Minor tropical fruits as a potential source of bioactive and functional foods.

Tropical fruits are defined as fruits that are grown in hot and humid regions within the Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn, covering most of the tropical and subtropical areas of Asia, Africa, Central America, South America, the Caribbean and Oceania. Depending on the cultivation area covered, economic value and popularity these tropical fruits are divided into major and minor tropical fruits. There is an annual increment of 3.8% in terms of commercialization of the tropical fruits. In total 26 minor tropical fruits (Kiwifruit, Lutqua, Carambola, Tree Tomato, Elephant apple, Rambutan, Bay berry, Mangosteen, Bhawa, Loquat, Silver berry, Durian, Persimon, Longan, Passion fruit, Water apple, Pulasan, Indian gooseberry, Guava, Lychee, Annona, Pitaya, Sapodilla, Pepino, Jaboticaba, Jackfruit) have been covered in this work. The nutritional composition, phytochemical composition, health benefits, traditional use of these minor tropical fruits and their role in food fortification have been portrayed.

Recent insights on tea metabolites, their biosynthesis and chemo-preventing effects: A review.

Tea manufactured from the cultivated shoots of Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze is the most commonly consumed nonalcoholic drink around the world. Tea is an agro-based, environmentally sustainable, labor-intensive, job-generating, and export-oriented industry in many countries. Tea includes phenolic compounds, flavonoids, alkaloids, vitamins, enzymes, crude fibers, protein, lipids, and carbohydrates, among other biochemical constituents. This review described the nature of tea metabolites, their biosynthesis and accumulation with response to various factors. The therapeutic application of various metabolites of tea against microbial diseases, cancer, neurological, and other metabolic disorders was also discussed in detail. The seasonal variation, cultivation practices and genetic variability influence tea metabolite synthesis. Tea biochemical constituents, especially polyphenols and its integral part catechin metabolites, are broadly focused on potential applicability for their action against various diseases. In addition to this, tea also contains bioactive flavonoids that possess health-beneficial effects. The catechin fractions, epigallocatechin 3-gallate and epicatechin 3-gallate, are the main components of tea that has strong antioxidant and medicinal properties. The synergistic function of natural tea metabolites with synthetic drugs provides effective protection against various diseases. Furthermore, the application of nanotechnologies enhanced bioavailability, enhancing the therapeutic potential of natural metabolites against numerous diseases and pathogens.

Emerging role of nutritional short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) against cancer via modulation of hematopoiesis.

The understanding of gut microbiota has emerged as a significant frontier in development of strategies to maintain normal human body's homeostasis and preventing the disease development over the last decade. The composition of the gut microbiota influences the clinical benefit of immune checkpoints in patients with advanced cancer, but the mechanisms underlying this relationship are unclear. Cancer is among the leading causes of mortality worldwide. So far, there is no universal treatment for cancer and despite significant advances, a lot of improvement on cancer therapy is required. Owing to its role in preserving the host's health and maintaining cellular integrity, the human gut microbiome has recently drawn a lot of interest as a target for cancer treatment. Dietary fiber is fermented by the gut microbiota to generate short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), such as acetate, butyrate, and propionate, which are physiologically active metabolites. SCFAs can modulate the pathophysiology of the tumor environment through various critical signaling pathways. In addition, SCFAs can bind to carcinogens and other toxic chemicals, thus facilitating their biotransformation and elimination through different excretory mechanisms. This review discusses the mechanisms of action of short-chain fatty acids in modulating hematopoiesis of various immune system cells and the resultant beneficial anti-cancer effects. It also provides future perspectives on cancer therapy.

Study on Flexural Behaviour of Ferrocement Composites Reinforced with Polypropylene Warp Knitted Fabric.

