Qualitative and Quantitative Assessment of Fatty Acids of Hazelnut by GC-TOF/MS

On the basis of gas chromatography coupled with time-of-flight mass spectrometry, we assessed the constituents and relative quantities of fatty acids extracted by supercritical carbon dioxide in seeds of hazelnut. Hazelnut seeds contain four fatty acids (palmitic, stearic, oleic, and linoleic acids). The content of unsaturated fatty acids is more than 92.9% in hazelnut seed oil. Oleic acid, which constitutes 76.1%, has a high boiling point and low volatility. Hazelnut oil has good storage stability and is recommended as senior edible oil for health and the food industry. Our study reveals the important contribution of hazelnut in the production of bioactive oils and compounds that prevent obesity, cancer, coronary disease, and many other human health as well as pharmaceutical challenges

Long-Term Studies Reveal Differential Responses to Climate Change for Trees Under Soil- or Herbivore-Related Stress

Worldwide, trees are confronting increased temperature and aridity, exacerbating susceptibility to herbivory. Long-term studies comparing patterns of plant performance through drought can help identify variation among and within populations in vulnerability to climate change and herbivory. We use long-term monitoring data to examine our overarching hypothesis that the negative impacts of poor soil and herbivore susceptibility would be compounded by severe drought. We studied pinyon pine, Pinus edulis, a widespread southwestern tree species that has suffered extensive climate-change related mortality. We analyzed data on mortality, growth, male reproduction, and herbivory collected for 14–32 years in three areas with distinct soil-types. We used standardized precipitation-evapotranspiration index (SPEI) as a climate proxy that summarizes the impacts of drought due to precipitation and temperature variation on semi-arid forests. Several key findings emerged: (1) Plant performance measurements did not support our hypothesis that trees growing in stressful, coarse-textured soils would suffer more than trees growing in finer-textured soils. Stem growth at the area with coarse, young cinder soils (area one) responded only weakly to drought, while stem growth on more developed soils with sedimentary (area two) and volcanic (area three) substrates, was strongly negatively affected by drought. Male reproduction declined less with drought at area one and more at areas two and three. Overall mortality was 30% on coarse cinder soils (area one) and averaged 55% on finer soil types (areas two and three). (2) Although moth herbivore susceptible trees were hypothesized to suffer more with drought than moth resistant trees, the opposite occurred. Annual stem growth was negatively affected by drought for moth resistant trees, but much less strongly for moth susceptible trees. (3) In contrast to our hypothesis, moths declined with drought. Overall, chronically water-stressed and herbivore-susceptible trees had smaller declines in performance relative to less-stressed trees during drought years. These long-term findings support the idea that stressed trees might be more resistant to drought since they may have adapted or acclimated to resist drought-related mortality

Chapter Qualitative and Quantitative Assessment of Fatty Acids of Hazelnut by GC-TOF/MS

On the basis of gas chromatography coupled with time-of-flight mass spectrometry, we assessed the constituents and relative quantities of fatty acids extracted by supercritical carbon dioxide in seeds of hazelnut. Hazelnut seeds contain four fatty acids (palmitic, stearic, oleic, and linoleic acids). The content of unsaturated fatty acids is more than 92.9% in hazelnut seed oil. Oleic acid, which constitutes 76.1%, has a high boiling point and low volatility. Hazelnut oil has good storage stability and is recommended as senior edible oil for health and the food industry. Our study reveals the important contribution of hazelnut in the production of bioactive oils and compounds that prevent obesity, cancer, coronary disease, and many other human health as well as pharmaceutical challenges

