Panax species are mostly valuable medicinal plants. While some species' seeds are sensitive to dehydration, the dehydration tolerance of seeds from other Panax species remains unclear. The phospholipase D(PLD) gene plays an important role in plant responses to dehydration stress. However, the characteristics of the PLD gene family and their mechanisms of response to dehydration stress in seeds of Panax species with different dehydration tolerances are not well understood. This study used seeds from eight Panax species to measure the germination rates and PLD activity after dehydration and to analyze the correlation between dehydration tolerance and seed traits. Bioinformatics analysis was also conducted to characterize the PnPLD and PvPLD gene families and to evaluate their expression patterns under dehydration stress. The dehydration tolerance of Panax seeds was ranked from high to low as follows: P. ginseng, P. zingiberensis, P. quinquefolius, P. vietnamensis var. fuscidiscus, P. japonicus var. angustifolius, P. japonicus, P. notoginseng, and P. stipuleanatus. A significant negative correlation was found between dehydration tolerance and seed shape(three-dimensional variance), with flatter seeds exhibiting stronger dehydration tolerance(r=-0.792). Eighteen and nineteen PLD members were identified in P. notoginseng and P. vietnamensis var. fuscidiscus, respectively. These members were classified into five isoforms: α, β, γ, δ, and ζ. The gene structures, subcellular localization, physicochemical properties, and other characteristics of PnPLD and PvPLD were similar. Both promoters contained regulatory elements associated with plant growth and development, hormone responses, and both abiotic and biotic stress. During dehydration, the PLD enzyme activity in P. notoginseng seeds gradually increased as the water content decreased, whereas in P. vietnamensis var. fuscidiscus, PLD activity first decreased and then increased. The expression of PLDα and PLDδ in P. notoginseng seeds initially increased and then decreased, whereas in P. vietnamensis var. fuscidiscus, the expression of PLDα and PLDδ consistently decreased. In conclusion, the dehydration tolerance of Panax seeds showed a significant negative correlation with seed shape. The dehydration tolerance in P. vietnamensis var. fuscidiscus and dehydration sensitivity of P. notoginseng seeds may be related to differences in PLD enzyme activity and the expression of PLDα and PLDδ genes. This study provided the first systematic comparison of dehydration tolerance in Panax seeds and analyzed the causes of tolerance differences and the optimal water content for long-term storage at ultra-low temperatures, thus providing a theoretical basis for the short-term and ultra-low temperature long-term storage of medicinal plant seeds with varying dehydration tolerances.
Seeds/metabolism* ; Panax/physiology* ; Plant Proteins/metabolism* ; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant ; Phospholipase D/metabolism* ; Plants, Medicinal/enzymology* ; Germination ; Multigene Family ; Water/metabolism* ; Dehydration ; Phylogeny

Flavonoids are a group of secondary metabolites found in plants. They have many pharmacological functions and play an important role in Chinese sumac( Rhus chinensis),which is a well-known traditional Chinese medicinal plant. Chalcone isomerase( CHI,EC 5. 5. 1. 6) is one of the key enzymes in the flavonoids biosynthesis pathway. In this paper,the full-length c DNA sequence encoding the chalcone isomerase from R. chinensis( designated as Rc CHI) was cloned by RT-PCR and rapid-amplification of c DNA Ends( RACE). The Rc CHI c DNA sequence was 1 058 bp and the open reading frame( ORF) was 738 bp. The ORF predicted to encode a 245-amino acid polypeptide. Rc CHI gene contained an intron and two exons. The sequence alignments revealed Rc CHI shared47. 1%-71. 6% identity with the homologues in other plants. Real-time PCR analysis showed that the total flavonoid levels were positively correlated with tissue-specific expressions of Rc CHI mRNA in different tissues. The recombinant protein was successfully expressed in an Escherichia coli strain with the p GEX-6 P-1 vector. In this paper,the CHI gene was cloned and characterized in the family of Anacardiaceae and will help us to obtain better knowledge of the flavonoids biosynthesis of the flavonoid compounds in R. chinensis.
Cloning, Molecular ; DNA, Complementary ; Flavonoids ; biosynthesis ; Intramolecular Lyases ; genetics ; Plants, Medicinal ; enzymology ; genetics ; Rhus ; enzymology ; genetics

