Cyanogenic glycosides from the rare Australian endemic rainforest tree Clerodendrum grayi (Lamiaceae)

The cyanogenic diglycoside lucumin ((R)-mandelonitrile-β-d-primeveroside) and monoglucoside prunasin ((R)-mandelonitrile-β-d-glucoside) were isolated from the foliage of the rare Australian rainforest tree species Clerodendrum grayi (Lamiaceae). This is the first reported isolation of the diglycoside lucumin from vegetative tissue (foliage), and the first reported co-occurrence of lucumin and prunasin. Furthermore, unusually, the diglycoside lucumin was the most abundant cyanogen accounting for approximately 60% of total cyanide in a leaf tissue.     

Cyanogenic Eucalyptus nobilis is polymorphic for both prunasin and specific beta-glucosidases

Cyanogenesis (i.e. the evolution of HCN from damaged plant tissue) requires the presence of two biochemical pathways, one controlling synthesis of the cyanogenic glycoside and the other controlling the production of a specific degradative beta-glucosidase. The sole cyanogenic glycoside in Eucalyptus nobilis was identified as prunasin (D-mandelonitrile beta-D-glucoside) using HPLC and GC-MS. Seedlings from three populations of E. nobilis were grown under controlled conditions and 38% were found to be acyanogenic, a proportion far greater than reported for any other cyanogenic eucalypt. A detailed study of the acyanogenic progeny from a single open-pollinated parent found that 23% lacked a cyanogenic beta-glucosidase, 32% lacked prunasin and 9% lacked both. Of the remaining seedlings initially identified as acyanogenics, 27% contained either trace amounts of beta-glucosidase or prunasin, while 9% contained trace amounts of both. Results support the hypothesis that the two components necessary for cyanogenesis are inherited independently. Trace amounts are likely to result from the presence of non-specific beta-glucosidases or the glycosylation of the cyanohydrin intermediate by non-specific UDP glycosyl transferases.     

Gynocardin from Baileyoxylon lanceolatum and a revision of cyanogenic glycosides in Achariaceae

The cyclopentenone cyanhydrin glycoside gynocardin was the only cyanogen isolated from foliage of monotypic Australian rainforest tree, Baileyoxylon lanceolatum (Achariaceae). The presence of cyanogenic compounds in plants can have considerable taxonomic utility. A review of previous reports of cyanogenesis in the recently revised Achariaceae revealed distinct taxonomic patterns as well as inconsistencies in the reporting of cyanogenic compounds. This variation appears to be due to tissue level localisation of cyanogenic compounds as well as discrepancies in results obtained from different detection methods. Recommendations are made for future investigations.     

Cyanogenic glucosides and plant-insect interactions

Cyanogenic glucosides are phytoanticipins known to be present in more than 2500 plant species. They are considered to have an important role in plant defense against herbivores due to bitter taste and release of toxic hydrogen cyanide upon tissue disruption. Some specialized herbivores, especially insects, preferentially feed on cyanogenic plants. Such herbivores have acquired the ability to metabolize cyanogenic glucosides or to sequester them for use in their predator defense. A few species of Arthropoda (within Diplopoda, Chilopoda, Insecta) are able to de novo synthesize cyanogenic glucosides and, in addition, some of these species are able to sequester cyanogenic glucosides from their host plant (Zygaenidae). Evolutionary aspects of these unique plant-insect interactions with focus on the enzyme systems involved in synthesis and degradation of cyanogenic glucosides are discussed.     

Chemical constituents with ɑ,β-unsaturated carbonyl group from the whole plants of Erigeron breviscapus (Vant.) Hand.-Mazz. (Asteraceae)

Phytochemical characterization of the whole plants of Erigeron breviscapus (Vant.) Hand.-Mazz. Led to the isolation of two indole derivatives (1–2), seven monoterpenoids (3–9), two sesquiterpenoids (10–11), and four pyrone derivatives (12–15). The structures of these compounds were examined with spectroscopic methods, and also by comparing with previously reported spectroscopic data. Among them, ten compounds (1–2, 6–11, 14–15) are reported from Erigeron breviscapus for the first time. In addition, three compounds (2, 8–9) are isolated for the first time from Asteraceae family. On the basis of chemical research, we also described the chemotaxonomic significance of these compounds.     

Growth cost and ontogenetic expression patterns of defence in cyanogenic Eucalyptus spp.

Plant defences can incur allocation costs and such costs incurred early in ontogeny may result in opportunity costs with effects evident later in life. A unified understanding of the growth cost of defence requires the identification of plants with varying ontogenetic trajectories of preferably resource demanding defences and an appropriate measurement of the growth cost of these defences. To develop such tools, we first compared nitrogen-based chemical defence (cyanogenic glycosides) in juvenile and adult foliage of three species of Eucalyptus (Myrtaceae). We found marked differences between the species, with two having much lower concentrations of foliar cyanogenic glycosides in seedlings compared to adults. We next used seedlings of two species to measure the resource (nitrogen) and growth cost of deploying cyanogenic glycosides. We found evidence that for every 1.0 nitrogen invested in cyanogenic glycosides, 1.49 additional nitrogens were effectively added to the leaves. We also found that deployment of cyanogenic glycosides was associated with a reduction in net assimilation rate (NAR) at constant leaf nitrogen. We did not, however, detect an overall growth cost associated with cyanogenic glycoside deployment because the rise in leaf nitrogen associated with this deployment apparently counteracted the reduction in NAR.     

