Research Update:Castanea mollissima.

  seminal trace...Chestnut.Castanea mollissima.10:1Extract.Chinese Chestnut.Castanea mollissima Bl.Castanea hupehensis Dode.Castanea duclouxii Dode.Castanea bungeana Blume.Castanea bungeana Bl.Castanea.bungeana;Castanea.formosana,Chestnut, chaignes marron French.Kastanie;Edelkastanie.German.castagna marrone.Italian.castana marrona.Spanish.castanba.Portuguese.kashtan.Russian.li zi.Chinese...

 


   Phytochemical info of Castanea mollissima.

 Product Name:
 Synonym:
 Definition:Castanea mollissima are majorly composed of
 Chemical information disclosed as following table:


   Research Update:Castanea mollissima.

  A new lignan glycoside from the flower of Castanea mollissima Blume.:Yao Xue Xue Bao. 2004 Jul;39(7):531-3. Chinese.Tang WZ, Ding XB, Xin YZ.Institute of Materia Medica, Shandong Academy of Medical Science, Jinan 250062, China. twzsd@sina.com

 AIM: To study the bioactive constituents of the flower of Castanea mollissima Blume. METHODS: Compounds were isolated and purified by column chromatography of silica gel and TLC. Structures were determined by various spectroscopic data, including IR, 1HNMR and 13CNMR, EIMS, FABMS and HMBC as well as comparison of the data with those reported in literatures. RESULTS: Five compounds were isolated and elucidated as myricetin (I), quercetin (II), gallic acid (III), 4-quinolinone-2-caboxylic acid (IV), (+) -isolariciresinol-9'-O-alpha-L-rhamnoside (V). CONCLUSION: These compounds were separated from the flower for the first time and compound V is a new compounds, named chestnutlignansoide.

  Two new flavonoids from the flower of Castanea mollissima Blume.:Yao Xue Xue Bao. 2004 Jun;39(6):442-4. Chinese.Wang S, Tang WZ, Ding XB.Institute of Materia Medica, Shandong Academy of Medical Science, Jinan 250062, China.

 AIM: To study the bioactive constituents from the flower of Castanea mollissima Blume. METHODS: Compounds were isolated and purified by column chromatography on silica gel and polyamide. Structures were determined by various spectroscopic data,including UV, IR, 1H and 13CNMR, EIMS and FABMS, 1H-13C-COSY and HMBC. RESULTS: Two compounds were isolated from the ethyl acetate fraction of 95% ethanol extract and the structures were elucidated as kaempferol-3-O-[6"-(E)-p-coumaroyl]-alpha-D-mannopyranoside (1) and kaempferol-3-O-[6", 4"-di-(E)-p-coumaroyl]-alpha-D-mannopyranoside (2). CONCLUSION: Compounds 1 and 2 are new compounds, named castanoside A and B respectirely.

  Quantitative analysis on sharp-tooth oak stands in Qinling Mountains.:Ying Yong Sheng Tai Xue Bao. 2003 Dec;14(12):2123-8. Chinese.Zhao Y, Lei R, Jia X, He X, Chen W.Shenyang Arboretum, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China.

 The arbor stratum of Quercus aliena var. acuteserrata stands included two substratums. Phanerophyta synusium was in first position, and hemicryptophyta was inferior to it. The DBH structures of Quercus aliena var. acuteserrata and Pinus armandii were sinister normal school, which could finish self-regeneration under the natural conditions. The small DBH class individuals of Pinus tabulaeformis were dominant, their DBH classes being distributed irregularly and absent very much. The large DBH classes of Toxicodendron vernicifluum took biggish proportion, belonging to declining population. Young trees were the principal individuals of Castanea mollissima, and in transitional age stage from the young to the middle. Populus davidiana was in the transitional stage from progressive to stable and young-middle age stands. The stands DBH structure was mainly influenced by the DBH variety of Quercus aliena var. acuteserrata population. Quantitative classification (ward's method ward) and ordination (PCA) were used to study the community types of sharp-tooth oak. The results showed that the community could be divided into 6 types: 1. Ass. Smilax stans + Rosa multiflora-Quercus variabilis + Ulmus glaucescens-Quercus aliena var. acuteserrata; 2. Ass. Smilax stans + Lespedeza bicolor-Castanea mollissima-Q. aliena var. acuteserrata; 3. Ass. Corylus mandshurica-Populus davidiana + Dendrobenthamia angustata-Q. aliena var. acuteserrata; 4. Ass. Prunus pseudoccrasus + Corylus mandshurica-Toxicodendron vernicifluum-Q. aliena var. acuteserrata; 5. Ass. Corylus mandshurica + Rosa multiflora-Pinus armandii-Q. aliena var. acuteserrata; and 6. Ass. Sinarundinaria nitida-Pinus armandii + Pinus tabulaeformis-Q. aliena var. acuteserrata. Ward's method ward was better for classifying community types than the other clustering analyses in Qinling Mountains. The PCA results were consistent with the clustering, and demonstrated that the sharp-tooth oak stands were influenced by the altitude, site gradient and soil mainly.

