Seeds

Pollen immigration can offset the effects of genetic drift and inbreeding in small populations. To understand the genetic consequences of forest fragmentation, estimates of pollen flow into remnant fragments are essential. Such estimates are straightforward for plants with singly sired, multiseeded fruits, since the pollen donor genotype for each fruit can be unambiguously reconstructed through full-sib genealogical analyses. Allozyme analyses were used to estimate pollen donor numbers from the progeny of fruits of the tropical dry forest tree Enterolobium cyclocarpum in a small (9.8 ha) fragmented population (N = 11) over three reproductive seasons (1994, 1995, and 1996). These analyses indicate that each tree receives pollen from many pollen donors. When data are pooled for the site, estimated maximum pollen donor pool sizes in all years exceed the number of individuals (56) in the 227 ha study area. Although unidentified pollen donors may be located as close as 250 m to the study...

Peanut testae are potent sources of polyphenols. When the water extracts and acid hydrolysates of five different-colored testae were analyzed by HPLC, chromatograms monitored at 280 nm varied remarkably, whereas two major peaks in the chromatograms monitored at 530 nm were detected only in kernels having completely or partially black color. After acid hydrolysis of the extracts, cyanidin was detected in each of the hydrolysates. By respectively subjecting the black testae of raw and roasted (175°C for 20 min) kernels of a black colored cultivar to water extraction and HPLC analysis, a prominent peak was detected in both extracts. The structure of the substance under those peaks was identified by mass and NMR spectrometry as cyanidin 3-sambubioside in peanut testae for the first time. Subjection of cyanidin 3-sambubioside to antioxidation and anti-inflammation assessments revealed that it was a potent antioxidant and inhibitor of nitric oxide production.

The effect of the nonionic detergent polyethylene glycol octylphenyl ester (Triton X-100, TX-100) on the spring common wheat cultivar Alem was studied under laboratory and field conditions. Treatment of seeds and vegetating plants with 0.1 or 0.01% TX-100 (aqueous solution) changed the spike morphology in all plants of the first posttreatment generation. The changes were inherited by the second generation without additional treatment with TX-100. Square-headed dense spikes with doubled spikelets of the duospiculum type (an additional spikelet at the top of the main one), elongate dense and lax spikes, mid-dense spikes, and fusiform spikes were observed. An epigenetic nature was assumed for the observed changes.

The production of erythroidines and other alkaloids was studied in cotyledons, callus and cell suspension cultures of Erythrina americana Miller. The cell suspension cultures, grown in Murashige & Skoog medium with naphthaleneacetic acid (3 mg l(-1)) and kinetin (2 mg l(-1)), produced 89 and 17 microg alpha- and beta-erythroidines respectively per g dry wt.

31. We thank the officers and crew of the R/V Knorr for their outstanding support during the transatlantic VPR sampling. B. Walden provided facilities support for use of the VPR. F. Thwaites, A. Girard, and M. Alberico assisted in system deployment and operations. V. Kosnyrev provided daily altimetry maps and eddy positions to the ship based on data streams provided by R. Leben. J. Hummon processed the ship's acoustic Doppler current profiler data. We thank D. Capone, E. Carpenter, J. Waterbury, P. Falkowski, S. Dyhrman, E. Webb, and two anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments on this paper.

Cytoplasmic lipid droplets (LDs) are found in all types of plant cells; they are derived from the endoplasmic reticulum and function as a repository for neutral lipids, as well as serving in lipid remodelling and signalling. However, the mechanisms underlying the formation, steady-state maintenance and turnover of plant LDs, particularly in non-seed tissues, are relatively unknown. Previously, we showed that the LD-associated proteins (LDAPs) are a family of plant-specific, LD surface-associated coat proteins that are required for proper biogenesis of LDs and neutral lipid homeostasis in vegetative tissues. Here, we screened a yeast two-hybrid library using the Arabidopsis LDAP3 isoform as 'bait' in an effort to identify other novel LD protein constituents. One of the candidate LDAP3-interacting proteins was Arabidopsis At5g16550, which is a plant-specific protein of unknown function that we termed LDIP (LDAP-interacting protein). Using a combination of biochemical and cellu...

