Applied Biological Chemistry最新文献

{"title":"Impact of operon architecture on metabolic flux: highlighting gene arrangement as a critical factor for flavonoid O-rhamnoside synthesis","authors":"Ji-Hyeon Jo,&nbsp;Joong-Hoon Ahn","doi":"10.1186/s13765-026-01120-2","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13765-026-01120-2","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>dTDP-rhamnose is synthesized by four genes (<i>rfbBDAC</i>) in <i>Escherichia coli</i>. While reconfiguring this operon could potentially enhance biosynthetic yields, precisely quantifying intracellular dTDP-rhamnose levels remains technically challenging. In this study, we employed plant glycosyltransferases (<i>AtUGT89C1</i> and <i>AtUGT78D1</i>) as sensitive metabolic reporters, utilizing the production of flavonoid rhamnosides as a proxy to accurately assess the metabolic flux of the <i>rfb</i> gene cluster. By systematically reorganizing the <i>rfb</i> operon through gene rearrangement and the introduction of intergenic promoters, we identified the optimal genetic configuration for maximized dTDP-rhamnose biosynthesis.</p><h3>Results</h3><p><i>E. coli</i> was successfully engineered for high-titer production of rhamnosylated flavonoids using <i>AtUGT89C1</i> and <i>AtUGT78D1</i> as metabolic reporters. We demonstrated that the spatial arrangement and transcriptional control of the <i>rfb</i> genes are as critical as enzyme selection. Our optimized pA-<i>rfbBD</i>-<i>rfbAC</i> construct—featuring a dual-promoter system inspired by a natural 58-bp intergenic gap—significantly outperformed the native operon, yielding 81.9 mg/L of genistein 7-<i>O</i>-rhamnoside and 241.1 mg/L of quercetin 3-<i>O</i>-rhamnoside.</p><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>A key finding is that the rate-limiting step of the <i>rfb</i> pathway is context-dependent, shifting between <i>rfbC</i> and <i>rfbB</i> depending on the gene configuration. While unbalanced constructs (e.g., pA-<i>rfbDCBA</i>) showed dramatic improvements upon individual gene supplementation, the optimized pA-<i>rfbBD</i>-<i>rfbAC</i> configuration reached a state of metabolic harmony where further overexpression yielded diminishing returns. Our results suggest that maintaining a “modular operon” structure is superior to complete fragmentation or reversal. This work provides a strategic template for optimizing complex nucleotide-sugar pathways by leveraging natural genomic cues to bypass metabolic bottlenecks.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":467,"journal":{"name":"Applied Biological Chemistry","volume":"69 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s13765-026-01120-2.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148926552","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Paeoniflorin restores redox homeostasis in oxidatively challenged C2C12 myoblasts via activation of the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway","authors":"Cheol Park,&nbsp;EunJin Bang,&nbsp;Cheng-Yun Jin,&nbsp;Gi-Young Kim,&nbsp;Yung Hyun Choi","doi":"10.1186/s13765-026-01119-9","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13765-026-01119-9","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Oxidative stress is a key contributor to myoblast injury and disrupts musculoskeletal homeostasis by impairing muscle differentiation. Paeoniflorin, a bioactive monoterpene glycoside derived from medicinal plants, e.g., <i>Paeonia lactiflora</i>, has demonstrated diverse pharmacological activities. This study explored paeoniflorin’s capacity to alleviate oxidative stress–induced damage in skeletal muscle precursor cells. C2C12 murine myoblasts were preincubated with noncytotoxic concentrations of paeoniflorin before hydrogen peroxide exposure to establish an oxidative stress model. Paeoniflorin significantly improved cell viability under oxidative conditions and reduced DNA damage, as demonstrated by decreased comet tail formation and γH2AX protein accumulation. It also attenuated apoptotic cell death by limiting caspase activation and preventing mitochondrial dysfunction, including cytochrome <i>c</i> release into the cytosol. Mechanistically, paeoniflorin suppressed intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels while enhancing activation of the redox-sensitive transcription factor nuclear factor erythroid 2–related factor 2 (Nrf2) and its downstream target heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1). Importantly, inhibition of HO-1 activity using zinc protoporphyrin significantly diminished paeoniflorin’s antioxidative and cytoprotective effects, as evidenced by restored ROS accumulation, mitochondrial disruption, DNA damage, and apoptosis. Collectively, these findings indicate that paeoniflorin enhances resistance to oxidative stress in myoblasts through Nrf2/HO-1 pathway activation, thereby preserving genomic stability and mitochondrial function. These results support a potential role for paeoniflorin in maintaining muscle cell homeostasis under oxidative stress.