  Nutrient cycling in Castanea mollissima B1 forest at the Miyun reservoir watershed, Beijing.:Ying Yong Sheng Tai Xue Bao. 2003 Oct;14(10):1597-601. Chinese.Liu S, Yu X, Hu C, Gao G.China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, Beijing 100044, China.

 Studies on the nutrient cycling in Castanea mollissima B1 forest at the Miyun reservoir watershed, Beijing, showed that the total biomass of the Castanea mollissima B1 stands at age 22 was 38,638 kg.hm-2, and the biomass of their stem, branch, leaf, blossom, chestnut, seed capsule and root was 20,160, 8,430, 1429, 873, 1024, 800 and 5,922 kg.hm-2, occupying 52.18%, 21.82%, 3.70%, 2.26%, 2.65%, 2.07%, 15.33% of the total biomass, respectively. The annual average growth amount of stem, branch, and root was 916, 383, and 269 kg.hm-2, respectively, and the total annual average growth amount was 5,694 kg.hm-2. The nutrient contents in different organs of Castanea mollissima B1 stands showed that the N content sequence was leaf > blossom > chestnut > seed capsule > branch > stem, P content sequence was leaf > blossom > branch > stem > seed capsule > chestnut, K content sequence was chestnut > blossom > leaf > chestnut > branch > stem, Ca content sequence leaf > seed capsule > branch > stem > blossom > chestnut, and Mg content sequence was leaf > blossom > branch > chestnut > seed capsule > stem. The storage of N, P, K, Ca and Mg in Castanea mollissima B1 forest was 89.47, 17.34, 74.68, 105.49 and 28.40 kg.hm-2, respectively. The nutrient annual assimilation was 79.17 kg.hm-2, the total annual returning amount 106.55 kg.hm-2, and the annual retention amount was 11.25 kg.hm-2. Among of the total returning, atmospheric dry and wet deposition was 38.36 kg.hm-2, and the litter returning was 58.08 kg.hm-2. The nutrient input was a little more than the output. The storage of the five nutrient elements in 0(-)-30 cm soil layer was 206,427.59 kg.hm-2, and their storage amount in stands only occupied about 0.15% of the total storage in soil. The absorption coefficient of the stands was N > P > K > Ca > Mg, the utilization coefficient was K > N > Mg > P > Ca, and the cycling coefficient was K > N > P > Mg > Ca. The turnover period of the N, P, K, Ca and Mg was 4.34, 7.51, 3.31, 12.90 and 6.45 yr, respectively.

  Mollisin, an antifungal protein from the chestnut Castanea mollissima.:Planta Med. 2003 Sep;69(9):809-13.Chu KT, Ng TB.Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong, China.

 The isolation of a protein designated mollisin, with an N-terminal sequence manifesting some similarity to thaumatin-like proteins (TLPs), and possessing a molecular mass of 28 kDa which is higher than those of TLPs, is reported herein from the seeds of the chestnut Castanea mollisima. The protein was unadsorbed on DEAE-cellulose, and adsorbed on Affi-gel blue gel and Mono S. Mollisin exhibited a molecular mass of 28 kDa in sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis as well as in gel filtration on Superdex 75 by fast protein liquid chromatography. The protein inhibited mycelial growth in Fusarium oxysporum, Mycosphaerella arachidicola and Physalospora piricola, with an IC (50) of 0.83 microM, 6.48 microM and 9.21 microM, respectively. Mollisin displayed a higher antifungal potency than French bean and kiwi fruit TLPs toward F. oxysporum and M. arachidicola. The antifungal activity of mollisin was unaffected by incubation at 40 degrees C for 10 minutes, underwent a decline after incubation at 60 degrees C, and was completely abolished after treatment at 80 degrees C. Mollisin exhibited a more potent inhibitory activity on HIV-1 reverse transcriptase than kiwi fruit TLP.


