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PubMed1999

Renal lesions in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats maintained on onion and capsaicin containing diets.

Onion (Allium cepa) powder and capsaicin, the pungent principle of red pepper (Capsicum annum) were added in the amounts of 3 g% and 15 mg%, respectively, to the diet of streptozotocin-induced diabetic Wistar rats for 8 weeks. The presence of renal lesions was assessed by the extent and quality of proteinuria and by the leaching of renal tubular enzymes into the urine. Renal integrity was assessed by measuring the activities in the kidney tissue of several key enzymes of carbohydrate metabolism and of polyol pathway, transaminases, and ATPases. Data on enzymuria and proteinuria, activities of kidney ATPases present in diabetic patients, suggested that dietary onion caused significant beneficial modulation of the progression of renal lesions in the diabetic rats. These findings were also corroborated by histologic examination of kidney sections. Dietary capsaicin did not have any favorable influence on renal pathology in diabetes. It is inferred that this beneficial ameliorating influence of dietary onion on diabetic nephropathy may be mediated through onion's ability to lower blood cholesterol levels and to reduce lipid peroxidation.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2002

Carotenol fatty acid esters: easy substrates for digestive enzymes?

To study the specificity of gastric lipases on carotenoid mono- and diesters, an enzymatic assay was applied. Digestions were carried out in phosphate buffer at pH 7.4 and 37 degrees C. As substrates we employed oleoresins from marigold (Tagetes erecta L.; lutein diesters), red paprika (Capsicum annuum L., mainly capsanthin diesters), papaya (Carica papaya L.; beta-cryptoxanthin esters), and loquat (Eriobotrya japonica Lindl.; beta-cryptoxanthin esters) as well as retinyl palmitate. These were reacted with porcine pancreatic lipase, porcine pancreatin, porcine cholesterol esterase, and human pancreatic lipase. As reference enzyme a yeast lipase from Candida rugosa was applied. A high turnover could be observed with porcine pancreatic lipase and porcine cholesterol esterase, indicating cholesterol esterase to be a plausible candidate for generation of free carotenoids in the gut. Human pancreatic lipase accepted only retinyl palmitate as substrate, carotenoid mono- and diesters were not hydrolyzed. The assay permits an approach for calculation of enzymatic activities towards carotenoid esters as substrates for the first time, which is based on the amount of enzyme formulation, present in the assay (U/mg solid). Furthermore, these studies provide deeper insight into carotenoid ester bioaccessibility.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Micronuclei and sister chromatid exchanges induced by capsaicin in human lymphocytes.

Capsaicin is the main pungent and irritating component of hot peppers (species Capsicum annuum and C. frutescens). Genotoxicity and carcinogenicity studies evaluating capsaicin effects are sparse and contradictory. In this study, we investigated the genotoxicity of capsaicin (10-200 microM) in human peripheral blood lymphocytes using the cytokinesis-block micronucleus (CBMN) assay and the sister chromatid exchange (SCE) assay in the presence or absence of external metabolic activation. Capsaicin induced the formation of micronuclei (MN) in a dose-dependent manner in the cytokinesis-blocked lymphocytes. This increase was more evident in the absence of metabolic activation, with a maximum of 3.4-fold increase above the background. Some inter-individual variability was observed. The results for the SCE assay also show that capsaicin is genotoxic and in this case with a more homogeneous response among donors. This end-point, however, has proven to be less sensitive than the CBMN assay for capsaicin.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Host-correlated morphological variation of Myzus persicae (Hemiptera: Aphididae) populations in Greece.

