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Plant Physiology and Biochemistry : PPB Jul 2024Salt stress is a critical limiting factor for fruit yield and quality of apples. Brassinosteroids (BRs) play an important role in response to abiotic stresses. In the...
Salt stress is a critical limiting factor for fruit yield and quality of apples. Brassinosteroids (BRs) play an important role in response to abiotic stresses. In the present study, application of 2,4- Epicastasterone on seedlings of Malus 'M9T337' and Malus domestica 'Gala3' alleviated the physiological effects, such as growth inhibition and leaf yellowing, induced by salt stress. Further analysis revealed that treatment with NaCl induced expression of genes involved in BR biosynthesis in 'M9T337' and 'Gala3'. Among which, the expression of BR biosynthetic gene MdBR6OX2 showed a three-fold upregulation upon salt treatment, suggesting its potential role in response to salt stress in apple. MdBR6OX2, belonging to the CYP450 family, contains a signal peptide region and a P450 domain. Expression patterns analysis showed that the expression of MdBR6OX2 can be significantly induced by different abiotic stresses. Overexpressing MdBR6OX2 enhanced the tolerance of apple callis to salt stress, and the contents of endogenous BR-related compounds, such as Typhastero (TY), Castasterone (CS) and Brassinolide (BL) were significantly increased in transgenic calli compared with that of wild-type. Extopic expression of MdBR6OX2 enhanced tolerance to salt stress in Arabidopsis. Genes associated with salt stress were significantly up-regulated, and the contents of BR-related compounds were significantly elevated under salt stress. Our data revealed that BR-biosynthetic gene MdBR6OX2 positively regulates salt stress tolerance in both apple calli and Arabidopsis.
Topics: Malus; Brassinosteroids; Arabidopsis; Salt Tolerance; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; Plant Proteins; Plants, Genetically Modified; Salt Stress; Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System
PubMed: 38797009
DOI: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2024.108767 -
Blood Cells, Molecules & Diseases Jul 2024Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is an autoimmune disease caused by the loss of immune tolerance to platelet autoantigens, resulting in reduced platelet production and...
Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is an autoimmune disease caused by the loss of immune tolerance to platelet autoantigens, resulting in reduced platelet production and increased platelet destruction. Impaired megakaryocyte differentiation and maturation is a key factor in the pathogenesis and treatment of ITP. Sarcandra glabra, a plant of the Chloranthaceae family, is commonly used in clinical practice to treat ITP, and daucosterol (Dau) is one of its active ingredients. However, whether Dau can treat ITP and the key mechanism of its effect are still unclear. In this study, we found that Dau could effectively promote the differentiation and maturation of megakaryocytes and the formation of polyploidy in the megakaryocyte differentiation disorder model constructed by co-culturing Dami and HS-5 cells. In vivo experiments showed that Dau could not only increase the number of polyploidized megakaryocytes in the ITP rat model, but also promote the recovery of platelet count. In addition, through network pharmacology analysis, we speculated that the JAK2-STAT3 signaling pathway might be involved in the process of Dau promoting megakaryocyte differentiation. Western blot results showed that Dau inhibited the expression of P-JAK2 and P-STAT3. In summary, these results provide a basis for further studying the pharmacological mechanism of Dau in treating ITP.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Male; Rats; Cell Differentiation; Disease Models, Animal; Janus Kinase 2; Megakaryocytes; Purpura, Thrombocytopenic, Idiopathic; Signal Transduction; Sitosterols; STAT3 Transcription Factor
PubMed: 38796983
DOI: 10.1016/j.bcmd.2024.102858 -
Nutrients May 2024Long-term exposure to even slightly elevated plasma cholesterol levels significantly increases the risk of developing cardiovascular disease. The latest evidence... (Review)
Review
Long-term exposure to even slightly elevated plasma cholesterol levels significantly increases the risk of developing cardiovascular disease. The latest evidence recommends an improvement in plasma lipid levels, even in children who are not affected by severe hypercholesterolemia. The risk-benefit profile of pharmacological treatments in pediatric patients with moderate dyslipidemia is uncertain, and several cholesterol-lowering nutraceuticals have been recently tested. In this context, the available randomized clinical trials are small, short-term and mainly tested different types of fibers, plant sterols/stanols, standardized extracts of red yeast rice, polyunsaturated fatty acids, soy derivatives, and some probiotics. In children with dyslipidemia, nutraceuticals can improve lipid profile in the context of an adequate, well-balanced diet combined with regular physical activity. Of course, they should not be considered an alternative to conventional lipid-lowering drugs when necessary.
