Explore the vast range of titles available.

The root of Andrews ( Andr.), is a traditional Chinese medicine. Numerous studies have shown that it possesses anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-aging effects due to its rich content of bioactive compounds such as polyphenols and paeonol. Thus, it finds extensively applied in the fields of medicine and cosmetics. However, there are few reports on the photoprotective effects of Andr. root bark, this study aims to investigate its research in this area. This study utilized Andr. root bark sourced from Kunming, Yunnan Province, China. The Andr. root extract (PSAE) was obtained using AB-8 resin. The photoprotective effect of PSAE was assessed using HaCaT cells, HFF cells, and a 3D Reconstructed Human full T-Skin™ model. Mechanistic investigations were performed using RT-qPCR, WB, IF, H&E staining, Masson's trichrome staining and IHC staining. Finally, an assessment of the effects on humans was conducted. The total phenolic content in the obtained PSAE was 48.9%. Antioxidant activity studies demonstrated that PSAE effectively inhibits DPPH radicals, superoxide anions, hydroxyl radicals, and ABTS radicals, while also enhancing the inhibition rates of collagenase and hyaluronidase. studies on photoaging resistance revealed that PSAE significantly reduced the UV-induced increases in reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and senescence-associated β-galactosidase (SA-β-gal) activity. Mechanistic studies indicated that PSAE suppressed the overexpression of IRS1 and its downstream effectors, including PI3K, AKT, and mTOR induced by UV irradiation. A human efficacy assessment was conducted by evaluating parameters such as transepidermal water loss (TEWL), epidermal moisture content, roughness and elasticity, confirming the efficacy of PSAE in humans. In summary, PSAE attenuates UV-induced oxidative damage, genetic damage, and collagen degradation associated with photoaging by modulating the IRS/PI3K/FOXO signaling pathway. This study elucidated the mechanism through which PSAE, thereby providing strong support for its application in cosmetic anti-aging formulations.

Paeonia suffruticosa (Moutan) is a traditional medicinal plant in China. Its seed coat is rich in resveratrol oligomer, especially suffruticosol B (SB). Previous studies had shown that the seed coat extracts of Paeonia suffruticosa (PSCE) had good cholinesterase inhibitory activity and neuroprotective effect, but the effective dose range was unknown, and the pharmacodynamic components and molecular mechanism of PSCE had not been discussed. The current study aimed to screen the pharmacodynamic components in PSCE and investigate the improvement effect of PSCE and the selected SB on scopolamine-induced cognitive dysfunction in mice and its mechanism. The results of high-throughput sequencing and bioinformatics analysis showed that suffruticosol B (SB) and trans -gnetin H (GH) might be the main active components of PSCE; PSCE might improve cognitive dysfunction through p53, HIF-1, MAPK, and PI3K-Akt signaling pathways, while SB and GH might improve cognitive dysfunction through HIF-1 signaling pathway. SB and GH had good molecular docking activity with the target of HIF-1 signaling pathway. The pharmacodynamic activities of PSCE and SB were further verified by behavioral experiments. PSCE and SB could improve the recognition ability of familiar and new objects and shorten the escape latency in the Morris Water Maze test (PSCE 120 mg∙kg-1, p < 0.05; SB 60 mg∙kg-1, p < 0.01); PSCE and SB could increase Ach and GSH levels, enhance the activities of ChAT, SOD and CAT, decrease the levels of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α, and decrease the activity of AChE. In conclusion, the results indicated that PSCE might exert pharmacodynamic activity through multiple components, targets, and pathways, and SB and GH might be the main active components of PSCE. PSCE and SB might improve cognitive dysfunction by regulating cholinergic, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory effects. These results indicated that PSCE and SB might be potential anti-AD drug candidates, providing a scientific basis for the development and utilization of Moutan bark.

Peony seed oil, a type of tree nut oil, has attracted the attention of nutritionists for its rich nutritional content. The aim of this study was to extract oil from the peony seed utilizing green and efficient methods. Specifically, aqueous enzymatic extraction was optimized using the Plackett–Burman design combined with the mixture design to extract the optimal enzyme ratio of peony seed oil. When the dosage of enzymes was 10 mg protein/g peony seed, the optimal ratios of the dosages of papain, cellulase, and pectinase were 16.15%, 31.33%, and 52.53%, respectively. Subsequently, central composite design was adopted to optimize supercritical CO2 extraction to identify the process parameters of extracting residual oil from the residue of the aqueous enzymatic extraction. Almost 6.30% of peony seed oil could be obtained from the residue using continuous extraction for 1.58 h at 49.41 °C and 59.75 Mpa. After mixing the peony seed oil extracted by the two processes, its physicochemical indices were measured. Compared with commercial peony seed oil extracted based on the organic solvent leaching method, the elative density and iodine value were higher based on our approach, whereas the other indices showed no significant differences. Thus, the two-step strategy combining the aqueous enzymatic method and supercritical CO2 extraction can be effectively applied to peony seed oil production.

