Subtropical Regions Of Asia Research Articles

Design and Development of a Fog-Assisted Elephant Corridor over a Railway Track

Elephants are one of the largest animals on earth and are found in forests, grasslands and savannahs in the tropical and subtropical regions of Asia and Africa. A country like India, especially the northeastern region, is covered by deep forests and is home to many elephants. Railroads are an effective and inexpensive means of transporting goods and passengers in this region. Due to poor visibility in the forests, collisions between trains and elephants are increasing day by day. In the last ten years, more than 190 elephants died due to train accidents. The most effective solution to this collision problem is to stop the train immediately. To address this sensitive issue, a solution is needed to detect and monitor elephants near railroad tracks and analyze data from the camera trap near the intersection of elephant corridors and railroad tracks. In this paper, we have developed a fog computing-based framework that not only detects and monitors the elephants but also improves the latency, network utilization and execution time. The fog-enabled elephant monitoring system informs the train control system of the existence of elephants in the corridor and a warning light LED flashes near the train tracks. This system is deployed and simulated in the iFogSim simulator and shows improvements in latency, network utilization, and execution time compared to cloud-based infrastructures.

Total Phenolic and Total Flavonoid Content, Antioxidant Activity, and Nutritional Profile of Ziziphus mauritiana Fruit Juice

Ziziphus mauritiana is a plant species belonging to the Rhamnaceae family. It is commonly found in tropical and subtropical regions of Asia, and in Indonesia, this plant grows wild and thrives on the islands of Bali, Lombok and Sumbawa. The fruits of Z. mauritiana are edible, however, in Indonesia, it is underutilized and has very low economic value. To evaluate its possibility to be developed as a functional food, this study was conducted to determine the total phenolics and flavonoids, dietary fiber, and nutrients contained in the fruit juice of Ziziphus mauritiana. Total phenols and flavonoids contents were determined using Folin Ciocalteu and AlCl3 methods, respectively. The in vitro antioxidant activity of the juice was evaluated using the DPPH method. The content of soluble and insoluble dietary fiber was determined using the standard AOAC analysis method, and proximates analysis was conducted in accordance with SNI 01-2891-1992. The results of this study revealed that freeze-dried juice of Z. mauritiana fruit has total phenols content of 1690 mg GAE/100g, total flavonoids of 15.10 mg QE/100g, soluble dietary fiber of 0.61%, and insoluble dietary fiber 2.03%. However, the antioxidant activity of Ziziphus mauritiana fruit juice was weak with IC50 328.54 ppm. The proximate analysis revealed the crude fiber in the freeze-dried fruit juice was 0.56%, carbohydrates 82.43%, protein 3.34%, fats 0.31%, ash 3.62%, and water 10.30%. In conclusion, Ziziphus mauritiana fruit juice has a high content of total phenolic substances, high dietary fiber, and high nutritional value, therefore it has a good potential to be developed as a functional food.

First Report of Leaf Blight on Dumasia villosa Caused by Boeremia exigua in China.

