Physiology and molecular basis of thallium toxicity and accumulation in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Thallium (Tl) is a non-essential metal mobilized through industrial processes which can lead to it entering the environment and exerting toxic effects. Plants are fundamental components of all ecosystems. Therefore, understanding the impact of Tl on plant growth and development is of great importance for assessing the potential environmental risks of Tl. Here, the responses of Arabidopsis thaliana to Tl were elucidated using physiological, genetic, and transcriptome analyses. Thallium can be absorbed by plant roots and translocated to the aerial parts, accumulating at comparable concentrations throughout plant parts. Genetic evidence supported the regulation of Tl uptake and movement by different molecular compartments within plants. Thallium primarily caused growth inhibition, oxidative stress, leaf chlorosis, and the impairment of K homeostasis. The disturbance of redox balance toward oxidative stress was supported by significant differences in the expression of genes involved in oxidative stress and antioxidant defense under Tl exposure. Reduced GSH levels in cad2-1 mutant rendered plants highly sensitive to Tl, suggesting that GSH has a prominent role in alleviating Tl-triggered oxidative responses. Thallium down-regulation of the expression of LCHII-related genes is believed to be responsible for leaf chlorosis. These findings illuminate some of the mechanisms underlying Tl toxicity at the physiological and molecular levels in plants with an eye toward the future environment management of this heavy metal.

The tissue distribution of Jinzhen oral liquid in healthy and influenza mice.

Jinzhen oral liquid (JZOL) is widely used in China. However, its tissue distribution, a vital part of the efficacy substances research, has not been reported yet. This study characterized its chemical components and its prototypes and metabolites in mice, and investigated its tissue distribution in pathological and healthy mice. Several constituents were characterized, including 55 constituents in JZOL, 11 absorbed prototypes and six metabolites in plasma and tissues. The metabolic pathways were demethylation, dehydration and acetylation. A sensitive, accurate and stable quantitative method was established and applied to the tissue distribution. After administration of JZOL, these seven components were rapidly distributed to various tissues, mainly staying in the small intestine, and less distributed to lung, liver and kidney. Compared with healthy mice, the absorption of baicalin, wogonoside, rhein, glycyrrhizic acid and liquiritin apioside was reduced in influenza mice, but their elimination was slow. However, influenza infection had no obvious effect on the overall distribution of the most important components (baicalin, glycyrrhizic acid and wogonoside) in the plasma or small intestine, but obviously affected the distribution of baicalin in liver. In summary, seven components are rapidly distributed to various tissues, and influenza infection has certain influence on the tissue distribution of JZOL.

Mobilization, Methylation, and Demethylation of Mercury in a Paddy Soil Under Systematic Redox Changes.

Methylmercury (MeHg) contamination in paddy fields is a significant environmental issue globally since over half of the population of our planet consumes rice. MeHg is a neurotoxin produced by microorganisms in oxygen-limited environments. Microbial effect on MeHg production is a hotspot of research; however, it has been largely ignored how the oxidation-reduction potential (Eh) shapes MeHg formation. Here, we elucidated Hg (de)-methylation in a contaminated soil by increasing Eh stepwise from -300 to +300 mV using a sophisticated biogeochemical microcosm. At the Eh range from -300 to -100 mV, high MeHg concentration and dissolved total Hg (THg) concentration were found due to a high relative abundance of Hg-methylation bacteria (e.g., Desulfitobacterium spp.), acidification, and reductive dissolution of Fe(oxyhydr)oxides. At the Eh range from 0 to +200 mV, the formation of colloids leads to adsorption of Hg and as a result colloidal Hg increased. MeHg reduction with Eh (-300 to +200 mV) increase was mainly attributed to a reduced Hg methylation, as dissolved THg and relative abundance of Desulfitobacterium spp. decreased by 50 and 96%, respectively, at Eh of +200 mV as compared to Eh of -300 mV. Mercury demethylation might be less important since the relative abundance of demethylation bacteria (Clostridium spp.) also decreased over 93% at Eh of +200 mV. These new results are crucial for predicting Hg risks in paddy fields.