Topics: Humans; Dietary Supplements; Child; Hypercholesterolemia; Cholesterol; Anticholesteremic Agents; Dyslipidemias; Phytosterols; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Pediatrics; Cardiovascular Diseases
PubMed: 38794764
DOI: 10.3390/nu16101526 -
Plants (Basel, Switzerland) May 2024Broccoli is a rich source of diverse bioactive compounds, but how their contents are influenced by different growing seasons and variations in broccoli head sizes...
Broccoli is a rich source of diverse bioactive compounds, but how their contents are influenced by different growing seasons and variations in broccoli head sizes remains elusive. To address this question, we quantified sixteen known bioactive compounds and seven minerals in broccoli with varying head sizes obtained in two different growing seasons. Our results suggest that the contents of vitamin C, total phenols, carotenoids, and glucoraphanin were significantly higher in samples from the summer-autumn season, showing increases of 157.46%, 34.74%, 51.80%, and 17.78%, respectively, compared with those from the winter-spring season. Moreover, chlorogenic acid is a phenolic compound with relatively high contents among the six detected, while beta-sitosterol is the sterol with relatively high contents. Further, principal component analysis was conducted to rank the comprehensive scores of the profiles of phenolic compounds, phytosterols, and minerals, demonstrating that the broccoli samples grown during the summer-autumn season achieved the highest composite scores. Our results indicate that broccoli heads from the summer-autumn season are richer in a combination of bioactive compounds and minerals than those from the winter-spring season based on the composite score. This study extends our understanding of the nutrition profiles in broccoli and also lays the foundation for breeding broccoli varieties with improved nutrition quality.
PubMed: 38794399
DOI: 10.3390/plants13101329 -
Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) Apr 2024Phytosterols are a large group of substances belonging to sterols-compounds naturally occurring in the tissues of plants, animals, and humans. The most well-known animal... (Review)
Review
Phytosterols are a large group of substances belonging to sterols-compounds naturally occurring in the tissues of plants, animals, and humans. The most well-known animal sterol is cholesterol. Among phytosterols, the most significant compounds are β-sitosterol, stigmasterol, and campesterol. At present, they are mainly employed in functional food products designed to counteract cardiovascular disorders by lowering levels of 'bad' cholesterol, which stands as their most extensively studied purpose. It is currently understood that phytosterols may also alleviate conditions associated with the gastrointestinal system. Their beneficial pharmacological properties in relation to gastrointestinal tract include anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective activity. Also, the anti-cancer properties as well as the impact on the gut microbiome could be a very interesting area of research, which might potentially lead to the discovery of their new application. This article provides consolidated knowledge on a new potential use of phytosterols, namely the treatment or prevention of gastrointestinal diseases. The cited studies indicate high therapeutic efficacy in conditions such as peptic ulcer disease, IBD or liver failure caused by hepatotoxic xenobiotics, however, these are mainly in vitro or in vivo studies. Nevertheless, studies to date indicate their therapeutic potential as adjunctive treatments to conventional therapies, which often exhibit unsatisfactory efficacy or serious side effects. Unfortunately, at this point there is a lack of significant clinical study data to use phytosterols in clinical practice in this area.
PubMed: 38794127
DOI: 10.3390/ph17050557 -
International Journal of Molecular... May 2024Mitochondrial protein homeostasis is crucially regulated by protein degradation processes involving both mitochondrial proteases and cytosolic autophagy. However, it...
