Inhibit Disease Development Research Articles

Unveiling the endocrine connections of NAFLD: evidence from a comprehensive mendelian randomization study.

NAFLD is gaining recognition as a complex, multifactorial condition with suspected associations with endocrine disorders. This investigation employed MR analysis to explore the potential causality linking NAFLD to a spectrum of endocrine diseases, encompassing T1D, T2D, obesity, graves' disease, and acromegaly. Our methodology leveraged a stringent IV selection process, adhering to the STROBE-MR guidelines. The MR analysis was conducted utilizing three distinct methods: IVW, WM, and MR-Egger. The IVW method was prioritized as the primary analytical approach. We conducted MR analyses to analyze the causal relationship between NAFLD and metabolic disorders. We also examined 1400 metabolites implicated in NAFLD. Metabolic pathway analysis was performed using the MetaboAnalyst database. The findings indicated that T2D (OR = 1.211, 95%CI: 0.836-1.585) and obesity (OR = 1.245, 95%CI: 0.816-1.674) are associated with an increased risk of NAFLD development. Further exploration into the the 1400 metabolites revealed that cys-gly and diacetylornithine are predictive of NAFLD, T2D, and obesity, whereas isovalerylcarnitine exhibited an inverse association, potentially inhibiting disease development. Metabolic pathways involving alanine, aspartate, and glutamate metabolism were identified as pivotal regulators in the pathophysiology of NAFLD, T2D, and obesity. The present study generated innovative viewpoints on the etiology of NAFLD. Our findings underscore the significant role of T2D and obesity in NAFLD pathogenesis through metabolic pathways, presenting opportunities for targeted therapeutic strategies and warranting further investigation. The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13534-024-00442-8.

Bone Destruction-Chemotactic Osteoprogenitor Cells Deliver Liposome Nanomedicines for the Treatment of Osteosarcoma and Osteoporosis.

Therapeutic efficacy of skeletal diseases is usually limited by unfavorable drug delivery due to incapable bone targeting and low bone affinity of conventional drug carriers, as well as relatively reduced vascularization and dense structure of bone tissues. Due to CXC chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4)/CXC chemokine ligand 12 (CXCL12) signal axis-guided recruitment, osteoprogenitor cells (OPCs) can actively migrate to bone disease nidus. Here, drugs-loaded nanoliposomes are prepared and decorated onto OPCs by biotin-streptavidin linkage for precise bone disease targeting and effective drug delivery. In mouse models of tibia defect and orthotopic osteosarcoma, superior targeting property of OPCs-based drug delivery systems toward diseased bone niduses is verified. By encapsulating antitumor and antiosteoporosis drugs into nanoliposomes, OPCs-based drug delivery systems effectively inhibit disease development and restore bone destruction in mouse models of orthotopic osteosarcoma and ovariectomized osteoporosis. This study reveals a cell-based drug delivery system for precise bone disease targeting and highly effective drug delivery, which will find great potential as a universal drug delivery platform for targeting treatment of various bone diseases.

Exosome-like Systems: From Therapies to Vaccination for Cancer Treatment and Prevention-Exploring the State of the Art.

Cancer remains one of the main causes of death in the world due to its increasing incidence and treatment difficulties. Although significant progress has been made in this field, innovative approaches are needed to reduce tumor incidence, progression, and spread. In particular, the development of cancer vaccines is currently ongoing as both a preventive and therapeutic strategy. This concept is not new, but few vaccines have been approved in oncology. Antigen-based vaccination emerges as a promising strategy, leveraging specific tumor antigens to activate the immune system response. However, challenges persist in finding suitable delivery systems and antigen preparation methods. Exosomes (EXs) are highly heterogeneous bilayer vesicles that carry several molecule types in the extracellular space. The peculiarity is that they may be released from different cells and may be able to induce direct or indirect stimulation of the immune system. In particular, EX-based vaccines may cause an anti-tumor immune attack or produce memory cells recognizing cancer antigens and inhibiting disease development. This review delves into EX composition, biogenesis, and immune-modulating properties, exploring their role as a tool for prevention and therapy in solid tumors. Finally, we describe future research directions to optimize vaccine efficacy and realize the full potential of EX-based cancer immunotherapy.

