Novel Aminocoumarin Derivatives against Phytopathogenic Fungi: Design, Synthesis and Structure-Activity Relationships

Phytopathogenic fungi is the most devastating reason for the decrease of the agricultural production and food safety. To develop new fungicidal agents for resistance concerning, a novel series of aminocoumarin derivatives were synthesized and their fungicidal activity were investigated both in vitro and in vivo. Transmission electron microscope (TEM), scanning electron microscope (SEM), RNA-Seq, 3D-QSAR and molecular docking were applied to reveal the underlying anti-fungal mechanisms. Most of the compounds exhibited significant fungicidal activity. Notably, compound 10c had a more extensive fungicidal effect than positive control. TEM indicated that compound 10c could cause abnormal morphology of cell walls, vacuoles and release of cellular contents. Transcriptional analysis data indicated that 895 and 653 out of 1548 differential expressed genes (DEGs) were up-regulated and down-regulated respectively. The Go and KEGG enrichment indicated that the coumarin derivatives could induce significant changes of succinate dehydrogenase (SDH), Acetyl-coenzyme A synthetase (ACCA) and pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) genes, which contributed to the disorders of glucolipid metabolism and the dysfunction of mitochondrial. The results demonstrated that aminocoumarins with schiff-base as core moieties could be the promising lead compounds for the discovery of novel fungicides.

Morphological change and genome-wide transcript analysis of Haloxylon ammodendron leaf development reveals morphological characteristics and genes associated with the different C3 and C4 photosynthetic metabolic pathways

C4 photosynthesis outperforms C3 photosynthesis in natural ecosystems by maintaining a high photosynthetic rate and affording higher water-use and nitrogen-use efficiencies. C4 plants can survive in environments with poor living conditions, such as high temperatures and arid regions, and will be crucial to ecological and agricultural security in the face of global climate change in the future. However, the genetic architecture of C4 photosynthesis remains largely unclear, especially the genetic regulation of C4 Kranz anatomy. Haloxylon ammodendron is an important afforestation tree species and a valuable C4 wood plant in the desert region. The unique characteristic of H. ammodendron is that, during the seedling stage, it utilizes C3 photosynthesis, while in mature assimilating shoots (maAS), it switches to the C4 pathway. This makes an exceptional opportunity for studying the development of the C4 Kranz anatomy and metabolic pathways within individual plants (identical genome). To provide broader insight into the regulation of Kranz anatomy and non-Kranz leaves of the C4 plant H. ammodendron, carbon isotope values, anatomical sections and transcriptome analyses were used to better understand the molecular and cellular processes related to the development of C4 Kranz anatomy. This study revealed that H. ammodendron conducts C3 in the cotyledon before it switches to C4 in AS. However, the switching requires a developmental process. Stable carbon isotope discrimination measurements on three different developmental stages showed that young AS have a C3-like δ13C even though C4 Kranz anatomy is found, which is inconsistent with the anatomical findings. A C4-like δ13C can be measured in AS until they are mature. The expression analysis of C4 key genes also showed that the maAS exhibited higher expression than the young AS. In addition, many genes that may be related to the development of Kranz anatomy were screened. Comparison of gene expression patterns with respect to anatomy during leaf ontogeny provided insight into the genetic features of Kranz anatomy. This study helps with our understanding of the development of Kranz anatomy and provides future directions for studies on key C4 regulatory genes.

Sesquiterpenes and Sesquiterpene Derivatives from Ferula: Their Chemical Structures, Biosynthetic Pathways, and Biological Properties

Ferula is a genus of flowering plants known for its edible and medicinal properties. Since ancient times, many species of Ferula have been used in traditional medicine to treat various health issues across countries, such as digestive disorders, respiratory problems, and even as a remedy for headaches and toothaches. In addition, they are also used as a flavoring agent in various cuisines. As the main active ingredients in Ferula, sesquiterpenes and their derivatives, especially sesquiterpene coumarins, sesquiterpene phenylpropanoids, and sesquiterpene chromones, have attracted the attention of scientists due to the diversity of their chemical structures, as well as their extensive and promising biological properties, such as antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial properties. However, there has not been a comprehensive review of sesquiterpenes and their derivatives from this plant. This review aims to provide an overview of the chemical structures, biosynthetic pathways, and biological properties of sesquiterpenes and sesquiterpene derivatives from Ferula, which may help guide future research directions and possible application methods for this valuable edible and medicinal plant.

