Amino acids through developmental stages of sunflower leaves

The PICO-TAGanalysis of proteins revealed that 17 protein-bound and 18 free amino acids were present throughout the developmental stages of sunflower leaves. The total protein-bound amino acid content was much higher than total free amino acid content throughout the development of sunflower leaves. The contents of protein-bound and free amino acids as well as essential and non-essential ones displayed different patterns with leaf maturation, suggesting that total protein levels are poor predictors of the nutritive status of leaves

The Impact of Variation in Foliar Constituents of Sunflower on Development and Reproduction of Diacrisia casignetum Kollar (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae)

Effects of feeding on young, mature, and senescent sunflower leaves were studied under laboratory conditions (27 ± 0.5°C, 12L : 12D, 65±5% RH) to evaluate the impact of variation of nutrients on larval food utilization efficiency, larval and pupal development and survival, longevity, and fecundity of Diacrisia casignetum Kollar. The growth rate, which is the ratio between the dry weight gain of insect and duration of experimental period, of D. casignetum was in the order of mature leaf > young leaf > senescent leaf of sunflower. This was correlated with nutrient constituents of three kinds of sunflower leaves, which was measured by various biochemical analyses described elsewhere in the text. Total carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, nitrogen, amino acids, and water content are in greater amount in mature leaves when compared to young and senescent leaves, whereas phenol content was highest in young leaves than mature leaves. Hence, higher amount of total carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, nitrogen, amino acids including water and lower amount of total phenol content in mature leaves have influenced higher growth rate, less developmental time, and higher fecundity of D. casignetum

Long-chain primary alcohols in <i>Momordica cochinchinensis</i> Spreng leaf surface waxes

<div>Abstract<p>The chloroform extracts of young, mature and senescent <i>Momordica cochinchinensis</i> Spreng (Cucurbitaceae) leaves containing a layer of epicuticular waxes were analysed by thin-layer chromatography, gas chromatography and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. The young and mature leaves indicated the presence of 14 individual long-chain primary alcohols, accounting for 2643.33 ± 68.88 and 3350 ± 88.88 μg/100 g, respectively; whereas 15 individual primary alcohols were detected in senescent leaves representing 3013.33 ± 105.25 μg/100 g (mean ± standard error). The predominant primary alcohol was 1-octadecanol in mature and senescent leaves representing 1224.65 ± 24.47 and 2299.41 ± 66.22 μg/100 g, respectively; whereas 1-nonacosanol was dominant accounting for 653.38 ± 12.62 μg/100 g in young leaves. 1-tridecanol was least abundant in young leaves (30.46 ± 1.63 μg/100 g); whereas 1-tetradecanol was least abundant in mature and senescent leaves, accounting for 35.42 ± 1.42 and 8.87 ± 0.83 μg/100 g, respectively.</p></div

Free fatty acids from <i>Momordica charantia</i> L. flower surface waxes influencing attraction of <i>Epilachna dodecastigma</i> (Wied.) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae)

<div><p><i>Momordica charantia</i> L. (Cucurbitaceae) is an important vegetable in Asia and Africa. Larvae and adults of <i>Epilachna dodecastigma</i> (Wied.) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) consume <i>M. charantia</i> leaves and flowers and reduces crop production. Currently, this pest is controlled by insecticides application. Hence, it is necessary to find out allelochemicals from flowers attracting the insect, which might be used for environment friendly pest management program. Therefore, free fatty acid profile from flowers was characterized and then proposed use of a synthetic blend of fatty acids for development of baited traps. Extraction, thin layer chromatography and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry of <i>M. charantia</i> flowers revealed 14 free fatty acids. The free fatty acids from flowers and synthetic blends of fatty acids mimicking different concentrations of free fatty acids attracted female <i>E. dodecastigma</i> between 50–400 μg/mL concentrations in Y-shaped glass tube olfactometer bioassay. A synthetic blend of 112.61, 29.22, 45.23, 101.76 and 65.73 μg/mL of palmitoleic, stearic, oleic, arachidic and docosanoic acids, respectively, was most attractive to the insect, and could be used as a trapping tool for pest management.</p></div

Systemically released volatiles from <i>Solena amplexicaulis</i> plant leaves with color cues influencing attraction of a generalist insect herbivore

<p><i>Solena amplexicaulis</i> (Lam.) Gandhi (Cucurbitaceae) is a promising vegetable in Southeast Asia. Infestation of <i>Aulacophora foveicollis</i> Lucas (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) adults on leaves of the crop plant causes death of the plant and reduces crop production. Currently, growers are applying insecticides to control this pest, which are harmful to health and environment. Hence, an attempt has been made to find out allelochemicals from leaves attracting the insect, which might be used for ecofriendly pest management program. The emission of volatiles was detected from undamaged leaves of herbivore-induced plants after 24 h and 120 h of continuous females feeding on lower leaves of the same plants by GC-MS and GC-FID analysis. The insect showed attraction to systemically released volatiles from herbivore-induced plants against unharmed plants in Y-shaped glass tube olfactometer bioassays. The insect was attracted to a synthetic blend of 1.2 µg linalool oxide + 3.2 µg nonanal + 1.5 µg <i>trans</i>-2-nonenal dissolved in 20 µL CH₂Cl₂ in olfactometer and wind tunnel bioassays, and hence, this blend could be used in development of baited traps in pest management strategies.</p

Variation in fatty acids throughout the developmental stages of <i>Vigna unguiculata</i> (L.) Walp. leaves

<p>The <i>n</i>-hexane extracts of young, mature and senescent leaves of <i>Vigna unguiculata</i> (L.) Walp., commonly known as cowpea, were analysed by thin-layer chromatography (TLC), gas chromatography with flame ionization detector (GC-FID) and gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS), and revealed 12, 14 and 12 free fatty acids representing approximately 3.2, 4.5 and 2.5 mg per 100 g of leaf tissue in young, mature and senescent leaves, respectively. After extraction of surface-wax free fatty acids, the chloroform : methanol : water extracts of three types of leaf were analysed by TLC, GC-FID and GC-MS, and 15 fatty acids were detected, accounting for approximately 15.5, 24.0 and 9.4 mg in young, mature and senescent leaves, respectively. Palmitoleic, heptadecanoic and docosanoic acids were the predominant free fatty acids in young, mature and senescent leaves, representing approximately 1.4, 1.3 and 0.8 mg per 100 g leaf tissue, respectively; whereas myristic, tridecanoic and pentadecanoic acids were the least abundant free fatty acids in young, mature and senescent leaves, accounting for approximately 1.5, 20.6 and 25.2 μg per 100 g leaf tissue, respectively. Palmitoleic acid was the predominant fatty acid without surface-wax free fatty acids in young, mature and senescent leaves, accounting for approximately 8, 16.9 and 4.8 mg, respectively. Nonadecanoic acid was the least abundant fatty acid in young and senescent leaves without surface-wax free fatty acids representing approximately 64 and 43 μg per 100 g leaf tissue, respectively; whereas lauric acid was the least abundant fatty acid in mature leaves (40 μg per 100 g leaf tissue).</p