Ferrocement is a cost-effective construction material used in the low-cost constructions. It is produced with the combination of cement mortar with closely spaced wire mesh known as chicken wire mesh. Ferrocement process eliminates coarse aggregates when compared to reinforced concrete thus makes the process simple. This paper deals with the influence of various characteristics of warp knitted fabric on the flexural properties of ferrocement composites. Ferrocement composites have a wide range of applications in the construction industry and it has some limitations due to the durability issues. Among the various durability issues, corrosion is one of the main issues to be addressed to enhance the long-term service life of the ferrocement composites. The idea of using non-metallic mesh to eliminate the corrosion problem is discussed in this paper. In this experiment, warp knitted fabric reinforced ferrocement composites were produced using polypropylene warp knitted fabrics. This paper deals with the flexural properties of ferrocement composites made of warp knitted fabric coated with expoxy. This paper deals with the flexural properties of ferrocement composites made of warp knitted fabric coated with expoxy. These composites were analyzed for their flexural strength, energy absorption and ductile property. The variables in the experiment are filament thickness, warp knitted structure and number of layers in the composites. Experimental results proved that the replacement of chicken mesh wire by warp knitted fabrics has an impact in the flexural properties of the composites and the effect of variables in the experiment set up has been analyzed. There is an imporvement of 200% is observed in the first crack load and 120% improvement in the ultimate load of the warp knit fabric reinforced composite compared to control sample. Experimental results proved that there is an increase in flexural strength of ferrocement composites made up with warp knitted fabrics. Microstructure studies like SEM and EDX on ferrocement laminates confirmed good bonding between the mortar mix and warp knitted fabrics.

A comprehensive review of beetroot (Beta vulgaris L.) bioactive components in the food and pharmaceutical industries.

Beetroot is rich in various bioactive phytochemicals, which are beneficial for human health and exert protective effects against several disease conditions like cancer, atherosclerosis, etc. Beetroot has various therapeutic applications, including antioxidant, antibacterial, antiviral, and analgesic functions. Besides the pharmacological effects, food industries are trying to preserve beetroots or their phytochemicals using various food preservation methods, including drying and freezing, to preserve their antioxidant capacity. Beetroot is a functional food due to valuable active components such as minerals, amino acids, phenolic acid, flavonoid, betaxanthin, and betacyanin. Due to its stability, nontoxic and non-carcinogenic and nonpoisonous capabilities, beetroot has been used as an additive or preservative in food processing. Beetroot and its bioactive compounds are well reported to possess antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiapoptotic, antimicrobial, antiviral, etc. In this review, we provided updated details on (i) food processing, preservation and colorant methods using beetroot and its phytochemicals, (ii) synthesis and development of several nanoparticles using beetroot and its bioactive compounds against various diseases, (iii) the role of beetroot and its phytochemicals under disease conditions with molecular mechanisms. We have also discussed the role of other phytochemicals in beetroot and their health benefits. Recent technologies in food processing are also updated. We also addressed on molecular docking-assisted biological activity and screening for bioactive chemicals. Additionally, the role of betalain from different sources and its therapeutic effects have been listed. To the best of our knowledge, little or no work has been carried out on the impact of beetroot and its nanoformulation strategies for phytocompounds on antimicrobial, antiviral effects, etc. Moreover, epigenetic alterations caused by phytocompounds of beetroot under several diseases were not reported much. Thus, extensive research must be carried out to understand the molecular effects of beetroot in the near future.

Exosome-based nanomedicine for cancer treatment by targeting inflammatory pathways: Current status and future perspectives.

Cancer is one of the dreadful diseases worldwide. Surgery, radiation and chemotherapy, are the three basic standard modes of cancer treatment. However, difficulties in cancer treatment are increasing due to immune escape, spreading of cancer to other places, and resistance of cancer cells to therapies. Various signaling mechanisms, including PI3K/Akt/mTOR, RAS, WNT/ß-catenin, TGF-beta, and notch pathways, are involved in cancer resistance. The adaptive inflammatory response is the initial line of defence against infection. However, chronic inflammation can lead to tumorigenesis, malignant transformation, tumor growth, invasion, and metastasis. The most commonly dysregulated inflammatory pathways linked to cancer include NF-κB, MAPK, JAK-STAT, and PI3K/AKT. To overcome major hurdles in cancer therapy, nanomedicine is receiving much attention due to its role as a vehicle for delivering chemotherapeutic agents that specifically target tumor sites. Several biocompatible nanocarriers including polymer and inorganic nanoparticles, liposomes, micellar nanoparticles, nanotubes, and exosomes have been extensively studied. Exosome has been reported as an important potential system that could be effectively used as a bioinspired, bioengineered, and biomimetic drug delivery solution considering its toxicity, immunogenicity, and rapid clearance by the mononuclear phagocyte system. Exosome-mimetic vesicles are receiving much interest for developing nano-sized delivery systems. In this review, exosomes in detail as well as certain other nanocarriers, and their potential therapeutic roles in cancer therapy has been thoroughly discussed. Additionally, we also reviewed on oncogenic and tumor suppressor proteins, inflammation, and their associated signaling pathways and their interference by exosomes based nanomedicine.

