DISCOVER: A facile structure-based screening method for vinyl compound producing microbes.

Here we report a novel structure-based microbial screening method for vinyl compound discovery, DISCOVER (direct screening method based on coupling reactions for vinyl compound producers). Through a two-step screening procedure based on selective coupling reactions of terminal alkenes, the thiol-ene reaction (1st step of screening) and Mizoroki-Heck reaction, followed by iodine test (2nd step of screening), microbes producing vinyl compounds like itaconic acid (IA) can be isolated from soil samples. In the 1st step of screening, soil sources are plated on agar medium supplemented with an antimicrobial agent, α-thioglycerol (TG), and a radical initiator, VA-044 (VA). In the 2nd step of screening, vinyl compounds produced in the cultures are labelled with iodobenzene via the Mizoroki-Heck reaction, followed by an iodine test, leading to the detection and characterisation of labelled products. We evaluated the validity of DISCOVER using IA and its producer Aspergillus terreus. Experimental data supported our hypothesis that IA reacts with TG in the medium via the thiol-ene reaction and consequently, A. terreus rapidly forms colonies on the agar medium because of the loss of the antimicrobial activity of TG. Using DISCOVER, high throughput and selective isolation of A. terreus strains producing IA was possible from soils.

Highly selective separation and purification of chicoric acid from Echinacea purpurea by quality control methods in macroporous adsorption resin column chromatography.

Chicoric acid is the main phenolic active ingredient in Echinacea purpurea (Asteraceae), best known for its immune-enhancing ability, as well as used as a herbal medicine. To achieve further utilization of medicinal ingredients from E. purpurea, an efficient preparative separation of chicoric acid was developed based on macroporous adsorption resin chromatography. The separation characteristics of several different typical macroporous adsorption resins were evaluated by adsorption/desorption column experiments, and HPD100 was revealed as the optimal one, which exhibited that the adsorbents fitted well to the pseudo-second-order kinetics model and Langmuir isotherm model, and the optimal process parameters were obtained. The breakthrough curves could be predicted and end-point could be determined early. Besides, the optimal elution conditions of chicoric acid can be achieved using the quality control methods. As a result, the purity of chicoric acid was increased 15.8-fold (from 4 to 63%) after the treatment with HPD100. The process of the enrichment and separation of chicoric acid is considerate, because of its high efficiency and simple operation. The established separation and purification method of chicoric acid is expected to be valuable for further utilization of E. purpurea according to product application in pharmaceutical fields in the future.

Characterization of Polyphenolic Content in the Aquatic Plants Ruppia cirrhosa and Ruppia maritima -A Source of Nutritional Natural Products.

Herein, the polyphenolic content in extracts of Ruppia cirrhosa (Petagna) Grande and Ruppia maritima L.was fully characterized for the first time. High amounts of the main compound chicoric acid (CA) (≤30.2 ± 4.3 mg/g) were found in both Ruppia species. In addition, eight flavonoids, namely the 3-O-glucopyranosides and 3-O-galactopyranosides, as well as malonylated 3-O-glycosides of quercetin and isorhamnetin, were isolated and identified. The antioxidant activity of Ruppia cirrhosa extracts and isolated compounds was investigated spectrophotometrically by a 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH·) radical scavenging assay. IC50 values were 31.8-175.7 µg/mL for Ruppia cirrhosa extracts and 12.1-88.4 µg/mL for isolated flavonoids. Both individual and total phenolic and flavonoid content were quantified in crude extracts using analytical HPLC. The relative high amount of total flavonoids ranged from 5.9 to 14.7 mg/g in both species, with concentrations of individual flavonoids ranging from 0.4 to 2.9 mg/g dry weight. The content of chicoric acid was twofold more in Ruppia maritima than in Ruppia cirrhosa. Seasonal variation of the quantitative content in Ruppia cirrhosa was examined. Total flavonoid content ranged from 8.4 mg/g in October to 14.7 mg/g in August, whereas the highest concentration of chicoric acid was observed in March (29.2 mg/g).

Photocatalytic processes assisted by artificial solar light for soil washing effluent treatment.

