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Typescript. / Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hawaii, 1965. / Bibliography: leaves [88]-92. / xii, 92 l illus., mounted photos., tables

Tulbaghia violacea, a member of the family Alliaceae is indigenous to the Eastern Cape and is widely used as a herbal remedy for various febrile and gastro-enteric ailments, particularly in young children. Adverse effects, and even fatalities, have been reported following treatment with the plant extract. The project has involved synthesis of model compounds, chromatographic analysis of flavonoid and other constituents of the plant, and examination of the volatile components. Some fifteen flavones were synthesised as chromatographic models and in the course of this work, the development of a new method for synthesis of carboxylic anhydrides was completed. Use of the flavone standards permitted identification of the flavonols kaempferol and quercetin in hydrolysed glycosidic plant extracts. In addition, several sugars were identified, viz., D-glucose, D-fructose, L-arabinose and D-galactose as free sugars, and D-glucose, D-galactose , 1-rhamnose, D- fucose, D-xylose, 1-arabinose and D-fructose as glycosidic sugars, by g.l.c. and g. c. - m. s. analysis of derivatives of isolated sugar mixtures. The presence in the plant extracts of steroidal saponins was also demonstrated. The sulphur compounds, 2,4,5,7-tetrathiaoctane-2,2-dioxide and 2,4,5,7-tetrathiaoctane were isolated from the plant and characterised spectroscopically. This result, together with analysis of volatiles from the plant, has led to a proposal concerning the nature and origin of sulphur compounds in Tulbaghia violacea, showing close correlation with the sulphur compounds in Allium species. Investigation of the biological activity of Tulbaghia violacea extracts showed bacteriostatic activity, particularly of extracts which had not been heated, and which had been prepared from mature plants. Treatment of isolated smooth muscle preparations with Tulbaghia violacea extracts indicated the presence of a β-adrenergic agonist having an inhibitory effect on normal muscle contraction. The results of the investigations indicate that while there may be some basis for use of the plant as an antibacterial, or to treat colic, the adverse effects, caused possibly by the sulphur compounds and/or steroidal saponins present, may override the beneficial effects.

Verticillium albo-atrum R. and B. isolates were separated into four strain groups based on morphological type. All isolates were tested for pathogenicity toward tomato, and an attempt was made to relate pathogenicity to morphological type. Since structural and functional differences in plants and animals are believed to be invariably associated with chemical differences, a survey of the nitrogenous constituents of the isolates was made in an attempt to relate any differences to morphological or pathologic strains. The alcohol-soluble extract from the mycelium of each isolate was investigated chromatographically for amino acids, amines, amides and peptides. The amino acids found were the same for all isolates. These were aspartic acid, glutamic acid, lysine, histidine, isoleucine, serine, valine, proline, methionine, ∝ alanine, tyrosine, threonine, glycine and one unidentified neutral compound, A. No amines, amides or peptides were detected. The amino acids, amines, amides and peptides of the ∝, β and Ȣ strains of Colletotricum lindemuthianum (Sacc. and Magn. ) Bri. and Gav. were isolated and identified using the techniques of paper chromatography for the purpose of comparison with Verticillium albo-atrum. The three Colletotricum strains contained the same amino acids as the Verticillium isolates with the exception of unknown A which was replaced by another unknown, B, common to all three Colletotricum strains indicating a definite species difference. Strain differences apparently do not occur in these two organisms in the groups of compounds studied. The effect of aeration, age of mycelium, pH of medium and carbon source on the qualitative amino acid content of isolate V3 were studied. These environmental conditions had no qualitative effect on the amino acids of the isolate. The free nucleotides of the acid-soluble extract of six representative isolates were studied using the technique of anion-exchange chromatography. Nucleotides isolated from all isolates and tentatively identified were guanosine monophosphate, guanosine diphosphate, guanosine triphosphate, cyt-idine diphosphate, uridine monophosphate, uridine diphosphate, uridine triphosphate and adenosine diphosphate. No other nucleotides were isolated. The above results indicated that if chemical dif-ferences do exist between strains, as postulated, they do not occur, In these two organisms, among the nitrogenous compounds studied, but must occur In some other class of compounds not studied in this investigation. / Science, Faculty of / Botany, Department of / Zoology, Department of / Graduate

Tomatoes of the Vetomold 121 variety were grown in sand cultures in the University of British Columbia greenhouse. Interiors of clay pots, in which the plants were grown, were painted with asphalt several times to prevent the plants from absorbing micronutrient elements from the materials used to manufacture the pots. Ripe tomatoes were analyzed for vitamin C, ash, and total soluble sugar; green fruit was analyzed for catalase; and plant leaves were analyzed for catalase, oxidase and peroxidase activity. The fruit yield and plant weight were also recorded. Plants receiving boron in their nutrient solutions were observed to be less susceptible to tomato leafmold than plants receiving no boron. Boron was also observed to stimulate fibrous root growth. Boron significantly decreased oxidase but increased catalase and peroxidase in the leaves, and significantly increased plant weight. Trends indicate that boron also increased yield and depressed the sugar content of the fruit. Copper tended to increase plant weight, and decrease ash in the ripe tomatoes and catalase in the leaves. This micronutrient also significantly decreased peroxidase. Results indicated a tendency for manganese to increase vitamin C in ripe tomatoes and catalase in green fruit, but to depress sugar, ash, yield, and plant weight. Manganese significantly reduced catalase and peroxidase activity in the leaves. A significant increase in peroxidase and a significant decrease In catalase of tomato plant leaves was effected by molybdenum. Fruit yield was depressed somewhat by the addition of molybdenum to a complete nutrient solution. Zinc appeared to increase catalase in green fruit and oxidase in tomato leaves; however, it did significantly increase plant weight and decrease leaf catalase. / Land and Food Systems, Faculty of / Graduate