Gentisic Acid Research Articles

Antiproliferative Activity of Stokesia laevis Ethanolic Extract in Combination with Several Food-Related Bioactive Compounds; In Vitro (Caco-2) and In Silico Docking (TNKS1 and TNKS2) Studies

This study evaluates in vitro cytotoxic and antiproliferative activity on human colon tumor cell line Caco-2 (ATCC-HTB-37) of a standardized (5 mg GAE/mL) ethanolic extract from Stokesia laevis (Slae26), of five polyphenols compounds (reference substances, ref.), namely luteolin-7-O-glucoside, luteolin-8-C-glucoside, caffeic acid, gentisic acid, and p-aminobenzoic acid (PABA), as well as of Slae26 combinations with the five reference substances, 1:1 mass rate (GAE, ref.). Cell viability studies (MTS test) have revealed IC50 values of 36 μg GAE/mL in the case of Slae26 ethanolic extract, while Slae26 combinations with the five phenolics indicated IC50 values around 5 μg GAE/mL. In silico docking studies on the molecular targets human tankyrase 1 (TNKS1) and human tankyrase 2 (TNKS2) in complex with their native ligands, Co-crystallized 3J5A and Co-crystallized FLN, indicated score values of −104.15 and −76.97, respectively; in the series of the reference compounds studied, luteolin-7-O-glucoside was revealed with the best score values on both molecular targets (−80.49 and −85.17), together signifying real antiproliferative potential against human colon cancer of Slae26, of luteolin-7-O-glucoside, and of Slae26 combinations with all food-related bioactive compounds tested.

Effects of Sargassum virgatum extracts on the testicular measurements, genomic DNA and antioxidant enzymes in irradiated rats

Background Oxidative stress and reactive oxygen species (ROS) are primarily responsible for the development of male infertility after exposure to γ-irradiation. The present work aimed to assess the ameliorative and therapeutic roles of the aqueous and ethanolic extracts of the edible seaweed Sargassum virgatum (S. virgatum) on spermatogenesis and infertility in γ-irradiated Wistar rats. Materials and methods Induction of infertility was performed by exposing the rats to 137Cs-gamma rays, using a single dose of 3.5 Gy. γ-irradiated rats were given the S. virgatum ethanolic (S. virgatum-EtOH) and aqueous extracts intraperitoneally on a daily base for two consecutive weeks at doses of 100 and 400 mg/kg body weight (b.wt.) for each seaweed extract. Morphometric data of the testes, semen quality indices, antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione (GSH), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) fragmentation were assessed. The results obtained were taken during two-time intervals of 15 and 60 days from the commencement of the algal treatments. In vitro antioxidant assays and polyphenolic compounds of S. virgatum were characterized. Results Significant negative changes in the semen quality and morphometric data of the testes, as well as remarkable DNA fragmentation, were detected in the irradiated rats compared to the control. The levels of the endogenous antioxidant enzymes (SOD, CAT, GSH, and GPx) were also significantly diminished. Nonetheless, treatments of γ-irradiated rats with the S. virgatum-EtOH and aqueous extracts significantly improved the above-mentioned enzymes, in addition to noteworthy amendments in the dimensions of the testes, the semen quality, as well as the DNA structure. Conclusions The ameliorative potency of S. virgatum to cure γ-irradiation-induced male infertility, particularly 400 mg/kg ethanolic extract for 60 days, is the result of the consistent therapeutic interventions of its potent antioxidant and anti-apoptotic polyphenols, particularly protocatechuic, p-hydroxybenzoic, rosmarinic, chlorogenic, cinnamic and gentisic acids, as well as the flavonoids catechin, hesperidin, rutin and quercetin. Besides its high-value nutraceutical importance, S. virgatum could be a natural candidate for developing well-accepted radioprotectant products capable of treating γ-irradiation-induced male infertility.

