Cytotoxicity of in vitro produced podophyllotoxin from Podophyllum hexandrum on human cancer cell line

Podophyllotoxin was produced by cell culture of Podophyllum hexandrum under in vitro culture conditions. A maximum of 4.26 mg/L of podophyllotoxin was produced when P. hexandrum was cultivated in 3 L stirred tank bioreactor. The compound extracted from the cell culture was applied to the human breast cancer cell line (MCF-7) and 1 nM podophyllotoxin was able to inhibit the growth of the cancer cells by 50%. The most profound inhibitory effect of podophyllotoxin was observed when it was applied in the beginning of cell growth.     

Determination of lignans,phenolic acids and antioxidant capacity in transformed hairy root culture of Linum usitatissimum

Hairy root culture is a promising alternative method for the production of secondary metabolites. In this study, transformed root of Linum usitatissimum was established using Agrobacterium rhizogenes A4 strain from root cultures for lignans, phenolic acids and antioxidant capacity determination. Total lignin content (secoisolariciresinol diglucoside, secoisolariciresinol and matairesinol) was 55.5% higher in transformed root cultures than in the non-transformed root culture. Secoisolariciresinol was detected in higher concentration (2.107 μmol/g DM) in the transformed root culture than non-transformed culture (1.099 μmol/g DM). Secoisolariciresinol diglucoside and matairesinol were exclusively detected in the transformed root culture, but were not found in the non-transformed root culture. The overall production of phenolic acids in transformed roots was approximately 3.5 times higher than that of the corresponding non-transformed culture. Free radical scavenging DPPH˙ and ABTS˙⁺ assays showed 2.9-fold and 1.76-fold higher anti-oxidant activity in transformed root culture as compared to non-transformed.     

Cyclic nucleotides and cell growth.

Growth induction in resting fibroblast cultures by serum or growth factors induces a fast, transient cGMP peak which may constitute the intracellular signal for growth. A similar cGMP peak occurs when 3T3 cells arrested at the restriction point or in G0 by starvation for certain amino acids are induced for growth by readdition of the lacking nutrients. Both 3T3 and SV3T3 cells which are arrested randomly all around the cell cycle do not exhibit major changes in cyclic nucleotides after growth induction. Determination of intracellular cAMP and cGMP levels in normal and transformed fibroblasts under different growth conditions shows that the transition between growing and resting state (G0 arrest) is accompanied and probably induced by characteristic changes in cAMP to cGMP ratios. cGMP is decreased 2-5-fold in resting as compared to growing cultures, and increased 10-20-fold in activated cultures 20 min after serum induction. No major cGMP change was observed in growing, confluent, or serum-activated cultures of transformed cells. Measurement of guanylcyclase under unphysiological conditions (2 mM Mn++) in crude and purified membranes from 3T3 and SV3T3 cultures did not show increased enzyme activity in the transformed cells. Significant differences may only show up when synchronized cells pass through the restriction point in G1 phase. As a hypothesis it is proposed that transformed cells have an activated guanylcyclase system or a relaxed cGMP-pleiotypic response mechanism at the restriction point of their cell cycle.     

ED-XRF spectrometry-based trace element composition of genetically engineered rhizoclones vis-à-vis natural roots of a multi-medicinal plant, butterfly pea (Clitoria ternatea L.)

The energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence set-up incorporating a molybdenum secondary exciter was used for quantitative determination of major and minor elements in genetically transformed root somaclones (rhizoclones) of butterfly pea (Clitoria ternatea L.) which had been established via explant co-cultivation with Agrobacterium rhizogenes. The multi-elemental composition of these transformed rhizoclones was compared with that of the naturally grown in vivo donor plant. Trace elements namely Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Se, Rb, Sr and Pb in addition to two macro-elements K and Ca were identified and quantified in root tissues of both sources. The elemental content of transformed root cultures was found to be at par with that of the natural roots of in vivo grown plants of the same species. These findings are implicated on the context of utilization of such Agrobacterium-mediated genetically transformed root cultures as a viable alternative to natural roots, the former being a fast-proliferating renewable resource of medicinally useful minerals essential for designing of effective drugs, besides providing an ex situ means for plant conservation.     

