Architectural strategies of Cornus sericea, a native but invasive shrub of Southern Quebec, Canada, under an open or a closed canopy

Background and Aims

Qualitative and quantitative studies of the pattern of invasive plant development is considered a key aspect in understanding invasiveness. An architectural analysis was therefore performed in order to understand the relationship between shoot architecture and invasiveness in red-osier dogwood, Cornus sericea (Cornaceae).

Methods

The structural and ontogenic characteristics of individuals in invading and non-invading populations in the native range of the species were compared to test the implication of developmental plasticity on invasiveness.

Key Results and Conclusions

The results show that the shrub has a modular architecture governed by strong developmental rules. Cornus sericea is made up of two levels of organization, each with its own intrinsic sequence of differentiation. These intrinsic mechanisms were used as a framework for comparison and it was found that, in response to the light environment, developmental plasticity was elevated, resulting in two architectural strategies. This developmental plasticity concerns the growth direction and the size of the modules, the speed of their time-course changes, their branching and flowering. Under an open canopy, C. sericea rapidly develops large vertical structures and abundant flowering. This strategy leads the plant to be invasive by excluding competitors and disseminating in the landscape. In the understorey, C. sericea slowly develops long horizontal structures which creep across the soil surface, while assimilating structures are poorly developed. This strategy does not lead to invasiveness but may allow the plant to survive in the understorey and reach sunny patches.     

The potential of Leucosidea sericea against Propionibacterium acnes

The present study reports on the potential of Leucosidea sericea addressing acne vulgaris. Four known compounds namely phytol acetate, triacontanol, phytol and alpha kosin and one new compound namely, (E)-3,7,11,15-tetramethylheptadec-2-ene-1,17-diol have been isolated for the first time from this plant. The ethanol extract of leaves and one of the isolated compounds, alpha kosin exhibited significant minimum inhibitory concentration (with MIC values 15.7 μg/mL and 1.9 μg/mL, respectively) against acne inducing bacteria, Propionibacterium acnes. Moreover, the transmission electron micrographs showed the efflux of intracellular content of the cells of P. acnes caused by plant extract and alpha kosin. The ethanol extract of L. sericea exhibited significant anti-inflammatory activity by suppressing interleukin 8 (IL 8) and tumour necrosis factor (TNF α) in coculture of human U937 cells and heat killed P. acnes at concentrations of 25.0, 12.5 and 6.2 μg/mL.     

New furanosesquiterpenes from Eumorphia species

Eumorphia sericea and E. prostata contained several new furanosesquiterpenes and a new triterpene aldehyde. Structures were elucidated mainly by spectroscopic methods and by some chemical reactions. Structures of three compounds however could not be established with certainty and are partially based on biogenetic considerations. Gymnopentzia bifurcata also contained known furanosesquiterpenes. The number of South African genera from the tribe Anthemideae, where these furanosesquiterpenes are characteristic, has now increased to eight. The importance of these observations for the botanical position of these genera is still not clear.     

The composition and properties of the gum exudates from Terminalia sericea and T. Superba

The gum polysaccharides from Terminalia sericea and T. superba have been analysed. They have a complex sugar composition, containing galacturonic, glucuronic, and 4-O-methylglucuronic acids as well as galactose, arabinose, rhamnose, mannose and xylose. The exudates from T. sericea and T. superba are remarkably similar in composition, particularly with respect to their proportions of neutral sugars and total uronic acid content, although T. sericea gum contains considerably more 4-O-methylglucuronic acid than T. superba. Both gums are very viscous and dissolve readily to give solutions of good colour.!!     

