Fatty acid, tocopherol and squalene contents of Rosaceae seed oils

Microbial Squalene: A Sustainable Alternative for the Cosmetics and Pharmaceutical Industry - A Review

Squalene is a natural triterpenoid and a biosynthetic precursor of steroids and hopanoids in microorganisms, plants, humans, and other animals. Squalene has exceptional properties, such as its antioxidant activity, a high penetrability of the skin, and the ability to trigger the immune system, promoting its application in the cosmetic, sustenance, and pharmaceutical industries. Because sharks are the primary source of squalene, there is a need to identify low-cost, environment friendly, and sustainable alternatives for producing squalene commercially. This shift has prompted scientists to apply biotechnological advances to research microorganisms for synthesizing squalene. This review summarizes recent metabolic and bioprocess engineering strategies in various microorganisms for the biotechnological production of this valuable molecule.

LC-ESI-MS/MS Identification of Biologically Active Phenolics in Different Extracts of Alchemilla acutiloba Opiz

Liquid chromatography electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometric (LC-ESI-MS/MS) qualitative and quantitative analysis of different extracts from the aerial parts and roots of Alchemilla acutiloba led to the identification of phenolic acids and flavonoids. To the best of our knowledge, isorhamnetin 3-glucoside, kaempferol 3-rutinoside, narcissoside, naringenin 7-glucoside, 3-O-methylquercetin, naringenin, eriodictyol, rhamnetin, and isorhamnetin were described for the first time in Alchemilla genus. In addition, the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and cytotoxic activity of all extracts were evaluated. The results clearly showed that among analyzed extracts, the butanol extract of the aerial parts exhibited the highest biological activity comparable with the positive controls used.

Metabolite and Elastase Activity Changes in Beach Rose (Rosa rugosa) Fruit and Seeds at Various Stages of Ripeness

Rose hips are the fruits of the beach rose (Rosa rugosa). To determine the optimal harvest time and to obtain the maximum functional compounds, rose hips at various stages of ripeness (immature, early, mid, and late) were harvested, and the flesh tissue and seeds were separated. The rose hip flesh showed the highest total phenolic content at the mid-ripeness stage (8.45 ± 0.62 mg/g gallic acid equivalent concentration (dry weight)). The early-, mid-, and late-ripeness stages of rose hip flesh did not show significantly different 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl antioxidant capacities. The elastase inhibitory activity of the 95% ethanol extract from the rose hip seeds was highest at the mid-ripeness stage; however, the elastase inhibitory activity of the rose hip tissue was not significantly different from that of the seeds. Pathway analysis using MetaboAnalyst showed that sucrose, fructose, and glucose gradually increased as the fruit ripened. Ursolic acid was detected in the seeds but not in the flesh. Of the fatty acids, linoleic acid concentrations were highest in rose hip seeds, followed by linolenic acid, oleic acid, and palmitic acid. Fatty acids and ursolic acid might be the active compounds responsible for elastase inhibitory activity and can be utilized as a functional cosmetic material.

Recent phytochemical and pharmacological advances in the genus Potentilla L. sensu lato - An update covering the period from 2009 to 2020

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Potentilla plants are still common herbal medicines used in folk medicine. This review provides an update of research undertaken on Potentilla from 2009 until 2020.

AIM OF THE STUDY

This comprehensive review considers biological updates, recent advances in phytochemical and pharmacological research, and toxicological reports on Potentilla sensu lato based on available data since 2009.

METHODS

A literature search was conducted using available databases including ScienceDirect, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure and Google Scholar.

RESULTS

Until now, more than 210 new and known compounds, including flavonoids, tannins, triterpenes and phenolic compounds, have been confirmed and elucidated for numerous Potentilla species, i.e., in the underground and aerial parts of this genus. Modern pharmacology studies have revealed that those structures are responsible for a broad spectrum of pharmacological activities, such as anti-neoplastic, antihyperglycemic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, antibacterial and anti-yeast effects.

