Repellent efficacy of essential oils and plant extracts against Tribolium castaneum and Plodia interpunctella

This study was conducted to investigate the repellent efficacy of essential oils (Origanum vulgare, Pimpinella anisum, and Tanacetum cinerariifolium) and four plant extracts (Agastache rugosa, Capsicum annuum, Citrus reticulata, and Ginkgo biloba) against Tribolium castaneum (adults and larvae) and Plodia interpunctella (larvae). Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry analysis revealed the presence of carvacrol, anethole, and jasmolin I as the predominant constituent in O. vulgare, P. anisum, and T. cinerariifolium, respectively. Furthermore, ethyl hexopyranoside, 9,12‐octadecadienoic acid, cyclopentanol, and 2‐cresol were identified in A. rugosa, C. annuum, C. reticulata, and G. biloba, respectively. The repellent efficacy of each essential oil, plant extract, and the combination of oils was evaluated using a specially designed cylinder trap for 120 h. Among the three oils, O. vulgare and T. cinerariifolium had greatest repellent efficacy against P. interpunctella larvae. T. cinerariifolium exhibited effective repellence against the adults and larvae of T. castaneum. Therefore, O. vulgare (O) and T. cinerariifolium (T) were selected for further investigation of combined effects. Two essential oils were mixed in three different ratios of OT1 (1:3), OT2 (1:1), and OT3 (3:1). The repellent efficacies of OT1 and OT2 against the adults of T. castaneum were significantly greater than that of OT3. OT1 was effective against the larvae of T. castaneum, whereas OT2 was effective against the larvae of P. interpunctella. OT1 enhanced the repellent efficacy by approximately five times against larvae of T. castaneum, compared with that of T. cinerariifolium. Overall, OT1 was selected as the best repellent substance against all the tested insects.     

Chemical Diversity of the Natural Populations of Dalmatian Pyrethrum (Tanacetum cinerariifolium (Trevir.) Sch.Bip.) in Croatia

Dalmatian pyrethrum (Tanacetum cinerariifolium (Trevir. ) Sch.Bip. ) is a plant species endemic to the east Adriatic coast. The bioactive substance of Dalmatian pyrethrum is a natural insecticide, pyrethrin, a mixture of six active components (pyrethrins I and II, cinerins I and II, and jasmolins I and II). The insecticidal potential of pyrethrin was recognized decades ago, and dried and ground flowers have traditionally been used in Croatian agriculture and households. A total of 25 Dalmatian pyrethrum populations from Croatia were studied to determine the pyrethrin content and composition, and to identify distinct chemotypes. The total pyrethrin content ranged from 0.36 to 1.30% (dry flower weight; DW) and the pyrethrin I/pyrethrin II ratio ranged from 0.64 to 3.33%. The statistical analyses revealed that the correlations between the percentage of pyrethrin I and of all the other components were significant and negative. The total pyrethrin content was positively correlated with the percentage of pyrethrin I and negatively correlated with cinerin II. The multivariate analysis of the chemical variability enabled the identification of five chemotypes among 25 Dalmatian pyrethrum populations. The chemical characterization of indigenous Dalmatian pyrethrum populations may serve as a good background for future breeding and agricultural exploitation.     

Requirement of Catalytic-Triad and Related Amino Acids for the Acyltransferase Activity of Tanacetum cinerariifolium GDSL Lipase/Esterase TcGLIP for Ester-Bond Formation in Pyrethrin Biosynthesis

We have recently discovered that a GDSL lipase/esterase (TcGLIP) in Tanacetum cinerariifolium catalyzed acyltransferase activity to form an ester bond in the natural insecticide, pyrethrin. TcGLIP contained Ser40 in Block I, Gly64 in Block II, Asn168 in Block III and Asp318 and His321 in Block V, suggesting underlying hydrolase activity, although little is known about their role in acyltransferase activity. We expressed TcGLIP here in Esherichia coli as a fusion with maltose-binding protein (MBP), part of the fusion being cleaved with a protease to obtain MBP-free TcGLIP. A kinetic analysis revealed that the MBP moiety scarcely influenced the kinetic parameters. The effects on acyltransferase activity of mutations of Gly64, Asn168, Asp318 and His321 were investigated by using MBP-fused TcGLIP. Mutations of these amino acids markedly reduced the acyltransferase activity, suggesting their critical role in the production of pyrethrins.     

