Phenolic Constituents with Antioxidative,Tyrosinase Inhibitory and Anti‑aging Activities from Dendrobium loddigesii Rolfe

Aqueous ethanol extracts of powdered stems of Dendrobium loddigesii afforded three new phenolics including threo-7-Oethyl-9-O-(4-hydroxyphenyl)propionyl-guaiacylglycerol(1),(R)-4,5,4ʹ-trihydroxy-3,3ʹ,α-trimethoxybibenzyl(2)and(S)-5,5′,7-trihydroxy-3′,4′-dimethoxyflavanone(3),together with eleven known analogues.Their structures were determined by extensive spectroscopic analysis.To identify natural antioxidants,whitening,and anti-aging agents,the abilities of these phenolics were assessed to scavenge the 1,2-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl(DPPH)radical,their abilities to inhibit tyrosinase production,and their abilities to stimulate collagen production by human dermal fibroblasts-adult(HDFa)assay.It was found that compounds 1,4-8,13 and 14 exhibited significant DPPH radical scavenging activities,compound 10 exhibited tyrosinase inhibitory activity(IC_(50)37.904μg/mL),and compound 9 showed significant collagen production with an EC_(50)value of 3.182μg/mL.These results suggest that phenolic constituents from D.loddigesii may be candidate antioxidants,skin-whitening and/or anti-aging agents.

Identification and Molecular Characterization of the Alkaloid Biosynthesis Gene Family in Dendrobium catenatum

As one of the main active components of Dendrobium catenatum, alkaloids have high medicinal value. The physicochemicalproperties, conserved domains and motifs, phylogenetic analysis, and cis-acting elements of the genefamily members in the alkaloid biosynthesis pathway of D. catenatum were analyzed by bioinformatics, and theexpression of the genes in different years and tissues was analyzed by qRT-PCR. There are 16 gene families,including 25 genes, in the D. catenatum alkaloid biosynthesis pathway. The analysis of conserved domains andmotifs showed that the types, quantities, and orders of domains and motifs were similar among members ofthe same family, but there were significant differences among families. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that thegene family members showed some evolutionary conservation. Cis-acting element analysis revealed that therewere a large number of light-responsive elements and MYB (v-myb avian myeloblastosis viral oncogene homolog)-related elements in these genes. qRT-PCR showed that expressions of gene family members involved in alkaloidsynthesis were different in different years and tissues of D. catenatum. This study provides a theoretical basisfor further exploration of the regulatory mechanisms of these genes in the alkaloid biosynthesis of D. catenatum.

Functional analysis of flavanone 3-hydroxylase(F3H)from Dendrobium officinale,which confers abiotic stress tolerance

Flavonoids are important bioactive components in Dendrobium officinale,a medicinal orchid.They are involved in many biological activities,including protecting plants against biotic and abiotic stresses.Research on the key genes related to flavonoid biosynthesis in D.officinale is limited.In this study,one of the key flavonoid biosynthesis genes,flavanone 3-hydroxylase(F3H),was characterized from D.officinale.The open reading frame of DoF3H was 1134 bp long and it encoded a 377-amino acid protein.The DoF3H protein showed considerably high homology with F3H proteins from other plant species and shared a common evolutionary ancestor with other F3Hs.DoF3H transcripts were detected in different organs of adult plants and mainly accumulated in flowers,followed by roots,stems and leaves,a pattern that was similar to the content of flavonoids.Recombinant DoF3H protein,which was localized in the cytosol,could convert naringenin to dihydrokaempferol.The mRNA levels of DoF3H were significantly induced by salt and cold stresses.Furthermore,the heterologous expression of DoF3H in Escherichia coli conferred it higher tolerance to salt and cold stresses.These results provide insight into the molecular function of DoF3H in the biosynthesis of flavonoids,and provide a new application for improvement of abiotic tolerance in D.officinale.

