Foliar application of l-phenylalanine and ferulic acids to pea plants: induced phenylalanine ammonia lyase activity and resistance against Erysiphe pisi

Phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) activity was measured using HPLC in pea leaves following exogenous application of l-phenylalanine and ferulic acid. Treatment with different concentrations (50, 100 and 150 ppm) of l-phenylalanine caused increased activity of PAL in comparison to the control. In pea leaves treated with 50 ppm l-phenylalanine, maximum PAL activity was observed after 72 h of treatment. Application of ferulic acid first reduced PAL activity at lower concentration (50 ppm) but increased at higher concentrations of the compound (100 and 150 ppm) in pea leaves as compared to the control. Maximum PAL activity was 0.19 nM cinnamic acid/min/g fresh wt. after 24 h at 50 ppm and then increased with time. Treatment with both the compounds significantly reduced conidial germination of Erysiphe pisi on pea leaves. They were equally effective at 100 and 150 ppm in reducing conidial germination. The conidial germination on l-phenylalanine-treated leaves was 26% after 24 h and that on ferulic acid-treated leaves was 34% as compared to the control (46%). Foliar application of different concentrations of l-phenylalanine increased the level of ferulic acid in the leaves of pea plants. Maximum accumulation of ferulic acid (79.3 and 83.5 μg/g fresh wt.) was observed following the application of l-phenylalanine after 24 h and 48 h, respectively. At 50 ppm, ferulic acid accumulation in pea leaves was 35.6 and 39.4 μg/g fresh wt. and 74.3 and 86.5 μg/g fresh wt. at 100 ppm.     

A novel abscisic acid metabolite from seeds of Robinia pseudacacia

Abscisic acid and its novel metabolise, which was a conjugated form of hydroxyabscisic acid (Metabolite C), were isolated from seeds of Robinia pseudacacia L. The structure of the conjugate was shown to be (+)-3-methyl-5 - [1(S),6(R) - 2,6 - dimethyl - 1 - hydroxy - 6 - (3 - hydroxy - 3 - methyl - 4 - carboxybutanoyloxymethyl) - 4 - oxo-cyclohex-2-enyl]-2-Z-4-E-pentadienoic acid and tentatively named β-hydroxy-β-methylglutarylhydroxyabscisic acid.     

Mycobacterium tuberculosis beta-ketoacyl-ACP reductase: alpha-secondary kinetic isotope effects and kinetic and equilibrium mechanisms of substrate binding

β-Ketoacyl-ACP reductase catalyzes the NADPH-dependent reduction of β-ketoacyl-acyl carrier protein to generate β-hydroxyacyl-acyl carrier protein and NADP⁺, the second step of the fatty acid elongation system type II of bacteria, plants, and apicomplexan organisms. Here, a modified and more efficient purification protocol is reported for recombinant Mycobacterium tuberculosis β-ketoacyl-ACP reductase (MabA). The increase in α-secondary deuterium kinetic isotope effect values measured at pH 10 as compared to those obtained at pH 7 points to isotope- and pH-sensitive steps occurring concomitantly. Equilibrium and kinetic fluorescence studies demonstrate positive cooperativity in binding of NADPH to MabA, with two forms of free enzyme in solution. Equilibrium dialysis shows no cooperativity in acetoacetyl-CoA binding to the enzyme. Moreover, modest affinity loss occurs when the substrates bind to the monomer as compared to the dimer of MabA. A mechanism of substrate binding to MabA is proposed on the basis of the experimental data.     

The structure and stereochemistry of lantanilic acid,the β,β-dimethylacryloyl ester of lantaninilic acid,isolated from Lantana camara

The structure of lantanilic acid, a new triterpene isolated from the leaves of Lantana camara, has been determined as the β,β-dimethylacryloyl ester of lantaninilic acid.     

Three new oxygenated triterpenoids of the lupane series from Gymnosporia wallichiana

Two new epimeric triterpenoid acids, gymnosporic acid, 3β-hydroxy-(20R)-lupan-29-oic acid, wallichianic acid, 3β-hydroxy-(20S)-lupan-29-oic acid and a new diol wallichianol, (20S)-lupane-3β,29-diol have been isolated from Gymnosporia wallichiana, in addition to β-amyrin, friedelin, 3β-hydroxy-29-norlupan-20-one and dulcitol.     

