bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Chemical Composition of the Essential Oils of Three Ocimum basilicum L. Cultivars from Serbia
Authors: ILIĆ Aleksandra S. , ANTIĆ Mališa P. , JELAČIĆ Slavica C. , ŠOLEVIĆ KNUDSEN Tatjana M.
Published: December 2018

Basil essential oil (BEO) contains a wide range of chemical compounds whose content may vary depending on chemotypes, environmental conditions, agronomic techniques and particularly the origin of the plant. In our present study, essential oils (EOs) were isolated by hydrodistillation method from dry herbs of three basil cultivars and analyzed by GC-FID and GC-MS. Two of the tested cultivars belong to sweet basil group (B1 and B2) while the third one was large leafed ʽGenovese’ basil (B3). EO content in the dry herb was 0.65%, 0.41% and 0.62% respectively. The main classes of compounds of B1EO and B3EO were sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (38.39% and 37.95%), oxygenated monoterpenes (25.44% and 28.04%) and phenylpropanoids (17.43% and 15.71%). The main constituents of both EOs were monoterpene alcohol linalool (13.68% and 15.38%), phenoyl derivate eugenol (10.83% and 8.97%) and sesquiterpene hydrocarbon α-bergamotene (8.12% and 9.25%). In both EOs, epi-bicyclosesquiphellandrene was detected in considerable amount (7.03% and 8.07%). The most abundant compound classes in B2EO were oxygenated monoterpenes (52.07%), sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (24.27%) and phenylpropanoids (10.95%). Linalool was the dominant compound (40.97%), followed by epi-bicyclosesquiphellandrene (8.70%) and methyl chavicol (7.92%). The results showed complex chemical composition of BEOs and pointed out the presence of biologically active compounds of importance for different branches of the pharmaceutical, chemical and food industry. Although there are differences in the chemical composition of the BEOs, the obtained results show that all of the tested cultivars are rich in compounds which are responsible for biological activities.
Effects of Vermicompost on Some Morphological, Physiological and Biochemical Parameters of Lettuce (Lactuca sativa var. crispa) under Drought Stress
Authors: KIRAN Sevinç
Published: December 2018

Vermicompost can play an effective and important role in plant growth and development and also in reducing harmful effects of various environmental stresses on plants. The vermicompost fertilizer application was evaluated for the growth, physiological and biochemical parameters of lettuce (Lactuca sativa var. crispa) plants under drought stress conditions. Tests were carried out at different levels of vermicompost (0, 2.5 and 5%) and drought stress [no stress, moderate drought, and severe drought at 100, 50 and 25% of field capacity]. In comparison to control (vermicompost at 0%), lettuce plants treated with vermicompost at 2.5 or 5%  had higher shoot height, shoot fresh weight, relative water content, stomatal conductance, chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b , total chlorophyll and carotenoid contents under moderate and severe drought stress conditions. Malondialdehyde (MDA) content and superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities increased while plants under drought stress conditions. Application of vermicompost caused higher SOD and CAT enzyme activities and lower MDA content under drought stress. Enhancement in antioxidant enzyme activities as a result of vermicompost destroyed reactive oxygen species. Therefore, application of vermicompost under moderate and severe drought stress decreased MDA content in lettuce plant cells. Data indicated a positive effect of the vermicompost on the growth of lettuce under drought stress conditions.
Cryopreservation of Vasconcellea quercifolia St.-Hil (Caricaceae) Zygotic Embryos
Authors: GALLO Cibele M. , PAIVA Renato , FREITAS Rodrigo T. , REIS Michele V. , SILVA Diogo P.C. , SILVA Luciano C.
Published: December 2018

Vasconcellea quercifolia A. St.-Hil. (Caricaceae) is a tropical fruit species native to Brazil, with a great importance in plant breeding programs. The V. quercifolia has a resistance to the main diseases of Caricaceae, Papaya Ringspot Virus (PRSV). Considering its potential, cryopreservation becomes a tool for the conservation of this species. The objective of this paper was to study the cryopreservation of V. quercifolia zygotic embryos through dehydration in silica gel. Excised zygotic embryos were dehydrated in silica at 0, 20, 40, 80 and 100 minutes and then inoculated in MS medium. The percentage of germinated and recovered embryos, and growth analysis were evaluated, besides water content. Subsequently, they were acclimatized in a growth room with temperature controlled. For cryopreservation, the embryos were excised and dehydrated in silica for 0, 20, 40 and 60 minutes, immersed in Liquid Nitrogen (LN) for 1 hour, thawed in Recovery Solution (RS) and inoculated in MS medium. After 30 days, the percentage of germinated and recovered embryos was evaluated. The silica gel promotes a fast dehydrate of embryos. The results showed that embryo dehydration affected seedling development, and dehydration for over 20 minutes showed a reduction in all evaluated parameters. The plantlets regenerated from embryos dehydrate survive the acclimatization. It was possible to cryopreserve the V. quercifolia zygotic embryos when the dehydration time of 20 minutes by silica gel was used.
Sexual and Vegetative Propagation of Hypericum empetrifolium Willd. subsp. empetrifolium
Authors: AKOUMIANAKI-IOANNIDOU Anastasia , GERASIMIDOU Ekaterini , SALTA Alexandra , ROUSSIS Ioannis , BILALIS Dimitrios
Published: December 2018

