Application of a rule-based knowledge system using CLIPS for the taxonomy of selected Opuntia species

A rule based knowledge system was developed in CLIPS (C Language Integrated Production System) for identifying Opuntia species in the family Cactaceae, which contains approx. 1500 different species. This botanist expert tool system is capable of identifying selected Opuntia plants from the family level down to the species level when given some basic characteristics of the plants. Many plants are becoming of increasing importance because of their nutrition and human health potential, especially in the treatment of diabetes mellitus. The expert tool system described can be extremely useful in an unequivocal identification of many useful Opuntia species

Chemical Composition and Antioxidant Activity of seeds oils and fruit juice of Opuntia Ficus Indica and Opuntia Dillenii from Morocco

peer reviewedThis study provides basic information on the mineral composition of the seeds and antioxidant activity in seeds oils and fruit juices of cactus belonging to two species Opuntia ficus indica and Opuntia dillenii, from Morocco (Oujda), in order to evaluate the nutritional value of the Opuntia extracts. Minerals determined from dry seeds of Opuntia ficus indica and Opuntia dillenii were: calcium 480.93 and 408.28; phosphorus 1417.59 and 970.15; potassium 304.51 and 201.96; magnesium: 316.59 and 240.30; sodium: 48.33 and 18.18; zinc: 70.77 and 78.26 mg/100g respectively. The main fatty acids of Opuntia ficus indica and Opuntia dillenii seed oil were respectively: linoleic acid: 58.79 and 79.83%, Palmitic acid: 11.18 and 13.52%. The antioxidant activity of Opuntia ficus indica and Opuntia dillenii seed oils and fruit juices were assessed by means of 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical-scavenging assay and ascorbic acid test. The results showed that the antioxidant activities of Opuntia ficus indica and Opuntia dillenii seed oil (IC50 = 19.79 ± 0.023 and 27.21 ± 0.075 μL/mL) are higher than that of the reference ascorbic acid (IC50 = 16.56 ± 0.019 μg/mL). However, the Opuntia dillenii juice presents antioxidant activity more important than this of Opuntia seed oil and ascorbic acid. It possessed strong antioxidant activity (IC50 = 8.18 μL/mL). The antioxidant activity of the seed oil and juice were also found to be concentration-dependent

Xoconostle fruit (Opuntia matudae Scheinvar cv. Rosa) by-products as potential functional ingredients

There is a lack of information on the potential use of xoconostle cultivars as sources of antioxidants for food, pharmaceutical and colorant industries. The aim of this study was to provide a phytochemical characterisation and antioxidant activity evaluation of Opuntia matudae Scheinvar cv. Rosa by-products (epicarp and endocarp mucilage's), in order to evaluate their interest as sources of functional ingredients for human or animal foods. These by-products showed a high content in glucose, citric and linoleic acids, tocopherols, and isorhamnetin-O-(di-deoxyhexosyl-hexoside) (mainly in epicarp), and presented relevant antioxidant properties. The obtained results support the use of O. matudae Scheinvar cv. Rosa agro-industrial by-products as functional food ingredients, namely for antioxidant-enriched formulations, instead of being discarded.The authors are grateful to the Foundation for Science and Technology (Portugal) for financial support to CIMO (strategic project Pest-OE/AGR/UI0690/2011) and to L. Barros (researcher contract under “Programa Compromisso com Ciência-2008”). The authors also acknowledge the support of Mexican association CoMenTuna for providing the plant materials

Pseudocercospora opuntiae sp. nov., the causal organism of cactus leaf spot in Mexico.

Pseudocercospora opuntiae is newly described from Opuntia spp. from Mexico, where it causes a serious disease of this host. Although P. opuntiae is morphologically similar to other members of the genus with pigmented conidia and conidiophores, and unthickened, not darkened conidiogenous scars, DNA sequence data of the ITS region revealed that it clusters distant from other species of Pseudocercospora within Mycosphaerella. These data support the assumption that Pseudocereospora is paraphyletic within Mycosphaerella

Fruit production from Opuntia ficus-indica ecotypes in comparison to commercial Italian clones

Fruit production, as an elementary chemical characteristic of the fruit, was evaluated in 16 Opuntia ficus-indica Portuguese ecotypes cultivated in a marginal soil without tillage, in the second and third years after plantation. The O. ficus-indica ecotypes were compared with the Italian cultivars ‘Bianca’ and ‘Gialla’. Significant differences were found among the O. ficus-indica ecotypes in biomass-related parameters and fruit yield, and different groups were established. Two spineless ecotypes (OFI-12 and OFI-13) had highest biomass production, with 9.9 Mg/ha dry matter on average. This was not significantly different from the ‘Gialla’ cultivar, which averaged 11.9 Mg/ha, for a density of 2,667 plants/ha, in the third year after plantation. Among Portuguese ecotypes, the fruit yields ranged from 2.4 to 10.1 Mg/ha fresh weight. The cultivars ‘Gialla’ and ‘Bianca’ had the highest fruit yield (13.8 and 13.6 Mg/ha fresh weight, respectively).The ‘Gialla’ cultivar and the group of ecotypes with orange pulp produced fruits of larger size and weight compared to the ‘Bianca’ cultivar and the group of ecotypes with white pulp.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Morphological and Ecological Characterization of Opuntia Miller on the Coast of South Carolina

