Effects of dried okra extract on lipid profile, renal function and some RAGE-related inflammatory genes expression in patients with diabetic nephropathy: A randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a common complication of type 2 diabetes. Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L) is reported to have anti-diabetic effects. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of dried okra extract (DOE) supplementation on lipid profile, renal function indices, and expression of inflammatory genes, as well as serum level of soluble Receptor for Advanced glycation end products (sRAGE) in patients with DN. METHODS: In this triple-blind randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial, 64 eligible patients with DN received either 125 mg of DOE or placebo daily along with DN-related nutritional recommendations for 10 weeks. Changes in kidney indices including proteinuria and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), lipid profile, serum SRAGE, as well as the expression of RAGE, ICAM-1, and IL-1 genes were measured over 10 weeks. RESULTS: After adjustment for the potential confounders, between-group analyses showed no significant differences in terms of lipid profile, kidney function indices, sRAGE, and RAGE-related inflammatory genes expression after 10 weeks. CONCLUSION: Daily 125 mg DOE along with nutritional recommendations on top of usual care did not lead to significant changes in renal function indices, lipid profile, and inflammatory genes expression in patients with DN.

Unlocking the potential of co-application of steel slag and biochar in mitigation of arsenic-induced oxidative stress by modulating antioxidant and glyoxalase system in Abelmoschus esculentus L.

This study investigates our hypothesis that how effect of arsenic stress on okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L.) can be alleviated through the use of waste materials such as steel slag (SS) and corncob biochar (BC). Different growth variables, biochemical parameters, oxidative stress markers, enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants and glyoxylase enzyme activities were assessed. When okra was exposed to As, there was a noticeable decrease in seedling length, biomass, relative water content, various biochemical attributes, however, electrolyte leakage and lipid peroxidation in okra were enhanced. The supplementation of SS and BC-either individually or in combination-improved the growth parameters and reduced oxidative stress markers. Application of SS and BC also lowered As accumulation in roots and shoots of okra mitigating adverse effects of As exposure. Additionally, the activities of antioxidant and glyoxalase enzyme increased when SS and BC were present, concurrently reducing methylglyoxal content. Arsenic-induced stress led to oxidative damage, an enhancement in both enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants, induced the synthesis of thiol and phytochelatins in roots and shoots. These may play a vital function in alleviating oxidative stress induced by As. Superoxide dismutase, catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, and glutathione reductase activities were significantly enhanced in As-treated plants. These enhancement were further amplified when SS and BC were amended to As-treated okra. Therefore, synergistic application of SS and BC effectively protects okra against oxidative stress induced by As by increasing both antioxidant defense and glyoxalase systems. Both SS, an industrial byproduct, and BC, generated from agricultural waste, are cost-effective, environmentally friendly, safe, and non-toxic materials which can be used for crop production in As contaminated soil.

The effect of Abelmoschus esculentus L. (Okra) extract supplementation on glycaemic control, inflammation, kidney function and expression of PPAR-α, PPAR-γ, TGF-ß and Nrf-2 genes in patients with diabetic nephropathy: a triple-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial.

The present study was carried out to evaluate the effects of okra extract supplementation on kidney function, glycaemic control, inflammation and gene expression in patients with diabetic nephropathy (DN). A total of sixty-four DN patients based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria were recruited in this triple-blind placebo-controlled randomised clinical trial. Participants were randomly allocated to receive a 125-mg capsule of dried okra extract (DOE) (n 32) or placebo (n 32) for 10 weeks. At the baseline and endpoint of the trial, kidney function, glycaemic indices, inflammation and gene expression were evaluated. Statistical analysis showed that fasting blood glucose, HbA1c and insulin resistance significantly reduced in the DOE group although between-group analysis did not show any significant difference. Also, no significant difference was observed in urine protein, urine creatinine and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein between the two groups. Furthermore, gene expression of PPAR-α, PPAR-γ, transforming growth factor-beta and Nrf-2 did not affect the end of the trial in comparison with the baseline. According to the present study, DOE did not have impressive effects on kidney function, inflammation, glycaemic management and gene expression in patients with DN.

Quercetin-mediated alteration in photosynthetic efficiency, sugar metabolism, elemental status, yield, and redox potential in two varieties of okra.

