Project description:The complete mitochondrial genome sequence of a funnel-web weaving spider, Agelena silvatica (Agelenidae), was obtained using long PCR and conventional PCR methods. The circular genome is 14,776?bp in length. It contains 13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNAs, 2 ribosomal RNAs, and a control region. The A?+?T content (74.46%) of the all base composition is higher than G?+?C content (25.54%). Bayesian and maximum likelihood phylogenetic analyses demonstrate that Agelena silvatica is the sister clade of the water spider, Argyroneta aquatica.
Project description:The immatures of the biting midge Dasyhelea silvatica are described and illustrated for the first time and a complete description of the adult male and female are provided using scanning electron and compound microscopes. The specimens were collected from flooded soil near a pond in Guizhou Province, China, and reared in the laboratory.
Project description:Panax ginseng Meyer cv. Silvatica (PGS), which is also known as "Lin-Xia-Shan-Shen" or "Zi-Hai" in China, is grown in forests and mountains by broadcasting the seeds of ginseng and is harvested at the cultivation age of 15⁻20 years. In this study, four new dammarane-type triterpenoids, ginsengenin-S1 (1), ginsengenin-S2 (2), ginsenoside-S3 (3), ginsenoside-S4 (4), along with one known compound were isolated from pearl knots of PGS. Ginsengenin-S2 significantly alleviated oxidative damage when A549 cells were exposed to cigarette smoke (CS) extract. In addition, ginsengenin-S2 could inhibit the CS-induced inflammatory reaction in A549 cells. Protective effects of ginsengenin-S2 against CS-mediated oxidative stress and the inflammatory response in A549 cells may involve the Nrf2 and HDAC2 pathways.