Effect of Reproductive Stage-Waterlogging on the Growth and Yield of Upland Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum).

The reproductive stage of cotton (Gossypium sp.) is highly sensitive to waterlogging. The identification of potential elite upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) cultivar(s) having higher waterlogging tolerance is crucial to expanding cotton cultivation in the low-lying areas. The present study was designed to investigate the effect of waterlogging on the reproductive development of four elite upland cotton cultivars, namely, Rupali-1, CB-12, CB-13, and DM-3, against four waterlogging durations (e.g., 0, 3, 6, and 9-day). Waterlogging stress significantly impacted morpho-physiological, biochemical, and yield attributes of cotton. Two cotton cultivars, e.g., CB-12 and Rupali-1, showed the lowest reduction in plant height (6 and 9%, respectively) and boll weight (8 and 5%, respectively) at the highest waterlogging duration of 9 days. Physiological and biochemical data revealed that higher leaf chlorophyll, proline, and relative water contents, and lower malondialdehyde contents, particularly in CB-12 and Rupali-1, were positively correlated with yield. Notably, CB-12 and Rupali-1 had higher seed cotton weight (90.34 and 83.10 g, respectively), lint weight (40.12 and 39.32 g, respectively), and seed weight (49.47 and 43.78 g, respectively) per plant than CB-13 and DM-3 in response to the highest duration of waterlogging of 9 days. Moreover, extensive multivariate analyses like Spearman correlation and the principle component analysis revealed that CB-12 and Rupali-1 had greater coefficients in yield and physiological attributes at 9-day waterlogging, whereas CB-13 and DM-3 were sensitive cultivars in response to the same levels of waterlogging. Thus, CB-12 and Rupali-1 might be well adapted to the low-lying waterlogging-prone areas for high and sustained yield.

Optimum Nitrogen Application Acclimatizes Root Morpho-Physiological Traits and Yield Potential in Rice under Subtropical Conditions.

Nitrogen (N) is a highly essential macronutrient for plant root growth and grain yield (GY). To assess the relationship among N, root traits, and the yield of boro (dry season irrigated) rice, a pot experiment was performed in the Department of Agronomy, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, Bangladesh, during the boro rice season of 2020-2021. Three boro rice varieties, namely BRRI dhan29, Hira-2, and Binadhan-10, were planted at four N doses: 0 kg ha-1 (N0), 70 kg ha-1 (N70), 140 kg ha-1 (N140), and 210 kg ha-1 (N210). The experiment was conducted following a completely randomized design with three replicates. The varieties were evaluated for root number (RN), root length (RL), root volume (RV), root porosity (RP), leaf area index (LAI), total dry matter (TDM), and yield. The results indicated that the Binadhan-10, Hira-2, and BRRI dhan29 varieties produced better root characteristics under at the N140 and N210 levels. A substantial positive association was noticed between the grain yield and the root traits, except for root porosity. Based on the root traits and growth dynamics, Binadhan-10 performed the best at the N140 level and produced the highest grain yield (26.96 g pot-1), followed by Hira-2 (26.35 g pot-1) and BRRI dhan29 (25.90 g pot-1).

Dissecting the Relationship between Root Morphological Traits and Yield Attributes in Diverse Rice Cultivars under Subtropical Condition.

Understanding the link between root morphological traits and yields is crucial for improving crop management. To evaluate this link, a pot experiment was conducted in the net house of the Department of Agronomy, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, Bangladesh during the boro(dry season irrigated) rice growing season of 2019-20. Thirteen cultivars, named BRRI dhan29, BRRI dhan58, BRRI dhan67, BRRI dhan74, BRRI dhan81, Binadhan-8, Binadhan-10, Hira-2, Tej gold, SL8H, Jagliboro, Rata boro, and Lakhai, were used following a completely randomized design (CRD) with three replications. The cultivars were screened for root number (RN), root length (RL), root volume (RV), root porosity (RP), leaf area index (LAI), total dry matter (TDM), and grain yield (GY). A considerable variation in root traits, LAI, and TDM were found among the studied cultivars, and the highest GY (26.26 g pot-1)was found for Binahan-10. Thirteen cultivars were grouped into three clusters using hierarchical cluster analysis, where clusters 1, 2, and 3 assembled with 3, 5, and 5 cultivars, respectively. Considering all of the studied traits, Cluster 3 (Binadhan-10, Hira-2, BRRI dhan29, BRRI dhan58, and Tejgold) showed promise, followed by Cluster 2 (BRRI dhan81, BRRI dhan67, SL8H, BRRI dhan74, and Binadhan-8). Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that the RV, RDW, RFW, TDM, and GY are effective traits for rice cultivation.

