Applied Biological Chemistry最新文献

Fish are susceptible to blood-sucking parasite infections, which cause severe anemia, dyspnea, and ultimately death. However, veterinary drugs available for fish to treat such infectious diseases are lacking; thus, livestock drugs have been repurposed as aquatic animal drugs. Febantel (FBT) and fenbendazole (FBZ) are representative antiparasitic agents for livestock such as cattle, swine, and poultry, and are considered suitable as aquatic animal drugs. Therefore, we investigated the safety and efficacy of FBT and FBZ in fish and performed a risk assessment to determine the maximum residue limit in fish. Most studies indicate that FBT is rapidly converted to FBZ, which is metabolized to oxfendazole and oxfendazole sulfone. FBZ was frequently detectable in the plasma and tissues (e.g., muscle, skin, and the liver) in significant quantities than other metabolites. We regarded the liver as the target organ because reversible hepatocytic changes were observed in fish after administration of 100 mg/kg FBT for 9 days. No toxicological effects, such as increased mortality or decreased appetite, were observed when the fish were administered 50 mg/kg FBT for 3 days. The efficacy of the drugs was verified in various parasites, including H. heterocerca, H. okamotoi or Z. japonica, and M. seriolae, as causative agents of beko disease through laboratory and field trials. Although toxicity studies on FBZ in fish are limited, its safety has been demonstrated from toxicity studies in a wide range of animal models. The risk from using FBT and FBZ was negligible for human health because the ratio of the estimates of dietary exposure and acceptable daily intake was 78.4%.

The Himalayan composting toilets (CTs) offer a sustainable solution for converting human faeces (HF) into compost, supplementing the low-fertile land of the region. However, CTs face challenges such as delayed composting processes (6–8 months), increased heavy metal content, and foul odour. Therefore, the current study evaluated biochar-amended psychrotrophic bacteria for HF degradation under low-temperature conditions (10 ± 2 °C). Out of 153 psychrotrophic bacteria isolated from HF compost, 17 bacterial strains were selected based on highest and two or more hydrolytic activities. Furthermore, considering the isolation source, bacterial strains were examined for haemolytic activity, biofilm formation, cytotoxicity and seed germination assay. In total, 14 potential strains belonging to Pseudomonas, Microbacterium, Arthrobacter, Streptomyces, Glutamicibacter, Rhodococcus, Serratia, Exiguobacterium, and Jeotgalicoccus genera were considered safe for both human handling and plants. The composting process was conducted in modified plastic drums at 10 ± 2 °C for 90 days through two treatments: Treatment 1 (T1) involving HF, non-immobilized biochar and cocopeat, and Treatment 2 (T2) involving HF, consortium-immobilized biochar and cocopeat. The consortium-immobilized biochar (T2) degraded HF within 90 days with hemicellulose and cellulose degradation ratios of 73.9% and 62.4%, respectively (p ≤ 0.05). The compost maturation indices like C/N ratio (16.5 ± 1.85), total nitrogen (2.66 ± 0.07), total phosphate (0.4 ± 0.005), total potassium (1.8 ± 0.05) also improved in T2 treatment (p ≤ 0.05). Additionally, T2 was more effective in achieving safe levels of faecal coliforms (< 1000 MPN g⁻¹) and reducing heavy metal content compared to T1. 16S rRNA amplicon-based analysis demonstrated an enhancement of bacterial community diversity in T2, with the presence of Rhodococcus, Pseudomonas, Arthrobacter, and Streptomyces at the end of the composting period promoting HF degradation. Furthermore, T2-fertilized soil showed a germination index (121 ± 0.4, p ≤ 0.05) and stimulated root, shoot and yield by 110%, 45.2%, and 288%, respectively, in pea (Pisum sativum var. AS-10) compared to T1 (49.6%, 19%, and 5.8%, respectively) (p ≤ 0.05). In conclusion, the developed biochar-based formulation proved effective in degrading HF at low temperatures, mitigating foul odours, reducing heavy metals, and enhancing the agronomic value of the final compost. This study presents a promising approach for the sustainable management of HF that can supplement the non-nutritive soil of high-altitude regions.

Obesity, a prevalent disease associated with numerous chronic conditions, including hyperlipidemia, hyperglycemia, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome, remains a major global health challenge. This study investigated the potential of green tea (GT), fermented tea (FT), and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) tea (GBT), which are rich in phytonutrients and polyphenols, for the management of obesity. Using a high-fat diet-induced obese mouse model (C57BL/6N), we explored the effect of these teas on various obesity-related parameters. The mice were categorized into five groups: normal diet with water, high-fat diet with water, and high-fat diet supplemented with GT, FT, or GBT. Over 13 weeks, we monitored body weight, perirenal and liver fat, adipocyte lipid accumulation, and key metabolic indicators, such as serum cholesterol, leptin, insulin, and fasting blood glucose. These teas contain beneficial phytochemicals such as GABA, theanine, and caffeine, and have demonstrated an enhanced antioxidant capacity, which increases the scavenging of free radicals and may reduce oxidative stress. The animal study indicated a decrease in feeding efficiency and significant reductions in body weight liver fat, epididymal fat, and perirenal fat, as well as in adipocyte lipid accumulation. Additionally, notable improvements were observed in metabolic health indicators, including reductions in serum cholesterol, leptin, insulin, and fasting blood glucose levels. Our findings revealed that GT, FT, or GBT significantly counteracted the negative effects of a high-fat diet, suggesting their potential in combating obesity and related metabolic disorders.

