In Vitro Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Essential Oil and ß-Bisabolol Derived from Cotton Gin Trash.

Natural α-bisabolol has been widely used in cosmetics and is sourced mainly from the stems of Candeia trees that have become endangered due to over exploitation. The in vitro anti-inflammatory activity of cotton gin trash (CGT) essential oil and the major terpenoid (ß-bisabolol) purified from the oil were investigated against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages as well as the 3t3 and HS27 fibroblast cell lines. Nitric oxide (NO), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin 6 (IL-6), and interleukin 8 (IL-8) were measured using Greiss reagent, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and cytokine bead array (CBA)-flow cytometry. Non-toxic concentrations of CGT oil and ß-bisabolol (1.6-50.0 µg/mL) significantly inhibited the production of the inflammatory mediators in a dose-dependent manner. Maximal inhibition by ß-bisabolol was 55.5% for NO, 62.3% for PGE2, and 45.3% for TNF-α production in RAW cells. ß-Bisabolol induced a level of inhibition similar to an equal concentration of α-bisabolol (50.0 µg/mL), a known anti-inflammatory agent. These results suggest ß-bisabolol exerts similar in vitro effects to known topical anti-inflammatory agents and could therefore be exploited for cosmetic and therapeutic uses. This is the first study to report the in vitro anti-inflammatory activity of ß-bisabolol in CGT essential oil.

Cottonseed extracts regulate gene expression in human colon cancer cells.

Cotton plant provides economically important fiber and cottonseed, but cottonseed contributes 20% of the crop value. Cottonseed value could be increased by providing high value bioactive compounds and polyphenolic extracts aimed at improving nutrition and preventing diseases because plant polyphenol extracts have been used as medicinal remedy for various diseases. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of cottonseed extracts on cell viability and gene expression in human colon cancer cells. COLO 225 cells were treated with ethanol extracts from glanded and glandless cottonseed followed by MTT and qPCR assays. Cottonseed extracts showed minor effects on cell viability. qPCR assay analyzed 55 mRNAs involved in several pathways including DGAT, GLUT, TTP, IL, gossypol-regulated and TTP-mediated pathways. Using BCL2 mRNA as the internal reference, qPCR analysis showed minor effects of ethanol extracts from glanded seed coat and kernel and glandless seed coat on mRNA levels in the cells. However, glandless seed kernel extract significantly reduced mRNA levels of many genes involved in glucose transport, lipid biosynthesis and inflammation. The inhibitory effects of glandless kernel extract on gene expression may provide a useful opportunity for improving nutrition and healthcare associated with colon cancer. This in turn may provide the potential of increasing cottonseed value by using ethanol extract as a nutrition/health intervention agent.

Chemical Composition and Thermogravimetric Behaviors of Glanded and Glandless Cottonseed Kernels.

Common "glanded" (Gd) cottonseeds contain the toxic compound gossypol that restricts human consumption of the derived products. The "glandless" (Gl) cottonseeds of a new cotton variety, in contrast, show a trace gossypol content, indicating the great potential of cottonseed for agro-food applications. This work comparatively evaluated the chemical composition and thermogravimetric behaviors of the two types of cottonseed kernels. In contrast to the high gossypol content (3.75 g kg-1) observed in Gd kernels, the gossypol level detected in Gl kernels was only 0.06 g kg-1, meeting the FDA's criteria as human food. While the gossypol gland dots in Gd kernels were visually observed, scanning electron microcopy was not able to distinguish the microstructural difference between ground Gd and Gl samples. Chemical analysis and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy showed that Gl kernels and Gd kernels had similar chemical components and mineral contents, but the former was slightly higher in protein, starch, and phosphorus contents. Thermogravimetric (TG) processes of both kernels and their residues after hexane and ethanol extraction were based on three stages of drying, de-volatilization, and char formation. TG-FTIR analysis revealed apparent spectral differences between Gd and Gl samples, as well as between raw and extracted cottonseed kernel samples, indicating that some components in Gd kernels were more susceptible to thermal decomposition than Gl kernels. The TG and TG-FTIR observations suggested that the Gl kernels could be heat treated (e.g., frying and roasting) at an optimal temperature of 140-150 °C for food applications. On the other hand, optimal pyrolysis temperatures would be much higher (350-500 °C) for Gd cottonseed and its defatted residues for non-food bio-oil and biochar production. The findings from this research enhance the potential utilization of Gd and Gl cottonseed kernels for food applications.

