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.     

Cerium-Promoted Ginsenosides Accumulation by Regulating Endogenous Methyl Jasmonate Biosynthesis in Hairy Roots of Panax ginseng

Among rare earth elements, cerium has the unique ability of regulating the growth of plant cells and the biosynthesis of metabolites at different stages of plant development. The signal pathways of Ce³⁺-mediated ginsenosides biosynthesis in ginseng hairy roots were investigated. At a low concentration, Ce³⁺ improved the elongation and biomass of hairy roots. The Ce³⁺-induced accumulation of ginsenosides showed a high correlation with the reactive oxygen species (ROS), as well as the biosynthesis of endogenous methyl jasmonate (MeJA) and ginsenoside key enzyme genes (PgSS, PgSE and PgDDS). At a Ce³⁺ concentration of 20 mg L⁻¹, the total ginsenoside content was 1.7-fold, and the total ginsenosides yield was 2.7-fold that of the control. Malondialdehyde (MDA) content and the ROS production rate were significantly higher than those of the control. The activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) was significantly activated within the Ce³⁺ concentration range of 10 to 30 mg L⁻¹. The activity of catalase (CAT) and peroxidase (POD) strengthened with the increasing concentration of Ce³⁺ in the range of 20–40 mg L⁻¹. The Ce³⁺ exposure induced transient production of superoxide anion (O₂^•−) and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂). Together with the increase in the intracellular MeJA level and enzyme activity for lipoxygenase (LOX), there was an increase in the gene expression level of MeJA biosynthesis including PgLOX, PgAOS and PgJMT. Our results also revealed that Ce³⁺ did not directly influence PgSS, PgSE and PgDDS activity. We speculated that Ce³⁺-induced ROS production could enhance the accumulation of ginsenosides in ginseng hairy roots via the direct stimulation of enzyme genes for MeJA biosynthesis. This study demonstrates a potential approach for understanding and improving ginsenoside biosynthesis that is regulated by Ce³⁺-mediated signal transduction.     

A New Temperature Control Shifting Strategy for Enhanced Triterpene Production by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Ganoderma lucidum</Emphasis> G0119 Based on Submerged Liquid Fermentation

Temperature control is a very important factor on triterpene productivity in submerged liquid fermentation. Temperature effects from 23 to 32 °C on triterpene production by Ganoderma lucidum G0119 were investigated in 6-L stirred fermentor. Logistic and Luedeking-Piret equations were used to estimate the mycelial growth and triterpene production kinetics by regression analysis. On that basis, a temperature-shifting fermentation control strategy was established. From 0 to 61 h, culturing was performed at 32 °C to get high specific mycelial growth rate. Between 62 and 127 h, the temperature was decreased stepwise from 31 to 30 °C to maintain high triterpene productivity. After 128 h, temperature was maintained at 29 °C to minimize triterpene production inhibition and sustain high productivity. Elevated triterpene level (0.269 g L^?1), yield (0.0101 g g^?1), and productivity (0.00207 g (L h)^?1) were achieved representing 27.32, 13.94, and 37.11 % higher than submerged liquid fermentation at constant temperature of 29 °C, respectively, feasible for the industrial scale.     

Establishment and Quality Assessment of Tissue Cultures in Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch.

In this study, seedling, callus, cell, and adventitious root of Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch. have been established. In order to find the best one for producing G. uralensis active constituents, triterpenoid saponins and flavonoids in native root and tissue cultures were determined, and the contents in different G. uralensis materials were analyzed using cluster analysis. The contents of triterpenoid saponins and glycyrrhizic acid in tissue cultures were much lower than that in native G. uralensis. The total flavonoids content we determined in adventitious root was 6.31 mg?g^?1, which was close to that of native root (9.82 mg?g^?1). Based on the cluster analysis, we found that G. uralensis cultures were not suitable for production of glycyrrhizic acid, while adventitious root had a greater capability of flavonoids production comparing to seedling, callus, and cell.     

