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An exponential increase of heavy metal toxicant in the human body is a growing health‐related problem. In the present study, Pediococcus pentosaceus FB145 and FB181 strains were isolated from fermented seafood and served as highly Cd‐resistant strains. The unchanged structural cells of P. pentosaceus strains after treatment with Cd cations were investigated using a scanning electron microscope energy dispersive X‐ray analysis. Furthermore, both P. pentosaceus strains showed strong human gastrointestinal tract resistance properties. The Cd biosorption results fit the pseudo–second‐order kinetics with capacities for P. pentosaceus FB145 and FB181 for Cd were 52.8 and 50.3 mg/g, respectively, whereas the maximum biosorption capacities were 52.65 and 50.35 mg/g, respectively. The equilibrium data were well fitted to the Freundlich isotherm model. The binding of Cd to bacterial cells may be caused by the presence of different functional groups such as carboxyl, amide, and phosphate on cell surface, which was confirmed by the Fourier transform infrared‐attenuated total reflectance spectra. Moreover, these strains decreased the Cd bioaccessibility by 44.7–46.8% in the in vitro digestion model. These findings indicate that P. pentosaceus FB145 and FB181 are novel potent biosorbent for preventing cadmium toxicity and reducing its absorption into the human body. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mustard kimchi consumption reduces cholesterol levels in rats. To identify lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in kimchi which exert this effect, 20 LAB isolates were evaluated for cholesterol reduction in an in vitro screen. The FB111 strain showed the highest cholesterol-lowering activity and was identified as Leuconostoc mesenteroides. This strain was characterized as a potential probiotic through sequential analyses for resistance to gastrointestinal digestion and bile salts, and adhesion to Caco-2 cells. The Caco-2 cells treated with L. mesenteroides FB111 (6–8 log CFU/mL) showed toxicological effect. The reduction of cholesterol uptake in these cells was inhibited by 48.6% compared to the control and significantly higher than that of the Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) strain-treated group after 2-h incubation. The levels of NPC1L1, ABCG5, ABCG8, SREBP-1, SREBP-2, and PPARα gene expression were determined by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis. The L. mesenteroides FB111 and LGG inhibited the mRNA expression of NPC1L1 (P < 0.05), whereas the expression of PPARα was increased. Moreover, the FB111 strain also inhibited the expression of SREBP-2 mRNA. Overall, we found that L. mesenteroides FB111 has efficient cholesterol-lowering effects and might be useful as a probiotic in the food industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The crude extract of soyasaponins was reported to possess anti-inflammatory activity. We determined the new purity group I saponin, I-αa and I-γa that was isolated from wild soybean ( Glycine soja ) in terms of its efficacy in protecting RAW 264.7 macrophages from lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimuli. Cells were treated with soyasaponin I-αa/I-γa (30–300 μΜ) and LPS (0.1 μg/mL) for 24 h. Soyasaponin I-αa inhibited nitric oxide (NO) production at 100 μg/mL, while soyasaponin I-γa demonstrated this effect at a higher concentration (200 μg/mL). The expression levels of iNOS and COX-2 enzymes were downregulated by both soyasaponins. Soyasaponin I-αa exerted its effect via the TNF-α and IL-1β cytokines. However, soyasaponin I-γa only inhibited the expression of TNF-α. The inflammatory effect of group I soyasaponin was mainly mediated via the phosphorylation of the p38 and JNK proteins. Collectively, these results suggested the potential anti-inflammatory effects of soyasaponins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Korea is considered one of the centers of genetic diversity for cultivated as well as wild soybeans. Natural habitats of wild soybeans are distributed across the Korean mainland and the islands surrounding the Korean peninsula. In this study, the genetic diversity of 100 mainland Korean wild soybean accessions was evaluated by using 42 simple sequence repeat markers covering 17 soybean chromosomes. All analyzed loci were polymorphic and a total of 114 alleles were found. The observed average genetic diversity was low (0.4). The results showed that the 100 selected accessions did not exactly follow the geographical distribution. These results were further confirmed by the phylogeny inferred from five morphological characteristics (i.e., leaf shape, leaf area, plant shape, seed area, and 100-seed weight). Together, the genetic and morphological evaluations suggested conclusively that the selected population did not follow the geographical distribution pattern. The present study could provide useful information for the ex situ conservation and exploitation of wild soybean accessions in soybean improvement stratagems, and will aid in further understanding about the phylogeography of the species in the Korean center of diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Capsosiphon fulvescens is a filamentous green algae in the class Ulvophyceae. It has been consumed as food with unique flavor and soft texture to treat stomach disorders and hangovers, and its economic value justifies studying its nutritional and potential therapeutic effects. In contrast to these applications, only a few taxonomic studies have been conducted on C. fulvescens. In particular, classification and phylogenetic relationships of the C. fulvescens below the order level are controversial. To determine its phylogenetic position in the class, we used rbcL and 18S rDNA sequences as molecular markers to construct phylogenetic trees. The amplified rbcL and 18S rDNA sequences from 4 C. fulvescens isolates (Jindo, Jangheung, Wando, and Koheung, Korea) were used for phylogenetic analysis by employing three different phylogenetic methods: neighbor joining (NJ), maximum parsimony (MP), and maximum likelihood (ML). The rbcL phylogenetic tree showed that all taxa in the order Ulvales were clustered as a monophyletic group and resolved the phylogenetic position of C. fulvescens in the order Ulotrichales. The significance of our study is that the 18S rDNA phylogenetic tree shows the detailed taxonomic position of C. fulvescens. In our result, C. fulvescens is inferred as a member of Ulotrichaceae, along with Urospora and Acrosiphonia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glycemic variability comprises 'glucose variability' and 'hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) variability.' Glucose variability relates to the within-day fluctuation of glucose level and may eventually reflect an increase in HbA1c level. Long-term glycemic variability, which is assessed by HbA1c fluctuation, reflects changes in glycemia over longer periods of time. Previous reports from several cohort studies have demonstrated that HbA1c variability is associated with the development or progression of microvascular complication in type 1 and 2 diabetes mellitus. However, data on the impact of HbA1c variability on macrovascular complications are controversial, and little is known about its impact on mortality. Further studies with a larger population including various ethnic groups are required to verify the impact of HbA1c variability on micro- and macrovascular complications of diabetes. Also, stabilized control of long-term glucose level should be emphasized based on these study results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND Smilax china root, which is rich in resveratrol and oxyresveratrol, has been used as emergency foods as well as folk medicine. This study investigated changes in concentration of bioactive components and the free-radical scavenging capacity of Smilax china root during fermentation by Aspergillus usami and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. RESULTS Resveratrol, oxyresveratrol and piceid were quantified as major constituents in Smilax china root by using UPLC-ESI-MS. The concentration of oxyresveratrol and resveratrol remarkably increased through fermentation and the transformation of piceid to resveratrol. Its concentration in 4% Smilax china root was 1.16-2.95 times higher than that of a 2% preparation throughout fermentation. The vitamin C equivalent antioxidant capacity of 2% Smilax china root was 1.51-1.91 times higher than that of 4% Smilax china root during fermentation. Meanwhile, ABTS free-radical scavenging capacity was enhanced up to 95.07 and 99.35% for 2% and 4% Smilax china root, respectively. CONCLUSION Results from our study propose that bioactive components in Smilax China root were highly extracted by fermentation followed by saccharification and ethanol production, resulting in enhanced free-radical scavenging capacity. