强化仙桃红的研究

强化仙桃红是以成熟的仙人掌[Opuntia dillenii(Ker-Gawl)Haw.]果实为原料,用乙醇溶液浸提而获得的一种水溶性天然食用红色素,再添加保色剂强化而成。该色素在pH3—8的介质中呈艳丽的紫红色,经初步毒性试验,证明安全无毒。     

仙人掌类播种育苗技术

本文报道仙人掌类花卉播种育苗技术。初步探明,仙人掌类花卉成苗率的高低除了种子品质外,还与水、肥、光、热以及种子消毒、基质配方、病虫防治等关系密切。     

二色仙人掌，中国仙人掌科一新归化种

2019年4-6月,在江苏省西南部句容市郭庄镇虬山,首次发现二色仙人掌(Opuntia cespitosa Rafinesque)归化种群。该种群主要生长在海拔46～90 m的废弃采石场上,分布范围东西长510 m,南北宽260 m,面积约13.26 hm2。二色仙人掌开花结实的成年植株共计910棵,其中最大灌木平卧茎长轴上叶状茎10个,树龄可达10 a,大概在2010年就生长于虬山。在句容虬山采石场关闭时,采石场工作人员可能将盆栽的二色仙人掌就地丢弃,从而导致该归化种群的发展。比较了二色仙人掌与中国仙人掌属已知其余4种归化植物的形态特征,并编制了分种检索表。此外,讨论了二色仙人掌的传播机制及其入侵风险。     

胭脂虫寄生前后梨果仙人掌挥发性物质的变化

为了研究胭脂虫Dactylopius coccus Costa寄生前后梨果仙人掌(Opuntia ficus-indica Mill)挥发性物质的变化,以动态顶空密闭循环吸附捕集法捕集胭脂虫寄生前后梨果仙人掌的挥发物,并运用全自动热脱附-气相色谱/质谱(ATD-GC/MS)联用技术进行分析检测,用峰面积归一化法测定其相对含量。结果表明,无虫梨果仙人掌的挥发物中共检测到8种化合物,有虫的梨果仙人掌中共检测到9种化合物,化合物的种类和含量都有一定的变化;萜烯类是植食昆虫诱导的植物挥发性次生物质中的主要成分,本试验中,萜烯类在胭脂虫寄生前后的含量由23.12%降为6.98%。在无虫仙人掌的挥发物中检测出苯甲醛,含量约占1.73%,有虫的仙人掌中则未检测到;同样在有虫仙人掌挥发物中检出的其他物质如酯类(21.15%)、醇类(1.79%)和卤代芳烃类(1.51%)物质在无虫仙人掌植株中都未检测出。     

甜菜色素的生物学研究进展

甜菜色素(Betalains)是一类以六碳结构为骨架的水溶性色素,存在于石竹目Caryophyllales的绝大部分科和一类真菌中。目前已知甜菜色素大约有75种,都属于季胺型生物碱,可以分为两类:甜菜黄素(Betaxanthin)和甜菜红素(Betacyanin)。甜菜色素除了赋予花、果、叶着色,吸引昆虫,提高植物本身抗逆能力等外,也具有优良的抗氧化作用。甜菜色素的合成代谢始于酪氨酸,是由4~5个关键酶催化反应和一系列自发反应构成的反应网络。本文结合国内外最新研究进展,对甜菜色素理化性质、生理功能、合成以及应用做较为全面的综述。     

仙人掌类播种育苗技术

本文报道仙人掌类花卉播种育苗技术。初步探明,仙人掌类花卉成苗率的高低除了种子品质外,还与不、肥、光、热以及种子消毒、基质配方、病虫防治等关系密切。     

中国仙人掌科一新归化种——匍地仙人掌

在进行多肉植物资源调查时,在我国山东省发现一仙人掌科仙人掌属新记录种——匍地仙人掌 [Opuntia humifusa(Raf.)Raf.]。该种具有独特的匍匐生长习性,叶状茎深绿色,无白霜,无针状刺,花黄色,与国内分布的仙人掌属其他物种区别明显。匍地仙人掌原产于北美洲,是仙人掌科为数不多的耐寒种类之一,现归化于中国山东省日照市五莲县,系目前发现的在我国野外分布最北的仙人掌科植物。该种可能于20世纪50年代在国家推广中药材时期引入种植,人类活动致使其种群逐渐扩散。同时,对匍地仙人掌与江苏报道的二色仙人掌之间的分类学问题进行了论述,并对将来匍地仙人掌在我国暖温带地区合理的开发利用进行了展望。     

