Search

Abstract Background Magnolia kobus belongs to the Magnoliaceae family and the genus Magnolia. The flowers are widely used in herbal tea and dietary supplements. It is effectively used in traditional medicines and its chemical constituents have various biological activities, such as anti-obesity, antioxidant, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and anti-hyperlipidaemic activities. The flower developmental process of M. kobus involves a complex regulatory network and is intensively related to the quality and relative composition of primary and secondary metabolites of the flower. Hence, the identification of metabolic changes during different developmental stages of the flower was important for enhancing organoleptic and nutritional characteristics. To our knowledge, to date, none of the studies has investigated the relationship between metabolic changes (primary and secondary metabolites) during different developmental stages of the M. kobus flower. Results This study investigated metabolic changes in 47 hydrophilic and 13 lipophilic compounds and biological activities in Magnolia kobus flowers during four developmental stages. Metabolites were identified using HPLC, GC–qMS, and GC–TOFMS. Throughout flower development, metabolite accumulation showed significant differences based on metabolomics approaches. The dynamic changes of 21 differential metabolites occurred between the young and mature stages. Flower buds exhibited high levels of phenylpropanoids and phytosterols. The total phenolic and flavonoid contents were most abundant in the buds and decreased from the bud to the old stages. Flower bud extracts showed the most powerful effects in three antioxidant assays and antibacterial effects against 10 pathogenic bacterial strains. Conclusions These findings emphasise the value of M. kobus flower buds as an edible natural source and provide valuable insight into the metabolic changes that occur in M. kobus flowers during development. Graphical Abstract

Background: Magnolia kobus belongs to the Magnoliaceae family and the genus Magnolia. The flowers are widely used in herbal tea and dietary supplements. It is effectively used in traditional medicines and its chemical constituents have various biological activities, such as anti-obesity, antioxidant, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and anti-hyperlipidaemic activities. The flower developmental process of M. kobus involves a complex regulatory network and is intensively related to the quality and relative composition of primary and secondary metabolites of the flower. Hence, the identification of metabolic changes during different developmental stages of the flower was important for enhancing organoleptic and nutritional characteristics. To our knowledge, to date, none of the studies has investigated the relationship between metabolic changes (primary and secondary metabolites) during different developmental stages of the M. kobus flower. Results: This study investigated metabolic changes in 47 hydrophilic and 13 lipophilic compounds and biological activities in Magnolia kobus flowers during four developmental stages. Metabolites were identified using HPLC, GC–qMS, and GC–TOFMS. Throughout flower development, metabolite accumulation showed significant differences based on metabolomics approaches. The dynamic changes of 21 differential metabolites occurred between the young and mature stages. Flower buds exhibited high levels of phenylpropanoids and phytosterols. The total phenolic and flavonoid contents were most abundant in the buds and decreased from the bud to the old stages. Flower bud extracts showed the most powerful effects in three antioxidant assays and antibacterial effects against 10 pathogenic bacterial strains. Conclusions: These findings emphasise the value of M. kobus flower buds as an edible natural source and provide valuable insight into the metabolic changes that occur in M. kobus flowers during development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clinical prevention is of utmost importance for the management of periodontal diseases. Periodontal disease starts with an inflammatory response in the gingival tissue, and results in alveolar bone destruction and subsequent tooth loss. This study aimed to confirm the anti-periodontitis effects of MKE. To confirm this, we studied its mechanism of action using qPCR and WB in LPS-treated HGF-1 cells and RANKL-induced osteoclasts. We found that MKE suppressed proinflammatory cytokine protein expression by inhibiting the TLR4/NF-κB pathway in LPS-PG-induced HGF-1 cells and blocking ECM degradation by regulating the expression of TIMPs and MMPs. We also confirmed that TRAP activity and multinucleated cell formation were reduced in RANKL-stimulated osteoclasts after exposure to MKE. These results were confirmed by inhibiting TRAF6/MAPK expression, which led to the suppression of NFATc1, CTSK, TRAP, and MMP expression at the gene and protein levels. Our results confirmed that MKE is a promising candidate for the management of periodontal disease based on its anti-inflammatory effects and inhibition of ECM degradation and osteoclastogenesis.

