Dendrobium Plants Research Articles

Biological Potential of a Bibenzyl Compound ‘Gigantol’ for the Treatment of Human Disorders: Pharmacological Activities and Analytical Aspects of an Active Phytochemical Isolated from Orchid

Background: Dendrobium chrysotoxum Lindl. is an important medicinal plant of the genus Dendrobium from the Orchidaceae family. Gigantol is one of the key bioactive phytochemicals found in Dendrobium plants. Gigantol is reported to have diverse pharmacological activities Aims: This narrative review explores the analytical aspects along with pharmacological activities of gigantol as reported in different scientific publications. Methods: To find appropriate information related to Dendrobium plants and gigantol, extensive data extraction was done using ScienceDirect, Google, PubMed, and Scopus databases, and diverse facts were collected, arranged and analyzed to know the therapeutic potential of gigantol. Analytical aspects of gigantol were also discussed in the present work. Results: Gigantol has a wide distribution in the Dendrobium officinale, Dendrobium chrysanthum, Dendrobium crystallinum, Dendrobium aphyllum, and Dendrobium devonianum. Available data indicates diverse pharmacological activities of gigantol. Preclinical studies have shown its effectiveness in the treatment of cataractogenesis, liver injury, leishmaniasis, nephrotoxicity, spasm, and skin disorders. Gigantol has been found to control hepatocellular cancer, lung cancer, breast cancer, bladder cancer, and cervical cancer. The neuroprotective, antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, vasorelaxant, immune modulatory effect, antimalarial, and anti-herpetic properties of gigantol have also been observed. Applications of different analytical techniques for the isolation and characterization of gigantol were also discussed in detail. Conclusion: Gigantol has significant and diverse pharmacological activities that must be explored in clinical setup to develop therapeutic leads for different diseases and health conditions.

Diverse modulatory effects of bibenzyls from Dendrobium species on human immune cell responses under inflammatory conditions.

Dendrobium plants are widely used in traditional Chinese medicine. Their secondary metabolites such as bibenzyls and phenanthrenes show various pharmacological benefits such as immunomodulation and inhibitory effects on cancer cell growth. However, our previous study also showed that some of these promising compounds (i.e., gigantol and cypripedin) also induced the expression of inflammatory cytokines including TNF in human monocytes, and thus raising concerns about the use of these compounds in clinical application. Furthermore, the effects of these compounds on other immune cell populations, apart from monocytes, remain to be investigated. In this study, we evaluated immunomodulatory effects of seven known bibenzyl compounds purified from Dendrobium species in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) that were stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Firstly, using flow cytometry, moscatilin (3) and crepidatin (4) showed the most promising dose-dependent immunomodulatory effects among all seven bibenzyls, determined by significant reduction of TNF expression in LPS-stimulated CD14+ monocytes. Only crepidatin at the concentration of 20 μM showed a significant cytotoxicity, i.e., an increased cell death in late apoptotic state. In addition, deep immune profiling using high-dimensional single-cell mass cytometry (CyTOF) revealed broad effects of Dendrobium compounds on diverse immune cell types. Our findings suggest that to precisely evaluate therapeutic as well as adverse effects of active natural compounds, a multi-parameter immune profiling targeting diverse immune cell population is required.

Phylogenetic study of some major Dendrobium species of Eastern Himalaya using internal transcribed spacer marker

The entire internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region sequencing was used to determine the phylogenetic relationship of 44 Eastern Himalayan Dendrobium species using the Sanger method and MEGA 11. The combined length of ITS-I and ITS-II varies between 623 and 644 base pairs (bp). Among them, there are 403 polymorphic, 91 unique, and 223 conserved nucleotides. In addition, 337 nucleotides are parsimony informative, with a mean of 0.51 that supports the presence of genetic variation in the genome of the selected species. Overall composition distance is 0.32, transition and transversion bias (R) 1.444, and mean evolutionary divergence (d) 0.16. The length of ITS-2 sequences is bigger than that of ITS-I. ITS-II exhibits a higher G+C% content, and the K2+G model is the most suitable, with the lowest penalty for nucleotide substitutions. The average consistency, retention, composite value, and parsimony-informative sites (in parentheses) are 0.5028 (0.4571), 0.6545 (0.6545), and 0.3290 (0.2992), respectively. The mean value of the disparity indices is 0.192, which measures the variation in evolutionary trends between two sequences. In addition, the ratio of non-synonymous to synonymous substitutions (dN/dS) is −0.33 promotes purifying species selection. The prevalence of the TGT codon is abundant across the sequences, with the UCG codon exhibiting the highest relative synonymous codon usage (RSCU). Conversely, the GAC codon has the lowest RSCU value. The greatest genetic divergence occurred between Dendrobium aphyllum and Dendrobium denudans. The Breviflorus species group has the most genetic diversity, whereas Formosae has the least. Between Grastidium and Stachyobium group sequences had the highest evolutionary distance, whereas Dendrobium and Grastidium had the least. The negative value of Tajima’s D, Fu and Li’s D*, F*, and Fu’s Fs tests indicated current population is growing after facing a recent bottleneck. This study suggests that ITS sequencing could be a major focus of comparative sequencing at the generic level in Dendrobium plants and could provide valuable phylogenetic reconstruction for clarifying the evolutionary relevance of the taxa studied.

