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BMC Plant Biology May 2024Cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) is a physical technology with notable effects on living organisms. In the present study, tomato seeds (Solanum lycopersicum var. Bassimo...
Cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) is a physical technology with notable effects on living organisms. In the present study, tomato seeds (Solanum lycopersicum var. Bassimo Mill.) were exposed to CAP for various time intervals, ranging from 1 to 5 min, in both continuous and intermittent periods, and were compared with a control group that received no CAP treatment. Seedlings grown from treated seeds exhibited improvements in levels of growth traits, photosynthetic pigments, and metabolite contents when compared to the control group. Seedlings from seeds treated with S04 displayed significant increases in shoot and root lengths, by 32.45% and 20.60% respectively, compared to the control group. Moreover, seedlings from seeds treated with S01 showed a 101.90% increase in total protein, whereas those treated with S02 experienced a 119.52% increase in carbohydrate content. These findings highlight the substantial improvements in growth characteristics, photosynthetic pigments, and metabolite levels in seedlings from treated seeds relative to controls. Total antioxidant capacity was boosted by CAP exposure. The activities of enzymes including superoxide dismutase, catalase, and peroxidases were stimulated by S02 and exceeded control treatment by (177.48%, 137.41%, and 103.32%), respectively. Additionally, exposure to S04 increased the levels of non-enzymatic antioxidants like flavonoids, phenolics, saponins, and tannins over the control group (38.08%, 30.10%, 117.19%, and 94.44%), respectively. Our results indicate that CAP-seed priming is an innovative and cost-effective approach to enhance the growth, bioactive components, and yield of tomato seedlings.
Topics: Solanum lycopersicum; Seedlings; Plasma Gases; Antioxidants; Photosynthesis; Seeds
PubMed: 38760701
DOI: 10.1186/s12870-024-04961-5 -
Open Life Sciences 2024The application of fertilizers and soil quality are crucial for grape fruit quality. However, the molecular data linking different fertilizer (or soil conditioner [SC])...
The application of fertilizers and soil quality are crucial for grape fruit quality. However, the molecular data linking different fertilizer (or soil conditioner [SC]) treatments with grape fruit quality is still lacking. In this study, we investigated three soil treatments, namely inorganic fertilizer (NPK, 343.5 kg/hm urea [N ≥ 46%]; 166.5 kg/hm PO [PO ≥ 64%]; 318 kg/hm KO [KO ≥ 50%]), organic fertilizer (Org, 9 t/hm [organic matter content ≥ 35%, N + PO + KO ≥ 13%]), and SC (SC, 3 t/hm [humic acid ≥ 38.5%; C, 56.1%; H, 3.7%; N, 1.5%; O, 38%; S, 0.6%]), on 4-year-old Cabernet Sauvignon grapevines. Compared with the NPK- and Org-treated groups, the SC significantly improved the levels of soluble solids, tannins, anthocyanins, and total phenols in the grape berries, which are important biochemical indicators that affect wine quality. Furthermore, we conducted RNA-seq analysis on the grapevine roots from each of the three treatments and used weighted gene co-expression network analysis to identify five hub genes that were associated with the biochemical indicators of the grape berries. Furthermore, we validated the expression levels of three hub genes (, , and ) and five selected genes related to anthocyanin biosynthesis (, , , , and ) by using quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Compared to the NPK and Org treatment groups, the SC treatment resulted in a significant increase in the transcription levels of three hub genes as well as , , , and . These results suggest that the SC can improve grape fruit quality by altering gene transcription patterns in grapevine roots and further influence the biochemical indices of grape fruits, particularly anthocyanin content. This study reveals that the application of SC can serve as an important measure for enhancing vineyard SC and elevating grape quality.
PubMed: 38737104
DOI: 10.1515/biol-2022-0864 -
ACS Omega May 2024Films formed by metals and phenols through a coordinative interaction have been extensively studied in previous years. We report the successful formation of MPN films...
Films formed by metals and phenols through a coordinative interaction have been extensively studied in previous years. We report the successful formation of MPN films from the phenolic compounds caffeic acid and lignosulfonate using Fe ions for complexation. The likewise examined -coumaryl alcohol showed some MPN film formation tendency, while for coniferyl alcohol and sinapyl alcohol, no successful film buildup could be observed. These newly formed films were compared to tannic acid-Fe films as a reference. Film growth and degradation were tracked by using UV-vis absorption spectroscopy. The films were degradable under different conditions such as alkaline environments or in the presence of a strong chelator. Small hollow capsules with a diameter of 3 μm and thicknesses in the nanometer range were produced. Additionally, the prepared films showed varying colors and levels of wettability. By utilizing the films' coating properties, we successfully dyed human hair in various colors.
