Displaying publications 21 - 40 of 180 in total

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  1. Fulltext Data of the first de novo transcriptome assembly of the inflorescence of Curcuma alismatifolia
    Taheri S, Abdullah TL, Noor YM, Padil HM, Sahebi M, Azizi P
    Data Brief, 2018 Aug;19:2452-2454.
    PMID: 30246104 DOI: 10.1016/j.dib.2018.07.038
    Curcuma alismatifolia, is an Asian crop from Zingiberaceae family, popularly used as ornamental plant in floriculture industry of Thailand and Cambodia. Different varieties with a wide range of colors can be found in species. Until now, few breeding programs have been done on this species and most commercially important cultivars are hybrids that are propagated vegetatively. In spite of other flowering plants, there is still lack of transcriptomic-based data on the functions of genes related to flower color in C. alismatifolia. The raw data presented in this article provides information on new original transcriptome data of two cultivars of C. alismatifolia by Illumina Hiseq. 4000 RNA-Seq technology which is the first ever report about this plant. The data is accessible via European Nucleotide Archive (ENA) under project number PRJEB18956.
    Matched MeSH terms: Flowers
  2. Fulltext De novo assembly of transcriptomes, mining, and development of novel EST-SSR markers in Curcuma alismatifolia (Zingiberaceae family) through Illumina sequencing
    Taheri S, Abdullah TL, Rafii MY, Harikrishna JA, Werbrouck SPO, Teo CH, et al.
    Sci Rep, 2019 Feb 28;9(1):3047.
    PMID: 30816255 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-39944-2
    Curcuma alismatifolia widely used as an ornamental plant in Thailand and Cambodia. This species of herbaceous perennial from the Zingiberaceae family, includes cultivars with a wide range of colours and long postharvest life, and is used as an ornamental cut flower, as a potted plant, and in exterior landscapes. For further genetic improvement, however, little genomic information and no specific molecular markers are available. The present study used Illumina sequencing and de novo transcriptome assembly of two C. alismatifolia cvs, 'Chiang Mai Pink' and 'UB Snow 701', to develop simple sequence repeat markers for genetic diversity studies. After de novo assembly, 62,105 unigenes were generated and 48,813 (78.60%) showed significant similarities versus six functional protein databases. In addition, 9,351 expressed sequence tag-simple sequence repeats (EST-SSRs) were identified with a distribution frequency of 12.5% total unigenes. Out of 8,955 designed EST-SSR primers, 150 primers were selected for the development of potential molecular markers. Among these markers, 17 EST-SSR markers presented a moderate level of genetic diversity among three C. alismatifolia cultivars, one hybrid, three Curcuma, and two Zingiber species. Three different genetic groups within these species were revealed using EST-SSR markers, indicating that the markers developed in this study can be effectively applied to the population genetic analysis of Curcuma and Zingiber species. This report describes the first analysis of transcriptome data of an important ornamental ginger cultivars, also provides a valuable resource for gene discovery and marker development in the genus Curcuma.
    Matched MeSH terms: Flowers/genetics
  3. Fabrication of interdigitated high-performance zinc oxide nanowire modified electrodes for glucose sensing
    Haarindraprasad R, Hashim U, Gopinath SC, Perumal V, Liu WW, Balakrishnan SR
    Anal Chim Acta, 2016 Jun 21;925:70-81.
    PMID: 27188319 DOI: 10.1016/j.aca.2016.04.030
    Diabetes is a metabolic disease with a prolonged elevated level of glucose in the blood leads to long-term complications and increases the chances for cardiovascular diseases. The present study describes the fabrication of a ZnO nanowire (NW)-modified interdigitated electrode (IDE) to monitor the level of blood glucose. A silver IDE was generated by wet etching-assisted conventional lithography, with a gap between adjacent electrodes of 98.80 μm. The ZnO-based thin films and NWs were amended by sol-gel and hydrothermal routes. High-quality crystalline and c-axis orientated ZnO thin films were observed by XRD analyses. The ZnO thin film was annealed for 1, 3 and 5 h, yielding a good-quality crystallite with sizes of 50, 100 and 110 nm, and the band gaps were measured as 3.26, 3.20 and 3.17 eV, respectively. Furthermore, a flower-modeled NW was obtained with the lowest diameter of 21 nm. Our designed ZnO NW-modified IDE was shown to have a detection limit as low as 0.03 mg/dL (correlation coefficient = 0.98952) of glucose with a low response time of 3 s, perform better than commercial glucose meter, suitable to instantly monitor the glucose level of diabetes patients. This study demonstrated the high performance of NW-mediated IDEs for glucose sensing as alternative to current glucose sensors.
