Study of the solvatochromic effect on natural phenolic compounds

Se describen las características espectrofluorimétricas de dos derivados de quercetina aislados de las hojas de Flaveria bidentis, un derivado de 6-prenilpinocembrina, aislado de las raíces de Dalea elegans y un compuesto de estructura antraquinónica aislado de las hojas de Heterophyllaea pustulata. Todos ellos presentan espectros de absorción con máximos en la región UV-visible acordes con los grupos cromóforos presentes en su estructura. Los cuatro compuestos estudiados presentan fluorescencia nativa. La posición de los máximos de emisión de fluorescencia se modifica en función del disolvente. Los desplazamientos producidos están relacionados con el diferente grado de solvatación de las moléculas en estado excitado según la polaridad del disolvente. La adición de ácidos minerales provoca desplazamientos en los máximos de fluorescencia concordantes con los ya descritos para compuestos de estructura similar. Estas modificaciones espectrales tienen un gran interés analítico desde el punto de vista de la identificación y caracterización de productos naturales de estructura fenólica.The spectrofluorimetric behaviour of two derivatives of quercetin isolated from the leaves of Flaveria bidentis, a derivative of 6-prenylpinocembrin isolated from the roots of Dalea elegans and an anthraquinonic derivative isolated from the leaves of Heterophyllaea pustulata, is described. The UV-visible absorption spectra of these compounds exhibit the maximum values corresponding to the chromophores present in each structure. All of the compounds studied show native fluorescence in different solvents. The maximum shift in fluorescence emission to the red spectral region when the polarity of the solvents is increased, can be attributed to varying degrees of solvation in the excited state in the different solvents. Additions of small amounts of H2SO4 cause shifts in excitation and emission wavelengths, in agreement with those described for compounds with similar chemical structures. Such fluorescent spectral changes are of considerable analytical interest, given that they allow the presence of phenolic compounds in the extracts of natural plant material to be detected easily.Program for University Co-operation conve- ned in 2001 by Agencia Española de Cooperación Internacional (AECI)

Biotechnology approaches to overcome biotic and abiotic stress constraints in legumes

Biotic and abiotic stresses cause significant yield losses in legumes and can significantly affect their productivity. Biotechnology tools such as marker-assisted breeding, tissue culture, in vitro mutagenesis and genetic transformation can contribute to solve or reduce some of these constraints. However, only limited success has been achieved so far. The emergence of “omic” technologies and the establishment of model legume plants such as Medicago truncatula and Lotus japonicus are promising strategies for understanding the molecular genetic basis of stress resistance, which is an important bottleneck for molecular breeding. Understanding the mechanisms that regulate the expression of stress-related genes is a fundamental issue in plant biology and will be necessary for the genetic improvement of legumes. In this review, we describe the current status of biotechnology approaches in relation to biotic and abiotic stresses in legumes and how these useful tools could be used to improve resistance to important constraints affecting legume crops.E. Prats is funded by an European Marie Curie Reintegration Grant, N. Rispail by (FP5) Eufaba project. Our work in this area is supported by Spanish CICYT project AGL-2002-03248 and European Union project FP6-2002-FOOD-1-506223. K. Singh’s work in this area is supported in part by the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) and the Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST) in Australia.Peer reviewe