Acclimatization of photosynthetic apparatus and antioxidant metabolism to excess soil cadmium in Buddleja spp.

Heavy metal (HM) pollutants can cause serious phytotoxicity or oxidative stress in plants. Buddleja L., commonly known as "butterfly bushes", are frequently found growing on HM-contaminated land. However, to date, few studies have focused on the physiological and biochemical responses of Buddleja species to HM stress. In this study, potted seedlings of B. asiatica Lour. and B. macrostachya Wall. ex Benth. were subjected to various cadmium (Cd) concentrations (0, 25, 50, 100, and 200 mg kg-1) for 90 days. Both studied Buddleja species showed restricted Cd translocation capacity. Exposure to Cd, non-significant differences (p > 0.05) were observed, including quantum yield of photosystem II (PSII), effective quantum yield of PSII, photochemical quenching and non-photochemical quenching in both species between all studied Cd concentrations. Moreover, levels of cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) significantly declined (p < 0.05) with low malondialdehyde concentrations. In B. asiatica, high superoxide dismutase and significantly enhanced (p < 0.05) peroxidase (POD) activity contributed greatly to the detoxification of excess ROS, while markedly enhanced POD activity was observed in B. macrostachya. Additionally, B. macrostachya showed higher membership function values than did B. asiatica. These results suggested that both Buddleja species exhibited high Cd resistance and acclimatization.

Buddleja thyrsoides Lam. crude extract presents antinociceptive effect on an arthritic pain model in mice.

Arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disease which reduces the life quality of affected individuals. Therapeutic tools used for treating inflammatory pain are associated with several undesirable effects. Buddleja thyrsoides Lam., known as 'Barbasco' or 'Cambara', is mostly used in several disorders and possesses antirheumatic, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic properties. Here, we investigated the antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects of the B. thyrsoides crude extract applied orally and topically in acute pain models and an arthritic pain model induced by complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) paw injection in male mice (25-30 g). The high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) of the B. thyrsoides extract crude revealed the presence of the lupeol, stigmasterol, and ß-sitosterol. The stability study of the B. thyrsoides gel did not show relevant changes at low temperatures. The oral treatment with the B. thrysoides extract prevented the capsaicin-induced spontaneous nociception and the acetic acid-induced abdominal writhing, but did not alter the thermal threshold in the tail immersion test. The B. thyrsoides antinociceptive effect was not reversed by naloxone in the capsaicin test. The B. thyrsoides oral or topical treatment reversed the CFA-induced mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia with maximum inhibition (Imax) of 69 ± 6 and 68 ± 5% as well as 78 ± 15 and 87 ± 12%, respectively. Moreover, the topical but not oral treatment inhibited the CFA-induced cell infiltration, but did not reduce the paw edema significantly. The oral treatment with B. thyrsoides did not cause adverse effects. These findings suggest that the oral or topical treatment with B. thyrsoides presents antinociceptive actions in an arthritic pain model without causing adverse effects.

Phytochemical and biological evaluation of Buddleja polystachya growing in Saudi Arabia.

Several Buddleja species were the target of phytochemical and biological studies; however, nothing was reported concerning the chemistry of Buddleja polystachya Fresen. growing in Saudi Arabia. Sixteen constituents were isolated from the aerial parts of B. polystachya using various chromatographic techniques and were identified by the help of different spectral techniques including 1D, 2D NMR and mass spectrometry. Moreover, the different fractions were evaluated for their anti-inflammatory and hypoglycemic activities. The isobenzofuranone derivative (4-hydroxy-7-methylisobenzofuranone) (4), has been isolated for the first time from this natural source, B. polystachya, along with fifteen known compounds namely; phenolic fatty acid ester, 1'(4-hydroxyphenyl) ethanol ester of docosanoic (1), uvaol (2), sakuranetin (3), kumatakenin (5), cirsimaritin (6), 5-hydroxy-3,7,4'-trimethoxyflavone (7), oleanolic acid (8), herbacetin 3,7,8-trimethyl ether (9), ursolic acid (10), verbascoside (11), linarin (12), luteolin 7-O-ß-D-glucoside (13), luteolin 7-(6"-caffeoyl)-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside (14), luteolin (15), and 6-O-α-L-(4''-O-trans-cinnamoyl) rhamnopyranosylcatalpol (16). Regarding the biological activities investigated, the ethyl acetate fraction showed the most significant anti-inflammatory activity, followed by the n-butanol and the aqueous fractions. As for the petroleum ether and dichloromethane fractions, their anti-inflammatory effects were moderate. The highest hypoglycemic activity was possessed by the ethyl acetate fraction, followed by the dichloromethane fraction and the n-butanol fraction showed the weakest activity.

Phylogeography of Buddleja crispa (Buddlejaceae) and its correlation with drainage system evolution in southwestern China.

PREMISE OF THE STUDY: Southwestern China is an area of active tectonism and erosion, yielding a dynamic, deeply eroded landscape that is hypothesized to have influenced the genetic structure of the resident populations of plants and animals. However, few studies have been conducted to examine the influence of changing river channels, particularly in the Yarlung Tsangpo area, on genetic distributions in plants. We here examine the population structure of Buddleja crispa, a dominant element of the dry, warm/hot river-valley communities, seeking to delimit the current population genetic structure and its relation to past changes in the courses of the major rivers in this area. • METHODS: Two chloroplast DNA fragments were used to estimate the genetic variation and phylogeographic structure of the populations, and to infer nested clades, of the species. • KEY RESULTS: We detected low intrapopulational haplotype diversity and higher overall population haplotype diversity (h(S) = 0.085, h(T) = 0.781). Molecular variance was mainly observed between groups (81.42%). Robust population genetic structure were detected by AMOVA (F(ST) = 0.967), coinciding with three nested clades (identified by NCPA) and five phylo-groups linked with paleo-drainage systems (identified by SAMOVA). No support for extensive spatial or demographical expansion was obtained. • CONCLUSIONS: A general pattern of genetic isolation by vicariance was inferred, and detected disjunct patterns strongly indicate that currently discontinuous drainage systems were historically linked. Most importantly, population subdivisions and genetic variation perfectly reflect the putative Paleo-Red-River drainage pattern, and Yarlung Tsangpo populations are closely related to Central Yunnan Plateau populations, indicating that they were previously connected by ancient river courses. Divergence times between these river systems estimated by molecular dating (in the Pleistocene) agree with previous findings.