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At present, anti-virulence drugs are being considered as potential therapeutic alternatives and/or adjuvants to currently failing antibiotics. These drugs do not kill bacteria but inhibit virulence factors essential for establishing infection and pathogenesis through targeting non-essential metabolic pathways reducing the selective pressure to develop resistance. We investigated the effect of naturally isolated plant compounds on the repression of the quorum sensing (QS) system which is linked to virulence/pathogenicity in Pseudomonas aeruginosa . Our results show that trans -cinnamaldehyde (CA) and salicylic acid (SA) significantly inhibit expression of QS regulatory and virulence genes in P. aeruginosa PAO1 at sub-inhibitory levels without any bactericidal effect. CA effectively downregulated both the las and rhl QS systems with lasI and lasR levels inhibited by 13- and 7-fold respectively compared to 3- and 2-fold reductions with SA treatment, during the stationary growth phase. The QS inhibitors (QSI) also reduced the production of extracellular virulence factors with CA reducing protease, elastase and pyocyanin by 65%, 22% and 32%, respectively. The QSIs significantly reduced biofilm formation and concomitantly with repressed rhamnolipid gene expression, only trace amount of extracellular rhamnolipids were detected. The QSIs did not completely inhibit virulence factor expression and production but their administration significantly lowered the virulence phenotypes at both the transcriptional and extracellular levels. This study shows the significant inhibitory effect of natural plant-derived compounds on the repression of QS systems in P. aeruginosa .

Mitochondrial redox homeostasis, the balance between reactive oxygen species and antioxidants such as glutathione, plays critical roles in many biological processes, including biosynthesis and apoptosis, and thus is a potential target for cancer treatment. Here, we report a mitochondrial oxidative stress amplifier, MitoCAT-g, which consists of carbon-dot-supported atomically dispersed gold (CAT-g) with further surface modifications of triphenylphosphine and cinnamaldehyde. We find that the MitoCAT-g particles specifically target mitochondria and deplete mitochondrial glutathione with atomic economy, thus amplifying the reactive oxygen species damage caused by cinnamaldehyde and finally leading to apoptosis in cancer cells. We show that imaging-guided interventional injection of these particles potently inhibits tumour growth in subcutaneous and orthotopic patient-derived xenograft hepatocellular carcinoma models without adverse effects. Our study demonstrates that MitoCAT-g amplifies the oxidative stress in mitochondria and suppresses tumour growth in vivo, representing a promising agent for anticancer applications.Atomically dispersed gold supported by carbon dots amplifies mitochondrial oxidative stress, and leads to irreversible cell damage, inhibiting hepatocellular carcinoma in animal models.

Atomically dispersed single atom catalysts represent an ideal means of converting less valuable organics into value-added chemicals of interest with high efficiency. Herein, we describe a facile synthetic approach to create defect-containing β -FeOOH doped with isolated palladium atoms that bond covalently to the nearby oxygen and iron atoms. The presence of singly dispersed palladium atoms is confirmed by spherical aberration correction electron microscopy and extended X-ray absorption fine structure measurements. This single palladium atom catalyst manifests outstanding catalytic efficiency (conversion: 99%; selectivity 99%; turnover frequency: 2,440 h −1 ) in the selective hydrogenation of cinnamaldehyde to afford hydrocinnamaldehyde. Experimental measurements and density functional theory (DFT) calculations elucidate the high catalytic activity and the strong metal-support interaction stem from the unique coordination environment of the isolated palladium atoms. These findings may pave the way for the facile construction of single atom catalysts in a defect-mediated strategy for efficient organic transformations in heterogeneous catalysis.

