Asteraceae Plants Research Articles

Rhamnosyltransferases involved in the biosynthesis of flavone rutinosides in Chrysanthemum species.

Linarin (acacetin-7-O-rutinoside), isorhoifolin (apigenin-7-O-rutinoside), and diosmin (diosmetin-7-O-rutinoside) are chemically and structurally similar flavone rutinoside (FR) compounds found in Chrysanthemum L. (Anthemideae, Asteraceae) plants. However, their biosynthetic pathways remain largely unknown. In this study, we cloned and compared FRs and genes encoding rhamnosyltransferases (RhaTs) among eight accessions of Chrysanthemum polyploids. We also biochemically characterized RhaTs of Chrysanthemum plants and Citrus (Citrus sinensis and Citrus maxima). RhaTs from these two genera are substrate-promiscuous enzymes catalyzing the rhamnosylation of flavones, flavanones, and flavonols. Substrate specificity analysis revealed that Chrysanthemum 1,6RhaTs preferred flavone glucosides (e.g. acacetin-7-O-glucoside), whereas Cs1,6RhaT preferred flavanone glucosides. The nonsynonymous substitutions of RhaTs found in some cytotypes of diploids resulted in the loss of catalytic function. Phylogenetic analysis and specialized pathways responsible for the biosynthesis of major flavonoids in Chrysanthemum and Citrus revealed that rhamnosylation activity might share a common evolutionary origin. Overexpression of RhaT in hairy roots resulted in 13-, 2-, and 5-fold increases in linarin, isorhoifolin, and diosmin contents, respectively, indicating that RhaT is mainly involved in the biosynthesis of linarin. Our findings not only suggest that the substrate promiscuity of RhaTs contributes to the diversity of FRs in Chrysanthemum species but also shed light on the evolution of flavone and flavanone rutinosides in distant taxa.

Ethnobotanical importance of Asteraceae plants among Tharu tribe in Udham Singh Nagar, Uttarakhand, India

Background: Uttarakhand, a hilly state of northern India is gifted with unique natural beauty, rich biodiversity and great ethnic diversity. Asteraceae is the largest dicot family in the state and its several species are utilized by Tharu tribes for their livelihood. The present study was aimed to explore and document the ethnobotanical importance of Asteraceae plants used by Tharu community. Methods: The study area was visited frequently and a total of 104 Tharu informants from 11 villages were interviewed with the help of a semi structured questionnaire. Collected plant specimens were identified and processed for herbarium in the laboratory. Ethnobotanical data were analyzed using Use value (UV) and Factor informant consensus (Fic). Results: A total of 51 plants belonging to 38 genera under 12 tribes of Asteraceae family were found to be useful among Tharu people. Most of the species (50.98%) were noted to be used for curing various diseases. They use several plants for fodder (33.33%), ornament (27.45%), veterinary medicines (9.80%), social ceremonies (5.88%), and other purposes (13.72%) too. Quantitative analysis of data shows that Tagetes erecta has the highest use value (0.9423) followed by Ageratum houstonianum (0.4615) and Eclipta prostrata (0.3653). Maximum homogeneity was recorded in constipation, earache, eye disorders, heat stroke, infertility, paralysis, fuel and food. Conclusions: The present study concludes that several Asteraceae plants have high use value and play an important role in Tharu’s daily life. The recorded precious ethnobotanical data with UV and Fic analysis will be useful to the future researchers for further phytochemical, pharmacological, conservation and other studies. Keywords: Asteraceae, Tharu, Ethnobotany, Udham Singh Nagar.

The genomes of chicory, endive, great burdock and yacon provide insights into Asteraceae palaeo-polyploidization history and plant inulin production.

