TRENDS IN BIOSCIENCES 6-1, 2013 EDITION

More documents

Recommendations

Info

20 Trends in Biosciences 6 (1), <strong>2013</strong> for complete decomposition of organic matter, cannot survive in such poorly oxygenated conditions. Normal plants find difficult to survive on such areas. The hunter plants are successful in such places because they supplement their photosynthetic food production by trapping insects and digesting their nitrogen rich bodies. However, carnivorous plants have evolved to steal the nitrates and phosphates of animals, which have become their prey. In carnivorous plants, the leaf is not just used for photosynthesis; it is also used as a trap. The problem with this is that changing the leaf shape to make it a better trap makes it less efficient at photosynthesis. For example, pitchers have to be held upright, so that only their lids directly intercept light. Even worse, the plant has to spend extra energy on nonphotosynthetic structures like glands, hairs, glue and digestive enzymes. The energy source for these things is ATP, so the plant has to respire more of its biomass away to keep up with the demand for energy. Therefore, a carnivorous plant will have both decreased photosynthesis and increased respiration, making potential for its growth (Lloyd, 1992). Habitat of Carnivorous plants: Carnivorous plants live on every continent except Antarctica. In USA, they are prevalent in every state. In India they are found in Kerala, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Ooty and Nilgiris. Biggest Carnivorous plants It comes under the genus Nepenthes. Sarracenia purpurea, these large vines grow up to 10 meter long. Plants in this genus also have traps that have evolved to capture some of the largest prey including creatures such as frogs, Very rarely, captures of birds and rodents have been reported. Smallest Carnivorous plant It comes under the genus Drosera. Drosera ultima is the smallest insectivorous plant. It captures tiny insects. Uses of Insectivorous Plants They posses ethno-botanical and medicinal values. Drosera species are important economically. Due to the rich content of organic acids and enzymes, these plants are capable of curdling milk. In ethno-medicine the brushed leaf either or without common salt, are applied on blisters (Pinguicula, Drosera), Making rope (Nepenthes ampullaris, Indonesia), Container for steaming rice (Nepenthes sp., Philippines), A food sweetner (Byblis, Austrilia), Fly catchers (Drosophyllum, potugal), Kinky sex toy (Utricularia, USA, Ornamental use (Sarracenia leucophylla, San Francisco USA), Drosera indica is reported to be used by ayurvedic practitioners in the preparation of gold-bhasma considered an anti-syphilitic and tonic, Yellowish brown crystalline pigment from Drosera peltata is used for dyeing silk. Nepenthes, the pitchers along with the debris of trapped insects inside are rubbed into paste, mixed with water and given to cholera patients. The liquid inside the pitcher is consumed as a remedy for urinary troubles. It is also used as eye drops for treating redness and itching of eyes. Utricularia aurea and U. reticulate are ornamental especially suitable for aquaria and rockeries. U. sterllaris is useful against cough (Somons, 1995). Pest control Carnivorous plants attract beetles, butterflies and some of the attract caterpillars which feed on vegetables. Insectivorous plants can be grown well in green houses. Those temperate vegetables grown under this condition, we can have these plants to trap caterpillars. Some carnivorous plants especially Drosera attract flies. This can be used as a vector control agent (to control house flies). In Venus flytrap many time mosquitoes were attracted. We can use it in future as mosquitoes trap. House with carnivorous plants leads to pollution free mosquitoes control bioagent. Largest carnivorous plants like Nepenthes species sometimes rodents were captured. If we developed it on the bunds with carnivorous plants acts as rodent trap. No need for rodenticide and training of birds etc. Anything we want to do, we can do through tissue culture. By multiplying these plants through tissue culture we can augment these wonder plants and we can create the condition that suits to our environment. Everything is possible. The ideas of persons and the way of utilizing technology are important. In future truly this is going to become a challenge to scientists. Insect Trapping Mechanism It includes four genera of which Drosera and Aldrovanda occurs in India. Here some of the insectivorous plants of India and their insect capacity mechanisms are given below. Table 1. Insectivorus plants S.N. Common Name Scientific Name Family 1 Sundew plant Drosera rotundifolia Droseraceae 2 Waterwheel plant Aldrovanda vesiculosa Droseraceae 3 Venusfly trap Dionaea musipula Droseraceae 4 Pitcher plant Nepenthes sp. Nepenthaceae 5 Fly catcher Drosophyllum lusitanicum Droseraceae 6 Bladder Utricularia sp. Lantibularaceae 7 Butterwort Pinguicula Lantibularaceae Fig. 1. Pitcher Plant Fig. 2. Venus fly trap
