Palmilycorine and lycoriside: acyloxy and acylglucosyloxy alkaloids from crinum asiaticum

Two new types of alkaloidal conjugates, a C₁₆-acyloxy derivative, named palmilycorine, and an acylglucosyloxy derivative, named lycoriside, were isolated from the fruits of Crinum asiaticum. The presence of these compounds was also detected in the fleshy scale leaves and in roots of this species. The structures of the two compounds were established as 1-O-palmitoyllycorine (1) and lycorine-1-O-(6′-O-palmitoyl-β-D-glucopyranoside)(2), respectively, on the basis of chemical transformation and comprehensive spectral evidence. The biological effects of the alkaloids were evaluated.     

Management of Fruit Flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) of the Most Perishable Fruits

We investigated to minimize the dependency on the use of chemicals and thus develop safe and environmental friendly control program for the most perishable fruits i.e., apple,‘ber’, guava and mango. Our findings on the composition of fruit fly species reveal that Bactrocera dorsalis was dominant on apple (33.96% existence), Corpomya incompleta on‘ber’(51.91% existence) and Bactrocera zonata on guava (49.62% existence) and mango (74.66% existence). The correlation between population and infestation percentage was non‐significant in apple orchards, whereas positive and highly significant in between population and infestation, as well as on the cumulative basis in‘ber’, guava and mango orchards during 1998‐1999. Hoeing, baiting and methyl eugenol were statistically equal resulting about 77% decrease in infestation. The maximum control of 91.68% was observed where all four‐control operations including Dipterex® were integrated together. Weather factors, when computed together, had maximum effect on population fluctuation and infestation with rainfall contributing the major role. For guava fruits, the months of August (14.06A individuals/trap/day) and September (13.81A individuals/trap/day) were important, resulting in maximum infestation percentage of 10.76 to 14.74%, respectively.     

Geographic Variation in the Prevalence of Obesity,Diabetes, and Obesity‐Related Behaviors**

Objective: To examine the variation in the prevalences of obesity and type 2 diabetes in weight loss counseling by health providers and in other potential obesity‐related determinants in 100 metropolitan statistical areas in the United States. Research Methods and Procedures: We performed a cross‐sectional study using data from the 2000 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, the largest telephone survey of health behaviors in the United States, of age‐adjusted prevalence of obesity, type 2 diabetes, intake of ≥five servings of fruits and vegetables per day, participation in 150 minutes of leisure‐time physical activity per week, receipt of weight management advice, and reports of trying to lose or maintain weight among men and women more than 18 years old. Results: The age‐adjusted prevalence of obesity ranged from 13.1% to 30.0% and that of type 2 diabetes from 3.3% to 9.2%. Among participants who had visited a physician for a routine checkup in the previous 12 months, 13.1% to 27.1% of all participants recalled receiving advice from a health professional about their weight, and 11.7% to 34.6% of overweight or obese participants recalled receiving advice to maintain or lose weight. Discussion: Significant differences in the prevalence of obesity and self‐reported type 2 diabetes and in medical practice patterns regarding weight management advice exist among metropolitan statistical areas. These results suggest important opportunities to investigate reasons for these variations that could potentially be used to mitigate the current epidemic of obesity and to identify areas where obesity and diabetes prevention efforts may need to be targeted.     

Luxury food and ornamental plants at the 15th century a.d. Renaissance court of the Este family (Ferrara, northern Italy)

This paper reports the archaeobotanical data from the so-called Vasca Ducale (Ducal Pit), a brick rubbish pit discovered in the basal floor of the ducal palace of Ferrara, Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy. It was in use during the second half of the 15th century a.d. when the rich and powerful Este family inhabited the palace. Therefore, the results help to investigate the eating customs of a Renaissance court. The pit fill largely consisted of zoological remains, especially small bones and shellfish, with mainly waterlogged plant remains and some artefacts. Though the seed/fruit concentration was not high, a long list of taxa was identified of which the largest part belonged to food and ornamental plants. The data suggest that the pit was used for the disposal of dining waste and floor sweepings. The archaeobotanical data are compared with those obtained from other medieval sites in the city, and with two Renaissance sources of documentary evidence, the frescos in the Salone dei Mesi (Room of the months) in Ferrara’s Palazzo Schifanoia, and the cookbook by Cristoforo da Messisbugo, chef at the Este court. The archaeobotanical record of the Vasca Ducale (Ducal Pit) proved to be quite different from the other sites in Ferrara, especially because of the presence of luxury or exotic foods such as, for example, Punica granatum, Prunus armeniaca and Coriandrum sativum.     

