Heat treatment is often used for improve the dimensional stability of wood. In this study, effect of heat treatment on equilibrium moisture content (EMC) of oak (Quercus petraea Lieb.), chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.), calabrian pine (Pinus brutia Ten.) and black pine (Pinus nigra Arnold.) woods, obtained from Kastamonu Forest Enterprises of Turkey, was examined. Wood specimens were subjected ...

Two Castanea plant species, C. henryi and mollissima, are cultivated in China to produce chestnut crops. Leaf spot diseases commonly occur plantations, however, little is known about the fungal species associated with leaf spots. In this study, samples of mollissima were collected from Beijing, Guizhou, Hunan, Sichuan Yunnan Provinces, leaf-inhabiting fungi identified based on morphology phylog...

Polyphenol extracts from the burs of Castanea mollissima Blume (CMPE) exhibited potential antioxidant and hypoglycemic activities. The α-glucosidase inhibitory activities of CMPE were assessed as a means of elucidating the mechanism behind its hypoglycemic activities. In vitro studies showed that CMPE significantly inhibited both yeast α-glucosidase, through a noncompetitive mode with an IC50 o...

The diversity of climate, from subarctic to subtropical, and the complex geological history of Japan have produced a rich biodiversity. The flora includes several hundred species of native woody plants with edible fleshy fruits or nuts. People have eaten them from prehistoric times until about a half century ago. In Hokkaidō and the Ryūkyū Islands nut species had an important role in the diet, ...

The female of Paracrias huberi Gumovsky (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) is redescribed and the previously unknown male described from material collected by George B. Vogt near Plummers Island, Maryland. The species is diagnosed and placed within the current phylogenetic concept for the genus Paracrias. Collection records indicate this species was reared from Homoeolabus analis Illiger (Coleoptera: At...

Cold acclimation in woody plants may have special features compared to similar processes in herbaceous plants. Recent studies have shown that circadian clock behavior in the chestnut tree (Castanea sativa) is disrupted by cold temperatures and that the primary oscillator feedback loop is not functional at 4 degrees C or in winter. In these conditions, CsTOC1 and CsLHY genes are constantly expre...

Agricultural residues Castanea mollissima shells represent a promising resource for natural pigments for the food industry. This study provides a comprehensive and systematic evaluation of water-soluble pigments (CSP) from C. mollissima shells, which were obtained by 50% ethanol with microwave-assisted extraction. Spectroscopic techniques (UV, FT-IR, (13)C NMR), elemental analysis, and chromato...

Application of most antibiotic growth promoters as feed additives has been banned in a lot of countries due to cross-resistance against pathogens and residues in tissues. Therefore, scientists are searching for alternatives to antibiotics nowadays. Medicinal plant extracts are one of the alternatives that have anti-microbial and growth promoting effect on poultry. In this paper, the benefits of...