An antifungal protein from ginger rhizomes

Active self-treatment of a facial wound with a biologically active plant by a male Sumatran orangutan

Although self-medication in non-human animals is often difficult to document systematically due to the difficulty of predicting its occurrence, there is widespread evidence of such behaviors as whole leaf swallowing, bitter pith chewing, and fur rubbing in African great apes, orangutans, white handed gibbons, and several other species of monkeys in Africa, Central and South America and Madagascar. To the best of our knowledge, there is only one report of active wound treatment in non-human animals, namely in chimpanzees. We observed a male Sumatran orangutan (Pongo abelii) who sustained a facial wound. Three days after the injury he selectively ripped off leaves of a liana with the common name Akar Kuning (Fibraurea tinctoria), chewed on them, and then repeatedly applied the resulting juice onto the facial wound. As a last step, he fully covered the wound with the chewed leaves. Found in tropical forests of Southeast Asia, this and related liana species are known for their analgesic, antipyretic, and diuretic effects and are used in traditional medicine to treat various diseases, such as dysentery, diabetes, and malaria. Previous analyses of plant chemical compounds show the presence of furanoditerpenoids and protoberberine alkaloids, which are known to have antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, antioxidant, and other biological activities of relevance to wound healing. This possibly innovative behavior presents the first systematically documented case of active wound treatment with a plant species know to contain biologically active substances by a wild animal and provides new insights into the origins of human wound care.

Quality control and long-term stability study of ginger from different geographical origins using chemometrics

BACKGROUND

Ginger rhizome (Zingiber officinale) is a well-known spice and medicinal plant that is widely used in the Egyptian market as a spice, flavor and medicinal herb for different diseases. Since it is not cultivated as rhizomes in Egypt, ginger is imported from other countries, which may impact its quality. In this study, UV spectroscopy and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) were applied as efficient available techniques for the discrimination and quality control of ginger collected from different geographical origins in combination with chemometrics. In addition, HPLC was applied to investigate the stability of ginger samples upon storage for 3 years to trace the changes in their main active constituents.

RESULTS

Data obtained from both UV and HPLC in combination with Principal Component Analysis (PCA) displayed proper discrimination of the samples according to their geographical origins. Regarding the stability study, ginger samples showed a significant decrease in quality after storage for 3 years, in which significant variation in the main pungent principles (6-, 8-, 10-gingerols and 6-shogaol) were observed. PCA failed to discriminate between ginger samples after long-time storage, so the applied model could discriminate between ginger samples before and after storage.

CONCLUSION

UV and HPLC in combination with chemometrics can be applied as a successful tool for the study of quality, stability and geographical discrimination of ginger. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.

Antifungal Proteins with Antiproliferative Activity on Cancer Cells and HIV-1 Enzyme Inhibitory Activity from Medicinal Plants and Medicinal Fungi

A variety of fungi, plants, and their different tissues are used in Traditional Chinese Medicine to improve health, and some of them are recommended for dietary therapy. Many of these plants and fungi contain antifungal proteins and peptides which suppress spore germination and hyphal growth in phytopathogenic fungi. The aim of this article is to review antifungal proteins produced by medicinal plants and fungi used in Chinese medicine which also possess anticancer and human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) enzyme inhibitory activities.

Plants of the Genus Zingiber as a Source of Bioactive Phytochemicals: From Tradition to Pharmacy

Plants of the genus Zingiber (Family Zingiberaceae) are widely used throughout the world as food and medicinal plants. They represent very popular herbal remedies in various traditional healing systems; in particular, rhizome of Zingiber spp. plants has a long history of ethnobotanical uses because of a plethora of curative properties. Antimicrobial activity of rhizome essential oil has been extensively confirmed in vitro and attributed to its chemical components, mainly consisting of monoterpene and sesquiterpene hydrocarbons such as α-zingiberene, ar-curcumene, β-bisabolene and β-sesquiphellandrene. In addition, gingerols have been identified as the major active components in the fresh rhizome, whereas shogaols, dehydrated gingerol derivatives, are the predominant pungent constituents in dried rhizome. Zingiber spp. may thus represent a promising and innovative source of natural alternatives to chemical food preservatives. This approach would meet the increasing concern of consumers aware of the potential health risks associated with the conventional antimicrobial agents in food. This narrative review aims at providing a literature overview on Zingiber spp. plants, their cultivation, traditional uses, phytochemical constituents and biological activities.

