Search Results (45)

Protected areas are crucial sanctuaries for biodiversity, strictly prohibiting the direct exploitation of natural resources and helping to maintain viable populations and communities. However, even species within these areas face challenges from climate changes. This study compared the present distribution of five woody species (Aspidosperma tomentosum, Kielmeyera coriacea, Peixotoa tomentosa, Qualea multiflora, and Senna velutina) with their projected distribution (in 2080–2100) in 30 protected Brazilian national parks. Our objectives were to evaluate ecological niche models; determine which bioclimatic variables best explain the geographic distribution of species; assess the current distribution of these species; predict changes under distinct future climatic scenarios; and analyze the potential species richness within Brazilian national parks. We overlayed binarized maps of each species and extracted statistical metrics—mean potential, standard deviation, minimum, and maximum potential—using the ‘extract’ function (raster package, v.3.5-2) in the R platform. The results revealed the dynamic nature of species distribution, each one of them being affected by a specific group of factors. All species exhibited changes in their ecological niche or distribution areas in future projections, be it losing areas (A. tomentosum: 26.27–100%; K. coriacea: 38.39–100%; P. tomentosa: 40.46–96.66%; Q. multiflora: 7.34–100%; Senna velutina: 4.52–99.99%) or gaining areas (Q. multiflora: up to 92.21%, and S. velutina: up to 22.07%). We conclude that the potential species richness within Brazilian national parks will be lower in the future. This information is crucial for biodiversity conservation efforts, offering insights into species habitat dynamics and emphasizing the need for adaptive conservation strategies. This study reinforces the urgency of preserving natural ecosystems to ensure a sustainable future for their flora and fauna. Full article

Heat shock transcription factors (HSFs) are crucial components in heat stress response. However, the contribution of the HSFs governing the inherent thermotolerance in Rhodomyrtus tomentosa has barely been investigated. We here compared the roles of RtHSFA9a, RtHSFA9b, and RtHSFA9c in heat stress tolerance. These three genes are the results of gene duplication events, but there exist vast variations in their amino acid sequences. They are all localized to the nucleus. Arabidopsis thaliana plants with overexpressed RtHSFA9a and RtHSFA9c outperformed the wild-type plants, while the over-accumulation of RtHSFA9b had little impact on plant thermotolerance. By transiently overexpressing RtHSFA9a, RtHSFA9b, and RtHSFA9c in R. tomentosa seedlings, the mRNA abundance of heat shock response genes, including RtHSFA2a, RtHSFA2b, RtHSP17.4, RtHSP21.8, RtHSP26.5, and RtHSP70, were upregulated. Transactivation assays confirmed that there exist regulatory divergences among these three genes, viz., RtHSFA9a has the highest transcription activity in regulating RtHSFA2a, RtHSFA2b, RtHSP21.8, and RtHSP70; RtHSFA9c can transcriptionally activate RtHSFA2b, RtHSP21.8, and RtHSP70; RtHSFA9b makes limited contributions to the accumulation of RtHSFA2b, RtHSP21.8, and RtHSP70. Our results indicate that the RtHSFA9 genes make crucial contributions to the thermal adaption of R. tomentosa by positively regulating the RtHSFA2a, RtHSFA2b, and RtHSP genes, which provides novel insights into the RtHSFA9 subfamily. Full article

