Exploring the Impact of Alternative Sources of Dietary Nitrate Supplementation on Exercise Performance.

An increase in the level of nitric oxide (NO) plays a key role in regulating the human cardiovascular system (lowering blood pressure, improving blood flow), glycemic control in type 2 diabetes, and may help enhance exercise capacity in healthy individuals (including athletes). This molecule is formed by endogenous enzymatic synthesis and the intake of inorganic nitrate (NO3-) from dietary sources. Although one of the most well-known natural sources of NO3- in the daily diet is beetroot (Beta vulgaris), this review also explores other plant sources of NO3- with comparable concentrations that could serve as ergogenic aids, supporting exercise performance or recovery in healthy individuals. The results of the analysis demonstrate that red spinach (Amaranthus spp.) and green spinach (Spinacia oleracea) are alternative natural sources rich in dietary NO3-. The outcomes of the collected studies showed that consumption of selected alternative sources of inorganic NO3- could support physical condition. Red spinach and green spinach have been shown to improve exercise performance or accelerate recovery after physical exertion in healthy subjects (including athletes).

Effect of hesperidin on growth, photosynthesis, antioxidant systems and uptake of cadmium, copper, chromium and zinc by Celosia argentea plants.

Rapid industrialization and extensive agricultural practices are the major causes of soil heavy metal contamination, which needs urgent attention to safeguard the soils from contamination. However, the phytotoxic effects of excessive metals in plants are the primary obstacle to efficient phytoextraction. The present study evaluated the effects of hesperidin (HSP) on metals (Cu, Cd, Cr, Zn) phytoextraction by hyperaccumulator (Celosia argentea L.) plants. For this purpose, HSP, a flavonoid compound with strong antioxidant potential to assist metal phytoextraction was used under metal stress in plants. Celosia argentea plants suffered significant (P ≤ 0.001) oxidative damage due to the colossal accumulation of metals (Cu, Cd, Cr, Zn). However, HSP supplementation notably (P ≤ 0.001) abated ROS generation (O2•‒, •OH, H2O2), lipoxygenase activity, methylglyoxal production, and relative membrane permeability that clearly indicated HSP-mediated decline in oxidative injury in plants. Exogenous HSP improved (P ≤ 0.001) the production of non-protein thiol, phytochelatins, osmolytes, and antioxidant compounds. Further, HSP enhanced (P ≤ 0.001) H2S and NO endogenous production, which might have improved the GSH: GSSG ratio. Consequently, HSP-treated C. argentea plants had higher biomass alongside elevated metal accumulation mirrored as profound modifications in translocation factor (TF), bioaccumulation coefficient (BAC), and bioconcentration factor (BCF). In this context, HSP significantly enhanced TF of Cr (P ≤ 0.001), Cd (P ≤ 0.001), and Zn (P ≤ 0.01), while BAC of Cr (P ≤ 0.001), Cd (P ≤ 0.001), and Zn (P ≤ 0.001). Further, BCF was significant (P ≤ 0.05) only in plants grown under Cr-spiked soil. Overall, HSP has the potential for phytoremediation of metals by C. argentea, which might be a suitable strategy for metal-polluted soils.

Phytoremediation of heavy metals spiked soil by Celosia argentea L.: effect on plant growth and metal stabilization.

Soil contaminated with heavy metals cause serious threat to the soil quality, biota, and human. The removal or stabilization of heavy metals through plants is an environment friendly approach. The aim of study was to assess the potential of Celosia argentea L. for the phytoremediation of heavy metals contaminated soil. Soil was spiked with different levels (0, 100, 200, 300, and 400 mg/kg) of chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), and Zn (Zn). Experiment was carried out in greenhouse and impact of heavy metals was evaluated on plant by assessing the germination rate and plant growth. To evaluate either plant has potential to extract/stabilize the heavy metals, concentration in roots and shoot, translocation factor (TF), bioconcentration factor (BCF), and bioaccumulation factor (BAF) were determined. Application of heavy metals significantly affected the germination rate and minimum (26.6%) was observed in Cr spiked soil (400 mg/kg). Moreover, the biomass of C. argentea was also affected by the application of heavy metals. However, the concentration of heavy metals in roots and shoots were low. The BCF and BAF of C. argentea was lower than 1 except at lower levels of Pb and Zn, but the TF was greater than 1. The TF showed that plants have capability to transfer heavy metals to shoots once they are taken up by roots. However, based on the BCF and concentrations of heavy metals in shoots, it is evident that plant could play important role in the phytostabilization of heavy metals polluted soil.

