Eurycoma longifolia (Tongkat Ali) enhances wakefulness during active periods but facilitates sleep during resting periods in C57BL/6 mice.

The effects of the Eurycoma longifolia (also known as Tongkat Ali [TA]) on sleep and wakefulness was evaluated in C57BL/6 mice. While TA has been used as an aphrodisiac in males, it exhibits various pharmacological effects. The most notable effect observed with TA was wake-enhancement during the second half of the active period, accompanied by significant elevations in core body temperature (CBT). In contrast, sleep was enhanced during the resting period (i.e., increase in rapid eye movement [REM] sleep and delta electroencephalography [EEG] power in non-REM sleep) with significant declines in CBT. The transition of TA's effects between resting and active periods was rapid. The results of the experiments in constant darkness indicate that TA prolongs the circadian tau and that this transition is governed by circadian clock mechanisms rather than light exposure. TA did not demonstrate efficacy in aiding sleep in an acute stress-induced insomnia model; thus, TA may be more suitable as a wake-enhancing agent for daytime sleepiness, as sleep propensity tends to accumulate towards the end of active period. Since TA amplifies the rest-activity pattern, prolongs circadian tau and increases REM sleep, thereby reversing some common symptoms seen in elderly subjects, it may also hold promise as a rejuvenating medicine.

Cargo-dependent and cell wall-associated xylem transport in Arabidopsis.

Sap molecules are transported by xylem flow throughout the whole plant body. Factors regulating the xylem transport of different molecules remain to be identified. We used fluorophores to visualize xylem transport from roots to leaves in Arabidopsis thaliana. Several previously established Arabidopsis lines with modified xylem cell walls were used to determine the contribution of xylem cell walls to xylem transport. Fluorophores underwent xylem flow-dependent transport from roots to leaves within 20 min. A comparison of rhodamine, fluorescein and three fluorescently labeled CLV3/ESR-related (CLE) peptides revealed cargo-dependent xylem transport patterns in terms of leaf position and vein order. Only minor changes in amino acid sequence were sufficient to alter the xylem transport patterns of the labeled CLE peptides. We found that the xylem transport pattern of fluorescein was affected in Arabidopsis lines with modified AtXYN1, LAC4 or CCoAOMT1 expression. In these lines, application of a defense inducer, pipecolic acid, to roots resulted in altered defense response patterns in leaves, whereas all the lines showed wild-type-like responses when pipecolic acid was sprayed onto leaves. The combined results reveal a finely controlled cargo-dependent xylem transport and suggest that the xylem cell wall structure is crucial for this transport system.