    Matched MeSH terms: Flowers
  4. An Overview of Molecular Basis and Genetic Modification of Floral Organs Genes: Impact of Next-Generation Sequencing
    Patil RV, Hadawale KN, Ramli ANM, Wadkar SS, Bhuyar P
    Mol Biotechnol, 2023 Jun;65(6):833-848.
    PMID: 36544065 DOI: 10.1007/s12033-022-00633-7
    In plant development, flowering is the most widely studied process. Floral forms show large diversity in different species due to simple variations in basic architecture. To determine the floral gene expression during the past decade, MADS-box genes have identified as key regulators in both reproductive and vegetative plant development. Traditional genetics and functional genomics tools are now available to elucidate the expression and function of this complex gene family on a much larger scale. Moreover, comparative analysis of the MADS-box genes in diverse flowering and non-flowering plants, boosted by various molecular technologies such as ChIP and next-generation DNA sequencing, contributes to our understanding of how this important gene family has expanded during the evolution of land plants. Likewise, the big data analysis revealed combined activity of transcriptional regulators and floral organ identity factors regulate the flower developmental programs. Thus, with the help of cutting-edge technologies like RNA-Sequencing, sex determination is now better understood in few non-model plants Therefore, the recent advances in next-generation sequencing (NGS) should enable researchers to identify the full range of floral gene functions, which will significantly help to understand plant development and evolution. This review summarizes the floral homeotic genes in model and non-model species to understand the flower development genes and dioecy evolution.
    Matched MeSH terms: Flowers
  5. Chemical constituents and antibacterial activity of Melastoma malabathricum L
    Wong KC, Hag Ali DM, Boey PL
    Nat Prod Res, 2012;26(7):609-18.
    PMID: 21834640 DOI: 10.1080/14786419.2010.538395
    The aqueous methanolic extracts of Melastoma malabathricum L. exhibited antibacterial activity when assayed against seven microorganisms by the agar diffusion method. Solvent fractionation afforded active chloroform and ethyl acetate fractions from the leaves and the flowers, respectively. A phytochemical study resulted in the identification of ursolic acid (1), 2α-hydroxyursolic acid (2), asiatic acid (3), β-sitosterol 3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (4) and the glycolipid glycerol 1,2-dilinolenyl-3-O-β-D-galactopyanoside (5) from the chloroform fraction. Kaempferol (6), kaempferol 3-O-α-L-rhamnopyranoside (7), kaempferol 3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (8), kaempferol 3-O-β-D-galactopyranoside (9), kaempferol 3-O-(2″,6″-di-O-E-p-coumaryl)-β-D-galactopyranoside (10), quercetin (11) and ellagic acid (12) were found in the ethyl acetate fraction. The structures of these compounds were determined by chemical and spectral analyses. Compounds 1-4, the flavonols (6 and 11) and ellagic acid (12) were found to be active against some of the tested microorganisms, while the kaempferol 3-O-glycosides (7-9) did not show any activity, indicating the role of the free 3-OH for antibacterial activity. Addition of p-coumaryl groups results in mild activity for 10 against Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus. Compounds 2-5, 7 and 9-12 are reported for the first time from M. malabathricum. Compound 10 is rare, being reported only once before from a plant, without assignment of the double bond geometry in the p-coumaryl moiety.
    Matched MeSH terms: Flowers/chemistry
  6. Fulltext The influence of 1-triacontanol on the growth, flowering, and quality of potted Bougainvillea plants (Bougainvillea glabra var. "Elizabeth Angus") under natural conditions
    Khandaker MM, Faruq G, Rahman MM, Sofian-Azirun M, Boyce AN
    ScientificWorldJournal, 2013;2013:308651.
