In-Silico Identification and Differential Analysis of Mitochondrial RNA Editing Events in Helianthus Genotypes/Species and Powdery Mildew Infected Variants

Sunflower is one of the most used commercial oilseed crops and suffers due to Powdery mildew. RNA sequence alteration occurs due to RNA editing which is a post transcriptional modification. It causes a deviation from the genomic DNA sequence resulting in RNA-DNA differences. Accurate study of RNA editing events in diverse species is possible by NGS based methods. Here, we performed RNA sequencing of 12 leaf transcriptomes, which include three genotypes of Helianthus annuus (2023B, TX16R and ID25), H. debilis, H. niveus, and H. praecox along with their respective powdery mildew pathogen infected variants and systematically analysed the mitochondrial RNA editing events using computational reference-based mapping approach. We discovered 687 editing sites, 220 editing events in the protein-coding regions, among all species and genotypes considered in this study. These included “C to U” and “U to C” RNA editing events. On further analysis, we observed that these editing events include 14 different types of amino acid changes that involve the creation of two stop codon events. The conserved editing sites identified were 247 accounting for ~36% of all the editing sites identified. This study provides a detailed picture of the Helianthus species’ mitochondrial RNA editing status. We have identified and characterized for the first time, genotype-specific, species-specific, and stress-specific RNA editing events which may be useful as a potential source for stress-responsive studies in the future.

Assessment of Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) for Phytoremediation of Heavy Metal Polluted Mine Tailings—A Case Study of Nampundwe Mine Tailings Dam, Zambia

Mining activities have led to a generation of large quantities of heavy metals laden wastes which are released into the environment in an unsustainable way causing the contamination of the ecosystems and posing a risk to human health. Most mining companies have not employed any rehabilitation or remediation program of the heavy metal laden waste. The aim of this study was to assess the potential of sunflower for phytoremediation of heavy metal polluted mine tailings. Phytoremediation is an emerging technology in the remediation of mine tailings that uses tolerant plant species to clean up contaminated sites. It uses plants with high biomass and sunflower has been identified as such. These plants can extract, transfer, sequester and stabilize a variety of metals through mechanisms such as phytoextraction, phytostabilization, phytoaccumulation and phytovolatilization. Pot experiments were conducted by growing sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) in pyrite mine tailings and in agricultural soil as a control. The study showed that the concentration of Cu reduced from 40.76 mg/kg to 36.59 mg/kg, Zn reduced from 3.58 mg/kg to 3.49 mg/kg and Fe reduced from 23.70 mg/kg to 10 mg/kg respectively in the mine tailings after 6 weeks. Analysis of harvested sunflower (roots, stems, leaves) showed that sunflower could remove heavy metals from the tailings and the highest removal efficiency was 53.7% and the highest translocation factor was 0.25. It was concluded that sunflower has the potential to remediate contaminated mine tailings and that phytoremediation is a viable and efficient technology to treat soils contaminated with heavy metals.

Effect of chromium on growth attributes in sunflower(Helianthus annuus L.)

Heavy metal soil pollution takes place when the metal concentration of soil exceeds natural background level and causes ecological destruction and deterioration of the environment.In the present study,a pot experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of chromium-contaminated soil in sunflower(Helianthus annuus L.)growth attributes.Three different levels of chromium(Cr)i.e.,20, 40,and 60 mg/kg were applied to three varieties of sunflower(G-3,G-9,and G-59).The results of morphological,chemical,and yield p...

Analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities of the ethanol extract of the leaves of Helianthus Annus in Wistar rats

Objective:To investigate the anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects of the ethanol extract of leaves of Helianthus annus L.(H.annus) in acclimatized Wistar rats.Methods:It was undertaken using the albumin induced paw edema model of inflammation as well as both the hotplate and tail immersion analgesic test methods.Doses of the extract tested in experimental rats were 0.5 g/kg,2 g/kg and 4 g/kg while negative and positive control rats received distilled water and indomethacin respectively.Results:It was shown that treatment with the tested doses of the extract effectively inhibited paw edema induced by egg albumin.This effect was comparable if not better than the observations made in rats treated with 10 mg/kg of indomethacin orally.Treatment with the extract was also observed to have significantly increased the mean tolerance time of rats to thermal noxious stimuli compared to control animals that had distilled water and appeared to be more effective than 10 mg/kg of indomethacin treatment.Conclusions: These observations confirmed the presence of a strong anti-inflammatory and anti-noiciceptive activity in the ethanol extract of the leaves of H.annus and therefore validated the folkloric use of the leaves of this plant in treatment of pro-inflammatory,post traumatic situations.