Contaminated soil has become a growing issue in recent years. The most common technique used to remove contaminants (such as metals) from the soil is the soil washing process. However, this process produces a final effluent containing chelating agents (i.e., ethylenediaminedisuccinic acid, also known as EDDS) and extracted metals (i.e., Cu, Fe, and Zn) at concentrations higher than discharge limits allowed by the Italian and Brazilian environmental law. Therefore, it is necessary to develop further treatments before its proper disposal or reuse. In the present study, soil washing tests were carried out through two sequential paths. Moreover, different artificial sunlight-driven photocatalytic treatments were used to remove Cu, Zn, Fe, and EDDS from soil washing effluents. Metal concentrations after the additional treatment were within the Brazilian and Italian regulatory limits for discharging in public sewers. The combined TiO2-photocatalytic processes applied were enough to decontaminate the effluents, allowing their reuse in soil washing treatment. Ecotoxicological assessment using different living organisms was carried out to assess the impact of the proposed two-step photocatalytic process on the effluent ecotoxicity. Graphical Abstract ᅟ.

A New Succinate Derivative from Ajuga decumbens.

A new succinate derivative, ethyl (5-formylfuran-2-yl)methyl succinate (1), along with three known compounds (2-4) have been isolated from the whole plants of Ajuga decumbens Thunb. Their structures were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic (1D and 2D NMR) and HR-ESI-MS data analysis, and literature values. Compound 1 was isolated as a new succinate derivative, and compounds 2 and 3 were for the first time separated from A. decumbens.

Phytochemical Analysis and Antioxidant Potential of the Phytonutrient-Rich Decoction of Cichorium spinosum and C. intybus.

The Cretan diet, as the basis of the Mediterranean diet, has provided traditional remedies for the general well being of people through the long-established consumption of cooked wild greens and vegetables. The intake of the water decoctions of Cichorium spinosum and Cichorium intybus in the context of the daily dietary regime in Greece has been long associated with "liver detoxifying" properties. In the current study, we performed an in-depth investigation of the water decoctions traditionally prepared from C. spinosum and C. intybus through qualitative UHPLC-HRMS profiling and direct quantification of cichoric and caftaric acid as major antioxidant components of the decoction. In addition, we developed a one-step countercurrent chromatography method for the isolation of the two phenolic acids, along with a sulfoconjugate sesquiterpene lactone present only in the Cretan C. spinosum. All water decoctions were found not to be cytotoxic in human fibroblasts, whereas they all significantly reduced the intracellular reactive oxygen species, which is consistent with the major presence of strong antioxidant compounds such as cichoric acid. This work demonstrates that the intake of these decoctions in doses suggested by Greek traditional use is comparable to the ingestion of a phytomedical preparation of antioxidants. These results contribute to our current knowledge on the beneficial health effect of the Cretan diet.

Preparation and application of molecularly imprinted polymer for isolation of chicoric acid from Chicorium intybus L. medicinal plant.

Molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) was synthesized and applied for the extraction of chicoric acid from Chicory herb (Chicorium intybus L.). A computational study was developed to find a suitable template to functional monomer molar ratio for MIP preparations. The molar ratio was chosen based on the comparison of the binding energy of the complexes between the template and functional monomers. Based on the computational results, eight different polymers were prepared using chicoric acid as the template. The MIPs were synthesized in a non-covalent approach via thermal free-radical polymerization, using two different polymerization methods, bulk and suspension. Batch rebinding experiments were performed to evaluate the binding properties of the imprinted polymers. The best results were obtained with a MIP prepared using bulk polymerization with 4-vinylpyridine (4-VP) as the functional monomer and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) as the crosslinker with a molar ratio of 1:4:20. The best MIP showed selective binding ability toward chicoric acid in the presence of the template's structural analogues, caffeic acid, caftaric acid and chlorogenic acid.

Effects of cichoric acid extract from Echinacea purpurea on collagen-induced arthritis in rats.