Morphological variation in nine characters of 157 clones of Myzus persicae (Sulzer) was examined by multivariate analysis. The clones were collected from peach, Prunus persica, the primary host and the secondary hosts tobacco, Nicotiana tabacum, cabbage, Brassica oleracea, sugarbeet, Beta vulgaris and pepper Capsicum annuum. The 156 clones originated from various regions of Greece, both in the north, where a large part of the population has an annual bisexual generation on peach, and in more southerly regions, where populations are predominantly unisexual. One clone was collected from tobacco in Caserta, Italy. All clones were laboratory-reared on potato. Canonical variate analysis, hierarchical cluster analysis and a non-parametric classification tree method both revealed morphological differences associated with the host-plant on which they were collected. The scores of the first two canonical variates separated the tobacco-feeding clones from those originating from other secondary host-plants. However, in tobacco-growing areas the tobacco-feeding form predominated in spring populations on peach, and was sometimes found on other secondary hosts. In addition, using cluster analysis, the clones from tobacco which were sampled in the most southeasterly region showed a relatively large phenotypic distance from those collected further north and west. Moreover, clonal phenotypes were affected both by host plant and by long-term parthenogenetic rearing. However, in spite of these effects, the tobacco form was generally distinguishable from aphids originating from other hosts, indicating that the difference must have a genetic basis. In separate analyses of the clones originating from secondary hosts no association was found between morphology and either life cycle category or colour. Discriminant analysis showed that 89% of 1723 specimens could be correctly classified into the two groups.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Sorption and conformational characteristics of reconstituted plant cuticular waxes on montmorillonite.

Plant cuticular waxes are essential barriers that regulate the transport of water and organic molecules to intact cuticular membranes. They also compose a significant fraction ofthe recalcitrant aliphatic components of soil organic matter (SOM). In this study, we examined the sorption and desorption of three polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), naphthalene (NAPH), phenanthrene (PHEN), and pyrene (PYR), by cuticular waxes of green pepper (Capsicum annuum) that had been reconstituted by loading them onto montmorillonite (at four different loadings). The reconstituted wax samples, with and without sorbed PAHs, were characterized by solid-state 13C NMR to supply the evidence of melting transition. The sorption isotherms fit well to a Freundlich equation. Sorption isotherms were practically linear except for that of PYR sorption to the low-load wax-montmorillonite sample. The organic-carbon-normalized sorption coefficients (Koc) depended on PAH's lipophilicity (e.g., octanol-water partition coefficient) and increased with increasing wax-load on clay. Desorption was dependent on PAH's molecular sizes and sorbed amounts and on the wax load of the clay. Desorption hysteresis was observed only at high loads of NAPH and PHEN, and it decreased with both increasing wax load and molecular size (i.e. NAPH > PHEN >> PYR). Contributing to hysteresis, the melting transition of the reconstituted waxes after sorbing the PAHs was confirmed by solid-state 13C NMR data. Upon adsorption, the intensity of the NMR peak at 29 ppm (attributed to mobile amorphous paraffinic domains) increased, and a peak at 167 ppm (-COOH) appeared, reflecting the transition of solid amorphous to mobile amorphous domains in the reconstituted waxes. The intensity of melting induced by PAH adsorption decreased with increasing PAH molecular size.

Bentonite↗
PubMed2000

Production of polyclonal antibodies against ochratoxin A and its detection in chilies by ELISA.

Polyclonal antibodies were produced for Ochratoxin A (OA) by injecting OA-bovine serum albumin (BSA) conjugate subcutaneously at multiple sites into a New Zealand White inbred rabbit. Antiserum could be used at a dilution exceeding 1:100 000 in an indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and detected OA concentrations up to 0.1 ng/mL. The 50% inhibition binding (I(50)) of OA was 5 ng/mL. Antibodies did not react with ochratoxin B, coumarin, 4-hydroxycoumarin, L-phenylalanine, and aflatoxin B1. OA contamination in chilies (Capsicum annum L.) collected from commercial markets and cold storage units was determined. The mean recoveries from OA-free chilies spiked with 1 to100 microg of OA per kg of chili sample were 90-110% with a standard deviation of <10%. Of 100 chili samples tested, 26 were found to contain over 10 microg/kg of OA. In 12 samples the OA concentration varied from 10 to 30 microg/kg, in 10 samples from 30 to 50 microg/kg, in 3 samples from 50 to100 microg/kg, and in one sample it was 120 microg/kg. This is the first record in India of OA in chilies, a major component of cooked foods in this country, and it is noteworthy that OA contamination exceeded the permissible limit for human consumption of less than 20 microg/kg in over 26% of the market samples tested.