Physicochemical features, functional characteristics, and health benefits of cottonseed oil: a review / Benefícios à saúde humana e características físico-químicas e funcionais do óleo de semente de algodão: uma revisão

Vegetable oils have their specific physicochemical properties due to which they are playing vital role in human nutritional diet for health benefits. Cottonseed oil is obtained from various species of cotton seeds that are famous to be grown mainly for their fiber quality. The most prominently used specie is Gossypium hirsutum. It is obvious that the seeds of different variety of cotton vary as grown in diverse agroclimatic conditions with respect to oil, fats and protein contents. Cottonseed oil is routinely used for cooking and food manufacturing products. Cottonseed oil obtained after proper extraction/processing steps from crude state to refined oil in a variety of ways. Cotton crop is considered for their dual-use purpose, for fiber quality and oil production to promote health benefits in the world. Keeping in view the above facts, this review clearly demonstrated an overview about physicochemical and functional properties of cottonseed oil to promote health benefits associated with the use of this oil. The overall characteristics and all concerned health benefits of CSO will further improve their usefulness is a compact way. We have summarized a brief multi-dimensional features of CSO in all aspects up to the best of our knowledge fort he end researchers who can further research in the respective aspect.

Os óleos vegetais têm propriedades físico-químicas específicas que desempenham um papel vital na dieta nutricional humana em benefício à saúde. O óleo de semente de algodão, utilizado rotineiramente no preparo e na fabricação de alimentos, é obtido através de várias espécies de sementes de algodão, famosas pela alta qualidade de sua fibra, cuja espécie mais utilizada é Gossypium hirsutum. As sementes variam, em relação ao teor do óleo, da gordura e das proteínas, de acordo com o cultivo e as diversas condições agroclimáticas. O óleo de algodão é obtido após etapas adequadas de extração das sementes e processamento do estado bruto ao refinado. Assim, a presente revisão demonstra, de maneira geral, as propriedades físico-químicas e funcionais do óleo de semente de algodão e seus benefícios à saúde humana, resumindo suas características multidimensionais. As características gerais e todos os benefícios do composto podem melhorar ainda mais se utilizadas de forma compacta, auxiliando futuros pesquisadores.

Cottonseed-derived gossypol and ethanol extracts differentially regulate cell viability and VEGF gene expression in mouse macrophages.

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) plays an important role in chronic inflammation associated with several diseases. Many plant extracts have nutritional and healthy benefits by down-regulating VEGF expression, but there was no report on VEGF regulation by cottonseed extracts in any biological system. The objective was to investigate cell viability and VEGF expression regulated by gossypol and ethanol extracts using lipopolysaccharides (LPS) as a control. MTT, qPCR and immunoblotting techniques were used to monitor cell viability, VEGF mRNA and protein levels in mouse RAW264.7 macrophages. Gossypol dramatically reduced macrophage viability but cottonseed extracts and LPS exhibited minor effect on cell viability. VEGFb mRNA levels were approximately 40 fold of VEGFa in the macrophages. Gossypol increased VEGFa and VEGFb mRNA levels up to 27 and 4 fold, respectively, and increased VEGF protein. LPS increased VEGFa mRNA by sixfold but decreased VEGFb mRNA. LPS increased VEGF protein in 2-4 h but decreased in 8-24 h. Glanded seed extracts showed some stimulating effects on VEGF mRNA levels. Glandless seed coat extract showed increased VEGFb mRNA levels but its kernel extract reduced VEGF mRNA levels. This study demonstrated that gossypol and ethanol extracts differentially regulated cell viability and VEGF expression in mouse macrophages.

Towards to understanding the preliminary loss and absorption of nitrogen and phosphorus under different treatments in cotton drip- irrigation in northwest Xinjiang.