Genetic transformation of Echinacea purpurea with Agrobacterium rhizogenes and bioactive ingredient analysis in transformed cultures

A method of the transformed hairy roots cultures of Echinacea purpurea was established by infecting different types of explants with three type strains of Agrobacterium rhizogenes (A4, R1601 and R1000) in this paper. We obtained that the transformed percentage of E. purpurea leaves with A4, R1601 and R1000 were 80%, 60%, 40%, respectively and that of E. purpurea leafstalks were 10%, 30%, 45%, respectively. The contents of polysaccharides and phenolic compounds were measured in transformed hairy roots and non-transformed roots after 2 months in culture. For transformed hairy roots, the contents of polysaccharides and phenolic compounds were 236.0 and 18.9mgg(-1)DW, respectively. While the contents of polysaccharides and phenolic compounds in non-transformed roots were 161.5 and 33.3mgg(-1)DW, respectively.     

Proton induced X-ray emission (PIXE) technique for determining multi-element composition of transformed hairy root cultures of Boerhaavia diffusa L.: an important medicinal herb

Therapeutically important inorganic elements in Agrobacterium rhizogenes-mediated genetically transformed hairy root cultures (HRCs) of a pharmaceutically significant herb Boerhaavia diffusa were quantified using proton induced X-ray emission technique. This was compared with that of roots from the naturally grown donor plant. Two macro-elements (Ca & K) and eight different trace elements namely V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Cu Zn, and Ni were detected and their content was determined. In HRCs of a transformed rhizoclone, calcium and potassium had values which were significantly higher than that of in vivo roots. The concentrations of several trace elements, which are known to have a positive implication in human healthcare, were found to be either comparable (Fe) to that in the natural root samples or higher (Mn, Zn, Cr, Cu, Co) in the transformed rhizoclone. The genetically transformed HRCs can thus serve as a fast-proliferating renewable resource of medicinally useful minerals targeting specific diseases.     

Production of camptothecin by hairy roots and regenerated transformed shoots of Ophiorrhiza rugosa var. decumbens

Camptothecin (CPT), the derivatives of which are used clinically for the treatment of metastatic colon cancer, is isolated from intact plants that can be subjected to environmental fluctuations. In?vitro cultures may be an alternate and continuous source for year-round production of CPT. Since CPT production by undifferentiated cell cultures is low, differentiated tissues such as root cultures may be a viable alternate source for CPT production. Hairy roots were induced in Ophiorriza rugosa, a source of CPT, using Agrobacterium rhizogenes strain LBA9402. The hairy roots, when cultured in light, showed spontaneous regeneration of shoots. Analysis of CPT levels in the hairy roots and in?vitro-grown transformed shoots revealed 0.009% d.w. and 0.012% d.w., respectively.     

Raman spectroscopic detection of physiology changes in plasmid-bearing <Emphasis Type="Italic">Escherichia coli</Emphasis> with and without antibiotic treatment

Bacterial resistances against antibiotics are increasingly problematic for medical treatment of pathogenic bacteria, e.g., in hospitals. Resistances are, among other genes, often encoded on plasmids which can be transmitted between bacteria not only within one species, but also between different species, genera, and families. The plasmid pDrive is transformed into bacteria of the model strain Escherichia coli DH5α. Within this investigation, we applied micro-Raman spectroscopy with two different excitation wavelengths in combination with support vector machine (SVM) and linear discriminant analysis (LDA) to differentiate between bacterial cultures according to their cultural plasmid content. Recognition rates of about 92% and 90% are achieved by Raman excitation at 532 and 244 nm, respectively. The SVM loadings reveal that the pDrive transformed bacterial cultures exhibit a higher DNA content compared to the untransformed cultures. To elucidate the influence of the antibiotic, ampicillin-treated cultures are also comprised within this study and are classified with rates of about 97% and 100% for 532 and 244 nm Raman excitation, respectively. The Raman spectra recorded with 532 nm excitation wavelength show differences of the secondary protein structure and enhanced stress-related respiration rates for the ampicillin-treated cultures. Independent cultural replicates of either ampicillin-challenged or non-challenged cultures are successfully identified with identification rates of over 90%.     

