水菖蒲的化学成分研究和忍冬属植物的色谱分析

本论文由三章组成。第一章阐述了藏药水菖蒲的化学成分研究，共分离鉴定了39个化学成分，其中6个为新化合物。第二章报道了几种忍冬属植物的HPLC、HPLC-MS、GC分析以及抑菌活性、重金属含量测定结果。第三章概述了菖蒲属植物的研究进展。 第一章报道了水菖蒲(Acorus calamus L.)化学成分的分离纯化与结构鉴定。采用正、反相硅胶柱层析等分离方法，从水菖蒲的根中共分离出41个化合物，通过红外、质谱、核磁共振及X-ray单晶衍射等波谱方法和模拟计算方法鉴定了其中39个化合物的结构，主要为倍半萜、苯丙素、甾体类化合物。其中含有5个新的倍半萜类化合物和1系列新的甾体皂苷衍生物。经波谱分析将它们的结构鉴定为 1b, 7a(H)-cadinane-4a, 6a, 10a-triol (1), (2R,6R,7S,9S)-1(10), 4-cadinadiene-2, 9-diol (2), 1a, 5b-guaiane-10a-O-ethyl-4b, 6b-diol (7), 6b, 7b(H)-cadinane-1a, 4a, 10a-triol (13)，(1R,4R,6S,10R)-1-hydroxy-7(11)-cadinen-5, 8-dione (14)， 4′-O-正n碳酰基-3-O- β-D-葡萄糖基谷甾醇(n=14, 16, 18, 22) (15)。 第二章包括四个部分。第一部分报道了忍冬属三种植物40个样品的HPLC测定和对主要活性成分绿原酸的定量分析结果，以及运用HPLC-MS技术对色谱图中8个峰进行指认。在此基础上，考察了种植和采收多个因素对绿原酸含量的影响。第二部分报道了忍冬属三种植物27个样品的GC分析，根据样品的挥发性成分的保留时间对不同样品进行了定性比较，并考察了花期及海拔高度对植物挥发性成分的影响。第三、四部分分别阐述了灰毡毛忍冬和红腺忍冬的体外抑菌活性研究和重金属含量测定结果。 第三章全面系统地概述了菖蒲属植物的化学成分和药理活性研究进展。 This dissertation is composed by three chapters. The first chapter elaborates the phytochemical investigation of Acorus calamus L. Thirty-nine compounds including six new compounds were isolated and identified. The second chapter reports the research on genus Lonicera by HPLC, HPLC-MS and GC. Antifungal activity and heavy metals measurement of genus Lonicera were reported. The third chapter is a review about the research progress on the plant family of Acorus. The first chapter focuses on the isolation and identification of chemical constituents from Acorus calamus L.. Forty-one compounds were isolated from the root of Acorus calamus L. by repeat column chromatography over normal and reversed phase silica gel, the structure of thirty-nine compounds was identified by spectroscopic methods and computational methods, including IR, MS, NMR and X-ray. Those compounds mainly belonged to sesquiterpene, phenylpropanoid and steroid. Among them, five are new sesquiterpenes and one series are new steroid glycoside derivatives. Their structure were suggested as 1b, 7a(H)-cadinane-4a, 6a, 10a-triol (1), (2R,6R,7S,9S)-1(10), 4-cadinadiene-2, 9-diol (2), 1a, 5b-guaiane-10a-O-ethyl-4b, 6b- diol (7), 6b, 7b(H)-cadinane-1a, 4a, 10a-triol (13), (1R,4R,6S,10R)-1-hydroxy-7(11)- cadinen-5, 8-dione (14), 4′-O-carbonyl-3-O-β-D-glucosyl-sitosterol (carbonyl = tetradecanoyl, hexadecanoyl, octadecyl, docosanoyl) (15). The second chapter consists of four parts. The first part reports the HPLC analysis of forty samples of the genus Lonicera, and the quantitative investigation of chlorogenic acid in these samples by HPLC analysis. Relationship between the content of chlorogenic acid in different samples and their planting conditions and harvesting time were discussed. Furthermore, eight compounds were identified or tentatively characterized based on their mass spectra and UV spectra profiles. The second part is about qualitative analysis of the volatile constituent in twenty-seven samples of genus Lonicera by GC. The effect of planting altitude and harvesting time on the volatile constituent was also investigated. The third and fourth parts describe the antifungal activity and content of some kinds of heavy metals of L. macranthoides Hand.-Mazz. and L. hypoglauca Miq.. The third chaspter is a review about the research progress of the plant family of Acorus.

