Modification of the epicuticular waxes of plant leaves due to increased sunlight intensity

Climatic changes observed around the world in recent years are associated with an increase in the solar radiation intensity and temperature and reduction in the humidity. Fluctuations of environmental factors significantly change the conditions for the existence of plants, which dictates the need for adaptive reactions of plant organisms at the different levels of their organization. Such dangerous processes as excessive heating of the surface of plant leaves and water loss can be prevented by the formation of a cuticle, which is a complex composition consisting of cutin and the soluble intracuticular and epicuticular waxes. We suggested that the structure, component composition and properties of the cuticle of trees undergo adaptive changes due to microclimatic conditions in different parts of the tree crown. The study was aimed at the identification and evaluation of light-induced differences in the accumulation and composition of leaf epicuticular waxes of Ulmus trees (native U. minor Mill. and alien U. pumila L.), and was conducted in 2018–2019 in Dnipro city located in the steppe zone of Ukraine. Analysis of the waxes’ chloroform extracts was carried out using GC Shimadzu 2010 PLUS equipped with a flame ionization detector and capillary column SP-2560. The highest amount of epicuticular waxes (12.23 ± 0.39 µg/cm2) was on the sunlit leaves of U. pumila, and wax deposits on the sunned leaves exceeded twice those on the shaded leaves in both U. minor and U. pumila. Long-chain hydrocarbons detected in the epicuticular waxes of both elm species were represented by free fatty acids, aldehydes, alcohols, and n-alkanes in various ratios. In the epicuticular waxes of U. minor, fatty acids dominated both on shaded and sunned leaves, while alkanes together with alcohols were the main components in U. pumila waxes, especially on the sunlit leaves. According to our results, local high illumination of leaves in the crown of both elm species caused increase in share of long-chain alkanes (1.2–1.9 times), but simultaneous reduction of the content of free fatty acids (1.5–16.8 times) in the epicuticular waxes’ composition. General patterns of the leaf epicuticular waxes’ modification due to increased solar radiation and air temperature can indicate the adaptive metabolic responses of woody plants to changing climatic conditions

Phytochemical profiles, antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of Actinidia polygama and A. arguta fruits and leaves

Plants of two species of Actinidia genus grown in an adverse steppe climate were examined in terms of secondary metabolites’ accumulation, antioxidant potential, and antimicrobial ability. The aim of the work was to reveal whether the introduced plants A. arguta and A. polygama retain their well-known health benefits. Total content of polyphenols (549.2 and 428.1 mg GAE/100 g FW, respectively), flavonoids, and phenolic acids as well as total antioxidant activity and reducing power of the fruit isopropanol extracts were found to be equal or even higher than the reported data on kiwifruit varieties cultivated in China and other regions. Antioxidant potential and phenolic compounds’ content in the fruit peel of both species were higher when compared to pulp, while corresponding indices of leaves exceeded those of the fruit. Disc-diffusion assays showed low to moderate antibacterial activity of A. arguta and A. polygama fruit and leaf extracts against collection Gram-negative and Gram-positive strains. Clinical strains of P. aeruginosa and E. coli resistant to the action of ofloxacin were notably inhibited by A. arguta and A. polygama fruit and leaf crude extracts. Inhibiting effects of plant extracts on clinical strains of K. pneumoniae and A. baumannii were comparable with the effect of ofloxacin. GC-MS assays identified 23 and 36 chemical constituents, respectively in A. arguta and A. polygama fruit isopropanol extracts. The main compounds in both extracts were 2-propenoic acid, pentadecyl ester followed by squalene, 7,9-di-tert-butyl-1-oxaspiro(4,5)deca-6,9-dien-2,8-dione, octadecanoic acid, 2-oxo-methyl ester, ethyl-isoallocholate, and phytol having known bioactivities. Our findings confirmed the preservation of useful properties by the introduced plants and also indicated the rich health-promoting abilities and expedience of cultivating A. arguta and A. polygama in a steppe climate

Phytochemical profiles and antimicrobial activity of the inflorescences of Sorbus domestica, S. aucuparia, and S. torminalis

