Search

Aluminum (Al) toxicity is the primary factor limiting agricultural productivity in acid soils. The cell wall is mainly composed of saccharides and the first barrier for aluminum (Al) to enter plant root cells, but it is unknown whether and how root saccharide components are involved in regulating the Al tolerance of Lespedeza that is well adapted to acid soils. Here, we used Al-tolerant Lespedeza bicolor and Al-sensitive Lespedeza cuneata to examine the association of root saccharide components with Lespedeza Al tolerance through analyzing the saccharide changes of roots exposed to Al toxicity. Al-sensitive Lespedeza accumulated more Al and pectin but less hemicellulose in the root cell walls than Al-tolerant Lespedeza. Al treatment decreased the amounts of total sugar secreted from and within the roots of only Al-tolerant Lespedeza. Al treatment decreased the content of root monosaccharides including glucose and mannose in both Lespedeza species, but increased the xylose contents in only Al-sensitive Lespedeza. Taken together, less cell wall pectin rather than hemicellulose is responsible for less root Al accumulation, and Al-decreased root saccharide contents may enhance root organic-acid secretion to chelate toxic Al, both of which contribute to Lespedeza Al tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aluminum (Al) toxicity is the primary factor limiting agricultural productivity in acid soils. The cell wall is mainly composed of saccharides and the first barrier for aluminum (Al) to enter plant root cells, but it is unknown whether and how root saccharide components are involved in regulating the Al tolerance of Lespedeza that is well adapted to acid soils. Here, we used Al-tolerant Lespedeza bicolor and Al-sensitive Lespedeza cuneata to examine the association of root saccharide components with Lespedeza Al tolerance through analyzing the saccharide changes of roots exposed to Al toxicity. Al-sensitive Lespedeza accumulated more Al and pectin but less hemicellulose in the root cell walls than Al-tolerant Lespedeza. Al treatment decreased the amounts of total sugar secreted from and within the roots of only Al-tolerant Lespedeza. Al treatment decreased the content of root monosaccharides including glucose and mannose in both Lespedeza species, but increased the xylose contents in only Al-sensitive Lespedeza. Taken together, less cell wall pectin rather than hemicellulose is responsible for less root Al accumulation, and Al-decreased root saccharide contents may enhance root organic-acid secretion to chelate toxic Al, both of which contribute to Lespedeza Al tolerance.

Phosphorus (P) deficiency is one of the major factors limiting plant growth in acid soils, where most P is fixed by toxic aluminum (Al). Phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (PSBs) are important for the solubilization of fixed P in soils. Many PSBs have been isolated from neutral and calcareous soils, where calcium phosphate is the main P form, whereas PSBs in acid soils have received relatively little attention. In this study, we isolated a PSB strain from the rhizosphere of Lespedeza bicolor, a plant well adapted to acid soils. On the basis of its 16S rRNA gene sequence, this strain was identified as a Nguyenibacter species and named L1. After incubation of Nguyenibacter sp. L1 for 48 h in a culture medium containing AlPO4 as the sole P source, the concentration of available P increased from 10 to 225 mg L−1 , and the pH decreased from 5.5 to 2.5. Nguyenibacter sp. L1 exhibited poor FePO4 solubilization ability. When the pH of nonPSB-inoculated medium was manually adjusted from 5.5 to 2.5, the concentration of available P only increased from 6 to 65 mg L−1 , which indicates that growth medium acidification was not the main contributor to the solubilization of AlPO4 by Nguyenibacter sp. L1. In the presence of glucose, but not fructose, Nguyenibacter sp. L1 released large amounts of gluconic acid to solubilize AlPO4. Furthermore, external addition of gluconic acid enhanced AlPO4 solubilization and reduced Al toxicity to plants. We conclude that secretion of gluconic acid by Nguyenibacter sp. L1, which is dependent on glucose supply, is responsible for AlPO4 solubilization as well as the alleviation of Al phytotoxicity by this bacterial strain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Examine the effects of supplementing bahiagrass hay (BG) with potentially anthelmintic quantities of hays of perennial peanut (PEA) or sericea lespedeza (LES) or seeds of velvet bean (Mucuna pruriens L.; MUC) or papaya (PAP) on the intake and nutritive value (Experiment 1), and the performance and parasite burden (Experiment 2) of goats. Methods In Experiment 1, 38 male goats (27.4±5.7 kg body weight) were randomly assigned to each of 5 treatments: i) BG alone and BG plus; ii) PEA; iii) LES; iv) MUC; and v) PAP. Goats were fed for ad libitum consumption and adapted to the diets for 14 d followed by 7 d of measurement. The PEA, LES, MUC (50%, 50%, and 10% of the diet dry matter [DM], respectively), and PAP (forced-fed at 10 g/d) were fed at rates that would elicit anthelmintic effects. In Experiment 2, goats remained in the same treatments but were allocated to 15 pens (3 pens per treatment) from d 22 to 63. All goats were infected with parasites by grazing an infected bahiagrass pasture from 0800 to 1500 h daily and then returned to the pens. Results Dry matter intake tended to be greater in goats fed PEA and LES than those fed BG (757 and 745 vs 612 g/d, respectively). Digestibility of DM (59.5% vs 54.9%) and organic matter (60.8% vs 56.0%) were greater in goats fed MUC vs BG, respectively. In Experiment 2, feeding PAP, LES, and PEA to goats reduced nematode fecal egg counts by 72%, 52%, and 32%, reduced abomasal adult worm counts by 78%, 52%, and 42%, and decreased plasma haptoglobin concentrations by 42%, 40%, and 45% relative to feeding BG alone, respectively. Conclusion Supplementation with PEA, LES, and PAP decreased the parasite burden of goats but did not increase their performance. PAP was the most effective anthelmintic supplement.