Hypericum empetrifolium Willd. subsp. empetrifolium is an evergreen small shrub with small elongated decorative leaves and small yellow flowers in inflorescences, characterized for several pharmaceutical properties. In the present study, a first approach on the sexual and asexual propagation of this species was performed. Seeds, subjected to different types of pre-treatments [soaked in tap water; 50, 100 or 150 mg L-1 GA3 for 30 min and no treatment (control)], cultured for germination in petri dishes at 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 °C. Seed germination was only affected by temperature and the best result was obtained at 15 °C (71.2%). A significant interaction was found between pre-treatments and incubation temperature with the highest germination percentage (82%) occurred when the seeds soaked in 100 mg L-1 GA3 solution for 30 min and incubated at 20 °C constant temperature. Moreover, the germination speed was fastest from 20 to 25 °C (T50= 9.84 and 9.56 days for 20 and 25 °C, respectively). For asexual propagation, apical stem cuttings were taken at four different periods (4 seasons) and treated with IBA at concentrations of 0, 1000, 2000 and 3000 mg L-1. The cuttings were planted in a peat/perlite mixture 1:1 v/v in plastic square plug trays in order to study the rooting percentage. Winter was the most appropriate season for cuttings collection (100% rooting percentage) and dipping in 1000 or 2000 mg L-1 IBA (72% and 73%, respectively) was the best rooting hormone treatment.
Soils of Tropical Dry Forest and with Different Crops Presenting Ascospores of Monosporascus cannonballus
Authors: SALES JÚNIOR Rui , SENHOR Rosemberg F. , MEDEIROS Erika V. , NEGREIROS Andreia M.P. , BELTRÁN Roberto , MICHEREFF Sami J.
Published: December 2018

The vine decline caused by Monosporascus cannonballus is a limiting factor in different crops in several countries. The objective of this study was to quantify the M. cannonballus ascospores in soils covered with tropical dry forest and areas cultivated with pineapple, cotton, coconut, corn, mango, melon, papaya, sorghum and watermelon. Five areas were sampled in tropical dry forest and every crop. The M. cannonballus ascospores were extracted using the flotation method of sucrose. Ascospores of M. cannonballus were detected in all soil samples from Rio Grande do Norte and Ceará states, including tropical dry forest. There were significant differences among the ascospores densities of M. cannonballus, which varied from 0.55 to 2.21 ascospores g-1 soil. The lower densities were found in areas with cotton, coconut, mango, pineapple, and melon within the first and fifth years of cultivation, in addition to uncultivated areas of tropical dry forest. The highest ascospores density was found in papaya areas. Up to date, there is no study to prove that this crop is considered host of this phytopathogen. Cultivated areas with cucurbitaceous with more years of cultivation presented higher densities of M. cannonballus ascospores in soils from Brazilian semiarid. However, there is no direct relationship between M. cannonballus population density in the soil and the susceptibility of the host being cultivated in the soil at the time of sampling.
Antioxidant and Anticancer Properties of Leaf and Fruit Extracts of the Wild Raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.)
Authors: VELJKOVIC Bojana , DJORDJEVIC Natasa , DOLICANIN Zana , LICINA Braho , TOPUZOVIC Marina , STANKOVIC Milan , ZLATIC Nenad , DAJIC-STEVANOVIC Zora
Published: December 2018

In this study the leaves and fruits of wild raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.) populations from the central Balkan region were examined to determine the level of secondary metabolites and related antioxidant activity, as well as biological activity, upon existing ethnobotanical evidence, primarily linked to gastrointestinal disorders. The values obtained for total phenols ranged from 59.68 to 96.83 mg GA g-1 and 24.29 to 38.71 mg GA g-1 in leaf and fruit extracts, respectively. The highest values of tannins and anthocyanins were determined for leaf extracts from a population of east Serbia at a level of 1.27 mg mL-1 and 9.00 mg mL-1. Antioxidant activity was evaluated by measuring the scavenging capacity of the extracts on DPPH. Higher antioxidant activity was detected in the leaf extracts than in the fruit extracts. Leaf and fruit extract were the most effective against Escherichia coli (ATCC 8739). Anticancer activity was studied on a human colorectal cancer cell line HCT-116. Leaf extracts exhibited anticancer activity with IC50/24 h 162.38 μg mL-1 and IC50/48 h 95.69 μg mL-1. Wild raspberry leaf and fruit extracts contain numerous secondary metabolites providing marked antioxidant, antimicrobial and anticancer activity.
First Report of Krymsk® 5 (cv. VSL 2) Cherry Rootstock In Vitro Propagation: Studying the Effect of Cytokinins, Auxins and Endogenous Sugars
Authors: TSAFOUROS Athanasios , ROUSSOS Peter A.
Published: December 2018

