Foliar application of ascorbic and citric acids enhanced ‘Red Spur’ apple fruit quality,bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity

This study aimed to assess the effect of the foliar application of ascorbic acid (AA) and citric acid (CA) on total antioxidant activity (TAA), total phenolics, total flavonoids, total anthocyanin content, antioxidant enzymes, phenylalanine ammonialyase (PAL), and polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activities in apple ‘Red Spur’. The experiment was conducted on 12-years-old trees ‘Red Spur’ grafted on MM₁₀₆ rootstock. The trees were sprayed with AA (0, 200 and 400 mg L^?1) and/or CA (0, 200 and 400 mg L^?1) at three different times during summer. Foliar application with AA and CA significantly (p < 0.01) enhanced all measured quality attributes and decreased the activity of PPO. Fruit from trees treated with AA at 400 mg L^?1 and CA at 200 mg L^?1 showed the highest TAA and catalase (CAT) enzyme activity. Total phenolics increased in fruits when trees were sprayed with AA and CA. Contrasting, AA treatment, CA had no significant effect on guaiacol peroxidase (G-POD). A significant decrease in PPO activity was detected in fruits when treated with both AA and CA. Both treatments significantly decreased the activity of PAL at 400 mg L^?1. Considering the results, foliar application of AA and CA, either alone or in combination improved the quality and nutraceutical properties of ‘Red Spur’ apple.     

Kinetics Study of Protein Hydrolysis and Inhibition of Angiotensin Converting Enzyme by Peptides Hydrolysate Extracted from Walnut

Bioactive peptides are defined as protein-based components having nutritional value and have proved roles important for the human health. In this study inhibition of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) by protein-based hydrolysate extracted from walnut (Juglanse regia. L.) seeds was evaluated. The peptide fraction obtained by enzymatic hydrolysis with trypsin showed higher ACE-inhibitory and lower IC₅₀ value (0.39?±?0.05 mg/mL) than obtained by hydrolysis with chymotrypsin and proteinase K. The study of kinetics showed that by increasing the concentration of the trypsin hydrolysate from 0.01–0.5 mg/mL, K_m increased, while V_max decreased. Also the value of K_i was found to be 0.17?±?0.01 mg/mL, which means that binding affinity for the substrate decreased in the presence of inhibitor. The structural studies of ACE demonstrated that, in comparison with a commercial antihypertension drug (enalapril), the trypsin hydrolysate had no effect on secondary structure and less tertiary structure changes of protein was observed.     

Evidence of absorption rate dependency of ibuprofen inversion in the rat

Ibuprofen (IB) is a chiral 2-arylpropionic acid derivative used as a nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug (NSAID). It undergoes substantial R to S chiral inversion in humans and rats. In addition to systemic inversion, presystemic chiral inversion has been suggested for IB in humans but only after administration of formulations with slow absorption rates. In search for a suitable animal model, the absorption rate dependency of the extent of inversion was examined in male Sprague–Dawley rats given 20 mg/kg of racemic IB in aqueous solution (T_max, 0.6 h), suspension (T_max, 1 h) or as sustained release granules (T_max, 2.3 h). In addition, (R)-IB (5 mg/liter) was incubated in the presence of everted rat gut segments in an organ bath at 37°. After sustained release granules, the S:R AUC ratios (7.3 ± 1.5) were significantly higher than suspension (3.6 ± 1.1) and solution (3.5 ± 0.2). Accordingly, AUC_S and AUC_R, as percent of the total AUC (S + R), significantly increased and decreased, respectively, after administration of the sustained released granules as compared with the solution and suspension. A significant positive linear correlation was found between the S:R AUC ratios and the corresponding T_max for (R)-IB (r = 0.82). In vitro, (R)-IB was inverted by everted jejunum (12.2 ± 1.6%), ileum (14.2 ± 2.0%), and colon (4.4 ± 0.6%) segments. IB was also glucuronidated in the presence of the intestinal segments. Therefore, similar to earlier observations made in humans, in the rat, the S:R AUC ratio was positively and significantly correlated with the absorption rate from the dosage form. Rat small intestine was capable of inverting and conjugating (R)-IB. Hence, rat is a suitable model for studying the chiral inversion of IB. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

A new species and new distribution records of Zercon C. L. Koch from Iran (Acari: Zerconidae)

A new species of the family Zerconidae, Zercon persicus sp. n., is described based on female and male morphological characters. It was collected in West Azarbaijan province (northwestern Iran). Idiosomal chaetotaxy, poroidotaxy and related notations are illustrated. The similarities and differences between the related species within the genus are discussed. Records of some other Zercon species from the province are given for the first time.

http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:3D1122C7-2B86-40D2-974E-EE69035A2413     

