Folate derivatives, 5-methyltetrahydrofolate and 10-formyltetrahydrofolate, protect BEAS-2B cells from high glucose-induced oxidative stress and inflammation.

Folate (vitamin B9) and its biologically active derivatives are well-known antioxidant molecules protecting cells from oxidative degradation. The presence of high glucose, often found in diabetic patients, causes oxidative stress resulting in cellular stress and inflammatory injury. Cells in organs such as the lung are highly prone to inflammation, and various protective mechanisms exist to prevent the progressive disorders arising from inflammation. In the present study, the synthetic form of folate, i.e. folic acid, and active forms of folate, i.e. 5-methyltetrahydrofolate and 10-formyltetrahydrofolate, were evaluated for their antioxidant and antiinflammatory potential against high glucose (50 mM)-mediated oxidative stress and inflammation in BEAS-2B cells, an immortalised bronchial epithelial cell line. High glucose treatment showed a 67% reduction in the viability of BEAS-2B cells, which was restored to the viability levels seen in control cultures by the addition of active folate derivatives to the culture media. The DCFH-DA fluorometric assay was performed for oxidative stress detection. The high glucose-treated cells showed a significantly higher fluorescence intensity (1.81- and 3.8-fold for microplate assay and microscopic observation, respectively), which was normalised to control levels on supplementation with active folate derivatives. The proinflammatory NF-κB p50 protein expression in the active folate derivative-supplemented high glucose-treated cells was significantly lower compared to the folic acid treatment. In support of these findings, in silico microarray GENVESTIGATOR database analysis showed that in bronchiolar small airway epithelial cells exposed to inflammatory condition, folate utilization pathway genes are largely downregulated. However, the folate-binding protein gene, which encodes to the folate receptor 1 (FOLR1), is significantly upregulated, suggesting a high demand for folate by these cells  in inflammatory situations. Supplementation of the active folate derivatives 5-methyltetrahydrofolate and 10-formyltetrahydrofolate resulted in significantly higher protection over the folic acid from high glucose-induced oxidative stress and inflammation. Therefore, the biologically active folate derivatives could be a suitable alternative over the folic acid for alleviating inflammatory injury-causing oxidative stress.

Astaxanthin ameliorates hyperglycemia induced inflammation via PI3K/Akt-NF-κB signaling in ARPE-19 cells and diabetic rat retina.

Astaxanthin has been reported to possess anti-inflammatory effect but the exact mechanism in protecting the retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells is not clear. Hence, we hypothesized that astaxanthin could protect RPE by inhibiting ROS-mediated inflammation. The purpose of this study is to understand the retinal protective mechanism of astaxanthin in modulating hyperglycemia (HG) induced inflammation in ARPE-19 cell and diabetic rat retina. ARPE-19 cells were treated with 30 mM glucose to induce hyperglycemia whereas diabetes was induced in rats with streptozotocin followed by astaxanthin treatment. The level of oxidative stress markers, antioxidant enzyme activity, inflammatory markers (NF-κB, TNF-α, ICAM-1), signaling mediators (PI3K, p-Akt) and nuclear translocation of NF-κB were analyzed in ARPE-19 cells and rat retina. HG-mediated ROS generation and lipid peroxidation were declined upon astaxanthin treatment in ARPE-19 cells. Similarly, astaxanthin treatment found to reduce the elevated levels of nitric oxide, protein carbonyl, and lipid peroxides in diabetic group. Astaxanthin restored the activity of superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and glutathione transferase in serum and retina of diabetic rats. NF-κB, TNF-α, and ICAM-1 levels were higher in HG-treated ARPE-19 cells and diabetic retina compared to control group, whereas astaxanthin treatment lowered their expression. PI3K and p-Akt were higher in high glucose treated ARPE-19 cells and diabetic retina. NAC, LY294002 and PDTC treatment resulted in reduced nuclear translocation of NF-κB and decreased expression of inflammatory markers in HG treated ARPE-19 cells. Thus, we conclude that astaxanthin protected the retinal cells from HG-induced inflammation by modulating NF-κB through ROS-PI3K/Akt signaling cascade.

Astaxanthin mediated regulation of VEGF through HIF1α and XBP1 signaling pathway: An insight from ARPE-19 cell and streptozotocin mediated diabetic rat model.

