Specialized metabolites and valuable molecules in crop and medicinal plants: The evolution of their use and strategies for their production

Plants naturally produce a terrific diversity of molecules, which we exploit for promoting our overall well-being. Plants are also green factories. Indeed, they may be exploited to biosynthesize bioactive molecules, proteins, carbohydrates and biopolymers for sustainable and large-scale production. These molecules are easily converted into commodities such as pharmaceuticals, antioxidants, food, feed and biofuels for multiple industrial processes. Novel plant biotechnological, genetics and metabolic insights ensure and increase the applicability of plant-derived compounds in several industrial sectors. In particular, synergy between disciplines, including apparently distant ones such as plant physiology, pharmacology, ‘omics sciences, bioinformatics and nanotechnology paves the path to novel applications of the so-called molecular farming. We present an overview of the novel studies recently published regarding these issues in the hope to have brought out all the interesting aspects of these published studies

Antimicrobial peptides from plants: stabilization of the core of a tomato defensin by intramolecular disulfide bond

Cysteine-containing antimicrobial peptides of diverse phylogeny share a common structural signature, the γ core, characterized by a strong polarization of charges in two antiparallel β sheets. In this work, we analyzed peptides derived from the tomato defensin SolyC07g007760 corresponding to the protein γ core and demonstrated that cyclization of the peptides, which results in segregation of positive charges to the turn region, produces peptides very active against Gram negative bacteria, such as Salmonella enterica and Helicobacter pylori. Interestingly, these peptides show very low hemolytic activity and thus represent a scaffold for the design of new antimicrobial peptides

The Use of a Plant-Based Biostimulant Improves Plant Performances and Fruit Quality in Tomato Plants Grown at Elevated Temperatures.

Abiotic stresses can cause a substantial decline in fruit quality due to negative impacts on plant growth, physiology and reproduction. The objective of this study was to verify if the use of a biostimulant based on plant and yeast extracts, rich in amino acids and that contains microelements (boron, zinc and manganese) can ensure good crop yield and quality in tomato plants grown at elevated temperatures (up to 42 C). We investigated physiological responses of four di↵erent tomato landraces that were cultivated under plastic tunnel and treated with the biostimulant CycoFlow. The application of the biostimulant stimulated growth (plants up to 48.5% taller) and number of fruits (up to 105.3%). In plants treated with the biostimulant, antioxidants contents were higher compared to non-treated plants, both in leaves and in fruits. In particular, the content of ascorbic acid increased after treatments with CycoFlow. For almost all the traits studied, the e↵ect of the biostimulant depended on the genotype it was applied on. Altogether, the use of the biostimulant on tomato plants led to better plant performances at elevated temperatures, that could be attributed also to a stronger antioxidant defence system, and to a better fruit nutritional quality

High-throughput genotyping of resilient tomato landraces to detect candidate genes involved in the response to high temperatures

The selection of tolerant varieties is a powerful strategy to ensure highly stable yield under elevated temperatures. In this paper, we report the phenotypic and genotypic characterization of 10 tomato landraces to identify the best performing under high temperatures. The phenotyping of five yield-related traits allowed us to select one genotype that exhibits highly stable yield performances in different environmental conditions. Moreover, a Genotyping-by-Sequencing approach allowed us to explore the genetic variability of the tested genotypes. The high and stable yielding landrace E42 was the most polymorphic one, with ~49% and ~47% private SNPs and InDels, respectively. The effect of 26,113 mutations on proteins’ structure was investigated and it was discovered that 37 had a high impact on the structure of 34 proteins of which some are putatively involved in responses to high temperatures. Additionally, 129 polymorphic sequences aligned against tomato wild species genomes revealed the presence in the genotype E42 of several introgressed regions deriving from S. pimpinellifolium. The position on the tomato map of genes affected by moderate and high impact mutations was also compared with that of known markers/QTLs (Quantitative Trait Loci) associated with reproductive and yield-related traits. The candidate genes/QTLs regulating heat tolerance in the selected landrace E42 could be further investigated to better understand the genetic mechanisms controlling traits for high and stable yield trait under high temperatures

