Analysis of Salt Stress on Soil Microbial Community Composition and Its Correlation with Active Components in the Rhizosphere of Acanthopanax senticosus.

Salt stress can adversely affect plant seed germination, growth and development, and eventually lead to slow growth and even death of plants. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of different concentrations of NaCl and Na2SO4 stress on the physicochemical properties, enzyme activities, rhizosphere microbial community and seven active components (L-phenylalanine, Protocatechuic acid, Eleutheroside B, Chlorogenic acid, Caffeic acid, Eleutheroside E, Isofraxidin) of Acanthopanax senticosus rhizosphere soil. Statistical analysis was used to explore the correlation between the rhizosphere ecological factors of Acanthopanax senticosus and its active components. Compared with Acanthopanax senticosus under NaCl stress, Na2SO4 generally had a greater effect on Acanthopanax senticosus, which reduced the richness of fungi in rhizosphere soil and adversely affected the content of multiple active components. Pearson analysis showed that pH, organic matter, ammonium nitrogen, available phosphorus, available potassium, catalase and urease were significantly correlated with active components such as Caffeic acid and Isofraxidin. There were 11 known bacterial genera, 12 unknown bacterial genera, 9 known fungal genera and 1 unknown fungal genus significantly associated with the active ingredient. Salt stress had great changes in the physicochemical properties, enzyme activities and microorganisms of the rhizosphere soil of Acanthopanax senticosus. In conclusion, different types and concentrations of salts had different effects on Acanthopanax senticosus, and the active components of Acanthopanax senticosus were regulated by rhizosphere soil ecological factors.

DNA methylation regulates the secondary metabolism of saponins to improve the adaptability of Eleutherococcus senticosus during drought stress.

Plant growth and development can be significantly impacted by drought stress. Plants will adjust the synthesis and accumulation of secondary metabolites to improve survival in times of water constraint. Simultaneously, drought stress can lead to modifications in the DNA methylation status of plants, and these modifications can directly impact gene expression and product synthesis by changing the DNA methylation status of functional genes involved in secondary metabolite synthesis. However, further research is needed to fully understand the extent to which DNA methylation modifies the content of secondary metabolites to mediate plants' responses to drought stress, as well as the underlying mechanisms involved. Our study found that in Eleutherococcus senticosus (E. senticosus), moderate water deprivation significantly decreased DNA methylation levels throughout the genome and at the promoters of EsFPS, EsSS, and EsSE. Transcription factors like EsMYB-r1, previously inhibited by DNA methylation, can re-bind to the EsFPS promotor region following DNA demethylation. This process promotes gene expression and, ultimately, saponin synthesis and accumulation. The increased saponin levels in E. senticosus acted as antioxidants, enhancing the plant's adaptability to drought stress.

Inhibitory effects of Acanthopanax sessiliflorus Harms extract on the etiology of rheumatoid arthritis in a collagen-induced arthritis mouse model.

BACKGROUND: The biological function of Acanthopanax sessiliflorus Harm (ASH) has been investigated on various diseases; however, the effects of ASH on arthritis have not been investigated so far. This study investigates the effects of ASH on rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: Supercritical carbon dioxide (CO2) was used for ASH extract preparation, and its primary components, pimaric and kaurenoic acids, were identified using gas chromatography-mass spectrometer (GC-MS). Collagenase-induced arthritis (CIA) was used as the RA model, and primary cultures of articular chondrocytes were used to examine the inhibitory effects of ASH extract on arthritis in three synovial joints: ankle, sole, and knee. RESULTS: Pimaric and kaurenoic acids attenuated pro-inflammatory cytokine-mediated increase in the catabolic factors and retrieved pro-inflammatory cytokine-mediated decrease in related anabolic factors in vitro; however, they did not affect pro-inflammatory cytokine (IL-1ß, TNF-α, and IL-6)-mediated cytotoxicity. ASH effectively inhibited cartilage degradation in the knee, ankle, and toe in the CIA model and decreased pannus development in the knee. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated that ASH mostly inhibited the IL-6-mediated matrix metalloproteinase. Gene Ontology and pathway studies bridge major gaps in the literature and provide insights into the pathophysiology and in-depth mechanisms of RA-like joint degeneration. CONCLUSIONS: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to conduct extensive research on the efficacy of ASH extract in inhibiting the pathogenesis of RA. However, additional animal models and clinical studies are required to validate this hypothesis.

