Ligustrum Lucidum Ait Research Articles

Characteristics of sewage sludge and distribution of heavy metal in plants with amendment of sewage sludge

In order to better understand land application of sewage sludge, the characterization of heavy metals and organic pollutants were investigated in three different sewage sludges in Shanghai City, China. It was found that the total concentrations of Cd in all of sewage sludge and total concentrations of Zn in Jinshan sewage sludge, as well as those of Zn, Cu, and Ni in Taopu sludge are higher than Chinese regulation limit of pollutants for sludge to be used in agriculture. Leachability of Hg in all of studied samples and that of Cd in Taopu sewage sludge exceed the limit values of waste solid extraction standard in China legislation. Based on the characteristics for three kinds of sewage sludge, a pot experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of soil amended with Quyang sewage sludge on the accumulation of heavy metal by Begonia semperflorens-hybr; Ophiopogon japonicus (L.F.) Ker-Gaw; Loropetalum chindense-var. rubrum; Dendranthema morifolium; Viola tricolor; Antirrhinum majus; Buxus radicans Sieb; Viburnum macrocephalum; Osmuunus fragrans Lour; Cinnamomum camphora siebold and Ligustrum lucidum ait. Results showed that 8 species of plant survived in the amended soil, and moreover they flourished as well as those cultivated in the control soil. The heavy metal concentration in plants varied with species, As, Pb, Cd and Cr concentration being the highest in the four herbaceous species studied, particularly in the roots of D. morifolium. These plants, however, did not show accumulator of As, Pb, Cd and Cr. The highest concentration of Ni and Hg was found in the roots of D. morifolium, followed by the leaves of B. semperflorens-hybr. Levels of Zn and Cu were much higher in D. morifolium than in the other plant species. D. morifolium accumulated Ni, Hg, Cu and Zn, which may contribute to the decrease of heavy metal contents in the amended soil. Treatment with sewage sludge did not significantly affect the uptake of heavy metals by the L. chindense-var. rubrum, however, it significantly affected the uptake of heavy metals by D. morifolium.

<![CDATA[<B>Development of a dry artificial diet for <I>Nezara viridula</I> (L.) and <I>Euschistus heros</I> (Fabricius) (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae)</B>]]>

Artificial diets prepared with wheat germ, soybean protein, dextrosol, potato starch, sucrose, cellulose, soybean or sunflower oil, and vitamin solution for rearing Nezara viridula (L.) and Euschistus heros (Fabricius) were tested under controlled temperature (25 +/- 1 degrees C), RH (60 +/- 10%), and photophase (14h). Three diets were tested and compared with the natural diet privet [soybean and peanut seeds and privet Ligustrum lucidum Ait. fruit (Oleaceae)]. All three artificial diets allowed full development. The diet containing sunflower oil was the most suitable for N. viridula while E. heros developed better on a diet composed of soybean oil. Data indicated that the artificial diets were inferior to the natural diet. The artificial diets were more adequate for E. heros.

Influence of Washing on Metal Concentrations in Leaf Tissue

The possible effect of washing leaf tissue on metal concentrations was studied in four ornamental plants (Nerium oleander L., Ficus microcarpa L. f., Ligustrum lucidum Ait. f., and Duranta repens L.). Elements determined were aluminum (Al), barium (Ba), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), magnesium (Mg), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), and vanadium (V). A portion of each studied sample was washed with distilled water, while the remainder of the sample was not washed. Significant differences in metal concentration between washed and unwashed samples were observed in some species. Washing effects differed with species and contaminants. The results are discussed in relation to leaf characteristics and to contaminant chemical properties.