Inulin is an important reserve polysaccharide in Asteraceae plants, and is also widely used as a sweetener, a source of dietary fibre and prebiotic. Nevertheless, a lack of genomic resources for inulin-producing plants has hindered extensive studies on inulin metabolism and regulation. Here, we present chromosome-level reference genomes for four inulin-producing plants: chicory (Cichorium intybus), endive (Cichorium endivia), great burdock (Arctium lappa) and yacon (Smallanthus sonchifolius), with assembled genome sizes of 1.28, 0.89, 1.73 and 2.72 Gb, respectively. We found that the chicory, endive and great burdock genomes were shaped by whole genome triplication (WGT-1), and the yacon genome was shaped by WGT-1 and two subsequent whole genome duplications (WGD-2 and WGD-3). A yacon unique whole genome duplication (WGD-3) occurred 5.6-5.8 million years ago. Our results also showed the genome size difference between chicory and endive is largely due to LTR retrotransposons, and rejected a previous hypothesis that chicory is an ancestor of endive. Furthermore, we identified fructan-active-enzyme and transcription-factor genes, and found there is one copy in chicory, endive and great burdock but two copies in yacon for most of these genes, except for the 1-FEH II gene which is significantly expanded in chicory. Interestingly, inulin synthesis genes 1-SST and 1-FFT are located close to each other, as are the degradation genes 1-FEH I and 1-FEH II. Finally, we predicted protein structures for 1-FFT genes to explore the mechanism determining inulin chain length.

Pharmacological Activities of Safflower Yellow and Its Clinical Applications.

Background Safflower is an annual herb used in traditional Chinese herbal medicine. It consists of the dried flowers of the Compositae plant safflower. It is found in the central inland areas of Asia and is widely cultivated throughout the country. Its resistance to cold weather and droughts and its tolerance and adaptability to salts and alkalis are strong. Safflower has the effect of activating blood circulation, dispersing blood stasis, and relieving pain. A natural pigment named safflower yellow (SY) can be extracted from safflower petals. Chemically, SY is a water-soluble flavonoid and the main active ingredient of safflower. The main chemical constituents, pharmacological properties, and clinical applications of SY are reviewed in this paper, thereby providing a reference for the use of safflower in preventing and treating human diseases. Methods The literature published in recent years was reviewed, and the main chemical components of SY were identified based on chemical formula and structure. The pharmacological properties of hydroxysafflor yellow A (HSYA), SYA, SYB, and anhydrosafflor yellow B (AHSYB) were reviewed. Results The main chemical constituents of SY included HSYA, SYA, SYB, and AHSYB. These ingredients have a wide range of pharmacological activities. SY has protective effects on the heart, kidneys, liver, nerves, lungs, and brain. Moreover, its effects include, but are not limited to, improving cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, abirritation, regulating lipids, and treating cancer and diabetic complications. HSYA is widely recognised as an effective ingredient to treat cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Conclusion SY has a wide range of pharmacological activities, among which improving cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases are the most significant.

Effect of extraction solvent on bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity of Achillea millefolium L. grown in Kosovo region

Achillea millefolium L. is a plant of the family Asteraceae, commonly known as yarrow, which grows and is being distributed in countries of Europe. Achillea millefolium L. has been traditionally used in medicine. The medical properties of Achillea millefolium L. have been known for a long time. This study aims at assessments of the total phenolic content, flavonoid content and antioxidant activity of Achillea millefolium L. flowers, grown in Kosovo region. Solvent extracts with different polarity (aqueous, ethanol-EtOH, methanol-MeOH, ethyl acetate-EtOAc, acetone) from the flowers of Achillea millefolium L. are analyzed. The total phenolic and flavonoid quantities were analyzed by using Folin–Ciocalteu’s and AlCl3 reagents, respectively. The antioxidant activity was assessed by DPPH in vitro assay methods. The extract obtained by methanol showed the highest total antioxidant activity and DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging activity (51.9±0.3 μMol/g). The same extract also exhibited the highest phenolic content (52.6±0.3 mg GAE/g) and the highest flavonoid content (27.8±0.2 mg CE/g). Further studies need the assessment to quantify and isolate the phytochemicals from Achillea millefolium L. flowers, grown within the Kosovo region, which might serve as a cheap natural antioxidants in food and drug industry.

