Lectin (APA) was purified from jequirity bean (Abrus precatorius) by affinity chromatography on insoluble ovomucoid. Lectin (APA) and conjugate Lectin-biotin have been used in ELLA technique (Enzyme Linked Lectinosorbent Assay) to detect some pathogenic bacteria. Based on its specific bioavailability to the poD-Gal sugar compounds in cell membrane, lectin (APA) was capable of differentiating B. anthracis and B. cereus from S. flexneri, S. sonnei, C. diphteria, and Salmonella and Staphylococcus aureus.
Lectins ; Abrus ; Diagnosis ; Bacteria

A study was conducted on biological active element lactin and clean lactin-biotin from Abrus precatorius in Hung Yen province. Result: clean lactin production from abrus precatorius and combination of Lectin (APA)-biotin were used to make ELISA to realize some disease-caused bacteria. Clean lectin (APA) related specific with original sugar β- D- Gal so it is able to realize B. anthracis bacterium and B. Cereus. Lectin (APA) does not connect with S. flexneri, S. sonnei, C.diphteriae and Salmonella bacteria. The findings of trial bring the new research approach in applying lectin in immunology production to contribute in diagnosis accurately bacterium strain cause disease.
Viruses ; Lectins ; Abrus

OBJECTIVEThe research aimed at the effects of different nitrogenous compounds on growth and nodulation of Abrus cantoniensis.

METHODAfter the seedlings of the herb were inoculated with rhizobia in potted culture, they were supplied with nutrition solutions which contained the three nitrogenous compounds, KNO3, NH4NO3, (NH4)2SO4 of different nitrogen concentration. The growth and nodulation of seedlings was determined after 70 days.

RESULTDifferent nitrogenous compounds were able to enhance the vegetable growth of seedlings variously. The effect of (NH4)2SO4 and NH4NO3 on growth was better than that of KNO3. Seedlings nodulation was obviously inhibited by these nitrogenous compounds. Their inhibitory effects ranked NH4NO3 > (NH4)2SO4 > KNO3. The treatments of KNO3 and the lower concentration treatments of NH4NO3 and (NH4)2 SO4 didn't inhibit the nodulation of seedlings, but the higher concentration treatment of NH4NO3 and (NH4)2SO4 severely inhibited nodulation or even made a no formation of nodule.

CONCLUSIONThe results showed that ammonium nitrogen the higher inhibitory ability to the nodulation of seedlings of A. cantoniensis than nitrate nitrogen. Therefore, the application of ammonium nitrogen fertilizer should be controlled in culture of the herb, which is in favor of increasing the function of biological nitrogen fixation and the quality of the medicinal materials of A. cantoniensis.

Abrus ; growth & development ; Ammonium Sulfate ; Biomass ; Fertilizers ; Nitrates ; Nitrogen Fixation ; physiology ; Plants, Medicinal ; growth & development ; Potassium Compounds ; Seedlings ; growth & development

OBJECTIVETo develop a method for ultrasonic extraction and determination of total flavonoids in Abrus cantoniensis, and to analyze its dynamic changes.

METHODThe optimized condition of extraction of total flavonoids was studied with orthogonal design. The contents of total flavonoids in different organs and of different growth stages were determined by UV-visible spectrophotometer.

RESULTThe ethanol volume and extraction times were the main factors impacting the effects of ultrasonic extraction. The content of total flavonoids in stems were higher than in roots and the lowest in leaves. The dynamic changes of total flavonoids contents in roots and stems of A. cantoniensis were in similar trends. Its total flavonoids content in the two parts of plant increased gradually with the growth and reached the maximum in October, and the content decreased significantly in Feburay of next year. The content of total flavonoids in leaves reached also to the highest value before leaves fell off.

CONCLUSIONThe optimized extraction method of total flavonoids in Abrus contoniensis was obtained with three times with 80% ethanol at 20 times of volume for 30 min. The results implied that the best yield and quality may be obtained before leaves fall.

Abrus ; chemistry ; growth & development ; Ethanol ; Flavonoids ; isolation & purification ; Plant Leaves ; chemistry ; Plant Roots ; chemistry ; Plant Stems ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; growth & development ; Seasons ; Technology, Pharmaceutical ; methods ; Ultrasonics

OBJECTIVEThe research aimed at studying the biological characteristics of rhizobia isolated from Abrus cantoniensis.

METHODThe rhizobia strains, isolated from different environments in Guangxi, were studied for their growing characters and the generation time. They were also compared for survival capabilities under stresses caused by NaCl, pH, temperature, and different kinds and concentration of antibiotics.

RESULTThe strains obtained from A. cantoniensis in subtropical zone produced alkali in YMA medium, the average generation time was 14.8 hours, and thus they belong to slow-growing rhizobia. Rhizobia strains differed greatly in respect to tolerance of high temperature, adaptability of acidic environment and sensitivity to four antibiotics, but they had the same abilities of using different carbon and nitrogen sources. After 70 days from inoculated strains, the seedling formed nodules on the root (85.0%), and the dry matter of vine was increased by 51.1%.

CONCLUSIONThe rhizobia strains isolated from different ecological environments are good germplasm resources of tolerances to high temperature and acidic environment. The research will greatly help utilize the rhizobia resources and enhance the quality of crude drugs of medicinal leguminosae.

