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Fradera-Soler M, Mravec J, Schulz A, Taboryski R, Jørgensen B, Grace OM. Revisiting an ecophysiological oddity: Hydathode-mediated foliar water uptake in Crassula species from southern Africa. Plant Cell Environ 2024; 47:460-481. [PMID: 37876364 DOI: 10.1111/pce.14743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2023] [Revised: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 10/26/2023]
Abstract
Hydathodes are usually associated with water exudation in plants. However, foliar water uptake (FWU) through the hydathodes has long been suspected in the leaf-succulent genus Crassula (Crassulaceae), a highly diverse group in southern Africa, and, to our knowledge, no empirical observations exist in the literature that unequivocally link FWU to hydathodes in this genus. FWU is expected to be particularly beneficial on the arid western side of southern Africa, where up to 50% of Crassula species occur and where periodically high air humidity leads to fog and/or dew formation. To investigate if hydathode-mediated FWU is operational in different Crassula species, we used the apoplastic fluorescent tracer Lucifer Yellow in combination with different imaging techniques. Our images of dye-treated leaves confirm that hydathode-mediated FWU does indeed occur in Crassula and that it might be widespread across the genus. Hydathodes in Crassula serve as moisture-harvesting structures, besides their more common purpose of guttation, an adaptation that has likely played an important role in the evolutionary history of the genus. Our observations suggest that ability for FWU is independent of geographical distribution and not restricted to arid environments under fog influence, as FWU is also operational in Crassula species from the rather humid eastern side of southern Africa. Our observations point towards no apparent link between FWU ability and overall leaf surface wettability in Crassula. Instead, the hierarchically sculptured leaf surfaces of several Crassula species may facilitate FWU due to hydrophilic leaf surface microdomains, even in seemingly hydrophobic species. Overall, these results confirm the ecophysiological relevance of hydathode-mediated FWU in Crassula and reassert the importance of atmospheric humidity for some arid-adapted plant groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc Fradera-Soler
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, UK
| | - Jozef Mravec
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
- Institute of Plant Genetics and Biotechnology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Plant Science and Biodiversity Center, Nitra, Slovakia
| | - Alexander Schulz
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Rafael Taboryski
- National Centre for Nano Fabrication and Characterization (DTU Nanolab), Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Bodil Jørgensen
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Olwen M Grace
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, UK
- Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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2
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Walter HE, Cádiz-Véliz A, Meriño BM, Villalobos-Barrantes HM, Guerrero PC. Taxonomic dissection based on molecular evidence of the Eriosycecurvispina complex (Cactaceae): identifying nine endemic species from Central Chile. PhytoKeys 2024; 237:117-139. [PMID: 38292077 PMCID: PMC10825970 DOI: 10.3897/phytokeys.237.107403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
Chile's distinctive flora, geographical isolation, and complex topography collectively contribute to a notable endemic species diversity, particularly within central regions identified as critical areas for biodiversity conservation. The cactus genus Eriosyce, as currently circumscribed, encompasses seven sections, with Eriosycesect.Horridocatus presenting a notably complex species group. This study investigates the E.curvispina complex, a member of the Notocacteae tribe common in central Chile, by incorporating new populations and examining phylogenetic relationships using four plastid and one nuclear molecular marker. The phylogenetic analysis of sampled individuals identified nine independent lineages, each warranting recognition at the species rank. Despite minimal morphological differences among taxa, morphological characters were utilized to support and stabilize the DNA-based phylogenetic hypothesis. The results highlight the high taxonomic diversity in these cactus lineages and have implications for the classification of the E.curvispina complex, including new combinations and proposals of conservation status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helmut E. Walter
- The EXSIS Project: Cactaceae Ex-Situ & In-Situ Conservation, 31860 Emmerthal, Germany
| | - Arón Cádiz-Véliz
- Departamento de Botánica, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Oceanográficas, Universidad de Concepción, Casilla 160C, 4030000, Concepción, Chile
- Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity (IEB), Concepción, Chile
- Millennium Institute Biodiversity of Antarctic and Sub-Antarctic Ecosystems (BASE), Concepción, Chile
| | - Beatriz M. Meriño
- Departamento de Botánica, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Oceanográficas, Universidad de Concepción, Casilla 160C, 4030000, Concepción, Chile
- Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity (IEB), Concepción, Chile
| | - Heidy M. Villalobos-Barrantes
- Departamento de Botánica, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Oceanográficas, Universidad de Concepción, Casilla 160C, 4030000, Concepción, Chile
- Escuela de Química, Universidad de Costa Rica, CP 11501-2060, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Pablo C. Guerrero
- Departamento de Botánica, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Oceanográficas, Universidad de Concepción, Casilla 160C, 4030000, Concepción, Chile
- Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity (IEB), Concepción, Chile
- Millennium Institute Biodiversity of Antarctic and Sub-Antarctic Ecosystems (BASE), Concepción, Chile
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Fradera-Soler M, Grace OM, Jørgensen B, Mravec J. Elastic and collapsible: current understanding of cell walls in succulent plants. J Exp Bot 2022; 73:2290-2307. [PMID: 35167681 PMCID: PMC9015807 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erac054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2021] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Succulent plants represent a large functional group of drought-resistant plants that store water in specialized tissues. Several co-adaptive traits accompany this water-storage capacity to constitute the succulent syndrome. A widely reported anatomical adaptation of cell walls in succulent tissues allows them to fold in a regular fashion during extended drought, thus preventing irreversible damage and permitting reversible volume changes. Although ongoing research on crop and model species continuously reports the importance of cell walls and their dynamics in drought resistance, the cell walls of succulent plants have received relatively little attention to date, despite the potential of succulents as natural capital to mitigate the effects of climate change. In this review, we summarize current knowledge of cell walls in drought-avoiding succulents and their effects on tissue biomechanics, water relations, and photosynthesis. We also highlight the existing knowledge gaps and propose a hypothetical model for regulated cell wall folding in succulent tissues upon dehydration. Future perspectives of methodological development in succulent cell wall characterization, including the latest technological advances in molecular and imaging techniques, are also presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc Fradera-Soler
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, 1871 Frederiksberg, Denmark
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, UK
- Correspondence: or
| | | | | | - Jozef Mravec
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, 1871 Frederiksberg, Denmark
- Correspondence: or
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Lu M, Fradera-Soler M, Forest F, Barraclough TG, Grace OM. Evidence linking life-form to a major shift in diversification rate in Crassula. Am J Bot 2022; 109:272-290. [PMID: 34730230 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.1797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 10/29/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE Plants have evolved different ecological strategies in response to environmental challenges, and a higher lability of such strategies is more common in plant groups that adapt to various niches. Crassula (Crassulaceae), occurring in varied mesic to xeric habitats, exhibits a remarkable diversity of life-forms. However, whether any particular life-form trait has shaped species diversification in Crassula has remained unexplored. This study aims to investigate diversification patterns within Crassula and identify potential links to its life-form evolution. METHODS A phylogenetic tree of 140 Crassula taxa was reconstructed using plastid and nuclear loci and dated based on the nuclear DNA information only. We reconstructed ancestral life-form characters to estimate the evolutionary trends of ecophysiological change, and subsequently estimated net diversification rates. Multiple diversification models were applied to examine the association between certain life-forms and net diversification rates. RESULTS Our findings confirm a radiation within Crassula in the last 10 million years. A configuration of net diversification rate shifts was detected, which coincides with the emergence of a speciose lineage during the late Miocene. The results of ancestral state reconstruction demonstrate a high lability of life-forms in Crassula, and the trait-dependent diversification analyses revealed that the increased diversification is strongly associated with a compact growth form. CONCLUSIONS Transitions between life-forms in Crassula seem to have driven adaptation and shaped diversification of this genus across various habitats. The diversification patterns we inferred are similar to those observed in other major succulent lineages, with the most-speciose clades originating in the late Miocene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng Lu
