A revisited history of cacao domestication in pre-Columbian times revealed by archaeogenomic approaches.

Humans have a long history of transporting and trading plants, contributing to the evolution of domesticated plants. Theobroma cacao originated in the Neotropics from South America. However, little is known about its domestication and use in these regions.

Multiplexed targeted analysis of polyunsaturated fatty acids and oxylipins using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and their oxidized products (oxylipins) are important mediators in intra- and extra-cellular signaling. We describe here the simultaneous quantification of 163 PUFAs and oxylipins using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). The protocol details steps for PUFA purification from various biological materials, the conditions for LC-MS analysis, as well as quantitative approaches for data evaluation.

Analysis of polar primary metabolites in biological samples using targeted metabolomics and LC-MS.

Primary metabolites are molecules of essential biochemical reactions that define the biological phenotype. All primary metabolites cannot be measured in a single analysis. In this protocol, we outline the multiplexed and quantitative measurement of 106 metabolites that cover the central part of primary metabolism.

Aggregation of magnetic nanoparticles functionalized with trans-resveratrol in aqueous solution.

In the framework of a protein-ligand-fishing strategy to identify proteins that bind to trans-resveratrol, a natural phenolic compound with pharmacological benefits, we have developed magnetic nanoparticles covalently linked to trans-resveratrol through three different derivatives and examined their aggregation behavior in aqueous solution. The monodispersed magnetic core (18 nm diameter) with its mesoporous silica shell (93 nm diameter) exhibited a notable superparamagnetic behavior useful for magnetic bioseparation. The hydrodynamic diameter, deduced from dynamic light scattering analysis, of the nanoparticle increased from 100 to 800 nm when the aqueous buffer changed from pH 10.

Reg-1α, a New Substrate of Calpain-2 Depending on Its Glycosylation Status.

Reg-1α/lithostathine, a protein mainly associated with the digestive system, was previously shown to be overexpressed in the pre-clinical stages of Alzheimer's disease. In vitro, the glycosylated protein was reported to form fibrils at physiological pH following the proteolytic action of trypsin. However, the nature of the protease able to act in the central nervous system is unknown.

Primary flavonoids in marigold dye: extraction, structure and involvement in the dyeing process.

Flavonoids extracted from marigold flowers were investigated for their dyeing potential. Patulitrin (1) and patuletin (2) were isolated and their structures established using NMR and HPLC-MS. These compounds were identified as the main flavonoids present in the dyeing bath.