Photocontrol of flowering and stem extension of the intermediate-day plant Echinacea purpurea

Intermediate-day plants (IDP) flower most rapidly and completely under intermediate photoperiods (e.g., 12–14 h of light), but few species have been identified and their flowering responses are not well understood. We identified Echinacea purpurea Moench as an IDP and, based on our results, propose a novel mechanism for flowering of IDP. Two genotypes of E. purpurea ('Bravado' and 'Magnus') flowered most completely (≥79%) and rapidly and at the youngest physiological age under intermediate photoperiods of 13–15 h. Few (≤14%) plants flowered under 10- or 24-h photoperiods, indicating E . purpurea is a strongly quantitative IDP. Plants were also induced to flower when 15-h dark periods were interrupted with as few as 7.5 min of low-intensity lighting (night interruption, NI). Flowering was progressively earlier as the NI increased to 1 h, but was delayed when the NI was extended to 4 h. Stem length increased by ≥230% as the photoperiod or NI duration increased, until plants received a saturating duration (at 14 or 1 h, respectively). Flowering was inhibited when 16-h photoperiods were deficient in red (R, 600–700 nm) light, and was promoted when photoperiods were deficient in far-red (FR, 700–800 nm) light. Because of our results, we propose the flowering behavior of IDP such as E . purpurea is composed of two mechanisms: a light-dependent response operating through light-labile (type I) phytochrome in which flowering is inhibited by an LD, and a light-stable (type II) phytochrome (i.e., phyB, D and E) response in which flowering is promoted by a short-night.     

Dual induction control of flowering in Leucanthemum vulgare

The perennial herb Leucanthemum vulgare (oxeye daisy) has a dual induction requirement for flowering. The primary induction is a typical low temperature vemalization response. Temperatures up to 15°C are effective, and the optimum is 6–9°C. Short days (SD) during low temperature exposure enhanced primary induction, but SD could not fully substitute for low temperature in primary induction. At optimum temperatures about 6 weeks exposure were required for 100% flowering, but the flowering response increased with increasing exposure up to 12 weeks, especially at higher temperatures. Seedling have a short juvenile phase of about 4 weeks. Populations with origin ranging from 59 to 69°N in Norway did not vary in their primary induction requirements. Long days (LD) were required for inflorescence initiation and stem elongation at 9°C. At 21 and 15°C some plants initiated and developed inflorescences in SD, but the inflorescences were sessile and their development strongly delayed. More than 16 LD cycles were required for normal stem elongation (bolting).     

Agrobacterium rhizogenes-mediated transformation of Echinacea purpurea

Summary Echinacea purpurea seedlings were inoculated with several Agrobacterium rhizogenes strains in order to obtain hairy roots. Infection with A. rhizogenes strains LMG63 and LMG150 resulted in callus formation. Upon infection with strains ATCC 15834 and R1601 hairy roots were obtained. Opine detection confirmed transformation of E. purpurea. Comparative HPLC fingerprint analysis of the alkamides from natural plant source, control tissues, and transformed callus and roots indicated that transformed callus and hairy roots might be a promising source for continuous and standardized production of the dodeca-2E,4E,8Z,10E/Z-tetraenoic acid isobutylamide and related amides.Abbreviations HPLC high-pressure liquid chromatography - MS Murashige and Skoog culture medium     

紫锥菊的组织培养和植株再生

1植物名称紫锥菊(Echinacea purpurea),又名紫松果菊. 2材料类别无菌苗的叶柄切段. 3培养条件(1)芽诱导及增殖培养基:MS 6-BA 1.0mg·L-1(单位下同) NAA 0.5 3%蔗糖 0.7%琼脂,pH 6.0;(2)生根培养基:B5大量元素 MS微量元素、铁盐、有机物 NAA 1.0 2%蔗糖 0.9%琼脂,pH 6.0.培养温度为(25 1)℃,光照12 h·d-1,光照度1500～2000 lx.     