Dendrobium species regulate energy homeostasis in neurodegenerative diseases: a review

Brain energy homeostasis is a vital physiological function in maintaining a balanced internal metabolic environment.The impairment of energy homeostasis is recognized as a key pathophysiological basis for brain metabolic disorders and related neurodegenerative diseases.Dendrobium species(‘Shihu’in Chinese)such as D.officinale,D.huoshanense,D.nobile,D.chrysanthum,D.loddigesii,D.moniliforme,D.gratiosissimum,D.candidum and D.caulis are widely used as traditional Chinese medicines/nutraceuticals to control and treat neurodegenerative disorders.These dietary herbs and their derived compounds possess a variety of biological properties,such as suppression of oxidative stress and neuroinflammation,regulation of energy homeostasis mainly through improving brain mitochondria function,insulin signaling and lipid metabolism.Furthermore,they reduce neurotoxicity,alleviate brain injury and neuropathy,and prevent neurodegenerative conditions including stroke,Alzheimer’s disease,Parkinson’s disease,and Huntington’s disease in humans and/or rodents.Moreover,the nutraceuticals from Dendrobium species promote gut health and aid digestion,which appear to be associated with beneficial effects on brain energy homeostasis.Based on the above-mentioned health benefits associated with Dendrobium species,this work reviews their nutraceutical role in neurodegenerative disorders and further suggests the need to elucidate mechanisms of the underlying molecular actions.

Metabolic and transcriptomic analyses elucidate a novel insight into the network for biosynthesis of carbohydrate and secondary metabolites in the stems of a medicinal orchid Dendrobium nobile

Dendrobium nobile is an important medicinal and nutraceutical herb.Although the ingredients of D.nobile have been identified as polysaccharides,alkaloids,amino acids,flavonoids and bibenzyls,our understanding of the metabolic pathways that regulate the synthesis of these compounds is limited.Here,we used transcriptomic and metabolic analyses to elucidate the genes and metabolites involved in the biosynthesis of carbohydrate and several secondary metabolites in the stems of D.nobile.A total of 1005 metabolites and 31,745 genes were detected in the stems of D.nobile.The majority of these metabolites and genes were involved in the metabolism of carbohydrates(fructose,mannose,glucose,xylulose and starch),while some were involved in the metabolism of secondary metabolites(alkaloids,β-tyrosine,ferulic acid,4-hydroxybenzoate and chrysin).Our predicted regulatory network indicated that five genes(AROG,PYK,DXS,ACEE and HMGCR) might play vital roles in the transition from carbohydrate to alkaloid synthesis.Correlation analysis identified that six genes(ALDO,PMM,BGLX,EGLC,XYLB and GLGA) were involved in carbohydrate metabolism,and two genes(ADT and CYP73A) were involved in secondary metabolite biosynthesis.Our analyses also indicated that phosphoenol-pyruvate(PEP) was a crucial bridge that connected carbohydrate to alkaloid biosynthesis.The regulatory network between carbohydrate and secondary metabolite biosynthesis established will provide important insights into the regulation of metabolites and biological systems in Dendrobium species.

Pollination Biology of the Endangered Herbal Medicines Dendrobium chrysotoxum(Orchidaceae)

Pollination biology studies of the endangered herbal medicines Dendrobium chrysotoxum were conducted in natural pollination conditions using flower observation,pollinator observation and artificial pollination experiments.Populations of D.chrysotoxum with fragrance and nectar were pollinated by Ctenoplectra davidi Valhalla(Hymenoptera:Apidae)species.The floral structure of D.chrysotoxum adapted precisely to its pollinators.Flowers had a low capsule setting(0.17%)under natural conditions.However,compared to open pollination,artificial pollination experiments showed a significant increase in capsule setting,and D.chrysotoxum was cross-compatible and self-compatible,but there was pollinator limitation also.This study will provide important information for the preservation of this endangered species.

