PubMed

Plants (Basel). 2023 Jun 20;12(12):2387. doi: 10.3390/plants12122387.ABSTRACTPlant-parasitic nematodes (PPNs) pose a threat to global food security in both the developed and developing worlds. PPNs cause crop losses worth a total of more than USD 150 billion worldwide. The sedentary root-knot nematodes (RKNs) also cause severe damage to various agricultural crops and establish compatible relationships with a broad range of host plants. This review aims to provide a broad overview of the strategies used to identify the morpho-physiological and molecular events that occur during RKN parasitism. It describes the most current developments in the transcriptomic, proteomic, and metabolomic strategies of nematodes, which are important for understanding compatible interactions of plants and nematodes, and several strategies for enhancing plant resistance against RKNs. We will highlight recent rapid advances in molecular strategies, such as gene-silencing technologies, RNA interference (RNAi), and small interfering RNA (siRNA) effector proteins, that are leading to considerable progress in understanding the mechanism of plant-nematode interactions. We also take into account genetic engineering strategies, such as targeted genome editing techniques, the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR associated protein 9 (Cas9) (CRISPR/Cas-9) system, and quantitative trait loci (QTL), to enhance the resistance of plants against nematodes.PMID:37376010 | DOI:10.3390/plants12122387

Plants (Basel). 2023 Jun 20;12(12):2382. doi: 10.3390/plants12122382.ABSTRACTAbelmoschus esculentus Linn. (okra, F. Malvaceae) is a fruit widely consumed all over the world. In our study, the anti-Alzheimer's potential of A. esculentus was evaluated. An in vitro DPPH free radical assay on A. esculentus seed's total extract and AChE inhibition potential screening indicated a significant anti-Alzheimer's activity of the extract, which was confirmed through an in vivo study in an aluminum-intoxicated rat model. Additionally, in vivo results demonstrated significant improvement in Alzheimer's rats, which was confirmed by improving T-maze, beam balance tests, lower serum levels of AChE, norepinephrine, glycated end products, IL-6, and MDA. The levels of dopamine, BDNF, GSH, and TAC returned to normal values during the study. Moreover, histological investigations of brain tissue revealed that the destruction in collagen fiber nearly returns back to the normal pattern. Metabolomic analysis of the ethanolic extract of A. esculentus seeds via LC-HR-ESI-MS dereplicated ten compounds. A network pharmacology study displayed the relation between identified compounds and 136 genes, among which 84 genes related to Alzheimer's disorders, and focused on AChE, APP, BACE1, MAPT and TNF genes with interactions to all Alzheimer's disorders. Consequently, the results revealed in our study grant potential dietary elements for the management of Alzheimer's disorders.PMID:37376007 | DOI:10.3390/plants12122382

Plants (Basel). 2023 Jun 19;12(12):2365. doi: 10.3390/plants12122365.ABSTRACTCRISPR/Cas9 (hereafter Cas9)-mediated gene knockout is one of the most important tools for studying gene function. However, many genes in plants play distinct roles in different cell types. Engineering the currently used Cas9 system to achieve cell-type-specific knockout of functional genes is useful for addressing the cell-specific functions of genes. Here we employed the cell-specific promoters of the WUSCHEL RELATED HOMEOBOX 5 (WOX5), CYCLIND6;1 (CYCD6;1), and ENDODERMIS7 (EN7) genes to drive the Cas9 element, allowing tissue-specific targeting of the genes of interest. We designed the reporters to verify the tissue-specific gene knockout in vivo. Our observation of the developmental phenotypes provides strong evidence for the involvement of SCARECROW (SCR) and GIBBERELLIC ACID INSENSITIVE (GAI) in the development of quiescent center (QC) and endodermal cells. This system overcomes the limitations of traditional plant mutagenesis techniques, which often result in embryonic lethality or pleiotropic phenotypes. By allowing cell-type-specific manipulation, this system has great potential to help us better understand the spatiotemporal functions of genes during plant development.PMID:37375990 | DOI:10.3390/plants12122365

