Shikimate Research Articles

Hibiscus sabdariffa Linn. Extract Increases the mRNA Expression of the Arcuate Nucleus Leptin Receptor and is Predicted in silico as an Anti-obesity Agent.

Leptin is predominant in regulating body weight by stimulating energy expenditure through its neuronal action in the brain. Moreover, it is projected to adipose tissue and induces adipocyte browning by activating the β3-adrenergic receptor (β3AR). However, the expression of leptin receptor (Lep-R) and β3AR in people with obesity is downregulated. We hypothesized that Hibiscus sabdariffa Linn. extract (HSE) would increase hypothalamus arcuate nucleus (ARC) Lep-R and white adipose tissue (WAT) β3AR mRNA expression in DIO rats. This study also analyzed the potency of H. sabdariffa bioactive compounds as activators of Lep-R and β3AR by an in-silico experiment. Twenty-four male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four groups: Control (standard food), DIO (high-fat diet), DIO-Hib200 (HFD+HSE 200 mg/kg BW), and DIO-Hib400 (HFD+HSE400 mg/kg BW). HSE was administered orally for five weeks, once a day. HSE administration significantly (p <0,05) increased the ARC Lep-R expression. The Lee index significantly decreased to the normal range (≤ 310) with p <0,001 for DIO-Hib200 and p <0,01 for DIO-Hib400. Among 39 bioactive compounds, 5-O-caffeoyl shikimic acid exhibited high free binding scores (-8,63) for Lep-R, and myricetin_3_arabinogalactoside had high free binding scores (-9,39) for β3AR. These binding predictions could activate Lep-R and β3AR. This study highlights that HSE could be a potential therapeutic target for obesity by increasing LepR mRNA and leptin sensitivity, enhancing energy expenditure, and reducing obesity.

Pharmacokinetic-Pharmacodynamic Modeling of the Immune-Enhancing Effect of Shikimic Acid in Growing Pigs.

Shikimic acid (SA), extracted from the fruit of shikimi-no-ki, is used both as a preservative in the food industry and as an intermediate for a variety of active ingredients with a wide range of pharmacological functions. A deeper understanding of the pharmacokinetic process of SA in pigs and its impact on humoral immunity could prove invaluable in facilitating its clinical application in veterinary and human medicine. The pharmacokinetic study employed a two-period, two-sequence, crossover design to animal experiments and developed a novel method of pig plasma preparation using water as an extractant and ionization promoter, followed by purification and enrichment on a MAX solid phase extraction (SPE) column. The results showed that SA is rapidly absorbed after intragastric administration (50 mg/kg BW), reaching a plasma Cmax of 10,823.44 ng/mL at 1.78 h, followed by rapid elimination, with a t1/2 of 1.81 h, consistent with a one-compartment model. The results for intravenous administration (2 mg/kg BW) were consistent with a two-compartment open model with a t1/2 of 3.66 h, with concentrations below the limit of quantification (LOQ) observed beyond 12 h postdose. The absolute bioavailability of SA in pigs was calculated to be 21.68%. Furthermore, the Pearson's correlation analysis demonstrated a strong positive correlation between SA concentration in pig plasma and the changes of C3, C4 and IgG, IgA, and IgM (0.6 < R < 1, P < 0.0001). A more detailed pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic (PK-PD) modeling analysis of the intravenous group revealed the EC50/Cmax values of approximately 10%, with all γ values exceeding 3. This study was the inaugural investigation into the pharmacokinetics of SA in growing pigs, and it also revealed that SA has the potential to act as an immunopotentiator.

