Plants need water and energy for their growth and reproduction. However, how water and energy ava... more Plants need water and energy for their growth and reproduction. However, how water and energy availability influence dryland plant diversity along the aridity gradient in water-limited regions is still lacking. Hence, quantitative analyses were conducted to evaluate the relative importance of water and energy to dryland plant diversity based on 1039 quadrats across 184 sites in China’s dryland. The results indicated that water availability and the water–energy interaction were pivotal to plant diversity in the entire dryland and consistent with the predictions of the water–energy dynamic hypothesis. The predominance of water limitation on dryland plant diversity showed a weak trend with decreasing aridity, while the effects of energy on plants were found to be significant in mesic regions. Moreover, the responses of different plant lifeforms to water and energy were found to vary along the aridity gradient. In conclusion, the study will enrich the limited knowledge about the effects...
Convergence is commonly caused by environmental filtering, severe climatic conditions and local d... more Convergence is commonly caused by environmental filtering, severe climatic conditions and local disturbance. The basic aim of the present study was to understand the pattern of leaf traits across diverse desert plant species in a common garden, in addition to determining the effect of plant life forms (PLF), such as herb, shrub and subshrub, phylogeny and soil properties on leaf traits. Six leaf traits, namely carbon (C), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), δ13C and leaf water potential (LWP) of 37 dominant desert plant species were investigated and analyzed. The C, N, K and δ13C concentrations in leaves of shrubs were found higher than herbs and subshrubs; however, P and LWP levels were higher in the leaves of subshrubs following herbs and shrubs. Moreover, leaf C showed a significant positive correlation with N and a negative correlation with δ13C. Leaf N exhibited a positive correlation with P. The relationship between soil and plant macro-elements was found generally in...
Convergence is commonly caused by environmental filtering, severe climatic conditions and local d... more Convergence is commonly caused by environmental filtering, severe climatic conditions and local disturbance. The basic aim of the present study was to understand the pattern of leaf traits across diverse desert plant species in a common garden, in addition to determining the effect of plant life forms (PLF), such as herb, shrub and subshrub, phylogeny and soil properties on leaf traits. Six leaf traits, namely carbon (C), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), δ13C and leaf water potential (LWP) of 37 dominant desert plant species were investigated and analyzed. The C, N, K and δ13C concentrations in leaves of shrubs were found higher than herbs and subshrubs; however, P and LWP levels were higher in the leaves of subshrubs following herbs and shrubs. Moreover, leaf C showed a significant positive correlation with N and a negative correlation with δ13C. Leaf N exhibited a positive correlation with P. The relationship between soil and plant macro-elements was found generally in...
Characterization of genetically modified plants producing bioactive compounds for human health: a... more Characterization of genetically modified plants producing bioactive compounds for human health: a systemic review. Abstract Increasing knowledge on plant biotechnology, nutrition and medicine has altered the concepts regarding food, health and agriculture. Researchers in medical biotechnology as well as plant biology are recommending the application of plant systems, their products such as phytoceuticals, foods and phytotherapy to perk up human health along with disease prevention and treatment. Plants derived pharmaceuticals offer numerous advantages over other techniques such as mammalian cell culture methods etc. These modern trends have highlighted potential targets for the blooming pharma industry based on plant biotechnology. Most early studies, as well as current work, focus on crops as well as non-crop transgenic plants expressing several advantageous proteins that can be extracted, processed and used in the treatment of different diseases. The major part of public opinion is positive regarding the competence of biotechnology for improving life quality and standards. But unfortunately, due to some ambiguities in consumer's mind, phytoceutical production from transgenic plants is a bit ignored field both at researcher and consumer end. This review tried to put on view and differentiate the production of phytoceuticals from transgenic plants concerning human health. Readers will find twenty years of progress on phytoceuticals and their relatedness to reported human disease studies as well as trials. It also covers a comparison of different techniques to distinguish the production of phytoceuticals from transgenics and issues along with existing regulations for their safety and commercialization.