Central to the ecology and evolution of a broad range of plants is understanding why they routinely have submaximal reproduction manifested as low seed : ovule and fruit : flower ratios. We know much less about the processes responsible for low seed : ovule ratios than we do for fruit : flower ratios. Current hypotheses for low seed : ovule ratios are largely drawn from those for fruit : flower ratios, including proximate (ecological) causes of pollen limitation, resource limitation, and pollen quality, as well as the ultimate (evolutionary) hypothesis of ''bet hedging'' on stochastic pollination. Yet, such mechanisms operating on fruit : flower ratios at the whole-plant level may not best explain low seed : ovule ratios at the individual-flower level. We tested each of these proximate and ultimate causes for low seed : ovule ratios using the specialized pollination mutualism between senita cacti (Pachycereus schottii) and senita moths (Upiga virescens). Seed : ovule ratios were consistently low (;0.61). Such excess ovule production by senita likely has a strong genetic component given the significant differences among plants in ovule number and the consistency in ovule production by plants within and among flowering seasons. Excess ovule production and low seed : ovule ratios could not be explained by pollen limitation, resource limitation, pollen quality, or bet hedging. Nevertheless, phenotypic selection analyses did show significant selection gradients for increased ovule number, suggesting that other evolutionary processes may be responsible for excess ovule production and low seed : ovule ratios. In contrast, low fruit : flower ratios at the whole-plant level were explained by an apparent equilibrium between pollen and resource limitation. Thus, mechanisms responsible for low fruit : flower ratios at the whole-plant level are not necessarily in accord with those of low seed : ovule ratios at the individual-flower level. This suggests that we may need to adopt a more pluralistic approach to seed : ovule ratios and consider alternative hypotheses, including a greater array of proximate and ultimate causes. Initial results of this study suggest that floral allometry, selection on correlated floral traits, stigma clogging with pollen grains, and style clogging with pollen tubes may provide promising avenues for understanding low seed : ovule ratios.

Angiogenesis plays a central role in wound healing. Among many known growth factors, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is believed to be the most prevalent, efficacious, and long-term signal that is known to stimulate angiogenesis in wounds. The wound site is rich in oxidants, such as hydrogen peroxide, mostly contributed by neutrophils and macrophages. We proposed that oxidants in the wound microenvironment support the repair process. Proanthocyanidins or condensed tannins are a group of biologically active polyphenolic bioflavonoids that are synthesized by many plants. Previously we have reported that a grape seed proanthycyanidin extract containing 5000 ppm resveratrol (GSPE) potently upregulates oxidant and tumor necrosis factor-␣ inducible VEGF expression in human keratinocytes (Free Radic. Biol. Med. 31:38 -42, 2001). Our current objective was to follow up on that finding and test whether GSPE influences dermal wound healing in vivo. First, using a VEGF promoter-driven luciferase reporter construct we observed that the potentiating effect of GSPE on inducible VEGF expression is at the transcriptional level. The reporter assay showed that GSPE alone is able to drive VEGF transcription. Next, two dermal excisional wounds were inflicted on the back of mice and the wounds were left to heal by secondary intention. Topical application of GSPE accelerated wound contraction and closure. GSPE treatment was associated with a more well-defined hyperproliferative epithelial region, higher cell density, enhanced deposition of connective tissue, and improved histological architecture. GSPE treatment also increased VEGF and tenascin expression in the wound edge tissue. Tissue glutathione oxidation and 4-hydroxynonenal immunostaining results supported that GSPE application enhanced the oxidizing environment at the wound site. Oxidants are known to promote both VEGF as well as tenascin expression. In summary, our current study provides firm evidence to support that topical application of GSPE represents a feasible and productive approach to support dermal wound healing.

Sunflower is a traditional crop which can be used for the production of bioenergy and liquid biofuels. A study of the pyrolytic behaviour of sunflower residues at temperatures from 300 to 600°C has been carried out. The experiments were performed in a captive sample reactor under atmospheric pressure and helium as sweeping gas. The yields of the derived pyrolysis products were determined in relation to temperature, with constant sweeping gas flow of 50 cm 3 min À1 and heating rate of 40°C s À1 . The maximum gas yield of around 53 wt.% was obtained at 500°C, whereas maximum oil yield of about 21 wt.% was obtained at 400°C. A simple first order kinetic model has been applied for the devolatilization of biomass. Kinetic constants have been estimated: E = 78.15 kJ mol À1 ; k 0 = 1.03 · 10 3 s À1 .

Pumpkin-seed oil (PSO), a natural supplement rich with antioxidant ingredients, was given to rats in which arthritis was induced using Freund's complete adjuvant. Its effect was compared with that of indomethacin, as a classical anti-inflammatory agent. Two experimental patterns were studied, an acute phase that was applied only with PSO and a chronic phase applied for both PSO and indomethacin.

Various systems of anther and microspore cultures were studied to establish an efficient doubled haploid production method for Indonesian hot pepper (Capsicum annuum L.). A shed-microspore culture protocol was developed which outperformed all the previously reported methods of haploid production in pepper. The critical factors of the protocol are: selection of flower buds with more than 50% late unicellular microspores, a 1 day 4°C pretreatment of the buds, followed by culture of the anthers in double-layer medium system for 1 week at 9°C and thereafter at 28°C in continuous darkness. The medium contained Nitsch components and 2% maltose, with 1% activated charcoal in the solid under layer and 2.5 μM zeatin and 5 μM indole-3-acetic acid in the liquid upper layer. All the ten genotypes of hot pepper tested, responded to this protocol. The best genotypes produced four to seven plants per original flower bud. This protocol can be used as a potential tool for producing doubled haploid palnt sfor hot pepper breeding.

