D-Pinitol mitigates post-traumatic stress disorder-like behaviors induced by single prolonged stress in mice through mineralocorticoid receptor antagonism

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental illness that can occur in individuals who have experienced trauma. Current treatments for PTSD, typically serotonin reuptake inhibitors, have limited effectiveness for patients and often cause serious adverse effects. Therefore, a novel class of treatment with better pharmacological profile is necessary. D-Pinitol has been reported to be effective for depression and anxiety disorders, but there are no reports associated with PTSD. In the present study, we investigated the effects of D-pinitol in a mouse model of PTSD induced by a single prolonged stress (SPS) protocol. We examined the therapeutic effects of D-pinitol on emotional and cognitive impairments in the SPS mouse model. We also investigated the effects of D-pinitol on fear memory formation. Mineralocorticoid receptor transactivation assay, Western blot, and quantitative PCR were employed to investigate how D-pinitol exerts its pharmacological activities. D-Pinitol ameliorated PTSD-like behaviors in a SPS mouse model. D-Pinitol also normalized the increased mRNA expression levels and protein levels of the mineralocorticoid receptor in the amygdala. A mineralocorticoid receptor agonist reversed the effects of D-pinitol on fear extinction and recall, and the antagonistic property of D-pinitol against the mineralocorticoid receptor was confirmed in vitro. Our findings suggest that D-pinitol could serve as a potential therapeutic agent for PTSD due to its antagonistic effect on the mineralocorticoid receptor.

Metabolic engineering Corynebacterium glutamicum for D-chiro-inositol production

D-chiro-inositol (DCI) is a potential drug for the treatment of type II diabetes and polycystic ovary syndrome. In order to effectively synthesize DCI in Corynebacterium glutamicum, the genes related to inositol catabolism in clusters iol1 and iol2 were knocked out in C. glutamicum SN01 to generate the chassis strain DCI-1. DCI-1 did not grow in and catabolize myo-inositol (MI). Subsequently, different exogenous and endogenous inosose isomerases were expressed in DCI-1 and their conversion ability of DCI from MI were compared. After fermentation, the strain DCI-7 co-expressing inosose isomerase IolI2 and inositol dehydrogenase IolG was identified as the optimal strain. Its DCI titer reached 3.21 g/L in the presence of 20 g/L MI. On this basis, the pH, temperature and MI concentration during whole-cell conversion of DCI by strain DCI-7 were optimized. Finally, the optimal condition that achieved the highest DCI titer of 6.96 g/L were obtained at pH 8.0, 37 °C and addition of 40 g/L MI. To our knowledge, it is the highest DCI titer ever reported.

Changes in primary metabolite content may affect thrips feeding preference in soybean crops

Past research has characterized the induction of plant defenses in response to chewing insect damage. However, little is known about plant responses to piercing-sucking insects that feed on plant cell-contents like thrips (Caliothrips phaseoli). In this study, we used NMR spectroscopy to measure metabolite changes in response to six days of thrips damage from two field-grown soybean cultivars (cv.), known for their different susceptibility to Caliothrips phaseoli. We observed that thrips damage reduces sucrose concentration in both cultivars, while pinitol, the most abundant leaf soluble carbohydrate, is induced in cv. Charata but not in cv. Williams. Thrips did not show preference for leaves where sucrose or pinitol were externally added, at tested concentration. In addition, we also noted that cv. Charata was less naturally colonized and contained higher levels of trigonelline, tyrosine as well as several compounds that we have not yet identified. We have established that preference-feeding clues are not dependent on the plants major soluble carbohydrates but may depend on other types of compounds or leaf physical characteristics.

Comparative effects of fixed-dose mitiglinide/voglibose combination and glimepiride on vascular endothelial function and glycemic variability in patients with type 2 diabetes: A randomized controlled trial

INTRODUCTION

The aim of this study was to compare the effects of mitiglinide/voglibose with those of glimepiride on glycemic variability and vascular endothelial function in patients with type 2 diabetes.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

It was a multicenter, open-label, randomized, crossover study. Hospitalized patients received either mitiglinide/voglibose (three times daily administration of 10 mg mitiglinide and 0.2 mg voglibose) or glimepiride (once-daily 2 mg) in random order, each for 5 days. The reactive hyperemia index (RHI) and the mean amplitude of glycemic excursions (MAGE) were measured as co-primary endpoints using reactive hyperemia peripheral arterial tonometry and continuous glucose monitoring.

RESULTS

The analysis included 30 patients (15 in each group). The RHI was 1.670 ± 0.369 during treatment with mitiglinide/voglibose and 1.716 ± 0.492 during treatment with glimepiride, with no significant difference between the two. MAGE was significantly lower in the mitiglinide/voglibose group (47.6 ± 18.5 mg/dL) than in the glimepiride group (100.6 ± 32.2 mg/dL). Although the mean blood glucose levels over the entire 24 h period were comparable between the two groups, the use of mitiglinide/voglibose was associated with a lower standard deviation of mean glucose, coefficient of variation, and mean postprandial glucose excursion compared with glimepiride. The time below range (<70 mg/dL) and the time above range (>180, >200, and 250 mg/dL) were lower in the mitiglinide/voglibose group, while the time in range (70-180 mg/dL) was higher.

CONCLUSIONS

In our short-duration randomized crossover study, although not impacting vascular endothelial function, mitiglinide/voglibose demonstrated potential benefits in reducing glycemic variability, postprandial hyperglycemia, and hypoglycemia in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Toxicological, biochemical, and in silico investigations of three trehalase inhibitors for new ways to control aphids

Insect trehalases have been identified as promising new targets for pest control. These key enzymes are involved in trehalose hydrolysis and plays an important role in insect growth and development. In this contribution, plant and microbial compounds, namely validamycin A, amygdalin, and phloridzin, were evaluated for their effect, through trehalase inhibition, on Acyrthosiphon pisum aphid. The latter is part of the Aphididae family, main pests as phytovirus vectors and being very harmful for crops. Validamycin A was confirmed as an excellent trehalase inhibitor with an half maximal inhibitory concentration and inhibitor constant of 2.2 × 10-7 and 5 × 10-8 M, respectively, with a mortality rate of ~80% on a A. pisum population. Unlike validamycin A, the insect lethal efficacy of amygdalin and phloridzin did not correspond to their trehalase inhibition, probably due to their hydrolysis by insect β-glucosidases. Our docking studies showed that none of the three compounds can bind to the trehalase active site, unlike their hydrolyzed counterparts, that is, validoxylamine A, phloretin, and prunasin. Validoxylamine A would be by far the best trehalase binder, followed by phloretin and prunasin.

In vivo evaluation of the neurogenotoxic effects of exposure to validamycin A in neuroblasts of Drosophila melanogaster larval brain

Agriculture commonly utilizes crop protection products to tackle infestations from fungi, parasites, insects, and weeds. Validamycin A, an inhibitor of trehalase, possesses antibiotic and antifungal attributes. Epidemiological evidence has led to concerns regarding a potential link between pesticide usage and neurodegenerative diseases. The fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, has been recognized as a reliable model for genetic research due to its significant genetic similarities with mammals. Here, we propose to use D. melanogaster as an effective in vivo model system to investigate the genotoxic risks associated with exposure to validamycin A. In this study, we performed a neurotoxic evaluation of validamycin A in D. melanogaster larvae. Several endpoints were evaluated, including toxicity, intracellular oxidative stress (reactive oxygen species), intestinal damage, larval behavior (crawling behavior, light/dark sensitivity assay, and temperature sensitivity assay), locomotor (climbing) behavior, and neurogenotoxic effects (impaired DNA via Comet assay, enhanced by Endo III and formamidopyrimidine DNA glycosylase [FPG]). The results showed that exposure to validamycin A, especially at higher doses (1 and 2.5 mM), induced DNA impairment in neuroblasts as observed by Comet assay. Both larvae and adults exhibited behavioral changes and produced reactive oxygen species. Most importantly, this research represents a pioneering effort to report neurogenotoxicity data specifically in Drosophila larval neuroblasts, thus underscoring the importance of this species as a testing model in exploring the biological impacts of validamycin A. The in vivo findings from the experiments are a valuable and novel addition to the existing validamycin A neurogenotoxicity database.