    PMID: 23970832 DOI: 10.1155/2013/308651
    Selected physiological and biochemical parameters were monitored at the vegetative and reproductive growth stages in potted Bougainvillea plants treated with five different concentrations of TRIA. Advanced flowering, flower bud number, and blooming rate increased significantly with 0.5 and 1.0 mg/L TRIA treatments. Similarly, photosynthetic rate, pigment content, quantum yield, and stomatal conductance increased significantly with 2.5, 1.0, and 5.0 mg/L TRIA treatments. Higher levels of N, P, and K, as well as increased total soluble solids (TSS) and higher sugar and protein contents, were recorded in treated plants. Furthermore, 46% more flowers, a 1.5-fold increase in bract weight, increased longevity, and 40% less leaf abscission were recorded following 2.5 mg/L TRIA treatment. Phenol and flavonoid contents, sucrose phosphate synthase (SPS), and antioxidant activities were also markedly increased with 2.5 and 1.0 mg/L TRIA treatments. However, ethylene production was significantly lower in the treated plants. Positive correlations were observed between leaf TSS and flowering time and flower number, between leaf sugar content and bract weight, and between net photosynthesis and bract growth and dry matter production. It can be concluded that the foliar spray of TRIA stimulates growth, enhances flowering, and improves the quality of potted Bougainvillea plants.
    Matched MeSH terms: Flowers/growth & development*
  7. Floral diversity and pollination strategies of three rheophytic Schismatoglottideae (Araceae)
    Low SL, Wong SY, Ooi IH, Hesse M, Städler Y, Schönenberger J, et al.
    Plant Biol (Stuttg), 2016 Jan;18(1):84-97.
    PMID: 25688576 DOI: 10.1111/plb.12320
    Homoplastic evolution of 'unique' morphological characteristics in the Schismatoglottideae - many previously used to define genera - prompted this study to compare morphology and function in connection with pollination biology for Aridarum nicolsonii, Phymatarum borneense and Schottarum sarikeense. Aridarum nicolsonii and P. borneense extrude pollen through a pair of horned thecae while S. sarikeense sheds pollen through a pair of pores on the thecae. Floral traits of spathe constriction, presence and movement of sterile structures on the spadix, the comparable role of horned thecae and thecae pores, the presence of stamen-associated calcium oxalate packages, and the timing of odour emission are discussed in the context of their roles in pollinator management. Pollinators for all investigated species were determined to be species of Colocasiomyia (Diptera: Drosophilidae).
    Matched MeSH terms: Flowers/anatomy & histology; Flowers/physiology*
  8. Fulltext Caffeoylquinic acids in leaves of selected Apocynaceae species: Their isolation and content
    Wong SK, Lim YY, Ling SK, Chan EW
    Pharmacognosy Res, 2014 Jan;6(1):67-72.
    PMID: 24497746 DOI: 10.4103/0974-8490.122921
    Three compounds isolated from the methanol (MeOH) leaf extract of Vallaris glabra (Apocynaceae) were those of caffeoylquinic acids (CQAs). This prompted a quantitative analysis of their contents in leaves of V. glabra in comparison with those of five other Apocynaceae species (Alstonia angustiloba, Dyera costulata, Kopsia fruticosa, Nerium oleander, and Plumeria obtusa), including flowers of Lonicera japonica (Japanese honeysuckle), the commercial source of chlorogenic acid (CGA).
    Matched MeSH terms: Flowers
  9. Crop photoperiodism model 2.0 for the flowering time of sorghum and rice that includes daily changes in sunrise and sunset times and temperature acclimation
    Clerget B, Sidibe M, Bueno CS, Grenier C, Kawakata T, Domingo AJ, et al.
    Ann Bot, 2021 07 28;128(1):97-113.
