Three first records of stick insects attacking plants (Inseect: Phasmida) in Tibet / Três primeiros registros de insetos-pau atacando plantas (Inseect: Phasmida) no Tibet

Except for a few stick insects that are economically valuable, most species be considered to be forest pests, so it is extremely important to obtain plant host-use information of more stick insects. In this paper, the plant hosts of three species of stick insects were recorded for the first time. We also discovered these stick insects can feed upon the flowers or leaves of plants. Lopaphus unidentatus (Chen & He, 1995) (Phasmida: Lonchodidae) attacked Hypericum choisianum Wall. ex N. Robson, 1973 (Hypericaceae), Leurophasma dolichocercum Bi, 1995 (Phasmida: Aschiphasmatidae) attacked Antenoron filiforme (Thunb.) Roberty & Vautier, 1964 (Polygonaceae) and Megalophasma granulatum Bi, 1995 (Phasmida: Lonchodidae) attacked Debregeasia orientalis C. J. Chen, 1991 (Urticaceae). Finally, we were lucky enough to also obtain photographs of them mating and feeding.

Exceto por alguns insetos-pau que são economicamente valiosos, a maioria das espécies pode ser considerada praga florestal, por isso é extremamente importante obter informações sobre o uso de hospedeiros de plantas de mais insetos-pau. Neste artigo, as plantas hospedeiras de três espécies de bicho-pau foram registradas pela primeira vez. Também descobrimos que esses bichos-pau podem se alimentar de flores ou folhas de plantas. Lopaphus unidentatus (Chen & He, 1995) (Phasmida: Lonchodidae) atacou a parede de Hypericum choisianum. ex N. Robson, 1973 (Hypericaceae), Leurophasma dolichocercum Bi, 1995 (Phasmida: Aschiphasmatidae) atacou Antenoron filiforme (Thunb.) Roberty & Vautier, 1964 (Polygonaceae) e Megalophasma granulatum Bi, 1995 (Phasmida: Lonchodidae orientaled) atacou Chen, 1991 (Urticaceae). Finalmente, tivemos a sorte de também obter fotos deles se acasalando e se alimentando.

Three first records of stick insects attacking plants (Inseect: Phasmida) in Tibet

Abstract Except for a few stick insects that are economically valuable, most species be considered to be forest pests, so it is extremely important to obtain plant host-use information of more stick insects. In this paper, the plant hosts of three species of stick insects were recorded for the first time. We also discovered these stick insects can feed upon the flowers or leaves of plants. Lopaphus unidentatus (Chen & He, 1995) (Phasmida: Lonchodidae) attacked Hypericum choisianum Wall. ex N. Robson, 1973 (Hypericaceae), Leurophasma dolichocercum Bi, 1995 (Phasmida: Aschiphasmatidae) attacked Antenoron filiforme (Thunb.) Roberty & Vautier, 1964 (Polygonaceae) and Megalophasma granulatum Bi, 1995 (Phasmida: Lonchodidae) attacked Debregeasia orientalis C. J. Chen, 1991 (Urticaceae). Finally, we were lucky enough to also obtain photographs of them mating and feeding.

Resumo Exceto por alguns insetos-pau que são economicamente valiosos, a maioria das espécies pode ser considerada praga florestal, por isso é extremamente importante obter informações sobre o uso de hospedeiros de plantas de mais insetos-pau. Neste artigo, as plantas hospedeiras de três espécies de bicho-pau foram registradas pela primeira vez. Também descobrimos que esses bichos-pau podem se alimentar de flores ou folhas de plantas. Lopaphus unidentatus (Chen & He, 1995) (Phasmida: Lonchodidae) atacou a parede de Hypericum choisianum. ex N. Robson, 1973 (Hypericaceae), Leurophasma dolichocercum Bi, 1995 (Phasmida: Aschiphasmatidae) atacou Antenoron filiforme (Thunb.) Roberty & Vautier, 1964 (Polygonaceae) e Megalophasma granulatum Bi, 1995 (Phasmida: Lonchodidae orientaled) atacou Chen, 1991 (Urticaceae). Finalmente, tivemos a sorte de também obter fotos deles se acasalando e se alimentando.

Three first records of stick insects attacking plants (Inseect: Phasmida) in Tibet / Três primeiros registros de insetos-pau atacando plantas (Inseect: Phasmida) no Tibet

Abstract Except for a few stick insects that are economically valuable, most species be considered to be forest pests, so it is extremely important to obtain plant host-use information of more stick insects. In this paper, the plant hosts of three species of stick insects were recorded for the first time. We also discovered these stick insects can feed upon the flowers or leaves of plants. Lopaphus unidentatus (Chen & He, 1995) (Phasmida: Lonchodidae) attacked Hypericum choisianum Wall. ex N. Robson, 1973 (Hypericaceae), Leurophasma dolichocercum Bi, 1995 (Phasmida: Aschiphasmatidae) attacked Antenoron filiforme (Thunb.) Roberty & Vautier, 1964 (Polygonaceae) and Megalophasma granulatum Bi, 1995 (Phasmida: Lonchodidae) attacked Debregeasia orientalis C. J. Chen, 1991 (Urticaceae). Finally, we were lucky enough to also obtain photographs of them mating and feeding.