紫锥菊挥发性成分分析研究

采用气-质(GC-MS)联用技术结合顶空固相微萃取(HS-SPME)与传统共水蒸馏法,对紫锥菊植物干花与干根中挥发性成分进行分析方法研究。GC-MS(配N ist2005标准质谱库)从传统方法提取的紫锥菊干根挥发油中分离分析出188个峰,初步鉴定出68种化合物,从聚二甲基硅氧烷(PDMS 7,100μm)及聚丙烯酸酯(PA 85μm)三种固相微萃取涂层吸附的紫锥菊干花挥发性成分中分别分离分析出27、118、105个峰,各自鉴定出1、22、23种化合物。对不同处理方法及紫锥菊植物不同部位所得数据进行了相识性与差异性的比较,所建分析方法及所得结果为了解紫锥菊植物体挥发性有效成分提供了参考。     

In vitro regeneration of Echinacea purpurea from leaf explants

Efficient plant regeneration was achieved via organogenesis from callus cultures derived from leaf tissue of Echinacea purpurea. Proliferating shoot cultures were obtained by placing leaf explants on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) and naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) combinations. MS medium supplemented with BAP (4.44 M) and NAA (0.054 M) was the most effective, providing high shoot regeneration frequencies (100%) associated with a high number of shoots per explant (7.7 shoots/explant). Plantlets were rooted on MS medium alone or in combination with different concentrations of indole-3-butyric acid (IBA), and high rooting and survival was achieved using MS media without plant growth regulators (PGR). All plantlets survived acclimatization producing healthy plants in the greenhouse. This study demonstrated that adventitious shoot regeneration of E. purpurea from leaf explants can be a useful method for the multiplication of this important medicinal plant.     

Immune response to leishmania: paradox rather than paradigm

The leishmaniases are a group of diseases caused by protozoan parasites of the genus Leishmania. Various Leishmania species can cause human infection, producing a spectrum of clinical manifestations. It is estimated that 350 million people are at risk, with a global yearly incidence of 1-1.5 million for cutaneous and 500,000 for visceral leishmaniasis (VL). VL is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in East Africa and the Indian subcontinent. Coinfection with HIV enhances the risk of the disease. The only control measure currently available in India is case detection and treatment with antimonial drugs, which are expensive, not always available and cannot be self-administered. Newer drugs like oral miltefosine have not become widely available. Vector and reservoir control is difficult due to the elusive nature of the vector and the diversity of the animal reservoir. A detailed knowledge of immune response to the parasite would help in designing prophylactic and therapeutic strategies against this infection.     

紫锥菊多倍体诱导与鉴定

本实验以紫锥菊愈伤组织上刚分化出的不定芽为材料,用不同浓度秋水仙素溶液对其进行诱导,确定最佳处理浓度和处理时间,并对诱导的多倍体与二倍体进行形态、显微、染色体及过氧化氢酶(CAT)活性的比较鉴定.结果表明:0.025%秋水仙素浓度处理24h的诱导效果最好,诱导率达42.85%;多倍体植株叶片肥厚、根粗壮,气孔面积极显著地大于二倍体植株,染色体数从24～28条不等,CAT平均酶活性是二倍体的2.1倍.     

紫锥菊愈伤组织诱导及生物活性成分分析

以紫锥菊(Echinacea purpurea)无菌苗为材料,研究了不同激素配比条件下不同外值体愈伤组织的诱导及所诱导的愈伤组织中的主要成分多糖和总酚,并应用高效液相色谱法对根愈伤组织提取物与紫锥菊根提取物中的酚酸类物质进行了比较分析.结果表明,紫锥菊不同部位愈伤组织诱导的最适宜激素配比不同,其中根愈伤组织诱导的最佳激素配比为0.5 mg/L 2,4-D 0.5 mg/L 6-BA.叶、茎、根诱导愈伤组织的多糖含量分别为10.15、11.84、14.49 mg/g干重;总酚含量分别为52.16、28.144、7.99 mg/g干重.根愈伤组织总酚和多糖含量均较高,其提取物的酚酸类物质的高效液相色谱与紫锥菊根提取物图谱主峰一致,且生长速度快、质地疏松,是细胞培养获取紫锥菊主要生物活性成分的适宜材料.     

Effect of Echinacea purpurea (Asteraceae) aqueous extract on antibody response to Bothrops asper venom and immune cell response

The effect of aqueous extract of Echinacea purpurea roots on the murine antibody response to Bothrops asper snake venom in vivo was studied. Three groups were used. Group #1, baseline control, was treated with snake venom plus PBS. Group #2 was treated with snake venom plus sodium alginate as adjuvant (routine method used at Instituto Clodomiro Picado), and group #3 or experimental group, was treated with snake venom plus aqueous extract ofE. purpurea root as adjuvant. In all groups, the first inoculation was done with Freund's complete adjuvant (FCA). By the time of the second bleeding, mice in group #3 showed a remarkable increment in the level of anti-venom antibodies compared with those in groups #1 or #2. In vitro immune cell proliferation as a response to aqueous extract of E. purpurea root was studied using human lymphocytes activated with different lectins (Con A, PHA and PWM). In all cases, increase in percentage of lymphoproliferation was greater when E. purpurea root extract was used in addition to individual lectins.     