A pinitol-rich Glycyrrhiza glabra L. leaf extract as functional supplement with potential in the prevention of endothelial dysfunction through improving insulin signalling

Background: Glycyrrhyza glabra L. is one of the most popular medicinal plant in the world, its roots having been used since ancient times in many traditional medicines. On the contrary, scarce attention has been dedicated to liquorice aerial parts. Previous studies showed the presence of a large group of polyphenols and a consistent amount of d-pinitol in the leaf extract.Methods: The methanolic extract from G. glabra leaves was profiled for its content in polyphenols; the amount of d-pinitol was also measured with two independent methods (HPLC-ELSD and NMR). The extract was tested for its in vitro protective effects against insulin resistance-related endothelial dysfunction in human umbilical vein endothelial cells exposed to palmitic acid, which is the most prevalent saturated free fatty acid in circulation.Results: Methanolic extract from liquorice leaves has a protective effect against the lipotoxicity-associated alterations of insulin pathway in human endothelial cells, similarly to what observed with pure d-pinitol.Conclusions: Liquorice leaves are to be considered a waste product which gives a phytocomplex endowed with interesting potential therapeutic properties, moreover the use of a liquorice leaves phytocomplex rather than a pure compound allows avoiding a series of isolation/purification procedures and can be easily scaled up for industrial applications.

Pharmacological effects of D-Pinitol - A comprehensive review

In recent years, the application of phytochemicals to prevent or treat diseases has received greater attention. These phytochemicals have little or no toxicity against healthy tissues and are thus considered as ideal compounds. An impressive number of modern drugs are obtained from natural sources based on their traditional value. D-Pinitol is a natural compound that is derived from soy and soy products. It is a potentially active molecule that belongs to the class of inositols. D-pinitol has been pharmacologically evaluated for its potent antioxidant, anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, hepatoprotective, cardioprotective, renoprotective, neuroprotective, immunosuppressive, and anti-osteoporotic efficacies. This review is an attempt to validate the plausible pharmacological effects of D-pinitol using various in vivo and in vitro studies. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: The consumption of plant-based products has been significantly increased all over the world. The active phytochemicals that are found in plants are stated to have numerous health promoting functions for the treatment of diabetes, cancer, inflammation, cardiac diseases, liver dysfunction, and many other. D-Pinitol is abundantly present in soybeans that possess notable therapeutic activities. Understanding the effects of D-Pinitol would potentially help in applying this compound in clinical research for the treatment of different disorders.

Hazard Assessment of the Effects of Acute and Chronic Exposure to Permethrin, Copper Hydroxide, Acephate, and Validamycin Nanopesticides on the Physiology of Drosophila: Novel Insights into the Cellular Internalization and Biological Effects

New insights into the interactions between nanopesticides and edible plants are required in order to elucidate their impacts on human health and agriculture. Nanopesticides include formulations consisting of organic/inorganic nanoparticles. Drosophila melanogaster has become a powerful model in genetic research thanks to its genetic similarity to mammals. This project mainly aimed to generate new evidence for the toxic/genotoxic properties of different nanopesticides (a nanoemulsion (permethrin nanopesticides, 20 ± 5 nm), an inorganic nanoparticle as an active ingredient (copper(II) hydroxide [Cu(OH)₂] nanopesticides, 15 ± 6 nm), a polymer-based nanopesticide (acephate nanopesticides, 55 ± 25 nm), and an inorganic nanoparticle associated with an organic active ingredient (validamycin nanopesticides, 1177 ± 220 nm)) and their microparticulate forms (i.e., permethrin, copper(II) sulfate pentahydrate (CuSO₄·5H₂O), acephate, and validamycin) widely used against agricultural pests, while also showing the merits of using Drosophila—a non-target in vivo eukaryotic model organism—in nanogenotoxicology studies. Significant biological effects were noted at the highest doses of permethrin (0.06 and 0.1 mM), permethrin nanopesticides (1 and 2.5 mM), CuSO₄·5H₂O (1 and 5 mM), acephate and acephate nanopesticides (1 and 5 mM, respectively), and validamycin and validamycin nanopesticides (1 and 2.5 mM, respectively). The results demonstrating the toxic/genotoxic potential of these nanopesticides through their impact on cellular internalization and gene expression represent significant contributions to future nanogenotoxicology studies.

Seventy-Two-Hour LRRK2 Kinase Activity Inhibition Increases Lysosomal GBA Expression in H4, a Human Neuroglioma Cell Line

Mutations in LRRK2 and GBA1 are key contributors to genetic risk of developing Parkinson's disease (PD). To investigate how LRRK2 kinase activity interacts with GBA and contributes to lysosomal dysfunctions associated with the pathology of PD. The activity of the lysosomal enzyme β-Glucocerebrosidase (GCase) was assessed in a human neuroglioma cell model treated with two selective inhibitors of LRKK2 kinase activity (LRRK2-in-1 and MLi-2) and a GCase irreversible inhibitor, condutirol-beta-epoxide (CBE), under 24 and 72 h experimental conditions. We observed levels of GCase activity comparable to controls in response to 24 and 72 h treatments with LRRK2-in-1 and MLi-2. However, GBA protein levels increased upon 72 h treatment with LRRK2-in-1. Moreover, LC3-II protein levels were increased after both 24 and 72 h treatments with LRRK2-in-1, suggesting an activation of the autophagic pathway. These results highlight a possible regulation of lysosomal function through the LRRK2 kinase domain and suggest an interplay between LRRK2 kinase activity and GBA. Although further investigations are needed, the enhancement of GCase activity might restore the defective protein metabolism seen in PD.

Validamycin treatment significantly inhibits the glycometabolism and chitin synthesis in the common cutworm, Spodoptera litura

Validamycin, as a broadly applied antibiotic, has been used to control rice sheath blight disease. Furthermore, validamycin was considered as an insecticide to control agricultural pests. Insight into the mechanism of validamycin's action on insects can provide molecular targets for the control of agricultural pests. In this study, a toxicological test analysis revealed that Spodoptera litura larval growth and development was significantly inhibited and the pupation rate was significantly reduced with the increase of the concentration of validamycin. According to the NMR-based metabolomic analysis, a total of 15 metabolites involved in glycolysis and tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA) pathways were identified. Additionally, trehalase activities, glucose and chitin contents were significantly downregulated, but the trehalose content was upregulated after exposure to validamycin. Reverse transcription quantitative PCR analysis revealed that the expression level of genes involved in glycolysis, TCA and chitin synthesis were upregulated after treating with validamycin. Further chitin staining also confirmed that chitin content was downregulated at 12 h after validamycin treatment. Our results indicated that validamycin worked via two different molecular mechanisms, one through inhibiting glycometabolism and the other by inhibiting chitin synthesis in S. litura. The information lays a theoretical foundation for further control of S. litura.

Spectroscopic and theoretical evidences for the surface binding of voglibose drug with DNA

Binding of voglibose (VOG), an alpha glucosidase inhibitor, with CT-DNA has been investigated using various spectroscopic techniques including UV-Vis, fluorescence and circular dichroism (CD) coupled with relative viscosity. Isothermal titration calorimetric studies have been used to calculate the thermodynamic parameters such as ΔH (0.0188 cal/mol), ΔS (63.3 cal/mol/K) and ΔG (-18.8 kcal/mol), which reveal that the binding is a spontaneous process and hydrophobic and H-bonding interactions play major roles in the binding process. Effect of ionic strength confirms the existence of hydrophobic interaction between VOG and CT-DNA. Competitive displacement assays with ethidium bromide (EB) and Hoechst 33258 suggest that VOG possibly binds on the surface of CT-DNA. Viscosity measurements also disclose that the binding could be mainly surface binding. Corroborating the experimental observations, metadynamics molecular simulation studies confirm that VOG binding on the surface of the DNA molecule through hydrophobic interactions and direct and water molecule mediated H-bonding.

