Plants can plastically respond to light competition in three strategies, comprising vertical growth, which promotes competitive dominance; shade tolerance, which maximises performance under shade; or lateral growth, which offers avoidance of competition. Here, we test the hypothesis that plants can 'choose' between these responses, according to their abilities to competitively overcome their neighbours. We study this hypothesis in the clonal plant Potentilla reptans using an experimental setup that simulates both the height and density of neighbours, thus presenting plants with different light-competition scenarios. Potentilla reptans ramets exhibit the highest vertical growth under simulated short-dense neighbours, highest specific leaf area (leaf area/dry mass) under tall-dense neighbours, and tend to increase total stolon length under tall-sparse neighbours. These responses suggest shifts between 'confrontational' vertical growth, shade tolerance and lateral-avoidance, respectively, and provide evidence that plants adopt one of several alternative plastic responses in a way that optimally corresponds to prevailing light-competition scenarios.
The antiurease activity of the aqueous extracts of 42 plants growing in the Czech Republic was investigated. A phenol-hypochlorite reaction was used for the determination of ammonia produced by urease. The inhibitory activity of the extracts at a concentration of 0.2 mg/mL varied from 17.8% to 80.0%. Extracts from six Potentilla species expressed inhibitory activity against jack bean urease. They were further investigated for their phenolic constituents and the major compounds were subjected to molecular docking. The results revealed that both jack bean urease and Helicobacter pylori urease were inhibited by quercetin-3-O-β-D-galactopyranoside-6″-gallate (1), myricetin-3-O-β-D-glucuronide (2), tiliroside (3) and B-type procyanidin (4). The antiurease activity of the investigated Potentilla species is probably due to the presence of complex phenolic constituents such as flavonoid glycosides and catechin dimers.
- MeSH
- Algorithms MeSH
- Canavalia enzymology MeSH
- Phenols chemistry isolation & purification pharmacology MeSH
- Flavonoids chemistry isolation & purification pharmacology MeSH
- Galactosides chemistry isolation & purification pharmacology MeSH
- Helicobacter pylori drug effects MeSH
- Helicobacter Infections drug therapy MeSH
- Plants, Medicinal chemistry MeSH
- Potentilla chemistry MeSH
- Quercetin analogs & derivatives MeSH
- Urease antagonists & inhibitors MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
- Geographicals
- Czech Republic MeSH
- Keywords
- mochna bílá, pitulník,
- MeSH
- Phytotherapy MeSH
- Lamiaceae MeSH
- Complementary Therapies methods MeSH
- Plants, Medicinal MeSH
- Potentilla MeSH
- Publication type
- Popular Work MeSH
- MeSH
- Agrimonia chemistry classification MeSH
- Gingival Hemorrhage diagnosis complications prevention & control MeSH
- Pharmaceutical Preparations, Dental administration & dosage classification therapeutic use MeSH
- Plants, Medicinal drug effects MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Gingival Diseases drug therapy complications prevention & control MeSH
- Periodontal Diseases drug therapy complications prevention & control MeSH
- Oral Hygiene methods trends utilization MeSH
- Potentilla chemistry classification MeSH
- Mouth Mucosa drug effects MeSH
- Check Tag
- Humans MeSH
- MeSH
- Agrimonia drug effects MeSH
- Drug Industry MeSH
- Foeniculum drug effects MeSH
- Phytotherapy * methods utilization MeSH
- Plants, Medicinal * classification MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Mentha piperita drug effects MeSH
- Matricaria drug effects MeSH
- Oral Hygiene methods utilization MeSH
- Potentilla drug effects MeSH
- Plant Extracts therapeutic use MeSH
- Salvia officinalis drug effects MeSH
- Dental Care * methods nursing MeSH
- Syzygium drug effects MeSH
- Stomatognathic System MeSH
- Check Tag
- Humans MeSH