Plants (Basel). 2023 Jun 14;12(12):2318. doi: 10.3390/plants12122318.ABSTRACTOur understanding of the long-term consequences of chronic ionising radiation for living organisms remains scarce. Modern molecular biology techniques are helpful tools for researching pollutant effects on biota. To reveal the molecular phenotype of plants growing under chronic radiation exposure, we sampled Vicia cracca L. plants in the Chernobyl exclusion zone and areas with normal radiation backgrounds. We performed a detailed analysis of soil and gene expression patterns and conducted coordinated multi-omics analyses of plant samples, including transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics. Plants growing under chronic radiation exposure showed complex and multidirectional biological effects, including significant alterations in the metabolism and gene expression patterns of irradiated plants. We revealed profound changes in carbon metabolism, nitrogen reallocation, and photosynthesis. These plants showed signs of DNA damage, redox imbalance, and stress responses. The upregulation of histones, chaperones, peroxidases, and secondary metabolism was noted.PMID:37375943 | DOI:10.3390/plants12122318

Plants (Basel). 2023 Jun 14;12(12):2313. doi: 10.3390/plants12122313.ABSTRACTJujube is a nutritious fruit, and is high in vitamin C, fiber, phenolics, flavonoids, nucleotides, and organic acids. It is both an important food and a source of traditional medicine. Metabolomics can reveal metabolic differences between Ziziphus jujuba fruits from different jujube cultivars and growth sites. In the fall of 2022, mature fresh fruit of eleven cultivars from replicated trials at three sites in New Mexico-Leyendecker, Los Lunas, and Alcalde-were sampled from September to October for an untargeted metabolomics study. The 11 cultivars were Alcalde 1, Dongzao, Jinsi (JS), Jinkuiwang (JKW), Jixin, Kongfucui (KFC), Lang, Li, Maya, Shanxi Li, and Zaocuiwang (ZCW). Based on the LC-MS/MS analysis, there were 1315 compounds detected with amino acids and derivatives (20.15%) and flavonoids (15.44%) as dominant categories. The results reveal that the cultivar was the dominant factor in metabolite profiles, while the location was secondary. A pairwise comparison of cultivar metabolomes revealed that two pairs had fewer differential metabolites (i.e., Li/Shanxi Li and JS/JKW) than all the other pairs, highlighting that pairwise metabolic comparison can be applied for cultivar fingerprinting. Differential metabolite analysis also showed that half of drying cultivars have up-regulated lipid metabolites compared to fresh or multi-purpose fruit cultivars and that specialized metabolites vary significantly between cultivars from 35.3% (Dongzao/ZCW) to 56.7% (Jixin/KFC). An exemplary analyte matching sedative cyclopeptide alkaloid sanjoinine A was only detected in the Jinsi and Jinkuiwang cultivars. Overall, our metabolic analysis of the jujube cultivar's mature fruits provides the largest resource of jujube fruit metabolomes to date and will inform cultivar selection for nutritional and medicinal research and for fruit metabolic breeding.PMID:37375938 | DOI:10.3390/plants12122313

Plants (Basel). 2023 Jun 12;12(12):2297. doi: 10.3390/plants12122297.ABSTRACTBACKGROUND: Plants from the Asteraceae family were commonly used to treat various diseases. The metabolomic profile of this family consisted of bioactive flavonoids and other phenolics. Chamomile is a member of the Asteraceae family. Jordanian and European chamomile are two varieties of Matricaria chamomilla (German chamomile), which were grown under different environmental conditions, were studied. Many examples of plant varieties with significant distinction in the secondary metabolite they afford have been described in the literature. Multivariate statistical analysis was employed to measure the depth of this variation in two chamomile varieties.METHODS: From both types, crude extracts were prepared using solvents of different polarities and tested for their biological activity. The semipolar fraction of the European variety showed anticancer and antioxidant activity. Meanwhile, the semipolar fraction of the Jordanian type exhibited only antioxidant activity. Both extracts were fractionated, and then the biological activity was again assayed.RESULTS: European and Jordanian chamomile fractions produced dicaffeoylquinic acid isomers exhibiting antioxidant capability. Additionally, Z-glucoferulic acid was produced from the European chamomile, demonstrating antioxidant activity. The European samples afforded two major compounds, chrysosplenetin and apigenin, that displayed anticancer activity.CONCLUSIONS: Different environmental conditions between Jordanian and European chamomile affected the type of isolated compounds. Structure elucidation was performed with HPLC-MS coupled with dereplication techniques and 2D NMR experiments.PMID:37375922 | DOI:10.3390/plants12122297