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of the putative extracytoplasmic function sigma (σ) factor FujE, which has not been characterized as a member of the FK506 biosynthetic gene cluster, on FK506 production was identified by gene deletion, overexpression, and transcription analysis experiments in Streptomyces sp. strain KCCM 11116P. Inactivation of fujE had no effect on FK506 production, growth, or morphological differentiation. Overexpression of fujE with integrative vectors increased FK506 production by 2.87-fold (24.5 ± 1.4 mg·L-1) compared with the wild type (8.5 ± 0.5 mg·L-1). Semiquantitative reverse transcription - polymerase chain reaction analysis indicated that the overexpression of fujE stimulates the transcription of the FK506 biosynthetic genes. These results demonstrated that fujE is a new member of the FK506 biosynthetic gene cluster. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Carbon fiber reinforced polymers (CFRPs) are widely used for various structural materials because of their high stiffness and strength. Detecting damages in CFRP composites is important for structural safety. This study was conducted to detect impact damage in CFRP specimens using the millimeter-wave of 65–67GHz. The impact damage was artificially produced by impact energies of 3.63J, 8.89J and 13.21J, respectively. Since the CFRP composites are electrically anisotropic materials, reflection coefficients are affected by the angle between the electrical field vector direction of the electromagnetic wave and the carbon fiber direction in the CFRP surface. When this angle was 0°, reflection coefficients on the surface with and without damage were easily distinguished. Accordingly, imaging the CFRP specimens including the impact damage was conducted using changes of the reflection coefficient. In addition, in order to obtain better image, the edge detection image processing technique was applied to the original image, and a more natural image was obtained. The magnitude of impact energy producing damage could also be distinguished through the image. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Energy conserving is an important issue in greenhouse farming. Because greenhouse operations consume large amount of fossil fuel energy, energy conservation is necessary for securing famers’ income and alleviating global warming. Surplus air thermal energy (SATE) in greenhouses exists even in the cold season, but it has not been utilized for greenhouse operations. In this research, a greenhouse system to capture and use SATE for cooling and heating in greenhouse farming was operated and its performance was evaluated. This system consists of a heat pump system including heat storage tanks, fan-coil-units in the greenhouse and an electric heater for supplemental heating. This system was located in Hwasung, Korea and operated in the cold season. The amount of SATE was measured to be between 258.3 and 6259.0MJ/month for a glass house with a 100m2 floor area. The energy conservations were determined to be maximum of daily 76.3% and monthly 25.7%. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Surface crack detection in metals is important to ensure the safety of the metallic structures. Because the electromagnetic wave technique can detect the surface crack in coated metals, many researches on that method have been conducted. However, the method to determine the optimal frequency for the detection of surface cracks has not been introduced. This study was conducted to find this optimal frequency and to improve detection sensitivity. As a result of scanning the film-coated metal including the surface crack using an open-ended coaxial line sensor at microwave frequencies ranging from 14 to 18GHz, dual frequencies increasing or decreasing the reflection coefficients were found. This result could be explained based on the capacitance model of the microwave reflection. Consequently, the detection sensitivity was improved by 32.0–97.7%. The surface crack under 0.2mm coating film was stably detected with 0.37–0.43dB of the reflection coefficient. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article reports on a study regarding involvement of tobacco protein 2a kinases (t2aKs) in phosphorylation of polymerase 2a protein of cucumber mosaic virus (CMV). It discusses various steps involved in the study including preparation of membrane extract of the tobacco plant, liquid chromatography of membrane proteins and phosphorylation assay. The study concludes that three t2aKs can phosphorylate N-terminal domain of polymerase 2a protein.

The article presents a study which investigates the reaction of extracellular Adenosine triphosphatase (extATP) concentration to hypertonic stress and its functions in stress protection. It made used of seeds of Arabidopsis thaliana and methods such as hypertonic stress treatments and quantitative analysis of exATP concentration. It was found out that changes in its concentration are transient and seeds reduce its concentration. ExATP was found out as protection from hydrogen peroxide stress.

Abstract: Ethylene and submergence enhance stem elongation of deepwater rice, at least in part, by reducing in the internode the endogenous abscisic acid (ABA) content and increasing the level of gibberellin A1 (GA1). We cloned and characterized the CYP707A5 and CYP707A6 genes, which encode putative ABA 8′-hydroxylase, the enzyme that catalyzes the oxidation of ABA. Expression of CYP707A5 was upregulated significantly by ethylene treatment, whereas that of CYP707A6 was not altered. Recombinant proteins from both genes expressed in yeast cells showed activity of ABA 8′-hydroxylase. This finding indicates that CYP707A5 may play a role in ABA catabolism during submergence- or ethylene-induced stem elongation in deepwater rice. Taken together, these results provide links between the molecular mechanisms and physiological phenomena of submergence- and ethylene-induced stem elongation in deepwater rice. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Terminalia chebula Retz. (Fam. Combretaceae), commonly called black or chebulic myrobalan, is a species of Terminalia. In Tibet, T. chebula is called the "King of Medicine". It is well known as 'Haritaki' since it can be used to cure all kinds of diseases and is considered sacred to God Siva (Hara). The whole plant possesses high medicinal value. The aim of this article is to review the available scientific information regarding traditional uses, bioactive chemical constituents, and pharmacological activities of T. chebula based on in vitro and in vivo studies. First, in this paper, the studies published on T. chebula from 1980 to 2022 were reviewed, and the biological activity and mechanisms of action of T. chebula were evaluated based on in vitro and in vivo studies. T. chebula presented anti-diabetic, anti-hyperlipidemic, antioxidant, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory, anti-arthritic, gastroprotective, anti-microbial, antiparasitic, wound healing, and anti-aging activities. Thus, this review suggests potential applications of T. chebula in nutraceuticals, functional foods, and pharmaceutical industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chitinases are a group of hydrolytic enzymes that catalyze chitin, nd are synthesized by a wide variety of organisms. In nature, microbial chitinases are primarily responsible for