Zhipeng Sheng, Zhaoyu Hou, Jun Tao, Daqiu Zhao^*

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.94, No.6, pp. 1751-1767, 2025, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2025.065874 - 27 June 2025

Abstract Summer high temperatures have severely impaired the growth of herbaceous peony (Paeonia lactiflora Pall.) in East China. While compound fertilizer application enhances soil fertility and promotes plant growth, its efficacy in maintaining optimal plant performance under summer heat stress remains poorly understood. This study investigated the effects of compound fertilizer application on herbaceous peony growth during summer thermal stress. Results demonstrated that compound fertilizer supplementation significantly improved plant growth under elevated temperatures, manifesting enhanced phenotypic characteristics, elevated antioxidant enzyme activities, and increased nutrient accumulation. Compared to untreated controls, fertilized plants exhibited three key responses: (1) increased More >

Meida Chen¹, Tongfei Niu¹, Kai Gao², Zhanxiang Tan¹, Yuxin Zhao¹, Xiaogai Hou^1,*, Lili Guo^1,*

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.94, No.6, pp. 1921-1940, 2025, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2025.065738 - 27 June 2025

Abstract Floral scent serves as a key criterion for evaluating the ornamental value of flowering plants. Herbaceous peony (Paeonia lactiflora Pall.), a traditional Chinese ornamental species, is valued for its vibrant coloration, intricate floral morphology, and positive cultural symbolism. In this study, dynamic headspace adsorption coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was employed to analyze volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in flowers of 120 herbaceous peony cultivars at the half-opening stage. We detected 86 VOCs, comprising 25 aromatic compounds (79.70%), 21 hydrocarbons (10.51%), 29 terpenoids (8.37%), 7 fatty acid derivatives (1.03%), and 4 heterocyclic compounds (0.38%). The cultivar ‘Dr.… More >

Chang Liu^1,3, Chengcheng Yin¹, Jinjin Zhang², Haijun Sun^1,3,*

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.94, No.3, pp. 695-707, 2025, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2025.061790 - 31 March 2025

Abstract To promote the growth of cutting seeding of poplar (Populus L.), nitrogen (N) fertilizer and surface weed managements were required. We here conducted a pot experiment to examine the effects of natural vegetation, barnyardgrass (Echinochloa Beauv.), and sesbania (Sesbania cannabina pers.) on the growth of poplar cutting seedlings, soil properties, and ammonia (NH₃) volatilization under three N inputs (0, 0.5, and 1.5 g/pot, i.e., N0, N0.5, and N1, respectively). Results showed that N application promoted the growth of poplar cutting seedlings, including plant height, ground diameter, and biomass, compared with N0 treatment. Moreover, under N0, sesbania significantly increased… More >

Oleh Koshovyi^1,2,*, Janne Sepp¹, Valdas Jakštas³, Vaidotas Žvikas³, Karina Tolmacheva⁴, Igor Kireyev⁴, Jyrki Heinämäki¹, Ain Raal^1,*

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.93, No.11, pp. 2909-2925, 2024, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2024.056536 - 30 November 2024

Abstract Pineappleweed (Matricaria discoidea DC., Asteraceae) herb is an essential oil containing raw material with spasmolytic and anti-inflammatory activity. It is also rich in phenolics, which may be used in pharmaceutical practice. This study aimed to investigate the phenolic and amino acid composition and the hyporific and analgesic effects of the M. discoidea aqueous-ethanolic extract and its amino acid modifications. In addition, we developed a polyethylene oxide gel formulation with M. discoidea extracts for the 3D-printed oral solid dosage preparations. In M. discoidea extracts, 16 phenolic substances and 14 amino acids were established. The extract and its amino acid preparations More >

Yurii Hrytsyk¹, Oleh Koshovyi^2,3, Martin Lepiku⁴, Valdas Jakštas⁵, Vaidotas Žvikas⁵, Tetiana Matus¹, Mariia Melnyk¹, Lyubov Grytsyk¹, Ain Raal^2,*

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.93, No.9, pp. 2303-2315, 2024, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2024.055117 - 30 September 2024

Abstract Canadian goldenrod (Solidago canadensis L.) is a rhizomatous plant of the Asteraceae family. In folk medicine, Solidago galenic remedies are used for diseases of the kidneys, urinary tract, liver, etc. Externally, goldenrod is used to treat purulent wounds, furunculosis, and gum abscesses as washes and compresses. The aims of this research were to study the yield and chemical composition of essential oil (EO), the anti-inflammatory activity of S. canadensis dry extracts based on its decoction and tincture. In EO (2.8 mL/kg) of S. canadensis were identified and quantified 34 compounds. The principal compounds of the EO from flowering tops… More > Graphic Abstract