Mitochondrial protein homeostasis is crucially regulated by protein degradation processes involving both mitochondrial proteases and cytosolic autophagy. However, it remains unclear how plant cells regulate autophagy in the scenario of lacking a major mitochondrial Lon1 protease. In this study, we observed a notable downregulation of core autophagy proteins in Lon1 knockout mutant and , supporting the alterations in the relative proportions of mitochondrial and vacuolar proteins over total proteins in the plant cells. To delve deeper into understanding the roles of the mitochondrial protease Lon1 and autophagy in maintaining mitochondrial protein homeostasis and plant development, we generated the double mutant by incorporating the loss-of-function mutation of the autophagy core protein ATG5, known as . The double mutant exhibited a blend of phenotypes, characterized by short plants and early senescence, mirroring those observed in the individual single mutants. Accordingly, distinct transcriptome alterations were evident in each of the single mutants, while the double mutant displayed a unique amalgamation of transcriptional responses. Heightened severity, particularly evident in reduced seed numbers and abnormal embryo development, was observed in the double mutant. Notably, aberrations in protein storage vacuoles (PSVs) and oil bodies were evident in the single and double mutants. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses of genes concurrently downregulated in , , and unveiled a significant suppression of genes associated with brassinosteroid (BR) biosynthesis and homeostasis. This downregulation likely contributes to the observed abnormalities in seed and embryo development in the mutants.
Topics: Arabidopsis; Arabidopsis Proteins; Autophagy; Seeds; Mitochondria; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; Brassinosteroids; ATP-Dependent Proteases; Mutation; Mitochondrial Proteins; Down-Regulation; Phenotype; Serine Endopeptidases
PubMed: 38791463
DOI: 10.3390/ijms25105425 -
International Journal of Molecular... May 2024This study aimed to assess the antioxidant capacity of lemon flavonoid extract Eriomin (LE) and its impact on cholesterol metabolism in the context of healthy aging. We...
This study aimed to assess the antioxidant capacity of lemon flavonoid extract Eriomin (LE) and its impact on cholesterol metabolism in the context of healthy aging. We orally treated 24-month-old male Wistar rats with an LE (40 mg/kg) suspended in 0.3 mL of sunflower oil. At the same time, control groups received an equal volume of sunflower oil (CON) or remained untreated (ICON) daily for 4 weeks. We examined LE's effects on superoxide dismutase and catalase- and glutathione-related enzyme activities, the concentration of lipid peroxides and protein carbonyls, total oxidant status (TOS) and antioxidant status (TAS), and oxidative stress index (OSI) in the liver, jejunum, and ileum. We also measured total cholesterol, its biosynthetic precursors (lanosterol, lathosterol, desmosterol), its degradation products (bile acid precursors) in the serum, liver, jejunum, and ileum, and serum phytosterols (intestinal absorption markers). LE reduced TOS, TAS, and OSI ( < 0.05) compared with control values, indicating its consistent antioxidant action in all examined organs. LE lowered hepatic desmosterol ( < 0.05) while also reducing 7α- and 24-hydroxycholesterol levels in the liver and ileum ( < 0.01). Serum cholesterol, hepatic gene expression, and the immunostaining intensity of CYP7A1 were unchanged. In conclusion, LE exerted non-enzymatic antioxidant effects and reduced cholesterol degradation, reducing its biosynthesis products, thereby maintaining serum cholesterol levels.
Topics: Animals; Cholesterol; Antioxidants; Male; Rats; Plant Extracts; Rats, Wistar; Flavonoids; Liver; Aging; Citrus; Oxidative Stress; Jejunum; Cholesterol 7-alpha-Hydroxylase
PubMed: 38791260
DOI: 10.3390/ijms25105221 -
Journal of Agricultural and Food... Jun 2024Phytosterol (PS) is a steroid, and its bioavailability can be enhanced by interacting with protein in the C-24 hydroxyl group. The interaction between sterols and amino...