Assessing Silicon-Mediated Growth Performances in Contrasting Rice Cultivars under Salt Stress.

Silicon (Si) application has great potential to improve salt tolerance in a variety of crop plants. However, it is unclear how Si influences the responses of contrasting rice cultivars when exposed to excessive salt. Here, we investigated the functions of Si in alleviating the negative effects of salt stress on two contrasting rice cultivars, namely BRRI dhan48 (salt-sensitive) and Binadhan-10 (salt-tolerant). Rice seedlings was pre-treated with three doses of Si (as silicic acid; 0, 1 and 2 mM) for 14 days at one-day interval before being exposed to salt stress (10 dSm-1) in a sustained water bath system. The results demonstrated that the seedlings of BRRI dhan48 and Binadhan-10, respectively exhibited substantial reductions in shoot height (16 and 9%), shoot fresh weight (64 and 43%) and shoot dry weight (50 and 39%) under salinity. Intriguingly, BRRI dhan48 pre-treated with 1 and 2 mM Si, respectively, showed a higher increase in shoot height (SH) (by 25.90 and 26.08%) as compared with Binadhan-10 (by 3 and 8%) under salt stress compared with their respective controls. Data revealed that a comparatively higher improvement in the growth performances of the salt-induced Si pre-treated BRRI dhan48 than that of Binadhan-10. For example, 1 and 2 mM of Si treatments significantly attributed to elevated leaf relative water content (RWC) (13 and 22%), proline (138 and 165%), chlorophyll a (42 and 44%), chlorophyll b (91 and 72%), total chlorophyll (58 and 53%) and carotenoids (33 and 29%), and recovery in the reductions of electrolyte leakage (13 and 21%), malondialdehyde content (23 and 30%) and shoot Na+/K+ ratio (22 and 52%) in BRRI dhan48 compared with Si-untreated control plants under salt stress. In addition, we found salt-tolerant Binadhan-10 also had enhanced RWC (9 and 19%), proline (12 and 26%) with pre-treatment with 1 and 2 mM of Si, respectively, under salt stress, while no significant differences were noticed in the case of photosynthetic pigments and Na+/K+ ratio. Our results showed that Si supplementation potentiated higher salt-tolerance ability in the salt-sensitive BRRI dhan48 as compared with salt-tolerant Binadhan-10. Thus, Si application could be highly beneficial in the growth recovery of the salinity-affected salt-sensitive high yielding rice cultivars in the saline-prone areas.

Enhanced triterpene accumulation in Panax ginseng hairy roots overexpressing mevalonate-5-pyrophosphate decarboxylase and farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase.

To elucidate the function of mevalonate-5-pyrophosphate decarboxylase (MVD) and farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase (FPS) in triterpene biosynthesis, the genes governing the expression of these enzymes were transformed into Panax ginseng hairy roots. All the transgenic lines showed higher expression levels of PgMVD and PgFPS than that by the wild-type control. Among the hairy root lines transformed with PgMVD, M18 showed the highest level of transcription compared to the control (14.5-fold higher). Transcriptions of F11 and F20 transformed with PgFPS showed 11.1-fold higher level compared with control. In triterpene analysis, M25 of PgMVD produced 4.4-fold higher stigmasterol content (138.95 µg/100 mg, dry weight [DW]) than that by the control; F17 of PgFPS showed the highest total ginsenoside (36.42 mg/g DW) content, which was 2.4-fold higher compared with control. Our results indicate that metabolic engineering in P. ginseng was successfully achieved through Agrobacterium rhizogenes-mediated transformation and that the accumulation of phytosterols and ginsenosides was enhanced by introducing the PgMVD and PgFPS genes into the hairy roots of the plant. Our results suggest that PgMVD and PgFPS play an important role in the triterpene biosynthesis of P. ginseng.