This study aims to investigate the role and mechanism of -hydroxyl cinnamaldehyde (CMSP) in triggering ferroptosis of small cell lung cancer (SCLC) cells. The impact of CMSP on ferroptosis in H1688 and SW1271 cells was assessed through cell experiments and biological information analysis. Moreover, the expression of heme oxygenase 1 (HMOX1) in SCLC tissue was examined. Following CMSP treatment, a concentration-dependent increase in cell death was observed, and differentially expressed genes were found to be associated with ferroptosis. CMSP notably facilitated ferroptosis events, such as elevated levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), Fe , malondialdehyde (MDA), transferrin receptor 1 (TFR1), divalent metal transporter 1 (DMT1), and decreased levels of glutathione (GSH), solute carrier family 7 member 11 (SLC7A11), and glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4). Furthermore, CMSP promoted mitochondrial dysfunction, manifested as reduced mitochondrial volume, increased membrane density, elevated mitochondrial ROS, and decreased mitochondrial membrane potential. Consistently, the mitochondrial-targeted antioxidant Mito-TEMPO reversed CMSP-induced ferroptosis. Expression of the HMOX1 gene was markedly increased under CMSP treatment, while lower expression was observed in cancer tissue compared to adjacent tissue. CMSP triggers mitochondrial dysfunction via HMOX1 activation, leading to ferroptosis in SCLC cells, underscoring its potential as a therapeutic agent for SCLC.

In this study, methodologies for performing agar tests for effectiveness against moulds were compared. The substance under investigation was cinnamaldehyde. This substance is commonly used as a fungicide in agriculture to protect the root system of plants or as an insecticide in the fight against mosquitoes. Its effect against mould growth of building materials has not yet been studied. Cinnamaldehyde was tested in three ways: A) the substance was mixed directly into the agar, B) the substance was spread on the surface of the sterile agar, and C) the substance was applied to filter paper above the sterile agar. A culture of aerial fungi was spread on the agar. Petri dishes with agar were then incubated for 7 days in a thermostat under controlled conditions. The results indicate that method B is not suitable because the substance aggregates on the surface of the agar. The effectiveness of methods A and C is comparable.

Cinnamomum cassia Presl. is a subtropical plant that is used for food and medicine. Climate change has changed the suitable habitats of medicinal plants, which might have repercussions for the efficacy of herbal remedies. In this study, the potential distribution in each period of Cinnamomum cassia was predicted and the quality in different suitable habitats was evaluated. According to the results, (1) precipitation, temperature, and soil are the primary environmental variables influencing C. cassia distribution. (2) The high-suitable habitats of current climate scenarios were predominantly located in the southern regions (Guangdong and Guangxi etc.) of China, with an area of 706,129.08 km 2 . Under future climate scenarios, suitable habitats will increasingly move northward, with a greater concentration south of the Yangtze River, particularly in the 2090s SSP585 scenario, the total area of newly extended suitable habitat reaches 312,963.53 km 2 . (3) HPLC and FTIR, combined with chemometrics, can be effective methods for identifying different suitable habitats of C. cassia . The content of trans -cinnamaldehyde (0.85%) is significantly higher in the high suitability habitat compared to the medium-low suitability habitat (0.30%). Our findings can offer valuable guidance for the identification of suitable C. cassia cultivation areas in China, as well as for the evaluation of C. cassia resource quality and the rational use of resources in different suitable habitats.

Vibrio parahaemolyticus is considered one of the most relevant pathogenic marine bacteria with a range of virulence factors to establish food-related gastrointestinal infections in humans. Cinnamaldehyde (CNMA) and some of its derivatives have antimicrobial and antivirulence activities against several bacterial pathogens. This study examined the inhibitory effects of CNMA and its derivatives on biofilm formation and the virulence factors in Vibrio species, particularly V. parahaemolyticus. CNMA and ten of its derivatives were initially screened against V. parahaemolyticus biofilm formation, and their effects on the production of virulence factors and gene expression were studied. Among the CNMA derivatives tested, 4-nitrocinnamaldehyde, 4-chlorocinnamaldehyde, and 4-bromocinnamaldehyde displayed antibacterial and antivirulence activities, while the backbone CNMA had weak effects. The derivatives could prevent the adhesion of V. parahaemolyticus to surfaces by the dose-dependent inhibition of cell surface hydrophobicity, fimbriae production, and flagella-mediated swimming and swarming phenotypes. They also decreased the protease secretion required for virulence and indole production, which could act as an important signal molecule. The expression of QS and biofilm-related genes (aphA, cpsA, luxS, and opaR), virulence genes (fliA, tdh, and vopS), and membrane integrity genes (fadL, and nusA) were downregulated in V. parahaemolyticus by these three CNMA analogs. Interestingly, they eliminated V. parahaemolyticus and reduced the background flora from the squid surface. In addition, they exhibited similar antimicrobial and antibiofilm activities against Vibrio harveyi. This study identified CNMA derivatives as potential broad-spectrum antimicrobial agents to treat biofilm-mediated Vibrio infections and for surface disinfection in food processing facilities.

