Elaboration and Characterization of a Fiber Composite Material Made of Petioles of the <i>Elaeis guineensis</i>(Oil Palm)

The aim of this study is to characterize physically and mechanically a polyester/fiber palm petiole composite material. This work made it possible to provide the local database of composite materials but also to develop agricultural waste. According to BSI 2782 standard three formulations [A (10% fiber, 90% polyester);B (20% fiber, 80% polyester) and C (30% fiber, 70% polyester)]. Water Absorption rate, density, compressive and three points bending tests are carried out on the samples obtained by the contact molding method for each formulation. The material composite obtained by adding fibers from palm oil petiole has a density of 17.98% lower than the one made of pure polyester. Fiber reinforcement rate has no impact on the density of the composite. Formulation A most absorbs water while formulation C has good tensile/compression characteristics and the greatest breaking stress in bending among the three formulations.

In vitro regeneration of Populus tomentosa from petioles

A reliable in vitro regeneration procedure for Populus tomentosa is a prerequisite for its trait improvement through genetic transformation. We established a systematic protocol for indirect regeneration of P. tomentosa using in vitro petioles of Chinese poplar cultivar ＇fasta-3＇. A high frequency of callus induction （〉97 %） was obtained from isolated petioles cultured on the modified 1/2MS basal medium supplemented with 0.5 mg/L ZT and 1.0 mg/L NAA, and the tested calli were subsequently plated on 1/2MS basal medium supplemented with 0.25 mg/L BA, 0.25 mg/L ZT, 0.25 mg/L NAA, 0.01 mg/L TDZ, and 0.5 mg/L KT for efficient regeneration of shoots after being cultured for 6 weeks. The regenerated shoots were vigorously rooted on the tested media supplemented with 1.0 mg/ L IBA and 0.5 mg/L NAA. These results can facilitate genetic transformation of P. tomentosa for trait improvements in future.

Identification of tolerance to high density and lodging in short petiolate germplasm M657 and the effect of density on yield-related phenotypes of soybean

Soybean yield has traditionally been increased through high planting density,but investigating plant height and petiole traits to select for compact architecture,lodging resistance,and high yield varieties is an underexplored option for further improving yield.We compared the relationships between yield-related traits,lodging resistance,and petioleassociated phenotypes in the short petiole germplasm M657 with three control accessions during 2017–2018 in four locations in the Huang–Huai region,China.The results showed that M657 exhibited stable and high tolerance to high planting density and resistance to lodging,especially at the highest density(8×105 plants ha–1).The regression analysis indicated that a shorter petiole length was significantly associated with increased lodging resistance.The yield analysis showed that M657 achieved higher yields under higher densities,especially in the northern part of the Huang–Huai region.Among the varieties,there were markedly different responses to intra-and inter-row spacing designs with respect to both lodging and yield that were related to location and density.Lodging was positively correlated with planting density,plant height,petiole length,and number of effective branches,but negatively correlated with stem diameter,seed number per plant,and seed weight per plant.The yield of soybean was increased by appropriately increasing the planting density on the basis of the current soybean varieties in the Huang–Huai region.This study provides a valuable new germplasm resource for the introgression of compact architecture traits that are amenable to providing a high yield in high density planting systems,and it establishes a high-yield model of soybean in the Huang–Huai region.

Effect of Processing on the Oxalate and Calcium Concentrations of Two Local Dishes, C&#417;m H&#7871;n and Canh Chua B&#7841;c Hà, Prepared from Taro Stems