New Species of Large-Spored Alternaria in Section Porri Associated with Compositae Plants in China.

Alternaria is a ubiquitous fungal genus including saprobic, endophytic, and pathogenic species associated with a wide variety of substrates. It has been separated into 29 sections and seven monotypic lineages based on molecular and morphological data. Alternaria sect. Porri is the largest section, containing the majority of large-spored Alternaria species, most of which are important plant pathogens. Since 2015, of the investigations for large-spored Alternaria species in China, 13 species were found associated with Compositae plants based on morphological comparisons and phylogenetic analyses. There were eight known species and five new species (A. anhuiensis sp. nov., A. coreopsidis sp. nov., A. nanningensis sp. nov., A. neimengguensis sp. nov., and A. sulphureus sp. nov.) distributed in the four sections of Helianthiinficientes, Porri, Sonchi, and Teretispora, and one monotypic lineage (A. argyranthemi). The multi-locus sequence analyses encompassing the internal transcribed spacer region of rDNA (ITS), glyceraldehydes-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), Alternaria major allergen gene (Alt a 1), translation elongation factor 1-alpha (TEF1), and RNA polymerase second largest subunit (RPB2), revealed that the new species fell into sect. Porri. Morphologically, the new species were illustrated and compared with other relevant large-spored Alternaria species in the study. Furthermore, A. calendulae, A. leucanthemi, and A. tagetica were firstly detected in Brachyactis ciliate, Carthamus tinctorius, and Calendula officinalis in China, respectively.

Essential Oils of the Asteraceae Plants Blumea riparia DC. and Pluchea pteropoda Hemsl. ex Hemsl. Growing in Vietnam

Essential oils of two Asteraceae plants Blumea riparia DC. and Pluchea pteropoda Hemsl. ex Hemsl., collected from Vietnam, have been studied by hydro-distillation and GC/MS-FID (gas chromatography/mass spectrometry-flame ionization detector) analysis. Oil yields of B. riparia fresh leaves and twigs were in the range of 0.1–0.2%, whereas essential oil in the fresh aerial parts of P. pteropoda reached about 0.5%. Sesquiterpene hydrocarbons and oxygenated sesquiterpenes were the main chemical classes in the essential oils of B. riparia. The leaves and twigs of this species gave essential oils containing germacrene D (33.6-42.6%), ( E)-β-caryophyllene (11.2-11.6%), and bicyclogermacrene (9.3-12.1%) as the major components. Oxygenated monoterpenes and sesquiterpene hydrocarbons achieved the highest amounts in the essential oil of P. pteropoda aerial parts; 2,5-dimethoxy- p-cymene (43.5%), β-maaliene (14.0%), and α-isocomene (9.0%) were characteristic compounds. Particularly, as compared with related Blumea and Pluchea species, B. riparia and P. pteropoda, collected from Vietnam, might be good sources of germacrene D and 2,5-dimethoxy- p-cymene, respectively. The essential oil of B. riparia leaf successfully controlled the growth of the fungus Fusarium oxysporum, with an MIC value of 50.0 µg/mL, and the essential oil of P. pteropoda aerial parts showed significant antimicrobial activity against the Gram positive bacterium Bacillus subtilis and the yeast Candida albicans, with the same MIC value of 50.0 µg/mL.

Chemo-Ecological Insights into the Use of the Non-Host Plant Vegetable Black-Jack to Protect Two Susceptible Solanaceous Crops from Root-Knot Nematode Parasitism.

