scholarly journals Seaweeds as Source of Bioactive Substances and Skin Care Therapy—Cosmeceuticals, Algotheraphy, and Thalassotherapy

Cosmetics ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 68 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leonel Pereira

Riverine, estuarine, and coastal populations have always used algae in the development of home remedies that were then used to treat diverse health problems. The empirical knowledge of various generations originated these applications, and their mechanism of action is, in most cases, unknown, that is, few more scientific studies would have been described beyond simple collection and ethnographic recording. Nevertheless, recent investigations, carried out with the purpose of analyzing the components and causes that alter the functioning and the balance of our organism, are already giving their first results. Water, and especially sea water is considered as essential to life on our planet. It sings all the substances necessary and conducive to the development of the living being (minerals, catalysts, vitamins, amino acids, etc.). Oceans cover over 70% of Earth, being home to up to 90% of the organisms in the planet. Many rich resources and unique environments are provided by the ocean. Additionally, bioactive compounds that multiple marine organisms have a great potential to produce can be used as nutraceuticals, pharmaceuticals, and cosmeceuticals. Both primary and secondary metabolites are produced by algae. The first ones are directly implicated in development, normal growth, or reproduction conditions to perform physiological functions. Stress conditions, like temperature changes, salinity, environmental pollutants, or UV radiation exposure cause the performance of secondary metabolites. In algae, proteins, polysaccharides, fatty acids, and amino acids are primary metabolites and phenolic compounds, pigments, vitamins, sterols, and other bioactive agents, all produced in algae tissues, are secondary metabolites. These algal active constituents have direct relevance in cosmetics.

Biomolecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 248
Author(s):  
Chang Ha Park ◽  
Hyeon Ji Yeo ◽  
Ye Jin Kim ◽  
Bao Van Nguyen ◽  
Ye Eun Park ◽  
...  

This study aimed to elucidate the variations in primary and secondary metabolites during Lycorisradiata flower development using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC-TOFMS). The result showed that seven carotenoids, seven phenolic acids, three anthocyanins, and galantamine were identified in the L. radiata flowers. Most secondary metabolite levels gradually decreased according to the flower developmental stages. A total of 51 metabolites, including amines, sugars, sugar intermediates, sugar alcohols, amino acids, organic acids, phenolic acids, and tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle intermediates, were identified and quantified using GC-TOFMS. Among the hydrophilic compounds, most amino acids increased during flower development; in contrast, TCA cycle intermediates and sugars decreased. In particular, glutamine, asparagine, glutamic acid, and aspartic acid, which represent the main inter- and intracellular nitrogen carriers, were positively correlated with the other amino acids and were negatively correlated with the TCA cycle intermediates. Furthermore, quantitation data of the 51 hydrophilic compounds were subjected to partial least-squares discriminant analyses (PLS-DA) to assess significant differences in the metabolites of L. radiata flowers from stages 1 to 4. Therefore, this study will serve as the foundation for a biochemical approach to understand both primary and secondary metabolism in L. radiata flower development.


Agronomy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 478
Author(s):  
Mohammad K. Okla ◽  
Mohamed A. El-Tayeb ◽  
Ahmed Ali Qahtan ◽  
Mostafa A. Abdel-Maksoud ◽  
Yahya B. Elbadawi ◽  
...  