Pyrolysis of Hailar lignite in an autogenerated steam agent

An in situ pyrolysis process of high moisture content lignite in an autogenerated steam agent was proposed. The aim is to utilize steam autogenerated from lignite moisture as a reactant to produce fuel gas and additional hydrogen. Thermogravimetric analysis revealed that mass loss and maximum mass loss rate increased with the rise of heating rates. The in situ pyrolysis process was performed in a screw kiln reactor to investigate the effects of moisture content and reactor temperature on product yields, gas compositions, and pyrolysis performance. The results demonstrated that inherent moisture in lignite had a significant influence on the product yield. The pyrolysis of L _R (raw lignite with a moisture content of 36.9 %, wet basis) at 900 °C exhibited higher dry yield of 33.67 mL g^?1 and H₂ content of 50.3 vol% than those from the pyrolysis of the predried lignite. It was also shown that increasing reaction temperature led to a rising dry gas yield and H₂ yield. The pyrolysis of L _R showed the maximum dry yield of 33.7 mL g^?1 and H₂ content of 53.2 vol% at 1,000 °C. The LHV of fuel gas ranged from 18.45 to 14.38 MJ Nm^?3 when the reactor temperature increased from 600 to 1,000 °C.     

Expression of NAD(H) Kinase and Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase Improve NADPH Supply and l-isoleucine Biosynthesis in Corynebacterium glutamicum ssp. lactofermentum

Corynebacterium glutamicum is the workhorse for the production of amino acids, including l-isoleucine (Ile). During Ile biosynthesis, NADPH is required as a crucial cofactor. In this study, four NADPH-supplying strategies based on NAD kinase, NADH kinase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, and NAD kinase coupling with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase were compared, and their influences on Ile biosynthesis were examined. PpnK is a NAD kinase of C. glutamicum ssp. lactofermentum JHI3-156 that predominantly phosphorylates NAD⁺ to produce NADP⁺. Pos5 is a NADH kinase of Saccharomyces cerevisiae that predominantly phosphorylates NADH to produce NADPH. Zwf is a glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase of JHI3-156. The ppnK, POS5, zwf, and zwf-ppnK genes were overexpressed in the Ile-producing strain JHI3-156. The expression of all four genes increased intracellular NADPH concentration and Ile production. The increase of NADPH concentration and Ile production in a POS5-expressing strain (229 and 75.6 %, respectively) was higher than that in a ppnK-expression strain. The expression of zwf also increased NADPH supply and Ile biosynthesis, but the constitutive expression of zwf was not as effective as the inducible expression of zwf. Coexpression of zwf and ppnK genes greatly enhanced NADPH supply and thus improved Ile production by up to 85.9 %, indicating that this strategy was the most effective one. These results are helpful for improving Ile biosynthesis and other biosynthetic processes.     

Pilot-Scale Culture of Hypericum Perforatum L. Adventitious Roots in Airlift Bioreactors for the Production of Bioactive Compounds

Hypericum perforatum L. (St. John’s Wort) is an important medicinal plant which is widely used in the treatment for depression and irritable bowel syndrome. It is also used as a dietary supplement. Major bioactive phytochemicals of H. perforatum are phenolics and flavonoids. Quality of these phytochemicals is dramatically influenced by environmental and biological factors in the field grown plants. As an alternative, we have developed adventitious root cultures in large-scale bioreactors for the production of useful phytochemicals. Adventitious roots of H. perforatum were cultured in 500 l pilot-scale airlift bioreactors using half-strength Murashige and Skoog medium with an ammonium and nitrate ratio of 5:25 mM and supplemented with 1.0 mg l^?1 indole butyric acid, 0.1 mg l^?1 kinetin, and 3 % sucrose for the production of bioactive phenolics and flavonoids. Then 4.6 and 6.3 kg dry biomass were realized in the 500 l each of drum-type and balloon-type bioreactors, respectively. Accumulation of 66.9 mg g^?1 DW of total phenolics, 48.6 mg g^?1 DW of total flavonoids, 1.3 mg g^?1 DW of chlorogenic acid, 0.01 mg g^?1 DW of hyperin, 0.04 mg g^?1 DW of hypericin, and 0.01 mg g^?1 DW of quercetin could be achieved with adventitious roots cultured in 500 l balloon-type airlift bioreactors. Our findings demonstrate the possibilities of using H. perforatum adventitious root cultures for the production of useful phytochemicals to meet the demand of pharmaceutical and food industry.     

