Antibacterial activity of xanthorrhizol from Curcuma xanthorrhiza against oral pathogens

The antibacterial activity of xanthorrhizol, isolated from the methanol extract of Curcuma xanthorrhiza roots, was evaluated against oral microorganisms in comparison with chlorhexidine.     

Synthesis and antimicrobial activity of geranyloxy- and farnesyloxy-acetophenone derivatives against oral pathogens

The compounds 2',6'-dihydroxy-4'-geranyloxyacetophenone (1) and 2',6'-dihydroxy-4'-farnesyloxy-acetophenone (2) are oxyprenylated secondary metabolites extracted from plants belonging to the Rutaceae family. In this study, 1 and 2 were synthesized and tested for their antimicrobial activity toward major oral pathogens. Compounds 1 and 2 were synthesized by selective prenylation of 2,4,6-trihydroxyacetophenone at the 4' position with geranyl and farnesyl bromide, respectively. Compound 1 showed stronger antimicrobial activity than 2 against major oral pathogens, including Gram positive bacteria (Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus sobrinus), Gram negative bacteria (Prevotella intermedia, Porphyromonas gingivalis) and Candida albicans. Evidences were obtained that the mode of action of 1 and 2 may be related to their iron-chelating property. This study suggests that 1 and 2 may represent potential natural molecules for the prevention/treatment of common oral infections, including dental caries, periodontal disease, and candidiasis.     

Antimicrobial activity of licorice flavonoids against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Nineteen flavonoids isolated from licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra, G. inflata and G. uralensis) were tested for their antimicrobial activities against methicillin sensitive Staphylococcus aureus, methicillin resistant S. aureus, Micrococcus luteus, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.     

Antibacterial activity of Achillea clavennae essential oil against respiratory tract pathogens

The essential oil of Achillea clavennae was investigated for its antibacterial activity against some respiratory tract pathogens. Maximum activity was observed against Klebsiella pneumoniae and penicillin-susceptible and penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae. The oil also exhibited strong activity against Gram (-) Haemophilus influenzae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Gram (+) Streptococcus pyogenes was the most resistant to the oil.     

Antifeedant activity of flavonoids and related compounds against the subterranean termiteCoptotermes formosanus Shiraki

Antifeedant activity of some flavonoids and their related compounds against the subterranean termiteCoptotermes formosanus Shiraki was examined with nochoice tests and two-choice tests. The activities of these compounds were evaluated in relation to their chemical structures. All flavonoids tested showed antifeedant activity, whereas catechinic acid, possessing no A-ring or pyran ring in the molecule, showed feeding-preference activity. For the structure-activity relations, it was found that compounds containing two hydroxyl groups at C-5 and C-7 in A-rings showed high antifeedant activity. Furthermore, the presence of a carbonyl group at C-4 in the pyran rings of the compounds was necessary for the occurrence of high activity. 3-Hydroxyflavones and 3-hydroxyflavanones with 3,4-dihydroxylated B-rings exhibited higher activity than those with 4-hydroxylated B-rings.Part of this paper was presented at the 49th annual meeting of the Japan Wood Research Society, Tokyo, April 1999     

Contribution of methylated exudate flavonoids to the anti-inflammatory activity of Grindelia robusta

The flavonoid pattern of an acetonic extract of Grindelia robusta Nutt. was investigated in detail. The flavonoids were enriched by CC. In addition to twelve known methylated exudate flavonols four compounds were identified for the first time in G. robusta. Several substances of the flavonoid complex, among them the main compounds quercetin-3-methylether and 6-OH-kaempferol-3,6-dimethylether, were tested for their activity to inhibit neutrophil elastase. Quercetin-3-methylether was shown to be most active with an IC₅₀ of 19 µM, thus obviously contributing to the anti-inflammatory activity of the drug.     

Preliminary evaluation of Epicoccum purpurascens as a biocontrol agent against wound pathogens on stems of Picea abies

Epicoccum purpurascens was applied to stem wounds of Norway spruce for a preliminary assessment of its potential as a biological protection against decay fungi. E. purpurascens had a significant influence on the composition of the mycoflora of the wounds, analysed 8 months after inoculation.     

