An approach to chemotaxonomy to the fatty acid content of some Malvaceae species

Malvales is an order of flowering plants with a controversial circumscription. The relationships between taxa, particularly Malvaceae, Bombacaceae, Sterculiaceae, and Tiliaceae, are not well delineated. Several studies have reported the fatty acid compositions of Malvaceae plants but not for taxonomic purposes. In the present study, the fatty acid composition of oilseeds from seven species belonging to the Malvaceae family was determined by capillary gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS), and the quantitative distribution of fatty acids was analyzed by a cluster analysis With Euclidean Distance and UPGMA. The oil content in the seeds was very low (8.3-11.8%). The profile of fatty acids showed that there were two distinct groups: species rich in palmitic acid (Herissantia tiubae, Sidastrum paniculatum and Sida rhombifolia) and species rich in linoleic acid (other Sida species). The fatty acid profiles found for Sida species are consistent with other reported data. Although our data support a distinction between Sida and Sidastrum, more species should be analyzed to evaluate the real taxonomic value of differences in fatty acid content for distinguishing Malvaceae. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Self-Organizing Maps of Molecular Descriptors for Sesquiterpene Lactones and Their Application to the Chemotaxonomy of the Asteraceae Family

The Asteraceae, one of the largest families among angiosperms, is chemically characterised by the production of sesquiterpene lactones (SLs). A total of 1,111 SLs, which were extracted from 658 species, 161 genera, 63 subtribes and 15 tribes of Asteraceae, were represented and registered in two dimensions in the SISTEMATX, an in-house software system, and were associated with their botanical sources. The respective 11 block of descriptors: Constitutional, Functional groups, BCUT, Atom-centred, 2D autocorrelations, Topological, Geometrical, RDF, 3D-MoRSE, GETAWAY and WHIM were used as input data to separate the botanical occurrences through self-organising maps. Maps that were generated with each descriptor divided the Asteraceae tribes, with total index values between 66.7% and 83.6%. The analysis of the results shows evident similarities among the Heliantheae, Helenieae and Eupatorieae tribes as well as between the Anthemideae and Inuleae tribes. Those observations are in agreement with systematic classifications that were proposed by Bremer, which use mainly morphological and molecular data, therefore chemical markers partially corroborate with these classifications. The results demonstrate that the atom-centred and RDF descriptors can be used as a tool for taxonomic classification in low hierarchical levels, such as tribes. Descriptors obtained through fragments or by the two-dimensional representation of the SL structures were sufficient to obtain significant results, and better results were not achieved by using descriptors derived from three-dimensional representations of SLs. Such models based on physico-chemical properties can project new design SLs, similar structures from literature or even unreported structures in two-dimensional chemical space. Therefore, the generated SOMs can predict the most probable tribe where a biologically active molecule can be found according Bremer classification.

Fluorescence properties of Baltic Sea phytoplankton

To obtain data on phytoplankton dynamics with improved spatial and temporal resolution, and at reduced cost, traditional phytoplankton monitoring methods have been supplemented with optical approaches. In this thesis, I have explored various fluorescence-based techniques for detection of phytoplankton abundance, taxonomy and physiology in the Baltic Sea. In algal cultures used in this thesis, the availability of nitrogen and light conditions caused changes in pigmentation, and consequently in light absorption and fluorescence properties of cells. In the Baltic Sea, physical environmental factors (e.g. mixing depth, irradiance and temperature) and related seasonal succession in the phytoplankton community explained a large part of the seasonal variability in the magnitude and shape of Chlorophyll a (Chla)-specific absorption. The variability in Chla-specific fluorescence was related to the abundance of cyanobacteria, the size structure of the phytoplankton community, and absorption characteristics of phytoplankton. Cyanobacteria show very low Chla-specific fluorescence. In the presence of eukaryotic species, Chla fluorescence describes poorly cyanobacteria. During cyanobacterial bloom in the Baltic Sea, phycocyanin fluorescence explained large part of the variability in Chla concentrations. Thus, both Chla and phycocyanin fluorescence were required to predict Chla concentration. Phycobilins are major light harvesting pigments for cyanobacteria. In the open Baltic Sea, small picoplanktonic cyanobacteria were the main source of phycoerythrin fluorescence and absorption signal. Large filamentous cyanobacteria, forming harmful blooms, were the main source of the phycocyanin fluorescence signal and typically their biomass and phycocyanin fluorescence were linearly related. Using phycocyanin fluorescence, dynamics of cyanobacterial blooms can be detected at high spatial and seasonal resolution not possible with other methods. Various taxonomic phytoplankton pigment groups can be separated by spectral fluorescence. I compared multivariate calibration methods for the retrieval of phytoplankton biomass in different taxonomic groups. Partial least squares regression method gave the closest predictions for all taxonomic groups, and the accuracy was adequate for phytoplankton bloom detection. Variable fluorescence has been proposed as a tool to study the physiological state of phytoplankton. My results from the Baltic Sea emphasize that variable fluorescence alone cannot be used to detect nutrient limitation of phytoplankton. However, when combined with experiments with active nutrient manipulation, and other nutrient limitation indices, variable fluorescence provided valuable information on the physiological responses of the phytoplankton community. This thesis found a severe limitation of a commercial fast repetition rate fluorometer, which couldn t detect the variable fluorescence of phycoerythrin-lacking cyanobacteria. For these species, the Photosystem II absorption of blue light is very low, and fluorometer excitation light did not saturate Photosystem II during a measurement. This thesis encourages the use of various in vivo fluorescence methods for the detection of bulk phytoplankton biomass, biomass of cyanobacteria, chemotaxonomy of phytoplankton community, and phytoplankton physiology. Fluorescence methods can support traditional phytoplankton monitoring by providing continuous measurements of phytoplankton, and thereby strengthen the understanding of the links between biological, chemical and physical processes in aquatic ecosystems.

