Repha (Germany)

The government agency BGE started a site selection process for a high-level nuclear waste repository in 2017. The first phase of data screening was completed in 2020 and resulted in the identification of search areas covering 54% of the national territory. The actual second phase will be completed by 2027 or later, and the areas for aboveground investigations will be identified. The obligatory nongovernment input is provided by follow-up regional conferences, which are best supported by external scientific expertise. The large amount of text documents and maps and the interactive internet tools such a 3D viewer provide a suitable basis for external evaluation. The rationale is to apply stricter criteria than those used in the first phase to drastically reduce the size of the search area. With this updated set of criteria, the size of the search area can be reduced to 2,662 km2 or 0.7% of the national territory. This size is convenient for detailed aboveground investigations such as high-density 3D seismic surveys.

Myrrh has a long tradition in the treatment of inflammatory diseases. However, many of its (active) constituents are still unknown. In the present study, secondary metabolites were isolated from an ethanolic extract by various separation methods (liquid–liquid partition, silica and RP18 flash chromatography, CPC, and preparative HPLC), their structures were elucidated with NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry, and the selected compounds were tested for their effect on LPS-induced NO production by RAW 264.7 murine macrophages. Among the isolated substances are 17 sesquiterpenes (1–17) including the first 4,8-cycloeudesmane (1), a triterpene (38), two phytosterols (39, 40) and one lignan (43), which were previously unknown as natural products. Numerous compounds are described for the first time for the genus Commiphora. Eight of the eleven compounds tested (1, 29, 31, 32, 34–37) showed a statistically significant, concentration-dependent weak to moderate anti-inflammatory effect on NO production in the LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages in vitro. For the reference substance, furanoeudesma-1,3-diene, an IC50 of 46.0 µM was determined. These sesquiterpenes might therefore be part of the multi-target molecular principles behind the efficacy of myrrh in inflammatory diseases.

Medicinal plants are frequently used in African countries due to their importance in the treatment of various conditions. In the northern Republic of Benin, traditional healers are recognized as specialists in the treatment of fractures, wounds, and sprains. The present study was conducted to document the practices (diagnosis and materials) and traditional knowledge accumulated by healers in this region on their area of specialty. In addition, literature-based research was performed to support the usage of the most cited plants. Sixty traditional healers identified as "reference persons" from Atakora and Donga departments in the northern Republic of Benin, who specialized in the treatment of fractures, wounds, and sprains, were interviewed in their communities through a semi-structured questionnaire. Information about the practice, age of the healers, medicinal plants used in this treatment, methods of preparation, and administration were collected. Samples of the plant species were also collected, identified, and stored in the national herbarium at the University of Abomey-Calavi, the Republic of Benin. The study enabled the identification of thirty-four (34) species belonging to twenty-three (23) families. Ochna rhizomatosa and Ochna schweinfurthiana (21%) were the most quoted plants among the species, followed by Chasmanthera dependens (12.1%), Piliostigma thonningii (11.3%), and Combretum sericeum (8.1%). These plants were reported to strengthen bones, reduce inflammation, relieve pain, and promote healing in the northern part of the Republic of Benin. Besides their ability to treat fractures, wounds, and sprains, they are also used for multiple purposes in the West African subregions. According to the available literature, some of the plants will need to be investigated for their phytoconstituents and pharmacological activity to validate their ethnobotanical uses. These results confirm the need for documenting traditional knowledge since it represents an opportunity for exploring plant species with potentially good pharmacological effects, which have been barely investigated. Plants identified may constitute a significant source of bioactive compounds in the treatment of various ailments such as skin inflammation and musculoskeletal disorders. They can be further explored to justify their use in traditional Beninese medicine.