D-Pinitol-Active Natural Product from Carob with Notable Insulin Regulation

Carob is one of the major food trees for peoples of the Mediterranean basin, but it has also been traditionally used for medicinal purposes. Carob contains many nutrients and active natural products, and D-Pinitol is clearly one of the most important of these. D-Pinitol has been reported in dozens of scientific publications and its very diverse medicinal properties are still being studied. Presently, more than thirty medicinal activities of D-Pinitol have been reported. Among these, many publications have reported the strong activities of D-Pinitol as a natural antidiabetic and insulin regulator, but also as an active anti-Alzheimer, anticancer, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory, and is also immune- and hepato-protective. In this review, we will present a brief introduction of the nutritional and medicinal importance of Carob, both traditionally and as found by modern research. In the introduction, we will present Carob’s major active natural products. The structures of inositols will be presented with a brief literature summary of their medicinal activities, with special attention to those inositols in Carob, as well as D-Pinitol’s chemical structure and its medicinal and other properties. D-Pinitol antidiabetic and insulin regulation activities will be extensively presented, including its proposed mechanism of action. Finally, a discussion followed by the conclusions and future vision will summarize this article.

Pinitol Protects Against Ox-Low-Density Lipoprotein-Induced Endothelial Inflammation and Monocytes Attachment

ABSTRACT

Atherosclerosis is a cardiovascular disease that affects a majority of people around the world at old age. Atherosclerosis is slow to develop and challenging to treat. Endothelial dysfunction caused by oxidative stress, inflammation, and other pathological factors drives the process of atherogenesis. LOX-1 is one of the main scavenging receptors for oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) and contributes to atherogenesis by inducing overproduction of reactive oxygen species, increased expression of proinflammatory cytokines, and secretion of cellular adhesion molecules. In addition, activation of LOX-1 inhibits the expression of KLF2, a key protective factor against atherosclerosis. In this study, we investigated the effects of pinitol, and naturally occurring cyclic polyol, on endothelial dysfunction induced by ox-LDL. Our findings show that pinitol revealed a good safety profile, as evidenced by reducing lactate dehydrogenase release in human aortic endothelial cells. In our experiments, pinitol reduced the production of reactive oxygen species and expression of IL-6 and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 induced by ox-LDL. Pinitol also significantly reduced the attachment of THP-1 monocytes to endothelial cells via downregulation of vascular cellular adhesion molecule-1 and E-selectin. Importantly, we found that pinitol reduced the expression of LOX-1 induced by ox-LDL and rescued the expression of KLF2, which is dependent on ERK5 expression. Together, our findings provide notable evidence that pinitol may have potential implication in the prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis.

Validamycin A Enhances the Interaction Between Neutral Trehalase and 14-3-3 Protein Bmh1 in Fusarium graminearum

In agriculture, Trehalase is considered the main target of the biological fungicide validamycin A, and the toxicology mechanism of validamycin A is unknown. 14-3-3 proteins, highly conserved proteins, participate in diverse cellular processes, including enzyme activation, protein localization, and acting as a molecular chaperone. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the 14-3-3 protein Bmh1could interact with Nth1 to respond to specific external stimuli. Here, we characterized FgNth, FgBmh1, and FgBmh2 in Fusarium graminearum. ΔFgNth, ΔFgBmh1, and ΔFgBmh2 displayed great growth defects and their peripheral tips hyphae generated more branches when compared with wild-type (WT) PH-1. When exposed to validamycin A as well as high osmotic and high temperature stresses, ΔFgNth, ΔFgBmh1, and ΔFgBmh2 showed more tolerance than WT. Both ΔFgNth and ΔFgBmh1 displayed reduced deoxynivalenol production but opposite for ΔFgBmh2, and all three deletion mutants showed reduced virulence on wheat coleoptiles. In addition, coimmunoprecipitation (Co-IP) experiments suggested that FgBmh1 and FgBmh2 both interact with FgNth, but no interaction was detected between FgBmh1 and FgBmh2 in our experiments. Further, validamycin A enhances the interaction between FgBmh1 and FgNth in a positive correlation under concentrations of 1 to 100 μg/ml. In addition, both high osmotic and high temperature stresses promote the interaction between FgBmh1 and FgNth. Co-IP assay also showed that neither FgBmh1 nor FgBmh2 could interact with FgPbs2, a MAPKK kinase in the high-osmolarity glycerol pathway. However, FgBmh2 but not FgBmh1 binds to the heat shock protein FgHsp70 in F. graminearum. Taken together, our results demonstrate that FgNth and FgBmh proteins are involved in growth and responses to external stresses and virulence; and validamycin enhanced the interaction between FgNth and FgBmh1in F. graminearum.

A d-pinitol transporter, LjPLT11, regulates plant growth and nodule development in Lotus japonicus

Polyol transporters have been functionally characterized in yeast and Xenopus laevis oocytes as H+-symporters with broad substrate specificity, but little is known about their physiological roles in planta. To extend this knowledge, we investigated the role of LjPLT11 in Lotus japonicus-Mesorhizobium symbiosis. Functional analyses of LjPLT11 in yeast characterized it as an energy-independent transporter of xylitol, two O-methyl inositols, xylose, and galactose. We showed that LjPLT11 is located on peribacteroid membranes and functions as a facilitative transporter of d-pinitol within infected cells of L. japonicus nodules. Knock-down of LjPLT11 (LjPLT11i) in L. japonicus accelerated plant growth under nitrogen sufficiency, but resulted in abnormal bacteroids with corresponding reductions in nitrogenase activity in nodules and plant growth in the nitrogen-fixing symbiosis. LjPLT11i nodules had higher osmotic pressure in cytosol, and lower osmotic pressure in bacteroids, than wild-type nodules both 3 and 4 weeks after inoculation of Mesorhizobium loti. Levels and distributions of reactive oxygen species were also perturbed in infected cells of 4-week-old nodules in LjPLT11i plants. The results indicate that LjPLT11 plays a key role in adjustment of the levels of its substrate pinitol, and thus maintenance of osmotic balance in infected cells and peribacteroid membrane stability during nodule development.

D-Pinitol Attenuated Ovalbumin-induced Allergic Rhinitis in Experimental Mice via Balancing Th1/Th2 Response

Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a complex, chronic immunoinflammatory disorder of the membrane lining of the nasal mucosa. D-Pinitol is considered a cyclic polyol with a potential effect against various allergies. In the present study, we evaluated the anti-allergic effect of pinitol on ovalbumin (OVA)-induced AR model in mice. BALB/c mice were initially sensitized with an intraperitoneal injection of OVA and divided into 5 groups (n=18, in each group) for a treating schedule of distilled water (DW), montelukast (10 mg/kg), and pinitol (5, 10, and 20 mg/kg) through the mouth. Two saline-injected groups were considered as controls by orally administrating DW and pinitol 20. Thereafter, test and control groups were intranasally challenged by OVA and saline, respectively. Our results showed that the OVA challenge caused a marked elevation in AR symptoms like nasal rubbing, sneezing, and discharge which were remarkably diminished using pinitol (10 and 20 mg/kg) and the results were comparable with montelukast. Additionally, increased levels of total and OVA-specific serum Immunoglobulin (Ig) E and IgG1 were significantly attenuated by pinitol as compared to the control group but not the montelukast group. In AR-induced mice, pinitol had significant modulatory effects on representative markers of Th2 (GATA binding protein 3), signal transducer and activator of transcription-6, Interleukins (IL)-4, IL-5, IL-13, suppressors of cytokine signaling 1, Toll-like receptor 4, and myeloid differentiation factor 88), and Type 1 T helper (Th1) immune responses (T-box protein expressed in T cells and Interferon-gamma) as well as the histopathological aberrations induced in the nasal mucosa. In conclusion, Pinitol had potential effects on OVA-induced AR mice through amelioration of nasal symptoms and balancing the Th1/Th2 immune responses during the allergic rhinitis condition.

Integrated transcriptome sequencing and RNA interference reveals molecular changes in Diaphorina citri after exposure to validamycin

Validamycin has been widely used as a specific competitive inhibitor of trehalase. In our previous research, validamycin significantly inhibited trehalase activity and chitin synthesis in Diaphorina citri, resulting in abnormal phenotypes. However, the mechanism of validamycin's action on D. citri remains unclear. Here, using a comparative transcriptome analysis, 464 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in D. citri were identified after validamycin treatment. A Gene Ontology enrichment analysis revealed that these DEGs were mainly involved in "small molecule process", "structural molecule activity" and "transition metal ion binding". DEGs involved in chitin metabolism, cuticle synthesis and insecticide detoxification were validated by reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The RNA interference of D. citri chitinase-like protein ENO3 and D. citri cuticle protein 7 genes significantly affected D. citri molting. Moreover, the recombinant chitinase-like protein ENO3 exhibited a chitin-binding property, and an antimicrobial activity against Bacillus subtilis. This study provides a first insight into the molecular changes in D. citri after exposure to validamycin and identifies two effective RNA interference targets for D. citri control.

