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Two species of genus Pueraria ((Pueraria lobata (synonym: Pueraria montana var. lobata) and Pueraria mirifica (synonym: Pueraria candollei var. mirifica)) are traditional plants used in medicine since ancient times. These plants have been used and became commercially crucial indigenous medicinal plants. Currently, both roots and flowers of P. mirifica are used as a dietary supplement and functional food for women because of their rich source of phytoestrogen and nutrition. However, little information of genes on both species of Pueraria genus (P. lobata and P. mirifica) are known in Vietnam. The purpose of this research is to support more understanding about Chalcone synthase (CHS) genes by determining and sequence analyzing an encoding region of CHS genes that were isolated from P. lobata and P. mirifica. The full-length open reading frame (ORF) sequence CHS was identified with 1170 bp which encodes 389 amino acids by Sanger sequencing. The isolated CHS gene of P. lobata has no difference in sequence with CHS reported on GenBank (D10223.1), whereas a difference of 26 nucleotide positions in CHS sequence of P. mirifica compared with the published gene sequence (JQ409456.1) as consequential having 97.78% genetic similarity. The CHS genes sequence of P. lobata and P. mirifica are homologous with 98.4% because of having 19 nucleotide differences. Chalcone- stilbene synthase N-C terminal, PLN03173, CHS-like, BH0617, fabH are some important domains predicting the CHS genes. Especially, the family signature 'GVLFGFGPGLTI' motif of CHS gene as a part of the active-site scaffold contributes to decide the product of cyclization reactions performing the stereochemistry of cyclization which was also observed in P. lobata and P. mirifica, but it was not included for all members in Fabaceae family. With in sillico analysis, the P. lobata and P. mirifica CHS sequences have highly conserved regions to maintain their structure and function, so that it needs further studies to clarify these points. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kudzu, the dried root of an important edible plant ( Pueraria lobata ), is used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for the important nutritional value strictly related to its isoflavone derivatives. These compounds characterize the quality of kudzu contained in different preparations, as pharmaceutical ingredient as well as dietary/food supplement (e.g. starch). The optimization of the isoflavones recovery, monitored by HPLC-PDA, through different innovative and conventional extraction techniques, e.g. microwave-assisted, ultrasound-assisted and conventional extraction, represented a suitable challenge in food industry and natural products evaluation. The impact on the isoflavone extraction by using an ionic liquid-assisted procedure was also considered. Furthermore, the inhibitory activity of the most representative isoflavones, isolated from kudzu, was evaluated using four isoforms (I, II, IX and XII) of human carbonic anhydrase (hCA) due to their role in several physiopathological processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultrasound-assisted extraction ( UAE) was applied to puerarin extraction from P ueraria lobata dried root to improve the extraction efficiency. By single-factor experiments, ultrasound intensity was determined at 3.0 W/cm2 and the other factors (ultrasound temperature and ultrasound time) were chosen to further optimize extraction conditions using response surface methodology. The central composite experimental results showed the optimum extraction conditions as follows: an ultrasound temperature of 57.82 C and an ultrasound time of 39.79 min. Under these conditions, the maximal puerarin yield was 43.04 mg/g. Results from the present study indicated UAE was an economical and efficient method of extracting puerarin from P . lobata dried root. Practical Applications Puerarin can be potentially used as a healthful food additive. However, extraction efficiency of puerarin is low using traditional extraction method. This paper presents an alternative for puerarin extraction from P ueraria lobata dried root, through the development of ultrasound-assisted extraction ( UAE) technology. Experimental result confirmed that UAE had many advantages compared to the traditional extraction method. On the basis of these advantages, UAE may have great potential for being scaled-up to a commercial extraction process of puerarin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Masting, the synchronized production of variable seed crops, is widespread among woody plants, but there is no consensus about the underlying proximate mechanisms. To understand this population-level behaviour, it is necessary to dissect the behaviour of individual trees as well as the interactions that synchronize them., Here, we test a model of masting in which variability in seed set is driven