Four-Year Study on the Bio-Agronomic Response of Biotypes of Capparis spinosa L. on the Island of Linosa (Italy)

The article provides an analysis of the cenopopulation and tissues element composition of the medicinal caper plant Capparis spinosa L. distributed on Calcisols formed on eroded alluvial-proluvial gravel textured rocks in the south of the Fergana Valley (Uzbekistan, Central Asia). The predominance of immature plants in the cenopopulation was detected in the Arsif hills massive, and quantitative indicators of micronutrients in the vegetative and generative organs of C. spinosa L. were determined. The study of biomorphological characteristics of the plant during the growing season (April-October) was carried out in the identified 10 observational experimental field populations. The cenopopulation dynamics and plant development patterns of Capparis spinosa L. were characterized for environmental conditions of south Uzbekistan for the first time. Soil, plant element analysis was performed by neutron-activation method. In this case, the samples were irradiated in a nuclear reactor with a neutron flux of 5 × 1013 neutrons/cm2 s, and their quantities were determined in accordance with the half-life of chemical elements. It has also been compared with research materials conducted by world scientists on the importance and pharmacological properties of botanicals in medicine and the food industry, as well as their botanical characteristics. The plant can serve to conserve soil resources, as it prevents water and wind erosion of dense clay soils in the dry subtropical climate of Central Fergana and could be considered an effective agent of destroyed soils remediation. The development of this plant will contribute to the diversification of agriculture in Uzbekistan (Central Asia) and the development of the food industry and pharmacology.

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Capparis spinosa L. Cenopopulation and Biogeochemistry in South Uzbekistan

Isagaliev

Abakumov

Turdaliev

et al. 2022

“…It has a high agricultural potential since it presents a great variety of uses [3,4]. These include highlighting food (for its flower buds and immature fruits, which are usually pickled in brine [1,5]), in the pharmaceutical industry to prevent, among other things, cardiovascular and gastrointestinal diseases [6][7][8][9], and in xero-gardening and landscaping for its ornamental value [2,10], its resistance to drought, and its ability to reduce soil erosion [3,11].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Imbibition, Viability, and Germination of Caper Seeds (Capparisspinosa L.) in the First Year of Storage

Foschi

Juan

Pascual

et al. 2022

The caper is a shrub that adapts to harsh environments when it is established, but it presents serious difficulties in its propagation, both by cuttings and by seeds. Its seeds have low germination percentages, and germination is a very slow process. Significant increases in germination have been obtained with scarification and with the addition of gibberellic acid (GA3) to the substrate, leading to the hypothesis that they have possible physical and physiological dormancy. However, the only way to examine the water-impermeability of the cover is through imbibition analysis. This study analyzes the imbibition, viability, and germination of two seed lots, obtained in different years and evaluated immediately after their collection (FS) and after being stored (7 °C) for one month (DS) and one year (SS). The seed moisture content stabilizes from the fourth day, exceeding in all cases 31% in all three seed states tested (FS, DS and SS). This allows the germination of all viable seeds, only with the addition of GA3 to the germination substrate, without the need for scarification, so that caper seeds exclusively appear to present a physiological latency. Germination decreased in storage, even with just one month. With the GA3 addition, high germination values were obtained (up to 95% in FS).

“…These results agreed with those present in the work of Moghaddasian et al [ 26 ] carried out in Iran, although they differed in the absolute values of quercetin present in individual epigean parts. The compounds present in the caper plants are strongly influenced by the geographical and environmental conditions, harvest period, storage methods, genotype, and method of extraction and processing [ 27 ]. These factors can have significant effects on the determination of the final antioxidant profile and the medicinal properties of the species.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sicilian Populations of Capparis spinosa L. and Capparis orientalis Duhamel as Source of the Bioactive Flavonol Quercetin

Sgadari

Cerulli

Schicchi

et al. 2023

The genus Capparis is a taxon of difficult delimitation that has several species and ecotypes due to its wide heterogeneity, its extreme phenotypic diversity, and the presence of intermediate forms linked to hybridization phenomena. The Sicilian territory hosts numerous wild and cultivated populations of two spp. Capparis spinosa L. and Capparis orientalis Duhamel, which are ecologically and morphologically distinct. The caper has considerable interest and economic value for its medicinal properties, culinary uses, and cultivation characteristics. It is one of the foods with the highest quercetin content. Quercetin is a flavonol with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immunostimulant properties. Recently, patents and clinical studies have highlighted the inhibitory effect of this compound against several SARS-CoV-2 enzymes (MPro, PLPro, and RdRp). Therefore, the aim of this study was to quantify the amount of quercetin in C. spinosa and C. orientalis by LC-ESI/QTrap/MS/MS and to correlate it with the pedoclimatic features. The results obtained showed that quercetin is more abundant in C. orientalis than in C. spinosa. The highest values of quercetin were recorded in C. orientalis flowers, leaves, and flower buttons of volcanic islands with southwest and east warm exposures. In conclusion, the data acquired can provide a good basis for further scientific investigations to support the identification of possible ecotypes as a source of quercetin for food or pharmaceutical purposes.