Algas verdes en el picoplancton y nanoplancton del estuario del río Nervión (Golfo de Vizcaya)

332 p. : il., gráf.

杉料（Taxodiaceae）植物精油和双黄酮成分研究及化学分类初探

本文以杉科（Taxodiaceae）五属六种植物--杉木属（Cunninghamia）的杉木（C. lanceolata）、水松属（Glyptostrobus）的水松（G. pensilis）、落羽杉属（Taxodium）的池杉（T. ascendens）、水杉属（Metasequoia）的水杉（M. glyptostroboides）、柳杉属（Cryptomeria）的柳杉（C. fortunei）及日本柳杉（C. japonica）为材料，进行了以下研究： 1、用气相色谱－质谱－计算机联用法，在统一条件下测定了上述植物叶的精油成分及各成分百分含量。共检测到七十余种成分，包括α－蒎稀（α－pinene）、龙脑（borneol）、乙酸松油酯（terpinyl acetate）、杜松烯（cadinene）等十六种共有成分和其它分布各异的成分。 2、用柱层析和薄层层析法从杉木中提取、分离、纯化了5个双黄酮成分，鉴定为一类3'-8"联接的化合物，分别为穗花杉双黄酮（amentoflavone）、长叶世界爷双黄酮（sequoiaflavone）、银杏双黄酮（gingetin）、榧黄素（kayaflavone）和金松双黄酮（sciadopitysin）。 3、用薄层层析法检测上述5个双黄酮成分在6种植物中的分布，发现每一植物均含有这五个已知化合物。 4、根据以上结果并结合文献资料，讨论了以下问题： 1）、杉科植物精油成分及其组成特点; 2）、杉科植物双黄酮成分及其分布规律; 3）有关柳杉与日本柳杉关系的化学证据; 4）有关水杉归属的化学证据。

