Pollen limitation and fruit abortion in a declining rare tree,the Eurasian yew (Taxus baccata L.): A reproductive cost of ecological marginality

Populations of rare tree species such as the dioecious and anemophilous yew (Taxus baccata) are especially prone to extinction if they occupy marginal habitats. This is the case of yew populations growing in Mediterranean mountains under dry climate and a severe anthropogenic disturbance regime, which show insufficient regeneration. We examined two of the likely mechanisms driving this population decline. The study was conducted in a central Spanish yew population in 2005 and 2006. On one hand, we tested for the effect of the amount of pollen received by female flowers by means of a pollen addition experiment. On the other hand, we tested for the effect of initial fruit set on abortion and mature fruit production. Finally, we evaluated the effect of the spatial arrangement of male and female yew trees on realized fecundity. The success of fertilization and fruiting in the experimental population was pollen-limited. Female trees aborted ca. 70% of the fruit set in both years and treatments. Fruit set was significantly influenced by the females' neighbourhood, with fecundity decreasing exponentially with distance to the nearest male in both years. Overall, our results indicate that factors associated with ecological marginality have a strong influence on yew performance.     

Antifungal and antibacterial activities of Taxus wallichiana Zucc

Current study was undertaken to evaluate the in vitro antifungal and antibacterial potential of methanol extract and subsequent fractions obtained after partitioning in organic solvents with variable polarity of the aerial parts of the tree Taxus wallichiana Zucc. Traditionally, this plant is often used in folk medicines in Pakistan for treating microbial infections. In order to rationalize the traditional use, methanol extracts of leaf, bark, and heartwood of Taxus wallichiana Zucc. were tested against six bacteria and six fungal strains using the Hole diffusion and macro-dilution methods. All extracts and fractions displayed significant antimicrobial effect. Only three fungal strains, Trichophyton longifusus, Microspoum canis, and Fusarium solani were susceptible to the extracts and fractions with MICs ranging from 0.08 to 200 mg/mL. In case of bacterial strains, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Salmonella typhi were susceptible to the extracts and fractions with MICs ranging from 0.08 to 200 mg/mL. Comparison results were carried out using imipinem, miconazole and amphotericin B as standard antibiotics.     

4种红豆杉属植物遗传多样性和遗传关系的RAPD分析

采用RAPD标记研究了分属于4种红豆杉属(Taxus Linn.)植物的68个单株的遗传多样性,并采用UPGMA方法分析68个单株的遗传关系.结果表明:12条RAPD引物共扩增出109条带,其中多态性条带108条,多态性条带百分率为99.1％;平均每条引物扩增出9.1条带.南方红豆杉[T.wallichiana var.mairei (Lemée et Lévl)L.K.Fu et Nan Li.]种内的多态性条带百分率和观察等位基因数均最高;欧洲红豆杉(T.baccata Linn.)种内的有效等位基因数、Nei's基因多样度和Shannon's信息指数均最高;须弥红豆杉(T.wallichiana Zucc.)种内的各项遗传多样性指数均最低.供试4种植物的种内遗传多样度、种间遗传多样度、基因流和种间遗传分化系数分别为0.1745、0.358 6、0.401 7和0.554 5,表明55.45％的遗传变异发生在种间.南方红豆杉和须弥红豆杉遗传距离最近;曼地亚红豆杉(Taxus×media Rehd.)和须弥红豆杉的遗传距离最远.通过聚类分析可将68个单株分为3组,欧洲红豆杉的18个单株和曼地亚红豆杉的18个单株分别各自聚为1组;须弥红豆杉的16个单株和南方红豆杉的16个单株聚为1组,其中须弥红豆杉的16个单株和南方红豆杉的16个单株又各自聚为1个亚组,且南方红豆杉的雌、雄单株也分别聚在同一分支上,表明须弥红豆杉和南方红豆杉遗传关系较近,而欧洲红豆杉与其他3种植物的遗传关系较远.     

Effect of Conduritol A,a Polyol from Gymnema sylvestre,on the Development of Diabetic Cataracts in Streptozotocin-treated Rats and on Aldose Reductase

Streptozotocin-diabetic rats were maintained on a stock diet for 16 weeks and some were given conduritol A (10 mg/kg/day). The administration of conduritol A, having a hypoglycemic effect, markedly prevented the diabetic rats from getting cataracts. In practice, conduritol A inhibited aldose reductase (EC 1.1.1.21) that is capable of catalyzing the conversion of aldoses to sugar alcohols in the polyol pathway. In an in vitro assay, lens aldose reductase was most effectively inhibited by conduritol A when α,β-d-glucose was used as a substrate. Some enzymes from the rats were not inhibited by conduritol A. Neither an intraperitoneal injection nor oral dosage of conduritol A caused acute toxicity in the rats. These findings suggest that the inhibition of lens aldose reductase by conduritol A may be responsible for its cataract-suppressing effect.     

