scholarly journals Comparative Metabolomics of Reproductive Organs in the Genus Aesculus (Sapindaceae) Reveals That Immature Fruits Are a Key Organ of Procyanidin Accumulation and Bioactivity

Plants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 2695
Author(s):  
Alison Green ◽  
Guillermo Federico Padilla-Gonzalez ◽  
Methee Phumthum ◽  
Monique S. J. Simmonds ◽  
Nicholas J. Sadgrove

Fruit from A. hippocastanum L. are used commercially for chronic venous insufficiency (CVI). The isomeric mixture of pentacyclic triterpenoid saponins (β-aescin) exert anti-inflammatory effects. Hence, research has focused on β-aescin, yet the diversity, accumulation, and bioactivity of organ-specific secondary metabolites represent missed pharmacological opportunities. To this end, we applied an untargeted metabolomics approach by liquid chromatography—tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) to the chemical profiles of flowers, immature fruits, and pedicels from 40 specimens across 18 species of Aesculus. Principal component analysis (PCA), orthogonal partial least squares (OPLS-DA), and molecular networking revealed stronger chemical differences between plant organs, than between species. Flowers are rich in glycosylated flavonoids, pedicels in organic acids and flavonoid aglycones, and immature fruits in monomeric flavan-3-ols and procyanidins. Although a high diversity of flavonoids and procyanidins was observed, the relative amounts differed by plant organ. Fruit extracts demonstrated the strongest antifungal (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and antioxidant activity, likely from the procyanidins. Overall, secondary metabolite profiles are organ-specific, and fruits accumulate antifungal and antioxidant compounds. Due to the chemical similarity between species, similar effects may be achieved between species. This creates incentives for further exploration of the entire genus, in bioprospecting for potential therapeutic leads.

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 115-131
Author(s):  
Liang Heng-Yu ◽  
Su Ning ◽  
Guo Kun ◽  
Wang Yuan ◽  
Yang De-Yu

Five Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains (Chinese indigenous yeasts SC5, WC5, SC8, CC17 and commercial starter F15) were inoculated into Cabernet sauvignon grape must and fermented at pilot scale. For the first time, combination of 1H NMR, HS-SPME/GC-MS and HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS/MS metabonomic profiling techniques was performed to analyze the global chemical fingerprints of sampled wines at the end of alcoholic and malolactic fermentation respectively, then 13 non-volatile flavor compounds, 52 volatile organic aromas and 43 polyphenolic molecules were identified and determined correspondently. All principal component analysis (PCA) of two fermentation stages based on the analytical results of 1H NMR, HS-SPME/GC-MS and HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS/MS divided these strains into three clusters: (1) SC5 and SC8, (2) WC5 and F15 and (3) CC17. The wine fermented by indigenous yeast, CC17, showed a very unique chemical profile, such as low pH and high color intensity, reduced amino acids (including proline) and the lowest total higher alcohols levels, most of the fixed acids, glycerol, ethyl esters and anthocyanins concentrations. The statistical results indicate that CC17 strain possesses very special anabolism and catabolism abilities on such substances in grape juice and has potentiality to produce characteristic wines with high qualities.


Molecules ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (6) ◽  
pp. 1114 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yawei Wu ◽  
Juan Xu ◽  
Yizhong He ◽  
Meiyan Shi ◽  
Xiumei Han ◽  
...  

Pitaya (Hylocereus polyrhizus) has attracted much interest from consumers as it is a novelty fruit with high nutrient content and a tolerance to drought stress. As a group of attractive pigment- and health-promoting natural compounds, betalains represent a visual feature for pitaya fruit quality. However, little information on the correlation between betalains and relevant metabolites exists so far. Currently, color (Commission International del’Eclairage, CIE) parameters, betalain contents, and untargeted metabolic profiling (gas chromatography-time-of-flight-mass spectrometry, GC–MS and liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry, LC–MS) have been examined on ‘Zihonglong’ fruits at nine different developmental stages, and the variation character of the metabolite contents was simultaneously investigated between peel and pulp. Furthermore, principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least-squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) were used to explore metabolite profiles from the fruit samples. Our results demonstrated that the decrease of amino acid, accompanied by the increase of sugars and organic acid, might contribute to the formation of betalains. Notably, as one of four potential biomarker metabolites, citramalic acid might be related to betalain formation.


2019 ◽  
Vol 62 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dae Young Lee ◽  
Bo-Ram Choi ◽  
Jae Won Lee ◽  
Yurry Um ◽  
Dahye Yoon ◽  
...  

Abstract In Platycodi Radix (root of Platycodon grandiflorum), there are a number of platycosides that consist of a pentacyclic triterpenoid aglycone and two sugar moieties. Due to the pharmacological activities of platycosides, it is critical to assess their contents in PR, and develop an effective method to profile various platycosides is required. In this study, an analytical method based on ultra performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight/mass spectrometry (UPLC-QTOF/MS) with an in-house library was developed and applied to profile various platycosides from four different Platycodi Radix cultivars. As a result, platycosides, including six isomeric pairs, were successfully analyzed in the PRs. In the principal component analysis, several platycosides were represented as main variables to differentiate the four Platycodi Radix cultivars. Their different levels of platycosides were also represented by relative quantification. Finally, this study indicated the proposed method based on the UPLC-QTOF/MS can be an effective tool for identifying the detail characterization of various platycosides in the Platycodi Radix.