Carla Cepeda^1,*, Gabriel Oliva^1,2, Daniela Ferrante^1,2

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.93, No.7, pp. 1383-1401, 2024, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2024.052534 - 30 July 2024

Abstract Semiarid Patagonia represents 25% of the rangeland area in Argentina, and sheep overgrazing has degraded about a third of it in the past. In this century, depleted domestic stocks have mostly stabilized, but Guanaco populations have grown. These native camelids share habitat and diets with sheep, but their effect on vegetation is poorly understood and has long been debated. We set up an exclusion experiment in Monte León and Cañadón Vaca, a semiarid shrubland grassland in southern Patagonia, currently grazed only by guanacos. Vegetation baselines were studied in 2016 in twelve plots, and half of… More >

Quiroga Mendiola Mariana^1,2,*, Tálamo Andrés^3,4

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.93, No.5, pp. 1067-1080, 2024, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2024.050556 - 28 May 2024

Abstract The Puna grasslands support grazing systems that produce meat and wool in multi-species herds, especially from llama (Lama glama) and sheep. However, it is yet unknown whether grazing pressure can modify grassland structure and Plant Functional Types diversity and cover in Puna grasslands. We analyzed the relationship between grazing pressure and Plant Functional Types by comparing transects located near stockyards (high grazing pressure) and far from them (low pressure) and by evaluating the relationship between the Plant Functional Types cover to a Grazing Pressure Index (GPI). This index incorporates the heterogeneity of traditional pastoral management. At… More >

Xindi Huang¹, Liwei Liang¹, Sakirin Tam², Hao Liang³, Xiong Cai⁴, Changsong Ding^1,5,*

Computer Systems Science and Engineering, Vol.48, No.3, pp. 691-704, 2024, DOI:10.32604/csse.2022.029970 - 20 May 2024

Abstract Chinese Medicine (CM) has been widely used as an important avenue for disease prevention and treatment in China especially in the form of CM prescriptions combining sets of herbs to address patients’ symptoms and syndromes. However, the selection and compatibility of herbs are complex and abstract due to intrinsic relationships between herbal properties and their overall functions. Network analysis is applied to demonstrate the complex relationships between individual herbal efficacy and the overall function of CM prescriptions. To illustrate their connections and correlations, prescription function (PF), prescription herb (PH), and herbal efficacy (HE) intra-networks are… More >

Guangwei Sun^1,2,#, Xuanhao Zhang^3,#, Yi Liu³, Liguang Chai², Daisong Liu², Zhenguo Chen^1,*, Shiyou Lü^3,*

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.93, No.4, pp. 641-659, 2024, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2024.049285 - 29 April 2024

Abstract The Nicotiana genus, commonly known as tobacco, holds significant importance as a crucial economic crop. Confronted with an abundance of herbivorous insects that pose a substantial threat to yield, tobacco has developed a diverse and sophisticated array of mechanisms, establishing itself as a model of plant ecological defense. This review provides a concise overview of the current understanding of tobacco’s defense strategies against herbivores. Direct defenses, exemplified by its well-known tactic of secreting the alkaloid nicotine, serve as a potent toxin against a broad spectrum of herbivorous pests. Moreover, in response to herbivore attacks, tobacco enhances… More >

QIAO ZHOU^2,3,4, JIAN LIU^1,2,*, LING XIN¹, YANYAN FANG^1,2, LEI WAN^1,2, DAN HUANG^1,2, JIANTING WEN^1,2

BIOCELL, Vol.47, No.7, pp. 1623-1643, 2023, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2023.028331 - 21 June 2023

Abstract Objective: On the basis of data mining, systematic pharmacology, molecular docking, and experiment validation, the oxidative-inflammatory molecular targets of Coicis Semen in the therapy of osteoarthritis (OA) were explored. Methods: The association rule analysis was effectively applied to highlight the correlation between Coicis Semen and oxidative inflammation indices. The random walk model was subsequently used to evaluate the clinical efficacy of Coicis Semen. Network pharmacology was used to predict network targets. The binding affinity of the active ingredient in Coicis Semen to the key target of OA was also successfully predicted. Results: Coicis Semen showed a significant reduction in oxidative-inflammatory indicators… More >