Investigation of the Potential Health Benefits as Lipase Inhibitor and Antioxidant of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Leopoldia comosa</Emphasis> (L.) Parl.: Variability of Chemical Composition of Wild and Cultivated Bulbs

There is a great interest in the nutritional value of vegetables and fruits and how the habitat affects nutritive and biological properties. In vitro studies here reported were performed to evaluate the inhibitory activity of formulations from edible plant on pancreatic lipase. The aim of this study was also to evaluate the biovariability of L. comosa (L.) Parl. bulbs from Italy. The wild bulbs were compared with the same cultivated species that are commonly commercialized to identify samples with the best quality for a potential therapeutic application. Hydroalcoholic extract and polar fraction of wild bulbs showed a very important pancreatic lipase inhibitory activity, with IC₅₀ values of 0.166 ± 0.005 and 0.153 ± 0.005 mg/mL, respectively. In order to characterize the extracts, gas chromatography associated with mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis was performed, revealing the predominance of palmitic acid. Phenolic and flavonoid composition was also evaluated. L. comosa extract obtained from wild bulbs demonstrated both antioxidant and anti-obesity activities that might be attributed to a wide range of present phenolic compounds.     

Mapping QTLs using a novel source of salinity tolerance from Hasawi and their interaction with environments in rice

Background

Salinity is one of the most severe and widespread abiotic stresses that affect rice production. The identification of major-effect quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for traits related to salinity tolerance and understanding of QTL × environment interactions (QEIs) can help in more precise and faster development of salinity-tolerant rice varieties through marker-assisted breeding. Recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from IR29/Hasawi (a novel source of salinity) were screened for salinity tolerance in the IRRI phytotron in the Philippines (E1) and in two other diverse environments in Senegal (E2) and Tanzania (E3). QTLs were mapped for traits related to salinity tolerance at the seedling stage.

Results

The RILs were genotyped using 194 polymorphic SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms). After removing segregation distortion markers (SDM), a total of 145 and 135 SNPs were used to construct a genetic linkage map with a length of 1655 and 1662 cM, with an average marker density of 11.4 cM in E1 and 12.3 cM in E2 and E3, respectively. A total of 34 QTLs were identified on 10 chromosomes for five traits using ICIM-ADD and segregation distortion locus (SDL) mapping (IM-ADD) under salinity stress across environments. Eight major genomic regions on chromosome 1 between 170 and 175 cM (qSES1.3, qSES1.4, qSL1.2, qSL1.3, qRL1.1, qRL1.2, qFWsht1.2, qDWsht1.2), chromosome 4 at 32 cM (qSES4.1, qFWsht4.2, qDWsht4.2), chromosome 6 at 115 cM (qFWsht6.1, qDWsht6.1), chromosome 8 at 105 cM (qFWsht8.1, qDWsht8.1), and chromosome 12 at 78 cM (qFWsht12.1, qDWsht12.1) have co-localized QTLs for the multiple traits that might be governing seedling stage salinity tolerance through multiple traits in different phenotyping environments, thus suggesting these as hot spots for tolerance of salinity. Forty-nine and 30 significant pair-wise epistatic interactions were detected between QTL-linked and QTL-unlinked regions using single-environment and multi-environment analyses.

Conclusions

The identification of genomic regions for salinity tolerance in the RILs showed that Hasawi possesses alleles that are novel for salinity tolerance. The common regions for the multiple QTLs across environments as co-localized regions on chromosomes 1, 4, 6, 8, and 12 could be due to linkage or pleiotropic effect, which might be helpful for multiple QTL introgression for marker-assisted breeding programs to improve the salinity tolerance of adaptive and popular but otherwise salinity-sensitive rice varieties.