[Objective] The morphological structure of flower and leaf organs of 17 Lespedeza materials were studied in order to provide scientific basis for the identification of the germplasm resources. [Method] The morphological structure of flower and leaf organs such as inflorescence type, flower color and size, lobes, petiole length and leaf size about 17 Lespedeza materials were measured in the peak anthesis period. Cluster analysis was used. [Result] The 17 materials were firstly divided to Sect. Macrolespedeza Maxim and Sect. U:spedeza. according to the presence or absence of cleistogamous flower. The length of inflorescences and leaves could further distinguish L. fornwsa (Vog.) Koehne and L. bicolorTurcz. The leaf shape and size, ratio of calyx to corolla could distinguish the materials of Sect. Lespedeza. All materials of U:spedeza were divided into 4 categories by cluster analysis. Hl was a self-contained class because of having the super inflorescence. The second type of H3, H8, H16 and H18 had bigger inflorescence and belonged to having no cleistogamous flower. The third group of H14, H20, H21 and H26 had no pedicels, but had the slender leavers. Although there were many kinds of materials in the fourth group, they were all Sect. Lespedeza. [Conclusion] As a supplement of germplasm morphological classification, quantitative classification was feasible in practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genus Lespedeza (tribe: Desmodieae) consists of about 40 species that have high medicinal and economic value. However, in this genus, using morphological characters, the species identification is quite complicated, which can be solved by the analysis of the complete chloroplast genomes. As primary organelle genomes, the complete genome sequences of chloroplasts (cp) provide unique molecular information to study the divergence of species, RNA editing, and phylogeny. Therefore, to the best of our knowledge, for the first time, we sequenced the complete cp genomes of two representative Lespedeza species: Lespedeza davurica and Lespedeza cuneata. The cp genomes of both the species were found to be 149,010 bp in length, exhibiting the typical angiosperm chloroplast structure containing four regions. The Lespedeza cp genomes showed similar conserved gene contents, order, and orientations with a total GC content of 35.0%. A total of 128 genes, including 83 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNAs, and eight rRNAs, were identified from each genome. Unique molecular features of the two Lespedeza cp genome sequences were obtained by performing the analysis of repeats, sequence divergence, codon usage, and predicting the RNA editing sites in addition to phylogenetic analysis with other key genera in tribe Desmodieae. Using the two datasets, the phylogenetic relationship of Lespedeza species among Deasmodieae was discovered, suggesting that whole cp genomes provided useful information for phylogenetic studies of these species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to determine which shrub species will enhance soil anti-scouring resistance on an ecological slope. Root traits and soil anti-scouring resistance of three shrubs (Amorpha fruticosa Linn (AFL), Swida alba Opiz (SAO) and Lespedeza bicolor Turcz (LBT)) were measured. Results showed that root biomass and root morphological traits of three shrubs were significantly correlated with the soil anti-scouring resistance index. According to the composition characteristic values, root morphological traits among the three shrubs had a high contribution rate. Under two slopes and two rainfall conditions, when root biomass and root morphological traits (e.g., root length, root volume and root surface area) were identical, AFL had the highest soil anti-scouring resistance index. These results suggested that root biomass and morphological traits of AFL had more significant effects on soil anti-scouring resistance comparing with SAO and LBT. Therefore, in engineering practice, AFL with stronger soil anti-scouring resistance can be selected as slope plants., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright: © 2023 Zhou et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Abstract Distribution of rhizobial species is affected by geographical isolation and selected by leguminous hosts, however, little is known about the molecular evolution of rhizobia nodulating the same legume in different eco-environments. In present study, the microevolution of Bradyrhizobium associated with the leguminous grass Kummerowia grown in exurban areas and cultivated in urban areas in China was investigated. Total 14 genospecies, including seven new groups, were identified based on a concatenated sequence analysis of taxonomic markers (SMc00019, truA and thrA) for 94 representative strains. Results demonstrated that lower levels of nucleotide diversity were found in the strains isolated from urban areas compared with those isolated from exurban areas, based on the evolutional analyses of three housekeeping genes (atpD, glnII and recA), two symbiosis-related genes (nodC and nifH), and the taxonomic markers. Moreover, compared with urban areas, gene exchange and recombination occurred more frequently among the genospecies isolated from exurban areas, regardless of the geographical distribution. Finally, the evolutionary lineage of Bradyrhizobium strains isolated from urban areas was independent of that of the strains isolated from exurban