Search Results (100)

This study investigated the hepatoprotective mechanisms of Volvariella volvacea fruiting body polypeptide (VVFP, 1–3 kDa) against acute alcohol-induced liver injury using multi-omics approaches. Male ICR mice pretreated with VVFP (100–400 mg/kg) showed significantly prolonged alcohol tolerance latency (p < 0.05) and accelerated sobriety recovery compared to controls. Integrated transcriptomics and metabolomics revealed VVFP’s dual regulatory effects: (1) transcriptional regulation of 36 endoplasmic reticulum stress genes (e.g., ERP57, Derl) through protein processing pathways (KEGG:04141), and (2) metabolic modulation of 23 hepatic metabolites, particularly phosphatidylcholines and organic acids, via amino acid biosynthesis and glycerophospholipid metabolism. Cross-omics analysis identified eight coregulated genes (Got1, Arg2, Srm, etc.) interacting with key metabolites (4-guanidinobutyric acid, GABA) through linoleic acid metabolism. These findings demonstrate VVFP’s therapeutic potential as a functional food ingredient by highlighting its ability to simultaneously target hepatic stress responses and metabolic homeostasis during alcohol detoxification. Full article

Bupleurum scorzonerifolium Willd. is a commonly used bulk Chinese herbal remedy. Due to the large-scale mining of wild Bupleurum scorzonerifolium Willd., its natural resources are gradually exhausted. In addition, there are some problems in Bupleurum scorzonerifolium Willd. cultivation, such as lack of guidance, excessive application of fertilizers and so on, which lead to the yield and quality of Bupleurum to be below the standard value. Therefore, it is significant to clarify the regulation of quality and yield under different levels of fertilizers. In this study, three different levels of potassium fertilizer were applied; then, the metabolites in different parts of Bupleurum were analyzed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) to detect the alterations in the metabolic spectrum and recognize both the accumulation and distribution of key metabolites in response to each level of potassium fertilizer. The contents of various mineral elements, such as sodium, calcium, potassium, magnesium, manganese, zinc, iron, and copper, in different parts of Bupleurum under different potassium levels were determined. Potassium fertilizer had a significant impact on the absorption and distribution of these mineral elements. There were synergistic and antagonistic effects between each element and K⁺. The results showed that low and high potassium levels could promote the progression of main shoots and roots, but inhibited the accumulation of dry matter in lateral shoots and flowers. Low potassium levels stimulated the content of saikosaponin a in all plant parts, while high potassium levels inhibited the accumulation of most saikosaponin a,c and d. A total of 77 metabolites were identified by GC–MS, of which glycerol, d-glucose, silane and copper phthalocyanine were highlighted as the key metabolites in response to potassium fertilizer. The abovementioned metabolites are mapped into insulin signaling pathways, streptomycin biosynthesis, galactose metabolism and other metabolic pathways, sustaining the metabolic regulation of Bupleurum scorzonerifolium Willd. Full article

Litchi is one of the ancient fruits that originated in China, renowned for its high nutrition and rich flavor, and Xianjinfeng (XJF) stands as one of the most notable varieties in terms of its flavor. Investigating the metabolic changes in taste compounds during fruit development offers deeper insights into the formation patterns of fruit quality. In this study, we conducted extensive metabonomic research on the accumulation patterns of taste compounds (carbohydrates, organic acids, and amino acids) across three developmental stages of XJF litchi. A total of 238 taste metabolites were detected. Cluster analysis and PCA revealed significant changes in metabolite composition and content across different stages, closely correlating with the developmental phase. The abundance of total taste metabolites in stage S1 was notably lower than stages S2 and S3. The total abundance of sugar continued to rise, yet monosaccharides and disaccharides exhibited distinct behaviors, highlighting the characteristic accumulation of reducing sugars. Most organic acids demonstrated a notable downward trend, whereas the abundance of most essential and flavor-contributing amino acids showed an upward trend. The number of DAMs across the three stages followed the trend of S1 vs. S3 > S1 vs. S2 > S2 vs. S3. KEGG functional annotation and enrichment revealed that amino acid biosynthesis, D-amino acid metabolism, 2-oxocarboxylic acid metabolism, glyoxylate and dicarboxylate metabolism, the pentose phosphate pathway, the tricarboxylic acid cycle, and carbon metabolism were the most significantly enriched primary metabolic pathways. More differential metabolites and metabolic pathways indicated that the critical stage from the green fruit stage to the color transition stage laid a solid foundation for litchi flavor. This experiment will offer valuable references for cultivation, breeding, processing, and consumption. Full article

