Ameliorative effects of the Coptis inflorescence extract against lung injury in diabetic mice by regulating AMPK/NEU1 signaling.

BACKGROUND: In diabetic patients, complications are the leading cause of death and disability, while diabetic lung damage has received little research. The Coptis inflorescence extract (CE) has hypoglycemic properties, but the mechanism of its protective role on diabetic lung injury is understood. PURPOSE: This study aims to explore the protective actions and molecular mechanism of CE and its active ingredients in diabetic lung disease. METHOD: Twenty-nine metabolites were identified in the metabolomic profile of CE using HPLC-ESI/MS, and high-content substances of berberine (BBR) and linarin (LIN) were isolated from CE using column chromatography. The potential targets and molecular mechanisms of CE against diabetic lung damage were systematically investigated by network pharmacology and in vitro experimental validation. RESULTS: CE significantly improved lung function and pathology. CE (360 mg/kg) or metformin treatment significantly improved lipid metabolism disorders, including decreased HDL-C and elevated serum TG, TC, and LDL-C levels. Furthermore, CE's chemical composition was determined using the HPLC-QTOF-MS method. CE identified five compounds as candidate active compounds (Berberine, Linarin, Palmatine, Worenine, and Coptisine). Network pharmacology analysis predicted CE contained five active compounds and target proteins, that AMPK, TGFß1, and Smad might be the key targets in treating diabetic lung injury. Then we investigated the therapeutic effect of bioactive compounds of CE on diabetic lung damage through in vivo and in vitro experiments. Intragastric administration with BBR (50 mg/kg) or LIN (20 mg/kg) suppressed weight loss, hyperglycemia, and dyslipidemia, significantly alleviating lung inflammation in diabetic mice. Further mechanism research revealed that LIN or BBR inhibited alveolar epithelial-mesenchymal transition induced by high glucose by regulating AMPK/NEU-mediated signaling pathway. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, the administration of CE can effectively alleviate diabetic lung damage, providing a scientific basis for lowering blood sugar to moisturize lung function. BBR and LIN, the main components of CE, can effectively alleviate diabetic lung damage by regulating AMPK/NEU1 Signaling and inhibiting the TGF-ß1 level, which may be a critical mechanism of its effects.

Valorisation of kitul, an overlooked food plant: Phenolic profiling of fruits and inflorescences and assessment of their effects on diabetes-related targets.

Caryota urens L. has long been valued as a traditional food, the edible fruits being eaten raw and the inflorescences commonly used on sweet sap and flour production. In the current work, the phenolic profile of methanol extracts obtained from the inflorescences and fruits was unveiled for the first time, nine caffeic acid derivatives being identified and quantified. Since kitul products have been reported for their antidiabetic properties, extracts radical scavenging activity and α-amylase, α-glucosidase and aldose reductase inhibitory activity were assessed. The inflorescences' extract was particularly active against yeast α-glucosidase (IC50 = 1.53 µg/mL), acting through a non-competitive inhibitory mechanism. This activity was also observed in enzyme-enriched homogenates obtained from human Caco-2 cells (IC50 = 64.75 µg/mL). Additionally, the extract obtained from the inflorescences showed no cytotoxicity on HepG2, AGS and Caco-2 cell lines. Our data suggest that C. urens inflorescences can support the development of new functional foods with α-glucosidase inhibitory activity.

AtC3H18L is a stop-codon read-through gene and encodes a novel non-tandem CCCH zinc-finger protein that can form cytoplasmic foci similar to mRNP granules.