Drip irrigation under plastic mulch is widely used in Xinjiang, Northwest China. It can not only save water, but also reduce nutrient loss and improve fertilizer utilization. However, it is not clear whether the leaching occurs or not, what is the leaching amount? What is the relationship among fertilization, irrigation regimes, loss, cotton absorption, and cotton field under different fertilization and irrigation management under drip irrigation? Studying these issues not only provides reference for the formulation of fertilization and irrigation systems, but also is of great significance for reducing non-point source pollution. A long-term positioning experiment was conducted from 2009 to 2012 in Baotou Lake farm in Korla City, Xinjiang, with drip-irrigated cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) under different N fertilizer and irrigation amounts. The treatments were designed comprising Control (CK,0 N, 0 P, and 0 K with an irrigation of 480 mm) and the following three other treatments: (1) Conventional fertilize and irrigation (CON, 357 kg N hm-2, 90 kg P hm-2, 0 kg K hm-2, and irrigation of 480 mm); (2) Conventional fertilization and Optimizing irrigation (OPT, 357 kg N hm-2, 90 kg P hm-2, 62 kg K hm-2, and irrigation of 420 mm); and (3) Optimizing fertilization and irrigation (OPTN, 240 kg N hm-2, 65 kg P hm-2, 62 kg K hm-2, and irrigation of 420 mm). The results found that the leaching would occur in arid area under drip irrigation. The loss of total N, NH4+, P, N and P loss coefficient was higher under conventional fertilize and irrigation treatment while the loss of NO3- was higher under conventional fertilization and optimizing irrigation treatment. The correlations among N, P absorption by cotton, loss of NH4+ and total phosphorus were quadratic function. The total nitrogen loss and cumulative nitrogen application was lineally correlated. The loss of NO3- and cumulative nitrogen application was exponential. The nitrogen and phosphorus absorption by cotton under conventional fertilization and optimizing irrigation treatment was 24.53% and 35.86% higher than that in conventional fertilize and irrigation treatment, respectively. The cotton yield under conventional fertilization and optimizing irrigation treatment obtained higher than that in other three treatments. Therefore, the conventional fertilization and optimizing irrigation treatment was the optimal management of water and fertilizer in our study. These results demonstrate that reasonable water, nitrogen and phosphorus fertilize could not only effectively promote the absorption of nitrogen and phosphorus, but also reduce nitrogen and phosphorus losses under drip fertigation and plastic mulching.

Ethnobotanical and antimicrobial activities of the Gossypium (Cotton) genus: A review.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: The Malvaceae family, an important group of plants that have the Gossypium (cotton) genus has been used in folk medicine to treat microbial diseases and symptoms. AIMS OF THE STUDY: This article aims to understand its ethnobotany expression in communities and scientific elucidation of antimicrobial activities of this genus through literature review. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The bibliographic survey was carried out from 1999 to 2019 with keywords combinations such as "Gossypium + ethnobotanical", " Gossypium + medicinal ", "Gossypium + the biological activity" in scientific databases as Pubmed, Scopus, Web of Science, DOAJ, Scielo, Bireme. RESULTS: After data analysis, we found that the Gossypium genus, specifically Gossypium hirsutum, G. barbadense, G. herbaceum, G. arboreum are the species most cited in the treatment of microbial diseases and symptoms in communities all over the world. In light of scientific elucidation of biological activities, the Gossypium genus has been used to treat protozoal, bacterial, fungal, and viral diseases. CONCLUSIONS: The review demonstrated that the Gossypium genus is a promising source of biological activities against microbial diseases, especially in the treatment of protozoal diseases like malaria.

Explore the gene network regulating the composition of fatty acids in cottonseed.

