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Sample records for metabolite combinations produced

  1. An update on organohalogen metabolites produced by basidiomycetes

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Field, J.A.; Wijnberg, J.B.P.A.

    2003-01-01

    Basidiomycetes are an ecologically important group of higher fungi known for their widespread capacity to produce organohalogen metabolites. To date, 100 different organohalogen metabolites (mostly chlorinated) have been identified from strains in 70 genera of Basidiomycetes. This manuscript

  2. Do metabolites that are produced during resistance exercise enhance muscle hypertrophy?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dankel, Scott J; Mattocks, Kevin T; Jessee, Matthew B; Buckner, Samuel L; Mouser, J Grant; Loenneke, Jeremy P

    2017-11-01

    Many reviews conclude that metabolites play an important role with respect to muscle hypertrophy during resistance exercise, but their actual physiologic contribution remains unknown. Some have suggested that metabolites may work independently of muscle contraction, while others have suggested that metabolites may play a secondary role in their ability to augment muscle activation via inducing fatigue. Interestingly, the studies used as support for an anabolic role of metabolites use protocols that are not actually designed to test the importance of metabolites independent of muscle contraction. While there is some evidence in vitro that metabolites may induce muscle hypertrophy, the only study attempting to answer this question in humans found no added benefit of pooling metabolites within the muscle post-exercise. As load-induced muscle hypertrophy is thought to work via mechanotransduction (as opposed to being metabolically driven), it seems likely that metabolites simply augment muscle activation and cause the mechanotransduction cascade in a larger proportion of muscle fibers, thereby producing greater muscle growth. A sufficient time under tension also appears necessary, as measurable muscle growth is not observed after repeated maximal testing. Based on current evidence, it is our opinion that metabolites produced during resistance exercise do not have anabolic properties per se, but may be anabolic in their ability to augment muscle activation. Future studies are needed to compare protocols which produce similar levels of muscle activation, but differ in the magnitude of metabolites produced, or duration in which the exercised muscles are exposed to metabolites.

  3. Analysis of Fusarium avenaceum Metabolites Produced during Wet Apple Core Rot

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sørensen, Jens Laurids; Phipps, Richard Kerry; Nielsen, Kristian Fog

    2009-01-01

    Wet apple core rot (wACR) is a well-known disease of susceptible apple cultivars such as Gloster, Jona Gold, and Fuji. Investigations in apple orchards in Slovenia identified Fusarium avenaceum, a known producer of several mycotoxins, as the predominant causal agent of this disease. A LC...... and naturally infected apples. Levels of moniliformin, antibiotic Y, aurofusarin, and enniatins A, A1, B, and B1 were quantitatively examined in artificially inoculated and naturally infected apples, whereas the remaining metabolites were qualitatively detected. Metabolite production was examined...... in artificially inoculated apples after 3, 7, 14, and 21 days of incubation. Most metabolites were detected after 3 or 7 days and reached significantly high levels within 14 or 21 days. The highest levels of moniliformin, antibiotic Y, aurofusarin, and the combined sum of enniatins A, A1, B, and B1 were 7.3, 5...

  4. Cyanobacteria as Cell Factories to Produce Plant Secondary Metabolites

    OpenAIRE

    Xue, Yong; He, Qingfang

    2015-01-01

    Cyanobacteria represent a promising platform for the production of plant secondary metabolites. Their capacity to express plant P450 proteins, which have essential functions in the biosynthesis of many plant secondary metabolites, makes cyanobacteria ideal for this purpose, and their photosynthetic capability allows cyanobacteria to grow with simple nutrient inputs. This review summarizes the advantages of using cyanobacteria to transgenically produce plant secondary metabolites. Some techniq...

  5. Secondary Metabolites Produced during the Germination of Streptomyces coelicolor

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Matouš Čihák

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Spore awakening is a series of actions that starts with purely physical processes and continues via the launching of gene expression and metabolic activities, eventually achieving a vegetative phase of growth. In spore-forming microorganisms, the germination process is controlled by intra- and inter-species communication. However, in the Streptomyces clade, which is capable of developing a plethora of valuable compounds, the chemical signals produced during germination have not been systematically studied before. Our previously published data revealed that several secondary metabolite biosynthetic genes are expressed during germination. Therefore, we focus here on the secondary metabolite production during this developmental stage. Using high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, we found that the sesquiterpenoid antibiotic albaflavenone, the polyketide germicidin A, and chalcone are produced during germination of the model streptomycete, S. coelicolor. Interestingly, the last two compounds revealed an inhibitory effect on the germination process. The secondary metabolites originating from the early stage of microbial growth may coordinate the development of the producer (quorum sensing and/or play a role in competitive microflora repression (quorum quenching in their nature environments.

  6. Organic metabolites produced by Vibrio parahaemolyticus strain ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Identification and action of several antibacterial metabolites produced by a fish pathogen Vibrio parahaemolyticus strain An3 from marine ecosystem of Goa has been demonstrated. Antibacterial activity of the crude cell extract of the test bacterium has been evaluated against indicator pathogenic bacterial strains such as ...

  7. Rapid generation of recombinant Pseudomonas putida secondary metabolite producers using yTREX

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andreas Domröse

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Microbial secondary metabolites represent a rich source of valuable compounds with a variety of applications in medicine or agriculture. Effective exploitation of this wealth of chemicals requires the functional expression of the respective biosynthetic genes in amenable heterologous hosts. We have previously established the TREX system which facilitates the transfer, integration and expression of biosynthetic gene clusters in various bacterial hosts. Here, we describe the yTREX system, a new tool adapted for one-step yeast recombinational cloning of gene clusters. We show that with yTREX, Pseudomonas putida secondary metabolite production strains can rapidly be constructed by random targeting of chromosomal promoters by Tn5 transposition. Feasibility of this approach was corroborated by prodigiosin production after yTREX cloning, transfer and expression of the respective biosynthesis genes from Serratia marcescens. Furthermore, the applicability of the system for effective pathway rerouting by gene cluster adaptation was demonstrated using the violacein biosynthesis gene cluster from Chromobacterium violaceum, producing pathway metabolites violacein, deoxyviolacein, prodeoxyviolacein, and deoxychromoviridans. Clones producing both prodigiosin and violaceins could be readily identified among clones obtained after random chromosomal integration by their strong color-phenotype. Finally, the addition of a promoter-less reporter gene enabled facile detection also of phenazine-producing clones after transfer of the respective phenazine-1-carboxylic acid biosynthesis genes from Pseudomonas aeruginosa. All compounds accumulated to substantial titers in the mg range. We thus corroborate here the suitability of P. putida for the biosynthesis of diverse natural products, and demonstrate that the yTREX system effectively enables the rapid generation of secondary metabolite producing bacteria by activation of heterologous gene clusters, applicable for

  8. Metabolites inhibiting germination of Orobanche ramosa seeds produced by Myrothecium verrucaria and Fusarium compactum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Andolfi, Anna; Boari, Angela; Evidente, Antonio; Vurro, Maurizio

    2005-03-09

    Myrothecium verrucaria and Fusarium compactum were isolated from diseased Orobanche ramosa plants collected in southern Italy to find potential biocontrol agents of this parasitic weed. Both fungi grown in liquid culture produced metabolites that inhibited the germination of O. ramosa seeds at 1-10 muM. Eight metabolites were isolated from M. verrucaria culture extracts. The main metabolite was identified as verrucarin E, a disubstituted pyrrole not belonging to the trichothecene group. Seven compounds were identified by spectroscopic methods as macrocyclic trichothecenes, namely, verrucarins A, B, M, and L acetate, roridin A, isotrichoverrin B, and trichoverrol B. The main metabolite produced by F. compactum was neosoloaniol monoacetate, a trichothecene. All the trichothecenes proved to be potent inhibitors of O. ramosa seed germination and possess strong zootoxic activity when assayed on Artemia salina brine shrimps. Verrucarin E is inactive on both seed germination and zootoxic assay.

  9. A Panel of Cytochrome P450 BM3 Variants To Produce Drug Metabolites and Diversify Lead Compounds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sawayama, Andrew M.; Chen, Michael M. Y.; Kulanthaivel, Palaniappan; Kuo, Ming-Shang; Hemmerle, Horst; Arnold, Frances H.

    2011-01-01

    Here we demonstrate that a small panel of variants of cytochrome P450 BM3 from Bacillus megaterium covers the breadth of reactivity of human P450s by producing 12 of 13 mammalian metabolites for two marketed drugs, verapamil and astemizole, and one research compound. The most active enzymes support preparation of individual metabolites for preclinical bioactivity and toxicology evaluations. Underscoring their potential utility in drug lead diversification, engineered P450 BM3 variants also produce novel metabolites by catalyzing reactions at carbon centers beyond those targeted by animal and human P450s. Production of a specific metabolite can be improved by directed evolution of the enzyme catalyst. Some variants are more active on the more hydrophobic parent drug than on its metabolites, which limits production of multiply-hydroxylated species, a preference that appears to depend on the evolutionary history of the P450 variant. PMID:19774562

  10. Structure Elucidation of Unknown Metabolites in Metabolomics by Combined NMR and MS/MS Prediction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boiteau, Rene M; Hoyt, David W; Nicora, Carrie D; Kinmonth-Schultz, Hannah A; Ward, Joy K; Bingol, Kerem

    2018-01-17

    We introduce a cheminformatics approach that combines highly selective and orthogonal structure elucidation parameters; accurate mass, MS/MS (MS²), and NMR into a single analysis platform to accurately identify unknown metabolites in untargeted studies. The approach starts with an unknown LC-MS feature, and then combines the experimental MS/MS and NMR information of the unknown to effectively filter out the false positive candidate structures based on their predicted MS/MS and NMR spectra. We demonstrate the approach on a model mixture, and then we identify an uncatalogued secondary metabolite in Arabidopsis thaliana . The NMR/MS² approach is well suited to the discovery of new metabolites in plant extracts, microbes, soils, dissolved organic matter, food extracts, biofuels, and biomedical samples, facilitating the identification of metabolites that are not present in experimental NMR and MS metabolomics databases.

  11. Quantification of a bacterial secondary metabolite by SERS combined with SLM extraction for bioprocess monitoring

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Morelli, Lidia; Andreasen, Sune Zoëga; Jendresen, Christian Bille

    2017-01-01

    and combined it with surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) sensing for the screening of a biological process, namely for the quantification of a bacterial secondary metabolite, p-coumaric acid (pHCA), produced by Escherichia coli. The microfluidic device proved to be robust and reusable, enabling efficient...... removal of interfering compounds from the real samples, reaching more than 13-fold up-concentration of the donor at 10 μL min-1 flow rate. With this method, we quantified pHCA directly from the bacterial supernatant, distinguishing between various culture conditions based on the pHCA production yield...

  12. Grains colonised by moulds: fungal identification and headspace analysis of produced volatile metabolites

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maria Paola Tampieri

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this work was to verify if the headspace analysis of fungal volatile compounds produced by some species of Fusarium can be used as a marker of mould presence on maize. Eight samples of maize (four yellow maize from North Italy and four white maize from Hungary, naturally contaminated by Fusarium and positive for the presence of fumonisins, were analyzed to detect moisture content, Aw, volatile metabolites and an enumeration of viable moulds was performed by means of a colony count technique. Headspace samples were analysed using a gas-chromatograph equipped with a capillary column TR-WAX to detect volatile metabolites of moulds. Furthermore macro and microscopic examination of the colonies was performed in order to distinguish, according to their morphology, the genera of the prevalent present moulds. Prevalent mould of eight samples was Fusarium, but other fungi, like Aspergillus, Penicillum and Mucoraceae, were observed. The metabolites produced by F.graminearum and F. moniliforme were Isobutyl-acetate, 3-Methyl-1-butanol and, only at 8 days, 3-Octanone. The incubation time can affect off flavour production in consequence of the presence of other moulds. Further studies on maize samples under different conditions are needed in order to establish the presence of moulds using the count technique and through the identification of volatile compounds.

  13. Effect of metabolites produced by Trichoderma species against ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Metabolites released from Trichoderma viride, T. polysporum, T. hamatum and T. aureoviride were tested in culture medium against Ceratocystis paradoxa, which causes black seed rot in oil palm sprouted seeds. The Trichoderma metabolites had similar fungistatic effects on the growth of C. paradoxa except those from T.

  14. Inhibiting effect of bioactive metabolites produced by mushroom cultivation on bacterial quorum sensing-regulated behaviors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Hu; Wang, Shou-Xian; Zhang, Shuai-Shuai; Cao, Chun-Xu

    2011-01-01

    This study aimed to search for novel quorum sensing (QS) inhibitors from mushroom and to analyze their inhibitory activity, with a view to their possible use in controlling detrimental infections. The bioactive metabolites produced by mushroom cultivation were tested for their abilities to inhibit QS-regulated behavior. All mushroom strains were cultivated in potato-dextrose medium by large-scale submerged fermentation. The culture supernatant was condensed into 0.2 vol by freeze-drying. The condensed supernatant was sterilized by filtration through a 0.22-μm membrane filter and added to Chromobacterium violaceum CV026 cultures, which were used to monitor QS inhibition. Inhibitory activity was measured by quantifying violacein production using a microplate reader. The results have revealed that, of 102 mushroom strains, the bioactive metabolites produced by 14 basidiomycetes were found to inhibit violacein production, a QS-regulated behavior in C. violaceum. Higher fungi can produce QS-inhibitory compounds. Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  15. Yeast synthetic biology for high-value metabolites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dai, Zhubo; Liu, Yi; Guo, Juan; Huang, Luqi; Zhang, Xueli

    2015-02-01

    Traditionally, high-value metabolites have been produced through direct extraction from natural biological sources which are inefficient, given the low abundance of these compounds. On the other hand, these high-value metabolites are usually difficult to be synthesized chemically, due to their complex structures. In the last few years, the discovery of genes involved in the synthetic pathways of these metabolites, combined with advances in synthetic biology tools, has allowed the construction of increasing numbers of yeast cell factories for production of these metabolites from renewable biomass. This review summarizes recent advances in synthetic biology in terms of the use of yeasts as microbial hosts for the identification of the pathways involved in the synthesis, as well as for the production of high-value metabolites. © FEMS 2015. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permission@oup.com.

  16. Effects of feeding metabolite combinations from lactobacillus plantarum on plasma and breast meat lipids in Broiler Chickens

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    TC Loh

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available The effects of feeding different doses of metabolite combination of L. plantarum RS5, RI11, RG14 and RG11 strains (Com3456 on cholesterol reduction in plasma and breast meat in broiler chickens and the possible mechanism was studied. A total of 504 male Ross broilers were grouped into 7 treatments and offered with different diets: (i standard corn-soybean based diet (-ve control; (ii standard cornsoybean based diet + neomycin and oxytetracycline (+ve control; (iii standard corn-soybean based diet + 0.1% metabolite combination of L. plantarum RS5, RI11, RG14 and RG11 strains (Com3456; (iv standard corn-soybean based diet + 0.2% of Com3456; (v standard cornsoybean based diet + 0.3% of Com3456 (vi standard corn-soybean based diet + 0.4% of Com3456 and (vii standard corn-soybean based diet + 0.5% of Com3456. The metabolite combinations supplemented in the diet of broilers reduced protein, cholesterol esters concentration in very low-density lipoprotein particles. The present of organic acids and proteinaceous compound in the metabolite combinations as found in previous study also increased lactic acid bacteria count in small intestine digesta and improved bile salts deconjugation ability of lactic acid bacteria.

  17. Environmental monitoring and assessment of antibacterial metabolite producing actinobacteria screened from marine sediments in south coastal regions of Karnataka, India.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Skariyachan, Sinosh; Garka, Shruthi; Puttaswamy, Sushmitha; Shanbhogue, Shobitha; Devaraju, Raksha; Narayanappa, Rajeswari

    2017-06-01

    Assessment of the therapeutic potential of secondary metabolite producing microorganisms from the marine coastal areas imparts scope and application in the field of environmental monitoring. The present study aims to screen metabolites with antibacterial potential from actionbacteria associated with marine sediments collected from south coastal regions of Karnataka, India. The actinobacteria were isolated and characterized from marine sediments by standard protocol. The metabolites were extracted, and antibacterial potential was analyzed against eight hospital associated bacteria. The selected metabolites were partially characterized by proximate analysis, SDS-PAGE, and FTIR-spectroscopy. The antibiogram of the test clinical isolates revealed that they were emerged as multidrug-resistant strains (P ≤ 0.05). Among six actinobacteria (IS1-1S6) screened, 100 μl -1 metabolite from IS1 showed significant antibacterial activities against all the clinical isolates except Pseudomonas aeruginosa. IS2 demonstrated antimicrobial potential towards Proteus mirabilis, Streptococcus pyogenes, and Escherichia coli. The metabolite from IS3 showed activity against Strep. pyogenes and E. coli. The metabolites from IS4, IS5, and IS6 exhibited antimicrobial activities against Ps. aeruginosa (P ≤ 0.05). The two metabolites that depicted highest antibacterial activities against the test strains were suggested to be antimicrobial peptides with low molecular weight. These isolates were characterized and designated as Streptomyces sp. strain mangaluru01 and Streptomyces sp. mangaloreK01 by 16S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) sequencing. This study suggests that south coastal regions of Karnataka, India, are one of the richest sources of antibacterial metabolites producing actinobacteria and monitoring of these regions for therapeutic intervention plays profound role in healthcare management.

  18. A modular modulation method for achieving increases in metabolite production.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Acerenza, Luis; Monzon, Pablo; Ortega, Fernando

    2015-01-01

    Increasing the production of overproducing strains represents a great challenge. Here, we develop a modular modulation method to determine the key steps for genetic manipulation to increase metabolite production. The method consists of three steps: (i) modularization of the metabolic network into two modules connected by linking metabolites, (ii) change in the activity of the modules using auxiliary rates producing or consuming the linking metabolites in appropriate proportions and (iii) determination of the key modules and steps to increase production. The mathematical formulation of the method in matrix form shows that it may be applied to metabolic networks of any structure and size, with reactions showing any kind of rate laws. The results are valid for any type of conservation relationships in the metabolite concentrations or interactions between modules. The activity of the module may, in principle, be changed by any large factor. The method may be applied recursively or combined with other methods devised to perform fine searches in smaller regions. In practice, it is implemented by integrating to the producer strain heterologous reactions or synthetic pathways producing or consuming the linking metabolites. The new procedure may contribute to develop metabolic engineering into a more systematic practice. © 2015 American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

  19. Isolation and screening of proangiogenic and antiangiogenic metabolites producing rare actinobacteria from soil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Azarakhsh, Y; Mohammadipanah, F; Nassiri, S M; Siavashi, V; Hamedi, J

    2017-06-01

    Angiogenesis is a physiological process that has important impacts on the pathology and healing of various diseases, and its induction or inhibition by bioactive actinobacterial metabolites can help the treatment of some diseases. In this study, the effects of actinobacterial extract in the process of angiogenesis have been explored. In this research, proangiogenic and antiangiogenic metabolites producing actinobacteria were isolated from soil samples and their fermentation broth were extracted and after evaluation of their toxicity by MTT assay, antiangiogenic and proangiogenic activities were screened against human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) by in vitro tube formation and migration assay. Isolated strains were identified through molecular techniques. The results showed that Nocardiopsis arvandica UTMC 103 and Nonomuraea sp. UTMC 2180 extracts had a high potential of anti-angiogenic activity on HUVECs. For the first time proangiogenic potency of a rare actinobacterium, Kribbella sp. UTMC 522, was reported, and N. arvandica UTMC 103 and Nonomuraea sp. UTMC 2180 extracts inhibits the proliferation, migration and angiogenesis activity of HUVECs with reasonable potency. Metabolites of the introduced rare actinobacteria are potent proangiogenic and angiogenic inhibitors. Identification of angiogenic-antiangiogenic mechanisms and purification of the extracts would be useful in therapeutic angiogenesis. © 2017 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

  20. Production of Secondary Metabolites in Extreme Environments: Food- and Airborne Wallemia spp. Produce Toxic Metabolites at Hypersaline Conditions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jančič, Sašo; Frisvad, Jens Christian; Kocev, Dragi

    2016-01-01

    the genome data analysis of W. mellicola (previously W. sebi sensu lato) and W. ichthyophaga revealed a low number of secondary metabolites clusters, a substantial number of secondary metabolites were detected at different conditions. Machine learning analysis of the obtained dataset showed that NaCl has...... of salt or sugar. In relation to food safety, the effect of high salt and sugar concentrations on the production of secondary metabolites by this toxigenic fungus was investigated. The secondary metabolite profiles of 30 strains of the listed species were examined using general growth media, known...... to support the production of secondary metabolites, supplemented with different concentrations of NaCl, glucose and MgCl2. In more than two hundred extracts approximately one hundred different compounds were detected using high-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detection (HPLC-DAD). Although...

  1. Extraction and Identification of Secondary Metabolites Produced by Trichoderma atroviridae (6022 and Evaluating of their Antifungal Effects

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Shahiri Tabarestani

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Fungi release wide spectrum of secondary metabolites that belong to several chemical groups with different biochemical origins. These materials produce as intermediate and end products of diverse metabolic pathways. The profile of the secondary metabolites for a known species or strain will vary depending on the substrate, the duration of incubation, the type of nutrients, temperature and other environmental parameters. Trichoderma spp. are well-known producers of secondary metabolites with different biological activities. The secondary metabolites with antibiotic activity can be classified into two main types. Low molecular weight and volatile metabolites which are involved in complex Trichoderma plant-pathogen interactions. They belong to various structure classes such as alcohols, ketones, alkanes, furans, simple aromatic compounds, isocyanate compounds, volatile terpenes, some polyketides, butenolides, and pyrones. All of them are relatively nonpolar compounds with a significant vapor pressure. These volatile organic compounds (VOCs in the soil environment could be traveled over distance and affect the physiology of the pathogens. They also enhance growth and systemic resistance in plants. These VOCs have been evaluated for T. atroviride, T. harzianum, T. viride, T. longibrachiatum, T. pseudokoningii and T. aureoviride. High molecular weight metabolites (like peptaibols are polar metabolites which act directly by contact between Trichoderma species and competitor organisms. Due to potent separation and highly sensitive detection, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS is the main method for detection of the fungal VOCs. Mass spectrometric detection offers the possibility to identify individual volatiles from complex mixtures. Structure characterization and confirmation of identity are usually achieved by comparison of mass spectra with library spectra and the determination of chromatographic retention indices. Due to the

  2. Mixtures of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (ecstasy) and its major human metabolites act additively to induce significant toxicity to liver cells when combined at low, non-cytotoxic concentrations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    da Silva, Diana Dias; Silva, Elisabete; Carvalho, Félix; Carmo, Helena

    2014-06-01

    Hepatic injury after 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA; ecstasy) intoxications is highly unpredictable and does not seem to correlate with either dosage or frequency of use. The mechanisms involved include the drug metabolic bioactivation and the hyperthermic state of the liver triggered by its thermogenic action and exacerbated by the environmental circumstances of abuse at hot and crowded venues. We became interested in understanding the interaction between ecstasy and its metabolites generated in vivo as users are always exposed to mixtures of parent drug and metabolites. With this purpose, Hep G2 cells were incubated with MDMA and its main human metabolites methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA), α-methyldopamine (α-MeDA) and N-methyl-α-methyldopamine (N-Me-α-MeDA), individually and in mixture (drugs combined in proportion to their individual EC01 ), at normal (37 °C) and hyperthermic (40.5 °C) conditions. After 48 h, viability was assessed by the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Extensive concentration-response analysis was performed with single drugs and the parameters of the individual non-linear logit fits were used to predict joint effects using the well-founded models of concentration addition (CA) and independent action (IA). Experimental testing revealed that mixture effects on cell viability conformed to CA, for both temperature settings. Additionally, substantial combination effects were attained even when each substance was present at concentrations that individually produced unnoticeable effects. Hyperthermic incubations dramatically increased the toxicity of the tested drug and metabolites, both individually and combined. These outcomes suggest that MDMA metabolism has hazard implications to liver cells even when metabolites are found in low concentrations, as they contribute additively to the overall toxic effect of MDMA. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  3. [Antagonism against Beauveria bassiana by lipopeptide metabolites produced by entophyte Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strain SWB16].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Jingjie; Zhao, Dongyang; Liu, Yonggui; Ao, Xiang; Fan, Rui; Duan, Zhengqiao; Liu, Yanping; Chen, Qianqian; Jin, Zhixiong; Wan, Yongji

    2014-07-04

    We screened bacterial strains that have strong antagonism against Beauveria bassiana, an important pathogen of silkworm industry, and detected the antagonistic activity of lipopeptide metabolites. We identified bacterium SWB16 by morphological observation, physiological and biochemical experiments, 16SrRNA, and gyrA gene sequence analysis, tested antagonistic activity of strain SWB16 against Beauveria bassiana by measuring the inhibition zone diameter using filter paper diffusion method (Kirby-Bauer method), obtained lipopeptide metabolites of the strain using methanol extraction and observed the antagonism of strain SWB16 lipopeptide extracts against the conidia and hyphae of Beauveria bassiana, detected main ingredients and genes of lipopeptide metabolites by high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and PCR amplification. SWB16 isolated from tissue of plant Dioscorea zingiberensis C. H. Wright belongs to Bacillus amyloliquefaciens and showed high antagonistic activity to Beauveria bassiana, and the lipopeptide extracts of isolate SWB16 exhibited significant inhibition to conidial germination and mycelial growth of Beauveria bassiana. The result of mass spectrometric detection indicated main component of the lipopeptide metabolites were fengcin and iturin, and genes fenB, ituA involved in the synthesis of them were amplified in the genome. Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strain SWB16 could produce lipopeptide antibiotics with strong antagonism to the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana, and the results suggested that strain SWB16 has potential application value for controlling white muscardine of economic insects including silkworm.

  4. Trophic transfer of pyrene metabolites between aquatic invertebrates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Carrasco Navarro, V.; Leppänen, M.T.; Kukkonen, J.V.K.; Godoy Olmos, S.

    2013-01-01

    The trophic transfer of pyrene metabolites was studied using Gammarus setosus as a predator and the invertebrates Lumbriculus variegatus and Chironomus riparius as prey. The results obtained by liquid scintillation counting confirmed that the pyrene metabolites produced by the aquatic invertebrates L. variegatus and C. riparius were transferred to G. setosus through the diet. More detailed analyses by liquid chromatography discovered that two of the metabolites produced by C. riparius appeared in the chromatograms of G. setosus tissue extracts, proving their trophic transfer. These metabolites were not present in chromatograms of G. setosus exclusively exposed to pyrene. The present study supports the trophic transfer of PAH metabolites between benthic macroinvertebrates and common species of an arctic amphipod. As some PAH metabolites are more toxic than the parent compounds, the present study raises concerns about the consequences of their trophic transfer and the fate and effects of PAHs in natural environments. - Highlights: ► The trophic transfer of pyrene metabolites between invertebrates was evaluated. ► Biotransformation of pyrene by L. variegatus and C. riparius is different. ► Metabolites produced by L. variegatus and C. riparius are transferred to G. setosus. ► Specifically, two metabolites produced by C. riparius were transferred. - Some of the pyrene metabolites produced by the model invertebrates L. variegatus and C. riparius are transferred to G. setosus through the diet, proving their trophic transfer.

  5. Progesterone Metabolites Produced by Cytochrome P450 3A Modulate Uterine Contractility in a Murine Model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patil, Avinash S.; Swamy, Geeta K.; Murtha, Amy P.; Heine, R. Phillips; Zheng, Xiaomei; Grotegut, Chad A.

    2015-01-01

    Objective: We seek to characterize the effect of progesterone metabolites on spontaneous and oxytocin-induced uterine contractility. Study Design: Spontaneous contractility was studied in mouse uterine horns after treatment with progesterone, 2α-hydroxyprogesterone, 6β-hydroxyprogesterone (6β-OHP), 16α-hydroxyprogesterone (16α-OHP), or 17-hydroxyprogesterone caproate (17-OHPC) at 10−9 to 10−6 mol/L. Uterine horns were exposed to progestins (10−6 mol/L), followed by increasing concentrations of oxytocin (1-100 nmol/L) to study oxytocin-induced contractility. Contraction parameters were compared for each progestin and matched vehicle control using repeated measures 2-way analysis of variance. In vitro metabolism of progesterone by recombinant cytochrome P450 3A (CYP3A) microsomes (3A5, 3A5, and 3A7) identified major metabolites. Results: Oxytocin-induced contractile frequency was decreased by 16α-OHP (P = .03) and increased by 6β-OHP (P = .05). Progesterone and 17-OHPC decreased oxytocin-induced contractile force (P = .02 and P = .04, respectively) and frequency (P = .02 and P = .03, respectively). Only progesterone decreased spontaneous contractile force (P = .02). Production of 16α-OHP and 6β-OHP metabolites were confirmed in all CYP3A isoforms tested. Conclusion: Progesterone metabolites produced by maternal or fetal CYP3A enzymes influence uterine contractility. PMID:26037300

  6. Comprehensive analysis of yeast metabolite GC x GC-TOFMS data: combining discovery-mode and deconvolution chemometric software.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mohler, Rachel E; Dombek, Kenneth M; Hoggard, Jamin C; Pierce, Karisa M; Young, Elton T; Synovec, Robert E

    2007-08-01

    The first extensive study of yeast metabolite GC x GC-TOFMS data from cells grown under fermenting, R, and respiring, DR, conditions is reported. In this study, recently developed chemometric software for use with three-dimensional instrumentation data was implemented, using a statistically-based Fisher ratio method. The Fisher ratio method is fully automated and will rapidly reduce the data to pinpoint two-dimensional chromatographic peaks differentiating sample types while utilizing all the mass channels. The effect of lowering the Fisher ratio threshold on peak identification was studied. At the lowest threshold (just above the noise level), 73 metabolite peaks were identified, nearly three-fold greater than the number of previously reported metabolite peaks identified (26). In addition to the 73 identified metabolites, 81 unknown metabolites were also located. A Parallel Factor Analysis graphical user interface (PARAFAC GUI) was applied to selected mass channels to obtain a concentration ratio, for each metabolite under the two growth conditions. Of the 73 known metabolites identified by the Fisher ratio method, 54 were statistically changing to the 95% confidence limit between the DR and R conditions according to the rigorous Student's t-test. PARAFAC determined the concentration ratio and provided a fully-deconvoluted (i.e. mathematically resolved) mass spectrum for each of the metabolites. The combination of the Fisher ratio method with the PARAFAC GUI provides high-throughput software for discovery-based metabolomics research, and is novel for GC x GC-TOFMS data due to the use of the entire data set in the analysis (640 MB x 70 runs, double precision floating point).

  7. Plant Bioactive Metabolites and Drugs Produced by Endophytic Fungi of Spermatophyta

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rosario Nicoletti

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available It is known that plant-based ethnomedicine represented the foundation of modern pharmacology and that many pharmaceuticals are derived from compounds occurring in plant extracts. This track still stimulates a worldwide investigational activity aimed at identifying novel bioactive products of plant origin. However, the discovery that endophytic fungi are able to produce many plant-derived drugs has disclosed new horizons for their availability and production on a large scale by the pharmaceutical industry. In fact, following the path traced by the blockbuster drug taxol, an increasing number of valuable compounds originally characterized as secondary metabolites of plant species belonging to the Spermatophyta have been reported as fermentation products of endophytic fungal strains. Aspects concerning sources and bioactive properties of these compounds are reviewed in this paper.

  8. Therapeutic potential of secondary metabolites produced in the hairy roots cultures

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tomasz Kowalczyk

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available Plants have always been a source of many valuable substances for humans. Growing advancement of methods of modern biotechnology, combined with genetic engineering techniques, gradually increase the variety of compounds obtained, the number of plant species used and the production efficiency. Consequently, there is an undebatable interest in biotechnological production of such compounds, especially those pharmacologically active, that can be used in treatment of neoplastic, viral, and many other types of diseases. Most of these compounds represent a diverse group of secondary metabolites. One of the effective ways of obtaining such molecules is the utilization of hairy roots cultures. The advantages of such systems make them an attractive method of obtaining important plant-derived compounds, creating an interesting alternative to other methods, including the cell suspension cultures or expensive chemical syntheses.

  9. Secondary metabolites from marine microorganisms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kelecom, Alphonse

    2002-03-01

    After 40 years of intensive research, chemistry of marine natural products has become a mature field. Since 1995, there are signals of decreased interest in the search of new metabolites from traditional sources such as macroalgae and octocorals, and the number of annual reports on marine sponges stabilized. On the contrary, metabolites from microorganisms is a rapidly growing field, due, at least in part, to the suspicion that a number of metabolites obtained from algae and invertebrates may be produced by associated microorganisms. Studies are concerned with bacteria and fungi, isolated from seawater, sediments, algae, fish and mainly from marine invertebrates such as sponges, mollusks, tunicates, coelenterates and crustaceans. Although it is still to early to define tendencies, it may be stated that the metabolites from microorganisms are in most cases quite different from those produced by the invertebrate hosts. Nitrogenated metabolites predominate over acetate derivatives, and terpenes are uncommon. Among the latter, sesquiterpenes, diterpenes and carotenes have been isolated; among nitrogenated metabolites, amides, cyclic peptides and indole alkaloids predominate.

  10. Secondary metabolites from marine microorganisms

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    KELECOM ALPHONSE

    2002-01-01

    Full Text Available After 40 years of intensive research, chemistry of marine natural products has become a mature field. Since 1995, there are signals of decreased interest in the search of new metabolites from traditional sources such as macroalgae and octocorals, and the number of annual reports on marine sponges stabilized. On the contrary, metabolites from microorganisms is a rapidly growing field, due, at least in part, to the suspicion that a number of metabolites obtained from algae and invertebrates may be produced by associated microorganisms. Studies are concerned with bacteria and fungi, isolated from seawater, sediments, algae, fish and mainly from marine invertebrates such as sponges, mollusks, tunicates, coelenterates and crustaceans. Although it is still to early to define tendencies, it may be stated that the metabolites from microorganisms are in most cases quite different from those produced by the invertebrate hosts. Nitrogenated metabolites predominate over acetate derivatives, and terpenes are uncommon. Among the latter, sesquiterpenes, diterpenes and carotenes have been isolated; among nitrogenated metabolites, amides, cyclic peptides and indole alkaloids predominate.

  11. Metabolite Profiling of 14 Wuyi Rock Tea Cultivars Using UPLC-QTOF MS and UPLC-QqQ MS Combined with Chemometrics

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Si Chen

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Wuyi Rock tea, well-recognized for rich flavor and long-lasting fragrance, is a premium subcategory of oolong tea mainly produced in Wuyi Mountain and nearby regions of China. The quality of tea is mainly determined by the chemical constituents in the tea leaves. However, this remains underexplored for Wuyi Rock tea cultivars. In this study, we investigated the leaf metabolite profiles of 14 major Wuyi Rock tea cultivars grown in the same producing region using UPLC-QTOF MS and UPLC-QqQ MS with data processing via principal component analysis and cluster analysis. Relative quantitation of 49 major metabolites including flavan-3-ols, proanthocyanidins, flavonol glycosides, flavone glycosides, flavonone glycosides, phenolic acid derivatives, hydrolysable tannins, alkaloids and amino acids revealed clear variations between tea cultivars. In particular, catechins, kaempferol and quercetin derivatives were key metabolites responsible for cultivar discrimination. Information on the varietal differences in the levels of bioactive/functional metabolites, such as methylated catechins, flavonol glycosides and theanine, offers valuable insights to further explore the nutritional values and sensory qualities of Wuyi Rock tea. It also provides potential markers for tea plant fingerprinting and cultivar identification.

  12. Investigation of Figopitant and Its Metabolites in Rat Tissue by Combining Whole-Body Autoradiography with Liquid Extraction Surface Analysis Mass Spectrometry

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Schadt, S.; Kallbach, S.; Almeida, R.

    2012-01-01

    tissue extraction, sample cleanup, and high-performance liquid chromatography analysis. The parent drug and the N-dealkylated metabolite M474(1) (BIIF 1148) in varying ratios were the predominant compounds in all tissues investigated. In addition, several metabolites formed by oxygenation, dealkylation......This article describes the combination of whole-body autoradiography with liquid extraction surface analysis (LESA) and mass spectrometry (MS) to study the distribution of the tachykinin neurokinin-1 antagonist figopitant and its metabolites in tissue sections of rats after intravenous...

  13. Interactions between amphibians’ symbiotic bacteria cause the production of emergent anti-fungal metabolites

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andrew Howard Loudon

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available Amphibians possess beneficial skin bacteria that protect against the disease chytridiomycosis by producing secondary metabolites that inhibit the pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd. Metabolite production may be a mechanism of competition between bacterial species that results in host protection as a by-product. We expect that some co-cultures of bacterial species or strains will result in greater Bd inhibition than mono-cultures. To test this, we cultured four bacterial isolates (Bacillus sp., Janthinobacterium sp., Pseudomonas sp. and Chitinophaga arvensicola from red-backed salamanders (Plethodon cinereus and cultured isolates both alone and together to collect their cell-free supernatants (CFS. We challenged Bd with CFSs from four bacterial species in varying combinations. This resulted in three experimental treatments: 1 CFSs of single isolates; 2 combined CFSs of two isolates; and 3 CFSs from co-cultures. Pair-wise combinations of four bacterial isolates CFSs were assayed against Bd and revealed additive Bd inhibition in 42.2% of trials, synergistic inhibition in 42.2% and no effect in 16.6% of trials. When bacteria isolates were grown in co-cultures, complete Bd inhibition was generally observed, and synergistic inhibition occurred in four out of six trials. A metabolite profile of the most potent co-culture, Bacillus sp. and Chitinophaga arvensicola, was determined with LC-MS and compared with the profiles of each isolate in mono-culture. Emergent metabolites appearing in the co-culture were inhibitory to Bd, and the most potent inhibitor was identified as tryptophol. Thus mono-cultures of bacteria cultured from red-backed salamanders interacted synergistically and additively to inhibit Bd, and such bacteria produced emergent metabolites when cultured together, with even greater pathogen inhibition. Knowledge of how bacterial species interact to inhibit Bd can be used to select probiotics to provide amphibians with protection

  14. Analysis of the genomic sequences and metabolites of Serratia surfactantfaciens sp. nov. YD25T that simultaneously produces prodigiosin and serrawettin W2.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Su, Chun; Xiang, Zhaoju; Liu, Yibo; Zhao, Xinqing; Sun, Yan; Li, Zhi; Li, Lijun; Chang, Fan; Chen, Tianjun; Wen, Xinrong; Zhou, Yidan; Zhao, Furong

    2016-11-03

    Gram-negative bacteria of the genus Serratia are potential producers of many useful secondary metabolites, such as prodigiosin and serrawettins, which have potential applications in environmental bioremediation or in the pharmaceutical industry. Several Serratia strains produce prodigiosin and serrawettin W1 as the main bioactive compounds, and the biosynthetic pathways are co-regulated by quorum sensing (QS). In contrast, the Serratia strain, which can simultaneously produce prodigiosin and serrawettin W2, has not been reported. This study focused on analyzing the genomic sequence of Serratia sp. strain YD25 T isolated from rhizosphere soil under continuously planted burley tobacco collected from Yongding, Fujian province, China, which is unique in producing both prodigiosin and serrawettin W2. A hybrid polyketide synthases (PKS)-non-ribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPS) gene cluster putatively involved in biosynthesis of antimicrobial serrawettin W2 was identified in the genome of YD25 T , and its biosynthesis pathway was proposed. We found potent antimicrobial activity of serrawettin W2 purified from YD25 T against various pathogenic bacteria and fungi as well as antitumor activity against Hela cells. Subsequently, comparative genomic analyses were performed among a total of 133 Serratia species. The prodigiosin biosynthesis gene cluster in YD25 T belongs to the type I pig cluster, which is the main form of pig-encoding genes existing in most of the pigmented Serratia species. In addition, a complete autoinducer-2 (AI-2) system (including luxS, lsrBACDEF, lsrGK, and lsrR) as a conserved bacterial operator is found in the genome of Serratia sp. strain YD25 T . Phylogenetic analysis based on concatenated Lsr and LuxS proteins revealed that YD25 T formed an independent branch and was clearly distant from the strains that solely produce either prodigiosin or serrawettin W2. The Fe (III) ion reduction assay confirmed that strain YD25 T could produce an AI-2 signal

  15. Production of Phytotoxic Metabolite Using Biphasic Fermentation System from Strain C1136 of Lasiodiplodia pseudotheobromae, a Potential Bioherbicidal Agent

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Charles Oluwaseun ADETUNJI

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Formulation of effective and environmental friendly bioherbicides depends on the type of fermentation medium used for the production of phytotoxic metabolites. The effect of biomass, colony forming unit and the phytotoxic metabolite produced from the biphasic fermentation was carried out, while the phytotoxic metabolite was tested in vivo and in-vitro on Echinochola crus-galli and dicotyledonous Chromolaena odorata. The mutant strain of Lasiodiplodia pseudotheobromae C1136 (Lp90 produced the highest amount of conidia and the largest necrotic area on the two tested weeds when compared to its wild strain in the different biphasic media combinations. The study revealed that the biphasic system containing PDB + rice produced the highest bioherbicidal activities. Therefore, the phytotoxic metabolites from strain C1136 are suggested for large scale production of bioherbicides for the management of weeds in conventional farming to improve yield and enhance food security.

  16. Mutagenic azide metabolite is azidoalanine

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Owais, W.M.; Rosichan, J.L.; Ronald, R.C.; Kleinhofs, A.; Nilan, R.A.

    1981-01-01

    Sodium axide produces high mutation rates in a number of species. Azide mutagenicity is mediated through a metabolite in barley and bacteria. Many studies showed that azide affects the L-cysteine biosynthesis pathway. Cell-free extracts of Salmonella typhimurium convert azide and O-acetylserine to the mutagenic metabolite. O-acetylserine sulfhydrylase was identified as the enzyme responsible for the metabolite biosynthesis. To confirm the conclusion that the azide metabolite is formed through the β-substitution pathway of L-cysteine, we radioactively labeled the azide metabolite using 14 C-labeled precursors. Moreover, the mutagenic azide metabolite was purified and identified as azidoalanine based on mass spectroscopy and elemental analysis. 26 refs., 3 figs., 1 tab

  17. Identification of drug metabolites in human plasma or serum integrating metabolite prediction, LC-HRMS and untargeted data processing

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Jacobs, P.L.; Ridder, L.; Ruijken, M.; Rosing, H.; Jager, N.G.L.; Beijnen, J.H.; Bas, R.R.; Dongen, W.D. van

    2013-01-01

    Background: Comprehensive identification of human drug metabolites in first-in-man studies is crucial to avoid delays in later stages of drug development. We developed an efficient workflow for systematic identification of human metabolites in plasma or serum that combines metabolite prediction,

  18. A combined genetic and multi medium approach revels new secondary metabolites in Aspergillus nidulans

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Klejnstrup, Marie Louise; Nielsen, Morten Thrane; Frisvad, Jens Christian

    Secondary metabolites are a diverse group of metabolites which serve as important natural sources of drugs for treating diseases. The availability of full genome sequences of several filamentous fungi has revealed a large genetic potential for production of secondary metabolites that are not obse......Secondary metabolites are a diverse group of metabolites which serve as important natural sources of drugs for treating diseases. The availability of full genome sequences of several filamentous fungi has revealed a large genetic potential for production of secondary metabolites...... that are not observed under standard laboratory conditions. Genetic approaches have proven a fruitfull strategy towards the production and identification of these unknown metabolites. Examples include deletion of the cclA1 and laeA2 genes in A. nidulans which affects the expression of secondary metabolites including...... monodictyphenone and terrequinone A respectively. We have deleted the cclA gene in A. nidulans and grown the mutants on several complex media to provoke the production of secondary metabolites. This resulted in the production of several metabolites not previously reported from A. nidulans. Some of these have been...

  19. Aspergillus flavus secondary metabolites: more than just aflatoxins

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aspergillus flavus is best known for producing the family of potent carcinogenic secondary metabolites known as aflatoxins. However, this opportunistic plant and animal pathogen also produces numerous other secondary metabolites, many of which have also been shown to be toxic. While about forty of t...

  20. A comprehensive high-resolution mass spectrometry approach for characterization of metabolites by combination of ambient ionization, chromatography and imaging methods.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berisha, Arton; Dold, Sebastian; Guenther, Sabine; Desbenoit, Nicolas; Takats, Zoltan; Spengler, Bernhard; Römpp, Andreas

    2014-08-30

    An ideal method for bioanalytical applications would deliver spatially resolved quantitative information in real time and without sample preparation. In reality these requirements can typically not be met by a single analytical technique. Therefore, we combine different mass spectrometry approaches: chromatographic separation, ambient ionization and imaging techniques, in order to obtain comprehensive information about metabolites in complex biological samples. Samples were analyzed by laser desorption followed by electrospray ionization (LD-ESI) as an ambient ionization technique, by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry imaging for spatial distribution analysis and by high-performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (HPLC/ESI-MS) for quantitation and validation of compound identification. All MS data were acquired with high mass resolution and accurate mass (using orbital trapping and ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometers). Grape berries were analyzed and evaluated in detail, whereas wheat seeds and mouse brain tissue were analyzed in proof-of-concept experiments. In situ measurements by LD-ESI without any sample preparation allowed for fast screening of plant metabolites on the grape surface. MALDI imaging of grape cross sections at 20 µm pixel size revealed the detailed distribution of metabolites which were in accordance with their biological function. HPLC/ESI-MS was used to quantify 13 anthocyanin species as well as to separate and identify isomeric compounds. A total of 41 metabolites (amino acids, carbohydrates, anthocyanins) were identified with all three approaches. Mass accuracy for all MS measurements was better than 2 ppm (root mean square error). The combined approach provides fast screening capabilities, spatial distribution information and the possibility to quantify metabolites. Accurate mass measurements proved to be critical in order to reliably combine data from different MS

  1. Erinacine C: A novel approach to produce the secondary metabolite by submerged cultivation of Hericium erinaceus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wolters, Niklas; Schembecker, Gerhard; Merz, Juliane

    2015-12-01

    Erinacine C is a cyathane scaffold-based secondary metabolite, which is naturally produced by the filamentous fungus Hericium erinaceus and has a high potential to treat nervous diseases such as Alzheimer's disease. The investigated approach consists of combining an optimised precultivation of H. erinaceus with an enhanced erinacine C production by developing a suitable main cultivation medium enabling the utilisation of high biomass contents. The final erinacine C production medium is buffered by 100 mM HEPES to ensure a stable pH value of 7.5 during main cultivation at inoculation ratios of up to 5:10 (v/v). The medium components, such as 5.0 g L(-1) oatmeal, 1.5 g L(-1) calcium carbonate, and 0.5 g L(-1) Edamin(®) K are crucial for an increased erinacine C production. Besides, different carbon to nitrogen ratios of 25, 64, and 103 do not affect the erinacine C synthesis. The investigated approach enables the production of 2.73 g erinacine C per litre main cultivation broth, which is tenfold higher than published data. In addition, erinacine C biosynthesis is determined to occur mainly in the first six days of main cultivation. Copyright © 2015 The British Mycological Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Metabolites produced by antagonistic microbes inhibit the principal avocado pathogens in vitro

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sara Ramírez R.

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available The demand for Hass avocado in the global market exceeds the supply by over 50%. Colombia has a remarkable advantage as a producer in the region due to its high yields. However, the productivity of this crop can be seriously affected by diseases such as root rot, caused by Phytophthora cinnamomi, postharvest body rot and stem end rot, caused by Colletotrichum sp. and Phomopsis sp., respectively. The potential of 76 bacterial isolates obtained from avocado rhizosphere to produce inhibitory metabolites against avocado's pathogens was evaluated. The antagonistic effect of the rhizobacteria against P. cinnamomi, Colletotrichum sp. and Phomopsis sp. was tested through dual cultures. Thirty-six percent of the tested isolates presented inhibition halos against P. cinnamomi, 36% against Colletotrichum sp. and 67% against Phomopsis sp. Additionally, three isolates were selected for fermentation tests using different broth cultures. The extracts obtained from fermentations in the minimal medium of isolates ARP5.1 and AED06 showed inhibitory activity against the evaluated pathogens, but this effect was not observed with the AED26 extract. The media supplemented with copper chloride did not enhance activity of the extracts. These results suggest that using microbial metabolic extracts is a viable alternative for controlling avocado pathogens in vitro.

  3. Production of secondary metabolites by some terverticillate penicillia on carbohydrate-rich and meat substrates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Núñez, Félix; Westphal, Carmen D; Bermúdez, Elena; Asensio, Miguel A

    2007-12-01

    Most terverticillate penicillia isolated from dry-cured meat products are toxigenic, but their ability to produce hazardous metabolites on meat-based substrates is not well known. The production of extrolites by selected terverticillate penicillia isolated from dry-cured ham has been studied on carbohydrate-rich media (malt extract agar, Czapek yeast autolysate agar, rice extract agar, and rice), meat extract triolein salt agar, and ham slices. Chloroform extracts from the selected strains grown on malt extract agar were toxic for the brine shrimp (Artemia salina) larvae and VERO cells at a concentration of 2 mg/ml, but 0.02 mg/ml produced no toxic effect. Analysis by high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with photodiode array detection (DAD) or with mass spectrometry (MS) and an atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) source revealed different biologically active metabolites: cyclopiazonic acid and rugulovasine A from Penicillium commune; verrucosidin, anacine, puberuline, verrucofortine, and viridicatols from Penicillium polonicum; arisugacin and viridicatols from Penicillium echinulatum; and compactin and viridicatols from Penicillium solitum. Most of these metabolites, including the amino acid-derived compounds, were produced in the media containing high levels of carbohydrates. High concentrations of nitrogen compounds in the medium does not imply a greater production of the metabolites studied, not even those derived from the amino acids. However, molds growing on dry-cured ham are able to synthesize limited amounts of some secondary metabolites, a fact not previously reported. The combination of HPLC coupled with DAD and MS-APCI was useful for identification of closely related terverticillate Penicillium species from dry-cured ham. These techniques could be used to characterize the risk associated with the potential production of secondary metabolites in cured meats.

  4. Quantification of endogenous metabolites by the postcolumn infused-internal standard method combined with matrix normalization factor in liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liao, Hsiao-Wei; Chen, Guan-Yuan; Wu, Ming-Shiang; Liao, Wei-Chih; Tsai, I-Lin; Kuo, Ching-Hua

    2015-01-02

    Quantification of endogenous metabolites has enabled the discovery of biomarkers for diagnosis and provided for an understanding of disease etiology. The standard addition and stable isotope labeled-internal standard (SIL-IS) methods are currently the most widely used approaches to quantifying endogenous metabolites, but both have some limitations for clinical measurement. In this study, we developed a new approach for endogenous metabolite quantification by the postcolumn infused-internal standard (PCI-IS) method combined with the matrix normalization factor (MNF) method. MNF was used to correct the difference in MEs between standard solution and biofluids, and PCI-IS additionally tailored the correction of the MEs for individual samples. Androstenedione and testosterone were selected as test articles to verify this new approach to quantifying metabolites in plasma. The repeatability (n=4 runs) and intermediate precision (n=3 days) in terms of the peak area of androstenedione and testosterone at all tested concentrations were all less than 11% relative standard deviation (RSD). The accuracy test revealed that the recoveries were between 95.72% and 113.46%. The concentrations of androstenedione and testosterone in fifty plasma samples obtained from healthy volunteers were quantified by the PCI-IS combined with the MNF method, and the quantification results were compared with the results of the SIL-IS method. The Pearson correlation test showed that the correlation coefficient was 0.98 for both androstenedione and testosterone. We demonstrated that the PCI-IS combined with the MNF method is an effective and accurate method for quantifying endogenous metabolites. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. Immune regulation by microbiome metabolites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Chang H

    2018-03-22

    Commensal microbes and the host immune system have been co-evolved for mutual regulation. Microbes regulate the host immune system, in part, by producing metabolites. A mounting body of evidence indicates that diverse microbial metabolites profoundly regulate the immune system via host receptors and other target molecules. Immune cells express metabolite-specific receptors such as P2X 7 , GPR41, GPR43, GPR109A, aryl hydrocarbon receptor precursor (AhR), pregnane X receptor (PXR), farnesoid X receptor (FXR), TGR5 and other molecular targets. Microbial metabolites and their receptors form an extensive array of signals to respond to changes in nutrition, health and immunological status. As a consequence, microbial metabolite signals contribute to nutrient harvest from diet, and regulate host metabolism and the immune system. Importantly, microbial metabolites bidirectionally function to promote both tolerance and immunity to effectively fight infection without developing inflammatory diseases. In pathogenic conditions, adverse effects of microbial metabolites have been observed as well. Key immune-regulatory functions of the metabolites, generated from carbohydrates, proteins and bile acids, are reviewed in this article. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  6. Effect of different in vitro culture extracts of black pepper (Piper nigrum L.) on toxic metabolites-producing strains.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahmad, Nisar; Abbasi, Bilal Haider; Fazal, Hina

    2016-03-01

    In the present study, the effect of different in vitro cultures (callus, in vitro shoots) and commercially available peppercorn extract was investigated for its activity against toxic metabolite-producing strains (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeroginosa, Salmonella typhi, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, and Candida albicans). These in vitro cultures were extracted with ethanol, hexane, and chloroform, and the antipathogenic activity was determined by well-diffusion method. Hexane extract of callus showed 22 mm zone of inhibition against B. cereus, 23 mm against S. aureus, while regenerated shoots and seeds have shown 24.3 and 26 mm zones of inhibition. The ethanolic extracts of regenerated Piper shoots have shown 25 mm activity against S. aureus, 21 mm against B. cereus, and 16 mm in the case of C. albicans in comparison with standard antibiotics. Peppercorn extracts in chloroform and ethanol had shown activities against B. cereus (23.6 mm) and B. subtilis (23.5 mm). During in vitro organogenesis and morphogenesis, cells and tissues produced a comparable phytochemicals profile like mother plant. Morphogenesis is critically controlled by the application of exogenous plant-growth regulators. Such addition alters the hormonal transduction pathways, and cells under in vitro conditions regenerate tissues, which are dependant on the physiological state of cells, and finally enhance the production of secondary metabolites. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report to compare the antimicrobial potential of in vitro regenerated tissues and peppercorn with standard antibiotics. In conclusion, most of the extracts showed pronounced activities against all the pathogenic microbes. This is a preliminary work, and the minimum inhibitory concentration values needs to be further explored. Regenerated tissues of P. nigrum are a good source of biologically active metabolites for antimicrobial activities, and callus culture presented itself as

  7. Enantioseparation of thalidomide and its hydroxylated metabolites using capillary electrophoresis with various cyclodextrins and their combinations as chiral buffer additives.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meyring, M; Chankvetadze, B; Blaschke, G

    1999-09-01

    The separation of thalidomide (TD) and its hydroxylated metabolites including their simultaneous enantioseparation was studied in capillary electrophoresis (CE) using four different randomly substituted charged cyclodextrin (CD) derivatives, the combinations of some of them with each other, and beta-CD. TD, as well as two metabolites recently found in incubations of human liver microsomes and human blood, 5-hydroxythalidomide (5-OH-TD) and one of the diastereomeric 5'-hydroxythalidomides (5'-OH-TD), are neutral compounds. Therefore, they were resolved using charged chiral selectors in CE. Two different separation modes (normal polarity and carrier mode) and two different capillaries (fused-silica and polyacrylamide-coated) were tested. Based on the behavior of the individual CDs, their designed combinations were selected in order to improve the separation selectivity and enantioselectivity. Under optimized conditions all three chiral compounds and their enantiomers were resolved simultaneously.

  8. Novel pyrazine metabolites found in polymyxin biosynthesis by Paenibacillus polymyxa

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Beck, Hans Christian; Hansen, Anne M; Lauritsen, Frants R

    2003-01-01

    A complex mixture of methyl-branched alkyl-substituted pyrazines was found in the growth medium of the polymyxin-producing bacterium Paenibacillus polymyxa, and of these, seven are new natural compounds. A total of 19 pyrazine metabolites were identified. The dominant metabolite was 2,5-diisoprop......A complex mixture of methyl-branched alkyl-substituted pyrazines was found in the growth medium of the polymyxin-producing bacterium Paenibacillus polymyxa, and of these, seven are new natural compounds. A total of 19 pyrazine metabolites were identified. The dominant metabolite was 2...

  9. A latex metabolite benefits plant fitness under root herbivore attack

    OpenAIRE

    Huber, M.; Epping, J.; Gronover, C.S.; Fricke, J.; Aziz, Z.; Brillatz, T.; Swyers, M.; Köllner, T.G.; Vogel, H.; Hammerbacher, A.; Triebwasser-Freese, D.; Robert, C.A.M.; Verhoeven, K.; Preite, V.; Gershenzon, J.

    2016-01-01

    Plants produce large amounts of secondary metabolites in their shoots and roots and store them in specialized secretory structures. Although secondary metabolites and their secretory structures are commonly assumed to have a defensive function, evidence that they benefit plant fitness under herbivore attack is scarce, especially below ground. Here, we tested whether latex secondary metabolites produced by the common dandelion (Taraxacum officinale agg.) decrease the performance of its major n...

  10. Pharmaceutically active secondary metabolites of marine actinobacteria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manivasagan, Panchanathan; Venkatesan, Jayachandran; Sivakumar, Kannan; Kim, Se-Kwon

    2014-04-01

    Marine actinobacteria are one of the most efficient groups of secondary metabolite producers and are very important from an industrial point of view. Many representatives of the order Actinomycetales are prolific producers of thousands of biologically active secondary metabolites. Actinobacteria from terrestrial sources have been studied and screened since the 1950s, for many important antibiotics, anticancer, antitumor and immunosuppressive agents. However, frequent rediscovery of the same compounds from the terrestrial actinobacteria has made them less attractive for screening programs in the recent years. At the same time, actinobacteria isolated from the marine environment have currently received considerable attention due to the structural diversity and unique biological activities of their secondary metabolites. They are efficient producers of new secondary metabolites that show a range of biological activities including antibacterial, antifungal, anticancer, antitumor, cytotoxic, cytostatic, anti-inflammatory, anti-parasitic, anti-malaria, antiviral, antioxidant, anti-angiogenesis, etc. In this review, an evaluation is made on the current status of research on marine actinobacteria yielding pharmaceutically active secondary metabolites. Bioactive compounds from marine actinobacteria possess distinct chemical structures that may form the basis for synthesis of new drugs that could be used to combat resistant pathogens. With the increasing advancement in science and technology, there would be a greater demand for new bioactive compounds synthesized by actinobacteria from various marine sources in future. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

  11. A new species of Trichoderma hypoxylon harbours abundant secondary metabolites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Jingzu; Pei, Yunfei; Li, Erwei; Li, Wei; Hyde, Kevin D; Yin, Wen-Bing; Liu, Xingzhong

    2016-11-21

    Some species of Trichoderma are fungicolous on fungi and have been extensively studied and commercialized as biocontrol agents. Multigene analyses coupled with morphology, resulted in the discovery of T. hypoxylon sp. nov., which was isolated from surface of the stroma of Hypoxylon anthochroum. The new taxon produces Trichoderma- to Verticillium-like conidiophores and hyaline conidia. Phylogenetic analyses based on combined ITS, TEF1-α and RPB2 sequence data indicated that T. hypoxylon is a well-distinguished species with strong bootstrap support in the polysporum group. Chemical assessment of this species reveals a richness of secondary metabolites with trichothecenes and epipolythiodiketopiperazines as the major compounds. The fungicolous life style of T. hypoxylon and the production of abundant metabolites are indicative of the important ecological roles of this species in nature.

  12. Isolation and characterization of bioactive metabolites producing marine Streptomyces parvulus strain sankarensis-A10

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mobeen Shaik

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available The significance and frequency of marine microorganisms as producers of bioactive metabolites-a natural source of drug discovery had varied significantly during the last decades, making marine ecosystem a huge treasure trove of novel isolates and novel compounds. Among the twelve actinomycetes isolated from marine sediment sample (Lat. 17°41′962″N, Long. 83°19′633″E, amylase, protease, lipase and cellulase activities were exhibited by 8,7,4,3 isolates respectively. Five isolates exhibited l-asparaginase activity, while 5, 6, 2 isolates exhibited antibacterial, antifungal and antimicrobial activities respectively. One isolate VMS-A10 efficiently producing alpha-amylase (25.53 ± 0.50 U/mL, protease (19.26 ± 0.25 U/mL, lipase (36.25 ± 0.10 U/mL, cellulase (14.43 ± 0.513 U/mL, l-asparaginase (0.125 ± 0.004 U/mL, antimicrobial metabolites against B. subtilis (503.33 ± 5.77 U/mL, S. aureus (536.66 ± 5.77 U/mL, E. coli (533.33 ± 5.77 U/mL, P. aeruginosa (500.00 ± 10.0 U/mL, MRSA (538.33 ± 5.77 U/mL, C. albicans (353.33 ± 11.54 U/mL and A. niger (443.33 ± 15.27 U/mL was selected, identified on the basis of morphological, cultural, physiological, and biochemical properties together with 16S rDNA sequence, designated as Streptomyces parvulus strain sankarensis-A10 and sequencing product (1490 bp was deposited in the GenBank database under accession number KT906299, Culture Deposit No: NCIM-5601. Isolation and characterization of each potential actinobacteria having immense industrial and therapeutic value on an unprecedented scale from marine sediments of Visakhapatnam coast will have a burgeoning effect.

  13. SECONDARY METABOLITES FROM MARINE PENICILLIUM BREVICOMPACTUM

    OpenAIRE

    ROVIROSA, JUANA; DIAZ-MARRERO, ANA; DARIAS, JOSE; PAINEMAL, KARIN; SAN MARTIN, AURELIO

    2006-01-01

    In a screening of Basidiomycete cultures isolated from marine invertebrates collected along the Chilean coastline for the production of antibiotics we identified a Penicillium brevicompactum strain as a producer of metabolites inhibiting the growth of bacteria and fungi. Bioactivity guided purification resulted in the isolation of four known metabolites. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods.

  14. Production of Metabolites

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    2011-01-01

    A recombinant micro-organism such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae which produces and excretes into culture medium a stilbenoid metabolite product when grown under stilbenoid production conditions, which expresses in above native levels a ABC transporter which transports said stilbenoid out of said...... micro-organism cells to the culture medium. The genome of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae produces an auxotrophic phenotype which is compensated by a plasmid which also expresses one or more of said enzymes constituting said metabolic pathway producing said stilbenoid, an expression product of the plasmid...

  15. Identification of Volatile Secondary Metabolites from an Endophytic Microfungus Aspergillus Nomius KUB105

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lateef Adebola Azeez; Lateef Adebola Azeez; Sepiah Muid; Bolhassan Mohamad Hasnul

    2016-01-01

    Microfungi are a highly diverse group of micro-organisms and important components of the ecosystem with great potential for diverse metabolite production. During a survey of microfungi on leaves in a National Park in Sarawak, an uncommon endophytic microfungus Aspergillus nomius was encountered. The metabolite production of this microfungus was investigated by growing it in a liquid basal medium for 2 weeks. Gas Chromatography - Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) profiling of the secondary metabolites produced by this microfungus in the liquid medium revealed the presence of 46 different secondary metabolites. The metabolites include saturated hydrocarbons, alkyl halides, alcohols and an unsaturated hydrocarbon. Majority of the metabolites produced were saturated hydrocarbons. Tetracosane, Icosane and 10-Methylicosane were the most abundant metabolites identified while heptadecane and 2,4-dimethylundecane were the least abundant respectively. This study is the first GC-MS and FTIR report of secondary metabolites from A. nomius. The results from this study confirm the ability of microfungi to produce diverse metabolites, including saturated hydrocarbons. (author)

  16. Combined effects of O3 and UV radiation on secondary metabolites and endogenous hormones of soybean leaves.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bing Mao

    Full Text Available Enhanced ultraviolet radiation (UV and elevated tropospheric ozone (O3 may individually cause reductions in the growth and productivity of important agricultural crops. However, research regarding their combined effects on important agricultural crops is still scarce, especially on changes in secondary metabolites and endogenous hormones, which are important protective substances and signal components that control plant responses to environment stresses. In this study, using an experimental setup of open top chambers, we monitored the responses of seed yield per plant, leaf secondary metabolites and leaf endogenous hormones under the stress of elevated O3 and enhanced UV radiation individually, as well as their combined stress. The results indicated that elevated O3 (110 ± 10 nmol mol-1 for 8 hours per day and enhanced UV radiation (1.73 kJ h-1 m-2 significantly decreased seed yield per plant. Concentrations of rutin, queretin and total flavonoids were significantly increased under the elevated O3 treatment or the enhanced UV radiation treatment or the combination treatment at flowering and podding stages, and concentrations of rutin, queretin and total flavonoids showed significant correlations with seed yield per plant. Concentrations of ABA and IAA decreased under the three treatments. There was a significant positive correlation between the ABA concentration and seed yield and a negative correlation between the IAA concentration and seed yield. We concluded that the combined stress of elevated O3 and UV radiation significantly decreased seed yield per plant. Yield reduction was associated with changes in the concentrations of flavonoids, ABA and IAA in soybean leaves. The effects of the combined O3 and UV stress were always greater than those of the individual stresses alone.

  17. Combining Metabolite-Based Pharmacophores with Bayesian Machine Learning Models for Mycobacterium tuberculosis Drug Discovery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ekins, Sean; Madrid, Peter B; Sarker, Malabika; Li, Shao-Gang; Mittal, Nisha; Kumar, Pradeep; Wang, Xin; Stratton, Thomas P; Zimmerman, Matthew; Talcott, Carolyn; Bourbon, Pauline; Travers, Mike; Yadav, Maneesh; Freundlich, Joel S

    2015-01-01

    Integrated computational approaches for Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) are useful to identify new molecules that could lead to future tuberculosis (TB) drugs. Our approach uses information derived from the TBCyc pathway and genome database, the Collaborative Drug Discovery TB database combined with 3D pharmacophores and dual event Bayesian models of whole-cell activity and lack of cytotoxicity. We have prioritized a large number of molecules that may act as mimics of substrates and metabolites in the TB metabolome. We computationally searched over 200,000 commercial molecules using 66 pharmacophores based on substrates and metabolites from Mtb and further filtering with Bayesian models. We ultimately tested 110 compounds in vitro that resulted in two compounds of interest, BAS 04912643 and BAS 00623753 (MIC of 2.5 and 5 μg/mL, respectively). These molecules were used as a starting point for hit-to-lead optimization. The most promising class proved to be the quinoxaline di-N-oxides, evidenced by transcriptional profiling to induce mRNA level perturbations most closely resembling known protonophores. One of these, SRI58 exhibited an MIC = 1.25 μg/mL versus Mtb and a CC50 in Vero cells of >40 μg/mL, while featuring fair Caco-2 A-B permeability (2.3 x 10-6 cm/s), kinetic solubility (125 μM at pH 7.4 in PBS) and mouse metabolic stability (63.6% remaining after 1 h incubation with mouse liver microsomes). Despite demonstration of how a combined bioinformatics/cheminformatics approach afforded a small molecule with promising in vitro profiles, we found that SRI58 did not exhibit quantifiable blood levels in mice.

  18. Anti-rheumatoid Activity of Secondary Metabolites Produced by Endophytic Chaetomium globosum

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abdel-Azeem, Ahmed M.; Zaki, Sherif M.; Khalil, Waleed F.; Makhlouf, Noha A.; Farghaly, Lamiaa M.

    2016-01-01

    The aim of the present study was to investigate the anti-rheumatoid activity of secondary metabolites produced by endophytic mycobiota in Egypt. A total of 27 endophytic fungi were isolated from 10 dominant medicinal plant host species in Wadi Tala, Saint Katherine Protectorate, arid Sinai, Egypt. Of those taxa, seven isolates of Chaetomium globosum (CG1–CG7), being the most frequent taxon, were recovered from seven different host plants and screened for production of active anti-inflammatory metabolites. Isolates were cultivated on half – strength potato dextrose broth for 21 days at 28°C on a rotatory shaker at 180 rpm, and extracted in ethyl acetate and methanol, respectively. The probable inhibitory effects of both extracts against an adjuvant induced arthritis (AIA) rat model were examined and compared with the effects of methotrexate (MTX) as a standard disease-modifying anti-rheumatoid drug. Disease activity and mobility scoring of AIA, histopathology and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to evaluate probable inhibitory roles. A significant reduction (P < 0.05) in the severity of arthritis was observed in both the methanolic extract of CG6 (MCG6) and MTX treatment groups 6 days after treatment commenced. The average arthritis score of the MCG6 treatment group was (10.7 ± 0.82) compared to (13.8 ± 0.98) in the positive control group. The mobility score of the MCG6 treatment group (1.50 ± 0.55) was significantly lower than that of the positive control group (3.33 ± 0.82). In contrast, the ethyl acetate extract of CG6 (EACG6) treatment group showed no improvements in arthritis and mobility scores in AIA model rats. Histopathology and TEM findings confirmed the observation. Isolate CG6 was subjected to sequencing for confirmation of phenotypic identification. The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) 1–5.8 s – ITS2 rDNA sequences obtained were compared with those deposited in the GenBank Database and registered with accession number KC

  19. Secondary metabolites produced by marine streptomyces as antibiofilm and quorum-sensing inhibitor of uropathogen Proteus mirabilis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Younis, Khansa Mohammed; Usup, Gires; Ahmad, Asmat

    2016-03-01

    Quorum-sensing regulates bacterial biofilm formation and virulence factors, thereby making it an interesting target for attenuating pathogens. In this study, we investigated anti-biofilm and anti-quorum-sensing compounds from secondary metabolites of halophiles marine streptomyces against urinary catheter biofilm forming Proteus mirabilis without effect on growth viability. A total of 40 actinomycetes were isolated from samples collected from different places in Iraq including marine sediments and soil samples. Fifteen isolates identified as streptomyces and their supernatant screened as anti-quorum-sensing by inhibiting quorum-sensing regulated prodigiosin biosynthesis of Serratia marcescens strain Smj-11 as a reporter strain. Isolate Sediment Lake Iraq (sdLi) showed potential anti-quorum-sensing activity. Out of 35 clinical isolates obtained from Urinary catheter used by patient at the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Center, 22 isolates were characterized and identified as Proteus mirabilis. Isolate Urinary Catheter B4 (UCB4) showed the highest biofilm formation with highest resistance to used antibiotic and was chosen for further studies. Ethyl acetate secondary metabolites extract was produced from sdLi isolate. First, we determined the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) of sdLi crude extract against UCB4 isolate, and all further experiments used concentrations below the MIC. Tests of subinhibitory concentrations of sdLi crude extract showed good inhibition against UCB4 isolate biofilm formation on urinary catheter and cover glass using Scanning electron microscopy and light microscopy respectively. The influence of sub-MIC of sdLi crude extract was also found to attenuate the quorum sensing (QS)-dependent factors such as hemolysin activity, urease activity, pH value, and motility of UCB4 isolate. Evidence is presented that these nontoxic secondary metabolites may act as antagonists of bacterial quorum sensing by competing with quorum-sensing signals

  20. Metabolite identification through multiple kernel learning on fragmentation trees.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shen, Huibin; Dührkop, Kai; Böcker, Sebastian; Rousu, Juho

    2014-06-15

    Metabolite identification from tandem mass spectrometric data is a key task in metabolomics. Various computational methods have been proposed for the identification of metabolites from tandem mass spectra. Fragmentation tree methods explore the space of possible ways in which the metabolite can fragment, and base the metabolite identification on scoring of these fragmentation trees. Machine learning methods have been used to map mass spectra to molecular fingerprints; predicted fingerprints, in turn, can be used to score candidate molecular structures. Here, we combine fragmentation tree computations with kernel-based machine learning to predict molecular fingerprints and identify molecular structures. We introduce a family of kernels capturing the similarity of fragmentation trees, and combine these kernels using recently proposed multiple kernel learning approaches. Experiments on two large reference datasets show that the new methods significantly improve molecular fingerprint prediction accuracy. These improvements result in better metabolite identification, doubling the number of metabolites ranked at the top position of the candidates list. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press.

  1. The structures of three metabolites of the algal hepatotoxin okadaic acid produced by oxidation with human cytochrome P450

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Li; Guoa, Fujiang; Crain, Sheila; Quilliam, Michael A.; Wang, Xiaotang; Rein, Kathleen S.

    2012-01-01

    Four metabolites of okadaic acid were generated by incubation with human recombinant cytochrome P450 3A4. The structures of two of the four metabolites have been determined by MS/MS experiments and 1D and 2D NMR methods using 94 and 133 μg of each metabolite. The structure of a third metabolite was determined by oxidation to a metabolite of known structure. Like okadaic acid, the metabolites are inhibitors of protein phosphatase PP2A. Although one of the metabolites does have an α,β unsaturated carbonyl with the potential to form adducts with an active site cysteine, all of the metabolites are reversible inhibitors of PP2A. PMID:22608922

  2. Thermogenic effects of sibutramine and its metabolites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Connoley, Ian P; Liu, Yong-Ling; Frost, Ian; Reckless, Ian P; Heal, David J; Stock, Michael J

    1999-01-01

    The thermogenic activity of the serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor sibutramine (BTS 54524; Reductil) was investigated by measuring oxygen consumption (VO2) in rats treated with sibutramine or its two pharmacologically-active metabolites. Sibutramine caused a dose-dependent rise in VO2, with a dose of 10 mg kg−1 of sibutramine or its metabolites producing increases of up to 30% that were sustained for at least 6 h, and accompanied by significant increases (0.5–1.0°C) in body temperature. Based on the accumulation in vivo of radiolabelled 2-deoxy-[3H]-glucose, sibutramine had little or no effect on glucose utilization in most tissues, but caused an 18 fold increase in brown adipose tissue (BAT). Combined high, non-selective doses (20 mg kg−1) of the β-adrenoceptor antagonists, atenolol and ICI 118551, inhibited completely the VO2 response to sibutramine, but the response was unaffected by low, β1-adrenoceptor-selective (atenolol) or β2-adrenoceptor-selective (ICI 118551) doses (1 mg kg−1). The ganglionic blocking agent, chlorisondamine (15 mg kg−1), inhibited completely the VO2 response to the metabolites of sibutramine, but had no effect on the thermogenic response to the β3-adrenoceptor-selective agonist BRL 35135. Similar thermogenic responses were produced by simultaneous injection of nisoxetine and fluoxetine at doses (30 mg kg−1) that had no effect on VO2 when injected individually. It is concluded that stimulation of thermogenesis by sibutramine requires central reuptake inhibition of both serotonin and noradrenaline, resulting in increased efferent sympathetic activation of BAT thermogenesis via β3-adrenoceptor, and that this contributes to the compound's activity as an anti-obesity agent. PMID:10217544

  3. Neuropharmacological and neuroprotective activities of some metabolites produced by cell suspension culture of Waltheria americana Linn.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mundo, Jorge; Villeda-Hernández, Juana; Herrera-Ruiz, Maribel; Gutiérrez, María Del Carmen; Arellano-García, Jesús; León-Rivera, Ismael; Perea-Arango, Irene

    2017-10-01

    Waltheria americana is a plant used in Mexican traditional medicine to treat some nervous system disorders. The aims of the present study were to isolate and determine the neuropharmacological and neurprotective activities of metabolites produced by a cell suspension culture of Waltheria americana. Submerged cultivation of W. americana cells provided biomass. A methanol-soluble extract (WAsc) was obtained from biomass. WAsc was fractionated yielding the chromatographic fractions 4WAsc-H 2 O and WAsc-CH 2 Cl 2 . For the determination of anticonvulsant activity in vivo, seizures were induced in mice by pentylenetetrazol (PTZ). Neuropharmacological activities (release of gamma amino butyric acid (GABA) and neuroprotection) of chromatographic fractions were determined by in vitro histological analysis of brain sections of mice post mortem. Fraction 4WAsc-H 2 O (containing saccharides) did not produce neuronal damage, neurodegeneration, interstitial tissue edema, astrocytic activation, nor cell death. Pretreatment of animals with 4WAsc-H 2 O and WAsc-CH 2 Cl 2 from W. americana cell suspensions induced an increase in: GABA release, seizure latency, survival time, neuroprotection, and a decrease in the degree of severity of tonic/tonic-clonic convulsions, preventing PTZ-induced death of up to 100% of animals of study. Bioactive compounds produced in suspension cell culture of W. americana produce neuroprotective and neuropharmacological activities associated with the GABAergic neurotransmission system. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  4. UV-guided isolation of fungal metabolites by HSCCC

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dalsgaard, P.W.; Nielsen, K.F.; Larsen, Thomas Ostenfeld

    2005-01-01

    Analytical standardised reversed phase liquid chromatography (RPLC) data can be helpful in finding a suitable solvent combination for isolation of fungal metabolites by high-speed counter current chromatography. Analysis of the distribution coefficient (K-D) of fungal metabolites in a series...... peptides from a crude fungal extract....

  5. Identification of the urinary metabolites of 4-bromoaniline and 4-bromo-[carbonyl-13C]-acetanilide in rat.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scarfe, G B; Nicholson, J K; Lindon, J C; Wilson, I D; Taylor, S; Clayton, E; Wright, B

    2002-04-01

    1. The urinary excretion of 4-bromoaniline and its [carbonyl-(13)C]-labelled N-acetanilide, together with their corresponding metabolites, have been investigated in the rat following i.p. administration at 50 mg kg(-1). 2. Metabolite profiling was performed by reversed-phase HPLC with UV detection, whilst identification was performed using a combination of enzymic hydrolysis and directly coupled HPLC-NMR-MS analysis. The urinary metabolite profile was quantitatively and qualitatively similar for both compounds with little of either excreted unchanged. 3. The major metabolite present in urine was 2-amino-5-bromophenylsulphate, but, in addition, a number of metabolites with modification of the N-acetyl moiety were identified (from both the [(13)C]-acetanilide or produced following acetylation of the free bromoaniline). 4. For 4-bromoacetanilide, N-deacetylation was a major route of metabolism, but despite the detection of the acetanilide following the administration of the free aniline, there was no evidence of reacetylation (futile deacetylation). 5. Metabolites resulting from the oxidation of the acetyl group included a novel glucuronide of an N-glycolanilide, an unusual N-oxanilic acid and a novel N-acetyl cysteine conjugate.