Acinetobacter baumannii is without a doubt one of the most problematic bacteria causing hospital-acquired nosocomial infections in today's healthcare system. To solve the high prevalence of multi-drug resistant (MDR) in A. baumannii, we investigated one of the medicinal plants traditionally used as antibacterial agent; namely Murraya koenigii (L.) Sprengel. The total methanolic extracts of seeds and pericarps were prepared and their anti-bacterial activity was assessed using the agar diffusion method and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was then calculated as compared to tigecycline. Then, an in-vivo murine model was established which confirmed the promising activity of M. koenigii seeds in demonstrating anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory actions. The histopathological study of lungs, scoring of pulmonary lesions, counting of bacterial loads after infection by multi-drug resistant A. baumannii all provided evidence to support these findings. LC–MS/MS profiling coupled to molecular networking and chemometrics detected the presence of carbazole alkaloids, and coumarins as dominate metabolites of the active seed extracts. Positively correlated metabolites to antibacterial potential were 6-(2ʹ,3ʹ-dihydroxy-3-methylbutyl)-8-prenylumbelliferone, scopoline, and 5-methoxymurrayatin. An in-silico study was also performed on the crystal structure of MurF from A. baumannii (PDB ID: 4QF5), the studied structures of the mentioned extracts revealed good docking interaction at the active site suggestive of competition with the ATP ligand. These collective findings suggest that extracts of Murraya koenigii (L.) Sprengel seed is a novel prospective for the discovery of drug candidates against infections caused by MDR A. baumannii.

Glehnia littoralis, a medicinal herb employed in traditional practices for alleviating fatigue, cough, and a dry throat, is recognized for its beneficial properties due to a diverse array of active compounds found in its extracts. For example, the G. littoralis roots (Radix Glehniae) mainly contain coumarins and phenolic acids, serving as the primary focus of this study. Despite the widespread use of the tools in various industries and the development of multiple analytical methods for their examination, the edible aerial parts have industrial potential, and there is currently no analytical method available to identify their key components. In this study, a high-performance liquid chromatography method combined with diode array detection (HPLC–DAD) was developed to simultaneously detect 16 phenolic compounds previously reported to be present in the edible aerial parts of G. littoralis. The proposed approach included using gradient elution to change the solvent system from water/acetonitrile to water/methanol. Furthermore, the method validation was conducted, assessing its linearity, limit of detection, limit of quantification, precision, accuracy, and recovery, all of which demonstrated satisfactory results. Subsequently, the developed method was applied to quantify the phenolic compounds in various G. littoralis samples obtained from different organs, solvent extraction processes, and processing methods. Moreover, the online HPLC-ABTS (2,2ʹ-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) assay was used to evaluate the antioxidant capacities of individual constituents, identifying four important antioxidants and estimate the overall antioxidant capacity of the G. littoralis extract.

Artemisia species have significant commercial, medical, and economic value and are widely used in the traditional medicine and pharmaceutical industries. Artemisinin, a powerful antimalarial agent, is an important pharmaceutical metabolite that primarily accumulates within the glandular trichomes (GTs) on the leaf surface of Artemisia plants. Trichomes arising from the elongation of epidermal cells can be classified into GTs and non-glandular trichomes (NGTs) based on their morphology. GTs and NGTs are present in Artemisia species, and the relationship between GTs and artemisinin has been extensively studied; however, the correlation between NGTs and artemisinin remains relatively unexplored. In this study, we inferred artemisinin derivatives and trichome characteristics based on the type of species, developmental stage, and leaf age and conducted correlation analyses to investigate the factors influencing artemisinin content across different Artemisia species. Artemisinin and its derivatives exhibited variations in distribution based on species and leaf age, with a decreasing trend observed across most species as the developmental stage progressed. Noticeable differences among Artemisia species were observed in leaf shape, morphology, and trichome distribution. Although the observed data did not evidently differentiate between species, developmental stage, and leaf age groups, principal component analysis revealed that artemisinin was positively associated with the NGTs density, indicating a correlation coefficient of 0.56 (p < 0.0001). Therefore, the number of NGTs may affect the artemisinin content in different Artemisia species.

