Pharmaceutical Crop Research Articles

Global supply chain drivers of water use in Sub-Saharan Africa: Taking Ghana as a case

Local water use is significantly affected by distant economies through global supply chains. Ghana is one of the largest trade hubs in sub-Saharan Africa, and large amounts of Ghana's water use are embodied in international exports. Previous studies have made efforts to evaluate direct water use in Ghana but overlooked nations and sectors indirectly driving Ghana's water use. This study explored global supply chain drivers of Ghana's water use during 2012–2021, based on the global environmentally extended multi-regional input-output (EE-MRIO) model. Results revealed that the total water use of Ghana was 9790 million m3 (Mm3) during this period. About 39% of Ghana's water use is attributed to foreign consumption and more than 12% is driven by the US and the UK. The domestic and foreign demand for the products of the “spices and pharmaceutical crops” sector is an important sectoral driver of Ghana's water use. From the supply side, domestic primary inputs account for 93.1% of the national water use whereas only 6.9% is attributed to foreign primary inputs. The domestic sectoral suppliers are mainly the “spices, and pharmaceutical crops” and “wholesale and retail trade” sectors. The critical foreign nations from the supply side are China and Cote d’Ivoire, enabling 88.5 Mm3 and 59.0 Mm3 of Ghana's water use respectively. Demand-side initiatives (i.e., consumer tax and education) and supply-side measures (i.e., efficient water use compliance) should be integrated with existing production-side policies to regulate sub-Saharan Africa's water use.

Pharmaceutical Product Liability

Pharmaceutical crop liability contains the permissible responsibility of drug associations for the safety and efficiency of their output. In the context of healthcare, place cures play a pivotal function in the situation, and the ramifications of drug brand liability are deep. This responsibility extends to differing stakeholders, including drug manufacturers, distributors, and consistent healthcare professionals. Key determinants in determining liability include production defects, inadequate warnings or demands, and breaches of supervisory standards. Adverse belongings, surprising risks, or manufacturing wrongs can bring about lawsuits, settlements, or supervisory actions against drug parties. Recent years have visualized a surge before a court of law surrounding drug amounts, driven by concerns about overreactions, incompetent testing, and hostile shopping practices. High-profile cases, such as those including opioid drugs and defective healing instruments, have highlighted the complex interaction between community health, allied responsibility, and allowable responsibility. To a degree, regulatory bodies, such as the FDA in the United States, play a critical role in supervising drug products' security and efficiency. However, their oversight doesn't absolve parties of liability if products are found to be broken or harmful. In reaction, drug companies invest laboriously in research and development, control of product quality, and risk administration to mitigate potential responsibilities. Understanding drug product burden is essential for assuring patient safety, guaranteeing fair rectification for harm caused by drugs, and maintaining count on the healthcare system as a whole. As medical sciences advance and new drugs come to market, guiding along the route, often over water, the allowable landscape of drug-device liability debris is a fault-finding challenge for both manufacturing collaborators and consumers.

ОЦЕНКА СОРТИМЕНТА КАЛЕНДУЛЫ ЛЕКАРСТВЕННОЙ КАК КУЛЬТУРЫ ДЛЯ ОЗЕЛЕНЕНИЯ

Calendula officinalis L. is one of the most common pharmaceutical crops cultivated not only in the Krasnodar region, but also in the south of the Russian Federation as a whole. In addition to its medicinal qualities, a high content of essential oils, as well as phenols and flavonoids, the crop is an excellent alternative to annual floral and ornamental plants in landscaping. In this regard, the purpose of the research was to evaluate seven varieties of Calendula officinalis L. in terms of duration,intensity and timing of the beginning of flowering, the activity of growth processes, size, color, inflorescence structure and the identification of the most adapted to growing conditions varieties that have high decorative qualities. Proposals were made on the directions of using the studied varieties in ornamental gardening and landscaping of the territory. The studies were carried out in 2022-2023 at the experimental site of private household plots in the central zone of the Krasnodar region. As a result of the research, it was found that the studied varieties of calendula had significant differences in a number of morpho-biometric indicators, but turned out to be highly adapted to the growing conditions in the south of the Russian Federation. According to the combination of ornamental qualities, three varieties of calendula officinalis were identified for cultivation in the central zone of the Krasnodar region. The Tutti-Frutti yellow variety is recommended for planting in flower beds due to the bright flowers of the inflorescence and the low growth of the plants. It is advisable to use the Geisha variety for the design of plots in landscape design and for cutting flowers. In garden and park landscaping, attention should be paid to the King's Cup variety, which stands out for a complex of decorative qualities and a long flowering period. Key words: CALENDULA, LANDSCAPING, ASSORTMENT, PHENOLOGY, GROWTH, FLOWERING, ORNAMENTAL TRAITS

