Morella salicifolia (Hochst. ex A. Rich.) Verdc. Polhill is a plant species in the family Myricaceae. Traditionally, it has been used to treat various illnesses, including tonsillitis, throat infections, pneumonia, diarrhea, dysentery, headache, inflammation, respiratory disorders, malaria, joint pain, chest congestion, rheumatism, trypanosomiasis, fever, abdominal pain, nervous disorders and diabetes. This review aims to provide in-depth, up-to-date information on the medicinal potential of M. salicifolia, highlighting its benefits, challenges and possible future opportunities. The information regarding M. salicifolia was gathered from various reliable databases using the term “Morella salicifolia” and encompassing the time period from 2000 to 2025. The information obtained from the databases was analyzed manually and subsequently used to write this review. It was found that M. salicifolia exhibits substantial variations in pharmacological activities attributed to the diversity of phytochemicals among the plant parts. The plant’s geographical location, maturity, season of sample collection, extracting solvents and extraction techniques are among the factors that influence the discrepancies in phytoconstituents, which are responsible for pharmacological effects. This review demonstrates that M. salicifolia is a promising medicinal plant with therapeutic potential, offering opportunities for use in healthcare to mitigate various medical conditions. However, multidisciplinary collaboration and clinical verification are required to transform traditional knowledge into modern therapeutic practice.

Callitriche raveniana Lansdown (Plantaginaceae), hitherto considered endemic to Taiwan is being reported for the first time from India, based on collection from Mullayanagiri peak of Chandra Dhrona Hills of Western Ghats, Karnataka. A comprehensive morphological description along with photographic documentation is provided in the present communication. A key to all currently known species of Callitriche Linn. from India is provided to facilitate easy identification of this species. The present study provides the first authentic record of Callitriche raveniana Lansdown for the flora of India. Previously it was considered endemic to Taiwan, its occurrence in the Western Ghats significantly extends the known distributional range of the species. This finding not only adds a new taxon to the Indian flora but also contributes to the understanding of regional biodiversity and species richness within the genus Callitriche Linn. in India. There are numerous small species of aquatic plants that have not been well collected, this study may encourage the Indian botanist to concentrate on such small aquatic elements.

Microbial infections and cancer remain significant global health challenges, accounting for high morbidity and mortality rates. Nanotechnology has emerged as a promising avenue for addressing these issues. The study aimed to synthesize and characterize zinc oxide nanoparticles (Z-1) and zinc oxide@mesoporous carbon nanocomposite (Z-2) using an aqueous extract of S. verticillata and evaluate them for their antimicrobial, anti-angiogenic, and anticancer activity. The XRD analysis confirmed that the Z-1 and Z-2 samples have a hexagonal wurtzite crystal structure, and their size ranged from 32 to 44 nm. The nanoparticles exhibited a confined size distribution of nanogranules, as shown by FESEM, with Z-2 having a larger surface area than Z-1. The Z-2 exhibited superior antifungal activity compared to Z-1, with inhibition zones of 15 mm and 11 mm against Aspergillus niger and Candida albicans, respectively. It also showed stronger antibacterial activity than Z-1, with inhibition zones of 26 mm (Bacillus subtilis), 24 mm (Staphylococcus aureus), 21 mm (Pseudomonas aeruginosa), and 17 mm (Escherichia coli). Additionally, Z-2 demonstrated significant antimycobacterial activity, inhibiting Mycobacterium avium by 11.35-77.16 % and Mycobacterium tuberculosis by 12.85-69.99 %. The anticancer activity was higher for Z-2, with an IC50 value of 78.50 mu g/mL, compared to Z-1, which had an IC50 value of 103.25 mu g/mL. The synthesized nanoparticles showed higher selectivity towards cancer cells, with selectivity index (SI) values of 3.55 for Z-2 and 3.13 for Z-1. Additionally, Z-2 significantly suppressed vascularization in the CAM model. Therefore, the results suggested that Z-2 showed more enhanced antimicrobial, anticancer, and anti-angiogenic activity than Z-1.

