Agarwood Induced Laxative Effects via Acetylcholine Receptors on Loperamide-Induced Constipation in Mice

Agarwood (Aquilaria sinensis, Aquilaria crasna) is well known as an incense in the oriental region such as Thailand, Taiwan, and Cambodia, and is used as a digestive in traditional medicine. We investigated the laxative effects and mechanism of agarwood leaves extracted with ethanol (EEA-1, Aquilaria sinensis; EEA-2, Aquilaria crasna). EEA-1, EEA-2, the main constituents of EEAs (mangiferin, and genkwanin-5-O-primeveroside), and senna increased the frequency and weight of stools in loperamide-induced constipation model mice. EEA-1 and EEA-2 did not induce diarrhea as a side effect, but senna induced severe diarrhea. EEA-1 and senna increased gastro-intestinal (GI) transit in the model mice. EEA-1, but not senna, also increased the intestinal tension of isolated jejunum and ileum in guinea pigs, and the tension increase was blocked by atropine, a muscarinic receptor antagonist, but not by other inhibitors (granicetron, pyrilamine, or bradykinin-antagonist peptide). Furthermore, the increase in frequency and weight of stools induced by EEA-1 were blocked by pre-administration of atropine in the model mice. These findings indicate that EEAs exerted a laxative effect via acetylcholine receptors in the mouse constipation model.     

皂荚果实中皂苷O的分离鉴定及毒性研究

采用乙醇提取、正丁醇萃取、常压硅胶柱反复层析的方法,并结合杀鼠活性追踪,从豆科植物皂荚(Gleditsiasinensis Lam.)的果实中分离到一个含有7个糖基的三萜皂苷,通过TLC、mp、IR、MS、1 H-NMR和13 C-NMR等方法鉴定为3-O-β-D-吡喃木糖基-(1→2)-α-L-吡喃阿拉伯糖基-(1→6)-β-D-吡喃葡萄糖基齐墩果酸28-O-β-D-吡喃木糖基-(1→3)-β-D-吡喃木糖基-(1→4)-α-L-吡喃鼠李糖基-(1→2)-[(6S,2E)-6-羟基-2,6-二甲基-2,7-辛二烯醇-(1→3)-(6′S,2′E)-6′-羟基-2′,6′-二甲基-2′,7′-辛二烯醇-(1→6)]-β-D-吡喃葡萄糖酯[即皂荚皂苷O(GleditsiosidesO)]。对小鼠的急性毒性测定结果表明,试鼠对皂荚皂苷O经口灌胃的耐受量为160～400mg/kg,半数致死剂量LD50=249.52mg/kg,95%可信区间为224.81～276.95mg/kg;皂荚皂苷O对小鼠的急性毒性大于皂荚皂苷A。研究结果表明,皂荚皂苷O为皂荚的主要杀鼠活性成分。     

不同施肥方法对马来沉香和土沉香苗期根系生长的影响

以珍贵树种马来沉香、土沉香1年生播种苗木为材料进行试验,研究指数施肥、平均施肥对2种沉香苗期根系生长动态及对N的响应特征。结果表明,经氮素处理的马来沉香、土沉香的根系生物量、根系长度、根系表面积、根系平均直径、根体积等指标均显著高于对照处理(P<0.05)。经指数施肥处理的苗木根系生长及各形态指标均高于平均施肥处理。同一时期在相同施肥处理方式下,马来沉香苗根系生长及根系形态指标值均高于土沉香。洛伦兹模型对不同施肥方法处理下马来沉香、土沉香苗木生长指标与根系生物量进行拟合,具有较高的R²(0.95-0.99)和较低的RSMD(0.538-2.352);抛物面模型对不同施肥方法处理下马来沉香、土沉香苗木生长指标与比根长进行拟合,具有较高的R²(0.92-0.99)和较低的RSMD(3.218-6.692)。     

Production of herbicide-resistant sweet potato plants transformed with the <Emphasis Type="Italic">bar</Emphasis> gene

Herbicide-resistant sweet potato plants were produced through biolistics of embryogenic calli derived from shoot apical meristems. Plant materials were bombarded with the vectors containing the β-glucuronidase gene (gusA) and the herbicide-resistant gene (bar). Selection was carried out using phosphinothricin (PPT). Transformants were screened by the histochemical GUS and Chlorophenol Red assays. PCR and Southern-blot analyses indicated the presence of introduced bar gene in the genomic DNA of the transgenic plants. When sprayed with Basta, the transgenic sweet potato plants was tolerant to the herbicide. Hence, we report successful transformation of the bar gene conferring herbicide resistance to sweet potato.     

