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Ligustrum lucidum W.T. Aiton is an outstanding herb with the homology of medicine and food. Its ripe fruits are traditionally used as an important tonic for kidneys and liver in China. Ligustrum lucidum W.T. Aiton is rich in nutritional components and a variety of bioactive ingredients. A total of 206 compounds have been isolated and identified, they mainly include flavonoids, phenylpropanoids, iridoid glycosides, and triterpenoids. These compounds exert anti-osteoporosis, anti-tumor, liver protective, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory effects. Ligustrum lucidum W.T. Aiton has been traditionally used to treat many complex diseases, including osteoporotic bone pain, rheumatic bone, cancer, related aging symptoms, and so on. In the 2020 Edition of Chinese Pharmacopoeia, there are more than 100 prescriptions containing L. lucidum W.T. Aiton. Among them, some classical preparations including Er Zhi Wan and Zhenqi fuzheng formula, are used in the treatment of various cancers with good therapeutic effects. Additionally, L. lucidum W.T. Aiton has also many excellent applications for functional food, ornamental plants, bioindicator of air pollution, algicidal agents, and feed additives. Ligustrum lucidum W.T. Aiton has rich plant resources. However, the application potential of it has not been fully exploited. We hope that this paper provides a theoretical basis for the high-value and high-connotation development of L. lucidum W.T. Aiton in the future.

Leaves of trees experience the maximum brunt of exposure and undergo certain changes in physiological traits responding to air pollution, and then, the specific leaf traits can be the indicators of air pollution in an area. However, due to the diversity of sources, the composition of air pollutants is very complex. This makes it difficult to predict air pollution using physiological differentiation of leaves. The purpose of this investigation was to examine potential of Ligustrum lucidum Ait. leaf measurement as a method to predict the air pollutants in Luoyang, China. Leaves of roadside L. lucidum were studied from the city center with serious air pollution to relatively unpolluted areas. Leaf size, stomatal traits, and non-structural carbohydrate were measured. The particulate and gaseous pollutants (including sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, and ozone) were investigated too. The results showed that the leaf area and soluble sugar content decreased, while the aspect ratio of leaves increased in heavily polluted areas. As pollution increased, the stomatal traits in different crown positions were changed differently. No significant correlation was found between ozone content and the measured traits of leaves. The responses found in the physiological differentiation of the leaves reflect acclimation to air pollution. The soluble sugar content of the leaves could be used to indicate the short-term stress of air pollution, the area, and aspect ratio of leaves are indicative of the long-term stress due to air pollution. Therefore, physiological traits of L. lucidum leaves appeared to be significant predictive factors for the air pollutants in urban areas.

Background The present study investigated the pharmacological activity and mechanism of ethanol extract of Ligustrum lucidum Ait. leaves (EEL) on HCC. Methods Cell viability was determined using cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay. The effects of EEL on cellular biological activities were analyzed by flow cytometry (FCM), cell wound scratch assay and transwell assay. The expression levels of related mRNA and protein were determined by performing quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), Western blotting assay and immunocytochemistry. Methylation-specific PCR (MSP) was carried out to investigate the possible mechanism underlying the DNA methylation of PTEN. Results EEL showed cytotoxicity to both Bel-7402 and Huh-7 cell lines. We also found that EEL enhanced the apoptosis of Bel-7402 and Huh-7 cells by regulating the expressions of Bcl-2 associated X (Bax), B cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) and Cytochrome-C and the activity of caspase-3 and therefore promoted cell cycle arrest. Moreover, EEL also suppressed cell migration and invasion. EEL increased the expression of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases 2 (TIMP2) but decreased the expressions of matrix metalloproteinase2 (MMP2) and MMP9. Furthermore, EEL inhibited the phosphorylation of PI3K/Akt pathway. MSP results showed that EEL promoted the demethylation of PTEN, suggesting that the inactivation of PI3K/Akt may be related to DNA de-methylation of PTEN. In addition, EEL inhibited the tumor growth of HCC in vivo. Conclusions EEL exerted anti-tumor effect on HCC in vitro and in vivo. EEL mediated by the inhibition of PI3K/Akt may be closely related to DNA de-methylation of PTEN. Thus, EEL could be used as a potential anti-cancer therapeutic agent of HCC.

