GC-MS-based metabolomics analysis unravels the therapeutic potential of Neolamarckia cadamba fruit peel

Kadam (Neolamarckia cadamba (Roxb.) is an evergreen tropical tree widely grown in Asia, particularly in India. Neolamarckia cadamba commonly known as kadam, cadamba or burflower tree. The roots, leaves, barks, and fruits of N. cadamba possess medicinal properties and are commonly used in the pharmaceutical industry. Fruit peels are the main waste and may contain various biologically active compounds. However, no prior knowledge about the therapeutic compounds of the peel. The objective of the present study was to unveil therapeutic compounds from the peel by Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) based metabolomics analysis. Metabolites from the kadam fruit peel were isolated and derivatized using MSTFA, characterized by the GC-MS analysis. Raw spectral data were pre-processed, and peak identification was performed using SHIMADZU Postrun analyse software. The metabolites in N. cadamba fruit peel were identified by comparing the peaks with the mass spectral reference database NIST v20. The results showed that the peel of kadam fruit contains 149 metabolites, which were further categorized into 46 different metabolite classes, with 52 different metabolic pathways and 63 biological functions. The principal roles of the metabolites were identified by functional annotation and enrichment analysis. It revealed that metabolites were responsible for anti-inflammation, anti-oxidant, anti-microbial, and anti-cancer properties. In summary, the peel of kadam fruit also contains various therapeutic compounds like other cadamba parts (i.e., roots, leaves, barks, and fruits). Further, comparing the peel with other parts discloses the peel-specific metabolites. The results obtained in this study could be useful for the pharmaceutical industry

In Silico Dissection of Regulatory Regions of PHT Genes from <i>Saccharum</i> spp. Hybrid and <i>Sorghum bicolor</i> and Expression Analysis of PHT Promoters under Osmotic Stress Conditions in Tobacco

Phosphorus (P) is the second-most essential macronutrient required for the growth and development of plants. It is involved in a number of cellular processes that contribute to the plant’s growth and development. This study investigated Saccharum spp. hybrid and Sorghum bicolor promoter regions of Phosphate transporters (PHT), viz., PHT1, PHT2, PHT3, PHT4, and PHO1, through in silico analysis. The transcription start sites (TSS), conserved motifs, and CpG islands were studied using various computational techniques. The distribution of TSSs indicated the highest promoter prediction scores (1.0). MSh2 and MSb4 were recognized as the common promoter motifs for PHT promoters, found in with 85 to 100% percentage of distribution. The CpG analysis revealed that the promoter regions of most PHT genes had low CpG density, indicating a possible tissue-specific expression. The PHT promoters were investigated for the presence of biotic- and abiotic-stress-associated transcription factor binding sites (TFbs) that revealed the presence of binding motifs for major transcription factors (TFs), namely, AP2/ERF, bHLH, bZIP, MYB, NAC, and WRKY. Therefore, the in-silico analysis of the promoter regions helps us to understand the regulation mechanism of phosphate transporter promoters and gene expression under stress management. The 5′ regulatory region of the EaPHT gene was isolated from Erianthus, a wild relative of the genus Saccharum. The promoter construct was prepared and transformed in tobacco wherein the promoter drove the expression of GUS. Analysis of GUS expression in transgenic tobacco revealed enhanced expression of GUS under salt-stress conditions. This is the first report of the isolation and characterization of a phosphate transporter gene promoter from Erianthus and is expected to be useful for the development of salt-stress transgenic crop plants