Tomato sauce supplementation and prostate cancer: lycopene accumulation and modulation of biomarkers of carcinogenesis

As part of a randomized placebo-controlled study to evaluate the effect of lycopene supplementation on DNA damage in men with prostate cancer, a nonrandomized 5th arm using tomato sauce was included and reported here. Thirty-two patients with localized prostate adenocarcinoma consumed tomato sauce-based pasta dishes for 3 weeks (30 mg of lycopene/day) before their scheduled radical prostatectomy. Prostate tissue was obtained as biopsies at baseline and as resected tissue at the time of the prostatectomy. Serum and prostate lycopene, serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) concentrations, and leukocyte DNA 8-OH-deoxyguanosine/deoxyguanosine (8OHdG) were measured at baseline and at the end of the intervention. Cancer cells in paraffin sections of prostate biopsies and postintervention resected tissue were compared for 8OHdG staining and for apoptosis. Adherence to the daily consumption of tomato-based entrees was 81.6% of the intended dose, and serum and prostate lycopene concentrations increased 1.97- and 2.92-fold (P < 0.001), respectively. Mean serum PSA concentrations decreased by 17.5% (P < 0.002) and leukocyte 8OHdG decreased by 21.3% (P < 0.005) after tomato sauce consumption. Resected tissues from tomato sauce-supplemented patients had 28.3% lower prostate 8OHdG compared with the nonstudy control group (P < 0.03). Cancer cell 8OHdG staining of Gleason Score-matched resected prostate sections was reduced by 40.5% in mean nuclear density (P < 0.005) and by 36.4% in mean area (P < 0.018) compared with the presupplementation biopsy. Apoptotic index was higher in hyperplastic and neoplastic cells in the resected tissue after supplementation. These data taken as a whole indicate significant uptake of lycopene into prostate tissue and a reduction in DNA damage in both leukocyte and prostate tissue. Whether reduction in DNA damage to prostate cancer cells is beneficial awaits further research, although reduction in serum PSA concentrations is promising.     

Screening of lactic starter from Tunisian fermented vegetables and application for the improvement of caper (Capparis spinosa) fermentation through an experimental factorial design

This study aims at designing a lactic starter for caper fermentation isolated from Tunisian fermented vegetables to improve the process and produce consistent and high-quality product. In this study, the lactic starter was isolated by exploring the lactic acid bacteria (LAB) of Tunisian artisanal fermented vegetables. Identification was carried out by partial 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Screening was based on salt tolerance and antagonistic activities against Escherichia coli ATCC 10536 and Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 10541. Caper fermentation was optimized through a full factorial experimental design (23), by exploring three factors: starter inoculum size, NaCl concentration, and acetate content. Differences in pH values, Total aerobic mesophilic bacteria and LAB counts between the beginning and end of fermentation are selected as responses and corresponding regression coefficients were calculated. The lactic microbiota is mainly represented by Lactobacillus plantarum group. Based on salt tolerance and antimicrobial activity, the strain Lactobacillus plantarum F3 was selected as starter for caper fermentation. The effect of NaCl concentration, acetate content, and inoculum size on acidity, total aerobic mesophilic bacteria count, and LAB count after 1 week and 1 month of caper fermentation was studied. Depending on the fermentation time, either 1 week or 1 month, the initial conditions should comprise 0% acetate, 108 CFU/mL inoculum, and 5% NaCl for 1 week against 5% acetate, 107 CFU/mL inoculum, and 10% NaCl for 1 month lasting caper fermentation. A protocol for caper fermentation was set up ensuring hygienic quality and LAB viability. Lb. plantarum F3 was selected as lactic starter for caper fermentation, and initial fermentation conditions were optimized through a full factorial design. This work has shown loss in LAB viability after 1 week of fermentation. Based on results obtained, an optimized fermentation protocol was set up. This protocol ensures LAB survival and high hygienic quality of the product.     

Application of in silico bulked segregant analysis for rapid development of markers linked to Bean common mosaic virus resistance in common bean

Background

Common bean was one of the first crops that benefited from the development and utilization of molecular marker-assisted selection (MAS) for major disease resistance genes. Efficiency of MAS for breeding common bean is still hampered, however, due to the dominance, linkage phase, and loose linkage of previously developed markers. Here we applied in silico bulked segregant analysis (BSA) to the BeanCAP diversity panel, composed of over 500 lines and genotyped with the BARCBEAN_3 6K SNP BeadChip, to develop codominant and tightly linked markers to the I gene controlling resistance to Bean common mosaic virus (BCMV).