Genome-wide identification of MBD gene family members in Eleutherococcus senticosus with their expression motifs under drought stress and DNA demethylation.

BACKGROUND: Methyl-binding domain (MBD) is a class of methyl-CpG-binding domain proteins that affects the regulation of gene expression through epigenetic modifications. MBD genes are not only inseparable from DNA methylation but have also been identified and validated in various plants. Although MBD is involved in a group of physiological processes and stress regulation in these plants, MBD genes in Eleutherococcus senticosus remain largely unknown. RESULTS: Twenty EsMBD genes were identified in E. senticosus. Among the 24 chromosomes of E. senticosus, EsMBD genes were unevenly distributed on 12 chromosomes, and only one tandem repeat gene existed. Collinearity analysis showed that the fragment duplication was the main motif for EsMBD gene expansion. As the species of Araliaceae evolved, MBD genes also evolved and gradually exhibited different functional differentiation. Furthermore, cis-acting element analysis showed that there were numerous cis-acting elements in the EsMBD promoter region, among which light response elements and anaerobic induction elements were dominant. The expression motif analysis revealed that 60% of the EsMBDs were up-regulated in the 30% water content group. CONCLUSIONS: By comparing the transcriptome data of different saponin contents of E. senticosus and integrating them with the outcomes of molecular docking analysis, we hypothesized that EsMBD2 and EsMBD5 jointly affect the secondary metabolic processes of E. senticosus saponins by binding to methylated CpG under conditions of drought stress. The results of this study laid the foundation for subsequent research on the E. senticosus and MBD genes.

Potential Antiaging and Hepatoprotective Effects of Acanthopanax senticosus Extracts in Adult Rat Models.

Data regarding plant extracts with antiaging properties, particularly through the biological process involving telomeres and telomerase, are limited. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the effects of Acanthopanax senticosus extract (ASE) supplementation on leukocyte telomere length (LTL), telomerase, and inflammatory and metabolic markers in adult animal models. A freeze-dried product of ethanol extracts was prepared using a mixture product of stem and root ASE. In a 24-week experiment that included 24-week-old Sprague Dawley male rats, experimental rats (n = 10) were administrated with 7 mg/day of ASE dissolved in saline and control rats (n = 10) with saline. All rats had access to chow and tap water ad libitum. Their LTL and plasma levels of telomerase and inflammatory and metabolic markers were assayed and compared between the two groups. The experimental rats showed significantly longer LTL (p < 0.05) and lower plasma levels of alanine aminotransferase (p < 0.05) and aspartate aminotransferase (p = 0.08) compared with the control. In addition, LTL was correlated with the aforementioned biochemical parameters of liver function test among experimental rats only. No significant differences in plasma levels of telomerase and inflammatory and metabolic markers were observed. These findings indicate that ASE supplementation may attenuate LTL shortening and reduce liver biochemical parameters, indicating its potential antiaging and hepatoprotective effects without any adverse metabolic response.

Antioxidant Activity of Acanthopanax senticosus Flavonoids in H2O2-Induced RAW 264.7 Cells and DSS-Induced Colitis in Mice.

