Digital Commons Network^™

Long-Distance Translocation Of Photosynthates: A Primer [Review Article], Michael Knoblauch, Winfried S. Peters

Winfried S. Peters

Conserving Australia's Unique Rainforest Fruits And Wild Relatives, Kim N Hamilton, Catherine A Offord, Peter Cuneo, Sarah E Ashmore, Myrna Deseo

Dr Myrna A Deseo

Australian rainforests have many unique edible fruits including wild relatives of worldwide economically important species such as citrus and macadamia. One of the key risks of projected climate change is its effect on Eastern Australian rainforests. The interaction of climate change with other threats, such as weeds and habitat fragmentation, is thus likely to impact on already vulnerable environments such as the World Heritage listed Gondwana Rainforests of S. Queensland and N. New South Wales. Seed banking is a cost effective way of conserving unique and vulnerable diversity ex situ for utilisation (e.g., plant breeding and restoration programs). However, the …

Investigation Of A-Glucosidase Inhibitory Activity Of Wheat Bran And Germ, Lei Liu, Myrna Deseo, Carol Morris, Kelly Winter, David Leach

Dr Myrna A Deseo

Postprandial hyperglycaemia is a primary risk factor in the development of Type 2 diabetes. α-Glucosidaseinhibitors that reduce postprandial hyperglycaemia have a key role in the treatment of Type 2 pre-diabetic states and also have the potential to reduce the progression to complications of diabetes. Epidemiological studies showed that risk for Type 2 diabetes mellitus was decreased with consumption of whole grains. Thebran and germ of whole wheat are major components of whole grain consumption and are widely accepted as important ingredients in many low glycaemic index (GI) foods. In this study, the α-glucosidaseinhibitoryactivity of wheatbran and germ was investigated. The …

Phytochemical Study Of Fagraea Spp. Uncovers A New Terpene Alkaloid With Anti-Inflammatory Properties1, Suciati, Lynette Lambert, Benjamin Ross, Myrna Deseo, Mary Garson

Dr Myrna A Deseo

Phytochemical investigation of the stem bark of F. racemosa JACK ex WALL (Loganiaceae) from East Java, Indonesia, has resulted in the isolation of a new alkaloid fagraeoside along with the iridoid glycoside secologanoside. Fagraeoside may be derived from the condensation of secologanin with L-asparagine, and represents a rare example of a terpene alkaloid in which the amino acid component is non-aromatic. Investigation of three additional species ofFagraea provided known lignans, iridoid or secoiridoid glycosides, and flavanol-6-C-glucosides, thus it is likely that iridoid and secoiridoid glucosides are chemotaxonomic markers for the Fagraea genus. Fagraeoside inhibited the production of prostaglandin E2 in …

Characterization And In Vitro Immunomodulatory Screening Of Fructo-Oligosaccharides Of Asparagus Racemosus Willd, Mayank Thakur, Paul Connellan, Myrna Deseo, Carol Morris, Werner Praznik, Loeppert, Dixit

Dr Myrna A Deseo

Asparagus racemosus Linn. (Fam. Liliaceae) is an ethno-pharmacologically acclaimed Ayurvedic medicinal plant. In the present study, aqueous extract of A. racemosus (ARC) was fractionated and screened for the polysaccharide fraction (ARP). The characterization was done by enzymatic, Size Exclusion, gas chromatography with flame ionization detector (GC–FID), high pressure anion exchange chromatography (HPAEC) and thin layer chromatographic analyses. Phyto-chemical evaluation confirmed the presence of 26.7% of 2 → 1 linked fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS). They have a degree of polymerization (DP) of nearly 7–8. Cytotoxicity evaluation on P388 cell lines was consistent with low cytotoxicity of the extracts. In vitroNatural Killer (NK) cell …

Novel Polyketide Metabolites From Streptomyces Rimosus Mutant Strain R1059, Myrna Deseo, Iain Hunter, Peter Waterman

Dr Myrna A Deseo

Three novel polyketide metabolites were isolated from laboratory-scale fermentation of the Streptomyces rimosus mutant strain R1059. Structural elucidation of the compounds was based on NMR experiments. The compounds were characterized as naphthalene derivatives: (rel)-4,8-dihydroxy-3-hydroxymethyl-4-methyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthalene-1-one (1), 4,8-dihydroxy-3-hydroxymethyl-4-methyl-1,4-dihydronaphthalene-1-one (2) and (rel)-4,8-dihydroxy-3-O-[-glucopyranosyl]hydroxymethyl-4-methyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthalene-1-one (3). The compounds isolated appear to be derived via a shorter polyketide backbone than oxytetracycline (4), the normal end-product made by the parent of this strain. Compound 3 was the glucoside of 1 and must be formed as a post-PKS reaction by the activation of a glycosyl transferase, which has not been reported in this species before.

