Effect of tunicamycin on in vitro ripening of tomato pericarp tissue

Ripening of pericarp tissue from mature green, early breaker and late breaker stages of tomato ( Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. cv. Dombito) fruit development was inhibitied by tunicamycin. Ripening was evaluated by lycopene accumulation, chlorophyll degradation, rate of ethylene production and cell wall-bound polygalacturonase (EC 3.2.1.15) activity. Maximum inhibition of these ripening parameters occurred at a treatment of 240 μ M tunicamycin for 2 h except for cell wall-bound polygalacturonase activity, which was greatly inhibited by concentrations of 12 μ tunicamycin or higher. Tunicamycin treatment at 120 μ M for 2 h inhibited the incorporation of [³H]-mannose into macromolecules (about 70%) and pronase-sensitive material (about 65%) and the incorporation of [³H]-leucine into proteins (about 20%). Our results indicate that protein glycosylation plays an important role in the ripening of tomato pericarp tissue.     

Syntheses of New Quarternary Ammonium Iodides as Plant Growth Retardants and Their Biological Activities

Twelve new quarternary ammonium compounds were synthesized and their plant growth retarding activities were examined. Among the candidates, N,N,N-trimethyl-l-methyl-3-(3′,3′5′-trimethylcyclohexyl)- and N,N,N-trimethyl-l-methyl-3-(3′,3′,5′,5′-tetramethylcyclohexyl)-2-propenylammonium iodides were the most effective to suppress the growth of rice and cucumber seedlings, and their activities were far stronger than those of any growth retardants hitherto known.     

Lycopene inhibits IL-1β-induced inflammation in mouse chondrocytes and mediates murine osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common chronic degenerative condition in the elderly, in which inflammation plays a key role in disease pathology. Lycopene (Lye), a member of the carotenoid family, has been reported to have anti-inflammatory effects. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of Lye on the inflammation of chondrocytes and the mouse OA model. Chondrocytes were treated with interleukin (IL)-1β, and the mouse OA model was induced by the surgical destabilization of the medial meniscus (DMM). The results showed that Lye could inhibit the expression of inflammatory factors and alleviate the degradation of extracellular matrix (ECM). Additionally, Lye could activate the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway and reverse the activations of NF-κB and STAT3 signal pathway induced by IL-1β, suggesting that its anti-inflammatory effect may be mediated via these pathways. The animal experiments showed that Lye could decrease the Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI) scores of the knee, indicating that it could inhibit the occurrence and development of OA in mouse. Overall, our results indicated that Lye might be used as a novel drug for OA treatment.     

快速城市化区域不同生境类型的蝴蝶多样性

2011年5—10月,在重庆两江新区选取人工次生林、人工草地、苗圃地、荒草地、农田、天然次生林6种不同生境类型,进行蝴蝶调查。共采集蝴蝶1547只,隶属6科27属37种。结果表明:菜粉蝶(Pieris rapae)、东方菜粉蝶(P.canidia)、酢浆灰蝶(Pseudozizeeria maha)和点玄灰蝶(Tongeia filicaudis)是研究区域的优势种;沿城市化梯度,不同采样断面蝴蝶多样性指数变化趋势明显,即城市化水平越高,多样性指数越低;同时生境类型和人为干扰对蝴蝶多样性影响明显;蝴蝶群落多样性特征可以作为生境质量和环境变化的指标。最后提出:在快速城市化区域中,应根据不同城市化水平、不同生境类型采取有差异的管理措施,保护和提高城市生物多样性。     

Lycopene in Tomatoes: Chemical and Physical Properties Affected by Food Processing

ABSTRACT:?

Lycopene is the pigment principally responsible for the characteristic deep-red color of ripe tomato fruits and tomato products. It has attracted attention due to its biological and physicochemical properties, especially related to its effects as a natural antioxidant. Although it has no provitamin A activity, lycopene does exhibit a physical quenching rate constant with singlet oxygen almost twice as high as that of β-carotene. This makes its presence in the diet of considerable interest. Increasing clinical evidence supports the role of lycopene as a micronutri-ent with important health benefits, because it appears to provide protection against a broad range of epithelial cancers. Tomatoes and related tomato products are the major source of lycopene compounds, and are also considered an important source of carotenoids in the human diet. Undesirable degradation of lycopene not only affects the sensory quality of the final products, but also the health benefit of tomato-based foods for the human body. Lycopene in fresh tomato fruits occurs essentially in the all-trans configuration. The main causes of tomato lycopene degradation during processing are isomerization and oxidation. Isomerization converts all-trans isomers to cis-isomers due to additional energy input and results in an unstable, energy-rich station. Determination of the degree of lycopene isomerization during processing would provide a measure of the potential health benefits of tomato-based foods. Thermal processing (bleaching, retorting, and freezing processes) generally cause some loss of lycopene in tomato-based foods. Heat induces isomerization of the all-trans to cis forms. The cis-isomers increase with temperature and processing time. In general, dehydrated and powdered tomatoes have poor lycopene stability unless carefully processed and promptly placed in a hermetically sealed and inert atmosphere for storage. A significant increase in the cis-isomers with a simultaneous decrease in the all-trans isomers can be observed in the dehydrated tomato samples using the different dehydration methods. Frozen foods and heat-sterilized foods exhibit excellent lycopene stability throughout their normal temperature storage shelf life.