Synthesis of a series of validoxylamine A esters and their biological activities

BACKGROUND

The worldwide reduction in food production due to pests and diseases is still an important challenge facing today. Validoxylamine A (VAA) is a natural polyhydroxyl compound derived from validamycin, acting as an efficient trehalase inhibitor with insecticidal and antifungal activities. To extend the application and discover green pesticide, a series of ester derivatives were prepared based on VAA as a lead compound. Their biological activities were investigated against three typically agricultural disease, Rhizoctonia solani, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum and Aphis craccivora.

RESULTS

This study involved 30 novel validoxylamine A fatty acid esters (VAFAEs) synthesized by Novozym 435 and they were characterized with high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (HR-ESI-MS) and proton nuclear magnetic resonance (¹ H-NMR). Of these 30 derivatives, most compounds showed improved antifungal activity, and 12 novel compounds showed improved insecticidal activity. When reacted with pentadecanoic acid, compound 14 showed the highest inhibitory activity against R. solani [median effective concentration (EC₅₀ ) 0.01 μmol L^-1 ], while the EC₅₀ value of VAA was 34.99 μmol L^-1 . Furthermore, 21 novel VAFAEs showed higher inhibitory activity against S. sclerotiorum. Validoxylamine A oleic acid ester, compound 21, exhibited the highest insecticidal activity against A. craccivora [median lethal concentration (LC₅₀ ) 39.63 μmol L^-1 ], while the LC₅₀ value of Pymetrozine was 50.45 μmol L^-1 , a commercialized pesticide against A. craccivora.

CONCLUSION

Combining our results, esterification of VAA by introducing different acyl donors was beneficial for the development of new eco-friendly drugs in the field of pesticides.

Hypoglycemic active principles from the leaves of Bauhinia holophylla: Comprehensive phytochemical characterization and in vivo activity profile

Bauhinia holophylla leaves, also known as "pata-de-vaca", are traditionally used in Brazil to treat diabetes. Although the hypoglycemic activity of this medicinal plant has already been described, the active compounds responsible for the hypoglycemic activity have not yet been identified. To rapidly obtain two fractions in large amounts compatible with further in vivo assay, the hydroalcoholic extract of B. holophylla leaves was fractionated by Vacuum Liquid Chromatography and then purified by medium pressure liquid chromatography combined with an in vivo Glucose Tolerance Test in diabetic mice. This approach resulted in the identification of eleven compounds (1-11), including an original non-cyanogenic cyanoglucoside derivative. The structures of the isolated compounds were elucidated by nuclear magnetic resonance and high-resolution mass spectrometry. One of the major compounds of the leaves, lithospermoside (3), exhibited strong hypoglycemic activity in diabetic mice at the doses of 10 and 20 mg/kg b.w. and prevents body weight loss. The proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) quantification revealed that the hydroalcoholic leaves extract contained 1.7% of lithospermoside (3) and 3.1% of flavonoids. The NMR analysis also revealed the presence of a high amount of pinitol (4) (9.5%), a known compound possessing in vivo hypoglycemic activity. The hypoglycemic properties of the hydroalcoholic leaves extract and the traditional water infusion extracts of the leaves of B. holophylla seem thus to be the result of the activity of three unrelated classes of compounds. Such results support to some extent the traditional use of Bauhinia holophylla to treat diabetes.

Trehalase inhibition by validamycin A may be a promising target to design new fungicides and insecticides

The introduction of insecticides and fungicides in agriculture has improved crop yields and, consequently, the quality of life for many people, especially in what is widely considered as the 'first world'. However, the indiscriminate use of dangerous chemical insecticides has led to pest resistance, human and animal poisoning and environmental pollution. Biochemical and genetic evidence concludes that the non-reducing disaccharide trehalose plays an essential role in the pathobiology of many insects and fungi. Both organisms share identical pathway for trehalose biosynthesis (the TPS/TPP pathway), while a high degree of homology in their trehalose hydrolysis capacity (trehalase activities) has also been demonstrated. In the search for new, effective and environmentally sustainable compounds, a set of trehalase inhibitors has emerged as a potentially interesting antifungal and insecticidal target. In particular, the trehalose analogue, Validamycin A, which has a strong inhibitory effect on several trehalases, has been successfully introduced for the treatment of various diseases caused by insects and fungi. Herein, we review the main features of the specific interaction between Validamycin A and trehalase as well as the expected advantages of the applications based on trehalase inhibition as insecticides and fungicides. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

Mechanism of validamycin A inhibiting DON biosynthesis and synergizing with DMI fungicides against Fusarium graminearum

Deoxynivalenol (DON) is a vital virulence factor of Fusarium graminearum, which causes Fusarium head blight (FHB). We recently found that validamycin A (VMA), an aminoglycoside antibiotic, can be used to control FHB and inhibit DON contamination, but its molecular mechanism is still unclear. In this study, we found that both neutral and acid trehalase (FgNTH and FgATH) are the targets of VMA in F. graminearum, and the deficiency of FgNTH and FgATH reduces the sensitivity to VMA by 2.12- and 1.79-fold, respectively, indicating that FgNTH is the main target of VMA. We found FgNTH is responsible for vegetative growth, FgATH is critical to sexual reproduction, and both of them play an important role in conidiation and virulence in F. graminearum. We found that FgNTH resided in the cytoplasm, affected the localization of FgATH, and positively regulated DON biosynthesis; however, FgATH resided in vacuole and negatively regulated DON biosynthesis. FgNTH interacted with FgPK (pyruvate kinase), a key enzyme in glycolysis, and the interaction was reduced by VMA; the deficiency of FgNTH affected the localization of FgPK under DON induction condition. Strains with a deficiency of FgNTH were more sensitive to demethylation inhibitor (DMI) fungicides. FgNTH regulated the expression level of FgCYP51A and FgCYP51B by interacting with FgCYP51B. Taken together, VMA inhibits DON biosynthesis by targeting FgNTH and reducing the interaction between FgNTH and FgPK, and synergizes with DMI fungicides against F. graminearum by decreasing FgCYP51A and FgCYP51B expression.

Activation of PI3K/Akt Signaling Pathway in Rat Hypothalamus Induced by an Acute Oral Administration of D-Pinitol

D-Pinitol (DPIN) is a natural occurring inositol capable of activating the insulin pathway in peripheral tissues, whereas this has not been thoroughly studied in the central nervous system. The present study assessed the potential regulatory effects of DPIN on the hypothalamic insulin signaling pathway. To this end we investigated the Phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K)/Protein Kinase B (Akt) signaling cascade in a rat model following oral administration of DPIN. The PI3K/Akt-associated proteins were quantified by Western blot in terms of phosphorylation and total expression. Results indicate that the acute administration of DPIN induced time-dependent phosphorylation of PI3K/Akt and its related substrates within the hypothalamus, indicating an activation of the insulin signaling pathway. This profile is consistent with DPIN as an insulin sensitizer since we also found a decrease in the circulating concentration of this hormone. Overall, the present study shows the pharmacological action of DPIN in the hypothalamus through the PI3K/Akt pathway when giving in fasted animals. These findings suggest that DPIN might be a candidate to treat brain insulin-resistance associated disorders by activating insulin response beyond the insulin receptor.

Residue behavior and risk assessment of validamycin a in grape under field conditions

The dissipation and residue of validamycin A in grapes were investigated under field conditions. An ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) method for the determination of validamycin A in grapes was established and validated. Methanol and water (90/10, v/v) were used for validamycin A extraction and purification used MCX solid-phase extraction cartridges. The average recoveries of validamycin A in grapes at 0.01, 0.50, and 5.0 mg/kg levels were between 83.8 and 91.4%, with relative standard deviations of 2.3-3.0%. The half-lives of validamycin A in grape were 4.4-6.1 days. The terminal residues in grapes over a range of harvest times (7, 14, and 21 days) were no more than 0.73 mg/kg. According to Chinese consumption data, the risk quotient (RQ) of validamycin A was 3.22%, demonstrating a low risk to consumers. The current study may offer guidance for validamycin A use and could aid the government in determining the maximum residue level (MRL) values for validamycin A in grapes.

