Anti-fungal properties of Puroindoline A against Aspergillus glaucus

Aspergillus glaucus can grow in low moisture grain,and is one of the main fungi responsible for agricultural product losses.Puroindoline A(PINA)is a tryptophan-rich alkaline adiponectin that can effectively inhibit numerous plant bacteria and fungi.However,the mechanism of PINA against A.glaucus remains unclear.Herein,we found that recombinant PINA(rPINA)could inhibit A.glaucus mycelia growth on salt Czapek dox agar(SCDA)medium and spore germination on Czapek dox(CD)medium.Scanning electron microscopy revealed that incomplete morphological characteristics of both A.glaucus spores and mycelia occurred following rPINA treatment.Laser scanning confocal microscopy(LSCM)showed that rPINA could enter the interior of spores.Flow cytometry and propidium iodide(PI)staining illustrated membranes of spores were severely damaged,especially after treatment with 0.9 mg/mL rPINA for 12 h,and spores with intact membranes were reduced by 30.7%.Additionally,rPINA reduced the mitochondrial membrane potential(MMP)by 5,5′,6,6′-tetrachlorr-1,1′,3,3′-tetraethyl-imidacarbocyanine iodide(JC-1)staining,and caused DNA damage by 4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole(DAPI)staining.These results indicated that rPINA may damage cell membranes and DNA structure and reduceMMP,thereby inhibiting the growth of A.glaucus.The antifungal mechanism has been demonstrated in this study,and results show that rPINA has application potential in preventing postharvest loss in the agricultural industry.

A New Newt of the Genus Cynops(Caudata: Salamandridae) from Guangdong, China

We describe a new species of the genus Cynops from northeastern Guangdong, China. This new species is distinguished from its congeners by a combination of morphological and molecular characters. In morphology, it is chra- cterized by distinctive irregular bluish grey spots on the dorsum from head to tail; irregular, bright orange blotches on venter, chin, underside of axillae, limbs, cloaca; one bright orange stripe in the middle of venter; and ventral tail orange red. Analyses of mitochondrial DNA data indicate that this new species forms one highly diverged lineage within the Chinese group of Cynops.

细圆藤醇提物急性毒性研究及抗炎镇痛有效部位筛选

对细圆藤(Pericampylus glaucus)醇提取物的急性毒性进行初步研究,筛选出细圆藤抗炎、镇痛有效部位,为新药的开发提供理论依据。采用最大给药量测定法,小鼠灌胃给药测定藤水提取物和醇提物的半数致死量(LD_(50))或最大耐受量(MTD)研究其安全性;采用冰醋酸致小鼠疼痛和小鼠热刺激反应考察细圆藤不同提取部位的镇痛作用;采用琼脂肉芽肿胀法观察细圆藤不同提取部位的抗炎作用。结果显示,在急性毒性中,未测得半数致死量LD_(50),细圆藤醇提取物的MTD>94 g/kg,最大耐受量倍数相当成人(60 kg)用量的376倍;细圆藤不同部位组均能减轻小鼠肉芽湿重,细圆藤石油醚部位、乙酸乙酯部位、正丁醇部位、水部位的抑制率分别为13.74%、21.35%、16.35%、32.27%,其差异均具有统计学意义;与空白对照组比较,细圆藤石油醚部位、水部位在给药后90、120 min痛阈值显著提高;细圆藤乙酸乙酯部位、正丁醇部位在给药后120 min痛阈值显著提高,细圆藤不同部位组均能减轻醋酸引起小鼠疼痛,其中细圆藤石油醚部位、乙酸乙酯部位、正丁醇部位、水部位的镇痛率分别为51.74%、37.63%、32.13%、40.55%,与空白组比较其差异具有统计学意义;细圆藤无明显毒性,临床常用量安全可行;在抗炎镇痛有效部位筛选发现,细圆藤不同部位均具有一定的抗炎镇痛作用,细圆藤石油醚部位镇痛效果最强,水部位抗炎效果最强。

Screening and Characterization of the High-Cellulase-Producing Strain Aspergillus glaucus XC9