Resumo Exceto por alguns insetos-pau que são economicamente valiosos, a maioria das espécies pode ser considerada praga florestal, por isso é extremamente importante obter informações sobre o uso de hospedeiros de plantas de mais insetos-pau. Neste artigo, as plantas hospedeiras de três espécies de bicho-pau foram registradas pela primeira vez. Também descobrimos que esses bichos-pau podem se alimentar de flores ou folhas de plantas. Lopaphus unidentatus (Chen & He, 1995) (Phasmida: Lonchodidae) atacou a parede de Hypericum choisianum. ex N. Robson, 1973 (Hypericaceae), Leurophasma dolichocercum Bi, 1995 (Phasmida: Aschiphasmatidae) atacou Antenoron filiforme (Thunb.) Roberty & Vautier, 1964 (Polygonaceae) e Megalophasma granulatum Bi, 1995 (Phasmida: Lonchodidae orientaled) atacou Chen, 1991 (Urticaceae). Finalmente, tivemos a sorte de também obter fotos deles se acasalando e se alimentando.

Two in one: the little bat that pollinates and disperses plants at an urban site in Southeastern Brazil / Dois em um: o pequeno morcego que poliniza e dispersa plantas em local urbano no Sudeste do Brasil

The glossophagine Pallas's long-tongued bat (Glossophaga soricina) fares well in urban environments across its range. In addition to roost sites, there are nectar and fruit sources available in diverse situations across the urban gradient. Phyllostomid bats that thrive in urbanized situations are behaviorally plastic generalists and rely on patches of ornamental or feral plants as food sources. Herein we report on G. soricina and its food sources at an urbanized site in Southeastern Brazil. This small phyllostomid bat consumes nectar from landscaping ornamental plants, besides consuming the soft pulp along with the tiny seeds of pioneer trees and shrubs. In addition to these natural sources, the bat exploits hummingbird feeders to consume the sugared water. Ingested small seeds are defecated in flight, the bat acting as a disperser of pioneer plants that favor cleared areas. Glossophaga soricina role as flower-pollinator and seed-disperser at Neotropical urban areas merits further attention due both to the maintenance of urban biodiversity and delivery of ecosystem services

O morcego beija-flor (Glossophaga soricina) adapta-se a ambientes urbanos na sua área de distribuição. Além de abrigos diurnos, há fontes de néctar e frutos ao longo do gradiente urbano. Morcegos filostomídeos que se adaptam a situações urbanas são generalistas comportamentalmente flexíveis e dependem de trechos com plantas ornamentais ou ferais como fonte alimentar. Relatamos aqui informações sobre o morcego beija-flor e suas fontes alimentares em um local urbanizado no sudeste do Brasil. Este pequeno morcego glossofagíneo busca néctar em plantas usadas em paisagismo, além de consumir a polpa macia, juntamente com as sementes minúsculas, de plantas pioneiras. Além destas fontes naturais, o morcego explora água açucarada dos bebedouros de beija-flores. Sementes pequenas são defecadas em voo e o morcego age como dispersor de plantas poineiras em áreas sem vegetação. A função de G. soricina como polinizador de flores e dispersor de sementes em áreas urbanas nos Neotrópicos merece atenção adicional devido à manutenção da biodiversidade urbana e da prestação de serviços ecossistêmicos.

Investigation of the Botanical Resource of Traditionally Used Crude Drug : Exploration of Traditional Production Technique of Paeoniae Radix / 日本東洋医学雑誌

This study is based on the investigation of Japanese ancient experienced agricultural techniques and historical and current exploration of strain and morphology of plants. We aim to dig up the tacit knowledge, which can guarantee the quality of production and profitability when they are applied for current medicinal plant cultivation. We focused on Paeonia lactiflora Pallas as the candidate of the farming products for the vitalization of mountainous area. Bon-ten (with white double-petaled flowers) is considered to produce highly qualified Paeoniae Radix in medical practice. We found several strains of the plant source different from Bon-ten as the origin of Yamato-Shakuyaku, bred after TOKUGAWA Yoshimune’s policy promoting the domestic cultivation of medicinal plants in Edo period. These strains include the cultivar with red single-petaled flower, which is drawn in ‘Matsuyama-Honzo’ by Morino Tosuke-Saikaku, who established private herb garden, ‘Morino herbal garden,’ supported by Tokugawa shogunate. Among Morino family documents, we also found the unpublished historical papers suggesting the various productions of crude drugs at Yamato region in Edo period, and considered the transition of domestic production area, cultivation strains and cultivation skills. We can find the descriptions of picking of buds and flowers among current production manuals, but it is suggested the possibility of flowers for ornamental or commercial use to improve economic efficiency by the investigation of regional cultures and interviews of experts of crude drugs.