毛壳菌产抗真菌活性物质菌株筛选及种间原生质体融合研究

毛壳菌属很多种类具有重要生防价值，其生防机理包括对植物病原真菌的重寄生作用、诱导植物产生抗病性、产生抗真菌活性的次生代谢产物等。迄今，学界对毛壳菌的研究主要集中在毛壳菌的生防机理，毛壳菌活性次生代谢产物的分离等方面。本研究致力于产抗生素的毛壳菌的种间原生质体融合，从产抗生素毛壳菌菌株的筛选开始，进而对产抗生素的角毛壳菌进行诱变选育，最终用产不同抗生素的角毛壳菌与球毛壳菌进行种间原生质体融合。主要有以下五方面研究结果。 1、毛壳菌抗真菌活性物质产生菌株的筛选：不同毛壳菌菌株发酵液采用琼脂扩散法对植物病原真菌进行抑菌活性试验，结果显示，菌株CH08和CH23的发酵液对芒果炭疽、苹果炭疽和马铃薯晚疫菌具有抑制作用。菌株CH16和CH17的发酵液对芒果炭疽菌、苹果炭疽菌有抑制作用。菌株CH21发酵液对辣椒炭疽菌和西瓜枯萎菌有抑制作用。经形态学研究，菌株CH08、CH16、CH17和CH23鉴定为球毛壳菌，菌株CH21鉴定为角毛壳菌。对角毛壳菌与球毛壳菌菌株发酵液抑菌谱比较，发现角毛壳菌与球毛壳菌发酵液具有明显不同的抑菌谱，表明角毛壳菌与球毛壳菌产生不同的抗真菌活性物质。 2、角毛壳菌（CH21）和球毛壳菌（CH08）原生质体制备和再生条件研究：考察了菌龄、酶浓度、稳渗剂及其浓度、酶解温度、酶解时间及再生培养基对原生质体制备和再生的影响。用菌龄为生长54 h的角毛壳菌菌丝，以0.06 M磷酸缓冲液（pH6.0）配制成含蜗牛酶15 mg/ml、溶壁酶10 mg/ml、蔗糖0.6 mol/L的酶解液，30℃酶解1.5 h，原生质体释放量2.02×107个/g；以PDA为再生培养基，0.7 mol/L的蔗糖再生稳渗剂，再生率可达51.45%。用菌龄为生长48 h的球毛壳菌菌丝，以0.06 M磷酸缓冲液（pH6.0）配制成含蜗牛酶15 mg/ml、溶壁酶10 mg/ml、蔗糖0.6 mol/L的酶解液，30℃酶解1 h，原生质体释放量达1.57×108个/g；以PDA为再生培养基，0.7 mol/L的蔗糖为再生稳渗剂，再生率可达41.48%。 3、角毛壳菌（CH21）原生质体紫外诱变选育：以CH21为出发菌株，制备原生质体进行紫外诱变，诱变条件为：15 w紫外灯，距离30 cm，照射90 s，致死率80%~85%。建立了诱变菌株初筛的双层平板筛选模型。经平板初筛和摇瓶复筛，获得一株突变菌株CH21-I-402，其发酵液抑菌活性较出发菌株提高18.3%。 4、抗性标记菌株的获得：菌株CH21-I-402和CH08抗生素药敏试验表明， CH21-I-402菌株对潮霉素有抗性、对G418（Geneticin）敏感，菌株CH08对潮霉素和G418都敏感。根癌农杆菌EHA105介导的新霉素磷酸转移酶基因转化球毛壳菌，经PCR检测，新霉素磷酸转移酶基因成功转化进菌株CH08-GR70，CH08-GR120。转化子对G418抗性提高3～4倍，对潮霉素仍然比较敏感。 5、以G418和潮霉素抗性为筛选标记的原生质体融合与融合菌株AFLP分析：制备角毛壳菌CH21-I-402和球毛壳菌CH08-GR70原生质体，以35％的PEG6000为助融剂进行原生质体融合，以65 μg/ml的潮霉素和60 μg/ml G418为抗性筛选标记，获得46个再生菌株。再生菌株连续传代5代后，再生菌株表现出多种形态类型。利用AFLP技术对再生菌株及亲本菌株基因组DNA分析表明，再生菌株PF1、PF26为融合菌株。抑菌活性测试表明，融合菌株PF26发酵液对芒果炭疽菌和苹果轮纹菌有强的抑制作用，且抑菌活性比亲本球毛壳菌明显提高。 Chaetomium spp. have great potentials as biocontrol agents against a range of plant pathogens on the basis of its mycoparasitism, induced plant disease resistance, production of antifungal metabolites, and so on. Previous researches on C. spp. mostly focused on the mechanisms of its biocontrol and the isolation of secondary metabolites. In this study, screening antifungal C. spp., mutation breeding of C. cupreum and interspecies protoplast fusion between C. cupreum and C. globosum were carried out, respectively. The corresponding results are as follows: Firstly, among more than 40 C. spp., the strains produced anti-fungal antibiotics were screened by agar diffusion experiments. Results showed that both CH08 and CH23 had inhibition against Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, Cladosporium fulvum, and Phytophthora infestans. Both CH16 and CH17 had inhibition against Colletotrichum gloeosporioides and Cladosporium fulvum. In addition, CH21 exhibited anti-fungal activity against Fusarium oxysporum f. sp niveum and Colletotrichum capsici. Furthermore, CH08, CH16, CH17 and CH23 were identified as C. globosum, CH21 was proved to be C. cupreum based on morphology. The comparison of the anti-fungal spectrum between C. cupreum and C. globosum, showed they could produce different antibiotics. Secondly, specified protocols for preparing and regenerating protoplasts from mycelia of C. cupreum CH21 and C. globosum CH08 were studied. The effects of the age mycelia, the concentration of enzyme, digestion temperature and time, kinds of osmotic stabilizer and regeneration medium on protoplasts preparation and regeneration were all optimized, respectively. In one protocol, with 15 mg/mL snailase, 10 mg/mL lywallzyme, 0.6 M sucrose, in 0.06 M phosphate buffer (pH6.0), and digested for 1.5 h at 30 ºC, 2.02×107 protoplasts from each gram mycelia were obtained from cultures of C. cupreum CH21 grown in potato dextrose broth (PDB) medium for 54 h. And when 0.7 M sucrose was used as osmotic stabilizer in the regeneration medium OPDA (potato dextrose agar with osmotic stabilize), the regeneration efficiency of protoplasts was 51.45%. In another protocol, with 15 mg/mL snailase, 10 mg/mL lywallzyme, 0.6 M sucrose, in 0.06 M phosphate buffer (pH6.0), and digested for 1 h at 30 ºC, 1.57×108 protoplasts from each gram mycelia were obtained from cultures of C. globosum CH08 grown in PDB for 48 h. And when 0.7 M sucrose was used as osmotic stabilizer in the regeneration medium OPDA, the regeneration efficiency of protoplasts was 41.48%. Thirdly, the mutagenesis conditions and secondary screening model of C. cupreum CH21 were explored. An 80% to 85% death rate could be achieved when the protoplasts of C. cupreum CH21 were irradiated by 15 w UV lamp from 30 cm distance for 90 s. In addition, the doublelayer plate’s method for the primary screening of high-producing antibiotics strains was established. A high yielding antibiotic mutant CH21-I-402 was obtained through the primary screening on plate and the secondary selection in Erlenmeyer flask, compared to the original CH21 strain, the antifungal activity of the mutant CH21-I-402 was increased by 18.3%. Fourth, the sensitivity to antibiotics of both C. cupreum CH21-I-402 and C. globusm CH08 was detected. Results showed C. cupreum CH21-I-402 was sensitive to G418 (Geneticin) (Gs) and resistant to Hygromycin B(Hr), and C. globusm CH08 was sensitive to both G418 (Geneticin) (Gs) and Hygromycin B(Hs). At the same time, neomycin phosphotransferase II (npt II) gene was transformed into C. globusm CH08(Gs, Hs) mediated by Agrobacterium tumefaciens EHA105, and the npt II gene was verified by polymerase chain reaction in resistance to G418 strains CH08-GR70 and CH08-GR120. The transformants still showed sensitive to Hygromycin B(Hs). Finally, a selection system for hybrids was set up by interspecies protoplast fusion between C. cupreum and C. globusm using dominant selective drug resistance markers. At first, protoplasts of C. cupreum CH21-I-402 (Hr, Gs) and C. globusm CH08-GR70 (Hs, Gr) were prepared, then the protoplasts were fused in the presence of 35% polyethylene glycol 6000 and regenerated on OPDA medium with 65 μg/ml Hygromycin B and 60μg/ml G418, at last 46 colonies with Hr and Gr were obtained. Even after 5 generations’ subculture, most of the colonies displayed significant difference in taxonomic characteristics with their parental strains. Regenerated strains PF1 and PF26 were confirmed as fusants by amplified fragment length polymorphisms analysis with the genomic DNA as the model. PF26 showed higher inhibitory activity against Colletotrichum gloeosporioides and Macrophoma kuwatsukai than that of the parental strain C. globusm.

