LC-MS/MS-based metabolomics approach revealed novel phytocompounds from sugarcane rind with promising pharmacological value

Broad spectrum and species specificity of plant allelochemicals 1,2-benzenediol and 3-indoleacrylic acid against marine and freshwater harmful algae

Allelochemicals derived from plants have shown great potential in mitigating harmful algal blooms (HABs), although different algal species can respond differently to these chemicals. Therefore, we first investigated the allelopathic effects of two newly identified plant-derived allelochemicals, 1,2-benzenediol (1,2-BD) and 3-indoleacrylic acid (3-IDC), on six algal species. Then we further evaluated the allelopathic responses of two bloom-forming species, Microcystis aeruginosa FACHB-905 and Heterosigma akashiwo to 1,2-BD. Results showed that 1,2-BD had a broader antialgal spectrum than 3-IDC. Allelopathic response analysis indicated that 1,2-BD consistently and stably inhibit the growth of M. aeruginosa FACHB-905, with inhibitory mechanism being disruption of photosynthetic activity, overwhelming of the antioxidant system and activation of programmed cell death (PCD). H. akashiwo displayed resistance to 1,2-BD during exposure, and the growth inhibition was mainly attributed to PCD. Therefore, the species-specific allelopathic responses provide new insights for controlling HABs using 1,2-BD and 3-IDC.

Toward Sustainable Wax Extraction from the Saccharum officinarum L. Filter Cake Byproduct: Process Optimization, Physicochemical Characterization, and Antioxidant Performance

Saccharum officinarum L. exploitation and processing result in different byproducts, such as filter cake (FC). This study aimed to establish the most suitable experimental conditions to obtain lipophilic bioactive compounds from FC industrial residues, considering their high efficiency, cost-effectiveness, extraction yield, composition, and physicochemical properties. Results indicated that the most appropriate methodology consisted of the pretreatment of the FC sample with H2SO4, followed by ethanolic extraction (B6 method), avoiding energy-consumption FC drying steps and providing ethanol recovery (approx. 90%). The obtained B6 extract yield was 9.59 ± 0.27 g/100 g of FC dry weight, and this methodology proved to be more efficient in obtaining fatty alcohols (20.28 ± 1.48 g/kg extract) and phytosterols (31.56 ± 0.18 g/kg extract) while maintaining lower total monosaccharide concentration (26.19 ± 1.82 mg/g extract). Furthermore, the geographically related multivariate analysis in wax composition and antioxidant activity was evaluated by comparing B6 waxes from Guariba (G) and Univalem (U), both provided by Brazil and collected in June 2020. Overall, the wax composition is affected, but the antioxidant activity is uncompromised, which indicates that the optimized wax extraction method can be applied to FC.

Bioactive compounds as an alternative for the sugarcane industry: Towards an integrative approach

Here, a comprehensive review of sugarcane industrialization and its relationship with bioactive compounds (BCs) detected in various products and by-products generated during its processing is presented. Furthermore, it is discussed how these compounds have revealed important antioxidant, antineoplastic, antidiabetic, and antimicrobial activities. From this bibliographic research highlights the significance of two types of BCs of natural origin (phenolic compounds (PCs) and terpenoids) and a group of compounds synthesized during industrial transformation processes (Maillard reaction products (MRPs)). It was found that most of the studies about the BCs from sugarcane have been conducted by identifying, isolating, and analyzing ones or a few compounds at a specific period, this being a conventional approach. However, given the complexity of the synthesis processes of all these BCs and the biological activities they can manifest in a specific biological context, novel approaches are needed to address these analyses holistically. To overcome this challenge, integrating massive and multiscale methods, such as omics sciences, seems necessary to enrich these studies. This work is intended to contribute to the state of the art that could support future research about the exploration, characterization, or evaluation of different bioactive molecules from sugarcane and its derivatives.

