Astragalin and rutin restore gut microbiota dysbiosis, alleviate obesity and insulin resistance in high-fat diet-fed C57BL/6J mice

In the present study we investigated the impact of the combination of astragalin and rutin(CAR)on restoring gut-microbial dysbiosis and obesity and obesity related disorders.Randomized male C57BL/6J mice were experimentally divided into 5 groups and fed either a normal diet or a high-fat diet(HFD)for 16 weeks.Compared to vehicle treated group(HFD group),CAR could substantially improve selected gut microbiota abundance(Akkermansia,Lactobacillus,Bifidobacteria,Roseburia,Prevotella),reversed the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes proportions,and inhibited the growth of Escherichia coli,Salmonella,and Klebsiella in obese mice.In addition,CAR-treated mice showed significantly increased total short-chain fatty acid production,reduced body weight gain,organs’weights,serum lipid profile(except HDL)and insulin resistance.The mRNA expressions of CCAAT/enhancer binding protein-α(C/EBP-α),sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1c(SREBP-1c),peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ(PPAR-γ),acetyl-CoA carboxylase(ACC),adipocyte protein 2(aP2),and fatty acid synthase(FAS)were downregulated(P<0.05)and the protein expression of PPAR-γwas downregulated while adenosine 5’monophosphate-activated protein kinase(AMPK)was phosphorylated in CAR-treated HFD-fed mice compared to the HFD control group.Interestingly,CAR-treated HFD-fed mice showed significantly improved tissue architecture in the liver and fatty tissues.In conclusion,the findings suggest that CAR/Moringa oleifera may be beneficial in the treatment of insulin resistance and obesity disorders.

Increased fecal viral content associated with obesity in mice

AIM: To investigate the presence of total gut viral content in obese mice, and establish correlation with obesity associated metabolic measures and gut microbiome.METHODS: Fresh fecal samples were collected from normal and obese(Leptin deficient Lep^(ob/ob)) mice. Total viral DNA and RNA was isolated and quantified for establishing the correlation with metabolic measures and composition of gut bacterial communities.RESULTS: In this report, we found that obese mice feces have higher viral contents in terms of total viral DNA and RNA(P < 0.001). Interestingly, these increased viral DNA and RNA content were tightly correlated with metabolic measures, i.e., body weight, fat mass and fasting blood glucose. Total viral content were positively correlated with firmicutes(R^2 > 0.6), whilst negatively correlated with bacteroidetes and bifidobacteria. CONCLUSION: This study suggests the strong correlation of increased viral population into the gut of obese mice and opens new avenues to explore the role of gut virome in pathophysiology of obesity.

AACA Element Negatively Regulates Expression of Protein Phosphatase 2C (<i>PP2C</i>) like Promoter in <i>Arabidopsis thaliana</i>

Genome wide analysis of Arabidopsis thaliana reveals a unique genetic arrangement of ACGT motif in the protein phosphatase 2C (PP2C) like promoter (accession number AT5G59220). In the present study, full length, 900 base pair, 500 base pair, 400 base pair and NRM deletion variants of PP2C like promoter were constructed to investigate the activity of PP2C like promoter in the presence of inducers like abscisic acid, jasmonic acid and salicylic acid. The PP2C promoter has three ACGT elements in close vicinity. They are so positioned that they are separated by a spacer of 30 base pair and 5 base pair respectively from each other. The study has shown that ACGTN30ACGT genetic architecture is essential for the promoter to be induced in response to abscisic acid. The synergistic and antagonistic effects of cis elements were observed. AACA is a positive regulatory element in endosperm and is known to act as negative regulatory element in other tissues. In this study AACA, have been found to negatively regulate the expression of reporter gene EGFP in both induced and under uninduced conditions.