Dual Elicitation for Improved Production of Withaferin A by Cell Suspension Cultures of Withania somnifera

High yielding transformed callus culture of W. somnifera was established by infecting hypocotyls with Agrobacterium tumefaciens MTCC-2250. Maximum withaferin A content of 0.0875 mg/g dry cell weight and transformation efficiency of 80% were obtained. Confirmation of transformation was done on the basis of the presence of the ags gene by using polymerase chain reaction. Various abiotic elicitors (arachidonic acid, methyl jasmonate, calcium chloride, and copper sulfate) and biotic elicitors (cell extracts and culture filtrates of Alternia alternata, Fusarium solani, and Verticilium dahaliae) were tested at different concentrations to enhance withaferin A production in suspension culture of transformed cells. Maximum enhancements of 5.4 times and 9.7 times, respectively, were obtained when copper sulfate (100 microM) and the cell extract of V. dahaliae (5% v/v) were added separately to suspension cultures. The dual elicitation strategy by the combined addition of these two elicitors resulted in 13.8-fold enhancement of withaferin A content in comparison to control cultures (2.65 mg/L). The present study indicates the potential of this biotechnology-based methodology for the large-scale production of withaferin A.     

On the self-affinity of heparan sulfates from quiescent or proliferating normal 3T3 cells and from SV40-transformed cells

35S-Labelled heparan sulfates derived from the culture medium (extracellular), a trypsinate of the cells (pericellular) and the cell residue (intracellular) of quiescent normal, proliferating normal or SV40-transformed 3T3 cells were analyzed for charge heterogeneity, by ion exchange chromatography and for self-affinity, by chromatography on heparan sulfate-agarose gels. Quiescent normal cells retained most of their heparan sulphate intra- or pericellularly. The surface-exposed material was charge heterogeneous and had a strong affinity for heparan sulfate. In cultures of growing cells and transformed cells most of the heparan sulfate was found in the medium. The heparan sulfate retained on the surface or growing cells had a lower self-affinity than did the corresponding material from normal and transformed cells. Although cell surface heparan sulfates from transformed cells showed affinity for a matrix substituted with the total heparan sulfate pool, the affinity for one particular subtype was much less pronounced or non-existent.     

Biotransformation of Valdecoxib by Plant Cell Cultures

Valdecoxib is a new anti-inflammatory drug that is highly selective for inhibition of the inducible form of cyclooxygenase (COX-2). In the present study, biotransformation of valdecoxib was investigated in cell cultures of five medicinal plants, viz., Catharanthus roseus, Azadirachta indica, Capsicum annuum, Ervatamia heyneana, and Nicotiana tabacum. Identification of the biotransformed products was carried out by using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode array detection and liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry analysis. All the cultures transformed valdecoxib into more polar compounds, and C. roseus also produced one unknown compound that is less polar than the substrate. The reactions performed by these plant cell cultures include hydroxylation, methylation, and demethylation. Optimization studies were performed to investigate the effect of the day of extraction and substrate concentration on biotransformation.     