Cannabis, traditionally used for recreation due to psychoactive compounds in its leaves, flowers, and seeds, has not been thoroughly explored for potential therapeutic benefits. Δ9-trans-Tetrahydrocannabinol, a key cannabinoid in cannabis, causes hallucinogenic effects and delirium symptoms. In contrast, cannabidiol (CBD) does not induce hallucinations and has shown effectiveness in treating symptoms of various rare, incurable diseases. Cannabis exhibits neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory, anti-thrombotic, anti-bacterial, analgesic, and antiepileptic properties, recently attracting more attention. This review aims to summarize comprehensively the impact of cannabis on human health, focusing on endocannabinoids and their receptors. It also delves into recent CBD research advancements, highlighting the compound’s potential medical applications. Overall, this paper provides valuable insights into the prospective development of medical cannabis, with a particular emphasis on CBD.

Muscle atrophy, a debilitating condition characterized by loss of muscle mass and strength, is a major concern in various clinical settings. Acetyl genistin (AG), a bioactive compound, was evaluated for its role in muscle cell differentiation and its potential protective effects against dexamethasone (dexa)-induced muscle atrophy. Our study demonstrated that AG significantly promoted C2C12 myotube differentiation, as evidenced by enhanced myotube width and increased fusion index. Notably, AG treatment upregulated the expression of myogenic markers, including MHC, MyoD, and MyoG. Moreover, AG displayed protective properties by attenuating dexa-induced muscle atrophy, mainly by suppressing the expression of the atrophy-related genes MAFbx and MuRF1. AG's protective effects are mechanistically attributed to its regulation of the AMPK/FoxO-dependent signaling pathway. Our results highlighted the dual benefits of AG in fostering muscle differentiation and safeguarding against muscle atrophy, positioning it as a promising agent for muscle health and therapeutic applications.

Soybeans are a significant agricultural product in China, with certain geographical locations often yielding higher quality, and thus more expensive, soybean crops. In this study, metabolomics and transcriptomics analyses were conducted on soybean samples from nine regions in Heilongjiang and Liaoning Provinces using untargeted liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS) and Illumina sequencing technologies. The primary objective was to devise an effective and unbiased method for determining the geographical origin of each soybean variety to mitigate potential fraudulent practices. Through multidimensional and unidimensional analyses, successful identification of differentially expressed metabolites (DEMs) and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) was achieved, yielding statistically significant outcomes. Integration of the metabolomics and transcriptomics datasets facilitated the construction of a correlation network model capable of distinguishing soybeans originating from different geographical locations, leading to the identification of significant biomarkers exemplifying noteworthy distinctions. To validate the feasibility of this method in practical applications, partial least squares discriminant analysis was employed to differentiate soybean samples from the nine regions. The results convincingly showcased the applicability and reliability of this approach in accurately pinpointing the geographical origin of soybeans. Distinguishing itself from prior research in soybean traceability, this study incorporates an integrated analysis of metabolomics and transcriptomics data, thereby unveiling biomarkers that offer a more precise differentiation of soybean traits across distinct regions, thereby bridging a critical research gap within the soybean traceability domain. This innovative dual-data integration analysis methodology is poised to enhance the accuracy of soybean traceability tools and lay a new foundation for future agricultural product identification research.

Piercing sucking pests are destructive to many strategic crops all over the world. Botanical pesticides can be used to control these pests. A new withanolide derivative 3 named sominone A ((20R,22R)-1α,3β,20,27-tetrahydroxywitha-5,24-dienolide) was isolated from the alkaloid fraction of the whole plant of Withania somnifera. In addition, there are three known compounds named withasomine 1, methyl isoferulate 2, and coagulin Q 4 were also isolated. The structures of isolated compounds were identified using different spectroscopic methods such as 1D, 2D NMR, and HRESIMS spectroscopy. The alkaloid fraction and the four isolated compounds were tested for their pesticidal activity against four piercing sucking pests (Aphis craccivora Koch, Bemisia tabaci Gennadius, Nezara viridula Linnaeus, and Tetranychus urticae Koch) that attack many strategic crops under laboratory conditions, along with azadirachtin (Okios 3.2% EC) as a positive control. The results showed that the alkaloid compound (withasomine 1) was the most toxic to A. craccivora, B. tabaci, N. viridula, and T. urticae, with LC₅₀ values of 15.44, 36.61, 85.11, and 128.28 ppm, respectively, compared with the control. Withanolide compounds had moderate effects on all tested pests. Biochemical parameters of six enzymes; α-esterase, β-esterase, chitinase, acetylcholinesterase, glutathione-S-transferase, and peroxidase of A. craccivora were estimated at the LC₅₀ value of the most potent compound, withasomine 1 and the values were 38.83, 72.86, 31.45, 506.4, 2.62, and 251.0, respectively. The results demonstrated that all enzymes activity levels were increased compared with the control except a remarkable inhibition in AChE enzyme level was observed compared with control. Therefore, the alkaloid fraction of W. somnifera is a promising extract that contains many active compounds that can be used as a natural pesticide against many harmful pests in agriculture crops.

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