Physiological and transcriptomic response reveals new insight into manganese tolerance of Celosia argentea Linn.

Celosia argentea is a manganese (Mn) hyperaccumulator with high ornamental value and strong stress resistance. It is important to understand the molecular mechanism of tolerance to heavy metals of hyperaccumulators to improve the efficiency of phytoremediation. In this study, the effects of different Mn concentrations (0, 0.8, 3, and 10 mM) on physiological characteristics and molecular changes were determined. Low concentrations of Mn increased the growth of C. argentea, while high concentrations of Mn suppressed its growth, A concentration up to 3 mM did not affect the growth of C. argentea, and the highest transfer factor (TF) was 6.16. Oxidative damage of different Mn level treatments in C. argentea was verified through relative water content, electrolyte leakage, MDA content, H2O2 content and superoxide contents. With an increase in Mn concentration, the contents of chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and carotenoids decreased. Our results indicated that low-concentration manganese treatment can reduce the reactive oxygen burst and MDA, soluble sugar and proline, making C. argentea have strong abiotic stress tolerance. The molecular mechanism of C. argentea after 10 mM Mn treatment was analysed through transcriptome analysis, and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in these pathways were further verified by qRTPCR. Plantpathogen interactions, plant hormone signal transduction, the MAPK signalling pathway and the phenylpropanoid biosynthesis pathway were important in the response to Mn stress, and the heavy metal-associated isoprenylated plant protein, metal transporter Nramp, and zinc transporter play key roles in the strong ability of C. argentea to tolerate heavy metals. These results suggest that C. argentea exhibits strong manganese tolerance and provide new insight into the molecular mechanisms of plant responses to heavy metal stress.

Integrated transcriptome and metabolome analysis reveals the mechanism of tolerance to manganese and cadmium toxicity in the Mn/Cd hyperaccumulator Celosia argentea Linn.

Understanding the molecular mechanism of tolerance to heavy metals in hyperaccumulators is important for improving the efficiency of phytoremediation and is interesting for evolutionary studies on plant adaption to abiotic stress. Celosia argentea Linn. was recently discovered to hyperaccumulate both manganese (Mn) and cadmium (Cd). However, the molecular mechanisms underlying Mn and Cd detoxification in C. argentea are poorly understood. Laboratory studies were conducted using C. argentea seedlings exposed to 360 µM Mn and 8.9 µM Cd hydroponic solutions. Plant leaves were analyzed using transcriptional and metabolomic techniques. A total of 3960 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in plants were identified under Cd stress, among which 17 were associated with metal transport, and 10 belonged to the ATP transporter families. Exposures to Mn or Cd led to the differential expression of three metal transport genes (HMA3, ABCC15, and ATPase 4). In addition, 33 and 77 differentially expressed metabolites (DEMs) were identified under Mn and Cd stresses, respectively. Metabolic pathway analysis showed that the ABC transporter pathway was the most affected in Mn/Cd exposed seedlings. Conjoint transcriptome and metabolome analysis showed that the glutathione (GSH) metabolic pathway was over-represented in the KEGG pathway of both DEGs and DEMs. Our results confirm that the ABC transporter and GSH metabolic pathways play important roles in Mn and Cd detoxification. These findings provide new insight into the molecular mechanisms of tolerance to Mn and Cd toxicity in plants.

Identification of molecular mechanisms underlying the therapeutic effects of Celosia Cristata on immunoglobulin nephropathy.

