The sesquiterpene α-copaene is induced in tomato leaves infected by Botrytis cinerea

Abstract

Explorative experiments were done to investigate the possibility that tomato plants infected by Botrytis cinerea have a different emission of volatile organic compounds (VOC) than healthy plants. This was done by headspace analysis of volatiles emitted by detached leaves of infected and healthy plants. Principal component analysis (PCA) of GC-FID chromatograms revealed clearly separated clusters between infected and control leaves and identification of an interesting compound. In further analysis by GC-MS, the significantly distinctive component (p≤0.05) was identified as the sesquiterpene α-copaene. In previous work on herbivore damage, α-copaene was not distinctive, which may suggest that α-copaene may be specifically associated to fungal infections in tomato.     

Assessment of plant secondary metabolites in oil palm seedlings after being treated with calcium,copper ions and salicylic acid

The effect of calcium, copper ions and salicylic acid (SA) amendment on the incidence of basal stem rot and activity of secondary metabolites in oil palm seedlings were investigated in glasshouse study. Disease incidence (DI) in positive control (T8) was 75% at nine months after inoculation (9 MAI). However, weekly pre-immunisation with Ca^2+?+^?Cu^2+?+^?SA prior to inoculation significantly suppressed DI and delayed disease onset as noted in T7. In the present study, the lowest %DI was observed in T7 (15%) followed by T1, T5, T6, T3, T4 and T2. The Ca²⁺, Cu²⁺ and SA amendments were resulted in earlier and higher accumulation of plant secondary metabolites as noted in leaves, stems and root tissues in response to invasion by Ganoderma boninense. High total phenolic content concentration was detected in T7 (leaf: 233.38 ± 0.12 mg/g; stem: 132.78 ± 0.04 mg/g and root: 86.98 ± 0.28 mg/g). Similar trend was obtained in peroxidase activity, total lignin content and hydrogen peroxide scavenging activity. These results suggested that it could be due to the accumulation of phenolics, peroxidase activities, lignin content and hydrogen peroxide scavenging activities in oil palm seedling tissues which might have collectively contributed to induce resistance against G. boninense.     

Quercetin metabolites and protection against peroxynitrite-induced oxidative hepatic injury in rats

Quercetin has strong antioxidant potency. Quercetin-3′-O-sulphate (Q3′S) and quercetin-3-O-glucuronide (Q3GA) are the main circulating metabolites after consumption of quercetin-O-glucoside-rich diets by humans. However, information about how these quercetin metabolites function in vivo is limited. Hence, this study evaluated the efficacy of Q3′S and Q3GA for the protection of oxidative injury using in vitro and in vivo experiments. Peroxynitrite-mediated hepatic injury in rats was induced by administration of galactosamine/lipopolysaccharide (GalN/LPS). Twenty-four hours after GalN/LPS treatment, plasma ALT and AST levels δ increased significantly. However, pretreatment with 4^G-α-D-glucopyranosyl rutin, a quercetin glycoside (30 mg/kg body weight), prevented these increases and reduced nitrotyrosine formation, indicating that consumption of quercetin glycosides prevent oxidative hepatotoxicity. Moreover, physiological levels of Q3′S and Q3GA (1 µM) effectively prevented peroxynitrite-induced nitrotyrosine formation in human serum albumin in in vitro experiments. These findings indicate peroxynitrite-induced oxidative hepatotoxicity is protected by the in vivo metabolites of quercetin, Q3′S and Q3GA.     

Chemical Constituents from a Mangrove-Derived Actinobacteria Isoptericola chiayiensis BCRC 16888 and Evaluation of Their Anti-NO Activity

Cultivation of the actinobacteria strain Isoptericola chiayiensis, a mangrove - derived actinobacteria that was isolated from a mangrove soil collected in Chiayi County, resulted in the isolation of one new 2-furanone derivative, isopterfuranone ( 1 ), one new sesquiterpenoid, isopterchiayione ( 2 ), one new benzenoid derivative, isopterinoid ( 3 ), five new flavonoids, chiayiflavans A−E ( 4 – 8 ), and 4 metabolites isolated for the first time from nature source, methyl 3-(4-methyl-2,5-dioxopyrrolidin-3-yl)propanoate ( 9 ), 3-ethyl-4-methylpyrrolidine-2,5-dione ( 10 ), chiayiensol ( 11 ) and chiayiensic acid ( 12 ). Their structures were determined through in-depth spectroscopic and mass-spectrometric analyses. Most of the isolates showed potent inhibitory effects on NO production in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 murine macrophages cells with IC₅₀ values ranging from 9.36 to 40.02 μM. Of these isolates, 4 and 5 showed NO inhibitory activity with IC₅₀ values of 17.14 and 9.36 μM, stronger than the positive control quercetin (IC₅₀=36.95 μM). This is the first report on flavan metabolites from the genus Isoptericola.     

Effects of Size of Carbohydrate Chain on Protease Digestion of Aspergillus niger Endo-β-1,4-glucanase

Three different carbohydrate-depleted enzymes were prepared from an endo-β-l,4-glucanase of Aspergillus niger IF031125 by treatment with endo-β-N-acetylglucosaminidase or α-mannosidase. They were purified by Concanavalin A-Sepharose affinity and DEAE ion-exchange column chromatographies. The molecular sizes of these enzymes had been decreased from 40 kDa containing 9.0% carbohydrate to 39, 38, and 37kDa with carbohydrate at 4.5, 1.3, and 0.8% (wt/wt), respectively. The native and these carbohydrate-depleted enzymes were compared in their enzymatic properties, and it was found that they were identical in their catalytic activities and both thermal and pH stabilities. However, the 37-kDa enzyme was more susceptible to proteolysis by Savinase, proteinase K, and Pronase E. On the other hand, the specific protease trypsin showed no such effect on activity of all enzymes. These results suggested that the core structure of the asparagine-linked sugar chain, which consisted of three monosaccharide residues, contributed to the high stability of the endo-β-l,4-glucanase against protease digestion.     