BACKGROUND: Cottonseed is one of the major sources of vegetable oil. Analysis of the dynamic changes of fatty acid components and the genes regulating the composition of fatty acids of cottonseed oil is of great significance for understanding the biological processes underlying biosynthesis of fatty acids and for genetic improving the oil nutritional qualities. RESULTS: In this study, we investigated the dynamic relationship of 13 fatty acid components at 12 developmental time points of cottonseed (Gossypium hirsutum L.) and generated cottonseed transcriptome of the 12 time points. At 5-15 day post anthesis (DPA), the contents of polyunsaturated linolenic acid (C18:3n-3) and saturated stearic acid (C18:0) were higher, while linoleic acid (C18:2n-6) was mainly synthesized after 15 DPA. Using 5 DPA as a reference, 15,647 non-redundant differentially expressed genes were identified in 10-60 DPA cottonseed. Co-expression gene network analysis identified six modules containing 3275 genes significantly associated with middle-late seed developmental stages and enriched with genes related to the linoleic acid metabolic pathway and α-linolenic acid metabolism. Genes (Gh_D03G0588 and Gh_A02G1788) encoding stearoyl-ACP desaturase were identified as hub genes and significantly up-regulated at 25 DPA. They seemed to play a decisive role in determining the ratio of saturated fatty acids to unsaturated fatty acids. FAD2 genes (Gh_A13G1850 and Gh_D13G2238) were highly expressed at 25-50 DPA, eventually leading to the high content of C18:2n-6 in cottonseed. The content of C18:3n-3 was significantly decreased from 5 DPA (7.44%) to 25 DPA (0.11%) and correlated with the expression characteristics of Gh_A09G0848 and Gh_D09G0870. CONCLUSIONS: These results contribute to our understanding on the relationship between the accumulation pattern of fatty acid components and the expression characteristics of key genes involved in fatty acid biosynthesis during the entire period of cottonseed development.

Ag2[Fe(CN)5NO]-Fabricated Hydrophobic Cotton as a Potential Wound Healing Dressing: An In Vivo Approach.

There have been reports of different types of wound dressings for various functions and purposes. Cotton being one of the most widely used wound dressing material due to its non-toxic, biodegradable, and other properties is used for fabrication as well as in the form of scaffolds for faster and effective wound closure. Our research team has already demonstrated the role of silver nitroprusside nanoparticles (SNPNPs) for wound healing and antibacterial activity. In the current study, we have developed cotton fabric impregnated with SNPNPs (SNPCFs) which remain photo inert and displayed long-term antimicrobial activity due to the surface modification with the silver nitroprusside complex. These SNPCFs were characterized by various analytical techniques (XRD, FTIR, UV spectroscopy, TGA, TEM, FESEM, EDAX, ICP-OES). The fabricated cotton dressings with nanoparticles showed an improved water contact angle (113-130°) than that of bare cotton gauze (60°) and exhibited more antibacterial property in case of both Gram-negative bacteria (Klebsiella aerogenes and Escherichia coli) and Gram-positive bacteria (Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Bacillus subtilis) even after several washings. The biocompatible nature of SNPCFs was assessed by in vivo chorioallantoic membrane assay that showed no obstruction in the formation of blood vessels. The SNPCFs exhibited better wound healing activity compared to the bare cotton and AgCFs as observed in the C57BL6/J mouse. The histopathological investigation reveals increase in re-epithelialization and deposition of connective tissue. The macrophage (M2) counts in SNPCF-treated skin tissues were supportive of more wound healing activity than mice treated with cotton fabric impregnated with chemically synthesized silver nanoparticles. Based on biodistribution analysis using ICP-OES, the data illustrated that a significant amount of silver is absorbed in the skin tissues of mice as compared to the blood and kidney. Furthermore, the absence of silver from the vital organs (heart, liver, and kidney) corroborates our hypothesis that the SNPCFs can act excellently in treating wounds when topically applied over skin. Thereafter, all these results highlight a strong possibility that SNPCFs exemplify the potential as a new antimicrobial and wound healing agent in future times.

Order in cellulosics: Historical review of crystal structure research on cellulose.