Immunoglobulin A (IgA) nephropathy also known as Berger's disease, is a silent monster and perhaps the most prevalent glomerulonephritis that often accounts for end-stage kidney failure, thereby signifying a growing public health problem worldwide. The limited amount of available data and a broad spectrum of dysregulated physiological processes of IgAN make it a challenging task and a disproportionate economic load on the community health sector. Celosia cristata is an Amaranthaceous plant with attractive colorful inflorescences that are used in various regions of earth for the treatment of numerous ailments. A list of studies evidences the therapeutic efficacy of C. cristata against complicated disorders, but the precise molecular mechanism is yet to be discovered. This study is attributed to the identification of bioactive compounds, pathways, and target genes for the better treatment of IgAN. In the current analysis, compound-target genes-pathway networks were explored which uncovered that isorhamnetin, stigmasterol, luteolin, amaranthin, and ß-sitosterol may serve as a magic bullet against IgAN by influencing the targets genes involved in the disease pathogenesis. Later, the expression of hub genes was then further analyzed using a microarray dataset (GSE93798). Through expression analysis, it is worth noting that FOS, JUN, and EGFR were considerably upregulated, and at the same moment, AKT1 was considerably downregulated in IgAN patients. Lastly, docking analysis further strengthened the current findings by validating the effective activity of the active ingredients against putative target genes. In summary, we propose that five key compounds including, isorhamnetin, stigmasterol, luteolin, amaranthin, and ß-sitosterol, aid in the regulation of JUN, FOS, AKT1, and EGFR, which may serve as a promising and enthralling therapeutic option for IgAN. The overall integration of network pharmacology with molecular docking unveiled the multi-target pharmacological mechanisms of C. cristata against IgAN. This study provides convincing evidence that C. cristata might partially alleviate the IgAN and ultimately lays a foundation for further experimental research on the anti-IgAN activity of C. cristata.

Moroidin, a Cyclopeptide from the Seeds of Celosia cristata That Induces Apoptosis in A549 Human Lung Cancer Cells.

Interference of microtubule dynamics with tubulin-targeted drugs is a validated approach for cancer chemotherapy. Moroidin (1) is an Urticaceae-type cyclopeptide having a potent inhibitory effect on purified tubulin polymerization. So far, moroidin has not been chemically synthesized, and its effect on cancer cells remains unknown. Herein, the cyclopeptide moroidin was isolated and identified from the seeds of Celosia cristata, and a revised assignment of its NMR data was presented. For the first time, moroidin (1) was demonstrated as having cytotoxic effects for several cancer cells, especially A549 lung cancer cells. The cellular evidence obtained showed that moroidin disrupts microtubule polymerization and decreases ß-tubulin protein levels, but is not as potent as colchicine. Molecular docking indicated that 1 has a high binding potential to the vinca alkaloid site on tubulin. Moreover, moroidin arrested A549 cells in the G2/M phase and induced cell apoptosis. The intrinsic mitochondrial pathway and AKT were involved in the moroidin-induced cell apoptosis. In addition, moroidin (1) inhibited the migration and invasion of A549 cells at sublethal concentrations.

Phenolic, Flavonoid and Antioxidant Capacities Evaluation of Celosia cristata Resulted from Induced Mutation Using Ethyl Methane Sulphonate.

<b>Background and Objective:</b> <i>Celosia cristata</i> L. is an ornamental plant that has the potency to be developed as a medicinal plant. The mutation breeding of <i>C. cristata</i> targets the increase of biochemical compounds that are potential as antioxidants. This study aimed to evaluate the phenolic and flavonoid contents and antioxidant activity of the putative mutants of <i>C. cristata</i> in the M1 generation. <b>Materials and Methods:</b> The samples used in this study were flowers and seeds. Induced mutation, using ethyl methane sulphonate (EMS) was used to obtain M1 generation of putative mutants and twelve putative mutants were selected for polyphenol contents analysis composed of total phenolic (TPC), total flavonoid (TFC) and antioxidant activities analysis using two approaches, i.e., 2,2-diphenyl picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) method and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP). <b>Results:</b> This study showed that total phenolics were varied from 11.73-18.06 mg GAE g¹ DW and total flavonoids were varied from 2.34-3.11 mg QE g¹ DW. Meanwhile, the antioxidant activity gain using the DPPH method ranged from 16.43-19.02 µmol TE g¹ DW and the FRAP method ranged from 40.72-59.61 µmol TE g¹ DW. The clustering analysis results formed three clusters with two clusters consisting of potential mutants with higher biochemical content and antioxidant capacities. It was found that total phenolic and flavonoids highly correlated with the antioxidant FRAP. <b>Conclusion:</b> Induced mutation using EMS can increase the diversity of biochemical characters and antioxidant activity of <i>C. cristata</i> and provide potential genetic material with higher chemical content for further development.

