Recent advance in natural plant products for treatment of dry eye disease

Dry eye disease(DED),a chronic multifactorial illness of the ocular surface with itching,burning,irritation,eye fatigue and ocular inflammation,may result in potential damage,such as cornea and conjunctiva,and even decreased vision.With the global prevalence of DED on the rise,it is crucial to find treatment options with minimal side effects.Natural plant products have shown promise in alleviating DED symptoms and may serve as a potential approach for its treatment.However,their application as instilled drugs is limited by solubility,stability and biological barriers.This review summarizes recent studies(published in the last 5 years)on natural plant products and their derivatives for the treatment of DED,focusing on efficacy,mechanism,drug delivery systems.Meanwhile,their shortcomings are also discussed.By exploring these aspects,we find polyphenol,flavonoid and others natural plant products can effectively improve or treat DED by different mechanisms,and suitable delivery system and structural modification can enhance their therapeutic effect,suggesting they are likely to become candidates for the treatment of DED.

Bioefficacy of indigenous plant products against pests and diseases of Indian forest trees:A review

This review discusses the bioefficacy of natural products（derived from neem and other tropical trees） which have been used against insect pests and diseases attacking forest trees in India.These products are effective,cheaper and eco-friendly and act as antifeedant,repellent,sterility inducing,toxic or regulate insect growth.Integration of these products in forest pest management strategies would enhance the sustainability of forests and prevent the deterioration of wood quality.

Effect of Fermented Plant Products on Alkaline-Saline Soil and the Growth of Alfalfa Seedlings

A pot experiment was conducted by putting ameliorants,the products of plants fermented by lactobacillus,and sandy soil into alkaline-saline soil. After such blending,the soil physicochemical properties and the growth index of Alfalfa seedlings were measured in order to explore the influence of the blending on alkaline-saline soil and the growth of alfalfa seedlings. The results showed that soil p H decreased significantly after adding ameliorant; mixing ameliorant and sandy soil into alkaline-saline soil reduced soil evaporation and increased the germination rate of alfalfa seeds and their chlorophyll content as well as the seedling height,root length of alfalfa seedlings,but it had no significant effect on alfalfa seedlings' biomass and leaf number; besides,excessive ameliorant would inhibit the growth of alfalfa seedlings.

Natural products and extracts from plants as natural UV filters for sunscreens:A review

Although solar exposure is necessary for human health,phototoxicology induced by excessive UVB and UVA radiation,which involves sunburns,skin aging and even tu-morigenesis,has been widely researched.Sunscreen is one of the most important ways to protect skin from UV phototoxic damage.As well as inorganic and organic UV filters,some natural products or plant extracts with aromatic rings in their structures,such as flavonoids or polyphenols,can absorb UV to reduce sunburn,acting as a natu-ral UV filter;they also show antioxidant or/and anti-inflammatory activity.This could explain why,although there are no officially approval natural commercial sun-filters,more and more commercial sunscreen products containing plant extracts are avail-able on the market.Here we summarize articles focusing on natural UV filters from plant published in the last 6 years,selecting the most significant data in order to better understand the photoprotective activity of natural products and extracts from plants,including their major constituents and main biological effects,methods for evaluating UV radiation resistance,anti-UV radiation experimental models and anti-UV radiation mechanisms.

Engineered microorganisms and enzymes for efficiently synthesizing plant natural products

Plant natural products are a kind of active substance widely used in pharmaceuticals and foods.However,the current production mode based on plant culture and extraction suffer complex processes and severe concerns for environmental and ecological.With the increasing awareness of environmental sustainability,engineered microbial cell factories have been an alternative approach to produce natural products.Many engineering strategies have been utilized in microbial biosynthesis of complex phytochemicals such as dynamic control and substructure engineering.Meanwhile,Enzyme engineering including directed evolution and rational design has been implemented to improve enzyme catalysis efficiency and stability as well as change promiscuity to expand product spectra.In this review,we discussed recent advances in microbial biosynthesis of complex phytochemicals from the following aspects,including pathway construction,strain engineering to boost the production.

