Bocconia Frutescens Research Articles

Bocconia frutescens little leaf, a new plant disease associated to a ´Candidatus Phytoplasma pruni´ related strain in Costa Rica

Objective/Background. Bocconia frutescens (Papaveraceae) is a small tree distributed naturally from Mexico to Argentina and the Caribbean Bassin. Bocconia trees showing symptoms resembling phytoplasmas infection, such as little leaves and witches´-broom, were found in Cartago province, Costa Rica. Detection and identification of the potential phytoplasmas associated with B. frutescens little leaf symptoms was the objective out of this study. Materials and Methods. Evaluation of leaves tissue using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), nested PCR using universal and specific primers to amplify phytoplasmas 16S rRNA and secA genes. Nucleotidic sequences (Sanger method) were obtained from amplicons, and used for BLASTn, phylogenetic analyses, and in silico RFLP’s. Results. Presence of phytoplasmas into phloem tissue, only in symptomatic trees, was evidenced by TEM. Comparison of partial sequences (16Sr and secA genes) by BLASTn, in silico RFLP´s and phylogenetic analyses, showed the occurrence of a ´Candidatus Phytoplasma pruni´ related strain in the samples evaluated. Conclusion. Phytoplasmas were found only in the symptomatic B. frutescens trees evaluated. The phytoplasmas were identified as a ´Ca. Phytoplasma pruni´ related strain. This is the first report of B. frutescens as a natural host of ´Ca. Phytoplasma pruni´.

Duplication and Diversification of REPLUMLESS - A Case Study in the Papaveraceae.

There is a vast amount of fruit morphological diversity in terms of their texture, the number of carpels, if those carpels are fused or not and how fruits open to disperse the seeds. Arabidopsis thaliana, a model eudicot, has a dry bicarpellate silique, when the fruit matures, the two valves fall apart through the dehiscence zone leaving the seeds attached to the remaining medial tissue, called the replum. Proper replum development in A. thaliana is mediated by REPLUMLESS (RPL), a TALE Homeodomain protein. RPL represses the valve margin genetic program and the downstream dehiscence zone formation in the medial tissue of the siliques and RPL orthologs have conserved roles across the Brassicaceae eudicots. A RPL homolog, qSH1, has been studied in rice, a monocot, and plays a role in fruit shedding making it difficult to predict functional evolution of this gene lineage across angiosperms. Although RPL orthologs have been identified across all angiosperms, expression and functional analyses are scarce. In order to fill the phylogenetic gap between the Brassicaceae and monocots we have characterized the expression patterns of RPL homologs in two poppies with different fruit types, Bocconia frutescens with operculate valvate dehiscence and a persistent medial tissue, similar to a replum, and Papaver somniferum, a poppy with persistent medial tissue in between the multicarpellate gynoecia. We found that RPL homologs in Papaveraceae have broad expression patterns during plant development; in the shoot apical meristem, during flowering transition and in many floral organs, especially the carpels. These patterns are similar to those of RPL in A. thaliana. However, our results suggest that RPL does not have conserved roles in the maintenance of medial persistent tissues of fruits but may be involved with establishing the putative dehiscence zone in dry poppy fruits.

Experiencia piloto de nucleación con especies nativas para restaurar una zona degradada por ganadería en el norte de Antioquia, Colombia

An experiment of ecological restoration was established in a landscape degraded by livestock. We studied cuttings and seedlings of Clusia multiflora, Hedyosmum sp., Meriania. nobilis, Piper sp., Saurauia sp., Tibouchina. Lepidota, Tournefortia sp., and Weinmannia sp., based on the availability and importance of these species in the area. After 13 weeks the mortality of the cuttings was total, and for the seedlings it was of 50 %. To improve the adaptation of the species and to include several new ones, in the second phase of the experiment we rescued new 1m tall seedlings, and acclimated them in a nursery for three months. We also applied Aloe vera crystals to the new cuttings to facilitate their rooting. In this second phase, seedlings (95 %) of the species became established: Billia rosea, Bocconia frutescens, Fuchsia sp., Hedyosmum sp., Inga sp., Myrsine coriacea, Saurauia sp., Schefflera sp., Siparuna sp. The surviving cuttings (33 %) were the following: Brugmansia arborea, Brunellia sp., and Saurauia sp. In general, rescued seedlings showed high potential for establishment, and may well promote restoration processes.