chitin decomposition. Several chitinases have been reported and characterized, and they are garnering increasing attention for their uses in a wide range of applications. In the food industry, the direct fermentation of seafood, such as crab and shrimp shells, using chitinolytic microorganisms has contributed to increased nutritional benefits through the enhancement of chitin degradation into chitooligosaccharides. These compounds have been demonstrated to improve human health through their antitumor, antimicrobial, immunomodulatory, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties. Moreover, chitinase and chitinous materials are used in the food industry for other purposes, such as the production of single-cell proteins, chitooligosaccharides, N-acetyl d-glucosamines, biocontrol, functional foods, and various medicines. The functional properties and hydrolyzed products of chitinase, however, depend upon its source and physicochemical characteristics. The present review strives to clarify these perspectives and critically discusses the advances and limitations of microbial chitinase in the further production of functional foods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Galactan is a major sulfate polysaccharide in the red seaweed, Pyropia yezoensis. In the present study, the prebiotic potential and anticancer activities of three sulfate galactans with different molecular weights (GPYcrude, GPY300, and GPY10) were evaluated in vitro. Monosaccharide composition and structural analyses of these sulfate galactans showed that all polysaccharide fractions contained the same monosaccharides but had different molecular weights. All the polysaccharides tested displayed potential prebiotic activity, with GPY10 noticeably having the best potential compared to others, especially for Bifidobacterium spp., which highlights possible correlations between structural galactan features and prebiotic activity. Furthermore, all three sulfate galactans were cytotoxic to DU145 and PC-3 prostate cancer cells, with GPY10 exhibiting the greatest inhibition in DU145 cells. Moreover, GPY10 induced modulates the production of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), with subsequent increased apoptosis of DU145 prostate cancer cell and modulating the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway. GPY10 increased expression of Bax, executor caspase-3, and initiator caspases 8 and 9. Therefore, sulfate galactans from P. yezoensis could be applied as a novel prebiotic and anticancer compounds in prostate cancer cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Galactan is a major sulfate polysaccharide in the red seaweed, Pyropia yezoensis. In the present study, the prebiotic potential and anticancer activities of three sulfate galactans with different molecular weights (GPYcrude, GPY300, and GPY10) were evaluated in vitro. Monosaccharide composition and structural analyses of these sulfate galactans showed that all polysaccharide fractions contained the same monosaccharides but had different molecular weights. All the polysaccharides tested displayed potential prebiotic activity, with GPY10 noticeably having the best potential compared to others, especially for Bifidobacterium spp., which highlights possible correlations between structural galactan features and prebiotic activity. Furthermore, all three sulfate galactans were cytotoxic to DU145 and PC-3 prostate cancer cells, with GPY10 exhibiting the greatest inhibition in DU145 cells. Moreover, GPY10 induced modulates the production of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), with subsequent increased apoptosis of DU145 prostate cancer cell and modulating the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway. GPY10 increased expression of Bax, executor caspase-3, and initiator caspases 8 and 9. Therefore, sulfate galactans from P. yezoensis could be applied as a novel prebiotic and anticancer compounds in prostate cancer cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bioactive compounds are secondary metabolites of plants. They offer diverse pharmacological properties. Peganum harmala is reported to have pharmaceutical effects like insecticidal, antitumor, curing malaria, anti-spasmodic, vasorelaxant, antihistaminic effect. Rosa brunonii has medicinal importance in its flower and fruits effective against different diseases and juice of leaf is reported to be applied externally to cure wounds and cuts. Dryopteris ramosa aqueous leaf extract is used to treat stomach ulcers and stomachaches. Each of these three medicinal plants have been indicated to have anticancer, antiviral, antioxidant, cytotoxic and antifungal effects but efficacy of their bioactive compounds remained unexplored. Study was aimed to explore In-vitro and In-silico anticancer, antiviral, antioxidant, cytotoxic and antifungal effects of bioactive compounds of above three medicinal plants. DPPH and ABTS assay were applied for assessment of antioxidant properties of compounds. Antibacterial properties of compounds were checked by agar well diffusion method. Brine shrimp lethality assay was performed to check cytotoxic effect of compounds. Molecular docking was conducted to investigate the binding efficacy between isolated compounds and targeted proteins. The compound isomangiferrin and tiliroside presented strong antioxidant potential 78.32% (± 0.213) and 77.77% (± 0.211) respectively in DPPH assay while harmaline showed 80.71% (± 0.072) at 200 µg/mL in ABTS assay. The compound harmine, harmaline and PH-HM 17 exhibited highest zone of inhibition 22 mm, 23 mm, 22 mm respectively against Xanthomonas while Irriflophenone-3-C-β- D-glucopyranoside showed maximum zone of inhibition 34 mm against E. coli. The compound isomangiferrin and vasicine contained strong antibacterial activity 32 mm and 22 mm respectively against S. aureus. The compound mangiferrin, astragalin, tiliroside, quercitin-3-O-rhamnoside showed maximum inhibitory zone 32 mm, 26 mm, 24 mm and 22 mm respectively against Klebsiella pneumoniae. Highest cytotoxic effect was observed by compound tiliroside i.e. 95% with LD50 value 73.59 µg/mL. The compound tiliroside showed the best binding mode of interaction to all targeted proteins presenting maximum hydrophobic interactions and hydrogen bonds. The binding affinity of tiliroside was − 17.9, − 14.9, − 14.6, − 13.8, − 12.8 against different proteins 6VAR, 5C5S, IEA3, 2XV7 and 6LUS respectively. Bioactive compounds are significant natural antioxidants, which could help to prevent the progression of various diseases caused by free radicals. Based on molecular docking we have concluded that phytochemicals can have better anticancer and antiviral potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increase in the temperature of seawater due to global warming is one of the major stress factors that has reduced seaweed, in particular Pyropia yezoensis, mariculture worldwide. In this milieu, silicon application has been reported to protect and heal the cells of thallus under stress conditions. The present study investigated the effect of in vitro different temperature and irradiance levels in P. yezoensis gametophytes and the potential mitigating effect of silicic acid (50 μM). The results revealed that the effect of temperature stress on the relative growth rate, the optimum photochemical efficiency of PS II (Fv/Fm), and the net photosynthetic rate (Pn) were minimal in the presence of silicon. The silica content in the thallus increased with increase in temperature, thus upregulating the expression of antioxidant genes. However, the effect of silicon was not characterized in P. yezoensis under irradiance treatments. The results suggest that silicon might effectively improve temperature stress tolerance in P. yezoensis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND It has been reported that Smilax china L. leaf ( SCL) provided various biological functions owing to polyphenols. The objective of the current study was to assess the enhancing effect of processing methods and microbial conversions on phenolic acid and flavonoid content and radical scavenging capacity of SCL for potential applications of diverse food products. RESULTS Targeted phenolic acid (chlorogenic acid) and flavonoids (piceid and quercetin) were identified in fresh SCL using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. The total amount of identified phenolic acid and flavonoids was highest in steamed SCL (12.70 ± 0.12 mg g−1 on a dry matter basis, dmb). A substantial amount of chlorogenic acid (5.81 ± 0.16 mg g−1 dmb), piceid (3.96 ± 0.04 mg g−1 dmb) and quercetin (6.06 ± 0.12 mg g−1 dmb) were quantified in SCL fermented by Bacillus species, roasted and steamed, respectively ( P < 0.05). The oxygen radical absorbance capacity ( ORAC) value was greater in microbial fermented SCL than in others, with the exception of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Aspergillus oryzae. However, vitamin C equivalent antioxidant capacity ( VCEAC) was highest in SCL fermented by Aspergillus oryzae. CONCLUSION Results from our study suggest that the microbial fermentation processing method could improve accessibility to extraction of phenolic acids and flavonoid content and radical scavenging capacity. