A Review of the Chemistry and Biological Activities of Natural Colorants, Dyes, and Pigments: Challenges, and Opportunities for Food, Cosmetics, and Pharmaceutical Application

Natural pigments are important sources for the screening of bioactive lead compounds. This article reviewed the chemistry and therapeutic potentials of over 570 colored molecules from plants, fungi, bacteria, insects, algae, and marine sources. Moreover, related biological activities, advanced extraction, and identification approaches were reviewed. A variety of biological activities, including cytotoxicity against cancer cells, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, wound healing, anti-microbial, antiviral, and anti-protozoal activities, have been reported for different pigments. Considering their structural backbone, they were classified as naphthoquinones, carotenoids, flavonoids, xanthones, anthocyanins, benzotropolones, alkaloids, terpenoids, isoprenoids, and non-isoprenoids. Alkaloid pigments were mostly isolated from bacteria and marine sources, while flavonoids were mostly found in plants and mushrooms. Colored quinones and xanthones were mostly extracted from plants and fungi, while colored polyketides and terpenoids are often found in marine sources and fungi. Carotenoids are mostly distributed among bacteria, followed by fungi and plants. The pigments isolated from insects have different structures, but among them, carotenoids and quinone/xanthone are the most important. Considering good manufacturing practices, the current permitted natural colorants are: Carotenoids (canthaxanthin, β-carotene, β-apo-8'-carotenal, annatto, astaxanthin) and their sources, lycopene, anthocyanins, betanin, chlorophyllins, spirulina extract, carmine and cochineal extract, henna, riboflavin, pyrogallol, logwood extract, guaiazulene, turmeric, and soy leghemoglobin.

A review of citrus plants as functional foods and dietary supplements for human health, with an emphasis on meta-analyses, clinical trials, and their chemical composition

Fruits, flowers, leaves, essential oils, hydrosols, and juices of citrus spp. Are utilized to prepare various forms of food products. Along with their nutritional values, in the health industry, different parts of the plants of the citrus genus have been used as supplements or remedies to prevent or control diseases. This review focused on reported meta-analyses and clinical trials on the health benefits of citrus plants as functional foods. Also, chemical compounds of various citrus species were reviewed. The following information sources were used for data collection: Google Scholar, the Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed. Various keywords, including "citrus AND chemical compounds," "citrus AND phytochemicals," "citrus species," "citrus AND meta-analysis," "nutritional and therapeutical values of citrus spp.," "clinical trials AND citrus," "clinical trials AND Rutaceae," "health benefits of citrus spp.," "citrus edible or non-edible applications," and scientific names of the citrus plants were utilized to collect data for the review. The scientific name and common name of all twenty-eight citrus species, along with any of the above keywords, were also searched in the mentioned databases. Scientific papers and data sources were sought to review and discuss the citrus plant's nutritional and therapeutic importance. Several meta-analyses and clinical trials have reported beneficial effects of citrus spices on a variety of cancer risks, cardiovascular risk factors, neurologic disorders, urinary tract conditions, and gastrointestinal tract conditions. They have shown anxiolytic, antimicrobial, and pain-alleviating effects. Some of them can be helpful in managing obesity and cardiovascular risk factors.

A new cytotoxic sesquiterpene lactone from Euphorbia microsphaera Boiss against human breast cancer (MCF-7) and human fibrosarcoma (HT1080) cells

A new guaianolide sesquiterpene lactone with cytotoxic properties was isolated from Euphorbia microsphaera Boiss. To determine the highest active fraction and isolate bioactive compounds, a bioassay guided fractionation approach was used. The general toxicity properties of the plant's extracts and fractions (fr_1-10) were assessed against Artemia salina, Oryzeaphilus mercator, and Tribolium castaneum. Cytotoxic activities were investigated against normal human foreskin fibroblasts and two malignant cell lines, including human breast cancer (MCF-7) and human fibrosarcoma cells (HT1080) using the MTT assay at different time points of 24, 48, and 72 h. Single crystal X-ray diffraction (SC-XRD) and mass spectrometry data were used to determine the structure of the active guaianolide sesquiterpene lactone (3aR,4S,4aS,5R,7aS,9aS)-5-hydroxy-5,8-dimethyl-3-methylene-2-oxo-2,3,3a,4,4a,5,6,7,7a, 9a decahydroazuleno [6,5-b] furan-4-yl acetate (named aryanin). Chloroformic fraction 7 (fr₇, LC₅₀ = 93.50 μg/mL for general toxicity) had the highest toxicity result, with a mortality rate of more than 50% for both insect species after 12 h at 15 mg/mL. The highest cytotoxicity of aryanin was observed on 24 h treated MCF-7 with an IC₅₀ of 13.81 μg/mL. After 24 h, the inhibition of MCF-7 cell proliferation was 92%-94% at concentrations of 25-50 μg/mL, respectively. On MCF-7, the IC₅₀ was found to be 49.35 μg/mL after 72 h. This compound had a considerable cytotoxicity (IC₅₀ ≤ 12.5 μg/mL, 24 h) on human foreskin fibroblasts. In contrast to the MCF-7 cell line, the proliferation of human foreskin fibroblasts was increased after 72 h.