Periodontitis, a disease caused by inflammation of oral bacteria, contributes to the loss of alveolar bone and destruction of connective tissues. Porphyromonas gingivalis, a Gram-negative bacterium, is known to possess important pathogenic factors for periodontal disease. In this study, we investigated the anti-periodontitis effects of Magnolia kobus extract (MKE) and magnolin as a component of Magnolia kobus (MK) in murine macrophage RAW 264.7 cells stimulated with Porphyromonas gingivalis lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Effects of MKE and magnolin on the mechanism of RAW 264.7 cellular inflammation were determined by analyzing nitric oxide (NO) production and Western blot protein expression (n = 3). MKE/magnolin inhibited NO production without affecting cell survival. MKE/magnolin treatment inhibited LPS-induced pro-inflammatory cytokines, expression levels of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs such as MMP-1, 3, 8, 9, and 13), and protein levels of inflammatory mediators (such as TNF-α, IL-1β, and mPGES-1). MKE/magnolin also suppressed NF-κB activation by inhibiting the TLR4 signaling pathway. These findings suggest that MKE has a therapeutic effect on inflammatory periodontal disease caused by oral bacterium P. gingivalis and that magnolin is a major functional component in the anti-inflammatory effect of MKE.

Background and Aims An individual plant consists of different-sized shoots, each of which consists of different-sized leaves. To predict plant-level physiological responses from the responses of individual leaves, modelling this within-shoot leaf size variation is necessary. Within-plant leaf trait variation has been well investigated in canopy photosynthesis models but less so in plant allometry. Therefore, integration of these two different approaches is needed. Methods We focused on an established leaf-level relationship that the area of an individual leaf lamina is proportional to the product of its length and width. The geometric interpretation of this equation is that different-sized leaf laminas from a single species share the same basic form. Based on this shared basic form, we synthesized a new length-times-width equation predicting total shoot leaf area from the collective dimensions of leaves that comprise a shoot. Furthermore, we showed that several previously established empirical relationships, including the allometric relationships between total shoot leaf area, maximum individual leaf length within the shoot and total leaf number of the shoot, can be unified under the same geometric argument. We tested the model predictions using five species, all of which have simple leaves, selected from diverse taxa (Magnoliids, monocots and eudicots) and from different growth forms (trees, erect herbs and rosette herbs). Key Results For all five species, the length-times-width equation explained within-species variation of total leaf area of a shoot with high accuracy (R 2 > 0.994). These strong relationships existed despite leaf dimensions scaling very differently between species. We also found good support for all derived predictions from the model (R 2 > 0.85). Conclusions Our model can be incorporated to improve previous models of allometry that do not consider within-shoot size variation of individual leaves, providing a cross-scale linkage between individual leaf-size variation and shoot-size variation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Main conclusion: Sucrose concentration in phloem sap was several times higher than in the cytosol of mesophyll cells. The results suggest that phloem loading involves active steps in the analyzed tree species.Phloem loading in source leaves is a key step for carbon partitioning and passive symplastic loading has been proposed for several tree species. However, experimental evidence to prove the potential for sucrose diffusion from mesophyll to phloem is rare. Here, we analyzed three tree species (two angiosperms, Fagus sylvatica, Magnolia kobus, and one gymnosperm, Gnetum gnemon) to investigate the proposed phloem loading mechanism. For this purpose, the minor vein structure and the sugar concentrations in phloem sap as well as in the subcellular compartments of mesophyll cells were investigated. The analyzed tree species belong to the open type minor vein subcategory. The sucrose concentration in the cytosol of mesophyll cells ranged between 75 and 165 mM and was almost equal to the vacuolar concentration. Phloem sap could be collected from F. sylvatica and M. kobus and the concentration of sucrose in phloem sap was about five- and 11-fold higher, respectively, than in the cytosol of mesophyll cells. Sugar exudation of cut leaves was decreased by p-chloromercuribenzenesulfonic acid, an inhibitor of sucrose-proton transporter. The results suggest that phloem loading of sucrose in the analyzed tree species involves active steps, and apoplastic phloem loading seems more likely. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an endangered species, Magnolia kobus is distributed in Jeju island in Korea with only about 500–1000 individuals. In this study, we presented a complete chloroplast genome of M. kobus which is 159,443 bp and has four sub-regions: 87,484 bp of large single copy and 18,783 bp of small single copy regions are separated by 26,588 bp of inverted repeat regions including 113 genes (79 unique genes, four rRNAs and 30 tRNAs). Phylogenetic analysis using chloroplast genomes showed that M. kobus is a sister of M. insignis and M. laevifolia clade.

