Metabolism of Aromatic Amino Acids in Microorganisms

It was found that when Rhodotorula rubra IFO 0911 was grown in a phenylalanine medium, benzoic acid and p-hydroxybenzoic acid besides cinnamic acid were formed in the cultured both. The conversions of cinnamic acid into benzoic acid and of benzoic acid into p-hydroxybenzoic acid, and the degradation of p-hydroxybenzoic acid were demonstrated in intact cells of Rhodotorula rubra. These activities were observed in the cells grown on various media, including the medium containing no phenylalanine, and were found to be distributed widely in Rhodotorula. The cells of Rhodotorula rubra were also able to degrade p-coumaric acid, 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid (protocatechuic acid), p-hydroxyphenyl-acetic acid, 3-methoxy-4-hydroxycinnamic acid (ferulic acid) and 3-methoxy-4-hydroxybenzoic acid (vanillic acid). From these results, the metabolic pathways for phenylalanine and tyrosine in Rhodotorula were discussed.     

Studies on the Hypertrophic Disease of Cherry (Genus Prunus), So-called “Witch’s Broom” Caused by Taphrina wiesneri

Metabolites of Taphrina wiesneri (Rath.) Mix. were examined. Brassicasterol, stearic acid, and p-hydroxyphenylacetic acid were isolated in crystalline form. p-Hydroxybenzoic acid and vanillic acid were identified by paper chromatography and UV measurement. Palmitic acid was identified by gas-chromatography. The fungus produced usually these compounds on any one of four kinds of medium used. p-Hydroxyphenylacetic acid promoted germination of rape seeds at the concentration of 20 ppm in water and showed inhibition at 250 ppm.

Phenolic acids and their related compounds in Japanese flowering cherry leaves infected by Taphrina wiesneri were examined. In the acidic and neutral extracts of infected cherry leaves (I), eighteen compounds positive to diazotized sulfanilic acid and two fluorescent compounds were detected by paper chromatography. Of these compounds, coumarin, 3, 4-dihydrocoumarin, melilotic acid, o- and p-coumaric acids, p-hydroxybenzoic melilotic acid, ferulic acid and caffeic acid were identified. Melilotic acid and coumarin were obtained in crystalline form. The amount of melilotic acid in I was higher than that in healthy leaves independent of sample source, although increased with the growth of cherry leaves.     

Anti-Oxidative Compounds in Barley Tea

Five phenolic compounds, p-hydroxyacetophenone, 5,7-dihydroxychromone, naringenin, quercetin, and iso-americanol A, were found first time in the barley tea, together with the known compounds, p-hydroxybenzaldehyde, 3,4-dihydroxybenzaldehyde, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, vanillic acid, and p-coumaric acid. The anti-oxidative properties were evaluated by measuring their peroxynitrite-scavenging activities. Among these compounds, 3,4-dihydroxybenzaldehyde, p-coumaric acid, quercetin, and isoamericanol A showed stronger activities than that of BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene) at 400 μM.     

Cell Wall-Bound Phenolic Acid and Lignin Contents in Date Palm as Related to its Resistance to Fusarium Oxysporum

The root cell walls of the resistant cultivars of the date palm were more resistant to the action of the cell wall-degrading enzymes (CWDE) of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. albedinis than those of the susceptible cultivars. Date palm roots contain four cell wall-bound phenolics identified as p-hydroxybenzoic acid, p-coumaric acid, ferulic acid and sinapic acid. The contents of p-coumaric acid and ferulic acid in the resistant cultivars (IKL, SLY, BSTN) were about 2 times higher than those in the susceptible cultivars (BFG, JHL, BSK). The contents of p-hydroxybenzoic acid and sinapic acid in the resistant cultivars were 8.4 and 4.5 times, respectively, higher than those in the susceptible cultivars. The lignin contents in roots of the resistant cultivars were 1.8 times higher than those of the susceptible cultivars. The cell wall-bound phenols accumulated particularly in resistant cultivars reduced strongly the mycelial growth and the CWDE production in vitro.     