Study on Mechanism of Dendrobium officinale Kimura et Migo in Preventing and Treating Exercise-induced Muscle Damage(EIMD)in Rats

[Objectives]This study was conducted to observe the mechanism of Dendrobium officinale Kimura et Migo on gastrocnemius muscle in rats with exercise-induced muscle damage(EIMD).[Methods]The micro-injury model of skeletal muscle was established by treadmill training.Forty two SD rats were randomly divided into a control group,1,12 and 24 h exercise groups,D.officinale 2 ml+1 h exercise group,D.officinale 2 ml+12 h exercise group,and D.officinale 2 ml+24 h exercise group,with 6 rats in each group.Various D.officinale groups were given the drug once in the morning and once in the evening at a dose of 2 ml/time,a week in advance.Except for the quiet group,the samples were collected from the 1,12 and 24 h exercise groups after anesthesia following 1,12 and 24 h of exercise for the last time,respectively,and the D.officinale 2 ml+1 h exercise group,D.officinale 2 ml+12 h exercise group and D.officinale 2 ml+24 h exercise group were also sampled after anesthesia following 1,12 and 24 h of exercise for the last time,respectively.The contents of ATP,CK-MM and CK in rat serum were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).The histopathological changes of gastrocnemius muscle were observed by HE staining.PCR and Western-blot detection were carried out to analyze the effects of D.officinale on IGF-1 mRNA and protein expression in gastrocnemius muscle.[Results]Compared with the quiet group,the ATP contents in the serum of rats in the 1,12 and 24 h exercise groups significantly decreased(P<0.01),while the CK and CK-MM contents significantly increased(P<0.01).The expression of IGF-1 mRNA and protein in the gastrocnemius muscle tissue significantly increased(P<0.01).Compared with the 1 h exercise group,the ATP content and IGF-1 protein expression in the gastrocnemius muscle tissue of the D.officinale liquid+1 h exercise group significantly increased(P<0.05),while the CK and CK-MM contents significantly decreased(P<0.01).Compared with the 12 h exercise group,the D.officinale liquid+12 h exercise group showed a significant increase in ATP content(P<0.01),significant increases in IGF-1 mRNA and protein expression in the gastrocnemius muscle tissue(P<0.01),and significant decreases in CK and CK-MM contents(P<0.01).Compared with the 24 h exercise group,the ATP content and IGF-1 mRNA and protein expression in the gastrocnemius muscle tissue of the D.officinale liquid+24 h exercise group significantly increased(P<0.01),while the CK and CK-MM contents significantly decreased(P<0.01).From the pathological tissue morphology of the gastrocnemius muscle in rats with EIMD treated with D.officinale,it could be concluded that the gastrocnemius muscle of each exercise group was significantly damaged,and the damage was significantly alleviated after administration of D.officinale liquid.[Conclusions]The effects and mechanism of D.officinale on prevention and treatment of EIMD in rats might be related to the promotion of IGF-1 mRNA and protein expression in injured tissues by reducing ATP energy consumption,CK-MM and CK activity.

Evaluation of Cold Tolerance of Different Dendrobium Species in North China

T o investigate cold tolerance of different cultivars and species in Dendrobium Sw. in North China, 8 strains of Dendrobium officinal and other 5 Dendrobium species were used to compare their cold-hardiness index in this study. The content of electrolyte leakage was increasing in Dendrobium Sw. as the temperature decreasing, while the content of peroxidase(POD) activity and the soluble sugar showed a rising trend before a downward trend. Besides, external morphology was another evaluation standard of cold tolerance. Thus, there was a significant difference between Dendrobium officinal and other Dendrobium species in the cold tolerance, and their cold tolerance capacity was as follows: s1 > s100 >s13 > 1301 > s300 > Dendrobium nobile > s126 > s145 > s95 > Dendrobium lindleyi > Dendrobium chrysotoxum > Dendrobium thyrsiflorum > Dendrobium lohohense.

春石斛品种Dendrobium Second Love‘Tokimeki’与金钗石斛多糖免疫活性的比较研究

为比较春石斛栽培品种Dendrobium Second Love‘Tokimeki’与金钗石斛的粗多糖、精多糖(除蛋白多糖)和多糖水洗组分(过层析柱分离的水洗组分)的免疫活性差异,分别对昆明小鼠灌胃上述6种不同纯度的多糖,观察其对小鼠脏体指数、迟发性变态反应、抗体积数和小鼠腹腔巨噬细胞吞噬百分比与吞噬指数等免疫学指标的影响。结果表明:2种石斛的免疫活性随多糖纯度的提高而增强,纯度最高的多糖水洗组分免疫活性最强,且各指标均显著高于对照。D.Second Love‘Tokimeki’和金钗石斛同等纯度的多糖在胸腺指数、脾脏指数、小鼠耳肿胀率及小鼠抗体积数上均无显著差异,而D.Second Love‘Tokimeki’的3种不同纯度多糖的吞噬指数均达到了与金钗石斛多糖水洗组分无显著差异的水平。综合来看,栽培品种D.Second Love‘Tokimeki’的多糖免疫活性与金钗石斛多糖相近,具有良好的药用开发价值。

