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Objective : Toxicity of pesticides is thought to be due to reactive oxygen species (ROS). Due to their antioxidant property, polyphenols in plant extracts may afford protection from pesticide toxicity. In the present study, we evaluated the protective effect of a butanolic extract of Paronychia argentea L. against toxicity caused by the organophosphorus pesticide, chloropyriphos ethyl (CE). Materials and Methods: Pregnant albino Wistar rats were used. Pesticide and plant extract were administered daily by oral gavage from the 6 th to the 15 th day of gestation. Plasma and tissue malondialdehyde (MDA), blood reduced glutathione (GSH) and erythrocyte superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities were estimated. MDA levels were estimated in plasma and different organs (liver, kidney, brain, placenta and in the fetuses and their livers) as an indicator of lipid peroxydation (LPO). Results: The data showed a significant increase in plasma and tissue LPO levels in animals treated with the pesticide while the effect was attenuated by the plant extract (CE-ex). Also, CE caused a significant decrease in antioxidant enzyme activity and this effect was partially reversed in groups treated with the plant extract. The pesticide induced embryotoxicity and resulted in resorption, fetal death and a reduced implant number. Conclusion : It can be concluded that CE can lead to an increase in LPO production in adult and fetal tissues, while treatment with the plant extract leads to protection against CE toxicity. The decrease in LPO levels and the increase in GSH and SOD enzyme activities after treatment with the plant extract revealed its antioxidant property.

Given the lack of synthetic xanthine oxidase inhibitors, the associated enzyme with several common diseases along with the side effects and adverse reactions of existing medications, it became necessary to explore herbal remedies as alternative treatment options. Paronychia argentea L. was selected for this study due to its traditional use in medicine throughout the Mediterranean region. The objective of the study was to evaluate the xanthine oxidase inhibitory activity of various extracts from Paronychia argentea L. and to compare these effects with allopurinol, a widely used xanthine oxidase inhibitor (XOI). Aerial parts of Paronychia argentea L. were collected in Hama, Syria. Extracts were prepared from the dried plant using ethanolic, aqueous-chloroform, and chloroform solvents. The xanthine oxidase inhibitory activity was assessed spectrophotometrically by measuring absorbance at 295nm, which correlates with uric acid concentrations. (IC50) concentrations that inhibit 50% of xanthine oxidase (XO) activity were adopted for comparison between extracts and allopurinol. Paronychia argentea L. showed xanthine oxidase inhibitory activity. The highest inhibitory activity was for aqueous-chloroform extract followed by ethanolic extract and chloroform extract respectively. The IC50 value for allopurinol was (2.973μg/ml), while it was (11.759μg/ml), (78.87μg/ml), and (376.06μg/ml) for aqueous-chloroform, ethanolic, and chloroform extracts respectively. Based on these results, Paronychia argentea L. has a considerable xanthine oxidase inhibitory activity, making it a potential source for future treatment of hyperuricemia, gout and related diseases, which is consistent with its traditional use in the Mediterranean region.

The Linnaean name Illecebrum paronychia is discussed and lectotypified with a specimen at LINN. Additional original material was found at BM. Another specimen at LINN, although referable to I. paronychia, cannot be considered original material. Paronychia argentea was introduced by Lamarck as a replacement name for I. paronychia and is the type of the genus Paronychia. The lectotype conforms to the characters in the protologue and the current delimitation of P. argentea.

The widespread use of chemical control agents and pesticides for plant-pathogen control has caused many human health and environmental issues. Plant extracts and biocontrol agents have robust antimicrobial activity against different plant pathogens. However, their antiviral activities are still being investigated. In the present study, the methanol extract of Paronychia argentea was characterized and evaluated for its protective activity against the tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) infection in tomato plants under greenhouse conditions at 21 days post-inoculation. The results showed that the foliar application of P. argentea extract (10 µg/mL) enhanced tomato plant growth, resulting in significant increases in shoot and root parameters and total chlorophyll contents. Moreover, a significant reduction in TMV accumulation level in P. argentea-treated plants of 77.88% compared to non-treated plants was reported. Furthermore, induction of systemic resistance with significant elevation in production of antioxidant enzymes (PPO, CAT, and SOD) and transcriptional levels of the pathogenesis-related proteins (PR-1 and PR-7) and polyphenolic genes (CHS and HQT) were also observed. Out of 16 detected compounds, HPLC analysis revealed that the most abundant polyphenolic compounds found in P. argentea extract were gallic acid (5.36 µg/mL), kaempferol (7.39 µg/mL), quercetin (7.44 µg/mL), ellagic acid (7.89 µg/mL), myricetin (8.36 µg/mL), and ferulic acid (8.69 µg/mL). The findings suggest that the use of P. argentea extract as an effective and safe source for the production of bioactive compounds may offer a solution for a promising approach for the management of plant viral infections. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of the protective activity of P. argentea extract against plant viral diseases.

