Abietane-type and labdane-type diterpenoids from the cones of Chamaecyparis obtusa

A novel compound, 8(17),12E,14-labdatrien-19-al (trans-communal), was isolated from ethyl acetate extract of young cones of hinoki (Chamaecyparis obtusa Endl.). The chemical structure of the compound was determined mainly with various nuclear magnetic resonance spectral techniques. Its stereochemistry was determined by derivation to a known compound,trans-communol. In addition to this compound, four known compounds — ferruginol, chamaecydin, 12-hydroxy-6,7-seco-abieta-8,l 1,13-triene-6,7-dial, and frans-communic acid — were isolated. All isolated compounds were subjected to an antifeedant bioassay against the pest insectSpodoptera litura. Results of the bioassay showed that chamaecydin and 12-hydroxy-6,7-seco-abieta-8,11,13-triene-6,7-dial had antifeedant activity.Part of this report was presented at 45th Annual Meeting of the Japan Wood Research Society, Tokyo, April 1995     

Termiticidal activity of wood vinegar, its components and their homologues

The termiticidal activity of wood vinegar, its components, and their homologues have been studied. Three kinds of wood vinegar made from the mixed chips ofCryptomeria japonlca andPseudotsga menziesii (wood vinegar A),Quercus serrata (wood vinegar B), andPinus densiflora (wood vinegar C) exhibited high termiticidal activities againstReticulitermes speratus. Acetic acid, which is the largest content of wood vinegar, exhibited high termiticidal acitivity. The contents of organic fraction of wood vinegars and acetic acid might be responsible for the differences in termiticidal activities among these wood vinegars. The structure and termiticidal activity relations of phenols were studied. Phenol with some substituents revealed higher termiticidal activity than benzene derivatives, which have no hydroxyl group; an ortho substituent of phenol plays an important role in termiticidal activity. It has become apparent that high termiticidal activity cannot be obtained by a phenolic hydroxyl group alone; it can be obtained, however, by some substituents, especially an ortho substituent in addition to a phenolic hydroxyl group. The bulkiness of the substituent at the ortho position participates in termiticidal activity; activity decreases as the size of an ortho substituent increases. It is thought that the interaction at the receptor site of termites is affected by the increased size of the ortho substituent.     

Rearing of African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) and vundu catfish (Heterobranchus longifilis) in traditional fish ponds (whedos): Effect of stocking density on growth, production and body composition

African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) (initial body weight: 34.8 ± 4.8 g) and vundu catfish (Heterobranchus longifilis) (initial body weight: 39.1 ± 8.2 g) fingerlings were stocked at densities of 4, 6 or 8 fish m^− 3 in traditional fish ponds (whedos) constructed in the floodplain of the Oueme River (South Benin, West Africa), for 70 days from March to June 2005. Fish were fed twice a day with 34% crude protein feed formulated with locally available ingredients. The effects of stocking density were evaluated in growth responses, gross production and body composition. Water quality variables were similar (p > 0.05) in all compartments. Temperature and pH were at the optimum level for fish. Dissolved oxygen ranged from 0.9 to 1.2 mg l^− 1 during the experiment and secchi disc transparency was low (< 14 cm). In both species, growth responses increased with the increasing density, significantly in African catfish stocked at density of 8 fish m^− 3 compared to the other densities (4 and 6 fish m^− 3) but not significantly in vundu catfish. Production data ranged from 3.1 ± 0.5 to 22.8 ± 4.5 t ha^− 1 year^− 1 in African catfish and from 6.1 ± 1.2 to 15.1 ± 3.1 t ha^− 1 year^− 1 in vundu catfish. Production increased with increasing stocking densities but only significantly (p < 0.05) between the density of 8 fish m^− 3 and the other densities. In both species, carcass fat increased with increasing density (p < 0.05) while carcass protein and moisture decreased (p > 0.05). These results are important because they indicate that, as far as growth rate and production are concerned, African catfish is more profitable than vundu catfish for culture at high density in whedo.     

Sequential transformation rates of soil organic sulfur fractions in two-step mineralization process

To understand the organic sulfur (S) stabilization in volcanic soils, we investigated organic S transformation rates and their relationships to soil properties in incubation experiments using forest soils from the Nikko volcanic region, central Japan. We hypothesized that carbon (C)-bonded S would first be transformed into ester sulfate-S and then into inorganic sulfate-S. We separately calculated the rates of decrease of C-bonded S (velocity 1, v ₁) and ester sulfate-S (velocity 2, v ₂) concentrations. During incubation, the ester sulfate-S concentration increased in two soils characterized by a high concentration of both ammonium oxalate-extractable aluminum (Al_o) and pyrophosphate-extractable Al (Al_p), whereas the C-bonded S concentration decreased in all soils. A large proportion of the S that was lost in the incubation experiments consisted of C-bonded S rather than ester sulfate-S. Velocity 2 was negatively correlated with both of Al_o and Al_p contents when soils were incubated at 20 °C. These results suggest that when C-bonded S is transformed into ester sulfate-S, complete mineralization to inorganic sulfate is inhibited, because ester sulfate-S is stabilized due to organo–mineral association. Incubation temperatures significantly affected v ₂. Thus, production of inorganic sulfate by mineralization of ester sulfate-S appeared to be regulated by soil Al contents and temperatures. Velocity 1 was proportional to soil pH ranging from 4.5 to 5.5, indicating that the degradation of C-bonded S is pH dependent.     

