Effect of Salicylic Acid on the Activity of PAL and PHB Geranyltransferase and Shikonin Derivatives Production in Cell Suspension Cultures of Arnebia euchroma (Royle) Johnst—a Medicinally Important Plant Species

Cell suspension cultures of Arnebia euchroma were established from the friable callus on liquid Murashige and Skoog medium supplemented with 6-benzylaminopurine (10.0 μM) and indole-3-butyric acid (5.0 μM). Salicylic acid was used to study its effect on the enzymes which participate in shikonin biosynthesis with respect to metabolite (shikonin) content in the cell suspension culture of A. euchroma. In our study, phenylalanine ammonia lyase and PHB geranyltransferase were selected from the entire biosynthetic pathway. Results showed that phenylalanine ammonia lyase is responsible for growth and PHB geranyltransferase for metabolite production. Salicylic acid exhibited an inverse relationship with the metabolite content (shikonin); salicylic acid (100 μM) completely inhibited shikonin biosynthesis. The results presented in the current study can be successfully employed for the metabolic engineering of its biosynthetic pathway for the enhancement of shikonin, which will not only help in meeting its industrial demand but also lead to the conservation of species in its natural habitat.     

Effects of Exogenous Methyl Jasmonate on the Biosynthesis of Shikonin Derivatives in Callus Tissues of Arnebia euchroma

The shikonin derivatives, accumulated in the roots of Arnebia euchroma (Boraginaceae), showed antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and anti-tumor activities. To explore their possible biosynthesis regulation mechanism, this paper investigated the effects of exogenous methyl jasmonate (MJ) on the biosynthesis of shikonin derivatives in callus cultures of A. euchroma. The main results include: Under MJ treatment, the growth of A. euchroma callus cultures was not inhibited, but the expression level of both the genes involved in the biosynthesis of shikonin derivatives and their precursors and the genes responsible for intracellular localization of shikonin derivatives increased significantly in the Red Strain (shikonin derivatives high-producing strain). The quantitative analysis showed that six out of the seven naphthoquinone compounds under investigation increased their contents in the MJ-treated Red Strain, and in particular, the bioactive component acetylshikonin nearly doubled its content in the MJ-treated Red Strain. In addition, it was also observed that the metabolic profiling of naphthoquinone compounds changed significantly after MJ treatment, and the MJ-treated and MJ-untreated strains clearly formed distinct clusters in the score plot of PLS-DA. Our results provide some new insights into the regulation mechanism of the biosynthesis of shikonin derivatives and a possible way to increase the production of naphthoquinone compounds in A. euchroma callus cultures in the future.     

Determination of naturally occurring hydroxynaphthoquinone polymers by size-exclusion chromatography

Summary Polymerization of alkannin, shikonin, and their derivatives, potent pharmaceutical substances, crucially affects their use in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and as food colorants, because it leads to loss of their antimicrobial activity, reduction of the lustre of their red coloration, and a decrease in their solubility. In this study size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) has been used for the first time for qualitative and quantitative analysis of monomeric and polymeric hydroxynaphthoquinone alkannin and shikonin derivatives. The purity and degree of polymerization has been determined to evaluate severalAlkanna tinctoria root samples from different geographical sources, and commercial samples of alkannin and shikonin, as pharmaceutical raw materials. Conditions for extraction of hydroxynaphthoquinones fromAlkanna tinctoria roots with olive oil were optimized in terms of polimerization, aiming to improve the biological activity of the final pharmaceutical product, Helixderm.     

Structure determination of oligomeric alkannin and shikonin derivatives

Monomeric alkannin and shikonin (A/S) are potent pharmaceutical substances with a wide spectrum of biological activity and comprise the active ingredients for several pharmaceutical preparations. Therefore, the determination of the impurities, degradation products or byproducts in alkannin and shikonin samples is of great importance. Oligomeric alkannin and shikonin are formed during biosynthesis of these bioactive secondary metabolites in Boraginaceaous root plants, during tissue culture production of A/S, during alkaline hydrolysis of A/S esters and also thermal treatment of A/S. In the present study, a dimeric alkannin/shikonin compound was isolated by size exclusion chromatography from alkannin and shikonin commercial samples and its structure was determined by one- and two-dimensional NMR spectroscopy. The structure of the most abundant oligomeric species in these samples, a dimeric naphthoquinone, was established for the fi rst time, indicating that coupling of the side chain of one naphthoquinone unit with the aromatic ring of a second naphthoquinone leads to dimer formation. This type of coupling allows further oligomerization by leaving one isohexenyl side chain available at the second monomer unit.     