Effects of microbial volatile organic compounds on Ganoderma lucidum growth and ganoderic acids production in Co-v-cultures (volatile co-cultures)

Abstract

Co-v-culture (co-cultivations of physically separated microbes that only interact through the air) systems were designed to investigate the effects of microbial volatile organic compounds (mVOCs) from about 20 different microbes, on a medicinal fungus, Ganoderma lucidum. For more accuracy in co-cultivations, a novel synchronized cultivation approach was tested for culturing G. lucidum. The hyphal growth of G. lucidum and the content of its ganoderic acids (GAs) were measured. In almost all of the co-v-cultures, there was an inhibiting effect on hyphal growth and a promoting effect on GAs contents. In inducing GAs production, Bacillus cereus PTCC 1247 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa UTMC 1404 were the most effective ones, as, compared to control cultures, GAs content increased 2.8 fold. Comparing different co-v-cultivations demonstrated that the concentrations of mVOCs, oxygen, and carbon dioxide were the main players in co-v-cultures. No correlation was found between hyphal growth and GAs production. Strains of the same species imposed totally different effects on hyphal growth or GAs production. This study has investigated the effects of mVOCs on G. lucidum for the first time. Moreover, it suggests that co-v-cultivation may be a promising biotechnological approach to improve the production in G. lucidum.     

A world of cytochrome P450s

The world we live in is a biosphere influenced by all organisms who inhabit it. It is also an ecology of genes, with some having rather startling effects. The premise put forth in this issue is cytochrome P450 is a significant player in the world around us. Life and the Earth itself would be visibly different and diminished without cytochrome P450s. The contributions to this issue range from evolution on the billion year scale to the colour of roses, from Darwin to Rachel Carson; all as seen through the lens of cytochrome P450.     

Selenium nanoparticles from Lactobacillus paracasei HM1 capable of antagonizing animal pathogenic fungi as a new source from human breast milk

The current study was performed to develop a simple, safe, and cost-effective technique for the biosynthesis of selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) from lactic acid bacteria (LAB) isolated from human breast milk with antifungal activity against animal pathogenic fungi. The LAB was selected based on their speed of transforming sodium selenite (Na₂SeO₃) to SeNPs. Out of the four identified LAB isolates, only one strain produced dark red color within 32 h of incubation, indicating that this isolate was the fastest in transforming Na₂SeO₃ to SeNPs; and was chosen for the biosynthesis of LAB-SeNPs. The superior isolate was further identified as Lactobacillus paracasei HM1 (MW390875) based on matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) and phylogenetic tree analysis of 16S rRNA sequence alignments. The optimum experimental conditions for the biosynthesis of SeNPs by L. paracasei HM1 were found to be pH (6.0), temperature (35˚C), Na₂SeO₃ (4.0 mM), reaction time (32 h), and agitation speed (160 rpm). The ultraviolet absorbance of L. paracasei-SeNPs was detected at 300 nm, and the transmission electron microscopy (TEM) captured a diameter range between 3.0 and 50.0 nm. The energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and the Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) provided a clear image of the active groups associated with the stability of L. paracasei-SeNPs. The size of L. paracasei-SeNPs using dynamic light scattering technique was 56.91 ± 1.8 nm, and zeta potential value was −20.1 ± 0.6 mV in one peak. The data also revealed that L. paracasei-SeNPs effectively inhibited the growth of Candida and Fusarium species, and this was further confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The current study concluded that the SeNPs obtained from L. paracasei HM1 could be used to prepare biological antifungal formulations effective against major animal pathogenic fungi. The antifungal activity of the biologically synthesized SeNPs using L. paracasei HM1 outperforms the chemically produced SeNPs. In vivo studies showing the antagonistic effect of SeNPs on pathogenic fungi are underway to demonstrate the potential of a therapeutic agent to treat animals against major infectious fungal diseases.     

Human urine: Epicatechin metabolites and antioxidant activity after cocoa beverage intake

Associations between cocoa consumption in humans, excreted metabolites and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) have been scarcely investigated. The aims of the study were to investigate the epicatechin (( ? )-Ec) metabolites excreted in urine samples after an intake of 40 g of cocoa powder along with the TAC of these urine samples and the relation between both the analyses. Each of the 21 volunteers received two interventions, one with a polyphenol-rich food (PRF) and one with a polyphenol-free food (PFF) in a randomized cross-over study. Urine samples were taken before and during 24 h at 0–6, 6–12 and 12–24 h periods after test intake. The excreted ( ? )-Ec metabolites and the TAC were determined in urine samples by LC-MS/MS and TEAC assay, respectively. The maximum excretion of ( ? )-Ec metabolites and the maximum TAC value were observed in urine samples excreted between 6 and 12 h after PRF consumption. Significance of TAC increase was found in urine samples excreted during 0–6 and 6–12 h (66.6 and 72.67%, respectively, with respect to the 0 h).