Effects of Acupuncture Therapy at the Mingmen (GV4) and Zusanli (ST36) Points on the Expression of Transforming Growth Factor Beta 1 in Mice with Lupus Nephritis Model

Introduction: Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune inflammation involving various factors and autoantibodies targeting cell components, resulting in epigenetic changes. Lupus nephritis is one of the clinical manifestations of SLE. Nowadays, it is known that acupuncture could inhibit disease development, including chronic nephritis, chronic diarrhea, lumbago adnexitis, impotence, enuresis in children, myelitis, and endometritis. Thus, this study aimed to examine the effect of improving Mingmen (GV4) and Zusanli (ST36) point acupuncture therapy on the expression of Transforming Growth Factor Beta 1 (TGFβ1) in lupus nephritis model mice. Method: It was a laboratory experiment on mice (Mus musculus) lupus nephritis model with a post-test only with a control group design. The research samples were divided into four groups, with seven mice in each group, consisting of a control group (KN), a negative control group given pristane (K), treatment group 1 (P1); given pristane and methylprednisolone, and a treatment group 2 (P2); given pristane and acupuncture at the Mingmen (GV4) and Zusanli (ST36) points. This acupuncture needle insertion was carried out thrice a week for 12 insertions during the intervention. The bivariate analysis was done using Kruskal Wallis. Results: There were 28 samples examined in this study. we found that the TGFβ1 expression was high in group P2 (72.86±11.13), after that followed by group P1 (65.71±25.73), N (60.71±25.24), and K (5.88±5.35). According to the bivariate analysis, it showed a significant difference in TGF-β (p= 0.010). Conclusion: Mingmen (GV4) and Zusanli (ST36) point acupuncture therapy improves TGFβ1 expression. Acupuncture therapy triggers inhibition of TGF-β1 expression in lupus nephritis model mice.

Inhibition of oil tea anthracnose by natural product extracts from Bacillus and Pseudoalteromonas isolates from mangrove soil

This study investigates the potential of natural products derived from two mangrove soil bacteria, GP521A and GP3R5, in anthracnose management in oil tea. Based on 16s rDNA sequencing, GP521A and GP3R5 were identified as Bacillus velezensis and Pseudoalteromonas caenipelagi, respectively. Both bacteria showed strong antagonistic effects towards multiple fungal pathogens on dual cultural plates. The ethyl acetate extracts of fermentation cultures of GP521A (FEGP5) and GP3R5 (FEGP3) significantly inhibited mycelial growth of both Colletotrichum camelliae MC171, C. fructicola CF-1 and Pyricularia oryzae P131 at 100 and 200 μg/mL, respectively. Furthermore, FEGP5 and FEGP3 significantly inhibited conidiation, conidial germination and appressorial formation in C. camelliae MC171 at 50 μg/mL, with stronger inhibitory effects observed in the latter. On detached oil tea leaves, 100 μg/mL of FEGP5 and FEGP3 resulted in ~ 98.0% and 97.5% reduction in diseased areas, respectively, when applied before MC171 inoculation, whereas the reduction was approximately 55.0% and 77.6%, respectively, in the curative treatments. In fresh fruits, both extracts also significantly inhibited disease development, either in preventative or curative treatments. Moreover, FEGP5 and FEGP3 demonstrated significantly lower aquatic toxicity than prochloraz at the same concentrations towards a commonly used bioindicator, Artemia salina. In conclusion, this study demonstrates the potential of marine microbes derived natural products in development of environmentally compatible biopesticides to control anthracnose in oil tea.