Design, formulation, and evaluation of ginger medicated chewing gum

Background:

Various ginger compounds improve gastrointestinal problems and motion sickness. The main effects of ginger allocate to some phenolics such as gingerols and shogaols that act as their active agents. Chewing gums are among convenient dosage forms which patients prefer due to their advantages. Hence, this study tried to design, formulate, and evaluate ginger chewing gum of favorable taste and texture to avoid motion sickness and have gastro-protective and anti-oxidant effect.

Materials and Methods:

Dried ginger rhizomes were percolated to extract ginger compounds. Total phenolics were measured in 70% hydro-alcoholic extract of ginger by gallic and tannic acid standards using Folin–Ciocalteu’s reagent. Chewing gums containing 50 mg of concentrated extract were prepared. Content uniformity, weight variation, release pattern, organoleptic, and mechanical properties were evaluated.

Results:

Phenolic content was measured 61.50 ± 5.27 mg/g and 76.75 ± 5.45 mg/g of concentrated extract as gallic acid and tannic acid equivalents, respectively. Release pattern of formulations with different gum bases and sweeteners demonstrated almost 100% release of drug. Evaluation of organoleptic properties was on 10 healthy volunteers and later prepared formulations exhibited better characteristics. Formulations without any flavorants have higher acceptability. Evaluation of mechanical properties showed higher stiffness of F₁₅.

Conclusion:

Ginger chewing gum comprises admissible properties to be used as a modern drug delivery system due to its advantageous results in motion sickness. It passed all the specified tests for an acceptable chewing gum. Thus, it may be successfully produced to help GI problems.

Survey of the Antibiofilm and Antimicrobial Effects of Zingiber officinale (in Vitro Study)

Background:

Candidiasis is one of the most prevalent and important opportunistic fungal infections of the oral cavity caused by Candida yeast species like Candida albicans, C. glabrata, and C. krusei. In addition, several bacteria can cause oral infections. The inhibition of microbial biofilm is the best way to prevent oral infections.

Objectives:

The aim of the present study is to evaluate the antifungal, antimicrobial, and anti-biofilm properties of ginger (Zingiber officinale) extract against Candida species and some bacterial pathogens and the extract’s effects on biofilm formation.

Materials and Methods:

Ginger ethanolic extract as a potential mouthwash was used to evaluate its effect against fungi and bacteria using the microdilution method, and biofilm was evaluated using the crystal violet staining method and dead/alive staining. MTT assay was used to evaluate the possible cytotoxicity effects of the extract.

Results:

The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of ginger extract for evaluated strains were 40, 40, 20, 20, 20, 20, 10, and 5 mg/mL for Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Bacillus cereus, Acinetobacter baumannii, C. albicans, and C. krusei, respectively. Ginger extract successfully inhibited biofilm formation by A. baumannii, B. cereus, C. krusei, and C. albicans. MTT assay revealed no significant reduction in cell viability after 24 hours. The minimum inhibitory biofilm concentrations (MIBCs) of ginger extract for fungi strains (C. krusei and C. albicans) were greater than those of fluconazole and nystatin (P = 0.000).

Conclusions:

The findings of the present study indicate that ginger extract has good antifungal and antibiofilm formation by fungi against C. albicans and C. Krusei. Concentrations between 0.625 mg/mL and 5 mg/mL had the highest antibiofilm and antifungal effects. Perhaps, the use of herbal extracts such as ginger represents a new era for antimicrobial therapy after developing antibiotic resistance in microbes.

Proteases of Wood Rot Fungi with Emphasis on the Genus Pleurotus

Proteases are present in all living organisms and they play an important role in physiological conditions. Cell growth and death, blood clotting, and immune defense are all examples of the importance of proteases in maintaining homeostasis. There is growing interest in proteases due to their use for industrial purposes. The search for proteases with specific characteristics is designed to reduce production costs and to find suitable properties for certain industrial sectors, as well as good producing organisms. Ninety percent of commercialized proteases are obtained from microbial sources and proteases from macromycetes have recently gained prominence in the search for new enzymes with specific characteristics. The production of proteases from saprophytic basidiomycetes has led to the identification of various classes of proteases. The genus Pleurotus has been extensively studied because of its ligninolytic enzymes. The characteristics of this genus are easy cultivation techniques, high yield, low nutrient requirements, and excellent adaptation. There are few studies in the literature about proteases of Pleurotus spp. This review gathers together information about proteases, especially those derived from basidiomycetes, and aims at stimulating further research about fungal proteases because of their physiological importance and their application in various industries such as biotechnology and medicine.