Cichoric acid extract (CAE) from Echinacea purpurea L. was used to investigate the anti-arthritic effect by using collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) rat model. The hind paw swelling volume and the body weight were measured and recorded. All the drug solutions were administered orally to rats for a total of 28 days. On day 28, the rats were anaesthetized and decapitated. The thymus and spleen were weighed for the determination of the organ index. The concentration of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα), interleukin-1 beta (IL-1ß) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE-2) in the serum was measured using commercially available ELISA kits. Total and phosphor-NF-κB and Cox-2 protein expression in synovial tissues were determined by histological slides quantification and western blot analysis. Our data showed that administration of all doses of CAE (8, 16, and 32 mg/kg) significantly decreased the paw swelling, restored body weight gain and decreased the organ index of the thymus and spleen compared with that of the CIA group. CAE (8, 16, and 32 mg/kg) treatment significantly reduced the levels of TNFα, IL-1ß and PGE-2 in serum compared with the CIA group. Histopathological analysis demonstrated that CAE has obvious anti-arthritic activity. In addition, CAE (32 mg/kg) significantly decreased the levels of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), TNFα and cyclooxygenase 2 (Cox-2) in synovium tissues of the ankle joint compared with the CIA group. Furthermore, CAE administration significantly decreased the protein expression of phosphor-NF-κB and Cox-2 in synovium tissues of the knee joint compared with the CIA group. The results suggest that the anti-inflammatory activity of CAE may account for its anti-arthritic effect, and CAE could be a potential therapeutic drug for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Co-expression of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase and nicotinic acid phosphoribosyltransferase for succinate production in engineered Escherichia coli.

Succinate is not the dominant fermentation product from xylose in wild-type Escherichia coli K12. E. coli BA 203 is a lactate dehydrogenase (ldhA), pyruvate formate lyase (pflB), and phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP)-carboxylase (ppc) deletion strain. To increase succinate accumulation and reduce byproduct formation, engineered E. coli BA204, in which ATP-forming PEP-carboxykinase (PEPCK) is overexpressed in BA203, was constructed and produced 2.17-fold higher succinate yield. To further improve the biomass and the consumption rate of xylose, nicotinic acid phosphoribosyltransferase (NAPRTase), a rate limiting enzyme in the synthesis of NAD(H), was also overexpressed. Thus, co-expression of PEPCK and NAPRTase in recombinant E. coli BA209 was investigated. In BA209, the pck gene and the pncB gene each have a trc promoter, hence, both genes are well expressed. During a 72-h anaerobic fermentation in sealed bottles, the total concentration of NAD(H) in BA209 was 1.25-fold higher than that in BA204, and the NADH/NAD+ ratio decreased from 0.28 to 0.11. During the exclusively anaerobic fermentation in a 3-L bioreactor, BA209 consumed 17.1 g L⁻¹ xylose and produced 15.5 g L⁻¹ succinate. Furthermore, anaerobic fermentation of corn stalk hydrolysate contained 30.1 g L⁻¹ xylose, 2.1 g L⁻¹ glucose and 1.5 g L⁻¹ arabinose, it produced a final succinate concentration of 17.2 g L⁻¹ with a yield of 0.94 g g⁻¹ total sugars.

Identification of chicoric acid as a hypoglycemic agent from Ocimum gratissimum leaf extract in a biomonitoring in vivo study.

Ocimum gratissimum L. is popularly used to treat diabetes mellitus. The hypoglycemic activity of this medicinal species has been confirmed by in vivo studies. The present study conducted a chemical investigation of a leaf decoction (10% p/v) of O. gratissimum monitored by in vivo hypoglycemic activity assays. Four phenolic substances were identified: L-caftaric acid (1), L-chicoric acid (2), eugenyl-ß-D-glucopyranoside (3) and vicenin-2 (4). The acute hypoglycemic activity of the O. gratissimum decoction fractions Og1-S (300 mg/kg), Og1-A (240 mg/kg) and Og1-B (80 mg/kg) was evaluated intraperitoneally in normal and streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice. They reduced glycemia by 63%, 76% and 60% (in 120 min), respectively, in the diabetic mice. Subfractions of Og1-A were also evaluated under the same conditions: Og1-AS (200 mg/kg) and Og1-AP (40 mg/kg) produced a decrease of only 37% and 39%, respectively. Among the major phenolic substances, only chicoric acid (2; 3 mg/kg) reduced significantly the glycemic levels of diabetic mice by 53%, 120 min after treatment. This is the first study describing the hypoglycemic activity of chicoric acid in an animal model of diabetes mellitus. In addition, we suggest that there may be other substances contributing to this activity. Thus, for the first time, a correlation is established between the hypoglycemic activity of O. gratissimum and its chemical composition.

Chicoric acid regulates behavioral and biochemical alterations induced by chronic stress in experimental Swiss albino mice.

