海南岛兰科植物区系的组成及其特征

海南岛是我国兰科植物分布最集中的地区之一,目前已发现有78属214种。其中,中国特有种31种(包括海南特有种14种),非中国特有种但在中国仅见于海南岛的有20种。种数在10种以上的属有羊耳蒜属(Liparis)、石斛属(Dendrobium)、毛兰属(Eria)、石豆兰属(Bulbophyllum)和兰属(Cymbidium)。海南岛兰科植物属的地理成分可划分为12个分布型和变型,其中热带亚洲成分占总属数的51.3%,热带分布属有71属,占绝对优势。海南岛兰科植物的生活型多样,附生兰有43属,地生兰有32属,腐生兰5属(其中羊耳蒜属和兰属中存在附生和地生2种生活型)。多个种在叶型和花色上变异较大,可作为优良育种材料。与邻近地区相比,海南岛兰科植物与西双版纳共有属最多(为56属),其次依序为台湾、广东、广西和福建。虽然海南岛与台湾和西双版纳同处热带北缘,受热带季风气候影响,但其兰科植物在属、物种和特有种的数量上比后两者要少。总的说来,海南岛的兰科植物区系较为多样,与亚洲热带兰科植物区系亲缘关系密切。     

福建兰科植物地理成分与区系特点

福建兰科植物共有61属134种(包括中国特有种29种),其中地生兰37属79种,附生兰22属50种,腐生兰4属5种,兰属和羊耳蒜属存在有地生和附生2种生活型。区系地理分析表明,本区61属兰科植物可分为11个分布区型和4个变型,其中热带亚洲(印度-马来西亚)分布型及其变型属最多,共22属,占总属数的36.0%;本区134种兰科植物则可分为11个分布区型和3个变型,其中热带亚洲(印度-马来西亚)分布型最多,共有30种,占总种数的22.4%;其次为中国特有分布型,共有27种,占总种数的20.1%。虽然属、种的区系地理成分复杂多样,但区系整体与热带亚洲区系关系密切,热带成分占绝对优势,并受到北温带植物区系影响,而与温带亚洲、地中海、西亚和中亚植物区系几乎没有联系;区系发生年代较为年轻,区系过渡带特征明显;区域分布不均,单种属、寡种属占优势,种内变异大。     

西双版纳药用兰科植物现状及应用前景

云南是兰科植物分布中心之一，约１００属５３０种，其中西双版纳约３９属４００种。具有药用价值的约１０１种。其中附生兰居多，是开发食品，药品，保健品等绿色产品的宝贵资源。因此，药用兰科植物从观赏和产品开发都有广阔的应用前景。     

海南兰科植物新记录5种

报道了5个海南兰科植物新记录种:尾萼无叶兰(Aphyllorchis cuadata Rolfe ex Downie)、中越双唇兰(Didymoplexis vietnamica Ormerod)、粗茎苹兰[Pinalia amica(H.G.Reichenbach)Kuntze]、绿叶线柱兰(Zeuxineagyokuana Fukuyama)和黄唇线柱兰(Z.sakagutii Tuyama.)。其中尾萼无叶兰和中越双唇兰为腐生兰,粗茎苹兰为附生兰,绿叶线柱兰与黄唇线柱兰为地生种类。凭证标本均保存于华东师范大学生物学系植物标本馆(HSNU)。     

海南兰科植物2新记录属8新记录种

报道了2个海南野生兰科植物新记录属,管花兰属(Corymborkis Thouars)和长足兰属(Pteroceras Hasselt ex Hasskarl);8个海南新记录种,即管花兰[C.veratrifolia(Reinwardt)Blume]、滇南长足兰[P.compressum(Blume)Holttum]、窄果脆兰[Acampe ochracea(Lindley)Hochreutiner]、单唇无叶兰(Aphyllorchis simplex T.TangF.T.Wang)、革叶石豆兰(Bulbophyllum xylophyllum C.S.P.ParishReichenbach f.)、全唇盂兰(Lecanorchis nigricans Honda)、短耳鸢尾兰(Oberonia falconeri J.D.Hooker)和芳香线柱兰[Zeuxine nervosa(Wallich ex Lindley)Trimen]。     

