Petunia flowers solve the defence/apparency dilemma of pollinator attraction by deploying complex floral blends

Flowers recruit floral visitors for pollination services by emitting fragrances. These scent signals can be intercepted by antagonists such as florivores to locate host plants. Hence, as a consequence of interactions with both mutualists and antagonists, floral bouquets likely consist of both attractive and defensive components. While the attractive functions of floral bouquets have been studied, their defensive function has not, and field‐based evidence for the deterrence of floral‐scent constituents is lacking. In field and glasshouse experiments with five lines of transgenic Petunia x hybrida plants specifically silenced in their ability to release particular components of their floral volatile bouquet, we demonstrate that the emission of single floral‐scent compounds can dramatically decrease damage from generalist florivores. While some compounds are used in host location, others prevent florivory. We conclude that the complex blends that comprise floral scents are likely sculpted by the selective pressures of both pollinators and herbivores.     

Dietary Supplementation with Epigallocatechin Gallate Elevates Levels of Circulating Adiponectin in Non-Obese Type-2 Diabetic Goto-Kakizaki Rats

Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) reportedly enhances plasma adiponectin levels in models of insulin resistance and obesity. In this study, we found that EGCG increases plasma adiponectin levels and decreases plasma triacylglycerol levels in non-obese diabetic Goto-Kakizaki rats with insulin secretory dysfunction. These results suggest that EGCG ameliorates lipid metabolic abnormality even in non-obese rats, probably by increasing adiponectin production.     

Combinatorial Effects of Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs and Food Constituents on Production of Prostaglandin E2 and Tumor Necrosis Factor-α in RAW264.7 Murine Macrophages

Combinatorial chemopreventive strategies, in contrast to those with individual agents, show potential in terms of potentially lower toxicity and higher efficacy. In this study, we combined several agents and examined their suppressive effects on the combined lipopolysaccharide (LPS)- and interferon(IFN)-γ-induced formation of proinflammatory mediators, including prostaglandin (PG) E₂ and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, in RAW264.7 murine macrophages. The combinatorial effects of indomethacin/genistein (GEN) and aspirin/GEN were found to be synergistic for PGE₂ suppression, while the nimesulide/GEN combination was antagonistic. Further, while (?)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) alone increased LPS/IFM-γ-induced production of PGE₂ and TNF-α as well as cyclooxygenase-2 expression, the EGCG/GEN combination markedly suppressed these parameters. Our results suggest that certain chemopreventive agents act complexly and that, when used in combination, they affect the intracellular signaling pathways of the paired agents to exert additive, synergistic, or antagonistic effects.     

Subcellular localization of flavonoid synthesizing enzymes in Pisum,Phaseolus, Brassica and Spinacia cultivars

Functionally-intact chloroplasts were obtained from 11-day-old pea (Pisum sativum cv Midfreezer) seedlings. Enzyme-distribution studies with ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase and NADPH-dependent glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase showed that ca 2.1% of the total tissue chloroplasts were present in the chloroplast preparation. The rate of intactness of chloroplast preparations was 34–82%. SAM:caffeic acid methyltransferase, flavanone synthase, UDPG:flavonoid-3-O-glucosyltransferase and SAM:quercetin methyltransferase activities were measured in the homogenate, supernatant and chloroplast lysate fractions. Significant activities of the above four enzymes could only be detected in the homogenate and supernatant fractions. Similar experiments with 11-day-old seedlings of green beans (Phaseolus vulgaris cv Early Gallatin), red cabbage (Brassica oleracea cv Red Danish) and 6-week-old plants of spinach (Spinacia oleracea cv Bloomsdale) showed a similar distribution of the flavonoid synthesizing enzymes. We conclude that under the reported conditions chloroplasts are not involved in flavonoid biosynthesis.     

Brickellin,a novel flavone from brickellia veronicaefolia and b. chlorolepis

A new highly oxygenated flavone methyl ether has been isolated from Brickellia veronicaefolia and B. chlorolepis. It has been identified as 5,6′-dihydroxy-6,7,2′,3′,4′-pentamethoxyflavone and given the name brickellin.     

Modified polynucleotides. V. Slow-down of nuclease action by 5-alkyluracil-containing DNAs

Poly d/[³H]A-r⁵U/ type of synthetic models of bacteriophage DNAs containing thymine analogues were prepared by DNA polymerase and tested for stability against nucleases /$\text{r}$ was a n-alkyl group from methyl to pentyl/. The 5-pentyluracil-containing copolymer was found to be most stable: 50 % degradation with pancreatic DNase, spleen DNase, snake venom phosphodiesterase or micrococcal nuclease required 3–15 times as much time as that of poly d/A-T/.     

13C NMR spectral analysis of eperuane diterpenes

The ¹³C NMR spectra of some eperuane diterpenes have been recorded and the signals assigned. The substituent shielding effects in these compounds, in comparison with those observed in other series of diterpenes, are also presented.     

First Principles Prediction of Gas-Phase Composition and Substrate Temperature for Diamond Film Growth

Abstract

A model consisting of ten hydrocarbon species and eight reactions is proposed to describe the gas-phase chemistry of diamond film growth. Based on the model, the gas-phase compositions of the chemical species were computed assuming thermodynamic equilibrium using molecular and transition-state data predicted by ab initio molecular orbital theory, and thermodynamic quantities calculated by statistical mechanics. Although the absolute compositions predicted by the model are in fair agreement with experimental data available in the literature, the model qualitatively accounts for experimentally observed changes in the concentrations of various gas-phase species with increasing addition of methane to the feed gas. The calculations also predict the pattern of temperature variance in the gas-phase close to the substrate with changes in methane concentration in the feed gas, leading to first-principles predictions of favorable conditions for diamond growth.     

Adverse effects of extracts of Artocarpus altilis Park,and Azadirachta indica (A. Juss) on the reproductive physiology of the adult female tick,Boophilus microplus (Canest.)

Summary

Adverse effects of extracts from the plants Artocarpus altilis and Azadirachta indica on egg laying and hatching in the tick Boophilus microplus were quantified. A 50% inhibition of egg laying was achieved by a dose of 0.54 and 0.46 μg crude ethanol extract per tick, respectively. These doses also caused a 65% and 80% hatching failure, respectively. Extracts, particularly those of A. indica, inhibit protein and lipid sequestration by ovaries and oocytes. GC-MS analyses revealed reductions in the quantities of four methyl esters sequestered from the ovaries into the oocytes oviposited on the 12th day of engorgement by the treated ticks in the order of (A. indica effects are in parentheses): undecanoic acid 10-methyl-,methyl ester 40% (100%); tetradecanoic acid, methyl ester 100% (100%); tetradecanoic acid, 12-methyl-,methyl ester 100% (100%) and pentadecanoic acid, 14-methyl-,methyl ester 30% (75%).