Cross-kingdom regulation by plant-derived miRNAs in mammalian systems

MicroRNAs(miRNAs)are small noncoding RNA molecules ubiquitously distributed across diverse organisms,serving as pivotal regulators of genetic expression.Notably,plant-derived miRNAs have been demonstrated to have unique bioactivity and certain stability in mammalian systems,thereby facilitating their capacity for cross-kingdom modulation of gene expression.While there is substantial evidence supporting the regulation of mammalian cells by plant-derived miRNAs,several questions remain unanswered.Specifically,a comprehensive investigation of the mechanisms underlying the stability and transport of plant miRNAs and their cross-kingdom regulation of gene expression in mammals remains to be done.In this review,we summarized the origin,processing,and functional mechanisms of plant miRNAs in mammalian tissues and circulation,emphasizing their greater resistance to mammalian digestion and circulation systems compared to animal miRNAs.Additionally,we introduce four well-known plant miRNAs that have been extensively studied for their functions and mechanisms in mammalian systems.By delving into these aspects,we aim to offer a fundamental understanding of this intriguing field and shed light on the complex interactions between plant miRNAs and mammalian biology.

Study on Antibacterial Efficacy of Plant-Derived Compound Preservative and Its Product Application

Natural antiseptic formulas are increasingly favored by consumers. This article take preservatives compounded from cinnamon, sophora flavescens and other plant extracts as the main research object, evaluated its antibacterial efficacy and application in cosmetics, expect that it can be used in cosmetics to replace conventional chemical preservatives. Research on its antibacterial efficacy through inhibition zone and MIC experiment, and product application research used anti-corrosion challenge and antibacterial rate experiment. The results showed that the plant-derived antiseptic system had a broad antibacterial spectrum, inhibition of 10 different common pathogenic bacteria, and had a very significant inhibitory effect on Gram-positive bacteria and fungi;Among them, the diameter of the antibacterial circle for Bacillus subtilis and Aspergillus niger can reached 31.89 mm and 28.26 mm, while the MIC value was 0.4 mg/mL and 0.8 mg/mL. The spray product with 1.5% addition amount successfully passed the anti-corrosion challenge test and meets the anti-corrosion standard requirements;The 2% added amount of disposable gel product has an inhibitory rate of 51.05% and 70.74% against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus within 20 minutes of action. In summary, the plantderived compound preservative has ability to be used in cosmetic preservative systems.

Plant-derived exosome-like nanoparticles and their therapeutic activities

Nanotechnologies have been successfully applied to the treatment of various diseases.Plant-derived exosome-like nanoparticles (PENs) are expected to become effective therapeutic modalities for treating disease or in drug-delivery. PENs are minimally cytotoxic to healthy tissues, with which they show excellent biocompatibility, and are biased towards tumors by targeting specific tissues through special endocytosis mechanisms. Thus, the use of these PENs may expand the scope of drug therapies while reducing the off-target effects.In this review, we summarize the fundamental features and bioactivities of PENs extracted from the grape, grapefruit, ginger, lemon, and broccoli and discuss the applications of these particles as therapeutics and nanocarriers.

Effects of Plant-derived Humic Acid Organic Fertilizer on Selenium Content of Rice in Northern Guangxi

This study was to find out the suitable application amount of plant-derived humic acid organic fertilizer for selenium-rich rice production in northern Guilin area by applying the fertilizer at different amounts.The results showed that plant-derived humic acid organic fertilizer could effectively activate selenium in selenium-rich soil,and then promote the uptake of selenium by rice.With costs,selenium enrichment and rice yield as the main evaluation indicators,A4 was chosen as the best treatment,that is,the application of 4 500 kg/hm^2 of plant-derived humic acid organic fertilizer as base fertilizer could achieve the best benefit.

