A tailored series of engineered yeasts for the cell-dependent treatment of inflammatory bowel disease by rational butyrate supplementation.

Intestinal microbiota dysbiosis and metabolic disruption are considered essential characteristics in inflammatory bowel disorders (IBD). Reasonable butyrate supplementation can help patients regulate intestinal flora structure and promote mucosal repair. Here, to restore microbiota homeostasis and butyrate levels in the patient's intestines, we modified the genome of Saccharomyces cerevisiae to produce butyrate. We precisely regulated the relevant metabolic pathways to enable the yeast to produce sufficient butyrate in the intestine with uneven oxygen distribution. A series of engineered strains with different butyrate synthesis abilities was constructed to meet the needs of different patients, and the strongest can reach 1.8 g/L title of butyrate. Next, this series of strains was used to co-cultivate with gut microbiota collected from patients with mild-to-moderate ulcerative colitis. After receiving treatment with engineered strains, the gut microbiota and the butyrate content have been regulated to varying degrees depending on the synthetic ability of the strain. The abundance of probiotics such as Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus increased, while the abundance of harmful bacteria like Candidatus Bacilloplasma decreased. Meanwhile, the series of butyrate-producing yeast significantly improved trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS)-induced colitis in mice by restoring butyrate content. Among the series of engineered yeasts, the strain with the second-highest butyrate synthesis ability showed the most significant regulatory and the best therapeutic effect on the gut microbiota from IBD patients and the colitis mouse model. This study confirmed the existence of a therapeutic window for IBD treatment by supplementing butyrate, and it is necessary to restore butyrate levels according to the actual situation of patients to restore intestinal flora.

Composition, Color Stability and Antioxidant Properties of Betalain-Based Extracts from Bracts of Bougainvillea.

Betalains in bracts of Bougainvillea are of great application potential as natural food colorants and antioxidants. This study explored the color, spectra, composition, storage stability, and antioxidant properties of betalain-based Bougainvillea bracts extracts (BBEs) to verify their application value. The results showed that Bougainvillea bract color variance is due to varied contents and proportions of betacyanins (Bc) and betaxanthins (Bx). Bc or Bx alone determined hues of purple or yellow, respectively; the co-existence of Bc and Bx would produce varied hues of red. BBEs showed bright color and good antioxidant properties under a wide pH range. The pH range of 5−6 was optimal for the highest color stability, and pHs 3−8 were optimal for stronger antioxidants. Bc mainly underwent color fading during storage, while Bx easily produced dark precipitates or melanism under strong acidic (pH < 4) or alkaline conditions (pH > 8). However, Bougainvillea Bx showed 3−4 times higher antioxidant ability than Bc. Different considerations for Bc and Bx are needed for varied application purposes. The purple bracts containing only Bc would be more suitable as colorant sources, while additional Bx can bring enhancement of antioxidant ability and richness of Bougainvillea extract color.

Death-Associated Protein Kinase 3 Inhibitors Identified by Virtual Screening for Drug Discovery in Cancer and Hypertension.

Death-associated protein kinase 3 (DAPK3) is a serine/threonine protein kinase that regulates apoptosis, autophagy, transcription, and actin cytoskeleton reorganization. DAPK3 induces morphological alterations in apoptosis when overexpressed, and it is considered a potential drug target in antihypertensive and anticancer drug development. In this article, we report new findings from a structure-guided virtual screening for discovery of phytochemicals that could modulate the elevated expression of DAPK3, and with an eye to anticancer drug discovery. We used the Indian Medicinal Plants, Phytochemistry and Therapeutics (IMPPAT), a curated database, as part of the methodology. The potential initial hits were identified based on their physicochemical properties and binding affinity toward DAPK3. Subsequently, various filters for drug likeness followed by interaction analysis and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations for 100 nsec were performed to explore the conformational sampling and stability of DAPK3 with the candidate molecules. Notably, the data from all-atom MD simulations and principal component analysis suggested that DAPK3 forms stable complexes with ketanserin and rotenone. In conclusion, this study supports the idea that ketanserin and rotenone bind to DAPK3, and show stability, which can be further explored as promising scaffolds in drug development and therapeutics innovation in clinical contexts such as hypertension and various types of cancer.

Spectral Characteristic, Storage Stability and Antioxidant Properties of Anthocyanin Extracts from Flowers of Butterfly Pea (Clitoria ternatea L.).