  6. A universal protocol for the combined isolation of metabolites, DNA, long RNAs, small RNAs, and proteins from plants and microorganisms

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Valledor, Luis; Escandón, M.; Meijón, M.; Nukarinen, E.; Jesús Cañal, M.; Weckwerth, W.

    2014-01-01

    Roč. 79, č. 1 (2014), s. 173-180 ISSN 0960-7412 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) EE2.3.20.0256 Institutional support: RVO:67179843 Keywords : systems biology * combined isolation * RNA * small RNA * proteins * metabolites * Chlamydomonas reinhardtii * Arabidopsis thaliana * Populus sp. * Pinus sp. * technical advance Subject RIV: EI - Biotechnology ; Bionics Impact factor: 5.972, year: 2014

  7. Purification of bacteriocins produced by lactic acid bacteria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saavedra, Lucila; Castellano, Patricia; Sesma, Fernando

    2004-01-01

    Bacteriocins are antibacterial substances of a proteinaceous nature that are produced by different bacterial species. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) produce biologically active peptides or protein complexes that display a bactericidal mode of action almost exclusively toward Gram-positive bacteria and particularly toward closely related species. Generally they are active against food spoilage and foodborne pathogenic microorganisms including Bacillus cereus, Clostridium perfringens, Staphylococcus aureus, and Listeria monocytogenes. There is an increased tendency to use natural occurring metabolites to prevent the growth of undesirable flora in foodstuffs. These metabolites could replace the use of chemical additives such as sorbic acid, sulfur dioxide, nitrite, nitrate, and others. For instance, bacteriocins produced by LAB may be promising for use as bio-preservaties. Bacteriocins of lactic acid bacteria are typically cationic, hydrophobic peptides and differ widely in many characteristics including molecular weight, presence of particular groups of amino acids, pI, net positive charge, and post-translational modifications of certain amino acids. This heterogeneity within the LAB bacteriocins may explain the different procedures for isolation and purification developed so far. The methods most frequently used for isolation, concentration, and purification involve salt precipitation of bacteriocins from culture supernatants, followed by various combinations of gel filtration, ion-exchange chromatography, and reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC). In this chapter, a protocol is described that combines several methods used in our laboratory for the purification of two cationic bacteriocins, Lactocin 705AL and Enterocin CRL10, produced by Lactobacillus casei CRL705 and Enterococcus mundtii CRL10, respectively.

  8. Metabolite Profiling of Red Sea Corals

    KAUST Repository

    Ortega, Jovhana Alejandra

    2016-12-01

    Looking at the metabolite profile of an organism provides insights into the metabolomic state of a cell and hence also into pathways employed. Little is known about the metabolites produced by corals and their algal symbionts. In particular, corals from the central Red Sea are understudied, but interesting study objects, as they live in one of the warmest and most saline environments and can provide clues as to the adjustment of corals to environmental change. In this study, we applied gas chromatography – mass spectrometry (GC–MS) metabolite profiling to analyze the metabolic profile of four coral species and their associated symbionts: Fungia granulosa, Acropora hemprichii, Porites lutea, and Pocillopora verrucosa. We identified and quantified 102 compounds among primary and secondary metabolites across all samples. F. granulosa and its symbiont showed a total of 59 metabolites which were similar to the 51 displayed by P. verrucosa. P. lutea and A. hemprichii both harbored 40 compounds in conjunction with their respective isolated algae. Comparing across species, 28 metabolites were exclusively present in algae, while 38 were exclusive to corals. A principal component and cluster analyses revealed that metabolite profiles clustered between corals and algae, but each species harbored a distinct catalog of metabolites. The major classes of compounds were carbohydrates and amino acids. Taken together, this study provides a first description of metabolites of Red Sea corals and their associated symbionts. As expected, the metabolites of coral hosts differ from their algal symbionts, but each host and algal species harbor a unique set of metabolites. This corroborates that host-symbiont species pairs display a fine-tuned complementary metabolism that provide insights into the specific nature of the symbiosis. Our analysis also revealed aquatic pollutants, which suggests that metabolite profiling might be used for monitoring pollution levels and assessing

  9. The combination of glutamate receptor antagonist MK-801 with tamoxifen and its active metabolites potentiates their antiproliferative activity in mouse melanoma K1735-M2 cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ribeiro, Mariana P.C.; Nunes-Correia, Isabel; Santos, Armanda E.; Custódio, José B.A.

    2014-01-01

    Recent reports suggest that N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) blockade by MK-801 decreases tumor growth. Thus, we investigated whether other ionotropic glutamate receptor (iGluR) antagonists were also able to modulate the proliferation of melanoma cells. On the other hand, the antiestrogen tamoxifen (TAM) decreases the proliferation of melanoma cells, and is included in combined therapies for melanoma. As the efficacy of TAM is limited by its metabolism, we investigated the effects of the NMDAR antagonist MK-801 in combination with TAM and its active metabolites, 4-hydroxytamoxifen (OHTAM) and endoxifen (EDX). The NMDAR blockers MK-801 and memantine decreased mouse melanoma K1735-M2 cell proliferation. In contrast, the NMDAR competitive antagonist APV and the AMPA and kainate receptor antagonist NBQX did not affect cell proliferation, suggesting that among the iGluR antagonists only the NMDAR channel blockers inhibit melanoma cell proliferation. The combination of antiestrogens with MK-801 potentiated their individual effects on cell biomass due to diminished cell proliferation, since it decreased the cell number and DNA synthesis without increasing cell death. Importantly, TAM metabolites combined with MK-801 promoted cell cycle arrest in G1. Therefore, the data obtained suggest that the activity of MK-801 and antiestrogens in K1735-M2 cells is greatly enhanced when used in combination. - Highlights: • MK-801 and memantine decrease melanoma cell proliferation. • The combination of MK-801 with antiestrogens inhibits melanoma cell proliferation. • These combinations greatly enhance the effects of the compounds individually. • MK-801 combined with tamoxifen active metabolites induces cell cycle arrest in G1. • The combination of MK-801 and antiestrogens is an innovative strategy for melanoma

  10. Detection of Amide and Aromatic Proton Resonances of Human Brain Metabolites Using Localized Correlated Spectroscopy Combined with Two Different Water Suppression Schemes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rajakumar Nagarajan

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of the study was to demonstrate the J-coupling connectivity network between the amide, aliphatic, and aromatic proton resonances of metabolites in human brain using two-dimensional (2D localized correlated spectroscopy (L-COSY. Two different global water suppression techniques were combined with L-COSY, one before and another after localizing the volume of interest (VOI. Phantom solutions containing several cerebral metabolites at physiological concentrations were evaluated initially for sequence optimization. Nine healthy volunteers were scanned using a 3T whole body MRI scanner. The VOI for 2D L-COSY was placed in the right occipital white/gray matter region. The 2D cross and diagonal peak volumes were measured for several metabolites such as N-acetyl aspartate (NAA, creatine (Cr, free choline (Ch, glutamate/glutamine (Glx, aspartate (Asp, myo-inositol (mI, GABA, glutathione (GSH, phosphocholine (PCh, phosphoethanolamine (PE, tyrosine (Tyr, lactate (Lac, macromolecules (MM and homocarnosine (Car. Using the pre-water suppression technique with L-COSY, the above mentioned metabolites were clearly identifiable and the relative ratios of metabolites were calculated. In addition to detecting multitude of aliphatic resonances in the high field region, we have demonstrated that the amide and aromatic resonances can also be detected using 2D L-COSY by pre water suppression more reliably than the post-water suppression.

  11. Metabolomics of tomato xylem sap during bacterial wilt reveals Ralstonia solanacearum produces abundant putrescine, a metabolite that accelerates wilt disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lowe-Power, Tiffany M; Hendrich, Connor G; von Roepenack-Lahaye, Edda; Li, Bin; Wu, Dousheng; Mitra, Raka; Dalsing, Beth L; Ricca, Patrizia; Naidoo, Jacinth; Cook, David; Jancewicz, Amy; Masson, Patrick; Thomma, Bart; Lahaye, Thomas; Michael, Anthony J; Allen, Caitilyn

    2018-04-01

    Ralstonia solanacearum thrives in plant xylem vessels and causes bacterial wilt disease despite the low nutrient content of xylem sap. We found that R. solanacearum manipulates its host to increase nutrients in tomato xylem sap, enabling it to grow better in sap from infected plants than in sap from healthy plants. Untargeted GC/MS metabolomics identified 22 metabolites enriched in R. solanacearum-infected sap. Eight of these could serve as sole carbon or nitrogen sources for R. solanacearum. Putrescine, a polyamine that is not a sole carbon or nitrogen source for R. solanacearum, was enriched 76-fold to 37 µM in R. solanacearum-infected sap. R. solanacearum synthesized putrescine via a SpeC ornithine decarboxylase. A ΔspeC mutant required ≥ 15 µM exogenous putrescine to grow and could not grow alone in xylem even when plants were treated with putrescine. However, co-inoculation with wildtype rescued ΔspeC growth, indicating R. solanacearum produced and exported putrescine to xylem sap. Intriguingly, treating plants with putrescine before inoculation accelerated wilt symptom development and R. solanacearum growth and systemic spread. Xylem putrescine concentration was unchanged in putrescine-treated plants, so the exogenous putrescine likely accelerated disease indirectly by affecting host physiology. These results indicate that putrescine is a pathogen-produced virulence metabolite. © 2017 Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  12. Secondary Metabolites from Higher Fungi: Discovery, Bioactivity, and Bioproduction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhong, Jian-Jiang; Xiao, Jian-Hui

    Medicinal higher fungi such as Cordyceps sinensis and Ganoderma lucidum have been used as an alternative medicine remedy to promote health and longevity for people in China and other regions of the world since ancient times. Nowadays there is an increasing public interest in the secondary metabolites of those higher fungi for discovering new drugs or lead compounds. Current research in drug discovery from medicinal higher fungi involves a multifaceted approach combining mycological, biochemical, pharmacological, metabolic, biosynthetic and molecular techniques. In recent years, many new secondary metabolites from higher fungi have been isolated and are more likely to provide lead compounds for new drug discovery, which may include chemopreventive agents possessing the bioactivity of immunomodulatory, anticancer, etc. However, numerous challenges of secondary metabolites from higher fungi are encountered including bioseparation, identification, biosynthetic metabolism, and screening model issues, etc. Commercial production of secondary metabolites from medicinal mushrooms is still limited mainly due to less information about secondary metabolism and its regulation. Strategies for enhancing secondary metabolite production by medicinal mushroom fermentation include two-stage cultivation combining liquid fermentation and static culture, two-stage dissolved oxygen control, etc. Purification of bioactive secondary metabolites, such as ganoderic acids from G. lucidum, is also very important to pharmacological study and future pharmaceutical application. This review outlines typical examples of the discovery, bioactivity, and bioproduction of secondary metabolites of higher fungi origin.

  13. Bioactive Metabolites from Pathogenic and Endophytic Fungi of Forest Trees.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Masi, Marco; Maddau, Lucia; Linaldeddu, Benedetto Teodoro; Scanu, Bruno; Evidente, Antonio; Cimmino, Alessio

    2018-01-01

    Fungi play an important role in terrestrial ecosystems interacting positively or negatively with plants. These interactions are complex and the outcomes are different depending on the fungal lifestyles, saprotrophic, mutualistic or pathogenic. Furthermore, fungi are well known for producing secondary metabolites, originating from different biosynthetic pathways, which possess biological properties of considerable biotechnological interest. Among the terrestrial ecosystems, temperate forests represent an enormous reservoir of fungal diversity. This review will highlight the goldmine of secondary metabolites produced by pathogenic and endophytic fungi of forest trees with focus on their biological activities. A structured search of bibliographic databases for peer-reviewed research literature was undertaken using a research discovery application providing access to a large and authoritative source of references. The papers selected were examined and the main results were reported and discussed. Two hundred forthy-one papers were included in the review, outlined a large number of secondary metabolites produced by pathogenic and endophiltic fungi and their biological activities, including phytotoxic, antifungal, antioomycetes, antibacterial, brine shrimp lethality, mosquito biting deterrence and larvicidal, cytotoxic, antiproliferative and many other bioactivities. The findings of this review confirm the importance of secondary metabolites produced by pathogenic and endophytic fungi from forest plants growing in temperate regions as an excellent prospects to discover compounds with new bioactivities and mode of actions. In addition, the potential of some metabolites as a source of new drugs and biopesticides is underlined. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

  14. Pharmacologically active plant metabolites as survival strategy products.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Attardo, C; Sartori, F

    2003-01-01

    The fact that plant organisms produce chemical substances that are able to positively or negatively interfere with the processes which regulate human life has been common knowledge since ancient times. One of the numerous possible examples in the infusion of Conium maculatum, better known as Hemlock, a plant belonging to the family umbelliferae, used by the ancient Egyptians to cure skin diseases. The current official pharmacopoeia includes various chemical substances produced by secondary plant metabolisms. For example, the immunosuppressive drugs used to prevent organ transplant rejection and the majority of antibiotics are metabolites produced by fungal organisms, pilocarpin, digitalis, strophantus, salicylic acid and curare are examples of plant organism metabolites. For this reason, there has been an increase in research into plants, based on information on their medicinal use in the areas where they grow. The study of plants in relation to local culture and traditions is known as "ethnobotany". Careful study of the behaviour of sick animals has also led to the discovery of medicinal plants. The study of this subject is known as "zoopharmacognosy". The aim of this article is to discuss the fact that "ad hoc" production of such chemical substances, defined as "secondary metabolites", is one of the modes in which plant organisms respond to unfavourable environmental stimuli, such as an attack by predatory phytophagous animals or an excessive number of plant individuals, even of the same species, in a terrain. In the latter case, the plant organisms produce toxic substances, called "allelopathic" which limit the growth of other individuals. "Secondary metabolites" are produced by metabolic systems that are shunts of the primary systems which, when required, may be activated from the beginning, or increased to the detriment of others. The study of the manner in which such substances are produced is the subject of a new branch of learning called "ecological

  15. Characterization of rhizobacteria associated to maize crop in IAA, siderophores and salicylic acid metabolite production

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Annia Hernández

    2004-01-01

    Full Text Available It has been demonstrated that rhizobacteria are able to produce metabolites having agricultural interest, including salicylic acid, the siderophores and phytohormones. Indol acetic acid (IAA is the most well-known and studied auxin, playing a governing role in culture growth. The object of this work was to characterise rhizobacteria associated with the maize crop in terms of producing IAA, siderophores and salicylic acid metabolites. Burkholderia cepacia and Pseudomonas fluorescens strains previously isolated from maize Francisco variety rhizosphere were used. Colorimetric and chromatographic techniques for detecting these metabolites were studied; multi-variable analysis of hierarchic conglomerate and complete ligament were used for selecting the best strains for producing metabolites of interest. These results demonstrated that all rhizobacteria strains studied produced IAA, siderophores and salicylic acid metabolites. Burkholderia cepacia MBf21, MBp1, MBp2, MBf22, MBp3, MBf20, MBf 15 and Pseudomonas fluorescens MPp4strains have presented the greatest production of these metabolites, showing that these strains could be used in promoting vegetal growth in economically important cultures. Key words: Pseudomonas fluorescens, Burkholderia cepacia, IAA, siderophore, salicylic acid.

  16. Extending metabolome coverage for untargeted metabolite profiling of adherent cultured hepatic cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    García-Cañaveras, Juan Carlos; López, Silvia; Castell, José Vicente; Donato, M Teresa; Lahoz, Agustín

    2016-02-01

    MS-based metabolite profiling of adherent mammalian cells comprises several challenging steps such as metabolism quenching, cell detachment, cell disruption, metabolome extraction, and metabolite measurement. In LC-MS, the final metabolome coverage is strongly determined by the separation technique and the MS conditions used. Human liver-derived cell line HepG2 was chosen as adherent mammalian cell model to evaluate the performance of several commonly used procedures in both sample processing and LC-MS analysis. In a first phase, metabolite extraction and sample analysis were optimized in a combined manner. To this end, the extraction abilities of five different solvents (or combinations) were assessed by comparing the number and the levels of the metabolites comprised in each extract. Three different chromatographic methods were selected for metabolites separation. A HILIC-based method which was set to specifically separate polar metabolites and two RP-based methods focused on lipidome and wide-ranging metabolite detection, respectively. With regard to metabolite measurement, a Q-ToF instrument operating in both ESI (+) and ESI (-) was used for unbiased extract analysis. Once metabolite extraction and analysis conditions were set up, the influence of cell harvesting on metabolome coverage was also evaluated. Therefore, different protocols for cell detachment (trypsinization or scraping) and metabolism quenching were compared. This study confirmed the inconvenience of trypsinization as a harvesting technique, and the importance of using complementary extraction solvents to extend metabolome coverage, minimizing interferences and maximizing detection, thanks to the use of dedicated analytical conditions through the combination of HILIC and RP separations. The proposed workflow allowed the detection of over 300 identified metabolites from highly polar compounds to a wide range of lipids.

  17. A Latex Metabolite Benefits Plant Fitness under Root Herbivore Attack

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Huber, M.; Epping, Janina; Schulze Gronover, C.; Fricke, Julia; Aziz, Zohra; Brillatz, Théo; Swyers, Michael; Kollner, T.G.; Vogel, H.; Hammerbacher, Almuth; Triebwasser-Freese, Daniella; Robert, Christelle A.M.; Verhoeven, K.J.F.; Preite, V.; Gershenzon, J.; Erb, M.

    2016-01-01

    Plants produce large amounts of secondary metabolites in their shoots and roots and store them in specialized secretory structures. Although secondary metabolites and their secretory structures are commonly assumed to have a defensive function, evidence that they benefit plant fitness under

  18. Metabolites of the phenylurea herbicides chlorotoluron, diuron, isoproturon and linuron produced by the soil fungus Mortierella sp

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Badawi, Nora; Ronhede, Stig; Olsson, Stefan; Kragelund, Birthe B.; Johnsen, Anders H.; Jacobsen, Ole Stig; Aamand, Jens

    2009-01-01

    Phenylurea herbicides are used worldwide, and often pollute surface- and groundwater in concentrations exceeding the limit value for drinking water (0.1 μg l -1 ). Bacteria degrade phenylurea herbicides by successive N-dealkylation to substituted aniline products. Little is known about the corresponding fungal pathways, however. We here report degradation of chlorotoluron, diuron, isoproturon and linuron by the soil fungus Mortierella sp. Gr4. Degradation was fastest with linuron and resulted in successively dealkylated metabolites and 3,4-dichloroaniline. A major new metabolite was detected that has not yet been fully identified. Thin layer chromatography and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy indicate that it is a non-aromatic diol. Degradation of isoproturon, chlorotoluron and diuron involved successive N-demethylation and, in the case of isoproturon and chlorotoluron, additional hydroxylation. A new hydroxylated isoproturon metabolite was detected. The study thus shows that the fungal pathways differ from the bacterial pathways and yield new metabolites of possible environmental concern. - Fungal degradation of phenylurea herbicides results in the formation of hydroxylated metabolites and 3,4-dichloroaniline.

  19. Metabolites of the phenylurea herbicides chlorotoluron, diuron, isoproturon and linuron produced by the soil fungus Mortierella sp

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Badawi, Nora; Ronhede, Stig [Department of Geochemistry, Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS), Ostervoldgade 10, DK-1350 Copenhagen K (Denmark); Olsson, Stefan [Section of Genetics and Microbiology, Department of Agriculture and Ecology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, DK-1871 Frederiksberg C (Denmark); Kragelund, Birthe B. [Structural Biology and NMR Laboratory, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Ole Maaloes Vej 5, DK-2200 Copenhagen N (Denmark); Johnsen, Anders H. [Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Copenhagen University Hospital, Blegdamsvej 9, DK-2100 Copenhagen O (Denmark); Jacobsen, Ole Stig [Department of Geochemistry, Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS), Ostervoldgade 10, DK-1350 Copenhagen K (Denmark); Aamand, Jens, E-mail: jeaa@geus.d [Department of Geochemistry, Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS), Ostervoldgade 10, DK-1350 Copenhagen K (Denmark)

    2009-10-15

    Phenylurea herbicides are used worldwide, and often pollute surface- and groundwater in concentrations exceeding the limit value for drinking water (0.1 mug l{sup -1}). Bacteria degrade phenylurea herbicides by successive N-dealkylation to substituted aniline products. Little is known about the corresponding fungal pathways, however. We here report degradation of chlorotoluron, diuron, isoproturon and linuron by the soil fungus Mortierella sp. Gr4. Degradation was fastest with linuron and resulted in successively dealkylated metabolites and 3,4-dichloroaniline. A major new metabolite was detected that has not yet been fully identified. Thin layer chromatography and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy indicate that it is a non-aromatic diol. Degradation of isoproturon, chlorotoluron and diuron involved successive N-demethylation and, in the case of isoproturon and chlorotoluron, additional hydroxylation. A new hydroxylated isoproturon metabolite was detected. The study thus shows that the fungal pathways differ from the bacterial pathways and yield new metabolites of possible environmental concern. - Fungal degradation of phenylurea herbicides results in the formation of hydroxylated metabolites and 3,4-dichloroaniline.

  20. Biologically Active Metabolites Synthesized by Microalgae

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michele Greque de Morais

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Microalgae are microorganisms that have different morphological, physiological, and genetic traits that confer the ability to produce different biologically active metabolites. Microalgal biotechnology has become a subject of study for various fields, due to the varied bioproducts that can be obtained from these microorganisms. When microalgal cultivation processes are better understood, microalgae can become an environmentally friendly and economically viable source of compounds of interest, because production can be optimized in a controlled culture. The bioactive compounds derived from microalgae have anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antioxidant activities, among others. Furthermore, these microorganisms have the ability to promote health and reduce the risk of the development of degenerative diseases. In this context, the aim of this review is to discuss bioactive metabolites produced by microalgae for possible applications in the life sciences.

  1. Exercise and Prebiotics Produce Stress Resistance: Converging Impacts on Stress-Protective and Butyrate-Producing Gut Bacteria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mika, A; Rumian, N; Loughridge, A B; Fleshner, M

    2016-01-01

    The gut microbial ecosystem can mediate the negative health impacts of stress on the host. Stressor-induced disruptions in microbial ecology (dysbiosis) can lead to maladaptive health effects, while certain probiotic organisms and their metabolites can protect against these negative impacts. Prebiotic diets and exercise are feasible and cost-effective strategies that can increase stress-protective bacteria and produce resistance against the detrimental behavioral and neurobiological impacts of stress. The goal of this review is to describe research demonstrating that both prebiotic diets and exercise produce adaptations in gut ecology and the brain that arm the organism against inescapable stress-induced learned helplessness. The results of this research support the novel hypothesis that some of the stress-protective effects of prebiotics and exercise are due to increases in stress-protective gut microbial species and their metabolites. In addition, new evidence also suggests that prebiotic diet or exercise interventions are most effective if given early in life (juvenile-adolescence) when both the gut microbial ecosystem and the brain are plastic. Based on our new understanding of the mechanistic convergence of these interventions, it is feasible to propose that in adults, both interventions delivered in combination may elevate their efficacy to promote a stress-resistant phenotype. © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Novel pyrazine metabolites found in polymyxin biosynthesis by Paenibacillus polymyxa

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Beck, Hans Christian; Hansen, Anne M; Lauritsen, Frants R

    2003-01-01

    A complex mixture of methyl-branched alkyl-substituted pyrazines was found in the growth medium of the polymyxin-producing bacterium Paenibacillus polymyxa, and of these, seven are new natural compounds. A total of 19 pyrazine metabolites were identified. The dominant metabolite was 2...... supplementation. The other pyrazine metabolites, all related pyrazines with either one, two or three alkyl substituents, were identified by means of their mass spectral data and/or co-elution with authentic standards....

  3. Reparation and Immunomodulating Properties of Bacillus sp. Metabolites from Permafrost.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kalenova, L F; Melnikov, V P; Besedin, I M; Bazhin, A S; Gabdulin, M A; Kolyvanova, S S

    2017-09-01

    An ointment containing metabolites of Bacillus sp. microorganisms isolated from permafrost samples was applied onto the skin wound of BALB/c mice. Metabolites isolated during culturing of Bacillus sp. at 37°C produced a potent therapeutic effect and promoted wound epithelialization by 30% in comparison with the control (ointment base) and by 20% in comparison with Solcoseryl. Treatment with Bacillus sp. metabolites stimulated predominantly humoral immunity, reduced the time of wound contraction and the volume of scar tissue, and promoted complete hair recovery. These metabolites can be considered as modulators of the wound process with predominance of regeneration mechanisms.

  4. The use of secondary metabolite profiling in chemotaxonomy of filamentous fungi

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Frisvad, Jens Christian; Andersen, Birgitte; Thrane, Ulf

    2008-01-01

    A secondary metabolite is a chemical compound produced by a limited number of fungal species in a genus, an order, or even phylum. A profile of secondary metabolites consists of all the different compounds a fungus can produce on a given substratum and includes toxins, antibiotics and other outwa......, Xylaria and in few basidiomycete genera, but not in Zygomycota and Chytridiomycota. (C) 2007 The British Mycological Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved....

  5. Metabolites of the phenylurea herbicides chlorotoluron, diuron, isoproturon and linuron produced by the soil fungus Mortierella sp.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Badawi, Nora; Rønhede, Stig; Olsson, Stefan; Kragelund, Birthe B; Johnsen, Anders H; Jacobsen, Ole Stig; Aamand, Jens

    2009-10-01

    Phenylurea herbicides are used worldwide, and often pollute surface- and groundwater in concentrations exceeding the limit value for drinking water (0.1 microg l(-1)). Bacteria degrade phenylurea herbicides by successive N-dealkylation to substituted aniline products. Little is known about the corresponding fungal pathways, however. We here report degradation of chlorotoluron, diuron, isoproturon and linuron by the soil fungus Mortierella sp. Gr4. Degradation was fastest with linuron and resulted in successively dealkylated metabolites and 3,4-dichloroaniline. A major new metabolite was detected that has not yet been fully identified. Thin layer chromatography and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy indicate that it is a non-aromatic diol. Degradation of isoproturon, chlorotoluron and diuron involved successive N-demethylation and, in the case of isoproturon and chlorotoluron, additional hydroxylation. A new hydroxylated isoproturon metabolite was detected. The study thus shows that the fungal pathways differ from the bacterial pathways and yield new metabolites of possible environmental concern.

  6. Hypoxia and Inactivity Related Physiological Changes (Constipation, Inflammation Are Not Reflected at the Level of Gut Metabolites and Butyrate Producing Microbial Community: The PlanHab Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Robert Šket

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available We explored the assembly of intestinal microbiota in healthy male participants during the run-in (5 day and experimental phases [21-day normoxic bed rest (NBR, hypoxic bedrest (HBR], and hypoxic ambulation (HAmb in a strictly controlled laboratory environment, balanced fluid, and dietary intakes, controlled circadian rhythm, microbial ambiental burden, and 24/7 medical surveillance. The fraction of inspired O2 (FiO2 and partial pressure of inspired O2 (PiO2 were 0.209 and 133.1 ± 0.3 mmHg for NBR and 0.141 ± 0.004 and 90.0 ± 0.4 mmHg for both hypoxic variants (HBR and HAmb; ~4,000 m simulated altitude, respectively. A number of parameters linked to intestinal transit spanning Bristol Stool Scale, defecation rates, zonulin, α1-antitrypsin, eosinophil derived neurotoxin, bile acids, reducing sugars, short chain fatty acids, total soluble organic carbon, water content, diet composition, and food intake were measured (167 variables. The abundance, structure, and diversity of butyrate producing microbial community were assessed using the two primary bacterial butyrate synthesis pathways, butyryl-CoA: acetate CoA-transferase (but and butyrate kinase (buk genes. Inactivity negatively affected fecal consistency and in combination with hypoxia aggravated the state of gut inflammation (p < 0.05. In contrast, gut permeability, various metabolic markers, the structure, diversity, and abundance of butyrate producing microbial community were not significantly affected. Rearrangements in the butyrate producing microbial community structure were explained by experimental setup (13.4%, experimentally structured metabolites (12.8%, and gut metabolite-immunological markers (11.9%, with 61.9% remaining unexplained. Many of the measured parameters were found to be correlated and were hence omitted from further analyses. The observed progressive increase in two immunological intestinal markers suggested that the transition from healthy physiological state toward

  7. Metabolite Damage and Metabolite Damage Control in Plants

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hanson, Andrew D. [Horticultural Sciences Department and; Henry, Christopher S. [Mathematics and Computer Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439, email:; Computation Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637; Fiehn, Oliver [Genome Center, University of California, Davis, California 95616, email:; de Crécy-Lagard, Valérie [Microbiology and Cell Science Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, email: ,

    2016-04-29

    It is increasingly clear that (a) many metabolites undergo spontaneous or enzyme-catalyzed side reactions in vivo, (b) the damaged metabolites formed by these reactions can be harmful, and (c) organisms have biochemical systems that limit the buildup of damaged metabolites. These damage-control systems either return a damaged molecule to its pristine state (metabolite repair) or convert harmful molecules to harmless ones (damage preemption). Because all organisms share a core set of metabolites that suffer the same chemical and enzymatic damage reactions, certain damage-control systems are widely conserved across the kingdoms of life. Relatively few damage reactions and damage-control systems are well known. Uncovering new damage reactions and identifying the corresponding damaged metabolites, damage-control genes, and enzymes demands a coordinated mix of chemistry, metabolomics, cheminformatics, biochemistry, and comparative genomics. This review illustrates the above points using examples from plants, which are at least as prone to metabolite damage as other organisms.

  8. Impact of sowing time, hybrid and environmental conditions on the contamination of maize by emerging mycotoxins and fungal metabolites

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Massimo Blandino

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Mycotoxins and other fungal metabolites represent the most insidious safety risks to cereal food and the feed chain. Optimising agronomic practices is one of the main strategies adopted to minimise the contents of these undesirable substances in grain-based commodities. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the combination of sowing times and hybrids on the occurrence of emerging mycotoxins and fungal metabolites in maize. Field experiments were carried out in 2 sowing times (early vs late and 3 maize hybrids were compared in the 2014 and 2015 growing seasons. Overall, 37 fungal metabolites produced by Fusarium and Alternaria species were detected. Apart from fumonisins type B (FBs, other metabolites produced by Fusarium verticillioides and F. proliferatum, such as fumonisins type A, fusaric acid, bikaverin and fusaproliferin, were also detected in all of the samples. Fusarin C was found in 61% of the samples. Deoxynivalenol (DON, deoxynivalenol-3-glucoside, culmorin and zearalenone, all of which are produced prevalently by Fusarium graminearum and F. culmorum, were found in all the samples. Their contents were clearly affected by the meteorological trend: the highest contamination was detected in the 2014 growing season, which was characterised by abundant rainfall and lower temperatures from flowering to maize ripening. Among the mycotoxins produced by other Fusarium species, aurofusarin was found to clearly be associated with DON, while moniliformin and beauvericin followed the same behaviour as the FBs. A late sowing time significantly increased the FBs and fumonisin- associated mycotoxins in both growing seasons. The increase in contamination with the delay of sowing was more pronounced in the 2015 growing season, as the environmental conditions were less favourable to the infection of other Fusarium species. The effect of sowing time on DON and DON-associated mycotoxins produced conflicting results for the two growing

  9. Potentially harmful secondary metabolites produced by indoor Chaetomium species on artificially and naturally contaminated building materials

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dosen, Ina; Nielsen, Kristian Fog; Clausen, Geo

    2017-01-01

    , have been screened for, and thus detected in buildings. In this study, we used a liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry approach to screen both artificially and naturally infected building materials for all the Chaetomium metabolites described in the literature. Pure agar cultures were...... also investigated in order to establish differences between metabolite production in vitro and on building materials as well as comparison to non-indoor reference strains. On building materials six different chaetoglobosins were detected in total concentrations of up to 950 mg/m2 from C. globosum along...... with three different chaetoviridins/chaetomugilins in concentrations up to 200 mg/m2. Indoor Chaetomium spp. preferred wood-based materials over gypsum, both in terms of growth rate and metabolite production. Cochliodones were detected for the first time on all building materials infected by both C. globosum...

  10. Comparison of Acute Toxicity of Algal Metabolites Using Bioluminescence Inhibition Assay

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hansa Jeswani

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Microalgae are reported to degrade hazardous compounds. However, algae, especially cyanobacteria are known to produce secondary metabolites which may be toxic to flora, fauna and human beings. The aim of this study was selection of an appropriate algal culture for biological treatment of biomass gasification wastewater based on acute toxicity considerations. The three algae that were selected were Spirulina sp., Scenedesmus abundans and a fresh water algal consortium. Acute toxicity of the metabolites produced by these algal cultures was tested at the end of log phase using the standard bioluminescence inhibition assay based on Vibrio fischeri NRRLB 11174. Scenedesmus abundans and a fresh water algal consortium dominated by cyanobacteria such as Phormidium, Chroococcus and Oscillatoria did not release much toxic metabolites at the end of log phase and caused only about 20% inhibition in bioluminescence. In comparison, Spirulina sp. released toxic metabolites and caused 50% bioluminescence inhibition at 3/5 times dilution of the culture supernatant (EC50.

  11. Metabolome analysis - mass spectrometry and microbial primary metabolites

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Højer-Pedersen, Jesper Juul

    2008-01-01

    , and therefore sample preparation is critical for metabolome analysis. The three major steps in sample preparation for metabolite analysis are sampling, extraction and concentration. These three steps were evaluated for the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae with primary focus on analysis of a large number...... of metabolites by one method. The results highlighted that there were discrepancies between different methods. To increase the throughput of cultivation, S. cerevisiae was grown in microtitier plates (MTPs), and the growth was found to be comparable with cultivations in shake flasks. The carbon source was either...... a theoretical metabolome. This showed that in combination with the specificity of MS up to 84% of the metabolites can be identified in a high-accuracy ESI-spectrum. A total of 66 metabolites were systematically analyzed by positive and negative ESI-MS/MS with the aim of initiating a spectral library for ESI...

  12. Effects of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and its main metabolites on cardiovascular function in conscious rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schindler, Charles W; Thorndike, Eric B; Blough, Bruce E; Tella, Srihari R; Goldberg, Steven R; Baumann, Michael H

    2014-01-01

    The cardiovascular effects produced by 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA; 'Ecstasy') contribute to its acute toxicity, but the potential role of its metabolites in these cardiovascular effects is not known. Here we examined the effects of MDMA metabolites on cardiovascular function in rats. Radiotelemetry was employed to evaluate the effects of s.c. administration of racemic MDMA and its phase I metabolites on BP, heart rate (HR) and locomotor activity in conscious male rats. MDMA (1-20 mg·kg(-1)) produced dose-related increases in BP, HR and activity. The peak effects on HR occurred at a lower dose than peak effects on BP or activity. The N-demethylated metabolite, 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA), produced effects that mimicked those of MDMA. The metabolite 3,4-dihydroxymethamphetamine (HHMA; 1-10 mg·kg(-1)) increased HR more potently and to a greater extent than MDMA, whereas 3,4-dihydroxyamphetamine (HHA) increased HR, but to a lesser extent than HHMA. Neither dihydroxy metabolite altered motor activity. The metabolites 4-hydroxy-3-methoxymethamphetamine (HMMA) and 4-hydroxy-3-methoxyamphetamine (HMA) did not affect any of the parameters measured. The tachycardia produced by MDMA and HHMA was blocked by the β-adrenoceptor antagonist propranolol. Our results demonstrate that HHMA may contribute significantly to the cardiovascular effects of MDMA in vivo. As such, determining the molecular mechanism of action of HHMA and the other hydroxyl metabolites of MDMA warrants further study. Published 2013. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

  13. Comparative metabolite profiling of Solanum tuberosum against six wild Solanum species with Colorado potato beetle resistance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tai, Helen H; Worrall, Kraig; Pelletier, Yvan; De Koeyer, David; Calhoun, Larry A

    2014-09-10

    The Colorado potato beetle Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say) (CPB) is a coleopteran herbivore that feeds on the foliage on Solanum species, in particular, potato. Six resistant wild Solanum species were identified, and two of these species had low levels of glycoalkaloids. Comparative analysis of the untargeted metabolite profiles of the foliage using UPLC-qTOF-MS was done to find metabolites shared between the wild species but not with Solanum tuberosum (L.) to identify resistance-related metabolites. It was found that only S. tuberosum produced the triose glycoalkaloids solanine and chaconine. Instead, the six wild species produced glycoalkaloids that shared in common tetrose sugar side chains. Additionally, there were non-glycoalkaloid metabolites associated with resistance including hydroxycoumarin and a phenylpropanoid, which were produced in all wild species but not in S. tuberosum.

  14. MassTRIX reloaded: combined analysis and visualization of transcriptome and metabolome data.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Brigitte Wägele

    Full Text Available Systems Biology is a field in biological science that focuses on the combination of several or all "omics"-approaches in order to find out how genes, transcripts, proteins and metabolites act together in the network of life. Metabolomics as analog to genomics, transcriptomics and proteomics is more and more integrated into biological studies and often transcriptomic and metabolomic experiments are combined in one setup. At a first glance both data types seem to be completely different, but both produce information on biological entities, either transcripts or metabolites. Both types can be overlaid on metabolic pathways to obtain biological information on the studied system. For the joint analysis of both data types the MassTRIX webserver was updated. MassTRIX is freely available at www.masstrix.org.

  15. Robust volcano plot: identification of differential metabolites in the presence of outliers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kumar, Nishith; Hoque, Md Aminul; Sugimoto, Masahiro

    2018-04-11

    The identification of differential metabolites in metabolomics is still a big challenge and plays a prominent role in metabolomics data analyses. Metabolomics datasets often contain outliers because of analytical, experimental, and biological ambiguity, but the currently available differential metabolite identification techniques are sensitive to outliers. We propose a kernel weight based outlier-robust volcano plot for identifying differential metabolites from noisy metabolomics datasets. Two numerical experiments are used to evaluate the performance of the proposed technique against nine existing techniques, including the t-test and the Kruskal-Wallis test. Artificially generated data with outliers reveal that the proposed method results in a lower misclassification error rate and a greater area under the receiver operating characteristic curve compared with existing methods. An experimentally measured breast cancer dataset to which outliers were artificially added reveals that our proposed method produces only two non-overlapping differential metabolites whereas the other nine methods produced between seven and 57 non-overlapping differential metabolites. Our data analyses show that the performance of the proposed differential metabolite identification technique is better than that of existing methods. Thus, the proposed method can contribute to analysis of metabolomics data with outliers. The R package and user manual of the proposed method are available at https://github.com/nishithkumarpaul/Rvolcano .

  16. Simvastatin (SV) metabolites in mouse tissues

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Duncan, C.A.; Vickers, S.

    1990-01-01

    SV, a semisynthetic analog of lovastatin, is hydrolyzed in vivo to its hydroxy acid (SVA), a potent inhibitor of HMG CoA reductase (HR). Thus SV lowers plasma cholesterol. SV is a substrate for mixed function oxidases whereas SVA undergoes lactonization and β-oxidation. Male CD-1 mice were dosed orally with a combination of ( 14 C)SV and ( 3 H)SVA at 25 mg/kg of each, bled and killed at 0.5, 2 and 4 hours. Labeled SV, SVA, 6'exomethylene SV (I), 6'CH 2 OH-SV (II), 6'COOH-SV (III) and a β-oxidized metabolite (IV) were assayed in liver, bile, kidneys, testes and plasma by RIDA. Levels of potential and active HR inhibitors in liver were 10 to 40 fold higher than in other tissues. II and III, in which the configuration at 6' is inverted, may be 2 metabolites of I. Metabolites I-III are inhibitors of HR in their hydroxy acid forms. Qualitatively ( 14 C)SV and ( 3 H)SVA were metabolized similarly (consistent with their proposed interconversion). However 3 H-SVA, I-III (including hydroxy acid forms) achieved higher concentrations than corresponding 14 C compounds (except in gall bladder bile). Major radioactive metabolites in liver were II-IV (including hydroxy acid forms). These metabolites have also been reported in rat tissues. In bile a large fraction of either label was unidentified polar metabolites. The presence of IV indicated that mice (like rats) are not good models for SV metabolism in man

  17. A hybrid approach identifies metabolic signatures of high-producers for chinese hamster ovary clone selection and process optimization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Popp, Oliver; Müller, Dirk; Didzus, Katharina; Paul, Wolfgang; Lipsmeier, Florian; Kirchner, Florian; Niklas, Jens; Mauch, Klaus; Beaucamp, Nicola

    2016-09-01

    In-depth characterization of high-producer cell lines and bioprocesses is vital to ensure robust and consistent production of recombinant therapeutic proteins in high quantity and quality for clinical applications. This requires applying appropriate methods during bioprocess development to enable meaningful characterization of CHO clones and processes. Here, we present a novel hybrid approach for supporting comprehensive characterization of metabolic clone performance. The approach combines metabolite profiling with multivariate data analysis and fluxomics to enable a data-driven mechanistic analysis of key metabolic traits associated with desired cell phenotypes. We applied the methodology to quantify and compare metabolic performance in a set of 10 recombinant CHO-K1 producer clones and a host cell line. The comprehensive characterization enabled us to derive an extended set of clone performance criteria that not only captured growth and product formation, but also incorporated information on intracellular clone physiology and on metabolic changes during the process. These criteria served to establish a quantitative clone ranking and allowed us to identify metabolic differences between high-producing CHO-K1 clones yielding comparably high product titers. Through multivariate data analysis of the combined metabolite and flux data we uncovered common metabolic traits characteristic of high-producer clones in the screening setup. This included high intracellular rates of glutamine synthesis, low cysteine uptake, reduced excretion of aspartate and glutamate, and low intracellular degradation rates of branched-chain amino acids and of histidine. Finally, the above approach was integrated into a workflow that enables standardized high-content selection of CHO producer clones in a high-throughput fashion. In conclusion, the combination of quantitative metabolite profiling, multivariate data analysis, and mechanistic network model simulations can identify metabolic

  18. Relation between microbiological quality, metabolite production and sensory quality of equilibrium modified atmosphere packaged fresh-cut produce.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jacxsens, L; Devlieghere, F; Ragaert, P; Vanneste, E; Debevere, J

    2003-06-25

    The quality of four types of fresh-cut produce, packaged in consumer-sized packages under an equilibrium modified atmosphere and stored at 7 degrees C, was assessed by establishing the relation between the microbial outgrowth and the corresponding production of nonvolatile compounds and related sensory disorders. In vitro experiments, performed on a lettuce-juice-agar, demonstrated the production of nonvolatile compounds by spoilage causing lactic acid bacteria and Enterobacteriaceae. Pseudomonas fluorescens and yeasts, however, were not able to produce detectable amounts of nonvolatile metabolites. The type of spoilage and quality deterioration in vivo depended on the type of vegetable. Mixed lettuce and chicory endives, leafy tissues, containing naturally low concentrations of sugars, showed a spoilage dominated by Gram-negative microorganisms, which are not producing nonvolatile compounds. Sensory problems were associated with visual properties and the metabolic activity of the plant tissue. Mixed bell peppers and grated celeriac, on the other hand, demonstrated a fast and intense growth of spoilage microorganisms, dominated by lactic acid bacteria and yeasts. This proliferation resulted in detectable levels of organic acids and the rejection by the trained sensory panel was based on the negative perception of the organoleptical properties (off-flavour, odour and taste). The applied microbiological criteria corresponded well with detectable changes in sensory properties and measurable concentrations of nonvolatile compounds, surely in the cases where lactic acid bacteria and yeasts were provoking spoilage. Consequently, the freshness of minimally processed vegetables, sensitive for outgrowth of lactic acid bacteria and yeasts (e.g., carrots, celeriac, bell peppers, mixtures with non-leafy vegetables) can be evaluated via analysis of the produced nonvolatile compounds.

  19. Human metabolites of brevetoxin PbTx-2: Identification and confirmation of structure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guo, Fujiang; An, Tianying; Rein, Kathleen S.

    2010-01-01

    Four metabolites were identified upon incubation of brevetoxin (PbTx-2) with human liver microsomes. Chemical transformation of PbTx-2 confirmed the structures of three known metabolites BTX-B5, PbTx-9 and 41, 43-dihydro-BTX-B5 and a previously unknown metabolite, 41, 43-dihydro-PbTx-2. These metabolites were also observed upon incubation of PbTx-2 with nine human recombinant cytochrome P450s (1A1, 1A2, 2C8, 2C9, 2C19, 2D6, 2E1, 3A4 and 3A5). Cytochrome P450 3A4 produced oxidized metabolites while other CYPs generated the reduced products. PMID:20600229

  20. The effects of types of media on uranium leaching using metabolite of Aspergillus niger

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Guangyue; Ding Dexin; Wang Yongdong; Hu Nan

    2012-01-01

    To investigate the influences of different media to uranium leaching applying with metabolite of Aspergillus niger, PSA and glucose-steepwater medium were used for the culture of Aspergillus niger, and the metabolite of Aspergillus niger with different pH value produced in the diverse culture temperature were obtained which was applied on the tests of uranium leaching as leaching agent. The test results show that the maximum leaching rate is 83.05% when the leaching agent is the metabolite of Aspergillus niger produced by PSA, as for the glucose- steepwater medium, the maximum leaching rate is 68.20%. The pH value of the metabolite of Aspergillus niger of the two kinds of media has a significant effect on the leaching rate. When PSA is adopted, the best leaching rate appears at the pH value of metabolite ranging from 2.0 to 2.5, and as for the glucose-steepwater medium, the pH value is below 2.1. (authors)

  1. antiSMASH 2.0-a versatile platform for genome mining of secondary metabolite producers

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Blin, Kai; Medema, Marnix H.; Kazempour, Daniyal; Fischbach, Michael A.; Breitling, Rainer; Takano, Eriko; Weber, Tilmann

    Microbial secondary metabolites are a potent source of antibiotics and other pharmaceuticals. Genome mining of their biosynthetic gene clusters has become a key method to accelerate their identification and characterization. In 2011, we developed antiSMASH, a web-based analysis platform that

  2. Metabolites identification of harmane in vitro/in vivo in rats by ultra-performance liquid chromatography combined with electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Shuping; Liu, Wei; Teng, Liang; Cheng, Xuemei; Wang, Zhengtao; Wang, Changhong

    2014-04-01

    Harmane, a β-carboline alkaloid with a wide spectrum of pharmacological activities, is naturally present in the human diet, in numerous foodstuffs and in hallucinogenic plants such as Peganum harmala, Banisteriopsis caapi and Tribulus terrestris. However, the precise metabolic fate of harmane remains unknown. In order to know whether harmane is extensively metabolized, a rapid and sensitive method using ultra-performance liquid chromatography combined with electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC/ESI-QTOF-MS) was used to analyze the metabolic profile of harmane in vitro and in vivo in rats. A total of 21 metabolites were identified from the rat liver microsomes and rat liver S9 (9), rat urine (11), feces (16), bile (16), and plasma (10) after a single oral administration of harmane using MetaboLynx™ and MassFragment ™ software tools. It indicated that the biliary and faecal clearance were the major excretion routes for harmane as well as its metabolites. The specific CLogP values combined with different acidic and alkaline mobile phase were helpful and useful for distinguishing N-oxidation and monohydroxylation metabolites. The metabolic transformation pathways of harmane included monohydroxylation, dihydroxylation, N-oxidation, O-glucuronide conjugation, O-sulphate conjugation, and glutathione conjugation. In conclusion, this study showed an insight into the metabolism of harmane. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. Ecosystem, location, and climate effects on foliar secondary metabolites of lodgepole pine populations from central British Columbia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wallis, Christopher M; Huber, Dezene P W; Lewis, Kathy J

    2011-06-01

    Lodgepole pines, Pinus contorta Douglas ex Louden var. latifolia Engelm. ex S. Watson, are encountering increased abiotic stress and pest activity due to recent increases in temperature and changes in precipitation throughout their range. This tree species counters these threats by producing secondary metabolites, including phenolics and terpenoids. We examined foliar levels of lignin, soluble phenolics, monoterpenoids, sesquiterpenoids, and diterpenoids in 12 stands in British Columbia, Canada. We used these data to assess associations among foliar secondary metabolite levels and ecosystem, geographic, and climatic variables. Regressions were also performed to observe which combinations of variables best explained secondary metabolite variance. Stands of P. c. latifolia in the Coastal Western Hemlock and Interior Cedar/Hemlock biogeoclimatic zones had consistently greater foliar levels of almost all measured secondary metabolites than did other stands. Lignin was present in greater amounts in Boreal White/Black Spruce ecosystem (i.e., northern) stands than in southern stands, suggesting a role for this metabolite in pine survival in the boreal forest. Attempts to develop regression models with geographic and climatic variables to explain foliar secondary metabolite levels resulted in multiple models with similar predictive capability. Since foliar secondary metabolite levels appeared to vary most between stand ecosystem types and not as much due to geographic and climatic variables, metabolic profiles appeared best matched to the stress levels within local environments. It is unknown if differences in secondary metabolite levels are the result of genetic adaptation or phenotypic plasticity, but results from this and other studies suggest that both are important. These results are interpreted in light of ongoing efforts to assist in the migration of certain populations of P. c. latifolia northward in an effort to counter predicted effects of climate change.

  4. Metabolite Profiling of Peppers of Various Colors Reveals Relationships Between Tocopherol, Carotenoid, and Phytosterol Content.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Tae Jin; Choi, Jaehyuk; Kim, Kil Won; Ahn, Soon Kil; Ha, Sun-Hwa; Choi, Yongsoo; Park, Nam Il; Kim, Jae Kwang

    2017-12-01

    Peppers are widely consumed in Korea; the varietal development of peppers with increased content of beneficial plant metabolites is, therefore, of considerable interest. This requires a comprehensive understanding of the metabolic profile of pepper plants and the factors affecting this profile. To this end, we determined the content of various metabolites, such as hydrophilic and lipophilic compounds, phenolic acids, carotenoids, and capsaicinoids in peppers of various colors (green, red, pale green, and violet peppers) and in a high-pungency (green) pepper. We also performed principal component analysis (PCA), Pearson's correlation analysis, and hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA) to determine the relationships among these metabolites in peppers. PCA results indicated no significant variances among the 3 sample replicates. The HCA showed correlations between the metabolites resulting from common or closely linked biosynthesis pathways. Our results showed that carotenoids correlated positively with tocopherols and negatively with phytosterols; our findings also indicated a close relationship between the methylerythritol 4-phosphate and mevalonic acid biosynthesis pathways, providing evidence in favor of an earlier hypothesis regarding crosstalk across the chloroplast membrane. We, thus, demonstrate that metabolic profiling combined with multivariate analysis is a useful tool for analyzing metabolic networks. A total of 71 metabolites were measured in 5 peppers of different colors. The metabolic profiling with multivariate analysis revealed that tocopherol content had a positive correlation with the carotenoid content and a negative correlation with the phytosterol content. The results of this study may help in breeding programs to produce new germplasm with enhanced nutritional quality. © 2017 Institute of Food Technologists®.

  5. Production of Phytotoxic Metabolite Using Biphasic Fermentation System from Strain C1136 of Lasiodiplodia pseudotheobromae, a Potential Bioherbicidal Agent

    OpenAIRE

    Charles Oluwaseun ADETUNJI; Julius Kola OLOKE; Gandham PRASAD; Moses ABALAKA; Emenike Onyebum IROKANULO

    2017-01-01

    Formulation of effective and environmental friendly bioherbicides depends on the type of fermentation medium used for the production of phytotoxic metabolites. The effect of biomass, colony forming unit and the phytotoxic metabolite produced from the biphasic fermentation was carried out, while the phytotoxic metabolite was tested in vivo and in-vitro on Echinochola crus-galli and dicotyledonous Chromolaena odorata. The mutant strain of Lasiodiplodia pseudotheobromae C1136 (Lp90) produced th...

  6. Andrastin A and barceloneic acid metabolites, protein farnesyl transferase inhibitors from Penicillium alborcoremium: chemotaxonomic significance and pathological implications

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Overy, David Patrick; Larsen, Thomas Ostenfeld; Dalsgaard, P.W.

    2005-01-01

    A survey of Penicillium albocoremium was undertaken to identify potential taxonomic metabolite markers. One major and four minor metabolites were consistently produced by the 19 strains surveyed on three different media. Following purification and spectral studies, the metabolites were identified...

  7. Extraction and applications of cyanotoxins and other cyanobacterial secondary metabolites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haque, Fatima; Banayan, Sara; Yee, Josephine; Chiang, Yi Wai

    2017-09-01

    The rapid proliferation of cyanobacteria in bodies of water has caused cyanobacterial blooms, which have become an increasing cause of concern, largely due to the presence of toxic secondary metabolites (or cyanotoxins). Cyanotoxins are the toxins produced by cyanobacteria that may be harmful to surrounding wildlife. They include hepatotoxins, neurotoxins and dermatotoxins, and are classified based on the organs they affect. There are also non-toxic secondary metabolites that include chelators and UV-absorbing compounds. This paper summarizes the optimal techniques for secondary metabolite extraction and the possible useful products that can be obtained from cyanobacteria, with additional focus given to products derived from secondary metabolites. It becomes evident that the potential for their use as biocides, chelators, biofuels, biofertilizers, pharmaceuticals, food and feed, and cosmetics has not yet been comprehensively studied or extensively implemented. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Halophilic and halotolerant actinomycetes from a marine saltern of Goa, India producing anti-bacterial metabolites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ballav, Shuvankar; Kerkar, Savita; Thomas, Sabu; Augustine, Nimmy

    2015-03-01

    Marine salterns are estuarine ecosystems in Goa, receiving inputs from riverine and marine waters. The Salinity fluctuates between 0 and 300 psu which makes it a conducive niche for salt tolerant and salt loving Actinomycetales. Halotolerant and halophilic Actinomycetales producing anti-bacterial metabolites were studied from crystallizer pond sediments of Ribandar saltern, Goa. Three media viz. Starch casein, R2A and Inorganic salt starch agar at four different salinities (35, 50, 75 and 100 psu) were used for isolation. R2A agar at 35 psu was the most preferred by hypersaline actinomycetes. The dominant group was halotolerant Streptomyces spp. others being rare actinomycetes viz. Nocardiopsis, Micromonospora and Kocuria spp. More than 50% of the isolates showed anti-bacterial activity against one or more of the fifteen human pathogens tested. Eight strains from 4 genera showed consistent anti-bacterial activity and studied in detail. Most halotolerant isolates grew from 0 to 75 psu, with optimum antibiotic production at 35 psu whereas halophiles grew at 20 to 100 psu with optimum antibiotic production at 35 psu. Four Streptomyces strains showed multiple inhibition against test organisms while four rare actinomycetes were specific in their inhibitory activity. This is the first report of a halophilic Kocuria sp., Nocardiopsis sp., and halotolerant Micromonospora sp. producing anti-bacterial compound(s) against Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus citreus, and Vibrio cholerae, respectively. Sequential extraction with varying polarity of organic solvents showed that the extracts inhibited different test pathogens. These results suggest that halophilic and halotolerant actinomycetes from marine salterns are a potential source of anti-bacterial compounds. Copyright © 2014 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. Differential responses of human dendritic cells to metabolites from the oral/airway microbiome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Whiteson, K; Agrawal, S; Agrawal, A

    2017-06-01

    Small molecule metabolites that are produced or altered by host-associated microbial communities are emerging as significant immune response modifiers. However, there is a key gap in our knowledge of how oral microbial metabolites affect the immune response. Here, we examined the effects of metabolites from five bacterial strains found commonly in the oral/airway microbial communities of humans. The five strains, each isolated from cystic fibrosis patient sputum, were Pseudomonas aeruginosa FLR01 non-mucoid (P1) and FLR02 mucoid (P2) forms, Streptococcus pneumoniae (Sp), S. salivarius (Ss) and Rothia mucilaginosa (Rm). The effect of bacterial metabolites on dendritic cell (DC) activation, T cell priming and cytokine secretion was determined by exposing DCs to bacterial supernatants and individual metabolites of interest. Supernatants from P1 and P2 induced high levels of tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-12 and IL-6 from DCs and primed T cells to secrete interferon (IFN)-γ, IL-22 compared to supernatants from Sp, Ss and Rm. Investigations into the composition of supernatants using gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS) revealed signature metabolites for each of the strains. Supernatants from P1 and P2 contained high levels of putrescine and glucose, while Sp and Ss contained high levels of 2,3-butanediol. The individual metabolites replicated the results of whole supernatants, although the magnitudes of their effects were reduced significantly. Altogether, our data demonstrate for the first time that the signature metabolites produced by different bacteria have different effects on DC functions. The identification of signature metabolites and their effects on the host immune system can provide mechanistic insights into diseases and may also be developed as biomarkers. © 2017 British Society for Immunology.

  10. Interactions between Plant Metabolites Affect Herbivores: A Study with Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids and Chlorogenic Acid

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Xiaojie; Vrieling, Klaas; Klinkhamer, Peter G.L.

    2017-01-01

    The high structural diversity of plant metabolites suggests that interactions among them should be common. We investigated the effects of single metabolites and combinations of plant metabolites on insect herbivores. In particular we studied the interacting effects of pyrrolizidine alkaloid (PAs), and chlorogenic acid (CGA), on a generalist herbivore, Frankliniella occidentalis. We studied both the predominantly occurring PA N-oxides and the less frequent PA free bases. We found antagonistic effects between CGA and PA free bases on thrips mortality. In contrast PA N-oxides showed synergistic interactions with CGA. PA free bases caused a higher thrips mortality than PA N-oxides while the reverse was through for PAs in combination with CGA. Our results provide an explanation for the predominate storage of PA N-oxides in plants. We propose that antagonistic interactions represent a constraint on the accumulation of plant metabolites, as we found here for Jacobaea vulgaris. The results show that the bioactivity of a given metabolite is not merely dependent upon the amount and chemical structure of that metabolite, but also on the co-occurrence metabolites in, e.g., plant cells, tissues and organs. The significance of this study is beyond the concerns of the two specific groups tested here. The current study is one of the few studies so far that experimentally support the general conception that the interactions among plant metabolites are of great importance to plant-environment interactions. PMID:28611815

  11. Interactions between Plant Metabolites Affect Herbivores: A Study with Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids and Chlorogenic Acid

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiaojie Liu

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available The high structural diversity of plant metabolites suggests that interactions among them should be common. We investigated the effects of single metabolites and combinations of plant metabolites on insect herbivores. In particular we studied the interacting effects of pyrrolizidine alkaloid (PAs, and chlorogenic acid (CGA, on a generalist herbivore, Frankliniella occidentalis. We studied both the predominantly occurring PA N-oxides and the less frequent PA free bases. We found antagonistic effects between CGA and PA free bases on thrips mortality. In contrast PA N-oxides showed synergistic interactions with CGA. PA free bases caused a higher thrips mortality than PA N-oxides while the reverse was through for PAs in combination with CGA. Our results provide an explanation for the predominate storage of PA N-oxides in plants. We propose that antagonistic interactions represent a constraint on the accumulation of plant metabolites, as we found here for Jacobaea vulgaris. The results show that the bioactivity of a given metabolite is not merely dependent upon the amount and chemical structure of that metabolite, but also on the co-occurrence metabolites in, e.g., plant cells, tissues and organs. The significance of this study is beyond the concerns of the two specific groups tested here. The current study is one of the few studies so far that experimentally support the general conception that the interactions among plant metabolites are of great importance to plant-environment interactions.

  12. Genomics-guided discovery of secondary metabolites and their regulation in Pseudomonas protegens Pf-5

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pseudomonas protegens strain Pf-5 is a well-characterized rhizosphere bacterium known for its production of a diverse spectrum of secondary metabolites and its capacity to suppress plant diseases caused by soilborne fungal, bacterial and oomycete pathogens. Metabolites produced by Pf-5 include 2,4-...

  13. Emerging technologies, recent developments, and novel applications for drug metabolite identification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, Wenjie; Xu, Youzhi; Zhao, Yinglan; Cen, Xiaobo

    2014-01-01

    Drug metabolite identification and metabolic characteristics analysis play a crucial role in new drug research and development, because they can lead to varied efficacy, severe adverse reactions, and even toxicity. Classical methodologies for metabolite identification have mainly been based on mass spectrometry (MS) coupled with gas chromatography (GC) or liquid chromatography (LC), and some other techniques are used as complementary approaches, such as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Over the past decade, more and more newly emerging techniques or technologies have been applied to metabolite identification, and are making the procedure easier and more robust, such as LC-NMR-MS, ion mobility MS, ambient ionization techniques, and imaging MS. A novel application of drug metabolite identification based on "omics" known as pharmacometabonomics is discussed, which is an interdisciplinary field that combines pre-dose metabolite profiling and chemometrics methods for data analysis and modeling, aiming to predict the responses of individuals to drugs.

  14. Metabolite profiling of Alzheimer's disease cerebrospinal fluid.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christian Czech

    Full Text Available Alzheimer's disease (AD is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive loss of cognitive functions. Today the diagnosis of AD relies on clinical evaluations and is only late in the disease. Biomarkers for early detection of the underlying neuropathological changes are still lacking and the biochemical pathways leading to the disease are still not completely understood. The aim of this study was to identify the metabolic changes resulting from the disease phenotype by a thorough and systematic metabolite profiling approach. For this purpose CSF samples from 79 AD patients and 51 healthy controls were analyzed by gas and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS and LC-MS/MS in conjunction with univariate and multivariate statistical analyses. In total 343 different analytes have been identified. Significant changes in the metabolite profile of AD patients compared to healthy controls have been identified. Increased cortisol levels seemed to be related to the progression of AD and have been detected in more severe forms of AD. Increased cysteine associated with decreased uridine was the best paired combination to identify light AD (MMSE>22 with specificity and sensitivity above 75%. In this group of patients, sensitivity and specificity above 80% were obtained for several combinations of three to five metabolites, including cortisol and various amino acids, in addition to cysteine and uridine.

  15. Investigation of metabolites for estimating blood deposition time.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lech, Karolina; Liu, Fan; Davies, Sarah K; Ackermann, Katrin; Ang, Joo Ern; Middleton, Benita; Revell, Victoria L; Raynaud, Florence J; Hoveijn, Igor; Hut, Roelof A; Skene, Debra J; Kayser, Manfred

    2018-01-01

    Trace deposition timing reflects a novel concept in forensic molecular biology involving the use of rhythmic biomarkers for estimating the time within a 24-h day/night cycle a human biological sample was left at the crime scene, which in principle allows verifying a sample donor's alibi. Previously, we introduced two circadian hormones for trace deposition timing and recently demonstrated that messenger RNA (mRNA) biomarkers significantly improve time prediction accuracy. Here, we investigate the suitability of metabolites measured using a targeted metabolomics approach, for trace deposition timing. Analysis of 171 plasma metabolites collected around the clock at 2-h intervals for 36 h from 12 male participants under controlled laboratory conditions identified 56 metabolites showing statistically significant oscillations, with peak times falling into three day/night time categories: morning/noon, afternoon/evening and night/early morning. Time prediction modelling identified 10 independently contributing metabolite biomarkers, which together achieved prediction accuracies expressed as AUC of 0.81, 0.86 and 0.90 for these three time categories respectively. Combining metabolites with previously established hormone and mRNA biomarkers in time prediction modelling resulted in an improved prediction accuracy reaching AUCs of 0.85, 0.89 and 0.96 respectively. The additional impact of metabolite biomarkers, however, was rather minor as the previously established model with melatonin, cortisol and three mRNA biomarkers achieved AUC values of 0.88, 0.88 and 0.95 for the same three time categories respectively. Nevertheless, the selected metabolites could become practically useful in scenarios where RNA marker information is unavailable such as due to RNA degradation. This is the first metabolomics study investigating circulating metabolites for trace deposition timing, and more work is needed to fully establish their usefulness for this forensic purpose.

  16. Diversity of Secondary Metabolites from Marine Bacillus Species: Chemistry and Biological Activity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mondol, Muhammad Abdul Mojid; Shin, Hee Jae; Islam, Mohammad Tofazzal

    2013-01-01

    Marine Bacillus species produce versatile secondary metabolites including lipopeptides, polypeptides, macrolactones, fatty acids, polyketides, and isocoumarins. These structurally diverse compounds exhibit a wide range of biological activities, such as antimicrobial, anticancer, and antialgal activities. Some marine Bacillus strains can detoxify heavy metals through reduction processes and have the ability to produce carotenoids. The present article reviews the chemistry and biological activities of secondary metabolites from marine isolates. Side by side, the potential for application of these novel natural products from marine Bacillus strains as drugs, pesticides, carotenoids, and tools for the bioremediation of heavy metal toxicity are also discussed. PMID:23941823

  17. Metabolite Profiles of Diabetes Risk

    OpenAIRE

    Gerszten, Robert E.

    2013-01-01

    Metabolic diseases present particular difficulty for clinicians because they are often present for years before becoming clinically apparent. We investigated whether metabolite profiles can predict the development of diabetes in the Framingham Heart Study. Five branched-chain and aromatic amino acids had highly-significant associations with future diabetes, while a combination of three amino acids strongly predicted future diabetes by up to 12 years (>5-fold increased risk for individuals in ...

  18. Analysis of Phenolic and Cyclic Compounds in Plants Using Derivatization Techniques in Combination with GC-MS-Based Metabolite Profiling

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jens Rohloff

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available Metabolite profiling has been established as a modern technology platform for the description of complex chemical matrices and compound identification in biological samples. Gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS in particular is a fast and accurate method widely applied in diagnostics, functional genomics and for screening purposes. Following solvent extraction and derivatization, hundreds of metabolites from different chemical groups can be characterized in one analytical run. Besides sugars, acids, and polyols, diverse phenolic and other cyclic metabolites can be efficiently detected by metabolite profiling. The review describes own results from plant research to exemplify the applicability of GC-MS profiling and concurrent detection and identification of phenolics and other cyclic structures.

  19. Secondary metabolites from Eurotium species, Aspergillus calidoustus and A. insuetus common in Canadian homes with a review of their chemistry and biological activities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Slack, Gregory J; Puniani, Eva; Frisvad, Jens C; Samson, Robert A; Miller, J David

    2009-04-01

    As part of studies of metabolites from fungi common in the built environment in Canadian homes, we investigated metabolites from strains of three Eurotium species, namely E. herbariorum, E. amstelodami, and E. rubrum as well as a number of isolates provisionally identified as Aspergillus ustus. The latter have been recently assigned as the new species A. insuetus and A. calidoustus. E. amstelodami produced neoechinulin A and neoechinulin B, epiheveadride, flavoglaucin, auroglaucin, and isotetrahydroauroglaucin as major metabolites. Minor metabolites included echinulin, preechinulin and neoechinulin E. E. rubrum produced all of these metabolites, but epiheveadride was detected as a minor metabolite. E. herbariorum produced cladosporin as a major metabolite, in addition to those found in E. amstelodami. This species also produced questin and neoechinulin E as minor metabolites. This is the first report of epiheveadride occurring as a natural product, and the first nonadride isolated from Eurotium species. Unlike strains from mainly infection-related samples, largely from Europe, neither ophiobolins G and H nor austins were detected in the Canadian strains of A. insuetus and A. calidoustus tested, all of which had been reported from the latter species. TMC-120 A, B, C and a sesquiterpene drimane are reported with certainty for the first time from indoor isolates, as well as two novel related methyl isoquinoline alkaloids.

  20. Extracellular Metabolites from Industrial Microalgae and Their Biotechnological Potential

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lu Liu

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Industrial microalgae, as a big family of promising producers of renewable biomass feedstock, have been commercially exploited for functional food, living feed and feed additives, high-value chemicals in nutraceuticals, cosmeceuticals, and chemical reagents. Recently, microalgae have also been considered as a group that might play an important role in biofuel development and environmental protection. Almost all current products of industrial microalgae are derived from their biomass; however, large amounts of spent cell-free media are available from mass cultivation that is mostly unexploited. In this contribution we discuss that these media, which may contain a remarkable diversity of bioactive substances are worthy to be recovered for further use. Obviously, the extracellular metabolites from industrial microalgae have long been neglected in the development of production methods for valuable metabolites. With the advances in the last ten years, more and more structures and properties from extracellular metabolites have been identified, and the potential utilization over wide fields is attracting attention. Some of these extracellular metabolites can be potentially used as drugs, antioxidants, growth regulators or metal chelators. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of the known extracellular metabolites from industrial microalgae which might be of commercial interest. The attention mainly focuses on the reports of extracellular bioactive metabolites and their potential application in biotechnology.

  1. Benzene: a case study in parent chemical and metabolite interactions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Medinsky, M A; Kenyon, E M; Schlosser, P M

    1995-12-28

    Benzene, an important industrial solvent, is also present in unleaded gasoline and cigarette smoke. The hematotoxic effects of benzene in humans are well documented and include aplastic anemia and pancytopenia, and acute myelogenous leukemia. A combination of metabolites (hydroquinone and phenol for example) is apparently necessary to duplicate the hematotoxic effect of benzene, perhaps due in part to the synergistic effect of phenol on myeloperoxidase-mediated oxidation of hydroquinone to the reactive metabolite benzoquinone. Since benzene and its hydroxylated metabolites (phenol, hydroquinone and catechol) are substrates for the same cytochrome P450 enzymes, competitive interactions among the metabolites are possible. In vivo data on metabolite formation by mice exposed to various benzene concentrations are consistent with competitive inhibition of phenol oxidation by benzene. In vitro studies of the metabolic oxidation of benzene, phenol and hydroquinone are consistent with the mechanism of competitive interaction among the metabolites. The dosimetry of benzene and its metabolites in the target tissue, bone marrow, depends on the balance of activation processes such as enzymatic oxidation and deactivation processes such as conjugation and excretion. Phenol, the primary benzene metabolite, can undergo both oxidation and conjugation. Thus, the potential exists for competition among various enzymes for phenol. However, zonal localization of Phase I and Phase II enzymes in various regions of the liver acinus regulates this competition. Biologically-based dosimetry models that incorporate the important determinants of benzene flux, including interactions with other chemicals, will enable prediction of target tissue doses of benzene and metabolites at low exposure concentrations relevant for humans.

  2. Combination of graph heuristics in producing initial solution of curriculum based course timetabling problem

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wahid, Juliana; Hussin, Naimah Mohd

    2016-08-01

    The construction of population of initial solution is a crucial task in population-based metaheuristic approach for solving curriculum-based university course timetabling problem because it can affect the convergence speed and also the quality of the final solution. This paper presents an exploration on combination of graph heuristics in construction approach in curriculum based course timetabling problem to produce a population of initial solutions. The graph heuristics were set as single and combination of two heuristics. In addition, several ways of assigning courses into room and timeslot are implemented. All settings of heuristics are then tested on the same curriculum based course timetabling problem instances and are compared with each other in terms of number of population produced. The result shows that combination of saturation degree followed by largest degree heuristic produce the highest number of population of initial solutions. The results from this study can be used in the improvement phase of algorithm that uses population of initial solutions.

  3. Natural metabolites for parasitic weed management.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vurro, Maurizio; Boari, Angela; Evidente, Antonio; Andolfi, Anna; Zermane, Nadjia

    2009-05-01

    Compounds of natural origin, such as phytotoxins produced by fungi or natural amino acids, could be used in parasitic weed management strategies by interfering with the early growth stages of the parasites. These metabolites could inhibit seed germination or germ tube elongation, so preventing attachment to the host plant, or, conversely, stimulate seed germination in the absence of the host, contributing to a reduction in the parasite seed bank. Some of the fungal metabolites assayed were very active even at very low concentrations, such as some macrocyclic trichothecenes, which at 0.1 microM strongly suppressed the germination of Orobanche ramosa L. seeds. Interesting results were also obtained with some novel toxins, such as phyllostictine A, highly active in reducing germ tube elongation and seed germination both of O. ramosa and of Cuscuta campestris Yuncker. Among the amino acids tested, methionine and arginine were particularly interesting, as they were able to suppress seed germination at concentrations lower than 1 mM. Some of the fungal metabolites tested were also able to stimulate the germination of O. ramosa seeds. The major findings in this research field are described and discussed.

  4. Emerging New Strategies for Successful Metabolite Identification in Metabolomics

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bingol, Ahmet K.; Bruschweiler-Li, Lei; Li, Dawei; Zhang, Bo; Xie, Mouzhe; Bruschweiler, Rafael

    2016-02-26

    NMR is a very powerful tool for the identification of known and unknown (or unnamed) metabolites in complex mixtures as encountered in metabolomics. Known compounds can be reliably identified using 2D NMR methods, such as 13C-1H HSQC, for which powerful web servers with databases are available for semi-automated analysis. For the identification of unknown compounds, new combinations of NMR with MS have been developed recently that make synergistic use of the mutual strengths of the two techniques. The use of chemical additives to the NMR tube, such as reactive agents, paramagnetic ions, or charged silica nanoparticles, permit the identification of metabolites with specific physical chemical properties. In the following sections, we give an overview of some of the recent advances in metabolite identification and discuss remaining challenges.

  5. Volatile metabolites profiling of a Chinese mangrove endophytic ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Pestalotiopsis JCM2A4, an endophytic fungus originally isolated from leaves of the Chinese mangrove plant Rhizophora mucronata, produces a mixture of volatile metabolites. As determined by gas chromatography and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/GC-MS), 18 compounds representing all of the hexane ...

  6. Biodegradation of clofibric acid and identification of its metabolites

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Salgado, R.; Oehmen, A.; Carvalho, G.; Noronha, J.P.; Reis, M.A.M.

    2012-01-01

    Graphical abstract: Metabolites produced during clofibric acid biodegradation. Highlights: ► Clofibric acid is biodegradable. ► Mainly heterotrophic bacteria degraded the clofibric acid. ► Metabolites of clofibric acid biodegradation were identified. ► The metabolic pathway of clofibric acid biodegradation is proposed. - Abstract: Clofibric acid (CLF) is the pharmaceutically active metabolite of lipid regulators clofibrate, etofibrate and etofyllinclofibrate, and it is considered both environmentally persistent and refractory. This work studied the biotransformation of CLF in aerobic sequencing batch reactors (SBRs) with mixed microbial cultures, monitoring the efficiency of biotransformation of CLF and the production of metabolites. The maximum removal achieved was 51% biodegradation (initial CLF concentration = 2 mg L −1 ), where adsorption and abiotic removal mechanisms were shown to be negligible, showing that CLF is indeed biodegradable. Tests showed that the observed CLF biodegradation was mainly carried out by heterotrophic bacteria. Three main metabolites were identified, including α-hydroxyisobutyric acid, lactic acid and 4-chlorophenol. The latter is known to exhibit higher toxicity than the parent compound, but it did not accumulate in the SBRs. α-Hydroxyisobutyric acid and lactic acid accumulated for a period, where nitrite accumulation may have been responsible for inhibiting their degradation. A metabolic pathway for the biodegradation of CLF is proposed in this study.

  7. Production of Bioactive Secondary Metabolites by Marine Vibrionaceae

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lone Gram

    2011-08-01

    Full Text Available Bacteria belonging to the Vibrionaceae family are widespread in the marine environment. Today, 128 species of vibrios are known. Several of them are infamous for their pathogenicity or symbiotic relationships. Despite their ability to interact with eukaryotes, the vibrios are greatly underexplored for their ability to produce bioactive secondary metabolites and studies have been limited to only a few species. Most of the compounds isolated from vibrios so far are non-ribosomal peptides or hybrids thereof, with examples of N-containing compounds produced independent of nonribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPS. Though covering a limited chemical space, vibrios produce compounds with attractive biological activities, including antibacterial, anticancer, and antivirulence activities. This review highlights some of the most interesting structures from this group of bacteria. Many compounds found in vibrios have also been isolated from other distantly related bacteria. This cosmopolitan occurrence of metabolites indicates a high incidence of horizontal gene transfer, which raises interesting questions concerning the ecological function of some of these molecules. This account underlines the pending potential for exploring new bacterial sources of bioactive compounds and the challenges related to their investigation.

  8. Secondary metabolite profiling of Alternaria dauci, A. porri, A. solani, and A. tomatophila.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Andersen, Birgitte; Dongo, Anita; Pryor, Barry M

    2008-02-01

    Chemotaxonomy (secondary metabolite profiling) has been shown to be of great value in the classification and differentiation in Ascomycota. However, few studies have investigated the use of metabolite production for classification and identification purposes of plant pathogenic Alternaria species. The purpose of the present study was to describe the methodology behind metabolite profiling in chemotaxonomy using A. dauci, A. porri, A. solani, and A. tomatophila strains as examples of the group. The results confirmed that A. dauci, A. solani, and A. tomatophila are three distinct species each with their own specific metabolite profiles, and that A. solani and A. tomatophila both produce altersolanol A, altertoxin I, and macrosporin. By using automated chemical image analysis and other multivariate statistic analyses, three sets of species-specific metabolites could be selected, one each for A. dauci, A. solani, and A. tomatophila.

  9. A new paradigm for known metabolite identification in metabonomics/metabolomics: metabolite identification efficiency.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Everett, Jeremy R

    2015-01-01

    A new paradigm is proposed for assessing confidence in the identification of known metabolites in metabonomics studies using NMR spectroscopy approaches. This new paradigm is based upon the analysis of the amount of metabolite identification information retrieved from NMR spectra relative to the molecular size of the metabolite. Several new indices are proposed including: metabolite identification efficiency (MIE) and metabolite identification carbon efficiency (MICE), both of which can be easily calculated. These indices, together with some guidelines, can be used to provide a better indication of known metabolite identification confidence in metabonomics studies than existing methods. Since known metabolite identification in untargeted metabonomics studies is one of the key bottlenecks facing the science currently, it is hoped that these concepts based on molecular spectroscopic informatics, will find utility in the field.

  10. A New Paradigm for Known Metabolite Identification in Metabonomics/Metabolomics: Metabolite Identification Efficiency

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jeremy R. Everett

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available A new paradigm is proposed for assessing confidence in the identification of known metabolites in metabonomics studies using NMR spectroscopy approaches. This new paradigm is based upon the analysis of the amount of metabolite identification information retrieved from NMR spectra relative to the molecular size of the metabolite. Several new indices are proposed including: metabolite identification efficiency (MIE and metabolite identification carbon efficiency (MICE, both of which can be easily calculated. These indices, together with some guidelines, can be used to provide a better indication of known metabolite identification confidence in metabonomics studies than existing methods. Since known metabolite identification in untargeted metabonomics studies is one of the key bottlenecks facing the science currently, it is hoped that these concepts based on molecular spectroscopic informatics, will find utility in the field.