2-Aminoimidazole in seeds of Mundulea sericea

An amine present as ca 0.9 % of the fr. wt of the seeds of the legume Mundulea sericea has been isolated and characterised as 2-aminoimidazole     

Phylogeography and genetic diversity of East Asian Neolitsea sericea (Lauraceae) based on variations in chloroplast DNA sequences

Neolitsea sericea is an evergreen broad leaved tree in the warm-temperate regions of East Asia. This area is a hotspot for plant species richness and endemism caused by dynamic changes in land configuration during the Quaternary. However, the historical migration of such evergreen tree species is still poorly understood. In an attempt to reconstruct the phylogeographic history of N. sericea during the Quaternary, we identified the chloroplast DNA haplotypes of 287 individuals from 33 populations covering almost all of its geographic range. Analyses were based on sequence data from the trnL–F, psbC–trnS, and rps16 regions. Nine haplotypes were identified. The majority included ancestral types in the southwestern part of the main islands of Japan, with other region-specific haplotypes being found in populations on the Korean Peninsula, Taiwan (Isl. Lanyu), and elsewhere in Japan. A statistical parsimony network revealed two lineages derived from Japanese main islands. One was represented on the Korean Peninsula, the other on Isl. Lanyu. The current distribution of N. sericea has been shaped by colonization via land bridges. During the glacial periods, two primary, but separate migration routes were followed—from the southwestern part of the Japanese main islands to either the Korean Peninsula or Taiwan. In addition, we believe the Zhoushan populations were shaped by post-glacial processes through an ECS land bridge (East China Sea basin) from northern refugia that existed during the late Pleistocene.     

The power of mutants for investigating jasmonate biosynthesis and signaling

Mutant analysis includes approaches that range from traditional screening of mutant populations (forward genetics), to identifying mutations in known genes (reverse genetics), to examining the effects of site-specific mutations that encode modified proteins. All these methodologies have been applied to study jasmonate synthesis and signaling, and their use has led to important discoveries. The fad3 fad7 fad8 mutant of Arabidopsis, and other mutants defective in jasmonate synthesis, revealed the roles of jasmonate in flower development and plant defense against necrotrophic fungal pathogens. The coi1 mutant identified the F-box protein that is now known to be the receptor for jasmonoyl-isoleucine, the active form of jasmonate hormone. Investigations of how JASMONATE-ZIM DOMAIN (JAZ) proteins bind to COI1 and facilitate jasmonate perception have relied on the jai3 mutant, on JAZΔJas constructs, and on site-specific mutations in the Jas and ZIM domains of these proteins.     

Antigonococcal activity of Ximenia caffra Sond. (Olacaceae) and identification of the active principle

The “large sour plum” tree Ximenia caffra Sond. (Olacaceae) is the only African representative of the genus Ximenia L., with a distribution covering East Africa, from Tanzania in the north to South Africa, as well as parts of Botswana and Namibia. It has many uses in traditional medicine, including treatment of wounds and infections as well as diarrhea, which have been verified through various pharmacological studies. Furthermore, the plant is also known for its nutritional and cosmetic value. Its edible fruits are known to be high in protein, potassium and vitamin C, while the seed oil, also referred to as “Ximenia oil” is rich in long chain unsaturated fatty acids and finds use as a domestic biofuel, with characteristics amenable to cosmetic development as topical applicants. Extracts of the plants are also widely used for treating sexually transmitted infections (STIs), which has been verified through ethnobotanical surveys and pharmacological screens. Based on these observations, X. caffra var. caffra was examined for its phytochemical composition and activity against the gonorrheal pathogen Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Initially, the leaf ethanolic extract was seen to be active (43.9% inhibition). The DCM partition of this extract (with 78.8% inhibition) was subjected to bioassay guided fractionation leading to the identification of the bisnorsesquiterpene vomifoliol which exhibited significant activity (63.1%) against N. gonorrhoeae.     

Chalcones of the root bark of Derris sericea

In addition to two chalcones and one flavanone previously isolated from the root bark of Derris sericea, a third chalcone, derricidin, has been found and its structure determined (III). Cyclization of this, and of the already known derricin (II), to the corresponding flavanones was accomplished. The almost, but not completely, identical fragmentation of such chalcone-flavanone pairs in the mass spectrometer is discussed and interpreted. NMR data, which contribute decisively to structure elucidation, are also presented.     

