Search

Galls are abnormal outgrowths on the external tissues of plants caused by a restricted group of organisms. In this study, we surveyed the incidence and diversity of galling structures in sympatric oak species of a biological preserve (Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve, NC, USA). We also measured different physiological parameters (SLA-specific leaf area, chlorophyll, nitrogen, flavonol, anthocyanin, and water content) in galled and ungalled leaves on the same individuals of the most abundant oak species (Quercus agrifolia, Q. lobata, and Q. douglasii). Overall, Q. lobata showed the highest gall incidence, with 64.5% of the sampled leaves affected by galls, followed by Q. douglasii, Q. agrifolia, Q. durata, and Q. kelloggii. The proportion of stems with galls was considerably lower than for leaves in all oak species, ranging from 0% incidence in Q. kelloggii to 27.4% in Q. lobata. The highly schlerophyllous Q. agrifolia supported the most diverse galling community at Jasper Ridge, with ten species, mostly belonging to the Cynipidae family. Our results show that leaf galling had no significant impact on the studied ecophysiological variables. The lack of differences between galled and ungalled leaves under controlled conditions (same tree and position in the tree) suggests that the ecophysiological variables measured are not significantly affected by galling agents or that our data collected for fully-developed galls (end of summer) are not sensitive enough to detect differences. However, there were some trends in plant responses to galling. Changes in galled vs. ungalled leaves were greater in flavonols, followed by chlorophyll, nitrogen, anthocyanin, SLA, and water content, indicating a nutrient deficiency in the plant nutrients. Our findings underscore the complexity of the gall-plant interaction and suggest some promising lines of future research.

Pueraria thomsonii Benth. (P. thomsonii) and Pueraria lobata (willd.) Ohwi. (P. lobata) are two members of the genus Pueraria, which have been widely used as medical herb and nutrition supplement in Asia. However, these two herbs share the same descriptions in pharmacological activities in Chinese Pharmacopeia, and are used interchangeably in applications. Differentiating the pharmaceutical applications and nutritional properties of two species of pueraria. Comparatively analysing the differences in the chemical composition and bioactivity of the two types of pueraria, then illustrating their applications. Metabolomics-based methods were established to identify the chemical constituents using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS). The contents of total flavonoids and four kinds of saccharides were evaluated separately by spectrophotometry methods. Their biological activities on hypoxia-reoxygenation (H/R) H9c2 cells were further assessed with cell viability by methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay. Bio-active compounds including puerarin, daidzin, genistin etc. were significantly enriched in P. lobata, which was accountable for its protective effect on cardiocytes. P. thomsonii contained more saccharides and was not cardioprotective in H/R injury. The study indicates different contents of chemical constituents and biological activities between these two species of pueraria. Therefore, P. lobata is suitable for medicinal products, while P. thomsonii presents more value for use in nutritional food.

Endolithic microbes in coral reefs may act as a nutrient source for their coral hosts. Increasing atmospheric CO2 concentrations are causing ocean acidification (OA), which may affect marine organisms and ecosystems, especially calcifying organisms such as reef-building corals. However, knowledge of how OA affects marine microbes remains limited, and little research has been done on how coral endolithic communities respond to shifting environmental baselines. In this study, the endolithic communities of two common shallow water coral species, Isopora palifera and Porites lobata, were examined to investigate the microbial community dynamics under OA treatments. The colonies were placed in an environment with a partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO2) of 1,000 or 400 ppm (control) for 2 months. Several I. palifera colonies bleached and died at 1,000 ppm pCO2, but the P. lobata colonies remained unaffected. Inversely, the endolithic community in P. lobata skeletons showed significant changes after OA treatment, whereas no significant dynamics were observed among the I. palifera endoliths. Our findings suggest that the skeletal structures of different coral species may play a key role in corals host and endoliths under future high-OA scenarios.

The stoneflies and caddisflies of North Africa are still poorly known as vast areas of Algeria have yet to be investigated. A survey of the macroinvertebrates of the Seybouse River, northeast Algeria, was carried out from July 2014 to December 2016. Three species of stoneflies (Capnopsis schilleri, Capnioneura petitpierreae, and Tyrrhenoleuctra tangerina) and five taxa of caddisflies (Mesophylax aspersus, Hydropsyche maroccana, H. resmineda, H. artax/lobata, and H. gr. pellucidula) were identified. All taxa are new records to the Seybouse River and seven of them are new to northeastern Algeria. A multivariate analysis indicated that the Hydropsychidae exhibited a clear longitudinal gradient along the Seybouse River while Mesophylax aspersus seemed adapted to species-poor, intermittent streams. Further investigations of the stoneflies and caddisflies may inform conservation efforts and will prove useful to monitor the Seybouse River and similarly threatened North African rivers and streams.