S-Allylcysteine (SAC) Exerts Renoprotective Effects via Regulation of TGF- ß1/Smad3 Pathway Mediated Matrix Remodeling in Chronic Renal Failure.

BACKGROUND: S-Allylcysteine (SAC), an organosulfur phytochemical sourced from aged garlic extract, is well known for its varied biomedical applications, such as anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and detoxification mechanisms. Despite this, the scientific findings on the defensive impact of SAC against kidney failure (KF) are still unclear. Therefore, in the current investigation, the animal model of KF was induced by adenine in Wistar rats, and the animals were divided into four groups as control, KF induction using adenine, SAC treated KF rats for an experimental duration of 8 weeks. METHODS: KF progression was assessed by various serum and tissue markers, and the results demonstrated that the renal functions' markers, KIM-1 (kidney injury molecule-1), cystatin, NGAL (neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin), were found increased in adenine-treated rats compared to control. In addition, the inflammatory markers, matrix proteins, and fibrosis signatures explicated by RT-PCR, ELISA demonstrated a profound increase. On the other hand, rats received SAC mitigated KF considerably (p < 0.001) with restored cellular functions. Besides, SAC pre-treatment abrogated the cytokines and pro-inflammatory signals (COX-2 and PGE2) in a dose-dependent manner. CONCLUSION: Furthermore, the fibrosis signaling markers mediators, such as SMAD-2,-3 were increased with associated matrix proteins. Thus, the present study substantiated that SAC possesses a significant renoprotective effect that might have been demonstrated by the inhibition of the TGF-ß1/Smad3 signaling pathway.

Bioactive Compounds in Oxidative Stress-Mediated Diseases: Targeting the NRF2/ARE Signaling Pathway and Epigenetic Regulation.

Oxidative stress is a pathological condition occurring due to an imbalance between the oxidants and antioxidant defense systems in the body. Nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (NRF2), encoded by the gene NFE2L2, is the master regulator of phase II antioxidant enzymes that protect against oxidative stress and inflammation. NRF2/ARE signaling has been considered as a promising target against oxidative stress-mediated diseases like diabetes, fibrosis, neurotoxicity, and cancer. The consumption of dietary phytochemicals acts as an effective modulator of NRF2/ARE in various acute and chronic diseases. In the present review, we discussed the role of NRF2 in diabetes, Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), cancer, and atherosclerosis. Additionally, we discussed the phytochemicals like curcumin, quercetin, resveratrol, epigallocatechin gallate, apigenin, sulforaphane, and ursolic acid that have effectively modified NRF2 signaling and prevented various diseases in both in vitro and in vivo models. Based on the literature, it is clear that dietary phytochemicals can prevent diseases by (1) blocking oxidative stress-inhibiting inflammatory mediators through inhibiting Keap1 or activating Nrf2 expression and its downstream targets in the nucleus, including HO-1, SOD, and CAT; (2) regulating NRF2 signaling by various kinases like GSK3beta, PI3/AKT, and MAPK; and (3) modifying epigenetic modulation, such as methylation, at the NRF2 promoter region; however, further investigation into other upstream signaling molecules like NRF2 and the effect of phytochemicals on them still need to be investigated in the near future.

Comparative Study on Seed Characteristics, Antioxidant Activity, and Total Phenolic and Flavonoid Contents in Accessions of Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench.

