Volatile emission of different plant parts and fruit development from Italian cherry plums (Prunus cerasifera and P. cerasifera ‘Pissardii’)

The chemical composition of volatiles emitted in vivo from different plant parts of P. cerasifera and P. cerasifera ‘Pissardii’ were collected during the entire biological cycle of the plant growth and analyzed by gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) after solid phase micro-extraction (SPME). All the data were submitted to multivariate statistical analysis evidencing many differences amongst the selected plant parts and growth stages. A total of 136 compounds were identified corresponding to 90.1–99.6% of the whole aroma profile of cherry plum samples. Non-terpenes were the most abundant class of constituents present in the volatile emission of all analyzed samples. In particular, the aroma of both fruit stages was mainly characterized by alcohols and esters in different amounts.     

Growth and carbon partitioning in compatible and incompatible peach/plum grafts

The shoot growth of compatible ( Prunus persica L. Batsch cv. Springtime grafted on Prunus cerasifera L. Ehrh cv. Myrobolan P2032) and incompatible ( Prunus persica L. Batsch cv. Springtime grafted on Prunus cerasifera L. Ehrh cv. Myrobolan P18) peach/plum grafts was observed over a period of 100 days after grafting under controlled conditions. Leaf and root activities were determined by studying carbon assimilation and partitioning, leaf mineral contents and water relations. Shoot length and leaf number were not significantly affected in the incompatible combination during the first 55 days after grafting, but then, shoot growth rate was significantly reduced. Final total dry weights of the shoot were similar in both graft combinations. The incompatible combination did not show any water stress. Soluble sugar and starch contents increased in the leaves of the incompatible combination, accounting for about 36% of the increase of leaf dry weight per unit area. Photosynthesis was affected by the compatibility of the grafts. Leaf nitrogen content (% dry weight) fell in the incompatible graft combination 65 days after grafting. However, nitrogen content on an area basis was not affected. The possibility of nitrogen stress is discussed.     

Almond brown line and decline: a new disease probably caused by a mycoplasma-like organism

Young almond (Prunus dulcis, cvs Carmel, Peerless and Price) orchards established on the plum rootstock Marianna 2624 (P. cerasifera×P. munsoniana) contained trees that exhibited poor terminal shoot growth and wilted, chlorotic leaves. The scion/rootstock graft union showed an external splitting of the bark and an internal line of necrotic bark tissues that extended into the woody cylinder of the union, which was deeply pitted. Affected trees declined. The disease was named almond brown line and decline (ABLD). Incidence of ABLD ranged up to 55% per cultivar in some orchards. Numerous attempts to graft-transmit orchard collections of ABLD to healthy almond/Marianna 2624 indicators failed. Also, ABLD does not appear to be soil-borne. However, ABLD was serendipitiously determined to be bud-perpetuated when infected scion buds from an apparently healthy appearing Peerless almond/peach tree located in a foundation orchard were grafted onto healthy rooted cuttings of Marianna 2624 to produce yearling trees. Also, graft-inoculations on the almond scion portion of healthy trees, but not the plum rootstock portion, with the peach yellow leafroll mycoplasma-like organism (PYLR-MLO) caused symptoms resembling ABLD. Laboratory and glasshouse assays of several symptomatic trees did not detect tomato ringspot virus and two ilarviruses. These results suggest that an MLO, possibly PYLR-MLO, may be the causal agent of ABLD and that Marianna 2624 is probably resistant to the PYLR-MLO.     

Use of hydrogen cyanamide for apple and plum thinning

Effects of various concentrations of Dormex (a.i. 49% hydrogen cyanamide) on fruit thinning of Rome Beauty apple (Malus domestica Borkh.), Friar and Simka plums (Prunus salicina Lindley) were studied. A full bloom application of Dormex at all tested concentrations decreased Rome Beauty apple fruit set and yield, and increased fruit weight. Dormex at 0.25% (v/v) resulted in adequate apple thinning, indicated by production of an optimum fruit weight (320 g). Prebloom and full bloom applications of Dormex at greater than 0.75% reduced plum fruit set and yield in Friar. Full bloom application of Dormex at 0.50% showed a satisfactory fruit set, yield, and fruit weight in Friar plum. Prebloom Dormex application had no significant effect on `Simka' plum fruit set or yield, but full bloom application decreased fruit set and yield.     