areas. In summary, the evolutionary history of Kummerowia bradyrhizobia may have been gradually segregated to different evolutionary lineages, irrespective of distinct biogeography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Models for community invasion can inform grassland management if patterns involving the environment, other species, and invader success are evident. We evaluated unplanned invasion by Lespedeza cuneata into an experiment on a reconstructed tallgrass prairie. Our goal was to determine whether the pattern of invasion by this exotic legume was consistent with either the limiting similarity hypothesis (LSH), which predicts poorer establishment of exotic species in communities with related species, or the biotic resistance hypothesis, which predicts a negative association between species richness and invasion. We also examined how the abiotic environment and hemiparasite abundance affect spread of L. cuneata. From 2006 to 2015 we manipulated fertilizer and presence of the hemiparasitic plant, Pedicularis canadensis, in 1-m2 plots, and manipulated shade for the first 5 years. We found greater support for the LSH. Biomasses of legumes and other forbs in 2008 were negatively associated with change in L. cuneata biomass over the next 7 years but species richness was not a significant effect. Lespedeza cuneata cover in 2015 was lower in fertilized plots relative to unfertilized plots and was negatively associated with a composite variable that described the number and combined cover of legume species and number of exotic species currently in the plots. Shading for five seasons reduced L. cuneata growth, but only significantly in fertilized plots from which the hemiparasite had been removed. Other analysis suggested that L. cuneata increased more as the hemiparasite abundance increased. Prairie management that increases the kinds and abundances of native legume species and increases soil fertility may slow the spread of L. cuneata, but we caution against adding P. canadensis to large areas without greater knowledge of site-specific effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • Replacing alfalfa hay with lespedeza pellets reduces urine N and increase fecal N. • Replacing alfalfa hay with lespedeza pellets reduces N, DM and fiber digestibility. • Only minute quantities of condensed tannins from lespedeza survive sheep digestion. • Feeding lespedeza pellets with alfalfa hay may reduce long-term growth of sheep. Abstract Sustainable ruminant livestock production could benefit from feedstuffs containing condensed tannin (CT) if they maintained or improved livestock health and productivity while reducing the excretion of urinary nitrogen (N), which can be readily lost to the environment. Such feedstuffs would be most useful if they were easy and inexpensive to grow and could be field dried and pelletized for ease of transport and storage. One feedstuff that may meet these criteria is pelleted sericea lespedeza (SL; Lespedeza cuneata). Therefore, a 4 × 4 Latin square trial was conducted with four mature male sheep fed four proportions of pelleted SL with alfalfa (Medicago sativa) hay cubes, to determine effects on digestion and N excretion, and the fate of the CT during digestion. Pelleted SL contained (g/kg dry matter; DM) 182 CT, 23.3N, 341 aNDF, 227 ADF, 87 ADL and 55 ash, while the cubed alfalfa hay contained (g/kg DM) 28.5N, 381 aNDF, 284 ADF, 78 ADL and 137 ash. The SL pellets were consumed readily, but increasing their proportion in the ration DM from 0 to 0.4 linearly decreased apparent digestibility of DM from 59.7 to 49.9% and N from 74.7 to 53.4%, with associated reductions in urinary N excretion. Evaluation with 1H-13C heteronuclear single quantum coherence nuclear magnetic resonance (HSQC NMR) spectroscopy detected trace amounts of intact CT in sheep feces and analysis of the feces from the 0.4 lespedeza pellet ration using the HCl-butanol-acetone-iron assay indicated that 96% of the CT had been modified into non-proanthocyanidin components. Fiber analysis conducted with and without sulfite indicated an accumulation of sulfite-resistant CT-protein complexes in feces which likely contributed to the reduction in digestibility of fiber and N. This study has shown that SL pellets reduced urinary N excretion and diverted feed N to feces, but their inclusion in the diet reduced the apparent digestibility of DM and N. Complexes of CT, protein and fiber were the main contributor to the poor digestibility of aNDF and ADF in diets containing SL pellets. Findings presented here suggest a potential negative effect of these SL pellets on long-term sheep productivity in contrast to short-term productivity improvements due to the ability of the SL pellets to reduce gastrointestinal parasite populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genus Lespedeza (tribe: Desmodieae) consists of about 40 species that have high medicinal and economic value. However, in this genus, using morphological characters, the species identification is quite complicated, which can be solved by the analysis of the complete chloroplast genomes. As primary organelle genomes, the complete genome sequences of chloroplasts (cp) provide unique molecular information to study the divergence of species, RNA editing, and phylogeny. Therefore, to the best of our knowledge, for the first time, we sequenced the complete cp genomes of two representative Lespedeza species: Lespedeza davurica and Lespedeza