Stroke is the leading cause of death and disability worldwide, with ischemic stroke accounting for the majority of these. HBA is the active ingredient in Gastrodia elata and has potential therapeutic effects on central nervous system diseases. In this study, the cell model of cerebral ischemia was replicated by the culture method of oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation, and the rat model of vascular dementia was established by the two-vessel occlusion method. Metabolomics technology was employed to analyze the metabolic changes in ischemic neurons induced by HBA, and potential therapeutic targets were verified. The protective effects of HBA on ischemic neurons and their mitochondria were examined through multiple indicators, and the related mechanisms were verified. HBA can improve post-ischemic cognitive impairment in rats, and its mechanism is related to the regulation of the choline-activated phospholipase D2/Sirtuin 1/peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator 1α pathway to improve mitochondrial function and reduce autophagic activity to maintain mitochondrial homeostasis. It is concluded that HBA has a protective effect on neuronal damage and cognitive impairment caused by cerebral ischemia by regulating key metabolites and signaling pathways, and that it provides a new molecular target for the treatment of cerebral ischemia. Full article

Histone acetylation is an important epigenetic mechanism that has been shown to play a role in diapause regulation. To explore the physiological and molecular mechanisms of histone deacetylase in the diapause process, LC-MS/MS analysis was used to perform TMT proteomic and metabolomic analysis on non-diapause (ND), pre-diapause (PreD), diapause (D), cold treatment (CT), and post-diapause (RD) stages of the meadow moth. A total of 5367 proteins were identified by proteomics, including 1179 differentially expressed proteins. We found 975 (602 up-regulated and 373 down-regulated), 997 (608 up-regulated and 389 down-regulated), 1119 (726 up-regulated and 393 down-regulated), 1179 (630 up-regulated and 549 down-regulated), 94 (51 up-regulated and 43 down-regulated), 111 (63 up-regulated and 48 down-regulated), 533 (243 up-regulated and 290 down-regulated), 58 (31 up-regulated and 27 down-regulated), and 516 (228 up-regulated and 288 down-regulated) proteins in ND and PreD, ND and D, ND and CT, ND and RD, PreD and D, PreD and CT, PreD and RD, D and CT, D and RD, and CT and RD stages, respectively. A total of 1255 differentially expressed metabolites were annotated by metabolomics. Through KEGG analysis and time series analysis of differentially expressed metabolites, we found that phospholipids were annotated in significantly different modules, demonstrating their important role in the diapause process of the meadow moth. Using phospholipids as an indicator for weighted gene co-expression network analysis, we analyzed the most relevant differentially expressed proteins in the module and found that ribosomal 40s and 60s subunits were the most relevant proteins for diapause. Because there have been studies that have shown that histone deacetylase is associated with the diapause of meadow moths, we believe that histone deacetylase regulates the 40s and 60s subunits of ribosomes, which in turn affects the diapause of meadow moths. This finding expands our understanding of the regulation of meadow moth diapause and provides new insights into its control mechanism. Full article

Metabolomics has been used extensively to identify crucial molecules and biochemical effects induced by environmental factors. To understand the effects of acute low-salinity stress on Fenneropenaeus chinensis, intestinal histological examination and untargeted metabonomic analysis of F. chinensis were performed after exposure to a salinity of 15 ppt for 3, 7, and 14 d. The histological examination revealed that acute stress resulted in most epithelial cells rupturing, leading to the dispersion of nuclei in the intestinal lumen after 14 days. Metabolomics analysis identified numerous differentially expressed metabolites (DEMs) at different time points after exposure to low-salinity stress, in which some DEMs were steadily downregulated at the early stage of stress and then gradually upregulated. We further screened 14 overlapping DEMs, in which other DEMs decreased significantly during low-salinity stress, apart from L-palmitoylcarnitine and vitamin A, with enrichments in phenylalanine, tyrosine and tryptophan biosynthesis, fatty acid and retinol metabolism, and ABC transporters. ABC transporters exhibit significant abnormalities and play a vital role in low-salinity stress. This study provides valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the responses of F. chinensis to acute salinity stress. Full article