by resource limitation within trees and synchrony is driven by pollen limitation due to phenological asynchrony in some years., We used a 35-year seed set data set and a 12-year phenological data set to analyse seed production of 84 valley oaks ( Quercus lobata) in central coastal California. Individual trees varied tremendously in their seed production patterns; trees with high levels of seed production were less variable over time, but showed stronger negative autocorrelation between years, suggesting that they are more resource-limited than unproductive trees. In years of more asynchronous flowering, Q. lobata produced fewer seeds, consistent with the importance of phenological synchrony., We parametrized a model with these results to investigate how individual resource limitation and population-wide pollen limitation - a consequence of asynchronous flowering during cold spring temperatures - interact to shape annual variation in seed production. The model illustrates that this proximate abiotic driver can synchronize the behaviour of individuals, resulting in population-wide seed production patterns that closely resemble the field data., Synthesis. Our findings support the hypothesis that an interaction between two proximate mechanisms, individual resource limitation and environmental variation affecting population-wide pollen availability, drives masting in this population of Quercus lobata. This combination of internal and external proximate drivers may underlie masting behaviour in many wind-pollinated plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Results from field surveys with net sampling and video profiling, combined with laboratory experiments on feeding and growth, revealed the ecological function of Bolinopsis infundibulum in northern temperate coastal waters. B. infundibulum reaching a peak abundance of around 250 ctenophores m, in mid-May, followed by a dramatic reduction over the next few weeks, presumably explained by predation from the ctenophore Beroe cucumis. The field data on maximum individual body height in the population indicated an instantaneous growth rate of 0.129 d. Newly hatched cydippid larvae showed an average instantaneous growth rate of 0.240 d over 4 weeks, whereas ctenophores in the size range of 4.4-9.8 mm height gave instantaneous growth rates between 0.10 and 0.20 d. B. infundibulum disappeared from surface water in mid-June, but big individuals were found in deeper water, where they preyed on copepods. The results indicate that the new generation of the year was recruited from February onwards. Laboratory predation and digestion experiments showed a continuous increase in predation rate with increased prey abundance, throughout the tested range of 5-400 copepods l, and a digestion time increasing from 39 min with a single copepod ingested to 73 min with 8 copepods ingested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Retrogradation kinetics of Pueraria lobata starch and Tg of maximally freeze-concentrated state ( [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi A. Agassiz (1865) is not generally believed to exhibit diel feeding. As a result, the majority of studies documenting feeding of M. leidyi have been performed during the day, which may underestimate or overestimate daily clearance and ingestion rates if feeding changes over the diel cycle. Here, diel feeding by M. leidyi was examined during seven separate 24-h periods using gut content analysis. The total prey abundance and number of prey consumed per ctenophore did not differ between day and night; however, the percent of ctenophores with empty guts was higher during the day. These data show that, although fewer ctenophores consumed prey during the day, those that did consumed a larger number than at night. Additionally, the composition of the prey assemblage and the diet of M. leidyi did not differ between day and night; however, the composition of the prey assemblage differed from that observed in ctenophore guts, indicating selective feeding. Despite the lack of an overall difference in prey abundance and diet composition, isopods, cumaceans, decapod shrimp larvae and mantis shrimp larvae were observed in ctenophore guts only at night. These observations emphasize the importance of both day and night sampling, especially in ecosystems where prey availability changes significantly over the diel cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The widespread microbialites deposition that followed the End-Permian mass extinction in the Tethyan realm have been intensively studied because of the evidence they provide on the nature of this crisis and its aftermath. However, the age of the microbialite event remains controversial. New conodont collection across the Permian-Triassic (P-T) transition from Dajiang (Guizhou Province, South China) in this study enable us to discriminate four conodont zones, in ascending order, they are: Hindeodus parvus zone, Isarcicella