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To reach the sustainable development goals on health management in Litopenaeus vannamei shrimp culture, Pediococcus pentosaceus AB01 was supplemented in shrimp diet. In this study, the control diet and three experimental diets containing P. pentosaceus AB01 (108, 109, 1010 CFU/g) were separately introduced to L. vannamei for a 28 days feeding trial. After the feeding trial, percent weight gain, feeding efficiency, and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were significantly elevated in L. vannamei administered with P. pentosaceus AB01 at 109 and 1010 colony‐forming unit (CFU)/g. Protease, amylase, and trypsin were found at higher levels in the probiotic‐supplied groups. The feeding of shrimps with P. pentosaceus AB01 significantly increased innate immune response and levels of related biochemical parameters in the haemolymph. After the white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) challenge, supplementation of P. pentosaceus AB01 had significant positive effects (p <.05) on survival rate, compared to that of the control diet. The higher resistance of L. vannamei to WSSV might have been due to alterations in the gut microbiome composition and upregulation of the Toll‐Like Receptor (TLR) signalling pathway. Hence, P. pentosaceus AB01 may be a promising alternative feed to promote growth rate, modulate microbiota composition, and enhance immunity in L. vannamei shrimp. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we evaluated the probiotic properties of Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus pentosus, and Lactobacillus fermentum strains isolated from fermented radish. All the strains survived the simulated oro-gastrointestinal transit condition and showed significantly higher adherence to Caco-2 cells compared with the probiotic strain Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG. The strains showed broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity, autoaggregation, and coaggregation capacity with pathogens. Furthermore, the Lactobacillus strains inhibited the adherence of Yersinia enterocolitica subsp. enterocolitica, Shigella boydii, and Salmonella choleraesuis to the Caco-2 cell line. The strains possessed bile salt hydrolase activity and their cholesterol-lowering activity in vitro was above 50% in the presence of bile. Strains of L. plantarum and L. pentosus possessed the plantaricin-encoding plnEF gene. In addition, the Lactobacillus strains maintained about 80% cell viability after freeze-drying in the presence of a combination of 5% skim milk and 5% maltodextrin as cryoprotectant, and 70% recovery of cell viability was observed in the absence of any cryoprotectant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optimum growing temperature is necessary for maximum yield-potential in any crop. The global atmospheric temperature is changing more rapidly and irregularly every year. High temperature at the flowering/reproductive stage in rice causes partial to complete pollen sterility, resulting in significant reduction in grain yield. Green Super Rice (GSR) is an effort to develop an elite rice type that can withstand multiple environmental stresses and maintain yield in different agro-ecological zones. The current study was performed to assess the effect of heat stress on agronomic and physiological attributes of GSR at flowering stage. Twenty-two GSR lines and four local checks were evaluated under normal and heat-stress conditions for different agro-physiological parameters, including plant height (PH), tillers per plant (TPP), grain yield per plant (GY), straw yield per plant (SY), harvest index (HI), 1000-grain weight (GW), grain length (GL), cell membrane stability (CMS), normalized difference vegetative index (NDVI), and pollen fertility percentage (PFP). Genotypes showed high significant variations for all the studied parameters except NDVI. Association and principal component analysis (PCA) explained the genetic diversity of the genotypes, and relationship between the particular parameters and grain yield. We found that GY, along with other agronomic traits, such as TPP, SY, HI, and CMS, were greatly affected by heat stress in most of the genotypes, while PH, GW, GL, PFP, and NDVI were affected only in a few genotypes. Outperforming NGSR-16 and NGSR-18 in heat stress could be utilized as a parent for the development of heat-tolerant rice. Moreover, these findings will be helpful in the prevention and management of heat stress in rice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scrophularia buergeriana (SB) was once thought to be an herbal remedy with a wide range of uses. Lactobacillus transformation improves the medicinal benefits of biological substances. However, the effect of fermented SBE in macrophages on inflammatory expression is unknown. Furthermore, the synergistic effects of SBE and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) have not been previously investigated. Therefore, in the present study, we investigated the mixture of SB fermented with different lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains, and analyzed their characteristics before and after fermentation. The results showed that LAB activities increased the levels of phenolic compounds, flavonoids, and iridoids, and SB extract (SBE) stimulated the growth of Lactobacillus strains. Moreover, we also determined the anti-inflammatory effects of the SBE fermented sample in lipopolysaccharide-treated RAW264.7 cells. It was observed that the treatment of SBE fermented sample inhibited nitric oxide (NO) production than SBE and also decreased the RNA expression of iNOS, IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, and COX-2. The results of this study indicate the potential anti-inflammation activity of lactic acid bacteria-fermented SBE as nutraceutical ingredients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resveratrol has a beneficial effect of lowering reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reduces cellular oxidative stress. We hypothesized that ethanol extract of Smilax china root (EESC) rich in resveratrol (RES) and oxyresveratrol (OXY) could reduce ROS caused by nicotine and promoting nicotine turnover by induction of CYP2A6. The amount of cotinine converted from nicotine was quantified by the direct barbiturate assay method. Expression of CYP2A6 was unregulated by RES, OXY, or EESC, respectively. Pretreatment of RES (50, 100, and 250 μM), OXY (50, 100, and 250 μM), and RES+OXY (50 and 100 μM) inhibited cytotoxicity and ROS production caused by nicotine in a dose-dependent manner. EESC pretreatment (1.8 mg/mL) increased cell viability by 1.5-fold higher than the control (nicotine only), and lowered cellular ROS levels. A significant amount of the conversion of nicotine to cotinine was observed in EESC pretreatment by CYP2A6 induction in HepG2 cells. These results suggested that hepatic induction of CYP2A6 and ROS reduction by EESC activate nicotine metabolism and reduce cellular oxidative stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abioticstress