Antibodies↗
PubMed2003

Essential oils from Mediterranean lamiaceae as weed germination inhibitors.

The essential oils obtained from rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.), thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.), and savory (Satureja montana L.) and the four monoterpenes that are their major constituents have been analyzed by GC and GC-MS and tested for their allelopathic properties on the seeds of three different annual weeds (Chenopodium album, Portulaca oleracea, and Echinochloa crus-galli) and three crops (Raphanus sativus, Capsicum annuum, and Lactuca sativa), with the aim to evaluate in vitro their potential as germination inhibitors. The essential oil composition varied with the species, thymol being the main constituent (44%) of thyme and carvacrol (57%) that of savory oil. Differences in essential oil composition were observed within two different rosemary ecotypes, type A, with alpha-pinene (37%) and 1,8-cineole (23%), and type B, characterized by a 2-fold content of 1,8-cineole (47%). This latest essential oil inhibited completely the germination of weeds while concurrently displaying little effect on pepper. The other two oils showed less selective action. S. montana essential oil, with 57% carvacrol, is the most active compound, completely inhibiting germination both of crops and weeds. Borneol, one of the main constituents of the oil of rosemary type B, showed an activity comparable to that of the whole oil. Crop and weed seeds treated with 1,8-cineole showed germination values that were not significantly different from controls, even if a slowing of the germination process expressed in terms of a significant increase in mean germination time was observed. Monoterpene compounds also present in the essential oils mainly represented the volatile fraction released from the crops and their residues into the soil.

Chromatography, Gas↗
PubMed2000

Nitrogen metabolism in pepper plants applied with different bioregulators.

Certain bioregulators were studied in relation to nitrogen metabolism of pepper plants (Capsicum annuum L. cv. Lamuyo). Plants were grown under controlled conditions and submitted to regular fertilization with macro- and micronutrients. Treatments were as follows: nontreated control (T0); fosfonutren [essential amino acids and micronutrients (46.9 mg L(-)(1))] (T1); biozyme [GA(3) (32.2 mg L(-)(1)) plus IAA (32.2 mg L(-)(1)) plus zeatin (83.2 mg L(-)(1)) plus chelated micronutrients] (T2); and GA(3) [16 mg L(-)(1)] (T3). The concentrations of NO(3)(-), organic N, amino acids, and proteins, the activities of nitrate reductase (NR) and nitrite reductase (NiR), and finally the foliar dry weight and yield were analyzed. The results indicated that the application of certain bioregulators, such as fosfonutren (T1), which contain amino acids can cause a negative effect on the efficiency and utilization of NO(3)(-), resulting in a drastic loss in growth and yield, even under the control treatment, in which no bioregulator was applied. On the contrary, the application of certain bioregulators based principally on the combination of different hormones, as in the case of biozyme (T2), increased NO(3)(-) assimilation under our experimental conditions, due possibly to a greater availability of these bioregulators in the leaves and increased NR and NiR activities. This appears to explain why the T2 treatment gave the greatest foliar dry weight and fruit yield per plant in the experiment.

Amino Acids, Essential↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Potential antitumor agents. XVII. physalin B and 25,26-epidihydrophysalin C from Witheringia coccoloboides.

An investigation of Witheringia coccoloboides (Dammer) A. T. Hunziker [Capsicum fuscoviolaceum (Cufodontis) Mort. And Standl.] roots has resulted in the isolation of two cytotoxic compounds: physalin B (1) and a novel physalin, which was characterized by spectral analysis as 25,26-epidihydrophysalin C (2). Both compounds have demonstrated cytotoxic activity in 9KB and 9PS tumor cells (in vitro). Physalin B (1) has demonstrated moderate activity against the 3PS mouse leukemia (in vivo).

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Prosystemin from potato, black nightshade, and bell pepper: primary structure and biological activity of predicted systemin polypeptides.

