BACKGROUND: Reinwardtia indica, a highly valued ethnomedicinal plant, has been traditionally used to treat various ailments due to its rich phytochemical composition. However, the impact of environmental factors, particularly altitude, on its medicinal properties remains unexplored. This study investigates the effects of altitudinal variation on phytochemicals, mycorrhizal diversity, and soil physico-chemical parameters of R. indica. RESULTS: The phytochemical study of R. indica revealed significant variations in phytochemical content across different altitudes. The methanol extract from the high-altitude site (i.e. Chail, 2000 m) exhibited the highest levels of phenol (142.63 ± 1.88 mg/g GAE), tannins (146.11 ± 1.73 mg/g GAE), flavonoid (51.59 ± 2.20 mg/g RUT), carbohydrate content (485.00 ± 1.52 mg/g GLU), and protein (12.95 ± 0.35 mg/g GAE). GC-MS analysis identified different bioactive compounds with antioxidant, antimicrobial, and antitumor properties. HPLC analysis showed varying rutin content across altitudes, with the highest amount at higher altitude. The plant's association with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi decreased with increasing altitude, as evidenced by reduced mycorrhizal spore diversity and root colonization. Soil physico-chemical properties like soil pH, organic carbon, phosphorus and nitrogen also increased with the altitude. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that altitudinal variation significantly influences the phytochemical composition, mycorrhizal diversity, and soil properties of R. indica. High-altitude sites exhibited increased phytochemical content, particularly phenols, flavonoids, and tannins, suggesting enhanced medicinal value. Conversely, mycorrhizal association decreased with altitude, potentially due to environmental and soil property changes. These findings have implications for optimizing cultivation and conservation strategies for R. indica, highlighting the importance of altitude considerations in harnessing its medicinal potential.
- Keywords
- Reinwardtia indica, Altitude, GC-MS, HPLC, Mycorrhiza, Phytochemicals, Soil properties,
- MeSH
- Biodiversity MeSH
- Phytochemicals * analysis chemistry MeSH
- Plants, Medicinal * chemistry microbiology MeSH
- Mycorrhizae * physiology MeSH
- Altitude * MeSH
- Soil chemistry MeSH
- Tannins analysis MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Names of Substances
- Phytochemicals * MeSH
- Soil MeSH
- Tannins MeSH
This study assessed the potential of dried Cayenne pepper (CP; Capsicum annuum L.) as a natural additive to rice bran oil (RBO), grape seed oil (GSO), and virgin olive oil (OO). Key analyses included peroxide and acid values, oxidative stability (Rancimat method), the composition of fatty acids (FAs) (GC-FID method), antioxidant activity (AA; DPPH method), and antimicrobial properties (disc diffusion method). Capsaicin and the dihydrocapsaicin contents in CP were quantified (HPLC-DAD method) as 1499.37 ± 3.64 and 1449.04 ± 5.14 mg/kg DW, respectively. Oleic acid (C18:1cis n9) dominated in OO (69.70%), OO-CP (69.73%), and RBO-CP (38.97%), while linoleic acid (C18:2cis n6) prevailed in RBO (41.34%), GSO (57.93%), and GSO-CP (58.03%). The addition of CP influenced the FA profile, particularly linoleic acid in OO and RBO, and all FAs in GSO. Peroxide and acid values increased significantly in RBO and GSO upon CP addition, but induction times remained unaffected. The strongest AA (77.00 ± 0.13%) was observed in OO-CP. Cayenne pepper significantly enhanced the antioxidant profiles of all oils compared to the counterparts. However, the antimicrobial activity was weak (≤5.0 mm inhibition zones) against tested microorganisms. These findings support CP as a functional additive for enhancing the nutritional and functional properties of gourmet oils, while highlighting the need for further optimization to improve stability and bioactivity.