Stems of sweet taro (Colocasia esculenta) grown in Thua Thien Hu&#7871;Province in Vietnam and were used as an ingredient to prepare two local dishes, C&#417;m H&#7871;n and Canh Chua B&#7841;c Hà. This study investigated the effect of simple processing treatments used to prepare these popular dishes on the total, soluble and insoluble oxalate and calcium contents of the taro stems. Raw stems were used to prepare C&#417;m H&#7871;n. Three treatments, removing the skin then washing and slicing, slicing and washing, or slicing and then allowing the stems to wilt overnight were compared to the whole raw stems with the skin retained. Overall, processing the stems reduced the soluble oxalate contents by a mean of 8% when compared with the original raw stems. The mean total calcium bound in the insoluble oxalate fraction of the three processing treatments was 43.3% ± 2.0%. Canh Chua B&#7841;c Hà was prepared by boiling peeled taro stems. In this experiment the peeled stems were boiled for 10, 15 and 20 min and this resulted in 63.4%, 74.5% and 76.6% reductions in soluble oxalate content, respectively, when compared to the original peeled stems. Boiling for 20 min was the most effective way to reduce both the total and soluble oxalate contents of the stems. 39% of the total calcium in the raw taro stems was bound to the insoluble oxalate fraction and this was reduced to a mean of 17.2% ± 2.6% by the three cooking treatments.

Establishment of high frequency shoot regeneration system in Himalayan poplar(Populus ciliata Wall. ex Royle) from petiole explants using Thidiazuron cytokinin as plant growth regulator

Populus species are important resources for industry and in scientific study on biological and agricul- tural systems. Our objective was to enhance the frequency of plant regeneration in Himalayan poplar （Populus ciliata wall. ex Royle）. The effect of TDZ alone and in combi- nation with adenine and NAA was studied on the regen- eration potential of petiole explants. The explants were excised from Himalayan poplar plants grown in glass- houses. After surface sterilization the explants were cul- tured on shoot induction medium. High percentage shoot regeneration （86 %） was recorded on MS medium sup- plemented with 0.004 mg L-1 TDZ and 79.7 mg L-1 adenine. The regenerated shoots for elongation and multi- plication were transferred to MS ＋ 0.5 mg L-1 BAP ＋ 0.2 mg L-1 IAA ＋ 0.3 mg L-1 GA3. Root re- generation from shoots developed in vitro was observed on MS medium supplemented with 0.10 mg L-1 IBA. Hi- malayan poplar plantlets could be produced within 2 months after acclimatization in a sterile mixture of sand and soil. We developed a high efficiency plant regeneration protocol from petiole explants of P. ciliata.

Keladi candik(Alocasia longiloba Miq.) petiole extracts promote wound healing in a full thickness excision wound model in rats

Objective: To investigate the wound-healing effect of Alocasia longiloba(A. longiloba) petiole extract on wounds in rats.Methods: Twenty-two male Sprague-dawley rats were randomly assigned to receive 10% solcoseryl gel, phosphate buffer saline, 50% ethanol, 95% ethanol and hexane extracts of A. longiloba at 1.5%, 3% and 6% doses, respectively. A full thicknesses wound(6 mm) was created on the dorsal of the rat; and all rats were applied with the extract solutions, 10% solcoseryl gel and phosphate buffer saline once a day topically until day 12. The wound was photographed on day 1, 6 and 12, and the percentage of wound contraction was calculated. On day 12, rats were sacrificed and histological examination of granulation tissue was carried out using haematoxylin & eosin and Masson's Trichrome stain to determine the wound healing effect.Results: In this study, 6% of 50% and 95% ethanol extracts of A. longiloba showed 82.50% and 82.32% wound contraction, respectively, and were comparable with 10% solcoseryl gel(82.30%). Meanwhile, phosphate buffer saline treated group showed the lowest wound contraction(69.86%). Histological assessment of wound treated with 6% of 95% ethanol extract of A. longiloba showed distinct epidermal and dermal layer, higher proliferation of fibroblast and more angiogenesis with collagen compared to other wound treated groups.Conclusions: A. longiloba petiole extracts have a wound healing potential and 6% of 95% ethanol extract of A. longiloba is more effective. Further studies are required to understand the wound healing mechanism of action of the extract.