Wound-healing activity of an oligomer of alkannin/shikonin,isolated from root bark of Onosma echioides

Root bark of Onosma echioides belonging to the family Boraginaceae is reported to be rich in naphthaquinones such as alkannins and shikonins. In this study, a dimer of alkannin/shikonin was isolated from the petroleum ether (60–80 C) extract of the bark, and the structure of the same was elucidated through spectral studies (UV, IR, NMR, MS and DEPT). The petroleum ether extract was found to contain 62.4% (w/w) of the dimer of alkannin/shikonin, and the compound is found to promote wound-healing process, when studied in the excision and incision wound models in albino rats.     

Antibacterial effect of butyryl alkannin from Arnebia euchroma against vancomycin-resistant pathogens of Enterococcus faecalis causing urinary tract infections

This study was carried out to investigate the biomedicinal potential of a bioactive marker component, butyryl alkannin, isolated from n-hexane root extract of Arnebia euchroma against various vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) isolates of Enterococcus faecalis causing urinary tract infections. As a result, butyryl alkannin showed significant antibacterial activity against multidrug-resistant E. faecalis pathogens of VRE as minimum inhibitory concentration values which were found in the range of 3.13 to 6.26 μg ml^? 1. The findings of this study justify biological and biomedicinal potential of butyryl alkannin compound as confirmed by its higher and significant antibacterial efficacy against VRE isolates of E. faecalis as compared to standard antibiotic vancomycin.     

Identification of shikonin and its ester derivatives from the roots of Echium italicum L.

Nine shikonin pigments: shikonin (S), acetylshikonin (AS), propionylshikonin (PS), isobutyrylshikonin (IBS), tiglylshikonin (TS), 3,3-dimethylacrylshikonin (DAS), angelylshikonin (ANS), 2-methyl-n-butyrylshikonin (MBS) and isovalerylshikonin (IVS) were identified in the root epidermis of Echium italicum L. for the first time. A new thin-layer chromatographic (TLC) method for the separation of enantiomers alkannin and shikonin proved only shikonin after saponification of the root extract, and was afterwards esterified with the corresponding acyl chloride to acquire seven standard compounds (all except ANS). The developed isocratic high-peformance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) methods with VIS and mass spectrometry (MS) detection, allowed for the first time simultaneous separation of all nine compounds with similar structures including positional and geometric isomers in a short time. Structures of the main five compounds (AS, IBS, ANS, MBS, IVS) isolated from the extract by a new semi-preparative HPLC on C18 have additionally been confirmed by ¹H and ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance spectra, which were reported for AS and MBS for the first time.     

Alkannin/shikonin mixture from roots of Onosma echioides (L.) L.: extraction method study and quantification

This work reports the extraction procedures of alkannin/shikonin mixture from roots of six populations of Onosma echioides, by means of three extraction techniques: Soxhlet extraction, maceration and rapid solid-liquid dynamic extraction (RSLDE). Five solvents with different polarity (hexane, petroleum ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate, methanol) were also studied. Analysis of the extracts was performed by an HPLC-DAD (diode array detector) system. The most efficient extraction technique was Soxhlet procedure using ethyl acetate for 6 h. Studied samples of O. echioides showed an alkannin/shikonin content in the range of 0.02-0.24 mg/kg. Other naphthoquinone derivatives (deoxyalkannin/deoxyshikonin and 5,8-dihydroxy-2-(4-methyl-6-oxo-5,6-dihydro-2H-pyran-2-yl)-[1,4]naphthoquinone and arnebin-6) were found for the first time in O. echioides and characterized in the extracts using HPLC-MS apparatus equipped with an ESI ionization source.     