The membraneless messenger ribonucleoprotein (mRNP) granules, including processing bodies (PBs) and stress granules (SGs), are important cytoplasmic structures in eukaryotes that can participate in gene expression through mRNA regulation. It has been verified that mRNP granules are mainly composed of proteins and translation-repressed mRNAs. Here, we reported a stop-codon read-through gene, At3g52980, in plants for the first time. At3g52980 encodes a novel non-tandem CCCH zinc-finger (non-TZF) protein named AtC3H18-Like (AtC3H18L), which contains two putative RNA-binding domains. By using transient expression system, we showed that heat treatment can induce the aggregation of diffuse distributed AtC3H18L to form cytoplasmic foci, which were similar to PBs and SGs in morphology. Further analysis did find that AtC3H18L can co-localize with markers of PB and SG. The aggregation of AtC3H18L was closely related to the cytoskeleton, and AtC3H18L-foci were highly dynamic and can move frequently along cytoskeleton. Moreover, analysis in transgenic plants showed that AtC3H18L was specifically expressed in pollen and can form cytoplasmic foci without heat treatment. It will be fascinating in future studies to discover whether and how AtC3H18L affects pollen development by participating in the assembly of mRNP granules as a protein component, especially under heat stress.

Effects of high temperature during two growth stages on caryopsis development and physicochemical properties of starch in rice.

Global warming may affect the development of rice at different growth stages, thereby decreasing rice yield and deteriorating grain quality. The difference in rice responses to high temperature during primordial differentiation (PD) and pollen filling (PF) stages has been rarely studied. In this paper, two temperature treatments (40 °C and 30 °C) at the two stages (PD and PF) were imposed to four rice groups under the controlled temperature chambers. Compared with rice under normal temperature, high temperature-stressed rice showed accelerated growth rate, smaller caryopsis and decreased yield. Moreover, high temperature affected the starch physicochemical properties, resulting in lower apparent amylose content and higher order degree, gelatinization temperatures, and thereby increased peak, trough and final viscosities in starch. High temperature during PD stage inhibited cell development and starch deposition, thus leading to small starch granule and low retrogradation. However, temperature-stressed rice during PF stage showed increased starch accumulation and larger granule size. Therefore, effects of high temperature during the two stages on caryopsis development and starch properties were partly similar but also notably different. These results enriched and deepened the study of high temperature-stressed rice and served as an important reference for the processing and utilization of rice starch in food industry.

Indeterminate growth of the umbel inflorescence and bulb is associated with increased expression of the TFL1 homologue, AcTFL1, in onion.

TERMINAL FLOWER1 (TFL1) is a key gene for maintenance of vegetative and inflorescence indeterminacy and architecture. In onion, flowering and bulbing are two distinct developmental phases, each under complex environmental regulatory control. We have identified two CEN/TFL1-like genes from onion designated as AcTFL1 and AcCEN1. AcTFL1 is expressed during bulbing and inflorescence development with expression increasing with indeterminate growth of the umbel and the bulb suggesting possible conservation of function. Increase in AcTFL1 expression during umbel growth is associated with a simultaneous reduction in expression of AcLFY. Expression of AcTFL1 within the bulb is lowest in the outermost layers and highest in the innermost (youngest) layers. Bulb storage at room temperature or in cold leads to a gradual reduction in AcTFL1 levels in the meristem-containing tissues, the decrease being faster in the variety not requiring vernalization. Constitutive expression of AcTFL1, but not AcCEN1 complements the Arabidopsis tfl1-14 mutant and delays flowering in wild type suggesting conservation of the AcTFL1 function even in the distantly related Arabidopsis. Taken together, AcTFL1 appears to be the functional counterpart of TFL1 and regulates indeterminate growth of the umbel inflorescence as well as bulb development in onion.

Distribution of Four Bioactive Flavonoids in Maize Tissues of Five Varieties and Correlation with Expression of the Biosynthetic Genes.

Flavonoids are characteristic in maize and have diverse biological functions. C-Glycosylflavones are neuroprotective against ß-amyloid-induced tau hyperphosphorylation and neurotoxicity in SH-SY5Y cells, which is relevant to Alzheimer's disease prevention and treatment. The content of the flavonoids eriodictyol, luteolin, isoorientin, and maysin varied in pollens, silks, tassels, and seeds among five maize varieties. Eriodictyol content was high (51-322 ng/g dw) in pollens, while luteolin content was low (0.2-106 ng/g dw) in all four tissues. The isoorientin content was approximately 3- to 10-fold greater than eriodictyol in pollens and tassels, particularly in the hybrid M1 and sweet corn M5 varieties. Maysin content was high in most silks and tassels. The differential expression of five genes involved in the maysin biosynthesis correlated well with the profiles of the four flavonoids among tissues and varieties. The present study offers valuable data for maize breeding and the use of maize flavonoids as functional food components.