Dumasia (Fabaceae, tribe Phaseoleae, subtribe Glycininae), a genus of trifoliate vines, is widely distributed in tropical and subtropical regions of Asia and Africa (Pan & Zhu 2010). In October 2021, lesions were observed on Dumasia villosa leaves on Longwen mountain of Guizhou Normal University, Guiyang City, Guizhou Province, China. The incidence of leaf blight on observed D. villosa leaves was 10%. All necrotic spots were close to insect-feeding sites. Necrotic spots were grey or black, and circular (2 to 10 mm in diameter) or irregular (2 to 20 mm long) in shape. Stems and pods showed no disease symptoms. Pathogen isolation was conducted following surface sterilization with ethanol. After growth for 5 days on potato dextrose agar in a moist climate chamber at 26°C under a 16 h/8 h light/dark cycle, colonies were 5.2 to 5.6 cm in diameter, olivaceous grey in colour, and sparse, white, aerial mycelia with irregular margins were evident. Conidia were hyaline, ellipsoidal to oblong, mostly 1-septate, and occasionally aseptate with dimensions ranging from 3.5 to 7.0 × 1.5 to 3.5 μm (n = 30). To confirm the species of the isolate, ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and β-tubulin (tub2) genes were amplified and sequenced using primers ITS1/ITS4 and Btub2Fd/Btub4Rd (White et al. 1990), respectively. The obtained 529 bp ITS sequence (GenBank accession no. OL872186) shares 99.61% identity with the sequences of Boeremia exigua (MF662797 and GU395499). The obtained 299 bp tub2 sequence (OM830712) shares 100% identity with the sequence of B. exigua (KR653201). Based on morphology and DNA sequence analysis, the isolate was identified as B. exigua. To fulfil Koch's postulates, healthy leaves of 8-week-old D. villosa plants (n = 6) were wounded with a sterilized hypodermic needle and inoculated with 2 μL of a conidial suspension (106 conidia/mL). Six plants were inoculated with 2 μL of sterile distilled water as controls. After 3 days in a moist climate chamber at 26°C under a 16 h/8 h light/dark cycle, dark spots were only present on conidia-inoculated leaves, while controls remained healthy. Boeremia exigua was reisolated from disease spots and confirmed using the same morphological and molecular methods described above. To our knowledge, this is the first report of leaf blight on D. villosa caused by B. exigua, although this fungus has been reported to infect leguminous plants, including field pea (Li et al. 2012), white clover (Wang et al. 2020), and soybean (Schaffrath et al. 2020). In China, B. exigua has also been reported to infect other plants, such as walnut (Cai et al. 2021; Wang et al. 2021) and Japanese ginseng (You et al. 2015). This identification suggests that D. villosa could be a potential reservoir for the pathogen affecting other leguminous crops that might be economically important.

The chromosome-level holly (Ilex latifolia) genome reveals key enzymes in triterpenoid saponin biosynthesis and fruit color change.

The Ilex L. (hollies) genus of Aquifoliaceae shows high species diversity in tropical and subtropical regions of Asia and South America. Throughout the range of the genus, Ilex species have been widely used in beverage and medicine production and as ornamentals. Here, we assembled a high-quality, chromosome-level genome of Ilex latifolia, which has extremely high economic value because of its useful secondary metabolite production and the high ornamental value of its decorative red berries. The 99.8% genome sequence was anchored to 20 pseudochromosomes, with a total length of 766.02 Mb and a scaffold N50 of 33.45 Mb. Based on the comparative genomic analysis of 14 angiosperm species, we recovered I. latifolia as the sister group to all other campanulids. Two whole-genome duplication (WGD) events were identified in hollies: one shared ancient WGD in the ancestor of all eudicots and a recent and independent WGD in hollies. We performed a genome-wide search to screen candidate genes involved in the biosynthesis of pentacyclic triterpenoid saponins in I. latifolia. Three subfamilies of CYP450 (CYP71A, CYP72A, and CYP716A) appear to have expanded. The transcriptomic analysis of I. latifolia leaves at five developmental stages revealed that two CYP716A genes and one CYP72A gene probably play important roles in this biosynthetic pathway. In addition, we totally identified 12 genes in the biosynthesis pathways of pelargonidin and cyanidin and observed their differential expression in green and red fruit pericarps, suggesting an association between pelargonidin and cyanidin biosynthesis and fruit pericarp color change. The accumulation of pelargonidin and cyanidin is expected to play an important role in the ornamental value of I. latifolia. Altogether, this study elucidated the molecular basis of the medicinal and ornamental value of I. latifolia, providing a data basis and promising clues for further applications.

Tyrosinase Inhibitors Derived from Chemical Constituents of Dianella ensifolia.