Pueraria lobata is one of the most important medicinal herbs used traditionally in China. According to Shanghan Lun (Treatise on Exogenous Febrile Disease), it has been used traditionally to relieve body heat, eye soring, dry mouth, headache associated with high blood pressure, and stiff neck problems. Modern studies in the 1970s revealed that isoflavonoids extracted from P. lobata were the bioactive components of an herbal remedy namely Yufeng Ningxin Tablets for the treatment of patients after stroke. This article reviews recent application of P. lobota in the treatment of diabetics and in reducing alcohol drinking. In view of its low toxicity profile, P. lobota stands an excellent chance to be developed as a phytomedicine for treating human diseases.

Tentative studies of Malaise trap samples from different geographic regions and habitats indicate unanimously that Winnertzia, a genus of mycophagous gall midges (Cecidomyiidae), is exceptionally speciose, but hard data in proof of that were previously unavailable. A taxonomic inventory of mycophagous cecidomyiids in Sweden has now revealed that, of 751 species found in total, 93 are Winnertzia. A preliminary census in 2013 had identified only 26 different Winnertzia in Sweden. Two factors are responsible for this increment: the inclusion of large amounts of fresh material to study and the application of a narrower species concept. The latter results from the reevaluation of male morphological characters in the light of COI sequence (DNA barcoding) data. With the inclusion of 37 new Winnertzia described here, the genus now contains 136 extant species. New Winnertzia discovered in Sweden are described here under the following names: W. acutistylus sp. nov., W. angustistylus sp. nov., W. arctostylus sp. nov., W. bicolor sp. nov., W. brachytarsus sp. nov., W. dentata sp. nov., W. egregia sp. nov., W. ekdalensis sp. nov., W. fraxinophila sp. nov., W. grytsjoenensis sp. nov., W. hamatula sp. nov., W. hemisphaerica sp. nov., W. imbecilla sp. nov., W. incisa sp. nov., W. inornata sp. nov., W. lapponica sp. nov., W. lobata sp. nov., W. longicoxa sp. nov., W. normalis sp. nov., W. oelandica sp. nov., W. ombergensis sp. nov., W. parvidens sp. nov., W. pilosistylus sp. nov., W. pratensis sp. nov., W. pustulatula sp. nov., W. quercinophila sp. nov., W. rickebasta sp. nov., W. ruliki sp. nov., W. serri sp. nov., W. setosa sp. nov., W. silvestris sp. nov., W. smalandensis sp. nov., W. sundini sp. nov., W. tumidoides sp. nov., and W. upplandensis sp. nov. Additionally, W. panguana sp. nov. is the first Winnertzia described from the Neotropical region (Peru), and W. warraensis sp. nov. is the first member of the genus described from the Australasian region (Tasmania). Parwinnertzia Felt, 1920 syn. nov. is revealed to be a junior synonym of Winnertzia Rondani, 1860, implying the recombinations of Winnertzia notmani (Felt) comb. nov. and Winnertzia italiana (Mamaev & Zaitzev) comb. nov. The intrageneric classification of Winnertzia is reviewed and developed further, with the W. setosa group introduced for species whose gonostylar claw is conspicuously long and exposed, and whose gonocoxal emargination is bordered by dense, large setae. Winnertzia feralis Mamaev, revived here from synonymy with W. tridens Panelius, and W. fusca Kieffer are new faunistic records in Sweden. Swedish records published in the past of W. brachypalpa Mamaev and W. pravdini Mamaeva & Mamaev rest on misidentifications, and both species are deleted from the Swedish checklist.

Marine sponges are sources of various bioactive metabolites, including several anticancer drugs, produced mainly by sponge-associated microbes. Palk Bay, on the south-east coast of India, is an understudied, highly disturbed reef environment exposed to various anthropogenic and climatic stresses. In recent years, Palk Bay suffered from pollution due to the dumping of untreated domestic sewage, effluents from coastal aquaculture, tourism, salt pans, cultivation of exotic seaweeds, and geogenic heavy-metal pollution, especially arsenic, mercury, cadmium, and lead. Low microbial-abundant sponge species, such as Gelliodes pumila and Cliona lobata, were found to be ubiquitously present in this reef environment. Triplicate samples of each of these sponge species were subjected to Illumina MiSeq sequencing using V3–V4 region-specific primers. In both C. lobata and G. pumila, there was an overwhelming dominance (98 and 99%) of phylum Candidatus Saccharibacteria and Proteobacteria, respectively. The overall number of operational taxonomic units (OTUs) was 68 (40 and 13 OTUs unique to G. pumila and C. lobata, respectively; 15 shared OTUs). Alphaproteobacteria was the most abundant class in both the sponge species. Unclassified species of phylum Candidatus Saccharibacteria from C. lobata and Chelotivorans composti from G. pumila were the most abundant bacterial species. The predominance of Alphaproteobacteria also revealed the occurrence of various xenobiotic-degrading, surfactant-producing bacterial genera in both the sponge species, indirectly indicating the possible polluted reef status of Palk Bay. Studies on sponge microbiomes at various understudied geographical locations might be helpful in predicting the status of reef environments.

