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Fulltext Interaction of plant growth regulators and reactive oxygen species to regulate petal senescence in wallflowers (Erysimum linifolium)

Salleh FM, Mariotti L, Spadafora ND, Price AM, Picciarelli P, Wagstaff C, et al.

BMC Plant Biol, 2016;16(1):77.
PMID: 27039085 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-016-0766-8

In many species floral senescence is coordinated by ethylene. Endogenous levels rise, and exogenous application accelerates senescence. Furthermore, floral senescence is often associated with increased reactive oxygen species, and is delayed by exogenously applied cytokinin. However, how these processes are linked remains largely unresolved. Erysimum linifolium (wallflower) provides an excellent model for understanding these interactions due to its easily staged flowers and close taxonomic relationship to Arabidopsis. This has facilitated microarray analysis of gene expression during petal senescence and provided gene markers for following the effects of treatments on different regulatory pathways.

Matched MeSH terms: Flowers
Fulltext OBSERVATION OF FLOWER VISITORS TO DETERMINE THEIR POTENTIAL ROLE AS POLLINATORS OF Ixora coccinae AND Ruellia simplex

Fakhriah Kamaruddin, Mohamed Nor Zalipah

UMT Journal of Undergraduate Research, 2020;2(1):61-70.
MyJurnal

This study aimed to determine the potential pollinating agents of Ixora coccinae and Ruellia simplex at Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) campus based on the foraging activities of the flower visitors. The diurnal observations (0700 hr to 1800 hr) were conducted for a total of 144 hours and 96 hours for I. coccinae, for R. simplex respectively. The flower visitor activities (landing or hovering at the flowers) and the time spent at the flowers however were recorded for only the first 10 minutes of every hour between 0700 hr and 1000 hr for four days. A total of 383 flower visitations was recorded by 17 insect species and a bird species, the olive-backed sunbird (Cinnyris jugularis). For I. coccinae, the most common visitors were Apis cerana, Heterotrigona itama and Xylocopa confusa, in which all species were found to show only landing behaviour to forage at the flowers, and the time spent foraging at the flowers was not significantly different between the species (Kruskal-Wallis test, H = 1.323, df = 2, p = 0.055). For R. simplex, the most common visitors were A. cerana with 100% landing, and C. jugularis which recorded 80% landing and 20% hovering during their visits to the flowers. Between the two, A. cerana recorded significantly longer time spent at the flowers as compared to C. jugularis (Mann-Whitney test, U = 17.355, p < 0.001). Based on the visitation rate and feeding behaviour of the flower visitors, A. cerana, H. itama and X. confusa were the potential pollinating agents for I. coccinae while for R. simplex, A. cerana showed higher potential to be a pollinating agent as compared to C. jugularis. Therefore, this study highlighted the importance of recording the behaviour of each flower visitor to determine the relative contribution to the pollination success of the plant species visited.

Matched MeSH terms: Flowers
Fulltext COLOURFASTNESS PROPERTIES OF NATURAL DYE FROM TAGETES ERECTA ON SILK FABRIC USING DIFFERENT DYEING TECHNIQUES

Nur Amirah Fadzlena Md Fadzli, Wan Syazehan Ruznan, Suraya Ahmad Suhaimi, Mohd Azlin Mohd Nor, Suhaidi Ariffin, Mohd Rozi Ahmad, et al.

Journal of Academia Universiti Teknologi MARA Negeri Sembilan, 2021;9(1):166-172.
MyJurnal

Of late, dyeing fabrics with natural dyes have become an attraction because of its eco-friendly and less threatening disposition towards humankind. In the textile colouration industry, natural dyes play an important role because of the need for replacement synthetic dyes which have a great deal of tension with the environmental issues. This study focuses on the colour shade, colour coordinates, and fastness properties of dyed silk fabric from tagetes erecta (Mexican Marigold flower) using the water boiling extraction method. The dyeing was carried out using lemon juice as a natural mordant through the simultaneous mordanting method, using two different dyeing methods: infrared (IR) dyeing and exhaustion dyeing. The shades produced for exhaustion dyed fabric is light-yellow compared to the IR dyed fabric, which is medium-light yellow. These shades were confirmed with the CIELAB colour coordinates, L*a*b* values. The colourfastness to washing, perspiration, rubbing, and light of the fabrics were conducted to investigate the performance of the dye and mordant on the dyed silk fabrics. The colourfastness properties of the dyed silk fabric using infrared (IR) dyeing technique have better performance than using exhaustion dyeing technique.

