Anticancer Activity of γ-Bisabolene in Human Neuroblastoma Cells via Induction of p53-Mediated Mitochondrial Apoptosis

Valorization of a Local Italian Pear (Pyrus communis L. cv. 'Petrucina')

In recent decades, the food production chain has undergone transformations that have profoundly affected the way food is supplied, causing changes in the quality of the final products. Moreover, biodiversity is seriously threatened worldwide, and the valorization of local germplasm is a priority goal for most sectorial policies in Europe and elsewhere. Southern Italy and the Mediterranean basin present a vast heritage of fruit tree cultivars that is gradually being lost. Through this work, we aim to valorize a well-adapted local pear cultivar named Petrucina from the Salento area (southeastern Italy, Apulia region), which has never been studied before in detail. With this aim, the nutritional and nutraceutical features of pear flesh were characterized and compared with a reference pear cultivar that is widespread and well-known in Europe (cv. 'Conference'). Petrucina fruits have shown a peculiar aromatic compound profile, and a content of up to 398.3, 30.9, and 4.7 mg/100 g FW of malic acid, citric acid, and ascorbic acid, respectively, much higher than that of Conference fruits. Additionally, Petrucina flesh presents a more than triple total phenolic content and an antioxidant activity more than double that of Conference, making Petrucina a true functional food that deserves wide appreciation.

Volatile Oil Containing Plants as Phytopharmaceuticals to Treat Psoriasis: A Review

INTRODUCTION

Psoriasis is a chronic skin condition caused by an autoimmune response that accelerates the life cycle of skin cells, resulting in the characteristic symptoms of scaling, inflammation, and itching.

METHODS

Palliative treatment options for psoriasis often prioritize the use of volatile oils. These oils contain monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, and phenylpropanoids that are intricately linked to the molecular cascades involved in the pathogenesis and symptoms of psoriasis. To evaluate the antipsoriatic efficacy of volatile oils and their components, we conducted a systematic review of scientific studies. Our literature search encompassed various online databases, including PubMed, BIREME, SCIELO, Open Grey, Scopus, and ScienceDirect. The selected studies included experimental in vitro/in vivo assessments as well as clinical studies that examined the potential of volatile oils and their extracts as antipsoriatic agents. We excluded conference proceedings, case reports, editorials, and abstracts. Ultimately, we identified and evaluated a total of 12 studies for inclusion in our analysis.

RESULTS

The data collected, compiled, and analyzed strongly support the interaction between volatile oils and their constituents with the key molecular pathways involved in the pathogenesis of psoriasis and the development of its symptoms. Volatile oils play a significant role in the palliative treatment of psoriasis, while their chemical constituents have the potential to reduce the symptoms and recurrence of this condition.

CONCLUSION

The current review highlights that the constituents found in volatile oils offer distinct chemical frameworks that can be regarded as promising starting points for the exploration and development of innovative antipsoriatic agents.

Combining Metabolic Engineering and Lipid Droplet Storage Engineering for Improved α-Bisabolene Production in Yarrowia Lipolytica

Bisabolene is a bioactive sesquiterpene with a wide range of applications in food, cosmetics, medicine, and aviation fuels. Microbial production offers a green, efficient, and sustainable alternative. In this study, we focused on improving the titers of α-bisabolene in Yarrowia lipolytica by applying two strategies, (i) optimizing the metabolic flux of α-bisabolene biosynthetic pathway and (ii) sequestering α-bisabolene in lipid droplet, thus alleviating its inherent toxicity to host cells. We showed that overexpression of DGA1 and OLE1 to increase lipid content and unsaturated fatty acid levels was essential for boosting the α-bisabolene synthesis when supplemented with auxiliary carbon sources. The final engineered strain Po1gαB10 produced 1954.3 mg/L α-bisabolene from the waste cooking oil under shake flask fermentation, which was 96-fold higher than the control strain Po1gαB0. At the time of writing, our study represents the highest reported α-bisabolene titer in the engineered Y. lipolytica cell factory. This work describes novel strategies to improve the bioproduction of α-bisabolene that potentially may be applicable for other high-value terpene products.