The redox reaction is a normal process of biological metabolism in the body that leads to the production of free radicals. Under conditions such as pathogenic infection, stress, and drug exposure, free radicals can exceed normal levels, causing protein denaturation, DNA damage, and the oxidation of the cell membrane, which, in turn, causes inflammation. Acanthopanax senticosus (A. senticosus) flavonoids are the main bioactive ingredients with antioxidant function. H2O2-treated RAW 264.7 cells and DSS-induced colitis in mice were used to evaluate the antioxidant properties of A. senticosus flavonoids. The results show that A. senticosus flavonoids can significantly downregulate the levels of ROS and MDA in H2O2-treated RAW 264.7 cells and increase the levels of CAT, SOD, and GPx. A. senticosus flavonoids can also increase the body weights of DSS-induced colitis mice, increase the DAI index, and ameliorate the shortening of the colon. ELISA experiments confirmed that A. senticosus flavonoids could reduce the level of MDA in the mouse serum and increase the levels of SOD, CAT, and GPx. Histopathology showed that the tissue pathological changes in the A. senticosus flavonoid group were significantly lower than those in the DSS group. The Western blot experiments showed that the antioxidant capacity of A. senticosus flavonoids was accomplished through the Nrf2 pathway. In conclusion, A. senticosus flavonoids can relieve oxidative stress in vivo and in vitro and protect cells or tissues from oxidative damage.

Adsorption and Desorption Characteristics of Total Flavonoids from Acanthopanax senticosus on Macroporous Adsorption Resins.

We examined the application of six different resins with the aim of selecting a macroporous resin suitable for purifying Acanthopanax senticosus total flavonoids (ASTFs) from Acanthopanax senticosus crude extract (EAS) by comparing their adsorption/desorption capacities, which led to the selection of HPD-600. Research on the adsorption mechanism showed that the adsorption process had pseudo-second-order kinetics and fit the Freundlich adsorption model. Moreover, the analysis of thermodynamic parameters indicated that the adsorption process is spontaneous and endothermic. The optimal conditions for purification of ASTFs were determined as sample pH of 3, 60% ethanol concentration, and 3 BV·h-1 flow rate, for both adsorption and desorption, using volumes of 2.5 and 4 BV, respectively. The application of macroporous resin HPD-600 to enrich ASTFs resulted in an increase in the purity of total flavonoids, from 28.79% to 50.57%. Additionally, the antioxidant capacity of ASTFs was higher than that of EAS, but both were lower than that of L-ascorbic acid. The changes in ASTFs compositions were determined using ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS), with the results illustrating that the levels of seven major flavonoids of ASTFs were increased compared to that in the crude extract.

Pharmacognostic Evaluation and HPLC-PDA and HS-SPME/GC-MS Metabolomic Profiling of Eleutherococcus senticosus Fruits.

Eleutherococcus senticosus (Rupr. et Maxim.) Maxim. is a medicinal plant used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for thousands of years. However, due to the overexploitation, this species is considered to be endangered and is included in the Red List, e.g., in the Republic of Korea. Therefore, a new source of this important plant in Europe is needed. The aim of this study was to develop pharmacognostic and phytochemical parameters of the fruits. The content of polyphenols (eleutherosides B, E, E1) and phenolic acids in the different parts of the fruits, as well as tocopherols, fatty acids in the oil, and volatile constituents were studied by the means of chromatographic techniques [HPLC with Photodiode-Array Detection (PDA), headspace solid-phase microextraction coupled to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME/GC-MS)]. To the best of our knowledge, no information is available on the content of eleutherosides and phenolic acids in the pericarp and seeds. The highest sum of eleutheroside B and E was detected in the whole fruits (1.4 mg/g), next in the pericarp (1.23 mg/g) and the seeds (0.85 mg/g). Amongst chlorogenic acid derivatives (3-CQA, 4-CQA, 5-CQA), 3-CQA was predominant in the whole fruits (1.08 mg/g), next in the pericarp (0.66 mg/g), and the seeds (0.076 mg/g). The oil was rich in linoleic acid (C18:3 (n-3), 18.24%), ursolic acid (35.72 mg/g), and α-tocopherol (8.36 mg/g). The presence of druses and yellow oil droplets in the inner zone of the mesocarp and chromoplasts in the outer zone can be used as anatomical markers. These studies provide a phytochemical proof for accumulation of polyphenols mainly in the pericarp, and these structures may be taken into consideration as their source subjected to extraction to obtain polyphenol-rich extracts.

