ABSTRACT
Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) leaves, a traditional Chinese medicinal herb, are rich in flavonoids. In an effort to thoroughly analyze their flavonoid components, macroporous resin chromatography coupled with HPLC-MS/MS was employed to simultaneously enrich and identify flavonoids from lotus leaves. Flavonoids extracted from lotus leaves were selectively enriched in the macroporous resin column, eluted subsequently as fraction II, and successively subjected to analysis with the HPLC-MS/MS and bioactivity assays. Altogether, fourteen flavonoids were identified, four of which were identified from lotus leaves for the first time, including quercetin 3-O-rhamnopyranosyl-(1â2)-glucopyranoside, quercetin 3-O-arabinoside, diosmetin 7-O-hexose, and isorhamnetin 3-O-arabino- pyranosyl-(1â2)-glucopyranoside. Further bioactivity assays revealed that these flavonoids from lotus leaves possess strong antioxidant activity, and demonstrate very good potential to be explored as food supplements or even pharmaceutical products to improve human health.
Subject(s)
Antioxidants/chemistry , Antioxidants/pharmacology , Flavonoids/chemistry , Flavonoids/pharmacology , Nelumbo/chemistry , Plant Extracts/chemistry , Plant Leaves/chemistry , Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid , Tandem Mass SpectrometryABSTRACT
The moss Physcomitrella patens has been shown to tolerate abiotic stresses, including salinity, cold, and desiccation. To better understand this plant's mechanism of desiccation tolerance, we have applied cellular and proteomic analyses. Gametophores were desiccated over 1 month to 10% of their original fresh weight. We report that during the course of dehydration, several related processes are set in motion: plasmolysis, chloroplast remodeling, and microtubule depolymerization. Despite the severe desiccation, the membrane system maintains integrity. Through two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and image analysis, we identified 71 proteins as desiccation responsive. Following identification and functional categorization, we found that a majority of the desiccation-responsive proteins were involved in metabolism, cytoskeleton, defense, and signaling. Degradation of cytoskeletal proteins might result in cytoskeletal disassembly and consequent changes in the cell structure. Late embryogenesis abundant proteins and reactive oxygen species-scavenging enzymes are both prominently induced, and they might help to diminish the damage brought by desiccation.
Subject(s)
Adaptation, Physiological , Bryopsida/physiology , Desiccation , Proteomics/methods , Bryopsida/cytology , Bryopsida/immunology , Bryopsida/ultrastructure , Chlorophyll/metabolism , Chromatography, Liquid , Cytoskeletal Proteins/metabolism , Electrophoresis, Gel, Two-Dimensional , Microtubules/metabolism , Microtubules/ultrastructure , Plant Proteins/metabolism , Proteome/metabolism , Signal Transduction , Stress, Physiological , Tandem Mass SpectrometryABSTRACT
Photosynthesis-related proteins and PSII functions of Jatropha curcas seedlings under cold stress were studied using proteomic and chlorophyll fluorescence approaches. The results of chlorophyll fluorescence measurement indicated that electron transport flux per reaction center (ET(o)/RC) and performance index (PI(ABS)) were relatively sensitive to low temperature, especially at early stage of cold stress. The increase in O-J phase and decrease in J-I phase of chlorophyll fluorescence transient indicated a protection mechanism of J. curcas to photoinhibition at early stage of cold stress. Eight photosynthesis-related proteins significantly changed during cold stress were identified using liquid chromatography MS/MS. Results of correlation analyses between photosynthesis-related proteins and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters indicated that (1) ATP synthase and Rieske FeS protein were significantly correlated with electron transport of reaction center in PSII; (2) precursor for 33-kDa protein was positively correlated with fluorescence quenching of the O-J and J-I phases and PI(ABS) during cold stress, which implies that it might be related to multiple process in PSII; (3) contrary correlations were found between F(J) - F(o) and two enzymes in the Calvin cycle, and the relations between these proteins and PSII function were unclear. The combined study using proteomic approaches and chlorophyll fluorescence measurements indicated that the early-stage (0-12 h) acclimation of PSII and the late-stage (after 24 h) H(2)O(2) scavenging might be involved in the cold response mechanisms of J. curcas seedlings.
