Enzymatic water extraction of taxifolin from wood sawdust of Larix gmelini (Rupr.) Rupr. and evaluation of its antioxidant activity
Abstract An enzyme incubation–water extraction (EI–WE) method was developed and optimised for the extraction of the natural antioxidant taxifolin and of the total flavonoids from wood sawdust of Larix gmelini ( Rupr. ) Rupr. A factorial design and a central composite design approach were used for method optimisation. Optimal conditions were 0.5 mg/ml cellulase and 0.5 mg/ml pectinase, a pH of 5.0, a temperature of 32 °C and 18 h incubation time. The flavonoids and taxifolin were extracted in hot water at 50 °C for 30 min, with a solid to liquid ratio of 1:20. Under optimised conditions, the yields of taxifolin and total flavonoids increased from 1.06 ± 0.08 to 1.35 ± 0.04 mg/g and 4.13 ± 0.…
Correction: Phylogeny of the Eurasian Wren Nannus troglodytes (Aves: Passeriformes: Troglodytidae) reveals deep and complex diversification patterns of Ibero-Maghrebian and Cyrenaican populations
The Mediterranean Basin represents a Global Biodiversity Hotspot where many organisms show high inter- and intraspecific differentiation. Extant phylogeographic patterns of terrestrial circum-Mediterranean faunas were mainly shaped through Pleistocene range shifts and range fragmentations due to retreat into different glacial refugia. Thus, several extant Mediterranean bird species have diversified by surviving glaciations in different hospitable refugia and subsequently expanded their distribution ranges during the Holocene. Such a scenario was also suggested for the Eurasian Wren (Nannus troglodytes) despite the lack of genetic data for most Mediterranean subspecies. Our phylogenetic mult…
Cytotoxic activity of secondary metabolites derived from Artemisia annua L. towards cancer cells in comparison to its designated active constituent artemisinin
Artemisia annua L. (sweet wormwood, qinhao) has traditionally been used in Chinese medicine. The isolation of artemisinin from Artemisia annua and its worldwide accepted application in malaria therapy is one of the showcase success stories of phytomedicine during the past decades. Artemisinin-type compounds are also active towards other protozoal or viral diseases as well as cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. Nowadays, Artemisia annua tea is used as a self-reliant treatment in developing countries. The unsupervised use of Artemisia annua tea has been criticized to foster the development of artemisinin resistance in malaria and cancer due to insufficient artemisinin amounts in the plant as c…
Expanding the Therapeutic Spectrum of Artemisinin: Activity Against Infectious Diseases Beyond Malaria and Novel Pharmaceutical Developments
The interest of Western medicine in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) as a source of drug leads/new drugs to treat diseases without available efficient therapies has been dramatically augmented in the last decades by the extensive work and the outstanding findings achieved within this kind of medicine. The practice of TCM over thousands of years has equipped scientists with substantial experience with hundreds of plants that led to the discovery of artemisinin (qinghaosu), which is extracted from the medicinal plant Artemisia annua L. (qinghao). The unexpected success of artemisinin in combating malaria has drawn strong attention from the scientific community towards TCM. Artemisinin was d…
Differences in gene flow in a twofold secondary contact zone of pond turtles in southern Italy (Testudines: Emydidae:Emys orbicularis galloitalica,E. o. hellenica,E. trinacris)
Using virtually range-wide sampling for three pond turtle taxa (Emys orbicularis galloitalica, E. o. hellenica, E. trinacris), we analyse gene flow across their southern Italian contact zone. Based on population genetic analyses of 15 highly polymorphic microsatellite loci and a mitochondrial marker, we show that the general genetic pattern matches well with the current taxon delimitation. Yet, single individuals with conflicting genetic identity suggest translocation of turtles by humans. In addition, we identify in south-western France and the vicinity of Rome populations being heavily impacted by introduced turtles. Cline analyses reveal that the major genetic break between E. o. galloit…
Genetic admixture despite ecological segregation in a North African sparrow hybrid zone (Aves, Passeriformes, Passer domesticus × Passer hispaniolensis)
Under different environmental conditions, hybridization between the same species might result in different patterns of genetic admixture. Particularly, species pairs with large distribution ranges and long evolutionary history may have experienced several independent hybridization events over time in different zones of overlap. In birds, the diverse hybrid populations of the house sparrow (Passer domesticus) and the Spanish sparrow (Passer hispaniolensis) provide a striking example. Throughout their range of sympatry, these two species do not regularly interbreed; however, a stabilized hybrid form (Passer italiae) exists on the Italian Peninsula and on several Mediterranean islands. The spa…
Phylogeny and species limits in the Palaearctic chiffchaffPhylloscopus collybitacomplex: mitochondrial genetic differentiation and bioacoustic evidence*
Nucleotide sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene (1041 bp), analysis of vocalizations and behavioural evidence from zones of contact were used to reassess the species limits and phylogenetic relationships at the species and subspecies levels in the Phylloscopus collybita complex. A new classification is proposed which recognizes four biological species. Phylloscopus brehmii (Iberia) and P. canariensis (Canary Islands) are genetically and bioacoustically highly distinct. There is no mitochondrial gene flow between them or with P. collybita. The Mountain Chiffchaff P. sindianus (with subspecies sindianus and Iorenzii) is equally distinct genetically from southwest Asian subspecies …
Genes of Secondary Metabolism: Differential Expression in Plants and In Vitro Cultures and Functional Expression in Genetically Transformed Microorganisms
Plants had to develop strategies for defence against microorganisms and herbivores during evolution. The evolution of chemical defence, i.e. the production of the so-called secondary products can be regarded as one of the most important means in this context (Swain 1977, Rosenthal and Janzen 1979, Wink 1988). Since secondary metabolites evolved as biologically active compounds, it is not surprising that man has found a use for many of them, e.g. as medicinal agents, flavours, spices, colours, stimulants, hallucinogens, or pesticides. As a consequence, quite a number of secondary plant products are of economical importance.
