Design, synthesis and cytotoxic activity of sulfonylated derivatives of camptothecin.

With the intention of advancing our research on diverse C-20 derivatives of camptothecin (CPT), 38 CPT derivatives bearing sulphonamide and sulfonylurea chemical scaffolds and different substituent groups have been designed, synthesised and evaluated in vitro for cytotoxicity against four tumour cell lines, A-549 (lung carcinoma), KB (nasopharyngeal carcinoma), MDA-MB-231 (triple-negative breast cancer) and KBvin (an MDR KB subiline). As a result, all the synthesised compounds showed promising in vitro cytotoxic activity against the four cancer cell lines tested, and were more potent than irinotecan. Importantly, compounds 12b, 12f, 12j and 13 l possessed better antiproliferative activity against all tested tumour cell lines with IC50 values of 0.0118 - 0.5478 µM, and resulted approximately 3 to 4 times more cytotoxic than topotecan against multidrug-resistant KBvin subline. Convincing evidences are achieved that incorporation of sulphonamide and sulfonylurea motifs into position-20 of camptothecin confers markedly enhanced cytotoxic activity against cancer cell lines.

Prenylated Flavonoids Isolated from the Root of Sophora flavescens as Potent Antifungal Agents against Botrytis cinerea.

Sophora flavescens, a traditional Chinese herb, produces a wide range of secondary metabolites with a broad spectrum of biological activities. In this study, we isolated six isopentenyl flavonoids (1-6) from the roots of S. flavescens and evaluated their activities against phytopathogenic fungi. In vitro activities showed that kurarinone and sophoraflavanone G displayed broad spectrum and superior activities, among which sophoraflavanone G displayed excellent activity against tested fungi, with EC50 values ranging from 4.76 to 13.94 µg/mL. Notably, kurarinone was easily purified and showed potential activity against Rhizoctonia solani, Botrytis cinerea, and Fusarium graminearum with EC50 values of 16.12, 16.55, and 16.99 µg/mL, respectively. Consequently, we initially investigated the mechanism of kurarinone against B. cinerea. It was found that kurarinone disrupted cell wall components, impaired cell membrane integrity, increased cell membrane permeability, and affected cellular energy metabolism, thereby exerting its effect against B. cinerea. Therefore, kurarinone is expected to be a potential candidate for the development of plant fungicides.

Current development and structure-activity relationship study of berberine derivatives.

Berberine is a quaternary ammonium isoquinoline alkaloid derived from traditional Chinese medicines Coptis chinensis and Phellodendron chinense. It has many pharmacological activities such as hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic, anti-tumor, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory. Through structural modifications at various sites of berberine, the introduction of different groups can change berberine's physical and chemical properties, thereby improving the biological activity and clinical efficacy, and expanding the scope of application. This paper reviews the research progress and structure-activity relationships of berberine in recent years, aiming to provide valuable insights for the exploration of novel berberine derivatives.

A New Species of Murina (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) from Yunnan, China.

During an examination of various specimens previously collected from different locations and times, we discovered seven Murina specimens that had been collected in May 2023 from the Guanyinshan Provincial Nature Reserve, Yuanyang, Yunnan, China. Based on the assessment of morphological characteristics and molecular data analysis, these specimens were determined to represent a previously unidentified species, designated Murina yuanyang sp. nov.

METTL5 enhances the mRNA stability of TPRKB through m6A modification to facilitate the aggressive phenotypes of hepatocellular carcinoma cell.

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification plays an important role in RNA molecular functions, therefore affecting the initiation and development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Herein, multiple datasets were applied to conduct a comprehensive analysis of DEGs within HCC and the analysis revealed significant dysregulation of numerous genes. Functional and signaling pathway enrichment analyses were performed. Further, TP53RK binding protein (TPRKB) emerged as a significant factor, exhibiting high expression level within HCC tissue samples and cells which could predict HCC patients' poor OS. Knockdown investigations of TPRKB in vitro demonstrated the effect of TPRKB knockdown on attenuating the aggressiveness of HCC cells by suppressing the viability, colony formation, invasive ability, and migratory ability, inducing cell cycle arrest, and facilitating the apoptosis of HCC cells. Investigations in vivo revealed that TPRKB knockdown significantly suppressed tumor growth in mice model. Additionally, the study identified methyltransferase 5, N6-adenosine (METTL5) as a potential regulator of TPRKB expression via m6A modification, positively regulating TPRKB expression by enhancing TPRKB mRNA stability. The dynamic effects of METTL5 and TPRKB upon the phenotypes of HCC cells further confirmed that TPRKB overexpression partially abolished the anti-cancer effects of METTL5 knockdown upon the aggressiveness of HCC cells. Conclusively, our findings uncover that TPRKB, significantly overexpressed in HCC, exerts a critical effect on promoting tumor aggressiveness, and its expression shows to be positively regulated by METTL5 via m6A methylation. These insights deepen the understanding of HCC pathogenesis and open new avenues for targeted therapies, highlighting that METTL5-TPRKB axis is an underlying new therapeutic target in HCC management.

