Publications
| Title | Abstract | Year Filter | PMID(sorted descending) Filter |
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| the effects of strawberry tree water leaf extract, arbutin and hydroquinone on haematological parameters and levels of primary dna damage in white blood cells of rats. | strawberry tree (arbutus unedo l., ericaceae) leaves represent a potent source of biologically active compounds and have been used for a long to relieve symptoms of various health impairments and diseases. two major compounds related to their beneficial activities in animals and humans are arbutin and hydroquinone. | 2017 | 29288828 |
| multi-elemental composition and antioxidant properties of strawberry tree (arbutus unedo l.) honey from the coastal region of croatia: risk-benefit analysis. | the concentration of 23 major and trace elements, total phenolic content (tpc) and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (dpph) radical scavenging activity were determined in nine samples of strawberry tree honey and compared to other types of unifloral honeys. the most abundant elements in strawberry tree honey were potassium, calcium, magnesium and sodium, ranging between 1276 and 2367, 95.2-154, 14.4-74.4 and 13.4-64.3mg/kg, respectively. strawberry tree honey had generally higher tpc (range: 0.314-0 ... | 2018 | 29173488 |
| inhibition of cyclic adenosine monophosphate-specific phosphodiesterase by various food plant-derived phytotherapeutic agents. | background: phosphodiesterases (pdes) play a major role in the regulation of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (camp)- and cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cgmp)-mediated pathways. their inhibitors exhibit anti-inflammatory, vasodilatory and antithrombotic effects. therefore, consumption of foods with pde-inhibiting potential may possess beneficial influence on the risk of cardiovascular diseases. methods: four plant extracts (arbutus unedo, camellia sinensis, cynara scolymus, zingiber officinale) w ... | 2017 | 29113064 |
| phyto-toponyms of arbutus unedo l. and their distribution in sardinia (italy). | the study shows the results of an inventory of place names connected to arbutus unedo l., a mediterranean species, widespread throughout sardinia. the main aim was to compare the past distribution of place names, referring to the strawberry tree, to the current distribution of the species on the island. in addition, we investigated the meaning and the diversity of these local place names in the various communities. the result was a collection of 432 phyto-toponyms. 248 of them were used for an a ... | 2017 | 28704491 |
| the effect of silver nanoparticles size, produced using plant extract from arbutus unedo, on their antibacterial efficacy. | silver nanoparticles (agnps) have been demonstrated to restrain bacterial growth, while maintaining minimal risk in development of bacterial resistance and human cell toxicity that conventional silver compounds exhibit. several physical and chemical methods have been reported to synthesize agnps. however, these methods are expensive and involve heavy chemical reduction agents. an alternative approach to produce agnps in a cost-effective and environmentally friendly way employs a biological pathw ... | 2017 | 28698511 |
| development and validation of a gc-ms method for the analysis of homogentisic acid in strawberry tree (arbutus unedo l.) honey. | to confirm the botanical origin of strawberry tree (arbutus unedo l.) honey, a liquid-liquid extraction followed by gc-ms method was developed for the quantitative determination of homogentisic acid (hga), the main phenolic compound in this honey. different parameters affecting extraction, such as the type and volume of extraction solvents, ph of the solution, and amount of salt, were optimized. the method showed good linearity (r2 = 0.9990) over the tested concentration range (50-500 mg/kg) and ... | 2017 | 28560954 |
| effects of cold stratification and ga3 on germination of arbutus unedo seeds of three provenances. | arbutus unedo is a valuable mediterranean shrub as an ornamental plant as well as fruit tree. fresh fruits of a. unedo are a good source of antioxidants, of vitamins c, e and carotenoids and also are characterized by the high content of mineral elements. | 0 | 28480410 |
| functional teas from the leaves of arbutus unedo: phenolic content, antioxidant activity, and detection of efficient radical scavengers. | the phenolic content/composition and antioxidant activity of hot/cold infusion and decoction from the leaves of arbutus unedo were studied for the first time. 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (dpph(●)), 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) radical cation (abts(●+)), crocin-bleaching, copper-reducing, and liposome accelerated oxidation assays were used for the evaluation of the activity in vitro. in vivo, the extracts were examined for their ability to protect s. cerevisiae cells ... | 2017 | 28421300 |
| genetic diversity and divergence at the arbutus unedo l. (ericaceae) westernmost distribution limit. | mediterranean forests are fragile ecosystems vulnerable to recent global warming and reduction of precipitation, and a long-term negative effect is expected on vegetation with increasing drought and in areas burnt by fires. we investigated the spatial distribution of genetic variation of arbutus unedo in the western iberia peninsula, using plastid markers with conservation and provenance regions design purposes. this species is currently undergoing an intense domestication process in the region, ... | 2017 | 28384294 |
| water relations, gas exchange, and growth of resprouts and mature plant shoots of arbutus unedo l. and quercus ilex l. | resprout and mature plant shoot growth, leaf water status and gas exchange behavior, tissue nutrient content, flowering, and production were studied for co-occurring shallow-rooted (arbutus unedo l.) and deeprooted (quercus ilex l.) mediterranean tree species at the collserola natural park in northeast spain resprouts showed higher growth rates than mature plant shoots. during fall, no differences in eco-physiological performance of leaves were found, but mobilization of carbohydrates from burls ... | 1994 | 28313978 |
| a fast method to detect the occurrence of nonhomogeneous distribution of stomatal aperture in heterobaric plant leaves : experiments with arbutus unedo l. during the diurnal course. | pressure infiltration of water into a leaf via the stomatal pores can be used to quickly determine whether all stomata are open, or as recently described for several mesophytic and xerophytic species, whether there is a non-homogeneous distribution of stomatal opening (stomatal patchiness) on the leaf surface. information about this phenomenon is important since the commonly used algorithms for calculation of leaf conductance from water vapor exchange measurements imply homogeneously open stomat ... | 1990 | 28313137 |
| use of an analytical model to study limitations on net photosynthesis in arbutus unedo under field conditions. | from field gas-exchange measurements on arbutus unedo growing in portugal, parameter values necessary to apply an analytical, physiologicallybased model of c 3 photosynthesis were obtained. the model successfully simulated measured diurnal photosynthetic responses in arbutus during periods without water stress, under both natural and co2-saturating conditions. the model was used to analyze those factors limiting primary productivity during each of the experimental days. due to a large investment ... | 1986 | 28311926 |
| effects of humidity during diurnal courses on the co2- and light-saturated rate of net co2 uptake in the sclerophyllous leaves of arbutus unedo. | 1985 | 28311330 | |