Study on the enantiomeric ratio of the pharmaceutical substances alkannin and shikonin

The chiral pair alkannin and shikonin (A/S) are potent pharmaceutical substances with a wide spectrum of biological activity; their enantiomeric ratio does not influence the major biological activity studied hitherto. Nevertheless, in pharmaceutical development and approval of chiral drugs from the Health and Regulatory Authorities, full documentation of methods of analysis of enantiomeric drugs, is required in order to evaluate the enantiomeric purity of starting materials and final products and to control the stability of enantiomers in pharmaceutical formulations under several experimental conditions. In the present study, the enantiomeric ratio of A/S was determined in several commercial samples of alkannin and shikonin and also the proportion of A/S derivatives in several Alkanna root samples, which are all used as active ingredients in pharmaceuticals. Light and air proved not to influence the enantiomeric ratio of A/S on a shikonin commercial sample, and temperature also did not alter the A/S ratio on shikonin and alkannin commercial samples. Microencapsulation of alkannin and shikonin commercial samples in ethylcellulose microspheres and also molecular inclusion of a shikonin commercial sample in beta-hydroxypropyl-cyclodextrin, which are used as drug delivery systems, did not alter the A/S enantiomeric ratio.     

Simultaneous determination of monomeric and oligomeric alkannins and shikonins by high-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detection-mass spectrometry

Alkannin and shikonin (A/S) derivatives have been found in the roots of several Boraginaceous species and are produced through plant tissue cultures. The chiral compounds alkannins and shikonins are potent pharmaceutical substances with a wide spectrum of pharmacological activities such as wound healing, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anticancer and antioxidant. Although oligomeric A/S derivatives have been detected in root extracts and commercial samples their detection and determination through high-performance liquid chromatography has not been reported. Therefore, in the present study a rapid, simple high-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detection-mass spectrometry (HPLC-DAD-MS) method was developed to detect, separate and determine monomeric and oligomeric/polymeric derivatives of alkannin/shikonin simultaneously for the first time. An optimization of HPLC-DAD parameters was performed. Both atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) and electrospray ionization (ESI) modes were applied, in order to compare detection of monomeric and oligomeric A/S. Additionally, oligomeric A/S constituents in several samples were identified and the mode of A/S polymerization was proposed.     

Design,Synthesis and Anticancer Activity of Shikonin and Alkannin Derivatives with Different Substituents on the Naphthazarin Scaffold

Based on the asymmetric reduction of alkannin ketone derivative 4 by diisopinocampheylchloro-borane(DIP-Cl), a series of shikonin and alkannin derivatives was designed, synthesized and their anticancer activities against various kinds of cell lines were evaluated. The in vitro biological experiments demonstrated that compound S-10, a 5,8-O-dimethyl-1,4-dioxime alkannin derivative, not only displayed excellent antiproliferative activity against cancer cells, but also exhibited low toxicity towards normal cells. It could induce HCT-116 cell apoptosis, but had no impact on the cell cycle. The underlying anticancer mechanism of S-10 is most likely different from other shikonin and alkannin derivatives.     

The Chemistry and Biology of Alkannin,Shikonin, and Related Naphthazarin Natural Products

Wound healing properties of plant extracts that contain the naphthoquinone natural products alkannin ( 1 ) and shikonin ( 2 ) have been known for many centuries. More recently, the biological properties of 1 , 2 , and related derivatives have been demonstrated experimentally, and their production both by cell cultures and chemical synthesis has been studied extensively.     

