Common Names: Canadian thistle, Californian thistle, creeping thistle, field thistle, Canada thistle
Arctigenin, a natural bioactive compound, was compared with matairesinol and trachelogenin in their effects on synaptic activity in rat brain slices. Arctigenin and trachelogenin were found to be more potent in inhibiting glutamate receptors and decreasing the amplitude of evoked potential early component in the rat brain than matairesinol. These results suggest that trachelogenin and arctigenin could be potential candidates for the development of neuroprotective drugs.
Researchers confirmed the presence of phytoplasma infection in creeping thistle and dahlia plants using standard PCR and RFLP analysis. Genetic analysis revealed that the detected phytoplasma strains belong to the new 16SrXI-E subgroup and represent a novel taxon proposed as 'Candidatus Phytoplasma cirsii'. These strains are unique in their host range and geographical distribution, only infecting dicotyledonous plants in Europe. The study concludes that these phytoplasma strains are a discrete and specific group different from their closest relatives.