Induction and evaluation of secondary metabolite and antioxidant activity in adventitious root of Codonopsis javanica

In this study, the effects of auxin (IBA, NAA), explants, and culture conditions (light/dark) on adventitious root induction of Codonopsis javanica were investigated. The results showed that dark conditions were more suitable for adventitious root induction than light conditions. All three types of explants (internodes, leaves, and nodes) induced adventitious roots, and the appropriate concentration of auxin was 0.5 mg/l IBA. After 4 weeks of incubation under dark conditions, the rooting percentage and number of roots/explant of internode, leaf, and node segments on media supplemented with 0.5 mg/l IBA were 100% and 33.87 roots, 97.78% and 23.48 roots, 100% and 25.20 roots, respectively. These adventitious roots were analysed for the presence of alkaloids, carbohydrates, saponin, fixed oils and fats, phenol, flavonoids, gum, and mucilage. The total polysaccharide content, total phenolic content, and the antioxidant activity (IC50) of C. javanica adventitious root biomass were 16.98%, 1.876 (mg GAE/g DW), and 2.44 (mg/ml), respectively. These results indicate that the adventitious roots of C. javanica contain bioactive compounds, which can be used as a material source for multiplication in large-scale systems.

Floridean Starch and Floridoside Metabolic Pathways of Neoporphyra haitanensis and Their Regulatory Mechanism under Continuous Darkness

Floridean starch and floridoside are the main storage carbohydrates of red algae. However, their complete metabolic pathways and the origin, function, and regulatory mechanism of their pathway genes have not been fully elucidated. In this study, we identified their metabolic pathway genes and analyzed the changes in related gene expression and metabolite content in Neoporphyra haitanensis under continuous dark conditions. Our results showed that genes from different sources, including eukaryotic hosts, cyanobacteria, and bacteria, were combined to construct floridean starch and floridoside metabolic pathways in N. haitanensis. Moreover, compared with those in the control, under continuous dark conditions, floridean starch biosynthesis genes and some degradation genes were significantly upregulated with no significant change in floridean starch content, whereas floridoside degradation genes were significantly upregulated with a significant decrease in floridoside content. This implies that floridean starch content is maintained but floridoside is consumed in N. haitanensis under dark conditions. This study elucidates the “floridean starch–floridoside” metabolic network and its gene origins in N. haitanensis for the first time.

On the relationship between energy input to the ionosphere and the ion outflow flux under different solar zenith angles

The ionosphere is one of the important sources for magnetospheric plasma, particularly for heavy ions with low charge states. We investigate the effect of solar illumination on the number flux of ion outflow using data obtained by the Fast Auroral SnapshoT (FAST) satellite at 3000–4150 km altitude from 7 January 1998 to 5 February 1999. We derive empirical formulas between energy inputs and outflowing ion number fluxes for various solar zenith angle ranges. We found that the outflowing ion number flux under sunlit conditions increases more steeply with increasing electron density in the loss cone or with increasing precipitating electron density (> 50 eV), compared to the ion flux under dark conditions. Under ionospheric dark conditions, weak electron precipitation can drive ion outflow with small averaged fluxes (~ 107 cm−2 s−1). The slopes of relations between the Poynting fluxes and outflowing ion number fluxes show no clear dependence on the solar zenith angle. Intense ion outflow events (> 108 cm−2 s−1) occur mostly under sunlit conditions (solar zenith angle < 90°). Thus, it is presumably difficult to drive intense ion outflows under dark conditions, because of a lack of the solar illumination (low ionospheric density and/or small scale height owing to low plasma temperature). Graphical abstract

Photodynamic antimicrobial chemotherapy coupled with the use of the photosensitizers methylene blue and temoporfin as a potential novel treatment for Staphylococcus aureus in burn infections

Photodynamic antimicrobial chemotherapy (PACT) is a novel alternative antimicrobial therapy that elicits a broad mechanism of action and therefore has a low probability of generating resistance. Such properties make PACT ideally suited for utilization in localized applications such as burn wounds. The aim of this study was to determine the antimicrobial activity of MB and temoporfin against both a S. aureus isolate and a P. aeruginosa isolate in light (640 nm) and dark conditions at a range of time points (0–20 min). A Staphylococcus aureus isolate and a Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolate were treated in vitro with methylene blue (MB) and temoporfin under different conditions following exposure to light at 640 nm and in no-light (dark) conditions. Bacterial cell viability [colony-forming units (c.f.u.) ml−1] was then calculated. Against P. aeruginosa , when MB was used as the photosensitizer, no phototoxic effect was observed in either light or dark conditions. After treatment with temoporfin, a reduction of less than one log (7.00×107 c.f.u. ml−1) was observed in the light after 20 min of exposure. However, temoporfin completely eradicated S. aureus in both light and dark conditions after 1 min (where a seven log reduction in c.f.u. ml−1 was observed). Methylene blue resulted in a loss of S. aureus viability, with a two log reduction in bacterial viability (c.f.u. ml−1) reported in both light and dark conditions after 20 min exposure time. Temoporfin demonstrated greater antimicrobial efficacy than MB against both the S. aureus and P. aeruginosa isolates tested. At 12.5 µM temoporfin resulted in complete eradication of S. aureus . In light of this study, further research into the validity of PACT, coupled with the photosensitizers (such as temoporfin), should be conducted in order to potentially develop alternative antimicrobial treatment regimes for burn wounds.

