Overexpression of AtMYB2 Promotes Tolerance to Salt Stress and Accumulations of Tanshinones and Phenolic Acid in Salvia miltiorrhiza.

Salvia miltiorrhiza is a prized traditional Chinese medicinal plant species. Its red storage roots are primarily used for the treatment of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. In this study, a transcription factor gene AtMYB2 was cloned and introduced into Salvia miltiorrhiza for ectopic expression. Overexpression of AtMYB2 enhanced salt stress resistance in S. miltiorrhiza, leading to a more resilient phenotype in transgenic plants exposed to high-salinity conditions. Physiological experiments have revealed that overexpression of AtMYB2 can decrease the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) during salt stress, boost the activity of antioxidant enzymes, and mitigate oxidative damage to cell membranes. In addition, overexpression of AtMYB2 promotes the synthesis of tanshinones and phenolic acids by upregulating the expression of biosynthetic pathway genes, resulting in increased levels of these secondary metabolites. In summary, our findings demonstrate that AtMYB2 not only enhances plant tolerance to salt stress, but also increases the accumulation of secondary metabolites in S. miltiorrhiza. Our study lays a solid foundation for uncovering the molecular mechanisms governed by AtMYB2 and holds significant implications for the molecular breeding of high-quality S. miltiorrhiza varieties.

Phenolic acids from Chicory roots ameliorate dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis in mice by targeting TRP signaling pathways and the gut microbiota.

BACKGROUND: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a type of immune-mediated condition associated with intestinal homeostasis. Our preliminary studies disclosed that Cichorium intybus L., a traditional medicinal plant, also known as Chicory in Western countries, contained substantial phenolic acids displaying significant anti-inflammatory activities. We recognized the potential of harnessing Chicory for the treatment of IBD, prompting a need for in-depth investigation into the underlying mechanisms. METHODS: On the third day, mice were given 100, 200 mg/kg of total phenolic acids (PA) from Chicory and 200 mg/kg of sulfasalazine (SASP) via gavage, while dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) concentration was 2.5 % for one week. The study measured and evaluated various health markers including body weight, disease activity index (DAI), colon length, spleen index, histological score, serum concentrations of myeloperoxidase (MPO), nitric oxide (NO), superoxide dismutase (SOD), lipid oxidation (MDA), and inflammatory factors. We evaluated the TRP family and the NLRP3 inflammatory signaling pathways by Western blot, while 16S rDNA sequencing was used to track the effects of PA on gut microbes. RESULTS: It was shown that PA ameliorated the weight loss trend, attenuated inflammatory damage, regulated oxidative stress levels, and repaired the intestinal barrier in DSS mice. Analyses of Western blots demonstrated that PA suppressed what was expressed of transient receptor potential family TRPV4, TRPA1, and the expression of NLRP3 inflammatory signaling pathway, NLRP3 and GSDMD. In addition, PA exerted therapeutic effects on IBD by regulating gut microbiota richness and diversity. Meanwhile, the result of the KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) pathway enrichment analysis showed that gut microbiota was mainly related to Membrane Transport, Replication and Repair, Carbohydrate Metabolism and Amino Acid Metabolism. CONCLUSION: PA derived from Chicory may have therapeutic effects on IBD by regulating the TRPV4/NLRP3 signaling pathway and gut microbiome. This study provides new insights into the effects of phenolic acids from Chicory on TRP ion channels and gut microbiota, revealing previously unexplored modes of action.

Investigation the biological activities and the metabolite profiles of endophytic fungi isolated from Gundelia tournefortii L.