    PMID: 33821947 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcab048
    BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Daylength determines flowering dates. However, questions remain regarding flowering dates in the natural environment, such as the synchronous flowering of plants sown simultaneously at highly contrasting latitudes. The daily change in sunrise and sunset times is the cue for the flowering of trees and for the synchronization of moulting in birds at the equator. Sunrise and sunset also synchronize the cell circadian clock, which is involved in the regulation of flowering. The goal of this study was to update the photoperiodism model with knowledge acquired since its conception.

    METHODS: A large dataset was gathered, including four 2-year series of monthly sowings of 28 sorghum varieties in Mali and two 1-year series of monthly sowings of eight rice varieties in the Philippines to compare with previously published monthly sowings in Japan and Malaysia, and data from sorghum breeders in France, Nicaragua and Colombia. An additive linear model of the duration in days to panicle initiation (PI) and flowering time using daylength and daily changes in sunrise and sunset times was implemented.

    KEY RESULTS: Simultaneous with the phyllochron, the duration to PI of field crops acclimated to the mean temperature at seedling emergence within the usual range of mean cropping temperatures. A unique additive linear model combining daylength and daily changes in sunrise and sunset hours was accurately fitted for any type of response in the duration to PI to the sowing date without any temperature input. Once calibrated on a complete and an incomplete monthly sowing series at two tropical latitudes, the model accurately predicted the duration to PI of the concerned varieties from the equatorial to the temperate zone.

    CONCLUSIONS: Including the daily changes in sunrise and sunset times in the updated photoperiodism model largely improved its accuracy at the latitude of each experiment. More research is needed to ascertain its multi-latitudinal accuracy, especially at latitudes close to the equator.

    Matched MeSH terms: Flowers
  10. Differential gene expression during flowering in the oil palm (Elaeis guineensis)
    Singh R, Cheah SC
    Plant Cell Rep, 2000 Jul;19(8):804-809.
    PMID: 30754873 DOI: 10.1007/s002999900179
    The technique of mRNA fingerprinting was used to isolate flower-specific cDNAs in the oil palm. Differences in the RNA populations between vegetative tissue (leaf) and inflorescences at various stages of flower development were examined using 18 primer combinations. A total of 16 flower-specific cDNAs were identified, of which 15 were successfully re-amplified. Reverse Northern analysis confirmed that 8 of the 15 cDNAs appeared to truly represent differentially expressed mRNAs in flowering tissues. Northern blot analysis subsequently showed that 5 of the clones are preferentially or exclusively expressed in the flowering tissues of oil palm.
    Matched MeSH terms: Flowers
  11. Fulltext Genetic variability in selected date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) cultivars of United Arab Emirates using ISSR and DAMD markers
    Purayil FT, Robert GA, Gothandam KM, Kurup SS, Subramaniam S, Cheruth AJ
    3 Biotech, 2018 Feb;8(2):109.
    PMID: 29430370 DOI: 10.1007/s13205-018-1108-3
    Nine (9) different date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) cultivars from UAE, which differ in their flower timings were selected to determine the polymorphism and genetic relationship between these cultivars. Hereditary differences and interrelationships were assessed utilizing inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) and directed amplification of minisatellite DNA region (DAMD) primers. Analysis on eight DAMD and five ISSR markers produced total of 113 amplicon including 99 polymorphic and 14 monomorphic alleles with a polymorphic percentage of 85.45. The average polymorphic information content for the two-marker system was almost similar (DAMD, 0.445 and ISSR, 0.459). UPGMA based clustering of DAMD and ISSR revealed that mid-season cultivars, Mkh (Khlas) and MB (Barhee) grouped together to form a subcluster in both the marker systems. The genetic similarity analysis followed by clustering of the cumulative data from the DAMD and ISSR resulted in two major clusters with two early-season cultivars (ENg and Ekn), two mid-season cultivars (MKh and MB) and one late-season cultivar (Lkhs) in cluster 1, cluster 2 includes two late-season cultivars, one early-season cultivar and one mid-season cultivar. The cluster analysis of both DAMD and ISSR marker revealed that, the patterns of variation between some of the tested cultivars were similar in both DNA marker systems. Hence, the present study signifies the applicability of DAMD and ISSR marker system in detecting genetic diversity of date palm cultivars flowering at different seasons. This may facilitate the conservation and improvement of date palm cultivars in the future.