Indium Uptake and Accumulation by Rice and Wheat and Health Risk Associated with Their Consumption.

The increasing use of indium in high-tech industries has inevitably caused its release into the environment. However, knowledge of its environmental fate has been very limited so far. This study investigates the indium uptake and accumulation by two staple crops, rice (Oryza sativa L.) and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), and evaluates potential risks associated with their consumption. Rice and wheat were grown on three kinds of soil, including acidic soils spiked with a high indium concentration (1.0 mmol kg-1), which is considered the worst-case scenario, because high soil acidity promotes indium bioavailability. The results revealed that a large portion of soil indium was associated with iron hydroxides, even in acidic soils. Indium precipitates in soils resulted in relatively low availability at the plant root site. Most absorbed indium accumulated at the roots, with only a tiny portion reaching the grains. The corresponding Hazard Quotient indicated no adverse effects on human health. Due to the low translocation of indium from soil to grain, the consumption of rice and wheat grains harvested from indium-contaminated soils may pose an insignificant risk to human health. Further field studies are necessary to better elucidate the risks associated with consuming crops grown in indium-contaminated soils.

Fe2+/HClO Reaction Produces FeIVO2+: An Enhanced Advanced Oxidation Process.

The reaction between Fe2+ and HClO constitutes a promising advanced oxidation process (AOP) for removing pollutants from wastewater, and •OH has been considered the dominant reactive oxidant despite limited evidence for this. Herein, we demonstrate that the Fe2+/HClO reaction enables the production of FeIVO2+ rather than •OH in acid medium, a finding that is strongly supported by multiple lines of evidence. Both X-ray absorption near-edge structure spectroscopic tests and Mössbauer spectroscopic tests confirmed the appearance of FeIVO2+ as the reactive intermediate in the reaction between Fe2+ and HClO. The determination of FeIVO2+ generation was also derived from the methyl phenyl sulfoxide (PMSO)-based probe experiments with respect to the formation of PMSO2 without •OH adducts and the density functional theory studies according to the lower energy barrier for producing FeIVO2+ compared with •OH. A dual-anode electrolytic system was established for the in situ generation of Fe2+ and HClO that allows the production of FeIVO2+. The system exhibits an enhanced capacity for oxidizing a model pollutant (e.g., phosphite) from industrial wastewater, making it an attractive and promising AOP for the abatement of aqueous contaminants.

Effects of long-term paddy rice cultivation on soil arsenic speciation.

Geochemical behavior of arsenic (As) in rice paddy soils determines the availability and mobility of As in the soils, but little is known about the long-term effects of paddy rice cultivation on As speciation in the soils. In this study, surface soil samples were collected from a rice paddy land and its adjacent dry land with similar soil properties and known cultivation histories. The soils of the paddy land and dry land contained 378 and 423 mg As kg-1, respectively. The predominant As species in the soils were investigated using As K-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) in combination with two sequential chemical fractionation methods. The XAS results showed that the predominant As species in the soils were As(III)- and As(V)-ferrihydrite, As(V)-goethite and scorodite. In comparison to the dry land soil, the paddy land soil contained a higher proportion of As(V)-ferrihydrite and a lower proportion of scorodite. The results of chemical fractionation revealed that As in the paddy land soil was more labile than that in the dry land soil. It is therefore suggested that long-term rice cultivation enhances the mobility and availability of As in paddy soils.

Speciation and sorption of phosphorus in agricultural soil profiles of redoximorphic character.