Efetividade das essências florais no trabalho de parto e nascimento: avaliação dos parâmetros obstétricos e neuroendócrinos / Efectividad de las esencias florales en el trabajo de parto y nacimiento: evaluación de los parámetros obstétricos y neuroendócrinos / Effectiveness of flower essences in labor and birth: evaluation of obstetric and neuroendocrine parameters

Resumo Objetivo Avaliar a efetividade da terapia floral associados aos fatores que potencializam a dor e o estresse no processo de parturição por meio de parâmetros obstétricos e neuroendócrinos. Métodos Ensaio clínico randomizado, triplo cego, placebo controlado, realizado com 164 parturientes de risco obstétrico habitual, subdivididas entre dois grupos para as quais foram ministradas essência floral Five Flower e placebo, respectivamente. Avaliou-se aspectos obstétricos e neuroendócrinos por meio da análise bioquímica dos hormônios Beta-endorfina e Cortisol salivar antes e ao término da intervenção. Resultados A essência floral modulou os fatores que potencializam a dor no trabalho de parto, isto é, rotura das membranas amnióticas, fase ativa e indução do parto. Houve aumento dos níveis de Beta-endorfina juntamente com a diminuição de uma contração em mulheres com rotura das membranas ovulares e com indução. Em relação ao estresse, houve constância dos valores do Cortisol para o Grupo Experimental, não alterando seu valor na fase ativa, rotura das membranas ovulares ou indução. A Essência Five Flower mostrou-se eficaz na redução de uma hora e vinte e cinco minutos do tempo do trabalho de parto no Grupo Experimental. Conclusão A terapia floral realizada, mostrou-se eficaz no controle da dor e estresse durante o trabalho de parto, refletindo positivamente na sua brevidade e qualificando seu desfecho.

Resumen Objetivo Evaluar la efectividad de la terapia floral asociada a los factores que potencializan el dolor y el estrés en el proceso de parto por medio de parámetros obstétricos y neuroendócrinos. Métodos Ensayo clínico aleatorizado, triple ciego, placebo controlado, realizado con 164 parturientas de riesgo obstétrico normal, subdivididas en dos grupos en que se les administró esencia floral Five Flower y placebo. Se evaluaron aspectos obstétricos y neuroendócrinos por medio del análisis bioquímico de las hormonas betaendorfina y cortisol salival antes y al final de la intervención. Resultados La esencia floral reguló los factores que potencializan el dolor en el trabajo de parto, es decir, ruptura de las membranas amnióticas, fase activa e inducción del parto. Hubo aumento de los niveles de betaendorfina junto con la reducción de una contracción en mujeres con ruptura de las membranas ovulares y con inducción. Con relación al estrés, hubo constancia de los valores de cortisol en el grupo experimental, sin aumento de su valor en la fase activa, ruptura de las membranas ovulares o inducción. La esencia Five Flower demostró ser eficaz para la reducción de una hora y veinticinco minutos de tiempo de trabajo de parto en el grupo experimental. Conclusión La terapia floral realizada demostró ser eficaz en el control del dolor y del estrés durante el trabajo de parto, con un impacto positivo en su brevedad y en la cualificación de su desenlace.

Abstract Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of floral therapy associated with factors that strengthen pain and stress in the labor process through obstetric and neuroendocrine parameters. Methods Randomized, triple-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial performed with 164 parturients at usual obstetric risk subdivided into two groups to which Five Flower floral essence and placebo were administered. Obstetric and neuroendocrine aspects were evaluated through biochemical analysis of the beta-endorphin and cortisol hormones through salivary samples before and after the intervention. Results The flower essence modulated the factors that strengthen pain in labor, that is, rupture of amniotic membranes, active phase and induction of labor. There was an increase in beta-endorphin levels along with one less contraction in women with ruptured ovular membranes and labor induction. Regarding stress, cortisol values were constant for the Experimental group, and did not change in the active phase, rupture of the ovular membranes or induction. The Five Flower essence proved to be effective in reducing labor time by 1 hour 25 minutes in the Experimental group. Conclusion The floral therapy used proved to be effective in controlling pain and stress during labor, and reflected positively on its agility and qualified its outcome.

Una nueva subespecie de Passiflora lobbii (Passifloraceae) para la vertiente occidental de los Andes peruanos

Se describe Passiflora lobbii subsp. limensis Chávez-Corcuera que se distingue del resto de subespecies de Passiflora lobbii por presentar dos ocelos en la cara abaxial de la lámina, pecíolos con glándulas situadas en su zona media y láminas foliares de mayores dimensiones que el resto. Adicionalmente, se presenta una clave para la determinación de las subespecies de P. lobbii y otros taxones afines, acompañada de una tabla comparativa con los caracteres morfológicos foliares de las subespecies de Passiflora lobbii.

Passiflora lobbii subsp. limensis Chávez-Corcuera is described. It differs from the other subspecies of Passiflora lobbii by presenting two ocelli on the abaxial side of the lamina, petioles with two glands located in its middle zone and larger leaf blades. Additionally, a key for determination of the related taxa and a table with morphological characters of the leaves of subspecies of Passiflora lobbii are presented.