Metabolic profiling of Zingiber zerumbet following Pythium myriotylum infection: investigations on the defensive role of the principal secondary metabolite, zerumbone

Induced biosynthesis of bioactive secondary metabolites constitutes one of the mechanisms of plant basal innate immunity to fungal infection. Metabolic changes were studied in rhizomes of Zingiber zerumbet, a wild congener of ginger, after infection with soft rot-causative necrotrophic phytopathogen, Pythium myriotylum, by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. Infection triggered a considerable alteration in the relative content of zerumbone and α-caryophyllene (humulene) with enhancement in zerumbone content (81.59%) and that of α-caryophyllene (11.91%) compared to 9.97 and 1.11%, respectively, in uninfected rhizomes. While zerumbone is the principal secondary metabolite in Z. zerumbet, α-caryophyllene is its immediate precursor. Principal component analysis (PCA) identified the correlations between metabolite changes in Z. zerumbet rhizomes and P. myriotylum infection. Radial diffusion assay with zerumbone indicated a concentration-dependent P. myriotylum growth inhibition with 93.75% inhibition observed at 700 μg and 50% maximal effective concentration (EC50) value of 206 μg. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis revealed that the mechanistic basis of zerumbone's antagonistic action on P. myriotylum growth involved the induction of aberrant morphology including severe hyphal deformities and membrane disruption. Results are discussed highlighting the critical role played by sesquiterpenoid zerumbone in affording resistance in Z. zerumbet and could expedite the development of appropriate strategies for biocontrol of Pythium spp., thus reducing the usage of broad-spectrum fungicides.

Identification and characterization of an anti-fungi Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cucumerium protease from the Bacillus subtilis strain N7

A newly discovered alkaline antifungal protease named P6 from Bacillus subtilis N7 was purified and partially characterized. B. subtilis N7 culture filtrates were purified by 30-60% (NH4)2SO4 precipitation, anion-exchange chromatography and gel filtration chromatography. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) revealed a single band of 41.38 kDa. Peptide sequence of protease P6 was determined using a 4800 Plus MALDI TOF/TOF™ Analyzer System. Self-Formed Adaptor PCR (SEFA-PCR) was used to amplify the 1,149 bp open read frame of P6. Dimensional structure prediction using Automatic Modeling Mode software showed that the protease P6 consisted of two β-barrel domains. Purified P6 strongly inhibited spore and mycelium growth of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cucumerium (FOC) by causing hypha lysis when the concentration was 25 μg/ml. Characterization of the purified protease indicated that it had substrate specificity for gelatin and was highly active at pH 8.0-10.6 and 70°C. The P6 protease was inhibited by EDTA (2 mmol/L), phenyl methyl sulfonyl fluoride (PMSF, 1 mmol/L), Na(+), Fe(3+), Cu(2+), Mg(2+) (5 mmol/L each) and H2O2 (2%, v/v). However, protease activity was activated by Ca(2+), K(+), Mn(2+) (5 mmol/L each), mercaptoethanol (2%, v/v) and Tween 80 (1%, v/v). In addition, activity was also affected by organic solvents such as acetone, normal butanol and ethanol, but not hexane (25%, v/v each).

Ginger Rogers? No, Ginger Ale and its invisible proteome

The trace proteome of a Ginger drink, stated to be produced with a ginger root extract, has been investigated via capture with combinatorial peptide ligand libraries (ProteoMiner). Although in traces, we could confirm the presence of five grape proteins and one apple protein, but not even the faintest trace of any ginger root proteins. The first two findings are correct, as the producer stated that this beverage had been reinforced with 12% grape juice and 6% apple juice, but the absence of even traces of ginger proteins does not permit the classification of this beverage as a ginger extract on a proteomics scale. However, organoleptic tasting has confirmed the presence of a ginger extract, due to its piquant and tongue-biting taste. Nevertheless, any ginger root extract must be considered as a minor component as compared to the presence of grape and apple juice. At the light of these findings, it is hoped that the competent authorities will in the future make compulsory the proper labelling also of beverages so that all amounts of compounds utilized will be clearly stated in the label, including the presumptive main component.

