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Plants (Basel, Switzerland) May 2024Plant breeding has evolved significantly over time with the development of transformation and genome editing techniques. These new strategies help to improve desirable... (Review)
Review
Plant breeding has evolved significantly over time with the development of transformation and genome editing techniques. These new strategies help to improve desirable traits in plants. Perilla is a native oil crop grown in Korea. The leaves contain many secondary metabolites related to whitening, aging, antioxidants, and immunity, including rosmarinic acid, vitamin E, luteolin, anthocyanins, and beta-carotene. They are used as healthy and functional food ingredients. It is an industrially valuable cosmetics crop. In addition, perilla seeds are rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, such as α-linolenic acid and linoleic acid. They are known to be effective in improving neutral lipids in the blood, improving blood circulation, and preventing dementia and cardiovascular diseases, making them excellent crops whose value can be increased through improved traits. This research will also benefit perilla seeds, which can increase their stock through various methods, such as the increased production of functional substances and improved productivity. Recently, significant attention has been paid to trait improvement research involving gene-editing technology. Among these strategies, CRISPR/Cas9 is highly adaptable, enabling accurate and efficient genome editing, targeted mutagenesis, gene knockouts, and the regulation of gene transcription. CRISPR/Cas9-based genome editing has enormous potential for improving perilla; however, the regulation of genome editing is still at an early stage. Therefore, this review summarizes the enhancement of perilla traits using genome editing technology and outlines future directions.
PubMed: 38891275
DOI: 10.3390/plants13111466 -
Foods (Basel, Switzerland) May 2024In this study, tomato seed (TS) samples were subjected to different roasting conditions (90-170 °C and 10-30 min) to compare their effects on the chemical composition...
In this study, tomato seed (TS) samples were subjected to different roasting conditions (90-170 °C and 10-30 min) to compare their effects on the chemical composition and oxidative stability of tomato seed oil (TSO). Unroasted TS was considered as a control sample. Our results revealed that moderate roasting (130 °C/20 min) can significantly increase the content of linoleic acid (54.01-54.89%), linolenic acid (2.17-2.41%), phytosterols (2789.56-3037.31 mg/kg), squalene (5.06-13.10 mg/kg), total phenols (22.37-22.67 mg GAE/100 g), and other functional components ( < 0.05) in TSO, while the antioxidant activity (via DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP assays) also increased. In addition, the tocopherol content decreased significantly (758.53-729.50 mg/kg). Accelerated oxidation experiments showed that roasting (170 °C/30 min) increased the oxidative stability index (OSI) of TSO from 5.35 to 7.07 h ( < 0.05). Furthermore, roasting gradually increased the content of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) (0-1.74 mg/kg), which indicates that the oxidative stability and the degree of the Maillard reaction increased upon roasting. Principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) showed that moderate roasting (130 °C/20 min) improved the chemical composition, antioxidant activity, and oxidative stability of TSO. Furthermore, this work provides a useful theoretical basis for the processing and wide application of TSO in the pharmaceutical and food industries.
PubMed: 38890911
DOI: 10.3390/foods13111682 -
Foods (Basel, Switzerland) May 2024Edible crickets have recently been used as a new alternative protein source with high nutritional value. The nutritional and flavor-related value of edible crickets...
Edible crickets have recently been used as a new alternative protein source with high nutritional value. The nutritional and flavor-related value of edible crickets varies greatly depending on the species, growth conditions and processing conditions. However, few studies have investigated the effects of the diet fed to crickets during their growth phase on flavor. Therefore, in this study, we characterized the flavor-related factors of powder from crickets reared on apple by-products (ACP) by comparing them with those of powder from crickets reared on a control diet (CCP). The fatty acid composition and volatile compounds of each powder were determined using gas chromatography and mass spectrometry, followed by sensory analysis and color measurement. A decrease in unsaturated fatty acids, specifically γ-linolenic acid, α-linolenic acid, arachidonic acid and docosahexaenoic acid, was observed in ACP. A total of 50 volatile compounds were identified, of which 11 were present in only ACP, while 39 were found in both powders. The sensory analysis showed that the overall balance score of ACP was higher than that of CCP, and according to the color measurements, ACP was darker than CCP. These differences between CCP and ACP might have been due to the differences in the chemical composition of the diets fed to the crickets during their growth phase. The results of this study suggest that one of the factors determining the food value of edible crickets, especially in terms of flavor, is the diet they are fed during their growth phase.
