Galactokinase (GALK, EC 2.7.1.6) is a cytosolic enzyme with a wide occurrence across the taxonomi... more Galactokinase (GALK, EC 2.7.1.6) is a cytosolic enzyme with a wide occurrence across the taxonomic kingdoms. It catalyzes the phosphorylation of a-D-galactose (Gal) to a-D-Gal-1-P. The cytotoxicity of free (unphosphorylated) Gal is well docu-mented in plants and causes marked defects. An Arabidopsis GALK (AtGALK, At3g06580) was previously identified, cloned and functionally characterized in Escherichia coli and was suggested to occur as a single copy gene in Arabidopsis. We identified an AtGALK T-DNA insertion mutant (atgalk) that (i) is AtGALK transcript deficient; (ii) displays no GALK activity in vegetative tissues; and (iii) ac-cumulates Gal up to 6.8mg g1 FW in vegetative tissues, in contrast to wild-type plants. By constitutively overexpres-sing the AtGALK cDNA, atgalk was functionally rescued. Three independent transformed lines showed restored
Arabidopsis ATSIP2 has recently been suggested to be a raffi nose synthase gene. However, it has ... more Arabidopsis ATSIP2 has recently been suggested to be a raffi nose synthase gene. However, it has high amino acid identity to functionally characterized alkaline α-galactosidases from Cucumis melo and Zea mays. Using the Sf9 insect cell expression system, we demonstrate that recombinant ATSIP2 is a genuine alkaline α-galactosidase with a distinct substrate specifi city for raffi nose, and not a raffi nose synthase. A β-glucuronidase reporter construct using the ATSIP2 promoter shows that ATSIP2 is strongly expressed in sink tissues of Arabidopsis, i.e. sink leaves and non-xylem parts of the root stele, suggesting a physiological function in raffi nose phloem unloading.
Background : The term ‘functional food’ received recognition by established sustenance entities i... more Background : The term ‘functional food’ received recognition by established sustenance entities in Japan, Europe and the United States (FOSHU, FUFOSE and FDA respectively) despite its existence since the 20 th century (Columbus, Captain’s log, Santa Maria). These entities acknowledge that functional foods are pivotal in promoting human health, beyond basic nutritional requirements, provided it is grounded by scientific and medical credibility. Globally, non-communicable diseases (cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular-, respiratory- and malnutrition-related diseases) are resulting in increased mortality statistics, often a result of inadequate intake of dietary nutrients (malnutrition). Functional foods contain significant amounts of bio-active compounds (such as polyphenols, glucosinolates, phytoestrogens and carotenoids, amongst others) which have been associated with non-communicable disease prevention/treatment. Collectively termed phytochemicals, these bioactive compounds form part o...
ObjectiveCurrent global trends on natural therapeutics suggest an increasing market interest towa... more ObjectiveCurrent global trends on natural therapeutics suggest an increasing market interest toward the use and discovery of new plant-derived therapeutic compounds, often referred to as traditional medicine (TM). The Cannabis industry is currently one such focal area receiving attention, owing to the occurrence of phytocannabinoids (pCBs) which have shown promise in health-promotion and disease prevention. However, the occurrence of pCBs in other plant species are often overlooked and rarely studied.Leonotis leonurus (L.) R. Br. is endemic to South Africa with a rich history of use in TM practices amongst indigenous people and, has been recorded to induce mild psychoactive effects akin to Cannabis. While the leaves have been well-reported to contain therapeutic phytochemicals, little information exists on the flowers. Consequently, as part of a larger research venture, we targeted the flowers of L. leonurus for the identification of potential pCB or pCB-like compounds.ResultsFlower...
Objective Current global trends on natural therapeutics suggest an increasing market interest tow... more Objective Current global trends on natural therapeutics suggest an increasing market interest toward the use and discovery of new plant-derived therapeutic compounds, often referred to as traditional medicine (TM). The Cannabis industry is currently one such focal area receiving attention, owing to the occurrence of phytocannabinoids (pCBs) which have shown promise in health-promotion and disease prevention. However, the occurrence of pCBs in other plant species are often overlooked and rarely studied. Leonotis leonurus (L.) R. Br. is endemic to South Africa with a rich history of use in TM practices amongst indigenous people and, has been recorded to induce mild psychoactive effects akin to Cannabis. While the leaves have been well-reported to contain therapeutic phytochemicals, little information exists on the flowers. Consequently, as part of a larger research venture, we targeted the flowers of L. leonurus for the identification of potential pCB or pCB-like compounds.Results Flo...