Background Stemodia viscosa Roxb., an aromatic herb, has traditionally been used in the Western Ghats region of India to treat and manage various microbial infections and cancer. Aims The study aimed to explore the chemical composition, antimicrobial, anti-angiogenic, and anticancer effects of the essential oil and reveal the mechanism of action based on in vitro and ex ovo experimental techniques. Methods The essential oil was extracted using hydrodistillation and characterized through Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry. Antibacterial and antifungal activities were tested using agar well diffusion and microdilution against Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhi, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Candida albicans, Aspergillus niger, and Aspergillus flavus, while antimycobacterial activity was evaluated against Mycobacterium avium and Mycobacterium tuberculosis using the Alamar Blue assay. Anticancer activity was assessed using the MTT assay, while the Chick Embryo Chorioallantoic Membrane (CAM) assay was used to evaluate antiangiogenic effects. Apoptosis and cell cycle analyses were conducted using flow cytometry. Results Seventy six compounds were identified in the essential oil. The oil demonstrated significant antibacterial activity Bacillus subtilis with zone of inhibition: 16 ± 1.08 mm and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 31.25 µg/mL. Aspergillus flavus was most affected by the oil compared to the other fungi, with a zone of inhibition measuring 17 ± 0.45 mm and a MIC value of 15.63 µg/mL. Moderate antimycobacterial activity was observed against Mycobacterium avium with an inhibition rate of 54.33 %. Strong antioxidant activity was observed, with an IC50 value of 81.25 ± 1.18 μg/mL, while the antiangiogenic effects demonstrated significant suppression of vascularization in the CAM model. The essential oil exhibited potent anticancer activity against lung cancer cells (IC50 = 49.07 ± 0.74 µg/mL) with high selectivity for cancer cells (SI = 5.34). Mechanistic studies revealed significant cell death by inducing apoptosis and causing cell cycle arrest at the G1 and G2 phases in A549 human lung cancer cells. Discussion A comparison of the antimicrobial and anticancer results revealed that the essential oil from S. viscosa exhibited significant anticancer activity, with the proposed mechanism involving cell cycle arrest in A549 human lung cancer cells. Limitations Although apoptosis and cell cycle arrest were observed, specific molecular targets or pathways responsible for the observed anticancer effects were not elucidated. Conclusion Our findings suggest that S. viscosa oils could be promising candidates for further investigation as antimicrobial agents as well as cancer chemopreventive and cancer therapeutic agents.

Nanocarriers have attracted considerable interest due to their prospective applications in the delivery of anticancer medications and their distinct bioactivities. Biogenic nanostructures can be effective nanocarriers for delivering drugs as a consequence of sustainable and biodegradable biomass-derived nanostructures that perform specific functions. In this case, a vanadium oxide (V2O5) and mesoporous carbon@V2O5 (C@V) composite was developed as a possible drug delivery system, and its bioactivities, including antioxidant, antibacterial, and anticancer, were investigated. Doxorubicin (DOX), an anticancer drug, was introduced to the nanoparticles, and the loading and release investigation was conducted. Strong interfacial interactions between mesoporous carbon (MC) and V2O5 nanostructures have been found to improve performance in drug loading and release studies and bioactivities. After incubation, the potent anticancer effectiveness was seen based on C@V nanocomposite. This sample was also utilized to research potential biomedical uses as an antioxidant, antibacterial, and anticancer. The most effective antioxidant, the C@V sample (61.2%), exhibited a higher antioxidant activity than the V-2 sample (44.61%). The C@V sample ultimately attained a high DOX loading efficacy of 88%, in comparison to a pure V2O5 sample (V-2) loading efficacy of 80%. Due to the combination of mesoporous carbon and V2O5, which increases specific surface area and surface sites of action as well as the morphology, it proved that the mesoporous carbon@V2O5 composite (C@V) sample demonstrated greater efficacy.

Man in all ages has used plants to cure diseases and relieving physical suffering. Even in this age of modem medicines, Indian system of folk medicine continues to provide medicinal relief for about 75% of our population. The studies on medicinal uses of flowering plants of south-western Maharashtra revealed that some of the medicinal uses of flowering plants have not been recorded in scientific community. In the present paper, so far unknown uses of some flowering plants of south-western Maharashtra are recorded. This will help scientific community to undertake further investigations on plants of the region.

