Search

The relevance of the search for alternative plant raw materials to enrich the diets of population throughout the world, including in the Russian Federation, is explained by global mass year-round insufficiency of biologically active nutrients in food. This work is aimed at identifying the most promising food plant species from the list, proposed on basis of long-term observations by staff of Tsytsin Main Moscow Botanical Garden of Russian Academy of Sciences (MBG RAS), by bachelors, studying in direction 06.03.01 (Biology) at Moscow State University of Food Production. The research materials (2016-2018) are fruits of hawthorns, rosehips, quince, eleutherococcuses, medlar, mahonia, spindle tree, yews, sumacs, oaks, red-fruited honeysuckles and needles of coniferous plants. Research results indicate the value of studied raw materials as a whole and its advantages in compared species within the genus of plants. Some recommendations for practical usage were made. The following things have been proposed: separation of fruit pulp and seeds before drying of fruits of Crataegus submollis and more preferable C. punctata; wide plantation cultivation of rosehips Rosa amblyotis and R. oxyodon; non-waste separate application of pericarp and seeds of Cydonia oblonga, Mespilus germanica and Mahonia aquifolium; medicinal use of fruits of Eleutherococcus sessiliflorus , and more preferable E. senticosus ; further study of cones of Taxus baccata and T. media; as a spice there is usage of fruits of Rhus typhina ; obtaining unique oils from fruit pulp of Lonicera glehnii, L . ferdinandii, L. maackii and arils of Euonymus europaeus; usage of acorns of Quercus robur, Q. rubra and needles of Picea abies, Pinus sylvestris in feed production. Thus, possibilities of intensifying plant resource usage in the food industry and agriculture were discovered, primarily due to fruits of native introduced species. It is necessary to continue search and further study of the most promising species - sources of alternative plant raw materials.

Lectotypifications of Eriobotrya ambigua, E. bengalensis f. contracta, E. bengalensis f. multinervata, Opa metrosideros (synonym of E. metrosideros), Photinia griffithii (synonym of E. griffithii), E. prionophylla are designated here, and a neotype is designated for Mespilus bengalensis (≡ E. bengalensis). The protologues of these names and the original materials are evaluated. Nomenclatural notes discussing the selection of type specimens are given for each name and known isotypes are also cited.

Pyracantha is naturally distributed from East Asia to the southeastern Europe regions, and seven species, including five endemic species, were recorded in China. Taxonomic problems within the genus persist, in which the identity of Pyracantha crenulata complex is not clear when referring to the existing species dichotomous key. P. crenulata complex contains three species: P. loureiroi, P. crenulata and P. fortuneana. Such incident might be due to the lack of proper analysis and evaluation of the characters at the population level when first described. To solve this problem, we sampled 48 populations of P. crenulata, examined 278 sheets of herbarium specimens, and conducted principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) on the morphological variations across different populations. Our findings indicated that P. crenulata complex does not display distinct, separated groups based on the morphological characteristics described in the existing species description, the shape of leaf, leaf margin, leaf apices and widest position of leaf are not distinct features for species delimitation in P. crenulata complex. As a result, we proposed that the P. crenulata complex should be recognized as a single species named P. crenulata.

A micropropagation method has been developed for the first time for difficult to propagate small fruit plant medlar (Mespilus germanica L.). Embryonic axes excised from surface-disinfected and micr...

As part of the integrative systematic studies on the tribe Maleae, a synopsis of the expandedRhaphiolepisis presented, recognizing 45 species. Three new forms were validated: R. bengalensis f. contracta B.B.Liu & J.Wen, R. bengalensis f. intermedia B.B.Liu & J.Wen, and R. bengalensis f. multinervata B.B.Liu & J.Wen, and four new combinations are made here: R. bengalensis f. angustifolia (Cardot) B.B.Liu & J.Wen, R. bengalensis f. gigantea (J.E.Vidal) B.B.Liu & J.Wen,R. laoshanica(W.B.Liao, Q.Fan & S.F.Chen) B.B.Liu & J.Wen, andR. latifolia(Hook.f.) B.B.Liu & J.Wen. Furthermore, one new name,Rhaphiolepis yuiB.B.Liu & J.Wen is proposed here, and three taxa were reduced as new synonyms. We also provide lectotypification for 13 names:Crataegus bibas,Eriobotrya philippinensis,Mespilus spiralis,Opa integerrima,Photinia luzonensis,Rhaphiolepis brevipetiolata, R. ferruginea var. serrata,R. fragrans,R. gracilis,R. hainanensis,R. kerrii, R. indica subsp. umbellata var. liukiuensis, andR. parvibracteolata.

Medlar and hawthorn genotypes were analyzed and also their individual organic acids, in order to better understand their use as functional foods, but also as ingredients in pharmaceutical, nutritional products and in medicine. HPLC analysis was carried out using a Surveyor Thermo Electron system. Ascorbic, oxalic, tartric, malic, citric, succinic and fumaric acids were detected. On average, malic acid was predominant with a range of 415.08 mg/100 g FW in Mespilus germanica and 1,128.68 mg/100 g FW in Crataegus pentagyna. The order of organic acid depending on their content/100 g FW was: for Mespilus germanica - malic > tartric > oxalic > citric > fumaric > ascorbic > succinic; for Crataegus monogyna - malic > oxalic > citric > succinic >tartric > ascorbic > fumaric; for Crataegus pentagyna - malic > citric > oxalic > succinic >tartric > ascorbic > fumaric. The data obtained in this study do confirm that medlar and hawthorn fruits are a rich source of organic acid, and their organic acid content within the 100 g was greater than human daily consumption for this required level.