Background The Fructus Ligustri Lucidi, the fruit of Ligustrum lucidum , contains a variety of bioactive compounds, such as flavonoids, triterpenoids, and secoiridoids. The proportions of these compounds vary greatly during the different fruit development periods of Fructus Ligustri Lucidi. However, a clear understanding of how the proportions of the compounds and their regulatory biosynthetic mechanisms change across the different fruit development periods of Fructus Ligustri Lucidi is still lacking. Results In this study, metabolite profiling and transcriptome analysis of six fruit development periods (45 DAF, 75 DAF, 112 DAF, 135 DAF, 170 DAF, and 195 DAF) were performed. Seventy compounds were tentatively identified, of which secoiridoids were the most abundant. Eleven identified compounds were quantified by high performance liquid chromatography. A total of 103,058 unigenes were obtained from six periods of Fructus Ligustri Lucidi. Furthermore, candidate genes involved in triterpenoids, phenylethanols, and oleoside-type secoiridoid biosynthesis were identified and analyzed. The in vitro enzyme activities of nine glycosyltransferases involved in salidroside biosynthesis revealed that they can catalyze trysol and hydroxytyrosol to salidroside and hydroxylsalidroside. Conclusions These results provide valuable information to clarify the profile and molecular regulatory mechanisms of metabolite biosynthesis, and also in optimizing the harvest time of this fruit.

The toxic effect of excessive manganese (Mn) on photosystem II (PSII) of woody species remains largely unexplored. In this study, five Mn concentrations (0, 12, 24, 36, and 48 mM) were used, and the toxicity of Mn on PSII behavior in leaves of Ligustrum lucidum was investigated using in vivo chlorophyll fluorescence transients. Results showed that excessive Mn levels induced positive L- and K- bands. Variable fluorescence at 2 ms (V J ) and 30 ms (V I ), absorption flux (ABS/RC), trapped energy flux (TR o /RC), and dissipated energy flux (DI o /RC) increased in Mn-treated leaves, whereas the performance index (PI ABS ), electron transport flux (ET o /RC), maximum quantum yield (φ Po ), quantum yield of electron transport (φ Eo ), and probability that an electron moves further than Q A − (ψ o ) decreased. Also, excessive Mn significantly decreased the net photosynthesis rate and increased intercellular CO 2 concentration. The results indicated that Mn blocked the electron transfer from the donor side to the acceptor side in PSII, which might be associated with the accumulation of Q A − , hence limiting the net photosynthetic rate.

Invasive axis deer ( Axis axis ) currently thrive along the Parana and Uruguay River watersheds in Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil. There is little information on axis deer ecology in its introduced range. We assessed seasonal and spatial variation in selected dietary items of axis deer, and tested whether the consumption of invasive woody plants and bait deployed for hunting purposes was related to their spatial availability at El Palmar National Park, home to the threatened Butia yatay palm tree. We identified macroscopically the rumen contents of 197 deer culled by controlled shooting over bait in winter and summer and by spotlighting from slow-moving vehicles in winter. Rumen contents by volume mostly contained grass and leaves in winter (95.3%) and summer (69.9%), followed by fruits/seeds of palm trees (in summer only) and invasive woody plants (mostly in winter), including honey locust ( Gleditsia triacanthos ), chinaberry ( Melia azedarach ), Chinese ( Ligustrum sinense ) and glossy privet ( Ligustrum lucidum ), and firethorn ( Pyracantha atalantoides ). Permutational analysis of variance confirmed that axis deer dietary composition varied significantly between seasons and hunting methods. The proportion of bait-fed deer culled by controlled shooting increased significantly with an increasing amount of bait (soybean or dry maize) deployed at each blind. The consumption of each invasive woody species was spatially aggregated and matched their core area of occupancy, suggesting localized feeding and limited short-term movement consistent with deer philopatric behavior. By providing the deer with cover, water and nutrient-dense food items, the riverine forest gains special relevance for integrated management efforts targeting both exotic woody species and exotic ungulates.