Inhibition of trehalase affects the trehalose and chitin metabolism pathways in Diaphorina citri (Hemiptera: Psyllidae)

The Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri is the principal vector of huanglongbing, which transmits Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus. Trehalase is a key enzyme involved in trehalose hydrolysis and plays an important role in insect growth and development. The specific functions of this enzyme in D. citri have not been determined. In this study, three trehalase genes (DcTre1-1, DcTre1-2, and DcTre2) were identified based on the D. citri genome database. Bioinformatic analysis showed that DcTre1-1 and DcTre1-2 are related to soluble trehalase, whereas DcTre2 is associated with membrane-bound trehalase. Spatiotemporal expression analysis indicated that DcTre1-1 and DcTre1-2 had the highest expression levels in the head and wing, respectively, and DcTre2 had high expression levels in the fat body. Furthermore, DcTre1-1 and DcTre1-2 expression levels were induced by 20-hydroxyecdysone and juvenile hormone Ⅲ, but DcTre2 was unaffected. The expression levels of DcTre1-1, DcTre1-2, and DcTre2 were significantly upregulated, which resulted in high mortality after treatment with validamycin. Trehalase activities and glucose contents were downregulated, but the trehalose content increased after treatment with validamycin. In addition, the expression levels of chitin metabolism-related genes significantly decreased at 24 and 48 h after treatment with validamycin. Furthermore, silencing of DcTre1-1, DcTre1-2, and DcTre2 reduced the expression levels of chitin metabolism-related genes and led to a malformed phenotype of D. citri. These results indicate that D. citri trehalase plays an essential role in regulating chitin metabolism and provides a new target for control of D. citri.

Comparison of Glycemic Excursion Using Flash Continuous Glucose Monitoring in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Before and After Treatment with Voglibose

Purpose: To determine the effect of Voglibose add-on therapy on daily glycemic excursions (using FreeStyle^® Libre Pro™, a Flash glucose monitoring system) in Indian patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) receiving a stable dose of metformin (Met) or metformin+sulfonylurea (Met+SU). Patients and Methods: T2DM patients with glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) ≥7.0% and at least two postprandial excursions ≥140 mg/dL (within 2 h of meal) during the screening phase (visit 1/day -14 ± 2) were enrolled in this prospective, multicenter interventional study. The patients were randomized at visit 2 (day 0 ± 2) to receive Voglibose 0.2 or 0.3 mg tablets (BID/TID) as add-on therapy to Met and Met+SU. All the patients were followed at day 14 ± 2 (visit 3), month 3 ± 14 days (visit 4), 14 weeks (i.e., visit 4 + 14 days) ±2 days (visit 5), and month 6 ± 14 days (visit 6). Continuous glucose monitoring was performed to study glycemic excursions at visits 2, 3, and 5. The study outcomes were: change in average number of glycemic excursions per day, percent time spent in glucose fluctuations, mean Postprandial glucose (PPG), Fasting plasma glucose (FPG), day and night time mean glucose levels from baseline to day 14 and week 14; change in mean amplitude of glycemic excursion (MAGE) from baseline to 14 weeks; and mean HbA1c level at 3 and 6 months. Results: Out of 110 patients enrolled, 101 patients (91.8%) (Met+SU+Voglibose: 73 and Met+Voglibose: 28) completed the study. There was a significant decrease in average number of glycemic excursions per day from baseline to day 14 in the Met+Sul+Voglibose group and to week 14 in the Met+Voglibose group. There was also a significant reduction in percent time spent above target glucose range from baseline to day 14 in both treatment groups and to week 14 in the Met+SU+Voglibose group. A significant reduction in mean PPG area under the curve, day and night time mean glucose levels, and mean FPG levels from baseline to day 14 was reported in both treatment groups. A significant reduction in night time glucose, and average MAGE and HbA1c levels was reported from baseline to week 14 in the Met+Voglibose group and the Met+SU+Voglibose group, respectively. At 6 months, body weight, glucose levels, cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, and HbA1c were significantly lower, especially in the Met+SU+Voglibose arm. Conclusion: Voglibose was useful in reducing glycemic variability and improving glycemic control in Asian Indian adults with T2DM. (CTRI/2018/04/013074).

Co-culture of pro-inflammatory macrophages and myofibroblasts: Evaluating morphological phenotypes and screening the effects of signaling pathway inhibitors

Skeletal muscle regeneration is a complex process influenced by non-myogenic macrophages and fibroblasts, which acquire different phenotypes in response to changes in the injury milieu or changes in experimental conditions. In vitro, serum stimulates the differentiation of fibroblasts into myofibroblasts, while lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulates the polarization of unstimulated (M0) macrophages to acquire an M1 pro-inflammatory phenotype. We characterized these phenotypes using morphology (with circularity as shape descriptor; perfect circularity = 1.0) and phenotype-specific markers. Myofibroblasts (high α-smooth muscle actin [SMA] expression) had high circularity (mean 0.60 ± 0.03). Their de-differentiation to fibroblasts (low α-SMA expression) significantly lessened circularity (0.47 ± 0.01 and 0.35 ± 0.02 in 2% or 0% serum culture media respectively (p < 0.05). Unstimulated (M0) macrophages (no CD86 expression) had high circularity (0.72 ± 0.02) which decreased when stimulated to M1 macrophages (CD86 expression) (LPS; 0.61 ± 0.02; p < 0.05). Utilizing these established conditions, we then co-cultured M1 macrophages with myofibroblasts or myoblasts. M1 macrophages significantly decreased relative myofibroblast numbers (from 223 ± 22% to 64 ± 7%), but not myoblast numbers. This pro-inflammatory co-culture model was used to rapidly screen the following four compounds for ability to prevent M1 macrophage-mediated decrease in myofibroblast numbers: L-NAME (inducible nitric oxide synthase inhibitor), SB203580 (p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase inhibitor), SP600125 (c-Jun N-terminal kinase inhibitor) and LY294002 (phosphoinositide 3-kinase [PI3K] inhibitor). We found that LY294002 rescued myofibroblasts and decreased macrophage numbers. Myofibroblast rescue did not occur with L-NAME, SB203580 or SP600125 incubation. In conclusion, these data suggest a PI3K-associated mechanism whereby myofibroblasts can be rescued, despite simulated pro-inflammatory conditions.

Validamycin A Induces Broad-Spectrum Resistance Involving Salicylic Acid and Jasmonic Acid/Ethylene Signaling Pathways

Validamycin A (VMA) is an aminoglycoside antibiotic used to control rice sheath blight. Although it has been reported that VMA can induce the plant defense responses, the mechanism remains poorly understood. Here, we found that reactive oxygen species (ROS) bursts and callose deposition in Arabidopsis thaliana, rice (Oryza sativa L.), and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) were induced by VMA and were most intense with 10 μg of VMA per milliliter at 24 h. Moreover, we showed that VMA induced resistance against Pseudomonas syringae, Botrytis cinerea, and Fusarium graminearum in Arabidopsis leaves, indicating that VMA induces broad-spectrum disease resistance in both dicots and monocots. In addition, VMA-mediated resistance against P. syringae was not induced in NahG transgenic plants, was partially decreased in npr1 mutants, and VMA-mediated resistance to B. cinerea was not induced in npr1, jar1, and ein2 mutants. These results strongly indicated that VMA triggers plant defense responses to both biotrophic and necrotrophic pathogens involved in salicylic acid (SA) and jasmonic acid/ethylene (JA/ET) signaling pathways and is dependent on NPR1. In addition, transcriptome analysis further revealed that VMA regulated the expression of genes involved in SA, JA/ET, abscisic acid (ABA), and auxin signal pathways. Taken together, VMA induces systemic resistance involving in SA and JA/ET signaling pathways and also exerts a positive influence on ABA and auxin signaling pathways. Our study highlights the creative application of VMA in triggering plant defense responses against plant pathogens, providing a valuable insight into applying VMA to enhance plant resistance and reduce the use of chemical pesticides.[Formula: see text] Copyright © 2020 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license.

Role of Intestinal Microbiota in Metabolism of Voglibose In Vitro and In Vivo

BACKGROUND

Voglibose, an α-glucosidase inhibitor, inhibits breakdown of complex carbohydrates into simple sugar units in intestine. Studies showed that voglibose metabolism in the liver might be negligible due to its poor intestinal absorption. Numerous microorganisms live in intestine and have several roles in metabolism and detoxification of various xenobiotics. Due to the limited information, the possible metabolism of voglibose by intestinal microbiota was investigated in vitro and in vivo.

