Antioxidative cellular response of lepidopteran ovarian cells to photoactivated alpha-terthienyl

Effect of cold storage on some biological and physiological performance of Adalia decempunctata L

Adalia decempunctata (L.) is a common predator in agro ecosystems. Here, the effects of low-temperature storage on biological parameters, energy reserves, and antioxidant enzymes were investigated. Eggs, larvae, and pupae of this predator were maintained for 1-4 weeks and adults for different days (20, 35, 50, and 65 d) at 4, 7, and 10 °C in darkness and 70 ± 5% R.H. After storage of 20 days, the survival rate in male and female insects was >90% in 4, 7, and 10 ± 1 °C. In 65 days, the highest survival rate for adult insects was recorded at 4 °C. Effect of cold storage on the performance of adult's A. decempunctata was not statistically different for periods up to 35 days, but decreased longer duration (65 days). The female adults were able to tolerate the cold storage period by producing higher amounts of glucose and antioxidant enzymes, thus displaying a high survival rate. Based on our results, maintaining A. decempunctata adults at low temperatures (i.e. 4, 7, and 10 °C) for 20 or 35 days performed best without loss of quality.

Potential Biochemical Pesticide-Synthesis of Neofuranocoumarin and Inhibition the Proliferation of Spodoptera frugiperda Cells through Activating the Mitochondrial Pathway

Furanocoumarins, the secondary metabolites of plants, are considered to be natural insecticides and fungicides because they prevent the invasion of plant pathogenic microorganisms and the predation of herbivorous insects. In this study, novel 2-arylfuranocoumarin derivatives were designed to synthesize by condensation, esterification, bromination, and Wittig reaction. The results showed an excellent photosensitive activity of 2-thiophenylfuranocoumarin (I34). Cell Counting Kit-8 detected that I34 could inhibit the proliferation of Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf9) cells in a time- and concentration-dependent manner under ultraviolet A (UV-A) light for 3 min. The inverted microscope revealed that cells treated with I34 swelled, the membrane was ruptured, and apoptotic bodies appeared. The flow cytometry detected that I34 could induce apoptosis of Sf9 cells, increase the level of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), decrease the mitochondrial membrane potential, and block cell cycle arrest in the G2/M phase. Transmission electron microscopy detected cell mitochondrial cristae damage, matrix degradation, and mitochondrial vacuolation. Further enzyme activity detection revealed that the enzyme activities of apoptosis-related proteins caspase-3 and caspase-9 increased significantly (p < 0.05). Finally, Western blotting analysis detected that the phosphorylation level of Akt and Bad and the expression of the apoptosis inhibitor protein Bcl-XL were inhibited, cleaved-PARP and P53 were increased, and cytochrome C was released from the mitochondria into the cytoplasm. Moreover, under UV-A irradiation, I34 promoted the increase in ROS in Sf9 cells, activated the mitochondrial apoptotic signal transduction pathway, and finally, inhibited cell proliferation. Thus, novel furanocoumarins exhibit a potential application prospect as a biochemical pesticide.

Acaricidal activity of Foeniculum vulgare against Rhipicephalus annulatus is mainly dependent on its constituent from trans-anethone

Globally, the economic losses due to hard ticks infestation and the control of the associated diseases have been calculated at USD $13.9-18.7 billion per year. The economic impact is related to its direct damage to the skins, blood loss, anemia, severe immunological reactions and indirect losses that related to the effects of hemoparasites, cost of treatment for clinical cases and expenses incurred in the control of ticks. The current study evaluated the acaricidal activities of fennel Foeniculum vulgare essential oil and its main components; trans-anethole and fenchone; against R. annulatus. GC-MS analysis revealed that this oil contained 16 components representing 99.9% of the total identified compounds with E-anethole being the predominant component(64.29%), followed by fenchone (9.94%). The fennel oil and trans-anethole showed significant acaricidal activities. The LC50 of the fennel oil was attained at concentrations of 12.96% for adult ticks and 1.75% for tick larvae meanwhile the LC50 of trans-anethole was reached at concentrations of 2.36% for adult tick and 0.56% for tick larvae. On the contrary, fenchone showed no any significant adulticidal activities and its LC50 attained at a concentration of 9.11% for tick larvae. Regarding repellence activities, trans-anethole achieved 100% repellency at the concentration of 10% while fennel showed 86% repellency at the same concentration. Fenchone showed no repellency effect. Treatment of larvae with fennel, trans-anethole, and fenchone LC50 concentrations significantly inhibited the acetylcholinesterase activity. Meanwhile, glutathione s-transferase activity was significantly decreased in fennel treated larvae but no significant effect was found in the larvae of trans-anethole and fenchone groups. These results indicate that the acaricide effect of fennel oil may attributed to its high content of trans-anethole. This was supported by potent adulticidal, larvicidal, and repellency effects of trans-anethole against Rhipeciphalus annulatus tick and therefore it could be included in the list of acaricide of plant origin.

