Southern Cross Plant Science

Detection of Panax quinquefolius in Panax ginseng using ‘subtracted diversity array’

Linhai Niu et al. — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 23:24:43 PDT

BACKGROUND: Food adulteration remains a major global concern. DNA fingerprinting has several advantages over chemical and morphological identification techniques. DNA microarray-based fingerprinting techniques have not been used previously to detect adulteration involving dried commercial samples of closely related species. Here we report amplification of low-level DNA obtained from dried commercial ginseng samples using the Qiagen^™ REPLI-g^® Kit. Further, we used a subtracted diversity array (SDA) to fingerprint the two ginseng species, Panax ginseng and Panax quinquefolius, that are frequently mixed for adulteration.

RESULTS: The two ginseng species were successfully discriminated using SDA. Further, SDA was sensitive enough to detect a deliberate adulteration of 10% P. quinquefolius in P. ginseng. Thirty-nine species-specific features including 30 P. ginseng-specific and nine P. quinquefolius-specific were obtained. This resulted in a feature polymorphism rate of 10.5% from the 376 features used for fingerprinting the two ginseng species. The functional characterization of 14 Panax species-specific features by sequencing revealed one putative ATP synthase, six putative uncharacterized proteins, and two retroelements to be different in these two species.

Preclinical assessment of Phenoxoldiol as a novel anti-prostate cancer agent

D M. Brown et al. — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 14:24:47 PST

Cytotoxic and leishmanicidal properties of flavonoids isolated from Lonchocarpus xuul and Lonchocarpus yucatanensis

Rocio Borges-Argaez et al. — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 14:12:04 PST

In vitro activity of alkylamides and ethanolic extracts from Echinacea

Anita Matthias et al. — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 13:22:35 PST

Comparison of cytokine levels in the tears and saliva

Carol A. Morris et al. — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 20:32:53 PST

Assessment of cytokine levels in the tears of contact lens wearers and non-contact lens wearers

C Lakkis et al. — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 20:28:57 PST

Steroid hormones in the tear film

Linda K. Banbury et al. — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 20:23:33 PST

GrainData Online: a comprehensive online source of grain nutrient data

Linda K. Banbury — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 20:17:22 PST

Inhibitory effects of 12 hemostatic Chinese herbs on nitric oxide production in LPS-activated RAW264.7 macrophages

Hui Liao et al. — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 20:13:38 PST

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the inhibitory effects of 12 hemostatic Chinese herbs on Nitric Oxide production in lipopolysaccharide(LPS)activated RAW 264.7 Macrophages. METHODS: Nitric Oxide production was determined with Griess assay after 22 hrs stimulation of 1 μ g· mL-1 LPS on RAW 264.7.Nitrite concentrations were determined by comparison with a sodium nitrite standard curve. RESULTS: The markedly increased production of nitrite by stimulation of RAW 264.7 macrophages with LPS was inhibited significantly(P0.05)by:Panax Notoginseng,Sanguisorba Officinalis,Agrimonia Pilosa,Sophora Japonica,Artemisia Argyi,Typha Angustifolia,Platycladus Orientalis and Imperata Cylindrical. CONCLUSION: The hemostatic action of 12 herbs may be related to their inhibitory effect on Nitric Oxide production

Antibacterial activity of some medicinal plants of Papua New Guinea

A J. Leach et al. — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 19:36:37 PDT

Soxhlet acetone extracts obtained from Cycas circinalis, Morinda citrifolia, Bridelia penangiana, Tridax procumbens, Hibiscus tiliaceus and Hypericum papuanum all show antibacterial activity. The activity of the last 3 species was restricted to the Gram-positive bacterium Staphylococcus aureus.

New guinea salt fern (Asplenium acrobryum complex): identity, distribution, and chemical composition of its salt

James R. Croft et al. — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 19:36:36 PDT

Fronds of a fern of the Asplenium acrobryum complex were traditionally used as a source of salt in the inland areas of Papua New Guinea. All previously published reports of the use of fern salt in the botanical and ethnobotanical literature had erroneously identified the species involved as Asplenium nidus, one of the common bird's-nest ferns. A chemical analysis of the salts contained in the ash of the salt fern as well as those species related to Asplenium nidus revealed that the bulk of the inorganic component was potassium, calcium and chloride. These results are comparable to those published for the salt-yielding grass, Coix gigantean. There is no obvious chemical reason why only Asplenium acrobryum should be used for salt production in preference to Asplenium nidus and related species. In view of the low levels of consumption of such salt it is unlikely that there will be any cases of potassium toxicity attributable to the use of these plants. © 1985 The New York Botanical Garden.

A limnological study of seven highlands lakes in Papua New Guinea

M R. Chambers et al. — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 19:36:35 PDT

Trace metal concentrations were generally within expected ranges for sediments derived from the New Guinea highlands. Above average levels of Cu, Cr, and Cd occurred in some lakes. Aquatic plants were abundant in most lakes but species diversity was low. Lakes at 1700 m had a distinct lowland flora. Zooplankton abundances and diversity were low in all lakes. Introduced carp Cyprinus carpio was the only fish found in the lakes.

