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Canna, the sole member of the Cannaceae family, is widely cultivated as an ornamental plant for its decorative flowers and foliage and is also a potential tuber crop due to its high starch content. This study sequenced, assembled, and analyzed the complete chloroplast (cp) genomes of three common Canna species with distinct leaf colors (green, purple, and variegated). The four cp genomes ranged from 164,427 to 164,509 bp in length, had a GC content of 36.23–36.25%, and exhibited identical gene content and codon preferences. Each genome contained 130 genes, including 110 unique genes (78 protein-coding genes, four of unknown function, four rRNAs, and 28 tRNAs), 18 duplicated genes located in the IR regions (six protein-coding genes, two of unknown function, four rRNAs, and eight tRNAs), and two trnM-CAU genes in the LSC region. SSR and long-repeat showed differences in long repeats numbers and distributions among the four cp genomes, highlighting potential molecular markers for Canna species identification and breeding. Comparative analysis showed high conservation across Canna cp genomes. Phylogenetic analysis confirmed a close relationship between Cannaceae and Marantaceae and supported a [Musaeceae (Cannaceae + Marantaceae)] clade as a sister group to Costaceae. The cp genome data generated in this study provide valuable insights for developing molecular markers, resolving taxonomic classifications, and advancing phylogenetic and population genetic studies in Canna species. Full article

Zingiberales includes eight families and more than 2600 species, with many species having important economic and ecological value. However, the backbone phylogenetic relationships of Zingiberales still remain controversial, as demonstrated in previous studies, and molecular dating based on chloroplast genomes has not been comprehensively studied for the whole order. Herein, 22 complete chloroplast genomes from 21 species in Zingiberales were sequenced, assembled, and analyzed. These 22 genomes displayed typical quadripartite structures, which ranged from 161,303 bp to 163,979 bp in length and contained 111–112 different genes. The genome structures, gene contents, simple sequence repeats, long repeats, and codon usage were highly conserved, with slight differences among these genomes. Further comparative analysis of the 111 complete chloroplast genomes of Zingiberales, including 22 newly sequenced ones and the remaining ones from the national center for biotechnology information (NCBI) database, identified three highly divergent regions comprising ccsA, psaC, and psaC-ndhE. Maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference phylogenetic analyses based on chloroplast genome sequences found identical topological structures and identified a strongly supported backbone of phylogenetic relationships. Cannaceae was sister to Marantaceae, forming a clade that was collectively sister to the clade of (Costaceae, Zingiberaceae) with strong support (bootstrap (BS) = 100%, and posterior probability (PP) = 0.99–1.0); Heliconiaceae was sister to the clade of (Lowiaceae, Strelitziaceae), then collectively sister to Musaceae with strong support (BS = 94–100%, and PP = 0.93–1.0); the clade of ((Cannaceae, Marantaceae), (Costaceae, Zingiberaceae)) was sister to the clade of (Musaceae, (Heliconiaceae, (Lowiaceae, Strelitziaceae))) with robust support (BS = 100%, and PP = 1.0). The results of divergence time estimation of Zingiberales indicated that the crown node of Zingiberales occurred approximately 85.0 Mya (95% highest posterior density (HPD) = 81.6–89.3 million years ago (Mya)), with major family-level lineages becoming from 46.8 to 80.5 Mya. These findings proved that chloroplast genomes could contribute to the study of phylogenetic relationships and molecular dating in Zingiberales, as well as provide potential molecular markers for further taxonomic and phylogenetic studies of Zingiberales. Full article

Background: Costus spicatus (Jacq.) Sw. is a medicinal species frequently prescribed for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. This study aims to evaluate the effects of this species against the development of atherosclerosis. Methods: First, an anatomical study of the C. spicatus leaves was performed. Then, the extract (ESCS) was obtained and submitted to phytochemical analysis. Female rats were treated with a single dose of ESCS (2000 mg/kg) to assess acute toxicity. Other groups of female rats received an atherogenic diet for 60 days. After 30 days, the animals were treated orally with ESCS (30 and 300 mg/kg), rosuvastatin (5 mg/kg), or vehicle once daily for 30 days. Serum lipids oxidized low-density lipoprotein, soluble adhesion molecules, interleukins 1β and 6, and markers of renal and liver function were measured. Renal function, blood pressure, electrocardiography, and vascular reactivity were also evaluated. Arteries, heart, liver, and kidney were also collected to evaluate the tissue redox state and histopathological analysis. Results: Prolonged treatment with ESCS induces significant hypolipidemic and antioxidant effects, that prevent endothelial dysfunction and modulated the local inflammatory process, reducing the evolution of the atherosclerotic disease. Conclusions: This study provides a scientific basis for the popular use of C. spicatus for the treatment of atherosclerosis. Full article