| the control by atmospheric factors and water stress of midday stomatal closure in arbutus unedo growing in a natural macchia. | midday closure of stomata of well-watered (ψ between-10 and-25 bar) or moderately stressed (ψ between-25 and-35 bar) arbutus unedo plants occurs when midday leaf temperatures increase above 30°c and vapor pressure difference between leaf air spaces and the external air increases above approximately 30 mbar/bar. moderate water stress decreases maximum conductance and may result in greater sensitivity to high leaf temperature and vapor pressure dificit, which results in earlier closure and later r ... | 1982 | 28311229 |
| the responses of stomata and leaf gas exchange to vapour pressure deficits and soil water content : i. species comparisons at high soil water contents. | the responses of photosynthesis, transpiration and leaf conductance to changes in vapour pressure deficit were followed in well-watered plants of the herbaceous species, helianthus annuus, helianthus nuttallii, pisum sativum and vigna unguiculata, and in the woody species having either sclerophyllous leaves, arbutus unedo, nerium oleander and pistacia vera, or mesomorphic leaves, corylus avellana, gossypium hirsutum and prunus dulcis. when the vapour pressure deficit of the air around a single l ... | 1984 | 28311208 |
| diurnal variations in abscisic acid content and stomatal response to applied abscisic acid in leaves of irrigated and non-irrigated arbutus unedo plants under naturally fluctuating environmental conditions. | endogenous abscisic acid content (aba) of arbutus unedo leaves growing under natural conditions in a macchia near sobreda, portugal, was very high (0.25 to 2.3 μg g(1) fresh weight). highest concentrations were found during the very early morning hours and at midday. during the late morning hours and in the late afternoon aba concentrations decreased to between one-third and one-fourth of peak values. the samples for aba content were obtained from both irrigated (ψ between-10 and-25 bar) and non ... | 1983 | 28310657 |
| midday stomatal closure in mediterranean type sclerophylls under simulated habitat conditions in an environmental chamber : ii. effect of the complex of leaf temperature and air humidity on gas exchange of arbutus unedo and quercus ilex. | shrubs of the mediterranean sclerophyllous species arbutus unedo and quercus ilex were studied under simulated habitat conditions in an environmental chamber. temperature, humidity, and light intensity were altered stepwise to simulate diurnal changes in conditions similar to those measured in an evergreen macchia in sobreda, portugal. leaves were enclosed in cuvettes which reproduced the growth chamber climate and which allowed measurement of gas exchange. increasing atmospheric stress in the f ... | 1981 | 28310056 |
| midday stomatal closure in arbutus unedo leaves in a natural macchia and under simulated habitat conditions in an environmental chamber. | 1980 | 28309088 | |
| diversity of fungal assemblages in roots of ericaceae in two mediterranean contrasting ecosystems. | the plants belonging to the ericaceae family are morphologically diverse and widely distributed groups of plants. they are typically found in soil with naturally poor nutrient status. the objective of the current study was to identify cultivable mycobionts from roots of nine species of ericaceae (calluna vulgaris, erica arborea, erica australis, erica umbellate, erica scoparia, erica multiflora, arbutus unedo, vaccinium myrtillus, and vaccinium corymbosum). the sequencing approach was used to am ... | 2017 | 28302364 |
| strawberry-tree honey induces growth inhibition of human colon cancer cells and increases ros generation: a comparison with manuka honey. | honey is a natural product known to modulate several biological activities including cancer. the aim of the present study was to examine the phytochemical content and the antioxidant activity of strawberry tree (arbutus unedo) honey (sth) and its cytotoxic properties against human colon adenocarcinoma (hct-116) and metastatic (lovo) cell lines in comparison with manuka (leptospermum scoparium) honey (mh). several unifloral sth and mh were analyzed for their phenolic, flavonoid, amino acid and pr ... | 2017 | 28287469 |
| secondary metabolites from the endophytic fungus talaromyces pinophilus. | endophytic fungi have a great influence on plant health and growth, and are an important source of bioactive natural compounds. organic extracts obtained from the culture filtrate of an endophytic strain of talaromyces pinophilus isolated from strawberry tree (arbutus unedo) were studied. metabolomic analysis revealed the presence of three bioactive metabolites, the siderophore ferrirubin, the platelet-aggregation inhibitor herquline b and the antibiotic 3-o-methylfunicone. the latter was the ma ... | 2017 | 28278635 |
| timing of false ring formation in pinus halepensis and arbutus unedo in southern italy: outlook from an analysis of xylogenesis and tree-ring chronologies. | mediterranean tree rings are characterized by intra-annual density fluctuations (iadfs) due to partly climate-driven cambial activity. iadfs are used as structural signals to gain information on relations between environmental conditions and eco-physiological processes during xylogenesis, with intra-annual resolution. to reach an unbiased synchronization of the iadf position within tree rings and seasonal fluctuations in environmental conditions, it is necessary to know the timing of cambial act ... | 2016 | 27252721 |
| understanding of human metabolic pathways of different sub-classes of phenols from arbutus unedo fruit after an acute intake. | arbutus unedo is a small mediterranean fruit, commonly named strawberry tree, which is a rich source of different sub-classes of phenolic compounds, the more representative being the gallic acid derivatives, including its mono and oligomeric forms esterified with quinic and shikimic acids. in addition, galloyl derivatives, particularly gallotannins, described in a. unedo, are part of a very selective phenolic group, present in a reduced number of plant-products. the aim of the present study is t ... | 2016 | 26960019 |
| stability and metabolism of arbutus unedo bioactive compounds (phenolics and antioxidants) under in vitro digestion and colonic fermentation. | the natural antioxidants of arbutus unedo highlight the importance of this fruit as natural source of bioactive compounds. in the present study, to evaluate the stability of phenolic compounds, ascorbic acid and fat-soluble antioxidants (α-tocopherol, β-carotene and lutein), in vitro gastrointestinal digestion was applied to a. unedo fruit. after that, the non-absorbable fraction was anaerobically incubated with human faeces and the metabolic pathway for gallotannins, ellagitannins, flavan-3-ols ... | 2016 | 26868556 |
| pectic polysaccharides are attacked by hydroxyl radicals in ripening fruit: evidence from a fluorescent fingerprinting method. | many fruits soften during ripening, which is important commercially and in rendering the fruit attractive to seed-dispersing animals. cell-wall polysaccharide hydrolases may contribute to softening, but sometimes appear to be absent. an alternative hypothesis is that hydroxyl radicals ((•)oh) non-enzymically cleave wall polysaccharides. we evaluated this hypothesis by using a new fluorescent labelling procedure to 'fingerprint' (•)oh-attacked polysaccharides. | 2016 | 26865506 |
| population structure of a widespread species under balancing selection: the case of arbutus unedo l. | arbutus unedo l. is an evergreen shrub with a circum-mediterranean distribution that also reaches the eurosiberian region in northern iberia, atlantic france, and a disjunct population in southern ireland. due to the variety of climatic conditions across its distribution range, the populations of a. unedo were expected to display local adaptation. conversely, common garden experiments revealed that diverse genotypes from a range of provenances produce similar phenotypes through adaptive plastici ... | 2015 | 26793231 |