Characterization of two epimers, 4alpha and 4beta, of a novel podophyllotoxin-4-O-(D)-6-acetylglucopyranoside from Podophyllum hexandrum by LC-ESI-MS-MS

High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with diode array detection interfaced to electrospray ionization (ESI) mass spectrometry (MS) is applied to identify the two epimers of a novel and minor constituent, podophyllotoxin-4-O-(D)-6-acetylglucopyraniside from high-altitude Podophyllum hexandrum for the first time. This is done by matching the structural information from the tandem MS data with the reported lignan markers. The results show that LC-MS-MS is the method of choice for fast detection and detailed chemical analysis of mixtures in the crude extracts of Podophyllum. The method can be employed in the absence of reference standards for the markers and is particularly useful in view of the scarcity of these rare chemical standards.     

HPLC Analysis of Alizarin and Purpurin Produced by Rubia tinctorum L. Hairy Root Cultures

We have determined the quantities of the anthraquinones alizarin and purpurin, with especial regard to their effective antigenotoxic activity, in genetically transformed hairy root cultures of Rubia tinctorum L. Hairy roots were cultured on solid and in liquid Gamborg B5 and 1/2 NMS media in a shaking cabinet and in a bioreactor. Methanolic extracts of lyophilized hairy roots were hydrolysed, and then purified by solid phase extraction with good recovery. A new HPLC method was developed for the determination of alizarin and purpurin. The analysis was performed on a Luna C8 RP column using a 45:55 (v/v) mixture of acetonitrile:20 mM ammonium formate-formic acid buffer (pH 3.00) as eluent. Peaks were identified by addition of standards and by diode-array detection. External standardization allowed the determination of alizarin and purpurin with good sensitivity and reliability. The maximum purpurin content was observed in cultures cultivated on solid B5 medium (5.94 mg g⁻¹). The highest alizarin content was measured in cultures cultivated on solid 1/2 NMS medium (2.14 mg g⁻¹).

     

Investigation of Tropane Alkaloids in Genetically Transformed <Emphasis Type="Italic">Atropa belladonna</Emphasis> L. Cultures

The purpose of the present study was to determine the tropane alkaloid content of genetically transformed hairy root cultures of Atropa belladonna L. Determination of alkaloids was performed by HPLC method. Samples were extracted with chloroform – methanol - cc. ammonia 15:5:1 (v/v/v). Crude extracts were purified on Extrelut columns. HPLC separation was performed on Luna C8 reversed phase column. An isocratic mixture of acetonitrile – 30 mM phosphate buffer - methanol 12.2:79.7:8.1(v/v/v) was used as eluent. Peaks were identified by addition of standards and diode-array detection. Hyoscyamine, scopolamine and apoatropine were determined by external standard method at 210 nm. We measured the alkaloid content of genetically transformed in vitro cultures (hairy roots and reorganised plants) cultivated on Gamborg B5 basic media. The highest hyoscyamine and scopolamine content was found in hairy root clone #K₅ (0,223 m/m%) and in hairy root clone #K₄ (0,018 m/m%) respectively. Alkaloid contents were higher in the hairy roots than in the reorganised plants.     

Studies on mass production of transformed Panax ginseng hairy roots in bioreactor

The growth properties of Panax ginseng hairy roots transformed by Agrobacterium rhizogenes were compared between flask and aerated column or stirred bioreactor. In flask cultures, sucrose, initially 30 g/L, was nearly exhausted after 45 d of culture. The pH of the medium dropped from 5.5 to 4.96 after 10 d, but afterward it gradually increased to 6.4. After 45 d, hairy roots grew about 16-folds. The growth rate of hairy roots in air-bubble column or stirred bioreactor cultures was 1.13 (1.11) to 1.23 (1.20) g fresh wt (dry wt)/(g of cells·d), respectively. For both bioreactors, growth was about three times as high as in the flask cultivation.     