Krymsk® 5 (VSL-2) is a semi-dwarf cherry rootstock adaptable to a range of climates. The present study aimed to establish the first efficient in vitro propagation protocol for this rootstock. Therefore, six cytokinines, four adenine type (6-benzyladenine, 2-isopentenyladenine, kinetin and meta-topolin) and two phenylureas (thidiazuron and forchlorfenuron) at three (2.4 μΜ, 4.8 μΜ and 9.6 μΜ) concentrations plus three (0.24 μΜ, 0.48 μΜ, 0.96 μΜ) for thidiazuron only were tested during the multiplication stage. 6-Benzyladenine was the most efficient cytokinin, based on the number of shoots produced (3.5 shoots at 9.6 μΜ) and the number of nodes per explant (10 nodes at 9.6 μΜ) whereas the other aromatic adenine tested, i.e. meta-topolin, presented the highest number of nodes per cm and node per shoot. During the rooting stage the synthetic auxins 1-naphthaleneacetic acid (1-NAA) and indolebutyric acid (IBA) were tested at concentrations of 0, 2.5, 5, 10 and 20 μΜ both separately and in all possible combinations. The percentage of successfully rooted explants reached 95% under the combination of 20 μΜ IBA plus 5 μΜ 1-NAA, whereas the highest number of roots recorded was 8.5 roots for the treatment 20 μΜ ΙΒΑ plus 2.5 μΜ 1-NAA. Furthermore, two different carbon sources were compared, the widely used sucrose and the endogenous sugar ratio of mother plant softwood shoot, sampled during late of May. Endogenous sugar ratio proved to be the preferable carbon source, since it increased the number of shoots produced and almost doubled the number of produced nodes per explant.
Micropropagation of ‘Chester thornless’ Blackberry Cultivar using Axillary Bud Explants
Authors: KEFAYETI Sina , KAFKAS Ebru , ERCISLI Sezai
Published: December 2018

Sexual propagation is not suitable for production of true to type plants for commercial cultivation of selected cultivars due to the having heterozygous characteristics. Rubus species are highly heterozygous and therefore when they are propagated by seeds the high plant variability is obtained. Micropropagation methods became very important and have many advantages compared to the classical propagation methods. In Turkey, blackberries are commonly propagated by hard and soft wood cuttings, by layering and bush division. Propagation by layers requires rather large area for a layered, and weed control among the layers is a problem. However, propagation by cuttings is connected with important problem in inadequate rooting, especially in ‘Chester Thornless’ cultivar, which is one of the most commercially grown cultivar. In addition, limited number of plants can be propagated using classical propagation method and thus demand of growers for the plants can not be satisfied. Optimized and highly efficient regeneration protocols are also important for genetic transformation for improving of new cultivars. In this study we focused on optimization of protocol for in vitro propagation of ‘Chester Thornless’ blackberry cultivar using nodal segments. For this purpose, explants were cultured on Woody Plant Medium (WPM) supplemented with combination of plant growth regulators BAP (1.5, 2, 3 mg/l) with NAA (0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.4 mg/l) to detect the best multiplication medium. According to the obtained results, the highest proliferation rate was obtained for cultivar ‘Chester Thornless’ that produced 9.66 shoots on a medium containing 2 mg/I BAP+0.2 mg/I IBA combination. GA3 effects on multiplication rates were also studied and generally the highest rates obtained by while GA3 were not used. For the rooting, different concentrations of IBA and NAA (0, 0.1, 0.2 and 0.4 mg/I) were compared. A concentration of 0.4 mg/l NAA gave the greatest number of roots and maximum root length.
Regulation on Antioxidant Defense System in Rice Seedlings (Oryza sativa L. ssp. indica cv. ‘Pathumthani 1’) Under Salt Stress by Paclobutrazol Foliar Application
Authors: KHUNPON Bundit , CHA-UM Suriyan , FAIYUE Bualuang , UTHAIBUTRA Jamnong , SAENGNIL Kobkiat
Published: December 2018

The present study investigated the effect of paclobutrazol (PBZ) foliar application on oxidative metabolism in salt-stressed rice (Oryza sativa L. cv. ‘Pathumthani 1’; PTT1) seedlings. Fourteen-days-old rice seedlings, grown in the pots were pretreated with 15 mg L-1 paclobutrazol supplied as foliar spray. One week after pretreatment, the rice seedlings were exposed to salt stress (150 mM NaCl) for 12 days. It was observed that salinity enhanced the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), including superoxide radical (O2•−), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and hydroxyl radical (OH·). It also increased reactive oxygen species-associated oxidative damage, measured in terms of lipoxygenase activity, conjugated dienes, malondialdehyde content and relative electrolyte leakage. Increase in these parameters was associated with the decrease in the activity of enzymatic antioxidants [superoxide dismutase (SOD), ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and catalase (CAT)] and the levels of non-enzymatic antioxidants [ascorbic acid (AsA), total glutathione and α-tocopherol contents). Pretreatment of seedlings with paclobutrazol significantly lowered reactive oxygen species accumulation and membrane damage (p < 0.05), which can be correlated with the increased antioxidant activity (both enzymatic and non-enzymatic traits) under salt stress. The study concluded that paclobutrazol-treatment up-regulates the antioxidant defense system and recuperates the salt-induced oxidative damage in ‘Pathumthani 1’ rice seedlings under salt stress.
Some Morphological and Biochemical Characteristics of Wild Grown Caucasian Whortleberry (Vaccinium arctostaphylos L.) Genotypes from Northeastern Turkey
Authors: OZKAN Gursel , ERCISLI Sezai , ZEB Alam , AGAR Guleray , SAGBAS Halil Ibrahim , ILHAN Gulce
Published: December 2018

Some important morphological such as fruit weight, fruit external color, fruit shape, the number of berry per cluster, cluster color, plant crown habit, harvest date and biochemical characteristics including sugars, organic acids, total phenolics, total anthocyanins, and antioxidant capacity of thirteen wild grown Caucasian whortleberry sampled from Coruh valley, in northeastern Turkey, were determined. Antioxidant capacity was measured as FRAP assay (ferric reducing antioxidant power). Significantly differences were found among genotypes for most of the selected morphological and biochemical features. The genotypes had in general black fruit color and round shape. Harvest date varied from 2 August to 12 August. Fruit weight ranged from 0.37 to 1.08 g. Genotypes had only fructose and glucose in their fruits as sugars. Citric acid was dominant organic acids and was found between 8.87 and 11.20 g per kg of fresh fruits and followed by tartaric acid (2.85-3.30 g/kg). Fruits of genotypes exhibited very high total phenolic content, which ranged from 3740 to 5541 µg per g on a fresh weight basis. Total anthocyanin contents were between 81 and 172 µg of delphinidin-3-glucoside equivalent in per g fresh fruit indicating great diversity.
Cloning and Functional Characterization of CsUGD2 in Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.)
Authors: DUAN Yitong , ZENG Shuocheng
Published: December 2018