Studies on Sensory and Phytochemical Characteristics of Poppy (Papaver somniferum L.) Varieties for Their Oil Utilisation.

Poppy is a significant pharmaceutical crop, but the seeds and the cold-pressed oil have a big potential as healthy foods. Breeding has mainly focused on agronomical characteristics and alkaloid content. Here, we compared the sensory values, fatty acid and headspace volatile composition of poppy oils and flours produced from different varieties. Two industrial and four culinary varieties were cultivated in our field in 2021-2022. The sensory test differentiated well among varieties. Typical poppy odour and flavour were stronger both in the oils and the flours of the blue-seed varieties compared to the white-seed ones. For most varieties, the harvest year caused no relevant differences. Linoleic, oleic, and palmitic acids were the main components both in oils and flours. Larger differences were detected in the volatiles (e.g., 2 and 3 methyl-butanal and 3 methyl-butanol γ-n-caprolactone, pentofuran), depending on genotype and year. A higher ratio of saturated fatty acids negatively influenced the flavour and odour characteristics. In the headspace volatiles, these features correlated negatively with 2-pentylfuran and hexanal. The oil content of poppy flour has a positive effect on colour, appearance, tactility and poppy flavour. Our results support a goal-oriented use of poppy genotypes for high-quality dietary products.

Sweet potato is a strategic root crop in Oceania: A synthesis of the past research and future direction

Sweet potato is an important food, industrial, and pharmaceutical crop worldwide and highly adapted to adverse ranges of agroclimatic conditions, making it one of the strategic crops under climate change. Despite the importance, sustainable crop production continues to be an issue because of the pressure put on land, the decline in soil fertility, the buildup of pests and diseases, and no standardized production practices. Production is highly mechanized in temperate regions, whereas, in the tropics, it is still a subsistence crop confined to subsistence farming systems. These issues are compounded by a lack of generically and agronomically improved genotypes adapted to wider agroecological zones with adaptive tolerance to existing and new stresses. In the recent past, significant progress has been made worldwide; however, the outcomes tend to be locality-specific, and cannot be extrapolated, needing decentralization of the current approaches. This review points out that the crop is a critical strategic crop in the Oceania region because of its ability to grow under adverse ranges of agroclimatic conditions and can produce a reasonable yield. The paper continues to emphasize the current trends in emerging modern technology that can be used to efficiently improve and enhance traits of agronomic importance and wider adaptivity. In addition, land use plans, farming systems, and cultural production practices need to be changed for sustainable production. The need for these is further strengthened by pointing out alternative strategies, e.g., using organic matter as a relatively cheap and readily available source of soil nutrients compared to inorganic fertilizers.

Applications of Perilla frutescens Extracts in Clinical Practice

(1) Background: Perilla frutescens (L.) Britt. is an important pharmaceutical crop that remains a focus point for researchers worldwide due to its complex phytochemical constituents, medicinal effects, and nutraceutical properties. The literature data are based on animal and cell culture studies, so the clinical evidence for the therapeutic effects is poorly outlined. The aim of this review was to provide an updated and thorough understanding of Perilla frutescens applications in clinical practice using data derived from human studies, and to outline the potential directions and perspectives for further studies on this crop. (2) Methods: Medline, Embase, and Cochrane databases were used to find relevant studies. All interventional studies that evaluated the effect of Perilla frutescens in human subjects were assessed. (3) Results: The main perspectives that can be contoured from the presented literature evaluation are an important clinical effect of Perilla frutescens extracts on allergic rhinoconjuctivitis, especially in young populations, a potent hypolipemiant effect that, in conjunction with increased serum biological antioxidant potential, determines significant improvements in cognitive function and a wide variety of miscellaneous clinical effects that need further exploration. (4) Conclusions: Supplementary research is needed in order to demonstrate the therapeutic effects of Perilla frutescens in controlled clinical settings.

