Analysis of benzoxazinone derivatives in plant tissues and their degradation products in agricultural soils

Enhanced Antioxidant, Antifungal, and Herbicidal Activities through Bioconversion of Diosgenin by Yarrowia lipolytica P01a

This study explores the bioconversion of diosgenin by Yarrowia lipolytica P01a, focusing on enhancing the antioxidant, antifungal, and herbicidal activities of the resulting extracts. The bioconversion process, involving glycosylation and hydroxylation, produced significant amounts of protodioscin and soyasaponin I. The extracts showed superior antioxidant activity, with up to 97.02% inhibition of ABTS· radicals and 33.30% inhibition of DPPH· radicals at 1000 mg L-1 of diosgenin. Antifungal assays revealed strong inhibitory effects against Botrytis cinerea, Alternaria sp., and Aspergillus niger, with maximum inhibition rates of 67.34%, 35.63%, and 65.53%, respectively. Additionally, the herbicidal activity of the bioconverted extracts was comparable to commercial herbicides, achieving 100% inhibition of seed germination in both monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous plants. These findings suggest that the Y. lipolytica P01a-mediated bioconversion of diosgenin could provide a sustainable and eco-friendly alternative for developing natural biofungicides and bioherbicides.

Potential Effect of DIMBOA (2,4-Dihydroxy-7-methoxy-1,4-benzoxazin-3-one) on Alleviating the Autotoxic Coumarin Stress in Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) Seedlings

The allelopathic theory has garnered considerable attention in the field of agricultural production for its efficient plant protection, rapid crop yield increase, and scientific establishment of the crop rotation system. To study the effects of the main maize allelochemical DIMBOA (2,4-Dihydroxy-7-methoxy-1,4-benzoxazin-3-one) on the growth and development of alfalfa under autotoxic coumarin stress, we treated alfalfa seedlings with DIMBOA under coumarin stress and non-stress conditions in this study. Results show that 0.0342 mM coumarin significantly inhibited alfalfa seed germination percentage(Gp), germination potential(GP), radicle length, germ length, seeding height, and simple viability index (SVI), with decreases of 37.29%, 59.91%, 7.60%, 30.90%, 13.27%, and 45.70%, respectively. An amount of 0.6 mM DIMBOA could promote alfalfa seed Gp, GP, radicle length, germ length, seeding height, dry fresh ratio, and SVI, with increases of 12.38%, 23.91%, 48.69%, 48.65%, 48.68%, 295.12%, and 67.17%, respectively. However, the addition of DIMBOA under conditions of coumarin stress could effectively alleviate coumarin effects on alfalfa seedlings. Coumarin + DIMBOA treatment for 24 h mainly decreased reactive oxygen species (ROSs) and malondialdehyde (MDA) as well as soluble protein and soluble sugar, increasing some antioxidant enzyme activities and antioxidant content to alleviate the oxidative damage of alfalfa caused by coumarin stress. Administration of treatment for 72 h significantly promoted the morphological development of alfalfa seeding roots. Administration of treatment for 96 h significantly enhanced the photosynthetic capacity of alfalfa seedlings. The results of principal component analysis demonstrated that chlorophyll b(Chl b)and net photosynthetic rate(Pn) were the key indicators for coumarin + DIMBOA treatment to promote photosynthesis in alfalfa seedlings. Additionally, root length, mean root diameter, and root volume were the key indicators of root growth and development. Coumarin + DIMBOA treatment primarily increased catalase(CAT), peroxidase (POD), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activity and antioxidants(ASA) while reducing MDA and superoxide anion radical(O2•-). This study strongly suggested that DIMBOA can effectively improve the tolerance of alfalfa seedlings to coumarin stress through a combination of effects on root morphology, photosynthesis, and physiological indicators.

Aquifer system and depth specific chemical patterns in fractured-rock groundwater from the Critical Zone revealed by untargeted LC-MS-based metabolomics

In the Earth's Critical Zone, water plays an essential role as a collector and transporter of metabolites and their transformation products. It is generally believed that the chemical profiles of groundwater are strongly impacted by land use. However, predictors for the effects of above-ground natural and anthropogenic activities on below-ground chemistry are rare. We reasoned that comparing groundwater metabolomes from different land-use sites and depths can give insight into this coupling of above and below-ground processes in the Critical Zone. This study used an LC-MS-based untargeted metabolomic approach to identify links between groundwater metabolomes from monitoring wells in fractured carbonate-/siliciclastic alternations along a hillslope of the Hainich Critical Zone Exploratory (CZE) in Thuringia, Germany. Our results identify the land-use type, aquifer system, and sampling depth as critical factors determining the differences among groundwater metabolomes. We established five groundwater metabolic clusters and correlated these to the aquifer systems, hydrogeochemistry, and microbial community composition. Our untargeted metabolomic approach reveals the limited connectivity of groundwater chemical profiles with above-ground activities and illustrates how deep the input signals can travel.

