Nematicidal activity of essential oils and their components against the root-knot nematode

ABSTRACT Nematicidal activity of essential oils extracted from 27 spices and aromatic plants were evaluated in vitro and in pot experiments. Twelve of the twenty-seven essential oils immobilized more than 80% of juveniles of the root-knot nematode Meloidogyne javanica at a concentration of 1,000 mul/liter. At this concentration, most of these oils also inhibited nematode hatching. Essential oils of Carum carvi, Foeniculum vulgare, Mentha rotundifolia, and Mentha spicata showed the highest nematicidal activity among the in vitro tested oils. These oils and those from Origanum vulgare, O. syriacum, and Coridothymus capitatus mixed in sandy soil at concentrations of 100 and 200 mg/kg reduced the root galling of cucumber seedlings in pot experiments. The main components of these essential oils were tested for their nematicidal activity. Carvacrol, t-anethole, thymol, and (+)-carvone immobilized the juveniles and inhibited hatching at >125 mul/liter in vitro. Most of these components mixed in sandy soil at concentrations of 75 and 150 mg/kg reduced root galling of cucumber seedlings. In 3-liter pot experiments, nematicidal activity of the essential oils and their components was confirmed at 200 and 150 mg/kg, respectively. The results suggest that the essential oils and their main components may serve as nematicides.     

补充谷氨酰胺和维生素E对肉仔鸡小肠粘膜形态学的影响

做肉仔鸡的生长试验，用L-赖氨酸盐酸盐和L-赖氨酸硫酸盐添加于含不同水平双低莱粕（canola meal）日粮中以比较其生物学效价。共价1440只1日龄的母哈巴德（HUBBARD）肉仔鸡被随机分配于6个日粮处理组，每个处理4个重复，每个重复60只。     

Antibacterial activity of seed proteins of Robinia pseudoacacia

A low molecular weight cationic peptide was isolated from Robinia pseudoacacia seed and tested in vitro against seven bacteria (Corynebacterium michiganense, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Erwinia carotovora subsp. carotovora, Pseudomonas syringae pv syringae, Xanthomonas campestris pv campestris, and Escherichia coli). The peptide inhibited the growth of the tested strains. The effective concentrations required for 50% inhibition of bacterial growth ranged between 20 and 120 microg ml(-1) protein. S. aureus was found to be the most sensitive strain, however, E. coli was not affected much when compared with others. Reduction of antibacterial activity of the peptide with CaCl2 addition into the growth medium was also observed.     

Carbon isotopic composition, gas exchange, and growth of three populations of ponderosa pine differing in drought tolerance

Effects of water supply on gas exchange, carbon isotopic composition, and relative growth rate were compared among seedlings from three populations of ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Dougl. ex Laws.) grown in a controlled environment chamber. The three populations were chosen to represent high, moderate and low drought tolerance. There was no indication that drought tolerance was related to high water-use efficiency. Populations differed (P < 0.05) in relative growth rate (RGR), but did not differ (P > 0.10) in gas exchange variables or carbon isotope ratio (delta(13)C). Well-watered seedlings had significantly higher RGR, xylem pressure potential (Psi(xpp)), net photosynthesis (A), stomatal conductance to water vapor (g), and lower delta(13)C and instantaneous water-use efficiency than water-stressed seedlings. With decreasing Psi(xpp), A decreased linearly, whereas g decreased exponentially. Seedlings of the highly drought-tolerant population were more sensitive to water availability than seedlings from the other populations; they used water quickly when water was available, but closed their stomata in response to water stress. We conclude that, in ponderosa pine, the drought avoidance mechanism is more important for survival and growth in arid and semiarid environments than the efficient use of water.     

Cytotoxic activity of embelin from Lysimachia punctata

A major benzoquinone pigment, embelin (1), was isolated from the underground parts of Lysimachia punctata. Compound 1 showed a significant cytotoxic activity in vitro against B16 and XC cell lines with ED50 values of 13 microg/ml and 8 microg/ml, respectively.     

A new nitroethylphenolic glycoside from Semiaquilegia adoxoides

The isolation of a new nitroethylphenolic glycoside, 4-hydroxy-1-(2-nitroethyl) benzene 4-O-(6'-O-beta-D-xylopyranosyl)-beta-D-glucopyranoside (1), from the roots of Semiaquilegia adoxoides is reported.     

Effect of fining and filtration on the haze formation in bayberry (Myrica rubra Sieb. et Zucc.) juice

Bayberry juice was fined with the methods of xanthan/chitosan (XC) or gelatin/bentonite (GB), and then filtered with diatomaceous earth filtration (DF) or ultrafiltration (UF, MWCO 100 kDa). Their effects on juice haze formation were investigated. The XC fining method was more effective than the GB method in removal of the total monomeric anthocyanin, total phenolics, and protein, with less haze formed in the XC fined juice. The DF reduced 2-5% of the total phenolics and 21-23% of protein, while UF reduced 19-24% of the total phenolics and 34-38% of protein, respectively. The results showed that fining and then UF can reduce but cannot eliminate haze formation in bayberry juice. The storage temperature was a critical factor affecting haze formation, and the juice was more stable when stored at lower temperature (4 degrees C).     

Synthesis, insecticidal activity, and QSAR of novel nitromethylene neonicotinoids with tetrahydropyridine fixed cis configuration and exo-ring ether modification

To keep the nitro group in the cis position, a series of nitromethylene neonicotinoids containing a tetrahydropyridine ring with exo-ring ether modifications were designed and synthesized. All of the compounds were characterized and confirmed by 1H NMR, high-resolution mass spectroscopy, elemental analysis, and IR. The bioassay tests showed that some of them exhibited good insecticidal activities against pea aphids. On the basis of 10 nitromethylene derivatives, the quantitative structure-bioactivity relationship (QSAR) was analyzed and established. The results suggested that AlogP98 and Dipole_Mopac might be the important parameters related with biological activities.     

Study of wavelet denoising in apple's charge-coupled device near-infrared spectroscopy

Discrete wavelet transform was used to eliminate the noise in the charge-coupled device near-infrared (CCD-NIR) spectra of apple. The influence of three parameters (wavelet function, decomposition level, and threshold) on the predictive ability of the calibration model was investigated. The result showed that the db, sym, and bior wavelet families performed well, while the coif, dmey, and haar wavelets were not able to denoise effectively. The best decomposition level was 2. The threshold selection rules of the default, Birge-Massart, and Penalty had good denoising results, while SURE, Sqtwolog, Heuristic SURE, and Minimax set all detailed coefficients to zero due to their high threshold values. The best denoising result was obtained with the combination of the bior3.3 wavelet function, two levels of decomposition, default threshold selection rule, and the soft thresholding method. The optimal model of soluble solids content was constructed. The relative standard deviation of prediction decreased from 7.79 to 5.82% after wavelet denoising.