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":467,"journal":{"name":"Applied Biological Chemistry","volume":"69 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s13765-026-01119-9.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148926548","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Seasonal climatic variation is associated with persimmon (Diospyros kaki) leaf flavonoid peaks and tannin indices","authors":"Ariranur Haniffadli,&nbsp;Yeongjun Ban,&nbsp;Kyeong-Ok Choi,&nbsp;Mudondo Joyce,&nbsp;Kenneth Happy,&nbsp;Roggers Gang,&nbsp;Endang Rahmat,&nbsp;SeYoung Im,&nbsp;Chang Ho Kang,&nbsp;Youngmin Kang","doi":"10.1186/s13765-026-01129-7","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13765-026-01129-7","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Persimmon (<i>Diospyros kaki</i>) leaves are a valuable resource for medicinal, beverage, and cosmetics industries, with flavonoids and tannins as key bioactive constituents. This study evaluated how seasonality, genotype, geographic origin, and cultivation conditions influence their accumulation in leaves from four genotypes across three South Korean regions, grown under greenhouse and open-field conditions. Persimmon leaf extracts were profiled by HPLC–DAD for nine flavonoid-related peaks, alongside polymeric (PTC) and nonpolymeric tannin (nonPTC) quantification. Flavonoid-related peaks and tannin indices varied across sampling months and showed inverse associations with climatic parameters, with the highest levels observed in May, October, and April for flavonoid-related peaks, PTC, and nonPTC, respectively. Cultivation-condition effects were limited at the individual peak level, although specific variables showed significant responses and August-to-October changes suggested cultivation-associated temporal responsiveness in summed flavonoid-related peaks and tannin fractions. Genotype and geographic origin showed limited effects on most selected features, except for nonPTC. Overall, this study provides useful information for optimizing harvest timing and improving standardization strategies for persimmon leaf raw materials.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":467,"journal":{"name":"Applied Biological Chemistry","volume":"69 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s13765-026-01129-7.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148926415","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Lycopene alleviates zearalenone-induced testicular damage in chickens by inhibiting oxidative stress, necroptosis, and inflammation","authors":"Qingyu Yang,&nbsp;Shu Wang,&nbsp;Nuo Chen,&nbsp;He Wu,&nbsp;Yulong Li","doi":"10.1186/s13765-026-01115-z","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13765-026-01115-z","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Zearalenone (ZEN) is a common mycotoxin that can cause toxic damage to the testes of male animals. Although existing studies have demonstrated that lycopene (LYC) can antagonize the toxicity of zearalenone (ZEN), how LYC alleviates ZEN-induced testicular damage in chickens by affecting oxidative stress (OS), necroptosis, and inflammatory pathways remains unclear. This study established a chicken testicular toxicity model. Seventy-five 7-day-old male chickens were randomly divided into three groups: the control group (basal diet), the ZEN group (basal diet + 0.5 mg/kg ZEN), and the ZEN-LYC group (basal diet + 0.5 mg/kg ZEN + 5 mg/kg LYC). After 60 days of feeding, euthanasia was performed on all chickens. Samples of testicular tissue and blood were obtained to undergo subsequent experimental analysis. Histological observations revealed that the addition of LYC could alleviate testicular tissue damage resulting from ZEN. LYC markedly attenuated the rising trend of MDA, H₂O₂, and ROS levels caused by ZEN, while simultaneously enhancing the activities of CAT, GSH-PX, and T-AOC. LYC supplementation markedly alleviated the reduction in Caspase-8, IL-10, and TGF-β expression caused by ZEN in chicken testicular tissues, and effectively inhibited the ZEN-induced overexpression of RIPK1, RIPK3, MLKL, FADD, IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-6. Furthermore, immunofluorescence analysis demonstrated that LYC could significantly attenuate the ZEN-triggered increasing trend of MLKL and IL-1β fluorescence intensity. Altogether, LYC played a significant protective role in mitigating ZEN-induced inflammation and toxic damage in chicken testes by inhibiting the necroptosis pathway mediated by oxidative stress.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":467,"journal":{"name":"Applied Biological Chemistry","volume":"69 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s13765-026-01115-z.