Botany Commons^™

Potential Applications Of Thymus Vulgaris In Dental Care: A Review Of Antimicrobial And Oral Health Benefits, Lakenzia Z. Ham

Undergraduate Research Conference

This research proposal focuses on how common thyme (Thymus vulgaris) can be used in dental care. There has been more interest in natural products for dental health because some common dental treatments can have side effects or lead to antibiotic resistance. Thyme contains natural compounds like thymol and carvacrol that help kill bacteria, reduce inflammation, and prevent buildup on teeth.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the current scientific literature to see the effectiveness of thyme in preventing common oral health problems like cavities, gum disease, and bad breath. Research shows that thyme can fight bacteria …

Comparative Antiscabies Efficacy Of Sonneratia Alba Extracts: Evaluation Of Plant Parts And Concentrations In Mice, Delima Engga Maretha, Lara Mukti Taresha, Karina Yuliana, Iis Ariska, Silvia Diah Lestari

Makara Journal of Science

This study evaluated the antiscabies efficacy of 70% ethanol extracts from various parts of the mangrove Sonneratia alba (leaves, flowers, bark, and roots) as a potential alternative therapy. The primary objective was to compare the healing effects of the extracts at different concentrations on scabies lesions in mice (Mus musculus). Using a completely randomized design, 24 male Swiss Webster mice were assigned to four groups: a control (K0) group and three treatment groups to receive 10% (K1), 20% (K2), and 30% (K3) extract concentrations topically twice daily. The results demonstrated that the S. alba extracts had significant effects …

Exploring The Potential Of Martian Agriculture: Assessing Viability And Nutritional Composition Of Plants Cultivated In Martian Regolith, Abigail Ross

Honors Theses

In addition to sunlight and water, plants can utilize a small number of nutrients from the soil to biosynthesize all the materials that are needed for growth and development. However, plants require an environment where they are able to obtain those nutrients, such as iron, magnesium, potassium, sulfur, and nitrogen. Environmental factors determine the types and accessibility of nutrients available to plants. Plants then take up these nutrients from the soil to aid in biological mechanisms and the synthesis of important molecules needed for growth and development. Ascorbic acid, commonly known as Vitamin C, is a vital molecule that is …

Evaluation Of Anti-Bacterial Efficacy Of Ginger, Resin Gum, And Nigella Sativa Irrigants Against Enterococcus Faecalis: An In Vitro Study, Iman El Ghazzawy, Leen Imad Hasbini, Reem Chamseddine, Wael Betbout, Roula Abiad

International Arab Journal of Dentistry

Objectives: To evaluate the antibacterial efficacy of Ginger, Resin Gum, and Nigella Sativa, against Enterococcus Faecalis.

Methods: Thirty-eight extracted single-rooted premolars were inoculated with E.faecalis, except the negative control, and incubated for 4 weeks. After instrumentation samples were divided into 4 groups (n=7) according to final irrigation: NaOCl+EDTA (Group A), Nigella sativa (B), Resin Gum (C), Ginger (D), plus 2 control groups (n=5): Saline (E), and Saline without bacterial inoculation (F). Cultures were collected at baseline and after irrigation.

Results: One-way ANOVA showed that in groups A-D a statistically significant reduction of bacterial load was observed at …

Insights Into The Floral Senescence Effects Of Nanoparticles, Vuk Uskoković

Administration and Staff Articles and Research

Flowers could be valuable addenda to nanomedicine labs as in vivo models crossing the gap between the cell culture and small mammals. However, as it is shown here, floral models continue to be predominantly utilized within resource-limited research environments and remain largely underrepresented in mainstream biomedical investigations conducted by well-funded institutions in the developed world. The ability to delay the senescence of Orange Jubilee wildflowers was tested here on three types of nanoparticles: selenite-doped hydroxyapatite (HAp), citrate-stabilized HAp, and superparamagnetic iron oxide. Integration of selenite into the HAp crystal lattice produced a mild increase in the senescence rate …

The Ethnobotany And Pharmacology Of Medicinal Plants For Caribbean Women’S Health, Ella Thomas Vardeman