Effects of Different Drying Methods on the Main Components of Forsythia suspensa Flowers / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE：To establish the method for the content det ermination of 4 components in Forsythia suspensa flowers by drying in shade ，vacuum freeze-drying ，oven（30，50，70 ℃）and sun ，so as to evaluate the effects of different drying methods on the main components of F. suspensa flowers and screen the optimal drying method. METHODS ：UPLC method was adopted. The determination was performed on Waters ACQUITY UPLC BEH C 18 column with mobile phase consisted of acetonitrile- 0.1％ phosphoric acid aqueous solution （gradient elution ）at the flow rate of 0.3 mL/min. The detection wavelength was set at 230 nm， and column was 35 ℃. The sample size was 1 μL. Euclidean closeness（C）i of different drying methods was calculated by TOPSIS comprehensive analysis method ，and the optimal drying method was defined. RESULTS ：The linear range of forsythiaside A ， rutin，forsythin，（+）-pinoresinol-4-O-β-D-glucopyranoside were 0.007 5-0.037 7，0.027 4-0.137 2，0.001 9-0.009 5，0.005 6-0.028 8 µg（all r＞0.999）. RSDs of precision ，stability（32 h）and reproducibility tests were all lower than 2％. The recoveries were 97.27％-102.53％，100.53％-104.11％，98.45％-104.02％，98.66％-104.82％，respectively；and all RSDs ＜3％（n＝3）. The contents were 1.645 8-4.987 9，11.730 2-20.978 0，0.875 5-2.005 0，2.366 0-5.535 7 mg/g. The content of forsythiaside A was the highest after drying at 30 ℃，rutin and （+）-pinoresinol-4- O-β-D-glucopyranoside were the highest after vacuum freeze-drying，forsythiaside was the highest after drying at 50 ℃ . Results of TOPSIS analysis showed that Ci of F. suspensa flowers by drying in shade ，vacuum freeze-drying ，oven（30，50，70 ℃）and sun were 0.079 9，0.553 5，0.495 4， 0.503 8，0.157 9，0.217 2，respectively；the order of Ci was vacuum freeze-drying ＞ 50 ℃ oven drying ＞ 30 ℃ oven drying＞sun drying ＞70 ℃ oven drying ＞ shade drying. CONCLUSIONS：Established method is simple ，reproducible and can be used for the content determination of 4 components in F. suspensa flowers. The samples are preferably dried by vacuum freeze-drying，followed by 50 ℃ oven drying ，30 ℃ oven drying ， and then dried in the sun and oven at 70 ℃ and finally in the shade.

Blooming meal: flower eating by the Blue-crowned Trogon Trogon curucui / Refeição florida: consumo de flores pelo surucuá-de-barriga-vermelha Trogon curucui

Abstract: Flowers provide birds with a range of dietary resources, although few data are available on flower eating for birds that have mixed diets. We report here a new food type for the Blue-crowned Trogon (Trogon curucui), describing two flower eating events. The individuals fed on the yellow trumpet tree flowers (Handroanthus spp.) at the peak of the dry season in the Cerrado and Pantanal biomes. The birds picked up the flowers by sally-glean flying and a brief hovering, and then perched on a nearby branch to swallow the flower whole. Florivory appears to be seasonal and, while a minor component of this species' diet, flowers may be an important alternative resource during periods when fruits are scarce.

Resumo: As flores fornecem onsume uma variedade de recursos alimentares, embora poucos dados estejam disponíveis sobre o onsume de flores por aves de dieta mista. Relatamos aqui um novo item alimentar para o surucuá-de-barriga-vermelha (Trogon curucui), descrevendo dois eventos de ingestão de flores. Os surucuás se alimentaram das flores de ipê-amarelo (Handroanthus spp.) no ápice da estação seca nos biomas Cerrado e Pantanal. As aves apanharam as flores em voo "sally-glean" e em seguida pousaram em um ramo próximo para engoli-las por inteiro. A florivoria parece ser sazonal e embora seja um componente secundário da dieta desta espécie, as flores podem ser um recurso alternativo importante durante os períodos em que os frutos são escassos.

Efeito das essências florais na redução do estresse em estudantes de enfermagem: ensaio clínico randomizado / Effect of flower essences in the reduction of nursing students stress: randomized clinical trial

