Plants Commons^™

Phytochemical And In-Vitro Cytotoxic Analyses Of Flavonoid Species Isolated From Chromolaena Leivensis, Luke A. Bryant

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As a leading cause of death worldwide, cancer and its treatments remain a primary source of interest among researchers. Modern studies are looking into bioselective cytotoxicity to create new chemotherapies that do not have the same harsh side effects as those we use today. Natural product research has a promising future for the development of such treatments. Specifically, polar flavonoids may be the key to a bioselective treatment. Such flavonoid species are native to plants, often within flower petals or within the body. A natural antioxidant, they are designed not to harm healthy cells. This study focuses on the plant …

Chemical And Physical Characterization Of Verbenaceae Essential Oils Using Modern Analytical Methods And Chemometrics, Aleksandra N. Hilliard

Master's Theses

Essential oils have been used for generations to treat various health issues, including mitigating insomnia, reducing stress, inflammation, and preserving foods, to mention a few. Essential oils have complex chemistry, which defines the essence of the host plant. Recently, increased commercial uses of essential oils have prompted attention at the governmental level to monitor the chemical, physical, or biological activity of essential oils. This study is an attempt to add new information for consumers to the understanding of the composition of essential oils.

Modern analytical techniques including FTIR-ATR, GC-MS, LC-MS-MS, multivariate analysis statistics, and physio-chemical techniques (electrochemistry, DPPH, TRC, and …

The Multifunctional Ascorbate Peroxidase Moapx1 Secreted By Magnaporthe Oryzae Mediates The Suppression Of Rice Immunity, Muxing Liu, Ziqian Guo, Jiexiong Hu, Yuke Chen, Fang Chen, Weizhong Chen, Wenya Wang, Boyang Ye, Zhixiang Yang, Gang Li, Xinyu Liu, Haifeng Zhang, Ping Wang, Zhengguang Zhang

School of Graduate Studies Faculty Publications

Fungi secrete effector proteins, including extracellular redox enzymes, to inhibit host immunity. Redox enzymes have been hypothesized to inhibit host reactive oxygen species (ROS); however, how they suppress host immunity remains unknown. We characterized an extracellular ascorbate peroxidase (MoApx1) that is secreted into rice chloroplasts by the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae. MoApx1 displays multifunctional capabilities that significantly contribute to fungal virulence. Firstly, MoApx1 neutralizes host-derived H2O2 within the chloroplast through its peroxidase activity, thereby inhibiting chloroplast ROS (cROS)-mediated defense responses. Secondly, MoApx1 targets the photosystem I subunit OsPsaD, disrupting photosynthetic electron transport to further suppress cROS production. Most importantly, …

Field Journal: The Excluded Middle, Carrie E. Kouts

Masters Theses

What does it look like to engage with organisms and landscapes at the periphery of anthropocentric value structures? How does one break the internalized myth that the “built” environment is excluded from the natural world? When does a hyper-mobile and hyper-commodified society confront the exponential crisis of animal death? Within this series of journal entries, field notes, collection observations, weird prose, and sensory musings, one will find questions on the nature of being human and the complex narratives of care we encounter in a world shared with more-than-humans. Each handwritten vignette and photograph from daily life weaves a non-linear and …

Maackia Amurensis Seed Lectin Structure And Sequence Comparison With Other M. Amurensis Lectins, Ashok R. Nayak, Cayla J. Holdcraft, Ariel C. Yin, Rachel E. Nicoletto, Caifeng Zhao, Haiyan Zheng, Dmitry Temiakov, Gary S. Goldberg

Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Faculty Papers

Maackia amurensis lectins, including MASL, MAA, and MAL2, are widely utilized in biochemical and medicinal research. However, the structural and functional differences between these lectins have not been defined. Here, we present a high-resolution cryo-EM structure of MASL revealing that its tetrameric assembly is directed by two intersubunit disulfide bridges. These bridges, formed by C272 residues, are central to the dimer-of-dimers assembly of a MASL tetramer. This cryo-EM structure also identifies residues involved in stabilizing the dimer interface, multiple glycosylation sites, and calcium and manganese atoms in the sugar-binding pockets of MASL. Notably, our analysis reveals that Y250 in the …

