• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.25-30
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• 2006

It is of utmost importance to feed the current world population by improving agricultural production with newer varieties of food crops, but what is still more important is to add nutrition into the food. Some of the plants, which are currently growing in the wastelands, contain certain phytochemicals which add to their neutraceutical and health value. These plants contain secondary metabolites which enhance the over all metabolic functions of the body. Withasteroids are one of such phytochemicals. These chemicals are almost exclusively found in plants of the Solanaceae family; one of which, Physalis minima, contains several with asteroids. The aerial parts and roots of P. minima have been found to contain several steroids, identification of which is been discussed in this paper. These with asteroids contribute to the functional value since incorporation of withanolides in the diet may prevent or decrease the growth of tumors in humans.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.133-139
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• 2006

There is great demand of nutraceutical secondary metabolites in the world so as to feed the population by improving agricultural production with new varieties of food crops but what is still more important is to add nutrition into the food. Physalis minima, plant of Solanaceae family, contain certain secondary metabolites which enhance the over all metabolic functions of the body. Withasteroids are one of such phytochemicals that are generally regarded as safe. These chemicals are almost monopoly of the plants of Solanaceae. The leaves, stem and roots of P. minima have been examined to yield several steroids, identification of which has been discussed in this paper. These withasteroids contribute to the potential nutraceutical and health function value since incorporation of withanolides in the diet may prevent or decrease the growth of tumors in humans.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.147-154
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• 2005

A survey for vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizae (VAM) status was undertaken in three different industrially polluted sites at Uyyakondan channel of Senthanneerpuram area in Trichy, India. The soils and the effluents were acidic, and contained higher Zn (621 to 711 ppm) than the other heavy metals, such as Cu, Pb, and Ni. Eighteen plant species were collected from the rhizosphere soils, and 13 species were positive for VAM colonization. Fifteen VAM fungal species were isolated from the plant species. The number of VAM fungal spores from the soils ranged from 45 to 640 per 100 g of soil. There was a significant correlation observed between the number of spores and percentage root colonization, as exemplified by Acalypha indica (45 and 20%, respectively) and Paspalum vaginatum (640 and 98%, respectively). Hostspecific and site-specific associations were observed in site 2; particular VAM species, Gigaspora gigantea and Glomus fasciculatum, were specific to particular host plants, Phyllanthus maderaspatensis and A. indica, respectively, even though Eclipta prostrata and Physalis minima were maximally associated with 8 VAM species. G. fasciculatum was found in 11 plant species and predominant VAM species. These results led us to conclude that VAM fungi are associated with a majority of the plants in the industrial polluted sites and support the plants to survive in the acidic soils, polluted with heavy metals of the industrial effluents.