Effect of Nitrogen on Yield and Oil Quality of Sunflower (<i>Helianthus Annuus</i>L.) Hybrids under Sub Humid Conditions of Pakistan

Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) has emerged as an economically important crop in Pakistan due to its significant share in vegetable oil production. The plant metabolic processes require protein to increase the vegetative, reproductive growth and yield of the crop. The protein is wholly dependent upon the amount of nitrogen fertilization available for plant use. A two-year field study was conducted in 2008 and 2009. The objective was to determine the effect of different nitrogen (N) levels (N1 = 0 kg·ha–1, N2 = 60 kg·ha–1, N3 = 120 kg·ha–1, N4 = 180 kg·ha–1 and N5 = 240 kg·ha–1) on three sunflower hybrids (Hysun-33, Hysun-38 and Poineer-64A93) in agro-climatic conditions of Gujranwala, a sub-humid region in the centre of the Punjab province of Pakistan. A randomized complete block design split plot experiment was set-up with cultivars in the main plots and N levels in the subplots. Results showed that Hysun-38 gave maximum TDM (15815 kg·ha–1) and maximum grain yield (3389 kg·ha–1), while minimum TDM (14640 kg·ha–1) and grain yield (3125 kg·ha–1) was observed in Hysun-33. Among different N rates evaluated, N4 gave maximum TDM (17890 kg·ha–1) and grain yield (3809 kg·ha–1) compared to the other N rates. The maximum oil content (46.2%) was observed in Hysun-38 without application of N fertilizer (N1), while the minimum oil content (40.6%) was observed from N5 treatment. In conclusion, the application of 180 kg·ha–1 N to Hysun-38 provided the best combination for good yield in sunflower crop under the prevailing sub-humid conditions of Pakistan.

Helianthus tuberosus(Jerusalem artichoke) tubers improve glucose tolerance and hepatic lipid profile in rats fed a high-fat diet

Objective:To analyze the effects of feeding Helianthus tuberosus(HT) tubers on glucose tolerance and lipid profile in rats fed a high-fat diet(HFD). Methods:A normal HFD or HFD including 10 w/w% HT tubers(HFD + HT) was fed to F334/Jcl rats. After 10 weeks,organ weights,glucose tolerance,and lipid profile were analyzed. Results:The body weight,liver weight,and epidermal fat content in the HFD group were higher than those of the normal group,and similar to those of the HFD + HT group. The oral glucose tolerance test at 10 weeks revealed that the blood glucose level 30 minutes after beginning the test in the HFD + HT group was significantly lower than that in the HFD group. Liver triglyceride and total cholesterol levels in the HFD + HT group were significantly lower than those in the HFD group. Fecal triglyceride and total cholesterol levels in the HFD + HT group were higher than those in the HFD group. Histological analyses revealed that fat and glycogen accumulation increased in the HFD group,but decreased in the HFD + HT group. Conclusions:These results indicate that HT tubers have anti-fatty liver effects based on improvements in glucose tolerance and the hepatic lipid profile.

Effects of ethanol extract of leaves of Helianthus annus on the fecundity of Wistar rats

Objective:To evaluate the effects of ethanol extract of leaves of Helianthus annus(H.annus) on the fecundity of Wistar rats.Methods:Forty(20 male and 20 female) Wistar rats,grouped into control,ethanol extract treated rats and untreated,were used for the study.Treated rats had 0.5 g/kg of ethanol extract orally for 2 weeks;control rats had 5%alcoholic water(solvent);and untreated rats had their normal feed and clean drinking water.Following treatment,the animals were sub-grouped into 5 mating groups to observe the coital frequency,pregnancy rate and average number of pups per group in pairs.Results:The results showed that coital frequency was unaffected by the extract treatment but pregnancy rate and number of pups per rat and per group were reduced significantly in groupsⅡ,ⅢandⅣcompared to those of groupⅠandⅤrats which were not treated with the ethanol extract of leaves of H.annus.Conclusions:The histodegenerative in the gonads reportedly induced by this ethanol extract in previous studies may be responsible for the reduced fecundity observed in treated adult rats.

