Effects of Different Exogenous Substances on Seed Germination of Isatis indigotica Under Drought Stress and Chemical Composition of Isatis indigotica leaves

This study was to investigate the effects of three exogenous substances on chemical constituents of Isatis indigotica leavesand their efficacy in alleviating drought stress, and explore the methods of applying exogenous substances to efficient cultivationof Isatis indigotica. Polyethylene glycol (PEG) was used to simulate drought stress to deal with seeds of Isatis indigotica at thegermination stage (concentration: 0, 10%, 15%, and 20%). Simultaneous operation of exogenous growth regulators [microbialinoculum (MI), γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and salicylic acid (SA)] and PEG were implemented in seeds of Isatis indigotica.The effects of drought stress and the mitigation of exogenous substances were observed by statistics of seed germination potential,germination rate, hypocotyl length, and radicle length of each treatment. The effects of exogenous substances on the content ofalkaloids, crude protein and free amino acids in the leaves of Isatis indigotica grown in a greenhouse were determined after sprayingexogenous substances on the plants. The differences of germination potential, germination rate, hypocotyl length, and radicle lengthamong 15% PEG stress treatment, 10% PEG stress treatment and the control were significant (P<0.05). According to the predesignedgermination standard, the seeds did not germinate under 20% PEG stress treatment. When the PEG concentration was 15%, the resultsof seed germination potential and germination rate after adding MI were significantly different from those under stress alone (P<0.05).When exposed to 10% PEG stress, the supplementation of GABA led to a notable increase in radicle length of Isatis indigotica seeds,showing significant differences compared to other three treatments. The application of MI and GABA under 15% PEG stress resultedin a significant increase in the radicle and hypocotyl length of Isatis indigotica seeds compared to other two treatments. The contentof the total alkaloids in leaves of Isatis indigotica was significantly increased after spraying GABA. Meanwhile, the contents of crudeprotein and the total free amino acids were kept constant after spraying exogenous substances. Application of MI and GABA couldalleviate drought stress of Isatis indigotica. The content of the total alkaloids in leaves of Isatis indigotica could significantly increaseafter spraying GABA.

Erucic acid from Isatis indigotica Fort. suppresses influenza A virus replication and inflammation in vitro and in vivo through modulation of NF-kB and p38 MAPK pathway

Isatis indigotica Fort.(Ban-Lan-Gen)is an herbal medicine prescribed for influenza treatment.However,its active components and mode of action remain mostly unknown.In the present study,erucic acid was isolated from Isatis indigotica Fort.,and subsequently its underlying mechanism against influenza A virus(IAV)infection was investigated in vitro and in vivo.Our results demonstrated that erucic acid exhibited broad-spectrum antiviral activity against IAV resulting from reduction of viral polymerase transcription activity.Erucic acid was found to exert inhibitory effects on IAV or viral(v)RNA-induced pro-inflam-matory mediators as well as interferons(IFNs).The molecular mechanism by which erucic acid with antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties was attributed to inactivation of NF-kB and p38 MAPK signaling.Furthermore,the NF-kB and p38 MAPK inhibitory effect of erucic acid led to diminishing the transcriptional activity of interferon-stimulated gene factor 3(ISGF-3),and thereby reducing IAV-triggered pro-inflammatory response amplification in IFN-β-sensitized cells.Additionally,IAV-or vRNA-triggered apoptosis of alveolar epithelial A549 cells was prevented by erucic acid.In vivo,erucic acid administration consistently displayed decreased lung viral load and viral antigens expression.Meanwhile,erucic acid markedly reduced CD8+cytotoxic T lymphocyte(CTL)recruitment,pro-apoptotic signaling,hyperactivity of multiple signaling pathways,and exacerbated immune inflammation in the lung,which resulted in decreased lung injury and mortality in mice with a mouse-adapted A/FM/1/47-MA(H1N1)strain infection.Our findings provided a mechanistic basis for the action of erucic acid against IAV-mediated inflammation and injury,suggesting that erucic acid may have a therapeutic potential in the treatment of influenza.

A New Alkaloid from the Root of Isatis indigotica Fort

A E-2-[(3'-indole)cyanomethylene]-3-indolinone was isolated from the root of Isatis indigotica Fort. The structure elucidation and 1H, 13C NMR assignments were achieved by spectroscopic method.

