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The antiallergic properties of phlorotannins, algal polyphenols, have been widely reported. This study examined the soothing effect of phlorotannin concentrate (PTC) from Eisenia nipponica on cedar pollinosis in Cry j 1-stimulated mice. PTC reduced the mice's sneezing and nasal rubbing, which was attributed to decreased levels of immunoglobulin E and Th2-type cytokines [interleukin (IL)-4, IL-5, and IL-13]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cryptomeria fortunei growth and development are usually affected by low temperatures. Despite the evergreen nature of this species, most needles turn yellowish-brown in cold winters. The underlying discoloration mechanisms that cause this phenomenon in response to cold acclimation remain poorly understood. Here, we measured the pigment content and ultrastructure of normal wild-type (Wt) and evergreen mutant (GM) C. fortunei needles and performed integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses to explore potential discoloration mechanisms. The results showed that the needle chlorophyll content of these two genotypes decreased in winter. Wt needles showed greater decrease in the chlorophyll content and local destruction of chloroplast ultrastructure and contained larger amounts of flavonoids than GM needles, as shown by metabolomics analysis. We subsequently identified key differentially expressed genes in the flavonoid biosynthesis pathway and observed significantly upregulated flavonol synthase expression in Wt needles compared with GM needles that significantly increased the anthoxanthin (flavones and flavonols) content, which is likely a key factor underlying the difference in needle color between these two genotypes. Therefore, flavonoid metabolism may play important roles in the cold resistance and needle discoloration of C. fortunei , and our results provide an excellent foundation for the molecular mechanism of C. fortunei in response to cold stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Character displacement is a potentially important process driving trait evolution and species diversification. Floral traits may experience character displacement in response to pollinator-mediated competition (ecological character displacement) or the risk of forming hybrids with reduced fitness (reproductive character displacement). We test these and alternative hypotheses to explain a yellow-white petal color polymorphism in Leavenworthia stylosa, where yellow morphs are spatially associated with a white-petaled congener ( Leavenworthia exigua) that produces hybrids with complete pollen sterility. A reciprocal transplant experiment found limited evidence of local adaptation of yellow color morphs via increased survival and seed set. Pollinator observations revealed that Leavenworthia attract various pollinators that generally favor white petals and exhibit color constancy. Pollen limitation experiments showed that yellow petals do not alleviate competition for pollination. Interspecific pollinator movements were infrequent and low hybridization rates (∼0.40-0.85%) were found in each morph, with natural rates likely being lower. Regardless, hybridization rates were significantly higher in white morphs of L. stylosa, yielding a small selection coefficient of s = 0.0042 against this phenotype in sympatry with L. exigua. These results provide support for RCD as a mechanism contributing to the pattern of petal color polymorphism in L. stylosa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding radial and azimuthal variation, and tree-to-tree variation, in sap flux density (Fd) as sources of uncertainty is important for estimating transpiration using sap flow techniques. In a Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica D. Don.) forest, Fd was measured at several depths and aspects for 18 trees, using heat dissipation (Granier-type) sensors. We observed considerable azimuthal variation in Fd. The coefficient of variation (CV) calculated from Fd at a depth of 0–20 mm (Fd1) and Fd at a depth of 20–40 mm (Fd2) ranged from 6.7 to 37.6% (mean = 28.3%) and from 19.6 to 62.5% (mean = 34.6%) for the ­azimuthal directions. Fd at the north aspect averaged for nine trees, for which azimuthal measurements were made, was ­obviously smaller than Fd at the other three aspects (i.e., west, south and east) averaged for the nine trees. Fd1 averaged for the nine trees was significantly larger than Fd2 averaged for the nine trees. The error for stand-scale transpiration (E) estimates caused by ignoring the azimuthal variation was larger than that caused by ignoring the radial variation. The error caused by ignoring tree-to-tree variation was larger than that caused by ignoring both radial and azimuthal variations. Thus, tree-to-tree variation in Fd would be more important than both radial and azimuthal variations in Fd for E estimation. However, Fd for each tree should not be measured at a consistent aspect but should be measured at various aspects to make accurate E estimates and to avoid a risk of error caused by the relationship of Fd to aspect. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article reports on the results of a study of the clinical effects of a hop water extract on Japanese cedar pollinosis during the pollen season. A description of the experimental setup and measurement method is presented. The study showed that no significant eosinophil infiltration into the nasal discharge was apparent in the intervention group.