Borderline Products between Bio-fertilizers/ Bio-effectors and Plant Protectants： The Role of Microbial Consortia

In the delicate normative balance, at European Union （EU） level of the borderline products （i.e., between plant protectants and bio-fertilizers/bio-effectors） containing microbial consortia （MC） instead of single microbial strains, the most relevant factors influencing the categorization of the products are the intention of use, the cell density and the mode of action. For the latter, the basic difference between the two types of products is that a plant protectant has a targeted activity on plant pathogens, while a bio-fertilizer acts indirectly by nourishing and fortifying the host plant （healthier plant）, thus inducing a generalized resistance to the onset of pathological status, irrespective of its origin and nature. Case-studies are presented on the effectiveness of MC as bio-fertilizers/bio-effectors on different crops. Bio-fertilizers exhibit a double effect--biotic and abiotic, leading to the fortification of the crop plant linked to its more effective water and nutrient uptakes as well asto a generalized healthier status. This in turn leads to a higher resistance to diseases. In addition, bio-fertilizers play a relevant role on the reduction of environmental impacts due to chemical fertilizers, e.g., by facilitating the uptake of phosphorus （P）, thus reducing the need of P fertilization. Although finding a scientifically-based balance between regulatory need and marketing constraint is not always an easy task, the availability of scientific advancements combined to common sense should help in describing positive effects and risk profiles of MC in agriculture.

Potential role and therapeutic implications of glutathione peroxidase 4 in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's disease is an age-related neurodegenerative disorder with a complex and incompletely understood pathogenesis. Despite extensive research, a cure for Alzheimer's disease has not yet been found. Oxidative stress mediates excessive oxidative responses, and its involvement in Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis as a primary or secondary pathological event is widely accepted. As a member of the selenium-containing antioxidant enzyme family, glutathione peroxidase 4 reduces esterified phospholipid hydroperoxides to maintain cellular redox homeostasis. With the discovery of ferroptosis, the central role of glutathione peroxidase 4 in anti-lipid peroxidation in several diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, has received widespread attention. Increasing evidence suggests that glutathione peroxidase 4 expression is inhibited in the Alzheimer's disease brain, resulting in oxidative stress, inflammation, ferroptosis, and apoptosis, which are closely associated with pathological damage in Alzheimer's disease. Several therapeutic approaches, such as small molecule drugs, natural plant products, and non-pharmacological treatments, ameliorate pathological damage and cognitive function in Alzheimer's disease by promoting glutathione peroxidase 4 expression and enhancing glutathione peroxidase 4 activity. Therefore, glutathione peroxidase 4 upregulation may be a promising strategy for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. This review provides an overview of the gene structure, biological functions, and regulatory mechanisms of glutathione peroxidase 4, a discussion on the important role of glutathione peroxidase 4 in pathological events closely related to Alzheimer's disease, and a summary of the advances in small-molecule drugs, natural plant products, and non-pharmacological therapies targeting glutathione peroxidase 4 for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Most prior studies on this subject used animal models, and relevant clinical studies are lacking. Future clinical trials are required to validate the therapeutic effects of strategies targeting glutathione peroxidase 4 in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

Establishment and Analysis of Regression Models between Sowing Time and Plant Productivity, Biological Yield of Forage Sorghum in Autumn Idle Land

[Objective]The aim was to establish the linear regression prediction models between sowing time and plant productivity, biological yield of forage sorghum in autumn idle land.[Method]The relationships between sowing time and plant productivity, biological yield of forage sorghum were simulated and compared by using field experiment and linear regression analysis.[Result] The sowing time had an important influence on the plant productivity and biological yield of forage sorghum in autumn idle land. The plant productivity and biological yield of forage sorghum both decreased with the delay of sowing time.The regression model between plant fresh weight and sowing time was ？fresh=0.618-0.015x; the regression model between plant dry weight and sowing time was ？dry=0.184-0.005x; and the regression model between biological yield and sowing time was yield=29 126.461-711.448x. During July 23rd to August 30th, when the sowing time was delayed by 1 day, the plant fresh weight of forage sorghum was reduced by 0.015 g, the plant dry weight was reduced by 0.005 g, and the yield was reduced by 711.448 kg/hm2. [Conclusion] The three regression models established in this study will provide theoretical support for the production of forage sorghum.