Balanced Fertilization Enhances the Nutritional Value and Flavor Profile of Tomato Fruits

The tomato is a key fruit in China. However, the drive to produce higher-quality tomatoes has resulted in fertilizer overuse, soil degradation, and environmental pollution in recent years. Therefore, investigating the effects of balanced fertilization on the nutritional and flavor qualities of tomato plants is crucial. This study applied four fertilizer treatments to assess their effects on sugar and acid contents, sugar-metabolism-related enzyme activity, nitrate levels, ascorbic acid, pigments, polyphenols, and volatiles, and we performed a correlation analysis. The results showed that balanced fertilization increased glucose and fructose contents by 45% and 31% compared to CK (conventional fertilizer), while tartaric, citric, acetic, malic, and shikimic acid contents were reduced by 59%, 27%, 22%, 26%, and 4%, respectively. Additionally, balanced fertilization increased the activities of sucrose synthase (SS), sucrose phosphate synthase (SPS), acid invertase (AI), and neutral invertase (NI) by 58%, 26%, 19%, and 35%, respectively, compared to CK (conventional fertilizer) and upregulated the expression of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK), neutral invertase (NI), sucrose-phosphate synthase (SPS), and fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase (FBP) genes. Moreover, balanced fertilization significantly enhanced the polyphenol content, as well as the diversity and concentration of volatiles. Correlation analysis confirmed that sugar-metabolism-related enzymes and genes were positively correlated with sugar fractions and negatively correlated with the organic acid content. Principal components analysis demonstrated that the balanced fertilization treatment was distinct from the other treatments, and all polyphenols, except for caffeic acid, were positively associated with balanced fertilization.

Enhancement of Tomato Fruit Quality Through Moderate Water Deficit

In arid areas, water shortage has become a major bottleneck limiting the sustainable development of agriculture, necessitating improved water use efficiency and the full development of innovative water-saving irrigation management technologies to improve quality. In the present study, tomato (Solanum lycopersicum cv. Micro Tom) fruits were used as materials, and different irrigation frequencies were set during the fruit expansion stage. The normal treatment (CK) was irrigated every three days, while the water deficit treatments were irrigated at varying frequencies: once every 4 days (T1), 5 days (T2), 6 days (T3), 7 days (T4), and 8 days (T5). These corresponded to 80%, 70%, 60%, 50%, and 40% of the maximum field moisture capacity (FMC), respectively, with CK maintaining full irrigation at 90% of the maximum FMC. The water deficit treatment T3, with less stress damage to plants and the most significant effect on fruit quality improvement, was selected based on plant growth indices, photosynthetic characteristics, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters, and fruit quality indices, and its effects on carotenoids, glycolic acid fractions, and volatile compounds during tomato fruit ripening were further investigated. The outcome indicated that moderate water deficit significantly increased the carotenoid components of the tomato fruits, and their lycopene, lutein, α-carotene, and β-carotene contents increased by 11.85%, 12.28%, 20.87%, and 63.89%, respectively, compared with the control fruits at the ripening stage. The contents of glucose and fructose increased with the development and ripening of the tomato fruits, and reached their maximum at the ripening stage. Compared to the control treatment, the moderate water deficit treatment significantly increased the glucose and fructose levels during ripening by 86.70% and 19.83%, respectively. Compared to the control conditions, water deficit conditions reduced the sucrose content in the tomato fruits by 27.14%, 18.03%, and 18.42% at the mature green, turning, and ripening stages, respectively. The moderate water deficit treatment significantly increased the contents of tartaric acid, malic acid, shikimic acid, alpha ketoglutaric acid, succinic acid, and ascorbic acid, and decreased the contents of oxalic acid and citric acid compared to the control. The contents of total soluble sugar and total organic acid and the sugar–acid ratio were significantly increased by 48.69%, 3.71%, and 43.09%, respectively, compared with the control at the ripening stage. The moderate water deficit treatment increased the fruit response values to each sensor of the electronic nose, especially W5S, which was increased by 28.40% compared to the control at the ripening stage. In conclusion, during the ripening process of tomato fruit, its nutritional quality and flavor quality contents can be significantly improved under moderate (MD) deficit irrigation treatment. The results of this experiment can lay the foundation for the research on the mechanism of water deficit aiming to promote the quality of tomato fruit, and, at the same time, provide a theoretical basis and reference for tomato water conservation and high-quality cultivation.

