Two novel dimeric indole alkaloids from the leaves and twigs of Psychotria henryi

Two novel dimeric indole alkaloids were isolated from the leaves and twigs of Psychotria henryi. Their structures were established by chemical and spectroscopic methods. Compound 1 was a novel dimeric tryptamine-related alkaloid that contained an unprecedented decacyclic ring system, and compound 2 featured a pyrido[3,4-b]indole moiety adjacent to a pyrrolidinoindole skeleton. The absolute configurations of compounds 1 and 2 were determined by calculation of electronic circular dichroism (ECD) using density functional theory (DFT).     

Moisture loss is the major cause of firmness change during postharvest storage of blueberry

Blueberry softening is known to be influenced by cell wall modifications accompanying ripening but these changes appear to be largely complete by the time of harvest. In this study postharvest storage conditions were controlled so only the extent of water loss varied between treatments. A linear relationship between weight loss and loss of firmness (as assessed by a non-destructive compression test) was demonstrated. This relationship did not hold at very low weight loss, where instead, firming of blueberries during storage was found. Magnetic resonance imaging of berries confirmed significant shrinkage and loss of water in berries which had high weight loss, compared with more subtle effects on sub-epidermal water content in berries with very low weight loss. Treatments which restrict blueberry water loss to below 8% are likely to be beneficial in retaining acceptable berry firmness for up to three weeks’ storage.     

Control of postharvest green mold of citrus fruit with yeasts,medicinal plants,and their combination

The use of bio-fungicides and a plant extracts to control postharvest disease was investigated as an alternative to chemical control. The combination of a promising plant extract and yeast were selected through in vitro and in vivo techniques. A combination of Candida utilis TISTR 5001 and Eugenia caryophyllata crude extract was the best combination to attain a reduction in disease incidence and disease severity of Penicillium digitatum on citrus fruit. Colonization was the lowest on fruit treated with the combination of E. caryophylata crude extract and C. utilis TISTR 5001, and survival of C. utilis TISTR 5001 was the highest. The combination of E. caryophylata crude extract and C. utilis TISTR 5001 significantly reduced the natural development of green mold of citrus fruit, and had no effect to fruit quality. The active compound of E. caryophylata was found to be eugenol, based on HPLC and NMR (¹H and ¹³C). Hence, the results indicate that a combination of plant extracts and yeasts posses antifungal activity that can be exploited as an ideal treatment for future plant disease management.     

Relationship between sensory and NIR spectroscopy in consumer preference of table grape (cv Italia)

A combination of near infrared spectroscopy (NIR) instrumental measurements and sensory analysis was investigated to predict solids soluble content (SSC, assessed as Brix) and to classify preference in table grape cv Italia. SSC was monitored in each berry of whole bunches in order to evaluate intra-bunch distribution and variability. NIR spectra were recorded in the spectral region 12,000–4000 cm⁻¹ (833–2500 nm) using a set of 682 berries. The Partial Least Square (PLS) model based on cross-validation provided acceptable value for the main statistical parameters (coefficient of determination of cross-validation, r²: 0.85; standard error of cross-validation, SECV: 1.08; residual predictive deviation, RPD: 2.6) and was confirmed by external validation performed with 115 independent berries (coefficient of determination of prediction, r_p²: 0.82; standard error of prediction, SEP: 0.83). For consumer testing, the selected PLS model was used to predict the Brix value in 400 berries and Discriminant Analysis (DA) was then carried out to classify berries in terms of preference by relating NIR data to consumer judgment. The three defined preference clusters of berries were fully classified obtaining 100% membership. In cross-validation the value decreased especially for class 1 (78.5%) and 3 (75%) whereas class 2 obtained comparable values (98.7%). According to our results, NIR technology appears to be a promising technique for predicting SSC and obtaining information with regard to consumer preference in ‘Italia’ table grape for application of efficient and low cost on-line instruments in the fruit industry.     