Quercetin is a bioactive natural compound with an antioxidative property that can potentially modify plant physiology. The current investigation aimed to gauge the effect of different concentrations of foliar spray of quercetin (0, 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2.0 mM) on several morphological and physio-biochemical performances of Abelmoschus esculentus L. (Moench.) plants under normal environmental conditions. The foliar spray on the plant leaves was applied 25 days after sowing (DAS) and continued up to 30 DAS once each day. The plants were sampled at 30 and 45 DAS to monitor several parameters. The foliar treatments of quercetin significantly upgraded all the studied parameters. The results direct that most of the traits such as growth, nutrient uptake, photosynthetic, and enzyme activities were promoted in a dose-dependent way. Quercetin application lowered the reactive oxygen species (ROS) buildup by increasing the antioxidant enzyme activities. Microscopic investigations further revealed a significant enhancement in the stomatal aperture under quercetin application. Out of several doses tested, 1 mM of quercetin proved best and can be used for further investigations.

Calcium oxide nanoparticles mitigate lead stress in Abelmoschus esculentus though improving the key antioxidative enzymes, nutritional content and modulation of stress markers.

Lead (Pb) is thought to be one of most injurious metals on the earth. Lead stress in plants enhances synthesis of highly toxic reactive oxygen species (ROS). During present research, impact of calcium-oxide nanoparticles (CaO-NPs) was observed on antioxidative defense mechanism in Abelmoschus esculentus plants prone to Pb stress. A CRD experiment was employed with 5 replicates having four treatments (T0 = Control, T1 = Pb stress (200 ppm), T2 = CaO-NPs and T3 = Pb + CaO-NPs). Pb-stressed seedlings exhibited decreased root growth, shoot growth, chlorophyll concentration and biomass accumulation. Moreover, higher synthesis of hydrogen-peroxide (H2O2), malondialdehyde (MDA) and electrolyte leakage (EL) resulting in cellular injuries were noted in plants growing in Pb spiked conditions. Similarly, stressed plants showed higher accumulation of total soluble sugar and proline content besides elevated activity of antioxidative enzymes counting catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione reductase (GR) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX). On the contrary side, CaO-NPs alleviated the Pb induced phytotoxicity through improving activity of antioxidative enzymes. The elevated activity of antioxidant enzymes reduced biosynthesis of H2O2 and MDA which was revealed through the increased growth parameters. In addition, CaO-NPs persuaded enhancement in plant defence machinery by decreased chlorophyll deprivation and augmented the uptake of plant nutrients including K and Ca content. Hence, CaO-NPs can be potent regulators of the antioxidative enzymes and stress markers to ameliorate abiotic stresses.

Genome architecture and genetic diversity of allopolyploid okra (Abelmoschus esculentus).

The allopolyploid okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) unveiled telomeric repeats flanking distal gene-rich regions and short interstitial TTTAGGG telomeric repeats, possibly representing hallmarks of chromosomal speciation. Ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes organize into 5S clusters, distinct from the 18S-5.8S-28S units, indicating an S-type rRNA gene arrangement. The assembly, in line with cytogenetic and cytometry observations, identifies 65 chromosomes and a 1.45 Gb genome size estimate in a haploid sibling. The lack of aberrant meiotic configurations implies limited to no recombination among sub-genomes. k-mer distribution analysis reveals 75% has a diploid nature and 15% heterozygosity. The configurations of Benchmarking Universal Single-Copy Ortholog (BUSCO), k-mer, and repeat clustering point to the presence of at least two sub-genomes one with 30 and the other with 35 chromosomes, indicating the allopolyploid nature of the okra genome. Over 130 000 putative genes, derived from mapped IsoSeq data and transcriptome data from public okra accessions, exhibit a low genetic diversity of one single nucleotide polymorphisms per 2.1 kbp. The genes are predominantly located at the distal chromosome ends, declining toward central scaffold domains. Long terminal repeat retrotransposons prevail in central domains, consistent with the observed pericentromeric heterochromatin and distal euchromatin. Disparities in paralogous gene counts suggest potential sub-genome differentiation implying possible sub-genome dominance. Amino acid query sequences of putative genes facilitated phenol biosynthesis pathway annotation. Comparison with manually curated reference KEGG pathways from related Malvaceae species reveals the genetic basis for putative enzyme coding genes that likely enable metabolic reactions involved in the biosynthesis of dietary and therapeutic compounds in okra.