Keywords: Corona Pandemic; Epicenter; Lockdown; Preventive Measures Objective: The current study ... more Keywords: Corona Pandemic; Epicenter; Lockdown; Preventive Measures Objective: The current study is aimed to provide ongoing situation of COVID-19 pandemic timeline in Pakistan compared with its border sharing countries (BSC) and the strategies adopted by government to combat the newly emerged COVID-19 that was first detected in Wuhan city of China in December 2019. Methods: Our study is desktop based and we collected data from the official government's web sources, already published papers and by other means of electronic and printing media.
This is the first ethno-botanical study about the indigenous plants of district Faisalabad, Punja... more This is the first ethno-botanical study about the indigenous plants of district Faisalabad, Punjab-Pakistan. Main theme behind this study documents the existing ethno-medicinal data about local traditional herbal treatments. Overall, 300 local informants were interviewed from 22different locations of the district and collected data was analyzed by using different quantitative ethnobotanical tools. The 61 plants of 53 genera and 29 families be there found in use for 15 disease caused by microorganisms and contagious ones also. With reference to highest Use Value (UV), Ficus carica (0.83), Albizzia lebbeck (0.73) and Psidium guajava (0.71) were found the most used medicinal plant species in area. The 100% Fidelity Level (FL) was calculated for Acacia nilotica being used against gastro, respiratory, diabetics and hypertension. The highest Relative Frequency Citation (RFC) value was calculated for Citrus aurantifolia. The maximum Informant Consensus Factor (ICF) index was calculated for gastro and respiratory problems, fever, headache, and skin infection. The comparative study by calculating Jaccard Index (JI) with reported literature was shown that 8.18%resemblance and 12.81% distinction to earlier studies; however 79.01% medicinal uses of the reported species were documented the first time. The plants reported with high RPL index can be further analyzed for biochemical pharmaceutical and biotechnological screening. Keywords:Biochemical, Diseases, Ethnobotanical study, Jaccard Index, Popular.
The present study aims to examine the physiological, biochemical and defence system responses of ... more The present study aims to examine the physiological, biochemical and defence system responses of Calotropis procera to vehicle exhaust pollution. We selected various sample sites along two major roads in the Punjab province of Pakistan, i.e. Faisalabad to Sargodha road (FSR) and Pindi Bhattian to Lillah motorway (M-2). Traffic density at all sites and plant responses (i.e. chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, total chlorophyll and carotenoid contents, transpiration rate, stomatal conductance, photosynthetic rate, sub-stomatal CO 2 concentration, water use efficiency, total free amino acids, total soluble proteins and total antioxidant activity) were measured. Levels of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) and four metals of most possible concern-i.e. lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd) and nickel (Ni)-were also examined in all samples. We found their considerable deposition in all the samples along roads. Inhibitory effects of roadside pollutants were noted for photosynthetic pigments, stomatal conductance, transpiration rate, photosynthetic rate and total soluble proteins, whereas stimulatory effects were noted for sub-stomatal CO 2 concentration, free amino acids and total antioxidant activity. The stimulation of antioxidant enzymes activity revealed stress and mitigation of reactive oxygen species. The present study clearly signifies that C. procera has great potential to endure the stress caused by roadside pollutants. ARTICLE HISTORY
Plants need water and energy for their growth and reproduction. However, how water and energy ava... more Plants need water and energy for their growth and reproduction. However, how water and energy availability influence dryland plant diversity along the aridity gradient in water-limited regions is still lacking. Hence, quantitative analyses were conducted to evaluate the relative importance of water and energy to dryland plant diversity based on 1039 quadrats across 184 sites in China’s dryland. The results indicated that water availability and the water–energy interaction were pivotal to plant diversity in the entire dryland and consistent with the predictions of the water–energy dynamic hypothesis. The predominance of water limitation on dryland plant diversity showed a weak trend with decreasing aridity, while the effects of energy on plants were found to be significant in mesic regions. Moreover, the responses of different plant lifeforms to water and energy were found to vary along the aridity gradient. In conclusion, the study will enrich the limited knowledge about the effects...
