scholarly journals β-Ionone: Its Occurrence and Biological Function and Metabolic Engineering

Plants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 754
Author(s):  
Antonello Paparella ◽  
Liora Shaltiel-Harpaza ◽  
Mwafaq Ibdah

β-Ionone is a natural plant volatile compound, and it is the 9,10 and 9’,10’ cleavage product of β-carotene by the carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase. β-Ionone is widely distributed in flowers, fruits, and vegetables. β-Ionone and other apocarotenoids comprise flavors, aromas, pigments, growth regulators, and defense compounds; serve as ecological cues; have roles as insect attractants or repellants, and have antibacterial and fungicidal properties. In recent years, β-ionone has also received increased attention from the biomedical community for its potential as an anticancer treatment and for other human health benefits. However, β-ionone is typically produced at relatively low levels in plants. Thus, expressing plant biosynthetic pathway genes in microbial hosts and engineering the metabolic pathway/host to increase metabolite production is an appealing alternative. In the present review, we discuss β-ionone occurrence, the biological activities of β-ionone, emphasizing insect attractant/repellant activities, and the current strategies and achievements used to reconstruct enzyme pathways in microorganisms in an effort to to attain higher amounts of the desired β-ionone.

Author(s):  
Susmita Das ◽  
Poulami Gupta ◽  
Bratati De

Plant carotenoids are one of the most important classes of plant pigments and play a crucial role in defining the quality parameter of fruits and vegetables. They possess a large numbers of important biological activities such as antioxidant properties, anti – carcinogenic, precursor of vitamin A and preventive in a large number of chronic diseases. The objective of the present study was to characterize the carotenoids present in Phoenix sylvestris fruits and their inflorescence axis which are orange red in colour. So, in this study we isolated carotenoids from both the epicarp and the extensively large inflorescence axis by preparative TLC and also characterized some of the major components like β- carotene and lutein using HPTLC analytical techniques. The present findings suggest that the consumption of β-carotene and lutein from this fruit crop can be helpful in providing potential targets for combating vitamin A deficiency in countries where vitamin A deficiency is a public health problem


Biomolecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 735
Author(s):  
Fernando Pagels ◽  
Vitor Vasconcelos ◽  
Ana Catarina Guedes

Carotenoids are tetraterpenoids molecules present in all photosynthetic organisms, responsible for better light-harvesting and energy dissipation in photosynthesis. In cyanobacteria, the biosynthetic pathway of carotenoids is well described, and apart from the more common compounds (e.g., β-carotene, zeaxanthin, and echinenone), specific carotenoids can also be found, such as myxoxanthophyll. Moreover, cyanobacteria have a protein complex called orange carotenoid protein (OCP) as a mechanism of photoprotection. Although cyanobacteria are not the organism of choice for the industrial production of carotenoids, the optimisation of their production and the evaluation of their bioactive capacity demonstrate that these organisms may indeed be a potential candidate for future pigment production in a more environmentally friendly and sustainable approach of biorefinery. Carotenoids-rich extracts are described as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-tumoral agents and are proposed for feed and cosmetical industries. Thus, several strategies for the optimisation of a cyanobacteria-based bioprocess for the obtention of pigments were described. This review aims to give an overview of carotenoids from cyanobacteria not only in terms of their chemistry but also in terms of their biotechnological applicability and the advances and the challenges in the production of such compounds.


Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 1579
Author(s):  
Sophie Hellstrand ◽  
Filip Ottosson ◽  
Einar Smith ◽  
Louise Brunkwall ◽  
Stina Ramne ◽  
...  

Irregular dietary intakes impairs estimations from food records. Biomarkers and method combinations can be used to improve estimates. Our aim was to examine reproducibility from two assessment methods, compare them, and validate intakes against objective biomarkers. We used the Malmö Offspring Study (55% women, 18–71 y) with data from a 4-day food record (4DFR) and a short food frequency questionnaire (SFFQ) to compare (1) repeated intakes (n = 180), (2) intakes from 4DFR and SFFQ (n = 1601), and (3) intakes of fatty fish, fruits and vegetables, and citrus with plasma biomarkers (n = 1433) (3-carboxy-4-methyl-5-propyl-2-furanpropanoic acid [CMPF], β-carotene and proline betaine). We also combined 4DFR and SFFQ estimates using principal component analysis (PCA). Moderate correlations were seen between repeated intakes (4DFR median ρ = 0.41, SFFQ median ρ = 0.59) although lower for specific 4DFR-items, especially fatty/lean fish (ρ ≤ 0.08). Between-method correlations (median ρ = 0.33) were higher for intakes of overall food groups compared to specific foods. PCA scores for citrus (proline betaine ρ = 0.53) and fruits and vegetables (β-carotene: ρ = 0.39) showed the highest biomarker correlations, whereas fatty fish intake from the SFFQ per se showed the highest correlation with CMPF (ρ = 0.46). To conclude, the reproducibility of SFFQ data was superior to 4DFR data regarding irregularly consumed foods. Method combination could slightly improve fruit and vegetable estimates, whereas SFFQ data gave most valid fatty fish intake.


