Inhibition of 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase in potato tuber suggests the enzyme is limiting for respiration and confirms its importance in nitrogen assimilation,.
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Possible mechanism of the anti-inflammatory activity of ruscogenin: role of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 and nuclear factor-kappaB.
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Ruscogenin (RUS), first isolated from Ruscus aculeatus, also a major steroidal sapogenin of traditional Chinese herb Radix Ophiopogon japonicus, has been found to exert significant anti-inflammatory and anti-thrombotic activities. Our previous studies suggested that ruscogenin remarkably inhibited adhesion of leukocytes to a human umbilical vein endothelial cell line (ECV304) injured by tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) in a concentration-dependent manner. Yet the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, the in vivo effects of ruscogenin on leukocyte migration and celiac prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)) level induced by zymosan A were studied in mice. Furthermore, the effects of ruscogenin on TNF-alpha-induced intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) expression and nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) activation were also investigated under consideration of their key roles in leukocyte recruitment. The results showed that ruscogenin significantly suppressed zymosan A-evoked peritoneal total leukocyte migration in mice in a dose-dependent manner, while it had no obvious effect on PGE(2) content in peritoneal exudant. Ruscogenin also inhibited TNF-alpha-induced over expression of ICAM-1 both at the mRNA and protein levels and suppressed NF-kappaB activation considerably by decreasing NF-kappaB p65 translocation and DNA binding activity. These findings provide some new insights that may explain the possible molecular mechanism of ruscogenin and Radix Ophiopogon japonicus for the inhibition of endothelial responses to cytokines during inflammatory and vascular disorders. (+info)
Expression profiling of potato germplasm differentiated in quality traits leads to the identification of candidate flavour and texture genes.
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Serum aconitine concentrations after taking powdered processed Aconiti tuber.
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Processed Bushi powder for ethical dispensing, called TJ-3022, is a herbal drug of processed Aconiti tuber (Aconitum carmichaeli Debeaux) and TJ-3023 is newly developed to contain a higher proportion of diester alkaloid of aconitine (Aconitum carmichaeli Debeaux and Aconitum japonicum Thunberg). Safety of TJ-3022 and TJ-3023 was evaluated by measuring the level of aconitum alkaloids in healthy adult volunteers. Forty subjects were assigned to one of two groups (each 20 subjects): TJ-3022 group or TJ-3023 group. The subjects received the powdered processed Aconiti tuber 3 g/day and the blood concentrations of aconitum alkaloids were measured at 90 min and 72 h after taking the study drug. The serum concentrations of aconitum alkaloids after 90 min and 72 h in the TJ-3023 group were higher than those in the TJ-3022 group. As for the chronological changes in the serum concentration, a significant decrease was observed in the TJ-3022 group, while no significant decrease was seen in the TJ-3023 group, which suggests that an analgesic effect in TJ-3023 was stronger than in TJ-3022. Aconitum alkaloids, which always have been believed to have the blood concentration below the measurement limit in human, were detected for the first time, although the detected amounts were minute. The results suggest that TJ-3023 shows sufficient analgesic effect with smaller dose than TJ-3022. (+info)
Morphological and molecular characterization of a spontaneously tuberizing potato mutant: an insight into the regulatory mechanisms of tuber induction.
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CYP86A33-targeted gene silencing in potato tuber alters suberin composition, distorts suberin lamellae, and impairs the periderm's water barrier function.
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