such as drought is a potential threat posing a severe challenge to wheat production across the globe. The current study comparatively delineated the performance of elite Pakistani bread wheat genotypes at physiological (chlorophyll, canopy temperature, cell membrane percentage stability and leaf relative water content), agronomic (plant height, tillers plant−1, flag leaf area, spike length, spikelets spike−1, grains spike−1, grain yield spike−1, thousand grain weight and plant biomass) and genetic (TaDREB1A, TaGROS-A, TaLEA3, TaHSFA1a, TaWRKY44 and TaEXPA2) levels. Atri-replicate experiment was conducted in a two factorial arrangement using RCBD, and data were analyzed statistically using the computer-based programsStatistix8.1 and R-studio. In general, all wheat genotypes illustrated significant (p ≤ 0.05) alterations in physiological and agronomic traits under drought stress as compared to the control; however, this alteration was significantly (p ≤ 0.05) different among all genotypes owing to their varying genetic potential. Furthermore, these genotypes were evaluated for the extent of the association of physiological and agronomic traits using PCA, correlation and heatmap analysis, which proved statistically significant variation in the paired association of traits among all genotypes during drought stress as compared to the control. In addition, based on statistical evaluations, the genotypes Pakistan-13, Shahkar-13, AAS-11, Chakwal-86, Chakwal-50 and AUR-09 were found to be tolerant, while genotypes Anmol-97, Chakwal-97, Bhakkar-02 and BWP-97 were comparatively susceptible. Furthermore, these screened genotypes showed differential expression of drought-related genes, with relatively high expression in tolerant genotypes compared to susceptible genotypes. The current study concluded that physiological, agronomic and molecular characteristics are significantly interconnected, and these associations determine the end productivity of wheat genotypes during abiotic stress. Therefore, their integrated study can enhance the pace of wheat breeding for drought tolerance in the near future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Two sesterterpene sulfates (1–2) were isolated from tropical sponge Hippospongia sp. and their inhibitory activities against isocitrate lyase (ICL) from the rice blast fungus Mgnaporthe grisea were evaluated. Compound 3 was obtained by hydrolysis of compound 1. Compounds 1 and 3 were found to be potent ICL inhibitors, which inhibited appressorium formation and C2 carbon utilization in M. grisea. Our results suggest that ICL plays crucial role in appressorium formation of M. grisea and is a new target for the protection of rice blast disease. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

N,N-Dipentylamido homooxacalix[4]arene (3) in the C-1,2-alternate conformation provided Pb2+ ion selectivity over other metal cations. N-Monopentylamido homooxacalix[4]arene in C-1,2-alternate conformation has an intramolecular hydrogen bonding, causing decrease of the metal ion complex ability. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Polysaccharides are key bioactive compounds in lotus plumule tea, but their anti-diabetes activities remain unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prebiotic activities of a novel polysaccharide fraction from the Nelumbo nucifera lotus plumule, and to examine its regulation of glucose metabolism in insulin-resistant HepG2 cells. The N. nucifera polysaccharide (NNP) was purified after discoloration, hot water extraction, ethanol precipitation, and DEAE-cellulose chromatography to obtain purified polysaccharide fractions (NNP-2). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was used to analyze the main structural characteristics and functional group of NNP-2. Physicochemical characterization indicated that NNP-2 had a molecular weight of 110.47 kDa and consisted of xylose, glucose, fructose, galactose, and fucose in a molar ratio of 33.4:25.7:22.0:10.5:8.1. The prebiotic activity of NNP-2 was demonstrated in vitro using Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium. Furthermore, NNP-2 showed bioactivity against α-glucosidase (IC50 = 97.32 µg/mL). High glucose-induced insulin-resistant HepG2 cells were used to study the effect of NNP-2 on glucose consumption, and the molecular mechanism of the insulin transduction pathway was studied using RT-qPCR. NNP-2 could improve insulin resistance by modulating the IRS1/PI3K/Akt pathway in insulin-resistant HepG2 cells. Our data demonstrated that the Nelumbo nucifera polysaccharides are potential sources for nutraceuticals, and we propose functional food developments from the bioactive polysaccharides of N. nucifera for the management of diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD), an mRNA quality control process, is thought to function in plant immunity. A subset of fully spliced (FS) transcripts of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) resistance (R) genes are upregulated during bacterial infection. Here, we report that 81.2% and 65.1% of FS natural TIR-NBS-LRR (TNL) and CC-NBS-LRR transcripts, respectively, retain characteristics of NMD regulation, as their transcript levels could be controlled posttranscriptionally. Both bacterial infection and the perception of bacteria by pattern recognition receptors initiated the destruction of core NMD factors UP-FRAMESHIFT1 (UPF1), UPF2, and UPF3 in Arabidopsis within 30 min of inoculation via the independent ubiquitination of UPF1 and UPF3 and their degradation via the 26S proteasome pathway. The induction of UPF1 and UPF3 ubiquitination was delayed in mitogen - activated protein kinase3 (mpk3) and mpk6 , but not in salicylic acid-signaling mutants, during the early immune response. Finally, previously uncharacterized TNL-type R transcripts accumulated in upf mutants and conferred disease resistance to infection with a virulent Pseudomonas strain in plants. Our findings demonstrate that NMD is one of the main regulatory processes through which PRRs fine-tune R transcript levels to reduce fitness costs and achieve effective immunity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

WRKY Transcription factors (TFs) play critical roles in plant defence mechanisms that are activated in response to biotic and abiotic stresses. However, information on the Glycine soja WRKYs (GsoWRKYs) is scarce. Owing to its importance in soybean breeding, here we identified putative WRKY TFs in wild soybean, and compared the results with Glycine max WRKYs (GmaWRKYs) by phylogenetic, conserved motif, and duplication analyses. Moreover, we explored the expression trends of WRKYs in G. max (oomycete, fungi, virus, bacteria, and soybean cyst nematode) and G. soja (soybean cyst nematode), and identified commonly expressed WRKYs and their co-expressed genes. We identified, 181 and 180 putative WRKYs in G. max and G. soja, respectively. Though the number of WRKYs in both studied species is almost the same, they differ in many ways, i.e., the number of WRKYs on corresponding chromosomes, conserved domain structures, WRKYGQK motif variants, and zinc-finger motifs. WRKYs in both species grouped in three major clads, i.e., I–III, where group-II had sub-clads IIa-IIe. We found that GsoWRKYs expanded mostly through segmental duplication. A large number of WRKYs were expressed in response to biotic stresses, i.e., Phakospora pachyrhizi, Phytoplasma, Heterodera glycines, Macrophomina phaseolina, and Soybean mosaic virus; 56 GmaWRKYs were commonly expressed in soybean plants infected with these diseases. Finally, 30 and 63 GmaWRKYs and GsoWRKYs co-expressed with 205 and 123 non-WRKY genes, respectively, indicating that WRKYs play essential roles in biotic stress tolerance in Glycine species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the neuroprotective effect of Citrus aurantium extract (CAE) and nobiletin against amyloid β 1–42 (Aβ 1–42)-induced spatial learning and memory impairment in mice. After injecting Aβ 1–42 (5 µl/2.5 min, intracerebroventricular injection), amnesic mice were orally administered CAE and nobiletin for 28 days. Memory, spatial and cognitive ability were measured using