Controlled drainage is considered as a soil management tool to improve water supply to crops and reduce nutrient losses from fields; however, its closure may affect phosphorus (P) mobilization in soil. To assess the P mobilization potential, three soil profiles with redoximorphic features were selected along a slight hill in Northern Germany. Soil samples from three depths of each profile were characterized for basic properties, total element content, oxalate- and dithionite-extractable pedogenic Al, Fe and Mn (hydr)oxides, P pools (sequential extraction), P species [P K-edge X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy] and P sorption behavior. In topsoil (~ 10 cm depth), labile P (H2O-P + resin-P + NaHCO3-P) accounted for 26-32% of total P (Pt). Phosphorus K-edge XANES revealed that up to 49% of Pt was bound to Al and/or Fe (hydr)oxides, but sequential fractionation indicated that > 30% of this P was occluded within sesquioxide aggregates. A low binding capacity for P was demonstrated by P sorption capacity and low Kf coefficients (20-33 [Formula: see text]) of the Freundlich equation. In the subsoil layers (~ 30 and ~ 65 cm depth), higher proportions of Al- and Fe-bound P along with other characteristics suggested that all profiles might be prone to P mobilization/leaching risk under reducing conditions even if the degree of P saturation (DPS) of a profile under oxic conditions was < 25%. The results suggest that a closure of the controlled drainage may pose a risk of increased P mobilization, but this needs to be compared with the risk of uncontrolled drainage and P losses to avoid P leaching into the aquatic ecosystem.

[A new macrocyclic phenolic glycoside from Sorghum vulgare root].

Eleven compounds were isolated and purified from Sorghum vulgare root extract, through column chromatography over silica gel, MCI gel, and preparative HPLC. Their structures were established by MS, 1 D NMR and 2 D NMR data as sorgholide A(1), ß-sitosterol(2), stigmastero(3), daucosterol(4), 4-methoxycinnamic acid(5), taxiphyllin(6), chlorogenic acid(7), p-hydroxybenzaldehyde(8), succini acid(9), trans-p-hydroxycinnamic acid(10), obtusalin(11). Compounds 4,5 and 9-11 were reported from this species for the first time, and compound 1 is the first 24 ring dimeric double lactonol glycoside formed by reverse polymerization of p-hydroxyphenylacetate glucoside, named sorgholide A.

Effect of Gallium Exposure in Arabidopsis thaliana is Similar to Aluminum Stress.

Although gallium (Ga) is a rare element, it is widely used in semiconductor devices. Ga contamination of the environment has been found in semiconductor-producing countries. Here, the physiological and molecular impacts of Ga in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana were investigated in medium culture. The primary symptom of Ga toxicity is inhibition of root growth. The increased production of malondialdehyde (MDA) suggests that Ga stress could cause oxidative damage in plants. Roots were the main Ga accumulating sites. The distinctive Ga granules were deposited within the intercellular space in roots. The granules are Ga(OH)3 precipitation, which indicates immobilization or limited translocation of Ga in A. thaliana. Ga stress induces root secretion of organic acids such as citrate and malate. The expression of the transporters AtALMT and AtMATE, responsible for citrate and malate secretion, respectively, were elevated under Ga stress, so the secretion may play a role in the resistance. Indeed, supplying exogenous citrate significantly enhanced Ga tolerance. The overall response to Ga exposure in A. thaliana is highly similar to that with aluminum stress. Our findings provide information for risk assessment in Ga-contaminated soil.

Chemical speciation and rice uptake of soil molybdenum-Investigation with X-ray absorption spectroscopy and isotope fractionation.

Molybdenum (Mo) contamination of farmland soils poses health risks due to Mo accumulation in crops like rice. However, the mechanisms regulating soil availability and plant uptake of Mo remain poorly understood. This study investigated Mo uptake by rice plants, focusing on Mo speciation and isotope fractionation in soil and rice plants. Soil Mo species were identified as sorbed Mo(VI) and Fe-Mo(VI) using X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). Soil submergence during rice cultivation led to the reductive dissolution of Fe-associated Mo(VI) while increasing sorbed Mo(VI) and Ca-Mo(VI). Soil Mo release to soil solution was a dynamic process involving continuous dissolution/desorption and re-precipitation/sorption. Mo isotope analysis showed soil solution was consistently enriched in heavier isotopes during rice growth, attributed to re-sorption of released Mo and the uptake of Mo by rice plants. Mo was significantly associated with Fe in rice rhizosphere as sorbed Mo(VI) and Fe-Mo(VI), and around 60 % of Mo accumulated in rice roots was sequestrated by Fe plaque of the roots. The desorption of Mo from Fe hydroxides to soil solution and its subsequent diffusion to the root surface were the key rhizosphere processes regulating root Mo uptake. Once absorbed by roots, Mo was efficiently transported to shoots and then to grains, resulting in heavier isotope fractionation during the translocation within plants. Although Mo translocation to rice grains was relatively limited, human exposure via rice consumption remains a health concern. This study provides insights into the temporal dynamics of Mo speciation in submerged paddy soil and the uptake mechanisms of Mo by rice plants.