A new sesquiterpene synthase catalyzing the formation of (R)-β-bisabolene from medicinal plant Colquhounia coccinea var. mollis and its anti-adipogenic and antibacterial activities

The sesquiterpene β-bisabolene possessing R and S configurations is commonly found in plant essential oils with antimicrobial and antioxidant activities. Here, we report the cloning and functional characterization of a (R)-β-bisabolene synthase gene (CcTPS2) from a Lamiaceae medicinal plant Colquhounia coccinea var. mollis. The biochemical function of CcTPS2 catalyzing the cyclization of farnesyl diphosphate to form a single product (R)-β-bisabolene was characterized through an engineered Escherichia coli producing diverse polyprenyl diphosphate precursors and in vitro enzyme assay, indicating that CcTPS2 was a high-fidelity (R)-β-bisabolene synthase. The production of (R)-β-bisabolene in an engineered E. coli strain harboring the exogenous mevalonate pathway, farnesyl diphosphate synthase and CcTPS1 genes was 17 mg/L under shaking flask conditions. Ultimately, 120 mg of purified (R)-β-bisabolene was obtained from the engineered E. coli, and its structure was elucidated by detailed spectroscopic analyses (including 1D and 2D NMR, and specific rotation). Four chimeric enzymes were constructed through domain swapping, which altered the product outcome, indicating the region important for substrate and product specificity. In addition, (R)-β-bisabolene exhibited anti-adipogenic activity in the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans and antibacterial activity selectively against Gram-positive bacteria.

ZnO Nanocomposites of Juniperus procera and Dodonaea viscosa Extracts as Antiproliferative and Antimicrobial Agents

Cancer and microbial infections constitute a major burden and leading cause of death globally. The development of therapeutic compounds from natural products is considered a cornerstone in drug discovery. Therefore, in the present study, the ethanolic extract and the fractions of Dodonaea viscosa and Juniperus procera were evaluated for anticancer and antimicrobial activities. It was found that two fractions, JM and DC, exhibited promising anticancer and antimicrobial activities. The JM and DC fractions were further modified into ZnO nanocomposites, which were characterized by SEM, XRD, TGA, and EDX. It was noted that the synthesized nanocomposites displayed remarkable enhancement in cytotoxicity as well as antibacterial activity. Nanocomposite DC–ZnO NRs exhibited cytotoxicity with IC₅₀ values of 16.4 ± 4 (HepG2) and 29.07 ± 2.7 μg/mL (HCT-116) and JM–ZnO NRs with IC₅₀ values of 12.2 ± 10.27 (HepG2) and 24.1 ± 3.0 μg/mL (HCT-116). In addition, nanocomposites of DC (i.e., DC–ZnO NRs) and JM (i.e., JM–ZnO NRs) displayed excellent antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus with MICs of 2.5 and 1.25 μg/mL, respectively. Moreover, these fractions and nanocomposites were tested for cytotoxicity against normal fibroblasts and were found to be non-toxic. GC-MS analysis of the active fractions were also carried out to discover the possible phytochemicals that are responsible for these activities.

High-efficiency production of bisabolene from waste cooking oil by metabolically engineered Yarrowia lipolytica

The natural plant product bisabolene serves as a precursor for the production of a wide range of industrially relevant chemicals. However, the low abundance of bisabolene in plants renders its isolation from plant sources non-economically viable. Therefore, creation of microbial cell factories for bisabolene production supported by synthetic biology and metabolic engineering strategies presents a more competitive and environmentally sustainable method for industrial production of bisabolene. In this proof-of-principle study, for the first time, we engineered the oleaginous yeast Yarrowia lipolytica to produce α-bisabolene, β-bisabolene and γ-bisabolene through heterologous expression of the α-bisabolene synthase from Abies grandis, the β-bisabolene synthase gene from Zingiber officinale and the γ-bisabolene synthase gene from Helianthus annuus respectively. Subsequently, two metabolic engineering approaches, including overexpression of the endogenous mevalonate pathway genes and introduction of heterologous multidrug efflux transporters, were employed in order to improve bisabolene production. Furthermore, the fermentation conditions were optimized to maximize bisabolene production by the engineered Y. lipolytica strains from glucose. Finally, we explored the potential of the engineered Y. lipolytica strains for bisabolene production from the waste cooking oil. To our knowledge, this is the first report of bisabolene production in Y. lipolytica using metabolic engineering strategies. These findings provide valuable insights into the engineering of Y. lipolytica for a higher-level production of bisabolene and its utilization in converting waste cooking oil into various industrially valuable products.