Compared to seeds and mature plants, sprouts are well characterized based on their nutritive values and biological properties. Moreover, laser light application is known to be a promising approach to improving plant growth, photosynthesis, and nutraceutical values. However, no studies have investigated the phytochemicals and biological activity of lemongrass (Cymbopogon proximus (Hochst. ex A.Rich.) Chiov.) sprouts or the further improvement of their quality by applying laser light treatment. We carried out a preliminary experiment for the optimization of laser treatment conditions, finding that a helium neon (He–Ne) laser at 632 nm and 5 mW for 5 min provided the most favorable conditions. We then investigated fresh weight, photosynthetic reactions, and primary and secondary metabolites, including sugars, amino acids, organic acids, essential oils, and phenolic compounds. Moreover, we studied the effect of laser light-induced changes in chemical compositions on the antioxidant, anti-diabetic, and anti-cholesterol activities of Cymbopogon proximus sprouts grown from laser-treated seeds. Laser light treatment increased the photosynthesis and respiration and hence the fresh weight of Cymbopogon proximus sprouts. Overall, sprouting increased most bioactive primary and secondary metabolites as compared to seeds. Increased photosynthesis by laser light improved carbon allocation and raised non-structural carbohydrates, which in turn led to improved synthesis of amino acids, organic acids, and essential oils, as well as phenolic and flavonoid compounds. As a result, laser light significantly improved the antioxidant capacity in terms of increasing the levels of ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) (from 9.5 to 21 µmole trolox/g fresh weight (FW)), oxygen radical absorbance (ORAC) (from 400 to 1100 µmole trolox/100 g FW), and DPPH (from 5% to 25% of inhibation) and enhanced the hypocholesterolemic and antidiabetic activity through increasing the percentage of cholesterol micellar solubility (CMS) inhibition (from 42% to 62%) and glycemic index (from 33 to 17 µmole/g) over sprouts and seeds. In conclusion, the synergism of seed laser treatment and sprouting induced the health-promoting bioactive compounds in Cymbopogon proximus as compared to seeds, which can be applied at a large scale to improve the biochemical, physiological, and nutraceutical values of medicinal and crop sprouts.


Metabolites ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 377
Author(s):  
Feng Leng ◽  
Shuyan Duan ◽  
Shiren Song ◽  
Liping Zhao ◽  
Wenping Xu ◽  
...  

The compositions and contents of metabolites in the pulp tissue play critical roles in the fruit quality for table grape. In this study, the effects of root restriction (RR) on the primary and secondary metabolites of pulp tissue at five developmental stages were studied at the metabolomics level, using “Red Alexandria” grape berry (Vitis vinifera L.) as materials. The main results were as follows: 283 metabolites were annotated by using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS); 28 and 16 primary metabolites contents were increased and decreased, and 11 and 19 secondary metabolites contents were increased and decreased, respectively, along the berry development; RR significantly decreased 12 metabolites (four amino acids and derivatives, three organic acids, four flavonoids and one other compound) contents, and improved 40 metabolites (22 amino acids and derivatives, six nucleotides, four carbohydrates, four cofactors, three cinnamic acids and one other compound) accumulation at the different developmental stages. Altogether, our study would be helpful to increase our understanding of grape berry’s responses to RR stress.


Agronomy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 698
Author(s):  
Chang Ha Park ◽  
Hyeon Ji Yeo ◽  
Chanung Park ◽  
Yong Suk Chung ◽  
Sang Un Park

Edible flowers have been used in the food and beverage industries because of their high nutritional value, flavor, and scent. For the storage of edible flowers used in these industries, drying is a necessity to store the materials more easily and prevent the damage of metabolites in the flowers. However, drying may affect metabolite retention because drying conditions can differ according to the various methods. In this study, Agastache rugosa flowers were dried using four different methods (oven drying at 25 ± 1 °C, 50 ± 1 °C, 80 ± 1 °C, and freeze drying) and primary and secondary metabolites were analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC-TOF/MS). Freeze-dried flower samples contained higher levels of carotenoids (lutein, 13Z-β-carotene, β-carotene, and 9Z-β-carotene) and phenolics (rosmarinic acid, ferulic acid, and sinapic acid). Contrarily, the 80 °C oven-dried flower samples contained higher levels of most amino acids and flavonoids (including acacetin and tilianin) and at 25 °C and 50 °C contained higher levels of carbohydrates. Therefore, freeze-drying is a suitable method for retaining carotenoids and phenolics. In contrast, oven drying at 50 °C was highly recommended to retain amino acids and flavonoids.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Changhong Ding ◽  
Shouyu Wang ◽  
Jiabin Li ◽  
Zhenyue Wang