Aroma volatiles of Cucumis melo cv. Golden Crispy

S Grant Wyllie et al. — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 19:20:24 PDT

Analysis of the volatile constituents of Cucumis melo cv. Golden Crispy by HRGC-MS has led to the identification of a number of compounds not previously reported in other melon varieties. These compounds include a range of thioether esters and several diesters derived from butane-2,3-diol and propane-1,2-diol. The thioesters have a characteristic odor and a low odor threshold and occur at concentrations sufficient for them to make a significant contribution to the unique aroma of this melon. The diesters, while having a characteristic fruity odor, appear to have high odor threshold concentrations . and therefore are not considered to be major contributors to aroma

Applications of chemical-shift-selective NMR microscopy to the non-invasive histochemistry of plant materials

J M. Pope et al. — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 19:16:55 PDT

Chemical-shift-selective imaging at microscopic resolution has been applied to the study of various plant materials including orange peel, grape berries and both dried and undried fruits of fennel. It is shown that selective imaging of aromatics and carbohydrates as well as water and oil can be performed with in-plane resolution down to 13 μm and slice thicknesses of 1 mm or less, at a field strength of 4.7 Tesla. The noninvasive nature of the method gives it advantages over established methods of plant histochemistry which involve sectioning and staining to reveal different chemical constituents.

The use of HPLC protein profiles in fish species identification

S G. Armstrong et al. — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 18:13:26 PDT

Effects of season and location of catch on the fatty acid compositions of some Australian fish species

Sharyn G. Armstrong et al. — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 18:04:39 PDT

Fatty acid compositions and lipid contents of five common table species of marine fish from temperate Australian waters were determined for samples taken during two seasons (four species) and three locations of markedly differing latitude (one species). Variabilities in total lipid extract and phospholipid fatty acid compositions were assessed between samples of each species, as well as between individuals of the same sample. These were then compared with data obtained for the other species analysed. The highest n3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) content lipids were found in fish from colder waters (southern locations and spring season catches). The leaner species were found to have much more stable lipid characteristics with changes in the water temperature at sampling.

Effects of preservation by gamma-irradiation on the nutritional quality of Australian fish

S G. Armstrong et al. — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 18:04:38 PDT

Gamma-irradiation preservation of two species of Australian marine fish (Black Bream and Redfish) resulted in no significant changes in their fatty-acid compositions, even when performed at up to three times the commonly recommended maximum dose for fish. Vitamin E loss was evident in some fillets but could not be correlated with the treatment dosage. All irradiated fillets were found to have vitamin E contents above the levels believed to be desirable for human consumption, relative to the amounts of accompanying polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Enantiomeric composition of the principal components of the oil of Melaleuca alternifolia

David N. Leach et al. — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 18:04:37 PDT

The concentrations and enantiomeric purity of the major monoterpene constituents in a number of Melaleuca alternifolia (tea tree) oils have been determined by enantioselective gas chromatography. Consistent enantiomeric ratios of 65:35 (+:-) for terpinen-4-ol and 76:24 (+:-) for α-terpineol were observed for the range of oils analyzed. Attempts to validate these ratios in the intact oil by 1H NMR together with chiral lanthanide shift reagents have not yet been successful. 1H NMR was, however, successful in confirming the enantiomeric purity determined by gas chromatography of standard terpinen-4-ol [79:21 (+:-)] and α-terpineol [35:65 (+:-)] samples. Under the correct conditions, a single analysis on a β-cyclodextrin column enables the determination of the quality of the oil as set forth by the Australian standard and provides additional enantiomeric evidence of the authenticity of the oil.

Sulfur-containing compounds in the aroma volatiles of melons (Cucumis melo)

S Grant Wyllie et al. — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 18:04:36 PDT

The incidence of six thioether esters, methyl (methylthio)acetate, ethyl (methylthio)acetate, 2-(methylthio)ethyl acetate, methyl 3-(methylthio)propanoate, ethyl 3-(methylthio)propanoate, and 3-(methylthio)propyl acetate, considered to be of importance to the aroma profiles of Cucumis melo fruit, has been surveyed in a wide range of cultivars. Their presence and concentrations appear to be under genetic control since there are marked differences between cultivars. The concentrations of these compounds have been determined in a number of cultivars and some have been shown to have odor values which indicate that they contribute to the overall aroma perception of the ripe fruit.

Incorporation of oxygen-18 into terpinen-4-ol from the H218O steam distillates of Melaleuca alternifolia (tea tree)

Charles P. Cornwell et al. — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 17:21:48 PDT

Steam distillation of young leaves of Melaleuca alternifolia in 18O-labelled water resulted in the 18O-labelling of the principal oxygenated p-menthanes, terpinen-4-ol and α-terpineol. The p-methanes; terpinen-4-ol, γ-terpinene, α-terpinene, terpinolene and p-cymene, found in M. alternifolia oil are primarily formed from cis-sabinene hydrate and to a lesser extent from trans-sabinene hydrate and sabinene. The pattern of the p-menthanes and the enantiomeric composition of terpinen-4-ol found in young and old leaves, regardless of the isolation process are similar to those formed during the acid catalyzed transformations of sabinene or sabinene hydrate. The incorporation of 18O into terpinen-4-ol during steam distillation in H218O supports the formation of terpinen-4-ol and the other p-menthanes from the terpinen-4-yl cation, generated from the hydration of sabinene and/or sabinene hydrate. This same mechanism appears to operate during leaf aging. Around 60% of the terpinen-4-ol obtained from the steam distillates of young leaves is an artefact of the distillation process, although the extent to which terpinen-4-ol is an artefact in commercial distillations will depend upon the age mix of the leaves that are distilled. No precursors of α-terpineol were identified, however, the labelling is consistent with the formation of the α-terpinyl cation.