Isolation, Characterization and In Silico Studies of Secondary Metabolites from the Whole Plant of Polygala inexpectata Pesmen & Erik.

Polygala species are frequently used worldwide in the treatment of various diseases, such as inflammatory and autoimmune disorders as well as metabolic and neurodegenerative diseases, due to the large number of secondary metabolites they contain. The present study was performed on Polygala inexpectata, which is a narrow endemic species for the flora of Turkey, and resulted in the isolation of nine known compounds, 6,3'-disinapoyl-sucrose (1), 6-O-sinapoyl,3'-O-trimethoxy-cinnamoyl-sucrose (tenuifoliside C) (2), 3'-O-(O-methyl-feruloyl)-sucrose (3), 3'-O-(sinapoyl)-sucrose (4), 3'-O-trimethoxy-cinnamoyl-sucrose (glomeratose) (5), 3'-O-feruloyl-sucrose (sibiricose A5) (6), sinapyl alcohol 4-O-glucoside (syringin or eleutheroside B) (7), liriodendrin (8), and 7,4'-di-O-methylquercetin-3-O-ß-rutinoside (ombuin 3-O-rutinoside or ombuoside) (9). The structures of the compounds were determined by the spectroscopic methods including 1D-NMR (1H NMR, 13C NMR, DEPT-135), 2D-NMR (COSY, NOESY, HSQC, HMBC), and HRMS. The isolated compounds were shown in an in silico setting to be accommodated well within the inhibitor-binding pockets of myeloperoxidase and inducible nitric oxide synthase and anchored mainly through hydrogen-bonding interactions and π-effects. It is therefore plausible to suggest that the previously established anti-inflammatory properties of some Polygala-derived phytochemicals may be due, in part, to the modulation of pro-inflammatory enzyme activities.

Separation of saccharides using fullerene-bonded silica monolithic columns via π interactions in liquid chromatography.

We report on a potential method to separate sugars by using the specific interaction between fullerenes and saccharides in liquid chromatography (LC). Aromatic rings with high electron density are believed to interact strongly with saccharides due to CH-π and/or OH-π interactions. In this study, the fullerene-bonded columns were used to separate saccharides by LC under aqueous conditions. As a result, 2-aminobenzamide-labeled glucose homopolymer (Glcs) was effectively separated by both C60 and C70 columns in the range of Glc-1 to Glc-20 and high blood glucose level being retained in greater quantity. Furthermore, similar separations were identified by LC-mass spectrometry with non-labeled glucose homopolymers. Theoretical study based on molecular dynamics and DFT calculation demonstrated that a supramolecular complex of saccharide-fullerene was formed through CH-π and/or OH-π interactions, and that the interactions between saccharide and fullerene increase with the increase units of the saccharide. Additionally, the C60 column retained disaccharides containing maltose, trehalose, and sucrose. In this case, it was assumed that the retention rates were determined by the difference of the dipole moment in each saccharide. These results suggest that the dipole-induced dipole interaction was dominant, and that maltose-with the higher dipole moment-was more strongly retained compared to other disaccharides having lower dipole moment.

Oligosaccharide and glucose esters from the roots of Polygala arillata.

The root of plant Polygala arillata has been used in the Oriental medicine as a tonic and for the treatment of certain diseases. Our current research on phytochemical profile of the roots of P. arillata led to the isolation of a new oligosaccharide ester (1, polygaloside), a new glucose ester (7, arillatoside), along with five known sucrose esters (2-6). Their structures were elucidated on the basis of extensive chemical and spectroscopic methods as well as comparison with those reported in the literature. The occurence of various oligosaccharide esters in P. arillata including unique compounds plays taxonomical impact and suggests potential in medicinal uses of the title plant.

Discrimination of Natural Mature Acacia Honey Based on Multi-Physicochemical Parameters Combined with Chemometric Analysis.

Honey maturity is an important factor in evaluating the quality of honey. We established a method for the identification of natural mature acacia honey with eighteen physicochemical parameters combined with chemometric analysis. The analysis of variance showed significant differences between mature and immature acacia honey in physicochemical parameters. The principal component analysis explained 82.64% of the variance among samples, and indicated that total phenolic content, total protein content, and total sugar (glucose, fructose, sucrose) were the major variables. The cluster analysis and orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis demonstrated that samples were grouped in relation to the maturity coinciding with the results of the principal component analysis. Meanwhile, the 35 test samples were classified with 100% accuracy with the method of multi-physicochemical parameters combined with chemometric analysis. All the results presented above proved the possibility of identifying mature acacia honey and immature acacia honey according to the chemometric analysis based on the multi-physicochemical parameters.