Odontella rapoporti sp. nov., from Tierra del Fuego is described, as the third species of the Odontella lobata group, which has a subantarctic distribution. The new species is similar to O. lobata and O. setosa, but can be distinguished from them by the number of chaetae on the dens (6 or 7 chaetae in O. setosa vs. 5 chaetae in the other species) and the number of chaetae in the distal whorl of the tibiotarsus (9 chaetae in O. lobata vs. 11 in the other species). The closely related monotypic genus Afrodontella Deharveng, 1981, and its type species (A. septemlobata) are described.

Here, we report the draft genome sequences of Acinetobacter sp. strain EKM10A, Enterobacter hormaechei EKM10E, and Enterobacter hormaechei EKM11E, containing 3,978,352, 4,760,222, and 4,758,163 bp, respectively. These seed biogel-associated endophytes were previously isolated from the seed wash of Echinocystis lobata (wild cucumber) and tested in vitro for antagonism against soilborne fungal/oomycete pathogens.

Fungal endophytes play important roles in plant fitness and plant&ndash, microbe interactions. Kudzu (Pueraria montana var. lobata) is a dominant, abundant, and highly aggressive invasive plant in the Southeast United States. Kudzu serves as a pathogen reservoir that impacts economically important leguminous crops. We conducted the first investigations on kudzu fungal endophytes (Illumina MiSeq&mdash, ITS2) to elucidate drivers of endophytic communities across the heart of the invasive range in the Southeast United States (TN, MS, AL, GA). We tested the impacts of multiple environmental parameters (Chlorophyll, NO3&minus, K+, soil pH, leaf area, host genotype, traffic intensity, and geographic location) on foliar endophyte communities. Endophytic communities were diverse and structured by many factors in our PerMANOVA analyses, but location, genotype, and traffic (proxy for pollution) were the strongest drivers of community composition (R2 = 0.152, p &lt, 0.001, R2 = 0.129, p &lt, 0.001, and R2 = 0.126, p &lt, 0.001, respectively). Further, we examined the putative ecological interactions between endophytic fungi and plant pathogens. We identify numerous OTUs that are positively and strongly associated with pathogen occurrence, largely within the families Montagnulaceae and Tremellales incertae sedis. Taken together, these data suggest location, host genetics and local pollution play instrumental roles in structuring communities, and integrative plant management must consider these factors when developing management strategies.

Increased public awareness of nutritional and health issues has resulted in the increasing consumption of food and herbal products made from the root of Pueraria montana var. lobata (Willd.) Maesen & S. M. Almeida ex Sanjappa & Predeep (kudzu vine) and P. montana var. thomsonii (Benth.) M. R. Almeida. The famous herbal medicine Yufeng Ningxin, which is used to treat cardiovascular diseases, can be legally produced only using P. montana var. lobata. However, precise identification at the subspecies level is usually challenging when these products’ ingredients lose their morphological characteristics after deep processing. Here, six herbarium specimens, 21 expert-identified original plant samples, 30 raw material samples, 10 food products and 12 herbal products were collected to test the subspecies-level authentication abilities of ITS2 sequences. The results showed that ITS2 sequences can distinguish P. montana var. lobata from P. montana var. thomsonii with stable single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) sites. A total of 93.3% of raw material samples were consistent with the markings on their labels, but only 50% of Gegen Powder samples were made from P. montana var. lobata. High-quality ITS2 sequences were successfully obtained from nine of the 12 herbal products using Sanger sequencing. Substitution and fungal contamination were detected in 3 herbal products by further DNA metabarcoding, even though thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) tests verified that the products met existing quality standards. This study demonstrated that DNA barcoding is a powerful tool for the identification of P. montana var. lobata and P. montana var. thomsonii at the subspecies level, and we conclude that DNA barcodes can be broadly applied to trace the raw materials of food and herbal products.