Therapeutic Effect of Shikimic Acid on Heat Stress-Induced Myocardial Damage: Assessment via Network Pharmacology, Molecular Docking, Molecular Dynamics Simulation, and In Vitro Experiments

Abstract: Background: Rising global temperatures have been linked to an increased incidence of heat stress (HS)-induced myocardial damage. Methods: This study aimed to investigate the therapeutic potential of shikimic acid (SA) on HS-induced myocardial damage using network pharmacology, molecular docking, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, and in vitro experiments. Results: Network pharmacology analysis indicated that SA significantly attenuates the inflammatory response to HS by modulating 60 targets, including TNF, IL-6, and STAT3, which are enriched in the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. Molecular docking and MD simulation analyses demonstrated that SA forms stable complexes with TNF (−6.642 kcal/mol) and IL-6 (−7.261 kcal/mol), with no significant conformational changes over a 100 ns simulation period. In vitro experiments demonstrated that SA, within the concentration range of 250 μM to 31.25 μM, significantly promoted the proliferation of normal HL-1 cells by an average of 31.0%. Moreover, it enhanced the survival rate of HL-1 cells exposed to 43 °C for 3 h by approximately 59.9% and downregulated the expression of Hsp90 and Hsp70. Additionally, this concentration range of SA reduced the expression of TNF-α, IL-6, TLR2, and COL1A1. Conclusions: These findings offer evidence for the therapeutic potential of SA in HS-induced myocardial damage.

Phytochemical analysis on the female cone of Araucaria bidwillii Hook

In this work, the first phytochemical analysis ever performed on a whole cone of Araucaria bidwillii Hook. is presented. This was carried out by means of column chromatography, NMR spectroscopy and MS spectrometry on the female cone, evidencing the presence of forty metabolites, thirty-three of which are primary whilst the remaining are non-volatile secondary. A chemophenetic evaluation was also performed reporting seven new compounds for the species i.e. β-sitosterol (5), 15-agathic acid methyl ester (6), methyl (E)-communate (7), shikimic acid (8), gallic acid (9), p-hydroxy-benzoic acid (10) and quinic acid (11). Throughout this evaluation some important qualitative phytochemical differences among this female cone, its seeds and the few other studied cones of the species comprised in the family, were evidenced. These whole results provide more information on the phytochemistry of this organ and of the species, in general, but also underline the need to perform more studies.

Novel fluorescent carbon dots derived from shikimic acid for ultra-high sensitive detection and efficient removal of sulfasalazine

The extensive use of sulfasalazine (SSZ) poses potential threats to human health and ecosystems. Therefore, sensitive detection and simultaneous efficient removal of sulfasalazine is greatly desirable. Meanwhile, shikimic acid, a natural product obtained from Chinese star anise is a promising precursor for carbon dots construction due to its unique structure. Taking the above into account, in this work, novel fluorescent carbon dots (SA-CDs) for sensitive detection and highly efficient removal of sulfasalazine have been developed. SA-CDs were facilely obtained from shikimic acid by using one-pot hydrothermal synthesis. The structure and composition of SA-CDs were fully characterized with TEM, PXRD, FT-IR, DLS and XPS tests. Strong fluorescent emission centered at 428 nm was recorded for SA-CDs, enabling the detection of SSZ. Quantitatively speaking, SA-CDs can selectively detection SSZ amount 17 antibiotics with an experimental limit of detection (LOD) of 100 nM and a calculated LOD of 60 pM. Adsorption experiments suggested that chemical monolayer adsorption predominates in the adsorption process, with a maximum adsorption capacity of 22.67 mg/g. Aggregations formed during detection enable the simultaneous removal of SSZ upon centrifugation. Moreover, SA-CDs have been successfully applied to the detection of SSZ in real samples, including river water, soil, tea and eggs.

