Exploring the dietary and therapeutic potential of licorice (Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch.) sprouts.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: This research substantiates the traditional use of Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch. for liver health, with scientific evidence of the non-toxic and lipid-lowering properties of licorice sprout extracts. The sprouts' rich mineral and amino acid content, along with their strong antioxidant activity, reinforce their value in traditional medicine. These findings bridge ancient herbal practices with modern science, highlighting licorice's potential in contemporary therapeutic applications. AIM OF THE STUDY: The study aimed to investigate the dietary and medicinal potential of G. uralensis sprouts by assessing their safety, nutritional content, and antioxidant properties using both plant and animal models. Specifically, the study sought to determine the effects of different sizes of licorice sprouts on lipid metabolism in human liver cancer cells and their overall impact on rat health indicators. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study examined the effects of aqueous and organic extracts from G. uralensis sprouts of varying lengths on the cytotoxicity, lipid metabolism, and antioxidant activity in HepG2 cells, alongside in vivo impacts on Sprague-Dawley rats, using MTT, ICP, and HPLC. It aimed to assess the potential health benefits of licorice sprouts by analyzing their protective effects against oxidative stress and their nutritional content. RESULTS: Licorice sprout extracts from G. uralensis demonstrated no cytotoxicity in HepG2 cells, significantly reduced lipid levels, and enhanced antioxidant activities, with the longest sprouts (7 cm) showing higher mineral, sugar, and arginine content as well as increased glycyrrhizin and liquiritigenin. In vivo studies with Sprague-Dawley rats revealed weight gain and improved antioxidant enzyme activities in blood plasma and liver tissues after consuming the extracts, highlighting the sprouts' dietary and therapeutic potential. CONCLUSIONS: This study is the first to demonstrate that G. uralensis sprouts, particularly those 7 cm in length, have no cytotoxic effects, reduce lipids, and have high mineral and antioxidant contents, offering promising dietary and therapeutic benefits.

Silicon-Induced Morphological, Biochemical and Molecular Regulation in Phoenix dactylifera L. under Low-Temperature Stress.

Climate changes abruptly affect optimum growth temperatures, leading to a negative influence on plant physiology and productivity. The present study aimed to investigate the extent of low-temperature stress effects on date palm growth and physiological indicators under the exogenous application of silicon (Si). Date palm seedlings were treated with Si (1.0 mM) and exposed to different temperature regimes (5, 15, and 30 °C). It was observed that the application of Si markedly improved fresh and dry biomass, photosynthetic pigments (chlorophyll and carotenoids), plant morphology, and relative water content by ameliorating low-temperature-induced oxidative stress. Low-temperature stress (5 and 15 °C), led to a substantial upregulation of ABA-signaling-related genes (NCED-1 and PyL-4) in non Si treated plants, while Si treated plants revealed an antagonistic trend. However, jasmonic acid and salicylic acid accumulation were markedly elevated in Si treated plants under stress conditions (5 and 15 °C) in comparison with non Si treated plants. Interestingly, the upregulation of low temperature stress related plant plasma membrane ATPase (PPMA3 and PPMA4) and short-chain dehydrogenases/reductases (SDR), responsible for cellular physiology, stomatal conductance and nutrient translocation under silicon applications, was observed in Si plants under stress conditions in comparison with non Si treated plants. Furthermore, a significant expression of LSi-2 was detected in Si plants under stress, leading to the significant accumulation of Si in roots and shoots. In contrast, non Si plants demonstrated a low expression of LSi-2 under stress conditions, and thereby, reduced level of Si accumulation were observed. Less accumulation of oxidative stress was evident from the expression of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT). Additionally, Si plants revealed a significant exudation of organic acids (succinic acid and citric acid) and nutrient accumulation (K and Mg) in roots and shoots. Furthermore, the application of Si led to substantial upregulation of the low temperature stress related soybean cold regulated gene (SRC-2) and ICE-1 (inducer of CBF expression 1), involved in the expression of CBF/DREB (C-repeat binding factor/dehydration responsive element binding factor) gene family under stress conditions in comparison with non Si plants. The current research findings are crucial for exploring the impact on morpho-physio-biochemical attributes of date palms under low temperature and Si supplementation, which may provide an efficient strategy for growing plants in low-temperature fields.

Melatonin alleviates arsenic (As) toxicity in rice plants via modulating antioxidant defense system and secondary metabolites and reducing oxidative stress.

