Oral Administration of Incense Resin (Styrax benzoin) Extract Enhances Spatial Learning, Memory, and Dendrite Complexity of Mice

Abstract Hippocampus is a part of the brain that has a major role in spatial learning and memory which can be affected by herbal extracts. Incense resin (Styrax benzoin) has been used by local communities to improve intelligence. However, there is no scientific evidence of the functions of Styrax benzoin for regulating hippocampal function. The aim of this study was intended to analyze and investigate the effect of incense resin on learning, memory, and dendrite complexity of mice. Three months old male Deutch Democratic Yokohama (DDY) mice were injected orally with graded doses of 100, 150, and 200 mg/kg of incense resin aqueous extract daily for 30 days. Spatial learning and memory performance levels were tested with Y-maze alternation, novel object recognition, and Morris water maze. The branches and maximum dendritic span in the dentate gyrus were observed by the Golgi-Cox staining. Overall, our results showed that incense resin extract increased learning and memory ability, and the number of dendrite branching in the dentate gyrus.

Quality evaluation of Styrax based on quantitative determination of 7 chemical components using HPLC wavelength switching method and chemometrics / 中国中药杂志

In order to evaluate the quality of Styrax more comprehensively,this study attempted to establish an HPLC wavelength switching method to simultaneously determine the content of seven compounds in Styrax,and chemometrics were used to analyze the quality difference between different sources of Styrax,and finally establish a characteristic chromatogram of Styrax. The column was Agilent ZORBAX Extend C18( 4. 6 mm×250 mm,5 μm) with phase a mixture of acetonitrile-0. 1% phosphoric acid aqueous solution as the mobile phase in a gradient elution procedure; the detection wavelength was set as follows: 0-13. 5 min,194 nm( benzoic acid);13. 5-20. 5 min,278 nm( cinnamic acid); 20. 5-32 min,194 nm( benzyl benzoate,benzyl cinnamate,cinnamyl cinnamate,dehydroabietic acid); 32-55 min,241 nm( abietic acid). The methodological verification results showed that when the injection masses of benzoic acid,cinnamic acid,benzyl benzoate,benzyl cinnamate,cinnamyl cinnamate,dehydroabietic acid and abietic acid were0. 006 948-0. 694 8,0. 001 426-0. 142 6,0. 013 16-0. 658 0,0. 006 148-0. 614 8,0. 008 035-0. 803 5,0. 002 121-0. 212 1,and0. 010 172-1. 017 2 μg,respectively,there were good linear relationship between injection mass and peak area. The average recovery rates of seven compounds were in the range from 94. 34% to 105. 8%,and all RSD were less than 3. 0%( n = 6). The methodological verification results showed that the developed HPLC wavelength switching method has good accuracy and repeatability. The results of the sample analysis showed that the quality of Styrax from different sources was quite different. The chromatogram of Styrax reference material( S1) was used as the reference chromatogram to calculate the fingerprint similarity of each batch of samples. The results showed that the similarities of samples S2-S10 were 0. 952,0. 949,0. 981,0. 351,0. 751,0. 969,0. 979,0. 992 and 0. 971,respectively.The similarity values of other batches samples were satisfactory,except for sample S5 and S6,indicating that the quality difference among these samples is small. The similarity values of S11-S20 were 0. 060,0. 055,0. 054,0. 285,0. 092,0. 002,0. 044,0. 044,0. 044,and 0. 040,respectively. The results showed that compared with the sample S1,there was a large quality difference among S11-S20. Based on the chromatograms of S1-S10,the HPLC characteristic chromatograms of Styrax was established and the purpose is to give reference to other pharmaceutical researchers. The newly developed HPLC wavelength switching method have the advantages of simplicity,reproducibility and specificity,and the developed HPLC characteristic chromatograms provided a reference method for the overall quality evaluation of Styrax.

Acaulosproa koreana, a New Species of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (Glomeromycota) Associated with Roots of Woody Plants in Korea

A new species of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (Glomeromycota), Acaulospora koreana, was isolated from forest soils in South Korea. This novel fungus was collected from the rhizosphere of Lindera obtusiloba and Styrax obassia in forest and propagated with Sorghum bicolor in pot. Morphological characteristics of spores of A. koreana are rarely distinguished from Acaulospora mellea, which is reported as one of the most abundant mycorrhizal species in Korea. However, molecular evidence of rDNA sequence using improved primers for glomeromycotan fungal identification strongly supported that A. koreana is different from A. mellea but also any other species belonging to the genus Acaulospora. This is the first novel glomeromycatan fungus introduced in South Korea, but it suggests that there is a high possibility for discovering new arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi considering the abundance of plant species and advanced phylogenetic analysis technique.