Eleutheroside K isolated from Acanthopanax henryi (Oliv.) Harms suppresses methicillin resistance of Staphylococcus aureus.

Acanthopanax (A.) henryi (Oliv.) Harms contain many bioactive compounds commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine. The objective of the present study was to investigate the antibacterial activity of the single constituent, Eleutheroside K (ETSK) isolated from the leaves of A. henryi (Oliv.) Harms, against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus (S.) aureus (MRSA). Broth microdilution assay was used to measure the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the MIC values of ETSK against eight clinical S. aureus strains were all 50 µg ml-1 . At sub-inhibitory concentrations, a synergistic effect between oxacillin (OXA) and ETSK was confirmed using checkerboard dilution assay and time-kill curve analysis. The bacteriostatic effect became more pronounced when ETSK was used in combination with detergent (Triton X-100) or ATPase inhibitor (N, N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide). According to western blot analysis, the down-regulated expression of Penicillin-binding protein 2a (PBP2a) further validated that the bacterial activity was inhibited when treated with ETSK in a dose-dependent manner. Results based on our study verified that ETSK significantly suppressed MRSA infections and emphasized the potential application of ETSK as a novel anti-MRSA natural drug.

Potential Myocardial Protection of 3,4-seco-Lupane Triterpenoids from Acanthopanax sessiliflorus Leaves.

A rich of 3,4-seco-lupane triterpenoids including chiisanoside (CSS), divaroside (DVS), sessiloside-A1 (SSA) and chiisanogenin (CSG) were isolated from the ethanol extract of the leaves of Acanthopanax sessiliflorus. On the basis of previous studies, this article focused on four important components of 3,4-seco-lupane triterpenoids in Acanthopanax sessiliflorus leaves and explored their protective effects against aconitine-induced cardiomyocyte injury and their molecular mechanisms. The results showed that pretreatment with 3,4-seco-lupane triterpenoids could effectively increase cell viability, reduce CK-MB and LDH activities, reduce ROS production, maintain calcium concentration balance, and inhibit apoptosis, with divaroside having the best effect. In addition, Western blot results showed that divaroside down-regulated Cleaved caspase-3 and Bax and up-regulated Bcl-2 expression through activating the PI3 K/AKT pathway. However, the LY294002 inhibitor reversed this situation. This suggests that 3,4-seco-lupane triterpenoids may be a new hotspot for potential myocardial protective drugs research.

Determination of Kaurenoic Acid in Acanthopanax trifoliatus by Ultra-High Performance Liquid Chromatography Coupled with Tandem Mass Spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS).

Acanthopanax trifoliatus (L.) Merr. (A. trifoliatus) belongs to the family Araliaceae, which is called "Le Cai", and is an indigenous plant to Guangdong Province that has been prevalently planted for years. A. trifoliatus is used in folk medicine and has ginseng-like activity. Kaurenoic acid ((-)-kaur-16-en-19-oic acid, KA) is a kaurane-type diterpenoid that is regarded as a major compound in A. trifoliatus. Early studies have reported the determination of KA by HPLC capillary electrophoresis. However, KA could not be completely separated from other components in the plant extract by HPLC because of their similar molecular structures and physical and chemical properties. UHPLC-MS/MS could be a useful tool to identify and quantify KA. In the present work, a UHPLC-ESI-MS/MS method for determining KA in A. trifoliatus was developed and validated. KA was extracted from lyophilized A. trifoliatus leaves by ultrasound-assisted extraction and further purified by solid phase extraction (SPE). KA was quantified and separated on an Accucore C18 LC column. Mass spectrometry with multi-reaction monitoring (MRM) and quantitative fragment ion/product ion (m/z: 301.3/301.3) in ESI negative mode was used for quantification. The intra-assay and inter-assay relative standard deviation (R.S.D.) were 2.8% and 3.2%, respectively. The inter-person R.S.D. on the same day was 3.6%. The inter-instrument R.S.D. with the same model on the same day was 2.9%. The recoveries evaluated upon spiking three different concentrations of KA were above 97%. A minor matrix effect of 94% was observed. This method has been applied successfully for the determination of KA in A. trifoliatus leaves.