Determination of mannitol and three sugars in Ligustrum lucidum Ait. by capillary electrophoresis with electrochemical detection

A method based on capillary electrophoresis with electrochemical detection has been developed for the separation and determination of mannitol, sucrose, glucose, and fructose in Ligustrum lucidum Ait. for the first time. Effects of several important factors such as the concentration of NaOH, separation voltage, injection time, and detection potential were investigated to acquire the optimum conditions. The detection electrode was a 300 μm diameter copper disc electrode at a working potential of +0.65 V (versus saturated calomel electrode (SCE)). The four analytes can be well separated within 13 min in a 40 cm length fused-silica capillary at a separation voltage of 12 kV in a 75 mM NaOH aqueous solution. The relation between peak current and analyte concentration was linear over about three orders of magnitude with detection limits ( S/ N = 3) ranging from 1 to 2 μM for all analytes. The proposed method has been successfully applied to monitor the mannitol and sugar contents in the plant samples at different growth stages with satisfactory assay results.

Ligustrum lucidum Ait. f. leaves as a bioindicator of the air-quality in a Mediterranean city.

The concentration of 11 elements, Ba, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn and V, have been determined in leaves of Ligistrum lucidum Ait. f. growing in Palermo, by simultaneous inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. A total of 72 samples from six different sites were investigated to deduce the bioindicator ability of this species. Differences were found in the element concentrations in the leaves from the different sites and, in general, anthropogenic pollutant patterns match traffic levels. This paper describes and discusses the spatio-variations of the different elements. Cluster analyses established three different groups giving an idea about the origins of the elements. Results demonstrate that this species is useful as a bioindicator in a Mediterranean climate, especially as it has the added advantage of being an evergreen tree.

MECC determination of oleanolic acid and ursolic acid isomers in Ligustrum lucidum Ait

In this paper, a novel method to separate and determine oleanolic acid and ursolic acid isomers in Ligustrum lucidum Ait was studied by micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography (MECC). The baseline separation of the two analytes were obtained on the condition that the buffer contained 15 mmol/l disodium hydrogen phosphate, 15 mmol/l disodium tetreborate, 10 mmol/l SDS and 5% (v/v) alcohol. The contents of the oleanolic acid and ursolic acid were determined in L. lucidum Ait, Folium photiniae and Flos campsis; they were 78.3 (R.S.D.=2.75%) and 20.7 mg/g (R.S.D.=2.97%), 27.9 (R.S.D.=3.67%) and 79.8 mg/g (R.S.D.=3.44%), 65.5 (R.S.D.=3.73%) and 60.4 mg/g (R.S.D.=4.06%) ( n=5), respectively. The recoveries of the analytes in the extract of L. lucidum Ait were 102% (R.S.D.=2.85%) for oleanolic acid and 104% (R.S.D.=3.21%) for ursolic acid ( n=5). With the emphasis on the effects of SDS and alcohol concentrations on the separation of the isomers were investigated.

Effects of herbal preparation Equiguard™ on hormone-responsive and hormone-refractory prostate carcinoma cells: Mechanistic studies

The Equiguard is a dietary supplement comprised of standardized extracts from nine herbs, respectively, Herba epimedium brevicornum Maxim (stem and leaves), Radix morindae officinalis (root), Fructus rosa laevigatae michx (fruit), Rubus chingii Hu (fruit), Schisandra chinensis (Turz.) Baill (fruit), Ligustrum lucidum Ait (fruit), Cuscuta chinensis Lam (seed), Psoralea corylifolia L. (fruit), and Astragalus membranaceus (Fisch.) Bge (root). This proprietary product, formulated according to Chinese traditional medicinal concepts, is aimed at restoring harmony in the <primordial (original) ying-yang> of the kidney, an organ which Chinese medicinal principles consider to be vital for invigorating as well as maintaining balance of the entire urological system. As the prostate is an integral component of the urological system, we performed in vitro studies to test the effects of ethanol extracts of Equiguard to modulate prostate growth and gene expression. These studies used prostate cancer cells mimicking the androgen-dependent (AD) and androgen-independent (AI) states of prostate carcinogenesis. Results show that Equiguard significantly reduced cancer cell growth, induced apoptosis, suppressed expression of the androgen receptor (AR) and lowered intracellular and secreted prostate specific antigen (PSA), and almost completely abolished colony forming abilities of prostate cancer cells. These data support the interpretation that this herbal formulation contains ingredients that collectively may be efficacious in preventing or treating AD and AI prostate carcinoma. The anti-prostatic activities of Equiguard may stem from its complex composition capable of targeting multiple signal transduction/metabolic pathways, to effectively correct, counteract or circumvent the impaired or dysfunctional mechanisms accompanying different stages of prostate carcinogenesis.