Sorghum is a major cereal food worldwide, and is considered a potential source of minerals and bioactive compounds. Its wide adaptive range may cause variations in its agronomic traits, antioxidant properties, and phytochemical content. This extensive study investigated variations in seed characteristics, antioxidant properties, and total phenolic (TPC) and flavonoid contents (TFC) of sorghum collected from different ecological regions of 15 countries. The antioxidant potential of the seed extracts of various sorghum accessions was determined using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2'-azinobis 3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonate (ABTS) radical scavenging assays. Significant variations in TPC were observed among the sorghum accessions. All 78 sorghum accessions used in this study exhibited significant variations in TFC, with the lowest and highest amount observed in accessions C465 and J542, respectively. DPPH scavenging potential of the seed extracts for all the accessions ranged from 11.91 ± 4.83 to 1343.90 ± 81.02 µg mL-1. The ABTS assay results were similar to those of DPPH but showed some differences in the accessions. Pearson's correlation analysis revealed a wide variation range in the correlation between antioxidant activity and TPC, as well as TFC, among the sorghum accessions. A wide diversity range was also recorded for the seed characteristics (1000-seed weight and seed germination rate). A dendrogram generated from UPGMA clustering, based on seed traits, antioxidant activity, TPC, and TFC was highly dispersed for these accessions. Variations among the accessions may provide useful information regarding the phytoconstituents, antioxidant properties, and phytochemical contents of sorghum and aid in designing breeding programs to obtain sorghum with improved agronomic traits and bioactive properties.

Nanotechnology, in silico and endocrine-based strategy for delivering paclitaxel and miRNA: Prospects for the therapeutic management of breast cancer.

Breast cancer is one of the most prevalent and reoccurring cancers and the second most common reason of death in women. Despite advancements in therapeutic strategies for breast cancer, early tumor recurrence and metastasis in patients indicate resistance to chemotherapeutic medicines, such as paclitaxel due to the abnormal expression of ER and EGF2 in breast cancer cells. Therefore, the development of alternatives to paclitaxel is urgently needed to overcome challenges involving drug resistance. An increasing number of studies has revealed miRNAs as novel natural alternative substances that play a crucial role in regulating several physiological processes and have a close, adverse association with several diseases, including breast cancer. Due to the therapeutic potential of miRNA and paclitaxel in cancer research, the current review focuses on the differential roles of various miRNAs in breast cancer development and treatment. miRNA delivery to a specific target site, the development of paclitaxel and miRNA formulations, and nanotechnological strategies for the delivery of nanopaclitaxel in the management of breast cancer are discussed. These strategies involve improving the cellular uptake and bioavailability and reducing the toxicity of free paclitaxel to achieve accumulation tumor site. Furthermore, a molecular docking study was performed to ascertain the enhanced anticancer activity of the nanoformulation of ANG1005 and Abraxane. An in silico analysis revealed that ANG1005 and Abraxane nanoformulations have superior and significantly enhanced interactions with the proteins α-tubulin and Bcl-2. Therefore, ANG1005 and Abraxane may be more suitable in the therapeutic management of breast cancer than the existing free paclitaxel. miRNAs can revert abnormal gene expression to normalcy; since miRNAs serve as tumor suppressors. Therefore, restoration of particular miRNAs levels as a replacement therapy may be an effective endocrine potential strategy for treating ER positive/ negative breast cancers.

Assessment of Mineral and Phenolic Profiles and Their Association with the Antioxidant, Cytotoxic Effect, and Antimicrobial Potential of Lycium chinense Miller.