Plant parasitic nematodes (PPNs) develop through three major stages in their life cycle: hatching, infection, and reproduction. Interruption of any of these stages can affect their growth and survival. We used screenhouse pot experiments, laboratory in vitro hatching and mortality assays, and chemical analysis to test the hypothesis that the non-host Asteraceae plant vegetable black-jack (Bidens pilosa) suppresses infection of the PPN Meloidogyne incognita in two susceptible Solanaceae host plants, tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) and black nightshade (S. nigrum). In intercrop and drip pot experiments, B. pilosa significantly reduced the number of galls and egg masses in root-knot nematode (RKN)-susceptible host plants by 3-9-fold compared to controls. Chemical analysis of the most bioactive fraction from the root exudates of B. pilosa identified several classes of compounds, including vitamins, a dicarboxylic acid, amino acids, aromatic acids, and a flavonoid. In in vitro assays, the vitamins and aromatic acids elicited the highest inhibition in egg hatching, whereas ascorbic acid (vitamin) and 2-hydroxybenzoic acid (aromatic acid) elicited strong nematicidal activity against M. incognita, with LC50/48 h values of 12 and 300 ng/μL, respectively. Our results provide insights into how certain non-host plants can be used as companion crops to disrupt PPN infestation.

Sesquiterpene lactones-rich fraction from Aucklandia lappa Decne. alleviates dextran sulfate sodium induced ulcerative colitis through co-regulating MAPK and Nrf2/Hmox-1 signaling pathway

Ethnopharmacological relevanceAucklandia lappa Decne. (ALDE) is the general name for Asteraceae plants Yunmuxiang, which has traditionally been proven to have the efficacy in relieving depression by regulating qi, alleviating cold by warming, attenuating pain in stomach and relieving diarrhea in intestines. Therefore, ALDE is always recommended as an herbal remedy for gastrointestinal dysfunction. Aim of the studyThe purpose of this study was to explore the therapeutic potential and mechanism of action of the sesquiterpene lactone-rich fraction (SLRF) of ALDE extracts in vivo and in vitro. Materials and methodsAn aqueous extract (AE) and SLRF of ALDE were prepared and the contents of the main components were quantified by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The therapeutic effects of the extracts were evaluated in C57BL/6 mice with dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced ulcerative colitis (UC). Body weight, disease activity index (DAI), and colon length were recorded, and histopathological changes in the colon were characterized using hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining. The in vitro anti-inflammatory activity and possible mechanisms of the two main sesquiterpene lactones in ALDE (costunolide and dehydrocostus lactone) were studied by quantitative proteomic analysis. Finally, based on bioinformatic analysis, we used polymerase chain reaction (PCR), immunofluorescence, and western blot experiments to verify the anti-inflammatory mechanism of the extracts in C57BL/6 mice. ResultsThe SLRF of ALDE significantly improved the pathological symptoms and inflammatory pathology of UC, whereas the AE had a weak protective effect. In RAW264.7 cells stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), costunolide and dehydrocostus lactone significantly reduced the mRNA levels of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, suggesting that these two sesquiterpene lactones had strong anti-inflammatory activity. Quantitative proteomics results indicated that the anti-inflammatory mechanism of these lactones was associated with the NF-κB/MAPK and Nrf2-Hmox-1 pathways. These results were further validated in SLRF-treated mice. ConclusionThis study confirmed that the SLRF of ALDE exerted protective activity against UC by regulating the Nrf2-Hmox-1, NF-κB, and MAPK pathways.

The Effect of Liposomes Ethanol Extract of Tekelan Leaves (Chromolaena odorata L.) on the SOD and MDA Level in Streptozotocin-Nicotinamide-Induced Diabetic Rats

BACKGROUND: Oxidative stress occurs when the quantity of free radical molecules in the body exceeds the number of antioxidant molecules. Tekelan leaf (Chromolaena odorata L.) is an Asteraceae plant with antioxidant qualities that aid in the prevention of oxidative stress. According to, the chemical components contained in tekelan leaves, such as flavones, flavonols, flavonones, chalcones, and hydroxy benzoic acid, are responsible for the antioxidant properties. Tekelan leaf ethanol extract liposomes is one of preparation that can improve the level antioxidant activity of the samples, in the recent research antioxidant activity of liposomes ethanol extract of tekelan leaves (Chromolaena odorata L.) is tested to male rats which induced by Streptozotocin-Nicotinamid than calcilate the level of SOD and MDA.
 