Immunomodulatory Polysaccharide From Chlorophytum Borivilianum Roots, Mayank Thakur, Paul Connellan, Myrna Deseo, Carol Morris, V Dixit

Dr Myrna A Deseo

No abstract provided.

Diarylheptanoid From Pleuranthodium Racemigerum With In Vitro Prostaglandin E2 Inhibitory And Cytotoxic Activity, Hans Wohlmuth, Myrna Deseo, Don Brushett, Dion Thompson, Graham Macfarlane, Lesley Stevenson, David Leach

Dr Myrna A Deseo

Bioactivity-guided fractionation of an ethanolic extract of the rhizome of Pleuranthodium racemigerum, a tropical Zingiberaceae species from North-eastern Australia, resulted in the isolation and structural elucidation of 1-(4″-methoxyphenyl)-7-(4′-hydroxyphenyl)-(E)-hept-2-ene (1), a new diarylheptanoid related to curcumin. Compound 1 was a fairly potent inhibitor of prostaglandin E2 production in 3T3 murine fibroblasts (IC50 ≈ 34 μM) and also displayed moderate cytotoxicity against this cell line (IC50 = 52.8 μM). The compound also demonstrated cytotoxic activity against the P388D1 murine lymphoblast cell line (IC50 = 117.0 μM) and four human cell lines: Caco-2 colonic adenocarcinoma (IC50 = 44.8 μM), PC3 prostate adenocarcinoma (IC50 …

A Comparative Study Of Seed Morphology In Relation To Desiccation Tolerance And Other Physiological Responses In 71 Eastern Australian Rainforest Species, Kim Hamilton, Catherine Offord, Peter Cuneo, Myrna Deseo

Dr Myrna A Deseo

Seed characteristics were measured in 71 Eastern Australian rainforest species representing 30 families. Sensitivity to desiccation to low moisture contents (< 10%) occurred in 42% of species. We estimate, based on findings from 100 species from this present study and previously published reports, that 49% of Eastern Australian rainforest species have non-orthodox seeds. Germination level and time to 50% germination were not significantly different between desiccation sensitive (DS) and desiccation tolerant (DT) seeds. The estimation of seed desiccation sensitivity based on predictors is an important tool underpinning ex situ conservation efforts. Seed characteristics differed significantly between DS and DT seeds; …

Improvement Of Penile Erection, Sperm Count And Seminal Fructose Levels In Vivo And Nitric Oxide Release In Vitro By Ayurvedic Herbs, Mayank Thakur, Dion Thompson, Paul Connellan, Myrna Deseo, Carol Morris, V Dixit

Dr Myrna A Deseo

In the present study, the effect of four Vajikaran Rasayana herbs on penile erection, sperm count, seminal fructose content in vivo and nitric oxide (NO) release in vitro was assessed. Lyophilised aqueous extracts of Asparagus racemosus Willd. (AR), Chlorophytum borivilianum Sant. F. (CB), Curculigo orchioides Gaertn. (CO), and Dactylorhiza hatagirea (D. Don) Soo (DH) were orally administered at 100 mg/kg body weight to Wistar strain male albino rats. Penile erection index and sperm count were determined by visual observation; the seminal fructose concentration was measured spectrophotometrically using resorcinol reagent; and NO release was assessed in a mouse macrophage cell line …

Dna Viruses: The Really Big Ones (Giruses), James L. Van Etten, Leslie C. Lane, David Dunigan

David D Dunigan Ph. D.

Viruses with genomes greater than 300 kb and up to 1200 kb are being discovered with increasing frequency. These large viruses (often called giruses) can encode up to 900 proteins and also many tRNAs. Consequently, these viruses have more protein-encoding genes than many bacteria, and the concept of small particle/small genome that once defined viruses is no longer valid. Giruses infect bacteria and animals although most of the recently discovered ones infect protists. Thus, genome gigantism is not restricted to a specific host or phylogenetic clade. To date, most of the giruses are associated with aqueous environments. Many of these …

'Earlibrite' Strawberry, C. K. Chandler, D. E. Legard, David Dunigan, T. E. Crocker, C. A. Sims

David D Dunigan Ph. D.

