A study On Support Selection Mechanism In Tendrils of Cayratia Japonica

Organisms make decisions when they perceive cues of varying intensities. In case of climbing plants, the diameter of supports in contact (tree or stem) is an important cue for their growth as plants that coil around a support with large diameter are unable to maintain tensional forces required for continued attachment to the support. The negative association between the diameter and the climbing success has been reported since Darwin published his study on climbing plants. However, it is not known if a climbing plant makes a decision to avoid a support with larger diameter. Here, we tested this possibility by observing the coiling response of tendrils of Cayratia japonica to supports with different diameters. The coiling success of the tendrils was affected by the diameter of the support and the tendril lengths. We described the branching pattern of coiling response and demonstrated that the tendrils change their coiling shape depending on the support diameter and the tendril length. To understand the behavioural rules regulating the branching, we constructed a simple model with two assumptions on the tendril movement, (1) when the tendrils receive a contact stimulus, they begin to coil from around the contact point and (2) there is a minimum coiling angle at which the tendrils coil up, once the tendril starts coiling. Image analysis and 3D motion tracking technique revealed that the movement of the tendrils were consistent with the two assumptions of the model. The results suggested that the tendrils flexibly changed the coiling shapes depending on the support diameter and simple behavioural rules could regulate this diameter-dependent response.

A Literature-Based Update on Benincasa hispida (Thunb.) Cogn.: Traditional Uses, Nutraceutical, and Phytopharmacological Profiles

Benincasa hispida (Thunb.) Cogn. (Cucurbitaceae) is an annual climbing plant, native to Asia with multiple therapeutic uses in traditional medicine. This updated review is aimed at discussing the ethnopharmacological, phytochemical, pharmacological properties, and molecular mechanisms highlighted in preclinical experimental studies and toxicological safety to evaluate the therapeutic potential of this genus. The literature from PubMed, Google Scholar, Elsevier, Springer, Science Direct, and database was analyzed using the basic keyword “Benincasa hispida.” Other searching strategies, including online resources, books, and journals, were used. The taxonomy of the plant has been made by consulting “The Plant List”. The results showed that B. hispida has been used in traditional medicine to treat neurological diseases, kidney disease, fever, and cough accompanied by thick mucus and to fight intestinal worms. The main bioactive compounds contained in Benincasa hispida have cytotoxic, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer properties. Further safety and efficacy investigations are needed to confirm these beneficial therapeutic effects and also future human clinical studies.

The use of biotechnology in hop (Humulus lupulus L.) improvement

Hop (Humulus lupulus L.) is a clonally propagated, dioecious, perennial, climbing plant used commercially for their secondary metabolites. The resins containing α- and β-acids, and essential oils produced by the lupulin glands, present on the female flowers are used to add bitterness, aroma and flavour to beer. Recently, flavonoids, including chalcones and flavanones, of hops have been shown to exert a variety of biological activities, including oestrogenic and anticancerogenic characteristics. In this review, we provide a overview of the techniques and opportunities presented by the integration of plant biotechnology into hop improvement. The use of tissue culture techniques such as micropropagation, meristem culture, in vitro storage, adventitious shoot induction, callus culture and cell suspension culture in hops are briefly reviewed. The usefullness of genetic transformation technology to introduce novel traits into hop is also discussed.

Green Strategies of Powdery Mildew Control in Hop: From Organic Products to Nanoscale Carriers

Humulus lupulus L. is a long-lived, perennial, herbaceous, and dioecious climbing plant. The foremost producers in the European Union are Germany, the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovenia, and Spain. The Spanish cultivated area is concentrated in the province of León. Powdery mildew, caused by Podosphaera macularis, menaces hop production and quality in all hop growing regions located in the Northern hemisphere, colonizing leaves, petioles, inflorescences, and finally cones. In this work, powdery mildew control was monitored, comparing nine fungicide strategies: five organics, two integrated disease management (IDM)-based, with and without Nutragreen® nanoscale carrier, and two conventional treatments (CON) with and without Nutragreen® nanoscale carrier. The organic treatments were able to diminish P. macularis on leaves, but no effect was observed in cones. CON treatments reduced the infection on leaves and cones and increased the cone quantity and quality. Likewise, IDM-based treatments provided satisfactory results as they diminished powdery mildew on leaves and cones. Finally, dose reduction using a Nutragreen® nanoscale carrier showed beneficial effects in the control of powdery mildew compared to the commercial dose. Hence, the use of nanoscale carries permits a 30% reduction in pesticide dose, which optimizes yield and hop quality, reduces risks linked to pesticides, and aids in compliance with public and international policy demands.

First Report of 16SrII-V Peanut Witches’ Broom Phytoplasma in Snake Gourd (Trichosanthes cucumerina L.) in Taiwan