Background: Brassica vegetables and leafy greens are consumed globally due to their health promot... more Background: Brassica vegetables and leafy greens are consumed globally due to their health promoting phytochemicals. Diplotaxis tenuifolia (wild rocket or arugula) is a popular Brassica leafy green, with a diverse range of phytochemicals (in mature plants). Immature plants (micro-greens, 2-4 true leaves) accumulate phytochemicals up to 10 times more than plants grown to maturity. Although plants accumulate phytochemicals ubiquitously, environmental stimuli can further enhance this phenomenon of accumulation, which is part of a global stress mechanism in plants. In this study, we describe a simple method toward the bio-fortification of a wild rocket micro-green system, via environmental manipulation (using high light). Objective: To establish a high light-induced bio-fortification strategy to augment the accumulation of bio-active compounds in Brassica micro-greens (wild rocket), with the purpose of developing a ‘designer’ micro-green melange (functional food product) containing a di...
Background: Brassica vegetables and leafy greens are consumed globally due to their health promot... more Background: Brassica vegetables and leafy greens are consumed globally due to their health promoting phytochemicals. Diplotaxis tenuifolia (wild rocket or arugula) is a popular Brassica leafy green, with a diverse range of phytochemicals (in mature plants). Immature plants (micro-greens, 2-4 true leaves) accumulate phytochemicals up to 10 times more than plants grown to maturity. Although plants accumulate phytochemicals ubiquitously, environmental stimuli can further enhance this phenomenon of accumulation, which is part of a global stress mechanism in plants. In this study, we describe a simple method toward the bio-fortification of a wild rocket micro-green system, via environmental manipulation (using high light). Objective: To establish a high light-induced bio-fortification strategy to augment the accumulation of bio-active compounds in Brassica micro-greens (wild rocket), with the purpose of developing a ‘designer’ micro-green melange (functional food product) containing a di...
Galactokinase (GALK, EC 2.7.1.6) is a cytosolic enzyme with a wide occurrence across the taxonomi... more Galactokinase (GALK, EC 2.7.1.6) is a cytosolic enzyme with a wide occurrence across the taxonomic kingdoms. It catalyzes the phosphorylation of a-D-galactose (Gal) to a-D-Gal-1-P. The cytotoxicity of free (unphosphorylated) Gal is well docu-mented in plants and causes marked defects. An Arabidopsis GALK (AtGALK, At3g06580) was previously identified, cloned and functionally characterized in Escherichia coli and was suggested to occur as a single copy gene in Arabidopsis. We identified an AtGALK T-DNA insertion mutant (atgalk) that (i) is AtGALK transcript deficient; (ii) displays no GALK activity in vegetative tissues; and (iii) ac-cumulates Gal up to 6.8mg g1 FW in vegetative tissues, in contrast to wild-type plants. By constitutively overexpres-sing the AtGALK cDNA, atgalk was functionally rescued. Three independent transformed lines showed restored
Arabidopsis ATSIP2 has recently been suggested to be a raffi nose synthase gene. However, it has ... more Arabidopsis ATSIP2 has recently been suggested to be a raffi nose synthase gene. However, it has high amino acid identity to functionally characterized alkaline α-galactosidases from Cucumis melo and Zea mays. Using the Sf9 insect cell expression system, we demonstrate that recombinant ATSIP2 is a genuine alkaline α-galactosidase with a distinct substrate specifi city for raffi nose, and not a raffi nose synthase. A β-glucuronidase reporter construct using the ATSIP2 promoter shows that ATSIP2 is strongly expressed in sink tissues of Arabidopsis, i.e. sink leaves and non-xylem parts of the root stele, suggesting a physiological function in raffi nose phloem unloading.