Introdução: Dentre os estudantes acadêmicos da área da saúde, os da enfermagem são os que apresentam maiores manifestações psicológicas e fisiológicas de estresse. Em função da formação, durante o período acadêmico, algumas situações podem ser consideradas estressoras como aulas práticas, avaliações de aprendizado, diferenças entre teoria e a realidade da prática assistencial, situações de limites humanos (doenças/morte), horas intensivas de aula, entre outros. A terapia floral, por sua atuação sutil, pode auxiliar a trazer o equilíbrio emocional ajudando na redução dos sinais e sintomas psicoemocionais do estresse. É uma prática integrativa, não farmacológica e de fácil acesso. Objetivo: Analisar o efeito do buquê de essências florais composto pelas essências: Impatiens, Cerato, Elm, White Chestnut, Olive, Cherry Plum, Larch na redução de sinais e sintomas de estresse dos estudantes de enfermagem medidos pelo Teste de Baccaro, Escala de Estresse Percebido e Instrumento de Avaliação de Estresse de Estudantes de Enfermagem. Método: Ensaio clínico randomizado, triplo cego, com dois grupos: Floral (GF) que recebeu um buquê de essências florais composto por: Impatiens, Cerato, Elm, White Chestnut, Olive, Cherry Plum, Larch e grupo Placebo (GP) que recebeu uma fórmula composta somente do veículo sem essência floral. Os grupos utilizaram a fórmula por 60 dias na dosagem de 4 gotas 4 vezes ao dia. A amostra foi composta por 101 estudantes de enfermagem de duas instituições públicas e duas privadas (49 GP e 52 GF) com pontuação acima de 20 pontos pelo Teste de Baccaro. O desfecho primário foi avaliado pelas escalas: Teste de Baccaro, Escala de Estresse Percebido e Avaliação de Estresse em Estudantes de Enfermagem. O desfecho secundário foi avaliado pela percepção do uso da fórmula pelos estudantes ao final do estudo. As escalas de estresse foram aplicadas no início e no final da intervenção. A escala de COPE Breve e o Questionário de Senso de Coerência de Antonovsky foram utilizadas como variáveis moderadoras. A análise utilizou a estatísitca descritiva, comparação dos grupos pelo t-student, teste de Fisher, qui-quadrado e teste Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney de acordo com o tipo de variável e tamanho de efeito pelo teste d-Cohen. Adotou-se nível de significância =5%. Resultados: Não houve diferença significativa entre os GF e GP na redução do estresse medido pelo Teste de Baccaro e Escla de Estresse Percebido (p>0,05), ambos os grupos tiveram redução nas pontuações das escalas (p<0.001) com tamanho de efeito grande nos dois grupos. Na Avaliação de Estresse do Estudante de Enfermagem não houve redução significativa entre os grupos e para os dois grupos ao longo do tempo. A analise de interação mostrou que houve interferência ao longo do estudo do ano do curso na Escala de Estresse Percebido e o fato de ser aluno USP na Avaliação de Estresse em Estudantes de Enfermagem, e nesta escala também houve uma influência do ano de curso e pandemia. A análise da percepção sobre a utilização do efeito floral mostrou nos relatos do GF efeito terapêutico na mudança de padrões de comportamento, não observados no GP. Conclusão: A intervenção com terapia floral não foi mais efetiva que o placebo na redução de sinais e sintomas de estresse O efeito da terapia floral se evidenciou nos relatos dos estudantes. A fórmula floral contribuiu para a melhora da qualiade do sono, autoconfiança e padrão de comportamento frente a determinadas situações.

Introduction: Among healthcare college students, the nursing ones are those demonstrate the biggest psychological and physiological stress manifestations. On account of the daily academic life, some situations can be considered stressors such as practical classes, learning assessments, differences between theory and reality of care practice, human boundary situations (disease/death), intensive class hours, amongst others. The floral therapy, for its subtle action, can help bring the emotional balance by helping to reduce the psycho-emotional signs and symptoms of stress. It s an integrative practice, no pharmacological and with easy access. Objective: To analyse the effect of a flower essence bouquet composed by the essences: Impatiens, Cerato, Elm, White Chestnut, Olive, Cherry Plum, Larch in the reduction of nursing students signs and symptoms of stress measured by Baccaro s Test, Perceived Stress Scale and Scale of Assessment of Stress Among Nursing Students. Method: Randomized clinical trial, triple blind, with two groups Floral (FG) that received a flower essence bouquet composed of: Impatiens, Cerato, Elm, White Chestnut, Olive, Cherry Plum, Larch and Placebo group (PG) that received a formula composed only of the vehicle without flower essence. The groups used the formula for 60 days in the dosage of 4 drops 4 times a day. The sample was composed of 101 nursing students from two public and two private institutions (49 PG e 52 FG) with score above 20 points by the Baccaro s Test. The primary outcome was rated by the scales: Baccaro s Test, Perceived Stress Scale and Scale of Assessment of Stress Among Nursing Students. The secondary outcome was rated by the students perception of the formula use by the end of the study. The stress scales were applied in the beginning and at the end of the intervention. The Brief COPE scale and the Antonovsky s Sense of Coherence Scale were used as moderators variables. Descriptive analysis of the data was performed, comparing the groups by t-student test, Fisher test, chi-square and Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney test according to variable type and size effect by d-Cohen test. The significance level = 5% was adopted. Results: There was no significant difference between GF and GP in the stress reduction measured by Baccaro s Test and Perceived Stress Scale (p>0,05), both groups had scale scores reductions (p<0.001) with large effect size in the two groups. In the Scale of Assessment of Stress Among Nursing Students there was no significant reduction between the groups and for the two groups in the long term. The interaction analysis showed that there was interference throughout the academic year study in the Perceived Stress Scale and the fact of being USP student in the Scale of Assessment of Stress Among Nursing Students, and this scale had also an influence in the academic year and pandemic. The perception analysis about the use of the floral effect showed in the FG reports therapeutic effects in the changing behavior patterns, not observed in the PG. Conclusion: The floral therapy intervention was not more effective than placebo in reducing signs and symptoms of stress. The effect of flower essence therapy was evident in the students' reports. The floral formula contributed to an improvement in sleep quality, self-confidence, and behavioral patterns when faced with certain situations.