  11. Evaluating Metabolite-Related DNA Oxidation and Adduct Damage from Aryl Amines Using a Microfluidic ECL Array.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bist, Itti; Bhakta, Snehasis; Jiang, Di; Keyes, Tia E; Martin, Aaron; Forster, Robert J; Rusling, James F

    2017-11-21

    Damage to DNA from the metabolites of drugs and pollutants constitutes a major human toxicity pathway known as genotoxicity. Metabolites can react with metal ions and NADPH to oxidize DNA or participate in S N 2 reactions to form covalently linked adducts with DNA bases. Guanines are the main DNA oxidation sites, and 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodG) is the initial product. Here we describe a novel electrochemiluminescent (ECL) microwell array that produces metabolites from test compounds and measures relative rates of DNA oxidation and DNA adduct damage. In this new array, films of DNA, metabolic enzymes, and an ECL metallopolymer or complex assembled in microwells on a pyrolytic graphite wafer are housed in dual microfluidic chambers. As reactant solution passes over the wells, metabolites form and can react with DNA in the films to form DNA adducts. These adducts are detected by ECL from a RuPVP polymer that uses DNA as a coreactant. Aryl amines also combine with Cu 2+ and NADPH to form reactive oxygen species (ROS) that oxidize DNA. The resulting 8-oxodG was detected selectively by ECL-generating bis(2,2'-bipyridine)-(4-(1,10-phenanthrolin-6-yl)-benzoic acid)Os(II). DNA/enzyme films on magnetic beads were oxidized similarly, and 8-oxodG determined by LC/MS/MS enabled array standardization. The array limit of detection for oxidation was 720 8-oxodG per 10 6 nucleobases. For a series of aryl amines, metabolite-generated DNA oxidation and adduct formation turnover rates from the array correlated very well with rodent 1/TD 50 and Comet assay results.

  12. Volatile metabolites profiling of a Chinese mangrove endophytic ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    ufuoma

    plant Rhizophora mucronata, produces a mixture of volatile metabolites. As determined ... screened using 2,2'-diphenyl-b-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging method. This is the ... night prior to autoclaving, two flasks) at room temperature under ... stand at room temperature for 30 min in the dark and absorbance.

  13. Opioid Mechanism Involvement in the Synergism Produced by the Combination of Diclofenac and Caffeine in the Formalin Model

    OpenAIRE

    Flores-Ramos, Jos? Mar?a; D?az-Reval, M. Irene

    2013-01-01

    Analgesics can be administered in combination with caffeine for improved analgesic effectiveness in a process known as synergism. The mechanisms by which these combinations produce synergism are not yet fully understood. The aim of this study was to analyze whether the administration of diclofenac combined with caffeine produced antinociceptive synergism and whether opioid mechanisms played a role in this event. The formalin model was used to evaluate the antinociception produced by the oral ...

  14. Taste aversion learning produced by combined treatment with subthreshold radiation and lithium chloride

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rabin, B.M.; Hunt, W.A.; Lee, J.

    1987-01-01

    These experiments were designed to determine whether treatment with two subthreshold doses of radiation or lithium chloride, either alone or in combination, could lead to taste aversion learning. The first experiment determined the thresholds for a radiation-induced taste aversion at 15-20 rad and for lithium chloride at 0.30-0.45 mEq/kg. In the second experiment it was shown that exposing rats to two doses of 15 rad separated by up to 3 hr produced a taste aversion. Treatment with two injections of lithium chloride (0.30 mEq/kg) did not produce a significant reduction in preference. Combined treatment with radiation and lithium chloride did produce a taste aversion when the two treatments were administered within 1 hr of each other. The results are discussed in terms of the implications of these findings for understanding the nature of the unconditioned stimuli leading to the acquisition of a conditioned taste aversion

  15. Ultrasound assisted extraction combined with dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (US-DLLME)-a fast new approach to measure phthalate metabolites in nails.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alves, Andreia; Vanermen, Guido; Covaci, Adrian; Voorspoels, Stefan

    2016-09-01

    A new, fast, and environmentally friendly method based on ultrasound assisted extraction combined with dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (US-DLLME) was developed and optimized for assessing the levels of seven phthalate metabolites (including the mono(ethyl hexyl) phthalate (MEHP), mono(2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl) phthalate (5-OH-MEHP), mono(2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl) phthalate (5-oxo-MEHP), mono-n-butyl phthalate (MnBP), mono-isobutyl phthalate (MiBP), monoethyl phthalate (MEP), and mono-benzyl phthalate (MBzP)) in human nails by UPLC-MS/MS. The optimization of the US-DLLME method was performed using a Taguchi combinatorial design (L9 array). Several parameters such as extraction solvent, solvent volume, extraction time, acid, acid concentration, and vortex time were studied. The optimal extraction conditions achieved were 180 μL of trichloroethylene (extraction solvent), 2 mL trifluoroacetic acid in methanol (2 M), 2 h extraction and 3 min vortex time. The optimized method had a good precision (6-17 %). The accuracy ranged from 79 to 108 % and the limit of method quantification (LOQm) was below 14 ng/g for all compounds. The developed US-DLLME method was applied to determine the target metabolites in 10 Belgian individuals. Levels of the analytes measured in nails ranged between <12 and 7982 ng/g. The MEHP, MBP isomers, and MEP were the major metabolites and detected in every sample. Miniaturization (low volumes of organic solvents used), low costs, speed, and simplicity are the main advantages of this US-DLLME based method. Graphical Abstract Extraction and phase separation of the US-DLLME procedure.

  16. An in silico platform for the design of heterologous pathways in nonnative metabolite production

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chatsurachai Sunisa

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Microorganisms are used as cell factories to produce valuable compounds in pharmaceuticals, biofuels, and other industrial processes. Incorporating heterologous metabolic pathways into well-characterized hosts is a major strategy for obtaining these target metabolites and improving productivity. However, selecting appropriate heterologous metabolic pathways for a host microorganism remains difficult owing to the complexity of metabolic networks. Hence, metabolic network design could benefit greatly from the availability of an in silico platform for heterologous pathway searching. Results We developed an algorithm for finding feasible heterologous pathways by which nonnative target metabolites are produced by host microorganisms, using Escherichia coli, Corynebacterium glutamicum, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae as templates. Using this algorithm, we screened heterologous pathways for the production of all possible nonnative target metabolites contained within databases. We then assessed the feasibility of the target productions using flux balance analysis, by which we could identify target metabolites associated with maximum cellular growth rate. Conclusions This in silico platform, designed for targeted searching of heterologous metabolic reactions, provides essential information for cell factory improvement.

  17. Direct detection of glucuronide metabolites of lidocaine in sheep urine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Doran, Gregory S; Smith, Alistair K; Rothwell, Jim T; Edwards, Scott H

    2018-02-15

    The anaesthetic lidocaine is metabolised quickly to produce a series of metabolites, including several hydroxylated metabolites, which are further metabolised by addition of a glucuronic acid moiety. Analysis of these glucuronide metabolites in urine is performed indirectly by cleaving the glucuronic acid group using β-glucuronidase. However, direct analysis of intact glucuronide conjugates is a more straightforward approach as it negates the need for long hydrolysis incubations, and minimises the oxidation of sensitive hydrolysis products, while also distinguishing between the two forms of hydroxylated metabolites. A method was developed to identify three intact glucuronides of lidocaine in sheep urine using LC-MS/MS, which was further confirmed by the synthesis of glucuronide derivatives of 3OH-MEGX and 4OH-LIDO. Direct analysis of urine allowed the detection of the glucuronide metabolites of hydroxylidocaine (OH-LIDO), hydroxyl-monoethylglycinexylidide (OH-MEGX), and hydroxy-2,6-xylidine (OH-XYL). Analysis of urine before and after β-glucuronidase digestion showed that the efficiency of hydrolysis of these glucuronide metabolites may be underestimated in some studies. Analysis of urine in the current study from three different sheep with similar glucuronide metabolite concentrations resulted in different hydrolysis efficiencies, which may have been a result of different levels of substrate binding by matrix components, preventing enzyme cleavage. The use of direct analysis of intact glucuronides has the benefit of being less influenced by these matrix effects, while also allowing analysis of unstable metabolites like 4OH-XYL, which rapidly oxidises after hydrolysis. Additionally, direct analysis is less expensive and less time consuming, while providing more information about the status of hydroxylated metabolites in urine. Crown Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Diglycolic acid is the nephrotoxic metabolite in diethylene glycol poisoning inducing necrosis in human proximal tubule cells in vitro.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Landry, Greg M; Martin, Sarah; McMartin, Kenneth E

    2011-11-01

    Diethylene glycol (DEG), a solvent and chemical intermediate, can produce an acute toxic syndrome, the hallmark of which is acute renal failure due to cortical tubular degeneration and proximal tubular necrosis. DEG is metabolized to two primary metabolites, 2-hydroxyethoxyacetic acid (2-HEAA) and diglycolic acid (DGA), which are believed to be the proximate toxicants. The precise mechanism of toxicity has yet to be elucidated, so these studies were designed to determine which metabolite was responsible for the proximal tubule cell death. Human proximal tubule (HPT) cells in culture, obtained from normal cortical tissue and passaged 3-6 times, were incubated with increasing concentrations of DEG, 2-HEAA, or DGA separately and in combination for 48 h at pH 6 or 7.4, and various parameters of necrotic and apoptotic cell death were measured. DEG and 2-HEAA did not produce any cell death. DGA produced dose-dependent necrosis at concentrations above 25 mmol/l. DGA did not affect caspase-3 activity and increased annexin V staining only in propidium iodide-stained cells. Hence, DGA induced necrosis, not apoptosis, as corroborated by severe depletion of cellular adenosine triphosphate levels. DGA is structurally similar to citric acid cycle intermediates that are taken up by specific transporters in kidney cells. HPT cells, incubated with N-(p-amylcinnamoyl)anthranilic acid, a sodium dicarboxylate-1 transporter inhibitor showed significantly decreased cell death compared with DGA alone. These studies demonstrate that DGA is the toxic metabolite responsible for DEG-induced proximal tubular necrosis and suggest a possible transporter-mediated uptake of DGA leading to toxic accumulation and cellular dysfunction.

  19. Lightweight expanded clay aggregates (LECA), a new up-scaleable matrix for production of microfungal metabolites

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Kristian Fog; Larsen, Thomas Ostenfeld; Frisvad, Jens Christian

    2004-01-01

    In order to compare the effects of different growth matrices on secondary metabolite production we compared 16 Penicillium species known to produce several families of bioactive compounds. The isolates were grown in rich complex media formulated as semisolid (agar), liquid (still), shake culture,...... for production of sporulation-associated metabolites, such as cyclopenins and viridicatins, for quick up-scaling from agar based media, and as an alternative for production of metabolites that are not induced under submerse conditions....

  20. Characterization of forsythoside A metabolites in rats by a combination of UHPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap mass spectrometer with multiple data processing techniques.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Fei; Cao, Guang-Shang; Li, Yun; Xu, Lu-Lu; Wang, Zhi-Bin; Liu, Ying; Lu, Jian-Qiu; Zhang, Jia-Yu

    2018-05-01

    Forsythoside A (FTA), the main active constituent isolated from Fructus Forsythiae, has various biological functions including anti-oxidant, anti-viral and anti-microbial activities. However, while research on FTA has been mainly focused on the treatment of diseases on a material basis, FTA metabolites in vivo have not been comprehensively evaluated. Here, a rapid and sensitive method using a UHPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap mass spectrometer with multiple data processing techniques including high-resolution extracted ion chromatograms, multiple mass defect filters and diagnostic product ions was developed for the screening and identification of FTA metabolites in rats. As the result, a total of 43 metabolites were identified in biological samples including 42 metabolites in urine, 22 metabolites in plasma and 15 metabolites in feces. These results demonstrated that FTA underwent a series of in vivo metabolic reactions including methylation, dimethylation, sulfation, glucuronidation, diglucuronidation, cysteine conjugation and their composite reactions. The research enhanced our understanding of FTA metabolism and built a foundation for further toxicity and safety studies. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  1. Identification of AKB-48 and 5F-AKB-48 Metabolites in Authentic Human Urine Samples Using Human Liver Microsomes and Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vikingsson, Svante; Josefsson, Martin; Gréen, Henrik

    2015-01-01

    The occurrence of structurally related synthetic cannabinoids makes the identification of unique markers of drug intake particularly challenging. The aim of this study was to identify unique and abundant metabolites of AKB-48 and 5F-AKB-48 for toxicological screening in urine. Investigations of authentic urine samples from forensic cases in combination with human liver microsome (HLM) experiments were used for identification of metabolites. HLM incubations of AKB-48 and 5F-AKB-48 along with 35 urine samples from authentic cases were analyzed with liquid chromatography quadrupole tandem time of flight mass spectrometry. Using HLMs 41 metabolites of AKB-48 and 37 metabolites of 5F-AKB-48 were identified, principally represented by hydroxylation but also ketone formation and dealkylation. Monohydroxylated metabolites were replaced by di- and trihydroxylated metabolites within 30 min. The metabolites from the HLM incubations accounted for on average 84% (range, 67-100) and 91% (range, 71-100) of the combined area in the case samples for AKB-48 and 5F-AKB-48, respectively. While defluorinated metabolites accounted for on average 74% of the combined area after a 5F-AKB-48 intake only a few identified metabolites were shared between AKB-48 and 5F-AKB-48, illustrating the need for a systematic approach to identify unique metabolites. HLMs in combination with case samples seem suitable for this purpose. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  2. Exometabolomic Analysis of Cross-Feeding Metabolites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lubbe, Andrea; Bowen, Benjamin P; Northen, Trent

    2017-10-04

    Microbial consortia have the potential to perform complex, industrially important tasks. The design of microbial consortia requires knowledge of the substrate preferences and metabolic outputs of each member, to allow understanding of potential interactions such as competition and beneficial metabolic exchange. Here, we used exometabolite profiling to follow the resource processing by a microbial co-culture of two biotechnologically relevant microbes, the bacterial cellulose degrader Cellulomonas fimi, and the oleaginous yeast Yarrowia lipolytica. We characterized the substrate preferences of the two strains on compounds typically found in lignocellulose hydrolysates. This allowed prediction that specific sugars resulting from hemicellulose polysaccharide degradation by C. fimi may serve as a cross-feeding metabolites to Y. lipolytica in co-culture. We also showed that products of ionic liquid-treated switchgrass lignocellulose degradation by C. fimi were channeled to Y. lipolytica in a co-culture. Additionally, we observed metabolites, such as shikimic acid accumulating in the co-culture supernatants, suggesting the potential for producing interesting co-products. Insights gained from characterizing the exometabolite profiles of individual and co-cultures of the two strains can help to refine this interaction, and guide strategies for making this an industrially viable co-culture to produce valuable products from lignocellulose material.

  3. Effects of Secondary Metabolites of Permafrost Bacillus sp. on Cytokine Synthesis by Human Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kalenova, L F; Kolyvanova, S S; Bazhin, A S; Besedin, I M; Mel'nikov, V P

    2017-06-01

    We studied the effects of secondary metabolites of Bacillus sp. isolated from late Neogene permafrost on secretion of proinflammatory (TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-8, IL-2, and IFNγ) and antiinflammatory (IL-4 and IL-10) cytokines by human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. It was found that metabolites of Bacillus sp. produced more potent effect on cytokine secretion than mitogen phytohemagglutinin and metabolites of Bacillus cereus, medicinal strain IP5832. Activity of metabolites depended on the temperature of bacteria incubation. "Cold" metabolites of Bacillus sp. (isolated at -5°C) primarily induced Th1-mediated secretion of IFNγ, while "warm" metabolites (obtained at 37°C) induced Th2-mediated secretion of IL-4. The results suggest that Bacillus sp. metabolites are promising material for the development of immunomodulating drugs.

  4. Biodegradation of clofibric acid and identification of its metabolites

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Salgado, R. [REQUIMTE/CQFB, Chemistry Department, FCT, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, 2829-516 Caparica (Portugal); ESTS-IPS, Escola Superior de Tecnologia de Setubal do Instituto Politecnico de Setubal, Rua Vale de Chaves, Campus do IPS, Estefanilha, 2910-761 Setubal (Portugal); Oehmen, A. [REQUIMTE/CQFB, Chemistry Department, FCT, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, 2829-516 Caparica (Portugal); Carvalho, G. [REQUIMTE/CQFB, Chemistry Department, FCT, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, 2829-516 Caparica (Portugal); Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnologica (IBET), Av. da Republica (EAN), 2784-505 Oeiras (Portugal); Noronha, J.P. [REQUIMTE/CQFB, Chemistry Department, FCT, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, 2829-516 Caparica (Portugal); Reis, M.A.M., E-mail: amr@fct.unl.pt [REQUIMTE/CQFB, Chemistry Department, FCT, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, 2829-516 Caparica (Portugal)

    2012-11-30

    Graphical abstract: Metabolites produced during clofibric acid biodegradation. Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Clofibric acid is biodegradable. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Mainly heterotrophic bacteria degraded the clofibric acid. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Metabolites of clofibric acid biodegradation were identified. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The metabolic pathway of clofibric acid biodegradation is proposed. - Abstract: Clofibric acid (CLF) is the pharmaceutically active metabolite of lipid regulators clofibrate, etofibrate and etofyllinclofibrate, and it is considered both environmentally persistent and refractory. This work studied the biotransformation of CLF in aerobic sequencing batch reactors (SBRs) with mixed microbial cultures, monitoring the efficiency of biotransformation of CLF and the production of metabolites. The maximum removal achieved was 51% biodegradation (initial CLF concentration = 2 mg L{sup -1}), where adsorption and abiotic removal mechanisms were shown to be negligible, showing that CLF is indeed biodegradable. Tests showed that the observed CLF biodegradation was mainly carried out by heterotrophic bacteria. Three main metabolites were identified, including {alpha}-hydroxyisobutyric acid, lactic acid and 4-chlorophenol. The latter is known to exhibit higher toxicity than the parent compound, but it did not accumulate in the SBRs. {alpha}-Hydroxyisobutyric acid and lactic acid accumulated for a period, where nitrite accumulation may have been responsible for inhibiting their degradation. A metabolic pathway for the biodegradation of CLF is proposed in this study.

  5. Combined derivatization and high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence and ultraviolet detection for simultaneous analysis of octreotide and gabexate mesylate metabolite in human pancreatic juice samples.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carlucci, Giuseppe; Selvaggi, Federico; Sulpizio, Sara; Bassi, Claudio; Carlucci, Maura; Cotellese, Roberto; Ferrone, Vincenzo; Innocenti, Paolo; Locatelli, Marcello

    2015-06-01

    A simple and sensitive method based on the combination of derivatization and high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet and fluorimetric detection was developed for the simultaneous determination of octreotide and gabexate mesylate metabolite in human pancreatic juice samples. Parameters of the derivatization procedure affecting extraction efficiency were optimized. The developed method was validated according to the International Conference on Harmonization guidelines. The calibration curves were linear over a range of 0.1-15 µg/mL for octreotide and 0.20-15 µg/mL for gabexate mesylate metabolite. Derivatized products of octreotide and gabexate mesylate metabolite were separated on a Luna C18 column (4.6 × 250 mm; 5 µm particle size) using a gradient with a run time of 36 min, without further purification. The limits of detection were 0.025 and 0.05, respectively, for octreotide and gabexate mesylate metabolite. This paper reports the validation of a quantitative high performance liquid chromatography-photodiode array-fluorescence (HPLC-PDA-FL) method for the simultaneous analysis of octreotide and gabexate mesylate metabolite in pancreatic juice by protein precipitation using zinc sulfate-methanol-acetonitrile containing the derivatizing reagent, 4-fluoro-7-nitro-[2,1,3]-benzoxadiazole (NBD-F). Derivatized products of octreotide and gabexate mesylate metabolite were separated on a Luna C18 column (4.6 × 250 mm; 5 µm particle size) using a gradient with a run time of 36 min, without further purification. The method was validated over the concentration ranges 0.1-15 and 0.2-15 µg/mL for octreotide and gabexate mesylate metabolite, respectively, in human pancreatic juice. Biphalin and methyl-p-hydroxybenzoate were used as the internal standards. This method was successfully utilized to support clinical studies in humans. The results from assay validations show that the method is selective, sensitive and robust. The limit

  6. Interactions between biosurfactant-producing Pseudomonas and Phytophthora species

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Tran, H.

    2007-01-01

    Fluorescent Pseudomonas bacteria produce a wide variety of antimicrobial metabolites, including soap-like compounds referred to as biosurfactants. The results of this thesis showed that biosurfactant-producing Pseudomonas bacteria are effective in controlling Phytophthora foot rot

  7. Effects of progesterone and its metabolites on human granulosa cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pietrowski, D; Gong, Y; Mairhofer, M; Gessele, R; Sator, M

    2014-02-01

    The corpus luteum (CL) is under control of gonadotrophic hormones and produces progesterone, which is necessary for endometrial receptivity. Recent studies have shown that progesterone and its metabolites are involved in cell proliferation and apoptosis of cancer cells. Here weanalyzed the role of progesterone and its meta-bolites on luteinized granulosa cells (LGC) by FACS analysis and quantitative Real-Time PCR. We detected the mRNA of the progesterone metabolizing genes SRD5A1, AKR1C1, and AKR1C2 in LGC. The stimulation of LGC with progesterone or progesterone metabolites did not show any effect on the mRNA expression of these genes. However, a downregulation of Fas expression was found to be accomplished by progesterone and human chorionic gonadotropin. Our findings do not support the concept of an effect of progesterone metabolites on LGCs. However, it suggests an antiapoptotic effect of hCG and progesterone during corpus luteum development by downregulation of Fas. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

  8. Flagella-Driven Flows Circumvent Diffusive Bottlenecks that Inhibit Metabolite Exchange

    Science.gov (United States)

    Short, Martin; Solari, Cristian; Ganguly, Sujoy; Kessler, John; Goldstein, Raymond; Powers, Thomas

    2006-03-01

    The evolution of single cells to large and multicellular organisms requires matching the organisms' needs to the rate of exchange of metabolites with the environment. This logistic problem can be a severe constraint on development. For organisms with a body plan that approximates a spherical shell, such as colonies of the volvocine green algae, the required current of metabolites grows quadratically with colony radius whereas the rate at which diffusion can exchange metabolites grows only linearly with radius. Hence, there is a bottleneck radius beyond which the diffusive current cannot keep up with metabolic demands. Using Volvox carteri as a model organism, we examine experimentally and theoretically the role that advection of fluid by surface-mounted flagella plays in enhancing nutrient uptake. We show that fluid flow driven by the coordinated beating of flagella produces a convective boundary layer in the concentration of a diffusing solute which in turn renders the metabolite exchange rate quadratic in the colony radius. This enhanced transport circumvents the diffusive bottleneck, allowing increase in size and thus evolutionary transitions to multicellularity in the Volvocales.

  9. Significance of metabolites in the environmental risk assessment of pharmaceuticals consumed by human.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Han, Eun Jeong; Lee, Dong Soo

    2017-08-15

    The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the significance of metabolites to the ERA of human pharmaceuticals. The predicted exposure concentrations (PECs) in surface water were estimated for a total of 24 selected active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and their metabolites using a life cycle based emission estimation model combined with a multimedia fate model with Monte-Carlo calculations. With the eco-toxicity data, the hazard quotients (HQs) of the metabolites were compared with those of individual parents alone. The results showed that PEC or toxicity or both of the metabolites was predicted to be higher than that of their parent APIs, which resulted in a total of 18 metabolites (from 12 parents) that have greater HQs than their parents. This result clearly demonstrated that some metabolites may potentially pose greater risk than their parent APIs in the water environment. Therefore, significance of metabolites should be carefully evaluated for monitoring strategy, priority setting, and scoping of the environmental risk assessment of APIs. The method used in the present work may serve as a pragmatic approach for the purpose of preliminary screening or priority setting of environmental risk posed by both APIs and their metabolites. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. Seed metabolomic study reveals significant metabolite variations and correlations among different soybean cultivars.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Hong; Rao, Jun; Shi, Jianxin; Hu, Chaoyang; Cheng, Fang; Wilson, Zoe A; Zhang, Dabing; Quan, Sheng

    2014-09-01

    Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] is one of the world's major crops, and soybean seeds are a rich and important resource for proteins and oils. While "omics" studies, such as genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics, have been widely applied in soybean molecular research, fewer metabolomic studies have been conducted for large-scale detection of low molecular weight metabolites, especially in soybean seeds. In this study, we investigated the seed metabolomes of 29 common soybean cultivars through combined gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. One hundred sixty-nine named metabolites were identified and subsequently used to construct a metabolic network of mature soybean seed. Among the 169 detected metabolites, 104 were found to be significantly variable in their levels across tested cultivars. Metabolite markers that could be used to distinguish genetically related soybean cultivars were also identified, and metabolite-metabolite correlation analysis revealed some significant associations within the same or among different metabolite groups. Findings from this work may potentially provide the basis for further studies on both soybean seed metabolism and metabolic engineering to improve soybean seed quality and yield. © 2014 Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

  11. Seed metabolomic study reveals significant metabolite variations and correlations among different soybean cultivars

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Hong Lin; Jun Rao; Jianxin Shi; Chaoyang Hu; Fang Cheng; Zoe AWilson; Dabing Zhang; Sheng Quan

    2014-01-01

    Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] is one of the world’s major crops, and soybean seeds are a rich and important resource for proteins and oils. While “omics”studies, such as genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics, have been widely applied in soybean molecular research, fewer metabolomic studies have been conducted for large-scale detection of low molecular weight metabolites, especial y in soybean seeds. In this study, we investigated the seed metabolomes of 29 common soybean cultivars through combined gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. One hundred sixty-nine named metabolites were identified and subsequently used to construct a metabolic network of mature soybean seed. Among the 169 detected metabolites, 104 were found to be significantly variable in their levels across tested cultivars. Metabolite markers that could be used to distinguish genetical y related soybean cultivars were also identified, and metabolite-metabolite correlation analysis revealed some significant associations within the same or among different metabolite groups. Findings from this work may potentially provide the basis for further studies on both soybean seed metabolism and metabolic engineering to improve soybean seed quality and yield.

  12. Can Some Marine-Derived Fungal Metabolites Become Actual Anticancer Agents?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nelson G. M. Gomes

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Marine fungi are known to produce structurally unique secondary metabolites, and more than 1000 marine fungal-derived metabolites have already been reported. Despite the absence of marine fungal-derived metabolites in the current clinical pipeline, dozens of them have been classified as potential chemotherapy candidates because of their anticancer activity. Over the last decade, several comprehensive reviews have covered the potential anticancer activity of marine fungal-derived metabolites. However, these reviews consider the term “cytotoxicity” to be synonymous with “anticancer agent”, which is not actually true. Indeed, a cytotoxic compound is by definition a poisonous compound. To become a potential anticancer agent, a cytotoxic compound must at least display (i selectivity between normal and cancer cells (ii activity against multidrug-resistant (MDR cancer cells; and (iii a preferentially non-apoptotic cell death mechanism, as it is now well known that a high proportion of cancer cells that resist chemotherapy are in fact apoptosis-resistant cancer cells against which pro-apoptotic drugs have more than limited efficacy. The present review thus focuses on the cytotoxic marine fungal-derived metabolites whose ability to kill cancer cells has been reported in the literature. Particular attention is paid to the compounds that kill cancer cells through non-apoptotic cell death mechanisms.

  13. Unambiguous Metabolite Identification in High-Throughput Metabolomics by Hybrid 1H-NMR/ESI-MS1 Approach

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    2016-10-18

    The invention improves accuracy of metabolite identification by combining direct infusion ESI-MS with one-dimensional 1H-NMR spectroscopy. First, we apply a standard 1H-NMR metabolite identification protocol by matching the chemical shift, J-coupling and intensity information of experimental NMR signals against the NMR signals of standard metabolites in a metabolomics reference libraries. This generates a list of candidate metabolites. The list contains both false positive and ambiguous identifications. The software tool (the invention) takes the list of candidate metabolites, generated from NMRbased metabolite identification, and then calculates, for each of the candidate metabolites, the monoisotopic mass-tocharge (m/z) ratios for each commonly observed ion, fragment and adduct feature. These are then used to assign m/z ratios in experimental ESI-MS spectra of the same sample. Detection of the signals of a given metabolite in both NMR and MS spectra resolves the ambiguities, and therefore, significantly improves the confidence of the identification.

  14. Manufacturing of golf club using wood-plastic combination produced by γ-irradiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yamagami, Masayuki; Tsujii, Yukio; Ohnishi, Tokuhiro; Miyoshi, Hirofumi; Chubachi, Mitsuo; Takada, Hisatoshi.

    1992-01-01

    Wood-plastic combination (WPC) was produced by γ-irradiation of persimmon impregnated with acrylonitrile and styrene. The hardness and strength of WPC obtained were higher than those of an unmodified wood. Thus, it was found that the WPC is suited for a head of golf club, because the Shore hardness value of WPC is 36% greater than that of unmodified wood. An impregnation method of monomers with some pigments could produce colored WPC without diminishing natural grain. Head of golf club could be manufactured from colored WPC in practice. (auhtor)

  15. Prediction of metabolites of epoxidation reaction in MetaTox.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rudik, A V; Dmitriev, A V; Bezhentsev, V M; Lagunin, A A; Filimonov, D A; Poroikov, V V

    2017-10-01

    Biotransformation is a process of the chemical modifications which may lead to the reactive metabolites, in particular the epoxides. Epoxide reactive metabolites may cause the toxic effects. The prediction of such metabolites is important for drug development and ecotoxicology studies. Epoxides are formed by some oxidation reactions, usually catalysed by cytochromes P450, and represent a large class of three-membered cyclic ethers. Identification of molecules, which may be epoxidized, and indication of the specific location of epoxide functional group (which is called SOE - site of epoxidation) are important for prediction of epoxide metabolites. Datasets from 355 molecules and 615 reactions were created for training and validation. The prediction of SOE is based on a combination of LMNA (Labelled Multilevel Neighbourhood of Atom) descriptors and Bayesian-like algorithm implemented in PASS software and MetaTox web-service. The average invariant accuracy of prediction (AUC) calculated in leave-one-out and 20-fold cross-validation procedures is 0.9. Prediction of epoxide formation based on the created SAR model is included as the component of MetaTox web-service ( http://www.way2drug.com/mg ).

  16. Role of diamine oxidase during the treatment of tumour-bearing mice with combinations of polyamine anti-metabolites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kallio, A; Jänne, J

    1983-01-01

    Treatment of mice bearing L1210 leukaemia with 2-difluoromethylornithine, a specific inhibitor of ornithine decarboxylase (EC 4.1.1.17), produced a profound depletion of putrescine and spermidine in the tumour cells. Sequential combination of methylglyoxal bis(guanylhydrazone), an inhibitor of adenosylmethionine decarboxylase (EC 4.1.1.50), with difluoromethylornithine largely reversed the polyamine depletion and led to a marked accumulation of cadaverine in the tumour cells. Experiments carried out with the combination of difluoromethylornithine and aminoguanidine, a potent inhibitor of diamine oxidase (EC 1.4.3.6), indicated that the methylglyoxal bis(guanylhydrazone)-induced reversal of polyamine depletion was mediated by the known inhibition of diamine oxidase by the diguanidine. In spite of the normalization of the tumour cell polyamine pattern upon administration of methylglyoxal bis(guanylhydrazone) to difluoromethylornithine-treated animals, the combination of these two drugs produced a growth-inhibitory effect not achievable with either of the compounds alone. PMID:6411077

  17. Thermodynamics-based Metabolite Sensitivity Analysis in metabolic networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kiparissides, A; Hatzimanikatis, V

    2017-01-01

    The increasing availability of large metabolomics datasets enhances the need for computational methodologies that can organize the data in a way that can lead to the inference of meaningful relationships. Knowledge of the metabolic state of a cell and how it responds to various stimuli and extracellular conditions can offer significant insight in the regulatory functions and how to manipulate them. Constraint based methods, such as Flux Balance Analysis (FBA) and Thermodynamics-based flux analysis (TFA), are commonly used to estimate the flow of metabolites through genome-wide metabolic networks, making it possible to identify the ranges of flux values that are consistent with the studied physiological and thermodynamic conditions. However, unless key intracellular fluxes and metabolite concentrations are known, constraint-based models lead to underdetermined problem formulations. This lack of information propagates as uncertainty in the estimation of fluxes and basic reaction properties such as the determination of reaction directionalities. Therefore, knowledge of which metabolites, if measured, would contribute the most to reducing this uncertainty can significantly improve our ability to define the internal state of the cell. In the present work we combine constraint based modeling, Design of Experiments (DoE) and Global Sensitivity Analysis (GSA) into the Thermodynamics-based Metabolite Sensitivity Analysis (TMSA) method. TMSA ranks metabolites comprising a metabolic network based on their ability to constrain the gamut of possible solutions to a limited, thermodynamically consistent set of internal states. TMSA is modular and can be applied to a single reaction, a metabolic pathway or an entire metabolic network. This is, to our knowledge, the first attempt to use metabolic modeling in order to provide a significance ranking of metabolites to guide experimental measurements. Copyright © 2016 International Metabolic Engineering Society. Published by Elsevier

  18. Complicating factors in safety testing of drug metabolites: Kinetic differences between generated and preformed metabolites

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Prueksaritanont, Thomayant; Lin, Jiunn H.; Baillie, Thomas A.

    2006-01-01

    This paper aims to provide a scientifically based perspective on issues surrounding the proposed toxicology testing of synthetic drug metabolites as a means of ensuring adequate nonclinical safety evaluation of drug candidates that generate metabolites considered either to be unique to humans or are present at much higher levels in humans than in preclinical species. We put forward a number of theoretical considerations and present several specific examples where the kinetic behavior of a preformed metabolite given to animals or humans differs from that of the corresponding metabolite generated endogenously from its parent. The potential ramifications of this phenomenon are that the results of toxicity testing of the preformed metabolite may be misleading and fail to characterize the true toxicological contribution of the metabolite when formed from the parent. It is anticipated that such complications would be evident in situations where (a) differences exist in the accumulation of the preformed versus generated metabolites in specific tissues, and (b) the metabolite undergoes sequential metabolism to a downstream product that is toxic, leading to differences in tissue-specific toxicity. Owing to the complex nature of this subject, there is a need to treat drug metabolite issues in safety assessment on a case-by-case basis, in which a knowledge of metabolite kinetics is employed to validate experimental paradigms that entail administration of preformed metabolites to animal models

  19. Identification of ionic chloroacetanilide-herbicide metabolites in surface water and groundwater by HPLC/MS using negative ion spray

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ferrer, I.; Thurman, E.M.; Barcelo, D.

    1997-01-01

    Solid-phase extraction (SPE) was combined with high-performance liquid chromatography/high-flow pneumatically assisted electrospray mass spectrometry (HPLC/ESP/MS) for the trace analysis of oxanilic and sulfonic acids of acetochlor, alachlor, and metolachlor. The isolation procedure separated the chloroacetanilide metabolites from the parent herbicides during the elution from C18 cartridges using ethyl acetate for parent compounds, followed by methanol for the anionic metabolites. The metabolites were separated chromatographically using reversed-phase HPLC and analyzed by negative-ion MS using electrospray ionization in selected ion mode. Quantitation limits were 0.01 ??g/L for both the oxanilic and sulfonic acids based on a 100-mL water sample. This combination of methods represents an important advance in environmental analysis of chloroacetanilide-herbicide metabolites in surface water and groundwater for two reasons. First, anionic chloroacetanilide metabolites are a major class of degradation products that are readily leached to groundwater in agricultural areas. Second, anionic metabolites, which are not able to be analyzed by conventional methods such as liquid extraction and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, are effectively analyzed by SPE and high-flow pneumatically assisted electrospray mass spectrometry. This paper reports the first HPLC/MS identification of these metabolites in surface water and groundwater.

  20. Towards systems metabolic engineering of streptomycetes for secondary metabolites production

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Robertsen, Helene Lunde; Weber, Tilmann; Kim, Hyun Uk

    2017-01-01

    Streptomycetes are known for their inherent ability to produce pharmaceutically relevant secondary metabolites. Discovery of medically useful, yet novel compounds has become a great challenge due to frequent rediscovery of known compounds and a consequent decline in the number of relevant clinical...

  1. Growth on Chitin Impacts the Transcriptome and Metabolite Profiles of Antibiotic-Producing Vibrio coralliilyticus S2052 and Photobacterium galatheae S2753

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Giubergia, Sonia; Phippen, Christopher; Nielsen, Kristian Fog

    2017-01-01

    Members of the Vibrionaceae family are often associated with chitin-containing organisms, and they are thought to play a major role in chitin degradation. The purpose of the present study was to determine how chitin affects the transcriptome and metabolome of two bioactive Vibrionaceae strains...... potentially involved in host colonization and/or infection. The expression of genes involved in secondary metabolism was also significantly affected by growth on chitin, in one case being 34-fold upregulated. This was reflected in the metabolome, where the antibiotics andrimid and holomycin were produced...... and that their secondary metabolites likely play a crucial role during chitin colonization. IMPORTANCE The bacterial family Vibrionaceae (vibrios) is considered a major player in the degradation of chitin, the most abundant polymer in the marine environment; however, the majority of studies on the topic have focused...

  2. Identification of a new reactive metabolite of pyrrolizidine alkaloid retrorsine: (3H-pyrrolizin-7-yl)methanol.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fashe, Muluneh M; Juvonen, Risto O; Petsalo, Aleksanteri; Rahnasto-Rilla, Minna; Auriola, Seppo; Soininen, Pasi; Vepsäläinen, Jouko; Pasanen, Markku

    2014-11-17

    Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) such as retrorsine are common food contaminants that are known to be bioactivated by cytochrome P450 enzymes to putative hepatotoxic, genotoxic, and carcinogenic metabolites known as dehydropyrrolizidine alkaloids (DHPs). We compared how both electrochemical (EC) and human liver microsomal (HLM) oxidation of retrorsine could produce short-lived intermediate metabolites; we also characterized a toxicologically important metabolite, (3H-pyrrolizin-7-yl)methanol. The EC cell was coupled online or offline to a liquid chromatograph/mass spectrometer (LC/MS), whereas the HLM oxidation was performed in 100 mM potassium phosphate (pH 7.4) in the presence of NADPH at 37 °C. The EC cell oxidation of retrorsine produced 12 metabolites, including dehydroretrorsine (m/z 350, [M + H(+)]), which was degraded to a new reactive metabolite at m/z 136 ([M + H(+)]). The molecular structure of this small metabolite was determined using high-resolution mass spectrometry and NMR spectroscopy followed by chemical synthesis. In addition, we also identified another minor but reactive metabolite at m/z 136, an isomer of (3H-pyrrolizin-7-yl)methanol. Both (3H-pyrrolizin-7-yl)methanol and its minor isomer were also observed after HLM oxidation of retrorsine and other hepatotoxic PAs such as lasiocarpine and senkirkin. In the presence of reduced glutathione (GSH), each isomer formed identical GSH conjugates at m/z 441 and m/z 730 in the negative ESI-MS. Because (3H-pyrrolizine-7-yl)methanol) and its minor isomer subsequently reacted with GSH, it is concluded that (3H-pyrrolizin-7-yl)methanol may be a common toxic metabolite arising from PAs.

  3. Aleuria aurantia - indole metabolites of fruit bodies, mycelial culture and culture medium

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Janina Węgiel

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available The aim of present study was to investigate and compare indole metabolites of fruit bodies, mycelium cultivated in vitro and culture medium of the fungus Aleuria aurantia (Fr. Fuck. By use of a number of chromatographic and spectroscopic methods several indole metabolites have been detected and identified among other the 3-indolebutyric acid was produced and extracted to the culture medium. Furthermore 3-indoleatonitrile and tryptophane degradative products have been found both in fruit bodies and mycelium.

  4. Production of fungal and bacterial growth modulating secondary metabolites is widespread among mycorrhiza-associated streptomycetes

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-01-01

    Background Studies on mycorrhiza associated bacteria suggest that bacterial-fungal interactions play important roles during mycorrhiza formation and affect plant health. We surveyed Streptomyces Actinobacteria, known as antibiotic producers and antagonists of fungi, from Norway spruce mycorrhizas with predominantly Piloderma species as the fungal partner. Results Fifteen Streptomyces isolates exhibited substantial variation in inhibition of tested mycorrhizal and plant pathogenic fungi (Amanita muscaria, Fusarium oxysporum, Hebeloma cylindrosporum, Heterobasidion abietinum, Heterobasidion annosum, Laccaria bicolor, Piloderma croceum). The growth of the mycorrhiza-forming fungus Laccaria bicolor was stimulated by some of the streptomycetes, and Piloderma croceum was only moderately affected. Bacteria responded to the streptomycetes differently than the fungi. For instance the strain Streptomyces sp. AcM11, which inhibited most tested fungi, was less inhibitory to bacteria than other tested streptomycetes. The determined patterns of Streptomyces-microbe interactions were associated with distinct patterns of secondary metabolite production. Notably, potentially novel metabolites were produced by strains that were less antagonistic to fungi. Most of the identified metabolites were antibiotics (e.g. cycloheximide, actiphenol) and siderophores (e.g. ferulic acid, desferroxiamines). Plant disease resistance was activated by a single streptomycete strain only. Conclusions Mycorrhiza associated streptomycetes appear to have an important role in inhibiting the growth of fungi and bacteria. Additionally, our study indicates that the Streptomyces strains, which are not general antagonists of fungi, may produce still un-described metabolites. PMID:22852578

  5. Global analysis of biosynthetic gene clusters reveals vast potential of secondary metabolite production in Penicillium species

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Jens Christian; Grijseels, Sietske; Prigent, Sylvain

    2017-01-01

    Filamentous fungi produce a wide range of bioactive compounds with important pharmaceutical applications, such as antibiotic penicillins and cholesterol-lowering statins. However, less attention has been paid to fungal secondary metabolites compared to those from bacteria. In this study, we...... sequenced the genomes of 9 Penicillium species and, together with 15 published genomes, we investigated the secondary metabolism of Penicillium and identified an immense, unexploited potential for producing secondary metabolites by this genus. A total of 1,317 putative biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) were......-referenced the predicted pathways with published data on the production of secondary metabolites and experimentally validated the production of antibiotic yanuthones in Penicillia and identified a previously undescribed compound from the yanuthone pathway. This study is the first genus-wide analysis of the genomic...

  6. In Vitro Assessment of Combined Polymyxin B and Minocycline Therapy against Klebsiella pneumoniae Carbapenemase (KPC)-Producing K. pneumoniae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Dennis; Yu, Brenda; Diep, John K; Sharma, Rajnikant; Dudley, Michael; Monteiro, Jussimara; Kaye, Keith S; Pogue, Jason M; Abboud, Cely Saad; Rao, Gauri G

    2017-07-01

    The multidrug resistance profiles of Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC) producers have led to increased clinical polymyxin use. Combination therapy with polymyxins may improve treatment outcomes, but it is uncertain which combinations are most effective. Clinical successes with intravenous minocycline-based combination treatments have been reported for infections caused by carbapenemase-producing bacteria. The objective of this study was to evaluate the in vitro activity of polymyxin B and minocycline combination therapy against six KPC-2-producing K. pneumoniae isolates (minocycline MIC range, 2 to 32 mg/liter). Polymyxin B monotherapy (0.5, 1, 2, 4, and 16 mg/liter) resulted in a rapid reduction of up to 6 log in bactericidal activity followed by regrowth by 24 h. Minocycline monotherapy (1, 2, 4, 8, and 16 mg/liter) showed no reduction of activity of >1.34 log against all isolates, although concentrations of 8 and 16 mg/liter prolonged the time to regrowth. When the therapies were used in combination, rapid bactericidal activity was followed by slower regrowth, with synergy (60 of 120 combinations at 24 h, 19 of 120 combinations at 48 h) and additivity (43 of 120 combinations at 24 h, 44 of 120 combinations at 48 h) against all isolates. The extent of killing was greatest against the more susceptible polymyxin B isolates (MICs of ≤0.5 mg/liter) regardless of the minocycline MIC. The pharmacodynamic activity of combined polymyxin B-minocycline therapy against KPC-producing K. pneumoniae is dependent on polymyxin B susceptibility. Further in vitro and animal studies must be performed to fully evaluate the efficacy of this drug combination. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Microbiology.

  7. Activation of the Silent Secondary Metabolite Production by Introducing Neomycin-Resistance in a Marine-Derived Penicillium purpurogenum G59

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chang-Jing Wu

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available Introduction of neomycin-resistance into a marine-derived, wild-type Penicillium purpurogenum G59 resulted in activation of silent biosynthetic pathways for the secondary metabolite production. Upon treatment of G59 spores with neomycin and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO, a total of 56 mutants were obtained by single colony isolation. The acquired resistance of mutants to neomycin was testified by the resistance test. In contrast to the G59 strain, the EtOAc extracts of 28 mutants inhibited the human cancer K562 cells, indicating that the 28 mutants have acquired the capability to produce bioactive metabolites. HPLC-photodiode array detector (PDAD-UV and HPLC-electron spray ionization (ESI-MS analyses further indicated that diverse secondary metabolites have been newly produced in the bioactive mutant extracts. Followed isolation and characterization demonstrated that five bioactive secondary metabolites, curvularin (1, citrinin (2, penicitrinone A (3, erythro-23-O-methylneocyclocitrinol (4 and 22E-7α-methoxy-5α, 6α-epoxyergosta-8(14,22-dien-3β-ol (5, were newly produced by a mutant, 4-30, compared to the G59 strain. All 1–5 were also not yet found in the secondary metabolites of other wild type P. purpurogenum strains. Compounds 1–5 inhibited human cancer K562, HL-60, HeLa and BGC-823 cells to varying extents. Both present bioassays and chemical investigations demonstrated that the introduction of neomycin-resistance into the marine-derived fungal G59 strain could activate silent secondary metabolite production. The present work not only extended the previous DMSO-mediated method for introducing drug-resistance in fungi both in DMSO concentrations and antibiotics, but also additionally exemplified effectiveness of this method for activating silent fungal secondary metabolites. This method could be applied to other fungal isolates to elicit their metabolic potentials to investigate secondary metabolites from silent biosynthetic pathways.

  8. MetaboSearch: tool for mass-based metabolite identification using multiple databases.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bin Zhou

    Full Text Available Searching metabolites against databases according to their masses is often the first step in metabolite identification for a mass spectrometry-based untargeted metabolomics study. Major metabolite databases include Human Metabolome DataBase (HMDB, Madison Metabolomics Consortium Database (MMCD, Metlin, and LIPID MAPS. Since each one of these databases covers only a fraction of the metabolome, integration of the search results from these databases is expected to yield a more comprehensive coverage. However, the manual combination of multiple search results is generally difficult when identification of hundreds of metabolites is desired. We have implemented a web-based software tool that enables simultaneous mass-based search against the four major databases, and the integration of the results. In addition, more complete chemical identifier information for the metabolites is retrieved by cross-referencing multiple databases. The search results are merged based on IUPAC International Chemical Identifier (InChI keys. Besides a simple list of m/z values, the software can accept the ion annotation information as input for enhanced metabolite identification. The performance of the software is demonstrated on mass spectrometry data acquired in both positive and negative ionization modes. Compared with search results from individual databases, MetaboSearch provides better coverage of the metabolome and more complete chemical identifier information.The software tool is available at http://omics.georgetown.edu/MetaboSearch.html.

  9. Detection of 191 Taxifolin Metabolites and Their Distribution in Rats Using HPLC-ESI-IT-TOF-MSn

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ping Yang

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Taxifolin is a ubiquitous bioactive constituent of foods and herbs. To thoroughly explore its metabolism in vivo, an HPLC-ESI-IT-TOF-MSn method combined with specific metabolite detection strategy was used to detect and identify the metabolites of taxifolin in rats. Of the 191 metabolites tentatively identified, 154 were new metabolites, 69 were new compounds and 32 were dimers. This is the first report of the in vivo biotransformation of a single compound into more than 100 metabolites. Furthermore, acetylamination and pyroglutamic acid conjugation were identified as new metabolic reactions. Seventeen metabolites were found to have various taxifolin-related bioactivities. The potential targets of taxifolin and 63 metabolites were predicted using PharmMapper, with results showing that more than 60 metabolites have the same five targets. Metabolites with the same fragment pattern may have the same pharmacophore. Thus these metabolites may exert the same pharmacological effects as taxifolin through an additive effect on the same drug targets. This observation indicates that taxifolin is bioactive not only in the parent form, but also through its metabolites. These findings enhance understanding of the metabolism and effective forms of taxifolin and may provide further insight of the beneficial effects of taxifolin and its derivatives.

  10. Fate of cyanobacteria and their metabolites during water treatment sludge management processes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ho, Lionel; Dreyfus, Jennifer; Boyer, Justine; Lowe, Todd; Bustamante, Heriberto; Duker, Phil; Meli, Tass; Newcombe, Gayle

    2012-01-01

    Cyanobacteria and their metabolites are an issue for water authorities; however, little is known as to the fate of coagulated cyanobacterial-laden sludge during waste management processes in water treatment plants (WTPs). This paper provides information on the cell integrity of Anabaena circinalis and Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii during: laboratory-scale coagulation/sedimentation processes; direct filtration and backwashing procedures; and cyanobacterial-laden sludge management practices. In addition, the metabolites produced by A. circinalis (geosmin and saxitoxins) and C. raciborskii (cylindrospermopsin) were investigated with respect to their release (and possible degradation) during each of the studied processes. Where sedimentation was used, coagulation effectively removed cyanobacteria (and intracellular metabolites) without any considerable exertion on coagulant demand. During direct filtration experiments, cyanobacteria released intracellular metabolites through a stagnation period, suggesting that more frequent backwashing of filters may be required to prevent floc build-up and metabolite release. Cyanobacteria appeared to be protected within the flocs, with minimal damage during backwashing of the filters. Within coagulant sludge, cyanobacteria released intracellular metabolites into the supernatant after 3 d, even though cells remained viable up to 7 d. This work has improved the understanding of cyanobacterial metabolite risks associated with management of backwash water and sludge and is likely to facilitate improvements at WTPs, including increased monitoring and the application of treatment strategies and operational practices, with respect to cyanobacterial-laden sludge and/or supernatant recycle management. - Highlights: ► Coagulation removed cyanobacteria without an additional exertion on coagulant demand. ► During a stagnation period in direct filtration intracellular metabolites were released. ► Cyanobacterial cells were not damaged

  11. Urinary estrogen metabolites and breast cancer

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dallal, Cher M; Stone, Roslyn A; Cauley, Jane A

    2013-01-01

    Background: Circulating estrogens are associated with increased breast cancer risk, yet the role of estrogen metabolites in breast carcinogenesis remains unclear. This combined analysis of 5 published studies evaluates urinary 2-hydroxyestrone (2-OHE1), 16a-hydroxyestrone (16a-OHE1......), and their ratio (2:16a-OHE1) in relation to breast cancer risk. ¿Methods: Primary data on 726 premenopausal women (183 invasive breast cancer cases and 543 controls) and 1,108 postmenopausal women (385 invasive breast cancer cases and 723 controls) were analyzed. Urinary estrogen metabolites were measured using...... premenopausal 2:16a-OHE1 was suggestive of reduced breast cancer risk overall (study-adjusted ORIIIvsI=0.80; 95% CI: 0.49-1.32) and for estrogen receptor negative (ER-) subtype (ORIIIvsI=0.33; 95% CI: 0.13-0.84). Among postmenopausal women, 2:16a-OHE1 was unrelated to breast cancer risk (study-adjusted ORIIIvs...

  12. Validation of a LC-MS/MS method for quantifying urinary nicotine, six nicotine metabolites and the minor tobacco alkaloids--anatabine and anabasine--in smokers' urine.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    James E McGuffey

    Full Text Available Tobacco use is a major contributor to premature morbidity and mortality. The measurement of nicotine and its metabolites in urine is a valuable tool for evaluating nicotine exposure and for nicotine metabolic profiling--i.e., metabolite ratios. In addition, the minor tobacco alkaloids--anabasine and anatabine--can be useful for monitoring compliance in smoking cessation programs that use nicotine replacement therapy. Because of an increasing demand for the measurement of urinary nicotine metabolites, we developed a rapid, low-cost method that uses isotope dilution liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS for simultaneously quantifying nicotine, six nicotine metabolites, and two minor tobacco alkaloids in smokers' urine. This method enzymatically hydrolyzes conjugated nicotine (primarily glucuronides and its metabolites. We then use acetone pretreatment to precipitate matrix components (endogenous proteins, salts, phospholipids, and exogenous enzyme that may interfere with LC-MS/MS analysis. Subsequently, analytes (nicotine, cotinine, hydroxycotinine, norcotinine, nornicotine, cotinine N-oxide, nicotine 1'-N-oxide, anatabine, and anabasine are chromatographically resolved within a cycle time of 13.5 minutes. The optimized assay produces linear responses across the analyte concentrations typically found in urine collected from daily smokers. Because matrix ion suppression may influence accuracy, we include a discussion of conventions employed in this procedure to minimize matrix interferences. Simplicity, low cost, low maintenance combined with high mean metabolite recovery (76-99%, specificity, accuracy (0-10% bias and reproducibility (2-9% C.V. make this method ideal for large high through-put studies.

  13. A Latex Metabolite Benefits Plant Fitness under Root Herbivore Attack.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Meret Huber

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Plants produce large amounts of secondary metabolites in their shoots and roots and store them in specialized secretory structures. Although secondary metabolites and their secretory structures are commonly assumed to have a defensive function, evidence that they benefit plant fitness under herbivore attack is scarce, especially below ground. Here, we tested whether latex secondary metabolites produced by the common dandelion (Taraxacum officinale agg. decrease the performance of its major native insect root herbivore, the larvae of the common cockchafer (Melolontha melolontha, and benefit plant vegetative and reproductive fitness under M. melolontha attack. Across 17 T. officinale genotypes screened by gas and liquid chromatography, latex concentrations of the sesquiterpene lactone taraxinic acid β-D-glucopyranosyl ester (TA-G were negatively associated with M. melolontha larval growth. Adding purified TA-G to artificial diet at ecologically relevant concentrations reduced larval feeding. Silencing the germacrene A synthase ToGAS1, an enzyme that was identified to catalyze the first committed step of TA-G biosynthesis, resulted in a 90% reduction of TA-G levels and a pronounced increase in M. melolontha feeding. Transgenic, TA-G-deficient lines were preferred by M. melolontha and suffered three times more root biomass reduction than control lines. In a common garden experiment involving over 2,000 T. officinale individuals belonging to 17 different genotypes, high TA-G concentrations were associated with the maintenance of high vegetative and reproductive fitness under M. melolontha attack. Taken together, our study demonstrates that a latex secondary metabolite benefits plants under herbivore attack, a result that provides a mechanistic framework for root herbivore driven natural selection and evolution of plant defenses below ground.

  14. A Latex Metabolite Benefits Plant Fitness under Root Herbivore Attack.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huber, Meret; Epping, Janina; Schulze Gronover, Christian; Fricke, Julia; Aziz, Zohra; Brillatz, Théo; Swyers, Michael; Köllner, Tobias G; Vogel, Heiko; Hammerbacher, Almuth; Triebwasser-Freese, Daniella; Robert, Christelle A M; Verhoeven, Koen; Preite, Veronica; Gershenzon, Jonathan; Erb, Matthias

    2016-01-01

    Plants produce large amounts of secondary metabolites in their shoots and roots and store them in specialized secretory structures. Although secondary metabolites and their secretory structures are commonly assumed to have a defensive function, evidence that they benefit plant fitness under herbivore attack is scarce, especially below ground. Here, we tested whether latex secondary metabolites produced by the common dandelion (Taraxacum officinale agg.) decrease the performance of its major native insect root herbivore, the larvae of the common cockchafer (Melolontha melolontha), and benefit plant vegetative and reproductive fitness under M. melolontha attack. Across 17 T. officinale genotypes screened by gas and liquid chromatography, latex concentrations of the sesquiterpene lactone taraxinic acid β-D-glucopyranosyl ester (TA-G) were negatively associated with M. melolontha larval growth. Adding purified TA-G to artificial diet at ecologically relevant concentrations reduced larval feeding. Silencing the germacrene A synthase ToGAS1, an enzyme that was identified to catalyze the first committed step of TA-G biosynthesis, resulted in a 90% reduction of TA-G levels and a pronounced increase in M. melolontha feeding. Transgenic, TA-G-deficient lines were preferred by M. melolontha and suffered three times more root biomass reduction than control lines. In a common garden experiment involving over 2,000 T. officinale individuals belonging to 17 different genotypes, high TA-G concentrations were associated with the maintenance of high vegetative and reproductive fitness under M. melolontha attack. Taken together, our study demonstrates that a latex secondary metabolite benefits plants under herbivore attack, a result that provides a mechanistic framework for root herbivore driven natural selection and evolution of plant defenses below ground.

  15. Measurement of hydroxylated PCB metabolites for Slovakia maternal blood serums

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Park, J.S.; Athanasiadou, M; Bergman, A. [Stockholm Univ., Stockholm (Sweden); Charles, J.; Zhao, G.; Hertz-Picciotto, I. [California Univ., Sacramento, CA (United States); Petrik, J.; Kocan, A; Trnovec, T. [Bratislava Inst. of Preventive and Clinical Medicine, Bratislava (Slovakia)

    2005-07-01

    Although it is known that polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) have adverse impacts on human health, it is not clear if human health impacts are caused by the PCBs or their related hydroxylated (OH) PCB metabolite compounds. This study measured OH-PCB metabolites in the maternal blood serum specimens from the Svidnik and Michalovce areas in eastern Slovakia where PCBs were intensively produced and inadequately disposed. The aim of the study was to characterize and quantify levels of specific OH-PCB metabolites in Slovakian maternal serums exposed to high environmental PCB levels. All specimens were analyzed for PCBs, and a subset of the samples was analyzed for OH-PCB metabolites. The Wallenburg blood extraction method was adopted to separate the OH-PCBs from the blood serums. Final eluates and calibration standards were spiked with PCB209 as an injection standard before gas chromatography (GC) analysis. OH-PCBs in the samples range from 75{+-}9 per cent to 101{+-}11 per cent. Median concentrations of OH-PCB metabolites of Michalovce samples were approximately twice as high as for the Svidnik samples. Concentrations of OH-PCBs of Michalovce blood samples were comparable to samples obtained from northern Canadian female Inuit and Faroe Island females, and were considered to be among the highest OH-PCB concentrations obtained in human blood. It was concluded that further research is needed to understand the placental transfer of OH-PCBs to the fetus, as well as epidemiological approaches to determine the relationship between the exposure of OH-PCB metabolites and child development. 12 refs., 2 figs.

  16. Chemical ecology of insect-plant interactions: ecological significance of plant secondary metabolites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nishida, Ritsuo

    2014-01-01

    Plants produce a diverse array of secondary metabolites as chemical barriers against herbivores. Many phytophagous insects are highly adapted to these allelochemicals and use such unique substances as the specific host-finding cues, defensive substances of their own, and even as sex pheromones or their precursors by selectively sensing, incorporating, and/or processing these phytochemicals. Insects also serve as pollinators often effectively guided by specific floral fragrances. This review demonstrates the ecological significance of such plant secondary metabolites in the highly diverse interactions between insects and plants.

  17. Linking dynamic phenotyping with metabolite analysis to study natural variation in drought responses of Brachypodium distachyon

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lorraine H.C. Fisher

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Drought is an important environmental stress limiting the productivity of major crops worldwide. Understanding drought tolerance and possible mechanisms for improving drought resistance is therefore a prerequisite to develop drought-tolerant crops that produce significant yields with reduced amounts of water. Brachypodium distachyon (Brachypodium is a key model species for cereals, forage grasses and energy grasses. In this study, initial screening of a Brachypodium germplasm collection consisting of 138 different ecotypes exposed to progressive drought, highlighted the natural variation in morphology, biomass accumulation and responses to drought stress. A core set of ten ecotypes, classified as being either tolerant, susceptible or intermediate, in response to drought stress, were exposed to mild or severe (respectively 15% and 0% soil water content drought stress and phenomic parameters linked to growth and colour changes were assessed. When exposed to severe drought stress, phenotypic data and metabolite profiling combined with multivariate analysis revealed a remarkable consistency in separating the selected ecotypes into their different pre-defined drought tolerance groups. Increases in several metabolites, including for the phytohormones jasmonic acid and salicylic acid, and TCA-cycle intermediates, were positively correlated with biomass yield and with reduced yellow pixel counts; suggestive of delayed senescence, both key target traits for crop improvement to drought stress. While metabolite analysis also separated ecotypes into the distinct tolerance groupings after exposure to mild drought stress, similar analysis of the phenotypic data failed to do so, confirming the value of metabolomics to investigate early responses to drought stress. The results highlight the potential of combining the analyses of phenotypic and metabolic responses to identify key mechanisms and markers associated with drought tolerance in both the Brachypodium

  18. A reappraisal of fungi producing aflatoxins

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Varga, János; Frisvad, Jens Christian; Samson, Robert A.

    2009-01-01

    Aflatoxins are decaketide-derived secondary metabolites which are produced by a complex biosynthetic pathway. Aflatoxins are among the economically most important mycotoxins. Aflatoxin B1 exhibits hepatocarcinogenic and hepatotoxic properties, and is frequently referred to as the most potent natu...

  19. Protozoan growth rates on secondary-metabolite-producing Pseudomonas spp. correlate with high-level protozoan taxonomy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pedersen, Annette L.; Winding, Anne; Altenburger, Andreas

    2011-01-01

    Different features can protect bacteria against protozoan grazing, for example large size, rapid movement, and production of secondary metabolites. Most papers dealing with these matters focus on bacteria. Here, we describe protozoan features that affect their ability to grow on secondary-metabol...

  20. Fate of cyanobacteria and their metabolites during water treatment sludge management processes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ho, Lionel; Dreyfus, Jennifer; Boyer, Justine; Lowe, Todd; Bustamante, Heriberto; Duker, Phil; Meli, Tass; Newcombe, Gayle

    2012-05-01

    Cyanobacteria and their metabolites are an issue for water authorities; however, little is known as to the fate of coagulated cyanobacterial-laden sludge during waste management processes in water treatment plants (WTPs). This paper provides information on the cell integrity of Anabaena circinalis and Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii during: laboratory-scale coagulation/sedimentation processes; direct filtration and backwashing procedures; and cyanobacterial-laden sludge management practices. In addition, the metabolites produced by A. circinalis (geosmin and saxitoxins) and C. raciborskii (cylindrospermopsin) were investigated with respect to their release (and possible degradation) during each of the studied processes. Where sedimentation was used, coagulation effectively removed cyanobacteria (and intracellular metabolites) without any considerable exertion on coagulant demand. During direct filtration experiments, cyanobacteria released intracellular metabolites through a stagnation period, suggesting that more frequent backwashing of filters may be required to prevent floc build-up and metabolite release. Cyanobacteria appeared to be protected within the flocs, with minimal damage during backwashing of the filters. Within coagulant sludge, cyanobacteria released intracellular metabolites into the supernatant after 3d, even though cells remained viable up to 7d. This work has improved the understanding of cyanobacterial metabolite risks associated with management of backwash water and sludge and is likely to facilitate improvements at WTPs, including increased monitoring and the application of treatment strategies and operational practices, with respect to cyanobacterial-laden sludge and/or supernatant recycle management. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Distribution of secondary metabolite biosynthetic gene clusters in 343 Fusarium genomes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fusarium consists of over 200 phylogenetically distinct species, many of which cause important crop diseases and/or produce mycotoxins and other secondary metabolites (SMs). Some fusaria also cause opportunistic infections in humans and other animals. To investigate the distribution of biosynthetic ...

  2. New Methodology for Known Metabolite Identification in Metabonomics/Metabolomics: Topological Metabolite Identification Carbon Efficiency (tMICE).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sanchon-Lopez, Beatriz; Everett, Jeremy R

    2016-09-02

    A new, simple-to-implement and quantitative approach to assessing the confidence in NMR-based identification of known metabolites is introduced. The approach is based on a topological analysis of metabolite identification information available from NMR spectroscopy studies and is a development of the metabolite identification carbon efficiency (MICE) method. New topological metabolite identification indices are introduced, analyzed, and proposed for general use, including topological metabolite identification carbon efficiency (tMICE). Because known metabolite identification is one of the key bottlenecks in either NMR-spectroscopy- or mass spectrometry-based metabonomics/metabolomics studies, and given the fact that there is no current consensus on how to assess metabolite identification confidence, it is hoped that these new approaches and the topological indices will find utility.

  3. Three plasma metabolite signatures for diagnosing high altitude pulmonary edema

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guo, Li; Tan, Guangguo; Liu, Ping; Li, Huijie; Tang, Lulu; Huang, Lan; Ren, Qian

    2015-10-01

    High-altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) is a potentially fatal condition, occurring at altitudes greater than 3,000 m and affecting rapidly ascending, non-acclimatized healthy individuals. However, the lack of biomarkers for this disease still constitutes a bottleneck in the clinical diagnosis. Here, ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with Q-TOF mass spectrometry was applied to study plasma metabolite profiling from 57 HAPE and 57 control subjects. 14 differential plasma metabolites responsible for the discrimination between the two groups from discovery set (35 HAPE subjects and 35 healthy controls) were identified. Furthermore, 3 of the 14 metabolites (C8-ceramide, sphingosine and glutamine) were selected as candidate diagnostic biomarkers for HAPE using metabolic pathway impact analysis. The feasibility of using the combination of these three biomarkers for HAPE was evaluated, where the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was 0.981 and 0.942 in the discovery set and the validation set (22 HAPE subjects and 22 healthy controls), respectively. Taken together, these results suggested that this composite plasma metabolite signature may be used in HAPE diagnosis, especially after further investigation and verification with larger samples.

  4. Metabolite exchange between microbiome members produces compounds that influence Drosophila behavior

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fischer, Caleb N; Trautman, Eric P; Crawford, Jason M; Stabb, Eric V; Handelsman, Jo; Broderick, Nichole A

    2017-01-01

    Animals host multi-species microbial communities (microbiomes) whose properties may result from inter-species interactions; however, current understanding of host-microbiome interactions derives mostly from studies in which elucidation of microbe-microbe interactions is difficult. In exploring how Drosophila melanogaster acquires its microbiome, we found that a microbial community influences Drosophila olfactory and egg-laying behaviors differently than individual members. Drosophila prefers a Saccharomyces-Acetobacter co-culture to the same microorganisms grown individually and then mixed, a response mainly due to the conserved olfactory receptor, Or42b. Acetobacter metabolism of Saccharomyces-derived ethanol was necessary, and acetate and its metabolic derivatives were sufficient, for co-culture preference. Preference correlated with three emergent co-culture properties: ethanol catabolism, a distinct volatile profile, and yeast population decline. Egg-laying preference provided a context-dependent fitness benefit to larvae. We describe a molecular mechanism by which a microbial community affects animal behavior. Our results support a model whereby emergent metabolites signal a beneficial multispecies microbiome. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.18855.001 PMID:28068220

  5. Metabolite coupling in genome-scale metabolic networks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Palsson Bernhard Ø

    2006-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Biochemically detailed stoichiometric matrices have now been reconstructed for various bacteria, yeast, and for the human cardiac mitochondrion based on genomic and proteomic data. These networks have been manually curated based on legacy data and elementally and charge balanced. Comparative analysis of these well curated networks is now possible. Pairs of metabolites often appear together in several network reactions, linking them topologically. This co-occurrence of pairs of metabolites in metabolic reactions is termed herein "metabolite coupling." These metabolite pairs can be directly computed from the stoichiometric matrix, S. Metabolite coupling is derived from the matrix ŜŜT, whose off-diagonal elements indicate the number of reactions in which any two metabolites participate together, where Ŝ is the binary form of S. Results Metabolite coupling in the studied networks was found to be dominated by a relatively small group of highly interacting pairs of metabolites. As would be expected, metabolites with high individual metabolite connectivity also tended to be those with the highest metabolite coupling, as the most connected metabolites couple more often. For metabolite pairs that are not highly coupled, we show that the number of reactions a pair of metabolites shares across a metabolic network closely approximates a line on a log-log scale. We also show that the preferential coupling of two metabolites with each other is spread across the spectrum of metabolites and is not unique to the most connected metabolites. We provide a measure for determining which metabolite pairs couple more often than would be expected based on their individual connectivity in the network and show that these metabolites often derive their principal biological functions from existing in pairs. Thus, analysis of metabolite coupling provides information beyond that which is found from studying the individual connectivity of individual

  6. Identification of metabolites during biodegradation of pendimethalin in bioslurry reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ramakrishna, M.; Venkata Mohan, S.; Shailaja, S.; Narashima, R.; Sarma, P.N.

    2008-01-01

    Bioslurry phase reactor was used for the degradation of pendimethalin, a pre-emergence herbicide in the contaminated soil under aerobic environment. More than 91% degradation of pendimethalin was observed for 5 days of reactor operation augmented with sewage from effluent treatment plant (ETP). The performance of the reactor was monitored regularly by measuring pH and colony forming units (CFU). The metabolites of pendimethalin formed during degradation were identified using various analytical techniques, viz., thin layer chromatography (TLC), high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and liquid chromatography-mass spectroscopy (LC-MS/MS). Four metabolites were formed and identified as N-(1-ethylpropyl)-3,4-dicarboxy 2,6-dinitrobenzenamine-N-oxide, N-(1-ethylpropyl)-3,4-dimethoxy-2,6-dinitrobenzenamine and benezimadazole-7-carboxyaldehyde. The reactions involved were monohydrolysis of 2-methyl groups followed by dihydrolysis. Further oxidation of amine groups and hydroxylation of propyl groups produced the above said metabolites. Degradation pathway of pendimethalin has been proposed in the bioslurry phase reactor

  7. Diglycolic acid, the toxic metabolite of diethylene glycol, chelates calcium and produces renal mitochondrial dysfunction in vitro.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Conrad, Taylor; Landry, Greg M; Aw, Tak Yee; Nichols, Royce; McMartin, Kenneth E

    2016-07-01

    Diethylene glycol (DEG) has caused many cases of acute kidney injury and deaths worldwide. Diglycolic acid (DGA) is the metabolite responsible for the renal toxicity, but its toxic mechanism remains unclear. To characterize the mitochondrial dysfunction produced from DGA by examining several mitochondrial processes potentially contributing to renal cell toxicity. The effect of DGA on mitochondrial membrane potential was examined in normal human proximal tubule (HPT) cells. Isolated rat kidney mitochondria were used to assess the effects of DGA on mitochondrial function, including respiratory parameters (States 3 and 4), electron transport chain complex activities and calcium-induced opening of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore. DGA was compared with ethylene glycol tetraacetic acid (EGTA) to determine calcium chelating ability. DGA cytotoxicity was assessed using lactate dehydrogenase leakage from cultured proximal tubule cells. DGA decreased the mitochondrial membrane potential in HPT cells. In rat kidney mitochondria, DGA decreased State 3 respiration, but did not affect State 4 respiration or the ADP/O ratio. DGA reduced glutamate/malate respiration at lower DGA concentrations (0.5 mmol/L) than succinate respiration (100 mmol/L). DGA inhibited Complex II activity without altering Complex I, III or IV activities. DGA blocked calcium-induced mitochondrial swelling, indicating inhibition of the calcium-dependent mitochondrial permeability transition. DGA and EGTA reduced the free calcium concentration in solution in an equimolar manner. DGA toxicity and mitochondrial dysfunction occurred as similar concentrations. DGA inhibited mitochondrial respiration, but without uncoupling oxidative phosphorylation. The more potent effect of DGA on glutamate/malate respiration and the inhibition of mitochondrial swelling was likely due to its chelation of calcium. These results indicate that DGA produces mitochondrial dysfunction by chelating calcium to

  8. Fate of cyanobacteria and their metabolites during water treatment sludge management processes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ho, Lionel, E-mail: lionel.ho@sawater.com.au [Australian Water Quality Centre, SA Water Corporation, 250 Victoria Square, Adelaide, SA 5000 (Australia); Centre for Water Management and Reuse, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, SA 5095 (Australia); Dreyfus, Jennifer; Boyer, Justine; Lowe, Todd [Australian Water Quality Centre, SA Water Corporation, 250 Victoria Square, Adelaide, SA 5000 (Australia); Bustamante, Heriberto; Duker, Phil [Sydney Water, PO Box 399, Parramatta, NSW 2124 (Australia); Meli, Tass [TRILITY Pty Ltd, PO Box 86, Appin, NSW 2560 (Australia); Newcombe, Gayle [Australian Water Quality Centre, SA Water Corporation, 250 Victoria Square, Adelaide, SA 5000 (Australia); Centre for Water Management and Reuse, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, SA 5095 (Australia)

    2012-05-01

    Cyanobacteria and their metabolites are an issue for water authorities; however, little is known as to the fate of coagulated cyanobacterial-laden sludge during waste management processes in water treatment plants (WTPs). This paper provides information on the cell integrity of Anabaena circinalis and Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii during: laboratory-scale coagulation/sedimentation processes; direct filtration and backwashing procedures; and cyanobacterial-laden sludge management practices. In addition, the metabolites produced by A. circinalis (geosmin and saxitoxins) and C. raciborskii (cylindrospermopsin) were investigated with respect to their release (and possible degradation) during each of the studied processes. Where sedimentation was used, coagulation effectively removed cyanobacteria (and intracellular metabolites) without any considerable exertion on coagulant demand. During direct filtration experiments, cyanobacteria released intracellular metabolites through a stagnation period, suggesting that more frequent backwashing of filters may be required to prevent floc build-up and metabolite release. Cyanobacteria appeared to be protected within the flocs, with minimal damage during backwashing of the filters. Within coagulant sludge, cyanobacteria released intracellular metabolites into the supernatant after 3 d, even though cells remained viable up to 7 d. This work has improved the understanding of cyanobacterial metabolite risks associated with management of backwash water and sludge and is likely to facilitate improvements at WTPs, including increased monitoring and the application of treatment strategies and operational practices, with respect to cyanobacterial-laden sludge and/or supernatant recycle management. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Coagulation removed cyanobacteria without an additional exertion on coagulant demand. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer During a stagnation period in direct filtration intracellular metabolites were

  9. Importance of Secondary Metabolites for Leaf Beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. N. EKİZ

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available Leaf beetles (Chrysomelidae are one of the most diverse families of herbivorous insects. Many of them are important agricultural pests and cause remarkable loss of crop and money as well. Plant leaves and roots are primary food source of both larva and adults of leaf beetles. Plants produce many secondary metabolites in reaction to herbivore insects. It is a well-known phenomenon that quantity and variety of secondary metabolites in plant leaves may change in response to insect attacks. Herbivore insects have to deal with such defensive secondary chemicals and overcome either by detoxifying or storing them. Accordingly, many specialist herbivores coevolved with their host plant. Certain phenolic glycosides may reduce leaf beetle feeding. Condensed tannins are anti-herbivore defenses against leaf chewing beetles, including leaf beetles. Flavonoid compounds are feeding deterrents for many flea leaf beetles. Cinnamic acid derivatives are other known feeding deterrents for leaf beetles. Secondary metabolites quantity and nutritional quality of host plants are not only important for feeding but also for providing enemy-free space and suitable oviposition sites.

  10. Bioactive Secondary Metabolites from a Thai Collection of Soil and Marine-Derived Fungi of the Genera Neosartorya and Aspergillus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zin, War War May; Prompanya, Chadaporn; Buttachon, Suradet; Kijjoa, Anake

    2016-01-01

    Fungi are microorganisms which can produce interesting secondary metabolites with structural diversity. Although terrestrial fungi have been extensively investigated for their bioactive secondary metabolites such as antibiotics, marine-derived fungi have only recently attracted attention of Natural Products chemists. Our group has been working on the secondary metabolites produced by the cultures of the fungi of the genera Neosartorya and Aspergillus, collected from soil and marine environments from the tropical region for the purpose of finding new leads for anticancer and antibacterial drugs. This review covers only the secondary metabolites of four soil and six marine-derived species of Neosarorya as well as a new species of marine-derived Aspergillus, investigated by our group. In total, we have isolated fifty three secondary metabolites which can be categorized as polyketides (two), isocoumarins (six), terpenoids (two), meroterpenes (fourteen), alkaloids (twenty eight) and cyclic peptide (one). The anticancer and antibacterial activities of these fungal metabolites are also discussed. Among fifty three secondary metabolites isolated, only the alkaloid eurochevalierine and the cadinene sesquiterpene, isolated from the soil fungus N. pseudofisheri, showed relevant in vitro cytostatic activity against glioblastoma (U373) and non-small cell lung cancer (A549) cell lines while the meroditerpene aszonapyrone A exhibited strong antibacterial activity against multidrug-resistant Gram-positive bacteria and also strong antibiofilm activity in these isolates.

  11. Production of fungal and bacterial growth modulating secondary metabolites is widespread among mycorrhiza-associated streptomycetes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Schrey Silvia D

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Studies on mycorrhiza associated bacteria suggest that bacterial-fungal interactions play important roles during mycorrhiza formation and affect plant health. We surveyed Streptomyces Actinobacteria, known as antibiotic producers and antagonists of fungi, from Norway spruce mycorrhizas with predominantly Piloderma species as the fungal partner. Results Fifteen Streptomyces isolates exhibited substantial variation in inhibition of tested mycorrhizal and plant pathogenic fungi (Amanita muscaria, Fusarium oxysporum, Hebeloma cylindrosporum, Heterobasidion abietinum, Heterobasidion annosum, Laccaria bicolor, Piloderma croceum. The growth of the mycorrhiza-forming fungus Laccaria bicolor was stimulated by some of the streptomycetes, and Piloderma croceum was only moderately affected. Bacteria responded to the streptomycetes differently than the fungi. For instance the strain Streptomyces sp. AcM11, which inhibited most tested fungi, was less inhibitory to bacteria than other tested streptomycetes. The determined patterns of Streptomyces-microbe interactions were associated with distinct patterns of secondary metabolite production. Notably, potentially novel metabolites were produced by strains that were less antagonistic to fungi. Most of the identified metabolites were antibiotics (e.g. cycloheximide, actiphenol and siderophores (e.g. ferulic acid, desferroxiamines. Plant disease resistance was activated by a single streptomycete strain only. Conclusions Mycorrhiza associated streptomycetes appear to have an important role in inhibiting the growth of fungi and bacteria. Additionally, our study indicates that the Streptomyces strains, which are not general antagonists of fungi, may produce still un-described metabolites.