Photosynthesis and metabolite responses of Isatis indigotica Fortune to elevated [CO2]

Climate change is affecting global crop productivity, food quality, and security. However,few studies have addressed the mechanism by which elevated CO_2 may affect the growth of medicinal plants. Isatis indigotica Fortune is a widely used Chinese medicinal herb with multiple pharmacological properties. To investigate the physiological mechanism of I.indigotica response to elevated [CO_2], plants were grown at either ambient [CO_2](385 μmol mol^(-1)) or elevated [CO_2] (590 μmol mol^(-1)) in an open-top chamber (OTC)experimental facility in North China. A significant reduction in transpiration rate (T_r) and stomatal conductance (g_s) and a large increase in water-use efficiency contributed to an increase in net photosynthetic rate (Pn) under elevated [CO_2] 76 days after sowing. Leaf non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) was decreased, so that more energy was used in effective quantum yield of PSII photochemistry (Φ_(PSⅡ)) under elevated [CO_2]. High ΦPSII,meaning high electron transfer efficiency, also increased Pn. The [CO_2]-induced increase in photosynthesis significantly increased biomass by 36.8%. Amounts of metabolic compounds involved in sucrose metabolism, pyrimidine metabolism, flavonoid biosynthesis, and other processes in leaves were reduced under elevated [CO_2]. These results showed that the fertilization effect of elevated [CO_2] is conducive to increasing dry weight but not secondary metabolism in I. indigotica.

Alkaloids from Isatis indigotica

Isaindigotone 1 and 3-(2'-hydroxyphenyl)-4(3H)-quinazolinone 2 were isolated from the roots of Isatis indigotica. Compound 1 was elucidated as a new alkaloid.Compound 2 was discovered for the first time from a natural source

Isolation and characterization of lignans from the leaves of Isatis indigotica Fortune

A phytochemical investigation of 80%EtOH exact of Isatis indigotica Fortune leaves yielded ten lignans(1-10),including six furofurans lignans(1-6),one arylnaphthalenes lignans(7)and three tetrahydrofurans lignans(8-10).Their structures were determined by HRESIMS spectroscopic data and extensive NMR analyses.Among them,compounds 6,9 and 10 were isolated from the genus oi Isatis for the first time.

Research review on the main chemical constituents and pharmacological properties of the leaves of Isatis indigotica Fortune

Isatis indigotica Fortune,belonging to Isatis genus of Cruciferae family,is widely used as a common Chinese herbal medicine in folk.As a traditional medicinal agent,a wide spectrum of chemical constituents have been isolated from the leaves,including alkaloids,flavonoids,flavonoid glycosides,organic acids and glycosides.The research shows that the leaves had multiple activities and good development prospect,which has attracted a wide range of attention.Hence,this article is presented as a review concentrating on chemical constituents and pharmacological activities of the leaves of I.indigotica Fort.,aiming at supporting practical and useful information for the further research and development of this plant.

Cloning and Characterization of a Differentially Expressed Phenylalanine Ammonialyase Gene （liPAL） After Genome Duplication from Tetraploid Isatis indigotica Fort.

Phenylpropanoid derivatives are a complex class of secondary metabolites that have many important roles in plants during normal growth and in responses to environmental stress. Phenylalanine ammonialyase （PAL） catalyzes the first step in the biosynthesis of phenylpropanoids. In the present study, we isolated a novel phenylalanine ammonialyase gene （designated as liPAL） from tetraploid Isatis indigotica Fort. by rapid amplification of cDNA ends （RACE）, which was a cultivar from the diploid plant by genome duplication. The full-length cDNA of liPAL was 2 530-bp long with an open reading frame （ORF） of 2 178 bp encoding a polypeptide of 725 amino acid residues. Analysis of liPAL genomic DNA revealed that it was structurally similar to other plant PAL genes, with a single intron at a conserved position, and a long highly conserved second exon. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR revealed that the liPAL expression in roots and leaves from a tetraploid sample was higher than that in diploid progenitor, whereas expression of liPAL in stems was almost the same as each other. Furthermore, the highest expression of liPAL in tetraploid plant was found in roots, which was found in stems in diploid plants. Further expression analysis revealed that gibberelUn （GA3）, abscisic acid （ABA）, methyl jasmonate （MeJA） and cold treatments could up-regulate the liPAL transcription in tetraploid plants. All our findings suggest that liPAL participates not only in the defense/stress responsive pathways, but also probably in the polyploidy evolution of L indigotica.

