Gamma-induced mutants of Bacillus and Streptomyces display enhanced antagonistic activities and suppression of the root rot and wilt diseases in pulses.

This study aims to increase Bacillus and Streptomyces antagonistic activity against the root rot and wilt diseases of pulses caused by Macrophomina phaseolina and Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. udum, respectively. To increase antagonistic action, Bacillus subtilis BRBac4, Bacillus siamensis BRBac21, and Streptomyces cavourensis BRAcB10 were subjected to random mutagenesis using varying doses of gamma irradiation (0.5-3.0 kGy). Following the irradiation, 250 bacterial colonies were chosen at random for each antagonistic strain and their effects against pathogens were evaluated in a plate assay. The ERIC, BOX, and random amplified polymorphic studies demonstrated a clear distinction between mutant and wild-type strains. When mutants were compared to wild-type strains, they showed improved plant growth-promoting characteristics and hydrolytic enzyme activity. The disease suppression potential of the selected mutants, B. subtilis BRBac4-M6, B. siamensisi BRBac21-M10, and S. cavourensis BRAcB10-M2, was tested in green gram, black gram, and red gram. The combined inoculation of B. siamensis BRBac21-M10 and S. cavourensis BRAcB10-M2 reduced the incidence of root rot and wilt disease. The same treatment also increased the activity of the defensive enzymes peroxidase, polyphenol oxidase, and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase. These findings suggested that gamma-induced mutation can be exploited effectively to improve the biocontrol characteristics of Bacillus and Streptomyces. Following the field testing, a combined bio-formulation of these two bacteria may be utilised to address wilt and root-rot pathogens in pulses.

Metabolomics of ginger essential oil against alcoholic fatty liver in mice.

Fatty liver is significantly associated with hepatic cirrhosis and liver cancer. Excessive alcohol consumption causes alcoholic fatty liver disease (AFLD). Ginger has been reported to exhibit antioxidant potential and hepatoprotective activity. In the present study, a mouse model for AFLD was developed by employing male C57BL/6 mice that were fed an alcohol-containing liquid diet (Lieber-DeCarli diet) ad libitum. In the treatment groups, ginger essential oil (GEO) and citral were orally administered every day for 4 weeks. Serum biochemical analysis, antioxidant enzyme activity analysis, and histopathological evaluation revealed that GEO and citral exhibited hepatoprotective activity against AFLD. Metabolites in serum samples were profiled by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (HPLC-QTOF-MS). Metabolomic data indicated the amounts of metabolites such as d-glucurono-6,3-lactone, glycerol-3-phosphate, pyruvic acid, lithocholic acid, 2-pyrocatechuic acid, and prostaglandin E1 were increased after alcohol administration, but the levels were recovered in treatment groups. The analysis indicated that ginger possesses hepatoprotective properties against AFLD. Furthermore, these metabolites can serve as early noninvasive candidate biomarkers in the clinical application of AFLD for health management.

Allicin induces anti-human liver cancer cells through the p53 gene modulating apoptosis and autophagy.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most prevalent type of liver cancer globally and ranks first among the cancer-related mortalities in Taiwan. This study aims to understand the modes of cell death mechanism induced by allicin, a major phytochemical of crushed garlic, in human hepatoma cells. Our earlier study indicated that allicin induced autophagic cell death in human HCC Hep G2 (p53(wild type)) cells, whereas in the present study, allicin induced apoptotic cell death through caspase-dependent and caspase-independent pathways by reactive oxygen species (ROS) overproduction in human HCC Hep 3B (p53(mutation)) cells. To gain insight into the cell death mechanism in p53 knocked down Hep G2, we silenced the p53 gene using siRNA-mediated silencing. Allicin treatment induced apoptotic cell death in p53 knocked down Hep G2 cells similar to that of Hep 3B cells. These results suggest that allicin induced cell death in human hepatoma cells through either autophagy or apoptosis and might be a potential novel complementary gene therapeutic agent for the treatment of apoptosis-resistant cancer cells.