兰科植物在福州市于山兰花圃中应用

以兰科植物形态分类学为理论基础,从兰科植物的种类、栽培应用形式、兰文化在专类园中的应用等方面,对福州市于山兰圃进行调查,记录兰科植物种类及栽培应用形式等,并拍照记录。调查结果表明福州市于山兰圃中,用于造景的兰科植物共有28属87种,利用地栽、盆栽、附植三种栽培形式与其他园林要素组合搭配,并将兰文化赋予具体的景致之中,从而升华为意境美。旨在为扩大兰科植物在园林造景中的应用和兰科植物专类园的建设提供参考。     

海南兰科植物2新记录属7新记录种

报道了2个海南野生兰科植物新记录属,钻柱兰属(Pelatantheria Ridley)和叉喙兰属(Uncifera Lindley);7个海南新记录种,即,钻柱兰[P.rivesii(Guillaumin)TangF.T.Wang]、中泰叉喙兰(U.thailandica SeidenfadenSmitinand)、窄苞石豆兰(Bulbophyllum rufinum H.G.Reichenbach)、矩叶翻唇兰(Hetaeria oblongifolia Blume)、竹茎兰(Tropidia nipponica Masamune)、扁根带叶兰(Taeniophyllum complanatum Fukuyama)和全唇线柱兰(Zeuxine integrilabella C.S.Leou)。其中,后2种及矩叶翻唇兰为中国大陆新记录。     

文心兰组培苗与野生兰科植物内生真菌共培养的生长效应研究

将从野生华石斛、铁皮石斛、美花石斛及五唇兰根系中分离出的28种有益内生真菌,接种于文心兰组培瓶苗上进行共生培养,测定共生培养4个月后瓶苗的生长效果,以及瓶苗移出盆栽3个月后的生长变化规律。结果表明:(1)在组培瓶苗上筛选出8株对文心兰具有促生作用的内生真菌,其中1株属华石斛内生真菌,1株属铁皮石斛,3株属美花石斛,3株属五唇兰;(2)接种了促生真菌的瓶苗移出盆栽后也同样表现出促生效果。表明兰科促生真菌不存在严格的专一性,但对兰科不同种类的促生效应存在一定的差异。     

黎族传统饮料植物初步调查

通过实地调查、人物访谈等方式，发现黎族村民在庭院内栽培着种类丰富的药饮两用植物，并掌握着丰富的饮料植物知识，制作出的植物饮料大多具有医疗保健功效，尤其在防治消化系统疾病、治疗腰酸背痛及消炎去热等方面效果明显。野外实地调查发现兰科和蕨类植物作为黎族饮料植物应用较为普遍，多数种类全株都可使用。     

广东省特有兰科植物观赏性状综合评价

以16种广东省特有兰科植物为研究对象,在文献资料查阅和野外调查的基础上,采用层次分析法（AHP）,从观花性状、观叶性状和观株性状3个方面选择了12个评价指标对其观赏价值进行综合评价,以期筛选出适用于园林园艺花卉的兰科种类。结果表明：在各约束层相对于目标层的权重值中,花径所占的权重最大;根据综合评分结果将16种广东省特有兰科植物划分为3个等级：Ⅰ级（2.8~3.0）,观赏价值高的种类,共计3种;Ⅱ级（2.5~2.8）,观赏价值中等的种类,共计8种;Ⅲ级（2.5以下）,观赏价值低的种类,共计5种。其中,深圳香荚兰、紫金舌唇兰和蕉岭石斛具有优良的生物学特性和极高的观赏价值,为优良的野生花卉,建议引种推广。     

Comparative Assessment of the Efficacy of Various Nitrogen Fertilizers

Summary

The efficiency of N fertilizers is usually poor; often less than 50% of the applied N is taken up by the crop. This review focuses on various N fertilizers with respect to the significance of different N loss pathways, namely (i) ammonia volatilization, (ii) dinitrogen and nitrogen oxide emissions, and (iii) nitrate leaching. Further, the significance of biological N immobilization, ammonium fixation and, finally, the impact of nitrate vs. ammonium uptake on crop yield are also discussed. The reviewed literature shows that N fertilizers may differ markedly in their susceptibility to losses. There is, however, considerable scope to improve N efficiency of each N source by proper N management practices.     