Carnivorous Plants from Nepenthaceae and Droseraceae as a Source of Secondary Metabolites

Carnivorous plants are able to attract small animals or protozoa and retain them in their specialized traps. Later, the captured organisms are killed and digested. The nutrients contained in the prey bodies are absorbed by the plants to use for growth and reproduction. These plants produce many secondary metabolites involved in the carnivorous syndrome. The main purpose of this review was to provide an overview of the secondary metabolites in the family Nepenthaceae and Droseraceae, which were studied using modern identification techniques, i.e., high-performance liquid chromatography or ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. After literature screening, there is no doubt that tissues of species from the genera Nepenthes, Drosera, and Dionaea are rich sources of secondary metabolites that can be used in pharmacy and for medical purposes. The main types of the identified compounds include phenolic acids and their derivatives (gallic, protocatechuic, chlorogenic, ferulic, p-coumaric acids, gallic, hydroxybenzoic, vanillic, syringic caffeic acids, and vanillin), flavonoids (myricetin, quercetin, and kaempferol derivatives), including anthocyanins (delphinidin-3-O-glucoside, cyanidin-3-O-glucoside, and cyanidin), naphthoquinones (e.g., plumbagin, droserone, and 5-O-methyl droserone), and volatile organic compounds. Due to the biological activity of most of these substances, the importance of the carnivorous plant as a pharmaceutical crop will increase.

Correlation of Glucosinolates and Volatile Constituents of Six Brassicaceae Seeds with Their Antioxidant Activities Based on Partial Least Squares Regression.

Brassicaceae comprises various species representing an economically important source of industrial or pharmaceutical crops. The present study aimed to identify glucosinolates (GSLs) and volatile compounds in six Brassicaceae seeds cultivated in Egypt. An (High Performance Liquid Chromatography-Photodiode Array) HPLC–PDA analysis of GSLs in the alcoholic extracts of Raphanus raphanistrum L. (Rr), Raphanus sativus L. (Rs), Brassica oleracea var. capitata L. (Boc), Brassica oleracea var. botrytis L. (Bob), Brassica rapa L. (Br), and Eruca sativa L. (Es) was carried out using a mixture of 23 standard GSLs. Nineteen GSLs were detected in the studied seeds. Rs had the highest GSL content (135.66 μmol/g Dry weight, DW), while Boc had the lowest GSL content (93.66 μmol/g DW). Glucobrassicin was the major identified compound in Rr, Rs, and Bob. Its highest content was in Rs (28.96 μmol/g DW). Sinigrin was the major identified GSL in Boc (18.02 μmol/g DW), although present with higher content in Bob (22.02 μmol/g DW). Neoglucobrassicin was the major GSL in Br (30.98 μmol/g DW), while glucoerucin was the major GSL in Es (17.84 μmol/g DW). The yields of the steam-distilled oils of the studied seeds ranged between 3.25 ± 0.36 and 9.68 ± 0.25% v/w. A GC–MS analysis of the oils could detect 3, 23, 18, 16, 7, and 9 compounds in Rr, Rs, Boc, Bob, Br, and Es oils, respectively. Sulfur and nitrogenous compounds predominated in all studied oils except Rs, which contained a higher percentage of alkanes. The major identified compound in Rr oil was 4-isothiocyanato-1-(methylthio)-1-butene (94.77 ± 1.25%), while in Br it was 3-butenyl isothiocyanate (69.55 ± 1.02%), thiolane in Rs (15.15 ± 0.22%), and erucin in Es (97.02 ± 1.514%). Both Boc and Bob had the same major compound 4-(methylthio) butanenitrile, which represented 40.35 ± 1.15 and 50.52 ± 1.02% in both oils, respectively. Radical scavenging activity for both GSL extracts and essential oils on DPPH radical ranged between 18.01 ± 0.72 and 114.28 ± 1.15 µg/mL (IC50). The highest antioxidant capacity was for Es oil, while the lowest one was for Rr oil. Generally, it was observed that the GSLs had better antioxidant activity than their corresponding essential oils except for Es oil, which had higher activity. A principal component analysis (PCA) was successfully applied to discriminate among six Brassicaceae seeds based on both HPLC and GC–MS, where complete segregation was achieved among all samples with high correlation between Boc and Bob. Partial Least Squares-Regression (PLS-R) models showed that there is a better correlation between the antioxidant activity and glucosinolate profile when being compared to that of a volatile one. This profiling and variation of GSLs and volatile metabolites of the studied Brassicaceae seeds may be employed in further studies regarding their health-promoting properties.

