Melatonin in Medicinal and Food Plants : Occurrence, Bioavailability, and Health Potential for Humans

Melatonin is a widespread molecule among living organisms involved in multiple biological, hormonal, and physiological processes at cellular, tissue, and organic levels. It is well-known for its ability to cross the blood-brain barrier, and renowned antioxidant effects, acting as a free radical scavenger, up-regulating antioxidant enzymes, reducing mitochondrial electron leakage, and interfering with proinflammatory signaling pathways. Detected in various medicinal and food plants, its concentration is widely variable. Plant generative organs (e.g., flowers, fruits), and especially seeds, have been proposed as having the highest melatonin concentrations, markedly higher than those found in vertebrate tissues. In addition, seeds are also rich in other substances (lipids, sugars, and proteins), constituting the energetic reserve for a potentially growing seedling and beneficial for the human diet. Thus, given that dietary melatonin is absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract and transported into the bloodstream, the ingestion of medicinal and plant foods by mammals as a source of melatonin may be conceived as a key step in serum melatonin modulation and, consequently, health promotion

Primrose syndrome: Characterization of the phenotype in 42 patients

Primrose syndrome (PS; MIM# 259050) is characterized by intellectual disability (ID), macrocephaly, unusual facial features (frontal bossing, deeply set eyes, down-slanting palpebral fissures), calcified external ears, sparse body hair and distal muscle wasting. The syndrome is caused by de novo heterozygous missense variants in ZBTB20. Most of the 29 published patients are adults as characteristics appear more recognizable with age. We present 13 hitherto unpublished individuals and summarize the clinical and molecular findings in all 42 patients. Several signs and symptoms of PS develop during childhood, but the cardinal features, such as calcification of the external ears, cystic bone lesions, muscle wasting, and contractures typically develop between 10 and 16 years of age. Biochemically, anemia and increased alpha-fetoprotein levels are often present. Two adult males with PS developed a testicular tumor. Although PS should be regarded as a progressive entity, there are no indications that cognition becomes more impaired with age. No obvious genotype-phenotype correlation is present. A subgroup of patients with ZBTB20 variants may be associated with mild, nonspecific ID. Metabolic investigations suggest a disturbed mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation. We suggest a regular surveillance in all adult males with PS until it is clear whether or not there is a truly elevated risk of testicular cancer.This article is freely available via Open Access. Click on the Publisher URL to access it via the publisher's site.published version, accepted version (12 month embargo) submitted versio

Wpływ egzogennej proliny na zawartość rozpuszczalnych fenoli w hipokotylach siewek soi (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) traktowanych chłodem

W doświadczeniach prowadzonych z 3-dniowymi, etiolowanymi siewkami soi (Glycine max (L.) Merr. odmiany Aldana) badano wpływ proliny dodanej do hodowli w stresie niskiej temperatury (5°C) i w warunkach optymalnych termicznie (25°C) na wzrost elongacyjny i poziom rozpuszczalnych fenoli. Stwierdzono, że egzogenna prolina obniża hamujący efekt chłodu na wzrost hipokotyli. Chłód stymulował gromadzenie się proliny w tkankach i w pierwszych dniach działania również akumulację związków fenolowych. Podwyższony poziom proliny powoduje zwiększenie zawartości fenoli rozpuszczalnych w hypokotylach niezależnie od temperatury.The effect of exogenous proline on growth and soluble phenolics level in hypocotyls of 3-days old, etiolated seedlings of soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) cultivated at optimal (25°C) and low (5°C) temperature were investigated. Chilling (5°C) restrained elongation of hypocotyls, whereas proline treatment reduced this unfavourable effect of low temperature. Chilling (5°C) stimulated proline accumulation in tissue and, in the beginning of experiment phenolic compounds accumulation too. Higher level of proline content caused soluble phenolics accumulation in hypocotyls, regardless of temperature

Aktywność amoniakoliazy L-fenyloalaniny i zawartość fenoli rozpuszczalnych u dwóch odmian soi różniących się wrażliwością na chłód

W pracy porównywano wrażliwość na chłód (5°C) dwóch odmian soi (Glycine max (L.) MERR.): Essor i Aldana. Stwierdzono znaczne zahamowanie wzrostu elongacyjnego korzeni w 5°C. Efekt hamowania wzrostu utrzymywał się również po przeniesieniu roślin do warunków optymalnych 25°C i był tym silniejszy im dłużej rośliny eksponowano na działanie chłodu. Odmiana Essor jest bardziej wrażliwa, reaguje gwałtowniejszym zahamowaniem wzrostu korzeni w porównaniu do odm. Aldana. Pod wpływem niskiej temperatury (5°C) wzrasta aktywność amoniakoliazy L-fenyloalaniny (PAL, EC 4.3.1.5) i gromadzą się rozpuszczalne fenole w korzeniach obu odmian soi, w porównaniu z roślinami kontrolnymi rosnącymi w 25°C. W korzeniach odm. Essor różnica zmian aktywności PAL między korzeniami stresowanymi i kontrolnymi jest znacznie mniejsza niż u odm. Aldana. W korzeniach odm. Aldana w odpowiedzi na stres chłodu szybciej gromadzą się związki fenolowe w porównaniu z odm. Essor. Zmiany w poziomie fenoli mogą częściowo wyjaśnić różnicę w odporności na chłód.In the presented study sensitivity to chilling (5°C) of two soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) cultivars: Essor and Aldana, was compared. A significant inhibition of root elongation was observed at 5°C. This disadvantageous effect persisted even after seedling transfer to optimal (25°C) conditions, and increased with duration of the chilling treatment. Growth inhibition in Essor seedlings was stronger than in Aldana ones and it means that Essor cultivar was more susceptible to chilling injury at 5°C. PAL activity increased and soluble phenolics accumulated in both varieties of soybean at low temperature in comparison to the control grown at 25°C. The difference in PAL activity between stressed roots and control ones was smaller in cv. Essor than in cv. Aldana. In roots of cv. Aldana grown at chilling, phenolics accumulated faster than in cv. Essor. We suppose that changes in phenolic levels can partially explain difference in tolerance to chilling

Phenotype and genotype in 103 patients with tricho-rhino-phalangeal syndrome

Genetics of disease, diagnosis and treatmen