Enhanced secondary metabolite biosynthesis by elicitation in transformed plant root system

Plants generally produce secondary metabolites in nature as a defense mechanism against pathogenic and insect attack. In this study, we applied several abiotic elicitors in order to enhance growth and ginseng saponin biosynthesis in the hairy roots of Panax ginseng. Generally, elicitor treatments were found to inhibit the growth of the hairy roots, although simultaneously enhancing ginseng saponin biosynthesis. Tannic acid profoundly inhibited the hairy root growth during growth period. Also, ginseng saponin content was not significantly different from that of the control. The addition of selenium at inoculum time did not significantly affect ginseng saponin biosynthesis. However, when 0.5 mM selenium was added as an elicitor after 21 d of culture, ginseng saponin content and productivity increased to about 1.31 and 1.33 times control levels, respectively. Also, the addition of 20μM NiSO₄ resulted in an increase in ginseng saponin content and productivity, to about 1.20 and 1.23 times control levels, respectively, and also did not inhibit the growth of the roots. Sodium chloride treatment inhibited hairy root growth, except at a concentration of 0.3% (w/v). Increases in the amounts of synthesized ginseng saponin were observed at all concentrations of added sodium chloride. At 0.1% (w/v) sodium chloride, ginseng saponin content and productivity were increased to approx, 1.15 and 1.13 times control values, respectively. These results suggest that processing time for the generation of ginseng saponin in a hairy root culture can be reduced via the application of an elicitor.     

Validated UHPLC–MS/MS method for simultaneous determination of four triterpene saponins from Akebia trifoliata extract in rat plasma and its application to a pharmacokinetic study

Saponin PH, akemisaponins E, saponin PJ₁ and scheffoleoside A, the main bioactive triterpene saponins of Chinese traditional medicine Akebia trifoliata, contribute to its diuretic pharmacological activity. Because of interactions of the multiple ingredients in vivo, pharmacokinetic studies of multiple triterpenes after administration of A. trifoliata extract are essential to clarify their pharmacological effects. The purpose of this study was to develop an efficient and sensitive UHPLC–MS/MS method for simultaneous determination of these four triterpene saponins in rat plasma. The biosamples were prepared by liquid–liquid extraction with n‐butanol. The chromatographic separation was performed on a Phenomenex Luna^® C₁₈ (150 × 2 mm, 3 μm) with a mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile and water at a flow rate of 0.5 mL/min. The MS/MS system was operated in a negative multiple reaction monitoring mode, and the precursor–product ion transitions were optimized as m/z 941.6 → 471.1 for saponin PH, 941.7 → 471.2 for akemisaponins E, 1089.7 → 601.1 for saponin PJ₁, 957.6 → 487.4 for scheffoleoside A and 799.5 → 637.3 for ginsenoside Rg₁ (Rg₁, internal standard). Method validation parameters (calibration curve linearity, lower limit of detection, recovery, matrix effect, intra‐ and inter‐day precision) were within the acceptable ranges. This is the first reported on the UHPLC–MS/MS detection of saponin PH, akemisaponins E, saponin PJ₁ and scheffoleoside A, and applied to a preclinical pharmacokinetic study after oral administration of A. trifoliata extract in rats. This study provides a basis for clinical application and further development of A. trifoliata extract.     

Effect of Various Colors of Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs) on the Biomass Composition of Arthrospira platensis Cultivated in Semi-continuous Mode

In the present study, semi-continuous cultivation of Arthrospira platensis using various colors of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) as artificial lighting was performed in order to study their effects on the biomass composition of A. platensis. The lowest biomass productivity was obtained with blue LED (4.68 mg l^?1 day^?1), while the highest was obtained with pink and red LEDs (30.89 and 30.69 mg l^?1 day^?1, respectively). All biomass compound contents were affected by the different colors studied, except that of total carotenoids. The lowest phycocyanin content was observed in pink LED (8.2 %) while the maximum in blue LED (17.6?±?2.4 %). Chlorophyll content was lowest in red LED (1.04 %) and highest in blue LED (1.42 %). The highest protein content was obtained with white and green LEDs (50.1 and 49.8 %, respectively), while the lowest was obtained with blue LED (42.1 %). Carbohydrate content was contrarily affected as that of proteins. The highest carbohydrate content was obtained in blue LED (11.3 %) and the lowest under white and pink LEDs (8.8 and 8.8 %, respectively). Lipid content seems to follow the same trend as that of carbohydrates; the highest lipid content was obtained in blue LED (6.0 %), and the lowest was obtained under pink LED (3.8 %).     