  12. Engineering Microbial Metabolite Dynamics and Heterogeneity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schmitz, Alexander C; Hartline, Christopher J; Zhang, Fuzhong

    2017-10-01

    As yields for biological chemical production in microorganisms approach their theoretical maximum, metabolic engineering requires new tools, and approaches for improvements beyond what traditional strategies can achieve. Engineering metabolite dynamics and metabolite heterogeneity is necessary to achieve further improvements in product titers, productivities, and yields. Metabolite dynamics, the ensemble change in metabolite concentration over time, arise from the need for microbes to adapt their metabolism in response to the extracellular environment and are important for controlling growth and productivity in industrial fermentations. Metabolite heterogeneity, the cell-to-cell variation in a metabolite concentration in an isoclonal population, has a significant impact on ensemble productivity. Recent advances in single cell analysis enable a more complete understanding of the processes driving metabolite heterogeneity and reveal metabolic engineering targets. The authors present an overview of the mechanistic origins of metabolite dynamics and heterogeneity, why they are important, their potential effects in chemical production processes, and tools and strategies for engineering metabolite dynamics and heterogeneity. The authors emphasize that the ability to control metabolite dynamics and heterogeneity will bring new avenues of engineering to increase productivity of microbial strains. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  13. Contamination of wheat grain with microscopic fungi and their metabolites in Poland in 2006-2009.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stuper-Szablewska, Kinga; Perkowski, Juliusz

    2014-01-01

    Microscopic fungi are microorganisms commonly found in cereal products. Pathogens of cereals colonising kernels are responsible, among other things, for deterioration of the technological value of grain. However, the greatest threat is posed by mycotoxins produced by toxin-forming strains of these microorganisms. The aim of the present study was to determine the level of contamination with microscopic fungi and mycotoxins from the group of trichothecenes in wheat grain from Poland in a 4-year cycle. In the period 2006-2009, studies were conducted on the content of fungal metabolites (ergosterol [ERG] and type A and B trichothecenes) and the content of microscopic fungi expressed in colony-forming units (CFU) in wheat grain. A total of 129 grain samples were examined. Analysed wheat samples had similar contents of both the investigated fungal metabolites and levels of microscopic fungi. Contents of microscopic fungi were low. Concentration of ERG, on average, was 2.64 mg/kg, while in colony forming units this value ranged from 10(1) CFU/g to over 10(3) CFU/g. The total concentration of type A and B trichothecenes was also low and within the 4 years of the investigation did not exceed 0.062 mg/kg. Concentration of DON did not exceed 1,250 µg/kg, established as safe in grain for human consumption, in any of the tested samples. For the results collected in the years 2006-2009 and presented in this paper, correlations were calculated between the amount of mycoflora and analysed metabolites in 3 possible combinations: 0.7096 for ERG/total toxin concentration, 0.6086 for ERG/log CFU/g, and 0.4016 for the concentration of total toxins/log CFU/g. Highly significant correlations between the content of trichothecenes and the concentration of ERG indicate that the level of this metabolite is closely related to the content of mycotoxins in grain.

  14. Functional copmponents produced by multi-jet modelling combined with electroforming and machining

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Baier, Oliver

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available In fuel cell technology, certain components are used that are responsible for guiding liquid media. When these components are produced by conventional manufacturing, there are often sealing issues, and trouble- and maintenance-free deployment cannot be ensured. Against this background, a new process combination has been developed in a joint project between the University of Duisburg-Essen, the Center for Fuel Cell Technology (ZBT, and the company Galvano-T electroplating forming GmbH. The approach is to combine multi-jet modelling (MJM, electroforming and milling in order to produce a defined external geometry. The wax models are generated on copper base plates and copper-coated to a desirable thickness. Following this, the undefined electroplated surfaces are machined to achieve the desired measurement, and the wax is melted out. This paper presents, first, how this process is technically feasible, then describes how the MJM on a 3-D Systems ThermoJet was adapted to stabilise the process.In the AiF-sponsored ZIM project, existing limits and possibilities are shown and different approaches of electroplating are investigated. This paper explores whether or not activation of the wax structure by a conductive initial layer is required. Using the described process chain, different parts were built: a heat exchanger, a vaporiser, and a reformer (in which pellets were integrated in an intermediate step. In addition, multiple-layer parts with different functions were built by repeating the process combination several times.

  15. A Derivative Method with Free Radical Oxidation to Predict Resveratrol Metabolites by Tandem Mass Spectrometry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Wangta; Shiue, Yow-Ling; Lin, Yi-Reng; Lin, Hugo You-Hsien; Liang, Shih-Shin

    2015-10-01

    In this study, we demonstrated an oxidative method with free radical to generate 3,5,4'-trihydroxy- trans -stilbene ( trans -resveratrol) metabolites and detect sequentially by an autosampler coupling with liquid chromatography electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometer (LC-ESI-MS/MS). In this oxidative method, the free radical initiator, ammonium persulfate (APS), was placed in a sample bottle containing resveratrol to produce oxidative derivatives, and the reaction progress was tracked by autosampler sequencing. Resveratrol, a natural product with purported cancer preventative qualities, produces metabolites including dihydroresveratrol, 3,4'-dihydroxy- trans -stilbene, lunularin, resveratrol monosulfate, and dihydroresveratrol monosulfate by free radical oxidation. Using APS free radical, the concentrations of resveratrol derivatives differ as a function of time. Besides simple, convenient and time- and labor saving, the advantages of free radical oxidative method of its in situ generation of oxidative derivatives followed by LC-ESI-MS/MS can be utilized to evaluate different metabolites in various conditions.

  16. Antifungal Metabolites (Monorden, Monocillin IV, and Cerebrosides) from Humicola fuscoatra Traaen NRRL 22980, a Mycoparasite of Aspergillus flavus Sclerotia

    OpenAIRE

    Wicklow, Donald T.; Joshi, Biren K.; Gamble, William R.; Gloer, James B.; Dowd, Patrick F.

    1998-01-01

    The mycoparasite Humicola fuscoatra NRRL 22980 was isolated from a sclerotium of Aspergillus flavus that had been buried in a cornfield near Tifton, Ga. When grown on autoclaved rice, this fungus produced the antifungal metabolites monorden, monocillin IV, and a new monorden analog. Each metabolite produced a clear zone of inhibition surrounding paper assay disks on agar plates seeded with conidia of A. flavus. Monorden was twice as inhibitory to A. flavus mycelium extension (MIC > 28 μg/ml) ...

  17. Combined use of the modified Hodge test and carbapenemase inhibition test for detection of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae and metallo-β-lactamase-producing Pseudomonas spp.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Song, Wonkeun; Hong, Seong Geun; Yong, Dongeun; Jeong, Seok Hoon; Kim, Hyun Soo; Kim, Han-Sung; Kim, Jae-Seok; Bae, Il Kwon

    2015-03-01

    We evaluated the combined use of the modified Hodge test (MHT) and carbapenemase inhibition test (CIT) using phenylboronic acid (PBA) and EDTA to detect carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) and metallo-β-lactamase (MBL)-producing Pseudomonas spp. A total of 49 isolates of CPE (15 Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase [KPC], 5 Guiana extended-spectrum β-lactamase [GES]-5, 9 New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase [NDM]-1, 5 Verona integron-encoded metallo-β-lactamase [VIM]-2, 3 imipenem-hydrolyzing β-lactamase [IMP], and 12 oxacillinase [OXA]-48-like), 25 isolates of MBL-producing Pseudomonas spp. (14 VIM-2 and 11 IMP), and 35 carbapenemase-negative controls were included. The MHT was performed for all isolates as recommended by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute. Enhanced growth of the indicator strain was measured in mm with a ruler. The CIT was performed by directly dripping PBA and EDTA solutions onto carbapenem disks that were placed on Mueller-Hinton agar plates seeded with the test strain. Considering the results of the MHT with the ertapenem disk in Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonas spp., the CIT with the meropenem disk in Enterobacteriaceae, and the imipenem disk in Pseudomonas spp., three combined disk tests, namely MHT-positive plus PBA-positive, EDTA-positive, and MHT-positive plus PBA-negative plus EDTA-negative, had excellent sensitivity and specificity for the detection of KPC- (100% sensitivity and 100% specificity), MBL- (94% sensitivity and 100% specificity), and OXA-48-like-producing isolates (100% sensitivity and 100% specificity), respectively. Combined use of the MHT and CIT with PBA and EDTA, for the detection of CPE and MBL-producing Pseudomonas spp., is effective in detecting and characterizing carbapenemases in routine laboratories.

  18. Characterization of the radiolabeled metabolite of tau PET tracer 18F-THK5351

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Harada, Ryuichi; Furumoto, Shozo; Tago, Tetsuro; Iwata, Ren; Tashiro, Manabu; Katsutoshi, Furukawa; Ishiki, Aiko; Tomita, Naoki; Arai, Hiroyuki; Yanai, Kazuhiko; Kudo, Yukitsuka; Okamura, Nobuyuki

    2016-01-01

    18 F-THK5351 is a novel radiotracer developed for in vivo imaging of tau pathology in the brain. For the quantitative assessment of tau deposits in the brain, it is important that the radioactive metabolite does not enter the brain and that it does not bind to tau fibrils. The purpose of the study was to identify a radiolabeled metabolite of 18 F-THK5351 in blood samples from human subjects and to characterize its pharmacological properties. Venous blood samples were collected from three human subjects after injection of 18 F-THK5351 and the plasma metabolite was measured by high performance thin layer chromatography. In addition, mass spectrometry analysis and enzymatic assays were used to identify this metabolite. Mice were used to investigate the blood-brain barrier permeability of the radioactive metabolite. Furthermore, the binding ability of the metabolite to tau aggregates was evaluated using autoradiography and binding assays using human brain samples. About 13 % of the unmetabolized radiotracer was detectable in human plasma at 60 min following the injection of 18 F-THK5351. The isolated radiometabolite of 18 F-THK5351 was the sulphoconjugate of THK5351. This metabolite could be produced in vitro by incubating THK5351 with liver but not brain homogenates. The metabolite did not penetrate the blood-brain barrier in mice, and exhibited little binding to tau protein aggregates in post-mortem human brain samples. These results suggest that the sole metabolite detectable in plasma seems to be generated outside the brain and does not cross into the brain, which does not affect quantitative analysis of PET images. (orig.)

  19. Tiny Microbes with a Big Impact: The Role of Cyanobacteria and Their Metabolites in Shaping Our Future

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sophie Mazard

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available Cyanobacteria are among the first microorganisms to have inhabited the Earth. Throughout the last few billion years, they have played a major role in shaping the Earth as the planet we live in, and they continue to play a significant role in our everyday lives. Besides being an essential source of atmospheric oxygen, marine cyanobacteria are prolific secondary metabolite producers, often despite the exceptionally small genomes. Secondary metabolites produced by these organisms are diverse and complex; these include compounds, such as pigments and fluorescent dyes, as well as biologically-active compounds with a particular interest for the pharmaceutical industry. Cyanobacteria are currently regarded as an important source of nutrients and biofuels and form an integral part of novel innovative energy-efficient designs. Being autotrophic organisms, cyanobacteria are well suited for large-scale biotechnological applications due to the low requirements for organic nutrients. Recent advances in molecular biology techniques have considerably enhanced the potential for industries to optimize the production of cyanobacteria secondary metabolites with desired functions. This manuscript reviews the environmental role of marine cyanobacteria with a particular focus on their secondary metabolites and discusses current and future developments in both the production of desired cyanobacterial metabolites and their potential uses in future innovative projects.

  20. Tiny Microbes with a Big Impact: The Role of Cyanobacteria and Their Metabolites in Shaping Our Future.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mazard, Sophie; Penesyan, Anahit; Ostrowski, Martin; Paulsen, Ian T; Egan, Suhelen

    2016-05-17

    Cyanobacteria are among the first microorganisms to have inhabited the Earth. Throughout the last few billion years, they have played a major role in shaping the Earth as the planet we live in, and they continue to play a significant role in our everyday lives. Besides being an essential source of atmospheric oxygen, marine cyanobacteria are prolific secondary metabolite producers, often despite the exceptionally small genomes. Secondary metabolites produced by these organisms are diverse and complex; these include compounds, such as pigments and fluorescent dyes, as well as biologically-active compounds with a particular interest for the pharmaceutical industry. Cyanobacteria are currently regarded as an important source of nutrients and biofuels and form an integral part of novel innovative energy-efficient designs. Being autotrophic organisms, cyanobacteria are well suited for large-scale biotechnological applications due to the low requirements for organic nutrients. Recent advances in molecular biology techniques have considerably enhanced the potential for industries to optimize the production of cyanobacteria secondary metabolites with desired functions. This manuscript reviews the environmental role of marine cyanobacteria with a particular focus on their secondary metabolites and discusses current and future developments in both the production of desired cyanobacterial metabolites and their potential uses in future innovative projects.

  1. Metabolites in Blood for Prediction of Bacteremic Sepsis in the Emergency Room.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anna M Kauppi

    Full Text Available A metabolomics approach for prediction of bacteremic sepsis in patients in the emergency room (ER was investigated. In a prospective study, whole blood samples from 65 patients with bacteremic sepsis and 49 ER controls were compared. The blood samples were analyzed using gas chromatography coupled to time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Multivariate and logistic regression modeling using metabolites identified by chromatography or using conventional laboratory parameters and clinical scores of infection were employed. A predictive model of bacteremic sepsis with 107 metabolites was developed and validated. The number of metabolites was reduced stepwise until identifying a set of 6 predictive metabolites. A 6-metabolite predictive logistic regression model showed a sensitivity of 0.91(95% CI 0.69-0.99 and a specificity 0.84 (95% CI 0.58-0.94 with an AUC of 0.93 (95% CI 0.89-1.01. Myristic acid was the single most predictive metabolite, with a sensitivity of 1.00 (95% CI 0.85-1.00 and specificity of 0.95 (95% CI 0.74-0.99, and performed better than various combinations of conventional laboratory and clinical parameters. We found that a metabolomics approach for analysis of acute blood samples was useful for identification of patients with bacteremic sepsis. Metabolomics should be further evaluated as a new tool for infection diagnostics.

  2. Secondary metabolites from Penicillium roqueforti, a starter for the production of Gorgonzola cheese

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lisa Vallone

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available The presence of mold in food, although necessary for production, can involve the presence of secondary metabolites, which are sometimes toxic. Penicillium roqueforti is a common saprophytic fungus but it is also the essential fungus used in the production of Roquefort cheese and other varieties of blue cheese containing internal mold. The study was conducted on industrial batches of Penicillium roqueforti starters used in the production of the Gorgonzola cheese, with the aim to verify the production of secondary metabolites. Nine Penicillium roqueforti strains were tested. The presence of roquefortine C, PR toxin and mycophenolic acid was tested first in vitro, then on bread-like substrate and lastly in vivo in nine cheese samples produced with the same starters and ready to market. In vitro, only Penicillium out of nine produced roquefortine C, four starters showed mycophenolic acid production, while no significant amounts of PR toxin were detected. In the samples grown on bread-like substrate, Penicillium did not produce secondary metabolites, likewise with each cheese samples tested. To protect consumers’ health and safety, the presence of mycotoxins needs to be verified in food which is widely consumed, above all for products protected by the protected denomination of origin (DOP label (i.e. a certificate guaranteeing the geographic origin of the product, such as Gorgonzola cheese.

  3. A High-Resolution LC-MS-Based Secondary Metabolite Fingerprint Database of Marine Bacteria

    KAUST Repository

    Lu, Liang

    2014-10-09

    © 2014 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved. Marine bacteria are the most widely distributed organisms in the ocean environment and produce a wide variety of secondary metabolites. However, traditional screening for bioactive natural compounds is greatly hindered by the lack of a systematic way of cataloguing the chemical profiles of bacterial strains found in nature. Here we present a chemical fingerprint database of marine bacteria based on their secondary metabolite profiles, acquired by high-resolution LC-MS. Till now, 1,430 bacterial strains spanning 168 known species collected from different marine environments were cultured and profiled. Using this database, we demonstrated that secondary metabolite profile similarity is approximately, but not always, correlated with taxonomical similarity. We also validated the ability of this database to find species-specific metabolites, as well as to discover known bioactive compounds from previously unknown sources. An online interface to this database, as well as the accompanying software, is provided freely for the community to use.

  4. A High-Resolution LC-MS-Based Secondary Metabolite Fingerprint Database of Marine Bacteria

    KAUST Repository

    Lu, Liang; Wang, Jijie; Xu, Ying; Wang, Kailing; Hu, Yingwei; Tian, Renmao; Yang, Bo; Lai, Qiliang; Li, Yongxin; Zhang, Weipeng; Shao, Zongze; Lam, Henry; Qian, Pei-Yuan

    2014-01-01

    © 2014 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved. Marine bacteria are the most widely distributed organisms in the ocean environment and produce a wide variety of secondary metabolites. However, traditional screening for bioactive natural compounds is greatly hindered by the lack of a systematic way of cataloguing the chemical profiles of bacterial strains found in nature. Here we present a chemical fingerprint database of marine bacteria based on their secondary metabolite profiles, acquired by high-resolution LC-MS. Till now, 1,430 bacterial strains spanning 168 known species collected from different marine environments were cultured and profiled. Using this database, we demonstrated that secondary metabolite profile similarity is approximately, but not always, correlated with taxonomical similarity. We also validated the ability of this database to find species-specific metabolites, as well as to discover known bioactive compounds from previously unknown sources. An online interface to this database, as well as the accompanying software, is provided freely for the community to use.

  5. Reclassification of the Specialized Metabolite Producer Pseudomonas mesoacidophila ATCC 31433 as a Member of the Burkholderia cepacia Complex.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Loveridge, E Joel; Jones, Cerith; Bull, Matthew J; Moody, Suzy C; Kahl, Małgorzata W; Khan, Zainab; Neilson, Louis; Tomeva, Marina; Adams, Sarah E; Wood, Andrew C; Rodriguez-Martin, Daniel; Pinel, Ingrid; Parkhill, Julian; Mahenthiralingam, Eshwar; Crosby, John

    2017-07-01

    Pseudomonas mesoacidophila ATCC 31433 is a Gram-negative bacterium, first isolated from Japanese soil samples, that produces the monobactam isosulfazecin and the β-lactam-potentiating bulgecins. To characterize the biosynthetic potential of P. mesoacidophila ATCC 31433, its complete genome was determined using single-molecule real-time DNA sequence analysis. The 7.8-Mb genome comprised four replicons, three chromosomal (each encoding rRNA) and one plasmid. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that P. mesoacidophila ATCC 31433 was misclassified at the time of its deposition and is a member of the Burkholderia cepacia complex, most closely related to Burkholderia ubonensis The sequenced genome shows considerable additional biosynthetic potential; known gene clusters for malleilactone, ornibactin, isosulfazecin, alkylhydroxyquinoline, and pyrrolnitrin biosynthesis and several uncharacterized biosynthetic gene clusters for polyketides, nonribosomal peptides, and other metabolites were identified. Furthermore, P. mesoacidophila ATCC 31433 harbors many genes associated with environmental resilience and antibiotic resistance and was resistant to a range of antibiotics and metal ions. In summary, this bioactive strain should be designated B. cepacia complex strain ATCC 31433, pending further detailed taxonomic characterization. IMPORTANCE This work reports the complete genome sequence of Pseudomonas mesoacidophila ATCC 31433, a known producer of bioactive compounds. Large numbers of both known and novel biosynthetic gene clusters were identified, indicating that P. mesoacidophila ATCC 31433 is an untapped resource for discovery of novel bioactive compounds. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that P. mesoacidophila ATCC 31433 is in fact a member of the Burkholderia cepacia complex, most closely related to the species Burkholderia ubonensis Further investigation of the classification and biosynthetic potential of P. mesoacidophila ATCC 31433 is warranted. Copyright © 2017

  6. Opposite Regulation of Ghrelin and Glucagon-like Peptide-1 by Metabolite G-Protein-Coupled Receptors

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Engelstoft, M S; Schwartz, T W

    2016-01-01

    Gut hormones send information about incoming nutrients to the rest of the body and thereby control many aspects of metabolism. The secretion of ghrelin and glucagon-like protein (GLP)-1, two hormones with opposite secretory patterns and opposite actions on multiple targets, is controlled by a lim......Gut hormones send information about incoming nutrients to the rest of the body and thereby control many aspects of metabolism. The secretion of ghrelin and glucagon-like protein (GLP)-1, two hormones with opposite secretory patterns and opposite actions on multiple targets, is controlled...... by a limited number of G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs); half of which recognize and bind dietary nutrient metabolites, metabolites generated by gut microbiota, and metabolites of the host's intermediary metabolism. Most metabolite GPCRs controlling ghrelin secretion are inhibitory, whereas all metabolite...... receptors controlling GLP-1 secretion are stimulatory. This dichotomy in metabolite sensor function, which is obtained through a combination of differential expression and cell-dependent signaling bias, offers pharmacological targets to stimulate GLP-1 and inhibit ghrelin through the same mechanism....

  7. Secondary metabolites from the endophytic fungus Talaromyces pinophilus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vinale, F; Nicoletti, R; Lacatena, F; Marra, R; Sacco, A; Lombardi, N; d'Errico, G; Digilio, M C; Lorito, M; Woo, S L

    2017-08-01

    Endophytic fungi have a great influence on plant health and growth, and are an important source of bioactive natural compounds. Organic extracts obtained from the culture filtrate of an endophytic strain of Talaromyces pinophilus isolated from strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo) were studied. Metabolomic analysis revealed the presence of three bioactive metabolites, the siderophore ferrirubin, the platelet-aggregation inhibitor herquline B and the antibiotic 3-O-methylfunicone. The latter was the major metabolite produced by this strain and displayed toxic effects against the pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum (Homoptera Aphidiidae). This toxicity represents an additional indication that the widespread endophytic occurrence of T. pinophilus may be related to a possible role in defensive mutualism. Moreover, the toxic activity on aphids could promote further study on 3-O-methylfunicone, or its derivatives, as an alternative to synthetic chemicals in agriculture.

  8. Flavonoid metabolites reduce tumor necrosis factor‐α secretion to a greater extent than their precursor compounds in human THP‐1 monocytes

    Science.gov (United States)

    di Gesso, Jessica L.; Kerr, Jason S.; Zhang, Qingzhi; Raheem, Saki; Yalamanchili, Sai Krishna; O'Hagan, David; Kay, Colin D.; O'Connell, Maria A.

    2015-01-01

    1 Scope Flavonoids are generally studied in vitro, in isolation, and as unmetabolized precursor structures. However, in the habitual diet, multiple flavonoids are consumed together and found present in the circulation as complex mixtures of metabolites. Using a unique study design, we investigated the potential for singular or additive anti‐inflammatory effects of flavonoid metabolites relative to their precursor structures. 2 Methods and results Six flavonoids, 14 flavonoid metabolites, and 29 combinations of flavonoids and their metabolites (0.1–10 μM) were screened for their ability to reduce LPS‐induced tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α) secretion in THP‐1 monocytes. One micromolar peonidin‐3‐glucoside, cyanidin‐3‐glucoside, and the metabolites isovanillic acid (IVA), IVA‐glucuronide, vanillic acid‐glucuronide, protocatechuic acid‐3‐sulfate, and benzoic acid‐sulfate significantly reduced TNF‐α secretion when in isolation, while there was no effect on TNF‐α mRNA expression. Four combinations of metabolites that included 4‐hydroxybenzoic acid (4HBA) and/or protocatechuic acid also significantly reduced TNF‐α secretion to a greater extent than the precursors or metabolites alone. The effects on LPS‐induced IL‐1β and IL‐10 secretion and mRNA expression were also examined. 4HBA significantly reduced IL‐1β secretion but none of the flavonoids or metabolites significantly modified IL‐10 secretion. 3 Conclusion This study provides novel evidence suggesting flavonoid bioactivity results from cumulative or additive effects of circulating metabolites. PMID:25801720

  9. Identification of phase-II metabolites of flavonoids by liquid chromatography-ion-mobility spectrometry-mass spectrometry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chalet, Clément; Hollebrands, Boudewijn; Janssen, Hans-Gerd; Augustijns, Patrick; Duchateau, Guus

    2018-01-01

    Flavonoids are a class of natural compounds with a broad range of potentially beneficial health properties. They are subjected to an extensive intestinal phase-II metabolism, i.e., conjugation to glucuronic acid, sulfate, and methyl groups. Flavonoids and their metabolites can interact with drug transporters and thus interfere with drug absorption, causing food-drug interactions. The site of metabolism plays a key role in the activity, but the identification of the various metabolites remains a challenge. Here, we developed an analytical method to identify the phase-II metabolites of structurally similar flavonoids. We used liquid chromatography-ion-mobility spectrometry-mass spectrometry (LC-IMS-MS) analysis to identify phase-II metabolites of flavonols, flavones, and catechins produced by HT29 cells. We showed that IMS could bring valuable structural information on the different positional isomers of the flavonols and flavones. The position of the glucuronide moiety had a strong influence on the collision cross section (CCS) of the metabolites, with only minor contribution of hydroxyl and methyl moieties. For the catechins, fragmentation data obtained from MS/MS analysis appeared more useful than IMS to determine the structure of the metabolites, mostly due to the high number of metabolites formed. Nevertheless, CCS information as a molecular fingerprint proved to be useful to identify peaks from complex mixtures. LC-IMS-MS thus appears as a valuable tool for the identification of phase-II metabolites of flavonoids. Graphical abstract Structural identification of phase-II metabolites of flavonoids using LC-IMS-MS.

  10. Structural Elucidation of Metabolites of Synthetic Cannabinoid UR-144 by Cunninghamella elegans Using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Spectroscopy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Watanabe, Shimpei; Kuzhiumparambil, Unnikrishnan; Fu, Shanlin

    2018-03-08

    The number of new psychoactive substances keeps on rising despite the controlling efforts by law enforcement. Although metabolism of the newly emerging drugs is continuously studied to keep up with the new additions, the exact structures of the metabolites are often not identified due to the insufficient sample quantities for techniques such as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The aim of the study was to characterise several metabolites of the synthetic cannabinoid (1-pentyl-1H-indol-3-yl) (2,2,3,3-tetramethylcyclopropyl) methanone (UR-144) by NMR spectroscopy after the incubation with the fungus Cunninghamella elegans. UR-144 was incubated with C. elegans for 72 h, and the resulting metabolites were chromatographically separated. Six fractions were collected and analysed by NMR spectroscopy. UR-144 was also incubated with human liver microsomes (HLM), and the liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry analysis was performed on the HLM metabolites with the characterised fungal metabolites as reference standards. Ten metabolites were characterised by NMR analysis including dihydroxy metabolites, carboxy and hydroxy metabolites, a hydroxy and ketone metabolite, and a carboxy and ketone metabolite. Of these metabolites, dihydroxy metabolite, carboxy and hydroxy metabolites, and a hydroxy and ketone metabolite were identified in HLM incubation. The results indicate that the fungus is capable of producing human-relevant metabolites including the exact isomers. The capacity of the fungus C. elegans to allow for NMR structural characterisation by enabling production of large amounts of metabolites makes it an ideal model to complement metabolism studies.

  11. Bioactive metabolite production by Streptomyces albolongus in favourable environment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Myn Uddin

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available Objectives: Demand for new antibiotic is rising up due to continuous resistance risk against conventional antibiotic.This attempt was taken to find out a novel antimicrobial metabolite.Methods: Chili field antagonistic actinomycetes Streptomyces albolongus was isolated and tested for optimum antimicrobialmetabolite production. Primary screening was done by selective media and antibiotic assay was done by agarcup plate method. Fermented product was recovered by separating funnel using suitable solvent.Results: Maximum antimicrobial metabolite production was found at temperature 35°C and pH 9.0 and on 6th day ofincubation. The medium consisting of corn steep liquor (0.2%, glucose (1.0%, NaCl (0.5%, K2HPO4 (0.1% was screenedout as suitable medium for maximum antimicrobial production. Sucrose was found as the best carbon source amongfour sources. The antimicrobial metabolite was found to be stable at pH and temperature up to 11.0 and 100°C respectively.The active agent was best extracted with chloroform. The antimicrobial spectrum of the metabolite was wideand shows activity against Shigella dysenteriae (AE14612, Shigella sonnei (CRL, ICDDR, B, Salmonella typhi (AE14296,Vibrio cholerae (AE14748, Pseudomonas aeruginosa (CRL, ICDDR, B, Bacillus cereus (BTCC19, Staphylococcus aureus(ATCC6538, Bacillus subtilis (BTTC17 and Bacillus megaterium (BTTC18.Conclusions: The findings of antibacterial activity of S. albolongus against several species of human pathogens includingboth Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria indicated that our produced material might be an alternative antimicrobialsubstance to control human diseases. J Microbiol Infect Dis 2013; 3(2: 75-82Key words: Streptomyces albolongus, antimicrobial metabolite, optimum production, antimicrobial spectrum

  12. Rationalization and prediction of in vivo metabolite exposures: The role of metabolite kinetics, clearance predictions and in vitro parameters

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lutz, Justin D.; Fujioka, Yasushi; Isoherranen, Nina

    2010-01-01

    Importance of the field Due to growing concerns over toxic or active metabolites, significant efforts have been focused on qualitative identification of potential in vivo metabolites from in vitro data. However, limited tools are available to quantitatively predict their human exposures. Areas covered in this review Theory of clearance predictions and metabolite kinetics is reviewed together with supporting experimental data. In vitro and in vivo data of known circulating metabolites and their parent drugs was collected and the predictions of in vivo exposures of the metabolites were evaluated. What the reader will gain The theory and data reviewed will be useful in early identification of human metabolites that will circulate at significant levels in vivo and help in designing in vivo studies that focus on characterization of metabolites. It will also assist in rationalization of metabolite-to-parent ratios used as markers of specific enzyme activity. Take home message The relative importance of a metabolite in comparison to the parent compound as well as other metabolites in vivo can only be predicted using the metabolites in vitro formation and elimination clearances, and the in vivo disposition of a metabolite can only be rationalized when the elimination pathways of that metabolite are known. PMID:20557268

  13. Discerning Silk Produced by Bombyx mori from Those Produced by Wild Species Using an Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay Combined with Conventional Methods.

    Science.gov (United States)

    You, Qiushi; Li, Qingqing; Zheng, Hailing; Hu, Zhiwen; Zhou, Yang; Wang, Bing

    2017-09-06

    Recently, much interest has been paid to the separation of silk produced by Bombyx mori from silk produced by other species and tracing the beginnings of silk cultivation from wild silk exploitation. In this paper, significant differences between silks from Bombyx mori and other species were found by microscopy and spectroscopy, such as morphology, secondary structure, and amino acid composition. For further accurate identification, a diagnostic antibody was designed by comparing the peptide sequences of silks produced by Bombyx mori and other species. The results of the noncompetitive indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) indicated that the antibody that showed good sensitivity and high specificity can definitely discern silk produced by Bombyx mori from silk produced by wild species. Thus, the antibody-based immunoassay has the potential to be a powerful tool for tracing the beginnings of silk cultivation. In addition, combining the sensitive, specific, and convenient ELISA technology with other conventional methods can provide more in-depth and accurate information for species identification.

  14. The importance of drug metabolites synthesis: the case-study of cardiotoxic anticancer drugs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hrynchak, Ivanna; Sousa, Emília; Pinto, Madalena; Costa, Vera Marisa

    2017-05-01

    Anticancer drugs are presently guarantying more survivors as a result of more powerful drugs or combinations of drugs used in therapy. Thus, it has become more crucial to study and overcome the side effects of these therapies. Cardiotoxicity is one of the most relevant side effects on the long-term cancer survivors, because of its high social and economic impact. Drug metabolism can result in active metabolites or toxic metabolites that can lead to important side effects. The metabolites of anticancer drugs are possible culprits of cardiotoxicity; however, the cardiotoxicity of many of the metabolites in several drug classes was not yet suitably studied so far. On the other hand, the use of prodrugs that are bioactivated through metabolism can be a good alternative to obtain more cardio safe drugs. In this review, the methods to obtain and study metabolites are summarized and their application to the study of a group of anticancer drugs with acknowledged cardiotoxicity is highlighted. In this group of drugs, doxorubicin (DOX, 1), mitoxantrone (MTX, 2), cyclophosphamide (CTX, 3) and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU, 4) are included, as well as the tyrosine kinase inhibitors, such as imatinib (5), sunitinib (6) and sorafenib (7). Only with the synthesis and purification of considerable amounts of the metabolites can reliable studies be performed, either in vitro or in vivo that allow accurate conclusions regarding the cardiotoxicity of anticancer drug metabolites and then pharmacological prevention or treatment of the cardiac side effects can be done.

  15. Bioactive metabolites produced by Penicillium sp. 1 and sp. 2, two endophytes associated with Alibertia macrophylla (Rubiaceae).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oliveira, Camila M; Silva, Geraldo H; Regasini, Luis O; Zanardi, Lisinéia M; Evangelista, Alana H; Young, Maria C M; Bolzani, Vanderlan S; Araujo, Angela R

    2009-01-01

    In the course of our continuous search for bioactive metabolites from endophytic fungi living in plants from the Brazilian flora, leaves of Alibertia macrophylla (Rubiaceae) were submitted to isolation of endophytes, and two species of Penicillium were isolated. The acetonitrile fraction obtained in corn from a culture of Penicillium sp. 1 afforded orcinol (1). On the other hand, Penicillium sp. 1 cultivated in potato-dextrose-broth furnished two different compounds, cyclo-(L-Pro-L-Val) (2) and uracil (3). The chromatographic fractionation of the acetonitrile fraction obtained from Penicillium sp. 2 led to three dihydroisocoumarins, 4-hydroxymellein (4), 8-methoxymellein (5) and 5-hydroxymellein (6). Compounds 5 and 6 were obtained from the Penicillium genus for the first time. Additionally, metabolites 1-6 were evaluated for their antifungal and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitory activities. The most active compounds 1 and 4 exhibited detection limits of 5.00 and 10.0 microg against Cladosporium cladosporioides and C. sphaerospermum, respectively. Compound 2 showed a detection limit of 10.0 microg, displaying potent AChE inhibitory activity.

  16. Detection of mastitis pathogens by analysis of volatile bacterial metabolites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hettinga, K A; van Valenberg, H J F; Lam, T J G M; van Hooijdonk, A C M

    2008-10-01

    The ability to detect mastitis pathogens based on their volatile metabolites was studied. Milk samples from cows with clinical mastitis, caused by Staphylococcus aureus, coagulase-negative staphylococci, Streptococcus uberis, Streptococcus dysgalactiae, and Escherichia coli were collected. In addition, samples from cows without clinical mastitis and with low somatic cell count (SCC) were collected for comparison. All mastitis samples were examined by using classical microbiological methods, followed by headspace analysis for volatile metabolites. Milk from culture-negative samples contained a lower number and amount of volatile components compared with cows with clinical mastitis. Because of variability between samples within a group, comparisons between pathogens were not sufficient for classification of the samples by univariate statistics. Therefore, an artificial neural network was trained to classify the pathogen in the milk samples based on the bacterial metabolites. The trained network differentiated milk from uninfected and infected quarters very well. When comparing pathogens, Staph. aureus produced a very different pattern of volatile metabolites compared with the other samples. Samples with coagulase-negative staphylococci and E. coli had enough dissimilarity with the other pathogens, making it possible to separate these 2 pathogens from each other and from the other samples. The 2 streptococcus species did not show significant differences between each other but could be identified as a different group from the other pathogens. Five groups can thus be identified based on the volatile bacterial metabolites: Staph. aureus, coagulase-negative staphylococci, streptococci (Strep. uberis and Strep. dysgalactiae as one group), E. coli, and uninfected quarters.

  17. Interactions between biosurfactant-producing Pseudomonas and Phytophthora species

    OpenAIRE

    Tran, H.

    2007-01-01

    Fluorescent Pseudomonas bacteria produce a wide variety of antimicrobial metabolites, including soap-like compounds referred to as biosurfactants. The results of this thesis showed that biosurfactant-producing Pseudomonas bacteria are effective in controlling Phytophthora foot rot disease of black pepper in Vietnam and promote root and shoot development of the ‘King of Spices’. Biosurfactant-producing P. fluorescens strain SS101 was also effective in controlling tomato late blight caused by P...

  18. Evaluation of Extraction Protocols for Simultaneous Polar and Non-Polar Yeast Metabolite Analysis Using Multivariate Projection Methods

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nicolas P. Tambellini

    2013-07-01

    Full Text Available Metabolomic and lipidomic approaches aim to measure metabolites or lipids in the cell. Metabolite extraction is a key step in obtaining useful and reliable data for successful metabolite studies. Significant efforts have been made to identify the optimal extraction protocol for various platforms and biological systems, for both polar and non-polar metabolites. Here we report an approach utilizing chemoinformatics for systematic comparison of protocols to extract both from a single sample of the model yeast organism Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Three chloroform/methanol/water partitioning based extraction protocols found in literature were evaluated for their effectiveness at reproducibly extracting both polar and non-polar metabolites. Fatty acid methyl esters and methoxyamine/trimethylsilyl derivatized aqueous compounds were analyzed by gas chromatography mass spectrometry to evaluate non-polar or polar metabolite analysis. The comparative breadth and amount of recovered metabolites was evaluated using multivariate projection methods. This approach identified an optimal protocol consisting of 64 identified polar metabolites from 105 ion hits and 12 fatty acids recovered, and will potentially attenuate the error and variation associated with combining metabolite profiles from different samples for untargeted analysis with both polar and non-polar analytes. It also confirmed the value of using multivariate projection methods to compare established extraction protocols.

  19. Secondary metabolites of Antarctic fungi antagonistic to aquatic pathogenic bacteria

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhao Huibin

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Polar microbial derived antibiotics have potential as alternatives to traditional antibiotics in treating fish against pathogenic bacteria. In this paper, 23 strains of polar fungi were fermented to detect bacteriostatic products on three aquatic pathogenic bacteria, subsequently the active fungus was identified. It was indicated that secondary metabolites of 23 strains weredistinct; of these, the extract of strain B-7 (belonging to Bjerkandera according to molecular identification demonstrated a strong antibacterial activity to Streptococcus agalactiae, Vibrio anguillarum and Aeromonas hydrophila ATCC7966 by Kirby-Bauerpaper strip method. During one fermentation cycle, the pH curve of the fermentation liquor became lowest (4.0 on the 4th day and rose back to 7.6 finally after 5 days, The residual sugar curve was decreased before stablising on the 6th day. It is presumed that a large amount of alkaline secondary metabolites might have been produced during fermentation. This study focuses on antagonism between aquatic pathogenic bacteria and fermentation metabolites from Antarctic fungi for the first time, which may provide data on research of antibiotics against aquatic pathogenic bacteria.

  20. Characterization of the radiolabeled metabolite of tau PET tracer {sup 18}F-THK5351

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Harada, Ryuichi [Tohoku University, Division of Neuro-imaging, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Sendai (Japan); Furumoto, Shozo; Tago, Tetsuro; Iwata, Ren; Tashiro, Manabu [Tohoku University, Cyclotron and Radioisotope Center, Sendai (Japan); Katsutoshi, Furukawa; Ishiki, Aiko; Tomita, Naoki; Arai, Hiroyuki [Tohoku University, Department of Geriatrics and Gerontology, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Sendai (Japan); Yanai, Kazuhiko [Tohoku University, Cyclotron and Radioisotope Center, Sendai (Japan); Tohoku University School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, Sendai (Japan); Kudo, Yukitsuka [Tohoku University, Division of Neuro-imaging, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Sendai (Japan); Tohoku University, Cyclotron and Radioisotope Center, Sendai (Japan); Okamura, Nobuyuki [Tohoku University, Division of Neuro-imaging, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Sendai (Japan); Tohoku University, Cyclotron and Radioisotope Center, Sendai (Japan); Tohoku Medical and Pharmaceutical University, Division of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Sendai (Japan)

    2016-11-15

    {sup 18}F-THK5351 is a novel radiotracer developed for in vivo imaging of tau pathology in the brain. For the quantitative assessment of tau deposits in the brain, it is important that the radioactive metabolite does not enter the brain and that it does not bind to tau fibrils. The purpose of the study was to identify a radiolabeled metabolite of {sup 18}F-THK5351 in blood samples from human subjects and to characterize its pharmacological properties. Venous blood samples were collected from three human subjects after injection of {sup 18}F-THK5351 and the plasma metabolite was measured by high performance thin layer chromatography. In addition, mass spectrometry analysis and enzymatic assays were used to identify this metabolite. Mice were used to investigate the blood-brain barrier permeability of the radioactive metabolite. Furthermore, the binding ability of the metabolite to tau aggregates was evaluated using autoradiography and binding assays using human brain samples. About 13 % of the unmetabolized radiotracer was detectable in human plasma at 60 min following the injection of {sup 18}F-THK5351. The isolated radiometabolite of {sup 18}F-THK5351 was the sulphoconjugate of THK5351. This metabolite could be produced in vitro by incubating THK5351 with liver but not brain homogenates. The metabolite did not penetrate the blood-brain barrier in mice, and exhibited little binding to tau protein aggregates in post-mortem human brain samples. These results suggest that the sole metabolite detectable in plasma seems to be generated outside the brain and does not cross into the brain, which does not affect quantitative analysis of PET images. (orig.)

  1. A comparative study of conventional and supercritical fluid extraction methods for the recovery of secondary metabolites from Syzygium campanulatum Korth#

    Science.gov (United States)

    Memon, Abdul Hakeem; Hamil, Mohammad Shahrul Ridzuan; Laghari, Madeeha; Rithwan, Fahim; Zhari, Salman; Saeed, Mohammed Ali Ahmed; Ismail, Zhari; Majid, Amin Malik Shah Abdul

    2016-01-01

    Syzygium campanulatum Korth is a plant, which is a rich source of secondary metabolites (especially flavanones, chalcone, and triterpenoids). In our present study, three conventional solvent extraction (CSE) techniques and supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) techniques were performed to achieve a maximum recovery of two flavanones, chalcone, and two triterpenoids from S. campanulatum leaves. Furthermore, a Box-Behnken design was constructed for the SFE technique using pressure, temperature, and particle size as independent variables, and yields of crude extract, individual and total secondary metabolites as the dependent variables. In the CSE procedure, twenty extracts were produced using ten different solvents and three techniques (maceration, soxhletion, and reflux). An enriched extract of five secondary metabolites was collected using n-hexane:methanol (1:1) soxhletion. Using food-grade ethanol as a modifier, the SFE methods produced a higher recovery (25.5%‒84.9%) of selected secondary metabolites as compared to the CSE techniques (0.92%‒66.00%). PMID:27604860

  2. A comparative study of conventional and supercritical fluid extraction methods for the recovery of secondary metabolites from Syzygium campanulatum Korth.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Memon, Abdul Hakeem; Hamil, Mohammad Shahrul Ridzuan; Laghari, Madeeha; Rithwan, Fahim; Zhari, Salman; Saeed, Mohammed Ali Ahmed; Ismail, Zhari; Majid, Amin Malik Shah Abdul

    2016-09-01

    Syzygium campanulatum Korth is a plant, which is a rich source of secondary metabolites (especially flavanones, chalcone, and triterpenoids). In our present study, three conventional solvent extraction (CSE) techniques and supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) techniques were performed to achieve a maximum recovery of two flavanones, chalcone, and two triterpenoids from S. campanulatum leaves. Furthermore, a Box-Behnken design was constructed for the SFE technique using pressure, temperature, and particle size as independent variables, and yields of crude extract, individual and total secondary metabolites as the dependent variables. In the CSE procedure, twenty extracts were produced using ten different solvents and three techniques (maceration, soxhletion, and reflux). An enriched extract of five secondary metabolites was collected using n-hexane:methanol (1:1) soxhletion. Using food-grade ethanol as a modifier, the SFE methods produced a higher recovery (25.5%‒84.9%) of selected secondary metabolites as compared to the CSE techniques (0.92%‒66.00%).

  3. Triple combination antibiotic therapy for carbapenemase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae: a systematic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jacobs, David M; Safir, M Courtney; Huang, Dennis; Minhaj, Faisal; Parker, Adam; Rao, Gauri G

    2017-11-25

    The spread of carbapenemase-producing K. pneumoniae (CPKP) has become a significant problem worldwide. Combination therapy for CPKP is encouraging, but polymyxin resistance to many antibiotics is hampering effective treatment. Combination therapy with three or more antibiotics is being increasingly reported, therefore we performed a systematic review of triple combination cases in an effort to evaluate their clinical effectiveness for CPKP infections. The PubMed database was searched to identify all published clinical outcomes of CPKP infections treated with triple combination therapy. Articles were stratified into two tiers depending on the level of clinical detail provided. A tier 1 study included: antibiotic regimen, regimen-specific outcome, patient status at onset of infection, and source of infection. Articles not reaching these criteria were considered tier 2. Thirty-three studies were eligible, 23 tier 1 and ten tier 2. Among tier 1 studies, 53 cases were included in this analysis. The most common infection was pneumonia (31%) followed by primary or catheter-related bacteremia (21%) and urinary tract infection (17%). Different combinations of antibiotic classes were utilized in triple combinations, the most common being a polymyxin (colistin or polymyxin B, 86.8%), tigecycline (73.6%), aminoglycoside (43.4%), or carbapenem (43.4%). Clinical and microbiological failure occurred in 14/39 patients (35.9%) and 22/42 patients (52.4%), respectively. Overall mortality for patients treated with triple combination therapy was 35.8% (19/53 patients). Triple combination therapy is being considered as a treatment option for CPKP. Polymyxin-based therapy is the backbone antibiotic in these regimens, but its effectiveness needs establishing in prospective clinical trials.

  4. Antimicrobial efficacy of secondary metabolites from Glomerella cingulata

    OpenAIRE

    Hara Kishore, K.; Misra, Sunil; Ramesh Chandra, D.; Prakash, K.V.V. R.; Suryanarayana Murty, U.

    2007-01-01

    Fungi are known to produce a vast array of secondary metabolites that are gaining importance for their biotechnological applications. Early reports suggest that G. cingulata has the capability to transform many compounds by various enzymatic actions. Therefore, the focus of this study was to determine the antibacterial and antifungal activity of crude ethyl acetate extract of G. cingulata using agar cup bioassay method. Crude extract of G. cingulata exhibited remarkable antifungal activity ag...

  5. Insights into the mechanisms of Promysalin, a secondary metabolite with genus-specific antibacterial activity against Pseudomonas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Promysalin, a secondary metabolite produced by Pseudomonas putida RW10S1, has antibacterial activity against a wide variety of Pseudomonas sp., including both human and plant pathogens. Promysalin induces swarming and biofilm formation in the producing species, and inhibits growth of susceptible sp...

  6. Comparison of expression of secondary metabolite biosynthesis cluster genes in Aspergillus flavus, A. parasiticus, and A. oryzae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ehrlich, Kenneth C; Mack, Brian M

    2014-06-23

    Fifty six secondary metabolite biosynthesis gene clusters are predicted to be in the Aspergillus flavus genome. In spite of this, the biosyntheses of only seven metabolites, including the aflatoxins, kojic acid, cyclopiazonic acid and aflatrem, have been assigned to a particular gene cluster. We used RNA-seq to compare expression of secondary metabolite genes in gene clusters for the closely related fungi A. parasiticus, A. oryzae, and A. flavus S and L sclerotial morphotypes. The data help to refine the identification of probable functional gene clusters within these species. Our results suggest that A. flavus, a prevalent contaminant of maize, cottonseed, peanuts and tree nuts, is capable of producing metabolites which, besides aflatoxin, could be an underappreciated contributor to its toxicity.

  7. Phase I hydroxylated metabolites of the K2 synthetic cannabinoid JWH-018 retain in vitro and in vivo cannabinoid 1 receptor affinity and activity.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lisa K Brents

    Full Text Available K2 products are synthetic cannabinoid-laced, marijuana-like drugs of abuse, use of which is often associated with clinical symptoms atypical of marijuana use, including hypertension, agitation, hallucinations, psychosis, seizures and panic attacks. JWH-018, a prevalent K2 synthetic cannabinoid, is structurally distinct from Δ(9-THC, the main psychoactive ingredient in marijuana. Since even subtle structural differences can lead to differential metabolism, formation of novel, biologically active metabolites may be responsible for the distinct effects associated with K2 use. The present study proposes that K2's high adverse effect occurrence is due, at least in part, to distinct JWH-018 metabolite activity at the cannabinoid 1 receptor (CB1R.JWH-018, five potential monohydroxylated metabolites (M1-M5, and one carboxy metabolite (M6 were examined in mouse brain homogenates containing CB1Rs, first for CB1R affinity using a competition binding assay employing the cannabinoid receptor radioligand [(3H]CP-55,940, and then for CB1R intrinsic efficacy using an [(35S]GTPγS binding assay. JWH-018 and M1-M5 bound CB1Rs with high affinity, exhibiting K(i values that were lower than or equivalent to Δ(9-THC. These molecules also stimulated G-proteins with equal or greater efficacy relative to Δ(9-THC, a CB1R partial agonist. Most importantly, JWH-018, M2, M3, and M5 produced full CB1R agonist levels of activation. CB1R-mediated activation was demonstrated by blockade with O-2050, a CB1R-selective neutral antagonist. Similar to Δ(9-THC, JWH-018 and M1 produced a marked depression of locomotor activity and core body temperature in mice that were both blocked by the CB1R-preferring antagonist/inverse agonist AM251.Unlike metabolites of most drugs, the studied JWH-018 monohydroxylated compounds, but not the carboxy metabolite, retain in vitro and in vivo activity at CB1Rs. These observations, combined with higher CB1R affinity and activity relative to Δ(9

  8. Antifungal metabolites (monorden, monocillin IV, and cerebrosides) from Humicola fuscoatra traaen NRRL 22980, a mycoparasite of Aspergillus flavus sclerotia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wicklow, D T; Joshi, B K; Gamble, W R; Gloer, J B; Dowd, P F

    1998-11-01

    The mycoparasite Humicola fuscoatra NRRL 22980 was isolated from a sclerotium of Aspergillus flavus that had been buried in a cornfield near Tifton, Ga. When grown on autoclaved rice, this fungus produced the antifungal metabolites monorden, monocillin IV, and a new monorden analog. Each metabolite produced a clear zone of inhibition surrounding paper assay disks on agar plates seeded with conidia of A. flavus. Monorden was twice as inhibitory to A. flavus mycelium extension (MIC > 28 microg/ml) as monocillin IV (MIC > 56 microg/ml). Cerebrosides C and D, metabolites known to potentiate the activity of cell wall-active antibiotics, were separated from the ethyl acetate extract but were not inhibitory to A. flavus when tested as pure compounds. This is the first report of natural products from H. fuscoatra.

  9. Characterization of D-3-hydroxybutyrylcarnitine (ketocarnitine): an identified ketosis-induced metabolite

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Soeters, Maarten R.; Serlie, Mireille J.; Sauerwein, Hans P.; Duran, Marinus; Ruiter, Jos P.; Kulik, Willem; Ackermans, Mariëtte T.; Minkler, Paul E.; Hoppel, Charles L.; Wanders, Ronald J. A.; Houten, Sander M.

    2012-01-01

    Hydroxybutyrylcarnitine (HB-carnitine) is a metabolite that has been associated with insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes mellitus. It is currently unknown whether HB-carnitine can be produced from D-3-hydroxybutyrate (D-3HB), a ketone body; but its formation from L-3-HB-CoA, a fatty acid

  10. Flavonoid metabolites reduce tumor necrosis factor-α secretion to a greater extent than their precursor compounds in human THP-1 monocytes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    di Gesso, Jessica L; Kerr, Jason S; Zhang, Qingzhi; Raheem, Saki; Yalamanchili, Sai Krishna; O'Hagan, David; Kay, Colin D; O'Connell, Maria A

    2015-06-01

    Flavonoids are generally studied in vitro, in isolation, and as unmetabolized precursor structures. However, in the habitual diet, multiple flavonoids are consumed together and found present in the circulation as complex mixtures of metabolites. Using a unique study design, we investigated the potential for singular or additive anti-inflammatory effects of flavonoid metabolites relative to their precursor structures. Six flavonoids, 14 flavonoid metabolites, and 29 combinations of flavonoids and their metabolites (0.1-10 μM) were screened for their ability to reduce LPS-induced tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) secretion in THP-1 monocytes. One micromolar peonidin-3-glucoside, cyanidin-3-glucoside, and the metabolites isovanillic acid (IVA), IVA-glucuronide, vanillic acid-glucuronide, protocatechuic acid-3-sulfate, and benzoic acid-sulfate significantly reduced TNF-α secretion when in isolation, while there was no effect on TNF-α mRNA expression. Four combinations of metabolites that included 4-hydroxybenzoic acid (4HBA) and/or protocatechuic acid also significantly reduced TNF-α secretion to a greater extent than the precursors or metabolites alone. The effects on LPS-induced IL-1β and IL-10 secretion and mRNA expression were also examined. 4HBA significantly reduced IL-1β secretion but none of the flavonoids or metabolites significantly modified IL-10 secretion. This study provides novel evidence suggesting flavonoid bioactivity results from cumulative or additive effects of circulating metabolites. © 2015 The Authors. Molecular Nutrition & Food Research published by Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  11. Interactions among filamentous fungi Aspergillus niger, Fusarium verticillioides and Clonostachys rosea: fungal biomass, diversity of secreted metabolites and fumonisin production.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chatterjee, Subhankar; Kuang, Yi; Splivallo, Richard; Chatterjee, Paramita; Karlovsky, Petr

    2016-05-10

    Interactions among fungi colonizing dead organic matter involve exploitation competition and interference competition. Major mechanism of interference competition is antibiosis caused by secreted secondary metabolites. The effect of competition on secondary metabolite production by fungi is however poorly understood. Fungal biomass was rarely monitored in interaction studies; it is not known whether dominance in pairwise interactions follows congruent patterns. Pairwise interactions of three fungal species with different life styles were studied. The saprophyte Aspergillus niger (A.n.), the plant pathogen Fusarium verticillioides (F.v.), and the mycoparasite Clonostachys rosea (C.r.) were grown in single and dual cultures in minimal medium with asparagine as nitrogen source. Competitive fitness shifted with time: in dual C.r./F.v. cultures after 10 d F.v. grew well while C.r. was suppressed; after 20 d C.r. recovered while F.v. became suppressed; and after 30 d most F.v. was destroyed. At certain time points fungal competitive fitness exhibited a rock-paper-scissors pattern: F.v. > A.n., A.n. > C.r., and C.r. > F.v. Most metabolites secreted to the medium at early stages in single and dual cultures were not found at later times. Many metabolites occurring in supernatants of single cultures were suppressed in dual cultures and many new metabolites not occurring in single cultures were found in dual cultures. A. niger showed the greatest ability to suppress the accumulation of metabolites produced by the other fungi. A. niger was also the species with the largest capacity of transforming metabolites produced by other fungi. Fumonisin production by F. verticillioides was suppressed in co-cultures with C. rosea but fumonisin B1 was not degraded by C. rosea nor did it affect the growth of C. rosea up to a concentration of 160 μg/ml. Competitive fitness in pairwise interactions among fungi is incongruent, indicating that species-specific factors and/or effects are

  12. Predicting Hepatotoxicity of Drug Metabolites Via an Ensemble Approach Based on Support Vector Machine

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, Yin; Liu, Lili; Lu, Dong; Cai, Yudong; Zheng, Mingyue; Luo, Xiaomin; Jiang, Hualiang; Chen, Kaixian

    2017-11-20

    Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is a major cause of drug withdrawal. The chemical properties of the drug, especially drug metabolites, play key roles in DILI. Our goal is to construct a QSAR model to predict drug hepatotoxicity based on drug metabolites. 64 hepatotoxic drug metabolites and 3,339 non-hepatotoxic drug metabolites were gathered from MDL Metabolite Database. Considering the imbalance of the dataset, we randomly split the negative samples and combined each portion with all the positive samples to construct individually balanced datasets for constructing independent classifiers. Then, we adopted an ensemble approach to make prediction based on the results of all individual classifiers and applied the minimum Redundancy Maximum Relevance (mRMR) feature selection method to select the molecular descriptors. Eventually, for the drugs in the external test set, a Bayesian inference method was used to predict the hepatotoxicity of a drug based on its metabolites. The model showed the average balanced accuracy=78.47%, sensitivity =74.17%, and specificity=82.77%. Five molecular descriptors characterizing molecular polarity, intramolecular bonding strength, and molecular frontier orbital energy were obtained. When predicting the hepatotoxicity of a drug based on all its metabolites, the sensitivity, specificity and balanced accuracy were 60.38%, 70.00%, and 65.19%, respectively, indicating that this method is useful for identifying the hepatotoxicity of drugs. We developed an in silico model to predict hepatotoxicity of drug metabolites. Moreover, Bayesian inference was applied to predict the hepatotoxicity of a drug based on its metabolites which brought out valuable high sensitivity and specificity. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

  13. Investigating the compatibility of the biocontrol agent Clonostachys rosea IK726 with prodigiosin-producing Serratia rubidaea S55 and phenazine-producing Pseudomonas chlororaphis ToZa7.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kamou, Nathalie N; Dubey, Mukesh; Tzelepis, Georgios; Menexes, Georgios; Papadakis, Emmanouil N; Karlsson, Magnus; Lagopodi, Anastasia L; Jensen, Dan Funck

    2016-05-01

    This study was carried out to assess the compatibility of the biocontrol fungus Clonostachys rosea IK726 with the phenazine-producing Pseudomonas chlororaphis ToZa7 or with the prodigiosin-producing Serratia rubidaea S55 against Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. radicis-lycopersici. The pathogen was inhibited by both strains in vitro, whereas C. rosea displayed high tolerance to S. rubidaea but not to P. chlororaphis. We hypothesized that this could be attributed to the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) proteins. The results of the reverse transcription quantitative PCR showed an induction of seven genes (abcB1, abcB20, abcB26, abcC12, abcC12, abcG8 and abcG25) from subfamilies B, C and G. In planta experiments showed a significant reduction in foot and root rot on tomato plants inoculated with C. rosea and P. chlororaphis. This study demonstrates the potential for combining different biocontrol agents and suggests an involvement of ABC transporters in secondary metabolite tolerance in C. rosea.

  14. Metabolite profiles and the risk of developing diabetes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Thomas J; Larson, Martin G; Vasan, Ramachandran S; Cheng, Susan; Rhee, Eugene P; McCabe, Elizabeth; Lewis, Gregory D; Fox, Caroline S; Jacques, Paul F; Fernandez, Céline; O'Donnell, Christopher J; Carr, Stephen A; Mootha, Vamsi K; Florez, Jose C; Souza, Amanda; Melander, Olle; Clish, Clary B; Gerszten, Robert E

    2011-04-01

    Emerging technologies allow the high-throughput profiling of metabolic status from a blood specimen (metabolomics). We investigated whether metabolite profiles could predict the development of diabetes. Among 2,422 normoglycemic individuals followed for 12 years, 201 developed diabetes. Amino acids, amines and other polar metabolites were profiled in baseline specimens by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Cases and controls were matched for age, body mass index and fasting glucose. Five branched-chain and aromatic amino acids had highly significant associations with future diabetes: isoleucine, leucine, valine, tyrosine and phenylalanine. A combination of three amino acids predicted future diabetes (with a more than fivefold higher risk for individuals in top quartile). The results were replicated in an independent, prospective cohort. These findings underscore the potential key role of amino acid metabolism early in the pathogenesis of diabetes and suggest that amino acid profiles could aid in diabetes risk assessment.

  15. Adaptive evolution of drug targets in producer and non-producer organisms

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Bjarne Gram; Sun, Xin E.; Genee, Hans Jasper

    2012-01-01

    MPA (mycophenolic acid) is an immunosuppressive drug produced by several fungi in Penicillium subgenus Penicillium. This toxic metabolite is an inhibitor of IMPDH (IMP dehydrogenase). The MPA-biosynthetic cluster of Penicillum brevicompactum contains a gene encoding a B-type IMPDH, IMPDH-B, which...... confers MPA resistance. Surprisingly, all members of the subgenus Penicillium contain genes encoding IMPDHs of both the A and B types, regardless of their ability to produce MPA. Duplication of the IMPDH gene occurred before and independently of the acquisition of the MPAbiosynthetic cluster. Both P....... brevicompactum IMPDHs are MPA-resistant, whereas the IMPDHs from a non-producer are MPA-sensitive. Resistance comes with a catalytic cost: whereas P. brevicompactum IMPDH-B is >1000-fold more resistant to MPA than a typical eukaryotic IMPDH, its value of kcat/Km is 0.5%of ‘normal’. Curiously, IMPDH...

  16. Identification of fentanyl metabolites in rat urine by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry with stable-isotope tracers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Goromaru, T.; Matsuura, H.; Furuta, T.; Baba, S.; Yoshimura, N.; Miyawaki, T.; Sameshima, T.

    The metabolites of fentanyl (l), which has been widely used as a neuroleptic analgesic agent, were identified in urine of rats by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry combined with a stable-isotope tracer technique. After the oral administration of an equimolar mixture of l and deuterium-labeled l (l/l-d5), the urinary metabolites were extracted with chloroform at pH 9.0. Extracts were derivatized and analyzed by GC/MS. Metabolites were identified by the presence of doublet ion peaks separated by 5 amu, and chemical structures were established from analyses of fragmentation pathways. The metabolites were identified as 4-N-(N-propionylanilino)-piperidine, 4-N-(N-hydroxypropionylanilino)piperidine, 4-N-(N-propionylanilino) hydroxypiperidine, 1-(2-phenethyl)-4-N-(N-hydroxypropionylanilino)piperidine and 1-(2-phenethyl)-4-N-(N-propionylanilino)hydroxypiperidine. These metabolites, together with unchanged l, were also detected in urine of rats receiving l/l-d5 intravenously, by selected-ion monitoring of the specific cluster ions.

  17. Biosynthesis, localization and ecological role of pyrethrins and linked secondary metabolites in pyrethrum

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Jongsma, M.A.; Ramirez, A.

    2017-01-01

    The perennial herbaceous plant Tanacetum cinerariifolium, also known as pyrethrum, is a daisy-like flower with an inherent ability to produce considerable amounts of biologically active metabolites, especially pyrethrins, probably intended for self-defence. The discovery of pyrethrin toxicity

  18. Dung-inhabiting fungi: a potential reservoir of novel secondary metabolites for the control of plant pathogens.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sarrocco, Sabrina

    2016-04-01

    Coprophilous fungi are a large group of saprotrophic fungi mostly found in herbivore dung. The number of these fungi undergoing investigation is continually increasing, and new species and genera continue to be described. Dung-inhabiting fungi play an important ecological role in decomposing and recycling nutrients from animal dung. They produce a large array of bioactive secondary metabolites and have a potent enzymatic arsenal able to utilise even complex molecules. Bioactive secondary metabolites are actively involved in interaction with and defence against other organisms whose growth can be inhibited, resulting in an enhanced ecological fitness of producer strains. Currently, these antibiotics and bioactive secondary metabolites are of interest in medicine in particular, while very little information is available concerning their potential use in agriculture. This review introduces the ecology of dung-inhabiting fungi, with particular emphasis on the production of antibiotic compounds as a means to compete with other microorganisms. Owing to the fast pace of technological progress, new approaches to predicting the biosynthesis of bioactive metabolites are proposed. Coprophilous fungi should be considered as elite candidate organisms for the discovery of novel antifungal compounds, above all in view of their exploitation for crop protection. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.

  19. Discovery of Bioactive Metabolites in Biofuel Microalgae That Offer Protection against Predatory Bacteria

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christopher eBagwell

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available Microalgae could become an important resource for addressing increasing global demand for food, energy, and commodities while helping to reduce atmospheric greenhouse gases. Even though Chlorophytes are generally regarded safe for human consumption, there is still much we do not understand about the metabolic and biochemical potential of microscopic algae. The aim of this study was to evaluate biofuel candidate strains of Chlorella and Scenedesmus for the potential to produce bioactive metabolites when grown under nutrient depletion regimes intended to stimulate production of triacylglycerides (TAG. Strain specific combinations of macro- and micro-nutrient restricted growth media did stimulate neutral lipid accumulation by microalgal cultures. However, cultures that were restricted for iron consistently and reliably tested positive for cytotoxicity by in vivo bioassays. The addition of iron back to these cultures resulted in the disappearance of the bioactive components by LC/MS fingerprinting and loss of cytotoxicity by in vivo bioassay. Incomplete NMR characterization of the most abundant cytotoxic fractions suggested that small molecular weight peptides and glycosides could be responsible for Chlorella cytotoxicity. Experiments were conducted to determine if the bioactive metabolites induced by Fe-limitation in Chlorella sp. cultures would elicit protection against Vampirovibrio chlorellavorus, an obligate predator of Chlorella. Introduction of V. chlorellavorus resulted in a 72% decrease in algal biomass in the experimental controls after 7 days. Conversely, only slight losses of algal biomass were measured for the iron limited Chlorella cultures (0 - 9 %. This study demonstrates a causal linkage between iron bioavailability and bioactive metabolite production in strains of Chlorella and Scenedesmus. Further study of this phenomenon could contribute to the development of new strategies to extend algal production cycles in open, outdoor

  20. [Determination of the profiles of secondary metabolites characteristic of Alternaria strains isolated from tomato].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Benavidez Rozo, Martha Elizabeth; Patriarca, Andrea; Cabrera, Gabriela; Fernández Pinto, Virginia E

    2014-01-01

    Many Alternaria species have been studied for their ability to produce bioactive secondary metabolites, such as tentoxin (TEN), some of which have toxic properties. The main food contaminant toxins are tenuazonic acid, alternariol (AOH), alternariol monomethyl ether (AME), altenuene, and altertoxins i, ii and iii. To determine the profiles of secondary metabolites characteristic of Alternaria strains isolated from tomato for their chemotaxonomic classification. The profiles of secondary metabolites were determined by HPLC MS. The Alternaria isolates obtained from spoiled tomatoes belong, according to their morphological characteristics, to the species groups Alternaria alternata, Alternaria tenuissima and Alternaria arborescens, with A. tenuissima being the most frequent. The most frequent profiles of secondary metabolites belonging to the species groups A. alternata (AOH, AME, TEN), A. tenuissima (AOH, AME, TEN, tenuazonic acid) and A. arborescens (AOH, AME, TEN, tenuazonic acid) were determined, with some isolates of the latter being able to synthesize AAL toxins. Secondary metabolite profiles are a useful tool for the differentiation of small spored Alternaria isolates not easily identifiable by their morphological characteristics. Copyright © 2013 Revista Iberoamericana de Micología. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

  1. Simultaneous fecal microbial and metabolite profiling enables accurate classification of pediatric irritable bowel syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shankar, Vijay; Reo, Nicholas V; Paliy, Oleg

    2015-12-09

    We previously showed that stool samples of pre-adolescent and adolescent US children diagnosed with diarrhea-predominant IBS (IBS-D) had different compositions of microbiota and metabolites compared to healthy age-matched controls. Here we explored whether observed fecal microbiota and metabolite differences between these two adolescent populations can be used to discriminate between IBS and health. We constructed individual microbiota- and metabolite-based sample classification models based on the partial least squares multivariate analysis and then applied a Bayesian approach to integrate individual models into a single classifier. The resulting combined classification achieved 84 % accuracy of correct sample group assignment and 86 % prediction for IBS-D in cross-validation tests. The performance of the cumulative classification model was further validated by the de novo analysis of stool samples from a small independent IBS-D cohort. High-throughput microbial and metabolite profiling of subject stool samples can be used to facilitate IBS diagnosis.

  2. Transportable hyperpolarized metabolites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ji, Xiao; Bornet, Aurélien; Vuichoud, Basile; Milani, Jonas; Gajan, David; Rossini, Aaron J.; Emsley, Lyndon; Bodenhausen, Geoffrey; Jannin, Sami

    2017-01-01

    Nuclear spin hyperpolarization of 13C-labelled metabolites by dissolution dynamic nuclear polarization can enhance the NMR signals of metabolites by several orders of magnitude, which has enabled in vivo metabolic imaging by MRI. However, because of the short lifetime of the hyperpolarized magnetization (typically <1 min), the polarization process must be carried out close to the point of use. Here we introduce a concept that markedly extends hyperpolarization lifetimes and enables the transportation of hyperpolarized metabolites. The hyperpolarized sample can thus be removed from the polarizer and stored or transported for use at remote MRI or NMR sites. We show that hyperpolarization in alanine and glycine survives 16 h storage and transport, maintaining overall polarization enhancements of up to three orders of magnitude. PMID:28072398

  3. Determinants of Organophosphorus Pesticide Urinary Metabolite Levels in Young Children Living in an Agricultural Community

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Brenda Eskenazi

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available Organophosphorus (OP pesticides are used in agriculture and several are registered for home use. As young children age they may experience different pesticide exposures due to varying diet, behavior, and other factors. We measured six OP dialkylphosphate (DAP metabolites (three dimethyl alkylphosphates (DMAP and three diethyl alkylphosphates (DEAP in urine samples collected from ~400 children living in an agricultural community when they were 6, 12, and 24 months old. We examined bivariate associations between DAP metabolite levels and determinants such as age, diet, season, and parent occupation. To evaluate independent impacts, we then used generalized linear mixed multivariable models including interaction terms with age. The final models indicated that DMAP metabolite levels increased with age. DMAP levels were also positively associated with daily servings of produce at 6- and 24-months. Among the 6-month olds, DMAP metabolite levels were higher when samples were collected during the summer/spring versus the winter/fall months. Among the 12-month olds, DMAP and DEAP metabolites were higher when children lived ≤60 meters from an agricultural field. Among the 24-month-olds, DEAP metabolite levels were higher during the summer/spring months. Our findings suggest that there are multiple determinants of OP pesticide exposures, notably dietary intake and temporal and spatial proximity to agricultural use. The impact of these determinants varied by age and class of DAP metabolite.

  4. Microsomal metabolism of trenbolone acetate metabolites ...

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trenbolone acetate (TBA) is a synthetic growth promoter widely used in animal agriculture, and its metabolites are suspected endocrine disrupting compounds in agriculturally impacted receiving waters. However, beyond the three widely recognized TBA metabolites (17-trenbolone, 17-trenbolone and trendione), little is known about other metabolites formed in vivo and subsequently discharged into the environment, with some evidence suggesting these unknown metabolites comprise a majority of the TBA mass dosed to the animal. Here, we explored the metabolism of the three known TBA metabolites using rat liver microsome studies. All TBA metabolites are transformed into a complex mixture of monohydroxylated products. Based on product characterization, the majority are more polar than the parent metabolites but maintain their characteristic trienone backbone. A minor degree of interconversion between known metabolites was also observed, as were higher order hydroxylated products with a greater extent of reaction. Notably, the distribution and yield of products were generally comparable across a series of variably induced rat liver microsomes, as well as during additional studies with human and bovine liver microsomes. Bioassays conducted with mixtures of these transformation products suggest that androgen receptor (AR) binding activity is diminished as a result of the microsomal treatment, suggesting that the transformation products are generally less potent than

  5. Secondary metabolites from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens isolated from soil can kill Burkholderia pseudomallei.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boottanun, Patcharaporn; Potisap, Chotima; Hurdle, Julian G; Sermswan, Rasana W

    2017-12-01

    Bacillus species are Gram-positive bacteria found in abundance in nature and their secondary metabolites were found to possess various potential activities, notably antimicrobial. In this study, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens N2-4 and N3-8 were isolated from soil and their metabolites could kill Burkholderia pseudomallei, a Gram-negative pathogenic bacterium also found in soil in its endemic areas. Moreover, the metabolites were able to kill drug resistant isolates of B. pseudomallei and also inhibit other pathogenic bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Acinetobacter baumannii but not the non-pathogenic Burkholderia thailandensis, which is closely related to B. pseudomallei. Since the antimicrobial activity of N3-8 was not partially decreased or abolished when treated with proteolytic enzymes or autoclaved, but N2-4 was, these two strains should have produced different compounds. The N3-8 metabolites with antimicrobial activity consisted of both protein and non-protein compounds. The inhibition spectrum of the precipitated proteins compared to the culture supernatant indicated a possible synergistic effect of the non-protein and peptide compounds of N3-8 isolates against other pathogens. When either N2-4 or N3-8 isolates was co-cultured with B. pseudomallei the numbers of the bacteria decreased by 5 log 10 within 72 h. Further purification and characterization of the metabolites is required for future use of the bacteria or their metabolites as biological controls of B. pseudomallei in the environment or for development as new drugs for problematic pathogenic bacteria.

  6. Bioactive alkaloids produced by fungi. I. Updates on alkaloids from the species of the genera Boletus, Fusarium and psilocybe.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mahmood, Zafar Alam; Ahmed, Syed Waseemuddin; Azhar, Iqbal; Sualeh, Mohammad; Baig, Mirza Tasawer; Zoha, Sms

    2010-07-01

    Fungi, in particular, are able in common with the higher plants and bacteria, to produce metabolites, including alkaloids. Alkaloids, along with other metabolites are the most important fungal metabolites from pharmaceutical and industrial point of view. Based on this observation, the authors of this review article have tried to provide an information on the alkaloids produced by the species of genera: Boletus, Fusarium and Psilocybef from 1981-2009. Thus the review would be helpful and provides valuable information for the researchers of the same field.

  7. LC-MS based analysis of secondary metabolites from Chaetomium and Stachybotrys growth in indoor environments

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dosen, Ina

    of causing negative health impact. With this in mind, a prime goal of this PhD study was to develop and optimize methods for qualitative and semi-quantitative analysis of secondary metabolites and bioactive compounds produced by Stachybotrys spp. and Chaetomium spp. The main analytical technique used...... and not included in the library, as well as tentatively identified compounds. Metabolite profiling of Stachybotrys spp. and Chaetomium spp. was performed in pure agar cultures. Thereafter, mapped secondary metabolites were screened for in extracts of artificially inoculated building materials and materials from...... analytical tools were applied to the analysis of naturally contaminated building materials, where presence of all previously mapped metabolites was confirmed. Work done on Stachybotrys spp showed no significant difference in metabolite profiles obtained in vitro and in vivo. Concurrently the study...

  8. Identifying diseases-related metabolites using random walk.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Yang; Zhao, Tianyi; Zhang, Ningyi; Zang, Tianyi; Zhang, Jun; Cheng, Liang

    2018-04-11

    Metabolites disrupted by abnormal state of human body are deemed as the effect of diseases. In comparison with the cause of diseases like genes, these markers are easier to be captured for the prevention and diagnosis of metabolic diseases. Currently, a large number of metabolic markers of diseases need to be explored, which drive us to do this work. The existing metabolite-disease associations were extracted from Human Metabolome Database (HMDB) using a text mining tool NCBO annotator as priori knowledge. Next we calculated the similarity of a pair-wise metabolites based on the similarity of disease sets of them. Then, all the similarities of metabolite pairs were utilized for constructing a weighted metabolite association network (WMAN). Subsequently, the network was utilized for predicting novel metabolic markers of diseases using random walk. Totally, 604 metabolites and 228 diseases were extracted from HMDB. From 604 metabolites, 453 metabolites are selected to construct the WMAN, where each metabolite is deemed as a node, and the similarity of two metabolites as the weight of the edge linking them. The performance of the network is validated using the leave one out method. As a result, the high area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) (0.7048) is achieved. The further case studies for identifying novel metabolites of diabetes mellitus were validated in the recent studies. In this paper, we presented a novel method for prioritizing metabolite-disease pairs. The superior performance validates its reliability for exploring novel metabolic markers of diseases.

  9. Microbial Metabolism. Part 10. Metabolites of 7,8 Dimethoxyflavone and 5-Methoxyflavone

    Science.gov (United States)

    Microbial transformation of 7, 8-dimethoxyflavone (1) by Mucor ramannianus (ATCC 9628) produced five metabolites: 7, 8-dimethoxy-4'-hydroxyflavone (2), 3', 4'-dihydroxy-7, 8-dimethoxyflavone (3), 7, 3'-dihydroxy-8-methoxyflavone (4), 7, 4'-dihydroxy-8-methoxyflavone (5) and 8-methoxy-7, 3', 4'-trihy...

  10. Activity of beta-lactam beta-lactamase inhibitor combinations against extended spectrum beta-lactamase producing enterobacteriaceae in urinary isolates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Iqbal, F.I.; Farooqi, B.J.

    2012-01-01

    Objective: To determine the susceptibility pattern of beta-lactam beta-lactamase inhibitor combinations against extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) producing Enterobacteriaceae in urinary isolates. Study Design: Observational study. Place and Duration of Study: Ziauddin University Hospital, Karachi, from February to October 2008. Methodology: A total of 190 consecutive non-duplicate isolates of ESBL producing Enterobacteriaceae from urine samples of in-patients were included in the study. Urinary samples from out-patients, repeat samples and non-ESBL producing isolates were excluded. Detection of ESBL was carried out by double disk diffusion technique. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed using modified Kirby Bauer's disk diffusion method according to CLSI guidelines. Statistical analysis was performed by SPSS version 10. Results: Of the 190 ESBL isolates tested, 88 cases (46.31%) were sensitive and 6 cases (3.15%) were resistant to all three combinations, the rest 96 cases (50.52%) were resistant to at least one of the combinations. Susceptibility pattern of cefoperazone/sulbactam, piperacillin/tazobactam, and amoxicillin/clavulanic acid was 95.26, 92.10, and 44.31 percent respectively. Conclusion: Cefoperazone/sulbactam exhibited the best activity against ESBL producing Enterobacteriaceae followed by piperacillin/tazobactam. Hospital antibiotic policies should be reviewed periodically to reduce the usage of extended spectrum cephalosporins and replace them with beta-lactam beta-lactamase inhibitor combinations agent for treating urinary tract infections. (author)

  11. Non-equilibrium method for the radioimmunoassay of clozapine in the presence of metabolites

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rosenthaler, J.; Nimmerfall, F.; Sigrist, R.; Munzer, H.