The genus Sorbus L. is known for its extremely complex taxonomical relationships and health-promoting phytochemicals included in the composition of its floral constituents. The inflorescences of three Sorbus species (rowans), characterized by distinct molecular-genetic traits, were studied in order to examine the possible chemotaxonomic and antimicrobial value of their metabolites. GC–MS profiling of the hexane extracts of S. domestica, S. aucuparia, and S. torminalis inflorescences identified a total of 87 components, which represented six chemical classes (hydrocarbons, alcohols, esters, fatty acid, aldehydes, and ketones) and miscellaneous minor floral constituents (1-methylinosine, 5-amino tetrazole, 1,4-dimethylbenzene, 3,5-bis(1,1-dimethylethyl)-phenol, 3-acetoxy-7,8-epoxylanostan-11-ol, cycloeucalenol acetate, etc.). Principal component analysis (PCA) of the qualitative and quantitative heterogeneity of the floral metabolites determined 1-hentetracontanol, nonacosane, pentadecyl acrylate, 1-methylhexacosane, cycloeucalenol acetate, butyl acetate, and urs-12-ene as the main components which contributed to the differences between S. domestica, S. aucuparia and S. torminalis and resulted in the distinction between the rowan species. Disc-diffusion assays showed variability in activity of inflorescence extracts against Gram-negative (Enterobacter dissolvens, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Klebsiella pneumoniae) and Gram-positive (Micrococcus lysodeikticus, Staphylococcus aureus, and S. epidermidis) bacterial and clinical fungal (Candida albicans) strains. The effect of S. torminalis was high against S. epidermidis and P. aeruginosa, while it was at its lowest against clinical C. albicans strains. Inflorescences of S. domestica showed the highest inhibition of P. aeruginosa, and moderate effects against S. epidermidis and C. albicans. Inflorescences of S. aucuparia caused low to moderate growth inhibition of both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains, while it showed the highest effect on C. albicans. Antimicrobial properties of rowan inflorescences may be attributed to oleic, linoleic, arachidic, hexadecanoic, and pentadecanoic acids, 24-norursa-3,12-diene, hexahydrofarnesyl acetone, cycloeucalenol acetate, and other compounds which have known bioactivity. These findings indicated rowan inflorescences as a rich source of valuable secondary metabolites and allow us to assume an application of the floral constituents as chemotaxonomic markers of the genus Sorbus species

Soluble cuticular wax composition and antimicrobial activity of the fruits of Chaenomeles species and an interspecific hybrid

Plants of the genus Chaenomeles Lindl. (Rosaceae) naturally grow in Southeast Asia and represent the richest resource of biologically active compounds with beneficial properties for humans. Plants of C. japonica (Thunb.) Lindl. and C. speciosa (Sweet) Nakai species, and interspecific hybrid C. × superba (Frahm) Rehder (C. japonica × C. speciosa, Superba group) have been successfully introduced in the steppe zone of Ukraine and bear fruits. In this study, we evaluated chemical composition of fruit cuticular waxes and antimicrobial activity of fruit extracts. The soluble waxes were characterized using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and 26–36 compounds, representing 91.7–96.6% of the total soluble cuticular waxes, were identified. Waxes of Chaenomeles fruits belonged to six classes, namely fatty acids, alcohols, aldehydes, esters, ethers and alkanes. Aldehydes 7-hexadecenal and heptacosanal, and alkanes hexatriacontane and tetrapentacontane were the main constituents in the soluble cuticular waxes of C. speciosa and C. × superba fruits, accounting for more than half of the total contents. However, alkane tetrapentacontane, alcohol 8,10-hexadecadien-1-ol and heptacosanal prevailed in C. japonica fruit waxes. Isopropanolic fruit extracts exhibited dose-dependent antimicrobial activity against four Gram-negative bacteria, five Gram-positive bacteria and one fungal strain in the disc diffusion assay. In general, extracts from the Chaenomeles fruits demonstrated higher activity against Gram+ bacteria than Gram- strains. The strongest inhibiting activity was shown against Staphylococcus epidermidis (by the fruit extracts of C. × superba and C. speciosa), Micrococcus lysodeikticus and Candida albicans (both by C. × superba fruit extract). Results of the study confirmed accumulation of the bioactive compounds in the fruit waxes of different Chaenomeles species and antimicrobial ability of Chaenomeles fruits as well. These findings revealed the bioactive compounds in fruit cuticular waxes and suggested health-promoting properties of introduced Chaenomeles species