Endophytic fungi are microorganisms that are considered as a potential source of natural compounds, and can be applied in various industries. The aims of this research were molecular identification of endophytic fungi isolated from the Gundelia tournefortii stems, and investigation their biological activities as well as phenolic and fatty acid profile. Surface sterilized stems of G. tournefortii were placed on potato dextrose agar (PDA) to isolate the fungal endophytes. Genomic DNA was extracted by CTAB method, and PCR amplification was performed by ITS 1 and ITS 4 as primers. The enzyme production of endophytic fungi was determined based on the formation of a clear zone that appeared around the colonies of fungus. The anti-oxidant activity was evaluated by measuring the amount of free radicals DPPH. Also, the total phenol and flavonoid contents were measured obtained by Folin-Ciocalteu and aluminum chloride colorimetric methods, respectively. Moreover, the separation and identification of phenolic acids and fatty acids were done by HPLC and GC, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis was done based on the Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) region, and five isolates were identified as following: Aspergillus niger, Penicillium glabrum, Alternaria alternata, A. tenuissima, and Mucor circinelloides. Evaluation of the enzymatic properties showed that P. gabrum (31 ± 1.9 mm), and A. niger (23 ± 1.7) had more ability for producing pectinase and cellulase. The anti-oxidant activity of isolates showed that A. alternata extract (IC50 = 471 ± 29 µg/mL) had the highest anti-oxidant properties, followed by A. tenuissima extract (IC50 = 512 ± 19 µg/mL). Also, the extract of A. alternata had the greatest amount of total phenols and flavonoids contents (8.2 ± 0.4 mg GAL/g and 2.3 ± 0.3 mg QE/g, respectively). The quantification analysis of phenolic acid showed that rosmarinic acid, para-coumaric acid, and meta-coumaric acid (42.02 ± 1.31, 7.53 ± 0.19, 5.41 ± 0.21 mg/g, respectively) were the main phenolic acids in the studied fungi. The analysis of fatty acids confirmed that, in all fungi, the main fatty acids were stearic acid (27.9-35.2%), oleic acid (11.3-17.3%), palmitic acid (16.9-23.2%), linoleic acid (5.8-11.6%), and caprylic acid (6.3-10.9%). Our finding showed that endophytic fungi are a source of bioactive compounds, which could be used in various industries. This is the first report of endophytic fungi associated with G. tournefortii, which provides knowledge on their future use on biotechnological processes.

Kombucha as a Potential Active Ingredient in Cosmetics-An Ex Vivo Skin Permeation Study.

Kombucha is a non-alcoholic beverage, that is increasingly used in the cosmetic industry. The available literature reports the positive effects of kombucha on the skin, in particular its antioxidant action. However, there is a lack of information on skin permeation and the accumulation of active ingredients showing such effects. Skin aging is largely dependent on oxidative stress, therefore in our study we assessed the ex vivo permeation of two types of kombucha (green and black tea) through porcine skin. The antioxidant activity (DPPH, ABTS, FRAP methods) and total polyphenol content of these extracts were determined before and after permeation testing. Moreover, the content of selected phenolic acids as well as caffeine was assessed. Skin permeation was determined using a Franz diffusion cell. The antioxidant activity of both Kombuchas was found to be high. In addition, gallic acid, chlorogenic acid, protocatechuic acid, coumaric acid, m-hydroxybenzoic acid, and caffeine were identified. A 24-h ex vivo study showed the permeation of some phenolic acids and caffeine and their accumulation in the skin. Our results confirm the importance of studying the skin permeation of what are still little known ingredients in cosmetic preparations. Evaluation of the accumulation of these ingredients can guarantee the efficacy of such preparations.

Phytochemical Profile and In Vitro Bioactivities of Wild Asparagus stipularis.

In this study, Asparagus stipularis was characterized concerning its phytochemical composition, antioxidant potential, cytotoxicity, and pancreatic lipase inhibitory activities. Twenty-seven compounds were identified and quantified by HPLC-DAD-MS in the leaf, stem, pericarp, and rhizome of ethanolic extracts. Seven steroidal saponins were detected, and the highest content was quantified in rhizome and pericap. A. stipularis also contained significant amounts of flavonoids in the aerial part. Isorhamnetin tetra-glycoside, quercetin-3-glucosyl-rutinoside, and rutin were the main flavonoid derivatives in leaf, stem, and pericarp extracts, respectively. In addition, eleven phenolic acids were also detected; among them, caffeic acid, protocatechuic acid, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, and ferulic acid were the predominant phenolics, with these having the highest amounts quantified in the rhizome extracts. All the tested extracts possessed antioxidant capacities, with pericarp and rhizome extracts exhibiting the highest activity in DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP assays. The extracts from pericarp and rhizome were revealed to also be the strongest inhibitors of pancreatic lipase. The rhizome extracts exhibited potent cytotoxic activity against HCT-116 and HepG2 with IC50 values of 30 and 54 µg/mL after 48 h of treatment. The present study demonstrated that A. stipularis can be used as a new source of natural antioxidants and potential anticancer and antiobesity compounds.