Advances in the research of plant-derived natural products against retinoblastoma

Retinoblastoma(RB)is a highly aggressive ocular tumor,and due to socioeconomic and medical constraints,many children receive treatment only in the metaphase and advanced clinical stages,resulting in high rates of blindness and disability.Although several approaches exist in the treatment of RB,some children with the disease do not have satisfactory results because of various factors.Plantderived natural products have shown definite therapeutic effects in the treatment of various tumors and are also widely used in the study of RB.We review plant-derived natural products used in the study of anti-RB to provide ideas for the clinical application of these drugs and the development of new therapeutic drugs.

Enhanced Sporicidal Activity of Alcohol and Epigallocatechin-Palmitate-Based Hand Hygiene Formulations Comprised of Plant-Derived Compounds

Pathogenic spore-forming bacteria pose high risks to healthcare settings, as well as in the food and beverage industries. We reported recently that novel alcohol-based formulations containing plant-derived compounds, including epigallocatechin-3-gallate-palmitate (EGCG-P), a green tea polyphenol ester, provide > 99.99% inactivation of bacterial spores within 60 sec. Based on recently published data from our group and others, we hypothesize that a combination of EGCG-P and alcohol formulated with other plant-derived ingredients would achieve high sporicidal efficacy against a wide spectrum of bacterial spores and can provide novel hand hygiene methods against bacterial spores without toxicity. The objectives of the current study were to optimize two novel formulations with combinations of glycerol, citric acid, and EGCG-P to increase sporicidal activity and explore the rapid inactivation mechanisms and suitability for sporicidal products with broad-spectrum activities against aerobic and anaerobic bacterial spores. Methods included suspension testing of two formulations against spores from Bacillus cereus and Clostridium sporogenes, quantification of spore germination, and scanning electron microscopy. The results demonstrated that these novel formulations were able to reduce spore germination by >99.999% after 30 sec exposure in suspension tests, and rapidly caused physical damage to the spores. Additional studies are warranted to determine the suitability of the novel formulations for future hand hygiene use.

A review:the mechanism of plant-derived polysaccharides on osteoblasts and osteoclasts

Bone loss and deterioration of bone microarchitecture would increase the bone fragility and fracture risk,leading to the osteoporosis.More and more evidences proved that plant-derived polysaccharides could have a remarkable influence on osteoblasts and osteoclasts,exerting anti-osteoporosis effects.According to the previous research,the extract of Cibotium barumoz,Achyranthes bidentata,Curculigo orchioides,Epimedium brevicornum,Angelica sinensis,Polygonatum sibiricum,Dendrobium officinale,Morinda officinalis,Nelumbo mucifera,Diospyros kaki,Hordeum vulgare,Cistanche deserticola,Commiphora Myrrha and other plant-derived polysaccharides could benefit to the osteoblasts and osteoclasts.The essential mechanisms are mainly related to the activation or inhibition of many factors,including runt-related transcription factor 2(Runx2),B-catenin,osterix(Osx),activator protein-1(AP-1),osteocalcin(OCN/BGP),alkaline phosphatase(ALP),osteopontin(OPN),bone morphogenetic protein(BMP),phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase(PI3K)/C-Jun N-terminal kinase(JNK)/extracellular regulated protein kinase(ERK),osteoprotegerin(OPG),receptor activator of nuclear factor-kB(RANK),monocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor(M-CSF),tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor 6(TRAF-6),receptor activator of nuclear factor(NF)-KB ligand(RANKL),nuclear factor of activated T cells 1(NFATc1),c-Fos,matrix metallopeptidase-9(MMP-9),glycogen synthase kinase 3β(GSK3B)/B-catenin,nuclear factor E2-related factor 2(Nf2),as well as these related pathways,such as Wnt/p-catenin,BMP-2/SMAD1/5/8,PI3K/AKT,OPG/RANKL/RANK,NF-κB,MAPKs,etc.These plant-derived polysaccharides could improve the dynamic balance of bone formation and resorption through promoting the differentiation and maturation of osteoblast or inhibiting its formation.The reviewed plant-derived polysaccharides and their regulating mechanisms on the osteoclasts and osteoblasts provide the evidences for the development of osteoporosis therapeutics.