Rheological properties of tamarind (Tamarindus indica L.) seed mucilage obtained by spray-drying as a novel source of hydrocolloid.

Tamarind seed mucilage (TSM) was extracted and obtained by spray drying. The power law model well described the rheological behavior of the TSM dispersions with determination coefficients R2 higher than 0.93. According to power law model, non-Newtonian shear thinning behavior was observed at all concentrations (0.5%, 1%, 1.5% and 2%) and temperatures (25, 30, 40, and 60°C) studied. Increasing temperature decreased the viscosity and increased the flow behavior index, opposite effect was observed when increasing the concentration. The temperature effect was more pronounced at 2.0% TSM concentration with an activation energy of 20.25kJ/mol. A clear dependence of viscosity on pH was observed, as pH increased from acidic to alkaline conditions, the viscosity increased. It was found that the rheological properties of TSM were affected by the sucrose and salts and their concentrations as well due to the addition of ions (or sucrose) decreases repulsion and allows molecule expansion promoting a significant reduction in viscosity. These results suggest that TMS could be applied in the production of foods that require additives with thickening capacity.

Constituents of Polygala flavescens ssp. flavescens and Their Activity as Inhibitors of Human Lactate Dehydrogenase.

Four new flavonol glycosides (1-4), two oligosaccharides (5, 6), one α-ionone (7), and three triterpenoid saponins (8-10), together with four known secondary metabolites (11-14), were isolated from the aerial parts of Polygala flavescens ssp. flavescens. All structures were elucidated on the basis of their spectroscopic and spectrometric data. The isolates were assayed for their inhibitory activity against isoform 5 of human lactate dehydrogenase, and compound 11 (3,6'-di-O-sinapoylsucrose) showed an IC50 value of 90.4 µM. Modeling studies were carried out to suggest the putative interaction mode of compound 11 in the enzyme active site.

Rapidly Simultaneous Determination of Six Effective Components in Cistanche tubulosa by Near Infrared Spectroscopy.

Quantitative determination of multiple effective components in a given plant usually requires a very large amount of authentic natural products. In this study, we proposed a rapid and non-destructive method for the simultaneous determination of echinacoside, verbascoside, mannitol, sucrose, glucose and fructose in Cistanche tubulosa by near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). Near infrared diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) were conducted on 116 batches of C. tubulosa samples. The DRS data were processed using standard normal variety (SNV) and multiplicative scatter correction (MSC) methods. Partial least squares regression (PLSR) was utilized to build calibration models for components-of-interest in C. tubulosa. All models were then assessed by calculating the root mean square error of calibration (RMSEC), correlation coefficient of calibration (r). The r values of all six calibration models were determined to be greater than 0.94, suggesting each model is reliable. Therefore, the quantitative NIR models reported in this study can be qualified to accurately quantify the contents of six medicinal components in C. tubulosa.

Sucrose purification and repeated ethanol production from sugars remaining in sweet sorghum juice subjected to a membrane separation process.

The juice from sweet sorghum cultivar SIL-05 (harvested at physiological maturity) was extracted, and the component sucrose and reducing sugars (such as glucose and fructose) were subjected to a membrane separation process to purify the sucrose for subsequent sugar refining and to obtain a feedstock for repeated bioethanol production. Nanofiltration (NF) of an ultrafiltration (UF) permeate using an NTR-7450 membrane (Nitto Denko Corporation, Osaka, Japan) concentrated the juice and produced a sucrose-rich fraction (143.2 g L-1 sucrose, 8.5 g L-1 glucose, and 4.5 g L-1 fructose). In addition, the above NF permeate was concentrated using an ESNA3 NF membrane to provide concentrated permeated sugars (227.9 g L-1) and capture various amino acids in the juice, enabling subsequent ethanol fermentation without the addition of an exogenous nitrogen source. Sequential batch fermentation using the ESNA3 membrane concentrate provided an ethanol titer and theoretical ethanol yield of 102.5-109.5 g L-1 and 84.4-89.6%, respectively, throughout the five-cycle batch fermentation by Saccharomyces cerevisiae BY4741. Our results demonstrate that a membrane process using UF and two types of NF membranes has the potential to allow sucrose purification and repeated bioethanol production.

