Metabolomic Profiling of Fresh Goji (Lycium barbarum L.) Berries from Two Cultivars Grown in Central Italy: A Multi-Methodological Approach

The metabolite profile of fresh Goji berries from two cultivars, namely Big Lifeberry (BL) and Sweet Lifeberry (SL), grown in the Lazio region (Central Italy) and harvested at two different periods, August and October, corresponding at the beginning and the end of the maturation, was characterized by means of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and electrospray ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (ESI FT-ICR MS) methodologies. Several classes of compounds such as sugars, amino acids, organic acids, fatty acids, polyphenols, and terpenes were identified and quantified in hydroalcoholic and organic Bligh-Dyer extracts. Sweet Lifeberry extracts were characterized by a higher content of sucrose with respect to the Big Lifeberry ones and high levels of amino acids (glycine, betaine, proline) were observed in SL berries harvested in October. Spectrophotometric analysis of chlorophylls and total carotenoids was also carried out, showing a decrease of carotenoids during the time. These results can be useful not only to valorize local products but also to suggest the best harvesting period to obtain a product with a chemical composition suitable for specific industrial use. Finally, preliminary studies regarding both the chemical characterization of Goji leaves generally considered a waste product, and the biological activity of Big Lifeberry berries extracts was also investigated. Goji leaves showed a chemical profile rich in healthy compounds (polyphenols, flavonoids, etc.) confirming their promising use in the supplements/nutraceutical/cosmetic field. MG63 cells treated with Big Lifeberry berries extracts showed a decrease of iNOS, COX-2, IL-6, and IL-8 expression indicating their significant biological activity.

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Cannabis sativa L. Inflorescences from Monoecious Cultivars Grown in Central Italy: An Untargeted Chemical Characterization from Early Flowering to Ripening

Molecules ◽

10.3390/molecules25081908 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 25 (8) ◽

pp. 1908 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Cinzia Ingallina ◽

Anatoly P. Sobolev ◽

Simone Circi ◽

Mattia Spano ◽

Caterina Fraschetti ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Amino Acids ◽

Chemical Composition ◽

Biogenic Amines ◽

Cannabis Sativa ◽

Central Italy ◽

Chemical Characterization ◽

Chemical Characteristics ◽

Flowering Period ◽

Lazio Region ◽

Very High

The chemical composition of the inflorescences from four Cannabis sativa L. monoecious cultivars (Ferimon, Uso-31, Felina 32 and Fedora 17), recently introduced in the Lazio Region, was monitored over the season from June to September giving indications on their sensorial, pharmaceutical/nutraceutical proprieties. Both untargeted (NMR) and targeted (GC/MS, UHPLC, HPLC-PDA/FD and spectrophotometry) analyses were carried out to identify and quantify compounds of different classes (sugars, organic acids, amino acids, cannabinoids, terpenoids, phenols, tannins, flavonoids and biogenic amines). All cultivars in each harvesting period showed a THC content below the Italian legal limit, although in general THC content increased over the season. Citric acid, malic acid and glucose showed the highest content in the late flowering period, whereas the content of proline drastically decreased after June in all cultivars. Neophytadiene, nerolidol and chlorogenic acid were quantified only in Felina 32 cultivar, characterized also by a very high content of flavonoids, whereas alloaromadendrene and trans-cinnamic acid were detected only in Uso-31 cultivar. Naringenin and naringin were present only in Fedora 17 and Ferimon cultivars, respectively. Moreover, Ferimon had the highest concentration of biogenic amines, especially in July and August. Cadaverine was present in all cultivars but only in September. These results suggest that the chemical composition of Cannabis sativa L. inflorescences depends on the cultivar and on the harvesting period. Producers can use this information as a guide to obtain inflorescences with peculiar chemical characteristics according to the specific use.

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Synthesis and biological activity of new metallocenic angiotensin II analogs

Collection of Czechoslovak Chemical Communications ◽

10.1135/cccc19882914 ◽

1988 ◽

Vol 53 (11) ◽

pp. 2914-2919 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Pierrette Maes ◽

Annie Ricouart ◽

Emmanuel Escher ◽

André Tartar ◽

Christian Sergheraert

Keyword(s):

Amino Acids ◽

Biological Activity ◽

Angiotensin Ii ◽

Solid Phase ◽

Rabbit Aorta ◽

Phase Method ◽

Solid Phase Method

Analogs of angiotensin II in which phenylalanine in position 8 was replaced with cymantrenylalanine or with its triphenylphosphine photosubstitution product were synthesized by the solid-phase method. On rabbit aorta strips, these peptides were found to be pure antagonists of angiotensin II. Their relative affinities are higher than most other analogs substituted in position 8 with bulky amino-acids.

