Search results for "Brassicaceae"
showing 10 items of 52 documents
Effects of root hemiparasitic infection on host performance: Reduced flower size and increased flower asymmetry
2001
We conducted two pot experiments to examine the relationship between hemiparasitic plant (Rhinanthus serotinus, Scrophulariaceae) infection and host (Linum usitatissimum, Linaceae and Brassica rapa ssp. oleifera, Brassicaceae) performance. We were especially interested in the effects of hemiparasitism on the size and shape asymmetry of host flowers, since neither subject has been studied before. We also conducted a field experiment to examine the effects of shape asymmetry of B. rapa ssp. oleifera flowers on pollination success. The shape of flowers produced by both L. usitatissimum and B. rapa ssp. oleifera plants grown without parasites was less asymmetric, and for both host species, the …
Multilocus sequence typing analysis of Italian Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris strains suggests the evolution of local endemic populations of t…
2019
Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris (Xcc) is the causal agent of black rot in Brassicaceae. It is widespread in Italy and severe outbreaks occur under conditions that favour disease development. In this study a multilocus sequence typing approach (MLST) based on the partial sequence of seven loci was applied to a selection of strains representative of the main areas of cultivation and hosts. The aim was to investigate whether the long tradition of brassica crops in Italy has influenced the evolution of different Xcc populations. All loci were polymorphic; 14 allelic profiles were identified of which 13 were unique to Italian strains. Based on the seven loci, the most common genotype withi…
Physio-morphological traits and drought stress responses in three wild Mediterranean taxa of Brassicaceae
2019
Crop wild relatives (CWRs) have extremely relevant roles in biodiversity conservation, in investigating phylogeny and improving abiotic stress tolerance of crop plants. We screened the variability in leaf functional traits of three CWRs of kale crops (Brassica oleracea) from Sicily, Italy, grown in pots under well-watered and drought conditions. Our aim was to highlight traits in the different genotypes of endemic Sicilian threatened taxa. We measured several structural/anatomical traits (stomatal size, density and stomatal pore index—SPI, leaf mass per area—LMA) and leaf functional traits (stomatal conductance—gs, leaf water potential—ΨL, leaf temperature (TL), leaf relative water content—…
Brassica tardarae (Brassicaceae), a New Species from a Noteworthy Biotope of South-Western Sicily (Italy)
2020
A new species of Brassica sect. Brassica is described here from Sicily (Italy), which is known to be one of the centers of the diversification of wild taxa of this group. The new species (named Brassica tardarae) is restricted to the carbonate cliffs in the Tardara Gorges between Menfi and Sambuca di Sicilia (Agrigento province), an area with a peculiar geological history and where another strictly endemic species was recently described. The morphological relationships between the new species and other similar taxa are discussed, and an analytical key to the Sicilian taxa belonging to the genus Brassica sect. Brassica is also provided.
Checklist of gypsophilous vascular flora in Italy
2018
Our understanding of the richness and uniqueness of the flora growing on gypsum substrates in Italy has grown significantly since the 19th century and, even today, new plant species are still being discovered. However, the plants and plant communities, growing on gypsum substrates in Italy, are still a relatively unknown subject. The main aim of this paper was to elaborate a checklist of the Italian gypsophilous flora, to increase knowledge about this peculiar flora and for which conservation efforts need to be addressed. Through a structured group communication process of experts (application of the Delphi technique), a remarkable number of experienced Italian botanists have joined togethe…
Germination and emergence of Neslia paniculata (L.) Desv.
2019
Abstract Seed characteristics, either in size or in structure, can affect germination, hence the emergence of a plant species. In the present work germination and emergence of Neslia paniculata, a Brassicaceae species that produces fruits containing one seed covered by a hard fruit coat, was studied. Germination experiments of seed with and without the fruit coat were performed at constant temperatures from 5 to 23 °C under controlled conditions and germination was measured daily. Additionally, seeds were sown in the field and emergence was periodically followed in three sites: Almenar (Spain), Morris (USA) and Riga (Latvia). Both germination and emergence were modelled with Boltzmann and W…
Evaluation of Brassicaceae seedlings as trap plants for Bagrada hilaris Burmeister in Caper bush cultivations
2020
The caper bush, Capparis spinosa (Brassicales: Capparaceae), is intensively grown on Pantelleria Island (Trapani, Sicily, Sicilian channel) where it has been granted protected geographical indication (PGI) by the EU. On this island, Bagrada hilaris, a stink bug native of Asia and Africa, is the major pest of caper crops. Recent studies have shown the attraction of B. hilaris to volatiles of brassicaceous plants at the seedling stage. The objective of this study was to evaluate three cotyledon-stage seedlings of host plants, Brassica oleracea var. botrytis (cauliflower), Eruca sativa (rocket) and Brassica carinata (Abyssinian cabbage), as potential trap plants for B. hilaris. The relative pr…
Relevance of the natural HDAC inhibitor sulforaphane as a chemopreventive agent in urologic tumors.
2018
Due to an increased understanding of molecular biology and the genomics of cancer, new and potent agents have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to fight this disease. However, all of these drugs cause severe side effects and resistance inevitably develops, re-activating tumor growth and dissemination. For this reason, patients turn to natural compounds as alternative or complementary treatment options, since it has been found that natural plant products may block, inhibit, or reverse cancer development. The present review focusses on the role of the natural compound sulforaphane (SFN) as an anti-tumor agent in urologic cancer. SFN is a natural compound found in crucife…
Bioavailability of Glucosinolates and Their Breakdown Products: Impact of Processing.
2016
International audience; Glucosinolates are a large group of plant secondary metabolites with nutritional effects, and are mainly found in cruciferous plants. After ingestion, glucosinolates could be partially absorbed in their intact form through the gastrointestinal mucosa. However, the largest fraction is metabolized in the gut lumen. When cruciferous are consumed without processing, myrosinase enzyme present in these plants hydrolyzes the glucosinolates in the proximal part of the gastrointestinal tract to various metabolites, such as isothiocyanates, nitriles, oxazolidine-2-thiones, and indole-3-carbinols. When cruciferous are cooked before consumption, myrosinase is inactivated and glu…
In vitro antifungal activity of allyl isothiocyanate (AITC) against Aspergillus parasiticus and Penicillium expansum and evaluation of the AITC estim…
2015
Abstract Isothiocyanates (ITCs) are natural compounds derived from cruciferous vegetables produced by enzymatic conversion of metabolites called glucosinolates. They are potentially useful antimicrobial compounds for food applications have been shown to be promising agents against cancer in human cell culture, animal models, and in epidemiological studies. In this study, the antifungal activity of the allyl isothiocyanate (AITC) was evaluated on two mycotoxigenic fungi as Aspergillus parasiticus and Penicillium expnsum , aflatoxins (AFs) and patulin (PAT) producers, employing an assay on solid medium. Also an approximation of the risk evaluation associated to the intake of food treated with…