| carotenoid composition of strawberry tree (arbutus unedo l.) fruits. | the carotenoid composition of strawberry tree (arbutus unedo) fruits has been characterised in detail and quantified for the first time. according to the total carotenoid content (over 340 μg/g dw), mature strawberry tree berries can be classified as fruits with very high carotenoid content (>20 μg/g dw). (all-e)-violaxanthin and 9z-violaxanthin were found to be the major carotenoid pigments, accounting for more than 60%, responsible for the bright colour of the flesh of ripe fruits. in addition ... | 2016 | 26775958 |
| phylogeography of a widespread species: pre-glacial vicariance, refugia, occasional blocking straits and long-distance migrations. | phylogeographic studies give us the opportunity to reconstruct the historical migrations of species and link them with climatic and geographic variation. they are, therefore, a key tool to understanding the relationships among biology, geology and history. one of the most interesting biogeographical areas of the world is the mediterranean region. however, in this area, the description of concordant phylogeographic patterns is quite scarce, which limits the understanding of evolutionary patterns ... | 2016 | 26768603 |
| somatic embryogenesis induction and plant regeneration in strawberry tree (arbutus unedo l.). | somatic embryogenesis is a powerful tool both for cloning and studies of genetic transformation and embryo development. most protocols for somatic embryogenesis induction start from zygotic embryos or embryonic-derived tissues which do not allow the propagation of elite trees. in the present study, a reliable protocol for somatic embryogenesis induction from adult trees of strawberry tree is described. leaves from in vitro proliferating shoots were used to induce somatic embryo formation on a me ... | 2016 | 26619869 |
| interactive effects of uv radiation and reduced precipitation on the seasonal leaf phenolic content/composition and the antioxidant activity of naturally growing arbutus unedo plants. | the effects of uv radiation and rainfall reduction on the seasonal leaf phenolic content/composition and antioxidant activity of the mediterranean shrub arbutus unedo were studied. naturally growing plants of a. unedo were submitted to 97% uv-b reduction (uva), 95% uv-a+uv-b reduction (uv0) or near-ambient uv levels (uvba) under two precipitation regimes (natural rainfall or 10-30% rainfall reduction). total phenol, flavonol and flavanol contents, levels of eight phenols and antioxidant activity ... | 2015 | 26562808 |
| effects of methanol extracts from roots, leaves, and fruits of the lebanese strawberry tree (arbutus andrachne) on cardiac function together with their antioxidant activity. | several plant-derived natural products have been used in clinical phase for applications in neurological, cardiovascular, and inflammatory diseases. arbutus andrachne l. (ericacea) is an evergreen shrub native to the mediterranean region. traditionally, the fruits and leaves of arbutus tree are well known and used as antiseptics, diuretics, blood tonic, and laxatives. | 2016 | 26511200 |
| quantitative analysis of arbutin and hydroquinone in strawberry tree (arbutus unedo l., ericaceae) leaves by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. | the phenolic glycoside arbutin and its metabolite with uroantiseptic activity hydroquinone occur naturally in the leaves of various medicinal plants and spices. in this study, an extraction procedure coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (gc-ms) was developed to determine arbutin and hydroquinone content in strawberry tree (arbutus unedo l., ericaceae) leaves. the method showed good linearity (r2>0.9987) in the tested concentration range (0.5-200 μg ml(-1)), as well as good precision ... | 2015 | 26444340 |
| low among-provenance differences in structural and functional plasticity in response to nutrients in saplings of the circum-mediterranean tree arbutus unedo l. | the mediterranean region is an area of special interest for conservation where the incidence of multiple drivers of global change is expected to increase. one of the factors predicted to change is soil-nutrient availability, an essential factor for plant growth. thus, study of the effects of variation in this parameter is especially relevant in species with a circum-mediterranean distribution, such as arbutus unedo l., in which the different provenances grow in different habitats, which must dif ... | 2015 | 26377872 |
| mycorrhizal synthesis between lactarius deliciosus and arbutus unedo l. | arbutoid mycorrhizae were synthesized in vitro between arbutus unedo l. and two isolates of lactarius deliciosus. the fungal isolates were obtained from sporocarps collected under pinus sylvestris and in a mixed forest stand of quercus suber and pinus pinea. synthesis tubes filled with a mixture of sterilized peat, vermiculite, and perlite imbibed with nutrient solution were used. two inoculation methods using solid and liquid media were tested. shoots from an adult selected clone of a. unedo we ... | 2016 | 26215114 |
| contrasting impacts of continuous moderate drought and episodic severe droughts on the aboveground-biomass increment and litterfall of three coexisting mediterranean woody species. | climate change is predicted to increase the aridity in the mediterranean basin and severely affect forest productivity and composition. the responses of forests to different timescales of drought, however, are still poorly understood because extreme and persistent moderate droughts can produce nonlinear responses in plants. we conducted a rainfall-manipulation experiment in a mediterranean forest dominated by quercus ilex, phillyrea latifolia, and arbutus unedo in the prades mountains in souther ... | 2015 | 26149833 |
| bioactive phytochemicals from wild arbutus unedo l. berries from different locations in portugal: quantification of lipophilic components. | the lipophilic composition of wild arbutus unedo l. berries, collected from six locations in penacova (center of portugal), as well as some general chemical parameters, namely total soluble solids, ph, titratable acidity, total phenolic content and antioxidant activity was studied in detail to better understand its potential as a source of bioactive compounds. the chemical composition of the lipophilic extracts, focused on the fatty acids, triterpenoids, sterols, long chain aliphatic alcohols an ... | 2015 | 26110390 |
| seasonal variability of foliar photosynthetic and morphological traits and drought impacts in a mediterranean mixed forest. | the mediterranean region is a hot spot of climate change vulnerable to increased droughts and heat waves. scaling carbon fluxes from leaf to landscape levels is particularly challenging under drought conditions. we aimed to improve the mechanistic understanding of the seasonal acclimation of photosynthesis and morphology in sunlit and shaded leaves of four mediterranean trees (quercus ilex l., pinus halepensis mill., arbutus unedo l. and quercus pubescens willd.) under natural conditions. vc,max ... | 2015 | 25836361 |
| plant performance on mediterranean green roofs: interaction of species-specific hydraulic strategies and substrate water relations. | recent studies have highlighted the ecological, economic and social benefits assured by green roof technology to urban areas. however, green roofs are very hostile environments for plant growth because of shallow substrate depths, high temperatures and irradiance and wind exposure. this study provides experimental evidence for the importance of accurate selection of plant species and substrates for implementing green roofs in hot and arid regions, like the mediterranean area. experiments were pe ... | 2015 | 25603968 |