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 3AE, UK
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Ascot, Berkshire, UK
| | - Marc Fradera-Soler
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 3AE, UK
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, 1871 Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Félix Forest
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 3AE, UK
| | - Timothy G Barraclough
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Ascot, Berkshire, UK
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PS, UK
| | - Olwen M Grace
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 3AE, UK
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van Kleinwee I, Larridon I, Shah T, Bauters K, Asselman P, Goetghebeur P, Leliaert F, Veltjen E. Plastid phylogenomics of the Sansevieria Clade of Dracaena (Asparagaceae) resolves a recent radiation. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2022; 169:107404. [PMID: 35031466 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2022.107404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2020] [Revised: 12/20/2021] [Accepted: 12/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Best known as low maintenance houseplants, sansevierias are a diverse group of flowering plants native to Africa, Madagascar, the Arabian Peninsula, and the Indian subcontinent. Traditionally recognised as a distinct genus, Sansevieria was recently merged with the larger genus Dracaena based on molecular phylogenetic data. Within the Sansevieria Clade of Dracaena, taxonomic uncertainties remain despite attempts to unravel the relationships between the species. To investigate the evolutionary relationships, morphological evolution and biogeographical history in the group, we aim to reconstruct a robust dated phylogenetic hypothesis. Using genome skimming, a chloroplast genome (cpDNA) dataset and a nuclear ribosomal (nrDNA) dataset were generated. The sampling included representatives of all sections and informal groups previously described in Sansevieria based on morphology. Analysis of the cpDNA dataset using a maximum likelihood approach resulted in a well-supported phylogeny. The time-calibrated phylogeny indicated a recent radiation with five main clades emerging in the Pliocene. Two strongly supported clades align with previously defined groups, i.e., Sansevieria section Dracomima, characterised by the Dracomima-type inflorescence, and the Zeylanica informal group, native to the Indian subcontinent. Other previously defined groups were shown to be polyphyletic; a result of convergent evolution of the identifying characters. Switches between flat and cylindrical leaves occurred multiple times in the evolution of the Sansevieria Clade. Similarly, the Cephalantha-type inflorescence has originated multiple times from an ancestor with a Sansevieria-type inflorescence. Analysis of the nrDNA dataset resulted in a phylogenetic hypothesis with low resolution, yet it supported the same two groups confirmed by the cpDNA dataset. This study furthers our understanding of the evolution of the Sansevieria Clade, which will benefit taxonomic and applied research, and aid conservation efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iris van Kleinwee
- Systematic and Evolutionary Botany Lab, Department of Biology, Ghent University, K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000 Gent, Belgium
| | - Isabel Larridon
- Systematic and Evolutionary Botany Lab, Department of Biology, Ghent University, K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000 Gent, Belgium; Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 3AE, UK
| | - Toral Shah
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 3AE, UK; Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College, Silwood Park Campus, Berks SL5 7PY, UK
| | | | - Pieter Asselman
- Systematic and Evolutionary Botany Lab, Department of Biology, Ghent University, K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000 Gent, Belgium
| | - Paul Goetghebeur
- Systematic and Evolutionary Botany Lab, Department of Biology, Ghent University, K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000 Gent, Belgium; Ghent University Botanical Garden, K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000 Gent, Belgium
| | | | - Emily Veltjen
- Systematic and Evolutionary Botany Lab, Department of Biology, Ghent University, K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000 Gent, Belgium; Ghent University Botanical Garden, K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000 Gent, Belgium.