Accumulation and Distribution Dynamics of Soluble Carbohydrate in Helianthus tuberosus under Drought Stress

With Qingyu 1 and Qingyu 2 as test materials, variation of soluble carbohydrate content in different parts were studied under two types of artificially simulated drought stress （polyethylene glycd PEG-6000 stress and water-controlling stress）. The results showed that under the stress of PEG, soluble carbohydrate content in leaves of Qingyu 1 and Qingyu 2 increased with the prolonging time of stress; soluble carbohydrate content in stems of Qingyu 1 did not show regular changes with the prolonging time of stress, while 30% PEG stress received the best effect on Qingyu 2 after 24 h; soluble carbohydrate content in roots of Qingyu 1 and Qingyu 2 increased with the prolonging time of stress. Under different intensities of water-controUing stress, soluble carbohydrate content in leaves of Qingyu 1 first increased then decreased, while that in leaves of Qingyu 2 increased; soluble carbohydrate content in stems of Qingyu 1 and Qingyu 2 increased with the pro- longing time of water-controlling stress; soluble carbohydrate content in roots of Qingyu 1 decreased with the prolonging time of water-contmlling stress, while that in roots of Qingyu 2 differed slightly.

Acute and chronic toxicity studies of hydromethanol leaf extract of Helianthus annuus Linn.in rats

Objective:To investigate the safety levels of hydromethanol leaf extract of Helianthus annuus Linn.(H.annuus) in rat.Methods:Acute oral toxicity test of hydromethanol leaf extract of H.annuus was conducted through up and down method at 2.00 g/kg dose limit in rats.The chronic toxicity study was conducted by administering different concentrations(0.25,0.50 and 1.00 g/kg) of hydromethanol extract of H.annuus in feed,for 90 consecutive days.On days 30,60 and 90,blood samples were collected from the retro-orbital plexus of the rats for determination of serum biochemical parameters.Histopathological examination of the pancreas,livers,kidneys and testis were also conducted.Results:The LD_(50) of the hydromethanol extract of H.annuuswas greater than 2.00 g/kg and it significantly(P < 0.05) reduced serum cholesterol.On days 60 and 90,the serum urea and creatinine levels of hydromethanol extract of H.annuustreated groups were elevated when compared with the control group.There were fibrosis in the kidneys and livers;degeneration and necrosis in the testis and significant dose-dependent increases in number and size of pancreatic islet of langerhans.Conclusions:The findings suggest that hydromethanol extract of H.annuus is tolerated in short term administration,but long term(up to 90 days) administration at high doses,may elicit hepatic,testicular and nephrotic disorder.

Inhibitory Effect of Extracts from Helianthus tuberosus Leaves against Phytophthora capsici and Pot Verification Test

By growth rate method, the inhibitory effects of five solvent extracts from Helianthus tuberosus leaves against Phytophthora capsici were studied in the test. The results showed that different solvent extracts all had inhibitory effect against P. capsici, while 12.5 mg/mL of extracts from H. tuberosus leaves with petroleum ether and ethyl acetate as solvents had the highest inhibitory effect against P. capsici, reaching 100%. In case of various solvent extracts with different concentration gradients, ethyl acetate extract had the most significant inhibitory effect; when the concentration was 5 mg/mL, the inhibitory effect of ethyl acetate extract had reached 100% ; when the concentration reduced to 2.5 mg/mL, the inhibitory effect was still （27.91 ±2. 076） %, significantly higher than that of other solvent extracts at the same concentration. The 50 times dilution of ethyl acetate extract from H. tuberosus leaves was selected for pot test against pepper blight. , and the results showed that its control effect against pepper blight reached 100.00%, superior than that of chemical agent 25% metalaxyl WP 400 times dilution.

Identification, characterization and full-length sequence analysis of a novel endornavirus in common sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.)

