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High temperature and drought are common environmental stresses that desert plants must withstand to grow and reproduce. In order to understand the resistance mechanisms of the desert plant Atraphaxis bracteata (A. Los) responding to natural high temperature and drought conditions, we combined physiological characteristics, transcriptome, and metabolome analysis to explore its responses in three different plant ages and CK. The results showed that most physiological indicators of A. bracteata increased with the age, except for SOD activity. There were 4 698, 7 594, and 8 485 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 119, 124, 188 differential expressed metabolites (DAMs) in the 3‐age‐old (T1), 5‐age‐old (T2) and 15‐age‐old (T3) plants compared to the CK, respectively. These DEGs were mainly enriched in plant hormone signal transduction, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, AMPK signalling pathway, flavonoid biosynthesis, circadian rhythm‐plant pathways, glycine, serine, and threonine metabolism pathways. At the same time, the enriched DAMs were mainly involved in the aminoacyl‐tRNA biosynthesis pathway, arginine and proline metabolism pathway, flavonoid biosynthesis, and others. In addition, most DEGs involved in flavonoid biosynthesis, photosynthesis and plant hormones closely associated with abiotic stress were down‐regulated, and which numbers increased with age. Moreover, a higher number of DEGs and DAMs accumulated with age, which may be the key factor for the age‐dependent resistance of A. bracteata to abiotic stress. Therefore, these results could provide a way to better understand the stress resistance mechanism and provide a reference for further exploitation and utilization of A. bracteata. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Codonopsis Radix, a popular food homology medicine, is widely used in clinical traditional Chinese medicine and food supplement, raw products and three types of processed products are the main forms of decoction pieces in China. However, there is no scientific basis for comprehensive chemical characterization of raw and three types of processed products. Herein, we investigated qualitatively and quantificationally secondary and primary metabolites in raw Codonopsis Radix and three types of processed products by metabolomics and glycomics employing multiple chromatography‐mass spectrometry technology combined with chemometric analysis further to look for differential compounds and propose the processing‐induced chemical mechanisms. The results indicated that Codonopsis Radix became dark‐colored and the smell of burnt incense odor was observed after processing. The principal component analysis demonstrated that secondary metabolome and glycome were significantly altered between raw and processed products, and 36 differential secondary metabolites and 11 differential primary metabolites were finally screened through orthogonal partial least‐squares‐discriminant analysis. The main types of compounds are alkaloids, terpenoids, glycosides, amino acids, monosaccharides, oligosaccharides, and furfural derivatives. Meanwhile, Chemical mechanisms could be involved, including oxidation, glycosidic hydrolysis, esterification, dehydration, and Maillard reaction. This work supplies a chemical basis for the application of various types of Codonopsis Radix decoction pieces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aeromonas hydrophila can pose a great threat to survival of freshwater fish. In this study, A. hydrophila challenge could promote the erythrocyte hemolysis, increase free hemoglobin (FHB) level and generate malondialdehyde (MDA) production in plasma but decrease the levels of total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), total superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and lysozyme (LZM) of red crucian carp (RCC, 2 N = 100) and triploid hybrid fish (3 N fish, 3 N = 150) following A. hydrophila challenge. Elevated expression levels of heat shock protein 90 alpha (HSP90α), matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9), free fatty acid receptor 3 (FFAR3), paraoxonase 2 (PON2) and cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2) were observed in A. hydrophila- infected fish. In addition, A. hydrophila challenge could significantly increase expressions of cortisol, leucine, isoleucine, glutamate and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in RCC and 3 N, while glycolysis and tricarboxylic acid cycle appeared to be inactive. We identified differential fatty acid derivatives and their metabolic networks as crucial biomarkers from metabolic profiles of different ploidy cyprinid fish subjected to A. hydrophila infection. These results highlighted the comparative metabolic strategy of different ploidy cyprinid fish against bacterial infection. • Erythrocytes of triploid cyprinid fish