Dianella ensifolia is a perennial herb with thickened rhizome and is widely distributed in tropical and subtropical regions of Asia, Australia, and the Pacific islands. This plant has the potential to be used as a source of herbal medicine. This study investigated further phytochemistry and tyrosinase inhibitory effect of some constituents isolated from D. ensifolia. Four new flavans, (2S)-4’-hydroxy-6,7-dimethoxyflavan (1), (2S)-3’,4’-dihydroxy-7-methoxy-8-methylflavan (2), (2S)-2’-hydroxy-7-methoxyflavan (3), and (2S,1′S)-4-hydroxy-4-(7-methoxy-8-methylchroman-2-yl)-cyclohex-2-enone (4), together with 67 known compounds, including 10 flavans (5–14), 5 flavanones (15–19), 3 flavone (20–22), 5 chalcones (23–27), 3 chromones (28–30), 15 aromatics (31–45), 7 phenylpropanoids (46–52), one lignan (53), 7 steroids (54–60), one monoterpene (61), one diterpene (62), 4 triterpenes (63–66), a carotenoid (67), 2 alkaloids (68 and 69), and 2 fatty acids (70 and 71) were isolated from D. ensifolia. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of physical and spectroscopic data analyses. Moreover, compounds 1–4, 8, 10–15, 20, 21, and 41 were evaluated for their mushroom tyrosinase inhibitory effect. Compounds 11 and 14 strongly inhibited mushroom tyrosinase activity with IC50 values of 8.6 and 14.5 μM, respectively.

Overexpression of Pennisetum purpureum CCoAOMT Contributes to Lignin Deposition and Drought Tolerance by Promoting the Accumulation of Flavonoids in Transgenic Tobacco.

Elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum) is a fast-growing and low-nutrient demand plant that is widely used as a forage grass and potential energy crop in tropical and subtropical regions of Asia, Africa, and the United States. Transgenic tobacco with the PpCCoAOMT gene from Pennisetum purpureum produces high lignin content that is associated with drought tolerance in relation to lower accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), along with higher antioxidant enzyme activities and osmotic adjustment. In this study, transgenic tobacco plants revealed no obvious cost to plant growth when expressing the PpCCoAOMT gene. Metabolomic studies demonstrated that tobacco plants tolerant to drought stress accumulated flavonoids under normal and drought conditions, which likely explains the observed tolerance phenotype in wild-type tobacco. Our results suggest that plants overexpressing PpCCoAOMT were better able to cope with water deficit than were wild-type controls; metabolic flux was redirected within primary and specialized metabolism to induce metabolites related to defense to drought stress. These results could help to develop drought-resistant plants for agriculture in the future.

Natural Herbs used in normal Cough and Cold Condition

Natural herb Ajwain, Trachyspermum ammi (L.) Sprague is an annual herbaceous plant belonging to the highly valued medicinally important family, Apiaceae the essential oil from the fruits [7] are the phenols, mainly thymol and some carvacrol. The Indian Pharmacopoeia requires ajowan oil to contain not less than 40 per cent thymol. The remainder of the oil is called 'thymene'. Thymene, which constitutes c.45 per cent of the oil, has the following composition: p-cymene, 50-55; gterpinene, 30-35; a- and ß-pinenes, 4-5; and dipentene, 4-6%. Presence of minute 'amounts of camphene, myrcene and D3-carene is also reported. Kapoor is a tree of many faces as it is a giant, stately forest tree, native of the wet forests of tropical and subtropical regions of Asia. The species Camphora, refer to camphor, an important chemical constituent present in the oil found in the tissues of tree. The botanical name is derived from Greek language. It derived from the word 'kinnamomon' which means spice. This herb is recorded in Sanskrit also. This is also used by Egyptians as early 1485 BC for embalming purposes. Camphor tree is native to China, India, Mongolia, Japan and Taiwan and a variety of this fragrant evergreen tree is grown in Southern United States; especially in FloridaMenthol, Thymol, Phenol, Salicylic acid and Naphthol are amongst the fragrant chemical constituents obtained from this plant. Campher, Campherol, Cineol, Camphene, dipentene, terpineol, candinene, safrole, camphorace, laurolitsine, reticuline etc. Menthol is a naturally occurring monoterpene alcohol that is extracted from oil of peppermint, corn mint, or other mint plants. It is known for its minty, cooling odor, and taste , Various constituents of peppermint oil are limonene (1.0-5.0%), cineole (3.5-14.0%), menthone (14.0-32.0%), menthofuran (1.0-9.0%), isomenthone (1.510.0%), menthyl acetate (2.8-10.0%), isopulegol (0.2%), menthol (55.0%), pulegone (4.0%) and carvone (max. 1.0%). All three herbs gives relief from cough and cold, throat irritation and treating bronchitis.