Prosystemin is the precursor protein of the 18 amino acid wound signal systemin which activates systemic defense in tomato leaves against insect herbivores (McGurl B, Pearce G, Orozco-Cardenas M, Ryan CA, Science 255 (1992) 1570-1573). Here, we report the isolation of cDNA sequences encoding prosystemin from potato (Solanum tuberosum), black nightshade (S. nigrum), and bell pepper (Capsicum annuum), all members of the Solanaceae family, using reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Pairwise comparisons of the predicted prosystemin proteins from the three species with tomato prosystemin and among each other indicated sequence identities ranging from 73% to 88%. The deduced systemin polypeptides were synthesized and tested for their capacities to induce the synthesis of the defensive proteinase inhibitors in tomato leaves. Potato and pepper systemins were approximately as active as tomato systemin, whereas nightshade systemin was ten-fold less active. The accumulation of proteinase inhibitor mRNA transcripts could be induced in each of these plants by treatment with the homologous systemin. As in the tomato, in potato, black nightshade, and bell pepper plants, prosystemin homologs appear to function as precursors of systemic wound signals.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2004

Qualitative and quantitative variation among volatile profiles induced by Tetranychus urticae feeding on plants from various families.

Many plant species are known to emit herbivore-induced volatiles in response to herbivory. The spider mite Tetranychus urticae Koch is a generalist that can feed on several hundreds of host plant species. Volatiles emitted by T. urticae-infested plants of 11 species were compared: soybean (Glycine max), golden chain (Laburnum anagyroides), black locust (Robinia pseudo-acacia), cowpea (Vigna unguiculata), tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum), eggplant (Solanum melalonga), thorn apple (Datura stramonium), sweet pepper (Capsicum annuum), hop (Humulus lupulus), grapevine (Vitis vinifera), and ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba). The degree to which the plant species produced novel compounds was analyzed when compared to the odors of mechanically damaged leaves. Almost all of the investigated plant species produced novel compounds that dominated the volatile blend, such as methyl salicylate, terpenes, oximes, and nitriles. Only spider mite-infested eggplant and tobacco emitted a blend that was merely quantitatively different from the blend emitted by mechanically damaged or clean leaves. We hypothesized that plant species with a low degree of direct defense would produce more novel compounds. However, although plant species with a low direct defense level do use indirect defense to defend themselves, they do not always emit novel compounds. Plant species with a high level of direct defense seem to invest in the production of novel compounds. When plant species of the Fabaceae were compared to plant species of the Solanaceae, qualitative differences in spider mite-induced volatile blends seemed to be more prominent in the Fabaceae than in the Solanaceae.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Effects of capsaicin on biliary free fatty acids in rats.

The effects of capsaicin, a major pungent agent of capsicum fruits, on biliary free fatty acids (FFAs) were studied in male rats. Animals were dosed 100 mg/kg capsaicin after the administration of olive oil, and the bile was obtained for 6 hours continuously after dosing with capsaicin for analysis of FFAs using HPLC methods. Capsaicin significantly decreased the total biliary FFA concentration in the animals which had been previously increased by the administration of olive oil. The main FFAs in the bile of control rats are lauric and palmitic acids, followed by linoleic, oleic, stearic and palmitoleic acids. Capsaicin alone decreased the values of these main FFAs. While lauric, palmitic, linoleic, stearic and arachidonic acids were increased significantly by the treatment with olive oil, elevation of these FFAs was inhibited by the treatment with capsaicin.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Nutritional and food protection against epidemic emerging neuropathy. Epidemiological findings in the unique disease-free urban area of Cuba.

