Stachyose modulates gut microbiota and alleviates DSS-induced ulcerative colitis in mice

Stachyose is a prebiotic that traditionally extracted from plants,such as vegetable.It has been demonstrated to alleviate intestinal inflammation by regulating gut microbiota,but the mechanism has been unclear.This research aims to detect the potential mechanism of stachyose in alleviating the severity of ulcerative colitis(UC).The results indicated that the administration of stachyose could recover the body weight,protect against the colonic tissue damage,reduce the pro-inflammatory cytokines levels,and reverse the histological abnormalities in UC mice.Oral stachyose could restore dextran sulfate sodium(DSS)-induced disturbance in intestinal bacteria.Besides,the metabolome result of serum samples showed that stachyose treatment significantly altered serum metabolites against inflammatory responses in colitis mice.Also,a significant correlation can be found between 23 metabolite biomarkers and 18 differential genera.Our results provided a strong foundation for the future study of the protective role of stachyose in maintaining intestinal homeostasis.

Extraction and Absolute Crystal Structure of Stachyose

The title compound stachyose （C24H42021）, a biologicaly active tetrasaccharide, was characterized by X-ray diffraction analysis. It crystallizes in the orthorhombic system, space group P21212 with C24H42021, a = 23.8760（3）, b = 12.71028（I2）, c = 10.81279（11） A, V = 3281.36（6） A3, Z = 4, Dc= 1.511 g/cm3, Mr = 746.58, F（000） = 1576, and μ = 1.230 mm^-1. The final R = 0.0666 and wR = 0.1797 for 6298 observed reflections （I 〉 2σ（I））. The molecular crystal structure of stachyose shows absolute stereochemistry of fl-D-fructofuranosyl a-D-galactopyranosyl- （1→6）-a-D-galactopyranosyl-（1→6）-a-D-glucopyranoside. The molecule is composed of two a-D-galactoses, one a-D-glucose, and one r-D-fructose and sequentially linked as a-Gal （1 →6） a-Gal （1→6） a-Glc （1→2） fl-Fru. The title compound is stacked into a 3D layer structure through hydrogen bonds. NMR spectra data are also assigned. In the crystal packing, X-ray analysis indicates that there are two intramolecular and eleven intermolecular hydrogen bonds in this compound.

Synergistic interactions of catalpol and stachyose in STZ-HFD induced diabetic mice: Synergism in regulation of blood glucose, lipids, and hepatic and renal function

Objective: Rehmanniae Radix has been traditionally used to treat diabetes. Catalpol(CAT) and stachyose(STA) are two of the main bioactive compounds in Rehmannia Radix and found to have similar therapeutic effects on diabetes and its complications. In this paper, we aimed to investigate whether there were synergistic therapeutic effects of CAT and STA on diabetes.Methods: Streptozotocin(STZ) with the feeding of high-sugar-high-fat diet(HFD) was applied to induce diabetic C57BL/6 mice. STZ-HFD induced diabetic mice were then divided into model and six medicaltreated groups: metformin(MET), STA, CAT, and three combinations of CAT:STA(1:1, 1:2, 2:1). Blood, liver,and kidney samples were isolated after six-week oral administration for biochemical assays of serum lipids, the indicators of kidney and liver functions and HE staining for liver tissues.Results: It turned out that CAT, STA and their three combinations(1:1, 1:2, 2:1) could effectively control body weight, blood glucose, kidney weight and liver weight index, and well regulate levels of TC, HDL-c,TG, ALT, and TBA. In addition, CAT and its combination with STA at the ratio of 2:1 could significantly improve albumin content, compared to that in model group. STA and CAT and their combinations showed the improvements on kidney function in terms of urinary creatinine(Ucr). However, there were no such consistent observations on serum creatinine(Scr) and creatinine clearance rate(Ccr). The combination of CAT and STA at the ratio of 1:1 exhibited the better adjusting effects on kidney weight and liver weight indexes and the levels of ALT, Ucr, Scr, and Ccr. Our results demonstrated that the combinations of CAT and STA especially 1:1 showed similar or better improvements on diabetes-associated complications,compared to the sole CAT or STA treatment.Conclusion: Thus, we concluded that there were synergistic therapeutic effects between CAT and STA on STZ/HFD-induced type 2 diabetes. This project provided insights and technical supports for the innovation of discovering bioactive constituents in Rehmannia Radix and studying its integrative mechanism in curing diabetes.