Impacts of Constitutive and Induced Benzoxazinoids Levels on Wheat Resistance to the Grain Aphid (Sitobion avenae)

Benzoxazinoids are important secondary metabolites in gramineae plants and have inhibitory and toxic effects against a wide range of herbivore pests. However, the relationship between benzoxazinoid level and plant resistance to aphids remains controversial. In this study, we investigated the relationship between benzoxazinoids composition and concentration in wheat leaves and the resistance to the grain aphid Sitobion avenae. Overall, six benzoxazinoids were detected and identified by mass spectrometry based metabolites profiling, including three lactams, two hydroxamic acids, and one methyl derivative. The constitutive levels of these benzoxazinoids were significantly different among the wheat varieties/lines. However, none of these benzoxazinoids exhibited considerable correlation with aphid resistance. S. avenae feeding elevated the level of 2-O-β-D-glucopyranosyloxy-4,7-dimethoxy-(2H)-1,4-benzoxazin-3(4H)-one (HDMBOA-Glc) and reduced the level of 2-O-β-D-glucopyranosyloxy-4-hydroxy-7-(2H)-methoxy-1,4-benzoxazin-3(4H)-one (DIMBOA-Glc) in some of the wheat varieties/lines. Moreover, aphid-induced level of DIMBOA-Glc was positively related with callose deposition, which was closely associated with aphid resistance. Wheat leaves infiltrated with DIMBOA-Glc caused a noticeable increase of callose deposition and the effect was in a dose dependent manner. This study suggests that the constitutive level of benzoxazinoids has limited impact on S. avenae. Aphid feeding can affect the balance of benzoxazinoids metabolism and the dynamic level of benzoxazinoids can act as a signal of callose deposition for S. avenae resistance. This study will extend our understanding of aphid–wheat interaction and provides new insights in aphid-resistance wheat breeding.

Optimization of the Biocatalysis for D-DIBOA Synthesis Using a Quick and Sensitive New Spectrophotometric Quantification Method

D-DIBOA (4-hydroxy-(2H)-1,4-benzoxazin-3-(4H)-one) is an allelopathic-derived compound with interesting herbicidal, fungicidal, and insecticide properties whose production has been successfully achieved by biocatalysis using a genetically engineered Escherichia coli strain. However, improvement and scaling-up of this process are hampered by the current methodology for D-DIBOA quantification, which is based on high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC), a time-consuming technique that requires expensive equipment and the use of environmentally unsafe solvents. In this work, we established and validated a rapid, simple, and sensitive spectrophotometric method for the quantification of the D-DIBOA produced by whole-cell biocatalysis, with limits of detection and quantification of 0.0165 and 0.0501 µmol·mL⁻¹ respectively. This analysis takes place in only a few seconds and can be carried out using 100 µL of the sample in a microtiter plate reader. We performed several whole-cell biocatalysis strategies to optimize the process by monitoring D-DIBOA production every hour to keep control of both precursor and D-DIBOA concentrations in the bioreactor. These experiments allowed increasing the D-DIBOA production from the previously reported 5.01 mM up to 7.17 mM (43% increase). This methodology will facilitate processes such as the optimization of the biocatalyst, the scaling up, and the downstream purification.

Plant defense and herbivore counter-defense: benzoxazinoids and insect herbivores

Benzoxazinoids are a class of indole-derived plant chemical defenses comprising compounds with a 2-hydroxy-2H-1,4-benzoxazin-3(4H)-one skeleton and their derivatives. These phytochemicals are widespread in grasses, including important cereal crops such as maize, wheat and rye, as well as a few dicot species, and display a wide range of antifeedant, insecticidal, antimicrobial, and allelopathic activities. Although their overall effects against insect herbivores are frequently reported, much less is known about how their modes of action specifically influence insect physiology. The present review summarizes the biological activities of benzoxazinoids on chewing, piercing-sucking, and root insect herbivores. We show how within-plant distribution modulates the exposure of different herbivore feeding guilds to these defenses, and how benzoxazinoids may act as toxins, feeding deterrents and digestibility-reducing compounds under different conditions. In addition, recent results on the metabolism of benzoxazinoids by insects and their consequences for plant-herbivore interactions are addressed, as well as directions for future research.

Plant defense and herbivore counter-defense: benzoxazinoids and insect herbivores

Benzoxazinoids are a class of indole-derived plant chemical defenses comprising compounds with a 2-hydroxy-2H-1,4-benzoxazin-3(4H)-one skeleton and their derivatives. These phytochemicals are widespread in grasses, including important cereal crops such as maize, wheat and rye, as well as a few dicot species, and display a wide range of antifeedant, insecticidal, antimicrobial, and allelopathic activities. Although their overall effects against insect herbivores are frequently reported, much less is known about how their modes of action specifically influence insect physiology. The present review summarizes the biological activities of benzoxazinoids on chewing, piercing-sucking, and root insect herbivores. We show how within-plant distribution modulates the exposure of different herbivore feeding guilds to these defenses, and how benzoxazinoids may act as toxins, feeding deterrents and digestibility-reducing compounds under different conditions. In addition, recent results on the metabolism of benzoxazinoids by insects and their consequences for plant-herbivore interactions are addressed, as well as directions for future research.

2,4-Dihydroxy-7-methoxy-1,4-benzoxazin-3-one (DIMBOA) and 6-methoxy-benzoxazolin-2-one (MBOA) levels in the wheat rhizosphere and their effect on the soil microbial community structure

Despite increasing knowledge of 2,4-dihydroxy-7-methoxy-1,4-benzoxazin-3-one (DIMBOA) and 6-methoxy-benzoxazolin-2-one (MBOA) as allelochemicals involved in the defense of wheat against pests, relatively little is known about their levels in the rhizosphere and interactions with the soil microbial community. This study quantified DIMBOA and MBOA in the wheat rhizosphere and analyzed the soil microbial community structure. MBOA rather than DIMBAO was found in the wheat rhizosphere, and its concentration varied with cultivars, plant densities, and growth conditions. Wheat could detect the presence of competing weeds and respond by increased MBOA in the rhizosphere. There was a linear positive relationship between the MBOA level in the wheat rhizosphere and soil fungi/bacteria. When DIMBOA was applied to soil, yielding MBOA increased soil fungi. There were different phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) patterns in soil incubated with DIMBOA and MBOA. These results suggested that DIMBOA and MBOA could affect the soil microbial community structure to their advantage through the change in fungi populations.