Tempo and mode of evolutionary radiation in Diabroticina beetles (genera Acalymma,Cerotoma, and Diabrotica)

Adaptive radiation is an aspect of evolutionary biology encompassing microevolution and macroevolution, for explaining the principles of lineage divergence. There are intrinsic as well as extrinsic factors that can be postulated to explain that adaptive radiation has taken place in specific lineages. The Diabroticina beetles are a prominent example of differential diversity that could be examined in detail to explain the diverse paradigms of adaptive radiation. Macroevolutionary analyses must present the differential diversity patterns in a chronological framework. The current study reviews the processes that shaped the differential diversity of some Diabroticina lineages (i.e. genera Acalymma, Cerotoma, and Diabrotica). These diversity patterns and the putative processes that produced them are discussed within a statistically reliable estimate of time. This was achieved by performing phylogenetic and coalescent analyses for 44 species of chrysomelid beetles. The data set encompassed a total of 2,718 nucleotide positions from three mitochondrial and two nuclear loci. Pharmacophagy, host plant coevolution, competitive exclusion, and geomorphological complexity are discussed as putative factors that might have influenced the observed diversity patterns. The coalescent analysis concluded that the main radiation within Diabroticina beetles occurred between middle Oligocene and middle Miocene. Therefore, the radiation observed in these beetles is not recent (i.e. post-Panamanian uplift, 4 Mya). Only a few speciation events in the genus Diabrotica might be the result of the Pleistocene climatic oscillations.     

The oral administration of trans-caryophyllene attenuates acute and chronic pain in mice

Trans-caryophyllene is a sesquiterpene present in many medicinal plants’ essential oils, such as Ocimum gratissimum and Cannabis sativa. In this study, we evaluated the antinociceptive activity of trans-caryophyllene in murine models of acute and chronic pain and the involvement of trans-caryophyllene in the opioid and endocannabinoid systems. Acute pain was determined using the hot plate test (thermal nociception) and the formalin test (inflammatory pain). The chronic constriction injury (CCI) of the sciatic nerve induced hypernociception was measured by the hot plate and von Frey tests. To elucidate the mechanism of action, mice were pre-treated with naloxone or AM630 30 min before the trans-caryophyllene treatment. Afterwards, thermal nociception was evaluated. The levels of IL-1β were measured in CCI-mice by ELISA. Trans-caryophyllene administration significantly minimized the pain in both the acute and chronic pain models. The antinociceptive effect observed during the hot plate test was reversed by naloxone and AM630, indicating the participation of both the opioid and endocannabinoid system. Trans-caryophyllene treatment also decreased the IL-1β levels. These results demonstrate that trans-caryophyllene reduced both acute and chronic pain in mice, which may be mediated through the opioid and endocannabinoid systems.     

First-generation transgenic plants and statistics

The statistical analyses of populations of first-generation transgenic plants are commonly based on mean and variance and generally require a test of normality. Since in many cases the assumptions of normality are not met, analyses can result in erroneous conclusions. Transformation of data to normality, the use of other distributions, or distribution-free statistical tests should then be used to obtain valid conclusions from these populations.     

New insights into the population biology of endoparasitic Rafflesiaceae

Parasitic plants demonstrate a diversity of growth strategies, life histories, and developmental and physiological characteristics. Most research to date has focused on a narrow range of parasitic taxa, particularly in the Orobanchaceae, while the other independent origins of parasitism have largely gone unstudied. One type of parasite that has received relatively little attention are the endophytic parasites, which have a fascinating growth strategy where the parasite is embedded within the host tissue, with the flower the only externally visibly plant part. Endophytic growth makes it challenging to understand basic aspects of species biology, such as the size of a given parasite, the number of parasites per host, and the genetic diversity of populations. Recent studies by Barkman et al. (2017) and Pelser et al. (2017) have used microsatellite genotyping to investigate the population biology of endoparasitic Rafflesiaceae species in Asia. They show the potential for extensive parasite spread within a host vine and the strong partitioning of genetic diversity by host. These species are also shown to have an outcrossing mating system. However, these studies suggest different reproductive strategies, one supporting monoecy and one suggesting dioecy. Overall, these studies partly “lift the lid” on the cryptic biology of Rafflesia and the Rafflesiaceae and open the door for future comparative studies between endophytic and free-living parasitic plants.     