Anthocyanins from flowers of the butterfly pea (Clitoria ternatea L.) are promising edible blue food colorants. Food processing often faces extreme pHs and temperatures, which greatly affects the color and nutritional values of anthocyanins. This study explored the color, spectra, storage stability, and antioxidant properties of C. ternatea anthocyanin extract (CTAE) at different pHs. The color and absorption spectra of CTAEs at a pH of 0.5-13 were shown, with their underlying structures analyzed. Then, the storage stability of CTAEs were explored under a combination of pHs and temperatures. The stability of CTAE declines with the increase in temperature, and it can be stored stably for months at 4 °C. CTAEs also bear much resistance to acidic and alkaline conditions but exhibit higher thermal stability at pH 7 (blue) than at pH 0.5 (magenta) or pH 10 (blue-green), which is a great advantage in food making. Antioxidant abilities for flower extracts from the butterfly pea were high at pH 4-7, as assessed by DPPH free radical scavenging assays, and decreased sharply when the pH value exceeded 7. The above results provide a theoretical basis for the application of butterfly pea flowers and imply their great prospect in the food industry.

The bioinformatics analysis of quercetin in octagonal lotus for the screening of breast cancer MYC, CXCL10, CXCL11, and E2F1.

BACKGROUND: Comprehensive bioinformatics analysis of the effective molecular screening of Podophyllum octagonal in breast cancer treatment by using network pharmacology. METHODS: We collected the active ingredients and target genes of Chinese medicine octagonal lotus through the Traditional Chinese Medicine System Pharmacology Analysis Platform (TCMSP); downloaded human protein annotation information on the protein database Uniport; and collected data from five databases: GeneCards, OMIM, PharmGkb, TDD, and DrugBank. Construct the practical ingredient-target gene data intersection to obtain the target gene-disease gene and draw the Venn diagram. We use Cytoscape 3.8.0 software to construct the effective component-target gene-disease gene network. The STRING database protein interaction (PPI) networks were erected, and we used Cytoscape 3.8.0 software to screen out its core sub-networks and hub gene networks. Through survival analysis, core genes and hub genes were screened to identify several key genes. We performed key target gene ontology (GO) analysis and gene interaction (KEGG) analysis, which were followed by molecular docking of the key active ingredients in the star anise corresponding to several key genes. RESULTS: 19 active ingredients, 444 drug targets, and 10,941 disease-related genes were obtained. The key active ingredient was quercetin. GO analysis revealed 2471 affected biological processes, and 167 pathways were obtained in KEGG enrichment analysis. CONCLUSION: This study initially screened the key active ingredients of star aniseed lotus and analyzed key genes and several essential pathways. Traditional Chinese medicine is expected to provide new evidence and research ideas to prevent and treat breast cancer.

Complete plastome sequence of Mallotus japonicus (Linn. f.) Müll. Arg. (Euphorbiaceae): a medicinal plant species endemic in East Asia.

Mallotus japonicus is a shrub species in the family of Euphorbiaceae. The study of plastome would be helpful for its phylogenetic study and species identification. The total length of complete plastome for Mallotus japonicus is of 164,912 bp, with typical part-four structure and gene content of angiosperm plastome, including two inverted repeat (IR) regions of 27,829 bp, a large single-copy (LSC) region of 90,319 bp, and a small single-copy (SSC) region of 18,935 bp. The plastome contains 125 genes, consisting of 80 unique protein-coding genes, 31 unique tRNA gene, four unique rRNA genes (5S rRNA, 4.5S rRNA, 16S rRNA, and 23S rRNA), and five pseudogenes. The overall G/C content in the plastome of Mallotus japonicus is 40.2%. The phylogenetic analysis indicates that M. japonicus is closer to M. peltatus than other species in this study. The complete plastome sequence is conducive to the exploitation and utilization of Euphorbiaceae resources and the phylogenetic study in future.

Association Between Vitamin D and Influenza: Meta-Analysis and Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Background: Vitamin D supplementation improves the immune function of human body and can be a convenient way to prevent influenza. However, evidence on the protective effect of vitamin D supplementation on influenza from Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) is inconclusive. Methods: RCTs regarding the association between vitamin D supplementation and influenza were identified by searching PubMed, Cochrane library, Embase and Chinese Biomedical Database (CBM) from inception until present (last updated on 10 November 2021). Studies that reported dosages and durations of vitamin D supplementation and number of influenza infections could be included. Heterogeneity was assessed using Cochran's Q test and I 2 statistics, the meta-analysis was conducted by using a random-effects model, the pooled effects were expressed with risk ratio (RR) with 95% confidence interval (95% CI). Results: 10 trials including 4859 individuals were ultimately eligible after scanning. There was no evidence of a significant heterogeneity among studies (I 2 = 27%, P = 0.150). Meta-regression analysis finding indicated that country, latitude, average age, economic level, follow-up period and average daily vitamin D intake did not cause the statistical heterogeneity. The study finding indicates that substitution with vitamin D significantly reduces the risk of influenza infections (RR = 0.78, 95% CI:0.64-0.95). No evidence of publication bias was observed. Omission of any single trial had little impact on the pooled risk estimates. Conclusions: The meta-analysis produced a corroboration that vitamin D supplement has a preventive effect on influenza. Strategies for preventing influenza can be optimized by vitamin D supplementation.

