Investigation of the Relationship between Genetic and Breeding Characteristics of WBPH Behavior according to Resistant Materials in Rice.

Rice accounts for most of the calories consumed by the world's population. However, the whitebacked planthopper (WBPH), Sogatella furcifera (Horvath), is an insect that can cause rice yield loss. WBPH sucks the stems of rice and negatively affects yield and grain quality. Therefore, numerous insecticides have been developed to control WBPH in rice fields. However, chemical pesticides cause serious problems such as environmental pollution and ecosystem disturbance. Here, we research the possibility of using previously reported rice extracts obtained using methanol, Chrysoeriol 7(C7) and Cochlioquinone-9 (cq-9), as potential insect repellents. WBPH was caged with C7 or cq-9 and monitored, and the WBPH behavior was recorded. The number of WBPHs approaching the periphery of the C7 and cq-9 was very low. In cages containing the C7 and cq-9, only 13 and 7 WBPHs out of 100, respectively, walked around the material. In addition, foliar spraying with C7 and cq-9 did not negatively affect the plant height. The expression level of genes related to resistance was maintained at a high level in the resistant lines when treated with WBPHs alone, but was at a similar level to those of the controls when treated with C7 or cq-9. Interfering with WBPH access did not adversely affect the plant phenotype. Recently, people's interest in the environment has increased, and the use of plant-derived materials is also increasing. There is a new trend towards using plant extracts as an environmentally friendly means of managing resistance to WBPH during the rice cultivation period, while also avoiding environmental pollution.

Bioactives in cactus (Opuntia ficus-indica) stems possess potent antioxidant and pro-apoptotic activities through COX-2 involvement.

BACKGROUND: Bioactives extracted from cactus (Opuntia ficus-indica) stems were investigated for their chemopreventive activities using human cancer cells in vitro. The bioactives present in crude extracts were detected and quantified using high-performance liquid chromatography. RESULTS: Among all the extracts, such as hexane, ethyl acetate (EtOAc), acetone, methanol (MeOH), and MeOH:water (80:20), the MeOH extract had the highest amount of polyphenolic compounds and the acetone extract exhibited the most potent effect at scavenging the 2,2,-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2'-azino-di-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline)-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS(•+) ) radical. In addition, most of the extracts, with the exception of hexane, exhibited significant cytotoxicity in human SW480 colon and MCF7 breast cancer cells. Overall, the SW480 cells were more sensitive than the MCF7 cells to the cytotoxic effect of the O. ficus-indica extracts (OFEs). Cell death by OFE treatment caused significant inhibition of cyclooxygenase-2 and increased the Bax/Bcl2 ratio in both SW480 and MCF7 cell lines. However, degradation of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase was significantly increased by OFE only in the MCF7 cells, thereby inducing apoptosis. CONCLUSION: These findings demonstrate the health-benefit roles, including anti-oxidative and anti-proliferative activities as well as pro-apoptotic effects, of bioactive compounds in OFEs, suggesting a chemopreventive role in human cancer cells.

Glucosinolate biosynthesis in hairy root cultures of broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica).

Here we present previously unreported glucosinolate production by hairy root cultures of broccoli (B. oleracea var. italica). Growth media greatly influenced the growth and glucosinolate content of hairy root cultures of broccoli. Seven glucosinolates, glucoraphanin, gluconapin, glucoerucin, glucobrassicin, 4-methoxyglucobrassicin, gluconasturtiin, and neoglucobrassicin, were identified by analysis of the broccoli hairy root cultures. Both half and full strength B5 and SH media enabled the highest accumulation of glucosinolates. In most cases, the levels of glucosinolates were higher in SH and BS media. Among the 7 glucosinolates, the accumulation of neoglucobrassicin was very high, irrespective of growth medium. The neoglucobrassicin content was 7.4-fold higher in SH medium than 1/2 MS, in which its level was the lowest. The 1/2 B5 medium supported the production of the highest amounts of glucobrassicin and 4-methoxyglucobrassicin, the levels for which were 36.2- and 7.9- fold higher, respectively, than their lowest content in 1/2 MS medium. The 1/2 SH medium enabled the highest accumulation of glucoraphanin and gluconapin in the broccoli hairy root cultures, whose levels were 1.8- and 4.6-fold higher, respectively, than their lowest content in 1/2 MS medium. Our results suggest that hairy root cultures of broccoli could be a valuable alternative approach for the production of glucosinolate compounds.

Chemopreventive effect of cactus (Opuntia humifusa) extracts: radical scavenging activity, pro-apoptosis, and anti-inflammatory effect in human colon (SW480) and breast cancer (MCF7) cells.

Cactus (Opuntia spp) is widely cultivated as a vegetable, fruit, and forage crop and has been used in traditional medicine in American Indian, Mexican, and Korean cultures. Accumulative evidence from both in vitro and in vivo studies using cacti suggests their biological and pharmacological activities, such as their anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory roles in different cancer cells. In this study, the Opuntia humifusa stem (OHS) was extracted with different solvents and screened for radical scavenging activity using 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS˙(+)) and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH). In addition, the total phenolic and flavonoid contents of each extract were analyzed using the Folin-Ciocalteu method and high performance liquid chromatography, respectively. Further, the cacti's bioactive fractions were evaluated for cell cytotoxicity and to understand their mechanism of action on human colon cancer (SW480) and breast cancer (MCF7) cells. An ethyl acetate (EtOAc) extract exhibited the highest cytotoxicity and resulted in an up-regulated expression of the pro-apoptotic protein Bax (bcl-2 associated X protein) and a down-regulated expression of the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl2 in both SW480 and MCF7 cells. The apoptosis was mediated through activation of caspase 8, 9, and 3/7 activities as well as PARP cleavage in SW480 cells, while the same extract activated only a caspase 9 activity in MCF7 cells. Furthermore, incubation of cells with the EtOAc extract down-regulated the expression of inflammatory molecules such as cyclooxygenase-2 (COX2) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in SW480 cells but not in MCF7 cells. Taken together, these results suggest that SW480 colon cancer cells are more susceptible to bioactive compounds present in OHS and may have potential in the prevention of cancer through modulation of apoptosis markers and inhibition of inflammatory pathways.

5-Geranyloxy-7-methoxycoumarin inhibits colon cancer (SW480) cells growth by inducing apoptosis.

For the first time, three coumarins were isolated from the hexane extract of limes (Citrus aurantifolia) and purified by flash chromatography. The structures were identified by NMR (1D, 2D) and mass spectral analyses as 5-geranyloxy-7-methoxycoumarin, limettin, and isopimpinellin. These compounds inhibited human colon cancer (SW-480) cell proliferation, with 5-geranyloxy-7-methoxycoumarin showing the highest inhibition activity (67 %) at 25 µM. Suppression of SW480 cell proliferation by 5-geranyloxy-7-methoxycoumarin was associated with induction of apoptosis, as evidenced by annexin V staining and DNA fragmentation. In addition, 5-geranyloxy-7-methoxycoumarin arrested cells at the G0/G1 phase, and induction of apoptosis was demonstrated through the activation of tumour suppressor gene p53, caspase8/3, regulation of Bcl2, and inhibition of p38 MAPK phosphorylation. These findings suggest that 5-geranyloxy-7-methoxycoumarin has potential as a cancer preventive agent.