Phytosterol (PS) is a steroid, and its bioavailability can be enhanced by interacting with protein in the C-24 hydroxyl group. The interaction between sterols and amino acid residues in proteins can be enhanced by enzymatic hydrolysis. Phytosterol and whey insulation hydrolysates (WPH1-4) fabricated by the Alcalase enzyme at different enzymatic hydrolysis times were selected as delivery systems to simulate sterol C-24 hydroxyl group interaction with protein. Increasing hydrolysis time can promote the production of β-Lg, which raises the ratio of β-turn in the secondary structure and promotes the formation of interaction between WPH and PS. The correlation coefficient between hydrogen bonds and encapsulation efficiency (EE) and bioaccessibility is 0.91 and 0.88 ( < 0.05), respectively, indicating that hydrogen bonds of two components significantly influenced the combination by concealing the hydrophobic amino acids and some residues, which improved PS EE and bioavailability by 3.03 and 2.84 times after PS was combined with the WPI hydrolysate. These findings are expected to enhance the absorption of PS and other macromolecules by protein enzymatic hydrolysis to broaden their applications for food.
Topics: Phytosterols; Whey Proteins; Protein Hydrolysates; Hydrolysis; Digestion; Biological Availability; Hydrogen Bonding; Subtilisins; Humans; Animals
PubMed: 38788151
DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.4c01111 -
Biomolecules Apr 2024Clickable chemical tools are essential for studying the localization and role of biomolecules in living cells. For this purpose, alkyne-based close analogs of the...
Clickable chemical tools are essential for studying the localization and role of biomolecules in living cells. For this purpose, alkyne-based close analogs of the respective biomolecules are of outstanding interest. Here, in the field of phytosterols, we present the first alkyne derivative of sitosterol, which fulfills the crucial requirements for such a chemical tool as follows: very similar in size and lipophilicity to the plant phytosterols, and correct absolute configuration at C-24. The alkyne sitosterol FB-DJ-1 was synthesized, starting from stigmasterol, which comprised nine steps, utilizing a novel alkyne activation method, a Johnson-Claisen rearrangement for the stereoselective construction of a branched sterol side chain, and a Bestmann-Ohira reaction for the generation of the alkyne moiety.
Topics: Sitosterols; Alkynes; Plant Cells; Phytosterols; Click Chemistry
PubMed: 38785949
DOI: 10.3390/biom14050542 -
Planta May 2024Trace amounts of epibrassinolide (EpiBL) could partially rescue wheat root length inhibition in salt-stressed situation by scavenging ROS, and ectopic expression of...
Trace amounts of epibrassinolide (EpiBL) could partially rescue wheat root length inhibition in salt-stressed situation by scavenging ROS, and ectopic expression of TaDWF4 or TaBAK1 enhances root salt tolerance in Arabidopsis by balancing ROS level. Salt stress often leads to ion toxicity and oxidative stress, causing cell structure damage and root development inhibition in plants. While prior research indicated the involvement of exogenous brassinosteroid (BR) in plant responses to salt stress, the precise cytological role and the function of BR in wheat root development under salt stress remain elusive. Our study demonstrates that 100 mM NaCl solution inhibits wheat root development, but 5 nM EpiBL partially rescues root length inhibition by decreasing HO content, oxygen free radical (OFR) content, along with increasing the peroxidase (POD) and catalase (CAT) activities in salt-stressed roots. The qRT-PCR experiment also shows that expression of the ROS-scavenging genes (GPX2 and CAT2) increased in roots after applying BR, especially during salt stress situation. Transcriptional analysis reveals decreased expression of BR synthesis and root meristem development genes under salt stress in wheat roots. Differential expression gene (DEG) enrichment analysis highlights the significant impact of salt stress on various biological processes, particularly "hydrogen peroxide catabolic process" and "response to oxidative stress". Additionally, the BR biosynthesis pathway is enriched under salt stress conditions. Therefore, we investigated the involvement of wheat BR synthesis gene TaDWF4 and BR signaling gene TaBAK1 in salt stress responses in roots. Our results demonstrate that ectopic expression of TaDWF4 or TaBAK1 enhances salt tolerance in Arabidopsis by balancing ROS (Reactive oxygen species) levels in roots.
Topics: Triticum; Brassinosteroids; Plant Roots; Reactive Oxygen Species; Salt Tolerance; Homeostasis; Steroids, Heterocyclic; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; Hydrogen Peroxide; Salt Stress; Oxidative Stress; Arabidopsis; Plant Proteins; Catalase
PubMed: 38777878
DOI: 10.1007/s00425-024-04429-8