Germplasm, chemical constituents, biological activities, utilization, and control of Chinese tallow (Triadica sebifera (L.) Small)

Gallic Acid Derivatives Are the Active Ingredients of the Optimized Phenolic Extracts of Chinese Tallow Tree

The Chinese tallow tree (Sapium sebiferum (L.) Roxb) (CTT) is a valuable forest resource, and its leaves have long been utilized in Traditional Chinese Medicine for the treatment of various diseases, primarily due to the antioxidant activity of phenolic compounds. In this study, a simple ultrasonic-assisted phenolic extraction method was established using response surface methodology. The highest total phenolic content was obtained by extracting with 40% ethanol (v/v) in a solid-liquid ratio (g/mL) of 1:48 for 20 min at 30°C, employing an ultrasonic bath with a power of 270 W and a frequency of 40 kHz. Using the optimized phenolic extract, a non-target metabolomics approach was adopted to evaluate the antioxidant ingredients of the CTT. Most of the identified phenolic compounds were depleted after reacting with free radicals, indicating their significant contribution to the antioxidant activity of CTT leaves. Among them, gallic acid derivatives, geraniin, and ethyl gallate were identified as the predominant antioxidant ingredients. Overall, a simple ultrasonic-assisted phenolic extraction method was optimized, and the antioxidant ingredients of the valuable CTT leaves were identified. These findings significantly promote the development and application of CTT leaves.

Genetic Analysis and Construction of a Fingerprint for Licensed Triadica sebifera Cultivars Using SSR Markers

Triadica sebifera is an important landscaping tree species because of its colorful autumn leaves. In recent years, some cultivars have been bred and licensed, but it can be difficult to identify them from their morphological traits due to their similar phenotypes. To explore the genetic relationships and construct a fingerprint of the cultivars, the licensed T. sebifera cultivars were analyzed using SSR markers. A total of 179 alleles were identified among the 21 cultivars at 16 SSR loci, and these alleles exhibited a high level of genetic diversity (He = 0.86). The genetic variations mainly occurred among cultivars based on an analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA). According to phylogenetic analysis, principal coordinate analysis (PCoA), and Bayesian clustering analysis, the genetic relationships were independent of geographic distances, which may be mainly due to transplantations between regions. Some cultivars with different leaf colors showed obvious genetic differentiation and may be preliminary candidates for cross-breeding. Finally, the fingerprint for the licensed cultivars was constructed with two SSR markers. The results of this study can provide technical support for the application and legal protection of licensed Triadica sebifera cultivars.

Metabolome and Transcriptome Reveal Chlorophyll, Carotenoid, and Anthocyanin Jointly Regulate the Color Formation of Triadica sebifera

The Chinese tallow tree (Triadica sebifera) is an economically important plant on account of its ornamental value and oil-producing seeds. Leaf colour is a key characteristic of T. sebifera, with yellow-, red- and purple-leaved varieties providing visually impressive displays during autumn. In this study, we performed metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses to gain a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying leaf colour development in purple-leaved T. sebifera at three stages during the autumnal colour transition, namely, green, hemi-purple, and purple leaves. We accordingly detected 370 flavonoid metabolites and 10 anthocyanins, among the latter of which, cyanidin-3-xyloside and peonidin-3-O-glucoside were identified as the predominant compounds in hemi-purple and purple leaves. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that structural genes associated with the anthocyanin biosynthetic pathway, chlorophyll synthesis pathway and carotenoid synthesis pathway were significantly differential expressed at the three assessed colour stages. Additionally, transcription factors associated with the MYB-bHLH-WD40 complex, including 22 R2R3-MYBs, 79 bHLHs and 44 WD40 genes, were identified as candidate regulators of the anthocyanin biosynthetic pathway. Moreover, on the basis of the identified differentially accumulated anthocyanins and key genes, we generated genetic and metabolic regulatory networks for anthocyanin biosynthesis in T. sebifera. These findings provide comprehensive information on the leaf transcriptome and three pigments of T. sebifera, thereby shedding new light on the mechanisms underlying the autumnal colouring of the leaves of this tree.