lobata zone, Isarcicella isarcica zone and Hindeodus sosioensis zone. The age of microbialite in the P-T transition at the Dajiang Section is considered to be within the Hindeodus parvus zone and thus to clearly post-date the main extinction crisis. Reviewing the age of onset of microbialites throughout the Tethyan regions reveals two different ages: a Hindeodus changxingensis zone age is dominant in south-western and westernmost Tethys, whilst most other regions show microbialite deposition began in the Hindeodus parvus zone. Our investigation also indicates that two conodont changes occur at this time: an increase of hindeodid species immediately following a sequence boundary and the mass extinction, and a phase of extinction losses in the earliest Triassic Isarcicella isarcica zone during highstand development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rare systemic studies concerning prevalence of intestinal parasites in children have been conducted in the second smallest country in Africa, the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe. Fecal specimens from 348 children (214 in-hospital attending the Aires de Menezes Hospital and 134 from Agostinho Neto village) in São Tome Island were studied by parasitological and molecular methods. Of the 134 children from Agostinho Neto, 52.2% presented intestinal parasites. 32.1% and 20.2% of these children had monoparasitism and polyparasitism, respectively. Ascaris lumbricoides (27.6%), G. duodenalis (7.5%), T. trichiura (4.5%) and Entamoeba coli (10.5%) were the more frequent species identified in the children of this village. Giardia duodenalis (7.5%) and E. bieneusi (5.2%) were identified by PCR. Nested-PCR targeting G. duodenalis TPI identified Assemblage A (60%) and Assemblage B (40%). The E. bieneusi ITS-based sequence identified genotypes K (57.1%), KIN1 (28.6%) and KIN3 (14.3%). Among the 214 in-hospital children, 29.4% presented intestinal parasites. In 22.4% and 7.0% of the parasitized children, respectively, one or more species were concurrently detected. By microscopy, A. lumbricoides (10.3%) and Trichiuris trichiura (6.5%) were the most prevalent species among these children, and Cryptosporidium was detected by PCR in 8.9% of children. GP60 locus analysis identified 6.5% of C. hominis (subtypes IaA27R3 [35.7%], IaA23R3 [14.3%], IeA11G3T3 [28.6%] and IeA11G3T3R1 [21.4%]) and 2.3% of C. parvum (subtypes IIaA16G2R1 [20.0%], IIaA15G2R1 [20.0%], IIdA26G1 [40.0%] and IIdA21G1a [20.0%]). G. duodenalis and E. bieneusi were identified in 0.5% and 8.9% of the in-hospital children, respectively. G. duodenalis Assemblage B was characterized. The E. bieneusi genotypes K (52.6%), D (26.4%), A (10.5%) and KIN1 (10.5%) were identified. Although further studies are required to clarify the epidemiology of these infectious diseases in this endemic region the significance of the present results highlights that it is crucial to strength surveillance on intestinal pathogens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Borisenko, I. and Ereskovsky, A.V. 2011. Tentacular apparatus ultrastructure in the larva of Bolinopsis infundibulum (Lobata: Ctenophora). - Acta Zoologica (Stockholm) 00: 1-10. Most ctenophores have a tentacular apparatus, which plays some role in their feeding. Tentacle structure has been described in adults of only three ctenophore species, but the larval tentacles have remained completely unstudied. We made a light and electron microscopic study of the tentacular apparatus in the larvae of Bolinopsis infundibulum from the White Sea. The tentacular apparatus of B. infundibulum larvae consists of the tentacle proper and the tentacle root. The former contains terminally differentiated cells, while the latter contains stem cells and cells undergoing differentiation. The core of the tentacle is formed by myocytes, and its epidermis contains colloblasts (hunting cells), wall cells, degenerating cask cells, refractive vesicles, and ciliated sensory cells. Stem cells, colloblasts, and cask cells at various stages of differentiation and putative myocytes progenitors were revealed in the tentacle root. Two different populations of the stem cells in the tentacle root give rise to epidermal (colloblasts and cask cells) and mesogleal (myocytes) cell lines. Nervous elements, glandular cells, and basal lamina were not found. Step-by-step differentiation of colloblasts and cask cells is described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study which described entomological data for several new species of the genus Nulapona. It notes the elevation of Nulapona from a subgenus of Hecalapona to a generic rank and shows that the discovery of new species occurred mainly in the South American region. The study examined the characteristics of the twenty-two species under the Nulapona genus including Nulapona lutea seen in Peru, Nulapona lobata found in Ecuador, and Nulapona spinata found in Colombia. Key descriptions for the species include data and measurements for body length, pygofer, and aedeagus.