Studies on natural repellents against potato tuber moth (Phthorimaea operculella Zeller) in country stores

Summary The effects of the leaves of five plant species, one from each of the generaAmbrosia, Anemone, Eupatorium, Eucalyptus andLantana, on potato tuber moth were investigated under indigenous storage conditions at the Central Potato Research Station, Shillong (1800 m above sea level). Their action was compared with that of a biological insecticide (spores ofBacillus thuringiensis), a chemical insecticide (carbaryl), and an untreated control. The data collected after six months storage on tuber damage, sprout damage and the rotting indicated that the leaves ofLantana aculeata provided most protection to the tubers, reducing damage from over 70% in the check to below 5%, and sprout damage from over 45% to below 3%. Next best wasEucalyptus globulus followed byB. thuringiensis. They may be used on tubers stored for table use or for seed as they had no adverse effect on germination or on the yield of a subsequent crop.     

Novel food and non-food uses for sorghum and millets

Sorghum and millets have considerable potential in foods and beverages. As they are gluten-free they are suitable for coeliacs. Sorghum is also a potentially important source of nutraceuticals such antioxidant phenolics and cholesterol-lowering waxes. Cakes, cookies, pasta, a parboiled rice-like product and snack foods have been successfully produced from sorghum and, in some cases, millets. Wheat-free sorghum or millet bread remains the main challenge. Additives such as native and pre-gelatinised starches, hydrocolloids, fat, egg and rye pentosans improve bread quality. However, specific volumes are lower than those for wheat bread or gluten-free breads based on pure starches, and in many cases, breads tend to stale faster. Lager and stout beers with sorghum are brewed commercially. Sorghum's high-starch gelatinisation temperature and low beta-amylase activity remain problems with regard to complete substitution of barley malt with sorghum malt . The role of the sorghum endosperm matrix protein and cell wall components in limiting extract is a research focus. Brewing with millets is still at an experimental stage. Sorghum could be important for bioethanol and other bio-industrial products. Bioethanol research has focused on improving the economics of the process through cultivar selection, method development for low-quality grain and pre-processing to recover valuable by-products. Potential by-products such as the kafirin prolamin proteins and the pericarp wax have potential as bioplastic films and coatings for foods, primarily due to their hydrophobicity.     

In vitro antimicrobial activity of different accessions ofSolanum commersonii Dun. from Uruguay

Summary The in vitro antimicrobial activity of extracts from accessions ofSolanum commersonii Dun. collected in the south of Uruguay was investigated against five microorganisms including the pathogenRalstonia solanacearum. A total of 30 extracts corresponding to organic and aqueous extracts were studied. Interestingly, most of the positive results for growth inhibition were againstR. solanacearum. The extracts were also analyzed for the presence of glycoalkaloids and lectins. Six of the ten aqueous extracts showed lectin presence and a wide variation in the type and amounts of glycoalkaloids, was found. Results indicate that there is no clear relationship between the antimicrobial activity against the five microorganisms screened and the presence or amounts of lectins and glycoalkaloids, traditionally regarded as possible antimicrobial metabolites in theSolanum genus, which indicates the presence of as yet unidentified antimicrobial compounds.     

Extreme resistance to infection by potato virus X in genotypes of wild tuber-bearingSolanum species

Summary Clones derived from thirty-one different accessions (nineteen of Argentine origin) belonging to eightSolanum species were screened for resistance to infection by potato virus X strain cp (PVX cp) by mechanical inoculation of plantlets that had been micropropagated in vitro. Estimates of PVX multiplication obtained by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay and slot blot nucleic acid hybridization allowed the identification of resistant clones derived from five accessions belonging toS. commersonii S. oplocense, S. sparsipilum andS. tuberosum andigena. Resistant genotypes supported PVX concentrations 5 to 15 times smaller than did the susceptible control cultivar Spunta. Graft inoculation test confirmed the presence of extreme resistance similar to that conferred by the ‘immunity’ gene X¹ (also called RX_act).     