PubMed: 38737076
DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.4c01399 -
Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology... Apr 2024Myocardial infarction (MI) is a significant global health issue and the leading cause of death. Myocardial infarction (MI) is characterized by events such as damage to...
Punicalagin attenuates isoproterenol-induced myocardial infarction through nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2/silent information regulator transcript-1-mediated inhibition of inflammation and cardiac stress markers in experimental animal models.
Myocardial infarction (MI) is a significant global health issue and the leading cause of death. Myocardial infarction (MI) is characterized by events such as damage to heart cells and stress generated by inflammation. Punicalagin (PCN), a naturally occurring bioactive compound found in pomegranates, exhibits a diverse array of pharmacological effects against many disorders. This study aimed to assess the preventive impact of PCN, with its potential anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, on myocardial injury caused by isoproterenol (ISO) in rats and elucidate the possible underlying mechanisms. Experimental rats were randomly categorized into four groups: control group (fed a regular diet for 15 days), PCN group (orally administered PCN at 50 mg/kg body weight (b.w.) for 15 days), ISO group (subcutaneously administered ISO (85 mg/kg b.w.) on days 14 and 15 to induce MI), and PCN+ISO group (orally preadministered PCN (50 mg/kg b.w.) for 15 days and administered ISO (85 mg/kg b.w.) on days 14 and 15). The rat cardiac tissue was then investigated for cardiac marker, oxidative stress marker, and inflammatory marker expression levels. PCN prevented ISO-induced myocardial injury, suppressing the levels of creatine kinase-myocardial band, C-reactive protein, homocysteine, cardiac troponin T, and cardiac troponin I in the rats. Moreover, PCN treatment reversed (P<0.01) the ISO-induced increase in blood pressure, attenuated lipid peroxidation markers, and depleted both enzymatic and nonenzymatic markers in the rats. Additionally, PCN inhibited (P<0.01) ISO-induced overexpression of oxidative stress markers (p-38, p-c-Jun N-terminal kinase, and p-extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1), inflammatory markers (nuclear factor-kappa B, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and interleukin-6), and matrix metalloproteinases and decreased the levels (P<0.01) of apoptosis proteins in the rats. Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2/silent information regulator transcript-1 (Nrf2/Sirt1) is a major cellular defense protein that regulates and scavenges oxidative toxic substances through apoptosis. Therefore, overexpression of Nrf2/Sirt1 to inhibit inflammation and oxidative stress is considered a novel target for preventing MI. PCN also significantly enhanced the expression of Nrf2/Sirt1 in ISO-induced rats. Histopathological analyses of cardiac tissue revealed that PCN treatment exhibited a protective effect on the heart tissue, mitigating damage. These findings show that by activating the Nrf2/Sirt1 pathway, PCN regulates oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis, hence providing protection against ISO-induced myocardial ischemia.
Topics: Animals; Isoproterenol; Myocardial Infarction; NF-E2-Related Factor 2; Male; Hydrolyzable Tannins; Sirtuin 1; Inflammation; Rats; Oxidative Stress; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Rats, Wistar; Biomarkers; Disease Models, Animal; Antioxidants; Myocardium
PubMed: 38736260
DOI: 10.26402/jpp.2024.2.02 -
Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy =... May 2024Biofilms often engender persistent infections, heightened antibiotic resistance, and the recurrence of infections. Therefor, infections related to bacterial biofilms are...
Biofilms often engender persistent infections, heightened antibiotic resistance, and the recurrence of infections. Therefor, infections related to bacterial biofilms are often chronic and pose challenges in terms of treatment. The main transcription regulatory factor, CsgD, activates csgABC-encoded curli to participate in the composition of extracellular matrix, which is an important skeleton for biofilm development in enterobacteriaceae. In our previous study, a wide range of natural bioactive compounds that exhibit strong affinity to CsgD were screened and identified via molecular docking. Tannic acid (TA) was subsequently chosen, based on its potent biofilm inhibition effect as observed in crystal violet staining. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the specific effects of TA on the biofilm formation of clinically isolated Escherichia coli (E. coli). Results demonstrated a significant inhibition of E. coli Ec032 biofilm formation by TA, while not substantially affecting the biofilm of the ΔcsgD strain. Moreover, deletion of the csgD gene led to a reduction in Ec032 biofilm formation, alongside diminished bacterial motility and curli synthesis inhibition. Transcriptomic analysis and RT-qPCR revealed that TA repressed genes associated with the csg operon and other biofilm-related genes. In conclusion, our results suggest that CsgD is one of the key targets for TA to inhibit E. coli biofilm formation. This work preliminarily elucidates the molecular mechanisms of TA inhibiting E. coli biofilm formation, which could provide a lead structure for the development of future antibiofilm drugs.