Identifying a Most Suitable Growing Medium for Acclimatizing Dendrobium Orchids for Commercial Purposes

Dendrobium orchid highly valued as cut flowers. During acclimatization different growing media are being used. However, these media have not scientifically tested, thus, the effect of growing media on acclimatization stage of Dendrobium orchid type ‘TC 05’ was evaluated under glass house conditions to assist in producing quality pot plants. The experiment was carried out at the Orchid Section of the Floriculture Research and Development Unit (FRDU), Department of National Botanic Gardens (DNBG), Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. Six months old tissue cultured Dendrobium plants with an average mean height of 2.4 cm were potted in 12.7 cm clay pots and five different potting media were tested. Fifteen pots were used for each treatment with 05 plants in each pot (total number of plants in each treatment = pots 15 x 5 plants = 75 plants) with the total number of plants 5 x 15 x 5 = 375 plants. Five different potting media were (T1) Coir dust+ Roof tile pieces + Sand (1:1:1), (T2) Coir dust + Granite + Sand (1:1:1), (T3) Coir dust + Roof tile pieces + Charcoal (1:1:1), (T4) Coir dust + Roof tile pieces + Granite (1:1:1), and (T5) Coir dust + Charcoal + Paddy husk (1:1:1) were used in the experiment. The experiment was arranged according to the Randomized Complete Block Design. The T1 medium Coir dust+ Roof tile pieces + Sand (1:1:1), which is regularly used as the growing media of the FRDU of the DNBG, was considered to be the control treatment. Observation on growth parameters (height, number of new leaves and number of new tillers) of plants were recorded twice a month from October 2022 to June 2023. Mean height of plants in treatment two is (6.4 ± 0.58) significantly higher than those of T3, T4 and T5 (F=5.7, P<0.01). Similarly mean number of new leaves in treatment two (5.2 ± 0.69) is significantly higher than those of T3, T4 and T5 (F=25.72, P<0.01). However, mean number of tiller in treatment two (1.9 ± 0.35) is significantly higher than that of T5 ( F=4.3, P<0.01). Thus growing media (T2) Coir dust + Granite + Sand (1:1:1) showed the best performance in average plant height, number of leaves produced and number of tillers. It may be concluded that Coir dust + Granite + Sand (1:1:1) is the most suitable media for the acclimatization stage (6 to 14 months plants after tissue culture) of Dendrobium verity ‘TC 05’ under local climatic condition in a glass house with 70% shade.

Co-expressed network analysis based on 289 transcriptome samples reveals methyl jasmonate-mediated gene regulatory mechanism of flavonoid compounds in Dendrobium catenatum

Flavonoids are momentous bioactive ingredients in orchid plant Dendrobium catenatum (D. catenatum), which are bioactive compounds with great medical and commercial potential. However, the accurate dissection of flavonoids profiling and their accumulation mechanism are largely unknown. In this study, methyl jasmonate (MeJA) treatment was used to investigate the change of flavonoids content and transcripts in two D. catenatum clones (A6 and B1). We identified 40 flavonoids using liquid chromatograph mass spectrometer (LC-MS). By weighted gene co-expressed network analysis (WGCNA) of flavonoids content and transcript expression of MeJA-treated samples, 37 hub genes were identified. Among them, DcCHIL, DcFLS, and DcDFR were highly correlation with two key transcription factors DcWRKY3/4 by correlation analysis of large-scale transcriptome data and above hub genes expression. Furthermore, transient overexpression of DcWRKY3/4 in tobacco leaves significantly increased the content of flavonoids. This study identified flavonoid profiling and built a new approach to mine regulatory mechanism of flavonoids in D. catenatum. These valuable flavonoids and gene resources will be key for understanding and harnessing natural flavonoids products in pharmaceuticals and foods industry of D. catenatum.