Research Progress on the Pharmacological Mechanism of Traditional Chinese Medicine Danshen in the Treatment of Cerebral Ischemic Stroke

Cerebral ischemic stroke (CIS) is an acute cerebrovascular disease characterized by focal neurological deficits. Many modern scholars believe that the pathogenesis of CIS is related to factors such as endothelial injury, oxidative stress imbalance, neuroinflammation, cell apoptosis and autophagy, calcium overload, and excessive accumulation of oxygen free radicals. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that the pathogenesis of CIS is obstructed meridians, phlegm and blood stasis, and obstruction of the brain and orifices. Danshen, as a commonly used traditional Chinese medicine in clinical practice, has the effects of promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis, unblocking meridians and relieving pain, clearing the heart and eliminating restlessness, cooling blood and eliminating carbuncle. In addition, modern pharmacological research has found that the specific pharmacological components of Salvia miltiorrhiza include tanshinone, salvianolic acid, shikimic acid, danshensu, protocatechualdehyde, etc. It has antioxidant stress, regulation of cell autophagy, anti-inflammatory factors, antiplatelet aggregation, and protection of vascular endothelium. This article aims to analyze and summarize the pharmacological mechanism of salvia miltiorrhiza in treating CIS, providing scientific basis for clinical application of salvia miltiorrhiza in treating CIS.

Metabolomic alterations in the plasma of patients with various clinical manifestations of COVID-19

BackgroundThe metabolomic profiles of individuals with different clinical manifestations of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection have not been clearly characterized.MethodsWe performed metabolomics analysis of 166 individuals, including 62 healthy controls, 16 individuals with asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection, and 88 patients with moderate (n = 42) and severe (n = 46) symptomatic 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19; 17 with short-term and 34 with long-term nucleic-acid test positivity). By examining differential expression, we identified candidate metabolites associated with different SARS-CoV-2 infection presentations. Functional and machine learning analyses were performed to explore the metabolites’ functions and verify their candidacy as biomarkers.ResultsA total of 417 metabolites were detected. We discovered 70 differentially expressed metabolites that may help differentiate asymptomatic infections from healthy controls and COVID-19 patients with different disease severity. Cyclamic acid and N-Acetylneuraminic Acid were identified to distinguish symptomatic infected patients and asymptomatic infected patients. Shikimic Acid, Glycyrrhetinic acid and 3-Hydroxybutyrate can supply significant insights for distinguishing short-term and long-term nucleic-acid test positivity.ConclusionMetabolomic profiling may highlight novel biomarkers for the identification of individuals with asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection and further our understanding of the molecular pathogenesis of COVID-19.

A simplified liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry methodology to probe the shikimate and aromatic amino acid biosynthetic pathways in plants.

Plants direct substantial amounts of carbon toward the biosynthesis of aromatic amino acids (AAAs), particularly phenylalanine to produce lignin and other phenylpropanoids. Yet, we have a limited understanding of how plants regulate AAA metabolism, partially because of a scarcity of robust analytical methods. Here, we established a simplified workflow for simultaneous quantification of AAAs and their pathway intermediates from plant tissues, based on extraction at two alternative pH and analysis by Zwitterionic hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. This workflow was then used to analyze metabolic responses to elevated or reduced carbon flow through the shikimate pathway in plants. Increased flow upon expression of a feedback-insensitive isoform of the first shikimate pathway enzyme elevated all AAAs and pathway intermediates, especially arogenate, the last common precursor within the post-chorismate pathway of tyrosine and phenylalanine biosynthesis. Additional overexpression of an arogenate dehydrogenase enzyme increased tyrosine levels and depleted phenylalanine and arogenate pools; however, the upstream shikimate pathway intermediates remained accumulated at high levels. Glyphosate treatment, which restricts carbon flow through the shikimate pathway by inhibiting its penultimate step, led to a predictable accumulation of shikimate and other precursors upstream of its target enzyme but also caused an unexpected accumulation of downstream metabolites, including arogenate. These findings highlight that the shikimate pathway and the downstream post-chorismate AAA pathways function as independently regulated modules in plants. The method developed here paves the way for a deeper understanding of the shikimate and AAA biosynthetic pathways in plants.