Effect of pomegranate seed oil supplementation on the GLUT-4 gene expression and glycemic control in obese people with type 2 diabetes: A randomized controlled clinical trial

Abnormality in glucose transporter type 4 (GLUT-4) function and insulin secretion are the main causes of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Due to adverse effects of antidiabetic drugs, nowadays, nutraceuticals have been of much interest to investigators. The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of pomegranate seed oil (PSO) on the GLUT-4 gene expression and glycemic control in obese people with T2DM. This randomized clinical trial was conducted on 52 obese type 2 diabetic patients for 8 weeks in Tabriz, Iran, in 2018. Patients were divided into the intervention group (n = 26; who consumed daily three capsules containing 1 g PSO) and the placebo group (n = 26; the same amounts paraffin). GLUT-4 gene expression and glycemic indices were evaluated by standard methods. GLUT-4 gene expression was increased significantly in the PSO group. Within-group changes in fasting blood sugar (FBS) and quantitative insulin sensitivity check index were significant in the PSO group. After adjusting the age, gender, and baseline values, FBS was significantly decreased. Insulin concentration, HbA1C, HOMA-IR, and HOMA-β did not manifest significant changes. PSO increased the GLUT-4 gene expression in diabetic patients without any side effects. However, future clinical studies are needed to confirm the obtained results.     

Protein Engineering of Chit42 Towards Improvement of Chitinase and Antifungal Activities

The antagonism of Trichoderma strains usually correlates with the secretion of fungal cell wall degrading enzymes such as chitinases. Chitinase Chit42 is believed to play an important role in the biocontrol activity of Trichoderma strains as a biocontrol agent against phytopathogenic fungi. Chit42 lacks a chitin-binding domain (ChBD) which is involved in its binding activity to insoluble chitin. In this study, a chimeric chitinase with improved enzyme activity was produced by fusing a ChBD from T. atroviride chitinase 18–10 to Chit42. The improved chitinase containing a ChBD displayed a 1.7-fold higher specific activity than chit42. This increase suggests that the ChBD provides a strong binding capacity to insoluble chitin. Moreover, Chit42-ChBD transformants showed higher antifungal activity towards seven phytopathogenic fungal species.     

Compositional features are potentially involved in the regulation of gene expression of tumor suppressor genes in human tissues

Different mechanisms regulate the expression level of tissue specific genes in human. Here we report some compositional features such as codon usage bias, amino acid usage bias, codon frequency, and base composition which may be potentially related to mRNA amount of tissue specific tumor suppressor genes. Our findings support the possibility that structural elements in gene and protein may play an important role in the regulation of tumor suppressor genes, development, and tumorigenesis. The data presented here can open broad vistas in the understanding and treatment of a variety of human malignancies.     

Induction of meiotic gynogenesis in ship sturgeon Acipenser nudiventris using UV-irradiated heterologous sperm

Diploid gynogenesis was induced in ship sturgeon Acipenser nudiventris using UV-irradiated sperm from Siberian sturgeon Acipenser baerii. The optimal condition for the retention of the second polar body in ship sturgeon was determined to be 10 min after activation/fertilization in experiments. The temperature of cold shock and its duration were 2.5 °C and 30 min, respectively. A total of 30 gynogens of known parentage from experimental treatments were screened using microsatellite DNA analysis, and uniparental transmission in meiogens was confirmed. The results show that heterologous Siberian sturgeon sperm is applicable as UV-irradiated sperm for the induction of gynogenesis in ship sturgeon. This technique may recover the critically endangered sturgeon species that are becoming extinct.     

Cloning,expression, purification,and characterization of recombinant flagellin isolated from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pseudomonas aeruginosa</Emphasis>

Pseudomonas aeruginosa as an opportunistic pathogen causes lethal infections in immunocompromised individuals. This bacterium possesses a polar flagellum made up of flagellin subunits. Flagella have important roles in motility, chemotaxis, and establishment of P. aeruginosa in acute phase of infections. Isolation, cloning, and expression of flagellin were aimed at in this study. Flagellin gene (fliC) of P. aeruginosa strain 8821M was isolated by PCR and cloned into a pET expression vector. The recombinant flagellin (46 kDa) was overexpressed as inclusion bodies (IBs). IBs were solubilized in guanidine hydrochloride (GuHCl) followed by affinity-purification and renatured using Ni²⁺-Sepharose resin. Recombinant flagellins reacted with the serum from a rabbit previously immunized with native flagellin. In addition, polyclonal antiserum raised against the recombinant flagellin was shown to significantly inhibit the cell motility of P. aeruginosa strain 8821M in vitro.     

Translational selection on SHH genes

Codon usage bias has been observed in various organisms. In this study, the correlation between SHH genes expression in some tissues and codon usage features was analyzed by bioinformatics. We found that translational selection may act on compositional features of this set of genes.