Extracts from ripe fruit and seeds of Sorbus aucuparia inhibit germination of other seeds, tested with Amaranthus caudatus and Lepidium sativum. The main compound of the “neutral fraction” of fruit extracts is the lactone compound parasorbic acid (4 —7 mg/g fresh weight) which inhibits germination at concentrations > 5x1C T 4 m. The “acid fraction” contains abscisic acid (1 .3—2.5 ^ / g fresh w...

Andrew Rowan graduated from Queen’s University Belfast (2004) with a degree in medicinal chemistry. During this time, he has spent two summer placements as a synthetic chemist in the chemical industry at C.S.S. (Chemical Synthesis Services). He is currently studying for his PhD under the supervision of Chris Hamilton at Queen’s University Belfast. His research focuses on the synthesis of cell-p...

Species composition, frequency distribution of diameter classes, species diversity, and stem vitality of woody plants were analyzed in a Mongolian oak (Quercus mongolica Fisch. ex Ledeb.) forests in permanent quadrates of Mt. Nam and Mt. Jeombong, which were installed for Long Term Ecological Research (LTER). The principal objective of this study was to clarify the ecological characteristics of...

Enzymatic browning, which accompanies food preservation processes based on drying, is a common obstacle to obtaining marketable and consumer-appealing products. In this paper, we investigate the application of one of the methods commonly used in order to counter the browning process, namely dipping. Dipping involves a soaking of the foods in liquids or solutions in order to suppress the activit...

We established a simple HPLC method to determine the activity and stereochemistry of the chiral mandelonitrile synthesized from benzaldehyde and cyanide, and applied it to screen for hydroxynitrile lyase (HNL) activity of plant origin. A total of 163 species of plants among 74 families were examined for (R)- and (S)-HNL activities using the method. We discovered that homogenate of leaves of Bal...

In plants, apomixis results in the production of clonal offspring via seed and can provide reproductive assurance for isolated individuals. However, many apomicts require pollination to develop functional endosperm for successful seed set (pseudogamy) and therefore risk pollination-limitation, particularly in self-incompatible species that require heterospecific pollen. We used microsatellite p...