Cellulose Dissolution, Modification, and the Derived Hydrogel: A Review

The cellulose-based hydrogel has occupied a pivotal position in almost all walks of life. However, the native cellulose can not be directly used for preparing hydrogel due to the complex non-covalent interactions. Some literature has discussed the dissolution and modification of cellulose but has yet to address the influence of the pretreatment on the as-prepared hydrogels. Firstly, the "touching" of cellulose by derived and non-derived solvents was introduced, namely, the dissolution of cellulose. Secondly, the "conversion" of functional groups on the cellulose surface by special routes, which is the modification of cellulose. The above-mentioned two parts were intended to explain the changes in physicochemical properties of cellulose by these routes and their influences on the subsequent hydrogel preparation. Finally, the "reinforcement" of cellulose-based hydrogels by physical and chemical techniques was summarized, viz., improving the mechanical properties of cellulose-based hydrogels and the changes in the multi-level structure of the interior of cellulose-based hydrogels.

Study on Aging Mechanism and High-Temperature Rheological Properties of Low-Grade Hard Asphalt

In order to investigate the potential application of low-grade hard asphalt in high-temperature and high-altitude areas, various tests were conducted to analyze the performance and high-temperature rheological properties of 30#, 50#, and 70# matrix asphalt under thermo-oxidative aging and ultraviolet aging. The tests utilized for analysis included the examination of basic asphalt properties, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), atomic force microscopy (AFM), gel permeation chromatography (GPC), dynamic shear rheology (DSR), and multi-stress creep recovery (MSCR). The results indicate a progressive decrease in asphalt performance with increasing aging time. Prolonged exposure to thermal oxygen aging and ultraviolet irradiation significantly diminishes the plasticity of asphalt. The carbonyl index and sulfoxide index of asphalt increase after thermal oxygen aging and ultraviolet aging. Notably, 30# asphalt demonstrates greater resistance to aging compared to 50# and 70# asphalt under long-term high ultraviolet radiation. The LMS% of 30#, 50#, and 70# asphalt increases by 14%, 15%, and 16%, respectively. Following photothermal oxidative aging, a larger proportion of lighter components in the asphalt transforms into resins and asphaltenes. The high-temperature rheological properties of the three types of asphalt rank as 30# > 50# > 70#, while within the same type of asphalt, the high-temperature rheological properties rank as PAV > UV3 > UV2 > UV1 > RTFOT > virgin. Elevating temperature, stress level, and stress duration negatively impact the high-temperature stability of asphalt. In general, low-grade asphalt demonstrates superior anti-aging ability and high-temperature rheological properties during the aging process.

Removal of As(V) from aqueous solution using modified Fe3O4 nanoparticles

The removal of arsenic contamination from the aqueous environment is of great importance in the conservation of the Earth's water resources, and surfactants are a promising material used to modify magnetic nanoparticles to improve adsorption properties. Therefore, it is important to develop efficient and selective adsorbents for arsenic. Surface modification of Fe₃O₄ was carried out using anionic, cationic and zwitterionic surfactants to obtain composite Fe₃O₄@SDS, Fe₃O₄@CTAB, Fe₃O₄@SNC 16 and Fe₃O₄@NPC 16 (collectively referred to as Fe₃O₄@surfactants). The synthesized composite Fe₃O₄@surfactants magnetic nanoparticles were characterized by XRD, TEM and FTIR. The As(V) removal characteristics of the composite magnetic nanoparticles from the aqueous solution were evaluated by adsorption batch experiments which indicated the possibility of effective application of the surfactant-modified Fe₃O₄ magnetic nanoparticles for the removal of As(V) from aqueous solution. The adsorption equilibrium of the composites was reached in 30 min and the kinetic data followed the pseudo-second-order model. Langmuir equation could represent the adsorption isotherm data very well. Moreover, under the identical conditions, Fe₃O₄@CTAB showed maximum capacity of adsorption for As(V) (55.671 mg g^-1), with its removal efficiency being much higher than that of the other composites. In addition, the Fe₃O₄@surfactants composite magnetic nanoparticles retained 93.5% of its initial arsenic removal efficiency even after re-using it five times. The mechanism of arsenic adsorption by Fe₃O₄@surfactants composite magnetic nanoparticles was proved to be complexation via electrostatic attraction, which was mainly innersphere in nature.