Fruits Of Other Species Research Articles

Determination of Anthocyanins and Chlorogenic Acids in Fruits of Aronia Genus: The Experience of Chemosystematics

The fruits of several species of the Aronia genus were studied in the content of anthocyanins and chlorogenic acids. It was found that errors in determining the Aronia species can be excluded by using quantitative ratios between the main anthocyanins—cyanidin-3-galactoside (Cy3Gala, the main component), cyanidin-3-arabinoside (Cy3Ara), cyanidin-3-glucoside (Cy3Glu) and cyanidin-3-xyloside (Cy3Xyl). The highest level of anthocyanin accumulation was found for Aronia melanocarpa (Michx.) Elliott fruits. Meanwhile for the species differentiation the least accumulation in fruits of Cy3Glu (no more than 0.8% of the total anthocyanins) and Cy3Xyl (not more than 1.5 mol % of the amount of anthocyanins) may explored in comparison with that of A. prunifolia (Marshall) Rehder and A. mitschurinii A.K. Skvortsov & Maitul., the latter being often mistaken for black chokeberry. Even more reliable for the differentiation is the content and ratio of isomeric chlorogenic acids in the fruits. So, fruits of A. melanocarpa accumulate as the main chlorogenic acid 3-caffeoylquinic acid (3CQA, about 69.4 mol % of the sum of chlorogenic acids) and, in smaller but comparable amounts 5-caffeoylquinic (5CQA) and 4-caffeoylquinic (4CQA) acids, which account for about 14 mol %. In fruits of other species of chokeberry accumulation levels of 3CQA and 5CQA are comparable, but may vary with the change of the dominant one, while the accumulation 4CQA is characteristically low (less than 3.5 mol %). The paper discusses and experimentally confirms some errors in the sample preparation of Aronia fruit samples before the qualitative and quantitative determination of anthocyanins, and proposes a method of excluding them.

The Toxicity and Antibacterial Properties of Calamus ornatus Bl. Rattan Fruit

Calamus ornatus Bl., locally known as rotan mantang or rotan seuti is one of the commercial rattan species growing in the forests of East Borneo. Its fruit is edible, like the fruits of other species of rattan, and it has been used by the local people as traditional medicine to treat stomachache or toothache. Until recently, there has not been any study investigating the benefits of the fruit for medicinal or other purposes. This research aimed to discover the bio-activity potentials of Calamus ornatus Bl. fruits by identifying its toxicity level and antibacterial potentials. The parts of the fruit (pericarp, flesh, and seed) were extracted using ethanol as solvent to extract samples. The toxicity was analyzed by using the Brine Shrimp Lethality Test (BSLT) method while the antibacterial activity was tested using a well diffusion method. Low toxicity was found in the flesh, whereas the pericarp and the seed were non-toxic. Antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli was found in the pericarp and the seed, while antibacterial activity against Streptococcus mutans was found in the pericarp and the flesh.

DETERMINATION OF ANTHOCYANINS AND CHLOROGENIC ACIDS IN FRUITS OF ARONIA GENUS: THE EX-PERIENCE OF CHEMOSYSTEMETICS

The fruits of several species of Aronia genus were studied on the content of anthocyanins and chlorogenic acids. It was found that errors in determining the Aronia species can be excluded by using quantitative ratios between the main anthocyanins – cyanidin-3-galactozide (Cy3Gala, the main component), cyanidin-3-arabinoside (Cy3Ara), cyanidin-3-glucoside (Cy3Glu) and cyanidin-3-xyloside (Cy3Xyl). The highest level of anthocyanin accumulation was found for Aronia melanocarpa (Michx.) Elliott. fruits. Meanwhile for the species differentiation the least accumulation in fruits of Cy3Glu (no more than 0.8% of the total anthocyanins) and Cy3Xyl (not more than 1.5 mole % of the amount of anthocyanins) may explored in comparison with that of A. prunifolia (Marshall) Rehder and A. mitschurinii A. K. Skvortsov & Maitul., the latter being often mistaken for black chokeberry. Even more reliable for the differentiation is the content and ratio of isomeric chlorogenic acids in the fruits. So, fruits of A. melanocarpa accumulate as the main chlorogenic acid 3-caffeoylquinic acid (3CQA, about 69.4 mole % of the sum of chlorogenic acids) and, in smaller but comparable amounts 5-caffeoylquinic (5CQA) and 4-caffeoylquinic (4CQA) acids, which account for about 14 mole %. In fruits of other species of chokeberry accumulation levels of 3CQA and 5CQA are comparable, but may vary with the change of the dominant one, while the accumulation 4CQA is characteristically low (less than 3.5 mole %). The paper discusses and experimentally confirms some errors in the sample preparation of Aronia fruit samples before the qualitative and quantitative determination of anthocyanins, and proposes a method of excluding them.