2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sung Min Ju ◽  
Jun Gue Kang ◽  
Jun Sang Bae ◽  
Hyun Ock Pae ◽  
Yeoung Su Lyu ◽  
...  

Apigenin is a member of the flavone subclass of flavonoids present in fruits and vegetables. Apigenin has long been considered to have various biological activities, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antitumorigenic properties, in various cell types. Cisplatin was known to exhibit cytotoxic effect to renal cells by inducing apoptosis through activation of p53. The present study investigated the antiapoptotic effects of apigenin on the cisplatin-treated human renal proximal tubular epithelial (HK-2) cells. HK-2 cells were pretreated with apigenin (5, 10, 20 μM) for 1 h and then treated with 40 μM cisplatin for various times. Apigenin inhibited the cisplatin-induced apoptosis of HK-2 cells. Interestingly, apigenin itself exerted cytostatic activity because of its ability to induce cell cycle arrest. Apigenin inhibited caspase-3 activity and PARP cleavage in cisplatin-treated cells. Apigenin reduced cisplatin-induced phosphorylation and expression of p53, with no significant influence on production of ROS that is known to induce p53 activation. Furthermore, apigenin promoted cisplatin-induced Akt phosphorylation, suggesting that enhanced Akt activation may be involved in cytoprotection. Taken together, these results suggest that apigenin ameliorates cisplatin-induced apoptosis through reduction of p53 activation and promotion of PI3K/Akt pathway in HK-2 cells.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 13934-13951

Encapsulation of bioactive compounds s been considered a promising tool for preserving these compounds. Several studies on dietary sources and health benefits of flavonoids, their chemical and stability properties, and encapsulation methods used for delivery of flavonoids were reviewed. Flavonoids comprise the main group of polyphenols widely found in fruits and vegetables responsible for numerous biological activities. They have a flavan nucleus with 15 carbon atoms organized in three rings and are categorized into six subgroups. The main dietary sources of flavonoids are fruits, vegetables, cereals, tea, and some herbs such as Viola odorata Linn. These compounds can prevent diseases such as cardiovascular, cancers, neurodegenerative, diabetes, and inflammatory bowel disease. Despite these beneficial biological activities, flavonoids are not stable against environmental conditions, have low water solubility and low bioavailability after oral administration, which restricts their application. Accordingly, encapsulation has been utilized in order to improve the stability and solubility of flavonoids. Various approaches such as spray drying, molecular complexes, liposomes, nanoparticles, emulsification, and multilamellar vesicles have been applied in the entrapment of flavonoids. Encapsulation can improve the stability of flavonoids as well as solubility, controlled release, and bioavailability.


Author(s):  
Alex Pinheiro Gordia ◽  
Jadiane Aparecida Tiago Dall’Agnol ◽  
Edmar Lacerda Mendes ◽  
Amanda Santos ◽  
Camilo Luis Monteiro Lourenço ◽  
...  

Abstract Dietary intake inquiry, physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior (SB) surveys are practical tools for identifying habits among the pediatric population; however, the results of describing these behaviors appear to be restricted to large centers. The objective was to analyze dietary intake, PA and SB level in schoolchildren. Children from 6 to 10 years old, coming from public and private schools were evaluated for anthropometry, dietary pattern, PA and SB level. A total of 1408 children (48.1% male) with a mean age of 8.05 (± 1.53) years participated in the study. Only 4.6%, 4.9% and 17.2% of children met the recommendations for fruit, milk and dairy products, respectively. 40.4% and 59.5% of the children did not meet the recommendation for soft drinks and meat consumption, respectively. More than 75% of children met the recommendation for the consumption of packaged snacks, candies and beans. There was a difference between genders only for candy consumption (p=0.003), with a higher proportion of boys meeting the recommendations. Approximately half and one third of the children complied with the recommendations for moderate to vigorous PA and SB, respectively. Risk behaviors for cardiovascular disease were observed in children, characterized by low consumption of fruits and vegetables, low levels of PA and excessive time in SB.


