• Mycobiology
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.162-170
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• 2016

In this paper, we demonstrate the ability of Arabidopsis thaliana to detect different mixtures of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by the common indoor fungus, Aspergillus versicolor, and demonstrate the potential usage of the plant as a bioindicator to monitor fungal VOCs in indoor air. We evaluated the volatile production of Aspergillus versicolor strains SRRC 108 (NRRL 3449) and SRRC 2559 (ATCC 32662) grown on nutrient rich fungal medium, and grown under conditions to mimic the substrate encountered in the built environment where fungi would typically grow indoors (moist wallboard and ceiling tiles). Using headspace solid phase microextraction/gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, we analyzed VOC profiles of the two strains. The most abundant compound produced by both strains on all three media was 1-octen-3-ol. Strain SRRC 2559 made several terpenes not detected from strain SRRC 108. Using a split-plate bioassay, we grew Arabidopsis thaliana in a shared atmosphere with VOCs from the two strains of Aspergillus versicolor grown on yeast extract sucrose medium. The VOCs emitted by SRRC 2559 had an adverse impact on seed germination and plant growth. Chemical standards of individual VOCs from the Aspergillus versicolor mixture (2-methyl-1-butanol, 3-methyl-1-butanol, 1-octen-3-ol, limonene, and ${\beta}-farnesene$), and ${\beta}-caryophyllene$ were tested one by one in seed germination and vegetative plant growth assays. The most inhibitory compound to both seed germination and plant growth was 1-octen-3-ol. Our data suggest that Arabidopsis is a useful model for monitoring indoor air quality as it is sensitive to naturally emitted fungal volatile mixtures as well as to chemical standards of individual compounds, and it exhibits relatively quick concentration- and duration-dependent responses.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.13 no.12
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• pp.1726-1730
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• 2000

High fibre (CF, 242 g/kg) sunflower seed meal (SSM) was incorporated in standard grower and layer quail diets at 0, 50, 75 or 100 g/kg replacing part of the soybean meal (SBM) and deoiled rice bran (DORB). Each grower diet was offered to 30 quails housed in battery cages from day one to 5 weeks of age. At the end of the growing period, Twelve female quails from each of the four respective dietary groups were transferred to the individual laying cages and their laying performance from 7 to 20 weeks of age were evaluated on diets containing SSM at similar levels as that during the growing period. The results of growth bioassay revealed that the live weight gain, feed intake, nutrient retention and carcass characteristics of quails in different dietary groups did not vary significantly (p>0.05), although the quails fed SSM based diets utilized the feed less (p<0.05) efficiently than those fed the control diet. During the laying period, the egg production and egg quality traits remained unaffected due to dietary treatments but feed required per unit egg production increased (p<0.05) as the level of SSM in diet was increased to 100 g/kg. Although, the cost of feed per kg decreased due to the incorporation of SSM in diet but the same was not reflected in feed cost per unit gain, meat or egg production as such parameters were comparable on all the diets. It could thus be concluded that the SSM can be incorporated in quail diets upto 100 g/kg for part of SBM, an item usually expensive and also in short supply in developing countries including India.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.240-243
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• 1988

The hexane extract from Nutmeg, the seed of Myristica fragrans significantly inhibited hepatic drug-metabolizing enzyme activity. Through systematic fractionation by $SiO_2$ column and vacuum liquid chromatography monitoring by bioassay, three components, myristicin, (I), licarin-B (II) and dehydrodiisoeugenol (III) were isolated as active principles. Compounds II and III, with a single treatment (200mg/kg, i.p.) showed not only a significant prolongation of hexobarbital-induced sleeping time but also a significant inhibition of aminopyrine N-demethylase and hexobarbital hydroxylase activities in mice. Compounds I and II provoked a sleep episode at a subhypnotic dose of HB, suggesting that they possess CNS-depressant properties.

• Journal of Plant Biology
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.59-67
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• 1987

To verify allelopathic effect of tomato plants a number of labovatory experiments, seed germination and seedling growth with aqueous extracts and leachates form the tomato plants, have performed. Germination percentage of the tested species was decreased by treatment with leaf, stem and root extracts as extracting time elapses. The leaf extract more inhibits the germination of the seeds than both stem and root extracts. Leachate collected from the tomato plants decreases as much as 50% of the growths in elongation as well as dry weight of seedlings of lettuce and egg plant. It is observed that with a paired-plants grown in U tube pot the tomato roots have excreted allelochemicals to inhibit the growth of the tested species and volatile substances from the tomato plants have suppressed to dry weights of lettuce, to elongation and dry weights of grapevine planted near the tomato plants.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.28 no.8
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• pp.1261-1264
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• 2007

Bioassay-directed fractionations of the seed extracts of Trichosanthes kirilowii, have resulted in the isolation of two new compounds, 2-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-3-(2-hydroxy-5-methoxyphenyl)-3-oxo-1-propanol (2) and isoetin 5'-methyl ether (5,7,2',4'-tetrahydroxy-5'-methoxyflavone) (3), together with two known compounds, 7-hydroxychromone (1) and 5,7,4'-trihydroxy-3',5'-dimethoxyflavone (tricin, 4). Their structures were characterized by spectroscopic analysis such as 2D-NMR, HRTOFMS, and UV. Compound 3 showed cytotoxicity against human lung cancer cell line A549, human skin melanoma SK-Mel-2, and mouse melanoma B16F1, with IC50 of 0.92, 8.0, and 7.23 μg/mL, respectively.

