Anti-breast carcinoma effects of green synthesized nickel nanoparticles from Alhagi ‎sparsifolia leaf aqueous extract: A pre-clinical trial study ‎

IntroductionMany nanoparticles have pharmacological and biochemical properties, including antioxidant and anti-‎inflammatory properties, which appear to be involved in anticarcinogenic and antimutagenic activities. In the recent study, nickel nanoparticles were green-synthesized using the Alhagi sparsifolia leaf aqueous ‎extract. ‎Material and methodsThe synthesized Ni nanoparticles‎ were characterized by analytical techniques including SEM, UV-Vis., and FT-‎IR. The nanoparticles were formed in a spherical shape in the average size of 16.19 nm. ‎ResultsIn the antioxidant test, the IC50 of Ni nanoparticles‎ and BHT against DPPH free radicals were 316 and 231 ‎‎µg/mL, respectively. In the cellular and molecular part of the recent study, the treated cells with Ni ‎nanoparticles‎ were assessed by MTT assay for 48h about the cytotoxicity and anti-human breast cancer ‎properties on normal (HUVEC) and breast cancer cell lines i.e. lobular carcinoma of breast (UACC-3133), ‎inflammatory carcinoma of the breast (UACC-732), and metastatic carcinoma (MDA-MB-453). The viability of ‎malignant breast cell line reduced dose-dependently in the presence of Ni nanoparticles‎. The IC50 of Ni ‎nanoparticles‎ were 477, 548, and 605 µg/mL against lobular carcinoma of breast (UACC-3133), inflammatory ‎carcinoma of the breast (UACC-732), and metastatic carcinoma (MDA-MB-453) cell lines, respectively. ‎ConclusionsAfter clinical study, nickel nanoparticles containing Alhagi sparsifolia leaf aqueous extract may be used to ‎formulate a new chemotherapeutic drug or supplement to treat the several types of human breast cancer. ‎

Chryseobacterium endalhagicum sp. nov., isolated from seed of leguminous plant

A Gram-stain-negative, yellow-pigmented bacterium, designated as L7T, was isolated from seeds of Alhagi sparsifolia Shap., a leguminous plant that grows in northwest PR China. Strain L7T was found to be non-flagellated, non-spore forming rods which can grow at 10–37 °C, pH 6.0–8.5 and in 0–3 % (v/w) NaCl concentration. The 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis showed that strain L7T belongs to the genus Chryseobacterium with sequence similarities to Chryseobacterium vietnamense GIMN1.005T (98.1%), C. bernardetii NCCTC13530T (98.0%), C. vrystaatense LMG 22846T (97.9%), C. nakagawai NCTC13529T (97.7%), C. shigense DSM 17126T (97.6%) and C. rhizosphaerae RSB3-1T (97.5%). The average nucleotide identity of strain L7T to 31 reference strains were 78.6–85.6 %, lower than the species delineation threshold of 95 %. MK-6 was the only respiratory quinone of L7T and major fatty acids were iso-C15 : 0, iso-C17 : 0 3-OH, C16 : 1 ω7c and/or C16 : 1 ω6c, isoC17 : 1 ω9c and/or C16 : 0 10-methyl. The major polar lipids were phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, three unidentified aminophospholipids, two unidentified aminolipids, three unidentified glycolipids and two unidentified lipids. The G+C content of the genome was 38.58 mol%. On the basis of polyphasic taxonomy analyses in this study, strain L7T is considered to represent a novel species in the genus Chryseobacterium , for which the name Chryseobacterium endalhagicum sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is L7T (=MCCC 1K05687T=JCM 34506T)

Topsoil Nutrients Drive Leaf Carbon and Nitrogen Concentrations of a Desert Phreatophyte in Habitats with Different Shallow Groundwater Depths