2018 ◽  
Vol 115 (23) ◽  
pp. E5410-E5418 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiu Tian ◽  
Ju-Xin Ruan ◽  
Jin-Quan Huang ◽  
Chang-Qing Yang ◽  
Xin Fang ◽  
...  

Gossypol and related sesquiterpene aldehydes in cotton function as defense compounds but are antinutritional in cottonseed products. By transcriptome comparison and coexpression analyses, we identified 146 candidates linked to gossypol biosynthesis. Analysis of metabolites accumulated in plants subjected to virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) led to the identification of four enzymes and their supposed substrates. In vitro enzymatic assay and reconstitution in tobacco leaves elucidated a series of oxidative reactions of the gossypol biosynthesis pathway. The four functionally characterized enzymes, together with (+)-δ-cadinene synthase and the P450 involved in 7-hydroxy-(+)-δ-cadinene formation, convert farnesyl diphosphate (FPP) to hemigossypol, with two gaps left that each involves aromatization. Of six intermediates identified from the VIGS-treated leaves, 8-hydroxy-7-keto-δ-cadinene exerted a deleterious effect in dampening plant disease resistance if accumulated. Notably, CYP71BE79, the enzyme responsible for converting this phytotoxic intermediate, exhibited the highest catalytic activity among the five enzymes of the pathway assayed. In addition, despite their dispersed distribution in the cotton genome, all of the enzyme genes identified show a tight correlation of expression. Our data suggest that the enzymatic steps in the gossypol pathway are highly coordinated to ensure efficient substrate conversion.


2007 ◽  
Vol 66 (2) ◽  
pp. 207-215 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian T. Johnson

Epidemiological studies showing a protective effect of diets rich in fruits and vegetables against cancer have focused attention on the possibility that biologically-active plant secondary metabolites exert anti-carcinogenic activity. This huge group of compounds, now collectively termed ‘phytochemicals’, provides much of the flavour and colour of edible plants and the beverages derived from them. Many of these compounds also exert anti-carcinogenic effects in animal models of cancer, and much progress has been made in defining their many biological activities at the molecular level. Such mechanisms include the detoxification and enhanced excretion of carcinogens, the suppression of inflammatory processes such as cyclooxygenase-2 expression, inhibition of mitosis and the induction of apoptosis at various stages in the progression and promotion of cancer. However, much of the research on phytochemicals has been conducted in vitro, with little regard to the bioavailability and metabolism of the compounds studied. Many phytochemicals present in plant foods are poorly absorbed by human subjects, and this fraction usually undergoes metabolism and rapid excretion. Some compounds that do exert anti-carcinogenic effects at realistic doses may contribute to the putative benefits of plant foods such as berries, brassica vegetables and tea, but further research with human subjects is required to fully confirm and quantify such benefits. Chemoprevention using pharmacological doses of isolated compounds, or the development of ‘customised’ vegetables, may prove valuable but such strategies require a full risk–benefit analysis based on a thorough understanding of the long-term biological effects of what are often surprisingly active compounds.


2014 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 1934578X1400900 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shaopeng Wang ◽  
Caihua Zhang ◽  
Guang Yang ◽  
Yanzong Yang

Numerous studies have revealed that regular consumption of certain fruits and vegetables can reduce the risk of many diseases. The rhizome of Zingiber officinale (ginger) is consumed worldwide as a spice and herbal medicine. It contains pungent phenolic substances collectively known as gingerols. 6-Gingerol is the major pharmacologically-active component of ginger. It is known to exhibit a variety of biological activities including anticancer, anti-inflammation, and anti-oxidation. 6-Gingerol has been found to possess anticancer activities via its effect on a variety of biological pathways involved in apoptosis, cell cycle regulation, cytotoxic activity, and inhibition of angiogenesis. Thus, due to its efficacy and regulation of multiple targets, as well as its safety for human use, 6-gingerol has received considerable interest as a potential therapeutic agent for the prevention and/or treatment of various diseases. Taken together, this review summarizes the various in vitro and in vivo pharmacological aspects of 6-gingerol and the underlying mechanisms.


2006 ◽  
Vol 54 (15) ◽  
pp. 5382-5387 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isabel Goñi ◽  
José Serrano ◽  
Fulgencio Saura-Calixto

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