Analysis of Ficus hirta Fig Endosymbionts Diversity and Species Composition

Endosymbionts living in plants and insects are pervasive. Ficus (Moraceae) has very special inflorescences (which we also call figs) enclosed like an urn, and such inflorescence is usually parasitized by fig wasps. Ficus breeds fig wasp larvae in its figs and adult fig wasps pollinate for Ficus, Ficus and its obligated pollinator formed fig-fig wasp mutualism. Previous studies have found that this confined environment in figs may have provided protection for fig wasps and that this has left some imprints on the genome of fig wasps during the coevolution history of figs and fig wasps. Research on the diversity of both bacteria and fungi in figs are fewer. Our study explored the diversity of endosymbionts in Ficus hirta figs. We utilized high-throughput sequencing and biological database to identify the specific microorganism in figs, then conducted microorganism communities’ diversity analysis and function annotation analysis. As a result, we identified the dominant endosymbionts in figs, mainly some insect internal parasitic bacteria and fungi, plant pathogen, endophytes, and saprotroph. Then we also found bacteria in Ficus hirta figs were more diversified than fungi, and bacteria communities in female figs and functional male figs were different. These findings may give us more insight into the coevolution and interaction among endosymbiont, fig, and fig wasp.

Light-emitting diode spectra modify nutritional status, physiological response, and secondary metabolites in Ficus hirta and Alpinia oxyphylla

Lighting spectrum is one of the key factors that determine biomass production and secondary-metabolism accumulation in medicinal plants under artificial cultivation conditions. Ficus hirta and Alpinia oxyphylla seedlings were cultured with blue (10% red, 10% green, 70% blue), green (20% red, 10% green, 30% blue), and red-enriched (30% red, 10% green, 20% blue) lights in a wide bandwidth of 400-700 nm. F. hirta seedlings had lower diameter, fine root length, leaf area, biomass, shoot nutrient (N) and phosphorus concentrations in the blue-light spectrum compared to the red- and green-light spectra. In contrast, A. oxyphylla seedlings showed significantly higher concentrations of foliar flavonoids and saponins in red-light spectrum with rare responses in N, chlorophyll, soluble sugars, and starch concentrations. F. hirta is easily and negatively impacted by blue-light spectrum but A. oxyphylla is suitably used to produce flavonoid and saponins in red-light spectrum across a wide bandwidth.

Plants Are the Drivers of Geographic Variation of Floral Scents in a Highly Specialized Pollination Mutualism: a Study of Ficus Hirta in China

BackgroundFloral volatiles play an important role in pollinator attraction. This is particularly true in obligate brood site pollination mutualisms. The plants generally produce inconspicuous flowers and depend on odours to attract to their inflorescences specialised pollinators that breed in their floral structures. Little is known about the processes shaping the micro-evolution of these floral odours. Here, we investigate geographic variation of floral odour in an obligate host-specific brood site pollination mutualism where plant and pollinator genetic structures are different, Ficus hirta and its specialised pollinators.ResultsWe evidence progressive geographic divergence of floral odours. The pattern of variation fits plant genetic structure but differs from pollinating insect structuring into species and populations. In our study system, the evolution of receptive floral odour presents a pattern that is not distinguishable from neutral drift that is not canalised by the insects.ConclusionWe propose that this pattern characterises obligate brood site pollination mutualisms in which pollinators are host specific and dispersal is limited. Insects with their short generation times and large population sizes track variation in host receptive inflorescence odours. Plants are the drivers and insects the followers. Strict sense plant-insect co-evolution is not involved. In contrast, stabilizing selection may be at work in more dispersive brood site pollination mutualisms, while pollinators may mediate local interspecific plant floral odour convergence when plant species share local pollinators.

HOẠT TÍNH KHÁNG VIÊM TỪ CAO CHIẾT LÁ CÂY VÚ BÒ (FICUS HIRTA VAHL) THU HÁI TẠI HUYỆN YÊN SƠN, TỈNH TUYÊN QUANG

Cây vú bò (Ficus hirta Vahl.) là một loại cây nhiệt đới được sử dụng rộng rãi trong y học cổ truyền Việt Nam và Trung Quốc có tác dụng hỗ trợ và điều trị nhiều bệnh lý như bệnh: Viêm thận, viêm gan, viêm vú, thấp khớp, ho .... Mục đích của nghiên cứu này là để chứng minh một cách khoa học khả năng chống viêm của các cao chiết lá cây vú bò. Hoạt tính kháng viêm của các cao chiết cây vú bò được đánh giá thông qua khả năng ức chế sản xuất NO trong tế bào RAW 264,7. Kết quả cho thấy cao chiết n-hexan; ethyl acetat, n-butanol có giá trị IC50 lần lượt là: 10,46; 13,16; 98,57 mg/ml. Do đó cây vú bò có tiềm năng lớn trong việc điều trị, hỗ trợ điều trị các bệnh viêm.

A review of the phytochemical compounds and pharmacological activities from selected Ficus plants

The Ficus genus belongs to the Moraceae family were used for medicinal purposes. Distributed in America, Asia, Africa, and Australia, there were sixteen species accepted in Indonesia. They were Ficus callosa, Ficus melinocarpa, Ficus elastica, Ficus drupaceae, Ficus geocarpa, Ficus Superba, Ficus heteropoda, Ficus fistulosa, Ficus hirta, Ficus ampelas, Ficus adenosperma, Ficus ardisioides, Ficus consociate, Ficus ribes, Ficus lyrata, Ficus virens Aiton. This article reviewed the scientific work of the Ficus genus. Their traditional usage, phytochemical compounds, and pharmacological activity were summarized. This study aims at providing a collection of publications on selected species of Ficus genus. A critical review of the literature data revealed secondary metabolite like triterpenoid, steroid, saponin, flavonoid, phenolic compound and alkaloid were found in some species of Ficus. Some pure compounds such as quercetin, quercetin 3-O-α-L-arabinopyranoside, epilupeol acetate, oleanolic acid, friedelin, elastiquinone, pinocembrin-7-O-β-D-glucoside, and ficusoside B were isolated. A wide range of pharmacological activities was observed. Antimicrobial, antioxidant, antiviral, antiparasitic, cytotoxic, and antimalarial were found in previous researches. Ficus genus was potential to be developed as a medicinal plant.