    1977-01-01

    Cross-reactions with metabolites are an ever-recurring problem encountered in the use of radioimmunoassay techniques to determine active compounds in biological material. Metabolites may interfere with the assay of the parent drug to a variable extent. Taking 8-chloro-11-(4-methyl-1-piperazinyl)-5H-dibenzo[b,e][1,4]diazepine (clozapine) as an example, it was shown that the extent to which the antiserum produced interacts with the parent drug and the metabolites can be estimated by determining the equilibrium constants and the kinetics. In the present case, therefore, it was advantageous to carry out the radioimmunoassay in disequilibrium, i.e. in order to differentiate the metabolites from the parent drug, the sample was incubated with the antiserum for 10 min, after which the labelled antigen was added and the reaction mixture again incubated for a brief, exactly timed interval. It was shown that cross-reactions did not occur in mixtures of clozapine and its N-demethyl and N-oxide metabolites in the proportions 1 : 1 : 2 over a range of concentration of 1.5-48 ng clozapine per 100 μl human plasma. The equilibrium constants measured with the clozapine goat antiserum were as follows: clozapine 1.2 x 10 8 M -1 , the N-demethyl metabolite 4.6 x 10 7 M -1 and the N-oxide 3.7 x 10 7 M -1 (pH 7.5 and 20 0 C). (orig.) [de

  12. Microbial diversity and metabolite composition of Belgian red-brown acidic ales.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Snauwaert, Isabel; Roels, Sanne P; Van Nieuwerburg, Filip; Van Landschoot, Anita; De Vuyst, Luc; Vandamme, Peter

    2016-03-16

    Belgian red-brown acidic ales are sour and alcoholic fermented beers, which are produced by mixed-culture fermentation and blending. The brews are aged in oak barrels for about two years, after which mature beer is blended with young, non-aged beer to obtain the end-products. The present study evaluated the microbial community diversity of Belgian red-brown acidic ales at the end of the maturation phase of three subsequent brews of three different breweries. The microbial diversity was compared with the metabolite composition of the brews at the end of the maturation phase. Therefore, mature brew samples were subjected to 454 pyrosequencing of the 16S rRNA gene (bacteria) and the internal transcribed spacer region (yeasts) and a broad range of metabolites was quantified. The most important microbial species present in the Belgian red-brown acidic ales investigated were Pediococcus damnosus, Dekkera bruxellensis, and Acetobacter pasteurianus. In addition, this culture-independent analysis revealed operational taxonomic units that were assigned to an unclassified fungal community member, Candida, and Lactobacillus. The main metabolites present in the brew samples were L-lactic acid, D-lactic acid, and ethanol, whereas acetic acid was produced in lower quantities. The most prevailing aroma compounds were ethyl acetate, isoamyl acetate, ethyl hexanoate, and ethyl octanoate, which might be of impact on the aroma of the end-products. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. Bacterial dynamics and metabolite changes in solid-state acetic acid fermentation of Shanxi aged vinegar.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Sha; Li, Pan; Liu, Xiong; Luo, Lixin; Lin, Weifeng

    2016-05-01

    Solid-state acetic acid fermentation (AAF), a natural or semi-controlled fermentation process driven by reproducible microbial communities, is an important technique to produce traditional Chinese cereal vinegars. Highly complex microbial communities and metabolites are involved in traditional Chinese solid-state AAF, but the association between microbiota and metabolites during this process are still poorly understood. In this study, we performed amplicon 16S rRNA gene sequencing on the Illumina MiSeq platform, PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis, and metabolite analysis to trace the bacterial dynamics and metabolite changes under AAF process. A succession of bacterial assemblages was observed during the AAF process. Lactobacillales dominated all the stages. However, Acetobacter species in Rhodospirillales were considerably accelerated during AAF until the end of fermentation. Quantitative PCR results indicated that the biomass of total bacteria showed a "system microbe self-domestication" process in the first 3 days, and then peaked at the seventh day before gradually decreasing until the end of AAF. Moreover, a total of 88 metabolites, including 8 organic acids, 16 free amino acids, and 66 aroma compounds were detected during AAF. Principal component analysis and cluster analyses revealed the high correlation between the dynamics of bacterial community and metabolites.

  14. Integrating Multiple Analytical Datasets to Compare Metabolite Profiles of Mouse Colonic-Cecal Contents and Feces.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zeng, Huawei; Grapov, Dmitry; Jackson, Matthew I; Fahrmann, Johannes; Fiehn, Oliver; Combs, Gerald F

    2015-09-11

    The pattern of metabolites produced by the gut microbiome comprises a phenotype indicative of the means by which that microbiome affects the gut. We characterized that phenotype in mice by conducting metabolomic analyses of the colonic-cecal contents, comparing that to the metabolite patterns of feces in order to determine the suitability of fecal specimens as proxies for assessing the metabolic impact of the gut microbiome. We detected a total of 270 low molecular weight metabolites in colonic-cecal contents and feces by gas chromatograph, time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC-TOF) and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography, quadrapole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF). Of that number, 251 (93%) were present in both types of specimen, representing almost all known biochemical pathways related to the amino acid, carbohydrate, energy, lipid, membrane transport, nucleotide, genetic information processing, and cancer-related metabolism. A total of 115 metabolites differed significantly in relative abundance between both colonic-cecal contents and feces. These data comprise the first characterization of relationships among metabolites present in the colonic-cecal contents and feces in a healthy mouse model, and shows that feces can be a useful proxy for assessing the pattern of metabolites to which the colonic mucosum is exposed.

  15. Integrating Multiple Analytical Datasets to Compare Metabolite Profiles of Mouse Colonic-Cecal Contents and Feces

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Huawei Zeng

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available The pattern of metabolites produced by the gut microbiome comprises a phenotype indicative of the means by which that microbiome affects the gut. We characterized that phenotype in mice by conducting metabolomic analyses of the colonic-cecal contents, comparing that to the metabolite patterns of feces in order to determine the suitability of fecal specimens as proxies for assessing the metabolic impact of the gut microbiome. We detected a total of 270 low molecular weight metabolites in colonic-cecal contents and feces by gas chromatograph, time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC-TOF and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography, quadrapole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF. Of that number, 251 (93% were present in both types of specimen, representing almost all known biochemical pathways related to the amino acid, carbohydrate, energy, lipid, membrane transport, nucleotide, genetic information processing, and cancer-related metabolism. A total of 115 metabolites differed significantly in relative abundance between both colonic-cecal contents and feces. These data comprise the first characterization of relationships among metabolites present in the colonic-cecal contents and feces in a healthy mouse model, and shows that feces can be a useful proxy for assessing the pattern of metabolites to which the colonic mucosum is exposed.

  16. Ecotoxicological effects of selected cyanobacterial secondary metabolites a short review

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wiegand, C.; Pflugmacher, S.

    2005-01-01

    Cyanobacteria are one of the most diverse groups of gram-negative photosynthetic prokaryotes. Many of them are able to produce a wide range of toxic secondary metabolites. These cyanobacterial toxins can be classified in five different groups: hepatotoxins, neurotoxins, cytotoxins, dermatotoxins, and irritant toxins (lipopolysaccharides). Cyanobacterial blooms are hazardous due to this production of secondary metabolites and endotoxins, which could be toxic to animals and plants. Many of the freshwater cyanobacterial blooms include species of the toxigenic genera Microcystis, Anabaena, or Plankthotrix. These compounds differ in mechanisms of uptake, affected organs, and molecular mode of action. In this review, the main focus is the aquatic environment and the effects of these toxins to the organisms living there. Some basic toxic mechanisms will be discussed in comparison to the mammalian system

  17. Radioimmunossay of hormones and metabolites in blood serum and plasma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Khare, G.P.

    1978-01-01

    Hormones or metabolites which are capable of producing antibodies can be detected and precisely quantitated by this method. Antibodies, to various hormones or metabolites whose assay is desired, are adsorbed onto commercially available imitation or cultured pearls. These pearls coated with antibody are contacted with a buffered reaction mixture containing blood serum or plasma specimen and respective radioactive antigen. The entire reaction is allowed to proceed for a time sufficient to form antigen (radioactive or non-radioactive)-antibody complex. These complexes on the pearls are washed and the total amount of radioactivity emanating from the complex is measured. This is indicative of the extent of binding of radioactive antigen and provides an indirect correlation of the amount of non-radioactive antigen present in the serum or plasma sample

  18. Trehalose lipid biosurfactants produced by the actinomycetes Tsukamurella spumae and T. pseudospumae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kügler, Johannes H; Muhle-Goll, Claudia; Kühl, Boris; Kraft, Axel; Heinzler, Raphael; Kirschhöfer, Frank; Henkel, Marius; Wray, Victor; Luy, Burkhard; Brenner-Weiss, Gerald; Lang, Siegmund; Syldatk, Christoph; Hausmann, Rudolf

    2014-11-01

    Actinomycetales are known to produce various secondary metabolites including products with surface-active and emulsifying properties known as biosurfactants. In this study, the nonpathogenic actinomycetes Tsukamurella spumae and Tsukamurella pseudospumae are described as producers of extracellular trehalose lipid biosurfactants when grown on sunflower oil or its main component glyceryltrioleate. Crude extracts of the trehalose lipids were purified using silica gel chromatography. The structure of the two trehalose lipid components (TL A and TL B) was elucidated using a combination of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight/time-of-flight/tandem mass spectroscopy (MALDI-ToF-ToF/MS/MS) and multidimensional NMR experiments. The biosurfactants were identified as 1-α-glucopyranosyl-1-α-glucopyranosid carrying two acyl chains varying of C4 to C6 and C16 to C18 at the 2' and 3' carbon atom of one sugar unit. The trehalose lipids produced demonstrate surface-active behavior and emulsifying capacity. Classified as risk group 1 organisms, T. spumae and T. pseudospumae hold potential for the production of environmentally friendly surfactants.

  19. Herbicidal potential of ophiobolins produced by Drechslera gigantea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Evidente, Antonio; Andolfi, Anna; Cimmino, Alessio; Vurro, Maurizio; Fracchiolla, Mariano; Charudattan, Raghavan

    2006-03-08

    Drechslera gigantea, a potential mycoherbicide of grass weeds, was isolated in Florida from naturally infected large crabgrass (Digitaria sanguinalis); it produces phytotoxic metabolites in liquid culture. The main metabolite was identified by spectroscopic methods and optical properties as ophiobolin A (1), a well-known phytotoxic sesterterpene produced by several phytopathogenic fungi of important crops and already extensively studied for its interesting biological activities. The other three minor metabolites proved to be related to ophiobolin A and were identified using the same techniques as 6-epi-ophiobolin A and 3-anhydro-6-epi-ophiobolin A (2 and 3) and ophiobolin I (4). Assayed on punctured detached leaves of several grass and dicotyledon weeds, ophiobolin A proved to be on average more phytotoxic as compared to the other related compounds. Some structural features appear to be important for the phytoxicity, such as the hydroxy group at C-3, the stereochemistry at C-6, and the aldehyde group at C-7. Furthermore, grass weeds usually proved to be more sensitive to the phytotoxins than dicotyledons, on which ophiobolin A caused the appearance of large necrosis even at the lowest concentration assayed. This is the first report about the production of ophiobolins from D. gigantea and of the proposed use as potential natural herbicides against grass weeds.

  20. Prioritizing Candidate Disease Metabolites Based on Global Functional Relationships between Metabolites in the Context of Metabolic Pathways

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Haixiu; Xu, Yanjun; Han, Junwei; Li, Jing; Su, Fei; Zhang, Yunpeng; Zhang, Chunlong; Li, Dongguo; Li, Xia

    2014-01-01

    Identification of key metabolites for complex diseases is a challenging task in today's medicine and biology. A special disease is usually caused by the alteration of a series of functional related metabolites having a global influence on the metabolic network. Moreover, the metabolites in the same metabolic pathway are often associated with the same or similar disease. Based on these functional relationships between metabolites in the context of metabolic pathways, we here presented a pathway-based random walk method called PROFANCY for prioritization of candidate disease metabolites. Our strategy not only takes advantage of the global functional relationships between metabolites but also sufficiently exploits the functionally modular nature of metabolic networks. Our approach proved successful in prioritizing known metabolites for 71 diseases with an AUC value of 0.895. We also assessed the performance of PROFANCY on 16 disease classes and found that 4 classes achieved an AUC value over 0.95. To investigate the robustness of the PROFANCY, we repeated all the analyses in two metabolic networks and obtained similar results. Then we applied our approach to Alzheimer's disease (AD) and found that a top ranked candidate was potentially related to AD but had not been reported previously. Furthermore, our method was applicable to prioritize the metabolites from metabolomic profiles of prostate cancer. The PROFANCY could identify prostate cancer related-metabolites that are supported by literatures but not considered to be significantly differential by traditional differential analysis. We also developed a freely accessible web-based and R-based tool at http://bioinfo.hrbmu.edu.cn/PROFANCY. PMID:25153931

  1. Experimental Investigations of the Energy and Environmental Indices of Operation of a Low-Capacity Combined Gas Producer and Hot-Water Boiler

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bodnar, L. A.; Stepanov, D. V.; Dovgal‧, A. N.

    2015-07-01

    It has been shown that the introduction of combined gas producers and boilers on renewable energy sources is a pressing issue. A structural diagram of a low-capacity combined gas producer and boiler on renewable energy sources has been given; a bench and procedures for investigation and processing of results have been developed. Experimental investigations of the energy and environmental indices of a 40-kW combined gas producer and hotwater boiler burning wood have been carried out. Results of the experimental investigations have been analyzed. Distinctive features have been established and a procedure of thermal calculation of the double furnace of a lowcapacity combined gas producer and boiler burning solid fuel has been proposed. The calculated coefficients of heat transfer from the gases in the convection bank have been compared with the obtained experimental results. A calculation dependence for the heat transfer from the gases in convection banks of low-capacity hot-water boilers has been proposed. The quantities of harmful emissions from the combined gas producer and boiler on renewable energy sources have been compared with the existing Ukrainian and foreign standards. It has been established that the environmental efficiency of the boiler under study complies with most of the standard requirements of European countries.

  2. Producing ergosterol from corn straw hydrolysates using ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Ergosterol is an economically important metabolite produced by Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In this study, the production of ergosterol by the strain using corn straw as an inexpensive carbon source was investigated. The total yield of ergosterol was determined by both the biomass and ergosterol content in yeast cells which ...

  3. High-Temperature Induced Changes of Extracellular Metabolites in Pleurotus ostreatus and Their Positive Effects on the Growth of Trichoderma asperellum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qiu, Zhiheng; Wu, Xiangli; Zhang, Jinxia; Huang, Chenyang

    2018-01-01

    Pleurotus ostreatus is a widely cultivated edible fungus in China. Green mold disease of P. ostreatus which can seriously affect yield is a common disease during cultivation. It occurs mostly after P. ostreatus mycelia have been subjected to high temperatures. However, little information is available on the relationship between high temperature and green mold disease. The aim of this study is to prove that extracellular metabolites of P. ostreatus affected by high temperature can promote the growth of Trichoderma asperellum . After P. ostreatus mycelia was subjected to high temperature, the extracellular fluid of P. ostreatus showed a higher promoting effect on mycelial growth and conidial germination of T. asperellum . The thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) content reached the maximum after 48 h at 36°C. A comprehensive metabolite profiling strategy involving gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) combined with liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC/MS) was used to analyze the changes of extracellular metabolites in response to high temperature. A total of 141 differential metabolites were identified, including 84.4% up-regulated and 15.6% down-regulated. Exogenous metabolites whose concentrations were increased after high temperature were randomly selected, and nearly all of them were able to promote the mycelial growth and conidial germination of T. asperellum . The combination of all selected exogenous metabolites also has the promotion effects on the mycelial growth and conidial germination of T. asperellum in a given concentration range in vitro . Overall, these results provide a first view that high temperature affects the extracellular metabolites of P. ostreatus , and the extensive change in metabolites promotes T. asperellum growth.

  4. Correlation between species-specific metabolite profiles and bioactivities of blueberries (Vaccinium spp.).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Sarah; Jung, Eun Sung; Do, Seon-Gil; Jung, Ga-Young; Song, Gwanpil; Song, Jung-Min; Lee, Choong Hwan

    2014-03-05

    Metabolite profiling of three blueberry species (Vaccinium bracteatum Thunb., V. oldhamii Miquel., and V. corymbosum L.) was performed using gas chromatography-time-of-flight-mass spectrometry (GC-TOF-MS) and ultraperformance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight-mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS) combined multivariate analysis. Partial least-squares discriminant analysis clearly showed metabolic differences among species. GC-TOF-MS analysis revealed significant differences in amino acids, organic acids, fatty acids, sugars, and phenolic acids among the three blueberry species. UPLC-Q-TOF-MS analysis indicated that anthocyanins were the major metabolites distinguishing V. bracteatum from V. oldhamii. The contents of anthocyanins such as glycosides of cyanidin were high in V. bracteatum, while glycosides of delphinidin, petunidin, and malvidin were high in V. oldhamii. Antioxidant activities assessed using ABTS and DPPH assays showed the greatest activity in V. oldhamii and revealed the highest correlation with total phenolic, total flavonoid, and total anthocyanin contents and their metabolites.

  5. Thermo-stability, dose effects and shelf-life of antifungal compounds produced by the symbiotic bacterium Xenorhabdus szentirmaii

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xenorhabdus spp bacteria are associated with Steinernematid nematodes and produce antifungal metabolites that protect nematode-infected cadavers from fungal colonization. Previous work demonstrated concentrated or cell-free metabolites of X. szentirmaii were toxic to fungal phytopathogens. We prepar...

  6. Isolation and Biological Evaluation of Two Bioactive Metabolites from Aspergillus gorakhpurensis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Venkateswarlu Yenamandra

    2009-06-01

    Full Text Available Fungi are known to produce a vast array of secondary metabolites that are gaining importance for their biotechnological applications. Screening of Aspergillus gorakhpurensis for the production of bioactive secondary metabolites results in the production of 4-(N-methyl-N-phenyl amino butan-2-one and itaconic acid. The structure of the known compounds was established by 1H-, 13C-NMR and Mass spectral data. Biological evaluation of the two compounds against test microorganisms showed strong inhibitory activity of 4-(N-methyl-N-phenyl amino butan-2-one towards bacteria and fungi. Only 4-( N -methyl-N- phenyl amino-butan-2-one showed a marked significant activity (LD 50 = 330.69 m g/mL in Spodoptera litura larvicidal bioassay.

  7. Effect of high pressure treatment on metabolite profile of marinated meat in soy sauce.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Yang; Ye, Yangfang; Wang, Ying; Sun, Yangying; Pan, Daodong; Cao, Jinxuan

    2018-02-01

    Marinated meat in soy sauce was produced using hind leg by washing, rubbing salt, marinating with soy sauce and spices, and air dry-ripening for 15d. The effect of high pressure (HP) (150 and 300MPa for 15min) on the metabolite profiles of products was characterized using 1 H NMR and multivariate data analysis. The results showed that the metabonome was dominated by 26 metabolites, including amino acids, sugars, organic acids, nucleic aides and their derivatives. PC1 and PC2 explained a total of 75.4 and 11.9% of variables, respectively. HP treatments increased most of the metabolites, especially PC1, glutamate, sugars, nucleotides, anserine, lactate and creatine compared to the control. The increase of metabolites under HP was not dependent on pressure level except for alanine, lactate, acetate, formate, fumarate, glucose and 5'-IMP. These findings demonstrated that HP treatment at 150MPa was economical to improve the taste of marinated meat in soy sauce. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Inter-individual variability in the production of flavan-3-ol colonic metabolites: preliminary elucidation of urinary metabotypes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mena, Pedro; Ludwig, Iziar A; Tomatis, Virginia B; Acharjee, Animesh; Calani, Luca; Rosi, Alice; Brighenti, Furio; Ray, Sumantra; Griffin, Julian L; Bluck, Les J; Del Rio, Daniele

    2018-04-03

    There is much information on the bioavailability of (poly)phenolic compounds following acute intake of various foods. However, there are only limited data on the effects of repeated and combined exposure to specific (poly)phenol food sources and the inter-individual variability in their bioavailability. This study evaluated the combined urinary excretion of (poly)phenols from green tea and coffee following daily consumption by healthy subjects in free-living conditions. The inter-individual variability in the production of phenolic metabolites was also investigated. Eleven participants consumed both tablets of green tea and green coffee bean extracts daily for 8 weeks and 24-h urine was collected on five different occasions. The urinary profile of phenolic metabolites and a set of multivariate statistical tests were used to investigate the putative existence of characteristic metabotypes in the production of flavan-3-ol microbial metabolites. (Poly)phenolic compounds in the green tea and green coffee bean extracts were absorbed and excreted after simultaneous consumption, with green tea resulting in more inter-individual variability in urinary excretion of phenolic metabolites. Three metabotypes in the production of flavan-3-ol microbial metabolites were tentatively defined, characterized by the excretion of different amounts of trihydroxyphenyl-γ-valerolactones, dihydroxyphenyl-γ-valerolactones, and hydroxyphenylpropionic acids. The selective production of microbiota-derived metabolites from flavan-3-ols and the putative existence of characteristic metabotypes in their production represent an important development in the study of the bioavailability of plant bioactives. These observations will contribute to better understand the health effects and individual differences associated with consumption of flavan-3-ols, arguably the main class of flavonoids in the human diet.

  9. NMR analysis of male fathead minnow urinary metabolites: A potential approach for studying impacts of chemical exposures

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ekman, D.R. [Ecosystems Research Division, U.S. EPA, 960 College Station Road, Athens, GA 30605 (United States)], E-mail: ekman.drew@epa.gov; Teng, Q. [Ecosystems Research Division, U.S. EPA, 960 College Station Road, Athens, GA 30605 (United States); Jensen, K.M.; Martinovic, D.; Villeneuve, D.L.; Ankley, G.T. [Mid-Continent Ecology Division, U.S. EPA, 6201 Congdon Boulevard, Duluth, MN 55804 (United States); Collette, T.W. [Ecosystems Research Division, U.S. EPA, 960 College Station Road, Athens, GA 30605 (United States)

    2007-11-30

    The potential for profiling metabolites in urine from male fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas) to assess chemical exposures was explored using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Both one-dimensional (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) NMR spectroscopy was used for the assignment of metabolites in urine from unexposed fish. Because fathead minnow urine is dilute, we lyophilized these samples prior to analysis. Furthermore, 1D {sup 1}H NMR spectra of unlyophilized urine from unexposed male fathead minnow and Sprague-Dawley rat were acquired to qualitatively compare rat and fish metabolite profiles and to provide an estimate of the total urinary metabolite pool concentration difference. As a small proof-of-concept study, lyophilized urine samples from male fathead minnows exposed to three different concentrations of the antiandrogen vinclozolin were analyzed by 1D {sup 1}H NMR to assess exposure-induced changes. Through a combination of principal components analysis (PCA) and measurements of {sup 1}H NMR peak intensities, several metabolites were identified as changing with statistical significance in response to exposure. Among those changes occurring in response to exposure to the highest concentration (450 {mu}g/L) of vinclozolin were large increases in taurine, lactate, acetate, and formate. These increases coincided with a marked decrease in hippurate, a combination potentially indicative of hepatotoxicity. The results of these investigations clearly demonstrate the potential utility of an NMR-based approach for assessing chemical exposures in male fathead minnow, using urine collected from individual fish.

  10. NMR analysis of male fathead minnow urinary metabolites: A potential approach for studying impacts of chemical exposures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ekman, D.R.; Teng, Q.; Jensen, K.M.; Martinovic, D.; Villeneuve, D.L.; Ankley, G.T.; Collette, T.W.

    2007-01-01

    The potential for profiling metabolites in urine from male fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas) to assess chemical exposures was explored using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Both one-dimensional (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) NMR spectroscopy was used for the assignment of metabolites in urine from unexposed fish. Because fathead minnow urine is dilute, we lyophilized these samples prior to analysis. Furthermore, 1D 1 H NMR spectra of unlyophilized urine from unexposed male fathead minnow and Sprague-Dawley rat were acquired to qualitatively compare rat and fish metabolite profiles and to provide an estimate of the total urinary metabolite pool concentration difference. As a small proof-of-concept study, lyophilized urine samples from male fathead minnows exposed to three different concentrations of the antiandrogen vinclozolin were analyzed by 1D 1 H NMR to assess exposure-induced changes. Through a combination of principal components analysis (PCA) and measurements of 1 H NMR peak intensities, several metabolites were identified as changing with statistical significance in response to exposure. Among those changes occurring in response to exposure to the highest concentration (450 μg/L) of vinclozolin were large increases in taurine, lactate, acetate, and formate. These increases coincided with a marked decrease in hippurate, a combination potentially indicative of hepatotoxicity. The results of these investigations clearly demonstrate the potential utility of an NMR-based approach for assessing chemical exposures in male fathead minnow, using urine collected from individual fish

  11. Crude oil metabolites in groundwater at two spill sites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bekins, Barbara A.; Cozzarelli, Isabelle M.; Erickson, Melinda L.; Steenson, Ross; Thorn, Kevin A.

    2016-01-01

    Two groundwater plumes in north central Minnesota with residual crude oil sources have 20 to 50 mg/L of nonvolatile dissolved organic carbon (NVDOC). These values are over 10 times higher than benzene and two to three times higher than Diesel Range Organics in the same wells. On the basis of previous work, most of the NVDOC consists of partial transformation products from the crude oil. Monitoring data from 1988 to 2015 at one of the sites located near Bemidji, MN show that the plume of metabolites is expanding toward a lakeshore located 335 m from the source zone. Other mass balance studies of the site have demonstrated that the plume expansion is driven by the combined effect of continued presence of the residual crude oil source and depletion of the electron accepting capacity of solid phase iron oxide and hydroxides on the aquifer sediments. These plumes of metabolites are not covered by regulatory monitoring and reporting requirements in Minnesota and other states. Yet, a review of toxicology studies indicates that polar metabolites of crude oil may pose a risk to aquatic and mammalian species. Together the results suggest that at sites where residual sources are present, monitoring of NVDOC may be warranted to evaluate the fates of plumes of hydrocarbon transformation products.

  12. Population pharmacokinetics of caffeine and its metabolites theobromine, paraxanthine and theophylline after inhalation in combination with diacetylmorphine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zandvliet, Anthe S; Huitema, Alwin D R; de Jonge, Milly E; den Hoed, Rob; Sparidans, Rolf W; Hendriks, Vincent M; van den Brink, Wim; van Ree, Jan M; Beijnen, Jos H

    2005-01-01

    The stimulant effect of caffeine, as an additive in diacetylmorphine preparations for study purposes, may interfere with the pharmacodynamic effects of diacetylmorphine. In order to obtain insight into the pharmacology of caffeine after inhalation in heroin users, the pharmacokinetics of caffeine and its dimethylxanthine metabolites were studied. The objectives were to establish the population pharmacokinetics under these exceptional circumstances and to compare the results to published data regarding intravenous and oral administration in healthy volunteers. Diacetylmorphine preparations containing 100 mg of caffeine were used by 10 persons by inhalation. Plasma concentrations of caffeine, theobromine, paraxanthine and theophylline were measured by high performance liquid chromatography. Non-linear mixed effects modelling was used to estimate population pharmacokinetic parameters. The model was evaluated by the jack-knife procedure. Caffeine was rapidly and effectively absorbed after inhalation. Population pharmacokinetics of caffeine and its dimethylxanthine metabolites could adequately and simultaneously be described by a linear multi-compartment model. The volume of distribution for the central compartment was estimated to be 45.7 l and the apparent elimination rate constant of caffeine at 8 hr after inhalation was 0.150 hr(-1) for a typical individual. The bioavailability was approximately 60%. The presented model adequately describes the population pharmacokinetics of caffeine and its dimethylxanthine metabolites after inhalation of the caffeine sublimate of a 100 mg tablet. Validation proved the stability of the model. Pharmacokinetics of caffeine after inhalation and intravenous administration are to a large extent similar. The bioavailability of inhaled caffeine is approximately 60% in experienced smokers.

  13. Acetate and bicarbonate assimilation and metabolite formation in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii: a 13C-NMR study.

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    Himanshu Singh

    Full Text Available Cellular metabolite analyses by (13C-NMR showed that C. reinhardtii cells assimilate acetate at a faster rate in heterotrophy than in mixotrophy. While heterotrophic cells produced bicarbonate and CO2aq, mixotrophy cells produced bicarbonate alone as predominant metabolite. Experiments with singly (13C-labelled acetate ((13CH(3-COOH or CH(3-(13COOH supported that both the (13C nuclei give rise to bicarbonate and CO2(aq. The observed metabolite(s upon further incubation led to the production of starch and triacylglycerol (TAG in mixotrophy, whereas in heterotrophy the TAG production was minimal with substantial accumulation of glycerol and starch. Prolonged incubation up to eight days, without the addition of fresh acetate, led to an increased TAG production at the expense of bicarbonate, akin to that of nitrogen-starvation. However, such TAG production was substantially high in mixotrophy as compared to that in heterotrophy. Addition of mitochondrial un-coupler blocked the formation of bicarbonate and CO2(aq in heterotrophic cells, even though acetate uptake ensued. Addition of PSII-inhibitor to mixotrophic cells resulted in partial conversion of bicarbonate into CO2(aq, which were found to be in equilibrium. In an independent experiment, we have monitored assimilation of bicarbonate via photoautotrophy and found that the cells indeed produce starch and TAG at a much faster rate as compared to that in mixotrophy and heterotrophy. Further, we noticed that the accumulation of starch is relatively more as compared to TAG. Based on these observations, we suggest that acetate assimilation in C. reinhardtii does not directly lead to TAG formation but via bicarbonate/CO2(aq pathways. Photoautotrophic mode is found to be the best growth condition for the production of starch and TAG and starch in C. reinhardtii.

  14. [Determination of lidocaine and its metabolites in human plasma by liquid chromatography in combination with tandem mass spectrometry].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xiang, Jin; Zhang, Cheng; Yu, Qin; Liang, Mao-Zhi; Qin, Yong-Ping; Nan, Feng

    2010-07-01

    To establish a liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) method for the determination of lidocaine (LDC) and its metabolites, monoethylglycinexylidide (MEGX) and glycinexylidide (GX), in human plasma. METHODS; The assay was conducted with an API 3000 HPLC-MS/MS system consisted of a Ultimate C18 column (50 x 4.6 mm, 5 microm). The mobile phase consisted of methanol: 5 mmol/ L ammonium acetate (50:50, pH was adjusted to 5.0 by formic acid) and the flow rate was set at 0.2 mL/min. The alkalinized sample was extracted with ethyl acetate. After evaporation of the organic layer, the residue was dissolved in mobile phase and the drug was determined by HPLC-MS/MS using electrospray ionization. The calibration curve was linear in a range from 15.625 to 2000 ng/mL for LDC. Linear calibration curves were obtained in the range of 1.5625 to 200 ng/mL for both for MEGX and GX. The limit of quantification for LDC, MEGX and GX was set at 15.625, 1.5625 and 1.5625 ng/mL. This method for the quantitative determination of lidocaine and its metabolites in human plasma is simple, rapid, sensitive and accurate. Therefore it can be used for the determination of lidocaine and its metabolites in clinical practice.

  15. Synthesis of Linezolid Metabolites PNU-142300 and PNU-142586 toward the Exploration of Metabolite-Related Events.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hanaya, Kengo; Matsumoto, Kazuaki; Yokoyama, Yuta; Kizu, Junko; Shoji, Mitsuru; Sugai, Takeshi

    2017-01-01

    Linezolid (1) is an oxazolidinone antibiotic that is partially metabolized in vivo via ring cleavage of its morpholine moiety to mainly form two metabolites, PNU-142300 (2) and PNU-142586 (3). It is supposed that accumulation of 2 and 3 in patients with renal insufficiency may cause thrombocytopenia, one of the adverse effects of linezolid. However, the poor availability of 2 and 3 has hindered further investigation of the clinical significance of the accumulation of these metabolites. In this paper, we synthesized metabolites 2 and 3 via a common synthetic intermediate, 4; this will encourage further exploration of events related to these metabolites and lead to improved clinical use of linezolid.

  16. Monitoring of thiopurine metabolites in patients with inflammatory bowel disease-what is actually measured?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vikingsson, Svante; Carlsson, Björn; Almer, Sven H C; Peterson, Curt

    2009-06-01

    Azathioprine and 6-mercaptopurine are often used in the treatment of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). They are prodrugs and undergo a complex metabolism to active and inactive metabolites. Thiopurine treatment is monitored in many laboratories by measuring metabolite concentrations in erythrocytes (red blood cells). The metabolites of interest are not measured directly but as hydrolysis products, which can be produced from several metabolites. The aim of this study was to examine which metabolites are actually measured during routine monitoring. Samples from 18 patients treated with a thiopurine were analyzed by a typical routine high-performance liquid chromatography method for therapeutic drug monitoring and by a newly developed specific method measuring thioguanosine monophosphate (TGMP), thioguanosine diphosphate (TGDP), and thioguanosine triphosphate (TGTP), as well as methylthioinosine monophosphate (meTIMP), and the results were compared. 6-Thioguanine nucleotide (TGN) values detected by the routine method were 69% (range 40%-90%) of the sum of TGMP, TGDP, and TGTP measured by the specific method. TGTP and TGDP contributed 85% (range 78%-90%) and 14% (range 10%-21%) of the TGN total, respectively. Thioguanosine was not found in any patient sample. The concentration of meTIMP obtained by the routine method was 548% of the value obtained by the specific method (range 340%-718%). The difference in TGN measurements between the routine and specific methods can be explained by low hydrolysis efficiency in the routine method, although the most likely explanation for the difference in meTIMP values is that not yet identified metabolites are codetermined in the routine high-performance liquid chromatography method. Concentrations reported as TGN during therapeutic drug monitoring of thiopurine metabolites consist of TGDP and TGTP with a minor contribution of the TGMP. Concentrations reported as meTIMP or methyl mercaptopurine consist in part of me

  17. Single and combined effects of microcystin- and saxitoxin-producing cyanobacteria on the fitness and antioxidant defenses of cladocerans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    da S Ferrão-Filho, Aloysio; de Abreu S Silva, Daniel; de Oliveira, Taissa A; de Magalhães, Valéria Freitas; Pflugmacher, Stephan; da Silva, Eduardo Mendes

    2017-10-01

    Cyanobacteria produce different toxic compounds that affect animal life, among them hepatotoxins and neurotoxins. Because cyanobacteria are able to produce a variety of toxic compounds at the same time, organisms may be, generally, subjected to their combined action. In the present study, we demonstrate the single and combined effects on cladocerans of cyanobacteria that produce microcystins (hepatotoxins) and saxitoxins (neurotoxins). Animals were exposed (either singly or combined) to 2 strains of cyanobacteria isolated from the same environment (Funil Reservoir, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil). The effects on clearance rate, mobility, survivorship, fecundity, population increase rate (r), and the antioxidant enzymes glutathione-S-transferase (GST) and catalase (CAT) were measured. Cladoceran species showed a variety of responses to cyanobacterial exposures, going from no effect to impairment of swimming movement, lower survivorship, fecundity, and general fitness (r). Animals ingested cyanobacteria in all treatments, although at lower rates than good food (green algae). Antioxidant defense responses were in accordance with fitness responses, suggesting that oxidative stress may be related to such effects. The present study emphasizes the need for testing combined actions of different classes of toxins, because this is often, and most likely, the scenario in a more eutrophic world with global climatic changes. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:2689-2697. © 2017 SETAC. © 2017 SETAC.

  18. Automated pathway and reaction prediction facilitates in silico identification of unknown metabolites in human cohort studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Quell, Jan D; Römisch-Margl, Werner; Colombo, Marco; Krumsiek, Jan; Evans, Anne M; Mohney, Robert; Salomaa, Veikko; de Faire, Ulf; Groop, Leif C; Agakov, Felix; Looker, Helen C; McKeigue, Paul; Colhoun, Helen M; Kastenmüller, Gabi

    2017-12-15

    Identification of metabolites in non-targeted metabolomics continues to be a bottleneck in metabolomics studies in large human cohorts. Unidentified metabolites frequently emerge in the results of association studies linking metabolite levels to, for example, clinical phenotypes. For further analyses these unknown metabolites must be identified. Current approaches utilize chemical information, such as spectral details and fragmentation characteristics to determine components of unknown metabolites. Here, we propose a systems biology model exploiting the internal correlation structure of metabolite levels in combination with existing biochemical and genetic information to characterize properties of unknown molecules. Levels of 758 metabolites (439 known, 319 unknown) in human blood samples of 2279 subjects were measured using a non-targeted metabolomics platform (LC-MS and GC-MS). We reconstructed the structure of biochemical pathways that are imprinted in these metabolomics data by building an empirical network model based on 1040 significant partial correlations between metabolites. We further added associations of these metabolites to 134 genes from genome-wide association studies as well as reactions and functional relations to genes from the public database Recon 2 to the network model. From the local neighborhood in the network, we were able to predict the pathway annotation of 180 unknown metabolites. Furthermore, we classified 100 pairs of known and unknown and 45 pairs of unknown metabolites to 21 types of reactions based on their mass differences. As a proof of concept, we then looked further into the special case of predicted dehydrogenation reactions leading us to the selection of 39 candidate molecules for 5 unknown metabolites. Finally, we could verify 2 of those candidates by applying LC-MS analyses of commercially available candidate substances. The formerly unknown metabolites X-13891 and X-13069 were shown to be 2-dodecendioic acid and 9

  19. Everolimus and sirolimus in combination with cyclosporine have different effects on renal metabolism in the rat.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rahul Bohra

    Full Text Available Enhancement of calcineurin inhibitor nephrotoxicity by sirolimus (SRL is limiting the clinical use of this drug combination. We compared the dose-dependent effects of the structurally related everolimus (EVL and sirolimus (SRL alone, and in combination with cyclosporine (CsA, on the rat kidney. Lewis rats were treated by oral gavage for 28 days using a checkerboard dosing format (0, 3.0, 6.0 and 10.0 CsA and 0, 0.5, 1.5 and 3.0 mg/kg/day SRL or EVL, n = 4/dose combination. After 28 days, oxidative stress, energy charge, kidney histologies, glomerular filtration rates, and concentrations of the immunosuppressants were measured along with (1H-magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS and gas chromatography- mass spectrometry profiles of cellular metabolites in urine. The combination of CsA with SRL led to higher urinary glucose concentrations and decreased levels of urinary Krebs cycle metabolites when compared to controls, suggesting that CsA+SRL negatively impacted proximal tubule metabolism. Unsupervised principal component analysis of MRS spectra distinguished unique urine metabolite patterns of rats treated with CsA+SRL from those treated with CsA+EVL and the controls. SRL, but not EVL blood concentrations were inversely correlated with urine Krebs cycle metabolite concentrations. Interestingly, the higher the EVL concentration, the closer urine metabolite patterns resembled those of controls, while in contrast, the combination of the highest doses of CsA+SRL showed the most significant differences in metabolite patterns. Surprisingly in this rat model, EVL and SRL in combination with CsA had different effects on kidney biochemistry, suggesting that further exploration of EVL in combination with low dose calcineurin inhibitors may be of potential benefit.

  20. Tests of biological activity of metabolites from Penicillium expansum (Link Thom various isolates

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Halina Borecka

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available Aqrobacterium tumefaciens and cucumber, mustard and linseeds were compared as test organisms for evaluation of the biological activity of patulin. It was found that the reaction of cucumber seeds and linseed to the patulin concentrations was more pronounced than that of mustard and Aqrobacterium tumefaciens. The activity of metabolites produced by Penicillium expansum was investigated with the use of cucumber seeds. As measure of activity served the percentage of radicule growth inhibition was compared with the growth in control seeds. The biological activity of the metabolites was specific for the isolates, those from apples being more active. Thirty two isolates from pears and 34 from apples were examined.

  1. Multicomponent Analysis of the Differential Induction of Secondary Metabolite Profiles in Fungal Endophytes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Víctor González-Menéndez

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available Small molecule histone deacetylase (HDAC and DNA methyltransferase (DNMT inhibitors are commonly used to perturb the production of fungal metabolites leading to the induction of the expression of silent biosynthetic pathways. Several reports have described the variable effects observed in natural product profiles in fungi treated with HDAC and DNMT inhibitors, such as enhanced chemical diversity and/or the induction of new molecules previously unknown to be produced by the strain. Fungal endophytes are known to produce a wide variety of secondary metabolites (SMs involved in their adaptation and survival within higher plants. The plant-microbe interaction may influence the expression of some biosynthetic pathways, otherwise cryptic in these fungi when grown in vitro. The aim of this study was to setup a systematic approach to evaluate and identify the possible effects of HDAC and DNMT inhibitors on the metabolic profiles of wild type fungal endophytes, including the chemical identification and characterization of the most significant SMs induced by these epigenetic modifiers.

  2. Chemotaxonomic Metabolite Profiling of 62 Indigenous Plant Species and Its Correlation with Bioactivities

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sarah Lee

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available Chemotaxonomic metabolite profiling of 62 indigenous Korean plant species was performed by ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC-linear trap quadrupole-ion trap (LTQ-IT mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (MS/MS combined with multivariate statistical analysis. In partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA, the 62 species clustered depending on their phylogenetic family, in particular, Aceraceae, Betulaceae, and Fagaceae were distinguished from Rosaceae, Fabaceae, and Asteraceae. Quinic acid, gallic acid, quercetin, quercetin derivatives, kaempferol, and kaempferol derivatives were identified as family-specific metabolites, and were found in relatively high concentrations in Aceraceae, Betulaceae, and Fagaceae. Fagaceae and Asteraceae were selected based on results of PLS-DA and bioactivities to determine the correlation between metabolic differences among plant families and bioactivities. Quinic acid, quercetin, kaempferol, quercetin derivatives, and kaempferol derivatives were found in higher concentrations in Fagaceae than in Asteraceae, and were positively correlated with antioxidant and tyrosinase inhibition activities. These results suggest that metabolite profiling was a useful tool for finding the different metabolic states of each plant family and understanding the correlation between metabolites and bioactivities in accordance with plant family.

  3. Steady-state metabolite concentrations reflect a balance between maximizing enzyme efficiency and minimizing total metabolite load.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Naama Tepper

    Full Text Available Steady-state metabolite concentrations in a microorganism typically span several orders of magnitude. The underlying principles governing these concentrations remain poorly understood. Here, we hypothesize that observed variation can be explained in terms of a compromise between factors that favor minimizing metabolite pool sizes (e.g. limited solvent capacity and the need to effectively utilize existing enzymes. The latter requires adequate thermodynamic driving force in metabolic reactions so that forward flux substantially exceeds reverse flux. To test this hypothesis, we developed a method, metabolic tug-of-war (mTOW, which computes steady-state metabolite concentrations in microorganisms on a genome-scale. mTOW is shown to explain up to 55% of the observed variation in measured metabolite concentrations in E. coli and C. acetobutylicum across various growth media. Our approach, based strictly on first thermodynamic principles, is the first method that successfully predicts high-throughput metabolite concentration data in bacteria across conditions.

  4. Rapid analysis of fungal cultures and dried figs for secondary metabolites by LC/TOF-MS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Senyuva, Hamide Z. [Ankara Test and Analysis Laboratory, Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey, Ankara 06330 (Turkey)], E-mail: hamide.senyuva@tubitak.gov.tr; Gilbert, John [Central Science Laboratory, Sand Hutton, York YO41 1LZ (United Kingdom); Oztuerkoglu, Sebnem [Ankara Test and Analysis Laboratory, Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey, Ankara 06330 (Turkey)

    2008-06-09

    A liquid chromatography-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC/TOF-MS) method has been developed for profiling fungal metabolites. The performance of the procedure in terms of mass accuracy, selectivity (specificity) and repeatability was established by spiking aflatoxins, ochratoxins, trichothecenes and other metabolites into blank growth media. After extracting, and carrying out LC/TOF-MS analysis, the standards were correctly identified by searching a specially constructed database of 465 secondary metabolites. To demonstrate the viability of this approach 11 toxigenic and four non-toxigenic fungi from reference collections were grown on various media, for 7-14 days. The method was also applied to two toxigenic fungi, A. flavus (200-138) and A. parasiticus (2999-465) grown on gamma radiation sterilised dried figs, for 7-14 days. The fungal hyphae plus a portion of growth media or portions of dried figs were solvent extracted and analysed by LC/TOF-MS using a rapid resolution microbore LC column. Data processing based on cluster analysis, showed that electrospray ionization (ESI)-TOF-MS could be used to unequivocally identify metabolites in crude extracts. Using the elemental metabolite database, it was demonstrated that from culture collection isolates, anticipated metabolites. The speed and simplicity of the method has meant that levels of these metabolites could be monitored daily in sterilised figs. Over a 14-day period, levels of aflatoxins and kojic acid maximised at 5-6 days, whilst levels of 5-methoxysterigmatocystin remained relatively constant. In addition to the known metabolites expected to be produced by these fungi, roquefortine A, fumagillin, fumigaclavine B, malformins (peptides), aspergillic acid, nigragillin, terrein, terrestric acid and penicillic acid were also identified.

  5. Spatial regulation of a common precursor from two distinct genes generates metabolite diversity

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Guo, Chun-Jun; Sun, Wei-Wen; Bruno, Kenneth S.; Oakley, Berl R.; Keller, Nancy P.; Wang, Clay C.

    2015-07-13

    In secondary metabolite biosynthesis, core synthetic genes such as polyketide synthase genes or non-ribosomal peptide synthase genes usually encode proteins that generate various backbone precursors. These precursors are modified by other tailoring enzymes to yield a large variety of different secondary metabolites. The number of core synthesis genes in a given species correlates, therefore, with the number of types of secondary metabolites the organism can produce. In our study, heterologous expression of all the A. terreus NRPS-like genes showed that two NRPS-like proteins, encoded by atmelA and apvA, release the same natural product, aspulvinone E. More interestingly, further experiments revealed that the aspulvinone E produced by two different genes accumulates in different fungal compartments. And this spatial control of aspulvinone E production is likely to be regulated by their own specific promoters. Comparative genomics indicates that atmelA and apvA might share a same ancestral gene and the gene apvA is inserted in a highly conserved region in Aspergillus species that contains genes coding for life-essential proteins. The study also identified one trans-prenyltransferase AbpB which is capable of prenylating two different substrates aspulvinones and butyrolactones. In total, our study shows the first example in which the locally distribution of the same natural product could lead to its incorporation into different SM pathways.

  6. Microbial Species Diversity, Community Dynamics, and Metabolite Kinetics of Water Kefir Fermentation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Laureys, David

    2014-01-01

    Water kefir is a sour, alcoholic, and fruity fermented beverage of which the fermentation is started with water kefir grains. These water kefir grains consist of polysaccharide and contain the microorganisms responsible for the water kefir fermentation. In this work, a water kefir fermentation process was followed as a function of time during 192 h to unravel the community dynamics, the species diversity, and the kinetics of substrate consumption and metabolite production. The majority of the water kefir ecosystem was found to be present on the water kefir grains. The most important microbial species present were Lactobacillus casei/paracasei, Lactobacillus harbinensis, Lactobacillus hilgardii, Bifidobacterium psychraerophilum/crudilactis, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and Dekkera bruxellensis. The microbial species diversities in the water kefir liquor and on the water kefir grains were similar and remained stable during the whole fermentation process. The major substrate, sucrose, was completely converted after 24 h of fermentation, which coincided with the production of the major part of the water kefir grain polysaccharide. The main metabolites of the fermentation were ethanol and lactic acid. Glycerol, acetic acid, and mannitol were produced in low concentrations. The major part of these metabolites was produced during the first 72 h of fermentation, during which the pH decreased from 4.26 to 3.45. The most prevalent volatile aroma compounds were ethyl acetate, isoamyl acetate, ethyl hexanoate, ethyl octanoate, and ethyl decanoate, which might be of significance with respect to the aroma of the end product. PMID:24532061

  7. Microbial species diversity, community dynamics, and metabolite kinetics of water kefir fermentation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Laureys, David; De Vuyst, Luc

    2014-04-01

    Water kefir is a sour, alcoholic, and fruity fermented beverage of which the fermentation is started with water kefir grains. These water kefir grains consist of polysaccharide and contain the microorganisms responsible for the water kefir fermentation. In this work, a water kefir fermentation process was followed as a function of time during 192 h to unravel the community dynamics, the species diversity, and the kinetics of substrate consumption and metabolite production. The majority of the water kefir ecosystem was found to be present on the water kefir grains. The most important microbial species present were Lactobacillus casei/paracasei, Lactobacillus harbinensis, Lactobacillus hilgardii, Bifidobacterium psychraerophilum/crudilactis, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and Dekkera bruxellensis. The microbial species diversities in the water kefir liquor and on the water kefir grains were similar and remained stable during the whole fermentation process. The major substrate, sucrose, was completely converted after 24 h of fermentation, which coincided with the production of the major part of the water kefir grain polysaccharide. The main metabolites of the fermentation were ethanol and lactic acid. Glycerol, acetic acid, and mannitol were produced in low concentrations. The major part of these metabolites was produced during the first 72 h of fermentation, during which the pH decreased from 4.26 to 3.45. The most prevalent volatile aroma compounds were ethyl acetate, isoamyl acetate, ethyl hexanoate, ethyl octanoate, and ethyl decanoate, which might be of significance with respect to the aroma of the end product.

  8. The antiSMASH database, a comprehensive database of microbial secondary metabolite biosynthetic gene clusters

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Blin, Kai; Medema, Marnix H.; Kottmann, Renzo

    2017-01-01

    Secondary metabolites produced by microorganisms are the main source of bioactive compounds that are in use as antimicrobial and anticancer drugs, fungicides, herbicides and pesticides. In the last decade, the increasing availability of microbial genomes has established genome mining as a very...

  9. Functional metabolite assemblies—a review

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aizen, Ruth; Tao, Kai; Rencus-Lazar, Sigal; Gazit, Ehud

    2018-05-01

    Metabolites are essential for the normal operation of cells and fulfill various physiological functions. It was recently found that in several metabolic disorders, the associated metabolites could self-assemble to generate amyloid-like structures, similar to canonical protein amyloids that have a role in neurodegenerative disorders. Yet, assemblies with typical amyloid characteristics are also known to have physiological function. In addition, many non-natural proteins and peptides presenting amyloidal properties have been used for the fabrication of functional nanomaterials. Similarly, functional metabolite assemblies are also found in nature, demonstrating various physiological roles. A notable example is the structural color formed by guanine crystals or fluorescent crystals in feline eyes responsible for enhanced night vision. Moreover, some metabolites have been used for the in vitro fabrication of functional materials, such as glycine crystals presenting remarkable piezoelectric properties or indigo films used to assemble organic semi-conductive electronic devices. Therefore, we believe that the study of metabolite assemblies is not only important in order to understand their role in normal physiology and in pathology, but also paves a new route in exploring the fabrication of organic, bio-compatible materials.

  10. Untargeted metabolomic profiling plasma samples of patients with lung cancer for searching significant metabolites by HPLC-MS method

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dementeva, N.; Ivanova, K.; Kokova, D.; Kurzina, I.; Ponomaryova, A.; Kzhyshkowska, J.

    2017-09-01

    Lung cancer is one of the most common types of cancer leading to death. Consequently, the search and the identification of the metabolites associated with the risk of developing cancer are very valuable. For the purpose, untargeted metabolic profiling of the plasma samples collected from the patients with lung cancer (n = 100) and the control group (n = 100) was conducted. After sample preparation, the plasma samples were analyzed using LC-MS method. Biostatistics methods were applied to pre-process the data for elicitation of dominating metabolites which responded to the difference between the case and the control groups. At least seven significant metabolites were evaluated and annotated. The most part of identified metabolites are connected with lipid metabolism and their combination could be useful for follow-up studies of lung cancer pathogenesis.

  11. Engineering of secondary metabolite production in streptomycetes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Robertsen, Helene Lunde; Gram, Lone

    Streptomycetes are known for their ability to produce a range of different secondary metabolites, including antibiotics, immunosuppressive, anti-fungals, and anti-cancer compounds. Of these compounds, antibiotics play an important role in the clinics for treatment of both mild and severe bacterial...... the computational prediction of suitable 20 bp protospacers for the single guide RNAs and a USER-cloning method for construction of the CRISPR plasmids. Additional improvement to the system was achieved through the development of an optimised USER assembly workflow for cheaper and faster plasmid construction....... The workflow was verified by manual knock-down of two biosynthetic gene clusters in model organism Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2), which confirmed the applicability of the system. A second part of the thesis was devoted to engineering of Streptomyces collinus Tü 365, which is a known producer of the narrow...

  12. New on-line separation workflow of microbial metabolites via hyphenation of analytical and preparative comprehensive two-dimensional liquid chromatography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yan, Xia; Wang, Li-Juan; Wu, Zhen; Wu, Yun-Long; Liu, Xiu-Xiu; Chang, Fang-Rong; Fang, Mei-Juan; Qiu, Ying-Kun

    2016-10-15

    Microbial metabolites represent an important source of bioactive natural products, but always exhibit diverse of chemical structures or complicated chemical composition with low active ingredients content. Traditional separation methods rely mainly on off-line combination of open-column chromatography and preparative high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). However, the multi-step and prolonged separation procedure might lead to exposure to oxygen and structural transformation of metabolites. In the present work, a new two-dimensional separation workflow for fast isolation and analysis of microbial metabolites from Chaetomium globosum SNSHI-5, a cytotoxic fungus derived from extreme environment. The advantage of this analytical comprehensive two-dimensional liquid chromatography (2D-LC) lies on its ability to analyze the composition of the metabolites, and to optimize the separation conditions for the preparative 2D-LC. Furthermore, gram scale preparative 2D-LC separation of the crude fungus extract could be performed on a medium-pressure liquid chromatograph×preparative high-performance liquid chromatography system, under the optimized condition. Interestingly, 12 cytochalasan derivatives, including two new compounds named cytoglobosin Ab (3) and isochaetoglobosin Db (8), were successfully obtained with high purity in a short period of time. The structures of the isolated metabolites were comprehensively characterized by HR ESI-MS and NMR. To be highlighted, this is the first report on the combination of analytical and preparative 2D-LC for the separation of microbial metabolites. The new workflow exhibited apparent advantages in separation efficiency and sample treatment capacity compared with conventional methods. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. Medicinal Plants: A Source of Anti-Parasitic Secondary Metabolites

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michael Wink

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available This review summarizes human infections caused by endoparasites, including protozoa, nematodes, trematodes, and cestodes, which affect more than 30% of the human population, and medicinal plants of potential use in their treatment. Because vaccinations do not work in most instances and the parasites have sometimes become resistant to the available synthetic therapeutics, it is important to search for alternative sources of anti-parasitic drugs. Plants produce a high diversity of secondary metabolites with interesting biological activities, such as cytotoxic, anti-parasitic and anti-microbial properties. These drugs often interfere with central targets in parasites, such as DNA (intercalation, alkylation, membrane integrity, microtubules and neuronal signal transduction. Plant extracts and isolated secondary metabolites which can inhibit protozoan parasites, such as Plasmodium, Trypanosoma, Leishmania, Trichomonas and intestinal worms are discussed. The identified plants and compounds offer a chance to develop new drugs against parasitic diseases. Most of them need to be tested in more detail, especially in animal models and if successful, in clinical trials.

  14. Metabolites of the 1',2'-dimethylheptyl analogue of delta-8-tetrahydrocannabinol in the mouse and their identification by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harvey, D J; Brown, N K

    1990-10-01

    Metabolism of the 1,2-dimethylheptyl analogue of delta-8-tetrahydrocannabinol (delta-8-DMHP) was studied in vitro using mouse hepatic microsomes and in vivo in mouse liver. Metabolites were extracted with ethyl acetate, concentrated by chromatography on Sephadex LH-20 and examined by low-resolution mass spectrometry as trimethylsilyl (TMS), (2H9)TMS and methyl ester/TMS derivatives. Reduction of metabolites with lithium aluminium deuteride also provided structural information. The electron-impact-induced mass spectrum of the TMS derivative of DMHP differed from that of its unbranched side-chain analogues in that prominent ions were produced by fragmentation of the side-chain at the expense of the retro-Diels-Alder fragmentation that was prominent in the spectra of the latter compounds. This, however, was found to reduce the relative abundance of ions diagnostic of side-chain hydroxy substitution in the spectra of the metabolites. In vitro, the only significant metabolite was 11-hydroxy-delta-8-DMHP. This is in contrast with metabolism of the corresponding delta-8-tetrahydrocannabinol (delta-8-THC, n-C5-side-chain) where a number of other monohydroxy metabolites are produced. Fifteen metabolites were found in vivo, of which nine were identified. Mass spectral information was not sufficient to determine the position of one of the hydroxy groups in the other six metabolites. The major site of hydroxylation was at C-11 and the resulting hydroxy metabolite was oxidized to delta-8-DMHP-11-oic acid. In this respect metabolism paralleled that of delta-8-THC. Dihydroxylation of the double bond also occurred, presumably via the epoxide.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

  15. Metabolite damage and repair in metabolic engineering design

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sun, Jiayi; Jeffryes, James G.; Henry, Christopher S.; Bruner, Steven D.; Hanson, Andrew D.

    2017-11-01

    The necessarily sharp focus of metabolic engineering and metabolic synthetic biology on pathways and their fluxes has tended to divert attention from the damaging enzymatic and chemical side-reactions that pathway metabolites can undergo. Although historically overlooked and underappreciated, such metabolite damage reactions are now known to occur throughout metabolism and to generate (formerly enigmatic) peaks detected in metabolomics datasets. It is also now known that metabolite damage is often countered by dedicated repair enzymes that undo or prevent it. Metabolite damage and repair are highly relevant to engineered pathway design: metabolite damage reactions can reduce flux rates and product yields, and repair enzymes can provide robust, host-independent solutions. Herein, after introducing the core principles of metabolite damage and repair, we use case histories to document how damage and repair processes affect efficient operation of engineered pathways - particularly those that are heterologous, non-natural, or cell-free. We then review how metabolite damage reactions can be predicted, how repair reactions can be prospected, and how metabolite damage and repair can be built into genome-scale metabolic models. Lastly, we propose a versatile 'plug and play' set of well-characterized metabolite repair enzymes to solve metabolite damage problems known or likely to occur in metabolic engineering and synthetic biology projects.

  16. Structural requirements for bioactivation of anticonvulsants to cytotoxic metabolites in vitro.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Riley, R J; Kitteringham, N R; Park, B K

    1989-01-01

    The formation of cytotoxic metabolites from the anticonvulsants phenytoin and carbamazepine was investigated in vitro using a hepatic microsomal enzyme system and human mononuclear leucocytes as target cells. Both drugs were metabolised to cytotoxic products. In order to assess the structural requirements for this bioactivation, a series of structurally related compounds was investigated. It was found that molecules which contain either an amide function or an aryl ring may undergo activation in vitro, but only the metabolism-dependent toxicity of the latter is potentiated by pre-treatment of the target cells with an epoxide hydrolase inhibitor. Taken collectively, these data are consistent with the concept that reactive epoxide metabolites of both phenytoin and carbamazepine may produce toxicity in individuals with an inherited deficiency in epoxide hydrolase. PMID:2590607

  17. Comparison of volatile and non-volatile metabolites in rice wine fermented by Koji inoculated with Saccharomycopsis fibuligera and Aspergillus oryzae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Son, Eun Yeong; Lee, Sang Mi; Kim, Minjoo; Seo, Jeong-Ah; Kim, Young-Suk

    2018-07-01

    This study investigated volatile and nonvolatile metabolite profiles of makgeolli (a traditional rice wine in Korea) fermented by koji inoculated with Saccharomycopsis fibuligera and/or Aspergillus oryzae. The enzyme activities in koji were also examined to determine their effects on the formation of metabolites. The contents of all 18 amino acids detected were the highest in makgeolli fermented by S. fibuligera CN2601-09, and increased after combining with A. oryzae CN1102-08, unlike the contents of most fatty acids. On the other hand, major volatile metabolites were fusel alcohols, acetate esters, and ethyl esters. The contents of most fusel alcohols and acetate esters were the highest in makgeolli fermented by S. fibuligera CN2601-09, for which the protease activity was the highest, leading to the largest amounts of amino acods. The makgeolli samples fermented only by koji inoculated with S. fibuligera could be discriminated on PCA plots from the makgeolli samples fermented in combination with A. oryzae. In the case of nonvolatile metabolites, all amino acids and some metabolites such as xylose, 2-methylbenzoic acid, and oxalic acid contributed mainly to the characteristics of makgeolli fermented by koji inoculated with S. fibuligera and A. oryzae. These results showed that the formations of volatile and nonvolatile metabolites in makgeolli can be significantly affected by microbial strains with different enzyme activities in koji. To our knowledge, this study is the first report on the effects of S. fibuligera strains on the formation of volatile and non-volatile metabolites in rice wine, facilitating their use in brewing rice wine. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  18. Deletion of the signalling molecule synthase ScbA has pleiotropic effects on secondary metabolite biosynthesis, morphological differentiation and primary metabolism in Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2)

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    D'Alia, Davide; Eggle, D.; Nieselt, K.; Hu, W.-S.; Breitling, R.; Takano, E.

    2011-01-01

    Streptomycetes have high biotechnological relevance as producers of diverse metabolites widely used in medical and agricultural applications. The biosynthesis of these metabolites is controlled by signalling molecules, gamma-butyrolactones, that act as bacterial hormones. In Streptomyces coelicolor,

  19. In vitro antifungal activity of bacteria against Mycosphaerella fijiensis mediated by diffused and volatile metabolites

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mileidy Cruz-Martín

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available Antagonistic microorganisms do not have a unique mode of action. Multiplicity of these is an important feature for selection as biological control agents. Black Sigatoka is considered the foliar disease with most economic impact for the banana industry worldwide. New strategies to control it are required to reduce the use of fungicides. That is why an increasing interest to find biological alternatives, such as the use of antagonistic bacteria, has risen. Assays wer e carr ied ou t to determine whether in v it r o ant if ungal ac ti vity of 20 bacterial str ai ns against My cosphaer ella fijiensis was caused by metabolites diffused into the culture medium or volatile. Results demonstrated that 80.0% of bacterial strains tested showed in vitro antifungal activity by diffused metabolites in the culture medium and 60.0% by producing volatile metabolites. The 55.0% of strains showed both mechanisms. This feature makes these bacteria the best candidate for its selection as biological control agent. Keywords: antagonistic, biocontrol, volatile compounds, diffused metabolites.

  20. Kynurenine pathway metabolites and enzymes involved in redox reactions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    González Esquivel, D; Ramírez-Ortega, D; Pineda, B; Castro, N; Ríos, C; Pérez de la Cruz, V

    2017-01-01

    Oxido-reduction reactions are a fundamental part of the life due to support many vital biological processes as cellular respiration and glucose oxidation. In the redox reactions, one substance transfers one or more electrons to another substance. An important electron carrier is the coenzyme NAD + , which is involved in many metabolic pathways. De novo biosynthesis of NAD + is through the kynurenine pathway, the major route of tryptophan catabolism, which is sensitive to redox environment and produces metabolites with redox capacity, able to alter biological functions that are controlled by redox-responsive signaling pathways. Kynurenine pathway metabolites have been implicated in the physiology process and in the physiopathology of many diseases; processes that also share others factors as dysregulation of calcium homeostasis, mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, inflammation and cell death, which impact the redox environment. This review examines in detail the available evidence in which kynurenine pathway metabolites participate in redox reactions and their effect on cellular redox homeostasis, since the knowledge of the main factors and mechanisms that lead to cell death in many neurodegenative disorders and other pathologies, such as mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress and kynurenines imbalance, will allow to develop therapies using them as targets. This article is part of the Special Issue entitled 'The Kynurenine Pathway in Health and Disease'. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Interactions Between a Belowground Herbivore and Primary and Secondary Root Metabolites in Wild Cabbage

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Van Geem, Moniek; Harvey, J.A.; Cortesero, A.M.; Raaijmakers, C.E.; Gols, R.

    2015-01-01

    Plants are attacked by both above- and belowground herbivores. Toxic secondary compounds are part of the chemical defense arsenal of plants against a range of antagonists, and are subject to genetic variation. Plants also produce primary metabolites (amino acids, nutrients, sugars) that function as

  2. Urinary excretion of androgen metabolites, comparison with excretion of radioactive metabolites after injection of [4-14C]testosterone

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Deslypere, J.P.; Sayed, A.; Vermeulen, A.; Wiers, P.W.

    1981-01-01

    The influence of age on the metabolic pattern of [4- 14 C]testosterone was studied in 20 young and 8 elderly males and compared to the metabolic pattern of endogenous androgens; the latter was also studied in 16 young and 8 elderly women. In both young and elderly males, androsterone and aetiocholanolone glucuronide represent 65% of [4- 14 C]testosterone metabolites: together with their suephoconjugates as well as with 5α- and 5β-androstane-3α, 17β-diol they represent even more than 75% of total urinary metabolites. The 5α/5β ratio of metabolites of [4- 14 C]testosterone was significantly (P 14 C]testosterone metabolites was generally higher than the ratio of metabolites of endogenous androgens, suggesting that the transformation of T to ring A saturated metabolites occurs at least partially in another compartment than the transformation of DHEA to these metabolites. For both [4- 14 C]testosterone and endogenous androgen metabolites we observed a statistically significant reduction of the 5α/5β ratio with age, a general phenomenon in both males and females. This reduction concern also 11-OH-androst-4-ene-3.17-dione metabolism. Neither sex hormone levels, nor specific binding seems to determine this age dependent shift; neither is there convincing evidence for latent hypothyroisism or liver dysfunction in the elderly. An age associated primary decrease of the 5α-reductase activity seems the most likely explanation. (author)

  3. Diversity and natural functions of antibiotices produced by beneficial and pathogenic soil bacteria

    Science.gov (United States)

    Soil and plant-associated environments harbor numerous bacterial species that produce antibiotic metabolites. Many of these bacteria have been exploited for the discovery of clinical antibiotics and other therapeutics. In the field of plant pathology, antibiotic-producing bacteria are used as a reso...

  4. Plant protein and secondary metabolites influence diet selection in a mammalian specialist herbivore

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amy C. Ulappa; Rick G. Kelsey; Graham G. Frye; Janet L. Rachlow; LIsa A. Shipley; Laura Bond; Xinzhu Pu; Jennifer Sorensen. Forbey

    2014-01-01

    For herbivores, nutrient intake is limited by the relatively low nutritional quality of plants and high concentrations of potentially toxic defensive compounds (plant secondary metabolites [PSMs]) produced by many plants. In response to phytochemical challenges, some herbivores selectively forage on plants with higher nutrient and lower PSM concentrations relative to...

  5. Secondary metabolites in fungus-plant interactions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pusztahelyi, Tünde; Holb, Imre J.; Pócsi, István

    2015-01-01

    Fungi and plants are rich sources of thousands of secondary metabolites. The genetically coded possibilities for secondary metabolite production, the stimuli of the production, and the special phytotoxins basically determine the microscopic fungi-host plant interactions and the pathogenic lifestyle of fungi. The review introduces plant secondary metabolites usually with antifungal effect as well as the importance of signaling molecules in induced systemic resistance and systemic acquired resistance processes. The review also concerns the mimicking of plant effector molecules like auxins, gibberellins and abscisic acid by fungal secondary metabolites that modulate plant growth or even can subvert the plant defense responses such as programmed cell death to gain nutrients for fungal growth and colonization. It also looks through the special secondary metabolite production and host selective toxins of some significant fungal pathogens and the plant response in form of phytoalexin production. New results coming from genome and transcriptional analyses in context of selected fungal pathogens and their hosts are also discussed. PMID:26300892

  6. SPE-NMR metabolite sub-profiling of urine

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Jacobs, D.M.; Spiesser, L.; Garnier, M.; Roo, de N.; Dorsten, van F.; Hollebrands, B.; Velzen, van E.; Draijer, R.; Duynhoven, van J.P.M.

    2012-01-01

    NMR-based metabolite profiling of urine is a fast and reproducible method for detection of numerous metabolites with diverse chemical properties. However, signal overlap in the (1)H NMR profiles of human urine may hamper quantification and identification of metabolites. Therefore, a new method has

  7. Metabolite damage and repair in metabolic engineering design.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Jiayi; Jeffryes, James G; Henry, Christopher S; Bruner, Steven D; Hanson, Andrew D

    2017-11-01

    The necessarily sharp focus of metabolic engineering and metabolic synthetic biology on pathways and their fluxes has tended to divert attention from the damaging enzymatic and chemical side-reactions that pathway metabolites can undergo. Although historically overlooked and underappreciated, such metabolite damage reactions are now known to occur throughout metabolism and to generate (formerly enigmatic) peaks detected in metabolomics datasets. It is also now known that metabolite damage is often countered by dedicated repair enzymes that undo or prevent it. Metabolite damage and repair are highly relevant to engineered pathway design: metabolite damage reactions can reduce flux rates and product yields, and repair enzymes can provide robust, host-independent solutions. Herein, after introducing the core principles of metabolite damage and repair, we use case histories to document how damage and repair processes affect efficient operation of engineered pathways - particularly those that are heterologous, non-natural, or cell-free. We then review how metabolite damage reactions can be predicted, how repair reactions can be prospected, and how metabolite damage and repair can be built into genome-scale metabolic models. Lastly, we propose a versatile 'plug and play' set of well-characterized metabolite repair enzymes to solve metabolite damage problems known or likely to occur in metabolic engineering and synthetic biology projects. Copyright © 2017 International Metabolic Engineering Society. All rights reserved.

  8. Identification of fipronil metabolites by time-of-flight mass spectrometry for application in a human exposure study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McMahen, Rebecca L; Strynar, Mark J; Dagnino, Sonia; Herr, David W; Moser, Virginia C; Garantziotis, Stavros; Andersen, Erik M; Freeborn, Danielle L; McMillan, Larry; Lindstrom, Andrew B

    2015-05-01

    Fipronil is a phenylpyrazole insecticide commonly used in residential and agricultural applications. To understand more about the potential risks for human exposure associated with fipronil, urine and serum from dosed Long Evans adult rats (5 and 10mg/kg bw) were analyzed to identify metabolites as potential biomarkers for use in human biomonitoring studies. Urine from treated rats was found to contain seven unique metabolites, two of which had not been previously reported-M4 and M7 which were putatively identified as a nitroso compound and an imine, respectively. Fipronil sulfone was confirmed to be the primary metabolite in rat serum. The fipronil metabolites identified in the respective matrices were then evaluated in matched human urine (n=84) and serum (n=96) samples from volunteers with no known pesticide exposures. Although no fipronil or metabolites were detected in human urine, fipronil sulfone was present in the serum of approximately 25% of the individuals at concentrations ranging from 0.1 to 4ng/mL. These results indicate that many fipronil metabolites are produced following exposures in rats and that fipronil sulfone is a useful biomarker in human serum. Furthermore, human exposure to fipronil may occur regularly and require more extensive characterization. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  9. The determination of quizalofop-p-tefuryl, Pantera, and metabolites in soils using GC/MSD

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Parkins, M.D. [Uniroyal Chemical Co. Inc., Middlebury, CT (United States); Bruns, G. [EnviroTest Labs., Inc., Edmonton, Alberta (Canada)

    1995-12-01

    A published procedure for the analysis of herbicides in soil and sediment was adapted for determining residues of Pantera, quizalofop-p-tefuryl, and its metabolites. Soil is extracted by shaking with a solvent mixture of acetone/0.05N HCL, followed by 0.1 N KOH. The extracts are combined, acidified and then partitioned with methylene chloride. The organic phase is concentrated to 1.0 mL. One half the sample is reacted with diazomethane and analyzed for parent compound and the methyl derivative of the acid metabolite, quizalofop, by GC/MSD with no further workup. The other half is reacted with diazomethane using an elevated temperature, to form volatile methyl derivatives of the metabolites; chlorohydroxyquinoxaline, and chloroquinoxaline phenol. Recoveries were determined at 0.02 ppm, the level of detection, and at 0.20 ppm. The average recovery value for all analytes was greater than 90%.

  10. 13C-NMR reveals glycerol as an unexpected major metabolite of the protozoan parasite Trichomonas vaginalis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chapman, A.; Lloyd, D.; Linstead, D.J.; Williams, J.

    1985-01-01

    13 C-NMR has been used to study the kinetics of the formation of metabolites from [l- 13 C]glucose in intact cells of Trichomonas vaginalis during anaerobic incubation. As well as the expected metabolites lactate and acetate, this technique revealed glycerol as an additional major product, present in amounts equimolar with acetate. The formation of glycerol is readily explained in terms of the need to maintain redox balance. This protozoan now joins the small group of organisms which are known to produce glycerol as a result of normal metabolic activities. (Auth.)

  11. The hepatic metabolism of two carcinogenic dimethylbenz[c]acridines in control and induced rats: the distribution and the mutagenicity of metabolites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ye, Y; Scharping, C E; Holder, G M

    1995-04-01

    The major and minor metabolites of the potent polycyclic aza-aromatic carcinogens 7,9-dimethylbenz[c]acridine and 7,10-dimethylbenz[c]acridine, and the stereochemistry of the dihydrodiol metabolites have been previously described. The metabolite distributions produced in incubations of the aza-aromatic compounds with liver microsomes from phenobarbital- and 3-methylcholanthrene-pretreated and untreated rats, and the mutagenicity in the Ames test are described in this paper. The major metabolites of each were the alcohols produced by oxidation of the methyl group on the 8,9,10,11-ring for control and phenobarbital-induced preparations, while with 3-methylcholanthrene-induced preparations both the 7- and 9- (or 10-) monoalcohols were formed. Total monofunctionalized dihydrodiol metabolites, the 5,6- and 3,4-isomers for 7,9-dimethylbenz[c]acridine, and the 3,4-, 5,6- and 8,9-isomers for 7,10-dimethylbenz[c]acridine, constituted approximately 10% of total metabolites. As well, the K-region arene oxide was formed in substantial amounts with both compounds, accompanied in the case of 7,10-dimethylbenz[c]acridine with some 8,9-oxide. When incubations were carried out in the presence of the epoxide hydrase inhibitor 3,3,3-trichloropropane-1,2-oxide, dihydrodiol formation was almost completely inhibited and relative amounts of both phenols and oxides increased. Secondary metabolites were also formed to approximately 10% of the total products. The mutagenicity of synthetic alcohols and isolated purified metabolites was determined in the Salmonella mammalian microsome plate assay (Ames test) with strain TA100. Limited amounts of metabolites isolated precluded extensive testing, but high mutagenicities were noted for all 3,4-dihydrodiol derivatives isolated. These exceeded those of the parent aza-aromatic hydrocarbons. Alcohols were also active but less so than the parent compounds. The activation of these two dimethylbenz[c]acridines to mutagens appears to be through bay

  12. Modules of co-regulated metabolites in turmeric (Curcuma longa) rhizome suggest the existence of biosynthetic modules in plant specialized metabolism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xie, Zhengzhi; Ma, Xiaoqiang; Gang, David R

    2009-01-01

    Turmeric is an excellent example of a plant that produces large numbers of metabolites from diverse metabolic pathways or networks. It is hypothesized that these metabolic pathways or networks contain biosynthetic modules, which lead to the formation of metabolite modules-groups of metabolites whose production is co-regulated and biosynthetically linked. To test whether such co-regulated metabolite modules do exist in this plant, metabolic profiling analysis was performed on turmeric rhizome samples that were collected from 16 different growth and development treatments, which had significant impacts on the levels of 249 volatile and non-volatile metabolites that were detected. Importantly, one of the many co-regulated metabolite modules that were indeed readily detected in this analysis contained the three major curcuminoids, whereas many other structurally related diarylheptanoids belonged to separate metabolite modules, as did groups of terpenoids. The existence of these co-regulated metabolite modules supported the hypothesis that the 3-methoxyl groups on the aromatic rings of the curcuminoids are formed before the formation of the heptanoid backbone during the biosynthesis of curcumin and also suggested the involvement of multiple polyketide synthases with different substrate selectivities in the formation of the array of diarylheptanoids detected in turmeric. Similar conclusions about terpenoid biosynthesis could also be made. Thus, discovery and analysis of metabolite modules can be a powerful predictive tool in efforts to understand metabolism in plants.

  13. The secondary metabolite bioinformatics portal

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Weber, Tilmann; Kim, Hyun Uk

    2016-01-01

    . In this context, this review gives a summary of tools and databases that currently are available to mine, identify and characterize natural product biosynthesis pathways and their producers based on ‘omics data. A web portal called Secondary Metabolite Bioinformatics Portal (SMBP at http...... analytical and chemical methods gave access to this group of compounds, nowadays genomics-based methods offer complementary approaches to find, identify and characterize such molecules. This paradigm shift also resulted in a high demand for computational tools to assist researchers in their daily work......Natural products are among the most important sources of lead molecules for drug discovery. With the development of affordable whole-genome sequencing technologies and other ‘omics tools, the field of natural products research is currently undergoing a shift in paradigms. While, for decades, mainly...