Dual role of imidazole as activator/inhibitor of sweet almond (Prunus dulcis) β-glucosidase

The activity of Prunus dulcis (sweet almond) β-glucosidase at the expense of p-nitrophenyl-β-d-glucopyranoside at pH 6 was determined, both under steady-state and pre-steady-state conditions. Using crude enzyme preparations, competitive inhibition by 1–5 mM imidazole was observed under both kinetic conditions tested. However, when imidazole was added to reaction mixtures at 0.125–0.250 mM, we detected a significant enzyme activation. To further inspect this effect exerted by imidazole, β-glucosidase was purified to homogeneity. Two enzyme isoforms were isolated, i.e. a full-length monomer, and a dimer containing a full-length and a truncated subunit. Dimeric β-glucosidase was found to perform much better than the monomeric enzyme, independently of the kinetic conditions used to assay enzyme activity. In addition, the sensitivity towards imidazole was found to differ between the two isoforms. While monomeric enzyme was indeed found to be relatively insensitive to imidazole, dimeric β-glucosidase was observed to be significantly activated by 0.125–0.250 mM imidazole under pre-steady-state conditions. Further, steady-state assays revealed that the addition of 0.125 mM imidazole to reaction mixtures increases the K_m of dimeric enzyme from 2.3 to 6.7 mM. The activation of β-glucosidase dimer by imidazole is proposed to be exerted via a conformational transition poising the enzyme towards proficient catalysis.     

Ferulic acid in the treatment of post‐diabetes testicular damage: relevance to the down regulation of apoptosis correlates with antioxidant status via modulation of TGF‐β1, IL‐1β and Akt signalling

The aim of this study was to investigate the protective effect of ferulic acid at different doses (50 mg kg^?1 alternative day and 50 mg kg^?1 daily) on the streptozotocin (STZ)‐induced post‐diabetes rat testicular damage. Diabetes was induced by a single intraperitoneal injection of STZ (50 mg/kg). Rats treated with ferulic acid were given once a day orally for 10 weeks, starting 3 days after STZ injection. Testis tissue and blood samples were collected for investigating biochemical analysis, antioxidant status, sperm parameters, and histopathological, immunohistochemical and apoptotic studies. Treatment with ferulic acid to diabetic rats significantly improved the body weight, testis weight, serum insulin level, serum testosterone level and sperm parameters (viability, motility and count). Histopathological study also revealed that ferulic acid‐treated diabetic rats showed an improved histological appearance. Our data indicated that significant reduction in the activity of apoptosis by using terminal deoxyuridine triphosphate nick end‐labelling and reduced expression of transforming growth factor‐β1 and interleukin‐1β in the testis tissue of ferulic acid‐treated diabetic rats. Conversely, it was also revealed that ferulic acid‐treated diabetic rats markedly enhanced the serine/threonine protein kinase protein expression in the testis tissue. Our result suggests that ferulic acid inhibits testicular damage in diabetic rats by declining oxidative stress. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Inhibition of the β-class carbonic anhydrases from Mycobacterium tuberculosis with carboxylic acids

The growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis is strongly inhibited by weak acids although the mechanism by which these compounds act is not completely understood. A series of substituted benzoic acids, nipecotic acid, ortho- and para-coumaric acid, caffeic acid and ferulic acid were investigated as inhibitors of three β-class carbonic anhydrases (CAs, EC 4.2.1.1) from this pathogen, mtCA 1 (Rv1284), mtCA 2 (Rv3588c) and mtCA 3 (Rv3273). All three enzymes were inhibited with efficacies between the submicromolar to the micromolar one, depending on the scaffold present in the carboxylic acid. mtCA 3 was the isoform mostly inhibited by these compounds (K_Is in the range of 0.11–0.97 µM); followed by mtCA 2 (K_Is in the range of 0.59–8.10 µM), whereas against mtCA 1, these carboxylic acids showed inhibition constants in the range of 2.25–7.13 µM. This class of relatively underexplored β-CA inhibitors warrant further in vivo studies, as they may have the potential for developing antimycobacterial agents with a diverse mechanism of action compared to the clinically used drugs for which many strains exhibit multi-drug or extensive multi-drug resistance.     