胭脂虫寄生对仙人掌生长的影响

从印榕仙人掌(Opuntia ficus-indica Mill)植株高度、新增茎片数量和新增茎片面积3个方面研究不同密度胭脂虫Dactylopius coccus Costa寄生对仙人掌生长量的影响。结果表明:1)胭脂虫寄生对寄主仙人掌有明显的抑制作用,未被寄生的仙人掌株高、茎片数量和茎片面积的增加均明显大于被寄生的仙人掌;2)随着胭脂虫寄生密度的增加,仙人掌植株生长量的增加相应减少,生长高峰期的出现也会相应推迟;3)胭脂虫的寄生密度应控制在1000头/株以下,过大会导致仙人掌的死亡。     

Volatile changes of Opuntia ficus-indica Mill before and after parasitizing by Dactylopius coccus Costa

为了研究胭脂虫Dactylopius coccus Costa寄生前后梨果仙人掌(Opuntia ficus-indica Mill)挥发性物质的变化,以动态顶空密闭循环吸附捕集法捕集胭脂虫寄生前后梨果仙人掌的挥发物,并运用全自动热脱附-气相色谱/质谱(ATD-GC/MS)联用技术进行分析检测,用峰面积归一化法测定其相对含量.结果表明,无虫梨果仙人掌的挥发物中共检测到8种化合物,有虫的梨果仙人掌中共检测到9种化合物,化合物的种类和含量都有一定的变化;萜烯类是植食昆虫诱导的植物挥发性次生物质中的主要成分,本试验中,萜烯类在胭脂虫寄生前后的含量由23.12％降为6.98％.在无虫仙人掌的挥发物中检测出苯甲醛,含量约占1.73％,有虫的仙人掌中则未检测到;同样在有虫仙人掌挥发物中检出的其他物质如酯类(21.15％)、醇类(1.79％)和卤代芳烃类(1.51％)物质在无虫仙人掌植株中都未检测出.     

仙人掌中槲皮素提取条件的正交设计优选

采用浸渍法和回流法从仙人掌中提取槲皮素。试验表明:回流法提取的效率高于浸渍提取法。通过对溶剂种类、浓度、回流提取时间和仙人掌粉末粒度4个因素的选择,并以L9(34)正交设计安排实验,得出最佳回流提取工艺为:过60目筛的干燥仙人掌粉末加浓度为95%甲醇回流3 h。     

仙桃红的稳定性和稳定性强化效应研究

本文着重于稳定性和稳定性强化效应的研究。它提供了提高仙桃红稳定性的方法和数据,在一定条件下,保色强度可达1:4.5。其方法还可借鉴用于其他天然色素稳定性的强化。     

The effect of cactus spines on light interception and Photosystem II for three sympatric species of Opuntia from the Mojave Desert

Cactus spines reduce herbivory, direct water toward roots and reduce the impacts of high- and low-temperature extremes. Yet, shading of stems by spines reduces incident photosynthetic photon flux density (PFD), photosynthesis and growth. This study compared spinescence, PFD interception, stem temperature, Photosystem II (PSII) photochemistry and xanthophyll pigment composition for three species of cacti from the Mojave Desert, CA. The species vary in spinescence: Opuntia basilaris , which has no central or radial spines; Opuntia erinacea , which is densely covered with spines; and Opuntia phaeacantha , which has an intermediate coverage of spines. The role of spines was tested by removing spines from stems of O. erinacea . PFD interception was similar for both O. basilaris and O. phaeacantha , and about three times that for densely spined O. erinacea ; removal of spines increased incident PFD three-fold. There were no effects of spines on stem temperatures. Steady-state light-response curves of chlorophyll a fluorescence from PSII indicated that ΦPSII, photochemical quenching (qP) and electron flux within PSII were lower, and non-photochemical quenching was higher, for O. erinacea in comparison to the other two species with less spines. After 2 months, qP was higher and electron flux lower, and xanthophyll pigment pool size was higher, for stems from which spines had been removed compared with intact stems. These three species allocate different amounts of biomass to spines, resulting in species-specific PFD interception, PSII photochemistry and xanthophyll pigment pool size, which may help maintain rates of photosynthesis during the hot, dry Mojave Desert summer.     