The potential roles of acid invertase family in Dendrobium huoshanense: Identification, evolution, and expression analyses under abiotic stress

Dendrobium huoshanense, a traditional Chinese medicine prized for its horticultural and medicinal properties, thrives in an unfavorable climate and is exposed to several adverse environmental conditions. Acid invertase (AINV), a widely distributed enzyme that has been demonstrated to play a significant role in response to environmental stresses. However, the identification of the AINV gene family in D. huoshanense, the collinearity between relative species, and the expression pattern under external stress have yet to be resolved. We systematically retrieved the D. huoshanense genome and screened out four DhAINV genes, which were further classified into two subfamilies by the phylogenetic analysis. The evolutionary history of AINV genes in D. huoshanense was uncovered by comparative genomics investigations. The subcellular localization predicted that the DhVINV genes may be located in the vacuole, while the DhCWINV genes may be located in the cell wall. The exon/intron structures and conserved motifs of DhAINV genes were found to be highly conserved in two subclades. The conserved amino acids and catalytic motifs in DhAINV proteins were determined to be critical to their function. Notably, the cis-acting elements in all DhAINV genes were mainly relevant to abiotic stresses and light response. In addition, the expression profile coupled with qRT-PCR revealed the typical expression patterns of DhAINV in response to diverse abiotic stresses. Our findings could be beneficial to the characterization and further investigation of AINV functions in Dendrobium plants.

Comparative analysis of flavonoids extracted from Dendrobium chrysotoxum flowers by supercritical fluid extraction and ultrasonic cold extraction

Flowers are by-products of the medicinal plant Dendrobium chrysotoxum, with high yield but low utilization rate. Extracting flavonoids from D. chrysotoxum flowers can not only reduce resource waste but also bring economic benefits. In this study, two green extraction methods, SFE (supercritical fluid extraction) and UCE (ultrasonic cold extraction) were used to extract flavonoids from D. chrysotoxum flowers, and the response surface method (RSM) was used to optimize the extraction conditions. The results showed that on the optimal conditions of SFE (time 90 min, temperature 50 °C, pressure 20 MPa) and UCE (time 30 min, power 400 W, temperature 40 °C, solid-liquid ratio 1:40 (w:v), ethanol concentration 60%), the total flavonoid extraction yield was 2.04% ± 0.02% and 0.64% ± 0.02%, respectively. In vitro, antioxidant activity analysis showed that both extracts had good antioxidant activity, and the antioxidant activity of SFE extract was higher than that of UCE extract. The quantitative determination of flavonoid compounds showed that the content of quercetin, kaempferol, and catechin in SFE extract was significantly higher than that in UCE extract, and the content of ellagic acid in the two extracts was similar. These results indicated that the two green extraction methods improved the resource utilization of D. chrysotoxum flowers, and SFE was more suitable for extracting flavonoids from D. chrysotoxum flowers than UCE.

Transcriptomic and Metabolomic Analyses Reveal Differences in Flavonoid Pathway Gene Expression Profiles between Two Dendrobium Varieties during Vernalization.

Dendrobium (Orchidaceae, Epidendoideae) plants have flowers with a wide variety of colors that persist for a long period throughout the year. The yellow coloration of Dendrobium flowers is mainly determined by the flavonol pathway and the flavone pathway, but the relevant biosynthesis mechanisms during vernalization remain unclear. To explore the similarities and differences in flavonoid biosynthesis in different tissues during vernalization, we selected two species of Dendrobium for a flower color study: Dendrobium capillipes Rchb (which has yellow flowers) and Dendrobium nobile Lindl (which has white flowers). We collected a total of 36 samples from six tissue types and both Dendrobium species during vernalization and subjected the samples to metabolic profiling and transcriptome sequencing. A total of 31,504 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified between different tissues of the two Dendrobium species by transcriptomic analysis. However, many differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs) and DEGs were enriched not only in the general pathway of "flavonoid biosynthesis" but also in multiple subpathways of "flavone and flavonol biosynthesis". According to a combined transcriptome and metabolome analysis, Putrescine hydroxycinnamoyl transferase 1 (LOC110093422) may be the main gene responsible for the differences in flavonoid accumulation during vernalization, which is closely associated with yellow flowers. Taken together, the results of our study preliminarily revealed the metabolites responsible for and the key genes regulating flavonoid biosynthesis during vernalization. These results provide a basis for the further study of the molecular mechanism of flavonoid synthesis during vernalization.