Abrus ; microbiology ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; pharmacology ; Culture Media ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Nitrogen Fixation ; Plants, Medicinal ; microbiology ; Rhizobium ; drug effects ; growth & development ; isolation & purification ; Temperature

Lonchocarpine is a phenylpropanoid compound isolated from Abrus precatorius that has anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, antiproliferative, and antiepileptic activities. In the present study, we investigated the antioxidant effects of lonchocarpine in brain glial cells and analyzed its molecular mechanisms. We found that lonchocarpine suppressed reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and cell death in hydrogen peroxide-treated primary astrocytes. In addition, lonchocarpine increased the expression of antioxidant enzymes, such as heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1), and manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD), which are all under the control of Nrf2/antioxidant response element (ARE) signaling. Further, mechanistic studies showed that lonchocarpine increases the nuclear translocation and DNA binding of Nrf2 to ARE as well as ARE-mediated transcriptional activities. Moreover, lonchocarpine increased the phosphorylation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and three types of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs). By treating astrocytes with each signaling pathway-specific inhibitor, AMPK, c-jun N-terminal protein kinase (JNK), and p38 MAPK were identified to be involved in lonchocarpine-induced HO-1 expression and ARE-mediated transcriptional activities. Therefore, lonchocarpine may be a potential therapeutic agent for neurodegenerative diseases that are associated with oxidative stress.
Abrus ; AMP-Activated Protein Kinases* ; Antioxidants ; Astrocytes* ; Brain* ; Cell Death ; DNA ; Heme Oxygenase-1 ; Hydrogen ; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases ; Neurodegenerative Diseases ; Neuroglia ; Oxidative Stress ; p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases ; Phosphorylation ; Protein Kinases ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; Response Elements ; Superoxide Dismutase

The aim of this study was to evaluate the anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective effects of the total flavonoid C-glycosides isolated from Abrus mollis extracts (AME). In the anti-inflammatory tests, xylene-induced ear edema model in mice and carrageenan-induced paw edema model in rats were applied. The hepatoprotective effects of AME were evaluated with various in vivo models of acute and chronic liver injury, including carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced hepatitis in mice, D-galactosamine (D-GalN)-induced hepatitis in rats, as well as CCl4-induced hepatic fibrosis in rats. In the acute inflammation experiment, AME significantly suppressed xylene-induced ear edema and carrageenan-induced paw edema, respectively. In the acute hepatitis tests, AME significantly attenuated the excessive release of ALT and AST induced by CCl4 and D-GalN. In CCl4-induced hepatic fibrosis model, AME alleviated liver injury induced by CCl4 shown by histopathological sections of livers and improved liver function as indicated by decreased liver index, serum ALT, AST, TBIL, and ALP levels and hydroxyproline contents in liver tissues, and increased serum ALB and GLU levels. These results indicated that AME possesses potent anti-inflammatory activity in acute inflammation models and hepatoprotective activity in both acute and chronic liver injury models. In conclusion, AME is a potential anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective agent and a viable candidate for treating inflammation, hepatitis, and hepatic fibrosis.
Abrus ; chemistry ; Animals ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Biomarkers ; blood ; Carbon Tetrachloride ; Carrageenan ; Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; pathology ; Edema ; chemically induced ; drug therapy ; Female ; Flavonoids ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Galactosamine ; Glycosides ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Inflammation ; chemically induced ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Liver ; drug effects ; metabolism ; pathology ; Liver Cirrhosis ; drug therapy ; Male ; Mice, Inbred ICR ; Monosaccharides ; Phytotherapy ; Plant Extracts ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Protective Agents ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Xylenes

Abrus mollis is a widely used traditional Chinese medicine for treating acute and chronic hepatitis, steatosis, and fibrosis. It was found that the total flavonoid C-glycosides from Abrus mollis extract (AME) showed potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and hepatoprotective activities. To further investigate the hepatoprotective effect of AME and its possible mechanisms, lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced liver injury models were applied in the current study. The results indicated that AME significantly attenuated LPS-induced lipid accumulation in mouse primary hepatocytes as measured by triglyceride (TG) and total cholesterol (TC) assays and Oil Red O staining. Meanwhile, AME exerted a protective effect on LPS-induced liver injury as shown by decreased liver index, serum aminotransferase levels, and hepatic lipid accumulation. Real-time PCR and immunoblot data suggested that AME reversed the LPS-mediated lipid metabolism gene expression, such as sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1 (SREBP-1), fatty acid synthase (FAS), and acetyl-CoA carboxylase 1 (ACC1). In addition, LPS-induced overexpression of activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4), X-box-binding protein-1 (XBP-1), and C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP) were dramatically reversed by AME. Furthermore, AME also decreased the expression of LPS-enhanced interleukin-6 (IL-6) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). Here, it is demonstrated for the first time that AME ameliorated LPS-induced hepatic lipid accumulation and that this effect of AME can be attributed to its modulation of hepatic de novo fatty acid synthesis. This study also suggested that the hepatoprotective effect of AME may be related to its down-regulation of unfolded protein response (UPR) activation.
Abrus ; chemistry ; Animals ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Antioxidants ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Cholesterol ; metabolism ; Down-Regulation ; Flavonoids ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Glycosides ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Hepatocytes ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Inflammation Mediators ; metabolism ; Lipid Metabolism ; drug effects ; Lipopolysaccharides ; Liver ; cytology ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Male ; Mice, Inbred Strains ; Phytotherapy ; Plant Extracts ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Transaminases ; blood ; Triglycerides ; metabolism ; Unfolded Protein Response ; drug effects