除虫菊内生镰孢菌Y2发酵条件优化及其抑菌活性

从除虫菊叶中筛选到1株内生真菌Fusarium sp．Y2,对其进行了基础培养基的筛选及培养条件优化研究。结果表明,Y2菌株的较佳发酵培养基为：每L培养基中含有麦芽糖10g、蛋白胨6g、KH2PO42g、KCl 1g、FeSO40．02g、MgSO4·7H2O1g;较佳发酵条件为：初始pH8．5,250mL三角瓶装液100mL,摇床转速180r／min,培养温度28．0℃,接种量21％。在此条件下与原始发酵条件相比,Y2菌株发酵液对番茄灰霉病菌菌丝生长抑制率达98．6％,提高了6．8％;对其孢子萌发抑制率达95．4％,提高了16．1％;其茵丝生长量（干质量）达8．975mg／mL,增加了7．8％。     

除虫菊开花特性与适宜采摘期

除虫菊 (Pyrethrumcinerariifolium)是提取天然除虫菊酯的原料 ,植物体的各个部位均有除虫菊酯分布 ,最主要存在于头状花序 (简称花头 )的子房中 ,随着花蕾的孕育、开花直至种子 (瘦果 )成熟 ,子房壁导管的油腺也同时经历了发生、发展和分泌物转化的过程。直接反映在开花期的不同阶段所采摘的花头内菊酯含量的变化十分显著 ,为了进一步认识除虫菊开花期小花开放程度与菊酯含量变化的内在规律 ,把除虫菊开花期 (从孕蕾盛期到瘦果成熟 )划分成 8个阶段。通过样品测定 ,了解开花期花头中菊酯含量的变化状况和头状花序发育过程中小花子房的增长与干物质积累之间的关系 ,表明头状花序的小花开放至第 4至第 5阶段 ,即花头上管状小花开放初盛期至盛期时采摘 ,是获得最高生物产量和菊酯含量的最适宜采摘期。     

白花除虫菊化学成分及其生物活性的研究

该研究应用柱层析法、薄层层析法和波谱法对白花除虫菊(Pyrethrum cinerariifolium)全株甲醇提取物进行分离纯化、结构鉴定,并分别采用 MTT 法、生物活性测定法和抑菌圈法测定所得化合物抗肿瘤、杀线虫和抑菌活性。结果表明：经波谱法鉴定化合物结构分别为 tulirinol (1),sesamin (2),β-cyclopyrethrosin (3)和3,5-dihydroxy-2-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-7,8-dimethoxy-4H-1-benzopyran-4-one (4)。抗肿瘤活性显示化合物3对白血病细胞株 HL-60、肝癌细胞株 SMMC-7721、肺癌细胞株 A-549、乳腺癌细胞株 MCF-7和结肠癌细胞株SW480均表现出显著的抑制活性,其 IC50分别为3.800、2.890、2.930、4.600和5.160μmol?L-1;化合物1活性比3稍弱,其 IC50分别为5.020、10.760、12.310、12.310和12.250μmol?L-1;其中化合物3对各肿瘤细胞株 IC50值均小于顺铂。抗菌活性表明化合物3对大肠杆菌、蜡样芽孢杆菌、枯草芽孢杆菌和金黄色葡萄球菌均表现出明显的抑菌活性,且随着浓度增加活性逐渐增强,而化合物1和化合物2仅对部分菌株表现出微弱抑菌活性;杀线虫活性显示化合物3对秀丽隐杆线虫和全齿复活线虫均表现出显著的毒杀活性,且随着时间、浓度增加活性逐渐增强;而在同一时间点对秀丽隐杆线虫的毒杀活性强于全齿复活线虫。从白花除虫菊中分离所得4个化合物均为首次从该植株中发现,且首次报道了化合物3杀线虫和抑菌活性,值得进一步开发应用。     