First Steps to Domesticate Hairy Stork’s-Bill (Erodium crassifolium) as a Commercial Pharmaceutical Crop for Arid Regions

Hairy stork’s-bill (Erodium crassifolium) (HSB) is one of the few Geraniaceae species that produce tubers. While HSB tubers were occasionally used as a food source by desert nomads, they have not yet been taken up in the modern kitchen. Recently, HSB tubers were recognized as harboring potential to become an industrial pharmaceutical crop. The objective of this study was to determine a set of agricultural practices that would maximize the yield of the bioactive compounds of the present HSB genetic material. A generous and consistent irrigation regime of about 700 mm season−1 increased tuber yield and size. The optimal plant density on sandy soils was 16–20 plants m−2. Mineral nutrition, applied through fertigation, increased tuber yield from 0.6 to almost 1 kg m−2. Source-sink manipulations (consistent pruning of the reproductive organs) almost doubled the tuber yield. During 10 years of research, the adopted agricultural practices increased yield by an order of magnitude (from about 0.2–2.0 kg m−2) without any dilution of the bioactive compounds. Nevertheless, further research and development are required to achieve HSB potential as an industrial field crop, including selection and breeding of outstanding infertile clones, optimization of fertigation, and development of various concrete pharmaceutical products.

Using Micropropagation to Develop Medicinal Plants into Crops.

Medicinal plants are still the major source of therapies for several illnesses and only part of the herbal products originates from cultivated biomass. Wild harvests represent the major supply for therapies, and such practices threaten species diversity as well as the quality and safety of the final products. This work intends to show the relevance of developing medicinal plants into crops and the use of micropropagation as technique to mass produce high-demand biomass, thus solving the supply issues of therapeutic natural substances. Herein, the review includes examples of in vitro procedures and their role in the crop development of pharmaceuticals, phytomedicinals, and functional foods. Additionally, it describes the production of high-yielding genotypes, uniform clones from highly heterozygous plants, and the identification of elite phenotypes using bioassays as a selection tool. Finally, we explore the significance of micropropagation techniques for the following: a) pharmaceutical crops for production of small therapeutic molecules (STM), b) phytomedicinal crops for production of standardized therapeutic natural products, and c) the micropropagation of plants for the production of large therapeutic molecules (LTM) including fructooligosaccharides classified as prebiotic and functional food crops.

Developmental Regulation of the Expression of Amaryllidaceae Alkaloid Biosynthetic Genes in Narcissus papyraceus.

Amaryllidaceae alkaloids (AAs) have multiple biological effects, which are of interest to the pharmaceutical industry. To unleash the potential of Amaryllidaceae plants as pharmaceutical crops and as sources of AAs, a thorough understanding of the AA biosynthetic pathway is needed. However, only few enzymes in the pathway are known. Here, we report the transcriptome of AA-producing paperwhites (Narcissus papyraceus Ker Gawl). We present a list of 21 genes putatively encoding enzymes involved in AA biosynthesis. Next, a cDNA library was created from 24 different samples of different parts at various developmental stages of N. papyraceus. The expression of AA biosynthetic genes was analyzed in each sample using RT-qPCR. In addition, the alkaloid content of each sample was analyzed by HPLC. Leaves and flowers were found to have the highest abundance of heterocyclic compounds, whereas the bulb, the lowest. Lycorine was also the predominant AA. The gene expression results were compared with the heterocyclic compound profiles for each sample. In some samples, a positive correlation was observed between the gene expression levels and the amount of compounds accumulated. However, due to a probable transport of enzymes and alkaloids in the plant, a negative correlation was also observed, particularly at stage 2.