Chalcone isomerase (CHI) is one of the key enzymes in the flavonoid and anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway catalyzing the stereospecific isomerization of chalcones into their corresponding (2S)-flavanones. In this study, to investigate the role of CHI in tree peony flower coloration mechanism, a CHI gene was isolated from Paeonia suffruticosa cv. Guan Shi Mo Yu, and designated as Ps-CHI1. The cDNA sequence of Ps-CHI1 was 924 bp in full length containing an opening reading frame of 654 bp that encoded a peptide of 217 amino acids with a predicted molecular mass of 23.3 kDa and a pI of 5.0. Sequence alignment and phylogenetic analysis revealed that Ps-CHI1 shared high homology with other type I higher plant CHI proteins. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis indicated that Ps-CHI1 showed the highest transcript abundance in petals, moderate levels in sepals, low levels in leaves and carpels and the lowest levels in stamens. Ps-CHI1 was expressed at the highest level in early stage of uncolored flowers and underwent moderate decreases in expression until there was little transcription could be detected when flowers fully opened and deeply pigmented. By inserting Ps-CHI1 into tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) via Agrobacterium-mediated transformation, T1 transgenic plants were obtained. Phenotypes and pigment analysis revealed that they produced up to threefold total flavonols and flavones over wild-type control, and showed a remarkable reduction in anthocyanin content and flower color intensity. These results provide theoretical deduction supporting Ps-CHI1 as an important gene involved in tree peony flower pigmentation.

High-density genetic maps play a vital role in dissecting genetic components of biologically or agronomically important traits and molecular marker-assisted selection breeding, especially for a species with limited genomic information. Tree Peony (Paeonia suffruticosa Andr. Moutan DC.) is a traditional flowering plant in China, with important ornamental value, which have been spread around the world. However, less genetic and genomic information is available for the tree peony molecular studies. Here, we performed restriction site-associated DNA sequencing (RADseq) of an F1 population, derived from a traditional variety “Qing Long Wo Mo Chi (QL)” and a variety “Mo Zi Lian (MZL)”. High-density genetic maps were developed using RADseq markers for female (1471 markers) and male (793 markers) parents. They covered 965.69 and 870.21 cM, with the average marker intervals of 0.66 and 1.10 cM along the seven and five linkage groups (LGs), respectively. Furthermore, the identified markers were assigned to 1671 bins, representing the unique genetic positions in LGs, and inter-marker distances smaller than 5 cM covered 97.93% of genetic maps. This study suggests that rapid de novo construction of genetic maps in peony could be conducted through RADseq approach, which provides an important tool for further linkage mapping and genomic structure analysis, and enable development of molecular markers for molecular breeding in tree peony.

Paeonia suffruticosa (PS) and Paeonia lactiflora (PL) belong to the only genus in the family Paeoniaceae. Comparative analysis of the spatial metabolomes of PS and PL has rarely been performed. In this work, combined with multiple matrixes and dual-polarity detection, high mass resolution matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization MS imaging (MALDI MSI) and MALDI tandem MSI were performed on the root sections of the two Paeonia species. The spatial distributions of many metabolites including monoterpene and paeonol glycosides, tannins, flavonoids, saccharides and lipids were systematically characterized. The ambiguous tissue distribution of the two isomers paeoniflorin and albiflorin were distinguished by tandem MSI using lithium salt doped 2,5-dihydroxybenzoate matrix. In addition, the major intermediates involved in the biosynthetic pathway of gallotannins were successfully localized and visualized in the root sections. High-mass resolution MALDI full-scan MSI provides comprehensive and accurate spatial distribution of metabolites. The analytical power of the technique was further tested in the tandem MSI of two isomers. The ion images of individual metabolites provide chemical and microscopic characteristics beyond morphological identification, and the detailed spatiochemical information could not only improve our understanding of the biosynthetic pathway of hydrolyzable tannins, but also ensure the safety and effectiveness of their medicinal use.