The present study was taken up to see the effect of chicoric acid (CA) on behavioral and biochemical alterations induced by chronic restraint stress in experimental Swiss albino mice. CA at 1mg/kg dose level exhibited considerable antidepressant activity as shown by significant decrease in immobility period in the Porsolt's swim stress-induced behavioral despair test and escape failures in Learned "helplessness test". The antidepressant activity shown by CA can be attributed to its modulating effect on nor-adrenaline (NA), dopamine (DA) and 5- hydroxy tryptamine (5-HT) as shown by their quantification in CA treated chronically stressed mice. Further, a significant antioxidant effect was exhibited by CA as shown by estimation of lipid peroxidation, glutathione (GSH) and glycogen in liver of chronically stressed mice. It also normalized altered values of serum glucose, triglycerides, aspartate aminotransferase (AST) alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) in a dose dependent manner. The stress busting potential of CA was further confirmed by its regulating effect on raised plasma corticosterone levels and significant attenuation of the depleted ascorbic acid, cholesterol and corticosterone levels in adrenal glands. Thus, our results suggest that CA possesses considerable stress busting potential, and that anti-oxidation may be one of the mechanisms underlying its antistress action.

Taraxacum officinale Weber extracts inhibit LPS-induced oxidative stress and nitric oxide production via the NF-κB modulation in RAW 264.7 cells.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: The common dandelion (Taraxacum officinale G.H. Weber ex Wiggers, Asteraceae) has been widely used in folklore medicine to treat dyspepsia, heartburn, and spleen and liver disorders. AIM OF THE STUDY: To compare the antioxidative and anti-inflammatory activities of Taraxacum officinale methanol extract (TOME) and water extract (TOWE) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells and assess their constitutional differences, including luteolin, chicoric acid, and total phenol content. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Antioxidative enzyme activities, nitric oxide (NO) production, and inducible NO synthase (iNOS) and nuclear factor (NF)-κB expression were estimated by biochemical analysis, the Griess reaction, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, western hybridization, and electrophoretic mobility shift assay. High-performance liquid chromatography and the Folin-Ciocalteau method were used to analyze functional phytochemicals and total phenol content. RESULTS: TOME and TOWE significantly reduced NO production with an IC(50) of 79.9 and 157.5 µg/mL, respectively, without cytotoxicity. Depleted glutathione (GSH) and antioxidative enzyme activities, including superoxide dismutase, catalase, GSH-peroxidase, and GSH-reductase, were restored by dandelion extracts. Both extracts inhibited LPS-stimulated iNOS gene expression and that of its transcription factor, NF-κB, in parallel with nitrite reduction. TOME showed more potent antioxidative and anti-inflammatory capacities than TOWE, which was attributable to its high total phenol, luteolin, and chicoric acid content. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that TOME and TOWE inhibit oxidative stress and inflammatory responses through elevated de novo synthesis of antioxidative enzymes and suppression of iNOS expression by NF-κB inactivation.

Hyaluronidase inhibitors from "Cimicifugae Rhizoma" (a mixture of the rhizomes of Cimicifuga dahurica and C. heracleifolia).

From the 80% acetone extract of "Cimicifugae Rhizoma" (a mixture of Cimicifuga dahurica and C. heracleifolia used medicinally), seven new fukiic acid derivatives (1-7) and a new phenylethanoid derivative (8) were isolated along with eight known compounds (9-16). Fukinolic acid (9) and cimicifugic acids A-J (10-16, 5-7) showed stronger hyaluronidase inhibitory activities than the positive control, rosmarinic acid.

[Effect and mechanism of Coeloglossum viride var. bracteatum extract on scopolamine-induced deficits of learning and memory behavior of rodents].

The aim of the present study is to investigate the effect and mechanism of Coeloglossum viride var. bracteatum extract (CE) on scopolamine-induced learning and memory deficits. Learning and memory deficits of mice were evaluated by step-down passive avoidance test. Long-term potentiation of rats was detected in the dentate gyrus of hippocampus. Brain acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) activities were also determined. The results showed that scopolamine impaired learning and memory performance and LTP induction in hippocampus. Oral administration of CE (5, 10, and 20 mg x kg(-1)) significantly alleviated scopolamine-induced memory deficits measured by step-down test (P < 0.05). CE (5 mg x kg(-1), ip) significantly reversed the inhibitory effect of scopolamine on LTP in rats. In addition, CE was found to increase the activity of ChAT in rat brain. These results suggested that CE could alleviate scopolamine-induced learning and memory deficits, which might be due to the LTP-improvement and ChAT activity enhancement.