High-throughput synergy screening identifies microbial metabolites as combination agents for the treatment of fungal infections

The high mortality rate of immunocompromised patients with fungal infections and the limited availability of highly efficacious and safe agents demand the development of new antifungal therapeutics. To rapidly discover such agents, we developed a high-throughput synergy screening (HTSS) strategy for novel microbial natural products. Specifically, a microbial natural product library was screened for hits that synergize the effect of a low dosage of ketoconazole (KTC) that alone shows little detectable fungicidal activity. Through screening of approximate to 20,000 microbial extracts, 12 hits were identified with broadspectrum antifungal activity. Seven of them showed little cytotoxicity against human hepatoma cells. Fractionation of the active extracts revealed beauvericin (BEA) as the most potent component, because it dramatically synergized KTC activity against diverse fungal pathogens by a checkerboard assay. Significantly, in our immunocompromised mouse model, combinations of BEA (0.5 mg/kg) and KTC (0.5 mg/kg) prolonged survival of the host infected with Candida parapsilosis and reduced fungal colony counts in animal organs including kidneys, lungs, and brains. Such an effect was not achieved even with the high dose of 50 mg/kg KTC. These data support synergism between BEA and KTC and thereby a prospective strategy for antifungal therapy.

High level expression, purification, and characterization of the shrimp antimicrobial peptide, Ch-penaeidin, in Pichia pastoris

Penaeidins, members of a new family of antimicrobial peptides constitutively produced and stored in the haemocytes of penaeid shrimp, display antimicrobial activity against bacteria, and fungi. Here, a DNA sequence encoding the mature Ch-penaeidin peptide was cloned into the pPIC9K vector and transformed into Pichia pastoris. The transformed cells were screened for multi-copy plasmids using increasing concentrations of G418. Positive colonies carrying chromosomal integrations of the Chp gene were identified by phenotype and PCR. When transformed cells were induced with methanol, SDS-PAGE and Western blotting revealed the production of a similar to6100 Da recombinant CHP (rCHP) expression product. Large scale expression revealed that rCHP was produced at 108 mg/L under optimal conditions in the highest Chp-producing P. pastoris clone. The antimicrobial activities of rCHP were studied by liquid phase analysis, which revealed that rCHP exhibited activities against some Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, but had a relatively low activity against some fungi. Purification of rCHP by cation exchange chromatography and subsequent automated amino acid sequencing revealed the presence of four additional amino acids (YVEF) at the N-terminus that belonged to the cleaved fusion signal peptide; these residues may account for the observed decrease in antifungal activity. Together, these observations indicate that rCHP is an effective antimicrobial peptide that can be successfully produced at high levels in the yeast, and therefore may be a potential antimicrobial candidate for practical use. (C) 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A new naphthoquinoneimine derivative from the marine algal-derived endophytic fungus Aspergillus niger EN-13

Cultivation of an endophytic fungus Aspergillus niger EN-13 that was isolated from the inner tissue of the marine brown alga Colpomenia sinuosa resulted in the characterization of a new naphthoquinoneimine derivative, namely, 5,7-dihydroxy-2-[1-(4methoxy-6-oxo-6H-pyran-2-yl)-2-phenylethylaniino]-[1,4]naphthoquinone. The structure of the new compound was established on the basis of various NMR spectroscopic analyses including 2D NMR techniques, EI-MS, and HR-ESI-MS. This compound displayed moderate antifungal activity. (c) 2007 Bin Gui Wang. Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of Chinese Chemical Society. All rights reserved.