Utilizing nontargeted metabolomics integrated with quality component quantitation via differential analysis to reveal the taste differences between and metabolite characteristics of hawk black tea and hawk white tea

This study conducted a comprehensive analysis of the differences in the taste characteristics of hawk black tea and hawk white tea, exploring the intrinsic relationship between nonvolatile metabolites and these taste characteristics. The results revealed significant differences in taste properties of the two types of hawk tea. Hawk black tea mainly exhibits a fresh, sweet, and sweet aftertaste quality, whereas hawk white tea offers a mellow and pure taste. Comparative analysis revealed that the content of amino acids and carbohydrates in hawk black tea was significantly higher than that in hawk white tea, while the content of flavonoids and organic acids was relatively lower. Quality composition results indicated significant differences in the 13 major quality components and water extracts between the two hawk teas, aligning with the quantitative descriptive analysis results. Additionally, through weighted gene coexpression network analysis, significant associations were found between 671 metabolites across 155 metabolic pathways and 9 taste characteristics. Among them, flavonoid biosynthesis and degradation are the main metabolic pathways of the two types of hawk tea. And it was found that butin, phlorizin, naringin, dihydrokaempferol, sakuranetin, apigenin, (−)-epicatechin, (+)-gallocatechin, caffeoyl shikimic acid, homoeriodictyol, which are 10 flavonoids, are the key metabolites affecting the taste difference of hawk black and white tea. Additionally, this study found that hawk tea does not contain caffeine, which is of great significance for the development of caffeine-free beverages in the future.

Effect of Shikimic Acid on Oxidation of Myofibrillar Protein of Duck Meat During Heat Treatment.

The myofibrillar protein (MP) of duck meat is prone to excessive oxidation during thermal processing, resulting in a decline in its overall quality. In this paper, the effect of shikimic acid on the oxidative structure of duck muscle fibrin was studied. The findings showed that, at a mass ratio of 1:50,000 (g/g) between shikimic acid and MP, the carbonyl content of MP was reduced by 74.20%, while the sulfhydryl content was increased by 73.56%. MP demonstrated the highest denaturation temperature, whereas its thermal absorption was the lowest. The percentage of α-helixes and β-sheets increased by 16.72% and 24.74%, respectively, while the percentage of irregular structures decreased by 56.23%. In addition, the surface hydrophobicity index of MP exhibited a significant decrease (p < 0.05), while there was a significant increase in its free radical-scavenging ability (p < 0.05). Molecular fluorescence spectrum analysis showed that shikimic acid could bind to MP, altering the internal environment of MP and enhancing its thermal stability. FTIR analysis showed that shikimic acid could enhance the distribution of protein particle sizes by reducing irregular structures, the proportion of β-rotation, and the degree of protein aggregation. It is hoped that this research can offer scientific support for improving meat processing technology.

Multi-omics profiling reveals the molecular mechanisms of H2O2-induced detrimental effects on Thamnaconus septentrionalis