Halophyte improvement for a salinized world

It is more important to improve the salt tolerance of crops in a salinized world with the situations of increasing populations, declining crop yields, and a decrease in agricultural lands. Attempts to produce salt-tolerant crops have involved the manipulation of existing crops through conventional breeding, genetic engineering and marker-assisted selection (MAS). However, these have, so far, not produced lines growing on highly saline water. Hence, the domestication of wild halophytes as crops appears to be a feasible way to develop agriculture in highly saline environments. In this review, at first, the assessment criteria of salt tolerance for halophytes are discussed. The traditional criteria for the classification of salinity in crops are less applicable to strong halophytes with cubic growth curves at higher salinities. Thus, realistic assessment criteria for halophytes should be evaluated at low and high salinity levels. Moreover, absolute growth rather than relative growth in fields during a crop's life cycle should be considered. Secondly, the use of metabolomics to understand the mechanisms by which halophytes respond to salt tolerance is highlighted as is the potential for metabolomics-assisted breeding of this group of plants. Metabolomics provides a better understanding of the changes in cellular metabolism induced by salt stress. Identification of metabolic quantitative trait loci (QTL) associated with salt tolerance might provide a new method to aid the selection of halophyte improvement. Thirdly, the identification of germplasm-regression-combined (GRC) marker-trait association and its potential to identifying markers associated with salt tolerance is outlined. Results of MAS/linkage map-QTL have been modest because of the absence of QTLs with tight linkage, the non-availability of mapping populations and the substantial time needed to develop such populations. To overcome these limitations, identification by GRC-based marker-trait association has been successfully applied to many plant traits, including salt tolerance. Finally, we provide a prospect on the challenges and opportunities for halophyte improvement, especially in the integration of metabolomics- and GRC-marker-assisted selection towards new or unstudied halophyte breeding, for which no other genetic information, such as linkage maps and QTL, are available

Loberus impressus (LeConte) (Coleoptera: Erotylidae) fungal associations and presence in the seed capsules of Iris hexagona

Adults and larvae of the loberine erotylid beetle Loberus impressus (LeConte) were found associated with fungi growing on corolla and seed capsule tissue of the blue flag iris, Iris hexagona. We examined adult beetle specimens using light and scanning electron microscopy to determine if specialized structures (mycangia) may function in transporting fungi. Two pairs of deep pits on the ventral aspect of the gena between the eyes and the maxillae of both sexes contained fungal spores and hyphae, suggesting a possible role as mycangia in addition to their role as glandular outlets. Inoculation from the surface of cleaned beetle specimens produced colonies of Cladosporium and Fusarium. These genera are widespread, usually air-dispersed conidial fungi that sometimes are associated with insects

Fig. 1. Loberus impressus, adult. A in Loberus impressus (LeConte) (Coleoptera: Erotylidae) Fungal Associations and Presence in the Seed Capsules of Iris Hexagona

Fig. 1. Loberus impressus, adult. A) Lateral view. Scale bar ¼ 300 µm; B) anterior view of head, scale bar ¼ 100 µm; C) lateral view of head and thorax, arrow indicates the location of integumental pit, scale bar ¼ 100 µm; D) ventral view of head showing relative positions of pit (arrow) and maxilla (m), scale bar ¼ 50 µm; E) ventral view of mouthparts, scale bar ¼ 50 µm; F) ventral view of the mandibles (ma), scale bar ¼ 20 µm. Abbreviations: la ¼ labrum; lp ¼ labial palpus; mp ¼ maxillary palpus.Published as part of <i>Van Zandt, Peter A., Townsend, Victor R., Carlton, Christopher E., Blackwell, Meredith & Mopper, Susan, 2003, Loberus impressus (LeConte) (Coleoptera: Erotylidae) Fungal Associations and Presence in the Seed Capsules of Iris Hexagona, pp. 281-288 in The Coleopterists Bulletin 57 (3)</i> on page 284, DOI: 10.1649/553, <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/10103634">http://zenodo.org/record/10103634</a&gt

Fig. 2. Loberus impressus, adult. A in Loberus impressus (LeConte) (Coleoptera: Erotylidae) Fungal Associations and Presence in the Seed Capsules of Iris Hexagona

Fig. 2. Loberus impressus, adult. A) Partially blocked /obscured pit adjacent to maxilla (m), scale bar ¼ 8 µm; B) germinated fungal spore growing from pit (arrow), scale bar ¼ 7 µm; C) fungal cells occurring in close association with pit (arrow), scale bar ¼ 4 µm; D) germinating fungal cells with hyphae (h) growing near the opening of pit (arrow), scale bar ¼ 3 µm. Abbreviations: h ¼ hyphae; m ¼ maxilla.Published as part of <i>Van Zandt, Peter A., Townsend, Victor R., Carlton, Christopher E., Blackwell, Meredith & Mopper, Susan, 2003, Loberus impressus (LeConte) (Coleoptera: Erotylidae) Fungal Associations and Presence in the Seed Capsules of Iris Hexagona, pp. 281-288 in The Coleopterists Bulletin 57 (3)</i> on page 285, DOI: 10.1649/553, <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/10103634">http://zenodo.org/record/10103634</a&gt