| phenolic sulfates as new and highly abundant metabolites in human plasma after ingestion of a mixed berry fruit purée. | bioavailability studies are vital to assess the potential impact of bioactive compounds on human health. although conjugated phenolic metabolites derived from colonic metabolism have been identified in the urine, the quantification and appearance of these compounds in plasma is less well studied. in this regard, it is important to further assess their potential biological activity in vivo. to address this gap, a cross-over intervention study with a mixed fruit purée (blueberry, blackberry, raspb ... | 2015 | 25571923 |
| whose truffle is this? distribution patterns of ectomycorrhizal fungal diversity in tuber melanosporum brûlés developed in multi-host mediterranean plant communities. | in the mediterranean region, patches of vegetation recovering from disturbance and transiently dominated by shrubs produce one of the world's most prized fungi, the black truffle (tuber melanosporum). in these successional plant communities, we have fragmentary knowledge of the distribution of t. melanosporum in space among ectomycorrhizal (ecm) host species and in time. molecular identification of hosts (restriction fragment length polymorphism) and fungi (internal transcribed spacer sequencing ... | 2015 | 25522815 |
| melissopalynological and volatile analysis of honeys from corsican arbutus unedo habitat. | thirty corsican "autumn maquis" honeys were characterized by the typical combination of autumnal taxa: arbutus unedo, hedera helix, smilax aspera, rosmarinus officinalis, and two asteraceae pollen forms. corsican origin was characterized by the diversity of the taxa's biogeographical origins and significant presence of castanea sativa and quercus sp. volatile fractions of "autumn maquis" honeys were dominated by isophorone and 3,4,5-trimethylphenol. the latter is reported in a. unedo honey for t ... | 2014 | 25522552 |
| the combined effects of a long-term experimental drought and an extreme drought on the use of plant-water sources in a mediterranean forest. | vegetation in water-limited ecosystems relies strongly on access to deep water reserves to withstand dry periods. most of these ecosystems have shallow soils over deep groundwater reserves. understanding the functioning and functional plasticity of species-specific root systems and the patterns of or differences in the use of water sources under more frequent or intense droughts is therefore necessary to properly predict the responses of seasonally dry ecosystems to future climate. we used stabl ... | 2015 | 25359123 |
| arbutus unedo l.: chemical and biological properties. | arbutus unedo l. (strawberry tree) has a circum-mediterranean distribution, being found in western, central and southern europe, north-eastern africa (excluding egypt and libya) and the canary islands and western asia. fruits of the strawberry tree are generally used for preparing alcoholic drinks (wines, liqueurs and brandies), jams, jellies and marmalades, and less frequently eaten as fresh fruit, despite their pleasing appearance. an overview of the chemical composition of different parts of ... | 2014 | 25271425 |
| antioxidant profile of strawberry tree honey and its marker homogentisic acid in several models of oxidative stress. | the antioxidant activity of several honeys was evaluated considering the different contribution of entire samples. the strawberry tree honey emerged as the richest in total phenols and the most active honey in the dpph and frap tests, and could protect cholesterol against oxidative degradation (140°c). homogentisic acid (2,5-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid, hga), the main phenolic compound from strawberry tree honey, showed interesting antioxidant and antiradical activities, and protective effect aga ... | 2011 | 25212335 |
| xylem hydraulic properties of roots and stems of nine mediterranean woody species. | we studied the hydraulic architecture and water relations of nine co-occurring woody species in a spanish evergreen oak forest over the course of a dry season. our main objectives were to: (1) test the existence of a trade-off between hydraulic conductivity and security in the xylem, and (2) establish the safety margins at which the species operated in relation to hydraulic failure, and compare these safety margins between species and tissues (roots vs. stems). our results showed that the relati ... | 2002 | 24599365 |
| characterization of tuber borchii and arbutus unedo mycorrhizas. | for the first time, arbutoid mycorrhizas established between tuber borchii and arbutus unedo were described. analyzed mycorrhizas were from one t. borchii natural truffle ground, dominated by pinus pinea, as well as synthesized in greenhouse conditions. a. unedo mycorrhizas presented some typical characteristics of ectomycorrhizas of t. borchii. however, as in arbutoid mycorrhizas, ramification was cruciform and intracellular colonization in epidermal cells was present. the ability of t. borchii ... | 2014 | 24535602 |
| balanced gene losses, duplications and intensive rearrangements led to an unusual regularly sized genome in arbutus unedo chloroplasts. | completely sequenced plastomes provide a valuable source of information about the duplication, loss, and transfer events of chloroplast genes and phylogenetic data for resolving relationships among major groups of plants. moreover, they can also be useful for exploiting chloroplast genetic engineering technology. ericales account for approximately six per cent of eudicot diversity with 11,545 species from which only three complete plastome sequences are currently available. with the aim of incre ... | 2013 | 24260278 |
| bioactivity of different enriched phenolic extracts of wild fruits from northeastern portugal: a comparative study. | arbutus unedo, prunus spinosa, rosa micrantha and rosa canina are good sources of phenolic compounds, including anthocyanins. these compounds have potent antioxidant properties, which have been related to anticancer activity. herein, the in vitro antioxidant and antitumor properties of enriched phenolic extracts (non-anthocyanin phenolic compounds enriched extract- pe and anthocyanins enriched extract- ae) of the mentioned wild fruits were evaluated and compared. pe gave higher bioactive propert ... | 2014 | 24243401 |
| effects of temperature at constant air dew point on leaf carboxylation efficiency and co2 compensation point of different leaf types. | the effect of temperature on photosynthesis at constant water-vapor pressure in the air was investigated using two sclerophyll species, arbutus unedo and quercus suber, and one mesophytic species, spinacia oleracea. photosynthesis and transpiration were measured over a range of temperatures, 20-39° c. the external concentration of co2 was varied from 340 μbar to near co2 compensation. the initial slope (carboxylation efficiency, ce) of the photosynthetic response to intercellular co2 concentrati ... | 1985 | 24241315 |
| stomatal aperture, photosythesis and water fluxes in mesophyll cells as affected by the abscission of leaves. simultaneous measurements of gas exchange, light scattering and chlorphyll fluorescence. | carbon dioxide exchange, transpiration, chlorophyll fluorescence and light scattering of leaves of lycopersicom esculentum, helianthus annuus and arbutus unedo were measured simultaneously before and after abscission of leaves. scattering of a weak green measuring beam was used to monitor water fluxes across the thylakoid membranes of the mesophyll. when leaves were cut under water, stomata initially closed partially and then occasionally exhibited distinct regulatory oscillations. as stomata cl ... | 1986 | 24240372 |
| the midday depression of co2 assimilation in leaves of arbutus unedo l.: diurnal changes in photosynthetic capacity related to changes in temperature and humidity. | parts of attached leaves of the sclerophyllous shrub arbutus unedo were subjected to simulated mediterranean days. gas exchange was recorded in order to recognize the causes of the midday depression in co2 assimilation. depressions could be induced in part of a leaf: they were local responses. the co2-saturation curves of photosynthesis, determined during the morning and afternoon maxima of co2 assimilation and during the minimum at midday, established that depressions in co2 assimilation were i ... | 1986 | 24232332 |