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Transforming growth factor alpha: mutation of aspartic acid 47 and leucine 48 results in different biological activities.

Molecular and Cellular Biology ◽

10.1128/mcb.8.3.1247 ◽

1988 ◽

Vol 8 (3) ◽

pp. 1247-1252 ◽

Cited By ~ 35

Author(s):

E Lazar ◽

S Watanabe ◽

S Dalton ◽

M B Sporn

Keyword(s):

Amino Acids ◽

Biological Activity ◽

Amino Acid ◽

Growth Factor ◽

Aspartic Acid ◽

Transforming Growth Factor ◽

Biologically Active ◽

Single Amino Acid ◽

Transforming Growth Factor Alpha ◽

Factor Alpha

To study the relationship between the primary structure of transforming growth factor alpha (TGF-alpha) and some of its functional properties (competition with epidermal growth factor (EGF) for binding to the EGF receptor and induction of anchorage-independent growth), we introduced single amino acid mutations into the sequence for the fully processed, 50-amino-acid human TGF-alpha. The wild-type and mutant proteins were expressed in a vector by using a yeast alpha mating pheromone promoter. Mutations of two amino acids that are conserved in the family of the EGF-like peptides and are located in the carboxy-terminal part of TGF-alpha resulted in different biological effects. When aspartic acid 47 was mutated to alanine or asparagine, biological activity was retained; in contrast, substitutions of this residue with serine or glutamic acid generated mutants with reduced binding and colony-forming capacities. When leucine 48 was mutated to alanine, a complete loss of binding and colony-forming abilities resulted; mutation of leucine 48 to isoleucine or methionine resulted in very low activities. Our data suggest that these two adjacent conserved amino acids in positions 47 and 48 play different roles in defining the structure and/or biological activity of TGF-alpha and that the carboxy terminus of TGF-alpha is involved in interactions with cellular TGF-alpha receptors. The side chain of leucine 48 appears to be crucial either indirectly in determining the biologically active conformation of TGF-alpha or directly in the molecular recognition of TGF-alpha by its receptor.

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Translational and Structural Requirements of the Early Nodulin Gene enod40, a Short-Open Reading Frame-Containing RNA, for Elicitation of a Cell-Specific Growth Response in the Alfalfa Root Cortex

Molecular and Cellular Biology ◽

10.1128/mcb.21.1.354-366.2001 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

pp. 354-366 ◽

Cited By ~ 66

Author(s):

Carolina Sousa ◽

Christina Johansson ◽

Celine Charon ◽

Hamid Manyani ◽

Christof Sautter ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Amino Acids ◽

Biological Activity ◽

Rna Structure ◽

Open Reading Frames ◽

In Vitro Translation ◽

Cortical Cells ◽

Root Cortex ◽

Reading Frame ◽

Early Nodulin

ABSTRACT A diversity of mRNAs containing only short open reading frames (sORF-RNAs; encoding less than 30 amino acids) have been shown to be induced in growth and differentiation processes. The early nodulin geneenod40, coding for a 0.7-kb sORF-RNA, is expressed in the nodule primordium developing in the root cortex of leguminous plants after infection by symbiotic bacteria. Ballistic microtargeting of this gene into Medicago roots induced division of cortical cells. Translation of two sORFs (I and II, 13 and 27 amino acids, respectively) present in the conserved 5′ and 3′ regions ofenod40 was required for this biological activity. These sORFs may be translated in roots via a reinitiation mechanism. In vitro translation products starting from the ATG of sORF I were detectable by mutating enod40 to yield peptides larger than 38 amino acids. Deletion of a Medicago truncatula enod40 region between the sORFs, spanning a predicted RNA structure, did not affect their translation but resulted in significantly decreased biological activity. Our data reveal a complex regulation of enod40action, pointing to a role of sORF-encoded peptides and structured RNA signals in developmental processes involving sORF-RNAs.