Evaluation of Polyethylene Glycol as a Water-soluble Marker: Absorption and Excretion of 14C-labeled Polyethylene Glycol in Rats

The absorbability of polyethylene glycol (PEG), a water-soluble nutritional marker, from the gastrointestinal tract of rat was examined using the [¹⁴C]-labeled compound ([¹⁴C]PEG) having a molecular weight of 4000. Intravenously injected [¹⁴C]PEG was readily excreted and recovered almost completely in the urine and neither hepatic nor renal uptake of the PEG was observed. Intragastrically administered [¹⁴C]PEG was eliminated in the urine with an average recovery of only 0.43 ± 0.13% (Mean ± S.D., n= 10) of the dose over 24 hr. From the gel column chromatographic profile of the radioactivity excreted in the urine after an oral dose, [¹⁴C]PEG was suggested to be absorbed in two forms, as an original form and as a low molecular weight component. The latter component might be the degraded product of PEG in the gastrointestinal tract. From these results it was confirmed that PEG with a molecular weight of 4000 is a satisfactory marker because of its low absorbability.     

Novel Taxa-4(20),12-diene and 2(3→20)Abeotaxane from Needles of Taxus canadensis

A novel 6/8/6-membered taxane with a rare C-12(13)-double bond and rare 2(3→20)abeotaxane were isolated from the needles of Taxus canadensis. Their structures were characterized as 7β,9α,10β-triacetoxytaxa-4(20),12-diene-2α,5α,11β-triol (1) and 2α,7β,10β-triacetoxy-5α-hydroxy-2(3→20)abeotaxa-4(20),11-diene-9,13-dione (2) on the basis of 1D and 2D spectroscopic data. 1 is the first example of a natural taxane without substitution at both C-13 and C-14.     

紫外辐射对东北红豆杉鲜叶中紫杉醇及三尖杉宁碱含量的影响

分别采用254、365 nm两种波长的紫外光对东北红豆杉鲜叶进行辐射,研究了波长、辐射时间以及样品处理方式对东北红豆杉鲜叶中紫杉醇及三尖杉宁碱含量变化的影响。结果表明,东北红豆杉鲜叶经匀浆处理后接受紫外辐射,两种波长的紫外光都可以使紫杉醇及三尖杉宁碱的含量增加,但不同波长对紫杉醇及三尖杉宁碱含量提高的趋势却不相同。365 nm的紫外光辐射2 h时使紫杉醇和三尖杉宁碱含量均提高到了最大值,两种物质含量分别提高了44.6%和53.0%,而254 nm的紫外光在辐射8 h时才达到最大值,两种物质含量分别提高了39.2%和24.3%。可以选取365 nm的紫外光对东北红豆杉鲜叶水匀浆体系进行辐射,快速高效地提高鲜叶内紫杉醇和三尖杉宁碱的含量。     

A new metabolite with a new substitution pattern from the seeds of the Chinese Yew, Taxus mairei

A new taxoid metabolite with a new substitution pattern was isolated from the methanol extract of the seeds of Taxus mairei, and its structure was established as 5alpha,15-dihydroxy-7beta,9alpha-diacetoxy-11(15-->1)abeo-taxa-4(20),11-dien-13-one (1) on the basis of spectral analysis including (1)H- and (13)C-NMR, HMQC, HMBC, NOESY, and confirmed by HR-FAB mass spectrometry.     

响应面法在紫杉醇产生菌发酵前体优化中的应用

采用响应面法对美丽镰刀菌（Fusarium mairei K178）发酵合成紫杉醇途径中一些可能的前体进行优化研究。首先采用Plackett-Burman法对8个因素进行了筛选,结果表明,苯丙氨酸,苯甲酸钠和乙酸钠三个因素对紫杉醇产量影响较大。在此基础上,再通过Box-Behnken设计,利用Design-Expert软件进行二次回归分析,得到各因素的最佳浓度为：苯丙氨酸2.8mg/L,苯甲酸钠31.8mg/L,乙酸钠3.3g/L。在优化条件下紫杉醇的产量达到242.6μg/L,较前体单因素实验最高值提高15.6%。     

稀土元素对红豆杉细胞悬浮培养及紫杉醇合成的影响

研究了在250mL摇瓶中,不同浓度的硝酸镧、硫酸铈铵、硝酸亚铈3种稀土化合物对细胞生长及紫杉醇分泌和释放的影响。结果表明,在培养初期加入稀土元素。3种不同稀土化合物对细胞生长影响强弱不同,但趋势相似,均使细胞的延迟期缩短。1ppm的Ce^4 促进细胞生长的效果最明显。细胞干重第17d达到10.9g/L。在指数期加入稀土元素。10ppmCe^3 刺激细胞生长的效果最明显,细胞干重最高值达到11.5g/dL,比对照高1.5g/L,而10ppm的La^3 抑制细胞的生长。经稀土元素处理后,细胞胞内和胞外紫杉醇含量都有大幅度的提高,其中以10ppmCe^3 处理,胞外紫杉醇释放率最大,达37.7%。