Project description:Phytochemical investigation of Sanrafaelia ruffonammari Verd and Ophrypetalum odoratum Diels that belongs to the rare genera confined to East African coastal forests led to the isolation of enantiomeric styrylpyrone dimer, (±)-5-methoxy-7-phenyl-[4-methoxy-2-pyronyl]-1-(E)-styryl-2-oxabicyclo-[4.2.0]-octa-4-en-3-one (1) alongside (+)-6-styryl-7,8-epoxy-4-methoxypyran-2-one (2) and the enantiomeric (+)- (3) and (-)-6-styryl-7,8-dihydroxy-4-methoxypyran-2-ones (4). Their structures were established by means of spectroscopic methods. In this paper we reveal for the first time the occurrence of styrylpyrones in East African biodiversity. (+)-6-Styryl-7,8-epoxy-4-methoxypyran-2-one (2) and the dihydroxystyrylpyrone enantiomer (3) showed in vitro antifungal activity against Candida albicans at a concentration of 24.4 and 26.2 µM with zones of inhibition of 17 and 9 mm, respectively. Compound 2 exhibited strong activity in the brine shrimp test with LC50 = 1.7 µg/mL. Their high cytotoxic and antifungal activities render them candidates for further scientific attention for drug development programs against cancer and microbial infections.
Project description:Increasing evidence suggests that the gut microbiota plays vital roles in metabolic diseases. Polygonatum odoratum extract alleviates hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia, but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. This study investigated the effects of P. odoratum polysaccharides (POPs) on high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity in rats and whether these effects were related to modulation of gut microbiota. POP treatment attenuated weight gain, fat accumulation, epididymal adipocyte size, liver triglycerides, and total liver cholesterol content in HFD-fed rats. POP administration also increased short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), including isobutyric acid, butyric acid, and valeric acid. POP upregulated the expression of genes involved in adipocyte differentiation (Pparg, Cebpa, Cebpb) and lipolysis (Ppara, Atgl), and downregulated those related to lipid synthesis (Srebpf1, Fabp4, Fas), with corresponding changes in PPAR? and FABP4 protein expression. Finally, POP enhanced species richness and improved the gut microbiota community structure, reducing the relative abundances of Clostridium, Enterococcus, Coprobacillus, Lactococcus, and Sutterella. Principal coordinates analysis (PCoA) revealed a clear separation between HFD-fed rats and all other treatment groups. Correlation analysis identified negative and positive associations between obesity phenotypes and 28 POP-influenced operational taxonomic units (OTUs), including putative SCFA-producing bacteria. Our data suggest that POP supplementation may attenuate features of obesity in HFD-fed rats in association with the modulation of gut microbiota.
Project description:In this study, we sequenced the complete chloroplast genome of Polygonatum odoratum with Illumina sequencing technology. The complete chloroplast genome length is 156,082 bp shows a typical tetrad structure, which manifests as one large and one small single copy (LSC and SSC) regions of 85,009 and 18,513 bp, isolated by two inverted repeat regions (IRs) of 26,280 bp. This study annotated altogether 131 unique genes, consisting of 86 protein-encoding genes, 8 rRNA, and 38 tRNA. According to the maximum likelihood phylogenetic tree based on eight complete chloroplast genomes, P. odoratum shows a close association with additional Maianthemum genus. The chloroplast genome-wide for P. odoratum would help to conserve the precious natural populations.
Project description:In this study, we sequenced the complete chloroplast genome of Polygonatum odoratum with Illumina sequencing technology. The complete chloroplast genome length is 156,082bp, shows a typical tetrad structure, which manifests as one large and one small single copy (LSC and SSC) regions of 85,009 and 18,513bp, isolated by two inverted repeat regions (IRs) of 26,280bp. This study annotated altogether 131 unique genes, consisting of 86 protein-encoding genes, 8 rRNA and 38tRNA. According to the maximum likelihood phylogenetic tree based on 8 complete chloroplast genomes, P. odoratum shows close association with additional Maianthemum genus. The chloroplast genome-wide for P. odoratum would help to conserving the precious natural populations.