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Synthesis and biological activity of branched enkephalin analogues containing two amino acids in a side chain

European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry ◽

10.1016/s0223-5234(98)80066-4 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 33 (4) ◽

pp. 331-334 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Irina Bobrova ◽

Natalia Mishlakova ◽

Anette Selander ◽

Elena Mekshun ◽

Guntis Rozental

Keyword(s):

Amino Acids ◽

Biological Activity ◽

Side Chain ◽

Enkephalin Analogues

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Patients who leave Emergency Department without being seen or during treatment in the Lazio Region (Central Italy): Determinants and short term outcomes

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0208914 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 13 (12) ◽

pp. e0208914 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Francesca Mataloni ◽

Paola Colais ◽

Claudia Galassi ◽

Marina Davoli ◽

Danilo Fusco

Keyword(s):

Emergency Department ◽

Central Italy ◽

Short Term ◽

Lazio Region

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Val-Geninthiocin: Structure Elucidation and MSn Fragmentation of Thiopeptide Antibiotics Produced by Streptomyces sp. RSF18

Zeitschrift für Naturforschung B ◽

10.1515/znb-2008-1014 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 63 (10) ◽

pp. 1223-1230 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Imran Sajid ◽

Khaled A. Shaaban ◽

Holm Frauendorf ◽

Shahida Hasnain ◽

Hartmut Laatscha

Keyword(s):

Amino Acids ◽

Biological Activity ◽

Antifungal Activity ◽

Structure Elucidation ◽

Gram Negative Bacteria ◽

Gram Negative ◽

Unusual Amino Acids ◽

Streptomyces Sp ◽

Gram Positive Bacteria ◽

Thiopeptide Antibiotics

AbstractVal-Geninthiocin (2), a new member of thiopeptide antibiotics, was isolated from the mycelium of Streptomyces sp. RSF18, along with the closely related geninthiocin (1) and the macrolide, chalcomycin. By intensive NMR and MS studies, Val-geninthiocin (2) was identified as desoxygeninthiocin, a thiopeptide, containing several oxazole and thiazole units and a number of unusual amino acids. Compound 2 shows potent activity against Gram-positive bacteria and minor antifungal activity, while it is not effective against Gram-negative bacteria or microalgae. Here we describe the fermentation, isolation and structure elucidation as well as the biological activity of 2.

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ZEOLITES AND FERTILIZERS ON THEIR BASIS IN SOYBEAN CULTIVATION TECHNOLOGY IN THE VOLGA FOREST STEPPE

Vestnik of Ulyanovsk state agricultural academy ◽

10.18286/1816-4501-2021-2-88-94 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 250 ◽

pp. 88-94

Author(s):

A. Kh. Kulikova ◽

◽

N. G. Zakharov ◽

N. A. Khairtdinova ◽

◽

...

Keyword(s):

Amino Acids ◽

Biological Activity ◽

Seed Quality ◽

Mineral Fertilizer ◽

Field Studies ◽

Soil Improvement ◽

Black Soil ◽

Forest Steppe ◽

Experimental Field ◽

Ulyanovsk Region

Experimental field studies were carried out on the experimental field of Ulyanovsk State Agrarian University in 2018-2020. The experiment scheme in 2019 (laid in 2018) consisted of 4 variants: 1. Control (without fertilizers); 2. Zeolite in pure form, 500 kg / ha; 3. Organic mineral fertilizer, obtained by enriching zeolites with amino acids, 500 kg / ha; 4. Zeolite 500 kg / ha + N40 (carbamide at the dose of 40 kg of nitrogen per 1 ha). In 2020, the experiment was supplemented with four variants in order to identify more appropriate doses of fertilization (zeolite enriched with amino acids, 250 kg / ha; zeolite enriched with amino acids, 500 kg / ha; zeolite enriched with carbamide, 250 kg / ha; zeolite enriched with urea , 500 kg / ha). The experiments were carried out in 3-fold repetition with a randomized placement of plots. The effect of zeolite from Yushansk deposit of Ulyanovsk region and fertilizers based on it enriched with amino acids and urea were studied in the experiment, as well as their effect on general biological activity of leached black soil, on its agrochemical parameters, photosynthetic activity of soybean crops, yield and seed quality. A significant influence of experimental fertilizers on biological activity of the soil, improvement of nutrient regime, as well as the ability of zeolite to neutralize soil acidity was found. Improvement of the soil environment in case of application of zeolite enriched with amino acids and urea as a fertilizer contributed to an increase of soybean yields by 6-14% and by 12-31% to improvement of the product quality. With an increase of the dose of fertilizers, the yield of soybean seeds increased, but not proportionally.

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