铁皮石斛(Dendrobium catenatum)快速繁殖的研究进展——兼论其学名与中名的正误

铁皮石斛是中国长期使用的名贵药用植物。近20年来,该药用植物的研究和生产已取得了显著的进展。本文系根据文献信息和在中国兰科植物种质资源保护中心的多年实验,对铁皮石斛快速繁殖研究的进展做一简要总结和评价。鉴于该种植物的学名和中名在不少文献中存在使用混乱,本文将在命名上和分类上予以澄清。笔者认为铁皮石斛的学名应当用其最早的合法名称Dendrobium catenatum Lindl.,而中名则应当用其最为常用的"铁皮石斛"。

A New Dendrobine-Type Alkaloid from Dendrobium nobile

A new dendrobine-type alkaloid has been isolated from stems of Dendrobium nobile lindl.. Its structure has been identified on the basis of spectroscopic method.

A New Bibenzyl Derivative from Dendrobium moniliforme

A new bibenzyl derivative, 3,4-dihydroxy-4,5-dimethoxy bibenzyl, was isolated from a orchid Dendrobium moniliforme. The structure elucidation and 1H,13C NMR assignments were achieved by spectroscopic method.

Protective effects of Dendrobium nobile Lindl. alkaloids on amyloid beta(25–35)-induced neuronal injury

Dendrobium nobile Lindl.alkaloids（DNLA）,the active ingredients of a traditional Chinese medicine Dendrobium,have been shown to have anti-oxidative effects,anti-inflammatory action,and protective effect on neurons against oxygen-glucose deprivation.However,it is not clear whether DNLA reduces amyloid-beta（Aβ）-induced neuronal injury.In this study,cortical neurons were treated with DNLA at different concentrations（0.025,0.25,and 2.5 mg/L）for 24 hours,followed by administration of Aβ（25-35）（10μM）.Aβ（25-35） treatments increased cell injury as determined by the leakage of lactate dehydrogenase,which was accompanied by chromatin condensation and mitochondrial tumefaction.The damage caused by Aβ（25-35） on these cellular properties was markedly attenuated when cells were pretreated with DNLA.Treatment with Aβ（25-35）down-regulated the expressions of postsynaptic density-95 mRNA and decreased the protein expression of synaptophysin and postsynaptic density-95,all changes were significantly reduced by pretreatment of cells with DNLA.These findings suggest that DNLA reduces the cytotoxicity induced by Aβ（25-35） in rat primary cultured neurons.The protective mechanism that DNLA confers on the synaptic integrity of cultured neurons might be mediated,at least in part,through the upregulation of neurogenesis related proteins synaptophysin and postsynaptic density-95.

A New Bibenzyl Glycoside from Dendrobium moniliforme

A new bibenzyl glycoside has been isolated from the stems of Dendrobium moniliforme (L.) Sw. (Orchidaceae). Its structure has been identified on the basis of spectroscopic and chemical methods.

Influence of light intensity and water content of medium on total dendrobine of Dendrobium nobile Lindl