水溶性壳聚糖衍生物的取代基团及氨基正电性对抑菌活性的影响

壳聚糖是一种天然的聚阳离子多糖，可以从甲壳类动物、菌类、昆虫等自然资源中提取得到。壳聚糖具有良好的生物相容性，天然无毒，可生物降解，从而在生物工程、制药、化妆品、纺织品、农业等领域引起了广泛关注。 随着对壳聚糖以及壳聚糖衍生物研究的深入，壳聚糖的抑菌活性由于农业杀菌剂的环境问题和抗药性问题的出现而得到重视。但是，对于壳聚糖抑菌活性的研究大都集中于壳聚糖的分子量和脱乙酰度对其活性的影响，而相应的壳聚糖衍生物很少。本文合成了羧甲基壳聚糖希夫碱，N-取代羧甲基壳聚糖，脲取代羧甲基壳聚糖，壳聚糖季铵盐以及羧甲基壳聚糖季铵盐，并对它们的抑菌活性进行了研究，同时探讨了导入基团与抑菌活性间的构效关系。 羧甲基壳聚糖希夫碱对苹果腐烂病菌、番茄早疫病菌和棉花枯萎病菌的抑制活性研究结果表明2-（2-羟基-5-硝基苯亚胺基）羧甲基壳聚糖和2-（2-羟基-5-氯苯亚胺基）羧甲基壳聚糖的抑菌活性高于壳聚糖、羧甲基壳聚糖和2-（2-羟基苯亚胺基）羧甲基壳聚糖，原因可能是2-羟基-5-硝基苯亚胺基和2-羟基-5-氯苯亚胺基两个活性基团的引入。对番茄早疫病菌和苹果轮纹病菌的抑制效果表明，N-取代羧甲基壳聚糖的抑菌活性低于壳聚糖和羧甲基壳聚糖，脲取代羧甲基壳聚糖的抑菌活性高于羧甲基壳聚糖。 测定了壳聚糖季铵盐对灰葡萄孢以及炭疽病菌的抑制活性，结果表明壳聚糖季铵盐的抑制活性高于壳聚糖。因为壳聚糖分子的正电荷可以和菌体细胞壁的负离子相互结合，从而导致菌体死亡，而壳聚糖季铵盐分子中明显的正电性可以促进这种结合能力，从而更进一步的增强抑菌活性。由于相同的原因，抑菌活性随着正电荷的增强而增强，与此同时，高分子量壳聚糖季铵盐由于其较大的体积而具有比低分子量壳聚糖季铵盐更高的抑菌活性。 为了进一步验证氨基的正电性与抑菌活性的关系，合成了羧甲基壳聚糖季铵盐并对这类衍生物对灰葡萄孢和炭疽病菌的抑制活性进行了测定，结果表明，羧甲基壳聚糖季铵盐的抑菌活性高于羧甲基壳聚糖，且部分羧甲基壳聚糖季铵盐的抑菌活性高于壳聚糖。500μg/mL时，N-(2-羟基-5-硝基苯亚甲基）-N,N-二甲基羧甲基壳聚糖和N-(2-羟基-5-氯苯亚甲基）-N,N-二甲基羧甲基壳聚糖对苹果轮纹病菌的抑制率都达到100%。壳聚糖季铵盐中正电荷在抑菌活性中的作用再一次被证实。

Synthesis of acyl thiourea derivatives of chitosan and their antimicrobial activities in vitro

Three different acyl thiourea derivatives of chitosan (CS) were synthesized and their structures were characterized by FT-IR spectroscopy and elemental analysis. The antimicrobial behaviors of CS and its derivatives against four species of bacteria (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, and Sarcina) and four crop-threatening pathogenic fungi (Alternaria solani, Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. vasinfectum, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides (Penz.) Saec, and Phyllisticta zingiberi) were investigated. The results indicated that the antimicrobial activities of the acyl thiourea derivatives are much better than that of the parent CS. The minimum value of MIC and MBC of the derivatives against E coli was 15.62 and 62.49 mu g/mL, respectively. All of the acyl thiourea derivatives had a significant inhibitory effect on the fungi in concentrations of 50 - 500 mu g/mL; the maximum inhibitory index was 66.67%. The antifungal activities of the chloracetyl thiourea derivatives of CS are noticeably higher than the acetyl and benzoyl thiourea derivatives. The degree of grafting of the acyl thiourea group in the derivatives was related to antifungal activity; higher substitution resulted in stronger antifungal activity. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Studies on synthesis, structure and biological activities of novel triazole compounds containing thioamide

Four novel triazole compounds containing thioamide group were designed and synthesized by using triazole, phenyl isothiocyanate and aryl ethyl ketone as raw material. Their structures were conformed by elemental analysis, H-1 NMR, IR and MS spectra. The crystal structure of 1-[1-anilinothiocarbonyl-1-(4-fluorobenzoyl)methyl]-1,2,4-trizole has been determined by X-ray diffraction analysis. The preliminary bioassays have shown that the title compounds exhibit certain antifungal activity.

Synthesis, crystal structure and biological activities of N '-(4-methoxybenzylidene)-2-(1H-1,2,4-triazol-1-yl) acetohydrazide

The title compound, N'-(4-methoxybenzylidene)-2-(1H-1,2,4-triazol-1-yl)acetohydrazide, was synthesized and its structure was confirmed by means of IR, MS,H-1 NMR and elemental analysis. The single crystal structure of the title compound was determined by X-ray diffraction. The preliminary biological test shows that the synthesized compound has a low antifungal activity.