Matched MeSH terms: Flowers
Fulltext Effects of ion beam irradiation on morphological and flowering characteristics of chrysanthemum

Shakinah Salleh, Zaiton Ahmad, Affrida Abu Hassan, Yahya Awang, Yutaka Oono

Jurnal Sains Nuklear Malaysia, 2015;27(2):31-38.
MyJurnal

Chrysanthemum morifolium is an important temperate cut flower for Malaysian floriculture
industry and the lack of new local owned varieties led to this mutation breeding research. The
objective of this study was to compare the effectiveness of ion beam irradiation in generating
mutations on ray florets and nodal explants of Chrysanthemum morifolium cv. ‘Reagan Red’. Ion
beams has become an efficient physical mutagen for mutation breeding. The ray florets and nodal
explants were irradiated with ion beams at doses 0, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 5.0, 8.0, 10, 15, 20 and 30 Gy.
The 50% of in vitro shoot regeneration (RD50) for ray florets explants was 2.0 Gy and for nodal
explants was 4.0 Gy. Thus, relative biological effectiveness (RBE) for ray florets was found 2.0
times higher than the nodal explants. The regenerated plantlets were planted in the greenhouse at
MARDI, Cameron Highlands for morphological screening. Overall performance of survival
plantlets derived from in vitro nodal and ray floret explants was recorded. The characters studied
include plant morphology and flowering characteristic. The ray florets explants were found to be
more sensitive to ion beam irradiation and generated more mutations as compared to nodal
explants.

Matched MeSH terms: Flowers
Fulltext Data on Fourier transform-infrared of Cosmos caudatus Kunth. tissues analyzed with chemometric analysis

Gunasekaran D, Bunawan H, Ismail I, Noor NM

Data Brief, 2018 Aug;19:1423-1427.
PMID: 30229014 DOI: 10.1016/j.dib.2018.06.025

In this dataset, we differentiate four different tissues of Cosmos caudatus Kunth (leaves, flowers, stem and root) obtained from UKM Bangi plot, based on Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy. Different tissues of C. caudatus demonstrated the position and intensity of characteristic peaks at 4000-450 cm-1. Principal component analysis (PCA) shows three main groups were formed. The samples from leaves and flowers were found to be clustered together in one group, while the samples from stems and roots were clustered into two separate groups, respectively. This data provides an insight into the fingerprint identification and distribution of metabolites in the different organs of this species.

Matched MeSH terms: Flowers
Vegetative and reproductive growth behaviour of xanthostemon chrysanthus (F. Muell.) benth. – an ornamental tree in Malaysia

Ahmad Nazarudin M, Tsan F

Sains Malaysiana, 2018;47:227-233.

A study was conducted to investigate the duration of growth stages and flowering behaviour of a landscape tree,
Xanthostemon chrysanthus (F. Muell.) Benth. This species is known as golden penda and locally known as jambu kuning.
It is widely planted for urban beautification due to its distinctive coloured flowers. Under local climate condition, this
species flowers throughout the year. However, the flowering of this species has not been studied extensively. In the present
study, the growth of selected trees aged approximately six years after planting was monitored for a year. The growth
duration was determined using the extended Biologishe Bundesanstalt, Bundessortenamt and Chemical Industry (BBCH)
scale. Percentages of flower and fruit and new leaf abundances were expressed as estimated percentage of each stage as
compared to total surface area of the tree crown. The vegetative and reproductive stages of the species required 198 and
176 days, respectively. The flowering period took about 40 days from inflorescence bud swelling to drying and senescence
of stamens and petals. Unsynchronized flowering was observed among the trees. The occurrence of flowers was also
influenced by the development of new leaves or fruits. The information on the duration of each growth stage and the
flowering behaviour of the species may enhance a more detailed study related to flowering of urban trees in Malaysia.