The Arsenic (As) load on the environment has increased immensely due to large-scale industrial and agricultural uses of As in several synthetic products, such as fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides. Melatonin is a plant hormone that has a key role in abiotic stress inhibition, but the mechanism of resilience to As stress remains unexplored in rice plants. In this study, we determined how As affects rice plant and how melatonin facilitate As stress tolerance in rice. Here we investigated that, exogenous melatonin reduced As stress by inducing anthocyanin biosynthesis. Melatonin induced the expression of anthocyanin biosynthesis genes such as PAL, CHS, CHI, F3H, DFR, and ANS, which resulted in 1659% and 389% increases in cyanidin and delphinidin, respectively. Similarly, melatonin application significantly induced SA and ABA accumulation in response to As stress in rice plant. Application of melatonin also significantly reduced expression of PT-2 and PT-8 (transporter genes) and reduced uptake of As and its translocation to other compartments. Melatonin and As analysis revealed that melatonin application significantly reduced As contents in the melatonin-supplemented plants, suggesting that As uptake is largely dependent on either the melatonin basal level or anthocyanin in rice plants. In this study, we investigated new symptoms on leaves, which can severely damage leaves and impair photosynthesis. However, anthocyanin as a chelating agent, detoxifies As in vacuole and reduces oxidative stress induced by As.

Aspergillus violaceofuscus alleviates cadmium and chromium stress in Okra through biochemical modulation.

Endophytic fungi from the Chilli were used to help okra plants exposed to cadmium (Cd) or chromium (Cr) stress. Initially, the strain Ch06 produced higher amounts of indole acetic acid (IAA) (230.5 µg/mL), sugar (130.7 µg/mL), proteins (128.2 µg/mL), phenolics (525.6 µg/mL) and flavonoids (98.4 µg/mL) in Czapek broth supplemented with Cd or Cr. The production of IAA and other metabolites in such a higher concentration suggested that Ch06 might improve plant growth under heavy metal stress. For this reason, an experiment was designed, in which biomass of Ch06 (at 2g/100g of sand) were applied to the okra plants exposed to Cd or Cr stress (at 100 or 500 µg/g). The results exhibited that Ch06 improved the total chlorophyll (36.4±0.2 SPAD), shoot length (22.6±0.2 cm), root length (9.1±0.6 cm), fresh weight (5±0.6 g), dry weight (1.25±0.01 g), sugars (151.6 µg/g), proteins (114.8 µg/g), proline (6.7 µg/g), flavonoids (37.9 µg/g), phenolics (70.7 µg/g), IAA (106.7 µg/g), catalase (0.75 enzyme units/g tissue) and ascorbic acid oxidaze (2.2 enzyme units/g tissue) of the associated okra plants. Similar observations have been recorded in Ch06 associated okra plants under Cd and Cr stress. Also, Ch06 association reduced translocation of Cd (35% and 45%) and Cr (47% and 53%) to the upper parts of the okra plants and thus reduced their toxicity. The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region amplification of 18S rDNA (ribosomal deoxyribo nucleic acid) exhibited that the potent strain Ch06 was Aspergillus violaceofuscus. The results implied that A. violaceofuscus has the ability to promote host species growth exposed to Cd and Cr. Moreover, it helped the host plants to recover in Cd and Cr polluted soils, hence can be used as biofertilizer.

Magnesium and Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles from Datura alba Improve Cognitive Impairment and Blood Brain Barrier Leakage.

Epilepsy is a neurological disorder involving persistent spontaneous seizures and uncontrolled neuronal excitability that leads to cognitive impairments and blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption. Currently available antiepileptic drugs present side effects and researchers are trying to discover new agents with properties to overcome these drawbacks. The aim was to synthesize magnesium oxide (MgO) and zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles from Datura alba fresh leaf extracts and evaluate their anti-epileptic potential in mice kindling or a repetitive seizures model. The phytoassisted synthesized nanoparticles were characterized using spectroscopy; FT-IR, XRD, SEM, and EDX. Analysis of the NPs confirmed the crystalline pleomorphic shape using the salts of both zinc and magnesium possibly stabilized, functionalized and reduced by bioactive molecules present in plant extract. By using several characterization techniques, NPs were confirmed. UV-Vis spectroscopy of biologically produced ZnO and MgO revealed distinctive peaks at 380 nm and 242 nm, respectively. Our findings categorically demonstrated the reductive role of biomolecules in the formation of ZnO and MgO NPs. The mice kindling model was induced using seven injections of Pentylenetetrazole (PTZ, 40 mg/kg, i.p) for 15 days alternatively. The results showed that mice post-treated with either ZnO or MgO nanoparticles (10 mg/kg, i.p) significantly improved in respect of behavior and memory as confirmed in the Morris water maze (MWM), open field (OF), novel object recognition (NOR) test compared with PTZ treated mice. Furthermore, the ZnO and MgO nanoparticle treatment also maintained the integrity of the BBB, reducing the leakage, as confirmed by Evans blue dye (EBD) compared with PTZ treated mice only. In summary, the current finding demonstrates that green synthesized ZnO and MgO nanoparticles have neuroprotective, ant-epileptic potential, molecular mechanisms, and clinical implications need to be further explored.