Biodiscovery of natural products from microbes associated with Irish coastal sponges

Marine sponges have been an abundant source of new metabolites in recent years. The symbiotic association between the bacteria and the sponge has enabled scientists to access the bacterial diversity present within the bacterial/sponge ecosystem. This study has focussed on accessing the bacterial diversity in two Irish coastal marine sponges, namely Amphilectus fucorum and Eurypon major. A novel species from the genus Aquimarina has been isolated from the sponge Amphilectus fucorum. The study has also resulted in the identification of an α–Proteobacteria, Pseudovibrio sp. as a potential producer of antibiotics. Thus a targeted based approach to specifically cultivate Pseudovibrio sp. may prove useful for the development of new metabolites from this particular genus. Bacterial isolates from the marine sponge Haliclona simulans were screened for anti–fungal activity and one isolate namely Streptomyces sp. SM8 displayed activity against all five fungal strains tested. The strain was also tested for anti–bacterial activity and it showed activity against both against B. subtilis and P. aeruginosa. Hence a combinatorial approach involving both biochemical and genomic approaches were employed in an attempt to identify the bioactive compounds with these activities which were being produced by this strain. Culture broths from Streptomyces sp. SM8 were extracted and purified by various techniques such as reverse–phase HPLC, MPLC and ash chromatography. Anti–bacterial activity was observed in a fraction which contained a hydroxylated saturated fatty acid and also another compound with a m/z 227 but further structural elucidation of these compounds proved unsuccessful. The anti–fungal fractions from SM8 were shown to contain antimycin–like compounds, with some of these compounds having different retention times from that of an antimycin standard. A high–throughput assay was developed to screen for novel calcineurin inhibitors using yeast as a model system and three putative bacterial extracts were found to be positive using this screen. One of these extracts from SM8 was subsequently analysed using NMR and the calcineurin inhibition activity was con rmed to belong to a butenolide type compound. A H. simulans metagenomic library was also screened using the novel calcineurin inhibitor high–throughput assay system and eight clones displaying putative calcineurin inhibitory activity were detected. The clone which displayed the best inhibitory activity was subsequently sequenced and following the use of other genetic based approaches it became clear that the inhibition was being caused by a hypothetical protein with similarity to a hypothetical Na+/Ca2+ exchanger protein. The Streptomyces sp. SM8 genome was sequenced from a fragment library using Roche 454 pyrosequencing technology to identify potential secondary metabolism clusters. The draft genome was annotated by IMG/ER using the Prodigal pipeline. The Whole Genome Shotgun project has been deposited at DDBJ/EMBL/GenBank under the accession AMPN00000000. The genome contains genes which appear to encode for several polyketide synthases (PKS), non–ribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPS), terpene and siderophore biosynthesis and ribosomal peptides. Transcriptional analyses led to the identification of three hybrid clusters of which one is predicted to be involved in the synthesis of antimycin, while the functions of the others are as yet unknown. Two NRPS clusters were also identified, of which one may be involved in gramicidin biosynthesis and the function of the other is unknown. A Streptomyces sp. SM8 NRPS antC gene knockout was constructed and extracts from the strain were shown to possess a mild anti–fungal activity when compared to the SM8 wild–type. Subsequent LCMS analysis of antC mutant extracts confirmed the absence of the antimycin in the extract proving that the observed anti–fungal activity may involve metabolite(s) other than antimycin. Anti–bacterial activity in the antC gene knockout strain against P. aeruginosa was reduced when compared to the SM8 wild–type indicating that antimycin may be contributing to the observed anti–bacterial activity in addition to the metabolite(s) already identified during the chemical analyses. This is the first report of antimycins exhibiting anti–bacterial activity against P. aeruginosa. One of the hybrid clusters potentially involved in secondary metabolism in SM8 that displayed high and consistent levels of gene–expression in RNA studies was analysed in an attempt to identify the metabolite being produced by the pathway. A number of unusual features were observed following bioinformatics analysis of the gene sequence of the cluster, including a formylation domain within the NRPS cluster which may add a formyl group to the growing chain. Another unusual feature is the lack of AT domains on two of the PKS modules. Other unusual features observed in this cluster is the lack of a KR domain in module 3 of the cluster and an aminotransferase domain in module 4 for which no clear role has been hypothesised.

Investigation of lactic acid bacteria mediated bioprotection with applications in cereal industry. Case-study: malting process