Impressic Acid, a Lupane-Type Triterpenoid from Acanthopanax koreanum, Attenuates TNF-α-Induced Endothelial Dysfunction via Activation of eNOS/NO Pathway.

Atherosclerosis is one of the most reported diseases worldwide, and extensive research and trials are focused on the discovery and utilizing for novel therapeutics. Nitric oxide (NO) is produced mainly by endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and it plays a key role in regulating vascular function including systemic blood pressure and vascular inflammation in vascular endothelium. In this study hypothesized that Impressic acid (IPA), a component isolated from Acanthopanax koreanum, acts as an enhancer of eNOS activity and NO production. IPA treatment induced eNOS phosphorylation and NO production, which was correlated with eNOS phosphorylation via the activation of JNK1/2, p38 MAPK, AMPK, and CaMKII. In addition, the induction of eNOS phosphorylation by IPA was attenuated by pharmacological inhibitor of MAPKs, AMPK, and CaMKII. Finally, IPA treatment prevented the adhesion of TNF-α-induced monocytes to endothelial cells and suppressed the TNF-α-stimulated ICAM-1 expression via activation of NF-κB, while treatment with L-NAME, the NOS inhibitor, reversed the inhibitory effect of IPA on TNF-α-induced ICAM-1 expression via activation of NF-κB. Taken together, these findings show that IPA protects against TNF-α-induced vascular endothelium dysfunction through attenuation of the NF-κB pathway by activating eNOS/NO pathway in endothelial cells.

[Effects of fungi fraction on growth and anti-oxidative activity of Eleutherococcus senticosus].

The present study was conducted to explore the effect of endophytic fungi fraction on growth and anti-oxidative activity of Eleutherococcus senticosus. The growth,yield,contents of MDA,and antioxidant activities were assessed in E. senticosus under five fungi fractions,namely BZ,MH,DT,JS,and XFZ. The results showed that fungi fractions and component significantly affected the growth,low concentration of DT fungi fraction significantly increased the biomass of E. senticosus,reduced the MDA content in cells,and the antioxidant activities of the aqueous extracts were superior to the others. The results indicated that low concentration of DT fungi fraction was the optimum fraction to achieve high yield and quality of E. senticosus.

LC-ESI-MS/MS profiling of phenolics in the leaves of Eleutherococcus senticosus cultivated in the West Europe and anti-hyaluronidase and anti-acetylcholinestarase activities.

Neither secondary metabolites of the spring leaves nor the autumn leaves of Eleutherococcus senticosus species cultivated in Poland, or the bioactivity are known. The richest in polyphenols was the autumn leaves (171.1 mg/g DE), while in flavonoids the spring leaves (107.9 mg/g DE). Using LC-ESI-MS/MS, protocatechuic acid has been identified as the most abundant compound in the spring and autumn leaves (200 and 70 µg/g DE, respectively). Amongst flavonoids, naringenin 7-O-glucoside occurred in the largest amount (20 and 10 mg/g DE in the spring and autumn leaves, respectively). The autumn leaves inhibited Hyal the strongest (74.3%), comparing to the spring leaves (33%). A weak inhibition was found towards AChE (0.64 and 5.8% for the autumn and spring leaves, respectively). To our best knowledge, no information was available on the phytochemical composition and activity of the leaves of E. senticosus cultivated in Poland.

Structural Modification of Stilbenoids from Acanthopanax leucorrhizus and Their Cytotoxic Activity.