Canna glauca, an ornamental plant widely cultivated in aquatic habitats, is notable for its long florescence and showy flowers. The flower of this species is distinguished by its petaloid staminodes, which comprise the majority of the overall floral display. Flavonoids have been reported to be the predominant pigment groups that determine most flower colors. However, the influence of flavonoid metabolic pathways on the flower color of C. glauca remains to be investigated. In this study, comprehensive floral transcriptomes and metabolite profiles of the wild type (yellow flower) and ‘Erebus’ cultivar (pink flower) of C. glauca were analyzed. We identified 432 flavonoid metabolites, including 20 anthocyanins. ‘Erebus’ accumulated higher levels of 18 anthocyanins than the wild type, including 10 cyanidins, 4 pelargonidins, and 4 peonidins. The wild type accumulated higher levels of two malvidins. Through the joint analysis of transcriptomics and metabonomics, we observed a notable association between the expression of three DEGs and eleven anthocyanin levels. Furthermore, we analyzed the expression patterns of key genes that determine flavonoid biosynthesis, such as CHS, CHI, F3′H, and DFR. These findings provide enlightenment on the anthocyanin accumulation of Canna glauca, serving as a basis for exploring biochemical and molecular mechanisms underlying flower coloration. Full article

This study utilized Beauveria bassiana to infect Leguminivora glycinivorella, analyzed the effects on the transcriptome and metabolome, and further investigated the antibacterial function of L. glycinivorella. We performed transcriptome and metabolome sequencing on the L. glycinivorella infected with B. bassiana and its control groups, and performed a joint analysis of transcriptome and metabolome results. Upon screening, 4560 differentially expressed genes were obtained in the transcriptome and 71 differentially expressed metabolites were obtained in the metabolome. On this basis, further integration of the use of transcriptomics and metabonomics combined an analysis of common enrichments of pathways of which there were three. They were glutathione S-transferase (GSTs) genes, heat shock protein (HSP) genes, and cytochrome P450 (CYP450) genes. These three pathways regulate the transport proteins, such as ppars, and thus affect the digestion and absorption of sugars and fats, thus regulating the development of pests. The above conclusion indicates that B. bassiana can affect the sugar metabolism, lipid metabolism, and amino acid metabolism pathways of L. glycinivorella, and can consume the necessary energy, protein, and lipids of L. glycinivorella. The research on the immune response mechanism of pests against pathogens can provide an important scientific basis and target for the development of immunosuppressants. This study laid an information foundation for the application of entomogenous fungi to control soybean borer at the molecular level. Full article

Oil palm, a tropical woody oil crop, is widely used in food, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals due to its high production efficiency and economic value. Palm oil is rich in free fatty acids, polyphenols, vitamin E, and other nutrients, which are beneficial for human health when consumed appropriately. Therefore, investigating the dynamic changes in free fatty acid content at different stages of development and hypothesizing the influence of regulatory genes on free fatty acid metabolism is crucial for improving palm oil quality and accelerating industry growth. LC-MS/MS is used to analyze the composition and content of free fatty acids in the flesh after 95 days (MS1 and MT1), 125 days (MS2 and MT2), and 185 days (MS3 and MT3) of Seedless (MS) and Tenera (MT) oil palm species fruit pollination. RNA-Seq was used to analyze the expression of genes regulating free fatty acid synthesis and accumulation, with differences in genes and metabolites mapped to the KEGG pathway map using the KEGG (Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes) enrichment analysis method. A metabolomics study identified 17 types of saturated and 13 types of unsaturated free fatty acids during the development of MS and MT. Transcriptomic research revealed that 10,804 significantly different expression genes were acquired in the set differential gene threshold between MS and MT. The results showed that FabB was positively correlated with the contents of three main free fatty acids (stearic acid, myristate acid, and palmitic acid) and negatively correlated with the contents of free palmitic acid in the flesh of MS and MT. ACSL and FATB were positively correlated with the contents of three main free fatty acids and negatively correlated with free myristate acid. The study reveals that the expression of key enzyme genes, FabB and FabF, may improve the synthesis of free myristate in oil palm flesh, while FabF, ACSL, and FATB genes may facilitate the production of free palmitoleic acid. These genes may also promote the synthesis of free stearic acid and palmitoleic acid in oil palm flesh. However, the FabB gene may inhibit stearic acid synthesis, while ACSL and FATB genes may hinder myristate acid production. This study provides a theoretical basis for improving palm oil quality. Full article

