Evaluation of the mutagenicity and antimutagenicity of Ziziphus joazeiro Mart. bark in the micronucleus assay

The aim of this study was to evaluate the mutagenicity (clastogenicity/aneugenicity) of a glycolic extract of Ziziphus joazeiro bark (GEZJ) by the micronucleus assay in mice bone marrow. Antimutagenic activity was also assessed using treatments associated with GEZJ and doxorubicin (DXR). Mice were evaluated 24–48 h after exposure to positive (N-nitroso-N-ethylurea, NEU - 50 mg.kg⁻¹ and DXR - 5 mg.kg⁻¹) and negative (150 mM NaCl) controls, as well as treatment with GEZJ (0.5–2 g.kg⁻¹), GEZJ (2 g.kg⁻¹) + NEU and GEZJ (2 g.kg⁻¹) + DXR. There were no significant differences in the frequencies of micronucleated polychromatic erythrocytes in mice treated with GEJZ and GEJZ + DXR compared to the negative controls, indicating that GEZJ was not mutagenic. Analysis of the polychromatic:normochromatic erythrocyte ratio revealed significant differences in the responses to doses of 0.5 g.kg⁻¹ and 1–2 g.kg⁻¹ and the positive control (NEU). These results indicated no systemic toxicity and moderate toxicity at lower and higher doses of GEZJ. The lack of mutagenicity and systemic toxicity in the antimutagenic assays, especially for treatment with GEZJ + DXR, suggested that phytochemical compounds in Z. joazeiro bark attenuated DXR-induced mutagenicity and the moderate systemic toxicity of a high dose of Z. joazeiro bark (2 g.kg⁻¹). Further studies on the genotoxicity of Z. joazeiro extracts are necessary to establish the possible health risk in humans and to determine the potential as a chemopreventive agent for therapeutic use.     

几种提取枣和酸枣DNA用于RAPD分析的方法比较

利用不同的方法提取枣和酸枣的总DNA,并分析了不同样品状况、抗氧化剂和纯化过程等对所提DNA质量及其RAPD扩增效果的影响。实验显示：用改良CTAB法优于SDS法,可有效去除多糖。加入的抗氧化剂PVP、抗坏血酸、β-巯基乙醇等可有效阻止多酚类物质褐化,但不同抗氧化剂间效果差别不大。分别将样品干燥处理、固定处理、液氮处理、冷藏,与新鲜材料相比,用液氮处理并保存于-80℃的材料与新鲜材料所提DNA相当,而用其他方法DNA都有不同程度降解。不同材料提取结果比较显示：幼叶所提DNA产量和质量优于老叶,并且不需要较多的纯化过程。在有RNA和少量蛋白质时,对扩增结果影响不大。     

酸枣的研究进展及开发前景

本文对酸枣(种仁、果肉、叶、根)的化学成分、药理作用等方面的研究进展作一综述,并对酸枣资源的开发利用提出了一些见解。     

The Embryological Observation on a Parthenocarpy's Zizyphus juluba Mill

This paper deals with the development of embryo sac and the parthenocarpy of Zizyphus jujuba Mill. The results are as follows: In Ningxia round jujuba, there are one to four archesporial cells but ordinarily only one of them can develop to megaspore.mother cell and the others degenerated. The embryo sac belongs to Allium type. Two megaspore nuclei take part in the formation of female gametophyte. The development of fruits doesn't depent on the fertilization. So the Ningxia round jujuba is a stable parthenocarpy. The relation between the development of fruits and the pollination was discussed.     

Studies on the Constituents of Chinese Traditional Drug Suan Zau Ren

Suan Zau Ren (the seeds of Zizyphus spinosus Hu) is a widely used chinese traditional drag for treatment of insomnia, neurasthenia and sometimes for sleepiness caused by physical emaciation in chinese traditional medicine. Its dichloromethane extract afforded four pentacyclic triterpenes of the lup-20(29)-en group, namely betulin (Ⅱ), betulinic acid(Ⅰ), ceanothic acid(Ⅲ), and alphitolic acid (Ⅳ), and one sterol, daucosterol (Ⅴ). Their structures were identified by the spectroscopic analysis. The later three compounds were isolated from Suan Zau Ren for the first time.     