Engineering Plant Sesquiterpene Synthesis into Yeasts: A Review

Sesquiterpenes are natural compounds composed of three isoprene units. They represent the largest class of terpene compounds found in plants, and many have remarkable biological activities. Furthermore, sesquiterpenes have broad applications in the flavor, pharmaceutical and biofuel industries due to their complex structures. With the development of metabolic engineering and synthetic biology, the production of different sesquiterpenes has been realized in various chassis microbes. The microbial production of sesquiterpenes provides a promising alternative to plant extraction and chemical synthesis, enabling us to meet the increasing market demand. In this review, we summarized the heterologous production of different plant sesquiterpenes using the eukaryotic yeasts Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Yarrowia lipolytica, followed by a discussion of common metabolic engineering strategies used in this field.

p53 Rather Than β-Catenin Mediated the Combined Hypoglycemic Effect of Cinnamomum cassia (L.) and Zingiber officinale Roscoe in the Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Model

Background: The antioxidant, hypoglycemic, and insulin-enhancing effects of ginger and cinnamon were previously confirmed in experimental and human studies, while the combined effect of ginger and cinnamon was not thoroughly investigated until now.

Objectives: This study was designed to assess the antidiabetic effect of combined administration of ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) and cinnamon (Cinnamomum cassia L.) in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats compared to metformin and to explain the mechanism behind this effect.

Materials and methods: STZ was utilized to induce diabetes mellitus in male Sprague–Dawley rats. Assessments of fasting blood glucose level (BGL), the total antioxidant capacity (TAC), serum insulin, HOMA-IR, and HOMA–β cells were performed. Pancreatic gene expression of β-catenin and p53 was assessed using RT-PCR. Assessment of histopathological alterations of pancreatic islet cells was performed using routine and immunohistochemical techniques.

Results: BGL significantly decreased (p = 0.01), while serum insulin and TAC significantly increased (p < 0.001) in both metformin- and ginger plus cinnamon–treated groups compared to the untreated diabetic group. HOMA–β cell index significantly increased (p = 0.001) in ginger plus cinnamon, indicating their enhancing effect on insulin secretion in diabetic conditions. p53 gene expression was significantly upregulated (p < 0.001), while β-catenin was insignificantly downregulated (p = 0.32) in ginger plus cinnamon–treated groups. Insulin immunoexpression in β cells significantly increased (p = 0.001, p = 0.004) in metformin- and ginger plus cinnamon–treated groups, respectively.

Conclusions: The combined administration of ginger and cinnamon has a significant hypoglycemic and antioxidant effect in STZ-induced diabetes mostly through enhancing repair of islet cells mediated via upregulation of pancreatic p53 expression. Therefore, testing this effect in diabetic patients is recommended.

Exploring the Potential of Aromatherapy as an Adjuvant Therapy in Cancer and its Complications: A Comprehensive Update

BACKGROUND

Aromatherapy is a traditional practice of employing essential oils for the therapeutic purposes, currently headed under the category of complementary and adjuvant medicine.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this review article is to summarize the potential health benefits of aromatic essential oil from traditional times till the present. It also proposed some mechanisms which can be utilized as basis for using aromatherapy in cancer and cancer linked complications.

METHODS

To find out the relevant and authentic data, several search engines like Science direct, Pubmed, research gate, etc. were thoroughly checked by inserting key words like aromatherapy, complementary, adjuvant therapy etc. to collect the relevant material in context of article. Also, the chemical components of essential oil were classified based on the presence of functional groups, which are further explored for their cytotoxic potential.

RESULTS

The result depicted the anti-cancer potential of chemical constituents of essential oil against different types of cancer. Moreover, the essential oils show promising anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, anti-oxidant and anti-mutagenic potential in several studies, which collectively can form the basis for initiation of its anti-cancer utility.

CONCLUSION

Aromatherapy can serve as adjuvant economic therapy in cancer after the standardization of protocol.

