Browsing by Author "Baloglu M.C."

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A broad-spectrum biological activities of Heracleum humile extracts: A first report of the antiviral, anti-cancer and chemical properties
(2024-12-01) Ocal M.; Duran Yelken S.; Altunoglu Y.C.; Baloglu M.C.; Soomro S.I.; Zengin G.; Angeloni S.; Mustafa A.M.; Caprioli G.; Paksoy M.Y.
A multidirectional perspective for novel functional products: In vitro pharmacological activities and in silico studies on Ononis natrix subsp. hispanica
(2017-09-01) Yerlikaya S.; Zengin G.; Mollica A.; Baloglu M.C.; Altunoglu Y.C.; Aktumsek A.
The genus Ononis has important value as traditional drugs and foods. In the present work, we aimed to assess the chemical profiles and biological effects of Ononis natrix subsp. hispanica extracts (ethyl acetate, methanol, and water). For chemical profile, total and individual phenolic components were detected. For biological effects, antioxidant (DPPH, ABTS, CUPRAC, FRAP, phosphomolybdenum, and metal chelating assays), enzyme inhibitory (against cholinesterase, tyrosinase, α-amylase and α-glucosidase), antimicrobial, DNA protection and cytotoxic abilities were tested. The predominant phenolics were apigenin, luteolin, and quercetin in the tested extracts. Generally, the ethyl acetate and methanol extracts were noted as the most active in the antioxidant and enzyme inhibitory assays. Water extract with different concentrations indicated high level of DNA protection activity. Methanol and ethyl acetate extracts showed antibacterial effect against to Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis strains. The cytotoxic effects of O. natrix subsp. hispanica extracts on the survival of HeLa and PC3 cells were determined by MTT cell viability assay. Water and methanol extracts caused initiation of apoptosis for PC3 cell line. Furthermore, molecular docking was performed to better understand interactions between dominant phenolic compounds and selected enzymes. Our results clearly indicate that O. natrix subsp. hispanica could be considered a potential candidate for designing novel pharmaceuticals, cosmeceuticals and nutraceuticals.
Analysis of DNA protection, interaction and antimicrobial activity of isatin derivatives
(2019-02-01) Ganim M.A.; Baloglu M.C.; Aygun A.; Altunoglu Y.C.; Sayiner H.S.; Kandemirli F.; Sen F.
Isatin, thiosemicarbazone and their derivatives have been widely used in biological applications such as antimicrobial, antiviral and anticancer therapies. Herein, eight isatin and thiosemicarbazone derivative compounds were re-synthesized and evaluated for DNA binding analysis including DNA protection studies using plasmid DNA (pUC19) and DNA interaction experiments using calf thymus DNA (CT-DNA). All compounds were also utilized in vitro assay to assess the antimicrobial activity of compounds against different pathogenic bacterial strains. All isatin and thiosemicarbazone derivative compounds exhibited DNA protection activity which ranged from 23.5 to 59.5%. Among them, I3-(N-2-MP)-TSC had the greatest DNA protective activity. For DNA binding analysis, all compounds had the same constant concentration (40 μM), which interacts with CT-DNA. It was also observed that DNA interactions gave a high intrinsic binding constant (Kb = 1.72 × 104 M−1–9.73 × 105 M−1). Besides, several derivatives of isatin thiosemicarbazone exhibited significant and selective antibacterial activity with low concentration. These compounds primarily affected Gram-positive bacteria, but were not effective against P. vulgaris and E. coli. The Gram-positive methicillin-resistant S. aureus ATCC 43300 (MRSA) was the most influenced strain by these compounds. It was found that methyphenyl group at isatin was essential for its antibacterial activity for MRSA.
Anticancer and biological properties of leaf and flower extracts of Echinacea purpurea (L.) Moench
(2021-06-01) Mohamed Sharif K.O.; Tufekci E.F.; Ustaoglu B.; Altunoglu Y.C.; Zengin G.; Llorent-Martínez E.J.; Guney K.; Baloglu M.C.
Echinacea purpurea (L.) Moench is an important medicinal herb; its roots, leaves and, flowers have been used by the food and pharmaceutical industries. In this study, DNA protection, antimicrobial, antioxidant-enzyme inhibition, and antiproliferative activities of water, methanol (MeOH), and ethyl acetate (EA) extracts of leaves and flowers of E. purpurea were evaluated. In addition, total phenolics and flavonoids, as well as individual compounds, were identified using colorimetric assays and HPLC-ion trap mass spectrometry, respectively. Chicoric acid and its isomer were the most abundant natural compounds, with concentrations similar to previous studies of E. purpurea. All extracts had antimicrobial activity against a broad range of bacteria, particularly Enterococcus faecalis. The antiproliferative activity of the extracts on the HeLa cells was shown. The lowest value of IC50 (73 μg/ml) came from the 24 h MeOH extract of flowers. The water extract of leaves showed strong antioxidant activity with the DPPH, ABTS, CUPRAC, and FRAP assays. EA and MeOH extracts of leaves showed a significant inhibition ability of cholinesterase and tyrosinase, respectively. The presented study suggested that E. purpurea extracts had promising therapeutic properties. Further investigation at the cellular level could be done to highlight the mechanism behind these biological activities.
Anticancer, antimicrobial, and DNA protection analysis of novel 2,4-dihydroxyquinoline dyes
(2018-10-01) Şener N.; Mohammed H.J.A.; Yerlikaya S.; Celik Altunoglu Y.; Gür M.; Baloglu M.C.; Şener İ.