Mining Elite Alleles of Growth Duration and Productive Panicle Number per Plant by Association Mapping with Conditional Phenotypic Value in Japonica Rice

To provide genetic information and materials for breeding hybrid japonica rice with wide adaptability and strong competitive advantage of yield, elite alleles and their carrier varieties of growth duration （GD） and productive panicle number per plant （PN） were detected. A natural population composed of 94 japonica varieties was phenotyped for the GD, PN and plant height （PH） in two environments. The conditional phenotypic data were transferred by the linear model method in software QGAStation 1.0, and association mapping based on the unconditional and conditional phenotype values of GD and PN was analyzed by using general linear model in software TASSEL. A total of 34 simple sequence repeat （SSR） marker loci associated with GD and PN were detected in the two environments. Among them, 15 were associated with GD, and 19 were associated with PN. Four elite alleles of RM8095-120bp, RM7102-176bp, RM72-170bp and RM72-178bp were associated with GD, and their carrier varieties were Hongmangshajing, Nipponbare, Hongmangshajing and Nannongjing 62401, respectively. These elite alleles from the carrier varieties can shorten GD by 2.03-9.93 d when they were introduced into improved materials. RM72-182bp associated with PN was an elite allele, and its carrier variety was Xiaoqingzhong. It can increase PN by three when introduced into improved materials. Moreover, these elite alleles can be used to improve target traits without influencing another two traits.

Response of Plant Climatic Productivity to the Warming and Drying Trend in Huanren in the Past 58 Years

[Objective]The research aimed to study the response of plant climatic productivity to warming and drying tendency in Huanren in the past 58 years.[Method]Based on the temperature and precipitation data in Huanren from 1953 to 2010,using trend analysis,Thornthwaite Memorial model and Mann-Kendall detection method,change characteristics of climate and plant climatic productivity in Huanren were analyzed,and the regression evaluation model between plant climatic productivity and temperature and precipitation was established.[Result]Annual average temperature in Huanren presented a significant upward trend,and its linear tendency rate was 0.29℃/10 a;annual precipitation presented a decreasing trend,and its linear tendency rate was-13.29 mm/10 a;dryness presented a declining trend.The warming and drying trend was obvious in Huanren.Plant climatic productivity presented a significant increasing trend,and its linear tendency rate was 8.39 g/（m2·10 a）.Plant climatic productivity was closely related to precipitation and temperature.[Conclusion]The research could provide basis and reference for the adjustment of agricultural structure and sufficiently playing the advantages of climate resources in Huanren.

Effects of Planting Density and Row Spacing on Plant Productivity of Autumn Forage Sweet Sorghum in Hebei Province

[ Objective] This study was conducted to investigate the relationship between each of planting density and row spacing and plant productivity of forage sweet sorghum planted in autumn idle land. [ Methods] Using split-plot experiment design experiment method and LSD method of IBM. SPSS. Statistics. v22 statistics software, the effects of planting density and row spacing on plant productivity of forage sweet sorghum planted in autumn idle land were compared. [ Result] The results showed that the planting density and row spacing had important influences on plant productivity of forage sweet sorghum planted in autumn idle land. Moreover, the optimal combination of plant productivity for A1B4 , i. e. ,under the combination of the planting density of 7.5 × 10^4 plants/hm^2 and the row spacing of 40 cm, the fresh weight and dry weight per plant were 654.37 and 147.11 g/plant, respectively. [ Conclusion ] The results provided a theoretical basis for the production of forage sweet sorghum in autumn idle land.

The Potential Scenarios of the Impacts of Climate Change on Egyptian Resources and Agricultural Plant Production

The emissions of greenhouse gasses in Egypt are about 0.58% of the total emissions of the world in the year 2015, although Egypt is one of the countries most affected by the impacts of climate change. By assessment and analysis of the expected economic impacts of climate change by the year 2030, the Egyptian cultivated area will be reduced to about 0.949 million acres, equal to about 8.22% of the Egyptian cultivated area compared with the case of no sinking part of the Delta land, thus reducing crop area in Egypt to about 1.406 million acres, approximately to about 6.25% of crop area compared with the case of no sinking part of the Delta land, in addition to surplus in the Egyptian balance water to about 2.48 billion m3. In this case value of the Egyptian agriculture production will decrease by about 6.19 billion dollars, equal to about 6.19% compared with presumably no sinking of the Delta land. In the case of sinking 15% of Delta lands, with the change of the productivity and water consumption of most crops, the result will be a reduction in the cultivated area to about 0.94 million acres. In addition to decreasing the Egyptian crop area to about 1.39 million acres, with a deficit in the Egyptian balance water to about 4.74 billion m3 compared to the case of no sinking part of the Delta land, the cultivated area will decrease to about 8.17%, and the crop area will decrease 6.18%. Also, the value of the Egyptian agriculture production will decrease by about 12.51%. While compared to sinking part of the Delta land to about 15% of the total Delta area without the other impacts of climate change, the cultivated area will increase by about 0.06%;the crop area will increase by about 0.08%;also, the value of the Egyptian agriculture production will decrease by about 5.57%.