There is a need in west central Florida and other winter strawberry (Fragaria xananassa Duchesne) production areas for an early ripening cultivar to replace or be an alternative to 'Sweetcharlie' (Chandleretal., 1997a). 'Sweet Charlie' has benefitted the Florida strawberry industry through its relatively high production of fruit early in the season, when market prices are generally high. But the average fruit size is small, and the texture of its fruit is often soft, making shipment and shelf life of 'Sweet Charlie' problematic. 'Earlibrite' strawberry has produced high early-season (December through February) yields of large, flavorful fruit at the Univ. of …

The Chlorella Variabilis Nc64a Genome Reveals Adaptation To Photosymbiosis, Coevolution With Viruses, And Cryptic Sex, Guillaume Blanc, Gary Duncan, Irina Agarkova, Mark Borodovsky, James Gurnon, Alan Kuo, Erika Lindquist, Susan Lucas, Jasmyn Pangilinan, Juergen Polle, Asaf Salamov, Astrid Terry, Takashi Yamada, David Dunigan, Igor Grigoriev, Jean-Michel Claverie, James Van Etten

David D Dunigan Ph. D.

Chlorella variabilis NC64A, a unicellular photosynthetic green alga (Trebouxiophyceae), is an intracellular photobiont of Paramecium bursaria and a model system for studying virus/algal interactions. We sequenced its 46-Mb nuclear genome, revealing an expansion of protein families that could have participated in adaptation to symbiosis. NC64A exhibits variations in GC content across its genome that correlate with global expression level, average intron size, and codon usage bias. Although Chlorella species have been assumed to be asexual and nonmotile, the NC64A genome encodes all the known meiosis-specific proteins and a subset of proteins found in flagella. We hypothesize that Chlorella might have …

The Genome Of The Polar Eukaryotic Microalga Coccomyxa Subellipsoidea Reveals Traits Of Cold Adaptation, Guillaume Blanc, Irina Agarkova, Jane Grimwood, Alan Kuo, Andrew Brueggeman, David Dunigan, James Gurnon, Istvan Ladunga, Erika Lindquist, Susan Lucas, Jasmyn Pangilinan, Thomas Pröschold, Asaf Salamov, Jeremy Schmutz, Donald Weeks, Takashi Yamada, Alexandre Lomsadze, Mark Borodovsky, Jean-Michel Claverie, Igor Grigoriev, James L. Van Etten

David D Dunigan Ph. D.

Background: Little is known about the mechanisms of adaptation of life to the extreme environmental conditions encountered in polar regions. Here we present the genome sequence of a unicellular green alga from the division chlorophyta, Coccomyxa subellipsoidea C-169, which we will hereafter refer to as C-169. This is the first eukaryotic microorganism from a polar environment to have its genome sequenced. Results: The 48.8 Mb genome contained in 20 chromosomes exhibits significant synteny conservation with the chromosomes of its relatives Chlorella variabilis and Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. The order of the genes is highly reshuffled within synteny blocks, suggesting that intra-chromosomal rearrangements …

Bcl-2 Family Members Inhibit Oxidative Stress-Induced Programmed Cell Death In Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, Shao-Rong Chen, David Dunigan, Martin Dickman

David D Dunigan Ph. D.

Selected antiapoptotic genes were expressed in baker’s yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) to evaluate cytoprotective effects during oxidative stress. When exposed to treatments resulting in the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), including H2O2, menadione, or heat shock, wild-type yeast died and exhibited apoptotic-like characteristics, consistent with previous studies. Yeast strains were generated expressing nematode ced-9, human bcl-2, or chicken bcl-xl genes. These transformants tolerated a range of oxidative stresses, did not display features associated with apoptosis, and remained viable under conditions that were lethal to wildtype yeast. Yeast strains expressing a mutant antiapoptotic gene (bcl-2 Δα 5-6), known to be nonfunctional …

First Report Of Fingerprinting Dried Herbal Products Using A Subtractive Diversity Array, Linhai Niu, Nitin Mantri, Hans Wohlmuth, Chunguang Li, Charlie Xue, Edwin Pang

Dr Hans Wohlmuth

Introduction Sequence-independent microarrays have never been used to identify and authenticate dried herbal plants. Methods: We report successful fingerprinting of seven species: Leonurus sibiricus, Astragalus membranaceus, Coix lachryma-jobi, Magnolia biondii, Abutilon theophrasti, Physalis alkekengi, and Salvia miltiorrhiza from dried tissues using a sequence-independent microarray, “Subtracted Diversity Array”. Results: Herbal plants could be identified from tissues as they were sold at the clinic. Hierarchical cluster of these species generated using SPSS v.15.0 confirmed to their predicted taxonomical relationships as specified in the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group II classification system. A polymorphism rate of 40.7% was achieved from the 376 spots used for …

