Seasonal Variations in Carnosic Acid Content of Rosemary Correlates with Anthocyanins and Soluble Sugars

Seasonal variations may influence the quality and quantity of biologically active ingredients in medicinal plants. Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) a member of the Lamiaceae family, contains valuable antioxidant, anticancer and antibacterial substances, including Carnosic acid (CA). Here, the fluctuations of important active compounds present in rosemary leaf extracts collected in Golestan, Iran were studied during the year of 2012-2013. Plant phenolics, flavonoids, ascorbates, anthocyanins and soluble sugars were analyzed spectrophotometrically, while CA content was measured by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). The highest amounts of total flavonoids occurred in autumn; while CA, phenolics, ascorbic acids and soluble sugars were greatest in winter, probably due to regional high precipitation and subtle winters. Most of the above indicated active compounds were low in early summer. Furthermore, total anthocyanins and soluble sugars showed significant positive correlations with CA over the year. These data suggest that rosemary extracts from the collected leaves in winter contain greater amounts of biologically active compounds; and can be used for standardization of plant materials harvested throughout a year

Investigation of Phytochemical and Antioxidant Capacity of Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Mill.) Against Gout

Fennel, Foeniculum vulgare Mill. (Apiaceae) is an aromatic plant, with medicinal and culinary applications, widely naturalized worldwide, especially near the see coasts and riversides. Fennel has long been used in Iran as a traditional remedy against gout. The objective of our study was to uncover the scientific basis of this traditional gout therapy. Different plant parts were extracted by methanol and used in phytochemical assessment and examined for possible inhibitory effects on xanthine oxidase -the main enzyme responsible for uric acid accumulation in blood. FRAP and β-carotene bleaching assays, total anthocyanin, carotenoids, soluble sugars, phenolics and flavonoids content were measured spectrophotometrically, while caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid and quercitin contents were measured by HPLC. The experiments were performed using a 3-stage nested statistical design with three biological replications. Results showed that the flower extract exhibited the most xanthine oxidase inhibitory effect (80% of Allopurinol), the highest amounts of total phenol, flavonoid and cafeic acid (53.55, 7.71 and 0.049 mg gdw-1,respectively), as well as significant antioxidant activity in scavenging free radicals. These results suggest that flower extract of fennel is a natural source of valuable compounds against xanthine oxidase activity, with potential therapeutic applications in human gout treatment

Summer Savory (Satureja hortensis) Extract Inhibits Xanthine Oxidase

Xanthine oxidase plays crucial roles in the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and uric acid in blood which may lead to gout, one of the oldest known forms of arthritis amongst humans. Summer savory (Satureja hortensis L.) a medicinal/spice exhibits antioxidant activity, but unknown effects on xanthine oxidase activity. Here, for the first time, we examined the effects of S. hortensis extracts on alleviation of oxidative stress and in vitro xanthine oxidase activity. Total phenolic compounds, soluble sugar, carotenoid contents of methanolic extracts of roots, leaves, stems, flowers and seeds as well as their antioxidant activity and potential inhibitory effects on xanthine oxidase were analyzed. Leaves, flowers and fruits of the plant exhibited the highest amounts of phenolic contents. The flavonoid content was highest in the leaves of the vegetative stage and decreased when the plant entered the reproductive stage. In contrast, the anthocyanin and sugar contents as well as the antioxidant capacity were in their highest amounts when the plant entered the reproductive stage. Remarkably, the leaves of the flowering stage displayed significant inhibitory effects on xanthine oxidase activity, which may propose a novel potential role for S. hortensis leaves in effective treatment of gout

DNA recombination in plants : molecular and functional analysis of Arabidopsis RecQ genes

It is widely accepted that the maintenance of genome integrity is vital for cell survival. Cells with compromised genome integrity often exhibit defects in their response to DNA damage. As depicted in Figure 1, page 106, DNA damage may cause cell cycle arrest and programmed cell death. The latter prevents the transfer of incorrect DNA code to the next generation, whereas cell cycle arrest provides time for repair of the damage. One of the most important types of DNA damage that can activate programmed cell death, if not properly repaired, is DNA double strand break. DNA double strand breaks

Production of transgenic soybean by the half-seed explant

Soybean (Glycine max), one of the most important agronomic crops in the world, is considered as a rich source of oil and protein production and much effort has been directed towards its genetic improvements using conventional breeding techniques, as well as molecular genetic approaches. Meanwhile, optimization of transformation of soybean requires an efficient system for production of stable transgenic lines. In this study, we reported the first attempt to use the cotyledonary node derived from mature seed for Agrobacterium mediate plant transformation in Iran. Surface-sterilized soybean seeds of DPX and Gorgan3 cultivars were soaked in distilled water overnight and used for explant production. The explants were inoculated in Agrobacterium tumefaciense (LBA4404) containing pBI121 solution. Positive transgenic plants which remained green in the presence of kanamycin, as a selectable marker, were used for the GUS assay. PCR, sequencing and the GUS assay showed successful expression of the GUS gene in the regenerated plants in both cultivars. Simplicity and efficiency were the main advantages of using the half-seed method which can be used to introduce useful and/or novel gene(s) into soybean

Application of Molecular Dynamics in Coating Ag-Conjugated Nanoparticles with Potential Therapeutic Applications

Drug delivery systems may benefit from nanoparticles synthesized using biological methods. While chemical reduction of particles is facilitated by some active compounds present in the bio-extract, other active compounds, with potential therapeutic activities, may be adsorbed onto the surface of nanoparticles. However, the mechanism of bio-based nanoparticle synthesis is still under debate. Here, we first employed a molecular dynamics (MD) approach to theoretically predict the coating of a hypothetical 4.5 nm silver nanoparticle with four selected rosemary (Rosmarinus Officinalis L.) active compounds (rosmanol, isorosmanol, carnosol, and carnosic acid). Analysis of density maps and radial distribution functions (RDF) values suggested that the examined compounds had strong hydrophobic properties and could instantaneously be adsorbed to the nanoparticle surfaces. Next, we experimentally examined the capacity of rosemary leaf extract to synthesize and coat Ag-conjugated nanoparticles. The data obtained from ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray powder diffraction analyses confirmed the production of spherical Ag-conjugated nanoparticles with an average size of 12-15 nm, coated with proteins, secondary metabolites and other active compounds. Since this method can predict the dynamic behavior of therapeutic compounds when they are in contact with nanoparticles, we believe it provides a valid and new avenue to designing new therapeutic nanoparticles