Bu araştırma 2017 ve 2018yıllarında Samsun ili Tekkeköy (Türkiye) ilçesi mahallelerinde doğal olarakyetişen muşmula (Mespilus germanicaL.) popülasyonu içerisinde ümitvar genotipleri belirlemek amacıylayürütülmüştür. Araştırmada 15 g ve üzeri meyve ağırlığına sahip genotiplerseçilmiştir. Çalışmada 33 genotip incelenmiştir. İncelenen genotiplerde meyveağırlığı, meyve eti oranı, toplam kuru madde miktarı, suda çözünebilir kurumadde miktarı ve C vitamini miktarı dikkate alınarak ümitvar genotipleribelirlemek amacıyla tartılı derecelendirme metodu kullanılmıştır. Araştırmanınilk yılında (2017) meyve ağırlığı 15.08-25.44 g, meyve hacmi 14.36-24.11 mL,meyve eti oranı %78.63-92.41, toplam kuru madde miktarı %64.20-78.01, SÇKMiçeriği %8.4-17.6, titreedilebilir asitlik %0.50-0.98, C vitamini miktarı9.60-40 mg 100 g-1; ikinci yılında (2018) ise meyve ağırlığı15.13-22.15 g, meyve hacmi 15.51-23.05 mL, meyve eti oranı %74.03-94.45, toplamkuru madde miktarı %67.25-.79.24, SÇKM içeriği % 6.8-15.9, titreedilebilirasitlik %0.27-1.34, C vitamini miktarı 7.0-34.0 mg 100 g-1 arasındadeğişmiştir. Çalışmada ‘Tartılı Derecelendirme’ sonucunda en yüksek puanıalarak çok iyi grupta yer alan 4, 25, ve 5 nolu genotipler ümitvar olarakbelirlenmiştir., This study was carried out to determine thepromising genotypes of medlar (Mespilusgermanica L.) grown naturally in the neighborhoods of Tekkeköy district ofSamsun province (Turkey) in 2017 and 2018 years. In the study, genotypes with afruit weight of 15 g and more were selected. In the study 33 medlar genotypeswere examined. Weighted Ranked Method was used to determine the promisinggenotypes by considering fruit weight, fruit flesh content, total dry mattercontent, soluble solid content and vitamin C content in the examined genotypes.In the first year (2017) fruit weight ranged from 15.08 g to 25.44 g, fruitvolume ranged from 14.36 mL to 24.11 mL, fruit flesh rate ranged from 78.63% to92.41%, total dry matter content ranged from 64.20% to 78.01%, SSC ranged from8.4% to 17.6%, titratable acidity ranged from 0.50% to 0.98%, vitamin C content ranged from 9.60 mg100g-1 to 40.0 mg 100g-1; In the second year (2018) fruitweight varied from 15.13 g to 22.15 g, fruit volume varied from 15.51 mL to23.05 mL, fruit flesh rate varied from 74.03% to 94.45%, total dry mattercontent varied from 67.25% to 79.24%, SSC varied from 6.8% to 15.9%, titratableacidity varied from 0.27% to 1.34%, vitamin C content varied from 7.0 mg 100 g-1to 34.0 mg 100 g-1 in the study. As a result of the ‘Weighing RankedMethod’, in the best group has the highest score of three genotypes, 4, 25, and5 genotypes were identified as promising genotypes in this study.

Background. Resistance to the effects of plant biotic stressors is determined by a set of factors. Among them, the leading protective role is often assigned to the physiological and biochemical characteristics of the surface tissues. However, one cannot ignore the specificity of the microstructural organization of the plant surface, since the nature of interactions in phytopathogenic organisms is more complex than the chemical impact. Meanwhile, the information accumulated to date about the structure of the surface tissues of the vegetative and reproductive organs of plants, and the interface of mycobiota, is fragmentary.Objective. Mature leaves and fruits taken from representatives of the subfamily Maloideae Werber (Malus domestica Borkh., Pyrus communis L., Cydonia oblonga Mill. and Mespilus germanica L.) were selected for the study.Materials and methods. Samples for the research were taken from the middle part of the crown of model trees in 3 replications. In recent years, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with cryofixation is considered the most promising technique and is used to analyze the surface of biological organisms and identification of species. It is particularly informative in the case of organisms with complex surface micromorphology and for studying the biodiversity of pathogens. However, in this work we combined the methods of light, electron (SEM, TEM) and confocal microscopy. The samples were also studied using phytopathological and histochemical techniques. Condensed polyphenols were detected using K2Cr2O7 and FeCl3 as well as 4-(Dimethylamino)cinnamaldehyde (DMACA, Sigma-Aldrich).Results. On the basis of the obtained phytopathological materials and published data an overview of fungal diseases afflicting leaves and fruits of M. domestica, P. communis, C. oblonga and M. germanica was made. It has been established that a common feature of the Maloideae fruits is the accumulation of condensed polyphenols, which play an important protective role against biotic stressors, in the cells of the pericarp’s outer tissues. Anatomical and morphological characteristics of passive immunity, or horizontal resistance to fungal pathogens, include the specific nature of waxy and cuticular deposits, features of the formation of cuticular folds and peristomatic rings in the stomata area and microstrands at the base of trichomes, thickness of the cuticle and cork tissue, and the development of lenticels on fruits.Conclusion. The studied model plants suffer from a sufficiently wide range of diseases with different etiologies; among them, the most widespread and harmful are mycoses. In view of this, their resistance to fungal pathogens correlates with the specificity of the leaf and fruit surface microstructure and the content of phenolic substances (polyphenols) in the cells of the pericarp’s surface tissues.