  14. Serotonergic neurotoxic metabolites of ecstasy identified in rat brain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones, Douglas C; Duvauchelle, Christine; Ikegami, Aiko; Olsen, Christopher M; Lau, Serrine S; de la Torre, Rafael; Monks, Terrence J

    2005-04-01

    The selective serotonergic neurotoxicity of 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA) and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, ecstasy) depends on their systemic metabolism. We have recently shown that inhibition of brain endothelial cell gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (gamma-GT) potentiates the neurotoxicity of both MDMA and MDA, indicating that metabolites that are substrates for this enzyme contribute to the neurotoxicity. Consistent with this view, glutathione (GSH) and N-acetylcysteine conjugates of alpha-methyl dopamine (alpha-MeDA) are selective neurotoxicants. However, neurotoxic metabolites of MDMA or MDA have yet to be identified in brain. Using in vivo microdialysis coupled to liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectroscopy and a high-performance liquid chromatography-coulometric electrode array system, we now show that GSH and N-acetylcysteine conjugates of N-methyl-alpha-MeDA are present in the striatum of rats administered MDMA by subcutaneous injection. Moreover, inhibition of gamma-GT with acivicin increases the concentration of GSH and N-acetylcysteine conjugates of N-methyl-alpha-MeDA in brain dialysate, and there is a direct correlation between the concentrations of metabolites in dialysate and the extent of neurotoxicity, measured by decreases in serotonin (5-HT) and 5-hydroxyindole acetic (5-HIAA) levels. Importantly, the effects of acivicin are independent of MDMA-induced hyperthermia, since acivicin-mediated potentiation of MDMA neurotoxicity occurs in the context of acivicin-mediated decreases in body temperature. Finally, we have synthesized 5-(N-acetylcystein-S-yl)-N-methyl-alpha-MeDA and established that it is a relatively potent serotonergic neurotoxicant. Together, the data support the contention that MDMA-mediated serotonergic neurotoxicity is mediated by the systemic formation of GSH and N-acetylcysteine conjugates of N-methyl-alpha-MeDA (and alpha-MeDA). The mechanisms by which such metabolites access the brain and produce selective

  15. Secondary metabolites from Ganoderma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baby, Sabulal; Johnson, Anil John; Govindan, Balaji

    2015-06-01

    Ganoderma is a genus of medicinal mushrooms. This review deals with secondary metabolites isolated from Ganoderma and their biological significance. Phytochemical studies over the last 40years led to the isolation of 431 secondary metabolites from various Ganoderma species. The major secondary compounds isolated are (a) C30 lanostanes (ganoderic acids), (b) C30 lanostanes (aldehydes, alcohols, esters, glycosides, lactones, ketones), (c) C27 lanostanes (lucidenic acids), (d) C27 lanostanes (alcohols, lactones, esters), (e) C24, C25 lanostanes (f) C30 pentacyclic triterpenes, (g) meroterpenoids, (h) farnesyl hydroquinones (meroterpenoids), (i) C15 sesquiterpenoids, (j) steroids, (k) alkaloids, (l) prenyl hydroquinone (m) benzofurans, (n) benzopyran-4-one derivatives and (o) benzenoid derivatives. Ganoderma lucidum is the species extensively studied for its secondary metabolites and biological activities. Ganoderma applanatum, Ganoderma colossum, Ganoderma sinense, Ganoderma cochlear, Ganoderma tsugae, Ganoderma amboinense, Ganoderma orbiforme, Ganoderma resinaceum, Ganoderma hainanense, Ganoderma concinna, Ganoderma pfeifferi, Ganoderma neo-japonicum, Ganoderma tropicum, Ganoderma australe, Ganoderma carnosum, Ganoderma fornicatum, Ganoderma lipsiense (synonym G. applanatum), Ganoderma mastoporum, Ganoderma theaecolum, Ganoderma boninense, Ganoderma capense and Ganoderma annulare are the other Ganoderma species subjected to phytochemical studies. Further phytochemical studies on Ganoderma could lead to the discovery of hitherto unknown biologically active secondary metabolites. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Antibiotics produced by Streptomyces.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Procópio, Rudi Emerson de Lima; Silva, Ingrid Reis da; Martins, Mayra Kassawara; Azevedo, João Lúcio de; Araújo, Janete Magali de

    2012-01-01

    Streptomyces is a genus of Gram-positive bacteria that grows in various environments, and its shape resembles filamentous fungi. The morphological differentiation of Streptomyces involves the formation of a layer of hyphae that can differentiate into a chain of spores. The most interesting property of Streptomyces is the ability to produce bioactive secondary metabolites, such as antifungals, antivirals, antitumorals, anti-hypertensives, immunosuppressants, and especially antibiotics. The production of most antibiotics is species specific, and these secondary metabolites are important for Streptomyces species in order to compete with other microorganisms that come in contact, even within the same genre. Despite the success of the discovery of antibiotics, and advances in the techniques of their production, infectious diseases still remain the second leading cause of death worldwide, and bacterial infections cause approximately 17 million deaths annually, affecting mainly children and the elderly. Self-medication and overuse of antibiotics is another important factor that contributes to resistance, reducing the lifetime of the antibiotic, thus causing the constant need for research and development of new antibiotics. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

  17. Reexamining intra and extracellular metabolites produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maria Shuja

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available Objective: To isolate, screen and analyze bacteria from different areas of Pakistan for the production of antimicrobial compounds, zinc solubilization and bioplastic production. Methods: Isolation and purification was proceeding with streak plate method. Antagonistic assay was completed with well diffusion and thin-layer chromatography. In vivo analysis of bioplastic was analyzed with Nile blue fluorescence under UV and Sudan staining. Results: A total of 18 bacterial strains purified from soil samples while 148 strains form stock cultures were used. Out of 166 only 94 showed antimicrobial activity against each of Grampositive and Gram-negative; cocci and rods. In case of heavy metal (ZnO and Zn3(PO42.4H2O solubilization, 54 strains solubilized ZnO and 23 strains solubilized Zn3(PO42.4H2O, while 127 strains grown on polyhydroxyalkanoate detection meedia supplemented with Nile blue medium showed bioplastic production by producing fluorescence under UV light. Four bacterial strains (coded as 100, 101, 104 and 111 were selected for further characterization. Induction time assay showed that strains 101, 104, and 111 showed inhibitory activity after 4 h of incubation while strain 100 showed after 8 h. All four strains were tolerable to the maximum concentration of ZnO. Amplified products of both 16S rRNA and PhaC gene fragments of strain 111 were sequenced and submitted to GenBank as accession numbers EU781525 and EU781526. Conclusions: Bacterial strain Pseudomonas aeruginosa-111 has potential to utilize as biofertilize and bioplastic producer.

  18. Metabolites Identified during Varied Doses of Aspergillus Species in Zea mays Grains, and Their Correlation with Aflatoxin Levels

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Titilayo D. O. Falade

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available Aflatoxin contamination is associated with the development of aflatoxigenic fungi such as Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus on food grains. This study was aimed at investigating metabolites produced during fungal development on maize and their correlation with aflatoxin levels. Maize cobs were harvested at R3 (milk, R4 (dough, and R5 (dent stages of maturity. Individual kernels were inoculated in petri dishes with four doses of fungal spores. Fungal colonisation, metabolite profile, and aflatoxin levels were examined. Grain colonisation decreased with kernel maturity: milk-, dough-, and dent-stage kernels by approximately 100%, 60%, and 30% respectively. Aflatoxin levels increased with dose at dough and dent stages. Polar metabolites including alanine, proline, serine, valine, inositol, iso-leucine, sucrose, fructose, trehalose, turanose, mannitol, glycerol, arabitol, inositol, myo-inositol, and some intermediates of the tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA—also known as citric acid or Krebs cycle were important for dose classification. Important non-polar metabolites included arachidic, palmitic, stearic, 3,4-xylylic, and margaric acids. Aflatoxin levels correlated with levels of several polar metabolites. The strongest positive and negative correlations were with arabitol (R = 0.48 and turanose and (R = −0.53, respectively. Several metabolites were interconnected with the TCA; interconnections of the metabolites with the TCA cycle varied depending upon the grain maturity.

  19. Yield improvement strategies for the production of secondary metabolites in plant tissue culture: silymarin from Silybum marianum tissue culture.

    Science.gov (United States)

    AbouZid, S

    2014-01-01

    Plant cell culture can be a potential source for the production of important secondary metabolites. This technology bears many advantages over conventional agricultural methods. The main problem to arrive at a cost-effective process is the low productivity. This is mainly due to lack of differentiation in the cultured cells. Many approaches have been used to maximise the yield of secondary metabolites produced by cultured plant cells. Among these approaches: choosing a plant with a high biosynthetic capacity, obtaining efficient cell line for growth and production of metabolite of interest, manipulating culture conditions, elicitation, metabolic engineering and organ culture. This article gives an overview of the various approaches used to maximise the production of pharmaceutically important secondary metabolites in plant cell cultures. Examples of using these different approaches are shown for the production of silymarin from Silybum marianum tissue culture.

  20. lumpGEM: Systematic generation of subnetworks and elementally balanced lumped reactions for the biosynthesis of target metabolites.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Meric Ataman

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available In the post-genomic era, Genome-scale metabolic networks (GEMs have emerged as invaluable tools to understand metabolic capabilities of organisms. Different parts of these metabolic networks are defined as subsystems/pathways, which are sets of functional roles to implement a specific biological process or structural complex, such as glycolysis and TCA cycle. Subsystem/pathway definition is also employed to delineate the biosynthetic routes that produce biomass building blocks. In databases, such as MetaCyc and SEED, these representations are composed of linear routes from precursors to target biomass building blocks. However, this approach cannot capture the nested, complex nature of GEMs. Here we implemented an algorithm, lumpGEM, which generates biosynthetic subnetworks composed of reactions that can synthesize a target metabolite from a set of defined core precursor metabolites. lumpGEM captures balanced subnetworks, which account for the fate of all metabolites along the synthesis routes, thus encapsulating reactions from various subsystems/pathways to balance these metabolites in the metabolic network. Moreover, lumpGEM collapses these subnetworks into elementally balanced lumped reactions that specify the cost of all precursor metabolites and cofactors. It also generates alternative subnetworks and lumped reactions for the same metabolite, accounting for the flexibility of organisms. lumpGEM is applicable to any GEM and any target metabolite defined in the network. Lumped reactions generated by lumpGEM can be also used to generate properly balanced reduced core metabolic models.

  1. Defensive Metabolites from Antarctic Invertebrates: Does Energetic Content Interfere with Feeding Repellence?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Laura Núñez-Pons

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available Many bioactive products from benthic invertebrates mediating ecological interactions have proved to reduce predation, but their mechanisms of action, and their molecular identities, are usually unknown. It was suggested, yet scarcely investigated, that nutritional quality interferes with defensive metabolites. This means that antifeedants would be less effective when combined with energetically rich prey, and that higher amounts of defensive compounds would be needed for predator avoidance. We evaluated the effects of five types of repellents obtained from Antarctic invertebrates, in combination with diets of different energetic values. The compounds came from soft corals, ascidians and hexactinellid sponges; they included wax esters, alkaloids, a meroterpenoid, a steroid, and the recently described organic acid, glassponsine. Feeding repellency was tested through preference assays by preparing diets (alginate pearls combining different energetic content and inorganic material. Experimental diets contained various concentrations of each repellent product, and were offered along with control compound-free pearls, to the Antarctic omnivore amphipod Cheirimedon femoratus. Meridianin alkaloids were the most active repellents, and wax esters were the least active when combined with foods of distinct energetic content. Our data show that levels of repellency vary for each compound, and that they perform differently when mixed with distinct assay foods. The natural products that interacted the most with energetic content were those occurring in nature at higher concentrations. The bioactivity of the remaining metabolites tested was found to depend on a threshold concentration, enough to elicit feeding repellence, independently from nutritional quality.

  2. Defensive Metabolites from Antarctic Invertebrates: Does Energetic Content Interfere with Feeding Repellence?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Núñez-Pons, Laura; Avila, Conxita

    2014-01-01

    Many bioactive products from benthic invertebrates mediating ecological interactions have proved to reduce predation, but their mechanisms of action, and their molecular identities, are usually unknown. It was suggested, yet scarcely investigated, that nutritional quality interferes with defensive metabolites. This means that antifeedants would be less effective when combined with energetically rich prey, and that higher amounts of defensive compounds would be needed for predator avoidance. We evaluated the effects of five types of repellents obtained from Antarctic invertebrates, in combination with diets of different energetic values. The compounds came from soft corals, ascidians and hexactinellid sponges; they included wax esters, alkaloids, a meroterpenoid, a steroid, and the recently described organic acid, glassponsine. Feeding repellency was tested through preference assays by preparing diets (alginate pearls) combining different energetic content and inorganic material. Experimental diets contained various concentrations of each repellent product, and were offered along with control compound-free pearls, to the Antarctic omnivore amphipod Cheirimedon femoratus. Meridianin alkaloids were the most active repellents, and wax esters were the least active when combined with foods of distinct energetic content. Our data show that levels of repellency vary for each compound, and that they perform differently when mixed with distinct assay foods. The natural products that interacted the most with energetic content were those occurring in nature at higher concentrations. The bioactivity of the remaining metabolites tested was found to depend on a threshold concentration, enough to elicit feeding repellence, independently from nutritional quality. PMID:24962273

  3. A novel trapping system for the detection of reactive drug metabolites using the fungus Cunninghamella elegans and high resolution mass spectrometry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rydevik, Axel; Hansson, Annelie; Hellqvist, Anna; Bondesson, Ulf; Hedeland, Mikael

    2015-07-01

    A new model is presented that can be used to screen for bioactivation of drugs. The evaluation of toxicity is an important step in the development of new drugs. One way to detect possible toxic metabolites is to use trapping agents such as glutathione. Often human liver microsomes are used as a metabolic model in initial studies. However, there is a need for alternatives that are easy to handle, cheap, and can produce large amounts of metabolites. In the presented study, paracetamol, mefenamic acid, and diclofenac, all known to form reactive metabolites in humans, were incubated with the fungus Cunninghamella elegans and the metabolites formed were characterized with ultra high performance liquid chromatography coupled to a quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometer. Interestingly, glutathione conjugates formed by the fungus were observed for all three drugs and their retention times and MS/MS spectra matched those obtained in a comparative experiment with human liver microsomes. These findings clearly demonstrated that the fungus is a suitable trapping model for toxic biotransformation products. Cysteine conjugates of all three test drugs were also observed with high signal intensities in the fungal incubates, giving the model a further indicator of drug bioactivation. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of the use of a fungal model for the formation and trapping of reactive drug metabolites. The investigated model is cheap, easy to handle, it does not involve experimental animals and it can be scaled up to produce large amounts of metabolites. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  4. Effect of agitation rate on the production of antifungal metabolites by Streptomyces hygroscopicus in a lab-scale bioreactor

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mitrović Ivana Ž.

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The application of antifungal compounds produced by microorganisms in the control of plant diseases caused by phytopathogenic fungi is a promising alternative to synthetic pesticides. Among phytopathogenic fungi, Alternaria alternata and Fusarium avenaceum are significant pathogens responsible for the storage rot of apple fruits. During storage, transport and marketing A. alternata and F. avenaceum can cause significant losses of apple fruits and their control is of great importance for the producers and consumers. In the present study, the effects of agitation rate on the production of antifungal methabolite( s by Streptomyces hygroscopicus in a 3-L lab-scale bioreactor (Biostat® Aplus, Sartorius AG, Germany against two isolates of A. alternata and two isolates of F. avenaceum were investigated. The cultivation of S. hygroscopicus was carried out at 27°C with agitation rates of 100 rpm and 200 rpm during 7 days. The aim was to analyze the bioprocess parameters of biofungicide production in a medium containing glycerol as a carbon source, and examine the effect of agitation rate on the production of antifungal metabolite(s. The in vitro antifungal activity of the produced metabolites against fungi from the genera Alternaria and Fusarium grown on potato dextrose agar medium was determined every 24 h using wells technique. In the experiments conducted in the bioreactor at different stirring speeds, it was found that the maximum production of antifungal metabolites occurred after 96 hours of cultivation. A higher consumption of nutrients and a larger inhibition zone diameter was registered in the experiment with an agitation rate of 200 rpm. [Project of the Serbian Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, Grant no. TR-31002

  5. Metabolite profiling of Clinacanthus nutans leaves extracts obtained from different drying methods by 1H NMR-based metabolomics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hashim, Noor Haslinda Noor; Latip, Jalifah; Khatib, Alfi

    2016-11-01

    The metabolites of Clinacanthus nutans leaves extracts and their dependence on drying process were systematically characterized using 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) multivariate data analysis. Principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least square-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) were able to distinguish the leaves extracts obtained from different drying methods. The identified metabolites were carbohydrates, amino acid, flavonoids and sulfur glucoside compounds. The major metabolites responsible for the separation in PLS-DA loading plots were lupeol, cycloclinacosides, betulin, cerebrosides and choline. The results showed that the combination of 1H NMR spectroscopy and multivariate data analyses could act as an efficient technique to understand the C. nutans composition and its variation.

  6. Activation of dormant secondary metabolite production by introducing neomycin resistance into the deep-sea fungus, Aspergillus versicolor ZBY-3.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dong, Yuan; Cui, Cheng-Bin; Li, Chang-Wei; Hua, Wei; Wu, Chang-Jing; Zhu, Tian-Jiao; Gu, Qian-Qun

    2014-07-29

    A new ultrasound-mediated approach has been developed to introduce neomycin-resistance to activate silent pathways for secondary metabolite production in a bio-inactive, deep-sea fungus, Aspergillus versicolor ZBY-3. Upon treatment of the ZBY-3 spores with a high concentration of neomycin by proper ultrasound irradiation, a total of 30 mutants were obtained by single colony isolation. The acquired resistance of the mutants to neomycin was confirmed by a resistance test. In contrast to the ZBY-3 strain, the EtOAc extracts of 22 of the 30 mutants inhibited the human cancer K562 cells, indicating that these mutants acquired a capability to produce antitumor metabolites. HPLC-photodiode array detector (PDAD)-UV and HPLC-electron spray ionization (ESI)-MS analyses of the EtOAc extracts of seven bioactive mutants and the ZBY-3 strain indicated that diverse secondary metabolites have been newly produced in the mutant extracts in contrast to the ZBY-3 extract. The followed isolation and characterization demonstrated that six metabolites, cyclo(D-Pro-D-Phe) (1), cyclo(D-Tyr-D-Pro) (2), phenethyl 5-oxo-L-prolinate (3), cyclo(L-Ile-L-Pro) (4), cyclo(L-Leu-L-Pro) (5) and 3β,5α,9α-trihydroxy-(22E,24R)-ergosta-7,22-dien-6-one (6), were newly produced by the mutant u2n2h3-3 compared to the parent ZBY-3 strain. Compound 3 was a new compound; 2 was isolated from a natural source for the first time, and all of these compounds were also not yet found in the metabolites of other A. versicolor strains. Compounds 1-6 inhibited the K562 cells, with inhibition rates of 54.6% (1), 72.9% (2), 23.5% (3), 29.6% (4), 30.9% (5) and 51.1% (6) at 100 μg/mL, and inhibited also other human cancer HL-60, BGC-823 and HeLa cells, to some extent. The present study demonstrated the effectiveness of the ultrasound-mediated approach to activate silent metabolite production in fungi by introducing acquired resistance to aminoglycosides and its potential for discovering new compounds from silent fungal

  7. Characterization of bisphenol A metabolites produced by Portulaca oleracea cv. by liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Watanabe, Ippei; Harada, Kazuo; Matsui, Takeshi; Miyasaka, Hitoshi; Okuhata, Hiroshi; Tanaka, Satoshi; Nakayama, Hideki; Kato, Ko; Bamba, Takeshi; Hirata, Kazumasa

    2012-01-01

    The garden plant portulaca (Portulaca oleracea cv.) efficiently removes bisphenol A (BPA), an endocrine-disrupting chemical, from a hydroponic solution, but the molecular mechanisms underlying BPA metabolism by portulaca remain unclear. In this study, BPA metabolites converted by portulaca were analyzed by liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. We observed the hydroxylation of BPA and the oxidization of it to quinone. Polyphenol oxidases are likely to contribute to BPA degradation by portulaca.

  8. Qualitative profiling and quantification of neonicotinoid metabolites in human urine by liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kumiko Taira

    Full Text Available Neonicotinoid pesticides have been widely applied for the production of fruits and vegetables, and occasionally detected in conventionally grown produce. Thus oral exposure to neonicotinoid pesticides may exist in the general population; however, neonicotinoid metabolites in human body fluids have not been investigated comprehensively. The purpose of this study is the qualitative profiling and quantitative analysis of neonicotinoid metabolites in the human spot urine by liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (LC/MS. Human urine samples were collected from three patients suspected of subacute exposure to neonicotinoid pesticides. A qualitative profiling of urinary metabolites was performed using liquid chromatography/time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC/TOFMS with a database of nominal molecular weights of 57 known metabolites of three neonicotinoid pesticides (acetamiprid, Imidacloprid, and clothianidin, as well as the parent compounds. Then a quantitative analysis of selected urinary metabolites was performed using liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS with a standard pesticide and metabolite, which were detected by the qualitative profiling. The result of qualitative profiling showed that seven metabolites, i.e. an acetamiprid metabolite, N-desmethyl-acetamiprid; three Imidacloprid metabolites, 5-hydroxy-Imidacloprid, 4,5-dihydroxy-imidacloprid, 4,5-dehydro-Imidacloprid; a common metabolite of acetamiprid and Imidacloprid, N-(6-chloronicotinoyl-glycine; and two clothianidin metabolites, N-desmethyl-clothianidin, N-(2-(methylsulfanylthiazole-5-carboxyl-glycine, as well as acetamiprid, were detected in the urine of three cases. The result of the quantitative analysis showed N-desmethyl-acetamiprid was determined in the urine of one case, which had been collected on the first visit, at a concentration of 3.2 ng/mL. This is the first report on the qualitative and quantitative detection of N-desmethyl-acetamiprid in

  9. Antioxidant Enzyme Activities and Secondary Metabolite Profiling of Oil Palm Seedlings Treated with Combination of NPK Fertilizers Infected with Ganoderma boninense

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mohidin, Hasmah; Idris, Abu Seman; Fariz, A.; Abiri, Rambod; Taheri, Sima; Moradpoor, Mehdi

    2018-01-01

    Oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq) is one of the major sources of edible oil. Reducing the effect of Ganoderma, main cause of basal stem rot (BSR) on oil palm, is the main propose of this study. Understanding the oil palm defense mechanism against Ganoderma infection through monitoring changes in the secondary metabolite compounds levels before/after infection by Ganoderma under different fertilizing treatment is required. Oil palm requires macro- and microelements for growth and yield. Manipulating the nutrient for oil palm is a method to control the disease. The 3-4-month-old oil palm seedlings were given different macronutrient treatments to evaluate induction of defense related enzymes and production of secondary metabolite compounds in response to G. boninense inoculation. The observed trend of changes in the infected and uninfected seedlings was a slightly higher activity for β-1,3-glucanases, chitinase, peroxidase, and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase during the process of pathogenesis. It was found that PR proteins gave positive response to the interaction between oil palm seedlings and Ganoderma infection. Although the responses were activated systematically, they were short-lasting as the changes in enzymes activities appeared before the occurrence of visible symptoms. Effect of different nutrients doses was obviously observed among the results of the secondary metabolite compounds. Many identified/unidentified metabolite compounds were presented, of which some were involved in plant cell defense mechanism against pathogens, mostly belonging to alkaloids with bitter-tasting nitrogenous-compounds, and some had the potential to be used as new markers to detect basal stem rot at the initial step of disease. PMID:29721500

  10. Antioxidant Enzyme Activities and Secondary Metabolite Profiling of Oil Palm Seedlings Treated with Combination of NPK Fertilizers Infected with Ganoderma boninense.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sahebi, Mahbod; Hanafi, Mohamed M; Mohidin, Hasmah; Rafii, M Y; Azizi, Parisa; Idris, Abu Seman; Fariz, A; Abiri, Rambod; Taheri, Sima; Moradpoor, Mehdi

    2018-01-01

    Oil palm ( Elaeis guineensis Jacq) is one of the major sources of edible oil. Reducing the effect of Ganoderma, main cause of basal stem rot (BSR) on oil palm, is the main propose of this study. Understanding the oil palm defense mechanism against Ganoderma infection through monitoring changes in the secondary metabolite compounds levels before/after infection by Ganoderma under different fertilizing treatment is required. Oil palm requires macro- and microelements for growth and yield. Manipulating the nutrient for oil palm is a method to control the disease. The 3-4-month-old oil palm seedlings were given different macronutrient treatments to evaluate induction of defense related enzymes and production of secondary metabolite compounds in response to G. boninense inoculation. The observed trend of changes in the infected and uninfected seedlings was a slightly higher activity for β -1,3-glucanases, chitinase, peroxidase, and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase during the process of pathogenesis. It was found that PR proteins gave positive response to the interaction between oil palm seedlings and Ganoderma infection. Although the responses were activated systematically, they were short-lasting as the changes in enzymes activities appeared before the occurrence of visible symptoms. Effect of different nutrients doses was obviously observed among the results of the secondary metabolite compounds. Many identified/unidentified metabolite compounds were presented, of which some were involved in plant cell defense mechanism against pathogens, mostly belonging to alkaloids with bitter-tasting nitrogenous-compounds, and some had the potential to be used as new markers to detect basal stem rot at the initial step of disease.

  11. Antioxidant Enzyme Activities and Secondary Metabolite Profiling of Oil Palm Seedlings Treated with Combination of NPK Fertilizers Infected with Ganoderma boninense

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mahbod Sahebi

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq is one of the major sources of edible oil. Reducing the effect of Ganoderma, main cause of basal stem rot (BSR on oil palm, is the main propose of this study. Understanding the oil palm defense mechanism against Ganoderma infection through monitoring changes in the secondary metabolite compounds levels before/after infection by Ganoderma under different fertilizing treatment is required. Oil palm requires macro- and microelements for growth and yield. Manipulating the nutrient for oil palm is a method to control the disease. The 3-4-month-old oil palm seedlings were given different macronutrient treatments to evaluate induction of defense related enzymes and production of secondary metabolite compounds in response to G. boninense inoculation. The observed trend of changes in the infected and uninfected seedlings was a slightly higher activity for β-1,3-glucanases, chitinase, peroxidase, and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase during the process of pathogenesis. It was found that PR proteins gave positive response to the interaction between oil palm seedlings and Ganoderma infection. Although the responses were activated systematically, they were short-lasting as the changes in enzymes activities appeared before the occurrence of visible symptoms. Effect of different nutrients doses was obviously observed among the results of the secondary metabolite compounds. Many identified/unidentified metabolite compounds were presented, of which some were involved in plant cell defense mechanism against pathogens, mostly belonging to alkaloids with bitter-tasting nitrogenous-compounds, and some had the potential to be used as new markers to detect basal stem rot at the initial step of disease.

  12. Selective detection of carbon-13, nitrogen-15, and deuterium labeled metabolites by capillary gas chromatography-chemical reaction interface/mass spectrometry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chace, D.H.; Abramson, F.P.

    1989-01-01

    We have applied a new chemical reaction interface/mass spectrometer technique (CRIMS) to the selective detection of 13C-, 15N-, and 2H-labeled phenytoin and its metabolites in urine following separation by capillary gas chromatography. The microwave-powered chemical reaction interface converts materials from their original forms into small molecules whose mass spectra serve to identify and quantify the nuclides that make up each analyte. The presence of each element is followed by monitoring the isotopic variants of CO2, NO, or H2 that are produced by the chemical reaction interface. Chromatograms showing only enriched 13C and 15N were produced by subtracting the abundance of naturally occurring isotopes from the observed M + 1 signal. A selective chromatogram of 2H (D) was obtained by measuring HD at m/z 3.0219 with a resolution of 2000. Metabolites representing less than 1.5% of the total labeled compounds could be identified in the chromatogram. Detection limits from urine of 380 pg/mL of a 15N-labeled metabolite, 7 ng/mL of a 13C-labeled metabolite, and 16 ng/mL of a deuterium labeled metabolite were determined at a signal to noise ratio of 2. Depending on the isotope examined, a linear dynamic range of 250-1000 was observed using CRIMS. To identify many of these labeled peaks (metabolites), the chromatographic analysis was repeated with the chemical reaction interface turned off and mass spectra obtained at the retention times found in the CRIMS experiment. CRIMS is a new analytical method that appears to be particularly useful for metabolism studies

  13. Toluene metabolism during exposure to varying concentrations combined with exercise

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bælum, Jesper; Døssing, M; Hansen, S H

    1987-01-01

    . In Study A, four males were exposed to clean air and to constant and varying concentrations of toluene in combination with rest and with 100 W exercise in 140 min. Exercise increased end exposure excretion rate of HA and O-cr by 47 and 114%, respectively. After exposure, all excess HA was excreted within 4...... weight and smoking habits, thus influencing the metabolite concentration standardised in relation to creatinine. It is concluded that both metabolites are estimates of toluene exposure. O-cr is more specific than HA, but the individual variation in excretion of both metabolites is large, and when...

  14. Editor's Highlight: High-Throughput Functional Genomics Identifies Modulators of TCE Metabolite Genotoxicity and Candidate Susceptibility Genes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    De La Rosa, Vanessa Y; Asfaha, Jonathan; Fasullo, Michael; Loguinov, Alex; Li, Peng; Moore, Lee E; Rothman, Nathaniel; Nakamura, Jun; Swenberg, James A; Scelo, Ghislaine; Zhang, Luoping; Smith, Martyn T; Vulpe, Chris D

    2017-11-01

    Trichloroethylene (TCE), an industrial chemical and environmental contaminant, is a human carcinogen. Reactive metabolites are implicated in renal carcinogenesis associated with TCE exposure, yet the toxicity mechanisms of these metabolites and their contribution to cancer and other adverse effects remain unclear. We employed an integrated functional genomics approach that combined functional profiling studies in yeast and avian DT40 cell models to provide new insights into the specific mechanisms contributing to toxicity associated with TCE metabolites. Genome-wide profiling studies in yeast identified the error-prone translesion synthesis (TLS) pathway as an import mechanism in response to TCE metabolites. The role of TLS DNA repair was further confirmed by functional profiling in DT40 avian cell lines, but also revealed that TLS and homologous recombination DNA repair likely play competing roles in cellular susceptibility to TCE metabolites in higher eukaryotes. These DNA repair pathways are highly conserved between yeast, DT40, and humans. We propose that in humans, mutagenic TLS is favored over homologous recombination repair in response to TCE metabolites. The results of these studies contribute to the body of evidence supporting a mutagenic mode of action for TCE-induced renal carcinogenesis mediated by reactive metabolites in humans. Our approach illustrates the potential for high-throughput in vitro functional profiling in yeast to elucidate toxicity pathways (molecular initiating events, key events) and candidate susceptibility genes for focused study. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Toxicology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  15. Nontargeted metabolite profiles and sensory properties of strawberry cultivars grown both organically and conventionally.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kårlund, Anna; Hanhineva, Kati; Lehtonen, Marko; Karjalainen, Reijo O; Sandell, Mari

    2015-01-28

    Strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.) contains many secondary metabolites potentially beneficial for human health, and several of these compounds contribute to strawberry sensory properties, as well. In this study, three strawberry cultivars grown both conventionally and organically were subjected to nontargeted metabolite profiling analysis with LC-qTOF-ESI-MS and to descriptive sensory evaluation by a trained panel. Combined metabolome and sensory data (PLS model) revealed that 79% variation in the metabolome explained 88% variation in the sensory profiles. Flavonoids and condensed and hydrolyzable tannins determined the orosensory properties, and fatty acids contributed to the odor attributes of strawberry. Overall, the results indicated that the chemical composition and sensory quality of strawberries grown in different cultivation systems vary mostly according to cultivar. Organic farming practices may enhance the accumulation of some plant metabolites in specific strawberry genotypes. Careful cultivar selection is a key factor for the improvement of nutritional quality and marketing value of organic strawberries.

  16. Antioxidant properties and global metabolite screening of the probiotic yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. boulardii.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Datta, Suprama; Timson, David J; Annapure, Uday S

    2017-07-01

    Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. boulardii is the only yeast species with probiotic properties. It is considered to have therapeutic significance in gastrointestinal disorders. In the present study, a comparative physiological study between this yeast and Saccharomyces cerevisiae (BY4742) was performed by evaluating two prominent traits of probiotic species, responses to different stress conditions and antioxidant capacity. A global metabolite profile was also developed aiming to identify which therapeutically important secondary metabolites are produced. Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. boulardii showed no significant difference in growth patterns but greater stress tolerance compared to S. cerevisiae. It also demonstrated a six- to 10-fold greater antioxidant potential (judged by the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl assay), with a 70-fold higher total phenolic content and a 20-fold higher total flavonoid content in the extracellular fraction. These features were clearly differentiated by principal component analysis and further indicated by metabolite profiling. The extracellular fraction of the S. cerevisiae var. boulardii cultures was found to be rich in polyphenolic metabolites: vanillic acid, cinnamic acid, phenyl ethyl alcohol (rose oil), erythromycin, amphetamine and vitamin B 6 , which results in the antioxidant capacity of this strain. The present study presents a new perspective for differentiating the two genetically related strains of yeast, S. cerevisiae and S. cerevisiae var. boulardii by assessing their metabolome fingerprints. In addition to the correlation of the phenotypic properties with the secretory metabolites of these two yeasts, the present study also emphasizes the potential to exploit S. cerevisiae var. boulardii in the industrial production of these metabolites. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

  17. Cooperation between Magnesium and Metabolite Controls Collapse of the SAM-I Riboswitch.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roy, Susmita; Onuchic, José N; Sanbonmatsu, Karissa Y

    2017-07-25

    The S-adenosylmethionine (SAM)-I riboswitch is a noncoding RNA that regulates the transcription termination process in response to metabolite (SAM) binding. The aptamer portion of the riboswitch may adopt an open or closed state depending on the presence of metabolite. Although the transition between the open and closed states is critical for the switching process, its atomistic details are not well understood. Using atomistic simulations, we calculate the effect of SAM and magnesium ions on the folding free energy landscape of the SAM-I riboswitch. These molecular simulation results are consistent with our previous wetlab experiments and aid in interpreting the SHAPE probing measurements. Here, molecular dynamics simulations explicitly identify target RNA motifs sensitive to magnesium ions and SAM. In the simulations, we observe that, whereas the metabolite mostly stabilizes the P1 and P3 helices, magnesium serves an important role in stabilizing a pseudoknot interaction between the P2 and P4 helices, even at high metabolite concentrations. The pseudoknot stabilization by magnesium, in combination with P1 stabilization by SAM, explains the requirement of both SAM and magnesium to form the fully collapsed metabolite-bound closed state of the SAM-I riboswitch. In the absence of SAM, frequent open-to-closed conformational transitions of the pseudoknot occur, akin to breathing. These pseudoknot fluctuations disrupt the binding site by facilitating fluctuations in the 5'-end of helix P1. Magnesium biases the landscape toward a collapsed state (preorganization) by coordinating pseudoknot and 5'-P1 fluctuations. The cooperation between SAM and magnesium in stabilizing important tertiary interactions elucidates their functional significance in transcription regulation. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  18. Chemical profiling of guarana seeds (Paullinia cupana) from different geographical origins using UPLC-QTOF-MS combined with chemometrics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    da Silva, Givaldo Souza; Canuto, Kirley Marques; Ribeiro, Paulo Riceli Vasconcelos; de Brito, Edy Sousa; Nascimento, Madson Moreira; Zocolo, Guilherme Julião; Coutinho, Janclei Pereira; de Jesus, Raildo Mota

    2017-12-01

    Paullinia cupana, commonly known as guarana, is an Amazonian fruit whose seeds are used to produce the powdered guarana, which is rich in caffeine and consumed for its stimulating activity. The metabolic profile of guarana from the two largest producing regions was investigated using UPLC-MS combined with multivariate statistical analysis. The principal component analysis (PCA) showed significant differences between samples produced in the states of Bahia and Amazonas. The metabolites responsible for the differentiation were identified by orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA). Fourteen phenolic compounds were characterized in guarana powder samples, and catechin, epicatechin, B-type procyanidin dimer, A-type procyanidin trimer and A-type procyanidin dimer were the main compounds responsible for the geographical variation of the samples. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  19. Characterization of biomass producer gas as fuel for stationary gas engines in combined heat and power production

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ahrenfeldt, Jesper

    2008-01-01

    The aim of this project has been the characterization of biomass producer gas as a fuel for stationary gas engines in heat and power production. More than 3200 hours of gas engine operation, with producer gas as fuel, has been conducted at the biomass gasification combined heat and power (CHP...... different measuring methods. Likewise, no particles were detected in the gas. Considerable amounts of NH3 were measured in the produced gas.An analysis of engine operation at varying load has been carried out. Standard emissions, load and efficiency have been measured at varying operating conditions ranging...... from 50% to 90% load. Biomass producer gas is an excellent lean burn engine fuel: Operation of a natural aspirated engine has been achieved for 1.2...

  20. Identification of di- and tri-substituted hydroxy and ketone metabolites of delta1-tetrahydrocannabinol in mouse liver.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harvey, D J; Martin, B R; Paton, W D

    1977-08-01

    In vivo liver metabolites of delta1-tetrahydrocannabinol (delta1-THC) were examined with a gas chromatograph--mass spectrometer--computer system as trimethylsilyl (TMS), [2H9]TMS and methyloxime-TMS derivatives. In addition to the reported monohydroxy, acid, and hydroxyacid metabolites, the following multiply substituted metabolites were identified: 2'',7-, 3'', 7-, and 6beta,7-dihydroxy-delta1-THC; 2'',6alpha,7-, and 3'',6alpha,7-trihydroxy-delta1-THC; 2''-, 3''-, and 7-hydroxy-6-oxo-delta1-THC, and 2'',7- and 3'',7-dihydroxy-6-oxo-delta1-THC. The ketones and hydroxyacids were reduced to common alcohols with lithium aluminium deuteride and the number of deuterium atoms in the product was used to distinguish the metabolic alcohols from those produced by reduction.

  1. Fleming's penicillin producing streain is not Penicillium chrysogenum but P. rubens

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Houbraken, Jos; Frisvad, Jens Christian; Samson, Robert A.

    2011-01-01

    Penicillium chrysogenum is a commonly occurring mould in indoor environments and foods, and has gained much attention for its use in the production of the antibiotic penicillin. Phylogenetic analysis of the most important penicillin producing P. chrysogenum isolates revealed the presence of two...... not produce these metabolites. Fleming’s original penicillin producing strain and the full genome sequenced strain of P. chrysogenum are re-identified as P. rubens. Furthermore, the well-known claim that Alexander Fleming misidentified the original penicillin producing strain as P. rubrum is discussed....

  2. Combined Mass Spectrometry-Based Metabolite Profiling of Different Pigmented Rice (Oryza sativa L. Seeds and Correlation with Antioxidant Activities

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ga Ryun Kim

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available Nine varieties of pigmented rice (Oryza sativa L. seeds that were black, red, or white were used to perform metabolite profiling by using ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS and gas chromatography (GC TOF-MS, to measure antioxidant activities. Clear grouping patterns determined by the color of the rice seeds were identified in principle component analysis (PCA derived from UPLC-Q-TOF-MS. Cyanidin-3-glucoside, peonidin-3-glucoside, proanthocyanidin dimer, proanthocyanidin trimer, apigenin-6-C-glugosyl-8-C-arabiboside, tricin-O-rhamnoside-O-hexoside, and lipids were identified as significantly different secondary metabolites. In PCA score plots derived from GC-TOF-MS, Jakwangdo (JKD and Ilpoom (IP species were discriminated from the other rice seeds by PC1 and PC2. Valine, phenylalanine, adenosine, pyruvate, nicotinic acid, succinic acid, maleic acid, malonic acid, gluconic acid, xylose, fructose, glucose, maltose, and myo-inositol were significantly different primary metabolites in JKD species, while GABA, asparagine, xylitol, and sucrose were significantly distributed in IP species. Analysis of antioxidant activities revealed that black and red rice seeds had higher activity than white rice seeds. Cyanidin-3-glucoside, peonidin-3-glucoside, proanthocyanidin dimers, proanthocyanidin trimers, and catechin were highly correlated with antioxidant activities, and were more plentiful in black and red rice seeds. These results are expected to provide valuable information that could help improve and develop rice-breeding techniques.

  3. Secondary Metabolites Production by Solid-State Fermentation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Barrios-González, J.

    2005-01-01

    Full Text Available Microbial secondary metabolites are useful high value products with an enormous range of biological activities. Moreover, the past two decades have been a phase of rapid discovery of new activities and development of major compounds for use in different industrial fields, mainly pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, food, agriculture and farming. Many of these metabolites could be produced advantageously in industry by solid–state fermentation (SSF. Two types of SSF can be distinguished, depending on the nature of the solid phase used: 1 Solid cultures of one support-substrate phase in which solid phase is constituted by a material that assumes, simultaneously, the functions of support and of nutrients source; and 2 Solid cultures of two substrate-support phases: solid phase is constituted by an inert support impregnated with a liquid medium. Besides good production performance, two phases systems have provided a convenient model for basic studies. Studies in our laboratory, as well as in others, have shown that physiology of idiophase (production phase in SSF share several similarities with the physiology in liquid medium, so similar strategies must be adapted for efficient production processes. However, our studies indicate the need to develop special strains for SSF since overproducing strains, generated for liquid fermentation, cannot be relied upon to perform well in SSF. On the other hand, there are important parameters, specific for SSF, that have to be optimized (pretreatment, initial moisture content, medium concentration and aeration. Respiration studies of secondary metabolites SSF, performed in our laboratory, have shown more subtle aspects of efficient production in SSF. This indicates that there are certain particularities of physiology in SSF that represent the point that needs a better understanding, and that promise to generate knowledge that will be the basis for efficient processes development and control strategies, as well as for

  4. Identification of metabolites of the tryptase inhibitor CRA-9249: observation of a metabolite derived from an unexpected hydroxylation pathway.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Walter; Dener, Jeffrey M; Dickman, Daniel A; Grothaus, Paul; Ling, Yun; Liu, Liang; Havel, Chris; Malesky, Kimberly; Mahajan, Tania; O'Brian, Colin; Shelton, Emma J; Sperandio, David; Tong, Zhiwei; Yee, Robert; Mordenti, Joyce J

    2006-08-01

    The metabolites of the tryptase inhibitor CRA-9249 were identified after exposure to liver microsomes. CRA-9249 was found to be degraded rapidly in liver microsomes from rabbit, dog, cynomolgus monkey, and human, and less rapidly in microsomes from rat. The key metabolites included cleavage of an aryl ether, in addition to an unexpected hydroxylation of the amide side chain adjacent to the amide nitrogen. The chemical structures of both metabolites were confirmed by synthesis and comparison to material isolated from the liver microsomes. Several suspected hydroxylated metabolites were also synthesized and analyzed as part of the structure identification process.

  5. Plant-Derived Polyphenols in Human Health: Biological Activity, Metabolites and Putative Molecular Targets.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Olivares-Vicente, Marilo; Barrajon-Catalan, Enrique; Herranz-Lopez, Maria; Segura-Carretero, Antonio; Joven, Jorge; Encinar, Jose Antonio; Micol, Vicente

    2018-01-01

    Hibiscus sabdariffa, Lippia citriodora, Rosmarinus officinalis and Olea europaea, are rich in bioactive compounds that represent most of the phenolic compounds' families and have exhibited potential benefits in human health. These plants have been used in folk medicine for their potential therapeutic properties in human chronic diseases. Recent evidence leads to postulate that polyphenols may account for such effects. Nevertheless, the compounds or metabolites that are responsible for reaching the molecular targets are unknown. data based on studies directly using complex extracts on cellular models, without considering metabolic aspects, have limited applicability. In contrast, studies exploring the absorption process, metabolites in the blood circulation and tissues have become essential to identify the intracellular final effectors that are responsible for extracts bioactivity. Once the cellular metabolites are identified using high-resolution mass spectrometry, docking techniques suppose a unique tool for virtually screening a large number of compounds on selected targets in order to elucidate their potential mechanisms. we provide an updated overview of the in vitro and in vivo studies on the toxicity, absorption, permeability, pharmacokinetics and cellular metabolism of bioactive compounds derived from the abovementioned plants to identify the potential compounds that are responsible for the observed health effects. we propose the use of targeted metabolomics followed by in silico studies to virtually screen identified metabolites on selected protein targets, in combination with the use of the candidate metabolites in cellular models, as the methods of choice for elucidating the molecular mechanisms of these compounds. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

  6. Quorum quenchers and sensors as possible roles for mycotoxins and other secondary metabolites of fungi

    Science.gov (United States)

    The assumed role for mycotoxins is to act as defensive metabolites thus serving as protection for fungi from biotic antagonisms and as such do not interact with the daily metabolic requirements of the producing fungus. Preventive strategies are devoted to reducing the accumulation of mycotoxins bas...

  7. Determination of urinary 2- and 3-dechloroethylated metabolites of ifosfamide by high-performance liquid chromatography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goren, M P

    1991-10-04

    In vivo oxidation of chloroethyl side-chains on ifosfamide produces the toxin chloroacetaldehyde. Production of this labile metabolite can be indirectly quantitated by monitoring the excretion of the residual 2- and 3-dechloroethylated ifosfamide. Urinary ifosfamide and the two dechloroethylated metabolites were extracted into chloroform from alkalinized salt-saturated urine, followed by high-performance liquid chromatographic separation using an acetonitrile gradient on a reversed-phase column and ultraviolet detection at 190 nm. In five patients given 1.6 g/m2 ifosfamide, 11-30% of the dose was excreted over 24 h as unchanged drug, 11-21% as 3-dechloroethylated and 3-10% as 2-dechloroethylated ifosfamide.

  8. Hydrophobicity and charge shape cellular metabolite concentrations.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Arren Bar-Even

    2011-10-01

    Full Text Available What governs the concentrations of metabolites within living cells? Beyond specific metabolic and enzymatic considerations, are there global trends that affect their values? We hypothesize that the physico-chemical properties of metabolites considerably affect their in-vivo concentrations. The recently achieved experimental capability to measure the concentrations of many metabolites simultaneously has made the testing of this hypothesis possible. Here, we analyze such recently available data sets of metabolite concentrations within E. coli, S. cerevisiae, B. subtilis and human. Overall, these data sets encompass more than twenty conditions, each containing dozens (28-108 of simultaneously measured metabolites. We test for correlations with various physico-chemical properties and find that the number of charged atoms, non-polar surface area, lipophilicity and solubility consistently correlate with concentration. In most data sets, a change in one of these properties elicits a ~100 fold increase in metabolite concentrations. We find that the non-polar surface area and number of charged atoms account for almost half of the variation in concentrations in the most reliable and comprehensive data set. Analyzing specific groups of metabolites, such as amino-acids or phosphorylated nucleotides, reveals even a higher dependence of concentration on hydrophobicity. We suggest that these findings can be explained by evolutionary constraints imposed on metabolite concentrations and discuss possible selective pressures that can account for them. These include the reduction of solute leakage through the lipid membrane, avoidance of deleterious aggregates and reduction of non-specific hydrophobic binding. By highlighting the global constraints imposed on metabolic pathways, future research could shed light onto aspects of biochemical evolution and the chemical constraints that bound metabolic engineering efforts.

  9. Synthesis and characterization of N-demethylated metabolites of malachite green and leucomalachite green.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cho, Bongsup P; Yang, Tianle; Blankenship, Lonnie R; Moody, Joanna D; Churchwell, Mona; Beland, Frederick A; Culp, Sandra J

    2003-03-01

    Malachite green (MG), a triphenylmethane dye used to treat fungal and protozoan infections in fish, undergoes sequential oxidation to produce various N-demethylated derivatives (monodes-, dides(sym)-, dides(unsym)-, trides-, and tetrades-) both before and after reduction to leucomalachite green (LMG). The close structure resemblance of the metabolites with aromatic amine carcinogens implicates a potential genotoxicity from exposure to MG. The availability of the synthetic standards is important for metabolic and DNA adduct studies of MG. This paper describes a simple and versatile method for the synthesis of MG, LMG, and their N-demethylated metabolites. The synthesis involves a coupling of 4-(dimethylamino)benzophenone or 4-nitrobenzophenone with the aryllithium reagents derived from appropriately substituted 4-bromoaniline derivatives, followed by treatment with HCl in methanol. The resulting cationic MG and their leuco analogues showed systematic UV/vis spectral and tandem mass fragmentation patterns consistent with sequential N-demethylation. The extensive (1)H and (13)C spectral assignments of the metabolites were aided by the availability of (13)C(7)-labeled MG and LMG. The results indicate the existence of a resonance structure with the cationic charge located in the central methane carbon (C(7)). The synthetic procedure is general in scope so that it can be extended to the preparation of N-demethylated metabolites of other structurally related N-methylated triphenylmethane dyes.

  10. 17,20β-P and cortisol are the main in vitro metabolites of 17-hydroxy-progesterone produced by spermiating testes of Micropogonias furnieri (Desmarest, 1823 (Perciformes: Sciaenidae

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Denise Vizziano Cantonnet

    Full Text Available The aim was to investigate the major C21 steroids produced by spermiating white croaker Micropogonias furnieri (Sciaenidae in order to establish the potential mediator of gamete maturation in males of this species. The testes steroid production at the spawning season was identified incubating the 3H-17-hydroxy-4-pregnene-3,20-dione precursor through thin layer chromatography, high pressure liquid chromatography, enzymatic oxydation, acetylation and immunochemistry analyses. 17,20β-Dihydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one (17,20β-P and 11β,17,21-Trihydroxy-4-pregnene-3,20-dione (cortisol were the main metabolites produced. Contrary to what we expected, 17,20β,21-Trihydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one was not detected. Circulating levels of 17,20β-P were undetectable in immature testes and in those at the first spermatogenesis stages, while a clear increase was observed during the whole spermatogenesis and spermiation phases (from undetectable to 1047 pg mL-1. In vitro studies together with plasma detection suggest that 17,20β-P is a good steroid candidate involved in M. furnieri testes maturation. The role of cortisol during late phases of testes development needs further studies.

  11. New metabolites of hongdenafil, homosildenafil and hydroxyhomosildenafil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yeo, Miseon; Park, Yujin; Lee, Heesang; Choe, Sanggil; Baek, Seung-Hoon; Kim, Hye Kyung; Pyo, Jae Sung

    2018-02-05

    Recently, illegal sildenafil analogues have emerged, causing serious social issues. In spite of the importance of sildenafil analogues, their metabolic profiles or clinical effects have not been reported yet. In this study, new metabolites of illegal sildenafil analogues such as hongdenafil, homosildenafil, and hydroxyhomosildenafil were determined using liquid chromatography quadrupole-time of flight mass spectrometry (LC-Q-TOF-MS) and tandem mass spectrometry (LC-Q-TOF-MS/MS). To prepare metabolic samples, in vitro and in vivo studies were performed. For in vivo metabolites analysis, urine and feces samples of rats treated with sildenafil analogues were analyzed. For in vitro metabolites analysis, human liver microsomes incubated with sildenafil analogues were extracted and analyzed. All metabolites were characterized by LC-Q-TOF-MS and LC-Q-TOF-MS/MS. As a result, five, six, and seven metabolites were determined in hongdenafil, homosildenafil, and hydroxyhomosildenafil treated samples, respectively. These results could be applied to forensic science and other analytical fields. Moreover, these newly identified metabolites could be used as fundamental data to determine the side effect and toxicity of illegal sildenafil analogues. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. Gut microbial metabolites of polyunsaturated fatty acids correlate with specific fecal bacteria and serum markers of metabolic syndrome in obese women.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Druart, Céline; Dewulf, Evelyne M; Cani, Patrice D; Neyrinck, Audrey M; Thissen, Jean-Paul; Delzenne, Nathalie M

    2014-04-01

    The aim of this human study was to assess the influence of prebiotic-induced gut microbiota modulation on PUFA-derived bacterial metabolites production. Therefore, we analyzed the circulating fatty acid profile including CLA/CLnA in obese women treated during 3 months with inulin-type fructan prebiotics. In these patients, we had already determined gut microbiota composition by phylogenetic microarray and qPCR analysis of 16S rDNA. Some PUFA-derived bacterial metabolites were detected in the serum of obese patients. Despite the prebiotic-induced modulation of gut microbiota, including changes in CLA/CLnA-producing bacteria, the treatment did not impact significantly on the circulating level of these metabolites. However, some PUFA-derived bacterial metabolites were positively correlated with specific fecal bacteria (Bifidobacterium spp., Eubacterium ventriosum and Lactobacillus spp.) and inversely correlated with serum cholesterol (total, LDL, HDL). These correlations suggest a potential beneficial effect of some of these metabolites but this remains to be confirmed by further investigation.

  13. Drazepinone, a trisubstituted tetrahydronaphthofuroazepinone with herbicidal activity produced by Drechslera siccans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Evidente, Antonio; Andolfi, Anna; Vurro, Maurizio; Fracchiolla, Mariano; Zonno, Maria Chiara; Motta, Andrea

    2005-03-01

    When grown in a minimal-defined medium, a strain of Drechslera siccans, a pathogenic fungus isolated from seeds of Lolium perenne, produced phytotoxic metabolites. This strain is one of the best toxin producers among several grass pathogenic fungal strains collected and tested to find phytotoxins to be used as natural herbicides of monocot weeds. From the culture filtrates of D. siccans, we isolated a new phytotoxic trisubstituted naphthofuroazepinone, named drazepinone, and characterised it as a 3,5,12a-trimethyl-2,5,5a,12a-tetrahydro-1H-naphtho[2',3':4,5]furo[2,3-b]azepin-2-one. Assayed at 2 microg microl(-1) solution the novel metabolite proved to have broad-spectrum herbicidal properties, without antibacterial and antifungal activities, and low zootoxic activity. Its original chemical structure and the interesting biological properties make drazepinone a potential natural herbicide.

  14. Familial Resemblance for Serum Metabolite Concentrations

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Draisma, H.H.M.; Beekman, M.; Pool, R.; van Ommen, G.J.B; Vaarhorst, A.A.M.; de Craen, A.J.; Willemsen, G.; Slagboom, P.E.; Boomsma, D.I.

    2013-01-01

    Metabolomics is the comprehensive study of metabolites, which are the substrates, intermediate, and end products of cellular metabolism. The heritability of the concentrations of circulating metabolites bears relevance for evaluating their suitability as biomarkers for disease. We report aspects of

  15. Metabolite Depletion Affects Flux Profiling of Cell Lines

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nilsson, A.; Haanstra, J. R.; Teusink, B.

    2018-01-01

    Quantifying the rate of consumption and release of metabolites (i.e., flux profiling) has become integral to the study of cancer. The fluxes as well as the growth of the cells may be affected by metabolite depletion during cultivation.......Quantifying the rate of consumption and release of metabolites (i.e., flux profiling) has become integral to the study of cancer. The fluxes as well as the growth of the cells may be affected by metabolite depletion during cultivation....

  16. HPLC-MS Analysis of Lichen-Derived Metabolites in the Life Stages of Crambidia cephalica (Grote & Robinson).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anderson, Timothy J; Wagner, David L; Cooper, Bruce R; McCarty, Megan E; Zaspel, Jennifer M

    2017-01-01

    Tiger moths (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae: Arctiini) are notable for their specialized associations with hosts that produce toxic secondary compounds, and are thus an ideal study system for understanding insect-plant interactions and the evolution of antipredatory defense. Likewise, their sister lineage (Arctiinae: Lithosiini) has been documented feeding on algae and lichens, and is known to sequester lichen-derived secondary compounds from the larval to adult stages. Prevalence of lichenivory in this early radiation (ca. 3000 species) may provide clues to the phylogenetic basis for storied chemical sequestration within all tiger moths. Despite the evolutionary significance of this trait, we lack a basic understanding of the extent of lichenivory among lithosiines, and the distribution of sequestered chemicals among life stages. The dynamics of chemical sequestration throughout the lifecycle for the lichen moth Crambidia cephalica were investigated by testing the hypothesis that lichen-derived metabolites are unequally distributed among life stages, and that laboratory-reared C. cephalica have less metabolite diversity than wild-caught individuals. Crambidia cephalica was reared on Physcia, and analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS). Several putative lichen-derived metabolites were detected across three life stages, i.e., larval, pupal, and adult, and differences among life stages and lichen host were observed. These results provide evidence that multiple lichen-derived metabolites are sequestered by C. cephalica; some metabolites are retained through adulthood, and others are lost or modified in earlier life stages. The presence of differing lichen-derived metabolites across life stages may indicate functional properties of the metabolites for C. cephalica with regards to chemical protection from antagonists, and other physiological processes.

  17. Medicinal plants and secondary metabolites for diabetes mellitus control

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mahmoud Bahmani

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available Diabetes mellitus is one of the most common and complex problems of modern societies which has caused many economic and social problems. Because diabetes has no definite treatment, the use of traditional medicine seems to be an appropriate solution to control and manage it. Studies revealed that Vaccinium Arctostaphylos L., Securigera securidaca L., Gymnema sylvestre L., Atriplex halimus L., Camellia sinensis L., Ginkgo biloba L., Mamordica charantia L., Citrullus colocynthis (L. Schrad., Allium cepa L., Allium sativum L., Silybum marianum (L., Gaertn and Trigonella foenum graecum L. are effective against diabetes. Flavonoids, quercin, metformin, quinolizidine, anthocyanin, catechin and flavone, phenylpropanoids, lipoic acid and coumarin metabolites were introduced major impact on diabetes. With regard to the study of plants and their metabolites and the mechanisms of their influence, it is clear that these plants have the potential to reduce blood sugar and diabetes and be considered as candidates for preparing new drugs. Combination of plants extracts or their components may also have synergistic effects to better act on diabetes.

  18. Sample Preparation Strategies for the Effective Quantitation of Hydrophilic Metabolites in Serum by Multi-Targeted HILIC-MS/MS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elisavet Tsakelidou

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available The effect of endogenous interferences of serum in multi-targeted metabolite profiling HILIC-MS/MS analysis was investigated by studying different sample preparation procedures. A modified QuEChERS dispersive SPE protocol, a HybridSPE protocol, and a combination of liquid extraction with protein precipitation were compared to a simple protein precipitation. Evaluation of extraction efficiency and sample clean-up was performed for all methods. SPE sorbent materials tested were found to retain hydrophilic analytes together with endogenous interferences, thus additional elution steps were needed. Liquid extraction was not shown to minimise matrix effects. In general, it was observed that a balance should be reached in terms of recovery, efficient clean-up, and sample treatment time when a wide range of metabolites are analysed. A quick step for removing phospholipids prior to the determination of hydrophilic endogenous metabolites is required, however, based on the results from the applied methods, further studies are needed to achieve high recoveries for all metabolites.

  19. Induced sclerotium formation exposes new bioactive metabolites from Aspergillus sclerotiicarbonarius

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Petersen, Lene Maj; Frisvad, Jens Christian; Knudsen, Peter Boldsen

    2015-01-01

    Sclerotia are known to be fungal survival structures, and induction of sclerotia may prompt production of otherwise undiscovered metabolites. Aspergillus sclerotiicarbonarius (IBT 28362) was investigated under sclerotium producing conditions, which revealed a highly altered metabolic profile. Four...... new compounds were isolated from cultivation under sclerotium formation conditions and their structures elucidated using different analytical techniques (HRMS, UV, 1D and 2D NMR). This included sclerolizine, an alkylated and oxidized pyrrolizine, the new emindole analog emindole SC and two new...

  20. Integrated circuit-based electrochemical sensor for spatially resolved detection of redox-active metabolites in biofilms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bellin, Daniel L; Sakhtah, Hassan; Rosenstein, Jacob K; Levine, Peter M; Thimot, Jordan; Emmett, Kevin; Dietrich, Lars E P; Shepard, Kenneth L

    2014-01-01

    Despite advances in monitoring spatiotemporal expression patterns of genes and proteins with fluorescent probes, direct detection of metabolites and small molecules remains challenging. A technique for spatially resolved detection of small molecules would benefit the study of redox-active metabolites that are produced by microbial biofilms and can affect their development. Here we present an integrated circuit-based electrochemical sensing platform featuring an array of working electrodes and parallel potentiostat channels. 'Images' over a 3.25 × 0.9 mm(2) area can be captured with a diffusion-limited spatial resolution of 750 μm. We demonstrate that square wave voltammetry can be used to detect, identify and quantify (for concentrations as low as 2.6 μM) four distinct redox-active metabolites called phenazines. We characterize phenazine production in both wild-type and mutant Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA14 colony biofilms, and find correlations with fluorescent reporter imaging of phenazine biosynthetic gene expression.

  1. Dynamic Metabolite Profiling in an Archaeon Connects Transcriptional Regulation to Metabolic Consequences.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Todor, Horia; Gooding, Jessica; Ilkayeva, Olga R; Schmid, Amy K

    2015-01-01

    Previous work demonstrated that the TrmB transcription factor is responsible for regulating the expression of many enzyme-coding genes in the hypersaline-adapted archaeon Halobacterium salinarum via a direct interaction with a cis-regulatory sequence in their promoters. This interaction is abolished in the presence of glucose. Although much is known about the effects of TrmB at the transcriptional level, it remains unclear whether and to what extent changes in mRNA levels directly affect metabolite levels. In order to address this question, here we performed a high-resolution metabolite profiling time course during a change in nutrients using a combination of targeted and untargeted methods in wild-type and ΔtrmB strain backgrounds. We found that TrmB-mediated transcriptional changes resulted in widespread and significant changes to metabolite levels across the metabolic network. Additionally, the pattern of growth complementation using various purines suggests that the mis-regulation of gluconeogenesis in the ΔtrmB mutant strain in the absence of glucose results in low phosphoribosylpyrophosphate (PRPP) levels. We confirmed these low PRPP levels using a quantitative mass spectrometric technique and found that they are associated with a metabolic block in de novo purine synthesis, which is partially responsible for the growth defect of the ΔtrmB mutant strain in the absence of glucose. In conclusion, we show how transcriptional regulation of metabolism affects metabolite levels and ultimately, phenotypes.

  2. Dynamic Metabolite Profiling in an Archaeon Connects Transcriptional Regulation to Metabolic Consequences.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Horia Todor

    Full Text Available Previous work demonstrated that the TrmB transcription factor is responsible for regulating the expression of many enzyme-coding genes in the hypersaline-adapted archaeon Halobacterium salinarum via a direct interaction with a cis-regulatory sequence in their promoters. This interaction is abolished in the presence of glucose. Although much is known about the effects of TrmB at the transcriptional level, it remains unclear whether and to what extent changes in mRNA levels directly affect metabolite levels. In order to address this question, here we performed a high-resolution metabolite profiling time course during a change in nutrients using a combination of targeted and untargeted methods in wild-type and ΔtrmB strain backgrounds. We found that TrmB-mediated transcriptional changes resulted in widespread and significant changes to metabolite levels across the metabolic network. Additionally, the pattern of growth complementation using various purines suggests that the mis-regulation of gluconeogenesis in the ΔtrmB mutant strain in the absence of glucose results in low phosphoribosylpyrophosphate (PRPP levels. We confirmed these low PRPP levels using a quantitative mass spectrometric technique and found that they are associated with a metabolic block in de novo purine synthesis, which is partially responsible for the growth defect of the ΔtrmB mutant strain in the absence of glucose. In conclusion, we show how transcriptional regulation of metabolism affects metabolite levels and ultimately, phenotypes.

  3. Combined effect of ultrasound and essential oils to reduce Listeria monocytogenes on fresh produce.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Özcan, Gülçin; Demirel Zorba, Nükhet Nilüfer

    2016-06-01

    Salads prepared from contaminated fresh produce have a high risk of causing food-borne illnesses. Essential oils obtained from plants have antimicrobial activity and may provide a natural approach to reduce the pathogens on fresh produce. Additionally, ultrasound treatments have been shown to reduce the microbial counts on different foods. The objective of this study was to investigate the antimicrobial activities of cinnamon and lemon essential oils in vitro and in food applications. Mixtures of lettuce, parsley and dill were inoculated with Listeria monocytogenes and then dip-treated for 5 min in one of the following treatments: sterile tap water, chlorinated water, 1% lemon essential oil, 2% cinnamon essential oil or 2% cinnamon essential oil + ultrasound. The samples were stored at 4 ℃ and collected at d 0, 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 post inoculation. The 1% lemon (4 log) and 2% cinnamon (2 log) essential oil washes provided partial inhibition against L. monocytogenes by d 1. The combined application of 2% cinnamon oil and ultrasound resulted in only 0.85 log inhibition by d 1; however, the number of L. monocytogenes increased during storage and became nearly equal to the control at d 9. Therefore, different combinations of essential oils with other antimicrobials or novel technologies are required. © The Author(s) 2015.

  4. Identification and activation of novel biosynthetic gene clusters by genome mining in the kirromycin producer Streptomyces collinus Tü 365

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Iftime, Dumitrita; Kulik, Andreas; Härtner, Thomas

    2016-01-01

    Streptomycetes are prolific sources of novel biologically active secondary metabolites with pharmaceutical potential. S. collinus Tü 365 is a Streptomyces strain, isolated 1972 from Kouroussa (Guinea). It is best known as producer of the antibiotic kirromycin, an inhibitor of the protein biosynth......Streptomycetes are prolific sources of novel biologically active secondary metabolites with pharmaceutical potential. S. collinus Tü 365 is a Streptomyces strain, isolated 1972 from Kouroussa (Guinea). It is best known as producer of the antibiotic kirromycin, an inhibitor of the protein...

  5. Drug repositioning for enzyme modulator based on human metabolite-likeness.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Yoon Hyeok; Choi, Hojae; Park, Seongyong; Lee, Boah; Yi, Gwan-Su

    2017-05-31

    Recently, the metabolite-likeness of the drug space has emerged and has opened a new possibility for exploring human metabolite-like candidates in drug discovery. However, the applicability of metabolite-likeness in drug discovery has been largely unexplored. Moreover, there are no reports on its applications for the repositioning of drugs to possible enzyme modulators, although enzyme-drug relations could be directly inferred from the similarity relationships between enzyme's metabolites and drugs. We constructed a drug-metabolite structural similarity matrix, which contains 1,861 FDA-approved drugs and 1,110 human intermediary metabolites scored with the Tanimoto similarity. To verify the metabolite-likeness measure for drug repositioning, we analyzed 17 known antimetabolite drugs that resemble the innate metabolites of their eleven target enzymes as the gold standard positives. Highly scored drugs were selected as possible modulators of enzymes for their corresponding metabolites. Then, we assessed the performance of metabolite-likeness with a receiver operating characteristic analysis and compared it with other drug-target prediction methods. We set the similarity threshold for drug repositioning candidates of new enzyme modulators based on maximization of the Youden's index. We also carried out literature surveys for supporting the drug repositioning results based on the metabolite-likeness. In this paper, we applied metabolite-likeness to repurpose FDA-approved drugs to disease-associated enzyme modulators that resemble human innate metabolites. All antimetabolite drugs were mapped with their known 11 target enzymes with statistically significant similarity values to the corresponding metabolites. The comparison with other drug-target prediction methods showed the higher performance of metabolite-likeness for predicting enzyme modulators. After that, the drugs scored higher than similarity score of 0.654 were selected as possible modulators of enzymes for

  6. Pharmacodynamics of colistin and fosfomycin: a 'treasure trove' combination combats KPC-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Miao; Bulman, Zackery P; Lenhard, Justin R; Satlin, Michael J; Kreiswirth, Barry N; Walsh, Thomas J; Marrocco, Amanda; Bergen, Phillip J; Nation, Roger L; Li, Jian; Zhang, Jing; Tsuji, Brian T

    2017-07-01

    KPC-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae are an emerging public health problem around the globe. We defined the combinatorial pharmacodynamics and ability to suppress resistance of two 'old' antibiotics, fosfomycin and colistin, in time-kill experiments and hollow-fibre infection models (HFIM). Two KPC-2-producing K. pneumoniae isolates were used: one susceptible to both colistin and fosfomycin (KPC 9A: MIC colistin 0.25 mg/L and MIC fosfomycin ≤8 mg/L) and the other resistant to colistin and susceptible to fosfomycin (KPC 5A: MIC colistin 64 mg/L and MIC fosfomycin 32 mg/L). Time-kill experiments assessed an array of colistin and fosfomycin concentrations against both isolates. Colistin and fosfomycin pharmacokinetics from critically ill patients were simulated in the HFIM to define the pharmacodynamic activity of humanized regimens over 5 days against KPC 9A. In time-kill experiments, synergy was demonstrated for all colistin/fosfomycin combinations containing >8 mg/L fosfomycin against the double-susceptible KPC strain, 9A. Synergy versus KPC strain 5A was only achieved at the highest concentrations of colistin (4 mg/L) and fosfomycin (512 mg/L) at 48 h. In the HFIM, colistin or fosfomycin monotherapies resulted in rapid proliferation of resistant subpopulations; KPC 9A regrew by 24 h. In contrast to the monotherapies, the colistin/fosfomycin combination resulted in a rapid 6.15 log 10  cfu/mL reduction of KPC 9A by 6 h and complete suppression of resistant subpopulations until 120 h. Colistin and fosfomycin may represent an important treatment option for KPC-producing K. pneumoniae otherwise resistant to traditional antibiotics. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  7. Gestational or acute restraint in adulthood reduces levels of 5α-reduced testosterone metabolites in the hippocampus and produces behavioral inhibition of adult male rats

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alicia A Walf

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available Stressors, during early life or adulthood, can alter steroid-sensitive behaviors, such as exploration, anxiety, and/or cognitive processes. We investigated if exposure to acute stressors in adulthood may alter behavioral and neuroendocrine responses of male rats that were exposed to gestational stress or not. We hypothesized that rats exposed to gestational and acute stress may show behavioral inhibition, increased corticosterone, and altered androgen levels in the hippocampus. Subjects were adult, male offspring of rat dams that were restrained daily on gestational days 14-20, or did not experience this manipulation. Immediately before testing, rats were restraint-stressed for 20 minutes or not. During week 1, rats were tested in a battery of tasks, including the open field, elevated plus maze, social interaction, tailflick, pawlick, and defensive burying tasks. During week 2, rats were trained and tested 24 hours later in the inhibitory avoidance task. Plasma corticosterone and androgen levels, and hippocampal androgen levels, were measured in all subjects. Gestational and acute restraint stress increased plasma levels of corticosterone, and reduced levels of testosterone’s 5α-reduced metabolites, dihydrotestosterone and 3α-androstanediol, but not the aromatized metabolite, estradiol, in plasma or the hippocampus. Gestational and acute restraint stress reduced central entries made in the open field, and latencies to enter the shock-associated side of the inhibitory avoidance chamber during testing. Gestational stress reduced time spent interacting with a conspecific. These data suggest that gestational and acute restraint stress can have actions to produce behavioral inhibition coincident with increased corticosterone and decreased 5α-reduced androgens of adult male rats. Thus, gestational stress altered neural circuits involved in the neuroendocrine response to acute stress in early adulthood.

  8. Metabolites of cannabidiol identified in human urine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harvey, D J; Mechoulam, R

    1990-03-01

    1. Urine from a dystonic patient treated with cannabidiol (CBD) was examined by g.l.c.-mass spectrometry for CBD metabolites. Metabolites were identified as their trimethylsilyl (TMS), [2H9]TMS, and methyl ester/TMS derivatives and as the TMS derivatives of the product of lithium aluminium deuteride reduction. 2. Thirty-three metabolites were identified in addition to unmetabolized CBD, and a further four metabolites were partially characterized. 3. The major metabolic route was hydroxylation and oxidation at C-7 followed by further hydroxylation in the pentyl and propenyl groups to give 1"-, 2"-, 3"-, 4"- and 10-hydroxy derivatives of CBD-7-oic acid. Other metabolites, mainly acids, were formed by beta-oxidation and related biotransformations from the pentyl side-chain and these were also hydroxylated at C-6 or C-7. The major oxidized metabolite was CBD-7-oic acid containing a hydroxyethyl side-chain. 4. Two 8,9-dihydroxy compounds, presumably derived from the corresponding epoxide were identified. 5. Also present were several cyclized cannabinoids including delta-6- and delta-1-tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabinol. 6. This is the first metabolic study of CBD in humans; most observed metabolic routes were typical of those found for CBD and related cannabinoids in other species.

  9. Effects of fluticasone propionate inhalation on levels of arachidonic acid metabolites in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gert T. Verhoeven

    2001-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: In smoking COPD patients the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL fluid contains high numbers of inflammatory cells. These cells might produce arachidonic acid (AA metabolites, which contribute to inflammation and an increased bronchomotor tone.

  10. Improvement of hairy root cultures and plants by changing biosynthetic pathways leading to pharmaceutical metabolites: strategies and applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ludwig-Müller, Jutta; Jahn, Linda; Lippert, Annemarie; Püschel, Joachim; Walter, Antje

    2014-11-01

    A plethora of bioactive plant metabolites has been explored for pharmaceutical, food chemistry and agricultural applications. The chemical synthesis of these structures is often difficult, so plants are favorably used as producers. While whole plants can serve as a source for secondary metabolites and can be also improved by metabolic engineering, more often cell or organ cultures of relevant plant species are of interest. It should be noted that only in few cases the production for commercial application in such cultures has been achieved. Their genetic manipulation is sometimes faster and the production of a specific metabolite is more reliable, because of less environmental influences. In addition, upscaling in bioreactors is nowadays possible for many of these cultures, so some are already used in industry. There are approaches to alter the profile of metabolites not only by using plant genes, but also by using bacterial genes encoding modifying enzymes. Also, strategies to cope with unwanted or even toxic compounds are available. The need for metabolic engineering of plant secondary metabolite pathways is increasing with the rising demand for (novel) compounds with new bioactive properties. Here, we give some examples of recent developments for the metabolic engineering of plants and organ cultures, which can be used in the production of metabolites with interesting properties. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Production of Metabolites as Bacterial Responses to the Marine Environment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pedro Fernandes

    2010-03-01

    hydrocarbon-contaminated sites. Siderophores are necessary e.g., in the treatment of diseases with metal ion imbalance, while antifouling compounds could be used to treat man-made surfaces that are used in marine environments. New classes of antibiotics could efficiently combat bacteria resistant to the existing antibiotics. The present work aims to provide a comprehensive review of the metabolites produced by marine bacteria in order to cope with intrusive environments, and to illustrate how such metabolites can be advantageously used in several relevant areas, from bioremediation to health and pharmaceutical sectors.

  12. Combined effects of nitrogen to phosphorus ratios and nitrogen speciation on cyanobacterial metabolite concentrations in eutrophic Midwestern USA reservoirs.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Harris, T.D.; Smith, V.H.; Graham, J.L.; Van de Waal, D.B.; Tedesco, L.P.; Clercin, N.

    2016-01-01

    Recent studies have shown that the total nitrogen to total phosphorus (TN:TP) ratio and nitrogen oxidation state may have substantial effects on secondary metabolite (e.g., microcystins) production in cyanobacteria. We investigated the relationship between the water column TN:TP ratio and the

  13. Cellular Immune Reactions of the Sunn Pest, Eurygaster integriceps, to the Entomopathogenic Fungus, Beauveria bassiana and Its Secondary Metabolites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zibaee, Arash; Bandani, Ali Reza; Talaei-Hassanlouei, Reza; Malagoli, Davide

    2011-01-01

    In this study, five morphological types of circulating hemocytes were recognized in the hemolymph of the adult sunn pest, Eurygaster integriceps Puton (Hemiptera: Scutelleridae), namely prohemocytes, plasmatocytes, granulocytes, adipohemocytes, and oenocytoids. The effects of the secondary metabolites of the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana on cellular immune defenses of Eurygaster integriceps were investigated. The results showed that the fungal secondary metabolites inhibited phagocytic activity of E. integriceps hemocytes and hampered nodule formation. A reduction of phenoloxidase activity was also observed. The data suggest that B. bassiana produce secondary metabolites that disable several immune mechanisms allowing the fungus to overcome and then kill its host. This characteristic makes B. bassiana a promising model for biological control of insect pests such as E. integriceps. PMID:22233481

  14. Morphine metabolites

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Christrup, Lona Louring

    1997-01-01

    , morphine-3-glucuronide (M3G) and morphine-6-glucuronide (M6G) are the major metabolites of morphine. The metabolism of morphine occurs not only in the liver, but may also take place in the brain and the kidneys. The glucuronides are mainly eliminated via bile and urine. Glucuronides as a rule...... are considered as highly polar metabolites unable to cross the blood-brain barrier. Although morphine glucuronidation has been demonstrated in human brain tissue, the capacity is very low compared to that of the liver, indicating that the M3G and M6G concentrations observed in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) after...... systemic administration reflect hepatic metabolism of morphine and that the morphine glucuronides, despite their high polarity, can penetrate into the brain. Like morphine, M6G has been shown to be relatively more selective for mu-receptors than for delta- and kappa-receptors while M3G does not appear...

  15. Chemical ecology of insect-plant interactions: ecological significance of plant secondary metabolites.

    OpenAIRE

    Nishida, Ritsuo

    2014-01-01

    Plants produce a diverse array of secondary metabolites as chemical barriers against herbivores. Many phytophagous insects are highly adapted to these allelochemicals and use such unique substances as the specific host-finding cues, defensive substances of their own, and even as sex pheromones or their precursors by selectively sensing, incorporating, and/or processing these phytochemicals. Insects also serve as pollinators often effectively guided by specific floral fragrances. This review d...

  16. Insights into the Anaerobic Biodegradation Pathway of n-Alkanes in Oil Reservoirs by Detection of Signature Metabolites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bian, Xin-Yu; Maurice Mbadinga, Serge; Liu, Yi-Fan; Yang, Shi-Zhong; Liu, Jin-Feng; Ye, Ru-Qiang; Gu, Ji-Dong; Mu, Bo-Zhong

    2015-01-01

    Anaerobic degradation of alkanes in hydrocarbon-rich environments has been documented and different degradation strategies proposed, of which the most encountered one is fumarate addition mechanism, generating alkylsuccinates as specific biomarkers. However, little is known about the mechanisms of anaerobic degradation of alkanes in oil reservoirs, due to low concentrations of signature metabolites and lack of mass spectral characteristics to allow identification. In this work, we used a multidisciplinary approach combining metabolite profiling and selective gene assays to establish the biodegradation mechanism of alkanes in oil reservoirs. A total of twelve production fluids from three different oil reservoirs were collected and treated with alkali; organic acids were extracted, derivatized with ethanol to form ethyl esters and determined using GC-MS analysis. Collectively, signature metabolite alkylsuccinates of parent compounds from C1 to C8 together with their (putative) downstream metabolites were detected from these samples. Additionally, metabolites indicative of the anaerobic degradation of mono- and poly-aromatic hydrocarbons (2-benzylsuccinate, naphthoate, 5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-naphthoate) were also observed. The detection of alkylsuccinates and genes encoding for alkylsuccinate synthase shows that anaerobic degradation of alkanes via fumarate addition occurs in oil reservoirs. This work provides strong evidence on the in situ anaerobic biodegradation mechanisms of hydrocarbons by fumarate addition. PMID:25966798

  17. Diclofenac toxicity in human intestine ex vivo is not related to the formation of intestinal metabolites

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Niu, Xiaoyu; de Graaf, Inge A. M.; Langelaar-Makkinje, Miriam; Horvatovich, Peter; Groothuis, Geny M. M.