Diversity of Sodium Transporter HKT1;5 in Genus Oryza

Asian cultivated rice shows allelic variation in sodium transporter,OsHKT1;5,correlating with shoot sodium exclusion(salinity tolerance).These changes map to intra/extracellularly-oriented loops that occur between four transmembrane-P loop-transmembrane(MPM)motifs in OsHKT1;5.HKT1;5 sequences from more recently evolved Oryza species(O.sativa/O.officinalis complex species)contain two expansions that involve two intracellularly oriented loops/helical regions between MPM domains,potentially governing transport characteristics,while more ancestral HKT1;5 sequences have shorter intracellular loops.We compared homology models for homoeologous OcHKT 1;5-K and OcHKT1;5-L from halophytic O.coarctata to identify complementary amino acid residues in OcHKT1;5-L that potentially enhance affinity for Na+.Using haplotyping,we showed that Asian cultivated rice accessions only have a fraction of HKT1;5 diversity available in progenitor wild rice species(O.nivara and O.rufipogon).Progenitor HKT1;5 haplotypes can thus be used as novel potential donors for enhancing cultivated rice salinity tolerance.Within Asian rice accessions,10 non-synonymous HKT1;5 haplotypic groups occur.More HKT1;5 haplotypic diversities occur in cultivated indica gene pool compared to japonica.Predominant Haplotypes 2 and 10 occur in mutually exclusive japonica and indica groups,corresponding to haplotypes in O.sativa salt-sensitive and salt-tolerant landraces,respectively.This distinct haplotype partitioning may have originated in separate ancestral gene pools of indica and japonica,or from different haplotypes selected during domestication.Predominance of specific HKT1;5 haplotypes within the 3000 rice dataset may relate to eco-physiological fitness in specific geo-climatic and/or edaphic contexts.

Screening of Different <i>Artemisia</i>spp. from Western Ghats of Maharashtra for an Anti-Malarial Compound—Artemisinin

Artemisinin, an endoperoxide sesquiterpene lactone has proven effective in treating drug resistant cases of malaria and cancer. Artemisia annua [sweet wormwood] is the sole source for artemisinin production in many countries. To counter the low content in leaves and costly chemical synthesis process in India, alternative ways to produce artemisinin have been sought. In current study, we collected A. pallens, A. japonica and A. nilagirica from Western Ghats of Maharashtra, India and analyzed artemisinin content. Samples were extracted from leaves and florets in various extraction conditions and analyzed using different chromatographic techniques. Thin layer chromatography (TLC) and high performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC) analysis showed the presence of compound with endoperoxide linkage in A. nilagirica. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis showed the detection of artemisinin in methylene dichloride florets extract of A. japonica, but the concentration was too low [1.3 mg/g dry wt.] for further analyses. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis identified structurally important components in the A. nilagirica ethyl acetate extract which explores the biosynthetic pathway of artemisinin from its most important precursor amorpha-4,11-diene. This is the first report of chromatographic screening of these Indian varieties of Artemisia spp. for artemisinin content.

Nanomaterials for the abatement of cadmium (Ⅱ) ions from water/ wastewater

The rapid rise of modern industry is the source of unchecked effluents containing many pernicious heavy metals (e.g.,cadmium).To rehabilitate the ecology,food resources,and health of humans and animals,various conventional methodologies are being used in wastewater treatment facilities for the abatement of cadmium.Nonetheless,the development of advanced,economical,and efficient adsorbents is needed because of the many shortcomings of conventional methods (e.g.,high cost,intensive operation,and inefficiency).Recent advancements in materials science and chemistry have introduced the use of nanomaterials,which possess very high specific surface areas and multiple functionalities,for the removal of specific targets such as cadmium.This review explores the recent developments and trends in nanomaterial adsorption technology for the mitigation of cadmium.The paper further surveys the present obstacles and future opportunities for the advancement of nanomaterial-based technologies in the area of water treatment.