The genus Opuntia Miller is one of the most misunderstood and ignored genera of plants occurring in the southeastern United States. This study focused on the clarification of Opuntia stricta (Haw.) Haw., Opuntia macrarthra Gibbes, Opuntia pusilla (Haw.), Opuntia dillenii (Ker Gawl.) Haw. and Opuntia tunoidea Gibbes on the coast of South Carolina. A comprehensive literature review was completed to gather an understanding of Opuntia biology, species concepts and geographic range. The objectives of the morphological study were to determine if Opuntia taxa matching past descriptions of the five species chosen were present, what the morphological characteristics of the individuals collected were, if each could be differentiated into five morphologically distinct groups separate from Opuntia lindheimeri (Engelm.), Opuntia lata (Small) and Opuntia mesacantha (Raf.) ssp. mesacantha (Majure), and if eight species analyzed behaved on the level of a morphological species. The results from the statistical analysis revealed that there appears to be five morphologically distinct species on the coast of South Carolina that are different from Opuntia lindheimeri. Due to limited habitat O. dillenii had to be excluded from the ecological study. The objectives of the ecological and geographic range study were to get a better understanding of Opuntia presence of the coast of South Carolina. This involved analyzing ecological variables collected using the protocol developed by the Carolina Vegetation Survey. Correlation graphs revealed sites indicative of Opuntia in general. Partition analysis was used to build path maps of variables that have a direct impact on the cover value of Opuntia. When interpreted the path maps indicate that four of the chosen study species occupy a weak adaptive zone ecologically. As an addition to ecological study, distribution maps were constructed. They show the location of Opuntia species at the time of the study

Field host range of Apanteles opuntiarum (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) in Argentina, a potential biocontrol agent of Cactoblastis cactorum (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) in North America

Field exploration in Argentina for cactophagous lepidopteran hosts parasitized by the recently described braconid parasitoid Apanteles opuntiarum Martínez & Berta (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) revealed a host range restricted to Cactoblastis cactorum (Berg) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) and C. doddi. Field collections of cactophagous larvae parasitized by the congeneric and sympatric parasitoid A. alexanderi included the host species C. bucyrus, Sigelgaita nr. chilensis, Tucumania sp., Tucumania tapiacola and Salambona sp. If a narrow host range for A.opuntiarum is confirmed in quarantine with North American cactus-feeding species, then this parasitoid could be released as a biological control agent for C. cactorum with little or no risk to non-target species.Las exploraciones de campo en Argentina de larvas hospedadoras cactófagas parasitadas por Apanteles opuntiarum Martínez & Berta (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), un bracónido recientemente descripto, revelaron un espectro de hospedadores restringido a Cactoblastis cac­torum (Berg) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) y C. doddi. Las colecciones de campo de larvas cactófagas parasitadas por la especie congenérica y simpátrica A. alexanderi identificaron a C. bucyrus, Sigelgaita nr. chi­lensis, Tucumania sp., Tucumania tapiacola y Salambona sp. como es­pecies hospedadoras. Si se confirma en cuarentena el estrecho rango de hospedadores de A. opuntiarum sobre especies norteamericanas que se alimentan de cactus, podría ser liberado como agente de con­trol biológico de C. cactorum, con bajo riesgo o ninguno a especies no blanco.Fil: Varone, Laura. Fundación para el Estudio de Especies Invasivas; ArgentinaFil: Logarzo, Guillermo Alejandro. Fundación para el Estudio de Especies Invasivas; ArgentinaFil: Martinez, Juan Jose. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales ; ArgentinaFil: Navarro, Fernando. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Instituto Miguel Lillo. Instituto Superior de Entomología; ArgentinaFil: Carpenter, James E.. United States Department of Agriculture; Estados UnidosFil: Hight, Stephen D.. United States Department of Agriculture; Estados Unido