Comparative analysis of flavonoids and polar metabolites from hairy roots of Scutellaria baicalensis and Scutellaria lateriflora.

Baicalin, baicalein, and wogonin were accumulated in hairy roots derived from Scutellaria lateriflora and Scutellaria baicalensis. The levels of baicalein and baicalin were 6.8 and 5.0 times higher, respectively, in S. baicalensis than in S. lateriflora. A total of 47 metabolites were detected and identified in Scutellaria species by GC-TOF MS. The metabolites from the two species were subjected to principal component analysis (PCA) to evaluate differences. PCA fully distinguished between the two species. The results showed that individual phenolic acids and phenylalanine, precursors for the phenylpropanoid biosynthetic pathway, were higher in S. baicalensis than in S. lateriflora. This GC-TOF MS-based metabolic profiling approach was a viable alternative method to differentiate metabolic profiles between species.

Herbicidal activity of formulated sorgoleone, a natural product of sorghum root exudate.

BACKGROUND: The allelochemical sorgoleone, a major component of the hydrophobic root exudates of Sorghum bicolor, was formulated as a wettable powder [4.6 WP] and evaluated as a natural herbicide on several weed and crop species under different growth conditions. RESULTS: Formulated sorgoleone [4.6 WP] suppressed germination and shoot growth of weeds, with broadleaf species showing greater susceptibility than grass weed species. Germination and growth of broadleaf weed species were completely suppressed (100%) at 0.2 g a.i. L(-1) sorgoleone in a growth chamber study. Post-emergence applications of the wettable formulation of sorgoleone [4.6 WP] inhibited 20-25% higher growth of weeds than pre-emergence applications under greenhouse conditions. Broadleaf weeds were more susceptible than grass species to both methods of application. In all studies, growth was suppressed in more than 90% of the broadleaf weeds and two species, in particular, Rumex japonicus and Plantago asiatica, were completely suppressed at 0.4 kg a.i. ha(-1) sorgoleone. The crop species, on the other hand, were much more tolerant to sorgoleone, with 30% inhibition, at most, at the highest rate of 0.4 kg a.i. ha(-1) sorgoleone. CONCLUSION: The results of this study reveal that sorgoleone, after formulation as a WP, is more effective in inhibiting weed growth, and crop species are tolerant to it. The strong weed suppressive ability of formulated sorgoleone therefore offers interesting possibilities as an effective natural environment-friendly approach for weed management.

Enhancement of anti-inflammatory activity of Aloe vera adventitious root extracts through the alteration of primary and secondary metabolites via salicylic acid elicitation.

Aloe vera (Asphodeloideae) is a medicinal plant in which useful secondary metabolites are plentiful. Among the representative secondary metabolites of Aloe vera are the anthraquinones including aloe emodin and chrysophanol, which are tricyclic aromatic quinones synthesized via a plant-specific type III polyketide biosynthesis pathway. However, it is not yet clear which cellular responses can induce the pathway, leading to production of tricyclic aromatic quinones. In this study, we examined the effect of endogenous elicitors on the type III polyketide biosynthesis pathway and identified the metabolic changes induced in elicitor-treated Aloe vera adventitious roots. Salicylic acid, methyl jasmonate, and ethephon were used to treat Aloe vera adventitious roots cultured on MS liquid media with 0.3 mg/L IBA for 35 days. Aloe emodin and chrysophanol were remarkably increased by the SA treatment, more than 10-11 and 5-13 fold as compared with untreated control, respectively. Ultra-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry analysis identified a total of 37 SA-induced compounds, including aloe emodin and chrysophanol, and 3 of the compounds were tentatively identified as tricyclic aromatic quinones. Transcript accumulation analysis of polyketide synthase genes and gas chromatography mass spectrometry showed that these secondary metabolic changes resulted from increased expression of octaketide synthase genes and decreases in malonyl-CoA, which is the precursor for the tricyclic aromatic quinone biosynthesis pathway. In addition, anti-inflammatory activity was enhanced in extracts of SA-treated adventitious roots. Our results suggest that SA has an important role in activation of the plant specific-type III polyketide biosynthetic pathway, and therefore that the efficacy of Aloe vera as medicinal agent can be improved through SA treatment.