A proposal to change the conserved type of Ipomoea was published in December 2020, and recommended by the Nomenclature Committee in 2023. This was done in the light of the possible negative consequences for a name change in the crop sweetpotato, which risk our proposal would significantly minimize. Recently, Muñoz‐Rodríguez & al. have published a rebuttal to this proposal, which we respond to here. The objections raised by these authors focus as much on the expertise and credibility of our group of authors as on the merits of our arguments. In this “rebuttal to the rebuttal”, we respond to the scientific questions raised, highlight demonstrated misinterpretation of the specialised literature relevant to this discussion and counter the assertion that a reclassification of Ipomoeeae is impossible given existing evidence. While the currently recognised genera of Ipomoeeae are not all monophyletic, the proposal to change the conserved type of Ipomoea is a necessary step that will allow exploring an improved classification for the tribe Ipomoeeae, either in the form of a better recircumscription of the genera or an efficient infrageneric classification for Ipomoea . Previously published literature has not advocated for the integration of all genera into a single genus, as Muñoz‐Rodríguez and co‐authors have incorrectly suggested, and instead have recommended a reanalysis of the high morphological diversity of the group in the context of expanded phylogenetic studies, with the possible maintenance of some of the existing genera. We believe that, in a concerted collaborative approach and with the contribution of experts from different regions and scientific backgrounds, an improved classification of Ipomoeeae that integrates the principles of monophyly and diagnosability may soon be achieved, and until when some uncertainty may need to be accommodated, with the added reassurance that, regardless of the direction of future systematic rearrangements, the stability of the scientific name of sweetpotato would be preserved.

The present study investigates the stem anatomy and development of cambial variants in 10 species of Merremia and related genera (Convolvulaceae) were compared histologically. Among them, Camonea kingii, C. umbellata, Distimake aegyptius, D. quinquefolius, D. vitifolius and M. hederacea increased their stem diameter by initiating successive cambia. In contrast, remaining species showed regular secondary growth. These species also demonstrated inversely oriented vascular elements, phloem wedges, intraxylary cambia, parenchyma proliferation and development of radial vascular cylinders in the large rays of xylem. Phloem wedges developed by the differential activity of regular cambium in small segments by depositing only unlignified parenchyma internally whereas nearby sectors of the cambium behaved regularly. After the development of intraxylary protophloem from procambial derivatives, additional phloem was formed from the pith cells and by initiating intraxylary cambium. Initially, intraxylary cambium was unifacial in all species, but eventually became bifacial (except M. emarginata) and deposited both xylem and phloem. In conclusion, Merremia species use all feasible methods to generate new vascular elements to compensate for the supply of water, nutrients and photosynthate. Inter-and intraxylary phloem development appears to provide an additional and safe conduit for long-distance vertical conduction, whereas radial vascular cylinders facilitate radial conduction.

A new species of Convolvulaceae from India, Distimake aparantae, is described and illustrated. The species is restricted to the northern Western Ghats, on sea-facing slopes in coastal regions, at low altitude and may be Critically Endangered. It is morphologically similar to D. rhyncorhiza, differing by the pendulous flowers (vs erect in D. rhyncorhiza), corollas widening from the base without a cylindrical tube (vs funnel-form), leaves deeply lobed with entire margins (vs deeply dissected margins), seeds shortly pubescent, with long golden hairs along the margins (vs mostly glabrous) and pollen 15-pantocolpate (vs 12-pantocolpate). A key to the species of Distimake in India is also provided. Distimake currently includes 49 species, the vast majority are native to Tropical Africa and Tropical America. Only nine species of Distimake occur in Asia, most of them are pantropical, extending their distributions into this region. Three are, however, restricted to Asia, of which two are widespread across SE Asia (D. vitifolius and D. quinatus) and one is narrowly endemic in the Western Ghats (D. rhyncorhiza). The latter three have been demonstrated to be phylogenetically closely related to each other. Distimake aparantae raises the total of Distimake species in Asia to ten and becomes the second species of Distimake endemic to the Western Ghats. It is expected to be phylogenetically close to D. rhyncorhiza, D. vitifolius and D. quinatus. This is the first time that 15-pantocolpate pollen is reported in Distimake. We estimate that the species diversity of this small, Asian clade of Distimake may have been overlooked and that more species remain undescribed, especially in such highly diverse regions as the Western Ghats.

