Gene-dependent flavonoid glucosyltransferase in maize

A direct relationship between a specific gene and a specific enzyme involved in flavonoid biosynthesis is reported for the gene Bz and uridine diphosphoglucose: quercetin glucosyltransferase in maize pollen, seedlings, and seeds. Ratios are presented for specific activities of the glucosyltransferase from pollen, seed, and seedling tissues homozygous and heterozygous for Bz and homozygous for bz.Cooperative Investigations, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture and Missouri Agricultural Experiment Station, Columbia, Missouri 65201. Journal Series No. 7340.     

Modulatory effects of silibinin in cell behavior during osteogenic phenotype

Natural molecules, such as flavonoid, are very welcome strategies to modulate bone turnover. This prompted us to comprehend better the effect of silibinin on osteoblast metabolism, mainly considering intracellular pathways able to drive cell adhesion to differentiation. By exploring in vitro approaches, our data show a modulatory effect of the silibinin (200 μg/mL) on the osteoblast intracellular signaling, contributing with decisive pathways governing cell adhesion, differentiation, and further mineralization, recapitulating important stages of osteogenesis. Within the first 24 hours of adhesion (acute stage), osteoblasts respond to silibinin by rearranging their cytoskeleton and start mechanisms responsible to extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling, which reach intense profile at 28 days of treatment (chronic stage) by favoring matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs-2, and -9) activities, concomitant to mineralizing phenotype. Importantly, silibinin seems to reprogram genes related to inflammatory landscape and significantly upmodulating osteoprotegerin (>25 fold-changes), signaling molecule involved with osteoclastogenesis. Altogether, our results show for the first time that silibinin drives in vitro osteoblast differentiation by requiring specific intracellular signaling. In conjunction, this molecular landscape contributes to understand the effect of silibinin on osteoblasts performance and open novel therapeutic possibilities to silibinin in bone disorders, such as osteoporosis.     

Action spectra for phenylalanine ammonia lyase in Hordeum vulgare

5-Day-old etiolated barley shoots were illuminated with monochromatic light (10 nm bandpass) and assayed for PAL 5 hr later. Action spectra for enhance     

黄酮类化合物对禽流感病毒的抑制作用

采用鸡胚培养法探讨黄酮类化合物对禽流感H5N1亚型病毒的抑制作用。实验分三种给药方式:即直接作用、先感染病毒后用药和先加药后感染。第一种给药方式说明黄酮类化合物可以直接灭活H5N1病毒;第二种给药方式说明黄酮类化合物可通过抑制流感病毒唾液酶的活性,从而抑制病毒粒子的复制;第三种给药方式反映一定浓度的药物可以阻断病毒对细胞的吸附作用。结果表明,黄酮类化合物对禽流感病毒的预防及治疗均有显著效果。     

梅花类黄酮3'-羟化酶基因片段基于基因组DNA的简并PCR法克隆

用本研究设计的"预先去杂-SDS法"从梅花嫩叶提取到高质量的基因组DNA.根据11条已公开发表的并提交到GenBank的类黄酮3'-羟化酶基因cDNA的假定氨基酸序列的保守区设计2个正向简并引物和3个反向简并引物组成6对引物,仅有1对引物能以PCR法同时从梅花'南京红须'、'南京红'和'粉皮宫粉'的基因组DNA扩增到一个469 bp的核苷酸片段,这3个片段在总体上有99.72%的一致性,与11条类黄酮3'-羟化酶基因cDNA的相应区域有65.57%的一致性.同时,"GGEK"并非类黄酮3'-羟化酶的特征性模体.这是首次从木本植物的基因组DNA克隆到类黄酮3'-羟化酶基因片段.本研究结果可为梅花类黄酮3'-羟化酶基因全长的克隆奠定基础.     

Protective Effect of n-Butanol Extract from Viola yedoensis on Immunological Liver Injury

Viola yedoensis Makino was used to treat inflammation, viral hepatitis, acute pyogenic infection, and ulcerative carbuncles. However, the protective effect on immunological liver injury (ILI) of V. yedoensis had been rarely reported. This study aimed to explore the protective effect of n-butanol extract (BE) from V. yedoensis on ILI in vitro and in vivo. In vitro, the BE significantly inhibited the secretions of Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and Hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) in the HepG2.2.15 cells and the replication of HBV DNA. The research data in vivo revealed that the BE reduced the levels of alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), and methane dicarboxylic aldehyde (MDA) in liver tissues of the ConA-induced mice, while increased the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX), and the effective contents of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interferon-γ (IFN-γ) and the BE could ameliorate liver histological lesions. These results motivated a further investigation into the chemical constituents of BE. Four coumarins (esculetin, prionanthoside, cichoriin, and esculin) and one flavonoid (quercetin-3-O-galactoside) were isolated from the BE by silica gel column chromatography and recrystallization, of which structures were eventually confirmed by ¹H-NMR, ¹³C-NMR, and MS.     

Linarin monoacetate from Thalictrum aquilegifolium

Linarin monoacetate, a new flavonoid glycoside, has been isolated from Thalictrum aquilegifolium and the position of the acetyl group has been determined by ¹³C NMR spectral data.