Ethylene is a critical signal that influences cut flower opening and senescence in tree peony (Paeonia suffruticosa), which is a traditional ornamental plant in China. Arabidopsis ETHYLENE-INSENSITIVE3 (EIN3) acts as a key transcription factor of the ethylene signaling pathway, suggesting a possible role for its homologues in regulation of cut flower postharvest development. In this study, three EIN3 homologous genes including PsEIL1, PsEIL2, and PsEIL3 have been isolated from petals of tree peony. Deduced amino acid sequences of conserved domains of PsEILs share high similarities with the Arabidopsis EIN3 protein. Real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis indicated that three PsEILs were differentially expressed in various tissues of tree peony, and none was flower specific. During cut flower postharvest development, PsEIL1 transcript in petals accumulated at a relatively low level at the opening stage and reached the highest level of mRNA accumulation at senescence; PsEIL2 and PsEIL3 transcripts were gradually increased and peaked at full opening stage followed by a decline when petals wilted. However, these PsEIL genes exhibited differential responses to ethylene and 1-methycyclopropene (1-MCP) treatments. Compared with the control, the mRNA level of PsEIL1 was not influenced by either ethylene or 1-MCP treatment, whereas both PsEIL2 and PsEIL3 transcripts were significantly increased by exogenous ethylene, and only PsEIL3 was strongly inhibited by 1-MCP. These results suggest that PsEIL transcripts are spatiotemporally regulated, and the transcriptional regulation of PsEIL3 may play an important role in ethylene-mediated cut flower opening and senescence in tree peony.

Tree peony (Paeonia suffruticosa) is a well known traditional ornamental plant in China and cut flowers of tree peony have potential market value. To understand the involvement of ethylene in the cut flowers opening at the transcription level of ethylene signaling, we isolated two partial cDNAs encoding ethylene receptor Ps-ETR1-1 (GenBank accession no. EU526838) and transcription factor Ps-EIN3-1 (GenBank accession no. EU526839) from tree peony flower petals, and studied the effects of exogenous ethylene and 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP), an ethylene action inhibitor, on the expression of Ps-ETR1-1 and Ps-EIN3-1 during vase life. Northern blot analysis revealed that Ps-ETR1-1 and Ps-EIN3-1 exhibited constitutive levels during untreated flower opening, and they responded significantly to ethylene and 1-MCP treatments. In contrast with the control, the levels of Ps-ETR1-1 mRNA in petals were substantially inhibited by both ethylene and 1-MCP, and remained at nearly unchangeable level throughout flower development. Expression of Ps-EIN3-1 was strongly inhibited by ethylene and slightly induced by 1-MCP during flower opening and senescence. These results suggest that the Ps-ETR1-1 and Ps-EIN3-1 genes and their resultant protein may be involved in the ethylene sensitivity and responses of tree peony cut flowers.

Background Tree peony possess significant ornamental, medicinal and oil values. Osmotic stresses including dehydratiuon and salinity limit the expansion of cultivation area of tree peony. Information on reference genes selection under osmotic stress and hormone stimulation of tree peony still limited. This study aimed to determine the stable reference genes suitable for tree peony under osmotic stresses and hormone treatments, and provide a theoretical basis for the molecular biology research. Methods and results Twelve candidate reference genes were evaluated in Paeonia ostii ‘Fengdan’ under osmotic stress and hormone treatments by RT-qPCR. Delta Ct method, geNorm, and NormFinder were used for the comprehensive expression stability ranking comparison. The results revealed that tubulin-α was the preferred internal reference genes for drought and ABA treatment, tubulin-β was identified as the most suitable reference gene under drought and OPDA induction, 18s-rRNA was regarded as the most stable gene for salinity and JA treatment, eIF-5 A was listed as the most stable gene for JA and MeJA treatments. The experiments also displayed that EF1-α were comparatively unstable under ABA and BR hormone treatments. Conclusion These preferred reference genes could be useful in qPCR studies involving osmotic or hormonal stresses in Paeonia ostii ‘Fengdan’. It is anticipated that the results will benefit tree peony functional genomics studies and molecular breeding research in the future.

Anthocyanins, as the most important chromogenic substances in flavonoids, are responsible for the red, purple, and blue coloration of flowers. Anthocyanins are synthesized in the cytoplasmic surface of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) but accumulate predominantly in the vacuole, while glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) are considered to be mainly responsible for the transport process. Our previous studies showed that the expression of PsGSTF3 was positively correlated with anthocyanin content in tree peony tissues, which is a key candidate gene for anthocyanin accumulation. Here, we successfully cloned and characterized full-length PsGSTF3 containing three exons and two introns. Subcellular localization showed that PsGSTF3 was localized in the nucleus and ER membrane. Functional complementation of the Arabidopsis transparent testa19 (tt19) mutant indicated that PsGSTF3 was responsible for the transport of anthocyanins but not of proanthocyanidins (PAs). Virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) of PsGSTF3 not only led to a decrease in anthocyanin accumulation but also caused a reduction of structural genes in the anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway (ABP) to varying degrees. Heterologous overexpression of PsGSTF3 was found to increase the anthocyanin accumulation in tobacco petals. Furthermore, the yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) assay showed that PsGSTF3 interacted with PsDFR, which together contributed to the coloration of petals. In conclusion, these results demonstrate that PsGSTF3 encodes an important GST transporter of anthocyanin in tree peony petals and provides a new perspective for the associated transport and regulatory mechanisms.