The aim of the study was to determine the feasibility of the Vitellaria paradoxa nutshell as a new medicinal resource for treating diabetes. A total of forty-one compounds were identified by HPLC-DAD-Q-TOF-MS and phytochemical methods in V. paradoxa nutshell methanol extract. Based on HPLC fingerprints, four characteristic constituents were quantified and the origin of twenty-eight V. paradoxa nutshells from seven sub-Saharan countries was compared, which were classified into three groups with chemometric method. Twenty-eight samples contained high total phenolic content, and exhibited moderate-higher antioxidant activity and strong α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. Furthermore, all fractions and isolated compounds were evaluated for their antioxidant and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities, and α-glucosidase inhibitory action mechanism of four characteristic constituents including protocatechuic acid, 3, 5, 7-trihydroxycoumarin, (2R, 3R)-(+)-taxifolin and quercetin was investigated via molecular docking method, which were all stabilized by hydrogen bonds with α-glucosidase. The study provided an effective approach to waste utilization of V. paradoxa nutshell, which would help to resolve waste environmental pollution and provide a basis for developing potential herbal resource for treating diabetes.
Africa South of the Sahara ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Diabetes Mellitus ; drug therapy ; enzymology ; Glycoside Hydrolase Inhibitors ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Hypoglycemic Agents ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Molecular Docking Simulation ; Plant Extracts ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Sapotaceae ; chemistry ; alpha-Glucosidases ; metabolism

The traditionally used oriental herbal medicine Moutan Cortex Radicis [MCR; Paeonia Suffruticosa Andrews (Paeoniaceae)] exerts anti-inflammatory, anti-spasmodic, and analgesic effects. In the present study, we investigated the therapeutic effects of differently fractioned MCR extracts in a 6-hydroxydopamine (OHDA)-induced Parkinson's disease model and neuro-blastoma B65 cells. Ethanol-extracted MCR was fractionated by n-hexane, butanol, and distilled water. Adult Sprague-Dawley rats were treated first with 20 μg of 6-OHDA, followed by three MCR extract fractions (100 or 200 mg·kg) for 14 consecutive days. In the behavioral rotation experiment, the MCR extract-treated groups showed significantly decreased number of net turns compared with the 6-OHDA control group. The three fractions also significantly inhibited the reduction in tyrosine hydroxylase-positive cells in the substantia nigra pars compacta following 6-OHDA neurotoxicity. Western blotting analysis revealed significantly reduced tyrosine hydroxylase expression in the substantia nigra pars compacta in the 6-OHDA-treated group, which was significantly inhibited by the n-hexane or distilled water fractions of MCR. B65 cells were exposed to the extract fractions for 24 h prior to addition of 6-OHDA for 30 min; treatment with n-hexane or distilled water fractions of MCR reduced apoptotic cell death induced by 6-OHDA neurotoxicity and inhibited nitric oxide production and neuronal nitric oxide synthase expression. These results showed that n-hexane- and distilled water-fractioned MCR extracts inhibited 6-OHDA-induced neurotoxicity by suppressing nitric oxide production and neuronal nitric oxide synthase activity, suggesting that MCR extracts could serve as a novel candidate treatment for the patients with Parkinson's disease.
Animals ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Antiparkinson Agents ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Cell Death ; drug effects ; Cell Line ; Disease Models, Animal ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; Neurons ; pathology ; Nitric Oxide ; analysis ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I ; biosynthesis ; Oxidopamine ; toxicity ; Paeonia ; chemistry ; Parkinsonian Disorders ; chemically induced ; drug therapy ; Phytotherapy ; Plant Extracts ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Plants, Medicinal ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Substantia Nigra ; drug effects ; enzymology ; Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase ; genetics ; metabolism

A 61-year-old male patient was admitted because of unexplained abdominal pain and anemia. His past medical history was unremarkable except for having taken herbal medicine to treat facial palsy two months ago. The result of health examination performed about a month ago showed increased serum aspartate and alanine aminotransferase level, and he was diagnosed with toxic hepatitis by herbal medicine. When the patient presented to the outpatient department three weeks ago, follow-up liver function test results showed improvement but he complained of abdominal pain. Despite extensive blood chemistry tests and computed tomography, the cause of pain could not be found. After much deliberation, serum lead level and herbal medicines analysis was performed based on the fact that he took herbal medicine two months ago, and he could finally be diagnosed with lead poisoning. Since the serum lead level was high enough to be indicated for lead chelating therapy, conservative management was given. When a patient with toxic hepatitis due to herbal medication presents with abdominal pain, the possibility of lead poisoning should always be taken into consideration.
Acute Disease ; Alanine Transaminase/analysis ; Aspartate Aminotransferases/analysis ; Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury/*diagnosis ; Hemoglobins/analysis ; Humans ; Lead/analysis ; *Lead Poisoning ; Liver/enzymology/metabolism ; Liver Function Tests ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Plants, Medicinal/chemistry