5-Hydroxytryptophan (1) is a naturally occurring amino acid found in significant levels in seeds of Griffonia simplicifolia and used in the treatment of the numerous effects of serotonin deficiency syndrome. An HPLC method has been developed for the direct assay of 1 in seeds of G. simplicifolia which overcomes the problems associated with previous techniques. By optimising the solvent extraction procedures and the HPLC conditions, levels of 1 could be estimated following a single-step seed extraction. The chromatographic conditions, solvent system and the extraction technique developed make this method relatively simple, fast and efficient. Using the described methods, the highest ever levels of 1 (namely, 20.83% on a fresh weight basis) have been determined in seeds of G. simplicifolia obtained in Ghana.

Artificial regeneration of forests through planting requires high quantities of quality seeds for growing vigorous seedlings. These seedlings are raised in nurseries, where germination capacity (GC) and speed are the most important germination parameters. Germination performance is enhanced by prescribing species-specific dormancy-breaking treatments to individual seedlots in bare-root and container nurseries. For most conifer species in British Columbia, the dormancy-breaking treatments and germination conditions have been worked out, but fine-tuning and optimization could improve germination capacity and speed of germination. Implications of inter- and intra-species variations in germination behaviour and seed quality and their influence on the development of unintentional directional selection of specific genotypes are discussed. The potential of molecular and genomics approaches to understand the underlying biology of seed germination-related problems is also discussed.

Some posttranslational processes that occur in embryos of germinating triticale caryopses treated with different concentrations of abscisic acid (ABA) were examined. ABA increased the ratio of cytoskeleton-bound polysomes in the total population of polysomes and depressed the share of free and membrane-bound polysomes. Using exogenous RNase, stability of the total polysomal population as well as each polysomal fraction was investigated. The total extractable polysomes isolated from embryonic tissues of germinating triticale caryopses treated with ABA were more stable than the polysomes isolated from the control sample caryopses. The contribution of the polysomes that were not digested by RNase was increased by higher concentrations of ABA applied during germination. At high concentrations of ABA (50, 100 µM), the quantitative contribution of polysomes in the total ribosomal fraction was almost 100% of the amount of polysomes before digestion and the modifications observed consisted mainly of the shift of the so-called heavy polysomes towards light polysomes, containing a few ribosomes. Within each polysomal population, cytoskeleton-bound polysomes (CBP and CMBP) were the most stable, which may imply that the bonds between polysomes and these protein filaments, created in all eukaryotic cells increased their stability. It is assumed that mRNAs are stabilised or destabilised by interaction of proteins with their various sequences. A plant hormone may depress or elevate the quantities of these proteins, thus regulating the stability of different mRNAs. The results confirm the multi-faceted mechanism of ABA-induced response, where one of the constituents is the effect of ABA on the stability of mRNAs molecules. The co-ordinated regulation of mRNAs synthesis and their stability provide plants with improved adaptability.

Background: Bodhi beads are a Buddhist prayer item made from seeds. Bodhi beads have a large and emerging market in China, and demand for the beads has particularly increased in Buddhism regions, especially Tibet. Many people have started to focus on and collect Bodhi beads and to develop a Bodhi bead culture. But no research has examined the source plants of Bodhi beads. Therefore, ethnobotanical surveys were conducted in six provinces of China to investigate and document Bodhi bead plants. Reasons for the development of Bodhi bead culture were also discussed. Methods: Six provinces of China were selected for market surveys. Information was collected using semi-structured interviews, key informant interviews, and participatory observation with traders, tourists, and local residents. Barkhor Street in Lhasa was focused on during market surveys because it is one of the most popular streets in China. Results: Forty-seven species (including 2 varieties) in 19 families and 39 genera represented 52 types of Bodhi beads that were collected. The most popular Bodhi bead plants have a long history and religious significance. Most Bodhi bead plants can be used as medicine or food, and their seeds or fruits are the main elements in these uses. 'Bodhi seeds' have been historically used in other countries for making ornaments, especially seeds of the legume family. Many factors helped form Bodhi bead culture in China, but its foundation was in Indian Buddhist culture. Conclusions: As one of the earliest adornment materials, seeds played an important role for human production and life. Complex sources of Bodhi beads have different cultural and historical significance. People bought and collected Bodhi beads to reflect their love and admiration for the plants. Thus, the documentation of Bodhi bead plants can serve as a basis for future investigation of Bodhi bead culture and modern Buddhist culture.

