Fourier transform (FT)-Raman spectroscopy was employed to study the molecular structure of yam proteins isolated from three commonly consumed yam species including Dioscorea alata L., D. alata L. var. purpurea, and Dioscorea japonica. Although D. alata L. and D. alata L. var. purpurea consisted of similar amino acid residues, they still exhibited significant differences in conformational arrangement. The secondary structure of D. alata L. was mainly an alpha-helix, while D. alata L. var. purpurea was mostly in antiparallel beta-sheets. In contrast, D. japonica, which belongs to a different species, exhibited explicit differences in amino acid compositions and molecular structures of which the conformation was a mixed form of alpha-helices and antiparallel beta-sheets. FT-Raman directly proved the existence of S-S in yam proteins, implying that oligomer formation in yam proteins might be due to disulfide linking of dioscorin (32 kDa). The microenvironment of aromatic amino acids and the state of S-S in yam proteins were also discussed.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/jf049188m | DOI Listing |
Front Nutr
January 2025
College of Tobacco Science and Engineering, Zhengzhou University of Light Industry, Zhengzhou, China.
In this study, Chinese yam polysaccharides (CYPs) were fermented using M616, and changes in the chemical composition, structure, and anti-inflammatory activity of CYPs before and after fermentation were investigated. The carbohydrate content of M616-fermented CYP (CYP-LP) increased from 71.03% ± 2.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMetaplastic breast cancer (MpBC) is a highly chemoresistant subtype of breast cancer with no standardized therapy options. A clinical study in anthracycline-refractory MpBC patients suggested that nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor NG-monomethyl-l-arginine (L-NMMA) may augment anti-tumor efficacy of taxane. We report that NOS blockade potentiated response of human MpBC cell lines and tumors to phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitor alpelisib and taxane.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBMC Plant Biol
December 2024
Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Institute of Biodiversity Science, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China.
Background: Dioscorea polystachya and its closely related species are original plants of the tuber crop "yam", which had been intensively use for medicinal and food purposes and widely cultivated in northern China and its surrounding areas with a long history. Many cultivars of these species are often confused with one another because of similar tuber morphology, however, conventional DNA barcoding faces practical limitations restricting the method to effectively identify closely related species. In addition, phylogenetic relationships among various cultivar groups of Chinese yam (D.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSci Data
December 2024
International Livestock Research Institute, P.O. Box 30709, Nairobi, 00100, Kenya.
Genomics-informed breeding of locally adapted, nutritious, albeit underutilised African crops can help mitigate food and nutrition insecurity challenges in Africa, particularly against the backdrop of climate change. However, utilisation of modern genome-assisted crop improvement tools including genomic selection and genome editing for many African indigenous crops is hampered by the scarcity of genomic resources. Here we report on the assembly of the genome of African yam bean (Sphenostylis stenocarpa), a tuberous legume crop that is indigenous to Africa.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Mol Sci
November 2024
Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Medical Science and Laboratory Medicine, School of Medicine, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China.
Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are a heterogeneous cell population in the tumor microenvironment (TME) that critically affect cancer progression. Small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) act as information messengers by transmitting a wide spectrum of biological molecules, including proteins, nucleic acids, and metabolites, from donor cells to recipient cells. Previous studies have demonstrated that CAFs play important roles in tumor progression by regulating tumor cell proliferation, metastasis, therapeutic resistance, and metabolism via sEVs.
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