Profit Optimization of Ngawen Orchid MSME

The Ngawen Orchid MSME (Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise) in Ngawen Hamlet, Ngawen Village, Muntilan District, Magelang Regency is a promising business opportunity. Apart from being in great demand, ornamental orchid plants also have a very high selling value. Orchid ornamental plants that are cultivated consist of three types: Dendrobium, Cattleya, and Phalaenopsis. This study aims to optimize profits by considering the number of plants and fertilizers used. This optimal profit can be achieved by applying the science of linear programming, one of which is the simplex method. The data collection techniques used in this study were interviews and direct observation of the Ngawen Orchid MSME. Based on the results of a linear programming analysis of the number of ornamental plants of Ngawen Orchid cultivation, optimal benefits were obtained from planting 40 Cattleya and 40 Phalaenopsis types orchids and there was no need to plant Dendrobium types, to get an optimal profit of IDR 4,600,000.

Endophytic fungus Biscogniauxia petrensis produces antibacterial substances.

Widespread drug resistance and limited antibiotics challenge the treatment of pathogenic bacteria, which leads to a focus on searching for new antimicrobial lead compounds. We found the endophytic fungus Biscogniauxia petrensis MFLUCC14-0151 from the medicinal plant Dendrobium harveyanum had antibacterial activity for the first time. This work aimed to reveal the capacity of Biscogniauxia petrensis MFLUCC14-0151 against foodborne pathogenic bacteria and identify its bioactive substances. Bioassay-guided isolation led to the discovery of six infrequent active monomers, including (10R)-Xylariterpenoid B (1), Xylariterpenoid C (2), Tricycloalternarene 1b (3), Tricycloalternarene 3b (4), Funicin (5) and Vinetorin (6) from MFLUCC14-0151 for the first time. The results of antibacterial tests showed that (10R)-Xylariterpenoid B and Xylariterpenoid C exhibited inhibitory activities against Streptococcus agalactiae with MIC values ranging from 99.21 to 100.00 μM, and against Streptococcus aureus with MIC values ranging from 49.60 to 50.00 μM. Tricycloalternarene 1b and Tricycloalternarene 3b showed inhibitory effects on Streptococcus agalactiae with MIC values ranging from 36.13 to 75.76 μM. Unexpectedly, Funicin and Vinetorin exhibited remarkable antagonistic activities against Streptococcus agalactiae with MIC values of 10.35 and 10.21 μM, respectively, and against Streptococcus aureus with MIC values of 5.17 and 20.42 μM, respectively. In conclusion, we suggest that the isolated compounds Funicin and Vinetorin may be promising lead compounds for natural antibacterial agents.

Revealing of Intracellular Antioxidants in Dendrobium nobile by High Performance Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry

The medicinal plant Dendrobium nobile is an important natural antioxidant resource. To reveal the antioxidants of D. nobile, high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) was employed for metabolic analysis. The H2O2-induced oxidative damage was used in human embryonic kidney 293T (H293T) cells to assess intracellular antioxidant activities. Cells incubated with flower and fruit extracts showed better cell survival, lower levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and higher catalase and superoxide dismutase activities than those incubated with root, stem, and leaf extracts (p < 0.01). A total of 13 compounds were newly identified as intracellular antioxidants by association analysis, including coniferin, galactinol, trehalose, beta-D-lactose, trigonelline, nicotinamide-N-oxide, shikimic acid, 5′-deoxy-5′-(methylthio)adenosine, salicylic acid, isorhamnetin-3-O-neohespeidoside, methylhesperidin, 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, and cis-aconitic acid (R2 > 0.8, Log2FC > 1, distribution > 0.1%, and p < 0.01). They showed lower molecular weight and higher polarity, compared to previously identified in vitro antioxidants in D. nobile (p < 0.01). The credibility of HPLC-MS/MS relative quantification was verified by common methods. In conclusion, some saccharides and phenols with low molecular weight and high polarity helped protect H293T cells from oxidative damage by increasing the activities of intracellular antioxidant enzymes and reducing intracellular ROS levels. The results enriched the database of safe and effective intracellular antioxidants in medicinal plants.

