Molecular phylogenetics of Hippophae L. (Elaeagnaceae) based on the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences of nrDNA

 The genus Hippophae comprises 7 species and 8 subspecies according to the latest classification, and has shown enormous ecological, nutrient and medicinal values. Here we analyzed the phylogenetic relationships among 15 taxa of the genus by comparing sequences of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of nuclear ribosomal DNA (nrDNA). ITS sequences in Hippophae varied in length from 651 bp to 666 bp. The aligned sequences were 690 bp in length and 269 (39.0%) were variable sites with 150 being parsimony-informative. The amount of polymorphism observed within a taxon was extremely low in most taxa except for two putative hybrid species. The aligned sequences were analyzed by maximum parsimony (MP) and neighbor-joining (NJ) methods. In the strict consensus trees of parsimony analysis, the monophyly of Hippophae was supported by 100% bootstrap value. H. tibetana was at the basal position of the genus, and the remaining taxa formed two clades with high bootstrap support. The first clade included subspecies of H.␣rhamnoides and the other one consisted of remaining species. Parsimony analysis also suggested that the species H. tibetana, H. neurocarpa and H.␣salicifolia were all distinct. Although the sequence divergence among subspecies of H. rhamnoides was also remarkably high, the molecular data supported the monophyly of H. rhamnoides when H. rhamnoides subsp. gyantsensis Rousi was excxluded. The NJ trees showed essentially the same topology. The taxonomical arrangement that divided the genus into two sections was not supported based on the ITS sequences. However, the hybrid origin of H. goniocarpa and H. litangensis proposed previously was supported by the present ITS data. Received January 7, 2002; accepted May 10, 2002 Published online: November 22, 2002 Addresses of the authors: Kun Sun, Xuelin Chen, Ruijun Ma, Qin Wang, Institute of Botany, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou 730070, China. Changbao Li, Song Ge (e-mail: gesong@ns.ibcas.ac.cn or song_ge@hotmail.com), Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China.     

Advances in improvement of quality and resistance in a multipurpose crop: sea buckthorn

Sea buckthorn is a berry crop with multiple uses. The berries are highly appreciated for their unique taste but are also very rich in bioactive compounds with powerful nutritional and medicinal values. In addition, the plants grow well under adverse conditions, and are often used to fight soil erosion. Utilization of sea buckthorn has therefore increased around the world but serious problems have, nevertheless, been encountered due to drought, salinity, diseases and insect pests. This review covers important aspects of sea buckthorn research, such as heritable and environmentally induced variation in biochemical compounds, causes and effects of the devastating dried-shrink disease, susceptibility to insect pests, methods for conventional breeding, and the utilization of DNA markers for taxonomical and population genetic analyses, and for investigating the inheritance of quality and resistance traits. We also present possibilities to implement innovative biotechnological breeding methods, especially metabolite profiling and MAS/GRC-based markers, for fast and efficient development of elite genotypes with specific nutritional- and health-related bioactive compounds and strong resistance to biotic and abiotic stress.     

鸟类取食中国沙棘果实的方式及其对种子的传播作用

2003年9月～2004年3月,定期观察取食中国沙棘果实的鸟类及其取食方式。共记录取食中国沙棘果实的鸟类18种,其取食果实的方式主要有：1)直接在树冠上吞食果实,有时候在吞食后将种子呕出;2)将果实从树上衔走后,在栖息处吞食或啄食;3)将果实啄落至地面,然后取食果肉和种子,留下果皮;4)啄破果皮,吸食果肉,留下果皮及种子;5)从顶端将果皮啄破后,仅取食里面的种子。不同的取食方式决定了它们对沙棘种子的传播作用不同。收集鸟粪便中的种子与完整的干果实及人工剥离果肉和内果皮的种子做萌发对比实验,结果表明,鸟类消化道过程对种子的萌发有一定影响,但萌发率仍较高。沙棘为多种鸟类提供食物,而鸟类则为沙棘传播种子,它们之间形成一种互利关系。     

沙棘果皮多糖清除氧自由基的活性研究

沙棘(Hippophae rhamnosides)果皮经80℃恒温水浴提取,乙醇沉淀得粗多糖.Sevag法去蛋白,经50%和70%乙醇分级,得3种级分沙棘多糖H1、H2和H3;以Fenton反应,即H2O2/Fe2 /水杨酸为·OH产生和检测体系;以邻苯三酚/EDTA/Tris-HCl为O2-.产生体系,对沙棘多糖H1、H2和H3进行抗氧自由基活性研究.结果表明,沙棘多糖对·OH和O2-.有较显著的清除能力.不同级分多糖H1、H2和H3浓度达200μg·mL-1时,对·OH的清除率分别为44.9%、49.0%和26.4%,抗O2-.活性分别为36.9%,15.4%和23.1%.多糖质量浓度增大时,两种自由基清除率增加,且呈量效关系.     