Identification and characterization of the karrikins signaling gene SsSMAX1 in Sapium sebiferum

SUPPRESSOR OF MAX2 LIKE 1 (SMAX1) is a member of the SUPPRESSOR of MAX2 1‑LIKE family of genes and is known as a target protein of KARRIKIN INSENSITIVE2 (KAI2)-MORE AXILLARY BRANCHES2 (MAX2), which mediates karrikin signaling in Arabidopsis. SMAX1 plays a significant role in seed germination, hypocotyl elongation, and root hair development in Arabidopsis. SMAX1 has not yet been identified and characterized in woody plants. This study identified and characterized SsSMAX1 in Sapium sebiferum and found that SsSMAX1 was highly expressed in the seed, hypocotyl, and root tips of S. sebiferum. SsSMAX1 was functionally characterized by ectopic expression in Arabidopsis. SsSMAX1 overexpression lines of Arabidopsis showed significantly delayed seed germination and produced seedlings with longer hypocotyl and roots than wild-type and Atsmax1 functional mutants. SsSMAX1 overexpression lines of Arabidopsis also had broader and longer leaves and petioles than wild-type and Atsmax1, suggesting that SsSMAX1 is functionally conserved. This study characterizes the SMAX1 gene in a woody and commercially valuable bioenergy plant, Sapium sebiferum. The results of this study are beneficial to future research on the molecular biology of woody plants.

Characterization of Triadica sebifera (L.) Small Extracts, Antifeedant Activities of Extracts, Fractions, Seed Oil and Isolated Compounds against Plutella xylostella (L.) and Their Effect on Detoxification Enzymes

Plutella xylostella L. is one of the world’s major pests of cruciferous crops. The indiscriminate use of synthetic insecticides has led to insecticide resistance and resurgence, and has been harmful to non-target organisms and the environment. Botanical insecticides are the best alternatives to synthetic pesticides for the management of pests in organic agriculture and integrated management. T. sebifera is an invasive species and has good potential as an insecticide due to the availability of plant material in some parts of India. The antifeedant activities of T. sebifera have not been reported against P. xylostella and other lepidopteron insects to date. Therefore, the current study targeted the characterization of leaf and bark extracts, feeding deterrence, synergistic and detoxification enzyme activities of leaf/bark ethanolic extracts/fractions, seed oil, and isolated compounds. UHPLC-QTOF-IMS analysis showed that shikimic acid, xanthoxylin, quercetin, kaempferol, methyl gallate, and stigmasterol are common metabolites identified in leaf and bark extracts. The combination of seed oil with bark extract showed higher deterrence (DC₅₀ = 317.10 mg/L) as compared to leaf/bark extracts alone. Gallic acid showed higher deterrence (67.48%) than kaempferol and quercetin. The n-butanol fraction of bark was more repellent (RC₅₀ = 414.61 mg/L). Based on DC₅₀, the seed oil with leaf extract (1:1 ratio) alone with choice and seed oil with leaf and bark extract without choice showed synergistic interaction, but seed oil with bark extract with choice showed additive interaction. The ethanol extract of leaf, bark, and seed oil inhibited GST and AChE in P. xylostella. The leaf extract and seed oil or their combinations may be recommended as antifeedants to reduce damage by P. xylostella based on persistence, antifeedant, phytotoxicity, safety to predators/parasitoids, etc., under field conditions.

Comprehensive Phytochemical Profiling, Biological Activities, and Molecular Docking Studies of Pleurospermum candollei: An Insight into Potential for Natural Products Development