UGD gene encodes UDP-glucose dehydrogenase (UGD) which is a key enzyme in the biosynthesis of cell wall, and it catalyses the irreversible oxidation of UDP-glucose (UDP-Glc) into UDP-glucuronic acid (UDP-GlcA). In cucumber, the expression level of CsUGD2 genes was higher in phloem tissues of pedicel and fruit than that in stalk. This study investigated the function of CsUGD2 in cucumber by different methods. Structure analysis indicated that CsUGD2 gene only has an exon with a length of 1,443 bp. Protein alignment suggested that UGD protein was highly conservative in different species. Phylogenetic analysis showed that CsUGD2 protein and CmoUGD2 protein form a same clade which is far away from UGDs in Arabidopsis. Real-time fluorescence quantitative analysis of CsUGD2 in different tissues of cucumber in the same period showed that CsUGD2 expressed highest in the root of cucumber. When we transformed CsUGD2 into wild type Arabidopsis, the roots of transgenic plants were shorter and the flowering time was delayed.  These results suggested that CsUGD2 may play an important role in the development of cucumber roots and only act on the development of cucumber fruit when compared with other plants fruits. However, the role of CsUGD2 in regulating the growth and development process of cucumber need to further study.
Potential Transference of CP4 EPSPS to Weed Species from Genetically Modified Gossypium hirsutum in Northern Mexico
Authors: TORRES Amada , REYES-PÉREZ Juan José , MÁRQUEZ-HERNÁNDEZ Cándido , ESTRADA-ARELLANO Josué , ESPARZA-RIVERA Juan Ramón , PRECIADO-RANGEL Pablo , MURILLO-AMADOR Bernardo
Published: December 2018

The family of enzymes 5-enolpiruvil shikimato-3-phosphate synthase (EPSPS) is found in plants and microorganisms. The substrates of this enzyme are phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) and 3-phospho-shikimate and their products are phosphate and 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate that is the biological target of the herbicide glyphosate, which is used in genetically modified crops. The interaction between cultivated genetically modified plants (GMP) and wild plant species could be a transference source of transgenes. Presence of transgenes could be cause and adverse environmental impact on non-target organisms. Gossypium hirsutum genotype Bollgard II® is a GMP with tolerance to herbicide glyphosate and it has been cultivated during 20 years in Mexico and the possibility to gene flow primary in congeners of the Malvaceae family is possible. The objective of this study was to quantify and identify weed species associated to genetically modified cotton fields and to detect the present of glyphosate-insensitive EPSP synthases (CP4 EPSPS) in these species. The results showed that plants of the families Amaranthaceae, Asteraceae, Boraginaceae, Chenopodiaceae, Convolvulaceae, Fabaceae, Malvaceae, Poaceae, Portulacaceae, Solanaceae and Zygophyllaceae are present in the study site. Twenty-five weed species belonging to these botanical families were collected and identified in the site. From these, two species of the Malvaceae family with potential risk of gene flow plants, Anoda cristata and Sida hederacea were identified in the site; however, the CP4 EPSPS protein was not detected in none of the collected weed species and only the GM genotype Bollgard II® was positive to the CP4 EPSPS protein in the study site.
Presumptive Relationship between Oxidoreduction Potential and Both Antibacterial and Antioxidant Activities of Herbs and Spices: Oxidoreduction Potential as a Companion Tool for Measuring the Antioxidant Activity
Authors: ALWAZEER Duried , DHAM Sally
Published: December 2018

Antibacterial and antioxidant activities form an essential component of the bioactive properties of plant products. The antibacterial and the antioxidant properties of three types of aqueous extracts of four herbs and spices were evaluated. While the total phenolic content, DPPH radical scavenging activity and oxidoreduction potential methods were used for the antioxidant properties determination, the inhibition diameters of extracts toward the growth of Staphylococcus warneri, Bacillus cereus, Enterobacter cloacae and Proteus vulgaris were evaluated. Although the phenolic content did not correlate with the antibacterial activity of plant extracts, it linearly correlated (R2 = 0.827) with DPPH scavenging activity of the studied plants following the order: sumac > ginger > rosemary > cinnamon. The oxidoreduction potential values linearly correlated with both the phenolic content (R2 ≈ 0.88) and DPPH scavenging activity values (R2 ≈ 0.96). The oxidoreduction potential could be proposed as a useful companion tool combined with other techniques when determining the antioxidant activity of plant extracts and food products is considered.
Temporary Immersion System for Micropropagation of Tree Species: a Bibliographic and Systematic Review
Authors: CARVALHO Lara Siqueira Oliveira , OZUDOGRU Elif A. , LAMBARDI Maurizio , PAIVA Luciano V.
Published: December 2018