Neuroprotective effects of Lycium chinense Miller against rotenone-induced neurotoxicity in PC12 cells.

Rotenone, an inhibitor of mitochondrial complex I, has been widely regarded as a neurotoxin because it induces a Parkinson's disease-like syndrome. The fruit and root bark of Lycium chinense Miller have been used as traditional medicines in Asia to treat neurodegenerative diseases. In this study, we examined the neuroprotective effects of Lycium chinense Miller extracts in rotenone-treated PC12 cells. Treatment with rotenone reduced PC12 cell viability and cellular ATP levels. Conversely, caspase 3/7 activity, the ratio of Bax:Bcl-2 expression levels, mitochondrial superoxide level, and intracellular calcium (Ca(2+)) concentration were elevated. Pretreatment with Lycium chinense Miller extracts significantly increased cell viability and ATP levels. Additionally, they attenuated caspase activation, mitochondrial membrane depolarization and mitochondrial superoxide production. Moreover, confocal microscopy showed that the mitochondrial staining pattern was restored from that of extracts treated cells and that the increase in intracellular Ca (2+) level was blunted by treatment with the extracts. Our results suggest that Lycium chinense Miller extracts may have the possible beneficial effects in Parkinson's disease by attenuating rotenone induced toxicity.

Cloning and characterization of a cDNA encoding calcium/calmodulin-dependent glutamate decarboxylase from Scutellaria baicalensis.

Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), synthesized by glutamate decarboxylase (GAD), plays an important role in plants. To study the molecular mechanism of GAD regulation and to examine the levels of GABA in Scutellaria baicalensis, we isolated cDNA clones (SbGAD1 and 2) encoding GAD from S. baicalensis. The open reading frames of SbGADI and 2 were 1,503 and 1,494 bp long and had 450 and 497 amino acid residues, respectively. Quantitative real-time RT-PCR analysis was performed to show the variation of transcript levels among different organs of S. baicalensis. Transcript levels of SbGAD1 and 2 were highest in the root and flower, respectively. The GABA content of different parts (ranked in descending order) was as follows: leaf > flower > stem > root. We concluded that the expression pattern of SbGAD1 and 2 did not match the accumulation pattern of GABA in different organs. We presume that GABA biosynthesis might be more controlled by SbGAD2 than SbGADI. These data will aid in future studies that seek to understand the mechanisms underlying GABA biosynthesis, an important amino acid that is synthesized by the GAD enzyme. To explain adequately the GABA biosynthesis mechanisms in S. baicalensis, the enzyme activities of SbGAD1 and 2 should be determined in the near future.

Influence of light on the free amino acid content and γ-aminobutyric acid synthesis in Brassica juncea seedlings.