Correlation of Mottle Disease Severity and Insect Vector Abundance on Black Pepper Yield

Insect-borne viral diseases epidemics are influenced by interaction among host plants, viruses, their vectors, and environment. Two species of mealybugs i.e. Planococcus minor and Ferrisia virgata are known as virus vectors that cause mottle disease on black pepper (Piper nigrum). Research was conducted to determine the main factors affecting mottle disease spread in the field. Study was conducted by observing 30 productive black pepper plants at the experimental field in Sukabumi, West Java. The parameters involved abundance of mealybugs, severity of mottle disease, and yield of black pepper plants. Disease severity and plant yield was assessed for three consecutive harvest seasons, while mealybug abundance was observed every two months for a year. The results showed that abundance of mealybugs did not have significant affect to disease severity and plant yield, indicating the vectors in the field does not play as a prominent role in disease spreading. Simple linear regression between disease severity and plant yield showed coefficient determination of R2 value about 0.4351 with negative correlation, indicating opposite effect between severity and plant yield. Increasing disease severity affect moderately plant yield decrease. Therefore, planting virus free seed stocks and applying good cultivation practices in the field will inhibit disease development and spreading which in turn will affect continuous optimal plant yields.

Clostridium butyricum alleviates LPS-induced acute immune stress in goats by regulating bacterial communities and blood metabolites.

The mitigation and prevention of acute immune stress are essential for livestock production. Clostridium butyricum (C. butyricum) has shown positive effects in stabilizing intestinal microbiota disorders, improving immune function and inhibiting disease development, but its effects on ruminants are unclear. Therefore, the current trial hypothesized that C. butyricum could improve goats' immune function and antioxidant capacity by regulating bacterial communities and blood metabolism and effectively alleviating the acute immune stress induced by Lipopolysaccharides (LPS). Sixteen healthy goats were fed C. butyricum for 70 days, and the goats were challenged with LPS on day 71. Blood and feces were collected at 0h and 6h after the challenge to evaluate the effects of C. butyricum on their intestinal microbiota, immune function, antioxidant function, and plasma metabolites. The results showed that C. butyricum had no significant effect on plasma biochemical parameters at the beginning of the LPS challenge. However, supplementation with C. butyricum increased plasma levels of IgA, IgG, T-SOD, and T-AOC (P < 0.05), but TNF-α, IL-6, and MDA were decreased (P < 0.05). In contrast, IL-10 showed an increasing trend (P < 0.10). Rectal microbiota analysis showed that C. butyricum significantly increased the relative abundance of Epsilonbacteraeota at the phylum level of goats; at the genus level, the relative abundances of Campylobacter and Anaerorhabdus]_furcosa_group were also significantly increased (P < 0.05). Christensenellaceae_R-7_group as the dominant microbiota also showed a significant increase in their abundance values, while Clostridium and Lachnospiraceae_UCG-001 were significantly lower (P < 0.05). When the LPS challenge continued up to 6h, dietary supplementation with C. butyricum still resulted in significantly higher plasma concentrations of IgA, IL-10, and T-SOD in goats than in the control group, reducing TNF-α levels (P < 0.05). In addition, plasma levels of T-CHOL and LDL were significantly reduced, and the expression of d-proline was significantly upregulated according to metabolomic analysis (P < 0.05). In conclusion, dietary supplementation with C. butyricum helped optimize the expression of bacterial communities and plasma metabolites to enhance the ability of goats to alleviate acute immune stress.

Mitochondrial Function and Microbial Metabolites as Central Regulators of Intestinal Immune Responses and Cancer.