Chemical constituents from the bark of Cerbera manghas.

Two new compounds, 1,3-bis(m-carboxylphenyl)-propan-2-one (1) and 2-(m-carboxylphenyl)-3-(m-carboxylbenzyl) succinic acid (2), were isolated from the barks of Cerbera manghas, and their structures were established on the basis of spectroscopic methods.

Lysianadioic acid, a carboxypeptidase B inhibitor from Lysiana subfalcata.

A new natural product, lysianadioic acid, was isolated from the plant Lysiana subfalcata as a carboxypeptidase B (CPB) inhibitor. It is a potent inhibitor of CPB with an IC(50) of 0.36 microM. This is the first known example of a small molecule CPB inhibitor isolated from plant origin. Its structure was determined by NMR spectroscopy.

Development and validation of a high-throughput based on liquid chromatography with ultraviolet absorption and mass spectrometry detection method for quantitation of cichoric acid in Echinacea purpurea aerial-based dietary supplements.

A new, rapid, and reproducible reversed-phased liquid chromatography (LC) method with ultraviolet (UV) absorption and/or mass spectrometry (MS) detection has been developed and validated for quantitation of cichoric acid, a major constituent of Echinacea spp. The method involves the use of a short Phenomenex Hydro-RP C18 column (4 microm, 50 mm x 3.0 mm id) and a simple isocratic mobile phase profile. Both UV (diode array detector) and selective-ion monitoring (SIM) at m/z 472.8 were used for quantitation of cichoric acid. The limit of detection was 0.75 ng for UV and 0.15 ng for MS-SIM, and the limit of quantitation was is 2.5 ng for UV and 0.5 ng for MS-SIM. Water-methanol (1 + 1) soluble extracts of 6 commercially available Echinacea purpurea aerial parts-based dietary supplements (EPADS). EPADS were first profiled using a traditional HPLC-UV method. Their UV chromatograms were compared, and cichoric acid was identified to be a key biomarker for EPADS. Then the samples were analyzed by the fast LC-UV/MS method. The turnaround time for a single analysis was 3 min, compared to 15 to 60 min needed for traditional reported LC methods. The high-throughput method was able to separate the cichoric acid peak from peaks of other components in extracts of complex matrixes of EPADS.

[Study on optimizing the extraction process of total free organic acids in Pinellia ternate Breit].

OBJECTIVE: To optimize the extraction process of total free organic acids in Pinellia ternate Breit. METHOD: The optimum extraction was investigated by total free organic acids determined by direct potential titration. The concentration of ethanol, amount of ethanol, extraction time and extraction times were the four factors in the experiment. RESULTS: The optimum extraction process was adding 10 times amount of 75% ethanol, refluxing for 2 times, 1 h each time. CONCLUSION: This extraction process shows higher yield of total free organic acids in Pinellia ternate Breit and is available for industrial production.

Antibacterial diterpenoids from Fabiana densa var. ramulosa.

A biologically monitored fractionation of the resinous exudate of Fabiana densa Remy var. ramulosa Wedd. led to the isolation of the two new diterpenes: ent-beyer-15-en-18-O-succinate and ent-beyer-15-en-18-O-oxalate as the unique compounds responsible for the observed antibacterial activity of this extract. Their structures were determined by 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy.

[Studies on the chemical constituents of Coeloglossum viride (L.) Hartm. var. bracteatum (Willd.) Richter].

AIM: To study the chemical constituents of the rhizomes of Coeloglossum viride (L.) Hartm. var. bracteatum (Willd.) Richter. METHODS: The compounds were mainly isolated with normal phase and reverse phase column chromatographic methods and HPLC. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of physical constants and spectral analysis (UV, IR, EI-MS, positive and negative FAB-MS, APCI-MS, 1HNMR, 13CNMR, DEPT, 1H-1H COSY, HMQC and HMBC). RESULTS: Eight compounds were obtained from the ethanolic extract of the rhizomes of this plant, dactylorhin B (I), loroglossin (II), dactylorhin A (III), militarine (IV), coelovirin A (V), gastrodin (VI), thymidine (VII) and quercetin-3,7-di-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (VIII). CONCLUSION: All the compounds were obtained from this plant and genus Coeloglossum for the first time. V named coelovirin A, is a new compound.