Variation of rhizosphere bacterial community diversity in the desert ephemeral plant Ferula sinkiangensis across environmental gradients.

Ferula sinkiangensis (F. sinkiangensis) is a desert short-lived medicinal plant, and its number is rapidly decreasing. Rhizosphere microbial community plays an important role in plant growth and adaptability. However, F. sinkiangensis rhizosphere bacterial communities and the soil physicochemical factors that drive the bacterial community distribution are currently unclear. On this study, based on high-throughput sequencing, we explored the diversity, structure and composition of F. sinkiangensis rhizosphere bacterial communities at different slope positions and soil depths and their correlation with soil physicochemical properties. Our results revealed the heterogeneity and changed trend of F. sinkiangensis rhizosphere bacterial community diversity and abundance on slope position and soil depth and found Actinobacteria (25.5%), Acidobacteria (16.9%), Proteobacteria (16.6%), Gemmatimonadetes (11.5%) and Bacteroidetes (5.8%) were the dominant bacterial phyla in F. sinkiangensis rhizosphere soil. Among all soil physicochemical variables shown in this study, there was a strong positive correlation between phosphorus (AP) and the diversity of rhizosphere bacterial community in F. sinkiangensis. In addition, Soil physicochemical factors jointly explained 24.28% of variation in F. sinkiangensis rhizosphere bacterial community structure. Among them, pH largely explained the variation of F. sinkiangensis rhizosphere bacterial community structure (5.58%), followed by total salt (TS, 5.21%) and phosphorus (TP, 4.90%).

Metabolomics Approaches for Analyzing Effects of Geographic and Environmental Factors on the Variation of Root Essential Oils of Ferula assa-foetida L.

Environmental factors shape the production and accumulation processes of plant secondary metabolites in medical and aromatic plants and thus their pharmacological and biological activity. Using an environmental metabolomics approach, we determined chemotypes and specific compounds on the basis of essential oils (EOs) from roots of 10 Iranian Ferula assa-foetida L. populations and related them to geographical, climate, and edaphic data. GC-MS revealed three distinct chemotypes characterized by (I) monoterpenes and Z-1-propenyl sec-butyl disulfide; (II) eudesmane sesquiterpenoids and α-agarofuran; and (III) Z- and E-1-propenyl sec-butyl disulfide. NIRS measurements indicated a similar but less distinct pattern. Structural equation models showed that EO constituents and content were directly influenced by edaphic factors (texture, pH, and iron, potassium, and aluminum content) and temperature and predominantly indirectly by latitude, longitude, and altitude. Predicting EO constituents or chemotypes by geographical, climate, and soil factors can be used in F. assa-foetida to select populations with specific EO characteristics.

Chemical composition and antibacterial activity of the essential oils from flower, leaf and stem of Ferula cupularis growing wild in Iran.

CONTEXT: Ferula cupularis (Boiss.) Spalik et S. R. Downie (Apiaceae) is a common plant in Iran that grows in the foothills of Dena Mountain. In traditional folk medicine, this plant has different applications, but there are no studies proving their uses. OBJECTIVE: This study is the first attempt to investigate the chemical composition and antibacterial effect of the essential oils of F. cupularis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The essential oils from flower, leaf, and stem of F. cupularis were analyzed by using GC and GC-MS. Antibacterial activity of essential oils was determined by microdilution method against Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. RESULTS: The essential oil from flower of F. cupularis contained 15 monoterpene, 13 oxygenated monoterpene, and 2 sesquiterpene hydrocarbons. The leaf essential oil contained 12 monoterpene, 13 oxygenated monoterpene, 2 sesquiterpene, 6 oxygenated sesquiterpene hydrocarbons, and 3 non-terpenoid components. Stem essential oil contained one monoterpene, 23 oxygenated monoterpene, 2 sesquiterpene, and 6 oxygenated sesquiterpene hydrocarbons. The MIC value of stem essential oil was 2.85 mg/mL against both Gram-positive bacteria and Gram-negative bacteria except P. aeruginosa which was inhibited at 22.75 mg/mL. The MIC values of leaf and flower essential oils were higher than 5.69 and 22.75 mg/mL, respectively. DISCUSSION: This study highlighted the strong antibacterial effect of Ferula cupularis's essential oil which might be due to its high content of oxygenated monoterpene hydrocarbons. CONCLUSION: Our results suggested that this plant may be a good candidate for further biological and pharmacological investigations.

Chemical composition, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of essential oil obtained from Ferula assa-foetida oleo-gum-resin: effect of collection time.