The flower of Abelmoschus manihot (L.) medik exerts antioxidant effects by regulating the Nrf2 signalling pathway in scald injury.

Scald is a common skin injury in daily life. It is well known that skin burns are associated with inflammation and oxidative stress. In our previous study, we found that Abelmoschus manihot (L.) medik had excellent therapeutic effects on scald-induced inflammation, but its effect on scald-induced oxidative stress was not reported. In this study, a deep second-degree scald model in mice was established, and the wound healing rate, healing time, malondialdehyde (MDA) and total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD) levels, and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related Factor 2 (Nrf2) expression in wound tissue were measured to evaluate the scald wound healing performance of extraction from A. manihot (L.) medik (EAM). Scalding activity in mice was examined in vivo by hot water-induced finger swelling. The treatment scald activities were also examined in vivo by subjecting mice to thermal water-induced digit swelling. Additionally, the antioxidant effect of EAM on fibroblasts was also used to determine the mechanism in vitro. The results showed that EAM not only decreased the wound healing time but also effectively regulated the levels of oxidising, MDA and T-SOD in wound tissue. Concurrently, EAM suppressed digit swelling and hyperalgesia. Furthermore, EAM had a significant protective effect on NIH-3T3 cells after H2 O2 injury by regulating the Nrf2 signalling pathway against oxidative injury. Therefore, EAM is a promising drug for the treatment of scald-induced inflammation.

AeWRKY32 from okra regulates anthocyanin accumulation and cold tolerance in Arabidopsis.

Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L.) is a tropical crop species, and its growth and development are severely affected by cold stress. Recent studies have identified a potential association between WRKY transcription factors and the cold response mechanism of crops. In this study, the AeWRKY32 transcription factor that encodes 482 amino acids was amplified from A. esculentus, and its expression level was found to be the highest in the okra flower. AeWRKY32 localized to the nucleus and displayed transcriptional activation capability. Under normal conditions, overexpression of AeWRKY32 induced anthocyanin accumulation, with higher expression levels of AtCHS1, AtCHI4, AtF3H1, and AtDFR2 in transgenic Arabidopsis. Under cold stress, anthocyanin levels were further elevated in transgenic Arabidopsis plants. At the same time, AeWRKY32 overexpression promoted ABA biosynthesis, inhibited H2O2 and O2- generation, induced stomatal closure, reduced electrolyte leakage, and thus improved the cold resistance of transgenic Arabidopsis. Furthermore, under cold stress, the expression profiles of AtCOR413, AtCOR15B, AtCBF1, and AtCBF2 were upregulated in transgenic Arabidopsis. Overall, our study provides evidence that AeWRKY32 serves as a crucial regulator in both anthocyanin accumulation and cold tolerance of transgenic Arabidopsis. Our findings could provide insights into the molecular mechanism linking AeWRKYs to plant cold tolerance.

Effects of okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L.) leaves, fruits and seeds extracts on European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) leukocytes, and their cytotoxic, bactericidal and antioxidant properties.

Okra, Abelmoschus esculentus L., is a popular vegetable crop with many bioactive compounds. The in vitro immunostimulant, cytotoxic, bactericidal and antioxidant activities of ethanolic extracts obtained from different parts of okra (leaves, fruits, and seeds) were studied. Phytochemical screening of hydroalcoholic extracts of okra leaves, fruits and seeds revealed a significant content of total phenols and flavonoids. Notable effects on the activities of leukocytes in the head kidney of European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) (viability, phagocytic ability and capacity, and respiratory burst), as well as on peroxidase leukocyte contents were detected after incubation for 24 h with different concentrations (0.01-1 mg mL-1) of the extracts. The mean concentrations (0.1 and 0.5 mg mL-1) of the different extracts increased the phagocytic ability and respiratory activity of head kidney leukocytes. However, the mean concentrations (0.1 mg mL-1) of leaf and fruit extracts significantly decreased the peroxidase activity of leukocytes. In addition, all ethanolic okra extracts at higher concentrations (1 mg mL-1) produced a marked reduction in the viability of the DLB-1 cell line compared to the viability recorded in the control samples. In addition, ethanolic extracts used at 0.5 and 1 mg mL-1 had a significant cytotoxic effect on the viability of PLHC-1 cells. Finally, all doses of seed and leaf extracts at higher concentrations (0.5 and 1 mg mL-1) showed significant bactericidal activity on two fish pathogenic bacteria, Vibrio anguillarum and V. harveyi strains. Finally, a remarkable antioxidant activity was detected on the ethanolic extracts. All these results point to their possible use as an alternative to chemical compounds in farmed fish.