The critical role of the rumen microbiota in the growth performance of livestock is recognized, yet its significance in determining the body weight of goat kids before weaning remains less understood. To bridge this gap, our study delved into the rumen microbiota, serum metabolome, rumen fermentation, and rumen development in goat kids with contrasting body weights before weaning. We selected 10 goat kids from a cohort of 100, categorized into low body weight (LBW, 5.56 ± 0.98 kg) and high body weight (HBW, 9.51 ± 1.01 kg) groups. The study involved sampling rumen contents, tissues, and serum from these animals. Our findings showed that the HBW goat kids showed significant enrichment of VFA-producing bacteria, particularly microbiota taxa within the Prevotellaceae genera (UCG-001, UCG-003, and UCG-004) and the Prevotella genus. This enrichment correlated with elevated acetate and butyrate levels, positively influencing rumen papillae development. Additionally, it was associated with elevated serum levels of glucose, total cholesterol, and triglycerides. The serum metabonomic analysis revealed marked differences in fatty acid metabolism between the LBW and HBW groups, particularly in encompassing oleic acid and both long-chain saturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Further correlational analysis underscored a significant positive association between Prevotellaceae_UCG-001 and specific lipids, such as phosphatidylcholine (PC) (22:5/18:3) and PC (20:3/20:1) (r > 0.60, p < 0.05). In summary, this study underscores the pivotal role of the rumen microbiota in goat kids’ weight and its correlation with specific serum metabolites. These insights could pave the way for innovative strategies aimed at improving animal body weight through targeted modulation of the rumen microbiota. Full article

Armillaria mellea (Vahl) P. Kumm is commonly used for food and pharmaceutical supplements due to its immune regulatory function, and polysaccharides are one of its main components. The aim of this research is to study the immunological activity of the purified acidic polysaccharide fraction, namely, AMPA, isolated from Armillaria mellea crude polysaccharide (AMP). In this study, a combination of the immune activity of mouse macrophages in vitro and serum metabonomics in vivo was used to comprehensively explore the cell viability and metabolic changes in immune-deficient mice in the AMPA intervention, with the aim of elucidating the potential mechanisms of AMPA in the treatment of immunodeficiency. The in vitro experiments revealed that, compared with LPS-induced RAW264.7, the AMPA treatment elevated the levels of the cellular immune factors IL-2, IL-6, IgM, IgA, TNF-α, and IFN-γ; promoted the expression of immune proteins; and activated the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway to produce immunological responses. The protein expression was also demonstrated in the spleen of the cyclophosphamide immunosuppressive model in vivo. The UHPLC-MS-based metabolomic analysis revealed that AMPA significantly modulated six endogenous metabolites in mice, with the associated metabolic pathways of AMPA for treating immunodeficiency selected as potential therapeutic biomarkers. The results demonstrate that phosphorylated acetyl CoA, glycolysis, and the TCA cycle were mainly activated to enhance immune factor expression and provide immune protection to the body. These experimental results are important for the development and application of AMPA as a valuable health food or drug that enhances immunity. Full article

Pneumonia is a common clinical disease in the neonatal period and poses a serious risk to infant health. Therefore, the understanding of molecular mechanisms is of great importance for the development of methods for the rapid and accurate identification, classification and staging, and even disease diagnosis and therapy of pneumonia. In this study, a nontargeted metabonomic method was developed and applied for the analysis of serum samples collected from 20 cases in the pneumonia control group (PN) and 20 and 10 cases of pneumonia patients with metabolic acidosis (MA) and myocardial damage (MD), respectively, with the help of ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography–high-resolution mass spectrometry (UPLC–HRMS). The results showed that compared with the pneumonia group, 23 and 21 differential metabolites were identified in pneumonia with two complications. They showed high sensitivity and specificity, with the area under the curve (ROC) of the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) larger than 0.7 for each differential molecule. There were 14 metabolites and three metabolic pathways of sphingolipid metabolism, porphyrin and chlorophyll metabolism, and glycerophospholipid metabolism existing in both groups of PN and MA, and PN and MD, all involving significant changes in pathways closely related to amino acid metabolism disorders, abnormal cell apoptosis, and inflammatory responses. These findings of molecular mechanisms should help a lot to fully understand and even treat the complications of pneumonia in infants. Full article