Multiplex genome editing targeting soybean with ultra-low anti-nutritive oligosaccharides

Soybean is the primary source of plant protein for humans.Owing to the indigestibility of the raffinose family of oligosaccharides(RFO),raffinose and stachyose are considered anti-nutritive factors in soybean seeds.Low-RFO soybean cultivars are generated by mutagenesis of RFO biosynthesis genes,but the carbohydrate profiles invite further modification to lower RFOs.This study employed a pooled multiplex genome editing approach to target four seed-specifically expressed genes mediating RFO biosynthesis,encoding three raffinose synthases(RS2,RS3,and RS4)and one stachyose synthase.In T1progeny,rs2/rs3 and rs4/sts homozygous double mutants and a rs2/rs3/rs4/sts quadruple mutant(rfo-4m)were characterized.The rs2/rs3 mutant showed reduced raffinose and stachyose contents,but the rs4/sts mutant showed only reduced stachyose in seeds.The RFO contents in the rfo-4m mutant were almost eliminated.Metabolomic analysis showed that the mutation of four RFO biosynthesis genes led to a shift of metabolic profile in the seeds,including the accumulation of several oligosaccharides-related metabolites.These mutants could contribute to precision breeding of soybean cultivars for soy food production.

Influence of Planting Date on Seed Protein, Oil, Sugars, Minerals, and Nitrogen Metabolism in Soybean under Irrigated and Non-Irrigated Environments

Information on the effect of planting date and irrigation on soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] seed composition in the Early Soybean Production System (ESPS) is deficient, and what is available is inconclusive. The objective of this research was to investigate the effects of planting date on seed protein, oil, fatty acids, sugars, and minerals in soybean grown under irrigated (I) and non-irrigated (NI) conditions. A 2-yr field experiment was conducted in Stoneville, MS in 2007 and 2008. Soybean was planted during second week of April (early planting) and second week of May (late planting) each year. Results showed that under irrigated condition, early planting increased seed oil (up to 16% increase) and oleic acid (up to 22.8% increase), but decreased protein (up to 6.6% decrease), linoleic (up to 10.9% decrease) and linolenic acids (up to 27.7% decrease) compared to late planting. Under I conditions, late planting resulted in higher sucrose and raffinose and lower stachyose compared with early planting. Under NI conditions, seed of early planting had higher protein (up to 4% increase) and oleic acid (up to 25% increase) and lower oil (up to10.8% decrease) and linolenic acids (up to 13% decrease) than those of late planting. Under NI, stachyose concentration was higher than sucrose or raffinose, especially in early planting. Under I, early planting resulted in lower leaf and seed B, Fe, and P concentrations compared with those of late planting. Under NI, however, early planting resulted in higher accumulation of leaf B and P, but lower seed B and P compared with those of late planting. This research demonstrated that both irrigation and planting date have a significant influence on seed protein, oil, unsaturated fatty acids, and sugars. Our results suggest that seed of late planting accumulate more B, P, and Fe than those of early planting, and this could be a beneficial gain. Limited translocation of nutrients from leaves to seed under NI is undesirable. Soybean producers may use this information to maintain yield and seed quality, and soybean breeders to select for seed quality traits and mineral translocation efficiency in stress environments.

Quantitative Trait Loci Underlying Seed Sugars Content in “MD96-5722” by “Spencer” Recombinant Inbred Line Population of Soybean

Sucrose, raffinose, and stachyose are important soluble sugars in soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] seeds. Seed sucrose is a desirable trait for taste and flavor. Raffinose and stachyose are undesirable in diets of monogastric animals, acting as anti-nutritional factors that cause flatulence and abdominal discomfort. Therefore, reducing raffinose and stachyose biosynthesis is considered as a key quality trait goal in soy food and feed industries. The objective of this study was to identify genomic regions containing quantitative trait loci (QTL) controlling sucrose, raffinose, and stachyose in a set of 92 F5:7 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from a cross between the lines “MD96-5722” and “Spencer” by using 5376 Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) markers from the Illumina Infinium SoySNP6K BeadChip array. Fourteen significant QTL were identified and mapped on eight different linkage groups (LGs) and chromosomes (Chr). Three QTL for seed sucrose content were identified on LGs N (Chr3), K (Chr9), and E (Chr15). Seven QTL were identified for raffinose content on LGs D1a (Chr1), N (Chr3), C2 (Chr6), K (Chr9), B2 (Chr14), and J (Chr16). Four QTL for stachyose content were identified on LG D1a (Chr1), C2 (Chr6), H (Chr12), and B2 (Chr14). Selection for beneficial alleles of these QTLs could facilitate breeding strategies to develop soybean lines with higher concentrations of sucrose and lower levels of raffinose and stachyose.