Antiplasmodial and other constituents from four Indonesian Garcinia spp.

Phytochemical investigations of four Garcinia spp. from Indonesia, i.e. Garcinia griffithii T. Anderson, Garcinia celebica L., Garcinia cornea L. and Garcinia cymosa K. Schum (Clusiaceae), have resulted in the isolation of a xanthone, 1,5-dihydroxy-3,6-dimethoxy-2,7-diprenylxanthone, 1,7-dihydroxyxanthone, isoxanthochymol, β-sitosterol-3-O-β-d-glucoside and stigmasterol-3-O-β-d-glucoside from the stem bark of G. griffithii; friedelin and 3β-hydroxy-23-oxo-9,16-lanostadien-26-oic acid or garcihombronane D from leaves of G. celebica; 23-hydroxy-3-oxo-cycloart-24-en-26-oic acid and epicatechin from stem bark of G. cornea; (±)-morelloflavone, morelloflavone-7-O-β-d-glucoside or fukugiside, the triterpene 3β-hydroxy-5-glutinen-28-oic acid and canophyllol from stem bark of G. cymosa. The xanthone and garcihombronane D displayed a selective activity against Plasmodium falciparum; isoxanthochymol and the triterpene β-hydroxy-5-glutinen-28-oic acid a broad but non-selective antiprotozoal activity.     

Triterpenoids from Hyptis suaveolens roots

A new natural triterpenoid, 3β-hydroxylup-12-en-28-oic acid, has been isolated from the roots of Hyptis suaveolens in addition to α- and β-amyrin.     

In vitro and in vivo antithrombotic and cytotoxicity effects of ferulic acid

We discovered recently in vitro and in vivo antithrombotic and cytotoxicity effects of ferulic acid. The cytotoxicity assays showed that ferulic acid (～300 μg/mL) did not cause any significant toxicity on three cell lines, platelets, leukocytes, and erythrocytes. In vitro assays showed inhibitory effects of ferulic acid on thrombin (THR)‐ or collagen/epinephrine‐stimulated platelet activation by inhibiting platelet aggregation, and decreasing clot retraction activity. The in vitro effect of ferulic acid on THR‐stimulated platelet activation was proved by the decrease in the secretion of serotonin from the platelets. The anticoagulant effects of ferulic acid were confirmed by the prolongation of the intrinsic or/and extrinsic pathways and the delay of recalcification time in plasma coagulation. Ferulic acid had antithrombotic effect in acute thromboembolism model in vivo, and decreased the expression of α_IIbβ₃/FIB and phosphorylation of AKT in THR‐stimulated platelet activation in vivo, and their antithrombotic efficacies hold promise for therapeutic targeting in our ongoing studies.     

阿魏酸、对羟基苯甲酸及其混合液对土壤氮及相关微生物的影响

通过室内培养法,研究了不同浓度的阿魏酸、对羟基苯甲酸及其混合液对土壤氮素、与氮素转化相关的微生物和酶的影响。结果表明,10^-4mol/L阿魏酸和对羟基苯甲酸使土壤铵态氮降低了11.18%和10.87%,硝态氮降低了6.33%和3.95%;10^-3mol/L阿魏酸、对羟基苯甲酸及其混合液分别使可溶性有机氮降低了6.59%、10.16%和10.39%。阿魏酸、对羟基苯甲酸及其混合液抑制了氨化细菌、硝化细菌和反硝化细菌的生长,削弱了土壤脲酶与蛋白酶的活性。与对照相比,10^-4mol/L混合液降低了26.04%的氨化细菌、30.79%的硝化细菌和16.74%的反硝化细菌。10^-3mol/L阿魏酸减少了3.33%的土壤脲酶和20.87%的蛋白酶活性;10^-3mol/L对羟基苯甲酸降低了土壤脲酶6.63%,蛋白酶22.94%;10^-3mol/L混合液减少了土壤脲酶7.47%和蛋白酶23.79%。混合液对土壤氮素转化的抑制作用最强,表明阿魏酸和对羟基苯甲酸存在协同作用。阿魏酸和对羟基苯甲酸等酚酸类化合物通过抑制土壤氮素转化微生物及其酶活性,从而影响土壤氮素转化。     

