benefit of this species has been discovered all over its range.

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Water: Structure, Basic physical properties, Molecular Structure, Polarity, Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions

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Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions:
The most essential biological function of water is as a solvent. It can dissolve a wide range of essential compounds, from simple salts to tiny molecules like sugars and metabolites to huge molecules like proteins and nucleic acids. Chemical reactions, molecule association and binding, diffusion-driven interactions, and ion conduction are all molecular activities that occur at substantial rates only in solution, emphasising the relevance of water’s solvent qualities.
Water’s differential effect as a solvent – the fact that it dissolves some molecules considerably better than others – is just as essential as its ability to dissolve certain compounds. The solubilities are 50 orders of magnitude higher! Ions and charged amino acids like arginine and aspartic acid are found at the high end of the spectrum. These are hydrophilic solutes (water-loving). Asparagine, the peptide backbone of proteins, the phosphate sugar backbone of nucleic acids, sugars, and lipid head groups are all included in this category of neutral amino acids. Aliphatic amino acids like leucine, aromatic amino acids like phenylalanine, and lipid hydrocarbon ‘tails’ are all on the low solubility end of the spectrum. Hydrophobic solutes are those that repel water. Other solutes, such as nucleic acid bases and the amino acid tryptophan, have a range of solubility and can’t be categorised as either hydrophobic or hydrophilic.

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Paper flower (Bougainvillea glabra): Distribution, Habit, Morphology, Propagation, and Uses

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Bougainvillea glabra In India
Bougainvilleas are widely used in aesthetic gardening and as a plant for avenue decorating in India. Flowering season and intensity, on the other hand, vary dramatically. Bougainvilleas, with their colorful bracts and mass blossoming, grace every region of India. The agro-climatic seasons of Southern India, which includes Bangalore, Mysore, Chennai, and Hyderabad, are favorable. Blooming occurs in sequence and profusion from February to April and August to October. Similarly, due to the region’s temperate climate, the Pune, Nasik, Nagpur, and Bombay districts of Western India frequently have extensive blossoming in flashes throughout the year. In comparison to Northern India, the flowering time in Eastern, Western, and Southern India is usually longer. Bougainvilleas bloom in large numbers in Northern India (Delhi, Chandigarh, Patiala, Agra, Lucknow, Kanpur) and surrounding areas from March to May, followed by pre-winter blossoming in November and December. Bougainvilleas go dormant during the coldest months of the year (December to January), due to the low temperatures and lack of sunlight. The performance of Bougainvilleas in terms of growth and flowering is also notable in steep areas. They can be grown at elevations ranging from 1500 to 2000 meters above sea level. Solan, Shimla, Almora, Nanital, and other northern hilly locations have had good blossoming. Bougainvillea is a shrubby, hardy plant with an alternating leaf pattern. Flowers have a tubular form and are linked to the spectacular heart-shaped bracts, making them inconspicuous. DUS (Distinctiveness, Uniformity, and Stability) test protocols were used to characterize 25 Indian Bougainvillea cultivars. Based on morphological parameters, the characterization results will be beneficial for identifying the kinds and their usage in attractive gardening (Zadoo et.al., 1975; Zadoo et.al., 1976; Sharma and Roy, 2000).

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Ascaris lumbricoides: Classification, Description, Diagnosis, and Strategies for control of Ascaris

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Ascaris lumbricoides, Linnaeus, 1758 and Ascaris suum, Goeze, 1782 are parasitic nematode (Family Ascarididae) infections of humans. Ascaris lumbricoides is one of the most frequent intestinal parasites that cause Ascariasis in children under the age of five in developing nations with poor sanitation (Schulze et al., 2005; Steinberg et al., 2003). In endemic locations, worm infection affects about 30% of adults and 60-70 per cent of children (Khuroo et al., 1989). The majority of cases, however, are asymptomatic; yet, in cases when the worm burden is substantial, catastrophic problems such as intestinal blockage or perforation can occur, necessitating immediate surgical intervention (Agrawal et al., 2016). Though microbiologic diagnosis of Ascaris lumbricoides infection is possible (Arora et al., 2005), X-ray and ultrasonography are rapid, safe, and non-invasive methods for early diagnosis (Mehta et al., 2010; Mani et al., 1997).

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Plasmodium Vivax: Classification, Discovery, Morphology, Life Cycle, Treatment, and Prevention

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Life Cycle
Plasmodium completes its life cycle inside the bodies of both male and female Anopheles mosquitoes. As a result, life follows a digenetic pattern. The major or definitive host is man, and the secondary or intermediate host or vector is the female anopheles mosquito.
To complete its life cycle, Plasmodium falciparum, the major pathogenic organism, requires both the Anopheles mosquito and humans. In the mosquito, the protozoan’s sexual cycle takes place. When a mosquito bites the skin to feed on man’s blood, the insect’s saliva contains immature sporozoites, which are passed to humans.
It is divided into 3 phases
(a) Pre-erythrocytic schizogony,
(b) Exo-erythrocytic schizogony,
(c) Erythrocytic schizogony.
The infective stage is the sporozoite. An infected mosquito injects sporozoites into a man’s body while sucking blood. To continue pre- and exoerythrocytic schizogony, the sporozoites reach the liver.
The parasites enter the human body through the liver, reproduce, and then enter the bloodstream, where they attack red blood cells for their hemoglobin. The merozoites are released when red blood cells burst, allowing them to assault new red blood cells. When an RBC ruptures, a poison called haemozoin is released. This results in a high fever and a cold. A high number of merozoites are formed during these cycles. Every 48 hours, the erythrocytic cycle repeats, coinciding with the onset of malaria symptoms. The erythrocytic cycle produces certain merozoites that never assault fresh RBC. They are patiently waiting for the mosquito to be sucked. Some merozoites mature into sexually mature gametocytes, which are then passed on to another biting mosquito. The sexual cycle of the mosquito begins with gametocytes. Male and female gametocytes are the two types available. Inside the mosquito’s gut, they reproduce sexually.
In the body of a mosquito, the sexual phase of the life cycle takes place at a low temperature. The male or microgametocyte produces 4-8 microgametes after entering the mosquito’s stomach. Exflagellation is how this happens. Only one macrogamete is produced by the female or macrogametocyte. A zygote is formed when a microgamete and a macrogamete unite. The zygote produces an elongated ookinete that enters the mosquito’s gut wall. After that, the ookinete transforms into a spherical oocyst. To create sporoblasts, the oocyst splits. A huge number of sporozoites are produced by each sporoblast. This is referred to as sporogony. The sporozoites are injected along with the saliva when an infected mosquito bites a healthy male. The release of merozoites from red blood cells causes the fever cycles to occur every two or three days (Plasmodium falciparum) or three days (Plasmodium vivax).
Malaria affects mammals other than humans, including bats, rats, and primates, as well as birds and reptiles. Female Anopheles mosquitos are the only ones that feed on blood and hence transmit malaria. Males are unable to pass the sickness on to their female partners.

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Common Ivy (Hedera helix): Classification, Origin, History, Characteristics, Reproduction, and Dispersal

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Hedera helix, sometimes known as English ivy or common ivy, is a popular indoor and outdoor ornamental plant. Allergic and irritating dermatitis, as well as occupational asthma, are all possible side effects. Acute, pruritic, vesicular dermatitis, comparable to poison ivy, is typical in those who are affected. The rash appears on exposed parts, most commonly the hands, face, arms, and neck, and can have a linear pattern. Heat and perspiration can speed up the reaction, and the presence of a puncture wound just before exposure might trigger a severe reaction. Chronic rhinitis, cough, and dyspnea are noncutaneous symptoms.

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