Life Sciences Commons^™

Rhodomyrtals A–D, Four Unusual Phloroglucinol-Sesquiterpene Adducts From Rhodomyrtus Psidioides, Qing-Yao Shou, Joshua Smith, Htwe Mon, Zlatko Brkljaca, Ana-Suncana Smith, David Smith, Hans Griesser, Hans Wohlmuth

Dr Hans Wohlmuth

Four novel compounds, rhodomyrtals A–D (1–4), with two unprecendented carbon frameworks of phloroglucinol coupled eudesmane, together with the known compound eucalyptin A (5) have been isolated from the leaves of the Australian plant Rhodomyrtus psidioides. The structures of compounds 1–4 were elucidated by spectroscopic analysis and ECD calculations. Some of the compounds showed good antibacterial activity against selected Gram-positive strains.

Plant Oil Based Soap, Laura Thompson

Laura K Thompson Dr

This laboratory is one in a series that I use in Biology 401: Applied Plant Science. This course is designed for students who have had at least one introductory Biology course, either for a major or a non-major. The goal in the course is to give the student an appreciation for the importance of plants to human society. Each laboratory session is designed to give the student an appreciation for how plants contribute to society and an experience in original processing of plants for their use. This laboratory session complements our lectures on the plant oil industry. Students work in …

Use Of Integrated Training Products To Support Grassland Curing Observers, Jude Alexander, Rosalind Thieme, Susan Kidnie, David Nichols, Rachel Bessell, Danielle Martin, Alex Chen

Jude Alexander

Grassland curing training is delivered as an integrated suite of products designed to support the principles required to make observations in the field. Consistent, accurate reporting is based on a flexible understanding of the underlying characteristics of grass as it dries (cures). The structure and composition of grasslands are complex and dynamic; therefore teaching every possible set of parameters by rote would be impractical.

From Local To Global - Fifty Years Of Research On Salvia Divinorum, Ivan Casselman, Catherine Nock, Hans Wohlmuth, Robert Weatherby, Michael Heinrich

Dr Hans Wohlmuth

Ethnopharmacological relevance: In 1962 ethnopharmacologists, Hofmann and Wasson, undertook an expedition to Oaxaca, Mexico. These two researchers were the first scientists to collect a flowering specimen of Salvia divinorum allowing the identification of this species. While the species' traditional use is confined to a very small region of Mexico, since Hofmann and Wasson's expedition 50 years ago, Salvia divinorum has become globally recognized for its main active constituent, the diterpene salvinorin A, which has a unique effect on human physiology. Salvinorin A is a kappa-opioid agonist and the first reported psychoactive diterpene.

Methods: This review concentrates on the investigation of …

Adulteration Of Ginkgo Biloba Products And A Simple Method To Improve Its Detection, Hans Wohlmuth, Kate Savage, Ashley Dowell, Peter Mouatt

Dr Hans Wohlmuth

Extracts of ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) leaf are widely available worldwide in herbal medicinal products, dietary supplements, botanicals and complementary medicines, and several pharmacopoeias contain monographs for ginkgo leaf, leaf extract and finished products. Being a high-value botanical commodity, ginkgo extracts may be the subject of economically motivated adulteration. We analysed eight ginkgo leaf retail products purchased in Australia and Denmark and found compelling evidence of adulteration with flavonol aglycones in three of these. The same three products also contained genistein, an isoflavone that does not occur in ginkgo leaf. Although the United States Pharmacopeia – National Formulary (USP-NF) and the …

Lincoln South Rotary Program, February 2010 [Lincoln, Nebraska, Usa]: Global Food Security--Intsormil, Elvis Heinrichs

Elvis A. Heinrichs

Short Heinrichs spoke to the Lincoln South Rotary Club in February 2010 about global food security. What is food security? The availability of food and access to it. Many countries have food available but the population has no access to it. Heinrichs gave the group some sobering statistics regarding hunger in the world. Nine hundred forty-seven million people in the world are undernourished. One hundred forty-six billion kids under age 5 are underweight. One in seven people are hungry, and one in six people do not have safe drinking water. Ten million kids die each year from hunger related causes. …

Nuevas Variedades De Sorgo “Bmr” En America Central Y Haiti, René Clará Valencia, Bill Rooney, Elvis Heinrichs, Ostilio Portillo

Elvis A. Heinrichs

Objectivos Identificar las mejores variedades “bmr” para las condiciones de cada país. Reproducir y transferir semilla de las mejores variedades en cantidades suficientes para ponerlas accesibles a todos los agricultores. Demostrar que estas nuevas variedades “bmr” son más nutritivas que las tradicionales y capaces de producir más alimentos para la población. Generalizar el uso de estas variedades para poder fortalecer la seguridad alimentaria de los países participantes.