杉木精油的制备及其成分分析的研究

本文研究了杉木精油的提取方法及其化学成分。采用了四种蒸馏装置来提取杉木精油。结果表明：大部分精油在蒸馏的2小时内被提取出；装置3具有较高的提取效率；杉木精油的主要化学组成为松柏醇；精油获得率随蒸馏时间段的增加而逐渐减小；采用CO2-超临界流体萃取法提取杉木精油，压力为100kg／cm^2和温度为40℃时为其最佳条件。图1表4参10。     

Scale regeneration and calcification in goldfish <Emphasis Type="Italic">Carassius auratus</Emphasis>: quantitative and morphological processes

The time-course changes in calcium and phosphorus contents, dry weight, and area during scale regeneration in the goldfish, Carassius auratus L. were quantified. Histological observations were then conducted to understand the mutual relationship between the quantitative and morphological processes of scale regeneration. The quantitative study revealed that regenerating scales grow most rapidly in area during the first 5 days of regeneration. The gradual decrease in the area growth rate coupled with the continuous linear weight growth over the period of 5–28 days suggests a shift in growth priority from area growth to the apposition, of the basal plate. Calcium and phosphorus deposition proceeded almost linearly during scale regeneration. Calcification of the bony layer preceded that of the basal plate and, after 14 days of regeneration, calcification of the basal plate started and gradually progressed. On day 28, recovery of calcium and phosphorus contents in the regenerating scales were approximatley 72% of ontogenetic scales, which is lower than the rates of area and weight regeneration (104 and 85%, respectively). Late initiation and slow progress of calcification in the basal plate is suggested to be responsible for the slow regeneration in calcium and phosphorus contents.     

Estimation of genetic data and breeding values of traits related to wax production in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Rhus succedanea</Emphasis> L. clones using the REML/BLUP method

Rhus succedanea L. is cultivated in Japan for the wax that can be extracted from its fruits. We determined genetic data for specific traits associated with wax production (fruit number per cluster, FN, fruit weight, FW, number of clusters per area, CN, and wax content, WC) in five traditional cultivars and 13 newer clones. Data were collected over 4 years and alternate bearing was observed: 2001 and 2003 were years with high yields; in 2002 and 2004 yields were poor. The restricted maximum likelihood method was used to calculate (co)variance components for analysis. Broad sense heritability was estimated and ranged from low (FN and CN) to high (FW and WC) for the traits examined. There were positive genetic correlations between FW and WC and negative ones between FN and FW throughout the 4 years. Genetic correlations between CN and the other traits were positive in good crop years and negative in bad crop years. For each assessed clone, the four traits in the 4 years were evaluated using best linear unbiased predictors (BLUP) of the clonal breeding values. The BLUP scores for both FW and WC exhibited positive correlations between pairs of years, whereas there were positive BLUP correlations for CN when the high yield and low yield years were examined separately. The traditional cultivars and the newer clones were also characterized. Some of the clones were better than the traditional cultivars with regard to wax yield and reliability of production. The trait characteristics and the future breeding are discussed.     

Evaluation of serum and urine 1,5-anhydro-D-glucitol and myo-inositol concentrations in healthy dogs

1,5-anhydro-D-glucitol (1,5AG) is a pyranoid polyol compound found in human circulating blood. Myo-inositol (MI) is a stereoisomer of inositol and serves as a precursor of inositol phospholipids. 1,5AG and MI are filtered by the glomerulus and almost completely reabsorbed through the renal tubules. However, under hyperglycemic conditions, reabsorption through the renal tubules is competitively inhibited because the structures of 1,5AG and MI resemble that of glucose. In this study, we investigated the kinetics of serum and urine 1,5AG and MI levels in healthy dogs. We demonstrated that 1,5AG and MI exist in canine serum and urine by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Under continuous hyperglycemic conditions, the serum 1,5AG concentration in healthy dogs decreased while the serum MI concentration remained unchanged. Urinary excretion of 1,5AG and MI increased significantly after blood glucose concentrations reached 200 to 220 mg/dl. A significant negative correlation was observed between serum 1,5AG and glucose concentrations during hyperglycemia. However, no significant correlation was observed between serum MI and glucose concentrations. In this study, we demonstrated that serum and urine 1,5AG and MI levels were changed by blood glucose concentrations. The serum 1,5AG concentration was decreased by continuous hyperglycemia. However, the serum MI concentration does not reflect hyperglycemia.     

Plant growth regulation effects of triterpenoid saponins

 To investigate structure–activity relations between the sugar chain structures of triterpenoid saponins and their plant growth regulation effects, several monodesmosidic saponins with betulin as an aglycon were synthesized by chemical and enzymic reactions. Three triterpenoids (betulin, betulinic acid, oleanolic acid) and synthesized betulin glycosides were submitted to germination and growth regulation tests on alfalfa seeds. We concluded the following. Betulin had a slight growth inhibitory effect on alfalfa radicles. Betulin glycosides exhibited stronger effects than betulin, and betulin glycosides with two to four glucose residues as a sugar moiety had the greatest inhibitory activity. These characteristics of growth inhibitory effects were considerably different from those of phenolic compounds so far reported. Some betulin glycosides also showed a significant growth regulation effect on alfalfa hypocotyls. However, hypocotyl growth was less affected than radicle growth for all betulin glycosides. Among the triterpenoids, betulinic acid had stronger growth inhibitory effects on alfalfa radicles than betulin, suggesting the importance of the carboxyl group at the C-28 position for the inhibitory effects of lupane-type triterpenoids. On the other hand, no germination regulation effects on alfalfa seeds were observed for any of the betulin glycosides or triterpenoids examined. Received: October 9, 2001 / Accepted: February 15, 2002 Acknowledgments This work was supported in part by a research grant (Development of Highly Functional Materials by Structural Modification of Carbohydrates) from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries of Japan. We thank Saori Kudo for her assistance in isolating compounds by chromatography. Correspondence to:S. Ohara