Background. The formation of cover tissues (epidermis, cork), providing a connection with the environment, in the evolution of flowering plants was one of the main consequences of the transition to life on earth. The epidermis, which emerged as a device for protecting deeper underlying tissues from drying, subsequently acquired additional functions (participation in gas exchange and transpiration, absorption and isolation of certain substances as well as protection from the penetration of pathogens) and became a multifunctional tissue consisting of several types of cells (basic, stomatal, and trichomes). Features of the fine structure of the epidermis are of interest in representatives of the subfamily Maloideae Werber (Rosaceae Juss.), which grow, inter alia in mountain agrobiocenoses with their rather harsh conditions. They extended their area of distribution to various habitats due to the development of structural adaptations that play an important role in the formation of resistance to stressors of different etiologies.Objective. Representatives of 4 genera were chosen as model objects from subfam. Maloideae for the study: Malus domestica Borkh., Pyrus communis L., Cydonia oblonga Mill., and Mespilus germanica L.Materials and methods. Mature leaves and fruits were selected from the middle part of the crown of three model trees of each species. The samples were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), with a freezing attachment.Results. Leaves of Maloideae were found to be hypostomatic, while the abaxial (lower) epidermis is multifunctional: it performs a barrier function together with the cuticle. Formation of the cuticular nature can be attributed to the surface structures: peristomatic rings and ridges as well as radially extending folds, all forming a specific microrelief. The adaxial (upper) and abaxial surfaces clearly differ not only in the features of the structure, but also in the specificity of the microrelief’s arrangement. Species-specific traits were also found in the structure of the surface tissue of the pericarp. M. germanica, unlike the other species, does not have a continuous cuticular cover and wax deposits: most of a mature fruit’s surface is covered with a peeling cork layer. In the study of the surface of C. oblonga fruits, numerous rather large stomata with peristomatic rings and cuticular cushions were found similar to those in leaves.Conclusion. Surface structures of leaves and fruits in subfam. Maloideae include formations of cuticular nature, with different specificities of microrelief shaping due to the functional load of the epidermal tissue and environmental conditions. They can also be involved in building resistance to biotic stressors. The obtained data on the features of the fine structure of surface tissues are of interest for applied and theoretical studies, especially environmental and botanical, relating to taxonomic issues.

Common medlar (Mespilus germanica L.) is one of the latest maturating fruits and its fruit is used as a nutrition component and as a medicinal remedy. The present investigation was carried out to evaluate the morphological variability of 103 accessions of this species. The significant differences were detected among the accessions based on the measured morphological characters. Fruit length ranged from 14.91 to 23.68 mm, and fruit width varied from 14.21 to 23.46 mm. Moreover, 10 fruit weight ranged between 15.00 and 55.87 g with an average of 30.86. Fruit yield was positively correlated with tree vigor, tree canopy size, and branching, while it was negatively correlated with suckering. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed that 74.48% of the variability observed was explained by the 11 components. The dendrogram created using cluster analysis grouped the accessions into two major clusters. The current finding showed that natural populations of medlar were diverse suggesting they are a high genetic potential, which could be used from the agronomic point of view to find several valuable well-adapted genotypes suitable for substantial improvement of the production. Thus, it is necessary to preserve the present available genetic material.

Bu çalışma Trabzon ili Sürmene ilçesinde doğada kendiliğinden yetişen ümitvar muşmula (Mespilus germanica L.) genotiplerini seleksiyon ıslahı yoluyla belirlemek amacıyla 2012 ve 2013 yıllarında yürütülmüştür. Ümitvar genotipleri belirlemek üzere tartılı derecelendirme yöntemi kullanılmıştır. Araştırmada toplam 18 genotip değerlendirilmiş olup bunlar arasından 8 tanesi meyve ağırlığı, meyve eti yüzdesi, suda çözünür kuru madde miktarı ve toplam kuru madde miktarı dikkate alınarak yapılan tartılı derecelendirme sonucunda ümitvar olarak seçilmiştir. Çalışma sonucunda, sırasıyla, SÜR-6, SÜR-19, SÜR-20, SÜR-7, SÜR-16, SÜR-9, SÜR-15 ve SÜR-17 no‟lu genotipler genel kalite özellikleri bakımından en yüksek puanı almıştır. Ümitvar genotiplerde meyve ağırlığı, meyve eni, meyve boyu, tohum ağırlığı, meyve eti oranı, suda çözünür kuru madde miktarı, asitlik, C vitamini ve toplam kuru madde miktarı, sırasıyla, 19.5-24.4 g; 31.1-35.5 mm; 31.4-35.7 mm; 1.2-1.5 g; %93.3- 94.1; % 18.0-22.0; % 1.2-1.5; 4.4-4.7 mg 100 g-1 ve % 20.9-27.0 arasında değişmiştir. Genel kalite özellikleri bakımından SÜR-6 ve SÜR-19 genotipleri ön plana çıkmıştır., This study was carried out to determine the promising medlar (Mespilus germanica L.) genotypes grown in Sürmene province (Trabzon, Turkey) in the Eastern Black Sea Region in 2012 and 2013 years by selection breeding. "Weight-Ranked Method" was used to evaluate the promising genotypes. Total 18 wild medlar genotypes were investigated in the study. According to weighted ranked method was done based on fruit weight, fruit flesh percent, total soluble solids and total dry matter 8 wild medlar genotypes were determined as promising genotypes. As a result of this study. SÜR-6, SÜR-19, SÜR-20, SÜR-7, SÜR-16, SÜR-9, SÜR-15 and SÜR-17 numbered genotypes were had the highest score for general quality characteristics. respectively. In the promising genotypes. the fruit weight varied from 19.5 to 24.4 g; fruit width varied from 31.1 to 35.5 mm; fruit length varied from 31.4 to 35.7 mm; seed weight varied from 1.2 to 1.5 g; fruit flesh percent varied from 93.3 to 94.1 %; total soluble solids varied from 18.0 to 22.0 %; titratable acidity varied from 1.2 to 1.5 %; vitamin C varied from 4.4 to 4.7 mg 100 g-1 and total dry matter varied from 20.9 to 27.0 %. Genotypes 6 and 19 are remarkable in terms of general quality characteristics.