PubMed: 38890896
DOI: 10.3390/foods13111668 -
Cancer Science Jun 2024Pancreatic head cancer (PHC) and pancreatic body/tail cancer (PBTC) have distinct clinical and biological behaviors. The microbial and metabolic differences in PHC and...
Pancreatic head cancer (PHC) and pancreatic body/tail cancer (PBTC) have distinct clinical and biological behaviors. The microbial and metabolic differences in PHC and PBTC have not been studied. The pancreatic microbiota and metabolome of 15 PHC and 8 PBTC tissues and their matched nontumor tissues were characterized using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing and untargeted metabolomics. At the genus level, Bradyrhizobium was increased while Corynebacterium and Ruminococcus were decreased in the PHC tissues (Head T) compared with the matched nontumor tissues (Head N) significantly. Shuttleworthia, Bacillus, and Bifidobacterium were significantly decreased in the PBTC tissues (Body/Tail T) compared with the matched nontumor tissues (Body/Tail N). Significantly, Ileibacterium was increased whereas Pseudoxanthomonas was decreased in Head T and Body/Tail T, and Lactobacillus was increased in Head T but decreased in Body/Tail T. A total of 102 discriminative metabolites were identified between Head T and Head N, which were scattered through linoleic acid metabolism and purine metabolism pathways. However, there were only four discriminative metabolites between Body/Tail T and Body/Tail N, which were related to glycerophospholipid metabolism and autophagy pathways. The differential metabolites in PHC and PBTC were commonly enriched in alpha-linolenic acid metabolism and choline metabolism in cancer pathways. Eubacterium decreased in Head T was positively correlated with decreased linoleic acid while negatively correlated with increased arachidyl carnitine and stearoylcarnitine. Bacillus decreased in Body/Tail T was negatively correlated with increased L-carnitine. These microbiota and metabolites deserve further investigations to reveal their roles in the pathogenesis of PHC and PBTC, providing clues for future treatments.
PubMed: 38888048
DOI: 10.1111/cas.16238 -
Oncogene Jun 2024CRPC remains a significant challenge in prostate cancer research. We aimed to elucidate the role of gut microbiota and its specific mechanisms in CRPC using a...
CRPC remains a significant challenge in prostate cancer research. We aimed to elucidate the role of gut microbiota and its specific mechanisms in CRPC using a multidisciplinary approach. We analyzed 16S rRNA sequencing data from mouse fecal samples, revealing substantial differences in gut microbiota composition between CRPC and castration-sensitive prostate cancer mice, particularly in Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes. Functional analysis suggested different bacteria may influence CRPC via the α-linolenic acid metabolism pathway. In vivo, experiments utilizing mouse models and fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) demonstrated that FMT from healthy control mice could decelerate tumor growth in CRPC mice, reduce TNF-α levels, and inhibit the activation of the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway. Transcriptome sequencing identified crucial genes and pathways, with rescue experiments confirming the gut microbiota's role in modulating CRPC progression through the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB pathway. The activation of this pathway by TNF-α has been corroborated by in vitro cell experiments, indicating its role in promoting prostate cancer cell proliferation, migration, and invasion while inhibiting apoptosis. Gut microbiota dysbiosis may promote CRPC development through TNF-α activation of the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway, potentially linked to α-linolenic acid metabolism.
PubMed: 38886569
DOI: 10.1038/s41388-024-03073-6 -
Scientific Reports Jun 2024Perilla frutescens (L.) Britton, a member of the Lamiaceae family, stands out as a versatile plant highly valued for its unique aroma and medicinal properties....