Precise identification of Celosia argentea seed and its five adulterants by multiple morphological and chemical means.

Celosia argentea seed (CAS) has been used as a traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of liver damage and eye diseases. CAS is easily falsely harvested and misused, five species from Amaranthaceae family have frequently found to be involved in the adulteration and misapplication, namely Celosia cristata seed (CCS), Amaranthus tricolor seed (ATS), Amaranthus retroflexus seed (ARS), Amaranthus cruentus seed (ACS), and Amaranthus spinosus seed (ASS). For the purpose of identification, multiple morphological means including stereomicroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, normal light and polarized light microscopy were comprehensively employed. As a result, micromorphological and microscopic characteristics were extracted and a diagnostic key to CAS and its five adulterants was proposed for the first time. With respect to the genetically closely related species, viz. CAS and CCS, chemical means were developed to achieve the goal of precise identification. Firstly, triterpenoid saponins in CAS and CCS were fully characterized by an HPLC-QTOF-MS/MS method, a total of 20 triterpenoid saponins including 9 novel members were identified. Secondly, the HPLC-ELSD specific chromatogram was established, in which 12 common peaks were assigned. Finally, after a careful comparison, the peak area ratio of two triterpenoid saponins was discovered as interspecies discriminant marker. In conclusion, CAS and its five adulterants can be precisely identified by multiple morphological and chemical means.

Pathways of cadmium fluxes in the root of the hyperaccumulator Celosia argentea Linn.

In order to study the mechanism of cadmium (Cd) uptake by the roots of Celosia argentea Linn. (Amaranthaceae), the effects of various inhibitors, ion channel blockers, and hydroponic conditions on Cd2+ fluxes in the roots were characterized using non-invasive micro-test technology (NMT). The net Cd2+ flux (72.5 pmol∙cm-2∙s-1) in roots that had been pretreated with Mn was significantly higher than that in non-pretreated roots (58.1 pmol∙cm-2∙s-1), indicating that Mn pretreatment enhanced Cd uptake by the roots. This finding may be explained by the fact that the addition of Mn significantly increased the expression of the transporter gene and thus promoted Cd uptake and transport. In addition, Mn pretreatment resulted in an increase in root growth, which may in turn promote root vigor. The uncoupler 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP) caused a significant reduction in net Cd2+ fluxes in the roots, by 70.5% and 41.4% when exposed to Mn and Cd stress, respectively. In contrast, a P-type ATPase inhibitor (Na3VO4) had only a small effect on net Cd2+ fluxes to the plant roots, indicating that ATP has a relatively minor role in Cd uptake by roots. La3+ (a Ca channel inhibitor) had a more significant inhibitory effect on net Cd2+ fluxes than did TEA (a K channel inhibitor). Therefore, Cd uptake by plant roots may occur mainly through Ca channels rather than K channels. In summary, uptake of Cd by the roots of C. argentea appears to occur via several types of ion channels, and Mn can promote Cd uptake.

Natural Bridged Bicyclic Peptide Macrobiomolecules from Celosia argentea and Amanita phalloides.

Bridged peptide macrobicycles (BPMs) from natural resources belong to types of compounds that are not investigated fully in terms of their formation, pharmacological potential, and stereo- chemical properties. This division of biologically active congeners with multiple circular rings has merits over other varieties of peptide molecules. BPMs form one of the most hopeful grounds for the establishment of drugs because of their close resemblance and biocompatibility with proteins, and these bio-actives are debated as feasible, realistic tools in diverse biomedical applications. Despite huge potential, poor metabolic stability and cell permeability limit the therapeutic success of macrocyclic peptides. In this review, we have comprehensively explored major bicyclic peptides sourced from plants and mushrooms, including ßs-leucyl-tryptophano-histidine bridged and tryptophanocysteine bridged peptide macrobicycles. The unique structural features, structure-activity relationship, synthetic routes, bioproperties, and therapeutic potential of the natural BPMs are also discussed.