cuneata. The cp genomes of both the species were found to be 149,010 bp in length, exhibiting the typical angiosperm chloroplast structure containing four regions. The Lespedeza cp genomes showed similar conserved gene contents, order, and orientations with a total GC content of 35.0%. A total of 128 genes, including 83 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNAs, and eight rRNAs, were identified from each genome. Unique molecular features of the two Lespedeza cp genome sequences were obtained by performing the analysis of repeats, sequence divergence, codon usage, and predicting the RNA editing sites in addition to phylogenetic analysis with other key genera in tribe Desmodieae. Using the two datasets, the phylogenetic relationship of Lespedeza species among Deasmodieae was discovered, suggesting that whole cp genomes provided useful information for phylogenetic studies of these species.

Abstract: Surface mining activities usually devastate the landscape, rendering it unsuitable for plant growth. Organic amendments have been widely applied for the restoration of soil nutrients as well as the soil structure in mine tailings. However, the responses of growth and nutrient uptake among plant species to organic amendments have not been well evaluated. In this study, we conducted a pot experiment to examine the impacts of peat and cattle manure amendments on the total soil C, N, P, K, Ca, and Mg; the available soil P, K, Ca, and Mg; and the growth and nutrient concentrations of re‐established Mongolian pine (Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica), lespedeza (Lespedeza daurica), and lyme grass (Elymus dahuricus) in the Guliku placer gold mine area in northeastern China. Organic amendments, especially cattle manure, improved the soil nutrient status and availability compared with those in nonamended mine soils. The plant biomass and nutrients of the 3 species were altered differently by the 2 amendments. Although peat addition increased the total soil C, total N, and available Ca, it had little impact on plant biomass production due to a lesser increase in available soil P, K, and Mg and a decrease in total soil K. Our results highlight that both balanced increase in soil nutrients by applying appropriate soil amendments and the selection of suitable plant species are necessary for the successful reclamation of postmined lands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil microbial communities are important for ecological restoration and succession on mine tailings. In the present study, we performed Illumina sequencing to investigate the effects of long term Lespedeza bicolor revegetation on bacterial diversity and community structure in mine tailings under subtropical and moist climatic conditions. Microbial diversity indices (Shannon, OTU number and coverage estimator) of the revegetated soils were higher than that of the control, and increased over sampling period compared to the decreased pattern in the control. Species within known acid tolerant and nutrient regulated genera dominated both revegetated tailings and the control, and exhibited more abundant in the revegetated tailings. At the phylum level, percentage of the Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria were remarkedly higher in revegetated tailings than that in the control, while Chloroflexi performed reversely. Overall, this study found the positive role of L. bicolor revegetation in bacterial diversity development in the acidic mine tailings. Furthermore, the 30-year L. bicolor revegetation made the microbial community structure more homogenizable as a decrease of dissimilarity in tailings was identified over sampling times. Redundancy analysis at the OTU level indicated that Olsen-P and pH were the main regulators of microbial composition, suggesting that soil P and pH are determinant for ecological restoration and microbial community development in acidic mine tailings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We carried out experiments with various concentrations of Trichoderma harzianum YC459 in different soil types (forest soil, mixed soil, merchantable soil, and leaf mold soil) to evaluate its effect on seed germination and seedling establishment of four species (Festuca arundinacea Schreb., Dianthus barbatus var. asiaticus Nakai, Lespedeza cyrtobotrya Miq., and Parthenocissus tricuspidata Planch) for rock slope restoration. We also investigated the use of drilled slanted holes on the rock slopes for seedling establishment. The results showed that T. harzianum concentration had significant effects on seed germination, seedling growth, and seedling survival for all the species with different soil types. Seed germination and survival rates peaked at 5% T. harzianum concentration with leaf mold soil and decreased as T. harzianum concentration increased from 5% to 10%. Seedling survival rates of all four species were generally lowest at 0% T. harzianum concentration in all soil types. The height of F. arundinacea and L. cyrtobotrya peaked at 5% T. harzianum concentration whereas that of D. barbatus and P. tricuspidata peaked at 10% T. harzianum concentration. We concluded that 5% T. harzianum concentration with leaf mold soil is appropriate for seed germination and seedling survival rates of most species, thus enhancing seedling establishment. Practical application of the findings of this study will contribute in the vegetation restoration of steep rocks in mountain