| determination of carbon-reduction-cycle intermediates in leaves of arbutus unedo l. suffering depressions in photosynthesis after application of abscisic acid or exposure to dry air. | gas exchange and contents of photosynthetic intermediates of leaves of arbutus unedo l. were determined with the aim of recognizing the mechanisms of inhibition that were responsible for the "midday depression" of photosynthesis following exposure to dry air, and the decline in photosynthetic capacity following application of abscisic acid (aba). rapidly killed (<0.1 s) leaf samples were taken when gas analysis showed reduced co2 assimilation. determination of the contents of 3-phosphoglyceric a ... | 1988 | 24226409 |
| photochemical efficiency of photosystem ii, photon yield of o2 evolution, photosynthetic capacity, and carotenoid composition during the midday depression of net co2 uptake in arbutus unedo growing in portugal. | during the "midday depression" of net co2 exchange in the mediterranean sclerophyllous shrub arbutus unedo, examined in the field in portugal during august of 1987, several parameters indicative of photosynthetic competence were strongly and reversibly affected. these were the photochemical efficiency of photosystem (ps) ii, measured as the ratio of variable to maximum chlorophyll fluorescence, as well as the photon yield and the capacity of photosynthetic o2 evolution at 10% co2, of which the a ... | 1989 | 24212431 |
| stomatal patchiness in mediterranean evergreen sclerophylls : phenomenology and consequences for the interpretation of the midday depression in photosynthesis and transpiration. | midday depression of net photosynthesis and transpiration in the mediterranean sclerophylls arbutus unedo l. and quercus suber l. occurs with a depression of mesophyll photosynthetic activity as indicated by calculated carboxylation efficiency (ce) and constant diurnal calculated leaf intercellular partial pressure of co2 (ci). this work examines the hypothesis that this midday depression can be explained by the distribution of patches of either wide-open or closed stomata on the leaf surface, i ... | 1992 | 24178151 |
| dynamics of non-structural carbohydrates in three mediterranean woody species following long-term experimental drought. | stored non-structural carbohydrates (nsc) have been proposed as a key determinant of drought resistance in plants. however, the evidence for this role is controversial, as it comes mostly from observational, short-term studies. here, we take advantage of a long-term experimental throughfall reduction to elucidate the response of nsc to increased drought 14 years after the beginning of the treatment in three mediterranean resprouter trees (quercus ilex l., arbutus unedo l. and phillyrea latifolia ... | 2013 | 24130568 |
| color evaluation of seventeen european unifloral honey types by means of spectrophotometrically determined cie l*cab*h(ab)° chromaticity coordinates. | cie (commission internationale de l'eclairage) l(*)cab(*)h(ab)° color coordinates for 305 samples of 17 unifloral honeys types (asphodel, buckwheat, black locust, sweet chestnut, citrus, eucalyptus, garland thorn, honeydew, heather, lime, mint, rapeseed, sage, strawberry tree, sulla flower, savory and thistle) from different geographic locations in europe were spectrophotometrically assessed and statistically evaluated. preliminary separation of unifloral honeys was obtained by means of l(*)-c(a ... | 2014 | 24128479 |
| characterisation of phenolic compounds in wild fruits from northeastern portugal. | this study aimed to analyse the phenolic composition of wild fruits of arbutus unedo (strawberry-tree), prunus spinosa (blackthorn), rosa canina and rosa micrantha (wild roses). analyses were performed by hplc-dad-esi/ms. p spinosa fruits presented the highest concentration in phenolic acids (29.78 mg/100 g dry weight), being 3-o-caffeoylquinic acid the most abundant one, and flavone/ols (57.48 mg/100 g), among which quercetin3-o-rutinoside (15.63 mg/100 g) was the majority compound. (+)-catechi ... | 2013 | 23993541 |
| quantitative determination of flavonoids and chlorogenic acid in the leaves of arbutus unedo l. using thin layer chromatography. | the plant species arbutus unedo shows numerous beneficial pharmacological effects (antiseptic, antidiabetic, antidiarrheal, astringent, depurative, antioxidant, antihypertensive, antithrombotic, and anti-inflammatory). for the medicinal use, standardization of extracts is a necessity, as different compounds are responsible for different biological activities. in this paper, we analyze monthly changes in the content of quercitrin, isoquercitrin, hyperoside, and chlorogenic acid. methanolic extrac ... | 2013 | 23984189 |
| physicochemical characterization and antioxidant activity of commercial portuguese honeys. | the present study evaluated the physicochemical characteristics and antioxidant activity of 13 commercial honeys from diverse floral origin, produced in portugal. the values of electrical conductivity of cardoon and pennyroyal honeys were superior to the maximum limits defined by european legislation. citrus, strawberry tree, and 1 sample of lavender honeys had values of diastase activity below those determined by european legislation. strawberry tree, pennyroyal, and cardoon honeys had the high ... | 2013 | 23957401 |
| dampening effects of long-term experimental drought on growth and mortality rates of a holm oak forest. | forests respond to increasing intensities and frequencies of drought by reducing growth and with higher tree mortality rates. little is known, however, about the long-term consequences of generally drier conditions and more frequent extreme droughts. a holm oak forest was exposed to experimental rainfall manipulation for 13 years to study the effect of increasing drought on growth and mortality of the dominant species quercus ilex, phillyrea latifolia, and arbutus unedo. the drought treatment re ... | 2013 | 23712619 |
| antioxidant capacity and vasodilatory properties of mediterranean food: the case of cannonau wine, myrtle berries liqueur and strawberry-tree honey. | the aim of this work was to use different assays to evaluate the antioxidant and vasodilatory properties of three typical food products from the mediterranean area and to correlate these activities with their phenolic content. for this purpose, red wines cannonau, liqueurs obtained by cold maceration of myrtle (myrtus communis l.) berries and bitter honeys obtained from strawberry-tree flowers (arbutus unedo l.) were analysed. the total phenolic (tp) content was measured spectrophotometrically w ... | 2012 | 23692754 |
| analysis of phenolic compounds in portuguese wild and commercial berries after multienzyme hydrolysis. | berry fruits are a good source of phenolic compounds and thus, potentially beneficial to health. phenolic compounds are mainly present as a variety of conjugated forms, either with sugars via o-glycosidic bonds or with other polyols as esters. this chemodiversity makes characterization and identification highly demanding. selected varieties of commercial blueberries, raspberries and blackberries and the two wild berries portuguese crowberry and strawberry tree fruits were characterized for indiv ... | 2013 | 23530973 |
| continuous basal sprouting from a lignotuber:arbutus unedo l. anderica arborea l., as woody mediterranean examples. | the two dominant species of the corsican mattoral,arbutus unedo l. anderica arborea l., can produce abundant sprouts from the lignotuber not only immediately after fire but also more or less continuously in the absence of major disturbance. the lignotuber appears to be more important during the early stages of development; the result is an increase in the number of sprouts during the 25 years following the establishment of the individuals. later the lignotuber seems to lose the ability to ensure ... | 1989 | 23494355 |