The use of OFMSW for biogas and compost production is considered as a sustainable strategy in saving valuable landfill space while producing valuable product for soil application. This study examines the effects of anaerobic and aerobic post-treatment of OFMSW on the stability of anaerobic digestate and compost and soil quality using seed germination tests. Anaerobic digestion of OFMSW was carried out for fifteen days after which the residual anaerobic digestate was subjected to aerobic post-treatment for seventy days. Seed germination tests showed that fresh feedstock and digestates collected during anaerobic digestion and during the early stages of aerobic post-treatment were phytotoxic. However, phytotoxic effects were not observed in soils amended with the fully stabilised anaerobic digestate compost, ADC. It was also found that seed germination increases with dilution and incubation time, suggesting that lower soil application rates and longer lag periods between soil application of ADC and planting can reduce the amount of biodegradable organics in the ADC, thus enhancing the benefits of ADC as soil amendment.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the major, immune-mediated, demyelinating neurodegenerative disease of the central nervous system (CNS). Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) is a well-established animal model of MS. The aim of the present study was to investigate the protective and ameliorative effects of N. sativa seeds (2.8 g/kg body weight) in EAE-induced Wistar rats. EAE-induced rats were divided into: 1-EAE-induced rats ("EAE" group). 2-"N. sativa + EAE" group received daily oral administration of N. sativa 2 weeks prior EAE induction until the end of the experiment. 3-"EAE + N. sativa" group received daily oral administration of N. sativa after the appearance of first clinical signs until the end of the experiment. All animals were decapitated at the 28th day post EAE-induction. EAE was investigated using histopathological, immunohistochemical and ultrastructural examinations in addition to determination of some oxidative stress parameters i...

Virgin argan oil, which is harvested from argan fruit kernels, constitutes an alimentary source of substances of nutraceutical value. Chemical composition and oxidative stability of argan oil prepared from argan kernels roasted for different times were evaluated and compared with those of beauty argan oil that is prepared from unroasted kernels. Prolonged roasting time induced colour development and increased phosphorous content whereas fatty acid composition and tocopherol levels did not change. Oxidative stability data indicate that kernel roasting for 15 to 30 min at 110°C is optimum to preserve virgin argan oil nutritive properties.

This prospective study involved supplementing 18 normal dogs with fax seed (FLX) and sunfower seed (SUN) and evaluating their efects on skin and hair coat condition scores and serum polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) concentrations. Skin and hair coat were evaluated in a double blinded fashion using a numeric scoring system and serum PUFA concentrations were determined. Our hypothesis was that changes in serum PUFA concentrations are associated with improvements in skin and hair coat and that serum PUFA would provide an objective method for making dietary fatty acid supplement recommendations. Although a numerical improvement was found in hair coat quality in both groups, this improvement was not sustained beyond 28 days. The relative per cent of 18:3n 3 concentrations in serum phospholipids increased in the FLX treated dogs but these concentrations remained unchanged in the SUN treated dogs. Also, elevations in relative per cent of 18:2n 6 concentrations in serum phospholipids were seen in the FLX group. The ratio of serum polyunsaturated to saturated fatty acids also showed a transient increase. These increases preceded the peak skin condition score peak value by approximately 14 days. It was concluded that a 1 month supplementation with either fax seed or sunfower seed in dogs provides temporary improvement in skin and hair coat. These changes appeared to be associated with increased serum 18 carbon PUFA.

The present work explores antimutagenic and antioxidant potential as well as total phenolics of aqueous and acidified methanol extractable components from clove (Syzygium aromaticum L.) seed. The magnitude of antimutagenic activity of clove seed extracts (CSE) against two mutant bacterial strains: S. typhimurium TA98 and S. typhimurium TA100 (Ames bacterial test) ranged from 34.11-79.74%. Antioxidant activity in terms of measurement of DPPH radical scavenging capacity and inhibition of linoleic acid peroxidation was noted to be 71.16-94.58% and 54.96-86.89%, respectively. CSE also exhibited an appreciable amount of total phenolics with contribution between 22.80 and 115.33 GAE mg/100g. A strong correlation between total phenolics and tested biological activities were recorded. The results of this study advocate that clove seed can be explored as a viable source of bioactives for the development of chemotherapeutic drugs against cancer in addition to acting as nutraceutical and funct...

Maize (Zea mays L.) is the most important cereal food crop in sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America, and a key feed crop in Asia, whereas pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.) is a staple food that supplies a major proportion of calories and protein to large segments of the populations living in the semiarid tropical regions of Africa and Asia. The limitations of biological gene transfer with Agrobacterium tumefaciens specifically related to recalcitrant cereal crops, led to the development of alternative methods of which high-velocity microprojectiles, biolistic genetic transfer is the most successful and also the most widely employed. Agrobacterium facilitated transformation is the method of choice especially for deregulation of commercial transgenic food crop products, but biolistic-mediated transformation is still valid for proof of concept and functional genomics applications. Biolistic-mediated transformation and the production of transgenic plantlets via somatic embryogenesis of two maize strains viz. Hi-II (a laboratory strain) and M37W (a South African elite white maize genotype) as well as a pearl millet strain (842B) are described in this chapter. The stages described include: (1) proliferation of immature zygotic embryos for biolistic-mediated transformation, (2) induction and maintenance of transgenic embryogenic tissue on selection medium; (3) maturation (both morphological and physiological) of transgenic somatic embryos; and (4) germination of the somatic embryos to putative transgenic primary events. Maize and pearl millet cultures were regenerated via somatic embryogenesis as they are bipolar structures that shoot and root simultaneously. The culture media described in this chapter rarely induced or regenerated plantlets via organogenesis.