The properties of essential oils obtained from Ferula assa-foetida oleo-gum-resins (OGRs) collectioned in three collections times in 15 June (OGR1), 30 June (OGR2) and 15 July (OGR3) 2011 was investigated. Essential oil from OGR1 was constituted high levels of (E)-1-propenyl sec-butyl disulfide (23.9%) and 10-epi-γ-eudesmol (15.1%). Essential oil from OGR2 was constituted high levels of (Z)-1-propenyl sec-butyl disulfide (27.7%) and (E)-1-propenyl sec-butyl disulfide (20.3%). Essential oil from OGR3 was constituted high levels of ß-pinene (47.1%) and α-pinene (21.3%). Inhibitory concentration (IC50) for radical scavenging were 0.012-0.035, 0.025-0.047 and 0.035-0.066 mg/ml of essential oil obtained from OGR1, OGR2 and OGR3, respectively. Minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) for Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and fungi grpwth were 0.028-0.111, 0.027-0.107 and 0.018-0.058 mg/ml of essential oil obtained from OGR1, OGR2 and OGR3, respectively. Essential oils obtained from different OGRs have different composition and biological activity thus have different applications in food and health industry.

[Study on callus induction of Ferula sinkiangensis].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of different culture conditions and hormone combinations on callus induction of Ferula sinkiangensis. METHODS: Using different seedling age of Ferula sinkiangensis young cotyledon, hypocotyl, radicle as explants, which were cultivated on differentiation medium with different hormone combinations, to study the effects on Ferulic callus by different explants and hormone combinations. RESULTS: Ferulic seedlings with no true leaf was more favorable to the callus, the optimum medium for hypocotyl induction was MS + 2,4-D (1.0 mg/L) + KT (1.5 mg/L), for radicle induction was MS + NAA (0.5 mg/L) + 6-BA (0.5 mg/L), and the best subculture medium was MS + NAA (1.5 mg/L) + 6-BA (2.5 mg/L). CONCLUSIONS: NAA,2,4-D and 6-BA must have the inductive effects, 6-BA is better than the KT in the process of proliferation and the medium containing GA3 is conducive to the process of subculture embryogenic callus production.

Conservation genetics of the endangered Iberian steppe plant Ferula loscosii (Apiaceae).

Ferula loscosii (Lange) Willk (Apiaceae) is a threatened endemic species native to the Iberian Peninsula. The plant has a narrow and disjunct distribution in three regions, NE, C and SE Spain. Genetic variability within and among 11 populations from its natural distribution was assessed using allozymes. Intermediate levels of genetic diversity were detected in F. loscosii (P(99%) = 36.83; H(E) = 0.125; H(T) = 0.152). However, the highest genetic diversity (58%) corresponded to the threatened populations from SE and C Spain (H(T) = 0.169) rather than the more abundant and larger populations from NE Spain (Ebro valley) (H(T) = 0.122). Low to moderate levels of genetic structure were found among regional ranges (G(ST) = 0.134), and several statistical spatial correlation analyses corroborated substantial genetic differentiation among the three main regional ranges. However, no significant genetic differentiation was found among the NE Spain populations, except for a northernmost population that is geographically isolated. Outcrossing mating and other biological traits of the species could account for the maintenance of the present values of genetic diversity within populations. The existence of an ancestral late Tertiary wider distribution of the species in SE and C Spain, followed by the maintenance of different Quaternary refugia in these warmer areas, together with a more recent and rapid post-glacial expansion towards NE Spain, are arguments that could explain the low genetic variability and structure found in the Ebro valley and the higher levels of diversity in the southern Iberian populations.

Ferula gummosa Boiss. Embryogenic culture and karyological changes.

Ferula gummosa Boiss. a highly valuable medicinal plant which naturally propagates in very limited areas of the Middle East with specific environmental conditions. The production of Ferula gummosa somatic embryos and the karyological analysis of somatic seedlings were the purpose of this study. High frequency indirect embryogenesis was induced in callus derived from zygotic embryonic axes. Embryogenesis was obtained when callus tissues were placed onto an agar induction Murashige and Skoog medium with 1-naphthalene acetic acid and after the transfer of the cultures in a thermoperiod regime of 16 h, 19 degrees C/8 h, 7 degrees C under photoperiod of 16 h light/8h dark. Embryogenic callus tissues were maintained by subculture on induction medium. Globular proliferation was achieved with suspension culture in the Murashige and Skoog medium added with 1-naphthalene acetic acid or 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid for two weeks. Maturation of embryos and development of plantlets arose on the induction agar medium, but was better after transfer into the hormone free Murashige and Skoog medium. However, the level of abnormal embryos was high. Direct embryogenesis was obtained from somatic seedlings. The best results were obtained from hypocotyl explants. Embryo induction was achieved by two week culture of the explants in 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid liquid medium; somatic embryo growth and maturation was recovered on the hormone free medium. High level of abnormalities was recorded in the culture. Karyological analysis showed a high incidence level of cytochimerism in somatic seedlings with chromosome stickiness, polypoidy and aneuploidy in metaphase cells of the same root tip. The frequency of these karyological changes varied with the type of somatic embryos with regard to morphological abnormalities. Normal and abnormal rooted somatic seedlings were able to grow until production of the first leaf and then entered dormancy in the same manner as zygotic plantlets.