Phenolic contents and biological activities of two endemic plants in Turkey

In the paper, the phenolic compounds and biological activity of Corydalis oppositifolia DC. and Senecio cilicius Boiss., the endemic plants growing in Turkey, were investigated for the first time. The ethanol extract of C. oppositifolia exhibited more potent antimicrobial activity while the ethanol extract of S. cilicius exhibited the highest radical scavenging activity on ABTS (81.4±1.1a mg TE g−1 extract) and DPPH (23.4±0.2a mg TE g−1 extract). In C. oppositifolia, the highest total flavonoid and phenolic acid contents were found to be in the ethanol (94.2±3.5a mg QE g−1 extract) and methanol (320.5±3.3c mg GAE g−1 extract) extracts, respectively. In S. cilicius, the highest total flavonoid and phenolic acid contents were found to be in the methanol (56.9±0.9c mg QE g−1 extract) and ethanol (568.0±3.3a mg GAE g−1 extract) extracts, respectively. The ethanol extract of C. oppositifolia has the most prominent activity against α-amylase, AChE and BChE whereas the methanol extract of this plant displayed the highest inhibitory activity against α-glucosidase. HPLC analysis of the ethanol extracts revealed that the major flavonoids were kaempferol and quercetin whereas the major phenolic acids were protocatechuic acid, gallic acid, gentistic acid and 2,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid. The findings suggested that the plants and their extracts have the potential to be used in the treatment of diseases such as diabetes and Alzheimer's diseases.

Evaluation of antioxidant supplementation in must on the development and potential reduction of different compounds involved in atypical ageing of wine using HPLC-HRMS

Atypical aging of white wines (ATA) is an off-flavour characterised by rapid loss of fruity aromas and the development of unpleasant odours.This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of different oenological adjuvants (4-ethylcatechol, 4-methylcatechol, gentisic acid, hydroxytyrosol, ascorbic acid, glutathione, ellagic acid, gallic acid, galla tannin, ellagic tannin, quebracho, grape tannins) added to musts before fermentation for preventing the possible development of ATA. High resolution mass spectrometry made it possible to quantify and qualify free and conjugated IAA in wine at the end of the fermentation and subsequently 2-aminoacetophenone (AAP) was quantified after the force ageing period (6 days at 40 °C). Ascorbic acid was confirmed as the most appropriate antioxidant adjuvant which can be used for ATA defect prevention. With an almost comparable effect, gallotannin addition prevented AAP production to exceed 1 μg/L. A predicted model (ANCOVA) indicated that over 80% of the variability of potential AAP formation in wines was explained by the amount of precursors, grape variety and antioxidant treatment. Moreover, a suspect screening approach made it possible to study the kinetic formation and the consumption of the reaction metabolites formed during the oxidative degradation of IAA leading to AAP.

RP-HPLC-DAD determination of the differences in the polyphenol content of Fucus vesiculosus extracts with similar antioxidant activity

Significant quantities of bioactive compounds have been found in the chemical composition of seaweeds. This source of natural antioxidants such as polyphenols appears to attenuate lipid peroxidation caused by oxidative stress, preventing the harmful effects of a number of injuries including ischemia–reperfusion (I/R). Conventional extraction (CE) has been used for years as a traditional method for obtaining bioactive components from seaweeds. However, recent studies highlight ultrasonic-assisted extraction (UAE) as an alternative and more eco-friendly technique. Therefore, the two methods were optimised and compared to obtain a Fucus vesiculosus extract (FVE) with high antioxidant activity and polyphenol content. The highest antioxidant activity was obtained after 1 h at 25 °C for conventional extraction, and after 5 min at 35 °C for ultrasonic-assisted extraction. Higher concentrations of polyphenols were obtained with the optimal conditions in conventional extraction (13.61 mg PGE/g seaweed), but no significant differences were observed between the antioxidant activity obtained with UAE (89.33%) and CE (89.74%). The characterization of the polyphenols present in both optimised extracts was carried out and compared with reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to a diode array detector (HPLC-DAD). The following compounds were identified: phloroglucinol, gallic acid, catechin, vanillic acid, epicatechin, protocatechuic acid, rutin, gentisic acid, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, coumaric acid and ferulic acid. RP-HPLC-DAD results also showed higher concentrations of polyphenols in optimised extracts with CE. Consequently, CE was found to be more effective than UAE in providing extracts with higher concentrations of polyphenols, but UAE constitutes an efficient and more eco-friendly methodology for obtaining a FVE with the highest antioxidant activity.