Background/Objectives: The rose myrtle Rhodomyrtus tomentosa is a medicinal plant used in traditional Asian medicine. The active compound in R. tomentosa leaf extracts is rhodomyrtone, a chiral acylphloroglucinol. Rhodomyrtone exhibits an impressive breadth of activities, including antibacterial, antiviral, antiplasmodial, immunomodulatory, and anticancer properties. Its antibacterial properties have been extensively studied. Methods: We performed a comprehensive literature review on rhodomyrtone and summarized the current knowledge about this promising acylphloroglucinol antibiotic and its diverse functions in this review. Results: Rhodomyrtone shows nano to micromolar activities against a broad range of Gram-positive pathogens, including multidrug-resistant clinical isolates, and possesses a unique mechanism of action. It increases membrane fluidity and creates hyperfluid domains that attract membrane proteins prior to forming large membrane vesicles, effectively acting as a membrane protein trap. This mechanism affects a multitude of cellular processes, including cell division and cell wall synthesis. Additionally, rhodomyrtone reduces the expression of inflammatory cytokines, such as TNF-α, IL-17A, IL1β, and IL8. Generally showing low toxicity against mammalian cells, rhodomyrtone does inhibit the proliferation of cancer cell lines, such as epidermal carcinoma cells. The primary mechanism behind this activity appears to be the downregulation of adhesion kinases and growth factors. Furthermore, rhodomyrtone has shown antioxidant activity and displays cognitive effects, such as decreasing depressive symptoms in mice. Conclusions: Rhodomyrtone shows great promise as therapeutic agent, mostly for antibacterial but also for diverse other applications. Yet, bottlenecks such as resistance development and a better understanding of mammalian cell toxictiy demand careful assessment. Full article

This article provides useful information on the distribution of sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa) and presents additional data on the ecology, chorology and phytocenology of the species in the Oltenia region, Romania, based on literary sources, herbaria and field observations. By providing accurate and detailed data, this study contributes significantly to the existing knowledge, as well as mapping efforts of the species at the European level. In the subspontaneous flora of the Oltenia region, the C. sativa species is found in sheltered resorts in the counties of Gorj (Glogova, Valea Perilor, Tismana, Pocruia, Polovragi, etc.) and Mehedinți (Comăneşti, Baia de Aramă, etc.), on mesobasic soils, balanced from a hydraulic point of view. The phytocenoses where this species grows are rich in southern elements (e.g., Cornus mas L., Cerasus avium (L.) Moench, Quercus dalechampii Ten., Tilia tomentosa Moench). They are included in the Castaneo-Quercetum Horvat 1938 association. In Romania, habitats that include areas occupied by sweet chestnut are classified within habitat R4141—Daco-Balkan forests of oak (Quercus petraea) and chestnut (C. sativa) with Genista tinctoria. This habitat has a very high biodiversity conservation value and ecological importance. According to the Natura 2000 directive, sweet chestnut forests are included in the habitat category 9260, which underlines the importance at the European level for biodiversity conservation. Full article

The accurate assessment of tree volume is crucial for developing forest management plans, and this can be achieved using tree volume models. In this study, data on individual trees were collected and calculated, including the diameter at breast height (D), ground diameter (DG), tree height (H), and tree volume (V). A total of 400 Populus × tomentosa Carrière, 400 Populus tomentosa Carr, and 400 Populus × canadensis Moench trees were sampled. Two compatible volume model systems were established using corresponding methods. The models consisted of the following five types: V-DH, V-D, V-DG, H-D, and DG-D. In our calculations, before the horizontal line was the dependent variable, and behind the horizontal line was the independent variable. Variations in preferences for the H-D models were observed among the tree species, with the logistic function proving the most suitable for Populus × tomentosa Carrière, Chapman–Richard function for Populus tomentosa Carr, and power function for Populus × canadensis Moench. Among the three volume models, the V-DH model exhibited a superior performance, with its R² values ranging from 0.965 to 0.984 and mean estimated error (MPE) values ranging from 1.26% to 1.78%. Following this was the V-D model, with R² values between 0.9359 and 0.9704 and MPE values between 1.71% and 2.46%. The V-DG model ranked third, with R² values ranging from 0.8746 to 0.9501 and MPE values ranging from 2.33% to 3.16%. In the H-D model, the R² and MPE values ranged from 0.4998 to 0.7851 and from 1.31% to 1.45%, respectively. For the DG-D model, the R² values ranged from 0.9563 to 0.9868 and the MPE values ranged from 0.47% to 0.68%. Comparing both compatible methods, the nonlinear seemingly uncorrelated regression (NSUR) was more effective. The three volume models demonstrated high levels of accuracy and compatibility, providing a reliable scientific foundation for forest management and the formulation of harvesting plans in Beijing, with significant practical implications. Full article