 
 AIM: The goal of this study was to see if tekelan leaf ethanol extract liposomes might reduce MDA and SOD levels in male rats caused by STZ-nicotinamide.
 
 METHOS: Rats were given nicotinamide at a dose of 24 mg/200gBW and streptozotocin at a dose of 12 mg/200gBW at day 1, then continue to liposome and extract administration at doses of 20 mg/200gBW, 40 mg/200gBW, and 80 mg/200gBW, respectively for 15 days. At day 16 the blood were drawn and SOD and MDA levels were analyzed using a spectrophotometer.
 
 RESULTS: The MDA value for liposome preparation at a dose of 80 mg/200gBW were substantially lower (9.81±0.08) than negative control group (15.94±0.45). Furthermore, similar result also reported in SOD value that liposome preparation at a dose of 80 mg/200gBW (89.33±0.30) that higher than negative control group (65.55±0.30).
 
 CONCLUSION: It concluded that the liposomes preparation of the ethanol extract of tekelan leaves showed higher antioxidant activity than extract preparation, it showed dose dependent manner.

Dandelion pappus morphing is actuated by radially patterned material swelling.

Plants generate motion by absorbing and releasing water. Many Asteraceae plants, such as the dandelion, have a hairy pappus that can close depending on moisture levels to modify dispersal. Here we demonstrate the relationship between structure and function of the underlying hygroscopic actuator. By investigating the structure and properties of the actuator cell walls, we identify the mechanism by which the dandelion pappus closes. We developed a structural computational model that can capture observed pappus closing and used it to explore the critical design features. We find that the actuator relies on the radial arrangement of vascular bundles and surrounding tissues around a central cavity. This allows heterogeneous swelling in a radially symmetric manner to co-ordinate movements of the hairs attached at the upper flank. This actuator is a derivative of bilayer structures, which is radial and can synchronise the movement of a planar or lateral attachment. The simple, material-based mechanism presents a promising biomimetic potential in robotics and functional materials.

KADAR FLAVONOID TOTAL BEBERAPA TUMBUHAN FAMILI ASTERACEAE

<p align="center"><strong><em>ABSTRACT</em></strong></p><p><em>Indonesia is a country with abundant biological wealth which has 25% of plant species in the world which reaches 20,000 species that are useful in medicine. Plants of the Asteraceae family are often used by the community as traditional medicine. The pharmacological effects of Asteraceae plants can be attributed to various phytochemical compounds, including polyphenols, phenolic acids, flavonoids, acetylene and triterpenes. Flavonoids have been shown to have high activity for inhibiting xanthine oxidase. The aim of this study was to determine the total flavonoid content of several members of the Aseteraceae family (Taraxacum officinale, Crassocephalum crepidioides, Elephantopus scaber, Gynura procumbens, Ageratum conyzoides, Sonchus arvensis) using UV-Visspectrophotometry. The results showed that all Asteraceae family plants tested positive for flavonoid compounds. Determination of total flavonoid levels was carried out based on the AlCl3 method with total flavonoids expressed in QE (Quercetin equivalent) at a maximum wavelength of 415 nm. The results showed that the average content of total flavonoids of Crassocephalum crepidioides 3.4345% ± 0.2706, Taraxacum officinale 2.3217% ± 0.032, Ageratum conyzoides, L 3.3764% ± 0.257, Sonchus arvencis L. 2.7279% ± 0.0399, Gynura procumbens 2 .2825% ± 0.1370, and Elephantopus scaber 2.5294% ± 0.0861. The conclusion of this study was that the highest total flavonoid content was in Crassocephalum crepidioides and Gynura procumbens plants with the lowest total flavonoid content.</em></p><p><em> </em></p><p><em>Keywords: Phytochemical Screening, Total Flavonoid, Family Asteraceae</em></p>

The comparative potential of four Compositae plants for phytoremediation of karst lead/zinc mine tailings contaminated soil

