Carbon source, an essential nutrient for plant growth, mainly includes exogenous sugar and CO2 of the environment in vitro. Therefore, the exogenous sugar and CO2 of the environment make the important roles in tissue culture. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of different sugar concentrations (0, 10, 15 and 30 g·L-1) on the growth of colored Zantedeschia in vitro under certain CO2 concentration and explore the optimal sugar concentration. The plantlets in vitro of colored Zantedeschia had the largest root number, root weight, and root vigor under 0 g·L-1 (sugar-free culture) treatment. And they had the largest plant height, leaf length and leaf chlorophyll content, but p oor r oot v igor under 3 0 g·L-1 sugar. This study indicated that the optimal condition for proliferation and seedling culture of colored Zantedeschia plantlets in vitro was MS medium with 30 g·L-1 sugar, and the suitable medium for rooting culture and transplanting of colored Zantedeschia was MS medium with sugar-free culture under CO2 enrichment condition.

Temperature is known to play a crucial role in the population dynamics of insects. Insects have evolved different mechanisms to resist unfavorable temperatures. In recent years, western flower thrips (WFTs), Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande) have caused serious damage to vegetable crops, so that, a study about the effects of heat stress on the thrips species is warranted. We exposed various developmental stages of WFTs to 41°C, 43°C, or 45°C for 2 h to determine the effects of heat stress on survival rates, the parental reproduction, and its offspring, the activity of acetylcholinesterase and the trehalose level. Prepupae and pupae have the highest level against heat resistance than larvae and adults with higher survival rates after exposure at 41 or 43°C for 2h, but that of adults was higher at 45°C. The survival rates of larvae were lowest. Longevity of female adults and the quantity of larvae and adults in the first generation decreased significantly after exposure to high temperature. Activities of acetylcholinesterase were significant higher after heat stress treated, but the activity of acetylcholinesterase of pupa was significant lower after been exposed to 45°C for 2h. The trehalose levels in different developmental stages were significant lower after heat stress treatment. The activity of acetylcholinesterase and the trehalose level in the first progeny generation changed obviously after exposure the parental individual. These results support the hypothesis that heat stress may be used to control WFTs.

Phytochemical study on the EtOAc fraction from a MeOH extract of the leaves of Alnus hirsuta Rupr. led to the isolation of nine compounds betulin (1), betulinic acid (2), hirsutanonol (3), hirsutenone (4), quercetin (5), avicularin (6), gallic acid (7), hyperin (8), and daucosterol (9). Among them, six compounds 1, 2, 57, and 9 are report from this plant for the first time. All isolated compounds were evaluated for their antioxidant activity using DPPH radical scavenging capacity and inhibition effect on mitochondrial lipid peroxidation. Six phenolic compounds 3-8 were found to have potent antioxidant activity. Of which, compounds 3, 4 and 5 showed significant free radical scavenging activity with the IC50 values of 18.3 ± 2.5, 15.7 ± 3.8 and 23.5 ± 3.1 μm, respectively. In addition, the compounds 3-8 exhibited inhibition effect on the mitochondrial lipid peroxidation with the IC50 values of 88.0 ± 6.5, 12.6 ± 1.2, 8.0 ± 1.1, 58.5 ± 4.3, 173.6 ± 15.2, and 75.0 ± 6.7 μm, respectively.