Free amino acids (FAAs), the major constituents of the natural moisturizing factor (NMF), are very important for maintaining the moisture balance of human skin and their deficiency results in dry skin conditions. There is a great interest in the identification and use of nature-based sources of these molecules for such cosmeceutical applications. The objective of the present study was, therefore, to investigate the FAA contents of selected Ethiopian plant and fungi species; and select the best sources so as to use them for the stated purpose. About 59 different plant species and oyster mushroom were included in the study and the concentrations of 27 FAAs were analyzed. Each sample was collected, lyophilized, extracted using aqueous solvent, derivatized with Fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl chloride (Fmoc-Cl) prior to solid-phase extraction and quantified using Liquid Chromatography Electrospray Ionization Tandem Mass Spectrometric (LC-ESI–MS/MS) system. All the 27 FAAs were detected in most of the samples. The dominant FAAs that are part of the NMF were found at sufficiently high concentration in the mushroom and some of the plants. This indicates that FAAs that could be included in the preparations for the management of dry skin condition can be obtained from a single natural resource and the use of these resources for the specified purpose have both economic and therapeutic advantage in addition to fulfilling customer needs.

Phytochemical investigation of the roots of O. sennoides subsp. zanzibaricum Brenan & J.B. Gillett resulted in the isolation of three biflavonoids (trime-chamaejasmin, (+)- chamaejasmin, (+)-liquiritigeninyl-(I-3,II-3)-naringenin), one bi-4-phenyldihydrocoumarin (diphysin), one isoflavan (glabridin), one triterpenoid (3-O-acetyloleanoic acid) and a phytosterol (β-sitosterol). Compounds were identified by detailed MS, 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopic analyses. Their absolute configurations were elucidated based on ECD spectra. The previously undescribed trime-chamaejasmin represents a bis-epi-chamaejasmenin C diastereomer. The chemophenetic significance is discussed in detail. The results contribute to the phytochemical characterization of the genus Ormocarpum and suggest a close chemophenetic relationship with other genera within the subfamily Papilionoideae. Furthermore, this report provides baseline data for comparing the two infraspecific taxa of O. sennoides (Willd.) DC.

Microbial transglutaminase (MTG, EC 2.3.2.13) of Streptomyces mobaraensis is widely used in industry for its ability to synthesize isopeptide bonds between the proteinogenic side chains of glutamine and lysine. The activated wild-type enzyme irreversibly denatures at 60 °C with a pseudo-first-order kinetics and a half-life time (t1/2) of 2 min. To increase the thermoresistance of MTG for higher temperature applications, we generated 31 variants based on previous results obtained by random mutagenesis, DNA shuffling and saturation mutagenesis. The best variant TG16 with a specific combination of five of seven substitutions (S2P, S23Y, S24 N, H289Y, K294L) shows a 19-fold increased half-life at 60 °C (t1/2 = 38 min). As measured by differential scanning fluorimetry, the transition point of thermal unfolding was increased by 7.9 °C. Also for the thermoresistant variants, it was shown that inactivation process follows a pseudo-first-order reaction which is accompanied by irreversible aggregation and intramolecular self-crosslinking of the enzyme. Although the mutations are mostly located on the surface of the enzyme, kinetic constants determined with the standard substrate CBZ-Gln-Gly-OH revealed a decrease in KM from 8.6 mM (± 0.1) to 3.5 mM (± 0.1) for the recombinant wild-type MTG and TG16, respectively. The improved performance of TG16 at higher temperatures is exemplary demonstrated with the crosslinking of the substrate protein β-casein at 60 °C. Using molecular dynamics simulations, it was shown that the increased thermoresistance is caused by a higher backbone rigidity as well as increased hydrophobic interactions and newly formed hydrogen bridges.

A mesomeric form of quaternary indoloquinazoline alkaloid, soyauxinium chloride (1) was obtained through the chemical investigation of stem bark and roots of Araliopsis soyauxii Engl. [syn. Vepris soyauxii (Engl.) Mziray] (Rutaceae) together with fifteen known compounds, including three furoquinoline alkaloids, three 2-quinolones, two limonoids, two triterpenes, two steroids, a coumarin, an acridone alkaloid, and a flavonoid glycoside. Their structures were established by comprehensive spectroscopic and spectrometric analyses (1D and 2D NMR, ESI-HR-MS) and by comparison with previously reported data. 13C NMR data of araliopsinine are also reported here for the first time. The isolated compounds were screened in vitro for their effects on the viability of two different human cancer cell lines, namely prostate PC-3 adenocarcinoma cells and colorectal HT-29 adenocarcinoma cells. However, none of the tested compounds exhibited strong anti-proliferative or cytotoxic activities, to either prostate PC-3 cells or colon HT-29 cells. At 100 μM, the furoquinoline maculine showed a slightly increased anti-proliferative effect, however, exclusively on HT-29 cells. The chemotaxonomic significance of the isolated compounds has also been discussed.