Effect of Microwave and He-Ne Laser on Enzyme Activity and Biophoton Emission of Isatis indigotica Fort

Abstract: The seed embryos of Isatis indigotica Fort were exposed to He-Ne laser (5.23 mW/mm2, radiated for 5 min) and microwave (1.26 mW/mm2, radiated for 8 s) irradiation to determine the effects of microwave and He-Ne laser pretreatment on enzyme activities, and biophoton emission of cotyledon. Then: (i) changes in the activities of enzymes in I. indigotica cotyledon (such as amylase, transaminase, and proteinase) were measured to investigate the effects of He-Ne laser and microwave pretreatment; and (ii) biophoton emission was measured to determine the speed of cell division and metabolism. Results from these experiments indicated that: (i) the activities of amylase, transaminase, and proteinase of the cotyledon pretreated by He-Ne laser and microwave were significantly increased; and (ii) the intensity of biophoton emission was enhanced significantly by He-Ne laser and microwave irradiation. These changes suggest that He-Ne laser and microwave pretreatment can improve the inner energy of seeds, lead to an enhancement of cotyledon enzymes, and speed up the metabolism of the cell, resulting in significantly increased biophoton emission. Moreover, the mechanism of action of the effects of laser and microwave radiation on the microcalorimetric parameters, enzyme activities, and biophoton emission of seeds is discussed on the basis of the results obtained.

Indole alkaloid sulfonic acids from an aqueous extract of Isatis indigotica roots and their antiviral activity

Six new indole alkaloid sulfonic acids(1–6), together with two analogues(7 and 8) that were previously reported as synthetic products, were isolated from an aqueous extract of the Isatis indigotica root. Their structures including the absolute configurations were determined by spectroscopic data analysis, combined with enzyme hydrolysis and comparison of experimental circular dichroism and calculated electronic circular dichroism spectra. In the preliminary assay, compounds 2 and 4 showed antiviral activity against Coxsackie virus B3 and influenza virus A/Hanfang/359/95(H3N2), respectively.

8,4′-Oxyneolignane glucosides from an aqueous extract of“ban lan gen”(Isatis indigotica root)and their absolute configurations

Three pairs of glycosidic 8,4′-oxyneolignane diastereoisomers, named isatioxyneolignosides A-F(1–6), were isolated from an aqueous extract of Isatis indigotica roots. Their structures and absolute configurations were elucidated by comprehensive spectroscopic data analysis and enzyme hydrolysis. The validity of Δδ_(C8-C7) values to distinguish threo and erythro aryl glycerol units and Cotton effects at 235±5 nm to determine absolute configurations at C-8 in 1–6 and their aglycones(1a–6a) are discussed.

Sulfur-enriched alkaloids from the root of Isatis indigotica

Five new sulfur-enriched alkaloids isatithioetherins A–E(1–5), and two pairs of scalemic enantiomers(t)-and( à)-isatithiopyrin B(6 a and 6 b) and isoepigoitrin and isogoitrin(7 a and 7 b), along with the known scalemic enantiomers epigoitrin and goitrin(8 a and 8 b), were isolated and characterized from an aqueous extract of the Isatis indigotica roots. Their structures were determined by extensive spectroscopic data analysis, including 2 D NMR and theoretical calculations of electronic circular dichroism(ECD) spectra based on the quantum-mechanical time-dependent density functional theory(TDDFT). Compounds 1–5 represent a novel group of sulfur-enriched alkaloids, biogenetically originating from stereoselective assemblies of epigoitrin-derived units. Isolation and structure characterization of 6 a and 6 b support the postulated biosynthetic pathways for the diastereomers 9 a and 9 b via a rare thio-Diels–Alder reaction. Compounds 2 and 4 showed antiviral activity against the influenza virus A/Hanfang/359/95(H3 N2, IC500.60 and 1.92 μmol/L) and the herpes simplex virus 1(HSV-1, IC503.70 and 2.87 μmol/L), and 2 also inhibited Coxsackie virus B3(IC500.71 μmol/L).& 2018 Chinese Pharmaceutical Association and Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

The phenylalanine ammonia-lyase gene family in Isatis indigotica Fort.:molecular cloning,characterization,and expression analysis