Corporate ‘Capture Strategies’ Impacting Human And Ecosystem Health, Alex T. Ford, Marlene Ågerstrand, Michael G. Bertram, Miriam L. Diamond, Rainer Lohmann, Andreas Schäffer, Martin Scheringer, Gabriel Sigmund, Anna Soehl, Maria Clara V.M. Starling, Noriyuki Suzuki, Marta Venier, Penny Vlahos

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

The concept of regulatory capture has been extensively studied in academic literature, primarily within the social sciences. This phenomenon has been increasingly discussed in the environmental sciences as the impacts of regulatory capture on human and ecosystem health have become increasingly apparent. Regulatory capture is just one tactic employed by vested interests in the strategy of delaying, weakening, or abolishing policies designed to protect the public interest. Here, we define capture strategies as ‘the act of influencing individuals, organizations, or governments to prioritize corporate interests over those of human and ecosystem health’. Similar to the evolution of terms like whitewashing …

In Vitro Antibacterial, Antibiofilm Activities, And Phytochemical Properties Of Posidonia Oceanica (L) Delile: An Endemic Mediterranean Seagrass, Ertugrul Ozbil, Mehmet Ilktac, Sultan Ogmen, Ovgu Isbilen, Jesus M Duran Ramirez, Jana Gomez, Jennifer N Walker, Ender Volkan

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

In the antibiotic resistance era, utilizing understudied sources for novel antimicrobials or antivirulence agents can provide new advances against antimicrobial resistant pathogens. In this study, we aimed to investigate antibacterial and antibiofilm activities of Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile against Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 29212, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 and Klebsiella pneumoniae ATCC 700603 and several S. aureus clinical isolates obtained from medical devices, including patient urinary catheters and breast implant infections, with varying antibiotic recalcitrance profiles. The ethanolic and methanolic extracts from P. oceanica rhizome exhibited significant antibacterial activity against E. faecalis and S. aureus, as well …

Metabolomics Analysis Reveals Metabolite Diversity Of The Rare Cliff Plant Oresitrophe Rupifraga Unge, Hao Wang, Jinjun Cao, Sheng Chang, Caifeng Yan, Guangming Zhang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Oresitrophe is monotypic, with the only species, Oresitrophe rupifraga Bunge, which is exclusive to China, having special growth and developmental traits due to its habitat. Furthermore, it has bright flowers and medicinal benefits. This study investigated the metabolites present in various tissues of Oresitrophe rupifraga Bunge. Using a widely targeted metabolomics approach, 1965 different metabolites were identified in Oresitrophe rupifraga Bunge. Based on principal component analysis (PCA) and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA), the aboveground and underground metabolites of Oresitrophe rupifraga differed significantly. The comparison between bulblets and leaves revealed the differential expression of 461 metabolites, whereas the …

Naturify 2300, Yarina Yiwei Dai

Masters Theses

In my art practice, I explore the interplay between human desires to manipulate and anthropomorphize nature, as seen in the technological augmentation of plants and living entities. This investigation delves into how this intersection, alongside empathy towards these creations, contributes to fears of uncontrollability and the risks of addiction and excessive dependence on technology.

Bioengineering and genetic modification have cultivated unprecedented developments, allowing humans to manipulate the fundamental building blocks of life. My research speculates on this technology further, modifying the genetic code of organisms and creating bioengineered wearable entities with enhanced traits or entirely new functionalities. The primary objective …

Confirmation And Inheritance Of Glufosinate Resistance In An Amaranthus Palmeri Population From North Carolina, Eric A L Jones, Jeffrey C Dunne, Charles W Cahoon, Katherine M Jennings, Ramon G Leon, Wesley J Everman

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

A putative glufosinate‐resistant Amaranthus palmeri population was reported in 2015 in Anson County, North Carolina. The results from dose–response assays conducted in the field suggested plants were surviving lethal rates of glufosinate. Dose–response assays conducted in the glasshouse determined the Anson County accession exhibited reduced susceptibility to glufosinate compared to three glufosinate‐susceptible populations. The LD50 values (210–316 g ai ha−1) for the Anson County population were always higher than the LD50 values (118–158 g ai ha−1) for the tested susceptible populations from the dose–response assays. Anson County plants that survived lethal glufosinate rates were reciprocally crossed with susceptible plants to …

