Silica-gel column,macroporous resin column,Sephadex LH-20 column and reversed phase C18 column were used to separate and purify chemical constituents of Pedicularis longiflora Rudolph.var.tubiformis(Klotz).Tsoong.Seven compounds were obtained.They were identified as luteolin(1),apigenin(2),chrysoeriol(3),3,5,7-trihydroxy-3′,5′-dimethoxyl flavone(4),verbascoside(5),isoverbascoside(6) and luteolin-4′-O-β-D-glucoside(7) using 1H NMR and 13C NMR.These 7 compounds were separated from Pedicularis longiflora Rudolph.var.tubiformis(Klotz).Tsoong for the first time.The results of this study can be used for further researches of this traditional Tibetan medicine.
Abstract It is challenging to understand the drivers of plant‐plant interaction patterns in dry mountains. However, such knowledge is important to assess alpine ecosystem resilience to climate change. In water‐limited ecosystems, leaf δ 13 C and satellite‐derived vegetation index (NDVI) may serve as reliable indicators of environmental severity to address plant responses to water availability. We hypothesized that in dry mountains, interaction intensity between cushion and beneficiary species increases with increasing δ 13 C and decreasing NDVI regardless of elevation, indicating the importance of water availability in driving plant interactions. We used relative interaction indices (RII) of species and individual numbers within and outside the canopy of three cushion plant species along three elevational transects in dry Himalayas, Nepal. Site‐specific NDVI was calculated from 30 m Landsat images. Thornthwaite moisture index was calculated for each elevation site. We observed nonlinear patterns in RII, δ 13 C, and NDVI with elevation. Intraspecific variation of δ 13 C was negatively correlated with moisture index and NDVI, while NDVI across sites was positively correlated with precipitation but not with temperature. RII within a cushion species was positively correlated with δ 13 C and negatively with NDVI when the effect of elevation was removed. In pooled data across cushion species and sites, RII was negatively correlated with precipitation and NDVI when the effect of temperature was removed. RII was uncorrelated with cushion size under the same environment. Leaf nitrogen showed no correlation with RII or δ 13 C. Our data show that water shortage is the main driver of plant interactions in the alpine belt of dry Himalayas.
Could advances in geoinformatics, irrigation management and climate adaptive agronomic practices ensure the sustainability of water supply in agriculture? This book comprises 33 chapters that contribute to a broad discussion and demonstration of state-of-the-art multifunctional role of water resources in agriculture. The aim of the book to provide insights into novel modelling (monitoring, analyzing/visualizing and prediction) approaches, irrigation management and agronomic practices to investigate the adaptability of water supply and crop production systems to changing environment. The book presents characteristic examples of new technologies and decision support systems (e.g., artificial intelligence/optimization modelling approaches, Big Geo data) in water efficiency at different levels, including: water supply hydraulic infrastructure systems, water retention measures, less exposed to evaporation and better adapted to infiltration, solutions to reduce water demand and developing techniques for reusing water.In Focus–a book series that showcases the latest accomplishments in water research. Each book focuses on a specialist area with papers from top experts in the field. It aims to be a vehicle for in-depth understanding and inspire further conversations in the sector.
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The main objective of this study was to investigate the anti-proliferative properties of selected traditional Chinese medicinal herbs with a view to discover potential candidates for the isolation of anti-cancer compounds and also for designing new anti-cancer herbal formulations. The plants selected for this study have ethno pharmacological importance and currently used in Chinese medicine. The Methylthiazolyldiphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay was conducted to determine the anti-proliferative properties of the aqueous and ethanol extracts of the selected herbs against one control cell line and 5 human carcinoma cell lines. The key herbs found in this study that are expected to have excellent future potential are: Ligustrum lucidum, Paeonia suffuticosa, Sarcandra glabra, Scutellaria baicalensis, and Sanguisora officinalis. The study also indicated that the ethanol extracts of the selected herbs were generally more effective than the aqueous extracts. The findings of this study provide strong evidence that some of the medicinal plants examined are potential candidates for the isolation of anti-cancer compounds and also for designning new anti-cancer herbal formulations.