environments [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Sericea lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata [Dumont de Courset] G. Don.; SL) is a perennial, warm‐season legume containing condensed tannins (CT) that can play important roles in ruminant ecosystems. Our research objective was to determine season‐long average herbage CT fractions, crude protein (CP) and fiber concentrations under three harvest regimens for SL cv. AU Grazer at five locations within the southeastern USA during 2010. Harvest regimens were regrowth every 35 days (35‐day), previously uncut plots every 35 days (ACCUM), or regrowth when height reached 40 cm (40 cm). We found harvest regimen by location interactions (P ≤ 0.05) for all dependent variables. The ACCUM plants usually had greater (P ≤ 0.05) fiber concentrations where there were differences, except for the Louisiana location. The lowest (114 g kg−1; P ≤ 0.05) CP concentrations were measured in ACCUM plants at the driest location (Texas) while the highest (181 g kg−1 for North Carolina plants) came from the 35‐day regimen. Total CT (TCT) concentration varied (P ≤ 0.05) from a low of 61.1 g kg−1 for ACCUM plants in Louisiana to 100.7 g kg−1 for Texas plants harvested from 35‐day plots. In summary, harvest regimen influenced SL nutrient and CT concentrations. Fiber concentration was better correlated (−0.621 for acid detergent fiber; P ≤ 0.05) with TCT than CP (−0.014; P = 0.82). Sericea lespedeza regrowth harvested every 35 days had higher season‐long average TCT concentrations in two of five locations along with greater CP and less fiber concentrations in four of five locations compared to the ACCUM regimen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water and fertilizers affect the nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) acquisition and allocation among organs in dominant species in natural vegetation on the semiarid Loess Plateau. This study aimed to clarify the N and P accumulation and N:P ratio at organ and plant level of a local legume species mixed with a grass species under varying water and fertilizer supplies, and thus to fully understand the requirements and balance of nutrient elements in response to growth conditions change of native species. The N and P concentration in the organ (leaf, stem, and root) and plant level of Lespedeza davurica (C3 legume), were examined when intercropped with Bothriochloa ischaemum (C4 grass). The two species were grown outdoors in pots under 80, 60, and 40% of soil water field capacity (FC), -NP, +N, +P, and +NP supply and the grass:legume mixture ratios of 2:10, 4:8, 6:6, 8:4, 10:2, and 12:0. The three set of treatments were under a randomized complete block design. Intercropping with B. ischaemum did not affect N concentrations in leaf, stem and root of L. davurica, but reduced P concentration in each organ under P fertilization. Only leaf N concentration in L. davurica showed decreasing trend as soil water content decreased under all fertilization and mixture proportion treatments. Stems had the lowest, while roots had the highest N and P concentration. As the mixture proportion of L. davurica decreased under P fertilization, P concentration in leaf and root also decreased. The N concentration in L. davurica at the whole plant level was 11.1-17.2%. P fertilization improved P concentration, while decreased N:P ratio in L. davurica. The N:P ratios were less than 14.0 under CP and CNP treatments. Our results implied that exogenous N and P fertilizer application may change the N:P stoichiometry and influence the balance between nutrients and organs of native dominant species in natural grassland, and P element should be paid more attention when considering rehabilitating degraded grassland via fertilization application in semiarid Loess Plateau region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Examine the effects of supplementing bahiagrass hay (BG) with potentially anthelmintic quantities of hays of perennial peanut (PEA) or sericea lespedeza (LES) or seeds of velvet bean (Mucuna pruriens L.; MUC) or papaya (PAP) on the intake and nutritive value (Experiment 1), and the performance and parasite burden (Experiment 2) of goats. Methods: In Experiment 1, 38 male goats (27.4±5.7 kg body weight) were randomly assigned to each of 5 treatments: i) BG alone and BG plus; ii) PEA; iii) LES; iv) MUC; and v) PAP. Goats were fed for ad libitum consumption and adapted to the diets for 14 d followed by 7 d of measurement. The PEA, LES, MUC (50%, 50%, and 10% of the diet dry matter [DM], respectively), and PAP (forced-fed at 10 g/d) were fed at rates that would elicit anthelmintic effects. In Experiment 2, goats remained in the same treatments but were allocated to 15 pens (3 pens per treatment) from d 22 to 63. All goats were infected with parasites by grazing an infected bahiagrass pasture from 0800 to 1500 h daily and then returned to the pens. Results: Dry matter intake tended to be greater in goats fed PEA and LES than those fed BG (757 and 745 vs 612 g/d, respectively). Digestibility of DM (59.5% vs 54.9%) and organic matter (60.8% vs 56.0%) were greater in goats fed MUC vs BG, respectively. In Experiment 2, feeding PAP, LES, and PEA to goats reduced nematode fecal egg counts by 72%, 52%, and 32%, reduced abomasal adult worm counts by 78%, 52%, and 42%, and decreased plasma haptoglobin concentrations by 42%, 40%, and 45% relative to feeding BG alone, respectively. Conclusion: Supplementation with PEA, LES, and PAP decreased the parasite burden of goats but did not increase their performance. PAP was the most effective anthelmintic supplement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lespedeza davurica, a major semi-shrub leguminous plant of the vast semi-arid grasslands in northwest China, has decreased greatly in abundance due to overgrazing. Seed characteristics and fungal pathogens affect seedling recruitment from soil seed banks. However, little is known about how grazing affects seed characteristics and fungal colonization on seeds. Seeds of L. davurica were obtained both from plants and from soil from plots where four intensities of grazing (0, 2.7, 5.3 and 8.7 sheep/ha) had been applied for 13 years. The morphological and germination characteristics and colonization of seed by fungi were examined. Seed size showed a hump-shaped trend with increasing grazing intensity. With freshly harvested seed, the intensity of 8.7 sheep/ha significantly enhanced germination and extended the time over which germination occurred. The occurrence of pathogenic Fusarium species on seeds decreased with increasing grazing intensity. Our study strongly suggests that the intensity of grazing can alter seed morphological and germination characteristics, as well as the colonization of fungi on seeds. Additional studies involving more members of the plant community are needed to determine whether the intensity of grazing results in a compensatory mechanism that serves to enhance the possibility of plant recruitment from seeds under field conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant community characteristics impact rhizosphere Streptomyces nutrient competition and antagonistic capacities. However, the effects of Streptomyces on, and their responses to, coexisting microorganisms as a function of plant host or plant species richness have received little attention. In this work, we characterized antagonistic activities and nutrient use among Streptomyces and Fusarium from the rhizosphere of Andropogon gerardii ( Ag) and Lespedeza capitata ( Lc) plants growing in communities of 1 (monoculture) or 16 (polyculture) plant species. Streptomyces from monoculture were more antagonistic against Fusarium than those from polyculture. In contrast, Fusarium isolates from polyculture had greater inhibitory capacities against Streptomyces than isolates from monoculture. Although Fusarium isolates had on average greater niche widths, the collection of Streptomyces isolates in total used a greater diversity of nutrients for growth. Plant richness, but not plant host, influenced the potential for resource competition between the two taxa. Fusarium isolates had greater niche overlap with Streptomyces in monoculture than polyculture, suggesting greater potential for Fusarium to competitively challenge Streptomyces in monoculture plant communities. In contrast, Streptomyces had greater niche overlap with Fusarium in polyculture than monoculture, suggesting that Fusarium experiences greater resource competition with Streptomyces in polyculture than monoculture. These patterns of competitive and inhibitory phenotypes among Streptomyces and Fusarium populations are consistent with selection for Fusarium-antagonistic Streptomyces populations in the presence of strong Fusarium resource competition in plant monocultures. Similarly, these results suggest selection for Streptomyces-inhibitory Fusarium populations in the presence of strong Streptomyces resource competition in more diverse plant communities. Thus, landscape-scale variation in plant species richness may be critical to mediating the coevolutionary dynamics and selective trajectories for inhibitory and nutrient use phenotypes among Streptomyces and Fusarium populations in soil, with significant implications for microbial community functional characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The search for natural principles is attracting much interest in the field of skin care. Fabaceae are major agricultural crops and potential sources of bioactive compounds with possible applications in human health and skin care. This study concerns the biological activities of the legume crops Melilotus officinalis (L.) Pall. and Lespedeza capitata Michx. for their potential use in skin care applications. The effects of plant ethanolic extracts at doses ranging from 0.25 to 50 μg/mL (from 1 to 5000 μg/mL in cell viability assays) were evaluated using in vitro tests on HaCaT human keratinocytes, 46BR.1N fibroblasts, and adipocyte cell cultures, and on matrix-degrading enzymes. MTT assay revealed weak effects on cell viability (IC 50 > 1000 μg/mL) and significant increase of fibroblast growth rate with both extracts. Similar induction of cell motility by the two extracts was observed on keratinocytes, while on fibroblasts M. officinalis induced a stronger effect with respect to L. capitata . Cell-free enzymatic assays showed stronger collagenase inhibition by L. capitata , while an ELISA assay revealed more efficient stimulation of fibroblast collagen production by M. officinalis . Oil-Red-O adipocyte staining showed more pronounced lipolytic effect of M. officinalis with respect to L. capitata . Both extracts showed the ability of stimulating skin cells in order to promote tissue regeneration, prevent skin aging, and reduce fat deposition. In most cases, different patterns of activation/inhibition were observed. Data indicate