BackgroundHydrogen peroxide (H2O2), a novel water treatment agent, can be used for disinfection, water quality adjustment, and disease prevention, while excessive H2O2 can injure farm animals, even leading to death. Hydrogen peroxide is a recommended disinfectant and bactericide for treating gill diseases and vibriosis in the greenfin horse-faced filefish Thamnaconus septentrionalis. However, its cumulative effect, toxic molecular mechanism and relevant signal transduction/metabolic networks in marine fishes are largely unknown.ResultsWe employed a multi-omics approach to investigate the detrimental effects of 50 mg/L H2O2 exposure (2 h/d) on filefish for 2 d, 4 d, and 6 d. Transcriptome sequencing showed that differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were mainly classified into functions such as signal transduction, nervous system, liver and bile acid metabolism, energy metabolism, cell adhesion and communication, inflammation and immune response. Metabolomic analysis found that the significantly changed metabolites (SCMs) were involved in phenylalanine metabolism, inflammatory mediator regulation, linoleic acid metabolism, and necroptosis. The main SCMs were cholic acid, carnitine C12:1, dimethylmalonic acid, glutamic acid, L-lactic acid, shikimic acid, 2-methylsuccinic acid, and others. Moreover, H2O2-induced oxidative stress also disturbs the balance of the gut microbiota, altering the microbial composition and affecting digestive processes.ConclusionsIntegrated multiomics analysis revealed that H2O2-induced detrimental impacts include mucosal damage, inflammatory and immune responses, altered energy metabolism, and gut microbiota disorders. These findings offer novel insights into the harmful effects and signal transduction/metabolic pathways triggered by H2O2 exposure in marine fishes.

Improving sugar and respiratory metabolism in pear wounds by postharvest dipping with chitosan and chitooligosaccharide

Chitosan (CTS) and its degradation product, chitooligosaccharide (COS), promote fruit healing by activating phenylpropanoid metabolism. This study investigates their effects on sucrose metabolism in pear wounds. CTS and COS were found to activate neutral invertase, acid invertase, sucrose synthase, and sucrose phosphate synthase, increasing sucrose, glucose, and fructose levels in fruit wounds. They also enhanced sorbitol dehydrogenase activity and promoted sorbitol accumulation. In addition, CTS and COS improved the activities of hexokinase, phosphofructokinase, and pyruvate kinase, increasing phosphoenolpyruvate and ATP production. They activated glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and increased erythrose-4-phosphate, NADPH, and shikimic acid levels. In conclusion, CTS and COS support the formation of the healing closing layer by supplying carbon skeletons, energy, and reducing power through the activation of sugar and respiratory metabolism during the healing process. Compared to CTS, COS was superior in activating the above metabolisms, which is expected to be widely used as a chitin product in postharvest fruit and vegetable preservation and provide new insights into preserving pear freshness.

Engineering a novel pathway for efficient biosynthesis of salicin in Escherichia coli

Salicin is a natural glycoside compound widely used to treat fever, inflammation, and analgesia. Currently, salicin is primarily extracted from willow bark, which is not only cumbersome in terms of extraction and separate steps, but also subject to seasonal and geographic limitations. In this study, a highly efficient biosynthetic pathway for salicin synthesis was designed and constructed in E. coli. The most important precursor in the synthetic pathway of salicin designed in this study is salicyl alcohol. Building on a previously constructed biosynthetic salicylic acid metabolic pathway, the production of salicyl alcohol in shake flask fermentation reached 1.7 g/L by increasing the supply of shikimic acid pathway precursor PEP and salicyl alcohol precursor chorismate. According to the principle of substrate similarity, this study identified the key enzyme OsSGT1 from Oryza sativa, which uses E. coli endogenous UDP-glucose as a glycosyl donor to glycosylate salicyl alcohol into salicin. By redefining the optimal substrate of OsSGT1, and balancing metabolic flux along with increasing the supply of UDP-glucose, salicin production in shake flasks reached 4 g/L. Finally, culturing the high-yield strain in a 3-L fermenter resulted in the synthesis of 14.62 g/L of salicin. To the best of our knowledge, this achievement marks the highest salicin production through microbial fermentation to date.