Seed Germination and Seedling Emergence of Canavalia Lineata (Thunb.) DC. (Fabaceae)

Canavalia lineata (Thunb.) DC. (Fabaceae) is a perennial trailing vine that flowers in the summer, and its seeds are sea-dispersed. It grows under various environmental conditions in coastal areas of the temperate and subtropical regions of Asia. Plant species with a wide distribution tend to differentiate in different environmental conditions; therefore, we conducted this study to find whether C. lineata has regional differentiation in seed germination and seedling emergence. Seeds of C. lineata collected from different areas of Japan were used to compare the seed-floating ability, the effect of low temperature on seed dormancy (0, 2, and 8 months) before germination, and the influence of temperature (4 °C, 15 °C, 20 °C, and 25 °C) on seed germination. Seed-floating tests indicated that many C. lineata seeds can float on the sea without losing their germination ability, and there was no associated regional differentiation. In addition, our results showed that this species could germinate without being exposed to low temperatures, but the timing of germination in such cases was different from that in the seeds that experienced low temperatures. The optimal temperature for C. lineata germination was 20 °C or higher. These analyses did not reveal any regional differentiation. Our results suggest that sea-dispersed seeds of C. lineata that do not lose germination ability for a long period may germinate in relatively warm areas regardless of the presence of low temperature conditions. The study also indicates that as germination of this species requires a relatively high temperature; thus, their distribution has not expanded to the north of Japan.

The Complete Chloroplast Genome Analysis Of Cinnamomum Cassia Presl

Cinnamomum cassia Presl is widely known as an important aroma and medicinal tree species growing in tropical and subtropical regions of Asia. The complete chloroplast genome of C. cassia which is 152,763 bp in length was determined. A total of 126 genes were detected in the chloroplast genome, including 36 tRNA genes, 8 rRNA genes, and 82 CDS. The total number of SSRs in this genome is 157. Phylogenetic analysis of this species based on 51 shared chloroplast CDS is provided. These results will provide useful resources for the study of molecular phylogeny and genetics of C. cassia. Bangladesh J. Bot. 51(1): 51-55, 2022 (March)

Organ-Specific Gene Expression Reveals the Role of the Cymbidium ensifolium-miR396/Growth-Regulating Factors Module in Flower Development of the Orchid Plant Cymbidium ensifolium.