| riboflavin and lumichrome in dalmatian sage honey and other unifloral honeys determined by lc-dad technique. | riboflavin (vitamin b(2)) and its metabolite lumichrome were quantified in 117 samples from 11 unifloral honeys types (arbutus unedo l., asphodelus microcarpus salzm. et viv., citrus spp., eucalyptus spp., hedysarum coronarium l., castanea sativa l. honeydew, mentha spp., paliurus spina-christi., salix spp., salvia officinalis l., satureja spp.). the quantification of these two compounds was performed by lc-dad method which does not require sample purification. the proposed method in our study h ... | 2012 | 22953948 |
| exploring biodiversity in the bacterial community of the mediterranean phyllosphere and its relationship with airborne bacteria. | we studied the structure and diversity of the phyllosphere bacterial community of a mediterranean ecosystem, in summer, the most stressful season in this environment. to this aim, we selected nine dominant perennial species, namely arbutus unedo, cistus incanus, lavandula stoechas, myrtus communis, phillyrea latifolia, pistacia lentiscus, quercus coccifera (woody), calamintha nepeta, and melissa officinalis (herbaceous). we also examined the extent to which airborne bacteria resemble the epiphyt ... | 2012 | 22544345 |
| effects of hot air and freeze drying methods on antioxidant activity, colour and some nutritional characteristics of strawberry tree (arbutus unedo l) fruit. | antioxidant activity, colour and some nutritional properties of hot air and freeze-dried strawberry tree (arbutus unedo l.) fruits were investigated. additionally, the effects of two pre-treatments, namely ethyl oleate and water blanching, were compared in terms of drying characteristics. for determination of antioxidant activities in ethanol extracts, two different analytical methods were used: 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl scavenging activity and β-carotene bleaching activity. as a result, the ... | 2012 | 22522307 |
| multiple lectin detection by cell membrane affinity binding. | assuming that lectins evolved to recognise relatively complex and branched oligosaccharides or parts of them, rather than simple sugars, a procedure based on lectin affinity binding to isolated erythrocyte (or any other cell type) membranes is proposed. this methodology was validated using six pure commercial lectins, as well as lectins from total protein extracts of arbutus unedo leaves. all commercial lectins, as well as five polypeptides from a. unedo leaves bound to the glycosylated membrane ... | 2012 | 22381939 |
| antioxidant properties and neuroprotective capacity of strawberry tree fruit (arbutus unedo). | berries contain significant amounts of phytochemicals, including polyphenols, which are reported to reduce cancer risk, coronary heart disease and other degenerative diseases. these effects are mainly attributed to the antioxidant capacity of polyphenols found in berries. strawberry tree (arbutus unedo) berries are used in folk medicine but seldom eaten as fresh fruits. their phenolic profile and antioxidant capacity reveal a high potential, but they are not well characterized as a "health promo ... | 2010 | 22254017 |
| screening of antimicrobial activity of cistus ladanifer and arbutus unedo extracts. | in this work, the in vitro antimicrobial activity of different crude extracts obtained from cistus ladanifer l. and arbutus unedo l. was investigated. the ethanol, methanol and acetone/water extracts of cistus ladanifer and arbutus unedo were prepared using different extraction methods and their antimicrobial activities against reference strains, including three gram-positive, five gram-negative and three yeasts, and against clinical isolates of helicobacter pylori and methicillin-resistant stap ... | 2011 | 22077559 |
| optimization of dna extraction for rapd and issr analysis of arbutus unedo l. leaves. | genetic analysis of plants relies on high yields of pure dna. for the strawberry tree (arbutus unedo) this represents a great challenge since leaves can accumulate large amounts of polysaccharides, polyphenols and secondary metabolites, which co-purify with dna. for this specie, standard protocols do not produce efficient yields of high-quality amplifiable dna. here, we present for the first time an improved leaf-tissue protocol, based on the standard cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide protocol, w ... | 2011 | 21747730 |
| comparative antihemolytic and radical scavenging activities of strawberry tree (arbutus unedo l.) leaf and fruit. | the present study reports the antioxidant properties of arbutus unedo l. leaf and fruit extracts using different in vitro assays including (i) reducing power, (ii) scavenging effect on dpph free radicals, and (iii) inhibitory effect on aaph-induced hemolysis and lipid peroxidation in human erythrocytes. all assays demonstrated antioxidant efficiency for a. unedo l. aqueous extracts, being consistently higher in the leaf. ec(50) values for reducing power and dpph radical scavenging activities wer ... | 2011 | 21703325 |
| effects of process parameters on supercritical co2 extraction of total phenols from strawberry (arbutus unedo l.) fruits: an optimization study. | the aim of this work was to optimize total phenolic yield of arbutus unedo fruits using supercritical fluid extraction. a box-behnken statistical design was used to evaluate the effect of various values of pressure (50-300 bar), temperature (30-80°c) and concentration of ethanol as co-solvent (0-20%) by co2 flow rate of 15 g/min for 60 min. the most effective variable was co-solvent ratio (p<0.005). evaluative criteria for both dependent variables (total phenols and radical scavenging activity) ... | 2011 | 21695688 |
| new remarkable records of microfungi from sardinia (italy). | in june 2009 we organized a botanical student excursion to the eastern part of sardinia, italy. on this occasion we were able to collect and identify over 80 species of microfungi growing on higher plants. the collecting sites were spread over a large area, among them were la caletta, capo comino, monte albo, cala gonone, monte maccione, san teodoro, capo testa. the collected microfungi were parasitic or saprophytic; basidiomycotina (uredinales), ascomycotina and deuteromycotina (hyphomycetes, c ... | 2010 | 21534478 |
| comparative study of spasmolytic properties, antioxidant activity and phenolic content of arbutus unedo from montenegro and greece. | arbutus unedo leaf is used traditionally for gastrointestinal complaints. ethanol extracts from arbutus unedo collected in both montenegro (aum) and greece (aug) were found to decrease the ileal basal tonus, with aug producing a significantly higher (p < 0.05) reduction in contractile response to acetylcholine. aum and aug relaxed 80 mm k(+) induced contractions and shifted the ca(++) concentration-response curves to the right, similar to that caused by verapamil, suggesting that the spasmolytic ... | 2011 | 21438047 |
| differences in foliage affect performance of the lappet moth, streblote panda: implications for species fitness. | implications for adults' fitness through the foliage effects of five different host plants on larval survival and performance of the lappet moth, streblote panda hübner (lepidoptera: lasiocampidae), as well as their effect on species fitness were assayed. larvae were reared under controlled laboratory conditions on excised foliage. long-term developmental experiments were done using first instar larvae to adult emergence, and performance experiments were done using fifth instar larvae. survival, ... | 2010 | 21062148 |