Аліментарні тригери гормонзалежних форм раку молочної залози

Breast cancer (BC) consistently holds the leading positions in the structure of morbidity and mortality of the female population. Food containing veterinary hormones is extremely dangerous to human health: estrogens are female sex hormones. Excessive level of estrogen in the body gives rise to diseases of varying severity: in women (especially of older age) it may cause breast cancer. The paper investigates the processes of lipid peroxidation and the status of antioxidant protection system in rats of different ages exposed to exogenous estrogens. The purpose of the work is to study lipid peroxidation and antioxidative protection status in rats of different ages exposed to exogenous estrogens for determining the trigger mechanisms for tumor development. Experiments were conducted on female Wistar rats exposed to exogenous estrogen for 45 days. At the beginning of the experiment, age of experimental animals was 3 months in pubertal period and 6 months as mature ones. The control groups consisted of intact animals of appropriate age. To simulate the influence of exogenous estrogen, rats’ food was treated with the Sinestron drug at the rate of 2 mg per kg. The research materials were serum and liver of rats. Objects of the research were indicators of lipid peroxidation activity (content of TBA-active products) and antioxidant protection system (reduced glutathione (RG) level), glutathione transferase (GT), glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione peroxidase (GP), superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, and total antioxidative activity (AOA). Data obtained was treated with standard methods of estimation of variation series. Various degrees of peroxidation intensification depending on the age and organs were determined. Maximum excess of control indexes in the serum was observed and it indicated synthetic estrogen effect of on all major body systems. In prepubertal period females’ liver the reaction of prooxidant system and tension in the antioxidant protection system exceeded the strength of response in the body of mature animals. The organ discreteness of changes in the activity of antioxidant protection enzymes depending on the age of the animals was recorded. Given the involvement of glutathione system in the deactivation of estrogens through their conjugation in reactions catalyzed by glutathione transferase, decreased enzyme activity may lead to accumulation of highly active intermediate metabolites with subsequent damage to intracellular structures. Later on, these phenomena may become a trigger of reduction of the compensatory mechanisms’ potential, which together with the genotoxic effect of exogenous estrogens is an important pathogenetic element in carcinogenesis: they initiate the development of proliferative processes and occurrence of cancer conditions, in particular, hormone dependent breast tumors, in future. Досліджено процеси перекисного окиснення ліпідів і стан системи антиокисного захисту в організмі щурів різного віку, що піддавалися впливу екзоестрогенів. Установлено різний ступінь інтенсифікації пероксидації залежно від віку та дослідного органа: максимальне перевищення контрольних показників відмічене у сироватці крові, що свідчить про вплив синтетичних естрогенів на всі основні системи організму. У самиць у препубертатному періоді у печінці реакція прооксидантної системи та напруження в системі антиоксидантного захисту перевищували силу відповіді в органі статевозрілих тварин. Відмічено органну дискретність змін активності ензимів антиоксидантного захисту, яка залежить від віку тварин. Ураховуючи залучення системи глутатіону до дезактивації естрогенів шляхом їх кон’югації в реакціях, що каталізуються глутатіонтрансферазою, зниження активності ензиму може викликати накопичення високоактивних проміжних метаболітів із наступним пошкодженням внутрішньоклітинних структур. Ці феномени надалі можуть стати тригером зниження потенціалу компенсаторних механізмів, що разом із генотоксичною дією екзоестрогенів є важливою патогенетичною ланкою в канцерогенезі: ініціюють розвиток проліферативних процесів та виникнення в майбутньому ракових станів і, зокрема, гормонзалежних пухлин молочної залози. Досліджено процеси перекисного окиснення ліпідів і стан системи антиокисного захисту в організмі щурів різного віку, що піддавалися впливу екзоестрогенів. Установлено різний ступінь інтенсифікації пероксидації залежно від віку та дослідного органа: максимальне перевищення контрольних показників відмічене у сироватці крові, що свідчить про вплив синтетичних естрогенів на всі основні системи організму. У самиць у препубертатному періоді у печінці реакція прооксидантної системи та напруження в системі антиоксидантного захисту перевищували силу відповіді в органі статевозрілих тварин. Відмічено органну дискретність змін активності ензимів антиоксидантного захисту, яка залежить від віку тварин. Ураховуючи залучення системи глутатіону до дезактивації естрогенів шляхом їх кон’югації в реакціях, що каталізуються глутатіонтрансферазою, зниження активності ензиму може викликати накопичення високоактивних проміжних метаболітів із наступним пошкодженням внутрішньоклітинних структур. Ці феномени надалі можуть стати тригером зниження потенціалу компенсаторних механізмів, що разом із генотоксичною дією екзоестрогенів є важливою патогенетичною ланкою в канцерогенезі: ініціюють розвиток проліферативних процесів та виникнення в майбутньому ракових станів і, зокрема, гормонзалежних пухлин молочної залози.