Hepatoprotective action of an oleanolic acid-enriched extract of Ligustrum lucidum fruits is mediated through an enhancement on hepatic glutathione regeneration capacity in mice.

The fruits of Ligustrum lucidum Ait. (FLL) were fractionated into petroleum ether (FLL-Pe), chloroform (FLL-Ch), butanol (FLL-Bu) and aqueous (FLL-Aq) fractions, of which FLL-Ch and FLL-Bu were found to be enriched with oleanolic acid (OLA). The in vivo antioxidant activities of various FLL fractions and OLA were assessed by examining the effect on carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4))-induced hepatotoxicity in mice. Pretreatment of animals with various FLL fractions could protect against CCl(4)-induced hepatotoxicity to a varying degree, with OLA-enriched FLL-Bu and FLL-Ch being more potent. However, a mortality rate of 60% was observed in the FLL-Ch pretreated and CCl(4)-intoxicated mice. OLA pretreatment also produced a dose-dependent protection against CCl(4) hepatotoxicity. The hepatoprotection afforded by FLL-Bu or OLA pretreatment was associated with an enhancement of hepatic-glutathione regeneration capacity (GRC). In contrast, the inability of FLL-Aq pretreatment to enhance hepatic GRC resulted in a failure to prevent CCl(4)-induced hepatic injury. The results suggest that the hepatoprotective action afforded by OLA-enriched FLL-Bu or OLA pretreatment may be mainly mediated by the enhancement of hepatic GRC, particularly under conditions of CCl(4)-induced oxidative stress.

Stink bugs (Heteroptera, Pentatomidae) and an unique host plant in the Brazilian subtropics

Stink bugs are seed/fruit sucking insects feeding on an array of host plants. Among them, an exotic tree called privet, Ligustrum lucidum Ait. (Oleaceae), is very common in the urban areas of the Brazilian subtropics, where it is utilized as food source and shelter for over a decem species of bugs, year round. The species composition, their performance and abundance on this host, and possible causes for this association are discussed and illustrated.

Descrição dos imaturos de Loxa deducta Walker e Pallantia macunaima Grazia (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) em Ligustro, Ligustrum lucidum Ait.

In this paper the description of the immature stages of Loxa deducta Walker and Pallantia macunaima Grazia (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) fed on privet, Ligustrum lucidum Ait. are offered as an aid to their taxonomic identification. The eggs and all five instars are illustrated.

Estudio de la composición química de las semillas y aceites seminales de &lt;i&gt;Ligustrum lucidum Ait&lt;/i&gt; y &lt;i&gt;Ligustrum sinense Lour&lt;/i&gt;

The fruits of Ligustrum lucidum Ait and Ligustrum sinense Lour were harvested in Olavarria (Province of Buenos Aires, Argentine). The seeds and extracted oils were analysed for characteristics and composition. The seed contained 8,7-10 and 10,7 % (dry basis), respectively. The physicochemical characteristics of the crude oils were: refractive index 1,4647 and 1,4640 (at 25oC), iodine value 93,7 and 88,8, saponification index 167 and 154, unsaponifiable matter 11 and 18 %, and free fatty acid content of 4,8 and 9,2 (mg KOH/g), respectively. Gas chromatographic analysis of the oils revealed high levels of oleic acid (57,8 and 51,10%), about 25,1 and 29,6 % of saturated acids, respectively, most of them consisting of palmitic acid, but they have a significant content of acid of more than 18 atoms of carbon. The residual seed meals contained low level of crude protein and of available lysine (2.45, 3.65, g/16g N, respectively). Total and phytic acid phosphorous, calcium, ash, crude fiber, and polysaccharides (non presence of starch) contents are reported.