The structure determination of cellulose represents a significant part in the history of polymer science. On one side, cellulose as a natural and renewable material has valuable physical properties which can be improved with detailed knowledge of the structure. On the other side, it is produced by nature as fibers, e.g. ramie, cotton etc., most suitable for structural studies by X-ray diffraction after their discovery in 1912 and was regarded by scientists as predestined for such an undertaking. The progress utilizing appropriate methods and models will be pursued in this investigation from the beginning of the structural research in 1913 till the proposal of realistic structures of cellulose in the 1970s. Different basic units of the crystal structure are discussed. Many structural models for native cellulose have been suggested over times with parallel or antiparallel running chains in the fibers and supported or abandoned. In this historical review on order in cellulosics, the crystal structure research throughout the times will be critically evaluated and the improvements in experiments and methods discussed. This subject is not restricted to cellulose rather can be extended to further polymer fibers.

Genetic dissection of an allotetraploid interspecific CSSLs guides interspecific genetics and breeding in cotton.

BACKGROUND: The low genetic diversity of Upland cotton limits the potential for genetic improvement. Making full use of the genetic resources of Sea-island cotton will facilitate genetic improvement of widely cultivated Upland cotton varieties. The chromosome segments substitution lines (CSSLs) provide an ideal strategy for mapping quantitative trait loci (QTL) in interspecific hybridization. RESULTS: In this study, a CSSL population was developed by PCR-based markers assisted selection (MAS), derived from the crossing and backcrossing of Gossypium hirsutum (Gh) and G. barbadense (Gb), firstly. Then, by whole genome re-sequencing, 11,653,661 high-quality single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified which ultimately constructed 1211 recombination chromosome introgression segments from Gb. The sequencing-based physical map provided more accurate introgressions than the PCR-based markers. By exploiting CSSLs with mutant morphological traits, the genes responding for leaf shape and fuzz-less mutation in the Gb were identified. Based on a high-resolution recombination bin map to uncover genetic loci determining the phenotypic variance between Gh and Gb, 64 QTLs were identified for 14 agronomic traits with an interval length of 158 kb to 27 Mb. Surprisingly, multiple alleles of Gb showed extremely high value in enhancing cottonseed oil content (SOC). CONCLUSIONS: This study provides guidance for studying interspecific inheritance, especially breeding researchers, for future studies using the traditional PCR-based molecular markers and high-throughput re-sequencing technology in the study of CSSLs. Available resources include candidate position for controlling cotton quality and quantitative traits, and excellent breeding materials. Collectively, our results provide insights into the genetic effects of Gb alleles on the Gh, and provide guidance for the utilization of Gb alleles in interspecific breeding.

Rapid Determination of Uranium Isotopic Abundance from Cotton Swipes: Direct Extraction via a Planar Surface Reader and Coupling to a Microplasma Ionization Source.

The collection of solid particulates and liquids from surfaces by the use of cloth swipes is fairly ubiquitous. In such methods, there is a continuous concern regarding the ability to locate and quantitatively sample the analyte species from the material. In this effort, we demonstrate the initial coupling of an Advion Plate Express plate reader to a liquid sampling-atmospheric pressure glow discharge (LS-APGD) microplasma ionization source with an Orbitrap mass spectrometer to perform uranium isotopic analyses of solution residues on cotton swipes. The Plate Express employs a sampling probe head to engage and seal against the swipe surface. Subsequentially, the analyte residues are desorbed and transported within a 2% HNO3 electrolyte flow to the ionization source. Quantitative recoveries were observed following a single 30 s extraction step, with the absolute mass sampled per extraction being ∼100 ng. While the intrasample variability in the analytical responses for triplicate sampling of the same swipe yield ∼30% RSD, this lack of precision is offset by the ability to determine isotope ratios for enriched uranium specimens with a precision of better than 10% RSD. Pooled, intersample precision (n = 9) was found to be <5%RSD across the various sample compositions. Finally, 235U/238U determinations (ranging from 0.053 to 1.806) were accurate with errors of <10%, absolute. The 234U- and 236U-inclusive ratios were determined with similar accuracy in enriched samples. While the driving force for the effort is in the realm of nuclear nonproliferation efforts, the ubiquitous use of cloth swipes across many application areas could benefit from this convenient approach, including the use of versatile, reduced-format mass spectrometer systems.

