Insecticidal compounds from the essential oil of Chinese medicinal herb Atractylodes chinensis

BACKGROUND: In a screening programme for new agrochemicals from Chinese medicinal herbs, the essential oil of Atractylodes chinensis (DC.) Koidz was found to possess strong insecticidal activity against the common vinegar fly, Drosophila melanogaster L. The essential oil was extracted via hydrodistillation, and its constituents were determined by GC‐MS analysis. RESULTS: The main components of A. chinensis essential oil were β‐eudesmol (21.05%), β‐selinene (11.75%), γ‐elemene (7.16%) and isopetasam (5.36%). Bioactivity‐directed chromatographic separation on repeated silica gel columns led to the isolation of five compounds, namely atractylon, α‐elemol, β‐eudesmol, hinesol and β‐selinene. β‐Selinene, α‐elemol and hinesol showed pronounced contact toxicity against D. melanogaster adults, with LD₅₀ values of 0.55, 0.65 and 0.71 µg adult^?1 respectively. Atractylon and β‐eudesmol were also toxic to the fruit flies (LD₅₀ = 1.63 and 2.65 µg adult^?1 respectively), while the crude oil had an LD₅₀ value of 2.44 µg adult^?1. CONCLUSION: The findings suggested that the essential oil of Atractylodes chinensis and its active constituents may be explored as natural potential insecticides. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry     

Contact and fumigant activities of constituents of Foeniculum vulgare fruit against three coleopteran stored‐product insects

The insecticidal activities of materials derived from the fruit of fennel, Foeniculum vulgare, against adults of Sitophilus oryzae, Callosobruchus chinensis and Lasioderma serricorne were examined using direct contact application and fumigation methods. The biologically active constituents of the Foeniculum fruits were characterized as the phenylpropenes (E)‐anethole and estragole, and the monoterpene (+)‐fenchone, by spectroscopic analysis. Responses varied with insect species, compound, dose and exposure time. In a filter paper diffusion test, estragole at 0.168 mg cm^?2 caused 91% mortality to S oryzae adults within 1 day after treatment (DAT), whereas (+)‐fenchone and (E)‐anethole gave over 90% mortality at 2 and 4 DAT, respectively. Against C chinensis adults, all test compounds revealed potent insecticidal activities at 0.021 mg cm^?2 at 2 DAT. Against L serricorne adults at 0.105 mg cm^?2, (E)‐anethole gave 100% mortality at 1 DAT, whereas 90 and 60% mortality at 4 DAT was achieved with estragole and (+)‐fenchone, respectively. In a fumigation test, the test compounds were much more effective against adults of S oryzae, C chinensis and L serricorne in closed cups than in open ones, indicating that the insecticidal activity of test compounds was largely attributable to fumigant action. As naturally occurring insect‐control agents, the F vulgare fruit‐derived materials described could be useful for managing field populations of S oryzae, C chinensis and L serricorne. © 2001 Society of Chemical Industry     

藏北高寒草甸不同退化阶段植物群落特征及其繁殖分配研究

以西藏北部羌塘草原高寒草甸为研究对象,研究不同退化阶段草地植物群落特征及16种主要组分种的繁殖分配,试图揭示多年生草本植物及其繁殖分配与草地退化程度的关系。结果表明:随着退化程度的加剧高寒草甸植物群落内优势植物发生明显变化,草地群落的各项指标随着草地退化程度的增加而降低;退化程度对群落内物种个体生物量大小和生物量分配有着显著影响,伴随退化程度的加剧各物种对繁殖的绝对投入所受影响不明显,但繁殖投入升高。在群落水平上,草地退化使植物群落繁殖分配增加,茎分配和叶分配减少。不同植物群落内共有种繁殖分配存在差异,表明其繁殖分配跟退化程度有关;植物繁殖投入随退化程度的变化,反映了植物繁殖对策和繁殖投入在生活史特征中的可塑性。     

15份马蔺材料苗期抗旱性比较

采用温室模拟旱境胁迫-复水方法,对采自我国北方不同生境条件下的15份野生马蔺(Iris lactea Pall.var.chinensis(Fisch.))种质材料苗期的形态学和生理生化指标进行测定与分析,综合比较其抗旱性能。结果显示:随干旱胁迫时间延长,其叶片相对含水量、叶绿素含量、植株相对生长率均呈下降趋势,相对电导率、丙二醛含量与游离脯氨酸的含量则有增加趋势,复水后均有不同程度恢复。采用欧氏距离法进行数学聚类分析,可将15份马蔺种质材料的抗旱性划分为3个抗旱级别,即相对抗旱包括ML008、ML007、ML015、ML009和ML006;中度抗旱包括ML014、ML012、ML011、ML013、ML010、ML005、ML004和ML003;相对旱敏感包括ML002和ML001。各种质材料抗旱生理指标间显著相关(P<0.05)。     

Enabling natural resource managers to self-assess their adaptive capacity

We describe the development of a low cost, repeatable self-assessment process enabling community-based natural resource management (CBNRM) groups to set priorities for building their capacity to adopt sustainable farming practices and adapt to global change. Regional measures of adaptive capacity derived from rural livelihoods analysis were populated with secondary data and used to communicate the multiple dimensions of adaptive capacity to groups of landowners. This conceptual framework was then used to derive locally relevant measures of adaptive capacity via focus groups drawn from pre-existing networks of land managers. The key issue discussed at the workshop was what constrained or enabled private land managers to effectively manage natural resources. This self-assessment process was designed to support dialogue between CBNRM groups, industry and governments to prioritise collective action for building adaptive capacity. The approach was piloted with CBNRM groups across New South Wales, Australia.     