Evolution of the SPATULA/ALCATRAZ gene lineage and expression analyses in the basal eudicot, Bocconia frutescens L. (Papaveraceae)

BackgroundSPATULA (SPT) and ALCATRAZ (ALC) are recent paralogs that belong to the large bHLH transcription factor family. Orthologs of these genes have been found in all core eudicots, whereas pre-duplication genes, named paleoSPATULA/ALCATRAZ, have been found in basal eudicots, monocots, basal angiosperms and gymnosperms. Nevertheless, functional studies have only been performed in Arabidopsis thaliana, where SPT and ALC are partially redundant in carpel and valve margin development and ALC has a unique role in the dehiscence zone. Further analyses of pre-duplication genes are necessary to assess the functional evolution of this gene lineage.ResultsWe isolated additional paleoSPT/ALC genes from Aristolochia fimbriata, Bocconia frutescens, Cattleya trianae and Hypoxis decumbens from our transcriptome libraries and performed phylogenetic analyses. We identified the previously described bHLH domain in all analyzed sequences and also new conserved motifs using the MEME suite. Finally, we analyzed the expression of three paleoSPT/ALC genes (BofrSPT1/2/3) from Bocconia frutescens, a basal eudicot in the Papaveraceae. To determine the developmental stages at which these genes were expressed, pre- and post-anthesis carpels and fruits of B. frutescens were collected, sectioned, stained, and examined using light microscopy. Using in situ hybridization we detected that BofrSPT1/2/3 genes are expressed in floral buds, early sepal initiation, stamens and carpel primordia and later during fruit development in the dehiscence zone of the opercular fruit.ConclusionsOur expression results, in comparison with those available for core eudicots, suggest conserved roles of members of the SPT/ALC gene lineage across eudicots in the specification of carpel margins and the dehiscence zone of the mature fruits. Although there is some redundancy between ALC and SPT, these gene clades seem to have undergone some degree of sub-functionalization in the core eudicots, likely by changes in cis regulatory regions and to some extent in coding sequences, at least in Brassicaceae. Our results also indicate that in Bocconia frutescens, paleoSPT/ALC genes may play a role in early floral organ specification that was subsequently lost in core eudicot lineages.

In vitro antihelmintic effect of fifteen tropical plant extracts on excysted flukes of Fasciola hepatica

BackgroundFasciolosis due to Fasciola hepatica is the most important hepatic disease in veterinary medicine. Its relevance is important because of the major economical losses to the cattle industry such as: reduction in milk, meat and wool production; miscarriages, anemia, liver condemnation and occasionally deaths, are estimated in billons of dollars.The emergence of fluke resistance due to over or under dosing of fasciolides as well as environmental damage produced by the chemicals eliminated in field have stimulated the need for alternative methods to control Fasciola hepatica. The aim of this study was to evaluate the in vitro anthelmintic effect of fifteen tropical plant extracts used in tradicional Mexican medicine, on newly excysted flukes of Fasciola hepatica.ResultsThe flukes were exposed in triplicate at 500, 250 and 125 mg/L to each extract. The efficacy was assessed as the mortality rate based on the number of live and dead flukes after 24, 48 and 72 h post-exposure. The plants with anthelmintic effect were evaluated once again with a concentration of 375 mg/L in order to confirm the results and to calculate lethal concentrations at 50%, 90% and 99% (LC50, LC90, and LC99). Plant extracts of Lantana camara, Bocconia frutescens, Piper auritum, Artemisia mexicana and Cajanus cajan had an in vitro anthelmintic effect (P <0.05). The LC50, LC90 and LC99 to A. mexicana, C. cajan and B. frutescens were 92.85, 210.44 and 410.04 mg/L, 382.73, 570.09 and 788.9 mg/L and 369.96, 529.94 and 710.34 mg/L, respectively.ConclusionIt is concluded that five tropical plant extracts had promising anthelmintic effects against F. hepatica. Further studies on toxicity and in vivo biological evaluation in ruminant models might help to determine the anthelmintic potential of these plant extracts.

Dry Forest Restoration and Unassisted Native Tree Seedling Recruitment at Auwahi, Maui

Efforts to restore highly degraded but biologically significant forests draw from a limited toolbox. With less than 10% of their former distribution remaining, Hawaiian dry forests, though critically endangered, remain impor- tant biological and cultural refugia. At restoration onset (1997), vegetation of restoration and control areas of degraded Auwahi dry forest, Maui Island, was similar, dominated by nonnative graminoids (restoration 78.3%; control 75.4%), especially Cenchrus ( Pennisetum) clandestinus. In 2012, unrestored control area vegetation was basically unchanged. In contrast, in the restoration area in 2012, native shrub cover increased from 3.1% to 81.9%, and cover of nonnative gram- inoids declined from 75.4% to 3.3%. In 2012, nonplanted seedlings of 14 of 22 native tree species and six of seven native shrub species were observed in restora- tion plots; the majority (99%) were five native (Dodonaea viscosa, Coprosma foliosa, Osteomeles anthyllidifolia, Chamaesyce celastoides, Nestegis sandwicensis) and one nonnative species (Bocconia frutescens). By 2012, stem counts of native woody plants had increased from 12.4 to 135.0/100 m 2 , and native species diversity increased from 2.4 to 6.6/100 m 2 . By 2012, seven rare dry forest tree species, Charpentiera obovata, Nothocestrum latifolium, Ochrosia haleakalae, Pleomele auwa- hiensis, Santalum ellipticum, S. haleakalae, and Streblus pendulinus, had established seedlings and/or saplings within the restoration site, especially notable because natural reproduction is largely lacking elsewhere. Without development and implementation of appropriate management strategies, remaining Hawaiian dry forest will likely disappear within the next century. Multicomponent restoration incorporating ungulate exclusion, weed control, and outplanting as described here offers one strategy to conserve and restore tracts of high-value but de- graded forests.

