Applied Biological Chemistry最新文献

The characterization of hexaconazole residues was evaluated through both single and sequential applications in Chinese cabbage and spring scallion. Maximum residue levels following foliar application were determined to be 1.14 mg kg^− 1 in the cabbage and 0.04 mg kg^− 1 in the scallion, whereas the soil application contributed minimally. Notably, the initial residue in the cabbage was 28 times greater than that observed in the scallion. Fourteen days after the final foliar application, the cabbage exhibited a 3.6-fold increase in fresh weight, compared to a 1.4-fold increase in the scallion. The degradation rates of hexaconazole were calculated at 0.089 day^− 1 for the cabbage and 0.207 day^− 1 for the scallion, corresponding with degradation half-lives (T_1/2) of 7.8 days for the cabbage, which was more than double the 3.4 days for the scallion. Biological T_1/2s in vitro were 210 min for the scallion, while the degradation was not detected in the cabbage. Finally, the 50% dissipation times (DT₅₀) were 3.6–3.8 days for the cabbage and 2.0-3.7 days for the scallion after foliar and sequential applications. In addition, hexaconazole exhibited persistence in soil under greenhouse conditions, resulting in the translocation of residues to rotational crops with detected concentrations reaching up to 0.013 mg kg^− 1.

Diosgenin, a plant-derived steroid sapogenin, has been reported to have many health benefits, including antioxidant activity. Although oxidative stress is a major factor impeding the differentiation and homeostasis of skeletal muscles, its antioxidant activity in skeletal muscle cells has not been thoroughly studied. This study aimed to explore the protective mechanisms of diosgenin against oxidative damage in skeletal muscle cells. C2C12 murine myoblasts were pretreated with nontoxic concentrations of diosgenin and exposed to hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) to mimic oxidative stress. The results of this study showed that diosgenin significantly reduced H₂O₂-induced cytotoxicity, blocked the formation of comet tails, and increased the levels of 8-hydroxy-2’-deoxyguanosine, which are representative biomarkers of DNA damage. In addition, diosgenin counteracted H₂O₂-induced apoptosis by enhancing the Bax/Bcl-2 expression ratio and suppressing the activation of the caspase cascade, which is associated with the blockade of cytochrome c release into the cytoplasm by maintaining mitochondrial stability. Furthermore, diosgenin eliminated the production of intracellular and mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) by restoring glutathione (GSH) content and the activities of antioxidant enzymes such as GSH peroxidase 1 and manganese-dependent superoxide dismutase, which were inhibited by H₂O₂. Therefore, diosgenin protects C2C12 myoblasts from oxidative damage by attenuating mitochondrial ROS generation and regulating the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway.

Influenza A virus remains a major global health concern, underscoring the need for novel antiviral agents. This study investigated the antiviral potential of two natural compounds, 7,8-dihydroxyflavone (DHF) and daphnetin (DAP), against influenza A viruses in vitro. Following in vitro cytotoxicity and antioxidative activity assessments, the antiviral effects of DHF and DAP were evaluated, with a particular focus on their direct viral inhibition. DHF and DAP demonstrated complete virucidal activity influenza A virus at concentrations of 50 µM and 100 µM, respectively. However, neither compound inhibited influenza surface protein hemagglutination (HA), suggesting that their virucidal effects are independent of HA receptor binding. Both compounds exhibited neuraminidase (NA) inhibition, with DAP showing stronger activity compared to DHF. Furthermore, DHF and DAP suppressed influenza virus replication in cells, as evidenced by a reduction in green fluorescence protein (GFP) reporter expression in virus-infected cells. Growth kinetics analysis revealed that both compounds significantly reduced viral replication when applied to cells before or after viral infection. These findings demonstrate that DHF and DAP exhibit multifaceted antiviral activity, including direct virucidal action, NA inhibition, and suppression of viral replication. Our results suggest that DHF and DAP are promising candidates for the development of novel influenza therapeutics.