Darwin and the plants of the Galapagos-Islands

During his five year sea voyage with the “Beagle”, Darwin, at the suggestion of the botanist J.S. Henslow, collected more than 1400 vascular plants, and more than 200 of them alone during his short stay on the Galápagos Islands. The unique collection of plants from the Galápagos archipelago was examined in 1845 by J.D. Hooker. Unlike the birds, Darwin had collected the plants separately for each island. Hooker described 78 of them as new species and analyzed the close biogeographical relations of the Galápagos flora with the South-American continent. The finding that more than 50% of the species are not found anywhere else on the globe – are hence endemics, many of them restricted to individual islands – was a sensation for Hooker and Darwin. Hooker correctly characterized the Asteraceae as the most remarkable family of the Galápagos Islands, due to the great number of their endemic genera and species. He also discussed the adaptations which might have allowed the plants of the different families to reach the isolated islands. Hooker’s results played an important role for Darwin in his developing the theory of evolution, and – besides the examples of birds, tortoises, and lizards – provided him with weighty arguments to defend it. There are seven endemic plant genera on the Galápagos Islands, and 19 genera that are adaptively diversified. With 19 endemic taxa, the genus Scalesia (Asteraceae) is the most spectacular example of an adaptive radiation, followed by the prickly pear cactuses (Opuntia) with 14 endemic taxa. While Darwin’s finches meanwhile represent one of the best-studied examples of evolution and adaptive radiation, only little research has been done so far into evolutionary processes in plants of the Galápagos archipelago. The prominent role that Darwin’s plants played for his scientific insights is even less known

Geographical Range and Laboratory Studies on Apanteles opuntiarum (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) in Argentina, a Candidate for Biological Control of Cactoblastis cactorum (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) in North America

La polilla de la tuna, Cactoblastis cactorum (Berg) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), es una plaga que amenaza las Opuntia spp. nativas de América del Norte. Se han implementado varias estrategias para su control, erradicándola de México pero no de los Estados Unidos, donde ha continuado incrementando su distribución geográfica con éxito. Por lo tanto, se propone un enfoque integrado que incluya al control biológico para regular las poblaciones de C. cactorum en América del Norte. Se realizaron relevamientos de campo del parasitoide recientemente descrito, Apanteles opuntiarum Martínez & Berta, dentro del área de distribución nativa de C. cactorum en Argentina, y se realizaron estudios de laboratorio para desarrollar un protocolo de cría del parasitoide. Apanteles opuntiarum fue el parasitoide más común de C. cactorum y sus distribuciones en el campo coincidieron ampliamente. En el laboratorio, el éxito reproductivo del parasitoide se maximizó cuando una o dos avispas estuvieron expuestas a 30 larvas dentro de un recipiente de 500 ml. Hembras criadas en laboratorio fueron menos exitosas parasitando hospedadores que hembras provenientes del campo. A pesar del éxito logrado en la cría de los parasitoides, obtuvimos una proporción de sexos sesgada hacia machos en los experimentos. Como este sesgo podría estar relacionado a la presencia del parásito reproductivo Wolbachia, tanto la colonia de laboratorio como individuos provenientes del campo fueron analizados y poseían Wolbachia. El presente estudio proporcionó información útil de campo y laboratorio para (1) estandarizar una técnica de cría en laboratorio; (2) realizar estudios de especificidad de hospedadores en condiciones de cuarentena; y (3) seleccionar las poblaciones de parasitoides que mejor coinciden con el clima de las áreas invadidas por C. cactorum en América del Norte.The cactus moth, Cactoblastis cactorum (Berg) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), is a pest that threatens native Opuntia spp. in North America. Control tactics developed and implemented against this invasive pest successfully eradicated the moth in Mexico and on barrier islands in the United States. However, with the cancellation of the regional management program in the United States, no control tactics are being implemented to mitigate the expansion of the moth's geographical range. Hence, an integrated approach including biological control is proposed to regulate the population of C. cactorum in North America. Field surveys of the recently described parasitoid, Apanteles opuntiarum Martínez & Berta, were carried out within the C. cactorum native range in Argentina, and laboratory studies were conducted to develop a parasitoid rearing protocol. Apanteles opuntiarum was the most common parasitoid of C. cactorum and their field distributions were similar. In the laboratory, the parasitoid's reproductive success was maximized when one or two female wasps were exposed to 30 host larvae within a 500 ml container. Laboratory reared females were less successful at parasitizing hosts than field collected females. In spite of the success achieved with laboratory rearing, male bias was observed throughout the experiments. Because this bias might be related to the presence of the reproductive parasite Wolbachia, both laboratory colony and field collected individuals were screened and Wolbachia was detected. This study provides useful field and laboratory information on (1) laboratory rearing techniques for A. opuntiarum; (2) developing host specificity test protocols for studies under quarantine conditions; and (3) selecting parasitoid populations that best match the climatic conditions present in the C. cactorum invaded areas of North America.Fil: Mengoni Goñalons, Carolina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias; ArgentinaFil: Varone, Laura. Fundación para el Estudio de Especies Invasivas; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Logarzo, Guillermo Alejandro. Fundación para el Estudio de Especies Invasivas; ArgentinaFil: Guala, Mariel. Fundación para el Estudio de Especies Invasivas; ArgentinaFil: Rodriguero, Marcela Silvina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Hight, Stephen D.. United States Department Of Agriculture. Agriculture Research Service; Estados UnidosFil: Carpenter, James E.. United States Department Of Agriculture. Agriculture Research Service; Estados Unido