Comparative transcriptome analysis to identify putative genes involved in thymol biosynthesis pathway in medicinal plant Trachyspermum ammi L.

Thymol, as a dietary monoterpene, is a phenol derivative of cymene, which is the major component of the essential oil of Trachyspermum ammi (L.). It shows multiple biological activities: antifungal, antibacterial, antivirus and anti-inflammatory. T. ammi, commonly known as ajowan, belongs to Apiaceae and is an important medicinal seed spice. To identify the putative genes involved in thymol and other monoterpene biosynthesis, we provided transcriptomes of four inflorescence tissues of two ajowan ecotypes, containing different thymol yield. This study has detected the genes encoding enzymes for the go-between stages of the terpenoid biosynthesis pathways. A large number of unigenes, differentially expressed between four inflorescence tissues of two ajowan ecotypes, was revealed by a transcriptome analysis. Furthermore, differentially expressed unigenes encoding dehydrogenases, transcription factors, and cytochrome P450s, which might be associated with terpenoid diversity in T. ammi, were identified. The sequencing data obtained in this study formed a valuable repository of genetic information for an understanding of the formation of the main constituents of ajowan essential oil and functional analysis of thymol-specific genes. Comparative transcriptome analysis led to the development of new resources for a functional breeding of ajowan.

Fruit development, growth, and stored reserves in macauba palm (Acrocomia aculeata), an alternative bioenergy crop.

Main conclusion Macauba palm fruiting is supra-annual, and the fruit growth follows a double sigmoidal trend. The prevailing compound in the mesocarp differs as the fruit ages, oil being the major storage compound. Acrocomia aculeata, macauba palm, is a conspicuous species in the tropical Americas. Because the species is highly productive in oil-rich fruits, it is the subject of domestication as an alternative vegetable oil crop, especially as a bioenergy feedstock. This detailed study first presents the macauba fruit growth and development patterns, morphological changes and accumulation of organic compounds. Fruits were monitored weekly in a natural population. The fruiting was supra-annual, and the fruit growth curve followed a double sigmoidal trend with four stages (S): SI-slow growth and negligible differentiation of the fruit inner parts; SII-first growth spurt and visible, but not complete, differentiation of the inner parts; SIII-growth slowed down and all structures attained differentiation; and SIV-second growth spurt and fruit maturation. In SII, the exocarp and endocarp were the main contributors to fruit growth, whereas the mesocarp and endosperm were responsible for most of the weight gain during SIV. In comparison with starch and oil, soluble sugars did not accumulate in the mesocarp. However, starch was transitory and fueled the oil synthesis. The protective layers, the exocarp and endocarp, fulfilling their ecological roles, were the first to reach maturity, followed by the storage tissues, the mesocarp, and endosperm. The amount and nature of organic compounds in the mesocarp varied with the fruit development and growth stages, and oil was the main and final storage material. The description of macauba fruit's transformations and their temporal order may be of importance for future ecological and agronomical references.