The purpose of this study was to find the biological propensities of the vegetable plant Pleurospermum candollei by investigating its phytochemical profile and biological activities. Phytochemical analysis was done by spectroscopic methods to investigate the amount of total polyphenols, and biological evaluation was done by the different antioxidant, enzyme inhibitory (tyrosinase, α-amylase, and α-glucosidase), thrombolytic, and antibacterial activities. The highest amount of total phenolic and flavonoid contents was observed in methanolic extract (240.69 ± 2.94 mg GAE/g and 167.59 ± 3.47 mg QE/g); the fractions showed comparatively less quantity (57.02 ± 1.31 to 144.02 ± 2.11 mg GAE/g, and 48.21 ± 0.75 to 96.58 ± 2.30 mg QE/g). The effect of these bioactive contents was also related to biological activities. GCMS analysis led to the identification of bioactive compounds with different biological effects from methanolic extract (antioxidant; 55.07%, antimicrobial; 56.41%), while the identified compounds from the n-hexane fraction with antioxidant properties constituted 67.86%, and those with antimicrobial effects constituted 82.95%; however, the synergetic effect of polyphenols may also have contributed to the highest value of biological activities of methanolic extract. Molecular docking was also performed to understand the relationship of identified secondary metabolites with enzyme-inhibitory activities. The thrombolytic activity was also significant (40.18 ± 1.80 to 57.15 ± 1.10 % clot lysis) in comparison with streptokinase (78.5 ± 1.53 to 82.34 ± 1.25% clot lysis). Methanolic extract also showed good activity against Gram-positive strains of bacteria, and the highest activity was observed against Bacillus subtilis. The findings of this study will improve our knowledge of phytochemistry, and biological activities of P. candollei, which seems to be a ray of hope to design formulations of natural products for the improvement of health and prevention of chronic diseases; however, further research may address the development of novel drugs for use in pharmaceuticals.

Karrikin Improves Osmotic and Salt Stress Tolerance via the Regulation of the Redox Homeostasis in the Oil Plant Sapium sebiferum

Karrikins are reported to stimulate seed germination, regulate seedling growth, and increase the seedling vigor in abiotic stress conditions in plants. Nevertheless, how karrikins alleviate abiotic stress remains largely elusive. In this study, we found that karrikin (KAR1) could significantly alleviate both drought and salt stress in the important oil plant Sapium sebiferum. KAR1 supplementation in growth medium at a nanomolar (nM) concentration was enough to recover seed germination under salt and osmotic stress conditions. One nanomolar of KAR1 improved seedling biomass, increased the taproot length, and increased the number of lateral roots under abiotic stresses, suggesting that KAR1 is a potent alleviator of abiotic stresses in plants. Under abiotic stresses, KAR1-treated seedlings had a higher activity of the key antioxidative enzymes, such as superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, catalase, and ascorbate peroxidase, in comparison with the control, which leads to a lower level of hydrogen peroxide, malondialdehyde, and electrolyte leakage. Moreover, the metabolome analysis showed that KAR1 treatment significantly increased the level of organic acids and amino acids, which played important roles in redox homeostasis under stresses, suggesting that karrikins might alleviate abiotic stresses via the regulation of redox homeostasis. Under abiotic stresses, applications of karrikins did not increase the endogenous abscisic acid level but altered the expression of several ABA signaling genes, such as SNF1-RELATED PROTEIN KINASE2.3, SNF1-RELATED PROTEIN KINASE2.6, ABI3, and ABI5, suggesting potential interactions between karrikins and ABA signaling in the stress responses. Conclusively, we not only provided the physiological and molecular evidence to clarify the mechanism of karrikins in the regulation of stress adaptation in S. sebiferum but also showed the potential value of karrikins in agricultural practices, which will lay a foundation for further studies about the role of karrikins in abiotic stress alleviation in plants.

Comparative transcriptome analysis reveals the regulatory networks of cytokinin in promoting the floral feminization in the oil plant Sapium sebiferum

BACKGROUND

Sapium sebiferum, whose seeds contain high level of fatty acids, has been considered as one of the most important oil plants. However, the high male to female flower ratio limited the seed yield improvement and its industrial potentials. Thus, the study of the sex determination in S. sebiferum is of significant importance in increasing the seed yield.