Convergence is commonly caused by environmental filtering, severe climatic conditions and local d... more Convergence is commonly caused by environmental filtering, severe climatic conditions and local disturbance. The basic aim of the present study was to understand the pattern of leaf traits across diverse desert plant species in a common garden, in addition to determining the effect of plant life forms (PLF), such as herb, shrub and subshrub, phylogeny and soil properties on leaf traits. Six leaf traits, namely carbon (C), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), δ13C and leaf water potential (LWP) of 37 dominant desert plant species were investigated and analyzed. The C, N, K and δ13C concentrations in leaves of shrubs were found higher than herbs and subshrubs; however, P and LWP levels were higher in the leaves of subshrubs following herbs and shrubs. Moreover, leaf C showed a significant positive correlation with N and a negative correlation with δ13C. Leaf N exhibited a positive correlation with P. The relationship between soil and plant macro-elements was found generally in...
Convergence is commonly caused by environmental filtering, severe climatic conditions and local d... more Convergence is commonly caused by environmental filtering, severe climatic conditions and local disturbance. The basic aim of the present study was to understand the pattern of leaf traits across diverse desert plant species in a common garden, in addition to determining the effect of plant life forms (PLF), such as herb, shrub and subshrub, phylogeny and soil properties on leaf traits. Six leaf traits, namely carbon (C), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), δ13C and leaf water potential (LWP) of 37 dominant desert plant species were investigated and analyzed. The C, N, K and δ13C concentrations in leaves of shrubs were found higher than herbs and subshrubs; however, P and LWP levels were higher in the leaves of subshrubs following herbs and shrubs. Moreover, leaf C showed a significant positive correlation with N and a negative correlation with δ13C. Leaf N exhibited a positive correlation with P. The relationship between soil and plant macro-elements was found generally in...
Characterization of genetically modified plants producing bioactive compounds for human health: a... more Characterization of genetically modified plants producing bioactive compounds for human health: a systemic review. Abstract Increasing knowledge on plant biotechnology, nutrition and medicine has altered the concepts regarding food, health and agriculture. Researchers in medical biotechnology as well as plant biology are recommending the application of plant systems, their products such as phytoceuticals, foods and phytotherapy to perk up human health along with disease prevention and treatment. Plants derived pharmaceuticals offer numerous advantages over other techniques such as mammalian cell culture methods etc. These modern trends have highlighted potential targets for the blooming pharma industry based on plant biotechnology. Most early studies, as well as current work, focus on crops as well as non-crop transgenic plants expressing several advantageous proteins that can be extracted, processed and used in the treatment of different diseases. The major part of public opinion is positive regarding the competence of biotechnology for improving life quality and standards. But unfortunately, due to some ambiguities in consumer's mind, phytoceutical production from transgenic plants is a bit ignored field both at researcher and consumer end. This review tried to put on view and differentiate the production of phytoceuticals from transgenic plants concerning human health. Readers will find twenty years of progress on phytoceuticals and their relatedness to reported human disease studies as well as trials. It also covers a comparison of different techniques to distinguish the production of phytoceuticals from transgenics and issues along with existing regulations for their safety and commercialization.
Keywords: Corona Pandemic; Epicenter; Lockdown; Preventive Measures Objective: The current study ... more Keywords: Corona Pandemic; Epicenter; Lockdown; Preventive Measures Objective: The current study is aimed to provide ongoing situation of COVID-19 pandemic timeline in Pakistan compared with its border sharing countries (BSC) and the strategies adopted by government to combat the newly emerged COVID-19 that was first detected in Wuhan city of China in December 2019. Methods: Our study is desktop based and we collected data from the official government's web sources, already published papers and by other means of electronic and printing media.
This is the first ethno-botanical study about the indigenous plants of district Faisalabad, Punja... more This is the first ethno-botanical study about the indigenous plants of district Faisalabad, Punjab-Pakistan. Main theme behind this study documents the existing ethno-medicinal data about local traditional herbal treatments. Overall, 300 local informants were interviewed from 22different locations of the district and collected data was analyzed by using different quantitative ethnobotanical tools. The 61 plants of 53 genera and 29 families be there found in use for 15 disease caused by microorganisms and contagious ones also. With reference to highest Use Value (UV), Ficus carica (0.83), Albizzia lebbeck (0.73) and Psidium guajava (0.71) were found the most used medicinal plant species in area. The 100% Fidelity Level (FL) was calculated for Acacia nilotica being used against gastro, respiratory, diabetics and hypertension. The highest Relative Frequency Citation (RFC) value was calculated for Citrus aurantifolia. The maximum Informant Consensus Factor (ICF) index was calculated for gastro and respiratory problems, fever, headache, and skin infection. The comparative study by calculating Jaccard Index (JI) with reported literature was shown that 8.18%resemblance and 12.81% distinction to earlier studies; however 79.01% medicinal uses of the reported species were documented the first time. The plants reported with high RPL index can be further analyzed for biochemical pharmaceutical and biotechnological screening. Keywords:Biochemical, Diseases, Ethnobotanical study, Jaccard Index, Popular.