Phenolic compounds, metabolites of the phenylpropanoid pathway, play an important role in the growth and environmental adaptation of many plants. Phenylalanine ammonia-lyase(PAL) is the first key enzyme of the phenylpropanoid pathway. The present study was designed to investigate whether there is a multi-gene family in I. Indigotic and, if so, to characterize their properties. We conducted a comprehensive survey on the transcription profiling database by using tBLASTn analysis. Several bioinformatics methods were employed to perform the prediction of composition and physicochemical characters. The expression levels of IiPAL genes in various tissues of I. indigotica with stress treatment were examined by quantitative real-time PCR. Protoplast transient transformation was used to observe the locations of IiPALs. IiPALs were functionally characterized by expression with pET-32a vector in Escherichia colis strain BL21(DE3). Integration of transcripts and metabolite accumulations was used to reveal the relation between IiPALs and target compounds. An new gene(IiPAL2) was identified and both IiPALs had the conserved enzymatic active site Ala-Ser-Gly and were classified as members of dicotyledon. IiPAL1 and IiPAL2 were expressed in roots, stems, leaves, and flowers, with the highest expression levels of IiPAL1 and IiPAL2 being observed in stems and roots, respectively. The two genes responded to the exogenous elicitor in different manners. Subcellular localization experiment showed that both IiPALs were localized in the cytosol. The recombinant proteins were shown to catalyze the conversion of L-Phe to trans-cinnamic acid. Correlation analysis indicated that Ii PAL1 was more close to the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites than IiPAL2. In conclusion, the present study provides a basis for the elucidation of the role of Ii PALs genes in the biosynthesis of phenolic compounds, which will help further metabolic engineering to improve the accumulation of bioactive components in I.indigotica.

Three pairs of alkaloid enantiomers from the root of Isatis indigotica

Three pairs of enantiomerically pure alkaloids with diverse structure features, named isatindigoticoic acid A and epiisatindigoticoic acid A [(—)-1 and(+)-1], phaitanthrin A and epiphaitanthrin A [(—)-2 and(+)-2], and isatindopyrromizol A and epiisatindopyrromizol A [(—)-3and(+)-3], respectively, were isolated from an aqueous extract of the roots of Isatis indigotica. Racemic and scalemic mixtures of these enantiomers were separated by HPLC on a chiral semi-preparative column.Their structures including absolute configurations were determined by extensive spectroscopic analysis in conjunction with the calculation of electronic circular dichroism(ECD) spectra. The enantiomer pairs possess parent structures of 2-oxo-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinoline-4-carboxylic acid, indolo[2,1-b]quinazolinone, and 3-thioxohexahydro-1H-pyrrolo[1,2-c]imidazol-1-one, respectively. Except for phaitanthrin A[(—)-2] which the configuration was previously undetermined, these compounds are new enantiomeric natural products.

Isolation,structural determination and cytotoxic activity of two new ceramides from the root of Isatis indigotica

Two new ceramides were isolated from the 95% EtOH extract of traditional Chinese medicinal plant Isatis indigotica. Their structures were elucidated as 1-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(2S, 3R)-N-(2'-hydroxypentacosanoyl)-octadeca-11E-sphingenine (1) and 1-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(2S,3R)-N-(2'-hydroxyhe xacosanoyl)-octadeca-11E-sphingenine (2) on the basis of spectroscopic data. Their cytotoxic effects were evaluated by using MTT method.

Isatindolignanoside A, a glucosidic indole-lignan conjugate from an aqueous extract of the Isatis indigotica roots

A glucosidic indole-lignan conjugate with a novel carbon skeleton, named isatindolignanoside A（1）, was isolated from an aqueous extract of the Isatis indigotica roots ＂ban lan gen＂. Its structure was elucidated by comprehensive analysis of spectroscopic data, including J-and NOESY correlation-based configurational analysis, circular dichroism（CD） data, enzyme hydrolysis, and theoretical ECD calculation. In a preliminary assay, compound 1 showed antiviral activity against Coxsackie virus B3. This compound is the first example of natural product having a structural feature of conjugation between indole and lignan units, and its biosynthetic pathway is postulated.

Two pairs of unusual scalemic enantiomers from Isatis indigotica leaves

Two pairs of unusual scalemic enantiomers with a dimethoxyphenyl）ethyl]-2-methoxyindolin-3-one, novel carbon skeleton of 2-[1′-（4＂-hydroxy-3＂,5＂- named isatidifoliumindolinones A-D （1-4）, were isolated from an aqueous extract of lsatis indigotica leaves （da qing ye）. Their structures including absolute configurations were determined by spectroscopic data analysis combined with comparison of their experimental CD and calculated ECD spectra. Validity of the ECD spectra calculation to assign the absolute configurations is discussed. Plausible biosynthetic pathways of 1-4 are proposed. Stereochemistry-dependent activity against LPS-induced NO production in BY2 cells was observed, and among the stereoisomers compound 4 is most active.