An impression on current developments in the technology, chemistry, and biological activities of ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe)

Ginger rhizome (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) is widely cultivated as a spice for its aromatic and pungent components. The essential oil and oleoresins from ginger are valuable products responsible for the characteristic flavor and pungency. Both are used in several food products such as soft beverages and also in many types of pharmaceutical formulations. More than 100 compounds have been reported from ginger, some of which are isolated and characterized, others are tentatively identified by GC-MS and / or LC-MS. [6]-Gingerol, the major gingerol in ginger rhizomes, has been found to possess many interesting pharmacological and physiological activities, such as anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and cardiotonic effects. Ginger is considered as "generally recognized as safe" (GRAS) by Food and Drug Administration (FDA), USA. Due to all these properties, ginger has gained considerable attention in developed countries in recent years, especially for its use in the treatment of inflammatory conditions. The present review is a persuasive presentation of the current information on processing, chemistry, biological activities, and medicinal uses of ginger. Further studies are required for the validation of the beneficial uses. Formulation for novel products and new usages may emerge in the years to come, based on the revealed results of various studies.

A proteomic analysis of Curcuma comosa Roxb. rhizomes

BACKGROUND

The similarly in plant physiology and the difficulty of plant classification, in some medicinal plant species, especially plants of the Zingiberaceae family, are a major problem for pharmacologists, leading to mistaken use. To overcome this problem, the proteomic base method was used to study protein profiles of the plant model, Curcuma comosa Roxb., which is a member of the Zingiberaceae and has been used in traditional Thai medicine as an anti-inflammatory agent for the treatment of postpartum uterine bleeding.

RESULTS

Due to the complexity of protein extraction from this plant, microscale solution-phase isoelectric focusing (MicroSol-IEF) was used to enrich and improve the separation of Curcuma comosa rhizomes phenol-soluble proteins, prior to resolving and analyzing by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and identification by tandem mass spectrometry. The protein patterns showed a high abundance of protein spots in the acidic range, including three lectin proteins. The metabolic and defense enzymes, such as superoxide dismutase (SOD) and ascorbate peroxidase, that are associated with antioxidant activity, were mainly found in the basic region. Furthermore, cysteine protease was found in this plant, as had been previously reported in other Zingiberaceae plants.

CONCLUSION

This report presents the protein profiles of the ginger plant, Curcuma comosa. Several interesting proteins were identified in this plant that may be used as a protein marker and aid in identifying plants of the Zingiberaceae family.

Surface characterization of ginger powder examined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy

The surface composition of five types of ginger powders with the particle sizes of 300, 149, 74, 37 and 8.34 microm was investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and various types of physical-chemical characteristics regarding material particle size distributions, discoloration and chemical composition. The results show that the color differences are greater for superfine ground ginger than for conventional comminuted ones; the values of crude fibre, neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF) decrease with decreasing ginger particle size. However, no relationship with the surface fat, crude protein, ash and total solids exists. With superfine grinding the XPS O/C ratios of the five ginger powders were similar since the surfaces were not oxidized. Correlations were observed between the XPS N/C ratios and the high resolution XPS N 1s spectra. SEM observations revealed that the surface of ginger powder with a particle size of 300 microm is rougher, while superfine ground powders with particle sizes of 149, 74, 37 and 8.34 microm are similar to each other. This roughness difference between these surfaces correlates with the differences in their O/C ratios and the surface morphology of five ginger powders.

Management of corm-rot disease of Gladiolus by plant extracts

A pot experiment was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of aqueous extracts of six plant species, namely Azadirachta indica A. Juss. (neem), Alstonia scholaris (L.) R. Br., Lawsonia alba Lam., Allium cepa L., A. sativum L. and Zingiber officinale Roscoe, and a systemic fungicide carbendazim 50% (w/w) WP, to manage the corm-rot disease of Gladiolus (Gladiolus grandiflorus L.) caused by a fungal pathogen Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. gladioli (Massey) Snyd. & Hans. Fusarium inoculation showed 80% disease incidence with 54 disease lesions per corm. Recommended dose of the chemical fungicide carbendazim significantly reduced the disease incidence to 13% and number of lesions to six per corm. Plant extract treatments exhibited variable effects on the incidence and severity of the disease. In general, all the test plant extracts managed the corm-rot disease to some extent. Aqueous bulb extracts of A. sativum and A. cepa and the rhizome extract of Z. officinale showed better disease management potential than that of the recommended dose of carbendazim. Fusarium inoculation significantly declined shoot growth. In general, carbendazim, as well as aqueous extracts, enhanced shoot growth to variable extents as compared to the Fusarium control.