The catalytic behavior of hydrogenations is often intimately associated with the supports of Pt-based catalysts. And the issue of support effects is not well resolved yet. We systematically study the support effect using three representative supports, reducible CeO2, basic La2O2CO3 and Ce–La composite with redox and basic properties. The Pt/Ce–La catalyst are well characterized by a serial of methods, such as X-ray powder diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, N2-sorption, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, temperature-programmed reduction of H2 (H2-TPR), temperature programmed desorption of CO2 (CO2-TPD) and Raman. Ce–La composite exhibits best catalytic activity in the selective hydrogenation of cinnamaldehyde (CAL). The excellent catalytic performance of Pt/Ce–La composite is mainly ascribed to the optimal electronic Pt-support interactions on the redox sites and appropriate CAL adsorption ability at the basic sites. In all, the recombination of basic sites and redox ability are the critical requirements for the design of efficient catalysts.We prepared a CeO2–La2O2CO3 nanocomposite with redox and basic property for anchoring Pt nanoparticles. The Pt/Ce–La catalyst exhibited enhanced catalytic activity in the selective hydrogenation of cinnamaldehyde (CAL) to cinnamyl alcohol (CMO) with a good TOF of 2701 h−1, which was much higher than the counterparts of Pt/CeO2 and Pt/La2O2CO3. The synergistic effect between basic La2O2CO3 and redox CeO2 leads to the obviously improved catalytic activity.

Cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum, and Cinnamon cassia), the eternal tree of tropical medicine, belongs to the Lauraceae family. Cinnamon is one of the most important spices used daily by people all over the world. Cinnamon primarily contains vital oils and other derivatives, such as cinnamaldehyde, cinnamic acid, and cinnamate. In addition to being an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, antimicrobial, anticancer, lipid-lowering, and cardiovascular-disease-lowering compound, cinnamon has also been reported to have activities against neurological disorders, such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases. This review illustrates the pharmacological prospective of cinnamon and its use in daily life.

Main conclusionThe identification of a functional cinnamoyl-CoA reductase enzyme from Cinnamomum cassia involved in trans-cinnamaldehyde biosynthesis offers the potential for enhancing trans-cinnamaldehyde production through genetic engineering.A significant accumulation of trans-cinnamaldehyde has been found in the bark tissues of C. cassia, used in traditional Chinese medicine. trans-Cinnamaldehyde exhibits various pharmacological properties such as anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and protection of the stomach and the digestive tract. However, further elucidation and characterization of the biosynthetic pathway for trans-cinnamaldehyde is required. In this study, we conducted an integrated analysis of trans-cinnamaldehyde accumulation profiles and transcriptomic data from five different C. cassia tissues to identify the genes involved in its biosynthesis. The transcriptome data we obtained included nearly all genes associated with the trans-cinnamaldehyde pathway, with the majority demonstrating high abundance in branch barks and trunk barks. We successfully cloned four C. cassia cinnamoyl-CoA reductases (CcCCRs), a key gene in trans-cinnamaldehyde biosynthesis. We found that the recombinant CcCCR1 protein was the only one that more efficiently converted cinnamoyl-CoA into trans-cinnamaldehyde. CcCCR1 exhibited approximately 14.7-fold higher catalytic efficiency (kcat/Km) compared to the Arabidopsis thaliana cinnamoyl-CoA reductase 1 (AtCCR1); therefore, it can be utilized for engineering higher trans-cinnamaldehyde production as previously reported. Molecular docking studies and mutagenesis experiments also validated the superior catalytic activity of CcCCR1 compared to AtCCR1. These findings provide valuable insights for the functional characterization of enzyme-coding genes and hold potential for future engineering of trans-cinnamaldehyde biosynthetic pathways.