Stachys affinis tubers are known for its high content of stachyose and eaten as an edible vegetable. In this work, we assessed on the anti-inflammatory and anti-proliferation activity of a various type of extracts derived from S. affinis tubers. The n-hexane and dichloromethane fractions were showed the high cytotoxicity on the cell lines including RAW264.7 macrophages, HEK293 human kidney cell, A549 human lung cancer cell, KB human oral cancer cell, and a PC-3 human prostate cancer cell. N-butanol and water fractions were not exhibited cytotoxicity on the tested cancer cells, limited in anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer activities. Nevertheless, the ethyl acetate fraction showed little harm to RAW264.7 cells but inhibited the production of nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) significantly. In addition, it arrests the cell growth in A549, KB, and PC-3 cell while little cytotoxicity on HEK293 cells. Consequently, these results supported that the ethyl acetate fraction of S. affinis tubers could be a potential anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer ingredient.

The anti-diabetic effect of Cirsium setidens water extract and the combinations with Bletilla striata, Cymbidium kanran, and Sparganium stoloniferum Buch.-Ham. ethanolic extracts had been studied. The combination of four extracts (3:1:1:1) showed larger anti-diabetic activity in vitro and in vivo. It is notable that the single water extract from C. setidens exhibited more effective anti-diabetic effect than most of the combinations. We also investigated whether fermentation process was promoted the anti-diabetic activity. The data suggested the fermentation product of combination of four extracts (3:1:1:1) exhibited the strongest activity both in vitro and in vivo, which was higher than the non-fermented group. The result indicated the fermentation and the appropriate combination of extracts enhanced the anti-diabetes activity.

Phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), a key enzyme of the phenylpropanoid biosynthesis pathway, is activated by a number of developmental and environmental cues. The coding region of the NtPAL4 gene was 2,154 bp in length, and its deduced protein was composed of 717 amino acids. Sequence analysis of NtPAL4 cDNA from tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) revealed high structural similarity to PAL genes of other plant species. The NtPAL4 gene exists as a single copy in the tobacco plant, and its transcripts were strongly expressed in flowers and leaves. NtPAL4 expression was significantly induced in response to NaCl, mannitol, and cold treatments, but it was not induced by abscisic acid (ABA). NtPAL4 expression decreased gradually after treatment with ABA and H2O2; however, NtPAL4 transcripts accumulated after treatment with methyl viologen (MV). Our results suggest that the NtPAL4 gene may function in response to abiotic stresses.

Hovenia dulcis Thunb fruits were successively extracted with hot water, water, methanol, ethyl acetate, and chloroform. The crude extracts were investigated for potential antioxidant by measuring scavenging against DPPH free radicals, reducing power, superoxide radicals, and protection of protein damage and cultured cells from a lethal dose of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). In all chemical assays used, the hot water extract of H. dulcis fruits, which contained 61.14±2.57 (Tannic acid mg/g extract, n=3) of total phenolic compounds contents exhibited highest activity in in vitro models of DPPH free radical scavenging activity, reducing power assay, superoxide radical scavenging activity and protection of protein damage. In addition, the hot water extract protected cultured RAW 264.7 macrophages from a lethal dose of H2O2 and reduced reactive oxygen species level in RAW 264.7 cells.

Chromosome segment substitution lines (CSSLs), in which each line carries a single or a few defined chromosome segment of donor genome and has a pure genetic background from a recurrent genotype, is a fundamental approach to conduct the QTL mapping in order to improve the mapping precision. In the present study, variety ‘ZM36’ (Gossypium. hirsutum) and ‘Hai1’ (Gossypium. Barbadense) were used as recurrent and donor parent to produce a segment substitution lines populations, respectively. The results indicated that most of fiber quality traits, yield-related traits and verticillium wilt traits fit the normal distribution in the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. In 133 lines of BC4S2:3 generation fiber length longer the recurrent parent has 37, micronaire lower than the recurrent parent has 58, Fiber strength over than the recurrent parent has 34. In 199 individuals of BC4S2:4 generation fiber length longer the recurrent parent has 37, micronaire lower than the recurrent parent has 36, Fiber strength over than the recurrent parent has 49. Fiber length had significantly positive correlation with fiber strength and negative correlation with micronaire, seed index had significantly positive correlation with boll weight and negative correlation with lint percentage, lint percentage had negative correlation with fiber length and strength.

Most traits of crop are quantitative, which are controlled by polygenes. Finely mapping ofquantitative trait loci (QTLs) is very important for cotton genetic improvement. Chromosome segment substitution lines (CSSLs) containing only one or a few segments of donor chromosome introgressed into a recipient genetic background can be used for QTL fine mapping and map-based cloning. In this study, the Gossypium. hirsutum variety ‘ZM36’ and Gossypium. barbadense ‘Hai1’ were respectively used as recurrent and donor parent to produce a segment substitution lines populations, including the BC4F2:3 and BC4S2:4 generations, by using microsatellite marker-assisted selection (MAS). We obtained 283 SSR marks by taking about the average 5 cM distance selection marks on this map, and these marks were carried to the molecular examination with to two populations. The results showedthat recurrent parent genetic background already to restore the very high degree through the high generation of backcross.