Helvellisin, a novel alkaline protease from the wild ascomycete mushroom Helvella lacunosa

A 33.5-kDa serine protease designated as helvellisin was isolated from dried fruiting bodies of the wild ascomycete mushroom Helvella lacunosa. It was purified by using a procedure which entailed ion exchange chromatography on DEAE-cellulose, CM-Sepharose, Q-Sepharose, and FPLC-gel filtration on Superdex 75. The protease was characterized by unique N-terminal amino acid sequence, thermostability and pH stability. The protease exhibited a pH optimum of 11.0 and a temperature optimum of 65 degrees C, with about 40% activity remaining at 87 degrees C and pH 5 and 13. Helvellisin demonstrated a protease activity of 14600 U/mg toward casein. The K(m) of the purified protease for casein was 3.81 mg/ml at pH 11.0 and 37 degrees C. The V(max) was 5.35x10(-2) mg ml(-1) min(-1). It was adversely affected by phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride, suggesting that it is serine protease. The activity of the protease was enhanced by Mg(2+), Fe(2+) and Mn(2+), but was curtailed by Cu(2+), Hg(2+) and Fe(3+). It was devoid of antifungal and ribonuclease activities.

Natural products--antifungal agents derived from plants

A new spectrum of human fungal infections is increasing due to increased cancer, AIDS, and immunocompromised patients. The increased use of antifungal agents also resulted in the development of resistance to the present drugs. It makes necessary to discover new classes of antifungal compounds to cure fungal infections. Plants are rich source of bioactive secondary metabolites of wide variety such as tannins, terpenoids, saponins, alkaloids, flavonoids, and other compounds, reported to have in vitro antifungal properties. Since the plant kingdom provides a useful source of lead compounds of novel structure, a wide-scale investigation of species from the tropics has been considered. Therefore, the research on natural products and compounds derived from natural products has accelerated in recent years due to their importance in drug discovery. A series of molecules with antifungal activity against different strains of fungus have been found in plants, which are of great importance to humans. These molecules may be used directly or considered as a precursor for developing better molecules. This review attempts to summarize the current status of important antifungal compounds from plants.

Passiflin, a novel dimeric antifungal protein from seeds of the passion fruit

The intent was to isolate an antifungal protein from seeds of the passion fruit (Passiflora edulis) and to compare its characteristics with other antifungal proteins and bovine beta-lactoglobulin in view of its N-terminal amino acid sequence similarity to beta-lactoglobulin. The isolation procedure entailed ion-exchange chromatography on Q-Sepharose, hydrophobic interaction chromatography on Phenyl-Sepharose, ion-exchange chromatography on DEAE-cellulose, and FPLC-gel filtration on Superdex 75. The isolated 67-kDa protein, designated as passiflin, exhibited an N-terminal amino acid sequence closely resembling that of bovine beta-lactoglobulin. It is the first antifungal protein found to have a beta-lactoglobulin-like N-terminal sequence. Its dimeric nature is rarely found in antifungal proteins. It impeded mycelial growth in Rhizotonia solani with an IC(50) of 16 microM and potently inhibited proliferation of MCF-7 breast cancer cells with an IC(50) of 15 microM. There was no cross-reactivity of passiflin with anti-beta-lactoglobulin antiserum. Intact beta-lactoglobulin lacks antifungal and antiproliferative activities and is much smaller in molecular size than passiflin. However, it has been reported that hydrolyzed beta-lactoglobulin shows antifungal activity. The data suggest that passiflin is distinct from beta-lactoglobulin.

Bacisubin, an antifungal protein with ribonuclease and hemagglutinating activities from Bacillus subtilis strain B-916

An antifungal protein, with a molecular mass of 41.9 kDa, and designated as bacisubin, was isolated from a culture of Bacillus subtilis strain B-916. The isolation procedure consisted of ion exchange chromatography on DEAE-Sepharose Fast Flow, and fast protein liquid chromatography on Phenyl Sepharose 6 Fast Flow and hydroxyapatite columns. The protein was adsorbed on all three chromatographic media. Bacisubin exhibited inhibitory activity on mycelial growth in Magnaporthe grisease, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, Rhizoctonia solani, Alternaria oleracea, A. brassicae and Botrytis cinerea. The IC50 values of its antifungal activity toward the last four fungal species were 4.01 microM, 0.087 microM, 0.055 microM and 2.74 microM, respectively. Bacisubin demonstrated neither protease activity, nor protease inhibitory activity. However, it manifested ribonuclease and hemagglutinating activities.