Impacts of root pruning intensity and direction on the phytoremediation of moderately Cd-polluted soil by Celosia argentea.

Root pruning can impact the physiological functions of various plants, which influence phytoremediation. A series of root pruning treatments with different combinations of direction (two-side pruning and four-side pruning) and intensity (10, 25, and 33% pruning) were performed on Celosia argentea L. All two-side pruning treatments, regardless of intensity, decreased the dry biomass of the C. argentea roots at the end of the experiment relative to that of the control. However, the two-side-10% and two-side-25% pruning treatments stimulated the growth rate of the plant leaves significantly by 58.6 and 41.4%, respectively, relative to that of the control, and even offset the weight loss of the plant roots. Contrastingly, the two-side-33% pruning treatment reduced the biomass yield of leaves by 24.1%. For the four-side pruning treatments, the low intensity increased the dry weight of both the plant roots and leaves, while both decreased under high-intensity root pruning. The dry weight, Cd content, pigment level, and photosynthetic efficiency in the four-side-10% treatment were higher than those in the other treatments during the experiment. This study indicates that root pruning with a suitable combination of direction and intensity can positively influence the Cd removal ability of C. argentea.

Our study suggests that a suitable root pruning pattern can significantly increase the phytoremediation effect of Celosia argentea L. Compared with chemical and biological regulation including plant hormone application, chemical reagent spraying, and endophytes inoculation which might introduce unpredictable risks into the ecological system, root pruning can be considered as an environmentally friendly physical trigger to modulate physiological features and to induce advantages in plants. This finding can be extrapolated into the real-world easily since root pruning is an established, convenient, and feasible method. We believe readers would be interested in this method.

Preparation, characterization and application of smart packaging films based on locust bean gum/polyvinyl alcohol blend and betacyanins from cockscomb (Celosia cristata L.) flower.

Cockscomb (Celosia cristata L.) is an edible and ornamental plant rich in natural pigments of betacyanins. In this study, smart packaging films were developed based on locust bean gum (LBG), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and betacyanins from cockscomb flower. Effect of cockscomb flower extract content (4 wt%, 8 wt% and 12 wt%) on the structural, physical and functional properties of LBG/PVA blend films was investigated. The addition of cockscomb flower extract elevated the immiscibility between LBG and PVA. Cockscomb flower extract interacted with LBG and PVA through hydrogen bonds, resulting in reduced film crystallinity. The film containing 8 wt% of cockscomb flower extract showed the lowest water vapor permeability (10.34 × 10-11 g m-1 s-1 Pa-1) and the highest tensile strength (23.63 MPa). The film containing 12 wt% cockscomb flower extract exhibited the lowest light transmittance and the highest elongation at break (41.12%) and antioxidant activity. Cockscomb flower extract made the films become reddish-purple and endowed the films with pH-sensitivity and ammonia-sensitivity. The films containing cockscomb flower extract showed obvious color changes from reddish-purple to brown/yellow when shrimp spoiled. Our results suggested LBG/PVA blend films with cockscomb flower extract were suitable smart packaging films for indicating shrimp freshness.

Effect of using Celosia argentea grown from seeds treated with a magnetic field to conduct Cd phytoremediation in drought stress conditions.

The mechanisms of the stimulatory effect of external magnetic fields on plant growth have been revealed; however, the role of magnetic fields in the efficiency of phytoremediation with Celosia argentea grown under drought stress which results in detrimental influences on food security has not been reported. Therefore, this study evaluated the physiological responses of C. argentea to the interactions between exposure to a magnetic field and drought stress. Compared with a control, a drought treatment negatively affected the dry weight, transpiration rate, and Cd extraction efficiency of the species and caused oxidative damage in plant cells, as manifested by the increase in malondialdehyde levels and antioxidant enzyme activities. The biomass production, pigment levels, Cd content, and phytoremediation efficiency of the plant were positively affected by all magnetic field treatments compared to the control. All magnetic treatments, except those at 30 mT, alleviated the detrimental effects induced by a 10-day irrigation regime by enhancing the dry weight, chlorophyll content, and activities of antioxidant enzymes in the leaves of the plant. In terms of the interaction between pre-sowing magnetic field seed treatment and drought stress, a 100 mT treatment increased most of the measured parameters, particularly under a 3-day irrigation regime; this corresponded to the optimal phytoremediation efficiency. The results suggest that magnetic field treatment is a novel, economical, and practicable strategy by which to increase the efficiency of phytoremediation using C. argentea under drought stress.