Plants (Basel). 2023 Jun 12;12(12):2286. doi: 10.3390/plants12122286.ABSTRACTThe original plant of Chinese medicine Stellariae Radix (Yin Chai Hu) is Stellaria dichotoma L. var. lanceolata Bge (abbreviated as SDL). SDL is a perennial herbaceous plant and a characteristic crop in Ningxia. Growth years are vital factors that affect the quality of perennial medicinal materials. This study aims to investigate the impact of growth years on SDL and screen for the optimal harvest age by comparing the medicinal material characteristics of SDL with different growth years. Additionally, metabolomics analysis using UHPLC-Q-TOF MS was employed to investigate the impact of growth years on the accumulation of metabolites in SDL. The results show that the characteristics of medicinal materials and the drying rate of SDL gradually increase with the increase in growth years. The fastest development period of SDL occurred during the first 3 years, after which the development slowed down. Medicinal materials characteristics of 3-year-old SDL exhibited mature qualities with a high drying rate, methanol extract content, and the highest content of total sterols and total flavonoids. A total of 1586 metabolites were identified, which were classified into 13 major classes with more than 50 sub-classes. Multivariate statistical analysis indicated significant differences in the diversity of metabolites of SDL in different growth years, with greater differences observed in metabolites as the growth years increased. Moreover, different highly expressed metabolites in SDL at different growth years were observed: 1-2 years old was beneficial to the accumulation of more lipids, while 3-5 years old was conducive to accumulating more alkaloids, benzenoids, etc. Furthermore, 12 metabolites accumulating with growth years and 20 metabolites decreasing with growth years were screened, and 17 significantly different metabolites were noted in 3-year-old SDL. In conclusion, growth years not only influenced medicinal material characteristics, drying rate, content of methanol extract, and total sterol and flavonoid contents, but also had a considerable effect on SDL metabolites and metabolic pathways. SDL planted for 3 years presented the optimum harvest time. The screened significantly different metabolites with biological activity, such as rutin, cucurbitacin e, isorhamnetin-3-o-glucoside, etc., can be utilized as potential quality markers of SDL. This research provides references for studying the growth and development of SDL medicinal materials, the accumulation of metabolites, and the selection of optimal harvest time.PMID:37375910 | DOI:10.3390/plants12122286

Pharmaceuticals (Basel). 2023 Jun 14;16(6):877. doi: 10.3390/ph16060877.ABSTRACTBACKGROUND: Chlorogenic acid (CHA) has been shown to have substantial biological activities, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antitumor effects. However, the pharmacological role of CHA in neuroblastoma has not yet been assessed. Neuroblastoma is a type of cancer that develops in undifferentiated sympathetic ganglion cells. This study aims to assess the antitumor activity of CHA against neuroblastoma and reveal its mechanism of action in cell differentiation.METHODS: Be(2)-M17 and SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells were used to confirm the differentiation phenotype. Subcutaneous and orthotopic xenograft mouse models were also used to evaluate the antitumor activity of CHA. Seahorse assays and metabolomic analyses were further performed to investigate the roles of CHA and its target ACAT1 in mitochondrial metabolism.RESULTS: CHA induced the differentiation of Be(2)-M17 and SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells in vivo and in vitro. The knockdown of mitochondrial ACAT1, which was inhibited by CHA, also resulted in differentiation characteristics in vivo and in vitro. A metabolomic analysis revealed that thiamine metabolism was involved in the differentiation of neuroblastoma cells.CONCLUSIONS: These results provide evidence that CHA shows good antitumor activity against neuroblastoma via the induction of differentiation, by which the ACAT1-TPK1-PDH pathway is involved. CHA is a potential drug candidate for neuroblastoma therapy.PMID:37375824 | DOI:10.3390/ph16060877

Pharmaceuticals (Basel). 2023 Jun 9;16(6):861. doi: 10.3390/ph16060861.ABSTRACTCryptotanshinone (CT), an active component of the traditional Chinese medicine Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge, exhibits a wide range of biological and pharmacological activities. Although the anticancer activity of CT is well known, the knowledge of its effect on the regulation of cancer cell metabolism is relatively new. The present study investigated the anticancer mechanism of CT in ovarian cancer with a focus on cancer metabolism. CCK8 assays, apoptosis assays, and cell cycle assays were conducted to reveal the growth-suppressive effect of CT on ovarian cancer A2780 cells. To explore the potential underlying mechanisms of CT, the changes in endogenous metabolites in A2780 cells before and after CT intervention were investigated using the gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) approach. A total of 28 important potential biomarkers underwent significant changes, mainly involving aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis, energy metabolism, and other pathways. Changes in the ATP and amino acid contents were verified with in vitro and in vivo experiments. Our results indicate that CT may exert an anti-ovarian cancer effect by inhibiting ATP production, promoting the protein catabolic process, and inhibiting protein synthesis, which may lead to cell cycle arrest and apoptosis.PMID:37375808 | DOI:10.3390/ph16060861