Effect of elevated ozone on the antioxidant response, genomic stability, DNA methylation pattern and yield in three species of Abelmoschus having different ploidy levels.

The majority of polyploids can withstand many stresses better than their monoploid counterparts; however, there is no proven mechanism that can fully explain the level of tolerance at the biochemical and molecular levels. Here, we make an effort to provide an explanation for this intriguing but perplexing issue using the antioxidant responses, genomic stability, DNA methylation pattern and yield in relation to ploidy level under the elevated level of ozone in Abelmoschus cytotypes. The outcome of this study inferred that the elevated ozone causes an increase in reactive oxygen species leading to enhanced lipid peroxidation, DNA damage and DNA de-methylation in all the Abelmoschus cytotypes. The monoploid cytotype of Abelmoschus, that is Abelmoschus moschatus L., experienced the highest oxidative stress under elevated O3, resulting in maximum DNA damage and DNA de-methylation leading to the maximum reduction in yield. While the diploid (Abelmoschus esculentus L.) and triploid (Abelmoschus caillei A. Chev.) cytotypes of Abelmoschus with lower oxidative stress result in lesser DNA damage and DNA de-methylation which ultimately leads to lower yield reduction. The result of this experiment explicitly revealed that polyploidy confers better adaptability in the case of Abelmoschus cytotypes under ozone stress. This study can further be used as a base to understand the mechanism behind the ploidy-induced stress tolerance in other plants mediated by gene dosage effect.

Hydrogen-rich water delays fruit softening and prolongs shelf life of postharvest okras.

The effect of hydrogen-rich water (HRW) treatment on softening, cell wall components and cell wall metabolic genes in okras after harvest was studied. The results showed that HRW treatment could maintain fruit firmness and delay softening, thereby prolonging shelf life in okras during storage. The treated okras displayed significantly lower levels water- and chelate-soluble pectins while higher contents of Na2CO3-soluble pectin, hemicellulose and cellulose. The cell wall biosynthesis was maintained by HRW treatment via up-regulating genes involved in biosynthesis of pectin, hemicellulose and cellulose at the beginning of storage. On the contrary, the treatment could inhibit the cell wall disassembly due to the down-regulation of numerous cell wall degradative genes including AePME, AeGAL and AeCX at the end of storage. Taken together, our results suggested that HRW treatment delayed softening and extended shelf life in postharvest okras through modifying cell wall biosynthesis and disassembly at different times of storage.

Comprehensive proteomic and metabolomic analysis uncover the response of okra to drought stress.

The response of okra to drought stress is very complicated, and the molecular mechanisms underlying this process remains ambiguous up to now. In this study, different degrees of water-stress responses of okra leaf were explained by using transcriptomics and metabolomic approaches. The photosynthesis and glycometabolism in okra leaf were both adversely affected by drought stress, leading to inhibition of the carbohydrate metabolic process, and then influencing the secondary plant metabolism. Further, drought stress disturbed amino acid metabolism, especially for the tyrosine-derived pathway as well as arginine and proline metabolism, which have been shown to be significantly enriched under water withholding conditions based on multi-omics conjoint analysis (transcriptome, proteome and metabolome). In-depth analysis of the internal linkages between differentially expressed transcripts, proteins, and metabolites decidedly indicate that tyrosine metabolism could confer tolerance to drought stress by influencing carbon and nitrogen metabolism. These findings provide a whole framework of the regulation and relationships of major transcripts and peptides related to secondary metabolism, particularly, the role of critical proteins and metabolite involved in the change of amino acid metabolism in response to drought stress.