Therapeutic Multidose Preparation of a Ready-to-Use 177Lu-PSMA-617 Using Carrier Added Lutetium-177 in a Hospital Radiopharmacy and Its Clinical Efficacy.

Introduction: [177Lu]Lu-prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-617 has emerged as a promising radiopharmaceutical for targeting PSMA in metastatic castrate-resistant prostate carcinoma (mCRPC). We have optimized the radiolabeling protocol for a multidose formulation (27-28.8 GBq equivalent to 6-7 patient-doses) of [177Lu]Lu-PSMA-617 using [177Lu]Lu3+ produced via 176Lu(n,γ)177Lu route with moderate specific activity (0.66-0.81 GBq/μg). Methods: [177Lu]Lu-PSMA-617 was synthesized using moderate specific activity [177Lu]LuCl3 (0.74 GBq/μg) with PSMA-617 having metal-to-ligand molar ratio ∼1: 2.5 in CH3COONH4 buffer (0.1 M) containing gentisic acid at pH 4.0-4.5. Human prostate carcinoma cell line LNCaP cell (high PSMA expression) was used for in vitro cell-binding studies and generating tumor xenograft models in nude mice for tissue biodistribution studies. Several batches of the present formulation have been clinically administered in mCRPC patients (single patient dose: 4.44-5.55 GBq per cycle). Results: In this study we report a consistent and reproducible protocol for multidose formulations of [177Lu]Lu-PSMA-617 for adopting in a hospital radiopharmacy setting. Although the radiochemical yield of [177Lu]Lu-PSMA-617 was found to be 97.30% ± 1.03%, the radiochemical purity was 98.24% ± 0.50% (n = 19). In vitro and serum stability of [177Lu]Lu-PSMA-617 was retained up to 72 and 120 h after radiolabeling and upon storage at -20°C with a radioactive concentration between 0.37 and 0.74 GBq/mL upon using stabilizer concentration as low as 43-48 μg/mCi. Preclinical cell-binding studies of [177Lu]Lu-PSMA-617 revealed specific binding with LNCaP cells of 17.4% ± 2.4%. The uptake in LnCaP xenografted tumor (nude mice) was 7.5 ± 2.6% ID/g for ∼1.5-2.0 cm3 tumor volume at 24-h post-injection. Post-therapy (24 h) SPECT image of mCRPC patients with prior orchidectomy and various hormone therapy showed specific localization of [177Lu]Lu-PSMA-617 in the tumor region. Conclusions: Formulation of a ready-to-use multidose formulation of [177Lu]Lu-PSMA-617 was successfully achieved and the procedure was optimized for routine preparation at a hospital radiopharmacy set-up. High degree of localization of [177Lu]Lu-PSMA-617 in post-therapy SPECT scan and the post-therapeutic response confirms its therapeutic efficacy. Clinical Trials.gov ID: RPC/51/Minutes/Final dated 16th October, 2019.

Extraction of phenolic compounds from agro-industrial by-products by fungal fermentation with potential use as additives for meat and meat products. A review

The present manuscript reviews the findings of different research studies that evaluate the use of fungal solid-state (SSF) and submerged culture fermentation (SCF) with agro-industrial residues as substrates to enhance the production of polyphenols and their possible uses as food additives. Some agro-industrial residues (peels, pulps and seeds) are an important source of phenolic acids (p-coumaric, p-hydroxybenzoic, chlorogenic, cinnamic, ferulic, gallic, gentisic, protocatechuic, rosmarinic, salycilic, syringic, and vanillic acids) and flavonoid compounds (apigenin, chrysin, (+)-catechin, kaempferol, myricetin, quercetin, rutin, hesperetin, and naringin). In addition, the utilization of these residues as substrates in SCF and SSF enhances polyphenol production, improves biological function by increasing antioxidant and antimicrobial activities, and provides a potential alternative to synthetic antioxidant uses in the meat and meat products industry.

