Some Candida species are found as endosymbionts in most healthy individuals. C. albicans is the most common yeast found on the mucosal membranes of humans including in the oral cavity, esophagus, gastrointestinal tract, urinary bladder and genitalia (1). In immunocompromised individuals, C. albicans has emerged as a true opportunistic pathogen.

The widespread use of antimicrobial agents has resulted in the development of antibiotic resistance, which has a serious impact on the general community. New compounds are being developed to overcome the challenge of antimicrobial resistance. However, a rapid development of resistance to some of these newer agents is reported.

Mechanical strength of plants is an important agronomic
trait and directly related to the crop lodging thus yield
losses and grain quality (Ching et al. 2006; Wang et al.
2012). The intrinsic mechanical strength of plants is mainly
controlled by cell wall and any changes in cell wall
structure or composition affect the mechanical strength of
plants (Cosgrove 2000). Sclerenchymatous tissues of plants
having both primary cell wall and secondary thick cell wall
provide the maximum mechanical strength to plants (Carpita

The honey bee, Apis mellifera L. 1758, is naturally found
throughout Europe, Africa and Western Asia (Miguel et
al., 2011). In recent years, based on morphometry, 26
subspecies have been identified and clustered into four
evolutionary lineages (Ruttner, 1988; Sheppard et al.,
1997; Engel, 1999; Sheppard and Meixner, 2003; Miguel
et al., 2011). The indigenous honey bee of Saudi Arabia,
which is the focus of this publication, was characterized
morphometrically by Ruttner in 1975 as Apis mellifera

Environmental pollution caused by fossil fuel is an issue of the
greatest importance regarding both economic growth and ecological
restoration. Among fossil fuels, oil (petroleum hydrocarbon)
is the principle source of energy, and it is part of major
global environmental pollutants. Significant amounts of
hydrocarbons from petroleum products contaminate
groundwater and soil due to leaks and spills from petroleum
refinery processes, oil storage tanks, and transportation
(Su et al. 2011). Hydrocarbon disposal often leads to

Biodiversity studies of an area provide the basic data compulsory to measure the
anthropogenic impacts like habitat loss, introduction of invasive species, climate change, and
pollution on biological communities [1-3].
Biodiversity has become a leading research idea in recent years and also a popular field for
audience attraction in the media [4]. Honeybees belong to the Apoidea group and are consistent
flower visitors and major plant pollinators, both in natural as well as agricultural ecosystems [5,

The majority of lavender species are indigenous to the mountainous regions of the western
Mediterranean countries, the islands of the Atlantic, Turkey, Pakistan and India (Chu and
Kemper, 2001). Moreover, they are native to northern, eastern and southern Africa; the Arabian
Peninsula; Bulgaria; and Russia (Boning, 2010).
Lavender species survive, and can thrive, in arid and semi-arid regions of the world, even in
areas threatened by desertification (Azcón and Barea, 1997), and it is known as extremely