Seorious Business: Structural Proteins In Sieve Tubes And Their Involvement In Sieve Element Occlusion [Review Article], Michael Knoblauch, Daniel R. Froelich, William F. Pickard, Winfried S. Peters

Winfried S. Peters

Another Look At The Root Of The Angiosperms Reveals A Familiar Tale, Bryan Drew, Brad Ruhfel, Stephen Smith, Michael Moore, Barbara Briggs, Matthew Gitzendanner, Pamela Soltis, Douglas Soltis

Brad R. Ruhfel

Since the advent of molecular phylogenetics more than 25 years ago, a major goal of plant systematists has been to discern the root of the angiosperms. Although most studies indicate that Amborella trichopoda is sister to all remaining extant flowering plants, support for this position has varied with respect to both the sequence data sets and analyses employed. Recently, Goremykin et al. (2013) questioned the “Amborella-sister hypothesis” using a “noise-reduction” approach and reported a topology with Amborella + Nymphaeales (water lilies) sister to all remaining angiosperms. Through a series of analyses of both plastid genomes and mitochondrial genes, we continue …

A Guide To Southern Temperate Seagrasses, Kathryn Mcmahon, Michelle Waycott, Paul Lavery

Kathryn McMahon

No abstract provided.

Digitization Of Herbarium Specimens, A Collaborative Process, Lawrence Schmidt

Larry O Schmidt

Digital collections in museums, libraries, and other agencies are expanding rapidly. Digitization of books, maps, photographs, and other objects for both preservation and dissemination are changing the way libraries work. Librarians who have, historically, worked with collections in print formats are anxious to move toward digital content as the wave of the future. Rather than stand on the sidelines and watch as the digital movement passes by, librarians need to be proactive and create digital content using both collections within the libraries’ walls and proactively seek opportunities to work collaboratively with stakeholders outside of the libraries’ hallowed halls. The creation …

Antibacterial Anthranilic Derivatives From Geijera Parviflora, Qing-Yao Shou, Linda Banbury, Alan Maccarone, Dane Renshaw, Htwe Mon, Stefani Griesser, Hans Griesser, Stephen Blanksby, Joshua Smith, Hans Wohlmuth

Dr Hans Wohlmuth

Five anthranilic acid derivatives, a mixture I of three new compounds 11′-hexadecenoylanthranilic acid (1), 9′-hexadecenoylanthranilic acid (2), and 7′-hexadecenoylanthranilic acid (3), as well as a new compound 9,12,15-octadecatrienoylanthranilic acid (4) together with a new natural product, hexadecanoylanthranilic acid (5), were isolated from Geijera parviflora Lindl. (Rutaceae). Their structures were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic measurements, and the positions of the double bonds in compounds 1–3 of the mixture I were determined by tandem mass spectrometry employing ozone-induced dissociation. The mixture I and compound 5 showed good antibacterial activity against several Gram-positive strains.

Automated Sensing Systems For Ground-Based Monitoring Of Grassland Curing, David Nichols, Glenn Newham, Darius Culvenor, Jude Alexander, Danielle Martin, Rachel Bessell, Susan Kidnie, Alex Chen

Jude Alexander

The process of grassland curing can significantly impact the likelihood of ignition and the rate of spread of a grass fire. The degree of curing, expressed as a percentage by weight, is one of the key inputs to fire spread models and fire danger rating systems such as the McArthur (1977) Grassland Fire Danger Meter. Many jurisdictions have relied on visual estimates of curing percentage, typically provided by regional volunteers, as an efficient alternative to weight based estimates of curing.

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.