Triterpenoids from vitellaria paradoxa stem barks reduce nitrite levels in lps-stimulated macrophages

open7siVitellaria paradoxa C. F. Gaertn is widely used in African traditional medicine as an anti-inflammatory remedy to treat rheumatism, gastric problems, diarrhea, and dysentery. The phyto-chemical investigation of the ethyl acetate extract of V. paradoxa stem bark collected in Burkina Faso led to the isolation of eight known and two triterpenes undescribed to date (7 and 10), in the free alcohol form or as acetyl and cinnamyl ester derivatives. The stereostructures of the new compounds were elucidated using HR-ESIMS and 1D and 2D NMR data. The isolated compounds were evaluated in vitro for their inhibitory effect on nitrite levels on murine macrophages J774 stimulated with the lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Among all the compounds tested, lupeol cinnamate (3) and betulinic acid (5) showed a beneficial effect in reducing nitrite levels produced after LPS stimulation.openSirignano C.; Nadembega P.; Poli F.; Romano B.; Lucariello G.; Rigano D.; Taglialatela-Scafati O.Sirignano C.; Nadembega P.; Poli F.; Romano B.; Lucariello G.; Rigano D.; Taglialatela-Scafati O

Chemical composition and phytotoxic effects of essential oils of Salvia hierosolymitana Boiss. and Salvia multicaulis Vahl. var. simplicifolia Boiss. growing wild in Lebanon

The chemical composition of the essential oils of S. hierosolymitana Boiss. and S. multicaulis Vahl. var. simplicifolia Boiss. collected in Lebanon was studied by means of GC and GC-MS analysis. In all 115 compounds were identified: 82 for S hierosolymitana and 72 for S. multicaulis var. simplicifolia. The presence of carbonylic compounds (17%) characterizes the oil from S. hierosolymitana,while S. multicaulis var. simplicifolia oil is rich of monoterpenes (34.5%) and sesquiterpenes (46.9%). The effects of the essential oils on germination and initial radical elongation of Raphanus sativus L. (radish) and Lepidium sativum L. (garden cress) were studied, indicating in a different activity against radical elongation of the species tested

Chemical composition and phytotoxic effects of essential oils of Salvia hierosolymitana Boiss. and Salvia multicaulis Vahl. var. simplicifolia Boiss. growing wild in Lebanon

The chemical composition of the essential oils of S. hierosolymitana Boiss. and S. multicaulis Vahl. var. simplicifolia Boiss. collected in Lebanon was studied by means of GC and GC-MS analysis. In all 115 compounds were identified: 82 for S hierosolymitana and 72 for S. multicaulis var. simplicifolia. The presence of carbonylic compounds (17%) characterizes the oil from S. hierosolymitana,while S. multicaulis var. simplicifolia oil is rich of monoterpenes (34.5%) and sesquiterpenes (46.9%). The effects of the essential oils on germination and initial radical elongation of Raphanus sativus L. (radish) and Lepidium sativum L. (garden cress) were studied, indicating in a different activity against radical elongation of the species tested

International multicenter, multiplatform study to validate Taipan snake venom time as a lupus anticoagulant screening test with ecarin time as the confirmatory test: communication from the ISTH SSC subcommittee on Lupus Anticoagulant/Antiphospholipid antibodies

Background Lupus anticoagulant (LA) assays are compromised in anticoagulated patients, and existing strategies to overcome the interferences have limitations. The prothrombin-activating Taipan snake venom time (TSVT) screening test and ecarin time (ET) confirmatory test are innately insensitive to vitamin K antagonists (VKA) and direct factor Xa inhibitors (DFXaI). Objectives Validate standardised TSVT/ET reagents for LA detection, in a multi-centre, multi-platform study. Patients/Methods Six centres from four countries analysed samples with TSVT/ET from 81 non-anticoagulated patients with LA, patients with established antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) and proven persistent LA who were either not anticoagulated (n=120) or were anticoagulated with VKAs (n=180) or DFXaIs (n=71). Additionally, 339 non-anticoagulated LA-negative patients, and 575 anticoagulated non-APS patients (172 VKA, 403 DFXaI) were tested. Anticoagulant spiking experiments were performed and 112 samples containing potential interferences (i.e. direct thrombin inhibitors) were tested. Results were evaluated against locally derived cut-offs. Imprecision was evaluated. Results Cut-offs were remarkably similar despite use of different analysers and donor populations. Cut-offs for TSVT ratio, ET ratio, percent correction and normalised TSVT ratio/ET ratio ranged between 1.08-1.10, 1.09-1.12, 9.3%-14.8% and 1.10-1.15 respectively. Coefficients of variation for TSVT and ET ratios were ≤5.0%. TSVT/ET exhibited sensitivity, specificity, negative and positive predictive values of 78.2%/95.0%/86.3%/91.5% respectively with established APS as the LA-positive population, and 86.9%/95.0%/76.8%/97.4% respectively with triple-positive APS. Interference was seen with direct thrombin inhibitors, unfractionated heparin and low molecular weight heparins, but not VKAs or DFXaIs. Conclusions TSVT/ET are validated for LA detection in non-anticoagulated patients and those on VKAs or DFXaIs