Phenolic Contents of Different Potato Genotypes Grown in the Central Northern Region in Turkey

Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is one of the most significant vegetable crops for humans along with corn, wheat, and rice. In this study, quantitative analysis of phenolic compounds was carried out for 21 promising potato clones and three commercial cultivars. LC–MS/MS was used for the chemical analyses. The TOGU 3/518 clone had the highest level of 4-hydroxybenzoic acid as 138.51 ± 7.35 µg/kg. TOGU 12/29 and TOGU 2/198 clones, on the other hand, had 126.24 ± 2.29 and 125.29 ± 2.74 µg/kg of 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, respectively. Salicylic acid which is a pharmaceutically significant compound was found in TOGU 3/518 clone (125.66 ± 11.51 µg/kg) as a major product. This compound was also found in TOGU 2/198 (111.27 ±1.31 µg/kg) and TOGU 12/29 clones (111.07 ± 3.68 µg/kg) as the third and fourth most abundant. In terms of caffeic acid, TOGU 3/110 clone contained the highest level (42.50 ± 3.73 µg/kg). While TOGU 7/146 clone included the most protocatechuic acid (53.98 ± 1.47 µg/kg), TOGU 3/480 clone consisted of most gentisic acid (30.79 ± 0.51 µg/kg). Quercetin, an important flavonoid found many aromatic and medicinal plants, was highest in TOGU 12/29 clone (6.27 ± 0.15 µg/kg).

Comprehensive Evaluation of Amino Acids and Polyphenols in 69 Varieties of Green Cabbage (Brassica oleracea L. var. capitata L.) Based on Multivariate Statistical Analysis.

The biological activities of the primary metabolites and secondary metabolites of 69 green cabbage varieties were tested. The LC-MS detection method was used to determine the content of 19 free amino acids (lysine, tryptophan, phenylalanine, methionine, threonine, isoleucine, leucine, valine, arginine, asparagine, glycine, proline, tyrosine, glutamine, alanine, aspartic acid, serine, and glutamate). The content of 10 polyphenols (chlorogenic acid, gallic acid, 4-coumaric acid, ferulic acid, gentisic acid, cymarin, erucic acid, benzoic acid, rutin, and kaempferol) was determined by the HPLC detection method. Considering the complexity of the data obtained, variance analysis, diversity analysis, correlation analysis, hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), and principal component analysis (PCA) were used to process and correlate amino acid or polyphenol data, respectively. The results showed that there were significant differences between the different amino acids and polyphenols of the 69 cabbage varieties. The most abundant amino acids and polyphenols were Glu and rutin, respectively. Both amino acids and polyphenols had a high genetic diversity, and multiple groups of significant or extremely significant correlations. The 69 cabbage varieties were divided into two groups, according to 19 amino acid indexes, by PCA. Among them, seven varieties with high amino acid content all fell into the fourth quadrant. The HCA of amino acids also supports this view. Based on 10 polyphenols, the 69 cabbage varieties were divided into two groups by HCA. Based on 29 indexes of amino acids and polyphenols, 69 cabbage varieties were evaluated and ranked by PCA. Therefore, in this study, cabbage varieties were classified in accordance with the level of amino acids and polyphenols, which provided a theoretical basis for the genetic improvement of nutritional quality in cabbage.