Induction of apoptosis by oridonin in nonfunctioning pituitary adenoma cells.

Nonfunctioning pituitary adenoma (NFPA) is one of the major subtypes of pituitary adenomas (PA) and its primary treatment is surgical resection. However, normal surgery fails to remove lesions completely and there remains in lack of frontline treatment, so the development of new drugs for NFPA is no doubt urgent. Oridonin (ORI) has been reported to have antitumor effects on a variety of tumors, but whether it could exhibit the same effect on NFPA requires to be further investigated. The effects of ORI on pituitary-derived folliculostellate cell line (PDFS) cell viability, colony formation, proliferation ability, migration, and invasion were examined by Cell Counting Kit-8, colony formation assay, 5­Ethynyl­2'­deoxyuridine proliferation assay, wound-healing assay, and Transwell assay. The differentially expressed genes in the control and ORI-treated groups were screened by transcriptome sequencing analysis and analyzed by Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment. Cell cycle analysis was performed to detect changes in cell cycle. Annexin V-fluorescein isothiocyanate/propidium iodide staining was performed to detect apoptosis in ORI-treated cells. Western blot assay was performed to detect Bax, Bcl-2, and cleaved Caspase-3 protein expression. ORI inhibited PDFS cell viability and significantly suppressed cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. GO and KEGG results showed that ORI was associated with signaling pathways such as cell cycle and apoptosis in PDFS cells. In addition, ORI blocked cells in G2/M phase and induced apoptosis in PDFS cells. ORI can trigger cell cycle disruption and apoptosis collaboratively in PDFS cells, making it a promising and effective agent for NFPA therapy.

Mendelian randomization analyses reveal causal relationships between brain functional networks and risk of psychiatric disorders.

Dysfunction of brain resting-state functional networks has been widely reported in psychiatric disorders. However, the causal relationships between brain resting-state functional networks and psychiatric disorders remain largely unclear. Here we perform bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses to investigate the causalities between 191 resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rsfMRI) phenotypes (n = 34,691 individuals) and 12 psychiatric disorders (n = 14,307 to 698,672 individuals). Forward MR identified 8 rsfMRI phenotypes causally associated with the risk of psychiatric disorders. For example, the increase in the connectivity of motor, subcortical-cerebellum and limbic network was associated with lower risk of autism spectrum disorder. In adddition, increased connectivity in the default mode and central executive network was associated with lower risk of post-traumatic stress disorder and depression. Reverse MR analysis revealed significant associations between 4 psychiatric disorders and 6 rsfMRI phenotypes. For instance, the risk of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder increases the connectivity of the attention, salience, motor and subcortical-cerebellum network. The risk of schizophrenia mainly increases the connectivity of the default mode and central executive network and decreases the connectivity of the attention network. In summary, our findings reveal causal relationships between brain functional networks and psychiatric disorders, providing important interventional and therapeutic targets for psychiatric disorders at the brain functional network level.

New record of Joffre's pipistrelle, Mirostrellusjoffrei (Chiroptera, Vespertilionidae), in China.

