A recent study conducted at the University of Athens Pharmacy Department has revealed the potential of laboratory-modified cannabis in reducing cancer cells and mitigating side effects associated with chemotherapy. The research focused on cannabinoid acids found in cannabis, which demonstrated a significant reduction in breast, liver, and skin cancer cells after undergoing specific modifications in…
Mycorrhizal networks are underground networks of fungi that stretch over very large areas and interconnect with the root systems of many types of plants. It has been suggested that they are important in inter-plant communication via the so-called Wood Wide Web, although not all workers in this area are entirely convinced by this hypothesis. However,…
According to legend, when the mandrake is uprooted it gives out a scream which is fatal to anyone nearby. As far as we know, there has been no scientific verification of this but now, in a recent paper researchers at Tel-Aviv University report the detection of ultrasound emission from stressed tomato and tobacco plants. Using…
Water availability is the key limiting factor for plant productivity in drylands and could be assisted by using plants that have developed strategies to more efficiently utilize moisture resources and improve moisture conditions for neighboring plants. The very deep-rooted Ziziphus lotus, considered an ecosystem engineer, is one such possible example and a recent report describes…
The ancient city of Cyrene in what is now Libya was a prosperous Greek, and later Roman, center of culture and commerce. One of its most important exports was the medicinal plant known as silphium. Silphium was highly prized throughout the ancient world for its use as a perfume, in seasoning, in medicine and as…