Host genetics shapes Pinus radiata phenotypic plasticity under drought and is linked with root-associated soil microbiome shifts

Under current and future climate scenarios, identifying drought-resistant tree species, tree genotypes, and beneficial interactions between trees and their root-associated soil microbiomes is becoming more imperative for maintaining tree health and sustaining increasingly vulnerable forests. We designed a genotype x soil x watering x time glasshouse experiment using Pinus radiata as a model tree to assess the magnitude of the effect of host genotype and root-associated soil microbiome on the phenotype response (functional traits, metabolome, nutrients) under drought. We identified the shikimate pathway as a critical metabolic pathway for Pinus radiata drought resistance, with the shikimic acid intermediate being one of the strongest drought signals, besides downstream metabolites such as flavonoids and phenylpropanoids. Overall, we found that the host genotype diversity was a key actor in the observed phenotype response of P. radiata to drought. In contrast, the microbiome was attributed a minor supporting role. Contrary to our hypothesis, dry soils could not support drought-sensitive genotypes under drought stress. Instead, the drought-resistant genotype was able to leverage locally adaptive bacteria to match local selective drought pressures at the expense of tree growth. This highlights the significance of finding specific combinations of tree genotype and mutualistic microbial communities that would thrive under future environmental pressures.

Widely Targeted Metabolomics Analysis of the Roots, Stems, Leaves, Flowers, and Fruits of Camellia luteoflora, a Species with an Extremely Small Population

Camellia luteoflora is a rare and endangered plant endemic to China. It has high ornamental and potential economic and medicinal value, and is an important germplasm resource of Camellia. To understand the distributions and differences in metabolites from different parts of C. luteoflora, in this study, we used liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) to examine the types and contents of chemical constituents in five organs of C. luteoflora: roots, stems, leaves, flowers, and fruits. The results showed that a total of 815 metabolites were identified in the five organs and were classified into 18 main categories, including terpenoids (17.1%), amino acids (10.4%), flavonoids (10.3%), sugars and alcohols (9.8%), organic acids (9.0%), lipids (7.1%), polyphenols (4.8%), alkaloids (4.8%), etc. A total of 684 differentially expressed metabolites (DEMs) in five organs were obtained and annotated into 217 KEGG metabolic pathways, among which metabolic pathways, ABC transporters, the biosynthesis of cofactors, and the biosynthesis of amino acids were significantly enriched. In DEMs, flowers are rich in flavonoids, polyphenols, organic acids, and steroids; fruits are rich in amino acids, alkaloids, vitamins, and xanthones; stems are rich in lignans; and leaves have the highest relative content of phenylpropanoids, ketoaldehydic acids, quinones, sugars and alcohols, terpenoids, coumarins, lipids, and others; meanwhile, the metabolite content is lower in roots. Among the dominant DEMs, 58 were in roots, including arachidonic acid, lucidone, isoliquiritigenin, etc.; 75 were in flowers, including mannose, shikimic acid, d-gluconic acid, kaempferol, etc.; 45 were in the fruit, including pterostilbene, l-ascorbic acid, riboflavin, etc.; 27 were in the stems, including salicylic acid, d-(-)-quinic acid, mannitol, (-)-catechin gallate, etc.; there was a maximum number of 119 dominant metabolites in the leaves, including oleanolic acid, l-glucose, d-arabitol, eugenol, etc. In sum, the rich chemical composition of C. luteoflora and the significant differences in the relative contents of metabolites in different organs will provide theoretical references for the study of tea, flower tea, edible oil, nutraceuticals, and the medicinal components of C. luteoflora.

Insights into lignin bioconversion: lignin-derived compounds treatment of a novel marine fungus K-2.

The potential for the efficient conversion of lignocellulosic biomass has been extensively explored to produce a wide range of bioproducts. Many approaches have been sought for the deep conversion of lignin to generate products that are toxin-free and beneficial for processing into high-value-added components. This study reported a fungus isolated from the deep sea with strong synthesis of multiple lignocellulases, conversion of lignin and guaiacol (0.1%) by 71.6% and 86.1% within 9 days at 30 °C respectively, and outstanding environmental adaptability (20-50 °C and pH 3-8). Metabolic pathway profiling showed that this fungus utilized lignin to rapidly activate multiple ring-opening reactions including the 2,3- and 3,4-cleavage pathways, with the 2,3-cleavage pathway predominating after 5 days. Conversion of metabolic intermediates confirmed the superb potential of this strain for lignin treatment. Meanwhile, its shikimic acid pathway was metabolically active under lignin. This further expands the potential to produce valuable bioproducts during lignin treatment, especially under ambient conditions, which can significantly enhance high-value precursor compound production. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

A systematic review of the traditional uses, chemistry, and curative aptitude of echinacoside-a phenylethanoid glycoside.