Chemical composition of the seeds of some Medicago species

phytochemical properties of some legumes widely [9–12]. The objective of the present study was to determine the tannin, protein contents, and fatty acid composition of the seeds of Medicago L. species (M. disciformis DC., M. polymorpha L., M. intertexta (L.) Mill., M. scutellata (L.) Mill., M. truncatula Gaertn. and M. orbicularis var. marginata (L.) Bart.). The results of the fatty acid analysis are shown in Table 1, and total protein and tannin contents in Table 2. The total protein amounts of the feed crops studied were found to be between 30.50–47.17% in Medicago orbicularis var. marginata and M. truncatula. These were 34.87, 34.93, 36.20, and 38.30% in M. intertexta, M. scutellata, M. disciformis, and M. polymorpha, respectively. The protein levels were determined in fruit, leaf, and steam of Medicago noeana, M. orbicularis, M. polymorpha var. vulgaris, M. rigidula var. submitis, and M. rigidula var. rigidula [7]. According to them, the protein levels studied were found to be between 20% and 30%. The protein levels of fruits were found to be higher than those in leaf and steam. On the other hand, the protein contents of fruit of M. noeana, M. orbicularis, and M. polymorpha var.vulgaris were found to be higher than in fruits of other species. The tannin amounts of feed crops studied were found to be between 0.27–1.23% in M. orbicularis var. marginata and M. scutellata. The others comprise 0.30% (M. intertexta) and 0.70% (M. disciformis, M. polymorpha and M. truncatula), respectively. It was reported that condensed tannin may act as anthelmintics against parasitic nematodes or indirectly by improving nitrogen supply [13–15]. The main components in the seed oils of Medicago species were palmitic, oleic, linoleic, and linolenic acids. The other fatty acids of the legume seed oils (arachidic and lignoceric acid) in the studied species were shown to be lower than 1% except for M. truncatula (Table 1). This is similar to those reported [12]. On the other hand, behenic acid was at the highest level in M. disciformis (1.11%). Some researches have indicated that oils with high levels of long-chain SFA such as behenic acid may be difficult for digesting enzymes to digest in humans and animals [16]. The results of the present study, as far as unsaturated fatty acid content is concerned, are supported by previous leguminous studies [12, 17, 18]. All these studies showed that the saturated, and particularly unsaturated, fatty acid contents of Fabaceae seed oils are closely allied to each other and that the main components in the oils are linoleic-oleic type fatty acids. Seed Samples. Matured seeds of these species were collected from various locations in Adana (Turkey) between June and August 2009.

Reproductive biology of theIlexspecies (Aquifoliaceae) in Hong Kong, China

Fourteen wild species of shrubs and trees in the dioecious genus Ilex occur in Hong Kong (22°N, 114°E). All species flowered and formed fruits once each year. Sex ratios at flowering were male biased in all but one large population studied and, in most cases, this bias could not be explained by earlier flowering in males or higher female mortality. Apis cerana accounted for >87% of flower visits in all species and there was a significant positive relationship across species between the number of visits per flower per hour and the estimated mean number of flowers on a plant. The large green fruits of Ilex chapaensis Merr. were consumed only by masked palm civets, Paguma larvata, while the red or black fruits of other species were consumed by birds. The rate of fruit removal across species was positively related to sugar content and negatively related to phenolic and saponin contents. The mean number of pyrenes per fruit was 4.0–6.2 and the mean percentage of pyrenes containing seeds was 49%–90%. Most embryos were immature (heart shaped) at fruit maturity, but <50% of embryos developed further in some species. Floral investment was 0.93–5.84 times higher in male plants, but total reproductive investment was 0.62–8.3 higher in females.

High field NMR microscopic imaging of cultivated strawberry fruit.