Matched MeSH terms: Flowers
Antiviral properties of orthosiphon stamineus aqueous extract in herpes simplex virus type 1 infected cells

Nur Suhana Mohamad Ripim, Nuraini Fazil, Saidatul Nadrah Kholid Ibrahim, Adibah Ahamad Bahtiar, Yip Chee Wai, Nazlina Ibrahim, et al.

Sains Malaysiana, 2018;47:1725-1730.

A study was conducted to investigate the antiviral activity of aqueous extracts from Orthosiphon stamineus (OS).
Extraction was done using different parts of OS. The whole plant except root (WPOS), leaves (LOS) and flowers (FOS) of
OS were extracted using aqueous extraction method. Cytotoxicity was assessed using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2,5-diphenyl
tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Plaque reduction assays were carried out to evaluate the antiviral activity of OS extract
against herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1). These include post-treatment, pre-treatment and virucidal assays. High
antiviral activity was observed in post-treatment and virucidal assay with 100% reduction of HSV-1 plaque at 0.39 mg/
mL in LOS, FOS and WPOS. In pre-treatment assay, 79%, 84% and 97% plaque reduction using the same concentration
was observed in FOS, LOS and WPOS, respectively. In conclusion, this study showed that OS aqueous extract has promising
potential to be explored as anti-HSV-1 agent regardless of the mode of treatment.

Matched MeSH terms: Flowers
Fulltext Combining ability analysis in bitter gourd (Momordica charantia L.) for potential quality improvement

Kundu BC, Mohsin GM, Rahman MS, Ahamed F, Mahato AK, Hossain KMD, et al.

Braz J Biol, 2022;84:e255605.
PMID: 35019109 DOI: 10.1590/1519-6984.255605

Combining ability analysis provides useful information for the selection of parents, also information regarding the nature and magnitude of involved gene actions. Crops improvement involves strategies for enhancing yield potentiality and quality components. Targeting the improvement of respective characters in bitter gourd, combining ability and genetic parameters for 19 characters were estimated from a 6×6 full diallel analysis technique. The results revealed that the variances due to general combining ability (GCA) and specific combining ability (SCA) were highly significant for most of the important characters. It indicated the importance of both additive and non-additive gene actions. GCA variances were higher in magnitude than SCA variances for all the characters studied indicating the predominance of the additive gene effects in their inheritance. The parent P2 (BG 009) appeared as the best general combiner for earliness; P1 (BG 006) for number of fruits, average single fruit weight and fruit yield; P4 (BG 027) for node number of first female flower and days to seed fruit maturity; P3 (BG 011) for fruit length and thickness of the fruit flesh; P5 (BG 033) for 100-seed weight; and P6 for number of nodes per main vine. The SCA effect as well as reciprocal effect was also significant for most of the important characters in different crosses.

Matched MeSH terms: Flowers
Fulltext Consumers' knowledge and perception towards Melicope ptelefolia (Daun Tenggek Burung): a preliminary qualitative study

Ab. Karim, M.S., Nasouddin, S.S., Othman, M., Mohd Adzahan, N., Hussin, S.R., Khozirah, S.

International Food Research Journal, 2011;18(4):1481-1488.
MyJurnal

Melicope ptelefolia (MP) is one of the alternative herbal resources which have a great potential to be marketed worldwide. Because of its exploratory nature, this study used qualitative research methodology, which is natural and highly interpretive in order to gain consumer insights. This preliminary qualitative study used an in-depth personal interview approach for data collection. Informants for this study were 30 regular consumers of MP, aged from 18 years old and above. From the findings, it is reported that MP had a slightly bitter taste, crunchy young leaves, pungent, and lemon-lime aroma. In terms of its physical characteristics, it is said that MP has trifoliate, green, thick, broad leaves and has small white and greenish flowers. Respondents have varying levels of awareness and knowledge regarding MP but most of them believed that medicinal products can be produced from this herb. Respondents also stressed the importance of scientific research to properly develop MP into medicinal products and turn it into alternative treatment that has commercial values in the market.