This study aimed at investigating the Lycium chinense Miller leaf extract mineral and phenolic compound profiles as well as antioxidant and antimicrobial potential. We determined the leaf extract mineral composition, identified its major mineral components, and quantified secondary metabolites. We also measured the leaf extract antioxidant potential and found that it varies in a concentration-dependent manner. We observed a significant and higher positive correlation between DPPH and ABTS assays compared with the total phenolic and flavonoid content. Furthermore, our assay results positively correlated with several observed acids, indicating their strong association with the L. chinense antioxidant potential. Our cytotoxic assay revealed weak toxicity at higher tested concentrations. Our MIC assay showed that the 80% methanol extract effectively inhibited the growth of Escherichia coli Castellani and Chalmers (ATCC35150). The 625-ppm leaf extract completely suppressed the growth of Staphylococcus aureus Rosenbach (ATCC13150), Bacillus cereus (ATCC 14579), and Helicobacter pylori (ATCC43504). These results allow us to understand the indigenous medicinal value of L. chinense. Our study suggests that the L. chinense leaf extract phenolic compounds possess a good antioxidant activity against free radicals and are effective antimicrobial agents. Finally, the presence and high level of diverse minerals suggest the potential of L. chinense for nutraceutical and functional food applications.

Comparative Investigation of Corrosion-Mitigating Behavior of Thiadiazole-Derived Bis-Schiff Bases for Mild Steel in Acid Medium: Experimental, Theoretical, and Surface Study.

In the present study, comparative analyses of corrosion inhibition property of few thiadiazole-derived bis-Schiff bases for mild steel in 1 M HCl were done. Various electrochemical experiments (electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and potentiodynamic polarization), as well as weight loss experiments, were employed to study the anticorrosion activity of bis-Schiff bases as inhibitors. The highest inhibition efficiency was obtained at an optimum concentration of 125 ppm for all inhibitors. Potentiodynamic polarization studies explain the mixed type but predominantly the cathodic nature of all inhibitors. The Langmuir adsorption isotherm was used to describe the mechanism of adsorption. The change in the value of activation energy on the addition of inhibitors reflects the mixed mode of interaction between the inhibitor and metallic surface. Scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analyses confirmed the adsorption of bis-Schiff bases on the metal surface and thereby shielding from corrosion. Besides, the relevance between inhibition efficiency and the molecular structure of an inhibitor was theoretically examined via quantum chemical calculations and molecular dynamics simulations. All the results show consistent agreement with each other.

Policosanol profiles and adenosine 5'-monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activation potential of Korean wheat seedling extracts according to cultivar and growth time.

Policosanols is a health promoting aliphatic alcohol known as lipid-lowing agent. To enable maximising the functional properties of wheat, this research investigates the policosanol profiles and adenosine 5'-monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activation potential of Korean wheat seedlings according to cultivars and growth times. GC-MS revealed six policosanols that differed markedly in content between 17 cultivars, especially, octacosanol (8) showed the most predominant component (49-83%), varying significantly in average concentrations with growth times as 361.4 (3 days) â†’ 613.0 (6 days) â†’ 203.1 (9 days) â†’ 196.5 (12 days) â†’ 50.9 mg/100 g (19 days). The highest average policosanol (738.7 mg/100 g) exhibited after 6 days, while the lowest was 104.4 mg/100 g on 19 days. Moreover, the wheat cultivars including Shinmichal 1, Anbaek, Namhae, and Joah at 6 days may be recommended as potential sources because of high policosanols (921.7-990.6 mg/100 g). Western blot analysis revealed markedly higher AMPK activation in cells treated with the hexane extracts (150-370% at 100 µg/ml) and octacosanol (8) possessed potent AMPK activator (control; 100 â†’ 280% at 200 µg/ml). It is confirmed that the AMPK activation by wheat seedlings are positively related to the highest policosanol content at the 6 days of growth time, independent of the cultivar. Our results may be contributed to enhance the wheat value regarding development of new cultivars and functional foods.

Current Nanoparticle Approaches in Nose to Brain Drug Delivery and Anticancer Therapy - A Review.

Nanoparticles (NPs) are unique may be organic or inorganic, play a vital role in the development of drug delivery targeting the central nervous system (CNS). Intranasal drug delivery has shown to be an efficient strategy with attractive application for drug delivery to the CNS related diseases, such as Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer 's disease and brain solid tumors. Blood brain barrier (BBB) and blood-cerebrospinal fluid barriers are natural protective hindrances for entry of drug molecules into the CNS. Nanoparticles exhibit excellent intruding capacity for therapeutic agents and overcome protective barriers. By using nanotechnology based NPs targeted, drug delivery can be improved across BBB with discharge drugs in a controlled manner. NPs confer safe from degradation phenomenon. Several kinds of NPs are used for nose to the brain (N2B) enroute, such as lipidemic nanoparticles, polymeric nanoparticles, inorganic NPs, solid lipid NPs, dendrimers. Among them, popular lipidemic and polymeric NPs are discussed, and their participation in anti-cancer activity has also been highlighted in this review.