The 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase (HMGR) catalyzes the conversion of HMG-CoA to mevalonate in mavalonic acid pathway, which is the first committed step for isoprenoid biosynthesis in plants. However, it still remains unclear whether HGMR gene plays a role in the isoprenoid biosynthesis in Dendrobium officinale, an endangered epiphytic orchid species. In the present study, a HMGR encoding gene, designed as DoHMGR1 (GenBank accession JX272632), was identified from D. officinale using the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) methods, for the first time. The full length cDNA of DoHMGR1 was 2 071 bp in length and encoded a 562-aa protein with a molecular weight of 59.73 kD and an isoelectric point (pI) of 6.18. The deduced DoHMGR1 protein, like other HMGR proteins, constituted four conserved domains (63-561, 147-551, 268-383 and 124-541) and two transmembrane motifs (42-64 and 85-107). Multiple sequence alignment and phylogenetic analyses demonstrated that DoHMGR1 had high identity (67%-89%) to a number of HMGR genes from various plants and was closely related to Vanda hybrid cultivar, rice and maize monocots. Real time quantitative PCR (qPCR) analysis revealed that DoHMGR1 was expressed in the three included organs. The transcripts were the most abundant in the roots with 2.13 fold over that in the leaves, followed by that in the stems with 1.98 fold. Molecular characterization of DoHMGR1 will be useful for further functional elucidation of the gene involving in isoprenoid biosynthesis pathway in D. officinale.
Base Sequence ; Cloning, Molecular ; DNA, Complementary ; genetics ; Dendrobium ; enzymology ; genetics ; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant ; Hydroxymethylglutaryl CoA Reductases ; genetics ; metabolism ; Molecular Weight ; Phylogeny ; Plant Leaves ; enzymology ; genetics ; Plant Roots ; enzymology ; genetics ; Plant Stems ; enzymology ; genetics ; Plants, Medicinal ; enzymology ; genetics ; Sequence Alignment ; Sequence Homology, Amino Acid

Triptolide (TP) is a major active component in Tripterygium root, but its therapeutic window was very narrow due to its severe multi-organ toxicity. In this work, the effect of TP combined with glycyrrhetic acid (GA) on mRNA expression and activity of four cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes in rat liver was studied after intragastric administration of TP (0.05, 0.3 and 0.6 mg x kg(-1) x day(-1)) and TP (0.6 mg x kg(-1) x day(-1)) combined with GA (30 mg x kg(-1) x day(-1)) for 7 consecutive days. Compared with the control, the high dose of TP significantly up-regulated the mRNA expression levels of CYP2E1, 1A2, 3A1 and 2C11, the co-administration of TP and GA further up-regulated the mRNA expression levels of CYP3A1, 2C11 and 2E1 as compared with the high dose of TP. Meanwhile, TP at high dose and combined with GA significantly increased CYP3A-associated testosterone 6beta-hydroxylation activity (2.2-fold and 4.1-fold, respectively) as compared with the control. Because TP is mainly metabolized by CYP3A2 in male rats, the present work indicated that TP-induced increase of CYP3A activity might be an important reason for the rapidly metabolic clearance of TP in rat liver, and GA can reduce the hepatotoxicity of TP by promoting its hepatic metabolic clearance. Furthermore, the results also suggest that the drug interactions might be occurred when TP and GA were co-administered with other CYP3A substrate drug.
Animals ; Aryl Hydrocarbon Hydroxylases ; genetics ; metabolism ; Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A2 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Cytochrome P-450 CYP2E1 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Cytochrome P-450 CYP3A ; genetics ; metabolism ; Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System ; genetics ; metabolism ; Cytochrome P450 Family 2 ; Diterpenes ; administration & dosage ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Drug Combinations ; Drug Interactions ; Enzyme Activation ; Epoxy Compounds ; administration & dosage ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Glycyrrhetinic Acid ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Liver ; enzymology ; Male ; Phenanthrenes ; administration & dosage ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Plant Roots ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; RNA, Messenger ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Steroid 16-alpha-Hydroxylase ; genetics ; metabolism ; Tripterygium ; chemistry

