Extract from Acanthopanax senticosus Harms (Siberian Ginseng) Activates NTS and SON/PVN in the Rat Brain

The extract of the stem bark of Siberian ginseng, Acanthopanax senticosus Harms (ASH), is believed to play a body-coping role in stress through a brain noradrenergic mechanism. The present study was carried out to investigate the effect of ASH on the neuronal activation patterns of c-Fos expression in the rat brain. With ASH administration, c-Fos accumulated in both the supraoptic nuclei (SON) and paraventricular nuclei (PVN), which regulate stress response. Only the caudal regions in the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS), a locus innervating both the SON and PVN, were activated. Such a neuro-anatomical pattern associated with ASH suggests the possible involvement of these stress-related brain loci.     

Butanol Extract of Acanthopanax senticosus (Rupr. et Maxim.) Harms Alleviates Atherosclerosis in Apolipoprotein E-Deficient Mice Fed a High-Fat Diet

This study investigated the effect of butanol extract of AS (ASBUE) on atherosclerosis in apolipoprotein E-deficient (ApoE^−/−) mice. The mice were administered ASBUE (390 or 130 mg/kg/day) or rosuvastatin (RSV) via oral gavage for eight weeks. In ApoE^−/− mice, ASBUE suppressed the abnormal body weight gain and improved serum and liver biochemical indicators. ASBUE remarkably reduced the aortic plaque area, improved liver pathological conditions, and lipid metabolism abnormalities, and altered the intestinal microbiota structure in ApoE^−/− mice. In the vascular tissue of ASBUE-treated mice, P-IKKβ, P-NFκB, and P-IκBα levels tended to decrease, while IκB-α increased in high fat-diet-fed atherosclerotic mice. These findings demonstrated the anti-atherosclerotic potential of ASBUE, which is mediated by the interaction between the gut microbiota and lipid metabolism and regulated via the Nuclear Factor-kappa B (NF-κB) pathway. This work paves the groundwork for subsequent studies to develop innovative drugs to treat atherosclerosis.     

Production of eleutherosides in in vitro regenerated embryos and plantlets of <Emphasis Type="BoldItalic">Eleutherococcus chiisanensis</Emphasis>

High frequency somatic embryogenesis of Eleutheorcoccus chiisanensis was achieved through suspension culture of embryogenic cells in hormone-free Murashige and Skoog liquid medium supplemented with 30 g sucrose l⁻¹. Cotyledonary somatic embryos were germinated and converted into plantlets using 20 μM gibberellic acid which were then grown in a 10 l airlift bioreactor. HPLC analysis revealed the accumulation of eleutheroside B, E and E1 in the embryos and plantlets. Thus mass production of embryos and plantlets of E. chiisanensis can be achieved in liquid cultures and the biomass produced may become an alternative source of eleutherosides.     

Cellular change and callose accumulation in zygotic embryos of Eleutherococcus senticosus caused by plasmolyzing pretreatment result in high frequency of single-cell-derived somatic embryogenesis

Summary. Eleutherococcus senticosus zygotic embryos were pretreated with 1.0 M mannitol or sucrose for 3–24 h. This pretreatment resulted in a high frequency of somatic-embryo formation on hormone-free medium. All the somatic embryos developed directly and independently from single epidermal cells on the surface of zygotic embryos after plasmolyzing pretreatment. Scanning electron microscopic observation revealed that the epidermal cells of hypocotyls rapidly became irregular and showed a random orientation before somatic-embryo development commenced. At the same time, the epidermal cells in the untreated control remained regular. Callose concentration determined by fluorometric analysis increased sharply in E. senticosus zygotic embryos after plasmolyzing pretreatment but remained low in the untreated control. Aniline blue fluorescent staining of callose showed that the plasmolyzing pretreatment of zygotic embryos resulted in heavy accumulation of callose between the plasma membrane and cell walls. On the basis of these results, we suggest that plasmolyzing pretreatment of zygotic embryos induces the accumulation of callose, and the interruption of cell-to-cell communication imposed by this might stimulate the reprogramming of epidermal cells into embryogenically competent cells and finally induce somatic-embryo development from single cells. Correspondence and reprints: Division of Forest Resources, College of Forest Sciences, Kangwon National University, Chunchon 200-701, Republic of Korea.     

短柄五加开花及传粉生物学研究

本文对短柄五加（Ｅｌｅｕｔｈｅｒｏｃｏｃｃｕｓｂｒａｃｈｙｐｕｓ）的花期物候、开花式样、访花昆虫种类、访花行为及访花频率进行了观察,对花粉活力、柱头可授性、花粉胚珠比以及传粉效果和繁育系统做了检测。初步结果表明,短柄五加以根茎进行无性繁殖,１个居群为１个无性系。虽自交亲和,但昆虫的访花活动可显著提高座果率。昆虫传粉主要在无性系内异花间进行,属于广义的自花传粉。传粉者为多种不同的昆虫,包括马蜂和胡蜂在内的蜂类、蝇类和甲虫。其花期物候、花粉活力、柱头可授期和蜜汁分泌期等特征使其能够适应环境,从而获得较高的座果率。平均座果率为６５％,饱满种子率为４５．５％。自然条件下未发现实生苗,广义的自花传粉导致的种子质量低下可能是其原因,也是限制短柄五加分布范围的重要因素。     