A new coumarin from flowers of Edgeworthia gardneri / 中草药

Objective: To study the chemical constituents from the flowers of Edgeworthia gardneri. Methods: The chemical constituents were isolated and purified by column chromatography on silica gel, AB-8 macroporous resin, sephadex LH-20, pre-HPLC. Their structures were determined on the basis of physicochemical properties and spectral analysis. Results: Four compounds were isolated from the flowers of E. gardneri and elucidated as gardnerol C (1), daphnoretin-5-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl- (1→2)-β-D-glucopyranoside (2), (3S)-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-β-carboline-3-carboxylic acid (3), and dihydrokaempferol (4). Conclusion: Compound 1 is a new coumarin named gardnerol C, and compound 4 is obtained from the genus for the first time.

Toxicity of Dendrobium officinale flowers to pregnantrats and offspring rats before birth / 预防医学

Objective@#To learn the toxicity of Dendrobium officinale flowers to pregnant rats ( P, F1 ) and offspring rats ( F1, F2 ) before birth, so as to provide toxicological evidence for the safety assessment.@*Methods @#The rats were divided into four groups with 20 female rats and 10 male each. The rats in three dose groups were fed with Dendrobium officinale flowers at the dose of 2.0, 4.0, 6.4g/kgbw. After two generation, the F1a and F2a rats were fed with basal diet; F1b and F2b rats were fed with Dendrobium officinale flowers. The body weights and total weight gains during the gestation, the conception rates, the pregnancy rates, the birth weights and survival rates of offspring rats were examined. @* Results@#There were no statistically significant differences in the body weights and total weight gains during the gestation, the conception rates, and the pregnancy rates in pregnant rats ( P, F1 ) among the four groups ( P>0.05 ). There were also no statistically significant differences in the survival rates and live birth rates in offspring rats (F1, F2) between the dose groups and the control group ( P>0.05 ). @*Conclusions@#Dendrobium officinale flowers did not show obviously adverse effects on pregnant rats ( P, F1 ) and offspring rats ( F1, F2 ) before birth.

Effects of Dendrobium officinale flowers on testivular tissue and sperm quality in parent and offspring rats / 预防医学

Objective@#To learn the effects of Dendrobium officinale flowers on testivular tissue morphology and sperm quality in parent and offspring rats,so as to provide reference for safety evaluation of Dendrobium officinale flowers.@*Methods@#The 40 SD rats was randomly divided into the low-,middle-,high-dose and the control group,given 2.0,4.0,6.4 and 0 g/kgbw Dendrobium officinale flowers,respectively. After three months,the body weight,mass and organ/body coefficients of testis and epididymis of parent （P） and offspring （F1,F2） rats were measured;the number,activity and deformity of sperms were observed under microscope;the changes of testis and epididymis were observed by hematoxylin eosin staining. @* Results@#There were no significantly statistical differences in the body weight,mass and organ/body coefficients of testis and epididymis,sperm quantity,sperm motility rate among four groups of P、F1、F2 male rats （P>0.05）. There were no significantly statistical differences in sperm malformation rate between the high-dose group and the control group （P>0.05）. There was no significant change in testis and epididymis of P,F1 and F2 male rats. @*Conclusion@#Dendrobium officinale flowers did not show obviously adverse effects on testivular tissue morphology and sperm quality in parent and offsping rats.