A tailings concentration gradient experiment was done to demonstrate the comparative evaluation of phytoremediation for Cd, Pb, and Zn in karst lead/zinc mine tailings contaminated soil by four Compositae plants (Crassocephalum crepidioides, Bidens pilosa, Ageratum conyzoides, and Cosmos bipinnatus). The results indicated that the four species grown in the dose-gradient mine tailings were tolerant to these metals to varying degrees. C. crepidioides and B. pilosa were more tolerant to heavy metals, while C. bipinnatus was the most sensitive species. Despite the high concentrations of Pb and Zn in the culture substrate, there was only a small increase in the concentration of these elements in the plant organs compared to the control. However, all species were observed to be shoot accumulators for Cd. C. crepidioides accumulated a maximum of 132.1 and 159.1 mg·kg-1 of Cd in leaves and stems, respectively, and these results were higher than those in the roots (67.2 mg·kg-1) and soil (75.8 mg·kg-1). C. crepidioides can be regarded as a Cd-hyperaccumulator, with a Cd removal of 4.56% to 9.97% from the soil polluted by lead/zinc mine tailings after single season cultivation. The comprehensive analysis result indicated that C. crepidioides exhibited the highest tolerance, biomass production, and removal of heavy metals, indicating its ability in the phytoremediation of contaminated soil in Pb/Zn tailings affected area.

Assessment of Tolerance to Lanthanum and Cerium in Helianthus Annuus Plant: Effect on Growth, Mineral Nutrition, and Secondary Metabolism.

Rare earth elements (REEs) present a group of nonessential metals for the growth and development of plants. At high concentrations, they can induce internal stress and disturb the physiological and biochemical mechanisms in plants. The potential uptake of lanthanum (La) and cerium (Ce) by the horticultural plant Helianthus annuus and the effect of these elements on its growth, its absorption of macroelements, and the contents of phenolic compounds and flavonoids were assessed. The plants were exposed to 0, 1, 2.5, 5, and 10 µM of La and Ce for 14 days. The results showed a remarkable accumulation of the two REEs, especially in the roots, which was found to be positively correlated with the total phenolic compound and flavonoid content in the plant shoots and roots. The plant’s growth parameter patterns (such as dry weight and water content); the levels of potassium, calcium, and magnesium; and the tolerance index varied with the concentrations of the two studied elements. According to the tolerance index values, H. annuus had more affinity to La than to Ce. Although these metals were accumulated in H. annuus tissues, this Asteraceae plant cannot be considered as a hyperaccumulator species of these two REEs, since the obtained REE content in the plant’s upper parts was less than 1000 mg·Kg−1 DW.

Multiple Species of Asteraceae Plants Are Susceptible to Root Infection by the Necrotrophic Fungal Pathogen Sclerotinia sclerotiorum.

The necrotrophic fungal pathogen Sclerotinia sclerotiorum can cause disease on numerous plant species, including many important crops. Most S. sclerotiorum-incited diseases of crop plants are initiated by airborne ascospores produced when fungal sclerotia germinate to form spore-bearing apothecia. However, basal stalk rot of sunflower occurs when S. sclerotiorum sclerotia germinate to form mycelia within the soil, which subsequently invade sunflower roots. To determine whether other plant species in the Asteraceae family are susceptible to root infection by S. sclerotiorum, cultivated sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) and seven other Asteraceae species were evaluated for S. sclerotiorum root infection by inoculation with either sclerotia or mycelial inoculum. Additionally, root susceptibility of sunflower was compared with that of dry edible bean and canola, two plant species susceptible to S. sclerotiorum but not known to display root-initiated infections. Results indicated that multiple Asteraceae family plants are susceptible to S. sclerotiorum root infection after inoculation with either sclerotia or mycelium. These observations expand the range of plant hosts susceptible to S. sclerotiorum root infection, elucidate differences in root inoculation methodology, and emphasize the importance of soilborne infection to Asteraceae crop and weed species.

