Metabolomic Insights into Marine Phytoplankton Diversity

International audienceThe democratization of sequencing technologies fostered a leap in our knowledge of the diversity of marine phytoplanktonic microalgae, revealing many previously unknown species and lineages. The evolutionary history of the diversification of microalgae can be inferred from the analysis of their genome sequences. However, the link between the DNA sequence and the associated phenotype is notoriously difficult to assess, all the more so for marine phytoplanktonic microalgae for which the lab culture and, thus, biological experimentation is very tedious. Here, we explore the potential of a high-throughput untargeted metabolomic approach to explore the phenotypic-genotypic gap in 12 marine microalgae encompassing 1.2 billion years of evolution. We identified species-and lineage-specific metabolites. We also provide evidence of a very good correlation between the molecular divergence, inferred from the DNA sequences, and the metabolomic divergence, inferred from the complete metabolomic profiles. These results provide novel insights into the potential of chemotaxonomy in marine phytoplankton and support the hypothesis of a metabolomic clock, suggesting that DNA and metabolomic profiles co-evolve

Two amide glycosides from Portulaca oleracea L. and its bioactivities

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Four lignans from Portulaca oleracea L. and its antioxidant activities

International audienceA new lignan, named oleralignan (1) and three known compounds (+)-syringaresinol (2), (+)-lirioresinol A (3) and monomethyl 3,30,4,40-tetrahydroxy-δ-truxinate (4) were isolated from the P. oleracea for the first time. The compound (1) were identified by 1D, 2D NMR spectroscopic methods and high resolution electrospray ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. In addition, it was found that the four lignans presented the scavenging activities in 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) radical quenching assay more than that of hydroxyl anisole (BHA)

A trace alkaloid, oleraisoindole A from Portulaca oleracea L. and its anticholinesterase effect

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Secondary metabolites of Bagassa guianensis Aubl. wood: A study of the chemotaxonomy of the Moraceae family

International audienceIn order to explain the durability of the Moraceae plant family, phytochemistry of Bagassa guianensis was performed. Ethyl acetate extract was obtained from the heartwood and 18 secondary metabolites were isolated, including 6 moracins [6-O-methyl-moracin M, 6-O-methyl-moracin N and moracin Z; previously identified: moracin M, moracin N and moracin P], 8 stilbenoids [presently identified: ( )-epialboctalol and arachidin 4; previously identified: alboctalol, trans-resveratrol, arachidin 2, trans-oxyresveratrol and artogomezianol], 3 previously identified flavonoids, steppogenin, katuranin and dihydromorin, bsitosterol and resorcinol. Previous studies suggest that stilbenoids are responsible for the natural durability of wood. Our study has determined that B. guianensis is closely related to Morus sp. in phylogeny and should be included in the Moreae sensu stricto tribe of the Moraceae family

A new alkaloid from Portulaca oleracea L. and its antiacetylcholinesterase activity

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Occurrence and environmental distribution of 5 UV filters during the 1 summer season in different water bodies

International audienceOrganic UV filters are used worldwide in various personal care products as well as textiles, paints, plastic, food and adhesives. They are main ingredients in sunscreen lotions that are used heavily by beachgoers in the summer season. There is thus an increasing concern regarding the fate of organic UV filters in the environment and their impact on living organisms. Many of the UV filters in use are hydrophobic and are expected to accumulate in the sediment phase in aquatic systems, but this has yet to be validated in situ. We targeted the UV filters benzophenone 3 (BP3), butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane (BMDBM), diethylhexyl butamido triazone (DBT), bis-ethylhexyloxyphenol methoxyphenyl triazine (BEMT) and methylene bis-benzotriazolyl tetramethylbutylphenol (MBBT) in a freshwater lake and in a coastal bay in order to understand their distribution during summer 2016. Further, we examined their environmental partitioning by collecting samples from the surface water, the sediment phase and water surface microlayer (SML). We show for the first time the presence of DBT, BEMT and MBBT in environmental matrices (water, SML, and sediment). Notably, these UV filters were detected at low amounts in surface waters with maximum concentrations of 9.9 ng/L for DBT, 18.4 ng/L for BEMT and below detection limits for MBBT, and somewhat higher concentrations in the SML, with maximum concentrations of 43.3 ng/L for DBT, 5625.4 ng/L for BEMT and 45.6 ng/L for MBBT. These filters were detected at even greater concentrations in the sediments, with maximum concentrations of 652.6 ng/g for DBT, 115.0 ng/g for BEMT and 75.2 ng/g for MBBT (dry weight sediment). We also performed controlled laboratory experiments to determine their partitioning behavior and we verified the actual solubility of many of the filters. This will help in determining the environmental fate and finally lead to a better risk assessment of these compounds. Together, these results corroborate the hypothesis that hydrophobic UV filters accumulate in the sediment phase and highlight the importance of discerning whether these UV filters impact the benthic community and their potential for bioaccumulation

Investigation of Origanum libanoticum Essential Oils Chemical Polymorphism by Independent Components Analysis (ICA)

International audienceThe essential oils obtained from Origanum libanoticum Boiss., a plant endemic to Lebanon, were analyzed by GC/MS. Seventy compounds were identified, covering till 99.8% of the total oil composition. All samples were p-cymene and/or β-caryophyllene chemotype, with variable percentage of other compounds such as α-pinene, myrcene, α-phellandrene, limonene, etc. Compared to traditional drying method, lyophilized samples provided the highest essential oil (EO) yields and yields were higher at flowering stage (Chouwen: 0.33% in 2013 and 0.32% in 2014; Qartaba: 0.27% in 2013 and 0.37% in 2014). According to independent components analysis (ICA), date and site of harvest, altitude and drying technique had no effect on the variation of O. libanoticum EO chemical composition. An annual variation of EOs composition was observed since a particular variation in some major components concentration was revealed monthly and annually between 2013 and 2014