Comparison Between Methyl and Trimethylsilyl Ester Derivatives in the Separation and GC Quantification of Triterpene Acids in Eugenia brasiliensis Leaf Extract

This study details a method to characterize the triterpene acid-rich extract obtained from the defatted leaves of Eugenia brasiliensis (Myrtaceae) via extraction with 2 % NaOH in ethanol at room temperature. The crude extract (yield 2.35 %) was submitted to analysis by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC–MS) confirming ursolic acid as its major compound. The optimal conditions for the separation of oleanolic, betulinic and ursolic acids were assayed by GC with flame ionization detection (GC–FID) using two different columns (DB-5 and DB-17HT) and by applying two distinct derivatizing protocols. The use of a DB-17HT column led to the best results, with a shorter runtime and a better resolution (Rs) between the oleanolic and betulinic signals for both the bis-trimethylsilyl (Rs 2.84) and methyl ester derivatives (Rs 2.47). A DB-5 column also gave satisfactory results for the TMS ester, with a runtime of 30 min and Rs 2.14. Ursolic acid in the crude extract was quantified by comparison to two individual standard curves determined using commercial ursolic as its TMS derivative on the DB-5 column and its methyl ester on the DB-17HT column. Good linearity was achieved in both cases (r ² = 0.9776 and 0.9953, respectively), and the amounts of ursolic acid in the extracts were calculated to be 144.7 and 147.9 mg·g^?1, respectively. These results showed no significant differences when compared using Tukey’s HSD test. Total triterpene acids amounted to 0.52 % in E. brasiliensis dry leaves.     

Molecular Cloning,Characterization, and Expression Analysis of Lignin Genes from Sugarcane Genotypes Varying in Lignin Content

Sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) is one of the highest biomass-producing plant and the best lignocellulosic feedstock for ethanol production. To achieve more efficient conversion of biomass to ethanol, a better understanding of the main factors affecting biomass recalcitrance is needed. Therefore, with this objective, here, we report a systematic study on lignin content, deposition, identification, and cloning of genes involved in lignin biosynthesis and their differential expression in five sugarcane clones, EC11003, EC11010, IK 76-91, IK 76-99, and Co 86032. Lignin content among the clones varied from 26.87 to 23.19 % with the highest in the clone EC11010 and the lowest in high sugar Co86032. Lignin deposition studied through phloroglucinol staining of the cell walls implied that the sclerenchyma cells of the energy canes (EC11010 and EC11003) have more lignin deposition followed by the Erianthus (IK 76-91 and IK 76-99) clones whereas Co86032 has the minimum amount of lignin deposition. We cloned partial coding regions of important genes of lignification COMT (650 bp), CCR (332 bp), and PAL (650 bp) from Erianthus, wild relative of sugarcane followed by the expression analysis through real-time PCR. Differential expression analysis showed high level of expression for the three genes in the energy cane EC11010.     

Identification of Iridoids,Flavonoids and Triterpenes from the Methanolic Extract of Melampyrum bihariense A. Kern. and the Antioxidant Activity of the Extract