Orchids are some of the most popular ornamental plants worldwide. Orchid floral morphology has increasingly attracted horticultural and commercial attention. Although multiple genes have been shown to be involved in the formation of the orchid flower, the underlying multi-level regulatory networks are largely unknown. In this study, we analyzed the ontogeny of flower development in Cymbidium ensifolium, a traditional orchid in the tropical and subtropical regions of Asia, by performing deep sequencing of the transcriptome of individual flower organs to discover organ-specific genes potentially involved in their growth. We identified 3,017 differentially-expressed genes (DEGs) during the development of various flower organs, and observed over-representation of GROWTH-REGULATING FACTORS (GRFs) specific to flower column (gynostemium). Eleven C. ensifolium GRFs (CeGRFs) from our transcriptome data clustered into five phylogenetic subgroups. Ten of these GRFs shared a region complementary to C. ensifolium microRNA396 (Ce-miR396), and degradome sequencing confirmed the cleavage of transcripts derived from seven CeGRFs. We cloned Ce-miR396 and used a protoplast-based transient expression system to overexpress it in Cymbidium protoplasts. We observed a significant decrease in the transcripts of several CeGRFs in flowers and leaves, indicating a potential role for miR396–GRF module in organ development through the cleavage of distinct CeGRFs. Temporal and spatial expression analysis indicated that most CeGRF transcripts accumulated in flower buds and column tissues, where Ce-miR396 expression was the lowest. Expression dynamics in wild type and floral-defective mutants further confirmed a strong correlation between Ce-miR396, CeGRFs, and flower organ development and column specification. Moreover, overexpression of Ce-miR396 in Nicotiana tabacum resulted in curved pistils and reduced fertility, implying that the conserved role of Ce-miR396 in floral development. These results provide tools to better understand the biological roles of GRFs in orchid development, and open new avenues for the diversification of orchid floral patterns.

Computational studies on new Leishmanial drug targets against Quercetin

Leishmaniasis, a parasitic disease caused by Leishmania parasite which resides in the infected sand flies. Control of Leishmaniasis remains a source of grave concern worldwide. Studies on Leishmaniasis triggered because of its outbreak in tropical and subtropical regions of Asia, East Africa and South America. There is an urgent need for new therapeutic interventions such as vaccine and new drug targets as it develops resistance towards the available drugs. Quercetin, a derivative of polyphenolic flavonoid exhibits various biological activities by interacting with proteins and nucleic acids. In this study, computational analysis was performed to identify the potential drug target of Quercetin in Leishmania species by molecular docking. The newly predicted targets were subjected for subcellular localization prediction and determined the protein-protein interaction networks that would aid in the development of anti-Leishmanial drugs. This study helps in the identification of targets and development of anti-Leishmanial drugs.

Nutrient Composition, Antioxidant Activities and Anti-Inflammatory Effect of Jujube Fruit

Jujube (Ziziphus jujuba) fruit belongs to the Rhamnaceous family and is widely located in the tropical and subtropical regions of Asia as well as in the Mediterranean regions including Jordan. Therefore, the aim of this review was to illustrate the nutritional value of jujube fruit and its importance in human health protection as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent. Recently, several scientific reports have been carried out about the presence of many biologically active compounds from Z. jujuba, which may have high potential benefit in human nutrition, health, and disease. Based on previous studies, jujube fruit can possess good antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity rendering it a functional food. Since jujube fruit has diverse biological activity, further biological studies including clinical-based studies are recommended to explore the health promoting effect of jujube.

Genomic signatures of domestication and adaptation during geographical expansions of rice cultivation

Rice (Oryza sativa L.), a global staple food now grown on all inhabited continents, was domesticated from its wild progenitor, O. rufipogon Griff., in tropical and subtropical regions of Asia (Oka, 1988). After domestication, the expansions of rice landraces into the present-day range required a diverse array of adaptations to local environments, which included changes in daylight sensitivity, expanded thermal tolerance (for excess cold and heat), adaptations to water availability (drought and waterlogging), and resistance to biotic stresses (Garris et al., 2005; Glaszmann, 1987).

The complete chloroplast genome of a distinctive fern, Coniogramme intermedia Hieron. (Pteridaceae)

Coniogramme intermedia Hieron. is a morphologically distinctive species in the genus. It is identified by lanceolate pinnules with serrated margins, free veins, hydathodes extending into teeth, and laminae abaxially hairy. It is mainly distributed in the tropical and subtropical regions of Asia. Herein, we report the first complete chloroplast genome sequence of C. intermedia. Also, it is the opening one of the genus Coniogramme Fée. The chloroplast genome sequence is 153,561 bp in length. The genome has a typical quadripartite structure, including a large single-copy (LSC) region of 82,817 bp, a small single-copy (SSC) region of 21,236 bp, and two inverted repeat (IR) regions of 24,754bp each. The total GC content is 45.0%. The complete plastome sequence contains 114 genes, including, 81 protein-coding, 29 tRNA, and four rRNA genes. The phylogenetic analysis of Pteridaceae based on the complete chloroplast genomes was also presented in this study.