呼伦贝尔草甸草原羊草群落不同退化程度土壤理化指标

文中对放牧干扰下不同退化程度呼伦贝尔草甸草原羊草群落土壤理化性质进行了研究。结果发现,土壤含水量、土壤全氮、土壤有机物、土壤速效氮随着退化程度的增加显著下降,而土壤容重、土壤(1-2mm)粗粒百分含量、土壤速效钾随着退化程度的增加而显著提高。土壤速效磷和pH值没有规律性变化。通过研究表明:土壤含水量、土壤容重、土壤(1-2mm)粒径粗粒、土壤有机物、全氮、速效氮和速效钾在不同退化程度之间都具有显著性差异,因此,这些指标可做为草甸草原羊草群落确定土壤退化程度的退化指标。     

应用生物防治棉蝗及星天牛——沿海防护林木麻黄病虫害综合控制技术研究报告

本研究筛选出蝗虫微孢子虫、蜡状芽孢杆菌及簇孢霉等微生物杀虫剂,并应用于防治棉蝗的感染率达77% 以上;应用从星天牛中分离的白僵菌防治星天牛,感染率达77.8% ;应用芜菁夜蛾线虫和蠹蛾线虫防治星天牛,感染率达90% 以上。为沿海防护林木麻黄病虫害的综合控制提供科学依据。     

Variation and heritability of morphological and physiological traits among Leymus chinensis genotypes under different environmental conditions

Intraspecific trait variation and heritability in different environmental conditions not only suggest a potential for an evolutionary response but also have important ecological consequences at the population, community, and ecosystem levels. However, the contribution of quantitative trait variation within a grassland species to evolutionary responses or ecological consequences is seldom documented. Leymus chinensis is an important dominant species in semi-arid grasslands of China, which has seriously suffered from drought and high temperature stresses in recent decades. In the present study, we measured variation and heritability of 10 quantitative traits, namely the number of tillers, maximum shoot height, number of rhizomes, maximum rhizome length, rhizome mass, aboveground mass, root mass, maximum net photosynthetic rate(Pmax), specific leaf area(SLA), and leaf length to leaf width ratio(LL/LW), for 10 genotypes of L. chinensis under one non-stress(Ck) condition and three environmental stress conditions(i.e., drought(Dr), high temperature(Ht), and both drought and high temperature(DrHt)). Result indicated that(1) the interaction of genotype and environmental condition(G×E) was significant for 6 traits but not significant for the other 4 traits as shown by two-way analysis of variance(ANOVA), suggesting that different selection forces were placed for different traits on the factors dominating phenotypic responses to different environmental conditions. Moreover, these significant G×E effects on traits indicated significantly different phenotypic adaptive responses among L. chinensis genotypes to different environmental conditions. Additionally, individuals could be grouped according to environmental condition rather than genotype as shown by canonical discriminant analysis, indicating that environmental condition played a more important role in affecting phenotypic variation than genotype;(2) by one-way ANOVA, significant differences among L. chinensis genotypes were found in all 10 traits under Ck and Dr conditions, in 8 traits under Dr Ht condition and only in 4 traits under Ht condition; and(3) all 10 traits showed relatively low or non-measurable broad-sense heritability(H_2) under stress conditions. However, the lowest H_2 value for most traits did not occur under DrHt condition, which supported the hypothesis of 'unfavorable conditions have unpredictable effects' rather than 'unfavorable conditions decrease heritability'. Results from our experiment might aid to improve predictions on the potential impacts of climate changes on L. chinensis and eventually species conservation and ecosystem restoration.     

中国梨木虱分泌物霉变条件及其危害研究

在中国梨木虱生物学特性及其防治研究的基础上,对其分泌物产生霉变的条件及其霉变后梨叶的危害进行了研究,结果表明：梨木虱分泌物只有在高湿、高温的自然条件下,才发生霉变,在附有分泌物的叶片、叶柄、新梢或颗粒产生黑色霉状物。梨木虱对梨树的直接刺吸危害症状不明显,分泌物霉变后的间接危害,破坏表皮结构,使有序排列的胶质和蜡质被打乱,皮孔消失,造成早期大量落叶。     

悬浮培养红豆杉细胞分裂同步化诱导

分别采用低温和咖啡因对红豆杉（Ｔａｘｕｓ ｃｈｉｎｅｎｓｉｓ）细胞进行处理,诱导细胞分裂同步化。结果显示,４℃处理２４ｈ效果最好,分裂指数提高１１５．７％,χ＾２＝１６．８２０,显著性极高。８℃处理一定时间分裂指数也可显著提高。而１５℃处理效果最差。用高浓度的咖啡因处理较短时间也可有效诱导同步化。