Development of secondary pine forests after pine wilt disease in western Japan

Abstract. The development of secondary Pinus densiflora (Japanese red pine) forests after pine wilt disease was studied through phytosociological analysis, estimation of forest structure before disease and size-structure, tree ring and stem analyses. Following the end of the disease, the growth of previously suppressed small oak trees was accelerated. This is quite different from the development of forests following fire, which starts with the establishment of pine seedlings. Pine wilt disease shifted the dominance of secondary forests from Pinus densiflora to Quercus serrata oak forest. In pine forests, disturbance by fire is important for forest maintenance. In contrast, disturbance by pine wilt disease leads to an acceleration of succession from pine forest to oak forest.     

A polysaccharide from the dried rhizome of Drynaria fortunei (Kunze) J. Sm. prevents ovariectomized (OVX)-induced osteoporosis in rats

In the present study, a homogenous polysaccharide (DFPW) was isolated and purified from the dried rhizome of Drynaria fortunei, and its protective effect against osteoporosis was investigated in ovariectomized (OVX) rats. Histological analysis indicated that oral administration of DFPW (100 and 400 mg/kg) for 12 weeks significantly improved trabecular bone mass, as demonstrated by the increase in trabecular area, trabecular thickness and its number in OVX rats. Furthermore, the decline of bone mineral density and bone mineral content including Ca, P and Mg induced by OVX was reversed by the DFPW administration. This function was achieved by the decreased levels of the bone turnover markers, such as serum ALP, urinary deoxypyridinoline (DPD), Ca and P excretions. Besides, DFPW improved biomechanical parameters (maximum load, energy, Young's, modulus and maximum stress) to strengthen the hardness and strength femoral diaphysis in OVX rats. These results strongly suggested that DFPW might be a hopeful alternative therapeutics to treat postmenopausal osteoporosis.     

Exploring the evolution of humus collecting leaves in drynarioid ferns (Polypodiaceae, Polypodiidae) based on phylogenetic evidence

Most species of the paleotropic fern genera Aglaomorpha and Drynaria, together constituting a monophyletic clade (drynarioid ferns), possess humus-collecting structures as an adaptation to their epiphytic life form. Humus-collectors are either present as a specialized foliar structure (external leaf dimorphism) or as a specialized leaf part (internal dimorphism). Apart from these basic patterns there are several forms of reduction and an internal fertile – sterile dimorphism in Aglaomorpha. We present a phylogeny of drynarioid ferns based on morphological and molecular (cpDNA) markers. The genus Aglaomorpha was found to be monophyletic, whereas Drynaria is likely to be a paraphyletic assemblage including a grade of Himalayan to Southern Chinese taxa basal to Aglaomorpha. The evolution of humus-collectors is reconstructed by plotting their character state changes onto the obtained phylogeny. Despite the complex morphological pattern across species, evolution of drynarioid humus-collecting structures can be reconstructed postulating a simple sequence of character state changes based on only a few elementary processes.     

Pesticidal and pest repellency activities of rhizomes of Drynaria quercifolia (J. Smith) against Tribolium castaneum (Herbst)

Background

Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) is a harmful pest of stored grain and flour-based products in tropical and subtropical region. In the present study, rhizome of Drynaria quercifolia (J. Smith) was evaluated for pesticidal and pest repellency activities against T. castaneum, using surface film method and filter paper disc method, respectively. In addition, activity of the isolated compound 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid was evaluated against the pest.

Results

Chloroform soluble fraction of ethanol extract of rhizome of D. quercifolia showed significant pesticidal activity at doses 0.88 to 1.77 mg/cm² and significant pest repellency activity at doses 0.94 to 0.23 mg/cm². No pesticidal and pest repellency activity was found for petroleum ether, ethyl acetate and methanol soluble fractions of ethanol extract as well as for 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid.

Conclusion

Considering our findings it can be concluded that chloroform soluble fraction of rhizome of D. quercifolia is useful in controlling T. castaneum of stored grain and flour-based products.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/0717-6287-47-51) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

骨碎补总黄酮对去卵巢大鼠骨组织骨形态蛋白-2和血清骨钙素表达的影响

目的:研究骨碎补总黄酮对切除卵巢的雌性大鼠血清骨钙素和骨形态蛋白-2(bone morphogenetic protein-2,BMP-2)在骨组织中表达的影响。方法:取3月龄雌性大鼠30只,随机分成假手术组、给药组和空白对照组。假手术组仅去除卵巢周围脂肪,给药组在去除卵巢后连续15周灌胃给服强骨胶囊,其余给等量自来水。15周后处死所有大鼠,取股骨中段组织,行BMP-2免疫组化染色,镜下观察染色标本摄像并用Image图形分析软件分析各标本阳性表达率。另取大鼠血清以放免法测定其血清骨钙素含量。结果:免疫组化染色后,图片分析显示给药组和假手术组bmp-2阳性率明显高于对照组(p<0.05);给药组和假手术组血清骨钙素的表达明显高于对照组(p<0.05)。结论:骨碎补总黄酮对卵巢切除大鼠的BMP-2和血清骨钙素表达有促进作用。     