Autophagy therapeutic potential of garlic in human cancer therapy.

Cancer is one of the deadliest diseases against humans. To tackle this menace, humans have developed several high-technology therapies, such as chemotherapy, tomotherapy, targeted therapy, and antibody therapy. However, all these therapies have their own adverse side effects. Therefore, recent years have seen increased attention being given to the natural food for complementary therapy, which have less side effects. Garlic (Dà Suàn; Allium sativum), is one of most powerful food used in many of the civilizations for both culinary and medicinal purpose. In general, these foods induce cancer cell death by apoptosis, autophagy, or necrosis. Studies have discussed how natural food factors regulate cell survival or death by autophagy in cancer cells. From many literature reviews, garlic could not only induce apoptosis but also autophagy in cancer cells. Autophagy, which is called type-II programmed cell death, provides new strategy in cancer therapy. In conclusion, we wish that garlic could be the pioneer food of complementary therapy in clinical cancer treatment and increase the life quality of cancer patients.

Transcriptome analysis of garlic-induced hepatoprotection against alcoholic fatty liver.

Fatty liver induced by alcohol abuse is a major worldwide health hazard leading to morbidity and mortality. Previous studies indicate antifatty liver properties of garlic. This study investigated the molecular mechanisms of garlic oil (GO) or diallyl disulfide (DADS) imparted hepatoprotection against alcohol induced fatty liver in C57BL/6 mice using microarray-based global gene expression analysis. Alcohol liquid diet resulted in severe fatty liver with increased levels of serum aspartate aminotransferease and alanine aminotransferease as well as triglycerides and decreased levels of liver glutathione and antioxidant enzymes. The major canonical pathways implicated by alcohol treatment are the metabolisms of xenobiotics by cytochrome P450, glutathione, and arachidonic acid. Treatment with DADS or GO normalized the serum aminotransferease levels and liver antioxidant enzymes and reduced the contents of triglycerides and cholesterol. The canonical pathways involved in the amelioration of liver include arachidonic acid metabolism, altered T cell and B cell signaling, tryptophan metabolism, antigen presentation pathway for DADS, metabolism of xenobiotics, mitotic roles of Polo-like kinase, fatty acid metabolism, LPS/IL-1 mediated inhibition of RXR function, and C21-steroid hormone metabolism for GO.

Therapeutic potential of chinese herbal medicines in alcoholic liver disease.

Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) is a complex chronic disease and is associated with a spectrum of liver injury ranging from steatosis and steatohepatitis to fibrosis and cirrhosis. Since effective therapies for ALD are still limited, Chinese herbal medicine is thought to be an important and alternative approach. This review focuses on the current scientific evidence of ALD by ten Chinese Materia Medica ( zhong yào), including Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix ( dan shen), Notoginseng Radix ( san qi), Lycii Fructus ( gǒu qǐ zǐ), Cnidii Fructus ( shé chuáng zǐ), Gentianae Radix ( lóng dǎn), Puerariae Radix ( gé gen), Puerariae Flos ( gé hua), Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex ( hòu pò), Platycodonis Radix ( jié geng), and Trigonellae Semen ( hú lú ba). Potential mechanisms of these herbal medicines in ALD are involved in amelioration of enhanced inflammation, reduction of hepatic oxidative stress and lipogenesis, and enhancement of intestinal permeability in alcohol-induced liver injury models in vitro and in vivo. Accordingly, the evidenced therapeutic potential suggests that these herbs are promising candidates for prevention and development of new drugs for ALD in the future.

Recent Research Progress on Garlic ( dà suàn) as a Potential Anticarcinogenic Agent Against Major Digestive Cancers.

