ABSCISIC ACID-INSENSITIVE 5-ω3 FATTY ACID DESATURASE3 module regulates unsaturated fatty acids biosynthesis in Paeonia ostii.

Paeonia ostii is an authorized novel vegetable oil crop due to its seeds rich in unsaturated fatty acids (UFAs) especially α-linolenic acid (ALA), which overweight the current available edible oil. However, little is known on the regulation mechanism of UFAs biosynthesis during its seed development. Here, we used transcriptome and proteome data combining phytochemistry means to uncover the relationship between abscisic acid (ABA) signaling and UFAs biosynthesis during P. ostii seed development. Based on transcriptome and proteome analysis, two desaturases of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acid, named as PoFAD2 and PoFAD3 responsible for ALA biosynthesis were identified. Then, an ABSCISIC ACID-INSENSITIVE 5 (ABI5) proteins was identified as an upstream transcriptional factor, which activated the expression of PoFAD3 instead of PoFAD2. Moreover, silencing of PoABI5 repressed the response of PoFAD3 to ABA. This study provides the first view on the connection between the function of ABA signaling factors and ALA biosynthesis in the P. ostii seed, which lays the foundation for studies on the regulatory mechanism of ABA signaling involved in the UFAs synthesis during seeds development, meanwhile, it will shed light on manipulation of ALA content for satisfying human demands on high quality of edible oil or healthy supplement.

Dietary Moutan Cortex Radicis Improves Serum Antioxidant Capacity and Intestinal Immunity and Alters Colonic Microbiota in Weaned Piglets.

Background: Moutan cortex radicis (MCR), as a common traditional Chinese medicine, has been widely used as an antipyretic, antiseptic, and anti-inflammatory agent in China. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the effects of dietary MCR supplementation on the antioxidant capacity and intestinal health of the pigs and to explore whether MCR exerts positive effects on intestinal health via regulating nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) signaling pathway and intestinal microbiota. Methods: MCR powder was identified by LC-MS analysis. Selected 32 weaned piglets (21 d of age, 6.37 ± 0.10 kg average BW) were assigned (8 pens/diet, 1 pig/pen) to 4 groups and fed with a corn-soybean basal diet supplemented with 0, 2,000, 4,000, and 8,000 mg/kg MCR for 21 d. After the piglets were sacrificed, antioxidant indices, histomorphology examination, and inflammatory signaling pathway expression were assessed. The 16s RNA sequencing was used to analyze the effects of MCR on the intestinal microbiota structure of piglets. Results: Supplemental 4,000 mg/kg MCR significantly increased (P < 0.05) the average daily weight gain (ADG), average daily feed intake (ADFI), total antioxidative capability, colonic short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) concentrations, and the crypt depth in the jejunum but decreased (P < 0.05) the mRNA expression levels of interferon γ, tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-1ß, inhibiting kappa-B kinase ß (IKKß), inhibiting nuclear factor kappa-B (IκBα), and NF-κB in the jejunum and ileum. Microbiota sequencing identified that MCR supplementation significantly increased the microbial richness indices (Chao1, ACE, and observed species, P < 0.05) and the relative abundances of Firmicutes and Lactobacillus (P < 0.05), decreased the relative abundances of Bacteroides, Parabacteroides, unidentified_Lachnospiraceae, and Enterococcus (P < 0.05) and had no significant effects on the diversity indices (Shannon and Simpson, P > 0.05). Microbial metabolic phenotypes analysis also showed that the richness of aerobic bacteria and facultative anaerobic bacteria, oxidative stress tolerance, and biofilm forming were significantly increased (P < 0.05), and the richness of anaerobic bacteria and pathogenic potential of gut microbiota were reduced (P < 0.05) by MCR treatment. Regression analysis showed that the optimal MCR supplemental level for growth performance, serum antioxidant capacity, and intestinal health of weaned piglets was 3,420 ~ 4,237 mg/kg. Conclusions: MCR supplementation improved growth performance and serum antioxidant capacity, and alleviated intestinal inflammation by inhibiting the IKKß/IκBα/NF-κB signaling pathway and affecting intestinal microbiota in weaned piglets.