Matched MeSH terms: Flowers
Complex pollination of a tropical Asian rainforest canopy tree by flower-feeding thrips and thrips-feeding predators

Kondo T, Nishimura S, Tani N, Ng KK, Lee SL, Muhammad N, et al.

Am J Bot, 2016 Nov;103(11):1912-1920.
PMID: 27797714

PREMISE OF THE STUDY: In tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia, a highly fecund thrips (Thrips spp.) responds rapidly to the mass flowering at multiple-year intervals characteristic of certain species such as the canopy tree studied here, Shorea acuminata, by feeding on flower resources. However, past DNA analyses of pollen adherent to thrips bodies revealed that the thrips promoted a very high level of self-pollination. Here, we identified the pollinator that contributes to cross-pollination and discuss ways that the pollination system has adapted to mass flowering.
METHODS: By comparing the patterns of floral visitation and levels of genetic diversity in adherent pollen loads among floral visitors, we evaluated the contribution of each flower visitor to pollination.
KEY RESULTS: The big-eyed bug, Geocoris sp., a major thrips predator, was an inadvertent pollinator, and importantly contributed to cross-pollination. The total outcross pollen adhering to thrips was approximately 30% that on the big-eyed bugs. Similarly, 63% of alleles examined in S. acuminata seeds and seedlings occurred in pollen adhering to big-eyed bugs; about 30% was shared with pollen from thrips.
CONCLUSIONS: During mass flowering, big-eyed bugs likely travel among flowering S. acuminata trees, attracted by the abundant thrips. Floral visitation patterns of big-eyed bugs vs. other insects suggest that these bugs can maintain their population size between flowering by preying upon another thrips (Haplothrips sp.) that inhabits stipules of S. acuminata throughout the year and quickly respond to mass flowering. Thus, thrips and big-eyed bugs are essential components in the pollination of S. acuminata.

Matched MeSH terms: Flowers/genetics; Flowers/parasitology; Flowers/physiology
Plant regeneration and floral bud formation from intact floral parts of African violet (Saintpaulia ionantha H. Wendl.) cultured in vitro

Daud N, Taha RM

Pak J Biol Sci, 2008 Apr 01;11(7):1055-8.
PMID: 18810979

Intact immature flower buds of African violet (Saintpaulia ionantha H. Wendl.) were used as explant sources for in vitro studies. The effect of exogenous hormones, NAA and BAP on the indirect organogenesis of this species was observed. Callus was formed on the cut end (base) of pedicels of floral buds where they were in contact with the medium. When maintained on the same medium, callus was differentiated into adventitious shoots after 10 weeks in culture. MS media supplemented with 2.0 mg L(-1) NAA and 1.0 mg L(-1) BAP gave the highest number of sterile or vegetative floral buds from the surface of callus of the explants, but these buds failed to develop further. The floral buds were expanded as abnormal flowers. The floral structures were smaller in size compared to intact flowers. Petals (corolla) were white to purple in colour but did not form any reproductive organs, i.e., stamens or pistils. All sterile or vegetative floral buds and abnormal flowers survived for 3 months in culture but failed to reach anthesis.

Matched MeSH terms: Flowers/drug effects; Flowers/growth & development*; Flowers/physiology*
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
Fulltext Combining ability analysis in complete diallel cross of watermelon (Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai)

Bahari M, Rafii MY, Saleh GB, Latif MA

ScientificWorldJournal, 2012;2012:543158.
PMID: 22566772 DOI: 10.1100/2012/543158

The experiments were carried out in two research stations (MARDI Bukit Tangga, Kedah, and MARDI Seberang Perai, Penang) in Malaysia. The crossings were performed using the four inbred lines in complete diallel cross including selfs and reciprocals. We evaluated the yield components and fruit characters such as fruit yield per plant, vine length, days to fruit maturity, fruit weight, total soluble solid content, and rind thickness over a period of two planting seasons. General combining ability and its interaction with locations were statistically significant for all characteristics except number of fruits per plant across the environments. Results indicated that the additive genetic effects were important to the inheritance of these traits and the expression of additive genes was influenced greatly by environments. In addition, specific combining ability effect was statistically evident for fruit yield per plant, vine length, days to first female flower, and fruit weight. Most of the characters are simultaneously controlled by additive and nonadditive gene effects. This study demonstrated that the highest potential and promising among the crosses was cross P2 (BL-14) × P3 (6372-4), which possessed prolific plants, with early maturity, medium fruit weight and high soluble solid contents. Therefore this hybrid might be utilized for developing high yielding watermelon cultivars and may be recommended for commercial cultivation.

