Search

Researchers at Xiangtan University in the People's Republic of China have conducted a study on the effects of melatonin (MT) on the senescence of stored Chinese flowering cabbage. The study found that MT reduced chlorophyll loss and improved the photochemical effectiveness of cabbage leaves. Transcriptome analysis showed that MT treatment decreased the expression of genes linked to reactive oxygen species generation and increased the expression of genes related to scavenging reactive oxygen species. The researchers concluded that the postponed senescence of cabbage treated with MT may be attributed to the regulation of oxidative phosphorylation, energy, phytohormone metabolism, and transcription factors. [Extracted from the article]

Ergot alkaloids are toxins which are produced biotechnologically on an industrial scale. The chemical investigation of endophytic Aspergillus fumigatus resulted in the isolation of five new ergot alkaloids named fumigaclavines D-H (2-6), along with three known analogues, fumigaclavine C (1), festuclavine (7), and fumigaclavine A (8). Their structures were unequivocally elucidated by extensive spectroscopic analyses in association with X-ray single-crystal diffraction. Fumigaclavines D-H are interesting clavine-type ergot alkaloids featuring a reverse prenyl moiety at C-2, with 1-4, 6, and 8 bearing additional substituents, e.g., an OH or OAc group at C-9. Compounds 2, 4, and 6-8 showed a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity against a panel of anaerobic microorganisms, of which compounds 4 and 6 were the most active against Veillonella parvula with an MIC = 16 µg/mL compared to that (0.12 µg/mL) of tinidazole, co-assayed as a positive reference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]