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Approximately 55% of the world’s population lives in cities, and the United Nations estimates that this number will rise to 68% by 2050. Urban ethnobotany, the study of people’s traditional knowledge and use of plants in cities, is increasingly important as people adapt their cultural traditions to changing environments. In New York City (NYC), there have been several urban ethnobotany investigations in collaboration with Caribbean immigrant groups. However, there has yet to be an ethnobotanical survey that documents and botanically authenticates the medicinal plants used in the Haitian community. Previous collaborative research with women from the Caribbean in NYC has …

Raíces Y Recuerdos: Plantas Ornamentales Para Entornos Saludables, Adriana Hernández Bustos, María Janeth Camargo Garzón, María Victoria Rojas Martínez, Segundo Leonardo Cortes López

Ciencias de la Salud

El reino vegetal es un universo lleno de vida, colores, texturas, aromas y beneficios que trascienden a través del tiempo. Es un aliado perfecto para el trabajo conjunto e intergeneracional; para este caso, las plantas no solo embellecen los paisajes y espacios, sino que tienen además el poder de mejorar nuestra calidad de vida, especialmente cuando se integran en actividades terapéuticas y sociales con personas mayores.

Rwanda's Natural Remedies: A Fresh Look At The Fight Against Malaria, Leandre Nsabimana Ndisanze

Pomona Senior Theses

Malaria remains one of the most devastating parasitic diseases globally, disproportionately affecting sub-Saharan Africa, where Rwanda continues to face high transmission rates and rising resistance to conventional interventions. Despite decades of control efforts, the emergence of drug-resistant Plasmodium falciparum and insecticide-resistant Anopheles mosquitoes threatens to reverse recent gains. This research responds to the urgent need for sustainable and culturally relevant alternatives by exploring the therapeutic potential of Rwandan traditional medicinal plants. These indigenous remedies, long used by local healers, offer an underexplored reservoir of bioactive compounds that may provide the basis for novel antimalarial drugs.

The central hypothesis of this …

With Love, ; An Interdisciplinary And Intersectional Look At Why Creativity Is Essential, Theo Starr Gardner

Whittier Scholars Program

My Whittier Scholars Program self-designed major, Teaching Creativity, is a mixture of Art, Literature, and Education classes. My research and praxis classes have been focused on the ‘how?’s and 'why?’s of creativity, so it felt only right that my project should be a constructivist, generative project. The project I have been working on throughout my time at Whittier, and that has just fully come to fruition on April 11th, 2024, was a solo art gallery/open mic event entitled ‘With Love,’. With Love, was conceptually inspired by the research I’ve conducted on creativity and creative arts education over the past few …

Prioritizing Indigenous Participation And Compensation In Research, Amanda Sabin

Journal of Critical Global Issues

Throughout history, the dynamic between colonial entities and indigenous groups has been characterized by exploitation and power imbalance. Indigenous knowledge has the potential to positively impact the world, through medicinal breakthroughs, radical approaches to sustainability, cultural heritage, systems of learning and adaptation, and more. Particularly in the context of research, fields like anthropology, botany and pharmacology serve to benefit from indigenous knowledge, but these interactions cannot continue to be based on extraction at the cost of indigenous communities. This work will discuss the future of relationships between researchers and indigenous communities; how this power dynamic must be transformed into an …

Incorporating Sex-Diverse And Gender-Inclusive Perspectives In Higher Education Biology Courses, Breanne N. Harris, A Kelsey Lewis, Sam L. Sharpe, Teri J. Orr, Christopher T. Martine, Chloe C. Josefson

Faculty Journal Articles

Inclusive teaching is teaching in a way that reaches all students in the classroom; this is beneficial for everyone, particularly for those with minoritized identities. Instructors play a critical role in scaffolding how students are exposed to and learn science content in the classroom. In this manuscript, we discuss how biology instructors can make their classrooms more inclusive with regard to sex and gender diversity content. Many topics in biology are based on androcentric, heteronormative, and oppressive framing, even though those lenses are more reflective of our own history and culture than they are of the diversity we see in …

Reducing Food Scarcity: The Benefits Of Urban Farming, S.A. Claudell, Emilio Mejia

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

Urban farming can enhance the lives of communities and help reduce food scarcity. This paper presents a conceptual prototype of an efficient urban farming community that can be scaled for a single apartment building or an entire community across all global geoeconomics regions, including densely populated cities and rural, developing towns and communities. When deployed in coordination with smart crop choices, local farm support, and efficient transportation then the result isn’t just sustainability, but also increasing fresh produce accessibility, optimizing nutritional value, eliminating the use of ‘forever chemicals’, reducing transportation costs, and fostering global environmental benefits.