The present study aimed to examine in vitro anticancer and apoptotic effects of the 80

Phytopharmacological Properties of Coriander Sativum as a Potential Medicinal Tree: An OverviewPathak Nimish L, Kasture Sanjay B, Bhatt Nayna M, Rathod Jaimik D

Scientists have investigated the possibility of employing nanomaterials as drug carriers. These nanomaterials can preserve their content and transport it to the target region in the body. In this investigation, we proposed a simple method for developing distinctive, bioderived nanostructures with mesoporous carbon nanoparticles impregnated with tungsten oxide (WO3). Prior to characterizing and encapsulating WO3 with bioderived mesoporous carbon, the anticancer drug doxorubicin (DOX) was added to the nanoparticles and examined loading and release study. The approaches for both nanoparticle production and characterization are discussed in detail. Colloidal qualities of the nanomaterial can be effectively preserved while also allowing transdermal transportation of nanoparticles into the body by forming them into green, reusable, and porous nanostructures. Although the theories of nanoparticles and bioderived carbon each have been studied separately, the combination presents a new route to applications connected to nanomedicine. Furthermore, this sample was used to study exotic biomedical applications, such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anticancer activities. The W-3 sample had lower antioxidant activity (44.01%) than the C@W sample (56.34%), which was the most potent. A high DOX entrapment effectiveness of 97% was eventually achieved by the C@W sample, compared to a pure WO3 entrapment efficiency of 91%. It was observed that the Carbon/WO3 composite (C@W) sample showed more efficacy because the mesoporous carbon composition with WO3 increases the average surface area and surface-active locations.

Distimake vitifolius comb. nov. (Convolvulaceae), currently treated as Camonea vitifolia, is a common and widespread species in South-East Asia. A recent study on the re-delimitation of the genus Merremia classified its species into six genera. The results of molecular phylogenetic analyses and the presence of hexazonocolpate pollen informed the transfer of Merremia vitifolia to Camonea. We present new molecular, morphological and palynological data and reinterpret previous results, demonstrating that the species should be classified in Distimake instead, reflecting the phylogenetic relationships of the species. Thus, the occurrence of hexazonocolpate pollen in both Distimake and Camonea is found to be the result of the convergent evolution of this apertural pattern in ‘Merremieae’, with implications for pollen evolution studies in the family. We formally transfer Camonea vitifolia to Distimake and present this reclassification as an example of the relevance of reciprocal reinterpretation of different sources of evidence in systematic studies.

The present study shows the chemical profile, antimicrobial, antiproliferative, and apoptotic effects of Stemodia viscosa extracts. Thirteen bioactive compounds were identified in the 80 % ethanolic extract by GC/MS analysis. The acetone extract exhibited a higher content of flavonoids and phenols of 805.10 μg QE/mg DW and 89.31 μg GAE/mg DW extracts, respectively. Furthermore, the acetone extract possessed the highest antioxidant activity (IC50 =9.96 μg/mL). The 80 % ethanolic extract exhibited significant antimicrobial activity; the highest activity was observed against Staphylococcus aureus with a zone of inhibition of 25±0.51 mm, MIC value of 4 mg/mL, and MBC value of 8 mg/mL. The antiproliferative results revealed the presence of anticancer activity with an IC50 =91.562 and 74.362 μg/mL against the B16F10 skin and COLO205 colon cancer cells, respectively. The flow cytometric analysis shows that the plant extracts cause cancer cell death through the induction of apoptosis. Our findings confirmed that Stemodia viscosa is a potential source of biologically active compounds.

Schematic illustration of the drug delivery mechanism.