A new bibenzyl derivative from stems of Dendrobium officinale

Eleven compounds were isolated from the 95% ethanol extract of the stems of Dendrobium officinale after water extraction by various modern chromatographic techniques, such as silica gel column chromatography(CC), octadecyl-silica(ODS) CC, Sephadex LH-20 CC, preparative thin layer chromatography(PTLC) and preparative high performance liquid chromatography(PHPLC). According to spectroscopic analyses(MS, 1D-NMR, 2D-NMR) combined with optical rotation data and calculated electronic circular dichroism(ECD), their structures were identified as dendrocandin Y(1), 4,4'-dihydroxybibenzyl(2), 3-hydroxy-4',5-dimethoxybibenzyl(3), 3,3'-dihydroxy-5-methoxybibenzyl(4), 3-hydroxy-3',4',5-trimethoxybibenzyl(5), crepidatin(6), alternariol(7), 4-hydroxy-3-methoxypropiophenone(8), 3-hydroxy-4,5-dimethoxypropiophenone(9), auriculatum A(10) and hyperalcohol(11). Among them, compound 1 was a new bibenzyl derivative; compounds 2 and 7-11 have not been previously reported from Dendrobium plants; compound 6 was reported from D.officinale for the first time. Compounds 3-6 exhibited potent antioxidant activity with IC_(50) values of 3.11-9.05 μmol·L~(-1) in ABTS radical scavenging assay. Compound 4 showed significant inhibitory effect on α-glucosidase, with IC_(50) value of 17.42 μmol·L~(-1), indicating that it boasted hypoglycemic activity.

A Comparison of the Flavonoid Biosynthesis Mechanisms of Dendrobium Species by Analyzing the Transcriptome and Metabolome.

Dendrobium huoshanense, Dendrobium officinale, and Dendrobium moniliforme, as precious Chinese medicinal materials, have a variety of medicinal properties. Flavonoids are important medicinal components of Dendrobium, but their accumulation rules and biosynthesis mechanisms remain unclear. To explore the similarities and differences of flavonoid accumulation and biosynthesis in these three Dendrobium species, we performed flavonoid content determination, widely-targeted metabolomics and transcriptome sequencing on 1–4 years old Dendrobium species. The results showed that in different growth years, D. huoshanense stems had the highest flavonoid content in the second year of growth, while D. officinale and D. moniliforme stems had the highest flavonoid content in the third year of growth. A total of 644 differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs) and 10,426 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified by metabolomic and transcriptomic analysis. It was found that DAMs and DEGs were not only enriched in the general pathway of “flavonoid biosynthesis”, but also in multiple sub-pathways such as “Flavone biosynthesis”, and “Flavonol biosynthesis” and “Isoflavonoid biosynthesis”. According to a combined transcriptome and metabolome analysis, the expression levels of the F3′H gene (LOC110096779) and two F3′5′H genes (LOC110101765 and LOC110103762) may be the main genes responsible for the differences in flavonoid accumulation. As a result of this study, we have not only determined the optimal harvesting period for three Dendrobium plants, but also identified the key genes involved in flavonoid biosynthesis and provided a basis for further study of the molecular mechanism of flavonoid synthesis.

Physiological and transcriptomic analysis uncovers salinity stress mechanisms in a facultative crassulacean acid metabolism plant Dendrobium officinale.

Dendrobium officinale is a precious medicinal Chinese herb that employs facultative crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) and has a high degree of abiotic stress tolerance, but the molecular mechanism underlying the response of this orchid to abiotic stresses is poorly understood. In this study, we analyzed the root microstructure of D. officinale plantlets and verified the presence of chloroplasts by transmission electron microscopy. To obtain a more comprehensive overview of the molecular mechanism underlying their tolerance to abiotic stress, we performed whole‐transcriptome sequencing of the roots of 10-month-old plantlets exposed to salt (NaCl) treatment in a time‐course experiment (0, 4 and 12 h). The total of 7376 differentially expressed genes that were identified were grouped into three clusters (P < 0.05). Metabolic pathway analysis revealed that the expression of genes related to hormone (such as auxins, cytokinins, abscisic acid, ethylene and jasmonic acid) biosynthesis and response, as well as the expression of genes related to photosynthesis, amino acid and flavonoid metabolism, and the SOS pathway, were either up- or down-regulated after salt treatment. Additionally, we identified an up-regulated WRKY transcription factor, DoWRKY69, whose ectopic expression in Arabidopsis promoted seed germination under salt tress. Collectively, our findings provide a greater understanding of the salt stress response mechanisms in the roots of a facultative CAM plant. A number of candidate genes that were discovered may help plants to cope with salt stress when introduced via genetic engineering.

