New Taxa of Gramineae from China

Six new taxa of the Gramineae are described from the China. They are Melica L.Sect. Schizolemma Z.L.Wu, M .flava Z.L.Wu, M. longiligulata Z.L.Wu, M.yajiangensis Z. L.Wu, Glyceria chinensis Keng, Oryzopsis munroi Stapf ex Hook.f. var.parviflora Z.L.Wu.     

Six New Bamboo Species from Guangdong

Six new taxa of the Bambusoideae are described from Guangdong Province, China. They are Indosasa suavis W. T. Lin et Z. J. Feng, Phyllostachys purpureomaculata W. T. Lin et Z. J. Feng, Arundinaria quadrangula W. T. Lin et Z. J. Feng, A. pubiannula W. T. Lin et Z. J. Feng, Gelidocalamus albopubescens W. T. Lin et Z. J. Feng, and Sasa duplicata W. T. Lin et Z. J.Feng.     

Glyceroglycolipids from Serratula strangulata.

The rhizomes of Serratula strangulata yielded three glyceroglycolipids, i.e. 1,2-di-O-(9Z,12Z,15Z-octadecatrienoyl)-3-O-(6-amine-6-deoxy-alpha-D-glucosyl)-glycerol, 1,2-di-O-(9Z,12Z,15Z-octadecatrienoyl)-3-O-(6-p-hydroxy-phenyl-propionamido-6-deoxy-alpha-D-glucosyl)-glycerol and 1,2-di-O-(9Z,12Z,15Z-octadecatrienoyl)-3-O-[alpha-D-glucose(1-6)-beta-D-allose]-glycerol, as well as a known sesquiterpene lactone and three known phytoecdysones. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectral data, especially by 2D NMR spectroscopic methods and chemical conversion. These compounds exhibited significant antibacterial and antitumor activities.     

5-Lipoxygenase-derived oxylipins from the red alga Rhodymenia pertusa

The lipid extract of the temperate red alga Rhodymenia pertusa has yielded four eicosanoid metabolites, three of which are new natural products. Using principally NMR and MS techniques, their structures were deduced as 5R,6S-dihydroxy-7(E),9(E),11(Z),14(Z)-eicosatetraenoic acid (5R,6S-diHETE), 5R*,6S*-dihydroxy-7(E),9(E),11(Z),14(Z),17(Z)-eicosapentaenoic acid (5R*,6S*-diHEPE), 5-hydroxy-6(E),8(Z),11(Z),14(Z)-eicosatetraenoic acid (5-HETE), 5-hydroxy-6(E),8(Z),11(Z),14(Z),17(Z)-eicosapentaenoic acid (5-HEPE). The co-occurrence of these metabolites strongly suggests that R. pertusa contains a unique 5R-lipoxygenase system acting on both arachidonic and eicosapentaenoic acids.     

Six new species of Zingiber (Zingiberaceae) from Borneo

Six new species of the genus Zingiber from Borneo are presented. Z viridiflavum was collected in primary lowland forest, while Z chlorobracteatum was collected in hilly secondary forest. Both are characterized by their slender fusiform inflorescences with yellow-green bracts. Z. flagelliforme found in primary lowland forest displays a peculiar reproduction habit in its tapering leafy shoots which bend over to trail on the ground where plantlets produced in the leaf-axis take root. Z velutinum was found in mid-elevation secondary forest. It is a tall plant with large ovate inflorescences and bright red, densely hairy bracts. Z phillippsii was found in a gulley in montane primary forest. It is vegetatively characterized by its purple stems and glabrous leaves while the inflorescence has a similarity to the common Bornean species Z. coloratum. Z. georgeii is distinct by its procumbent inflorescences with orange bracts. Z viridiflavum, Z. chlorobracteatum, Z. flagelliforme, Z. phillippsii and Z velutinum are from Sabah and Z georgeii is from Sarawak.     

Five new species of Zingiber (Zingiberaceae) from Borneo

Recent collections from Sabah and Sarawak have revealed a wide species diversity among the Bornean members of the genus Zingiber. Four previously unknown and one incompletely known species of the genus are presented. Z. vinosum is a lowland species characterized by its burgundy colour of the lower surface of the leaves. Z. lambii was collected in primary lowland forest on ultramafic soil while Z. argenteum was collected in primary lowland forest on limestone. Both are characterized by their silvery leaves and orange inflorescences. Z. pendulum, found in primary mountain forest, has pending leafy stems and a deeply split labellum with very well developed side-lobes. Z. latifolium, found in secondary mountain forest, is vegetatively distinct by its broad leaves with a densely pubescent margin Z. vinosum, Z. Iambii, Z. pendulum and Z. latifolium are from Sabah and Z. argenteum is from Sarawak.     