Biological Potentials and Phytochemical Constituents of Raw and Roasted Nigella arvensis and Nigella sativa.

Nigella species are widely used to cure various ailments. Their health benefits, particularly from the seed oils, could be attributed to the presence of a variety of bioactive components. Roasting is a critical process that has historically been used to facilitate oil extraction and enhance flavor; it may also alter the chemical composition and biological properties of the Nigella seed. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the roasting process on the composition of the bioactive components and the biological activities of Nigella arvensis and Nigella sativa seed extracts. Our preliminary study showed that seeds roasted at 50 °C exhibited potent antimicrobial activities; therefore, this temperature was selected for roasting Nigella seeds. For extraction, raw and roasted seed samples were macerated in methanol. The antimicrobial activities against Streptococcus agalactiae, Streptococcus epidermidis, Streptococcus pyogenes, Candida albicans, Escherichia coli, Enterobacter aerogenes, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Klebsiella oxytoca were determined by measuring the diameter of the zone of inhibition. The cell viability of extracts was tested in a colon carcinoma cell line, HCT-116, by using a microculture tetrazolium technique (MTT) assay. Amino acids were extracted and quantified using an automatic amino acid analyzer. Then, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis was performed to identify the chemical constituents and fatty acids. As a result, the extracts of raw and roasted seeds in both Nigella species showed strong inhibition against Klebsiella oxytoca, and the raw seed extract of N.arvensis demonstrated moderate inhibition against S. pyogenes. The findings of the MTT assay indicated that all the extracts significantly decreased cancer cell viability. Moreover, N. sativa species possessed higher contents of the measured amino acids, except tyrosine, cystine, and methionine. The GC-MS analysis of extracts showed the presence of 22 and 13 compounds in raw and roasted N. arvensis, respectively, and 9 and 11 compounds in raw and roasted N. sativa, respectively. However, heat treatment decreased the detectable components to 13 compounds in roasted N. arvensis and increased them in roasted N. sativa. These findings indicate that N. arvensis and N. sativa could be potential sources of anticancer and antimicrobials, where the bioactive compounds play a pivotal role as functional components.

Comparative assessment of chromate bioremediation potential of Pantoea conspicua and Aspergillus niger.

The recent work aims at the use of Pantoea conspicua (MT5) and Aspergillus niger (CRS3) to assess their bioremediation potential and growth restoration of Helianthus annuus L. under chromate (Cr+6) stress. The growth of the P. conspicua and A. niger was tested in Cr+6 supplemented media. The strains can withstand up to 1200 and 900 ppm respectively in the media and effectively bio-transform it to nontoxic form. Supplemented metal's levels significantly decreased the growth attribute of H. annuus (p< 0.05). On the other hand, P. conspicua and A. niger rescued the host plant by establishing higher colonization frequency with the host roots. Moreover, MT5 bio-transformed the toxic Cr+6 to non-toxic Cr+3 form in the rhizosphere. It also enhanced the host plant growth by producing phytohormones and ceasing Cr uptake and accumulation. Contrarily, CRS3 tends to accumulate and bio-transform metal in their hyphae. Nonetheless, both of the microbes tend to modulate phytohormones production and strengthening antioxidant system of the host. Improvement in the antioxidant system enabled the host plant to produce higher phenolics and flavonoids, and lower peroxidase. The associated plant species also exhibited higher ROS scavenging and lower ROS accumulation. Besides, the strains were able to produce higher amounts of phytohormones, including IAA, GA, and SA. Such activities rendered them as excellent phytostimulants, that can be used as biofertilizers in chromium polluted soils.

Rhizospheric Bacillus spp. Rescues Plant Growth Under Salinity Stress via Regulating Gene Expression, Endogenous Hormones, and Antioxidant System of Oryza sativa L.