Plant-derived nanovesicles: Current understanding and applications for cancer therapy

Plant-derived vesicles(PDVs)are membranous structures that originate from plant cells and are responsible for multiple physiological and pathological functions.In the last decade,PDVs have gained much attention for their involvement in different biological processes,including intercellular communication and defense response,and recent scientific evidence has opened a new avenue for their applications in cancer treatment.Nevertheless,much remains unknown about these vesicles,and current research remains inconsistent.This review aims to provide a comprehensive introduction to PDVs,from their biological characteristics to purification methods,and to summarize the status of their potential development for cancer therapy.

Plant-derived polyphenols in sow nutrition:An update

Oxidative stress is a potentially critical factor that affects productive performance in gestating and lactating sows.Polyphenols are a large class of plant secondary metabolites that possess robust antioxidant capacity.All polyphenols are structurally characterized by aromatic rings with multiple hydrogen hydroxyl groups;those make polyphenols perfect hydrogen atoms and electron donors to neutralize free radicals and other reactive oxygen species.In the past decade,increasing attention has been paid to polyphenols as functional feed additives for sows.Polyphenols have been found to alleviate inflammation and oxidative stress in sows,boost their reproductivity,and promote offspring growth and development.In this review,we provided a systematical summary of the latest research advances in plant-derived polyphenols in sow nutrition,and mainly focused on the effects of polyphenols on the(1)antioxidant and immune functions of sows,(2)placental functions and the growth and development of fetal piglets,(3)mammary gland functions and the growth and development of suckling piglets,and(4)the long-term growth and development of progeny pigs.The output of this review provides an important foundation,from more than 8,000 identified plant phenols,to screen potential polyphenols(or polyphenol-enriched plants)as functional feed additives suitable for gestating and lactating sows.

Plant-derived nanovesicles: Further exploration of biomedical function and application potential

Extracellular vesicles(EVs)are phospholipid bilayer vesicles actively secreted by cells,that contain a variety of functional nucleic acids,proteins,and lipids,and are important mediums of intercellular communication.Based on their natural properties,EVs can not only retain the pharmacological effects of their source cells but also serve as natural delivery carriers.Among them,plant-derived nanovesicles(PNVs)are characterized as natural disease therapeutics with many advantages such as simplicity,safety,eco-friendliness,low cost,and low toxicity due to their abundant resources,large yield,and low risk of immunogenicity in vivo.This review systematically introduces the biogenesis,isolation methods,physical characterization,and components of PNVs,and describes their administration and cellular uptake as therapeutic agents.We highlight the therapeutic potential of PNVs as therapeutic agents and drug delivery carriers,including anti-inflammatory,anticancer,wound healing,regeneration,and antiaging properties as well as their potential use in the treatment of liver disease and COVID-19.Finally,the toxicity and immunogenicity,the current clinical application,and the possible challenges in the future development of PNVs were analyzed.We expect the functions of PNVs to be further explored to promote clinical translation,thereby facilitating the development of a new framework for the treatment of human diseases.

Molluscicidal effectiveness of Luo-Wei,a novel plant-derived molluscicide,against Oncomelania hupensis,Biomphalaria alexandrina and Bulinus truncatus