Diversity and symbiotic effectiveness of beta-rhizobia isolated from sub-tropical legumes of a Brazilian Araucaria Forest

While the occurrence of Betaproteobacteria occupying the nodules of tropical legumes has been shown, little is known about subtropical areas. Araucaria Forest is a subtropical endangered ecosystem, and a better understanding of the legume-rhizobial symbionts may allow their use in land reclamation. The 16S rRNA gene of bacteria isolated from nine leguminous species was sequenced and their nodulation tested in Mimosa scabrella and Phaseolus vulgaris. 196 isolates were identified as eight genotypes: Pantoea, Pseudomonas, Bradyrhizobium sp1-2, Rhizobium, and Burkholderia sp1-3. The majority of the isolates from native plants (87 %) were taxonomically related to β-rhizobia, namely Burkholderia, however the legumes Galactia crassifolia and Collea speciosa were nodulated by both α and β-rhizobia, and Acacia dealbata, an exotic plant, only by α-rhizobia. The nifH genes of some isolates were sequenced and N-fixing potential shown by the acetylene reduction test. Most of the isolates nodulated the test plants, some were effective in M. scabrella, but all presented low efficiency in the exotic promiscuous legume P. vulgaris. Pantoea and Pseudomonas did not nodulate and probably are endophytic bacteria. The presented data shows diversity of α, β and γ-Proteobacteria in nodules of subtropical legumes, and suggests host specificity with β-rhizobia. Potential isolates were found for M. scabrella, indicating that a high N-fixing strain may be further inoculated in plants for use in reforestation.     

Cape aloes—A review of the phytochemistry,pharmacology and commercialisation of Aloe ferox

Aloe ferox Mill. (= A. candelabrum A. Berger), commonly known as the bitter aloe or Cape aloe, is a polymorphic species indigenous to South Africa. The plant has been used since ancient times as a generic chemopreventive and anti-tumour remedy in folk medicine and it has a well-documented history of use as a laxative. In addition to the plethora of traditional medicinal uses, A. ferox has recently gained popularity as an ingredient in cosmetic formulations and food supplements. Anti-oxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anticancer and antimalarial activities, etc. have been reported. In addition, the ability of Cape aloes to enhance the transport of poorly permeable drugs has enjoyed recent research interest. Due to its medicinal and commercial importance it has been a popular research topic for natural product scientists who have isolated several chromones and anthrones from the leaf exudate and finished product (bitters). A summary of the historical and modern day uses, commercialisation, chemical composition and biological properties of this coveted ethnomedicinally and commercially important species is presented.     

西沙群岛草海桐的抗逆生物学特性

热带珊瑚岛由于光照强、季节性干旱明显、土壤贫瘠、保水能力差而少有植物生长。草海桐(Scaevola sericea)是一种典型的热带滨海植物,是西沙群岛珊瑚岛植被中的主要建群种,在海岛和海岸带防风固沙及植被生态恢复等方面发挥着重要作用。该研究对西沙群岛自然环境下草海桐的形态解剖学特征、抗氧化能力、抗逆性物质含量及营养元素含量等进行了研究。结果表明:草海桐具有阳生性植物特征,叶片及上表皮厚、气孔密度小、导管直径及水力导管直径大,有利于其适应珊瑚岛干旱环境; 其体内的超氧化物歧化酶和过氧化氢酶活性与其他受胁迫植物相比较要高,脱落酸含量也较高,表明草海桐对珊瑚岛环境具有较强的适应性及抗逆性; 其根际土壤养分含量偏低,但植物体内营养元素含量却较高,表明草海桐对土壤养分的利用效率高。这说明草海桐能够很好地适应干旱、贫瘠的珊瑚砂环境,具有较强的抗逆及适应能力。     

Components of the galls on. The leaves of Pongamia glabra: Structures of pongagallone-a and pongagallone-b

The chemical examination of the galls present on the infected leaves of the plant Pongamia glabra has yielded, in addition to a number of known compounds, two new prenylated β-diketones, pongagallone-A and pongagallone-B. Evidence for their structures is presented.     