Genome-Wide Characterization and Analysis of CIPK Gene Family in Two Cultivated Allopolyploid Cotton Species: Sequence Variation, Association with Seed Oil Content, and the Role of GhCIPK6.

Calcineurin B-like protein-interacting protein kinases (CIPKs), as key regulators, play an important role in plant growth and development and the response to various stresses. In the present study, we identified 80 and 78 CIPK genes in the Gossypium hirsutum and G. barbadense, respectively. The phylogenetic and gene structure analysis divided the cotton CIPK genes into five groups which were classified into an exon-rich clade and an exon-poor clade. A synteny analysis showed that segmental duplication contributed to the expansion of Gossypium CIPK gene family, and purifying selection played a major role in the evolution of the gene family in cotton. Analyses of expression profiles showed that GhCIPK genes had temporal and spatial specificity and could be induced by various abiotic stresses. Fourteen GhCIPK genes were found to contain 17 non-synonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and co-localized with oil or protein content quantitative trait loci (QTLs). Additionally, five SNPs from four GhCIPKs were found to be significantly associated with oil content in one of the three field tests. Although most GhCIPK genes were not associated with natural variations in cotton oil content, the overexpression of the GhCIPK6 gene reduced the oil content and increased C18:1 and C18:1+C18:1d6 in transgenic cotton as compared to wild-type plants. In addition, we predicted the potential molecular regulatory mechanisms of the GhCIPK genes. In brief, these results enhance our understanding of the roles of CIPK genes in oil synthesis and stress responses.

Regulation of Cell Viability and Anti-inflammatory Tristetraprolin Family Gene Expression in Mouse Macrophages by Cottonseed Extracts.

Bioactive plant extracts have been used for the prevention and treatment of various diseases. One of the major classes of bioactive compounds is plant polyphenols. Cottonseed ethanol extracts were determined by HPLC-MS analysis to be essentially free of toxic gossypol. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of cottonseed ethanol extracts on the cytotoxicity and regulation of anti-inflammatory tristrataprolin (TTP) family gene expression in mouse cells. MTT, qPCR and immunoblotting assays tested the effects of cottonseed extracts in mouse RAW264.7 macrophages and 3T3-L1 adipocytes. No cytotoxicity effect was observed in macrophages treated with extracts from the coat or kernel of glanded and glandless cottonseed. Similarly, the viability of mouse adipocytes was not affected by cottonseed extracts. In contrast, gossypol and lipopolysaccharides were toxic to macrophages but not adipocytes under high concentration or long time treatment. Cottonseed extracts exhibited modest effect on TTP family gene expression in macrophages but glandless cottonseed coat extract significantly increased TTP mRNA and protein levels with a magnitude similar to cinnamon and green tea polyphenol extract and insulin. These results demonstrated that cottonseed extracts are harmless towards the mouse cells and that glandless cottonseed coat extract stimulates TTP gene expression. We propose that glandless cottonseed is a safe source of plant polyphenols with anti-inflammatory property.

Simultaneous Estimation of Twenty Eight Phenolic Compounds by a Novel and Expeditious Method Developed on Quaternary Ultra-Performance Liquid Chromatography System with a Photodiode Array Detector.

Plant secondary metabolites including phenolics and flavonoidsare synthesized through phenylpropanoid and phenylpropanoid-acetate pathways and significantly contribute against adverse effect of abiotic and biotic stresses. Herein, we present the development and execution of a novel and expeditious ultra-performance liquid chromatographic-photodiode array (UPLC-PDA) method for qualitative and quantitative analysis of 28 phenolic compounds comprising of flavonoids, phenolic acids, aldehydes and alcohols. The method is able to separate phenolic compounds in just 17 minutes with the separation of isobaric species such as 3,4 dihydroxybenzoic acid and 3,5 dihydroxy benzoic acid; quercetin and taxifolin. Linear curves concentrations ranged from 6-18 µg/mL (3,5 dihydroxy benzoic acid), 4-12 µg/mL (catechin and salicylic acid) and 2-6 µg/mL for rest of the compounds and correlation coefficients were >0.994. The limit of detection (LOD) varied from 0.04-0.45 µg/mL. Cotton root samples were used to assess the method in terms of recovery efficiency (85-120%), precision (0.12-4.09%) and intermediate precision (0.32-4.0%).Phenolics and flavonoidsin root samples of healthy and diseased plants as well as leaf samples of healthy plants were successfully quantified using this novel method without an expensive Mass Spectrometer.