芍药花色形成的化学机制及其化学分类研究

本文以9 个芍药野生种（15 份种质）、104 个品种及2 个牡丹芍药组间杂种的花瓣为材料，利用液质联用技术鉴定了花瓣中的色素成分并探讨了芍药花色形成的化学机制和化学分类法。 结果表明，芍药花中主要含有5 种花青素，即芍药花素-3，5-二葡糖苷（ peonidin-3,5-di-O-glucoside ， Pn3G5G ）; 矢车菊素-3 ， 5- 二葡糖苷（ cyanidin-3,5-di-O-glucoside ， Cy3G5G ）; 天竺葵素-3 ， 5- 二葡糖苷（ pelargonidin-3,5-di-O-glucoside ， Pg3G5G ）; 芍药花素-3- 葡糖苷（peonidin-3-O-glucoside，Pn3G）和矢车菊素-3-葡糖苷（cyanidin-3-O-glucoside，Cy3G）。此外，3 种微量的花青素首次在芍药中发现：它们分别为芍药花素-3-葡萄糖-5-阿拉伯糖苷（peonidin-3-O-glucoside-5-O-arabinoside，Pn3G5Ara）、矢车菊素-3- 葡萄糖-5- 半乳糖苷（ cyanidin-3-O-glucoside-5-O-galactoside ，Cy3G5Gal）和天竺葵素-3-葡萄糖-5-半乳糖苷（pelargonidin-3-O-glucoside-5-Ogalactoside，Pg3G5Gal）。特征花青素Cy3G5Gal 和Pg3G5Gal 仅在新疆芍药（Paeonia anomala L.）及其亚种川赤芍（P. anomala subsp. veitchii(Lynch) D. Y.Hong & K. Y. Pan）中被检测出来，表明它们属于同一个种。Pn3G5Ara 仅存在于欧洲的野生芍药花瓣中，表明中国野生芍药和欧洲芍药的花青素代谢途径不同。 芍药花瓣中主要含有11 种花黄素，均为黄酮醇类物质。包括栎精-3，7 二葡糖苷（ quercetin-3,7-di-O-glucoside ）、山奈酚-3 ， 7 二葡糖苷（kaempferol-3,7-di-O-glucoside）、异鼠李素-3，7 二葡糖苷（isorhamnetin-3,7-di-Oglucoside）、栎精-3-O-(6”-没食子酰基)-葡糖苷 [quercetin-3-O-（6”-O-galloyl）-glucoside] 、栎精-3- 葡糖苷（ quercetin-3-O-glucoside ）、山奈酚-7- 葡糖苷（ kaempferol-7-O-glucoside ）、山奈酚-3-O- （ 6”- 没食子酰基） - 葡糖苷[kaempferol-3-O-（6”-O-galloyl)-glucoside]、异鼠李素-3-O-（6”-没食子酰基）-葡糖苷 [isorhamnetin-3-O- （ 6”-O-galloyl ） -glucoside] 、山奈酚-3- 葡糖苷（kaempferol-3-O-glucoside）、异鼠李素-3-葡糖苷（isorhamnetin-3-O-glucoside）和山奈酚-丙二酰葡糖苷（kaempferol-malonyl-glucoside）。此外，查耳酮在黄色的栽培品种‘黄金轮’和牡丹芍药组间杂交种‘伊藤杂种’中首次被检测到。其化学结构为查耳酮-2’-葡糖苷（chalcononaringenin 2’-O-glucoside），它是花瓣表现出黄色的主要色素，它与黄色牡丹野生种‘滇牡丹’（P. delavayi Franchet）花瓣中主要黄色色素成分一致。 通过对所有芍药野生种和栽培品种的色素分析，研究发现花青素是芍药花瓣中主要的色素，其中Pn3G5G 是花瓣中含量最高的花青素苷，其次为Cy3G5G。3G 型糖苷仅在少数品种中检测出来。此外，黄酮醇是芍药花瓣中重要的辅助色素。山奈酚苷是花瓣中含量最高的黄酮醇类，其次是栎精。 多元线性回归分析的结果表明，芍药花色的形成主要与花瓣中Pn3G5G、Cy3G5G 和Pg3G5G 的含量及总花青素量（TA）有关。根据8 种花青素结构与花色组成，将国内的野生种和大部分品种进行了化学分类：所有样本聚成3 大类，聚类后的树状图与其花色、花色素组成数据相一致，直观反映了野生种和栽培品种花色形成的化学背景和表型相似性程度。 芍药成色机理和化学分类的初步研究，对芍药新花色育种具有重要意义：芍药鲜红色花的育种中，育种亲本应具有高的Cy3G 含量、低的辅助色素效应指数。选育深紫色花或紫黑色花的品种，亲本应具有高的Pn3G5G 含量和低的Pg3G5G 含量。