Cuticular wax composition of mature leaves of species and hybrids of the genus Prunus differing in resistance to clasterosporium disease

The interaction of a host plant with pathogen implies an extremely complex process involving the outer waxy layer of the cuticle, cutin, cell membrane, and intracellular structures. However, the initial contact between plants and pathogens takes place in cuticular waxes covering the surface of leaves, stems and fruits. Despite many findings on the role of plant epicuticular waxes, there is a gap in the understanding of the relationship between individual compounds and their functions. The pathogenic fungus Clasterosporium carpohilum (Lev.) Aderh. parasitizes the tissues of many stone fruit trees, damaging leaf and fruit surface. The aim of this work was to find out if the quantity and composition of leaf epicuticular wax could be responsible for the resistance to clasterosporium disease. The study of differences of plants in fungal resistance was carried out on species and hybrids of the genus Prunus from the collection of the Botanical Garden of Oles Honchar Dnipro National University (Dnipro city, Ukraine). The chloroform extracts of epicuticular waxes from the surface of mature leaves were analyzed by gas chromatography connected to mass-spectrometry. GC/MS assay was performed using Shimadzu GCMS-QP 2020 El equipped with capillary column (5% diphenyl/95% dimethyl polysiloxane), and helium as a carrier gas. Mass Spectrum Library 2014 for GSMS was used to identify the separated compounds of the wax extracts. The maximum total wax amount on the adaxial and abaxial leaf surface of hybrid 2 was twice the minimum wax accumulation for hybrid 4. Overall, 20 individual compounds belonging to six hydrocarbon classes were identified. Leaf epicuticular wax composition both in Prunus persica (L.) Batsch and P. dulcis (Mill.) D. A. Webb, and hybrids was dominated by long-chain n-alkanes with even carbon number (77.6–90.9% of total sum). The alkenes’ class was represented only by 17-pentatriacontene detected in the wax of both Prunus species. Octadecanaldehyde was found in epicuticular wax of P. dulcis while absent in wax of the more resistant species P. persica. Prime alcohols 1-tetradecanol and 1-hexacosanol were detected in leaf waxes of hybrid 4 and P. dulcis respectively. The ester class contained seven compounds found in leaf epicuticular waxes of both plant species and all hybrid forms. The identification of phthalic acid esters in leaf wax extracts was unexpected, and the phthalates’ origin is discussed. Strong positive correlation between leaf damage and tetrapentacontane content in epicuticular waxes could presumably be the result of infection-induced metabolism reprogramming in epidermal cells of infected leaves

Modeling the invasiveness of Ulmus pumila in urban ecosystems in conditions of climate change

Climatic change can influence the boundaries of the natural and alien plant species distribution. Fluctuations in air temperature, relative humidity and other factors can become a stimulus to initiation and / or intensification of the invasive nature of some adventive plant species, especially in areas with a high degree of anthropogenic transformation. This paper presents an analysis of the current state and a forecast of the invasiveness of the alien species Ulmus pumila L. (Asiatic elm) in the Northern Steppe Dnieper under conditions of climatic change. Two local U. pumila populations consisting of young different age trees were found during a route survey in the territory of the large industrial city Dnipro (48°28′00″ N, 35°01′05″ E) in its left-bank and right-bank parts.The seed origin of both local populations of Asiatic elm is confirmed by the fact that the young plants were spaced at a distance of 50 to 120 m from adult trees, which could potentially be parent plants. Both the left-bank and right-bank populations of U. pumila were located on abandoned construction sites, where there were numerous reinforced concrete slabs, piles and abundant construction debris. In both U. pumila local populations, 100 different-aged trees were randomly selected throughout the site, and their age and the morphometric parameters were measured to simulate the development process of the detected populations, provided the current trends of climate change continue. Analytical dependence of the number of trees in the left-bank local U. pumila population on development time was described by a polynomial model with a determination coefficient of 98.3%. The graphic representation of this model had a sinusoidal character, and a similar dynamic of left-bank population growth in the subsequent years was suggested. The dynamic of the number of trees in the right-bank local Asiatic elm population was described by an exponential model with a determination coefficient of 84.4%, and its graphical representation was exponential. According to the forecast, by 2020, the number of plants in the right-bank local population of U. pumila can increase 4-fold in comparison with 2015 while maintaining the current dynamic of population development. Thus, the created mathematical models adequately described the dynamics of development of both local populations during the last 15 years and predicted their subsequent intensive growth, confirming the initiation and intensification of the invasive nature of the alien species U. pumila by climatic change in the Steppe Dnieper