The aim of this study was to determine the dioecious or monoecious condition of Fitzroya cupressoides and Pilgerodendron uviferum. The study area lies west of the Nahuel Huapi National Park in northern Patagonia (Argentina), where these species form mixed stands. One hundred individuals of each species were studied over three successive years. The nature and position in the crown of their reproductive organs were recorded. Results showed that both species are dioecious. This feature has been confirmed on trees of these species growing in other sites within their natural distribution area in Argentina and Chile.

Pulsed systems are characterized by boom and bust cycles of resource production that are expected to cascade through multiple trophic levels. Many of the consumers within pulsed resource systems have specific adaptations to cope with these cycles that may serve to either amplify or dampen their community-wide consequences. We monitored a seed predator, the eastern chipmunk (Tamias striatus), in an American beech (Fagus grandifolia) dominated forest, and used capture-mark-recapture analyses to estimate chipmunk vital rates and relate them to interannual variation in beech seed production. The summer activity and reproduction of adults anticipated autumn beech production, with high activity and intense reproduction occurring in summers prior to beech masts. Chipmunks also reproduced every spring following a beech mast. However, adult survival was independent of beech production. In contrast, juvenile survival was lower in years of mast failure than in years of mast production, but their activity was consistently high and independent of beech production. Population growth was strongly affected by the number of juveniles and therefore by beech seed production, which explains nearly 70% of variation in population growth. Our results suggest that a combination of resource-dependent reproduction and variable activity levels associated with anticipation and response to resource pulses allows consumers to buffer potential deleterious effects of low food abundance on their survival.

The cytolytic seed protein enterolobin from seeds ofEnterolobium contortisiliquumwas purified by using FPLC on a Mono Q column giving a single peak in capillary electrophoresis. The complete amino acid sequence of the plant cytolysin was determined by an automated method, yielding a molecular mass of 54,806 Da. Databank searches and sequence alignment demonstrated a high degree of sequence identity and

The paper describes the purification, structural characterization and inhibitory properties of a trypsin inhibitor from Lupinus albus L., a leguminous plant believed to be devoid of any protease inhibitor. The protein has been isolated by a newly set-up procedure and characterized by direct amino acid sequencing, MALDI-TOF mass spectroscopy and circular dichroism. Inhibitory properties toward bovine trypsin and chymotrypsin, as well as its thermal and pH stabilities, have been also assessed. The inhibitor is 63 amino acid long (M r 6858; pI 8.22) and it is capable to inhibit two trypsin molecules simultaneously, with a Kd of 4.2 ± 0.4 nM, but not chymotrypsin. BLAST search against UniProtKB/TrEMBL database indicates that the inhibitor belongs to the Bowman-Birk inhibitor (BBI) family. The interest in these serineprotease inhibitors arises from the ability to prevent or suppress carcinogen-induced transformation, as shown in various in vitro and in vivo model systems.

The event chain leading to germination blockage in durum wheat (Triticum turgidum ssp. durum Desf.) seeds exposed to the allelochemical coumarin (2H-chromen-2-one) was studied. The physiological and biochemical aspects thought to be critical for a successful seed germination were measured. At concentrations above 200 2M, coumarin inhibited seed germination in a concentration-dependent manner. Inhibition occurred early during seed imbibition (phase I), was rapid, and irreversible. During phase I, coumarin inhibited water uptake, electrolyte retention capacity, and O 2 consumption. Later on, coumarin delayed the reactivation of peroxidases, enhanced the activity of superoxide dismutase, decreased the activities of selected marker enzymes for metabolic resumption, and repressed the transcription of molecular chaperons involved in secretory pathways. Insufficient and/or late seed rehydration caused by coumarin could have delayed membrane stabilization or decreased respiratory O 2 consumption, both of which are conducive to an overproduction of reactive O 2 species. Being unbalanced by an adequate upsurge of antioxidant defense systems, the resulting oxidative stress might have ultimately interfered with the germination program.

Cholera toxin, secreted by Vibrio cholerae, consists of A and B subunits. The latter binds to G M1 -ganglioside receptors as a pentamer (∼55 kDa). Tomato plants were transformed with the gene encoding cholera toxin B subunit (ctxB) along with an endoplasmic reticulum retention signal (SEKDEL) under the control of the CaMV 35S promoter via Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. PCR and Southern analysis confirmed the presence of the ctxB gene in transformed tomato plants. Northern analysis showed the presence of the ctxB-specific transcript. Immunoblot assays of the plant-derived protein extract showed the presence of cholera toxin subunit B (CTB) with mobility similar to purified CTB from V. cholerae. Both tomato leaves and fruits expressed CTB at levels up to 0.02 and 0.04% of total soluble protein, respectively. The G M1 -ELISA showed that the plant-derived CTB bound specifically to G M1 -ganglioside receptor, suggesting that it retained its native pentameric form. This study forms a basis for exploring the utility of CTB to develop tomato-based edible vaccines against cholera.