This paper was characterized by a bibliometric and systematic review on the database ISI Web of Science, aiming to provide an update of the main points addressed regarding the Temporary Immersion Systems (TIS) for micropropagation of tree species. It was pointed out that the frequency and time of immersion were one of the main parameters studied in the papers and 35% these papers worked with eucalyptus species. The main problem reported in the papers was the hyperhydricity, but it was overcome via procedures such as: a) air injection into the system, b) increasing the immersion intervals and decreasing the immersion time and c) decreasing concentration of cytokinin. Most papers reported that TIS produced plants that were more successful in surviving the ex-vitro acclimation stage than those produced on semi-solid media or continuous immersion systems. Few studies compared different types of temporary immersion bioreactors on micropropagation of plants and within the established criteria, papers with TIS tree species represented only 15% of the total. This system has presented promising results for most of the tree species, and although some gaps have been identified and few are the works with tree species, this process has been taking an increasingly larger space in the propagation of plants.
Growth, Nutrient Uptake, and Foliar Gas Exchange in Pepper Cultured with Un-composted Fresh Spent Mushroom Residue
Authors: ZHU He , ZHAO Shujie , YANG Jingmin , MENG Lingquan , LUO Yunqing , HONG Bo , CUI Wei , WANG Minghui , LIU Wencong
Published: December 2018

Spent mushroom substrate (SMS) can be used as the component of growing medium for the culture of crop plants. Fresh SMS may have the potential as an alternative to peat to raise horticultural plants. In this study, five container media characterized by the proportions of SMS to commercial peat in 0% (control), 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% were used to raise pepper (Capsicum annum L.) plants. Initial SMS was found to have low available nitrogen (N) content (<20 mg kg-1) but moderate extractable phosphorus (P) content (900 mg kg-1). In the second month photosynthetic rate was found to decline in the 75% treatment. At harvest in the third month, plants in the 100% treatment nearly died out. The 25% treatment resulted in the highest height (19 cm) and diameter growth (0.3 cm), shoot (0.6 g) and root biomass accumulation (0.13 g), fruit weight (3 g), and shoot carbohydrate content (98 mg g-1), but lowest foliar acid phosphatase activity (30 µg NPP g-1 FW min-1). With the increase of SMS proportion in the substrate, the medium pH and electrical conductance (EC) increased with the decrease of foliar size. The available N and P contents in the substrates showed contrasting relationship with N and P contents in pepper plants. Therefore, fresh SMS cannot be directly used as the substrate for the culture of pepper plants. According to our findings fresh SMS was recommended to be mixed in the proportion of 25% with commercial peat for the culture of horticultural plants.
Variability of Soil Erosion Intensity Due to Vegetation Cover Changes: Case Study of Orahovacka Rijeka, Montenegro
Authors: NIKOLIC Gojko , SPALEVIC Velibor , CUROVIC Milic , KHALEDI DARVISHAN Abdulvahed , SKATARIC Goran , PAJIC Milos , KAVIAN Ataollah , TANASKOVIK Vjekoslav
Published: December 2018

Vegetation cover change in all the river basins leads to the changes of hydrologic response, soil erosion and sediment dynamics characteristics. Those changes are often viewed as main cause of anthropogenic and accelerated erosion rates in short term and one of the main reasons of climate change in long term. The effects of vegetation cover changes on various parts of water balance and hydrological cycle has to be deeply studied because of its important role on mankind future. The aim of present research was therefore to simulate the responses of soil erosion processes by using a process-oriented soil erosion model IntErO, with the different settings of land use for the years 1977, 1987, 1997, 2006 (2007) and 2016 (2017) in Orahovacka Rijeka watershed; a pilot river basin of the Polimlje Region for the northeastern part of Montenegro. For the current state of land use, calculated peak discharge for the Orahovacka Rijeka was 174-175 m3 s-1 (the incidence of 100 years) and there is a possibility for large flood waves to appear in the studied basin. Real soil losses, Gyear, were calculated on 2614-2921 m3 year-1, specific 229-256 m3 km-2 year-1 (1977-2017). The value of Z coefficient range from 0.444 to 0.478 and indicates that the river basin belongs to III destruction category. The strength of the erosion process is medium, and according to the erosion type, it is surface erosion. According to our analysis the land use changes in the last 40 years influenced the increase of the soil erosion intensity for 11% in the study watershed. Further studies should be focused on the detailed analysis of the land use changes trends with the other river basins at the national level, closely following responses of soil erosion to the changed land use structure. The results and approach also should be used by policymakers in all national natural resources organizations to highlight the role of management.
Applying Dickson Quality Index, Chlorophyll Fluorescence, and Leaf Area Index for Assessing Plant Quality of Pentas lanceolata
Authors: LIN Kuan-Hung , WU Chun-Wei , CHANG Yu-Sen
Published: December 2018

Plant quality greatly relates to the seedling vigor (SV), survival and growth of plants after transplantation. The objective of this study was to use the nondestructive measurements of chlorophyll fluorescence (ChlF) and leaf area index (LAI) as SV indices for star cluster (Pentas lanceolata). Plants were grown in potting soil under nature sunlight for 90 d. A total of 13 morphological and physiological parameters were selected for measurements. Among them, root growth potential (RGP) was the best predictor for SV in all tested plants. Plants were separated into 5 RGP groups based on the number of new roots, and remaining parameters were also separated into those same levels. The trends and rates of increase from levels 1 to 5 in Dickson quality index (DQI), LAI, total dry mass, and ChlF were all similar to the RGP index. Although RGP and DQI are frequently used as indices for SV, these measurements are time-consuming and require sample destruction. Consistent and strongly high correlations were observed among DQI, LAI, and ChlF, demonstrating the applicability of these indices for measuring SV in star cluster. The measurements of LAI and ChlF were predicted using multiple variables from validation datasets, and showed novel and useful parameters for examining the SV of star cluster.
Importance, Utilization and Health of Urban Forests: A Review
Authors: SOLOMOU Alexandra D. , TOPALIDOU Eleni T. , GERMANI Rafaelia , ARGIRI Apostolia , KARETSOS George
Published: December 2018