The development of inter-and intraxylary phloem was investigated in nineteen species of Argyreia Lour. Among all species, differentiation of intraxylary protophloem was observed concomitant to the regular external proto-phloem from the procambial derivatives (except A. nervosa). However, A. nervosa, showed the formation of medullary bundles along with the regular protoxylem while the development of intraxylary phloem was observed only after the establishment of a complete ring of the vascular cambium and deposition of a few secondary xylem elements. In all the species (except A. nervosa), additional intraxylary phloem differentiated from the adjacent parenchyma and the intraxylary cambium initiated at the periphery of the pith. It divided uni-directionally and showed deposition of only phloem elements. In the transverse view, sieve elements of intraxylary phloem were oval to circular, rectangular, or multi-angled or sometimes in a cluster of three to several cells with simple and compound sieve plates oriented obliquely on their terminal ends. In the thick stems of A. cuneata, A. elliptica, A. lawii, A. mastersii, A. nervosa, A. sericea, A. sharadchandrajii and A. splendens, thin-walled unlignified axial pa-renchyma strands embedded within the secondary xylem divide and differentiated into isolated or groups of interxylary phloem elements. In the transverse view, these sieve elements were like regular phloem (oval to circular) in appearance but occasionally they may be narrow in diameter, tangentially flattened and arranged in clusters. In thick stems, earlier-formed sieve elements of the interxylary phloem collapse and get crushed due to the expansion of adjacent cells. The remaining species though showed the presence of parenchyma strands within the secondary xylem, no interxylary phloem was observed even in thick stems. Such parenchyma cells within islands always showed the presence of druses.

Argyreia is one of the dominant genera of the family Convolvulaceae and is mainly distributed in the tropical and sub-tropical regions of Southeast Asia, the Indian subcontinent and China. In the present study, Argyreia elliptica (Roth) Choisy (Convolvulaceae) is investigated histologically, which showed the development of various kinds of variant secondary growth (multiple cambia, inter-and intraxylary phloem, internal/medullary cambium and inversely oriented successive cambia). The first ring of successive cambium in the main stem and branches initiated from the cells located on the inner margin of pericyclic fibres while subsequent cambia initiated from parenchyma cells external to the phloem formed by earlier cambium. During the initiation, either a few cells become meristematic and directly differentiated into lignified xylem element followed by the cambium became noticeable or the cambium initiates first and formed xylem first followed by phloem. Primary intraxylary phloem initiates concomitant to the protoxylem and protophloem. Additional secondary intraxylary phloem originated from the pith cells and the activity of the internal cambium. In thick stems, interxylary phloem differentiated within the parenchyma islands located within the secondary xylem. A unique and hitherto unreported feature observed is the development of xylem cylinders (without phloem) from the parenchyma cells located external to the phloem of the earlier formed successive cambium. These strands were exclusively composed of fibres and fibriform vessels while wide vessels were observed occasionally. The development of various types of cambial variants is elucidated in detail and compared with the available literature on the family Convolvulaceae.

: Argyreia sharadchandrajii Lawand & Shimpale, a new species from the Western Ghats of Maharashtra, India is described and illustrated. Argyreia sharadchandrajii is morphologically similar to A. pilosa Wight & Arn. but differs in habit, shape of leaves and bracts, indumentum and size of peduncle, sepal and berries. Notes on taxonomy and conservation status are provided.

Confusion regarding the identity of Argyreia hookeri C.B.Clarke and A. boseana Santapau & V.Patel, two closely similar species found in India are discussed.Notes on its distribution, morphological comparison and photographic images

The family Convolvulaceae is one of the dominant families of flowering plants, mainly distributed in the tropical and warm temperate regions of the World (Mabberley, 2017). Among the genera of Convolvulaceae in India, Ipomoea L. is the largest represented by 60 species (Kattee, 2019), while Argyreia Lour. comprises 35 species (Lawand, 2020). During revisionary studies of these two genera in India, it was noticed that Argyreia daltonii C.B.Clarke and Ipomoea wightii (Wall.) Choisy are yet to be lectotypified. The protologues of these two names and the type specimens deposited at BM, CAL and K were studied and lectotypified here following Art. 9.3 and 9.4 of the Shenzhen code (Turland et al., 2018).