METHODS

For the in vitro study, different concentrations of voglibose were incubated with intestinal contents, prepared from both vehicle- and antibiotics-treated mice, to determine the decreased amount of voglibose over time by using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Similarly, in vivo pharmacodynamic effect of voglibose was determined following the administration of voglibose and starch in vehicle- and antibiotic-pretreated non-diabetic and diabetic mice, by measuring the modulatory effects of voglibose on blood glucose levels.

RESULTS

The in vitro results indicated that the remaining voglibose could be significantly decreased when incubated with the intestinal contents from normal mice compared to those from antibiotic-treated mice, which had less enzyme activities. The in vivo results showed that the antibiotic pretreatment resulted in reduced metabolism of voglibose. This significantly lowered blood glucose levels in antibiotic-pretreated mice compared to the control animals.

CONCLUSION

The present results indicate that voglibose would be metabolized by the intestinal microbiota, and that this metabolism might be pharmacodynamically critical in lowering blood glucose levels in mice.

HLB-MCX-Based Solid-Phase Extraction Combined with Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry for the Simultaneous Determination of Four Agricultural Antibiotics (Kasugamycin, Validamycin A, Ningnanmycin, and Polyoxin B) Residues in Plant-Origin Foods

An ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) method was established for the determination of four highly polar agricultural antibiotics kasugamycin, validamycin A, ningnanmycin, and polyoxin B in plant-derived foods. The samples were extracted with a 0.2% formic acid solution, purified by hydrophilic-lipophilic balance and mixed-mode cation-exchange solid-phase extraction, and then reconstituted for UPLC-MS/MS detection. The chromatographic analysis was performed on a BEH Amide column (100 mm × 2.1 mm, 1.7 μm) using gradient elution with a 0.1% formic acid solution and 0.1% formic acid acetonitrile as mobile phases. Method validation was performed on 15 matrices spiked at 0.02 (or 0.05), 0.5, and 2 mg/kg. The mean recovery rate ranged from 75 to 102% with relative standard deviations (RSD) was less than 20%. Good linearities (r > 0.99) in the range of 0.002-0.2 μg/mL were obtained. The limits of quantification (LOQs) were 0.02 and 0.05 mg/kg. Studies on the stability of the analytes in the stored kiwifruit samples showed that kasugamycin, validamycin A, and ningnanmycin were stable for at least 6 months, while polyoxin B was observed to be partially degraded (the degradation rate at 6 months was 31.3%). The method was demonstrated to be effective and reliable in real samples. In the kiwifruit samples treated after 7 days, no residues of ningnanmycin and polyoxin B were detected, while the residues of kasugamycin and validamycin A were 0.12 and 0.038 mg/kg, respectively.

Inositol and Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: A Systematic Review on Deficiencies and Supplementation

Liver lipid accumulation is a hallmark of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), broadly associated with insulin resistance. Inositols (INS) are ubiquitous polyols implied in many physiological functions. They are produced endogenously, are present in many foods and in dietary supplements. Alterations in INS metabolism seems to play a role in diseases involving insulin resistance such as diabetes and polycystic ovary syndrome. Given its role in other metabolic syndromes, the hypothesis of an INS role as a supplement in NAFLD is intriguing. We performed a systematic review of the literature to find preclinical and clinical evidence of INS supplementation efficacy in NAFLD patients. We retrieved 10 studies on animal models assessing Myoinosiol or Pinitol deficiency or supplementation and one human randomized controlled trial (RCT). Overall, INS deficiency was associated with increased fatty liver in animals. Conversely, INS supplementation in animal models of fatty liver reduced hepatic triglycerides and cholesterol accumulation and maintained a normal ultrastructural liver histopathology. In the one included RCT, Pinitol supplementation obtained similar results. Pinitol significantly reduced liver fat, post-prandial triglycerides, AST levels, lipid peroxidation increasing glutathione peroxidase activity. These results, despite being limited, indicate the need for further evaluation of INS in NAFLD in larger clinical trials.

Metabolism and Functions of Inositol Pyrophosphates: Insights Gained from the Application of Synthetic Analogues

Inositol pyrophosphates (PP-InsPs) comprise an important group of intracellular, diffusible cellular signals that a wide range of biological processes throughout the yeast, plant, and animal kingdoms. It has been difficult to gain a molecular-level mechanistic understanding of the actions of these molecules, due to their highly phosphorylated nature, their low levels, and their rapid metabolic turnover. More recently, these obstacles to success are being surmounted by the chemical synthesis of a number of insightful PP-InsP analogs. This review will describe these analogs and will indicate the important chemical and biological information gained by using them.

Aquaporin-7 Regulates the Response to Cellular Stress in Breast Cancer

The complex yet interrelated connections between cancer metabolism, gene expression, and oncogenic driver genes have the potential to identify novel biomarkers and drug targets with prognostic and therapeutic value. Here we effectively integrated metabolomics and gene expression data from breast cancer mouse models through a novel unbiased correlation-based network analysis. This approach identified 35 metabolite and 34 gene hubs with the most network correlations. These hubs have prognostic value and are likely integral to tumor metabolism and breast cancer. The gene hub Aquaporin-7 (Aqp7), a water and glycerol channel, was identified as a novel regulator of breast cancer. AQP7 was prognostic of overall survival in patients with breast cancer. In mouse breast cancer models, reduced expression of Aqp7 caused reduced primary tumor burden and lung metastasis. Metabolomics and complex lipid profiling of cells and tumors with reduced Aqp7 revealed significantly altered lipid metabolism, glutathione metabolism, and urea/arginine metabolism compared with controls. These data identify AQP7 as a critical regulator of metabolic and signaling responses to environmental cellular stresses in breast cancer, highlighting AQP7 as a potential cancer-specific therapeutic vulnerability. SIGNIFICANCE: Aquaporin-7 is identified as a critical regulator of nutrient availability and signaling that responds to cellular stresses, making it an attractive therapeutic target in breast cancer. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT: http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/canres/80/19/4071/F1.large.jpg.

Isolation of glycosylinositol phosphoceramide and phytoceramide 1-phosphate in plants and their chemical stabilities

Glycosylinositol phosphoceramide (GIPC) is a sphingophospholipid in plants. Recently, we identified that GIPC is hydrolyzed to phytoceramide 1-phosphate (PC1P) by an uncharacterized phospholipase D activity following homogenization of certain plant tissues. We now developed methods for isolation of GIPC and PC1P from plant tissues and characterized their chemical stabilities. Hydrophilic solvents, namely a lower layer of a mixed solvent system consisting of isopropanol/hexane/water (55:20:25, v/v/v) was efficient solvent for extraction and eluent in column chromatography. GIPC was isolated by Sephadex column chromatography followed by TLC. A conventional method, such as the Bligh and Dyer method, was applicable for PC1P extraction. Specifically, PC1P was isolated by TLC following mild alkali treatment of lipid extracts of plants. The yields of GIPC and PC1P in our methods were both around 50-70%. We found that PC1P is tolerant against heat (up to 125 °C), strong acid (up to 10 M HCl), and mild alkali (0.1 M KOH). In contrast, significant degradation of GIPC occurred at 100 °C and 1.0 M HCl treatment, suggesting the instability of the inositol glycan moiety in these conditions. These data will be useful for further biochemical and nutritional studies on these sphingolipids.

ROS-Responsive Polymeric Micelle for Improving Pesticides Efficiency and Intelligent Release

The low utilization rate of pesticides causes serious problems such as food safety and environmental pollution. Stimulus-responsive release can effectively improve the utilization rate of pesticides. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) burst, as an early event of plant-pathogen interaction, can stimulate the release of pesticides. In this work, a polymeric micelle with ROS-responsive was prepared and then Validamycin (Vail) was loaded into polymeric micelle to prepare Vail-loaded polymeric micelle. The Vail-loaded polymeric micelle displayed excellent ROS-dependent release kinetics. In vitro and in vivo antifungal experiments confirmed that the Vail-loaded polymeric micelle could improve antifungal efficacy against Rhizoctonia solani than with the Vail reagent. Therefore, as a biostimulation and controlled release system, ROS-responsive polymeric micelles can improve the utilization rate of pesticides and alleviate the problem of food safety and environmental pollution.