Melampyrum bihariense A. Kern. (Scrophulariaceae), a plant species used in traditional medicine for the treatment of rheumatic disorders and skin infections, was investigated with regard to its antioxidant activity and identification of its bioactive chemical constituents. The crude methanolic extract of the aerial parts of M. bihariense was examined by the spectrophotometric DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) and ferric reducing antioxidant power methods. The free radical scavenging capacity (SC₅₀) of the extract was found by the DPPH method to be 27.10 mg mL^?1, and the ferric reducing ability equivalent to ascorbic acid at 50 mg mL^?1 was 0.709 μg mL^?1. The chemical composition of this highly effective in the methanolic extract was analysed, and the main compounds were isolated through solvent–solvent partition, and multiple chromatographic separations, including column chromatography, vacuum liquid chromatography, centrifugal planar chromatography and preparative thin-layer chromatography. The structures were established by one- and two-dimensional NMR and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. The iridoids aucubin (1), 8-epi-loganin (2) and mussaenoside (3), the flavones apigenin and luteolin and the triterpene acids ursolic acid and oleanolic acid were identified; components 2, 3, ursolic acid and oleanolic acid for the first time in this species. The present study reveals that M. bihariense exerts antioxidant activity, and the iridoids, flavonoids and triterpene acids may be the main bioactive constituents of its methanolic extract.     

Study on the PK profiles of magnoflorine and its potential interaction in Cortex phellodendri decoction by LC-MS/MS

Magnoflorine, an aporphine alkaloid in Cortex phellodendri, is increasingly attracting research attention because of its antidiabetic effects. However, at present, little information on its pharmacokinetics (PK) in vivo is available. In this study, a sensitive, rapid, and selective method was developed to determine the magnoflorine content in rat plasma using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. Following liquid–liquid extraction, the calibration curve showed good linearity within the concentration range of 2.93 to 1,500 ng ml^?1. The intra- and inter-day precisions were all below 7.8 %, and the accuracy ranged from 94.9 to 103.4 %. The method was successfully applied in investigating the PK of magnoflorine in rats. The compound had low bioavailability, a high absorption rate, and a high elimination rate. However, area under the curve, T _1/2, and MRT increased approximately twofold when the same dosage of the compound was administered in a C. phellodendri decoction (20.8 g kg^?1). Moreover, T _max was prolonged from 0.3 to 3.33 h. Furthermore, a comparison of coadministration of the mixture group, magnoflorine (40 mg kg^?1) and berberine (696.4 mg kg^?1), with the C. phellodendri decoction group, revealed that no statistical difference (P?>?0.05) was found in the parameter AUC, and certain similar changes in the PK trend to the herbal medicine group were also observed. These results suggested that oral administration of the herbal medicine decreased the absorption and elimination rates of magnoflorine and increased its bioavailability. Berberine played a significant role in interacting with magnoflorine and in affecting the PK profiles of magnoflorine in the C. phellodendri decoction group.

DSC measurements of blood plasma on patients with chronic pancreatitis and operable and inoperable pancreatic adenocarcinoma

Currently, the most examinations and markers are of limited diagnostic and prognostic value in chronic inflammation of the pancreas and its malignant tumorous disease. The purpose of this pilot study was to measure thermal changes of blood plasma by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) method on patients with chronic pancreatitis, and with operable or inoperable pancreatic adenocarcinoma. The study involved chronic pancreatitis patients (n = 5), in whom had to perform surgery due to any complications. In malignant pancreatic cancer group, according to resectability of the tumors, patients were divided into operable (curative R0 resection, n = 11) and inoperable (palliative double bypass, n = 5) subgroups. Peripheral blood samples were collected from the patients preoperatively and from healthy controls (n = 5). Denaturation of plasma components was detected in Setaram Micro DSC-II calorimeter. DSC results showed decrease of T _m1 (48.8 °C) and T _m2 (61.8 °C) and increase of T _m3 (68 °C) in chronic pancreatitis group compared to healthy controls (56.2, 63.1 and 68 °C). Similar tendencies were in patients with operable (48.2, 61.5, 67.6 °C) and inoperable (48.1, 62.4, 69 °C) pancreas adenocarcinoma. Calorimetric enthalpy mildly decreased in each group except for operable group (1.3 J g^?1 ?H) compared to controls (1.2 J g^?1 ?H). This research confirmed that DSC parameters of blood plasma on patients with chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic adenocarcinoma are clearly distinct from thermodynamical data of healthy controls. After better validation of calorimetric data, it can be a noninvasive tool for diagnostic and monitoring of pancreatic diseases.