Thiophene-Based Trimers and Their Bioapplications: An Overview

Certainly, the success of polythiophenes is due in the first place to their outstanding electronic properties and superior processability. Nevertheless, there are additional reasons that contribute to arouse the scientific interest around these materials. Among these, the large variety of chemical modifications that is possible to perform on the thiophene ring is a precious aspect. In particular, a turning point was marked by the diffusion of synthetic strategies for the preparation of terthiophenes: the vast richness of approaches today available for the easy customization of these structures allows the finetuning of their chemical, physical, and optical properties. Therefore, terthiophene derivatives have become an extremely versatile class of compounds both for direct application or for the preparation of electronic functional polymers. Moreover, their biocompatibility and ease of functionalization make them appealing for biology and medical research, as it testifies to the blossoming of studies in these fields in which they are involved. It is thus with the willingness to guide the reader through all the possibilities offered by these structures that this review elucidates the synthetic methods and describes the full chemical variety of terthiophenes and their derivatives. In the final part, an in-depth presentation of their numerous bioapplications intends to provide a complete picture of the state of the art.

Comparative cytotoxic effects of five commonly used triazole alcohol fungicides on human cells of different tissue types

The widespread application of triazole fungicides makes people attach great concern over its adverse effects in mammalian. In this paper, cytotoxic effects of triazole alcohol fungicides (TAFs) were assessed on human HeLa, A549, HCT116 and K562 cells, and the potential mechanism of TAFs cytotoxicity was studied preliminarily. Results showed that TAFs had cytotoxicity on human cells with different level and cytotoxic selectivity. TAFs cytotoxicity was resonated with a typical hormetic biphasic dose action that produced a complex pattern of stimulatory or inhibitory effects on cell viability. Among the five TAFs, diniconazole revealed a widest range of cytotoxicity to inhibit the viability of the adherent and the suspension cells, causing HeLa cells shrinkage, A549 cells shrunken, and K562 cells collapse, and showed stronger cytotoxicity than hexaconazole. Moreover, the involvement of ROS generation in the cytotoxicity of TAFs on human cells was observed, and the apoptosis of HeLa cells and the formation of apoptotic body in K562 cells induced by diniconazole were characterized. The results indicated the cytotoxicity of TAFs with different structures on human cells was depended on their own property and cell specificity, K562 cells were the most susceptible to TAFs and diniconazole was the strongest toxic.

Cytotoxic selectivity and apoptosis induction of piericidin A contributes potentially to its insecticidal effect against Mythimna separata (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) larvae

Piericidin A (PIA), an active inhibitor of Complex I, is widely used in studies of the anti-bacterial and anti-disease competence, but its physiological and mechanistic effects have rarely been clearly defined in insect individual or insect cells. The present study reveals the considerable insecticidal activity of PIA on Mythimna separata larvae by using a comparison with Aphis craccivora adult, and the cytotoxic selectivity induced by PIA on lepidopteran Tn5B1-4 cells. We demonstrate that the viability of Tn5B1-4 cells is inhibited by PIA in a time- and concentration-dependent manner with IC₅₀ value of 0.061 μM, whilst PIA shows slight inhibitory effect on the viability of HepG2 and Hek293 cells with IC₅₀ value of 233.97 and 228.96 μM, respectively. The inhibitory effect of PIA on the proliferation of Tn5B1-4 cells is significant and persistent, causing a series of morphological changes including cell shrinkage, condensed and fragmented nuclei. Intracellular biochemical assays show that PIA induces apoptosis of Tn5B1-4 cells coincides with a decrease in the mitochondrial membrane potential. PIA in Tn5B1-4 cells can be chelated by EDTA, thereby losing cytotoxicity, whereas exogenous Ca²⁺ restores the cytotoxicity of PIA by chelating with EDTA in a competitive manner. Our findings highlight the importance of the long-lasting cytotoxicity and the cytoxic selectivity on Tn5B1-4 cells caused by PIA, which ensure the identification of insecticidal effect of PIA against insect pests.