A survey was conducted through the SECUBA (SEguridad alimentaria en CUba y Buena Alimentación) research program in Cuban healthy smokers living in Guantánamo and in Havana. The aim of the survey was to investigate biological and nutritional factors connected with the occurrence of zero epidemic neuropathy (EN) observed in Guantánamo urban area since the disease emerged in Cuba. Blood riboflavin status and carotenoid and selenium concentrations were higher in Guantánamo than in Havana smokers. Food dietary quantities of plantain banana, pepper (Capsicum spp.), bovine meat and milk products were higher in Guantánamo. Inversely, foods rich in cholesterol, especially eggs, were more consumed in Havana. Through riboflavin, carotenoid and selenium contents and specific antioxidants substances (indoleamines, capsaicin), the foods more consumed in Guantánamo could be considered as EN protective factors. Disease protective effects could be exerted via enhancement of defence mechanisms against free radical damage and related mechanisms focused on redox recycling of glutathione and local protection from carotenoids. Finally, the results of the present study should help Cuba, through a better EN control, to improve long-term food safety and define healthier dietary habits.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Widespread distribution and fitness contribution of Xanthomonas campestris avirulence gene avrBs2.

Disease-resistance genes introduced into cultivated plants are often rendered ineffective by the ability of pathogen populations to overcome host resistance. The bacterial pathogen Xanthomonas campestris pathovar vesicatoria causes bacterial spot disease of tomato and pepper, and this pathogen has been shown to overcome disease resistance in pepper (Capsicum annuum) by evading the recognition and defence response of the host plant. Numerous resistance genes to bacterial spot have been identified in pepper and its wild relatives, each providing resistance to specific races of X.c. vesicatoria. The resistance gene Bs1, for example, provides resistance to X.c. vesicatoria strains expressing the avirulence gene avrBs1; Bs2 provides resistance to stains expressing avrBs2 and so on. We now report that avr Bs2 is highly conserved among strains of X.c. vesicatoria, and among many other pathovars of X. campestris. Furthermore, we find that avrBs2 is in fact needed for full virulence of the pathogen on susceptible hosts. This implies that plants carrying Bs2 can recognize an essential gene of the bacterial pathogen, which may explain why Bs2 confers the only effective field resistance to X.c. vesicatoria in pepper.

DNA, Bacterial↗
PubMed1991

Endotransglycosylation of xyloglucans in plant cell suspension cultures.

1. A xyloglucan-derived nonasaccharide ([3H]XG9; Glc4,Xyl3,Gal,Fuc) was neither taken up by cultured plant cells nor appreciably hydrolysed by them, but a proportion of it became incorporated into extracellular polymers in all cultures tested (Spinacia, Daucus, Rosa, Acer, Capsicum, Zea and Festuca). 2. In Spinacia these polymers were soluble in 20% (w/v) trichloroacetic acid, had apparent Mr 20,000-30,000, were able to bind reversibly to cellulose powder and were susceptible to hydrolysis by endo-beta-(1----4)-D-glucanase, indicating that they were xyloglucans. 3. The linkage formed between [3H]XG9 and the xyloglucan was alkali-stable and glucanase-labile, indicating that the reaction responsible for the incorporation was a transglycosylation. 4. The reducing terminus of the XG9 moiety remained reducing (convertible into [3H]glucitol by NaBH4) after incorporation into the polymer, showing that the XG9 was the glycosyl acceptor and the polysaccharide the donor. 5. The results provide the first evidence that polymeric xyloglucans are subject in vivo to cleavage followed by transfer of the cut end on the other xyloglucan-related molecules. 6. Similar endotransglycosylation reactions could occur within the primary cell wall, between pairs of high-Mr structural xyloglucan molecules. Such a reaction would provide a mechanism for reversible wall loosening and may thus be relevant to our understanding of plant cell growth.

Carbohydrate Conformation↗
PubMed2002

Small changes in the activity of chloroplastic NADP(+)-dependent ferredoxin oxidoreductase lead to impaired plant growth and restrict photosynthetic activity of transgenic tobacco plants.