From 2012 to 2015, several field surveys were conducted throughout forest areas in the north of Iran in order to determine the occurrence of species of Botryosphaeriaceae on forest trees. Fungal isolations were made from symptomatic branches of 20 tree genera including Acer, Alnus, Carpinus, Crataegus, Cupressus, Cydonia, Diospyros, Fagus, Fraxinus, Gleditsia, Mespilus, Parrotia, Pinus, Populus, Prunus, Pterocarya, Punica, Quercus, Ulmus and Zelkova, as well as fruiting bodies formed on the surface of woody debris. Morphological identification along with molecular analysis of the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS1-5.8S-ITS2) of the nuclear ribosomal DNA (rDNA) and a partial sequence of translation elongation factor 1-α (tef-1α) gene showed that at least nine species of Botryosphaeriaceae occur on forest trees in the north of Iran. These include Dothiorella sarmentorum, Dothiorella plurivora, Neofusicoccum parvum, Botryosphaeria dothidea, Neoscytalidium novaehollandiae, Diplodia seriata, Diplodia sapinea, Lasiodiplodia mahajangana and Diplodia intermedia. Pathogenicity tests were conducted for selected isolates from each species on six tree species (Mespilus germanica, Punica granatum, Parrotia persica, Alnus glutinosa, Quercus castaneifolia and Pterocarya fraxinifolia) under field conditions. Results of the pathogenicity tests showed a variation in lesion lengths (virulence) and re-isolation frequencies of inoculated species on branches of trees, Neoscytalidium novaehollandiae, B. dothidea and D. intermedia being the most virulence species. Based on host plant species, the majority of Botryosphaeriaceae species are new records. This is the first comprehensive study on the species identification, distribution and pathogenicity of Botryosphaeriaceae on forest trees in Iran. This is also the first report of L. mahajangana in this country.

The composition of fatty acids of total lipids of the outer and parenchymal parts of the pericarp in Cydonia oblonga Mill. and Mespilus germanica L. (Maloideae, Rosaceae), growing in the Northern Caucasian mountains at altitudes of 300, 500, 700, and 1200 m above sea level in various natural zones from experimental sites, was studied for the first time. It is established that the altitude of plant growth is largely correlated with the changes in the FA composition of the outer, but not the parenchymal, part of the pericarp. The nature of this variability suggests that the adaptation of plants to the conditions of significant temperature differences in the mountains is associated with the regulation of cell membrane fluidity, based on the interaction of opposite processes of synthesis of polyunsaturated and very-long-chain fatty acids.

Common medlar (Mespilus germanica L.) is a long-lived plant with hard fruits, which are harvested in the fall and stored in cold and dark places. The aim of the work was to obtain the extract from freeze-dried fruits of medlar. Then, the samples were purified on a column with Amberlite XAD-16 ion exchange resin (two fractions were obtained and tested in further steps: methanol (MF) and water (WF)). A quantitative analysis of the polyphenolic compounds and selected elements was performed. In addition, in vitro tests of antidiabetic and antioxidant activity of the extracts were carried out. The applied methodology included the determination of antidiabetic activity by diffusion method, antioxidant activity by ABTS and FRAP methods, elemental analysisby atomic spectrometry, and quantitative and qualitative determination of phenolic composition by UPLC method. The highest antioxidant activity was observed in the MF of the medlar preparation, which was 245.31 μM Trolox/g (in ABTS test). Both fractions showed positive antidiabetic effects. For WF, even a small concentration of 1 mg/mL DMSO, the percentage of α-amylase inhibition was 35%. The WF dominated in terms of the total content of phenolic compounds (mainly gallic, procatechic, chlorogenic, and ferulic acids).