Background: Mirostrellusjoffrei Thomas, 1915 is the sole species within the genus Mirostrellus and its occurrence is notably rare in China. Despite the recent discovery of four previously unreported specimens from western Yunnan, China (Zaoteng River, 25.31°N, 98.80°E, altitude 1451 m) at the National Museum of Prague in the Czech Republic, comprehensive descriptions or detailed accounts of this species within China have yet to be published. New information: During a field expedition within the Guanyinshan Provincial Nature Reserve, Yuanyang, Yunnan, China, a bat was captured using a mist net. The specimen was of moderate size, with its ventral surface presenting a golden-brown hue and its dorsal surface ranging from dark brown to obsidian. The forearm measured 37.31 mm, while the fifth digit was conspicuously diminished in comparison to the others. The snout was robust, featuring prominent buccal glands. It was characterised by a well-developed upper frame and a barely visible low sagittal crest. The upper canines possessed well-developed posterior cusps. The dentition comprised two upper and two lower premolars, with the first upper premolar being notably small and the lower molars being distinctly myotodont. These attributes correspond with the known traits of Mirostrellusjoffrei. Phylogenetically, the sequence of this specimen clustered with that of M.joffrei, forming an independent clade. Through an examination of its morphological characteristics and a phylogenetic analysis of the mitochondrial cytochrome b (Cyt b), cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) and recombination activating gene 2 (RAG2) sequences, we identified the specimen as M.joffrei, thus confirming the presence of Joffre's pipistrelle in China.

The Relationship between Addictive Use of Short-Video Platforms and Marital Satisfaction in Older Chinese Couples: An Asymmetrical Dyadic Process.

Increasing evidence indicates that the addictive use of social media can have a detrimental effect on marital satisfaction, due mainly to the decrease in time and focus given to one's spouse. However, the impact of social media use among older couples remains under-investigated, and the research that does exist relies on individual-level data that do not allow the exploration of the dynamics between the dyadic partners. Therefore, the present study focused on older adults' use of short-video platforms, as these have been shown to be particularly addictive for older adults. A sample of 264 older couples was gathered (meanage = 68.02, SD = 8.68), and both spouses completed surveys reporting addictive use of short-video platforms, negative emotions, and marital satisfaction. Using an actor-partner interdependence model, we found an asymmetrical dyadic process in that the addictive use of short-video platforms by the wives was not only related to their own negative emotions, but also those of their spouse, as well as to decreased marital satisfaction. Meanwhile, addictive use by the husbands seemed to relate only to their own increased negative emotions, as well as to decreased marital satisfaction. Together, the findings from this study reveal dyadic dynamics with delineated pathways through which the addictive use of short-video platforms can damage older couples' interactive processes and marital satisfaction.

Application and Mechanism of Cryptolepine and Neocryptolepine Derivatives as T3SS Inhibitors for Control of Bacterial Leaf Blight on Rice.

Bacterial leaf blight (BLB) caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv oryzae (Xoo) is extremely harmful to rice production. The traditional control approach is to use bactericides that target key bacterial growth factors, but the selection pressure on the pathogen makes resistant strains the dominant bacterial strains, leading to a decline in bactericidal efficacy. Type III secretion system (T3SS) is a conserved and critical virulence factor in most Gram-negative bacteria, and its expression or absence does not affect bacterial growth, rendering it an ideal target for creating drugs against Gram-negative pathogens. In this work, we synthesized a range of derivatives from cryptolepine and neocryptolepine. We found that compound Z-8 could inhibit the expression of Xoo T3SS-related genes without affecting the growth of bacteria. an in vivo bioassay showed that compound Z-8 could effectively reduce the hypersensitive response (HR) induced by Xoo in tobacco and reduce the pathogenicity of Xoo in rice. Furthermore, it exhibited synergy in control of bacterial leaf blight when combined with the quorum quenching bacterial F20.

New records of Harpiolaisodon (Chiroptera, Vespertilionidae) from the Chinese mainland.

Background: The new species, Harpiolaisodon Kuo et al., 2006, was described from Taiwan, China. So far, no distribution of this species outside Taiwan has been reported. New information: During two field investigations of small mammals in Guanyin Mountains Provincial Nature Reserve, Yuanyang, Yunnan, China, in April 2022 and May 2023, five individuals of Harpiola were collected in the mid-montane evergreen broad-leaved forest. Our morphological and molecular results reveal that these individuals from the Chinese mainland belong to Harpiolaisodon, extending the occurrence of this species well beyond its known distributions in Taiwan, China and Vietnam.

Description of a New Species of the Pareas hamptoni Complex from Yunnan, China, with Confirmation of P. hamptoni Sensu Stricto in China (Squamata, Pareidae).

