中药羌活的研究

本文对中药羌活进行了本草考证,概括了羌活的化学成分、药理等方面的研究成果,并对羌活原植物的根进行了显微观察、薄层层析分析等,为正确鉴定药用羌活提供了资料。     

特种油料植物的种质资源研究

本文对特种油料植物的种质资源研究进行综述,这些植物包括含长链脂肪酸的Crambe,Limnanthes,Lunaria,短链脂肪酸的Cuphea,Lauraceae,羟基脂肪酸的Lesquerella,环氧脂肪酸的Vernonia,Stokesia,以及液体蜡酯的simmondsia等科、属的植物。     

Hydrogen isotopic differences between C3 and C4 land plant lipids: consequences of compartmentation in C4 photosynthetic chemistry and C3 photorespiration

The ²H/¹H ratio of carbon‐bound H in biolipids holds potential for probing plant lipid biosynthesis and metabolism. The biochemical mechanism underlying the isotopic differences between lipids from C₃ and C₄ plants is still poorly understood. GC‐pyrolysis‐IRMS (gas chromatography‐pyrolysis‐isotope ratio mass spectrometry) measurement of the ²H/¹H ratio of leaf lipids from controlled and field grown plants indicates that the biochemical isotopic fractionation (ε²H_{lipid_biochem}) differed between C₃ and C₄ plants in a pathway‐dependent manner: ε²H_C4 > ε²H_C3 for the acetogenic pathway, ε²H_C4 < ε²H_C3 for the mevalonic acid pathway and the 1‐deoxy‐D‐xylulose 5‐phosphate pathway across all species examined. It is proposed that compartmentation of photosynthetic CO₂ fixation into C₄ mesophyll (M) and bundle sheath (BS) cells and suppression of photorespiration in C₄ M and BS cells both result in C₄ M chloroplastic pyruvate – the precursor for acetogenic pathway – being more depleted in ²H relative to pyruvate in C₃ cells. In addition, compartmentation in C₄ plants also results in (i) the transferable H of NADPH being enriched in ²H in C₄ M chloroplasts compared with that in C₃ chloroplasts for the 1‐deoxy‐D‐xylulose 5‐phosphate pathway pathway and (ii) pyruvate relatively ²H‐enriched being used for the mevalonic acid pathway in the cytosol of BS cells in comparison with that in C₃ cells.     

Determination of vertilmicin in rat serum by high-performance liquid chromatography using 1-fluoro-2,4-dinitrobenzene derivatization

A procedure for the high-performance liquid chromatographic determination of vertilmicin in rat serum was described using pre-column derivatization. The serum proteins were precipitated with acetonitrile and vertilmicin in the supernatant was derivatized with 1-fluoro-2,4-dinitrobenzene. Etimicin was selected as the internal standard. The mobile phase consisted of methanol--20mM ammonium acetate (80:20, v/v), and flow-rate was 0.9 ml/min. Ultraviolet detection was set at 365 nm. The reaction products were chromatographed on a C(18) column kept at 40 degrees C. A good linearity was found in the range of 0.5-250 microg/ml. Both intra- and inter-day precisions of vertilmicin, expressed as the relative standard deviation, were less than 7.4%. Accuracy, expressed as the relative error, ranged from -0.1 to 3.6%. The mean absolute recovery of vertilmicin at three different concentrations was 92.5%. Serum volumes of 50 microl were sufficient for the determination of vertilmicin. The method was proved suitable for the pharmacokinetic study of vertilmicin in rats.     

Mesenchymal stem cells protect islets from hypoxia/reoxygenation-induced injury

Hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R)‐induced injury is the key factor associated with islet graft dysfunction. This study aims to examine the effect of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) on islet survival and insulin secretion under H/R conditions. Islets from rats were isolated, purified, cultured with or without MSCs, and exposed to hypoxia (O₂ ≤ 1%) for 8 h and reoxygenation for 24 and 48 h, respectively. Islet function was evaluated by measuring basal and glucose‐stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS). Apoptotic islet cells were quantified using Annexin V‐FITC. Anti‐apoptotic effects were confirmed by mRNA expression analysis of hypoxia‐resistant molecules, HIF‐1α, HO‐1, and COX‐2, using semi‐quantitative retrieval polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR). Insulin expression in the implanted islets was detected by immunohistological analysis. The main results show that the stimulation index (SI) of GSIS was maintained at higher levels in islets co‐cultured with MSCs. The MSCs protected the islets from H/R‐induced injury by decreasing the apoptotic cell ratio and increasing HIF‐1α, HO‐1, and COX‐2 mRNA expression. Seven days after islet transplantation, insulin expression in the MSC‐islets group significantly differed from that of the islets‐alone group. We proposed that MSCs could promote anti‐apoptotic gene expression by enhancing their resistance to H/R‐induced apoptosis and dysfunction. This study provides an experimental basis for therapeutic strategies based on enhancing islet function. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Physicochemical properties and development of wheat large and small starch granules during endosperm development

Wheat mature seeds have large, lenticular A-type starch granules, and small, spherical B-type and irregular C-type starch granules. During endosperm development, large amyloplasts came from proplastid, divided and increased in number through binary fission from 4 to 12 days after flowering (DAF). Large starch granules formed and developed in the large amyloplast. One large amyloplast had only one large starch granule. Small amyloplasts came from the protrusion of large amyloplast envelope, divided and increased in number through envelope protrusion after 12 DAF. B-type starch granules formed and developed in small amyloplast from 12 to 18 DAF, C-type starch granules formed and developed in small amyloplast after 18 DAF. Many B- and C-type starch granules might form and develop in one small amyloplast. The amyloplast envelopes were asynchronously degraded and starch granules released into cell matrix when amyloplasts were full of starch granules. Apparent amylose contents of large starch granules were higher than that of small starch granules, and increased with endosperm development. The swelling powers and crystallinity of large starch granule were lower than that of small starch granules, and decreased with endosperm development. Small starch granules displayed broader gelatinization temperature ranges than did large starch granules.     

Characterization of seedling proteomes and development of markers to distinguish the Brassica A and C genomes

The diploid species Brassica rapa(genome AA)and B.oleracea(genome CC)were compared by fuU-seale proteome analyses of seedling.A total of 28.2% of the proteins was common to both species,indicating the existence of a basal or ubiquitous proteome.How-ever,a number of discriminating proteins(32.0%)and specific proteins(39.8%)of the Brassica A and C genomes,respectively,were identified,which could represent potentially species-specific functions.Based on these A or C genome-specific proteins,a number of PCR-based markers to distinguish B.rapa and B.oleracea species were also developed.