Establishment of Fingerprints and Comparative Study on Ginsenoside Content of Panax notoginseng Flower with Different Growing Years / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE：To compare chemical composition types and ginsenoside content of Panax notoginseng flowers with different growing years ，and to explore the effect of growing year on the quality of P. notoginseng flowers. METHODS ：Each 10 batches of biennial，triennial and quadrennial P. notoginseng flower were collected and determined by HPLC. The determination was performed on Shim-pack GIST C 18 column with mobile phase consisted of acetonitrile- 0.05％ phosphoric acid solution （gradient elution ）at the flow rate of 0.5 mL/min. The column temperature was set at 30 ℃，and the detection wavelength was set at 203 nm. The sample size was 20 μL. Similarity Evaluation System of TCM Chromatogram Fingerprint was used to establish the fingerprint of 30 batches of samples ，identify the diagnostic components and analyze the similarity. Cluster analysis was conducted by using SPSS 22.0 software. The contents of ginsenoside Rb 1，Rb2，Rb3 and Rc in 30 batches of P. notoginseng flower with different growing years were determined by above HPLC . The quality control analysis was conducted by using SPSS 22.0 software. RESULTS：Established fingerprint showed good precision ，stability and reproducibility. There were good linear relationship （R2＞ 0.999），quantitative limit ，precision，stability，repeatability and accuracy of the content determination method . Six common components as ginsenoside Rb 1， Rb2， Rb3 and Rc were Δ 基金项目：云南省地方高校联合专项（No.KX182504Y） identified in P. notoginseng flower with different growing ＊助教，硕士。研究方向：中药资源开发 。电话：0876-2684947。 E-mail：wshuangzaiqiang@163.com years by fingerprint ；ginsenoside Rd was identified in triennial # 通信作者 ：研究员，硕士。研究方向 ：中药资源开发 。电话： P. notoginseng flower. The similarities of the fingerprints 0876-8883731。E-mail：gaomingju@163.com among 10 batches of biennial ，triennial and quadrennial P. 中国药房 2020年第31卷第8期 China Pharmacy 2020Vol. 31 No. 8 ·969· notoginseng flower were 0.881，0.952 and 0.945，respectively. The similarity among samples with different growing ye ars was more than 0.817. Thirty batches of P. notoginseng flower could be grouped into 4 categories，the category Ⅱ was quadrennial samples，the category Ⅲ was triennial samples ，while the categories Ⅰ and Ⅳ were mostly biennial samples and a small number of triennial and quadrennial samples. RSDs of 4 ginsenosides contents and their total contents in biennial samples were 8.90％-21.43％ and total saponin contents were 11.65％-17.76％，respectively. RSDs of 4 ginsenosides contents and their total contents in triennial samples were 6.45％-14.23％，and total saponin contents were 15.74％-19.30％. RSDs of 4 ginsenosides contents and their total contents in quadrennial samples were 7.50％-18.86％，and total saponin contents were 15.92％-20.16％. The results of quality control analysis showed that biennial samples mainly distributed in the areas of Ⅱ and Ⅲ ；triennial and quadrennial samples mainly distributed in the areas of Ⅰ and Ⅱ ；the order of ginsenosides content was Ⅰ ＞Ⅱ ＞Ⅲ. CONCLUSIONS：Chemical components of P. notoginseng flower with different growing years are generally close in types but there still a re some differences ，among which the content of ginsenosides in biennial samples is lower ，fluctuates more ，and the overall quality is slightly poor ；the content of ginsenosides in triennial and quadrennial samples is higher ，fluctuates less ，and the overall quality is higher and tends to be stable.

Endothelium-Independent Vasorelaxant Effects of Anthocyanins-Enriched Extract from Odontonema strictum (Nees) Kuntze (Acanthaceae) Flowers: Ca2+ Channels Involvement

Aims: We aimed in this study to investigate the mechanisms of the vasorelaxation effect caused by the anthocyanins-enriched extract of Odontonema strictum flowers. Study Design: Anthocyanins-enriched extract of Odontonema strictum flowers and vasorelaxantes activities of mice aortic rings. Place and Duration of Study: The flowers of Odontonema strictum (Nees) Kuntze (Acanthaceae) were collected in January 2015 at the “Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé (IRSS)” experimental station in Ouagadougou. The experiments were conducted in October - November 2018 at the department of Medicine and Traditional Pharmacopeia-Pharmacy (MEPHATRA-PH)/IRSS. Methodology: The extract was enriched in anthocyanins using Amberlite XAD-7 non-ionic resin column. The vasorelaxant activity of anthocyanins-enriched extract of O. strictum flowers (OSF) was tested using isolated organ-chamber technique with mice aorta rings. Results: OSF showed concentration-dependent relaxant effects on mice endothelium intact or denuded aortic rings pre-contracted with U46619 (10-7 M) and KCl (80 mM). OSF induced relaxation in the mice aortic rings by stimulating smooth muscle cells. The vasorelaxant effect of OSF (10-1000 µg/mL) was similar in endothelium-intact and endothelium-denuded aortic rings. The maximum relaxant effect was 93.78 ± 4.69% and 92.30 ± 3.19% for endothelium-intact and endothelium-denuded aortic rings, respectively. Moreover, after incubation of the aorta rings with OSF (400 µg/mL) or vehicle (0.02% of DMSO) in PSS, OSF blocked the contraction through mechanism involving inhibition of CaCl2 and U46619 effect. Conclusions: The present study provides a pharmacological evidence for the antihypertensive medicinal use of Odontonema strictum by highlighting its vasorelaxant activity.