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148926410","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Bioactivity-guided characterization of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory phenolics from edible Oenothera biennis young shoots","authors":"Jongmin Ahn,&nbsp;Byeongjin Ro,&nbsp;Jeong Soon Lee,&nbsp;Jisun Oh","doi":"10.1186/s13765-026-01131-z","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13765-026-01131-z","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p><i>Oenothera biennis</i> (evening primrose) young shoots are consumed as edible greens and possess a phenolic-rich composition distinct from the seed oil, yet their bioactive constituents and biological functions remain insufficiently characterized. Here, we evaluated an ethanol extract of young shoots and leaves for antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities using bioactivity-guided chromatographic fractionation. The extract was separated into ten time-resolved fractions (OB01–OB10) and analyzed using UPLC–PDA–QTOF/MS. Relatively late-eluting fractions increased antioxidant response element-luciferase activity and reduced intracellular ROS levels in HT22 neuronal cells, while suppressing nitric oxide (NO) production in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated BV2 microglial cells. Chemical profiling identified ellagic acid derivatives and quercetin/kaempferol glucuronides as the principal bioactive constituents. Isolated compounds, including 3-methylellagic acid and quercetin 3-<i>O</i>-glucuronide, exhibited antioxidant and NO-modulating activities consistent with those observed in their parent fractions. These findings demonstrate that phenolic constituents enriched in specific chromatographic regions contribute to the biological properties of <i>O. biennis</i> young shoots, providing a biochemical basis for their use as functional food ingredients.</p><h3>Graphical abstract</h3><div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":467,"journal":{"name":"Applied Biological Chemistry","volume":"69 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2026-08-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s13765-026-01131-z.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148928088","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Botanical origin and compositional variability of bee-derived propolis in relation to current clinical evidence and nutraceutical applications","authors":"Kwanyong Choi,&nbsp;Ji Yeon Kim","doi":"10.1186/s13765-026-01132-y","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13765-026-01132-y","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The clinical translation of propolis as a nutraceutical is complicated by substantial chemical variability associated with its botanical and geographical origins. This mini-review critically examines current human evidence on oral propolis supplementation, with particular attention to compositional variability, clinical phenotype, and methodological limitations. Recent clinical trials, conducted primarily with presumed temperate poplar-type propolis and Brazilian green propolis, have reported changes in selected inflammatory, oxidative, metabolic, renal, respiratory, and reproductive outcomes. These findings include reductions in hs-CRP, TNF-α, and markers of lipid peroxidation, although effects were not consistently observed across all outcomes, populations, or preparations. Considerable heterogeneity was also evident in extraction methods, intervention doses, treatment durations, chemical characterization, and outcome selection, limiting direct comparisons among studies and preventing reliable dose-response or chemotype-specific interpretations. In addition, many trials relied predominantly on surrogate biochemical or physiological markers rather than patient-centered clinical outcomes. In conclusion, the available evidence suggests preparation-specific and phenotype-aligned biological responses to oral propolis supplementation. Future studies should use chemically characterized and standardized preparations and evaluate clinically meaningful outcomes alongside relevant mechanistic markers.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":467,"journal":{"name":"Applied Biological Chemistry","volume":"69 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2026-08-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s13765-026-01132-y.