Medlar (Mespilus germanica L.) has been cultivated in several Asian and European countries for medical/food use for many years. As scarce information is available outside Southwest Asia, this study aimed to increase the knowledge of this local and underutilised fruit in Italy as a source of bioactive compounds. Total polyphenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant capacity (AOC) were evaluated by spectrophotometric methods, while the main phytochemical compounds were identified and quantified by HPLC fingerprint. Even if many compounds are variable and decrease during ripening, this research reported the presence of considerable amounts of bioactive compounds in ripe medlar fruits, which resulted particularly rich in monoterpenes (total: 1380.26 ± 48.06 mg/100 gFW; in particular γ-terpinene 922.77 ± 31.61 mg/100 g of fresh weight or FW) and organic acids (total: 963.05 ± 33.21 mg/100 gFW; in particular, malic and citric acid: 406.50 ± 5.25 and 380.99 ± 13.11 mg/100 gFW, respectively), with high values of TPC (138.58 ± 10.03 mg/100 gFW) and AOC (6.59 ± 2.35 mmol Fe2+/kgFW), revealing the benefits of this fruit as a source of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents. Bioactive compound content of M. germanica extracts exhibited high variability in different geographic areas, that may depend on several biotic and abiotic factors, and many compounds showed a decreasing trend losing properties during the ripening, but the presence of health-promoting agents was confirmed by the high levels of bioactive compounds observed in the analysed fruit and highlighted the necessity of enhancing the propagation of the medlar in the Italian peninsula as fresh fruit and high-quality nutritional and health-promoting ingredient.

The present study evaluated the antioxidant and antibacterial activities of methanolic extract of medlar (Mespilus germanica L.) leaves. The antioxidant activity was determined by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical assay and the antibacterial activity was evaluated by the disc diffusion method and determination of minimum inhibitory concentration. The methanolic extract showed high antioxidant activity (69.43%) and had antibacterial activity against both Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria. Higher inhibition zone was detected against S. aureus (30.83 mm). The extract of this plant showed high phenolic, flavonoids and carotenoids contents and it can be concluded that these compounds may be responsible for antibacterial and antioxidant activity. The results indicated that the methanolic extract of medlar, M. germanica L., leaves possessed strong antibacterial and antioxidant properties and could be an important source of natural compounds for development of new drugs.

The objective of the current study was to evaluate the antioxidant activity and enzyme inhibitory effect of different parts of medlar including fruit, leaf and flower bud by using various in vitro methods, and also determination of total phenolic and flavonoid content in the samples. Ethanol extracts of medlar parts were prepared and their antioxidant activities were determined using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazil (DPPH•) scavenging and β-carotene bleaching methods. The leaf extract showed the strongest antioxidant activity. DPPHradical scavenging activity was in the order of BHA > leaf > bud > fruit. This ordering was the same for β-carotene bleaching activity, tocopherol > leaf > bud > fruit. The highest total phenolic (60.3 ± 1.69 mg GAE g-1 extract) and flavonoid (14.77 ± 1.15 mg QE g-1 extract) content were determined in leaf extract. For possible antidiabetic effects of extracts, α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities were investigated, the bud extract showed the highest inhibition activities among the all extracts.

According to the International Program for the Botanic Gardens Conservation, botanic gardens contribute to the conservation plant species, which are of great socio-economic importance, and develop and implement a policy to use herbal products derived from sustainably developing sources. The aim of this study was to determine morphometric parameters of fruits of seven genotypes of Mespilus germanica L., which are growing in the Forest-Steppe of Ukraine in M. M. Gryshko National Botanical Garden of NAS of Ukraine (Kyiv). Their morphometric parameters were following: fruit weight from 35.29 to 39.12 g, fruit length from 27.69 to 42.29 mm, fruit diameter from 24.98 to 44.75 mm, length of calyx basin from 17.55 to 32.46 mm. The shape index of the fruits was found in the range of 0.79 to 1.23. It was found that fruit diameter positively correlated with traits such as fruit weight and calyx basin length. Fruit weight was also highly correlated with calyx basin length and fruit length. Using the cluster analysis with Euclidian distances allowed to establish the relationships among the fruits Mespilus germanica germplasm and arranged the genotypes into five relatively homogenous clusters. Hence, the introduction population characterized by quite variability and contains plants with almost all types of fruits. Obtained data can be used for breeding programs and introducing of cultivars in Mespilus germanica.

Among fruit plants belonging to the Rosaceae family, medlar (Mespilus) can be classified as neglected or underutilized. It is a genus of two species of flowering plants: Mespilus germanica (common medlar) and Mespilus canescens. Appreciated for its specific taste and flavor, medlar also possesses biological properties (antioxidant and antimicrobial). Despite the special properties of medlar, there are few research papers on this subject. This review paper includes data not only on medlar fruits but also its leaves, bark, and bud flowers. The main identified components are presented, as well as several biological properties, morphological properties, ethnopharmacological uses, and molecular biology analyses emerging from the scientific papers published in this area.

A feeding trial was performed to assess the effects of dietary Medlar (Mespilus germanica) leaf extract (MLE) on the growth performance, skin mucus non-specific immune parameters as well as mRNA levels of immune and antioxidant related genes in the skin of common carp (Cyprinus carpio) fingerlings. Fish were fed diets supplemented with graded levels (0, 0.25, 0.50, and 1.00%) of MLE for 49 days. The results revealed an improvement to the growth performance and feed conversion ratio in MLE fed carps (P 0.05), regardless of the inclusion level. The immunoglobulin levels and interleukin 8 levels in the skin mucous and skin, respectively, revealed significant increment in fish fed 1% MLE (P 0.05) in comparison with the other MLE treatments and control group. Also, feeding on 0.25% and 0.50% MLE remarkably increased skin mucus lysozyme activity (P 0.05). However, there were no significant difference between MLE treated groups and control (P 0.05) in case protease activity in the skin mucous or tumor necrosis factor alpha and interleukin 1 beta gene expression in the skin of carps (P 0.05). The expression of genes encoding glutathione reductase and glutathione S-transferase alpha were remarkably increased in MLE fed carps compared to the control group (P 0.05) while carp fed 0.50% or 1.00% MLE had significantly increased glutathione peroxidase expression in their skin (P 0.05). The present results revealed the potentially beneficial effects of MLE on the mucosal immune system and growth performance in common carp fingerlings.