Anti-phototoxicity and anti-melanogenesis activities of eelgrass Zostera marina and its phenolic constituents.

The eelgrass Zostera marina L. has several economic roles, from its earlier usage in the insulation industry to protecting the earth from global warming. In this study, we aimed to discover the cosmetic potential of Z. marina. A methanolic extract of Z. marina showed anti-phototoxicity and anti-melanogenesis activity with an IC50 of 17.5 µM, followed by a phytochemical analysis of its phenolic constituents. Ten compounds (1-10) were isolated by several chromatographic techniques and identified by means of nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) as well as high-resolution mass spectrometry (HR/MS). The identified compounds are caffeic acid (1), 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid (protocatechuic acid) (2), luteolin (3), diosmetin (4), 4-coumaroyl-4'-hydroxyl phenyllactic acid (5), rosmarinic acid (6), caffeoyl-4'-hydroxy-phenyllactic acid (isorinic acid) (7), apigenin 7-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside (8), luteolin 7-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside (9), and luteolin 7-sulfate (10). This is the first report to identify compounds 5 and 7 from the family Zosteraceae. The isolated compounds were assessed for their anti-aging abilities and were found to exhibit good anti-phototoxicity and anti-melanogenesis activities by increasing the viability of UVB-irradiated HaCaT cells by 6% to 34% and by inhibiting melanin synthesis in B16 melanoma cells by 44% to 65%.

Phenolic acids from Prunella vulgaris alleviate cardiac remodeling following myocardial infarction partially by suppressing NLRP3 activation.

Acute myocardial infarction (MI) is one of the leading causes of mortality around the world. Prunella vulgaris (Xia-Ku-Cao in Chinese) is used in traditional Chinese medicine practice for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. However, its active ingredients and mechanisms of action on cardiac remodeling following MI remain unknown. In this study, we investigated the cardioprotective effect of P. vulgaris on MI rat models. MI rats were treated with aqueous extract of P. vulgaris or phenolic acids from P. vulgaris, including caffeic acid, ursolic acid or rosmarinic acid, 1 day after surgery and continued for the following 28 days. Then the cardioprotective effect, such as cardiac function, inflammatory status, and fibrosis areas were evaluated. RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis, real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), western blotting, and ELISA were used to explore the underlying mechanism. In addition, ultra-high performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometer analysis was used to identify the chemicals from P. vulgaris. THP-1NLRP3-GFP cells were used to confirm the inhibitory effect of P. vulgaris and phenolic acids on the expression and activity of NLRP3. We found that P. vulgaris significantly improved cardiac function and reduced infarct size. Meanwhile, P. vulgaris protected cardiomyocyte against apoptosis, evidenced by increasing the expression of anti-apoptosis protein Bcl-2 in the heart and decreasing lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels in serum. Results from RNA-seq revealed that the therapeutic effect of P. vulgaris might relate to NLRP3-mediated inflammatory response. Results from real-time PCR and western blotting confirmed that P. vulgaris suppressed NLRP3 expression in MI heart. We also found that P. vulgaris suppressed NLRP3 expression and the secretion of HMGB1, IL-1ß, and IL-18 in THP-1NLRP3-GFP cells. Further studies indicated that the active components of P. vulgaris were three phenolic acids, those were caffeic acid, ursolic acid, and rosmarinic acid. These phenolic acids inhibited LPS-induced NLRP3 expression and activity in THP-1 cells, and improved cardiac function, suppressed inflammatory aggregation and fibrosis in MI rat models. In conclusion, our study demonstrated that P. vulgaris and phenolic acids from P. vulgaris, including caffeic acid, ursolic acid, and rosmarinic acid, could improve cardiac function and protect cardiomyocytes from ischemia injury during MI. The mechanism was partially related to inhibiting NLRP3 activation.

Phenolic Acids and Flavonoids Play Important Roles in Flower Bud Differentiation in Mikania micrantha: Transcriptomics and Metabolomics.