Isolation and Characterization of trans-p-Hydroxycinnamoyl Meroterpenoids from Ganoderma sinensis

Zizhines V, W, Y, Z, (±)-zizhines X, and Z1 − Z3, and (±)-ganosinensol L, thirteen new compounds including four pairs of enantiomers and a known compound (−)-ganosinensol L, were isolated from the fruiting bodies of Ganoderma sinensis. Their structures were identified by spectroscopic, computational methods, and CD (circular dichroism spectroscopy) comparisons. Zizhines V−Z and Z1 − Z3 are meroterpenoids consisting of the phenolic and the terpenoidal parts. All the compounds except zizhine Z3 bear a common trans-p-hydroxycinnamoyl group. Biological evaluation shows that (−)-zizhine Z1 inhibits cell migration in the MDA-MB-231 cell lines. The present study discloses the chemical profiling of G. sinensis and paves the way for its development as functional products to benefit chronic disorders.     

红树林湿地烷烃降解菌的分离筛选

从受石油污染的红树林湿地土样中分离筛选对烷烃具较高降解能力的细菌菌株, 以期应用于被石油污染滨海湿地的生物修复。采用富集培养方法, 富集、分离和筛选烷烃降解菌;观察各菌落及菌体形态特征;测试菌株Z2的生理生化特征, 并用16S rDNA序列分析方法进行该菌种鉴定。分离筛选得到Z1、Z2和Z3这3个能以正十六烷为唯一碳源生长的菌株, 其降解率依次为63.4%、82.5%和78.3%, 其中菌株Z2的降解率最高。经过形态学观察、生理生化特性实验和16S rDNA序列分析鉴定, 菌株Z2为不动杆菌(Acinetobacter sp.)。     

Tabulation of thirty-one putative new genes from cyanobacteria

In the context of other research cyanobacterial DNA sequences were obtained from genomic clones selected from libraries at random. Sequences from Synechococcus PCC 6301, Calothrix PCC 7601 and Calothrix D253 are now available from the GenBank/EMBL/DDBJ databases (accession numbers Z47089 to Z47128, Z47129 to Z47149 and Z47150 to Z47197, respectively) and have been searched for similarity to known sequences. Thirty-one putative new genes (encoding putative products with at least 40% identity over at least 50 amino acids, or the converse) are listed along with one sequence from Synechococcus PCC 6301 that had been isolated previously.     

Taxonomic changes regarding three species of Zingiber (Zingiberaceae) from Thailand

Zingiber teres S. Q. Tong & Y. M. Xia and Z. xishuangbannaense S. Q. Tong are reduced to be synonyms of Z. smilesianum Craib and Z. thorelii Gagnep.,respectively. Z. cochinchinense Gagnep. is changed to be a subspecies of Z. zerumbet (L.) Sm.     

Two New Species of Gaultheria from Sichuan

Gaultheria lasiocarpa T. Z. Hsu and G. miyienensis T. Z. Hsu (Ericaceae) are des-cribed as new from Sichuan Province, China.     

Biophysical properties of unusual phospholipids and sterols from marine invertebrates

Liposomes composed of 1,2-di-(5Z,9Z)-5-9-hexacosadienoyl-sn-glycero-3-pho sph ocholine underwent an endothermic phase transition at 42 degrees C. Cholesterol or the marine sterols studied did not affect this transition to an appreciable extent, but rather were excluded from the phospholipid bilayers. Membranes composed of 1,2-di-(5Z,9Z)-5,9-hexacosadienoyl-sn-glycero-3-pho sph ocholine displayed very similar phase properties. Effects of the marine sterols on dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine bilayers were also investigated.     

Biosynthesis of sex pheromone components from linolenic acid in arctiid moths

Sex pheromone components of two species of arctiid moths, Estigmene acrea and Phragmatobia fuliginosa, were shown to be derived from linolenic acid. Female pupae were injected with radiolabeled malonic acid or an 18-, 20-, 21-, or 22-carbon triunsaturated fatty acid, and the pheromone components from emerged adults analyzed for radioactivity. The data support a biosynthetic pathway in which the 21-carbon pheromone component,(Z, Z)-3,6-cis-9,10-epoxyheneicosadiene, of these moths is produced by chain elongation of linolenic acid to docosatrienoic acid with subsequent reductive decarboxylation. The 18-carbon aldehyde components,(Z, Z)-9,12-octadecadienal and (Z, Z, Z)-9,12,15-octadecatrienal, of E. acrea are produced from linoeic and linolenic acids directly. No detectable amounts of intermediate 20-, 21-, or 22-carbon fatty acid precursors were found in the gland of E. acrea.     