Hierarchical Porous Fibers for Intrinsically Thermally Insulated and Self-Sensing Integrated Smart Textile.

Here, stretchable hierarchical porous polyurethane fibers were designed, fabricated, and employed as a three-dimensional hierarchical interconnected framework for conductive networks interwoven with silver nanoparticles and carbon nanotubes. The fiber possessed favorable thermal insulation, strain sensing, and electric heating properties. The core-shell layered porous structure of fiber made the fiber have high heat insulation performance (the difference value of temperature |ΔT| = 3.54, 8.9, and 12.7 °C at heating stage temperatures of 35, 50, and 65 °C) and ultrahigh elongation at break (813%). Importantly, after conductive filler decoration, the fiber could exhibit real-time strain-sensing capacities with a high gauge factor. In addition, the fibers could be heated at low voltage, like an electrical heater. The development of flexible, stretchable, and multifunctional porous fibers had great potential applications in intelligent wearable devices for integrated thermal management, strain sensing, and intrinsic self-warming capability.

Edge sulfur vacancies riched MoS2 nanosheets assist PEDOT:PSS flexible film ammonia sensing enhancement for wireless greenhouse vegetables monitoring.

Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) is a promising NH3 sensing material owing to its super high electrical conductivity, excellent environmental stability, and reversible doping/dedoping nature. However, the low sensitivity and sluggish recovery rate limit its further application in gas sensors. Herein, exfoliated layered MoS2 nanosheets with large-specific surface area and abundant edge sulfur (S) vacancies are utilized to assist PEDOT:PSS and achieve ideal improvement in NH3 sensing performance at room temperature (RT), including high response values, fast response/recovery ability, and excellent sensing stability in complex environment. MoS2 nanosheets are combined with PEDOT:PSS to construct p-n heterojunction, the S vacancies can improve carrier transfer rate and serve as conductive bridge, effective active sites for NH3 adsorption, this series of performance improvement strategies is the significance of this work. Meanwhile, the density-functional theory (DFT), current-voltage (I-V), and in-situ FITR are firstly employed to discuss the sensing mechanisms in detail. Furthermore, integrating MoS2/PEDOT:PSS flexible sensor into a designed printed circuit board to intelligent, visual, and wireless real-time monitoring the NH3 resistance information in a simulated greenhouse vegetables equipment through the smartphone APP has also been successfully implemented.

Electronic structure modulation of iron sites with fluorine coordination enables ultra-effective H2O2 activation.

Electronic structure modulation of active sites is critical important in Fenton catalysis as it offers a promising strategy for boosting H2O2 activation. However, efficient generation of hydroxyl radicals (•OH) is often limited to the unoptimized coordination environment of active sites. Herein, we report the rational design and synthesis of iron oxyfluoride (FeOF), whose iron sites strongly coordinate with the most electronegative fluorine atoms in a characteristic moiety of F-(Fe(III)O3)-F, for effective H2O2 activation with potent •OH generation. Results demonstrate that the fluorine coordination plays a pivotal role in lowering the local electron density and optimizing the electronic structures of iron sites, thus facilitating the rate-limiting H2O2 adsorption and subsequent peroxyl bond cleavage reactions. Consequently, FeOF exhibits a significant and pH-adaptive •OH yield (~450 µM) with high selectivity, which is 1 ~ 3 orders of magnitude higher than the state-of-the-art iron-based catalysts, leading to excellent degradation activities against various organic pollutants at neutral condition. This work provides fundamental insights into the function of fluorine coordination in boosting Fenton catalysis at atomic level, which may inspire the design of efficient active sites for sustainable environmental remediation.