Phreatophytes are deep-rooted plants that reach groundwater and are widely distributed in arid and semiarid areas around the world. Multiple environmental factors affect the growth of phreatophytes in desert ecosystems. However, the key factor determining the leaf nutrients of phreatophytes in arid regions remains elusive. This study aimed to reveal the key factors affecting the ecological stoichiometry of desert phreatophytes in the shallow groundwater of three oases at the southern rim of the Taklimakan Desert in Central Asia. Groundwater depth; groundwater pH and the degree of mineralization of groundwater; topsoil pH and salt concentration; topsoil and leaf carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus concentrations of phreatophytic Alhagi sparsifolia grown at groundwater depths of 1.3–2.2 m in the saturated aquifer zone in a desert–oasis ecotone in northwestern China were investigated. Groundwater depth was closely related to the mineralization degree of groundwater, topsoil C and P concentrations, and topsoil salt content and pH. The ecological stoichiometry of A. sparsifolia was influenced by depth, pH and the degree of mineralization of groundwater, soil nutrients and salt concentration. However, the effects of soil C and P concentrations on the leaf C and N concentrations of A. sparsifolia were higher than those of groundwater depth and pH and soil salt concentration. Moreover, A. sparsifolia absorbed more N in the soil than in the groundwater and atmosphere. This quantitative study provides new insights into the nutrient utilization of a desert phreatophyte grown at shallow groundwater depths in extremely arid desert ecosystems.

Biosynthesis of Fe nanoparticles using Alhagi sparsifolia extract for the treatment of colorectal carcinoma in the in vitro condition: A pre-clinical trial study

IntroductionThe preparation and formulation of new chemotherapeutic supplements and drugs with remarkable effects for the treatment of cancer are in the priority of both developing and developed countries. Recently, iron nanoparticles have been used as modern chemotherapeutic drugs for the treatment of several cancers such as leukemia, lung cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, etc. In the present study, iron nanoparticles were green-synthesized using the aqueous extract of Alhagi sparsifolia leaf aqueous extract.Material and methodsThe synthesized FeNPs were characterized by analytical techniques including SEM, TEM, UV-Vis., and FT-IR. The anti-human colorectal carcinoma activity of FeNPs was evaluated using MTT assay. In the cellular and molecular part of the recent study, the treated cells with FeNPs were assessed by MTT assay for 48h about the cytotoxicity and anti-human colorectal carcinoma properties on normal (HUVEC) and colorectal carcinoma cell lines i.e. HT-29, HCT 116, HCT-8, and Ramos.2G6.4C10.ResultsThe nanoparticles were formed in a spherical shape in the average size of 47.24 nm. In the antioxidant test, the IC50 of FeNPs and BHT against DPPH free radicals were 161 and 134 µg/mL, respectively. The viability of malignant colorectal cell line reduced dose-dependently in the presence of FeNPs. The IC50 of FeNPs were 250, 293, 276, and 344 µg/mL against HT-29, HCT 116, HCT-8, and Ramos.2G6.4C10 cell lines, respectively.ConclusionsAfter clinical study, iron nanoparticles containing Alhagi sparsifolia leaf aqueous extract may be used to formulate a new chemotherapeutic drug or supplement to treat the several types of human colorectal carcinoma.

Traditional Uses, Chemistry, Pharmacology, Toxicology and Quality Control of Alhagi sparsifolia Shap.: A Review

Alhagi sparsifolia Shap. (Kokyantak) is a ethnic medicine used in the Uyghur traditional medicine system for the treatment of colds, rheumatic pains, diarrhea, stomach pains, headaches, and toothaches, in addition to being an important local source of nectar and high-quality forage grass, and playing a crucial role in improving the ecological environment. Currently, approximately 178 chemical constituents have been identified from A. sparsifolia, including flavonoids, alkaloids, phenolic acids, and 19 polysaccharides. Pharmacological studies have already confirmed that A. sparsifolia has antioxidant, anti-tumor, anti-neuroinflammatory effects, hepatoprotective effects, renoprotective effects and immune regulation. Toxicological tests and quality control studies reveal the safety and nontoxicity of A. sparsifolia. Therefore, this paper systematically summarizes the traditional uses, botany, phytochemistry, pharmacology, quality control and toxicology of A. sparsifolia, in order to provide a beneficial reference of its further research.