To develop economically viable and environmentally benign methodologies for organic reactions and reveal the practical utility of transitional natural compounds and their derivatives. In addition, a new research method to conduct docking studies against nuclear factors sheds light on the theoretical mechanism of action of Phlomis aurea extracts as antioxidant, antimicrobial, anticancer, and repellent. The pharmacological potential of Phlomis aurea is investigated in this research by analysing its aqueous and petroleum ether extracts. So, to evaluate antioxidant activity, the DPPH scavenging test was used and compared against ascorbic acid; aqueous extract showed noteworthy activity. Both extracts demonstrated noteworthy efficacy against various pathogens, such as Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus, and Candida albicans. The anti-cancer activity was also assessed using in-vitro assay on a standard cell line (Wi38) and two cancer cell lines (MDA and HepG2). The sensitivity of starving female An. pharoensis to the studied extracts was higher than that of Cx. pipiens, suggesting that these extracts may have potential applications in vector control. Docking study against nuclear factor erythroid 2–related factor 2 (Nrf2) (PDB ID: 3wn7), topoisomerase IV (PDB ID: 7lhz), COX protein (PDB ID: 6y3c), and Odorant Binding Protein 7 (OBP7) (PDB ID: 3r1o), to shed light on the theoretical mechanism expected as anti-oxidant, anti-microbial, anti-cancer and repellent effects against mosquitoes respectively, for galic acid as most significantly quantifying compounds on both extracts; highlighting the predicted mechanism of the proposed in-vitro assay, and confirming the present result.

A naturally occurring flavonoid compound found in several fruits and vegetables, kaempferol has garnered interest for its potential anticancer effects. The present investigation illustrates that kaempferol has multi-faceted anti-tumor effects in hypoxic colon cancer cells, HCT-15 (ATCC) and HCT-116 (KCLB) by inhibiting HIF-1α/VEGF angiogenesis, Wnt/β-catenin signaling, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) progression. In conditions of hypoxia, kaempferol inhibited the stabilization of HIF-1α and its downstream targets (VEGF, ANG1, VEGFR2), while also obstructing Wnt/β-catenin activation by decreasing β-catenin and modifying the expression of pathway components (c-Myc, Cyclin-D1, LEF1, APC, and Axin-2). Kaempferol mitigated hypoxia-induced EMT by reinstating E-cadherin and inhibiting N-cadherin, Vimentin, and MMP-2/9, which corresponded with diminished migration in transwell and wound-healing assay. Mechanistic investigations demonstrated dual regulation of HIF-1α transcriptional activity (HRE luciferase) and MAPK signaling (p-ERK/p-38), in conjunction with ROS-induced DNA damage and intrinsic apoptosis (cleaved caspase-3/9 and Bcl-2 protein expression). The impact on angiogenesis, EMT, and survival pathways significantly diminished the proliferation, invasion, and metastatic capacity of hypoxic colon cancer cells which identifies kaempferol as an innovative multi-pathway inhibitor, thereby offering a strong justification for its advancement as a therapeutic agent for advanced colorectal cancer.

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Malignant melanoma (MM) is a severe skin cancer that arises from melanocytes, primarily caused by exposure to ultraviolet radiation. Although MM occurs less frequently than other skin cancers, its metastasis is easily activated, leading to a high mortality rate. MM incidence is gradually rising, necessitating the development of effective treatment strategies. Phytochemicals derived from plants are well recognized for their biological functions, including anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial activities. However, the anticancer activity of wistin, an isoflavone, in MM remains unknown. This study aimed to investigate the anticancer effects of wistin on MM by elucidating its underlying molecular mechanisms. In this study, wistin significantly inhibited the cell viability and proliferation of B16 F10 melanoma cells. In addition, wistin induced apoptosis and cell cycle arrest and suppressed cell migration and invasion in B16 F10 cells. Moreover, our findings revealed that wistin downregulates phospho-ERK and p38. Overall, our results indicate that wistin exerts its anticancer effects by inhibiting the extracellular signal-regulated kinase and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways. Therefore, wistin could be a potential therapeutic candidate for the treatment of MM.

