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Turpentine is a volatile component of resin, which is an abundant forest resource in Southern China. As one of the most important components, the integrated application of β-pinene has been studied. The broad-spectrum evaluation of β-pinene and its analogues has, therefore, been necessary. In an attempt to expand the scope of agro-activity trials, the preparation and the evaluation of the herbicidal activity of a series of β-pinene analogues against three agricultural herbs were carried out. In accordance with the overall herbicidal activity, it is noteworthy that compounds 6k, 6l, and 6m demonstrated extreme activity with IC50 values of 0.065, 0.065, and 0.052 mol active ingredients/hectare against E. crus-galli. The preliminary structure–activity relationship (SAR) was analyzed and the compounds with the appropriate volatility and substituent type that had beneficial herbicidal activity were analyzed. Simultaneously, the quantitative structure–activity relationship (QSAR) model was built and the most important structural features were indicated, which was, to a certain extent, in line with the SAR study. The study aimed to study the application of the forest resource turpentine in agriculture as a potential and alternative approach for comprehensive utilization.

This paper provides a summary review of the major biological features concerning the essential oil of turpentine, its origin and use in traditional and modern medicine. More precisely, the safety of this volatile fraction to human health, and the medical, biological and environmental effects of the two major compounds of this fraction (α- and β-pinenes) have been discussed.

Indonesian turpentine oil contains α-pinene (70-90%), β-pinene (5-10%), and 3-carene (4-10%). This study aims to determine the effect of temperature, time, and mass of the catalyst on the α-pinene esterification. The esterification was carried out at 25, 40 and 50°C for 1, 2, 3, and 4 hours with variations in the catalyst mass of 100, 300 and 500 mg. This reaction was carried out in a three neck round bottom flask equipped with a heater, thermometer and magnetic stirrer. The ester produced in the α-pinene transformation through the esterification is carvyl acetate. The optimum results were obtained at temperature of 40°C and the addition of catalyst of 500 mg with α-pinene conversion of 67.81% and selectivity of carvyl acetate at 81.92% for 1 h.

This paper reports a pioneering study of an unknown historical drug formulation preserved in the Spezieria of Santa Maria della Scala in Rome, founded at the end of the seventeenth century by the Discalced Carmelites. Due to limited literature related to pharmaceutical remedies and drugs of the Early Modern Era (between the XV and XVIII centuries) and the complexity in their formulations, the study of these drugs represents a great challenge. The untargeted nature of the selected drug required a multi-analytical approach with complementary techniques to formulate a compositional hypothesis: FT-IR spectroscopy, gas chromatography-associated/mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) were successfully employed to identify different organic compounds. Systematic archaeobotanical research was performed as well, allowing us to acquire data related to the possible genus of plants from which these natural compounds derive and their geographical origin. The unknown drug formulation turned out to be a complex mixture used as an ointment with an anti-inflammatory purpose. It mainly contains a mixture of Venetian turpentine; a Pine resin (colophony) from the Pinaceae family; an exudate of a plant from South America, whose identified components are triterpenic compounds such as alpha- and beta-amyrins, betulin and lupeol; and saturated fatty acids which act as carriers and/or to reduce the viscosity of abovementioned exudates and resins. The study of historical drugs is important not only in order to know the practices handed down by the speziali in the past but also to reconstruct historical recipes, which can inspire new dermatological, cosmetic, hygienic and current healing products.Graphical abstract

Background Biological invasions are responsible for substantial environmental and economic losses. The red turpentine beetle (RTB), Dendroctonus valens LeConte, is an important invasive bark beetle from North America that has caused substantial tree mortality in China. The lack of a high-quality reference genome seriously limits deciphering the extent to which genetic adaptions resulted in a secondary pest becoming so destructive in its invaded area. Results Here, we present a 322.41 Mb chromosome-scale reference genome of RTB, of which 98% of assembled sequences are anchored onto fourteen linkage groups including the X chromosome with a N50 size of 24.36 Mb, which is significantly greater than other Coleoptera species. Repetitive sequences make up 45.22% of the genome, which is higher than four other Coleoptera species, i.e., Mountain pine beetle Dendroctonus ponderosae , red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum , blister beetle Hycleus cichorii , and Colorado potato beetle Leptinotarsa decemlineata . We identify rapidly expanded gene families and positively selected genes in RTB, which may be responsible for its rapid environmental adaptation. Population genetic structure of RTB was revealed by genome resequencing of geographic populations in native and invaded regions, suggesting substantial divergence of the North American population and illustrates the possible invasion and spread route in China. Selective sweep analysis highlighted the enhanced ability of Chinese populations in environmental adaptation. Conclusions Overall, our high-quality reference genome represents an important resource for genomics study of invasive bark beetles, which will facilitate the functional study and decipher mechanism underlying invasion success of RTB by integrating the Pinus tabuliformis genome.