Glutamate decarboxylase (GAD; EC 4.1.1.15) is an important enzyme in γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) biosynthesis. Here we report the influence of light on amino acid accumulation and investigate the molecular mechanism by which light influences GABA biosynthesis at the seedling stage of two mustard (Brassica juncea) cultivars (green-leaf and purple-leaf). Gene expression profiles of four GAD-encoding genes (GAD1, GAD2, GAD4a, and GAD4b) and their impact on GABA biosynthesis were analyzed. Light exerted an obvious influence on amino acid accumulation in mustard seedlings. GAD gene expression was also significantly regulated by light/dark or dark treatment, which differentially regulated GABA biosynthesis in B. juncea seedlings. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) revealed that the seeds of purple cultivars contain a higher amount of free amino acids and GABA than do the seeds of green cultivars. After seed germination, however, the accumulation of free amino acids peaked in dark-treated seedlings on day 9 in both cultivars, whereas GABA synthesis peaked at 9 days under light conditions. This study may provide a foundation for understanding the effect of light on amino acids, particularly GABA biosynthesis in Brassica plants.

Metabolomic analysis and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis in hairy root culture of tartary buckwheat cultivars.

Buckwheat, Fagopyrum tataricum Gaertn., is an important medicinal plant, which contains several phenolic compounds, including one of the highest content of rutin, a phenolic compound with anti-inflammatory properties. An experiment was conducted to investigate the level of expression of various genes in the phenylpropanoid biosynthetic pathway to analyze in vitro production of anthocyanin and phenolic compounds from hairy root cultures derived from 2 cultivars of tartary buckwheat (Hokkai T8 and T10). A total of 47 metabolites were identified by gas chromatography-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC-TOFMS) and subjected to principal component analysis (PCA) in order to fully distinguish between Hokkai T8 and T10 hairy roots. The expression levels of phenylpropanoid biosynthetic pathway genes, through qRT-PCR, showed higher expression for almost all the genes in T10 than T8 hairy root except for FtF3'H-2 and FtFLS-2. Rutin, quercetin, gallic acid, caffeic acid, ferulic acid, 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, and 2 anthocyanin compounds were identified in Hokkai T8 and T10 hairy roots. The concentration of rutin and anthocyanin in Hokkai T10 hairy roots of tartary buckwheat was several-fold higher compared with that obtained from Hokkai T8 hairy root. This study provides useful information on the molecular and physiological dynamic processes that are correlated with phenylpropanoid biosynthetic gene expression and phenolic compound content in F. tataricum species.

Metabolomics analysis and biosynthesis of rosmarinic acid in Agastache rugosa Kuntze treated with methyl jasmonate.

This study investigated the effect of methyl jasmonate (MeJA) on metabolic profiles and rosmarinic acid (RA) biosynthesis in cell cultures of Agastache rugosa Kuntze. Transcript levels of phenylpropanoid biosynthetic genes, i.e., ArPAL, Ar4CL, and ArC4H, maximally increased 4.5-fold, 3.4-fold, and 3.5-fold, respectively, compared with the untreated controls, and the culture contained relatively high amounts of RA after exposure of cells to 50 µM MeJA. RA levels were 2.1-, 4.7-, and 3.9-fold higher after exposure to 10, 50, and 100 µM MeJA, respectively, than those in untreated controls. In addition, the transcript levels of genes attained maximum levels at different time points after the initial exposure. The transcript levels of ArC4H and Ar4CL were transiently induced by MeJA, and reached a maximum of up to 8-fold at 3 hr and 6 hr, respectively. The relationships between primary metabolites and phenolic acids in cell cultures of A. rugosa treated with MeJA were analyzed by gas chromatography coupled with time-of-flight mass spectrometry. In total, 45 metabolites, including 41 primary metabolites and 4 phenolic acids, were identified from A. rugosa. Metabolite profiles were subjected to partial least square-discriminate analysis to evaluate the effects of MeJA. The results indicate that both phenolic acids and precursors for the phenylpropanoid biosynthetic pathway, such as aromatic amino acids and shikimate, were induced as a response to MeJA treatment. Therefore, MeJA appears to have an important impact on RA accumulation, and the increased RA accumulation in the treated cells might be due to activation of the phenylpropanoid genes ArPAL, ArC4H, and Ar4CL.

Effects of jasmonates on sorgoleone accumulation and expression of genes for sorgoleone biosynthesis in sorghum roots.