Imagine Doris, who is …

Ethnobotanical Study Of Antihemorrhagic Plants In The Skikda Region (North East Of Algeria), Nabila Souilah, Hamdi Bendif, Abdelkrim Benaradj, Abdelouaheb Belaid, Scherazad Mekious

Journal of Bioresource Management

Our survey was carried out at the level of 17 Municipalities of the Province of Skikda. Questionnaire sheets were distributed to 55 herbalists and 350 locale population (informants). The processing of survey data with the local population shows us that women (52 %) have more knowledge of phytotherapy compared to men (48 %) with a fairly high level of education. For the herbalists, we found that most are men (85.45 %) aged between 31-40 years (29.09 %) and 41-50 years (25.45 %), and with level of university study (36.36 %). On the other hand, 52.73 % of herbalists said they …

Nutritional Profile And Health Benefits Of Stevia Rebaudiana Bertoni: An Updated Review, Ishrat Fatima, Mubashrah Munir, Sehrish Sadia, Akash Tariq, Rahmatullah Qureshi

Journal of Bioresource Management

Aim of this comprehensive review is to document the up-dated data about pharmaceutical potential of Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni with special focus on its antioxidant activity. A total of 184 research articles were reviewed and five research engines were used to collect the data. The S. rebaudiana (Asteraceae) is indigenous to South America, now cultivated in many countries worldwide to be used as a natural bio-sweetener. Various nutritionally and medically important bioactive compounds such as diterpene glycosides, fatty acids, alkaloids, tannins, saponins, anthraquinones, phenolics, flavonoids, carbohydrates, carotenoids, steroids, polysaccharides and other phytochemicals constitute chemical composition of Stevia. Owing to the …

Biocultural Diversity Of Medicine In Tsum Valley, Ashira Weinreich

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Health is intrinsically connected to biodiversity in the Himalayan mountains of Tsum Valley. Medicinal plants have historically been integral to primary health care in this region. The main objectives of this paper are to explore the role of biocultural diversity on perceptions of health and to demonstrate that medicinal plant knowledge contributes to health sovereignty in times of cultural and environmental change. The nutritional and medicinal significance of plants were examined in the daily lives of villagers. Semi-structured interviews were conducted from April to May 2023. Preliminary results are analyzed ethnographically. Interviews and participant observation will provide a rich understanding …

Medicinal Plant Use For Type-2 Diabetes Treatment In The Traditional Vietnamese Medicine System Of Southern Vietnam, Lan Truong

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This ethnobotanical study examines the traditional health care system of the Mekong River Delta in Vietnam. The basic inquiry focuses on how the healers in the traditional Vietnamese medicine (TVM) system are treating a disease relatively new in Vietnam, type-2 diabetes (T2D). The study includes a description of the system in which the healers work. The research design compares two locations, one on the mainland (Rạch Giá City) and the other on a nearby island (Phú Quốc Island).

There are six chapters. The first chapter establishes foundational information about the region, population, and the traditional medical system. The results of …

Integration Of Medicinal Fungi Into The Heber W. Youngken Jr. Medicinal Garden, Anthony Makashov

Senior Honors Projects

The Heber W. Youngken Jr. Medicinal Garden is a one-of-a-kind resource that houses close to 300 medicinal plants and is filled to the brim with educational opportunities. For the College of Pharmacy, this garden has been the centerpiece of many classes taught here at the University of Rhode Island and has roots as a physical teaching space. While the garden contains a plethora of plant species, medicinal fungi have yet to have been included in the garden, despite their relevance as both sources of pharmaceutical drug discovery and as natural products with inherent physiological benefits themselves. The purpose of my …

Subcellular Localization Of Tobacco Sabp2 Under Normal And Stress Conditions, Sanjeev Das

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Subcellular Localization of Tobacco SABP2 under Normal and Stress Conditions

Salicylic acid (SA), a phytohormone, plays an important role in plant physiology. SA mediated innate immune pathway is an important pathway for plant immunity against pathogens. Plants resisting pathogen infection synthesize higher levels of Methyl Salicylate (MeSA), which is then converted to SA by the esterase activity of Salicylic Acid Binding Protein 2 (SABP2). The high level of the converted SA leads to enhanced pathogen resistance. The study of subcellular localization of a protein is critical in explaining its potential biochemical functions. SABP2 tagged with eGFP was expressed transiently in …