Energy and anabolic metabolism are essential for normal cellular homeostasis but also play an important role in regulating immune responses and cancer development as active immune and cancer cells show an altered metabolic profile. Mitochondria take a prominent position in these metabolic reactions. First, most key energetic reactions take place within or in conjunction with mitochondria. Second, mitochondria react to internal cues from within the cell but also to external cues originating from the microbiota, a vast diversity of associated microorganisms. The impact of the microbiota on host physiology has been largely investigated in the last decade revealing that the microbiota contributes to the extraction of calories from the diet, energy metabolism, maturation of the immune system and cellular differentiation. Thus, changes in the microbiota termed dysbiosis have been associated with disease development including metabolic diseases, inflammation and cancer. Targeting the microbiota to modulate interactions with the mitochondria and cellular metabolism to delay or inhibit disease development and pathogenesis appears an attractive therapeutic approach. Here, we summarize recent advances in developing the therapeutic potential of microbiota-mitochondria interactions for inflammation and cancer.

Aspartic protease inhibitor enhances resistance to potato virus Y and A in transgenic potato plants

BackgroundViruses are the major threat to commercial potato (Solanum tuberosum) production worldwide. Because viral genomes only encode a small number of proteins, all stages of viral infection rely on interactions between viral proteins and host factors. Previously, we presented a list of the most important candidate genes involved in potato plants’ defense response to viruses that are significantly activated in resistant cultivars. Isolated from this list, Aspartic Protease Inhibitor 5 (API5) is a critical host regulatory component of plant defense responses against pathogens. The purpose of this study is to determine the role of StAPI5 in defense of potato against potato virus Y and potato virus A, as well as its ability to confer virus resistance in a transgenic susceptible cultivar of potato (Desiree). Potato plants were transformed with Agrobacterium tumefaciens via a construct encoding the potato StAPI5 gene under the control of the Cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) 35S promoter.ResultsTransgenic plants overexpressing StAPI5 exhibited comparable virus resistance to non-transgenic control plants, indicating that StAPI5 functions in gene regulation during virus resistance. The endogenous StAPI5 and CaMV 35S promoter regions shared nine transcription factor binding sites. Additionally, the net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductivity, and maximum photochemical efficiency of photosystem II were significantly higher in virus-infected transgenic plants than in wild-type plants.ConclusionOverall, these findings indicate that StAPI5 may be a viable candidate gene for engineering plant disease resistance to viruses that inhibit disease development.

Assessment of the role of brassinosteroid in regulating the disease resistance of postharvest tomato fruit by proteomic analysis

This study aimed to investigate the effects of brassinosteroid (BR) on disease development, disease resistance-related enzyme activities, gene expression, and proteomic change in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) fruits infected by Alternaria solani. The results showed that BR pretreatment inhibited disease development and increased the activities of disease resistance-related enzymes. Fruits treated by brassinazole, the biosynthesis inhibitor of BR, are more sensitive to A. solani. BR could promote the gene expression of downstream and upstream in the systematic acquired resistance (SAR) pathways and the catalyzers in the biosynthetic pathways of phenolic and quinone compounds. The proteomic analysis showed that BR upregulated the expression of 2 proteins and downregulated the expression of 13 proteins. Furthermore, one upregulated protein was involved in the phenylpropanoid biosynthetic pathway. These results suggested that BR-mediated disease resistance in tomato fruits could share some SAR downstream genes and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase and also have distinct pathways. Practical applications Brassinosteroid treatment before harvest could be a useful strategy to improve the quality of tomato fruit and reduce postharvest losses caused by fungi disease.

Efektivitas Minyak Cengkeh, Nimba dan Kemiri Sunan, serta Ekstrak Babadotan Terhadap Penyakit Karat Daun Kopi (Hemileia vastatrix)

