A new strain of Mentha spicara (2n = 48) was introduced from Michigan (U.S.A.) into the Piedmont Valley (Turin, Italy). It was found that the essential oil of this strain, which was obtained by steam distillation of plants in full bloom, possessed a typical spearmint aroma. Analysis of the oil was performed using a combination of capillary GC-MS. From the results it could be seen that the oil, which was carvone-rich, had a similar chemical composition to other carvone-rich mints found growing spontaneously or cultivated in the Piedmont Valley, e.g. Menrha aquatica x vin'dis F. Schultz (1 854) (sensu Fiori), Mentha bngifolia (L.) Huds var. candicans Crantz and Menthn bngifolia (L.) Huds. var. crispa Ten. With the exception of M. longifolia var. candicans, the minor components of the other oils were qualitatively similar; however, they varied quantitatively both in amounts of oxygenated and non-oxygenated monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes, and in individual components.
Free flavonol aglycones, potentially mutagenic, were determined in vegetable infusions, in fresh and pickled vegetables and in vegetables exposed to mold growth. None of the infusions tested contained any considerable amount of free mutagenic aglycones, but some vegetables, such as red onions and cucumbers, had appreciable amounts of free flavonol aglycones, especially in the external layers. The treatment used in the production of pickled vegetables did not change the quality and quantity of the flavonols but the presence of molds altered the quantity of flavonol aglycones and glycosides.
SUMMARYQuantitative aniilyses of the total phenols (glucosides and aglycones) and phenyhilanine ammonia lyasc-(PAL) activity were determined separately in hud scales and the leaf primordia of dormant huds (apical, suhapical and hasal) of !''(if;iis syh'iiticii L. tintil htid burst.In all the leaf primordia, the phenol and slucoside contents did not change suhstantially from November to March. iMom dormancy hreak to hud hurst, plienols and Rlucoside.s accumulated in tbe stibapical and hasal huds. PAL activity, after a drop at the inception of dormancy, followed a trend similar to tbat of the total pbenol content during dormancy. After dormancy hreak, the PAL activity of tbe apical hud was higher than that of the suhapical and basal huds. Otiring tbis period several differences were observed between PAL activity and phenolic content alonK tbe branch. No a«lycones were detected during dormancy (except small quantities in tbe subapical huds). However, small amounts vyere detected in all three bud types after dormancy break.On the otber band, in tbe hud scales dtirin^ tbe winter total pbenols per bud, Klucosides and P.AL activity valuo's (exeept m the apical htuls) show a slight decrease. After dortnancy break, P.AL activity disappeared and aglycone levels increased sligbtly. .At tbe same time it was not possible to determine any clear net variation in tbe levels of pbenols and ^lucosides.It seems, therefore, that tbe inception and maintenance of dormancy in /•'. sylvatiea huds cannot be correlated to the fotal pbenolie pool aiul I'.AL activity m leaf primordia, wbile some kind of cortelation seems to occur in the case ol bud scales.
. 1987. Leaf anatomy of alpine plants as related to altitudinal stress. -Nord. J. Bot. 7: 673-685. Copenhagen. ISSN 0107-055X.Alopecurus gerardi, Poa alpina, and Carex curvula are spontaneous, perennial forage plants distributed in the high elevation (2300-3200 m) pasture lands of Piedmont and Valle d'Aosta (Italy). Sedum atraturn is an annual succulent which grows at elevations up to 3200 m. The three monocotyledons have, in comparison with corresponding plants from the low-land, peculiar organographic and anatomic structures such as curling leaf lamina, vascular bundle sheath layer with chloroplasts arranged in a centrifugal fashion, low stomatal density (stomata number/cm*: upper epidermis f = 0-11.9; lower epidermis f = 7.6611.55), thick cuticles, as well as higher values of S (H,O; g/dm2; i = 0.&0.32), Sm (H20 g/mg Chl.; X = 0.11-0.16), SLW (g f. wt/dm2; i = 0.86-1.36), but lower SLA values (cmZ/g f. wt; f = 75.07-116.77). All these data are correlated to water stress. Even though the leaf lamina anatomy possesses some features typical of C, plants, the presence of starch grains in the mesophyll chloroplasts indicates that these plants are probably C3 ones. In spite of high values of thylacoid granakhylacoid intergrana ratios, typical of shade plants (mesophyll chloroplasts: f up to 3.81; bundle sheath chloroplasts: f up to 5.3), and Chl a/Chl b ratios (f up to 4.23 in C. curvula), the apparent absence of peroxisomes seem to indicate a very efficient dark phase of photosynthesis. S. atraturn, in comparison with the typical CAM succulents, which live in dryer and warmer habitats, has a higher values of stomatal density (upper epidermis, f = 2.59; lower epidermis, f = 3.15) and of SLA (X = 24.98), but lower S (X = 3.83), Sm (f = 1.19) and SLW (X = 4.15).
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