Hexadecane Petroleum, And Biofuel Utilization In Marine Bacteria Isolated From Ballast Tanks, Alex Yashchenko

Graduate Theses

This study characterized the growth of bacteria isolated from ballast tank fluids in hexadecane, petroleum, plant, and algae-derived fuels. The study was performed to explore the capacity of ballast tank isolates to survive and grow within fuels that may be stored within ballast tanks. Results of the hexadecane analysis indicated that most isolates had higher viable cell counts in media supplemented with hexadecane. Members of Alteromonas, Pseudoalteromonas, and a single Brevundimonas species had viable cell counts that were one or several orders ofmagnitude greater than that of controls. Results offuel analysis indicated higher viable cell counts in pure JP-5 and …

Phenology Of Cupressaceae Urban Infrastructure Related To Its Pollen Content And Meteorological Variables, A. Monroy-Colín, J. M. Maya-Manzano, I. Silva-Palacios, R. Tormo-Molina, R. Pecero-Casimiro, Á. Gonzalo-Garijo, S. Fernández-Rodríguez

Articles

Cupressaceae pollen is one of the major airborne allergens of the Mediterranean region and in other regions around the world. Pollen production of these species causes considerable allergic problems during winter, being this type of pollen the most abundant in this period of the year. This work aims to relate phenology, meteorology and airborne pollen records in these species. Aerobiological sampling was carried out in Badajoz (SW Spain) from 2016 to 2018 using Hirst-type volumetric sampler. Pollination phenology was studied in 50 specimens, ten of Cupressus macrocarpa, ten of Cupressus arizonica, 15 of Cupressus sempervirens and 15 of …

Hysplit As An Environmental Impact Assessment Tool To Study The Data Discrepancies Between Olea Europaea Airborne Pollen Records And Its Phenology In Sw Spain, Alejandro Monroy-Colín, J. M. Maya-Manzano, Rafael Tormo-Molina, Raúl Pecero-Casimiro, María Ángeles Gonzalo-Garijo, Santiago Fernández-Rodríguez

Articles

The olive tree (Olea europaea) is a native evergreen tree in the Mediterranean region, being one of the most important causes of seasonal respiratory allergies in Mediterranean countries. This work aims to relate flowering phenology, source tree distribution, meteorology, and airborne pollen records for this species and to analyse the possible arrival of air masses from distant areas during days when differences between the phenological and pollen peaks. Aerobiological sampling was carried out in Badajoz (SW Spain) for 4 years (2016–2019) using a Hirst volumetric sampler. Trees were geolocalized in the city and surrounding areas. The pollination phenology of 15 …

Antibacterial, Antifungal, Antioxidant Activity And Polyphenol Content Of Aerial Parts And Bulbs Of Allium Schugnanicum., Saidbeg Satorov, F. Mirzoeva, Sh. Kurbonbekova, Sh. Satorov, M. Vakhidova, Vyacheslav Dushenkov

Publications and Research

Objective: То study of antibacterial, antifungal and antioxidant activity, and content of polyphenols in the bulb and aerial parts of an endemic species of onion A. schugnanicum. Methods: An ethanol-based extract was prepared from fresh plants. Total polyphenolic content (Folin) and ABTS antioxidant capacity assays were used to characterized extracts. Extracts obtained from bulbs, peduncle, and seeds demonstrated antibacterial activity against the reference Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 4929), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 4930) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (ATCC 4927) strains, as well as against the hospital strains of the same types of bacteria, i.e. strains isolated from inpatient surgical patients. Results: The study …

Ethnobotany And Dai Medicine: Herbal Roots, Jasper Tsai

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Xishuangbanna is home to one of the most biologically and culturally diverse regions in China. Dai medicine from the Dai people has been recognized by China as one of the four major ethnic minority medicines. With over 2,500 years of practice, Dai medicine utilizes the herbs found in the diverse region mixed with principles and theories from Buddhism. There have been over 500 unique herbs used in Dai medicine, each with different properties and functions. As Xishuangbanna continues to develop as a city and expand its rubber and banana plantations, it has large impacts on the environment, living standard, education, …

Steenbergen, Joel (Fa 1325), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Folklife Archives Finding Aids

Finding aid and full-text scan of paper (Click on “Additional Files” below) for Folklife Archives Project 1325. Student folk studies project titled “Ginseng: The Wonder of the World,” about the history and folklore of ginseng in the United States, its uses, the harvesting process and tools.