The role of tomato seed and root exudate sugars as nutrients for Pseudomonas biocontrol bacteria was studied. To this end, the major exudate sugars of tomato seeds, seedlings and roots were identi®ed and quanti®ed using high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) analysis. Glucose, fructose and maltose were present in all studied growth stages of the plant, but the ratios of these sugars were strongly dependent on the developmental stage. In order to study the putative role of exudate sugar utilization in rhizosphere colonization, two approaches were adopted. First, after co-inoculation on germinated tomato seeds, the root-colonizing ability of the ef®cient root-colonizing P.¯uorescens strain WCS365 in a gnotobiotic quartz sand±plant nutrient solution system was compared with that of other Pseudomonas biocontrol strains. No correlation was observed between the colonizing ability of a strain and its ability to use the major exudate sugars as the only carbon and energy source. Secondly, a Tn5lacZ mutant of P.¯uorescens strain WCS365, strain PCL1083, was isolated, which is impaired in its ability to grow on simple sugars, including those found in exudate. The mutation appeared to reside in zwf, which encodes glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase. The mutant grows as well as the parental strain on other media, including tomato root exudate. After inoculation of germinated sterile tomato seeds, the mutant cells reached the same population levels at the root tip as the wild-type strain, both alone and in competition, indicating that the ability to use exudate sugars does not play a major role in tomato root colonization, despite the fact that sugars have often been reported to represent the major exudate carbon source. This conclusion is supported by the observation that the growth of mutant PCL1083 in vitro is inhibited by glucose, a major exudate sugar, at a concentration of 0.001%, which indicates that the glucose concentration in the tomato rhizosphere is very low.

Grape seeds are a rich source of polyphenols, especially proanthocyanidins (PACs), and are also known for the presence of galloylated oligomeric PACs (OPACs). The present study focuses on the phytochemical methodology for grape seed (O)PACs and their potential role as dentin biomodifiers to be used in restorative and reparative dentistry. A new method using centrifugal partition chromatography (CPC) was developed for the preparative separation of the grape seed (O)PACs. Orthogonal phytochemical profiling of the resulting CPC fractions was performed using C18 and diol HPLC, normal phase HPTLC, and IT-TOF MS analysis. A galloylated procyanidin dimer (1) was isolated from a CPC fraction in order to evaluate its potential to enhance dentin biomechanical properties. Moreover, it helped to evaluate the impact of the galloyl moiety on the observed bioactivity. Structure elucidation was performed using ESI-MS, 1D and 2D NMR analyses. For the first time, 1 H iterative full spin analysis (HiFSA) was performed on this type of molecule, enabling a detailed proton chemical shift and coupling constant assignment. The CPC fractions as well as 1 showed promising results in the dentin stiffness bioassay and indicate that they may be used as dental intervention biomaterial.

A 24 kDa protein was isolated from tartary buckwheat seeds by using chromatography of Superdex 75 gel filtration and Resource Q ion-exchange column. SDS-PAGE and Sephacryl S-200 gel filtration were used to provide information about the molecular mass of the protein purified from tartary buckwheat. The protein was composed of 215 amino acid residues and showed strong IgE binding activity in an ELISA test to the sera colleted from two patients allergic to buckwheat. These results suggested that the purified 24 kDa protein from tartary buckwheat seeds was an important functional protein and was relatively specific for buckwheatallergic patients. It should be a very useful tool in the diagnosis of buckwheat allergy in the future.

New tools, such as ordered mutant libraries, microarrays and sequence based comparative maps, are available for genetic and genomic studies of legumes that are being used to shed light on seed production, the objective of most arable farming. The new information and understanding brought by these tools are revealing the biological processes that underpin and impact on seed production.

The biopesticide Spinosad controls many insect pests of stored-food products. Laboratory and Þeld trials were carried out to determine the efÞcacy of this pesticide against the cowpea weevil, Callosobruchus maculatus (F.) (Coleoptera: Bruchidae), the main storage pest of cowpea, Vigna unguiculata, Walp, in West Africa. In the laboratory, Spinosad caused high mortality of adult C. maculatus and decreased the number of eggs laid by females. Spinosad, however, was less toxic in the 24 h treatment to C. maculatus than deltamethrin, an insecticide commonly used in Burkina Faso to control this insect. In "on-farm" experiments, Spinosad was effective in controlling C. maculatus. After 6 mo of storage, the number of insects emerging from cowpeas seeds was reduced by Ͼ80% by coating seeds with Spinosad but only by 43% by coating with deltamethrin. Less than 20% of the seeds were perforated in the Spinosad treatment compared with 29% for deltamethrin. Spinosad controlled C. maculatus throughout the 6 mo of cowpea storage whereas deltamethrin failed to control C. maculatus after 3 mo of storage. Spinosad has the potential to be more effective in controlling C. maculatus than deltamethrin.

