Inflorescence of Allium thunbergii was found to be severely infected with Fusarium sp. The flower was covered with the fungus and eventually failed to form seeds. The causal fungus was identified as F. proliferatum (Matsushima) Nirenberg based on the cultural and morphological characteristics. Pathogenicity of the fungus was proved by artificial inoculation onto the healthy plants. This is the first record of this disease from Korea.
Allium* ; Flowers* ; Fungi ; Fusarium* ; Inflorescence ; Korea ; Virulence

OBJECTIVETo reveal the flowering characteristics of Panax stipuleanatus and provide theoretical basis for distant hybridization between P. stipuleanatus and P. notoginseng.

METHODDuring the blossom of P. stipuleanatus, we observed and investigated blooming phenophase, growth dynamics of inflorescence, pollination and seed setting of its population and the flowering process and its period, the regularity of flowering and pollinating of the floret. Statistic analyses were carried out.

RESULT AND CONCLUSIONThe population florescence of P. stipuleanatus was about 60 d. The average florets quality of umbel was 44-47. The average natural pollination rates were 73.32%-95.39%. The average seed setting rates was 35.65%-51.76%. The highest growth periods of inflorescence are from March 25 to April 4. The diameter, the height and the length of its inflorescence in 10 d increased 44.65%, 42.19% and 106.25%, respectively. The whole stereotype period was the May beginning. The time that the floret from petal opening to withering it generally needed 36-48 h, 60 percent of the floret finished auther pollinating during the same day and 40 percent until the next day. The flowering and pollinating peak periods were 14:00-15:00, the flowering numbers was 28.48% of the total flowering amount and the pollinating numbers were 38.63% of the total pollinating amount. The high temperature (20-30 degrees C) and the low humidity (RH < 60%) were beneficial to flowering and pollinating.

Flowers ; growth & development ; physiology ; Inflorescence ; growth & development ; physiology ; Panax ; growth & development ; physiology ; Pollination ; Seeds ; physiology

This study is designed to evaluate antioxidant and antigenotoxic activities of corn tassel extracts (CTTs). The major bioactive components of CTTs include flavonoid, saponin and polysaccharide. The antioxidant properties of the three bioactive components of CTTs were investigated by Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Property (FRAP) and 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assays. The activities of the extracts were determined by assessing the inhibition of mutagenicity of the direct-acting mutagen fenaminosulf, sodium azide, and indirect-acting mutagen 2-aminofluorene using the Ames test (strains TA98 and TA100). The results showed that the extraction rates of flavonoid, saponin, and polysaccharide from the dried corn tassels were 1.67%, 2.41% and 4.76% respectively. DPPH and FRAP assay strongly demonstrated that CTTs had antioxidant properties. CTTs at doses of 625, 1250 and 2500 μg per plate reduced 2-aminofluorene mutagenicity by 12.52%, 28.76% and 36.49% in Salmonella typhimurium TA98 strain assay respectively and by 10.98%, 25.27% and 37.83%, at the same doses in Salmonella typhimurium TA100 assay system, respectively. 3-[4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay showed that the different concentrations of CTTs inhibited the proliferation of MGC80-3 cells in a dose-dependent manner (P<0.01). It is concluded that these integrated approaches to antioxidant and antigenotoxicity assessment may be useful to study corn tassel as a natural herbal material.
Antimutagenic Agents ; pharmacology ; Antioxidants ; pharmacology ; Biphenyl Compounds ; antagonists & inhibitors ; metabolism ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Survival ; drug effects ; Flavonoids ; pharmacology ; Fluorenes ; pharmacology ; Free Radical Scavengers ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Inflorescence ; chemistry ; Mutagens ; pharmacology ; Picrates ; antagonists & inhibitors ; metabolism ; Plant Extracts ; pharmacology ; Polysaccharides ; pharmacology ; Salmonella typhimurium ; drug effects ; genetics ; Saponins ; pharmacology ; Zea mays ; chemistry