We describe a new species of the genus Pareas, based on three specimens collected from Guanyinshan Provincial Nature Reserve in Yuanyang County, Honghe Prefecture, Yunnan Province, China. The new species is distinguished from its congeners by one preocular, one postocular or postocular fused with subocular, loreal not bordering the orbit, one row enlarged vertebral scales, five rows keeled mid-dorsal scales at the middle of the body, 189-192 ventral scales and 72-89 subcaudal scales. The dorsal surfaces of the head and body are yellowish red or yellowish brown, and the belly and ventral surfaces of the head and tail are pinkish yellow or yellow with more or less small black spots. Phylogenetic analyses of mitochondrial DNA recovered the new species being the sister taxon to P. hamptoni sensu stricto. The genetic divergences between the new species and P. hamptoni sensu stricto were 4.2% in the Cyt b sequences and 5.0% in the ND4 sequences. In addition, based on specimens collected from Honghe and Wenshan prefectures, we confirmed that P. hamptoni sensu stricto is distributed in China.

Chitiniphilus purpureus sp. nov., a novel chitin-degrading bacterium isolated from crawfish pond sediment.

A novel Gram-stain-negative, curved rod-shaped, motile and chitin-degrading strain, designated CD1T, was isolated from crawfish pond sediment in Caidian District (30° 58' N 114° 03' E), Wuhan City, Hubei Province, PR China. Growth of this strain was observed at 15-40°C (optimum between 28 and 30 °C), at pH 7.0-9.0 (optimum between pH 7.0 and 8.0) and with 0-1 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum at 0 %). With respect to the 16S rRNA gene sequences, strain CD1T had the highest similarity (96.91-97.25 %) to four type strains of the genera 'Chitinolyticbacter' and Chitiniphilus within the family Chitinibacteraceae. The phylogenetic trees based on genome sequences and 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain CD1T was close to members of these two genera, in particular to the genus Chitiniphilus. The genomic DNA G+C content of strain CD1T was 64.8 mol%. The average nucleotide identity and the Genome-to-Genome Distance Calculator results showed low relatedness (below 95 and 70 %, respectively) between strain CD1T and the closely related type strains. Ubiquinone-8 was the predominant quinone. The major cellular fatty acids were C10 : 0, C16 : 0, summed feature 3 (C16 : 1 ω7c and/or C16 : 1 ω6c) and summed feature 8 (C18 : 1 ω7c and/or C18 : 1 ω6c). The polar lipid profile was composed of a mixture of diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, four unidentified lipids, two unidentified phospholipids, two unidentified aminolipids and an unidentified aminoglycolipid. On the basis of the evidences presented in this study, strain CD1T represents a novel species of the genus Chitiniphilus, for which the name Chitiniphilus purpureus sp. nov. is proposed, with strain CD1T (=CCTCC AB 2022395T=KCTC 92850T) as the type strain.

Diagnosing and tracking depression based on eye movement in response to virtual reality.

Introduction: Depression is a prevalent mental illness that is primarily diagnosed using psychological and behavioral assessments. However, these assessments lack objective and quantitative indices, making rapid and objective detection challenging. In this study, we propose a novel method for depression detection based on eye movement data captured in response to virtual reality (VR). Methods: Eye movement data was collected and used to establish high-performance classification and prediction models. Four machine learning algorithms, namely eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), multilayer perceptron (MLP), Support Vector Machine (SVM), and Random Forest, were employed. The models were evaluated using five-fold cross-validation, and performance metrics including accuracy, precision, recall, area under the curve (AUC), and F1-score were assessed. The predicted error for the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) score was also determined. Results: The XGBoost model achieved a mean accuracy of 76%, precision of 94%, recall of 73%, and AUC of 82%, with an F1-score of 78%. The MLP model achieved a classification accuracy of 86%, precision of 96%, recall of 91%, and AUC of 86%, with an F1-score of 92%. The predicted error for the PHQ-9 score ranged from -0.6 to 0.6.To investigate the role of computerized cognitive behavioral therapy (CCBT) in treating depression, participants were divided into intervention and control groups. The intervention group received CCBT, while the control group received no treatment. After five CCBT sessions, significant changes were observed in the eye movement indices of fixation and saccade, as well as in the PHQ-9 scores. These two indices played significant roles in the predictive model, indicating their potential as biomarkers for detecting depression symptoms. Discussion: The results suggest that eye movement indices obtained using a VR eye tracker can serve as useful biomarkers for detecting depression symptoms. Specifically, the fixation and saccade indices showed promise in predicting depression. Furthermore, CCBT demonstrated effectiveness in treating depression, as evidenced by the observed changes in eye movement indices and PHQ-9 scores. In conclusion, this study presents a novel approach for depression detection using eye movement data captured in VR. The findings highlight the potential of eye movement indices as biomarkers and underscore the effectiveness of CCBT in treating depression.