Development and Validation of an Improved LC Method for the Simultaneous Determination of Pirfenidone and Its Carboxylic Acid Metabolite in Human Plasma

A sensitive and specific assay based on liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection was developed for the simultaneous determination of pirfenidone (PFD), a novel antifibrotic agent, and its carboxylic acid metabolite in human plasma. The carboxylic acid metabolite was further identified by mass spectrometric analysis. PFD, its carboxylic acid metabolite and the internal standard methyl-p-aminobenzoate were extracted from plasma by a simple one-step liquid-liquid extraction with ethyl acetate and subsequently separated on a Zorbax SB-C18 column with a mobile phase of trifluoroacetic acid–triethylamine–acetonitrile–water (0.1:0.15:28:71.75, v/v/v/v) and monitored at 314 nm. Extraction recovery was over 70% in plasma. The calibration curves were linear over the concentration range of 0.05–25 μg mL^?1. The limit of detection (LOD) and lower limit of quantitation (LLOQ) in human plasma were 10 and 50 ng mL^?1, respectively. Intra- and inter-assay precision of the method were within 8.6%. The accuracy as expressed by the bias ranged between ?4.5 and 4.0%. The method was successfully applied to determine pharmacokinetic parameters of PFD and its carboxylic acid metabolite after a single oral dose of 200 mg of PFD in healthy volunteers.     

In Situ Biphasic Extractive Fermentation for Hexanoic Acid Production from Sucrose by Megasphaera elsdenii NCIMB 702410

Hexanoic acid production by a bacterium using sucrose as an economic carbon source was studied under conditions in which hexanoic acid was continuously extracted by liquid–liquid extraction. Megasphaera elsdenii NCIMB 702410, selected from five M. elsdenii strains, produced 4.69 g l^?1 hexanoic acid in a basal medium containing sucrose. Production increased to 8.19 g l^?1 when the medium was supplemented by 5 g l^?1 sodium butyrate. A biphasic liquid–liquid extraction system with 10 % (v/v) alamine 336 in oleyl alcohol as a solvent was evaluated in a continuous stirred-tank reactor held at pH 6. Over 90 % (w/w) of the hexanoic acid in a 0.5 M aqueous solution was transferred to the extraction solvent within 10 h. Cell growth was not significantly inhibited by direct contact of the fermentation broth with the extraction solvent. The system produced 28.42 g l^?1 of hexanoic acid from 54.85 g l^?1 of sucrose during 144 h of culture, and 26.52 and 1.90 g l^?1 of hexanoic acid was accumulated in the extraction solvent and the aqueous fermentation broth, respectively. The productivity and yield of hexanoic acid were 0.20 g l^?1 h^?1 and 0.50 g g^?1 sucrose, respectively.     

Formal Total Syntheses of Alkannin and Shikonin

A short synthesis of a key intermediate in Nicolaou's syntheses of alkannin and shikonin is described.     

Production of camptothecin in the elicited callus cultures of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Nothapodytes nimmoniana</Emphasis> (J. Graham) Mabberly

The biotechnological approach of in vitro cultures elicitation offers an alternative strategy for the production of camptothecin (CPT) in Nothapodytes nimmoniana to mitigate indiscriminate harvest of the endangered natural population for the alkaloid. Yeast extract (YE) and vanadyl sulfate (VS) elicitors were used to enhance the biosynthesis of CPT in hypocotyl-derived callus cultures of N. nimmoniana by cultivation using solid and liquid Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium amended with NAA + BAP (2.0 + 1.0 mg L^?1). Effects of the two elicitors on biomass and CPT production at 6.25, 12.5, 25, 50 and 75 mg L^?1 concentrations using callus cultures from three cell lines were evaluated after 15, 30 and 45 days culture. Yeast extract elicitor treatments showed a linear enhancement effect on biomass and CPT production up to 50 mg L^?1 YE and beyond the concentrations, no significant effect was observed. Enhanced biomass and CPT production were achieved with VS elicitor up to 25 mg L^?1 concentrations but, 50 and 75 mg L^?1 VS had minimal effects on biomass and CPT production in callus sources and incubation duration-dependent manner. The intracellular yield of CPT in liquid media-cultivated cultures at concentrations of the two elicitors was lower when compared to solid media treatments relative control due to the extracellular accumulation but, higher overall production. Accumulation of the biomass showed association with produced CPT in the elicitor treatments and control cultures.     