Antifungal compounds produced by Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) metabolites can be natural and reliable alternative for reducing fungal infections pre- and post-harvest with a multitude of additional advantages for cereal-base products. Toxigenic and spoilage fungi are responsible for numerous diseases and economic losses. This thesis includes an overview of the impact fungi have on aspects of the cereal food chain. The applicability of LAB in plant protection and cereal industry is discussed in detail. Specific case studies include Fusarium head blight, and the impact of fungi in the malting and baking industry. The impact of Fusarium culmorum infected raw barley on the final malt quality was part of the investigation. In vitro infected barley grains were fully characterized. The study showed that the germinative energy of infected barley grains decreased by 45% and grains accumulated 199 μg.kg-1 of deoxynivalenol (DON). Barley grains were subsequently malted and fully characterized. Fungal biomass increased during all stages of malting. Infected malt accumulated 8-times its DON concentration during malting. Infected malt grains revealed extreme structural changes due to proteolytic, (hemi)-cellulolytic and starch degrading activity of the fungi, this led to increased friability and fragmentation. Infected grains also had higher protease and β-glucanase activities, lower amylase activity, a greater proportion of free amino and soluble nitrogen, and a lower β-glucan content. Malt loss was over 27% higher in infected malt when compared to the control. The protein compositional changes and respective enzymatic activity of infected barley and respective malt were characterized using a wide range of methods. F. culmorum infected barley grains showed an increase in proteolytic activity and protein extractability. Several metabolic proteins decreased and increased at different rates during infection and malting, showing a complex F. culmorum infection interdependence. In vitro F. culmorum infected malt was used to produce lager beer to investigate changes caused by the fungi during the brewing processes and their effect on beer quality attributes. It was found, that the wort containing infected malt had a lower pH, a higher FAN, higher β-glucan and a 45% increase in the purging rate, and led to premature yeast flocculation. The beer produced with infected malt (IB) had also a significantly different amino acid profile. IB flavour characterization revealed a higher concentration of esters, fusel alcohols, fatty acids, ketones, and dimethylsulfide, and in particular, acetaldehyde, when compared to the control. IB had a greater proportion of Strecker aldehydes and Maillard products contributing to an increased beer staling character. IB resulted in a 67% darker colour with a trend to better foam stability. It was also found that 78% of the accumulated mycotoxin deoxynivalenol in the malt was transferred into beer. A LAB cell-freesupernatant (cfs), produced in wort-base substrate, was investigated for its ability to inhibit Fusarium growth during malting. Wort was a suitable substrate for LAB exhibiting antifungal activity. Lactobacillus amylovorus DSM19280 inhibited 104 spores.mL-1 for 7 days, after 120 h of fermentation, while Lactobacillus reuteri R29 inhibited 105 spores.mL-1 for 7 days, after 48 h of fermentation. Both LAB cfs had significant different organic acid profiles. Acid-base antifungal compounds were identified and, phenyllactic, hydroxy-phenyllactic, and benzoic acids were present in higher concentrations when compared to the control. A 3 °P wort substrate inoculated With L. reuteri R29 (cfs) was applied in malting and successfully inhibited Fusarium growth by 23%, and mycotoxin DON by 80%. Malt attributes resulted in highly modified grains, lower pH, higher colouration, and higher extract yield. The implementation of selected LAB producing antifungal compounds can be used successfully in the malting process to reduce mould growth and mycotoxin production.

Compósitos de polímeros naturais e nanopartículas metálicas

Esta tese descreve diversas estratégias de preparação assim como a caracterização de nanocompósitos com base em distintos biopolímeros. Em particular foi estudada a incorporação de nanopartículas (NPs) metálicas, nomeadamente de Ag, Cu e Au. Estes nanomateriais apresentam um potencial prático enorme em diversas áreas, no entanto foi investigada especificamente a sua aplicação como materiais antimicrobianos. No primeiro capítulo apresenta-se uma revisão bibliográfica, onde são realçados os principais tópicos discutidos ao longo da tese. Inicialmente apresenta-se uma contextualização deste trabalho sendo seguidamente apresentadas algumas considerações sobre nanocompósitos e o seu impacto tecnológico atual. Em seguida, descrevem-se as vantagens do uso de NPs como cargas nos materiais compósitos especificamente no caso de bionanocompósitos. Foi focado o uso da celulose como matriz uma vez que foi o composto “base” usado neste trabalho. Fez-se a descrição exaustiva das metodologias existentes na literatura para a preparação dos nanocompósitos celulósicos com diferentes NPs metálicas assim como das respetivas aplicações. Dentro das aplicações, foi dado especial destaque às propriedades antimicrobianas dos materiais preparados seja a nível da sua atividade antibacteriana ou antifúngica. Esta introdução privilegia o trabalho relacionado diretamente com os sistemas descritos nos capítulos subsequentes. No segundo capítulo apresentam-se os resultados obtidos para nanocompósitos de prata em matriz celulósica. Através do uso de metodologias, tais como a síntese in situ e a pós-deposição, foram preparados diversos materiais usando dois substratos celulósicos distintos nomeadamente a celulose vegetal e bacteriana. Estes nanocompósitos foram caracterizados em termos da sua morfologia e composição química, verificando-se a importância destas características na sua atividade antibacteriana. Foi verificado que nanocompósitos com teores de Ag de 5 x 10-4 (% m/m) são suficientes para obter atividade antibacteriana. A libertação de Ag(I) foi estudada em alguns destes materiais de modo a tentar perceber o mecanismo subjacente a este tipo de nanocompósitos. No terceiro capítulo é apresentado o estudo de NPs coloidais de Ag e Au como cargas para a preparação de nanocompósitos à base de quitosano nãomodificado e modificado quimicamente (derivado solúvel em água e derivado anfifílico). Foram preparados filmes finos de espessura de 9-14 μm, caracterizando-se as suas propriedades óticas e antibacterianas. As propriedades óticas foram ajustadas, quer pela variação do teor de NPs de Ag (0,3-3,9% m/m) ou pela utilização de amostras de NPs com distribuição de tamanho de partícula distinta. Foi investigada a atividade antibacteriana tanto para bactérias Gram-negativas (Klebsiella pneumoniae e Escherichia coli) como para Gram-positivas (Staphylococcus aureus). Para nanocompósitos preparados com o quitosano não modificado verificou-se uma dependência em função do teor de Ag. No caso do uso de derivados modificados, os materiais preparados mostraram uma eficiência superior, mesmo sem NPs de Ag. No quarto capítulo é apresentada a síntese e caracterização de nanocompósitos de pululano e NPs de Ag. Neste estudo é avaliada a atividade antifúngica dos filmes compósitos preparados contra o Aspergillus niger usando protocolos padrão. Estes materiais foram preparados na forma de filmes (66-74 μm de espessura) por evaporação de solvente da mistura de pululano e coloides de Ag. Foi observado o aumento da inibição do fungo na presença dos nanocompósitos, tendo sido pela primeira vez mostrado o efeito disruptivo destes materiais sobre os esporos do A. niger através da análise das imagens de SEM. Este efeito ocorre na presença dos filmes devido à presença das cargas de NPs de Ag dispersas no pululano. O desenvolvimento de materiais de papel com NPs de Cu é um desafio devido à propensão destas espécies em oxidar sob condições ambiente. No quinto capítulo é descrita pela primeira vez o estudo comparativo do crescimento e estabilidade de NPs de Cu em celulose vegetal e bacteriana. Para além disso foi avaliado o uso de nanoestruturas com diferentes dimensionalidades como cargas, nomeadamente nanoesferas e nanofios. Foi observado que o uso de nanofios aumenta a resistência à oxidação destes nanocompósitos para tempos de exposição ao ar mais prolongados. As matrizes celulósicas apresentam comportamento distinto no crescimento e/ou adsorção das NPs de Cu. A celulose bacteriana foi o substrato mais eficiente para retardar a oxidação das NPs. A atividade antibacteriana destes nanocompósitos foi avaliada. Ao longo desta dissertação são apresentados métodos distintos para a obtenção de nanocompósitos com base em biopolímeros e NPs metálicas. Estes estudos permitiram não só a preparação de novos nanocompósitos mas também compreender e otimizar os mecanismos subjacentes à sua preparação. Ao mesmo tempo, este trabalho contribuiu para a transferência de tecnologia e conhecimento entre a área da Nanotecnologia e a área dos materiais derivados de fontes renováveis. As propriedades apresentadas por estes nanomateriais mostraram a sua possível aplicação como novos materiais antimicrobianos, no entanto é possível antecipar futuras aplicações em outras áreas tecnológicas.