passive avoidance and a Morris water maze task. Acetylcholinesterase (AchE) activity was investigated in the hippocampus and cortex using commercial kits and the analysis of Bax, Bcl-2, and cleaved caspase-3 protein expression by western blot assays was used to confirm the anti-apoptotic mechanism of CAE and nobiletin. The present study confirmed impairments in learning and memory in the Aβ-induced neurodegenerative mice with increased AchE activity in the brain. However, the daily administration of CAE and nobiletin reduced the spatial learning deficits and increased the AchE activity in the cortex and hippocampus. Furthermore, CAE and nobiletin significantly downregulated the Bax and cleaved caspase-3 protein expression and upregulated the Bcl-2 and Bcl-2/Bax expression in the cortex and hippocampus of Aβ-treated mice. These results suggest that CAE and nobiletin exert a neuroprotective effect by regulating anti-apoptotic mechanisms, including reduced AchE activity in the cortex and hippocampus of the cognitive deficit mouse model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cellulose synthase A (CESA) is a key enzyme involved in the complex process of plant cell wall biosynthesis, and it remains a productive subject for research. We employed systems biology approaches to explore structural diversity of eudicot CESAs by exon–intron organization, mode of duplication, synteny, and splice site analyses. Using a combined phylogenetics and comparative genomics approach coupled with co-expression networks we reconciled the evolution of cellulose synthase gene family in eudicots and found that the basic forms of CESA proteins are retained in angiosperms. Duplications have played an important role in expansion of CESA gene family members in eudicots. Co-expression networks showed that primary and secondary cell wall modules are duplicated in eudicots. We also identified 230 simple sequence repeat markers in 103 eudicot CESAs. The 13 identified conserved motifs in eudicots will provide a basis for gene identification and functional characterization in other plants. Furthermore, we characterized (in silico) eudicot CESAs against senescence and found that expression levels of CESAs decreased during leaf senescence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Global commercialization of GM food and feed has stimulated much debate over the fate of GM food-derived DNA in the body of the consumer and as to whether it poses any health risks. We reviewed the fate of DNA derived from GM food in the human body. During mechanical/chemical processing, integrity of DNA is compromised. Food-DNA can survive harsh processing and digestive conditions with fragments up to a few hundred bp detectable in the gastrointestinal tract. Compelling evidence supported the presence of food (also GM food) derived DNA in the blood and tissues of human/animal. There is limited evidence of food-born DNA integrating into the genome of the consumer and of horizontal transfer of GM crop DNA into gut-bacteria. We find no evidence that transgenes in GM crop-derived foods have a greater propensity for uptake and integration than the host DNA of the plant-food. We found no evidence of plant-food DNA function/expression following transfer to either the gut-bacteria or somatic cells. Strong evidence suggested that plant-food-miRNAs can survive digestion, enter the body and affect gene expression patterns. We envisage that this multi-dimensional review will address questions regarding the fate of GM food-derived DNA and gene-regulatory-RNA in the human body. Highlights • Mechanical and chemical processing, prior to entering digestive system, compromises DNA integrity. • DNA fragments up to a few hundred base pairs can survive and reach in blood and tissues of human and animal consumers. • There is limited evidence that dietary DNA can integrate into the genome of somatic cells or gut bacteria. • There is no evidence that dietary DNA integrated into somatic cells of consumers and gut bacteria has gene expression. • Food miRNAs can survive digestion, enter the consumer's body and may affect their gene expression in different organs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Legumes are the world's primary source of dietary protein and are particularly important for those in developing economies. However, the biofortification potential of legumes remains underexploited. Legumes offer a diversity of micronutrients and amino acids, exceeding or complementing the profiles of cereals. As such, the enhancement of legume nutritional composition presents an appealing target for addressing the "hidden hunger" of global micronutrient malnutrition. Affecting ~2 billion people, micronutrient malnutrition causes severe health effects ranging from stunted growth to reduced lifespan. An increased availability of micronutrient‐enriched legumes, particularly to those in socio‐economically deprived areas, would serve the dual functions of ameliorating hidden hunger and increasing the positive health effects associated with legumes. Here, we give an updated overview of breeding approaches for the nutritional improvement of legumes, and crucially, we highlight the importance of considering nutritional improvement in a wider ecological context. Specifically, we review the potential of the legume microbiome for agronomic trait improvement and highlight the need for increased genetic, biochemical, and environmental data resources. Finally, we state that such resources should be complemented by an international and multidisciplinary initiative that will drive crop improvement and, most importantly, ensure that research outcomes benefit those who need them most. Legumes are prime targets for biofortification, thus bear the potential to reduce micronutrient malnutrition. However, they are currently underexploited in global agriculture. Here, we provide an updated overview of the nutritional improvement of legumes and consider them in the context of their growth environment. In particular, we highlight the importance of microbiomes and suggest a community‐based approach towards crop improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • An ion-sensing–based nutrient management system was applied to the nutrient solution of closed hydroponic system for lettuce. • A concentration ratio method to control the concentrations of PO 4 and Mg was evaluated. • A method involving a cobalt rod electrode was applied to hydroponic phosphate sensing. Abstract Ion-specific nutrient management systems would replace conventional electrical conductivity-based management systems for more efficient maintenance of the concentration of each ion in nutrient solutions for closed hydroponic systems. This study reports on the validation testing of a previously developed ion-specific sensing and control system. Specific objectives were to (1) evaluate the ability of the system to maintain the target concentrations of five macronutrients, i.e., NO 3 −, PO 4 3−, K+, Ca2+, and Mg2+ ions, required for crop growth in closed hydroponic systems based on both real-time measurement of NO 3 −, K+, and Ca2+ and the use of a concentration ratio method to replenish Mg2+ and PO 4 3−, and (2) investigate the applicability of a cobalt rod-based electrode for hydroponic phosphate sensing. In a lettuce cultivation test conducted with the ebb-and-flow method over 21 days, most of the macronutrient concentrations were successfully maintained at the target levels with RMSE values of 25.2 ± 9.4, 19.1 ± 8.1, and 11.5 ± 6.1 mg∙L−1 for NO 3 −, K+, and Ca2+, respectively. In the case of Mg2+ and PO 4 3− ions replenished in a proportional ratio to the supply of Ca2+ and NO 3 − ions, respectively, the Mg2+ concentrations were maintained between 18 and 25 mg∙L−1 at an almost constant level, whereas the PO 4 3− concentrations increased steadily over time with no clear evidence of plant uptake, implying that the use of a concentration ratio method would not be effective in controlling the concentrations of PO 4 3− in hydroponic solutions. As a phosphate sensor, the cobalt electrodes yielded an RMSE result of 10.9 ± 7.1% from a comparison of the electrode method and standard analysis