Morphological Features of Plants and Yield of Sunflower Hybrids Cultivated in the Northern Part of the Forest-Steppe of Ukraine

In Ukraine, a sunflower is the main oil crop from which more than 90% of vegetable fats are produced. An increase in production is due to the expansion of cultivation area, which necessitates research on sunflower hybrids adaptability in the northern regions of Ukraine, where in recent decades, there has been a significant change of weather conditions and which may be favorable for its cultivation. The research was carried out in the Northern part of the Forest-Steppe of Ukraine on light loam chernozems. Reaction to growing conditions of four hybrids was studied by establishing the stability and plasticity of hybrids in terms of yield formation due to changes in morphological characteristics of plants. Yield potential realization is high enough, which is provided by sufficient amounts of positive, active, effective temperatures and precipitation. Calculation of the coefficients of plasticity and stability allows identifying stable sunflower hybrids, hybrids with a high level of plasticity, and recommending them to production. The yield of early-maturing hybrid Ukrainskyi F1 increases rectilinearly with plant density increasing (r = 0.977 - 0.998), while hybrids P63LL06 (r = 0.651 - 0.882);NK Ferti (r = 0.589 - 0.846), and NK Brio (r = 0.689 - 0.804) form a higher yield at standing densities up to 60 thousand plants per hectare, and with further thickening, the yield decreases. With the thickening of sowings, the height of all hybrids plants increases (r = 0.97 - 0.99), and there is a decrease in the number of seeds per anthode, and the weight of 1000 seeds. Sunflower hybrids can be divided into the groups according to the peculiarities of yield formation due to morphological features: 1) yield increases only due to sowings’ thickening— Ukrainskyi F1;2) combined efficiency-increasing sowings’ density to 60 thousand plants/ha and generative organs formation—NCKBrio;3) hybrids of intermediate type—NK Ferti and P63LL06.

Research and Development of Skincare Products Based on the Theory of Traditional Chinese Medicine

The application of traditional Chinese medicine in skincare formula development was expounded from the views of“symptom,theory,method,prescription,medicine and effect”.Traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions were improved according to the laws and regulations for China’s cosmetic industry and by the modern scientific and technological means,which had important guiding significance for the research and development of plant-based functional skincare products.The problems in concept claim and quality control standard,and the problems of market confusion,which were ascribed to the lack of basic research in the application of Chinese herbal cosmetics,were pointed out.The future development direction of plant-based functional cosmetics guided by TCM theory was prospected.

Consumer transparency in the production chain for plant varieties produced using new genomic techniques

Plants edited with new genomic techniques(NGTs)currently fall under the Genetically Modified Organisms Directive(2001/18/EC)in the European Union.In the proposal of the European Commission,NGT plants are partially exempted from the regulations of this directive.The proposal makes a distinction between two categories of NGT plants:NGT-1 and NGT-2.NGT-1 category plants are considered equal to plants obtained through conventional breeding methods.These plants will not be labelled for the consumer,although they will be labelled as seeds.NGT-2 category plants may be labelled with additional information as a positive incentive.Labelling of seeds of varieties made with gene editing,but not the products,would mean that most steps in the production chain are transparent,but not the last step towards consumers.The“right to know”and increasing knowledge of gene-edited food is a common theme in food labelling towards consumers.Here,we describe current labelling regimes and registers and how these may be applied to provide transparency on gene-edited products to consumers.Furthermore,we also look into consumer studies,which indicate a greater acceptance of gene-edited food among consumers,especially when additional benefits such as sustainability are mentioned.