    Matched MeSH terms: Flowers
  12. Extraction methods of butterfly pea (Clitoria ternatea) flower and biological activities of its phytochemicals
    Jeyaraj EJ, Lim YY, Choo WS
    J Food Sci Technol, 2021 Jun;58(6):2054-2067.
    PMID: 33967304 DOI: 10.1007/s13197-020-04745-3
    Clitoria ternatea or commonly known as 'Butterfly pea' has been used traditionally in Ayurvedic medicine in which various parts of the plants are used to treat health issues such as indigestion, constipation, arthritis, skin diseases, liver and intestinal problems. The flowers of C. ternatea are used worldwide as ornamental flowers and traditionally used as a food colorant. This paper reviews the recent advances in the extraction and biological activities of phytochemicals from C. ternatea flowers. The application of maceration or ultrasound assisted extraction greatly increased the yield (16-247% of increase) of phytochemicals from C. ternatea flowers. Various phytochemicals such as kaempferol, quercetin and myricetin glycosides as well as anthocyanins have been isolated from C. ternatea flowers. Clitoria ternatea flower extracts were found to possess antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, cytotoxic and antidiabetic activities which are beneficial to human health. Clitoria ternatea flower is a promising candidate for functional food applications owing to its wide range of pharmacotherapeutic properties as well as its safety and effectiveness.
    Matched MeSH terms: Flowers
  13. Fulltext Antioxidant, cytotoxic, and antibacterial activities of Clitoria ternatea flower extracts and anthocyanin-rich fraction
    Jeyaraj EJ, Lim YY, Choo WS
    Sci Rep, 2022 09 01;12(1):14890.
    PMID: 36050436 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-19146-z
    Clitoria ternatea flower is a traditional medicinal herb that has been used as a natural food colourant. As there are limited studies on investigating the bioactivities of the anthocyanin-rich fraction of Clitoria ternatea flower, this study aimed to determine an efficient column chromatography method to obtain the anthocyanin-rich fraction from this flower and characterise its composition, antioxidant, antibacterial, and cytotoxic activities. Amberlite XAD-16 column chromatography was more efficient in enriching the total anthocyanin content (TAC) of the fraction with the highest TAC to total phenolic content (TPC) ratio of 1:6 than that using C18-OPN. A total of 11 ternatin anthocyanins were characterised in the anthocyanin-rich fraction by LC-MS analysis. The antioxidant activity of the anthocyanin-rich fraction was more potent in the chemical-based assay with an IC50 value of 0.86 ± 0.07 mg/mL using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay than cellular antioxidant assay using RAW 264.7 macrophages. In vitro cytotoxicity assay using human embryonic kidney HEK-293 cell line showed the anthocyanin-rich fraction to be more toxic than the crude extracts. The anthocyanin-rich fraction had more potent antibacterial activity than the crude extracts against Bacillus cereus, Bacillus subtilis, and Escherichia coli. The anthocyanin-rich fraction of C. ternatea has the potential to be used and developed as a functional food ingredient or nutraceutical agent.
    Matched MeSH terms: Flowers/chemistry
  14. Fulltext Identification of floral genes for sex determination in Calamus palustris Griff. by using suppression subtractive hybridization
    Ng CY, Wickneswari R, Choong CY
    Genet. Mol. Res., 2014;13(3):6037-49.
    PMID: 25117361 DOI: 10.4238/2014.August.7.18
    Calamus palustris Griff. is an economically important dioecious rattan species in Southeast Asia. However, dioecy and onset of flowering at 3-4 years old render uncertainties in desired female:male seedling ratios to establish a productive seed orchard for this rattan species. We constructed a subtractive library for male floral tissue to understand the genetic mechanism for gender determination in C. palustris. The subtractive library produced 1536 clones with 1419 clones of high quality. Reverse Northern screening showed 313 clones with differential expression, and sequence analyses clustered them into 205 unigenes, including 32 contigs and 173 singletons. The subtractive library was further validated with reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis. Homology identification classified the unigenes into 12 putative functional proteins with 83% unigenes showing significant match to proteins in databases. Functional annotations of these unigenes revealed genes involved in male flower development, including MADS-box genes, pollen-related genes, phytohormones for flower development, and male flower organ development. Our results showed that the male floral genes may play a vital role in sex determination in C. palustris. The identified genes can be exploited to understand the molecular basis of sex determination in C. palustris.