Assessment of biological activities of chitosan Schiff base tagged with medicinal plants

A chitosan Schiff base with an aromatic aldehyde was synthesized and characterized by FTIR and NMR spectroscopies. Furthermore, the degree of substitution was calculated based on the ratios of the area of the proton of the imine (A_imine) and the area of the peak of the proton of the pyranose ring (A_H-2). The antimicrobial activities were determined against bacterial and fungal strains, as well as multiple drug-resistant (MDR) bacteria. The chitosan Schiff base was also tagged with medicinal plants, for example, Curcuma longa, Peganum harmala, Lepidium sativam, and cruciferous vegetables, and the biological activities determined against pathogenic bacterial and fungal strains. The chitosan Schiff base showed maximum zone of inhibition of 22 mm against Staphylococcus aureus with a minimum zone of inhibition of 15 mm against Bacillus cereus. The chitosan Schiff base was fused with C longa, isothiocyanates and a combined mixture of P harmala and L sativam that has shown activities against Escherichia coli with a zone of inhibition of 28, 24, and 30 mm, respectively. The Schiff base of chitosan fused with medicinal plants also showed significant inhibitory activities against MDR bacteria.     

福建省近三年(2015～2017年)新增维管束植物种类

通过文献检索,统计分析2015～2017年间文献报道的福建省境内新发现的维管束植物,包括新种11种(隶属5科)和新记录种80种(隶属35科)。至此,福建维管束植物达252科1643属5064种。     

包头地区野生种子植物区系组成及特征研究

通过对包头地区野生种子植物区系进行调查、统计、整理,从科、属、种3个分类等级上对其区系地理成分、生活型、水分生态类型分别进行分析,探讨该区植物区系的起源和演化,为保护和利用该区珍稀、特有物种及其生存环境提供依据。结果表明:(1)包头地区有野生种子植物71科、274属、595种,其中,裸子植物2科3属5种,被子植物69科271属590种,占内蒙古被子植物的全部科、属、种的62.28%、43.81%、27.78%。(2)从科、属组成来看,包头地区野生种子植物组成中单属科和寡属科(2~4)、单种属和寡种属(2~4)构成了该地区植物科、属的主体部分。(3)从地理成分来看,温带成分占绝对优势;生活型以草木植物为主,占79.83%;从水分生态类型看,中生植物是该区的主要成分,占55.62%,旱生植物在该区系中也占有相当比重,占36.98%,说明该地区水分条件较差,在气候区上属于半干旱地区。     

西藏色季拉山野生药用植物资源多样性及其保护与利用

该研究采取路线调查、样方套记录、野外标本采集鉴定以及查阅文献资料等方法,对色季拉山野生药用植物多样性进行了系统普查分析,为该区野生药用植物资源的保护、利用和系统研究提供科学依据。结果显示:(1)色季拉山共有野生药用植物104科350属647种,其中蕨类植物13科15属22种,裸子植物2科3属9种,被子植物89科332属616种。草本野生药用植物478种,占总种数的73.88%;木本植物169种,占总种数的26.12%;全草类、根与根茎类药用植物最多,分别占药用植物总种数的46.21%和30.14%。(2)含1~5种的单种科和寡种科为绝对多数,占色季拉山野生药用植物总科数的72.11%,但仅占药用植物总种数的22.57%;而含种数最多的7科,只占总科数的6.73%,却共含255种之多,占总种数的39.41%,对色季拉山药用植物资源的构建起主导作用。(3)含有1个种的属最多,占总属数的64.00%,色季拉山药用植物没有明显优势的大属,表明属的构成较为复杂多样。(4)清热是色季拉山药用植物的主要功效,共有260种清热药用植物,占药用植物总种数的40.19%。(5)民族药用植物83科249属360种,占色季拉山野生药用植物总种数的55.64%。其中,藏药植物在民族药用植物中所占比例最大,共有63科156属235种,占民族药用植物总种数65.28%。研究表明,色季拉山野生药用植物种类多样性较高,药用植物生活型、部位、药效、民族用药类型丰富,但部分珍稀濒危资源如云南红景天、天麻、西藏八角莲等个体数量极少,建议建立专门的保护区,加强对野生药用植物资源及其原生境的保护,并加强人工繁育研究,针对资源储量制定适度合理的采摘利用量,以期实现野生药用植物资源的可持续利用。