Analysis of betalains from fruits of Opuntia species

Betalains are of great taxonomic significance in higher plants and occur only in 10 families of the order Caryophyllales (Centrospermae). They are water-soluble nitrogenous pigments. They can be divided into two major structural groups, the red to red-violet betacyanins and the yellow betaxanthins. Betalains are widely used as natural red food colorant as well as antioxidant potentials. Several methods have been published for the determination of betalain in fruits of Opuntia species. The purpose of the current review is to provide a systematic survey of the analytical techniques for the determination of betalain from fruits of Opuntia species.     

Functional Gynodioecy in Opuntia quimilo (Cactaceae), a Tree Cactus Pollinated by Bees and Hummingbirds

Abstract: The tree cactus Opuntia quimilo is one of three known gynodioecious cacti. Its flowers deviate from most Opuntias in features that are attributable to ornithophily: petals are shiny red in colour, and fleshy in consistency, a nectar chamber is present, and stamen seismonasty is lacking. Pollinators include large matinal bees (predominantly Ptilothrix tricolor and Megachile sp.) and hummingbirds ( Chlorostilbon aureoventris and Heliomaster furcifer ). Hummingbirds rarely visit other local Opuntias. Hummingbirds, which are more common in the afternoon, prefer female flowers whereas bees prefer hermaphroditic flowers. Female flowers have more dilute nectar than hermaphroditic flowers. Under experimental conditions female fertility is as high as that of hermaphrodites, however, seeds from females always result from cross-pollination and from more severe ovule selection (ovule number is higher in female flowers). Under natural conditions female plants are reproductively more successful than hermaphrodites. Known cases of bird pollination in Opuntia and the incidence of ornithophilic features in Opuntia and related genera are discussed.     

Molecular evolution of human visual pigment genes

By comparing the published DNA sequences for (a) the genes encoding the human visual color pigments (red, green, and blue) with (b) the genes encoding human, bovine, and Drosophila rhodopsins, a phylogenetic tree for the mammalian pigment genes has been constructed. This evolutionary tree shows that the common ancestor of the visual color pigment genes diverged first from that of the rhodopsin genes; then the common ancestor of the red and green pigment genes and the ancestor of the blue pigment gene diverged; and finally the red and green pigment genes diverged from each other much more recently. Nucleotide substitutions in the rhodopsin genes are best explained by the neutral theory of molecular evolution. However, important functional adaptations seem to have occurred twice during the evolution of the color pigment genes in humans: first, to the common ancestor of the three color pigment genes after its divergence from the ancestor of the rhodopsin gene and, second, to the ancestor of the red pigment gene after its divergence from that of the green pigment gene.     

Red pigment-concentrating hormone induces a calcium-mediated retraction of distal retinal pigments in the crayfish

The octapeptide red pigment-concentrating hormone is capable of eliciting the aggregation of intracellular pigment granules in distal retinal pigment cells of isolated retinas of the crayfish Procambarus clarkii (Girard). The final level and the time course of pigment aggregation are dose dependent within a range of 10(-10) mol l(-1) to 10(-4) mol l(-1). The effect of red pigment-concentrating hormone is prevented by previous incubation with an anti- red pigment-concentrating hormone antibody; however, application of the antibody after the onset of the red pigment-concentrating hormone effect, does not prevent its full development. A similar effect to that elicited by red pigment-concentrating hormone is induced by the calcium ionophores ionomycin and A-23187. Red pigment-concentrating hormone evokes entry of 45Ca2+ to retinal cells. However, the red pigment-concentrating hormone-induced pigment aggregation persists in the presence of the calcium channel blocker verapamil and in Ca2+-free solutions. Caffeine and thapsigargin, known to release calcium from intracellular stores, elicit distal pigment aggregation, while ryanodine and dantrolene, blockers of intracellular calcium release, as well as the intracellular calcium chelator bapta-AM suppress the effect of red pigment-concentrating hormone. These results suggest that red pigment-concentrating hormone elicits distal retinal pigment aggregation by increasing intracellular calcium concentration, acting via a dual mechanism: (1) promoting calcium entry, and (2) releasing intracellular calcium.     