Design, synthesis and characterization of lysozyme–gentisic acid dual-functional conjugates with antibacterial/antioxidant activities

Both microbiological and chemical food spoilages remain to be the major challenges in the food industry's efforts to combat food waste and loss because of the lack of high efficacy food preservatives. In this study, dual-functional conjugates that simultaneously suppress both lipid oxidation and microorganism growth are fabricated by covalently conjugating natural antioxidant gentisic acid (GA) on native antibacterial lysozyme (Lys). The mixing ratio of Lys and GA determines the particle size, morphology, antioxidant activity, and antimicrobial performance of the ensuing conjugates. With more of GA being grafted, a drastic decrease in the net surface charge with the concomitant occurrence of aggregations are observed in the conjugates. The maximum antioxidant activity and antibacterial performance of the conjugates is achieved when Lys:GA molar ratio is 1:112. The findings could guide the rational design of future functional food ingredients that combine multiple natural bioactive compounds to effectively intervene food waste and loss.

Modulation of Inflammatory Pathways and Adipogenesis by the Action of Gentisic Acid in RAW 264.7 and 3T3-L1 Cell Lines.

Gentisic acid (GA), a benzoic acid derivative present in various food ingredients, has been shown to have diverse pharmaceutical activities such as anti-carcinogenic, antioxidant, and hepatoprotective effects. In this study, we used a co-culture system to investigate the mechanisms of the anti-inflammatory and anti-adipogenic effects of GA on macrophages and adipocytes, respectively, as well as its effect on obesity-related chronic inflammation. We found that GA effectively suppressed lipopolysaccharide-stimulated inflammatory responses by controlling the production of nitric oxide and pro-inflammatory cytokines and modulating inflammation-related protein pathways. GA treatment also inhibited lipid accumulation in adipocytes by modulating the expression of major adipogenic transcription factors and their upstream protein pathways. Furthermore, in the macrophage-adipocyte co-culture system, GA decreased the production of obesity-related cytokines. These results indicate that GA possesses effective anti-inflammatory and anti-adipogenic activities and may be used in developing treatments for the management of obesity-related chronic inflammatory diseases.

Flavonoids quantification in Acer negundo L., extracts by hplc analysis

Objective: The identify and quantify, by high performance liquid chromatography,Nflavonoids from leaf and stem extracts of Acer negundo.Design/methodology/approach: Ethanolic extracts of Acer negundo were analysed with high performance liquid chromatography to quantify and identify their major antioxidant flavonoids.Results: Leaf extracts had high concentrations of rutin (34.19 µg/mL) and catechin (33.97 µg/mL), intermediate concentrations of apigenin (19.05 µg/mL), gallic acid (19.04 µg/mL), ferulic acid (17.2 µg/mL) and 2.5 dihydroxybenzoic acid (12.72 µg/mL), and low concentrations of caffeic acid (6.15 µg/mL), quercetin-3-β-glucoside (4.97 µg/mL) and isorhamnetin (4.68 µg/mL). In the stem´s extracts, the highest concentrations were of ferulic acid (7.96 µg/mL), rutin (5.61 µg/mL) and catechin (4.37 µg/mL); medium concentration were identified for isorhamnetin (3.31 µg/mL) and quercetin-3-β-glucoside (2.01 µg/mL) and apigenin (0.79 µg/mL) was identified at the low concentrations. Gallic acid, caffeic acid or 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid were not detected.Limitations/implications: Some flavonoids have been identified in other Acer species but have not been identified and quantified in Acer negundo, a Mexicanspecies.Findings/conclusions: For the first time we report gentisic acid in Acer negundo leaf extracts. This analytical method can be standardized to serve as a qualityanalysis of maple tree products.