Pharmaceuticals (Basel). 2023 May 26;16(6):797. doi: 10.3390/ph16060797.ABSTRACTThe chemotherapy drug doxorubicin (DOX) is an anthracycline with over 30% incidence of liver injury in breast cancer patients, yet the mechanism of its hepatotoxicity remains unclear. To identify potential biomarkers for anthracycline-induced hepatotoxicity (AIH), we generated clinically-relevant mouse and rat models administered low-dose, long-term DOX. These models exhibited significant liver damage but no decline in cardiac function. Through untargeted metabolic profiling of the liver, we identified 27 differential metabolites in a mouse model and 28 in a rat model. We then constructed a metabolite-metabolite network for each animal model and computationally identified several potential metabolic markers, with particular emphasis on aromatic amino acids, including phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan. We further performed targeted metabolomics analysis on DOX-treated 4T1 breast cancer mice for external validation. We found significant (p < 0.001) reductions in hepatic levels of phenylalanine and tyrosine (but not tryptophan) following DOX treatment, which were strongly correlated with serum aminotransferases (ALT and AST) levels. In summary, the results of our study present compelling evidence supporting the use of phenylalanine and tyrosine as metabolic signatures of AIH.PMID:37375744 | DOI:10.3390/ph16060797

Nutrients. 2023 Jun 8;15(12):2679. doi: 10.3390/nu15122679.ABSTRACTThe endocannabinoid system (ECS) participates in regulating whole body energy balance. Overactivation of the ECS has been associated with the negative consequence of obesity and type 2 diabetes. Since activators of the ECS rely on lipid-derived ligands, an investigation was conducted to determine whether dietary PUFA could influence the ECS to affect glucose clearance by measuring metabolites of macronutrient metabolism. C57/blk6 mice were fed a control or DHA-enriched semi-purified diet for a period of 112 d. Plasma, skeletal muscle, and liver were collected after 56 d and 112 d of feeding the diets for metabolomics analysis. Key findings characterized a shift in glucose metabolism and greater catabolism of fatty acids in mice fed the DHA diet. Glucose use and promotion of fatty acids as substrate were found based on levels of metabolic pathway intermediates and altered metabolic changes related to pathway flux with DHA feeding. Greater levels of DHA-derived glycerol lipids were found subsequently leading to the decrease of arachidonate-derived endocannabinoids (eCB). Levels of 1- and 2-arachidonylglcerol eCB in muscle and liver were lower in the DHA diet group compared to controls. These findings demonstrate that DHA feeding in mice alters macronutrient metabolism and may restore ECS tone by lowering arachidonic acid derived eCB.PMID:37375583 | DOI:10.3390/nu15122679

Molecules. 2023 Jun 20;28(12):4877. doi: 10.3390/molecules28124877.ABSTRACTAcanthopanax senticosus (A. senticosus) is a member of Acanthopanax Miq. and is used in traditional Chinese medicine, and it has been found that grafting technology can be used to alter plant metabolite composition and transcriptome characteristics. In this study, shoots of A. senticosus were grafted onto the rootstocks of the vigorous Acanthopanax sessiliflorus (A. sessiliflorus) to improve its varietal characteristics. In order to investigate the changes in metabolites and transcriptional patterns in grafted A. senticosus leaves (GSCL), fresh leaves were collected from 2-year-old grafted A. senticosus scions, while self-rooted seedling A. senticosus leaves (SCL) were used as controls to analyse the transcriptome and metabolome. Metabolic profiles and gene expression patterns were further identified and correlated in special metabolite target pathways. The content of chlorogenic acid and triterpenoids in the GSCL was higher than in the control, while the quercetin content was lower. All these metabolic changes were associated with changes in the expression pattern of transcripts. Our results revealed the transcriptome and metabolome characteristics of GSCL. This may help to improve leaf quality in A. senticosus cultivation, suggesting that it is feasible to improve the medicinal quality of GSCL through asexual propagation, but the long-term effects need further investigation. In conclusion, this dataset provides a useful resource for future studies on the effects of grafting on medicinal plants.PMID:37375432 | DOI:10.3390/molecules28124877