Effect of quercetin and Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench on lipids metabolism and blood glucose through AMPK-α in diabetic rats (HFD/STZ).

Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) is a key enzyme in the glyconeogenesis pathway. The AMP-activated protein kinase alpha (AMPK-α) pathway regulates PEPCK, which itself is activated by the AMP/ATP ratio and liver kinase B1 (KB1). The Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench (okra) plant contains a large amount of quercetin that can function as an agonist or an antagonist. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of quercetin flavonoid and A. esculentus extract on the level of AMPK-α expression and associated metabolic pathways. The findings demonstrate that metformin, quercetin, and okra extract may significantly raise AMPK-α levels while significantly lowering PEPCK and hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) levels, in addition to improving glucose and lipid profiles. By stimulating KB1, these substances increased AMPK-α activation. Additionally, AMPK-α activation improved insulin resistance and Glucose transporter type 4 (GLUT4) gene expression levels. Since AMPK-α maintains energy balance and its activity has not been reported to be inhibited so far, it could be a potent therapeutic target. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: The development of effective AMPK-α agonists and antagonists holds promise for the treatment of metabolic disorders like diabetes. Dietary polyphenols are a valuable source for developing new drugs. However, due to the lack of understanding of the underlying mechanisms of their effect on cells, their use in the treatment of diabetes is controversial. In addition to chemicals that have medicinal benefits, chemists are searching for less harmful substances. Using plants containing bioactive chemicals for this purpose can be a good alternative to chemical drugs.

Aspergillus violaceofuscus alleviates cadmium and chromium stress in Okra through biochemical modulation.

Endophytic fungi from the Chilli were used to help okra plants exposed to cadmium (Cd) or chromium (Cr) stress. Initially, the strain Ch06 produced higher amounts of indole acetic acid (IAA) (230.5 µg/mL), sugar (130.7 µg/mL), proteins (128.2 µg/mL), phenolics (525.6 µg/mL) and flavonoids (98.4 µg/mL) in Czapek broth supplemented with Cd or Cr. The production of IAA and other metabolites in such a higher concentration suggested that Ch06 might improve plant growth under heavy metal stress. For this reason, an experiment was designed, in which biomass of Ch06 (at 2g/100g of sand) were applied to the okra plants exposed to Cd or Cr stress (at 100 or 500 µg/g). The results exhibited that Ch06 improved the total chlorophyll (36.4±0.2 SPAD), shoot length (22.6±0.2 cm), root length (9.1±0.6 cm), fresh weight (5±0.6 g), dry weight (1.25±0.01 g), sugars (151.6 µg/g), proteins (114.8 µg/g), proline (6.7 µg/g), flavonoids (37.9 µg/g), phenolics (70.7 µg/g), IAA (106.7 µg/g), catalase (0.75 enzyme units/g tissue) and ascorbic acid oxidaze (2.2 enzyme units/g tissue) of the associated okra plants. Similar observations have been recorded in Ch06 associated okra plants under Cd and Cr stress. Also, Ch06 association reduced translocation of Cd (35% and 45%) and Cr (47% and 53%) to the upper parts of the okra plants and thus reduced their toxicity. The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region amplification of 18S rDNA (ribosomal deoxyribo nucleic acid) exhibited that the potent strain Ch06 was Aspergillus violaceofuscus. The results implied that A. violaceofuscus has the ability to promote host species growth exposed to Cd and Cr. Moreover, it helped the host plants to recover in Cd and Cr polluted soils, hence can be used as biofertilizer.

Ectopic Expression of AeNAC83, a NAC Transcription Factor from Abelmoschus esculentus, Inhibits Growth and Confers Tolerance to Salt Stress in Arabidopsis.