Pollen fall-out from a tropical vegetation mosaic

Pollen fall-out into 60 Oldfield traps set in 11 localities and a variety of vegetational contexts on an upland in tropical northeast Australia, range from 0.5k to 20k (mean 3.5k) gr cm⁻² a⁻¹. The ranges attributable to the four major vegetation types in which the traps were situated overlap to such an extent as would make it virtually impossible to allocate an ‘unknown’ pollen count to a vegetation type on the basis of total pollen influx alone. Nevertheless, the composition of the pollen clearly differs according to the vegetation in which it is trapped and the amounts of other vegetation types within at least 100 m. Substantial variations in catches from closely placed traps suggest the influence of very local site, including meteorological, conditions on the results. Pollen is carried between vegetation types, much less far from rainforest than from sclerophyll forest and woodland, regrowth scrub or herbaceous vegetation, but there is no numerically significant ubiquitous ‘background’ fall-out in the region. The data impose some constraints on the interpretation of fossil pollen spectra but also potentially permit a greater precision in some aspects of such applications.     

Chemical constituents from Phlomis bovei Noë and their chemotaxonomic significance

A phytochemical investigation of the leaves and roots of Phlomis bovei Noë (Lamiaceae) led to the isolation of sixteen compounds, including iridoids (1, 2, 3), megastigmanes (4, 5), phenylpropanoids (6, 7, 8, 9, 10), lignans (11, 12, 13, 14), a nortriterpene (15), and a phenyl glucoside (16). Compounds (1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 10) were obtained from the leaves and compounds (1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16) were isolated from the roots. Compounds 1 and 2 were found both in the leaves and in roots.The compounds were identified by analysis of 1D- (¹H, ¹³C), 2D-NMR (¹H–¹H COSY, TOCSY, ROESY, HSQC, HMBC) spectroscopic data, mass spectrometry (ESI- and HR-ESI-MS), and by comparison with previously reported spectral data.Compounds 5, 9, 10, 13 and 14 were isolated from the genus Phlomis for the first time. All these specialized metabolites were described here for the first time in the Algerian Phlomis bovei Noë species. To the best of our knowledge, no reports have appeared on the constituents of the roots of P.bovei Noë. The chemotaxonomic significance of these compounds was summarized.     

热带雨林退化生态系统生物多样性消失与修复探讨

热带雨林退化生态系统的主要类型有：（１）人工生态系统;（２）次生森林生态系统和（３）片断森林生态系统等。在退化生态系统中,物种多样性的损失与人类干扰程度、频率和持续时间密切相关;而在片断的热带雨林中则随着环境变化强度的加大和持续时间的延长而增加。退化生态系统的修复主要在于减少人类的干扰、改善地区性的环境和在保护与发展相结合的原则下,采取多种有效的综合措施。尊重当地民族生物多样性传统管理经验,实行封     

西双版纳热带季节雨林的研究

本文以多个样方的资料分析,从群落综合特征上研究了西双版纳热带季节雨林的特点和类型、物种组成、生活型谱、叶级谱等。根据上层标志树种、群落生态外貌特征和生境把西双版纳的热带季节雨林区分为低丘雨林和沟谷雨林二个群系组,各包括若干群系。低丘雨林中面积最大和最有代表性的群系是大药树、龙果林,而沟谷雨林中最有代表性的群系是番龙眼、千果榄仁林。二者相比,低丘雨林的物种多样性要小一些,附生植物相对少一些,小、矮高位芽植物和小叶、落叶树种比例稍高,在生态上向季雨林和热带山地的常绿阔叶林过渡,有更强的地方代表性。沟谷雨林则更接近典型的湿热带雨林。     

Comparison of hypolipidemic activity of synthetic gallic acid-linoleic acid ester with mixture of gallic acid and linoleic acid, gallic acid, and linoleic acid on high-fat diet induced obesity in C57BL/6 Cr Slc mice

Hyperlipidemia is the major risk factors of heart disease such as atherosclerosis, stroke, and death. In the present study, we studied the effect of gallic acid (GA), linoleic acid (LA), mixture of GA and LA (MGL), and chemically synthesized gallic acid-linoleic acid ester (octadeca-9,12-dienyl-3,4,5-trihydroxybenzoate, GLE) on the ability to ameliorate hyperlipidemia in C57BL/6 mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD). GLE, GA, LA, and MGL were mixed with HFD and the composition of the test compounds were 1% of the diet for 7 weeks. After 7 weeks, the average body weight of ND and GLE groups was lower than that of HFD group (P<0.05). The liver weight of mice decreased (P<0.05) in all treatment groups relative to HFD fed group. The plasma lipids such as triglyceride and LDL-cholesterol were found to be decreased (P<0.05) in GLE, GA, LA, and MGL fed mice when compared to that of HFD fed mice. But high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol increased (P<0.05) in HFD and GLE fed mice when compared to that of ND fed mice. The hepatic accumulation of fat droplets of GA, LA, GLE, and MGL group showed considerably lower than that of HFD group. Adipose histology showed that GLE supplementation was found to be more effective in decreasing the size of adipocyte relative to those of other treatment groups. In conclusion, the supplementation of synthetic GLE from gallic acid and linoleic acid ester may have a potential hypolipidemic effect on mice fed high-fat diet. Further studies are required to prove GLE as a hypolipidemic agent.