南药植物线虫种类调查

１９９１￣２９９３年调查了广东、海南两省８个县、市１２种植点９种南药植物的寄生线虫，共鉴定出２８属、４２种，隶属于１２科、１８亚科。     

大蒜油胶囊预防肾移植后真菌感染的临床研究

目的 探讨大蒜油胶囊预防肾移植后真菌感染的效果。方法 62例肾移植患者术后口服大东油胶囊预防真菌感染,与58例未用者（对照组）进行比较,结果 预防用药的62例仅1例发生真菌感染,而对照组58例中6例发生真菌感染。结论 肾移植后应用大蒜油胶囊可减少真菌感染的发生。     

Evaluation of the flora of northern Mexico for in vitro antimicrobial and antituberculosis activity

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the potential antimicrobial activity of 14 plants used in northeast México for the treatment of respiratory diseases, against drug-sensitive and drug-resistant strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, Haemophilus influenzae type b and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Forty-eight organic and aqueous extracts were tested against these bacterial strains using a broth microdilution test. No aqueous extracts showed antimicrobial activity, whereas most of the organic extracts presented antimicrobial activity against at least one of the drug-resistant microorganisms tested. Methanol-based extracts from the roots and leaves of Leucophyllum frutescens and ethyl ether extract from the roots of Chrysanctinia mexicana showed the greatest antimicrobial activity against the drug-resistant strain of Mycobacterium tuberculosis; the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) were 62.5, 125 and 62.5 microg/mL, respectively; methanol-based extract from the leaves of Cordia boissieri showed the best antimicrobial activity against the drug-resistant strain of Staphylococcus aureus (MIC 250 microg/mL); the hexane-based extract from the fruits of Schinus molle showed considerable antimicrobial activity against the drug-resistant strain of Streptococcus pneumoniae (MIC 62.5 microg/mL). This study supports that selecting plants by ethnobotanical criteria enhances the possibility of finding species with activity against resistant microorganisms.     

Inhibition of the growth of urinary calcium hydrogen phosphate dihydrate crystals with aqueous extracts of Tribulus terrestris and Bergenia ligulata

Urinary type calcium hydrogen phosphate dihydrate (CHPD) or Brushite crystals were grown by the single diffusion gel technique in silica hydro-gels. The gel framework acts as a three dimensional crucible in which the crystal nuclei are delicately held in the position of their formation and nutrients are supplied for their growth. This technique can be utilized as a simplified screening model to study the growth and dissolution of urinary stones in vitro. The action of the putatively litholytic medicinal plants Tribulus terrestris and Bergenia ligulata on the growth of CHPD crystals was studied . The effects of artificial reference urine (ARU) and human urine (HU), along with the plant extracts, are also reported. Attempts were made to understand the role of these inhibitors on urinary crystal formation. HU, ARU, extracts of B. ligulata and T. terrestris exhibit appreciable amounts of inhibition, but B.ligulata and T.terrestris with ARU and HU do not show inhibition at all.     

Plant poisoning : A hospital-based study in Sri Lanka

This is a prospective hospital based study of 148 cases of plant poisoning seen by the author during a 12 year period. All cases were accidental. There were 2 deaths. Some measures to reduce the incidence of plant poisoning in Sri Lanka are listed.     

Preliminary assessment of perchlorate in ecological receptors at the Longhorn Army Ammunition Plant (LHAAP), Karnack, Texas

There have been increasing human health and ecological concerns about ionic perchlorate (ClO₄) since it was detected in drinking water sources in 1997. Perchlorate is known to affect thyroid function, causing subsequent hormone disruption and potential perturbations of metabolic activities. According to current estimates, perchlorate is found in the surface or groundwater of 14 states, including Texas. Longhorn Army Ammunition Plant, located in east central Texas, was a facility historically associated with perchlorate-containing propellants and rocket motors. Subsequently, perchlorate contamination in ground and surface waters at the facility has been reported. Soil, sediment, water, vegetation, and animal tissue samples were collected from several locations within the plant for a preliminary site assessment of perchlorate contamination. Perchlorate concentrations ranged from 555–5,557,000ppb in vegetation, 811–2038ppb in aquatic insects, below detection limits (ND) to 207ppb in fish, ND-580ppb in frogs, and ND–2328ppb in mammals.Consistent with our hypothesis, aquatic organisms inhabiting perchlorate-contaminated surface water bodies contained detectable concentrations of perchlorate. Additionally, terrestrial organisms were exposed through pathways not necessarily related to contaminated surface waters. Therefore, these data demonstrate that aquatic and terrestrial species are exposed to perchlorate in the environment. To our knowledge, this represents the first incidence of perchlorate exposure among wild animals reported in the scientific literature.An erratum to this article can be found at     

In vitro antifungal activity and mechanism of action of chitinase against four plant pathogenic fungi

To determine why chitinase has different antifungal activity on different pathogenic fungi in vitro, we purified recombinant rice chitinase from Pichia pastoris and investigated its antifungal activity against four fungi - Rhizopus stolonifer (Ehrenb. et Fr.) Vuill, Botrytis squamosa Walker, Pythium aphanidermatum (eds.) Fitzp, and Aspergillus niger van Tiegh. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were used to analyze the surface microstructure and proportion of chitin in the cell wall of the four fungi, respectively. The results showed that the chitinase exhibited different antifungal activities against the four fungi, which was directly correlated to the surface microstructure and the proportion of chitin in the fungal cell wall. It will help understanding the antifungal mechanism of the recombinant chitinase and further determining its application scope on crop protection and post-harvest storage of fruits and vegetables. ((c) 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim).     

Strain-specific P3 of Soybean mosaic virus elicits Rsv1-mediated extreme resistance, but absence of P3 elicitor function alone is insufficient for virulence on Rsv1-genotype soybean

When challenged by mechanical inoculation, the Rsv1 gene of soybean invokes extreme resistance (ER) against Soybean mosaic virus (SMV) strain N, but not SMV-G7 and its experimentally evolved variant, SMV-G7d. SMV-G7 provokes a lethal systemic hypersensitive response (LSHR), whereas SMV-G7d induces systemic mosaic. Thus, for Rsv1-genotype soybean, SMV-G7 and SMV-G7d are both virulent virus strains. The elicitor function of SMV-G7 provoking Rsv1-mediated LSHR was recently mapped to P3, and the influence of amino acids 823, 953, and 1112 of the precursor polypeptide of SMV-G7d on evasion of Rsv1-mediated recognition provoking LSHR was demonstrated. We have now extended this study to SMV-N. Initially, amino acids corresponding to those of SMV-G7d at these positions were substituted, individually or in combinations. All the mutants remained replication competent on rsv1-genotype soybean; however, none lost the elicitor function provoking Rsv1-mediated ER. Subsequently, P3 of SMV-N was precisely replaced with P3 of SMV-G7 or SMV-G7d and vice versa. All the chimeras were replication competent on rsv1-genotype soybean, but surprisingly SMV-N/G7P3 and SMV-N/G7dP3 failed to gain virulence on Rsv1-genotype soybeans. However, SMV-G7/NP3 and SMV-G7d/NP3 lost virulence, and this loss of virulence function was mapped to the N-terminus domain of SMV-N P3. The data indicate that SMV strain-specific P3 provokes Rsv1-mediated ER; however, virulence on Rsv1-genotype soybean is not solely a consequence of the absence of the P3 elicitor functions provoking Rsv1-mediated ER and LSHR.