Arsenite Mediates Selenite Resistance and Reduction in Enterobacter sp. Z1, Thereby Enhancing Bacterial Survival in Selenium Environments.

Arsenic (As) is widely present in the environment, and virtually all bacteria possess a conserved ars operon to resist As toxicity. High selenium (Se) concentrations tend to be cytotoxic. Se has an uneven regional distribution and is added to mitigate As contamination in Se-deficient areas. However, the bacterial response to exogenous Se remains poorly understood. Herein, we found that As(III) presence was crucial for Enterobacter sp. Z1 to develop resistance against Se(IV). Se(IV) reduction served as a detoxification mechanism in bacteria, and our results demonstrated an increase in the production of Se nanoparticles (SeNPs) in the presence of As(III). Tandem mass tag proteomics analysis revealed that the induction of As(III) activated the inositol phosphate, butanoyl-CoA/dodecanoyl-CoA, TCA cycle, and tyrosine metabolism pathways, thereby enhancing bacterial metabolism to resist Se(IV). Additionally, arsHRBC, sdr-mdr, purHD, and grxA were activated to participate in the reduction of Se(IV) into SeNPs. Our findings provide innovative perspectives for exploring As-induced Se biotransformation in prokaryotes.

Contributions of selenium-oxidizing bacteria to selenium biofortification and cadmium bioremediation in a native seleniferous Cd-polluted sandy loam soil.

Selenium (Se) is a trace element that is essential for human health. Daily dietary Se intake is governed by the food chain through soil-plant systems. However, the cadmium (Cd) content tends to be excessive in seleniferous soil, in which Se and Cd have complex interactions. Therefore, it is a great challenge to grow crops containing appreciable amounts of Se but low amounts of Cd. We compared the effects of five Se-transforming bacteria on Se and Cd uptake by Brassica rapa L. in a native seleniferous Cd-polluted soil. The results showed that three Se-oxidizing bacteria (LX-1, LX-100, and T3F4) increased the Se content of the aboveground part of the plant by 330.8%, 309.5%, and 724.3%, respectively, compared to the control (p < 0.05). The three bacteria also reduced the aboveground Cd content by 15.1%, 40.4%, and 16.4%, respectively (p < 0.05). In contrast, the Se(IV)-reducing bacterium ES2-45 and weakly Se-transforming bacterium LX-4 had no effect on plant Se uptake, although they did decrease the aboveground Cd content. In addition, the three Se-oxidizing bacteria increased the Se available in the soil by 38.4%, 20.4%, and 24.0%, respectively, compared to the control (p < 0.05). The study results confirm the feasibility of using Se-oxidizing bacteria to simultaneously enhance plant Se content and reduce plant Cd content in seleniferous Cd-polluted soil.

Genome-wide meta-analysis, functional genomics and integrative analyses implicate new risk genes and therapeutic targets for anxiety disorders.

Anxiety disorders are the most prevalent mental disorders. However, the genetic etiology of anxiety disorders remains largely unknown. Here we conducted a genome-wide meta-analysis on anxiety disorders by including 74,973 (28,392 proxy) cases and 400,243 (146,771 proxy) controls. We identified 14 risk loci, including 10 new associations near CNTNAP5, MAP2, RAB9BP1, BTN1A1, PRR16, PCLO, PTPRD, FARP1, CDH2 and RAB27B. Functional genomics and fine-mapping pinpointed the potential causal variants, and expression quantitative trait loci analysis revealed the potential target genes regulated by the risk variants. Integrative analyses, including transcriptome-wide association study, proteome-wide association study and colocalization analyses, prioritized potential causal genes (including CTNND1 and RAB27B). Evidence from multiple analyses revealed possibly causal genes, including RAB27B, BTN3A2, PCLO and CTNND1. Finally, we showed that Ctnnd1 knockdown affected dendritic spine density and resulted in anxiety-like behaviours in mice, revealing the potential role of CTNND1 in anxiety disorders. Our study identified new risk loci, potential causal variants and genes for anxiety disorders, providing insights into the genetic architecture of anxiety disorders and potential therapeutic targets.