As part of a comprehensive systematic study on the genusEriobotryaand its close relatives from the E & SE Asia, new typifications of 23 names are presented here, along with some nomenclatural notes of the names involved. We lectotypified 22 names including accepted names and synonyms. They are:E. acuminatissima, E. bengalensis var. angustifolia; E. bengalensis f. intermedia,E. brackloi, E. brackloi var. atrichophylla, E. elliptica var. petelotii, E. fragrans var. furfuracea,E. glabrescens,E. grandiflora,E. henryi,E. oblongifolia,E. petiolata,E. platyphylla,E. poilanei,E. prinoides, E. prinoides var. laotica,E. salwinensis,E. serrata,E. stipularis,Hiptage cavaleriei,Photinia longifolia,Symplocos seguinii. One neotype ofPhotinia dubiawas also proposed in this study, andE. pseudoraphiolepisandMespilus cuilawere identified as superfluous names. In addition, we also summarized the typification of 18 names for taxonomic reference:E. angustissima,E. balgooyi,E. condaoensis,E. × daduheensis,E. elliptica,E. fulvicoma,E. fragrans, E. glabrescens var. victoriensis,E. hookeriana,E. latifolia,E. obovata,E. malipoensis,E. merguiensis,E. tengyuehensis,E. wardii,Mespilus bengalensis,Photinia deflexa, andM. japonica.

One of the mechanisms of plant adaptation to combined stress under conditions of altitudinal zonation is changing the lipid fatty acid (FA) composition. The main changes in the FA composition occurred in the outer cell layers of the pericarp, but not in the parenchyma. Adaptation was found to be species-specific. In Cydonia oblonga Mill. and Malus domestica Borkh., the ratio of polyunsaturated 18:2 and 18:3 lipid FAs changed with increasing height, while a constitutive level of the unsaturation index (UI) and low contents of very-long-chain fatty acids (VLCFAs) were maintained. Mespilus germanica L. was characterized by a higher level of VLCFAs due to the high content of 20:0. The sum of VLCFAs in medlar increased by up to 16 % with changing altitude, which was accompanied by the changes in the ultrastructure of chloroplasts and a noticeable decrease in the UI. We attribute the differences in the adaptive strategies in C. oblonga, M. domestica and M. germanica to specific structural features of the pericarp peel. Despite different adaptation mechanisms, the studied species can grow equally successfully at the altitudes from 300 to 1200 m.

To evaluate the phylogenetic relationships among subtribe Pyrinae of Rosaceae, 50 different genotypes and cultivars of pome fruit trees were collected from various locations in Iran, and analysed using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers. Altogether, 85 polymorphic fragments were produced by 11 random 10-mer primers. The number of produced bands varied from 4 to 12 for each primer, 7.72 on average. The lowest Jaccard's genetic similarity coefficient was scored between apple cv. ‘Akan’ and a wild Pyrus syriaca pear (0.04), and the highest similarity was observed between two genotypes of P. syriaca (0.97). Cluster analysis using the unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA) properly separated the accessions and divided them into three major groups, including Malus, Pyrus, Mespilus and Crataegus. Members of Mespilus and Crataegus were further separated and formed two subgroups. Analysis of the genetic structure, using STRUCTURE and phylogenetic relationship using TreeView software confirmed the results of the UPGMA dendrogram and properly distinguished different genera. Among different genera studied in our experiment, Malus was the most distinct one and showed high genetic distance from other genera. Generally, the results from the present study provide valuable information about the genetic relationship among important pome fruit trees in Iran and indicate that, although Mespilus is genetically close to the Crataegus genus, it has relatively high similarity with Pyrus and Malus. Moreover, outcomes of this research confirmed that RAPD molecular markers are an appropriate means for evaluation of the genetic relationship among various genera of pome fruit trees.

Mespilus germanica, known as the medlar, is a large shrub or small tree. The fruit has been cultivated since Roman times, and is unusual in being available in winter, and in being eaten when bletted. In this study twelve medlar (Mespilus germanica L.) genotypes were harvested at commercial maturity stage (skin brownish, pulp white, fruit hard) from Rize provinces located eastern black sea region and were analyzed for their some important fruit phenotypic (fruit mass, shape index, fruit firmness, ostiole diameter and fruit flesh ratio) and bioactive characteristics (total phenolic content, total antioxidant capacity, vitamin C and phenolic compounds). A wide variation among genotypes on most of the searched parameters was found. Fruit mass and flesh ratio varied from 12.3 g (KRD-1) to 23.6 g (KRD-8) and 83.6 % (KRD-2) to 93.0 % (KRD-4) indicating high variability among genotypes. The total phenolic contents of twelve medlar genotypes varied from 157 to 227 mg gallic acid equivalent in 100 g fresh weight basis. Chlorogenic acid, rutin and p-coumaric acid were dominant in medlar fruits.