Seasonal and Differential Sesquiterpene Accumulation in Artemisia annua Suggest Selection Based on Both Artemisinin and Dihydroartemisinic Acid may Increase Artemisinin in planta.

Commercial Artemisia annua crops are the sole source of artemisinin (ART) worldwide. Data on seasonal accumulation and peak of sesquiterpenes, especially ART in commercial A. annua, is lacking while current breeding programs focus only on ART and plant biomass, but ignores dihydroartemisinic acid (DHAA) and artemisinic acid (AA). Despite past breeding successes, plants richer in ART are needed to decrease prices of artemisinin-combination therapy (ACT). Our results show that sesquiterpene concentrations vary greatly along the growing season and that sesquiterpene profiles differ widely among chemotypes. Field studies with elite Brazilian, Chinese, and Swiss germplasms established that ART peaked in vegetative plants from late August to early September, suggesting that ART is related to the photoperiod, not flowering. DHAA peaks with ART in Chinese and Swiss plants, but decreases, as ART increases, in Brazilian plants, while AA remained stable through the season in these genotypes. Chinese plants peaked at 0.9% ART, 1.6% DHAA; Brazilian plants at 0.9% ART, with less than 0.4% DHAA; Swiss plants at 0.8% ART and 1% DHAA. At single-date harvests, seeded Swiss plants produced 0.55–1.2% ART, with plants being higher in DHAA than ART; Brazilian plants produced 0.33–1.5% ART, with most having higher ART than DHAA. Elite germplasms produced from 0.02–0.43% AA, except Sandeman-UK (0.4–1.1% AA). Our data suggest that different chemotypes, high in ART and DHAA, have complementary pathways, while competing with AA. Crossing plants high in ART and DHAA may generate hybrids with higher ART than currently available in commercial germplasms. Selecting for high ART and DHAA (and low AA) can be a valuable approach for future selection and breeding to produce plants more efficient in transforming DHAA into ART in planta and during post-harvest. This novel approach could change the breeding focus of A. annua and other pharmaceutical species that produce more than one desired metabolite in the same pathway. Obtaining natural variants with high ART content will empower countries and farmers who select, improve, and cultivate A. annua as a commercial pharmaceutical crop. This selection approach could enable ART to be produced locally where it is most needed to fight malaria and other parasitic neglected diseases.

High throughput deep sequencing reveals the important roles of microRNAs during sweetpotato storage at chilling temperature

Sweetpotato (Impomoea batatas L.) is a globally important economic food crop with a potential of becoming a bioenergy and pharmaceutical crop. Thus, studying the molecular mechanism of tuberous root development and storage is very important. However, not too much progress has been made in this field. In this study, we employed the next generation high-throughput deep sequencing technology to sequence all small RNAs and degradome of sweetpotato for systematically investigating sweetpotato response to chilling stress during storage. A total of 190 known microRNAs (miRNAs) and 191 novel miRNAs were identified, and 428 transcripts were targeted by 184 identified miRNAs. More importantly, we identified 26 miRNAs differentially expressed between chilling stress and control conditions. The expression of these miRNAs and their targets was also confirmed by qRT-PCR. Integrated analysis of small RNAs and degradome sequencing reveals that miRNA-mediated SA signaling, ABA-dependent, and ROS response pathways are involved in sweetpotato root response to chilling stress during storage.

Composition of Essential Oils in Turmeric Rhizome

Turmeric has been recognized as a pharmaceutical crop. It is valuable primarily for essential oil and curcumin content. Chemical composition of the essential oils obtained from the rhizome of turmeric was determined by GC/MS technique. More than 75 compounds were detected and 67 of them were identified. They accounted for 98.59% of essential oil. The essential oil contained 15 monoterpenes (5.58%), 43 sesquiterpenes (84.37%) and 10 nonterpenic components (8.64%). The major constituents were ß-turmeron, a-turmeron, Epi-a-patschutene, ß-sesquiphellandrene, 1,4-dimethyl-2-isobutylbenzene, (±)-dihydro-ar-turmerone, zingiberene, E-a-atlantone and (-)-caryophyllene oxide. Thin layer chromatographic finger printing and quantitative determination of phenolics in acetone extract of commercially available turmeric samples were carried out using Folin-Ciocalteu colorimetric method. Gallic acid was used as the standard for the estimation of phenolics. All the investigated turmeric extracts contained relatively high amount of phenolics.Nepal Journal of Science and Technology Vol. 16, No.1 (2015) pp. 87-94