    The use of diclofenac (DCF), a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, is associated with a high prevalence of gastrointestinal side effects. In vivo studies in rodents suggested that reactive metabolites of DCF produced by the liver or the intestine might be responsible for this toxicity. In the

  18. (1) H-MRS processing parameters affect metabolite quantification

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bhogal, Alex A; Schür, Remmelt R; Houtepen, Lotte C

    2017-01-01

    investigated the influence of model parameters and spectral quantification software on fitted metabolite concentration values. Sixty spectra in 30 individuals (repeated measures) were acquired using a 7-T MRI scanner. Data were processed by four independent research groups with the freedom to choose their own...... + NAAG/Cr + PCr and Glu/Cr + PCr, respectively. Metabolite quantification using identical (1) H-MRS data was influenced by processing parameters, basis sets and software choice. Locally preferred processing choices affected metabolite quantification, even when using identical software. Our results......Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((1) H-MRS) can be used to quantify in vivo metabolite levels, such as lactate, γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glutamate (Glu). However, there are considerable analysis choices which can alter the accuracy or precision of (1) H-MRS metabolite quantification...

  19. Plasma Levels of Biotin Metabolites Are Elevated in Hemodialysis Patients with Cramps.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fujiwara, Masako; Ando, Itiro; Yagi, Shigeaki; Nishizawa, Manabu; Oguma, Shiro; Satoh, Keisuke; Sato, Hiroshi; Imai, Yutaka

    2016-08-01

    Patients with renal failure undergoing hemodialysis (HD) are susceptible to muscle cramps during and after HD. Muscle cramps are defined as the sudden onset of a prolonged involuntary muscle contraction accompanied by severe pain. Through HD, water-soluble vitamins are drawn out with water. Since biotin, a water-soluble vitamin, plays an essential role as one of the coenzymes in producing energy, we have hypothesized that deficiency of biotin may be responsible for HD-associated cramps. We previously reported that biotin administration ameliorated the muscle cramps, despite the elevated plasma biotin levels before HD and biotin administration, as judged by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). However, the ELISA measures not only biotin but also total avidin-binding substances (TABS) including biotin metabolites. In the present study, we determined biotin in HD patients as well as healthy controls, using a newly developed method with ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS). The plasma samples were collected from 28 HD patients (16 patients with cramps and 12 patients without cramps) before HD and biotin administration and from 11 controls. The results showed that the accumulation of biotin and TABS in plasma of HD patients compared to controls. Importantly, the levels of biotin metabolites, i.e. TABS subtracted by biotin, increased significantly in patients with cramps over those without cramps. Moreover, the levels of biotin metabolites were significantly higher in patients with a poor response to administered biotin, compared to those with a good response. We propose that accumulated biotin metabolites impair biotin's functions as a coenzyme.

  20. Comparison of online, hands-on, and a combined approach for teaching cautery disbudding technique to dairy producers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Winder, Charlotte B; LeBlanc, Stephen J; Haley, Derek B; Lissemore, Kerry D; Godkin, M Ann; Duffield, Todd F

    2018-01-01

    The use of pain control for disbudding and dehorning is important from both an animal and industry perspective. Best practices include the use of local anesthetic, commonly given as a cornual nerve block (CNB), and a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug. The proportion is decreasing, but many dairy producers do not use local anesthesia, perhaps in part due to lack of knowledge of the CNB technique. Although this skill is typically learned in person from a veterinarian, alternative methods may be useful. The objective of this trial was to determine if there were differences in the efficacy of online training (n = 23), hands-on training (n = 20), and a combined approach (n = 23) for teaching producers to successfully administer a CNB and disbud a calf. The primary outcome was block efficacy, defined as a lack of established pain behaviors during iron application. Secondary outcomes were background knowledge (assessed by a written quiz), CNB and disbudding technique (evaluated by rubric scoring), time taken, and self-confidence before and after evaluation. Associations between training group and outcome were assessed with logistic regression, ordered logistic regression, and Cox-proportional hazard models, with a random effect for workshop. Block efficacy was not different between training groups, with 91% successful in both combined and online groups, and 75% in the hands-on trained group. Online learners had poorer technical scores than hands-on trainees. The combined group was not different from hands-on. Time to block completion tended to be longer for the online group (62 ± 11 s), whereas time to disbudding completion was not different between hands-on (41 ± 5 s) or combined trainees (41 ± 5 s). The combined group had the highest pre-evaluation confidence score, and remained higher after evaluation than online but was not different than hands-on. Although we saw some statistical differences between groups, absolute differences were small and block efficacy was

  1. Metabolite Profiling and Transcript Analysis Reveal Specificities in the Response of a Berry Derived Cell Culture to Abiotic Stresses

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Biruk eAyenew

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available As climate changes, there is a need to understand the expected effects on viticulture. In nature, stresses exist in a combined manner, hampering the elucidation of the effect of individual cues on grape berry metabolism. Cell suspension culture originated from pea-size Gamy Red grape berry was used to harness metabolic response to high light (2500 µmol m-2s-1, high temperature (40 0C and their combination in comparison to 25 0C and 100 µmol m-2s-1 under controlled condition. When LC-MS and GC-MS based metabolite profiling was implemented and integrated with targeted RT-qPCR transcript analysis specific responses were observed to the different cues. High light enhanced polyphenol metabolism while high temperature and its combination with high light induced amino acid and organic acid metabolism with additional effect on polyphenols. The trend of increment in TCA cycle genes like ATCs, ACo1 and IDH in the combined treatment might support the observed increment in organic acids, GABA shunt, and their derivatives. The apparent phenylalanine reduction with polyphenol increment under high light suggests enhanced fueling of the precursor towards the downstream phenylpropanoid pathway. In the polyphenol metabolism, a differential pattern of expression of flavonoid 3’,5’ hydroxylase and flavonoid 3’ hydroxylase was observed under high light and combined cues which were accompanied by characteristic metabolite profiles. High temperature decreased glycosylated cyanidin and peonidin forms while the combined cues increased acetylated and coumarylated peonidin forms. Transcription factors regulating anthocyanin metabolism and their methylation, MYB, OMT, UFGT and DFR, were expressed differentially among the treatments, overall in agreement with the metabolite profiles. Taken together these data provide insights into the coordination of central and secondary metabolism in relation to multiple abiotic stresses.

  2. In situ proteo-metabolomics reveals metabolite secretion by the acid mine drainage bio-indicator, Euglena mutabilis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Halter, David; Goulhen-Chollet, Florence; Gallien, Sébastien; Casiot, Corinne; Hamelin, Jérôme; Gilard, Françoise; Heintz, Dimitri; Schaeffer, Christine; Carapito, Christine; Van Dorsselaer, Alain; Tcherkez, Guillaume; Arsène-Ploetze, Florence; Bertin, Philippe N

    2012-01-01

    Euglena mutabilis is a photosynthetic protist found in acidic aquatic environments such as peat bogs, volcanic lakes and acid mine drainages (AMDs). Through its photosynthetic metabolism, this protist is supposed to have an important role in primary production in such oligotrophic ecosystems. Nevertheless, the exact contribution of E. mutabilis in organic matter synthesis remains unclear and no evidence of metabolite secretion by this protist has been established so far. Here we combined in situ proteo-metabolomic approaches to determine the nature of the metabolites accumulated by this protist or potentially secreted into an AMD. Our results revealed that the secreted metabolites are represented by a large number of amino acids, polyamine compounds, urea and some sugars but no fatty acids, suggesting a selective organic matter contribution in this ecosystem. Such a production may have a crucial impact on the bacterial community present on the study site, as it has been suggested previously that prokaryotes transport and recycle in situ most of the metabolites secreted by E. mutabilis. Consequently, this protist may have an indirect but important role in AMD ecosystems but also in other ecological niches often described as nitrogen-limited. PMID:22237547

  3. Identification of N-acyl-fumonisin B1 as new cytotoxic metabolites of fumonisin mycotoxins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harrer, Henning; Laviad, Elad L; Humpf, Hans Ulrich; Futerman, Anthony H

    2013-03-01

    Fumonisins are mycotoxins produced by Fusarium species. The predominant derivative, fumonisin B1 (FB1), occurs in food and feed and is of health concern due to its hepatotoxic and carcinogenic effects. However, the role of FB1 metabolites on the mechanism of the toxicity, the inhibition of the ceramide synthesis, is unknown. The aim of this study was to identify new fumonisin metabolites and to evaluate their cytotoxic potential. MS, molecular biology, and in vitro enzyme assays were used to investigate fumonisin metabolism in mammalian cells overexpressing human ceramide synthase (CerS) genes. N-acyl-FB1 derivatives were detected as new metabolites in cultured cells at levels of up to 10 pmol/mg of protein. The N-acylation of FB1 and hydrolyzed FB1 was analyzed in several cell lines, including cells overexpressing CerS. The acyl-chain length of the N-acyl fumonisins depends on the CerS isoform acylating them. The N-acyl fumonisins are more cytotoxic than the parent fumonisin B1. The identification of N-acyl fumonisins with various acyl chain lengths together with the observed cytotoxicity of these compounds is a new aspect of fumonisin-related toxicity. Therefore, these new metabolites might play an important role in the mode of action of fumonisins. © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  4. Not flavone-8-acetic acid (FAA) but its murine metabolite 6-OH-FAA exhibits remarkable antivascular activities in vitro.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pham, Minh Hien; Dauzonne, Daniel; Chabot, Guy G

    2016-06-01

    Flavone-8-acetic acid (FAA) has been proved to be a potent vascular-disrupting agent in mice. Unfortunately, FAA did not produce any anticancer activity in clinical trials. Previously, we had reported that FAA is metabolized by mouse microsomes into six metabolites, whereas it was poorly metabolized by human microsomes, with fewer metabolites formed in lesser amounts. Especially, 6-OH-FAA was not formed by human microsomes. In this work, two major available metabolites, 4'-OH-FAA and 6-OH-FAA, were tested and compared with the parent compound FAA for their potential antivascular activities in vitro. The ability of the products to induce morphological changes, disrupt preformed capillaries of EA.hy926 endothelial cells and inhibit tubulin polymerization in vitro was assessed. The action mechanism was determined using the RhoA and Rac1 inhibitors. At 25 µg/ml, 6-OH-FAA induced morphological changes and membrane blebbing, whereas 300 µg/ml of FAA and 4'-OH-FAA slightly changed the morphology without inducing membrane blebbing. At 300 µg/ml, 6-OH-FAA produced morphological changes that were 2.1-6.9-fold greater than that produced by FAA and 4'-OH-FAA, an effect that was consistent with its much greater inhibitory effect on tubulin polymerization compared with FAA and 4'-OH-FAA. 6-OH-FAA significantly disrupted the EA.hy926 cell capillaries. 6-OH-FAA activities were prevented in EA.hy926 cells pretreated with RhoA, but not Rac1, inhibitor. In this short communication we report for the first time that, in vitro, 6-OH-FAA, a mouse-specific FAA metabolite, exhibits significantly stronger antivascular activities compared with FAA and 4'-OH-FAA, which are mediated through the RhoA kinase pathway.

  5. A Decade in the MIST: Learnings from Investigations of Drug Metabolites in Drug Development under the "Metabolites in Safety Testing" Regulatory Guidance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schadt, Simone; Bister, Bojan; Chowdhury, Swapan K; Funk, Christoph; Hop, Cornelis E C A; Humphreys, W Griffith; Igarashi, Fumihiko; James, Alexander D; Kagan, Mark; Khojasteh, S Cyrus; Nedderman, Angus N R; Prakash, Chandra; Runge, Frank; Scheible, Holger; Spracklin, Douglas K; Swart, Piet; Tse, Susanna; Yuan, Josh; Obach, R Scott

    2018-06-01

    Since the introduction of metabolites in safety testing (MIST) guidance by the Food and Drug Administration in 2008, major changes have occurred in the experimental methods for the identification and quantification of metabolites, ways to evaluate coverage of metabolites, and the timing of critical clinical and nonclinical studies to generate this information. In this cross-industry review, we discuss how the increased focus on human drug metabolites and their potential contribution to safety and drug-drug interactions has influenced the approaches taken by industry for the identification and quantitation of human drug metabolites. Before the MIST guidance was issued, the method of choice for generating comprehensive metabolite profile was radio chromatography. The MIST guidance increased the focus on human drug metabolites and their potential contribution to safety and drug-drug interactions and led to changes in the practices of drug metabolism scientists. In addition, the guidance suggested that human metabolism studies should also be accelerated, which has led to more frequent determination of human metabolite profiles from multiple ascending-dose clinical studies. Generating a comprehensive and quantitative profile of human metabolites has become a more urgent task. Together with technological advances, these events have led to a general shift of focus toward earlier human metabolism studies using high-resolution mass spectrometry and to a reduction in animal radiolabel absorption/distribution/metabolism/excretion studies. The changes induced by the MIST guidance are highlighted by six case studies included herein, reflecting different stages of implementation of the MIST guidance within the pharmaceutical industry. Copyright © 2018 by The American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics.

  6. GPCR-Mediated Signaling of Metabolites

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Husted, Anna Sofie; Trauelsen, Mette; Rudenko, Olga

    2017-01-01

    microbiota target primarily enteroendocrine, neuronal, and immune cells in the lamina propria of the gut mucosa and the liver and, through these tissues, the rest of the body. In contrast, metabolites from the intermediary metabolism act mainly as metabolic stress-induced autocrine and paracrine signals...... and obesity. The concept of key metabolites as ligands for specific GPCRs has broadened our understanding of metabolic signaling significantly and provides a number of novel potential drug targets....

  7. Plasma Metabolites Predict Severity of Depression and Suicidal Ideation in Psychiatric Patients-A Multicenter Pilot Analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Setoyama, Daiki; Kato, Takahiro A; Hashimoto, Ryota; Kunugi, Hiroshi; Hattori, Kotaro; Hayakawa, Kohei; Sato-Kasai, Mina; Shimokawa, Norihiro; Kaneko, Sachie; Yoshida, Sumiko; Goto, Yu-Ichi; Yasuda, Yuka; Yamamori, Hidenaga; Ohgidani, Masahiro; Sagata, Noriaki; Miura, Daisuke; Kang, Dongchon; Kanba, Shigenobu

    2016-01-01

    Evaluating the severity of depression (SOD), especially suicidal ideation (SI), is crucial in the treatment of not only patients with mood disorders but also psychiatric patients in general. SOD has been assessed on interviews such as the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAMD)-17, and/or self-administered questionnaires such as the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ)-9. However, these evaluation systems have relied on a person's subjective information, which sometimes lead to difficulties in clinical settings. To resolve this limitation, a more objective SOD evaluation system is needed. Herein, we collected clinical data including HAMD-17/PHQ-9 and blood plasma of psychiatric patients from three independent clinical centers. We performed metabolome analysis of blood plasma using liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS), and 123 metabolites were detected. Interestingly, five plasma metabolites (3-hydroxybutyrate (3HB), betaine, citrate, creatinine, and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)) are commonly associated with SOD in all three independent cohort sets regardless of the presence or absence of medication and diagnostic difference. In addition, we have shown several metabolites are independently associated with sub-symptoms of depression including SI. We successfully created a classification model to discriminate depressive patients with or without SI by machine learning technique. Finally, we produced a pilot algorithm to predict a grade of SI with citrate and kynurenine. The above metabolites may have strongly been associated with the underlying novel biological pathophysiology of SOD. We should explore the biological impact of these metabolites on depressive symptoms by utilizing a cross species study model with human and rodents. The present multicenter pilot study offers a potential utility for measuring blood metabolites as a novel objective tool for not only assessing SOD but also evaluating therapeutic efficacy in clinical practice. In addition

  8. Plasma Metabolites Predict Severity of Depression and Suicidal Ideation in Psychiatric Patients-A Multicenter Pilot Analysis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daiki Setoyama

    Full Text Available Evaluating the severity of depression (SOD, especially suicidal ideation (SI, is crucial in the treatment of not only patients with mood disorders but also psychiatric patients in general. SOD has been assessed on interviews such as the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAMD-17, and/or self-administered questionnaires such as the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9. However, these evaluation systems have relied on a person's subjective information, which sometimes lead to difficulties in clinical settings. To resolve this limitation, a more objective SOD evaluation system is needed. Herein, we collected clinical data including HAMD-17/PHQ-9 and blood plasma of psychiatric patients from three independent clinical centers. We performed metabolome analysis of blood plasma using liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS, and 123 metabolites were detected. Interestingly, five plasma metabolites (3-hydroxybutyrate (3HB, betaine, citrate, creatinine, and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA are commonly associated with SOD in all three independent cohort sets regardless of the presence or absence of medication and diagnostic difference. In addition, we have shown several metabolites are independently associated with sub-symptoms of depression including SI. We successfully created a classification model to discriminate depressive patients with or without SI by machine learning technique. Finally, we produced a pilot algorithm to predict a grade of SI with citrate and kynurenine. The above metabolites may have strongly been associated with the underlying novel biological pathophysiology of SOD. We should explore the biological impact of these metabolites on depressive symptoms by utilizing a cross species study model with human and rodents. The present multicenter pilot study offers a potential utility for measuring blood metabolites as a novel objective tool for not only assessing SOD but also evaluating therapeutic efficacy in clinical practice. In

  9. Evidence of an Unidentified Extracellular Heat-Stable Factor Produced by Lysobacter enzymogenes (OH11) that Degrade Fusarium graminearum PH1 Hyphae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Odhiambo, Benard Omondi; Xu, Gaoge; Qian, Guoliang; Liu, Fengquan

    2017-04-01

    Lysobacter enzymogenes OH11 produces heat-stable antifungal factor (HSAF) and lytic enzymes possessing antifungal activity. This study bio-prospected for other potential antifungal factors besides those above. The cells and extracellular metabolites of L. enzymogenes OH11 and the mutants ΔchiA, ΔchiB, ΔchiC, Δclp, Δpks, and ΔpilA were examined for antifungal activity against Fusarium graminearum PH1, the causal agent of Fusarium head blight (FHB). Results evidenced that OH11 produces an unidentified extracellular heat-stable degrading metabolite (HSDM) that exhibit degrading activity on F. graminearum PH1 chitinous hyphae. Interestingly, both heat-treated and non-heat-treated extracellular metabolites of OH11 mutants exhibited hyphae-degrading activity against F. graminearum PH1. Enzyme activity detection of heat-treated metabolites ruled out the possibility of enzyme degradation activity. Remarkably, the PKS-NRPS-deficient mutant Δpks cannot produce HSAF or analogues, yet its metabolites exhibited hyphae-degrading activity. HPLC analysis confirmed no HSAF production by Δpks. Δclp lacks hyphae-degrading ability. Therefore, clp regulates HSDM and extracellular lytic enzymes production in L. enzymogenes OH11. ΔpilA had impaired surface cell motility and significantly reduced antagonistic properties. ΔchiA, ΔchiB, and ΔchiC retained hyphae-degrading ability, despite having reduced abilities to produce chitinase enzymes. Ultimately, L. enzymogenes OH11 can produce other unidentified HSDM independent of the PKS-NRPS genes. This suggests HSAF and lytic enzymes production are a fraction of the antifungal mechanisms in OH11. Characterization of HSDM, determination of its biosynthetic gene cluster and understanding its mode of action will provide new leads in the search for effective drugs for FHB management.

  10. Deuterium labelling of tryptamine, serotonin and their N-methylated metabolites using solvent exchange reactions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Raeisaenen, M; Kaerkkaeinen, J [Helsinki Univ. (Finland). Dept. of Medical Chemistry

    1979-01-01

    Technically uncomplicated methods based on catalytic isotope exchange in deuterated solvents are described for the deuteration of tryptamine, serotonin and their N-methylated metabolites. Heterogeneous platinum catalysis, homogeneous acid catalysis and their combination have been employed. The properties of the labelled derivatives prepared with each technique as well as their use in mass spectrometric work are discussed.

  11. Deuterium labelling of tryptamine, serotonin and their N-methylated metabolites using solvent exchange reactions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Raeisaenen, M.; Kaerkkaeinen, J.

    1979-01-01

    Technically uncomplicated methods based on catalytic isotope exchange in deuterated solvents are described for the deuteration of tryptamine, serotonin and their N-methylated metabolites. Heterogeneous platinum catalysis, homogeneous acid catalysis and their combination have been employed. The properties of the labelled derivatives prepared with each technique as well as their use in mass spectrometric work are discussed. (author)

  12. Identification, quantification, spatiotemporal distribution and genetic variation of major latex secondary metabolites in the common dandelion (Taraxacum officinale agg.).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huber, Meret; Triebwasser-Freese, Daniella; Reichelt, Michael; Heiling, Sven; Paetz, Christian; Chandran, Jima N; Bartram, Stefan; Schneider, Bernd; Gershenzon, Jonathan; Erb, Matthias

    2015-07-01

    The secondary metabolites in the roots, leaves and flowers of the common dandelion (Taraxacum officinale agg.) have been studied in detail. However, little is known about the specific constituents of the plant's highly specialized laticifer cells. Using a combination of liquid and gas chromatography, mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry, we identified and quantified the major secondary metabolites in the latex of different organs across different growth stages in three genotypes, and tested the activity of the metabolites against the generalist root herbivore Diabrotica balteata. We found that common dandelion latex is dominated by three classes of secondary metabolites: phenolic inositol esters (PIEs), triterpene acetates (TritAc) and the sesquiterpene lactone taraxinic acid β-D-glucopyranosyl ester (TA-G). Purification and absolute quantification revealed concentrations in the upper mgg(-1) range for all compound classes with up to 6% PIEs, 5% TritAc and 7% TA-G per gram latex fresh weight. Contrary to typical secondary metabolite patterns, concentrations of all three classes increased with plant age. The highest concentrations were measured in the main root. PIE profiles differed both quantitatively and qualitatively between plant genotypes, whereas TritAc and TA-G differed only quantitatively. Metabolite concentrations were positively correlated within and between the different compound classes, indicating tight biosynthetic co-regulation. Latex metabolite extracts strongly repelled D. balteata larvae, suggesting that the latex constituents are biologically active. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Iron-regulated metabolites of plant growth-promoting Pseudomonas fluorescens WCS374 : Their role in induced systemic resistance

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Djavaheri, M.

    2007-01-01

    The plant growth-promoting rhizobacterium Pseudomonas fluorescens WCS374r effectively suppresses fusarium wilt in radish by induced systemic resistance (ISR). In radish, WCS374r-mediated ISR depends partly on iron-regulated metabolites. Under iron-limiting conditions, P. fluorescens WCS374r produces

  14. The environmental occurrence and effect of alkylphenol polyethoxylates and their metabolites in Taiwan

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ding, W.

    2009-12-01

    Alkylphenol polyethoxylates (APEOs) are widely used nonionic surfactants in domestic, agricultural and household applications, which have been commonly found in wastewater discharges and in sewage treatment plant effluents. Degradation of APEOs in wastewater or in the environment generates more persistent pollutants, including alkylphenols (APs, such as 4-nonylphenol isomers (4-NPs) and 4-t-octylphenol (4-t-OP)) and shortened ethoxy chain APEO residues (such as AP1~3EO). These metabolites of APEOs are of interest in the field of environmental monitoring because of the volume of these substances used and their activity as either endocrine disruptors or as persistent pollutants. APEOs are mass-produced and used widely in Taiwan. Large quantities of these metabolites in wastewater are discharged into the rivers directly because Taiwan’s municipal and industrial wastewater treatment facilities are deficient. However, the occurrence and fate of these metabolites are unclear and can potentially affect the aquatic environment and public health in Taiwan. Determination of APEOs and their metabolites have been performed for household detergents, various surface water, soil, sediments, biota, foodstuffs and even in breast milk. APEOs and their metabolites were detected in all media analyzed and in all environmental samples. The relatively high concentrations detected in oysters and snails provide evidence for bioaccumulation of APs. The presence of APs in breast milk implies that APs enter the food chain in local biota after long chain APEOs were biodegraded. There are also some indications that the plastic wrappings and containers for foodstuffs sold in Taiwan may contain NP or tris(nonylphenol) phosphate (TNPP) used as plasticizers or antioxidants. In addition, possible sources of APs may come from the extensive use of pesticides containing APEO as emulsifiers in agriculture.

  15. Phyto-oestrogens and their metabolites in milk produced on two pastures with different botanical compositions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Adler, S. A.; Purup, S.; Hansen-Møller, J.

    2014-01-01

    . The objective of this study was to assess the effects of grazing a recently established pasture containing red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) and an older pasture containing a variety of sown and unsown plant species on milk concentrations of phyto-oestrogens. Sixteen Norwegian Red dairy cows [mean (standard......Phyto-oestrogens are a group of secondary plant metabolites that may bind to oestrogen receptors and exert oestrogenic or anti-oestrogenic effects in humans and can protect against cancer diseases. When ingested by dairy cows, phyto-oestrogens can be metabolised and transferred to the milk...... deviation); body weight 599 (45.1). kg, stage of lactation 73 (15.0) d in milk, milk yield 29.9 (2.90) kg/d at the start of the experiment] were divided into two groups and grazed either a short-term pasture (SP) or a long-term pasture (LP). The SP was representative of organically managed leys in Norway...

  16. Deciphering the Cryptic Genome: Genome-wide Analyses of the Rice Pathogen Fusarium fujikuroi Reveal Complex Regulation of Secondary Metabolism and Novel Metabolites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Studt, Lena; Niehaus, Eva-Maria; Espino, Jose J.; Huß, Kathleen; Michielse, Caroline B.; Albermann, Sabine; Wagner, Dominik; Bergner, Sonja V.; Connolly, Lanelle R.; Fischer, Andreas; Reuter, Gunter; Kleigrewe, Karin; Bald, Till; Wingfield, Brenda D.; Ophir, Ron; Freeman, Stanley; Hippler, Michael; Smith, Kristina M.; Brown, Daren W.; Proctor, Robert H.; Münsterkötter, Martin; Freitag, Michael; Humpf, Hans-Ulrich; Güldener, Ulrich; Tudzynski, Bettina

    2013-01-01

    The fungus Fusarium fujikuroi causes “bakanae” disease of rice due to its ability to produce gibberellins (GAs), but it is also known for producing harmful mycotoxins. However, the genetic capacity for the whole arsenal of natural compounds and their role in the fungus' interaction with rice remained unknown. Here, we present a high-quality genome sequence of F. fujikuroi that was assembled into 12 scaffolds corresponding to the 12 chromosomes described for the fungus. We used the genome sequence along with ChIP-seq, transcriptome, proteome, and HPLC-FTMS-based metabolome analyses to identify the potential secondary metabolite biosynthetic gene clusters and to examine their regulation in response to nitrogen availability and plant signals. The results indicate that expression of most but not all gene clusters correlate with proteome and ChIP-seq data. Comparison of the F. fujikuroi genome to those of six other fusaria revealed that only a small number of gene clusters are conserved among these species, thus providing new insights into the divergence of secondary metabolism in the genus Fusarium. Noteworthy, GA biosynthetic genes are present in some related species, but GA biosynthesis is limited to F. fujikuroi, suggesting that this provides a selective advantage during infection of the preferred host plant rice. Among the genome sequences analyzed, one cluster that includes a polyketide synthase gene (PKS19) and another that includes a non-ribosomal peptide synthetase gene (NRPS31) are unique to F. fujikuroi. The metabolites derived from these clusters were identified by HPLC-FTMS-based analyses of engineered F. fujikuroi strains overexpressing cluster genes. In planta expression studies suggest a specific role for the PKS19-derived product during rice infection. Thus, our results indicate that combined comparative genomics and genome-wide experimental analyses identified novel genes and secondary metabolites that contribute to the evolutionary success of F

  17. Application of head-space solid-phase microextraction for the analysis of volatile metabolites emitted by Penicillium species

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nilsson, Torben; Larsen, Thomas Ostenfeld; Montanarella, Luca

    1996-01-01

    Head-space solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) has been used to collect volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted from fungi of the genus Penicillium. Gas chromatography combined with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was employed for the analysis of the profiles of volatile metabolites characteristic...

  18. 21 CFR 862.3250 - Cocaine and cocaine metabolite test system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Cocaine and cocaine metabolite test system. 862... Test Systems § 862.3250 Cocaine and cocaine metabolite test system. (a) Identification. A cocaine and cocaine metabolite test system is a device intended to measure cocaine and a cocaine metabolite...

  19. Effects of different hydroponic substrate combinations and watering ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Background: Production of medicinal plants in controlled environments, particularly hydroponic technology, provides opportunities for high quality biomass accumulation and optimizes production of secondary metabolites. Applying special watering regimes in combination with efficient soil draining is an encouraging new ...

  20. Neurotoxicity of "ecstasy" and its metabolites in human dopaminergic differentiated SH-SY5Y cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ferreira, Patrícia Silva; Nogueira, Tiago Bernandes; Costa, Vera Marisa; Branco, Paula Sério; Ferreira, Luísa Maria; Fernandes, Eduarda; Bastos, Maria Lourdes; Meisel, Andreas; Carvalho, Félix; Capela, João Paulo

    2013-02-04

    "Ecstasy" (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine or MDMA) is a widely abused recreational drug, reported to produce neurotoxic effects, both in laboratory animals and in humans. MDMA metabolites can be major contributors for MDMA neurotoxicity. This work studied the neurotoxicity of MDMA and its catechol metabolites, α-methyldopamine (α-MeDA) and N-methyl-α-methyldopamine (N-Me-α-MeDA) in human dopaminergic SH-SY5Y cells differentiated with retinoic acid and 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate. Differentiation led to SH-SY5Y neurons with higher ability to accumulate dopamine and higher resistance towards dopamine neurotoxicity. MDMA catechol metabolites were neurotoxic to SH-SY5Y neurons, leading to caspase 3-independent cell death in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. MDMA did not show a concentration- and time-dependent death. Pre-treatment with the antioxidant and glutathione precursor, N-acetylcysteine (NAC), resulted in strong protection against the MDMA metabolites' neurotoxicity. Neither the superoxide radical scavenger, tiron, nor the inhibitor of the dopamine (DA) transporter, GBR 12909, prevented the metabolites' toxicity. Cells exposed to α-MeDA showed an increase in intracellular glutathione (GSH) levels, which, at the 48 h time-point, was not dependent in the activity increase of γ-glutamylcysteine synthetase (γ-GCS), revealing a possible transient effect. Importantly, pre-treatment with buthionine sulfoximine (BSO), an inhibitor of γ-GCS, prevented α-MeDA induced increase in GSH levels, but did not augment this metabolite cytotoxicity. Even so, BSO pre-treatment abolished NAC protective effects against α-MeDA neurotoxicity, which were, at least partially, due to GSH de novo synthesis. Inversely, pre-treatment of cells with BSO augmented N-Me-α-MeDA-induced neurotoxicity, but only slightly affected NAC neuroprotection. In conclusion, MDMA catechol metabolites promote differential toxic effects to differentiated dopaminergic human SH

  1. Urinary excretion of androgen metabolites, comparison with excretion of radioactive metabolites after injection of (4-/sup 14/C)testosterone. Influence of age

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Deslypere, J P; Sayed, A; Vermeulen, A [Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Endocrinology, State University Academic Hospital, De Pintelaan, 135, Ghent, Belgium; Wiers, P W [Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Pneumology, State University Academic Hospital, The Netherlands

    1981-01-01

    The influence of age on the metabolic pattern of (4-/sup 14/C)testosterone was studied in 20 young and 8 elderly males and compared to the metabolic pattern of endogenous androgens; the latter was also studied in 16 young and 8 elderly women. In both young and elderly males, androsterone and aetiocholanolone glucuronide represent 65% of (4-/sup 14/C)testosterone metabolites: together with their suephoconjugates as well as with 5..cap alpha..- and 5..beta..-androstane-3..cap alpha.., 17..beta..-diol they represent even more than 75% of total urinary metabolites. The 5..cap alpha../5..beta.. ratio of metabolites of (4-/sup 14/C)testosterone was significantly (P<0.01) correlated with the 5..cap alpha../5..beta.. ratio of the metabolites of the endogenous androgens, mainly dehydroepiandrosterone and androstenedione. The 5..cap alpha../5..beta.. ratio of (4-/sup 14/C)testosterone metabolites was generally higher than the ratio of metabolites of endogenous androgens, suggesting that the transformation of T to ring A saturated metabolites occurs at least partially in another compartment than the transformation of DHEA to these metabolites. For both (4-/sup 14/C)testosterone and endogenous androgen metabolites we observed a statistically significant reduction of the 5..cap alpha../5..beta.. ratio with age, a general phenomenon in both males and females. This reduction concern also 11-OH-androst-4-ene-3.17-dione metabolism. Neither sex hormone levels, nor specific binding seems to determine this age dependent shift; neither is there convincing evidence for latent hypothyroisism or liver dysfunction in the elderly. An age associated primary decrease of the 5..cap alpha..-reductase activity seems the most likely explanation.

  2. Ligand Binding Affinities of Arctigenin and Its Demethylated Metabolites to Estrogen Receptor Alpha

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Masao Hattori

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Phytoestrogens are defined as plant-derived compounds with estrogen-like activities according to their chemical structures and activities. Plant lignans are generally categorized as phytoestrogens. It was reported that (−-arctigenin, the aglycone of arctiin, was demethylated to (−-dihydroxyenterolactone (DHENL by Eubacterium (E. sp. ARC-2. Through stepwise demethylation, E. sp. ARC-2 produced six intermediates, three mono-desmethylarctigenins and three di-desmethylarctigenins. In the present study, ligand binding affinities of (−-arctigenin and its seven metabolites, including DHENL, were investigated for an estrogen receptor alpha, and found that demethylated metabolites had stronger binding affinities than (−-arctigenin using a ligand binding screen assay method. The IC50 value of (2R,3R-2-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzyl-3-(3,4-dihydroxybenzyl-butyrolactone was 7.9 × 10−4 M.

  3. Secondary metabolite profiling of Curcuma species grown at different locations using GC/TOF and UPLC/Q-TOF MS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Jueun; Jung, Youngae; Shin, Jeoung-Hwa; Kim, Ho Kyoung; Moon, Byeong Cheol; Ryu, Do Hyun; Hwang, Geum-Sook

    2014-07-04

    Curcuma, a genus of rhizomatous herbaceous species, has been used as a spice, traditional medicine, and natural dye. In this study, the metabolite profile of Curcuma extracts was determined using gas chromatography-time of flight mass spectrometry (GC/TOF MS) and ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC/Q-TOF MS) to characterize differences between Curcuma aromatica and Curcuma longa grown on the Jeju-do or Jin-do islands, South Korea. Previous studies have performed primary metabolite profiling of Curcuma species grown in different regions using NMR-based metabolomics. This study focused on profiling of secondary metabolites from the hexane extract of Curcuma species. Principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least-squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) plots showed significant differences between the C. aromatica and C. longa metabolite profiles, whereas geographical location had little effect. A t-test was performed to identify statistically significant metabolites, such as terpenoids. Additionally, targeted profiling using UPLC/Q-TOF MS showed that the concentration of curcuminoids differed depending on the plant origin. Based on these results, a combination of GC- and LC-MS allowed us to analyze curcuminoids and terpenoids, the typical bioactive compounds of Curcuma, which can be used to discriminate Curcuma samples according to species or geographical origin.

  4. Secondary Metabolite Profiling of Curcuma Species Grown at Different Locations Using GC/TOF and UPLC/Q-TOF MS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jueun Lee

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available Curcuma, a genus of rhizomatous herbaceous species, has been used as a spice, traditional medicine, and natural dye. In this study, the metabolite profile of Curcuma extracts was determined using gas chromatography-time of flight mass spectrometry (GC/TOF MS and ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography–quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC/Q-TOF MS to characterize differences between Curcuma aromatica and Curcuma longa grown on the Jeju-do or Jin-do islands, South Korea. Previous studies have performed primary metabolite profiling of Curcuma species grown in different regions using NMR-based metabolomics. This study focused on profiling of secondary metabolites from the hexane extract of Curcuma species. Principal component analysis (PCA and partial least-squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA plots showed significant differences between the C. aromatica and C. longa metabolite profiles, whereas geographical location had little effect. A t-test was performed to identify statistically significant metabolites, such as terpenoids. Additionally, targeted profiling using UPLC/Q-TOF MS showed that the concentration of curcuminoids differed depending on the plant origin. Based on these results, a combination of GC- and LC-MS allowed us to analyze curcuminoids and terpenoids, the typical bioactive compounds of Curcuma, which can be used to discriminate Curcuma samples according to species or geographical origin.

  5. Photoprotective potential of metabolites isolated from algae-associated fungi Annulohypoxylon stygium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maciel, Olívia Maria Campanini; Tavares, Renata Spagolla Napoleão; Caluz, Daniela Ricardo Engracia; Gaspar, Lorena Rigo; Debonsi, Hosana Maria

    2018-01-01

    Natural products, or secondary metabolites, obtained from fungal species associated with marine algae have been widely used in sunscreens due to their antioxidant activity and protective potential against solar radiation. The endophytic fungus isolated from Bostrychia radicans algae collected in the Rio Escuro mangrove, São Paulo State, Brazil, Annulohypoxylon stygium (Xylariaceae family) was studied to evaluate the photoprotective potential of its metabolites. The Annulohypoxylon genus can produce secondary metabolites with interesting cytotoxic, antibacterial and antioxidant properties and was never isolated before from a marine alga or had its metabolites studied for UV protection. The fungal culture (code As) extracted with dichloromethane: methanol (2:1) yielded 9 fractions (Asa to Asi) which were submitted to different chromatographic methodologies to obtain pure compounds, and to spectroscopic methodologies to elucidate their structures. Also, a screening was conducted to evaluate the qualitative production of the metabolites, besides the absorption in the UVA/UVB range, their photostability and phototoxicity potential using the 3T3 NRU phototoxicity test (OECD TG 432). This study led to the isolation of a novel compound, 3-benzylidene-2-methylhexahydropyrrolo [1,2-α] pyrazine-1,4-dione (1), from fractions Ase3 and Asf3; Ase1 was identified as 1-(1,3-Benzodioxol-5-yl)-1,2-propanediol (2), two metabolites were isolated as diastereomers (1S,2R)-1-phenyl-1,2-propanediol (3) from Asd2 and (1R,2R)-1-phenyl-1,2-propanediol (4) from Asd3, and Ase1 and 1,3-benzodioxole-5-methanol (5) from Asc1. The results obtained showed a great potential source of new molecules to be used as UVB filters in sunscreens, since substances 1-2 presented UVB absorption, had no phototoxic potential and were considered photostable. In conclusion, these compounds can be considered as a potential new class of molecules for photoprotection, since their photosafety and non-cytotoxicity were

  6. Plant metabolites and nutritional quality of vegetables.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hounsome, N; Hounsome, B; Tomos, D; Edwards-Jones, G

    2008-05-01

    Vegetables are an important part of the human diet and a major source of biologically active substances such as vitamins, dietary fiber, antioxidants, and cholesterol-lowering compounds. Despite a large amount of information on this topic, the nutritional quality of vegetables has not been defined. Historically, the value of many plant nutrients and health-promoting compounds was discovered by trial and error. By the turn of the century, the application of chromatography, mass spectrometry, infrared spectrometry, and nuclear magnetic resonance allowed quantitative and qualitative measurements of a large number of plant metabolites. Approximately 50000 metabolites have been elucidated in plants, and it is predicted that the final number will exceed 200000. Most of them have unknown function. Metabolites such as carbohydrates, organic and amino acids, vitamins, hormones, flavonoids, phenolics, and glucosinolates are essential for plant growth, development, stress adaptation, and defense. Besides the importance for the plant itself, such metabolites determine the nutritional quality of food, color, taste, smell, antioxidative, anticarcinogenic, antihypertension, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, immunostimulating, and cholesterol-lowering properties. This review is focused on major plant metabolites that characterize the nutritional quality of vegetables, and methods of their analysis.

  7. β-Orcinol Metabolites from the Lichen Hypotrachyna revoluta

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Panagiota Papadopoulou

    2007-05-01

    Full Text Available Four new β-orcinol metabolites, hypotrachynic acid (1, deoxystictic acid (2, cryptostictinolide (3 and 8 ́-methylconstictic acid (4 along with the metabolites 8 ́-methylstictic acid (5, 8 ́-methylmenegazziaic acid (6, stictic acid (7, 8 ́-ethylstictic acid (8 and atranorin (9, that have been previously described, were isolated for the first time from the tissue extracts of the lichen Hypotrachyna revoluta (Flörke Hale. The structures of the new metabolites were elucidated on the basis of extensive spectroscopic analyses. Radical scavenging activity (RSA of the metabolites isolated in adequate amounts, was evaluated using luminol chemiluminescence and comparison with Trolox®.

  8. Analysis of Intracellular Metabolites from Microorganisms: Quenching and Extraction Protocols.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pinu, Farhana R; Villas-Boas, Silas G; Aggio, Raphael

    2017-10-23

    Sample preparation is one of the most important steps in metabolome analysis. The challenges of determining microbial metabolome have been well discussed within the research community and many improvements have already been achieved in last decade. The analysis of intracellular metabolites is particularly challenging. Environmental perturbations may considerably affect microbial metabolism, which results in intracellular metabolites being rapidly degraded or metabolized by enzymatic reactions. Therefore, quenching or the complete stop of cell metabolism is a pre-requisite for accurate intracellular metabolite analysis. After quenching, metabolites need to be extracted from the intracellular compartment. The choice of the most suitable metabolite extraction method/s is another crucial step. The literature indicates that specific classes of metabolites are better extracted by different extraction protocols. In this review, we discuss the technical aspects and advancements of quenching and extraction of intracellular metabolite analysis from microbial cells.

  9. A sex-specific metabolite identified in a marine invertebrate utilizing phosphorus-31 nuclear magnetic resonance.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Robert A Kleps

    Full Text Available Hormone level differences are generally accepted as the primary cause for sexual dimorphism in animal and human development. Levels of low molecular weight metabolites also differ between men and women in circulating amino acids, lipids and carbohydrates and within brain tissue. While investigating the metabolism of blue crab tissues using Phosphorus-31 Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, we discovered that only the male blue crab (Callinectes sapidus contained a phosphorus compound with a chemical shift well separated from the expected phosphate compounds. Spectra obtained from male gills were readily differentiated from female gill spectra. Analysis from six years of data from male and female crabs documented that the sex-specificity of this metabolite was normal for this species. Microscopic analysis of male and female gills found no differences in their gill anatomy or the presence of parasites or bacteria that might produce this phosphorus compound. Analysis of a rare gynandromorph blue crab (laterally, half male and half female proved that this sex-specificity was an intrinsic biochemical process and was not caused by any variations in the diet or habitat of male versus female crabs. The existence of a sex-specific metabolite is a previously unrecognized, but potentially significant biochemical phenomenon. An entire enzyme system has been synthesized and activated only in one sex. Unless blue crabs are a unique species, sex-specific metabolites are likely to be present in other animals. Would the presence or absence of a sex-specific metabolite affect an animal's development, anatomy and biochemistry?

  10. Detecting beer intake by unique metabolite patterns

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gürdeniz, Gözde; Jensen, Morten Georg; Meier, Sebastian

    2016-01-01

    Evaluation of health related effects of beer intake is hampered by the lack of accurate tools for assessing intakes (biomarkers). Therefore, we identified plasma and urine metabolites associated with recent beer intake by untargeted metabolomics and established a characteristic metabolite pattern...... representing raw materials and beer production as a qualitative biomarker of beer intake. In a randomized, crossover, single-blinded meal study (MSt1) 18 participants were given one at a time four different test beverages: strong, regular and non-alcoholic beers and a soft drink. Four participants were...... assigned to have two additional beers (MSt2). In addition to plasma and urine samples, test beverages, wort and hops extract were analyzed by UPLC-QTOF. A unique metabolite pattern reflecting beer metabolome, including metabolites derived from beer raw material (i.e. N-methyl tyramine sulfate and the sum...

  11. Metabolite Profiling and Classification of DNA-Authenticated Licorice Botanicals

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simmler, Charlotte; Anderson, Jeffrey R.; Gauthier, Laura; Lankin, David C.; McAlpine, James B.; Chen, Shao-Nong; Pauli, Guido F.

    2015-01-01

    Raw licorice roots represent heterogeneous materials obtained from mainly three Glycyrrhiza species. G. glabra, G. uralensis, and G. inflata exhibit marked metabolite differences in terms of flavanones (Fs), chalcones (Cs), and other phenolic constituents. The principal objective of this work was to develop complementary chemometric models for the metabolite profiling, classification, and quality control of authenticated licorice. A total of 51 commercial and macroscopically verified samples were DNA authenticated. Principal component analysis and canonical discriminant analysis were performed on 1H NMR spectra and area under the curve values obtained from UHPLC-UV chromatograms, respectively. The developed chemometric models enable the identification and classification of Glycyrrhiza species according to their composition in major Fs, Cs, and species specific phenolic compounds. Further key outcomes demonstrated that DNA authentication combined with chemometric analyses enabled the characterization of mixtures, hybrids, and species outliers. This study provides a new foundation for the botanical and chemical authentication, classification, and metabolomic characterization of crude licorice botanicals and derived materials. Collectively, the proposed methods offer a comprehensive approach for the quality control of licorice as one of the most widely used botanical dietary supplements. PMID:26244884

  12. Optimized Jasmonic Acid Production by Lasiodiplodia theobromae Reveals Formation of Valuable Plant Secondary Metabolites.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Felipe Eng

    Full Text Available Jasmonic acid is a plant hormone that can be produced by the fungus Lasiodiplodia theobromae via submerged fermentation. From a biotechnological perspective jasmonic acid is a valuable feedstock as its derivatives serve as important ingredients in different cosmetic products and in the future it may be used for pharmaceutical applications. The objective of this work was to improve the production of jasmonic acid by L. theobromae strain 2334. We observed that jasmonic acid formation is dependent on the culture volume. Moreover, cultures grown in medium containing potassium nitrate as nitrogen source produced higher amounts of jasmonic acid than analogous cultures supplemented with ammonium nitrate. When cultivated under optimal conditions for jasmonic acid production, L. theobromae secreted several secondary metabolites known from plants into the medium. Among those we found 3-oxo-2-(pent-2-enyl-cyclopentane-1-butanoic acid (OPC-4 and hydroxy-jasmonic acid derivatives, respectively, suggesting that fungal jasmonate metabolism may involve similar reaction steps as that of plants. To characterize fungal growth and jasmonic acid-formation, we established a mathematical model describing both processes. This model may form the basis of industrial upscaling attempts. Importantly, it showed that jasmonic acid-formation is not associated to fungal growth. Therefore, this finding suggests that jasmonic acid, despite its enormous amount being produced upon fungal development, serves merely as secondary metabolite.

  13. Benefits of combinative application of probiotic, enterocin M-producing strain Enterococcus faecium AL41 and Eleutherococcus senticosus in rabbits.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lauková, Andrea; Simonová, Monika Pogány; Chrastinová, Ľubica; Plachá, Iveta; Čobanová, Klaudia; Formelová, Zuzana; Chrenková, Mária; Ondruška, Ľubomír; Strompfová, Viola

    2016-03-01

    This study presents the effects of the probiotic and enterocin M-producing strain Enterococcus faecium AL41 on microbiota, phagocytic activity (PA), oxidative stress, performance and biochemical parameters when applied individually or in combination with Eleutherococcus senticosus in rabbits. The novelty of the study lies in the use of our non-rabbit-derived strain (AL41 = CCM8558) which produces new enterocin M. Ninety-six post-weaned rabbits (Hyplus breed) aged 5 weeks were divided into three experimental groups, 24 in each: E. senticosus (ES, 30 g/100 kg) in feed, E. faecium AL41 (10(9) CFU/mL marked by rifampicin to differentiate it from other enterococci) in water, and ES + AL. AL41 colonized sufficiently in rabbits to reduce coliforms, staphylococci, pseudomonads and clostridia. Slight decrease in bacteria was also found in the caecum and appendix. Phagocytic activity was significantly increased in the experimental groups compared to the control group (CG) (p < 0.001; p < 0.05). Applications did not evoke oxidative stress. Biochemical parameters in blood and caecal organic acids were slightly influenced. Average daily weight gain was slightly higher in ES and AL + ES. Combinative application of E. faecium with E. senticosus can be beneficial in rabbits. AL41 strain alone and in combination with ES produced reduction in spoilage bacteria; the highest stimulation of PA was in the AL41 + ES group.

  14. Marine metabolites: The sterols of soft coral

    Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

    Sarma, N.S.; Krishna, M.S.; Pasha, Sk.G.; Rao, T.S.P.; Venkateswarlu, Y.; Parameswaran, P.S.

    Sterols constitute a major group of secondary metabolites of soft corals. Several of these compounds have the 'usual' 3 beta-hydroxy, delta sup(5) (or delta sup(0)) cholestane skeleton, a large number of these metabolites are polar sterols...

  15. MIDAS: a database-searching algorithm for metabolite identification in metabolomics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Yingfeng; Kora, Guruprasad; Bowen, Benjamin P; Pan, Chongle

    2014-10-07

    A database searching approach can be used for metabolite identification in metabolomics by matching measured tandem mass spectra (MS/MS) against the predicted fragments of metabolites in a database. Here, we present the open-source MIDAS algorithm (Metabolite Identification via Database Searching). To evaluate a metabolite-spectrum match (MSM), MIDAS first enumerates possible fragments from a metabolite by systematic bond dissociation, then calculates the plausibility of the fragments based on their fragmentation pathways, and finally scores the MSM to assess how well the experimental MS/MS spectrum from collision-induced dissociation (CID) is explained by the metabolite's predicted CID MS/MS spectrum. MIDAS was designed to search high-resolution tandem mass spectra acquired on time-of-flight or Orbitrap mass spectrometer against a metabolite database in an automated and high-throughput manner. The accuracy of metabolite identification by MIDAS was benchmarked using four sets of standard tandem mass spectra from MassBank. On average, for 77% of original spectra and 84% of composite spectra, MIDAS correctly ranked the true compounds as the first MSMs out of all MetaCyc metabolites as decoys. MIDAS correctly identified 46% more original spectra and 59% more composite spectra at the first MSMs than an existing database-searching algorithm, MetFrag. MIDAS was showcased by searching a published real-world measurement of a metabolome from Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002 against the MetaCyc metabolite database. MIDAS identified many metabolites missed in the previous study. MIDAS identifications should be considered only as candidate metabolites, which need to be confirmed using standard compounds. To facilitate manual validation, MIDAS provides annotated spectra for MSMs and labels observed mass spectral peaks with predicted fragments. The database searching and manual validation can be performed online at http://midas.omicsbio.org.

  16. Neuropharmacology of 3,4-Methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV), Its Metabolites, and Related Analogs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baumann, Michael H; Bukhari, Mohammad O; Lehner, Kurt R; Anizan, Sebastien; Rice, Kenner C; Concheiro, Marta; Huestis, Marilyn A

    2017-01-01

    3,4-Methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV) is a psychoactive component of so-called bath salts products that has caused serious medical consequences in humans. In this chapter, we review the neuropharmacology of MDPV and related analogs, and supplement the discussion with new results from our preclinical experiments. MDPV acts as a potent uptake inhibitor at plasma membrane transporters for dopamine (DAT) and norepinephrine (NET) in nervous tissue. The MDPV formulation in bath salts is a racemic mixture, and the S isomer is much more potent than the R isomer at blocking DAT and producing abuse-related effects. Elevations in brain extracellular dopamine produced by MDPV are likely to underlie its locomotor stimulant and addictive properties. MDPV displays rapid pharmacokinetics when injected into rats (0.5-2.0 mg/kg), with peak plasma concentrations achieved by 10-20 min and declining quickly thereafter. MDPV is metabolized to 3,4-dihydroxypyrovalerone (3,4-catechol-PV) and 4-hydroxy-3-methoxypyrovalerone (4-OH-3-MeO-PV) in vivo, but motor activation produced by the drug is positively correlated with plasma concentrations of parent drug and not its metabolites. 3,4-Catechol-PV is a potent uptake blocker at DAT in vitro but has little activity after administration in vivo. 4-OH-3-MeO-PV is the main MDPV metabolite but is weak at DAT and NET. MDPV analogs, such as α-pyrrolidinovalerophenone (α-PVP), display similar ability to inhibit DAT and increase extracellular dopamine concentrations. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that MDPV and its analogs represent a unique class of transporter inhibitors with a high propensity for abuse and addiction.

  17. Radicinols and radicinin phytotoxins produced by Alternaria radicina on carrots.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Solfrizzo, Michele; Vitti, Carolina; De Girolamo, Annalisa; Visconti, Angelo; Logrieco, Antonio; Fanizzi, Francesco P

    2004-06-02

    The phytotoxin epi-radicinol, a diastereomer of radicinol, was isolated from large cultures of Alternaria radicina grown on carrot slices and identified by GC-MS, LC-MS, (1)H NMR, and (13)C NMR. Four strains of A. radicina isolated from rotted carrot produced epi-radicinol as the major metabolite (up to 39414 microg/g) together with radicinol (up to 2423 microg/g), and, to a lesser extent, radicinin when cultured on carrot slices, whereas on rice they mainly produced radicinin (2486-53800 microg/g). Radicinin and epi-radicinol reduced root elongation of germinating carrot seeds at concentrations of 10-20 microg/mL. Carrot samples naturally infected by A. radicina contained detectable quantities of epi-radicinol also in combination with lower levels of radicinin or radicinol. Accumulation of radicinols and radicinin in stored carrots, either naturally contaminated or artificially inoculated with A. radicina, was stimulated by successive temperature rises from 1 to 10 degrees C and from 10 to 20 degrees C, reaching maximum levels of 60 microg/g epi-radicinol and 26 microg/g radicinin. This is the first report on the production of radicinols by A. radicina and its natural occurrence in carrots in association with radicinin.

  18. Neonatal Maturation of Paracetamol (Acetaminophen) Glucuronidation, Sulfation, and Oxidation Based on a Parent-Metabolite Population Pharmacokinetic Model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cook, Sarah F; Stockmann, Chris; Samiee-Zafarghandy, Samira; King, Amber D; Deutsch, Nina; Williams, Elaine F; Wilkins, Diana G; Sherwin, Catherine M T; van den Anker, John N

    2016-11-01

    This study aimed to model the population pharmacokinetics of intravenous paracetamol and its major metabolites in neonates and to identify influential patient characteristics, especially those affecting the formation clearance (CL formation ) of oxidative pathway metabolites. Neonates with a clinical indication for intravenous analgesia received five 15-mg/kg doses of paracetamol at 12-h intervals (paracetamol, paracetamol-glucuronide, paracetamol-sulfate, and the combined oxidative pathway metabolites (paracetamol-cysteine and paracetamol-N-acetylcysteine) were simultaneously modeled in NONMEM 7.2. The model incorporated 259 plasma and 350 urine samples from 35 neonates with a mean gestational age of 33.6 weeks (standard deviation 6.6). CL formation for all metabolites increased with weight; CL formation for glucuronidation and oxidation also increased with postnatal age. At the mean weight (2.3 kg) and postnatal age (7.5 days), CL formation estimates (bootstrap 95% confidence interval; between-subject variability) were 0.049 L/h (0.038-0.062; 62 %) for glucuronidation, 0.21 L/h (0.17-0.24; 33 %) for sulfation, and 0.058 L/h (0.044-0.078; 72 %) for oxidation. Expression of individual oxidation CL formation as a fraction of total individual paracetamol clearance showed that, on average, fractional oxidation CL formation increased paracetamol and its metabolites in neonates. Maturational changes in the fraction of paracetamol undergoing oxidation were small relative to between-subject variability.

  19. 40 CFR 159.179 - Metabolites, degradates, contaminants, and impurities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 23 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Metabolites, degradates, contaminants.../Benefit Information § 159.179 Metabolites, degradates, contaminants, and impurities. (a) Metabolites and... degradation of less than 10 percent in a 30-day period. (b) Contaminants and impurities. The presence in any...

  20. Analysis of Intracellular Metabolites from Microorganisms: Quenching and Extraction Protocols

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Farhana R. Pinu

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Sample preparation is one of the most important steps in metabolome analysis. The challenges of determining microbial metabolome have been well discussed within the research community and many improvements have already been achieved in last decade. The analysis of intracellular metabolites is particularly challenging. Environmental perturbations may considerably affect microbial metabolism, which results in intracellular metabolites being rapidly degraded or metabolized by enzymatic reactions. Therefore, quenching or the complete stop of cell metabolism is a pre-requisite for accurate intracellular metabolite analysis. After quenching, metabolites need to be extracted from the intracellular compartment. The choice of the most suitable metabolite extraction method/s is another crucial step. The literature indicates that specific classes of metabolites are better extracted by different extraction protocols. In this review, we discuss the technical aspects and advancements of quenching and extraction of intracellular metabolite analysis from microbial cells.

  1. Multi-platform metabolomics and a genetic approach support the authentication of agarwood produced by Aquilaria crassna and Aquilaria malaccensis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nguyen, Huy Truong; Min, Jung-Eun; Long, Nguyen Phuoc; Thanh, Ma Chi; Le, Thi Hong Van; Lee, Jeongmi; Park, Jeong Hill; Kwon, Sung Won

    2017-08-05

    Agarwood, the resinous heartwood produced by some Aquilaria species such as Aquilaria crassna, Aquilaria malaccensis and Aquilaria sinensis, has been traditionally and widely used in medicine, incenses and especially perfumes. However, up to now, the authentication of agarwood has been largely based on morphological characteristics, a method which is prone to errors and lacks reproducibility. Hence, in this study, we applied metabolomics and a genetic approach to the authentication of two common agarwood chips, those produced by Aquilaria crassna and Aquilaria malaccensis. Primary metabolites, secondary metabolites and DNA markers of agarwood were authenticated by 1 H NMR metabolomics, GC-MS metabolomics and DNA-based techniques, respectively. The results indicated that agarwood chips could be classified accurately by all the methods illustrated in this study. Additionally, the pros and cons of each method are also discussed. To the best of our knowledge, our research is the first study detailing all the differences in the primary and secondary metabolites, as well as the DNA markers between the agarwood produced by these two species. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Profiling of secondary metabolite gene clusters regulated by LaeA in Aspergillus niger FGSC A1279 based on genome sequencing and transcriptome analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Bin; Lv, Yangyong; Li, Xuejie; Lin, Yiying; Deng, Hai; Pan, Li

    The global regulator LaeA controls the production of many fungal secondary metabolites, possibly via chromatin remodeling. Here we aimed to survey the secondary metabolite profile regulated by LaeA in Aspergillus niger FGSC A1279 by genome sequencing and comparative transcriptomics between the laeA deletion (ΔlaeA) and overexpressing (OE-laeA) mutants. Genome sequencing revealed four putative polyketide synthase genes specific to FGSC A1279, suggesting that the corresponding polyketide compounds might be unique to FGSC A1279. RNA-seq data revealed 281 putative secondary metabolite genes upregulated in the OE-laeA mutants, including 22 secondary metabolite backbone genes. LC-MS chemical profiling illustrated that many secondary metabolites were produced in OE-laeA mutants compared to wild type and ΔlaeA mutants, providing potential resources for drug discovery. KEGG analysis annotated 16 secondary metabolite clusters putatively linked to metabolic pathways. Furthermore, 34 of 61 Zn 2 Cys 6 transcription factors located in secondary metabolite clusters were differentially expressed between ΔlaeA and OE-laeA mutants. Three secondary metabolite clusters (cluster 18, 30 and 33) containing Zn 2 Cys 6 transcription factors that were upregulated in OE-laeA mutants were putatively linked to KEGG pathways, suggesting that Zn 2 Cys 6 transcription factors might play an important role in synthesizing secondary metabolites regulated by LaeA. Taken together, LaeA dramatically influences the secondary metabolite profile in FGSC A1279. Copyright © 2017 Institut Pasteur. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  3. Quantitative analyses of the main chemical constituents in the roots of Echinacea purpurea and E. angustifolia produced in Costa Rica

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Loaiza, Jorge; Valverde, Roberto; Rodriguez, Gerardo; Molina, Jorge

    2004-01-01

    Free phenylpropanoids (chlorogenic and cichoric acids), and glycosidic (echinecoside), as well as the alkamides, present in root extracts of the medicinal plants Echinacea purpurea and E. angustifolia produced in 3 different locations of Costa Rica (Los Santos at 1650 masl, Santa Barbara de Heredia at 1250 masl and Ojo de Agua at 850 masl) were quantified. Results showed a decrease on secondary metabolites associated to an altitude reduction of the growing zone. Concentration of free phenylpropanoids and the echinecoside (synthesized exclusively for E. angustifolia) produced in Costa Rica was 100 and 34% higher than the concentration reported for a standard sample from U.S.A. Alkamides concentration ranged from 0.89-2.31%, as compared to 0.004-0.36% reported from U.S.A. The alkamides produced in Costa Rica were similar in the 3 growing zones. In addition, 2 of them showed different isomerism than the ones reported in samples from U.S.A. These results indicate that in tropical conditions not only is it possible to produce Echinacea, but also that the amount of metabolites is higher than those produced in the Echinacea's origin areas. The presence of compounds with different isomerism could provide an alternative use for those metabolites. (author) [es

  4. Antibiotic producing microorganisms from River Wiwi, Lake Bosomtwe and the Gulf of Guinea at Doakor Sea Beach, Ghana

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tawiah Adelaide A

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Microorganisms have provided a wealth of metabolites with interesting activities such as antimicrobial, antiviral and anticancer. In this study, a total of 119 aquatic microbial isolates from 30 samples (taken from water bodies in Ghana were screened by the agar-well diffusion method for ability to produce antibacterial-metabolites. Results Antibacterial activity was exhibited by 27 of the isolates (14 bacteria, 9 actinomycetes and 4 fungi against at least one of the indicator microorganisms: Enterococcus faecalis (ATCC 29212, Bacillus thuringiensis (ATCC 13838, Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 27853, Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923, Proteus vulgaris (NCTC 4635 and Bacillus Subtilis (NCTC 10073. A sea isolate MAI2 (identified as a strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa exhibited the highest antibacterial activity (lowest zone of inhibition = 22 mm. The metabolites of MAI2 extracted with chloroform were stable to heat and gave minimum inhibitory concentrations ranging between 250 and 2000 μg/ml. Bioautography of the extract revealed seven active components. Conclusion This study has therefore uncovered the potential of water bodies in the West African sub-region as reservoirs of potent bioactive metabolite producing microorganisms.

  5. Ruta graveolens Extracts and Metabolites against Spodoptera frugiperda.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ayil-Gutiérrez, Benjamin A; Villegas-Mendoza, Jesús M; Santes-Hernndez, Zuridai; Paz-González, Alma D; Mireles-Martínez, Maribel; Rosas-García, Ninfa M; Rivera, Gildardo

    2015-11-01

    The biological activity of Ruta graveolens leaf tissue extracts obtained with different solvents (ethyl acetate, ethanol, and water) and metabolites (psoralen, 2- undecanone and rutin) against Spodoptera frugiperda was evaluated. Metabolites levels in extracts were quantified by HPLC and GC. Ethyl acetate and ethanol extracts showed 94% and 78% mortality, respectively. Additionally, psoralen metabolite showed a high mortality as cypermethrin. Metabolite quantification in extracts shows the presence of 2-undecanone (87.9 µmoles mg(-1) DW), psoralen (3.6 µmoles mg(-1) DW) and rutin (0.001 pmoles mg(-1) DW). We suggest that these concentrations of 2-undecanone and psoralen in R. graveolens leaf tissue extracts could be responsible for S. frugiperda mortality.

  6. A wide diversity of bacteria from the human gut produces and degrades biogenic amines.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pugin, Benoit; Barcik, Weronika; Westermann, Patrick; Heider, Anja; Wawrzyniak, Marcin; Hellings, Peter; Akdis, Cezmi A; O'Mahony, Liam

    2017-01-01

    Background : Biogenic amines (BAs) are metabolites produced by the decarboxylation of amino acids with significant physiological functions in eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells. BAs can be produced by bacteria in fermented foods, but little is known concerning the potential for microbes within the human gut microbiota to produce or degrade BAs. Objective : To isolate and identify BA-producing and BA-degrading microbes from the human gastrointestinal tract. Design : Fecal samples from human volunteers were screened on multiple growth media, under multiple growth conditions. Bacterial species were identified using 16S rRNA sequencing and BA production or degradation was assessed using ultra-performance liquid chromatography. Results : In total, 74 BA-producing or BA-degrading strains were isolated from the human gut. These isolates belong to the genera Bifidobacterium , Clostridium , Enterococcus , Lactobacillus , Pediococcus , Streptococcus , Enterobacter , Escherichia , Klebsiella , Morganella and Proteus . While differences in production or degradation of specific BAs were observed at the strain level, our results suggest that these metabolic activities are widely spread across different taxa present within the human gut microbiota. Conclusions : The isolation and identification of microbes from the human gut with BA-producing and BA-degrading metabolic activity is an important first step in developing a better understanding of how these metabolites influence health and disease.

  7. Metabolite profiling of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) using 1H NMR spectroscopy as a tool to detect potential unintended effects following a genetic modification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Le Gall, Gwénaëlle; Colquhoun, Ian J; Davis, Adrienne L; Collins, Geoff J; Verhoeyen, Martine E

    2003-04-23

    The maize transcription factors LC and C1 were simultaneously overexpressed in tomato with the aim of producing lines with increased amounts of flavonols. The metabolite composition of these genetically modified tomatoes has been compared with that of azygous (nonmodified) controls grown side-by-side under the same conditions. It has been possible to observe metabolic changes in both types at different stages of maturity. (1)H NMR spectra showed that the levels of glutamic acid, fructose, and some nucleosides and nucleotides gradually increase from the immature to the ripe stage, whereas some amino acids such as valine and gamma-aminobutyric acid were present in higher amounts in unripe tomatoes. Apart from the significantly increased content of six main flavonoid glycosides (mainly kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside, with additional increases in kaempferol-3,7-di-O-glucoside (1), kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside-7-O-glucoside (2), kaempferol-3-O-glucoside, a dihydrokaempferol-O-hexoside (3), and naringenin-7-O-glucoside), the levels of at least 15 other metabolites were found to be different between the two types of red tomato. Among them were citric acid, sucrose, phenylalanine, and trigonelline. However, although statistically significant, these changes in mean values were relatively minor (less than 3-fold) and within the natural variation that would be observed in a field-grown crop. Nevertheless, this study clearly showed that NMR combined with chemometrics and univariate statistics can successfully trace even small differences in metabolite levels between plants and therefore represents a powerful tool to detect potential unintended effects in genetically modified crops.

  8. Characterization of macromolecular baseline of human brain using metabolite cycled semi-LASER at 9.4T.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Giapitzakis, Ioannis-Angelos; Avdievich, Nikolai; Henning, Anke

    2018-08-01

    Macromolecular resonances (MM) arise mainly from cytosolic proteins and overlap with metabolites, influencing metabolite quantification. Macromolecules can serve as valuable biomarkers for diseases and pathologies. The objectives of this study were to characterize MM at 9.4T in the human brain (occipital and left parietal lobe) and to describe the RF coil setup used for MM acquisition in the two regions. An adiabatic inversion pulse was optimised for metabolite nulling at 9.4T using double inversion recovery and was combined for the first time with metabolite cycled (MC) semi-LASER and appropriate coil configuration. MM spectra (seven volunteers) from two brain locations were averaged and smoothed creating MM templates, which were then parametrized using simulated Voigt-shaped lines within LCModel. Quantification was performed on individual data sets, including corrections for different tissue composition and the T 1 and T 2 relaxation of water. Our coil configuration method resulted in efficient B1+ (>30 T/√kW) for both brain regions. The 15 MM components were detected and quantified in MM baselines of the two brain areas. No significant differences in concentration levels of MM between different regions were found. Two new MM peaks were reported (M7 & M8). Double inversion, which was combined with MC semi-LASER, enabled the acquisition of high spectral resolution MM spectra for both brain regions at 9.4T. The 15 MM components were detected and quantified. Two new MM peaks were reported for the first time (M7 & M8) and preliminarily assigned to β-methylene protons of aspartyl-groups. Magn Reson Med 80:462-473, 2018. © 2018 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. © 2018 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

  9. Biochemical and secondary metabolites changes under moisture ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The study showed the importance of carbohydrate and nitrogen cycle related metabolites in mediating tolerance in cassava by affecting their phenotypic expression in the plant. Keywords: Hydrothermal stress, bio-chemicals, pigments, secondary metabolites, cassava. African Journal of Biotechnology, Vol 13(31) 3173-3186 ...

  10. Diversity and natural functions of antibiotics produced by beneficial and plant pathogenic bacteria

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Raaijmakers, J.M.; Mazzola, M.

    2012-01-01

    Soil- and plant-associated environments harbor numerous bacteria that produce antibiotic metabolites with specific or broad-spectrum activities against coexisting microorganisms. The function and ecological importance of antibiotics have long been assumed to yield a survival advantage to the

  11. Prospective study of blood metabolites associated with colorectal cancer risk.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shu, Xiang; Xiang, Yong-Bing; Rothman, Nathaniel; Yu, Danxia; Li, Hong-Lan; Yang, Gong; Cai, Hui; Ma, Xiao; Lan, Qing; Gao, Yu-Tang; Jia, Wei; Shu, Xiao-Ou; Zheng, Wei

    2018-02-26

    Few prospective studies, and none in Asians, have systematically evaluated the relationship between blood metabolites and colorectal cancer risk. We conducted a nested case-control study to search for risk-associated metabolite biomarkers for colorectal cancer in an Asian population using blood samples collected prior to cancer diagnosis. Conditional logistic regression was performed to assess associations of metabolites with cancer risk. In this study, we included 250 incident cases with colorectal cancer and individually matched controls nested within two prospective Shanghai cohorts. We found 35 metabolites associated with risk of colorectal cancer after adjusting for multiple comparisons. Among them, 12 metabolites were glycerophospholipids including nine associated with reduced risk of colorectal cancer and three with increased risk [odds ratios per standard deviation increase of transformed metabolites: 0.31-1.98; p values: 0.002-1.25 × 10 -10 ]. The other 23 metabolites associated with colorectal cancer risk included nine lipids other than glycerophospholipid, seven aromatic compounds, five organic acids and four other organic compounds. After mutual adjustment, nine metabolites remained statistically significant for colorectal cancer. Together, these independently associated metabolites can separate cancer cases from controls with an area under the curve of 0.76 for colorectal cancer. We have identified that dysregulation of glycerophospholipids may contribute to risk of colorectal cancer. © 2018 UICC.

  12. Proteome analysis provides insight into the regulation of bioactive metabolites in Hericium erinaceus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zeng, Xu; Ling, Hong; Yang, Jianwen; Chen, Juan; Guo, Shunxing

    2018-05-05

    Hericium erinaceus, a famous edible mushroom, is also a well-known traditional medicinal fungus. To date, a large number of bioactive metabolites with antitumor, antibacterial, and immune-boosting effects were isolated from the free-living mycelium and fruiting body of H. erinaceus. Here we used the proteomic approach to explore proteins involved in the regulation of bioactive metabolites, including terpenoid, polyketide, sterol and etc. RESULTS: Using mass spectrometry, a total of 2543 unique proteins were identified using H. erinaceus genome, of which 2449, 1855, 1533 and 690 proteins were successfully annotated in Nr, KOG, KEGG and GO databases. Among them, 722 proteins were differentially expressed (528 up- and 194 down-regulated) in fruiting body compared with mycelium. Most of differentially expressed proteins were putatively involved in energy metabolism, molecular signaling, and secondary metabolism. Additionally, numerous proteins involved in terpenoid, polyketide, and sterol biosynthesis were identified. Our data revealed that proteins involved in polyketide biosynthesis were up-regulated in the fruiting body, while some proteins in mevalonate (MEP) pathway from terpenoid biosynthesis were generally up-regulated in mycelium. The present study suggested that the differential regulation of biosynthesis genes could produce various bioactive metabolites with pharmacological effects in H. erinaceus. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  13. Multi-Capillary Column-Ion Mobility Spectrometry of Volatile Metabolites Emitted by Saccharomyces Cerevisiae

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christoph Halbfeld

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available Volatile organic compounds (VOCs produced during microbial fermentations determine the flavor of fermented food and are of interest for the production of fragrances or food additives. However, the microbial synthesis of these compounds from simple carbon sources has not been well investigated so far. Here, we analyzed the headspace over glucose minimal salt medium cultures of Saccharomyces cerevisiae using multi-capillary column-ion mobility spectrometry (MCC-IMS. The high sensitivity and fast data acquisition of the MCC-IMS enabled online analysis of the fermentation off-gas and 19 specific signals were determined. To four of these volatile compounds, we could assign the metabolites ethanol, 2-pentanone, isobutyric acid, and 2,3-hexanedione by MCC-IMS measurements of pure standards and cross validation with thermal desorption–gas chromatography-mass spectrometry measurements. Despite the huge biochemical knowledge of the biochemistry of the model organism S. cerevisiae, only the biosynthetic pathways for ethanol and isobutyric acid are fully understood, demonstrating the considerable lack of research of volatile metabolites. As monitoring of VOCs produced during microbial fermentations can give valuable insight into the metabolic state of the organism, fast and non-invasive MCC-IMS analyses provide valuable data for process control.

  14. Application of gas chromatography/flame ionization detector-based metabolite fingerprinting for authentication of Asian palm civet coffee (Kopi Luwak).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jumhawan, Udi; Putri, Sastia Prama; Yusianto; Bamba, Takeshi; Fukusaki, Eiichiro

    2015-11-01

    Development of authenticity screening for Asian palm civet coffee, the world-renowned priciest coffee, was previously reported using metabolite profiling through gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). However, a major drawback of this approach is the high cost of the instrument and maintenance. Therefore, an alternative method is needed for quality and authenticity evaluation of civet coffee. A rapid, reliable and cost-effective analysis employing a universal detector, GC coupled with flame ionization detector (FID), and metabolite fingerprinting has been established for discrimination analysis of 37 commercial and non-commercial coffee beans extracts. gas chromatography/flame ionization detector (GC/FID) provided higher sensitivity over a similar range of detected compounds than GC/MS. In combination with multivariate analysis, GC/FID could successfully reproduce quality prediction from GC/MS for differentiation of commercial civet coffee, regular coffee and coffee blend with 50 wt % civet coffee content without prior metabolite details. Our study demonstrated that GC/FID-based metabolite fingerprinting can be effectively actualized as an alternative method for coffee authenticity screening in industries. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  15. Evaluation of three state-of-the-art metabolite prediction software packages (Meteor, MetaSite, and StarDrop) through independent and synergistic use.

    Science.gov (United States)

    T'jollyn, H; Boussery, K; Mortishire-Smith, R J; Coe, K; De Boeck, B; Van Bocxlaer, J F; Mannens, G

    2011-11-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate three different metabolite prediction software packages (Meteor, MetaSite, and StarDrop) with respect to their ability to predict loci of metabolism and suggest relative proportions of metabolites. A chemically diverse test set of 22 compounds, for which in vivo human mass balance studies and metabolic schemes were available, was used as basis for the evaluation. Each software package was provided with structures of the parent compounds, and predicted metabolites were compared with experimentally determined human metabolites. The evaluation consisted of two parts. First, different settings within each software package were investigated and the software was evaluated using those settings determined to give the best prediction. Second, the three different packages were combined using the optimized settings to see whether a synergistic effect concerning the overall metabolism prediction could be established. The performance of the software was scored for both sensitivity and precision, taking into account the capabilities/limitations of the particular software. Varying results were obtained for the individual packages. Meteor showed a general tendency toward overprediction, and this led to a relatively low precision (∼35%) but high sensitivity (∼70%). MetaSite and StarDrop both exhibited a sensitivity and precision of ∼50%. By combining predictions obtained with the different packages, we found that increased precision can be obtained. We conclude that the state-of-the-art individual metabolite prediction software has many advantageous features but needs refinement to obtain acceptable prediction profiles. Synergistic use of different software packages could prove useful.

  16. Metabolite comparisons and the identity of nutrients translocated from symbiotic algae to an animal host.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Whitehead, L F; Douglas, A E

    2003-09-01

    Dinoflagellate algae of the genus Symbiodinium in symbiosis with marine animals release much of their photosynthetic carbon to the animal host. The compounds translocated to the host ('mobile compounds') were investigated by metabolite comparison as follows: a substrate was identified as a candidate mobile compound when comparable profiles of metabolites were generated from host metabolism of this substrate (supplied exogenously) and the endogenous mobile compounds. When the sea anemone Anemonia viridis was incubated with NaH14CO2 under photosynthesizing conditions, most of the radioactivity in the animal tissue was recovered from the low-molecular-mass fraction and distributed in the ratio 1:2:1 between the neutral, acidic and basic sub-fractions. Prominent 14C-labelled compounds included glucose, malate and glucose-6-phosphate. When the symbiosis was incubated with 14C-labelled glucose plus succinate or fumarate (but none of eight other substrate combinations tested), the 14C-labelled metabolites closely matched those obtained with NaH14CO2. These data suggest that glucose and succinate/fumarate (or metabolically allied compounds) may be important photosynthetic compounds transferred from the Symbiodinium cells to the tissues of A. viridis. Metabolite comparisons can be applied to study nutritional interactions in symbioses involving photosynthetic algae and, with appropriate modification, other associations between microorganisms and plants or animals.

  17. MARSI: metabolite analogues for rational strain improvement

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Cardoso, João G. R.; Zeidan, Ahmad A; Jensen, Kristian

    2018-01-01

    reactions in an organism can be used to predict effects of MAs on cellular phenotypes. Here, we present the Metabolite Analogues for Rational Strain Improvement (MARSI) framework. MARSI provides a rational approach to strain improvement by searching for metabolites as targets instead of genes or reactions...