Abstract: The potential antiproliferative and antioxidant activities of extracts from five medicinal plants from Cameroon were evaluated in vitro on HepG-2 cells. The results showed the significant decrease of the viability of the cells in a concentration-dependent manner. According to the IC50 obtained, the extracts of S. acuta (461.53±0.23) and U. lobata (454.93±0.12) showed significant antiproliferative activity. At fixed concentration (250μgmL−1), extracts demonstrated higher antiproliferative activity (67.05%; 65.42%), (52.62%; 56.64%) and (32.98%; 36.85%) respectively during 24, 48 and 72h. Extracts of S. cordifolia and V. album demonstrated significant antiproliferative property after 48h while S. rhombifolia exhibited weak cytotoxicity. The results of the antioxidant properties showed that theses extracts induced significantly increase of SOD, CAT and GsT activity after 48h. Taken together, the results extracts showed that of S. acuta and U. lobata may be a promising alternative to synthetic substances as natural compound with high antiproliferative and antioxidant activities. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The lobate lac scale Paratachardina pseudolobata Kondo & Gullan (Kerriidae) is a polyphagous pest of woody plants in Florida (U.S.A.) the Bahamas, Christmas Island (Australia) and it has been reported from Cuba. Its recent appearance as a pest in these places indicates that this scale is introduced; however, its native range is unknown. Until 2006, this pest species was identified mistakenly as Paratachardina lobata (Chamberlin) [now P. silvestri (Mahdihassan)], which is native to India and Sri Lanka. Quarantine laboratory acceptance trials with Indian P. silvestri parasitoids indicated a strong immune response from P. pseudolobata. Gregarious development of encyrtid wasps was the only observed parasitism, but parasitization levels were below 3%. Identification of the native range of P. pseudolobata would facilitate the search for natural enemies better adapted to the scale. Sequence data from the D2–D3 region of the nuclear large subunit ribosomal RNA gene (LSU rRNA, 28S) and the mitochondrial gene cytochrome oxidase I (COI) distinguished P. pseudolobata from the morphologically similar species P. silvestri and P. mahdihassani Kondo & Gullan, and showed P. pseudolobata to be more closely related to these Indotropical species than to an Australian species of Paratachardina Balachowsky. Paratachardina pseudolobata was genetically uniform throughout its exotic range, consistent with a single geographic origin, although lack of variation in these genes is not unusual for scale insects. Molecular identification of morphologically similar Paratachardina species was possible using the D2–D3 region of 28S, despite its length variation, suggesting that this gene region might be suitable as a non-COI barcoding gene for scale insects. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Cineraria lobata is a highly variable species centred in the Western and Eastern Cape Provinces, South Africa, with disjunct populations in Mpumalanga and Limpopo Provinces. Morphological variation was examined in order to delimit the species and to determine whether recognition at infraspecific levels was warranted. Plants from the Ngwenya Hills, Swaziland, similar to C. lobata in leaf shape and size, but with glabrous cypselae and a distinct type of trichome, are recognized as a distinct, but closely related species, C. ngwenyensis. Cluster Analysis and Principal Coordinates Analysis supported the recognition of four subspecies in C. lobata: from the Western Cape (ssp. lobata), Karoo (ssp. lasiocaulis), Soutpansberg (ssp. soutpansbergensis) and Eastern Cape (ssp. platyptera) regions. Five forms of C. lobata ssp. lobata from the Western Cape are also informally recognised. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In controlled environment experiments, the bioherbicidal fungus Myrothecium verrucaria (Alb. & Schwein.) Ditmar:Fr. was tested alone, in combination with, prior to, and following treatment with glyphosate [N-(phosphonomethyl)glycine] for control of kudzu [Pueraria lobata (Willd.) Ohwi], redvine [Brunnichia ovata (Walt.) Shinners], and trumpetcreeper [Campsis radicans (L.) Seem. ex Bureau] at temperatures of 20, 30, and 40°C. At all temperatures, kudzu was most adversely affected by the fungus, followed by trumpetcreeper and redvine, as indicated by greater mortality and dry weight reductions. Trumpetcreeper and redvine mortalities and dry weight reductions significantly increased when the fungus was applied 2 days after the glyphosate treatment. Application of the fungus combined with or prior to glyphosate treatment resulted in reduced weed control. Although pathogenesis and mortality also occurred at 20°C, disease development was favored by higher temperatures (30 and 40°C). Infected