The Comparison of the Essential Oil Percentage Content and Composition of African Basil (Ocimum gratissimum L.) in Spring and Fall Harvests

Introduction: Basil genus (Ocimum) contains 30 to 150 species which grown in tropical and subtropical regions of Asia, Africa, Central and South America and found as a wild plant in these areas. In India, around 25,000 ha is under cultivation of Ocimum spp., with an annual production of about 250–300 tonnes of essential oil. Ocimum gratissimum L., a dicotyledonous shrub plant, which belongs to the Lamiaceae family, stands out for the quality, quantity and chemical diversity of the essential oils. These oils have been used in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic and food industries. Some of the essential oil compounds have antibacterial, insecticidal and antioxidant properties with high demand on the international market of the fine perfumery industry. It is also popularly used in herbal medicine for treating several diseases, such as upper respiratory tract infection, fever, cough, diarrhea and pneumonia. Being a short-duration economically viable medicinal and aromatic crop, clove basil has huge potential for large scale cultivation. Plant genetic has an important role in determining the type and amount of secondary metabolites of medicinal plants. Moreover, the recognition of species and genotypes with high genetic capability in the production of desired metabolites has been at the top of the plant breeding plans of medicinal plants. In addition, essential oil composition of plants may be affected by harvest time which is due to the impact of weather conditions on plant growth and development. The present study was aimed to evaluate the oil composition of two genotypes in two harvests. Materials and Methods: The research was conducted in the research farm of the college of agriculture, shahid Chamran University, Ahvaz, Iran during 2019. Two valuable genotypes of Ocimum gratissimum L. (278 and 296), with two different essential oil profiles, were investigated in two harvests; spring and autumn seasons. The aboveground parts of the plants were collected on June and November and dried on shade at room temperature. The essential oils of the plants were extracted by water distillation through Clevenger apparatus and the quantity and quality of the essential oils were analyzed by GC and GC-MS. Results and Discussion: The results of present study showed that the essential oil content of two genotypes was not affected by the harvest season while its amount was different in two genotypes. The essential oil content of genotype 296 was 2-fold of 278. According to the qualitative analysis of the essential oils, fifty compounds were identified in the essential oils of 278 and 296 genotypes. More than 98% of the identified compounds (in the essential oils of these two genotypes) were classified into five chemical classes; including hydrocarbon and oxygenated monoterpens, and hydrocarbon and oxygenated sesquiterpene and phenylpropanoids. The major constituent of the essential oil of genotype 278 was oxygenated monoterpene, thymol, on June (35.48 %) and November (45.85 %), which was not found in genotype 296. Gamma-terpinene was also significantly increased from June (13.15 %) to November (25.80 %). P-cymene (11.31-3.56 %), alpha- thujone (4.76-2.94 %), Germacrene D (3.73-2.76 %), caryophyllene E (3.66-1.51 %), myrcene (2.93-3.01 %), alpha-terpinene (2.63-3.38 %) and bourneol (2.28-0.71 %) were the remains of oil composition. Dihydro eugenol, which belongs to the chemical class of phenylpropanoids, was identified as the main essential oil components of genotype 296 which its amount was not affected by the harvest time. The other oil constituents were Beta (Z)-Ocimene (11.89-3.40 %), Germacrene D (3.58-2.80 %), and caryophyllene E (0.52-2.68 %). Conclusion: Terpenoids such as thymol are synthesized via the mevalonic acid pathway, and phenylpropanoid compounds such as dihydroeugenol and eugenol are synthesized via the shikimic acid pathway. The metabolite diversity across different species could be explained by the differential gene expression pattern. According to the results of the present study, thymol was identified as the main oil components of genotype 278. This may be due to the increased expression of mevalonate enzymes. The monoterpene was replaced by phenylpropanoid; dihydrogenugenol, in the oil of genotype 296 which might be due to more expression of the enzymes of the phenylpropanoid pathway. In the other hand, Thymol, P-cymene and gamma-terpinene in genotype 278 varied significantly in different harvesting times, indicating the effect of temperature on the activity of enzymes involved in the synthesis of essential oil components. On the contrary, the amount of dihydrogenugenol in genotype 278 on June and November is not affected by the environmental conditions in two seasons. With regard to the conclusions to the proper growth of genotype 278 and 296, as well several harvests annually, essential oil content and thymol and dihydrogenugenol, therefore, it is suggested that further research should be carried out for developing plant cultivation in Khuzestan and southern provinces which is not suitable for basil growth.