Cellular and Subcellular Localization of Peroxidase Isoenzymes in Plants and Cell Suspension Cultures from Lupinus polyphyllus
Abstract , leaf protoplasts and cell suspension cultures of Lupinus polyphyllus and isolated vacuoles were studied for cellular and subcellular localization of peroxidase isoenzymes. Isoelectric focusing revealed 16 peroxidase isoenzymes. The basic peroxidase isoenzymes are predominantly localized in the vacuole and, to a minor degree, unbound in the intercellular space. The acidic isoenzymes are cell wall-bound in plants and not detectable in suspension-cultured cells. Large amounts (up to 11.0 U/ml) of a single basic isoenzyme are detectable in the spent medium of cell suspension cultures.
Chemical-Biology of Natural Products from Medicinal Plants for Cancer Therapy
Secondary metabolites are produced by an organism for defense towards competitors, herbivores, and pathogens. They also act as signal compounds to attract animals for pollination and seed dispersal. Fortunately, many secondary metabolites from plants exhibit diverse pharmacological features. Exploitation of these beneficial effects is the primary goal of researchers working in the area of molecular pharmacology of natural products. Natural products are among the major players in pharmacology in general and in cancer therapy in particular. A considerable portion of antitumor agents currently used in the clinic are of natural origin (e.g. Vinca alkaloids, taxanes, podophyllotoxin, camptotheci…
Diversity of Pharmacological Properties in Chinese and European Medicinal Plants: Cytotoxicity, Antiviral and Antitrypanosomal Screening of 82 Herbal Drugs
In an extensive screening, the antiviral, antitrypanosomal and anticancer properties of extracts from 82 plants used in traditional Chinese medicine and European phytomedicine were determined. Several promising plants that were highly effective against hepatitis B virus (HBV), bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV)—a flavivirus used here as a surrogate in vitro model of hepatitis C virus, trypanosomes (Trypanosoma brucei brucei) and several cancer cell lines were identified. Six aqueous extracts from Celosia cristata, Ophioglossum vulgatum, Houttuynia cordata, Selaginella tamariscina, Alpinia galanga and Alpinia oxyphylla showed significant antiviral effects against BVDV without toxic effects …
Resveratrol mediated cancer cell apoptosis, and modulation of multidrug resistance proteins and metabolic enzymes.
Abstract Background The degree of intracellular drug accumulation by specific membrane transporters, i.e., MDR1, BCRP, and MRP, and the degree of detoxification by intracellular metabolic enzymes, i.e., CYP3A4 and GST, provide control for cancer chemotherapy through diminishing the propensity of cancer cells to undergo apoptosis which in turn modulates the unresolved and complex phenomenon of multidrug resistance (MDR) for the cancer cells. Hypothesis/Purpose This study dwells into the interaction details involving ABC-transporters, CYP3A4, GST and cytotoxic effects of resveratrol on different cell lines. Methods Resveratrol was evaluated for its ability modulating the expression and efflux…
Molecular phylogeny of Old World swifts (Aves: Apodiformes, Apodidae, Apus and Tachymarptis) based on mitochondrial and nuclear markers.
We provide a molecular phylogeny for Old World swifts of genera Apus and Tachymarptis (tribe Apodini) based on a taxon-complete sampling at the species level. Phylogenetic reconstructions were based on two mitochondrial (cytochrome b, 12S rRNA) and three nuclear markers (introns of fibrinogen and glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase plus anonymous marker 12884) while the myoglobin intron 2 did not show any intergeneric variation or phylogenetic signal among the target taxa at all. In contrast to previous hypotheses, the two genera Apus and Tachymarptis were shown as reciprocally monophyletic in all reconstructions. Apus was consistently divided into three major clades: (1) East Asian cl…