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Phenolic contents, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities were determined by two samples from summer (June) and winter (December) seasons of Ligularia fischeri var. spiciformis Nakai. A total of 24 phenolic compounds were identified by ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) analysis. Myricetin (1964.35 and 1829.12 μg/g) was the most dominant flavonol compared to quercetin and kaempferol. Salicylic acid (222.80 and 215.25 μg/g) was the most important phenolic compound compared to pyrogallol, caffeic acid, gentisic acid, o-coumaric acid, gallic acid, protocatechuic acid and ferulic acid in summer (June) and winter (December) seasons. Phenolic contents and antioxidant capacities were estimated for the various solvent extracts (petroleum ether, butanol, ethyl acetate, methanol and water). Ethyl acetate extract exhibited the highest phenolic (332.64 and 299.44 mg/g gallic acid equivalent) and flavonoid contents (5.72 and 5.29 mg/g quercetin equivalent) and also the strongest antioxidant activity in summer and winter seasons. Due to these metabolic variations, the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities were increased with summer seasons compared to winter seasons. Our study shows that the samples collected in June had higher phenolic compounds, stronger antioxidative and antimicrobial activity than the samples of L. fischeri leaf extracts collected in December.

The effects of selenium, putrescine, and cadmium on the contents of glucosinolates, total phenolics, flavonoids, carotenoids, chlorophyll, anthocyanin, malondialdehyde, hydrogen peroxide, and antioxidant capacities as well as gene regulation of phenolics, flavonoids, carotenoids, and glucosinolates biosynthesis were investigated in turnip plants. Selenium dioxide (SeO2) treatment significantly induced the amount of gluconasturtiin, glucobrassicanapin, glucoallysin, glucobrassicin, 4-methoxyglucobrassicin, and 4-hydroxyglucobrassicin. Cadmium chloride (CdCl2)- and putrescine-treated plants had considerably enhanced gluconasturtiin and 4-hydroxyglucobrassicin levels, respectively. Total phenolic and flavonoid content as well as antioxidant capacities were significantly increased in SeO2-treated plants. Lutein was higher in control plants followed by, in decreasing order, SeO2-, putrescine-, and CdCl2-treated plants. The chlorophyll content was significantly decreased and anthocyanin, MDA, and H2O2 levels were significantly increased with CdCl2 treatment. Moreover, plants treated with selenium and cadmium showed significant induction of genes related to glucosinolate, phenolic, and carotenoid biosynthesis. These results demonstrated that SeO2 significantly increased the contents of health-promoting compounds and enhanced the antioxidant capacities of turnip plants., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Time dependent changes of primary (GC-MS), isoflavones (LC-MS) and minerals (ICP-OES) content of fermented soya-chunk were compared with un-fermented (0H) soya-chunk and presented. Results revealed that the amino acid content increased gradually based on the fermentation time; whereas the maltose, sucrose and fructose contents were reduced due to the fungal growth. The glucosides changed extensively during the initial fermentation time resulting in augmentation of aglycones and phytoalexins. This affects the antioxidant potential whereas the DPPH and ABTS of 0H showed lowest activity (18.15% and 54.92%) and increased quite high with fungal fermentation (45.81% and 93.47%). The calcium (0.55%), magnesium (0.47 mg/kg), nickel (5.17 mg/kg l(-1)), and copper (8.33 mg/kg l(-1)) content were increased during the fermentation and in a decrease of iron and aluminium contents. Findings suggest that the soya-chunk prepared by fungal fermentation will improve the antioxidant and mineral content and hence their nutritional property will be enhanced for humans., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Polygonum multiflorum Thunb. is a highly important medicinal plant producing anthraquinones (emodin and physcion) and phenolic compounds which has pharmaceutical use. In vitro seedling explants such as roots, internodals, nodals and leaves were inoculated with A. rhizogenes strain KCTC 2703. Transformed roots were induced from internodals and leaf explants. Six transgenic clones of hairy roots were established and confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) using rolC specific primers. Hairy roots cultured using MS liquid medium supplemented with 30 g/l sucrose showed highest accumulation of biomass (99.05 g/l FW [fresh weight] and 10.95 g/l DW [dry weight]) and highest production of anthraquinones content (emodin 211.32 μg/g DW and physcion 353.23 μg/g DW) were observed at 20 days. Nearly 9.5-fold increment of biomass was evident in suspension cultures at 20 days of culture and hairy root biomass produced in suspension cultures possessed 3.7- and 3.5-fold higher content of emodin and physcion, respectively, when compared with the untransformed control roots. MS basal liquid medium was superior for the growth of hairy roots and production of anthraquinones compared with other culture media evaluated (SH, B5 and N6), with MS-basal liquid medium supplemented with 30 g/l sucrose was optimal for secondary metabolite production. A total of 23 polyphenolic compounds were identified and quantified from P. multiflorum untransformed and hairy roots, which includes hydroxybenzoic acids, hydroxycinnamic acids, flavonols and other groups of phenolic compounds. The ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) analysis of the phenolic compounds profile revealed that pyrogallol, hesperidin, naringenin and formononetin were higher in hairy roots compared to untransformed roots. The total phenolics, flavonoids content, antioxidant and antimicrobial activity was high in hairy roots compared to untransformed roots. This is the first report for the production of anthraquinones (emodin and physcion), phenolic compounds and biological activities from hairy root cultures of P. multiflorum.

Infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) causes a highly contagious disease in young chicks and leads to significant economic losses in the poultry industry. To determine a suitable cell line for IBDV infection, replication, and growth kinetics of the virus, DF-1 cells and chicken embryo fibroblasts (CEF) were used. The population doubling per day (Pd/D) was found to be higher in DF-1 as compared to CEF cells. A suitable time of infection (TOI) was established for increased production of virus and greater infectivity titers. The DF-1 and CEF cells were found to be susceptible to infection by producing marked cytopathic effects (CPEs), and the growth curves of IBDV in DF-1 and CEF cells were evaluated by infectivity assay using tissue culture infectious dose (TCID50). The cytopathic effects of the virus in DF-1 and CEF cells were found to be similar, but higher viral titers were detected in the DF-1 cells as compared to CEF. Thus the DF-1 cell line had a higher growth potential and infectivity, which will be of advantage in vaccine production.

The ectopic expression of a MADS box gene FOREVER YOUNG FLOWER (FYF) caused a significant delay of senescence and a deficiency of abscission in flowers of transgenic Arabidopsis. The defect in floral abscission was found to be due to a deficiency in the timing of cell separation of the abscission zone cells. Down-regulation of INFLORESCENCE DEFICIENT IN ABSCISSION (IDA) may contribute to the delay of the floral abscission in 35S:FYF flowers. FYF was found to be highly expressed in young flowers prior to pollination and was significantly decreased after pollination, a pattern that correlated with its function. Ethylene insensitivity in senescence/abscission and the down-regulation of ETHYLENE RESPONSE DNA-BINDING FACTOR 1 (EDF1) and EDF2, downstream genes in the ethylene response, in 35S:FYF Arabidopsis suggested a role for FYF in regulating senescence/abscission by suppressing the ethylene response. This role was further supported by the fact that 35S:FYF enhanced the delay of flower senescence/abscission in ethylene response 1 (etr1), ethylene-insensitive 2 (ein2) and constitutive triple response 1 (ctr1) mutants, which have defects in upstream genes of the ethylene signaling pathway. The presence of a repressor domain in the C-terminus of FYF and the enhancement of the delay of senescence/abscission in FYF+SRDX (containing a suppression motif) transgenic plants suggested that FYF acts as a repressor. Indeed, in FYF-DR+VP16 transgenic dominant-negative mutant plants, in which FYF was converted to a potent activator by fusion to a VP16-AD motif, the senescence/abscission of the flower organs was significantly promoted, and the expression of BOP2, IDA and EDF1/2 was up-regulated. Our data suggest a role for FYF in controlling floral senescence/abscission by repressing ethylene responses and regulating the expression of BOP2 and IDA in Arabidopsis., (© 2011 The Authors. The Plant Journal © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.)

Lisianthus [Eustoma grandiflorum (Raf.) Shinn] is a popular cut flower crop throughout the world, and the demand for this plant for cut flowers and potted plants has been increasing worldwide. Recent advances in genetic engineering have enabled the transformation and regeneration of plants to become a powerful tool for improvement of lisianthus. We have established a highly efficient plant regeneration system and Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation of E. grandiflorum. The greatest shoot regeneration frequency and number of shoot buds per explant are observed on media supplemented with 6-Benzylaminopurine (BAP) and alpha-Naphthalene acetic acid (NAA). We report an efficient plant regeneration system using leaf explants via organogenesis with high efficiency of transgenic plants (15%) in culture of 11 weeks' duration. Further ectopic expression of two MADS box genes, LMADS1-M from lily (Lilium longiflorum) and OMADS1 from orchid (Oncidium Gower Ramsey), was performed in E. grandiflorum. Conversion of second whorl petals into sepal-like structures and alteration of third whorl stamen formation were observed in the transgenic E. grandiflorum plants ectopically expressing 35S::LMADS1-M. 35S::OMADS1 transgenic E. grandiflorum plants flowered significantly earlier than non-transgenic plants. This is the first report on the ectopic expression of two MADS box genes in E. grandiflorum using a simple and highly efficient gene transfer protocol. Our results reveal the potential for floral modification in E. grandiflorum through genetic transformation.