The objective of this study is to evaluate disease modifying efficacy and safety of a standardized extract of Trigonella foenum-graecum L, Fenugreek (IBHB) (family Fabaceae) as a nutritional adjuvant to Levo-dopa (L-Dopa) in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. We conducted double-blind placebo-controlled proof of concept clinical study of IBHB capsules (300 mg, twice daily) with matching placebo for 6 months of period in 50 patients of PD stabilized on L-Dopa therapy. The efficacy outcome measures were the scores of Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS - total and its subsections), and Hoehn and Yahr (H&Y) staging at baseline and end of 6-months treatment duration. Safety evaluation included haematology, biochemistry, urinalysis parameters and adverse event monitoring. Total UPDRS scores in IBHB treatment (0.098%) showed slower rise as opposed to steep rise (13.36%) shown by placebo. Further, Clinically Important Difference for total UPDRS scores and scores of motor subsection of UPDRS was found to be 5.3 and 4.8, respectively, in favour of IBHB treatment. Similar improvement was shown by IBHB in terms of H&Y staging as compared with placebo. IBHB was found to have excellent safety and tolerability profile. In conclusion, IBHB can be useful adjuvant treatment with L-Dopa in management of PD patients.

The importance of breakfast cereal flakes (BCF) in Western diets deserves an understanding of changes in their mechanical properties and microstructure that occur during soaking in a liquid (that is, milk or water) prior to consumption. The maximum rupture force (RF) of 2 types of breakfast flaked products (BFP)--corn flakes (CF) and quinoa flakes (QF)--were measured directly while immersed in milk with 2% of fat content (milk 2%) or distilled water for different periods of time between 5 and 300 s. Under similar soaking conditions, QF presented higher RF values than CF. Soaked flakes were freeze-dried and their cross section and surface examined by scanning electron microscopy. Three consecutive periods (fast, gradual, and slow reduction of RF) were associated with changes in the microstructure of flakes. These changes were more pronounced in distilled water than in milk 2%, probably because the fat and other solids in milk become deposited on the flakes' surface hindering liqu...

N′-Nitrosonornicotine (NNN) is one of the most abundant strong carcinogens in unburned tobacco and cigarette smoke and is classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer as carcinogenic to humans. Human exposure to NNN mainly occurs upon use of tobacco products. It is also possible that additional amounts of NNN are formed endogenously. The goal of this study was to evaluate the inhibitory effect of some antioxidants, including ascorbic acid and grape seed extract (GSE), on endogenous NNN formation in rats treated with nornicotine and sodium nitrite by gavage twice daily for 3 days. The study included four groups of rats: (1) negative control group A, to which no chemical was administered; (2) negative control group B, treated with nornicotine alone (2.5 µmol per gavage); (3) positive control group, to which both nornicotine (2.5 µmol per gavage) and sodium nitrite (7.5 µmol per gavage) were administered; and (4) rats treated with nornicotine (2.5 µmol per gavage), inhibitor (7.5 or 37.5 µmol per gavage), and sodium nitrite (7.5 µmol per gavage). The mean ((SD) total amount of NNN in the 3-day urine of rats treated with both nornicotine and sodium nitrite was 4.78 ( 2.88 nmol. The order of inhibition of endogenous NNN formation in rats at the molar ratio [nitrite]:[inhibitor] 1:5 was as follows: ascorbic acid (91%) > dihydroxyfumaric acid (86%) ≈ catechin (85%) > resveratrol (no inhibition). Treatment of rats with grape seed extract did not produce statistically significant inhibition of endogenous nornicotine nitrosation. This is the first study that demonstrates endogenous NNN formation in rats treated with nornicotine and sodium nitrite and effective inhibition of this process by ascorbic acid, dixydroxyfumaric acid, and catechin.

Herbage yield of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) depends on forage management or environmental conditions that change C and N resource acquisition, and endogenous plants factors such as root organic reserves and number of active meristems. The aim of this work is to study the influence of two sowing dates in summer (12 July or 9 August), N fertilization (0 or 100 kg ha À1 ) anduor irrigation applied during the first year of alfalfa establishment on (i) the accumulation of N organic reserves (soluble proteins and more specifically vegetative storage protein) in taproots during autumn, (ii) the number of crown axillary meristems present at the end of winter and (iii) the dynamics of spring shoot growth. Delaying the sowing date for one month reduced root growth and root N storage, especially vegetative storage proteins (VSP) during autumn. Irrespective of sowing dates, N fertilization did not affect root biomass, number of crown buds, total root N, root soluble protein or VSP concentrations. By contrast, water deficiency during alfalfa establishment in the early summer reduced both root growth and N reserve accumulation. When spring growth resumed, there is a significant linear relationship between leaf area development and soluble protein and VSP concentrations in taproots, and also the number of crown buds. The results showed that an early sowing date and adequate water status during the summer allowed alfalfa plants to accumulate N reserves by increasing taproot mass and soluble protein concentrations, especially VSPs. This resulted in rapid shoot regrowth rates the following spring.