Studies using goats to control red cedar (Juniperus virginiana) have shown that goats more readily consume red cedar at some locations while in other locations, they consume relatively little, but consume more during the winter. It was hypothesized that differences in red cedar intake may be caused by tannins acting as an antinutritive chemical. The purpose of this study was to characterize the levels and types of tannins in red cedar from different locations and seasons of the year. Thirty-seven samples of red cedar needles were obtained from four locations (LOC; Langston, OK; Midwest City, OK; Mannford, OK; Neosho, MO) at monthly intervals (SEA) over a 1-yr period. Needles were manually stripped from branches at approximately 1.5 m high from at least 25 plants at each location. Samples were refrigerated until analyzed for extractable condensed tannin (ECT) and total tannin (TOT) by procedure of Terrill et al. (1992). Data were analyzed by SAS GLM with main effects of LOC and SEA. ECT was significantly lower for Neosho (1.53%) than for Mannford (2.69%), Midwest City (2.79%), and Langston (2.37%), which were similar. ECT was lowest for Summer (1.76%), similar to Fall (1.85%) and both were significantly lower than for Winter (3.32%) and Spring (2.39%). TOT followed a similar pattern being highly correlated to ECT (R = 0.955; P < 0.001) and was significantly lower for Neosho (2.61%) than for Langston (3.79%), Mannford (3.81%) or OKC (4.15%). Total tannins were significantly higher in the winter (4.71%) than for the other seasons (Spring 3.64, Fall, 3.18% and Summer 2.87%). Tannins were lowest for Neosho where goats browsed red cedar most aggressively, killing >85% of the trees whereas goats killed <10% cedars at other locations. Tannins may be a significant antinutritive factor in red cedar, affecting consumption and degree of control [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article investigates the glycoform of the pollen allergen to find whether the Lewis a epitopes occur in the N-gylcan moiety of the Japanese cedar pollen glycollergen, Cry j 1. The N-gylcans were liberated from the cedar pollen glycoallergen by hydrazinolysis. The resulting sugar chains were N-acetylated and then coupled with 2-aminopyridine.

The article evaluates the effects of Lactobacillus acidophilus strain on the symptoms of Japanese cedar-pollen allergy. The placebo-controlled, single-blind study was carried out during the 2002 and 2003 seasons of Japanese cedar pollination. The data show that a daily oral intake of milk fermented Lactobacillus acidophilus cells improved the symptoms of Japanese cedar pollinosis.

Divergent natural selection contributes to reproductive isolation among populations adapting to different habitats or resources if hybrids between populations are intermediate in phenotype and suffer an associated, environmentally dependent reduction in fitness. This prediction was tested using two host races of Mitoura butterflies. Thirty-five F1 hybrid and parental lines were created, larvae were raised on the two host plants, and oviposition preferences were assayed in choice arenas. Larvae from both reciprocal hybrid crosses suffered a host-specific reduction in performance: when reared on incense cedar, hybrid survival was approximately 30% less than the survival of pure lines of the cedar-associated host race. The performance of hybrid larvae reared on the other host, MacNab cypress, was not reduced relative to parental genotypes. Females from both reciprocal hybrid crosses preferred to oviposit on incense cedar, the same host that resulted in the reduced survival of hybrid larvae. Thus, dominance is implicated in the inheritance of traits involved in both preference and performance, which do not appear to be genetically linked in Mitoura butterflies. Gene flow between host races may be reduced because the correlation between preference and performance that was previously described in parental populations is essentially broken by hybridization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a study that investigated whether differential herbivore browsing reflects genetic variation in plant defense expression and variation in needle terpenes and analyzed the damage caused by the black-tailed deer on yellow cedar and western red cedar. Methodology; Results; Discussion.

The rate of net CO2 assimilation (A) in cedar needles declined during drought progression, while the quantum yield of electron transport measured under moderate light and high CO2 (ΔF/Fm) remained almost constant. A slight but significant decrease in ΔF/Fm was observed in severely droughted plants. This suggested that the decline in A during drought progression was mostly due to stomatal closure, and that the photosynthetic apparatus of cedar was only impaired by severe water deficits. A Turkish provenance of C. libani displayed a significantly higher thermotolerance than a French provenance of C. atlantica at whatever levels of drought. Nevertheless, there was a strong interaction between drought and heat stress in both cases. The temperature at which Fv/Fm was lowered to 15% of its original value was increased by more than 3-4°C in droughted plants. This drought-induced shift in the PSII thermotolerance was still evident when heat treatments were done under high light rather than in darkness. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

At some research sites goats aggressively consumed red cedar (Juniperus virginiana) throughout the year, while at other sites goats consumed little cedar, although they consumed more cedar in winter. It was hypothesized that differences in red cedar intake may be caused by terpenes. The purpose of this study was to measure terpenes in cedar needles at different locations and times of the year. Ninety-one samples of red cedar needles were obtained from four locations (Langston, OK; Midwest City, OK; Mannford, OK; Neosho, MO) at monthly intervals over a 2-yr period. Needles were manually stripped from branches at approximately 1.5 m high from at least 25 plants at each location. Sixty grams of cedar needles were extracted by steam distillation for 2 h. Some samples were exhaustively extracted for a further 6 h to calculate recovery (45.7%). Two mL of diethyl ether were added, containing 1 mg/mL of methyl decanoate (internal standard), samples were vortexed and the ether was dried with a stream of nitrogen. Samples were subjected to gas chromatography for terpenes. The total amount of terpenes (mg/g DM) was calculated as the sum of peak areas/peak area of the internal standard x 2 mg internal standard/ 0.457/ dried weight of cedar needles. Months were categorized as season. Data were analyzed using the SAS GLM procedure with factors of season, year, and location. Neither season (P > 0.8) nor location (P > 0.25) nor the interaction (P >.9) were significant factors determining total terpene content of red cedar. Concentration of total terpenes for Langston was 20.8, Mannford 18.4, Neosho 15.2, and OKC 18.6 mg/g DM. Concentration by season was Fall 17.1, Spring 18.6, Summer 17.5, and Winter 19.7 mg/g DM. Total terpene concentration does not seem to be a factor affecting red cedar consumption by goats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]