Arabinogalactan proteins and pectin distribution during female gametogenesis in Quercus suber L.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Quercus suber L. (cork oak) is one of the most important monoecious tree species in semi-arid regions of Southern Europe, with a high ecological value and economic potential. However, as a result of its long reproductive cycle, complex reproductive biology and recalcitrant seeds, conventional breeding is demanding. In its complex reproductive biology, little is known about the most important changes that occur during female gametogenesis. Arabinogalactan proteins (AGPs) and pectins are the main components of plant cell walls and have been reported to perform common functions in cell differentiation and organogenesis of reproductive plant structures. AGPs have been shown to serve as important molecules in several steps of the reproductive process in plants, working as signalling molecules, associated with the sporophyte-gametophyte transition, and pectins have been implicated in pollen-pistil interactions before double fertilization. In this study, the distribution of AGP and pectin epitopes was assessed during female gametogenesis. METHODS: Immunofluorescence labelling of female flower cells was performed with a set of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) directed to the carbohydrate moiety of AGPs (JIM8 and JIM13) and pectic homogalacturonans (HGs) (mAbs JIM5 and JIM7). KEY RESULTS: The selective labelling obtained with AGP and pectin mAbs JIM8, JIM13, JIM5 and JIM7 during Q. suber female gametogenesis shows that AGPs and pectic HG can work as markers for mapping gametophytic cell differentiation in this species. Pectic HG showed different distribution patterns, depending on their levels of methyl esterification. Methyl-esterified HGs showed a uniform distribution in the overall female flower cells before fertilization and a more specific pattern after fertilization. A low methyl-ester pectin distribution pattern during the different developmental stages appears to be related to the pathway that pollen tubes follow to reach the embryo sac. AGPs showed a more sparse distribution in early stages of development, but specific labelling is shown in the synergids and their filiform apparatus. CONCLUSIONS: The labelling obtained with anti-AGP and anti-pectin mAbs in Q. suber female flower cells showed a dynamic distribution of AGPs and pectic HGs, which may render these molecules useful molecular markers during female gametogenesis. Changes occurring during development will be determined in order to help describe cork oak ovule structural properties before and after fertilization, providing new insight to better understand Q. suber female gametogenesis.

High light exposure on seed coat increases lipid accumulation in seeds of castor bean (Ricinus communis L.), a nongreen oilseed crop.

Little was known on how sunlight affects the seed metabolism in nongreen seeds. Castor bean (Ricinus communis L.) is a typical nongreen oilseed crop and its seed oil is an important feedstock in industry. In this study, photosynthetic activity of seed coat tissues of castor bean in natural conditions was evaluated in comparison to shaded conditions. Our results indicate that exposure to high light enhances photosynthetic activity in seed coats and consequently increases oil accumulation. Consistent results were also reached using cultured seeds. High-throughput RNA-Seq analyses further revealed that genes involved in photosynthesis and carbon conversion in both the Calvin-Benson cycle and malate transport were differentially expressed between seeds cultured under light and dark conditions, implying several venues potentially contributing to light-enhanced lipid accumulation such as increased reducing power and CO2 refixation which underlie the overall lipid biosynthesis. This study demonstrated the effects of light exposure on oil accumulation in nongreen oilseeds and greatly expands our understanding of the physiological roles that light may play during seed development in nongreen oilseeds. Essentially, our studies suggest that potential exists to enhance castor oil yield through increasing exposure of the inflorescences to sunlight either by genetically changing the plant architecture (smart canopy) or its growing environment.

Reproductive response to nitrogen and phosphorus fertilization along the Hawaiian archipelago's natural soil fertility gradient.

Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) are the most important nutrients involved in plant reproduction and typically the most limiting in terrestrial ecosystems. The natural soil fertility gradient of the Hawaiian archipelago, in which younger islands are N limited and older islands are P limited, provides a model system to examine questions regarding allocation of nutrients. Using fertilized plots (+N or +P) at the extreme sites of the Hawaiian archipelago, vegetative productivity (e.g., net primary productivity, growth, and litterfall) and foliar nutrient responses have previously been studied for the dominant canopy tree, Metrosideros polymorpha. Here, we investigated whether the reproductive response of M. polymorpha mirrors the previously found vegetative productivity and foliar nutrient responses, by quantifying: (1) inflorescence and seed productivity, and (2) nutrient concentration of reproductive structures. Fertilization with N and P did not significantly affect the productivity of inflorescences or seeds, or seed viability at either site. However, nutrient concentrations increased after fertilization; %P increased in inflorescences in the +P treatment at the P-limited site. Seeds and inflorescences generally contained higher nutrient concentrations than leaves at both sites. Unlike foliar data, reproductive strategies of M. polymorpha differed depending on soil nutrient limitation with emphasis on quality (higher seed viability/greater nutrient concentrations) at the P-limited site. We suggest that in response to P additions M. polymorpha employs a nutrient conservation strategy for its inflorescences and an investment strategy for its seeds. Examining N and P simultaneously challenges a basic assumption that reproductive allocation follows a similar pattern to the often measured aboveground productivity.