酚酸类物质对三七幼苗的化感影响

该文研究了不同浓度的阿魏酸、对香豆酸、丁香酸、对羟基苯甲酸、香草酸5种酚酸类物质对三七幼苗生长和生理的影响。结果表明:处理后,三七幼苗的苗高、根长、可溶性蛋白质含量、根系活力、CAT以及POD活性均有所降低。其中,阿魏酸各处理组幼苗的苗高及POD活性均显著降低,50、100 mg·L~(-1)的对香豆酸以及100 mg·L~(-1)的香草酸处理组幼苗苗高也分别比对照显著降低16.19%、16.67%和29.29%;对香豆酸、丁香酸以及对羟基苯甲酸各处理组幼苗根长均显著低于对照;香草酸处理组幼苗的根系活力也显著低于对照,且幼苗的CAT活性在10、50、100 mg·L~(-1)丁香酸、对羟基苯甲酸以及香草酸处理下也达到了显著降低水平。此外,1 mg·L~(-1)阿魏酸以及100 mg·L~(-1)香草酸处理组幼苗的叶绿素含量也均显著降低;中高浓度的阿魏酸、对香豆酸、丁香酸、对羟基苯甲酸增加了三七幼苗的MDA含量,而香草酸在0.1、1、10、100 mg·L~(-1)浓度下显著降低幼苗的MDA含量;丁香酸、香草酸、对羟基苯甲酸以及中高浓度的对香豆酸增加了三七幼苗的SOD活性,且香草酸各处理组均达到了显著性水平。综上结果表明,5种酚酸类物质对三七幼苗均具有一定的化感抑制作用,但各酚酸物质的作用方式及强度并不完全一致,阿魏酸的化感影响较大,这为进一步研究三七的化感自毒作用提供了一定的理论参考。     

Exogenous application of L-phenylalanine and ferulic acid enhance phenylalanine ammonia lyase activity and accumulation of phenolic acids in pea (Pisum sativum) to offer protection against Erysiphe pisi

Phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) activity was measured using HPLC in pea leaves following exogenous application of L-phenylalanine and ferulic acid. Treatment with different concentrations (50, 100, 150 ppm) of L-phenylalanine caused increased activity of PAL activity in comparison to control. In pea leaves treated with 50 ppm L-phenylalanine, maximum PAL activity was observed after 72 h of treatment. Application of ferulic acid first reduced PAL activity at lower concentration (50 ppm) but it further increased at higher concentrations of the compound (100 and 150 ppm) in pea leaves compared to control. Minimum PAL activity was 0.19 nM cinnamic acid/min/g fresh wt after 24 h at 50 ppm and then increased with time. Treatment with both compounds significantly increased the accumulation of phenolic acids and salicylic acid and reduced conidial germination of Erysiphe pisi on pea leaves. They were equally effective at 100 and 150 ppm in reducing conidial germination. Conidial germination on L-phenylalanine-treated leaves was 26% after 24 h and that on ferulic acid treated leaves 34% compared to control (46%). Foliar application of different concentrations of L-phenylalanine increased the level of ferulic acid in the leaves of pea plants. Maximum enzyme activity in terms of the accumulation of cinnamic acid (79.3 and 83.5 μg/g fresh wt) was observed following the application of L-phenylalanine after 24 and 48 h respectively. At 50 ppm, cinnamic acid accumulation in pea leaves was 35.6 and 39.4 μg/g fresh wt and 74.3 and 86.5 μg/g fresh wt at 100 ppm.     

Improving the acidic stability of a β-mannanase from Bacillus subtilis by site-directed mutagenesis

β-Mannanase can randomly hydrolyze the (1→4)-β-d-mannosidic linkages in mannans, galactomannans and glucomannans, yielding manno-oligosaccharides. In this study, the β-mannanase (MAN) from Bacillus subtilis B10-02 was overexpressed successfully in B. subtilis 168 as a hexa-histidine tagged, secreted protein. The recombinant enzyme BsMAN6H was not stable under acidic conditions, which restricts its use in food and feed industry. We aimed to improve the acid stability of BsMAN6H by changing several surface-exposed amino acid residues to acidic or neutral ones. Among the mutations, the His54Asp resulted in a shift in the optimal pH from 6.5 to 5.5. Accordingly, the acid stability was improved by a factor of a negative potential on the structure surface around the mutated site. Furthermore, the H54D variant showed the enzyme activity up to 3207.82 U/mL in bioreactors using the cheap Kojac powder as substrate. As a result, a bacterial β-mannanase was produced efficiently with increased acid stability, improving its applicability in the animal feed industry.     