This study investigated the roles of jasmonates in the regulation of sorgoleone accumulation and the expression of genes involved in sorgoleone biosynthesis in sorghum roots. Both methyl jasmonate (MeJa) and jasmonic acid (JA) substantially promoted root hair formation, secondary root development, root weight, and sorgoleone accumulation in sorghum roots. Sorgoleone content varied widely depending on the concentration of JA or MeJa and the duration of their application. Root weight and sorgoleone accumulation were highest after the application of JA or MeJa at a concentration of 5.0 µM, and then declined with increasing concentrations of jasmonates. At 5.0 µM, JA and MeJa increased sorgoleone content by 4.1 and 3.4-fold, respectively. Transcript accumulation was apparent for all genes, particularly for the O-methyltransferase 3 gene, which increased in expression levels up to 8.1-fold after a 36-h exposure to MeJa and 3.5-fold after a 48-h exposure to JA. The results of this study pave the way for more effective biosynthesis of sorgoleone, an important and useful allelochemical obtained from a variety of plant species.

Protection from antimycin A-induced mitochondrial dysfunction by Nelumbo nucifera seed extracts.

Antimycin A (AMA) damages the mitochondria through inhibition of mitochondrial electron transport. In this study, exposure of L6 rat skeletal muscle cells to AMA induced a decrease in ATP content, followed by a decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential, leading to apoptosis. We evaluated the protective effects of water and ethanol extracts of Nelumbo nucifera seeds on L6 cells with AMA-induced oxidative stress. We found that the extracts reduced cellular apoptosis; preserved the mitochondrial membrane potential; protected mitochondrial ATP production; inhibited p53, Bax, and caspase 3 activities; and induced Bcl-2 production. Our results suggested that AMA induced apoptosis in L6 cells via impairment of mitochondrial function. N. nucifera extracts protected the cells from this mitochondria-mediated cell death.

Betaine protects against rotenone-induced neurotoxicity in PC12 cells.

Rotenone is an inhibitor of mitochondrial complex I-induced neurotoxicity in PC12 cells and has been widely studied to elucidate the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease. We investigated the neuroprotective effects of betaine on rotenone-induced neurotoxicity in PC12 cells. Betaine inhibited rotenone-induced apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner, with cell viability increasing from 50 % with rotenone treatment alone to 71 % with rotenone plus 100-µM betaine treatment. Flow cytometric analysis demonstrated cell death in the rotenone-treated cells to be over 50 %; the number of live cells increased with betaine pretreatment. Betaine pretreatment of PC12 cells attenuated rotenone-mediated mitochondrial dysfunction, including nuclear fragmentation, ATP depletion, mitochondrial membrane depolarization, caspase-3/7 activation, and reactive oxygen species production. Western blots demonstrated activation of caspase-3 and caspase-9, and their increased expression levels in rotenone-treated cells; betaine decreased caspase-3 and caspase-9 expression levels and suppressed their activation. Together, these results suggest that betaine may serve as a neuroprotective agent in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.

Glucosinolate biosynthesis in hairy root cultures of broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica).

Here we present previously unreported glucosinolate production by hairy root cultures of broccoli (B. oleracea var. italica). Growth media greatly influenced the growth and glucosinolate content of hairy root cultures of broccoli. Seven glucosinolates, glucoraphanin, gluconapin, glucoerucin, glucobrassicin, 4-methoxyglucobrassicin, gluconasturtiin, and neoglucobrassicin, were identified by analysis of the broccoli hairy root cultures. Both half and full strength B5 and SH media enabled the highest accumulation of glucosinolates. In most cases, the levels of glucosinolates were higher in SH and BS media. Among the 7 glucosinolates, the accumulation of neoglucobrassicin was very high, irrespective of growth medium. The neoglucobrassicin content was 7.4-fold higher in SH medium than 1/2 MS, in which its level was the lowest. The 1/2 B5 medium supported the production of the highest amounts of glucobrassicin and 4-methoxyglucobrassicin, the levels for which were 36.2- and 7.9- fold higher, respectively, than their lowest content in 1/2 MS medium. The 1/2 SH medium enabled the highest accumulation of glucoraphanin and gluconapin in the broccoli hairy root cultures, whose levels were 1.8- and 4.6-fold higher, respectively, than their lowest content in 1/2 MS medium. Our results suggest that hairy root cultures of broccoli could be a valuable alternative approach for the production of glucosinolate compounds.