Perilla frutescens (L.) Britton, a member of the Lamiaceae family, stands out as a versatile plant highly valued for its unique aroma and medicinal properties. Additionally, P. frutescens seeds are rich in Îś-linolenic acid, holding substantial economic importance. While the nuclear and chloroplast genomes of P. frutescens have already been documented, the complete mitochondrial genome sequence remains unreported. To this end, the sequencing, annotation, and assembly of the entire Mitochondrial genome of P. frutescens were hereby conducted using a combination of Illumina and PacBio data. The assembled P. frutescens mitochondrial genome spanned 299,551 bp and exhibited a typical circular structure, involving a GC content of 45.23%. Within the genome, a total of 59 unique genes were identified, encompassing 37 protein-coding genes, 20 tRNA genes, and 2 rRNA genes. Additionally, 18 introns were observed in 8 protein-coding genes. Notably, the codons of the P. frutescens mitochondrial genome displayed a notable A/T bias. The analysis also revealed 293 dispersed repeat sequences, 77 simple sequence repeats (SSRs), and 6 tandem repeat sequences. Moreover, RNA editing sites preferentially produced leucine at amino acid editing sites. Furthermore, 70 sequence fragments (12,680 bp) having been transferred from the chloroplast to the mitochondrial genome were identified, accounting for 4.23% of the entire mitochondrial genome. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that among Lamiaceae plants, P. frutescens is most closely related to Salvia miltiorrhiza and Platostoma chinense. Meanwhile, inter-species Ka/Ks results suggested that Ka/Ks for 28 PCGs, indicating that these genes were evolving under purifying selection. Overall, this study enriches the mitochondrial genome data for P. frutescens and forges a theoretical foundation for future molecular breeding research.
Topics: RNA Editing; Genome, Mitochondrial; Perilla frutescens; Codon Usage; Phylogeny; Microsatellite Repeats; RNA, Transfer; Base Composition; Molecular Sequence Annotation
PubMed: 38886463
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-64509-3 -
Heliyon Jun 2024The objective of this study was to assess the pharmacological activity and therapeutic mechanism of Dahuang Mudan Decotion (DHMDD) for colorectal cancer using...
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this study was to assess the pharmacological activity and therapeutic mechanism of Dahuang Mudan Decotion (DHMDD) for colorectal cancer using ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS), network pharmacology and in vitro experiments.
METHODS
The chemical components of DHMDD were identified by UPLC-MS. Network pharmacological analysis was utilized to screen the active ingredients and targets associated with DHMDD for colorectal cancer. Based on the results of network pharmacology, the potential mechanism of DHMDD on colorectal cancer predicted was experimentally studied and verified in vitro.
RESULTS
DHMDD primarily exerts its effects on colorectal cancer through 52 active ingredients. AKT1, ESR1, HSP90AA1, JUN, PIK3CA, PIK3CB, PIK3R1, SRC, STAT3, TP53 were the top 10 targets. The top 10 ingredient nodes were Quercetin, Physcione, Pontigenin, Crysophanol, Linolenic acid, Piceatannol, Adenosine, Emodin, Sambunigrin, and Prunasin. The main compounds and the target proteins exhibited strong binding ability in molecular docking studies. The results of cell experiments demonstrated that DHMDD can inhibit the proliferation, invasion and migration of CRC cells through the PI3K/Akt pathway.
CONCLUSION
Through network pharmacology analysis and cell experiments, this study suggests that DHMDD can exert its therapeutic effects on colorectal cancer through a combination of multiple components and targets.
PubMed: 38882337
DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e32136 -
Journal of Pharmacological Sciences Aug 2024We examined the inhibitory effects of α-linolenic acid (ALA) on the contractions of pig coronary arteries. ALA concentration-dependently inhibited the contractions...
We examined the inhibitory effects of α-linolenic acid (ALA) on the contractions of pig coronary arteries. ALA concentration-dependently inhibited the contractions elicited by U46619 and prostaglandin F without affecting those elicited by 80 mM KCl, histamine, acetylcholine, and serotonin. ALA rightward shifted the concentration-response curve of U46619, and Schild plot analysis revealed that ALA competitively antagonized U46619. Furthermore, ALA inhibited the increase in intracellular Ca concentration caused by TP receptor stimulation but not that caused by FP receptor stimulation. These results suggest that ALA behaves as a selective antagonist of TP receptors in coronary arteries.
