STUDY OF MICROSCOPIC FEATURES OF TANACETUM SANTOLINA PLANT

В данной статье представлены результаты микроскопического исследования особенностей анатомического строения (листья, цветки) растения пижмы сантолинной (Tanacetum Santolina). Цель работы: изучение анатомического строения надземных органов, определение подлинности и отличия от других видов. Материалы и методы: объект исследования - цветки пижмы сантолинной, собранные в период цветения в мае 2020 года в предгорных равнинах Каратау. Микроскопическое исследование цветков пижмы сантолинной проводилось в соответствии с требованиями государственной фармакопеи Республики Казахстан. С помощью микроскопа Биолам-5 изучался объект с увеличением от х40 до х400. Исследование срезов и создание микрорисунков проводили с помощью цифрового камерного тринокулярного микроскопа «МТ300L» (Япония) (увеличенный 7х1,5х4,5; 7х1,5х8; 7х1,5х40). Результаты и обсуждения: изучены диагностические признаки для определения цельного сырья: диагностические признаки листьев, форма клеток эпидермиса, тип аппарата устьиц, строение волосков и эфирномасличных желез; формы оксалата кальция. Выводы: проведен микроскопический анализ цветков пижмы сантолинной. Для определения подлинности этого сырья были выявлены анатомодиагностические признаки. Во всех частях растения встречаются одноклеточные волоски и пучковые волокна. На обеих частях листовой пластины хорошо видны волокна и волоски, устьица, пигментные полости. Кристаллы оксалата кальция, находятся в мезофильных полостях листа. В цветках оксалат кальция встречается только в виде четырехугольного кристалла. На анатомическом признаке измельченного сырья видны эфирномасличные железки. Форма эфирно-масличных желез обнаруживает основные диагностические признаки цветков и листьев пижмы сантолинной. Анатомические характеристики позволяют повысить уровень стандартизации, дальнейшее изучение лекарственного растительного сырья This article presents the results of a microscopic study of the anatomical structure (leaves, flowers) of the Santolina’s tansy plant (Tanacetum Santolina). The purpose of the work: to study the anatomical structure of aerial organs, to determine authenticity and differences from other species. Materials and methods: the object of research is the flowers of Santolina’s tansy collected during the flowering period in May 2020 in the foothill plains of Karatau. Microscopic examination of the flowers of Santolina’s tansy was carried out in accordance with the requirements of the State Pharmacopoeia of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Using a Biolam-5 microscope with magnification from x40 to x400 an object was studied. The study of sections and the creation of micro-nozzles was carried out using a digital chamber trinocular microscope "MT300L" (Japan) (enlarged 7x1.5x4.5; 7x1.5x8; 7x1.5x40). Results and discussions: diagnostic signs for the determination of whole raw materials were studied: diagnostic signs of leaves, the shape of epidermis cells, the type of stomatal apparatus, the structure of hairs and essential oil glands; forms of calcium oxalate. Conclusions: microscopic analysis of flowers of Santolina’s tansy was carried out. Anatomical and diagnostic signs were identified to determine the authenticity of this raw material. Unicellular hairs and beam fibers are found in all parts of the plant. Fibers and hairs, stomata, pigment cavities are clearly visible on both parts of the leaf plate. Calcium oxalate crystals are located in the mesophilic cavities of the leaf. In flowers, calcium oxalate occurs only in the form of a quadrangular crystal. On the anatomical feature of the crushed raw materials, essential oil glands are visible. The shape of the essential oil glands reveals the main diagnostic signs of flowers and leaves of santolina tansy. Anatomical characteristics make it possible to increase the level of standardization, further study of medicinal plant raw materials.

Characterization of Tensile Properties of Cola lepidota Fibers

Plant fibers are being increasingly explored for their use in engineering polymers and composites, and many works have described their properties, especially for flax and hemp fibers. Nevertheless, the availability of plant fibers varies according to the geographical location on the planet. This study presents the first work on the mechanical properties of a tropical fiber extracted from the bast of Cola lepidota (CL) plant. After a debarking step, CL fibers were extracted manually by wet-retting. The tensile properties are first identified experimentally at the fibers scale, and the analysis of the results shows the great influence of the cross-section parameters (diameter, intrinsic porosities) on these properties. Tensile properties of CL fibers are also predicted by the impregnated fiber bundle test (IFBT). At this scale of bundles, a hackling step, which reduces shives and contributes to the parallelization of the fibers within bundles, improves tensile properties predicted by IFBT. The comparison with the properties of plant fibers given in the literature shows that CL fibers have tensile properties in the same range as kenaf, flax or hemp fibers.