Planta Medica ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 85 (03) ◽  
pp. 185-194 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mei Wang ◽  
Amar Chittiboyina ◽  
Jon Parcher ◽  
Zulfiqar Ali ◽  
Paul Ford ◽  
...  

AbstractThe growing demand and commercial value of black pepper (Piper nigrum) has resulted in considerable interest in developing suitable and cost-effective methods for chemical characterization and quality evaluation purposes. In the current study, an extensive set of oil samples (n = 23) that were extracted by steam distillation from black pepper seeds was investigated to compare the chemical profiles of samples originating from nine major producing countries, as well as to identify potential chemical markers for quality evaluation. The twenty-two most abundant volatile compounds, mainly terpenes, in these oils were determined by conventional GC/MS analysis. Principal component analysis with this set of data revealed distinct clusters for samples that originated from China and Malaysia. Relatively low concentrations of sabinene (< 0.2%) and high concentrations of 3-carene (10.9 – 21.1%) were observed in these samples, respectively, compared to oil samples from other countries. The enantiomeric distributions of key terpene markers, viz., β-pinene, sabinene, limonene, and terpinen-4-ol, were determined by chiral GC/MS analysis. Interestingly, for these four monoterpenes, levo-isomers were found to be predominant, emphasizing the highly conserved enzymatic processes occurring in P. nigrum. Moreover, consistent enantiomeric ratios ((−) isomer/(+) isomer) of 92.2 ± 3.0% for β-pinene, 94.8 ± 2.8% for sabinene, 60.7 ± 1.1% for limonene, and 78.3 ± 1.3% for terpinen-4-ol were observed, independent of geographical location. These results demonstrate the potential of using stereospecific compositions as chiral signatures for establishing the authenticity and quality of black pepper oil.


Author(s):  
Günther Loose ◽  
Günter Vogt ◽  
Mireille Charmantier-Daures ◽  
Guy Charmantier ◽  
Steffen Harzsch

This chapter reviews the development of the major organ systems in crustaceans, including musculature, nervous system, circulatory system, digestive system, osmoregulatory system, excretory system, reproductive system, and sensory organs. It describes the morphological unfolding of these organ systems, which generally follows cleavage, gastrulation, and segmentation in the course of ontogeny. Particular emphasis is given to the organ-specific temporal dynamics of development, the onset of functionality, and possible correlations with developmental mode, life history, and ecology. The anatomy and cellular characteristics of developing organs are generally better investigated than aspects of physiology, biochemistry, and molecular biology. Investigations in different crustaceans revealed that the speed of development of the various organ systems varies considerably within an individual and between species. As a rule of thumb, anlagen of the nervous tissue, muscular tissue, digestive system, and excretory organs appear first, followed by the circulatory system. Osmoregulatory organs are formed later. The reproductive organs are the last to emerge and to become functional. The mode of development, behavior, and ecology of the postembryonic stages seem to be major determinants that influence the speed differences of organogenesis. This is reflected by timing differences in development of the digestive system between directly and indirectly developing representatives or species with or without lecithotrophic larvae. Other features of the dynamics of organogenesis suggest evolutionary constraints, such as the delayed development of the nervous system in postnaupliar, relative to naupliar, segments in some species. Mechanistic constraints may be involved in heart development and development of nontransitory osmoregulatory organs.


Plants ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (9) ◽  
pp. 328 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana V. González-de-Peredo ◽  
Mercedes Vázquez-Espinosa ◽  
Estrella Espada-Bellido ◽  
Marta Ferreiro-González ◽  
Antonio Amores-Arrocha ◽  
...  

Myrtus communis L. is an evergreen shrub that produces berries with a high content in antioxidant compounds. Since these compounds have demonstrated a positive effect on human health, the interest on berries and their usages has increased. However, environmental conditions may affect the productivity of these species and consequently the quality of wild myrtle. Ecotypes from diverse geographical origins may result in significant variations in terms of bioactive compounds content as well as in chemical traits. For this reason, in this work ecotypes from two different localizations have been studied to determine if their differences in morphological and anthocyanins traits can be attributed to their origin and the environmental characteristics of these locations. For this, chemometric analyses such as Hierarchical Cluster Analysis and Principal Component Analysis, were employed. The results showed differences between the ecotypes depending on their location. In particular, myrtle berries from maritime zones present greater fruit size and amount of bioactive compounds, which means an improvement in the quality of the final product based on this raw material. It can be concluded that both morphological and anthocyanins traits are related to the location of the ecotype and allow selecting the best ecotype for the required applications.


Metabolites ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph Rothwell ◽  
Erikka Loftfield ◽  
Roland Wedekind ◽  
Neal Freedman ◽  
Callie Kambanis ◽  
...  