祁连山两侧中国沙棘不同居群的遗传多样性研究

应用RAPD技术研究了祁连山中段中国沙棘(Hippophae rhamnoidoes ssp．sinensis)4个居群和1个对照居群的遗传多样性水平,探讨中国沙棘边缘居群的遗传变异以及天然屏障祁连山对中国沙棘居群遗传结构的影响。结果显示,祁连山地区中国沙棘居群水平的Nei’基因多样度(h)和Shannon多态信息指数(I)分别为0．2070和 0．297 4,基因分化系数(Gst)为0．319 3,均高于中国沙棘整个分布区的平均值,表明该地中国沙棘边缘居群遗传多样性水平及居群间的遗传分化都有增加的趋势;居群间每代迁移数(Nm=1．065 9)显著低于异交风媒植物(Nm= 5．380),表明祁连山的隔离对中国沙棘居群间的基因交流有限制作用,造成了该地中国沙棘边缘居群间较高的遗传分化。     

Exploring in silico affinity of flavonoids and tannins to human fibroblast growth factorinducible14 (Fn14), a member of TNF receptor super family

The Fn14 and TWEAK are the receptor and ligand respectively and their mutual recognition and binding was reported to induce pathogenesis of cancer and chronic autoimmune diseases. We had identified Fn14 as a novel target of low linear energy transfer (LET) ionizing radiation in mice population. In the present study we generated the novel homology model of human Fn14, optimized its energy and validated for authenticity by checking Ramachandran plot and also by calculating the RMSD. Based on our earlier findings with Hippophae rhamnoides, a group of flavonoids and tannins were screened for their docking potential with Fn14 at the site where its natural ligand TWEAK was binding. The comparative docking analysis showed that the order of docking, from best to least, was Genistein, Rutin, Gallic acid ethyl ester and Quercetin, respectively. The findings predicted the radiomodifying action of flavonoids and tannins. The study has immediate applications in development of non-toxic drugs/ nutraceuticals that may protect human population from harmful effects of radiation in various situations, such as nuclear accidents, occupational exposure, diagnosis or radiotherapy.     

A pharmacological investigation of Hippophae salicifolia (HS) and Hippophae rhamnoides turkestanica (HRT) against multiple stress (C-H-R): an experimental study using rat model

Hippophae salicifolia (HS) and Hippophae rhamnoides turkestanica (HRT) are abundantly found species of Hippophae in Himalayan region of India. As these plants thrive under extreme climatic conditions, it is suspected that these plants must have a unique adaptogenic property against high-altitude stress. To keeping these views in our mind, the present study was planned to evaluate the mechanism of action of aqueous extract of HS and aqueous extract of HRT against multiple stress [cold-hypoxia-restraint (C-H-R)] for their adaptogenic activity. The present study reported the adaptogenic activity of HS in facilitating tolerance to multiple stress, CHR in rats. Pre-treatment with aqueous extract of HS significantly attenuated reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, protein oxidation, and lipid peroxidation and also showed role in maintaining antioxidant status as similar to control rats. Since protein oxidation was decreased by pre-treatment of HS, protein homeostasis was also sustained by regulation of heat shock proteins (HSP70 and HSP60). Interestingly, heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF), and nitric oxide (NO) level was also increased in HS pre-treated rats depicted its adaptogenic activity against multiple stress, CHR. Conclusively, aqueous extract of HS could use an adaptogen for high altitude-associated multiple stress (CHR).     

北方两省农牧交错带沙棘根围AM真菌与球囊霉素空间分布

2009年7月在内蒙古和河北两省农牧交错带沙棘(Hippophae rhamnoides L)集中分布区选取3个典型样地,分别从0-10cm、10-20cm、20-30cm、30-40cm和40-50cm土层采集沙棘根围土壤样品,研究了沙棘根围AM真菌与球囊霉素空间分布及与土壤因子的相关性。结果表明,沙棘能与AM真菌形成良好的疆南星型(Arum-type)丛枝菌根。AM真菌定殖率和孢子密度与样地生态条件密切相关。大梁底村和多伦东样地AM真菌不同结构定殖率及孢子密度无明显差别,但均显著高于黄柳条村样地,只在大梁底村发现丛枝定殖;孢子密度在3个样地均随土层加深而降低,不同结构定殖率在大梁底村随土层加深而降低,其他2个样地无明显变化规律;AM真菌最高定殖率和最大孢子密度均出现在0-30cm浅土层。根围土壤总球囊霉素(TEG)和易提取球囊霉素(EEG)含量在3个样地均随土层加深而降低。相关性分析表明,孢子密度与菌丝定殖率、泡囊定殖率和总定殖率极显著正相关。AM真菌菌丝、泡囊和总定殖率与土壤pH值、有机C、碱解N和速效P含量、脲酶和碱性磷酸酶活性极显著正相关,丛枝定殖率与土壤碱解N含量和脲酶活性显著正相关。多元线性回归方程表明,AM真菌不同定殖结构和土壤因子对TEG和EEG含量贡献不同,对于TEG:菌丝>孢子>泡囊;有机C>速效P>酸性磷酸酶>pH值,对于EEG:泡囊>孢子>菌丝;有机C>速效P。结果建议,AM真菌孢子密度、菌丝定殖程度和土壤球囊霉素含量在一定程度上能综合反应土壤AM真菌群落、有机C动态和养分循环进程,可以作为土壤质量及功能评价的新指标进一步深入研究。     

山西北部地区沙棘群落的数量分类和排序研究

采用双向指示种分析法对山西北部地区沙棘群落进行分类和排序研究,结果将山西北部地区沙棘群落划分为14个群系,并论述了各群系的特征。DCA排序进一步说明了群系的分布格局与水分和土壤的密切关系,结果表明组成沙棘灌丛的种群对群落生境具有指示作用,能客观反映群落的生境特征．