The net consequence of nectar robbing on reproductive success of plants is usually negative and the positive effect is rarely produced. We evaluated the influence of nectar robbing on the behaviour of pollinators and the reproductive success of Tecomella undulata (Bignoniaceae) in a natural population. Experimental pollinations showed that the trees were strictly self-incompatible. The three types of floral colour morphs of the tree viz. red, orange and yellow, lacked compatibility barriers. The pollinators (Pycnonotus cafer and Pycnonotus leucotis) and the robber (Nectarinia asiatica) showed equal preference for all the morphs, as they visited each morph with nearly equal frequency and flower-handling time. The sunbirds caused up to 60% nectar robbing, mostly (99%) by piercing through the corolla tube. Although nectar is replenished at regular intervals, insufficient amount of nectar compelled the pollinators to visit additional trees in bloom. Data of manual nectar robbing from the entire tree showed that the pollinators covered lower number of flowers per tree (5 flowers/tree) and more trees per bout (7 trees/bout) than the unrobbed ones (19 flowers/tree and 2 trees bout). The robbed trees set a significantly greater amount of fruits than the unrobbed trees. However, the number of seeds in a fruit did not differ significantly. The study shows that plant-pollinator-robber interaction may benefit the self-incompatible plant species under conditions that increases the visits of pollinators among the compatible conspecifics in a population.

Reproductive success of a plant species is largely influenced by the outcome of mating pattern in a population. It is believed that a significantly larger proportion of animal-pollinated plants have evolved a mixed-mating strategy, the extent of which may vary among species. It is thus pertinent to investigate the key contributors to mating success, especially to identify the reproductive constraints in depauperate populations of threatened plant species. We examined the contribution of floral architecture, pollination mechanism and breeding system on the extent of outcrossing rate in a near-threatened tree species, Wrightia tomentosa. The breeding system was ascertained from controlled pollination experiments. In order to determine outcrossing rate, 60 open-pollinated progeny were analysed using an AFLP markers. Although the trees are self-compatible, herkogamy and compartmentalisation of pollen and nectar in different chambers of the floral tube effectively prevent spontaneous autogamy. Pollination is achieved through specialised interaction with moths. Differential foraging behaviour of settling moths and hawkmoths leads to different proportions of geitonogamous and xenogamous pollen on the stigma. However, most open-pollinated progeny were the result of xenogamy (outcrossing rate, tm = 0.68). The study shows that floral contrivances and pollination system have a strong influence on mating pattern. The differential foraging behaviour of the pollinators causes deposition of a mixture of self- and cross-pollen to produce a mixed brood. Inbreeding depression and geitonogamy appear to play a significant role in sustaining mixed mating in this species.

The reproductive success of biotically pollinated plant species usually declines with population density. However, the contribution of the prevailing breeding system and pollination mechanism in a particular demographic set-up is also crucial to determine the success. We examined the relative contribution of these factors in a threatened tree species Anogeissus sericea var. nummularia. The study shows that besides the breeding system of the species, the extent of pollinator dependence and its foraging behaviour significantly contributes to the net outcome of density-dependent effects.

To see the efficacy of combined preparation of aloe vera gel and Zinc Oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) on burn wound treatment has been studied in Rabbit model. Sixteen male New Zealand White male rabbits were divided into four different groups and data were collected on healing rate, healing time and WBC count in artificial hot iron burned rabbit model. Group T0, T1, T2 and T3 were as control, aloe vera gel, aloe vera gel with ZnO nanoparticles and Bactrocin® respectively. Area of the wound and healing time was determined at weekly interval. WBC was enumerated weekly interval using a hematology analyzer. The experimental results showed that rate was significantly increase in T2 (94.75±1.31) group, better by T3 treated group (92.50±1.32), good by T1 (85.50±2.21) and worst by T0 (70.50±2.72). The White Blood Count (WBC) count as greatly increased in the non-treated group in most of the cases (Day 0 and Day 28), but the best WBC count was found in (Bactrocin®) in the rest of the cases (9300±37.50, 8500±37.36 and 6600±24.25 cells/µl for 1st week, 2nd week and 3rd week respectively), while the good count was obtained from T2 (Aloe vera gel with ZnO nanoparticles) treatment. The overall result of the study showed that the use of aloe vera gel with ZnO nanoparticles has given faster wound healing with minimum days requirement, which proved that without antibiotics, wound healing was also possible by using of biosynthetic ZnO nanoparticles and can be recommended for burn wounds healing treatment in rabbits.

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