To identify the possible quarantine viruses in seven common sunflower varieties imported from the United States of America and the Netherlands, we tested total RNAs extracted from the leaf tissues using next-generation sequencing of small RNAs. After analysis of small RNA sequencing data, no any quarantine virus was found, but a double-stranded RNA（dsRNA） molecule showing typical genomic features of endornavirus was detected in two varieties, X3939 and SH1108. Full-length sequence and phylogenetic analysis showed that it is a novel endornavirus, temporarily named as Helianthus annuus alphaendornavirus（HaEV）. Its full genome corresponds to a 14 662-bp dsRNA segment, including a 21-nt 5′ untranslated region（UTR）, 3＇ UTR ending with the unique sequence CCCCCCCC and lacking a poly（A） tail. An open reading frame（ORF） that encodes a deduced 4 867 amino acids（aa） polyprotein with three domains： RdRP, Hel and UGT（UDP-glycosyltransferase）. HaEV mainly distributed in the cytoplasm but less in the nucleus of leaf cells by fluorescence in situ hybridization（FISH） experiment. This virus has a high seed infection rate in the five varieties, X3907, X3939, A231, SH1108 and SR1320. To our knowledge, this is the first report about the virus of the family Endornaviridae in the common sunflower.

Research on Adsorption Characteristics of the Helianthus tuberosus Stem s to M ethylene Blue in Water

[Objective] The research aimed to study the adsorption characteristics of the Helianthus tuberosus stems to methylene blue in water. [Method] The optimum condition, adsorption thermodynamic and kinetic characteristics were studied on the methylene blue adsorbed by Helianthus tuberosus stems. [ Result] The equilibrium process was described well by the Langmuir isotherm model. The thermodynamics parameters were enthalpy changes （△H） of -12.147 kJ/mol, Gibb＇S free energy changes （△G） of -25.75 k J/reel, and entropy changes （△S） of 47.21 J/（mol · K）, respectively, at 288 K, indicating that the adsorption thermodynamic of methylene blue adsorbed by helianthus tuberoses stems was a spontaneous and exothermic process. The kinetics of the interactions showed better agreement with the Lagergren second order kinetics. The apparent activation energy （Ea） of adsorption process was 271.7 kJ/mol. [ Conclusion] This study provided the theoretical basis for the development and utilization of low-cost agricultural wastes to remove the hazardous substances in industrial wastewater.

In vitro Pharmacological Activity of Chromenes in Disk of Helianthus annuus

[Objectives]The anti-tumor,anti-bacterial,anti-acetylcholinesterase and anti-α-glucosidase activity in vitro of five chromenes isolated from Helianthus annuus disk was studied,in order to provide reference for the development and utilization of H.annuus disk resources.[Methods]The effect of different concentrations of chromenes on the survival rate of leukemia HL-60 cells,lung cancer A549 cells,liver cancer SMMC-7721 cells,breast cancer MCF-7 cells and colon cancer SW480 cells was detected by MTS method,and the IC50 was calculated.The inhibitory activity of chromenes against Escherichia coli,Staphylococcus aureus subsp.aureus,Salmonella enterica subsp.enterica,Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida albicans was detected by microdilution method.The DTNB substrate method was used to detect the inhibitory activity of chromenes on acetylcholine.The PNPG substrate method was used to detect the inhibitory activity of chromenes onα-glucosidase.[Results]The five chromenes had no obvious in vitro inhibitory activity on the five kinds of tumor cells,with IC50 greater than 40μM.The five chromenes had no obvious in vitro inhibitory activity against the four kinds of bacteria and C.albicans.The five chromenes had certain inhibitory activity on acetylcholinesterase,and among them,6-acetyl-2,2-dimethylchromene and 6-acetyl-7-hydroxy-2,3-dimethylchromene showed strong inhibitory activity on acetylcholinesterase,with IC50 of 28.253 and 16.945μM,respectively,both smaller than that(0.275μM)of the positive control tacrine(P<0.01).The five chromenes showed good inhibitory effect onα-glucosidase,and among them,7-hydroxy-6-hydroxyacetyl-2,2-dimethylchromene and 6-acetyl-7-hydroxy-2,3-dimethylchromene had stronger inhibitory activity,with IC50 of 20.240 and 21.052μM,respectively,significantly better than that(169.780μM)of the positive control acarbose(P<0.01).[Conclusions]The five chromenes in H.annuus disk have certain in vitro inhibitory activity against acetylcholinesterase andα-glucosidase and certain potential in fighting neurodegenerative diseases and diabetes.