Seasonal variation and gender pattern of phenolic and flavonoid contents in Pistacia chinensis Bunge inflorescences and leaves.

Pistacia chinensis Bunge (P. chinensis) is a deciduous and dioecious perennial arbor of the family Anacardiaceae that flowers from March to April and bears fruit from September to October. There are three rapidly growing stages in the annual growth process of P. chinensis. However, the knowledge of the secondary metabolites related to P. chinensis gender and growth season remains scant. In this study, HPLC was used to qualitatively and quantitatively determine the content of the catechin hydrate, rutin, quercetin, and kaempferol contents in male and female tree inflorescences and leaves. Total phenolics and flavonoids were also detected using a spectrophotometer. The results indicated that the contents of these compounds fluctuated with seasons and they reached the highest levels in nascent leaves. The fluctuations of these compounds followed different pathways of evolution, by increasing or decreasing in male and female trees throughout the whole growth process because they had their own biological functions. Moreover, the extracts exhibited DPPH radical scavenging bioactivity and showed no significant cytotoxicity towards 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. Together, these results demonstrated that P. chinensis has great potential as an antioxidant medicine, and the best harvest time is in the spring.

Overexpressing the Multiple-Stress Responsive Gene At1g74450 Reduces Plant Height and Male Fertility in Arabidopsis thaliana.

A subset of genes in Arabidopsis thaliana is known to be up-regulated in response to a wide range of different environmental stress factors. However, not all of these genes are characterized as yet with respect to their functions. In this study, we used transgenic knockout, overexpression and reporter gene approaches to try to elucidate the biological roles of five unknown multiple-stress responsive genes in Arabidopsis. The selected genes have the following locus identifiers: At1g18740, At1g74450, At4g27652, At4g29780 and At5g12010. Firstly, T-DNA insertion knockout lines were identified for each locus and screened for altered phenotypes. None of the lines were found to be visually different from wildtype Col-0. Secondly, 35S-driven overexpression lines were generated for each open reading frame. Analysis of these transgenic lines showed altered phenotypes for lines overexpressing the At1g74450 ORF. Plants overexpressing the multiple-stress responsive gene At1g74450 are stunted in height and have reduced male fertility. Alexander staining of anthers from flowers at developmental stage 12-13 showed either an absence or a reduction in viable pollen compared to wildtype Col-0 and At1g74450 knockout lines. Interestingly, the effects of stress on crop productivity are most severe at developmental stages such as male gametophyte development. However, the molecular factors and regulatory networks underlying environmental stress-induced male gametophytic alterations are still largely unknown. Our results indicate that the At1g74450 gene provides a potential link between multiple environmental stresses, plant height and pollen development. In addition, ruthenium red staining analysis showed that At1g74450 may affect the composition of the inner seed coat mucilage layer. Finally, C-terminal GFP fusion proteins for At1g74450 were shown to localise to the cytosol.

Galactose-depleted xyloglucan is dysfunctional and leads to dwarfism in Arabidopsis.

Xyloglucan is a polysaccharide that has important roles in the formation and function of the walls that surround growing land plant cells. Many of these plants synthesize xyloglucan that contains galactose in two different side chains (L and F), which exist in distinct molecular environments. However, little is known about the contribution of these side chains to xyloglucan function. Here, we show that Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) mutants devoid of the F side chain galactosyltransferase MURUS3 (MUR3) form xyloglucan that lacks F side chains and contains much less galactosylated xylose than its wild-type counterpart. The galactose-depleted xyloglucan is dysfunctional, as it leads to mutants that are dwarfed with curled rosette leaves, short petioles, and short inflorescence stems. Moreover, cell wall matrix polysaccharides, including xyloglucan and pectin, are not properly secreted and instead accumulate within intracellular aggregates. Near-normal growth is restored by generating mur3 mutants that produce no detectable amounts of xyloglucan. Thus, cellular processes are affected more by the presence of the dysfunctional xyloglucan than by eliminating xyloglucan altogether. To identify structural features responsible for xyloglucan dysfunction, xyloglucan structure was modified in situ by generating mur3 mutants that lack specific xyloglucan xylosyltransferases (XXTs) or that overexpress the XYLOGLUCAN L-SIDE CHAIN GALACTOSYLTRANSFERASE2 (XLT2) gene. Normal growth was restored in the mur3-3 mutant overexpressing XLT2 and in mur3-3 xxt double mutants when the dysfunctional xyloglucan was modified by doubling the amounts of galactosylated side chains. Our study assigns a role for galactosylation in normal xyloglucan function and demonstrates that altering xyloglucan side chain structure disturbs diverse cellular and physiological processes.