Mikania micrantha is a highly invasive vine, and its ability to sexually reproduce is a major obstacle to its eradication. The long-distance dissemination of M. micrantha depends on the distribution of seeds; therefore, inhibiting M. micrantha flowering and seed production is an effective control strategy. The number of blooms of M. micrantha differs at different altitudes (200, 900, and 1300 m). In this study, we used a combination of metabolomics and transcriptomics methods to study the patterns of metabolite accumulation in the flower buds of M. micrantha. Using LC-MS/MS, 658 metabolites were found in the flower buds of M. micrantha at three different altitudes (200, 900, and 1300 m). Flavonoids and phenolic acids were found to be the main differential metabolites, and their concentrations were lower at 900 m than at 200 m and 1300 m, with the concentrations of benzoic acid, ferulic acid, and caffeic acid being the lowest. The biosynthesis pathways for flavonoids and phenolic compounds were significantly enriched for differentially expressed genes (DEGs), according to the results of transcriptome analysis. The production of flavonoid and phenolic acids was strongly linked with the expressions of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), caffeoyl-CoA O-methyltransferase (COMT), and 4-coumarate-CoA ligase (4CL), according to the results of the combined transcriptome and metabolome analysis. These genes' roles in the regulation of distinct phenolic acids and flavonoids during M. micrantha bud differentiation are still unknown. This study adds to our understanding of how phenolic acids and flavonoids are regulated in M. micrantha flower buds at various altitudes and identifies regulatory networks that may be involved in this phenomenon, offering a new approach for the prevention and management of M. micrantha.

Evaluation of Roasting and Grilling Effects on Chemical Composition, Volatile Profiles, and Toxicity of Stink Bugs (Tessaratoma papillosa): Implications for Utilization as Functional Food Ingredients.

The stink bug (Tessaratoma papillosa) is a highly popular edible insect in Thai traditional cuisine, but little research has investigated the effects of heat treatment on the quality of stink bugs. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the effects of roasting and grilling on the chemical changes and volatile compounds of late nymph and adult stink bugs. In general, all treated samples showed increases in phenolic acid, tocopherols, and amino acid contents and a decrease in the content of fiber compared with raw stink bugs (p < 0.05). Cinnamic acid significantly increased by over 200% in late nymph insects and 30% in adult insects after roasting, whereas syringic acid decreased after cooking (p < 0.05). The most predominant volatile compound found in all samples was 5-methyl-octadecane and it decreased after cooking, while volatile alkane compounds increased after cooking. The processed sample extracts showed higher toxicity on oral cancer KB and cervical cancer Hela cells than on Vero cells. We have demonstrated that different cooking methods affected the chemical components which may result in quality attributes if stink bug is to be used as a functional ingredient/food. It may be helpful to improve the nutritional and functional values of stink bugs during deep processing.

Glycation Inhibition of Bovine Serum Albumin by Extracts of Momordica charantia L. using Spectroscopic and Computational Methods.

Background: Momordica charantia (M. charantia) has been used in traditional medicine for the management of complications associated with diabetes mellitus. Several phytochemicals with different pharmacological properties have been previously identified from the botanical; however, the mechanisms of actions of this plant vis-à-vis inhibition of non-enzymatic protein glycation are not known. This study aimed at understanding the putative mechanisms underlying the antiglycation properties of M. charantia extracts experimental and theoretical approaches. Methods: The antiglycation properties of the plant were evaluated by studying the inhibitory actions of methanol and aqueous extracts on glucose-induced glycation of Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) and protein aggregation. The mode of binding of identified phenolics of the botanical with BSA, amyloid beta-peptide (1-42) and 3D amyloid beta (1-42) fibrils were also investigated. Results: The in vitro experimental properties of the extracts showed that the extracts could prevent inductions of protein glycation and protein folding. The molecular docking analyses revealed that phenolics had better binding affinities with chlorogenic acid showing the highest binding score (-7.13±0.04 kcal/mol) towards BSA than glucose and their respective interactions with BSA could prevent glucose-induced protein aggregation. Conclusion: Consequently, the results of this study provide insight into the probable mechanisms of actions of the extracts of M. charantia against the inhibition of advanced glycation end products formation.

[Effects of shading intensity on growth and quality of Artemisia stolonifera].