Background: Antimicrobial resistance is one of the major challenges in healthcare, leading to more severe infections, higher mortality, and increased healthcare costs. Therefore, exploring new alternatives, such as plant extracts with antimicrobial properties helps to reduce bacterial resistance. Artemisia annua L., Hibiscus sabdariffa L., and Paronychia argentea Lam. are traditionally used for their biological properties, including antimicrobial activity. However, scientific evidence regarding their antibacterial effects against clinically important bacteria remains limited. Methods: Extracts were obtained from the mentioned plants and phytochemically characterized by GC/MS. Phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of fatty acids, phenolic compounds, aliphatic compounds, and terpenoids. Antibacterial activity was evaluated using the diffusion method with a modified Kirby-Bauer technique and the microdilution method employing the massive plate sealing drop approach. Results: All extracts exhibited bacterial inhibition, with H. sabdariffa L. showing the strongest activity against E. coli (256 mg/mL), K. pneumoniae (256 mg/mL), P. aeruginosa (128 mg/mL), Salmonella sp. (128 mg/mL), and S. aureus (64 mg/mL). Conclusions: Hydroethanolic extracts of A. annua L., H. sabdariffa L., and P. argentea Lam. exhibit antibacterial activity against clinically relevant bacteria and represent promising candidates for future preclinical studies.

The establishment of large populations of yellow-legged gull Larus michahellis in coastal and urban areas can lead to strong changes in vegetation cover and composition through creating physical disturbance in the vegetation and impacting the soil quality through defecation. In this study, we evaluated the effects of breeding yellow-legged gull populations on tall and short vegetation cover and plant species composition in old (occupied for 13 years) and new (occupied for 3 years) colony sites in grey dunes of the Algarve, southern Portugal. In each site, sampling plots were used to measure the percentage of vegetation cover in areas with and without breeding gulls. In the old colony site, the cover by tall vegetation was substantially reduced and the cover by short vegetation substantially increased in the areas where gulls are breeding in comparison with the adjacent areas. In the new colony sites, there were only minor differences. The increase in cover of short vegetation in the breeding area of the old colony site was mostly by nitrophilous species (Paronychia argentea and Malcolmia littorea) and should be explained by the decrease in vegetation cover of tall plant species and by feces deposition. Tall and slow-growing species Suaeda maritima and Helichrysum italicum covers were negatively affected. Our results showed that yellow-legged gulls affected vegetation cover and composition of grey dunes after 3 years of consecutive breeding, and this should be considered in the management of these habitats where breeding yellow-legged gulls are increasing.

In this issue we present 8 new original research reports examining the pharmacognosy of several important medicinal plants including reports on: a review of both the positive actions and side effects of statins; the anticancer properties of Uncaria tomentosa Willd.DC. extracts against Caco2 and HeLa cancer cell lines; a comparison of the anticholinesterase, antioxidant and cytotoxic activities of Allium cepa and Ocimum basilicum and therefore their potential in drug development for the treatment of Alzheimers Disease; the hepato-protective effects of Monodora myristica (Gaertn.), Chromolaena odorata (Linn), Buccholzia coriacea (Engl.) and Sphenostylis stenocarpa (Hochst ex A. Rich) following carbon tetrachloride exposure; the effects of herbal combinations on serum lactate dehydrogenase activity and organ weight in a diabetes mellitus model system; a pharmacognostic comparison of the leaves of Citrus sinensis var. jaffa and Citrus paradisi var. redblush; the antioxidant, antihemolytic and anti-inflammatory activities of Santolina chamaecyparissus extracts; the antioxidant properties and xanthine oxidase inhibitory activity of the Algerian medicinal plant Paronychia argentea L..

Background Throughout history, every civilization in the world used plants or their derivatives for treatment or prevention of diseases. In Palestine as in many other countries, herbal medicines are broadly used in the treatment of wide range of diseases including urological diseases. The main objective of this research is to study the use of herbal remedies by herbalists and traditional healers for treatment of various urological diseases in the West Bank regions of Palestine and to assess their efficacy and safety through the literature review of the most cited plants. Method The study included a survey part, plant identification and a review study. The first part was a cross-sectional descriptive study. Face to face questionnaires were distributed to 150 traditional healers and herbalist in all regions of the West Bank of Palestine. The literature review part was to assess the most cited plants for their efficacy and toxicity. Results One hundred forty four herbalists and traditional healers accepted to participate in this study which was conducted between March and April, 2016. The results showed that 57 plant species belonging to 30 families were used by herbalists and traditional healers for treatment of various urinary tract diseases in Palestine. Of these, Apiaceae family was the most prevalent. Paronychia argentea, Plantago ovata, Punica granatum, Taraxacum syriacum, Morus alba and Foeniculum vulgare were the most commonly used plant species in the treatment of kidney stones, while Capsella bursa-pastoris, Ammi visnaga and Ammi majus were the most recommended species for treatment of urinary tract infections and Portulaca oleracea used for renal failure. In addition Curcuma longa and Crocus sativus were used for enuresis while Juglans regia, Quercus infectoria, Sambucus ebulus and Zea mays were used for treatment symptoms of benign prostate hyperplasia. Fruits were the most common parts used, and a decoction was the most commonly used method of preparation. Through literature review, it was found that Paronychia argentea has a low hemolytic effect and contains oxalic acid and nitrate. Therefore, it could be harmful to renal failure patients, also Juglans regia, Quercus infectoria and, Sambucus ebulus are harmful plants and cannot be used for treatment of any disease. Conclusions Our data provided that ethnopharmacological flora in the West Bank regions of Palestine can be quite wealthy and diverse in the treatments of urinary tract diseases. Clinical trials and pharmacological tests are required evaluate safety and efficacy of these herbal remedies.