Co-production of caffeic acid and p-hydroxybenzoic acid from p-coumaric acid by Streptomyces caeruleus MTCC 6638

In a culture medium of Streptomyces caeruleus MTCC 6638 grown with p-coumaric acid (5 mM) as the sole source of carbon, co-production of caffeic acid and p-hydroxybenzoic acid was observed. Both caffeic acid and p-hydroxybenzoic acid are important phenolic compounds with pharmaceutical importance. These biotransformed products were identified by high-performance liquid chromatography and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. Obtained data suggest that p-coumaric acid was possibly utilized by two different routes, resulting in the formation of a hydroxycinnamate and a hydroxybenzoate compound. However, higher concentration of p-coumaric acid (10 mM) favoured caffeic acid formation. Addition of 5 mM p-coumaric acid into S. caeruleus cultures pre-grown on minimal medium with 1.0 g/l glucose resulted in the production of 65 mg/l caffeic acid. Furthermore, S. caeruleus cells were able to produce the maximum amount of caffeic acid when pre-grown on nutrient broth for 16 h. Under this condition, the addition of 5 mM p-coumaric acid was sufficient for the S. caeruleus culture to produce 150 mg/l caffeic acid, with a molar yield of 16.6% after 96 h of incubation.     

Enzyme inhibition by p-cresol and lacticacid in lipase-mediated synthesis of p-cresyl acetate and stearoyl lactic acid: a kinetic study

A detailed kinetic study was carried out to investigate the porcine pancreatic lipase-catalysed esterification reactions of p-cresol–acetic acid and lactic acid–stearic acid. The kinetic data were in agreement with a Ping Pong Bi–Bi mechanism being followed by the enzyme, where inhibition is indicated in the presence of p-cresol and lactic acid in the respective reactions. Mathematical analyses of experimentally observed initial rates yielded various kinetic parameters, K _m(p-cresol) = 0.1, K _{m(acetic acid)} = 0.54, K _{m(lactic acid)} = 0.059 M, K _{m(stearic acid)} = 0.04 M, V _{max(p-cresol–acetic acid)} = 13.2(h^–1), V _{max(lactic acid–stearic acid)} = 0.00163 M/h, K _i(p-cresol) = 0.59 and K _{i(lactic acid)} = 0.079 M. The K _m and K _i values of p-cresol and lactic acid observed in the respective reactions showed both the competitive nature of binding between the substrates p-cresol and acetic acid on the one hand and lactic acid and stearic acid on the other and the inhibitory nature of p-cresol and lactic acid.     