Phytochemical investigation of the roots of Pueraria lobata led to the isolation of two pairs of new isoflavone glucosides, 3'-hydroxyneopuerarin A/B (1-2) and 3'-methoxyneopuerarin A/B (3-4). A pair of known compounds (5-6), which possess a very similar structure, were obtained together. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic data interpretation. Compounds 3-6 dose-dependently blocked the production of TNF-α and IL-6 in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells, which indicated the potential anti-inflammatory effect of these compounds.

Eriocoma valdesiisp. nov., is described and illustrated. The new species was found growing on calcareous rocky slopes and hillsides between 1700–2721 m in Coahuila, Nuevo León, San Luis Potosí, and Tamaulipas. The new species is morphologically similar to Eriocoma lobata but differs in having ligules (2–) 4.5–8.5 mm long with acute to narrowly acute and lacerate apices and florets with a sharp-pointed callus. In addition, we include a key to the species of Eriocoma in northeastern México.

The taxonomy of the tribe Porricondylini is revisited using male adult specimens from Sweden, whose morphology was studied by transmitted-light microscope. Results communicated here include both descriptions of new taxa (one genus, 19 species) and considerably expanded species distributions (five new Fennoscandian records). New taxa, all to be attributed to both authors, are Cassidoides cornutus sp. nov., Coccopsilis pectinata sp. nov., Cocc. recondita sp. nov., Cocc. scalpta sp. nov., Dendrepidosis lapponica sp. nov., D. upplandica sp. nov., Monepidosis difficilis sp. nov., M. hybrida sp. nov., Neocolpodia ombergensis sp. nov., Oelandyla rostrata gen. et sp. nov., Parepidosis kaltisbackensis sp. nov., Paurodyla serrata sp. nov., Porricondyla bidentula sp. nov., Porr. diversicornis sp. nov., Porr. gemina sp. nov., Porr. ottenbyensis sp. nov., Porr. pallidigenae sp. nov., Spungisomyia carinaolssonae sp. nov., and S. svemapro sp. nov. Species recorded in Fennoscandia for the first time are Bryocrypta angustata Mamaev (previously known from Latvia and European Russia), B. lobata Mamaev (previously Ukraine), Isocolpodia unidentata (Marikovskij) comb. nov. (previously Kazakhstan), Monepidosis duplicis Mamaev (previously Latvia and Far East Russia), and Zaitzeviola dubitabila (Mamaev & Zaitzev) (previously Far East Russia). The morphology of males of the newly recorded species is redescribed. Monepidosis tinnerti Jaschhof & Jaschhof, 2015 syn. nov. is revealed to be a junior synonym of M. duplicis Mamaev, 1998.

An overall picture comparing the repetitive components of the genomes of three Quercus species was obtained by genome skimming with Illumina sequence reads. Read sets of Q. lobata, Q. robur, and Q. suber species were subjected to hybrid clustering in order to assemble a repeatome of the Quercus genus and to annotate it. The repeatome was composed of 8573 clusters. The abundance of repeated sequences in the three species was assessed by mapping Illumina reads of each species onto the repeatome. The repetitive portion of the genome was similar among the three species. The most abundant repetitive sequences were long terminal repeat-retrotransposons. Copia elements were overrepresented when compared with Gypsy ones. The most abundant retrotransposon lineages were SIRE for the Copia superfamily and Ogre/TAT for the Gypsy superfamily. Some of the clusters belonging to these lineages showed different transpositional time profiles among the three species. Ribosomal DNAs accounted for 3.64–6.75% of the repetitive component. Satellite DNAs were much more abundant in Q. lobata (8.68% of the genome) than in the two other species. However, different satellite DNAs showed large variations in their abundances. Overall, the composition of the repetitive portion of the genome showed some differences among oak species, suggesting a possible role of repeats for Quercus species differentiation. In the cases of Q. lobata and Q. robur, both of which belong to the Quercus section of the Quercus genus, such differences may be related to the different geographical origins of the species.

Polyphenol content and antioxidant activity of flowers and herbage of three species of the genus Alcea were determined. Flowers showed high total phenolic content and yielded values ranging from 26.83 (Alcea aucheri var. lobata) to 82.59 (A. aucheri var. aucheri) mg GAE/g DW. Total anthocyanin content was highest (934.98 mg/ml) in the flowers of A. auchrei var. aucheri (A12), whereas the content was minimal (1.34 mg/ml) in the herbage of Alcea koelzii (A2). The highest total flavonoid content was recorded in A. koelzii (16.15 mg Q/g DW), while the lowest value was achieved in A. aucheri var. lobata (8.06 mg Q/g DW). The highest concentration of mucilage was recorded in the flowers from Alcea arbelensis (32%), whereas those of A. aucheri var. lobata yielded the lowest value (1.05%). Principal component analysis scatter plot, derived from all data for flowers in 13 Alcea specimens revealed a different quantitative phytochemical profile. The strongest radical scavenging activity, measured by DPPH method, was recorded in A. aucheri var. aucheri with an IC50 of 34.06 μg/ml.