Effects of decapitation and root cutting on phytoremediation efficiency of Celosia argentea.

Decapitation and root cutting can influence plant physiological features, such as height, dry weight, and transpiration rate, which partly determine the success of phytoremediation. In this study, the effects of three root cutting intensities (10%, 25%, and 33%), decapitation, and their combination on the phytoremediation efficiency of Celosia argentea were evaluated. Decapitation increased the biomass yield of C. argentea roots and leaves and significantly improved the species' Cd decontamination ability. Root cutting, especially 33% cutting treatment, decreased the root dry weight. The 10% and 25% root cutting treatments increased the leaf biomass yield by 58.6% and 41.4%, respectively, compared with the untreated control, even compensating for the loss of roots, but 33% root cutting decreased the leaf dry weight. Low and moderate root cutting intensity (10% and 25%) increased the leaf Cd content by 33.4% and 24.9%, respectively, and was associated with improved transpiration rate. The highest root and leaf dry weights were observed for the combination of decapitation and 10% root cutting, which increased the biomass yield of underground and aerial parts by 109.9% and 286.2%, respectively. In addition, decapitation offset the negative effects of 33% root cutting on plant growth, indicated by the higher dry weight relative to the control. Decapitated C. argentea accumulated 11.0, 7.5, and 0.7 times more Cd with the 10%, 25%, and 33% root cutting treatments, respectively, compared with the control. The combination of root cutting and decapitation was a practicable and economical method of enhancing the Cd decontamination capacity of C. argentea.

Immunostimulatory Activity of Polysaccharides Extracted from Celosia cristata Flowers.

Macrophages play a major role in innate immune responses by producing a variety of immune mediators and cytokines. The stimulation of macrophages by natural products may lead to an enhanced innate immune system. This study evaluated the immunostimulatory effects of a polysaccharide-rich crude fraction of Celosia cristata L. flowers (CCP) on murine macrophages. CCP treatment induced the production of inducible nitric oxide synthase, cyclooxygenase-2, and cytokines by macrophages. Mechanistically, the activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases, NF-κB and toll-like receptor 4 were found to be associated with the stimulatory functions of CCP. CCP was found to be primarily composed of galacturonic acid and glucose in addition to small amounts of arabinose and galactose. This study demonstrated that CCP may enhance the innate immune responses and potentially improve the immune functions in the body.

Impacts of root pruning and magnetized water irrigation on the phytoremediation efficiency of Celosia argentea.

Pot experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of magnetized water irrigation (100 mT) and root cutting (three pruning intensities) on phytoremediation efficiency of Celosia argentea. In the absence of magnetic field treatment, low root cutting intensity increased the dry weight of the below-ground and aerial parts of C. argentea. Moderate and severe cutting intensities decreased the biomass yield of the plant roots by 11.3% and 31.0%, and increased the dry weight of aerial parts by 75.9% and 27.6%, respectively, alleviating the detrimental effects of these pruning treatments on the plant roots. In the presence of magnetic field treatment, 10% and 25% of pruning treatments increased the dry weight of plant roots by 52.1% and 33.8%, and 33% pruning treatment decreased it by 14.1%. Under both irrigation treatments, low and moderate root cutting strategies did not affect the take up of Cd by the plant roots, while severe cutting decreased it significantly. Enzyme activities decreased with the increment of pruning intensity, and magnetic field can alleviate the negative impact, increasing the capacity of the root pruned species to scavenge the excessive ROS induced by the accumulated Cd. The results showed that root pruning enhanced the phytoremediation efficiency of C. argentea, and this effect was enhanced when combined with magnetized water irrigation.

Chemical compounds with a neuroprotective effect from the seeds of Celosia argentea L.