13C labeling analysis of sugars by high resolution-mass spectrometry for metabolic flux analysis.

Metabolic flux analysis is particularly complex in plant cells because of highly compartmented metabolism. Analysis of free sugars is interesting because it provides data to define fluxes around hexose, pentose, and triose phosphate pools in different compartment. In this work, we present a method to analyze the isotopomer distribution of free sugars labeled with carbon 13 using a liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry, without derivatized procedure, adapted for Metabolic flux analysis. Our results showed a good sensitivity, reproducibility and better accuracy to determine isotopic enrichments of free sugars compared to our previous methods [5, 6].

Acetylation and deacetylation for sucralose preparation by a newly isolated Bacillus amyloliquefaciens WZS01.

Sucralose is a non-nutritive artificial sweetener used in a broad range of foods and beverages. In the present study, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens WZS01 was isolated, identified, and used as a catalyst both in regioselective acylation and deacetylation for sucralose preparation. Bacterial cells were immobilized on polyurethane foam and utilized to synthesize sucrose-6-acetate regioselectively. The yield of sucrose-6-acetate was >95% with 60 mM sucrose after 22 h of reaction. Free cells could hydrolyze 75 mM sucralose-6-acetate to produce sucralose with >99% yield after 24 h of reaction. B. amyloliquefaciens WZS01 could be considered a potential biocatalyst for sucralose preparation.

1H NMR spectroscopy-guided isolation of new sucrose esters from Physalis alkekengi var. franchetii and their antibacterial activity.

Ten new sucrose esters, physakengoses A-J (1-10), were isolated from the aerial parts of Physalis alkekengi var. franchetii under the guidance of 1H NMR spectroscopy. Their structures were determined by spectroscopic analyses (HRESIMS, 1D and 2D NMR, and ESIMS) and chemical methods. These new compounds were tested for antibacterial activities against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli. Among them, compounds 2 and 5-8 showed potent inhibitory effects against test strains with MIC values ranging from 3.5 to 14.9µg/mL. These findings may indicate that the P. alkekengi var. franchetii has potential application as an ingredient in pharmaceuticals.

Development of flocculent Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain GYK-10 for the selective fermentation of glucose/fructose in sugar mills.

Advances in glucose/fructose-selective ethanol production have successfully enhanced raw sugar extraction from sugarcane juice by converting inhibitory substances (i.e., glucose/fructose) into ethanol, which is removed by subsequent operations in cane sugar mills. However, the commercial implementation of this breakthrough process in existing cane sugar mills requires a yeast strain that (i) can be used in food production processes, (ii) exhibits stable saccharometabolic selectivity, and (iii) can be easily separated from the saccharide solution. In this study, we developed a suitable saccharometabolism-selective and flocculent strain, Saccharomyces cerevisiae GYK-10. We obtained a suitable yeast strain for selective fermentation in cane sugar mills using a yeast mating system. First, we crossed a haploid strain defective in sucrose utilization with a flocculent haploid strain. Next, we performed tetrad dissection of the resultant hybrid diploid strain and selected GYK-10 from various segregants by investigating the sucrose assimilation and flocculation capacity phenotypes. Ten consecutive fermentation tests of the GYK-10 strain using a bench-scale fermentor confirmed its suitability for the implementation of practical selective fermentation in a commercial sugar mill. The strain exhibited complete saccharometabolic selectivity and sustained flocculation, where it maintained a high ethanol yield and conversion rate throughout the test.

The influence of protein kinase KIN10 gene expression on root phenotype of Arabidopsis thaliana root system in condition of energy stress.

It was shown phenotypic changes in the root system of seedlings Arabidopsis thaliana in transgenic lines with overexpression and suppressed gene expression of serine-threonine protein kinase KIN10 in conditions of energy shortage and under normal conditions. The normal growth and development of KIN10 overexpressing plants with in energy deficiency conditions were detected. The significant inhibition of the plant development under normal conditions for these plant lines was obsereved. The levels of KIN10 gene expression under normal conditions in different organs A. thaliana, particularly in the roots, stems, leaves and flowers were analyzed. The highest level expression of the gene was fixed in the leaves.

Withanolides and Sucrose Esters from Physalis neomexicana.