Intra-strain biological and epidemiological characterization of plum pox virus

Plum pox virus (PPV) is one of the most important plant viruses causing serious economic losses. Thus far, strain typing based on the definition of 10 monophyletic strains with partially differentiable biological properties has been the sole approach used for epidemiological characterization of PPV. However, elucidating the genetic determinants underlying intra-strain biological variation among populations or isolates remains a relevant but unexamined aspect of the epidemiology of the virus. In this study, based on complete nucleotide sequence information of 210 Japanese and 47 non-Japanese isolates of the PPV-Dideron (D) strain, we identified five positively selected sites in the PPV-D genome. Among them, molecular studies showed that amino acid substitutions at position 2,635 in viral replicase correlate with viral titre and competitiveness at the systemic level, suggesting that amino acid position 2,635 is involved in aphid transmission efficiency and symptom severity. Estimation of ancestral genome sequences indicated that substitutions at amino acid position 2,635 were reversible and peculiar to one of two genetically distinct PPV-D populations in Japan. The reversible amino acid evolution probably contributes to the dissemination of the virus population. This study provides the first genomic insight into the evolutionary epidemiology of PPV based on intra-strain biological variation ascribed to positive selection.     

Salak Plum Peel Extract as a Safe and Efficient Antioxidant Appraisal for Cosmetics

We searched in this study for novel agonists of transient receptor potential cation channel, subfamily V, member 1 (TRPV1) and transient receptor potential cation channel, subfamily A, member 1 (TRPA1) in pepper, focusing attention on 19 compounds contained in black pepper. Almost all the compounds in HEK cells heterogeneously expressed TRPV1 or TRPA1, increased the intracellular Ca²⁺ concentration ([Ca²⁺]_i) in a concentration-dependent manner. Among these, piperine, isopiperine, isochavicine, piperanine, pipernonaline, dehydropipernonaline, retrofractamide C, piperolein A, and piperolein B relatively strongly activated TRPV1. The EC₅₀ values of these compounds for TRPV1 were 0.6–128 μM. Piperine, isopiperine, isochavicine, piperanine, piperolein A, piperolein B, and N-isobutyl-(2E,4E)-tetradeca-2,4-diamide also relatively strongly activated TRPA1, the EC₅₀ values of these compounds for TRPA1 were 7.8–148 μM. The Ca²⁺ responses of these compounds for TRPV1 and TRPA1 were significantly suppressed by co-applying each antagonist. We identified in this study new transient receptor potential (TRP) agonists present in black pepper and found that piperine, isopiperine, isochavicine, piperanine, piperolein A, and piperolein B activated both TRPV1 and TRPA1.     

乌梅与乌梅炭的定性鉴别

通过性状、显微、理化、薄层色谱及紫外吸收光谱五个方面对乌梅和乌梅炭进行研究并加以比较。结果表明,乌梅和乌梅炭在性状、显微及薄层色谱方面区别不明显;但在pH值和紫外吸收光谱上有较大区别。     

NaCl胁迫对'金光'杏梅幼苗生长及其生理指标的影响

以‘金光’杏梅盆栽幼苗为试验材料,研究了NaCl胁迫对‘金光’杏梅幼苗生长和生理指标的影响.结果表明:NaCl胁迫显著抑制了‘金光’杏梅幼苗的生长,随着NaCl浓度的升高,‘金光’杏梅的株高、叶面积、叶鲜重、叶干重、茎干重、根干重、叶绿素含量和净光合速率均呈下降趋势;叶片细胞膜透性、丙二醛(MDA)、可溶性糖、脯氨酸(Pro)含量以及POD活性显著增加;而SOD活性在低NaCl浓度下上升,在高NaCl浓度下下降.     

Influences of Cross Pollination on Pollen Tube Growth and Fruit Set in Zuili Plums （Prunus salicina）

Zuili plum （Prunus salicina L.） trees usually set fruit poorly, although they produce high quality fruit. To elucidate the causes of the poor fruit set, pollen tube growth into pistils and fruit set percentage were investigated after cross-, self- and open-pollination. Ovule development in Zuili pistils was also investigated. Pollen tube penetration into the ovules via the obturator and micropyle was best when Zuili pistils were pollinated by cv. Black Amber （P. domestica） pollen grains, although cross-pollinations with Hongxinli and Miili （P. salicina） pollen were more effective than self- and open-pollination. The fruit set percentage was also highest in pistils pollinated with Black Amber pollen grains. Morphological observation of Zuili pistils revealed that the trees produce ＂double pistils＂, developing two ovaries from a basal pistil, at a rate as high as 28%. In such abnormal pistils, most ovules were lacking an embryo sac or were entirely degenerated. The percentage of normally developed ovules was 24.3% and 8.9% in normal and double pistils, respectively. From these results, we conclude that the main causes of poor fruit set of Zuili plums are a lack of effective cross-pollination and the production of high percentages of double pistils in which normally developed ovules are scarcely formed.