Optimization of pulsed electric field pre-treatments to enhance health-promoting glucosinolates in broccoli flowers and stalk.

BACKGROUND: The effect of pulsed electric field (PEF) treatment variables (electric field strength and treatment time) on the glucosinolate content of broccoli flowers and stalks was evaluated. Samples were subjected to electric field strengths from 1 to 4 kV cm(-1) and treatment times from 50 to 1000 µs at 5 Hz. RESULTS: Data fitted significantly (P < 0.0014) the proposed second-order response functions. The results showed that PEF combined treatment conditions of 4 kV cm(-1) for 525 and 1000 µs were optimal to maximize glucosinolate levels in broccoli flowers (ranging from 187.1 to 212.5%) and stalks (ranging from 110.6 to 203.0%) respectively. The predicted values from the developed quadratic polynomial equation were in close agreement with the actual experimental values, with low average mean deviations (E%) ranging from 0.59 to 8.80%. CONCLUSION: The use of PEF processing at moderate conditions could be a suitable method to stimulate production of broccoli with high health-promoting glucosinolate content.

Effect of chlorocholine chlorid on phenolic acids accumulation and polyphenols formation of buckwheat plants.

BACKGROUND: Effect of chlorocholine chloride (CCC) on phenolic acids composition and polyphenols accumulation in various anatomical parts (stems, leaves and inflorescences) of common buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench) in the early stages of vegetation period were surveyed. RESULTS: Treatment of buckwheat seeds with 2% of CCC has been increased content of total phenolics in the stems, leaves and inflorescences. On analyzing the different parts of buckwheat plants, 9 different phenolic acids - vanilic acid, ferulic acid, trans-ferulic acid, chlorogenic acid, salycilic acid, cinamic acid, p-coumaric acid, p-anisic acid, methoxycinamic acid and catechins were identified. The levels of identified phenolic acids varied not only significantly among the plant organs but also between early stages of vegetation period. Same changes as in contents of chlorogenic acid, ferulic acid, trans-ferulic acid were found for content of salycilic acid. The content of these phenolic acids has been significant increased under effect of 2% CCC treatment at the phase I (formation of buds) in the stems and at the phase II (beginning of flowering) in the leaves and then inflorescences respectively. The content of catechins as potential buckwheat antioxidants has been increased at the early stages of vegetation period after treatment with 2% CCC. CONCLUSIONS: The obtained results suggest that influence of CCC on the phenolics composition can be a result of various mechanisms of CCC uptake, transforming and/or its translocation in the buckwheat seedlings.

Effect of chlorocholine chlorid on phenolic acids accumulation and polyphenols formation of buckwheat plants

BACKGROUND: Effect of chlorocholine chloride (CCC) on phenolic acids composition and polyphenols accumulation in various anatomical parts (stems, leaves and inflorescences) of common buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench) in the early stages of vegetation period were surveyed. RESULTS: Treatment of buckwheat seeds with 2% of CCC has been increased content of total phenolics in the stems, leaves and inflorescences. On analyzing the different parts of buckwheat plants, 9 different phenolic acids - vanilic acid, ferulic acid, trans-ferulic acid, chlorogenic acid, salycilic acid, cinamic acid, p-coumaric acid, p-anisic acid, methoxycinamic acid and catechins were identified. The levels of identified phenolic acids varied not only significantly among the plant organs but also between early stages of vegetation period. Same changes as in contents of chlorogenic acid, ferulic acid, trans-ferulic acid were found for content of salycilic acid. The content of these phenolic acids has been significant increased under effect of 2% CCC treatment at the phase I (formation of buds) in the stems and at the phase II (beginning of flowering) in the leaves and then inflorescences respectively. The content of catechins as potential buckwheat antioxidants has been increased at the early stages of vegetation period after treatment with 2% CCC. CONCLUSIONS: The obtained results suggest that influence of CCC on the phenolics composition can be a result of various mechanisms of CCC uptake, transforming and/or its translocation in the buckwheat seedlings.