Computational identification and systematic classification of novel GRAS genes in Isatis indigotica

Isatis indigotica Fort., belonging to Cruciferae, is one of the most commonly used plants in traditional Chinese medicine. The accumulation of the effective components of I. indigotica is related with its growth conditions. The GRAS genes are members of a multigene family of transcriptional regulators that play a crucial role in plant growth. Although the activities of many GRAS genes have long been recognized, only in recent years were some of them identified and functionally characterized in detail. In the present study, 41 GRAS genes were identified from 1. indigotica through bioinformatics methods for the first time. They were classified into ten groups according to the classification of Arabidopsis and rice. The characterization, gene structure, conserved motifs, disordered N-terminal domains, and phylogenetic reconstruction of these GRASs were analyzed. Forty-three orthologous gene pairs were shared by I. indigotica and Arabidopsis, and interaction networks of these orthologous genes were constructed. Furthermore, gene expression patterns were investigated by analysis in methyl jasmonate （MeJA）-treated I. indigotica hairy roots based on RNA-seq data. In conclusion, this comprehensive analysis would provide rich resources for further studies of GRAS protein functions in this plant.

Genome-wide analysis of AP2/ERF superfamily in Isatis indigotica

Objective AP2/ERF(APETALA2/ethylene-responsive factor)superfamily is one of the largest gene families in plants and has been reported to participate in various biological processes,such as the regulation of biosynthesis of active lignan.However,few studies have investigated the genome-wide role of the AP2/ERF superfamily in Isatis indigotica.This study establishes a complete picture of the AP2/ERF superfamily in I.indigotica and contributes valuable information for further functional characterization of IiAP2/ERF genes and supports further metabolic engineering.Methods To identify the IiAP2/ERF superfamily genes,the AP2/ERF sequences from Arabidopsis thaliana and Brassica rapa were used as query sequences in the basic local alignment search tool.Bioinformatic analyses were conducted to investigate the protein structure,motif composition,chromosome location,phylogenetic relationship,and interaction network of the IiAP2/ERF superfamily genes.The accuracy of omics data was verified by quantitative polymerase chain reaction and heatmap analyses.Results One hundred and twenty-six putative IiAP2/ERF genes in total were identified from the I.indigotica genome database in this study.By sequence alignment and phylogenetic analysis,the IiAP2/ERF genes were classified into 5 groups including AP2,ERF,DREB(dehydration-responsive element-binding factor),Soloist and RAV(related to abscisic acid insensitive 3/viviparous 1)subfamilies.Among which,122 members were unevenly distributed across seven chromosomes.Sequence alignment showed that I.indigotica and A.thaliana had 30 pairs of orthologous genes,and we constructed their interaction network.The comprehensive analysis of gene expression pattern in different tissues suggested that these genes may play a significant role in organ growth and development of I.indigotica.Members that may regulate lignan biosynthesis in roots were also preliminarily identified.Ribonucleic acid sequencing analysis revealed that the expression of 76 IiAP2/ERF genes were up-or down-regulated under salt or drought treatment,among which,33 IiAP2/ERF genes were regulated by both stresses.Conclusion This study undertook a genome-wide characterization of the AP2/ERF superfamily in I.indigotica,providing valuable information for further functional characterization of IiAP2/ERF genes and discovery of genetic targets for metabolic engineering.

Indole alkaloid glycosides with a 1′-(phenyl)ethyl unit from Isatis indigotica leaves

Seven indole alkaloid glycosides containing a 1′-(4″-hydroxy-3″,5″-dimethoxyphenyl)ethyl unit(1-7)were isolated from an aqueous extract of Isatis indigotica leaves(da qing ye).Their structures were determined by spectroscopic data analysis combined with enzymatic hydrolysis as well as comparison of their experimental CD(circular dichroism)and calculated ECD(electrostatic circular dichroism)spectra.Based on analysis of[α]D20 and/or Cotton effect(CE)data of 1-7,two simple roles to assign location and/or configuration ofβ-glycopyranosyloxy and 1′-(phenyl)ethyl units in the indole alkaloid glycosides are proposed.Stereoselectivity in plausible biosynthetic pathways of 1-7 is discussed.Compounds 3 and 4 and their mixture in a 3:2 ratio showed activity against KCNQ2 in CHO cells.The mixture of 5 and 6(3:2)exhibited antiviral activity against influenza virus H1 N1 PR8 with IC5064.7μmol/L(ribavirin,IC5054.3μmol/L),however,the individual 5 or 6 was inactive.Preliminary structure-activity relationships were observed.