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He M, Dai H, Xu J, Peng X, Al-Romaima A, Qiu M. Generation, degradation mechanism, and toxicity evaluation of pigmented compounds in Leucosceptrum canum nectar. Food Chem 2024; 446:138894. [PMID: 38442679 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2024.138894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Revised: 02/18/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024]
Abstract
Leucosceptrum canum nectar (LCN) emerges as a novel food resource, distinguished by its unique dark brown hue. This study delves into the composition and toxicity assessment of novel pigments within LCN. Through liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and chemical synthesis, seventeen 2,5-di-(N-(-)-prolyl)-para-benzoquinone (DPBQ) analogs in LCN were identified. These compounds are synthesized in LCN via the Michael addition reaction, utilizing p-benzoquinone (BQ), derived from phenol metabolism, and amino acids as substrates in an alkaline environment (pH = 8.47 ± 0.06) facilitated by dissolved ammonia and the presence of alkaloids. Analytical techniques, including principal component analysis (PCA), orthogonal partial least squares discrimination analysis (OPLS-DA), and volcano plot analysis, were employed to investigate DPBQ analog degradation within the nectar and honey's unique environments. Toxicity assays revealed that DPBQ analogs exhibited no toxicity, displaying a significant difference in toxicity compared to the precursor compound BQ at concentrations exceeding 25 μM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min He
- State Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Plant Resources in West China, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, Yunnan, People's Republic of China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, People's Republic of China
| | - Haopeng Dai
- State Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Plant Resources in West China, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, Yunnan, People's Republic of China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiaxin Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Plant Resources in West China, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, Yunnan, People's Republic of China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, People's Republic of China
| | - Xingrong Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Plant Resources in West China, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, Yunnan, People's Republic of China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, People's Republic of China
| | - Abdulbaset Al-Romaima
- State Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Plant Resources in West China, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, Yunnan, People's Republic of China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, People's Republic of China
| | - Minghua Qiu
- State Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Plant Resources in West China, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, Yunnan, People's Republic of China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, People's Republic of China.
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2
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Katlein N, Ray M, Wilkinson A, Claude J, Kiskowski M, Wang B, Glaberman S, Chiari Y. Does colour impact responses to images in geckos? J Zool (1987) 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- N. Katlein
- Department of Biology University of South Alabama Mobile AL USA
| | - M. Ray
- Department of Biology University of South Alabama Mobile AL USA
| | - A. Wilkinson
- School of Life Sciences University of Lincoln Lincoln UK
| | - J. Claude
- UMR UM/CNRS/IRD/EPHE Institut des Sciences de l’Evolution de Montpellier MontpellierFrance
| | - M. Kiskowski
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics University of South Alabama Mobile AL USA
| | - B. Wang
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics University of South Alabama Mobile AL USA
| | - S. Glaberman
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy George Mason University Fairfax VA USA
| | - Y. Chiari
- Department of Biology University of South Alabama Mobile AL USA
- Department of Biology George Mason University Fairfax VA USA
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3
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Cai XH, Shi BB, Niu Y, Ge J, Chomicki G, Chen G. Mystery revisited: Is nocturnal colored nectar a nonadaptive floral trait? Ecology 2022; 103:e3663. [PMID: 35157316 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2021] [Revised: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 12/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Xiang-Hai Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Plant Resources in West China, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Bao-Bao Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Plant Resources in West China, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Yang Niu
- CAS Key Laboratory for Plant Biodiversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Jia Ge
- CAS Key Laboratory for Plant Biodiversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China.,Yunnan Key Laboratory for Integrative Conservation of Plant Species with Extremely Small Populations, Kunming, China
| | - Guillaume Chomicki
- Department of Animal and Plant Science, Alfred Denny Building, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, UK
| | - Gao Chen
- CAS Key Laboratory for Plant Biodiversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China.,Yunnan Key Laboratory for Integrative Conservation of Plant Species with Extremely Small Populations, Kunming, China
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4
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Convergent evolution of a blood-red nectar pigment in vertebrate-pollinated flowers. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:2114420119. [PMID: 35074876 PMCID: PMC8812537 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2114420119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Beyond sugars, many types of nectar solutes play important ecological roles; however, the molecular basis for the diversity of nectar composition across species is less explored. One rare trait among flowering plants is the production of colored nectar, which may function to attract and guide prospective pollinators. Our findings indicate convergent evolution of a red-colored nectar has occurred across two distantly related plant species. Behavioral data show that the red pigment attracts diurnal geckos, the likely pollinator of one of these plants. These findings join a growing list of examples of distinct biochemical and molecular mechanisms underlying evolutionary convergence and provide a fascinating system for testing how interactions across species drive the evolution of novel pigments in an understudied context. Nearly 90% of flowering plants depend on animals for reproduction. One of the main rewards plants offer to pollinators for visitation is nectar. Nesocodon mauritianus (Campanulaceae) produces a blood-red nectar that has been proposed to serve as a visual attractant for pollinator visitation. Here, we show that the nectar’s red color is derived from a previously undescribed alkaloid termed nesocodin. The first nectar produced is acidic and pale yellow in color, but slowly becomes alkaline before taking on its characteristic red color. Three enzymes secreted into the nectar are either necessary or sufficient for pigment production, including a carbonic anhydrase that increases nectar pH, an aryl-alcohol oxidase that produces a pigment precursor, and a ferritin-like catalase that protects the pigment from degradation by hydrogen peroxide. Our findings demonstrate how these three enzymatic activities allow for the condensation of sinapaldehyde and proline to form a pigment with a stable imine bond. We subsequently verified that synthetic nesocodin is indeed attractive to Phelsuma geckos, the most likely pollinators of Nesocodon. We also identify nesocodin in the red nectar of the distantly related and hummingbird-visited Jaltomata herrerae and provide molecular evidence for convergent evolution of this trait. This work cumulatively identifies a convergently evolved trait in two vertebrate-pollinated species, suggesting that the red pigment is selectively favored and that only a limited number of compounds are likely to underlie this type of adaptation.
