Mulberrin inhibits Botrytis cinerea for strawberry storage by interfering with the bioactivity of 14α-demethylase (CYP51)

Long-acting sustained release microcapsules of oregano essential oil-loaded gelatin/carrageenan for food preservation against Botrytis cinerea

As a food-derived natural component, oregano essential oil (OEO) exhibits excellent activity against Botrytis cinerea (B. cinerea). However, its poor water solubility and chemical instability limit its application in preservation. In this study, we determined the composition of OEO and encapsulated it in microcapsules using gelatin/carrageenan (GE/CRG) as the capsule wall, achieving a particle size of 336.10 nm and an encapsulation efficiency of 87.79 %. The microcapsules realize the slow-release duration of OEO to over 80 h. More importantly, due to the slow-release effect of OEO, OEO-GE/CRG microcapsules demonstrated excellent inhibitory activity against B. cinerea with an EC50 value of 0.18 mg/mL. The microcapsule treatment significantly prolonged the preservation period of cherry tomatoes in infection models with B. cinerea. These results indicate that OEO-GE/CRG microcapsules could serve as a potential fungal inhibitor and agent for fruit storage and preservation.

Mulberrin suppresses gastric cancer progression and enhances chemosensitivity to oxaliplatin through HSP90AA1/PI3K/AKT axis

BACKGROUND

Mulberrin, a natural flavonoid featured with two isopentenyl groups, is derived from the mulberry family. Although previous researches have uncovered various properties of mulberrin, including the antioxidant, hypoglycemic, antibacterial, food-preserving, skin-whitening and life-extending effects in nematode, its potential therapeutic application and the underlying mechanism in gastric cancer (GC) remains largely unexplored.

PURPOSE

This research intends to examine the anti-tumoral effects of mulberrin and reveal the molecular mechanism through which mulberrin inhibits the GC progression.

METHODS

To detect the proliferative of GC cells co-incubated with mulberrin, MTT, EdU, and colony formation assays were conducted. The migration and invasion capabilities of GC cells co-incubated with mulberrin were assessed using wound healing and Transwell assay experiments. Flow cytometry and western blot were utilized to depict changes in the cell cycle and protein expression of associated cyclins. The interaction between mulberrin and HSP90AA1 was accomplished through auto-dock molecular docking, CETSA and DARTS assays. The subcutaneous tumor model was constructed with NOD/SCID mice to detect the tumorigenic potential of GC cells. The drug synergetic effect of mulberrin and oxaliplatin was analyzed using the Jin's formula.

RESULTS

Mulberrin effectively inhibited GC cell proliferation by inducing cell cycle arrest at G0/G1 phase. In addition, mulberrin significantly repressed the migration and invasion capacities of GC cells via reducing HSP90AA1 expression, leading to inhibition of the PI3K/AKT pathway and EMT process, hence curtailing proliferation, migration and invasion capacities of GC cells. Furthermore, mulberrin diminished the tumorigenic potential of GC cells, an effect mitigated by HSP90AA1 restoration. Notably, combining mulberrin with oxaliplatin yielded a synergistic inhibitory effect on GC cells, surpassing the efficacy of either agent used alone.

CONCLUSION

Mulberrin suppresses proliferation, migration and invasion of GC cells by directly targeting and reducing HSP90AA1 to inhibit the PI3K/AKT pathway and EMT process. Additionally, mulberrin increases the sensitivity of GC cells to oxaliplatin. Together, these findings uncover a latent use of mulberrin as a promising therapeutic drug that may be included in anti-GC strategies for the treatment of GC patients.

Kuwanon C Inhibits Tumor Cell Proliferation and Induces Apoptosis by Targeting Mitochondria and Endoplasmic Reticulum

Kuwanon C is a unique flavonoid found in the mulberry family, characterized by two isopentenyl groups. While previous research has focused on various properties of kuwanon C, such as antioxidant, hypoglycemic, antimicrobial, food preservation, skin whitening, and nematode lifespan extension, little attention has been given to its potential role in oncological diseases. In this study, we investigate the antitumor effect of kuwanon C in cervical cancer cells and elucidate its specific mechanism of action. We assessed the antitumor effects of kuwanon C using various experimental techniques, including cell proliferation assay, wound healing assays, EdU 488 proliferation assay, mitochondrial membrane potential assay, ROS level assay, cell cycle, apoptosis analysis, and studies on kuwanon C target sites and molecular docking. The results revealed that kuwanon C significantly impacted the cell cycle progression of HeLa cells, disrupted their mitochondrial membrane potential, and induced a substantial increase in intracellular ROS levels. Moreover, kuwanon C exhibited notable anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic effects on HeLa cells, surpassing the performance of commonly used antitumor drugs such as paclitaxel and cisplatin. Notably, kuwanon C demonstrated superior efficacy while also being more easily accessible compared to paclitaxel. Our study demonstrates that kuwanon C exerts potent antitumor effects by its interaction with the mitochondrial and endoplasmic reticulum membranes, induces a significant production of ROS, disrupts their normal structure, inhibits cell cycle progression, and stimulates apoptotic signaling pathways, ultimately resulting in the death of HeLa tumor cells. As an isopentenyl compound derived from Morus alba, kuwanon C holds great promise as a potential candidate for the development of effective antitumor drugs.

Dibenzylideneacetone Overcomes Botrytis cinerea Infection in Cherry Tomatoes by Inhibiting Chitinase Activity

Chitinase, a crucial component of the fungal cell wall and septa, plays an important role in fungal germination by hydrolyzing chitin to provide carbon and energy for fungal growth and reproduction. In this study, we initially screened dibenzylideneacetone (DBA), a small molecule with inhibitory activity against Botrytis cinerea Chitinase, exhibiting an IC50 of 13.10 μg/mL. By constructing a three-dimensional (3D) model of the B. cinerea Chitinase and utilizing computational biology approaches, we found DBA bound to the active site pocket and formed strong π-π interactions and hydrophobic interactions with Chitinase, indicative of its competitive inhibitory mode. Site-directed mutagenesis also revealed that TRP-382, TRP-135, and ALA-215 were key amino acid residues involved in DBA binding. Subsequent antifungal assays showed that DBA had an MIC of 32 μg/mL against B. cinerea and EC50 values of 16.29 and 14.64 μg/mL in inhibiting mycelial growth and spore germination, respectively. Importantly, in vivo experiments demonstrated that DBA treatment significantly extended the shelf life of cherry tomatoes by 2-fold. Therefore, DBA represents a promising antifungal agent for fruit preservation applications.