Baliospermum montanum (Muell - Arg) which belong to Euphorbiaceae family is a well known perennial herb in Indian medicine used to treat various disorders like asthma, bronchitis, purgative, ...anthelmintic, diuretic, diaphoretic, rubefacient and tonic. The anti-inflammatory activity of four different solvent extracts of B. montanum leaf was investigated in Phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) induce peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) cells using MTT assay. Among the samples, ethyl acetate extract revealed good anti-inflammatory response comparatively with other extracts such as hexane, acetone, methanol and the preliminary screening of phytochemical test was investigated. The results of phytochemical screening revealed the presence of flavonoids, tannin, steroids, glycosides, amino acid and carbohydrates. Our study demonstrates that the ethyl acetate extracts of B. montanum leaves contains effective anti-inflammatory agents, which could ultimately be used as functional material and traditional remedy against inflammation.
Euphorbiaceae is one of the largest families of flowering plants. Due to its exceptional growth form diversity and near-cosmopolitan distribution, it has attracted much interest since ancient times. ...SBP-box (SBP) genes encode plant-specific transcription factors that play critical roles in numerous biological processes, especially flower development. We performed genome-wide identification and characterization of SBP genes from four economically important Euphorbiaceae species.
In total, 77 SBP genes were identified in four Euphorbiaceae genomes. The SBP proteins were divided into three length ranges and 10 groups. Group-6 was absent in Arabidopsis thaliana but conserved in Euphorbiaceae. Segmental duplication played the most important role in the expansion processes of Euphorbiaceae SBP genes, and all the duplicated genes were subjected to purify selection. In addition, about two-thirds of the Euphorbiaceae SBP genes are potential targets of miR156, and some miR-regulated SBP genes exhibited high intensity expression and differential expression in different tissues. The expression profiles related to different stress treatments demonstrated broad involvement of Euphorbiaceae SBP genes in response to various abiotic factors and hormonal treatments.
In this study, 77 SBP genes were identified in four Euphorbiaceae species, and their phylogenetic relationships, protein physicochemical characteristics, duplication, tissue and stress response expression, and potential roles in Euphorbiaceae development were studied. This study lays a foundation for further studies of Euphorbiaceae SBP genes, providing valuable information for future functional exploration of Euphorbiaceae SBP genes.
Lignins are phenylpropanoid polymers, derived from monolignols, commonly found in terrestrial plant secondary cell walls. We recently reported evidence of an unanticipated catechyl lignin homopolymer ...(C lignin) derived solely from caffeyl alcohol in the seed coats of several monocot and dicot plants. We previously identified plant seeds that possessed either C lignin or traditional guaiacyl/syringyl (G/S) lignins, but not both. Here, we identified several dicot plants (Euphorbiaceae and Cleomaceae) that produce C lignin together with traditional G/S lignins in their seed coats. Solution-state NMR analyses, along with an in vitro lignin polymerization study, determined that ther is, however, no copolymerization detectable (i.e., that the synthesis and polymerization of caffeyl alcohol and conventional monolignols in vivo is spatially and/or temporally separated). In particular, the deposition of G and C lignins in Cleome hassleriana seed coats is developmentally regulated during seed maturation; C lignin appears successively after G lignin within the same testa layers, concurrently with apparent loss of the functionality of O-methyltransferases, which are key enzymes for the conversion of C to G lignin precursors. This study exemplifies the flexible biosynthesis of different types of lignin polymers in plants dictated by substantial, but poorly understood, control of monomer supply by the cells.
If genetic constraints are important, then rates and direction of evolution should be related to trait evolvability. Here we use recently developed measures of evolvability to test the genetic ...constraint hypothesis with quantitative genetic data on floral morphology from the Neotropical vine Dalechampia scandens (Euphorbiaceae). These measures were compared against rates of evolution and patterns of divergence among 24 populations in two species in the D. scandens species complex. We found clear evidence for genetic constraints, particularly among traits that were tightly phenotypically integrated. This relationship between evolvability and evolutionary divergence is puzzling, because the estimated evolvabilities seem too large to constitute real constraints. We suggest that this paradox can be explained by a combination of weak stabilizing selection around moving adaptive optima and small realized evolvabilities relative to the observed additive genetic variance.
•Sachi inchi (Plukenetia volubilis L.) is a good source of unsaturated lipids.•Bioactive compounds from sachi inchi seeds, shells and leaves summarized.•Physicochemical properties and sensory aspects ...of sachi inchi oil reviewed.•Diversified utilization of the whole sachi inchi plant has great potential.
Sacha inchi (Plukenetia volubilis L.) is native to the Peruvian Amazon and is recognised in other parts of the world as a sustainable crop with viable commercial applications. In recent years, there has been growing interest in developing the sacha inchi plant as a novel source of oil rich in unsaturated fatty acids. This review presents information on the major and minor chemical components, health effects and utilization of different parts (seeds, seed shells and leaves) of this plant. In particular, the physicochemical properties and oxidative stability of sacha inchi seed oil are described. The whole sacha inchi plant has been utilized to generate nutritional, cosmetic and pharmaceutical products with the goal to maximize its economic value. The sacha inchi plant may become a valuable resource for high value-added compounds used in many diverse food and non-food products.