Salinity has drastically reduced crop yields and harmed the global agricultural industry. We isolated 55 bacterial strains from plants inhabiting the coastal sand dunes of Pohang, Korea. A screening bioassay showed that 14 of the bacterial isolates secreted indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), 12 isolates were capable of exopolysaccharide (EPS) production and phosphate solubilization, and 10 isolates secreted siderophores. Based on our preliminary screening, 11 bacterial isolates were tested for salinity tolerance on Luria-Bertani (LB) media supplemented with 0, 50, 100, and 150 mM of NaCl. Three bacterial isolates, ALT11, ALT12, and ALT30, had the best tolerance against elevated NaCl levels and were selected for further study. Inoculation of the selected bacterial isolates significantly enhanced rice growth attributes, viz., shoot length (22.8-42.2%), root length (28.18-59%), fresh biomass (44.7-66.41%), dry biomass (85-90%), chlorophyll content (18.30-36.15%), Chl a (29.02-60.87%), Chl b (30.86-64.51%), and carotenoid content (26.86-70%), under elevated salt stress of 70 and 140 mM. Furthermore, a decrease in the endogenous abscisic acid (ABA) content (27.9-23%) and endogenous salicylic acid (SA) levels (11.70-69.19%) was observed in inoculated plants. Antioxidant analysis revealed an increase in total protein (TP) levels (42.57-68.26%), whereas it revealed a decrease in polyphenol peroxidase (PPO) (24.63-34.57%), glutathione (GSH) (25.53-24.91%), SOA (13.88-18.67%), and LPO levels (15.96-26.06%) of bacterial-inoculated plants. Moreover, an increase in catalase (CAT) (26-33.04%), peroxidase (POD) (59.55-78%), superoxide dismutase (SOD) (13.58-27.77%), and ascorbic peroxidase (APX) (5.76-22.74%) activity was observed. Additionally, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) analysis showed a decline in Na+ content (24.11 and 30.60%) and an increase in K+ (23.14 and 15.45%) and Mg+ (2.82 and 18.74%) under elevated salt stress. OsNHX1 gene expression was downregulated (0.3 and 4.1-folds), whereas the gene expression of OsPIN1A, OsCATA, and OsAPX1 was upregulated by a 7-17-fold in bacterial-inoculated rice plants. It was concluded that the selected bacterial isolates, ALT11, ALT12, and ALT30, mitigated the adverse effects of salt stress on rice growth and can be used as climate smart agricultural tools in ecofriendly agricultural practices.

Melatonin Enhances the Tolerance and Recovery Mechanisms in Brassica juncea (L.) Czern. Under Saline Conditions.

Melatonin has been recently known to stimulate plant growth and induce protective responses against different abiotic stresses. However, the mechanisms behind exogenous melatonin pretreatment and restoration of plant vigor from salinity stress remain poorly understood. The present study aimed to understand the effects of exogenous melatonin pretreatment on salinity-damaged green mustard (Brassica juncea L. Czern.) seedlings in terms of oxidative stress regulation and endogenous phytohormone production. Screening of several melatonin concentrations (0, 0.1, 1, 5, and 10 µM) on mustard growth showed that the 1 µM concentration revealed an ameliorative increase of plant height, leaf length, and leaf width. The second study aimed at determining how melatonin application can recover salinity-damaged plants and studying its effects on physiological and biochemical parameters. Under controlled environmental conditions, mustard seedlings were irrigated with distilled water or 150 mM of NaCl for 7 days. This was followed by 1 µM of melatonin application to determine its recovery impact on the damaged plants. Furthermore, several physiological and biochemical parameters were examined in stressed and unstressed seedlings with or without melatonin application. Our results showed that plant height, leaf length/width, and stem diameter were enhanced in 38-day-old salinity-stressed plants under melatonin treatment. Melatonin application obviously attenuated salinity-induced reduction in gas exchange parameters, relative water content, and amino acid and protein levels, as well as antioxidant enzymes, such as superoxide dismutase and catalase. H2O2 accumulation in salinity-damaged plants was reduced by melatonin treatment. A decline in abscisic acid content and an increase in salicylic acid content were observed in salinity-damaged seedlings supplemented with melatonin. Additionally, chlorophyll content decreased during the recovery period in salinity-damaged plants by melatonin treatment. This study highlighted, for the first time, the recovery impact of melatonin on salinity-damaged green mustard seedlings. It demonstrated that exogenous melatonin supplementation significantly improved the physiologic and biochemical parameters in salinity-damaged green mustard seedlings.

First Report of Fruit Canker Caused by Nothophoma quercina on Chinese quince in South Korea.

