磷对海水胁迫下芦荟幼苗离子分布的影响

研究了磷对海水胁迫下库拉索芦荟(A loe vera)幼苗干物质积累、植株含水量、在器官和组织水平上离子分布的影响。增磷显著缓解海水胁迫对芦荟生长的抑制,明显提高海水胁迫下芦荟幼苗的干物质积累和含水量。器官离子含量和X射线微区分析结果都表明,30%浓度海水胁迫下,外源磷水平的提高能显著降低芦荟幼苗根系N a 、C l-的吸收,增强K 、C a2 向地上部的运输和分配,从而维持叶片较高的K /N a 、C a2 /N a 比率,而这很可能是增磷提高芦荟对海水胁迫抗性的主要原因之一。     

In vitro antiviral activity of phlorotannins isolated from Ecklonia cava against porcine epidemic diarrhea coronavirus infection and hemagglutination

Despite the prepdominat agent causing severe entero-pathogenic diarrhea in swine, there are no effective therapeutical treatment of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV). In this study, we evaluated the antiviral activity of five phlorotannins isolated from Ecklonia cava (E. cava) against PEDV. In vitro antiviral activity was tested using two different assay strategies: (1) blockage of the binding of virus to cells (simultaneous-treatment assay) and (2) inhibition of viral replication (post-treatment assay). In simultaneous-treatment assay, compounds 2–5 except compound 1 exhibited antiviral activities of a 50% inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) with the ranging from 10.8 ± 1.4 to 22.5 ± 2.2 μM against PEDV. Compounds 1–5 were completely blocked binding of viral spike protein to sialic acids at less than 36.6 μM concentrations by hemagglutination inhibition. Moreover, compounds 4 and 5 of five phlorotannins inhibited viral replication with IC₅₀ values of 12.2 ± 2.8 and 14.6 ± 1.3 μM in the post-treatment assay, respectively. During virus replication steps, compounds 4 and 5 exhibited stronger inhibition of viral RNA and viral protein synthesis in late stages (18 and 24 h) than in early stages (6 and 12 h). Interestingly, compounds 4 and 5 inhibited both viral entry by hemagglutination inhibition and viral replication by inhibition of viral RNA and viral protein synthesis, but not viral protease. These results suggest that compounds isolated from E. cava have strong antiviral activity against PEDV, inhibiting viral entry and/or viral replication, and may be developed into natural therapeutic drugs against coronavirus infection.     

AAS法测定陕产不同生长期女贞子中铁含量

目的:对陕西境内不同产地、不同生长期女贞子中Fe含量进行分析测定.方法:采收陕西境内关中3市(渭南、西安、宝鸡)与陕南2市(安康、汉中)10月产女贞子;并采收西安8、9、10、11和12月产女贞子,去杂质阴干,室温密闭贮藏.样品湿法消解以后,采用火焰原子吸收光谱法检测其中的Fe含量,考察了干扰情况、方法的准确度和精密度.结果:本方法的检出限均小于0.3μg·mL-1,RSD≤2.46%,加样回收率在97.6～103.8%范围内.实际检测结果显示女贞子中铁含量较为丰富.结论:女贞子在不同产地、不同生长期铁含量不同,故在实际应用时应根据实际药用需要适时采集.     

Change in apparent and true absorption and retention of dietary zinc with age in rats

Two groups of 16 rats each were fed the same diet with 12.9 ppm Zn. Nine days after each animal was injected with⁶⁵Zn for assessing fecal zinc of endogenous origin, zinc intake and excretion were determined for a six-day period at the age of about five (group I) and nine (II) weeks. At mean growth rates of 5.1 and 5.2 g/day, food consumption per gram of gain was 2.01 g in group I vs 2.86 g in II. Overall, zinc retention amounted to 21 vs 25 μg Zn/g of gain. Apparent absorption averaged 92 vs 74% of Zn intake (132 vs 189 μg/day), while true absorption averaged 98 vs 92%. It was concluded that endogenous fecal zinc excretion was limited to the indispensable loss (F _em) in group I (7 μg/day), while it exceeded this minimum loss in group II (33 μg/day). True retention, which reflected total zinc utilization (true absorption times metabolic efficiency), was derived from apparent absorption plusF _em (11 μg/day for group II according to the greater metabolic body size of the rats). It averaged 98% of Zn intake in group I vs 80% in group II. The mean metabolic efficiency was 100% vs 87%. The conclusion was that these marked differences between age groups in utilizing the dietary zinc reflected the efficient homeostatic adjustments in absorption and endogenous excretion of zinc to the respective zinc supply status.     