The genus Salispina was recently described for saprotrophic estuarine oomycetes with aculeolate or spiny sporangia. The genus currently contains three species, S. intermedia, S. lobata, and S. spinosa, the latter two previously included in Halophytophthora. During a survey of mangrove-inhabiting oomycetes in the Philippines, an isolate of Salispina (USTCMS 1611), was obtained from a decaying mangrove leaf. This isolate differed from other species in the genus in a unique combination of morphological and biological characters. Phylogenetic analysis revealed it to be the sister lineage of S. lobata. Consequently, the new species name S. hoi is introduced for the isolate. In addition, Salispina spp. grouped with Sapromyces of Rhipidiales with strong support, but differs from all other known genera of the order in the weak formation of hyphal constrictions, and absence of basal thalli and a holdfast network. The new family Salispinaceae is, therefore, described to accommodate Salispina in the order Rhipidiales.

The search for cancer therapy with natural products continues to be a global effort. Many natural products have been tested globally against various cancer cell lines. Urena lobata Linn. (U. lobata) has been used as an ingredient in various formulations of traditional medicines for the treatment of cancers. The present study was undertaken to investigate the antitumor activity of the methanol (MEUL) and aqueous (AEUL) extracts of the U. lobata whole herb in Swiss Albino mice against Ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC) cell line. Both extracts were administered orally (200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg) for 13 consecutive days. After 24 h of the last dose, the animals were scarified. The antitumor effect of the MEUL and AEUL was determined by evaluating the median survival time (days), %ILS, tumor volume, viable tumor cell count, non-viable tumor cell count and tumor weight (g) and hematological parameters of EAC-bearing mice. Both MEUL and AEUL showed significant decrease in tumor volume, the viable cell count, tumor weight, elevated mean survival time, %ILS and non-viable cell count. Hematological profile such as RBC, WBC, and haemoglobin count was reverted to normal level in treated mice. In conclusion, MEUL (400 mg/kg) showed prominent antitumor activity against EAC treated mice.

Two new isoflavones, 4′,6-dimethoxy-8-hydroxy-7-hydroxymethylisoflavone (1) and 4′,8-dihydroxy-7-hydroxymethyl-6-methoxyisoflavone (2), together with three known isoflavones (3–5), were isolated from Pueraria lobata. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods, including extensive 1D and 2D NMR techniques. Compounds 1–5 were evaluated for their anti-tobacco mosaic virus (anti-TMV) activities. The results showed that compound 2 exhibited high anti-TMV activity with inhibition rates of 32.6%. The other compounds also showed potential anti-TMV activities with inhibition rates in the range of 21.4–25.3%, respectively. The cytotoxic activity of compounds 1–5 against five human tumor cell lines (NB4, A549, SHSY5Y, PC3, and MCF7) was also tested. The results revealed that compounds 1–5 showed weak inhibitory activities against some human tumor cell lines, with IC50 values in the range of 6.9–9.8 μM.

Soil water transported via the petiole is a primary rehydration pathway for leaves of water-stressed plants. Leaves may also rehydrate by absorbing water via their epidermal surfaces. The mechanisms and physiological relevance of this water pathway, however, remain unclear, as the associated hydraulic properties are unknown. To gain insight into the foliar water absorption process, we compared rehydration kinetics via the petiole and surface of Prunus dulcis and Quercus lobata leaves. Petiole rehydration could be described by a double exponential function suggesting that 2 partly isolated water pools exist in leaves of both species. Surface rehydration could be described by a logistic function, suggesting that leaves behave as a single water pool. Whereas full leaf rehydration via the petiole required approximately 20 min, it took over 150 and 300 min via the surface of P. dulcis and Q. lobata, respectively. Such differences were attributed to the high resistance imposed by the leaf surface and especially the cuticle. The minimum resistance to surface rehydration was estimated to be 6.6 × 102 (P. dulcis) and 2.6 × 103 MPa·m2 ·s·g-1 (Q. lobata), which is remarkably higher than estimated for petiole rehydration. These results are discussed in a physiological context.

