Amakati athanda i-catnip noma i-'catpnip' - ayikhotha kanzima, ayihlafune, ayihlikihle futhi aze ayigingqike. Kuyamukelwa kabanzi umphakathi wesayensi ukuthi lesi sitshalo kanye nomlingani waso wase-Asia, umvini wesiliva, unezindawo ezidakayo; yingakho izinsikazi zibonakala 'ziphakeme' futhi zibonisa ukuziphatha okungajwayelekile. Kodwa-ke, ucwaningo olusha olwenziwa izifundiswa zaseJapane luveze isisusa esisha sezilwane ezifuywayo ezintsha ukuba zithanda la makhambi kakhulu: ayawavikela ezinambuzaneni. Iziphetho zisanda kushicilelwa kujenali 'iScience'.
UMasao Miyazaki, umcwaningi wokuziphatha kwezilwane e-Iwate University, eJapane, nombhali oholayo walolu cwaningo njengomfundi wezilwane, ngokushesha waba nesithakazelo endleleni amakhemikhali, njengama-pheromone, ashukumisa ngayo ukuziphatha okungokwemvelo kwezilwane ezingabangane.
Ngakho-ke kwakungokwemvelo ukuthi azame ukuthola okwengeziwe mayelana nokusabela kwamakati ku-catnip ne-silvervine. “Kusabalele kangangoba nasemdlalweni womculo wodumo i-‘Cats’ kunezigcawu lapho ikati lidakisa elinye lisebenzisa impuphu yekati,” usho kanje.
Amaqabunga azo zombili izitshalo, empeleni angahlobene eduze kodwa athuthukise izici ezifanayo zokuziphendukela kwemvelo, aqukethe i-nepetalactol (ku-silvervine) ne-nepetalactone (ku-catnip), izinhlanganisela ezibizwa ngokuthi ama-iridoid avikela izitshalo ezinambuzaneni. Ukuze ahlole ukuthi la makhemikhali achithwa kanjani yizinkawu, wabambisana nabacwaningi baseNagoya University. "Ukuthola ukuthi amakati alimaza umvini wesiliva kwakhuthaza ukuphuma ngokushesha kwama-iridoid, okwakuphindwe izikhathi ezingu-10 kunamaqabunga angaphelele," kusho uMiyazaki. Ngamanye amazwi, iqiniso lokuthi lawa mahlamvu ayahlafuna lidala ukuthi kukhululwe lezi zinhlanganisela 'zokuvikela isifo'. Futhi lawa mahlamvu awonakele nawo akhuthaza ukusabela okude kakhulu; okungukuthi, 'abekwe' isikhathi eside ehlangene namahlamvu awonakele.
Ezifundweni ezedlule, uMiyazaki nethimba lakhe babonise ukuthi izinhlanganisela zabo zibaxosha ngokuphumelelayo omiyane behlosi (Aedes albopictus). Lo msebenzi omusha ufakazela ukuthi lapho amakati ephula izitshalo ngokuzihlikihla, ukuzigingqa, ukukhotha nokuhlafuna, izici zokuxosha zisebenza nakakhulu.
Ucwaningo
Ukuhlola ukuthi izinkabi ziphendule ngokuqondile yini kulezi zinhlanganisela, amakati anikezwe izitsha eziqukethe i-nepetalactone emsulwa ne-nepetalactol. "Amakati abonisa ukusabela okufanayo kuma-cocktail e-iridoid nasezitshalweni zemvelo ngaphandle kokuhlafuna," kusho uMiyazaki. "Bayikhotha amakhemikhali epulastiki bese beyihlikihla bese begingqa kuyo."
Ngisho nalapho izingxube ezifanayo zisetshenziswa ezitsheni futhi kamuva zambozwa ngepulasitiki embozwe izimbobo, amakati enza sengathi afinyelela le 'cocktail', naphezu kokuthi ayengaxhumani nayo ngokuqondile. "Lokhu kusho ukuthi ukuhlafuna nokuhlafuna kuwukuziphatha okungokwemvelo okubangelwa ukuhogela kwama-iridoid," kusho umcwaningi.
Okulandelayo kuzoba wukuzwa ukuthi ngubani obambele mathupha ngale ndlela izolo. “Ngokuzayo sizozama ukuphendula imibuzo emqoka njengokuthi kungani amanye amakati engaziphenduli ngendlela efanayo lezi zitshalo,” kuphetha uMiyazaki.