p-香豆酸对西洋参的化感作用及生理机制

西洋参(Panax quinquefolium L.)栽培中存在严重的连作障碍现象,前期发现p-香豆酸在以滤纸片为基质的条件下,能够显著抑制西洋参胚根的生长。为了明确p-香豆酸在土壤基质中对种胚的化感活性以及对成株西洋参生长的作用及生理机制,以自然土壤为基质,观察p-香豆酸作用后种胚的生长情况;采用室内水培试验,观察p-香豆酸作用下2年生西洋参种根从出苗至结果期的生长及部分生理指标的变化。种胚生长实验在土壤中分别添加0.0024、0.012、0.06、0.3、1.5、7.5 mg/g的p-香豆酸,处理7 d后测定西洋参种胚的胚根长和胚芽长。水培试验中全营养液中分别添加0.012 mg/mL、0.06 mg/mL、0.3 mg/mL p-香豆酸,处理后每隔5 d测定植株叶片展开情况、株高、冠幅等生长指标;于展叶期(10 d)、现蕾期(20 d)、结果期(30 d)测定地上部分及新生须根的生物量,同时测定新生须根苯丙氨酸解氨酶(PAL)活力;叶片完全展开后测定植株净光合速率(Pn)、表观电子传递速率(ETR)和最大光化学效率(Fv/Fm)等光合特性参数。结果表明,土壤中添加0.0024-7.5 mg/g p-香豆酸西洋参胚根长度降低28.52%-100%,胚芽长度降低1.09%-100%,并呈现一定的剂量抑制效应。实验浓度内的p-香豆酸可显著抑制西洋参植株地上部分生长,推迟展叶期;结果期地上部生物量比对照降低17.17%-54.55%(P < 0.05,Dunnett-t test);同时,叶片的Pn、ETR受到抑制(P < 0.05),但Fv/Fm不变;对须根的影响主要表现为0.06 mg/mL p-香豆酸处理组在展叶期PAL酶活力提高69.05%,之后PAL活力和生物量均比对照下降,浓度增加至0.3 mg/mL时整个培养期内PAL酶活力和生物量均低于对照。由此推论,根系环境中的p-香豆酸在自然土壤中对西洋参种胚具有显著抑制其生长的化感作用;对成株西洋参的作用主要为抑制地上部分生长,并通过降低成株西洋参叶片光合能力,从而表现出明显的化感作用,0.06 mg/mL p-香豆酸诱导须根PAL酶活力先升高再降低并最终降低生物量的结果也表明p-香豆酸是西洋参根系生长的胁迫因素。结果证实p-香豆酸对西洋参种胚和成株的生长均具有自毒作用,其抑制生长的生理机制在于抑制叶片的光合作用。     

Changes in Cell Wall-bound Phenolic Compounds and Lignin in Roots of Date Palm Cultivars Differing in Susceptibility to Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. albedinis

The roots of date palm contain four cell wall‐bound phenolic acids identified as p‐hydroxybenzoic, p‐coumaric, ferulic and sinapic acids. The ferulic acid represents the major phenolic compound since it constitutes 48.2–55.8% of cell wall‐bound phenolic acids. All these phenolic acids were present in the resistant cultivar (BSTN) and the susceptible cultivar (JHL). However, the pre‐infection contents of p‐coumaric, ferulic and sinapic acids were greater in the resistant cultivar than in the susceptible one. For the contents of p‐hydroxybenzoic acid, there was no significant difference between the resistant cultivar and the susceptible cultivar. Similarly, the pre‐infection contents of lignin were approximately equal for both cultivars. Inoculation of the date palm roots by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. albedinis induced important modifications to the contents of the cell wall‐bound phenolic compounds and lignin, which made it possible to distinguish between resistant and susceptible cultivars. The post‐infection contents of cell wall‐bound phenolic compounds underwent a rapid and intense increase with a maximum accumulation on the tenth day for p‐hydroxybenzoic acid (1.54 μmol/g), p‐coumaric acid (2.77 μmol/g) and ferulic acid (2.64 μmol/g) and on the fifteenth day for sinapic acid (1.85 μmol/g). The maximum contents accumulated in the resistant cultivar were greater than those in the susceptible cultivar, namely, 11 times for p‐hydroxybenzoic acid, 2.6 times for p‐coumaric acid, 1.8 times for ferulic acid and 12.3 times for sinapic acid. In the susceptible cultivar, p‐coumaric acid and ferulic acid contents also increased after inoculation although they did not reach the pre‐infection contents of the resistant cultivar. The contents of p‐hydroxybenzoic acid in the susceptible cultivar roots did not present post‐infection modification and those of sinapic acid decreased instead. The lignin contents increased in both cultivars with a maximum accumulation on the fifteenth day. However, the maximum contents accumulated in the resistant cultivar roots were 1.5 times greater than those of the susceptible cultivar. These results showed clear differences between the resistant BSTN and the susceptible JHL cultivars. The implication of cell wall‐bound phenolic compounds and lignin in the resistance of date palm to F. oxysporum f. sp. albedinis appears to be dependent on the speed and intensity of their accumulation with greater contents in the first stage of infection.     

