Clonal propagation of mastic tree(Pistacia lentiscus var.chia Duham.) in outdoor beds using different rootstock and grafting techniques

We assessed different rootstocks and grafting techniques to clonally propagate mastic tree （Pistacia lentiscus var. chia）. Mastic tree is a dioecious tree but the quantity and quality of the resin secreted by female trees are very low; therefore, male trees that are clonally propagated are used to establish commercial plantations for mastic production. Conventional long branch cuttings for clonal production requires too much materials and has a very low rooting rate. Rooting with tissue culture and green cuttings has also failed outdoors. Grafting of mastic on other Pistacia species has not been tried so far; therefore, this study was aimed at developing grafting methods for the clonal propagation of mastic. P. atlantica and P. lentiscus rootstocks were grafted from 15 February to 15 October every 15 days using three grafting methods and a two-factor randomized block trial design. Early spring （15 February-15 March） proved to be the best time for grafting using either of the rootstocks. The highest grafting success was attained using the scions grafted on P. atlantica from 15 February to 15 March. The best bud-burst percentage was obtained using P. atlantica and P. lentiscus rootstocks.

Assessments of Antibacterial and Antioxidant Properties in the Methanolic and Aqueous Leaf Extracts of Pistacia lentiscus against Different Antibiotic Resistance Pathogenic Bacteria

The current study was carried out to determine the bioactivity of P. lentiscus leaf extracts as potential antibacterial and antioxidant properties. The plant extracts were examined for antibacterial activity against antibiotic-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus haemolyticus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Proteus mirabilis using the agar well method (according to the guidelines of Clinical and Laboratory Standard Institute). The antioxidant potential of 3 plant leaf extracts was determined by their ability to convert Fe3+ to Fe2+ and scavenge the DPPH free radical. At all concentrations studied, the methanolic leaf extract had higher total phenolic and flavonoid content, as well as stronger antioxidant and antibacterial inhibitory activity compared to aqueous extract. Our findings with P. aeruginosa were especially interesting, because this bacterium was inhibited by methanol extract than that of the reference antibiotics. The results also demonstrated a link between DPPH radical scavenging ability, reducing power, and total phenolic and flavonoid content of plant extracts (r > 0.97, R2 > 0.95, P = 0.01). As a result, the methanolic leaf extract of the chosen plant might be employed as an effective antioxidant and antibacterial agent for the treatment of a variety of morbidities.

Chemical Composition and Antioxidant Potential of Pistacia lentiscus L. Essential Oil from Oran (Algeria)

Essential oil from the leaves of Pistacia lentiscus L. growing in the Oran region in the west of Algeria was obtained by hydrodistillation with a 1.26 % yield on a dry weight basis. Spectrophotometric analyses were employed to highlight the scavenger capacity of this oil using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) test. Twenty compounds were identified by GC and CG/MS analyses, and the main part of the compounds of the oil was terpinene-4-ol (41.24%) and α-terpineol (7.31%), α-pinene (9.48%), limonene (09.11%), β-myrcene (10.5%), p-cymene (8.67%) and α-phellandrene (2.20%), β-caryophyllene (12.62%) as major compounds. The DPPH test shows that Pistacia lentiscus essential oil possesses antiradical activity. A linear correlation (correlation coefficient R2 = 0.995, P Pistacia lentiscus essential oil.

Anti-hypercholesterolemic effect of Pistacia lentiscus fatty oil in egg yolk-fed rabbits: a comparative study with simvastatin

AIM: The current study was undertaken to assess anti-hyperlipidemic activity of Pistacia lentiscus fatty oil(PLFO) in rabbits following a hyperlipidemic diet. METHOD: Twenty healthy female(WNZ) rabbits were divided into four groups of five animals each:(a) normal control(NC group) receiving standard diet,(b) hyperlipidemic control(EY) group receiving standard diet and gavaged daily with egg yolk(10 mL),(c) hyperlipidemic + PLFO(EY + PLFO) group receiving as the EY group and treated daily with PLFO(2 mL/kg BW,(d) hyperlipidemic + simvastatin(EY + SVS) group receiving as the EY group and treated once daily with 2.5 mg/kg BW of simvastatin. At the end of the six-week experimental period, the lipidemic profiles of the different groups were investigated. RESULTS: In the EY group, the egg yolk resulted in a significant increase of total cholesterol(TC), triglycerides(TG), HDL-C, LDL-C, and the LDL-C/HDL-C ratio. Both the EY + PLFO and EY + SVS groups, when compared to the EY group, showed a significant decrease of TC, TG, LDL-C, and the LDL-C/HDL-C ratio. However, with respect to HDL-C the differences were not significant. The TGs were significantly lower(P < 0.001) in the simvastatin-treated group when compared to rabbits treated in the PLFO group. CONCLUSION: The study concludes that P. lentiscus fatty oil(PLFO) possesses anti-hyperlipidemic properties at least in reducing total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and triglycerides.