The Chinese quince (Pseudocydonia sinensis (Thouin) CK Schneid.) is a tree that is commonly distributed in all regions of South Korea and other Asian countries. The ripened yellow fruit contains medically active compounds (Hamauzu et al. 2005). It has been consumed as tea and candies and used in traditional medicine for treating asthma, cough, influenza, harsh throat, and tuberculosis and for liver protection (Chun et al. 2012). In the Kyungpook National University campus (Daegu, South Korea), fruit canker on the Chinese quince was ubiquitously observed during May-August 2020. The average disease incidence was around 30%-40%, which caused significant yield loss. Initially, minute, brown-to-rust-colored, unbroken, circular, necrotic areas appear, and in the advanced stage of infection, the epidermis tears open and tube- or aecia-like white structures are formed. Successively, the affected areas become necrotic and gradually enlarge to reach 3-5 cm in diameter. To isolate the causative pathogen, symptomatic tissues obtained from diseased fruits were surface-sterilized for 1 min with 70% ethanol, rinsed in sterile distilled water, and plated onto potato dextrose agar (PDA). The inoculated plates were incubated for 7 days at 25°C. Successively, pure cultures were obtained by transferring hyphal tips to new PDA plates. A total of 15 isolates were obtained across 20 fruit trees investigated. The colonies on the PDA plates reached a diameter of 60-70 mm after 7 days at 25°C, spreading with a regular margin, aerial mycelium covering the entire colony, compact, white to pale gray in color, and solitary and globose pycnidia were produced after ten days. Conidiogenous cells were phialidic, hyaline, simple, smooth, doliiform to ampulliform, 3-5 × 3-4 µm; conidia were subglobose to oval or obtuse, thin-walled, smooth, aseptate, minute guttules, brown, 5.5-8 × 4-7 µm. These morphologies corresponded to those of phoma-like species. Sequence data for the 28S nrDNA, the internal transcribed spacer, ß-tubulin, and RNA polymerase II subunit (White et al. 1990, Liu et al. 1999, Aveskamp et al. 2009) were obtained randomly for one of the pure isolates (EAH 2), which resulted in the GenBank accession numbers MW325675, MW325676, MW330391, and MW330390, respectively. The RAxML analysis (Stamatakis 2014) was run on the CIPRES Science Gateway portal of the combined sequence data of the isolate EAH 2 and the reference sequences obtained from GenBank. Analyses for the combined datasets were conducted with RAxML-HPC2 on XSEDE v. 8.2.10 using a GTR+GAMMA substitution model with 1000 bootstrap iterations. Results demonstrated that the isolate EAH2 formed a strongly support clade with the type isolates of Nothophoma quercina (Syd.) Q. Chen & L. Cai (basionym: Ampelomyces quercinus), which has been found on Quercus sp. in Ukraine (Chen et al. 2015). The procedure for Koch's postulates was followed to confirm fungal pathogenicity using 3-day-old mycelial disks. A total of 15 same-aged healthy fruits were divided into three groups, and each group received a different treatment. Artificial wounds were created on one group of fruits using a sterile pin, and a 5-mm mycelial plug of the fungus was placed on the injured tissues. Mycelial plugs were also placed on the surfaces of the sets of unwounded fruits. The remaining fruits were maintained as control and inoculated with sterile PDA plugs. The test was repeated three times. The wounded fruits exhibited symptoms after 8-10 identical to those observed in the field. The control group remained asymptomatic, and the morphology of the fungus reisolated from the inoculated fruits was similar to that of N. quercina. The phylogeny, together with morphological identification and inoculation results, confirmed the identity of the fungus as N. quercina (Chen et al. 2015). A previous study had also reported shoot canker caused by N. quercina in the Chinese quince (Yun and Oh 2016). However, to our knowledge, this is the first report of fruit canker caused by N. quercina in the Chinese quince.

The Halotolerant Rhizobacterium-Pseudomonas koreensis MU2 Enhances Inorganic Silicon and Phosphorus Use Efficiency and Augments Salt Stress Tolerance in Soybean (Glycine max L.).

Optimizing nutrient usage in plants is vital for a sustainable yield under biotic and abiotic stresses. Since silicon and phosphorus are considered key elements for plant growth, this study assessed the efficient supplementation strategy of silicon and phosphorus in soybean plants under salt stress through inoculation using the rhizospheric strain-Pseudomonas koreensis MU2. The screening analysis of MU2 showed its high salt-tolerant potential, which solubilizes both silicate and phosphate. The isolate, MU2 produced gibberellic acid (GA1, GA3) and organic acids (malic acid, citric acid, acetic acid, and tartaric acid) in pure culture under both normal and salt-stressed conditions. The combined application of MU2, silicon, and phosphorus significantly improved silicon and phosphorus uptake, reduced Na+ ion influx by 70%, and enhanced K+ uptake by 46% in the shoots of soybean plants grown under salt-stress conditions. MU2 inoculation upregulated the salt-resistant genes GmST1, GmSALT3, and GmAKT2, which significantly reduced the endogenous hormones abscisic acid and jasmonic acid while, it enhanced the salicylic acid content of soybean. In addition, MU2 inoculation strengthened the host's antioxidant system through the reduction of lipid peroxidation and proline while, it enhanced the reduced glutathione content. Moreover, MU2 inoculation promoted root and shoot length, plant biomass, and the chlorophyll content of soybean plants. These findings suggest that MU2 could be a potential biofertilizer catalyst for the amplification of the use efficiency of silicon and phosphorus fertilizers to mitigate salt stress.