The effect of p-aminosalicyclic acid on iron transport and assimilation in mycobacteria

p-Aminosalicylic acid inhibits growth of Mycobacterium bovis BCG and Mycobacterium smegmatis more effectively if cells are growing with a sufficiency of iron (> 1 μg Fe/ml) in the medium than if cells are deficient in iron (<0.1 μg Fe/ml). In iron-deficient cultures formation of mycobactin, an ionophore for iron transport, is strongly inhibited by p-aminosalicylic acid. Uptake of iron into cell suspensions is also inhibited and the activity of several iron-containing enzymes declines in cells exposed to p-aminosalicylic acid during their growth. p-Aminosalicylic acid is about 50 times more effective towards a mutant of M. smegmatis which required mycobactin under iron-deficient growth conditions than towards the wild-type parent. p-Aminosalicylate is taken up into cells by an active process independent of the salicylate uptake system, possibly by the route used for assimilation of p-aminobenzoate. (This could account for why p-aminobenzoic acid, but not salicylic acid, antagonizes the action of p-aminosalicylic acid.) With iron-deficient cells, salicylate assimilation is about 50 times greater than either p-aminosalicylate or p-aminobenzoate but with iron-sufficient cells and with the mycobactin mutant salicylate uptake is negligible whereas p-aminobenzoate and p-aminosalicylate uptakes are unaffected. p-Aminosalicylic acid at 3.3 mM (500 μg/ml) partially inhibits the uptake of both p-aminobenzoate and, if it is occuring, that of salicylate as well. As p-aminosalicylic acid is always more effective when the intracellular concentration of salicylic acid is low, it probably acts as an anti-metabolite of salicylic acid, not, however, by inhibiting the conversion of salicylic acid to mycobactic, but probably somewhere along the metabolic pathway of iron uptake.     

Immunocytochemical localization of phenolic compounds in pollen walls using antibodies againstp-coumaric acid coupled to bovine serum albumin

Summary Two different antibodies against bovine serum albumin (BSA)-p-coumaric acid-conjugates were produced and used to localize phenolic compounds in exines of pollen from different species,p-Coumaric acid (pC) was coupled to BSA either via the carboxy group (BSA-pC) or directly to the aromatic ring system (BSA-azopC). The polyclonal antibodies raised in rabbits were characterized by ELISA with homologous and heterologous antigens using turkey ovalbumin as carrier protein. The results showed that the two immune sera directed against BSA-pC and BSA-azo-pC, respectively, were specific forp-coumaric acid and structurally similar compounds. Only a very poor binding by acetic acid-ovalbumin-conjugates and no binding by turkey ovalbumin was detectable. The antibodies reacted with partially purified pollen walls and with highly purified exines. The intensity of the immune reaction was proved to be dependent upon the pollen source and the preparation of the pollen walls. Using light and electron microscopy, it was shown for the first time that, in the exines ofCucurbita maxima, antibody binding was predominantly observed in the region of the germ pore apertures, the outer foot layers, and in the micro- and macrospines. We conclude from this and other earlier published data that phenols are important structural compounds of sporopollenin.Abbrevations AA acetic acid - BA benzoic acid - BSA bovine serum albumin - BSA-azo-pC p-coumaric acid coupled in meta position to BSA by a diazo reaction - BSA-azo-pC I immune serum against BSA-azo-pC - BSA-pC p-coumaric acid coupled to BSA via the COOH-group - BSA-pC I immune serum against BSA-pC - FA ferulic acid - OVA ovalbunin from turkey - pC p-coumaric acid - pHY p-hydroxybenzoic acid - SA sinapic acid - SYA syringic acid - TAT TBS-azide-Tween-buffer - TFA trifluoroacetic acid - VA vanillic acid     

Characterization of <Emphasis Type="Italic">p</Emphasis>-hydroxybenzaldehyde dehydrogenase,the final enzyme of <Emphasis Type="Italic">p</Emphasis>-hydroxybenzoic acid biosynthesis in hairy roots of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Daucus carota</Emphasis>