Light modulation of volatile organic compounds from petunia flowers and select fruits

Light intensity, duration, direction, and wavelength are informative to plants. The biochemical circuits that connect specific light wavelengths to expression of specific genes and the metabolic networks they govern have been well defined. However, little emphasis has been placed on how discrete wavelengths of light, alone or in combination, may be applied to manipulate postharvest qualities of high-value horticultural crops. Using narrow-bandwidth LED light we test the hypothesis that discrete light wavelengths can affect the accumulation of volatile compounds known to affect aroma or taste in select flower and fruit products. Volatile benzenoid/phenylpropanoid emission from petunia flowers could be altered with light application. Levels of a key floral volatile, 2-phenylethanol, increased with a red and far-red light treatment. Similar experiments demonstrated that fruit volatile profiles of tomato, strawberry, and blueberry can be manipulated with specific light treatments. These results suggest that compounds affecting sensory qualities of flowers and fruits can be modified by adjustment of ambient light conditions. These findings open new areas of inquiry about how the fragrance and flavor of flowers and fruits may be improved with simple changes in postharvest light conditions.     

Response of cucurbit rootstocks to Pythium aphanidermatum

Damping-off and vine decline diseases affect most greenhouse cucumber crops in Oman, with losses frequently exceeding 25% of seedlings and adult plants. As a consequence of some recent reports that disease control using metalaxyl fungicides were ineffective, seven local and introduced rootstocks were assessed for their response to Pythium aphanidermatum. The rootstocks were also tested for grafting compatibility and production potential under greenhouse conditions. During artificial inoculation trials, no damping-off symptoms were observed in the Hercules and Titan varieties, ridge gourd or sponge gourd. In three separate greenhouse trials, Titan, Hercules and squash var. Magda showed no damping-off or vine decline symptoms up to 45 days after transplanting. When cucumber was grafted onto the seven rootstocks, no symptoms were observed in the cucumber plants grafted onto Titan and Hercules rootstocks, whereas the cucumber grafted onto the other rootstocks showed varying levels of damping-off and vine decline diseases (10–40%). The Titan and Hercules rootstocks significantly increased the vegetative growth and the fruit number, weight and length compared to the self-grafted cucumbers, non-grafted cucumbers and cucumbers that were grafted onto the other rootstocks (P < 0.05). To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to examine the influence of grafting on the resistance to Pythium and on the vegetative growth and yield of greenhouse cucumbers.     

Proteolytic activity in soil: A review

The aim of this work is to review current knowledge on inputs, sources and regulation of protease activities in soils from different ecosystems, while exploring limitations to proteolysis and N mineralisation. Extracellular proteases enter the soil via microbial production and other sources, including plant root exudates, animal excrements, decomposition processes and leaching from agro-industrial fertilisers. The synthesis and activities of proteases in soil are regulated by many factors, including climate, soil properties and the presence of organic compounds of plant and microbial origin. Two particularly important areas for future research are the regulation of proteolysis by low-molecular-weight organic compounds, including amino acids, sugars, flavonoids, plant hormones and siderophores, as well as the identification and characterisation of proteinaceous protease inhibitors of plant and microbial origin in the soil. Despite all the work that has been performed on soil proteases, our understanding of the roles of extracellular plant root proteases in N nutrition is weak. Furthermore, the regulation of soil proteolytic activities of different ecosystems, especially in terms of pollutant inputs and the impact of climate change, requires investigation. Other areas that pose important questions for the future include assessments of protease inhibitor inputs to the soil, regulation of these inhibitors via naturally occurring soil organic compounds and the interactions between soil organisms.     

Sub-clinical necrotic enteritis in broiler chickens: Novel etiological consideration based on ultra-structural and molecular changes in the intestinal tissue