Non-destructive equations to estimate the leaf area of Styrax pohlii and Styrax ferrugineus / Equações lineares para estimativa de área foliar de Styrax pohlii e Styrax ferrugineus

We developed linear equations to predict the leaf area (LA) of the species Styrax pohlii and Styrax ferrugineus using the width (W) and length (L) leaf dimensions. For both species the linear regression (Y=α+bX) using LA as a dependent variable vs. W × L as an independent variable was more efficient than linear regressions using L, W, L2 and W2 as independent variables. Therefore, the LA of S. pohlii can be estimated with the equation LA=0.582+0.683WL, while the LA of S. ferrugineus follows the equation LA=−0.666+0.704WL.

Foram determinadas equações lineares para estimar a área foliar (AF) de Styrax pohlii e Styrax ferrugineus utilizando dimensões do limbo foliar (C – comprimento, L – largura). O modelo linear (Y=α+bX), utilizando AF vs. C × L, foi mais eficiente que os modelos lineares utilizando C, L, C2 e L2 como variáveis independentes na determinação da área foliar de S. pohlii e S. ferrugineus. Assim, a AF de S. pohlii pode ser estimada pelo modelo AF=0,582+0,683CL e a AF de S. ferrugineus pode ser estimada pelo modelo AF=−0,666+0,704CL.

Antibacterial evaluation of Styrax pohlii and isolated compounds

The antibacterial activity of the compounds egonol (1) and homoegonol (2), of the crude ethanolic extract of Styrax pohlii (Styracaceae) aerial parts (EE), and of its n-hexane (HF), EtOAc (EF), n-BuOH (BF), and hydromethanolic (HMF) fractions was evaluated against the following microorganisms: Streptococcus pneumoniae (ATCC 6305), S. pyogenes (ATCC 19615), Haemophilus influenzae (ATCC 10211), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 27853), and Klebsiella pneumoniae (ATCC 10031). The broth microdilution method was used for determination of the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) during preliminary evaluation of antibacterial activity. The EE yielded MIC values of 400 µg/mL for S. pneumoniae and P. aeruginosa and 300 µg/mL for H. influenzae. The HF and EF fractions exhibited enhanced antibacterial activity, with MIC values of 200 µg/mL against S. pneumoniae, but only EF displayed activity against H. influenzae (MIC 200 µg/mL). The best MIC value with compounds 1 and 2 (400 µg/mL) was obtained for (1) against S. pneumoniae and P. aeruginosa. Therefore, 1 exhibited weak antibacterial activity against these standard strains.

As atividades antimicrobianas das substâncias egonol (1) e homoegonol (2), do extrato etanólico das partes aéreas de Styrax pohlii (Styracaceae) (EE), bem como das frações n-hexano (HF), AcOEt (EF), n-BuOH (BF) e hidrometanólica (HMF) foram avaliadas frente aos seguintes microorganismos: Streptococcus pneumoniae (ATCC 6305), S. pyogenes (ATCC 19615), Haemophilus influenzae (ATCC 10211), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 27853) e Klebsiella pneumoniae (ATCC 10031). O método de microdiluição em caldo foi utilizado para a determinação da concentração inibitória mínima (CIM) na avaliação preliminar da atividade antimicrobiana. EE mostrou valores de CIM de 400 µg/mL para S. pneumoniae e P. aeruginosa, e 300 µg/mL para H. influenzae. As frações HF e EF apresentaram melhora na atividade antimicrobiana, com valores de CIM de 200 µg/mL frente S. pneumoniae, mas apenas EF apresentou ação contra H. influenzae (200 µg/mL). Em relação às substâncias 1 e 2, o melhor valor de CIM (400 µg/mL) foi obtido por 1 frente a S. pneumoniae e P. aeruginosa, que exibiu fraca atividade antimicrobiana contra estas cepas padrões.

Diversity of galling insects in Styrax pohlii (Styracaceae): edge effect and use as bioindicators

Impacts of forest fragmentation and edge effect on plant-herbivores interactions are relatively unknown, and the relationships between galling insects and their host plants are very susceptible to environmental variations. The goal of our study was to test the edge effect hypothesis for galling insects associated with Styrax pohlii (Styracaceae) host plant. Samplings were conducted at a fragment of semi-deciduous forest in Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil. Thirty host plant individuals (15 at fragment edge and 15 in its interior) were sampled in July of 2007; in each plant, 10 apical branches were collected at the top, middle and bottom crown levels. Our results supported the prediction of greater richness of gall morphotypes in the edge habitat compared with remnant interior. In a similar way, gall abundance and frequency of attacked leaves were also greater in the fragment edge. These findings consequently suggest a positive response of galling insect diversity to edge effect; in the Saint-Hilaire forest, this effect probably operates through the changes in microclimatic conditions of edge habitats, which results in an increased hygrothermal stress, a determinant factor to distribution patterns of galling insects. We also concluded that these organisms could be employed as biological indicators (i) because of their host-specificity, (ii) they are sensitive to changes in plant quality, and (iii) present dissimilar and specific responses to local variation in habitat conditions. Rev. Biol. Trop. 59 (4): 1589-1597. Epub 2011 December 01.