Background:Control of snail intermediate hosts has been proved to be a fast and efficient approach for interrupting the transmission of schistosomiasis.Some plant extracts have shown obvious molluscicidal activity,and a new compound Luo-Wei,also named tea-seed distilled saponin(TDS),was developed based on the saponins extracted from Camellia oleifera seeds.We aimed to test the molluscicidal activity of 4%TDS against the intermediate host snails in China and Egypt,and evaluate its environmental safety to non-target organisms.Methods:In the laboratory,Oncomelania hupensis,Biomphalaria alexandrina and Bulinus truncatus were exposed to 4%TDS,and the median lethal concentration(LC5o)was estimated at 24,48 and 72 h.In the field,snail mortalities were assessed 1,2,3 and 7 d post-immersion with 2.5 g/m34%TDS and 1,3,7 and 15 d post-spraying with 5 g/m24%TDS.in addition,the acute toxicity of 4%TDS to Japanese quail(Coturnixjaponica),zebrafish(Brachydanio rerio)and freshwater shrimp(Macrobrachium nipponense)was assessed by estimations of LC5o or median lethal dose(LD5o).Results:In the laboratory,the LC5o values of 4%TDS for O.hupensis were 0.701,0.371 and 0.33 mg/L at 24,48 and 72 h,respectively,and 4%TDS showed a 0.33 mg/L 24 h LC5o against B.alexandrina,and a 1.396 mg/L 24 h LCs0 against B.truncatus.Across all study regions,the pooled mortalities of O.hupensis were 72,86,94 and 98%at 1,2,3 and 7 d,following field immersion of 4%TDS at a dose of 2.5 g/m3,and were 69,77,85 and 88%at 1,3,7 and 15 d,following field spraying at 5 g/m2,respectively.4%TDS had moderate toxicity to Japanese quail(7 d LD5o>60 mg/kg)and to shrimp(96 h LCs0=6.28 mg/L;95%CI:3.53-11.2 mg/L),whereas its toxicity to zebrafish was high(96 h LCso--0.15 mg/L;95%CI:0.14-0.17 mg/L).Conclusions:4%TDS is active against O.hupensis,B.alexandrina and B.truncatus under laboratory and field conditions,and it may be a candidate molluscicide of plant origin.

Review on plant-derived bioactive peptides:biological activities,mechanism of action and utilizations in food development

Plant proteins are good alternative to animal sources in bioactive peptide production due to their safety,low-cost,rich resources and easy for large scale production.The bioactivities of the peptides derived from plant proteins including antihypertensive,hypocholesterolemic,immunomodulatory,antioxidant,antimicrobial,anti-diabetic,opiate and hepatoprotective effect are being increasingly recognized with regards to health promoting and disease prevention.In addition to bioactivities,the plant-derived bioactive peptides possess various functional properties including emulsifying and foaming properties,and water and oil retention capacities owning to the hydrophilic/lipophilic property,conformational flexibility and chain length of peptides.Hence,the plant-derived bioactive peptides are promising ingredients for the development of health-care and functional products.This review provides the research progress on the biological activities and functional properties of plant derived peptides.The mechanism of action and structure-activity relationships of the bioactive peptide were also described,when known.Furthermore,recent developments,major challenges and prospect in the application of the plant-derive bioactive peptides in the development of functional products are discussed and summarized.The objective of this review is to improve the understanding of plant-derive bioactive peptides,and provide some constructive inspirations for further research and industrial application in the food and medicine industry.

An Artificial Neural Network Model Combined with Dietary Retinol Intake from Different Sources to Predict the Risk of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Objective This study aimed to develop an artificial neural network(ANN) model combined with dietary retinol intake from different sources to predict the risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD) in American adults.Methods Data from the 2007 to 2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey(NHANES)2007–2014 were analyzed. Eligible subjects(n = 6,613) were randomly divided into a training set(n1 =4,609) and a validation set(n2 = 2,004) at a ratio of 7:3. The training set was used to identify predictors of NAFLD risk using logistic regression analysis. An ANN was established to predict the NAFLD risk using a training set. Receiver operating characteristic(ROC) curve analysis was performed to evaluate the accuracy of the model using the training and validation sets.Results Our study found that the odds ratios(ORs) and 95% confidence intervals(CIs) of NAFLD for the highest quartile of plant-derived dietary retinol intake(i.e., provitamin A carotenoids, such as β-carotene)(OR = 0.75, 95% CI: 0.57 to 0.99) were inversely associated with NAFLD risk, compared to the lowest quartile of intake, after adjusting for potential confounders. The areas under the ROC curves were 0.874 and 0.883 for the training and validation sets, respectively. NAFLD occurs when its incidence probability is greater than 0.388.Conclusion The ANN model combined with plant-derived dietary retinol intake showed a significant effect on NAFLD. This could be applied to predict NAFLD risk in the American adult population when government departments formulate future health plans.