Structure of a secoisolariciresinol diester from Salvia plebeia seed

The structure of a unique lignan diester from Salvia plebeia seed has been determined. Hydrolysis of the diester yields ferulic acid, (+)-l2 l-methyltetradecanoic acid and secoisolariciresinol.     

Chirality of the acyl group of β-hydroxy-β-methylglutarylhydroxyabscisic acid

The β-carbon of the acyl group of β-hydroxy-β-methylglutarylhydroxyabscisic acid was shown to possess R-configuration by HPLC analysis of the reduced product.     

Triterpenoids from enkianthus campanulatus

From the leaves of Enkianthus campanulatus were isolated three new triterpenes, 3-oxo-19,23,24-trihydroxyurs-12-en-28-oic acid, 3β,6β, 19,23-tetrahydroxyurs-12-en-28-oic acid and 3β,6β,23-trihydroxyurs-12-en-28-oic acid.     

A complete enzymatic recovery of ferulic acid from corn residues with extracellular enzymes from Neosartorya spinosa NRRL185

An economic ferulic acid recovery from biomass via biological methods is of interest for a number of reasons. Ferulic acid is a precursor to vanillin synthesis. It is also a known antioxidant with potential food and medical applications. Despite its universal presence in all plant cell wall material, the complex structure of the plant cell wall makes ferulic acid recovery from biomass a challenging bioprocess. Previously, without pretreatment, very low (3-13%) recovery of ferulic acid from corn residues was achieved. We report here the discovery of a filamentous fungus Neosartorya spinosa NRRL185 capable of producing a full complement of enzymes to release ferulic acid and the development of an enzymatic process for a complete recovery of ferulic acid from corn bran and corn fibers. A partial characterization of the extracellular proteome of the microbe revealed the presence of at least seven cellulases and hemicellulases activities, including multiple iso-forms of xylanase and ferulic acid esterase. The recovered ferulic acid was bio-converted to vanillin, demonstrating its potential application in natural vanillin synthesis. The enzymatic ferulic acid recovery accompanied a significant release of reducing sugars (76-100%), suggesting much broader applications of the enzymes and enzyme mixtures from this organism.     

Preparation of baicalein from baicalin using a baicalin-β-D-glucuronidase from Aspergillus niger b.48 strain

Baicalin-β-d-glucuronidase was produced from a culture of Aspergillus niger b.48 strain using Scutellaria root extract as an enzyme inducer, purified and characterized. The enzyme’s molecular weight was approximately 45 kDa; its optimal operating temperature and pH were 50 °C and 5.0, respectively. The enzyme specifically hydrolysed 7-O-β-d-glucuronide of baicalin into baicalein, weakly hydrolysed β-d-glucuronide of p-nitrophenyl-β-d-glucuronide and p-phenolphthalein-β-d-glucuronide, but did not hydrolyse β-d-glucuronide of glycyrrhizin. The Michaelis constant (Km) was 21.74 mM; Vmax was 11.63 mM/h. Common metallic ions almost did not effect enzyme activity; greater than 10 mM/L Cu²⁺ and greater 50 mM/L Fe³⁺ ion strongly inhibited enzyme activity. The use of pure enzyme in baicalin conversion to baicalein was costly, the crude baicalin-β-d-glucuronidase from A. niger b.48 strain was used in the preparation of baicalein from baicalin to keep costs low. The optimum conditions for baicalein production from crude enzyme reaction were 1% baicalin reacting for 20 h–24 h at pH 5.0 and 50 °C. Here, 10.7 g baicalein was obtained from 20 g baicalin using the crude enzyme, and the molar yield was 88.4 %. Therefore, active baicalein was successfully produced at low cost from baicalin using a non-transgenic crude enzyme from A. niger b.48.