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are ~21 nt non-coding RNAs which regulate post-transcriptional gene expression. miRNAs are key regulators of nearly all essential biological processes. Aiming at understanding ...miRNA's functions in Euphorbiaceae, a large flowering plant family, we performed a genome-scale systematic study of miRNAs in Euphorbiaceae, by combining computational prediction and experimental analysis to overcome the difficulty of lack of genomes for most Euphorbiaceous species. Specifically, we predicted 85 conserved miRNAs in 23 families in the Castor bean (Ricinus communis), and experimentally verified and characterized 58 (68.2%) of the 85 miRNAs in at least one of four Euphorbiaceous species, the Castor bean, the Cassava (Manihot esculenta), the Rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis) and the Jatropha (Jatropha curcas) during normal seedling development. To elucidate their function in stress response, we verified and profiled 48 (56.5%) of the 85 miRNAs under cold and drought stresses as well as during the processes of stress recovery. The results revealed some species- and condition-specific miRNA expression patterns. Finally, we predicted 258 miRNA:target partners, and identified the cleavage sites of six out of ten miRNA targets by a modified 5' RACE. This study produced the first collection of miRNAs and their targets in EUPHORBIACEAE: Our results revealed wide conservation of many miRNAs and diverse functions in Euphorbiaceous plants during seedling growth and in response to abiotic stresses.
The Croton heliotropiifolius (Euphorbiaceae family) is a shrubby plant that has attracted attention both by the need for conservation as for their pharmacological potential. The present study aimed ...to characterize the diversity and structure genetic of a population of C. heliotropiifolius present in a forest fragment in the city of Itapetinga, Bahia. Young leaves were collected from 41 individuals after DNA extraction were genotyped with 18 RAPD primers and 15 ISSR primers. Frequentist and Bayesian statistical methods were used to estimate the diversity and genetic structure, being observed a total of 164 polymorphic markers (mean 4 and 4.3 bands obtained with the use of RAPD and ISSR primers, respectively). Genetic diversity ranging between 0.12 and 0.48 and Bayesian method indicated by the existence of three probable gene pools (K = 3). Indications of association between spatial distribution of plants and the genetic structure were also observed, being likely that the dynamics of the seed carriage performed by the ants and the pollination by insects are related with the results observed. These results allow the beginning of a discussion about the diversity and genetics patterns of the species, since there are no studies of this nature for C. heliotropiifolius.
Croton campinarensis Secco, A. Rosário & PE Berry is an aromatic species recently discovered in the Amazon region. This study first reports the chemical profile, antioxidant capacity, and preliminary ...toxicity to A. salina Leach of the essential oil (EO) of this species. The phytochemical profile of the essential oil was analyzed by gas chromatography (GC/MS) and (GC-FID). The antioxidant capacity of the EO was measured by its inhibition of ABTSsup.*+ and DPPHsup.* radicals. Molecular modeling was used to evaluate the mode of interaction of the major compounds with acetylcholinesterase (AChE). The results indicate that the EO yield was 0.24%, and germacrene D (26.95%), bicyclogermacrene (17.08%), (E)-caryophyllene (17.06%), and δ-elemene (7.59%) were the major compounds of the EO sample. The EO showed a TEAC of 0.55 ± 0.04 mM·Lsup.−1 for the reduction of the ABTSsup.*+ radical and 1.88 ± 0.08 mM·Lsup.−1 for the reduction of the DPPHsup.* radical. Regarding preliminary toxicity, the EO was classified as toxic in the bioassay with A. salina (LCsub.50 = 20.84 ± 4.84 µg·mLsup.−1 ). Through molecular docking, it was found that the majority of the EO components were able to interact with the binding pocket of AChE, a molecular target related to toxicity evaluated in A. salina models; the main interactions were van der Waals and π-alkyl interactions.
The Euphorbiaceae produce a diverse range of diterpenoids, many of which have pharmacological activities. These diterpenoids include ingenol mebutate, which is licensed for the treatment of a ...precancerous skin condition (actinic keratosis), and phorbol derivatives such as resiniferatoxin and prostratin, which are undergoing investigation for the treatment of severe pain and HIV, respectively. Despite the interest in these diterpenoids, their biosynthesis is poorly understood at present, with the only characterized step being the conversion of geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate into casbene. Here, we report a physical cluster of diterpenoid biosynthetic genes from castor (Ricinus communis), including casbene synthases and cytochrome P450s from the CYP726A subfamily. CYP726A14, CYP726A17, and CYP726A18 were able to catalyze 5-oxidation of casbene, a conserved oxidation step in the biosynthesis of this family of medicinally important diterpenoids. CYP726A16 catalyzed 7,8-epoxidation of 5-keto-casbene and CYP726A15 catalyzed 5-oxidation of neocembrene. Evidence of similar gene clustering was also found in two other Euphorbiaceae, including Euphorbia peplus, the source organism of ingenol mebutate. These results demonstrate conservation of gene clusters at the higher taxonomic level of the plant family and that this phenomenon could prove useful in further elucidating diterpenoid biosynthetic pathways.
Many exotic Euphorbiaceae species, including tung tree (Vernicia fordii), castor bean (Ricinus communis), Bernardia pulchella, and Euphorbia lagascae, accumulate unusual fatty acids in their seed ...oils, many of which have valuable properties for the chemical industry. However, various adverse plant characteristics including low seed yields, production of toxic compounds, limited growth range, and poor resistance to abiotic stresses have limited full agronomic exploitation of these plants. Biotechnological production of these unusual fatty acids (UFA) in high yielding non-food oil crops would provide new robust sources for these valuable bio-chemicals. Previous research has shown that expression of the primary UFA biosynthetic gene alone is not enough for high-level accumulation in transgenic seed oils; other genes must be included to drive selective UFA incorporation into oils. Here, we use a series of in planta molecular genetic studies and in vitro biochemical measurements to demonstrate that lysophosphatidic acid acyltransferases from two Euphorbiaceae species have high selectivity for incorporation of their respective unusual fatty acids into the phosphatidic acid intermediate of oil biosynthesis. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that unusual fatty acid accumulation arose in part via co-evolution of multiple oil biosynthesis and assembly enzymes that cooperate to enhance selective fatty acid incorporation into seed oils over that of the common fatty acids found in membrane lipids.
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