Cinnamic acid, coumarin and vanillin: Alternative phenolic compounds for efficient Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of the unicellular green alga, Nannochloropsis sp

The use of acetosyringone in Agrobacterium-mediated gene transfer into plant hosts has been favored for the past few decades. The influence of other phenolic compounds and their effectiveness in Agrobacterium-mediated plant transformation systems has been neglected. In this study, the efficacy of four phenolic compounds on Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of the unicellular green alga Nannochloropsis sp. (Strain UMT-M3) was assessed by using β-glucuronidase (GUS) assay. We found that cinnamic acid, vanillin and coumarin produced higher percentages of GUS positive cells as compared to acetosyringone. These results also show that the presence of methoxy group in the phenolic compounds may not be necessary for Agrobacterium vir gene induction and receptor binding as suggested by previous studies. These findings provide possible alternative Agrobacterium vir gene inducers that are more potent as compared to the commonly used acetosyringone in achieving high efficiency of Agrobacterium-mediated transformation in microalgae and possibly for other plants.     

Partial sequence analysis of Xenopus alpha- and beta-globin mRNA as determined from recombinant DNA plasmids

Recombinant plasmids containing Xenopus globin mRNA sequences have been constructed using the mRNA:cDNA hybrid conditions of Zain et al. (1979, Cell16, 851–861). The partial nucleotide sequence of two of these recombinants has been determined. They have been identified as containing α- and β-globin-like sequences by homology to other amphibian globin proteins. The nucleotide sequence of these recombinants permits the comparison of conserved regions in both the coding and 3′ nontranslated regions of Xenopus globin mRNAs with the known sequences of other eukaryotic globin proteins and mRNAs. Among the features which have been conserved though evolution is the sequence AAUAAA close to the 3′ terminus of the nontranslated region. Extensive regions of homology occur between the 3′ nontranslated regions of Xenopus α- and β-globin mRNA.     

Proximate,mineral, fibre,phytate–phosphate,vitamin E,amino acid and fatty acid composition of Terminalia sericea

Terminalia sericea is widely distributed in the African Savannah bushveld. It is one of the indigenous fruit bearing trees put to multiple uses. Research has focused on the phytochemical composition of its root, bark, and leaf extracts that are used in ethnomedicine neglecting the potential of its seed. This study purposed to determine, by chemical analyses, the nutritive value of T. sericea seed. 78.8% of the seed was found to be crude protein (46.2%) and lipid (32.6%). Ash made up 6.90% of the seed mass. Linoleic and oleic acids constituted 68.63% and 14.05%, respectively, of the seed oil. Phosphorus (1121.75 ± 10.39 mg 100 g^− 1 DM) and glutamic acid (8.07 ± 0.13 g 100^− 1 DM) constituted the most concentrated mineral and amino acid, respectively. T. sericea seed could be utilized as a protein source in feeds and foods and could also be exploited as a non-conventional plant oil source of oleic acid and linoleic acid.     

A review of the taxonomy,ethno-botany and pharmacological activity of Atalantia monophylla L

The Atalantia monophylla (L), is commonly known as kattu elumichai in Tamil belonging to the family Rutaceae have been used in traditional medicine for various purposes like anti-arthritis Chronic rheumatism, Chronic dyspepsia, fever and cough. Consumption of the fruit juice every day, in the evenings cure belly pain and bloating, nausea, heat burns,vomiting and stomach pain, headache, and paralysis, rheumatoid pain, joint pain, glandular swelling stimulant, hemiplegia, malarial fever, itching,crack or other skin diseases in the male or female organs. The plant has been predictable in traditional reports for treatment of infection diseases. In this review gives a comprehensive summary of ethano-botanical uses chemical components, biological effects of this species. Chemical consistent such as (alkaloids, limonoids, tetranortriterpenoids) also included different kinds of preparation and extracts prepared from various solvent compounds. The isolation from this species has been proven to be entire spectrum of biological and pharmacological such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, antidiabetic, larvicidal, tissue culture activities. The previous literature indicates that it has higher different activities were showed potential activities based on the obtained data. We concluded that this species has been potential therapeutic properties for use as a pharmaceutical sectors.