October 16, 2021

Sophie Krouse: A Brief Summary of the Medicinal Uses of Laetiporus sulphureus

Laetiporus sulphureus, or more commonly known as Chicken of the Woods for its similar taste to chicken (when prepared properly), is a common wood-decaying (lignin-decaying) fungus, and a frequent cause of brown-rot disease in trees. Though most wood-decaying fungal species have shown little use in the medical field, recent studies have shown the potential of Laetiporus sulphureus in medicinal use.

Extracts of Laetiporus sulphureus have shown the ability to decay cells as well (cytotoxic), while provides promising anticancer abilities in attacking cancer cells. This cytotoxic ability also translates to antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties, as bacterial cells can be decayed by the fungus thereby relieving inflammation caused by bacterial infections. On the opposite end of the spectrum, ethanolic extracts of Laetiporus sulphureus have shown antioxidant abilities as well, in which they slow down the decaying process of cells exposed to free radicals, making the medicinal uses of this organism very diverse and promising for future medical research.

Posted on October 16, 2021 08:22 PM by sophiekrouse sophiekrouse | 1 observation | 0 comments | Leave a comment

September 19, 2021

Sophie Krouse: Adaptations and Phylogenetic Origins of my iNaturalist Observations

I found a plethora of plant species along my short journey within Jean-Mance Park. There is one species in particular, however, which I was intrigued by. A species that I had seen many times before back home in Niagara Ontario. Lesser burdock, also known as Common burdock (scientific name Arctium minus) is a species within the Plantae Kingdom, more specifically, within the Order Asterales, the Family Asteraceae, and the Genus Arctium. In other words, the lesser burdock is a flowering plant that tends to bloom from July to October and has many common ancestors such as Eudicots and Asterids (all Angiosperms/flowering plants, which make up the most diverse group of land plants on Earth).

Lesser burdock has an interesting adaptation that has allowed their population to continue to grow strongly over the years. As their blooming season comes to an end, sharp-looking points appear on the flower heads of the plant, an adaptation that makes these seedheads very "sticky", in the sense that they attach instantly to anything they contact via these sharp points. This allows the seedheads to be carried by animals or humans who graze past these plants and spread their seeds across vast distances, thus greatly increasing their chances of spreading their seeds and continuing their genetic inheritance.

However, even though lesser burdock may be unique in its "velcro" seedheads texture, it shares one common adaptation among all the other observations I made in Jean-Mance, that being the green colour of each of the plants I observed. Though it's understood that the green colour of plants is a result of the chemical "chlorophyll", which is abundant in all plant species, the reason for the presence of this chlorophyll is a prime example of adaptation. The green colour indicates that green light is being reflected from the sunlight the plant absorbs during photosynthesis, and though this may seem strange, as the majority of lightwaves coming from sublight are within the green spectrum, many researchers speculate it's because of its intensity that these plants reflect green light, in order to not "overstimulate" the plant. The green colour, which almost always tends to be a bright value, reduces the amount of evaporation of the plant, meaning the plant can store water for longer, thereby promoting its survival and health/hydration.

Posted on September 19, 2021 07:53 PM by sophiekrouse sophiekrouse | 1 observation | 1 comment | Leave a comment

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