Botanical affinity of pollen harvested by Apis mellifera L. in a semi-arid area from Bahia,Brazil

We analysed the botanical composition of pollen harvested by Apis mellifera L. in the Canudos Biological Station, Bahia, Brazil, and the influence of climatic factors on pollen sample composition was assessed. Forty-six pollen types were identified belonging to species occurring in the study area. The family Leguminosae was of significant importance amongst the samples, represented by ten pollen types. Diodia radula, Rhaphiodon echinus, and Mimosa misera pollen types occurred most constantly among the samples. We observed that isolated pollen class characterises samples analysed. It was also observed that pollen type richness is directly linked to rainfall, reflecting the strong influence of this climatic parameter on flowering intensity, and thus on the ability of the bees to obtain food resources.     

Psammaplysin F: A unique inhibitor of bacterial chromosomal partitioning

Described is the antibiotic activity of a marine natural product. Psammaplysin F (1) inhibited the growth of four Gram-positive strains by >80% at 50 μM, and the amine at position C-20 is responsible for the observed antibacterial activity. When tested against two strains of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) for psammaplysin F (40–80 μM) were similar to the structurally-related alkaloid psammaplysin H (2). Psammaplysin F (1) increased membrane permeability by two to four-fold compared to psammaplysin H (2) or control-treated bacteria, respectively. Unlike psammaplysin H (2), we show that psammaplysin F (1) inhibits equal partitioning of DNA into each daughter cell, suggesting that this natural product is a unique prokaryotic cell division inhibitor.     

Margaret Constance Helen Blackler (1902–81)

Cyanobacteria are effective producers of bioactive metabolites, including both acute toxins and potential pharmaceuticals. In the current work, the biological activity of 27 strains of Baltic cyanobacteria representing different taxonomic groups and chemotypes were tested in a wide variety of assays. The cyanobacteria showed strain-specific differences in the induced effects. The extracts from Nodularia spumigena CCNP1401 were active in the highest number of tests, including protease and phosphatase inhibition assays. Four strains from Nostocales and four from Oscillatoriales increased proliferation of mitogen-stimulated human T cells. In antimicrobial assays, Phormidium sp. CCNP1317 (Oscillatoriales) strongly inhibited the growth of six fouling Gammaproteobacteria. The growth of monocotyl Sorghum saccharatum was inhibited by both toxin-producing and ‘non-toxic’ strains. The Baltic cyanobacteria were also found to be a rich source of commercially important enzymes. Among the 19 enzymatic activities tested, alkaline phosphatase, acid phosphatase, esterase (C4 and C8), and naphthol-AS-BI-phosphohydrolase were particularly common. In the cyanobacterial extracts, different peptides which may have been responsible for the observed effects were identified using LC-MS/MS. Their structures were classified to microcystins, nodularins, anabaenopeptins, cyanopeptolins, aeruginosins, spumigins and nostocyclopeptides.     

In vitro structure–activity relationships of aplysinopsin analogs and their in vivo evaluation in the chick anxiety–depression model

Aplysinopsins are tryptophan-derived natural products that have been isolated from a variety of marine organisms and have been shown to possess a range of biological activities. In vitro receptor binding assays showed that of the 12 serotonin receptor subtypes, analogues showed a high affinity for the 5-HT_2B and 5-HT_2C receptor subtypes, with selectivity for 5-HT_2B over 5-HT_2C. While no conclusions could be drawn about the number and position of N-methylations, bromination at C-4 and C-5 of the indole ring resulted in greater binding affinities, with K_i’s as low as 35 nM. This data, combined with previous knowledge of the CNS activity of aplysinopsin analogs, suggested that these compounds may have potential as leads for antidepressant drugs. Compounds 3c, 3u, and 3x were evaluated in the chick anxiety–depression model to assess their in vivo efficacy. Compound 3c showed a modest antidepressant effect at a dose of 30 nM/kg in the animal model.     

HPLC法检测苦杏仁苷及其酶解产物

本文建立了一个快速高效的HPLC方法同时检测苦杏仁苷及其4个体外酶解产物,色谱分析系统为安捷伦液相色谱系统,自动进样器,迪马ODS C18色谱柱(250 mm×4.6 mm,5μm),柱温25℃,流动相30%甲醇,检测波长210 nm,进样量10μL。结果表明,苦杏仁苷、phenyl-(3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-methyl-tetrahydro-pyran-2-yloxy)-acetonitrile、野樱花苷、苯甲醛和杏仁腈的保留时间分别为5.087、13.836、16.357、22.775和3.307 min。该HPLC方法的重现性好,精确度和准确度高,当柱温低于30℃、pH值介于6.0~7.0时该方法结果稳定、重现性好。     

豚草卷蛾在广西来宾建群状况及其对作物的安全性调查

【背景】豚草于20世纪80年代入侵广西省来宾市兴宾区,现已扩散至该区的部分乡（镇）,2009年5月通过在广西来宾市高岭村释放广聚萤叶甲和豚草卷蛾防治豚草,3个月后释放点豚草的死亡率达98％以上。【方法】实地调查豚草卷蛾的扩散、建群情况和对当地作物的安全性。【结果】豚草卷蛾在来宾市已形成稳定种群。豚草卷蛾在对豚草的控制过程中,能在豚草生长区迅速定殖、建群,在定殖区豚草被完全控制或呈现零星分布后,该虫又会迅速向邻近成片生长的豚草区扩散、定殖。在调查中未发现豚草卷蛾对周边农作物产生为害。【结论与意义】豚草卷蛾对作物安全,可以在广西大范围释放。     

Inhibition of Sporulation of Genus Bacillus by Various Microbial Protease Inhibitors

Several analogs modifying the 6-methoxy-2-methoxymethyl-3-(3,4-methyienedioxyphenyl)-1,4-benzodioxan-7-yl group of haedoxans were synthesized and their insecticidal activity was examined. 2-(2,6-Dimethoxyphenoxy)-1-hydroxy-6-(2-methoxy-5-methoxyethoxyphenyl)-3,7-dioxabicyclo-[3.3.0]octane, which lacked the 3-(3,4-methylenedioxybenzyloxy) moiety of the benzodioxanyl group, was not insecticidal, but caused prolonged paralysis of the housefly. A compound replacing the 6-(2-methoxy-5-methoxyethoxyphenyl) by 6-(5-butoxy-2-methoxyphenyl) exhibited insecticidal activity comparable to one thirty-thousandth of that of haedosan A. It became evident that the 1,4-benzodioxane framework charging the 3-(3,4-methylenedioxy)phenyl group is important for the insecticidal activity of haedoxans.