Hairy root cultures of Daucus carota respond to methyl-jasmonate treatment with enhanced accumulation of p-hydroxybenzoic acid. The final C₁-side chain of this compound is shaped by p-hydroxybenzaldehyde dehydrogenase (HBD) that catalyzes the formation of p-hydroxybenzoic acid from p-hydroxybenzaldehyde in the presence of NAD⁺. HBD was biochemically characterized from cell-free hairy root extracts of D. carota. The preferred substrate for HBD was p-hydroxybenzaldehyde. The apparent K _m values were 54.8 and 74.4 μM for p-hydroxybenzaldehyde and NAD⁺, respectively. Divalent metal cations did not significantly affect enzyme activity.     

Studies on the Utilization of Hydrocarbons by Microorganisms

During the course of an investigation of the microbial assimilation of aromatic hydrocarbons, several strains were found to produce a large amount of cumic acid from p-cymene.

Five strains, S449B1, B2, B3, B4 and B6, were isolated from soil with the aromatic hydrocarbon substrates. They all assimilated both p-cymene and cumene. The strain S449B3 grew also on p-xylene, and S449B6 on p-xylene, toluene, and ethylbenzene.

They were all shown to be capable of producing an ultraviolet-absorbing substance from p-cymene. This substance was isolated in crystalline form and identified as cumic acid by infrared absorption spectrum and other observations.

The superior strain, S449B6, produced the acid as much as 1000 mg/1 in shaking culture at 30°C after 24 hours. The yields were increased up to approximately 1700 mg/1 after further investigations. Addition of calcium carbonate and considerable agitation were favorable conditions for the acid production.

The taxonomical studies of these strains were carried out, and they were all identified as closely resembling Pseudomonas desmolytica.     

Growth Substances Isolated from Tubers of Cyperus esculentus var. aureus

A methanolic extract of tubers of Cyperus esculentus Ten. var. aureus Richt. contains compounds which inhibit growth of oat coleoptile sections and germination of Beta vulgaris L., Lotus corniculatus L., Lolium perenne L., Pisum sativum L., Trifolium repens L., Lactuca sativa L. and Lycopersicum esculentum Ludwig. p-Hydroxybenzoic acid, vanillic acid, syringic acid, ferulic acid and p-coumaric acid were identified. Four other active compounds which could not be identified were also isolated.     

Mycelial forms of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pseudallescheria boydii</Emphasis> present ectophosphatase activities

Phosphatase activities were characterized in intact mycelial forms of Pseudallescheria boydii, which are able to hydrolyze the artificial substrate p-nitrophenylphosphate (p-NPP) to p-nitrophenol (p-NP) at a rate of 41.41 ± 2.33 nmol p-NP per h per mg dry weight, linearly with increasing time and with increasing cell density. MgCl₂, MnCl₂ and ZnCl₂ were able to increase the (p-NPP) hydrolysis while CdCl₂ and CuCl₂ inhibited it. The (p-NPP) hydrolysis was enhanced by increasing pH values (2.5-8.5) over an approximately 5-fold range. High sensitivity to specific inhibitors of alkaline and acid phosphatases suggests the presence of both acid and alkaline phosphatase activities on P. boydii mycelia surface. Cytochemical localization of the acid and alkaline phosphatase showed electron-dense cerium phosphate deposits on the cell wall, as visualized by electron microscopy. The product of p-NPP hydrolysis, inorganic phosphate (Pi), and different inhibitors for phosphatase activities inhibited p-NPP hydrolysis in a dose-dependent manner, but only the inhibition promoted by sodium orthovanadate and ammonium molybdate is irreversible. Intact mycelial forms of P. boydii are also able to hydrolyze phosphoaminoacids with different specificity.     