The experimental conditions required for discrimination of various types of tissue in fruits of cultivated strawberry (Fragaria x Ananassa) at high fields (ca. 7 T) have been investigated. In marked contrast to soft fruits of other species, from which informative images have been derived at high fields using a variety of pulse sequences and acquisition parameters, appreciable image intensities from parenchymal and vascular tissues in healthy strawberry fruits were obtained only with a spin-echo imaging sequence using large sweep widths (ca. 100,000 Hz), and consequently small values for TE ( < 5 ms), indicating predominantly short T2 values for these tissues. Damage caused by infection by the fungal pathogen Botrytis cinerea is readily seen as a result of a large increase in T2 in the infected tissue, whereas ripening processes appear to be characterized primarily by small variations in the T2-weighted contrast and in the relative magnitudes of T1 between vascular and parenchymal tissue. In addition, it was possible selectively to enhance the contributions to images from the achenes ("seeds") by using very short relaxation delays, thereby enhancing T1-dominated contrast mechanisms.

Bioenergetics, Respiration Cost and Water Relations ofDeveloping Avocado Fruit

Summary Avocado fruit of cultivars with different susceptibility to physiological fruit disorders were examinedin situ for respiration, stomatal conductance, transpiration and xylem water potential. Therein, attached fruit of cv. Fuerte (susceptible to mesocarp discolouration) were compared with Hass (susceptible to small fruit) over the 3-month period from anthesis until the fruit reached 60 g fresh matter: o 1. Avocado fruit respired more CO2 in the dark than in the light due to fruit photosynthesis. Respirationrates decreased with fruit ontogeny from 14.5 to 1.5 μmol CO2 m−2 s−1 and increased from 1 to 4.5 μmol CO2 fruit−1 h−1, reflecting the higher energy requirement of the avocado relative to other fruits and of cv. Hass relative to Fuerte fruit. 2. Fruit respiration accumulated to 4.8 g (Fuerte) or 5.1 g (Hass) CO2 (= 63 or 66kJoule), with growthrespiration (Fuerte) of 0.324 kg CO2 (7.35 MJ) kg−1 dry matter twice as large as found in fruits of other species and maintenance respiration of 1.98 kg CO2 or 26MJ kg−1 dry matter. 3. Stomatal conductance decreased from 0.17 mmol m−2s−1 at pre-anthesis to 0.01 mmol m−2s−1 at 60gfruit weight. 4. Fruit of cv. Hass transpired more water than those of Fuerte, i.e. 0.2 to 1 mmol H2O m−2 s−1 or 0.2 to2 mmol H2O fruict−1 day−1. 5. A 60-g fruit accumulated 51 mL water and transpired 155 mL or 171 mL H2O, resulting in a waterconsumption of 206 mL (Fuerte) or 222 mL (Hass) water with a fruit water use efficiency (FWUE), i.e. mol CO2 respired per mol water transpired, of 9.5 × 10−3. 6. Midday fruit water potentials ranged between −0.4 to −0.9MPa with values obtained for cv. Fuertefruit exceeding those of the respective leaf. These results present the first data on energy requirement, maintenance and growth respiration, transpiration,water use and water potential of developing avocado fruit, which are discussed with respect to physiological fruit disorders.

Relative Attractance of Spotted Cucumber Beetle1 to Fruits of Fifteen Species of Cucurbitaceae2

In a 2-year study, fruits from 21 plant types of 15 species from 6 genera ( Citrullus, Cucumis, Cucurbita, Lagenaria, Luffa , and Momordica ) of Cucurbitaceae were exposed to a natural population of Diabrotica undecimpunctata howardi Barber to determine relative attractance of thc fruits to that insect. Analysis of cucurbitacins and their glycosides in the fruits revealed a positive correlation between their concentration and the number of spotted cucumber beetles attracted by the various plant species. This correlation dcmonstrated the attraction properties of low concentration (0.0–0.56 mg/g) of curcurbitacins and their glycosides. Cucurbita foetidissima H. B. K. and Cucumis dipsaceus Ehrenb., the 2 most attractive species, were high in cucurbitacin concentration. The technique of exposing fruits to D. undecimpunctata howardi has potential as a bioassay to screen cucurbitacins in the fruits of other species. Attractant cucurbitacins can be useful in population assessment and in luring the beetle to an insecticide or to an adhesive.