Flores de Bach para el tratamiento de niños con gingivoestomatitis herpética aguda / Bach flowers for the treatment of children with acute herpetic gingivostomatitis

Introducción: La gingivoestomatitis herpética aguda es la forma más común de infección gingival en la niñez. Objetivo: evaluar la efectividad de la terapia floral de Bach en niños con dicha infección. Métodos: Se realizó un estudio de intervención terapéutica en 42 niños de 2 a 6 años de edad, quienes acudieron al Departamento de Estomatología del Hospital General Docente Dr. Juan Bruno Zayas Alfonso, desde el 2016 hasta diciembre del 2018. De forma aleatoria, se distribuyeron en 2 grupos con 21 miembros cada uno: el de estudio (números pares), recibió la aplicación sublingual de terapia floral, y el de control (números impares), fue tratado de la forma habitual con aciclovir en crema sobre las lesiones. Para la recolección de los datos se confeccionó una planilla que incluyó la evolución de los síntomas clínicos y psicológicos valorados en la entrevista a los padres y en el examen clínico. Se utilizó el porcentaje como medida de resumen y el estadígrafo de Ji al cuadrado con una confiabilidad de 95 %. Resultados: En el grupo de estudio se halló una mejoría clínica de los síntomas en más de 50,0 % de los pacientes a las 72 horas de recibir el tratamiento y en 100,0 % de estos al séptimo día; sin embargo, en el grupo de control se logró esta mejoría en 57,1 % de los afectados. Conclusiones: La favorable evolución clínica y psicológica puso de manifiesto la utilidad de esta terapia en los niños con gingivoestomatitis herpética aguda.

Introduction: Acute herpetic gingivostomatitis is the most common form of infection in childhood. Objective: to evaluate the effectiveness of Bach's floral therapy in children with this infection. Methods: A study of therapeutic intervention in 42 children from 2 to 6 years of age who went to the Stomatology Department of Dr. Juan Bruno Zayas Alfonso Teaching General Hospital was carried out, from 2016 to December, 2018. They were distributed in 2 groups in a random way, with 21 members each: that of study (even numbers), received the floral therapy sublingually, and that of control (odd numbers), was treated in the habitual way with acyclovir in cream on the lesions. For the gathering of the data a schedule was made which included the clinical course of the clinical and psychological symptoms evaluated in the interview to the parents and in the clinical exam. Percentage was used as summary measure and the Chi squared statistician with a confidence of 95 %. Results: In the study group there was a clinical improvement of the symptoms in more than 50.0 % of the patients at the 72 hours of receiving the treatment and in 100.0 % of these to the seventh day; however, in the control group this improvement was achieved in 57.1 % of those affected. Conclusions: The favorable clinical and psychological clinical course showed the usefulness of this therapy in the children with acute herpetic gingivostomatitis.

Electric Phenomena as a Possible Driver of Polar Snow-air Interactions: Does this Factor Act Synergistically with Photoinduced Effects?

Processes that occur inside polar snow cover significantly affect polar atmosphere but they are still poorly understood. Most studies consider photochemistry as the dominant mechanism of chemical transformations but recent field data cannot be interpreted only by such photochemical model. A concept is proposed to consider electric phenomena that are well known to physics but their role was never analyzed by snow chemistry specialists. But there is a question on how to differentiate influences of photo effects and electric phenomena. It can be supposed that these factors are not independent. On the contrary, they reinforce each other and act synergistically.

Extract of the Punica granatum Flowers Attenuates Progression of Hepatoxicity against Cadmium Chloride-Induced Liver Injury in Rats

Background: In the present study, we investigated the role of cadmium in acute liver injury, as well as the underlying mechanisms. Methods: On the other hand, we investigated whether Punica granatum flower extract (PG) has a healing effect on CD-induced liver damage. Control groups (G1-G2) received water and 200 mg/kg PG, respectively. Toxicity groups (G3-G6) received 2 different doses of Cd (15-30 mg/kg b.w) orally in a single administration. To evaluate liver function, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and γ-glutamyl transferase (GGT) were detected in the serum, superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) were established in the liver and 8-hydroxy-20-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) levels were determined for the antioxidative and anti inflammatory effects of PG. Tissue sections were also evaluated histopathologically. Results: We found that Cd exposure decreased levels of SOD, GPx and, increased expression of caspase-3 and levels of TBARS and 8-OHdG. Biochemical and histopathological analysis revealed the toxic effects of cadmium on the liver for the rats in oral acute toxicity study. Functional parameters were significantly improved in PG-treated groups and the severity of the liver injury and apoptosis were significantly decreased in this group. Conclusion: As a result, PG can be consumed as a protective agent against acute liver injuries.

A new antioxidant flavonoid glycoside from flowers of Hosta plantaginea / 中国中药杂志

Phytochemical investigation of the flowers of Hosta plantaginea led to isolate of one new flavonoid glycoside,plantanone C( 1) by silica gel,Sephadex LH-20,and RP-HPLC column chromatographies. Its structure was extensively determined on basis of HR-ESI-MS and NMR spectroscopic data. Compound 1 exhibited moderate antioxidant activity against DPPH radical scavenging activity,with an IC50 value of 240. 2 μmol·L~(-1).

A new triterpenoid sapogenin from flowers of Bombax malabaricum / 中草药

Objective To study the chemical constituents from the flowers of Bombax malabaricum. Methods The compound was separated and purified by silica gel and gel column choromatography. The structure of the new compound was identified by NMR, HRMS (EIS), IR, UV, and single crystal X-ray diffraction. Results A new compound was isolated from the flowers of B. malabaricum and identified as 3β-acetoxy-22α,30-dihydroxyurs-20-ene. Conclusion Compound 1 was a ursane-type triterpenoid and named as mumian terpene A.