An Analysis on Leaf Traits of 22 Helianthus tuberosus Germplasm Resources Introduced from Abroad

Atomic absorption spectrophotometry,sulfuric acid and potassium dichromate oxidation method and ultraviolet spectrophotometry,were used to determine mineral elements,fiber,the content of chlorogenic acid and flavones in leaves of 24 Helianthus tuberosus Linn.resources,and the characteristics of the leaf introduced from abroad were evaluated.The results showed that the highest water content of 22 species was F12(27.58%),and the lowest was F16(19.02%).The difference in mean water content between the species from Denmark and France was small,but it was lower than that of Qingyu 3 and Qingyu 4.There were 3 orbicular leaves,1 long oval-shaped leaf and 18 oval leaves.The highest K content in the leaves was F19(30.62 mg/g),which was 2.5 times than Qingyu 3.The highest Mg content was D8(14.17 mg/g).The Fe content hadlittledifference,ranging from 0.09 mg/g to 0.19 mg/g.The highest Ca content was D8(26.87 mg/g).The highest level of chlorogenic acid and flavones was F7,2.55%and 1.24 g/100 g respectively.The highest fiber content was F9(16.7%),and the lowest was F19(7.36%).Through the analysis of the main component and the clustering analysis,when the genetic distance was 0.65,the 24 resources can be divided into three major categories.The first category of leaves were mainly oval and orbicular;the second category of leaves were long oval-shaped;the third category of leaves were oval.There was a difference between the various indexes in the leaf of different kinds of H.tuberosus Linn.resources.Finally,F19,D8,F9,F7,D14 and D11,6 specific species(F19,D8,F9,F7,D14 and D11)were screened out for further studies in the future.

Study on Petal-Sepal Mutant of Sunflower (Helianthus annuus) after Space Mutation

In this paper, we studied the morphological, histological and photosynthetic characteristics of the stably inherited sunflower petal-sepal mutant, and it was obtained by the space radiation-induced mutagenesis. Afterwards, we got following results: 1) The morphological characteristics represented that the inflorescence of petal-sepal mutant maintained the appearance and structure of capitulum, whereas no explicit tubular flower or ligulate flower was differentiated. 2) The histological characteristics revealed that the petal-sepal mutant only completed the inflorescence development and the differentiation of sepal primordia and inflorescence primordia, without entering the differentiation stage of tubular flower primordia, ligulate flower primordia, stamen primordia or pistil primordia. 3) The photosynthetic characteristics showed that the photosynthetic rate, transpiration and stomatal conductance of petal-sepal mutant were relatively weaker than the control plants. In the end, we concluded that the petal-sepal mutant of sunflower had only inflorescence differentiation, while several mutant genes were caused by radiation-induced mutation, which entered an infinitely recurrent development process rather than the floral differentiation stage. We also observed a few chloroplast structures in the paraffin section, combined with the results of photosynthetic characteristics of petal-sepal mutant, and then we believed that the inflorescence of petal-sepal mutant was involved in photosynthesis to accumulate energy for plant growth.

Helianthus-annuus assisted synthesis of ZrO_(2) nanoparticles:Enhanced electrochemical,photoluminescent,and optical properties

Cubic-phase ZrO_(2) nanoparticle(NPs)were synthesized using a cost-effective single-pot green combustion method and Helianthus annuus extract,and their properties were evaluated.Powder X-ray diffraction was used to inves-tigate the purity,crystal structure,and size of the NPs,and the average size of the NPs was determined to be∼25 nm.The internal surface morphology of the NPs with distinct voids and pores were observed using scanning electron microscopy(SEM)Ultraviolet-visible(UV-vis)absorption spectroscopy was used to analyze the optical properties of the as-synthesized ZrO_(2) NPs,and their energy bandgap was determined to be 4.5 eV.The photo-luminescence(PL)spectrum of the cubic-phase ZrO_(2) NPs presented a broad band in the UV-vis region.The PL emission properties of the ZrO_(2) NPs were studied by analyzing their emission wavelength at∼490 nm,and the results revealed that the NPs can be efficiently used for display applications.The electrochemical properties of a graphite-ZrO_(2) NP electrode was qualitatively analyzed by performing cyclic voltammetry(CV)and electrochem-ical impedance spectroscopy experiments in a three-electrode system with a 0.1 M KCl solution as the electrolyte.Our results suggested that the NPs can be used to evaluate the thermodynamics of the redox reaction,and their capacitance was determined using the CV curves of a graphite-ZrO_(2) working electrode at different scan rates in the range of 0.01∼0.05 V/s at room temperature.Furthermore,the photodegradation rate of Reactive Blue 4 textile dye over the as-prepared ZrO_(2) NPs reached 97%under UV-vis light irradiation.

