Lysiphyllum strychnifolium (Craib) A. Schmitz (LS) has been traditionally used as a medicinal herb by folk healers in Thailand with rare evidence-based support. Hepatic cytochrome P450s (CYPs450) are ...well known as the drug-metabolizing enzymes that catalyze all drugs and toxicants. In this study, we investigated the mRNA levels of six clinically important CYPs450, i.e., CYP1A2, 3A2, 2C11, 2D1, 2D2, and 2E1, in rats given LS extracts. Seventy Wistar rats were randomized into seven groups (n = 10). Each group was given LS stem ethanol (SE) and leaf water (LW) extracts orally at doses of 300, 2000, and 5000 mg/kg body weight (mg/kg.bw) for twenty-eight consecutive days. After treatment, the expression of CYPs450 genes was measured using quantitative real-time PCR. The results revealed that SE and LW, which contained quercetin and gallic acid, promoted the upregulation of all CYPs450. Almost all CYPs450 genes were downregulated in all male LW-treated rats but upregulated in female-treated groups, suggesting that CYP gene expressions in LS-treated rats were influenced by gender. Moderate and high doses of the LS extracts had a tendency to induce six CYP450s’ transcription levels in both rat genders. CYP2E1 gene showed a unique expression level in male rats receiving SE at a dose of 2000 mg/kg.bw, whereas a low dose of 300 mg/kg.bw was found in the LW-treated female group. As a result, our findings suggest that different doses of LS extracts can moderate the varying mRNA expression of clinically relevant CYP genes. In this study, we provide information about CYP induction and inhibition in vivo, which could be a desirable condition for furthering the practical use of LS extracts in humans.
Spiked centaury (Centaurium spicatum) is a well-known medicinal plant from the Mediterranean region with various bioactivities, but there are no studies addressing the use of different solvent ...systems to improve its pharmacological potential. Nine extraction procedures were adapted to study the effects of solvent composition on the content of bioactive compounds in C. spicatum extracts and on corresponding bioactivities. Targeted metabolomics was performed to obtain information on the chemical composition of extracts. Ethanol-water-based extraction procedures were the most efficient in isolating polyphenols, while less polar butanol extract contained the highest amount of iridoids. Antioxidant potential analysis revealed stronger activity in extracts with higher polyphenol content. Bacillus cereus and Staphylococus aureus were designated as the most sensitive bacterial strains to the activity of extracts, while among the micromycetes tested, Penicillium funiculosum was the most susceptible strain. Butanol extract showed antivirulence potential on Candida albicans morphological transition from yeast to hyphal form, and selected extracts were effective against biofilm formation in two Candida species. All the extracts tested in this study showed no cytotoxic activity to immortalize human skin keratinocyte cell line (HaCaT), whereas extracts obtained by ethanol-water extraction stand out for their potent wound healing effects. Moreover, the influence of the extraction solvent system on various bioactivities of C. spicatum is reported herein for the first time. Overall, the results presented in this study promote the use of C. spicatum as a source of natural products with potential antioxidant, wound healing, and antimicrobial applications that are potentially safe for human use.
The distribution range and occurrence of the rare and threatened epixylic moss Buxbaumia viridis have been reviewed in Serbia. Climatic conditions of its recent distribution in Serbia were involved ...in species distribution modeling and analyzed with the aim of obtaining a projection of unknown potential sites and future scenarios of its distribution dynamics. The results achieved suggest potential distribution range of the species will be significantly reduced. According to the climate change models, the habitat changes including the range loss of this species are predicted to be drastic, i.e., between 93% and 97% by the year 2050, and between 98% and 99.9% by the year 2070, affecting primarily lower elevations of its current range in Serbia. A major reason for the projected decline of the species is climate change combined with continued poor forest management.
The paper presents the results of the analysis of cotton weight per boll, yield, fiber output, fiber length and fiber quality of the newly created medium-fiber “Nasib” cotton variety, which is ...studied as the selection test. A three-year analysis of fiber microneur, hardness, length, uniformity, index of short fibers, elongation at break, soiling, defect count, reflectivity and yellowness is presented.
In this paper, we studied the transformation of two 3beta-hydroxy-5-ene-steroids-pregnenolone and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) by Backusella lamprospora VKM F- 944. The soil-dwelling zygomycete ...wild-type strain has been earlier selected during the screening and previously unexplored for this purpose. The fungus fully converted pregnenolone to form a mixture of axial 7alpha-hydroxy-pregnenolone and 7alpha,11alpha-dihydroxy-pregnenolone, while no metabolites with beta-orientation of the hydroxyl group were detected. The pathway to 7alpha,11alpha-diOH-pregnenolone seems to include 7alpha-hydroxylation of 11alpha-hydroxylated derivative. The only product from DHEA was identified as 7alpha-hydroxy-DHEA. The structures of steroid metabolites were confirmed by HPLC, mass-spectrometry (MS), and .sup.1H and .sup.13C NMR analyses. Under the optimized conditions, the yield of 7alpha-OH-DHEA reached 94% (w/w) or over 14 g/L in absolute terms, even at high concentration of the substrate (DHEA) (15 g/L). To our knowledge, it is the highest yield of the value-added 7alpha-OH-DHEA reported so far. The results contribute to the knowledge of the diversity of the wild-type fungal strains capable of effective steroid hydroxylation. They could be applied for the production of allylic steroid 7alpha-alcohols that are widely used in medicine.
Hop essential oil (HEO), extracted from the hop plant (Humulus lupulus L.), is a pivotal player in the brewing industry and presents diverse opportunities across various products. This article aims ...to underscore the uniqueness of HEO, emphasizing not only its critical role in beer production but also its aromatic and functional properties that extend beyond the brewing sector. In contrast to similar articles, this review goes beyond the traditional application of HEO in brewing and highlights its emerging role in diverse sectors such as aromatherapy, personal care products, and the food industry. The array of aromatic profiles from different hop varieties allows breweries to innovate and create a wide spectrum of unique flavors and aromas, offering a distinctive approach in the brewing landscape. The significance of this manuscript lies in addressing the increasing demand for natural and aromatic products, propelling the growth of the HEO market.
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•Hop essential oil enriches beer aroma, flavor, stability.•Hop essential oil market expansion spurs new applications.•The majority of patents (46.5 %) refer to pharmaceutical applications of hop essential oil.•Hop essential oil is used in food, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and animal feed.
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