Echinacoside (ECH), a naturally occurring water-soluble phenylethanoid glycoside, is one of the primary bioactive compounds present in several plant species, such as Echinacea, Cistanche, Plantago, Rosa, Buddleja, and Rehmannia. Research has revealed that these plants, rich in ECH, have diverse traditional uses and pharmacological activities, like anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, anti-fatigue, anti-allergic, anti-ageing, anti-skin glycation, analgesic, wound healing, and aphrodisiac properties. Among other activities, ophthalmic, haematopoiesis, pulmonary, anti-bacterial, anti-protozoal, anti-fungal, and anti-viral effects of ECH have been reported. Chemically, the compound comprises caffeic acid glycoside containing a trisaccharide that includes two glucose and one rhamnose unit. These units are linked through glycosidic bonds to a caffeic acid and a dihydroxyphenylethanol (hydroxytyrosol) residue, which are connected to the central rhamnose. The biosynthesis of ECH has been reported to start with forming L-phenylalanine and tyrosine precursors via the shikimic acid pathway. The structure-activity relationship of ECH has shown that various functional groups in the structure, particularly phenolic hydroxyl groups, are crucial for antioxidant activities. Similarly, in silico studies have revealed that ECH binds to different receptors, like Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1), receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE), etc., to affect various pharmacological activities. The ECH contents in the reported plants often own these multifaceted properties, highlighting their importance in clinical research. Evident from its therapeutic efficacy, there is a huge potential for a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms of actions of ECH, which underscores the need for more research in this area. Thus, this review is a compendium of the latest literature to analyse the existing knowledge on ECH, encompassing its distribution, traditional uses, extraction, chemical constituents, biosynthesis, pharmacological activities, structure-activity relationship, and in silico studies, following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines.

Production-optimized fermentation of antifungal compounds by bacillus velezensis LZN01 and transcriptome analysis.

Fusarium wilt is one of the major constraints on global watermelon production, and Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. niveum (Fon) is the causative agent of Fusarium wilt in watermelon and results in severe yield and quality losses worldwide. The enhancement of antifungal activity from antagonistic bacteria against Fon is highly practical for managing Fusarium wilt in watermelon. The aim of this study was to maximize the antifungal activity of Bacillus velezensis LZN01 by optimizing fermentation conditions and analysing its regulatory mechanism via transcriptome sequencing. The culture and fermentation conditions for strain LZN01 were optimized by single-factor and response surface experiments. The optimum culture conditions for this strain were as follows: the addition of D-fructose at 35 g/L and NH4Cl at 5 g/L in LB medium, pH 7, and incubation at 30°C for 72 h. The fungal inhibition rate for strain LZN01 reached 71.1%. The improvement of inhibition rate for strain LZN01 in optimization fermentation was supported by transcriptomic analysis; a total of 491 genes were upregulated, while 736 genes were downregulated. Transcriptome analysis revealed that some differentially expressed genes involved in carbon and nitrogen metabolism, oxidation-reduction, fatty acid and secondary metabolism; This optimization process could potentially lead to significant alterations in the production levels and types of antimicrobial compounds by the strain. Metabolomics and UPLC/Q-Exactive Orbitrap MS analysis revealed that the production yields of antimicrobial compounds, such as surfactin, fengycin, shikimic acid, and myriocin, increased or were detected in the cell-free supernatant (CFS) after the fermentation optimization process. Our results indicate that fermentation optimization enhances the antifungal activity of the LZN01 strain by influencing the expression of genes responsible for the synthesis of antimicrobial compounds.