Influence of light on ascorbate formation and metabolism in apple fruits

To further understand the regulatory mechanism of light on the formation of ascorbic acid (AsA) in the sink organs of plants, a systematical investigation on AsA levels, activities of two key biosynthsis enzymes and their mRNA expression as well as the recycling was performed in the fruits of apple (Malus domestica Borkh), under different levels of shade. After the whole trees were shaded with the sun-light about 50–55% for 20 days, AsA levels were significantly decreased in fruit peel, flesh and leaves, while mRNA expression levels and activities of l-galactose dehydrogenase (l-GalDH, EC 1.1.1.117) and l-galactono-1,4-lactone dehydrogenase (l-GalLDH, EC 1.3.2.3) as well as activities of recycling enzymes was clearly declined in the leaf and peel but not in the flesh. By shading fruits only for 20 days, AsA levels, relative mRNA levels and activities of l-GalDH and l-GalLDH as well as activities of recycling enzymes all showed obvious decrease in the peel, but not in the flesh. However, their levels in the peel were markedly increased after the full shade was removed and re-exposed these fruits on natural light for 5 days. It is concluded that light affects AsA biosynthesis and recycling in the peel and leaf, but did not in the fresh. Results also suggest that apple fruit is potential to biosynthesize AsA via the l-galactose pathway, and AsA content in the fruits may depend partly on levels of AsA or other photochemistry controlled by light in the leaves.     

八角茴香春果和秋果以及不同部位的莽草酸含量分析

采用HPLC法对不同季节和不同部位的八角茴香药材主成分莽草酸的含量进行分析,发现枝条、叶片、春果、秋果的莽草酸含量依次为2.64%、4.94%、8.63%、12.16%;色谱条件:Venusil HILIC(5μm,4.6 mm×250 mm)色谱柱,流动相:乙腈-0.5%三氟乙酸(95:5),流速1.0 mL·min~(-1),检测波长为210 nm。莽草酸进样量在0.001～6μg范围内线性关系良好。莽草酸的线性回归相关系数r=0.9984,平均回收率为98.4%,相对标准偏差(RSD)为1.26%。该研究为制定八角茴香药材质量检测标准提供了简便、快速、准确的方法。     

Evolutionary association between subterranean lifestyle and female sociality in rodents

Subterranean rodents are a good model system to examine adaptive evolution of social organization. Life underground has been proposed either to favor solitariness or, to the contrary, to promote sociality. In concordance with the first idea, most specialized diggers are solitary. However, group-living in several unrelated subterranean rodent species and especially eusociality in two genera of African mole-rats, the Bathyergidae, seem to support the second hypothesis. Thus, none of the two models is fully consistent with empirical data. Here we apply the comparative phylogenetic method to test an evolutionary correlation between fossoriality and female social strategy (solitary breeding vs breeding in group). Both characters show very strong phylogenetic signal, and we found a significant correlation between them. Subterranean lifestyle is readily acquired under female sociality. By contrast, the transition to life underground is extremely unlikely under female solitariness. Thus, not only social behavior may be affected by ecological specialization as it is widely assumed, but it can itself restrain the range of possible specializations. The rates of transition from sociality to solitariness are equal under subterranean and surface-dwelling lifestyle. Sociality loss is irreversible in subterranean lineages, unlike surface-dwelling lineages. Based on the revealed transition rates we suggest that all lineages of subterranean rodents have gone through the stage of cooperation at the beginning of their evolutionary track, whereas group-living is selected against in highly specialized diggers. An odd pattern of distribution of sociality across and within truly subterranean taxa probably derives from the influence of extrinsic factors in combination with phylogenetic inertia.     

Invasive host for invasive pest: when the Asiatic cherry fly (Drosophila suzukii) meets the American black cherry (Prunus serotina) in Europe

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