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Bidens pilosa L. var. radiata Sch. Bip. (BPr) had been found capable of excluding Cyperus rotundus L. (CR) from its vegetation in fallow fields. Both allelopathy and competition of BPr were able to limit the growth of CR, but this has not been extensively investigated. To verify the two effects of BPr on CR management, density-dependent experiments and interspecies competitions with the application of activated carbon were conducted. The effects of BPr soil and its residues on the reproduction of CR were also evaluated. The results showed that the residues of BPr reduced the growth (54–61% of control) and tuber number (58–71% of control) of CR in the 3 plants pot−1 treatment but not in higher density treatments. In the interspecies competition, BPr exhibited an allelopathic but not competitive effect on CR when activated carbon was absent. CR tuber sprouting was significantly suppressed when sowed in the BPr soil. Likewise, BPr residue mulch inhibited the CR plant density by 87% as compared to natural-occurring CR residue mulch in the field. This study revealed that BPr might have potential for use as a cover plant and allelopathic mulch to control CR in the agroecosystem.

This research isolated two new oleanane-type triterpene glycosides, named mocochinosides A (1) and B (2), together with ten known compounds as chikusetsusaponin IVa ethyl ester (3), momordin Ib (4), momordin IIb (5), momordin II (6), calenduloside G (7), calenduloside H (8), elatoside A (9), elatoside C ( 10), calendulaglycoside C 6'-O-7-butyl ester (11), and hederagenin 3-O-β-D-glucuronopyranoside (12) and characterized them from the vines of Momordica cochinchinensis. The new structures of both glycosides 1-2 were elucidated by spectroscopic analysis including 2D NMR and MS, followed by an analysis of their anti-inflammatory and cytotoxic activities. Compounds 1, 4, and 11 showed moderate inhibitions for NO production on RAW264.7 macrophages induced by LPS at IC 50 5.41~11.28 μM. Compounds 3, 4, and 7 (IC 50 8.42~19.74 μM) exhibited potential anti-proliferative activities against both of WiDr and MCF-7 human tumor cell lines.

Seeds of some winged bean varieties have low germination due to the presence of water-impermeable hardseeds. Seeds of ‘Taitung No.1’ winged bean had only 31% germination because the remaining 69% of seeds had a water-impermeable seedcoat. Sandpaper abrasion and sulfuric acid immersion for 15 and 25 min effectively removed hardseededness of the seeds, resulting in more than 89% germination. As seed moisture content (MC) decreased from 14.8% to 7%, the percentage of seeds with a water-impermeable seedcoat increased. Seed lots with 14.8%, 11%, 9%, and 7% MC had 7%, 38%, 56%, and 78% of hardseeds, respectively, on day 7 in the germination test. It was found that the hilum was responsible for water loss from the whole seed, and the seedcoats began to become water-impermeable at 12% MC. The lens and micropylar regions were initial water entry sites in the Vaseline-blocking experiment.