NAC transcription factors play crucial roles in plant growth, development and stress responses. Previously, we preliminarily identified that the transcription factor AeNAC83 gene was significantly up-regulated under salt stress in okra (Abelmoschus esculentus). Herein, we cloned the nuclear-localized AeNAC83 from okra and identified its possible role in salt stress response and plant growth. The down-regulation of AeNAC83 caused by virus-induced gene silencing enhanced plant sensitivity to salt stress and increased the biomass accumulation of okra seedlings. Meanwhile, AeNAC83-overexpression Arabidopsis lines improved salt tolerance and exhibited many altered phenotypes, including small rosette, short primary roots, and promoted crown roots and root hairs. RNA-seq showed numerous genes at the transcriptional level that changed significantly in the AeNAC83-overexpression transgenic and the wild Arabidopsis with or without NaCl treatment, respectively. The expression of most phenylpropanoid and flavonoid biosynthesis-related genes was largely induced by salt stress. While genes encoding key proteins involved in photosynthesis were almost declined dramatically in AeNAC83-overexpression transgenic plants, and NaCl treatment further resulted in the down-regulation of these genes. Furthermore, DEGs encoding various plant hormone signal pathways were also identified. These results indicate that AeNAC83 is involved in resistance to salt stress and plant growth.

Structural characterization and anti-inflammatory activity of a pectin polysaccharide AP2-c from the lignified okra.

In this paper, a pectin polysaccharide AP2-c with molecular weight 6.69 × 105 Da was obtained from the lignified okra. The monosaccharide composition analysis indicated that AP2-c consisted of galactose, rhamnose and galacturonic acid in a molar ratio of 2.3: 1.5: 1.5. The structural characterization indicated that the main chain of AP2-c was composed of →2)-α-L-Rhap-(1→ and →4)-α-D-GalAp-(1→. →2)-α-L-Rhap-(1→ was branched at position O-4 and the branched chain consisted of →3,6)-ß-D-Galp-(1→, →6)-ß-D-Galp-(1→, α-L-Rhap-(1→ and ß-D-Galp-(1→. AP2-c could inhibit the mRNA expression levels of TNF-α, IL-1ß and iNOS in LPS-induced macrophages with a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, AP2-c inhibited the phosphorylation of IκB and p65 via NF-κB pathway. The results indicated that AP2-c had obvious anti-inflammatory activity. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: When okra seeds were harvested, lignified okra was always abandoned as waste and had not been fully used for exploitation. Nevertheless, it accounted for more than half of the total plant's weight and was abundant in cell wall polysaccharides, which were the main components of okra to perform a variety of biological functions. In the research, the purified pectin polysaccharide AP2-c was obtained from lignified okra and its physicochemical properties, structural features and anti-inflammatory activity were systematically researched. It was detected that AP2-c exhibited anti-inflammatory activity by blocking NF-κB pathway and thus lowering the expression of related inflammatory factors. The results have significant implications for the value-added application of okra and its processing side products can obviously help to promote the anti-inflammatory application of AP2-c and avoid wasting resources.

The complete mitochondrial genome of okra (Abelmoschus esculentus): using nanopore long reads to investigate gene transfer from chloroplast genomes and rearrangements of mitochondrial DNA molecules.

BACKGROUND: Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L. Moench) is an economically important crop and is known for its slimy juice, which has significant scientific research value. The A. esculentus chloroplast genome has been reported; however, the sequence of its mitochondrial genome is still lacking. RESULTS: We sequenced the plastid and mitochondrial genomes of okra based on Illumina short reads and Nanopore long reads and conducted a comparative study between the two organelle genomes. The plastid genome of okra is highly structurally conserved, but the mitochondrial genome of okra has been confirmed to have abundant subgenomic configurations. The assembly results showed that okra's mitochondrial genome existed mainly in the form of two independent molecules, which could be divided into four independent molecules through two pairs of long repeats. In addition, we found that four pairs of short repeats could mediate the integration of the two independent molecules into one complete molecule at a low frequency. Subsequently, we also found extensive sequence transfer between the two organelles of okra, where three plastid-derived genes (psaA, rps7 and psbJ) remained intact in the mitochondrial genome. Furthermore, psbJ, psbF, psbE and psbL were integrated into the mitochondrial genome as a conserved gene cluster and underwent pseudogenization as nonfunctional genes. Only psbJ retained a relatively complete sequence, but its expression was not detected in the transcriptome data, and we speculate that it is still nonfunctional. Finally, we characterized the RNA editing events of protein-coding genes located in the organelle genomes of okra. CONCLUSIONS: In the current study, our results not only provide high-quality organelle genomes for okra but also advance our understanding of the gene dialogue between organelle genomes and provide information to breed okra cultivars efficiently.