when tested in hydroponic lettuce samples taken once a day during the period of lettuce growing, thereby offering the potential for use in hydroponic phosphate sensing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Light-emitting diode (LED) technology offers potential energy-efficient light sources for algal aquaculture. In this study, the growth rate and ulvan yield of Ulva pertusa used for broad commercial applications were enhanced in vitro. To investigate the response of Ulva to LEDs, algae were grown under white fluorescent, pure primary color LED, and mixed LED lights for 28 days. Ulva sp. under blue LED and white fluorescent light showed higher specific growth rate (SGR, 12% day−1) than other light sources, while the growth under mixed red-blue LED light was lower than that under white fluorescent lighting. Despite the differences in alga growth under LEDs and white fluorescent light, few differences are observed in N and P content among algae grown under any light source. U. pertusa showed tissue nitrogen and ulvan contents in the ranges of 4.4-6.7% and 20.4-25.1%, respectively, under all LED light treatments. The ulvan extracted from algae under blue LED showed high levels of antioxidant activity measured with 2,2-diphenylpicrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical and hydrogen peroxide. Moreover, the ulvan obtained under different lights showed different monosaccharide compositions. Based on these results, LEDs should be considered as the main light sources for indoor seaweed cultivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant WRKY transcription factors play a vital role in abiotic stress tolerance and regulation of plant defense responses. This study examined AtWRKY11 and AtWRKY17 expression under ABA, salt, and osmotic stress at different developmental stages in Arabidopsis . We used reverse transcriptase PCR, quantitative real-time PCR, and promoter:GUS lines to analyze expression. Both genes were upregulated in response to abiotic stress. Next, we applied the same stressors to seedlings of T-DNA insertion wrky11 and 17 knock-out mutants (single and double). Under stress, the mutants exhibited slower germination and compromised root growth compared with the wild type. In most cases, double-mutant seedlings were more affected than single mutants. These results suggest that wrky11 and wrky17 are not strictly limited to plant defense responses but are also involved in conferring stress tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wild soybeans are naturally found in China, and the Korean Peninsula, Japanese archipelago and Russian Far East, which are considered their centres of diversity. The presence of higher amounts of secondary metabolites in wild soybeans makes them the ideal choice to increase soyisoflavone content in cultivated soybeans through modern breeding and biotechnological techniques. Such a superiority calls for soyisoflavone profiling of germplasm resources. The soyisoflavone diversity of 298 wild soybean accessions collected from main centres of diversity, i.e. China, South Korea, Japan, and the Russian Far East were subjected to high-performance liquid chromatography. The profiles of six soyisoflavone components from whole seeds were quantified. The analysis of variance, principle component analysis, and Pearson's correlation analysis clearly revealed that the 298 wild soybean accessions studied had low variation in terms of the six soyisoflavone components, i.e. daidzin, glycitin, genistin, malonyl-daidzin, malonyl glycitin, and malonyl genistin. The accessions with higher soyisoflavone contents are good candidates for future breeding strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Triterpenoid saponins are one of the most highly accumulated groups of functional components in soybean ( Glycine max ) and the oxidative reactions during their biosynthesis are required for their aglycone diversity. Natural mutants of soyasaponins in wild soybean ( Glycine soja ) are valuable resources for establishing the soyasaponin biosynthesis pathway and breeding new soybean varieties. In this study, we investigated the genetic mechanism behind the absence of group A saponins in a Korean wild soybean mutant, CWS5095. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) of CWS5095 identified four point mutations [Val6 → Asp, Ile231 → Thr, His294 → Gln, and Arg376 → Lys] in CYP72A69 ( Glyma15g39090 ), which oxygenate the C-21 position of soyasapogenol B or other intermediates to produce soyasapogenol A, leading to group A saponin production. An in vitro enzyme activity assay of single-sited mutated clones indicated that the Arg376 > Lys mutation (a highly conserved mutation based on a nucleotide change from G → A at the 1,127th position) may lead to loss of gene function in the sg-5 mutant. A very high normalized expression value of 377 reads per kilo base per million (RPKM) of Glyma15g39090 in the hypocotyl axis at the early maturation seed-development stage confirmed their abundant presence in seed hypocotyls. A molecular dynamics analysis of the Arg376 > Lys mutation based on the CYP3A4 (a human CYP450) protein structure found that it was responsible for the increase in axis length toward the heme (active site), which is critically important for biological activity and ligand binding. Our results provide important information on how to eradicate bitter and astringent saponins in soybean by utilizing the reported mutation in Glyma15g39090 , and its importance for seed hypocotyl development based on transcript abundance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modern agriculture provides the potential for sustainable feeding of the world's increasing population. Up to the present moment, genetically modified (GM) products have enabled increased yields and reduced pesticide usage. Nevertheless, GM products are controversial amongst policy makers, scientists and the consumers, regarding their possible environmental, ecological, and health risks. Scientific-and-political debates can even influence legislation and prospective risk assessment procedure. Currently, the scientifically-assessed direct hazardous impacts of GM food and feed on fauna and flora are conflicting; indeed, a review of literature available data provides some evidence of GM environmental and health risks. Although the consequences of gene flow and risks to biodiversity are debatable. Risks to the environment and ecosystems can exist, such as the evolution of weed herbicide resistance during GM cultivation. A matter of high importance is to provide precise knowledge and adequate current information to regulatory agencies, governments, policy makers, researchers, and commercial GMO-releasing companies to enable them to thoroughly investigate the possible risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The plant cellulose synthase gene superfamily belongs to the category of type-2 glycosyltransferases, and is involved in cellulose and hemicellulose biosynthesis. These enzymes are vital for maintaining cell-wall structural integrity throughout plant life. Here, we identified 78 putative cellulose synthases (CS) in the soybean genome. Phylogenetic analysis against 40 reference Arabidopsis CS genes clustered soybean CSs into seven major groups (CESA, CSL A, B, C, D, E and G), located on 19 chromosomes (except chromosome 18). Soybean CS expansion occurred in 66 duplication events. Additionally, we identified 95 simple sequence repeat makers related to 44 CSs. We next performed digital expression analysis using publically available datasets to understand potential CS functions in soybean. We found that CSs were highly expressed during soybean seed development, a pattern confirmed with an Affymatrix soybean IVT array and validated with RNA-seq profiles. Within CS groups, CESAs had higher relative expression than CSLs. Soybean CS models were designed based on maximum average RPKM values. Gene co-expression networks were developed to explore which CSs could work together in soybean. Finally, RT-PCR analysis confirmed the expression of 15 selected CSs during all four seed developmental stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Powerful