A promising growth promoting Meyerozyma caribbica from Solanum xanthocarpum alleviated stress in maize plants.

Fungal endophytes are known to secrete a large array of secondary metabolites (phenols, flavonoids, indole acetic acid (IAA) etc.) that facilitate crops under stress conditions. Considering this, a potent plant growth promoting endophyte (SXSp1) from the spines and leaves of Solanum xanthocarpum L. has been isolated. The isolated strain ably secreted high quantities of indole-3-acetic acid, phenols and flavonoids. Also, it exhibited phosphate solubilization, siderophore and had 2,2 diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging activity. The SXSp1 also resisted the salinity stress up to 150 mM. LC/MS analysis of SXSp1 culture filtrate (CF) revealed the presence of p-hydroxyl benzoic acid, diadzein, genistien, myricetin and caffeoyl-d-glucose. Moreover, the inoculation of maize plants with SXSp1 significantly (P=0.05) promoted the chlorophyll and carotenoid contents, root and shoot lengths, plant fresh and dry weights, catalase and peroxidase activities, proline, phenolics, flavonoids and relative water contents (RWCs) under salinity. More interestingly, SXSp1-associated plants showed lower endogenous abscisic acid (ABA) and higher endogenous IAA contents that helped the plants to resist salinity stress up to 100 mM. After sequencing, internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions (ITS1 and ITS4) and phylogenetic analysis, the SXSp1 was identified as Meyerozyma caribbica.

Effect of Methanolic Extract of Dandelion Roots on Cancer Cell Lines and AMP-Activated Protein Kinase Pathway.

Ethnomedicinal knowledge of plant-derived bioactives could help us in discovering new therapeutic compounds of great potential. Certainly, dandelion has been used in traditional ethno-medicinal systems (i.e., Chinese, Arabian, Indian, and Native American) to treat different types of cancer. Though, dandelion is highly vigorous, but the potential mode of action is still unclear. In the current study, the antiproliferative activity of methanolic extracts of dandelion root (MEDr) on cell viability of HepG2, MCF7, HCT116, and normal Hs27 was investigated. It was observed that MEDr (500 µg/mL) drastically decreased the growth of HepG2 cell line, while the effect on MCF7 and HCT116 cell lines was less pronounced and no effect has been observed in Hs27 cell lines. The MEDr also enhanced the phosphorylation level of AMPK of HepG2 cells, which considered crucial in cancer treatment and other metabolic diseases. The AMPK activation by MEDr noticed in the current study has never been reported previously. The results regarding the number of apoptotic cells (HepG2 cells) were in line with the cell viability test. The current observations clearly demonstrated the potency of MEDr against liver cancer with validation that dandelion could control AMPK and thus cancer in the treated cell lines.

Foliar Treatment of Bacillus Methylotrophicus KE2 Reprograms Endogenous Functional Chemicals in Sesame to Improve Plant Health.

The present study was aimed to investigate the health of vegetative and reproductive parts of sesame plants during Bacillus methylotrophicus KE2 interaction by their pigments, sugars, organic acid, amino acids, hormones and antioxidant production analysis. In a green-house study, B. methylotrophicus KE2 was sprayed to sesame plants at late flowering stage. The bacterial treatment enhanced photosynthetic pigments of plants including pods than their controls. The shoots of plants had higher amount of sucrose, glucose, galactose, xylitol and malic acid, and while the pods of plants showed the more accumulation of sucrose, glucose, inulin and xylitol in bacterium treated plants. However, alanine, cysteine, valine, isoleucine, leucine, tyrosine, phenylalanine, arginine and proline content in shoots and cysteine in pods were increased by the effect of KE2 inoculation. Salicylic acid production was declined in shoots and increased in pods during bacterial exposure. In addition, abscisic acid concentration was lower in pods due to the effect of B. methylotrophicus KE2 in pods over controls. The total polyphenol synthesis was increased in shoots and pods of sesame plants by bacterial interaction. The results of this study revealed that foliar spray of B. methylotrophicus KE2 on sesame plants triggered the plant growth promoting and defense metabolites in vegetative and reproductive organs to improve the health status of sesame.

Endophytes from medicinal plants and their potential for producing indole acetic acid, improving seed germination and mitigating oxidative stress.