Garlic ( dà suàn; the bulb of Allium sativum), bestowed with an array of organosulfur compounds finds its application in treating many ailments including cardiovascular problems, common cold, bacterial and fungal infections and cancer. Numerous epidemiological evidences document the beneficial effects of various bioactive organosulfur compounds of garlic against different types of cancer. Studies involving the animal and cell models indicate garlic bioactive compounds could be effective in treating all the stages of cancer. This review gives an update on the recent pre-clinical and clinical trials, carried out to evaluate the efficacy of various garlic bioactive compounds along with the mechanism of action pertaining to major digestive cancers including liver, gastric and colorectal cancers. The major anti-carcinogenic mechanisms are caspase dependent and/or independent induction of apoptosis, anti-proliferative, anti-metastasis, anti-oxidant and immunomodulative properties. Form the clinical trials an increase in the garlic consumption of 20 g/day reduced the risk of gastric and colorectal cancer. In summary, increased uptake of garlic in diet may prevent the incidence of digestive cancers.

Eburicoic Acid, an Active Triterpenoid from the Fruiting Bodies of Basswood Cultivated Antrodia cinnamomea, Induces ER Stress-Mediated Autophagy in Human Hepatoma Cells.

Antrodia cinnamomea, a Taiwan-specific medicinal mushroom, can manipulate biological activities, including hepatoprotection, anti-inflammation, anti-hepatitis B virus activity, anticancer activity, etc. In this study, the anti-liver cancer activity and molecular mechanisms of eburicoic acid, the second most abundant triterpenoid from the fruiting bodies of basswood cultivated Antrodia cinnamomea was investigated using the human hepatoma Hep 3B cells. The results show that eburicoic acid effectively reduced Hep 3B cell viability within 24 hours, and the IC50 was 18.4 µM, which was equivalent to 8.7 µg/mL. Besides, eburicoic acid induced conversion of LC3-I to LC3-II and a large number of autophagosomes/autolysosomes formation. In depth investigation for the molecular mechanisms, revealed that eburicoic acid firstly promoted reactive oxygen species generation and ATP depletion, leading to endoplasmic reticulum stress, followed by elevated cytosolic calcium ion concentration and BiP expression, downregulated phosphorylation of DAPK, upregulated phosphorylation of Beclin-1, JNK, and Bcl-2, and finally induced autophagy in Hep 3B cells. These results indicate that eburicoic acid has significant anti-liver cancer effects and more distinctive mechanisms.

cDNA cloning and functional characterization of ETHYLENE INSENSITIVE 3 orthologs from Oncidium Gower Ramsey involved in flower cutting and pollinia cap dislodgement.

The cDNAs encoding ETHYLENE INSENSITIVE3 (EIN3) transcription factor, OgEIL1 and OgEIL2 of Oncidium were cloned, sequenced and characterized. The deduced amino acid sequences of OgEIL1 and OgEIL2 of identified cDNA clones contain all structural features found in the Arabidopsis EIN3, such as an amino terminal acidic domain, a proline-rich region, and five basic conserved domains. Complementation test for OgEIL1 in Arabidopsis ein3 mutant indicate that function of OgEIL1 is the same as Arabidopsis EIN3. RNA gel blot analysis indicated that OgEIL1 and OgEIL2 expressed differentially in the roots, stem, leaves and flower buds of Oncidium. OgEIL1 and OgEIL2 mRNA levels in fully opened flowers increased as time progressed after cutting and reached a maximum in the fifth day and decreased on seventh day, which is consistent with the hypothesis that flowers initiated to wilt when ethylene raised abruptly. In de-capped flowers, OgEIL2 mRNA showed a decrease, while OgEIL1 mRNA exhibited an increase. Exogenous application of ethylene increased the mRNA levels of OgEIL1 and OgEIL2 in flower buds and flowers after cutting compared prior to ethylene treatment, however, in pollinia de-capped flowers, both OgEIL1 and OgEIL2 mRNA levels responded to a decline to exogenous ethylene immediately after treatment. Collectively, it is suggested that the main functions of OgEIL1 and OgEIL2 are to modulate the senescence of Oncidium flowers.