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This study was conducted to examine the flowering responses of Eremogone juncea to photoperiod (Experiment 1) and chilling treatment (Experiment 2). In addition, plants were subjected to cold storage following chilling treatment to extend the flowering season (Experiment 3). In Experiment 1, naturally chilled E. juncea plants were subjected to five different photoperiod conditions (9/15, 12/12, 14/10, 16/8, and 24/0 h). There were no differences in percent flowering among photoperiod treatment groups. Furthermore, these plants showed no significant differences among groups in the number of days to the first open flower. In Experiment 2, the plants were exposed to natural chilling for 0, 4, 8, or 12 weeks or artificial chilling at 5 °C for 0, 4, or 8 weeks. Percent flowering was less than 30% in the no-chilling treatment but increased with increasing chilling duration in both the natural and artificial chilling treatments. Days to the first open flower declined as the chilling duration increased. To quantify the chilling requirement, chill units (CUs) were calculated using a modified chilling hours model (MCHM) and a modified Utah model (MUM). To exceed 80% flowering, at least 1,854 CUs in MCHM or 1,889 CUs in MUM were required. In Experiment 3, naturally chilled E. juncea plants were stored for 0, 4, 8, or 12 weeks at 0 °C. Percent flowering significantly decreased under all cold storage treatments. However, cold storage treatment did not affect the number of days to visible bud or days to the first open flower. These results indicate that, although percent flowering was reduced by cold storage, the flowering season could be extended by storage treatment. In conclusion, E. juncea can be classified as a day-neutral plant with a chilling requirement for flowering. Moreover, artificial chilling treatment and cold storage can be used to advance or postpone the flowering season for year-round cultivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although Sasa quelpaertensis Nakai, a dwarf bamboo, is known to exert a variety of beneficial effects on health, its antiviral effect remains to be elucidated. Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) is one of the most devastating viral pathogens of swine and has a substantial economic impact on the global pork industry. Therefore, the present study was conducted to determine whether Sasa quelpaertensis Nakai extract (SQE) inhibits PRRSV infection in cultured porcine alveolar macrophages (PAMs). Our results demonstrated that SQE treatment suppressed the replication of PRRSV in a dose-dependent manner. The antiviral activity of SQE on PRRSV replication was found to be primarily exerted at early times postinfection. Treatment with SQE resulted in marked reduction of viral genomic and subgenomic RNA synthesis, viral protein expression, and progeny virus production. Notably, pro-inflammatory cytokine production in PAM cells infected with PRRSV was shown to be modulated in the presence of SQE. Taken together, our data indicate that SQE has potential as a therapeutic agent against PRRSV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]