Effects of six kinds of Chinese herb extracts, including Folium Crataegi extract, Herba Epimedii extract, Folium Acanthopanacis Senticosi extract, Trifolium pratense L. extract, Folium Ginkgo extract and Radix Puerariae extract, on the activities of CYP450 isozymes (CYP1A2, CYP2C, CYP2E1, CYP2D, CYP3A) in rat hepatic microsomals were studied by using a UPLC-MS/MS (MRM) and cocktail probe substrates method. The results showed that effects of six kinds of Chinese herb extracts on each CYP450 isozyme activity were inhibitory. The IC50 of Folium Crataegi extract for the inhibition of rat microsomal CYP2D activity was only for 4.04 microg x mL(-1), which showed the highest inhibition; Trifolium pratense L. extract had strong inhibitory action to CYP2D, the IC50 value was 5.73 microg x mL(-1); Folium Crataegi extract also had strong inhibitory action on CYP2E1, the IC50 value was 10.91 microg x mL(-1). Furthermore, the IC50 of Folium Ginkgo extract for the inhibition of rat microsomal CYP3A, 2D, 2E1 activities were 45.12, 35.45 and 22.41 microg x mL(-1), respectively, and the IC50 of Folium Acanthopanacis Senticosi extract on the inhibition of rat microsomal CYP2E1 activity was 32.89 microg x mL(-1). In addition, mechanism of inhibition experimental results showed that the inhibiting abilities of Folium Crataegi extract and Radix Puerariae extract on each CYP450 isozyme increased with the increasing of the preincubation time, therefore, the inhibitory effects were a mechanism-based inhibition.
Animals ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Crataegus ; chemistry ; Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A2 ; metabolism ; Cytochrome P-450 CYP2E1 ; metabolism ; Cytochrome P-450 CYP3A ; metabolism ; Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System ; metabolism ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Eleutherococcus ; chemistry ; Epimedium ; chemistry ; Ginkgo biloba ; chemistry ; Inhibitory Concentration 50 ; Male ; Microsomes, Liver ; enzymology ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Pueraria ; chemistry ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Tandem Mass Spectrometry ; Trifolium ; chemistry

3-Hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase (HMGR) is the first rate-limiting enzyme for sesquiterpene synthesis in the mevalonate (MVA) pathway. The specific primers were designed according to the transcript sequence of AsHMGR2 from the Aquilaria sinensis (Lour.) Gilg transcriptome database. The full-length cDNA of AsHMGR2 was cloned by RT-PCR and rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) technology, and was analyzed at bioinformatics levels; AsHMGR2 expression profiles in different tissues and in responds to different treatments were analyzed by real-time PCR. The length of AsHMGR2 Open Reading Frame (ORF) was 1 749 bp, encoding 582 amino acids. The GenBank accession number is KC140287. Tissue expression analysis indicated that AsHMGR2 was mainly expressed in root and shoot tips, followed by stem, and was lowest in leaves. Inducible-experiments showed that the genes were induced by mechanical wound as well as chemical liquid induction, and reached the highest expression level at 6 h and 8 h, separately. The full-length cDNA of AsHMGR2 and its expression patterns will provide a foundation for further research on its function in agarwood sesquiterpene biosynthesis.
Amino Acid Sequence ; Cloning, Molecular ; DNA, Complementary ; genetics ; Gene Amplification ; Hydroxymethylglutaryl CoA Reductases ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Isoenzymes ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Open Reading Frames ; Phylogeny ; Plant Leaves ; enzymology ; Plant Roots ; enzymology ; Plant Shoots ; enzymology ; Plant Stems ; enzymology ; Plants, Medicinal ; enzymology ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Thymelaeaceae ; enzymology

S-Adenosyl-L-methionine decarboxylase (SAMDC) is a key enzyme in the polyamines biosynthesis, thus is essential for basic physiological and biochemical processes in plant. In the present study, a full length cDNA of DoSAMDC1 gene was obtained from symbiotic germinated seeds of an endangered medicinal orchid species Dendrobium officinale, using the rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE)-PCR technique for the first time. The full length cDNA was 1 979 bp, with three open reading frames, i.e. tiny-uORF, small-uORF and main ORF (mORF). The mORF was deduced to encode a 368 amino acid (aa) protein with a molecular mass of 40.7 kD and a theoretical isoelectric point of 5.2. The deduced DoSAMDC1 protein, without signal peptide, had two highly conserved function domains (proenzyme cleavage site and PEST domain) and a 22-aa transmembrane domain (89-110). Multiple sequence alignments and phylogenetic relationship analyses revealed DoSAMDC1 had a higher level of sequence similarity to monocot SAMDCs than those of dicot. Expression patterns using qRT-PCR analyses showed that DoSAMDC1 transcripts were expressed constitutively without significant change in the five tissues (not infected with fungi). While in the symbiotic germinated seeds, the expression level was enhanced by 2.74 fold over that in the none-germinated seeds, indicating possible involvement of the gene in symbiotic seed germination of D. officinale.
Adenosylmethionine Decarboxylase ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Amino Acid Sequence ; Basidiomycota ; physiology ; Cloning, Molecular ; DNA, Complementary ; genetics ; Dendrobium ; enzymology ; genetics ; microbiology ; Germination ; Open Reading Frames ; Phylogeny ; Plants, Medicinal ; enzymology ; genetics ; microbiology ; Seeds ; genetics ; growth & development ; microbiology ; Sequence Alignment ; Symbiosis ; physiology