    Matched MeSH terms: Flowers/genetics*
  15. Prediction of tea theanine content using near-infrared spectroscopy and flower pollination algorithm
    Ong P, Chen S, Tsai CY, Chuang YK
    Spectrochim Acta A Mol Biomol Spectrosc, 2021 Jul 05;255:119657.
    PMID: 33744842 DOI: 10.1016/j.saa.2021.119657
    In this study, near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy was exploited for non-destructive determination of theanine content of oolong tea. The NIR spectral data (400-2500 nm) were correlated with the theanine level of 161 tea samples using partial least squares regression (PLSR) with different wavelengths selection methods, including the regression coefficient-based selection, uninformative variable elimination, variable importance in projection, selectivity ratio and flower pollination algorithm (FPA). The potential of using the FPA to select the discriminative wavelengths for PLSR was examined for the first time. The analysis showed that the PLSR with FPA method achieved better predictive results than the PLSR with full spectrum (PLSR-full). The developed simplified model using on FPA based on 12 latent variables and 89 selected wavelengths produced R-squared (R2) value and root mean squared error (RMSE) of 0.9542, 0.8794 and 0.2045, 0.3219 for calibration and prediction, respectively. For PLSR-full, the R2 values of 0.9068, 0.8412 and RMSEs of 0.2916, 0.3693, were achieved for calibration and prediction. Also, the optimized model using FPA outperformed other wavelengths selection methods considered in this study. The obtained results indicated the feasibility of FPA to improve the predictability of the PLSR and reduce the model complexity. The nonlinear regression models of support vector machine regression and Gaussian process regression (GPR) were further utilized to evaluate the superiority of using the FPA in the wavelength selection. The results demonstrated that utilizing the wavelength selection method of FPA and nonlinear regression model of GPR could improve the predictive performance.
    Matched MeSH terms: Flowers
  16. Fulltext Holoparasitic Rafflesiaceae possess the most reduced endophytes and yet give rise to the world's largest flowers
    Nikolov LA, Tomlinson PB, Manickam S, Endress PK, Kramer EM, Davis CC
    Ann Bot, 2014 Aug;114(2):233-42.
    PMID: 24942001 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcu114
    Species in the holoparasitic plant family Rafflesiaceae exhibit one of the most highly modified vegetative bodies in flowering plants. Apart from the flower shoot and associated bracts, the parasite is a mycelium-like endophyte living inside their grapevine hosts. This study provides a comprehensive treatment of the endophytic vegetative body for all three genera of Rafflesiaceae (Rafflesia, Rhizanthes and Sapria), and reports on the cytology and development of the endophyte, including its structural connection to the host, shedding light on the poorly understood nature of this symbiosis.
    Matched MeSH terms: Flowers/anatomy & histology*
  17. Fulltext Developmental origins of the world's largest flowers, Rafflesiaceae
    Nikolov LA, Endress PK, Sugumaran M, Sasirat S, Vessabutr S, Kramer EM, et al.
    Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 2013 Nov 12;110(46):18578-83.