A new cis-stilbenoid, 1,9-dihydroxy-10-methoxy-6H-dibenzo[b,f]oxocin-6-one (2) was isolated from the AcOEt extract of the stem barks of Acanthopanax leucorrhizus, along with three known stilbenoids, 9-hydroxy-10-methoxy-6H-dibenzo[b,f]oxocin-6-one (1), 5-O-methyl-(E)-resveratrol 3-O-ß-d-glucopyranoside (3), and (E)-resveratrol 3-O-ß-d-xylopyranoside (4). Two derivatives (2a and 2b) were synthesized by the structural modification of compound 2, which exhibited certain cytotoxic activities against HT-29 and HeLa cell lines in vitro. All compounds were structurally characterized by comprehensive analysis of their spectroscopic data and comparison with literature information, and evaluated for their cytotoxic activities against three human tumor cell lines (HL-60, HT-29, and HeLa) by the standard MTT assay in vitro. The results showed that derivatives 2a and 2b exhibited strong activities than compounds 2 against HT-29 and HeLa cell lines.

Eleutherococcus senticosus (Araliaceae) Leaf Morpho-Anatomy, Essential Oil Composition, and Its Biological Activity Against Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae).

The roots of Eleutherococcus senticosus (Rupr. & Maxim.) Maxim., a well-known medicinal plant from Eastern Asia, are used worldwide for their known beneficial medicinal properties. Recently, the leaves have been used as an alternative to the roots. The present study was aimed at exploring the leaf essential oil as a potential source of compounds for mosquito management. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry analysis of the leaf essential oil revealed 87 compounds, constituting 95.2% of the oil. α-Bisabolol (26.46%), ß-caryophyllene (7.45%), germacrene D (6.87%), ß-bisabolene (4.95%), and α-humulene (3.50%) were five of the major constituents. The essential oil was subjected to biting deterrence and repellent activity against mosquito Aedes aegypti. The biting deterrence of the oil produced a proportion not biting (PNB) value of 0.62 at 10 µg/cm2 as compared with 0.86 of control DEET (N,N-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide) at a standard dose of 25 nmol/cm2. Among individually selected compounds present in the oil (α-bisabolol, ß-caryophyllene, α-humulene, and caryophyllene oxide), only α-bisabolol produced a PNB value of 0.80, equivalent to DEET at 25 nmol/cm2, whereas the others were not repellent. The artificial mixture (AMES-1) of these four selected compounds produced a relatively high PNB value of 0.80. The repellent activity measured by minimum effective dosage (MED) for α-bisabolol and α-humulene produced MED values of 0.094 and 0.104 mg/cm2, respectively, as compared with 0.023 mg/cm2 of DEET. The leaf essential oil, the artificial mixture (AMES-1), and other binary and tertiary combinations of major compounds showed no repellent activity. In addition, morpho-anatomical features of the leaf are provided for correct identification of the species.

Phytochemical Content and Pharma-Nutrition Study on Eleutherococcus senticosus Fruits Intractum.

In the past two decades public interest in herbal products has increased significantly in Europe, especially in the plant-based products from non-European traditions. Eleutherococcus senticosus has been used for the treatment of inflammatory diseases, anemia, and rheumatoid arthritis. The Eleutherococcus senticosus fruits intractum was examined for the content of phenolic acids (LC-ESI-MS/MS), minerals (AAS), TPC, and TFC (spectrophotometric assay). The antioxidant activity was determined using free radical scavenging assay and TLC-DB-DPPH∗ dot-blot test. An anti-Hyal activity was evaluated by the spectrophotometric assay method. Cytotoxicity towards HL-60, HL-60/MX1, HL-60/MX2, CEM/C1, and CCRF/CEM leukemic cell lines was done using trypan blue test. Among eight phenolic acids, trans-caffeic acid was found in the largest amount (41.2 mg/g DE). The intractum presented a high amount of macroelements (Ca, Mg, K; 1750, 1300, and 21000 mg/kg) and microelements (Fe, Mn; 32.7, 54.3 mg/kg), respectively. The content of TPC and TFC was 130 and 92 mg/g DE, respectively. The intractum showed anti-Hyal activity (2.16-60%) and an antioxidant capacity (EC50; 52 µg/mL). The intractum most strongly inhibited the growth of HL-60, HL-60/MX1, and CCRF/CEM. A better understanding of the intractum health benefits is important in order to increase its utility and enrich dietary sources of health promoting compounds.