weeds of each species exhibited similar disease symptomatology within 12 h following treatment at incubation temperatures of 30 and 40°C. Disease symptomatology was characterized by necrotic flecking on leaves that coalesced into large lesions. Symptoms progressed, initially infecting cotyledons and leaves, and later (within 48 h) producing stem lesions. The fungus sporulated profusely on infected tissue and was easily reisolated. These results suggest that timing of glyphosate application in relation to combined treatment with the bioherbicide M. verrucaria can improve the control of kudzu, redvine, and trumpetcreeper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paratachardina lobata lobata (Chamberlin) (Hemiptera: Coccoidea: Kerriidae) is reported as a new record of Coccoidea for Cuba. The family Kerridae is for the first time for the country and relationships of P. lobata lobata with their host plants, including new host records to Cuba for this species are given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new phenolic glycoside, 6′-[( E )-2″-hydroxymethyl, 2″-butenoyl] arbutin ( 1 ), and two known phenolic glycosides, 6′-[( E )-4″-hydroxycinnamoyl] arbutin ( 2 ) and 6′-[( E )-3″,4″-dihydroxycinnamoyl] arbutin ( 3 ), were isolated from the leaves of Heliciopsis lobata (Merr.) Sleum. Their structures were elucidated by various spectroscopic methods including 2D NMR spectroscopy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated theBotanophila(Diptera: Anthomyiidae)– Epichloë (Ascomycetes: Clavicipitaceae) interaction in cultivatedFestucaspp. (fine fescue) in Oregon in western USA.Epichloë spp. are endophytic fungi of grasses in the subfamily Pooideae. They develop a felt-like stroma on the surface of grass culms and a dense mycelium within the culms that typically prevents seed head emergence. As a result, seed yields are suppressed, and hence the disease is known as choke. Studies ofEpichloë spp. on wild grasses indicate that the fly–fungus interaction is an obligatory mutualism. During oviposition,BotanophilatransfersEpichloë spermatia between stromata of opposite mating types, and the perithecia that develop after fungal fertilization serve as food forBotanophilalarvae. In the current study, we surveyed 19 cultivated fields ofFestucaspp. in Oregon, and observed choke caused byEpichloë festucaeLeuchtmann, Schardl and Siegl in 10 of these. However, perithecia were observed in only four fields, and on only 1.0–2.6% of stromata. Perithecial development was also low, and rarely covered 50% of the stroma surface. Despite the absence or low frequency of fertilized stromata,Botanophila lobataCollin larvae were present in all choke-infested fields. Infestation levels ranged from 2.5 to 70.7%, based on an examination of 175–200 stromata from each field. Only eight (= 2%) of the 450 stromata withB. lobatahad perithecia, and the greater majority ofB. lobatalarvae completed development and exited from unfertilized stromata. This is the first report of theB. lobata–E. festucaeassociation in the USA, and ofB. lobatalarvae developing successfully on unfertilizedEpichloë stromata. The average pupal weight (0.0032 g) did not differ significantly from pupae (0.0030 g) originating from larvae that had developed on fertilized stromata ofE. typhinaonDactylis glomeratain a neighboring field. This result indicates that in cultivated fine fescue fields in Oregon, B. lobataforages onE. festucae, but fly development is not dependent on the fertilized stromata ofEpichloë. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the effect of daidzin on PC12 cell apoptosis induced by serum-free medium. PC12 cell survival was measured by MTT assay. The DNA content and percentage of apoptosis were monitored by flow cytometry and DNA fragmentation was analyzed by agarose gel electrophoresis. The results showed that serum-free (12 h) medium induced apoptosis in PC12 cells. When the cells had been treated with daidzin (0.1, 1 μM) for 12 h, the percentage of PC12 cell apoptosis was significantly decreased to 12.21 and 4.24% from 91.94% in the group with serum deprivation, and DNA fragmentation was prevented. Daidzin (0.01-10 μM) attenuated the cytotoxic effect of sodium cyanide (20 mM), glutamate (0.5 mM) and sodium nitroprusside (0.5 mM) in a manner dependent on concentration. The results suggested that daidzin prevented PC12 cell from serum free-induced apoptosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The warty comb jelly, Leucothea multicornis, was noted off the Mediterranean coast of Israel in May and June 2014. Though recorded multiple times in the western and central Mediterranean Sea, this is the first record of the species from the eastern basin. The transient localized blooms and longer-term persistent increases in native and alien ctenophore abundance indicate changes in the structure and function of the Levantine ecosystem. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]