Transformative and sustainable insights of agricultural waste-based adsorbents for water defluoridation: Biosorption dynamics, economic viability, and spent adsorbent management.

With the progression of civilization, the harmony within nature has been disrupted, giving rise to various ecocidal activities that are evident in every spheres of the earth. These activities have had a profound and far-reaching impact on global health. One significant example of this is the presence of fluoride in groundwater exceeding acceptable limits, resulting in the widespread occurrence of "Fluorosis" worldwide. It is imperative to mitigate the concentration of fluoride in drinking water to meet safety standards. While various defluoridation techniques exist, they often have drawbacks. Biosorption, being a simple, affordable and eco-friendly method, has gained preference for defluoridation. However, its limited commercialization underscores the pressing need for further research in this domain. This comprehensive review article offers a thorough examination of the defluoridation potential of agro-based adsorbents, encompassing their specific chemical compositions and preparation methods. The review presents an in-depth discussion of the factors influencing fluoride biosorption and conducts a detailed exploration of adsorption isotherm and adsorption kinetic models to gain a comprehensive understanding of the nature of the adsorption process. Furthermore, it evaluates the commercial viability through an assessment of regeneration potential and a cost analysis of these agro-adsorbents, with the aim of facilitating the scalability of the defluoridation process. The elucidation of the adsorption mechanism and recommendations for overcoming challenges in large-scale implementation offer a comprehensive outlook on this eco-friendly and sustainable approach to fluoride removal. In summary, this review article equips readers with a lucid understanding of agro-adsorbents, elucidates their ideal conditions for improved performance, offers a more profound insight into the fluoride biosorption mechanism, and introduces the concept of effective spent adsorbent management.

Speciation, phytoavailability, and accumulation of toxic elements and sulfur by humic acid-fertilized lemongrass and common sage in a sandy soil treated with heavy oil fly ash: A trial for management of power stations wastes.

Globally, power stations generate huge amounts of the hazardous waste heavy oil fly ash (HOFA), which is rich in Ni, V, Fe, S, and dumped into landfills. Thus, exploring new approaches for a safe recycling and sustainable management of HOFA is needed and of great environmental interest. The potential application of HOFA as an amendment to sandy soils has not been studied yet. This is the first research investigating the potentiality of using HOFA as a soil conditioner. To this end, we conducted a greenhouse experiment in order to investigate the impacts of HOFA addition (1.2, 2.4, 3.6 t ha-1) to sandy soil on the total and available content of nutrients (e.g., S, Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn) and toxic elements (TEs; e.g., Cd, Co, Cr, Ni, Pb, V) in the soil and their phytoextraction and translocation by lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) and common sage (Salvia officinalis). We also assessed the impact of humic acid (HA) foliar application (50 and 100 l ha-1) on the growth and elements accumulation by the two plants. The studied HOFA was acidic and highly enriched in S (43,268.0), V (3,527.0), Ni (1774.0), and Fe (15,159.0) (units in mg kg-1). The X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) data showed that V in HOFA was composed primarily of V(IV) sorbed onto goethite, V(V) sorbed onto humic substances, in the forms of V2O3, and VCl4. Addition of the lower doses of HOFA (1.2 and 2.4 t ha-1) did not change significantly soil pH, salinity, and the total and available elements content compared to the unamended soil. Although the elements content in the 3.6 t ha-1 HOFA-treated soil was significantly higher than the untreated, the total content of all elements (except for Ni) was lower than the maximum allowable concentrations in soils. HOFA addition, particularly in the highest dose (3.6 t ha-1), decreased significantly the growth and biomass of both plants. Common sage accumulated more elements than lemongrass; however, the elements content in the plants was lower than the critical concentrations for sensitive plants. The foliar application of humic acid enhanced significantly the plant growth and increased their tolerance to the HOFA-induced stress. We conclude that the addition of HOFA up to 2.4 t ha-1 in a single application as amendment to sandy soils is not likely to create any TE toxicity problems to plants, particularly if combined with a foliar application of humic acid; however, repeated additions of HOFA may induce toxicity. These findings should be verified under field conditions.