- Keywords
- Cayenne pepper red, antimicrobial activity, antioxidant activity, fatty acids, health benefits, technological profile, vegetable oils,
- MeSH
- Anti-Infective Agents pharmacology chemistry MeSH
- Antioxidants * pharmacology chemistry MeSH
- Capsicum * chemistry MeSH
- Capsaicin analogs & derivatives pharmacology analysis MeSH
- Fatty Acids analysis MeSH
- Plant Oils chemistry pharmacology MeSH
- Olive Oil chemistry MeSH
- Rice Bran Oil chemistry MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Names of Substances
- Anti-Infective Agents MeSH
- Antioxidants * MeSH
- dihydrocapsaicin MeSH Browser
- Capsaicin MeSH
- Fatty Acids MeSH
- Plant Oils MeSH
- Olive Oil MeSH
- Rice Bran Oil MeSH
In this study, a functionalized graphene oxide-cerium oxide nanocatalysts (FGCe) with varying graphene oxide (GO) contents were prepared using an in-situ reflux method. The prepared nanocatalysts showcased improvement in the crystallinity and BET surface area values with increasing GO contents. The efficacies of prepared catalysts were investigated towards oxidative pyrolysis of alkali lignin in an ethanol-water system. Among various nanocatalyst samples, the best lignin conversion (93 %) and bio-oil yield (86 %) were achieved using 50 mg FGCe nanocatalyst (0.5 wt% GO) at 423 K and 60 min. GC-MS and 1HNMR analyses were used to identify significant lignin conversion products, including 2-pentanone-4-hydroxy-4-methyl, 2-methoxyphenol, nonylcyclopropane, vanillin, apocynin, homovanollic acid, and benzoic acid. Kinetic studies revealed that the activation energy for lignin conversion was 24.36 kJ/mol at 423 K. Mechanistic investigations by density functional theory analysis revealed that the lignin breakdown occurred at oxygen bonds producing aromatic.
- Keywords
- Alkali lignin, Cerium oxide, Density functional theory, Functionalized graphene oxide, Pyrolysis,
- MeSH
- Alkalies * chemistry MeSH
- Cerium * chemistry MeSH
- Nitrogen * chemistry MeSH
- Graphite * chemistry MeSH
- Catalysis MeSH
- Kinetics MeSH
- Lignin * chemistry MeSH
- Plant Oils MeSH
- Oxidation-Reduction MeSH
- Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry MeSH
- Polyphenols MeSH
- Pyrolysis * MeSH
- Density Functional Theory MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Names of Substances
- Alkalies * MeSH
- Bio-Oil MeSH Browser
- Cerium * MeSH
- ceric oxide MeSH Browser
- Nitrogen * MeSH
- Graphite * MeSH
- graphene oxide MeSH Browser
- Lignin * MeSH
- Plant Oils MeSH
- Polyphenols MeSH
Halophilic bacteria are extremophiles that thrive in saline environment. Their ability to withstand such harsh conditions makes them an ideal choice for industrial applications such as lignocellulosic biomass degradation. In this study, a halophilic bacterium with the ability to produce extracellular cellulases and hemicellulases, designated as Nesterenkonia sp. CL21, was isolated from mangrove sediment in Tanjung Piai National Park, Malaysia. Thus far, studies on lignocellulolytic enzymes concerning bacterial species under this genus are limited. To gain a comprehensive understanding of its lignocellulose-degrading potential, the whole genome was sequenced using the Illumina NovaSeq 6000 platform. The genome of strain CL21 was assembled into 25 contigs with 3,744,449 bp and a 69.74% GC content and was predicted to contain 3,348 coding genes. Based on taxonomy analysis, strain CL21 shares 73.8 to 82.0% average nucleotide identity with its neighbouring species, below the 95% threshold, indicating its possible status as a distinct species in Nesterenkonia genus. Through in-depth genomic mining, a total of 81 carbohydrate-active enzymes were encoded. Among these, 24 encoded genes were identified to encompass diverse cellulases (GH3), xylanases (GH10, GH11, GH43, GH51, GH127 and CE4), mannanases (GH38 and GH106) and pectinases (PL1, PL9, and PL11). The production of lignocellulolytic enzymes was tested in the presence of several substrates. This study revealed that strain CL21 can produce a diverse array of enzymes which are active at different time points. By combining experimental data with genomic information, the ability of strain CL21 to produce lignocellulolytic enzymes has been elucidated, with potential applications in biorefinery industry.