Algicidal activity of glycerolipids from brown alga Ishige sinicola toward red tide microalgae

Bioassay-guided fractionation of a methanol extract of the brown alga, Ishige sinicola, led to the isolation of five algicidal compounds. Their structures were determined to be α-monoglycerides of eicosa-5Z,8Z,11Z,14Z-tetraenoic (arachidonic) acid, octadeca-6Z,9Z,12Z,15Z-tetraenoic acid, linoleic acid and oleic acid, and 1-O-palmitoyl-3-O-(6-sulfo-α-D-quinovopyranosyl)-sn-glycerol on the basis of spectroscopic data and a comparison with the data in the literature. These glycerolipids showed moderate-to-high cell lysis activity against the red tide microalgal species, Heterosigma akashiwo, Karenia mikimotoi and Alexandrium catenella, at a concentration of 20 μg/mL.     

三角梅属四个品种花挥发性组分的GC-MS分析

三角梅不仅观赏性强,而且具有多方面的保健作用。为了揭示三角梅的次生代谢机制,本研究采用水蒸气蒸馏法提取三角梅属四个品种(Bougainvillea glabra ‘Magnifica’、Bougainvillea glabra ‘Pink Pixie’、Bougainvillea glabra ‘Formosa’和Bougainvillea×buttiana ‘Mahara’)花的挥发性成分;通过GC-MS法对所提取的成分进行定性和定量分析。共分离出85种成分,经NIST数据库检索,并与标准谱图比较共鉴定出72个化学组分,占总挥发性组分含量的90%以上。结果表明,4个三角梅品种的花中含有植醇、丁子香酚、亚油酸、亚麻酸以及维生素E等对人类有益的化合物。     

A New Species of Holboellia from Gansu

One new species of Holboellia (Lardizabalaceae) is described from Gansu Province, China. It is Holboellia apetala Q. Xia, J. Z. Suen et Z. X. Peng.     

New Plants of Plantago from China

One new species and one new variety of genus Plantago are describecd from China. They are P. densiflora J. Z. Liu and P. arachnoidea var. lorata J. Z. Liu.     

三角梅属四个品种花挥发陛组分的GC—MS分析

三角梅不仅观赏性强,而且具有多方面的保健作用。为了揭示三角梅的次生代谢机制,本研究采用水蒸气蒸馏法提取三角梅属四个品种 （ Bougainvillea glabra ＇Magnifica＇, Bougainvillea glabra ＇Pink Pixie＇, Bougainvillea glabra ＇Formosa＇ 和 Bougainvillea× butuana ＇Mahara＇ ）花的挥发性成分;通过GC—MS法对所提取的成分进行定性和定量分析。共分离出85种成分,经NIST数据库检索,并与标准谱图比较共鉴定出72个化学组分,占总挥发性组分含量的90％以上。结果表明,4个三角梅品种的花中含有植醇、丁子香酚、亚油酸、亚麻酸以及维生素E等对人类有益的化合物。     

金线莲挥发油化学成分的研究

采用水蒸气蒸馏法提取花叶开唇兰挥发油,用GC毛细管柱进行分析,归一化法测定其相对含量,并用GC-MS法鉴定化学成分。检出182个成分,鉴定出73个化合物,占挥发油总量的92.64%,主要成分为:正十六烷酸(25.22%)、(Z,Z)-9,12-十八碳二烯酸甲酯(6.47%)、11,14,17-二十碳三烯酸甲酯(4.42%)、(Z,Z)-9,12-十八碳二烯酸(15.35%)和(Z,Z,Z)-9,12,15-十八碳三烯酸甲酯(13.64%)。     

Purification and Characterization of Allene Oxide Cyclase from Dry Corn Seeds

Allene oxide cyclase (AOC; EC 5.3.99.6) catalyzes the cyclization of 12,13(S)-epoxy-9(Z),11,15(Z)-octadecatrienoic acid to 12-oxo- 10,15(Z)-phytodienoic acid, the precursor of jasmonic acid (JA). This soluble enzyme was purified 2000-fold from dry corn (Zea mays L.) kernels to apparent homogeneity. The dimeric protein has a molecular mass of 47 kD. Allene oxide cyclase activity was not affected by divalent ions and was not feedback-regulated by its product, 12-oxo-l0,15(Z)-phytodienoic acid, or by JA. ([plus or minus])-cis- 12,13-Epoxy-9(Z)-octadecenoic acid, a substrate analog, strongly inhibited the enzyme, with 50% inhibition at 20 [mu]M. Modification of the inhibitor, such as methylation of the carboxyl group or a shift in the position of the epoxy group, abolished the inhibitory effect, indicating that both structural elements and their position are essential for binding to AOC. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, which are often used to interfere with JA biosynthesis, did not influence AOC activity. The purified enzyme catalyzed the cyclization of 12,13(S)-epoxy-9(Z),11,15(Z)-octadecatrienoic acid derived from linolenic acid, but not that of 12,13(S)-epoxy-9(Z),11- octadecadienoic acid derived from linoleic acid.