High-Density Genetic Map Construction And Qtl Mapping Of A Zigzag-Shaped Stem Trait In Tea Plant (Camellia Sinensis), Dingding Liu, Yuanyuan Ye, Rongjin Tang, Yang Gong, Si Chen, Chenyu Zhang, Piao Mei, Jiedan Chen, Liang Chen, Chunlei Ma

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The highly unique zigzag-shaped stem phenotype in tea plants boasts significant ornamental value and is exceptionally rare. To investigate the genetic mechanism behind this trait, we developed BC1 artificial hybrid populations. Our genetic analysis revealed the zigzag-shaped trait as a qualitative trait. Utilizing whole-genome resequencing, we constructed a high-density genetic map from the BC1 population, incorporating 5,250 SNP markers across 15 linkage groups, covering 3,328.51 cM with an average marker interval distance of 0.68 cM. A quantitative trait locus (QTL) for the zigzag-shaped trait was identified on chromosome 4, within a 61.2 to 97.2 Mb range, accounting for a phenotypic …

Rosarugosides A And D From Osa Rugosa Flower Buds: Their Potential Anti-Skin-Aging Effects Intnf-Α-Induced Human Dermal Fibroblasts, Kang Sub Kim, So-Ri Son, Yea Jung Choi, Yejin Kim, Si-Young Ahn, Dae Sik Jang, Sullim Lee

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

This present study investigated the anti-skin-aging properties of Rosa rugosa. Initially, phenolic compounds were isolated from a hot water extract of Rosa rugosa's flower buds. Through repeated chromatography (column chromatography, MPLC, and prep HPLC), we identified nine phenolic compounds (1-9), including a previously undescribed depside, rosarugoside D (1). The chemical structure of 1 was elucidated via NMR, HR-MS, UV, and hydrolysis. Next, in order to identify bioactive compounds that are effective against TNF-α-induced NHDF cells, we measured intracellular ROS production in samples treated with each of the isolated compounds (1- …

An Analysis Of Conventional And Modern Packaging Approaches For Cut Flowers: A Review Article, Nahed M Rashed, Saba Ambreen Memon, Saleh M Al Turki, Tarek A Shalaby, Mohamed M El-Mogy

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Fresh-cut flowers are considered to be one of the most delicate and challenging commercial crops. It is important to take into consideration how to minimize loss during storage and transportation when preserving cut flowers. Many impinging (bad effect) forces can interact to shorten the flowers' vase life. In the flower industry, effective methods need to be developed to extend freshly cut flowers' life. Fresh-cut flowers' vase life can be shortened by a variety of interlocking causes. The flower industry must develop new techniques to extend the flowers' vase lifespan. This review provides comprehensive, up-to-date information on classical, modified atmosphere packaging …

Comparison Of Energy Budget Of Cockroach Nymph (Hemimetabolous) And Hornworm (Holometabolous) Under Food Restriction, Charles J Green, Chen Hou

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Animals with different life histories budget their intake energy differently when food availability is low. It has been shown previously that hornworm (larva of Manduca sexta), a holometabolous insect species with a short development stage, prioritizes growth at the price of metabolism under food restriction, but it is unclear how hemimetabolous insect species with a relatively long development period budget their intake energy under food scarcity. Here, we use orange head cockroaches (Eublaberus posticus) to investigate this question. We found that for both species under food restriction, rates of metabolism and growth were suppressed, but the degree …

Intra-Decadal Increase In Globally-Spread Magallana Gigas In Southern California Estuaries, Marah L Wolfe, Chelsea M Bowers-Doerning, Anabell Espinosa, Ty Frantz, William J Hoese, Joann G Lam, Kailee R Lamp, Rachael A Lyons, Justin K Nguyen, Bryce D Keyes, Jada Smith, Holly L Suther, Meaghan Swintek, Juliann C Vannordstrand, Danielle C Zacherl