The Loess Plateau region of China suffers from severe soil erosion, and the selection of effective slope-protection vegetation is essential to prevent soil and water loss. This study focused on individual plants of common species in the Loess Plateau, such as Caragana korshinski Kom., Hippophae rhamnoides Linn., Pinus tabuliformis Carr., Robinia Pseudoacacia Linn., Populus tomentosa Carr., Prunus armeniaca Lam. The root spatial distribution, geometric morphology, and fractal characteristics of these plants were measured using the whole-root-excavation method, and the vertical pull-out force of their root systems was quantified using the in situ whole-plant root-pulling method. The results showed that H. rhamnoides dominates in the vertical spatial distribution of its root system through a larger number of inclined roots. C. korshinskii, P. tomentosa, R. pseudoacacia, and P. armeniaca dominate in the horizontal spatial distribution of their root systems through a greater number of horizontal roots. P. tabuliformis, on the other hand, achieves a relatively balanced distribution in both horizontal and vertical spaces through its well-developed taproot and numerous lateral roots. In terms of the geometric morphology and fractal characteristics of their root systems, H. rhamnoides and C. korshinskii exhibit a larger number of fine roots and complex branching, resulting in a higher total-root length, total-root surface area, and root fractal dimension. The soil-stabilizing ability of H. rhamnoides, C. korshinskii, and R. pseudoacacia was stronger, mainly influenced by their total-root length, total-root surface area, and inclined root quantity, and these species can be prioritized as typical vegetation for soil and water conservation in the construction of Loess Plateau vegetation. From the perspective of slope stabilization and soil conservation alone, we strongly recommend planting shrub vegetation in the Chinese Loess Plateau. Full article

Rhodomyrtus tomentosa is a source of a novel antibiotic, rhodomyrtone. Because of the increasing industrial demand for this compound, germplasm with a high rhodomyrtone content is the key to sustainable future cultivation. In this study, rhodomyrtone genotypes were verified using the plastid genomic region marker matK and nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer ITS. These two DNA barcodes proved to be useful tools for identifying different rhodomyrtone contents via the SNP haplotypes C569T and A561G, respectively. The results were correlated with rhodomyrtone content determined via HPLC. Subsequently, R. tomentosa samples with high- and low-rhodomyrtone genotypes were collected for de novo transcriptome and gene expression analyses. A total of 83,402 unigenes were classified into 25 KOG classifications, and 74,102 annotated unigenes were obtained. Analysis of differential gene expression between samples or groups using DESeq2 revealed highly expressed levels related to rhodomyrtone content in two genotypes. semiquantitative RT-PCR further revealed that the high rhodomyrtone content in these two genotypes correlated with expression of zinc transporter protein (RtZnT). In addition, we found that expression of RtZnT resulted in increased sensitivity of R. tomentosa under ZnSO₄ stress. The findings provide useful information for selection of cultivation sites to achieve high rhodomyrtone yields in R. tomentosa. Full article