Antifungal activity of commercial disinfectants against a benomyl-tolerant strain ofTrichoderma harzianum

A benomyl-tolerant strain (94110Tr) ofTrichoderma spp. was isolated from airborne fungi in a growing room for sawdust-based cultivation ofLentinula edodes (Berk.) Pegler in Hokkaido. The strain was identified asT. harzianum Rifai, so the antifungal activity of benomyl (BEN), thiabendazole (TBZ), benzalkonium chloride (BAC), chlorhexidine digluconate (CHG), and glutaraldehyde (GLA) were tested against six strains ofT. harzianum, including 94110Tr. It was found that 94110Tr was more resistant than the others not only to BEN but also to TBZ, but it had no explicit tolerance to BAC, CHG, or GLA, similar to the other strains. CHG and GLA showed potent antifungal activity against most of the six strains. It is estimated that CHG and GLA are available for disinfection of the benomyl-tolerant strains ofT. harzianum found in edible-mushroom factories.Part of this paper was presented at the 24th annual meeting of the Society for Antibacterial and Antifungal Agents, Toyonaka, Japan, May 1997     

核桃叶片内多酚黄酮类成分对低温胁迫的响应

作为植物体内重要的次生代谢物,植物多酚对研究植物防御极端环境的基础有重要作用。为了了解核桃内多酚类成分对不同寒冷温度响应的含量变化,采用0℃、-2℃、-4℃、-6℃、-8℃几个低温进行处理,研究了在不同时间核桃叶片多种成分(多酚、黄酮、花青素、还原型VC)对低温胁迫响应的规律。结果表明:核桃叶片黄酮、茶多酚、花青素含量在不同低温胁迫下呈先降后升的变化规律,还原型VC含量在不同的低温胁迫下呈先升后降的变化规律;黄酮含量在-8℃胁迫24h后达最高值23.64mg/g,多酚含量在-6℃胁迫72h后达到最高值36.71%,花青素含量在-6℃胁迫48h后达到最高值5.22 mg/g,还原型VC含量在-2℃胁迫72h后达到最高值193.60mg/100g。这些结果表明,核桃叶片内源物质含量和低温胁迫有较强的相关性。     

Larvicidal activity of a botanical natural product, AkseBio2, against Culex pipiens

A botanical natural product, AkseBio2, was evaluated for its larvicidal effect against Culex pipiens under laboratory conditions. The product exhibited strong larvicidal activity and caused >90% mortalities in both the young (first-second) and the older (third-fourth) larval stages of the species at 24 h at the doses of 25 and 50 ppm. However, it was determined that the young larval stages were more susceptible to the product in comparison with the older larval stages. The results suggest that the product is promising as a larvicide against C. pipiens and could be useful in the search of new larvicidal natural compounds.     

Trends in the activity levels of forest-dwelling vertebrate fauna against a background of intensive baiting for foxes

The relative activity of ground-dwelling vertebrates was monitored using tracks in sand plots for 10 consecutive years across three nearby study areas in south-eastern mainland Australia. Two areas were subject to intensive 1080 poison baiting for foxes, while one unbaited area acted as a control. At the two 1080 baited sites there was a demonstrable decline in the reporting rate of fox tracks, while that of feral cats also declined concomitantly. In contrast, the reporting rate of wild dog tracks did not change. At the unbaited site the reporting rate of wild dog tracks increased slightly, while that of foxes remained stable and that of feral cats declined slightly. Prevailing ecological theory would suggest that in systems where larger predators are reduced in activity or abundance, smaller predators should increase. This was not the case in our work. Instead, while the larger sized fox has decreased at baited sites, the smaller sized cat has declined at a regional scale, in all likelihood against a backdrop of long-term drought and diminished prey resources. Among the native omnivorous mammals that ordinarily fall prey to foxes, bandicoots, brushtail possums and lyrebirds increased in activity against a background of diminishing fox activity, although these effects were not uniform at both baited sites. In contrast, at the study area where foxes were not baited, the activity of bandicoots, brushtail possums and lyrebirds either did not change or diminished. Trends in the activity levels of these animals, particularly bandicoots, may have been moderated in part by prevailing rainfall conditions. Otherwise, habitat complexity may also help regulate activity patterns. Land managers concerned with preserving and enhancing biodiversity need to not only focus on the baiting of introduced predators but also be mindful of habitat condition and the effects of climate.     