The effects of reduced glutathione (GSH) on non-volatile and volatile metabolites of Chardonnay wine during storage under simulated oxidation were investigated. The metabolites of GSH, which play a key role in the storage of white wine, were identified. In this study, GSHs at 0, 10, and 20 mg/L were added to wine samples and stored at 45 °C for 45 days. Wine samples supplemented with 0 mg/L GSH were used as controls (CK). The samples stored for 45 days were analyzed via ultra-high performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry and gas chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. A total of 1107 non-volatile metabolites were detected, and 617 volatile metabolites were identified. Variable Importance in Projection (VIP) of >1.0 and Fold Change (FC) of ≧2.0 were used to screen differential metabolites. A total of 59 important non-volatile and 39 differential volatile metabolites were screened. Among the non-volatile metabolites, 17 substances were down-regulated, whereas 16 substances were up-regulated. Among the volatile metabolites, 3 substances were down-regulated, while 19 substances were up-regulated. After analysis, some lipids were found to play an important role in the changes to non-volatile substances. This study provides theoretical support for further application of GSH in increasing the oxidation stability of white wine. Full article

To understand the coloring mechanism in black radish, the integrated metabolome and transcriptome analyses of root skin from a black recombinant inbred line (RIL 1901) and a white RIL (RIL 1911) were carried out. A total of 172 flavonoids were detected, and the analysis results revealed that there were 12 flavonoid metabolites in radish root skin, including flavonols, flavones, and anthocyanins. The relative concentrations of most flavonoids in RIL 1901 were higher than those in RIL 1911. Meanwhile, the radish root skin also contained 16 types of anthocyanins, 12 of which were cyanidin and its derivatives, and the concentration of cyanidin 3-o-glucoside was very high at different development stages of black radish. Therefore, the accumulation of cyanidin and its derivatives resulted in the black root skin of radish. In addition, a module positively related to anthocyanin accumulation and candidate genes that regulate anthocyanin synthesis was identified by the weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). Among them, structural genes (RsCHS, RsCHI, RsDFR, and RsUGT75C1) and transcription factors (TFs) (RsTT8, RsWRKY44L, RsMYB114, and RsMYB308L) may be crucial for the anthocyanin synthesis in the root skin of black radish. The anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway in the root skin of black radish was constructed based on the expression of genes related to flavonoid and anthocyanin biosynthesis pathways (Ko00941 and Ko00942) and the relative expressions of metabolites. In conclusion, this study not only casts new light on the synthesis and accumulation of anthocyanins in the root skin of black radish but also provides a molecular basis for accelerating the cultivation of new black radish varieties. Full article

Coumarin and its derivatives are plant-derived compounds that exhibit potent insecticidal properties. In this study, we found that natural coumarin significantly inhibited the growth and development of Spodoptera litura larvae through toxicological assay. By transcriptomic sequencing, 80 and 45 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) related to detoxification were identified from 0 to 24 h and 24 to 48 h in S. litura after coumarin treatment, respectively. Enzyme activity analysis showed that CYP450 and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activities significantly decreased at 48 h after coumarin treatment, while glutathione S-transferases (GST) activity increased at 24 h. Silencing of SlCYP324A16 gene by RNA interference significantly increased S. litura larval mortality and decreased individual weight after treatment with coumarin. Additionally, the expression levels of DEGs involved in glycolysis and tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle were inhibited at 24 h after coumarin treatment, while their expression levels were upregulated at 48 h. Furthermore, metabonomics analysis identified 391 differential metabolites involved in purine metabolism, amino acid metabolism, and TCA cycle from 0 to 24 h after treated with coumarin and 352 differential metabolites associated with ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters and amino acid metabolism. These results provide an in-depth understanding of the toxicological mechanism of coumarin on S. litura. Full article