Characterization of the chitinolytic system during the mycoparasitic interaction between Trichoderma aggressivum f. aggressivum and different host strains of Agaricus bisporus /

Green mould is a serious disease of commercially grown mushrooms, the causal agent being attributed to the filamentous soil fungus Triclzodenna aggressivum f. aggressivu11l and T. aggressivum f. ellropaellm. Found worldwide, and capable of devastating crops, this disease has caused millions of dollars in lost revenue within the mushroom industry. One mechanism used by TricllOdenlla spp. in the antagonism of other fungi, is the secretion of lytic enzymes such as chitinases, which actively degrade a host's cell wall. Therefore, the intent of this study was to examine the production of chitinase enzymes during the host-parasite interaction of Agaricus bisporus (commercial mushroom) and Triclzodemza aggressivum, focusing specifically on chitinase involvement in the differential resistance of white, off-white, and brown commercial mushroom strains. Chitinases isolated from cultures of A. bisporus and T. aggressivu11l grown together and separately, were identified following native PAGE, and analysis of fluorescence based on specific enzymatic cleavage of 4-methylumbelliferyl glucoside substrates. Results indicate that the interaction between T. aggressivulll and A. bisporus involves a complex enzyme battle. It was determined that T. aggressivum produces a number of chitinases that appear to correlate to those isolated in previous studies using biocontrol strains of T. Izarziallilm. A 122 kDa N-acetylglucosaminidase of T. aggressivu11l revealed the highest and most variable activity, and is therefore believed to be an important predictor of antifungal activity. Furthermore, results indicate that brown strain resistance of mushrooms may be related to high levels of a 96 kDa N-acetylglucosaminidase, which showed elevated activity in both solitary and dual cultures with T. aggressivum. Overall, each host-parasite combination produced unique enzyme profiles, with the majority of the differences seen between day 0 and day 6 for the extracellular chitinases. Therefore, it was concluded that the antagonistic behaviour of T. aggressivli1ll does not involve a typical response, always producing the same types and levels of enzymes, but that mycoparasitism, specifically in the form of chitinase production, may be induced and regulated based on the host presented.

Development and characterization of polymeric nanoparticles(NPs) made from functionalized poly (D,L- lactide) (PLA)polymers