The purpose of this study was to analyze the effects of shading intensity on the growth, yield, and quality of Artemisia stolonifera so as to provide references for the artificial cultivation of A. stolonifera. The seedlings of A. stolonifera with consistent growth underwent shading treatment at four shading intensity levels(0, 55%, 85%, and 95%) with different layers of black shading nets. The agronomic indexes, yield, moxa yield, total ash, quality characteristics of moxa during combustion and pyrolysis, main volatile components, flavonoids, and phenolic acids were measured. The results showed that under shading conditions, the stem diameter, leaf width, 5-leaf spacing, branch number, and yield of A. stolonifera decreased significantly, while the plant height, leaf length, leaf number, chlorophyll content, and moxa yield increased first and then decreased with the increase in shading intensity. The burning performance of moxa under natural light was better than that under moderate and severe shading conditions. The content of eucalyptol first increased and then decreased with the increase in shading intensity. The humulene content was negatively correlated with shading intensity. Other major volatile components showed no significant difference under various shading conditions. The content of neochlorogenic acid, cryptochlorogenic acid, isoschaftoside, and isochlorogenic acid B was positively correlated with shading intensity, while the content of chlorogenic acid, isochlorogenic acid A, and isochlorogenic acid C decreased first and then increased with the increase in shading intensity. To sum up, A. stolonifera is a light-loving plant, and shading can greatly reduce the yield, the content of internal components, and the burning performance of moxa. It is the main reason why A. stolonifera is mainly distributed in the forest edge, open forest, roadside, and wasteland grass in the middle and high mountains in the wild. For artificial domestication and cultivation of A. stolonifera, it is better to select plots with sufficient light.

[Comparison of growth and quality of wild and cultivated Artemisia stolonifera].

This paper aims to compare the difference of growth and quality between wild and cultivated Artemisia stolonifera, thereby providing references for further development and utilization of A. stolonifera. The wild and cultivated A. stolonifera from different altitudes were collected, and the agronomic characters, moxa yield, volatile components, flavonoids, and phenolic acids were determined. The results showed that the cultivated species were taller and stronger, with more leaves and branches, than the wild species. The moxa yield and combustion quality of wild products were higher than those of cultivated products. The content of main volatile components in cultivated products was higher than that in wild products. The content of flavonoids and phenolic acids in wild products was higher than that in cultivated products. At high altitude, the ignition performance, combustion persistence, comprehensive combustion performance, and heat release during combustion of the wild and cultivated A. stolonifera. were optimal. At middle altitude, the content of main characteristic volatile components and flavone phenolic acids in the leaves of the cultivated and wild A. stolonifera were the highest. At low altitude, the combustion quality and the content of the above components of the cultivated A. stolonifera decrease significantly. Considering the combustion quality and the content of the internal components of the leaf lint, the middle and high altitude areas are suitable for the artificial cultivation of A. stolonifera.

Improvement of phenolic acid autotoxicity in tea plantations by Pseudomonas fluorescens ZL22.

Accumulation of phenolic acids, such as p-hydroxybenzoic acid (PHBA), 3,4 dihydroxybenzoic acid (PA), and cinnamic acid (CA) causes a decline in tea plantation soil quality. Bacterial strains that can balance phenolic acid autotoxicity (PAA) in tea tree rhizosphere soil are used to improve tea plantation soil. In this study, the effects of Pseudomonas fluorescens ZL22 on soil restoration and PAA regulation in tea plantations were investigated. ZL22 carries a complete pathway for degrading PHBA and PA to acetyl coenzyme A. ZL22 can colonise and reduce PHBA by 96% and PA by 98% in tea rhizosphere soil within 30 days. The cooccurrence of ZL22 and low CA levels further promotes lettuce seed growth and substantially increases tea production. ZL22 effectively regulates PAA to a safe level in rhizospheric soil, alleviating the inhibition of microbiota by PAA, increases the abundance of genera associated with soil N, C, and S cycling, and creates optimum pH (approximately 4.2) and organic carbon (approximately 25 g/kg), and available N (approximately 62 mg/kg) contents for secondary metabolite accumulation in tea leaves. The application of P. fluorescens ZL22 controls PAA, which synergistically improves plant growth and soil nutrition, thereby promoting tea production and quality.

Role of Phenolic Acid Metabolism in Enhancing Bioactivity of Mentha Extract Fermented with Plant-Derived Lactobacillus plantarum SN13T.