MURALI AND REDDY, Insectivorous Plants and their Trapping Mechanism: A Review 21 Pitcher Plants : Nepenthes sp. Nepenthaceae It conforms to the pitfall type of trap. Here the opening of pitcher, or pitfall, there is often a spot of bright colour, usually purple or white. Drops of nectar are secreted around the rim of pitcher and there is often a nectar baited pathway, from the ground to the mouth of the pitcher, that attract wingless insects and leads them to pitfall .Inside of pitcher is slippery. Ones the insect enter into the pitcher, it is unable to climb up because of slipperiness. Inner wall secrets photolytic enzyme. This helps to digest the body of trapped insects. Digestive enzymes are secreted by most of the species. But putrificative bacteria are often found in the liquid and it is probable that they also involved on the digestion of snapped insects. Venusfly trap: Dionaea muscipula, Droseraceae If the insects touch any one of the 6 filaments to cause both the lobes to close. The stimulus must radiate in all directions. From the bifurcate leaves towards the margin a continuous zigzag line of vessels impulse pass through the whole circumparence of the leaf and the midrib so all the part of the leaf have some communication. The central paranchymate cells are larger, loosely attached together and have delicate walls. The surface of Plants unlike animals do not have central nervous system. In case of Venus flytrap they can detect the presence of disturbance on their leaves by means of trigger hairs on leaf they are stimulated an electrical signal is generated which causes change in water pressure in different parts of leaf. As soon as the Insect is captured interlocking spines along the margin prevent the escape of the insect and the trap is more effective. It secrets digestive fluid. The leaf remains closed until soft tissues of insect body is completely reabsorbed. It will take one week. The leaf then opens and is soon ready to entrap other insect (Drosera within a second open tentacles) will open of filament by a touch followed by rapid closure of leaves. It captures more beetles from fast flying one like flies which struck into the sticky fluid. The most striking thing in Dionaea is in the lobes of a bit if meat was placed. The glands over the whole leaf surface secrete copiously. Glands on both sides are pressed against the meat; the secretion from the first is twice (Jentsch, 1970). Two lobes comes into close contact, the secretion, containing dissolved animal matter , spread by capillary attraction, causing fresh Glenda on both sides to begin secreting in a continually widening circle, and they are capable of digesting Reproduction of carnivorous plants Carnivorous plants reproduce either by sexually or asexually. In sexual reproduction those plants which produce flowers they make seeds and they reproduce sexually. In asexual reproduction, true plants often divide asexually. Side shoots develops and soon a single rosette becomes two, occasionally some carnivorous plants produce plantlets on their flower stalk. This strange behaviour is known as “false vivipary”. Cultivation of insectivorous plants Cultivation in home Majority of them are grown in indoors. Because it is more effective in control of house fly. Pot up the plant in sphagnum moss / sand then plant them up to 12 to 25 mm. (1/ 2-1 inch). Hygiene is important. Remove all dead and diseased leaves. Since majority of them sun lovers best to grown in south facing, windows, close to the glass. Insufficient light leads to weakness, which unattractive leads to death. Artificial light If we wish to grow in indoors, but in places where insufficient light is we can go under florescent lighting. Some lights specially designed available in market. It consists of light in the red and blue wavelength, so use Gro-lux. Switch on light for 16 days in summer, 9hours in winter, in spring 16 hrs photoperiod. Green House of Carnivorous Plants It is in