Urbanization and development of cities are rapidly increasing across the world and urban forests constitute important tools that maintain the basic environmental and ecological functions of cities on which plant, animal and human existence depend. This paper presents a literature review on importance, utilization and health of urban forests that are important in providing ecosystem services for the sustainability of cities. Analysis of the literature from the main academic resources databases indicates that urban forest is a dynamic system which includes trees, shrubs, green space, soil and water that supports them. Urban forests provide many functions, services and benefits which are needed for the sustainable development of urban areas. In addition, health and appearance of trees’ composition are the most important factors in determining a city’s visual image and quality of life. Thus, urban forests are an important component of an ecosystem in any community development. Furthermore, management of urban forests can increase their potentials and therefore their functions, services and benefits. Green infrastructure and ecosystem services are the most efficient tools that cities can utilise to remain healthy, robust and liveable. Hence, the planners, architects, engineers, foresters, agriculturists and all those involved in decision making should be utilized the present literature review and incorporate the concept of urban forest in their  plans and programs so as to achieve the sustainability of cities.
Forest Soil Respirations are More Sensitive to Nighttime Temperature Change in Eastern China
Authors: SHI Zhaoyong , LI Ke , WANG Yongming , MICKAN Bede S. , YUAN Weikang , YANG Yan
Published: December 2018

Soil respiration is one of the main fluxes in the global carbon cycle. The effect of temperature on soil respiration is well understood. The response of soil respiration to temperature warming is called apparent temperature sensitivity (Q10) of soil respiration, which is an important parameter in modeling soil CO2 effluxes under global climate warming. The difference of Q10 between daytime and nighttime was hardly reported although attentions are attracted by the differences of temperature change and its effects on vegetation productivity. In this study, we investigated the Q10 of soil respiration in daytime and nighttime by modeling empirical functions based on the in situ measurement of soil respiration and temperature in temperate and subtropical forests of eastern China. Our results showed that the Q10 of soil respiration is higher in nighttime with the mean value of 2.74 and 2.35 than daytime with the average of 2.49 and 2.18 in all measured months and growing season, respectively. Moreover, the explanatory rate of soil temperature to soil respiration in nighttime is also higher than in daytime in each site in both all measured and growing seasons. The Q10 and explanatory rate of soil temperature to soil respiration in nighttime is 1.08 and 1.15 times in daytime in growing season. These findings indicate that soil respiration has a bigger sensitivity to temperature in nighttime than daytime. The change of soil temperature explains more variation of soil respiration in nighttime than daytime.
Assessment of in vitro Antioxidant and Antidiabetic Capacities of Medlar (Mespilus germanica)
Authors: ISBILIR Sebnem Selen , KABALA Sevilay Inal , YAGAR Hulya
Published: December 2018

The objective of the current study was to evaluate the antioxidant activity and enzyme inhibitory effect of different parts of medlar including fruit, leaf and flower bud by using various in vitro methods, and also determination of total phenolic and flavonoid content in the samples. Ethanol extracts of medlar parts were prepared and their antioxidant activities were determined using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazil (DPPH•) scavenging and β-carotene bleaching methods. The leaf extract showed the strongest antioxidant activity. DPPHradical scavenging activity was in the order of BHA > leaf > bud > fruit. This ordering was the same for β-carotene bleaching activity, tocopherol > leaf > bud > fruit. The highest total phenolic (60.3 ± 1.69 mg GAE g-1 extract) and flavonoid (14.77 ± 1.15 mg QE g-1 extract) content were determined in leaf extract. For possible antidiabetic effects of extracts, α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities were investigated, the bud extract showed the highest inhibition activities among the all extracts.
Activity of the Photosynthetic Apparatus in Phaseolus vulgaris L. Leaves Under the Cadmium Stress
Authors: PUŁA Joanna , BARABASZ-KRASNY Beata , LEPIARCZYK Andrzej , ZANDI Peiman , MOŻDŻEŃ Katarzyna
Published: December 2018

The development of civilisation, urbanisation and industrialisation cause to ever increasing contamination of the natural environment. Cadmium belongs to this group of chemical elements, which represent a serious threat, not only for the proper development of plants but also for the health of humans and animals. Hence, the interest of scientists in the toxic effects of this kind chemical elements on the various life functions of organisms. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of cadmium nitrate aqueous solutions on photosynthetic activity and degree of disorganisation of cell membranes in leaves of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L. cv. ‘Laurina’). A fully formed second leaves were wetted with cadmium solutions nitrate (Cd(NO3)2) at concentrations of 5 and 10 mM. With the increasing of cadmium concentration and time of its application (20, 40, 60 min and 24 h), the changes in the fluorescence of bean leaves were observed. Under the influence of cadmium ions, damage occurred both on the edge and the central part of the leaves, and then the whole surface. The highest changes of the chlorophyll fluorescence values were observed after 24 h of application the aqueous cadmium solutions. Use of SPAD chlorophyll Meter, the reduction of chlorophyll content was noticed over time. The flow of electrolytes from the bean leaves was increased with the time and concentration of applied cadmium compounds.
Advances of the Flowering Genes of Gymnosperms
Authors: MAO Dun , YE Jiabao , XU Feng
Published: December 2018