Breakdown of outer blood-retina barrier (BRB) has been associated with the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy (DR) and diabetic macular edema (DME). Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) might play a detrimental role in the pathogenesis of DME, a major clinical manifestation of DR. In the present study, we investigated the inhibitory mechanism of astaxanthin on VEGF and its upstream signaling pathways under in vitro and in vivo conditions. Astaxanthin has been observed to downregulate VEGF expression under hyperglycemic (HG) and CoCl2 induced hypoxic conditions in ARPE-19 cells. There were compelling pieces of evidence for the involvement of transcription factors like HIF1α and XBP1 in the upregulation of VEGF under HG and hypoxic conditions. Thus, we investigated the role of astaxanthin in the expression and nuclear translocation of HIF1α and XBP1. The activation and translocation of HIF1α and XBP1 induced by HG or CoCl2 conditions were hindered by astaxanthin. Additionally, treatment with HIF1α siRNA and IRE1 inhibitor STF-083010 also inhibited the expression of VEGF induced by HG and CoCl2 conditions. These results indicated that the anti-VEGF property of astaxanthin might be associated with the downregulation of HIF1α and XBP1. Furthermore, astaxanthin mitigated the enhanced migration of retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells under DR conditions. As well, astaxanthin protected disorganization of zona occludin-1 (ZO-1) tight junction protein in RPE and reduced HG or hypoxic induced permeability of RPE cells. In streptozotocin-induced diabetic rat model, astaxanthin reduced the expression of HIF1α, XBP1, and VEGF as well as protected the abnormalities in the retinal layers induced by diabetes condition. Thus, astaxanthin may be used as a potential nutraceutical to prevent or treat retinal dysfunction in diabetic patients.

Effects of methyl jasmonate and carotenogenic inhibitors on gene expression and carotenoid accumulation in coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.) foliage.

Coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.), a commonly used annual herb that accumulates carotenoids upon methyl jasmonate (MeJA) treatment, provides an excellent model to investigate carotenogenesis and gene regulation. To explore key mechanisms involved in enhancing carotenoids, transcriptional expression profile of ten carotenogenic genes in the presence of MeJA and various gene specific inhibitors were investigated. Foliar application of MeJA (10 µM) increased expression levels of CsPDS (phytoene desaturase), CsZDS (ς-carotene desaturase), CsCHYE (carotene ε - hydroxylase) and CsLCYE (lycopene ß-cyclase) genes, and their transcript levels were strongly associated with carotenoid content, where, three days after treatment, 3.9 & 6.1 fold increase was observed for ß-carotene and lutein respectively. The regulatory effect of key genes, CsPDS, CsZDS, CsLCYE and LCYB were further confirmed by using gene-specific inhibitors fosmidomycin, norflurazon and amitrol. Norflurazon- the phytoene desaturation inhibitor leads to a decrease in ß-carotene and lutein content correlated with CsPDS, CsZDS gene induction. Our results clearly demonstrate that MeJA induced-signalling network evokes carotenogenic genes, leading to the accumulation of carotenoids. This knowledge may help to develop precise strategies for remodelling carotenoid pathway so that desired levels of a particular carotenoid in leafy vegetables is achievable.

Novel Folate Binding Protein in Arabidopsis Expressed during Salicylic Acid-Induced Folate Accumulation.

Increasing the quantity of natural folates in plant foods is recently gaining significant interest, owing to their acute deficiencies in various populations. This study observed that foliar salicylic acid treatment enhanced the accumulation of folates in Arabidopsis, which correlated with the increase in a folate binding protein (FBP) and the expression of mRNA of a putative folate binding protein At5G27830. A protein band corresponding to ∼43 kDa was observed after resolving the affinity-purified protein on SDS-PAGE, and the partial amino acid sequence indicated that the protein is indeed At5G27830. Docking studies performed with At5G27830 confirmed specific binding of folic acid to predicted site. Heterologous expression of At5G27830 in the yeast resulted in significant uptake and accumulation of folic acid in cells. This novel study of a plant FBP will be useful for folate metabolic engineering of a wide range of crops.

Evaluation of folate-binding proteins and stability of folates in plant foliages.

The present study reports the presence of folate binding proteins (FBPs) in the plants, coriander and Arabidopsis, and their contributions toward folate enhancement. After observing that salicylic acid (SA) enhanced the accumulation of folates in coriander, a study was conducted in Arabidopsis, where twofold increase in folates occurred in foliage upon SA treatment. For obtaining insights into genes involved in SA-induced folate accumulation, microarray data of responsive genes in Arabidopsis were screened. Based on the expression profiles, 19 genes were further analysed by qPCR. The results revealed that folate biosynthetic genes were largely down-regulated, whereas a gene of a putative folate-binding protein (FPB) was up-regulated, which correlated with a significant increase of FPBs in foliage. This new information on a plant FBP appears useful for metabolic engineering of a wide range of crops to enhance the content and stability of the folates during post-harvest storage.

Epigallocatechin gallate protects BEAS-2B cells from lipopolysaccharide-induced apoptosis through upregulation of gastrin-releasing peptide.

Gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP) plays a major role in the development and maintenance of lung epithelial cells by promoting cell division, whereas its suppression causes growth arrest and apoptosis. The present study shows that human bronchial epithelial BEAS-2B cells challenged with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), an endotoxin from gram-negative bacteria, downregulated GRP expression and induced apoptosis via upregulation of p53 and active caspase-3, signifying the importance of GRP in lung epithelial cell survival. However, in the presence of epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), a polyphenol in green tea, BEAS-2B cells resisted LPS-induced apoptosis and restored the expression of GRP and its downstream effectors such as epidermal growth factor receptor and NF-κB, as analysed by immunoblotting and qPCR. Based on our findings, we objectify that cytoprotective functions of EGCG, via upregulation of GRP in cells challenged with LPS, are novel and can be further explored in a therapeutic point of view for diseases such as septic shock.