Molecules. 2023 Jun 20;28(12):4872. doi: 10.3390/molecules28124872.ABSTRACTThis review explains the strategies behind genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, metallomics and isotopolomics approaches and their applicability to written artefacts. The respective sub-chapters give an insight into the analytical procedure and the conclusions drawn from such analyses. A distinction is made between information that can be obtained from the materials used in the respective manuscript and meta-information that cannot be obtained from the manuscript itself, but from residues of organisms such as bacteria or the authors and readers. In addition, various sampling techniques are discussed in particular, which pose a special challenge in manuscripts. The focus is on high-resolution, non-targeted strategies that can be used to extract the maximum amount of information about ancient objects. The combination of the various omics disciplines (panomics) especially offers potential added value in terms of the best possible interpretations of the data received. The information obtained can be used to understand the production of ancient artefacts, to gain impressions of former living conditions, to prove their authenticity, to assess whether there is a toxic hazard in handling the manuscripts, and to be able to determine appropriate measures for their conservation and restoration.PMID:37375427 | DOI:10.3390/molecules28124872

Molecules. 2023 Jun 20;28(12):4864. doi: 10.3390/molecules28124864.ABSTRACTIn recent years, fermented foods have attracted increasing attention due to their important role in the human diet, since they supply beneficial health effects, providing important sources of nutrients. In this respect, a comprehensive characterization of the metabolite content in fermented foods is required to achieve a complete vision of physiological, microbiological, and functional traits. In the present preliminary study, the NMR-based metabolomic approach combined with chemometrics has been applied, for the first time, to investigate the metabolite content of Phaseolus vulgaris flour fermented by different lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and yeasts. A differentiation of microorganisms (LAB and yeasts), LAB metabolism (homo- and heterofermentative hexose fermentation), LAB genus (Lactobacillus, Leuconostoc, and Pediococcus), and novel genera (Lacticaseibacillus, Lactiplantibacillus, and Lentilactobacillus) was achieved. Moreover, our findings showed an increase of free amino acids and bioactive molecules, such as GABA, and a degradation of anti-nutritional compounds, such as raffinose and stachyose, confirming the beneficial effects of fermentation processes and the potential use of fermented flours in the production of healthy baking foods. Finally, among all microorganisms considered, the Lactiplantibacillus plantarum species was found to be the most effective in fermenting bean flour, as a larger amount of free amino acids were assessed in their analysis, denoting more intensive proteolytic activity.PMID:37375419 | DOI:10.3390/molecules28124864

Molecules. 2023 Jun 20;28(12):4863. doi: 10.3390/molecules28124863.ABSTRACTEnvironmental metabolomics provides insight into how anthropogenic activities have an impact on the health of an organism at the molecular level. Within this field, in vivo NMR stands out as a powerful tool for monitoring real-time changes in an organism's metabolome. Typically, these studies use 2D 13C-1H experiments on 13C-enriched organisms. Daphnia are the most studied species, given their widespread use in toxicity testing. However, with COVID-19 and other geopolitical factors, the cost of isotope enrichment increased ~6-7 fold over the last two years, making 13C-enriched cultures difficult to maintain. Thus, it is essential to revisit proton-only in vivo NMR and ask, "Can any metabolic information be obtained from Daphnia using proton-only experiments?". Two samples are considered here: living and whole reswollen organisms. A range of filters are tested, including relaxation, lipid suppression, multiple-quantum, J-coupling suppression, 2D 1H-1H experiments, selective experiments, and those exploiting intermolecular single-quantum coherence. While most filters improve the ex vivo spectra, only the most complex filters succeed in vivo. If non-enriched organisms must be used, then, DREAMTIME is recommended for targeted monitoring, while IP-iSQC was the only experiment that allowed non-targeted metabolite identification in vivo. This paper is critically important as it documents not just the experiments that succeed in vivo but also those that fail and demonstrates first-hand the difficulties associated with proton-only in vivo NMR.PMID:37375418 | DOI:10.3390/molecules28124863