the green house the majority of them have advantage. Because we can give the individual requirements. Different types of green houses are available. It includes cold frame, warm house and stove house. Tissue culture Tissue culture is the greatest utility in rapidly propagating rate species new cultivars. In ICPS they have the project on tissue culture of carnivorous plant. First it was started with the seeds, which were sterilized while keeping the seeds alive. There is an interesting phenomena associated with plants they have recently been planted from tissue culture to regular planting media. Because of hormonal imbalance it took years. Plants from tissue culture i.e. Sarracenia and Dionaea may grow in a dense clumped way. Chemical ecology of Carnivorous plants Carnivorous plants have flowers, which has some odours attract the pests. Simons, 1981 studied potentially carnivorous plant ecology. Most of the species in assemblage chemically attract their prey. Attraction of prey is an important one. In many familiar carnivorous plants chemical mimicry probably aids in the capture of insects Slack, 1979. Nectar glands help position for capture in many carnivorous plants including Dionaea, and the Pitcher plants, three families (Sarraceniaceae, Nepenthaceae, and Cephalotaceae). Various observations suggests that many species also attack prey from a distance with odours (and visual cues). Sweet nectar like scents is produced by many pitcher plant species.
Page 1 and 2: Print : ISSN 0974-8 Online : ISSN 0
Page 3 and 4: International Advisory Board Trends
Page 5 and 6: Trends in Biosciences Volume 6 Numb
Page 7 and 8: Trends in Biosciences 6 (1): 1-4, 2
Page 9 and 10: MISHRA & DWIVEDI, Biodiversity and
Page 11 and 12: Trends in Biosciences 6 (1): 5-13,
Page 13 and 14: KUMAR AND RAO, Physiological, Bioch
Page 21 and 22: MATHUR, Knowledge and Gaps for Herb
Page 23 and 24: Table 3. MATHUR, Knowledge and Gaps
Page 25: Trends in Biosciences 6 (1): 19-22,
Page 31 and 32: SHARMA, et al., Expression and Immu
Page 33 and 34: SHARMA, et al., Expression and Immu
Page 35 and 36: BHATI & CHANDRA, Morphological and
Page 41 and 42: KUMAR, et al., Biology and feeding
Page 43 and 44: VANITHA et al., Survey, vector rela
Page 45 and 46: VANITHA et al., Survey, vector rela
Page 47 and 48: Table 1. BALAI AND SINGH, Losses Ca
Page 51 and 52: Table 3. BAHAR, Relative Performanc
Page 53 and 54: SHARMA AND ANSARI, Influence of Del
Page 55 and 56: Table 4. SHARMA AND ANSARI, Influen
Page 57 and 58: GAUTAM et al., Herbal Rumenotoric D
Page 59 and 60: GAUTAM et al., Herbal Rumenotoric D
Page 61 and 62: Table 1. YADAV et al., Studies on N
Page 63 and 64: JAIN AND MENDIRATTA, Evaluation and
Page 67 and 68: MATHUR, Spatial and Modular Variabi
Page 73 and 74: SINGH et al., Induced mutation thro
Page 75 and 76: JAIN AND INDAPURKAR, Assesment of G
Page 77 and 78:
NAGARAJA AND PUDALE, Phytotoxic Eff
Page 79 and 80:
Trends in Biosciences 6 (1): 73-75,
Page 81 and 82:
MALLU et al., Serological detection
Page 83 and 84:
Table 1. S.N. SINGH et al., Influen
Page 85 and 86:
Table 1. RAHMAN, et al., Diversity
Page 87 and 88:
SINGH AND KUMAR, Effect of Ginger a
Page 89 and 90:
SASODE AND SINGH, Anti-Fungal Evalu
Page 91 and 92:
SASODE AND SINGH, Anti-Fungal Evalu
Page 93 and 94:
NATH, et al., Studies on status of
Page 95 and 96:
SRINIVASULU, Studies on the effect
Page 97 and 98:
SRINIVASULU, Studies on the effect
Page 99 and 100:
Page 101 and 102:
Page 103 and 104:
Page 105 and 106:
Trends in Biosciences 6 (1): 99-100
Page 107 and 108:
Page 109 and 110:
Table 2. KUMAR et al., Screening of
Page 111 and 112:
VERMA AND YADAV, Knowledge Level of
Page 113 and 114:
Table 1. PANDEY et al., Stability S
Page 115 and 116:
MANJUNATH et al., In Vitro Screenin
Page 117 and 118:
MANJUNATH et al., In Vitro Screenin
Page 119 and 120:
CHANDA PAKASH et al., Efficacy of D
Page 121 and 122:
Page 123 and 124:
Table 2. CHANDA PAKASH et al., Bio-
Page 125 and 126:
Table 1. Traits SINGH et al., Genet
Page 127 and 128:
PREMA et al., Screening of horsegra
Page 129 and 130:
Table 1. Entry Table 2. Source of v
Page 131 and 132:
Author Index Vol. 5 (1-4) 2012 125
Page 133 and 134:
Author Index Vol. 5 (1-4) 2012 127
Page 135 and 136:
Subject Index Vol. 5 (1-4) 2012 129
Page 137 and 138:
Subject Index Vol. 5 (1-4) 2012 131
Page 139 and 140:
Subscription Order Form Name : …
Page 141:
army printing press www.armyprintin
show all

TRENDS IN BIOSCIENCES 6-1, 2013 EDITION

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?