Leaf morphological variation among paper birch (<i>Betula papyrifera</i>Marsh.) genotypes across Canada

Variations in leaf morphological characteristics have been extensively studied at both interand intraspecific levels although not explicitly on paper birch (Betula papyrifera Marsh). Paper birch populations might have considerable genotypic and leaf morphological variations that have allowed them to inhabit wide environmental gradients. In this study, we analyzed variations in leaf morphological characteristics in 23 paper birch populations collected across Canada and grown in a greenhouse. Furthermore, we examined whether the variations in leaf morphological characteristics observed were related to the climate of the population’s origin. We found significant genotypic differences in all leaf morphological characteristics (p < 0.05) measured among the birch populations. Thus, we expected that the morphological variations in birch might be related to natural diversity in birch populations due to environmental differences at habitat origin. Principal component analysis (PCA) reduced thirteen leaf morphological variables to five principal components (PC) explaining 84.74% of the total variance in the original data. PCs accumulated with specific leaf area, petiole and leaf width were positively related to latitudinal, longitudinal, and elevational gradients at the population’s origin. Unpredictably, these PCs were significantly negatively correlated to precipitation and aridity index at the origin. Thus, we analyzed if correlations within leaf morphological characteristics had supported the birch populations to acclimate and produce unpredictable relations with the environment of origin. Our results showed that the populations originated in limited precipitation (during growing season) had large leaf width and petiole size but low leaf hairs on adaxial surface. Thus, all these leaf morphological features provide a basis for the birch to reduce water loss from leaves and balance water use efficiency in reduced precipitation. Furthermore, the leaf characteristics measured may also include phenotypic plasticity of the birch as an acclimation to the environment as in the greenhouse.

Characterization of the petiole length in soybean compact architecture mutant M657 and the breeding of new lines

Phenotypic screening of soybean germplasm suitable for high planting density is currently the most viable strategy to increase yield. Previous studies have shown that soybean varieties with dwarf features and a short petiole often exhibit a compact plant architecture which could improve yield through increased planting density, although previously reported short petiole accessions were ultimately not usable for breeding in practice. Here, we established a method to assess petiole length and identified an elite mutant line, M657, that exhibits high photosynthetic efficiency. The agronomic traits of M657 were evaluated under field conditions, and appeared to be stable for short petiole across seven locations in northern, Huang–Huai, and southern China from 2017 to 2018. Compared with the Jihuang 13 wild type, the mutant M657 was shorter in both petiole length and plant height, exhibited lower total area of leaf, seed weight per plant and 100-seed weight, but had an increased number of effective branches and the growth period was prolonged by 2–7 days. Using M657 as a parental line for crosses with four other elite lines, we obtained four lines with desirable plant architecture and yield traits, thus demonstrating the feasibility of adopting M657 in breeding programs for soybean cultivars of high density and high yield.

Seed germination and seedling growth of Pycnanthus angolensis (Welw.) Warb., African false nutmeg

This study investigated the germination behavior and seedling growth of Pycnanthus angolensis seeds.The germination study was carried out in the laboratory and included pretreatment studies and observation of the seed-germination process.For each treatment,three replications of 20 seeds were sown in a transparent plastic germination box(12cm×22cm×5cm)lined with moistened filter paper at room temperature.To monitor seedling growth,seedlings were transplanted into pots filled with topsoil and laid out in a completely randomized design.Ten seedlings replicated thrice were measured monthly;and the shoot height,leaf area,and root length,as well as the fresh and dry weights of the seedlings,were recorded.Results showed that mechanically scarified seeds exhibited the significantly highest germination percent(83.33%,P<0.005),followed by control seeds(70.83%),whereas seeds treated with 98%sulphuric acid(H2SO4)displayed the lowest germination percent(1.67).The endospermous seeds exhibited cryptogeal germination,while seeds stored for a month(with or without arils)failed to germinate.During seed germination,radicle protrusion continued with a pseudo-opening of the root,through which the brownish cotyledonary petiole was emitted,thus releasing the plumule at the posterior position.Moreover,P.angolensis exhibited a slow growth rate,attaining a shoot height of 73 cm within a year.The highest positive change in leaf number and area was recorded in the fourth month,a period during which the least change in shoot height occurred.The study concluded that mechanical scarification of the seeds ensured significant and faster germination than chemical scarification or no treatment at all.Additionally,P.angolensis displayed a cryptogeal germination,with the seedling growth of the tree species observed to be slow.