- Keywords
- Nesterenkonia, Genomics, Halophiles, Lignocellulolytic enzymes,
- MeSH
- Bacterial Proteins * genetics metabolism MeSH
- Cellulases * genetics metabolism MeSH
- Phylogeny MeSH
- Genome, Bacterial * MeSH
- Genomics MeSH
- Geologic Sediments microbiology MeSH
- Glycoside Hydrolases * genetics metabolism MeSH
- Lignin * metabolism MeSH
- Base Composition MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Names of Substances
- Bacterial Proteins * MeSH
- Cellulases * MeSH
- Glycoside Hydrolases * MeSH
- hemicellulase MeSH Browser
- Lignin * MeSH
- lignocellulose MeSH Browser
Determination of olefins in pyrolysis oils from waste plastics and tires is crucial for optimizing the pyrolysis process and especially for the further advanced valorization of these oils in terms of the circular economy. Identifying olefins, even using high-resolution techniques like GC×GC, is challenging without TOF-MS, which allows modification of the ionization step. Currently, the only method for determining olefins in plastic pyrolysis oils is GC-VUV, recently standardized as ASTM D8519. However, TOF-MS and VUV are not affordable instruments for many research teams working on plastics recycling. This paper introduces a simple method for the selective micro-scale adsorption of olefins over AgNO3/SiO2, followed by the GC×GC-FID analysis. Olefins are determined indirectly from the loss of chromatographic area in respective hydrocarbon groups before and after removal. Only 50 μL sample and 15 min of sample separation are needed. Our method was extensively validated and provides a reliable determination of olefin content in a wide range of pyrolysis oils from plastics and tires and their products after mild hydrotreatment. It is affordable to all researchers and industrial companies working on plastics recycling by thermochemical processes as it does not require an MS detector.
- Keywords
- Determination, GC×GC-FID, Olefins, Plastics, Pyrolysis Oil, Tires,
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
Spirochetal bacteria isolated from arthropods of the genera Culex and Aedes are termed BR149, BR151 (Entomospira culicis), BR193 (Entomospira entomophila), and BR208 (Entomospira nematocerorum). Genome sizes assembled from Illumina MiSeq and Oxford Nanopore reads varied between 1.67 and 1.78 Mb containing three to six plasmids. GC content ranged from 38.5% to 45.76%.
- Keywords
- Entomospira genus, genome analysis, mosquito, spirochaetes,
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
Accurate analysis of pesticide residues in such a complex matrix as cannabis is a challenging task. The aim of this study was to find an optimal way of removing abundant matrix co-extracts from Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged, and Safe extract prior to its analysis by gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS). Out of the seven procedures tested, clean-up with Supel QuE Verde sorbent provided the most satisfactory performance characteristics for 277 targeted pesticides, which is the highest number of these analytes ever investigated within a GC-MS-based study focused on cannabis. The criteria set in the SANTE/11312/2021 V2 document were considered to assess the results obtained within the method validation. Recoveries in the range of 70%-120% with repeatability ≤20% were obtained for 219 and 114 pesticides at spiking levels of 0.1 and 0.01 mg/kg, respectively. For a deeper insight into the function of tested sorbents and to understand the effects of interfering matrix co-extracts, the two-dimensional GC coupled with the time-of-flight MS method was employed for the analysis of all purified extracts. Co-eluting major phytocannabinoids and free fatty acids were shown to be responsible for high "chemical noise", increasing limits of quantification of pesticides at respective retention times. Since cannabis chemotypes fairly differ in phytocannabinoid content, the matrix effects, thus performance characteristics, may vary. Under such conditions, validation is recommended for different cannabis chemotypes.