Functional foods and herbal medicines have gained global demand due to their health benefits, which have led to increased consumer interest. Their contribution to health is associated to the existence of bioactive compounds with several pharmacological properties such as antidiabetic, antimicrobial, anticancer, and antiinflammatory activities etc. Several phytochemical compounds have been reported to prevent lifestyle disorders and diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, obesity, and hypertension. Functional foods include dairy products, bakery products and cereals, nutraceuticals, fermented foods, probiotics and prebiotics, vegetables, and fruits, whereas herbal medicines include several herbal plants not limited to ginseng, ginkgo biloba, and ephedra etc. which are expressed in many several forms such as decoctions, capsules, powders, teas, and oils. The transformation of herbal medicines from general consumption has led to the infusion of herbal extracts into foods, leading to the development of herbal functional foods including porridges, soups, beverages, biscuits, candies, chocolates, and dietary supplements. Thus, this review aims to explore the synergistic pharmacological activities of functional foods and herbal medicines as well as the challenges shaping the industry. Following the growing demand of functional foods and herbal medicines, we found that similar bioactive compounds in functional foods and herbal medicines contribute to their health benefits. However, critical issues regarding the regulation of functional foods and herbal medicines to establish their safety and efficacy are still present. Therefore, research on functional foods and herbal medicines is necessary to confirm their safety and efficacy and thereby attract more consumers.

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Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria regulate plant growth and stress tolerance by modulating endogenous developmental and physiological processes. This study examined the role of Bacillus megaterium GEB3 in affecting drought stress tolerance in peppers. GEB3 treatment significantly mitigated drought-induced symptoms, such as chlorosis, wilting, and leaf rolling, in both vegetative- and reproductive-stage peppers. For example, GEB3 treatment increased the number of fruits and total fruit weight by approximately 34% and 68%, respectively, compared to those in untreated control plants. We observed that GEB3 treatment reduces drought-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation while increasing the transcriptional expression of antioxidant genes encoding peroxidases and superoxide dismutases, which are responsible for ROS removal. Furthermore, GEB3 activated the jasmonic acid (JA) response, and JA treatment alone was sufficient to reduce the accumulation of ROS and enhance pepper tolerance to drought stress. These findings suggest that Bacillus megaterium GEB3 increases drought tolerance in peppers through JA-mediated suppression of ROS accumulation, and may serve as a promising bioinoculant for improving crop tolerance against environmental stresses including drought.

In plants, developmental or environmental stresses activate a suite of different phytohormones that trigger biochemical and/or morphological adaptations. The gaseous phytohormone ethylene has a major effect on the plant life cycle from germination onward. Ethylene biosynthesis is tightly regulated by external and internal cues. In etiolated seedlings of Arabidopsis and rice, various phytohormones affect ethylene biosynthesis through transcriptional and/or post-transcriptional regulation of 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC), ACC synthases (ACS), and ACC oxidases (ACO). This study showed strigolactone also affected ethylene biosynthesis in dark-grown rice seedlings. Strigolactone treatment altered levels of S-ADENOSYLMETHIONINE SYNTHASES (OsSAMSs) and ACC SYNTHASES (OsACSs) transcripts, which encode enzymes involved in the initial steps of ethylene biosynthesis. The application of strigolactone reduced ethylene production, however, by decreasing transcription of OsACO genes, thus negatively affecting the final step of ethylene biosynthesis. In addition, treatment with strigolactone resulted in a phenotype in which the coleoptiles of dark-grown rice seedlings were shortened, contrary to treatment with ACC. These results reveal the tight correlation between strigolactone and ethylene biosynthesis.