Tetraploidization Increases the Contents of Functional Metabolites in Cnidium officinale

Cnidium officinale is an important medicinal crop grown in Asia for its pharmacological properties. In this study, tetraploid breeding was conducted to increases the content of medicinal compound and tolerance to the environmental conditions using in vitro shoot culture of C. officinale. For this, we generated tetraploid C. officinale plants using oryzalin, a chromosome doubling agent, and compared the morphological traits, cytological characteristics, and heat stress-responsive gene expression levels between tetraploid and diploid genotypes. Chromosome doubling efficiency was the highest in plantlets treated with 4.0 mg∙L−1 oryzalin for 2 days. Compared with diploids, the plant height of tetraploids was reduced, while the petiole diameter was increased by approximately 39%. The dry matter of tetraploid leaves was significantly higher than that of diploid leaves. Compared with diploids, tetraploids showed higher chloroplast number and stomatal complex size but lower chlorophyll and carotenoid contents. The phenolic content of tetraploid plantlets was significantly higher than that of diploid plantlets. Contents of naringin as well as salicylic acid and gentisic acid, which are strong antioxidant compounds, were dramatically increased upon tetraploidization. Interestingly, liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS) analyses revealed increased levels of senkyunolide F and phthalide in tetraploid roots but not in tetraploid or diploid leaves.

Banana plant as a source of valuable antimicrobial compounds and its current applications in the food sector.

Bananas (Musaceae) are one of the world's most common fruit crops and the oldest medicinal plants that are used to treat a variety of infections. There has been recent interest in elucidating the efficiency of the naturally active ingredients, particularly the antimicrobials, in this plant. This review begins with a short background of the banana plant and its cultivars as well as a brief description of its parts. Different experimental tests of the antimicrobial effects and the responsible bioactive compounds of the banana part extracts are then elaborated. A variety of recent and evolving applications of banana parts in the development of functional bakery, dairy, beverage, and meat products as a wheat substitute, fiber/prebiotic source, fat/sucrose substitute, and natural antioxidant are also discussed. Finally, the recent challenges and opportunities presented by different banana parts in creating bio-packaging materials and bactericidal nanoparticles are addressed. This plant contains a variety of antimicrobial substances, including dopamine, gentisic acid, ferulic acid, lupeol, and 3-carene. However, few studies have been conducted on its use as a bio-preservative in food products; it should also be seen as a natural source of both antimicrobial and antioxidant agents. It offers a potentially simple eco-friendly alternative to antibacterial and fungicidal agents rather than chemicals. Low cost, reliable methods for purifying these compounds from banana waste could be useful for food storage and creating more value-added bio-packaging products for perishable food goods.

Multi-Sensor Characterization of Sparkling Wines Based on Data Fusion

This paper is focused on the assessment of a multi-sensor approach to improve the overall characterization of sparkling wines (cava wines). Multi-sensor, low-level data fusion can provide more comprehensive and more accurate vision of results compared with the study of simpler data sets from individual techniques. Data from different instrumental platforms were combined in an enriched matrix, integrating information from spectroscopic (UV/Vis and FTIR), chromatographic, and other techniques. Sparkling wines belonging to different classes, which differed in the grape varieties, coupages, and wine-making processes, were analyzed to determine organic acids (e.g., tartaric, lactic, malic, and acetic acids), pH, total acidity, polyphenols, total antioxidant capacity, ethanol, or reducing sugars. The resulting compositional values were treated chemometrically for a more efficient recovery of the underlaying information. In this regard, exploratory methods such as principal component analysis showed that phenolic compounds were dependent on varietal and blending issues while organic acids were more affected by fermentation features. The analysis of the multi-sensor data set provided a more comprehensive description of cavas according to grape classes, blends, and vinification processes. Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA) allowed specific groups of samples to be distinguished, featuring malolactic fermentation and the chardonnay and red grape classes. Partial Least Squares-Discriminant Analysis (PLS-DA) also classified samples according to the type of grape varieties and fermentations. Bar charts and complementary statistic test were performed to better define the differences among the studied samples based on the most significant markers of each cava wine type. As a conclusion, catechin, gallic, gentisic, caftaric, caffeic, malic, and lactic acids were the most remarkable descriptors that contributed to their discrimination based on varietal, blending, and oenological factors.

