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Not AvailableThe immune stimulating effects of the methanolic extract of black cumin (Nigella sativa) in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) was evaluated. Variable concentrations of black cumin methanolic extract [0 (Control), 0.1 and 0.5 g kg 1 of feed] were individually added to the basal diet and rainbow trout was fed for 30 days to assess the innate immune responses and growth performance. Feed conversion ratio significantly decreased in the group fed with 0.5 g kg 1 black cumin extract. Respiratory burst activity was observed to be the highest in the 0.5 g kg 1 black cumin extract fed group. Lysozyme and myeloperoxidase activities were significantly increased in fish of experimental groups compared to control (P < 0.05). TGF-b gene expression increased in black cumin 0.5 g kg 1 treated group. IL-1b and TGF-b gene expressions decreased in black cumin 0.1 g kg 1 administered group. Expression of IL-12 gene diminished in both the experimental groups. There was no significant difference in survival rates between black cumin extract treated fish groups and control (P > 0.05) after challenged with Aeromonas hydrophila. The results indicate that the methanolic extract of black cumin is a stimulator of some innate humoral immune responses, but it is ineffective for cytokine-related gene trancriptions in rainbow trout.Not Availabl

Investigation of the expansin gene family in sugar beet (Beta vulgaris) by the genome-wide level and their expression responses under abiotic stresses

Sugar beet (Beta vulgaris ssp. vulgaris) is primarily used in sugar production worldwide. Expansins are a gene family of cell wall proteins effective in regulating cell wall structure. They also participate in developmental stages, including cell and leaf growth, root development, and fruit ripening. This study comprehensively characterizes the expansin gene family members found in the sugar beet genome. In addition, in silico expression analysis of sugar beet expansin genes under variable abi- otic stress conditions and expression profiles of expansin genes under combined drought and heat stresses by the qRT-PCR method were evaluated in the study. A total of 31 sugar beet expansin genes were identified. BvuEXLA-02 and BvuEXLB-02 genes can have abiotic stress tolerance roles besides their roles in normal development. Determining the properties of sugar beet expansin, family members can help enable the cellulose hydrolysis mechanism and raise plant biomass. Elucidating expression profiles of the sugar beet expansin genes under variable stress conditions can support improving plant productiv- ity. The results of the current study may also contribute to the deep understanding of sugar beet expansin genes in the future

A Multidirectional Perspective for Novel Functional Products: In vitro Pharmacological Activities and In silico Studies on Ononis natrix subsp. hispanica

The genus Ononis has important value as traditional drugs and foods. In the present work, we aimed to assess the chemical profiles and biological effects of Ononis natrix subsp. hispanica extracts (ethyl acetate, methanol, and water). For chemical profile, total and individual phenolic components were detected. For biological effects, antioxidant (DPPH, ABTS, CUPRAC, FRAP, phosphomolybdenum, and metal chelating assays), enzyme inhibitory (against cholinesterase, tyrosinase, α-amylase and α-glucosidase), antimicrobial, DNA protection and cytotoxic abilities were tested. The predominant phenolics were apigenin, luteolin, and quercetin in the tested extracts. Generally, the ethyl acetate and methanol extracts were noted as the most active in the antioxidant and enzyme inhibitory assays. Water extract with different concentrations indicated high level of DNA protection activity. Methanol and ethyl acetate extracts showed antibacterial effect against to Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis strains. The cytotoxic effects of O. natrix subsp. hispanica extracts on the survival of HeLa and PC3 cells were determined by MTT cell viability assay. Water and methanol extracts caused initiation of apoptosis for PC3 cell line. Furthermore, molecular docking was performed to better understand interactions between dominant phenolic compounds and selected enzymes. Our results clearly indicate that O. natrix subsp. hispanica could be considered a potential candidate for designing novel pharmaceuticals, cosmeceuticals and nutraceuticals

Comparative identification and evolutionary relationship of fatty acid desaturase (FAD) genes in some oil crops: the sunflower model for evaluation of gene expression pattern under drought stress

Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) and some oil crops have considerable economic value, making them important for commercial use. The fatty acid content of their seeds is crucial for proper nutrition. Additionally, the desaturation reaction via fatty acid desaturases (FADs) leads to formation of double bonds in fatty acids and is an essential step in fatty acid biosynthesis. This study aimed to identify and compare some fatty acid desaturase gene members in sunflower and other oil crops. Totally, 33 FAD genes from sunflower, 19 from sesame, 20 from canola, 25 from cacao and 46 from flax were analysed. The FAD members had roles in oxidation–reduction processes, fatty acid biosynthetic processes or lipid metabolic processes. Comparative phylogenetic and motif analysis revealed a conserved structure among FAD members belonging to various oil crops. The average Ka/Ks rates calculated on the basis of orthologous gene analysis were 0.04, 0.05 and 0.05 between sunflower and, respectively, canola, cacao and sesame. The most recent divergence time between sunflower and cacao was estimated at an average of 100 million years ago (MYA). This was followed by flax, sesame and canola with an average of 101 MYA, 114 MYA and 149 MYA, respectively. Alpha-helices were dominant in the predicted 3D structures of FAD proteins. The FAB2 expression levels from a drought tolerant sunflower variety were not affected by drought. The characterisation of desaturase family members in economically valuable oil crops could be useful for functional cloning studies to enhance the unsaturated fatty acid contents of the plants

Evaluation of the potential therapeutic properties of liquidambar orientalis oil

Liquidambar orientalis Mill., commonly called the Anatolian sweetgum or Sigla tree, is endemic to southwestern Turkey. It has been historically significant in traditional medicine. In our research, we delved into the therapeutic attributes of its oil, emphasizing its antioxidant, antimicrobial, and antitumor properties. The primary chemical constituent of the gum is styrene, accounting for 78.5 %. The gum demonstrated antioxidant capabilities in several assays, including in 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2′-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), cupric reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC) and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP). It displayed bactericidal actions against various gram-positive bacteria, such as Staphylococcus aureus, and gram-negative strains, including Escherichia coli. Additionally, the oil showcased potent antitumor effects against breast (MDA-MB-231), lung (A549), and prostate (PC3) cancer cell lines. These effects were found to be both time- and dose-dependent. L. orientalis Mill. oil showed the best antitumor activity against breast, lung, and prostate cancer cell lines after the 24 h and 48 h treatment. Its oil might induce autophagy in the PC3 prostate cancer cell line, whereas its cytotoxicity against MDA-MB-231 and A549 cancer cell lines might not be correlated with autophagy or apoptosis pathways. In conclusion, the oil from the Sigla tree offers promising therapeutic potential and warrants further exploration

Antibacterial activities of isatin-3- thiosemicarbazone derivatives and their metal complexes against different types of bacteria

Isatin-3-thiosemicarbazone derivatives and their metal complexes (Zn &amp; Ni) were evaluated in vitro for their antibacterial activities against selected five bacterial strains, viz. gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, Staphylococcus huminis) and gram negative (Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus vulgaris). It was observed that metal complexes had an enhanced activity compared to the ligand against some types of tested bacteria. Binding of the all molecules to DNA is through minor groove.</p

Comparative content, biological and anticancer activities of Heracleum humile extracts obtained by ultrasound-assisted extraction method

As the safety and effectiveness of synthetic drugs remain in doubt, researchers are trying to develop natural medicines from medicinal plants. Herein, ethyl acetate, methanol and water extracts from the Heracleum humile plant were obtained by an ultrasonic-assisted extraction process and the aim was to evaluate some biological effects of the extracts due to the limited data on the pharmacological properties of Heracleum humile in the literature. Weak antibacterial activity was observed on tested bacterial species. The minimum inhibitory concentration and the minimum bactericidal concentration values ranged from 250 to 500 μg/mL. In addition, cytotoxic activity was determined using the MTT test. The strongest findings were determined for ethyl acetate extract on the MDA-MB-231 cell line at the 48th hour (IC50:97.94 μg/mL), followed by the MCF-7 cell line at the 24th hour (IC50:103.9 μg/mL). All extracts of Heracleum humile contained mainly flavonoids, phenolic acids and their derivatives, i.e., well-known compounds that possess numerous biological activities such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antimicrobial etc. The study results could provide important information that Heracleum humile could be a potential candidate as a natural enzyme inhibitor. It can be concluded that these extracts could be useful in the elementary step of improving novel plant-derived multifunctional pharmaceuticals

Integration of in vitro and in silico approaches to assess three Astragalus species from Turkey flora: A novel spotlight from lab bench to functional applications