     

Investigation of mechanical properties of developed antimicrobial PPsuture/Ag nanocomposite

In order to prevent surgical complications due to microbial infections, we have developed polypropylene suture grafted with silver nanoparticles (PPsuture/Ag nanocomposite) by a simple immersion procedure. Physical and mechanical properties of developed suture are investigated. Suture surface characteristics are examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) imaging and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Silver content on suture surface was determined by Inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES). The mechanical properties of developed antibacterial PP suture/Ag were studied. We note that proposed silver coating method has not affected mechanical performances of suture. Antimicrobial performances of PP suture/Ag nanocomposites against S. aureus and E. coli colonies were also investigated.     

矾根主要品种的叶色表型性状分析

通过目测进行分类的方式很难准确界定矾根品种叶色。为建立一套更为科学的基于叶色表型的矾根品种分类体系,笔者利用色差仪对72个矾根品种共计432个样品的叶色进行测定,对获得的L、a、b 3个色度值进行聚类分析,将72个矾根品种分为褐色系、深绿色系、黄色系、灰绿色系、浅绿色系5类色系。对矾根品种各色系的L、a、b值进行相关性分析,发现叶片正面的L值与a值、a值与b值呈负相关,L值与b值呈正相关,但相关性不明显;叶片背面的L值与a值、a值与b值呈负相关,L值与b值呈显著正相关。从多重比较的结果中可以看出,矾根品种各色系之间的L、a、b色度值差异显著,尤其是各色系间叶正面的颜色差异较大,在矾根品种选育工作中,叶片正面的颜色将作为主要参考。     

AMF促进植物吸收矿质元素的生理机制及对土壤硫素的影响

由于人口不断增长,人们要快速得到高产高质粮食的要求迫切,大量使用化肥,导致了有害物质残留,土壤或水污染,土壤板结或某些营养元素相对匮乏等一系列环境问题。丛枝菌根(Arbuscular mycorrhiza, AM)是土壤内常见的共生结构,由AM真菌(AMF)与土壤根系形成。已有研究表明其可通过分泌代谢物,增大根系与土壤接触面积,调节某些土壤元素存在形式等多种途径,影响植物对土壤元素的吸收转运。硫是维持植物生长发育的必需元素之一,可由于植物对S的需要并不如N,P,K大量,现代农业在对土壤进行施肥过程中往往将其忽略,因此土壤缺S正逐渐成为中国农业发展的限制因素。为了解决以上问题,本文将主要对AMF影响植物吸收土壤元素的途径及生理机制进行总结分析。并根据其作用方式特点进一步分析AM共生对植物吸收转运硫素的影响,指出AMF作为生物化肥的可行性,以期为解决现代化肥的替代问题以及土壤缺硫问题提供新的思路。     

大白菜TPS基因家族鉴定及其在高温胁迫下的表达分析

为明确大白菜TPS(BrTPS)家族成员信息及对高温胁迫信号的响应,本研究利用生物信息学方法,在大白菜基因组数据库中鉴定了BrTPS基因家族成员,并对其理化性质、进化特征、蛋白结构及在高温胁迫下的表达模式进行分析。结果表明,大白菜全基因组含有15个TPS基因家族成员,分布于8条染色体上。除BrTPS14和BrTPS15外,其余成员各含有1个TPS和1个TPP结构域,并且所含motif的排列顺序也完全一致。理化性质分析发现,15个成员的氨基酸长度介于129~1459 aa之间,分子量大小在14.73~165.83 kD之间,大部分BrTPS蛋白为酸性蛋白和亲水蛋白,以无规则卷曲作为二级结构主要构成元件。进化分析表明,大白菜TPS基因家族成员可分为2类,其中ClassⅠ包含5个成员,ClassⅡ包含10个成员。本研究对高温胁迫前后不同组织和持续高温胁迫下叶片中的表达分析,发现大部分的BrTPS基因可对高温胁迫产生响应,但在表达规律上存在差异。这些研究结果为后续研究大白菜TPS基因提供一定参考。     