PubMed: 38735084
DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2024.116716 -
Nutrients Apr 2024Black trumpet () is a mushroom present in many countries but underestimated. The aim of this publication is to present the latest state of knowledge about the chemical... (Review)
Review
Black trumpet () is a mushroom present in many countries but underestimated. The aim of this publication is to present the latest state of knowledge about the chemical composition and bioactivity of and the possibility of its application in food. According to researchers, black trumpet is very rich in nutritional compounds, including unsaturated fatty acids (mainly oleic and linoleic acids), β-glucans, minerals, and vitamins as well as polyphenols and tannins. It also contains compounds influencing the sensory properties, like free amino acids and nucleotides as well as sugars and polyols, mainly mannitol. Many of the described components show high nutritional and bioactive properties. Therefore, shows antioxidant activity and immunostimulating, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer effects as well as antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, and antihyperglycemic effects. This makes black trumpet, also called horn of plenty, a mushroom with great potential for use both in medicine and directly in food. So far, black trumpet is not widely used in food, especially processed food. There are only a few studies on the use of dried black trumpet in sausages, but there is great potential for its use in food.
Topics: Humans; Nutritive Value; Antioxidants; Agaricales; Health Promotion; Polyphenols; beta-Glucans; Functional Food
PubMed: 38732570
DOI: 10.3390/nu16091325 -
Plants (Basel, Switzerland) Apr 2024The efficacy, targeting ability, and biocompatibility of plant-based nanoparticles can be exploited in fields such as agriculture and medicine. This study highlights the...
The efficacy, targeting ability, and biocompatibility of plant-based nanoparticles can be exploited in fields such as agriculture and medicine. This study highlights the use of plant-based ginger nanoparticles as an effective and promising strategy against cancer and for the treatment and prevention of bacterial infections and related disorders. Ginger is a well-known spice with significant medicinal value due to its phytochemical constituents including gingerols, shogaols, zingerones, and paradols. The silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) derived from ginger extracts could be an important non-toxic and eco-friendly nanomaterial for widespread use in medicine. In this study, AgNPs were biosynthesized using an ethanolic extract of ginger rhizome and their phytochemical, antioxidant, antibacterial, and cytotoxic properties were evaluated. UV-visible spectral analysis confirmed the formation of spherical AgNPs. FTIR analysis revealed that the NPs were associated with various functional biomolecules that were associated with the NPs during stabilization. The particle size and SEM analyses revealed that the AgNPs were in the size range of 80-100 nm, with a polydispersity index (PDI) of 0.510, and a zeta potential of -17.1 mV. The purity and crystalline nature of the AgNPs were confirmed by X-ray diffraction analysis. The simple and repeatable phyto-fabrication method reported here may be used for scaling up for large-scale production of ginger-derived NPs. A phytochemical analysis of the ginger extract revealed the presence of alkaloids, glycosides, flavonoids, phenolics, tannins, saponins, and terpenoids, which can serve as active biocatalysts and natural stabilizers of metallic NPs. The ginger extracts at low concentrations demonstrated promising cytotoxicity against Vero cell lines with a 50% reduction in cell viability at 0.6-6 μg/mL. When evaluated for biological activity, the AgNPs exhibited significant antioxidant and antibacterial activity on several Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial species, including , , , and . This suggests that the AgNPs may be used against multi-drug-resistant bacteria. Ginger-derived AgNPs have a considerable potential for use in the development of broad-spectrum antimicrobial and anticancer medications, and an optimistic perspective for their use in medicine and pharmaceutical industry.
PubMed: 38732470
DOI: 10.3390/plants13091255 -
Plants (Basel, Switzerland) Apr 2024The present study focuses on the chemical characterization of a dry extract obtained from the species (L.) Schreb, evaluating its antioxidant properties, toxicity, and...