Coffee drinking has been associated with a lower risk of certain chronic diseases and overall mortality. Its effects on disease risk may vary according to the type of coffee brew consumed and its chemical composition. We characterized variations in the chemical profiles of 76 coffee brew samples representing different brew methods, roast levels, bean species, and caffeine types, either prepared or purchased from outlets in Rockville, Maryland, United States of America. Samples were profiled using liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry, and the main sources of chemical variability identified by the principal component partial R-square multivariable regression were found to be brew methods (Rpartial2 = 36%). A principal component analysis (PCA) was run on 18 identified coffee compounds after normalization for total signal intensity. The three first principal components were driven by roasting intensity (41% variance), type of coffee beans (29%), and caffeine (8%). These variations were mainly explained by hydroxycinnamoyl esters and diketopiperazines (roasting), N-caffeoyltryptophan, N-p-coumaroyltryptophan, feruloylquinic acids, and theophylline (coffee bean variety) and theobromine (decaffeination). Instant coffees differed from all coffee brews by high contents of diketopiperazines, suggesting a higher roast of the extracted beans. These variations will be important to consider for understanding the effects of different coffee brews on disease risk.


Molecules ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (21) ◽  
pp. 5203
Author(s):  
Saud L. Al-Rowaily ◽  
Ahmed M. Abd-ElGawad ◽  
Abdulaziz M. Assaeed ◽  
Abdelbaset M. Elgamal ◽  
Abd El-Nasser G. El Gendy ◽  
...  

Plants are considered green resources for thousands of bioactive compounds. Essential oils (EOs) are an important class of secondary compounds with various biological activities, including allelopathic and antimicrobial activities. Herein, the present study aimed to compare the chemical profiles of the EOs of the widely distributed medicinal plant Calotropis procera collected from Saudi Arabia and Egypt. In addition, this study also aimed to assess their allelopathic and antimicrobial activities. The EOs from Egyptian and Saudi ecospecies were extracted by hydrodistillation and analyzed via GC-MS. The correlation between the analyzed EOs and those published from Egypt, India, and Nigeria was assessed by principal component analysis (PCA) and agglomerative hierarchical clustering (AHC). The allelopathic activity of the extracted EOs was tested against two weeds (Bidens pilosa and Dactyloctenium aegyptium). Moreover, the EOs were tested for antimicrobial activity against seven bacterial and two fungal strains. Ninety compounds were identified from both ecospecies, where 76 compounds were recorded in Saudi ecospecies and 33 in the Egyptian one. Terpenes were recorded as the main components along with hydrocarbons, aromatics, and carotenoids. The sesquiterpenes (54.07%) were the most abundant component of EO of the Saudi sample, while the diterpenes (44.82%) represented the mains of the Egyptian one. Hinesol (13.50%), trans-chrysanthenyl acetate (12.33%), 1,4-trans-1,7-cis-acorenone (7.62%), phytol (8.73%), and myristicin (6.13%) were found as the major constituents of EO of the Saudi sample, while phytol (38.02%), n-docosane (6.86%), linoleic acid (6.36%), n-pentacosane (6.31%), and bicyclogermacrene (4.37%) represented the main compounds of the Egyptian one. It was evident that the EOs of both ecospecies had potent phytotoxic activity against the two tested weeds, while the EO of the Egyptian ecospecies was more effective, particularly on the weed D. aegyptium. Moreover, the EOs showed substantial antibacterial and antifungal activities. The present study revealed that the EOs of Egyptian and Saudi ecospecies were different in quality and quantity, which could be attributed to the variant environmental and climatic conditions. The EOs of both ecospecies showed significant allelopathic and antimicrobial activity; therefore, these EOs could be considered as potential green eco-friendly resources for weed and microbe control, considering that this plant is widely grown in arid habitats.


PROTOPLASMA ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 257 (2) ◽  
pp. 371-390 ◽  
Author(s):  
Markus S. Reut ◽  
Bartosz J. Płachno

Abstract The terrestrial carnivorous species Utricularia dichotoma is known for a great phenotypic plasticity and unusual vegetative organs. Our investigation on 22 sources/populations revealed that after initiation of a leaf and two bladders on a stolon, a bud was formed in the proximal axil of the leaf, developing into a rosette with up to seven organs. The first two primordia of the bud grew into almost every possible combination of organs, but often into two anchor stolons. The patterns were generally not population specific. The interchangeability of organs increased with increasing rank in the succession of organs on stolon nodes. A high potential of switching developmental programs may be successful in a fluctuating environment. In this respect, we were able to show that bladders developed from anchor stolons experimentally when raising the water table. Anatomical structures were simple, lacunate and largely homogenous throughout all organs. They showed similarities with many hydrophytes, reflecting the plant’s adaptation to (temporarily) submerged conditions. The principal component analysis was used in the context of dynamic morphology to illustrate correlations between organ types in the morphospace of U. dichotoma, revealing an organ specific patchwork of developmental processes for typical leaves and shoots, and less pronounced for a typical root. The concept and methods we applied may prove beneficial for future studies on the evolution of Lentibulariaceae, and on developmental morphology and genetics of unusual structures in plants.


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