Actual aspects of organic agricultural development in Ukraine

The monograph presents a conceptual analysis of the development of all sectors of organic production in Ukraine, the problems of sustainable increase in the efficiency of agrobiocenoses, the economic aspects of the formation of organic production according to European standards, and the analysis of opportunities for the agrarian sector. The approaches to the application of new methods and tools in organic production are described. The monograph is prezented for specialists, employments of the agrarian sector, scientists, professors, students and masters, all those who are interested in the specified range of questions that are being analyzed

Studying the genetic structure of Quercus robur forest stands on anthropogenically transformed territories using introns of the β-tubulin gene

Based on the analysis of the intron polymorphism of β-tubulin genes, the genetic variability of old Quercus robur L. trees from “Holosiivsky” NPP was investigated. The genotyping of 55 old Q. robur trees was carried out; 40 polymorphic and one monomorphic (about 880 bp) TBR fragments were found. High frequency (70–90%) of occurrence of fragments with an approximate molecular weight of 275, 490, 500, and 1110 bp was observed.The genetic polymorphism of old Q. robur trees was assessed as quite high: РІС is 0.22 – 0.39, the effective number of alleles per locus was 1.174–1.268. The Shannon information index was in the range of 0.204–0.269.The geographical differentiation of the genetic structure of centuries-old oak trees from “Holosiivsky” NPP was not pronounced. The share of inter-selection genetic variability (AMOVA) accounts for about 6% of genetic variability, and the geographic component – about 1%. Around 93% of genetic variability is concentrated on the individual level. Using the ТВР method, we found that Q. robur forest stands do not have a stabilized genetic and visible spatial structure, but at the same time they possess a sufficiently large genetic diversity. The absence of a spatial genetic structure may indicate the artificial origin of Q. robur trees from different seed materials, and also that a small number of the plants have survived to this time. In this case, the main influence on the structure of oak stands in “Holosiivsky” NPP was from anthropogenic factors, both in the form of cutting down trees and, possibly, the introduction of alien seed material

The impact of pollutants on the antioxidant protection of species of the genus Tilia at different developmental stages

The influence of transport fumes and industrial waste on the activity of catalase, benzidine-peroxidase and guaiacol-peroxidase was studied in the dormant buds, leaves and seeds of the following species of the genus Tilia:T. platyphyllos Scop., T. europaea L., T. amurensis Rupr. and T. begoniifolia Stev. We tested the hypothesis that the action of pollutants changes the state of antioxidant protection at different stages of tree development in contaminated phytocenoses. An increase in catalase activity was observed in leaves of all linden species, and the action of transport fumes caused excess over control level by 118, 118, 196, and 61% respectively for T. platyphyllos, T. europaea, T. amurensis and T. begoniifolia. The action of industrial waste was accompanied by a slight decrease in catalase activity in T. europaea leaves, and increase in activity in leaves of T. amurensis and T. begoniifolia (143% and 115%). Benzidine-peroxidase activity increased due to the influence of transport fumes on leaves of T. amurensis and T. begoniifolia (103% and 44%), but decreased due to the effect of industrial waste on leaves of T. europaea, T. amurensis and T. begoniifolia (46%, 30%, and 44% respectively), and was suppressed in the seeds of T. europaea, T. amurensis and T. begoniifolia both under the influence of transport (42%, 47% and 33% below control) and industrial emissions (19%, 19% and 45%), and was reduced in buds of T. platyphyllos, T. europaea and T. amurensis due to the effect of transport fumes (21%, 9% and 20% respectively). Guaiacol-peroxidase activity decreased due to the influence of transport fumes in buds of T. platyphyllos, T. europaea and T. amurensis (41%, 14% and 47% below control), while it increased in the seeds of T. platyphyllos and T. amurensis (104% and 83%), as well as in leaves of T. amurensis and T. begoniifolia both due to the effect of transport (129% and 144%) and of industrial emissions (respectively, 34% and 40% above control). The substantial restructuring of the antioxidant system components in leaves, dormant buds and seeds confirms the hypothesis that metabolic processes in Tilia trees adapt throughout all stages of their development in response to the polluted conditions in urban phytocenoses