The present study focuses on the chemical characterization of a dry extract obtained from the species (L.) Schreb, evaluating its antioxidant properties, toxicity, and in silico profile. Quantitative analysis of the dry extract revealed a notable amount of phytochemical compounds: 59.932 ± 21.167 mg rutin equivalents (mg REs)/g dry weight, 45.864 ± 4.434 mg chlorogenic acid equivalents (mg ChAEs)/g dry weight and, respectively, 83.307 ± 3.989 mg tannic acid equivalents (TAEs)/g dry weight. By UHPLC-HRMS/MS, the following were quantified as major compounds: caffeic acid (3253.8 μg/g extract) and kaempherol (3041.5 μg/g extract); more than 11 types of polyphenolic compounds were quantified (genistin 730.2 μg/g extract, naringenin 395 μg/g extract, apigenin 325.7 μg/g extract, galangin 283.3 μg/g extract, ferulic acid 254.3 μg/g extract, p-coumaric acid 198.2 μg/g extract, rutin 110.6 μg/g extract, chrysin 90.22 μg/g extract, syringic acid 84.2 μg/g extract, pinocembrin 32.7 μg/g extract, ellagic acid 18.2 μg/g extract). The antioxidant activity was in accordance with the amount of phytochemical compounds: ICDPPH = 483.6 ± 41.4 µg/mL, ICABTS = 127.4 ± 20.2 µg/mL, and ECFRAP = 491.6 ± 2 µg/mL. On the larvae of sp., it was found that the extract has a low cytotoxic action. In silico studies have highlighted the possibility of inhibiting the activity of protein kinases CDK5 and GSK-3b for apigenin, galangin, and kaempferol, with possible utility for treating neurodegenerative pathologies and neuropathic pain. Further studies are warranted to confirm the predicted molecular mechanisms of action and to further investigate the therapeutic potential in animal models of neurological disorders.
PubMed: 38732407
DOI: 10.3390/plants13091192 -
International Journal of Molecular... Apr 2024The effect of UV-B radiation exposure on transgenerational plasticity, the phenomenon whereby the parental environment influences both the parent's and the offspring's...
The effect of UV-B radiation exposure on transgenerational plasticity, the phenomenon whereby the parental environment influences both the parent's and the offspring's phenotype, is poorly understood. To investigate the impact of exposing successive generations of rice plants to UV-B radiation on seed morphology and proanthocyanidin content, the local traditional rice variety 'Baijiaolaojing' was planted on terraces in Yuanyang county and subjected to enhanced UV-B radiation treatments. The radiation intensity that caused the maximum phenotypic plasticity (7.5 kJ·m) was selected for further study, and the rice crops were cultivated for four successive generations. The results show that in the same generation, enhanced UV-B radiation resulted in significant decreases in grain length, grain width, spike weight, and thousand-grain weight, as well as significant increases in empty grain percentage and proanthocyanidin content, compared with crops grown under natural light conditions. Proanthocyanidin content increased as the number of generations of rice exposed to radiation increased, but in generation G3, it decreased, along with the empty grain ratio. At the same time, biomass, tiller number, and thousand-grain weight increased, and rice growth returned to control levels. When the offspring's radiation memory and growth environment did not match, rice growth was negatively affected, and seed proanthocyanidin content was increased to maintain seed activity. The correlation analysis results show that phenylalanine ammonialyase (PAL), cinnamate-4-hydroxylase (C4H), dihydroflavonol 4-reductase (DFR), and 4-coumarate:CoA ligase (4CL) enzyme activity positively influenced proanthocyanidin content. Overall, UV-B radiation affected transgenerational plasticity in seed morphology and proanthocyanidin content, showing that rice was able to adapt to this stressor if previous generations had been continuously exposed to treatment.
Topics: Proanthocyanidins; Ultraviolet Rays; Oryza; Seeds; Edible Grain; Phenotype
PubMed: 38731985
DOI: 10.3390/ijms25094766 -
International Journal of Molecular... Apr 2024Acne vulgaris is a prevalent skin disorder affecting many young individuals, marked by keratinization, inflammation, seborrhea, and colonization by (). Ellagitannins,...
Acne vulgaris is a prevalent skin disorder affecting many young individuals, marked by keratinization, inflammation, seborrhea, and colonization by (). Ellagitannins, known for their antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, have not been widely studied for their anti-acne effects. Chestnut ( Mill., ), a rich ellagitannin source, including castalagin whose acne-related bioactivity was previously unexplored, was investigated in this study. The research assessed the effect of leaf extract and castalagin on human keratinocytes (HaCaT) infected with , finding that both inhibited IL-8 and IL-6 release at concentrations below 25 μg/mL. The action mechanism was linked to NF-κB inhibition, without AP-1 involvement. Furthermore, the extract displayed anti-biofilm properties and reduced CK-10 expression, indicating a potential role in mitigating inflammation, bacterial colonization, and keratosis. Castalagin's bioactivity mirrored the extract's effects, notably in IL-8 inhibition, NF-κB inhibition, and biofilm formation at low μM levels. Other polyphenols, such as flavonol glycosides identified via LC-MS, might also contribute to the extract's biological activities. This study is the first to explore ellagitannins' potential in treating acne, offering insights for developing chestnut-based anti-acne treatments pending future in vivo studies.
Topics: Humans; Hydrolyzable Tannins; Fagaceae; Acne Vulgaris; Plant Extracts; Plant Leaves; Keratinocytes; NF-kappa B; HaCaT Cells; Propionibacterium acnes; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Biofilms; Interleukin-8
PubMed: 38731983
DOI: 10.3390/ijms25094764