Development and validation of a simple, sensitive and reproducible method for simultaneous determination of six polyphenolic bioactive markers in Dendrobium plants

Dendrobium is a large genus of orchid plants containing several bioactive polyphenols, including bibenzyls, phenanthrenes, and flavanones that have been used as antioxidants in nutraceutical and pharmaceutical products. Several polyphenols including (2 S )-eriodictyol, (2 S )-homoeriodictyol, moscatilin, gigantol, chrysotoxine and crepidatin are primarily found in Dendrobium species and can serve as bioactive markers of orchid plants. In the present study, a simple UPLC-UV method for the simultaneous determination of six polyphenols was developed for evaluating the distribution of bioactive phytochemicals in orchid plants and validated according to the ICH Q2 (R1) guidance. The sample was prepared by extracting dendrobium powder with methanol and the supernatant was analyzed using the Waters ACQUITY UPLC TM H-Class system on an ACQUITY UPLC TM BEH C18 column (2.1 × 50 mm, 1.7 μm) with gradient elution of water and acetonitrile, containing 1% v/v trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) each, at a flow rate of 0.2 mL/min and UV detection at 280 nm. The chromatographic condition provided good peak shape and resolution. The method was linear over the specific ranges with the coefficient of determination (r 2 ) > 0.995. Accuracy of the method expressed as %recovery ranged from 80 to 110%. The precision of the method demonstrated as %CV was < 7.3%. The method is simple, accurate, precise and robust and is recommended for routine quality control analysis of orchid plants containing the six polyphenols as the main principles in the herb. The proposed method was successfully applied for simultaneous quantification of the 6 polyphenolic compounds in 11 samples from 3 Dendrobium species, suggesting that the method was suitable for quality assessment of orchid herbal raw materials.

In-silico pharmacology against cancer of a novel phytosterol Dendrosterone isolated from plant Dendrobium ochreatum

BackgroundAs the unique value of medicinal Dendrobium species has gradually been recognized, the growing demand is causing pressure on wild populations. The present work aimed to perform in-silico study of a novel phytosterol isolated from Dendrobium ochreatum. From phytochemical analysis, the presence of steroids was observed only in chloroform extracts of the stem, and the antimicrobial activities supported the extracts to be the most significant one. Now we are going to perform the docking, and toxicity study of this phytosterol against cancer. MethodThe docking study was performed by Autodock-Vina tools. The required proteins have been downloaded from RCSB website. Its toxicity class were predicted by the ProTox-II server (tox.charite.de/protox_II/). ResultThe phytosterol has high binding energy against 1M17 protein as EGFR inhibitor. The molecule has been tested for its toxicity. From the result we have come to know that this phytosterol has only immunotoxicity and is under class 5 of toxicity. ConclusionThis isolated steroid was showed high binding energy against 1M17 protein. We have performed also the toxicity study of this scaffold. From the result we can conclude that is molecule is safe (belong to toxic class 5).

A transcriptome-based analysis reveals functional differences among Dendrobium officinale Kimura & Migo species from different growing regions and with different quality levels

Dendrobium officinale Kimura & Migo (D. officinale) is a common, high medicinal value food and herbal medicine used in the treatment of yin-deficient diseases. Adulterants obtained with similar inexpensive species of Dendrobium plants are available in the market. However, Dendrobium species with different quality levels or from different regions as well as analogous species have a similar appearance, which makes the discrimination of Dendrobium species difficult. Reliable objective methods for authenticating D. officinale are lacking. Here, samples of Dendrobium officinale Kimura & Migo (D. officinale) from two regions with three quality levels and sample of the analogous species Dendrobium compactum Rolfe ex W. Hackett (D. compactum) were subjected to genome-wide biological response fingerprinting (BioReF) in RAW264.7 ​cells by RNA sequencing. The biological pathways affected by these samples could distinguish D. officinale from D. compactum. The high-quality D. officinale samples from Yunnan exhibited the strongest inhibition of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced inflammatory genes and pathways, followed by samples from Myanmar. The medium- and low-quality samples from Yunnan exhibited weaker effects, and D. compactum exerted mild effects. The RNA sequencing results were strengthened by the results from analyses of the expression of the inflammation-related genes Il6, Ccl5, and Cox2 and the production of nitric oxide. Thus, transcriptomic profiling can be used to evaluate the quality of D. officinale and distinguish its origin.