XANES evidence of arsenate removal from water with magnetic ferrite.

Arsenic (As) in groundwater and surface water is a worldwide problem possessing a serious threat to public health. In this study, a magnetic ferrite, was synthesized and investigated for its As(V) removal efficiency. The adsorption of As(V) by magnetic ferrite exhibited an L-shaped nonlinear isotherm, suggesting limiting binding sites on the adsorbent surface. The As K-edge X-Ray Absorption Near-Edge Structure (XANES) revealed that the adsorbed As(V) on ferrite was not reduced to more toxic As(III) by Fe(2+) in the ferrite structure. The maximum As adsorption capacity of ferrite was 14 mg/g at pH 3 and decreased with increasing pH due to enhanced electrostatic repulsion between As(V) and the adsorbent surface. Desorption of As(V) using six different acid and salt solutions showed that the desorption rate decreased in an order of H3PO4 > Na3PO4 > H2SO4 > Na2SO4 > HCl > HNO3. These results suggest that magnetic ferrite without surface modification is an effective adsorbent for removing As(V) from water, which was confirmed by the effective removal of As(V) from contaminated groundwater using this material. The used material can then be recovered using a magnet because of its paramagnetism; the adsorbed As(V) on the material can be recovered using H3PO4 or Na3PO4 solutions.

Soluble soil Pb minimized by thermal transformation to Pb-bearing feldspar.

Thermal transformation is an effective remediation measure to stabilize soil Pb and other heavy metals via transformation into less soluble compounds. This study aimed to determine the solubility of Pb in soils subjected to heating at a range of temperatures (100-900 °C) in relation to the changes in Pb speciation using XAFS spectroscopy. Lead solubility in the contaminated soils after thermal treatment corresponded well to the chemical species of Pb present. As the temperature was increased to 300 °C, cerussite and Pb associated with humus started to decompose in the soils. As the temperature was further increased to 900 °C, the amount of water and HCl extractable Pb decreased significantly from the soils, whereas Pb-bearing feldspar started to occur, accounting for nearly 70% of the soil Pb. During thermal treatment, Pb species in the soils were little affected by Fe oxides that showed a significant phase transformation into hematite. Our study proposes the following underlying mechanisms for Pb immobilization in thermally treated soils: i) thermally labile Pb species such as PbCO3 and Pb associated with humus start to decompose at temperatures around 300 °C, ii) aluminosilicates with crystalline and poorly ordered structures undergo thermal decomposition at temperatures around 400 °C, iii) liberating Pb in the soil is then associated with a Si and Al rich liquid derived from thermally decomposed aluminosilicates at higher temperatures, and iv) the formation of Pb-feldspar like minerals is enhanced at 900 °C.

Temporal transformation of indium speciation in rice paddy soils and spatial distribution of indium in rice rhizosphere.

Indium is a potentially toxic element that could enter human food chains, including soil-rice systems. The submerged environment in rice paddy soil results in temporal and spatial variations in the chemical properties of the rice rhizosphere and bulk soils, expected to cause changes in indium's chemical speciation and consequently affect its bioavailability. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate indium speciation and fractionation in soils at different periods of rice growth under continuous submergence using X-ray absorption spectroscopy and a sequential extraction method. The predominant indium species were identified as indium-associated Fe hydroxide, and indium hydroxide and phosphate precipitates. The reductive dissolution of indium-associated Fe hydroxides led to the release of indium into the soil solution under continuous submergence of soils, and the released indium concentration decreased with time due to re-sorption and re-precipitation. Meanwhile, indium hydroxide was found to be the predominant species in rice rhizosphere using µ-X-ray absorption spectroscopy. The relative depletion of indium-associated Fe hydroxides in the rice rhizosphere was attributed to the low mobility of indium from bulk soil to rice rhizosphere and the root uptake of indium associated with Fe hydroxide around rice roots. Consequently, indium uptake by rice roots was lower during the reproductive and grain-ripening stage of rice growth. Understanding the behavior of indium will help develop a strategy to minimize uptake into crops in indium-contaminated paddy soils.