First Report of a Natural Occurrence of Tomato yellow fruit ring virus on Pepper in Iran

Tospoviruses are considered one of the most devastating viruses in different crops and ornamentals worldwide. There have been increasing records of the natural occurrence of Tomato yellow fruit ring virus (TYFRV) in Iran (e.g., 1,2,3), a recently proposed species in the genus Tospovirus (4). During the growing seasons 2010 to 2011, surveys were conducted in pepper fields (Capsicum annum) in Tehran province, one of the main vegetable producing areas of Iran, to detect the presence of tospovirus species infecting this crop, including Groundnut ringspot virus (GRSV), Impatiens necrotic spot virus (INSV), Iris yellow spot virus (IYSV), Tomato chlorotic spot virus (TCSV), Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV), TYFRV, and Watermelon silver mottle virus (WSMoV). Overall, 14 fields were surveyed and 119 pepper leaf samples from plants showing tospovirus-like symptoms of yellow mosaic, chlorosis, and necrosis were collected. Each leaf sample was tested by double-antibody sandwich (DAS)-ELISA using specific antisera (Bioreba, Reinach, Switzerland; Loewe, Sauerlach, Germany; DSMZ, Braunschweig, Germany) for the presence of the aforementioned tospoviruses. Based on the results, TYFRV were found in 21 samples (17.6%) collected from five fields surveyed. None of the samples had a positive reaction in ELISA to GRSV, INSV, IYSV, TCSV, TSWV, and WSMoV. To confirm testing, six leaf samples that were found positive for TYFRV in ELISA tests were mechanically inoculated on Petunia × hybrid and Nicotiana rustica; for all the samples studied, the inoculated plants showed typical necrotic local lesions of tospoviruses, and chlorotic or necrotic spots followed by systemic infection, respectively; their infection was subsequently confirmed by ELISA. Four out of the six samples also were tested by reverse transcription (RT)-PCR technique using previously described specific primers (2). The PCR reaction, in agreement with ELISA tests, resulted in the specifically amplification of a ~1.2-kb fragment of TYFRV RNAs. Using the PCR amplification primers mentioned above, the nucleotide sequences of nucleoprotein (N) genes of two isolates, namely TY-PepT43 and TY-PepT74, were determined (GenBank Accession Nos. KC354692 and KC354693, respectively); BLAST search results confirmed the presence of TYFRV and showed high nucleotide identities (99.0%) to TY-PF36 isolate of the virus. The virus has been previously reported on potato, tomato, ornamental plants, and some weed species in Tehran Province (1,3,4). This coupled with the presence of TYFRV vector, i.e., Thrips tabaci, in the same region (1), may have resulted in the occurrence of the virus on pepper plants. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the natural occurrence of TYFRV from pepper plants in Iran. References: (1) T. Ghotbi et al. Plant Dis. 89:425, 2005. (2) A. R. Golnaraghi et al. Plant Dis. 92:1280, 2008. (3) R. Pourrahim et al. Plant Dis. 91:609, 2007. (4) S. Winter et al. Plant Pathol. 55:287, 2006.

The Prevalence of Human T-Cell lymphotropic Virus Type 1 in Pregnant Women and Their Newborns

The prevalence of HTLV1 virus antibodies was determined in pregnant women and their neonates in Mashhad, northeast of Iran, as shown in this prospective cross-sectional study. 407 women who were hospitalized for delivery participated in this study. Venous blood sampling of pregnant women and umbilical cord of their neonates was done. The first samples of all women were tested for HTLV1 seropositivity by ELISA test and confirmed by PCR method. Then, the presence of HTLV1 in samples of umbilical cords blood in neonates who were delivered to an HTLV1-positive mother was determined by PCR method. All HTLV1-positive infants were called again at the age of 9–12 months, and PCR test was done using HTLV1-specific primers for them. Of all the participating women, 6 persons were HTLV1 seropositive by ELIZA test which was confirmed by PCR test. HTLV1 antibodies were found in cord blood samples by PCR test in 6 newborns who were born to HTLV1-seropositive women. All the six infants at the age of 9–12 months showed positive PCR results by HTLV1 LTR-specific primers; however, only one of them was PCR positive using HTLV1 TAX-specific primers. The prevalence of HTLV1 antibodies in pregnant women was 1.5%, and the vertical transmission rate to their neonates was 16.6%.

Antiserum against perimicrovillar membranes and midgut tissue reduces the development of Trypanosoma cruzi in the insect vector, Rhodnius prolixus

Antiserum raised against Rhodnius prolixus perimicrovillar membranes (PMM) and midgut tissue interfered with the midgut structural organization and reduced the development of Trypanosoma cruzi in the R. prolixus insect vector. SDS-PAGE and Western blot analyses confirmed the specific recognition of midgut proteins by the antibody. Feeding, mortality, molt, and oviposition of the insects were unaffected by feeding with the antiserum. However, the eclosion of the eggs were reduced from R. prolixus females treated with antiserum. Additionally, in vivo evaluation showed that after oral treatment with the antiserum, the intensity of infection with the Dm-28c clone of T. cruzi decreased in the digestive tract of fifth-instar nymphs and in the excretions of R. prolixus adults. These results suggest that the changes observed in the PMM organization in the posterior midgut of R. prolixus may not be important for triatomine survival but the antiserum acts as a transmission-reduction vaccine able to induce significant decreases in T. cruzi infection in the vector.