Molecular Cloning and Functional Characterization of Bisabolene Synthetase (SaBS) Promoter from Santalum album

Bisabolene-type sesquiterpenoids, which have multiple bioactivities, including anticancer activity, are one of the main groups of compounds in the essential oil extracted from Santalum album L. and other Santalum species. Bisabolene synthetase (SaBS) is a key enzyme for the synthesis of bisabolene in S. album, but the regulation of the SaBS gene’s expression is poorly understood. In this study, a 1390-bp promoter sequence of the SaBS gene was isolated from the leaves of six-year-old S. album. A bioinformatics analysis showed that certain environment stresses and phytohormone-activated cis-acting elements were distributed in different regions of the SaBS promoter (PSaBS). Transgenic Arabidopsis carrying full-length PSaBS had significantly higher β-glucuronidase (GUS) activity than the untreated control after treatment with salicylic acid (SA), suggesting that PSaBS is a SA-inducible promoter. Histochemical GUS staining and GUS fluorometric assays of transgenic Arabidopsis showed that the GUS activity directed by PSaBS was mainly expressed in stem tissue, followed by leaves and flowers. Moreover, different regions of PSaBS showed significantly different GUS activity. A 171-bp fragment upstream of the transcriptional initiation codon (ATG) is the core promoter region of PSaBS. Our results provide insight into and a greater understanding of the transcriptional regulation mechanism of the SaBS gene, which could serve as an alternative inducible promoter for transgenic plant breeding.

Cis-3-O-p-hydroxycinnamoyl Ursolic Acid Induced ROS-Dependent p53-Mediated Mitochondrial Apoptosis in Oral Cancer Cells

Cis-3-O-p-hydroxycinnamoyl ursolic acid (HCUA), a triterpenoid compound, was purified from Elaeagnus oldhamii Maxim. This traditional medicinal plant has been used for treating rheumatoid arthritis and lung disorders as well as for its anti-inflammation and anticancer activities. This study aimed to investigate the anti-proliferative and apoptotic-inducing activities of HCUA in oral cancer cells. HCUA exhibited anti-proliferative activity in oral cancer cell lines (Ca9-22 and SAS cells), but not in normal oral fibroblasts. The inhibitory concentration of HCUA that resulted in 50% viability was 24.0 µM and 17.8 µM for Ca9-22 and SAS cells, respectively. Moreover, HCUA increased the number of cells in the sub-G1 arrest phase and apoptosis in a concentration-dependent manner in both oral cancer cell lines, but not in normal oral fibroblasts. Importantly, HCUA induced p53-mediated transcriptional regulation of pro-apoptotic proteins (Bax, Bak, Bim, Noxa, and PUMA), which are associated with mitochondrial apoptosis in oral cancer cells via the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential. HCUA triggered the production of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) that was ascertained to be involved in HCUA-induced apoptosis by the ROS inhibitors YCG063 and N-acetyl-L-cysteine. As a result, HCUA had potential antitumor activity to oral cancer cells through eliciting ROS-dependent and p53-mediated mitochondrial apoptosis. Overall, HCUA could be applicable for the development of anticancer agents against human oral cancer.

Medicinal properties of terpenes found in Cannabis sativa and Humulus lupulus

Cannabaceae plants Cannabis sativa L. and Humulus lupulus L. are rich in terpenes - both are typically comprised of terpenes as up to 3-5% of the dry-mass of the female inflorescence. Terpenes of cannabis and hops are typically simple mono- and sesquiterpenes derived from two and three isoprene units, respectively. Some terpenes are relatively well known for their potential in biomedicine and have been used in traditional medicine for centuries, while others are yet to be studied in detail. The current, comprehensive review presents terpenes found in cannabis and hops. Terpenes' medicinal properties are supported by numerous in vitro, animal and clinical trials and show anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, analgesic, anticonvulsive, antidepressant, anxiolytic, anticancer, antitumor, neuroprotective, anti-mutagenic, anti-allergic, antibiotic and anti-diabetic attributes, among others. Because of the very low toxicity, these terpenes are already widely used as food additives and in cosmetic products. Thus, they have been proven safe and well-tolerated.