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148838008","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effect of honey, allulose, and fructo-oligosaccharide syrups on the quality and acrylamide content of oat bars prepared by oven cooking and air frying","authors":"Sanghyeon Lee,&nbsp;MunYhung Jung,&nbsp;Suna Kim,&nbsp;Sunah Ban,&nbsp;BoKyung Moon","doi":"10.1186/s13765-026-01116-y","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13765-026-01116-y","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Oat bars are commonly consumed cereal-based products, and their quality and safety are strongly affected by the formulation and processing conditions. In particular, the type of syrup used as sweetener can influence quality-related attributes, Maillard reaction products (MRPs), antioxidant activity, and acrylamide formation. In addition, the use of different cooking methods may further modify these characteristics. Therefore, this study investigated the effects of syrup type—honey (H), allulose (AL), and fructo-oligosaccharide syrup (FOS)—and cooking method (oven cooking and air frying) on the quality characteristics and acrylamide content of oat bars. Oat bars prepared with AL showed significantly reduced lightness, yellowness, and hardness compared with those prepared using H and FOS. However, AL oat bars also exhibited higher MRP levels, radical scavenging activity, and total polyphenol content, suggesting enhanced antioxidant properties. Markedly higher acrylamide levels were observed in AL oat bars, reaching 1,339.74 ± 10.08 ppb after oven cooking and 1,152.05 ± 1.31 ppb after air frying. In comparison, oat bars prepared with H and FOS showed substantially lower acrylamide concentrations, regardless of the cooking method. The syrup type was found to be a more determining factor than the cooking method in determining the acrylamide levels and overall quality attributes of oat bars. Consequently, choosing an appropriate sweetening agent is essential for enhancing the safety and quality characteristics of oat-based snacks.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":467,"journal":{"name":"Applied Biological Chemistry","volume":"69 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2026-08-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s13765-026-01116-y.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148838272","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Diesel particulate matter induces dose-dependent cytotoxicity, multi-faceted inflammation, MAPK activation, and oxidative stress in RAW 264.7 macrophages: an integrated transcriptomic and protein–protein interaction network analysis","authors":"Hye Jin Kim,&nbsp;Ji Won Park,&nbsp;Seon Min Lee,&nbsp;Jung Min Kwon,&nbsp;Hyung Min Kim,&nbsp;Moonjung Hyun,&nbsp;Se Hyo Jeong,&nbsp;Tae Woo Oh,&nbsp;Yeon Gyu Moon,&nbsp;Hun Hwan Kim","doi":"10.1186/s13765-026-01117-x","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13765-026-01117-x","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Diesel particulate matter (DPM), a Group 1 carcinogen classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, is a major component of traffic-related air pollution. Although macrophages are central to the response to inhaled particles, the integrated network-level cellular response to DPM remains incompletely characterized. A combined three analytical methods was applied to RAW 264.7 macrophages exposed to DPM (NIST SRM2975) for 24 h: (i) dose–response phenotyping across twelve CCK-8 concentrations (0–750 μg/mL) and multi-modal characterization (Western blot, RT-qPCR, Griess assay, DCFH-DA ROS imaging, TNF-α ELISA) at sub-cytotoxic to near-IC50 doses; (ii) 3′ mRNA-sequencing at 100 μg/mL with edgeR-based differential expression (|fold change|≥ 1.5) and Gene Ontology, KEGG, and Reactome enrichment; and (iii) STRING-based protein–protein interaction (PPI) network analysis with Markov Cluster (MCL) modular clustering in Cytoscape. DPM reduced viability dose-dependently (IC50 ≈ 135–140 μg/mL) and induced concerted activation of iNOS, COX-2, MAPK phosphorylation, pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β), antioxidant enzymes (SOD2, HO-1, Catalase), nitrite, ROS, and secreted TNF-α. Transcriptomics identified 750 differentially expressed genes (331 up; 419 down), with enrichment in cytokine production, NF-κB/MAPK signaling, inflammasome, and oxidative stress. PPI analysis resolved ten up- and ten down-regulated functional modules, with key hubs Ccl2, Gpx4, Ifit3/Stat1, Dna2/Rad52, and Csf1r. Beyond classical inflammation, these integrated findings reveal coordinated network-level perturbations consistent with ferroptosis vulnerability, genome instability, paradoxical immune dysregulation, and potential macrophage identity loss — hypothesis-generating axes for future mechanistic validation.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":467,"journal":{"name":"Applied Biological Chemistry","volume":"69 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2026-08-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s13765-026-01117-x.