不同植物生长延缓剂对切花向日葵农艺性状的影响

以切花向日葵(Helianthus annuus L.)品种圣骑士为试验材料,使用80 mg/L多效唑、200 mg/L矮壮素、100 mg/L缩节胺、20 mg/L烯效唑和800 mg/L丁酰肼进行叶面喷施,以清水作为对照,在达到采收成熟度后,对不同处理条件下切花向日葵茎、叶、花性状进行测定。结果表明,与CK相比,各处理在不同程度上降低了株高、重心、叶面积和叶柄长度,提高了茎干比、叶片厚度、叶绿素含量和花盘比重。80 mg/L多效唑处理的花盘直径增加13.4%,茎粗增加37.4%,20 mg/L烯效唑处理的花盘直径增加7.3%,茎粗增加17.3%,提升了切花品质。植物生长延缓剂可使切花向日葵植株高降低,重心下降,茎干比增大,叶柄缩短,叶片缩小增厚,叶绿素含量增加,切花品质提升,其中以多效唑和烯效唑处理综合效果较好。

油葵(Helianthus annuus)HaDGAT1基因的克隆与生物信息学分析

油葵(Helianthus annuus L.)种子富含不饱和脂肪酸,主要是亚油酸。亚油酸是人体必需的脂肪酸,能降低血液胆固醇,预防动脉粥样硬化,发挥抗癌作用。二酰基甘油酰基转移酶(diacylglycerol acyltrabsferase,DGAT)作为一种限速酶在油葵合成三酰甘油的过程中发挥重要作用。本研究通过对油葵种子转录组测序,利用PCR方法成功克隆得到一个DGAT1基因的c DNA序列,命名为HaDGAT1。对油葵HaDGAT1基因进行生物信息学分析,发现油葵HaDGAT1基因CDS全长1 440 bp,共编码479个氨基酸,所编码蛋白的分子量为55.740 kD,理论等电点为9.24。油葵Ha DGAT1为疏水性蛋白,亚细胞定位预测在内质网膜上。该蛋白的二级结构中α螺旋(44.05%),β转角(1.88%),延伸链(13.36%)和无规则卷曲(40.71%),与预测的蛋白质三级结构一致。本研究为进一步深入了解HaDGAT1基因的功能和调控机制和利用基因工程技术调节油葵脂肪酸的含量、改良油葵油的品质提供了理论依据。

Cloning and Expression Pattern of a Gene Encoding a Putative Plastidic ATP/ADP Transporter from Helianthus tuberosus L.

Herein, we report the cloning and molecular characterization of a full cDNA encoding a putative plastidic ATP/ADP transporter, designated HtAATP, for Helianthus tuberosus L. The ATP/ADP translocator protein was isolated from the tuber-cDNA library of H. tuberosus for the first time. The predicted HtAATP protein was judged as a plastidic ATP/ADP translocator protein from its high homology at the amino acid sequence level to the two Arabidopsis thaliana plastidic ATP/ADP translocator proteins AATP1 and AATP2 （84.8% and 79.9% identity, respectively）. Amino acid sequence analysis of the primary structure of HtAATP revealed that it belonged to the plastidic ATP/ADP transporter family. Hydropathy prediction indicated that HtAATP gene product is a highly hydrophobic membrane protein that contains 10 transmembrane domains to form a spanning topology. Southern blotting analysis showed that the HtAATP gene is a single-copy gene in the H. tuberosus genome. Tissue distribution analysis showed that the HtAATP gene is prominently expressed in sink tissues. A stable expression pattern in tubers at different developmental stages implies an active involvement of HtAATP during carbohydrate formation.