A rapid green approach for synthesizing of silver nanoparticles using Alpinia katsumadai seed extract is described and their antioxidant, antibacterial and cytotoxicity activities evaluated.

Two oat genes encoding hydroxycinnamoyl-CoA:hydroxyanthranilate N-hydroxycinnamoyltransferase (HHT) and S-adenosyl-L-methionine:trans-caffeoyl-CoA 3-O-methyltransferase (CCoAOMT), both of which are possibly involved in the biosynthesis of oat avenanthramide phytoalexins, were cloned and their expression profiles in response to biological stress were studied. Four distinct cDNAs of oat HHT (AsHHT1-4) were isolated with the degenerative polymerase chain reaction method. The enzymatic activity of AsHHT1 expressed in E. coli was found using hydroxyanthranilate and hydroxycinnamoyl-CoAs as cosubstrates. Cloned oat CCoAOMT (AsCCoAOMT) encoded a polypeptide of 130 amino acid residues with 77.7 to 80.8% identities to the CCoAOMT sequences from other plant species. The accumulation of AsHHT1 and AsCCoAOMT transcripts increased concomitantly with phytoalexin accumulation by the treatment of victorin, a specific elicitor in oat lines carrying the Pc-2/Vb gene. Pharmacological approaches indicated the involvement of Ca2+, NO, and protein kinases in the signaling pathways of AsHHT1 and AsCCoAOMT mRNA induction. When oat leaves were inoculated with Puccinia coronata, the mRNA expression of AsHHT1 and AsCCOAOMT increased in both incompatible and compatible interactions but more rapidly in incompatible interaction. Interestingly, however, significant phytoalexin accumulation was observed only in incompatible interaction during the experimental period, suggesting that phytoalexin accumulation may be inhibited in one or more posttranscriptional processes in the compatible interaction.

Benzoyl-CoA:anthranilate N-benzoyltransferase catalyzes the first committed reaction of phytoalexin biosynthesis in carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus L.), and the product N-benzoylanthranilate is the precursor of several sets of dianthramides. The transferase activity is constitutively expressed in suspension-cultured carnation cells and can be rapidly induced by the addition of yeast extract. The enzyme was purified to homogeneity from yeast-induced carnation cells and shown to consist of a single polypeptide chain of 53 kDa. Roughly 20% of the sequence was identified by micro-sequencing of tryptic peptides, and some of these sequences differed in a few amino acid residues only suggesting the presence of isoenzymes. A specific 0.8 kb cDNA probe was generated by RT-PCR, employing degenerated oligonucleotide primers complementary to two of the tryptic peptides and using poly(A)+ RNA from elicited carnation cells. Five distinct benzoyltransferase clones were isolated from a cDNA library, and three cDNAs, pchcbt1-3, were sequenced and shown to encode full-size N-benzoyltransferases. The translated peptide sequences revealed more than 95% identity among these three clones. The additional two clones harbored insert sequences mostly homologous with pchcbt 1 but differing in the 3'-flanking regions due to variable usage of poly(A) addition sites. The identity of the clones was confirmed by matching the translated polypeptides with the tryptic enzyme sequences as well as by the activity of the benzoyltransferase expressed in Escherichia coli. Therefore, carnation encodes a small family of anthranilate N-benzoyltransferase genes. In vitro, the benzoyltransferases exhibited narrow substrate specificity for anthranilate but accepted a variety of aromatic acyl-CoAs. Catalytic rates with cinnamoyl- or 4-coumaroyl-CoA exceeded those observed with benzoyl-CoA, although the corresponding dianthramides did not accumulate in vivo. Thus the cDNAs described represent also the first hydroxycinnamoyl-transferases cloned from plants, which classifies the enzymes as hydroxycinnamoyl/benzoyltransferases.

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A simple approach using Nelumbo nucifera seeds for synthesizing silver nanoparticles with potential antibacterial and cytotoxic activities was described.

Context: Kidney is one of the vital organs maintaining homeostasis of body and thus dysfunction of kidney affects quality of life and health severely. Anticancer drugs, particularly chemotherapeutic agents, cause high toxicity leading kidney dysfunction and irreparable kidney injury. Therefore, attention has recently been paid to seeking out alternatives such as nature-based drugs that are effective but less toxic. In this regard, this systematic review article is to report and introduce the most important medicinal plants and their derivatives that are used to reduce anticancer drug-induced nephrotoxicity. Evidence Acquisitions: The word nephrotoxicity alongside the words cancer or chemotherapy in combination with some herbal terms such as medicinal plant, plants, herbs, and extracts were administered to search for relevant publications indexed in PubMed. Results: According to this study, 16 medicinal plants, 12 plant-based derivatives, and three traditional plant-based formulations were found to help control and modulate anticancer drug-induced nephrotoxicity indices. Conclusions: Anticancer drugs cause nephrotoxicity through activating pathways of oxidative stress, damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) production, inflammatory processes, and cell apoptosis, while medicinal plants and their derivatives can cause reduction in nephrotoxicity and anticancer drugs side effects via their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

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Introduction: Tinnitus is one of the common diseases of the ear that is associated with numerous physical and mental disorders. One of the known mechanisms in the tinnitus area with unknown reason is oxidative events. Based on the prevalence and economic costs and physical-psychological side effects caused by tinnitus and the importance of finding a suitable solution for its prevention and treatment, the need for further studies becomes more obvious in this context. This review article aimed to review studies on the effectiveness of Ginkgo biloba as a medicinal plant on patients with tinnitus. Evidence Acquisitions: Google Scholar, Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), PubMed, LISTA (EBSCO) and Web of Science have been searched. Results: There are many studies on the therapeutic effect of Ginkgo biloba on patients with tinnitus. Most findings are in contrast with each other so that some of studies reported that Ginkgo biloba is effective in the treatment of tinnitus and other studies referred to it as ineffective herbal medicine. Generally, according to the previous studies and the present study, it can mention that the Ginkgo biloba may somewhat improve tinnitus. Conclusion: Since tinnitus is multifactorial, it is recommended to evaluate patients individually based on the cause of tinnitus, treatment formulas, and different doses of Ginkgo biloba at the more extensive level in future studies.