An Evaluation Of The Medicinal Plants Of Andros Island, Bahamas, Vivian Pedrozo

Theses and Dissertations

The earliest civilizations have been using plants as their foundation for healing and medicinal traditions for thousands of years. The use of plant medicinals, more commonly known as “bush medicine” on Andros Island, has been rapidly decreasing due an increased presence of western medicine and increased population pressures from urbanization that are threatening local biodiversity hotspots. Ethnobotany is not only important from a conservation standpoint but is also used to preserve traditional knowledge of herbal medicinals and applications, the people of Andros continue to rely on bush medicine, mainly in the form of teas to help manage health related problems. …

An Overview Of American Ginseng Through The Lens Of Healing, Conservation And Trade, Margaret Wulfsberg

Lawrence University Honors Projects

American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) is an herbaceous plant found in the eastern United States and Canada. Due to the high demand for ginseng roots on the Chinese market, it has been harvested at unsustainable rates. If this continues, overharvest along with other environmental factors will lead it to become extinct in the wild. American ginseng became popular due to its similarities with Asian ginseng, (Panax ginseng), a related plant that has been used in Chinese medicine for hundreds of years. Since there is so little Asian ginseng left in the wild, American ginseng now helps satisfy …

Purification And Characterization Of A Nonspecific Lipid Transfer Protein 1 (Nsltp1) From Ajwain (Trachyspermum Ammi) Seeds, Meshal Nazeer, Humera Waheed, Maria Saeed, Saman Yousuf Ali, M. Iqbal Choudhary, Zaheer Ul-Haq, Aftab Ahmed

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Ajwain (Trachyspermum ammi) belongs to the family Umbelliferae, is commonly used in traditional, and folk medicine due to its carminative, stimulant, antiseptic, diuretic, antihypertensive, and hepatoprotective activities. Non-specific lipid transfer proteins (nsLTPs) reported from various plants are known to be involved in transferring lipids between membranes and in plants defense response. Here, we describe the complete primary structure of a monomeric non-specific lipid transfer protein 1 (nsLTP1), with molecular weight of 9.66 kDa, from ajwain seeds. The nsLTP1 has been purified by combination of chromatographic techniques, and further characterized by mass spectrometry, and Edman degradation. The ajwain nsLTP1 …

Mass Caffeination, Michael J. Leach

The Transdisciplinary STEAM+ Journal

This poem reflects on caffeine intake in modern society from the perspective of a pharmacologist. It is a free verse, concrete poem that communicates the science of caffeine through both words and visual images.

Recovering Our Roots: The Importance Of Salish Ethnobotanical Knowledge And Traditional Food Systems To Community Wellbeing On The Flathead Indian Reservation In Montana., Mitchell Rose Bear Don't Walk

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This thesis provides a culturally-comprehensive review of the plants utilized for food in the Bitterroot Salish tribe of northwestern Montana. As part of the larger Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CS&KT) of the Flathead Indian Reservation, the Bitterroot Salish historically utilized hundreds of plants for food, medicine and hygiene. This thesis aims to highlight food plants and their important cultural components. The information herein is a combination of history, ethnography, linguistics, ethnobotany, and first-hand experience with the current Salish community to provide a holistic framework of understanding traditional food plants today. A comprehensive plant list is provided with Latin, Salish …

Correcting For The Inconveniences Of Cultivation: Foraging As A Food Source In Southwestern Burkina Faso, Julia Deryn Morgan

Geography Honors Projects

Malnutrition is an important public health issue in Burkina Faso where 30 % of children are underweight for their age and 92% suffer from iron deficiency. Such statistics indicate that there is a significant lack of adequate nutrition in the country. With approximately 80% of the population employed in the agricultural sector, development projects have focused on increasing agricultural production and commercializing output to ameliorate poor nutrition. However, this strategy ignores the importance of local knowledge and food traditions, most notably by neglecting to acknowledge foraging as a significant source of food. To address this concern, I seek to understand …