CONCLUSIONS

However, in vitro studies must be re-considered due to the discovery of urolithins and their origins, including microbiota, which can lead to different results when applying Potentilla species and their extracts to in vivo conditions. Thus, future research should focus more on in vivo and particularly clinical studies to confirm the validity and safety of traditional uses. Particularly, the use of Potentilla alba extracts in the treatment of thyroid gland disorders should be further explored to confirm the underlying mechanism of their action, efficacy and safety. In addition, more clinical studies should focus on Potentilla erecta rhizome extracts for application as herbal remedies against dysentery, diarrhoea and inflammation of the skin.

An Overview of the Genus Cotoneaster (Rosaceae): Phytochemistry, Biological Activity, and Toxicology

Traditional herbal medicines have become a subject of global importance with both medical and economic implications. The regular consumption of herbal drugs has led to serious concerns regarding their quality, effectiveness, and safety. Thus, relevant scientific evidence has become an important criterion for the acceptance of traditional health claims. The genus Cotoneaster Medikus provides numerous species traditionally used in Asian medicine for the treatment of haemorrhoids, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. This review summarises the achievements of modern research on the Cotoneaster taxa, including ethnobotany, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and toxicology. To date, more than 90 compounds have been isolated or analytically identified in Cotoneaster leaves, fruits, flowers or twigs. These phytochemicals are categorised into flavonoids, procyanidins, phenolic acids, cotonefurans, cyanogenic glycosides, triterpenes, sterols, fatty acids, volatile compounds, and carbohydrates, and many of them are responsible for Cotoneaster pharmacological properties including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antiparasitic, hepatoprotective, anti-diabetic or anti-dyslipidaemic activity. In order to ensure the safety of pharmaceutical applications, the potential toxicity of Cotoneaster extracts has also been investigated. In conclusion, this systematic review provides an important reference base for further study into the various medical applications of both the dry extracts and pure isolates of Cotoneaster species.

Antiviral and Antinematodal potentials of chitosan: Review

For many years, chemical pesticides have been performed to control different pests and diseases and this may be due to their broad spectrum of action, easy of application and the relatively low cost. But these chemicals have environmental risks, thus alternative control agents are needed. Chitosan is one of the novel suggested solutions to reduce the economic losses associated with chemical pesticides. Chitosan is naturally-occurring compound, as well as safe and biodegradable which obtained from certain natural sources. Chitosan have unique properties which help to control viruses, bacteria, fungi, insects, plant nematodes and other pests locally and systemically.

Identification of a Novel SBP1-Containing SCFSFB Complex in Wild Dwarf Almond (Prunus tenella)

S-RNase-based gametophytic self-incompatibility (SI), in which specificities of pistil and pollen are determined by S-RNase and the S locus F-box protein, respectively, has been discovered in the Solanaceae, Plantaginaceae, and Rosaceae families, but some underlying molecular mechanisms remain elusive and controversial. Previous studies discovered SI in wild dwarf almond (Prunus tenella), and pistil S (S-RNase) and pollen S (SFB) determinant genes have been investigated. However, the SCF (SKP1–Cullin1–F-box-Rbx1) complex, which serves as an E3 ubiquitin ligase on non-self S-RNase, has not been investigated. In the current study, PetSSK1 (SLF-interacting-SKP1-like1), SBP1 (S-RNase binding protein 1), CUL1, and SFB genes (S-haplotype-specific F-box) were identified in an accession (ZB1) of P. tenella. Yeast two-hybrid assays revealed interactions between PetSBP1 and PetCUL1 and between PetSBP1 and PetSFBs (SFB16 and SFB17), and subsequent pull-down assays confirmed these interactions, suggesting a novel SBP1-containing SCF^SFB complex in wild dwarf almond. Moreover, despite a putative interaction between PetSSK1 and PetCUL1, we revealed that PetSSK1 does not interact with PetSFB16 or PetSFB17, and thus the canonical SSK1-containing SCF^SFB complex could not be identified. This suggests a novel molecular mechanism of gametophytic SI in Prunus species.

Corrigendum: Engineering Strategies in Microorganisms for the Enhanced Production of Squalene: Advances, Challenges and Opportunities

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2019.00050.].