Objective: To ascertain the influence of light intensity and water content of medium on the total dendrobine of Dendrobium nobile(D. nobile).Method: The principal component analysis combined with total dendrobine accumulation was conducted to assess the yield and quality of D. nobile in all treatments. In the experiment, D. nobile plants were cultivated in greenhouse as tested materials, and complete test of 9 treatments was adopted with relative light intensities 75.02%, 39.74%,29.93% and relative water content of medium 50%, 65%, 80%. The plants were treated in June and harvested till December. Indexes including agronomic traits, fresh weight and dry weight of stem and leaf, ash content, extract, and dendrobine were measured.Results: Under the light intensity treatments of 75.02% with 50%, 65%, 80% water content of medium, the basal stems of plants were comparatively thicker with more leaves, and the fresh weight and dry weight of stems and leaves were significantly higher than other 6 treatments.Leaves in all treatments contained dendrobine. Under the light intensity treatments of 75.02%with 50%, 65%, 80% water content of medium, dendrobine content of leaves was lower while dendrobine contents of other treatments were more than 0.60%. After comprehensive assessment through the principal component analysis and total dendrobine accumulation, the results showed that 3 treatments with relative light intensity of 75.02% ranked the top three.Conclusions: In brief, the moderately strong light intensity and water content of medium from low to medium can facilitate the growth and yield of D. nobile plants, while light intensity from moderately weak to weak can enhance the dendrobine content.

A New Picrotoxane Type Sesquiterpene from Dendrobium densiflorum

A new picrotoxane type sesquiterpene named dendrodensiflorol has been isolated from the stems of Dendrobium densiflorum. Its structure was identified on the basis of spectroscopic method.

Changes in endogenous hormone levels and redox status during enhanced adventitious rooting by rare earth element neodymium of Dendrobium densiflorum shoot cuttings

The effects of neodymium nitrate （Nd^3＋） on the adventitious rooting of Dendrobium densiflorum shoot cuttings were studied. The addition of Nd^3＋ （5 μmol/L） to culture medium significantly increased rooting frequency. Histological investigation showed that Nd^3＋ did not change the process of root initiation. Nd^3＋ did not influence total endogenous cytokinin levels, but significantly increased the level of endogenous indole-3-acetic acid （IAA） in the base of shoot cuttings. Compared to the control, the ratio of IAA/cytokinins was very high in the Nd^3＋ treatment. These results suggested that the enhanced rooting frequency may be related to the increase in endogenous IAA level in Nd^3＋ treatment. Analysis of enzyme activities showed that the enhanced accumulation of the endogenous IAA by Nd^3＋ should not be attributed to inhibition of IAA decomposition by IAA oxidase or promotion of cytokinin decomposition by cytokinin oxidase. Besides, Nd^3＋ increased the ratio of reduced glutathione （GSH） and oxidized glutathione （GSSG） in the process of adventitious rooting while the ratio of ascorbate （ASC） to dehydroascorbate （DHA） was not affected.

Investigation on the Morphological Characteristics of Dendrobium officinale Plantlets Propagated from Different Explants

[ Objective] This study aimed to investigate the differences in morphological characteristics of Dendrobium officinale plantlets propagated from different explants. [ Method] Randomly 1 000 D. offtcinale plantlets propagated via different regeneration pathways were selected for morphological investigation and classification. [ Result] D. officinale plantlets propagated from stem segment explants exhibited highly consistent morphological characteristics, while those propagated from seed explants exhibited a variety of morphological characteristics. [ Conclusion] Therefore, using seed explants for regeneration can effectively broaden the germplasms resources of D. officinale.

环草石斛(D.loddigesii Rolfe.)快速繁殖研究

用环草石斛的茎段作为外植体进行组织培养,以MS培养基为基本培养基,通过形成丛生芽的形式快速繁殖试管苗,改变了过去通过原球茎诱导途径进行繁殖的方式,简化了操作步骤。结果表明:芽诱导、芽增殖与继代培养基、壮苗与生根培养基分别以MS+NAA0 1mg/L+6-BA1 0mg/L、MS+NAA0 1mg/L+6-BA3 0mg/L、1/2MS+NAA0 7mg/L为最好;移栽最适基质以碳酸盐小石子∶杉木屑=1∶2,上面铺盖1cm厚的苔藓为最好,幼苗的成活率达95%;取材的位置不同对环草石斛出芽也有一定的影响,茎尖部位明显要高于其它部位,茎中部次之,而茎基部几乎不能萌发;茎段外植体苗比种子苗成株快,茎粗,苗壮,易成活;外植体苗分段增殖时基部茎段的增殖系数比上部茎段大,生长速度快。继代增殖苗段比野生植株增殖快。同时还总结了环草石斛的组织培养和快速繁殖过程,并对其工业化生产进行了初步讨论。