Medicinal plants have been used by marginal communities to treat various ailments. However, the potential of endophytes within these bio-prospective medicinal plants remains unknown. The present study elucidates the endophytic diversity of medicinal plants (Caralluma acutangula, Rhazya stricta, and Moringa peregrina) and the endophyte role in seed growth and oxidative stress. Various organs of medicinal plants yielded ten endophytes, which were identified as Phoma sp. (6 isolates), Alternaria sp. (2), Bipolaris sp. (1), and Cladosporium sp. (1) based on 18S rDNA sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. The culture filtrates (CFs; 25%, 50%, and 100% concentrations) from these endophytes were tested against the growth of normal and dwarf mutant rice lines. Endophytic CF exhibited dose-dependent growth stimulation and suppression effects. CF (100%) of Phoma sp. significantly increased rice seed germination and growth compared to controls and other endophytes. This growth-promoting effect was due to the presence of indole acetic acid in endophytic CF. The gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis showed the highest indole acetic acid content ((54.31±0.21) µmol/L) in Bipolaris sp. In addition, the isolate of Bipolaris sp. exhibited significantly higher radical scavenging and anti-lipid peroxidation activity than the other isolates. Bipolaris sp. and Phoma sp. also exhibited significantly higher flavonoid and phenolic contents. The medicinal plants exhibited the presence of bio-prospective endophytic strains, which could be used for the improvement of crop growth and the mitigation of oxidative stresses.

Biochemical Constituents and in Vitro Antioxidant and Anticholinesterase Potential of Seeds from Native Korean Persimmon Genotypes.

In the current study, the functional and biochemical potential of the seeds of four persimmon cultivars (PC1, PC2, PC3 and PC4) and their role against oxidative stress and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibition were evaluated. In terms of biochemical compositions, free amino acids, fatty acids and organic acids analysis was performed. The free amino acids ranged from 2617.31 (PC2) to 3773.01 µg∙g(-1) dry weight (PC4). Oleic acid and linoleic acid were the principal fatty acids, which were significantly higher in PC4 and PC1, respectively. PC4 presented the highest amount of organic acid content (4212 mg∙kg(-1)), whereas PC2 presented the lowest (2498 mg∙kg(-1)). PC2 contained higher total phenolic content and flavonoid content, whereas PC3 had the lowest amount as compared to other cultivars. The in vitro DPPH, ABTS and superoxide anion radicals scavenging activity increased in a dose-dependent manner, whereas PC2 showed significantly higher scavenging activities as compared to PC1, PC2 and PC4 types. In the case of AChE inhibition, PC4 showed a moderate activity (67.34% ± 1.8%). In conclusion, the current findings reveal that the studied persimmon seeds cultivars are a source of bioactive natural antioxidants and AChE inhibitors. Such natural products could be employed in pharmaceutical and food industries, whilst can also be considered for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's.

Sorokiniol: a new enzymes inhibitory metabolite from fungal endophyte Bipolaris sorokiniana LK12.

BACKGROUND: Medicinal plants harboring endophytic fungi could carry significant potential for producing bioactive secondary metabolites. Endophytic fungi serve as alternate source of interesting compounds in their natural and modified synthetic forms to treat different diseases. In this regard, endophytic microflora associated with alkaloid-rich medicinal plants Rhazya stricta is least known. RESULTS: We isolated one new bioactive compound sorokiniol (1) along with two known cyclic peptides BZR-cotoxin I (2) and BZR-cotoxin IV (3) from fungal endophyte Bipolaris sorokiniana LK12. The structures of the isolated new and known compounds were elucidated through spectroscopic data, including 1D and 2D NMR ((1)H, (13)C, HSQC, HMBC, and NOESY), mass, and UV. The known peptides (2-3) were characterized by ESI-MS, MS/MS, and by comparing the NMR data with the literature. The isolated metabolites were assayed for their role against enzyme inhibition. Compound 1 was significantly inhibitory towards acetyl cholinestrase while the other compounds (2-3) had moderate anti-lipid peroxidation and urease activities. CONCLUSION: The present results suggest that the endophytic microorganism associated with indigenously important medicinal plants can offer a rich source of biologically active chemical constituents which could help in discovering enzyme inhibitory lead drugs.