A transposon-derived gene family regulates heading date in rice.

As a consequence of transposon domestication, transposon-derived proteins often acquire important biological functions. However, there have been limited studies on transposon-derived proteins in rice, and a systematic analysis of transposon-derived genes is lacking. Here, for the first time, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of the DDE_Tnp_4 (DDE) gene family, which originated from transposons but lost their transpositional ability and acquired new gene functions in Oryza species. A total of 58 DDE family genes, categorized into six groups, were identified in Oryza species, including 13 OsDDE genes in Oryza sativa ssp. japonica. Our analysis indicates that gene duplication events were not the primary mechanism behind the expansion of OsDDE genes in rice. Promoter cis-element analysis combined with haplotype analysis confirmed that OsDDEs regulate the heading date in rice. Specifically, OsDDE9 is a nuclear-localized protein expressed ubiquitously, which promotes heading date by regulating the expression of Ghd7 and Ehd1 under both short-day and long-day conditions. Single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) variations in the OsDDE9 promoter leads to changes in promoter activity, resulting in variations in heading dates. This study provides valuable insights into the molecular function and mechanism of the OsDDE genes.

Short pathways to highly active antimicrobial: structurally diverse polyamines derivatives from Amino-Aldehyde condensation strategy.

BACKGROUND: Chemical fungicides are the mainstay of plant disease control in agricultural production, but there are a very limited number of drugs that can effectively control plant diseases. Two series of secondary amine derivatives were synthesized using the diamine skeleton combined with saturated aromatic and aliphatic aldehydes, and their antibacterial and antifungal activities against plant pathogens were determined. In addition, the antimicrobial mechanism of the highly active compound A26 was preliminarily examined against Xanthomonas oryzae (Xoo). RESULTS: Compound A26 exhibited the highest antibacterial potency among all the target compounds, with MIC values of 3.12, 3.12 and 12.5 µg mL-1 against Xoo, Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. Citri and Pseudomonas sollamacearum, respectively. In addition, compound A26 had powerful curative and protective effects against Xoo at 200 µg mL-1 , and was better than the control agent Xinjunan. Preliminary mechanistic studies showed that compound A26 reduced the bacterial pathogenicity by targeting cell membranes and inhibiting the secretion of extracellular polysaccharides. Meanwhile, the toxicity of compound A26 to Human Embryonic Kidney 293 cells and Human Liver-7702 was similar to that of Xinjunan, and it had moderate toxicity according to the World Health Organization classification standard of oral exogenous toxicity, with an LD50 of 245.47 mg kg-1 . CONCLUSION: Secondary amines have efficient and broad-spectrum antibacterial activity against plant pathogenic bacteria and are expected to be a new class of candidate compounds for antibacterial drugs. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Efficacy of pterostilbene suppression on Aspergillus flavus growth, aflatoxin B1 biosynthesis and potential mechanisms.

Aspergillus flavus, a widespread saprotrophic filamentous fungus, could colonize agricultural crops with aflatoxin contamination, which endangers food security and the agricultural economy. A safe, effective and environmentally friendly fungicide is urgently needed. Pterostilbene, a natural phytoalexin originated from Pterocarpus indicus Willd., Vaccinium spp. and Vitis vinifera L., has been reported to possess excellent antimicrobial activity. More importantly, it is quite safe and healthy. In our screening tests of plant polyphenols for the inhibition of A. flavus, we found that pterostilbene evidently inhibited mycelial growth of Aspergillus flavus (EC50 = 15.94 µg/mL) and the inhibitory effect was better than that of natamycin (EC50 = 22.01 µg/mL), which is a natural product widely used in food preservation. Therefore, we provided insights into the efficacy of pterostilbene suppression on A. flavus growth, aflatoxin B1 biosynthesis and its potential mechanisms against A. flavus in the present study. Here, pterostilbene at concentrations of 250 and 500 µg/mL could effectively inhibit the infection of A. flavus on peanuts. And the biosynthesis of the secondary metabolite aflatoxin B1 was also inhibited. The antifungal effects of pterostilbene are exerted by inducing a large amount of intracellular reactive oxygen species production to bring the cells into a state of oxidative stress, damaging cellular biomolecules such as DNA, proteins and lipids and destroying the integrity of the cell membrane. Taken together, our study strongly supported the fact that pterostilbene could be considered a safe and effective antifungal agent against A. flavus infection.