Parvifloranines A And B, Two 11-Carbon Alkaloids From Geijera Parviflora, Qingyao Shou, Linda Banbury, Joshua Smith, Xiaoxiang He, Ashley Dowell, Hans Griesser, Michael Heinrich, Hans Wohlmuth

Dr Hans Wohlmuth

Two novel alkaloids (parvifloranines A and B), possessing an unusual 11-carbon skeleton linked with amino acids, were isolated from Geijera parviflora, an endemic Australian Rutaceae. Their structures were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic measurements including 2D NMR analyses. Parvifloranine A was found to be a mixture of two enantiomers, (S)-1 and (R)-1, in a ratio of 1:4, based on their separation using a chiral column. Parvifloranine B is also believed to be a mixture of enantiomers. Proposed biosynthetic pathways are discussed. Parvifloranine A inhibited the synthesis of nitric oxide in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages with an IC50 value of 23.4 μM.

A Gdna Microarray For Genotyping Salvia Species, Alexandra Olarte, Nitin Mantri, Gregory Nugent, Hans Wohlmuth, Chun Li, Charlie Xue, Edwin Pang

Dr Hans Wohlmuth

Salvia is an important genus from the Lamiaceae with approximately 1,000 species. This genus is distributed globally and cultivated for ornamental, culinary, and medicinal uses. We report the construction of the first fingerprinting array for Salvia species enriched with polymorphic and divergent DNA sequences and demonstrate the potential of this array for fingerprinting several economically important members of this genus. In order to generate the Salvia subtracted diversity array (SDA) a suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) was performed between a pool of Salvia species and a pool of angiosperms and non-angiosperms to selectively isolate Salvia-specific sequences. A total of 285-subtracted genomic …

Phenological Changes To The Chemical Composition And Biologicalactivity Of The Essential Oil From Moroccan Endemic Thyme (Thymusmaroccanus Ball), Chaima Jamali, Ayoub Kasrati, Khalid Bekkouche, Lahcen Hassani, Hans Wohlmuth, David Leach, Abdelaziz Abbad

Dr Hans Wohlmuth

The chemical composition, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of essential oils isolated by hydrodistillation from the aerial parts of wild endemic Moroccan Thymus maroccanus at different developmental stages (vegetative, flowering and post-flowering) were evaluated. The yield of essential oils (v/w%) based on dry weight at different stages were: vegetative (2.14%), flowering (leaves: 1.80%; flowers: 3.46%), and post-flowering (leaves: 0.98%; post-flowers: 2.46%). Analysis of the essential oils by GC/MS revealed the presence of 28 components represented mainly by monoterpenes, both oxygenated (59.4–79.4%) and hydrocarbons (14.3–34.2%). The ranges of major constituents were as follow: carvacrol (14.1–77.6%), p-cymene (3.5–7.9%), γ-terpinene (3.8–6.6%) and α-pinene (1.2–7.8%). …

Chemical Composition, Antioxidant And Antimicrobial Activities Of Essential Oil Obtained From Wild And Cultivated Moroccan Thymus Species, Laila El Bouzidi, Chaima Jamali, Khalid Bekkouche, Lahcen Hassanil, Hans Wohlmuth, David Leach, Abdelaziz Abbad

Dr Hans Wohlmuth

Thymus broussonetii, Thymus maroccanus and Thymus satureioides, are endemic Moroccan species that are intensively utilized because of their wide ranging medicinal and culinary properties. In an effort to preserve these over-exploited species, the effect of cultivation on the essential oil chemical composition, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities were investigated. The hydrodistilled oils obtained from wild and cultivated thyme species were analyzed by GC–MS. In total, 41 components were identified representing more than 98% of the oils, with carvacrol (26.0–71.6%), borneol (5.0–20.1%), γ-terpinene (4.0–8.9%) and p-cymene (5.2–10.3%) as the main constituents. Similar oil profiles were obtained from wild and cultivated T. maroccanus, …

Dioscorea Villosa (Wild Yam) Induces Chronic Kidney Injury Via Pro-Fibrotic Pathways, Ken Wojcikowski, Hans Wohlmuth, David Johnson, Glenda Gobe

