Moraceae

Context: In Paraguay, Dorstenia brasiliensis Lam. (Moraceae), “taropé” is a species used for medicinal purposes, some authors consider it a polymorphic species according to the environment in which it is developed.

Aim: To determine the morphoanatomy of D. brasiliensis Lam., used for medicinal purposes in Paraguay.

Methods: An observational, descriptive and cross-sectional study was carried out. The samples were collected from three locations: from Itá Azul, Colonia Independencia; the Market of San Lorenzo and from the Acclimatization Garden of the Facultad de Ciencias Químicas of the Universidad Nacional de Asunción.

Results: The following diagnostic characters were determined: rhizome with very marked short internodes, rough leaf to the touch, flowers in bisexual inflorescences, globose and verrucous seeds in the surface. Stomata restricted to the lower epidermis and in both epidermis at different times of collection; glandular hair with unicellular base and bicellular head in petiole, both epidermis of the lamina and in the central rib; short, globose, unicellular eglandular hair in lower epidermis of the lamina; long unicellular eglandular hairs, some erect and others with apex in pronounced curvature, both in lower lamina epidermis, in midrib and petiole. The dried and pulverized drug has dark green color with a marked characteristic aroma of this species.

Conclusions: The morphoanatomical characteristics of the D. brasiliensis samples from the three collection sites were determined, coinciding the results between them and constituting elements of diagnosis, for the correct identification and quality control of this plant drug.

The paper deals with the taxonomy and diversity within the genus Ficus occurring in Katerniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary based on extensive field and herbarium studies. The genus comprises 11 species in the study area contrary to the earlier report of 8 species. Out of which, one species each belongs to herbs (F. assamica) and straggling shrubs (F. heterophylla) and the remaining species to shrub to big free standing trees (F. benghalensis, F. hispida, F. palmata subsp. virgata, F. racemosa, F. religiosa, F. retusa var. nitida, F. rumphii, F. semicordata and F. squamosa). F. microcarpa and F. carica have been excluded as they do not occur in the sanctuary but reported in the previous work due to misidentification. F. repens has been segregated from F. heterophylla and reinstated as a distinct species with a correct
name F. assamica. F. retusa var. nitida forms a new record for the sanctuary. In overall gross morphology, F. hispida, F. palmata subsp. virgata, F. assamica and F. heterophylla exhibit maximum diversity especially in their leaves, peduncles and figs. Among all species F. hispida has been found more common especially in low land and moist areas in mixed forest whereas F. retusa var. nitida has been seen with only two plants. All species have been critically examined and provided with correct nomenclature, vernacular name, description, phenology, ecology, uses and reference to voucher specimens. A dichotomous bracketed key to the species along with line drawings has also been included for
identification.

Urolithiasis is a common worldwide problem with high recurrence. This review covers thirty six (36) families starting from alphabet M to R. It includes Rubiaceae (17); Phyllanthaceae and Rutaceae (09); Polygonaceae (08); Pinaceae and Piperaceae (06) (01) plant used globally in different countries. Hopefully, this review will not only be useful for the general public but also attract the scientific world for antiurolithiatic drug discovery.

Ficus repens Roxb. ex Willd. is reinstated here as a distinct species with correct name F. assamica Miq. The species distinctly differs from its closely allied species F. heterophylla L. f. in many morphological characters like habit, indumentum, leaf, peduncle, pedicel, bracts, figs and tepals. Both the species are described and illustrated with the type photographs, line drawing illustrations and coloured photographs for their easy identification.

The silkworm, Bombyx mori L. (Lepidoptera: Bombycidae), an oligophagous insect that mainly feeds on mulberry leaves, is susceptible to entomopathogen infection when reared with tricuspid cudrania leaves. A total of 56 dominant bacterial strains, classified into 12 phylotypes based on bacteriological properties and analysis of 16S rRNA genes, were isolated from the intestine of the fourth and fifth instar silkworm larvae. Ten and seven phylotypes exist in the intestine of the silkworm larvae reared with mulberry leaves and tricuspid cudrania leaves, respectively. Four of them are common in the intestine of the two treatment groups. By screening their lipolytic ability on a Rhodamine B agar plate, nine lipase-producing bacterial strains were obtained and classified into six genera, including Bacillus, Brevibacterium, Corynebacterium, Staphylococcus, Klebsiella, and Stenotrophomonas. Except for Stenotrophomonas, which is common in both, the other genera only exist in the intestine of t...