Phyllotaxis without symmetry: what can we learn from flower heads?

Phyllotaxis is commonly considered in the context of circular meristems or receptacles, yet non-circular (fasciated) structures also give rise to new primordia and organs. Here we investigate phyllotactic patterns in fasciated flower heads in the Asteraceae plant family. We begin by surveying the phenomenon of fasciation. We then show that phyllotactic patterns in fasciated heads can be generated by removing the inessential assumption of circularity from the previously published model of gerbera heads. To characterize these patterns, we revisit the conceptual framework in which phyllotactic patterns are commonly described. We note that some notions, in particular parastichies and parastichy numbers, maintain their significance in non-circular phyllotaxis, whereas others, in particular the divergence angle, need to be extended or lose their role. These observations highlight a number of open problems related to phyllotaxis in general, which may be elucidated by studies of fasciated heads.

The in vitro anti-platelet activities of plant extracts from the Asteraceae family

Foods prepared from the Asteraceae family are known to exert in vitro antioxidant activity. For example, roots and fruit extracts from dandelion were found to possess antioxidant and anti-platelet potential in two in vitro models (washed blood platelets and whole blood). However, little is known of other extracts from the Asteraceae, such as chicory leaves, green lettuce leaves, red lettuce leaves, and Jerusalem artichoke roots, on the hemostatic system. Of all the tested extracts from the Asteraceae, dandelion root extract and dandelion fruit extracts appear to have the strongest anti-platelet potential in whole blood, while red lettuce leaves and Jerusalem artichoke roots demonstrated the strongest anti-platelet activity in washed blood platelets. Our results suggest that the members of the Asteraceae family, especially red lettuce leaves and Jerusalem artichoke roots, possess compounds that may exert beneficial anti-platelet effects. However, although Asteraceae plant organ extracts were found to demonstrate activity in vitro, further in vivo studies are needed to determine their true effects on cardiovascular disease.

Nesting habitats of free-ranging Indian peafowl, Pavo cristatus, revealed by sniffer dogs in Okinawa, Japan

The Indian peafowl, Pavo cristatus, is the largest of the pheasants and ground-nesting bird. Because this species was introduced in Okinawa, Japan about 40 years ago and is now increasingly recognized as a pest in the Yaeyama region, and the extermination of this species has been promoted for ecosystem conservation. It was thought that there is need to develop a method to reduce the peafowl population and dogs were trained to detect them. We faced two difficulties in developing sniffer dogs to detect peafowl nests as below; (i) it is difficult to obtain a sufficient number of eggs to train the detection dogs, (ii) another difficulty is that the nesting period of peahens and the preferred vegetation used for nesting in Okinawa have not been reported. At first, we screened and trained two dogs of Welsh Corgi Pembroke and one dog of Brittany Spaniel for peafowl nest detection dogs with peahen feathers instead of peahen eggs. These dogs demonstrated a 100% sensitivity rate and there were no false-positives of their precision test. In second step, display survey of peacock to predict the nesting period of peahen was conducted in Kohama (KHM) and Kuroshima (KRS) islands, and the earliest dates of trail displays were observed in late February between 2014 and 2019 in both Islands. We predicted that the eggs would begin hatching in early April. We surveyed peahen nests for a total of 837 h and 1153 km on 962 transects with sniffer dogs and detected 423 peahen’s nests in KHM and KRS islands between 2014 and 2019. Peahens made her nests mainly in Poaceae or Asteraceae plants in research areas. The peak hatching was between mid-April and early May. In this study, we were able to detect peahen nests in the field by dogs trained with peahen feather, and we also identified the exact nesting season and preferred vegetation in Okinawa to control of Indian peafowl as an invasive species.