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Ito T, Yu CC, Yokota M, Kokubugata G. Sedum formosanum subsp. miyakojimense (Crassulaceae), a new subspecies from Miyako-jima Island of the Ryukyu Islands, Japan. PhytoKeys 2020; 148:51-70. [PMID: 32523393 PMCID: PMC7266832 DOI: 10.3897/phytokeys.148.48957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2020] [Accepted: 03/24/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
We re-examined the taxonomic status of plants treated as Sedum formosanum (Crassulaceae) from Miyako-jima Island of the Ryukyu Islands, Japan, using morphological comparison and molecular phylogenetic analyses with related species. In morphology, plants from Miyako-jima Island bore a close resemblance to the other plants of S. formosanum, but differed in being perennial, polycarpic, and having lateral axillary branches. Molecular analyses based on ITS of nrDNA and six regions of cpDNA sequencing indicated that the Miyako-jima plants formed a distinct subclade. This subclade was part of a polytomy with three other subclades comprising nine taxa endemic to Taiwan and S. formosanum from other areas, including the type locality. Therefore, we propose and describe the Miyako-jima plants as a new subspecies, Sedum formosanum subsp. miyakojimense.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takuro Ito
- Division of Forest and Biomaterials Science, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa Oiwake-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8502, JapanNational Museum of Nature and ScienceIbarakiJapan
- Department of Botany, National Museum of Nature and Science, Amakubo 4-1-1, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0005, JapanKyoto UniversityKyotoJapan
| | - Chih-Chieh Yu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Menglun, Mengla, Yunnan 666303, ChinaXishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of SciencesYunnanChina
| | - Masatsugu Yokota
- Laboratory of Ecology and Systematics, Faculty of Science, University of the Ryukyus, Senbaru 1, Nishihara, Okinawa 903-0213, JapanUniversity of the RyukyusOkinawaJapan
| | - Goro Kokubugata
- Department of Botany, National Museum of Nature and Science, Amakubo 4-1-1, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0005, JapanKyoto UniversityKyotoJapan
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Hinojosa-Alvarez S, Arias S, Ferrand S, Purugganan MD, Rozas J, Rosas U, Wegier A. The chloroplast genome of the pincushion cactus Mammilllaria haageana subsp. san-a ngelensis, a Mexican endangered species. Mitochondrial DNA B Resour 2020; 5:2038-2039. [PMID: 33457733 PMCID: PMC7782124 DOI: 10.1080/23802359.2020.1757523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The genus Mammillaria occupies diverse habitats and exhibits diverse growth patterns and a large range of morphologies. Most of the species of this genus are used as ornamental plants and are subject to mass habitat loss. Due to these factors, they are being submitted to selective pressure that might affect conservational efforts and management plans. We obtained the 133 gene chloroplast genome as part of the project of sequencing the complete genome of pincushion cactus, including 88 protein-coding genes, 8 rRNA genes, and 37 tRNA genes. The phylogenetic tree indicates the pincushion cactus is a sister species of M. supertexta and M. huitzilopochtli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Hinojosa-Alvarez
- Jardín Botánico, Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Coyoacán, México City, México
| | - Salvador Arias
- Jardín Botánico, Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Coyoacán, México City, México
| | - Sylvie Ferrand
- Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University Abu Dhabi Research Institute, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Michael D Purugganan
- Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University Abu Dhabi Research Institute, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.,Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Julio Rozas
- Departament de Genètica, Microbiologia i Estadística, Universitat de Barcelona (UB) and Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ulises Rosas
- Jardín Botánico, Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Coyoacán, México City, México
| | - Ana Wegier
- Jardín Botánico, Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Coyoacán, México City, México
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Poma P, Labbozzetta M, Zito P, Alduina R, Ramarosandratana AV, Bruno M, Rosselli S, Sajeva M, Notarbartolo M. Essential Oil Composition of Alluaudia procera and in Vitro Biological Activity on Two Drug-Resistant Models. Molecules 2019; 24:E2871. [PMID: 31394879 DOI: 10.3390/molecules24162871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2019] [Revised: 08/03/2019] [Accepted: 08/05/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Drug resistance is a major obstacle in antibiotic and antitumor chemotherapy. In response to the necessity to find new therapeutic strategies, plant secondary metabolites including essential oils (EOs) may represent one of the best sources. EOs in plants act as constitutive defenses against biotic and abiotic stress, and they play an important role in the pharmacology for their low toxicity, good pharmacokinetic and multitarget activity. In this context, natural products such as EOs are one of the most important sources of drugs used in pharmaceutical therapeutics. The aim of this paper was to identify the chemical composition of the essential oil of Alluaudia procera leaves, obtained by hydrodistillation and analysed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and to verify its biological activities on acute myeloid leukemia cancer cell HL60 and its multidrugresistant variant HL60R and the Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus exhibiting multi-antibiotic resistance. We speculate that cytotoxic and antibiotic effects observed in the tested resistant models may be due to the coordinate activities of forty compounds detected or to the C16 macrocyclic lactones which are the major ones (30%). Our data confirm the possibility of using EOs as therapeutic strategies in resistant models is due to the heterogeneous composition of the oils themselves.