Fatty acids of some algae from the Bohai Sea

The fatty acid compositions of 22 species of marine macrophytes, belonging to the Ceramiales, Cryptonemiales, Nemalionales, Laminariales, Chordariales, Scytosiphonales, Desmarestiales, Dictyosiphonales, Fucales, Dictyotales and Ulvales and collected from the Bohai Sea, were determined by capillary gas chromatography. The contents of polyunsaturated fatty acids (FAs) in the Bohai Sea algae, in comparison with the same species from the Yellow Sea were found to be lower. Red algae had relatively high levels of the acids 16:0, 18:1(n-7), 18:1(n-9), 20:5(n-3) and 20:4(n-6), and those examined were rich in C-20 PUFAs, these chiefly being arachidonic and eicosapentaenoic acids. The major FAs encountered in the Phaeophyta were 14:0, 16:0, 18:1(n-9), 18:2(n-6), 18:3(n-3), 18:4(n-3), 20:4(n-6) and 20:5(n-3). C18PUFAs are of greater abundance in the brown algae than in the red algae examined. All three green algae from the Ulvales had similar fatty acid patterns with major components, 16:0, 16:4(n-3), 18:1(n-7), 18:2(n-6), 18:3(n-3), and 18:4(n-3). They contained 16:3(n-3) and more 16:4(n-3), were rich in C18PUFAs, chiefly 18:3(n-3) and 18:4(n-3) and had 18:1(n-7)/18:1 (n-9) ratios higher than 1. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Chemistry in Eriocaulaceae

Eriocaulaceae is a pantropical family that comprises about 1100 species distributed in 11 genera. The infrafamilial relationships are still unsatisfactorily resolved, because of the tiny flowers and generalized morphology, which makes the taxonomy very difficult. Flavonoid and naphthopyranone profiles have proved to be important in order to contribute to the alignment of genera into the family. We here present a survey of the chemical data of Eriocaulaceae with a discussion about their contribution to the taxonomy of Eriocaulaceae.

Foliar cuticular alkanes of Camarea (Malpighiaceae) and their taxonomic significance

Camarea is a South-American endemic genus comprising eight species. In the present work n-alkanes from foliar cuticular waxes of 23 specimens, representing seven species of Camarea were analyzed, aiming at establishing interspecific affinities and evaluating the usefulness of n-alkane distribution as species characteristic. The sampling included also specimens of Peixotoa rericulata and Janusia guaronitica (both Malpighiaceae). The results were used to obtain a phenogram indicating chemical affinities between species. The results are in agreement with morphological similarities among some Camarea species. Intraspecific variability was small, suggesting that n-alkane distribution may be useful for species characterization and establishment of links among Camarea species. The results support the recognition of Camarea triphylla as a synonym of Camarea axillaris and are not coherent with a hybrid condition of a population exhibiting morphological characteristics combining Camarea affinis and Camarea hirsuta, suggesting instead that the individuals analyzed belong either to Camarea hirsuta or a close species. Distribution of n-alkanes is inadequate to distinguish among Malpighiaceae genera: P reticulata has n-alkane distribution similar to several Cumarea species. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Flavonoids and the taxonomy of Camarea (Malpighiaceae)

Camarea is a South-American endemic genus comprising eight species. In the present work leaf flavonoids of seven species of Camarea were identified, aiming to evaluate the usefulness of their distribution as a taxonomic aid. A total of 12 flavonoids were isolated and identified. Free aglycones, such as apigenin, chrysoeriol, kaempferol and quercetin, as well as 7-O-glycosides of apigenin and luteolin, 3-O-glycosides of kaempferol and quercetin were identified. Flavonoid distribution in Camarea species, taking into account aglycones and aglycone moieties of glycosides, was used to obtain a phenogram of chemical affinities. Apigenin, chrysoeriol and kaempferol were the main discriminating characters for links establishment. The resultant tree suggests the links: 1) Camarea hirsuta, Camarea affinis and C. affinis x C. hirsuta; 2) Camarea elongata and Camarea axillaris; 3) Camarea sericea and Camarea humifusa. The results are in agreement with morphological similarities and disagree with several points of n-alkane evidence. The results support the recognition of Camarea triphylla as synonymy of C axillaris. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

ACE inhibition by astilbin isolated from Erythroxylum gonocladum (Mart.) OE Schulz

Erythroxylum species have several traditional uses in different countries, including the treatment of hypertension. The ethanol extract from E. gonocladum aerial parts, a species endemic to the Brazilian cerrado, elicited a concentration-dependent inhibition of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) (pIC(50)=4.53 +/- 0.05). Extract fractionation led to the isolation of two compounds, whose structures were assigned by spectrometric data as astilbin and beta-sitosterol, along with a mixture of palmitic, stearic and linolenic acids. This is the first report on the occurrence of these compounds on E. gonocladum. Astilbin promoted significant ACE inhibition in vitro (pIC(50)=5.86 +/- 0.33) and its activity did not differ from captopril, when both compounds were assayed at 10 mu M concentration. (C) 2009 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.