scientific techniques have caused dramatic expansion of genetically modified crops leading to altered agricultural practices posing direct and indirect environmental implications. Despite the enhanced yield potential, risks and biosafety concerns associated with such GM crops are the fundamental issues to be addressed. An increasing interest can be noted among the researchers and policy makers in exploring unintended effects of transgenes associated with gene flow, flow of naked DNA, weediness and chemical toxicity. The current state of knowledge reveals that GM crops impart damaging impacts on the environment such as modification in crop pervasiveness or invasiveness, the emergence of herbicide and insecticide tolerance, transgene stacking and disturbed biodiversity, but these impacts require a more in-depth view and critical research so as to unveil further facts. Most of the reviewed scientific resources provide similar conclusions and currently there is an insufficient amount of data available and up until today, the consumption of GM plant products are safe for consumption to a greater extent with few exceptions. This paper updates the undesirable impacts of GM crops and their products on target and non-target species and attempts to shed light on the emerging challenges and threats associated with it. Underpinning research also realizes the influence of GM crops on a disturbance in biodiversity, development of resistance and evolution slightly resembles with the effects of non-GM cultivation. Future prospects are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the effects of non-fermented Smilax china L. (SC) and fermented Smilax china L. leaf extract by Aspergillus oryzae (FSC) on lipogenesis and antioxidant activities in diet induced-obese mice. While principal bioactive constituents in SC were decreased by fermentation, diverse secondary metabolites were identified. Both SC and FSC supplementation reduced body weight and epididymal fat mass in mice fed a high-fat diet. Hepatic triglyceride and cholesterol levels were lowered by SC treatment and the degree of lipid reduction was higher in FSC-treated group due to hepatic upregulation of lipogenic genes. SC and FSC improved hepatic function by lowering the activity of serum biomarker enzymes. In contrast, the activities of antioxidant enzymes were elevated and cellular lipid peroxide were decreased in liver. Taken together, FSC is more potent in preventing obesity and ameliorating hepatic function by fermentation-mediated production of bioactive constituents that have higher antioxidant and anti-obese efficacy. Practical applications The studies revealing that specific mechanism regarding anti-obesity effect of consumption of SC leaf in animal models is limited. Extract of fermented SC by Aspergillus oryzae (FSC) could be used as a bioactive ingredient for functional food products that can have a health claim for reducing hepatic lipogenesis in the liver in high-fat diet induced-obese mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Family-1 UDP-glycosyltransferases (EC 2.4.1.x; UGTs) are enzymes that glycosylate aglycones into glycoside-associated compounds with improved transport and water solubility. This glycosylation mechanism is vital to plant functions, such as regulation of hormonal homeostasis, growth and development, xenobiotic detoxification, stress response, and biosynthesis of secondary metabolites. Here, we report a genome-wide analysis of soybean that identified 149 putative UGTs based on 44 conserved plant secondary product glycosyl-transferase (PSPG) motif amino acid sequences. Phylogenetic analysis against 22 referenced UGTs from Arabidopsis and maize clustered the putative UGTs into 15 major groups (A-O); J, K, and N were not represented, but the UGTs were distributed across all chromosomes except chromosome 04. Leucine was the most abundant amino acid across all 149 UGT peptide sequences. Two conserved introns (C 1 and C 2 ) were detected in the most intron-containing UGTs. Publicly available microarray data on their maximum expression in the seed developmental stage were further confirmed using Affymetrix soybean IVT array and RNA sequencing data. The UGT expression models were designed, based on reads per kilobase of gene model per million mapped read (RPKM) values confirmed their maximally varied expression at globular and early maturation stages of seed development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Daptomycin, a cyclic anionic lipopeptide compound produced by Streptomyces roseosporus , is used to treat skin infections caused by multi-drug resistant gram-positive pathogens. The biosynthesis of daptomycin is initiated by the condensation of decanoic acid (DA, a 10-carbon unit fatty acid) and the N-terminal l -tryptophan. So, the addition of DA to the fermentation medium is essential for increasing daptomycin production. However, increasing of DA concentration in the fermentation medium was not possible due to the high toxicity of DA. The previous studies reported that the cell growth of S. roseosporus was halted from 1 mM DA. In order to improve daptomycin production with increasing DA concentration in the medium, the DA-resistant S. roseosporus was developed via a sequential-adaptation method. The DA-resistant strain (DAR) showed complete resistance to 1 mM DA, and the daptomycin production was increased 1.4-fold (40.5 ± 0.7 mg/L) compared with the wild-type (28.5 ± 0.8 mg/L) at 1 mM DA. Additionally, the initial step of the daptomycin biosynthesis was enhanced by the overexpression of dptE and dptF in DAR. The dptEF overexpression DAR showed 3.9-fold (156.3 ± 8.2 mg/L) increase in the daptomycin production compared with DAR (40.1 ± 2.6 mg/L) at 1 mM DA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New saponin components, Sg-6 saponins, have been recently reported from the seeds of wild soybean (Glycine soja) which may have specific health benefits. To evaluate the possible health benefits, a large amount of Sg-6 saponins are needed, but general group A acetyl saponins and new Sg-6 saponins are eluted in overlapping peaks by ordinal preparative high-performance liquid chromatography and/or open column methods. A new method is proposed in this report. This method includes (1) deacetylation of group A acetyl saponins in alkali condition with KOH, (2) precipitation of Sg-6 saponins in acid condition with HCl, (3) recovery of Sg-6 saponins with aqueous methanol from the precipitate, and (4) elution of Sg-6 saponins by preparative reverse-phase open column. With this method, from 450 g of wild soybean whole seed powder, about 1 g of Sg-6 saponins (mixture of six components) was clearly separated from other saponins with 61% recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, we explore the protective effects of Citrus aurantium L. extract (CAE) against acute and chronic CCl 4 -induced hepatotoxicity. The quantitative analysis of CAE was performed using HPLC-UV to determine the nobiletin content was approximately 27%. For the acute model, the male ICR mice were orally treated with water, silymarin (positive control, 200 mg/kg) and CAE (50 and 200 mg/kg) for 3 days prior to CCl 4 (1 mL/kg, 50% v/v in olive oil) IP injection. For the chronic model (n = 6/group), the mice were treated with each treatment for 28 consecutive days and CCl 4 (1 mL/kg, 20%) was injected twice a week. In both the acute and chronic models, the CCl 4 alone treated group showed histopathologic alterations with a significantly increase in serum hepatic enzyme levels together with a disrupted anti-oxidative status. In contrast, the CAE treatments restored pathologic alterations and recovered the oxidative status by enhancing antioxidant enzymes and reducing lipid peroxidation levels. Furthermore, CAE enhanced nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and its related cytoprotective signals, including NAD(P)H quinone oxidoreductase 1, UDP-glucuronosyltransferase, and γ-glutamylcysteine synthetase. Taken together, the present study demonstrates that CAE exerts a protective effect against CCl 4 -induced hepatotoxicity with its anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]