Invasive alien plant species in a new location usually lose their native enemies, but new interactions with local herbivores can also significantly influence their population dynamics. Seed predators have a strong effect on the seed banks, seedling recruitment, and establishment of a plant population. A given plant’s effective defence of its seeds from seed predators ensures its survival. Here, we describe a new kind of physical protection in the wild cucumber (Echinocystis lobata) in its invasive range: the production, in the central part of the fruit’s fibre frame, of 1 or 2 additional seeds which cannot be released. Research was conducted in riparian habitats in the central part of Poland. After performing three different studies to examine this phenomenon, we found that, on average, 34% of individual wild cucumber fruits contained additional trapped seeds which could not be released. Our results showed that trapped seeds have the same ability to germinate as normally released seeds, but that they differ from normal seeds in weight and shape. The frequency of removal of trapped seeds by rodents was significantly lower than that of normally released seeds. This mechanism is likely to change seed distribution in the wild cucumber’s environment.

During the INDEMARES/CHICA 0610, 0211 and 0412 expeditions, carried out in the northern Spanish sector of the Gulf of Cádiz (Spain), samples were collected with a box-corer in 11 mud volcanoes and their adjacent bottoms. Chemoautotrophic communities were found in nine mud volcanoes. Among Decapoda, a rare eucalliacid, belonging to the genus Calliax and related to the Mediterranean infralittoral speciesC. lobata(de Gaillande and Lagardère 1966), was present in three of them. Data on its morphology, biogeographic distribution, vertical distribution within the burrows, sediment composition, pH and redox potential values (each in 5 cm intervals) are given; information on the chemoautotrophic communities associated with this species are also provided.

Serra Calderona Natural Park, a Mediterranean ecosystem, has been in post-fire regeneration for 10 years. To elucidate which helminth community component species of the wood mouse, Apodemus sylvaticus, can be considered biological tags of this process, the influence of intrinsic (host density; host sex and age) and extrinsic factors (site, year, and period of capture; vegetation recovery) on their prevalence and abundance has been analysed, comparing a burned and an unburned area. A total of 564 wood mice (408 from the burned and 156 from the unburned area), from the 2nd to the10th post-fire year, was included in this helminthoecological study. The results suggest that the area in post-fire regeneration is still more vulnerable to periodic environmental changes than the unburned area as deduced from the analysis of the helminth populations of Pseudocatenotaenia matovi, Skrjabinotaenia lobata, Trichuris muris, Eucoleus bacillatus and Aonchotheca annulosa. The intermediate and definitive host populations presented a greater variability to these environmental changes in the burned area (Taenia parva, P. matovi, S. lobata, A. annulosa, Syphacia stroma and S. frederici). In the regenerating area, some behavioural changes in certain populations determined by the host sex are taking place (T. parva, Helgimosomoides polygyrus and S. frederici). During the last years studied, a greater similarity in the populational development of some component species between both areas can be appreciated (H. polygyrus and S. stroma). The role of the wood mouse and its helminth parasites as biological tags of the post-fire regeneration process in Mediterranean ecosystems has been confirmed.

Many edible plant extracts exhibit biological activities. For example, the ethanol extract of Pueraria montana var. lobata (P. montana) inhibits acetylcholinesterase (AChE), and red ginseng is well known for promoting health. In this study the authors investigated the synergistic effect of P. montana and red ginseng extracts on AChE activity in vitro and in mouse brain tissues and trimethyltin (TMT)-induced cognitive impairment in a mouse model of TMT-induced neurodegeneration. A diet containing a mixture of P. montana and red ginseng extracts reversed learning and memory impairments in Y-maze and passive avoidance behavioral tests. In addition, the mixture inhibited AChE activity and lipid peroxidation synergistically.

The partially reticulate sculpture of Molaspora aspera sp. nov., a marsileaceous megaspore from a Cenomanian deposit in western France, distinguishes it from other species of Molaspora. An acrolamella entirely surrounds and obscures a small tetrad scar, a feature that has been demonstrated hitherto within members of the genus only in M. fibrosa. It was also encountered for the first time in M. lobata, with which the new species is associated in the same French mesofossil assemblage. The ultrastructure of the sporoderm of M. aspera is similar to that of M. lobata, but differs particularly in that the inner epispore is markedly thicker and may also contain numerous large, homogeneous spherules or, alternatively, holes of comparable dimensions and only a few small spherules. It is possible that these are a response to some hostile bacterial or other activity when the developing sporoderm was partially permeable. The cavity replacing part of the epispore in one of the specimens, and in the specimen of...