- Keywords
- cannabis inflorescence | clean‐up | GC×GC‐TOF MS | GC‐MS/MS | pesticides,
- MeSH
- Cannabis * chemistry MeSH
- Inflorescence chemistry MeSH
- Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry * methods MeSH
- Pesticide Residues * analysis MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Names of Substances
- Pesticide Residues * MeSH
The genomic signature of an organism captures the characteristics of repeated oligonucleotide patterns in its genome 1, such as oligomer frequencies, GC content, and differences in codon usage. Viruses, however, are obligate intracellular parasites that are dependent on their host cells for replication, and information about genomic signatures in viruses has hitherto been sparse.Here, we investigate the presence and specificity of genomic signatures in 2,768 eukaryotic viral species from 105 viral families, aiming to illuminate dependencies and selective pressures in viral genome evolution. We demonstrate that most viruses have highly specific genomic signatures that often also differ significantly between species within the same family. The species-specificity is most prominent among dsDNA viruses and viruses with large genomes. We also reveal consistent dissimilarities between viral genomic signatures and those of their host cells, although some viruses present slight similarities, which may be explained by genetic adaptation to their native hosts. Our results suggest that significant evolutionary selection pressures act upon viral genomes to shape and preserve their genomic signatures, which may have implications for the field of synthetic biology in the construction of live attenuated vaccines and viral vectors.
Natural compounds are important source of desired biological activity which helps to improve nutritional status and brings many health benefits. Ilex paraguariensis St. Hill. which belongs to the family Aquifoliaceae is a plant rich in bioactive substances (polyphenols, saponins, alkaloids) with therapeutic potential including hepatic and digestive disorders, arthritis, rheumatism, and other inflammatory diseases, obesity, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia. In terms of phytochemical research I. paraguariensis has been the subject of most intensive investigations among Ilex species. Therefore, we concentrated on other available Ilex varieties and focused on the content of fatty acids of these shrubs. The fatty acid compounds present in Ilex sp. samples were analyzed by GC-MS. 27 different fatty acids were identified in the extracts. The results showed that many constituents with significant commercial or medicinal importance were present in high concentrations. The primary component in all samples was α linolenic acid(18:3 Δ9,12,15). Differences of this component concentration were observed between cultivars and extensively analyzed by PCA, one- way ANOVA and Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA. Significant correlations between compound concentrations were reported.
- Keywords
- GC-MS, Ilex sp., PCA, correlation matrix, fatty acids,
- MeSH
- Principal Component Analysis MeSH
- Phytochemicals analysis chemistry MeSH
- Ilex paraguariensis chemistry MeSH
- Ilex * chemistry MeSH
- Fatty Acids * analysis chemistry MeSH
- Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry * MeSH
- Plant Extracts chemistry analysis MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Names of Substances
- Phytochemicals MeSH
- Fatty Acids * MeSH
- Plant Extracts MeSH
Low-density polyethylene (LDPE) is among the most abundant synthetic plastics in the world, contributing significantly to the plastic waste accumulation problem. A variety of microorganisms, such as Cupriavidus necator H16, Pseudomonas putida LS46, and Pseudomonas chlororaphis PA2361, can form biofilms on the surface of LDPE polymers and cause damage to the exterior structure. However, the damage is not extensive and complete degradation has not been achieved. The changes in polymer structure were analyzed using Time-domain Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (TD-NMR), High-Temperature Size-Exclusion Chromatography (HT-SEC), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), and Gas Chromatography with a Flame Ionization Detector (GC-FID). Limited degradation of the LDPE powder was seen in the first 30 days of incubation with the bacteria. Degradation can be seen in the LDPE weight loss percentage, LDPE degradation products in the supernatant, and the decrease in the percentage of amorphous regions (from >47% to 40%). The changes in weight-average molar mass (Mw), number-average molar mass (Mn), and the dispersity ratio (Đ) indicate that the low-molar mass fractions of the LDPE were preferentially degraded. The results here confirmed that LDPE degradation is heavily dependent on the presence of amorphous content and that only the amorphous content was degraded via bacterial enzymatic action.
- Keywords
- LDPE, biodegradation, low-density polyethylene, microbial degradation, polymer structure,
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