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction and establishment of non-indigenous species (NIS) has been accelerated on a global scale by climate change. NIS Magallana gigas' (formerly Crassostrea gigas') global spread over the past several decades has been linked to warming waters, specifically during summer months, raising the specter of more spread due to predicted warming. We tracked changes in density and size distribution of M. gigas in two southern California, USA bays over the decade spanning 2010-2020 using randomly placed quadrats across multiple intertidal habitats (e.g., cobble, seawalls, riprap) and documented density increases by 2.2 to 32.8 times at 7 of the 8 sites surveyed …

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 …

Plants As Vectors For Environmental Prion Transmission, Christina M Carlson, Samuel Thomas, Matthew W Keating, Paulina Soto, Nicole M Gibbs, Haeyoon Chang, Jamie K Wiepz, Annabel G Austin, Jay R Schneider, Rodrigo Morales, Christopher J Johnson, Joel A Pedersen

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Prions cause fatal neurodegenerative diseases and exhibit remarkable durability, which engenders a wide array of potential exposure scenarios. In chronic wasting disease of deer, elk, moose, and reindeer and in scrapie of sheep and goats, prions are transmitted via environmental routes and the ability of plants to accumulate and subsequently transmit prions has been hypothesized, but not previously demonstrated. Here, we establish the ability of several crop and other plant species to take up prions via their roots and translocate them to above-ground tissues from various growth media including soils. We demonstrate that plants can accumulate prions in above-ground tissues …

Reintroducing Hemp (Rongony) In The Material Palette Of Madagascar: A Study On The Potential Of Hemp Clay Components And Its Impact On Social And Ecological Communities., Henintsoa Thierry Andrianambinina

Masters Theses

When mentioning the word hemp, especially in the local language of Madagascar, the literal translation does not set it apart from marijuana, as they are both called “rongony” - creating the stigma around hemp as the negative stereotype of marijuana. However, the material has been used by the ancestors of Madagascar, as well as across cultures, in its fibrous form to produce fabrication like textile goods and packaging. During colonization, the prohibition of hemp intensified, and since then, any activity related to either of these plants is prohibited and will end in severe punitive measures. This thesis explores the strengths …

The Metabolic Profile Of Young, Watered Chickpea Plants Can Be Used As A Biomarker To Predict Seed Number Under Terminal Drought, Sarah J Purdy, David Fuentes, Purushothaman Ramamoorthy, Christopher Nunn, Brent N Kaiser, Andrew Merchant

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Chickpea is the second-most-cultivated legume globally, with India and Australia being the two largest producers. In both of these locations, the crop is sown on residual summer soil moisture and left to grow on progressively depleting water content, finally maturing under terminal drought conditions. The metabolic profile of plants is commonly, correlatively associated with performance or stress responses, e.g., the accumulation of osmoprotective metabolites during cold stress. In animals and humans, metabolites are also prognostically used to predict the likelihood of an event (usually a disease) before it occurs, e.g., blood cholesterol and heart disease. We sought to discover metabolic …

Eco-Interoception: What Plants, Fungi And Protista Have Taught My Body, Sara Riley Dotterer

Art Theses and Dissertations

To me, ecology is the relational, full-body awareness that I am made up of and deeply connected to everything around me; and for better or worse, this is reciprocal. I form ecotones, an ecological transitional zone between two ecosystems, with the world around me. I use this ecotonal lens to blur binaries and dissolve boundaries between me and the world “outside my body.” During my Masters of Fine Arts at Southern Methodist University, I have continuously explored and represented the lives of various more-than-human species outside of my body, including plants, fungi and protista through an ecotonal lens. Although these …

Ramie (Boehmeria Nivea): An Underutilized Plant For A Multipurpose Industrial Application; A Perennial Plant With Protein Identification Using Maldi-Ms, A Biosorbent For Hg (Ii) Removal From Water And As A Bast Fiber Production Via Enzymatic Degumming, Abdul Rashid Issifu

Master's Theses

Identifying plant species that can offer life support to humans and animals without damaging the environment is quite challenging. Ramie, one of the oldest fiber crops was studied due to its nutritional value as fodder and other multipurpose applications in, e.g., medicinal, environmental, and textile industrial fields.