Cyanobacteria Secondary Metabolites as Biotechnological Ingredients in Natural Anti-Aging Cosmetics: Potential to Overcome Hyperpigmentation,Loss of Skin Density and UV Radiation-Deleterious Effects

The loss of density and elasticity, the appearance of wrinkles and hyperpigmentation are among the first noticeable signs of skin aging. Beyond UV radiation and oxidative stress, matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) assume a preponderant role in the process, since their deregulation results in the degradation of most extracellular matrix components. In this survey, four cyanobacteria strains were explored for their capacity to produce secondary metabolites with biotechnological potential for use in anti-aging formulations. Leptolyngbya boryana LEGE 15486 and Cephalothrix lacustris LEGE 15493 from freshwater ecosystems, and Leptolyngbya cf. ectocarpi LEGE 11479 and Nodosilinea nodulosa LEGE 06104 from marine habitats were sequentially extracted with acetone and water, and extracts were analyzed for their toxicity in cell lines with key roles in the skin context (HaCAT, 3T3L1, and hCMEC). The non-toxic extracts were chemically characterized in terms of proteins, carotenoids, phenols, and chlorophyll a, and their anti-aging potential was explored through their ability to scavenge the physiological free radical superoxide anion radical (O₂^•−), to reduce the activity of the MMPs elastase and hyaluronidase, to inhibit tyrosinase and thus avoid melanin production, and to block UV-B radiation (sun protection factor, SPF). Leptolyngbya species stood out for anti-aging purposes: L. boryana LEGE 15486 presented a remarkable SPF of 19 (at 200 µg/mL), being among the best species regarding O₂^•− scavenging, (IC₅₀ = 99.50 µg/mL) and also being able to inhibit tyrosinase (IC₂₅ = 784 µg/mL), proving to be promising against UV-induced skin-aging; L. ectocarpi LEGE 11479 was more efficient in inhibiting MMPs (hyaluronidase, IC₅₀ = 863 µg/mL; elastase, IC₅₀ = 391 µg/mL), thus being the choice to retard dermal density loss. Principal component analysis (PCA) of the data allowed the grouping of extracts into three groups, according to their chemical composition; the correlation of carotenoids and chlorophyll a with MMPs activity (p < 0.01), O₂^•− scavenging with phenolic compounds (p < 0.01), and phycocyanin and allophycocyanin with SPF, pointing to these compounds in particular as responsible for UV-B blockage. This original survey explores, for the first time, the biotechnological potential of these cyanobacteria strains in the field of skin aging, demonstrating the promising, innovative, and multifactorial nature of these microorganisms.     

Marine Pharmacology in 2009–2011: Marine Compounds with Antibacterial,Antidiabetic, Antifungal,Anti-Inflammatory,Antiprotozoal, Antituberculosis,and Antiviral Activities; Affecting the Immune and Nervous Systems,and other Miscellaneous Mechanisms of Action ?

The peer-reviewed marine pharmacology literature from 2009 to 2011 is presented in this review, following the format used in the 1998–2008 reviews of this series. The pharmacology of structurally-characterized compounds isolated from marine animals, algae, fungi and bacteria is discussed in a comprehensive manner. Antibacterial, antifungal, antiprotozoal, antituberculosis, and antiviral pharmacological activities were reported for 102 marine natural products. Additionally, 60 marine compounds were observed to affect the immune and nervous system as well as possess antidiabetic and anti-inflammatory effects. Finally, 68 marine metabolites were shown to interact with a variety of receptors and molecular targets, and thus will probably contribute to multiple pharmacological classes upon further mechanism of action studies. Marine pharmacology during 2009–2011 remained a global enterprise, with researchers from 35 countries, and the United States, contributing to the preclinical pharmacology of 262 marine compounds which are part of the preclinical pharmaceutical pipeline. Continued pharmacological research with marine natural products will contribute to enhance the marine pharmaceutical clinical pipeline, which in 2013 consisted of 17 marine natural products, analogs or derivatives targeting a limited number of disease categories.     

Recent Modifications of Chitosan for Adsorption Applications: A Critical and Systematic Review

Chitosan is considered to be one of the most promising and applicable materials in adsorption applications. The existence of amino and hydroxyl groups in its molecules contributes to many possible adsorption interactions between chitosan and pollutants (dyes, metals, ions, phenols, pharmaceuticals/drugs, pesticides, herbicides, etc.). These functional groups can help in establishing positions for modification. Based on the learning from previously published works in literature, researchers have achieved a modification of chitosan with a number of different functional groups. This work summarizes the published works of the last three years (2012–2014) regarding the modification reactions of chitosans (grafting, cross-linking, etc.) and their application to adsorption of different environmental pollutants (in liquid-phase).