Typical symptoms of fire blight, caused by Erwinia amylovora, were observed in late June of 1998 on Crataegus monogyna Jacq. (hawthorn) and Pyrus pyraster Burgsd. (syn. P. caucasia, wild or thorny pear) in the region of Plovdiv. Symptoms observed on hawthorn were shepherd's-crook shoots, necrotic flowers and fruitlets, and dried amber ooze droplets. On thorny pear, only infected shoots were detected. Isolation on King's B medium (2 days, 26°C) resulted in the appearance of whitish, glistening, rounded colonies. Based on their cultural characteristics, positive hypersensitive response (HR) on tobacco leaves, successful laboratory inoculations of hosts' shoots and pear fruitlets, positive serological reaction (slide agglutination), and target-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR; 23S rDNA), the isolates from both species were placed in the E. amylovora group. The bacterium has also been isolated by the first author from Cydonia oblonga, Pyrus communis, Mespilus germanica, and Malus sylvestris within the 5-year period of 1989-1993 (1). To our knowledge this is the first official report of fire blight on C. monogyna and P. pyraster in Bulgaria. Reference: (1) S. G. Bobev. 1995. Pages 121–126 in: Jubilee Scientific Session, Higher Agricultural Institute of Plovdiv, vol. 3, bk. 1. (In Bulgarian.)

Iran is very rich in plant genetic resources, due largely to the diversity in the agro-ecological landscape. Protection, preservation and utilization of genetic resources would facilitate development of premium varieties and biotech products that can potentially lead to a change in the food, agricultural, pharmaceutical and chemical industries in Iran. This paper discusses the distribution, ethnobotany, diversity and utilization of wild and domestic genetic resources of pome fruit species in Iran including apple (Malus spp.), pear (Pyrus spp.), quince (Cydonia oblonga Mill.), hawthorn (Crataegus spp.), medlar (Mespilus germanica L.) and loquat (Eriobotrya japonica Lindl.), all of which are members of the Rosaceae family. The goal of this paper is to highlight the importance of Iran as a contributor to the diversity of pome fruit genetic resources in the world.

Hawthorns (Crataegus) are used for horticultural and medicinal purposes. They can be used as a rootstock for grafting. They are graft compatible with Mespilus L. (medlar), pear (Pyrus L.), and quince (Cydonia Mill.). Moreover, they are traditionally used for their cardio-protective benefits and antioxidative potential. The pharmacological importance of Crataegus is attributed mainly to components such as flavonoids, procyanidin, aromatic acid, and cardiotonic amines. In the present investigation, 70 accessions of Crataegus monogyna Jacq. originating from natural populations in the Kashan region, Iran, were characterized using a set of 49 morphological traits. An analysis of variance showed a high variability in the evaluated accessions and significant differences were found between them for most of traits measured. Results from simple correlation analysis showed significant positive and negative correlations among certain important characteristics. Leaf length was positively and significantly correlated with leaf width; fruit weight was positively and significantly correlated with fruit length and width. Fruit flesh weight showed high positive correlations with fruit width and weight and negative correlation with seed number. A principal component analysis showed high discrimination capabilities of variables measured. Cluster analysis revealed a grouping of accessions in three major clusters, where clusters with large number of accessions contained sub-clusters. The present findings indicated that the studied hawthorn germplasm must be conserved as valuable genetic resources.

The current study illustrated the possible positive effects of flavonoids present in the leaves of Mespilus germanica on cognitive performance, learning and memory function in an intra-cerebroventricular streptozotocin-induced Alzheimer’s disease model in male Wistar rats. Five groups (saline-saline control, streptozotocin-saline, and streptozotocin with different doses of flavonoids, 5, 10 and 20 mg/kg) of rats were examined. Rats received different doses of Mespilus germanica flavonoids or saline over three weeks starting one day before surgery. Next, they were assessed using a learning and memory test. After subjected to the behavioral test, the animals were perfused and their brains were fixed with paraformaldehyde 4 % and the tissue was further processed. Finally, the density of intact neurons in the hippocampal CA1 area in all groups was investigated. The results revealed that injection of streptozotocin significantly reduced cognitive function, memory retention as well as CA1 intact neurons compared to the control group. Flavonoids extracted by Mespilus germanica considerably eradicated the negative effects of streptozotocin. Accordingly, Mespilus germanica leaf flavonoids can improve cognitive deficits resulted from injection of streptozotocin.

Background: The serum glucose lowering, normalization animal body weight, and antioxidative stress effects of Mespilus germanica L. leaf extract were investigated in normal and streptozotocin-induced Balb/C mice. Methods: The phenol and flavonoid of the leaves of M. germanica were extracted by percolation and concentrated using a rotary evaporator. Its total phenol and flavonoid content was determined using folin and aluminum chloride methods, respectively. The study was conducted on 48 matured male Balb/C mice (20–30 g) divided into 6 groups (n = 8). Diabetes mellitus was induced by single intraperitoneal injection of 35 mg/kg of streptozotocin (STZ). Extracts of Mespilus germanica were used orally at the dose of 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg body weight per day for 21 days. Results: Oral administrations of the M. germanica L. leaf extract significantly decreased serum glucose, oxidative stress, and lipid peroxidation and maintained animal body weight during treatment period (p < 0.05) compared to metformin (200 mg/kg) in over 100 mg/kg, 200 mg/kg, and 50 mg/kg dosages, respectively. Conclusions: The present study indicated that the Mespilus germanica leaf extract significantly decreased serum glucose and maintained normal body weight in Balb/C diabetic mice.