Los impactos de la fragmentación de los bosques y el efecto de borde sobre las interacciones planta-herbívoros son relativamente desconocidos, y las relaciones entre los insectos inductores de agallas y sus plantas hospederas son muy susceptibles a las variaciones ambientales. El objetivo de nuestro estudio fue probar la hipótesis de efecto de borde en los insectos inductores de agallas asociados con la planta hospedera Styrax pohlii (Styracaceae). Los muestreos se realizaron en un fragmento de bosque semideciduo en Goiânia, Goiás, Brasil. Se tomaron muestras de treinta plantas hospederas (15 en el borde del fragmento y 15 en su interior), en cada planta, 10 ramas apicales fueron recolectadas en la parte superior, media e inferior. Nuestros resultados apoyan la predicción de una mayor riqueza de morfotipos de agallas en el borde del hábitat en comparación con su interior. De manera similar, la abundancia de las agallas y la frecuencia de las hojas atacadas también fueron mayores en el borde del fragmento. Estos resultados sugieren por consiguiente, una respuesta positiva de la diversidad de insectos de agallas al efecto borde, en el bosque de Saint-Hilaire, este efecto probablemente opera a través de los cambios en las condiciones microclimáticas de los hábitats de borde, que se traduce en un aumento de estrés higrotérmico, un factor determinante para los patrones de distribución de estos insectos. En conclusión, sugerimos que estos organismos podrían ser empleados como indicadores biológicos debido a (i) su especificidad del hospedero, (ii) su sensibilidad a los cambios en la calidad de la planta y, (iii) presentar respuestas diferentes y específicas a las variaciones locales de las condiciones del hábitat.

Effects of aromatic resuscitation drugs on blood brain barrier in cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury model rats / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To research the effects of moschus, borneol, styrax and benzoinum on the structure and function of blood brain barrier in cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury model rats.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>Focal middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) was introduced as an in vivo ischemic model in rats. After 2 h MCAO, nylon suture was pulled up 1 cm to give blood reperfusion. After 22 h reperfusion, all animals were decapitated. The ultramicrostructure of blood brain barrier of ischemia hemisphere side in fronto-parietal cortex region by transmission electron microscope, and the content of VEGF and MMP-9 in ischemia side brain tissue were measured by ELISA.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>In model and solvent group rats, the capillary endothelium cells, astro-glial cells and nerve cells in ischemia hemisphere side in fronto-parietal region were emerged in different degree compared with sham-operated groups, which exhibited tight junction between endothelial cells being opened, basal lamina being dissolved, and permeability increasing, and cellularedema. In borneol (0.2 g x kg(-1)) group rats, the structure of three kinds of cells were nearly normal, which tight junction structure was clear, rough endoplasmic reticulum and polyribosome could be found in cytoplasm. In moschus (66.6 mg x kg(-1)) group rats, the structure of capillary endothelium cells and astrocytes were nearly normal as well as the basal lamina, but the electrons in neurons was maldistribution. In styrax (1.332 g x kg(-1)) group rats, astrocytes were nearly normal, while capillary endothelial cells and neurons exhibited oedema in different degrees. And the basal lamina was discontinuous, augmentation of cell spaces in endothelial cells increased the permeability, some endoplasmic reticulum broadened and ribosome ablated. In benzoinum (1.0 g x kg(-1)) group rats, oedema of capillary endothelial cells and astrocytes was significant, basal lamina broke. Meanwhile endoplasmic reticulum broadened as vacuole, the number of ribosome in rough endoplasmic reticulum decreased, crista mitochondriales in some neurons disappeared as vacuole which hint oedema happened. Results also showed that borneol decrease the level of VEGF in ischemia side brain tissue significantly, while has little influence on the level of MMP-9. Moschus showed the tendency to decrease the level of VEGF and MMP-9 in ischemia side brain tissue.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Aromatic resuscitation drugs showed the protection effect on blood brain barrier in cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury rats, which the protection effect of moschus and borneol were better than that of styrax and benzoinum. The mechanism of protection effect maybe related to decrease the level of VEGF and MMP-9.</p>