Clinical prevention is of utmost importance for the management of periodontal diseases. Periodontal disease starts with an inflammatory response in the gingival tissue, and results in alveolar bone destruction and subsequent tooth loss. This study aimed to confirm the anti-periodontitis effects of MKE. To confirm this, we studied its mechanism of action using qPCR and WB in LPS-treated HGF-1 cells and RANKL-induced osteoclasts. We found that MKE suppressed proinflammatory cytokine protein expression by inhibiting the TLR4/NF-κB pathway in LPS-PG-induced HGF-1 cells and blocking ECM degradation by regulating the expression of TIMPs and MMPs. We also confirmed that TRAP activity and multinucleated cell formation were reduced in RANKL-stimulated osteoclasts after exposure to MKE. These results were confirmed by inhibiting TRAF6/MAPK expression, which led to the suppression of NFATc1 , CTSK , TRAP , and MMP expression at the gene and protein levels. Our results confirmed that MKE is a promising candidate for the management of periodontal disease based on its anti-inflammatory effects and inhibition of ECM degradation and osteoclastogenesis.

Periodontitis, a disease caused by inflammation of oral bacteria, contributes to the loss of alveolar bone and destruction of connective tissues. Porphyromonas gingivalis , a Gram-negative bacterium, is known to possess important pathogenic factors for periodontal disease. In this study, we investigated the anti-periodontitis effects of Magnolia kobus extract (MKE) and magnolin as a component of Magnolia kobus (MK) in murine macrophage RAW 264.7 cells stimulated with Porphyromonas gingivalis lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Effects of MKE and magnolin on the mechanism of RAW 264.7 cellular inflammation were determined by analyzing nitric oxide (NO) production and Western blot protein expression ( n = 3). MKE/magnolin inhibited NO production without affecting cell survival. MKE/magnolin treatment inhibited LPS-induced pro-inflammatory cytokines, expression levels of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs such as MMP-1, 3, 8, 9, and 13), and protein levels of inflammatory mediators (such as TNF-α, IL-1β, and mPGES-1). MKE/magnolin also suppressed NF-κB activation by inhibiting the TLR4 signaling pathway. These findings suggest that MKE has a therapeutic effect on inflammatory periodontal disease caused by oral bacterium P. gingivalis and that magnolin is a major functional component in the anti-inflammatory effect of MKE., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Bakground Biological methods for metal nanoparticle synthesis using plant extracts have been suggested as possible ecofriendly alternatives to chemical and physical methods. In the present study, copper nanoparticles were biologically synthesized using Magnolia kobus leaf extract as reducing agent and their antibacterial activity was evaluated against Escherichia coli. Results On treatment of aqueous solution of CuSO4· 5H2O with Magnolia kobus leaf extract, stable copper nanoparticles were formed. UV-vis spectroscopy was used to monitor the quantitative formation of copper nanoparticles. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized with inductively coupled plasma spectrometry ( ICP), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy ( EDS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy ( XPS), and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy ( HR-TEM). Electron microscopy analysis of copper nanoparticles indicated that they ranged in average size from 37 to 110 nm. Antibacterial tests were carried out by counting viable E. coli cells after 24 h growth in shake flasks containing latex foams coated with copper nanoparticles. As a result, foams coated with biologically synthesized copper nanoparticles showed higher antibacterial activity compared with foams untreated and foams treated with chemically synthesized copper nanoparticles using sodium borohydride and Tween 20. The antibacterial activities were inversely proportional to the average nanoparticle sizes. Conclusion The present results show that stable copper nanoparticles can be ecofriendly synthesized using Magnolia kobus leaf extract, offering an inexpensive alternative to antibacterial silver nanoparticles. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to reveal certain preliminary aspects related to the morphology and ultrastructure of vegetative and reproductive organs in three species of Magnolia. The study will be extended by quantifying the particles of dust or other impurities adhering to the leaves, so as to show the amount of pollution characteristic of the areas from which the plant materials were sampled and are to be investigated. For that purpose, we will proceed by identifying the presence of certain reference metals by means of EDAX analyses. The detailed description of both structure and ultrastructure in Magnolia species is intended as relevant so as to enable a comparison to previous researches regarding the decorative trees/shrubs in question. Its purpose is to facilitate communication among researchers and practitioners, in the event that they wish to undertake studies at tissue, cell or even molecular level. For the purposes of generating a detailed description, several studies were carried out via optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) will allow for in-depth study, resulting in an ample examination of the structure of vegetative and reproductive organs of trees yielding special ornamental value. This preliminary study is to be completed by pursuing the analysis of the other vegetative organs. The Magnolia kobus flower has much more particularities than that of the hybrids: a greater number of stamens, carpels, ovary chambers, pollen grains; this species also presents with poorly pigmented reproductive organs. Following the micro-elemental EDAX analysis of organic matter represented by leaves collected from different species of the genus Magnolia - Magnolia kobus, Magnolia x soulangeana, Magnolia liliiflora -, we were able to determine the presence or absence of those chemical elements which present a potential polluting effect. The chemical elements of significance in urban pollution which were determined by EDAX analysis were Al and Cl. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to reveal the structural aspects of the leaf as occurring in the genus Magnolia. The leaves are bifacial and hypostomatic. Secretory oil cells are a constant presence. We have revealed significant dissimilarities in stomatal density and size as occurring in three ornamental species: Magnolia kobus, Magnolia x soulangeana "Soulange-Bodin" (M. denudata x M. liliiflora) and Magnolia x "Susan" (M. kobus var. stellata "Rosea" x M. liliiflora "Nigra"). The highest stomatal density was recorded in the diploid species Magnolia kobus. The stomata are significantly elongated in Magnolia x soulangeana "Soul.-Bod." and wide in Magnolia kobus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silver nanoparticles are used in many industries due to their disinfection and antibacterial properties. Biological methods of nanoparticle synthesis have been suggested as possible ecofriendly alternatives to chemical and physical methods. In this study, biologically synthesized silver nanoparticles using Magnolia kobus leaf extract were coated on the surface of latex foam products using dip coating (exposure to nanoparticle solution) or ultrasonic treatment. SEM image of the treated foam showed that silver nanoparticles were uniformly coated on the surface of latex foam. Antibacterial properties were tested by counting viable Escherichia coli cells after 24 h growth in shake flask cultures containing latex foams coated with silver nanoparticles. Foams coated with silver nanoparticles showed higher antibacterial activities compared with foams untreated. Smaller silver nanoparticles synthesized at higher temperature showed higher antibacterial activity due to the larger specific surface area and higher content of silver nanoparticles. The growth of E. coli decreased with increasing the concentration of silver nanoparticles. Ultrasonic treatment showed higher adsorption and lower desorption of silver nanoparticles to and from the foams compared with dip coating, resulting in higher antibacterial activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new ( 3) and three known germacrane-type sesquiterpenoids were isolated from the chloroform-soluble fraction of the methanolic extract of the bark of Magnolia kobus (Magnoliaceae) through repeated silica gel and Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography. Their chemical structures were elucidated as costunolide ( 1), parthenolide ( 2), isobisparthenolidine ( 3), and bisparthenolidine ( 4) by spectroscopic analysis. Compounds 1–4 exhibited cytotoxicity against human A549, SK-OV-3, SK-MEL-2, and HCT15 tumor cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Leaf extracts of two plants, Magnolia kobus and Diopyros kaki, were used for ecofriendly extracellular synthesis of metallic gold nanoparticles. Stable gold nanoparticles were formed by treating an