刺五加传粉生物学研究

本文报道刺五加Eleutherococcus seticosus(Rupr．et Maxim．)Maxim的花朵酬物、访花者类别、访花 者在花序上的访花行为、访花频率及传粉效果。主要结果如下:(1)每朵雄花可提供的报偿是58 000～ 81 000粒花粉,5.5～8.0 µl／d×2～4d花蜜。每朵雌花仅可提供4.0～8.0µl／d× 2～3 d花蜜,不能提 供花粉。每朵两性花可提供19 000～54 000粒花粉和7.0～10.0 µl／d× 2～6 d花蜜。(2)花粉提供者 (雄花和两性花)提供报偿的日期是开花后1～3天,花粉接受者(雌花和两性花在柱头外翻变白时)是 开花后5～7或7～9天,这进一步证实了剌五加雄蕊先熟。另外,花粉提供者提供花蜜的时间在一天中 是8:30至15:30,其高峰是9:00～15:00;花粉接受者提供花蜜的时间在一天中是10:30至16:30,其高 峰是11:00～16:00。这种时间差异可能是刺五加影响传粉者流向(从花粉提供者到花粉接受者)的关键 因素。(3)在刺五加花朵上记录到的访花昆虫有50余种,分别隶属于膜翅目、鳞翅目、鞘翅目、双翅目和 半翅目。在不同天气、不同生境、不同性别的植株记录到的访花频率及高峰时间不同:花粉提供者的 访花高峰早于花粉接受者的;雄株上的访花频率高于雌株的;两性株接受花粉时的访花频率高于提供花 粉时的;而天气越晴朗,刺五加地块(patch)越大,则访花频率越高;每日接受光照越早,访花高峰越早。 (4)从传粉效果看,刺五加种子的形成完全依赖于传粉昆虫的活动。其中,蜂类,如熊蜂、花蜂、切叶蜂、胡蜂和蜜蜂等是最有效的传粉者,其它昆虫如粉蝶、食蚜蝇、寄蝇和鳃角金龟等对传粉也有帮助。     

短柄五加大,小孢子发生和雌,雄配子体发育的研究

短柄五加花药５枚,每个花药四个花粉囊。小孢子母细胞减数分裂时,胞质分裂为同时型,产生正四面体形的四分体。花药壁由表皮、药室内壁、中层和绒毡层四层细胞组成,其发育类型为双子叶型。腺质绒毡层,其细胞为二核。三细胞型花粉。子房５室,每室两个胚珠,上胚珠败育,下胚珠可育。下胚珠倒生,具单珠被,厚珠心。大孢子母细胞减数分裂形成线性排列的四个大孢子,雌配子体发育属蓼型。开花当天,花粉散开,雌配子体尚未成熟,处     

Quantitative analysis of endangered Acanthopanax senticosus communities in Dongling Mountain of Beijing

Based on the survey of community plots, a quantitative analysis of endangered Acanthopanax senti-cosus communities in Dongling Mountain was performed with two way indicator species analysis (TWINSPAN), detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) and canonical correspondence analysis (CCA). The communities of A. senticosus were classified into 9 types by TWINSPAN and the results were validated by DCA. On the DCA graph, the first axis reflected the gradient of altitude and the second axis reflected the aspect and slope. Most of A. senticosus were distributed in the thick forests at a high altitude with little light. With the exception of being a dominant species of shrub layers in a few communities, A. senticosus has a relatively scarce distribution. In accordance with DCA, the results of CCA also show the trend that the distribution of A. senticosus communities varied along with the gradient change of environmental factors. Altitude and light are the main factors affecting A. senticosus growth.     

Effect of nitrogen source on biomass and bioactive compound production in submerged cultures of Eleutherococcus koreanum Nakai adventitious roots

Ammonium to nitrate ratios of 0:30, 5:25, 10:20, 15:15, 20:10, 25:5, and 30:0 mM were tested to determine the optimal NH(4)(+) :NO(3)(-) ratio for improving biomass and bioactive compound production in Eleutherococcus koreanum Nakai adventitious roots using 3-L bulb-type bubble bioreactors. A high ammonium nitrogen ratio had a negative effect on root growth, and the highest fresh and dry weights were obtained when NH(4)(+):NO(3)(-) ratios were 5:25 and 10:20 (mM) after 5 weeks of culture. Although the total production of eleutherosides B and E was slightly higher at the 10:20 ratio than at the 5:25 ratio (NH(4)(+):NO(3)(-)), we proposed that the optimal NH(4)(+):NO(3)(-) ratio was 5:25 mM. This ratio achieved both the highest total production of five target bioactive compounds (eleutherosides B and E, chlorogenic acid, total phenolics, and flavonoids) and the highest root biomass. Furthermore, increasing NH(4)(+):NO(3)(-) ratios to 10:20 decreased pH in the medium, interrupted the absorption of essential minerals from the culture medium, and resulted in low biomass and increased relative oxidative stress levels, which were evaluated by determining 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging activity. Therefore, nitrate rather than ammonium nitrogen was more essential not for only biomass production but also for bioactive compound production in E. koreanum adventitious root cultures. The optimal nitrogen source ratio produced 5.63 g L(-1) of biomass and 24.41 mg of the five total bioactive compounds per gram of biomass (dry weight basis). The development of such in vitro culture technology will benefit the pilot-scale production of E. koreanum-based bioactive compounds for commercialization.     

刺五加组培快繁的研究

以刺五加腋芽为外植体,通过比较不同的基本培养基（WPM、MS、1/2MS、White）和植物生长调节物质（6-BA、NAA、IAA、IBA）的组合对腋芽诱导、增殖及生根的影响,来建立一套高效的离体芽再生体系。试验结果表明,最佳芽再生培养基为WPM+6-BA 1.0 mg·L^-1+NAA 0.1 mg·L^-1,芽萌发率可达90%;最佳芽增殖培养基为WPM+6-BA 0.5 mg·L^-1+NAA 0.05 mg·L^-1,增殖倍数为4.8;最佳生根培养基为White+IBA 0.5 mg·L^-1+IAA 1.5 mg·L^-1,生根率可达85.2%。