Influence of growing conditions on metabolite profile of Ammi visnaga umbels with special reference to bioactive furanochromones and pyranocoumarins.

The medicinal plant Ammi visnaga is a valuable source of furanochromones and pyranocoumarins used as vasodilator agents. Its ability to germinate under unfavourable growth conditions, such as saline soil and hypoxia characterizing clay soils and marshes ecosystems, prompted us to qualitatively characterize secondary metabolites in umbels of A. visnaga plants grown under different conditions (in field, hydroponically controlled, and contrasted by salinity and/or hypoxia) by HPLC-ESI/IT/MS(n) analysis. Subsequently, the quantitative analysis of the bioactive compounds, above all furanochromones and pyranocoumarins, was carried out by HPLC-ESI/QqQ/MS/MS. The results show the influence of growing conditions on the quali-quantitative profile of A. visnaga secondary metabolites and evidence that hydroponic culture leads to increased level of A. visnaga active principles. Furthermore, two furanochromones never reported before were identified and characterized by 1D- and 2D-NMR analysis.

Behaviour of pollinator insects within inflorescences of Scrophularia species from Iberian Peninsula.

Several hypotheses have been proposed to explain the pattern of pollinator visits to vertical inflorescences. These range from a response to a pattern of resources to merely instinctive behaviour. In dichogamous plants, such behaviour has been associated with promoting outcrossing and avoiding geitonogamy. We here analyse behaviour of the principal pollinator groups in five protogynous species of Scrophularia with different flower sizes (S. sambucifolia, S. grandiflora, S. lyrata, S. scorodonia and S. canina), and the distribution of sexual phases along the inflorescences. The results in all cases show that pollinators follow a pattern of ascending visits accompanied by movements between flowers of the same whorl (horizontal movements). The relative frequency of these horizontal movements depends on the flower size, with a higher frequency in species with large flowers. In vertical movements of the three more common pollinator groups to several plant species (bumblebees, wasps and small bees), the behaviour was essentially independent of flower size, with bumblebees having the highest ratio of ascents to descents. Behaviour of the pollinators, together with the absence of a definite pattern of distribution of the sexual phases along the inflorescence, implies that geitonogamy is not avoided in any of the Scrophularia species studied.

Metabolome classification of Brassica napus L. organs via UPLC-QTOF-PDA-MS and their anti-oxidant potential.

INTRODUCTION: Brassica napus L. is a crop widely grown for its oil production and other nutritional components in the seed. In addition to the seed, other organs contain a wide range of phenolic metabolites although they have not been investigated to the same extent as in seeds. OBJECTIVE: To define and compare the phytochemical composition of B. napus L. organs, namely the root, stem, leaf, inflorescence and seeds. METHOD: Non-targeted metabolomic analysis via UPLC-QTOF-MS was utilised in order to localise compounds belonging to various chemical classes (i.e. oxygenated fatty acids, flavonols, phenolic acids and sinapoyl choline derivatives). RESULTS: The vast majority of identified metabolites were flavonol glycosides that accumulated in most of the plant organs. Whereas other classes were detected predominantly in specific organs, i.e. sinapoyl cholines were present uniquely in seeds. Furthermore, variation in the accumulation pattern of metabolites from the same class was observed, particularly in the case of quercetin, kaempferol and isorhamnetin flavonols. Anti-oxidant activity, based on 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhdrazyl analysis was observed for all extracts, and correlated to some extent with total flavonoid content. CONCLUSION: This study provides the most complete map for polyphenol composition in B. napus L. organs. By describing the metabolites profile in B. napus L., this study provides the basis for future investigations of seeds for potential health and/or medicinal use.