In this study, the effects of 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) treatments on ripening properties, postharvest characters, antioxidant activity, organic acids and sugar contents in medlar (Mespilus germanica L. cv. Istanbul) fruit were investigated. Medlar fruit were harvested at commercial harvest maturity and treated with 0.2, 0.4 and 0.6 mu L L-1 of 1-MCP for 24 h at 0 +/- 0.5 degrees C in a hermetically sealed 100 L containers, and stored under the palliflex storage system (21% O-2 + 0.03% CO2) at 0 +/- 0.5 degrees C temperature with 90 +/- 5% RH for 60 days. Most of the physiological and biochemical changes during storage and ripening were affected by 1-MCP in a dose-dependent manner. The two higher concentrations 1-MCP treatments extended the storage life, decreased weight loss and delayed the rate of softening, loss of taste, browning incidence in skin color (C* and h(0) values). 1-MCP treatments also retarded the decline of titratable acidity. During the early stage of storage, total phenolics, total flavonoids, total condensed tannins, ascorbic acid, antioxidant activity and organic acids gradually decreased in all treatments. The reduced changes in the total phenolics, total flavonoids, total condensed tannins, ascorbic acid, antioxidant activity, as well as individual organic acid (malic and oxalic acids) contents showed the effectiveness of 0.4 and 0.6 mu L L-1 1-MCP in retarding fruit ripening. These results demonstrate that 0.4 and 0.6 mu L L-1 1-MCP treatments were effective in extending postharvest life and maintaining the quality of medlar fruit. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The biocatalytic reduction of ketones was performed using medlar fruit (Mespilus germanica L), which is grown in large amounts in Algeria. Experiments were performed using aqueous medium with fresh medlar. Prochiral heteroaryl ketones containing furan, thiophene, chroman, and thiochroman moieties were reduced with enantiomeric excess (ee) of up to 98%. High enantioselectivities have been observed especially for the bioreduction of tetralone 4 and thiochromanone 5 with ee of 89% and 98%, respectively. Bioreduction using different parts of medlar indicate that chromanone 6 was reduced with good asymmetric inductions 77% < ee < 85% whichever part of fruit was employed (whole, flesh, or juice) and medlar juice exhibited the best activity.

Fruits and vegetables with the similar weight and uniform shape are in high demand in terms of marketing value. Therefore, an awareness of grading fruits and vegetables based on weight is crucial. A part of this research was aimed to present some physical properties of Medlar fruit. In addition, in this study the mass of Medlar was predicted with using different physical characteristics in four models includes: Linear, Quadratic, S-curve, and Power. According to the results, all properties considered in the current study were found to be statistically significant at the 1% probability level and the best and the worst models for prediction the mass of Medlar were based on Volume and Length of the Medlar with determination coefficients of 0.996 and 0.580, respectively. At last, mass model based on thickness from economical standpoint is recommended.

Medlar has acquired increasing popularity in recent years for its edible fruits and some healing properties in modern medicine. Medlar fruits are often stored under non-cold conditions in straw. This study was conducted to determine morphological and biochemical characteristics of medlar fruits and changes in fruit quality occurring under ordinary storage conditions. For this purpose, eight types of medlar trees were evaluated. The trees were at a mature stage and productive. Morphological properties such as the fruit and seed weight (g), length, and width (mm) were measured after the harvest. Fruit soluble solid content (%) and pH values were determined at physiological maturity after harvesting, and the fruit soluble solid content was measured again at ripening (edible stage), after 25 days of storage under ordinary storage conditions (mean temperature of 10 °C and mean humidity of 65–70%). Leaf characteristics were also determined. The tree productivity was very different between the types, and it was determined to range from 5.9 and 17.8 kg. The fruit weight varied from 9.69 to 24.45 g, while the water content decreased nearly to the half of the harvest values in some genotypes. The soluble solid content changed depending on the water losses and increased during the ripening period. The seed numbers ranged from 1.7 to 4.7 among the types, and the seed weight varied from 0.12 to 0.45 g. The fruits were able to reach ripening maturity in three weeks under the ordinary storage conditions depending on the type. Thus, this method of storage is practical for the medlar producer, but the results clearly showed that the storage period was too short and that the fruit quality was negatively affected. Cold storage conditions are needed to ensure quality and a long selling time.

The USDA Agricultural Research Service-managed National Plant Germplasm System (NPGS) coordinated several germplasm expeditions in the trans-Caucasus countries of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia beginning in 2001. One of the goals was to preserve valuable wild relatives of crop species ex situ at genebanks in the host countries and in NPGS genebanks in the United States. The Caucasus region is a center of origin for several important temperate fruit and nut crops that are conserved at NPGS facilities in Oregon, New York and California. Seeds and cuttings of landrace cultivars and wild relatives were collected from diverse habitats in accordance with international agreements and national laws. Since 2001, more than 50 unique accessions of Corylus (hazelnut), 20 Cydonia (quince), 23 Mespilus (medlar), 52 Pyrus (pear) and smaller numbers Amelanchier, Crataegus and Sorbus from these three trans-Caucasus nations have been added to the NPGS collections in Corvallis, Oregon. Almost 50 Ficus samples, 125 Juglans, 53 Pistacia, 50 Punica, 70 Vitis and many accessions of various Prunus species went to the genebank in Davis, California. Malus (apple) samples numbered 30 and were deposited at the genebank in Geneva, New York. Established accessions are evaluated for horticultural traits, environmental adaptations and pest resistance, and made available to researchers world-wide for genetic studies and crop improvement.