Lycopene bioavailability (absorption) can be influenced by many factors. The bioavailability of cis-isomers in food is higher than that of all-trans isomers. Lycopene bioavailability in processed tomato products is higher than in unprocessed fresh tomatoes. The composition and structure of the food also have an impact on the bioavailability of lycopene and may affect the release of lycopene from the tomato tissue matrix. Food processing may improve lycopene bioavailability by breaking down cell walls, which weakens the bonding forces between lycopene and tissue matrix, thus making lycopene more accessible and enhancing the cis-isomerization. More information on lycopene bioavailability, however, is needed. The pharmacokinetic properties of lycopene remain particularly poorly understood. Further research on the bioavalability, pharmacology, biochemistry, and physiology must be done to reveal the mechanism of lycopene in human diet, and the in vivo metabolism of lycopene.

Consumer demand for healthy food products provides an opportunity to develop lycopene-rich food as new functional foods, as well as food-grade and pharmaceutical-grade lycopene as new nutraceutical products. An industrial scale, environmentally friendly lycopene extraction and purification procedure with minimal loss of bioactivities is highly desirable for the foods, feed, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries. High-quality lycopene products that meet food safety regulations will offer potential benefits to the food industry.     

Analysis and characterization of anthocyanins and carotenoids in Japanese blue tomato

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is rich in anthocyanins, which are polyphenolic pigments. This study aimed to analyze and characterize the anthocyanin composition in cultivated blue tomato in Japan. The extracts of peel, seed, and pulp of tomatoes were purified following which anthocyanins and lycopene contents were analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. Eleven types of anthocyanins were identified, including delphinidin, petunidin, and malvidin. Further, the antioxidant activity of anthocyanins was evaluated using 2,2′-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt radical quenching assays and electron spin resonance. “Blue tomato” extracts exert antioxidant activity. Thus, we showed that petunidin was present in the “blue tomato” peel while lycopene was present in the peel and pulp. Additionally, the blue tomato peel extract was found to significantly inhibit H₂O₂-induced cell death in vitro. This is the first study on cell protective effects of Japanese blue tomato extract and petunidin in murine photoreceptor cells.     

Enhanced lycopene production in Escherichia coli engineered to synthesize isopentenyl diphosphate and dimethylallyl diphosphate from mevalonate

To increase expression of lycopene synthetic genes crtE, crtB, crtI, and ipiHP1, the four exogenous genes were cloned into a high copy pTrc99A vector with a strong trc promoter. Recombinant Escherichia coli harboring pT-LYCm4 produced 17 mg/L of lycopene. The mevalonate lower pathway, composed of mvaK1, mvaK2, mvaD, and idi, was engineered to produce pSSN12Didi for an efficient supply of the lycopene building blocks, isopentenyl diphosphate (IPP) and dimethylallyl diphosphate (DMAPP). Mevalonate was supplied as a substrate for the mevalonate lower pathway. Lycopene production in E. coli harboring pT-LYCm4 and pSSN12Didi with supplementation of 3.3 mM mevalonate was more than threefold greater than bacteria with pT-LYCm4 only. Lycopene production was dependent on mevalonate concentration supplied in the culture. Clump formation was observed as cells accumulated more lycopene. Further clumping was prevented by adding the surfactant Tween 80 0.5% (w/v), which also increased lycopene production and cell growth. When recombinant E. coli harboring pT-LYCm4 and pSSN12Didi was cultivated in 2YT medium containing 2% (w/v) glycerol as a carbon source, 6.6 mM mevalonate for the mevalonate lower pathway, and 0.5% (w/v) Tween 80 to prevent clump formation, lycopene production was 102 mg/L and 22 mg/g dry cell weight, and cell growth had an OD(600) value of 15 for 72 h.     

番茄红素与癌

番茄红素是主要的类胡萝卜素之一,最近的科学研究发现,它对人类健康有重要的作用。本文介绍了番茄红素的食物来源、生物合成、物理化学特性和生理活性,它的抗癌效果与其抗氧化活性有关。很多的流行病学研究证明,番茄红素对一些类型的癌有预防效果,如前列腺癌和消化道癌。体内和体外的癌细胞培养研究也支持这一结论。因此,具有广泛用途的番茄红素,将有希望成为最重要的一个化学防癌物质。