D-Pinitol from Ceratonia siliqua Is an Orally Active Natural Inositol That Reduces Pancreas Insulin Secretion and Increases Circulating Ghrelin Levels in Wistar Rats

To characterize the metabolic actions of D-Pinitol, a dietary inositol, in male Wistar rats, we analyzed its oral pharmacokinetics and its effects on (a) the secretion of hormones regulating metabolism (insulin, glucagon, IGF-1, ghrelin, leptin and adiponectin), (b) insulin signaling in the liver and (c) the expression of glycolytic and neoglucogenesis enzymes. Oral D-Pinitol administration (100 or 500 mg/Kg) resulted in its rapid absorption and distribution to plasma and liver compartments. Its administration reduced insulinemia and HOMA-IR, while maintaining glycaemia thanks to increased glucagon activity. In the liver, D-Pinitol reduced the key glycolytic enzyme pyruvate kinase and decreased the phosphorylation of the enzymes AKT and GSK-3. These observations were associated with an increase in ghrelin concentrations, a known inhibitor of insulin secretion. The profile of D-Pinitol suggests its potential use as a pancreatic protector decreasing insulin secretion through ghrelin upregulation, while sustaining glycaemia through the liver-based mechanisms of glycolysis control.

Validamycin A Delays Development and Prevents Flight in Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae)

Trehalose is a disaccharide that is the major sugar found in insect hemolymph fluid. Trehalose provides energy, and promotes growth, metamorphosis, stress recovery, chitin synthesis, and insect flight. The hydrolysis of trehalose is under the enzymatic control of the enzyme trehalase. Trehalase is critical to the role of trehalose in insect physiology, and is required for the regulation of metabolism and glucose generation. Trehalase inhibitors represent a novel class of insecticides that have not been fully developed. Here, we tested the ability of trehalose analogues to function as larvacides or adulticides in an important disease vector-Aedes aegypti. We show that validamycin A, but not 5-thiotrehalose, delays larval and pupal development and prevents flight of adult mosquitoes. Larval mosquitoes treated with validamycin A were hypoglycemic and pupae had increased levels of trehalose. Treatment also skewed the sex ratio toward male mosquitoes. These data reveal that validamycin A is a mosquito adulticide that can impair normal development of an important disease vector.

Subtilisin-Involved Morphology Engineering for Improved Antibiotic Production in Actinomycetes

In the submerged cultivation of filamentous microbes, including actinomycetes, complex morphology is one of the critical process features for the production of secondary metabolites. Ansamitocin P-3 (AP-3), an antitumor agent, is a secondary metabolite produced by Actinosynnema pretiosum ATCC 31280. An excessive mycelial fragmentation of A. pretiosum ATCC 31280 was observed during the early stage of fermentation. Through comparative transcriptomic analysis, a subtilisin-like serine peptidase encoded gene APASM_4178 was identified to be responsible for the mycelial fragmentation. Mutant WYT-5 with the APASM_4178 deletion showed increased biomass and improved AP-3 yield by 43.65%. We also found that the expression of APASM_4178 is specifically regulated by an AdpA-like protein APASM_1021. Moreover, the mycelial fragmentation was alternatively alleviated by the overexpression of subtilisin inhibitor encoded genes, which also led to a 46.50 ± 0.79% yield increase of AP-3. Furthermore, APASM_4178 was overexpressed in salinomycin-producing Streptomyces albus BK 3-25 and validamycin-producing S. hygroscopicus TL01, which resulted in not only dispersed mycelia in both strains, but also a 33.80% yield improvement of salinomycin to 24.07 g/L and a 14.94% yield improvement of validamycin to 21.46 g/L. In conclusion, our work elucidates the involvement of a novel subtilisin-like serine peptidase in morphological differentiation, and modulation of its expression could be an effective strategy for morphology engineering and antibiotic yield improvement in actinomycetes.

The antibiotic jinggangmycin increases brown planthopper (BPH) fecundity by enhancing rice plant sugar concentrations and BPH insulin-like signaling

The brown planthopper (BPH), Nilaparvata lugens, is a resurgent pest with an unexpected response to jinggangmycin (JGM), a broadly applied antibiotic used to control rice sheath blight disease. JGM stimulates BPH fecundity, but the underlining molecular mechanisms remain unclear. Here we report that JGM sprays led to increased glucose concentrations, photosynthesis and gene expression, specifically Rubsico, sucrose phosphate synthase, invertase 2 (INV2) and INV3 in rice plants. JGM sprays led to high-glucose rice plants. Feeding BPH on these plants led to increased insulin-like signaling and vitellogenin synthesis. Treating BPH with metformin, a gluconeogenesis inhibitor, reversed the influence of feeding on high-glucose rice, which was rescued by glucose injections. Silencing insulin-like peptide 2 using per os dsRNA led to reduction in juvenile hormone (JH) III titers and other fecundity parameters, which were reversed by topical applications of the JH analog, methoprene. We infer that JGM acts via two broad mechanisms, one through increasing rice plant sugar concentrations and a second by upregulating BPH insulin-like signaling.

Cytotoxic Activity of Inositol Angelates and Tirucallane-Type Alkaloids from Amoora Dasyclada

Three new inositol angelate compounds (1–3) and two new tirucallane-type alkaloids (4 and 5) were isolated from the Amoora dasyclada, and their structures were established mainly by means of combination of 1D and 2D nuclear magnetic resonance and HR-ESI-MS. Based on cytotoxicity testing, compounds 4 and 5 exhibited significant cytotoxic activity against human cancer cell line HepG2 with IC₅₀ value at 8.4 and 13.2 μM. In addition, compounds 4 and 5 also showed remarkable growth inhibitory activity to Artemia salina larvae.

Protective effect of D-pinitol on the experimental spinal cord injury in rats

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is the major cause of the spinal damage affecting motor and sensory function. Thus, the present study was conducted to investigate the effect of D-pinitol (PN) on spinal cord injury in rats. The PN showed to recover motor function near to normal via modulating oxidative stress, inflammatory response and cellular apoptosis in SCI rats. PN also causes modulation of Bcl2 family proteins and reduces the level of NF-ĸB and LOX-1 in dose dependent manner. The PN causes reduction of NLRP3, TNF-α and iNOS, with increase in caspase-1 together with modulation of MAPK mediators. It has been suggested that, D-pinitol exert protective action against SCI via inhibition of apoptosis, inflammation and oxidative stress, via modulating Bcl-2 genes and MAPK pathway.

Investigating the protective actions of D-pinitol against arsenic-induced toxicity in PC12 cells and the underlying mechanism

Arsenic is awfully toxic metalloid responsible for many human diseases all over the world. Contrastingly, D-pinitol is a naturally occurring bioactive dietary compound has antioxidant properties. The objective of this study is to elucidate the protective actions of D-pinitol on arsenic-induced cytotoxicity and explore its controlling role in biomolecular mechanisms in PC12 cells. Obtained results demonstrated that co-exposure of D-pinitol with arsenic increases cell viability, decreases DNA damage and protects PC12 cells from arsenic-induced cytotoxicity by increasing glutathione (GSH) level and glutathione reductase (GR). Protein expression of western blot analysis showed that co-exposure of D-pinitol and arsenic significantly inhibited arsenic-induced autophagy which further suppressed apoptosis through up-regulation of survival factors; mTOR, p-mTOR, Akt, p-Akt, NF-кB, Nrf2, ERK1, GR, Bcl-x and down-regulation of death factors; p53, Bax, cytochrome c, LC3, although arsenic regulated those factors negatively. These results of this study suggested that D-pinitol protects PC12 cells from arsenic-induced cytotoxicity.

Optimization of QuPPe approach and validation of analytical method for estimation of validamycin from grain, paddy husk, and soil by HPLC-ESI-MS/MS-based method

Validamycin is the most active component of the antibiotic and antifungal validamycin complex. Since it is widely used to protect rice crops, its persistence in soil and rice matrices may affect the quality and the health of the consumer. Methods for its estimation from soil matrices are not available. Besides, its analysis from complex matrices including grain and paddy husk is challenging. So very few reliable analytical methods are available for its residue analysis. Thus, we aimed to develop a new QuPPe technique and new HPLC-ESI-MS/MS analytical method for the estimation of validamycin in grain, paddy husk, and soil. The QuPPe method was validated with a linearity range of 0.00101 to 0.10134 μg/mL. The LOQ of validamycin in grain, paddy husk, and soil was 1.01013 μg/kg and the retention time was 5.62 min. These results will be helpful in further analysis of food safety and environmental pollution.