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Cabañas-García E, Areche C, Jáuregui-Rincón J, Cruz-Sosa F, Pérez-Molphe Balch E. Phytochemical Profiling of Coryphantha macromeris (Cactaceae) Growing in Greenhouse Conditions Using Ultra-High-Performance Liquid Chromatography⁻Tandem Mass Spectrometry. Molecules 2019; 24:molecules24040705. [PMID: 30781375 PMCID: PMC6412493 DOI: 10.3390/molecules24040705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2019] [Revised: 02/11/2019] [Accepted: 02/14/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Chromatographic separation combined with mass spectrometry is a powerful tool for the characterization of plant metabolites because of its high sensitivity and selectivity. In this work, the phytochemical profile of aerial and radicular parts of Coryphantha macromeris (Engelm.) Britton & Rose growing under greenhouse conditions was qualitatively investigated for the first time by means of modern ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography⁻tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-PDA-HESI-Orbitrap-MS/MS). The UHPLC-PDA-HESI-Orbitrap-MS/MS analysis indicated a high complexity in phenolic metabolites. In our investigation, 69 compounds were detected and 60 of them were identified. Among detected compounds, several phenolic acids, phenolic glycosides, and organic acids were found. Within this diversity, 26 metabolites were exclusively detected in the aerial part, and 19 in the roots. Twenty-four metabolites occurred in both plant parts. According to the relative abundance of peaks in the chromatogram, ferulic and piscidic acids and their derivatives may correspond to one of the main phenolic compounds of C. macromeris. Our results contribute to the phytochemical knowledge regarding C. macromeris and its potential applications in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. Besides, some metabolites and their fragmentation patterns are reported here for the first time for cacti species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuel Cabañas-García
- Centro de Ciencias Básicas, Universidad Autónoma de Aguascalientes, Av. Universidad 940, 20131 Aguascalientes, Mexico.
| | - Carlos Areche
- Departamento de Química, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Casilla 653, Santiago 7800024, Chile.
| | - Juan Jáuregui-Rincón
- Centro de Ciencias Básicas, Universidad Autónoma de Aguascalientes, Av. Universidad 940, 20131 Aguascalientes, Mexico.
| | - Francisco Cruz-Sosa
- Departamento de Biotecnología, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Iztapalapa. Av. San Rafael Atlixco 186, Col. Vicentina C.P., 09340 Ciudad de México, Mexico.
| | - Eugenio Pérez-Molphe Balch
- Centro de Ciencias Básicas, Universidad Autónoma de Aguascalientes, Av. Universidad 940, 20131 Aguascalientes, Mexico.
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Grace OM, Buerki S, Symonds MRE, Forest F, van Wyk AE, Smith GF, Klopper RR, Bjorå CS, Neale S, Demissew S, Simmonds MSJ, Rønsted N. Evolutionary history and leaf succulence as explanations for medicinal use in aloes and the global popularity of Aloe vera. BMC Evol Biol 2015; 15:29. [PMID: 25879886 PMCID: PMC4342203 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-015-0291-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2014] [Accepted: 01/15/2015] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Aloe vera supports a substantial global trade yet its wild origins, and explanations for its popularity over 500 related Aloe species in one of the world's largest succulent groups, have remained uncertain. We developed an explicit phylogenetic framework to explore links between the rich traditions of medicinal use and leaf succulence in aloes. RESULTS The phylogenetic hypothesis clarifies the origins of Aloe vera to the Arabian Peninsula at the northernmost limits of the range for aloes. The genus Aloe originated in southern Africa ~16 million years ago and underwent two major radiations driven by different speciation processes, giving rise to the extraordinary diversity known today. Large, succulent leaves typical of medicinal aloes arose during the most recent diversification ~10 million years ago and are strongly correlated to the phylogeny and to the likelihood of a species being used for medicine. A significant, albeit weak, phylogenetic signal is evident in the medicinal uses of aloes, suggesting that the properties for which they are valued do not occur randomly across the branches of the phylogenetic tree. CONCLUSIONS Phylogenetic investigation of plant use and leaf succulence among aloes has yielded new explanations for the extraordinary market dominance of Aloe vera. The industry preference for Aloe vera appears to be due to its proximity to important historic trade routes, and early introduction to trade and cultivation. Well-developed succulent leaf mesophyll tissue, an adaptive feature that likely contributed to the ecological success of the genus Aloe, is the main predictor for medicinal use among Aloe species, whereas evolutionary loss of succulence tends to be associated with losses of medicinal use. Phylogenetic analyses of plant use offer potential to understand patterns in the value of global plant diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olwen M Grace
- Jodrell Laboratory, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Surrey, London, TW9 3DS, UK.
- Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Sølvgade 83 Entrance S, DK1307, Copenhagen K, Denmark.
| | - Sven Buerki
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD, UK.
| | - Matthew R E Symonds
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life & Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, Victoria, 3125, Australia.
| | - Félix Forest
- Jodrell Laboratory, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Surrey, London, TW9 3DS, UK.
| | - Abraham E van Wyk
- Department of Plant Science, H.G.W.J. Schweickerdt Herbarium, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, 0002, South Africa.
| | - Gideon F Smith
- Biosystematics Research & Biodiversity Collections Division, South African National Biodiversity Institute, Private Bag X101, Pretoria, 0001, South Africa.
- Department of Botany, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, PO Box 77000, Port Elizabeth, 6031, South Africa.
- Departamento de Ciências da Vida, Centre for Functional Ecology, Universidade de Coimbra, 3001-455, Coimbra, Portugal.
| | - Ronell R Klopper
- Department of Plant Science, H.G.W.J. Schweickerdt Herbarium, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, 0002, South Africa.
- Biosystematics Research & Biodiversity Collections Division, South African National Biodiversity Institute, Private Bag X101, Pretoria, 0001, South Africa.
| | - Charlotte S Bjorå
- Natural History Museum, University of Oslo, PO Box 1172, Blindern, NO-0318, Oslo, Norway.
| | - Sophie Neale
- Centre for Middle Eastern Plants, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, 20A Inverleith Row, Edinburgh, EH3 5LR, UK.
| | - Sebsebe Demissew
- Department of Plant Biology and Biodiversity Management, National Herbarium, College of Natural Sciences, Addis Ababa University, PO Box 3434, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
| | | | - Nina Rønsted
- Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Sølvgade 83 Entrance S, DK1307, Copenhagen K, Denmark.
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Alvarado-Cárdenas LO, Martínez-Meyer E, Feria TP, Eguiarte LE, Hernández HM, Midgley G, Olson ME. To converge or not to converge in environmental space: testing for similar environments between analogous succulent plants of North America and Africa. Ann Bot 2013; 111:1125-38. [PMID: 23576687 PMCID: PMC3662519 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mct078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2012] [Accepted: 02/20/2013] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Convergent evolution is invoked to explain similarity between unrelated organisms in similar environments, but most evaluations of convergence analyse similarity of organismal attributes rather than of the environment. This study focuses on the globular succulent plants of the Americas, the cacti, and their counterparts in Africa in the ice-plant, spurge and milkweed families. Though often held up as paragons of convergent morphological evolution, the environmental similarity of these plants has remained largely unexamined from a quantitative perspective. METHODS Five hotspots (centres of high species diversity of globular succulents) were selected, two in Mexico and three in South Africa. Their environments were compared using niche modelling tools, randomization tests of niche similarity and multivariate analyses to test for environmental similarity. KEY RESULTS Although the sites selected have 'similar' but unrelated life forms, almost all our results highlighted more climate differences than similarities between the hotspots. Interprediction of niches within and between continents, a niche equivalence test, and MANOVA results showed significant differences. In contrast, a niche similarity test showed that the comparisons of Cuatrociénegas-Richtersveld, Huizache-Knersvlakte and Huizache-Richtersveld were similar. CONCLUSIONS Differences in rainfall and temperature regimes and the potential effect of edaphic factors may be involved in the differences between the hotspots. In addition, differences in structure, morphology and physiology of the globular succulents may coincide with some of the climatic dissimilarities; i.e. given convergence as the evolution of similar morphologies under similar conditions, then it may be that differing environments diagnose inconspicuous morphological differences. Moreover, although fine-scale differences between sites were found, a coarser perspective shows that these sites are clearly similar as drylands with relatively moderate drought and mild temperatures, illustrating how all studies of convergence must address the issue of how similar two entities must be before they are considered convergent.
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