Chemical volatiles present in cotton gin trash: A by-product of cotton processing.

Cotton gin trash (CGT), a waste product of cotton gins, make up about 10% of each bale of cotton bolls ginned. The current study investigates high value volatile compounds in CGT to add value to this by-product. The volatile compounds in CGT and different parts of the cotton plant were extracted using various methods, identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) or nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, and then quantified by gas chromatography-flame ionisation detection (GC-FID) against available standards. Terpenoids including monoterpenoids and sesquiterpenoids were found to be the most abundant, making up 64.66% (area under peak) of total volatiles extracted by hydro-distillation. The major extractable terpenoids in CGT were α-pinene (13.69-23.05 µg/g), ß-caryophyllene (3.99-74.32 µg/g), α-humulene (2.00-25.71 µg/g), caryophyllene oxide (41.50-102.08 µg/g) and ß-bisabolol (40.05-137.32 µg/g). Recoveries varied between different extraction methods. The terpenoids were found to be more abundant in the calyx (659.12 µg/g) and leaves (627.72 µg/g) than in stalks (112.97 µg/g) and stems (24.24 µg/g) of the cotton plant, indicating the possible biological origin of CGT volatiles. This study is the first to identify and quantify the different terpenoids present in CGT and significantly, ß-bisabolol, an abundant compound (sesquiterpene alcohol) which may have valuable biological prospects. These findings therefore contribute to identifying alternative management strategies and uses of CGT.

Monitoring Fatty Acid and Sterol Profile of Nizip Yaglik Olive Oil Adulterated by Cotton and Sunflower Oil.

In this study virgin olive oil obtained from cv. Nizip Yaglik (NY) was adulterated with different proportions (5 and 10%, v/v) of cotton (CO) and sunflower (SO) oils. Fatty acid and sterol profiles of olive oil were analyzed by using gas chromatography (GC). Also, difference of Equivalent Carbon Number 42 values (ΔECN42) of oil samples were determined by using GC and HPLC. Due to results of fatty acids analysis, the percentage of oleic acid was decreased when CO and SO were added. Palmitic acid was increased over the addition of CO, and decreased with the addition of SO. The ΔECN42 values were increased in adulterated oils. These values showed further increase in adulterated oils with SO. Beta-sitosterols decreased to 91.06 and 88.54% when mixed with 5 and 10% SO, respectively. On the other hand, decline was negligible when mixed with CO. According to principal component analyses (PCA), pure NY and adulterated oils were clearly separated in different parts of screen plot according to fatty acids, triacylglycerol (TAGs) and sterol profile. The outcomes of this first investigation provide valuable information for about the differences of fatty acids, ΔECN42 values and sterol compounds between Turkish olive oil from Nizip Yaglik cv. and its adulteration with cotton and sunflower oil. It was observed that fatty acids are not very effective in detecting adulteration of NY oil, but ΔECN values, sterols and Rmar values can be used to detect adulteration of NY olive oil.

Genome-wide association study of the oil content in upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) and identification of GhPRXR1, a candidate gene for a stable QTLqOC-Dt5-1.

Cottonseed oil is one of the most important renewable resources for edible oil and biodiesel. To detect QTLs associated with cottonseed oil content (OC) and identify candidate genes that regulate oil biosynthesis, a panel of upland cotton germplasm lines was selected among those previously used to perform GWASs in China. In the present study, 13 QTLs associated with 53 common SNPs on 13 chromosomes were identified in multiple environments based on 15,369 polymorphic SNPs using the Cotton63 KSNP array. Of these, the OC QTL qOC-Dt5-1 delineated by nine SNPs occurred in a confidence interval of 4 SSRs with previously reported OC QTLs. A combined transcriptome and qRT-PCR analysis revealed that a peroxidase gene (GhPRXR1) was predominantly expressed during the middle-late stage (20-35 days post anthesis) of ovule development. The overexpression of GhPRXR1 in yeast significantly increased the OC by 20.01-37.25 %. Suppression of GhPRXR1 gene expression in the virus-induced gene-silenced cotton reduced the OC by 18.11%. Our results contribute to identifying more OC QTLs and verifying a candidate gene that influences cottonseed oil biosynthesis.