With a brief discussion of background in Chapter I, Chapter II focused on using a proteomic method to investigate unknown proteins in the leaves of ramie and to study their benefits to the biological system. PPiase and RuBisCO with molecular weight 15 and 52 KDa were identified as the proteins after peptide mass …

Facile Green Synthesis Of Cinnamomum Tamala Extract Capped Silver Nanoparticles And Its Biological Applications, Sajina Narath, S. Sharath Shankar, Saranya Kothaplamoottil Sivan, Bini George, T. Dennis Thomas, Sankarannair Sabarinath, Sajithkumar K. Jayaprakash, Stanisław Wacławek, Vinod V.T. Padil

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

The plant mediated biogenic synthesis of nanoparticles is of magnificent concern due to its eco-benign and single pot nature. Here, Cinnamomum tamala (C. tamala) aqueous leaf extract was utilised for the silver nanoparticles’ (Ag NPs) synthesis. The phytoconstituents in the leaf extract were analysed by standard methods. These metabolites, especially carbohydrate polymers reduce Ag ions to Ag NPs accompanied by a reddish-brown coloration of the reaction mixture. The visual observation of intense brown colour is the first indication of the formation of Ag NPs. Various spectro-analytical techniques further characterise the Ag NPs. The green synthesised spherical Ag NPs were crystalline …

Moerv14 Mediates The Intracellular Transport Of Cell Membrane Receptors To Govern The Appressorial Formation And Pathogenicity Of Magnaporthe Oryzae, Bin Qian, Xiaotong Su, Ziyuan Ye, Xinyu Liu, Muxing Liu, Haifeng Zhang, Ping Wang, Zhengguang Zhang

School of Graduate Studies Faculty Publications

Magnaporthe oryzae causes rice blasts posing serious threats to food security worldwide. During infection, M. oryzae utilizes several transmembrane receptor proteins that sense cell surface cues to induce highly specialized infectious structures called appressoria. However, little is known about the mechanisms of intracellular receptor tracking and their function. Here, we described that disrupting the coat protein complex II (COPII) cargo protein MoErv14 severely affects appressorium formation and pathogenicity as the ΔMoerv14 mutant is defective not only in cAMP production but also in the phosphorylation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) MoPmk1. Studies also showed that either externally supplementing cAMP or …

Potential Mitigation Of Environmental Impacts Of Intensive Plum Production In Southeast China With Maintenance Of High Yields: Evaluation Using Life Cycle Assessment, Xiaojun Yan, Delian Ye, Yafu Tang, Muhammad Atif Muneer, Peter Christie, Congyue Tou, Weidong Xu, Bingrong Shen, Jinxian Xu, Jiangzhou Zhang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

INTRODUCTION: Intensive plum production usually involves high yields but also high environmental costs due to excessive fertilizer inputs. Quantitative analysis of the environmental effects of plum production is thereby required in the development of optimum strategies to promote sustainable fruit production.

METHODS: We collected survey questionnaires from 254 plum production farms in Zhao'an county, Fujian province, southeast China to assess the environmental impacts by life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology. The farms were categorized into four groups based on yield and environmental impacts, i.e., LL (low yield and low environmental impact), LH (low yield but high environmental impact), HL (high yield …

Mycorrhiza-Mediated Recruitment Of Complete Denitrifying Pseudomonas Reduces N2o Emissions From Soil, Xia Li, Ruotong Zhao, Dandan Li, Guangzhou Wang, Shuikuan Bei, Xiaotang Ju, Ran An, Long Li, Thomas W Kuyper, Peter Christie, Franz S Bender, Ciska Veen, Marcel G A Van Der Heijden, Wim H Van Der Putten, Fusuo Zhang, Klaus Butterbach-Bahl, Junling Zhang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are key soil organisms and their extensive hyphae create a unique hyphosphere associated with microbes actively involved in N cycling. However, the underlying mechanisms how AMF and hyphae-associated microbes may cooperate to influence N2O emissions from "hot spot" residue patches remain unclear. Here we explored the key microbes in the hyphosphere involved in N2O production and consumption using amplicon and shotgun metagenomic sequencing. Chemotaxis, growth and N2O emissions of isolated N2O-reducing bacteria in response to hyphal exudates were tested using in vitro cultures and inoculation experiments.