大豆PHD家族蛋白的全基因组鉴定及表达特征分析

PHD（Plant Homeodomain Finger）基因家族编码一类锌指转录因子,广泛参与植物的生长发育和逆境应答过程。通过全基因组鉴定获得了95个大豆PHD家族蛋白。通过共线性分析、进化树构建、基因结构和功能结构域鉴定、GO注释分析、不同组织间和非生物胁迫下表达分析等,获得了大豆PHD家族基因复制、家族进化、保守结构域及基因表达等信息。结果表明,大豆PHD基因在家族进化、基因结构和保守结构域上存在较大变异,可能参与Zn ²⁺结合、DNA结合及表观遗传调控等分子过程,参与调控植物生长发育和逆境应答。这些结果为进一步研究大豆PHD家族在生长发育和逆境应答中的生物学功能提供重要线索。     

Conductive 3D structure nanofibrous scaffolds for spinal cord regeneration

The complex nature of spinal cord injuries has provided much inspiration for the design of novel biomaterials and scaffolds which are capable of stimulating neural tissue repair strategies. Recently, conductive polymers have gained much attention for improving the nerve regeneration. In our previous study, a three-dimensional (3D) structure with reliable performance was achieved for electrospun scaffolds. The main purpose in the current study is formation of electrical excitable 3D scaffolds by appending polyaniline (PANI) to biocompatible polymers. In this paper, an attempt was made to develop conductive nanofibrous scaffolds, which can simultaneously present both electrical and topographical cues to cells. By using a proper 3D structure, two kinds of conductive scaffolds are compared with a non-conductive scaffold. The 3D nanofibrous core-sheath scaffolds, which are conductive, were prepared with nanorough sheath and aligned core. Two different sheath polymers, including poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) PLGA and PLGA/PANI, with identical PCL/PANI cores were fabricated. Nanofibers of PCL and PLGA blends with PANI have fiber diameters of 234±60.8 nm and 770±166.6 nm, and conductivity of 3.17×10^-5 S/cm and 4.29×10^-5 S/cm, respectively. The cell proliferation evaluation of nerve cells on these two conductive scaffolds and previous non-conductive scaffolds (PLGA) indicate that the first conductive scaffold (PCL/ PANI-PLGA) could be more effective for nerve tissue regeneration. Locomotor scores of grafted animals by developed scaffolds showed significant performance of non-conductive 3D scaffolds. Moreover, the animal studies indicated the ability of two new types of conductive scaffolds as spinal cord regeneration candidates.     

Effect of nitrogen root zone fertilization on rice yield,uptake and utilization of macronutrient in lower reaches of Yangtze River,China

Improper application of nitrogen (N) has led to high N losses and low N use efficiency in the lower reaches of Yangtze River in China. An effective method to solve such problems is the deep fertilized N in root zone (RZF). Limited information is available on the effect of RZF on the uptake of macronutrients (N, P and K) and rice yield. Field experiments, conducted from 2014 to 2015, compared the farmer fertilizer practice (FFP, with 225 kg ha^?1 of N, split into three doses) and RZF using the same rate but placing N 5 cm away from rice roots in holes 10 cm deep (RZF10) or 5 cm deep (RZF5) as a single application. The highest mean yield (10.0 t ha^?1) was obtained in RZF10, which was 19.5% more than that in FFP. Root zone fertilization of urea (whether 10 cm deep or 5 cm deep) resulted in greater accumulation of N, P and K in stem, leaf sheaths, leaf blades and grains compared to that in FFP in sandy and in loam soils. The uptake of N, P and K was the highest in RZF10 (average at 176.7, 66.2 and 179.1 kg ha^?1, respectively), higher than that in FFP by 45.0, 17.0 and 22.6%, respectively. N apparent recovery efficiency was markedly higher in RZF10 (53.1%) than in FFP (27.5%). RZF10 significantly increased the N, P, K uptake compared with FFP under different N rates in both sandy and loam soils. These results suggest that the N, P and K input amount should be re-determined under RZF.