Substrate,Hormone,Winnowing,and Stratification Influence the Seed Germination of Ilex asprella(Hook.et Arn.)Champ.ex Benth

Ilex asprella(Hook.et Arn.)Champ.ex Benth is one of the most important traditional Chinese medicines in southern China.The seeds of Ilex asprella usually have extremely low germination due to their dormancy characteristics,which severely impacts the efficiency of seedling raising and increases labor costs.In this study,to improve the seed germination of I.asprella,the effects of germination substrate,hormone,winnowing,and stratification treatments on the seed germination of I.asprella were investigated.The results of the germination matrix showed that the highest germination percentage of 45.2%was achieved under the 20℃/10℃day/night temperature and vermiculite germination medium conditions.The results of hormone treatments revealed that 100–400 mg/L of gibberellin(GA)and 50–100 mg/L of salicylic acid(SA)were found to be effective in releasing the dormancy of I.asprella seeds.Moreover,winnowing could effectively eliminate unsaturated seeds and impurities,thus improving the seed germination of I.asprella.Furthermore,warm temperature(15℃)stratification could expand the temperature range of I.asprella’s seed germination,which was beneficial for seed germination of I.asprella and for seed nursery at room temperature in production practice.The present study obtained a method to break dormancy and increase seed germination in I.asprella,thereby forming a groundwork for improving the efficiency of large-scale planting of I.asprella.

Maackiain inhibits proliferation and promotes apoptosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells by inhibiting the MAPK/Ras signaling pathway

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma(NPC)is the third most common malignancy with a high recurrence and metastasis rate in South China.Natural compounds extracted from traditional Chinese herbal medicines have been developed and utilized for the treatment of a variety of cancers with modest properties and slight side effects.Maackiain(MA)is a type of flavonoid that was first isolated from leguminous plants,and it has been reported to relieve various nervous system disorders and exert anti-allergic as well as antiinflammatory effects.In this study,we demonstrated that MA inhibited proliferation,arrested cell cycle and induced apoptosis in nasopharyngeal carcinoma CNE1 and CNE2 cells in vitro and in vivo.The expression of the related proteins associated with these processes were consistent with the above effects.Moreover,transcriptome sequencing and subsequent Western blot experiments revealed that inhibition of the MAPK/Ras pathway may be responsible to the anti-tumor effect of MA on NPC cells.Therefore,the effects of MA and an activator of this pathway,tertiary butylhydroquinone(TBHQ),alone or combination,were investigated.The results showed TBHQ neutralized the inhibitory effects of MA.These data suggest that MA exerts its anti-tumor effect by inhibiting the MAPK/Ras signaling pathway and it has the potential to become a treatment for patients with NPC.

Comparative genomics reveals the diversification of triterpenoid biosynthesis and origin of ocotilloltype triterpenes in Panax

Gene duplication is assumed to be the major force driving the evolution of metabolite biosynthesis in plants.Freed from functional burdens,duplicated genes can mutate toward novelties until fixed due to selective fitness.However,the extent to which this mechanism has driven the diversification of metabolite biosynthesis remains to be tested.Here we performed comparative genomics analysis and functional characterization to evaluate the impact of gene duplication on the evolution of triterpenoid biosynthesis using Panax species as models.Wefound that whole-genome duplications(WGDs)occurred independently in Araliaceae and Apiaceae lineages.Comparative genomics revealed the evolutionary trajectories of triterpenoid biosynthesis in plants,which was mainly promoted by WGDs and tandem duplication.Lanosterol synthase(LAS)was likely derived from a tandemduplicate of cycloartenol synthase that predated the emergence of Nymphaeales.Under episodic diversifying selection,the LAS gene duplicates produced by g whole-genome triplication have given rise to triterpene biosynthesis in core eudicots through neofunctionalization.Moreover,functional characterization revealed that oxidosqualene cyclases(OSCs)responsible for synthesizing dammarane-type triterpenes in Panax species were also capable of producing ocotilloltype triterpenes.Genomic and biochemical evidence suggested that Panax genes encoding the above OSCs originated from the specialization of one OSC gene duplicate produced from a recent WGD shared by Araliaceae(Pg-b).Our results reveal the crucial role of gene duplication in diversification of triterpenoid biosynthesis in plants and provide insight into the origin of ocotillol-type triterpenes in Panax species.

Two Ways to Induce Gynostemma pentaphyllum Plantlets from Tissue Culture

[Objectives]This study was conducted to investigate rapid propagation systems of Gynostemma pentaphyllum.[Methods]Ten different media were tested to select the optimal media for inducing callus proliferation,bud differentiation and rooting by using tissue culture technology,with G.pentaphyllum stem segments and leaves as explants.The stem segments of G.pentaphyllum were used as explants to directly induce rooting and germination,and appropriate media were selected.[Results]The optimum callus induction medium for G.pentaphyllum stem segments was MS+6-BA 1.0 mg/L+NAA 0.4 mg/L;the optimum rooting medium for stem callus was MS+NAA 0.2 mg/L;and the optimum germination medium for stem segments was MS+6-BA 1.0 mg/L.The optimum callus induction medium for G.pentaphyllum leaves was MS+6-BA 0.5 mg/L+NAA 0.2 mg/L;and the optimum rooting medium for leaves was MS+NAA 0.4 mg/L.The optimum rooting medium for G.pentaphyllum stem segments was MS+IAA 1.0 mg/L,with which the rooting rate was 100%,the average root length was about 3 cm,and the average number of sprouts per explant was 1.48,so it is the optimal condition.[Conclusions]This study provides a new method for in-vitro cultivation of G.pentaphyllum and has far-reaching significance for improving human health.

Saposhnikovia divaricata——An Ethnopharmacological,Phytochemical and Pharmacological Review

Saposhnikovia divaricata(Turcz.)Schischk.,a perennial herb belonging to the family Umbelliferae,is widely distributed in Northeast Asia.Its dried root(Radix Saposhnikoviae)is used as a Chinese herbal medicine for the treatment of immune system,nervous system,and respiratory diseases.Phytochemical and pharmacological studies have shown that the main constituents of S.divaricata are chromones,coumarins,acid esters,and polyacetylenes,and these compounds exhibited significant anti-inflammatory,analgesic,antioxidant,antiproliferative,antitumor,and immunoregulatory activities.The purpose of this review is to provide comprehensive information on the botanical characterization and distribution,traditional use and ethnopharmacology,phytochemistry,and pharmacology of S.divaricata for further study concerning its mechanism of action and development of better therapeutic agents and health products from S.divaricata.