The present study aims to examine the physiological, biochemical and defence system responses of ... more The present study aims to examine the physiological, biochemical and defence system responses of Calotropis procera to vehicle exhaust pollution. We selected various sample sites along two major roads in the Punjab province of Pakistan, i.e. Faisalabad to Sargodha road (FSR) and Pindi Bhattian to Lillah motorway (M-2). Traffic density at all sites and plant responses (i.e. chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, total chlorophyll and carotenoid contents, transpiration rate, stomatal conductance, photosynthetic rate, sub-stomatal CO 2 concentration, water use efficiency, total free amino acids, total soluble proteins and total antioxidant activity) were measured. Levels of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) and four metals of most possible concern-i.e. lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd) and nickel (Ni)-were also examined in all samples. We found their considerable deposition in all the samples along roads. Inhibitory effects of roadside pollutants were noted for photosynthetic pigments, stomatal conductance, transpiration rate, photosynthetic rate and total soluble proteins, whereas stimulatory effects were noted for sub-stomatal CO 2 concentration, free amino acids and total antioxidant activity. The stimulation of antioxidant enzymes activity revealed stress and mitigation of reactive oxygen species. The present study clearly signifies that C. procera has great potential to endure the stress caused by roadside pollutants. ARTICLE HISTORY
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Papers by Adnan Akram
behind this study documents the existing ethno-medicinal data about local traditional herbal treatments. Overall, 300
local informants were interviewed from 22different locations of the district and collected data was analyzed by using
different quantitative ethnobotanical tools. The 61 plants of 53 genera and 29 families be there found in use for 15
disease caused by microorganisms and contagious ones also. With reference to highest Use Value (UV), Ficus carica
(0.83), Albizzia lebbeck (0.73) and Psidium guajava (0.71) were found the most used medicinal plant species in area. The
100% Fidelity Level (FL) was calculated for Acacia nilotica being used against gastro, respiratory, diabetics and
hypertension. The highest Relative Frequency Citation (RFC) value was calculated for Citrus aurantifolia. The
maximum Informant Consensus Factor (ICF) index was calculated for gastro and respiratory problems, fever, headache,
and skin infection. The comparative study by calculating Jaccard Index (JI) with reported literature was shown that
8.18%resemblance and 12.81% distinction to earlier studies; however 79.01% medicinal uses of the reported species
were documented the first time. The plants reported with high RPL index can be further analyzed for biochemical
pharmaceutical and biotechnological screening.
Keywords:Biochemical, Diseases, Ethnobotanical study, Jaccard Index, Popular.
behind this study documents the existing ethno-medicinal data about local traditional herbal treatments. Overall, 300
local informants were interviewed from 22different locations of the district and collected data was analyzed by using
different quantitative ethnobotanical tools. The 61 plants of 53 genera and 29 families be there found in use for 15
disease caused by microorganisms and contagious ones also. With reference to highest Use Value (UV), Ficus carica
(0.83), Albizzia lebbeck (0.73) and Psidium guajava (0.71) were found the most used medicinal plant species in area. The
100% Fidelity Level (FL) was calculated for Acacia nilotica being used against gastro, respiratory, diabetics and
hypertension. The highest Relative Frequency Citation (RFC) value was calculated for Citrus aurantifolia. The
maximum Informant Consensus Factor (ICF) index was calculated for gastro and respiratory problems, fever, headache,
and skin infection. The comparative study by calculating Jaccard Index (JI) with reported literature was shown that
8.18%resemblance and 12.81% distinction to earlier studies; however 79.01% medicinal uses of the reported species
were documented the first time. The plants reported with high RPL index can be further analyzed for biochemical
pharmaceutical and biotechnological screening.
Keywords:Biochemical, Diseases, Ethnobotanical study, Jaccard Index, Popular.