  18. Cytotoxic and DNA-damaging effects of methyl tert-butyl ether and its metabolites on HL-60 cells in vitro

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tang, G.H. [Xian Medical Univ. (China); Shen, Y.; Shen, H.M. [National Univ. of Singapore (Singapore)] [and others

    1996-12-31

    Methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) is a widely used oxygenate in unleaded gasoline; however, few studies have been conducted on the toxicity of this compound. This study evaluates the cytotoxic and DNA-damaging effects of MTBE and its metabolites in a human haemopoietic cell line, HL-60. The metabolites of MTBE studied include tertiary butyl alcohol (TBA), {alpha}-hydroxyisobutyric acid (HIBA), and formaldehyde. Comet assay is used to assess DNA damage, and the cytotoxicity is investigated by lactate dehydrogenease (LDH) release. The results show no significant cytotoxic effects of MTBE, TBA, and HIBA over a concentration ranging from 1 to 30 mM. Formaldehyde, in contrast, causes a substantial LDH release at a concentration of 5 {mu}M. Hydrogen peroxide, a known oxidative agent, at concentrations ranging from 10 to 100 {mu}M, produces a significant dose-related increase in DNA damage, whereas a much higher concentration of MTBE (1 to 30 mM) is required to produce a similar observation. The genotoxic effects of TBA and HIBA appear to be identical to that of MTBE. Conversely, DNA damage is observed for formaldehyde at a relatively low concentration range (5 to 100 {mu}M). These findings suggest that MTBE and its metabolites, except formaldehyde, have relatively low cytotoxic and genotoxic effects. 16 refs., 4 figs.

  19. Plant Secondary Metabolite-Derived Polymers: A Potential Approach to Develop Antimicrobial Films

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ahmed Al-Jumaili

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available The persistent issue of bacterial and fungal colonization of artificial implantable materials and the decreasing efficacy of conventional systemic antibiotics used to treat implant-associated infections has led to the development of a wide range of antifouling and antibacterial strategies. This article reviews one such strategy where inherently biologically active renewable resources, i.e., plant secondary metabolites (PSMs and their naturally occurring combinations (i.e., essential oils are used for surface functionalization and synthesis of polymer thin films. With a distinct mode of antibacterial activity, broad spectrum of action, and diversity of available chemistries, plant secondary metabolites present an attractive alternative to conventional antibiotics. However, their conversion from liquid to solid phase without a significant loss of activity is not trivial. Using selected examples, this article shows how plasma techniques provide a sufficiently flexible and chemically reactive environment to enable the synthesis of biologically-active polymer coatings from volatile renewable resources.

  20. Pharmacokinetic study of harmane and its 10 metabolites in rat after intravenous and oral administration by UPLC-ESI-MS/MS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Shuping; Teng, Liang; Liu, Wei; Cheng, Xuemei; Jiang, Bo; Wang, Zhengtao; Wang, Chang-Hong

    2016-09-01

    Context The β-carboline alkaloid harmane is widely distributed in common foods, beverages and hallucinogenic plants. Harmane exerts potential in therapies for Alzheimer's and depression diseases. However, little information on its dynamic metabolic profiles and pharmacokinetics in vivo is currently available. Objective This study investigates the dynamic metabolic profiles and pharmacokinetic properties of harmane and its metabolites in rats in vivo. Materials and methods A highly selective, sensitive and rapid ultra-performance liquid chromatography combined with electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-ESI-MS/MS) method was developed and well-validated for simultaneous quantitative determination of harmane and its uncertain endogenous metabolite harmine, as well as for semiquantitative determination of 10 harmane metabolites in rats after intravenous injection and oral administration of harmane at 1.0 and 30.0 mg/kg, respectively. Results The calibration curves of harmane and harmine showed excellent linearity within the concentration range of 1-2000 ng/mL with acceptable accuracy, precision, selectivity, recovery, matrix effect and stability. Ten metabolites, including harmane but not harmine, were detected and identified after intravenous and oral administration of harmane. The absolute bioavailability of harmane following an oral dose was 19.41 ± 3.97%. According to the AUC0-t values of all the metabolites, the metabolic levels of phase II metabolites were higher than those of phase I metabolites, and the sulphation pathways were the dominant metabolic routes for harmane in both routes of administration. Discussion and conclusion The pharmacokinetic properties of harmane and its 10 metabolites in rats were determined. Sulphate conjugation was the predominant metabolic process of harmane in rats.

  1. Structure-activity relationships for the fluorescence of ochratoxin A: Insight for detection of ochratoxin A metabolites

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Frenette, Christine; Paugh, Robert J. [Departments of Chemistry and Toxicology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1 (Canada); Tozlovanu, Mariana; Juzio, Maud [ENSAT, UMR CNRS 5503, 1 Avenue Agrobiopole 31326 Auzeville-Tolosane (France); Pfohl-Leszkowicz, Annie [ENSAT, UMR CNRS 5503, 1 Avenue Agrobiopole 31326 Auzeville-Tolosane (France)], E-mail: leszkowicz@ensat.fr; Manderville, Richard A. [Departments of Chemistry and Toxicology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1 (Canada)], E-mail: rmanderv@uoguelph.ca

    2008-06-09

    Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a mycotoxin produced by Aspergillus and Penicillium that is widely found as a contaminant of food products. The toxin is a renal carcinogen in male rats, the cause of mycotoxicoses in pigs and has been associated with chronic human kidney diseases. Bioactivation has been implicated in OTA-mediated toxicity, although inconsistent results have been reported, due, in part, to the difficulty in detecting OTA metabolites in vivo. Liquid chromatography (LC) coupled with fluorescence detection (FLD) is the most widely used analytical detection method for OTA. Under acidic conditions the toxin generates blue fluorescence (465 nm) that is due to an excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) process that generates an emissive keto tautomer. Disruption of this ESIPT process quenches fluorescence intensity and causes a blue shift in emission maxima. The aim of the present study was to determine the impact of the C5-chlorine atom, the lactone moiety and the amide bond on OTA fluorescence and derive optical parameters for OTA metabolites that have been detected in vitro. Our results highlight the limitations of LC/FLD for OTA metabolites that do not undergo ESIPT. For emissive derivatives, our absorption and emission data improves the sensitivity of LC/FLD (3-4-fold increase in the limit of detection (LOD)) for OTA analogues bearing a C5-OH group, such as the hydroquinone (OTHQ) metabolite and the glutathione conjugate of OTA (OTA-GSH). This increased sensitivity may facilitate the detection of OTA metabolites bearing a C5-OH group in biological fluids and enhance our understanding of OTA-mediated toxicity.

  2. Transcriptome of Aspergillus flavus aswA (AFLA_085170) deletion strain related to sclerotial development and production of secondary metabolites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aspergillus flavus produces many secondary metabolites including aflatoxins. Besides conidia, the fungus uses sclerotia as another type of propagule. We obtained transcriptomes from four growth conditions of the aswA mutant, a strain impaired in sclerotial development and production of sclerotium-sp...

  3. Identification of metabolites, clinical chemistry markers and transcripts associated with hepatotoxicity.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andreas Buness

    Full Text Available Early and accurate pre-clinical and clinical biomarkers of hepatotoxicity facilitate the drug development process and the safety monitoring in clinical studies. We selected eight known model compounds to be administered to male Wistar rats to identify biomarkers of drug induced liver injury (DILI using transcriptomics, metabolite profiling (metabolomics and conventional endpoints. We specifically explored early biomarkers in serum and liver tissue associated with histopathologically evident acute hepatotoxicity. A tailored data analysis strategy was implemented to better differentiate animals with no treatment-related findings in the liver from animals showing evident hepatotoxicity as assessed by histopathological analysis. From the large number of assessed parameters, our data analysis strategy allowed us to identify five metabolites in serum and five in liver tissue, 58 transcripts in liver tissue and seven clinical chemistry markers in serum that were significantly associated with acute hepatotoxicity. The identified markers comprised metabolites such as taurocholic acid and putrescine (measured as sum parameter together with agmatine, classical clinical chemistry markers like AST (aspartate aminotransferase, ALT (alanine aminotransferase, and bilirubin, as well as gene transcripts like Igfbp1 (insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 1 and Egr1 (early growth response protein 1. The response pattern of the identified biomarkers was concordant across all types of parameters and sample matrices. Our results suggest that a combination of several of these biomarkers could significantly improve the robustness and accuracy of an early diagnosis of hepatotoxicity.

  4. Identification and characterization of metabolites of ASP015K, a novel oral Janus kinase inhibitor, in rats, chimeric mice with humanized liver, and humans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nakada, Naoyuki; Oda, Kazuo

    2015-01-01

    1. Here, we elucidated the structure of metabolites of novel oral Janus kinase inhibitor ASP015K in rats and humans and evaluated the predictability of human metabolites using chimeric mice with humanized liver (PXB mice). 2. Rat biological samples collected after oral dosing of (14)C-labelled ASP015K were examined using a liquid chromatography-radiometric detector and mass spectrometer (LC-RAD/MS). The molecular weight of metabolites in human and the liver chimeric mouse biological samples collected after oral dosing of non-labelled ASP015K was also investigated via LC-MS. Metabolites were also isolated from rat bile samples and analyzed using nuclear magnetic resonance. 3. Metabolic pathways of ASP015K in rats and humans were found to be glucuronide conjugation, methyl conjugation, sulfate conjugation, glutathione conjugation, hydroxylation of the adamantane ring and N-oxidation of the 1H-pyrrolo[2,3-b]pyridine ring. The main metabolite of ASP015K in rats was the glucuronide conjugate, while the main metabolite in humans was the sulfate conjugate. Given that human metabolites were produced by human hepatocytes in chimeric mice with humanized liver, this human model mouse was believed to be useful in predicting the human metabolic profile of various drug candidates.

  5. Genetically engineering Synechocystis sp. Pasteur Culture Collection 6803 for the sustainable production of the plant secondary metabolite p-coumaric acid.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xue, Yong; Zhang, Yan; Cheng, Dan; Daddy, Soumana; He, Qingfang

    2014-07-01

    p-Coumaric acid is the precursor of phenylpropanoids, which are plant secondary metabolites that are beneficial to human health. Tyrosine ammonia lyase catalyzes the production of p-coumaric acid from tyrosine. Because of their photosynthetic ability and biosynthetic versatility, cyanobacteria are promising candidates for the production of certain plant metabolites, including phenylpropanoids. Here, we produced p-coumaric acid in a strain of transgenic cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. Pasteur Culture Collection 6803 (hereafter Synechocystis 6803). Whereas a strain of Synechocystis 6803 genetically engineered to express sam8, a tyrosine ammonia lyase gene from the actinomycete Saccharothrix espanaensis, accumulated little or no p-coumaric acid, a strain that both expressed sam8 and lacked slr1573, a native hypothetical gene shown here to encode a laccase that oxidizes polyphenols, produced ∼82.6 mg/L p-coumaric acid, which was readily purified from the growth medium.

  6. Determination of ionophore antibiotics nactins produced by fecal Streptomyces from sheep.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Jun; Tan, Hongming; Lu, Yu; Cao, Lixiang

    2014-04-01

    To investigate the correlation between fecal actinobacteria and host animals, Streptomyces was isolated from fresh faeces of healthy sheep and secondary metabolites were analyzed. The most frequently isolated strain S161 with antibiotic activity against bacteria and fungi were analyzed. The S161 showed the highest 99 % similarity to Streptomyces canus DSB17 based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. Metabolite analysis based on MS and NMR spectra showed that S161 produces nactins, cyclotetralactones derived from nonactic acid and homononactic acid as building units of ionophoretic character. Due to ionophores are antimicrobial compounds that are commonly fed to ruminant animals to improve feed efficiency, stable beneficial interactions between Streptomyces bacteria and vertebrates have been demonstrated.

  7. Identification of differential metabolites in liquid diet fermented with Bacillus subtilis using gas chromatography time of flight mass spectrometry

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yuyong He

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Growth and health responses of pigs fed fermented liquid diet are not always consistent and causes for this issue are still not very clear. Metabolites produced at different fermentation time points should be one of the most important contributors. However, currently no literatures about differential metabolites of fermented liquid diet are reported. The aim of this experiment was to explore the difference of metabolites in a fermented liquid diet between different fermentation time intervals. A total of eighteen samples that collected from Bacillus subtilis fermented liquid diet on days 7, 21 and 35 respectively were used for the identification of metabolites by gas chromatography time of flight mass spectrometry (GC-TOF-MS. Fifteen differential metabolites including melibiose, sortitol, ribose, cellobiose, maltotriose, sorbose, isomaltose, maltose, fructose, d-glycerol-1-phosphate, 4-aminobutyric acid, beta-alanine, tyrosine, pyruvic acid and pantothenic acid were identified between 7-d samples and 21-d samples. The relative level of melibiose, ribose, maltotriose, d-glycerol-1-phosphate, tyrosine and pyruvic acid in samples collected on day 21 was significantly higher than that in samples collected on day 7 (P < 0.01, respectively. Eight differential metabolites including ribose, sorbose, galactinol, cellobiose, pyruvic acid, galactonic acid, pantothenic acid and guanosine were found between 21-d samples and 35-d samples. Samples collected on day 35 had a higher relative level of ribose than that in samples collected on day 21 (P < 0.01. In conclusion, many differential metabolites which have important effects on the growth and health of pigs are identified and findings contribute to explain the difference in feeding response of fermented liquid diet.

  8. Methodological considerations for measuring glucocorticoid metabolites in feathers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berk, Sara A.; McGettrick, Julie R.; Hansen, Warren K.; Breuner, Creagh W.

    2016-01-01

    In recent years, researchers have begun to use corticosteroid metabolites in feathers (fCORT) as a metric of stress physiology in birds. However, there remain substantial questions about how to measure fCORT most accurately. Notably, small samples contain artificially high amounts of fCORT per millimetre of feather (the small sample artefact). Furthermore, it appears that fCORT is correlated with circulating plasma corticosterone only when levels are artificially elevated by the use of corticosterone implants. Here, we used several approaches to address current methodological issues with the measurement of fCORT. First, we verified that the small sample artefact exists across species and feather types. Second, we attempted to correct for this effect by increasing the amount of methanol relative to the amount of feather during extraction. We consistently detected more fCORT per millimetre or per milligram of feather in small samples than in large samples even when we adjusted methanol:feather concentrations. We also used high-performance liquid chromatography to identify hormone metabolites present in feathers and measured the reactivity of these metabolites against the most commonly used antibody for measuring fCORT. We verified that our antibody is mainly identifying corticosterone (CORT) in feathers, but other metabolites have significant cross-reactivity. Lastly, we measured faecal glucocorticoid metabolites in house sparrows and correlated these measurements with corticosteroid metabolites deposited in concurrently grown feathers; we found no correlation between faecal glucocorticoid metabolites and fCORT. We suggest that researchers should be cautious in their interpretation of fCORT in wild birds and should seek alternative validation methods to examine species-specific relationships between environmental challenges and fCORT. PMID:27335650

  9. Lichen Secondary Metabolite, Physciosporin, Inhibits Lung Cancer Cell Motility

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Yi; Park, So-Yeon; Nguyen, Thanh Thi; Yu, Young Hyun; Nguyen, Tru Van; Sun, Eun Gene; Udeni, Jayalal; Jeong, Min-Hye; Pereira, Iris; Moon, Cheol; Ha, Hyung-Ho; Kim, Kyung Keun; Hur, Jae-Seoun; Kim, Hangun

    2015-01-01

    Lichens produce various unique chemicals that can be used for pharmaceutical purposes. To screen for novel lichen secondary metabolites showing inhibitory activity against lung cancer cell motility, we tested acetone extracts of 13 lichen samples collected in Chile. Physciosporin, isolated from Pseudocyphellaria coriacea (Hook f. & Taylor) D.J. Galloway & P. James, was identified as an effective compound and showed significant inhibitory activity in migration and invasion assays against human lung cancer cells. Physciosporin treatment reduced both protein and mRNA levels of N-cadherin with concomitant decreases in the levels of epithelial-mesenchymal transition markers such as snail and twist. Physciosporin also suppressed KITENIN (KAI1 C-terminal interacting tetraspanin)-mediated AP-1 activity in both the absence and presence of epidermal growth factor stimulation. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis showed that the expression of the metastasis suppressor gene, KAI1, was increased while that of the metastasis enhancer gene, KITENIN, was dramatically decreased by physciosporin. Particularly, the activity of 3’-untranslated region of KITENIN was decreased by physciosporin. Moreover, Cdc42 and Rac1 activities were decreased by physciosporin. These results demonstrated that the lichen secondary metabolite, physciosporin, inhibits lung cancer cell motility through novel mechanisms of action. PMID:26371759

  10. Review of secondary metabolites and mycotoxins from the Aspergillus niger group

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Kristian Fog; Mogensen, Jesper Mølgaard; Johansen, Maria

    2009-01-01

    (excluding A. aculeatus and its close relatives) from which currently 145 different secondary metabolites have been isolated and/or detected. From a human and animal safety point of view, the mycotoxins ochratoxin A (from A. carbonarius and less frequently A. niger) and fumonisin B2 (from A. niger......) are currently the most problematic compounds. Especially in foods and feeds such as coffee, nuts, dried fruits, and grape-based products where fumonisin-producing fusaria are not a problem, fumonisins pose a risk. Moreover, compounds such as malformins, naptho-γ-pyrones, and bicoumarins (kotanins) call...

  11. Formation of the accumulative human metabolite and human-specific glutathione conjugate of diclofenac in TK-NOG chimeric mice with humanized livers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kamimura, Hidetaka; Ito, Satoshi; Nozawa, Kohei; Nakamura, Shota; Chijiwa, Hiroyuki; Nagatsuka, Shin-ichiro; Kuronuma, Miyuki; Ohnishi, Yasuyuki; Suemizu, Hiroshi; Ninomiya, Shin-ichi

    2015-03-01

    3'-Hydroxy-4'-methoxydiclofenac (VI) is a human-specific metabolite known to accumulate in the plasma of patients after repeated administration of diclofenac sodium. Diclofenac also produces glutathione-conjugated metabolites, some of which are human-specific. In the present study, we investigated whether these metabolites could be generated in humanized chimeric mice produced from TK-NOG mice. After a single oral administration of diclofenac to humanized mice, the unchanged drug in plasma peaked at 0.25 hour and then declined with a half-life (t1/2) of 2.4 hours. 4'-Hydroxydiclofenac (II) and 3'-hydroxydiclofenac also peaked at 0.25 hour and were undetectable within 24 hours. However, VI peaked at 8 hours and declined with a t1/2 of 13 hours. When diclofenac was given once per day, peak and trough levels of VI reached plateau within 3 days. Studies with administration of II suggested VI was generated via II as an intermediate. Among six reported glutathione-conjugated metabolites of diclofenac, M1 (5-hydroxy-4-(glutathion-S-yl)diclofenac) to M6 (2'-(glutathion-S-yl)monoclofenac), we found three dichlorinated conjugates [M1, M2 (4'-hydroxy-3'-(glutathion-S-yl)diclofenac), and M3 (5-hydroxy-6-(glutathion-S-yl)diclofenac)], and a single monochlorinated conjugate [M4 (2'-hydroxy-3'-(glutathion-S-yl)monoclofenac) or M5 (4'-hydroxy-2'-(glutathion-S-yl)monoclofenac)], in the bile of humanized chimeric mice. M4 and M5 are positional isomers and have been previously reported as human-specific in vitro metabolites likely generated via arene oxide and quinone imine-type intermediates, respectively. The biliary monochlorinated metabolite exhibited the same mass spectrum as those of M4 and M5, and we discuss whether this conjugate corresponded to M4 or M5. Overall, humanized TK-NOG chimeric mice were considered to be a functional tool for the study of drug metabolism of diclofenac in humans. Copyright © 2015 by The American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental

  12. Metabolite analysis of endophytic fungi from cultivars of Zingiber officinale Rosc. identifies myriad of bioactive compounds including tyrosol.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anisha, C; Radhakrishnan, E K

    2017-06-01

    Endophytic fungi associated with rhizomes of four cultivars of Zingiber officinale were identified by molecular and morphological methods and evaluated for their activity against soft rot pathogen Pythium myriotylum and clinical pathogens. The volatile bioactive metabolites produced by these isolates were identified by GC-MS analysis of the fungal crude extracts. Understanding of the metabolites produced by endophytes is also important in the context of raw consumption of ginger as medicine and spice. A total of fifteen isolates were identified from the four varieties studied. The various genera identified were Acremonium sp., Gliocladiopsis sp., Fusarium sp., Colletotrichum sp., Aspergillus sp., Phlebia sp., Earliella sp., and Pseudolagarobasidium sp. The endophytic community was unique to each variety, which could be due to the varying host genotype. Fungi from phylum Basidiomycota were identified for the first time from ginger. Seven isolates showed activity against Pythium, while only two showed antibacterial activity. The bioactive metabolites identified in the fungal crude extracts include tyrosol, benzene acetic acid, ergone, dehydromevalonic lactone, N-aminopyrrolidine, and many bioactive fatty acids and their derivatives which included linoleic acid, oleic acid, myristic acid, n-hexadecanoic acid, palmitic acid methyl ester, and methyl linoleate. The presence of these varying bioactive endophytic fungi may be one of the reasons for the differences in the performance of the different ginger varieties.

  13. Detecting Beer Intake by Unique Metabolite Patterns.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gürdeniz, Gözde; Jensen, Morten Georg; Meier, Sebastian; Bech, Lene; Lund, Erik; Dragsted, Lars Ove

    2016-12-02

    Evaluation of the health related effects of beer intake is hampered by the lack of accurate tools for assessing intakes (biomarkers). Therefore, we identified plasma and urine metabolites associated with recent beer intake by untargeted metabolomics and established a characteristic metabolite pattern representing raw materials and beer production as a qualitative biomarker of beer intake. In a randomized, crossover, single-blinded meal study (MSt1), 18 participants were given, one at a time, four different test beverages: strong, regular, and nonalcoholic beers and a soft drink. Four participants were assigned to have two additional beers (MSt2). In addition to plasma and urine samples, test beverages, wort, and hops extract were analyzed by UPLC-QTOF. A unique metabolite pattern reflecting beer metabolome, including metabolites derived from beer raw material (i.e., N-methyl tyramine sulfate and the sum of iso-α-acids and tricyclohumols) and the production process (i.e., pyro-glutamyl proline and 2-ethyl malate), was selected to establish a compliance biomarker model for detection of beer intake based on MSt1. The model predicted the MSt2 samples collected before and up to 12 h after beer intake correctly (AUC = 1). A biomarker model including four metabolites representing both beer raw materials and production steps provided a specific and accurate tool for measurement of beer consumption.

  14. Metabolites in vertebrate Hedgehog signaling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roberg-Larsen, Hanne; Strand, Martin Frank; Krauss, Stefan; Wilson, Steven Ray

    2014-04-11

    The Hedgehog (HH) signaling pathway is critical in embryonic development, stem cell biology, tissue homeostasis, chemoattraction and synapse formation. Irregular HH signaling is associated with a number of disease conditions including congenital disorders and cancer. In particular, deregulation of HH signaling has been linked to skin, brain, lung, colon and pancreatic cancers. Key mediators of the HH signaling pathway are the 12-pass membrane protein Patched (PTC), the 7-pass membrane protein Smoothened (SMO) and the GLI transcription factors. PTC shares homology with the RND family of small-molecule transporters and it has been proposed that it interferes with SMO through metabolites. Although a conclusive picture is lacking, substantial efforts are made to identify and understand natural metabolites/sterols, including cholesterol, vitamin D3, oxysterols and glucocorticoides, that may be affected by, or influence the HH signaling cascade at the level of PTC and SMO. In this review we will elaborate the role of metabolites in HH signaling with a focus on oxysterols, and discuss advancements in modern analytical approaches in the field. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Enantioselective semi-preparative HPLC separation of PCB metabolites and their absolute structures determined by electronic and vibrational circular dichroism

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tuan, H.P.; Larsson, C.; Huehnerfuss, H. [Hamburg Univ. (Germany). Inst. fuer Organische Chemie; Hoffmann, F.; Froeba, M. [Giessen Univ. (Germany). Inst. fuer Anorganische und Analytische Chemie; Bergmann, Aa. [Stockholm Univ. (Sweden). Dept. of Environmental Chemistry

    2004-09-15

    The present paper represents a first result of an ongoing systematic study of atropisomeric methylsulfonyl, methylthionyl, hydroxy, and methoxy metabolites of environmentally most relevant PCBs. This involves semi-preparative enantioselective HPLC separation to obtain pure atropisomers from synthesized PCB metabolite standards, their configuration estimation using the electronic circular dichroism (UV-CD) method and the determination / confirmation of these absolute configurations applying the combined vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) / ab initio approach. The following substances have been investigated: 4-HO-, 4-MeO-, 4-MeS-, 4-MeSO2-, 3-MeS- and 3-MeSO{sub 2}-CB149.

  16. Metabolite characterization of a novel sedative drug, remimazolam in human plasma and urine using ultra high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with synapt high-definition mass spectrometry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Ying; Hu, Pei; Jiang, Ji

    2017-04-15

    Remimazolam is a new chemical entity belonging to the benzodiazepine class of sedative drugs, which shows faster-acting onset and recovery than currently available short-acting sedatives. In the present study, ultra high performance liquid chromatography with synapt high-definition mass spectrometry method combined with MassLynx software was established to characterize metabolites of remimazolam in human plasma and urine. In total, 5 human metabolites were detected, including 3 phase I and 2 phase II metabolites. There was no novel human metabolite detected compared to that in rat. Hydrolysis, glucuronidation and oxidation were the major metabolic reactions. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the human metabolic profile of remimazolam. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Durable and mass producible polymer surface structures with different combinations of micro–micro hierarchy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jiang, Yu; Suvanto, Mika; Pakkanen, Tapani A

    2016-01-01

    Extensive studies have been performed with the aim of fabricating hierarchical surface structures inspired by nature. However, synthetic hierarchical structures have to sacrifice mechanical resistance to functionality by introducing finer scaled structures. Therefore, surfaces are less durable. Surface micro–micro hierarchy has been proven to be effective in replacing micro–nano hierarchy in the sense of superhydrophobicity. However, less attention has been paid to the combined micro–micro hierarchies with surface pillars and pits incorporated together. The fabrication of this type of hierarchy may be less straightforward, with the possibility of being a complicated multi-step process. In this study, we present a simple yet mass producible fabrication method for hierarchical structures with different combinations of surface pillars and pits. The fabrication was based on only one aluminum (Al) mold with sequential mountings. The fabricated structures exhibit high mechanical durability and structural stabilities with a normal load up to 100 kg. In addition, the theoretical estimation of the wetting state shows a promising way of stabilizing a water droplet on the surface pit structures with a more stable Cassie–Baxter state. (paper)

  18. Prototype of an intertwined secondary-metabolite supercluster

    Science.gov (United States)

    Phillipp Wiemann; Chun-Jun. Guo; Jonathan M. Palmer; Relebohile Sekonyela; Clay C.C. Wang; Nancy P. Keller

    2013-01-01

    The hallmark trait of fungal secondary-metabolite gene clusters is well established, consisting of contiguous enzymatic and often regulatory gene(s) devoted to the production of a metabolite of a specific chemical class. Unexpectedly, we have found a deviation from this motif in a subtelomeric region of Aspergillus fumigatus. This region, under the...

  19. Mapping of Saccharomyces cerevisiae metabolites in fermenting wheat straight-dough reveals succinic acid as pH-determining factor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jayaram, Vinay B; Cuyvers, Sven; Lagrain, Bert; Verstrepen, Kevin J; Delcour, Jan A; Courtin, Christophe M

    2013-01-15

    Fermenting yeast does not merely cause dough leavening, but also contributes to the bread aroma and might alter dough rheology. Here, the yeast carbon metabolism was mapped during bread straight-dough fermentation. The concentration of most metabolites changed quasi linearly as a function of fermentation time. Ethanol and carbon dioxide concentrations reached up to 60 mmol/100g flour. Interestingly, high levels of glycerol (up to 10 mmol/100g flour) and succinic acid (up to 1.6 mmol/100g flour) were produced during dough fermentation. Further tests showed that, contrary to current belief, the pH decrease in fermenting dough is primarily caused by the production of succinic acid by the yeast instead of carbon dioxide dissolution or bacterial organic acids. Together, our results provide a comprehensive overview of metabolite production during dough fermentation and yield insight into the importance of some of these metabolites for dough properties. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Ecological functions of Trichoderma spp. and their secondary metabolites in the rhizosphere: interactions with plants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Contreras-Cornejo, Hexon Angel; Macías-Rodríguez, Lourdes; del-Val, Ek; Larsen, John

    2016-04-01

    Trichodermaspp. are common soil and root inhabitants that have been widely studied due to their capacity to produce antibiotics, parasitize other fungi and compete with deleterious plant microorganisms. These fungi produce a number of secondary metabolites such as non-ribosomal peptides, terpenoids, pyrones and indolic-derived compounds. In the rhizosphere, the exchange and recognition of signaling molecules byTrichodermaand plants may alter physiological and biochemical aspects in both. For example, severalTrichodermastrains induce root branching and increase shoot biomass as a consequence of cell division, expansion and differentiation by the presence of fungal auxin-like compounds. Furthermore,Trichoderma, in association with plant roots, can trigger systemic resistance and improve plant nutrient uptake. The present review describes the most recent advances in understanding the ecological functions ofTrichodermaspp. in the rhizosphere at biochemical and molecular levels with special emphasis on their associations with plants. Finally, through a synthesis of the current body of work, we present potential future research directions on studies related toTrichodermaspp. and their secondary metabolites in agroecosystems. © FEMS 2016. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  1. Power of isotopic fine structure for unambiguous determination of metabolite elemental compositions: In silico evaluation and metabolomic application

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nagao, Tatsuhiko; Yukihira, Daichi; Fujimura, Yoshinori; Saito, Kazunori; Takahashi, Katsutoshi; Miura, Daisuke; Wariishi, Hiroyuki

    2014-01-01

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • We developed a method to determine elemental composition of metabolites. • The method was based on mass spectral data and empirical constraints. • In the validation study, the method succeeded for 70% of detected peaks. - Abstract: In mass spectrometry (MS)-based metabolomics studies, reference-free identification of metabolites is still a challenging issue. Previously, we demonstrated that the elemental composition (EC) of metabolites could be unambiguously determined using isotopic fine structure, observed by ultrahigh resolution MS, which provided the relative isotopic abundance (RIA) of 13 C, 15 N, 18 O, and 34 S. Herein, we evaluated the efficacy of the RIA for determining ECs based on the MS peaks of 20,258 known metabolites. The metabolites were simulated with a ≤25% error in the isotopic peak area to investigate how the error size effect affected the rate of unambiguous determination of the ECs. The simulation indicated that, in combination with reported constraint rules, the RIA led to unambiguous determination of the ECs for more than 90% of the tested metabolites. It was noteworthy that, in positive ion mode, the process could distinguish alkali metal-adduct ions ([M + Na] + and [M + K] + ). However, a significant degradation of the EC determination performance was observed when the method was applied to real metabolomic data (mouse liver extracts analyzed by infusion ESI), because of the influence of noise and bias on the RIA. To achieve ideal performance, as indicated in the simulation, we developed an additional method to compensate for bias on the measured ion intensities. The method improved the performance of the calculation, permitting determination of ECs for 72% of the observed peaks. The proposed method is considered a useful starting point for high-throughput identification of metabolites in metabolomic research

  2. [Identification of saponins from Panax notoginseng in metabolites of rats].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shen, Wen-Wen; Zhang, Yin; Qiu, Shou-Bei; Zhu, Fen-Xia; Jia, Xiao-Bin; Tang, Dao-Quan; Chen, Bin

    2017-10-01

    UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS was used to identify metabolites in rat blood, urine and feces after the administration of n-butanol extract derived from steamed notoginseng. The metabolic process of saponins came from steamed notoginseng was analyzed. The metabolites were processed by PeakView software, and identified according to the structural characteristics of prototype compounds and the accurate qualitative and quantitative changes of common metabolic pathways. Four saponins metabolites were identified based on MS/MS information of metabolites, namely ginsenoside Rh₄, Rk₃, Rk₁, Rg₅,and their 15 metabolites were verified. The metabolic pathways of the four ginsenosides in n-butanol extract included glucuronidation, desugar, sulfation, dehydromethylation, and branch loss. The metabolites of main active saponin components derived from steamed Panax notoginseng were analyzed from the perspective of qualitative analysis. And the material basis for the efficacy of steamed notoginseng was further clarified. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

  3. Online restricted-access material combined with high-performance liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry for the simultaneous determination of vanillin and its vanillic acid metabolite in human plasma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, De-Qiang; Zhang, Zhi-Qing; Yang, Xiu-Ling; Zhou, Chun-Hua; Qi, Jin-Long

    2016-09-01

    An automated online solid-phase extraction with restricted-access material combined with high-performance liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry was developed and validated for the simultaneous quantification of vanillin and its vanillic acid metabolite in human plasma. After protein precipitation by methanol, which contained the internal standards, the supernatant of plasma samples was injected to the system, the endogenous large molecules were flushed out, and target analytes were trapped and enriched on the adsorbent, resulting in a minimization of sample complexity and ion suppression effects. Calibration curves were linear over the concentrations of 5-1000 ng/mL for vanillin and 10-5000 ng/mL for vanillic acid with a coefficient of determination >0.999 for the determined compounds. The lower limits of quantification of vanillin and vanillic acid were 5.0 and 10.0 ng/mL, respectively. The intra- and inter-run precisions expressed as the relative standard deviation were 2.6-8.6 and 3.2-10.2%, respectively, and the accuracies expressed as the relative error were in the range of -6.1 to 7.3%. Extraction recoveries of analytes were between 89.5 and 97.4%. There was no notable matrix effect for any analyte concentration. The developed method was proved to be sensitive, repeatable, and accurate for the quantification of vanillin and its vanillic acid metabolite in human plasma. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  4. The cardiovascular and cardiac actions of ecstasy and its metabolites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shenouda, S K; Carvalho, F; Varner, K J

    2010-08-01

    The recreational use of 3, 4 methylenedioxymethamphetamine (ecstasy or MDMA) has increased dramatically over the past thirty years due to its ability to increase stamina and produce feelings of emotional closeness and wellbeing. In spite of the popular perception that MDMA is a safe drug, there is a large literature documenting that the drug can produce significant neurotoxicity, especially in serotonergic and catecholaminergic systems. There are also experimental and clinical data which document that MDMA can alter cardiovascular function and produce cardiac toxicity, including rhythm disturbances, infarction and sudden death. This manuscript will review the literature documenting the cardiovascular responses elicited by MDMA in humans and experimental animals and will examine the underlying mechanisms mediating these responses. We will also review the available clinical, autopsy and experimental data linking MDMA with cardiac toxicity. Most available data indicate that oxidative stress plays an important role in the cardiotoxic actions of MDMA. Moreover, new data indicates that redox active metabolites of MDMA may play especially important roles in MDMA induced toxicity.

  5. Secondary metabolites from Eremostachys laciniata

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Calis, Ihsan; Güvenc, Aysegül; Armagan, Metin

    2008-01-01

    ), and forsythoside B (18), and five flavone derivatives, luteolin (19), luteolin 7-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (20), luteolin 7-O-(6''-O-β-D-apiofuranosyl)-β-D-glucopyranoside (21), apigenin 7-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (22), and apigenin 7-O-(6''-O-p-coumaroyl)-β-D-glucopyranoside (23). The structures of the metabolites were...... elucidated from spectroscopic (UV, IR, 1D- and 2D-NMR) and ESI-MS evidence, as well as from their specific optical rotation. The presence of these metabolites of three different classes strongly supports the close relationship of the genera Eremostachys and Phlomis....

  6. The combination effect of auxin and cytokinin on in vitro callus formation of Physalis angulata L. - A medicinal plant

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mastuti, Retno; Munawarti, Aminatun; Firdiana, Elok Rifqi

    2017-11-01

    Physalis angulata L. (Ciplukan) is one member of Solanaceae that has a potential as herbal medicine. This plant grows wild in the crop fields, forest edges, etc. However, ciplukan is increasingly difficult to find recently. In vitro callus is an alternative source to produce secondary metabolite production as well as to regenerate plants through indirect organogenesis. This study aims to identify the response of hypocotyl explants on in vitro callus formation induced by a combination of auxin and cytokinins. Two types of cytokinins, Kinetin and BAP (0.5 ppm) were combined with three types of auxin, i.e. 2.4-D, IBA and IAA, at three concentrations 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 ppm. In all combinations of cytokinin and auxin, 50-100% of hypocotyl explants derived from in vitro seedling were able to produce callus either in a compact or watery friable texture. In MS medium supplemented with 2.4-D, callus FW (fresh weight) began to decline in the fourth week after culture. Callus FW that increased until 5 weeks of culture was obtained in medium IAA 0.5 + Kin 0.5, IBA 1.0 + Kin 0.5 and IBA 1 + BA 0.5. Almost all calli induced on a medium + Kinetin also produced roots. While medium + BAP was able to induce shoots regeneration.

  7. Taxonomic Characterization and Secondary Metabolite Profiling of Aspergillus Section Aspergillus Contaminating Feeds and Feedstuffs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Greco, Mariana; Kemppainen, Minna; Pose, Graciela; Pardo, Alejandro

    2015-01-01

    Xerophilic fungal species of the genus Aspergillus are economically highly relevant due to their ability to grow on low water activity substrates causing spoilage of stored goods and animal feeds. These fungi can synthesize a variety of secondary metabolites, many of which show animal toxicity, creating a health risk for food production animals and to humans as final consumers, respectively. Animal feeds used for rabbit, chinchilla and rainbow trout production in Argentina were analysed for the presence of xerophilic Aspergillus section Aspergillus species. High isolation frequencies (>60%) were detected in all the studied rabbit and chinchilla feeds, while the rainbow trout feeds showed lower fungal charge (25%). These section Aspergillus contaminations comprised predominantly five taxa. Twenty isolates were subjected to taxonomic characterization using both ascospore SEM micromorphology and two independent DNA loci sequencing. The secondary metabolite profiles of the isolates were determined qualitatively by HPLC-MS. All the isolates produced neoechinulin A, 17 isolates were positive for cladosporin and echinulin, and 18 were positive for neoechinulin B. Physcion and preechinulin were detected in a minor proportion of the isolates. This is the first report describing the detailed species composition and the secondary metabolite profiles of Aspergillus section Aspergillus contaminating animal feeds. PMID:26364643

  8. Taxonomic Characterization and Secondary Metabolite Profiling of Aspergillus Section Aspergillus Contaminating Feeds and Feedstuffs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mariana Greco

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Xerophilic fungal species of the genus Aspergillus are economically highly relevant due to their ability to grow on low water activity substrates causing spoilage of stored goods and animal feeds. These fungi can synthesize a variety of secondary metabolites, many of which show animal toxicity, creating a health risk for food production animals and to humans as final consumers, respectively. Animal feeds used for rabbit, chinchilla and rainbow trout production in Argentina were analysed for the presence of xerophilic Aspergillus section Aspergillus species. High isolation frequencies (>60% were detected in all the studied rabbit and chinchilla feeds, while the rainbow trout feeds showed lower fungal charge (25%. These section Aspergillus contaminations comprised predominantly five taxa. Twenty isolates were subjected to taxonomic characterization using both ascospore SEM micromorphology and two independent DNA loci sequencing. The secondary metabolite profiles of the isolates were determined qualitatively by HPLC-MS. All the isolates produced neoechinulin A, 17 isolates were positive for cladosporin and echinulin, and 18 were positive for neoechinulin B. Physcion and preechinulin were detected in a minor proportion of the isolates. This is the first report describing the detailed species composition and the secondary metabolite profiles of Aspergillus section Aspergillus contaminating animal feeds.

  9. Taxonomic Characterization and Secondary Metabolite Profiling of Aspergillus Section Aspergillus Contaminating Feeds and Feedstuffs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Greco, Mariana; Kemppainen, Minna; Pose, Graciela; Pardo, Alejandro

    2015-09-02

    Xerophilic fungal species of the genus Aspergillus are economically highly relevant due to their ability to grow on low water activity substrates causing spoilage of stored goods and animal feeds. These fungi can synthesize a variety of secondary metabolites, many of which show animal toxicity, creating a health risk for food production animals and to humans as final consumers, respectively. Animal feeds used for rabbit, chinchilla and rainbow trout production in Argentina were analysed for the presence of xerophilic Aspergillus section Aspergillus species. High isolation frequencies (>60%) were detected in all the studied rabbit and chinchilla feeds, while the rainbow trout feeds showed lower fungal charge (25%). These section Aspergillus contaminations comprised predominantly five taxa. Twenty isolates were subjected to taxonomic characterization using both ascospore SEM micromorphology and two independent DNA loci sequencing. The secondary metabolite profiles of the isolates were determined qualitatively by HPLC-MS. All the isolates produced neoechinulin A, 17 isolates were positive for cladosporin and echinulin, and 18 were positive for neoechinulin B. Physcion and preechinulin were detected in a minor proportion of the isolates. This is the first report describing the detailed species composition and the secondary metabolite profiles of Aspergillus section Aspergillus contaminating animal feeds.

  10. [Effective productions of plant secondary metabolites having antitumor activity by plant cell and tissue cultures].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taniguchi, Shoko

    2005-06-01

    Methods for the effective production of plant secondary metabolites with antitumor activity using plant cell and tissue cultures were developed. The factors in tannin productivity were investigated using culture strains producing different types of hydrolyzable tannins, i.e., gallotannins (mixture of galloylglucoses), ellagi-, and dehydroellagitannins. Production of ellagi- and dehydroellagitannins was affected by the concentrations and ratio of nitrogen sources in the medium. The formation of oligomeric ellagitannins in shoots of Oenothera tetraptera was correlated with the differentiation of tissues. Cultured cells of Eriobotrya japonica producing ursane- and oleanane-type triterpenes with antitumor activities were also established.

  11. Essential fatty acids and their metabolites could function as endogenous HMG-CoA reductase and ACE enzyme inhibitors, anti-arrhythmic, anti-hypertensive, anti-atherosclerotic, anti-inflammatory, cytoprotective, and cardioprotective molecules

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Das Undurti N

    2008-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Lowering plasma low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C, blood pressure, homocysteine, and preventing platelet aggregation using a combination of a statin, three blood pressure lowering drugs such as a thiazide, a β blocker, and an angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE inhibitor each at half standard dose; folic acid; and aspirin-called as polypill- was estimated to reduce cardiovascular events by ~80%. Essential fatty acids (EFAs and their long-chain metabolites: γ-linolenic acid (GLA, dihomo-GLA (DGLA, arachidonic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA and other products such as prostaglandins E1 (PGE1, prostacyclin (PGI2, PGI3, lipoxins (LXs, resolvins, protectins including neuroprotectin D1 (NPD1 prevent platelet aggregation, lower blood pressure, have anti-arrhythmic action, reduce LDL-C, ameliorate the adverse actions of homocysteine, show anti-inflammatory actions, activate telomerase, and have cytoprotective properties. Thus, EFAs and their metabolites show all the classic actions expected of the "polypill". Unlike the proposed "polypill", EFAs are endogenous molecules present in almost all tissues, have no significant or few side effects, can be taken orally for long periods of time even by pregnant women, lactating mothers, and infants, children, and adults; and have been known to reduce the incidence cardiovascular diseases including stroke. In addition, various EFAs and their long-chain metabolites not only enhance nitric oxide generation but also react with nitric oxide to yield their respective nitroalkene derivatives that produce vascular relaxation, inhibit neutrophil degranulation and superoxide formation, inhibit platelet activation, and possess PPAR-γ ligand activity and release NO, thus prevent platelet aggregation, thrombus formation, atherosclerosis, and cardiovascular diseases. Based on these evidences, I propose that a rational combination of ω-3 and ω-6 fatty acids and the co

  12. New secondary metabolites of phenylbutyrate in humans and rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kasumov, Takhar; Brunengraber, Laura L; Comte, Blandine; Puchowicz, Michelle A; Jobbins, Kathryn; Thomas, Katherine; David, France; Kinman, Renee; Wehrli, Suzanne; Dahms, William; Kerr, Douglas; Nissim, Itzhak; Brunengraber, Henri

    2004-01-01

    Phenylbutyrate is used to treat inborn errors of ureagenesis, malignancies, cystic fibrosis, and thalassemia. High-dose phenylbutyrate therapy results in toxicity, the mechanism of which is unexplained. The known metabolites of phenylbutyrate are phenylacetate, phenylacetylglutamine, and phenylbutyrylglutamine. These are excreted in urine, accounting for a variable fraction of the dose. We identified new metabolites of phenylbutyrate in urine of normal humans and in perfused rat livers. These metabolites result from interference between the metabolism of phenylbutyrate and that of carbohydrates and lipids. The new metabolites fall into two categories, glucuronides and phenylbutyrate beta-oxidation side products. Two questions are raised by these data. First, is the nitrogen-excreting potential of phenylbutyrate diminished by ingestion of carbohydrates or lipids? Second, does competition between the metabolism of phenylbutyrate, carbohydrates, and lipids alter the profile of phenylbutyrate metabolites? Finally, we synthesized glycerol esters of phenylbutyrate. These are partially bioavailable in rats and could be used to administer large doses of phenylbutyrate in a sodium-free, noncaustic form.

  13. Novel urinary metabolite of d-delta-tocopherol in rats

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chiku, S.; Hamamura, K.; Nakamura, T.

    1984-01-01

    A novel metabolite of d-delta-tocopherol was isolated from the urine of rats given d-3,4-[ 3 H 2 ]-delta-tocopherol intravenously. The metabolite was collected from the urine of rats given d-delta-tocopherol in the same manner as that of the labeled compound. It was found that the metabolites consisted of sulfate conjugates. The portion of the major metabolite released with sulfatase was determined to be 2,8-dimethyl-2-(2'-carboxyethyl)-6-chromanol by infrared spectra, nuclear magnetic resonance spectra, and mass spectra. The proposed structure was confirmed by comparing the analytical results with those of a synthetically derived compound. As a result of the structural elucidation of this novel metabolite, a pathway for the biological transformation of delta-tocopherol is proposed which is different from that of alpha-tocopherol. A characteristic feature of the pathway is the absence of any opening of the chroman ring throughout the sequence

  14. Circulating prostacyclin metabolites in the dog

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Taylor, B.M.; Shebuski, R.J.; Sun, F.F.

    1983-01-01

    The present study was designed to determine the concentration of prostacyclin (PGI2) metabolites in the blood of the dog. After a bolus i.v. dose of [11 beta- 3 H]PGI2 (5 micrograms/kg) into each of five dogs, blood samples were withdrawn at 0.33, 0.67, 1, 3, 5, 20, 30, 60 and 120 min postdrug administration. Plasma samples were extracted and the radioactive components were analyzed by two-dimensional thin-layer chromatography with autoradiofluorography and radio-high-performance liquid chromatography. The compounds were identified by comparing their mobility with synthetic standards; only parallel responses observed in both tests constituted positive identification. Seven metabolites were identified by these two techniques: 6-keto-prostaglandin (PG)F1 alpha; 6-keto-PGE1; 2,3-dinor-6-keto-PGF 1 alpha; 2,3-dinor-13,14-dihydro-6,15-diketo-20-carboxyl PGF 1 alpha; and 2,3,18,19-tetranor-13,14-dihydro-6,15-diketo-20-carboxyl PGF 1 alpha. Several additional compounds, both polar and nonpolar in nature, which did not co-chromatograph with any of our standards were also detected. Early samples consisted predominantly of 6-keto-PGF 1 alpha and other 20-carbon metabolites. By 30 min, the predominant metabolites were the 16- and 18-carbon dicarboxylic acids. By 60 min, 85% of the radioactivity was associated with two unidentified polar compounds. The evidence suggests that 6-keto-PGF 1 alpha probably reflects only the transient levels of freshly entering PGI2 in the circulation, whereas levels of the most polar metabolites (e.g., dihydro-diketo-carboxyl tetranor-PGF 2 alpha) may be a better measure of the overall PGI2 presence due to its longer half-life in circulation

  15. The Combination of Antidepressant Duloxetine with Piracetam in Mice does not Produce Enhancement of Nootropic Activity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kale, Pravin Popatrao; Addepalli, Veeranjaneyulu; Sarkar, Amrita; Patel, Sonam; Savai, Jay

    2014-09-01

    There is a strong association between depression and memory impairment. The present study aims to assess the nootropic activity of duloxetine and piracetam combination. Male Swiss Albino mice were divided randomly into 4 groups. Treatment of normal saline (10 ml/kg), duloxetine (10 mg/kg), piracetam (100 mg/kg), and duloxetine (5 mg/kg) plus piracetam (50 mg/kg) were given through intra-peritoneal route to group I-IV, respectively. Transfer latency in elevated plus maze (EPM) and time spent in target quadrant in Morris water maze (MWM) were recorded. Estimation of brain monoamines in hippocampus, cerebral cortex, and whole brain were done using HPLC with fluorescence detector. Piracetam treated group showed significant decrease in transfer latency in EPM and increase in time spent in target quadrant recorded in MWM. Combination treated group failed to produce statistically significant nootropic effect in both EPM and MWM. Combination treated group failed to increase brain monoamine levels when compared against duloxetine and piracetam treated groups, separately. But there was exception of significant increase in norepinephrine levels in hippocampi when compared against duloxetine treated group. Results indicate no cognitive benefits with piracetam plus duloxetine combination. These findings can be further probed with the aim of understanding the interaction between duloxetine and piracetam as a future endeavor.

  16. Metabolite-cycled density-weighted concentric rings k-space trajectory (DW-CRT) enables high-resolution 1 H magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging at 3-Tesla.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Steel, Adam; Chiew, Mark; Jezzard, Peter; Voets, Natalie L; Plaha, Puneet; Thomas, Michael Albert; Stagg, Charlotte J; Emir, Uzay E

    2018-05-17

    Magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) is a promising technique in both experimental and clinical settings. However, to date, MRSI has been hampered by prohibitively long acquisition times and artifacts caused by subject motion and hardware-related frequency drift. In the present study, we demonstrate that density weighted concentric ring trajectory (DW-CRT) k-space sampling in combination with semi-LASER excitation and metabolite-cycling enables high-resolution MRSI data to be rapidly acquired at 3 Tesla. Single-slice full-intensity MRSI data (short echo time (TE) semi-LASER TE = 32 ms) were acquired from 6 healthy volunteers with an in-plane resolution of 5 × 5 mm in 13 min 30 sec using this approach. Using LCModel analysis, we found that the acquired spectra allowed for the mapping of total N-acetylaspartate (median Cramer-Rao Lower Bound [CRLB] = 3%), glutamate+glutamine (8%), and glutathione (13%). In addition, we demonstrate potential clinical utility of this technique by optimizing the TE to detect 2-hydroxyglutarate (long TE semi-LASER, TE = 110 ms), to produce relevant high-resolution metabolite maps of grade III IDH-mutant oligodendroglioma in a single patient. This study demonstrates the potential utility of MRSI in the clinical setting at 3 Tesla.

  17. Metabolite profiling of leek (Allium porrum L) cultivars by (1) H NMR and HPLC-MS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Soininen, Tuula H; Jukarainen, Niko; Soininen, Pasi; Auriola, Seppo O K; Julkunen-Tiitto, Riitta; Oleszek, Wieslaw; Stochmal, Anna; Karjalainen, Reijo O; Vepsäläinen, Jouko J

    2014-01-01

    Leek (Allium ampeloprasum var. porrum) is consumed as a vegetable throughout the world. However, little is known about the metabolites of leek cultivars, especially those with potentially important beneficial properties for human health. We provide new information for the overall metabolite composition of several leek cultivars grown in Europe by using HPLC-MS and (1) H NMR. The use of a novel CTLS/NMR (constrained total-line-shape nuclear magnetic resonance) approach was found to be capable of reliable quantification, even with overlapping metabolite signals in the (1) H NMR of plant metabolites. Additionally, a new application for leek flavonoids was optimised for HPLC-MS. The total concentration of carbohydrates (glucose, fructose, kestose/nystose and sucrose) and nine amino acids varied by fourfold in leek juice from different cultivars, while the total concentrations of four organic acids were similar in all cultivars. All the quantified flavonols were kaempferol derivatives or quercetin derivatives and threefold differences in flavonol concentrations were detected between cultivars. In this study, various phytochemical profiles were determined for several leek cultivars by (1) H NMR spectroscopy with CTLS combined with HPLC-MS. The wide variation in bioactive compounds among commercial leek cultivars offers promising opportunities for breeders to raise the levels of important biochemical compounds in leek breeding lines, and also provides some objective measure for quality assurance for the leek industry. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  18. Dosage Effects of Salt and pH Stresses on Saccharomyces cerevisiae as Monitored via Metabolites by Using Two Dimensional NMR Spectroscopy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chae, Young Kee; Kim, Seol Hyun; Ellinger, James E.; Markley, John L.

    2013-01-01

    Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which is a common species of yeast, is by far the most extensively studied model of a eukaryote because although it is one of the simplest eukaryotes, its basic cellular processes resemble those of higher organisms. In addition, yeast is a commercially valuable organism for ethanol production. Since the yeast data can be extrapolated to the important aspects of higher organisms, many researchers have studied yeast metabolism under various conditions. In this report, we analyzed and compared metabolites of Saccharomyces cerevisiae under salt and pH stresses of various strengths by using two-dimensional NMR spectroscopy. A total of 31 metabolites were identified for most of the samples. The levels of many identified metabolites showed gradual or drastic increases or decreases depending on the severity of the stresses involved. The statistical analysis produced a holistic outline: pH stresses were clustered together, but salt stresses were spread out depending on the severity. This work could provide a link between the metabolite profiles and mRNA or protein profiles under representative and well studied stress conditions

  19. Factors influencing annual fecal testosterone metabolite profiles in captive male polar bears (Ursus maritimus).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Curry, E; Roth, T L; MacKinnon, K M; Stoops, M A

    2012-12-01

    The objectives of this study were to assess the effects of season, breeding activity, age and latitude on fecal testosterone metabolite concentrations in captive, adult male polar bears (Ursus maritimus). Fourteen polar bears from 13 North American zoos were monitored for 12-36 months, producing 25-year-long testosterone profiles. Results indicated that testosterone was significantly higher during the breeding season (early January through the end of May) compared with the non-breeding season with the highest concentrations excreted from early January through late March. Variations in excretion patterns were observed among individuals and also between years within an individual, with testosterone peaks closely associated with breeding activity. Results indicate that fecal testosterone concentrations are influenced by season, breeding activity and age, but not by latitude. This is the first report describing longitudinal fecal testosterone metabolite concentrations in individual adult male polar bears. © 2012 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

  20. Production of cyathane type secondary metabolites by submerged cultures of Hericium erinaceus and evaluation of their antibacterial activity by direct bioautography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shen, T; Morlock, G; Zorn, H

    2015-01-01

    Fungi of the phylum Basidiomycota are well-known to form a broad spectrum of biologically active secondary metabolites, especially low molecular weight compounds such as terpenoids. Hericium erinaceus produces various cyathane type diterpenoids including erinacines. However, no quantitative data and production kinetics have been reported on the biosynthesis of the erinacines C and P in submerged cultures. In the present study, the production of erinacine C was optimized, and the product formation kinetics as well as the antimicrobial activity were studied by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) and direct bioautography. Oatmeal and Edamin ® K were identified to be crucial media components for an efficient production of erinacine C. The highest concentrations of erinacine C were obtained in the optimized culture medium on the 9 th culture day (approximately 260 mg L -1 ). The production of erinacine P was strongly time dependent. The maximum concentration of erinacine P of 184 mg L -1 was observed on the third culture day. Afterwards, the concentrations of erinacine P decreased while the concentrations of erinacine C steadily increased. Comparable results were obtained by HPTLC with UV detection and HPLC with diode-array detection (DAD) analyses. Direct bioautography allowed for an additional analysis of the antimicrobial activity of the secondary metabolites. The C and N sources oatmeal and Edamin ® K induced the formation of erinacine C. Detailed product formation kinetics of the erinacines C and P have been reported for the first time. HPTLC combined with the Aliivibrio fischeri bioassay allowed for an instant detection of cyathane diterpenoids in crude extracts and for an evaluation of the antimicrobial activity of the secondary metabolites directly on the plate.

  1. IMG-ABC: A Knowledge Base To Fuel Discovery of Biosynthetic Gene Clusters and Novel Secondary Metabolites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hadjithomas, Michalis; Chen, I-Min Amy; Chu, Ken; Ratner, Anna; Palaniappan, Krishna; Szeto, Ernest; Huang, Jinghua; Reddy, T B K; Cimermančič, Peter; Fischbach, Michael A; Ivanova, Natalia N; Markowitz, Victor M; Kyrpides, Nikos C; Pati, Amrita

    2015-07-14

    In the discovery of secondary metabolites, analysis of sequence data is a promising exploration path that remains largely underutilized due to the lack of computational platforms that enable such a systematic approach on a large scale. In this work, we present IMG-ABC (https://img.jgi.doe.gov/abc), an atlas of biosynthetic gene clusters within the Integrated Microbial Genomes (IMG) system, which is aimed at harnessing the power of "big" genomic data for discovering small molecules. IMG-ABC relies on IMG's comprehensive integrated structural and functional genomic data for the analysis of biosynthetic gene clusters (BCs) and associated secondary metabolites (SMs). SMs and BCs serve as the two main classes of objects in IMG-ABC, each with a rich collection of attributes. A unique feature of IMG-ABC is the incorporation of both experimentally validated and computationally predicted BCs in genomes as well as metagenomes, thus identifying BCs in uncultured populations and rare taxa. We demonstrate the strength of IMG-ABC's focused integrated analysis tools in enabling the exploration of microbial secondary metabolism on a global scale, through the discovery of phenazine-producing clusters for the first time in Alphaproteobacteria. IMG-ABC strives to fill the long-existent void of resources for computational exploration of the secondary metabolism universe; its underlying scalable framework enables traversal of uncovered phylogenetic and chemical structure space, serving as a doorway to a new era in the discovery of novel molecules. IMG-ABC is the largest publicly available database of predicted and experimental biosynthetic gene clusters and the secondary metabolites they produce. The system also includes powerful search and analysis tools that are integrated with IMG's extensive genomic/metagenomic data and analysis tool kits. As new research on biosynthetic gene clusters and secondary metabolites is published and more genomes are sequenced, IMG-ABC will continue to

  2. Pharmacokinetics of ifosfamide and some metabolites in children

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kaijser, G. P.; de Kraker, J.; Bult, A.; Underberg, W. J.; Beijnen, J. H.

    1998-01-01

    The pharmacokinetics of ifosfamide and some metabolites in children was investigated. The patients received various doses of ifosfamide, mostly by continuous infusion, over several days. The penetration of ifosfamide and its metabolites into the cerebrospinal fluid was also studied in four cases.

  3. RaMP: A Comprehensive Relational Database of Metabolomics Pathways for Pathway Enrichment Analysis of Genes and Metabolites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Bofei; Hu, Senyang; Baskin, Elizabeth; Patt, Andrew; Siddiqui, Jalal K; Mathé, Ewy A

    2018-02-22

    The value of metabolomics in translational research is undeniable, and metabolomics data are increasingly generated in large cohorts. The functional interpretation of disease-associated metabolites though is difficult, and the biological mechanisms that underlie cell type or disease-specific metabolomics profiles are oftentimes unknown. To help fully exploit metabolomics data and to aid in its interpretation, analysis of metabolomics data with other complementary omics data, including transcriptomics, is helpful. To facilitate such analyses at a pathway level, we have developed RaMP (Relational database of Metabolomics Pathways), which combines biological pathways from the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), Reactome, WikiPathways, and the Human Metabolome DataBase (HMDB). To the best of our knowledge, an off-the-shelf, public database that maps genes and metabolites to biochemical/disease pathways and can readily be integrated into other existing software is currently lacking. For consistent and comprehensive analysis, RaMP enables batch and complex queries (e.g., list all metabolites involved in glycolysis and lung cancer), can readily be integrated into pathway analysis tools, and supports pathway overrepresentation analysis given a list of genes and/or metabolites of interest. For usability, we have developed a RaMP R package (https://github.com/Mathelab/RaMP-DB), including a user-friendly RShiny web application, that supports basic simple and batch queries, pathway overrepresentation analysis given a list of genes or metabolites of interest, and network visualization of gene-metabolite relationships. The package also includes the raw database file (mysql dump), thereby providing a stand-alone downloadable framework for public use and integration with other tools. In addition, the Python code needed to recreate the database on another system is also publicly available (https://github.com/Mathelab/RaMP-BackEnd). Updates for databases in RaMP will be

  4. The secondary metabolite bioinformatics portal: Computational tools to facilitate synthetic biology of secondary metabolite production

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tilmann Weber

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Natural products are among the most important sources of lead molecules for drug discovery. With the development of affordable whole-genome sequencing technologies and other ‘omics tools, the field of natural products research is currently undergoing a shift in paradigms. While, for decades, mainly analytical and chemical methods gave access to this group of compounds, nowadays genomics-based methods offer complementary approaches to find, identify and characterize such molecules. This paradigm shift also resulted in a high demand for computational tools to assist researchers in their daily work. In this context, this review gives a summary of tools and databases that currently are available to mine, identify and characterize natural product biosynthesis pathways and their producers based on ‘omics data. A web portal called Secondary Metabolite Bioinformatics Portal (SMBP at http://www.secondarymetabolites.org is introduced to provide a one-stop catalog and links to these bioinformatics resources. In addition, an outlook is presented how the existing tools and those to be developed will influence synthetic biology approaches in the natural products field.

  5. Assessing the associations of blood metabolites with osteoporosis: a Mendelian randomization study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Li; Wen, Yan; Zhang, Lei; Xu, Peng; Liang, Xiao; Du, Yanan; Li, Ping; He, Awen; Fan, QianRui; Hao, Jingcan; Wang, Wenyu; Guo, Xiong; Shen, Hui; Tian, Qing; Zhang, Feng; Deng, Hong-Wen

    2018-03-01

    Osteoporosis is a metabolic bone disease. The impact of blood metabolites on the development of osteoporosis remains elusive now. To explore the relationship between blood metabolites and osteoporosis. We used 2,286 unrelated Caucasian subjects as discovery samples and 3,143 unrelated Caucasian subjects from the Framingham heart study (FHS) as replication samples. Bone mineral density (BMD) were measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Genome-wide SNP genotyping was performed using Affymetrix Human SNP Array 6.0 (for discovery samples) and Affymetrix SNP 500K and 50K array (for FHS replication samples). The SNP sets significantly associated with blood metabolites were obtained from a published whole-genome sequencing study. For each subject, the genetic risk score (GRS) of metabolite was calculated from the genotype data of metabolite associated SNP sets. Pearson correlation analysis was conducted to evaluate the potential impact of blood metabolites on the variations bone phenotypes. 10,000 permutations were conducted to calculate the empirical P value and false discovery rate (FDR). 481 blood metabolites were analyzed in this study. We identified multiple blood metabolites associated with hip BMD, such as 1,5-anhydroglucitol(1,5-AG) (Pdiscovery metabolites on the variations of BMD, and identified several candidate blood metabolites for osteoporosis.

  6. Metabolites of alectinib in human: their identification and pharmacological activity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mika Sato-Nakai

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Two metabolites (M4 and M1b in plasma and four metabolites (M4, M6, M1a and M1b in faeces were detected through the human ADME study following a single oral administration of [14C]alectinib, a small-molecule anaplastic lymphoma kinase inhibitor, to healthy subjects. In the present study, M1a and M1b, which chemical structures had not been identified prior to the human ADME study, were identified as isomers of a carboxylate metabolite oxidatively cleaved at the morpholine ring. In faeces, M4 and M1b were the main metabolites, which shows that the biotransformation to M4 and M1b represents two main metabolic pathways for alectinib. In plasma, M4 was a major metabolite and M1b was a minor metabolite. The contribution to in vivo pharmacological activity of these circulating metabolites was assessed from their in vitro pharmacological activity and plasma protein binding. M4 had a similar cancer cell growth inhibitory activity and plasma protein binding to that of alectinib, suggesting its contribution to the antitumor activity of alectinib, whereas the pharmacological activity of M1b was insignificant.

  7. Metabolomics and Cheminformatics Analysis of Antifungal Function of Plant Metabolites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cuperlovic-Culf, Miroslava; Rajagopalan, NandhaKishore; Tulpan, Dan; Loewen, Michele C

    2016-09-30

    Fusarium head blight (FHB), primarily caused by Fusarium graminearum , is a devastating disease of wheat. Partial resistance to FHB of several wheat cultivars includes specific metabolic responses to inoculation. Previously published studies have determined major metabolic changes induced by pathogens in resistant and susceptible plants. Functionality of the majority of these metabolites in resistance remains unknown. In this work we have made a compilation of all metabolites determined as selectively accumulated following FHB inoculation in resistant plants. Characteristics, as well as possible functions and targets of these metabolites, are investigated using cheminformatics approaches with focus on the likelihood of these metabolites acting as drug-like molecules against fungal pathogens. Results of computational analyses of binding properties of several representative metabolites to homology models of fungal proteins are presented. Theoretical analysis highlights the possibility for strong inhibitory activity of several metabolites against some major proteins in Fusarium graminearum , such as carbonic anhydrases and cytochrome P450s. Activity of several of these compounds has been experimentally confirmed in fungal growth inhibition assays. Analysis of anti-fungal properties of plant metabolites can lead to the development of more resistant wheat varieties while showing novel application of cheminformatics approaches in the analysis of plant/pathogen interactions.

  8. Metabolite Profiling of Candidatus Liberibacter Infection in Hamlin Sweet Oranges.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hung, Wei-Lun; Wang, Yu

    2018-04-18

    Huanglongbing (HLB), also known as citrus greening disease, caused by Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas), is considered the most serious citrus disease in the world. CLas infection has been shown to greatly affect metabolite profiles in citrus fruits. However, because of uneven distribution of CLas throughout the tree and a minimum bacterial titer requirement for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) detection, the infected trees may test false negative. To prevent this, metabolites of healthy Hamlin oranges (CLas-) obtained from the citrus undercover protection systems (CUPS) were investigated. Comparison of the metabolite profile of juice obtained from CLas- and CLas+ (asymptomatic and symptomatic) trees revealed significant differences in both volatile and nonvolatile metabolites. However, no consistent pattern could be observed in alcohols, esters, sesquiterpenes, sugars, flavanones, and limonoids as compared to previous studies. These results suggest that CLas may affect metabolite profiles of citrus fruits earlier than detecting infection by PCR. Citric acid, nobiletin, malic acid, and phenylalanine were identified as the metabolic biomarkers associated with the progression of HLB. Thus, the differential metabolites found in this study may serve as the biomarkers of HLB in its early stage, and the metabolite signature of CLas infection may provide useful information for developing a potential treatment strategy.

  9. Combinations of mutant FAD2 and FAD3 genes to produce high oleic acid and low linolenic acid soybean oil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pham, Anh-Tung; Shannon, J Grover; Bilyeu, Kristin D

    2012-08-01

    High oleic acid soybeans were produced by combining mutant FAD2-1A and FAD2-1B genes. Despite having a high oleic acid content, the linolenic acid content of these soybeans was in the range of 4-6 %, which may be high enough to cause oxidative instability of the oil. Therefore, a study was conducted to incorporate one or two mutant FAD3 genes into the high oleic acid background to further reduce the linolenic acid content. As a result, soybean lines with high oleic acid and low linolenic acid (HOLL) content were produced using different sources of mutant FAD2-1A genes. While oleic acid content of these HOLL lines was stable across two testing environments, the reduction of linolenic acid content varied depending on the number of mutant FAD3 genes combined with mutant FAD2-1 genes, on the severity of mutation in the FAD2-1A gene, and on the testing environment. Combination of two mutant FAD2-1 genes and one mutant FAD3 gene resulted in less than 2 % linolenic acid content in Portageville, Missouri (MO) while four mutant genes were needed to achieve the same linolenic acid in Columbia, MO. This study generated non-transgenic soybeans with the highest oleic acid content and lowest linolenic acid content reported to date, offering a unique alternative to produce a fatty acid profile similar to olive oil.

  10. Metabolite Profiles of Lactic Acid Bacteria in Grass Silage▿

    OpenAIRE

    Broberg, Anders; Jacobsson, Karin; Ström, Katrin; Schnürer, Johan

    2007-01-01

    The metabolite production of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) on silage was investigated. The aim was to compare the production of antifungal metabolites in silage with the production in liquid cultures previously studied in our laboratory. The following metabolites were found to be present at elevated concentrations in silos inoculated with LAB strains: 3-hydroxydecanoic acid, 2-hydroxy-4-methylpentanoic acid, benzoic acid, catechol, hydrocinnamic acid, salicylic acid, 3-phenyllactic acid, 4-hydro...

  11. Importance of microbial pest control agents and their metabolites In relation to the natural microbiota on strawberry

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Birgit; Knudsen, Inge M. B.; Jensen, Dan Funck

    control. A series of laboratory, growth chamber, semi-field and field experiments using strawberry as a model plant focusing on commercial microbial pest control products (MPCPs) or laboratory MPCAs expected to be on the market within 10 years served as our experimental platform. Initially the background...... level of indigenous microbial communities and their mycotoxins/metabolites on strawberries was examined in a field survey with 4 conventional and 4 organic growers with different production practise and geographic distribution. Culturable bacteria, yeasts and filamentous fungi were isolated...... and identified using both chemotaxonomy (fatty acids and metabolite profiling) and morphological characteristics. Microbial communities on strawberries were complex including potential plant pathogens, opportunistic human pathogens, plant disease biocontrol agents and mycotoxin producers. Bacteria were the most...

  12. Allosteric modulation of endogenous metabolites as an avenue for drug discovery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wootten, Denise; Savage, Emilia E; Valant, Celine; May, Lauren T; Sloop, Kyle W; Ficorilli, James; Showalter, Aaron D; Willard, Francis S; Christopoulos, Arthur; Sexton, Patrick M

    2012-08-01

    G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are the largest family of cell surface receptors and a key drug target class. Recently, allosteric drugs that can co-bind with and modulate the activity of the endogenous ligand(s) for the receptor have become a major focus of the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry for the development of novel GPCR therapeutic agents. This class of drugs has distinct properties compared with drugs targeting the endogenous (orthosteric) ligand-binding site that include the ability to sculpt cellular signaling and to respond differently in the presence of discrete orthosteric ligands, a behavior termed "probe dependence." Here, using cell signaling assays combined with ex vivo and in vivo studies of insulin secretion, we demonstrate that allosteric ligands can cause marked potentiation of previously "inert" metabolic products of neurotransmitters and peptide hormones, a novel consequence of the phenomenon of probe dependence. Indeed, at the muscarinic M(2) receptor and glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor, allosteric potentiation of the metabolites, choline and GLP-1(9-36)NH(2), respectively, was ~100-fold and up to 200-fold greater than that seen with the physiological signaling molecules acetylcholine and GLP-1(7-36)NH(2). Modulation of GLP-1(9-36)NH(2) was also demonstrated in ex vivo and in vivo assays of insulin secretion. This work opens up new avenues for allosteric drug discovery by directly targeting modulation of metabolites, but it also identifies a behavior that could contribute to unexpected clinical outcomes if interaction of allosteric drugs with metabolites is not part of their preclinical assessment.

  13. Penicillium arizonense, a new, genome sequenced fungal species, reveals a high chemical diversity in secreted metabolites

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Grijseels, Sietske; Nielsen, Jens Christian; Randelovic, Milica

    2016-01-01

    A new soil-borne species belonging to the Penicillium section Canescentia is described, Penicillium arizonense sp. nov. (type strain CBS 141311T = IBT 12289T). The genome was sequenced and assembled into 33.7 Mb containing 12,502 predicted genes. A phylogenetic assessment based on marker genes...... confirmed the grouping of P. arizonense within section Canescentia. Compared to related species, P. arizonense proved to encode a high number of proteins involved in carbohydrate metabolism, in particular hemicellulases. Mining the genome for genes involved in secondary metabolite biosynthesis resulted...... of biosynthetic gene clusters in P. arizonense responsible for the synthesis of all detected compounds except curvulinic acid. The capacity to produce biomass degrading enzymes and the identification of a high chemical diversity in secreted bioactive secondary metabolites, offers a broad range of potential...

  14. Metabolomics-based prediction models of yeast strains for screening of metabolites contributing to ethanol stress tolerance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hashim, Z.; Fukusaki, E.

    2016-06-01

    The increased demand for clean, sustainable and renewable energy resources has driven the development of various microbial systems to produce biofuels. One of such systems is the ethanol-producing yeast. Although yeast produces ethanol naturally using its native pathways, production yield is low and requires improvement for commercial biofuel production. Moreover, ethanol is toxic to yeast and thus ethanol tolerance should be improved to further enhance ethanol production. In this study, we employed metabolomics-based strategy using 30 single-gene deleted yeast strains to construct multivariate models for ethanol tolerance and screen metabolites that relate to ethanol sensitivity/tolerance. The information obtained from this study can be used as an input for strain improvement via metabolic engineering.

  15. Identification of glucuronides as in vivo liver conjugates of seven cannabinoids and some of their hydroxy and acid metabolites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harvey, D J; Martin, B R; Paton, W D

    1977-02-01

    Glucuronide conjugates of cannabidiol (CBD), 7-hydroxy-CBD, propyl-CBD, cannabinol (CBN), 7-hydroxy-CBN, CBN-7-oic acid, propyl CBN and cannabichromene have been identified as major metabolites of CBD, CBN and their propyl homologues and of cannabichromene in mouse liver. Trace amounts of the glucuronide conjugates of delta1- and delta1(6)-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) were also detected. Identification was made by combined gas-liquid chromatographic and mass spectrometric studies of the trimethylsilyl (TMS), d9-TMS and methyl ester-TMS derivatives of the glucuronides and the TMS derivatives of the product of the reduction of the metabolites with lithium aluminium deuteride.

  16. Mold Flora of Traditional Cheeses Produced in Turkey

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Musa Yalman

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available In our country, there are many cheese types that are produced traditionally. Cheeses which produced from cows, sheep and goat milk that matured with spontaneous growth of molds present in livestock skins, pots and similar environments are among them. They are produced traditionally in Mediterrian, Central and Eastern Anatolia regions. Molds that grow spontaneously in cheeses could create public health risk because of their secondary metabolites. Penicillium spp. are the most isolated mold from these cheeses and Penicillium roqueforti is determined as the dominant species. Furthermore, Aspergillus, Alternaria, Mucor, Geotrichum, Cladosporium species have been isolated. It is very important to control the ripening conditions and starter strain selection since some strains were reported as mycotoxin producers. In this review, it has been tried to give general information about traditional production of mold-ripened cheese in Turkey and the mold flora found in traditional cheeses. In addition, public health risk of these cheeses is reported.

  17. Aspergillus Sydowii Marine Fungal Bloom in Australian Coastal Waters, Its Metabolites and Potential Impact on Symbiodinium Dinoflagellates

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aiko Hayashi

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Dust has been widely recognised as an important source of nutrients in the marine environment and as a vector for transporting pathogenic microorganisms. Disturbingly, in the wake of a dust storm event along the eastern Australian coast line in 2009, the Continuous Plankton Recorder collected masses of fungal spores and mycelia (~150,000 spores/m3 forming a floating raft that covered a coastal area equivalent to 25 times the surface of England. Cultured A. sydowii strains exhibited varying metabolite profiles, but all produced sydonic acid, a chemotaxonomic marker for A. sydowii. The Australian marine fungal strains share major metabolites and display comparable metabolic diversity to Australian terrestrial strains and to strains pathogenic to Caribbean coral. Secondary colonisation of the rafts by other fungi, including strains of Cladosporium, Penicillium and other Aspergillus species with distinct secondary metabolite profiles, was also encountered. Our bioassays revealed that the dust-derived marine fungal extracts and known A. sydowii metabolites such as sydowic acid, sydowinol and sydowinin A adversely affect photophysiological performance (Fv/Fm of the coral reef dinoflagellate endosymbiont Symbiodinium. Different Symbiodinium clades exhibited varying sensitivities, mimicking sensitivity to coral bleaching phenomena. The detection of such large amounts of A. sydowii following this dust storm event has potential implications for the health of coral environments such as the Great Barrier Reef.

  18. Enhanced biohydrogen production from corn stover by the combination of Clostridium cellulolyticum and hydrogen fermentation bacteria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Shou-Chi; Lai, Qi-Heng; Lu, Yuan; Liu, Zhi-Dan; Wang, Tian-Min; Zhang, Chong; Xing, Xin-Hui

    2016-10-01

    Hydrogen was produced from steam-exploded corn stover by using a combination of the cellulolytic bacterium Clostridium cellulolyticum and non-cellulolytic hydrogen-producing bacteria. The highest hydrogen yield of the co-culture system with C. cellulolyticum and Citrobacter amalonaticus reached 51.9 L H2/kg total solid (TS). The metabolites from the co-culture system were significantly different from those of the mono-culture systems. Formate, which inhibits the growth of C. cellulolyticum, could be consumed by the hydrogen-evolving bacteria, and transformed into hydrogen. Glucose and xylose were released from corn stover via hydrolysis by C. cellulolyticum and were quickly utilized in dark fermentation with the co-cultured hydrogen-producing bacteria. Because the hydrolysis of corn stover by C. cellulolyticum was much slower than the utilization of glucose and xylose by the hydrogen-evolving bacteria, the sugar concentrations were always maintained at low levels, which favored a high hydrogen molar yield. Copyright © 2016 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. Metabolite characterization in serum samples from normal healthy ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Metabolite characterization in serum samples from normal healthy human subjects by 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy. D Misra, U Bajpai. Abstract. One and two dimensional NMR spectroscopy has been employed to characterize the various metabolites of serum control healthy samples. Two dimensional heteronuclear ...

  20. Glucose metabolite glyoxal induces senescence in telomerase-immortalized human mesenchymal stem cells

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Larsen, Simon Asbjørn; Kassem, Moustapha; Rattan, Suresh

    2012-01-01

    ). Furthermore, the in vitro differentiation potential of hMSC-TERT to become functional osteoblasts was highly reduced in GO-treated stem cells, as determined by alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and mineralized matrix (MM) formation. Conclusions The results of our study imply that an imbalanced glucose...... physiological metabolite produced by the auto-oxidation of glucose, and can form covalent adducts known as advanced glycation endproducts (AGE). We have previously reported that GO accelerates ageing and causes premature senescence in normal human skin fibroblasts. Results Using a bone marrow-derived telomerase...