Honey bee colony collapse disorder is possibly caused by a dietary pyrethrum deficiency

Industrialized farming relies on bee keepers transporting hives to the vicinity of large areas of mono-crops for crop pollination. Hives are typically moved multiple times per growing season to satisfy the pollination need. A phenomenon wherein colonies of honey bees collapse in large numbers has been threatening crops in North America. Honey bees are hosts to at least two pathogenic mites; Varroa destructor and Acarapis woodi (a tracheal mite). Pyrethrums are a group of flowering plants which include Chrysanthemum coccineum, Chrysanthemum cinerariifolium, Chrysanthemum marschallii, and related species. These plants produce potent insecticides, also named pyrethrums, which are powerful mite toxins. We believe that a honey bee dietary deficiency of pyrethrums and other micro-nutrients from pyrethrum producing plants allows parasitic mites to either kill the honey bees directly or reduce honey bee resistance to other pathogens. Intermittent feeding of honey bees on pyrethrum producing plants might reverse or prevent colony collapse disorder.     

蛇足石杉的形态学及不同光照处理下气孔特征的研究

对蛇足石杉的形态学特征进行了重新描述,并对不同光照处理下蛇足石杉叶片的气孔特征进行比较。结果表明：在一定范围内,随着环境中光照强度的增加,气孔长度和宽度、单个气孔面积、气孔密度及气孔总面积都呈增加的趋势。当光照强度超过某一阈值时其气孔指数和气孔密度仍呈增加的趋势,但气孔长度、宽度和单个气孔面积呈变小趋势。小而密的气孔是其适应旱生环境的表现,表明其具有一定的生态适应能力,但进行人工栽培时应避免光照过强。     

除虫菊内生真菌的分离及其发酵产物抑菌活性筛选

从除虫菊(Pyrethrumcinerariifolium Trev.)的根、茎、叶和花中分离出128株内生真菌。生长速率法测定结果表明,有56株内生真菌发酵液10倍稀释液至少对供试的番茄灰霉病菌(Botrytis cinerea)、辣椒疫霉病菌(Phytophthora capsici)、苹果炭疽病菌(Colletotrichum gloeosporioides)、玉米大斑病菌(Exserohilumturcicum)、小麦纹枯病菌(Rhizoctonia cerealis)和小麦赤霉病菌(Fusarium graminearum)等6种病原菌中的一种抑菌活性达75%以上;活体组织法测定结果,Y1、Y2、H2共3株菌的发酵液对番茄灰霉病的防效达到50%以上;盆栽试验结果表明,Y1、Y2、Y7、H2、G13共5株菌株发酵液对辣椒疫霉病的防治效果达到50%以上。综合分析认为,Y1、Y2、H2、G13等内生真菌的抑菌作用值得进一步研究。     

湘西地区蛇足石杉内生真菌的分离

采集不同生境的药用植物蛇足石杉,运用不同灭菌方法处理外植体,并用PDA平板培养基及孟加拉红培养基进行内生真菌的分离纯化.经过几种灭菌方法的摸索和比较研究,发现蛇足石杉外植体的灭菌十分困难(尤其是其茎部),难以在保持植物鲜活状态下达到一次彻底灭菌,有必要二次灭菌.通过二次灭菌分离得到的9株内生真菌中,来自蛇足石杉茎部的6株,来自叶片的3株.蛇足石杉的9株内生真菌在平板培养时生长极其缓慢,仅一株可在培养时产生孢子.