The present study revealed several previously not recognized etiological details in the development of necrotic enteritis (NE) in broilers. We provide evidence that the pathological process leading to mucosal epithelium necrosis follows morphologically distinct phases commencing at the basal domain of the mucosal epithelium and then progressively invading the entire lamina propria. Initially mucosal epithelium appears normal, but as the pathological changes progress throughout the lamina propria, the adjacent enterocytes begin to show features of necrotic cell death and the necrotic process of the epithelium progresses from being focal to locally extensive.Ultra-structural examination showed that primary changes occur at the level of basal and lateral domains of the enterocytes, whereas the apical domain of enterocytes remains intact even in the face of advanced necrotic changes. This indicates that the mucosal necrosis does not result from direct damage to the mucosal epithelium. Rather, the necrotic death of enterocytes is a consequential effect of the destruction of lamina propria, the extra-cellular matrix, and intercellular junctions.The nature of these morphological changes indicates that initiation of the pathological process leading to NE involves proteolytic factors affecting the extra-cellular matrix and cellular junctions. Further studies revealed that, indeed, the elevated activity of collagenolytic enzymes in the mucosal milieu and in intestinal tissue represents an integral component of the pathological process leading to NE. In the first instance we discovered that Clostridium perfringens strains isolated from field cases of NE secrete several potent collagenolytic enzymes. In the second instance we observed that, in comparison to controls, broilers challenged with C. perfringens isolated from field cases of NE show high levels of several collagenolytic enzymes in the intestinal tissue. A major component of the overall collagenolytic activity detected in the intestinal tissue was identified by zymography as matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). Dominant activity was associated with MMP-2. We confirmed using immuno-histochemistry that this enzyme is expressed at high levels in mucosal tissue showing signs of NE.The high levels of collagenolytic activities, in particular associated with MMP-2, demonstrated in our studies are consistent with the nature of morphological changes observed primarily in extra-cellular matrix (ECM) at the basal domain of enterocytes, as well lateral domains of enterocytes. The lack of changes at the level of apical domain of mucosal epithelium indicates that the lipolytic aspect of alpha toxin in NE is not an essential factor in primary lesions development. Taken together, our findings indicate that the early lesions leading to NE are associated with virulence factors that induce proteolytic activity, rather than lipolytic activity.     

Soil extracellular enzyme dynamics in a changing climate

Assays for extracellular enzyme activity (EEA) have become a common tool for studying soil microbial responses in climate change experiments. Nevertheless, measures of potential EEA, which are conducted under controlled conditions, often do not account for the direct effects of climate change on EEA that occur as a result of the temperature and moisture dependence of enzyme activity in situ. Likewise, the indirect effects of climate on EEA in the field, that occur via effects on microbial enzyme producers, must be assessed in the context of potential changes in plant and soil faunal communities. Here, EEA responses to warming and altered precipitation in field studies are reviewed, with the goal of evaluating the role of EEA in enhancing our understanding of soil and ecosystem responses to climate change. Seasonal and interannual variation in EEA responses to climate change treatments are examined, and potential interactions with elevated atmospheric CO₂, increased atmospheric N deposition and changes in disturbance regimes are also explored. It is demonstrated that in general, soil moisture manipulations in field studies have had a much greater influence on potential EEA than warming treatments. However, these results may simply reflect the low magnitude of soil warming achieved in many field experiments. In addition, changes in plant species composition over the longer term in response to warming could strongly affect EEA. Future challenges involve extending studies of potential EEA to address EEA responses to climate change in situ, and gaining further insights into the mechanisms, such as enzyme production, stabilization and turnover, that underlie EEA responses.     

Effect of plant growth regulators on floral differentiation and seed production in Jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis (Link) Schneider)

The effect of foliar application of cytokinin (benzyl-adenine, 150 mg L⁻¹) and gibberellin (GA₄ + GA₇, 150 mg L⁻¹) on growth and flower development of 5-year-old plants of two jojoba clones was studied. The plant growth regulators were applied on October 5, 1999 (spring) and the plants were evaluated 120, 240 and 360 days after application. Shoot length, total number of nodes and number of nodes with branching were statistically different between clones but not between the growth regulator treatments.The total number of flowers on both clones was significantly increased by treatment with benzyl-adenine (BA) and significantly reduced by treatment with gibberellin. The seed yields, evaluated 180 days after application, were not statistically different from the control due to an increase in flower abortion. One clone treated with gibberellin showed a significant decrease in number and weight of seeds, the other did not.Histology of axillary buds revealed that BA application on one clone (4.11.32) enlarged the flower meristem, differentiating multiple flower production.