Plant endophytic bacteria play important roles in plants’ growth and resistance to stress. It is important to characterize endophytic bacteria to be able to understand their benefits. Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization–time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) has become a powerful technique for bacterial identification due to its high throughput and simple procedures. In this study, the endophytic bacteria separated from Populus (the leaves, roots and stems of Populus tomentosa Carrière; stems of Populus nigra Linn. var. nigra; and stems of Populus canadensis Moench) were identified and classified based on MALDI-TOF MS data and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The sampling and preparation of bacteria were optimized to obtain meaningful protein mass fingerprints. The composite correlation index (CCI) values of the inter-genera and inter-species protein mass fingerprints demonstrated sufficient differences between the strains. In the CCI value matrix for ten species in the same genus, all the CCI values were less than 0.5. Among the species, 95.6% of all the CCI values were less than 0.5. After data processing, the classification capacity of the protein mass fingerprints was verified using inter-specific and inter-generic PCoA. To compare different methods’ potential for differentiation and phylogenetic analysis, a dendrogram of the MS profiles and a phylogenetic tree based on the 16S rRNA gene sequences were constructed using 61 endophytic bacteria found in Populus. The clustering and grouping results show that the phylogenetic analysis based on MALDI-TOF MS is similar to that based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing. This study provides a valuable reference for differentiating and identifying endophytic bacteria according to their protein mass fingerprints. Full article

Mixed-species plantations of trees with N-fixing species have the potential of promoting forest productivity and soil fertility. However, few studies in the literature have addressed the advantages of mixed-species plantations of leguminous trees over monocultures of leguminous trees based on in situ inventories over a long time period. Here, we monitored the dynamics of tree community composition, vegetation biomass, soil nutrients, and soil microbial phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs), in an Acacia mangium monoculture plantation during 33 years of development and compared it with a mixed-species plantation of A. mangium associated with 56 native species which were underplanted 14 years after the initial establishment. Leaf N and phosphorus (P) concentrations of three main species in the overstory and understory of the A. mangium monoculture were measured. Our results showed that the soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), and available phosphorus (AP) concentrations significantly increased over time during the approximately thirty years of A. mangium monoculture plantation, while the disadvantages were associated with new species regeneration and the increment of vegetation biomass. In the A. mangium monoculture plantation, leaf N concentration of A. mangium,Rhodomyrtus tomentosa, and Dicranopteris dichotoma continuously increased from 21 to 31 years, while the leaf P concentration of A. mangium and R. tomentosa decreased. The mixed-species plantations of A. mangium with native tree species had lower SOC and soil TN concentrations, more new tree species recruitment in the understory, and faster vegetation biomass increment than the A. mangium monoculture. However, the PLFAs of soil microbial groups were slightly different between the two types of plantations. We conclude that improved soil N nutrient condition by A. mangium monoculture benefits N absorption by A. mangium, R. tomentosa, and D. tomentosa, while low soil AP limits P absorption by A. mangium and R. tomentosa. Meanwhile, transforming the A. mangium monoculture into a mixed-species plantation via the introduction of multiple native species into the A. mangium monoculture decreases SOC and TN concentrations but the advantages include improving forest regeneration and maintaining forest growth in a long-term sequence. These findings provide useful and practical suggestions for managing forest monocultures of A. mangium in subtropical regions. Full article

Several parts of rose myrtle, Rhodomyrtus tomentosa, exhibited profound antibacterial and anti-inflammatory activities, suggesting its potential in healthcare and cosmetics applications. During the past few years, the demand for biologically active compounds in the industrial sectors increased. Therefore, gathering comprehensive information on all aspects of this plant species is essential. Here, the genome sequencing using short and long reads was used to understand the genome biology of R. tomentosa. Inter-simple sequence repeats (ISSR) and simple sequence repeats (SSR) markers, and geometric morphometrics of the leaves of R. tomentosa collected across Thai Peninsula, were determined for population differentiation analysis. The genome size of R. tomentosa was 442 Mb, and the divergence time between R. tomentosa and Rhodamnia argentea, the white myrtle of eastern Australia, was around 15 million years. No population structure was observed between R. tomentosa on the eastern and western sides of the Thai Peninsula using the ISSR and SSR markers. However, significant differences in leaf size and shape of R. tomentosa were observed in all locations. Full article