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148838223","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"LC-MS/MS-based phytochemical profiling of Erythrina caffra leaves, isolation of a novel sterol glycoside, and evaluation of antioxidant, cytotoxic, and anti-sars-cov-2 activities","authors":"Bienvenu Tsakem,&nbsp;June Cheptoo Serem,&nbsp;Yvette Nkondo Hlophe,&nbsp;Nomusa Sikhakhane,&nbsp;Rémy Bertrand Teponno,&nbsp;Louis Pergaud Sandjo,&nbsp;Xavier Siwe Noundou","doi":"10.1186/s13765-026-01126-w","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13765-026-01126-w","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>From the crude ethanol extract of <i>Erythrina caffra</i> leaves, a new compound, stigmasta-5,22-diene 3-<i>O</i>-(6’-tridecanoate)-β-D-glucopyranoside <b>(1)</b>, along with stigmasta-5,22-diene (2), lutein <b>(3)</b>, and triacontanol <b>(4)</b>, was isolated. Their structures were elucidated using spectroscopic (1D and 2D NMR) and spectrometric [High-Resolution Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry, (HRESIMS)] analyses. RP-LC-MS/MS profiling of the ethyl acetate and methanol fractions further identified 22 secondary metabolites, whose proposed structures were consistent with reported fragmentation patterns and literature data. The cytotoxic effects of the crude extract, fractions, and isolated compounds were evaluated on human keratinocytes (HaCaT), melanocytes (NHEM-Ad), and embryonic kidney cells (HEK293) via resazurin and crystal violet assays. Lutein <b>(3)</b> at 100 µg/mL significantly reduced cell viability to 39.19 ± 9.27%, 61.39 ± 3.26%, and 71.29 ± 7.82%, and cell density to 24.35 ± 4.29%, 35.96 ± 1.44%, and 39.16 ± 6.17%, respectively, for HaCaT, NHEM-Ad, and HEK293. In contrast, the crude extract and ethyl acetate fraction did not notably affect cell viability. Antioxidant evaluation revealed that the methanol fraction possessed the strongest activity (5.52 ± 0.14 µmol TE/mg) in the ORAC assay, while all isolated compounds and the crude extract exhibited significant peroxyl-radical scavenging activity. Plant-derived extracts and compounds showed weak to moderate inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 PLpro, with only the methanolic fraction exhibiting limited activity (IC₅₀&lt;100 µg/mL), significantly lower than the reference inhibitor. Overall, these findings highlight the phytochemical diversity and biological potential of <i>E. caffra</i> leaves, emphasizing their antioxidant capacity and selective cytotoxicity. Future work should isolate and characterize the bioactive constituents responsible for the observed antioxidant effects.</p><h3>Graphical abstract</h3><div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":467,"journal":{"name":"Applied Biological Chemistry","volume":"69 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2026-08-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13506556/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148823896","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Application of untargeted metabolomics for the safety assessment of genetically modified maize (Zea mays L.) and the identification of genetic background-associated biomarkers","authors":"Bokyeong Kim,&nbsp;Young Jin Park,&nbsp;Hyoun−Min Park,&nbsp;Joon Ki Hong,&nbsp;Soo-Yun Park,&nbsp;Tae Jin Kim,&nbsp;Sun-Hwa Ha,&nbsp;Sung−Dug Oh,&nbsp;Jae Kwang Kim","doi":"10.1186/s13765-026-01130-0","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13765-026-01130-0","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Untargeted metabolomics has been increasingly applied in safety assessments of genetically modified (GM) maize. In this study, we propose a stepwise workflow that integrates untargeted UPLC-qTOFMS and targeted GC-TOFMS-based metabolite profiling with multivariate statistics for equivalence assessment of maize samples (<i>n</i> = 3, biological replicates). Using this workflow, 179 metabolites were identified, and principal component analysis revealed no substantial variation between GM lines and their parental lines. Nine biomarkers associated with genetic background were selected based on three statistical criteria: variable importance in projection (VIP) &gt; 1.3, area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) &gt; 0.9, and log₂ fold change (log₂ FC) &gt; 1.5. These biomarkers, including seven fatty acids and two phenolic compounds, were validated through correlation analysis (<i>r</i> &gt; 0.6208, <i>p</i> &lt; 0.0012) and hierarchical clustering, which supported their biological relevance. This integrative workflow not only demonstrates metabolic equivalence between the GM lines and their parental lines but also establishes a practical platform for the discovery of biomarkers associated with genetic background. Despite limited monoculture samples, this study provides a cornerstone for future large-scale, multiculture GM crop evaluations using the proposed workflow.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":467,"journal":{"name":"Applied Biological Chemistry","volume":"69 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2026-08-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s13765-026-01130-0.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148782655","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}