Could poor seed dispersal contribute to predation by introduced rodents in a Hawaiian dry forest?

Dry forests are among the most diverse, yet threatened, communities in Hawai’i. Dry forests throughout the archipelago suffer from a lack of natural regeneration of trees. Two factors that may limit tree recruitment include poor seed dispersal and seed predation by rodents. Poor or limited dispersal of fleshy-fruited species results in seeds and fruits falling directly under parents. Dispersed and non-dispersed seeds may differ in their vulnerability to predation. We tested effects of seed location (under/away from parent trees) and pulp (presence/absence) on predation of four native species that suffer from limited dispersal and one readily-dispersed alien species in Kanaio Natural Area Reserve, Maui. Three natives (Diospyros sandwicensis, Pleomele auwahiensis, Santalum ellipticum), had significantly more seeds removed under parent trees than in exposed sites away from trees. For the one alien (Bocconia frutescens) and two native trees (D. sandwicensis, P. auwahiensis) that were evaluated, significantly more intact fruits were removed than were cleaned seeds. Presence of teeth marks and gnawed seed husk fragments indicate introduced rodents are destroying many of the seeds they remove. These results suggest that seed predation is disproportionately concentrated among poorly-dispersed seeds and may contribute to recruitment failure.

Antimycobacterial activity of Juglans regia, Juglans mollis, Carya illinoensis and Bocconia frutescens

Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a serious worldwide health threat, killing almost 2 million people per year. Alternative antimycobacterial drugs are urgently needed; studies have shown that medicinal plants traditionally used to treat respiratory diseases are a potential source of compounds to treat tuberculosis. This paper studied the antimycobacterial activity of 28 extracts from four different plant species that have been used in traditional Mexican medicine to treat tuberculosis. Bark and leaf crude extracts of Juglans regia L., Juglans mollis Engelm., Carya illinoensis (Wangenh) K. Koch and Bocconia frutescens showed in vitro anti-M. tuberculosis activity. Hexane bark extracts from C. illinoensis, J. mollis and J. regia were the most active with a minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 31, 50 and 100 microg/mL, respectively. Ethanol bark extracts from C. illinoensis and J. mollis showed activity at 100 and 125 microg/mL, respectively. Leaf extracts had the lowest activity. Methanol and hexane leaves extracts from B. frutescens had a MIC of 125 microg/mL. None of the aqueous extracts showed antimycobacterial activity.

Alkaloids from Bocconia frutescens. and Biological Activity of their Extracts

In Mexican traditional medicine, Bocconia frutescens. L. (Papaveraceae) is known as “gordolobo” or “llorasangre.” Natives use this plant to treat skin ulcer, dermatitis, and some respiratory tract infections. In this study, the aerial parts afforded the alkaloids dihydrochelerythrine, (±)-6-acetonyldihydrochelerythrine, (±)-6-acetonyldihydrosanguinarine, as well as β.-amyrine acetate and 2-decanol. The structures were determined by spectral methods including UV, IR, NMR and mass spectrometry. The antimicrobial activity of extracts and pure compounds was tested with Escherichia coli., Staphylococcus aureus., Pseudomonas aeruginosa., and Bacillus subtilis.. This study supports the use of B. frutescens. in traditional medicine.

ChemInform Abstract: ALKALOIDS OF THE PAPAVERACEAE PART 59, ALKALOIDS FROM THE LEAVES OF BOCCONIA FRUTESCENS L

Chemischer InformationsdienstVolume 6, Issue 52 Natural Products ChemInform Abstract: ALKALOIDS OF THE PAPAVERACEAE PART 59, ALKALOIDS FROM THE LEAVES OF BOCCONIA FRUTESCENS L J. SLAVIK, J. SLAVIKSearch for more papers by this authorL. SLAVIKOVA, L. SLAVIKOVASearch for more papers by this author J. SLAVIK, J. SLAVIKSearch for more papers by this authorL. SLAVIKOVA, L. SLAVIKOVASearch for more papers by this author First published: December 30, 1975 https://doi.org/10.1002/chin.197552374AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article. Volume6, Issue52December 30, 1975 RelatedInformation

On alkaloids from the leaves of Bocconia frutescens L.

On alkaloids from the leaves of Bocconia frutescens L.

Studies on the alkaloids of fumariaceous plants. IX. Alkaloids of Bocconia frutescens

The presence of protopine and γ-homochelidonine (=β-allocryptopine) as alkaloids of Bocconia frutescens has already been proved but the presence of α-allocryptopine, chelerythrine, and sanguinarine is only assumed. In order to elucidate this point, examinations were made on Brazilian Bocconia frutescens and α-allocryptopine, chelerythrine, and sanguinarine were isolated and identified, besides protopine. One other base of m.p. 268° was also isolated.