Sistem Komunikasi Audio dengan Teknologi Visible Light Communication (VLC) Menggunakan Laser Led

Kegiatan masyarakat di era sekarang yang serba digital menggunakan teknologi tanpa kabel (wireless). Teknologi tanpa kabel menjadi andalan komunikasi, namun seiring perkembangann zaman, ada sebuah teknologi tanpa kabel dengan memanfaatkan cahaya tampak. Teknologi ini dikenal dengan istilah visible light communication (VLC). Sistem VLC terdiri dari bagian transmitter dan receiver. Transmitter berupa komponen-komponen elektronika yang terintegrasi dengan cahaya tampak sebagai media transmisi. Pada penelitian ini membuat bagian transmitter dan receiver untuk komunikasi audio. Cahaya tampak sebagai media transmisi menggunakan laser led karena cahaya dari laser led ini lebih fokus dan pancaran cahayanya lebih jauh dibandingkan dengan yang lain. Sedangkan di sisi receiver menggunakan solar panel sebagai penerima sinyal informasi yang dikirimkan. Penelitian ini berhasil membuat sebuah sistem komunikasi audio berbasis visible light communication. Variasi jarak antara transmitter dan receiver mempengaruhi kualitas suara yang diterima. Pada jarak 500 cm kualitas suara yaitu 99,2 dB pada kondisi gelap dan 99,1 dB kondisi terang. Perubahan sudut pancar transmitter terhadap receiver juga mempengaruhi hasil kualitas suara. Kualitas suara terbaik pada sudut 900 di kondisi terang dengan jarak 50 cm sebesar 97,9 dB sedangkan di kondisi gelap dengan jarak 50 cm pada sudut 1000 sebesar 98,1 dB. Abstract The people activities in today's digital era use wireless technology. Wireless technology has become the mainstay of communication, but along with the times, there is a wireless technology that uses visible light. This technology is known as visible light communication (VLC). The VLC system consist of transmitter and receiver. Transmitters are electronic components that are integrated with visible light as a transmission medium. In this study, the transmitter and receiver are made for audio communication. Visible light as a transmission medium uses an LED laser because the light from this LED laser is more focused and the light beam is farther away than the others. While on the receiver side using a solar panel as a receiver of the information signal that is sent. This research succeeded in making an audio communication system based on visible light communication. Variations in the distance between the transmitter and receiver affect the quality of the received sound. At a distance of 500 cm in dark conditions, the sound quality is 99.2 dB in light conditions and 99.1 dB. Changes in the beam angle of tranmitter to receiver also affect the sound quality. The best sound quality at an angle of 900 in bright conditions with a distance of 50 cm is 97.9 dB while in dark conditions with a distance of 50 cm at an angle of 1000 is 98.1 dB.

Accumulation of Phenolic Compounds and Glucosinolates in Sprouts of Pale Green and Purple Kohlrabi (Brassica oleracea var. gongylodes) under Light and Dark Conditions

Kohlrabi is considered an important dietary vegetable worldwide. In this study, we investigated the growth and accumulation of phenolic compounds (PCs) and glucosinolates in sprouts of pale green and purple kohlrabi (Brassica oleracea var. gongylodes) in response to light and dark conditions. Pale green kohlrabi presented high fresh weight and root length irrespective of light treatment, whereas under dark conditions, it presented higher fresh weight and shoot length than purple kohlrabi. In contrast, the root length of both kohlrabies increased markedly under light conditions compared to that under dark conditions. Thirteen PCs and eight glucosinolates were detected and quantified in 10-day-old pale green and purple kohlrabies. In both kohlrabies, the individual and total phenolic levels were much higher under the light treatment than under the dark treatment. Under light and dark conditions, the total phenolic content was 6362.13 and 5475.04 µg/g dry weight in the pale green kohlrabi, respectively, whereas in the purple kohlrabi, it was 10,115.76 and 9361.74 µg/g dry weight, respectively. Dark conditions favored higher accumulation of glucosinolates than light conditions. Progoitrin, neoglucobrassicin, glucoerucin, and 4-methoxyglucobrassicin were the predominant glucosinolates in both kohlrabies and were present in much higher amounts in the pale green kohlrabi. In pale green kohlrabi under dark conditions, the total glucosinolates content was 4.75 and 2.62 times higher than that of the purple kohlrabi under light and dark conditions, respectively. Among individual glucosinolates, in the pale green kohlrabi under the dark condition, progoitrin was found to have the highest content, which was 90.28 and 54.51 times higher than that in the purple kohlrabi under light and dark conditions, respectively. These results show that the phenolic and glucosinolates levels varied widely, and these variations between the two types of kohlrabi under both light and dark conditions were significant. Our findings suggest that light and dark conditions enhance the accumulation of PCs and glucosinolates, respectively, during the development of kohlrabi seedlings.