β-Defensin from the Asian Sea Bass, Lates calcarifer: Molecular Prediction and Phylogenetic Analysis

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are an important element of the innate immune system of all living organisms and serve as a barrier that safeguards the organisms against a wide range of pathogens. Fishes are proven to be a prospective source of AMPs, and β-defensins form an important family of AMPs with potent antimicrobial, chemotactic and immunomodulatory activities. The present study reports a β-defensin AMP sequence (Lc-BD) from the Asian sea bass, Lates calcarifer, a commercially important fish species in tropical and subtropical regions of Asia and the Pacific. A 202-bp cDNA fragment with an open reading frame encoding 63 amino acids (aa) was obtained from the mRNA of gill tissue by RT-PCR. The deduced aa sequence of Lc-BD possessed a signal and a mature peptide region with 20 and 43 aa residues, respectively. Lc-BD was characterized at the molecular level, and a molecular weight of 5.24 kDa and a net charge of +4.5 was predicted for the mature peptide. The molecular characterization of Lc-BD revealed the presence of three intramolecular disulphide bonds involving the sixconserved cysteine residues in the sequence, and the phylogenetic analysis of Lc-BD showed a close relationship with β-defensins from fishes like Siniperca chuatsi, Argyrosomus regius, Trachinotus ovatus and Oplegnathus fasciatus.

Virtual screening of natural compounds for potential inhibitors of Sterol C-24 methyltransferase of Leishmania donovani to overcome leishmaniasis.

Leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease caused by trypanosomatid parasite belonging to the genera Leishmania. Leishmaniasis is transmitted from one human to other through the bite of sandflies. It is endemic in around 98 countries including tropical and subtropical regions of Asia, Africa, Southern America, and the Mediterranean region. Sterol C-24 methyltransferase (LdSMT) of Leishmania donovani (L. donovani) mediates the transfer of CH3-group from S-adenosyl methionine to C-24 position of sterol side chain which makes the ergosterol different from cholesterol. Absence of ortholog in human made it potential druggable target. Here, we performed virtual screening of library of natural compounds against LdSMT to identify the potential inhibitor for it and to fight leishmaniasis. Gigantol, flavan-3-ol, and parthenolide showed the best binding affinity towards LdSMT. Further, based on absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion properties and biological activity prediction, gigantol showed the best lead-likeness and drug-likeness properties. Therefore, we further elucidated its antileishmanial properties. We found that gigantol inhibited the growth and proliferation of promastigotes as well as intra-macrophagic amastigotes. Gigantol exerted its antileishmanial action through the induction of reactive oxygen species in dose-dependent manner. Our study, suggested the possible use of gigantol as antileishmanial drug after further validations to overcome leishmaniasis.

Draft genome of the herbaceous bamboo Raddia distichophylla.