• Journal of Plant Biology
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.241-251
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• 1984

The present study investigated the effects of triacontanol (TRIA) on plant growth and peroxisomal enzyme activities in radish seedlings. The optimum concentration of TRIA with respect to radish seedling bioassay was decided to 1.0mg $1^{-1}$. In comparison to untreated controls (including Tween 20 treatment), 1.0mg $1^{-1}$ TRIA treatment caused an increase in seed germination rate and root growth, but no stimulation in hypocotyl growth. Chlorophyll accumulation in cotyledon during carly development stage increased rapidly, and degradation of chlorophyll in later stage due to the cotyledon senesence was noticeably retarded. Increase of soluble protein content in cotyledon at early period of development was observed. Isocitrate lyase and catalase activity was not significantly different in both the treated and the untreated plants. But, glycolate oxidase activity was inhibited by TRIA down to 20% against controls. Also, the increase of the activity of peroxidase, a leaf-senescence marker enzyme, was continuously retarded over control for 8 days of development. Based on above results, TRIA was found to be active in both the growth and the peroxisomal enzyme activities of radish seedlings.

• Plant Biotechnology Reports
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.217-224
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• 2011

Non-heading Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa L. ssp. chinensis) is a popular vegetable in Asian countries. The diamondback moth (DBM), Plutella xylostella (L.), an insect with worldwide distribution, is a main pest of Brassicaceae crops and causes enormous crop losses. Transfer of the anti-insect gene into the plant genome by transgenic technology and subsequent breeding of insect-resistant varieties will be an effective approach to reducing the damage caused by this pest. We have produced transgenic non-heading Chinese cabbage plants expressing the potato proteinase inhibitor II gene (pinII) and tested the pest resistance of these transgenic plants. Non-heading Chinese cabbages grown for 45 days on which buds had formed were used as experimental materials for Agrobacterium-mediated vacuum infiltration transformation. Forty-one resistant plants were selected from 1166 g of seed harvested from the infiltrated plants based on the resistance of the young seedlings to the herbicide Basta. The transgenic traits were further confirmed by the Chlorophenol red test, PCR, and genomic Southern blotting. The results showed that the bar and pinII genes were co-integrated into the resistant plant genome. A bioassay of insect resistance in the second generation of individual lines of the transgenic plants showed that DBM larvae fed on transgenic leaves were severely stunted and had a higher mortality than those fed on the wild-type leaves.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.173-180
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• 2005

This study was conducted of Korean native plants to screen herbicidal activity which could be used for the development of new natural herbicides. Eighty-one plants were collected from Wan and Juju islands in Korea and their methanol extracts were obtained. Heibicidal activities of the methanol extracts were determined by seed bioassay using rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) seedlings. Among eighty-one species, eleven plants were highly herbicidal ($GR_{50}$ < 1,000 ${\mu}g\;g^{-1}$): Abies koreana WILS., Anthemis nobilis L., Callicarpa mollis SIEB. et ZUCC., Cirsium setidens, Euonymus maackii RUPR., Euphorbia jolkini BOISS., Kadsura japonica DUNAL, Paeonia aliflora Pall var. tricocarpa BUNGE, Philadelphus tenuifolius RUPR. et MAXIM., Sapium sebiferum, Vicia angustifolia var. segetilis K. KOCH. Fifty plants were shown moderate herbicidal activity (1,000 ${\mu}g\;g^{-1}$ < $GR_{50}$ < 2,000 ${\mu}g\;g^{-1}$), however, twenty plants were not shown any herbicidal activity.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.225-229
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• 2006

This study was conducted to screen herbicidal activity of Korean native plants which could be used for the development of new natural herbicides. Fifty-five plants were collected from Wan and Jeju islands in Korea and their methanol extracts were obtained. Herbicidal activity of methanol extracts were determined by seed bioassay using rape (Brassica napus L.) seedlings. Among fifty-five species, five plants were highly herbicidal ($GR_{50}$ < 1,000 ${\mu}g\;g^{-1}$): Clematis apiifolia A. P. DC.; (811 ${\mu}g\;g^{-1}$), Euscaphis japonica (THUNB.) KANITZ (867 ${\mu}g\;g^{-1}$), Hibiscus mutabilis L. (988 ${\mu}g\;g^{-1}$), Phyllostachys pubescens MAZEL (778 ${\mu}g\;g^{-1}$), Yucca recurvifolia (857 ${\mu}g\;g^{-1}$). Twenty-seven plants were shown moderately herbicidal (1,000 < $GR_{50}$ < 2,000 ${\mu}g\;g^{-1}$), however, twenty-three plants were not shown any herbicidal activity.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.220-230
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• 2004

This study was conducted of Korean native plants to screen herbicidal activity which could be used for the development of new natural herbicides. Ninety-eight plants were collected from Wan Island, Chollanamdo in Korea and their methanol extracts were obtained. Herbicidal activities of the methanol extracts were determined by seed bioassay using canola (Brassica napus L.) seedlings. Among ninety-eight species, twenty plants were highly herbicidal ($GR_{50}<1,000\;{\mu}g\;g^{-1}$): Abies holophylla MAXIM., Ailanthus altissima (MILL.) SWINGLE, Anthemis nobilis L., Aralia elata SEEM., Artemisia iwayomogi KITAMURA, Asarum sieboldii MIQ., Brassica campestris subsp. napus var. nippo-oleifera MAKINO, Clematis terniflora DC., Crataegus scabrida SARG., Gnaphalium affine D. DON, Jasminum nudiflorum LINDL., Kalopanax pictus (THUNE.) NAKAI, Machilus japonica S. et Z., Myrica rubra S. et Z., Osmunda japonica THUNB., Phytolacca esculenta V. Houtte, Platanus occidentalis L., Quisqualis indica L., Rubus hirsutus THUNB., Yucca smalliana FERN. Fifty plants were shown moderate herbicidal activity $(1,000\;{\mu}g\;g^{-1}, however, twenty-eight plants were not shown any herbicidal activity.