&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Leaf rust disease &lt;/em&gt;(Hemileia vastatrix)&lt;em&gt; is commonly controlled using synthetic fungicides. Plant oils and extracts are expected to reduce the pathogen. The research aimed to determine the effectiveness of clove, &lt;/em&gt;Reutealis trisperma&lt;em&gt;, &lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt;and neem oils, and &lt;/em&gt;Ageratum conyzoides&lt;em&gt; extract against &lt;/em&gt;H. vastatrix&lt;em&gt;. The study was conducted in the laboratory and greenhouse of the Indonesian Industrial and &lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt;Beverage Crops Research Institute and smallholder coffee plantation in Garut, West Java, from January to December 2018. &lt;/em&gt;The A. conyzoides&lt;em&gt; were extracted in the laboratories. Plant oils and extract's effectiveness&lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt; was tested in vitro against the germination of urediniospore and in a greenhouse to inhibit disease development. The in vitro experiment were evaluated the eight concentrations of extract and oil were: 0 (steril water), 250, 500, 1000, 1500, 3000, and 5000 ppm. Whereas, in the greenhouse experiments used three concentrations of 1000, 2500, and 5000 ppm of the extract and oil, and 2000 ppm of Mankozeb (positive control). The greenhouse test was carried out on Arabica coffee plants, completely randomized design and five replications. The number of spots, disease intensity, and plant growth were examined periodically. The results showed that all of the the extract and oil inhibited the urediniospores germination, and the most effective concentrations were 500 ppm, 3000 ppm, and 5000 ppm. &lt;/em&gt;A. conyzoides&lt;em&gt; extract, and clove oil effectively suppressed the infection of &lt;/em&gt;H. vastatrix&lt;em&gt; by 75.99% and 64.00%, respectively, and comparable to the synthetic fungicide (68.00%).&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Important Foliar Wheat Diseases and their Management: Field Studies in Greece

Wheat rusts and blotch diseases are notable diseases of wheat grown in temperate climates worldwide. In this research, we highlight the importance of blotch diseases on wheat in Mediterranean climates like Greece. We discuss the weather factors which influence blotch diseases of wheat development. Finally, our analyses show that applying only Propiconazole at GS37/39 wheat growth stage, Propiconazole is capable of inhibiting disease development with a significant effect on wheat yield.

Novel, simple and inexpensive programmed lab experiments to evaluate the biocontrol activity of rhizobacteria on fungal phytopathogens

ABSTRACT Despite the growing importance of agricultural microbiology at the applied, productive and ecological levels, undergraduate degrees in Agronomy generally do not feature much microbiological experimentation. To address this deficiency, we have designed an experimental programme that evaluates the potential of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) for the biocontrol of fungal pathogens. The approach involves an experimental laboratory class in which Agronomy students evaluate the ability of a rhizospheric Burkholderia sp. strain to inhibit the development of Sclerotium rolfsii (the causal agent of ‘white wilt’ disease in peanut plants). The assays cover three aspects: biochemical mechanisms associated to biocontrol properties in the bacterium, bacterium–fungus interaction (plate inhibition assays), and plant-bacterium-fungus interaction (disease control assays). Students verify the bacterial strain’s ability to produce fungi-degrading enzymes, inhibit fungal growth, and protect the plant by inhibiting disease development. The assays serve as an integrative basis on which to discuss relationships between plants, bacteria, and fungi in connection with a disease which affects important regional crops. This set of experiments should help students to develop different skills which will be key in their future professional career, such as handling and designing experimental assays; comparing, discussing and solving practical problems; and drawing conclusions from their observations and the results obtained.

Comparative proteomic analysis reveals novel insights into the interaction between rice and Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae

BackgroundBacterial blight, which is caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo), is a devastating rice disease worldwide. Rice introgression line H471, derived from the recurrent parent Huang-Hua-Zhan (HHZ) and the donor parent PSBRC28, exhibits broad-spectrum resistance to Xoo, including to the highly virulent Xoo strain PXO99A, whereas its parents are susceptible to PXO99A. To characterize the responses to Xoo, we compared the proteome profiles of the host and pathogen in the incompatible interaction (H471 inoculated with PXO99A) and the compatible interaction (HHZ inoculated with PXO99A).ResultsIn this study, a total of 374 rice differentially abundant proteins (DAPs) and 117 Xoo DAPs were detected in the comparison between H471 + PXO99A and HHZ + PXO99A. Most of the Xoo DAPs related to pathogen virulence, including the outer member proteins, type III secretion system proteins, TonB-dependent receptors, and transcription activator-like effectors, were less abundant in the incompatible interaction than in the compatible interaction. The rice DAPs were mainly involved in secondary metabolic processes, including phenylalanine metabolism and the biosynthesis of flavonoids and phenylpropanoids. Additionally, some DAPs involved in the phenolic phytoalexin and salicylic acid (SA) biosynthetic pathways accumulated much more in H471 than in HHZ after the inoculation with PXO99A, suggesting that phytoalexin and SA productions were induced faster in H471 than in HHZ. Further analyses revealed that the SA content increased much more rapidly in H471 than in HHZ after the inoculation, suggesting that the SA signaling pathway was activated faster in the incompatible interaction than in the compatible interaction.ConclusionsOverall, our results indicate that during an incompatible interaction between H471 and PXO99A, rice plants prevent pathogen invasion and also initiate multi-component defense responses that inhibit disease development.

SlARG2 contributes to MeJA‐induced defense responses to Botrytis cinerea in tomato fruit

Arginase plays key roles in methyl jasmonate (MeJA)-mediated quality maintenance in vegetables and fruits. MeJA treatment induced the Arginase 2 (SlARG2) expression, which is one of the most important encoding genes of arginase. In addition, the treatment with MeJA induced resistance to pathogenic infection in many plants. However, the functions of SlARG2 in MeJA-induced defense to Botrytis cinerea are unclear. In our work, control and SlARG2-silenced tomato fruits (Solanum lycopersicum) were treated with 0.05 mmoL L-1 MeJA before storage to assay the roles of SlARG2 in MeJA-induced defense responses to Botrytis cinerea. Our results indicated that MeJA treatment induced both pathogenesis-related gene expression (PR1, PR2a, PR2b and PR3b), and the activity of defense-related enzymes, as well as upregulated arginine metabolism. Compared to control fruits, the treatment with MeJA also induced the activity of arginase, arginine decarboxylase (ADC) and ornithine aminotransferase (OAT), and expression of SlARG2, SlADC, ornithine decarboxylase (SlODC) and SlOAT, and consequently increased the accumulation of arginine, proline, glutamate, putrescine and spermine. However, the induction effects by MeJA were significantly reduced in fruits in which SlARG2 was silenced and severe disease symptoms were observed. MeJA fumigation could inhibit disease development by inducing pathogenesis-related gene expression (PR1, PR2a, PR2b and PR3b) and defense-related enzymes activity, as well as upregulated arginine metabolism. In addition, SlARG2 silencing could inhibit the functions of MeJA in inducing the accumulation of the above substances. Overall, our study provided strong evidence that SlARG2 was essential for MeJA-induced tomato fruit defense responses to Botrytis cinerea. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.

Chronic heart failure - health and social problem

Admission Chronic heart failure is a disease entity with a steadily increasing maturity, and the cost of treating patients with this disease is constantly growing. Over the last decade there has been very significant progress concerning knowledge about this disease. Current diagnosis and treatment can help to inhibit disease development, extending the life and improving its quality. Chronic heart failure is an important medical problem and socio-economic development of modern Europe. The incidence of PNS European population is estimated at 0.4 - 2%, which is approx. 6.5 - 10 million Europeans. Aim The aim of the study is to analyze chronic heart failure as a social and health problem. Material and methods A review of available literature. Results Normally heart failure is divided into left ventricular and right ventricular depending on the defective cell.Quite often distinguished by heart failure, systolic and diastolic. Heart failure can occur as acute or chronic depending on the speed of its development.Some patients with chronic heart failure is observed malnutrition characterized by loss of muscle mass. In this context, it seems important to use a method of establishing the composition of the body, including the state of hydration and nutrition in order to monitor any changes. Additional factors affecting the nutritional status of the drug treatment often cause loss of appetite or side effects in the form of gastro - intestinal disorders. Conclusions Heart failure is a serious disease with a poor prognosis for the patient. Results of European and American studies show that mortality in patients with CHF is greater than in the case of breast and prostate cancer. It is worth noting that as many as half of patients with severe heart failure die within a year.