    PMID: 24167265 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1310356110
    Rafflesiaceae, which produce the world's largest flowers, have captivated the attention of biologists for nearly two centuries. Despite their fame, however, the developmental nature of the floral organs in these giants has remained a mystery. Most members of the family have a large floral chamber defined by a diaphragm. The diaphragm encloses the reproductive organs where pollination by carrion flies occurs. In lieu of a functional genetic system to investigate floral development in these highly specialized holoparasites, we used comparative studies of structure, development, and gene-expression patterns to investigate the homology of their floral organs. Our results surprisingly demonstrate that the otherwise similar floral chambers in two Rafflesiaceae subclades, Rafflesia and Sapria, are constructed very differently. In Rafflesia, the diaphragm is derived from the petal whorl. In contrast, in Sapria it is derived from elaboration of a unique ring structure located between the perianth and the stamen whorl, which, although developed to varying degrees among the genera, appears to be a synapomorphy of the Rafflesiaceae. Thus, the characteristic features that define the floral chamber in these closely related genera are not homologous. These differences refute the prevailing hypothesis that similarities between Sapria and Rafflesia are ancestral in the family. Instead, our data indicate that Rafflesia-like and Sapria-like floral chambers represent two distinct derivations of this morphology. The developmental repatterning we identified in Rafflesia, in particular, may have provided architectural reinforcement, which permitted the explosive growth in floral diameter that has arisen secondarily within this subclade.
    Matched MeSH terms: Flowers/anatomy & histology*; Flowers/growth & development*; Flowers/metabolism
  18. First Report of Spiroplasma citri (-Induced) Associated with Periwinkle Lethal Yellows in Southeast Asia
    Nejat N, Vadamalai G, Sijam K, Dickinson M
    Plant Dis, 2011 Oct;95(10):1312.
    PMID: 30731679 DOI: 10.1094/PDIS-03-11-0251
    Madagascar periwinkle, Catharanthus roseus (L.) G. Don, is a member of the Apocynaceae plant family that is native to Madagascar and produces dimeric terpenoid indole alkaloids that are used in the treatment of hypertension and cancer. Periwinkle as an indicator plant is highly susceptible to phytoplasmas and spiroplasma infection from different crops, and has been found to be naturally infected with spiroplasmas in Arizona, California, and the Mediterranean countries. In this study, surveys of suspected diseased periwinkles were conducted in various regions of Selangor State, Malaysia. Periwinkles showing rapid decline in the number and size of the flowers, premature abscission of buds and flowers, reduction in leaf size, chlorosis of the leaf tips and margins, general chlorosis, and stunting and dying plants were collected. These symptoms were widespread on periwinkle in this state. Diagnosis of the disease was based on symptomatology, grafting, serology (ELISA), PCR techniques, and cultivation. Tests for transmission by grafting were conducted using symptomatic periwinkle plants. Symptoms were induced on all eight graft-inoculated healthy periwinkles approximately 2 weeks after side grafting. Preliminary examination was performed by ELISA with Spiroplasma citri Saglio polyclonal antibody that was prepared against an Iranian S. citri isolate (H. Rahimian, unpublished data). Leaf extracts of all 24 symptomatic periwinkles gave positive ELISA reactions at OD405 readings ranging from 0.310 to 0.654 to the antibody against S. citri by the indirect ELISA method. Six healthy periwinkle leaves gave OD405 readings around 0.128. Total nucleic acids were extracted from 10 symptomatic and 5 asymptomatic plants (4). PCR using the ScR16F1/ScR16R1 primer pair designed to detect S. citri in carrot and P1/P7 and secA for1/rev3 primer pairs designed for identification of phytoplasmas were used to detect the causal agent (1-3). Amplification failed when the P1/P7 universal phytoplasma primer pair was used for diseased samples. However, the PCR assays resulted in products of 1,833 and 800 bp with ScR16F1/ScR16R1 and secA for1/rev3, respectively. Five of each ScR16F1/ScR16R1 and SecAfor1/SecArev3 products were cloned with the Topo TA cloning kit (Invitrogen, Carlsbad, CA), sequenced, and deposited as GenBank Accession Nos. HM015669 and FJ011099, respectively. Sequences for both genes indicated that S. citri was associated with the disease on periwinkle. ScR16F1/ScR16R1 products cloned from symptomatic periwinkles had 98% sequence identity with S. citri (GenBank Accession No. AM285316), while nucleotide sequences of SecAfor1/SecArev3 products had 88% sequence identity with S. citri GII3-3X (GenBank Accession No. AM285304). S. citri was cultivated from 10 S. citri-infected periwinkles using filtration and SP-4 media. Twenty culture tubes started to change culture medium color from red to yellow 1 month after cultivation. Helical and motile S. citri was observed in the dark-field microscope. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the presence and occurrence of S. citri in Southeast Asia and its association with lethal yellows on periwinkle in Malaysia. References: (1) J. Hodgetts et al. Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol. 58:1826, 2008. (2) I.-M. Lee et al. Phytopathology 85:728, 1995. (3) I.-M. Lee et al. Plant Dis. 90:989, 2006. (4) Y.-P. Zhang et al. J. Virol. Methods. 71:45, 1998.