Stoichiometry of C:N:P in the Roots of Alhagi sparsifolia Is More Sensitive to Soil Nutrients Than Aboveground Organs

The stoichiometry of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus (C:N:P) among leaves, stems, and roots reflects trade-offs in plants for acquiring resources and their growth strategy. The widely distributed plant Alhagi sparsifolia is an ideal species to study the ecological stoichiometry in different organs in response to the availability of nutrients and water in the desert ecosystem. However, which response of organs is most sensitive to environmental conditions is still unclear. To answer this question, we collected samples of plants and soils including not only aboveground leaves and stems, but also underground roots and soils from a wide range of arid areas during the growing season. The C, N, P, C:N, C:P, and N:P ratios in leaves, thorns, stems, and roots were derived to explore their relationship as well as their response mechanisms to nutrients and water spanning 1 m deep in the soil. The results showed that the order of N concentration was leaves > thorns > stems > roots, that the concentration of P in the leaves, thorns, and stems was similar, and that their values were higher than those in the roots. First, the C:N ratios in the leaves and stems were significantly positively correlated with the ratio in roots. The C:N ratios in each organ showed a significant relationship with the soil alkali hydrolyzable nitrogen (SAN) above a depth of 60 cm. In addition to SAN, soil available phosphorus (SAP) and soil organic carbon (SOC) affect the C:N ratio in the roots. Second, the C:P and N:P ratios in aboveground organs showed no correlations with the ratios in roots. The C:P and N:P ratios in the leaves and thorns have no relationship with soil nutrients, while the C:P ratio in roots was influenced by SAN and SOC in all soil layers. Finally, the N:P ratios in roots were also affected by nutrients in different soil depths at 0–20 and 60–80 cm. These results illustrate that the roots were more sensitive to soil nutrients than the aboveground parts. Our study of ecological stoichiometry also suggests a novel systematic approach for analyzing the sensitivity of responses of an organ to environmental conditions.

Structure and driving factors of the soil microbial community associated with Alhagi sparsifolia in an arid desert

Environmental properties are important factors in structuring soil microbial communities. The primary driving factors vary in different ecosystems. In the present work, we analyzed the microbial communities of rhizosphere and bulk soils associated with the halophyte Alhagi sparsifolia across three salt/water gradients in the desert area around Ebinur Lake Basin, China, using high-throughput sequencing technology. We found that there were significant differences in soil water content (SWC), soil salinity (SAL), total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorus (TP) contents between the three water/salt gradients. In the L (low water and salt) plot, Actinobacteria was the most abundant bacterial phylum while Ascomycota was the dominant fungal phylum. The relative abundance of Actinobacteria was negatively correlated with soil pH, soil organic carbon (SOC), TP, and available phosphorus (AP). The abundance of Bacteroidetes was significantly positively correlated with soil SOC, SWC, SAL, pH, TN, and TP (P < 0.05). The abundance of fungal phylum Chytridiomycota was significantly positively correlated with pH (P < 0.01), SWC, AP, and sulfate ion (P < 0.05). SOC and nitrate nitrogen were the main factors impacting the bacterial community, while ammonium nitrogen (NH4+) and TP were the main driving forces for the fungal community. Soil nutrients were the main contributors to the dissimilarities in the bacterial and fungal communities, explaining 48.06% and 44.45% of the variation. SWC, SAL, and pH explained only a small percentage of the microbial community dissimilarity. In conclusion, soil microbial community structure was affected by SWC, SAL, pH, and soil nutrients, with soil nutrients as the main driving factors. Nitrogen has a differential effect on the different microbial communities: bacterial communities of Alhagi sparsifolia were mainly affected by nitrate nitrogen, while fungal communities were mainly driven by ammonium nitrogen.