Four withanolides (1-4) and two sucrose esters (5, 6) were isolated from the aerial parts of Physalis neomexicana. The structures of 1-6 were elucidated through a variety of spectroscopic techniques. Cytotoxicity studies of the isolates revealed that 2 inhibited human breast cancer cell lines (MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7) with IC50 values of 1.7 and 6.3 µM, respectively.

Development and validation of a liquid chromatographic method to quantify sucrose, glucose, and fructose in tubers of Solanum tuberosum Group Phureja.

A High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) method was developed and validated to quantify sucrose (non-reducing sugar), glucose, and fructose (reducing sugars) in raw tubers of Solanum tuberosum Group Phureja. Chromatographic analysis was performed using an AMINEX HPX 87H column, at 18 °C, linked to a refraction index detector, at 35 °C. The eluent was 10mM sulfuric acid. The conditions established for the method provided an optimum separation of sugars, citric acid, and malic acid, with resolution values higher or equal to one. Among the four sugar extraction methods tested, the double 50% (v/v) aqueous methanol extraction gave the highest level of analytes. Recovery of this extraction method ranged between 94.14 and 99.77%. The HPLC method was validated for repeatability, reproducibility, linearity, and limits of detection, and quantification. Relative standard deviation was found to be lower than five, when testing repeatability and reproducibility, which is suitable considering a range of acceptability from 5.3 to 7.3. Additionally, the regression analyses supported the method linearity in a range of quantification from 3 to 100 mg/L with regression coefficients values greater than 0.998 for the three analytes. Limits of detection were 3.0 mg/L for the three sugars and limits of quantification were 2.0 mg/L for sucrose and 3.0 mg/L for glucose and fructose. Four Colombian commercial cultivars (Criolla Guaneña, Criolla Paisa, Criolla Galeras, and Criolla Colombia) and five landrace accessions from the Colombian Core Collection of Group Phureja were grown in the district of Usme (Bogotá) fields to analyze their sugar contents. Sucrose, glucose, and fructose contents were found ranging from 0.93 to 3.11 g/100 g tuber dried weight (DW), from 0.25 to 4.53 g/100 g tuber DW, and from 0.10 to 1.49 g/100 g tuber DW, respectively. Therefore, a high range in the variability of sugar contents was found among genotypes. However, the variability was low among technical replicates of the same genotype, revealing an accurate quantification of sugars in Group Phureja. This method can be used to assess the amount of reducing and non-reducing sugars accumulation in potato germplasm.

Sucrose esters from Physalis peruviana calyces with anti-inflammatory activity.

Physalis peruviana is a native plant from the South American Andes and is widely used in traditional Colombian medicine of as an anti-inflammatory medicinal plant, specifically the leaves, calyces, and small stems in poultice form. Previous studies performed by our group on P. peruviana calyces showed potent anti-inflammatory activity in an enriched fraction obtained from an ether total extract. The objective of the present study was to obtain and elucidate the active compounds from this fraction and evaluate their anti-inflammatory activity in vivo and in vitro. The enriched fraction of P. peruviana was purified by several chromatographic methods to obtain an inseparable mixture of two new sucrose esters named peruviose A (1) and peruviose B (2). Structures of the new compounds were elucidated using spectroscopic methods and chemical transformations. The anti-inflammatory activity of the peruvioses mixture was evaluated using λ-carrageenan-induced paw edema in rats and lipopolysaccharide-activated peritoneal macrophages. Results showed that the peruvioses did not produce side effects on the liver and kidneys and significantly attenuated the inflammation induced by λ-carrageenan in a dosage-dependent manner, probably due to an inhibition of nitric oxide and prostaglandin E2, which was demonstrated in vitro. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the presence of sucrose esters in P. peruviana that showed a potent anti-inflammatory effect. These results suggest the potential of sucrose esters from the Physalis genus as a novel natural alternative to treat inflammatory diseases.

Response of gelatin modified electrode towards sensing of different metabolites.