Synthesis and characterization of silane coated magnetic nanoparticles/glycidylmethacrylate-grafted-maleated cyclodextrin composite hydrogel as a drug carrier for the controlled delivery of 5-fluorouracil.

A novel drug delivery system (DDS), 3-methacryloxypropyl trimethoxy silane coated magnetic nanoparticles polymerized with glycidylmethacrylate-grafted-maleated cyclodextrin (MPTMS-MNP-poly-(GMA-g-MACD)) was prepared in the presence of ethyleneglycoldimethacrylate as cross-linker and a,a'-azobisisobutyronitrile as initiator and characterized by means of SEM, FT-IR, XRD, DLS, VSM and TEM. The encapsulation efficiency (EE) and drug loading efficiency (DLE) of the DDS were tested using various formulations of DDS. The DDS showed activity against gram positive and negative bacteria. The cytotoxicity studies were also performed using MCF-7 (human breast carcinoma) cells and found that the drug carrier is biocompatible and it shows sustained and controlled release of drug to the targeted site. The drug release mechanism was found to obey non-Fickian diffusion (n=0.709) method where polymer relaxation and drug diffusion played important roles in drug release. In this DDS, advantages of core magnetic nanoparticles and host-guest interactions of ß-CD were combined for the controlled delivery of 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) to maintain the therapeutic index of the drug.

Synthesis and evaluation of iron-doped titania/silane based hydrogel for the adsorptional photocatalytic degradation of Victoria blue under visible light.

Novel photocatalyst, poly(itaconic acid-co-2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane-1-sulfonic acid) iron doped titania/silane was successfully prepared by the polymerization of iron doped titania/silane and two functional monomers, itaconic acid and 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane-1-sulfonic acid in aqueous solution using ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as cross-linker and benzoylperoxide as initiator. The sample was characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) techniques. Effects of various factors like pH, adsorbent dose, contact time, and ionic strength on the adsorption capacity of photocatalyst for Victoria blue (VB) were studied by batch adsorption experiments. The kinetic data were found to follow pseudo-second-order kinetic model with low chi square, χ(2) values and R(2) values closer to unity. The equilibrium data were in well agreement with Langmuir isotherm model and maximum adsorption capacity was found to be 153.89 mg/g. The swelling capacity of the adsorbent with changes in pH, time and temperature was also investigated. The kinetics of photocatalytic degradation of VB by the photocatalyst found to follow first-order kinetics. The regeneration and repeated use of photocatalyst were also examined upto four cycles. The prepared photocatalyst was found to be efficient photocatalyst-cum-adsorbent for the degradation of VB from aqueous solutions under solar light.

Salicylic acid-induced elicitation of folates in coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.) improves bioaccessibility and reduces pro-oxidant status.

Foliage of Coriandrum sativum is a rich source of natural folates amenable for enhancement through salicylic acid-mediated elicitation, thereby holding a great promise for natural-mode alleviation of this vitamin (B(9)) deficiency. In the present study we report salicylic acid-mediated differential elicitation of different forms of folates - 5-methyltetrahydrofolate, 5-formyltetrahydrofolate and 10-formyltetrahydrofolate - their stabilities during microwave-drying and bioaccessibilities from fresh and dried foliage. The first two compounds nearly doubled and the third increased sixfold post-elicitation, with all three showing concomitant increase in bioaccessibilities. Although a slight decrease in bioaccessibility was observed in dried foliage, over twofold increase of each form of folate upon elicitation would deliver much higher levels of natural folates from this traditional culinary foliage, which is widely used in many cuisines. Elicitor-mediated folate enhancement also imparted reduction of oxidative status and the enhancement of antioxidant enzyme activities in coriander foliage.

Enhancement of folate content and its stability using food grade elicitors in coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.).

Folate (vitamin B9) content was evaluated in 10 varieties of coriander with the aim of enhancing its concentration and stability, because of three reasons: 1) coriander is among a few widely used greens in the world and suits many cuisines, 2) folate deficiency is prevalent in developing countries causing anaemia, infant mortality and neural tube closure defects, and 3) natural folate is preferred due to doubts about health risks associated with the synthetic form. In C. sativum, the highest folate content of 1,577 µg/100 g DW was found in var. GS4 Multicut foliage of mature plants (marketable stage) with an insignificantly higher content (1,599.74 µg/100 g DW) at flowering, which is a stage not preferred in markets. In callus cultures treated with plant growth regulators (GRs) (6-benzylaminopurine, kinetin and abscisic acid) substantial increase in folate occurred after 6 h, whereas elicitors (methyl jasmonate and salicylic acid) caused rapid 2-fold increase of folate, particularly in response to salicylic acid. Based on these observations, foliar applications were done for in vivo plants, where salicylic acid (250 µM, 24 h) also enhanced folate level by 2-folds (3,112.33 µg/100 g DW), although the content varied with diurnal rhythms. Stability of folates in treated coriander foliage was 10 % higher than in untreated foliage when stored at 25 °C and 4 °C. This study has established for the first time that coriander foliage is rich in folates, which can be doubled by elicitation and impart 10 % more stability than control during processing and storage.