Exploring Yak (Bos grunniens) Rumen Bacterial and Fungal Communities from 5 Days after Birth to Adulthood

The gut microbial community of mammals, especially ruminants, plays an important role at different ages of the host. Ruminants have a unique compartment in their digestive tract; the rumen, comprising microorganisms that can effectively decompose plant fibers for the host to transform into milk and for growth and development, which is important for meat production. Colonization of rumen microorganisms is closely related to host developmental stage and affects host performance production. There is little information regarding initial colonization and subsequent changes of the rumen microbial population in wild grazing animals, from birth to adulthood. This study investigated the rumen bacterial and fungal populations of grazing yaks in five experimental groups, ranging from a few days after birth to adulthood using amplicon sequencing. Results indicated that rumen microbial communities of these yaks undergo a gradual change from 5 to 180 days after birth, with the bacterial and fungal diversity stabilizing at the age of 2 years. Additionally, Ruminococcus was detected in 5-day-old yak rumens, with a high percentage of Penicillium and other microbial species are important for normal rumen function detected in the adult rumen. The changes to the yak rumen microbial community after birth were reflected in the increased anaerobic fiber degradation group, and decreased aerobic and facultative anaerobic bacteria. Microbial diversity and abundance in the yak rumen increased with age. Rumen microbial composition of 6-month and 2-year-old yaks had obvious homogeneity. There were some differences in dominant rumen microorganisms among the different age groups. Further studies are required to confirm the functions of these differential and dominant microorganisms in each age group.

Rheology, Mechanical Performance and Penetrability through Flax Nonwoven Fabrics of Lime Pastes

The use of plant fibers as a reinforcement for fragile matrices could be an option to improve the sustainability of the construction materials. These reinforcements can be in different forms as short fibers, long fibers or woven or nonwoven fabrics. The mechanical performance of the composites is significantly related to the adhesion between the matrix and the fibers. In the case of nonwoven reinforcement, to get good adhesion, the penetration of the paste is a key point. That is why this study addresses the relationship between rheology, penetration through the nonwoven fabrics and the mechanical properties of various lime pastes with different contents of water and metakaolin (MK). The effect of the binder’s grinding is also evaluated. The results indicate that MK pastes with higher w/b ratios penetrate better into nonwovens, Grinding has a negative effect on penetrability despite improving the mechanical properties of the pastes.

Investigation of Weight Fraction and Alkaline Treatment on Catechu Linnaeus/Hibiscus cannabinus/Sansevieria Ehrenbergii Plant Fibers-Reinforced Epoxy Hybrid Composites

The aim of the present work is to develop novel hybrid composites using areca, kenaf, and snake grass fibers as reinforcement and epoxy as the matrix. The areca, kenaf, and snake grass fibers were extracted from Catechu Linnaeus, Hibiscus cannabinus, and Sansevieria Ehrenbergii plants, respectively, and treated with 5% NaOH to improve the interfacial adhesion between the hydrophilic fiber and the hydrophobic matrix. Hybrid composites were developed by the compression molding technique and formulated based on the weight fraction of fibers. Tensile, flexural, and impact strength and hardness samples were prepared as per ASTM D 3039, ASTM D 790, ASTM D 256, and ASTM D 2240, respectively. The effects of alkaline treatment on developed hybrid composites were investigated. The developed hybrid composites with 20% wt. snake grass and 10% wt. areca fiber present interesting mechanical properties with a tensile strength of 58 MPa, flexural strength of 124 MPa, impact strength of 5.24 kJ/m2, and hardness of 88. The results indicate that maximum mechanical properties were obtained for alkaline-treated fiber composites with 20% wt. snake grass fiber compared to untreated fiber composites owing to better adhesion between the treated fiber and the matrix. The effect of alkaline treatment was analyzed by Fourier transform infrared. The fractured surfaces of tested samples were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy.

Study of Yeast Production of Pectinase Enzyme and the Effect of Different Physiological Conditions on Its Production

Pectinase enzymes are considered industrially important enzymes, and their importance is due to their use in many industries, such as extracting and liquefying fruit and vegetable juices, paper and textile industry, tea and coffee brewing, extracting oils with removing gum from plant fibers and treating factory wastes containing pectic substances. Microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi, including yeasts, produce pectinase enzymes on a commercial scale. Recently, it has been noticed that there has an increase in interest in its production of yeasts due to its characteristics, ease of development, and short time required for incubation.

Azteca ants repair damage to their Cecropia host plants

Some Azteca ants are well-known symbionts that defend their Cecropia host plants against herbivory, although there is considerable variability in behavior among colonies, conditions, and species. In exchange, ants receive food, and also shelter within the plants’ internodes. Here we demonstrate that ants repair damage to the host plant when their brood is directly threatened. Using comminuted plant fibers and an unidentified binding liquid (probably plant sap) ants generally began patching holes in the tree trunk immediately, and significantly reduced the size of the hole 2.5 hours after it was created, and they generally completed the repairs within 24 hours.