Toxicogenomic Effects in Rat Blood Leukocytes and Chemoprophylaxis of Radiation-Induced Carcinogenesis.

Toxicogenomic parameters were studied in the blood of female rats after exposure to ionizing γ-radiation in a dose of 4 Gy and chemoprophylaxis with α-difluoromethylornithine, eleutherococcus or leuzea extracts, which were used in animals with morphological manifestations of tumor growth under conditions of radiation-induced carcinogenesis. Life-time evaluation of toxicogenomic effects was carried out by express method for measurements of blood nucleotid DNA - fluorescent indication. The level of hyperaneu/polyploidy increased in the blood leukocytes of control rats 30 days after radiation exposure. A significant decrease of genotoxicity as a result of drug treatment in comparison with the number and multiplicity of tumors in irradiated animals was found only in the endocrine and reproductive organs of rats treated by eleutherococcus extract.

Identification of six new lupane-type triterpenoids from Acanthopanax koreanum leaves and their tyrosinase inhibitory activities.

Chemical investigation of Acanthopanax koreanum leaves resulted in the isolation of 13 compounds (1-13), including six new (20,29)-dehydrolupane-type triterpenoids: 3α,11α,30-trihydroxylup-20(29)-en-23,28-dioic acid (1), 3α,11α,30-trihydroxylup-20(29)-en-28-oic acid (2), 3α,11α,30-trihydroxylup-23-al-20(29)-en-28-oic acid (3), 3α, 11α-dihydroxy-20-oxo-30-norlupane-23,28-dioic acid (5), (20S)-3α-hydroxy-30 oxolupane-23,28-dioic acid (8), (20S)-3ß,7ß,29-trihydroxy-lupane-23-al-28-oic acid (10), and one novel compound isolated for the first time, named 3α,20α,29-trihydroxylupane-23,28-dioic acid (9), together with six known compounds (4, 6, 7, and 11-13). Chemical structures of the isolated compounds were evaluated by analyzing and comparing spectroscopic data with those reported in the literature. These compounds were also evaluated for their tyrosinase inhibitory effects. Among them, compounds 3, 7, 9, and 12 showed significant inhibitory effects, with inhibitory concentrations of 50% (IC50) values ranging from 8.61 to 63.5 µM.

Root endophytic bacteria of a (137)Cs and Mn accumulator plant, Eleutherococcus sciadophylloides, increase (137)Cs and Mn desorption in the soil.

We found that root endophytes of (137)Cs accumulator plant produce siderophores, resulting in the desorption of (137)Cs from the contaminated soil collected at Fukushima, Japan. We selected an endemic Japanese deciduous tree, Eleutherococcus sciadophylloides (Franch. et Sav), that accumulates high concentrations of (137)Cs and Mn. Root endophytic bacteria were isolated from E. sciadophylloides and microbial siderophore production was evaluated via chrome azurol S (CAS) Fe and CAS Al assays. Of the 463 strains that we isolated, 107 (23.1%) produced the siderophores. Using eight strains that showed high siderophore production in our assays, we examined desorption of (137)Cs, Mn, Fe and Al by the bacterial culture filtrates from (137)Cs-contaminated soil after decomposing the soil organic matter using hydrogen peroxide. We found (137)Cs and Mn desorption concomitant with Al and Fe desorption, as well as a decrease of pH. We also detected succinic acid, a well-known siderophore, in the bacterial culture filtrates of our two root endophytic bacteria. Our results strongly suggest that the root endophytic bacteria of E. sciadophylloides produce the siderophores that enhance (137)Cs and Mn desorption in the rhizosphere, making the resulting (137)Cs and Mn ions easier for E. sciadophylloides to absorb from the rhizosphere.