A new efficient route for multigram asymmetric synthesis of alkannin and shikonin

A short and convergent approach for the synthesis of alkannin, shikonin and shikalkin is presented. A Hauser-type annulation of cyanophthalide 26 with enone 7 affords the complete aromatic system in just one step with concomitant attachment of the entire side chain. Subsequent Corey's oxazaborolidine mediated asymmetric reduction of the above advanced intermediate, leads to the required isomer in high enantiomeric excess. Finally, a selective and high yielding deprotection protocol furnishes the title compounds as pure crystalline precipitates. Thus, a multigram synthesis of shikonin, alkannin and shikalkin is achieved in high yield and enantioselectivity.     

A New Biotechnology Method of Bioelements’ Accumulation Monitoring in In Vitro Culture of Agaricus bisporus

Agaricus bisporus (J.E. Lange) Imbach is one the most popular species of edible mushrooms in the world because of its taste and nutritional properties. In the research, repeatability of accumulation of bioelements and biomass yield in experimentally chosen in vitro culture medium, was confirmed. The in vitro cultures were conducted on the modified Oddoux medium enriched with bioelements (Mg, Zn, Cu, Fe). The aim of the study was to create an effective method of sampling, which enabled non-invasive monitoring of metals concentrations changes in the medium, during increase of biomass in in vitro cultures. The first, indirect method of sampling was applied. The non-invasive probe (a dipper) for in vitro culture was used; hence, the highest biomass increase and metals accumulation were gained. The method also guaranteed culture sterility. The second method, a direct one, interfered the in vitro culture conditions and growth of mycelium, and as a consequence the lower biomass increase and metals’ accumulation were observed. Few cases of contaminations of mycelium in in vitro cultures were observed. The proposed method of non-invasive sampling of the medium can be used to monitor changes in the concentrations of metals in the medium and their accumulation in the mycelium in natural environment. Changes in concentrations of the selected metals over time, determined by the method of atomic absorption spectrometry, made it possible to correlate the obtained results with the specific stages of A. bisporus mycelium development and to attempt to explain the mechanism of sampling metals from the liquid substrate.     

Preparative isolation and purification of alkannin/shikonin derivatives from natural products by high-speed counter-current chromatography

Alkannin and shikonin (A/S) and their derivatives have been found in the roots of several Boraginaceous species and are also produced through plant tissue cultures. The chiral compounds A/S are potent pharmaceutical substances with a wide spectrum of biological and pharmacological activities like wound healing, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anticancer and antioxidant activity. High-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC) was applied for the first time to the separation, preparative isolation and purification of A/S and their esters from extracts of Alkanna tinctoria roots, as well as commercial samples. The constituents of HSCCC fractions and their purity were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detection-mass spectrometry (HPLC-DAD-MS), since DAD cannot detect oligomeric A/S derivatives that are present in most of the samples containing the respective monomeric derivatives. The purity of HSCCC fractions was compared with the one of fractions isolated by column chromatography (CC) using as stationary phases silica gel and Sephadex LH-20. As shown, the purity of monomeric alkannin/shikonin was greater by HSCCC than CC separation of commercial A/S samples.     

Maximizing Algal Growth in Batch Reactors Using Sequential Change in Light Intensity

Algal growth requires optimal irradiance. In photobioreactors, optimal light requirements change during the growth cycle. At low culture densities, a high incident light intensity can cause photoinhibition, and in dense algal cultures, light penetration may be limited. Insufficient light supply in concentrated algae suspensions can create zones of dissimilar photon flux density inside the reactor, which can cause suboptimal algal growth. However, growth of dense cultures can also be impaired due to photoinhibition if cells are exposed to excessively high light intensities. In order to simultaneously maintain optimal growth and photon use efficiency, strategies for light supply must be based on cell concentrations in the culture. In this study, a lipid-producing microalgal strain, Neochloris oleoabundans, was grown in batch photobioreactors. Growth rates and biomass concentrations of cultures exposed to constant light were measured and compared with the growth kinetic parameters of cultures grown using sequentially increasing light intensities based on increasing culture densities during batch growth. Our results show that reactors operated under conditions of sequential increase in irradiance levels yield up to a 2-fold higher biomass concentration when compared with reactors grown under constant light without negatively impacting growth rates. In addition, this tailored light supply results in less overall photon use per unit mass of generated cells.