一种单性结实枣的胚胎学观察

本文对一种单性结实枣做了较详细的胚胎学观察。结果表明:孢原由1—4个细胞组成,通常仅有一个可发育为大孢子母细胞。有二个大孢子核参与胚囊形成,胚囊属葱型。部分花柱中有花粉管,但不发生受精。果实的发育不依赖于受精,是一种稳定的单性结实类型。讨论了传粉与果实发育的关系。     

酸枣保护酶活性和膜脂过氧化产物对干旱胁迫的响应

以3年生酸枣为试材,通过盆栽控水试验法研究干旱胁迫条件下酸枣生理生化特性的响应规律。结果表明:随着干旱胁迫梯度的加大、干旱时间的延长,保护酶SOD、POD和CAT在酸枣体内积累,表现出先增后降的变化趋势;在中度干旱下SOD活性达到608.36 U/g·FW,高于CK组52.14%且差异极显著(P0.01),POD活性达到190.97μg/min·g·FW,高于CK组113.59%(P0.01)。而CAT活性变化与SOD、POD略有不同,随胁迫程度的加重,其活性逐渐降低,仅高于CK组1.40倍(P0.05)。电导率、NR活性以及丙二醛(MDA)含量表现出增加的趋势;电导率持续升高,高于CK组11.14倍(P0.01),对膜的结构和功能破坏越严重。NR活性达到14.60μg/(g·h)比CK增加了94.66%(P0.01),MDA含量达到26.82μmoL/g·FW,是CK组的2.71倍(P0.05),膜脂过氧化反应加强,对膜的伤害增加。     

Studies on the parasitoid Opius concolor Sźepligeti (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), associated with zizyphus fruit fly,Carpomyia incompleta Becker (Diptera: Tephritidae)

The present study aims to show that zizyphus trees must be preserved from exposure to pesticide applications for several reasons: they are trees with no economic values and are the sole host plant of zizyphus fruit fly (ZFF), Carpomyia incompleta, (monophagous species) add to that the pest (ZFF) is very sensitive to the associated parasitoid, Opius concolor. Therefore, the present experiment was carried out for two successive years, 2011 and 2012. In the first season of 2011, ZFF started to emerge at the first of April with 28% emergence, thereafter the fly emergence gradually increased to reach the maximal value (56%) by the end of May. In the second season of the same year, the percentage of flies emergence started with 63.67% during 11 September, afterwards it increased to reach the maximal value (83.67%) by the end of September. Data also indicated that the overall males/females ratio of ZFF was 0.43 during both the years of study. The maximum parasitism was recorded in 22 April (26.0%), meanwhile no individual parasitoid was observed during September. The fluctuation of ZFF in both the years showed similar trend. The ratio between the parasitoid O. concolor and ZFF in 2011 was similar to that of 2012 except that a low percentage of parasitism was observed at the beginning of September. Keeping in view the aim of the present investigation, as well as the obtained results, zizyphus tree from our point of view may become a host plant with highly economic importance where it acts as a natural resource or reservoir for one of the most effective parasitoid of fruit fly species without any economical cost. We also advise those working in the field of Horticulture, Pomology Departments to propagate and cultivate zizyphus trees around fruit orchards to act as windbreaks besides their function as a source of parasite.     

Assessment of the bioregulatory activity of the leaf juices of higher plants in Al-Taif,Saudi Arabia against Fusarium solani,Phytophthora spp. and Rhizoctonia solani

Resistance to conventional fungicides causes poor disease control in agriculture. Natural products from plants have great potential as novel fungicide sources for controlling pathogenic fungi. In this study the antipathogenic activity of the leaf juices of 11 plant species (Chenopodium ambrosioides, Pulicaria vulgaris, Lavandula pubescens, Lavandula dentata, Ageratum conyzoides, Ficus retusa, Zizyphus nummularia, Acacia tortilis, Phragmanthera sp. Aff. Rufescens, Lawsonia alba and Olea europaea) were evaluated in vitro against three plant pathogenic fungi (Fusarium solani, Phytophthora spp. and Rhizoctonia solani). Plate assays showed that the leaf aqueous juices have antifungal activity against these fungi. The aqueous extracts of Pulicaria vulgaris, Lavandula dentata, Ageratum conyzoides, Ficus retusa, Zizyphus nummularia, Acacia tortilis, Phragmanthera sp. Aff. Rufescens (when associated with Acacia tortilis), Lawsonia alba and Olea europaea exhibited antifungal properties against Fusarium solani, Phytophthora spp. and Rhizoctonia solani with variable degrees. On the other hand, Chenopodium ambrosioides, Lavandula pubescens and Phragmanthera sp. Aff. Rufescens (when associated with Zizyphus nummularia) did not exhibit any fungitoxicity. All these observations suggest the possible exploitation of Chenopodium oil as a potential botanical fungitoxicant in ecofriendly control of post-harvest biodeterioration of food commodities from storage fungi.     

三个枣树品种组织培养的比较研究

以山西名枣--交城骏枣、太谷壶瓶枣和稷山板枣为试材,研究了在不同外源激素配比及不同培养条件下再生植株的适宜培养基和培养条件,结果表明,BA和IBA配比的MS培养基有利于骏枣和壶瓶枣分化,BA和IAA配比则对板枣分化有利,试管苗生根以IBA效果较好.