Chronic hyperglycemia is one of the signs of human type-2 diabetes mellitus due to insulin resistance and depletion. This study aimed to evaluate hexane, ethanolic, and aqueous leaf extracts of Urena lobata as antihyperglycemic agent. Design of this study was a post-test only control group using 25 male Sprague-Dawley rats divided into 5 groups. High fructose diet (HFD) ad libitum and single dose of intraperitoneal streptozocin (STZ) (25 mg/kgBW) were administered to induce diabetes in rats. Three groups of the diabetic rats orally received 500 mg/kgBW of only a type of leaf extract of U. lobata for 4 weeks. Insulin serum levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. Size, shape, and density of the islet cells were observed by light microscope. Blood glucose level and the area under curve (AUC) of serial oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) were measured. The U. lobata leaf extracts of three types of solvent all increased serum insulin level and improved β cells condition, also decreased the AUC of the OGTT series in diabetic rats. Values were compared with untreated diabetic rats (p

Sexual reproduction is fundamental to the maintenance and recovery of coraldominated communities in high-latitude and isolated locations, where replenishment often depends on local reproductive activity rather than recruitment from distant reefs. Rapa Nui (Easter Island) is one of the most remote islands in the Pacific, lying at the southern, subtropical edge of the range of reef-building scleractinians. Here, we describe the sexual reproduction and timing of the 2 dominant corals, Pocillopora verrucosa and Porites lobata. Reproductive activity was inferred from the identification and staging of gametes via histological analyses of monthly samples collected from December 2012 to May 2014 at 12 m depth at Motu Tautara (27° 6.6’ S, 109° 25.5’W) with in situ temperature records. In P. verrucosa, the observed hermaphroditic activity spanned from December to January, resulting in mature oocytes of 117 μm mean diameter. In P. lobata, observed gonochoric activity spanned from December to March, resulting in mature oocytes of 180 μm mean diameter. The observed initiation of gametogenic cycles coincided with the onset of spring warming in both species. Inferred spawning of P. verrucosa followed a relatively calm period of daily variance reduction in local in situ temperature and wind speed prior to the peak in thermal conditions, whereas inferred spawning of P. lobata coincided with peak temperatures in one year but not the other. We suggest temporal restrictions of disruptive coastal activities such as dredging during coral spawning periods and mitigation of land-based sources of pollution and watershed discharge that may reduce water quality.

Pueraria montana (Lour.) Merr. var. lobata (Willd.) Maesen & S.M. Almeida ex Sanjappa & Predeep (Fabaceae; kudzu) is a deciduous perennial vine native to China. An invasive species that has spread throughout much of the southeastern United States, kudzu covers large open areas, overtops forests, and causes significant ecological and economic damage. Oklahoma has seen a relatively minor impact from kudzu, and previous research indicates a limited (less than 0.04 hectare) presence in Tulsa County. We describe a previously undocumented population of kudzu covering over 6.5 hectares in Tulsa County. We determine the age of this population and its rate of expansion. Documenting and mitigating kudzu populations will likely become increasingly important to protect Oklahoma’s native biodiversity.

Abundances, biomasses, size structures, and reproduction rates of the comb jellies Mnemiopsis leidyi and Beroe ovata were studied in the shelf area of the Black Sea near Sevastopol in 2013–2014. Longterm data on the population development were analyzed. The peculiar feature of M. leidyi development in recent years is a shift of its development to an earlier time of the season and a significant decrease in its reproduction rate: in the summer months in 2014, the average reproduction rate of adult ctenophores (30–70 mm) constituted only 20% of that in 2004. Such shift was related to the increase in temperature in the upper homogeneous layer, which, in turn, resulted in a decrease in its feeding rate.

Pueraria montana var. lobata is a traditional Chinese herb with various medicinal purposes. In this study, the complete chloroplast genome of the P. montana var. lobata was obtained by using Illumi...