Plants against cancer:towards green Taxol production through pathway discovery and metabolic engineering

The diversity of plant natural products presents a rich resource for accelerating drug discovery and addressing pressing human health issues.However,the challenges in accessing and cultivating source species,as well as metabolite structural complexity,and general low abundance present considerable hurdles in developing plant-derived therapeutics.Advances in high-throughput sequencing,genome assembly,gene synthesis,analytical technologies,and synthetic biology approaches,now enable us to efficiently identify and engineer enzymes and metabolic pathways for producing natural and new-to-nature therapeutics and drug candidates.This review highlights challenges and progress in plant natural product discovery and engineering by example of recent breakthroughs in identifying the missing enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of the anti-cancer agent Taxol^(®).These enzyme resources offer new avenues for the bio-manufacture and semi-synthesis of an old blockbuster drug.

Performance and High-yielding Cultural Techniques of Hunyou No.2 in Myanmar

Hunyou No. 2 is a three-line hybrid rice suitable for mechanical seed pro- duction and developed by Rice Research Institute of Anhui Academy of Agricultural Sciences. It performs well in yielding, lodging resistance, disease resistance, with a short duration of growth. Therefore, it is suitable to be grown in tropical areas and countries such as Myanmar and Indonesia. The male parent contains herbicide susceptible lethality gene and it is possible for mechanical mixed planting. The research analyzed performance of Hunyou No. 2 growth in Myanmar and the results showed that Hunyou No. 2 performed better in yield, panicle length, the number of seed per panicle, setting percentage, and thousand-seed weight than She thwe yin, as well as lodging resistance, disease resistance and quality. Some high-yielding cultivation measures have been concluded including sparsely sowing, densely planting, highlighting base fertilizers, and avoiding early water breaking.

Natural product sciences: an integrative approach to the innovations of plant natural products

The study on plant natural products not only helps us understand that their structural diversity is the inevitable result of plant species diversity, but also helps us understand certain rules and unity of the inevitable connection between the two. The diversity and complexity of chemical structures of many natural products are beyond imagination before we elucidated their structures.The question that follows is what is the biological significance of these natural products. Intrigued by the relationship between plant resources, natural products and biological functions, the Hao laboratory has taken an integrative approach that employs tools and knowledge from multi-disciplines, including natural product chemistry, chemical ecology and chemical biology, to unveil the effects of plant natural products on plant resistance to diseases, and environmental acclimations. Collaborating with cell biologists, the research has resulted in discovery of new mechanisms of cellular signaling and lead compounds.

Synthetic biology of plant natural products: From pathway elucidation to engineered biosynthesis in plant cells

Plant natural products(PNPs)are the main sources of drugs,food additives,and new biofuels and have become a hotspot in synthetic biology.In the past two decades,the engineered biosynthesis of many PNPs has been achieved through the construction of microbial cell factories.Alongside the rapid development of plant physiology,genetics,and plant genetic modification techniques,hosts have now expanded from single-celled microbes to complex plant systems.Plant synthetic biology is an emerging field that combines engineering principles with plant biology.In this review,we introduce recent advances in the biosynthetic pathway elucidation of PNPs and summarize the progress of engineered PNP biosynthesis in plant cells.Furthermore,a future vision of plant synthetic biology is proposed.Although we are still a long way from overcoming all the bottlenecks in plant synthetic biology,the ascent of this field is expected to provide a huge opportunity for future agriculture and industry.

Engineered Production of Bioactive Natural Products from Medicinal Plants

Plant natural products have been particularly important due to their use in food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries. In particular, Traditional Chinese Medicine provides a precious potential for the discovery of bioactive natural products and development of novel modern medicines. However, the existing production methods for plant natural products such as chemical synthesis and plant extraction does not meet the current demand. Due to their environmental and economic concerns, engineered production of valuable natural products in microbial hosts has become an attractive alternative platform. This review covers the recent advances in the engineered production of plant natural products in microorganisms. A special focus was placed on the biotechnological production of plant-derived terpenoids, flavonoids, and alkaloids. Some successful examples of engineered production of plant natural products(or their precursors) such as artemisinin, paclitaxel, naringenin, quercetin, berberine, and noscapine are summarized. This clearly indicates that the engineered production method is a promising approach with various advantages over current methods.