Comprehensive investigation of steel corrosion inhibition at macro/micro level by ecofriendly green corrosion inhibitor in 15% HCl medium.

HYPOTHESIS: In the present time, there is enormous need for environmentally friendly and effective corrosion inhibitor for the acidizing process. During acidization 15% hydrochloric acid is used, which causes corrosion of N80 steel. EXPERIMENTS: The present study aims at the synthesis of environmentally benign corrosion inhibitor, namely 2-amino-4-(5-hydroxy-3-methyl-1H-pyrazole-4-yl)-4H-chromene-3-carbonitrile (PCP), and corrosion inhibition evaluation for N80 steel in 15% HCl. The inhibition potential of PCP was examined by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), potentiodynamic polarization (PDP), density functional theory (DFT), and molecular dynamics simulation (MSD). The surface morphology of N80 steel samples was characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM), contact angle measurement, UV-vis spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). FINDINGS: The EIS measurements disclosed that PCP inhibits corrosion via kinetic controlled process. PDP results confirmed that PCP is a mixed type inhibitor and reduces the corrosion process effectively at 400 mg/L concentration with 98.4% efficiency. The adsorption of PCP followed Langmuir isotherm. Surface analysis by SEM, AFM, contact angle measurement, and UV-vis spectroscopy supports PCP adsorption over the N80 steel surface. The DFT study explores the adsorption and reactive regions of the PCP molecules. The MSD reveals that the diffusion co-efficient of the corrosive species in inhibited solution is less as compared to uninhibited.

Exosomes: Current use and future applications.

Exosomes are endosomal-derived vesicles that play a critical role in cell-to-cell communication and are secreted in several biological fluids including serum, saliva, urine, ascites, and cerebro-spinal fluid amongst others. Exosomes are small (30-150 nm diameter) with a distinctive bilipid protein structure. They can carry and exchange various cargos between cells and are used as a non-invasive biomarker for several diseases. Exosomes are considered the best biomarkers for cancer diagnosis, owing to their unique characteristics. Here, we provide a review of the up-to-date applications of exosomes, derived from various sources, in the prognosis and diagnosis of several diseases including cancer, cardiovascular and regenerative diseases as well as, arthritis, neurological diseases, and diabetes mellitus. The role of exosomes and their applications in biomedical research and preclinical trials have also been briefly discussed.

Genome-Wide Association Study for Squalene Contents and Functional Haplotype Analysis in Rice.

Squalene is an isoprenoid compound that acts as the intermediate metabolite in cholesterol synthesis. Squalene is not very susceptible to peroxidation, and it quenches singlet oxygen in the skin, which is caused by UV exposure and other ionizing radiation sources. Squalene is a precursor to phytosterol synthesis, and it has been widely studied for its ability to reduce oxidation, cancer activity, and cholesterol levels. We performed a genome-wide association study for squalene in rice using 1.6 million high-quality SNPs extracted from 295 accessions' resequencing data. The candidate gene locus Os09g0319800-an orthologue of terpene synthase in Arabidopsis-showed up as the most likely candidate gene amongst the identified loci. Nucleotide variations in the promoter were associated with squalene content variations within the japonica group. The results of this study can provide clues for understanding the mechanisms of squalene biosynthesis in rice.

Evaluation of Polyphenolic Compounds and Pharmacological Activities in Hairy Root Cultures of Ligularia fischeri Turcz. f. spiciformis (Nakai).