Matched MeSH terms: Flowers/genetics; Flowers/physiology
Unravelling proximate cues of mass flowering in the tropical forests of South-East Asia from gene expression analyses

Yeoh SH, Satake A, Numata S, Ichie T, Lee SL, Basherudin N, et al.

Mol Ecol, 2017 Oct;26(19):5074-5085.
PMID: 28749031 DOI: 10.1111/mec.14257

Elucidating the physiological mechanisms of the irregular yet concerted flowering rhythm of mass flowering tree species in the tropics requires long-term monitoring of flowering phenology, exogenous and endogenous environmental factors, as well as identifying interactions and dependencies among these factors. To investigate the proximate factors for floral initiation of mast seeding trees in the tropics, we monitored the expression dynamics of two key flowering genes, meteorological conditions and endogenous resources over two flowering events of Shorea curtisii and Shorea leprosula in the Malay Peninsula. Comparisons of expression dynamics of genes studied indicated functional conservation of FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) and LEAFY (LFY) in Shorea. The genes were highly expressed at least 1 month before anthesis for both species. A mathematical model considering the synergistic effect of cool temperature and drought on activation of the flowering gene was successful in predicting the observed gene expression patterns. Requirement of both cool temperature and drought for floral transition suggested by the model implies that flowering phenologies of these species are sensitive to climate change. Our molecular phenology approach in the tropics sheds light on the conserved role of flowering genes in plants inhabiting different climate zones and can be widely applied to dissect the flowering processes in other plant species.

Matched MeSH terms: Flowers/genetics; Flowers/physiology*
Effects of Melatonin on Colchicine-Treated PLBs of Dendrobium sonia-28 Orchid

Lim MS, Antony JJ, Islam SM, Suhana Z, Sreeramanan S

Appl Biochem Biotechnol, 2017 Jan;181(1):15-31.
PMID: 27461541 DOI: 10.1007/s12010-016-2196-3

Dendrobium hybrid orchid is popular in orchid commercial industry due to its short life cycle and ability to produce various types of flower colours. This study was conducted to identify the morphological, biochemical and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis in the Dendrobium sonia-28 orchid plants. In this study, 0.05 and 0.075 % of colchicine-treated Dendrobium sonia-28 (4-week-old culture) protocorm-like bodies (PLBs) were treated in different concentrations of melatonin (MEL) posttreatments (0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.5, 1, 5 and 10 μM). Morphological parameters such as number of shoots, growth index and number of PLBs were determined. In the 0.05 and 0.075 % of colchicine-treated PLBs which were posttreated with 0.05 μM MEL resulted in the highest value of the morphological parameters tested based on the number of shoots (84.5 and 96.67), growth index (16.94 and 12.15) and number of PLBs (126.5 and 162.33), respectively. SEM analysis of the 0.05 μM MEL posttreatment on both the colchicine-treated regenerated PLBs showed irregular cell lineages, and some damages occurred on the stomata. This condition might be due to the effect of plasmolyzing occurred in the cell causing irregular cell lineages.