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Abstract
Some flowering plants signal the abundance of their rewards by changing their flower colour, scent or other floral traits as rewards are depleted. These floral trait changes can be regarded as honest signals of reward states for pollinators. Previous studies have hypothesized that these signals are used to maintain plant-level attractiveness to pollinators, but the evolutionary conditions leading to the development of honest signals have not been well investigated from a theoretical basis. We examined conditions leading to the evolution of honest reward signals in flowers by applying a theoretical model that included pollinator response and signal accuracy. We assumed that pollinators learn floral traits and plant locations in association with reward states and use this information to decide which flowers to visit. While manipulating the level of associative learning, we investigated optimal flower longevity, the proportion of reward and rewardless flowers, and honest- and dishonest-signalling strategies. We found that honest signals are evolutionarily stable only when flowers are visited by pollinators with both high and low learning abilities. These findings imply that behavioural variation in learning within a pollinator community can lead to the evolution of an honest signal even when there is no contribution of rewardless flowers to pollinator attractiveness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koichi Ito
- Center for Ecological Research, Kyoto University, Hirano 2-509-3, Otsu 520-2113, Japan.,School of Science, Kyushu University, Motooka 744, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan.,Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, 4200-6270 University Boulevard, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V6T 1Z4
| | - Miki F Suzuki
- Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8572, Japan.,URA Center, Research Promotion and Social Collaboration Department, University of Yamanashi, 4-4-37 Takeda, Kofu, Yamanashi 400-8510, Japan
| | - Ko Mochizuki
- Center for Ecological Research, Kyoto University, Hirano 2-509-3, Otsu 520-2113, Japan.,The Botanical Gardens, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 3-7-1, Hakusan, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
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Cozien RJ, van der Niet T, Johnson SD, Steenhuisen SL. Saurian surprise: lizards pollinate South Africa's enigmatic hidden flower. Ecology 2019; 100:e02670. [PMID: 30946483 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2018] [Revised: 11/16/2018] [Accepted: 01/02/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ruth J Cozien
- School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
| | | | - Steven D Johnson
- School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
| | - Sandy-Lynn Steenhuisen
- Department of Plant Sciences and Afromontane Research Unit, University of the Free State, Phuthaditjhaba, South Africa
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Goldberg JK, Pintel G, Weiss SL, Martins EP. Predatory lizards perceive plant-derived volatile odorants. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:4733-4738. [PMID: 31031939 PMCID: PMC6476869 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2018] [Revised: 02/25/2019] [Accepted: 02/28/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Many lizards are olfactory foragers and prey upon herbivorous arthropods, yet their responses to common herbivore-associated plant volatiles remain unknown. As such, their role in mediating plant indirect defenses also remains largely obscured. In this paper, we use a cotton-swab odor presentation assay to ask whether lizards respond to two arthropod-associated plant-derived volatile compounds: 2-(E)-hexenal and hexanoic acid. We studied the response of two lizard species, Sceloporus virgatusand Aspidoscelis exsanguis, because they differ substantially in their foraging behavior. We found that the actively foraging A. exsanguisresponded strongly to hexanoic acid, whereas the ambush foraging S. virgatus responded to 2-(E)-hexenal-an herbivore-associated plant volatile involved in indirect defense against herbivores. These findings indicate that S. virgatus may contribute to plant indirect defense and that a species' response to specific odorants is linked with foraging mode. Future studies can elucidate how lizards use various compounds to locate prey and how these responses impact plant-herbivore interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Stacey L. Weiss
- Department of BiologyUniversity of Puget SoundTacomaWashington
| | - Emília P. Martins
- Department of BiologyIndiana UniversityBloomingtonIndiana
- School of Life SciencesArizona State UniversityTempeArizona
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Boucherle B, Peuchmaur M, Boumendjel A, Haudecoeur R. Occurrences, biosynthesis and properties of aurones as high-end evolutionary products. PHYTOCHEMISTRY 2017; 142:92-111. [PMID: 28704688 DOI: 10.1016/j.phytochem.2017.06.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2017] [Revised: 05/22/2017] [Accepted: 06/30/2017] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Recent years have witnessed a considerable renewed interest for the uncommon flavonoid class of aurones. The characterization of two major biosynthetic machineries involved in their biosynthesis in flowers has encouraged the revival of phytochemical studies and identification of original structures, a process started almost seventy-five years ago. This review draws up an exhaustive map of natural occurrences of aurones their biosynthetic pathways and roles, with the aim to link their original structural properties among flavonoids to their place in evolution and the selective advantages they bring to some of the most advanced taxa in the plant kingdom.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Boucherle
- Univ. Grenoble-Alpes, CNRS, DPM UMR 5063, CS 40700, 38058, Grenoble, France
| | - Marine Peuchmaur
- Univ. Grenoble-Alpes, CNRS, DPM UMR 5063, CS 40700, 38058, Grenoble, France
| | - Ahcène Boumendjel
- Univ. Grenoble-Alpes, CNRS, DPM UMR 5063, CS 40700, 38058, Grenoble, France
| | - Romain Haudecoeur
- Univ. Grenoble-Alpes, CNRS, DPM UMR 5063, CS 40700, 38058, Grenoble, France.
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Kaczorowski RL, Markman S. Nectar alkaloids of tree tobacco can reduce Palestine sunbird foraging performance in a colour discrimination task. Anim Behav 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2016.05.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
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