Members of the genus Astragalus have a great interest as a source of natural bioactive compounds on a scientific platform. To provide multidirectional insights into three Astragalus species (A. setulosus, A. anthylloides, and A. ovalis), the current work focused on the chemical characterization and biological properties of their extracts (aerial parts and roots). The chemical characterization of the extracts was detected by HPLC-MS/MS analysis. The biological properties were evaluated by antioxidant, enzyme inhibitory, and cytotoxic parameters. Assays for radical quenching, reducing capacity, and metal chelation were also used to evaluate antioxidant properties. To test the enzyme inhibitory effects of the extracts, cholinesterases, tyrosinase, α-amylase, and α-glucosidase were utilized as target enzymes. Two cancer cell lines, (MCF-7 (human breast cancer cell line) and HeLa (Human cervix cancer cell line), were selected to evaluate cytotoxic effects. Generally, 5- caffeoylquinic acid (2.43–283.92 μg/g extract), hyperoside (4.33–216.22 μg/g extract) and rutin (1.09–184.98 μg/g extract) were the main constituents. The extracts from aerial parts and roots of A. anthylloides showed stronger radical scavenging and reducing power abilities compared to A. setulosus and A. ovalis. The best AChE and BChE inhibitory effects were determined in the aerial parts of A. setulosus (2.18 mg GALAE/g) and roots of A. ovalis (4.76 mg GALAE/g), respectively. The extracts of A. ovalis had the highest tyrosinase inhibitory abilities. The extract from aerial parts of A. setulosus showed stronger cytotoxic effects compared to other extracts. Pearson’s correlation analysis revealed that the presence of some compounds (resveratrol, p-coumaric, 5-caffeoylquinic, and ferulic acids, etc) was linked to the observed biological activities. Molecular docking was also provided for the possible interaction of enzymes as well as protein targets of the tested cell lines. Our findings provide a scientific basis for the Astragalus species, which may serve as a source of naturally occurring bioactive compounds for healthpromoting applications

Multidirectional research for the therapeutic potential of Phlomoides molucelloides (Bunge) Salmaki: LC-MS/MS, antioxidant, enzyme inhibition, and antiproliferative characteristics

Medicinal plants offer natural cures and inspire modern medicine's development. This study examined the antioxidant, enzyme-inhibitory, and antiproliferative activities of various extracts obtained from aerial and root fragments of Phlomoides molucelloides (Bunge) Salmaki. The extracts' overall phenolics, flavonoids, and compounds were defined using colorimetric and LC-MS/MS analyses. The highest total phenolic and flavonoid content was measured in the methanol and infusion extracts of the aerial fragments, with 102.21 mg RE/g and 51.33 mg GAE/g, respectively. Most compounds were defined as flavonoids, predominantly as apigenin and quercetin glycosides. Methanol, 70 % methanol, and infusion extracts from aerial parts had the highest antioxidant activity determined by DPPH, ABTS, CUPRAC, FRAP, metal chelation, and phosphomolybdenum analyses. Moreover, the methanol extract of the roots had the highest anti-acetylcholinesterase, anti-butyrylcholinesterase, and anti-glucosidase activities. The dichloromethane extracts of the roots displayed the highest anti-tyrosinase and anti-amylase activities. The antiproliferative activity of the extracts was investigated against MDA-MB-231, MCF-7, and HeLa cell lines. The lowest IC50 value (875.7 µg/mL) was computed for the methanol extract of the aerial part on the MCF-7 cell line at the 48th h. The findings showed that P. molucelloides extracts may offer a promising therapeutic approach due to their rich bioactive content

Exploring sorbus torminalis leaves: unveiling a promising natural resource for diverse chemical and biological applications

Sorbus torminalis (L.) Crantz has a rich history of versatile applications spanning the fields of medicine and nutrition. It is noteworthy that the decoction obtained from S. torminalis leaves is a traditional treatment method against both diabetes and stomach disorders. Phytochemical profiling determined by HPLC/MS-MS. The effects of the extracts on cell viability were investigated using the MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide) method against MDA-MB-231 cell line (human breast adenocarcinoma).The ethanol/water extract contained more concentration of total phenolic (91.41 mg gallic acid (GAE) equivalent /gr) and flavanoid (29.10 mg rutin (RE) equivalent/gr) in the tested extract (p<0.05). Resulting of HPLC analysis, the chemical constituents varied depending on the solvents and chlorogenic acid, hyperoside, isoquercetin, delphindin-3,5-diglucoside, procyanidin B2, epicatechin, neochlorogenic acid, 3,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid were identified in all extracts. Overall, ethanol, n-hexane and ethyl acetate extracts showed the highest inhibition for the tyrosinase enzyme. The effect of leaf extracts of S. torminalis on antimicrobial, biofilm inhibitory, and anticancer activities was examined. Based on outcomes of our study recognize this plant as a critical source of medically active chemicals for feasible phytopharmaceutical and nutraceutical applications, providing the first scientific insight into the detailed biological and chemical profiles of S. torminalis