| variations of vessel diameter and δ13c in false rings of arbutus unedo l. reflect different environmental conditions. | woody species in mediterranean ecosystems form intra-annual density fluctuations (iadfs) in tree rings in response to changes in environmental conditions, especially water availability. dendrochronology, quantitative wood anatomy and high-resolution isotopic analysis (using a laser ablation technique) were used to characterize iadfs in arbutus unedo shrubs grown on two sites with different water availability on the island of elba (italy). our findings show that iadf characterization can provide ... | 2010 | 20840507 |
| chemical composition of fatty acid and unsaponifiable fractions of leaves, stems and roots of arbutus unedo and in vitro antimicrobial activity of unsaponifiable extracts. | the chemical composition of the fatty acid and unsaponifiable fractions of the leaves, stems and roots of arbutus unedo l. were determined using gas chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. the fatty acid fractions of the leaves, stems and roots contained 38.5%, 31.3% and 14.1% palmitic acid, respectively, along with other long-chain fatty acids (up to c22). the chemical composition of the unsaponifiable fractions differed: the leaf and stem fractions contained high levels of ali ... | 2010 | 20734946 |
| characterization of selected wild mediterranean fruits and comparative efficacy as inhibitors of oxidative reactions in emulsified raw pork burger patties. | in the present study, water, ethanolic, and methanolic extracts from seven selected wild fruits originally from the mediterranean area, namely, strawberry tree ( arbutus unedo l., au), azarole ( crataegus azarolus l., ca), common hawthorn ( crataegus monogyna l., cm), blackthorn ( prunus spinosa l., ps), dog rose ( rosa canina l., rc), elm-leaf blackberry ( rubus ulmifolius schott, ru), and rowan ( sorbus aucuparia l., sa), were analyzed for the total amount and profile of phenolic compounds and ... | 2010 | 20681673 |
| phytosociological and ecological structure of mediterranean enclaves along the stream valleys in inner parts of black sea region. | in this study phytosociological structure of mediterranean enclaves which occured along the stream valleys in inner parts of black sea region was investigated. pinus brutia var. brutia and quercus coccifera are the most widespread communities in the study area. pinus pinea, arbutus andrachne, arbutus unedo, fontanesia philliraeoides subsp. philliraeoides and olea europaea l. var sylvestris have a restricted distribution in inner parts of black sea region as compared to p. brutia and q. coccifera ... | 2010 | 20648812 |
| determination and comparison of chemical characteristics of arbutus unedo l. and arbutus andrachnae l. (family ericaceae) fruits. | the fruits and leaves of arbutus species are well known in folk medicine as antiseptics, diuretics, and laxatives in many parts of turkey. some chemical properties including ph, soluble solid content, titratable acidity, protein, moisture, ash, ascorbic acid, fructose, glucose, sucrose, total phenols, total antioxidant activity, and minerals were determined in fully matured arbutus unedo l. and arbutus andrachnae l. fruits collected from different sites of canakkale, turkey in 2006 and 2007. tot ... | 2010 | 20553155 |
| effects of nursery preconditioning through mycorrhizal inoculation and drought in arbutus unedo l. plants. | the influence of a water deficit treatment and mycorrhizal inoculation with pisolithus tinctorius (pers.) coker and couch on the water relations, gas exchange, and plant growth in arbutus unedo l. plants was studied in order to evaluate the hardening process during the nursery period. the ability to withstand the adverse conditions after transplantation was also studied. mycorrhizal and non-mycorrhizal seedlings of a. unedo were pot-grown for 4 months in a greenhouse (nursery period), during whi ... | 2011 | 20405149 |
| effect of plant growth regulators and genotype on the micropropagation of adult trees of arbutus unedo l. (strawberry tree). | arbutus unedo grows spontaneously around the mediterranean basin. the species is tolerant to drought and has a strong regeneration capacity following fires making it interesting for mediterranean forestation programs. considering the sparse information about the potential of this fruit tree to be propagated in vitro, a project to clone selected trees based on their fruit production was initiated a few years ago. the role of several factors on a. unedo propagation was evaluated. the results showe ... | 2010 | 20219713 |
| tryptophan depletion and formation of alpha-aminoadipic and gamma-glutamic semialdehydes in porcine burger patties with added phenolic-rich fruit extracts. | the effect of added fruit extracts on the oxidation of muscle proteins in porcine burger patties subjected to cooking and chill storage was studied. extracts from arbutus berries (arbutus unedo l., au), common hawthorns (crataegus monogyna l., cm), dog roses (rosa canina l., rc), and elm-leaf blackberries (rubus ulmifolius schott, ru) were prepared, characterized, added to burger patties (3% of total weight), and evaluated as inhibitors of protein oxidation. negative (no added extract, c) and po ... | 2010 | 20170109 |
| antidiabetic effect of some medicinal plants of oriental morocco in neonatal non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus rats. | the goal of the present study is to test the effect of water extract (we) of four medicinal plants used as antidiabetics in eastern morocco (arbutus unedo: au, ammoïdes pusilla: ap, thymelaea hirsuta: th, and urtica dioïca: ud). these plants are used in cooking to bring out the flavor in a dish or to complement it. the first experiment was realized in order to determine the antidiabetic effect of the we of these plants during 5 weeks' treatment. seven groups of wistar rats were used: healthy con ... | 2010 | 20154101 |
| in vitro activity of arbutus unedo leaf extracts against trichomonas vaginalis trophozoites. | trichomonas vaginalis (t. vaginalis) is a flagellated protozoan commonly causing sexually transmitted disease. t. vaginalis infections are treated with a 5-nitroimidazole derivate. however, drug resistance has been known to occur for a long time and new alternatives are under investigation. arbutus unedo is a wild plant mainly growing in maquis and rocky places of the seaboard in southern europe. in our study, ethanolic, water, hexane and ethyl acetate extracts of arbutus unedo leaves were teste ... | 2009 | 20101573 |
| arbutin content and antioxidant activity of some ericaceae species. | quantitative analyses and investigation of antioxidant activity of herb and dry ethanolic extracts of five species from ericaceae family (arbutus unedo l., bruckentalia spiculifolia rchb., calluna vulgaris salisb., erica arborea l. and erica carnea l.) were performed. total polyphenols, tannins and flavonoids were determined spectrophotometrically and arbutin content was measured both spectrophotometrically and by hplc coupled with dad detection. antioxidative properites of the ethanolic extract ... | 2009 | 19947168 |
| floral markers of strawberry tree (arbutus unedo l.) honey. | strawberry tree honey, due to its characteristic bitter taste, is one of the most typical mediterranean honeys, with sardinia being one of the largest producers. according to specific chemical studies, homogentisic acid was identified as a possible marker of this honey. this work, based on hplc-dad-ms/ms analysis of strawberry tree (arbutus unedo l.) honeys, previously selected by sensory evaluation and melissopalynological analysis, showed that, in addition to the above-mentioned acid, there we ... | 2010 | 19919097 |
| reversed-phase liquid chromatographic profile of free amino acids in strawberry-tree (arbutus unedo l.) honey. | the typical profile of the free amino acids contained in strawberry-tree (arbutus unedo l.) honey is reported for the first time. an optimized reversed-phase liquid chromatographic (rp-lc) method with phenyl isothiocyanate precolumn derivatization was used. fourteen free amino acids were identified and quantified in 16 analytical samples. proline (65.63%) was found to be the most abundant free amino acid, followed by glutamic acid (6.49%), arginine (5.21%), alanine (5.17%), and phenylalanine (4. ... | 2009 | 19714983 |