Determination of rutin and quercetin in plants by capillary electrophoresis with electrochemical detection

A method based on capillary electrophoresis with electrochemical detection (CE-ED) was developed for the determination of daidzein, rutin and quercetin. The effects of some important factors such as the acidity and concentration of running buffer, separation voltage, injection time, and detection potential were investigated to acquire the optimum conditions. The working electrode was a 300 μm diameter carbon disc electrode positioned opposite the outlet of capillary. The three analytes could be well separated within 10 min in a 40 cm length capillary at a separation voltage of 12 kV in a 100 mmol/l borate buffer (BB, pH 9.0). The response was linear over three orders of magnitude with detection limits ( S/ N=3) ranged from 0.190×10 −6 to 0.434×10 −6 mol/l for all compounds. This proposed method demonstrated good long-term stability and reproducibility with relative standard deviations (R.S.D.) of less than 5% for both migration time and peak current ( n=7). It has been successfully applied for the determination of rutin and quercetin in Chinese traditional drug, Flos Sophorae buds and in the leaves of Ligustrum lucidum Ait. and Cinnamomum camphora (L.) Presl.

Diapause and different seasonal morphs of Euschistus heros (Fabr.) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) in Northern Paraná State

The Neotropical brown stink bug, Euschistus heros (Fabr.), was collected on sunflower [Helianthus annuus (L.)], soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merrill], star bristle [Acanthospermum hispidum (DC.)], and under fallen leaves of mango tree [Mangifera indica (L.)] and privet (Ligustrum lucidum Ait.), during one year, to evaluate the diapause incidence and the occurrence of different seasonal morphs. The majority of the insects (ca. 90%) with mature reproductive organs was observed during the summer (December-March), when E. heros was found on soybean or on sunflower; in the beginning of autumn, most insects (87%) showed immature reproductive organs, and they were found on star bristle and under fallen leaves. Bugs with mature reproductive organs had more developed shoulders (3.23 and 3.27 mm, for males and females, respectively) than bugs with immature organs (2.91 and 2.89 mm, for males and females, respectively). Two distinct body colors, dark brown and reddish brown, were observed. Nevertheless, the reddish brown was the predominant color of both mature and immature adults during all year. Adults were parasitized by Hexacladia smithii (Ashmead) (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) and Tachinidae mainly Trichopoda giacomellii (Blanchard) (Diptera: Tachinidae) (80% and 40% of parasitism in male and female, respectively) during summer (December), when the bugs colonized sunflower. In soybean, 12% of males and 10% of females were parasitized, whereas in fallen leaves, the parasitism rate was 5% in both sexes.These results showed that in autumn/winter (shorter photoperiod) the majority of the insects were inactive under fallen leaves, showing immature reproductive organs and less developed shoulders, indicating that, at this time, these bugs were in diapause.

High-Speed Separation of Oleanolic acid and Ursolic acid from the Fruit of Ligustrum Lucidum ait and Crataegus by Cyclodextrin-Modified Micellar Electrokinetic Chromatography

ABSTRACT A cyclodextrin-modified micellar electrokinetic chromatography (CD-MEKC) technique for determining oleanolic acid and ursolic acid in the fruit of Ligustrum lucidum Ait and Crataegus was developed. The two bio-active components were successfully separated within 4 minutes using a pH 8.5 sodium borate buffer containing 60mM SDS and 2mM γ-CD. The correlation coefficients of the linear calibration graphs for the analyses exceeded 0.9980. The effects of pH, SDS, γ-CD, sodium borate and temperature on separation were also investigated.

Studies on the constituents of Ligustrum species. XIX. Structures of iridoid glucosides from the leaves of Ligustrum lucidum AIT

Two new iridoid glucosides, named iso-8-epikingiside and 8-demethyl-7-ketologanin, were isolated together with 8-epikingiside, kingiside, ligustroside, 10-hydroxyligustroside, ligustaloside A and ligustaloside B from the leaves of Ligustrum lucidum AIT. (Oleaceae). The stereochemical structures of these new compounds were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic evidence.