Identification of alkaloids and related intermediates of Dendrobium officinale by solid-phase extraction coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry.

Jasmonate (JA) signaling plays a pivotal role in plant stress responses and secondary metabolism. Many studies have demonstrated that JA effectively induce the expressions of alkaloid biosynthetic genes in various plants, which rendered to the accumulation of alkaloid to counteract stresses. Despite the multiple roles of JA in the regulation of plant growth and different stresses, less studied involved in the regulatory role of JA in Dendrobium officinale alkaloids. A strategy for the rapid identification of alkaloid and the intermediates of D. officinale was established based on a solid-phase extraction coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method. By using SPE-LC-MS/MS method, the potential compounds were tentatively identified by aligning the accurate molecular weight with the METLIN and Dictionary of Natural Products databases. The chemical structures and main characteristic fragments of the potential compounds were further confirmed by retrieving the multistage mass spectra from the MassBank and METLIN databases. The Mass Frontier software was used to speculate the fragmentation pathway of the identified compounds. Seven alkaloids were separated and identified from D. officinale, which were mainly classified into five types (tropane alkaloids, tetrahydroisoquinoline alkaloids, quinolizidine alkaloids, piperidine alkaloids, and spermidine alkaloids). Besides the alkaloids, forty-nine chemical substances, including guanidines, nucleotides, dipeptides, sphingolipids and nitrogen-containing glucosides, were concurrently identified. These findings gives the composition of chemicals currently found in D. officinale, which could provide the scientific method for the identification of alkaloids in other Dendrobium plants.

Isolation, characterizations, and antimicrobial activities of a phytosterol Dendrosterone isolated from plant Dendrobium ochreatum

Background- The present work aimed to isolate one steroidal molecule from Dendrobium ochreatum. From phytochemical analysis, the presence of steroids was observed only in chloroform extracts of the stem, and the antimicrobial activities supported the extracts to be the most significant one, so work was aimed at isolating the chloroform extracts of the stem. MethodAbout 250 gm of each leaf stem and root powder was filled in the thimble and extracted with hexane, chloroform, and ethanol using a Soxhlet extractor for 72 hrs. The extract solution was filtered through Whatman filter paper no.1, then concentrated using a rotary flash evaporator and stored in the refrigerator. All total of nine (9) extracts were prepared, and out of these nine extracts, the phytochemical analysis suggested the presence of phytosterol in the chloroform extract of the stem (SCDO). Therefore, the isolation was carried out for this particular extract. ResultThe isolated compound was subjected to crystallization, and the melting point was found to be 242-244⁰C. The structure of the compound was determined by spectral analysis like U.V., I.R., N.M.R., Mass Spectroscopy, and lastly, X-Ray Crystallography. All the spectral data proved the compound to be a phytosterol/steroids “Dendrosterone” (molecular formula=C29H44O5; molecular weight = 472.66). ConclusionThis isolated steroid was further screened for antimicrobial activity (for the first time) against different gram +ve, and -ve strains of bacteria and other strains of fungi, and this phytosterol was found to be active against B.subtilis, and C. albincas among all the organisms tested.

Natural Composition and Biosynthetic Pathways of Alkaloids in Medicinal Dendrobium Species.

Dendrobium is the second biggest genus in the Orchidaceae family, some of which have both ornamental and therapeutic values. Alkaloids are a group of active chemicals found in Dendrobium plants. Dendrobine has emerged specific pharmacological and therapeutic properties. Although Dendrobium alkaloids have been isolated and identified since the 1930s, the composition of alkaloids and their biosynthesis pathways, including metabolic intermediates, alkaloid transporters, concrete genes involved in downstream pathways, and associated gene clusters, have remained unresolved scientific issues. This paper comprehensively reviews currently identified and tentative alkaloids from the aspect of biogenic pathways or metabolic genes uncovered based on the genome annotations. The biosynthesis pathways of each class of alkaloids are highlighted. Moreover, advances of the high-throughput sequencing technologies in the discovery of Dendrobium alkaloid pathways have been addressed. Applications of synthetic biology in large-scale production of alkaloids are also described. This would serve as the basis for further investigation into Dendrobium alkaloids.