Methyl jasmonate elicits enhancement of bioactive compound synthesis in adventitious root co-culture of Echinacea purpurea and Echinacea pallida

In Vitro Cellular & Developmental Biology - Plant - Co-culture of adventitious roots (ARs) of Echinacea purpurea (L.) Moench and E. pallida is a novel method for the production of Echinacea...     

Binding studies of an arabinogalactan-protein from Echinacea purpurea to leucocytes.

Flow cytometric investigations show binding of an isolated arabinogalactan-protein (AGP) from pressed juice of the aerial parts of Echinacea purpurea to the cell surface of human leucocytes. AGP demonstrates binding to lymphocytes, monocytes and granulocytes of different donors (n=8). Competition assays with two antibodies, directed against CD4 and CD8, revealed no interaction of AGP with these receptors, leading to the conclusion that binding of AGP to leucocytes is mediated via other structures.     

Bioactivity of alkamides isolated from Echinacea purpurea (L.) Moench.

Alkamides from the roots of Echinacea purpurea (L.) Moench were examined for anti-inflammatory activity in an in vitro model system. Cyclooxygenase-I (COX-I) and cyclooxygenase-II (COX-II) inhibitory activities were assessed at pH 7 for alkamides isolated from E. purpurea roots to compare inhibitory activities between the two cyclooxygenase isozymes. At 100 microg/ml, several E. purpurea alkamides inhibited COX-I and COX-II enzymes in the range of 36-60% and 15-46%, respectively, as compared to controls. Mosquitocidal activity was assessed at 100 and 10 microg/ml, with 100% mortality against Aedes aegyptii L. larvae noted for several E. purpurea alkamides at 100 microg/ml.     

紫锥菊提取物及酚酸化合物体外抗血小板聚集活性研究

为探究紫锥菊提取物及酚酸化合物体外抗血小板聚集活性,体外抗血小板聚集实验采用Born比浊法,以聚集抑制率和半数抑制浓度为指标评价。同时采用分子对接方法,选择凝血因子V(F5)、凝血因子VIII(F8)及凝血因子XI(F11)与酚酸类化合物进行虚拟对接,研究其抗血小板聚集的分子作用靶点。结果表明化合物S-1～S-10及其提取物对体外ADP诱导的血小板聚集有抑制作用,抑制率呈浓度依赖性,S-6与靶点的结合位点更多,选择性更强。紫锥菊中酚酸类化合物及其提取物在体外均显现出抗ADP诱导的血小板聚集活性,为紫锥菊体内研究提供依据。     

Insulin-like 3 expression and fibrosis induction after intra-testicular injection of magnetic nanoparticles in rat testis and the ameliorative role of Echinacea purpurea extract

The World Health Organization has approved magnetic nanoparticles (MNP) for use as a contrast agent for magnetic resonance imaging or tumor hyperthermia treatment. MNP are toxic over time after intra-testicular injection. A clear strategy to ameliorate the toxic side effects of MNP in normal tissues after medical application has not yet been developed. We used an extract of Echinacea purpurea (EP) as a natural source of antioxidant and free radical scavenging product for detoxification of MNP in testicular tissues. MNP localization in the interstitial area of testicular tissue reduced the expression of insulin-like factor 3 (INSL3) proteins as well as serum testosterone levels. Further, MNP caused accumulation of both collagen and elastin in the interstitial area and increased the thickness of the tunica albuginea. Injection of MNP during administration of EP extract for short periods slightly reduced the toxic side effects of MNP. After extended exposure to EP extract, INSL3 expression and testosterone returned to near control levels. Also, collagen and elastin accumulation caused by MNP was reduced after extended exposure to EP extract. We believe that the ameliorative effect of EP extract is due to its antioxidant properties.     

Effect of temperature on stability of marker constituents in Echinacea purpurea root formulations.

Stability of an alkamide and a phenolic phytochemical marker in a hydro-alcoholic extract of Echinacea purpurea root and a dried powder prepared by evaporation of the extract was assessed in storage for 7 months at three temperature regimes: -20, 25 and 40 degrees Celsius. In the extract, the major alkamide, dodeca-2E, 4E, 8Z, 10E/Z-tetraenoic acid isobutyl amide, was not significantly affected by storage at any of the temperatures, but cichoric acid content declined as significantly (P = 0.05) at both 25 degrees C and 40 degrees C as compared to low-temperature storage. In the powder, the major alkamide showed a significantly reduced level at 25 degrees C and 40 degrees C while cichoric acid did not decline significantly. These results suggest that more attention should be given to the effect of formulation and temperature on storage of Echinacea products.