槲蕨配子体形态发育的扫描电镜观察

该研究以水龙骨科(Polypodiaceae)槲蕨(Drynaria roosii Nakaike)为研究对象,在人工培养条件下,采用扫描电镜观察其配子体发育的全过程,以期从三维立体角度揭示槲蕨配子体各发育阶段中的一些精细结构,为进一步补充部分经典形态学理论提供依据。结果显示:(1)槲蕨孢子萌发过程中原叶体母细胞的初生假根存在两条同时生长的现象。(2)槲蕨配子体的假根膨大及分叉现象普遍,且具有2层细胞壁,基部呈圆孔状结构。(3)槲蕨的原叶体腹面及边缘处毛状体非常发达,且乳突状单细胞毛状体和针状单细胞毛状体混生。(4)精子器释放精子时,盖细胞前后呈不同开裂状态。(5)发现精细胞向游动精子转化可能的限制性结构是细胞膜,细胞膜表面附着有碎屑状物质。(6)观察到腹沟细胞的解体过程是从近颈卵器开口处的细胞膜开始逐渐向四周及其后下方扩展。(7)发现了颈壁细胞在排列顺序和数量上都不稳定的畸形颈卵器、体积正常但无法区分雌雄的性器及体积显著增大呈锥形的泡状败育性器。     

槲蕨配子体发育影响因素的初步研究

主要研究了光照、温度、激素和pH值对槲蕨配子体发育的影响。结果表明：光照强度为2500-35001x、温度为25℃以及pH值为7．0～7．5时最适于槲蕨配子体的生长发育;激素6-BA和NAA浓度为0．5～1．0mg／L时有利于槲蕨配子体的增殖和增长。     

Osteogenic effects of flavonoid aglycones from an osteoprotective fraction of Drynaria fortunei—An in vitro efficacy study

Drynaria fortunei (Kunze) J. Sm. is a traditional Chinese herb used for the treatment of osteoporosis and other bone metabolic disorders. Previous studies demonstrated that “small polar active fraction in Drynaria fortunei (SDF)”exerted osteoprotective effects in ovariectomized (OVX) mice. This study aims to investigate the constituents in SDF and systemically evaluate their osteogenic effects in vitro. Five flavonoid aglycones, naringenin, kurarinone, kushennol F, xanthogalenol, and sophoraflavanone G were identified in SDF. All the compounds did not show effects on proliferation of osteoblastic UMR 106 cells at the concentrations of 0.1-1000 nM, but significantly increased the ALP activity of the cells at most of the concentrations from 10 nm to 1000 nM. Xanthogalenol at the concentration of 100 nM significantly increased concentration of acid-solubilized calcium. ICI 182,780, antagonist of estrogen receptor (ER), diminished the effect of kushennol F on ALP activity and the effect of xanthogalenol on acid-solubilized calcium. In conclusion, flavonoid aglycones in SDF could promote differentiation and mineralization of osteoblastic UMR 106 cells in vitro, which was explained by activation of ER signaling pathway. This study provides scientific evidences for the conduction of in vivo experiments to confirm potential effects of flavonoid aglycones on preventing OVX-induced osteoporosis.     

骨碎补结合组织工程软骨促进软骨再生及其机理研究

目的:评估骨碎补在促进软骨再生治疗中的价值及作用机制。方法:选取健康新西兰大耳白兔100只,采用随机数值表法随机分为5组,每组包含20只实验动物。A、B组:改建后进行肾上腺髓质素(adrenomedullin,ADM)移植;C组:自体骨髓充质干细胞(MSCs)复合,并进行改建ADM移植;D、E组:进行h IGF-1基因转染的MSCs复合,并改建ADM移植。B、C、E组实验动物结合喂养40%骨碎补汤,每只每日150ml,用药4周。A、D组不结合使用口服骨碎补汤。每组均在第4、8、12w时处死5只实验动物,切取关节软骨缺损部位并进行组织学观察,采用Masson三色染色法评估软骨细胞的形态变化,采用Wakitani组织学评分进行各组间形态学比较。结果:E组实验动物关节软骨的表面有比较完整的潮线,大部分比较光滑,变薄区可见零散的浅淡着色的纤维组织。在第4、8、12周,各组Wakitani组织学评分逐渐下降,但结合骨碎补的B、C、E三组下降更为显著(P0.05),说明骨碎补可显著改善软骨组织缺损。结论:采用中药骨碎补结合工程软骨可以显著提高家兔膝关节软骨缺损修复的质量,为临床使用骨碎补治疗软骨病变提供了重要的依据。     

槲蕨根茎总黄酮和柚皮甙的含量测定

槲蕨根茎总黄酮和柚皮甙的含量测定周铜水１李瑞洲２林东武１周荣汉１（１中国药科大学,南京２１００３８,２安徽省医药学校,合肥２３００３１）ＤｅｔｅｒｍｉｎａｔｉｏｎｏｆｔｏｔａｌｆｌａｖｏｎｏｉｄａｎｄｎａｒｉｎｇｉｎｉｎｔｈｅｒｈｉｚｏｍｅｏｆＤｒ...