A ferredoxin-NADP+ oxidoreductase (FNR) cDNA from tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum cv. Samsun) was cloned and sequenced. Comparison of the deduced amino acid sequence revealed high identity to FNR proteins from Capsicum annuum, Pisum sativum, Spinacia oleracea and Vicia faba. Transgenic tobacco plants were generated that constitutively express the FNR cDNA in reverse orientation between the CaMV 35S promoter and the polyadenylation signal of the octopine synthase gene. Plants expressing the FNR antisense gene showed lower levels of FNR mRNA and protein accumulation, which was paralleled by a decrease in FNR activity. As a consequence, NADPH levels declined whereas NADP+ levels increased, leading to an unaltered NADP(H) pool. Growth rates, chlorophyll content and net CO2 uptake rates at high and low irradiances were strongly reduced in FNR antisense tobacco plants. These changes were accompanied by an over-reduced state of P700 as estimated by absorption changes at 820 nm. FNR control coefficients determined for the photosynthetic rate at saturating (C(R) = 0.94) and limiting (C(R) = 0.70) light conditions revealed a prominent role of this reductase in the regulation of photosynthesis.

Blotting, Western↗
PubMed2003

Three pathogen-inducible genes encoding lipid transfer protein from pepper are differentially activated by pathogens, abiotic, and environmental stresses.

The three cDNA clones, CALTPI, CALTPII, and CALTPIII, corresponding to pepper lipid transfer protein (LTP) genes were isolated from a pepper (Capsicum annuum) cDNA library from hypersensitive response (HR) lesions of leaves infected with Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria. The CALTP genes are well conserved in their coding region with 57-72% identity at the amino acid level, but display 72-83% identity at the nucleotide sequence level. The transcripts of the three CALTP genes differentially accumulated in pepper leaf, stem, and fruit tissues infected by X. campestris pv. vesicatoria, Phytophthora capsici and Colletotrichum gloeosporioides. The CALTP genes were also strongly induced in the systemic, upper leaves after immunization on lower leaves by either pathogenic or non-pathogenic bacteria. In situ hybridization results showed that the CALTPI mRNA was localized in phloem cells of vascular tissues in pepper leaf, stem and fruit tissues after pathogen infection. CALTPI and CALTPIII genes were predominantly expressed in various pepper tissues infected by pathogens, while infection by P. capsici and C. gloeosporioides did not induce the transcription of the CALTPII gene. Ethylene, methyl jasmonate and abscisic acid induced CALTPI and III gene expression in pepper leaves. Drought, high salinity, low temperature and wounding stresses also induced the expression of the CALTPI and CALTPIII genes in a similar manner. In contrast, only high salinity induced the CALTPII expression that was not generally affected by abiotic and other environmental stimuli. When compared with each other and with LTPs from other plants, CALTPI is more distantly related than CALTPII and CALTPIII sequences, indicating that the three pepper CALTP genes represent two different classes. These results thus show that CALTPI and CALTPIII genes, although different in sequence structure, are transcriptionally activated in pepper tissues by pathogen infection as well as abiotic and environmental stresses.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1996

Molecular cloning of a carotenoid-associated protein from Cucumis sativus corollas: homologous genes involved in carotenoid sequestration in chromoplasts.

Chromoplasts are carotenoid-accumulating plastids found in the corollas and fruits of many higher plants. In most cases, the pigment in these plastids is accumulated with the aid of carotenoid-associated proteins located within unique structures. This paper reports the isolation and characterization of the cDNA (CHRC) from Cucumis sativus corollas which encodes the chromoplast-specific carotenoid-associated protein CHRC. The transit peptide cleavage site was determined and, using a chloroplast uptake system, it is shown that CHRC can be post-translationally targeted to these plastids where it is peripherally associated with thylakoids. Analysis of CHRC transcript level in Cucumis sativus revealed its temporal and tissue-specific regulation: the transcript was detected only in corollas, where its level increased in parallel to flower development, peaking just before anthesis. CHRC shares significant homology (59%) with the gene coding for fibrillin-a protein in Capsicum annuum red fruits whose function is essentially identical to that of CHRC. A CHRC fragment including the potential active site of the protein was used as a probe in Northern blot analyses of floral and fruit tissues from various plants containing chromoplasts of different types: CHRC homologs of similar sizes were revealed in all cases. The existence of a group of homologous genes coding for chromoplast-specific proteins which aid in the sequestration of carotenoids within specific structures is proposed.

Amino Acid Sequence↗