Chemical Composition and Biological Activity of Centaurea baseri: New Species from Turkey

The genus Centaurea L. is one of the largest and important genera of Asteraceae family. Centaurea species have been widely used as herbal remedies in folk medicine for their antidandruff, antidiarrheic, antirheumatic, anti‐inflammatory, choleretic, diuretic, digestive, stomachic, astringent, antipyretic, cytotoxic, and antibacterial properties. Centaurea baseri Kose & Alan is a recently described local endemic species in Turkey and this is the first study on the chemical composition and bioactivity of its hydrodistilled essential oil and the crude extract. According to chromatospectral analysis, hexadecanoic acid (42.3%), nonacosane (8.2%), and heptacosane (8.0%) were the main compounds of the essential oil, while 16 compounds were determined in the MeOH extract using LC/MS. Furthermore, antimicrobial, antioxidant, and cytotoxic effects of the essential oil and the extract were evaluated in comparison with the standard agents. The extract showed strong antifungal effect against Candida utilis at the concentration of 60 μg/ml (MIC) where the EO showed growth inhibition at the concentration of 47.00 μg/ml (MIC) against pathogen Bacillus cereus. Both the essential oil and the extract did not show any selective antioxidant properties. The extract showed remarkably selective cytotoxic properties against MCF‐7, PANC‐1, A549, and C6 glioma cells.     

Variation in Essential Oil Yield and Composition of Dorema aucheri Boiss., an Endemic Medicinal Plant Collected from Wild Populations in Natural Habitats

In the present research, variability in essential oil (EO) composition of five Dorema aucheri populations collected from natural habitats in different regions of Iran, were investigated. The EO content of populations varied from 0.28 to 0.68%. According to gas chromatography/mass spectrometry analysis, β‐caryophyllene (7.17 – 35.73%), thymol (23.45 – 29.64%), β‐gurjunene (2.58 – 5.89%), carvacrol (1.32 – 2.67%) and cuparene (1.97 – 2.98%) were the major components. Hierarchical cluster, principal component and canonical correspondence analyses classified the studied populations into three groups based on major EO components. The environmental parameters of the collected sites were also evaluated. According to the results, it might be suggested that sandy soils with high mean annual precipitation were major environmental factors influencing the amount of β‐caryophyllene, while thymol, cuparene and caryophyllen oxide increased in silty and clay soils. Finally, the population collected in high altitudes and clay soils had higher amount of β‐gurjunene.     

Effect of dietary vegetable oils on the fatty acid profile of plasma lipoproteins in dairy cows

The aim of this study was to elucidate the effect of dietary supplementation of soybean oil (SO) and hydrogenated palm oil (HPO) on the transport of fatty acids (FA) within plasma lipoproteins in lactating and non-lactating cows. Three lactating and three non-lactating Holstein cows were used in two different 3 × 3 Latin square experiments that included three periods of 21 d. Dietary treatments for lactating cows consisted of a basal diet (control; no fat supplement) and fat-supplemented diets containing SO (500 g/d per cow) or HPO (500 g/d per cow). For non-lactating cows, dietary treatments consisted of a basal diet (control; no fat supplement) and fat-supplemented diets containing SO (170 g/d per cow) or HPO (170 g/d per cow). Compared with the control and SO diet, HPO addition increased (p < 0.05) the concentration of C16:0, C18:0, C18:2cis-9,12, C18:3cis-9,12,15 and total saturated and polyunsaturated FA in the plasma of lactating cows. In non-lactating cows, the SO addition increased the plasma concentration of C18:1trans-11. In lactating cows, concentrations of C16:0, C18:0 and total saturated FA were increased (p < 0.05) by HPO addition in the high-density lipoprotein (HDL). Total saturated FA were increased (p < 0.05) by HPO in very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL). In non-lactating cows, the concentration of C18:0 was increased (p < 0.05) by HPO in HDL, whereas C18:1trans-11 was increased (p < 0.05) by SO in the low-density lipoprotein. Overall, it was found that distribution and transport of FA within the bovine plasma lipoproteins may be influenced by chain length and degree of unsaturation of dietary lipids. Also, the distribution of individual FA isomers such as C18:1trans-11 and C18:2cis-9,trans-11 may vary depending on the physiological state of the cow (lactating or non-lactating), and are increased in plasma (lactating cows) and the HDL (non-lactating cows) when cows are fed SO.     

Phenotypic Characteristics and Fatty Acid Composition of Seeds from Different Herbaceous Peony Species Native to China

Herbaceous peony has been widely cultivated in China due to its substantial ornamental and medicinal value. In the present study, the phenotypic characteristics, total fatty acid (FA) content, and nine FA compositions of herbaceous peony seeds from 14 populations belonging to six species and one subspecies were determined by normal test and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The results showed that the phenotypic characteristics of seeds varied dramatically among species. The concentrations of five major FAs in seed oils were as follows: linoleic acid (173.95–236.51 μg/mg), linolenic acid (227.82–302.71 μg/mg), oleic acid (135.32–208.81 μg/mg), stearic acid (6.52–11.7 μg/mg), and palmitic acid (30.67–47.64 μg/mg). Correlation analysis demonstrated that oleic acid had the highest partial correlation coefficient with total FAs and might be applied to develop a model of phenotypic characteristics. FAs were significantly influenced by the following environmental factors: latitude, elevation, and annual average temperature. Based on the FA levels in the seed oils, clustering analysis divided 14 populations into two clusters. It was found that the average contents of oleic acid, linoleic acid, and total FAs in cluster I (147.16 μg/mg, 200.31 μg/mg, and 671.24 μg/mg, respectively) were significantly lower than those in cluster II (196.65 μg/mg, 220.16 μg/mg, and 741.78 μg/mg, respectively). Cluster I was perfectly consistent with subsect. Foliolatae, while cluster II was in good agreement with subsect. Dissectifoliae. Therefore, the FA composition of wild herbaceous peony seed oil might be used as a chemotaxonomic marker.     