aqueous HAuCl4 solution using the plant leaf extracts as reducing agents. UV–visible spectroscopy was used for quantification of gold nanoparticle synthesis. Only a few minutes were required for >90% conversion to gold nanoparticles at a reaction temperature of 95°C, suggesting reaction rates higher or comparable to those of nanoparticle synthesis by chemical methods. The synthesized gold nanoparticles were characterized with inductively coupled plasma spectrometry (ICP), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and particle analysis using a particle analyzer. SEM and TEM images showed that a mixture of plate (triangles, pentagons, and hexagons) and spherical structures (size, 5–300nm) were formed at lower temperatures and leaf broth concentrations, while smaller spherical shapes were obtained at higher temperatures and leaf broth concentrations. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A new furofuran lignan ( 1) along with four knownones ( 2-5) were isolated from the bark of Magnolia kobus. Their structures were elucidated as (+)-2α-(3’,4’-dimethoxyphenyl)-6α-(3″-hydroxy-4″,5″-dimethoxyphenyl)-3,7-dioxabicyclo[3.3.0]octane ( 1), (+)-sesamin ( 2), (+)-yangambin ( 3), (+)-kobusin ( 4), and (+)-eudesmin ( 5) on the basis of their comprehensive spectroscopic analysis, including 2D NMR, and by comparison of their spectral data with those of related compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(+)-Eudesmin [4,8-bis (3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)-3,7-dioxabicyclo[3.3.0]octane] was isolated from the stem bark of Magnolia kobus DC. var. borealis Sarg. and found to have neuritogenic activity. 50 μM (+)-eudesmin induced neurite outgrowth and enhanced nerve growth factor (NGF)-mediated mediated neurite outgrowth from PC12 cells. At this concentration, (+)-eudesmin also enhanced NGF-induced neurite-bearing activity and this activity was partially blocked by various protein kinase inhibitors. These included PD98059, a mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) kinase inhibitor. GF109203X, a protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor and H89, a protein kinase A (PKA) inhibitor. These results suggest that (+)-eudesmin can induce neurite outgrowth from PC12 cells by stimulating up-stream MAPK, PKC and PKA pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnolia Flower is a crude drug used for the treatment of headaches, toothaches, and nasal congestion. Here, we focused on Magnolia kobus, one of the botanical origins of Magnolia Flower, and collected the flower parts at different growth stages to compare chemical compositions and investigate potential inhibitory activities against interleukin-2 (IL-2) production in murine splenic T cells. After determining the structures, we examined the inhibitory effects of the constituents of the bud, the medicinal part of the crude drug, against IL-2 production. We first extracted the flower parts of M. kobus from the bud to fallen bloom stages and analysed the chemical compositions to identify the constituents characteristic to the buds. We found that the inhibitory activity of the buds against IL-2 production was more potent than that of the blooms. We isolated two known compounds, tiliroside (1) and syringin (2), characteristic to the buds from the methanol (MeOH) extract of Magnolia Flower. Moreover, we examined the inhibitory activities of both compounds against IL-2 production and found that tiliroside (1) but not syringin (2), showed strong inhibitory activity against IL-2 production and inhibited its mRNA expression. Thus, our strategy to examine the relationship between chemical compositions and biological activities during plant maturation could not only contribute to the scientific evaluation of medicinal parts of crude drugs but also assist in identifying biologically active constituents that have not yet been reported.

As an endangered species, Magnolia kobus is distributed in Jeju island in Korea with only about 500-1000 individuals. In this study, we presented a complete chloroplast genome of M. kobus which is 159,443 bp and has four sub-regions: 87,484 bp of large single copy and 18,783 bp of small single copy regions are separated by 26,588 bp of inverted repeat regions including 113 genes (79 unique genes, four rRNAs and 30 tRNAs). Phylogenetic analysis using chloroplast genomes showed that M. kobus is a sister of M. insignis and M. laevifolia clade., Competing Interests: No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s)., (© 2018 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.)