The red turpentine beetle (Dendroctonus valens LeConte) has caused severe ecological and economic losses since its invasion into China. It gradually spreads northeast, resulting in many Chinese pine (Pinus tabuliformis Carr.) deaths. Early detection of D. valens infestation (i.e., at the green attack stage) is the basis of control measures to prevent its outbreak and spread. This study examined the changes in spectral reflectance after initial attacking of D. valens. We also explored the possibility of detecting early D. valens infestation based on spectral vegetation indices and machine learning algorithms. The spectral reflectance of infested trees was significantly different from healthy trees (p < 0.05), and there was an obvious decrease in the near-infrared region (760–1386 nm; p < 0.01). Spectral vegetation indices were input into three machine learning classifiers; the classification accuracy was 72.5–80%, while the sensitivity was 65–85%. Several spectral vegetation indices (DID, CUR, TBSI, DDn2, D735, SR1, NSMI, RNIR•CRI550 and RVSI) were sensitive indicators for the early detection of D. valens damage. Our results demonstrate that remote sensing technology could be successfully applied to early detect D. valens infestation and clarify the sensitive spectral regions and vegetation indices, which has important implications for early detection based on unmanned airborne vehicle and satellite data.

Resin-tapping forests of slash pine (Pinus elliottii) have been set up across Southern China owing to their high production and good resin quality, which has led to the rapid growth of the resin industry. In this study, we aimed to identify molecular markers associated with resin traits in pine trees, which may help develop marker-assisted selection (MAS). PeTPS-(-)Apin gene was cloned by double primers (external and internal). DnaSP V4.0 software was used to evaluate genetic diversity and linkage disequilibrium. SHEsis was used for haplotype analysis. SPSS was used for ANOVA and X2 test. DnaSP v4.0 software was used to evaluate genetic diversity. The full length PeTPS-(-)Apin gene was characterized and shown to have 4638 bp, coding for a 629-amino acid protein. A total of 72 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) loci were found. Three SNPs (CG615, AT641 and AG3859) were significantly correlated with [alpha] -pinene content, with a contribution rate > 10%. These SNPs were used to select P. elliottii with high [alpha]-pinene content, and a 118.0% realistic gain was obtained. The PeTPS-(-)Apin gene is not uniquely decisive for selection of plus slash pines with stable production, high yield, and good quality, but it can be used as a reference for selection of other resin-producing pines and other resin components.

Resin-tapping forests of slash pine (Pinus elliottii) have been set up across Southern China owing to their high production and good resin quality, which has led to the rapid growth of the resin industry. In this study, we aimed to identify molecular markers associated with resin traits in pine trees, which may help develop marker-assisted selection (MAS). PeTPS-(-)Apin gene was cloned by double primers (external and internal). DnaSP V4.0 software was used to evaluate genetic diversity and linkage disequilibrium. SHEsis was used for haplotype analysis. SPSS was used for ANOVA and X2 test. DnaSP v4.0 software was used to evaluate genetic diversity. The full length PeTPS-(-)Apin gene was characterized and shown to have 4638 bp, coding for a 629-amino acid protein. A total of 72 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) loci were found. Three SNPs (CG615, AT641 and AG3859) were significantly correlated with [alpha] -pinene content, with a contribution rate > 10%. These SNPs were used to select P. elliottii with high [alpha]-pinene content, and a 118.0% realistic gain was obtained. The PeTPS-(-)Apin gene is not uniquely decisive for selection of plus slash pines with stable production, high yield, and good quality, but it can be used as a reference for selection of other resin-producing pines and other resin components.

Resin-tapping forests of slash pine (Pinus elliottii) have been set up across Southern China owing to their high production and good resin quality, which has led to the rapid growth of the resin industry. In this study, we aimed to identify molecular markers associated with resin traits in pine trees, which may help develop marker-assisted selection (MAS). PeTPS-(-)Apin gene was cloned by double primers (external and internal). DnaSP V4.0 software was used to evaluate genetic diversity and linkage disequilibrium. SHEsis was used for haplotype analysis. SPSS was used for ANOVA and X2 test. DnaSP v4.0 software was used to evaluate genetic diversity. The full length PeTPS-(-)Apin gene was characterized and shown to have 4638 bp, coding for a 629-amino acid protein. A total of 72 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) loci were found. Three SNPs (CG615, AT641 and AG3859) were significantly correlated with [alpha] -pinene content, with a contribution rate > 10%. These SNPs were used to select P. elliottii with high [alpha]-pinene content, and a 118.0% realistic gain was obtained. The PeTPS-(-)Apin gene is not uniquely decisive for selection of plus slash pines with stable production, high yield, and good quality, but it can be used as a reference for selection of other resin-producing pines and other resin components.

α-Terpineol (CAS No. 98-55-5) is a tertiary monoterpenoid alcohol widely and commonly used in the flavors and fragrances industry for its sensory properties. It is present in different natural sources, but its production is mostly based on chemical hydration using α-pinene or turpentine. Moreover, many bioprocesses for the microbial production of α-terpineol via biotransformation of monoterpenes (limonene, α- and β-pinenes) are also available in the literature. In addition to its traditional use, α-terpineol has also been evaluated in other application fields (e.g., medical), since some biological properties other than aroma, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiproliferative, antimicrobial, and analgesic effects, among others, have been attributed to this compound. Therefore, this review presents an original compilation of data regarding the production (extraction directly from nature; chemical synthesis; via biotechnological process), the chemical and biological properties, and the current market and novel applications of α-terpineol to guide further research in this area. Considering the information presented, we believe that α-terpineol applications may transcend the flavors and fragrances industry in the future.