Cell death induced by α-terthienyl via reactive oxygen species-mediated mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress in the midgut of Aedes aegypti larvae

α-Terthienyl (α-T) is a photosensitizer that produces many reactive oxygen species (ROS) under ultraviolet light. Here, we aimed to evaluate the oxidation mechanism of the 25%, 50%, and 75% lethal concentrations in Aedes aegypti larvae; the lethal concentration of α-T was used as the test value. The effects on mitochondria, oxidative stress, and cell death patterns caused by ROS were evaluated. The results showed that α-T mainly produced large amounts of ROS in the midgut of larvae. Moreover, mitochondrial ROS were increased in midgut cells, and the production of ROS sites, such as complex enzymes, was inhibited, resulting in enhanced production of ROS. Ultrastructural analysis of mitochondria revealed significant vacuolation, decreased activity of tricarboxylic acid cycle enzymes, and reduced ATP content and mitochondrial membrane potential in the high concentration group compared with those in the control group. Additionally, mitochondrial biosynthesis was blocked in the high concentration group. Thus, exposure to α-T disrupted mitochondrial function, although the mitochondrial DNA content may have increased because of mitochondrial self-protection mechanisms against oxidative stress. Furthermore, high concentrations of α-T aggravated oxidative stress and increased the number of intracellular oxidative damage products. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and fluorescence staining showed that ROS induced by low α-T concentrations upregulated apoptotic genes, including Dronc (P < 0.05), thereby promoting apoptosis. Moderate concentrations of α-T promoted autophagy through induction of ROS, inhibited apoptosis, and induced necrosis. In contrast, high α-T concentrations induced high levels of ROS, which caused mitochondrial dysfunction and increased cytoplasmic Ca²⁺ concentration, directly inducing cell necrosis. We also found that α-T may disrupt the permeability of the peritrophic membrane, leading to intestinal barrier dysfunction. These results provided insights into the mode of action of α-T in Aedes aegypti.

Nematicidal actions of the marigold exudate α-terthienyl: oxidative stress-inducing compound penetrates nematode hypodermis

α-terthienyl is an allelochemical derived from the roots of marigold (Tagetes spp.), which is used to suppress plant parasitic nematodes. We investigated the nematicidal activity of α-terthienyl against the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans and the root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita. As reported previously, α-terthienyl action was much higher after photoactivation, but was still effective against C. elegans dauer larvae and M. incognita second stage juveniles, even without photoactivation. Expression induction of two major enzymes, glutathione S-transferase (GST) and superoxide dismutase (SOD), was restricted in C. elegans hypodermis following treatment with α-terthienyl. The susceptibility of nematodes to α-terthienyl changed when the expression of GST and SOD was induced or suppressed. From these results, under dark conditions (without photoactivation), α-terthienyl is an oxidative stress-inducing chemical that effectively penetrates the nematode hypodermis and exerts nematicidal activity, suggesting high potential for its use as a practicable nematode control agent in agriculture.

The effect of α-tocopherol and dithiothreitol in ameliorating emamectin benzoate cytotoxicity in human K562 cells involving the modulation of ROS accumulation and NF-κB signaling

Emamectin benzoate (EMB) toxicity contributes a potential risk to environment and human health. To investigate the effect of α-tocopherol (VitE) and dithiothreitol (DTT) in ameliorating EMB-induced cytotoxicity in human K562 cells, in vitro cultured human K562 cells were incubated with different concentrations of EMB in supplement with VitE and DTT when the cells were in the logarithmic phase. Next, the cell growth inhibition was evaluated using the MTT assay and cellular morphology observation. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) production was monitored using DCFH-DA probe and NF-κB signaling was determined using Western blotting. The results demonstrated that treatment with EMB (time- and concentration-dependent) showed significantly greater inhibition on K562 cell viability, heavier chromatin condensation and DNA fragmentation, and stronger suppression of NF-κB/p105 and p65/RelA expression of K562 cells than the control group (p < 0.01). The supplementation of VitE or DTT could help protect K562 cells against EMB-induced cytotoxicity by improving cell viability, preventing ROS accumulation and up-regulating NF-κB signaling through their ameliorating effects against oxidative stress induced by EMB. VitE had a stronger synergistic effect in limiting EMB cytotoxicity than DTT. Our findings indicate that VitE and DTT are potent antioxidants for human K562 cells, offering a promising means of ameliorating EMB cytotoxicity.