An experiment was conducted to find out among 9 trap settings the most appropriate site for trap placement in the Brinjal field based on Brinjal shoot and fruit borer trapping efficiency, shoot and fruit infestation, healthy and total fruit yield, and BCR. The efficiency of different trap setting positions varied significantly. Trapping efficiency observed the T1 ensured the minimum shoot and fruit infestation 10.02% and 20.95%, respectively, minimum infested fruit yield (4.75 ton/ha), maximum healthy and total fruit yield (26.72 and 31.47 ton/ha) and the maximum BCR (1.70), which was followed by T2 and T4. The minimum trapping efficiency of T9 treatment led the maximum shoot and fruit infestation 13.89 and 29.26%, respectively, maximum infested fruit yield (7.59 ton/ha), minimum healthy and total fruit yield (17.74 and 25.32 ton/ha) and the minimum BCR (1.00). A correlation between the number of BSFB adults trapped from the most efficient trap setting and the shoot and fruit infestation recorded and found a linear positive correlation between number of BSFB adults trapped and shoot infestation (r = 0.781) and fruit infestation (r = 0.810). The effect of pheromone trap positions observed in this study may be attributed to the easy accessibility of the lures and traps, when they are placed at the canopy.

We carried out to study the function of ArgE in transgenic rice plants, which were confirmed by PCR analysis and hygromycin selection. Transgenic rice plants were with selectable marker gene(HPT) inserted in genome of the rice. Southern analysis with hpt probe confirmed by two restriction enzymes that copy numbers of the selectable gene was introduced into the plant genome. We displayed that the relationship between drought stress and ArgE gene with the overexpressing rice plants. From this result, we observed that the degree of leaves damage has no difference in control and transgenic lines. The total RNAs were extracted from 6 weeks-seedling in normal condition in order to examine their expression levels with ArgE-overexpressed transgenic rice. In particular, expression patterns of genes encoding enzymes involved in abiotic stress, including drought and salt stresses. OsGF14a and OsSalt were investigated by reverse transcription-PCR(RT-PCR). Expression levels of the OsSalt gene decreased significantly in transgenic rice plants compared to control plant. However, ion leakage measurement did not demonstrate any leaves damage change between control and ArgE transgenic plants exposure to mannitol treatment. These results suggest that expression of the ArgE is not involved in tolerance for drought stress in rice but may playa role of signaling networks for salt-induced genes.

GE interaction is the expression of differential genotypic adaptation across environments. GE interactions through different stability parameters and performance of the traits of genotypes were studied. The traits were days to maturity, pod length, number of pods/ plant, 100-seed weight and seed yield/plant in ten soybean genotypes across five environments. Significant differences were observed for genotypes, environments and GE interactions. Stability analysis after Eberhart and Russell's model suggested that the genotypes used in this study were all more or less responsive to environmental changes. Most of the genotypes perform better in Env.3. Based on phenotypic indices(Pi), regression (S2di) genotype Garurab was found fairly stable for days to maturity. BS-23 and G-2120 may be considered as stable genotype for pod length. All the genotypes except G-2120 showed that the genotypes were relatively unstable under environmental fluctuation for the number of pod/plant. Genotype BS-23 was found most stable among all the genotypes for 100-seed weight. BS-3 and Gaurab was the most stable and desirable genotypes for seed yield in soybean.

The potential antioxidant and anticancer activities of Hexane, EtOAc (Ethyl acetate), BuOH (n-Buthanol) and water fractions from methanolic (MeOH) extract of Picrasma quassioides (D. Don) Benn. were evaluated in vitro. Tested fractions showed strong antioxidant activity, especially EtOAc fraction had the highest activity (IC50 = 114.01 μg/mL), containing high total phenolics and total flavonoids contents, showed 67.59 Tan μg/mg and 64.95 Que μg/mg respectively. Anticancer activity of these fractions was tested by MTT assay on HT-29 (the human colon carcinoma cells) cell line. BuOH fraction not only showed very high anticancer activity, but also had no cytotoxic effect on 293 (the human normal kidney cells) cell line. Considering these results, we used BuOH fraction of MeOH crude extract from P. quassioides (D.Don) Benn. to do assessment of apoptosis by flow cytometry and the mRNA expression levels of widely established apoptotic-related genes on HT-29 cell line. All the experiments showed that BuOH fraction can induce apoptosis on HT-29 cell line strongly. Taken together, methanolic extract of P. quassioides has potential for antioxidant and anticancer activities products.

This study was conducted to produce the transgenic plant of rice. We obtained Agrobacterium AGL1 harbaring pCambial 300 vector with HPT gene. We carried out PCR analysis of 22 ea putative transgenic rice to investigate transformed lines. The 3 ea transgenic lines were detected insertion of HPT gene. Transgenic lines selected from PCR analysis were performed by Southern blot. From Southern blot, we obtained that two transgenic lines detected single band. We are going to study the method improving of cotransformation as well as transformation efficiency in rice.