Oxidative stress plays a central role in the common pathophysiology of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and Parkinson's disease. Antioxidant therapy has been suggested for the prevention and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. Compounds derived from natural sources may offer the potential for new treatment options. Semen Celosiae is a traditional Chinese edible herbal medicine with a long history in China and exhibits wide-reaching biological activities such as hepatoprotective, anti-tumor, anti-diarrheal, anti-diabetic, anti-oxidant, etc. In this study, nine saponins and two phenylacetonitrile glycosides were isolated from Semen Celosiae and their structures were identified using ESI-MS and NMR techniques. Among them, compounds 1 and 2 have not been previously reported. The total concentrations of the five triterpenoid saponins and the two phenylacetonitrile glycosides were 3.348 mg g-1 and 0.187 mg g-1, respectively, suggesting that Semen Celosiae is a novel viable source of the two kinds of compounds. These compounds were observed to significantly attenuate t-BHP-induced neuronal damage by effectively enhancing cell viability and decreasing reactive oxygen species generation and cell apoptosis rate in NSC-34 cells. Furthermore, compounds 1 and 7 reduced the ratios of cleaved caspase-3: caspase-3 and cleaved caspase-7: caspase-7 and the level of cytochrome C, while they increased the levels of SOD1 and Beclin 1. These findings suggest that compounds 1-11 are potent inhibitors of neuron injury elicited by t-BHP, possibly via inhibition of oxidative stress and apoptosis, and activation of autophagy; therefore they may be valuable leads for future therapeutic development.

Analysis of physiological and metabolite response of Celosia argentea to copper stress.

Copper-tolerant (Cu) plants with high ornamental value play an important role in the ecological restoration of the copper tail mining area. We first discovered Celosia argentea adaptability in a copper mine area in China; however, its resistance to Cu and the underlying mechanism are not clear. In this study, C. argentea was selected for pot culture experiments. Its heavy metal accumulation and translocation, physiological and metabolic products were analysed under different growth concentrations of Cu (0-2400 mg.kg-1 ) stress. Our results indicated that roots strongly accumulated Cu2+ . Oxidative stress defence mechanisms were activated in leaves under Cu treatment. Higher Cu concentrations triggered higher electrolyte leakage (EL), Malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD) activity, and consequently a higher capacity to scavenge oxygen radicals and maintain cellular membrane integrity. In the citrate cycle, some amino acids and sugars related to biological pathways were altered in C. argentea exposed to Cu stress. Metabolomics data revealed that C. argentea used elevated sugar content as an antioxidant to regulate reactive oxygen species (ROS). Some organic acids and amino acids were up-regulated compared with the control, indicating that these may chelate Cu in cells to remove excess Cu2+ . The up-regulation of polyamines and some organic acids may mitigate oxidative stress. These results indicate that C. argentea could be used as a Cu-tolerant plant in Cu mine restoration. Its Cu tolerance mechanism also provides a basis for future plant improvement or breeding for use in mine restoration.

Impact of O3 on the phytoremediation effect of Celosia argentea in decontaminating Cd.

Elevated atmospheric O3 can inhibit the growth rate of various plants and increase metal content in their tissues owing to the oxidative damage, thereby affecting their phytoremediation efficiency. In this study, a series of O3 fumigation treatments were designed to evaluate the dry weight, Cd content, and transpiration rate responses of Celosia argentea to different levels of O3 (40, 50, 55, 60, 65, and 80 ppb). The dry weight of C. argentea decreased as the atmospheric O3 level increased, and the Cd concentration of the plant leaves increased until the level of O3 reached 60 ppb before decreasing slightly. The variations in the transpiration rate followed a similar trend to the Cd content under different O3 levels. The phytoremediation efficiency of C. argentea increased with O3 fumigation at low (50 ppb) and moderate (55 and 60 ppb) levels, and significantly decreased at the highest level. The regression curves indicated that the plant species treated with 52 ppb of O3 exhibited the highest Cd accumulation capacity. Overall, the phytoremediation effect of C. argentea cultivated in Cd-polluted soil might be improved under the high-O3 conditions. This result might help to choose suitable plants for soil remediation in future atmospheric environment.