Topics: Animals; Coronary Vessels; alpha-Linolenic Acid; Swine; 15-Hydroxy-11 alpha,9 alpha-(epoxymethano)prosta-5,13-dienoic Acid; Calcium; Receptors, Thromboxane; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Male; Dinoprost; Muscle Contraction
PubMed: 38880549
DOI: 10.1016/j.jphs.2024.06.001 -
Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology Jun 2024This study explores the nutritional and phytochemical profiling of twenty-three genotypes of Vicia faba L. var. minor seeds cultivated in the experimental field of the...
This study explores the nutritional and phytochemical profiling of twenty-three genotypes of Vicia faba L. var. minor seeds cultivated in the experimental field of the Arid Lands Institute of Medenine. Our comprehensive analysis encompasses fatty acid composition, sugar content, phytochemical composition, and antioxidant potential, providing a nuanced understanding of the seeds' nutritive quality. The investigation revealed substantial variations among genotypes, showcasing the potential for targeted nutritional enhancement. Quantification of total polyphenols, flavonoids, condensed tannins, and radical scavenging activities revealed average values of 16.46 mg GAE/g DW, 6.27 mg CTE/g DW, 0.47 mg CE/g DW, and 0.146 mM TEAC, respectively. Notably, the seeds exhibited a low tannin content, a desirable trait for animal feed applications. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) was employed for the identification of phenolic compounds, unearthing the prevalence of quinic acid and flavanols, including catechin (+) and epicatechin. Sugar analysis identified the presence of glucose and sucrose, emphasizing the seeds' unique carbohydrate composition. Gas chromatography elucidated the fatty acid profile, spotlighting prominent components such as palmitic acid (13.87%), stearic acid (3.37%), oleic acid (27.66%), linoleic acid (45.83%), and linolenic acid (3.53%). The findings underscore the seeds' nutritive significance, positioning them as rich sources of natural antioxidants, fatty acids, and phenolic compounds. Moreover, the extracts' favorable tannin content positions them as potential candidates for functional food applications, showcasing their promise as sources of bioactive molecules with diverse applications.
PubMed: 38878163
DOI: 10.1007/s12010-024-04993-5 -
Plant Communications Jun 2024E3 ligases are key enzymes required for protein degradation. Here we identified a C3H2C3 RING domain-containing E3 ubiquitin ligase gene named GhATL68b. It is...
E3 ligases are key enzymes required for protein degradation. Here we identified a C3H2C3 RING domain-containing E3 ubiquitin ligase gene named GhATL68b. It is preferentially and highly expressed in developing cotton fiber cells, and is more conserved in plants than in animals or in archaea. All four orthologs copies of this gene in various diploid cottons and eight in the allotetraploid G. hirsutum were found to originate from a single common ancestor that can be traced back to C. reinhardii at about 992 million years ago (MYA). Structural variations (SVs) occurred in the promoter regions of G. hirsutum, G. herbaceum, G. arboreum and G. raimondii correlated with significantly different methylation patterns. Homozygous CRISPR-Cas9 knock-out cotton lines produced significant poor fiber quality in terms of upper half mean length, elongation at break, uniformity and mature fiber weight. GhATL68b was shown to modulate the homeostasis of 2,4-dienoyl-CoA reductase (GhDECR), a rate-limiting enzyme for β-oxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) via the ubiquitin proteasome pathway through in vitro ubiquitination and cell-free protein degradation assays. Fiber cells harvested from these knockout mutants contained significantly lower levels of PUFAs important for glycerophospholipids production and also for plasma membrane fluidity regulations. Finally, the mutant fiber-growth defective phenotype can be fully compensated by adding linolenic acid (C18:3), the most abundant type of PUFA externally in ovule culture media. To our knowledge, this is the first experimentally characterized C3H2C3 type E3 ubiquitin ligase that is involved in regulating fiber cell elongation, and it may thus provide us with a new genetic target for improved cotton lint production.
PubMed: 38877704
DOI: 10.1016/j.xplc.2024.101003