Promoter and coding sequence diversity of CsCCD1 may contribute to the differential accumulation of floralβ-ionone in fresh tea leaves

The carotenoid-derived volatileβ-ionone makes an important contribution to tea fragrance.Here,we qualitatively and quantitatively analysed 15 carotenoids in tea leaves of 13 cultivars by UHPLC-APCI-MS/MS.The 13 cultivars were divided into two groups by PCA(Principal Component Analysis)clustering analysis of their carotenoid content,and OPLS-DA(Orthogonal projections to latent structures)indicated that the levels ofβ-carotene(VIP=2.89)and lutein(VIP=2.30)were responsible for much of the variation between the two groups.Interestingly,theβ-carotene toβ-ionone conversion rates in Group 1 were higher than in Group 2,while theβ-carotene content was significantly lower in Group 1 than in Group 2.Theβ-ionone content was significantly higher in Group 1.Pearson Correlation Coefficient calculation between the transcription level of candidate genes(CsCCD1 and CsCCD4)and the accumulation ofβ-ionone indicated that CsCCD1 may involve in the formation ofβ-ionone in 13 cultivars.Prokaryotic expression and in vitro enzyme activity assays showed that‘Chuanhuang 1’had an amino acid mutation in carotenoid cleavage dioxygenases 1(CsCCD1)compared with‘Shuchazao’,resulting in a significantly higherβ-ionone content in‘Chuanhuang 1’.Sequence analysis showed that‘Chuanhuang 1’and‘Huangdan’had different CsCCD1 promoter sequences,leading to significantly higher CsCCD1 expression andβ-ionone accumulation in‘Chuanhuang 1’.These results indicated that the promoter and coding sequence diversity of CsCCD1 might contribute to the differential accumulation ofβ-ionone in different tea cultivars.

MECHANISM OF ELECTROCHEMILUMINESCENCE OF THE NEW REAGENT 6-(2-HYDROXY-DIETHYLAMINOPHENYLAZO)-2, 3-DIHYDRO-1, 4-PHTHALAZINE-1, 4-DIONE CATALYZED BY SILVER (Ⅰ)

The electrochemi luminescence <ecl> of a new reagent 6-<2-hydroxy-4-diethylaminophenylazo>-2, 3-dihydro-1, 4-phthatazine-1, 4-dione <HDEA> in basic aqueous solution was studied. Trace amount of silver showed significant effect on the efficiency of light emission of HDEA during a positive trigonometrical wave pulse was exerted on the electrodes In the present paper, the ecl spectra of HDEA have been measured. λ_(max) is 410 nm. The reaction of HDEA chemiluminescence and the circular voltammetry, ultraviolet-visible spectrometry for the system have been investigated. The possible mechanism of the ecl of HDEA-KCL-KOH-Ag(I) system has been proposed.

α-Ionone protects against UVB-induced photoaging in epidermal keratinocytes

Objective: To evaluate whether α-ionone, an aromatic compound mainly found in raspberries, carrots,roasted almonds, fruits, and herbs, inhibits UVB-mediated photoaging and barrier dysfunction in a human epidermal keratinocyte cell line(HaCaT cells).Methods: The anti-photoaging effect of α-ionone was evaluated by detecting the expression of barrierrelated genes and matrix metalloproteinases(MMPs) in HaCaT cells. The levels of reactive oxygen species,oxidation product, antioxidant enzyme, and inflammatory factors were further analysed to underline the protective effect of α-ionone on epidermal photoaging.Results: It was found that α-ionone attenuated UVB-induced barrier dysfunction by reversing keratin 1and filaggrin in HaCaT cells. α-Ionone also reduced the protein amount of MMP-1 and mRNA expression of MMP-1 and MMP-3 in UVB-irradiated HaCaT cells, implying protective effects on extracellular matrix.Furthermore, HaCaT cells exposed to α-ionone showed significant decreases in interleukin(IL)-1β, IL-6,IL-8, and tumor necrosis factor-α as compared to UVB-irradiated HaCaT cells. α-Ionone treatment significantly inhibited the UVB-induced intracellular reactive oxygen species increase and malondialdehyde accumulation. Therefore, the beneficial effects of α-ionone on inhibiting MMPs secretion and barrier damage may be related to attenuated inflammation and oxidative stress.Conclusion: Our results highlight the protective effects of α-ionone on epidermal photoaging and promote its clinic application as a potential natural anti-photodamage agent in future.

Odorants could elicit repair processes in melanized neuronal and skin cells

The expression of ectopic olfactory receptors （ORs） in melanized cells, such as the human brain nigrostri- atal dopaminergic neurons and skin melanocytes, is here pointed out. ORs are recognized to regulate skin melanogenesis, whereas OR expression in the dopaminergic neurons, characterized by accumulation of pigment neuromelanin, is downregulated in Parkinson＇s disease. Furthermore, the correlation between the pigmentation process and the dopamine pathway through ct-synuclein expression is also highlighted. Purposely, these ORs are suggested as therapeutic target for neurodegenerative diseases related to the pig- mentation disorders. Based on this evidence, a possible way of turning odorants into drugs, acting on three specific olfactory receptors, OR51E2, OR2AT4 and VN1R1, is thus introduced. Various odorous molecules are shown to interact with these ORs and their therapeutic potential against melanogenic and neurodegen- erative dysfunctions, including melanoma and Parkinson＇s disease, is suggested. Finally, a direct functional link between olfactory and endocrine systems in human brain through VNIR1 is proposed, helping to counteract female susceptibility to Parkinson＇s disease in quiescent life.