Direct Biotransformation of Dioscin into Diosgenin in Rhizome of Dioscorea zingiberensis by Penicillium dioscin.

Diosgenin is an important precursor for synthesis of more than 200 steroidal hormone medicines. Rhizome of Dioscorea zingiberensis C. H. Wright (RDZ) contained the highest content of diosgenin in Dioscorea plant species. Diosgenin is traditionally extracted by acid hydrolysis from RDZ. However, the acid hydrolysis process produces massive wastewater which caused serious environment pollution. In this study, diosgenin extraction by direct biotransformation with Penicillium dioscin was investigated. The spawn cultivation conditions were optimized as: Czapeks liquid culture medium without sugar and agar (1,000 ml) + 6.0 g dioscin/6.0 g DL, 30 °C, 36 h; solid fermentation of RDZ: mycelia/RDZ of 0.05 g/kg, 30 °C, 50 h; the yield of diosgenin was over 90 %. Spawn cultivation was crucial for the direct biotransformation. In the spawn cultivation, amount and ratio of dioscin/DL were the key factors to promote biotransformation activity of P. dioscin. This biotransformation method was environment-friendly, simple and energy saving, and might be a potential substitute for acid hydrolysis in diosgenin extraction industry.

Subchronic Toxicity Evaluation of Idesia polycarpa Fruit Oil by 90-Day Oral Exposure in Wistar Rats.

Idesia polycarpa, belonging to the Flacourtiaceae family, is a tall deciduous tree, widely distributed in some Asian countries. It is famous for its high yield of fruit known as oil grape, which is rich of linoleic acid and linolenic acid, and so on. To provide evidences for its safe use as food, subchronic toxicity of I. polycarpa fruit oil and no observed adverse effect level were performed in male and female specific pathogen-free Wistar rats. Based on the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development guidelines, the oil was orally administered to rats by gavage at 0, 1.0, 2.0, and 4.0mL/kg.bw/day for 90 days, followed by a 28-day recovery period. The results showed that no sign of oil-related toxicity, clinically or histologically, was observed in both male and female rats. Although there was a slight increase or decrease in some indicators such as hematology, serum chemistry, and so on, those changes were all within the normal ranges, and as presented in the 90-day study, the oil exhibited no toxic effect compared to the control rats. I. polycarpa might be a potential excellent and healthy vegetable oil resource.

Transcriptome and physiological determination reveal the effects of selenite on the growth and selenium metabolism in mung bean sprouts.

Selenium (Se) biofortification of crops has been studied to substantially improve the Se content in human dietary food intake. In the present study, Vigna radiata (mung bean) seeds were soaked in different concentrations of sodium selenite (Na2SeO3). Low concentration of selenite is conducive to seed germination and growth, and can increase the fresh weight (FW) and dry weight (DW) of sprouts. The concentration of Na2SeO3 lower than 50 mg/kg resulted in noticeable elongation in the stem and marginal elongation in root. Mung bean seeds soaked with 80 mg/kg Na2SeO3 accounted for 93.77% of organic Se after growing for about 5 days. Transcriptome data revealed that Se treatment enhances starch and sugar metabolism, along with the up-regulation of ribosomal protein and DNA synthesis related genes. Further analysis indicated that the mung bean seeds absorbed Na2SeO3 through PHT1.1 and NIP2. Se (IV) was transformed into Se (VI) and transported to stems, leaves and roots through cotyledons during the germination of bean sprouts. SULTR3;3 may play an important role in the transit process. Se (VI) or Se (IV) transported to the leaves was catalytically transformed into SeCys through SiR and CS, and SeCys is further converted to MeSeCys through SMT. Most SeCys were transformed into SeHCys through CBL, transported to plastids, and finally transformed into SeMet through Met Synthase.

The complete chloroplast genome of Epimedium flavum Stearn (Berberidaceae).

Epimedium flavum Stearn, which belongs to Berberidaceae, is mainly distributed in the Sichuan province of China. In this study, the complete chloroplast genome of E. flavum was reported for the first time. The whole genome of E. flavum was 159,134 bp in length, and revealed a typical quadripartite structure, including two copies of an inverted repeat (IR) region of 27,735 bp separating a large single-copy region (LSC, 86,576 bp) and a small single-copy region (SSC, 17, 088 bp). The chloroplast genome contained 112 unique genes, including 78 protein-coding genes, 30 tRNA genes, and 4 rRNA genes. Phylogenetic analysis showed that E. flavum of series Davidianae was firstly clustered with E. brevicornu of ser. Brachyerae.

[Resources of Lycium species and related research progress].

Solanaceae Lycium speices are deciduous shrubs. In ancient Chinese medicine works, Lycium plants are described to work well in nourshing liver and kidney, enhancing eyesight, enriching blood, invigorating sex, reducing rheumatism and so on. More of their functions such as immunity improvement, anti-oxydation, anti-aging, anti-cancer, growth stumulation, hemopoiesis enhancing, incretion regulating, blood sugar reducing, bearing improvement and many other new functions are conformed in modern clinic researches. Lycium is also widely used in brewing, beverage and many other products. The world Lycium-related researches are mostly on Lycium species genesis and evolution, sexual evolution, active ingredient separation and pharmacological effects. The future research direction is indicated in this article, molecular evolution and systematics rather than traditional taxonomy will do better in explanation of present global distribution of Lycium species; comparative genomics research on Lycium will be a whole new way to deep gene resources exploration; relationship of genetic diversity and active ingredient variation on L. barbarum and L. chinense will lay theory basis for new germplasm development, breeding, cultivation and production regionalization.

Evolution of the Araliaceae family inferred from complete chloroplast genomes and 45S nrDNAs of 10 Panax-related species.

We produced complete sequences and conducted comparative analysis of the maternally inherited chloroplast (cp) genomes and bi-parentally inherited 45S nuclear ribosomal RNA genes (nrDNA) from ten Araliaceae species to elucidate the genetic diversity and evolution in that family. The cp genomes ranged from 155,993 bp to 156,730 bp with 97.1-99.6% similarity. Complete 45S nrDNA units were about 11 kb including a 5.8-kb 45S cistron. Among 79 cp protein-coding genes, 74 showed nucleotide variations among ten species, of which infA, rpl22, rps19 and ndhE genes showed the highest Ks values and atpF, atpE, ycf2 and rps15 genes showed the highest Ka/Ks values. Four genes, petN, psaJ, psbF, and psbN, related to photosynthesis and one gene, rpl23, related to the ribosomal large subunit remain conserved in all 10 Araliaceae species. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the ten species could be resolved into two monophyletic lineages, the Panax-Aralia and the Eleutherococcus-Dendropanax groups, which diverged approximately 8.81-10.59 million years ago (MYA). The Panax genus divided into two groups, with diploid species including P. notoginseng, P. vietnamensis, and P. japonicus surviving in Southern Asia and a tetraploid group including P. ginseng and P. quinquefolius Northern Asia and North America 2.89-3.20 MYA.