Influence of spatial structure on effective nutrient diffusion in bacterial biofilms

The main contribution of this paper is to use homogenization techniques to compute diffusion coefficients from experimental images of microbial biofilms. Our approach requires the analysis of several experimental spatial structures of biofilms in order to derive from them a Representative Volume Element (RVE). Then, we apply a suitable numerical procedure to the RVE to derive the diffusion coefficients. We show that diffusion coefficients significantly vary with the biofilm structure. These results suggest that microbial biofilm structures can favour nutrient access in some cases.     

热带滨海植物红厚壳的抗逆生物学特性

为了解红厚壳(Calophyllum inophyllum)的抗逆特性,对西沙群岛自然生长的红厚壳叶片的形态解剖、生理生态、以及叶片和适生土壤的元素含量进行了研究。结果表明,红厚壳是阳生性植物,其上表皮厚,海绵组织发达且栅栏组织排列紧密,气孔排列松散且密度小(24.40 mm~(-2)),有利于叶片保水抵御干旱。叶片的叶绿素a、b含量低(分别为0.87和0.43 mg g~(-1)),表明红厚壳具适应强光环境的能力。叶片的MDA含量低(13.46 nmol g~(-1)),PRO含量高(127.89μg g~(-1)),SOD活性高(149.42 U g~(-1)),总抗氧化能力高(388.60 U g~(-1)),显示红厚壳能通过提高自身的抗氧化能力抵御膜脂过氧化伤害。红厚壳自然生长的珊瑚岛土壤较为贫瘠、营养元素含量低,但红厚壳植株体内具有较高的营养元素含量,表明红厚壳营养元素利用率高,对于贫瘠土壤具有很好的适应能力。因此,红厚壳具有较高的抗氧化胁迫能力和耐受干旱的能力,适宜生长在热带珊瑚岛等土壤贫瘠的生境,可以作为热带珊瑚岛防风固沙和植被恢复的工具种。     

Selective light transmittance of translucent bracts in the Himalayan giant glasshouse plant Rheum nobile Hook. f. & Thomson (Polygonaceae)

Translucent bract transmittance of ultraviolet (UV) to infrared (IR) radiation (between 320 and 800 nm) and leaf anatomy were examined in a glasshouse plant, Rheum nobile Hook. f. & Thomson (Polygonaceae) to assess the function of avoiding injury by UV radiation while keeping the inflorescence warm by photosynthetically active (PA) and IR radiation. Although the translucent bracts and rosulate leaves transmitted little UV radiation, the former always transmit more PA and IR radiation. Additionally, the bracts transmit much more scattered solar radiation than direct radiation. The bracts are also anatomically different from the rosulate leaves. They have two or three layers of mesophyll cells with neither palisade nor spongy parenchymatous cells; in addition, the uppermost layer of mesophyll and the epidermis stain easily, and both are thought to play a role in attenuating UV radiation. The leaf epidermis of many land plants has UV absorbing pigments such as flavonoids, which absorb almost all UV radiation. Thus the role of the bracts of R. nobile is to protect the reproductive organs by absorbing UV radiation and to keep them warm by transmitting PA and IR radiation. The bracts are believed to have adapted function and form to the environment, in particular, to the weather conditions of the eastern Himalaya.     

Investigation into the intracellular fates,speciation and mode of action of selenium-containing neuroprotective agents using XAS and XFM

Background

A variety of selenium compounds have been observed to provide protection against oxidative stress, presumably by mimicking the mechanism of action of the glutathione peroxidases. However, the selenium chemistry that underpins the action of these compounds has not been unequivocally established.