Anti-inflammatory effects of Abelmoschus manihot (L.) Medik. on LPS-induced cystitis in mice: potential candidate for cystitis treatment based on classic use.

Abelmoschus manihot (L.) Medik. (A. manihot) is a traditional Chinese herbal medicine with a variety of pharmacological properties. It was first recorded in Jiayou Materia Medica dating back to the Song dynasty to eliminate urinary tract irritation by clearing away heat and diuretic effect. However, its pharmacological action on urinary tract infections has not been investigated. The present study aims to evaluate the anti-inflammatory activity of A. manihot on a mouse model of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced cystitis. The results showed that A. manihot decreased white blood cell (WBC) count in urine sediments of the cystitis mice, alleviated bladder congestion, edema, as well as histopathological damage, reduced the expression levels of tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-6, and interleukin-1ß simultaneously. Moreover, A. manihot administration significantly downregulated the expression levels of TLR4, MYD88, IκBα, p-IκBα, NF-κB p65, and p-NF-κB p65 in LPS-induced cystitis mice. These findings demonstrated the protective effect of A. manihot against LPS-induced cystitis, which is attributed to its anti-inflammatory profile by suppressing TLR4/MYD88/NF-κB pathways. Our results suggest that A. manihot could be a potential candidate for cystitis treatment.

Dissipation kinetics, residue modeling and human intake of endosulfan applied to okra (Abelmoschus esculentus).

The non-judicious application of the harmful pesticide endosulfan on okra, one of India's most consumed vegetable crops, has resulted in the frequent detection of residues in food samples. This can lead to resistance and the resurgence of various pests and diseases. In this context, combined dissipation and residue dynamics of different endosulfan components or mixtures (isomers and metabolites) in crop compartments are not yet well understood. To address this research gap, the present study evaluates the dissipation and persistence behavior of different endosulfan isomers (alpha-, beta-isomers) and major metabolite (endosulfan sulfate) on okra during 2017 and 2018. The half-life of endosulfan on okra leaves was found to be between 1.79 and 3.47 days. Half of the endosulfan deposits on okra fruits at the recommended doses were dissipated after 2.39 days compared to 1.99 days at double recommended doses (mean of 2017 and 2018 residue data). Measured endosulfan residues were evaluated against the dynamic plant uptake model dynamiCROP. The better fits were observed between modeled and measured residues for fruits (R2 from 0.84 to 0.96 and residual standard error (ER) between 0.6 and 1.47) as compared to leaves (R2 from 0.57 to 0.88). We also report fractions of endosulfan components ingested by humans after crop harvest. Intake fractions range from 0.0001-7.2 gintake/kg of applied pesticide. Our results can evaluate pesticide residues in different crops grown for human consumption, including their isomers and metabolites. They can be combined with dose-response information to evaluate human exposure and/or health risk assessment.

Anti-inflammatory effects of Abelmoschus manihot (L.) Medik. on LPS-induced cystitis in mice: potential candidate for cystitis treatment based on classic use / 中国天然药物

Abelmoschus manihot (L.) Medik. (A. manihot) is a traditional Chinese herbal medicine with a variety of pharmacological properties. It was first recorded in Jiayou Materia Medica dating back to the Song dynasty to eliminate urinary tract irritation by clearing away heat and diuretic effect. However, its pharmacological action on urinary tract infections has not been investigated. The present study aims to evaluate the anti-inflammatory activity of A. manihot on a mouse model of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced cystitis. The results showed that A. manihot decreased white blood cell (WBC) count in urine sediments of the cystitis mice, alleviated bladder congestion, edema, as well as histopathological damage, reduced the expression levels of tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-6, and interleukin-1β simultaneously. Moreover, A. manihot administration significantly downregulated the expression levels of TLR4, MYD88, IκBα, p-IκBα, NF-κB p65, and p-NF-κB p65 in LPS-induced cystitis mice. These findings demonstrated the protective effect of A. manihot against LPS-induced cystitis, which is attributed to its anti-inflammatory profile by suppressing TLR4/MYD88/NF-κB pathways. Our results suggest that A. manihot could be a potential candidate for cystitis treatment.