Bioassays higher plants

Grant WF (1994) The present status of higher plant bioassays for the detection of environmental mutagens. Mutat Res 310 175-185 Grant WF, Owens ET (2001) Chromosome aberrations in Pisum for the study of environmental mutagens. Mutat Res 488 93-118 Kalweit S, Utesch D, von der Hude W, Madle S (1999) Chemically induced micronucleus formation in V79 cells-comparison of three different test approaches. Mutat Res 439 183-190... 

To determine if higher plants produce nonpeptide inhibitors of Candida-secreted aspartic proteases (SAPS), it was necessary to develop a sensitive and specific primary bioassay suitable for screening large numbers of plant extracts, to have access to a unique and diverse plant collection to evaluate for the presence of inhibitors, and to have available purified recombinant Saps for use in a secondary assay to corroborate any observed activity. 

McLaughlin, J.L. Crown gall tumours on potato discs and brine shrimp lethality two simple bioassays for higher plant screening and fractionation, in Methods in Plant Biochemistry, Hostettmann, K., Ed., Vol. 6, Academic Press, London, 1-32, 1991. 

Biological activities of Distylium factors were investigated using several known bioassays for plant hormones. Distylium factors B and Ai were found to exhibit much higher activity than IAA in the LJT that is, the same inclinations of lamina joint sections were observed when the factors were applied at concentrations of one hundredth and one thirtieth, respectively. These factors also displayed stronger elongation than IAA in the... 

Grant WF, The present status of higher plant bioassays for the detection of environmental mutagens, Mut. Res., 310, 175, 1994. 

Much of the early work on the presence and levels of gibberelllns in higher plants was based on bloassay data. While such bioassays are generally specific for the class of diterpenes, the gibberelllns, they are essentially useless in determining kinds and levels of specific gibberelllns. 

Recent advances in the discovery of novel anticancer agents from higher plants are reported. These compounds are uncovered based on bioassay-directed fractionation and tandem MS analysis to detect analogs of significant lead compounds. The evolution and current status of the screening program of the U.S. National Cancer Institute is reviewed. 

Robinson T (1967) The organic constituents of higher plants. Their chemistry and interrelationships, 2nd edn. Burgess Publishing Company, MinneapoUs, MN Romeo JT, Weidenhamer JD (1998) Bioassays for aUelopathy in terrestrial plants. In Haynes KF, Millar JG (eds) Methods in chemical ecology bioassay methods. Kluwer Academic PubUshing,... 

The presence of nutrients and any change of their concentration will influence the growth of higher plants and algae in bioassays. It is a prerequisite to know the elemental composition of the test material. Analysis of the degradation matrix for the main nutrients is always helpful for the interpretation of biotest results and for building relationships to the controls. 

Potential hazards caused by the introduction of toxic components (especially heavy metals) with contaminated compost are revealed very often. These typical impurities are covered by the analytical quality control of most of the national regulations in Europe and will lead to a classification as second or third quality and to a limited use of the compost. These national standards are dealing with well-known contaminants that may derive from typical biowaste and are focussing on heavy metals and a handful of halogenated or aromatic hydrocarbons. The inclusion of bioassays with higher plants in some standards is more to determine the maturity of the compost than with the appearance of ecotoxic effects caused by anything other than the chemicals being determined. 

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