A high-throughput lipidomics and transcriptomic approach reveals novel compounds from sugarcane linked with promising therapeutic potential against COVID-19

Sugarcane (Saccharum ssp., Poaceae) provides enormous metabolites such as sugars, lipid, and other dietary metabolites to humans. Among them, lipids are important metabolites that perform various functions and have promising pharmacological value. However, in sugarcane, few studies are focusing on lipidomics and few lipid compounds were reported, and their pharmacological values are not explored yet. The transcriptomic and widely targeted lipidomics approach quantified 134 lipid compounds from the rind of six sugarcane genotypes. These lipid compounds include 57 fatty acids, 30 lysophosphatidylcholines, 23 glycerol esters, 21 lysophosphatidylethanolamines, 2 phosphatidylcholines, and 1 sphingolipid. Among them, 119 compounds were first time reported in sugarcane rind. Seventeen lipids compounds including 12 fatty acids, 2 glycerol lipids, LysoPC 16:0, LysoPE 16:0, and choline alfoscerate were abundantly found in the rind of sugarcane genotypes. From metabolic and transcriptomic results, we have developed a comprehensive lipid metabolic pathway and highlighted key genes that are differentially expressed in sugarcane. Several genes associated with α-linolenic acid and linoleic acid biosynthesis pathways were highly expressed in the rind of the ROC22 genotype. ROC22 has a high level of α-linolenic acid (an essential fatty acid) followed by ROC16. Moreover, we have explored pharmacological values of lipid compounds and found that the 2-linoleoylglycerol and gingerglycolipid C have strong binding interactions with 3CL^pro of SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) and these compounds can be utilized against SARS-CoV-2 as therapeutic agents. The transcriptome, metabolome, and bioinformatics analysis suggests that the sugarcane cultivars have a diversity of lipid compounds having promising therapeutic potential, and exploring the lipid metabolism will help to know more compounds that have promising cosmetic and pharmacological value.

PET imaging to assess fibroblast activation protein inhibitor biodistribution: A training program adapted to pharmacology education

In the process of pharmacology education, practical teaching is an important complement to theoretical teaching. These activities include the use of experimental animals to obtain certain pharmacological parameters or to help students understand certain classical concepts. However, the growing interest in laboratory animal welfare, the rapid development of pharmacology research and the challenges of cultivating innovative pharmacy talent create a need for innovative and flexible in vitro experiments for teaching purposes. Here, we report the application of positron emission tomography (PET) imaging of 18 F-labeled fibroblast activation protein inhibitor (18 F-FAPi) to practical pharmacology teaching, enabling dynamic visualization of the distribution and excretion process of FAPi in mice. Students can quantitatively analyze the distribution of FAPi in various tissues and organs without sacrificing the mice. Furthermore, the newly implemented method resulted in highly reproducible results and was generally appreciated by the students. Additionally, the application of PET imaging in pharmacokinetic teaching can not only greatly reduce the use of experimental animals but also need not sacrificing animals. Of note is that dynamic scanning data from this project can be used for online practical teaching during COVID-19 pandemic.

Transcriptomic and Widely Targeted Metabolomic Approach Identified Diverse Group of Bioactive Compounds, Antiradical Activities, and Their Associated Genes in Six Sugarcane Varieties

Sugarcane is cultivated mainly for its high sucrose content but it can also produce many metabolites with promising antioxidant potential. However, very few studies have been reported on the biosynthesis of metabolites in sugarcane to date. In this study, we have identified a wide range of amino acids and organic acids in the rind of six sugarcane varieties by the LC-MS/MS method. A total number of 72 amino acids and 55 organic acid compounds were characterized; among these, 100 were reported for the first time. Moreover, 13 amino acids and seven organic acids were abundantly distributed in all varieties tested and considered major amino acids and organic acids in sugarcane. The variety Taitang134 (F134) showed the highest content of total amino acids, whereas the varieties ROC16 and Yuetang93/159 (YT93/159) had maximum content of organic acids. The amino acids of the rind extract presented higher antioxidant capacity than the organic acids of the rind extract. In addition, the transcriptomic and metabolic integrated analysis highlighted some candidate genes associated with amino acid biosynthesis in sugarcane. We selected a transcription factor gene, MYB(t), and over-expressed it in Arabidopsis. The transgenic plants showed a higher accumulation of amino acids with higher antiradical activity compared with the wild-type Arabidopsis plants. Thus, we characterize a wide range of amino acids and organic acids and their antiradical activities in different sugarcane varieties and present candidate genes that can be potentially valuable for the genetic improvement of metabolites in sugarcane bagasse