that these legume crops could be profitably exploited in skin care applications, possibly in combined formulations for the development of antiaging and anticellulite products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of a mouthwash containing Lespedeza cuneata extract (LCE) on halitosis as an alternative to chemical mouthwashes. The effect of this natural mouthwash on halitosis-causing bacteria (HCB) was clinically evaluated., Materials and Methods: A total of 84 subjects among 103 participants were recruited from the M Dental Clinic (Busan, South Korea) in this randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. The participants were divided into two groups: 41 in the saline-gargle group (saline group) and 43 in the LCE-gargle group (LCE group). A week before the experiment, scaling and oral health education were conducted to standardise the subjects' oral condition. For clinical evaluation, halitosis and HCB were evaluated pre-gargle (baseline), immediately after gargling (treatment), and 5 days after gargling (5 days post-treatment). Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS for Windows., Results: The level of subjective improvement was statistically significantly greater in the LCE group than the saline group (p < 0.05). Compared with the saline group, the LCE group showed reduced halitosis after 5 days of application. Furthermore, halitosis statistically significantly decreased over time (p < 0.05). Moreover, the LCE group showed a statistically significant decrease in the number of all six HCBs (p < 0.05)., Conclusion: LCE gargle was effective in reducing halitosis both subjectively and objectively, suggesting an antibacterial effect on HCBs in the oral cavity. Thus, LCE, which can be used as a safe mouthwash ingredient, can promote oral health and will be valuable for the oral healthcare product industry. It might also be helpful for people suffering from halitosis.

The purpose of this study was to identify the antimicrobial activity of Lespedeza cuneata extract, a natural medicine, against a main causative bacterium of dental caries, Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans). Lespedeza cuneata purchased from Hwalim Natural Drug Co., Ltd. (Busan, South Korea) was immersed in 70% ethanol for 12 h, and concentrated Lespedeza cuneata extract was applied to S. mutans diluted to 6×105 CFU/mL at the concentrations of 0, 1.25, 2.5, 5, 10, 20, and 40 mg/ml. Then the colony-forming units (CFUs) were checked at 6 and 24 h to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of the extract. The CFUs and survival rate of S. mutans according to the concentration showed a higher mortality rate as the concentration of Lespedeza cuneata extract increased. In the time-dependent changes, the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC), and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) were 1.25 and 40 mg/mL or more, respectively, at 6 h, but they were 1.25 and 5 mg/mL, respectively, at 24 h. Therefore, Lespedeza cuneata extract is considered an excellent natural antibiotic for the prevention and treatment of dental caries, a typical oral disease, because it has excellent dental caries development suppression and bacteria extermination effects.

In the recent past, phytomolecules are exponentially applied in discovering the antidiabetic drug due to less adverse effects. This work screened the active solvent fraction of Lespedeza cuneata based on the phytochemical, enzyme inhibition, and antioxidant properties. The antioxidant efficacy of the different fractions of the L. cuneata was assessed by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), ferric reducing power, hydrogen peroxide, and hydroxyl radical scavenging assays. The digestive enzyme (α-amylase and α-glucosidase) inhibitory activity was also evaluated. The phytochemical composition of ethyl acetate fraction of L. cuneata (Lc-EAF) was studied by UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS. The effect of Lc-EAF treatments on glucose uptake was studied in insulin resistance HepG2 cells (IR-HepG2). Further, the antidiabetic effect of Lc-EAF in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic mice were demonstrated. Ethyl acetate, hexane, and methanol fractions of the L. cuneata showed notable antioxidant, α-amylase, and α-glucosidase inhibitory properties. Among the fractions, Lc-EAF was found to be the most potent. The Lc-EAF exhibited an IC 50 of 205.32 ± 23.47 µg/mL and 105.32 ± 13.93 µg/mL for α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibition, respectively. In addition, 75 µg/mL of Lc-EAF exposure enhanced glucose uptake (68.23%) in IR-HepG2 cells. In vivo study indicated that treatment of Lc-EAF (100 mg/kg b.wt) maintained the blood glucose level through reduced insulin level while improving the lipid profile, hepatic, and renal markers. These findings suggest that Lc-EAF could be considered a prominent source for antidiabetic, anti-hyperlipidemic, and anti-ROS potentials., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Background an aims: Nutrient use overlap among sympatric Streptomyces populations is correlated with pathogen inhibitory capacity, yet there is little information on either the factors that influence nutrient use overlap among coexisting populations or the diversity of nutrient use among soil Streptomyces. Methods: We examined the effects of plant host and plant species richness on nutrient use of Streptomyces isolated from