Characteristics of <i>Morus alba</i>L. Cultured by In-Room Hydroponics

Morus alba L., (cv Ichinose) was cultivated by in-room hydroponics. The flavor and texture of leaves were markedly improved enough to be edible. When the contents of 1-deoxynojirimycin (DNJ) and polyphenols were measured in the hydroponic cultivar, DNJ increased in the leaf compared to the field grown M. alba. However, polyphenols, in contrast, decreased compared to the field cultivar. HPLC profiling revealed marked difference in leaf components between hydroponic and field cultivars indicating relative contents of lipophilic polyphenols were increased. The polyphenols contents, especially, lipophilic polyphenols in the root were remarkably high compared to So-Haku-Hi (Sang Bai Pi in Chinese). The anti-obesity effect of the hydroponically grown Morus was further studied in rats by feeding high-fat, high-sucrose (HFHS) diet with and without supplementation of dried leaf and root powders for 15 weeks. As the result, both the leaf and root from the hydroponic cultivar showed potential anti-obesity and anti-hyperlipidemic functions through amelioration of insulin resistance. Differential effects of leaf and root powders indicated that besides DNJ, the lipophilic polyphenols may play a crucial role in the anti-diabetic function of hydroponically grown Morus alba L. The hydroponics will provide an alternate way to cultivate a novel resource of Morus for developing functional foods and medicines.

Petrography and tectonic provenance of the Permian Tunas Formation:Implications on the paleotectonic setting during the ClaromecóForeland Basin evolution,southwestern Gondwana margin,Argentina

The Claromec o Basin is located at the south-western sector of the Buenos Aires province,Argentina.This basin is considered a foreland basin closely related to the evolution of the southwestern Gondwana margin.This contribution focuses on the provenance analysis of the Tunas Formation(Permian,Pillahuinc o Group),which represents the last filling stage for the Claromec o Foreland Basin.Petrographic and tectonic provenance analyses were performed in sandstones recovered from subsurface(PANG 0001 and PANG0003 exploration wells)and outcrops located close to the basin center(Gonzales Chaves locality).In the subsurface,the analyzed succession is composed of medium-to fine-grained sandstones interbedded with tuffs,mudrocks,carbonaceous mudrocks and coal beds.In outcrops,the succession is dominated by mediumto fine-grained sandstones interbedded with siltstones.Modal composition patterns are distributed into the recycled orogen and transitionally recycled to mixed fields.Petrographic analyses,in addition to provenance and sedimentological studies,confirm that sedimentary material was derived from a mixed source,which largely comes from the Sierras Australes fold and thrust belt,located towards the W-SW,where the sedimentary succession is interbedded with volcanic material.The Tunas Formation shows clear differences in its modal composition,paleocurrent direction and paleoenvironmental conditions with respect to the underlying units of the Pillahuinc o Group(Sauce Grande,Piedra Azul and Bonete formations).Source areas changed from cratonic to mixed fold belt/arc-derived material,suggesting variations in the Claromec o Basin configuration during the Late Paleozoic.Changes in the paleotectonic scenario during the deposition of the Tunas Formation have been interpreted as a consequence of a compressive post-collisional deformation event,the product of adjustment,accommodation and translation of terrains towards the equator during the Permian-Triassic to form Pangea.