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A new method for the determination of amino acids is presented. It combines established methods for the derivatization of primary and secondary amino groups with 9-fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl chloride (Fmoc-Cl) with the subsequent amino acid specific detection of the derivatives by LC–ESI–MS/MS using multiple reaction monitoring (MRM). The derivatization proceeds within 5 min, and the resulting amino acid derivatives can be rapidly purified from matrix by solid-phase extraction (SPE) on HR-X resin and separated by reversed-phase HPLC. The Fmoc derivatives yield several amino acid specific fragment ions which opened the possibility to select amino acid specific MRM transitions. The method was applied to all 20 proteinogenic amino acids, and the quantification was performed using l-norvaline as standard. A limit of detection as low as 1 fmol/µl with a linear range of up to 125 pmol/µl could be obtained. Intraday and interday precisions were lower than 10 % relative standard deviations for most of the amino acids. Quantification using l-norvaline as internal standard gave very similar results compared to the quantification using deuterated amino acid as internal standards. Using this protocol, it was possible to record the amino acid profiles of only a single root from Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings and to compare it with the amino acid profiles of 20 dissected root meristems (200 μm).

The formation of isoaspartate (isoAsp) from asparaginyl or aspartyl residues is a spontaneous post-translational modification of peptides and proteins. Due to isopeptide bond formation, the structure and possibly function of peptides and proteins is altered. IsoAsp modifications within the peptide chain have been reported for many cytosolic proteins. Amyloid peptides (Aβ) deposited in Alzheimer’s disease may carry an N-terminal isoAsp-modification. Here, we describe a quantitative investigation of isoAsp-formation from N-terminal Asn and Asp using model peptides similar to the Aβ N-terminus. The study is based on a newly developed separation of peptides using capillary electrophoresis (CE). 1H NMR was employed to validate the basic finding of N-terminal isoAsp-formation from Asp and Asn. Thereby, the isomerization of Asn at neutral pH (0.6 day−1, peptide NGEF) is approximately six times faster than that within the peptide chain (AANGEF). The difference in velocity between Asn and Asp isomerization is approximately 50-fold. In contrast to N-terminal Asn, Asp isomerization is significantly accelerated at acidic pH. The kinetic solvent isotope (kD2O/kH2O) effect of 2.46 suggests a rate-limiting proton transfer in isoAsp-formation. The proton inventory is consistent with transfer of one proton in the transition state, supporting the previous notion of rate-limiting deprotonation of the peptide backbone amide during succinimide-intermediate formation. The study provides evidence for a spontaneous N-terminal isoAsp-formation within peptides and might explain the accumulation of N-terminal isoAsp in amyloid deposits.

The allelopathic potential of Terminalia catappa L. Combretaceae fruits and leaves on Lactuca sativa L. (lettuce), Euphorbia heterophylla L. and Commelina benghalensis L. was studied. Bioassays indicated the highest activity for dichloromethane and ethyl-acetate fractions of ethanolic extracts from fruits, and the mean effective concentration (EC50) was determined. 2-Pentadecanone; vanillic, siringic, ferulic, p-coumaric, palmitic and stearic acids were characterized in the dichloromethane fraction, and 3,4,4′-tri-O-methyl ellagic acid and β-sitosterol-3-O-β-d-glucoside were isolated from it. No allelopathic effects were observed when the dichloromethane extracts of T. catappa fruit or leaf extracts were applied to the weeds E. heterophylla and C. benghalensis. Bioassays with seasonal sampling revealed an influence on the allelochemical potential of T. catappa. Considering the methodology adopted and the experimental results, the allelopathic activity of T. catappa seems to be related to the interaction of different groups of substances, some of them identified and characterized in this work.

The occurrence of flavolignans might be a valuable chemotaxonomic marker for the classification of Rosaceae species.