Cellulose is a kind of renewable resource that is abundant in nature.It can be degraded by microorganisms such as mildew.A mildew strain with high cellulase activity was isolated from mildewy maize cob and classified as Aspergillus glaucus XC9 by morphological and 18S rRNA gene sequence analyses.We studied the effects of nitrogen source,initial pH,temperature,incubation time,medium composition,and surfactants on cellulase production.Maximal activities of carboxymethylcellulase(6,812 U/g dry koji)and filter paperase(172 U/g dry koji)were obtained in conditions as follows:initial pH,5.5–6.0;temperature,30℃;cultivation period,3–4 days;inoculum ratio,6%(vol/vol);sugarcane bagasse/wheat bran ratio,4:6.When bagasse was used as substrate and mixed with wet koji at a 1:1(wt/wt)ratio,the yield of reducing sugars was 36.4%.The corresponding conversion rate of cellulose to reducing sugars went as high as 81.9%.The results suggest that A.glaucus XC9 is a preferred candidate for cellulase production.

Salicaceae detoxification abilities in Florida tiger swallowtail butterflies （Papilio glaucus maynardi Gauthier）＂ Novel ability or Pleistocene holdover？

Florida populations of the eastern tiger swallowtail butterfly, Papilio glaucus L., have unique morphological features and ecological adaptations that have contributed to their subspecies status （P. g. rnaynardi Gauthier）. We describe geographically unique abilities for detoxification of Carolina willow, Salix caroliniana Michx. （Salicaceae）, for several Florida populations of P. g. maynardi. Of all the approximately 570 worldwide species of the Papilionidae, such Salicaceae detoxification abilities exist only in the allopatric North American western and northernmost species （P. rutulus Lucas, R eurymedon Lucas and P. canadensis Rothschild ＆ Jordan）. Females of P. glaucus collected from populations in southeastern USA were examined for oviposition preference in 5-choice assays, and displayed a low preference for Salicaceae （〈5%）, but larvae from Florida populations exhibited a high survival （〉 60%） on these plants. Detoxification abilities have previously shown to be autosomally inherited, and can be transferred via natural or hand-paired interspecific hybrid introgression. However, these Florida populations are at least 700-1 500 km from the nearest hybrids or the hybrid species, 17. appalachiensis Pavulaan ＆ Wright, which possess these detoxification abilities. In any case, the Z （ = X）-linked oviposition preferences for Salicaceae are lacking in these Florida populations, illustrating genetic independence ofoviposition preference determination and larval survival/performance abilities. The origins of detoxification abilities are unlikely to be due to recent climate-driven introgression, and may represent ancestral trait carry-overs from interglacial refugium populations of the Pleistocene epoch.

Effect of ethanolic extract of Pericampylus glaucus (Lam) Merr on biochemical parameters in Sprague-Dawley rats with high fats diets

Objective: To evaluate the effect of ethanolic extract of Pericampylus glaucus (Lam) Merr (P. glaucus) on biochemical parameters in high fats diets treated rats. Methods: The effect of P. glaucus extract on biochemical parameters was studied in male Sprague Dawley rats. The high-fat diets along with standard normal laboratory rat's diets were given for a period of 28 days along with ethanolic extract of P. glaucus and standard drug. The standard group was treated with simvastatin at dose of 80 mg/kg and the tested groups were treated with ethanol extract of P. glaucus at 400, 600 and 800 mg/kg daily for 28 days of the experiment. The weight of animals in each group was measured weekly and the effect of extract and standard on serum lipids profile was evaluated at the end of the study. Results: The results showed that the ethanolic extract of P. glaucus at different doses of 400, 600 and 800 mg/kg and standard drug induced a significant reduction in the body weight (P< 0.001), total cholesterol, triglycerides (TG), low density lipoproteins (LDL) and uric acid levels and increase (P < 0.001) in high density lipoproteins (HDL) as compared to untreated hyperlipidemic group. Conclusions: The present work indicates that the ethanolic extract significantly suppressed the biochemical parameters in high fats diet treated animals, suggesting the antihyperlipidemic potential of P. glaucus.