Biomarkers reveal the terrigenous organic matter enrichment in the late Oligocene-early Miocene marine shales in the Ying-Qiong Basin,South China Sea

The increase of total organic carbon content of the late Oligocene-early Miocene terrigenously-dominated marine shales in the shallower depth intervals was reported in the Ying-Qiong Basin,South China Sea.The organic enriched lower Sanya Formation shales(early Miocene)have biomarker characteristics of tropical/subtropical plants,with abundant high molecular weight n-alkanes,angiosperm-derived oleanane,rearranged oleananesⅠ,Ⅱ,Ⅱ,tricyclic/tetracyclic terpanes including des-A-oleanane,X,*,Y,Z,Z1 and bicadinanes W,T,T1,R.The biomarker characteristics are suggestive of larger influx of the dominant tropical/subtropical angiosperms in flora under a warming and more humid climate during depositions of the lower Sanya Formation(early Miocene)than the older Lingshui Formation(late Oligocene).The tropical/subtropical angiosperm input was thought as the prime control of terrigenous organic matter enrichment relative to the redox condition,and the coeval sea level changes and seafloor spreading in the South China Sea.Enrichment of the terrigenous organic matter in the early Miocene shales is likely in association with the coeval peak East Asian summer monsoon intensity in the South China Sea.

Shear Strength of Unbound Crop By-Products Using the Direct Shear Box Apparatus

The return to old building methods by mixing crop by-products with mineral binders is arousing great interest in Europe since about 25 years.The use of these bio-aggregates based materials for the design of building envelopes is a valuable opportunity to deal with increasingly demanding thermal regulations.In addition,the regulatory framework is moving towards reducing the overall car-bon footprint of new buildings.Some traditional and historic buildings are based on timber framing with earth-straw as infill material for instance.Hemp concrete is a bio-based material that can be manually tamped in timber stud walls or more recently in the form of precast blocks.Owing to their low compressive strength,bio-based concretes using a large volume fraction of plant-derived aggregates are only considered as thermal and sound insulation materials.The structural design practice of wood frame walls does not assume any mechanical contribution of hemp concrete whereas it may contribute to the racking strength of the structure.In this context,more research is needed regarding the shear behavior of crop by-products and bio-based concretes.In this case,the objective of the study was to perform direct shear tests under three levels of normal pressure on hemp shiv and rice husk as unbound crop by-products.The results showed that the friction angle of the granular skeleton based on rice husk for a given relative displacement was significantly lower than that measured on hemp shiv.This is in accordance with what had been observed on bio-based concretes cast by mixing aggregates with lime and shear strength parameters measured by means of triaxial compression.

Expression of the Viral Antigen VP60 in Transgenic Potatoes and its Effect on the Nutritional Composition of Tubers

Recombinant plant-derived pharmaceuticals have been investigated for the last two decades and some products will soon be brought to market. Since veterinary pharmaceuticals seem to be the front-runners of plant-derived vaccines, we selected one model subunit vaccine, the structural capsid protein VP60 against rabbit haemorrhagic disease, and ana-lyzed the expression of three different sequences representing the vp60 open reading frame in potato plants. The gen-eration of antigenic VP60 molecules in the leaf and tuber tissue of potato was tremendously enhanced by replacing virus-derived sequences with plant-optimized codons. In order to identify potentially undesirable alterations in the composition of these genetically modified food components, we studied their nutrient composition and nutritional value in comparison to two parental conventional breeding varieties (Albatros and Desiree). The largest differences in nutrient composition were found between the two conventional breeds and between conventional Desiree and its near-isogenic genetically modified potato plant, indicating that genetic modification as well as conventional breeding can influence nutrient composition. Nevertheless, most parameters of nutritional value seemed to be more affected by conventional breeding than by genetic modification.

