Asteraceae family plants

A considerable amount of extracellular polysaccharides is produced in the process of cultivation of certain plant suspension cultures and the spent culture medium has proved to be an accessible source for their production (1-3). The interest in investigating these extracellular polysaccharides has been quite strong over the past 10-15 years, motivated by their biological activity (4,5). Plants of the Asteraceae family, as well as their cell cultures, have been established to contain polysaccharides with immunostimulating activity (1-6). The object of our research was Helianthus annuus 1805 cell culture (Asteraceae), which according to the preliminary investigation produces a considerable amount of exopolysaccharides. 

Susceptible plants Chrysanthemum, cineraria, calendula, lettuce, groundsel, sow-thistle, and other members of the Asteraceae family, indoors and outside. 

The aerial parts of Conyza steudellii (Asteraceae) have given new labdane xylosides, while from the leaves of Conyza trihecatactis, a xylopyranoside of 13-epi-sclareol has been isolated among other labdanes [104,105]. Havardic acids A-F (as methyl esters), have been isolated from another genus of the Asteraceae family, i.e Grindelia havardii [106]. 11-oxo-manoyl oxide derivatives and coleosol, which is also a manoyl oxide derivative, have been obtained from Coleus forskohlii (Labiateae) [107,108] while from another plant of the Labiatae family, Roylea calycina a tumor inhibitory compound, namely precalyone, as well as calyone have been isolated [109]. 

Oreina leaf beetles (Chrysomelidae, Coleoptera) synthesize cardenolides as part of their defensive secretions that are released from specialized exocrine glands.139,140 Some Oreina beetles sequester and secrete PAs, which are taken directly as N-oxides from their Asteraceae food plants.59 It is assumed that PA acquisition evolved in species that already possessed the ability to synthesize and store cardenolides for efficient defense.14 O. cacaliae is the only species in this family that lost the ability to synthesize cardenolides autogenously. Instead the plant-derived PA A-oxides are stored in the body (primarily in the hemolymph) and... 

L., family Asteraceae. The plant has a strong bitter and aromatic taste. It grows in Asia, Europe and Northern Africa. The bitter taste is given by absinthin (sesquiterpenelactone... 

Plants of the Xanthium genus, commonly known as burweed or cocklebur, belong to the large Asteraceae family, and have been widely... 

There are five classes of fructans inulin, levan, mixed levan, inulin neoseries, and levan neoseries [26]. Inulin is a linear polysaccharide composed of (2-l)-P-D-fructosyl units (Figure 2.5a). Levan is a linear polysaccharide composed of (2-6)-P-D-fructosyl units (Figure 2.5b). Mixed levan is a branched polysaccharide composed of (2-1) and (2-6)-P-D-fructosyl units. Inulin neoseries is a linear polysaccharide composed of two inulin polymers that are connected together by a sucrose molecule. Levan neoseries is a linear polysaccharide composed of two levan polymers linked together by the glucose unit of the sucrose molecule. The type of fructan produced varies with plant species. For example, plants such as chicory (Cichorium intybus) and Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus) in the Asteraceae family produce inulin. Plants in the Liliaceae family such as garlic (Allium sativum) produce inulin neoseries. Plants in the Poaceae family such as wheat (Triticum spp.), barley (Hordeum vulgare), and oats (Avena sativa) produce mixed levan or levan neoseries. 

Persons with allergies to other members of the Asteraceae family (such as feverfew, chamomile, or Echinacea species) should exercise caution with yarrow, as allergic cross-reactivity is common to Asteraceae plants (Hausen 1996 Paulsen et al. 1993). 

Cases of contact allergy to yarrow plants have been reported, and allergic cross-reactivity to plants in the Asteraceae family has been documented (Davies and Kersey 1986 Guin and Skidmore 1987 Hausen 1996 Paulsen et al. 1993). 

Sensitization testing in guinea pigs indicated that blessed thistle is a relatively strong sensitizer. In this testing, crossreactivity to "a considerable number" of other plants in the Asteraceae family was observed (Zeller et al. 1985). Blessed thistle contains the compound cnicin, a sesquiterpene lactone. Such compounds are responsible for allergic contact dermatitis associated with a number of species of the Asteraceae family (Gordon 1999). 

Among plants of the Asteraceae family that cause allergic reactions and contact sensitization, elecampane has been recognized as one of the species that, relatively frequently, causes sensitization (Paulsen 2002). 

Use with caution in persons with hypersensitivity to the active substance or to other plants of the Asteraceae family (EMEA 2008). 

Contact dermatitis from tansy has been reported and is attributed to sesquiterpene lactone compounds in the plant. Cross-reactivity has been reported between sesquiterpene lactone-containing plants in the Asteraceae family including tansy, dandelion, feverfew, and yarrow (Guin and Skidmore 1987 Hausen 1996 Hausen and Osmundsen 1983 Killoran et al. 2007 Mark et al. 1999 Opdyke 1979 Paulsen et al. 1993,2001). 

The pyrrolizidine alkaloids form a toxicologically important group today they occur in some genera of the Fabaceae, Boraginaceae and Asteraceae families. TLC can also be used for identification of these substances. Some hi /-values of the alkaloids occurring most often in these plants are given in Table 76 [200]. 

Centaurea deflexa is a perennial plant belonging to the Asteraceae family. In vitro cytotoxic activity against different pancreatic and colon cancer cell lines has been also reported for several Centaurea species [108]. The major constituents identified in Centaurea L. species, responsible for most of their pharmacological properties, are sesquiterpene lactones which induce apoptosis in cancer cells [109]. 

Presently, there are over 300 PAs characterized with the highest numbers found in the genus Senecio (Asteraceae family), which contains senecionine with concentrations of up to 18 % of the dry weight of the plant [22], retrorsine [28], integerrimine, neosenkirkine, and florosenine [32]. 

Artemisinin, another sesquiterpene lactone, contains a rare endoper-oxide bridge that is necessary for its antimalarial activity. Artemisinin is derived fi om an antique Chinese herbal remedy and has been isolated fi om Artemisia annua, also known as qing hao or sweet wormwood, a species of the Asteraceae family. This plant has been used in Chinese herbal medicine for over 200 years. Artemisinin and its de-... 

Grape musts and wines contain depsides of some phenolic acids with L-tartaric acid. Common esters are depsides of caffeic (8-89), 4-coumaric and vanillic acids. For example, the vanilloyltartaric acid content in musts and wines ranges from 1.4 to 11.7 mg/1, and of 4-coumaroyltartaric (cutaric) acid and calFeoyltartaric (caftaric) acid is 0.6-5.5 and 10.2-26.9 mg/1, respectively. In all these depsides, (E)-isomers dominate. 2,3-Di-O-caffeoyl-L-tartaric acid, known as cichoric acid (8-90), is an example of diesters of i-tartaric acid, which occur in plants of the Asteraceae family. Cichoric acid is situated in the root and leaves of chicory Cichorium intybus), endive (C. endivia) and lettuce Lactuca sativa). 

Chalcones, dihydrochalcones and aurones are not particularly important components of plant food materials, but they occur as notable pigments of flowers of many ornamental plants, such as the common snapdragon Antirrhinum spp., Scrophulariaceae) (Asteraceae), cosmos Cosmos spp.) and dahlia Dahlia spp.) from the Asteraceae family. Chalcones are also pigments of legume seeds (9-99) and woods. Prenylated chalcones are found in hop cones (10-98). 

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