MiR-375 Has Contrasting Effects on Newcastle Disease Virus Growth Depending on the Target Gene

MicroRNAs regulate post-transcriptional gene expression via either translational repression or mRNA degradation. They have important roles in both viral infection and host anti-infection processes. We discovered that the miR-375 is significantly upregulated in Newcastle disease virus (NDV)-infected chicken embryonic visceral tissues using a small RNA sequencing approach. Further research revealed that the overexpression of miR-375 markedly decreases the replication of the velogenic NDV F48E9 and the lentogenic NDV La Sota by targeting the M gene of NDV in DF-1 cells. Interestingly, miR-375 has another target, ELAVL4, which regulates chicken fibrocyte cell cycle progression and decreases NDV proliferation. In addition, miR-375 can influence bystander cells by its secretion in culture medium. Our results indicated that miR-375 is an inhibitor of NDV, but can also enhance NDV growth by reducing the expression of its target ELAVL4. These results emphasize the complex roles of microRNAs in the regulation of viral infections.

Effects of α-pinene, trans-anethole, and thymol as the essential oil constituents on antioxidant system and acetylcholine esterase of Ephestia kuehniella Zeller (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

The current study aimed to determine the potential effects of three essential oil constituents, α-pinene, trans-anethole, and thymol, on antioxidant system and acetylcholine esterase (AChE) of Ephestia kuehniella Zeller. The 4th instar larvae were initially fed on an artificial diet containing an LC₅₀ concentration of each above-mentioned compounds separately prior to being undertaken for sample preparation and biochemical assays. The significant higher activities of superoxide dismutase, peroxidase and catalase were observed in the treated-larvae at both time intervals. Similar findings were found in the activity of glutathione S-transferase by using both reagents. Although activities of ascorbate peroxidase and glycerol-6-phosphate dehydrogenase increased in the treated larvae by all constituents while glycerol-6-phosphate dehydrogenase showed no statistically different activity among the larvae fed on α-pinene, trans-anethole, and thymol. The concentration of malondialdehyde and the ratio of oxidized (RSSR) to reduced (RSH) thiols showed statistical differences among control and treated larvae except for time interval of 24 h regarding the ratio of RSSR/RSH. Finally, our results demonstrated a significant decrease of AChE activity in the treated larvae by all constituents after 24 h while no statistical differences were found between control and trans-anethole after 24 h. Also, in vitro analysis revealed significant inhibition of AChE representing IC₅₀ values of 0.864, 0.490 and 0.137 μl/ml for α-pinene, trans-anethole, and thymol, respectively. These results determined significant effects of administered constituents on induction of antioxidant system and inhibition of a nervous system component which expand our knowledge on physiological turbulences due to essential oil treatment.

Transketolase Is Identified as a Target of Herbicidal Substance α-Terthienyl by Proteomics

α-terthienyl is a natural phytotoxin isolated originally from Flaveria bidentis (L.) Kuntze. The bioassay presented here shows the strong herbicidal activity of α-terthienyl on Digitaria sanguinalis, Arabidopsis thaliana and Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. The α-terthienyl-induced response of A. thaliana at the protein level was analyzed at different times. Changes in the protein expression profiles were analyzed by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) mass spectrometry. Sixteen protein spots were identified that showed reproducible changes in the expression of at least 2-fold when compared to the control. Among these 16 spots, three were up-regulated and 13 were down-regulated. The decreased expression of several proteins associated with energy production and carbon metabolism suggested that these processes were affected by α-terthienyl. To search for the candidate proteins in this screen, A. thaliana T-DNA mutants of the candidate proteins were used to test their susceptibility to α-terthienyl. Amongst the others, attkl1, a mutant of transketolase, exhibited a significantly lower sensitivity to α-terthienyl when hit compared with Col-0. Based on the identification of the proteins associated with the response to α-terthienyl by proteomics, a candidate target protein transketolase was identified.