Abstract Background: Rumex gmelinii Turcz. (RGT) is a medicinal plant of Rumex in Polygonaceae. Our research group isolated an endophytic fungus plectosaphaerella cucumerina (Strain J-G) from RGT, which could promote the growth of the host significantly when was co-cultured with the host. In this study, we mainly used transcriptomic analysis to explore the molecular mechanism of the growth promoting effect.Results: It was found that during the process of co-culture with Strain J-G, metabolism of amino acids, the synthesis and metabolism of carbohydrates in RGT tissue culture seedlings were all promoted, which provided sufficient material and energy basis for the growth of plants. In addition, response to hormones such as auxin and cytokinin in RGT tissue culture seedlings was improved significantly, which promoted the growth and development of plants. The repairing ability of DNA in RGT tissue culture seedlings was enhanced to provide a good guarantee for the growth of plants. Meanwhile, defense system of RGT tissue culture seedlings was also mobilized by the existence of Strain J-G, therefore more secondary metabolites and stress resistant substances were produced to ensure the normal growth and metabolism of plants.Conclusion: During the co-culture of the endophytic fungus J-G and RGT tissue culture seedlings, metabolism of amino acids, synthesis and metabolism of carbohydrates were promoted, which provided sufficient materials and energies for the growth of RGT tissue culture seedlings. The responses to hormones such as auxin and cytokinin were improved, which enhanced the growth and development of RGT tissue culture seedlings. The DNA repair capacities were improved, which provided a good guarantee for the growth of RGT tissue culture seedlings. In addition, the existence of Strain J-G also activated the defense mechanism of RGT tissue culture seedlings, therefore more secondary metabolites and various stress-resistant substances were produced to ensure the growth and metabolism of RGT tissue culture seedlings.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (SPL4) ◽  
pp. 2099-2103
Author(s):  
Kousalya P ◽  
Doss VA

The main goal of the research was to explore the existence of phytochemicals, quantification of primary and secondary metabolites of leaves extract of Artabotrys hexapetalus  (L.f.) Bhandari. The phytochemical activity of leaves of Artabotrys hexapetalus was assessed using different solvent extracts like water, ethanol, acetone, chloroform and petroleum ether. Among the different solvent extracts, aqueous leaves extract revealed the high content of phytochemicals. So the aqueous leaves extract was used for further investigations. Aqueous leaves extract of Artabotrys hexapetalus was subjected to quantitative analysis of primary metabolites like carbohydrates, proteins and amino acids. Quantitative analysis of secondary metabolites like flavonoids, tannins and phenols were performed using aqueous leaves extract of Artabotrys hexapetalus. Qualitative screening of phytochemicals reported the existence of carbohydrates, amino acids, proteins, flavonoids, alkaloids, saponins, phenols, glycosides, tannins and diterpenes. Quantitative analysis showed the presence of carbohydrates (43.16±1.0 mg/g extract), proteins (60.4±0.88 mg/g extract), amino acids (19.33 ± 1.30 mg/g extract), flavonoids (28.3 ±0.91 mg/g extract), tannins (24.53±1.02 mg/g extract) and phenols (7.63±0.85 mg/g extract). The present study concluded that aqueous leaves extract of Artabotrys hexapetalus as a potential source of phytochemicals, primary and secondary metabolites.


2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (7) ◽  
pp. 573-587
Author(s):  
Alyaa Nasr ◽  
Tehmina Saleem Khan ◽  
Shi-Ping Huang ◽  
Bin Wen ◽  
Jian-Wen Shao ◽  
...  

Background: Eucalyptus belongs to the Myrtaceae family. It is the most planted hardwood forest crop worldwide, representing a global renewable resource of fiber, pharmaceuticals and energy. Objective: To compare the five species, E. maidenii, E. robusta, E. citriodora, E. tereticornis and E. camaldulensis, seeking for the richest source of nutrients and pharmaceuticals. Methodology: Eucalyptus samples were subjected to some chemical determinations for both primary and secondary metabolites to verify their nutritional and pharmaceutical importance related to different extracts. GC-MS analysis was applied to detect the presence of some individual phenolic constituents in their leaves. Results: E. robusta recorded the maximum contents of carbohydrates (40.07%) and protein (31.91%). While E. camaldulensis contained the highest contents of total phenolic compounds (46.56 mg/g), tannins (40.01 mg/g) and antioxidant activities assayed by the phosphomolybednum method (57.60 mg/g), followed by E. citridora. However, E. tereticornis exhibited the highest reducing power ability (151.23 mg/g). The GC-MS highlighted 20 phenolic constituents and antioxidants which varied in their abundance in Eucalyptus leaves, 8 individual phenolics (hydroquinone, hesperitin, pyrogallol, resorcinol, protocatechuic acid, naringenin, chlorogenic acid and catechin) were maximally recorded with E. camaldulensis and secondly, with E. citridora in case of at least 5 components. Nevertheless, gallic and quinic acids were more abundant in the leaves of E. tereticornis, which may explain its high corresponding reducing powers. Conclusion: Acetone-water combination has enhanced phenolics extraction from Eucalyptus tissues. This is the first report aiming to compare between the aforementioned Eucalyptus species highlighting either their nutritional or medicinal importance.


Biomolecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 957
Author(s):  
Mamona Nazir ◽  
Muhammad Saleem ◽  
Muhammad Imran Tousif ◽  
Muhammad Aijaz Anwar ◽  
Frank Surup ◽  
...  

Meroterpenoids are secondary metabolites formed due to mixed biosynthetic pathways which are produced in part from a terpenoid co-substrate. These mixed biosynthetically hybrid compounds are widely produced by bacteria, algae, plants, and animals. Notably amazing chemical diversity is generated among meroterpenoids via a combination of terpenoid scaffolds with polyketides, alkaloids, phenols, and amino acids. This review deals with the isolation, chemical diversity, and biological effects of 452 new meroterpenoids reported from natural sources from January 2016 to December 2020. Most of the meroterpenoids possess antimicrobial, cytotoxic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, enzyme inhibitory, and immunosupressive effects.


Rice ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Guichun Wu ◽  
Yuqiang Zhang ◽  
Bo Wang ◽  
Kaihuai Li ◽  
Yuanlai Lou ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) causes bacterial leaf blight, a devastating rice disease. The Xoo-rice interaction, wherein wide ranging host- and pathogen-derived proteins and genes wage molecular arms race, is a research hotspot. Hence, the identification of novel rice-induced Xoo virulence factors and characterization of their roles affecting rice global gene expression profiles will provide an integrated and better understanding of Xoo-rice interactions from the molecular perspective. Results Using comparative proteomics and an in vitro interaction system, we revealed that 5 protein spots from Xoo exhibited significantly different expression patterns (|fold change| > 1.5) at 3, 6, 12 h after susceptible rice leaf extract (RLX) treatment. MALDI-TOF MS analysis and pathogenicity tests showed that 4 host-induced proteins, including phosphohexose mutase, inositol monophosphatase, arginase and septum site-determining protein, affected Xoo virulence. Among them, mutants of two host-induced carbohydrate metabolism enzyme-encoding genes, ΔxanA and Δimp, elicited enhanced defense responses and nearly abolished Xoo virulence in rice. To decipher rice differentially expressed genes (DEGs) associated with xanA and imp, transcriptomic responses of ΔxanA-treated and Δimp-treated susceptible rice were compared to those in rice treated with PXO99A at 1 and 3 dpi. A total of 1521 and 227 DEGs were identified for PXO99A vs Δimp at 1 and 3 dpi, while for PXO99A vs ΔxanA, there were 131 and 106 DEGs, respectively. GO, KEGG and MapMan analyses revealed that the DEGs for PXO99A vs Δimp were mainly involved in photosynthesis, signal transduction, transcription, oxidation-reduction, hydrogen peroxide catabolism, ion transport, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis and metabolism of carbohydrates, lipids, amino acids, secondary metabolites, hormones, and nucleotides, while the DEGs from PXO99A vs ΔxanA were predominantly associated with photosynthesis, signal transduction, oxidation-reduction, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, cytochrome P450 and metabolism of carbohydrates, lipids, amino acids, secondary metabolites and hormones. Although most pathways were associated with both the Δimp and ΔxanA treatments, the underlying genes were not the same. Conclusion Our study identified two novel host-induced virulence factors XanA and Imp in Xoo, and revealed their roles in global gene expression in susceptible rice. These results provide valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms of pathogen infection strategies and plant immunity.


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