Present study was conducted to investigate the adsorption and ultrasound-assisted adsorption potential of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and silver nanoparticles loaded on chitosan (AgCS composite) as nano-adsorbents for methylene blue (MB) removal. AgNPs were synthesized using leaf extract of Ligustrum lucidum, which were incorporated on the chitosan’s surface for modification. UV–Vis Spectroscopy, FTIR, XRD, SEM, and EDX techniques were used to confirm the synthesis and characterization of nanomaterials. Batch adsorption and sono-adsorption experiments for the removal of MB were executed under optimal conditions; for fitting the experimental equilibrium data, Langmuir and Freundlich’s isotherm models were adopted. In addition, the antimicrobial potential of the AgNPs and AgCS were examined against selected bacterial and fungal strains. UV–Vis spectroscopy confirmed AgNPs synthesis from the leaf extract of L. lucidum used as a reducer, which was spherical as exposed in the SEM analysis. The FTIR spectrum illustrated phytochemicals in the leaf extract of L. lucidum functioning as stabilizing agents around AgNPs and AgCS. Whereas, corresponding crystalline peaks of nanomaterial, including a signal peak at 3 keV indicating the presence of silver, were confirmed by XRD and EDX. The Langmuir model was chosen as an efficient model for adsorption and sono-adsorption, which exposed that under optimum conditions (pH = 6, dye initial concentration = 5 mg L−1, adsorbents dosage = 0.005 g, time = 120 min, US power 80 W), MB removal efficiency of AgNPs was >70%, using ultrasound-assisted adsorption compared to the non-sonicated adsorption. Furthermore, AgNPs exhibited promising antibacterial potential against Staphylococcus aureus with the maximum zone of inhibition (14.67 ± 0.47 mm). It was concluded that the green synthesis approach for the large-scale production of metallic nanoparticles is quite effective and can be recommended for efficient and cost-effective way to eradicate dyes, particularly from textile wastewater.

Cadmium (Cd) contamination is a widespread environmental issue. There is a lack of knowledge about the impacts of applying arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and biochar, either alone or in their combination, on alleviating Cd phytotoxicity in Ligustrum lucidum . Therefore, a pot experiment was conducted in a greenhouse, where L. lucidum seedlings were randomly subjected to four regimes of AMF treatments (inoculation with sterilized AMF, with Rhizophagus irregularis , Diversispora versiformis , alone or a mixture of these two fungi), and two regimes of biochar treatments (with or without rice-husk biochar), as well as three regimes of Cd treatments (0, 15, and 150 mg kg −1 ), to examine the responses of growth, photosynthetic capabilities, soil enzymatic activities, nutritional concentrations, and Cd absorption of L. lucidum plants to the interactive effects of AMF, biochar, and Cd. The results demonstrated that under Cd contaminations, AMF alone significantly increased plant total dry weight, soil pH, and plant nitrogen (N) concentration by 84%, 3.2%, and 13.2%, respectively, and inhibited soil Cd transferring to plant shoot by 42.2%; biochar alone significantly enhanced net photosynthetic rate, soil pH, and soil catalase of non-mycorrhizal plants by 16.4%, 9%, and 11.9%, respectively, and reduced the soil Cd transferring to plant shoot by 44.7%; the additive effect between AMF and biochar greatly enhanced plant total dry weight by 101.9%, and reduced the soil Cd transferring to plant shoot by 51.6%. Furthermore, dual inoculation with D. versiformis and R. irregularis conferred more benefits on plants than the single fungal species did. Accordingly, amending Cd-contaminated soil with the combination of mixed-fungi inoculation and biochar application performed the best than either AMF or biochar alone. These responses may have been attributed to higher mycorrhizal colonization, soil pH, biomass accumulation, and biomass allocation to the roots, as well as photosynthetic capabilities. In conclusion, the combined use of mixed-fungi involving D. versiformis and R. irregularis and biochar addition had significant synergistic effects on enhancing plant performance and reducing Cd uptake of L. lucidum plants in Cd-contaminated soil. Graphical abstract

Fil: Velazco, Santiago José Elías. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Puerto Iguazú | Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Puerto Iguazú; Argentina

Biological invasions are a major threat to global biodiversity. Ligustrum lucidum , native to temperate Asia, is one of the most invasive plant species in the world. Climate is an important ecological factor influencing species distribution. Therefore, we investigated the climatic niche of L . lucidum in various regions of the world to determine whether it uses different climatic conditions in its invasive ranges than in its native range. The geographical coordinates of its occurrence were extracted from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility and Southern African Plant Invaders Atlas databases. Climatic variables and altitude data were obtained from WorldClim. We evaluated niche overlap and performed niche similarity tests, and estimated niche shift parameters. L . lucidum occurs mostly in warm temperate climates. Niche overlap between native and invaded areas was low. Niche similarity tests indicated that the species could expand its occurrence into regions with climates similar to and different from that of its native range. We concluded that L . lucidum uses different realized climatic niches in its invasive ranges than in its native range. Warmer and wetter climatic conditions may not necessarily constrain this species from establishing populations outside of its native range.