Maize (Zea mays) is an important model crop for transgenic studies. However, genetic transformation of maize requires embryonic calli derived from immature embryo, and the impact of utilizing tissue culture methods on the maize epigenome is poorly understood. Here, we generated whole-genome MeDIP-seq data examining DNA methylation in dedifferentiated and normal immature maize embryos. We observed that most of the dedifferentiated embryos exhibited a methylation increase compared to normal embryos. Increased methylation at promoters was associated with down-regulated protein-coding gene expression; however, the correlation was not strong. Analysis of the callus and immature embryos indicated that the methylation increase was induced during induction of embryonic callus, suggesting phenotypic consequences may be caused by perturbations in genomic DNA methylation levels. The correlation between the 21-24nt small RNAs and DNA methylation regions were investigated but only a statistically significant correlation for 24nt small RNAs was observed. These data extend the significance of epigenetic changes during maize embryo callus formation, and the methylation changes might explain some of the observed embryonic callus variation in callus formation.
Hovenia acerba is a widely distributed species with economic, ornamental, and medicinal value in China. In this study, we assembled and characterized the complete chloroplast genome of H. acerba for the first time. The circular genome has a quadripartite structure with 161,651 bp in length and contains a pair of 26,619 bp inverted repeat (IR) regions, separated by the large single-copy (LSC, 89,443 bp) region and small single-copy (SSC, 18,970 bp) region. The plastid genome harbours 104 unique genes, including 72 protein-coding genes, 28 tRNAs, and four rRNAs. The overall GC content of the whole genome was 36.7%. Further, the phylogenetic analysis showed that H. acerba clustered together with Ziziphus genus. The complete chloroplast genome of H. acerba will provide important information for phylogenetic and evolutionary studies in Rhamnaceae, as well as the other closely related family.
A two-dimensional steady source model and a two-dimensional instantaneous source model were established for the Suzi River based on the analytical solution of the two-dimensional water quality model and the definition of parameter sensitivity.The spatial variation of the sensitivities of the degradation coefficient,the longitudinal diffusion coefficient,and the transverse diffusion coefficient were analyzed with regard to pollutants discharged toward the river center and along the river banks.Some conclusions are drawn: For the two-dimensional water quality model,the degradation coefficient sensitivity is directly proportional to the predicted distance.For the steady source model,the transverse diffusion coefficient sensitivity is highest along the central section of the pollutant discharge outlets and decreases with the increase of distance away from the central section,and it is symmetrically distributed with the central line of the pollutant discharge outlet as the axis of symmetry under the condition that pollutants are discharged toward the river center.For the instantaneous source model,the transverse diffusion coefficient sensitivity is highest along the central section of the pollutant conglomeration and decreases with the increase of distance away from the central section,and it is symmetrically distributed with the central line of the pollutant conglomeration as the axis of symmetry under the condition that pollutants are discharged toward the river center;the longitudinal diffusion coefficient sensitivity symmetrically decreases upstream and downstream with the transverse central line of the pollutant conglomeration as the axis of symmetry.
Background Salt stress interferes with plant growth and production. Plants have evolved a series of molecular and morphological adaptations to cope with this abiotic stress, and overexpression of salt response genes reportedly enhances the productivity of various crops. However, little is known about the salt responsive genes in the energy plant physic nut (Jatropha curcas L.). Thus, excavate salt responsive genes in this plant are informative in uncovering the molecular mechanisms for the salt response in physic nut. Methodology/Principal Findings We applied next-generation Illumina sequencing technology to analyze global gene expression profiles of physic nut plants (roots and leaves) 2 hours, 2 days and 7 days after the onset of salt stress. A total of 1,504 and 1,115 genes were significantly up and down-regulated in roots and leaves, respectively, under salt stress condition. Gene ontology (GO) analysis of physiological process revealed that, in the physic nut, many "biological processes" were affected by salt stress, particular those categories belong to "metabolic process", such as "primary metabolism process", "cellular metabolism process" and "macromolecule metabolism process". The gene expression profiles indicated that the associated genes were responsible for ABA and ethylene signaling, osmotic regulation, the reactive oxygen species scavenging system and the cell structure in physic nut. Conclusions/Significance The major regulated genes detected in this transcriptomic data were related to trehalose synthesis and cell wall structure modification in roots, while related to raffinose synthesis and reactive oxygen scavenger in leaves. The current study shows a comprehensive gene expression profile of physic nut under salt stress. The differential expression genes detected in this study allows the underling the salt responsive mechanism in physic nut with the aim of improving its salt resistance in the future.