Dual Emissive Ir(III) Complexes for Photodynamic Therapy and Bioimaging

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a cancer treatment still bearing enormous prospects of improvement. Within the toolbox of PDT, developing photosensitizers (PSs) that can specifically reach tumor cells and promote the generation of high concentration of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is a constant research goal. Mitochondria is known as a highly appealing target for PSs, thus being able to assess the biodistribution of the PSs prior to its light activation would be crucial for therapeutic maximization. Bifunctional Ir(III) complexes of the type [Ir(C^N)2(N^N-R)]+, where N^C is either phenylpyridine (ppy) or benzoquinoline (bzq), N^N is 2,2′-dipyridylamine (dpa) and R either anthracene (1 and 3) or acridine (2 and 4), have been developed as novel trackable PSs agents. Activation of the tracking or therapeutic function could be achieved specifically by irradiating the complex with a different light wavelength (405 nm vs. 470 nm respectively). Only complex 4 ([Ir(bzq)2(dpa-acr)]+) clearly showed dual emissive pattern, acridine based emission between 407–450 nm vs. Ir(III) based emission between 521 and 547 nm. The sensitivity of A549 lung cancer cells to 4 evidenced the importance of involving the metal center within the activation process of the PS, reaching values of photosensitivity over 110 times higher than in dark conditions. Moreover, complex 4 promoted apoptotic cell death and possibly the paraptotic pathway, as well as higher ROS generation under irradiation than in dark conditions. Complexes 2–4 accumulated in the mitochondria but species 2 and 4 also localizes in other subcellular organelles.

Seed germination ecology of Sumatran fleabane (Conyza sumatrensis) in relations to various environmental parameters

Sumatran fleabane [Conyza sumatrensis (Retz.) Walker] is an emerging weed in the Australian cropping region. Populations resistant to glyphosate have evolved in Australia, creating the demand for information regarding the seed germination ecology of glyphosate-resistant (R) and glyphosate susceptible (S) populations of C. sumatrensis. A study was conducted to examine the effect of temperature, light intensity, salt stress, osmotic stress, and burial depth on the germination and emergence of two populations (R and S) of C. sumatrensis. Both populations were able to germinate over a wide range of alternating day/night temperatures (15/5 to 35/25 C). In light/dark conditions, the R population had higher germination than the S population at 20/10 and 35/25 C. In the dark, the R population had higher germination than the S population at 25/15 C. In the dark, germination was inhibited at 30/20 C and above. Averaged over populations, seed germination of C. sumatrensis was reduced by 97% at zero light intensity (completely dark conditions) compared with full light intensity. Seed germination of C. sumatrensis reduced by 17 and 85% at an osmotic potential of −0.4, and −0.8 MPa, respectively, compared with the control treatment. The R population had lower germination (57%) than the S population (72%) at a sodium chloride concentration of 80 mM. Seed germination was highest on the soil surface and emergence was reduced by 87 and 90% at burial depths of 0.5 and 1.0 cm, respectively. Knowledge gained from this study suggests that a shallow-tillage operation to bury weed seeds in conventional tillage systems, and retention of high residue cover in a zero-till system on the soil surface may inhibit the germination of C. sumatrensis. This study also warrants that the R population may have a greater risk of invasion over a greater part of a year due to germination over a broader temperature range.

Removal of Phenolic Compounds from Olive Mill Wastewater by Microalgae Grown Under Dark and Light Conditions

Phenolic compounds in olive mill wastewater (OMW) are considered an environmental threat due to their antimicrobial properties. Because of the metabolic versatility of microalgae, a biotic removal of these compounds seems a suitable approach. To investigate the biotic removal of phenolic compounds, the three microalgae species Chlorella vulgaris, Acutodesmus obliquus and Monoraphidium braunii were cultivated in flasks under constant light (50 µmol/m2s) and dark (1 g/L glucose) conditions in presence of different concentrations of OMW. Addition of 1% (v/v) OMW to the culture medium was shown to be non-inhibitory or even growth enhancing, and phenolic compounds were removed by 7–21% by all tested species. Cultivations with 6% (v/v) OMW resulted in a few exceptional experiments in fast growth (C. vulgaris under light, M. braunii under dark conditions) and removal of phenolic compounds (M. braunii, dark). Higher percentages (12 and 25%, v/v) of OMW were inhibitory. Under dark conditions microalgae first consumed glucose and removed phenolic compounds in a diauxic process. Removal of phenolic compounds was favoured under light conditions. Results of this study reveal the opportunities and the challenges of a microalgae-based removal of phenolic compounds and valorization of toxic OMW. Graphic abstract