| in vitro activity of arbutus unedo against leishmania tropica promastigotes. | pentavalent antimonials are the first choice for the treatment of anthroponotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (acl) in health centers in turkey, however in rural areas, traditional plants may be preferred for the treatment of lesions. in recent years a number of papers are published related to the natural products especially plant derivates. our aim is to investigate the antileishmanial effect of arbutus unedo which is a wild plant mainly grown in maquis and rocky places of the seabord in south europe ... | 2009 | 19598085 |
| scavenging capacity of strawberry tree (arbutus unedo l.) leaves on free radicals. | despite strawberry tree (arbutus unedo l.) leaves had a long use in traditional medicine due to its antiseptic, diuretic, astringent and depurative properties, the potential of their antioxidant activity are still lacking. our study goals to assess the antioxidant and free radical scavenging potential of water, ethanol, methanol and diethyl ether extracts of a. unedo leaves. total phenols content was achieved spectrophotometrically using folin-ciocalteau reagent with gallic acid as standard. ant ... | 2009 | 19351553 |
| methyl syringate: a chemical marker of asphodel (asphodelus microcarpus salzm. et viv.) monofloral honey. | during the liquid chromatographic study of the phenolic fraction of monofloral honeys was detected in the asphodel honey ( asphodelus microcarpus salzm. et viv.) chromatogram a distinctive peak not detected in other monofloral honeys such as arbutus unedo l., hedysarum coronarium , eucalyptus spp., and galactites tomentosa . after thin layer chromatography (tlc) purification and characterization by nmr and lc-ms/ms, the compound was identified as methyl syringate (msyr) and confirmed against an ... | 2009 | 19309074 |
| facilitated establishment of quercus ilex in shrub-dominated communities within a mediterranean ecosystem: do mycorrhizal partners matter? | positive plant-plant interaction is a widespread phenomenon, especially in harsh environments, which can contribute to secondary successions. here, we investigated whether arbutus unedo positively influences quercus ilex establishment in shrub communities by abiotic and/or biotic interactions in a mediterranean forest ecosystem, where we previously showed that a. unedo and q. ilex share numerous species of mycorrhizal fungi. in a first field experiment, patterns of q. ilex survivorship were docu ... | 2009 | 19175678 |
| an rp-hplc determination of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural in honey the case of strawberry tree honey. | the use of the rp-hplc official method of the international honey commission (ihc) for the determination of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (hmf) in strawberry tree honey (arbutus unedo, a typical sardinian honey) has brought to light a specific and heavy chromatographic interference that prevents accurate quantification. the interference has been identified as homogentisic acid (ha), i.e. the marker of the botanical origin of the honey. for this reason, an alternative rp-hplc method is proposed. the bi ... | 2006 | 18970477 |
| aqueous extract of arbutus unedo inhibits stat1 activation in human breast cancer cell line mda-mb-231 and human fibroblasts through shp2 activation. | arbutus unedo l. has been for a long time employed in traditional and popular medicine as an astringent, diuretic, urinary anti-septic, and more recently, in the therapy of hypertension and diabetes. signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (stat1) is a fascinating and complex protein with multiple yet contrasting transcriptional functions. although activation of this nuclear factor is finely regulated in order to control the entire inflammatory process, its hyper-activation or time-sp ... | 2008 | 18473914 |
| protective effect of arbutus unedo aqueous extract in carrageenan-induced lung inflammation in mice. | in the present study, we show that an aqueous extract of arbutus unedo l. (aue), a mediterranean endemic plant widely employed as an astringent, diuretic and urinary anti-septic, in vitro down-regulates the expression of some inflammatory genes, such as those encoding inducible nitric oxide synthase (inos) and intracellular adhesion molecule-(icam)-1, exerting a inhibitory action on both ifn-gamma-elicited stat1 activation and il-6-elicited stat3 activation. to evaluate further the effect of aue ... | 2008 | 18249557 |
| arbutus unedo prevents cardiovascular and morphological alterations in l-name-induced hypertensive rats part i: cardiovascular and renal hemodynamic effects of arbutus unedo in l-name-induced hypertensive rats. | hypertension induced by nitric oxide synthase inhibition is associated with functional abnormalities of the heart and kidney. the aim of the present study was to investigate whether chronic treatment with arbutus unedo leaf (aul) or root (aur) aqueous extracts can prevent these alterations. six groups of rats were used: control group received tap water; n(g)-nitro-l-arginine methyl-ester (l-name) group treated with l-name at 40 mg/kg/day; aul and aur groups received simultaneously l-name (40 mg/ ... | 2008 | 18191352 |
| comparison of arsenic resistance in mediterranean woody shrubs used in restoration activities. | myrtus communis, arbutus unedo and retama sphaerocarpa are mediterranean shrubs widely used in revegetation of semiarid degraded soils. the aim of this work is to study the resistance of these plants to arsenic under controlled conditions, in order to evaluate their potential use in revegetation and/or phytoremediation of as-polluted soils. r. sphaerocarpa showed higher resistance to as than m. communis or a. unedo according to its higher ec50, p status and p/as molar ratio in both, roots and sh ... | 2008 | 18037471 |
| antihyperglycemic activity of arbutus unedo, ammoides pusilla and thymelaea hirsuta. | the effect of the water extract (we) of three medicinal plants used as antidiabetic medication in eastern morocco (arbutus unedo: au, ammoides pusilla: ap and thymelaea hirsuta: th) was tested in rats with the oral glucose tolerance test (ogtt) and intravenous glucose tolerance test (ivgtt). in the ogtt the rats received water, glibenclamide (2 mg/kg) or we (500 mg/kg for au and 250 mg/kg for th and ap) 30 min before glucose loading (glucose: 1 g/kg). the we of au, ap and th produced a significa ... | 2007 | 17867561 |
| antiaggregant effects of arbutus unedo extracts in human platelets. | platelet hyperaggregability plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases. thrombin evokes aggregation through ca(2+) mobilization, tyrosine phosphorylation and generation of reactive oxygen species (ros). we have investigated the antiaggregant properties of arbutus unedo extracts in human platelets. changes in cytosolic ca(2+) concentration and intracellular oxidants production were registered by espectrofluorimetry using fura-2 and dichlorodihydrofluorescein, respectively ... | 2007 | 17681442 |
| vegetable and animal food sorts found in the gastric content of sardinian wild boar (sus scrofa meridionalis). | authors report results emerging from gastric content analysis from n. 96 wild boars hunted in sardinia isle, during the hunting tide (2001-2005), from november to january. mean ph of the gastric content was 3.77 +/- 0.69. mean total capacity (tc) of each stomach was 1702 +/- 680 g. mean stuff ratio (cw/tc) between the content weight (cw) and stomachs tc was 0.45. food categories found in animal stomachs were: 19 categories of vegetal species (allium spp., arbutus unedo, arisarum vulgare, avena f ... | 2007 | 17516948 |