Quantitative determination of salidroside and specnuezhenide in the fruits of Ligustrum lucidum Ait by high performance liquid chromatography

Quantitative determination of salidroside and specnuezhenide in the fruits of Ligustrum lucidum Ait by high performance liquid chromatography

Quantitative determination of salidroside and specnuezhenide in the fruits of Ligustrum lucidum Ait by high performance liquid chromatography.

An accurate RP-HPLC method for the quantitative determination of two water-soluble biologically active compounds, salidroside (p-hydroxyphenethyl-beta-D-glucoside) and specnuezhenide in the fruits of Ligustrum lucidum Ait (a crude drug in Chinese traditional medicine) was developed. The reversed-phase column was Nova-Pak C18, saturated with water before the injection of the samples and eluted with a mobile phase of methanol:water (4:6, v/v). The detection wavelength was 230 nm. The recoveries of the two compounds were 96.1 and 97.0%, respectively. The contents of salidroside and specnuezhenide in the fruits of Ligustrum lucidum Ait and two traditional Chinese patent medicines in which this crude drug was an important component, Erzhi Pills and Anshenbuxin Pills, were determined.

Exploring Chemical Variables in Ligustrum lucidum Ait. F. Tricolor (Rehd.) Rehd. in Relation to Air Pollutants and Environmental Conditions

/ A diagnostic study was done on Ligustrum lucidum Ait. f. tricolor (Rehd.) Rehd. in relation to atmospheric pollutants in Cordoba city, Argentina. The study area receives regional pollutants and was categorized taking into account traffic level, industrial density, type of industry, location of the sample point in relation to the street corner, treeless condition, and topographic level. Dried weight/fresh weight ratio (DW/FW) and specific leaf area (SLA) were calculated, and concentrations of chlorophylls, carotenoids, total sulfur, soluble proteins, malondialdehyde (MDA), and hydroperoxy conjugated dienes (HPCD) were determined in leaf samples. Sulfur content correlates positively with traffic density and SLA correlates negatively with some combinations of the categorical variables; MDA correlates positively with topographic level and total protein concentration correlates negatively with treeless condition. On the basis of our results, traffic, location of trees, type of industry, situation of a tree with respect to others, and topographic level are the environmental variables to bear in mind when selecting analogous sampling points in a passive monitoring program. An approximation to predict tree injury may be obtained by measuring DW/FW ratio, proteins, pigments, HPCD, and MDA as they are responsible for the major variability of data.KEY WORDS: L. lucidum Ait. f. tricolor (Rehd.) Rehd.; Air pollution; Sulfur accumulation; Pigments; Urban environment; Argentina

Differences in responses to urban air pollutants by Ligustrum lucidum Ait. and Ligustrum lucidum Ait. f. tricolor (Rehd.) Rehd.

This study examined the chemical response of Ligustrum lucidum Ait. and Ligustrum lucidum Ait. f. tricolor (Rehd.) Rehd. when exposed to different sources of atmospheric pollutants. Dry weight/fresh weight ratio, specific leaf area (SLA), sulfur content, chlorophyll concentration, carotenoids, soluble proteins, malondialdehyde (MDA) and hydroperoxy conjugated dienes (HPCD) were determined for leaf samples taken from different sites in the city of Córdoba, Argentina. These sites were categorized in terms of their traffic levels and industrial levels. Both L. lucidum as well as L. lucidum f. tricolor accumulated sulfur in their leaves in sites with high traffic levels, the former being the most sensitive to this type of pollution. Ligustrum lucidum exhibited significantly low concentrations of soluble proteins, in sites with high industrial pollution levels. Ligustrum lucidum f. tricolor did not exhibit a significant response to industrial pollution.

Separation of Bioactive Quadri-Terpenic Acids from the Fruit ofLigustrum LucidumAit by High-Speed Countercurrent Chromatography

Abstract High-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC) was used for the separation of quadri-terpenic acids from the fruit of Ligustrum lucidum Ait using a two-phase solvent system composed of hexane/ethyl acetate/methanol/water (3:6:2:1, v/v). From 250mg of the crude extract, the method yielded 87 mg of oleanolic acid at 91.5% purity and 58 mg of ursolic acid at 93.2% purity in about 2.5 h.