Complete plastome sequence of Mallotus peltatus (Geiseler) Müll. Arg. (Euphorbiaceae): A beverage and medicinal plant in Hainan, China.

Mallotus peltatus is a tropical plant of the Euphorbiaceae family, which could be used as a beverage and medicine in Hainan, China. Here, we report and characterize the complete plastome of M. peltatus. The complete plastome is 163,304 bp in length and contains a typical structure and gene content of angiosperm plastome, including two inverted repeat (IR) regions of 27,112 bp, a large single-copy (LSC) region of 89,886 bp and a small single-copy (SSC) region of 18,840 bp. The plastome contains 131 genes, consisting of 78 unique protein-coding genes, 30 unique tRNA gene, four unique rRNA genes (5S rRNA, 4.5S rRNA, 23S rRNA and 16S rRNA), and eight pseudogenes. The overall A/T content in the plastome of M. peltatus is 64.02%. The complete plastome sequence of M. peltatus will provide a useful resource for the conservation genetics of this species as well as for phylogenetic studies in Euphorbiaceae.

Complete plastome sequence of Flueggea virosa (Roxburgh ex Willdenow) Voigt (Phyllanthaceae): a medicinal plant.

Flueggea virosa is a tropical plant of the Phyllanthaceae family, which has high medicinal value. Here, we report and characterize the complete plastome of F. virosa. The complete plastome is 154,961 bp in length and contains the typical structure and gene content of angiosperm plastome, including two inverted repeat (IR) regions of 27,575 bp, a large single-copy (LSC) region of 83,397 bp and a small single-copy (SSC) region of 16,414 bp. The plastome contains 130 genes, consisting of 80 unique protein-coding genes, 30 unique tRNA gene, 4 unique rRNA genes (5S rRNA, 4.5S rRNA, 23S rRNA and 16S rRNA). The overall A/T content in the plastome of F. virosa is 63.10%. The complete plastome sequence of F. virosa will provide a useful resource for the conservation genetics of this species as well as for phylogenetic studies in Phyllanthaceae.

Complete plastome sequence of Pseuderanthemum haikangense C.Y. Wu & H.S. Lo (Acanthaceae): a medicinal plant in South China.

Pseuderanthemum haikangense (Acanthaceae) is a shrubs native to Guangdong, Hainan, Yunnan province of China. In this study, we report and characterize the complete plastome sequence of P. haikangense in order to provide genomic resources helpful for promoting its conservation and medicinal utilization. The complete plastome is 152,849 bp in length and contains the typical quadripartite structure of angiosperm, including two Inverted Repeat (IRs) regions of 25,849 bp, a Large Single-Copy (LSC) region of 83,878 bp and a Small Single-Copy (SSC) region of 17,273 bp. The plastome contains 113 genes, consisting of 79 unique protein-coding genes, 30 unique tRNA gene and 4 unique rRNA genes. The overall A/T content in the plastome of P. haikangense is 61.60%. The complete plastome sequence of P. haikangense will provide a useful resource for the conservation and garden utilization of this species as well as for the phylogenetic studies of Acanthaceae.

Early reproductive developmental anatomy in Decaisnea (Lardizabalaceae) and its systematic implications.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Decaisnea insignis, known as 'dead man's fingers' (Lardizabalaceae), is widely distributed in China and the Himalayan foothill countries. This economically important plant, which is the only species in the genus, has not been the subject of any embryological studies aside from one brief, older paper that lacks micrographs. Data on Decaisnea are also important because its systematic position has been unstable since the genus was established in 1855. Therefore, the objectives of this study were: (a) to use modern microscopy to document early reproductive anatomical development in Decaisnea; and (b) to compare qualitatively these early embryological characters with allied taxa in a systematic context. METHODS: Decaisnea insignis floral buds and inflorescences were regularly collected from Shaanxi Province, China and prepared for light microscopy. The embryological characters studied were qualitatively compared with those of allied taxa via a thorough examination of the existing literature. KEY RESULTS: Early reproductive anatomy in Decaisnea was documented and novel revelations made. It was discovered that the pollen is shed when three-celled (not two-celled, as previously reported), and that endosperm formation is nuclear (not cellular or helobial, as previously reported). These two newly revealed embryological characters are not found in any other members of Lardizabalaceae. Furthermore, neither are persistent antipodal cells, which we confirmed to be present in Decaisnea. CONCLUSIONS: Decaisnea and other Lardizabalaceae characteristically have tetrasporangiate anthers, a secretory tapetum, simultaneous microsporocyte cytokinesis, primarily bitegmic, crassinucellate ovules, and a Polygonum type embryo sac. However, in the family, persistent antipodals, nuclear endosperm, and pollen shed at the three-celled stage are only found in Decaisnea. These embryological data prompted the suggestion that Decaisnea needs elevation above the level of genus.