Culture Street—The Hub of Tianjin's Cultural Roots

Culture Street is the place which no visitor to Tianjin will want to miss. There one can find Qing-style mansions stretching for more than six hundred metres, displays of antiques and per-formances of well-preserved cultural activities. The street is located at the northeastern corner of old Tianjin city where the roots of the city’s history and culture lie. Two hundred years ago when Tianjin was a small port, Tianhou (Goddess of the Temple) was already there. Merchants and those who were traveling away from home by sea would all go to the temple to ask for the god-

Effects of Rare Earth Elements on Promoting Isoflavonoid Production and Release of Pueraria Lobata Hairy Roots in Vitro

The effects of various rare earth elements on growth and isoflavonoid production in hairy root cultures of Pueraria lobata (Willd.) Ohwi (strain TR2) cultured in 500 ml flasks were studied. After 32 days of culture, the biomass of hairy roots increase 15 times and reach 3.2 g dry weight. Hairy root growth was inhibited by Y_2O_3, NaSeO_3 and Sm^(3+) because of brown formation. But significant promoting effect on root growth due to callus formation was observed in La^(3+) treatments. It is the most noteworthy that the production of total isoflavonoids and puerarin was enhanced greatly by La^(3+) treatment. A major portion of increased total isoflavonoids and puerarin was released into medium in La^(3+) treatment while the hairy root viabilities were preserved. Some specific secondary metabolite release processes could be induced by La^(3+) and their possible mechanism is discussed.

Study on the Culture Conditions for Hairy Roots of Aconitum coreanum( Levl.) Raipaics

[Objective]This study aimed to investigate the culture conditions for hairy roots of Aconitum coreanum（Levl.）Raipaics and optimize the amplification culture conditions in bioreactors,thus providing basis for large-scale production of A.coreanum hairy roots.[Method]The effects of different p H,culture modes and culture vessels on the growth of hairy roots were compared to obtain the optimal culture conditions for A.coreanum hairy roots.Moreover,the effects of medium volume and inoculation mode on bioreactor culture of A.coreanum hairy roots were investigated to analyze the feasibility of amplification culture of hairy roots in bioreactors.[Result]After autoclaving,medium p H was reduced slightly and the clarity of medium varied.To be specific,A.coreanum hairy roots cultured in medium at p H 5.80 exhibited the best growth.A.coreanum hairy roots cultured in liquid medium displayed more rapid growth than hairy roots cultured in solid medium.Medium p H and electrical conductivity（EC）varied with the extension of culture time.The yield and propagation coefficient of A.coreanum hairy roots were positively correlated with the size of culture vessels.The growth of hairy roots cultured in bioreactors were influenced by medium volumes and inoculation modes.[Conclusion]The growth of A.coreanum hairy roots were significantly influenced by medium p H,culture modes and culture vessels.A.coreanum hairy roots cultured in bioreactors exhibited high yield and large propagation coefficient.According to the results,the relationship between ventilation volume and hairy root density is crucial to the amplification culture of A.coreanum hairy roots.

Biotransformation of 4-Hydroxybenzen Derivatives by Hairy Root Cultures of Polygonum multiflorum Thunb

The biotransformation of four 4-hydroxybenzen derivatives （1,4-benzenediol （compound 1）, 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde （compound 2）, 4-hydroxybenzyl alcohol （compound 3） and 4-hydroxybenzoic acid （compound 4）） by the hairy root cultures of Polygonum multiflorum Thunb. as a new biocatalyst was investigated. It was found that the substrates were transformed to their corresponding glucosides, 4-hydroxyphenyl β-D-glucopyranoside （arbutin, compound la）, 4-hydroxymethylphenyl β-D-glucopyranoside （gastrodin, compounds 2a, 3a） and 4-carboxyphenyl α-D- glucopyranoside （compound 4a）, respectively. In the meantime, the hairy roots of P. multiflorum were able to stereoselectively and regioselectively glucosylate phenolic hydroxyl groups of compounds 1-4, but the cultures could not glucosylate the aldehyde group of compound 2 or the benzyllc hydroxyl group of compound 3, and no glucosyl esterification of carboxyl groups of compound 4 was detected. On the other hand, the result also showed that the hairy roots of P. multiflorum were able to reduce the 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde to its corresponding alcohol. This is the first report that substrate 4 has been converted into its α-D-glucopyranoside by a plant biotransformα- tion system.

Effects of Nitrogen Source and Bacterial Elicitor on Isoflavone Accumulation in Root Cultures of Albizzia kalkora （Roxb.） Prain

Changes in cellular isoflavone （daidzein and genistein） contents were monitored in root cultures of Albizzia kalkora （Roxb.） Prain after feeding different ratios of NH4^＋/NO3^- and treatment with a biotic elicitor （three strains of Rhizobium sp.）. The NH4^＋/NO3^- ratio appears to be positively correlated with daidzein content in the roots and shows a negative correlation with genistein. Among the three different strains of Rhizobium used, the strain ATCC 15834 caused a 35% increase in daidzein production by infection. In the case of genistein, maximum production （94%） was obtained when cultures were treated on Day 6 by the strains ATCC 15834 and KCTC 1541. The biosynthetic pathway of the two isoflavones apparently reacts differently to the same culture conditions and the same strains of Rhizobium. Therefore, the present data suggest that the production of daidzein and genistein could be modulated by changing the NH4^＋/NO3^- ratio and the application of Rhizobium.

New Sesquiterpene Glycosides from Culture Hairy Roots of Catharanthus roseus

Two new compounds cadin-2-en-1β-ol-1β-D-glucuronopyranoside （1）, guaia-l,7-dien-3β,13-diol-13α-D- glucofuranoside （2） along with three known compounds have been isolated from the culture hairy roots of Catharanthus roseus. Their structures have been elucidated with the help of 500 MHz NMR using 1D and 2D spectral methods： viz： ^1H and ^13C NMR, ^1H-^1H COSY, ^1H-^13C HETCOR and DEPT aided by ELMS, FAB-MS, HR-FABMS and IR spectroscopy.

Anti-neuroinflammatory responses in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated BV2 microglial cells upon treatment with methanol extract of Panax ginseng root

OBJECTIVE:To investigate the anti-neuroinflammatory properties of Panax ginseng(P.ginseng)root by measuring the levels of nitric oxide(NO),tumour necrosis factor-alpha(TNF-α),interleukin-6(IL-6),and interleukin-10(IL-10)in lipopolysaccharide(LPS)-stimulated BV2 microglia cells.METHODS:Maximal non-toxic dose(MNTD)of methanol extract of P.ginseng root culture on BV2 microglia cells was first determined via 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay,followed by treatment and LPS stimulation of cells,and the measurement of NO using Griess assay and TNF-α,IL-6,and IL-10 using ELISA assay.RESULTS:The MNTD of P.ginseng root extract was determined to be(587±57)µg/mL.Following that,NO and IL-6 levels were found to be insignificantly reduced by 6.88%and 0.14%respectively in stimulated cells upon treatment with MNTD.Treatment with½MNTD yielded similar insignificant result,with only a reduction of 3.58%and 0.08%in NO and IL-6 levels respectively.However,TNF-αand IL-10 levels were significantly downregulated by 15.64%and 34.96%respectively upon treatment with P.ginseng root extract at MNTD.CONCLUSION:Methanol extract of P.ginseng root culture did not show any significant anti-inflammatory effects on NO and IL-6 levels,but might potentially possess both anti-neuroinflammatory and pro-neuroinflammatory properties through the downregulation of TNF-αand IL-10 respectively.