Structural Features of the Leaf and Fruit of the Emerald Variety <i>Olea europaea</i>L., Growing under the Introduction Conditions of Surkhandarya

For the first time, the anatomical structure of the leaf, petiole and fruit of the emerald variety Olea europaea, which grows under the conditions of introduction in the Oltinsay district of the Surkhandarya region of Uzbekistan, was studied. The following characteristic diagnostic features were determined: in the leaf—the dorsiventral type of leaf mesophyll;thick-walled outer walls of the epidermis;slightly sinuous outlines of the cells of the adaxial epidermis, rectilinear-abaxial;hypostomotic leaves;non-submerged stomata of the anomocytic type;thyroid silver-gray and white-fluffy star-shaped squamous-numerous on the adaxial epidermis than on the adaxial;chlorophyll-bearing palisade and spongy parenchyma;closed collateral type of conductive bundles;the most scleralized leaf due to the presence of filamentous scleroids in it (long, thin, resembling fibers);in the petiole—parenchymal-beam type of structure;the location of the angular collenchyma under the epidermis;closed collateral type of conductive bundles;the presence of thick-walled parenchymal cells and the presence of filiformscleroids;pericarp of the fetus consists of a rigid 1-layer exocarp, parenchymal mesocarp, and sclerenchymal endocarp;the presence of scleroids—stony cells and branched sclerenchymal fibers with drops of oil in the parenchymal cells. Diagnostic signs revealed by us reflect xeromorphic of this species. All the signs were compared, and we came to the conclusion that the anatomical signs of the leaf and the fetus can be useful for providing diagnostic signs for distinguishing the studied taxa, can be used in taxonomy, and can serve to identify plant materials.

Comparative metabolomics provides novel insights into the basis of petiole color differences in celery(Apium graveolens L.)

Plant metabolites are important for plant development and human health.Plants of celery(Apium graveolens L.)with different-colored petioles have been formed in the course of long-term evolution.However,the composition,content distribution,and mechanisms of accumulation of metabolites in different-colored petioles remain elusive.Using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry(UHPLC-MS/MS),1159 metabolites,including 100 lipids,72 organic acids and derivatives,83 phenylpropanoids and polyketides,and several alkaloids and terpenoids,were quantified in four celery cultivars,each with a different petiole color.There were significant differences in the types and contents of metabolites in celery with different-colored petioles,with the most striking difference between green celery and purple celery,followed by white celery and green celery.Annotated analysis of metabolic pathways showed that the metabolites of the different-colored petioles were significantly enriched in biosynthetic pathways such as anthocyanin,flavonoid,and chlorophyll pathways,suggesting that these metabolic pathways may play a key role in determining petiole color in celery.The content of chlorophyll in green celery was significantly higher than that in other celery cultivars,yellow celery was rich in carotenoids,and the content of anthocyanin in purple celery was significantly higher than that in the other celery cultivars.The color of the celery petioles was significantly correlated with the content of related metabolites.Among the four celery cultivars,the metabolites of the anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway were enriched in purple celery.The results of quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction(q RT-PCR)suggested that the differential expression of the chalcone synthase(CHS)gene in the anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway might affect the biosynthesis of anthocyanin in celery.In addition,HPLC analysis revealed that cyanidin is the main pigment in purple celery.This study explored the differences in the types and contents of metabolites in celery cultivars with different-colored petioles and identified key substances for color formation.The results provide a theoretical basis and technical support for genetic improvement of celery petiole color.