Plantation forests, cultivated through artificial seeding and planting methods, are of great significance to human society. However, most experimental sites for these forests are located in remote areas. Therefore, in-depth studies on remote forest management and off-site experiments can better meet the experimental and management needs of researchers. Based on an experimental plantation forest of Triploid Populus Tomentosa, this paper proposes a digital twin architecture for a virtual poplar plantation forest system. The framework includes the modeling of virtual plantation and data analysis. Regarding this system architecture, this paper theoretically analyzes the three main entities of the physical world, digital world, and researchers contained in it, as well as their interaction mechanisms. For virtual plantation modeling, a tree modeling method based on LiDAR point cloud data was adopted. The transitional particle flow method was proposed to combine with AdTree method for tree construction, followed by integration with other models and optimization. For plantation data analysis, a database based on forest monitoring data was established. Tree growth equations were derived by fitting the tree diameter at breast height data, which were then used to predict and simulate trends in diameter-related data that are difficult to measure. The experimental result shows that a preliminary digital twin-oriented poplar plantation system can be constructed based on the proposed framework. The system consists of 2160 trees and simulations of 10 types of monitored or predicted data, which provides a new practical basis for the application of digital twin technology in the forestry field. The optimized tree model consumes over 67% less memory, while the R² of the tree growth equation with more than 100 data items could reach more than 87%, which greatly improves the performance and accuracy of the system. Thus, utilizing forestry information networking and digitization to support plantation forest experimentation and management contributes to advancing the digital transformation of forestry and the realization of a smart management model for forests. Full article

Biomass is one of the most significant renewable energy sources. Doubts arise from large-area plantations of energy monocultures, which can lead to the depletion of, and a decrease in, soil biodiversity. Community association analyses of Lumbricidae may help to indicate environmental change. Therefore, the study objectives were to determine the qualitative and quantitative diversity of Lumbricids in plantations of energy crops—basket willow (Salix viminalis L.), foxglove tree (Paulownia tomentosa Steud.), and black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.)—by investigating the following cultivation treatments: SV and SVSS—S. viminalis without (w/o) and with the addition of sewage sludge to the soil (+SS); PT and PTSS—P. tomentosaw/o and + SS; RP and RPSS—R. pseudoacaciaw/o and +SS; and MW—meadow community. A significantly higher density (p < 0.05) and biomass (p < 0.05) of earthworms were found in the SV and SVSS plantations than in other sites. The application of sewage sludge contributed to a significant increase in the mean number and biomass of all Lumbricids within cultivations of S. viminalis and R. pseudoacacia, which were significantly higher than those in the control site. This work suggests that woody energy crop production with an appropriate selection of plants and fertilisation can be a favourable habitat for the development of earthworm populations. Full article

Sharka disease, caused by the Plum pox virus (PPV), is one of the most harmful, quarantine viral diseases that affect stone fruit crops. The absence of natural resistance to the virus in stone fruits has become a decisive factor for the use of genetic transformation methods to obtain stable forms. The eIF(iso)4G and eIF(iso)4E genes encode translation initiation factors used in the PPV life cycle. In the presented study, the effect of silencing these genes using the RNA interference method on the resistance of sour cherry rootstock 146-2 plants (Prunus pumila L. x Prunus tomentosa Thunb) to the sharka disease was studied. Two vectors have been created for the genetic transformation of plants, with self-complementary sequences of the eIF(iso)4G and eIF(iso)4E gene fragments. The hairpin expression cassette contains a strong promoter of the peach ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RuBisCo) gene, as well as an intron and terminator of the same gene. We used the pMF1 vector containing recombinase R and a codA-nptII gene which makes it possible to obtain intragenic marker-free plants. A successful genetic transformation was carried out by the AGL0 strain of A. tumefaciens. Whole leaves of shoots cultivated in vitro were used as a source of explants. Eight independent transgenic lines of rootstock 146-2 were obtained in experiments (sixlines with a hairpin to the eIF(iso)4G gene and two lines with a hairpin to the eIF(iso)4E gene). Their status was confirmed by the PCR and Southern blotting. The obtained plants were acclimatized in a greenhouse. The silencing of the eIF(iso)4G and eIF(iso)4E genes in transgenic plants was confirmed by the quantitative PCR. The presence of specific small interfering (si) RNAs was confirmed by the method of Northern blotting. Plants of all transgenic rootstock lines were infected with PPV by the method of grafting with infected buds. Resistance to the PPV infection of the obtained transgenic plants was carried out by using an enzyme immunoassay. The ELISA results showed that silencing the eIF(iso)4G gene did not lead to increased resistance while silencing the eIF(iso)4E factor gene led to increased resistance to the PPV, and the one line’s plants showed no signs of infection for two years after infecting. The work demonstrates a (promising) approach in which the creation of stone cultures resistant to the plum pox virus can be achieved by suppressing the genes of translation initiation factors in clonal rootstocks. Full article