Molecules. 2023 Jun 14;28(12):4768. doi: 10.3390/molecules28124768.ABSTRACTBreast cancer (BC) is characterized by an extensive genotypic and phenotypic heterogeneity. In-depth investigations into the molecular bases of BC phenotypes, carcinogenesis, progression, and metastasis are necessary for accurate diagnoses, prognoses, and therapy assessments in predictive, precision, and personalized oncology. This review discusses both classic as well as several novel omics fields that are involved or should be used in modern BC investigations, which may be integrated as a holistic term, onco-breastomics. Rapid and recent advances in molecular profiling strategies and analytical techniques based on high-throughput sequencing and mass spectrometry (MS) development have generated large-scale multi-omics datasets, mainly emerging from the three "big omics", based on the central dogma of molecular biology: genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics. Metabolomics-based approaches also reflect the dynamic response of BC cells to genetic modifications. Interactomics promotes a holistic view in BC research by constructing and characterizing protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks that provide a novel hypothesis for the pathophysiological processes involved in BC progression and subtyping. The emergence of new omics- and epiomics-based multidimensional approaches provide opportunities to gain insights into BC heterogeneity and its underlying mechanisms. The three main epiomics fields (epigenomics, epitranscriptomics, and epiproteomics) are focused on the epigenetic DNA changes, RNAs modifications, and posttranslational modifications (PTMs) affecting protein functions for an in-depth understanding of cancer cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. Novel omics fields, such as epichaperomics or epimetabolomics, could investigate the modifications in the interactome induced by stressors and provide PPI changes, as well as in metabolites, as drivers of BC-causing phenotypes. Over the last years, several proteomics-derived omics, such as matrisomics, exosomics, secretomics, kinomics, phosphoproteomics, or immunomics, provided valuable data for a deep understanding of dysregulated pathways in BC cells and their tumor microenvironment (TME) or tumor immune microenvironment (TIMW). Most of these omics datasets are still assessed individually using distinct approches and do not generate the desired and expected global-integrative knowledge with applications in clinical diagnostics. However, several hyphenated omics approaches, such as proteo-genomics, proteo-transcriptomics, and phosphoproteomics-exosomics are useful for the identification of putative BC biomarkers and therapeutic targets. To develop non-invasive diagnostic tests and to discover new biomarkers for BC, classic and novel omics-based strategies allow for significant advances in blood/plasma-based omics. Salivaomics, urinomics, and milkomics appear as integrative omics that may develop a high potential for early and non-invasive diagnoses in BC. Thus, the analysis of the tumor circulome is considered a novel frontier in liquid biopsy. Omics-based investigations have applications in BC modeling, as well as accurate BC classification and subtype characterization. The future in omics-based investigations of BC may be also focused on multi-omics single-cell analyses.PMID:37375323 | DOI:10.3390/molecules28124768

Molecules. 2023 Jun 14;28(12):4754. doi: 10.3390/molecules28124754.ABSTRACTThe authenticity of food products marketed as health-promoting foods-especially unrefined, cold-pressed seed oils-should be controlled to ensure their quality and safeguard consumers and patients. Metabolomic profiling using liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-QTOF) was employed to identify authenticity markers for five types of unrefined, cold-pressed seed oils: black seed oil (Nigella sativa L.), pumpkin seed oil (Cucurbita pepo L.), evening primrose oil (Oenothera biennis L.), hemp oil (Cannabis sativa L.) and milk thistle oil (Silybum marianum). Of the 36 oil-specific markers detected, 10 were established for black seed oil, 8 for evening primrose seed oil, 7 for hemp seed oil, 4 for milk thistle seed oil and 7 for pumpkin seed oil. In addition, the influence of matrix variability on the oil-specific metabolic markers was examined by studying binary oil mixtures containing varying volume percentages of each tested oil and each of three potential adulterants: sunflower, rapeseed and sesame oil. The presence of oil-specific markers was confirmed in 7 commercial oil mix products. The identified 36 oil-specific metabolic markers proved useful for confirming the authenticity of the five target seed oils. The ability to detect adulterations of these oils with sunflower, rapeseed and sesame oil was demonstrated.PMID:37375308 | DOI:10.3390/molecules28124754

