Bauhinia Variegata TOP
Prized for its orchid-like flowers, Bauhinia variegata (Orchid Tree) is a small semi-evergreen to deciduous shrub or tree with a spreading canopy of light green leaves, 6-8 in. long (15-20 cm), deeply cleft at the apex and base, and resembling butterfly wings. Blooming profusely from late winter to early spring, ravishing orchid-like, bright pink, purple and white flowers, 2-3 in. across (5-7 cm), shine against the foliage and attract hummingbirds. Showy, they are borne in small clusters near the stem tips and feature five unequal petals, each narrowed to a claw. They are followed by flat, sharp-beaked pods, 12 in. long (30 cm). The foliage may drop in fall or persist into winter. A beautiful specimen shrub for the border or street tree for tropical, sub-tropical, and fairly frost-free areas (tolerates light frosts and temperatures down to 22F or -6C).
bauhinia variegata
Bauhinia variegata is a species of flowering plant in the legume family, Fabaceae. It is native to an area from China through Southeast Asia to the Indian subcontinent.[2] Common names include orchid tree (though not belonging to the family Orchidaceae) and mountain ebony.[2]
Lectins are a structurally heterogeneous group of highly specific carbohydrate-binding proteins. Due to their great biotechnological potential, lectins are widely used in biomedical research. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the healing potential of the lectin of Bauhinia variegata (nBVL) and its recombinant isoform (rBVL-1). Following surgical creation of dorsal skin wounds, seven groups of mice were submitted to topical treatment for 12 days with lectin, D-galactose, BSA and saline. The animals were anesthetized and euthanized on POD 2, 7 and 12 in order to evaluate the healing potential of each treatment. The parameters considered included wound size, contraction rate, epithelialization rate and histopathological findings. Wound closure was fastest in animals treated with rBVL-1 (POD 7). nBVL was more effective than the controls. All skin layers were reconstructed and keratin deposition increased. Our findings indicate that the lectin of Bauhinia variegata possesses pro-healing properties and may be employed in the treatment of acute skin wounds.
Bauhinia variegata var. variegata seeds are rich in proteins. Previously, one of the major storage proteins of the seeds was found to be a trypsin inhibitor that possessed various biological activities. By using another purification protocol, a glucoside- and galactoside-binding lectin that demonstrated some differences from the previously reported B. variegata lectin could be isolated from the seeds. It involved affinity chromatography on Affi-gel blue gel, ion exchange chromatography on Q-Sepharose and Mono Q, and also size exclusion chromatography on Superdex 75. The lectin was not retained on Affi-gel blue gel but interacted with Q-Sepharose. The lectin was a 64-kDa protein with two 32-kDa subunits. It had low thermostability (stable up to 50 C) and moderate pH stability (stable in pH 3-10). It exhibited anti-proliferative activity on nasopharyngeal carcinoma HONE1 cells with an IC50 of 12.8 μM after treatment for 48 h. It also slightly inhibited the growth of hepatoma HepG2 cells. The lectin may have potential in aiding cancer treatments.
Flowering Bauhinias are the world's most beautiful trees. In summer, 5" orchid-like blossoms literally cover the tree. The rest of the year, heart-shaped foliage is breezy and attractive. Colors range from intense magenta to white. These seeds came from Bauhinia variegata, which has striped flowers. It is the most familiar here in California and the easiest to grow.
Dye Fodder Tannin WoodThe bark is a source of tannins. It is used for dyeing[272]. Wood - used for house construction and making household implements[272]. A very popular ornamental tree in subtropical and tropical climates, grown for its scented flowers. The leaves, shoots and pods of B. variegata are used as fodder for livestock, including sheep, goats and cattle. Average leaf yield from a mature tree is about 20-22 kg fresh weight per annum. Erosion control or dune stabilization,Shade and shelter,Windbreak. Fuels:Charcoal, Fuelwood.
Once established, B. variegata This plant can be weedy or invasive. Often become weedy and it has the potential to displace native vegetation. It is also difficult to manage because its seeds can remain viable for more than a year [1d]. In the US it is a noted weed in Florida.
Citation: Moreira GMSG, Conceição FR, McBride AJA, Pinto LdS (2013) Structure Predictions of Two Bauhinia variegata Lectins Reveal Patterns of C-Terminal Properties in Single Chain Legume Lectins. PLoS ONE 8(11): e81338.