A synthetic heparin mimetic that allosterically inhibits factor XIa and reduces thrombosis in vivo without enhanced risk of bleeding

BACKGROUND

Human factor XIa (FXIa) is an actively pursued target for development of safer anticoagulants. Our long-standing hypothesis has been that allosterism originating from heparin-binding site(s) on coagulation enzymes is a promising approach to yield safer agents.

OBJECTIVES

To develop a synthetic heparin mimetic as an inhibitor of FXIa so as to reduce clot formation in vivo but not carry high bleeding risk.

METHODS

We employed a gamut of methods involving synthetic chemistry, biophysical biochemistry, enzyme assays, blood and plasma coagulation assays, and in vivo thrombosis models in this work.

RESULTS

Sulfated chiro-inositol (SCI), a non-saccharide mimetic of heparin, was synthesized in three steps in overall yields of >50%. SCI inhibited FXIa with potency of 280 nmol/L and preferentially engaged FXIa's heparin-binding site to conformationally alter its active site. SCI inhibition of FXIa could be rapidly reversed by common antidotes, such as protamine. SCI preferentially prolonged plasma clotting initiated with recalcification, rather than thromboplastin, alluding to its intrinsic pathway-based mechanism. Human blood thromboelastography indicated good ex vivo anticoagulation properties of SCI. Rat tail bleeding and maximum-dose-tolerated studies indicated that no major bleeding or toxicity concerns for SCI suggesting a potentially safer anticoagulation outcome. FeCl3 -induced arterial and thromboplastin-induced venous thrombosis model studies in the rat showed reduced thrombus formation by SCI at 250 μg/animal, which matched enoxaparin at 2500 μg/animal.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, SCI is a highly promising, allosteric inhibitor of FXIa that induces potent anticoagulation in vivo. Further studies are necessary to assess SCI in animal models mimicking human clinical indications.

Health-Promoting Properties of Selected Cyclitols for Metabolic Syndrome and Diabetes

Cyclitols play a particularly important role in cell functioning because they are involved in ion channel physiology, phosphate storage, signal transduction, cell wall formation, membrane biogenesis, osmoregulation and they have antioxidant activity. They are involved in the cell membranes as a phosphatidyl myo-inositol, an inositol triphosphate precursor, which acts as a transmitter that regulates the activity of several hormones, such as follicle-stimulating hormone, thyrotropin, and insulin. The aim of this paper is to characterize the selected cyclitols: myo-inositol, D-chiro-inositol, and D-pinitol in type-2 metabolic syndrome and diabetes treatment. Results and discussion: Cyclitols have certain clinical applications in the treatment of metabolic syndromes and are considered to be an option as a dietary supplement for the treatment or prevention of gestational diabetes mellitus and type-2 diabetes. Improved metabolic parameters observed after using cyclitols, like myo-inositol, in the treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome and type-2 diabetes suggest that they may have a protective effect on the cardiovascular system. Pinitol, together with myo-inositol,maybe responsible for improving lipid profiles by reducing serum triglyceride and total cholesterol. Pinitol is also well-researched and documented for insulin-like effects. Myo-inositol, D-chiro-inositol, and D-pinitol indicate a number of therapeutic and health-promoting properties.

Phytotoxic and nematicide evaluation of Croton ehrenbergii (Euphorbiaceae)

BACKGROUND

Within its natural habitat, Croton ehrenbergii exhibits an innate defense mechanism that is not seen in other plants; it grows unharmed amidst predators and nature, while other species perish. In light of its capacity for defense, C. ehrenbergii was evaluated to better understand the scope of its phytotoxic and nematicide properties. To assess this, fractions obtained by bipartition of a hydro-alcoholic extract, and l-quebrachitol, the main constituent of C. ehrenbergii, were evaluated on Lactuca sativa (dicotyledon) and Lolium perenne (monocotyledon) seeds. Additionally, bipartition fractions and l-quebrachitol were evaluated on a population of Meloidogyne incognita for their nematicide activity.

RESULTS

From this phytochemical research, l-quebrachitol (1), phenylalanine (2), trans-4-hydroxy-N-methylproline (3) and the flavonoids: kaempferol (4), tiliroside (5), nicotiflorine (6) and rutin (7) were identified by spectroscopic analysis. Both methanol and hexane fractions from aerial parts of the plant inhibited the germination and elongation of roots and stems in L. sativa, but not in Lolium perenne, showing that these fractions mostly inhibit the dicotyledon species used in this research. l-Quebrachitol showed slightly higher seed germination inhibition for Lolium perenne in comparison with L. sativa. Three of the fractions evaluated showed nematicide activity against Meloidogyne incognita larvae (J2) at the 48 h benchmark, compared with carbofuran. l-Quebrachitol shows higher mortality after 48 h exposure at a lower concentration than carbofuran.

CONCLUSION

A variety of compounds were isolated from this research, some were common within the Croton genus (4-7), whereas others were not (1-3). This is the first phytochemical, phytotoxic and nematicide report on C. ehrenbergii. Methanol and hexane fractions from the aerial parts of C. ehrenbergii and l-quebrachitol could be used as alternative natural herbicides, predominantly against dicotyledon weed seeds. All fractions had a good mortality percentage against J2 Meloidogyne incognita larvae. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.

Efficacy and Safety of Voglibose Plus Metformin in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND

Combination of metformin to reduce the fasting plasma glucose level and an α-glucosidase inhibitor to decrease the postprandial glucose level is expected to generate a complementary effect. We compared the efficacy and safety of a fixed-dose combination of voglibose plus metformin (vogmet) with metformin monotherapy in drug-naïve newly-diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus.

METHODS

A total of 187 eligible patients aged 20 to 70 years, with a glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) level of 7.0% to 11.0%, were randomized into either vogmet or metformin treatments for 24 weeks. A change in the HbA1c level from baseline was measured at week 24.

RESULTS

The reduction in the levels of HbA1c was -1.62%±0.07% in the vogmet group and -1.31%±0.07% in the metformin group (P=0.003), and significantly more vogmet-treated patients achieved the target HbA1c levels of <6.5% (P=0.002) or <7% (P=0.039). Glycemic variability was also significantly improved with vogmet treatment, estimated by M-values (P=0.004). Gastrointestinal adverse events and hypoglycemia (%) were numerically lower in the vogmet-treated group. Moreover, a significant weight loss was observed with vogmet treatment compared with metformin (-1.63 kg vs. -0.86 kg, P=0.039).

CONCLUSION

Vogmet is a safe antihyperglycemic agent that controls blood glucose level effectively, yields weight loss, and is superior to metformin in terms of various key glycemic parameters without increasing the risk of hypoglycemia.

Water Deficit Elicits a Transcriptional Response of Genes Governing d-pinitol Biosynthesis in Soybean (Glycine max)

d-pinitol is the most commonly accumulated sugar alcohol in the Leguminosae family and has been observed to increase significantly in response to abiotic stress. While previous studies have identified genes involved in d-pinitol synthesis, no study has investigated transcript expression in planta. The present study quantified the expression of several genes involved in d-pinitol synthesis in different plant tissues and investigated the accumulation of d-pinitol, myo-inositol and other metabolites in response to a progressive soil drought in soybean (Glycine max). Expression of myo-inositol 1-phosphate synthase (INPS), the gene responsible for the conversion of glucose-6-phosphate to myo-inositol-1-phosphate, was significantly up regulated in response to a water deficit for the first two sampling weeks. Expression of myo-inositol O-methyl transferase (IMT1), the gene responsible for the conversion of myo-inositol into d-ononitol was only up regulated in stems at sampling week 3. Assessment of metabolites showed significant changes in their concentration in leaves and stems. d-Pinitol concentration was significantly higher in all organs sampled from water deficit plants for all three sampling weeks. In contrast, myo-inositol, had significantly lower concentrations in leaf samples despite up regulation of INPS suggesting the transcriptionally regulated flux of carbon through the myo-inositol pool is important during water deficit.