Current Knowledge of Medicinal Mushrooms Related to Anti-Oxidant Properties

Background: A renewed focus on medicinal mushrooms has brought forth a sustainable health dimension. Conventional health strategies are insufficiently integrated with sustainable health promotion. The health-promoting outcome of mushrooms has fascinated many groups during the past few years because of various primary and secondary metabolites in different cellular components. They contain many bioactive metabolites, including proteins (cytokines, ergothioneine), fibers, moisture, carbohydrates (uronic acid), folate, thiamine, ascorbic acid, vitamin D, calcium, potassium, polysaccharides (G. lucidum polysaccharides, alpha and beta glucans, and lentinan) polyketides, polyphenols (Protocatechuic acid, inonoblins A–vanillic acid, phelligridins D, E, and G, hydroxybenzoic acid, gallic acid, tannic acid, hispidine, gentisic acid, and tocopherol), nucleotides (adenosine, cordycepin), lovastatin, steroids, alkaloids, and sesquiterpenes. Objective: This study was conducted to gather information on the current knowledge of medicinal mushrooms, with respect to their antioxidant properties. Conclusions: The results indicated that mushrooms are a promising source of natural antioxidants. Of all mushrooms, the Ganoderma tsugae Murill exhibited an excellent antioxidant potential of 93.7–100% at 20 mg/mL.

Metabolomic Study of Acute Exacerbation of Pediatric Asthma Via HPLC-Q-Orbitrap-MS

Acute exacerbation of pediatric asthma (AEPA) has always been one of the most common reasons for children to visit the emergency department, whereas unified diagnostic criteria in the clinic are lacking. The purpose of this study was to determine potential biomarkers, and provide a basis for predictive and diagnostics AEPA. Urine samples were collected from 40 pediatric patients, including 19 patients with AEPA (PA) and 21 healthy controls (HCs). The samples were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole orbitrap mass spectrometry (HPLC-Q-Orbitrap-MS), and the data were statistically analyzed by principal component analysis (PCA), partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA). Differential metabolites were selected by VIP (variable importance for the projection) > 1, and a p value ≤ 0.05 was used as the standard. The corresponding metabolic pathways of differential metabolites were subjected to analysis by the KEGG database, and further analysis and characterization of differential metabolites were conducted through the HMDB database. A total of 26 potential biomarkers were selected, of which 17 were found to be associated with respiratory diseases. Nine metabolites with obvious fluctuations in patients with AEPA, such as 13-L-hydroperoxylinoleic acid, gentisate aldehyde, L-3-phenyllactic acid, hydrocinnamic acid, and gentisic acid, could be used as potential biomarkers to further explore the prediction and diagnosis of AEPA for the first time. The contents of 3 potential biomarkers showed a positive correlation. Abnormalities in seven metabolic pathways, such as phenylalanine metabolism, tyrosine metabolism and beta-alanine metabolism, are also related to AEPA. This study further confirmed the reliability of this method to detect differences in urine metabolites of patients with AEPA. By monitoring the content of these 26 potential biomarkers and their related metabolic pathways, it provides a basis for further effective prediction and diagnosis of AEPA to avoid further development of this disease.

Lower Funneling Pathways in Scedosporium Species.

Lignin, a natural polyaromatic macromolecule, represents an essential component of the lignocellulose biomass. Due to its complexity, the natural degradation of this molecule by microorganisms still remains largely misunderstood. Extracellular oxidative degradation is followed by intracellular metabolic degradation of conserved aromatic intermediate compounds (protocatechuate, catechol, hydroxyquinol, and gentisic acid) that are used as carbon and energy sources. The lower funneling pathways are characterized by the opening of the aromatic ring of these molecules through dioxygenases, leading to degradation products that finally enter into the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle. In order to better understand the adaptation mechanisms of Scedosporium species to their environment, these specific catabolism pathways were studied. Genes encoding ring-cleaving dioxygenases were identified in Scedosporium genomes by sequence homology, and a bioinformatic analysis of the organization of the corresponding gene clusters was performed. In addition, these predictions were confirmed by evaluation of the expression level of the genes of the gentisic acid cluster. When the fungus was cultivated in the presence of lignin or gentisic acid as sole carbon source, experiments revealed that the genes of the gentisic acid cluster were markedly overexpressed in the two Scedosporium species analyzed (Scedosporium apiospermum and Scedosporium aurantiacum). Only the gene encoding a membrane transporter was not overexpressed in the gentisic acid-containing medium. Together, these data suggest the involvement of the lower funneling pathways in Scedosporium adaptation to their environment.