The SLEM Model as an Assessment Method for Local Goods’ Competitiveness

In this paper we develop and present the SLEM model created to measure the market potential of local goods suppliedby the entrepreneurs of the Cserehát region, one of the most deprived regions of Hungary. The SLEM model evaluatesgoods along four dimensions: supplier conditions, labour conditions, (professional) embeddedness, and marketconditions. The four pillars were measured with factors that are easily accessible, and so the evaluation can berepeated with other regions as well. In case of Cserehát, we have identified the following five groups of local goodswith the greatest potential: animal husbandry; honey; spices and pharmaceutical crops; nature tourism; and mineralwater.

Improvement in Long-Term Memory following Chronic Administration of Eryngium planum Root Extract in Scopolamine Model: Behavioral and Molecular Study.

Eryngium planum L. (EP) is as a rare medicinal plant with a lot of potentials as pharmaceutical crops. The aim of our study was to assess the effect of subchronic (28-fold) administration of a 70% ethanol extract of EP roots (200 mg/kg, p.o.) on behavioral and cognitive responses in Wistar rats linked with acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE), and beta-secretase (BACE-1) mRNA levels and AChE and BuChE activities in the hippocampus and frontal cortex. On the last day of experiment, 30 min after the last dose of EP or Huperzine A (HU), scopolamine (SC) was given at a dose of 0.5 mg/kg b.w. intraperitoneally. The results of a passive avoidance test showed an improvement in long-term memory produced by the EP extract in both scopolamine-induced rats and control group. EP caused an insignificant inhibition of AChE and BuChE activities in the frontal cortex and the hippocampus. EP decreased mRNA AChE, BuChE, and BACE-1 levels, especially in the cortex. Our results suggest that the EP extract led to the improvement of the long-term memory in rats coupled with total saponin content. The mechanism of EP action is probably complicated, since HPLC-MS analysis showed 64 chemical compounds (phenolics, saponins) in the extract of EP roots.

Trichome Management to Enhance Camptothecins in Camptotheca Decaisne

Inducible chemical defenses of plants have received much attention in the last three decades, and these defenses often involve trichomes. It is known that some plant secondary metabolites may accumulate in trichomes which can pro- tect plants from damage by herbivores. However, studies on plant trichomes are largely limited to some major vegetable or cash crops and model species with large glandular trichomes (e.g., Nictotiana and Arabidopsis). In fact, the existing studies on the effect of damage (pruning or defoliation) on trichome density or chemical production in plants are partial and even contradictory. strategies to maximize chemical induction in medicinal plants or pharmaceutical crops have not been developed well. Our experiments showed that camptothecins (CPTs) are primarily accumulated in glandular trichomes in Camptotheca. We found that pruning, particularly decapitation pruning (T-pruning) can effectively induce contents and derivatization of CPTs in Camptotheca, and the leveled CPTs caused induced endogenous autotoxic- ity (abnormal morphogenesis) in the plants. Auxin reduction is a trigging factor for such induced biosynthesis and en- dogenous autotoxicity. Because trichomes are visible to the naked eye and can be much more easily targeted and meas- ured than CPTs, the term Trichome Management is used for strategy development to induce CPTs in Camptotheca.