  Intercontinental genetic divergence of Castanea species in eastern Asia and eastern North America.:Heredity. 2003 Sep;91(3):314-21. Dane F, Lang P, Huang H, Fu Y.Department of Horticulture, Auburn University, AL, USA. fdane@acesag.auburn.edu

 Castanea is one of the many plant genera with a disjunct distribution pattern between eastern Asia and eastern North America. Five species from three sections of the genus were investigated to examine genetic divergence between eastern Asian and eastern North American species. A total of 62 native populations were sampled for allelic variation at isozyme loci. The Chinese chestnut C. mollissima had the highest genetic variability, while the American C. dentata had the lowest genetic variability. The highest intracontinental genetic identities were observed between the Allegheny and Ozark chinkapins (0.931) and between C. mollissima and C. seguinii (0.870), while lower identities were detected between the American C. pumila and C. dentata (0.720-0.729). In intercontinental comparisons, genetic identities of 0.505, 0.495 and 0.507 were observed between the American chestnut and the Chinese C. mollissima, C. seguinii and C. henryi, respectively, whereas the Ozark chinkapin C. pumila var. ozarkensis had lower identities of 0.469, and 0.435 with C. mollissima and C. seguinii, respectively, but a slightly higher identity of 0.520 with C. henryi, the Chinese chinkapin. Divergence times were estimated at 10-13 million years before present between C. dentata and C. mollissima, and C. pumila var. ozarkensis and C. henryi.

  Molecular characterization of a gene encoding a cystatin expressed in the stems of American chestnut (Castanea dentata).:Planta. 2002 Jul;215(3):510-4. Epub 2002 Apr 25.Connors BJ, Laun NP, Maynard CA, Powell WA.State University of New York, College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, NY 13210 USA.

 A cDNA clone with similarity to genes encoding cystatin was recently isolated from a cDNA library created using mRNA extracted from stem tissues of Castanea dentata (Marsh.) Borkh. (CASde:Pic1). All of the requisite motifs for inhibitory activity were found upon examination of the deduced amino acid sequence. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction was used to detect the cystatin transcript in healthy stem, leaf and seed tissues, as well as in diseased tissues. Gene fragments encoding this putative cystatin were cloned from American and Chinese (Castanea mollissima Blume) chestnuts and a comparison of these sequences revealed significant differences within the intron, including deletions and alterations in restriction-enzyme sites. The long-term goal of this study is to determine whether the cystatin allele in Chinese chestnut correlates to a resistance gene and, if so, if this allele could be used to enhance resistance in American chestnut.

  Chestnutamide: a novel alkaloid from flowers of Castanea mollissima Blume.:J Asian Nat Prod Res. 2001;3(2):89-93.Wang S, Ding XB, Chen YF, Yu DQ.Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing.

 A novel alkaloid, chestnutamide, was isolated from the flowers of Castanea mollissima Blume. The structure was determined on the basis of spectral analysis.

  Synthetic antimicrobial peptide design.:Mol Plant Microbe Interact. 1995 Sep-Oct;8(5):792-4.Powell WA, Catranis CM, Maynard CA.SUNY, College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse 13210, USA.

 To guide the design of potential plant pathogen-resistance genes, synthetic variants of naturally occurring antimicrobial gene products were evaluated. Five 20-amino acid (ESF1, ESF4, ESF5, ESF6, ESF13), one 18-amino acid (ESF12), and one 17-amino acid (ESF17) amphipathic peptide sequences were designed, synthesized, and tested with in vitro bioassays. Positive charges on the hydrophilic side of the peptide were shown to be essential for antifungal activity, yet the number of positive charges could be varied with little or no change in activity. The size could be reduced to 18 amino acids, but at 17 amino acids a significant reduction in activity was observed. ESF1, 5, 6, and 12 peptides were inhibitory to the germination of conidia from Cryphonectria parasitica, Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici, and Septoria musiva but did not inhibit the germination of pollen from Castanea mollissima and Salix lucida. ESF12 also had no effect on the germination of Malus sylvestris and Lycopersicon esculentum pollen, but inhibited the growth of the bacteria Agrobacterium tumefaciens, Erwinia amylovora, and Pseudomonas syringae. The minimal inhibitory concentrations of the active ESF peptides were similar to those of the naturally occurring control peptides, magainin II and cecropin B. The significant differential in sensitivity between the microbes and plant cells indicated that the active ESF peptides are potentially useful models for designing plant pathogen-resistance genes.


  Scientific References:

  1.Research Update:Castanea mollissima.