    Matched MeSH terms: Flowers
  19. Fulltext Alpinia zerumbet (Pers.): Food and Medicinal Plant with Potential In Vitro and In Vivo Anti-Cancer Activities
    Zahra MH, Salem TAR, El-Aarag B, Yosri N, El-Ghlban S, Zaki K, et al.
    Molecules, 2019 Jul 08;24(13).
    PMID: 31288458 DOI: 10.3390/molecules24132495
    BACKGROUND/AIM: Plants play an important role in anti-cancer drug discovery, therefore, the current study aimed to evaluate the biological activity of Alpinia zerumbet (A. zerumbet) flowers.

    METHODS: The phytochemical and biological criteria of A. zerumbet were in vitro investigated as well as in mouse xenograft model.

    RESULTS: A. zerumbet extracts, specially CH2Cl2 and MeOH extracts, exhibited the highest potent anti-tumor activity against Ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC) cells. The most active CH2Cl2 extract was subjected to bioassay-guided fractionation leading to isolatation of the naturally occurring 5,6-dehydrokawain (DK) which was characterized by IR, MS, 1H-NMR and 13C-NMR. A. zerumbet extracts, specially MeOH and CH2Cl2 extracts, exhibited significant inhibitory activity towards tumor volume (TV). Furthermore, A. zerumbet extracts declined the high level of malonaldehyde (MDA) as well as elevated the levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) in liver tissue homogenate. Moreover, DK showed anti-proliferative action on different human cancer cell lines. The recorded IC50 values against breast carcinoma (MCF-7), liver carcinoma (Hep-G2) and larynx carcinoma cells (HEP-2) were 3.08, 6.8, and 8.7 µg/mL, respectively.

    CONCLUSION: Taken together, these findings open the door for further investigations in order to explore the potential medicinal properties of A. zerumbet.

    Matched MeSH terms: Flowers/chemistry
  20. Fulltext Moringa oleifera Flower Extract Suppresses the Activation of Inflammatory Mediators in Lipopolysaccharide-Stimulated RAW 264.7 Macrophages via NF-κB Pathway
    Tan WS, Arulselvan P, Karthivashan G, Fakurazi S
    Mediators Inflamm, 2015;2015:720171.
    PMID: 26609199 DOI: 10.1155/2015/720171
    Aim of Study. Moringa oleifera Lam. (M. oleifera) possess highest concentration of antioxidant bioactive compounds and is anticipated to be used as an alternative medicine for inflammation. In the present study, we investigated the anti-inflammatory activity of 80% hydroethanolic extract of M. oleifera flower on proinflammatory mediators and cytokines produced in lipopolysaccharide- (LPS-) induced RAW 264.7 macrophages. Materials and Methods. Cell cytotoxicity was conducted by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Nitric oxide (NO) production was quantified through Griess reaction while proinflammatory cytokines and other key inflammatory markers were assessed through enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and immunoblotting. Results. Hydroethanolic extract of M. oleifera flower significantly suppressed the secretion and expression of NO, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), interleukin- (IL-) 6, IL-1β, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB), inducible NO synthase (iNOS), and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). However, it significantly increased the production of IL-10 and IκB-α (inhibitor of κB) in a concentration dependent manner (100 μg/mL and 200 μg/mL). Conclusion. These results suggest that 80% hydroethanolic extract of M. oleifera flower has anti-inflammatory action related to its inhibition of NO, PGE2, proinflammatory cytokines, and inflammatory mediator's production in LPS-stimulated macrophages through preventing degradation of IκB-α in NF-κB signaling pathway.
    Matched MeSH terms: Flowers
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