Flowering is an important stage in the life cycle of plants and also a turning point from vegetative growth to reproductive growth. This process is affected by many exogenous and endogenous factors. Some examples of the latter are endogenous hormones, plant growth status, nutrient composition, and flowering regulatory genes. Many gymnosperms have a long juvenile period. Previous studies attempted to shorten this period using traditional asexual propagation methods, but significant results have not been achieved. In recent years, molecular biology is used to study the flowering regulatory gene to obtain transgenic plants with early flowering trait. Thus, the production of gymnosperms is hastened, and economic efficiency is improved. Studies have shown that the flowering genes of plants act synergistically to form a complex network. In this paper, we reviewed the recent development in the study of the regulation of the flowering genes of gymnosperms, that is, from the floral meristem-specific gene, floral organ-specific gene, genes that inhibit plant flowering, and microRNA regulation of flowering. We provide a reference for the in-depth study on the genetic improvement of the flowering gene.
A Negative Feedback Regulation of Replanted Soil Microorganisms on Plant Growth and Soil Properties of Peach
Authors: LÜ Li-Hui , SRIVASTAVA A. K. , SHEN Yun-Lou , WU Qiang-Sheng
Published: December 2018

Replant disease is one of the main growth limiting factors, interfering with plant growth and yield of stone fruit trees such as peach trees. The ecological feedback mechanisms by replanted soil microbes regulating peach growth and soil structure are rarely known. In our study, rhizosphere soils collected from 18-year-old peach trees were used to plant new peach seedlings, and all soil microbes (R) and soil microbes with the size of < 100 μm (R<100) and < 40 μm (R<40) were applied into peach rhizosphere. After 90 days of microbial inoculation, compared with no microbe treatment (R0), the treatments such as R, R<40, and R<100 reduced plant growth performance (biomass, leaf number, plant height, and stem diameter) and root morphology (total length, projected area, surface area, diameter, and volume), with treatment R being the most inhibition of all other treatments. Similar response of treatment R was observed on changes in concentrations of chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and carotenoid. Interestingly, compared with R0 treatment, R<100 treatment produced a significant increase in glomalin-related soil protein (GRSP), percentage of water-stable aggregates in size of 0.25-0.5 mm, soil polyphenol oxidase activities and soil catalase activities. However, R treatment dramatically decreased the percentage of water-stable aggregates in size of 2-4 mm and soil peroxidase activities. Our results suggested that replanted soil microbes, especially with the size of < 100 μm, played a strong negative role on plant growth and rhizosphere biology of peach.
Isolation and Functional Characterization of an AGAMOUS-LIKE 18 (AGL18) MADS-box Gene from Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.)
Authors: ZHOU Yong , HU Lifang , GE Lingli , HE Peng , YANG Yingui , LIU Shiqiang
Published: December 2018

MADS-box proteins play vital roles in plant growth and development. However, few studies have addressed the biological functions of MADS-box genes in cucumber. In this study, a MADS-box gene, CsMADS25, was cloned from cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.). The open reading frame (ORF) of CsMADS25 was 810 bp in length and encoded a deduced protein consisting of 269 amino acids with a calculated MW of 30.53 kDa and a theoretical pI of 5.38. Sequence alignment showed that CsMADS25 shared the highest amino acid identity with CmMADS09 from Cucumis melo. Phylogenetic tree analysis indicated that CsMADS25 was clustered with AGL18 proteins with high bootstrap values. qRT-PCR analysis showed that the expression of CsMADS25 was observably regulated by various abiotic stresses and GAtreatments. Overexpression of CsMADS25 resulted in dwarf and small-leaf phenotypes in transgenic Arabidopsis plants, and the leaf index value (leaf length/width ratio) of transgenic plants was dramatically increased compared with that of wild-type (WT) plants. These findings suggest that CsMADS25 might play important roles in various developmental processes and in response to abiotic stress of cucumber.
Avocado Fruit Pulp Transcriptomes in the after-Ripening Process
Authors: LIU Liqin , SHU Bo , JUE Dengwei , WANG Yicheng , WEI Yongzan , SHI Shengyou
Published: December 2018

Avocado is an important tropical fruit whose after-ripening process is still poorly understood. The fatty acid, phenolics, flavonoids, and tannins were analyzed in ‘Lisa’ avocado (Persea americana Mill. ‘Lisa’) fruit pulp during after-ripening. The transcriptome was analyzed to screen for transcripts associated with the aforementioned after-ripening parameters. The results showed that there were no significant differences in the total fatty acid content among the preclimacteric, climacteric, and postclimacteric stages. Nevertheless, the concentrations of C18:3 (α-linolenic acid) were significantly higher in the climacteric and postclimacteric stages than the preclimacteric stage. RNAseq generated 235,082 transcripts and 151,545 unigenes. In addition, 4,324 DEGs were produced among the three stages. KEGG analysis of the DEGs suggested the pathways about “α-linolenic acid metabolism, unsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis”, “fatty acid degradation”, “linoleic acid metabolism and fatty acid biosynthesis”, “linoleic acid metabolism and fatty acid elongation”, and “fatty acid elongation” may all contribute to the C18:3 variations in ‘Lisa’ avocado fruit pulp. Several transcription factors, including the ethylene-related transcription factors, such as NAC, MYB, bHLH, and WRKY, were also identified in the DEGs database. This study generated transcript data and screened the transcription factors involved in the avocado after-ripening process. This information could be used to control after-ripening in avocado and maintain fruit quality during storage.
Plant Root Hair Growth in Response to Hormones
Authors: ZHANG Dejian , LIU Chunyan , YANG Yujie , WU Qiangsheng , LI Yeyun
Published: December 2018