马来沉香组织培养技术研究

以马来沉香茎段为外植体,分别对外植体的消毒、启动培养、增殖培养、壮苗培养、生根培养、炼苗移栽环节进行研究,着重探索马来沉香组织培养技术各个环节的最佳培养基配方,为马来沉香的工厂化育苗提供技术指导。结果表明:马来沉香最佳消毒方法是用0.1%升汞消毒4～5min;启动率最高的培养基配方是1/2MS+6-BA 0.2mg·L-1+NAA 0.1mg·L-1+蔗糖30g·L-1+琼脂5.8g·L-1,启动率达70.5%;增殖系数最高的培养基是1/2MS+0.1mg·L-16-BA+25g·L-1蔗糖+5.8g·L-1琼脂,增殖系数达2.9;最佳壮苗培养基是1/2MS+30g·L-1蔗糖+5.8g·L-1琼脂;最佳生根培养基为1/2MS+NAA 5.0mg·L-1+20g·L-1糖+6g·L-1琼脂,培养2d后移入1/2MS培养基继续培养,生根率为83%;马来沉香移栽较难成活,在泥炭土∶黄泥土(2∶1)的基质上成活率最高,移栽成活率65%。     

三种植物提取物对菟丝子及大豆生长发育和宿主保护酶活性的影响

利用不同浓度的苦楝树皮和叶、隆缘桉叶和乌桕叶的乙醇提取物对菟丝子及其宿主大豆幼苗进行处理,15d后评价三种提取物对菟丝子和大豆幼苗的影响。结果表明:三种提取物在低浓度时对菟丝子及其宿主大豆幼苗生长发育均无显著影响,在高浓度(0.25g/mL)下,桉树叶提取物对大豆和菟丝子的损伤程度分别达到了64%和70%,苦楝树皮提取物对菟丝子损伤程度为78%,但对大豆幼苗仅为7%。桉树叶和苦楝树皮提取物处理均导致大豆叶片超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)活性升高,最高值分别为相应对照组的2.37倍和2.0倍;但对过氧化物酶(POD)和过氧化氢酶(CAT)活性的影响不同,桉树叶提取物使大豆幼苗POD活性最大值为对照组的2.28倍,而苦楝树皮提取物处理则是CAT活性升高,最大值为对照组的1.58倍,提示桉树叶提取物对大豆较强的伤害作用与其较低的CAT活性有关。     

菟丝子提取物对活性氧引起已分化的PC12细胞损伤的保护作用

以常用的神经嗜铬细胞瘤PC12细胞株为实验模型,通过比较活性氧(ROS)作用细胞后的细胞活力、凋亡相关蛋白(p53、Bax)水平以及细胞中SOD、GSH、MDA的差异,发现菟丝子提取物不仅能提高ROS损伤的已分化PC12细胞活力,调节细胞中凋亡相关基因的表达,而且还能提高细胞中SOD和GSH的含量,降低MDA水平。由此表明,菟丝子提取物对ROS造成的PC12细胞损伤有一定的保护作用。     

民族植物学：学科发展动态与展望

对民族植物学的学科发展进行了简要综述。民族植物学自1896年在美国诞生以来,经历了百年漫长的发展过程。民族植物学由早期的描述编目有用植物,已经发展到了实验性、技术性和定量性研究的新阶段;民族植物学的原理与方法已被广泛应用于植物资源的可持续利用、社区发展和生物多样性保护。近代民族植物学的学科发展可归纳为3个特征：(1)研究方法的进展主要表现在由记载编目和描述到实验性、技术性的定量研究和从基础研究到实际应用的发展;(2)研究途径的发展表现在由调查记录、访谈式的被动研究到参与式研究和取证分析;(3)研究地区已由局部区域性研究扩大到全球范围的民族植物学研究,从对原住民和少数民族的民族植物学研究扩展到所有不同文化背景民族的民族植物学研究。特别是发展中国家的民族植物学研究在近半个世纪以来得到迅速发展,并广泛应用于植物资源的管理和生物多样性保护的实际工作中。民族植物学在中国起步较晚,但在过去20年里已从无到有,建立起了我国民族植物学研究的理论框架、内容、方法和途径,将民族植物学从基础描述性研究(调查、记载、编目),推进到应用研究,在植物资源的可持续利用、生物多样性保护、农村发展和山区扶贫等方面取得了若干进展。当前,我国民族植物学研究面临着发展的新机遇和新的挑战,必须紧跟国民经济发展的新形势,投入西部大开发,加强学科建设,推进研究与产业发展的结合,把民族植物学由地区性研究推进到全国性研究,进一步完善中国特色的民族植物学研究体系,积极参与国际合作与交流,对国民经济的持续发展、民族地区的团结稳定和生物多样性保护作出更大的贡献。     

Pineal-dependent locomotor activity of lamprey,Lampetra japonica,measured in relation to LD cycle and circadian rhythmicity

Summary Locomotor activity of the river lamprey, Lampetra japonica, was investigated under a light-dark (LD 1212) cycle and under continuous dark conditions. Intact lampreys were entrained to the light:dark cycle. They were active mainly in the early half of the dark period and inactive in light period. The light:dark entrainment continued in 72.7% of lampreys after the removal of bilateral eyes, but additional pinealectomy made the entrainment disappear in all lampreys. When lampreys were pinealectomized with their eyes intact, light: dark entrainment was abolished in most cases. The results indicate that the pineal organ of the lamprey is a photoreceptive organ responsible for synchronizing locomotor activity to LD cycle. Under continuous dark conditions, the locomotor activity began to free-run with a period of 21.3 ± 0.9 h (mean ± SD, n = 53). This circadian rhythmicity was not affected by the removal of lateral eyes but was abolished by pinealectomy. The pineal organ appears to function as an oscillator, or as one of the oscillators, for the circadian locomotor rhythm of lampreys.Abbreviations DD continuous dark - LD light:dark