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Nodule cultures were induced from shoot tips of aseptically grownEucalyptus botryoides in a vertically rotated incubator. N-(2-chloro-4-pyridyl)-N'-phenylurea (4PU) was a very effective cytokinin for induction of nodules in liquid B5 basal medium supplemented with naphthalene acetic acid and 3% sucrose.The effective concentration of 4PU ranged from 0.2 to 0.5mg/l. The nodule had a very smooth surface and was composed of small meristematic cells outside and large vacuolated cells inside. Shoots were regenerated from these cultures on media supplemented with 6-benzyladenine at 0.2mg/l in place of 4PU. These regenerated shoots were successfully rooted and cultivated in the field. Nodule cultures were maintained for 3-4 years with monthly subcultures without losing proliferation and regeneration abilities. Nodules were also successfully induced from other eucalypts, namelyE. camaldulensis, E. deglupta andE.grandis with slightly modified media. Furthermore, nodule cultures were also induced from shoot tips of field-grown plants inE.camaldulensis. This system is beneficial for both mass propagation of selected elite clones and creation of genetically engineered plants.

We established an allergic model of the late phase of type I hypersensitivity reaction to cedar pollen in mice. In this model, BALB/c mice (5-week-old females) were immunized five times with cedar pollen allergen, and eosinophil accumulation in the peritoneal cavity was elicited by an intraperitoneal injection of the allergen. We investigated the effects of the leaf of Moringa oleifera on allergen-induced eosinophil accumulation and total IgE in serum by giving freely feeding mice a powder diet containing 0.3%, 1.0%, and 3.0% M. odeifera leaf powder. Compared to the control group (normal diet), the number of total leukocytes and eosinophils accumulated in the peritoneal cavity was significantly reduced in the groups given the diet containing 0.3% and 3.0% M. oleifera leaf powder. However, there were no differences in the number of lymphocytes, monocytes, and neutrophils between all groups. Furthermore, the serum level of total IgE was reduced in the M. oleifera leaf powder-treated groups. These results provide laboratory evidence that M. oleifera leaf powder reduces eosinophil accumulation at the site of allergic inflammation and attenuates the development of IgEmediated allergy.

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