A comprehensive study of three species of Paeonia stem and leaf phytochemicals, and their antioxidant activities.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Paeonia plants have been widely used as traditional Chinese medicinal materials for more than 2,000 years in the treatment of cardiovascular, extravasated blood and female genital diseases; paeoniflorin and paeonol have been implicated as the plants' primary active ingredients. AIM OF THE STUDY: Previous studies have been singularly focused on the chemical constituents and content variation of the Paeonia roots in the advancement of traditional Chinese medicine, with the plants' stems and leaves considered useless. This study aims to explore the chemical constituents, content variation, and antioxidant capacity in Paeonia stems and leaves for the future utilization of traditional Chinese medicine, given that current practices of digging and trade endanger Paeonia in the wild. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Herein, secondary metabolites from the stems and leaves from six developmental stages of the annual growth cycle of Paeonia ostii T. Hong & J. X. Zhang, P. 'Hexie', and P. lactiflora Pall. were qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed via high-performance liquid chromatography with a diode array detector (HPLC-DAD) and high-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (HPLC-Q-TOF-MS). Antioxidant capacity at each stage was also evaluated by various free radical scavenging assays. RESULTS: A total of 24 metabolites were detected and identified, including 5 monoterpene glycosides, 4 tannins, 5 phenols, 9 flavonoids, and paeonol. Excepting paeonol and the phenols, the levels of each metabolite category were significantly higher in the leaves than the stems during all developmental stages. The paeoniflorin content in the P. ostii leaves was the highest during the first developmental stage and higher than the standards of the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, suggesting it to be the optimal harvesting stage for medicinal uses. Notably, the antioxidant capacity of the leaves was significantly greater than in the stems, particularly for the leaves of P. 'Hexie'. CONCLUSION: Our study indicates that the leaves of P. 'Hexie' have the potential to be a worthy medicinal substitute to Paeonia roots due to their high monoterpene glycosides, phenols, and flavonoids as well as their strong antioxidant capacity. Further, this study provides a theoretical basis for the development and utilization of non-root Paeonia plant sections as medicinal plant resources.

Fatty Acid Composition, Phytochemistry, Antioxidant Activity on Seed Coat and Kernel of Paeonia ostii from Main Geographic Production Areas.

Paeonia ostii is an important woody oil plant cultivated in China on a large scale. Its seed oil is enriched with unsaturated fatty acids and a high content of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), which are beneficial to human health. The aim of this research is to determine the qualitative traits characteristic of P. ostii seed from various production areas in China. In this study, seed quality traits were evaluated on the basis of proximate composition, content of fatty acids, tocopherol, secondary metabolites, and the antioxidant activity of seed coat (PSC) and kernel (PSK). A high content of total fatty acids (298.89-399.34 mg g-1), crude protein (16.91%-22.73%), and total tocopherols (167.83-276.70 µg g-1) were obtained from PSK. Significant differences were found in the content of palmitic acids (11.31-14.27 mg g-1), stearic acids (2.42-4.24 mg g-1), oleic acids (111.25-157.63 mg g-1), linoleic acids (54.39-83.59 mg g-1), and ALA (99.85-144.71 mg g-1) in the 11 main production areas. Eight and seventeen compounds were detected in PSC and PSK, respectively. A significantly higher content of total phenols was observed in PSC (139.49 mg g-1) compared with PSK (3.04 mg g-1), which was positively related to antioxidant activity. This study indicates that seeds of P. ostii would be a good source of valuable oil and provides a basis for seed quality evaluation for the production of edible oil and potential ALA supplements from the promising woody oil plant.

Phytochemical variation among the traditional Chinese medicine Mu Dan Pi from Paeonia suffruticosa (tree peony).

Mu Dan Pi is a traditional Chinese medicine used to treat inflammation, cancer, allergies, diabetes, angiocardiopathy, and neurodegenerative diseases. In this study, the metabolome variation within Mu Dan Pi collected from 372 tree peony cultivars was systematically investigated. In total, 42 metabolites were identified, comprising of 14 monoterpene glucosides, 11 tannins, 8 paeonols, 6 flavonoids, and 3 phenols. All cultivars revealed similar metabolite profiles, however, they were further classified into seven groups on the basis of their varying metabolite contents by hierarchical cluster analysis. Traditional cultivars for Mu Dan Pi were found to have very low metabolite contents, falling into clusters I and II. Cultivars with the highest amounts of metabolites were grouped in clusters VI and VII. Five potential cultivars, namely, 'Bai Yuan Qi Guan', 'Cao Zhou Hong', 'Da Zong Zi', 'Sheng Dan Lu', and 'Cheng Xin', with high contents of monoterpene glycosides, tannins, and paeonols, were further screened. Interestingly, the majority of investigated cultivars had relatively higher metabolite contents compared to the traditional medicinal tree peony cultivars.

[Comparison of the content of effective components between tree peony wild species and main cultivars].

OBJECTIVE: To determine the content of paeonol and paeoniflorin in wild tree peony species and main medicinal cultivars in order to provide scientific foundations for the industrialization of tree peony cortex. METHODS: HPLC was used to compare the effective content of different resources. RESULTS: (1) The content range of paeonol and paeoniflorin of 7 wild species was 0.10%-0.61% and 2.22%-5.57%, respectively; (2) The content range of paeonol and paeoniflorin of all cultivars from different producing area was 0.33%-1.43% and 1.60%-2.85%; (3) The content range of paeonol and paeoniflorin of different cultivars in the same place (Changping, Beijing) was 0.27%-0.75% and 1.87%-3.96%; (4) The content range of paeonol of cultivars from the same area was 0.34%-1.10%. There was no significant difference of relative content of paeoniflorin from the same areas. CONCLUSION: The relative content of main medicinal components of wild species was not higher than cultivar; the differences were significant among cultivars; the relative content of paeonol of 'JSF' was high; more attention of choosing cultivars and producing areas should be paid in tree peony cortex producing.