Snake gourd (Trichosanthes cucumerina L.), an annual climbing plant belonging to the family of Cucurbitaceae, is native to Southeast Asia countries, e.g., India, Pakistan, Malaysia, China, and Indonesia. It is commonly consumed as a vegetable and also used as a traditional herbal medicine due to the antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, hepatoprotective, and cytotoxic activities (Devi 2017). In September 2020, phytoplasma-induced disease symptoms such as little leaf, yellowing, phyllody, virescence, and witches' broom were observed on snake gourd in Yunlin County, Taiwan. The cross-sectional examination of the symptomatic plant by transmission electron microscopy showed typical phytoplasma-like pleomorphic bodies with spherical, oval and tubular shapes in sieve elements. Further examination by nested PCR revealed that a 1.2 kb DNA fragment for 16S rRNA gene was only amplified from symptomatic leaf of snake gourd using the phytoplasma universal primer pairs P1/P7 followed by R16F2n/R16R2. BLAST and iPhyClassifier (https://plantpathology.ba.ars.usda.gov/cgi-bin/resource/iphyclassifier.cgi) analyses on the amplified DNA fragment (accession no. MW309142) revealed that it shares 100% identity with that of GenBank accession NZ_AMWZ01000008 (complement [31109 to 32640]) of peanut witches’ broom (PnWB) phytoplasma, a ‘Candidatus phytoplasma aurantifolia’-related strain (Firrao et al. 2004), and could be classified into the 16SrII-V subgroup. Samples examined by nested PCR were further characterized by western blotting using the polyclonal antibody raised against the Imp of PnWB phytoplasma (Chien et al. 2020a, b). An expected signal of 19 kDa specific for Imp was only detected in the symptomatic snake gourd, but not in healthy snake gourd. Since the disease symptoms caused by phytoplasma infection are highly dependent on the secreted effectors (Namba 2019), phyllogen gene that is responsible for phyllody and virescence symptoms was amplified from symptomatic snake gourd by PCR. BLAST analysis revealed that phyllogen identified in snake gourd is identical with that of PnWB phytoplasma. In Taiwan, species of family Cucurbitaceae such as loofah, bitter gourd, and pumpkin are commonly infected by 16SrVIII phytoplasma (Davis 2017). In this study, we report for the first time that snake gourd, a species of family Cucurbitaceae, was infected by 16SrII-V PnWB phytoplasma in Taiwan.

INVENTÁRIO DA FLORA DE TABULEIROS COSTEIROS DA ILHA DO MARANHÃO = INVENTORY OF THE FLORA OF “TABULEIRO COSTEIRO” OF THE ISLAND OF MARANHÃO

A vegetação dos tabuleiros é denominada de “florestas de tabuleiro” onde as espécies se distribuem ocupando extensas áreas de planície. Atualmente, existem poucos remanescentes de florestas de tabuleiros costeiros (TC). Nesse contexto, inventários da flora de um ambiente e os conhecimentos taxonômicos são de fundamental relevância, uma vez que garantem a segurança na identificação das plantas, sendo a base para qualquer trabalho que vise atuar na conservação das espécies. As informações taxonômicas são divulgadas, sobretudo, com a apresentação de chaves de identificação. Os estudos são realizados desde a descrição de espécies que compõem um gênero ou uma família, até a taxonomia de uma comunidade em um determinado ambiente. Deste modo, o presente estudo tem como objetivo elaborar um checklist com as espécies fanerogâmicas em diferentes áreas de tabuleiros costeiros e montar uma chave de identificação para auxiliar em estudos sobre a vegetação litorânea do Maranhão. O estudo foi realizado nos tabuleiros da Praia do Caúra e Praia do Sítio Aguahy, em São José de Ribamar e da Praia da Guia, em São Luís. As coletas foram realizadas entre agosto de 2016 e março de 2018, a partir de caminhadas exploratórias, coletando as espécies fanerogâmicas em estádio reprodutivo. Após a coleta, o material foi herborizado conforme as metodologias usuais em botânica e as identificações foram realizadas com auxílio de chaves analíticas e literatura especializada. Foi elaborada uma chave para identificação das espécies e pranchas fotográficas. Foram identificadas 84 espécies, 73 gêneros e 37 famílias e a família Fabaceae apresentou o maior número de espécies. Foram encontrados sete hábitos (Arbusto, Árvore, Erva, Liana, Palmeira, Subarbusto e Trepadeira) e as ervas foram as mais representativas (34,53%). Diante disso, a vegetação dos tabuleiros costeiros apresenta riqueza e heterogeneidade de espécies, mostrando-se relevante diante do processo de fragmentação de habitats naturais. O presente estudo contribui ainda para ampliar os registros das espécies do litoral maranhense, ajudando na seleção de áreas prioritárias para conservação.ABSTRACTThe present study aims to develop an inventory of phanerogamic species in different coastal tableland areas of the Maranhão Island and to set up an identification key to assist in studies on the coastal vegetation of the State. The study was carried out in the vegetation of trays in the municipality of São José de Ribamar and São Luís. The collections were carried out between August 2016 and March 2018, from exploratory walks, collecting phanerogamic species in the reproductive stage. After collection, the material was herborized according to the usual methodologies in botany and the identifications were made with the aid of analytical keys and specialized literature. A key was developed to identify the species and photographic plates. The study recorded 84 species, 73 genera, and 37 families. Seven biological forms were found (shrub, tree, herb, liana, palm, sub-shrub and climbing plant) and herbs were the most representative (34.5%). In view of this, the vegetation of the coastal tablelands presents richness and heterogeneity of species, showing itself relevant in the process of fragmentation of natural habitats. In addition to contributing to expand the records of species from the coast of Maranhão, helping in the selection of priority areas for conservation.

Luffa acutangula (angled luffa).

L. acutangula is a large, annual climbing plant, grown commercially for its unripe fruits which are used as a vegetable (PROTA, 2016). Native to southern Asia, it is now widely found in tropical and subtropical parts of the world (USDA-ARS, 2016). It grows vigorously, producing long stems that scramble over the ground or climb into nearby vegetation, supporting themselves by means of tendrils (Useful Tropical Plants, 2016). It is listed as invasive in Cuba (Oviedo Prieto et al., 2012) and on Diego Garcia Island in the Indian Ocean (PIER, 2016).