Molecules. 2023 Jun 12;28(12):4718. doi: 10.3390/molecules28124718.ABSTRACTMulberry leaves are a well-known traditional Chinese medicine herb, and it has been observed since ancient times that leaves collected after frost have superior medicinal properties. Therefore, understanding the changes in critical metabolic components of mulberry leaves, specifically Morus nigra L., is essential. In this study, we conducted widely targeted metabolic profiling analyses on two types of mulberry leaves, including Morus nigra L. and Morus alba L., harvested at different times. In total, we detected over 100 compounds. After frost, 51 and 58 significantly different metabolites were identified in the leaves of Morus nigra L. and Morus alba L., respectively. Further analysis revealed a significant difference in the effect of defrosting on the accumulation of metabolites in the two mulberries. Specifically, in Morus nigra L., the content of 1-deoxynojirimycin (1-DNJ) in leaves decreased after frost, while flavonoids peaked after the second frost. In Morus alba L., the content of DNJ increased after frost, reaching its peak one day after the second frost, whereas flavonoids primarily peaked one week before frost. In addition, an analysis of the influence of picking time on metabolite accumulation in two types of mulberry leaves demonstrated that leaves collected in the morning contained higher levels of DNJ alkaloids and flavonoids. These findings provide scientific guidance for determining the optimal harvesting time for mulberry leaves.PMID:37375273 | DOI:10.3390/molecules28124718

Molecules. 2023 Jun 11;28(12):4697. doi: 10.3390/molecules28124697.ABSTRACTSweet mogrosides are not only the primary bioactive ingredient in Siraitia grosvenorii fruits that exhibit anti-tussive properties and expectorate phlegm, but they are also responsible for the fruit's sweetness. Increasing the content or proportion of sweet mogrosides in Siraitia grosvenorii fruits is significant for improving their quality and industrial production. Post-ripening is an essential step in the post-harvest processing of Siraitia grosvenorii fruits, but the underlying mechanism and condition of post-ripening on Siraitia grosvenorii quality improvement need to be studied systematically. Therefore, this study analyzed the mogroside metabolism in Siraitia grosvenorii fruits under different post-ripening conditions. We further examined the catalytic activity of glycosyltransferase UGT94-289-3 in vitro. The results showed that the post-ripening process of fruits could catalyze the glycosylation of bitter-tasting mogroside IIE and III to form sweet mogrosides containing four to six glucose units. After ripening at 35 °C for two weeks, the content of mogroside V changed significantly, with a maximum increase of 80%, while the increase in mogroside VI was over twice its initial amount. Furthermore, under the suitable catalytic condition, UGT94-289-3 could efficiently convert the mogrosides with less than three glucose units into structurally diverse sweet mogrosides, i.e., with mogroside III as the substrate, 95% of it can converted into sweet mogrosides. These findings suggest that controlling the temperature and related catalytic conditions may activate UGT94-289-3 and promote the accumulation of sweet mogrosides. This study provides an effective method for improving the quality of Siraitia grosvenorii fruits and the accumulation of sweet mogrosides, as well as a new economical, green, and efficient method for producing sweet mogrosides.PMID:37375251 | DOI:10.3390/molecules28124697

Molecules. 2023 Jun 8;28(12):4653. doi: 10.3390/molecules28124653.ABSTRACTMuscat of Alexandria is one of the most aromatic grape cultivars, with a characteristic floral and fruity aroma, producing popular appellation of origin wines. The winemaking process is a critical factor contributing to the quality of the final product, so the aim of this work was to study metabolomic changes during the fermentation of grape musts at the industrial level from 11 tanks, 2 vintages, and 3 wineries of Limnos Island. A Headspace Solid-Phase Microextraction (HS-SPME) and a liquid injection with Trimethylsilyl (TMS) derivatization Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) methods were applied for the profiling of the main volatile and non-volatile polar metabolites originating from grapes or produced during winemaking, resulting in the identification of 109 and 69 metabolites, respectively. Multivariate statistical analysis models revealed the differentiation between the four examined time points during fermentation, and the most statistically significant metabolites were investigated by biomarker assessment, while their trends were presented with boxplots. Whilst the majority of compounds (ethyl esters, alcohols, acids, aldehydes, sugar alcohols) showed an upward trend, fermentable sugars, amino acids, and C6-compounds were decreased. Terpenes presented stable behavior, with the exception of terpenols, which were increased at the beginning and were then decreased after the 5th day of fermentation.PMID:37375206 | DOI:10.3390/molecules28124653