Indole acetic acid and ACC deaminase from endophytic bacteria improves the growth of Solarium lycopersicum

Background: Endophytic bacteria are ubiquitous in all plant species contributing in host plant's nutrient uptake and helping the host to improve its growth. Moringa peregrina which is a medicinal plant, growing in arid region of Arabia, was assessed for the presence of endophytic bacterial strains. Results: PCR amplification and sequencing of 16S rRNA of bacterial endophytes revealed the 5 endophytic bacteria, in which 2 strains were from Sphingomonas sp.; 2 strains from Bacillus sp. and 1 from Methylobacterium genus. Among the endophytic bacterial strains, a strain of Bacillus subtilis LK14 has shown significant prospects in phosphate solubilization (clearing zone of 56.71 mm after 5 d), ACC deaminase (448.3 ± 2.91 nM α-ketobutyrate mg-1 h-1) and acid phosphatase activity (8.4 ± 1.2 nM mg-1 min-1). The endophytic bacteria were also assessed for their potential to produce indole-3-acetic acid (IAA). Among isolated strains, the initial spectrophotometry analysis showed significantly higher IAA production by Bacillus subtilis LK14. The diurnal production of IAA was quantified using multiple reactions monitoring method in UPLC/MS-MS. The analysis showed that LK14 produced the highest (8.7 uM) IAA on 14th d of growth. Looking at LK14 potentials, it was applied to Solanum lycopersicum, where it significantly increased the shoot and root biomass and chlorophyll (a and b) contents as compared to control plants. Conclusion: The study concludes that using endophytic bacterial strains can be bio-prospective for plant growth promotion, which might be an ideal strategy for improving growth of crops in marginal lands.

Phytotoxic mechanisms of bur cucumber seed extracts on lettuce with special reference to analysis of chloroplast proteins, phytohormones, and nutritional elements.

Bioherbicides from plant extracts are an effective and environmentally friendly method to prevent weed growth. The present investigation was aimed at determining the inhibitory effect of bur cucumber seed extracts (BSE) on lettuce plant growth. Bur cucumber seeds were ground with water, and two different concentrations of seed extracts (10% and 20%) were prepared and applied to lettuce plants. Decreased plant height, number of leaves, leaf length, leaf width, anProd. Type: FTPd leaf area were found in lettuce exposed to BSE as compared with controls. A significant reduction in lettuce biomass was observed in 20% BSE-treated plants due to the presence of higher amounts of phenolic content in the extracts. Moreover, a significant inhibitory chemical, 2-linoleoyl glycerol, was identified in BSE extracts. The mechanism of plant growth inhibition was assayed in lettuce proteins by 2-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) and the LC-MS/MS method. In total, 57 protein spots were detected in plants treated with 20% BSE and control plants. Among these, 39 proteins were down-regulated and 18 proteins were up-regulated in plants exposed to 20% BSE as compared with controls. The presence of low levels of chlorophyll a/b binding protein and oxygen-evolving enhancer protein 1 in BSE-exposed plants reduced photosynthetic pigment synthesis and might be a reason for stunted plant growth. Indeed, the plant-growth stimulating hormone gibberellin was inhibited, and synthesis of stress hormones such as abscisic acid, jasmonic acid, and salicylic acid were triggered in lettuce by the effects of BSE. Uptake of essential nutrients, Ca, Fe, Mg, K, S, and Mo, was deficient and accumulation of the toxic ions Cu, Zn, and Na was higher in BSE-treated plants. The results of this study suggest that extracts of bur cucumber seeds can be an effective eco-friendly bioherbicide for weed control that work by inhibiting mechanisms of photosynthesis and regulating phytohormones and nutritional elements.

Enzyme Inhibitory Radicinol Derivative from Endophytic fungus Bipolaris sorokiniana LK12, Associated with Rhazya stricta.

Endophytes, living inside plant tissues, play an essential role in plant growth and development, whilst producing unique bioactive secondary metabolites. In the current study, the endophytic fungus Bipolaris sorokiniana LK12 was isolated from the leaves of ethno-medicinal and alkaloidal rich Rhazya stricta. The bulk amount of ethyl acetate extract of fungus was subjected to advance column chromatographic techniques, which resulted in the isolation of a new radicinol derivative, bipolarisenol (1). It was found to be a derivative of radicinol. The structure elucidation was carried out by the combined use of 1D and 2D nuclear magnetic resonance, infrared spectroscopy, mass, and UV spectrometric analyses. The bipolarisenol was assessed for its potential role in enzyme inhibition of urease and acetyl cholinesterase (AChE). Results showed that bipolarisenol significantly inhibited the AChE activity with low IC50 (67.23 ± 5.12 µg·mL-1). Bipolarisenol inhibited urease in a dose-dependent manner with high IC50 (81.62 ± 4.61 µg·mL-1). The new compound also showed a moderate anti-lipid peroxidation potential (IC50 = 168.91 ± 4.23 µg·mL-1). In conclusion, endophytes isolated from medicinal plants possess a unique potential to be considered for future drug discovery.