In this study, a very thin film of biocompatible gelatin B (GB) fabricated onto indium tin oxide (ITO)-coated glass substrate for electrochemical catalytic activity towards different metabolites has been investigated. The optical and electrochemical properties of bare GB/ITO electrode and with different metabolites were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and electrochemical techniques. The optical properties clearly indicate the structural and surface morphological changes on electrode surface. FTIR spectra showed displacement of the IR peaks towards smaller wave numbers, indicating possible existence of hydrogen bonding between the GB and metabolites. The catalytic behaviour of GB/ITO electrode towards ascorbic acid (AA), citric acid (CA), oxalic acid (OA), glucose (Glu), sucrose (Suc), lactose (Lac) and fructose (Fru) has been investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV). The electrochemical response studies of GB/ITO electrode have been monitored with different metabolites in the range of 10-500 mg/dl. The sensitivity of GB/ITO electrode for AA and OA was found as 0.156 and 0.108 µA/(mg/dl cm(-2)) respectively. The results indicate that the GB/ITO electrode has higher specificity towards the AA and OA. The attractive properties of GB/ITO electrode provide the potential applications in the simultaneous detection of AA and OA. The excellent electrocatalytic behaviour of GB/ITO electrode may be useful towards the construction of electrochemical biosensors.

Tomensides A-D, new antiproliferative phenylpropanoid sucrose esters from Prunus tomentosa leaves.

To search for novel cytotoxic constituents against cancer cells as lead structures for drug development, four new 3-phenylpropanoid-triacetyl sucrose esters, named tomensides A-D (1-4), and three known analogs (5-7) were isolated from the leaves of Prunus tomentosa. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic analyses (1D, 2D NMR, CD and HRESIMS). The cytotoxic activities of all isolates against four human cancer cell lines (MCF-7, A549, HeLa and HT-29) were assayed, and the results showed that these isolates displayed stronger inhibitory activities compared with positive control 5-fluorouracil. Tomenside A (1) was the most active compound with IC50 values of 0.11-0.62 µM against the four tested cell lines. The structure-activity relationship (SAR) of the isolates was also discussed. The primary screening results indicated that these 3-phenylpropanoid-triacetyl sucrose esters might be valuable source for new potent anticancer drug candidates.

An evaluation of sucrose as a possible contaminant in e-liquids for electronic cigarettes by hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

The influence of sucrose combustion products on smoking and nicotine addiction is still controversial because the presence of the sucrose may be treated as a source of aldehydes and organic acids. In e-liquids used as refills for electronic cigarettes, which are made primarily of poly(propylene glycol), glycerine and ethanol, sucrose may be present at trace levels, and its impact on mainstream smoke formation, and hence on human health and smoking/nicotine addiction is unknown. An analytical method was developed where high-performance liquid chromatography in hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography mode and tandem mass spectrometry were used for fast and simple determination of sucrose and other saccharides in e-liquids for electronic cigarettes. Minimal effort was required in the sample preparation step, and satisfactory results were obtained, and the sample matrix had an insignificant impact. The chromatographic separation was done using an Ascentis Express OH5 column (150 mm × 2.1 mm, 2.7 µm). The coefficients of variation for within-day precision for three concentrations were 2.4 %, 1.6 % and 2.3 %, and the between-day coefficients of variation for a single concentration were 2.1 %, 2.5 % and 1.7 % measured on the next 3 days. The detection limit was 0.73 µg/g, and the sucrose content in e-liquids ranged from 0.76 to 72.93 µg/g among 37 samples. Moreover, with the method presented it is possible to determine the presence of other saccharides such as fructose, glucose, maltose and lactose. However, only sucrose was found in all samples of e-liquids. The proposed method is rapid, simple and reliable in terms of high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry.

Planococcus maritimus VITP21 synthesizes (2-acetamido-2-deoxy-α-d-glucopyranosyl)-(1→2)-ß-d-fructofuranose under osmotic stress: a novel protein stabilizing sugar osmolyte.

A halotolerant bacterium, Planococcus maritimus VITP21 isolated from a saltern region in Kumta along the Arabian Sea Coast of India was found to have increased cellular levels of sugars (up to 2.3-fold) under osmotic stress when grown in minimal medium with glucose as the sole carbon and energy source supplemented with 10% w/v NaCl. The major sugar osmolyte which increased with the concentration of NaCl in the growth medium was purified and characterized using various nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy techniques. The sugar was found to be similar to sucrose but with the C-2 hydroxyl group of the glucose ring substituted with acetamido group, which is not previously reported for its natural synthesis by any other organism. This novel sugar, (2-acetamido-2-deoxy-α-d-glucopyranosyl)-(1→2)-ß-d-fructofuranose, exhibited stabilizing effect on a model protein α-amylase by increasing the apparent midpoint transition, onset temperature of denaturation, and free energy of thermal unfolding.