Socio-Ecological Effects on the Patterns of Non-native Plant Distributions on Hainan Island

Non-native plants spread to recipient areas via natural or human-mediated modes of dispersal, and, if the non-native species are invasive, introduction potentially causes impacts on native plants and local ecosystems as well as economic losses. Therefore, we studied the diversity and distributional patterns of non-native plant species diversity in the tropical island province of Hainan, China and its relationships with environmental and socioeconomic factors by generating a checklist of species and subsequently performing an analysis of phylogenetic diversity. To generate the checklist, we began with the available, relevant literature representing 19 administrative units of Hainan and determined the casual, naturalized, or invasive status of each species by conducting field surveys within 14 administrative units. We found that non-native plants of Hainan comprise 77 casual species, 42 naturalized species, and 63 invasive species. Moreover, we found that non-native plant species had diverse origins from North and South America, Africa, and Asia and that the most common species across administrative areas belong to the plant families Asteraceae and Fabaceae. Moreover, the numbers of non-native species distributed in the areas of Hainan bording the coast arer greater than those within interior areas of the province. Among the coastal areas, Haikou has the highest species richness and, simultaneously, the highest values for significantly, positively correlated predictor variables, population and GDP (R2 = 0.60, P < 0.01; R2 = 0.64, P < 0.01, respectively). In contrast, the landlocked administrative units of Tunchang and Ding’an have the smallest number of non-native species, while their populations are less than a quarter of that of Haikou and their GDP less than one tenth. Among natural environmental variables, we determined that the number of non-native species had the strongest correlation with the minimum temperature in the coldest month, which predicts a smaller number of non-native species. Additionally, non-native species are primarily distributed in urban and rural built-up areas and agricultural areas; areas that are dominated by human activities. Overall, our study provides a working checklist of the non-native plants of Hainan as well as a theoretical framework and reference for the control of invasive plants of the province.

Critical metabolic pathways and genes cooperate for epoxy fatty acid-enriched oil production in developing seeds of Vernonia galamensis, an industrial oleaginous plant

BackgroundVernonia galamensis native to Africa is an annual oleaginous plant of Asteraceae family. As a newly established industrial oil crop, this plant produces high level (> 70%) of vernolic acid (cis-12-epoxyoctadeca-cis-9-enoic acid), which is an unusual epoxy fatty acid (EFA) with multiple industrial applications. Here, transcriptome analysis and fatty acid profiling from developing V. galamensis seeds were integrated to uncover the critical metabolic pathways responsible for high EFA accumulation, aiming to identify the target genes that could be used in the biotechnological production of high-value oils.ResultsBased on oil accumulation dynamics of V. galamensis seeds, we harvested seed samples from three stages (17, 38, and 45 days after pollination, DAP) representing the initial, fast and final EFA accumulation phases, and one mixed sample from different tissues for RNA-sequencing, with three biological replicates for each sample. Using Illumina platform, we have generated a total of 265 million raw cDNA reads. After filtering process, de novo assembly of clean reads yielded 67,114 unigenes with an N50 length of 1316 nt. Functional annotation resulted in the identification of almost all genes involved in diverse lipid-metabolic pathways, including the novel fatty acid desaturase/epoxygenase, diacylglycerol acyltransferases, and phospholipid:diacylglycerol acyltransferases. Expression profiling revealed that various genes associated with acyl editing, fatty acid β-oxidation, triacylglycerol assembly and oil-body formation had greater expression levels at middle developmental stage (38 DAP), which were consistent with the fast accumulation of EFA in V. galamensis developing seed, these genes were detected to play fundamental roles in EFA production. In addition, we isolated some transcription factors (such as WRI1, FUS3 and ABI4), which putatively regulated the production of V. galamensis seed oils. The transient expression of the selected genes resulted in a synergistic increase of EFA-enriched TAG accumulation in tobacco leaves. Transcriptome data were further confirmed by quantitative real-time PCR for twelve key genes in EFA biosynthesis. Finally, a comprehensive network for high EFA accumulation in V. galamensis seed was established.ConclusionsOur findings provide new insights into molecular mechanisms underlying the natural epoxy oil production in V. galamensis. A set of genes identified here could be used as the targets to develop other oilseeds highly accumulating valued epoxy oils for commercial production.