Background : The term ‘functional food’ received recognition by established sustenance entities i... more Background : The term ‘functional food’ received recognition by established sustenance entities in Japan, Europe and the United States (FOSHU, FUFOSE and FDA respectively) despite its existence since the 20 th century (Columbus, Captain’s log, Santa Maria). These entities acknowledge that functional foods are pivotal in promoting human health, beyond basic nutritional requirements, provided it is grounded by scientific and medical credibility. Globally, non-communicable diseases (cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular-, respiratory- and malnutrition-related diseases) are resulting in increased mortality statistics, often a result of inadequate intake of dietary nutrients (malnutrition). Functional foods contain significant amounts of bio-active compounds (such as polyphenols, glucosinolates, phytoestrogens and carotenoids, amongst others) which have been associated with non-communicable disease prevention/treatment. Collectively termed phytochemicals, these bioactive compounds form part o...
ObjectiveCurrent global trends on natural therapeutics suggest an increasing market interest towa... more ObjectiveCurrent global trends on natural therapeutics suggest an increasing market interest toward the use and discovery of new plant-derived therapeutic compounds, often referred to as traditional medicine (TM). The Cannabis industry is currently one such focal area receiving attention, owing to the occurrence of phytocannabinoids (pCBs) which have shown promise in health-promotion and disease prevention. However, the occurrence of pCBs in other plant species are often overlooked and rarely studied.Leonotis leonurus (L.) R. Br. is endemic to South Africa with a rich history of use in TM practices amongst indigenous people and, has been recorded to induce mild psychoactive effects akin to Cannabis. While the leaves have been well-reported to contain therapeutic phytochemicals, little information exists on the flowers. Consequently, as part of a larger research venture, we targeted the flowers of L. leonurus for the identification of potential pCB or pCB-like compounds.ResultsFlower...
Objective Current global trends on natural therapeutics suggest an increasing market interest tow... more Objective Current global trends on natural therapeutics suggest an increasing market interest toward the use and discovery of new plant-derived therapeutic compounds, often referred to as traditional medicine (TM). The Cannabis industry is currently one such focal area receiving attention, owing to the occurrence of phytocannabinoids (pCBs) which have shown promise in health-promotion and disease prevention. However, the occurrence of pCBs in other plant species are often overlooked and rarely studied. Leonotis leonurus (L.) R. Br. is endemic to South Africa with a rich history of use in TM practices amongst indigenous people and, has been recorded to induce mild psychoactive effects akin to Cannabis. While the leaves have been well-reported to contain therapeutic phytochemicals, little information exists on the flowers. Consequently, as part of a larger research venture, we targeted the flowers of L. leonurus for the identification of potential pCB or pCB-like compounds.Results Flo...
Background: Brassica vegetables and leafy greens are consumed globally due to their health promot... more Background: Brassica vegetables and leafy greens are consumed globally due to their health promoting phytochemicals. Diplotaxis tenuifolia (wild rocket or arugula) is a popular Brassica leafy green, with a diverse range of phytochemicals (in mature plants). Immature plants (micro-greens, 2-4 true leaves) accumulate phytochemicals up to 10 times more than plants grown to maturity. Although plants accumulate phytochemicals ubiquitously, environmental stimuli can further enhance this phenomenon of accumulation, which is part of a global stress mechanism in plants. In this study, we describe a simple method toward the bio-fortification of a wild rocket micro-green system, via environmental manipulation (using high light). Objective: To establish a high light-induced bio-fortification strategy to augment the accumulation of bio-active compounds in Brassica micro-greens (wild rocket), with the purpose of developing a ‘designer’ micro-green melange (functional food product) containing a di...
Background: Brassica vegetables and leafy greens are consumed globally due to their health promot... more Background: Brassica vegetables and leafy greens are consumed globally due to their health promoting phytochemicals. Diplotaxis tenuifolia (wild rocket or arugula) is a popular Brassica leafy green, with a diverse range of phytochemicals (in mature plants). Immature plants (micro-greens, 2-4 true leaves) accumulate phytochemicals up to 10 times more than plants grown to maturity. Although plants accumulate phytochemicals ubiquitously, environmental stimuli can further enhance this phenomenon of accumulation, which is part of a global stress mechanism in plants. In this study, we describe a simple method toward the bio-fortification of a wild rocket micro-green system, via environmental manipulation (using high light). Objective: To establish a high light-induced bio-fortification strategy to augment the accumulation of bio-active compounds in Brassica micro-greens (wild rocket), with the purpose of developing a ‘designer’ micro-green melange (functional food product) containing a di...
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