RESULTS

In this study, we demonstrated that in S. sebiferum, cytokinin (CK) had strong feminization effects on the floral development. Exogenous application with 6-benzylaminopurine (6-BA) or thidiazuron (TDZ) significantly induced the development of female flowers and increased the fruit number. Interestingly, the feminization effects of cytokinin were also detected on the androecious genotype of S. sebiferum which only produce male flowers. To further investigate the mechanism underlying the role of cytokinin in the flower development and sex differentiation, we performed the comparative transcriptome analysis of the floral buds of the androecious plants subjected to 6-BA. The results showed that there were separately 129, 352 and 642 genes differentially expressed at 6 h, 12 h and 24 h after 6-BA treatment. Functional analysis of the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) showed that many genes are related to the hormonal biosynthesis and signaling, nutrients translocation and cell cycle. Moreover, there were twenty one flowering-related genes identified to be differentially regulated by 6-BA treatment. Specifically, the gynoecium development-related genes SPATULA (SPT), KANADI 2 (KAN2), JAGGED (JAG) and Cytochrome P450 78A9 (CYP79A9) were significantly up-regulated, whereas the expression of PISTILLATA (PI), TATA Box Associated Factor II 59 (TAFII59) and MYB Domain Protein 108 (MYB108) that were important for male organ development was down-regulated in response to 6-BA treatment, demonstrating that cytokinin could directly target the floral organ identity genes to regulate the flower sex.

CONCLUSIONS

Our work demonstrated that cytokinin is a potential regulator in female flower development in S. sebiferum. The transcriptome analysis of the floral sex transition from androecious to monoecious in response to cytokinin treatment on the androecious S. sebiferum provided valuable information related to the mechanism of sex determination in the perennial woody plants.

Proanthocyanidins in seed coat tegmen and endospermic cap inhibit seed germination in Sapium sebiferum

Sapium sebiferum, an ornamental and bio-energetic plant, is propagated by seed. Its seed coat contains germination inhibitors and takes a long time to stratify for germination. In this study, we discovered that the S. sebiferum seed coat (especially the tegmen) and endospermic cap (ESC) contained high levels of proanthocyanidins (PAs). Seed coat and ESC removal induced seed germination, whereas exogenous application with seed coat extract (SCE) or PAs significantly inhibited this process, suggesting that PAs in the seed coat played a major role in regulating seed germination in S. sebiferum. We further investigated how SCE affected the expression of the seed-germination-related genes. The results showed that treatment with SCE upregulated the transcription level of the dormancy-related gene, gibberellins (GAs) suppressing genes, abscisic acid (ABA) biosynthesis and signalling genes. SCE decreased the transcript levels of ABA catabolic genes, GAs biosynthesis genes, reactive oxygen species genes and nitrates-signalling genes. Exogenous application of nordihydroguaiaretic acid, gibberellic acid, hydrogen peroxide and potassium nitrate recovered seed germination in seed-coat-extract supplemented medium. In this study, we highlighted the role of PAs, and their interactions with the other germination regulators, in the regulation of seed dormancy in S. sebiferum.

Selection of Suitable Reference Genes for Quantitative Real-time PCR in Sapium sebiferum

Chinese tallow (Sapium sebiferum L.) is a promising landscape and bioenergy plant. Measuring gene expression by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) can provide valuable information on gene function. Stably expressed reference genes for normalization are a prerequisite for ensuring the accuracy of the target gene expression level among different samples. However, the reference genes in Chinese tallow have not been systematically validated. In this study, 12 candidate reference genes (18S, GAPDH, UBQ, RPS15, SAND, TIP41, 60S, ACT7, PDF2, APT, TBP, and TUB) were investigated with qRT-PCR in 18 samples, including those from different tissues, from plants treated with sucrose and cold stresses. The data were calculated with four common algorithms, geNorm, BestKeeper, NormFinder, and the delta cycle threshold (ΔCt). TIP41 and GAPDH were the most stable for the tissue-specific experiment, GAPDH and 60S for cold treatment, and GAPDH and UBQ for sucrose stresses, while the least stable genes were 60S, TIP41, and 18S respectively. The comprehensive results showed APT, GAPDH, and UBQ to be the top-ranked stable genes across all the samples. The stability of 60S was the lowest during all experiments. These selected reference genes were further validated by comparing the expression profiles of the chalcone synthase gene in Chinese tallow in different samples. The results will help to improve the accuracy of gene expression studies in Chinese tallow.