Structural determination and complete NMR spectral assignments of a new diterpenoid obtained from triptonide by biotransformation

A new diterpenoid, 12β,13α‐dihydroxytriptonide, was obtained from the transformed culture of triptonide by Catharanthus roseus cell suspension cultures. The complete ¹H and ¹³C NMR assignments of the compound were carried out by using DEPT, COSY, HSQC, g‐HMBC and NOESY techniques. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Microbial metabolism part 9. Structure and antioxidant significance of the metabolites of 5,7-dihydroxyflavone (chrysin), and 5- and 6-hydroxyflavones

5,7-Dihydroxyflavone (chrysin) (1) when fermented with fungal cultures, Aspergillus alliaceous (ATCC 10060), Beauveria bassiana (ATCC 13144) and Absidia glauco (ATCC 22752) gave mainly 4'-hydroxychrysin (4), chrysin 7-O-beta-D-4-O-methylglucopyranoside (5) and chrysin 7-sulfate (6), respectively. Mucore ramannianus (ATCC 9628), however, transformed chrysin into six metabolites: 4'-hydroxy-3'-methoxychrysin (chrysoeriol) (7), 4'-hydroxychrysin (apigenin) (4) 3',4'-dihydroxychrysin (luteolin) (8), 3'-methoxychrysin 4'-O-alpha-D-6-deoxyallopyranoside (9), chrysin 4'-O-alpha-D-6-deoxyallopyranoside (10), and luteolin 3'-sulfate (11). Cultures of A. alliaceous (ATCC 10060) and B. bassiana (ATCC 13144) metabolized 5-hydroxyflavone (2) into 5,4'-dihydroxyflavone (12) and 4'-hydroxyflavone 5-O-beta-D-4-O-methylglucopyranoside (13), respectively. 6-Hydroxyflavone (3) was transformed into 6-hydroxyflavanone (14), flavone 3-O-beta-D-4-O-methylglucopyranoside (15) and (+/-)-flavanone 6-O-beta-D-4-O-methylglucopyranoside (16) by cultures of Beauveria bassiana (ATCC 13144). The structures of the metabolic products were elucidated by means of spectroscopic data. The significance of the metabolites as antioxidants in relation to their structure is briefly discussed.     

模拟体内微环境筛选与肿瘤细胞作用的中药活性成分

利用三维(3D)细胞反应器模拟体内微环境,建立了一种与肿瘤细胞作用的活性分子的筛选和分析方法.利用药物与三维细胞反应器中活肿瘤细胞和固化肿瘤细胞分别作用后的HPLC生物指纹谱峰面积之间有无显著性差异,建立了与细胞结合的活性成分的筛选识别模型.已知抗肿瘤药物紫杉醇和白藜声醇的谱峰均具有显著性差异,而非抗肿瘤药物酮洛芬和青霉素G的谱峰均没有显著性差异,证明利用该模型筛选识别与细胞结合的活性成分是可行的.此外,应用该模型从中草药桃儿七提取物中筛选出了7种可作用于Lovo细胞的活性成分.此研究提供了一种模拟体内微环境下与肿瘤细胞作用的活性成分的筛选和分析方法,在药物发现环节,特别是中草药活性成分研究中具有潜在的应用价值.     

Comparison of growth characteristics of Panax ginseng hairy roots in various bioreactors

This study investigated the effects of flask-to-liquid volume ratio on the growth of Panax ginseng hairy root, transformed by Agrobacterium rhizogenes, in flask cultures and compared the characteristics of various bioreactors for scale-up. The flask-to-liquid volume ratio was optimum at 1.5 mL of air/mL of medium in flask cultures, and hairy root growth was not affected above the optimum ratio. In 500-mL flask culture, hairy root showed two growth phases. After the first exponential growth, specific growth rate decreased. The growth characteristics of P. ginseng hairy root in various bioreactors were investigated. Hairy root growth was about 55-fold of inoculum after 39 d in a 5-L bioreactor and about 38-fold of inoculum after 40 d in a 19-L bioreactor. Carbon yield was higher in a 19-L bioreactor than in others, but it did not show any linear relationship to the growth rate of hairy roots in bioreactors.