Dr Hans Wohlmuth

Dioscorea villosa (wild yam) rhizome extract is a medicinal herb that is commonly used to treat symptoms of menopause and rheumatoid arthritis. We had evidence from previous in vitro experiments that this extract is toxic and pro-fibrotic in renal cells and aimed to test whether this occurs in vivo. Sprague-Dawley rats received 0.79 g/kg/d D. villosa extract in their food or no treatment over 7, 14 and 28d (n = 4 per group). Kidney and liver tissues were collected for protein extraction and Western immunoblots or fixed for special histologic stains, immunohistochemistry (IHC) and microscopy. Collagen deposition was assessed using …

A Review Of The Status Of Western Herbal Medicine In Australia, Hans Wohlmuth, Christopher Oliver, Pradeep Nathan

Dr Hans Wohlmuth

Western herbal medicine is the most widely used form of herbal medicine in Australia although Ayurvedic and Chinese herbal medicines are becoming better known. The agricultural production and manufacture of locally grown herbs is, with some exceptions, relatively underdeveloped, as is the research and development of indigenous flora. However, the use of herbal medicine is increasingly becoming mainstream with retail sales of herbal products in Australia estimated to be A$200 million. Concurrent with the increase in popularity of herbal medicine with health consumers have come advances in herbal medicine education and regulation. Although small by European standards, research into herbal …

Essential Oil Composition And Antimicrobial Activity Of Wild And Cultivated Mint Timija (Mentha Suaveolens Subsp. Timija (Briq.) Harley), An Endemic And Threatened Medicinal Species In Morocco, A Kasrati, C Jamali, K Bekkouche, H Lahcen, M Markouk, Hans Wohlmuth, David Leach, A Abbad

Dr Hans Wohlmuth

The hydro-distilled essential oils obtained from aerial parts of the wild (w) and cultivated (c) mint timija (Mentha suaveolens subsp. timija), an endemic medicinal species of Morocco, have been analyzed by GC–MS and screened for antimicrobial activity. In total, 35 compounds representing more than 98% of the oils were identified. Menthone (39.4(w)–10.8(c)%), pulegone (62.3(c)–34.3(w)%) and isomenthone (9.3(c)–7.8(w)%) were found as the main components for the two oils. The volatiles of the wild and cultivated material differed significantly in both the percentage of the main components and antimicrobial effect. Pulegone was more dominant in cultivated mint timija (62.3%) than in wild …

Pilidiostigmin, A Novel Bioactive Dimeric Acylphloroglucinol Derivative Isolated From Pilidiostigma Glabrum, Qingyao Shou, Hans Sun, Linda Banbury, Eleanore Lambley, Dane Renshaw, Christian Griesinger, Hans Griesser, Hans Wohlmuth

Dr Hans Wohlmuth

Pilidiostigmin, a novel dimeric acylphloroglucinol derivative, was isolated from the leaves of the Australian plant species Pilidiostigma glabrum (Myrtaceae). Pilidiostigmin exists in the plant in the form of a sodium salt, which is rare in natural products. The elucidation of the structure and relative configuration was achieved by spectroscopic measurements with special emphasis on 1D and 2D NMR techniques. Pilidiostigmin was found to display biological activity; it significantly and dose-dependently inhibited the synthesis of nitric oxide in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages at low micromolar concentrations.

Combined Morphological And Molecular Phylogeny Of The Clusioid Clade (Malpighiales) And The Placement Of The Ancient Rosid Macrofossil Paleoclusia, Brad Ruhfel, Peter Stevens, Charles Davis

Brad R. Ruhfel

Premise of research. The clusioid clade is a member of the large rosid order Malpighiales and contains∼1900 species in five families: Bonnetiaceae, Calophyllaceae, Clusiaceae sensu stricto (s.s.), Hypericaceae, and Podostemaceae. Despite recent efforts to clarify their phylogenetic relationships using molecular data, no such data are available for several critical taxa, including especially Hypericum ellipticifolium (previously recognized in Lianthus), Lebrunia, Neotatea, Thysanostemon, and the second-oldest rosid fossil (∼90 Ma), Paleoclusia chevalieri. Here, we (i) assess congruence between phylogenies inferred from morphological and molecular data, (ii) analyze morphological and molecular data simultaneously to place taxa lacking molecular data, and (iii) use ancestral …

Rocky Mountain Region Digital Herbarium, Larry Schmidt

Larry O Schmidt

No abstract provided.