Background: The main purpose of endodontic treatment is to eliminate the bacteria that are responsible for the contamination and infection of the internal surfaces in order to resolve any pulp or periapical pathology. In fact, some bacteria, such as Enterococcus faecalis, can escape the action of root canal irrigants by aggregating into a biofilm and penetrating deeply into the dentinal tubules. Uncaria tomentosa is a plant belonging to the Rubiaceae family and also commonly known as cat’s claw due to the shape and position of the spines; it is a traditional Peruvian medicinal plant of Amazonian origin. Applications in the dental field have been described both in the prevention and treatment of stomatitis and as an antibacterial and anti-inflammatory agent; it has also been investigated as an additive in irrigants and specifically as gels in endodontic cements. The aim of this scoping review is to summarize all the scientific evidence on the possible applications of Uncaria tomentosa extracts in endodontics and, more generally, in oral medicine, in order to understand whether the active ingredients extracted from Uncaria tomentosa can bring a real advantage in endodontics, in the reduction of endodontic failures and in the onset of recurrent endodontic lesions. Methods: The scoping review was carried out strictly following the PRISMA-ScR checklist; the search was carried out on five databases (PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct, EBSCO and Web of Science) and a register (Cochrane library). Results: The research produced a number of bibliographic sources totaling 2104. With the removal of duplicates, 670 were obtained; potentially eligible articles amounted to 23, of which only seven in vitro studies (four microbiological studies), five clinical studies (three randomized trials) and a case report were included. Conclusions: From the data in the literature, it can be stated that the active ingredients present in Uncaria tomentosa could represent an interesting product to be used in the endodontic field, both in endocanalary cements and as a gel. Full article

Citrus grandis ‘Tomentosa’, commonly known as ‘Huajuhong’ pummelo (HJH), is used in traditional Chinese medicine and can moisten the lungs, resolve phlegm, and relieve coughs. A spontaneous bud mutant, named R-HJH, had a visually attractive phenotype with red albedo tissue and red juice sacs. In this study, the content and composition of carotenoids were investigated and compared between R-HJH and wild-type HJH using HPLC–MS analysis. The total carotenoids in the albedo tissue and juice sacs of R-HJH were 4.03- and 2.89-fold greater than those in HJH, respectively. The massive accumulation of carotenoids, including lycopene, β-carotene and phytoene, led to the attractive red color of R-HJH. However, the contents of flavones, coumarins and most volatile components (mainly D-limonene and γ-terpinene) were clearly reduced in R-HJH compared with wild-type HJH. To identify the molecular basis of carotenoid accumulation in R-HJH, RNA-Seq transcriptome sequencing was performed. Among 3948 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), the increased upstream synthesis genes (phytoene synthase gene, PSY) and decreased downstream genes (β-carotene hydroxylase gene, CHYB and carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase gene, CCD7) might be the key factors that account for the high level of carotenoids in R-HJH. These results will be beneficial for determining the molecular mechanism of carotenoid accumulation and metabolism in pummelo. Full article