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Parasites and Conservation Biology
Published in Eric S. Loker, Bruce V. Hofkin, Parasitology, 2023
Eric S. Loker, Bruce V. Hofkin
Because we are often left trying to reconstruct catastrophic events that happened without our even knowing they were underway, it is helpful to have good baseline information from which to draw inferences. For parasites, such baseline information, at a minimum, would consist of knowledge about which parasite species normally infect which host species in particular locations. Even this rudimentary information is often lacking. Indeed, a significant challenge to conservation biology in general is to catalog the full diversity of species on Earth (see discussions in Chapter 2) before many slip into extinction without our ever knowing they existed. To paraphrase Wilson (2000), in order to care deeply about something important, it is first necessary to know it even exists.
The Disappearance and Substitution of Native Medicinal Species
Published in Mahendra Rai, Shandesh Bhattarai, Chistiane M. Feitosa, Wild Plants, 2020
Given all the above, it is demonstrated that the dynamics in the use of medicinal plants, and the variation in use over time, can be maintained or changed. When we analyze the species used as medicinal in the different countries of America, it is shown that the number of medicinal plants varies, and in general, is related to the diversity of species cited for the country. For example, in Mexico, it is estimated that there are 4, 500 medicinal species, in Ecuador 2, 900, in Colombia 2, 600 plants, in Argentina 1, 529 species, while in Paraguay the number reaches 266 (Basualdo et al. 2004, Trillo et al. 2011, Ortega-Cala et al. 2019) (Table 2.1).
Ecological and Biomass Assessment of Vegetation Cover of a University Campus
Published in Jayanta Kumar Patra, Gitishree Das, Sanjeet Kumar, Hrudayanath Thatoi, Ethnopharmacology and Biodiversity of Medicinal Plants, 2019
Kakoli Banerjee, Gobinda Bal, Gopal Raj Khemendu, Nihar Ranjan Sahoo, Gopa Mishra, Chitrangada Debsarma, Rakesh Paul
The Biological Diversity Act (WRI, 1994) states the variability in life forms and the ecological complexes of which they are part and includes diversity within species or between species and of ecosystems. The National Forest Policy (NFP), 1988 realized the need for assessing the forests cover maintaining a minimum of 33% of the country’s geographical area. Three mega centers of endemic plants in India are (i) Eastern Himalaya harboring 9,000 species of plants with 3,500 endemic species; (ii) the Western Ghats possessing 5,800 plant species with about 2,000 endemics; and (iii) Western Himalayas having 4,500 species with 1,195 endemic species of plants. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands harbor about 83% endemic species. The vegetation and forest types have been analyzed by Champion and Seth (1968), National Remote Sensing Agency (NRSA, 1979), Forest Survey of India (SFR, 2003).
A systematic review of the bioprospecting potential of Lonomia spp. (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae)
Published in Toxin Reviews, 2023
Henrique G. Riva, Angela R. Amarillo-S.
The analysis conducted in this review led to the conclusion that protein and component derivatives from Lonomia have great potential for bioprospecting, and nine practical applications were identified. The three applications with the most associated articles found were use in cell culture, lonomic antivenom and thrombosis treatment. The other six applications indicate new or scarcely researched uses: tissue repair, antiviral treatment, antibiotic treatment, Lonomia population control, platelet adhesion research and cancer treatment. The selection resulted in 39 articles with a preponderance of studies developed by or in association with the IB (Instituto Butantan, Brazil), accounting for 79% of the articles. This finding clearly indicates that IB researchers have contributed greatly to the study of this subject. On the other hand, it also reveals the need to increase the diversity of the species studied, considering that 85% of the articles included only L. obliqua samples. Studying other species could lead to the description of new molecules, such as Lonomin V, a derivative from L. achelous. Increasing the diversity of species studied would also help clarify the taxonomy of the group if the participation of local researchers and a wider geographical distribution are also included in future studies.
Clinical effects and factors associated with adverse clinical outcomes of hymenopteran stings treated in a Thai Poison Centre: a retrospective cross-sectional study
Published in Clinical Toxicology, 2022
Praopilad Srisuwarn, Sahaphume Srisuma, Charuwan Sriapha, Achara Tongpoo, Panee Rittilert, Aimon Pradoo, Yuvadee Tanpudsa, Winai Wananukul
A number of stings >10 is another predictor of a poor clinical outcome. In the case of direct toxicity, the amount and potency of toxin appear to be correlated with degree of severity, which is not seen in anaphylaxis. A study extrapolating from animal models estimated that the number of stings leading to 50% mortality in a 70-kg man would be 1225 with Apis mellifera compared with only 220 in Vespa mandarinia. This could be explained by the difference in the amount and strength of toxin contained in each sting [4]. Diversity of species with uneven distribution also may contribute to distinctive patient characteristics between geographic regions. In Asia, native social wasps are notorious for death by poison with death after 10–250 stings having been reported [11,19]. In contrast, death by Apis mellifera toxin, particularly the Africanized honeybee, in Europe and the North and South America has been reported only if the sting number was in excess of 1000–2000 [20].
Helicobacter pylori antibiotic eradication coupled with a chemically defined diet in INS-GAS mice triggers dysbiosis and vitamin K deficiency resulting in gastric hemorrhage
Published in Gut Microbes, 2020
Lisa Quinn, Alexander Sheh, Jessie L Ellis, Donald E Smith, Sarah L Booth, Xueyan Fu, Sureshkumar Muthupalani, Zhongming Ge, Dylan A Puglisi, Timothy C Wang, Tamas A Gonda, Hilda Holcombe, James G Fox
As antibiotics and folate affected the bacterial composition, we next determined the effects on alpha diversity or species diversity. In PRE-PK samples, the chao1 index was highest in antibiotic-free mice and was dependent on dietary folate (2CTL: 1,118 ± 12; 2HPno: 1,126 ± 56; 8CTL: 421 ± 27 and 8HPno: 638 ± 80, [mean±SEM]). The lowest chao1 values were observed in antibiotic-treated mice (2HPab: 244 ± 16 and 8HPab: 197 ± 14) and mice fed standard chow (Chow: 249 ± 22) (Figure 6(a)). In POST-PK samples, low dietary folate increased alpha diversity (2CTL: 1029 ± 44; 2HPno: 1071 ± 28 and 2HPab: 1140 ± 28), while high dietary folate decreased alpha diversity (8CTL: 420.9 ± 16; 8HPno: 639.8 ± 66 and 8HPab: 466.6 ± 32) (Figure 6(b)). However, prior antibiotic treatment did not modulate species diversity. Significant differences in chao1 and observed species are summarized in Table S5.