M. M. Sardesai

Alysicarpus sanjappae (Leguminosae: Papilionoideae), a new species from the Western Ghats of India

SummaryAlysicarpus sanjappae, a new species (Leguminosae: Papilionoideae) from the Western Ghats of India, is described and illustrated. It resembles A. heyneanus Wight & Arn., but differs in having a prostrate habit, stems and branches strigose with a line of distant hairs, leaves usually 1-foliolate mixed with 3-foliolate, stipules and stipels distinctly ciliate only at the tip, secondary bracts, a glabrous pedicel, dark brown hairs present only on the margins at the tip of all sepals, a yellow corolla tinged with red, and rugose pods, as long as or slightly longer than the sepals.

Phylogenetic and population studies of geophytic Euphorbia species (subgenus Euphorbia) from some deciduous forests and hill top plateaus in India

ABSTRACT Geophytic Euphorbia species are distributed across four sections in subgenus Euphorbia of genus Euphorbia. At least nine Indian geophytic Euphorbia species have been identified, but delimitation of these species is controversial. Phylogenetic studies using nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacers (nrITS) and matK sequences showed that the Indian geophytic Euphorbia species lie within the section Euphorbia clade that includes African and Indian non-geophytic species. Ribotype/ haplotype analysis of nrITS and matK sequences revealed that the populations of Euphorbia fusiformis and Euphorbia nana could not be distinguished on this basis. Population studies based on nrITS sequences showed significant gene differentiation between the populations from different localities. The Indian geophytic Euphorbia species showed morphological variation in their leaf and cyathial characters, which correlated with the variation in soil composition of their habitats. Our studies suggest that local adaptation and phenotypic plasticity are responsible for taxonomic ambiguities in the classification of Indian geophytic Euphorbia species.

Amorphophallus longiconnectivus and A. margaritifer: additional aroids from Maharashtra with notes on the floral variations

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Viscum articulatum Burm. f. aqueous extract exerts antiproliferative effect and induces cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in leukemia cells

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Viscum articulatum Burm. f. (leafless mistletoe) has been used in traditional system of medicines in India, China, Taiwan, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam, to treat blood-related diseases and various inflammatory and degenerative diseases including cancer. Anticancer activities of some phytomolecules purified from Viscum articulatum Burm. f. have been tested. However scientific evidence for the anticancerous potential of aqueous extract of V. articularum (VAQE) used in traditional medicine is lacking. AIM OF THE STUDY To study the antiproliferative and apoptotic effect of VAQE on Jurkat E6.1 and THP1 leukemia cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS The aqueous extract of the whole plant of Viscum articulatum Burm. f. was prepared in phosphate buffer saline. In VAQE, total soluble protein was estimated using Bradfords dye-binding assay; flavonoid content was determined using aluminum chloride colorimetric assay; and phenolic content was estimated following Folin-Ciocalteu colorimetric assay. XTT cell viability assay was used to test VAQE induced cytotoxicity in Jurkat E6.1 and THP1 leukemia cells and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). The effect of VAQE on cell cycle progression was analyzed by PI staining using flow cytometry. Annexin-V-FITC/PI differential staining method was used for detecting the onset of apoptosis in leukemia cells. Rhodamine 123 dye was used to detect the change in mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) using flow cytometry. DCF-DA fluorescence dye was used to estimate the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The ROS inhibitors were used to evaluate the role of ROS in mediating DNA degradation in VAQE-treated leukemia cells. The molecular mechanisms underlying VAQE induced apoptosis induction was studied by analyzing the expression of anti-apoptotic (Bcl-2) and pro-apoptotic (Bax) proteins, caspase-8 and caspase-3 enzymes using western blot. Diphenylamine (DPA) assay was used to determine the DNA fragmentation and conclusion of apoptosis. RESULTS VAQE triggered cytotoxic effect on Jurkat E6.1 (IC50-2.4 µg/ml; 24 h) and THP1 (IC50-1.0 µg/ml; 24 h) cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. The apoptosis induction and G2/M arrest of the cell cycle are the cause of VAQE-induced cytotoxicity in leukemia cells. The apoptosis in VAQE-treated Jurkat E6.1 and THP1 cells was mediated via a reduction in MMP, elevation of intracellular ROS, decreased expression of the anti-apoptotic (Bcl-2) and increased expression of the pro-apoptotic (Bax) protein, activation of caspase-8 and caspase-3 and DNA fragmentation. CONCLUSION VAQE has a high efficacy to exert a cytotoxic effect in Jurkat E6.1 and THP1 cells and to induce apoptosis and G2/M cell cycle arrest. VAQE induces extrinsic pathway of apoptosis in both the leukemia cell lines via disruption of MMP, intracellular ROS imbalance, increased ratio of Bax/Bcl-2, activation of caspase-8, caspase-3 and ROS-mediated DNA fragmentation. The knowledge gained from the outcomes of the study may encourage the identification of novel chemotherapeutic agent from Viscum articulatum Burm. f. to treat leukemia.