Distinct Role of Core Promoter Architecture in Regulation of Light-Mediated Responses in Plant Genes

In the present study, we selected four distinct classes of light-regulated promoters. The light-regulated promoters can be distinctly grouped into either TATA-box-containing or TATA-less （initiator-containing） promoters. Further, using either native promoters or their swapped versions of core promoter elements, we established that TATA-box and Inr （Initiator） elements have distinct mechanisms which are involved in light-mediated regulation, and these elements are not swappable. We identified that mutations in either functional TATA-box or Inr elements lead to the formation of nucleosomal structure. The nucleotide diversity in either the TATA-box or Inr element in Arabidopsis ecotypes proposes that the nucleotide variation in core promoters can alter the gene expression. We show that motif overrepresentation in light-activated promoters encompasses different specific regulatory motifs present downstream of TSS （transcription start site）, and this might serve as a key factor in regulating light promoters which are parallel with these elements. Finally, we conclude that the TATA-box or Inr element does not act in isolation, but our results clearly suggests the probable involvement of other distinct core promoter elements in concurrence with the TATA-box or Inr element to impart selectivity to light-mediated transcription.

Rewilding staple crops for the lost halophytism:Toward sustainability and profitability of agricultural production systems

Abiotic stress tolerance has been weakened during the domestication of all major staple crops.Soil salinity is a major environmental constraint that impacts over half of the world population;however,given the increasing reliance on irrigation and the lack of available freshwater,agriculture in the 21st century will increasingly become saline.Therefore,global food security is critically dependent on the ability of plant breeders to create high-yielding staple crop varieties that will incorporate salinity tolerance traits and ac-count for future climate scenarios.Previously,we have argued that the current agricultural practices and reliance on crops that exclude salt from uptake is counterproductive and environmentally unsustainable,and thus called for a need for a major shift in a breeding paradigm to incorporate some halophytic traits that were present in wild relatives but were lost in modern crops during domestication.In this review,we provide a comprehensive physiological and molecular analysis of the key traits conferring crop halophy-tism,such as vacuolar Na+sequestration,ROS desensitization,succulence,metabolic photosynthetic switch,and salt deposition in trichomes,and discuss the strategies for incorporating them into elite germ-plasm,to address a pressing issue of boosting plant salinity tolerance.

Antioxidative,antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activities and release of ultra-filtered antioxidative and antimicrobial peptides during fermentation of sheep milk:In-vitro,in-silico and molecular interaction studies

The antioxidative,antimicrobial,and anti-inflammatory properties of fermented sheep milk with L.fermentum (KGL4),as well as the generation of antioxidative and antimicrobial peptides,are evaluated in the study.Antioxidative and antibacterial activities in sheep milk fermented with KGL4 increased with incubation hours,along with varied antioxidative properties (ABTS assay:35.12%,hydroxyl free radical scavenging assay:29.12%,superoxide free radical scavenging activity:36.38%).Antimicrobial activity of fermented sheep milk against E.faecalis (19 mm),S.typhimurium (15.67 mm),B.cereus (14 mm),and E.coli (13 mm) was also observed.Furthermore,after 48 h,the KGL4 showed maximum proteolysis (10.40 mg/ml) at 2.5% rate of addition sheep milk.The antioxidative and antimicrobial activities of fermented sheep milk fractions (3 kDa and 10 kDa permeates and retentates) were also investigated.The highest ABTS activity (26.90%) was found in 10 kDa permeate,whereas the 3 kDa retentate had higher hydroxyl free radical scavenging activity (69.20%) and 3 kDa permeate showed maximum superoxide free radical scavenging activity (32.85%).The 10 kDa retentate had shown maximum antimicrobial activity against S.typhimurium (13.67 mm) and E.faecalis (17.00 mm).Proteins spotted on 2D gel electrophoresis of KGL4 were varied from 10 to 70 kDa.RP-LC/MS was used to identify 5 novel peptide sequences from 2-D gel spots.Searches in the BIOPEP database confirmed the antioxidative and antimicrobial effects of the novel fermented sheep milk peptides.Fermented sheep milk with KGL4 (SMKGL4) significantly reduced excessive TNF-α,IL-6,& IL-1β production in LPS-activated RAW 264.7 cells.