Results

We physically mapped the genomic region underlying the I gene. This locus, in the distal arm of chromosome Pv02, contains seven putative NBS-LRR-type disease resistance genes. Two contrasting bulks, containing BCMV host differentials and ten BeanCAP lines with known disease reaction to BCMV, were subjected to in silico BSA for targeting the I gene and flanking sequences. Two distinct haplotypes, containing a cluster of six single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP), were associated with resistance or susceptibility to BCMV. One-hundred and twenty-two lines, including 115 of the BeanCAP panel, were screened for BCMV resistance in the greenhouse, and all of the resistant or susceptible plants displayed distinct SNP haplotypes as those found in the two bulks. The resistant/susceptible haplotypes were validated in 98 recombinant inbred lines segregating for BCMV resistance. The closest SNP (~25-32 kb) to the distal NBS-LRR gene model for the I gene locus was targeted for conversion to codominant KASP (Kompetitive Allele Specific PCR) and CAPS (Cleaved Amplified Polymorphic Sequence) markers. Both marker systems accurately predicted the disease reaction to BCMV conferred by the I gene in all screened lines of this study.

Conclusions

We demonstrated the utility of the in silico BSA approach using genetically diverse germplasm, genotyped with a high-density SNP chip array, to discover SNP variation at a specific targeted genomic region. In common bean, many disease resistance genes are mapped and their physical genomic position can now be determined, thus the application of this approach will facilitate further development of codominant and tightly linked markers for use in MAS.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/1471-2164-15-903) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

AMP-activated protein kinase is a key regulator of obesity-associated factors

An imbalance between caloric intake and energy expenditure leads to obesity. Obesity is an important risk factor for the development of several metabolic diseases including insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and cardiovascular disease. So, controlling obesity could be effective in the improvement of obesity-related diseases. Various factors are involved in obesity, such as AMP-activated protein kinases (AMPK), silent information regulators, inflammatory mediators, oxidative stress parameters, gastrointestinal hormones, adipokines, angiopoietin-like proteins, and microRNAs. These factors play an important role in obesity by controlling fat metabolism, energy homeostasis, food intake, and insulin sensitivity. AMPK is a heterotrimeric serine/threonine protein kinase known as a fuel-sensing enzyme. The central role of AMPK in obesity makes it an attractive molecule to target obesity and related metabolic diseases. In this review, the critical role of AMPK in obesity and the interplay between AMPK and obesity-associated factors were elaborated.     

Mining expressed sequence tags of rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) to predict the drought responsive regulatory network

Physiology and Molecular Biology of Plants - It is of great significance to understand the regulatory mechanisms by which plants deal with drought stress. Two EST libraries derived from rapeseed...     

Inhibitory effects of oxali-Platin as a chemotherapeutic drug on the function and structure of bovine liver catalase

Abstract

Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma     

Positive effects of cold pretreatment, iron source, and silver nitrate on anther culture of strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.)

Androgenesis by anther culture or isolated microspore culture is the most efficient method for haploid production. In this study, the effects of cold pretreatment (4 °C), silver nitrate, and iron source in the medium were investigated on anther culture of five strawberry cultivars (Camarosa, Selva, Pajaro, Paros, and Gaviota) in three independent experiments, and three traits including percentage of androgenic anthers, embryogenesis, and callogenesis were determined. In the first experiment, cold pretreatment of 4 °C for 2 and 3 days produced the highest percentage of androgenic anthers in three cultivars (Camarosa, Selva, and Pajaro) and cold pretreatment of 4 °C for 2 days produced the highest percentage of androgenic anthers in cultivar Paros. In the second experiment, the effect of Fe-EDDHA was more effective than Fe-EDTA, and increased the percentage of androgenic anthers and embryogenesis. The use of 57.5 mg l^?1 Fe-EDDHA produced the highest percentage of androgenic anthers in cultivar Camarosa and the best embryogenesis in cultivars Camarosa and Gaviota. In the third experiment, the use of 15 mg l^?1 silver nitrate in medium significantly increased the percentage of androgenic anthers and embryogenesis in cultivar Camarosa.