Salicylic acid treatment suppresses Phomopsis longanae Chi-induced disease development of postharvest longan fruit by modulating membrane lipid metabolism

Salicylic acid (SA) is a crucial endogenous signaling molecule which can activate fruit defense responses to biotic or abiotic stress. The aim of this work was to study the effects of SA on disease occurrence, cell membrane integrity, membrane lipid-degrading enzymes activities, as well as amounts of cell membrane phospholipids and fatty acids in Phomopsis longanae Chi-inoculated longans during storage. The results indicated that, compared with the fruit with mere inoculation, SA treatment reduced fruit disease index and pericarp cell membrane permeability in P. longanae-inoculated longans. Additionally, SA treatment decreased activities of phospholipase D (PLD), phospholipase C (PLC), lipase, and lipoxygenase (LOX), lowered contents of saturated fatty acids (SFAs), phosphatidic acid (PA) and diacylglycerol (DAG), but suppressed the reductions of phosphatidylcholine (PC), phosphatidylinositol (PI), unsaturated fatty acids (USFAs), ratio of USFAs to SFAs (U/S), and index of unsaturated fatty acids (IUFA) in pericarp of P. longanae-inoculated longans. These data demonstrated that SA treatment could retain integrity of membrane structures, enhance fruit disease resistance to P. longanae, and thus suppress disease development in P. longanae-inoculated longans during storage. These results indicated that SA was an eco-friendly approach to inhibit disease development and extend storage-life of harvested longan fruit.

Salicylic acid reduces the incidence of Phomopsis longanae Chi infection in harvested longan fruit by affecting the energy status and respiratory metabolism

This study investigated the effects of salicylic acid (SA) on the disease development, respiration rate, energy status, and respiratory metabolism in Phomopsis longanae Chi-inoculated longans. SA treatment reduced the fruit disease index and respiration rate of P. longanae-inoculated longans as compared to the fruit with mere inoculation. SA treatment suppressed the decline of energy charge, decreased the activities of PGI, SDH and CCO, but boosted the G-6-PDH+6-PGDH and NADK activities. Meanwhile, the NAD and NADH contents were decreased, but NADP and NADPH contents were increased. These findings demonstrated that SA could be used to the inhibit disease development in harvested longans because SA treatment helped maintain a high energy charge level, decreased respiration rate and respiratory pathways like EMP-TCA cycle and CCP, but increased PPP respiratory pathway. This study indicated that the SA treatment was a facile and effective way to retard the disease development of postharvest longans.

Curcumin inhibits Diaporthe phaseolorum and reduces postharvest decay in kiwifruit

Curcumin is a promising antifungal agent because of its wide range of antifungal activities. In the present study, the effect of curcumin on postharvest decay of kiwifruit, caused by Diaporthe phaseolorum, was evaluated. We found that spore germination, germ tube elongation, and mycelial growth of D. phaseolorum were all significantly inhibited by curcumin. Cell viability and ATP content were also reduced by the addition of curcumin. Curcumin induced the production of reactive oxygen species in D. phaseolorum hyphae, resulting in apoptosis and accelerated rate of cell death. The activities of antioxidant enzymes, including catalase, peroxidase, superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase, increased upon curcumin treatment. Mycelia exposed to curcumin exhibited a greater sensitivity to osmotic and oxidative stresses than untreated mycelia, and they lost their ability to penetrate plant cell walls. Application of curcumin effectively inhibited disease development in kiwifruit in a dose dependent manner. Collectively, the results indicated that curcumin can effectively inhibit postharvest decay of kiwifruit caused by D. phaseolorum by inhibiting the vegetative growth and cell viability, promoting apoptosis and cell death, and decreasing pathogenicity of the pathogen.

Patent Highlights April–May 2019

Patent Highlights April–May 2019