Regulation of phenylpropanoid metabolism by exogenous precursors in axenic cultures of Sphagnum fallax

Sphagnum plantlets, cultivated in continuous-feed bioreactors, are characterised by high levels of free endogenous phenolics and a pronounced excretion of some phenolics into the effluent culture medium. The transfer of Sphagnum fallax, precultivated in continuous-feed bioreactors, to batch cultures resulted in an increased flux through phenylpropanoid metabolism and an accumulation of p-coumaric acid to 0.1 μM and of trans-sphagnum acid up to 0.5 μM in the external medium [³H]-labelled L-phenylalanine (7.7 GBq mol^?1) was rapidly taken up, resulting in an enhanced synthesis and excretion of p-coumaric and trans-sphagnum acid. Specific activities were 6.9 and 5.4 GBq mol^?1, respectively, for these cinnamic acids excreted into the external medium. Endogenous pools of trans-cinnamic and p-coumaric acid did not increase and no labelling could be detected in these compounds. Cell wall-bound activity amounted to ca 14% of the applied activity after 48 h of incubation, 59% of which was recovered in dioxane/2 M HCl extracts of the cell wall. Exogenously applied trans-cinnamic acid (0.1 mM) was taken up to 46% and resulted in a transient endogenous accumulation of trans-cinnamic acid, the level of free endogenous p-coumaric and trans-sphagnum acid was found to have decreased. The concentrations of p-coumaric and trans-sphagnum acid in the culture medium rose to 17 and 2.4 μM, respectively, after 48 h of incubation in 0.1 mMtrans-cinnamic acid. Exogenously applied p-coumaric acid (0.1 mM) was taken up to 79% from the incubation solution but not stored endogenously, as metabolic products trans-sphagnum acid and an unknown p-coumaric acid-conjugate accumulated in the external medium and endogenously. These results give evidence for the biosynthetical route from phenylalanine to sphagnum acid and a channelling of pathway intermediates by the enzymes L-phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (EC 4.3.1.5) and cinnamic acid 4-hydroxylase (EC 1.14.13.11).     

Isolation, identification and quantitation of hydroxycinnamic acid conjugates, potential platform chemicals, in the leaves and stems of Miscanthus × giganteus using LC-ESI-MSn

Miscanthus × giganteus is a source of platform chemicals and bioethanol through fermentation. Cinnamates in leaves and stems were analysed by LC–ESI-MSⁿ. Free phenols were extracted and separated chromatographically. More than 20 hydroxycinnamates were identified by UV and LC–ESI-MSⁿ. Comparative LC–MS studies on the leaf extract showed isomers of O-caffeoylquinic acid (3-CQA, 4-CQA and 5-CQA), O-feruloylquinic acid (3-FQA, 4-FQA and 5-FQA) and para-coumaroylquinic acid (3-pCoQA and 5-pCoQA). Excepting 3-pCoQA, all were also detected in stem. 5-CQA dominated in leaf; a mandelonitrile–caffeoylquinic acid dominated in stem. Three minor leaf components were distinguished by fragmentation patterns in a targetted MS² experiment as dicaffeoylquinic acid isomers. Others (M_r 516) were tentatively identified as hexosylcaffeoyl-quinates. Three positional isomers of O-caffeoylshikimic acid were minor components. p-Hydroxybenzaldehyde was also a major component in stem. This is the first report of the hydroxycinnamic acid profile of leaves and stems of M. × giganteus.     

p-Coumaric acid — a monomer in the sporopollenin skeleton

Sporopollenin obtained from wings of Pinus mugo (Turra) pollen was analysed by pyrolysis mass spectrometry. In the spectrum, mass peaks which are characteristic for p-coumaric acid were dominant. p-Coumaric acid was the main degradation compound when the wing material was treated by a gentle method using AII₃, and also when the remaining residue of the treated sporopollenin material was saponified. It is therefore assumed that p-coumaric acid is a genuine structural unit in the sporopollenin skeleton. In addition, the effects of AII₃ treatment indicate that the p-coumaric acid might be bound by ether linkages.Abbreviations HPLC high-performance liquid chromatography - MS mass spectrometry - TLC thin-layer chromatography     

