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A systems biology approach identifies the biochemical mechanisms regulating monoterpenoid essential oil composition in peppermint.

ABSTRACT: The integration of mathematical modeling and experimental testing is emerging as a powerful approach for improving our understanding of the regulation of metabolic pathways. In this study, we report on the development of a kinetic mathematical model that accurately simulates the developmental patterns of monoterpenoid essential oil accumulation in peppermint (Mentha x piperita). This model was then used to evaluate the biochemical processes underlying experimentally determined changes in the monoterpene pathway under low ambient-light intensities, which led to an accumulation of the branchpoint intermediate (+)-pulegone and the side product (+)-menthofuran. Our simulations indicated that the environmentally regulated changes in monoterpene profiles could only be explained when, in addition to effects on biosynthetic enzyme activities, as yet unidentified inhibitory effects of (+)-menthofuran on the branchpoint enzyme pulegone reductase (PR) were assumed. Subsequent in vitro analyses with recombinant protein confirmed that (+)-menthofuran acts as a weak competitive inhibitor of PR (K(i) = 300 muM). To evaluate whether the intracellular concentration of (+)-menthofuran was high enough for PR inhibition in vivo, we isolated essential oil-synthesizing secretory cells from peppermint leaves and subjected them to steam distillations. When peppermint plants were grown under low-light conditions, (+)-menthofuran was selectively retained in secretory cells and accumulated to very high levels (up to 20 mM), whereas under regular growth conditions, (+)-menthofuran levels remained very low (<400 muM). These results illustrate the utility of iterative cycles of mathematical modeling and experimental testing to elucidate the mechanisms controlling flux through metabolic pathways.

SUBMITTER: Rios-Estepa R

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2268543 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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A systems biology approach identifies the biochemical mechanisms regulating monoterpenoid essential oil composition in peppermint.

Rios-Estepa Rigoberto R Turner Glenn W GW Lee James M JM Croteau Rodney B RB Lange B Markus BM

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 20080219 8

The integration of mathematical modeling and experimental testing is emerging as a powerful approach for improving our understanding of the regulation of metabolic pathways. In this study, we report on the development of a kinetic mathematical model that accurately simulates the developmental patterns of monoterpenoid essential oil accumulation in peppermint (Mentha x piperita). This model was then used to evaluate the biochemical processes underlying experimentally determined changes in the mon ...[more]

PMID: 18287058

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Project description:Peppermint essential oil is encapsulated by inverse ionotropic gelation in core-shell systems, composed of alginate (ALG) alone or alginate with shellac gum (SHL) and/or carrageenan (CRG). A mixture design approach is used to evaluate the correlation between the formulation composition and some properties of the final products. Immediately after the preparation, capsules appear rounded with a smooth and homogeneous surface, having a similar particle size ranging from 3.8 mm to 4.5 mm. The drying process, carried out at 40 °C in an oven for 3 h, reduces capsules' diameters by at least 50% and has a negative impact on the shape of the systems because they lose their regular shape and their external membrane partially collapses. The peppermint essential oil content of dried capsules is between 14.84% and 33.75%. The swelling behaviour of the systems is affected by the composition of their outer shell. When the external membrane is composed of alginate and shellac gum, the capsule ability to swell is lower than that of the systems containing alginate alone. The swelling ratio reaches 31% for alginate capsules but does not exceed 21% if shellac is present. Differently, when the second polymer of the shell is carrageenan, the swelling ability increases as a function of polymer concentration and the swelling ratio reaches 360%. In the case of systems whose outer membrane is a polymeric ternary mixture, the swelling capacity increases or decreases according to the concentrations of the individual polymers. The obtained results suggest that carrageenan could be a useful excipient to increase the swelling behaviour of the systems, while shellac gum makes the system shell more hydrophobic. The use of a mixture design (i.e., the use of ternary diagrams and related calculations), in which each single component is chosen to provide specific properties to the final mixture, could be the right approach to develop improved formulations with a tailored essential oil release profile.

Project description:Nowadays, the exclusive use of commercial anthelmintics for the treatment of gastrointestinal nematode infections in ruminants is less sustainable due to anthelmintic resistance, as well as the problem of drug residues in animal products and the environment. Therefore, an integrated therapeutic approach is needed, including the search for alternatives to synthetic anthelmintic drugs. The aim of this study was to evaluate the possibility of using the essential oil of peppermint (Mentha x piperita L.) in the control of gastrointestinal nematodes in sheep. For this purpose, the in vitro and in vivo anthelmintic efficacy of this oil and the toxic effects on the hosts were examined. In the in vitro egg hatch test, ovicidal activity varied from 21.0–90.3% depending on the concentration of essential oil used (0.0125, 0.025, 0.049, 0.195, 0.781, 3.125, 12.5, and 50 mg/mL). To some extent, anthelmintic efficacy was confirmed in the in vivo fecal egg count reduction test at a mean dose of 150 mg/kg, with an average reduction of nematode eggs of 26.9 and 46.0% at Days 7 and 14 after treatment, respectively. Furthermore, no toxic effects of applied oil were observed on sheep behavior, kidney, or liver function. The main compounds identified by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry analyzes were menthol (32.6%), menthone (22.0%), menthyl-acetate (10.0%), and isomenthone (9.39%). Due to their complex chemical compositions, numerous bioactive ingredients, and natural origin, herbal formulations represent a potentially valuable alternative for the control of gastrointestinal nematodes in sheep. In this context, the results of the present study showed that peppermint essential oil is one of the promising candidates. Further studies should be performed to collect more data on the safety profile of M. piperita EO in treated animals to find the most appropriate formulation for use in field conditions and to test it against resistant gastrointestinal nematode populations.

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A systems biology approach identifies the biochemical mechanisms regulating monoterpenoid essential oil composition in peppermint.

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A systems biology approach identifies the biochemical mechanisms regulating monoterpenoid essential oil composition in peppermint.

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