No smoking, unless you are on fire! – Tobacco
General description Tobacco, a plant with a long and complex history, has been utilized for centuries for its medicinal and recreational properties. Unfortunately, tobacco use has become a leading cause of preventable deaths worldwide. The Nicotiana genus includes sixty-seven species of annuals, biennials, perennials, and shrubs native to America and Australia. The commercial tobacco plant, used for producing tobacco products, was first used by Native Americans for medicinal and spiritual purposes. When Europeans arrived in […]
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Ginkgo biloba: From Living Fossil to Modern Wonder
The Ginkgoales, which are deciduous seed-bearing plants more primitive than the conifers and even more ancient, first appeared in the Permian Period (about 300 million years ago) and thrived throughout the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods. Approximately 100 million years ago, they began to decline, leaving the maidenhair tree as the sole survivor in the family Ginkgoaceae, and only in China. Therefore, it is known as a living fossil, as the rest of the species in […]
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Exploring the Versatility and Applications of Plant Oils: From Nutritional Benefits to Industrial Uses
Oils and fats are essential sources of energy in the human diet and significantly contribute to the sensory characteristics of food. Overweight (body mass index, BMI ≥ 25) and obesity (BMI ≥ 30) are classified as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation in the body, which can negatively impact health. These conditions may arise from a variety of factors, including individual predisposition, socioeconomic status, and environmental influences. Common causes include dietary habits, genetics, medication use, physical […]
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Vanilla: The Little Plant That Packs a Big Flavor Punch
General description Vanilla is one of the most famous tropical spices in the world and is ranked third after saffron and cardamom as flavorings. Scientifically known as Vanilla planifolia Andrews (commonly known as Bourbon vanilla), it is a native orchid of Southeast Mesoamerica, Mexico. This species is known for producing the highest quality and delicate popular flavor, vanilla. Vanilla tahitensis J. W. Moore and Vanilla pompona Schiede are two other economically important species of Vanilla. […]
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Vitamin Sea: Lemon and other species.
Citrus limon The lemon tree thrives best in warm Mediterranean climates with mild winters, reaching a height of about 20 feet. However, it is prone to collar rot and must be planted with the graft union well above the soil and kept away from mulch. The C. limon ‘Eureka’ cultivar is likely the most widely grown, producing fruit and flowers year-round. It is an attractive, almost thornless tree and the best variety for temperate locations […]
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A tangy truth about oranges and other species
Citrus is a famous fruit under the family Rutaceae and is one of the most pivotal fruit crops in the world as it is rich in vitamin A, C, and E as well as minerals, flavonoids, coumarins, limonoids, carotenoids, pectins, and other compounds. In addition, they are well-accepted through fresh fruits or their derived product by consumers of all over the world because of their attractive colors, pleasant, and aroma. Citrus is now widely grown […]
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The most elegant flowers – Orchids
General description Orchids are grown for the astonishing beauty and variety of their flowers. Orchids can charm and tantalize, fascinate, and be frustrating. The most beautiful orchids are the gorgeous South American cattleyas, often huge, sparkling, rosy-purple, and mauve blooms. To be specific, others have an altogether different appeal, such as having a strangely weird, sometimes evil-smiling species found among the Bulbophyllum. There are numerous delightful orchids of unlimited charm and desirability in between these […]
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Strawberry
Strawberry is scientifically known as Fragaria x ananassa. Breeding between two American species, Fragaria chioensis and Fragaria virgiana resulted in a hybrid plant, the cultivated strawberry. The cultivated strawberry originated from hybridizing two American species, Fragaria chilioensis Duch. and Fragaria virginiana Duch. Strawberries can be diploid, tetraploid, hexaploid, octoploid, and decaploid. The woodland strawberry, F. vesca, and most native species worldwide are diploid. They range from dioecious to hermaphroditic and self-fertile to self-incompatible. Three known […]
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