Matched MeSH terms: Flowers/drug effects; Flowers/growth & development
Characterization of Roselle calyx from different geographical origins

Juhari NH, Bredie WLP, Toldam-Andersen TB, Petersen MA

Food Res Int, 2018 10;112:378-389.
PMID: 30131149 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2018.06.049

Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) is considered an underexploited food crop with nutritional and large scale processing potential. Roselle can be utilized as a functional food, mainly due to being rich in vitamin C, anthocyanins, other phytochemicals, and natural color. Although Roselle has been widely planted and consumed, little is known about the composition of aroma profiles. In this study, seventeen samples of dried Roselle calyx were collected from eight countries and the aroma profiles were determined by dynamic headspace sampling and GC-MS and GC-olfactometry. Furthermore, total soluble solids, pH, and color L* a* b* were determined, and sugars and acids were measured using ion chromatography. There were significant (p 

Matched MeSH terms: Flowers/growth & development; Flowers/metabolism*
Fulltext Transcriptome landscape of Rafflesia cantleyi floral buds reveals insights into the roles of transcription factors and phytohormones in flower development

Amini S, Rosli K, Abu-Bakar MF, Alias H, Mat-Isa MN, Juhari MA, et al.

PLoS One, 2019;14(12):e0226338.
PMID: 31851702 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0226338

Rafflesia possesses unique biological features and known primarily for producing the world's largest and existing as a single flower. However, to date, little is known about key regulators participating in Rafflesia flower development. In order to further understand the molecular mechanism that regulates Rafflesia cantleyi flower development, RNA-seq data from three developmental stages of floral bud, representing the floral organ primordia initiation, floral organ differentiation, and floral bud outgrowth, were analysed. A total of 89,890 transcripts were assembled of which up to 35% could be annotated based on homology search. Advanced transcriptome analysis using K-mean clustering on the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) was able to identify 12 expression clusters that reflect major trends and key transitional states, which correlate to specific developmental stages. Through this, comparative gene expression analysis of different floral bud stages identified various transcription factors related to flower development. The members of WRKY, NAC, bHLH, and MYB families are the most represented among the DEGs, suggesting their important function in flower development. Furthermore, pathway enrichment analysis also revealed DEGs that are involved in various phytohormone signal transduction events such as auxin and auxin transport, cytokinin and gibberellin biosynthesis. Results of this study imply that transcription factors and phytohormone signalling pathways play major role in Rafflesia floral bud development. This study provides an invaluable resource for molecular studies of the flower development process in Rafflesia and other plant species.

Matched MeSH terms: Flowers/anatomy & histology; Flowers/growth & development*
Diversity of pollination ecology in the Schismatoglottis Calyptrata Complex Clade (Araceae)

Hoe YC, Gibernau M, Wong SY

Plant Biol (Stuttg), 2018 May;20(3):563-578.
PMID: 29316090 DOI: 10.1111/plb.12687

Field studies integrating pollination investigations with an assessment of floral scent composition and thermogenesis in tropical aroids are rather few. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the pollination biology of nine species belonging to Schismatoglottis Calyptrata Complex Clade. The flowering mechanism, visiting insect activities, reproductive system, thermogenesis and floral scent composition were examined. Anthesis for all species started at dawn and lasted 25-29 h. Colocasiomyia (Diptera, Drosophilidae) are considered the main pollinators for all the investigated species. Cycreon (Coleoptera, Hydrophilidae) are considered secondary pollinators as they are only present in seven of the nine host plants, despite the fact that they are the most effective pollen carrier, carrying up to 15 times more pollen grains than Colocasiomyia flies. However, the number of Colocasiomyia individuals was six times higher than Cycreon beetles. Chaloenus (Chrysomelidae, Galeuricinae) appeared to be an inadvertent pollinator. Atheta (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae) is considered a floral visitor in most investigated species of the Calyptrata Complex Clade in Sarawak, but a possible pollinator in S. muluensis. Chironomidae midges and pteromalid wasps are considered visitors in S. calyptrata. Thermogenesis in a biphasic pattern was observed in inflorescences of S. adducta, S. calyptrata, S. giamensis, S. pseudoniahensis and S. roh. The first peak occurred during pistillate anthesis; the second peak during staminate anthesis. Inflorescences of all investigated species of Calyptrata Complex Clade emitted four types of ester compound, with methyl ester-3-methyl-3-butenoic acid as a single major VOC (volatile organic compound). The appendix, pistillate zone, staminate zone and spathe emitted all these compounds. A mixed fly-beetle pollination system is considered an ancestral trait in the Calyptrata Complex Clade, persisting in Sarawak taxa, whereas the marked reduction of interpistillar staminodes in taxa from Peninsular Malaysia and especially, Ambon, Indonesia, is probably linked to a shift in these taxa to a fly-pollinated system.