인삼 뿌리썩음병균에 항균활성이 있는 방선균 BK185의 분리 및 특성

인삼은 한국을 포함한 여러 국가에서 경제적으로 중요한 약용작물이다. 인삼에서 흔히 발생하는 뿌리썩음 병균을 친환경적으로 방제하기 위해서 병원균에 대해서 항균성이 있는 미생물을 탐색하였다. 토양에서 분리한 방선균 BK185균주는 인삼에 뿌리썩음병을 일으키는 병원균들(Cylindrocarpon, Fusarium, Rhizoctonia, Sclerotinia)에 대해서 높은 항균 활성을 보였다. 선발 균주 BK185의 동정을 위해서 16S rRNA 유전자 염기서열을 분석한 결과 Streptomyces 속에 해당하는 것으로 분석되었다. 특히, S. sporoclivatus 및 S. geldanamycininus와 99.6% 이상으로 매우 높은 유사도를 보였다. 선발 균주가 생산하는 2차 대사물질을 예측하기 위해서, 생산에 관여하는 생합성 유전자인PKS (Type-I polyketide synthase)와 NRPS (Non-ribosomal polypeptide synthetase) 유전자를 PCR반응을 통해 검출하였다. 검출된 유전자는 클로닝을 통해 염기서열을 결정하였다. 또한 최적 배양조건하에서 생산된 대사물질을 LC/MS로 분석하였고, geldanamycin 계열의 항생물질이 생산됨을 확인하였다. Ginseng (Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer) is an economically valuable pharmaceutical crop in Korea. In order to find promising biocontrol agents for soil-borne fungal pathogens which infect ginseng roots, we have isolated actinomycete, BK185 from soil. The isolate was investigated for the antifungal activity against to ginseng rot pathogens prior to testing genetic and chemical properties. The strain was identified as Streptomyces sp. using phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequence. The most closely related species was S. sporoclivatus and S. geldanamycininus with high similarities (>99%). The isolate, BK185 showed positive reaction for PCR detection targeting biosynthetic gene clusters of PKS (Type-I polyketide synthase) and NRPS (Non-ribosomal polypeptide synthetase) genes. Major metabolite from the BK185 was analyzed by The LC/MS and identified to geldamycin, which was known to contained broad antibacterial, antifungal or anticancer activities. The results provide evidences that the strain, BK185 can be promising biocontrol agent for ginseng organic farming.

Development of genomic simple sequence repeat markers in opium poppy by next-generation sequencing

Opium poppy (Papaver somniferum L.) is an important pharmaceutical crop with very few genetic marker resources. To expand these resources, we sequenced genomic DNA using pyrosequencing technology and examined the DNA sequences for simple sequence repeats (SSRs). A total of 1,244,412 sequence reads were obtained covering 474 Mb. Approximately half of the reads (52 %) were assembled into 166,724 contigs representing 105 Mb of the opium poppy genome. A total of 23,283 non-redundant SSRs were identified in 18,944 contigs (11.3 % of total contigs). Trinucleotide and tetranucleotide repeats were the most abundant SSR repeats, accounting for 49.0 and 27.9 % of all SSRs, respectively. The AAG/TTC repeat was the most abundant trinucleotide repeat, representing 19.7 % of trinucleotide repeats. Other SSR repeat types were AT-rich. A total of 23,126 primer pairs (98.7 % of total SSRs) were designed to amplify SSRs. Fifty-three genomic SSR markers were tested in 37 opium poppy accessions and seven Papaver species for determination of polymorphism and transferability. Intraspecific polymorphism information content (PIC) values of the genomic SSR markers were intermediate, with an average 0.17, while the interspecific average PIC value was slightly higher, 0.19. All markers showed at least 88 % transferability among related species. This study increases sequence coverage of the opium poppy genome by sevenfold and the number of opium poppy-specific SSR markers by sixfold. This is the first report of the development of genomic SSR markers in opium poppy, and the genomic SSR markers developed in this study will be useful in diversity, identification, mapping and breeding studies in opium poppy.

Genetic Engineering of Field, Industrial and Pharmaceutical Crops

Ability to modify plants at the genomic level by advanced molecular technology has enhanced the scope of improvements in plant traits attempted earlier through conventional breeding methods. Techniques such as genetic transformation have opened new vistas whereby functional genes, not commonly present in a particular species can be added from other species. The traits incorporated into the genetically engineered plants in the beginning were confined to those governed by dominant genes, e.g. insecticide resistance and herbicide tolerance but advancements with time now also permit the transfer of complexly inherited traits such as drought and cold tolerance. Transgenic technology is also useful in understanding gene expression and metabolic pathways which can then be used to harness the full genomic potential of the plant. This review presents a narrative on development of transgenics and their use for the improvement of field, industrial and pharmaceuticals crops. In addition, discussions are made on current status on genetically modified crops, hurdles to genetic engineering, overcoming strategies and future scope.