Search results for "Cardenolide"
showing 10 items of 20 documents
Insulin resistance and endogenous digoxin-like factor in obese hypertensive patients with glucose intolerance
1992
Hypertensive obese subjects with glucose intolerance have hyperinsulinaemia, insulin resistance and intracellular cation imbalance resulting in increased sodium content. The aim of our study was to assess in these patients plasma levels of endogenous digoxin-like factor (EDLF), an inhibitor of the sodium-pump mechanism. We studied 14 hypertensive and 12 normotensive subjects with obesity and glucose intolerance for fasting blood glucose, and plasma insulin, C-peptide and EDLF levels: the two groups were matched for age and BMI and were studied after a 2-week wash-out period from hypotensive drugs. Compared with normotensives, hypertensive subjects had higher plasma insulin levels, a greater…
Plant hormones and Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain 82.139 induce efficient plant regeneration in the cardenolide-producing plant Digitalis minor
2002
Summary Shoot formation in explants of Digitalis minor was achieved, through axillary bud proliferation and adventitious bud differentiation, by varying the amount and source of plant hormones. Shoot regeneration was also obtained after infection of D. minor with the wild-type Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain 82.139, which induced shooty tumours. These shoots were not transgenic, as revealed by nopaline assays and the use of a C58pMP90/T139GUS-INT strain harbouring the intron inactivated gusA gene. Plants were easily rooted and transplanted into the greenhouse. Shoot cultures of D. minor accumulated up to 226 μg cardenolides per g dry mass when cultured on agar-solidified medium. Cardenolid…
Induction of digoxin-like material production, and the digoxin binding in the unicellular organism Tetrahymena by digitoxin.
1998
Thin layer chromatographic, and laser-confocal microscopic analyses with a monoclonal antibody to digoxin also displaying high affinity to digoxigenin, were used to determine the presence and localization of cardioactive glycosides. Tetrahymena pyriformis was found to possess digitoxigenin-like material, but digoxin, digitoxin, digoxigenin, gitoxin and lanatoside C were not detected. Digitoxin treatment elicited the appearance of a digoxin-like material in the progeny generations. Digoxin was taken up by untreated Tetrahymena, especially strongly 24 h after digitoxin treatment. While the cardenolide was localized in vesicles of the cell body in untreated Tetrahymena, the engulfed digoxin ap…
Cardenolide variation within and among natural populations of Digitalis obscura
1999
Summary Cardenolide content in 49 wild-growing Digitalis obscura plants from six natural populations on the Iberian Peninsula was determined by HPLC. Series A and B glycosides were the predominant cardenolides in all samples, but absolute values varied among and within populations. Hierarchic analysis of variance showed that the proportion of variation attributable to individuals was significantly higher than that attributable to population differences. Furthermore, analyses from greenhouse-grown plants, generated from seeds collected from selected parental genotypes, attributed nearly all the variability in cardenolide content to single plants. Some individual plants showed a leaf content …
Factors affecting shoot proliferation and vitrification inDigitalis obscura cultures
1992
Variations of composition and consistency of the culture medium and time of exposure to growth regulators were assayed to optimize normal caulogenic response ofDigitalis obscura hypocotyls cultured in vitro. The effects of the culture conditions on physiologic changes related to vitrification of the regenerated plants were also investigated. Liquid medium increased the bud-forming capacity of the explants but induced buds failed to develop into shoots and showed symptoms of vitrification. On agar-solidified media, maximum multiplication rates were achieved with 0.7% agar. Increasing agar concentration reduced vitrification but lowered the propagation rate. Changes in the strength of the mac…
Effects of Gibberellic Acid on Morphogenesis and Cardenolide Accumulation in Juvenile and Adult Digitalis obscura Cultures
1993
Summary Effects of gibberellic acid on morphogenesis and cardenolide accumulation in in vitro cultures of Digitalis obscura are reported. Cultures were established from hypocotyls or leaves of axenic seedlings and shoot tips of mature plants. Irrespective of the kind of explant, gibberellic acid by itself did not induce morphogenesis but modified those morphogenic responses promoted by auxins and/or cytokinins, always inhibited organogenesis and favoured both embryo formation and conversion into plants. Gibberellic acid did not significantly affect cardenolide content of plants regenerated from juvenile or mature D. obscura explants.
SOIL CHARACTERISTICS, MINERAL NUTRIENTS, BIOMASS, AND CARDENOLIDE PRODUCTION INDIGITALIS OBSCURAWILD POPULATIONS
2002
Mature leaves of wild-growing Digitalis obscura plants and soil samples were collected in four different regions. Soil and leaf mineral nutrient contents as well as biomass and cardenolide productions were determined. The soils in the four collection sites, basic and highly calcareous, showed significant interpopulation differences in phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), manganese (Mn), copper (Cu), and zinc (Zn). Foliar mineral nutrients and cardenolides also varied among populations. Highest cardenolide yield was found in those Digitalis populations presenting a better development. The cardenolide content exhibited significant negative correlations with the levels …
Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated genetic transformation of the cardenolide-producing plant Digitalis minor L.
2003
A repeatable transformation system has been established for Digitalis minor using Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Leaf explants from 30-day-old seedlings were inoculated with either EHA105 (carrying the nptII and gusA genes) or AGL1 (with the bar and gusA genes) strains. Among the tested factors influencing T-DNA transfer to plants, the EHA105 strain and the addition of acetosyringone to the co-culture medium increased transformation. The highest transformation efficiency (8.4%) was obtained when freshly isolated explants, soaked in a bacterial suspension with an OD 550 of 0.9, were subcultured on selection medium after a 4-day co-culture with the bacteria. Evidence of stable transgene integrati…
Plant progesterone 5β-reductase is not homologous to the animal enzyme. Molecular evolutionary characterization of P5βR from Digitalis purpurea
2007
Plants of the genus Digitalis produce cardiac glycosides, i.e. digoxin, which are widely used for congestive heart failure. Progesterone 5beta-reductase (P5betaR) is a key enzyme in the biosynthesis of these natural products. Here, we have carried out the purification and partial amino acid sequencing of the native P5betaR from foxglove (Digitalis purpurea), and isolated a cDNA encoding this enzyme. Similarly to other steroid 5beta-reductases, the recombinant P5betaR catalyzes the stereospecific reduction of the Delta(4)-double bond of several steroids with a 3-oxo,Delta(4,5) structure. The gene encoding P5betaR is expressed in all plant organs, and maximally transcribed in leaves and matur…
Soil‐plant relationships, micronutrient contents, and cardenolide production in natural populations of Digitalis obscura
2004
The production of secondary metabolites by plants growing in natural populations is conditioned by environmental factors. In the present study, we have investigated the relationships among soil properties, micronutrients in soils and plants, and cardenolide production from wild Digitalis obscura (Scrophulariaceae) populations. Young and mature leaves and soil samples were collected in ten different populations, corresponding to three Mediterranean bioclimatic belts (Thermo-, Meso-, and Supramediterranean belts). Soil (total and EDTA-extractable) and leaf micronutrients (Fe, Mn, Zn, and Cu), and leaf cardenolide accumulation have been determined. Significant negative correlations were observ…