Plant-derived lactic acid bacteria are major fermentation organisms that can grow in medicinal herb extracts enriched with phytochemicals like glycosides, phenolic acids, flavonoids, and tannins. Fermentation with strain-specific Lactobacilli harboring metabolic enzymes can increase the bioactivity and bioavailability of medicinal herbs. Fermentation of extracts of Artemisia princeps and Paeonia lactiflora has been previously found to increase their bioactivities. Therefore, this study explores the possibility of increasing the bioactivity of Mentha arvensis (Mentha) extract against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW 264.7 macrophage cells by fermenting with plant-derived probiotic strains Lactobacillus (Lact.) plantarum SN13T and Pediococcus (Ped.) pentosaceus LP28. As a result, fermentation with SN13T significantly increased the bioactivity of Mentha extract as compared to unfermented or LP28-fermented extracts. This higher bioactivity was associated with the metabolism of rosmarinic acid (RA) and caffeic acid (CA), the major bioactive phenolic acids reported in Mentha, along with the production of the metabolite dihydrocaffeic acid (DHCA). DHCA was found to be a more potent LPS-induced nitric oxide (NO) inhibitor than its precursor phenolic acids. The metabolism of RA to DHCA via CA could be mediated by the enzymes cinnamoyl ester hydrolase and hydroxycinnamate reductases, encoded by the ceh gene and the hcrRABC gene operon, respectively, which were identified in the complete genome sequence of Lact. plantarum SN13T but were absent in Ped. pentosaceus LP28. The genes hcrA, hcrB, and hcrC were significantly and time-dependently overexpressed in Lact. plantarum SN13T when grown in the Mentha extract, suggesting the role of phenolic acid metabolism in enhancing its bioactivity.

Metabolomics reveals the effects of different storage times on the acidity quality and metabolites of large-leaf black tea.

Most aged tea has superior sensory qualities and good health benefits. The content of organic acids determines of the quality and biological effects of aged tea, but there are no reports of the effect of storage on the composition and relative proportion of acidic compounds in black tea. This study analyzed and compared the sourness and metabolite profile of black tea produced in 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2021 using pH determination and UPLC-MS/MS. In total, 28 acidic substances were detected, with 17 organic acids predominating. The pH of black tea decreased significantly during storage from pH 4.64 to pH 4.25 with significantly increased in l-ascorbic acid, salicylic acid, benzoic acid and 4-hydroxybenzoic acid. The metabolic pathways ascorbate biosynthesis, salicylate degradation, toluene degradation, etc. were mainly enriched. These findings provide a theoretical basis to regulate the acidity of aged black tea.

Integrative analyses of transcriptome and metabolome reveal comprehensive mechanisms of Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) biosynthesis in response to ecological factors in tea plant (Camellia sinensis).

Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), a flavoured and healthy compounds in tea, is affected by the ecological factors. However, the biosynthetic mechanisms of EGCG in response to the ecological factors remian unclear. In this study, a response surface method with a Box-Behnken design was used to investigate the relationship between EGCG accumulation and ecological factors; further, integrative transcriptome and metabolome analyses were performed to explore the mechanism underlying EGCG biosynthesis in response to environmental factors. The optimal environmental conditions obtained for EGCG biosynthesis were as follows: 28℃, 70 % relative humidity of the substrate, and 280 µmol·m-2·s-1 light intensity; the EGCG content was increased by 86.83 % compared to the control (CK1). Meanwhile, the order of EGCG content in response to the interaction of ecological factors was as follows: interaction of temperature and light intensity > interaction of temperature and relative humidity of the substrate > interaction of light intensity and relative humidity of the substrate, indicating that temperature was the dominant ecological factors. EGCG biosynthesis in tea plants was found to be comprehensively regulated by a series of structural genes (CsANS, CsF3H, CsCHI, CsCHS, and CsaroDE), miRNAs (miR164, miR396d, miR5264, miR166a, miR171d, miR529, miR396a, miR169, miR7814, miR3444b, and miR5240), and transcription factors (MYB93, NAC2, NAC6, NAC43, WRK24, bHLH30, and WRK70); further, the metabolic flux was regulated and converted from phenolic acid to the flavonoid biosynthesis pathway based on accelerated consumption of phosphoenolpyruvic acid, d-erythrose-4-phosphate, and l-phenylalanine in response to ambient changes in temperature and light intensity. Overall, the results of this study reveal the effect of ecological factors on EGCG biosynthesis in tea plants, providing novel insights for improving tea quality.