A considerable amount of bioactive compounds have been used for the biopharmaceutical engineering to help human health and nutrition. Hairy root culture (HRC) or transgenic root is a favourable alternative technique for phytochemical production. Ligularia fischeri is a significant source of pharmaceutically important active compounds with an enormous range of health care applications. HRC of L. fischeri was developed using Agrobacterium rhizogenes for the production of polyphenolic compounds with antioxidant, antimicrobial, antidiabetic, anticancer and anti-inflammatory pharmaceutical activities. Hairy roots (HRs) were selected by morphological assessment, genetic and molecular analyses. The maximum accumulation of fresh mass (94.15 g/L) and dry mass (9.45 g/L) was recorded in MS liquid medium supplemented with 30 g/L sucrose at 28 days. Furthermore, HRs successfully produced numerous polyphenolic compounds, including six hydroxycinnamic acids, seven flavonols, seven hydroxybenzoic acids, vanillin, resveratrol, pyrogallol, homogentisic, and veratric acids, which were identified by UHPLC analysis. HRs produced higher total phenolic (185.65 mg/g), and flavonoid (5.25 mg/g) contents than non-transformed roots (125.55 mg/g and 3.75 mg/g). As a result of these metabolic changes, pharmaceutical activities were found higher in HRs than non-transformed roots (NTRs). The present study indicates that HRC has the potential to increase the content of beneficial polyphenolic compounds with higher potential pharmaceutical activities. To the best of our knowledge, the present study is the first report on enhancing the production of polyphenolic compounds with pharmaceutical activities from the HRCs of L. fischeri.

Nickel oxide nanoparticles cause substantial physiological, phytochemical, and molecular-level changes in Chinese cabbage seedlings.

Nickel oxide nanoparticles (NiO NPs) are utilized in various industries and their release into the environment may lead to the pollution of agricultural areas. However, assessing the toxicity of NiO NPs in major food crops is difficult due to the limited information available on their toxicity. The present investigation was carried out to evaluate how NiO NPs affect plant growth, photosynthetic efficiency, and phytochemical content, as well as changes at the transcriptional level of these phytochemicals in Chinese cabbage seedlings. Chlorophyll, carotenoid, and sugar contents were reduced, while proline and the anthocyanins were significantly upregulated in NiO NPs-treated seedlings. The levels of malondialdehyde, hydrogen peroxide, and reactive oxygen species, as well as peroxidase (POD) enzyme activity, were all enhanced in seedlings exposed to NiO NPs. The levels of glucosinolates and phenolic compounds were also significantly increased in NiO NPs-treated seedlings compared to control seedlings. The expression of genes related to oxidative stress (CAT, POD, and GST), MYB transcription factors (BrMYB28, BrMYB29, BrMYB34, and BrMYB51), and phenolic compounds (ANS, PAP1, and PAL) were significantly upregulated. We suggest that NiO NPs application stimulates toxic effects and enhances the levels of phytochemicals (glucosinolates and phenolic compounds) in Chinese cabbage seedlings.

Changes in Soybean (Glycine max L.) Flour Fatty-Acid Content Based on Storage Temperature and Duration.

Soybeans are low in saturated fat and a rich source of protein, dietary fiber, and isoflavone; however, their nutritional shelf life is yet to be established. This study evaluated the change in the stability and quality of fatty acids in raw and roasted soybean flour under different storage temperatures and durations. In both types of soybean flour, the fatty-acid content was the highest in the order of linoleic acid (18-carbon chain with two double bonds; C18:2), oleic acid (C18:1), palmitic acid (C16:0), linolenic acid (18:3), and stearic acid (C18:0), which represented 47%, 26%, 12%, 9%, and 4% of the total fatty-acid content, respectively. The major unsaturated fatty acids of raw soybean flour-oleic acid, linoleic acid, and linolenic acid-decreased by 30.0%, 94.4%, and 97.7%, and 38.0%, 94.8%, and 98.0% when stored in polyethylene and polypropylene film, respectively, after 48 weeks of storage under high-temperature conditions. These values were later increased due to hydrolysis. This study presents the changes in composition and content of two soybean flour types and the changes in quality and stability of fatty acids in response to storage temperature and duration. This study shows the influence of storage conditions and temperature on the nutritional quality which is least affected by packing material.