Scutellaria baicalensis Extracts and Flavonoids Protect Rat L6 Cells from Antimycin A-Induced Mitochondrial Dysfunction.

Antimycin A (AMA) damages mitochondria by inhibiting mitochondrial electron transport and can produce reactive oxygen species (ROS). ROS formation, aging, and reduction of mitochondrial biogenesis contribute to mitochondrial dysfunction. The present study sought to investigate extracts of Scutellaria baicalensis and its flavonoids (baicalin, baicalein, and wogonin), whether they could protect mitochondria against oxidative damage. The viability of L6 cells treated with AMA increased in the presence of flavonoids and extracts of S. baicalensis. ATP production decreased in the AMA treated group, but increased by 50% in cells treated with flavonoids (except wogonin) and extracts of S. baicalensis compared to AMA-treated group. AMA treatment caused a significant reduction (depolarized) in mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), whereas flavonoid treatment induced a significant increase in MMP. Mitochondrial superoxide levels increased in AMA treated cells, whereas its levels decreased when cells were treated with flavonoids or extracts of S. baicalensis. L6 cells treated with flavonoids and extracts of S. baicalensis increased their levels of protein expression compared with AMA-treated cells, especially water extracts performed the highest levels of protein expression. These results suggest that the S. baicalensis extracts and flavonoids protect against AMA-induced mitochondrial dysfunction by increasing ATP production, upregulating MMP, and enhancing mitochondrial function.

Metabolic profiling of glucosinolates, anthocyanins, carotenoids, and other secondary metabolites in kohlrabi (Brassica oleracea var. gongylodes).

We profiled and quantified glucosinolates, anthocyanins, carotenoids, and other secondary metabolites in the skin and flesh of pale green and purple kohlrabis. Analysis of these distinct kohlrabis revealed the presence of 8 glucosinolates, 12 anthocyanins, 2 carotenoids, and 7 phenylpropanoids. Glucosinolate contents varied among the different parts and types of kohlrabi. Glucoerucin contents were 4-fold higher in the flesh of purple kohlrabi than those in the skin. Among the 12 anthocyanins, cyanidin 3-(feruloyl)(sinapoyl) diglucoside-5-glucoside levels were the highest. Carotenoid levels were much higher in the skins than the flesh of both types of kohlrabi. The levels of most phenylpropanoids were higher in purple kohlrabi than in pale green ones. trans-Cinnamic acid content was 12.7-fold higher in the flesh of purple kohlrabi than that in the pale green ones. Thus, the amounts of glucosinolates, anthocyanins, carotenoids, and phenylpropanoids varied widely, and the variations in these compounds between the two types of kohlrabi were significant.

Effects of auxins on sorgoleone accumulation and genes for sorgoleone biosynthesis in sorghum roots.

Sorgoleone is a major component of the hydrophobic root exudate of Sorghum bicolor and is of particular interest to plant chemical ecology as well as agriculture. Sorgoleone was evaluated in this study to observe the expression levels of genes involved in its biosynthesis in response to auxins. Sorgoleone content varied widely according to the duration of application and the concentrations of the auxins. When the application time was increased, the sorgoleone content increased accordingly for all concentrations of IBA (1, 3, and 5 mg/L) and at 1 mg/L for both IAA and NAA. In this study, five different sorgoleone biosynthetic genes were observed, namely DES2, DES3, ARS1, ARS2, and OMT3, which are upregulated in response to IAA, IBA, and NAA. Transcript accumulation was apparent for all genes, but particularly for DES2, which increased up to 475-fold and 180-fold following 72 h exposure to NAA and IBA, respectively, compared to no treatment.