exhibited a higher resistance against A. hydrophila -induced hemolysis. • Acute A. hydrophila infection could dramatically decrease antioxidant status in different ploidy cyprinid fish. • Acute A. hydrophila infection could trigger the difference in fatty acid derivatives in different ploidy cyprinid fish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fufang E'jiao Jiang (FEJ) is a prominent traditional Chinese medicine prescription, which consists of Asini Corii Colla (Donkey-hide gelatin prepared by stewing and concentrating from the hide of Equus asinus Linnaeus., ACC) , Codonopsis Radix (the dried roots of Codonopsis pilosula (Franch.) Nannf., CR), Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma Rubra (the steamed and dried root of Panax ginseng C.A. Mey., GRR), Crataegi Fructus (the mature fruits of Crataegus pinnatifida Bunge., CF), and Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata (the steamed and sun dried tuber of Rehmannia glutinosa (Gaertn.) Libosch. ex Fisch. & C.A. Mey., RRP). It is a popularly used prescription for "nourishing Qi and nourishing blood". To explore the potential mechanism of FEJ on precancerous lesion of gastric cancer in rats by combining network pharmacology and metabolomics. Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology and Bioinformatics Analysis Tool for Molecular mechanism of Traditional Chinese Medicine were used to identify the ingredients and potential targets of FEJ. GeneCards database was used to define PLGC-associated targets. We built a herb-component-disease-target network and analyzed the protein-protein interaction network. Underlying mechanisms were identified using Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analysis. In addition, 40% ethanol, N-methyl-N′-nitro-N-nitroguanidine and irregular eating were used to establish PLGC rats model. We also evaluated the efficacy of FEJ on MNNG-induced PLGC rats by body weight, histopathology, blood routine and cytokine levels, while the predicted pathway was determined by the Western blot. Ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry-based serum non-targeted metabolomics was used to select potential biomarkers and relevant pathways for FEJ in the treatment of PLGC. Network pharmacology showed that FEJ exhibited anti-PLGC effects through regulating ALB, TNF, VEGFA, TP53, AKT1 and other targets, and the potential pathways mainly involved cancer-related, TNF, PI3K-AKT, HIF-1, and other signaling pathways. Animal experiments illustrated that FEJ could suppress inflammation, regulate gastrointestinal hormones, and inhibit the expression of PI3K/AKT/HIF-1α pathway-related proteins. Based on serum non-targeted metabolomics analysis, 12 differential metabolites responding to FEJ treatment were identified, and metabolic pathway analysis showed that the role of FEJ was concentrated in 6 metabolic pathways. Based on network pharmacology, animal experiments and metabolomics, we found that FEJ might ameliorate gastric mucosal injury in PLGC rats by regulating gastrointestinal hormones and inhibiting inflammation, and its mechanism of action is related to the inhibition of excessive activation of PI3K/AKT/HIF-1α signaling pathway and regulation of disorders of body energy metabolism. This comprehensive strategy also provided a reasonable way for unveiling the pharmacodynamic mechanisms of multi-components, multi-targets, and multi-pathways in Traditional Chinese Medicine. [Display omitted] • Network pharmacology was applied to identify the potential bioactive components in FEJ and predict its pathways in PLGC. • We evaluated the efficacy of FEJ on PLGC rats by animal experiment, and the predicted pathway was determined by the Western blot. • Metabolomics was used to monitor the changes of endogenous substances in PLGC rats after FEJ intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aeromonas hydrophila can threaten the survival of freshwater fish. In this study, A. hydrophila challenge could induce tissue damage, promote antioxidant imbalance as well as alter the transcript levels of oxidative stress indicators, apoptotic genes and metabolic enzyme genes in kidney of red crucian carp (RCC). Metabolomics analysis revealed that A. hydrophila challenge had a profound effect on amino acid metabolism and lipid metabolism. In addition, we further identified dipeptides, fatty acid derivatives, cortisol, choline and tetrahydrocortisone as crucial biomarkers in kidney of RCC subjected to A. hydrophila infection. These results highlighted the importance of metabolic strategy against bacterial infection. [Display omitted] • Acute A. hydrophila infection could induce tissue damage in kidney of RCC. • Decreased level of antioxidant status was observed in kidney of RCC following A. hydrophila challenge. • hydrophila infection could decrease levels of dipeptides and fatty acid derivatives in kidney of RCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]