Overproduction of a potential red pigment by a specific self-immobilization biomembrane-surface liquid culture of Penicillium novae-zeelandiae

A specific self-immobilization biomembrane-surface liquid culture (SIBSLC) was developed to overproduce a potential penicillium red pigment. Statistic analysis shows that both glucose concentration and membrane diameter are important factors influencing the yield of red pigment. After the optimization using central composite experimental design, the maximum yield of red pigment in shake flask reaches 4.25?g/l. The growth of strain HSD07B consists of three phases, and the pigment secreted in the decelerated phase, is originated from the interior of biomembrane where glucose exhaustion occurs. In addition, the batch and continuous SIBSLC were conducted for production of the pigment, and the latter was more competitive in consideration of the fact that it not only increased 61.5?% of pigment productivity, but also simplified the production process. Moreover, the pigment produced by SIBSLC is potentially acceptable for food applications although it is distinguished from the co-cultured red pigment we reported previously in components.     

Studies of fluorescence inDrosophila compound eyes: changes induced by intense light and vitamin A deprivation

Summary Ultraviolet light excites a red fluorescence fromDrosophila R1–6 rhabdomeres which is superimposed on a blue background emission. Metarhodopsin (M570) pigment generates some or all of the vitamin A dependent red emission. However, the excitation spectrum for red emission peaks in the UV. This suggests that the pigment which sensitizes R1–6's visual pigment to UV light (sensitizing pigment) absorbs the UV light, sensitizing metarhodopsin's fluorescence by energy transfer. Blue emission is neither from sensitizing pigment nor from visual pigment as shown by vitamin A deprivation studies.Very intense UV or blue stimulation causes these changes: (1) conversion of visual pigment into a fluorescent product; (2) destruction of this fluorescent product; (3) a decrease in the blue background fluorescence (even in vitamin A deprived flies); and (4) a permanent destruction of visual pigment and retinal degeneration. The first effect requires intensities 3 log units brighter than needed to interconvert rhodopsin and metarhodopsin 1/2 way to photoequilibrium. UV light is about 5 times as effective as blue light for the conversion of visual pigment into fluorescent product.     

Neobetanin: isolation and identification from Beta vulgaris

A new natural plant constituent has been isolated from the root of red beet (Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris var. conditiva) and identified as the orange-coloured water-soluble pigment 5-O-β-D-glucopyranosylneobetanidin (neobetanin). Its structure was elucidated and characterized by ¹H and ¹³CNMR spectroscopy, FAB mass spectrometry, absorption spectroscopy, enzymatic determination of the glucose moiety, high-performance liquid chromatography and thin-layer electrophoresis. ¹H nuclear Overhauser enhancement spectra unambiguously identified the position of attachment of the sugar residue. Neobetanin was also found to occur as a minor constituent in petals of Opuntia ficusindica, Portulaca grandiflora, Zygocactus truncatus and in fruits of Phytolacca bogotensis and Rhipsalis warmingiana.     

Molecular patterns and sequence polymorphisms in the red and green visual pigment genes of Japanese men

The red-green pigment gene arrays of 203 (101 from a previous study and 102 from this study) randomly selected men of Japanese ancestry from the Seattle area were screened for the abnormal molecular patterns (deletions and red/green or green/red hybrid genes) that are usually associated with defective color vision. Such molecular patterns were found in approximately 5% of these individuals, which is equivalent to the frequency of phenotypic color vision defects in Japanese males in Japan. Thus, the majority of hybrid genes carried by Japanese males appear to be associated with defective color vision. In contrast, the frequency of hybrid genes among Caucasians and African-Americans is approximately two and five times the frequency of color vision defects in these two ethnic groups, respectively. The coding sequences of 50 males of Japanese ancestry were determined. All the polymorphisms in the red and green pigment genes that were detected in the Japanese sample had been observed in Caucasians and African-Americans. The same polymorphisms of the red pigment gene were present in the green pigment gene, suggesting that gene conversion contributes to sequence homogenization between these pigment genes. As is the case for Caucasians, exon 3 of the red and green pigment genes was observed to be a hot spot for recombination and gene conversion. Fewer polymorphic sites (4 vs 11) and haplotypes (5 vs 14) of the red pigment gene were observed in Japanese than in Caucasians. The Japanese population was more uniform with respect to the red pigment gene, with 70% of individuals having the same haplotype, as compared with the 43% for the Caucasian population. This difference was largely due to the lower degree of polymorphism at position 180 of the red pigment gene in Japanese (84% Ser and 16% Ala vs 62% Ser and 38% Ala.) The number of polymorphic sites and haplotypes in the green pigment gene was similar in the two populations. Nevertheless, the Japanese population was more uniform with 65% having the same haplotype. The difference in the frequency of alleles at position 283 accounted for this difference in haplotype distribution.