High post-settlement mortality in ex situ sexually propagated coral recruits remains a significant bottleneck to production of corals for reef restoration, scientific experiments and the ornamental trade. Co-culture with grazing herbivores represents a potentially cost-effective method to reduce recruit competition with algae, thus improving the survival and yield of corals. Here we examined the effectiveness of co-culture of coral recruits of Acropora millepora, A. tenuis, A. secale, Porites lobata and Platygyra daedalea with herbivorous gastropods, Calthalotia strigata and Turbo haynesi, and herbivorous juveniles of the Asteroid Acanthaster cf. solaris. Coral recruits (200 per species) were settled onto individual aragonite plugs, with 10 plugs per species introduced to twenty 50 L experimental tanks. Each tank was randomly assigned to one of five grazing treatments; (1) Thalotia, 30 C. strigata per tank, (2) Turbo, 30 T. haynesi per tank, (3) CoTS, 30 A. cf. solaris per tank, (4) Mix, 10 C. strigata, 10 T. haynesi and 20 A. cf. solaris per tank, and (5) Control, no grazers added. We found that over a 2-month period single species co-culture with C. strigata significantly improved the survival of A. millepora, A. tenuis, A. secale and P. lobata, whilst P. daedalea benefitted most from co-culture with T. haynesi. Over 6-months, C. strigata produced the highest survival in A. millepora (51.6% ± 5.24%), A. tenuis (46.6% ± 3.16%) and A. secale (38.5% ± 3.48%), but T. haynesi co-culture resulted in higher survival in P. lobata (67.3% ± 3.76%) and P. daedalea (100% ± 0%). These results were all significantly higher than the survival of corals in controls, which after 6 months averaged ~1.87% for the Acropora species, 43.0% ± 4.79% and 57.6% ± 8.60% for P. lobata and P. daedalea respectively. Increase in basal surface area of recruits was varied, with the highest relative increases in recruit basal disk area occurring in Thalotia treatments for A. millepora and A. secale, in Turbo for A. tenuis, and in the Control tanks for P. lobata and P. daedalea. This study provides strong evidence that co-culture with C. strigata can improve ex situ sexual coral propagation, with minimal additional intervention from aquarists. The large increase (23.6× higher) in survival of ecologically and economically important coral species such as A. millepora demonstrates the potential of co-culture to enhance ex situ coral propagation.

The CH2Cl2–MeOH (1:1) extract of Adenia lobata (stem bark) and the MeOH extracts of Endodesmia calophylloides (stem bark and leaves) displayed in vitro antileishmanial activities during preliminary screening against Leishmania donovani promastigotes with IC50 values ranging from 17.75–24.33 µg/mL. The fractions obtained from these extracts were also assessed for their antileishmanial (IC50 values between 9.19 and 100 µg/mL) and cytotoxicity activities. The purification of the active fractions led to the isolation of 24 compounds: seven from A. lobata (1-7) including one new ceramide (1) and seventeen from E. calophylloides (8-24). Their structures were elucidated based on the analysis of their NMR and MS data. The isolates were assessed for their antileishmanial activity and for their cytotoxicity. Germanicol caffeoyl ester (3), the (1:1) mixture of isoxanthochymol (18)/cycloxanthochymol (19), and the (1:1) mixture of tachioside (10)/isotachioside (11) displayed potent antileishmanial activity with IC50 values of 6.03, 4.77, and 8.66 µg/mL, respectively, with SI˃1.

The root of Pueraria lobata (Willd.) is a widely used herbal medicine worldwide, whereas the stem of the plant is discarded or used as feed for livestock. To reuse and exploit the stem of P. lobata as a resource, we investigated its potential as a skin-whitening agent. We found that the developed, enriched P. lobata stem (PLS) extract significantly inhibited melanin production in the 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine-induced B16/F10 cells at a concentration of 50 μg/mL. To further confirm the mechanism of the antimelanogenic effect of the enriched PLS extracts, we examined the mRNA expression of tyrosinase, which was suppressed by the extracts. To standardize and implement effective quality control of the enriched PLS extracts, its major chemical constituents were identified by high-performance liquid chromatography–photodiode array–electrospray ionization–mass spectrometry. In total, 12 constituents were identified. In silico analysis showed that the main constituents, puerarin and daidzin, had excellent binding affinities for human tyrosinase. Collectively, our results suggest that the PLS extracts could be used as anti-pigmentation agents.

We describe a water fern spore assemblage from the Maastrichtian La Colonia Formation, Chubut Province, Patagonia, Argentina. The assemblage includes three species of Azolla (A. andreisii sp. nov., A. coloniensis, and A. sp. 1), two species of Azollopsis (A. intermedia and A. tomentosa), Crybelosporites pannuceus, Gabonisporis cristata, Ghoshispora sp., Grapnelispora loncochensis, two species of Molaspora (M. lobata and M. reticulata), and Paleoazolla patagonica. A. tomentosa, A. intermedia, G. cristata, and M. reticulata are recorded for the first time in the Southern Hemisphere. Ghoshispora sp. constitutes the southernmost record of the genus and its first mention for Argentina. In addition, the genus Azollopsis is emended to include megaspore apparatuses with more than one megaspore. This water fern spore assemblage is one of the most diverse so far known for South America and substantiates the significant radiation that aquatic ferns underwent worldwide at the end-Cretaceous. Furthermore, it also implies that the presence of widespread suitable paleoenvironments allowed the establishment and rapid evolution of these plant communities in Patagonia.