Sweet sorghum stalks extract has antimicrobial activity

Biochemicals production from the energy crop, sweet sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench], has attracted wide attention. However, utilization of sweet sorghum for phenolic compounds production has not yet been reported. To improve comprehensive utilization of sweet sorghum, a strategy combining acidic ethanol extraction and ion precipitation was developed to extract highly active phenolic compounds from sweet sorghum fresh stalks, which increased the final total phenolic content to 276.79 mg gallic acid equivalents/g dried extract. The sweet sorghum phenolic compounds extract was rich in gallic, gentisic, trans-ferulic, caffeic, coumaric, chlorogenic, and p-hydroxybenzoic acids, showing strong antioxidant properties. Evaluation of cell membrane integrity and biomacromolecules (protein and nucleic acid) leakage revealed that the sweet sorghum phenolic compounds extract had significant bacteriostatic activity against Staphylococcus aureus CMCC26003 and Escherichia coli CMCC44102, suggesting potential antimicrobial effects. This study provided a novel strategy for comprehensive utilization of sweet sorghum.

Research of fatty and organic acids in Rhododendron luteum Sweet leaves

Rhododendron luteum Sweet of the Heath family Ericaceae is found on the territory of Ukraine both in the wild and is widely cultivated in botanical gardens, parks, squares. Leaves and inflorescences are used to treat heart disease, rheumatism, gout, and disorders of the nervous system. The literature data on the chemical composition relate to the presence of aminoacids, organic acids, essential oils, phenolic and triterpene compounds, andromedol derivatives.
 The aim of the work was to determine the composition and content of fatty and organic acids in the Rhododendron luteum Sweet leaves by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.
 The object of the study was the leaves of Rhododendron luteum Sweet, collected on the territory of the botanical garden of H. S. Skovoroda Kharkiv National Pedagogical University in 2019. Gas chromatography - mass spectrometric study of the component composition and content of fatty and organic acids in the leaves of the studied plant on an Agilent Technologies 6890 chromatograph with a 5973 mass spectrometric detector was carried out.
 In Rhododendron luteum Sweet leaves 37 substances were found and identified. Fatty acids were represented by 17 compounds. Among saturated fatty acids, palmitic acid (3 276.2 mg/kg) was prevailed, among monounsaturated – oleic (736.78 mg/kg), among polyunsaturated – linolenic (1 617.65 mg/kg). The smallest amounts contained heneukocylic (46.33 mg/kg), lauric (58.17 mg/kg) and caproic (68.17 mg/kg) acids, which belong to saturated fatty acids. The presence of 20 organic acids in the raw material was also established: citric (8 680.30 mg/kg) and iso-citric (4 106.85 mg/kg) acids dominated in terms of quantitative content; oxalic (1 685.65 mg/kg) and malic (1 310.82 mg/kg) acids were contained in significant amounts. Among the derivatives of hydroxybenzoic acid, the greatest amount was presented by gentisic (187.76 mg/kg) acid, among the derivatives of hydroxycinnamic acids – p-coumaric (312.62 mg/kg).
 For the first time, the qualitative composition and quantitative content of fatty and organic acids in Rhododendron luteum Sweet leaves was studied by gas chromatography with a mass spectrometric detector. The obtained results indicate the prospects for further study of raw materials to develop drugs with membrane stabilizing and anti-inflammatory activity.