The Bauhinia variegata lectins, BVL-I and BVL-II, are Gal/GalNAc specific single chain proteins [26] that have the capacity to promote skin regeneration [27], and to inhibit the adhesion of oral bacteria, thereby impairing biofilm formation [28]. Although several approaches exist for crystallisation [29], their three dimensional (3D) structures have not been resolved experimentally as they are difficult to crystalize, possibly due to the presence of different oligomerisation states of BVL-I and -II isoforms after purification. This way, their tertiary and quaternary structures could not be completely explored. As an alternative, in silico methodologies can be used to generate 3D predictive models of protein structures [30]. One such method applies homology-based algorithms in which 3D models are calculated using an existing, highly identical, structure from the Protein Data Bank (PDB) [31]. Using this approach, reliable 3D models can be calculated when the sequence identity is >30%, although >50% is recommended [32]. However, only approximately 0.7% of the available protein sequences have been structurally resolved experimentally [30]. Thus, when there are no or only low-identity templates available, de novo or ab initio protein modelling can be employed [33]. Regardless of the method used to predict a 3D structure, it is necessary to verify its accuracy through analysing amino acid interactions, stereochemistry, and structural similarity to the template [34]. A Ramachandran plot (RP), for example, shows which values of the Phi and Psi angles are possible for each amino acid residue in a protein, thereby indicating the percentage of amino acids in acceptable positions in the 3D model [35]. Another measurement of accuracy is the root-mean-square deviation (RMSD), which calculates the distance between the atoms of two superimposed protein structures [36]. Low RMSD values indicate that a given prediction is more reliable. When a template with high (>50%) or medium (30-50%) identity is used, the expected RMSD value for high-quality models is 1 and 2.5 Å, respectively [30,34].
Purple orchid tree (Bauhinia variegata) has an unusually long bloom season for a tree, with blossoms that make their appearance in late winter before the tree leafs out and last until early summer. The fragrant flowers bloom in bright pink, purple and white, and resemble showy orchids. It is an ideal size for small residential landscapes, growing 20 to 35 feet tall with a similar spread. Orchid trees are hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 9 though 11.
Fortunately, there's a 2014 PDF document by José Manuel Sánchez de Lorenzo-Cáceres freely downloadable on the Internet, with excellent pictures and a good identification key that made our tree easy to identify. You can search for the document's name, "Notas sobre Bauhinia purpurea L., Bauhinia variegata L. y su híbrido Bauhinia x blakeana Dunn (Leguminosae-Caesalpinioideae)."
Two easily visible features separate Bauhinia purpurea from Bauhinia variegata. In Bauhinia purpurea, the cowhoof-shaped leaves are divided for 1/3- their length, while those of Bauhinia purpurea are divided only -1/3 their length. Below, you can see a leaf from our hut tree:
Along with the large, greenish pistil pointing upward, there are five stamens with white, curving filaments tipped with brown, arrowhead-shaped anthers, so that's another vote for Bauhinia variegata.
Sharma N, Sharma A, Bhatia G, Landi M, Brestic M, Singh B, Singh J, Kaur S, Bhardwaj R. Isolation of Phytochemicals from Bauhinia variegata L. Bark and Their In Vitro Antioxidant and Cytotoxic Potential. Antioxidants. 2019; 8(10):492.
Sharma, Neha, Anket Sharma, Gaurav Bhatia, Marco Landi, Marian Brestic, Bikram Singh, Jatinder Singh, Satwinderjeet Kaur, and Renu Bhardwaj. 2019. "Isolation of Phytochemicals from Bauhinia variegata L. Bark and Their In Vitro Antioxidant and Cytotoxic Potential" Antioxidants 8, no. 10: 492.
Wildlife attraction: Bauhinia variegata is a great tree for attracting wildlife such as birds, butterflies, and bees to the garden. The tree produces nectar-rich flowers that are a great source of food for pollinators.
It's important to note that these benefits are specific to Bauhinia variegata, other species of plants may have different properties. Also, it's important to have in mind that in some areas, Bauhinia variegata can become invasive, so before planting it is important to research and consider local regulations regarding invasive species.
The present study was carried out to investigate the antiobesity effect of methanolic extract of stem and root barks of Bauhinia variegata Linn in female rats fed with hypercaloric diet. Obesity was induced by administration of hypercaloric diet for 40 days. The plant extract (at the tested doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg body weight) exhibited a significant hypolipidemic effect and thus reduced the obesity. The body weight and feed intake was reduced significantly. Treatment of obese animals with the methanolic extract of B. variegata exhibited an increased brain serotonin level and high density lipoprotein with a concomitant decrease in total cholesterol, triglycerides and low density lipoprotein. Thus, the study indicates that the antiobesity activity of methanolic extract of B. variegata could be attributed to the presence of P- sitosterol in the stems and the tendency of the extract to reduce lipid profile and elicit the brain serotonin level. 041b061a72