Almond is characterized by its high nutritional value; although information reported so far mainly concerns edible kernel. Even though the nutritional and commercial relevance of the almond is restricted to almond meat; to date; increasing attention has been paid to other parts of this fruit (skin; shell; and hull); considered by-products that are scarcely characterized and exploited regarding their properties as valuable sources of bioactive compounds (mainly represented by phenolic acids and flavonoids). This lack of proper valorization procedures entails the continuation of the application of traditional procedures to almond residues that nowadays are mainly addressed to livestock feed and energy production. In this sense; data available on the physicochemical and phytochemical composition of almond meat and its related residues suggest promising applications; and allow one to envisage new uses as functional ingredients towards value-added foods and feeds; as well as a source of bioactive phytochemicals to be included in cosmetic formulations. This objective has prompted investigators working in the field to evaluate their functional properties and biological activity. This approach has provided interesting information concerning the capacity of polyphenolic extracts of almond by-products to prevent degenerative diseases linked to oxidative stress and inflammation in human tissues and cells; in the frame of diverse pathophysiological situations. Hence; this review deals with gathering data available in the scientific literature on the phytochemical composition and bioactivity of almond by-products as well as on their bioactivity so as to promote their functional application.

One hundred samples of tomato seeds were collected in 2011 and 2012 from tomato-cultivated fields in Saudi Arabia and screened for their seed-borne mycoflora. A total of 30 genera and 57 species of fungi were recovered from the collected seed samples using agar plate and deep-freezing blotter methods. The two methods differed as regards the frequency of recovered seed-borne fungi. Seven fungi among those recovered from tomato seeds, which are known as plant pathogens, were tested for their pathogenicity and transmission on tomato seedlings. The recovery rate of these pathogens gradually decreased from root up to the upper stem, and did not reach to the stem apex. The distribution of tomato seed-borne fungi was also investigated throughout Saudi Arabia. In this concern, Al-Madena governorate recorded the highest incidence of fungal flora associated with tomato seeds. The impact of meteorological variables on the distribution of tomato seed-borne mycoflora was explored using the ordination technique (canonical correspondence analysis). Among all climatic factors, relative humidity was the most influential variable in this regard. Our findings may provide a valuable contribution to our understanding of future global disease change and may be used also to predict disease occurrence and fungal transfer to new uninfected areas.

Antigens derived from various pathogens can readily be synthesized at high levels in plants in their authentic forms. Such antigens administered orally can induce an immune response and, in some cases, result in protection against a subsequent challenge. We here report the expression of rabies virus G protein into carrots. The G gene was subcloned into the pUCpSSrabG vector and then used to transform carrot embryogenic cells by particle bombardment. The carrot cells were selected in liquid medium, a method previously unreported. The presence of the transgene was verified by PCR, and by RT-PCR. By western blot, G protein transgene was identified in 93.3% of adult carrot roots. The G protein was quantified by densitometric analysis (range 0.4-1.2%). The expressed protein was antigenic in mice. This confirms that the carrot is an adequate system for antigen expression.

Policosanol (PC) is the common name for a mixture of high molecular weight (20-36 carbon) aliphatic primary alcohols, which are constituents of plant epicuticular waxes. Wheat germ oil has been reported to improve human physical fitness, and this effect is attributed to its high PC, specifically its high octacosanol (OC) content. Although the PC composition of wheat leaves has been studied extensively, information on PC content and composition of wheat grain fractions is scarce. The objective of this study was to examine the PC contents and compositions of wheat grain fractions of 31 varieties grown in Oklahoma. PC compositions of the samples were identified using a gas chromatograph coupled with a mass spectrometer. The PC content of wheat bran was higher than that of the germ, shorts, and flour. The Trego and Intrada varieties had the highest PC content among the 31 wheat varieties studied. Tetracosanol (C24), hexacosanol (C26), and OC (C28) were the major PC components in all varieties. This study showed that wheat varieties grown under identical growing conditions and management differ significantly in PC content and composition.

Background: Seed germination is of immense significance for agriculture and has been studied for centuries. Yet, our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying regulation of dormancy and germination is still in its infancy. Gibberellins are the key phytohormones that promote germination, and the DELLA protein RGL2 is the main signalling intermediate involved in this response. Germination is completely inhibited if functional RGL2 is overexpressed and/or stabilized; however, the molecular mechanisms of RGL2 function are still largely unknown. We therefore attempted to shed light onto some of the genetic events downstream of RGL2. Results: Gene ontology of the transcriptome differentially regulated by RGL2, as well as extensive cross-comparison with other available microarray data indicates that RGL2-mediated inhibition of germination causes seeds to enter a state of dormancy. RGL2 also appears to differentially regulate a number of transcription factors, many of which are known to be involved in light-or phytohormone-mediated aspects of germination. A promoter analysis of differentially expressed genes identified an enrichment of several motifs that can be bound by specific transcription factors, for example GAMYB, ARF1, or Dof-type zinc fingers. We show that Dof-binding motifs indeed play a role in RGL2-mediated transcription. Using Chromatin Immunoprecipitation (ChIP), we show that RGL2 directly downregulates at least one cell wall modifying enzyme, which is predicted to constrain cell growth thereby leading to inhibition of seed germination.