Les nanoparticules polymériques biodégradable (NPs) sont apparues ces dernières années comme des systèmes prometteurs pour le ciblage et la libération contrôlée de médicaments. La première partie de cette étude visait à développer des NPs biodégradables préparées à partir de copolymères fonctionnalisés de l’acide lactique (poly (D,L)lactide ou PLA). Les polymères ont été étudiés comme systèmes de libération de médicaments dans le but d'améliorer les performances des NPs de PLA conventionnelles. L'effet de la fonctionnalisation du PLA par insertion de groupements chimiques dans la chaîne du polymère sur les propriétés physico-chimiques des NPs a été étudié. En outre, l'effet de l'architecture du polymère (mode d'organisation des chaînes de polymère dans le copolymère obtenu) sur divers aspects de l’administration de médicament a également été étudié. Pour atteindre ces objectifs, divers copolymères à base de PLA ont été synthétisés. Plus précisément il s’agit de 1) copolymères du poly (éthylène glycol) (PEG) greffées sur la chaîne de PLA à 2.5% et 7% mol. / mol. de monomères d'acide lactique (PEG2.5%-g-PLA et PEG7%-g-PLA, respectivement), 2) des groupements d’acide palmitique greffés sur le squelette de PLA à une densité de greffage de 2,5% (palmitique acid2.5%-g-PLA), 3) de copolymère « multibloc » de PLA et de PEG, (PLA-PEG-PLA)n. Dans la deuxième partie, l'effet des différentes densités de greffage sur les propriétés des NPs de PEG-g-PLA (propriétés physico-chimiques et biologiques) a été étudié pour déterminer la densité optimale de greffage PEG nécessaire pour développer la furtivité (« long circulating NPs »). Enfin, les copolymères de PLA fonctionnalisé avec du PEG ayant montré les résultats les plus satisfaisants en regard des divers aspects d’administration de médicaments, (tels que taille et de distribution de taille, charge de surface, chargement de drogue, libération contrôlée de médicaments) ont été sélectionnés pour l'encapsulation de l'itraconazole (ITZ). Le but est dans ce cas d’améliorer sa solubilité dans l'eau, sa biodisponibilité et donc son activité antifongique. Les NPs ont d'abord été préparées à partir de copolymères fonctionnalisés de PLA, puis ensuite analysés pour leurs paramètres physico-chimiques majeurs tels que l'efficacité d'encapsulation, la taille et distribution de taille, la charge de surface, les propriétés thermiques, la chimie de surface, le pourcentage de poly (alcool vinylique) (PVA) adsorbé à la surface, et le profil de libération de médicament. L'analyse de la chimie de surface par la spectroscopie de photoélectrons rayon X (XPS) et la microscopie à force atomique (AFM) ont été utilisés pour étudier l'organisation des chaînes de copolymère dans la formulation des NPs. De manière générale, les copolymères de PLA fonctionnalisés avec le PEG ont montré une amélioration du comportement de libération de médicaments en termes de taille et distribution de taille étroite, d’amélioration de l'efficacité de chargement, de diminution de l'adsorption des protéines plasmatiques sur leurs surfaces, de diminution de l’internalisation par les cellules de type macrophages, et enfin une meilleure activité antifongique des NPs chargées avec ITZ. En ce qui concerne l'analyse de la chimie de surface, l'imagerie de phase en AFM et les résultats de l’XPS ont montré la possibilité de la présence de davantage de chaînes de PEG à la surface des NPs faites de PEG-g-PLA que de NPS faites à partie de (PLA-PEG-PLA)n. Nos résultats démontrent que les propriétés des NPs peuvent être modifiées à la fois par le choix approprié de la composition en polymère mais aussi par l'architecture de ceux-ci. Les résultats suggèrent également que les copolymères de PEG-g-PLA pourraient être utilisés efficacement pour préparer des transporteurs nanométriques améliorant les propriétés de certains médicaments,notamment la solubilité, la stabilité et la biodisponibilité.

Conception, synthèse et caractérisation de nouvelles macromolécules branchées biocompatibles pour encapsuler des principes actifs hydrophobes

La vectorisation des médicaments est une approche très prometteuse tant sur le plan médical qu’économique pour la livraison des substances actives ayant une faible biodisponibilité. Dans ce contexte, les polymères en étoile et les dendrimères, macromolécules symétriques et branchées, semblent être les solutions de vectorisation les plus attrayantes. En effet, ces structures peuvent combiner efficacement une stabilité élevée dans les milieux biologiques à une capacité d’encapsulation des principes actifs. Grâce à leur architecture bien définie, ils permettent d’atteindre un très haut niveau de reproductibilité de résultats, tout en évitant le problème de polydispersité. Bien que des nombreuses structures dendritiques aient été proposées ces dernières années, il est cependant à noter que la conception de nouveaux nanovecteurs dendritiques efficaces est toujours d’actualité. Ceci s’explique par des nombreuses raisons telles que celles liées à la biocompatibilité, l’efficacité d’encapsulation des agents thérapeutiques, ainsi que par des raisons économiques. Dans ce projet, de nouvelles macromolécules branchées biocompatibles ont été conçues, synthétisées et évaluées. Pour augmenter leur efficacité en tant qu’agents d’encapsulations des principes actifs hydrophobes, les structures de ces macromolécules incluent un coeur central hydrophobe à base de porphyrine, décanediol ou trioléine modifié et, également, une couche externe hydrophile à base d’acide succinique et de polyéthylène glycol. Le choix des éléments structuraux de futures dendrimères a été basé sur les données de biocompatibilité, les résultats de nos travaux de synthèse préliminaires, ainsi que les résultats de simulation in silico réalisée par une méthode de mécanique moléculaire. Ces travaux ont permis de choisir des composés les plus prometteurs pour former efficacement et d’une manière bien contrôlable des macromolécules polyesters. Ils ont aussi permis d’évaluer au préalable la capacité de futurs dendrimères de capter une molécule médicamenteuse (itraconazole). Durant cette étape, plusieurs nouveaux composés intermédiaires ont été obtenus. L’optimisation des conditions menant à des rendements réactionnels élevés a été réalisée. En se basant sur les travaux préliminaires, l’assemblage de nouveaux dendrimères de première et de deuxième génération a été effectué, en utilisant les approches de synthèse divergente et convergente. La structure de nouveaux composés a été prouvée par les techniques RMN du proton et du carbone 13C, spectroscopie FTIR, UV-Vis, analyse élémentaire, spectrométrie de masse et GPC. La biocompatibilité de produits a été évaluée par les tests de cytotoxicité avec le MTT sur les macrophages murins RAW-262.7. La capacité d’encapsuler les principes actifs hydrophobes a été étudiée par les tests avec l’itraconazole, un antifongique puissant mais peu biodisponible. La taille de nanoparticules formées dans les solutions aqueuses a été mesurée par la technique DLS. Ces mesures ont montré que toutes les structures dendritiques ont tendance à former des micelles, ce qui exclue leurs applications en tant que nanocapsules unimoléculaires. L’activité antifongique des formulations d’itraconazole encapsulé avec les dendrimères a été étudiée sur une espèce d’un champignon pathogène Candida albicans. Ces tests ont permis de conclure que pour assurer l’efficacité du traitement, un meilleur contrôle sur le relargage du principe actif était nécessaire.