The effects of γ-rays on poly-L-glutamic acid in aqueous solution

Summary Salt-free and 0.2 M NaCl oxygenated aqueous solutions of poly-L-glutamic acid were irradiated with⁶⁰Co--radiation at variouspH's to examine whether or not the changes caused by the exposure to ionizing radiation depend onpH, that is, the conformations of polypeptide.TheG-values (the number of main-chain scissions per 100 eV of energy absorbed) in both salt-free and 0.2 M NaCl solutions of poly-L-glutamic acid were found to change sharply withpH. and to have a maximum value at thepH of a mid-point of helix-coil transition. The change ofG-values withpH was discussed in terms of the conformational change of poly-L-glutamic acid.     

Biosynthesis of p-hydroxybenzoic acid in elicitor-treated carrot cell cultures

Carrot (Daucus carota L.) cells respond to treatment with fungal elicitors by synthesizing wallbound p-hydroxybenzoic acid (p-HBA). The biosynthetic pathway to p-HBA is still hypothetical. Tracer experiments with l-phenylalanine indicate the involvement of the general phenylpropanoid pathway. 3,4 (Methylenedioxy) innamic acid, an inhibitor of hydrocycinnamate CoA ligase, inhibits the accumulation of anthocyanins in carrot, while it does not interfere with p-HBA synthesis. Thus p-HBA biosynthesis does not appear to involve CoA thioesters. In the present report the sequence of enzymic reactions leading to p-HBA was investigated in vitro using protein preparations from cells treated with a fungal elicitor from Pythium aphanidermatum (Edson) Fitzp. The side-chain degradation from p-coumaric acid to p-HBA is not analogous to the -oxidation of fatty acids and involves p-hydroxybenzaldehyde as an intermediate. The final step from p-hydroxybenzaldehyde to p-HBA is catalyzed by an NAD-dependent p-hydroxybenzaldehyde dehydrogenase (EC 1.2.1.-). This reaction was characterized with regard to cofactor requirements, pH and temperature optima. The in-vitro formation of p-HBA from p-coumaric acid and the activity of the hydroxybenzaldehyde dehydrogenase are moderately elicitor-induced but to a much lesser extent than phenylalanine ammonialyase, which is the starting enzyme of the general phenylpropanoid pathway.Abbreviations HPLC high-performance liquid chromatography - MDCA 3,4-(methylenedioxy)-cinnamic acid - p-HBA p-hydroxybenzoic acid This work was supported by a grant from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft and a sholarship of the Land Baden-Württemberg (J.-P. S.).     

Molecular interactions between p-coumaric acid and snake venom toxins

A large number of natural compounds, such as phenolic compounds, have been scientifically evaluated in the search for enzyme inhibitors. The interactions between the phenolic compound p-coumaric acid and the enzymes present in snake venoms (used as research tools) were evaluated in vitro and in silico. The p-coumaric acid was able to inhibit 31% of the phospholipase activity induced by Bothrops alternatus venom, 27% of the hemolytic activity induced by B. moojeni, 62.5% of the thrombolytic activity induced by B. jararacussu, and approximately 27% of the activity thrombosis induced by Crotalus durissus terrificus. Previous incubation of p-coumaric acid with the venoms of B. atrox and B. jararacussu increased the coagulation time by 2.18 and 2.16-fold, respectively. The activity of serine proteases in B. atrox and B. jararacussu venoms was reduced by 60% and 66.34%, respectively. Computational chemistry analyses suggests the specific binding of p-coumaric acid to the active site of proteases through hydrogen and hydrophobic interactions. The phenolic compound evaluated in this work has great potential in therapeutic use to both prevent and treat hemostatic alterations, because the venom proteins inhibited by the p-coumaric acid have high homology with human proteins that have a fundamental role in several pathologies.