Plant root hair is tubular projections from the root epidermis. Its can increase root surface area, which is very important for nutrients and water uptake as well as interaction with soil microorganisms. In this short review, we discussed the effects of hormones (auxin, ethylene, jasmonic acid, methyl jasmonate, strigolactones, and brassinosteroids) on root hair growth. It was highlight the interaction between auxin and ethylene on root hair growth. Furthermore, the mechanisms of jasmonic acid, methyl jasmonate, strigolactone and brassinosteroids on root hair growth may through auxin or ethylene signaling pathway partly. In future, more genes relating to root hair growth needed clone and elucidate their roles, as well as undertaking reverse genetics and mutant complementation studies to add the current knowledge of the signaling networks, which are involved in root hair growth that regulated by hormones.
Quality Performances of Sweet Pepper under Farming Management
Authors: CARUSO Gianluca , STOLERU Vasile V. , MUNTEANU Neculai C. , SELLITTO Vincenzo Michele , TELIBAN Gabriel Ciprian , BURDUCEA Marian , TENU Ioan , MORANO Giuseppe , BUTNARIU Monica
Published: December 2018

Conventional management of sweet pepper is based on farming practices characterized by the use of chemicals with harmful environmental impact. In order to investigate innovative production, research was carried out in order to assess the effects of two pepper cultivars (‘Brillant’ and ‘Yolo Wonder’) in combination with four farming systems (Conventional control-C; Conventional with microorganism-enriched fertilization-CMF; Organic control-O; Organic with microorganism-enriched fertilization-OMF) on plant physiological parameters, yield and fruit quality. Conventionally grown plants showed higher values of assimilatory pigments and of photosynthetic rate compared to the Organically ones. The CMF resulted in the highest early and total yield, followed by the OMF, due to higher fruit number. Higher values of carotenoids, ascorbic acid and α-tocopherol were recorded in ‘Yolo Wonder’ red fruits compared to ‘Brillant’ yellow berries. The highest total polyphenols concentration was recorded under the CMF, whereas OMF resulted in the highest flavonoids concentration and antioxidant activity.
Combining Ability for Yield of Single-Cross Hybrids Derived from Maize Composites (Zea mays L.)
Authors: ONA Andreea Daniela , MUNTEAN Leon , HAȘ Voichița Virginia , VARGA Andrei
Published: December 2018

Development of high-yielding hybrids of maize depends on good understanding of combining ability and inheritance of yield trait. To achieve this goal, synthetic populations of lines are developed and improved upon by recurrent selection to be utilized as initial material for the creation of inbred lines. Therefore, the aims of the present paper were: to determine the combining ability among some inbred lines developed from composites and commercial hybrids by recurrent selection method and to choose the most promising inbreds for maize yield improvement and the most suitable hybrid combinations. The highest value of the general combining ability (GCA) was obtain from inbred line TA 447 (1,655 kg ha-1) followed by tester TC 399 (233 kg ha-1). For the specific combining ability (SCA), TA 447 × TC 385 A, TA 427 × TC 399, TA 428 × TC 399 and CO 305 × TD 268 had good compatibility. The research concluded that GCA was more important that SCA, indicating that the additive genetic effects are mainly involved in the heredity of yield potential of maize. For the non-additive effects to increase, the next selection cycles must focus on plants’ pairs with more pronounced heterosis for the yield trait.
Effect of Aqueous Extracts of Peppermint (Mentha × piperita L.) on the Germination and the Growth of Selected Vegetable and Cereal Seeds
Authors: MOŻDŻEŃ Katarzyna , BARABASZ-KRASNY Beata , STACHURSKA-SWAKOŃ Alina , ZANDI Peiman , PUŁA Joanna
Published: December 2018

Peppermint (Mentha × piperita L.) is grown in the gardens for its attractive look and multilateral use in the kitchen and medicine. The grown plant spreads very easily producing stolons and could effectively compete with other plant species. For the purpose of this study, the effect of aqueous extracts from dry peppermint leaves was examined on the germination, growth, fresh and dry weight, and electrolytes leakage of 10 species commonly grown in different regions of the world: Beta vulgaris L., Cucumis sativus L., Lactuca sativa L., Lupinus luteus L., Phaseolus vulgaris L., Raphanus sativus L. var. radicula Pers., Sinapis alba L., Lycopersicon esculentum Mill., Triticum aestivum L., and Zea mays L. Several concentrations of the aqueous extracts from peppermint leaves were prepared: 1, 3, 5, 10, and 15%. The seeds germination decreased with increasing concentration of aqueous extracts from peppermint leaves. The seed germination was completely inhibited on Petri dishes with 10 and 15% extracts. The tomato seeds were the most sensitive, they germinated on the distilled water and 1% extract only. The most resistant were the bean seeds that had the highest germination capacity. In general, the growth of seedlings of analyzed species was inhibited by the aqueous extracts from peppermint leaves. However, it was noticed the stimulating effect on the seedling growth of bean and maize on the 1% extract. The aqueous extracts from peppermint leaves caused the electrolyte leakage in all examined species and it raised with increasing extract concentration at the concentration higher than 3%.