Abstract This review deals with the well-known phenomenon that spice and medicinal plants grown under semi-arid conditions generally reveal significantly higher concentrations of relevant natural products than identical plants, grown and cultivated in moderate climates. Basic biochemical reflections display that drought stress and the related metabolic changes are responsible for the higher natural product accumulation in plants grown in semi-arid regions (Selmar et al., Environmental challenges and medicinal plants. Springer, New York, 2017). Related data from the literature on the effect of drought on the concentration of natural products are compiled, and the relevant aspects are also outlined.A thorough reflection on this issue emphasizes the necessity to differentiate decidedly between “concentration” and “content” of natural products (Paulsen and Selmar, J Appl Bot Food Qual 89:287–289, 2016). Next, basic plant physiological coherences expound that in principle there are three causes for the observed changes in the concentration of natural products (Yahyazadeh et al., Phytochemistry 152:204–212, 2018). Changes in the reference values: Drought stress-induced enhancement of the natural products’ concentration is due to a reduced production of biomass in the stressed plants. Passive shift: Under drought stress, the stomata are closed. The shortage of CO2 evokes a strongly elevated level of NADPH+H+. Accordingly, all processes consuming NADPH+H+ are boosted, although enzyme activities were not changed. Active upregulation: The activity of enzymes responsible for the biosynthesis of natural products is enhanced by increased gene expression. Apart from these quantitative changes, in some cases, also the spectrum of specialized metabolites is altered in response to the stress situation (Abouzeid et al., J Nat Prod 80:2905–2909, 2017).Based on these physiological considerations, practical aspects for the application of drought stress to deliberately improve the quality of spice and medicinal plants are displayed (Kleinwächter and Selmar, Physiological mechanisms and adaptation strategies in plants under changing environment. Springer, New York, 2014; Kleinwächter and Selmar, Agron Sustain Dev 35:121–131, 2015).KeywordsDrought stressSpecialized metabolitesOver-reduced stateSpice plantsMedicinal plantsPhytomodificines

Treatment of alcohol dependence with oral naltrexone may elicit an urticarial rash and angioedema. Acute spontaneous urticaria and an allergic reaction to an excipient represent important differential diagnoses.

The fungus growing termites’ species Macrotermes bellicosus is used in traditional medicine in Benin for the treatment of infectious and inflammatory diseases such as digestive disorders, mumps, snake bites, cough, diarrhea, dysentery, and pulmonary infection [1]. Previous in vitro studies revealed that Macrotermes bellicosus is efficient against various pathogenic microorganisms [1]. However, the determination of active compounds that contribute to the bioactivity remains unexplored. Aim of the present study was to perform a chemical profile of an ethanolic Macrotermes bellicosus extract and determine active compounds that contribute to the antibacterial activity. Chemical profile and structural elucidation of compounds were performed using a pattern recognition strategy based on 13C NMR. The antibacterial activity of fractions and major identified compounds from Macrotermes bellicosus was investigated using the broth microdilution method. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) were derived to characterize the antibacterial activity. Major compounds have been identified including benzohydroquinone, 2-methylhydroquinone, niacinamide, ethyl-hexopyranoside, 3,4-dihydroxyphenethyl glycol and N-[2-(3,4-Dihydroxyphenyl)ethyl]acetamide. Benzohydroquinone and methylhydroquinone exhibited an antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus with an MIC of 680 μM and 100 μM respectively. Fractions containing

Subsequent to a short chronicle of the history of applied research in plant biology in Germany, the relevance of modern Applied Botany is illustrated by three relevant post-harvest processes. The metabolic reactions that play a key role in the determination of quality of the related plant-derived commodities from each are presented. Increased understanding of the processes involved in these processes has facilitated improvement of product quality in the resulting products. In each instance, it has been necessary to regard plant metabolism comprehensively and not to focus on a single physiological process. Moreover, the various interactions with the environment have to be considered. These illustrations demonstrate that transfer and application of basic plant knowledge into product-related research can provide significant information that is valuable for improvement of plant-derived products. In some instances, these correlations can even account for traditional and well-established processes, as illustrated for the malting process. However, interdisciplinary work and intensive cooperation with growers and producers must be an integral part of developing feasible and economically acceptable solutions that can be transferred into practice. Ultimately, the major challenge in Applied Botany today is the implementation of new concepts and ideas into product-related research. In consequence, modern Applied Botany acts as a mediator between basic plant science and industrial, product-related research.