Mechanism of Jinzhen Oral Liquid against influenza-induced lung injury based on metabonomics and gut microbiome.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Jinzhen Oral Liquid (JZOL) is a traditional Chinese patent medicine and widely used clinically, which consists of eight herbs including Bovis Calculus Atifactus, Fritillariae Ussuriensis Bulbus (Fritillaria ussuriensis Maxim.), Caprae Hircus Cornu, Rhei Radix et Rhizoma (Rheum palmatum L.), Scutellariae Radix (Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi), Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma (Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch. ex DC.), Chloriti Lapis, and Gypsum Fibrosum (Their ratio is 9.45 : 47.25: 94.5 : 31.5: 15.75 : 31.5: 15.75 : 23.62). A large number of clinical studies have proved that JZOL has a good antiviral effect and can treat lung injury, pneumonia, and bronchitis caused by a variety of viral infections. AIM OF THE STUDY: Influenza infection frequently exhibit dysregulation of gut microbiota and host metabolomes, but the mechanism of JZOL is still unclear and needs to be further explored. Here, after influenza virus infection induced lung injury, the regulation roles of JZOL in metabolic and gut microbiota balances are investigated to comprehensively elucidate its therapeutic mechanism. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A mouse model of lung injury was replicated via intranasal instillation of influenza A (H1N1). The efficacy of JZOL was evaluated by pathological sections, lung index, the levels of TNF-α and IFN-γ, and viral load in lung tissue. Its modulation of endogenous metabolites and gut microbiota was assessed using plasma metabolomic technique and 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing technique. RESULTS: JZOL not only significantly relieved lung inflammation and edema in influenza mice, but also alleviated the disturbance of endogenous metabolites and the imbalance of gut microbiota mainly by regulating glycerophospholipid and fatty acid metabolism and Lactobacillus. The anti-influenza effects of JZOL were gut microbiota dependent, as demonstrated by antibiotic treatment. The altered metabolites were significantly correlated with Lactobacillus and pharmacodynamic indicators, further confirming the reliability of these results. CONCLUSIONS: JZOL attenuates H1N1 influenza infection induced lung injury by regulating lipid metabolism via the modulation of Lactobacillus. The results support the clinical application of JZOL, and are useful to further understand the mechanism of TCM in the treatment of influenza.

L-DOPA induces iron accumulation in roots of Ipomoea aquatica and Arabidopsis thaliana in a pH-dependent manner.

BACKGROUND: Iron deficiency is the leading cause of anemia worldwide, particularly in countries with predominant plant-based diets. Plants constitute the main source of dietary iron. Increasing their iron concentration could reduce the occurrence of anemia. The water spinach Ipomoea aquatica is consumed as a vegetable throughout Asia and tolerates high iron concentrations making it an attractive candidate for iron biofortification. L-DOPA is an allelopathic molecule secreted by some legumes. L-DOPA can trigger the expression of Fe deficiency-inducible genes, and could potentially be used as a biostimulant to increase Fe concentration. RESULTS: L-DOPA significantly affected root growth of water spinach, and triggered a massive accumulation of Fe in roots. Both effects were exacerbated when L-DOPA was dissolved in KOH, which is surprising given that L-DOPA is less stable at high pH. To check whether a higher pH could indeed increase the bioactivity of L-DOPA, we used Arabidopsis thaliana, which grows at lower pH than water spinach, and subjected the plants to L-DOPA treatments at pH 5.5 and pH 6.0, which are both within the optimal range for Arabidopsis nutrition. At pH 6.0, the root growth of Arabidopsis was more strongly inhibited than at pH 5.5. We found that at higher pH, L-DOPA oxidizes to form a melanin precipitate. CONCLUSIONS: We concluded that the oxidation of L-DOPA that we observed upon solubilization in KOH, or in nutrient solutions at slightly higher pH produces melanin-related molecules that are more potent than L-DOPA itself to trigger the primary root growth inhibition, Fe uptake and root Fe accumulation in water spinach and Arabidopsis.