Matched MeSH terms: Flowers/anatomy & histology; Flowers/physiology
In-vitro screening of Malaysian honey from different floral sources for antibacterial activity on human pathogenic bacteria

Ng WJ, Ken KW, Kumar RV, Gunasagaran H, Chandramogan V, Lee YY

Afr J Tradit Complement Altern Med, 2014;11(2):315-8.
PMID: 25435614

BACKGROUND: Different researches on therapeutic effects of honey have been conducted in different regions; however the study on the potential antibacterial activity of Malaysian honey is still limited. In this study, antibacterial activities of different monofloral honey samples were tested against several common human pathogenic bacteria.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: The well-diffusion method, minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) techniques were employed to investigate the putative antibacterial activity of Malaysian monofloral honey from Koompassia excelsa (Becc.) Taub (Tualang), Melaleuca cajuputi Powell (Gelam) and Durio zibethinus Murr. (Durian). Honey samples were tested against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC6518 and ATCC25923, Staphylococcus epidermidis ATCC12228, Enterococcus faecium LMG16192, Enterococcus faecalis LMG16216 and ATCC29212, Escherichia coli ATCC25922, Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium ATCC14028 and Klebsiella pneumoniae ATCC13883.
RESULTS: Marked variations were observed in the antibacterial activity of these honey samples. Durian honey failed to produce substantial antibacterial activity, whereas Tualang and Gelam honey showed a spectrum of antibacterial activity with their growth inhibitory effects against all of the tested bacterial species including vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE).
CONCLUSION: Present findings suggested Gelam honey possesses highest antibacterial effect among the tested Malaysian honey samples.

Matched MeSH terms: Flowers/classification; Flowers/chemistry*
Synomone or kairomone?--Bulbophyllum apertum flower releases raspberry ketone to attract Bactrocera fruit flies

Keng-Hong T, Nishida R

J Chem Ecol, 2005 Mar;31(3):497-507.
PMID: 15898497

Bulbophyllum apertum flower (Orchidaceae) releases raspberry ketone (RK) in its fragrance, which attracts males of several fruit fly species belonging to the genus Bactrocera. Besides RK as a major component, the flower contains smaller amounts of 4-(4-hydroxylphenyl)-2-butanol, plus two minor volatile components, veratryl alcohol and vanillyl alcohol. Within the flower, the lip (labellum) had the highest concentration of RK with much smaller quantities present in petals; other flower parts had no detectable RK. Male fruit flies attracted to the flower belong to RK-sensitive species--such as Bactrocera albistragata, B. caudatus, B. cucurbitae (melon fly), and B. tau. Removal and attachment of the pollinarium to a fly's thoracic dorsum occurred when a male of B. albistragata was toppled into the floral column cavity, due to an imbalance caused by it shifting its body weight while feeding on the see-saw lip, and then freeing itself after being momentarily trapped between the lip and column. During this process, the stiff hamulus (the pollinia stalk protruding prominently towards the lip) acted as a crowbar when it was brushed downwards by the toppled fly and lifted the pollinia out of the anther. If the fly was big or long for the small triangular lip, it would not be toppled into the column cavity and would just walk across the column, during which time the pollinarium could be accidentally removed by the fly's leg, resulting in a failed transport of the pollinarium. This suggests an unstable situation, where the orchid relies only on a particular pollinator species in the complex ecosystem where many RK-sensitive species inhabit. Wild males of B. caudatus (most common visitors) captured on Bulbophyllum apertum flowers were found to sequester RK in their bodies as a potential pheromonal and allomonal ingredient. Thus, RK can act either as a floral synomone (pollinarium transported) or kairomone (accidental removal of pollinarium leading to total pollen wastage), depending on the body size of the male fruit flies visiting the flowers.

Matched MeSH terms: Flowers/anatomy & histology; Flowers/physiology

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