Role of phenolic acids with different functional groups in the regulation of starch digestion in simulated dietary intake patterns.

This study investigated the effects of phenolic acids with different functional groups (cinnamic acid: CIA, caffeic acid: CA, ferulic acid: FA) on corn starch (CS) digestibility by simulating dietary intake patterns (co-heating and non-co-heating) and their mechanism. Both treatments could reduce the digestibility of CS. Compared to the non-co-heating treatment, the resistant starch content of 10 % CA co-heating samples increased by 8.36 %. The co-heating case led to a decrease in the trough viscosity, peak viscosity, and final viscosity of CS. Phenolic acids reduced the short-range order of CS, which was due to the interaction through hydrogen bonding by co-heating. The contribution was most pronounced for CA which contained more hydroxyl groups on the benzene ring. Quartz Crystal microbalance tests further confirmed that different absorption of phenolic acids to CS was caused by their hydroxyl groups on the benzene ring. These results demonstrated that the functional groups of phenolic acids were a controllable factor in inhibiting starch digestion, and co-heating could be considered a promising method to control starch digestion and an advocating way to ingest phenolic supplements.

The effects of short term blue light treatment on promoting nutrition value in Chinese cabbage.

Chinese cabbage is a nutrients-rich vegetable with diverse leaf colors. Here, we used widely-targeted metabolomics technology to study the metabolic responses of three Chinese cabbage varieties with representative leaf colors after blue light treatment. The inner leaf color of orange varieties 20S530 and 15S1094 changed from yellow to golden yellow, while no visible color change occurred in the common variety 14S23 after the treatment. A total of 844 metabolites were measured from the leaf samples of these three varieties in a time course study after short term blue light treatment, with kaempferol-4'-O-glucoside, isoquercitrin, hyperin, arbutin, sulforaphane as enriched nutritional metabolites. Orange Chinese cabbage varieties showed additional nutrition enhancement after the treatment. This study is the first to explore the global metabolic responses of Chinese cabbage after blue light treatment, and our findings provided valuable insights on how to effectively use lighting conditions to enhance specific groups of nutrients in vegetables.

Six New Constituents from the Fruit of Hypericum patulum and Their Anti-Inflammatory Activity.

Four new xanthone glucosides, 3-hydroxy-2-methoxyxanthone-4-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside (1), 4,8-dihydroxy-2-methoxyxanthone-3-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside (2), 2-methoxyxanthone-5-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside (3), 4-hydroxy-2-methoxyxanthone-3-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside (4), a new phenolic acid, 4,4'-dihydroxy-3,3'-imino-di-benzoic acid monomethyl ester (5), and a new isoquinoline, methyl 6-hydroxy-1-oxo-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline-4-carboxylate (6) were isolated from the fruit of Hypericum patulum. The structural elucidation of the isolated compounds was primarily based on HR-ESI-MS, UV, IR, 1D and 2D NMR. All compounds were evaluated for their inhibitory effect against LPS-induced NO production in RAW 264.7 cells. Compound 2, 3 exhibited moderate inhibitory activity against NO production.

Comparison of growth and quality of wild and cultivated Artemisia stolonifera / 中国中药杂志

This paper aims to compare the difference of growth and quality between wild and cultivated Artemisia stolonifera, thereby providing references for further development and utilization of A. stolonifera. The wild and cultivated A. stolonifera from different altitudes were collected, and the agronomic characters, moxa yield, volatile components, flavonoids, and phenolic acids were determined. The results showed that the cultivated species were taller and stronger, with more leaves and branches, than the wild species. The moxa yield and combustion quality of wild products were higher than those of cultivated products. The content of main volatile components in cultivated products was higher than that in wild products. The content of flavonoids and phenolic acids in wild products was higher than that in cultivated products. At high altitude, the ignition performance, combustion persistence, comprehensive combustion performance, and heat release during combustion of the wild and cultivated A. stolonifera. were optimal. At middle altitude, the content of main characteristic volatile components and flavone phenolic acids in the leaves of the cultivated and wild A. stolonifera were the highest. At low altitude, the combustion quality and the content of the above components of the cultivated A. stolonifera decrease significantly. Considering the combustion quality and the content of the internal components of the leaf lint, the middle and high altitude areas are suitable for the artificial cultivation of A. stolonifera.