Leishmanicidal, cytotoxic and apoptotic effects of Gossypium hirsutum bulb extract and its separated fractions on Leishmania major.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: Leishmaniasis is a major global health problem with no safe and effective therapeutic drugs. This study evaluated the cytotoxic and apoptotic effects of crude extract and fractions of Gossypium hirsutum bulb on Leishmania major stages using advanced experimental models. METHODS: Bulbs of G. hirsutum were collected from the Kerman province of Iran. The bulb was extracted using Soxhlet apparatus and different fractions were obtained by column chromatography (CC). Different concentrations of the extract and the fractions were evaluated against L. major and compared with Glucantime®. The cytotoxicity and apoptotic values were analysed by flow cytometry. The fractions obtained in CC were monitored by thin layer chromatography, and fractions with similar chromatographic patterns were mixed. RESULTS: The extract and two fractions, F4 and F5 inhibited the proliferation of L. major promastigotes and amastigotes in a dose-dependent manner at 72 h post-treatment. No significant cytotoxic effects were observed for extract and fractions, as the selectivity index was over 1000, far beyond >10. The mean apoptotic values for L. major were superior to those of Glucantime®. INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSION: Both the crude extract and fractions (F4 and F5) had significant antileishmanial effects on L. major stages, and were were superior relative to Glucantime®. No cytotoxic effects were associated with the extract or fractions and they showed excellent apoptotic index, a possible mechanism behind inducing parasite death. Further investigations are essential to study the effect of G. hirsutum bulb fractions in animal model and clinical settings for planning strategies for the prevention and control of leishmaniasis.

Effects of dietary cottonseed oil and cottonseed meal supplementation on the structure, nutritional composition of egg yolk and gossypol residue in eggs.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of dietary non-gossypol cottonseed oil (CSO) or cottonseed meal (CSM) and their interactions on the texture properties, structure, nutritional composition, and edible safety of egg yolk. A total of 162 24-wk-old Hy-line Brown laying hens were randomly allocated into 9 diet treatments with 6 replicates of 3 hens per cage. A 3 × 3 factorial design using corn soybean meal-based diets supplemented with 0, 6, or 12% CSM and 0, 2, or 4% CSO in place of soybean meal and soybean oil, respectively, was utilized. The experiment lasted for 8 wk. Eggs obtained from the CSO groups had an egg yolk gel structure, and the hardness of egg yolk increased significantly (P < 0.001) after 4°C storaged for 2 wk; the texture properties of eggs storage at 25°C had opposite trend. There were no differences in texture properties of fresh egg yolk among the different groups (P > 0.05). The saturated fatty acid (SFA) content of egg yolk increased in a CSO dose-dependent manner, whereas opposite effects (P < 0.001) were found in the monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) and the omega-3/omega-6 fatty acid ratio. CSO-containing diets significantly reduced the cholesterol content (P < 0.05). No significant difference was observed among the different groups on the contents of moisture, crude protein, crude fat, phospholipid, potassium, or iron (P > 0.05) in the egg yolk. Total gossypol residues were increased with the increased amount of CSM (P < 0.05), and these changes were independent of time (P > 0.05). The total gossypol concentration in the yolk was 2.01 to 5.16 mg/kg. These results suggest that CSO has a key influence on egg yolk quality, reducing both its taste and nutritional value. Egg yolk gelation was significantly associated with the change of fatty acid composition caused by CSO and storage conditions. Free gossypol will remain in the egg yolk. Although the residue is low, the edible safety risk of eggs maybe exists.