Natural fermentation of fresh Jasmine flowers inspired the development of a biotechnological ingredient with global anti-ageing properties.

OBJECTIVE: This study focused on the development of a new-to-world ingredient harnessing the natural potential of fresh Jasminum grandiflorum flowers to self-ferment by its phytobiome revealing flower content. Analytical investigations were conducted to highlight specific phytocompounds generated during the natural fermentation of flowers in comparison to a conventional extraction. The synergy with another extraction technology maximized the generation of biocompounds for an interesting efficacy. METHODS: Jasmine extract was elaborated by combining two patented technologies: the phytofermentology™, inspired by plant-microorganisms interaction and designed to develop ingredients obtained by natural fermentation of the vegetal using its own phytobiota; and the PSR™ technology allowing the extraction of bioactive phytocompounds such as small RNAs from plants. RESULTS: Analytical investigations of Jasmine extract highlighted uniqueness and richness of the phytocompound profiles, such as organics acids and phenolic compounds, markers of fermentation only obtained after phytofermentology in comparison to conventional extraction. Jasmine extract has the particularity to contain jasmintides, flower small peptides belonging to the family of cysteine-rich peptides (CRPs). Antioxidant and global anti-ageing properties were investigated in cell-free assays demonstrating interesting results: about 20% scavenging of free radicals from 0.5% of Jasmine extract and protection from DNA damage of 26% in comparison to a stressed control. CONCLUSION: Phytofermentology™ technology combined with PSR™ technology, meant to be respectful of the environment, allowed to development of biofunctionals very close to nature with a unique analytical signature as Jasmine extract, using the potential of fresh flowers phytobiota to self-ferment. The efficacy of the ingredient on global antioxidation and anti-ageing via hyaluronidase/tyrosinase inhibitions was highlighted by cell-free evaluation assays. Further and complementary studies should be conducted to confirm the bioefficacy of this ingredient with in vitro / ex vivo assays.

Cette étude a pour objectif de développer un nouvel ingrédient unique en exploitant le potentiel des fleurs fraîches de Jasminum grandiflorum à fermenter naturellement en utilisant leur phytobiome, révélant ainsi le contenu de ces fleurs. Des investigations analytiques ont été menées pour mettre en évidence des phytocomposés spécifiques générés lors de la fermentation naturelle des fleurs par rapport à une extraction conventionnelle. La synergie avec une autre technologie d'extraction maximise la génération de biocomposés pour une plus grande efficacité de l'extrait. L'extrait de jasmin a été élaboré en combinant deux technologies brevetées: la phytofermentologie™, inspirée de l'interaction plante/micro­organismes et conçue pour développer des ingrédients obtenus par fermentation naturelle d'un végétal en utilisant son propre phytobiote; et la technologie PSR™ permettant l'extraction de phytocomposés bioactifs tels que les petits ARN des plantes. Les recherches analytiques de l'extrait de jasmin ont mis en évidence le caractère unique et la richesse des profils des différents phytocomposés composant l'extrait, tels que les acides organiques et les composés phénoliques, marqueurs de fermentation obtenus uniquement grâce à la phytofermentologie par rapport à l'extraction conventionnelle. L'extrait de jasmin a la particularité de contenir des jasmintides, petits peptides de fleurs appartenant à la famille des peptides riches en cystéine (CRP). Les propriétés antioxydantes et anti­âge ont été étudiées par des tests acellulaires démontrant des résultats intéressants: environ 20 % d'élimination des radicaux libres à partir de 0,5 % d'extrait de jasmin et une protection contre les dommages à l'ADN de 26 % par rapport à un contrôle stressé. La technologie phytofermentologie™ combinée à la technologie PSR™, se voulant respectueuse de l'environnement, a permis de développer des ingrédients très proches de la nature avec une signature analytique unique comme l'extrait de Jasmin, utilisant le potentiel d'auto­fermentation du phytobiote des fleurs fraîches. L'efficacité de l'ingrédient sur l'antioxydation globale et l'anti­âge via les inhibitions enzymatiques de la hyaluronidase et de la tyrosinase a été mise en évidence par des tests d'évaluation acellulaires. Des études supplémentaires et complémentaires devraient être menées pour confirmer la bioefficacité de cet ingrédient avec des tests in vitro/ex vivo.

Structural and functional characterization of an egg-laying hormone signaling system in a lophotrochozoan - The pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas).

The egg-laying hormones (ELHs) of gastropod mollusks were characterized more than forty years ago. Yet, they have remained little explored in other mollusks. To gain insights into the functionality of the ELH signaling system in a bivalve mollusk - the oyster Crassostrea gigas, this study investigates the processing of its ELH precursor (Cragi-ELH) by mass spectrometry. Some of the ELH mature peptides identified in this study were subsequently investigated by nuclear magnetic resonance and shown to adopt an extended alpha-helix structure in a micellar medium mimicking the plasma membrane. To further characterize the ELH signaling system in C. gigas, a G protein-coupled receptor phylogenetically related to ecdysozoan diuretic hormone DH44 and corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) receptors named Cragi-ELHR was also characterized functionally and shown to be specifically activated by the two predicted mature ELH peptides and their N-terminal fragments. Both Cragi-ELH and Cragi-ELHR encoding genes were mostly expressed in the visceral ganglia (VG). Cragi-ELH expression was significantly increased in the VG of both fully mature male and female oysters at the spawning stage. When the oysters were submitted to a nutritional or hyposaline stress, no change in the expression of the ligand or receptor genes was recorded, except for Cragi-ELHR only during a mild acclimation episode to brackish water. These results suggest a role of Cragi-ELH signaling in the regulation of reproduction but not in mediating the stress response in our experimental conditions.

Frequency-fluctuation model applied to Stark-Zeeman spectral line shapes in plasmas.

A very fast method for calculating line shapes in the presence of an external magnetic field accounting for charge particle dynamics is proposed. It is based on a reformulation of the frequency fluctuation model, which provides an expression of the dynamic line shape as a functional of the static distribution function of frequencies. In the presence of an external magnetic field, the distribution of intensity and polarization of the emission depends on the angle between the observation line and the magnetic field's direction. Comparisons with numerical simulations and experimental results for various plasma conditions show very good agreement. Results on hydrogen lines in the context of magnetic fusion and the Lyman-α line, accounting for fine structure, emitted by argon in the context of inertial fusion, are also presented.

Stark broadening of hydrogen lines in low-density magnetized plasmas.

Stark broadening of hydrogen lines in the presence of a magnetic field is revisited, with emphasis on the role of the ion component under typical conditions of magnetized fusion devices. An impact theory for ions valid at low density (N_{e} < or approximately 10;{14} cm;{-3}) and taking into account the Zeeman degeneracy removal of the atomic states is developed. It is shown that the Stark widths of the Lorentz triplet components strongly depend on the magnetic field. The model is validated by a computer simulation method. For the lateral sigma components of Lyalpha , we show that the impact approximation still holds for densities as high as N_{e} approximately 10;{15} cm;{-3}. In contrast, for the central pi component as well as for the other lines from low principal quantum number, significant discrepancies between the proposed theory and the simulation results appear at high density. Application to Dalpha in tokamak divertor plasma conditions shows that, in this case, the quasistatic approximation becomes more relevant.