Results: AMF hyphae reduced denitrification-derived N2O emission (max. 63%) …

Maize/Peanut Intercropping Has Greater Synergistic Effects And Home-Field Advantages Than Maize/Soybean On Straw Decomposition, Surigaoge Surigaoge, Hao Yang, Ye Su, Yu-He Du, Su-Xian Ren, Dario Fornara, Peter Christie, Wei-Ping Zhang, Long Li

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

INTRODUCTION: The decomposition of plant litter mass is responsible for substantial carbon fluxes and remains a key process regulating nutrient cycling in natural and managed ecosystems. Litter decomposition has been addressed in agricultural monoculture systems, but not in intercropping systems, which produce species-diverse litter mass mixtures. The aim here is to quantify how straw type, the soil environment and their combined effects may influence straw decomposition in widely practiced maize/legume intercropping systems.

METHODS: Three decomposition experiments were conducted over 341 days within a long-term intercropping field experiment which included two nitrogen (N) addition levels (i.e. no-N and N-addition) and five …

Sector Rural Colombiano, Salud Y Plaguicidas, Sandra Patricia Carmona Urueña, Maria Nieves Avila Avila, Claudia Del Rocío Contreras Rodríguez, Sindy Alejandro Cifuentes Guerrero, José Ever Ramírez Calderón

Ciencias de la Salud

La región del Sumapaz de Colombia es conocida como la despensa agrícola de Cundinamarca tiene una importante actividad económica en la producción de frutas y hortalizas, por lo que se debe conocer el estado sociocultural, demográfico, ambiental, laboral y de salud de los productores. Otro aspecto es la composición del suelo y el agua que se enfrenta a la degradación debido al abuso de plaguicidas, la deforestación, los monocultivos, la falta de cultura ambiental y presencia institucional, y los proyectos comunitarios ecoamigables. Los campesinos de la región se caracterizan por bajos niveles de educación, lo que afecta su capacidad para …

Identification Of Minimum Essential Therapeutic Mixtures From Cannabis Plant Extracts By Screening In Cell And Animal Models Of Parkinson’S Disease, Michael G Morash, Jessica Nixon, Lori M N Shimoda, Helen Turner, Alexander J Stokes, Andrea L Small-Howard, Lee D Ellis

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Medicinal cannabis has shown promise for the symptomatic treatment of Parkinson's disease (PD), but patient exposure to whole plant mixtures may be undesirable due to concerns around safety, consistency, regulatory issues, and psychoactivity. Identification of a subset of components responsible for the potential therapeutic effects within cannabis represents a direct path forward for the generation of anti-PD drugs. Using an

Behavioural Support And Nicotine Replacement Therapy For Smokeless Tobacco Cessation: Protocol For A Pilot Randomised-Controlled Multi-Country Trial, Faraz Siddiqui, Linda Bauld, Ray Croucher, Cath Jackson, Ian Kellar, Mona Kanaan, Subhash Pokhrel, Rumana Huque, Romaina Iqbal, Javaid Ahmed Khan

Community Health Sciences

Background: Smokeless tobacco (ST) is consumed globally by more than 350 million people, with approximately 85% of all users based in South and Southeast Asia. In this region, ST products are cheap and easily accessible. Evidence-based interventions to people quit ST use are lacking. This study aims to test the feasibility of conducting a future definitive trial of ST cessation, using a culturally adapted behavioural intervention, and/or nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) in three South Asian countries.
Methods: We will conduct a factorial design, randomised-controlled pilot trial in Bangladesh, India and Pakistan. Daily ST users will be recruited from primary health …

An Herbal Liver Effect: Ashwagandha-Induced Hepatotoxicity, Mohammad Rattu, Eric Maddock, James Espinosa, Alan Lucerna, Neeharika Bhatnagar

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Ashwagandha is a popular Ayurvedic herb that is derived from the extracts of the roots of Withania somnifera, an evergreen shrub endemic to India and Southeast Asia. It is generally utilized as a tonic to increase one’s energy and reduce stress levels. Often referred to as “Indian ginseng”, it provides neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory properties that address stress, pain, and fatigue. Additionally, it may assist in dealing with rashes, diabetes, and arthritis. It has also been shown to counteract the effects of aging. Though these properties have not been shown in prospective studies, it has become a popular product among western …