做好科普工作是对林业学术团体的时代要求

本文从国家法律和政策的角度,阐述了林业学术团体开展林业科普工作的主体地位;站在时代发展和林业面临新形势新任务的高度,论述了做好林业科普工作的必要性和重要性。     

Insecticidal activity and antifeedant effect of a new type biocide GCSC-BtA against Plutella xylostella L. (Lep., Plutellidae)

Insecticidal activity and antifeedant effect of a new type biocide GCSC-BtA and its two reactants Bacillus thuringiensis (B.t.) crystal and Abamectin against third instar larvae of Plutella xylostella L. (Lep., Plutellidae) were investigated using bioassays. GCSC-BtA showed significantly higher toxicity to P. xylostella with LC₅₀ of 0.021 mg/ml than B.t. crystal with 0.060 mg/ml and Abamectin with 0.139 mg/ml in leaf-dip bioassay. Net leaf-dip test gave LC₅₀s of 0.073, 0.071 and 0.670 mg/ml for GCSC-BtA, B.t. crystal and Abamectin, respectively. The significant differences of the biocide toxicities between leaf-dip and net leaf-dip methods showed the potential of net leaf-dip method for separating ingestion and contact poisons. Variation in toxicity of the biocide and two reactants in net leaf-dip method and in mortality in topical application bioassay showed that GCSC-BtA possessed a combination of strong stomach as well as contact poison property higher than B.t. or Abamectin. GCSC-BtA indicated no fumigant and systemic toxicities, which the two reactants lacked. In the antifeedant bioassay, GCSC-BtA acted as a strong antifeedant to the larvae of P. xylostella. Leaf consumption by the larvae after GCSC-BtA treatment was 0.04–0.60 mm² with a concentration range of 0.04–4.00 mg/ml, which was lower than 0.26–1.02 and 0.04–6.47 mm² for B.t. crystal and Abamectin, respectively. DC₅₀ (concentration resulting in a deterrence index of 50%) value for GCSC-BtA was 0.089 mg/ml, which was also significantly lower than 0.275 and 0.736 mg/ml for B.t. crystal and Abamectin, respectively.     

The politics of expertise in participatory forestry: a case from Tanzania

In this paper, we show how the framing of a community-based forest management (CBFM) intervention implies the professionalization of forest management and the privileging of certain forms of knowledge in a village in Tanzania. We describe how the framing of CBFM in technical and procedural terms, and the subsequent construction of expertise by implementers through training, combine with existing signifiers of social stratification to shape struggles over participation and access to benefits from forest use and management. We also describe how the perceived necessity of expertise is not questioned by village residents, only the exclusive and anti-democratic consequences of the way it comes to be reproduced. Based on our study, we call for a careful reconsideration of the framing of participatory forestry approaches as professionalization to strike a balance between the need for expertise and the costs and potential excluding effects associated with meeting this need.     

The importance of an indigenous tree to southern African communities with specific relevance to its domestication and commercialization: a case of the marula tree

Sclerocarya birrea (A. Rich.) Hochst. subsp.     

The importance of an indigenous tree to southern African communities with specific relevance to its domestication and commercialization:a case of the marula tree

Local communities in southern Africa derive many benefits from marula [Sclerocarya birrea(A.Rich.) Hochst.subsp.caffra(Sond.) Kokwaro].These include the contribution of this species towards health,nutrition,food security and conservation by sharing local skills and knowledge related to it.Marula fruits can be eaten fresh,squeezed to make juice,brewed in traditional beer or used to make jam and jelly.The kernels are also edible and can be pressed to extract oil for cooking and cosmetics,i.e.,for skin and hai...     

森林健康 实现生态文明的重要保证

"森林健康"渐成流行语 森林健康是针对人工造林结构单一、抵御病虫害能力低、水土保持能力差而提出的营林理念.这个理念最早起源于美国,旨在倡导"让不健康的森林恢复健康;让健康的森林持续健康,让新培育的森林从开始就健康".     

容器育苗技术及荒山造林的主要措施

以凤县退耕还林工程荒山造林为例,论述了容器育苗技术、荒山造林、使用容器苗、成活率.     

N concentration of old leaves and twigs is more sensitive to stand density than that of young ones in Chinese fir plantations: a case study in subtropical China

Young leaves are conventionally used in the analysis to study the nutrient status of evergreen plants and their responses to environmental changes, but the role of old leaves remains poorly understood. We selected two stand types in 31-year-old Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata) plantations with similar soil conditions but different stand densities, to test the hypothesis that nitrogen (N) concentration of old leaves and twigs is more sensitive to stand density than that of young ones. Leaves and twigs were sampled and sorted into young (one-year-old) and old (two- and three-year-old) groups. Significant differences in N concentration and carbon: nitrogen ratio between the low-density stand and high-density stand were only found in the old leaves and twigs but not in the young ones. Although the N resorption efficiency did not vary significantly with stand density, the annual N resorption rates were increased in old leaves and relatively young twigs at high stand density. These results show the potential use of old tissues in the nutrient analysis in Chinese fir plantations. Testing the generality of these results could improve the use of foliar analysis as an indicator of nutrient status and environmental changes in evergreen tree species.