the rhizosphere of Andropogon gerardii ( Ag) and Lespedeza capitata ( Lc) growing in communities of 1 (monoculture) or 16 (polyculture) plant species. Growth on 95 carbon sources was assessed over 5d. Results: Cumulative growth was significantly greater for polyculture vs. monoculture isolates, and for Lc vs. Ag isolates. Isolates from monocultures, but not polycultures, exhibited a drop in growth rates between 24 h and 72 h post-inoculation, suggesting resource allocation to non-growth functions. Isolates from high-carbon (polyculture) or high-nitrogen ( Lc) soils had larger niche widths than isolates from low-C (monocultures) or low-N ( Ag) soils. Sympatric isolates from polycultures were significantly more differentiated from one another in preferred nutrients for growth than sympatric isolates from monocultures. Conclusions: These results suggest that Streptomyces populations respond to selection imposed by plant host and plant community richness and that populations from polyculture but not from monoculture, mediate resource competition via niche differentiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genus Lespedeza is revised for the Flora Malesiana region. Differences between Lespedeza and Campylotropis are briefly discussed. The two genera are united and treated as one genus: Lespedeza. Two species are present in Malesia. A key to the species and some notes are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the antiplaque and antibacterial effects of a mouthwash containing Lespedeza cuneata (LC) extract through clinical periodontal disease (PD) indicators and changes in PD-causing bacteria., Methods: A total of 63 subjects participated in this double-blind clinical trial. Subjects were divided into two groups: 32 participants gargled with LC extract, and 31 used saline. Scaling was performed 1 week before the experiment to secure the homogeneity of the subjects' oral conditions. After gargling with 15 ml of each solution for 1 min, participants spit out the solution to remove any residual mouthwash solution. Then, PD-related bacteria were measured via the O'Leary index, plaque index (PI), and gingival index (GI). The clinical data were collected three times: before gargling, immediately after gargling, and 5 d after gargling., Results: After 5 d, the O'Leary index, PI, and GI scores were significantly reduced in the LC extract gargle group (p < 0.05). PD-inducing Gram-positive and -negative bacteria were also reduced, confirming the LC extract's effect on periodontal health improvement and disease prevention., Conclusion: Mouthwash containing LC extract, a new alternative natural substance that is safe and effective, may be used to treat PD because of its ability to inhibit and prevent PD., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

As part of an investigation into viruses of wild plants in Australia, a contiguous sequence of 3935 nucleotides was obtained after shotgun sequencing of RNA isolated from an asymptomatic wild legume, Gompholobium preissii. Phylogenetic analysis of the sequence revealed that it most closely resembled that of Trailing lespedeza virus 1 (TLV1), a virus isolated from a wild legume in America. The proposed virus, named Gompholobium virus A, and TLV1 are genetically closest to viruses in the genera Alphacarmovirus and Pelarspovirus, family Tombusviridae, but they share features distinguishing them from both groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dynamic changes in land configuration during the Quaternary that were accompanied by climatic oscillations have significantly influenced the current distribution and genetic structure of warm-temperate forests in East Asia. Although recent surveys have been conducted, the historical migration of forest species via land bridges and, especially, the origins of Korean populations remains conjectural. Here, we reveal the genetic structure of Lespedeza buergeri, a warm-temperate shrub that is disjunctively distributed around the East China Sea (ECS) at China, Korea, and Japan. Two non-coding regions ( rpl32- trnL, psbA- trnH) of chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) and the internal transcribed spacer of nuclear ribosomal DNA (nrITS) were analyzed for 188 individuals from 16 populations, which covered almost all of its distribution. The nrITS data demonstrated a genetic structure that followed geographic boundaries. This examination utilized AMOVA, comparisons of genetic differentiation based on haplotype frequency/genetic mutations among haplotypes, and Mantel tests. However, the cpDNA data showed contrasting genetic pattern, implying that this difference was due to a slower mutation rate in cpDNA than in nrITS. These results indicated frequent migration by this species via an ECS land bridge during the early Pleistocene that then tapered gradually toward the late Pleistocene. A genetic isolation between western and eastern Japan coincided with broad consensus that was suggested by the presence of other warm-temperate plants in that country. For Korean populations, high genetic diversity indicated the existence of refugia during the Last Glacial Maximum on the Korean Peninsula. However, their closeness with western Japanese populations at the level of haplotype clade implied that gene flow from western Japanese refugia was possible until post-glacial processing occurred through the Korea/Tsushima Strait land bridge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]