Engineering Strategies in Microorganisms for the Enhanced Production of Squalene: Advances, Challenges and Opportunities

The triterpene squalene is a natural compound that has demonstrated an extraordinary diversity of uses in pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and personal care industries. Emboldened by this range of uses, novel applications that can gain profit from the benefits of squalene as an additive or supplement are expanding, resulting in its increasing demand. Ever since its discovery, the primary source has been the deep-sea shark liver, although recent declines in their populations and justified animal conservation and protection regulations have encouraged researchers to identify a novel route for squalene biosynthesis. This renewed scientific interest has profited from immense developments in synthetic biology, which now allows fine-tuning of a wider range of plants, fungi, and microorganisms for improved squalene production. There are numerous naturally squalene producing species and strains; although they generally do not make commercially viable yields as primary shark liver sources can deliver. The recent advances made toward improving squalene output from natural and engineered species have inspired this review. Accordingly, it will cover in-depth knowledge offered by the studies of the natural sources, and various engineering-based strategies that have been used to drive the improvements in the pathways toward large-scale production. The wide uses of squalene are also discussed, including the notable developments in anti-cancer applications and in augmenting influenza vaccines for greater efficacy.

Multifunctional Phytocompounds in Cotoneaster Fruits: Phytochemical Profiling, Cellular Safety, Anti-Inflammatory and Antioxidant Effects in Chemical and Human Plasma Models In Vitro

The work presents the results of an investigation into the molecular background of the activity of Cotoneaster fruits, providing a detailed description of their phytochemical composition and some of the mechanisms of their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. GS-FID-MS and UHPLC-PDA-ESI-MS³ methods were applied to identify the potentially health-beneficial constituents of lipophilic and hydrophilic fractions, leading to the identification of fourteen unsaturated fatty acids (with dominant linoleic acid, 375.4–1690.2 mg/100 g dw), three phytosterols (with dominant β-sitosterol, 132.2–463.3 mg/100 g), two triterpenoid acids (10.9–54.5 mg/100 g), and twenty-six polyphenols (26.0–43.5 mg GAE/g dw). The most promising polyphenolic fractions exhibited dose-dependent anti-inflammatory activity in in vitro tests of lipoxygenase (IC₅₀ in the range of 7.7–24.9 μg/U) and hyaluronidase (IC₅₀ in the range of 16.4–29.3 μg/U) inhibition. They were also demonstrated to be a source of effective antioxidants, both in in vitro chemical tests (DPPH, FRAP, and TBARS) and in a biological model, in which at in vivo-relevant levels (1–5 μg/mL) they normalized/enhanced the nonenzymatic antioxidant capacity of human plasma and efficiently protected protein and lipid components of plasma against peroxynitrite-induced oxidative/nitrative damage. Moreover, the investigated extracts did not exhibit cytotoxicity towards human PMBCs. Among the nine Cotoneaster species tested, C. hjelmqvistii, C. zabelii, C. splendens, and C. bullatus possess the highest bioactive potential and might be recommended as dietary and functional food products.

Comparative study of biological activities and multicomponent pattern of two wild Turkish species: Asphodeline anatolica and Potentilla speciosa

The multicomponent pattern and biological characterization of plant material are essential for pharmaceutical field, in the food supplements quality control procedures and to all plant-based products. These nutrients often show valuable effects related to their consumption due to the occurrence of secondary metabolites that show useful properties on health. In this framework, researches performed on this topic play a central role for human health and drug development process. The aim of this study was to compare phenolics and free anthraquinones multicomponent pattern of two wild Turkish species: Asphodeline anatolica and Potentilla speciosa using validated high-performance liquid chromatography-photogiode array (HPLC-PDA) assays, coupled to biological evaluation. Even if some variances related to biological and enzymatic inhibition activities can be ascribed to other phytochemicals, the reported data support traditional use of Asphodeline anatolica and Potentilla speciosa roots as valuable natural font for the development of novel natural-derived drug formulations and/or food supplements with health and nutritional benefits.