Chemical Composition of the Essential Oil of Mastic Gum and their Antibacterial Activity Against Drug-Resistant Helicobacter pylori

Mastic gum is derived from the tree named Pistacia lentiscus that is grown only in Island Hios of Greek.Since Mastic was first reported to kill Helicobacter pylori(H.pylori)in 1998,there has been no further study to elucidate which component of mastic specifically shows the antimicrobial activity against H.pylori.In this study,we examined which component of mastic gum was responsible for anti-H.pylori activity.We prepared the essential oil of mastic gum and identified 20 constituents by GC–MS analysis.Ten standard components were assayed for anti-H.pylori activity,and it clarified that a-terpineol and(E)-methyl isoeugenol showed the anti-H.pylori activity against four different H.pylori strains that were established from patients with gastritis,gastric ulcer and gastric cancer.These components could be useful to overcome the drug-resistance H.pylori growth in stomach.

Stabilizing Effects of Ethanolic Extract of Mastic Gum on Microtubule Polymers:an In Vitro Study

Terpenoids are novel natural products isolated from mastic gum.Mastic gum was obtained from the Pistacia Lentiscus tree.Scientific investigations have documented medical and pharmacological properties of mastic gum such as memory enhancement,antifungal,and antibacterial activities.It was astonishing to study the possible interaction of mastic gum extract with microtubule proteins which are involved in memory and consciousness since the administration of mastic gum is evidenced in the improvement of brain functions.Since a number of studies have demonstrated the effect of microtubule dynamics on mammals'memory,in this study,we investigated the effect of Oxygenated Sesquiterpenes(OST)on microtubule polymerization in vitro.OST was purified from the ethanolic extract of mastic gum.The results revealed that OST induces microtubule polymerization;however,microtubule depolymerization was not affected and fluorometric assays showed conformational changes of tubulin in the presence of OST.We interestingly found that colchicine was unable to inhibit MT assembly in the presence of OST and OST was solely more efficient than the combination of OST with paclitaxel for elevating microtubule polymerization rate.We hope that OST could be a promising agent for memory enhancement and the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases as a novel tubulin-binding compound.

Leaves of Field-Grown Mastic Trees Suffer Oxidative Stress at the Two Extremes of their Lifespan

Leaf senescence is a complex phenomenon occurring in all plant species, but it is still poorly understood in plants grown in Mediterranean field conditions and well-adapted to harsh climatic conditions. To better understand the physiological processes underlying leaf senescence in mastic trees （Pistacia lentiscus L.）, we evaluated leaf growth, water and N content, photosystem II （PSII） photochemistry, lipid peroxidation and levels of photosynthetic pigments, antioxidants, abscisic acid, and salicylic acid and jasmonic acid during the complete leaf lifespan, from early expansion to late senescence in relation to natural climatic conditions in the field. While mature leaves suffered from water and N deficit during late spring and summer, both young （emerging） and old （senescing） leaves were most sensitive to photo- oxidative stress, as indicated by reductions in the Fv/Fm ratio and enhanced lipid peroxidation during late autumn and winter. Reductions in the FvlFm ratio were associated with low ^-tocopherol （vitamin E） levels, while very old, senescing leaves additionally showed severe anthocyanin losses. We have concluded that both young （emerging） and old （senescing） leaves suffer oxidative stress in mastic trees, which may be linked in part to suboptimal temperatures during late autumn and winter as well as to low vitamin E levels.

Stipa tenacissima Does not Affect the Foliar δ^(13)C and δ^(15)N of Introduced Shrub Seedlings in a Mediterranean Semi-arid Steppe

Recent studies have shown that the tussock grass Stipa tenacissima L. facilitates the establishment of late-successional shrubs, in what constitutes the first documented case of facilitation of woody plants by grasses. With the aim of increasing our knowledge of this interaction, in the present study we investigated the effects of S. tenacissima on the foliar δ13C, δ15N, nitrogen concentration, and carbon ： nitrogen ratio of introduced seedlings of Pistacia lentiscus L., Quercus coccifera L., and Medicago arborea L. in a semi-arid Mediterranean steppe. Six months after planting, the values of δ13C ranged between -26.9‰ and -29.6‰, whereas those of δ15N ranged between -1.9‰ and 2.7‰. The foliar C ： N ratio ranged between 10.7 and 53.5, and the nitrogen concentration ranged between 1.0% and 4.4%. We found no significant effect of the microsite provided by S. tenacissima on these variables in any of the species evaluated. The values of δ13C were negatively correlated with predawn water potentials in M. arborea and were positively correlated with relative growth rate in Q. coccifera. The values of δ15N were positively correlated with the biomass allocation to roots in the latter species. The present results suggest that the modification of environmental conditions in the are surrounding S. tenacissima was not strong enough to modify the foliar isotopic and nitrogen concentration of shrubs during the early stages after planting.