Advances in research and utilization of botanical pesticides for agricultural pest management in Inner Mongolia, China

Traditional Chinese herbal medicines not only cure human diseases,but also play an important role as insecticides.Compared with conventional chemical agents,traditional Chinese herbal medicines are characterized by low toxicity,low residues,and being eco-friendly,and they have become a research hotspot.Traditional Chinese herbal medicines have tremendous flexibility and indefinite potential.Therefore,this paper reviewed the types of insecticides belonging to traditional Chinese herbal medicines in Inner Mongolia,China,including their traditional uses,secondary metabolites,biological activities,action mechanisms,application methods,and development status.In addition,the most relevant issues involved in the development of traditional Chinese herbal medicines was discussed.We believe that traditional Chinese herbal medicines can be better implemented and developed;such that its other advantages,such as an insect repellent,can be promoted.Moreover,this study lays a solid foundation for further research on traditional Chinese herbal medicines in Inner Mongolia,China.

Compounded chelating agent derived from fruit residue extracts effectively enhances Cd phytoextraction by Sedum alfredii

Chelating agent is known as the enhancer for metal phytoextraction;however,there is still a lack of efficient and environmentally sustainable chelators.Here,lemon residue extraction(LRE),prepared from 11 kinds of fruit wastes,was combined with N,N-bis(carboxymethyl)glutamic acid(GLDA),and tea saponin(T.S.)for the compounded plant-derived chelator(CPC),and their influences on Cd phytoextraction by the hyperaccumulator Sedum alfredii was evaluated.Among these fruits,the lemon residue extracted the most significant amount of Cd from the soil.The most effective CPC was at the volume ratio of three agents being 15:4:1(LRE:GLDA:T.S.).Compared with the deionized water,the solubility of three Cd minerals was increased by 85–256 times,and Cd speciation was substantially altered after CPC application.In the pot experiment,CPC addition caused evident increases in plant shoot biomass,Cd phytoextraction efficiency,and organic matter content compared with EDTA and nitrilotriacetic acid(NTA)application.CPC induced fewer changes in bacterial community composition compared with EDTA and had no pronounced influence on microbial biomass carbon and bacterialα-diversity,suggesting CPC had a subtle impact on the microbiological environments.Our study provides a theoretical base for the reutilization of fruit wastes and the development of environmental-friendly chelator that assists Cd phytoextraction.

Potential medicinal plants involved in inhibiting 3CL^(pro) activity:A practical alternate approach to combating COVID-19

At present,a variety of vaccines have been approved,and existing antiviral drugs are being tested to find an effective treatment for coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19).However,no standardized treatment has yet been approved by the World Health Organization.The virally encoded chymotrypsin-like protease(3CL^(pro))from severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2),which facilitates the replication of SARS-CoV in the host cells,is one potential pharmacological target for the development of antiSARS drugs.Online search engines,such as Web of Science,Google Scholar,Scopus and PubMed,were used to retrieve data on the traditional uses of medicinal plants and their inhibitory effects against the SARS-CoV 3CL^(pro).Various pure compounds,including polyphenols,terpenoids,chalcones,alkaloids,biflavonoids,flavanones,anthraquinones and glycosides,have shown potent inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 3CL^(pro) activity with 50% inhibitory concentration(IC_(50))values ranging from 2-44μg/mL.Interestingly,most of these active compounds,including xanthoangelol E(isolated from Angelica keiskei),dieckol 1(isolated from Ecklonia cava),amentoflavone(isolated from Torreya nucifera),celastrol,pristimerin,tingenone and iguesterin(isolated from Tripterygium regelii),tannic acid(isolated from Camellia sinensis),and theaflavin-3,3’-digallate,3-isotheaflav1in-3 gallate and dihydrotanshinone I(isolated from Salvia miltiorrhiza),had IC_(50)values of less than 15μg/mL.Kinetic mechanistic studies of several active compounds revealed that their mode of inhibition was dose-dependent and competitive,with K_(i)values ranging from 2.4-43.8μmol/L.Given the significance of plant-based compounds and the many promising results obtained,there is still need to explore the phytochemical and mechanistic potentials of plants and their products.These medicinal plants could serve as an effective inexpensive nutraceutical for the general public to help manage COVID-19.