Bamboos are important nontimber forest plants widely distributed in the tropical and subtropical regions of Asia, Africa, America, and Pacific islands. They comprise the Bambusoideae in the grass family (Poaceae), including approximately 1700 described species in 127 genera. In spite of the widespread uses of bamboo for food, construction, and bioenergy, the gene repertoire of bamboo still remains largely unexplored. Raddia distichophylla (Schrad. ex Nees) Chase, belonging to the tribe Olyreae (Bambusoideae, Poaceae), is a diploid herbaceous bamboo with only slightly lignified stems. In this study, we report a draft genome assembly of the ∼589 Mb whole-genome sequence of R. distichophylla with a contig N50 length of 86.36 Kb. Repeat sequences account for ∼49.08% of the genome assembly, of which LTR retrotransposons occupy ∼35.99% of the whole genome. A total of 30,763 protein-coding genes were annotated in the R. distichophylla genome with an average transcript size of 2887 bp. Access to this herbaceous bamboo genome sequence will provide novel insights into biochemistry, molecular marker-assisted breeding programs, and germplasm conservation for bamboo species worldwide.

Characterization of the complete chloroplast genome of medical plant Curculigo orchioides Gaertn. (Amaryllidaceae)

Curculigo orchioides Gaertn. distributed in subtropical regions of Asia including southern China and India. The plant is used as a traditional medicine in China for the treatment of menorrhagia, osteoporosis, and other gynecological problems. The complete chloroplast genome was reported in this study using the Illumina NovaSeq platform. The whole genome of this species was 157,472 bp in length, with a total GC content of 37.44%. The large single copy (LSC) was 86,507 bp, the small single copy (SSC) was 16,867 bp, and both of the two inverted repeats (IRs) were 27,049 bp, respectively. A total of 132 unique genes were identified, among which are 86 protein-coding genes, 38 tRNA genes and 8 rRNA genes. The phylogenetic analysis revealed that C. orchioides was highly clustered with C. capitulata. Our study will provide useful fundamental data for further phylogenetic and evolutionary studies of C. orchioides.

Chemical composition and anti-inflammatory activity of n-butanol extract of Piper sarmentosum Roxb. In the intestinal porcine epithelial cells (IPEC-J2)

Ethnopharmacological relevancePiper sarmentosum Roxb. (PS) is a terrestrial herb primarily distributed in tropical and subtropical regions of Asia. It is widely used in folk medicine in certain countries of Southeast Asia for the treatment of fever, toothache, coughing and pleurisy, which showed the anti-inflammatory activity of PS. Aim of the studyThis study aimed to investigate the chemical constituents and the molecular mechanism and related metabolic pathway by which n-butanol extract of PS (PSE-NB) exerts its anti-inflammatory effects. Materials and methodsChemical constituents of PSE-NB was analyzed using ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) technique. Anti-inflammatory effects of PSE-NB were investigated in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced IPEC-J2 cells. ResultsIn total, 218 compounds, including 94 alkaloids and 26 phenolics were tentatively identified, which indicating alkaloids and phenolics were the main constituents of PSE-NB. In addition, the current cell experiment in vitro showed that PSE-NB (10–500 μg/mL) pre-treatment before LPS stimulation significantly decreased mRNA expression of IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α in IPEC-J2 cells compared with LPS treatment (p < 0.05). PSE-NB improved mRNA expression of tight junction proteins (ZO-1 and Occludin) and NHE3, which were reduced by LPS stimulation (p < 0.05). Moreover, PSE-NB (10 μg/mL) alleviated LPS-induced protein expression of p65 and p-p65 (p < 0.05), and reduced p65 translocation into the nucleus induced by LPS. At the same time, metabolic pathway analysis indicated that PSE-NB exerts anti-inflammatory effects mainly via augmentation of methionine metabolism in IPEC-J2 cells. ConclusionsTaken together, the results suggested that alkaloids and phenolics were the main constituents in PSE-NB. PSE-NB might attenuate LPS-induced inflammatory responses in IPEC-J2 cells by regulating NF-κB signaling pathway and intracellular metabolic pattern.