Co‐utilization of acidified glycerol pretreated‐sugarcane bagasse for microbial oil production by a novel Rhodosporidium strain

Acidified glycerol pretreatment is very effective to deconstruct lignocellulosics for producing glucose. Co‐utilization of pretreated biomass and residual glycerol to bioproducts could reduce the costs associated with biomass wash and solvent recovery. In this study, a novel strain Rhodosporidium toruloides RP 15, isolated from sugarcane bagasse, was selected and tested for coconversion of pretreated biomass and residual glycerol to microbial oils. In the screening trails, Rh. toruloides RP 15 demonstrated the highest oil production capacity on glucose, xylose, and glycerol among the 10 strains. At the optimal C:N molar ratio of 140:1, this strain accumulated 56.7, 38.3, and 54.7% microbial oils based on dry cell biomass with 30 g/L glucose, xylose, and glycerol, respectively. Furthermore, sugarcane bagasse medium containing 32.6 g/L glucose from glycerol‐pretreated bagasse and 23.4 g/L glycerol from pretreatment hydrolysate were used to produce microbial oils by Rh. toruloides RP 15. Under the preliminary conditions without pH control, this strain produced 7.7 g/L oil with an oil content of 59.8%, which was comparable or better than those achieved with a synthetic medium. In addition, this strain also produced 3.5 mg/L carotenoid as a by‐product. It is expected that microbial oil production can be significantly improved through process optimization.     

Cadmium accumulation and its effects on physiological and biochemical characters of summer savory (Satureja hortensis L.).

Abstract

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of cadmium (Cd) toxicity on accumulation, growth, physiological responses, and biochemical characters in summer savory (Satureja hortensis L.). Plants were subjected to different levels of Cd concentrations including 0 (control), 2.5, 5, and 15?mg L^?1 in the growing medium. Cd exposure led to a significant increase in root and shoot Cd content. Calculation of bioaccumulation factor, translocation factor, and transfer coefficient revealed that Cd mostly accumulated in roots of S. hortensis and root to shoot transport was effectively restricted. Cd toxicity negatively affected plant growth and significantly reduced chlorophyll content. Contrarily, proline, soluble and reducing carbohydrates, anthocyanin content, and the activity of antioxidant enzymes significantly increased as a result of Cd exposure. Cd application led to a significant increase in essential oil content of S. hortensis. GC-MS analysis revealed that percentage main constitute of S. hortensi, carvacrol, which determines the quality of oil increased under the highest Cd treatment. Based on our findings, S. hortensis can be considered an invaluable alternative crop for mildly Cd-contaminated soils. Besides, due to the high potential of Cd accumulation in the root, S. hortensis may offer a feasible tool for phytostabilization purposes.     

Survival in different habitats: Extreme ultramafic and calcareous soils affect Stachys recta essential oils composition

Two populations of Stachys recta growing in Italy on ultramafic and calcareous soils have been studied for their essential oils. Although the yields were comparable, the composition of the essential oils differed significantly. Plants growing on ultramafic soil produced mainly non-terpene derivatives (55.7%), of which the most abundant ones were 1-octen-3-ol (38.2%) and (E)-3-hexen-1-ol (5.9%); the terpenes α-cadinol (6.1%) and δ-cadinene (5.6%) were also significantly represented. In contrast, the populations living on calcareous soil produced an essential oil dominated by terpenes (93.8%), with germacrene D (18.8%), β-caryophyllene (17.7%), 1,8-cineole (15.9%) and α-pinene (14.2%) among the main components.     

Efficacy of an essential oil of Eugenia caryophyllata against Psoroptes cuniculi

The acaricidal activity of Eugenia caryophyllata essential oil was evaluated in vitro and in vivo on Psoroptes cuniculi, a mange mite. In vitro, different concentrations of the oil were tested and the observed mites mortality was compared with that observed in untreated and treated (Acacerulen R^®) controls. In vivo, six P. cuniculi infected rabbits were topically treated with the oil diluted at 2.5% and compared with untreated and treated control groups of six rabbits each. In vitro, up to the concentration of 0.10% the oil gave highly significant (P < 0.01) percentages of mite mortality respect to the untreated controls, but only up to 0.16% it showed the same efficacy of Acacerulen R^®. In vivo, the treatment with the essential oil cured all infested rabbits and no statistical differences were observed respect to the treated control group. The untreated rabbits remained infested.     

RNAi and microRNA: breakthrough technologies for the improvement of plant nutritional value and metabolic engineering

This article raises the complex issue of improving plant nutritional value through metabolic engineering and the potential of using RNAi and micro RNA technologies to overcome this complexity, focusing on a few key examples. It also highlights current knowledge of RNAi and microRNA functions and discusses recent progress in the development of new RNAi vectors and their applications. RNA interference (RNAi) and microRNA (miRNA) are recent breakthrough discoveries in the life sciences recognized by the 2006 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. The importance of these discoveries relates not only to elucidating the fundamental regulatory aspects of gene expression, but also to the tremendous potential of their applications in plants and animals. Here, we review recent applications of RNAi and microRNA for improving the nutritional value of plants, discuss applications of metabolomics technologies in genetic engineering, and provide an update on the related RNAi and microRNA technologies.