A new series of 2,4-dihydroxyquinoline derived disazo dyes has been synthesized by the reaction of 5-amino-4-phenylazo-3-methyl-1H-pyrazole derivatives with 2,4-dihydroxyquinoline. The structures of the obtained dyes were identified by various spectrophotometric methods such as FT-IR, 1H-NMR, and elemental analysis. The synthesized compounds were also examined for different biological activities, including DNA protection, antimicrobial, and anticancer activities. Compound 3b was found most effective on Gram-positive bacteria. A DNA protection assay was applied to all compounds, and it was found that compounds 3h and 3j had a high capacity for binding to DNA. Besides, compounds 3h and 3j showed cytotoxicity against HeLa and PC3 cancer cell lines. These compounds could potentially be used as drugs or drug additives based on their effects on bacterial and cancer cell lines.
Antiproliferative properties and structural analysis of newly synthesized Schiff bases bearing pyrazole derivatives and molecular docking studies
(2021-10-05) Şener N.; Özkinali S.; Altunoglu Y.C.; Yerlikaya S.; Gökçe H.; Zurnaci M.; Gür M.; Baloglu M.C.; Şener İ.
New pyrazole Schiff bases containing azo groups were synthesized using the condensation reaction between p-nitrobenzaldehyde and (E)-4-(phenyl)-1-H-pyrazole-3,5-diamine in the molar ratio of 1:2. Characterization of the compounds was performed by spectroscopic techniques, including IR, UV-Vis, 1H-NMR and 13C-NMR. Biological activity of the compounds was evaluated by analyzing DNA protection, antimicrobial and anticancer properties. Compound 4 was effective for Salmonella typhimurium with the MIC concentration of 62.5 µg/mL. Moreover, this compound had the highest protection activity on DNA. Cytotoxic activity of compound 4 was determined on the HeLa cancer cell line with the IC50 concentration of 976.6 µM. The anti-cancer characteristic of compounds 4 and 5 for HeLa cancer was theoretically analyzed by molecular docking study as well. Among the tested compounds, compound 4 possessed significant results due to its in vitro cytotoxic properties. Therefore, it may be considered as a potential bioactive agent for cancer treatment studies. In addition, further in vivo analysis can be performed to indicate its anticancer property.
Antiproliferative-antimicrobial properties and structural analysis of newly synthesized Schiff bases derived from some 1,3,4-thiadiazole compounds
(2020-11-05) Gür M.; Yerlikaya S.; Şener N.; Özkınalı S.; Baloglu M.C.; Gökçe H.; Altunoglu Y.C.; Demir S.; Şener İ.
The 1,3,4-thiadiazole core has been mainly used as a pharmacological scaffold in medicinal chemistry. A series of Schiff bases derived from 5-substituted-1,3,4-thiadiazole-2-amine were designed and synthesized to investigate their biological activities. Structures of compounds were clarified with FTIR, 1H NMR and elemental analysis. Due to the importance of this core in pharmacology, all these newly synthesized compounds were tested for different biological properties at the same time. Compound 3A ((E)-N-(2,5-dimethoxybenzylidene)-5-(4-methoxyquinolin-2-yl)-1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-amine) and compound 4A ((E)-N-(2,5-dimethoxybenzylidene)-5-(3-methylbenzofuran-2-yl)-1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-amine) possessed high DNA protective ability against oxidative Fenton mixture. Compound 1A ((E)-N-(2,5-dimethoxybenzylidene)-5-(benzo[b]thiophen-2-yl)-1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-amine) and compound 2B ((E)-2-((5-(1H-indol-2-yl)-1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-ylimino)methyl)-6-methoxyphenol) showed strong antimicrobial activity against S. epidermidis. The most effective compound was detected as compound 3A which exhibited cytotoxicity on both PC-3 and MDA-MB-231 cancer cell lines. The IC50 of this compound was calculated as 370.7 μM and 505.1 μM for MDA-MB-231 and PC-3 cells, respectively. Molecular docking studies were also performed to examine the understanding of the mechanism behind the anti-cancer and anti-bacterial properties. For further study, compound 3A has the potential for utilization with chemotherapy drugs to establish a more efficient therapy strategy with minimum cytotoxicity against cancer cells.
bHLHDB: A next generation database of basic helix loop helix transcription factors based on deep learning model
(2022-08-01) Öncül A.B.; Çelik Y.; Ünel N.M.; Baloglu M.C.
The basic helix loop helix (bHLH) superfamily is a large and diverse protein family that plays a role in various vital functions in nearly all animals and plants. The bHLH proteins form one of the largest families of transcription factors found in plants that act as homo- or heterodimers to regulate the expression of their target genes. The bHLH transcription factor is involved in many aspects of plant development and metabolism, including photomorphogenesis, light signal transduction, secondary metabolism, and stress response. The amount of molecular data has increased dramatically with the development of high-throughput techniques and wide use of bioinformatics techniques. The most efficient way to use this information is to store and analyze the data in a well-organized manner. In this study, all members of the bHLH superfamily in the plant kingdom were used to develop and implement a relational database. We have created a database called bHLHDB (www.bhlhdb.org) for the bHLH family members on which queries can be conducted based on the family or sequences information. The Hidden Markov Model (HMM), which is frequently used by researchers for the analysis of sequences, and the BLAST query were integrated into the database. In addition, the deep learning model was developed to predict the type of TF with only the protein sequence quickly, efficiently, and with 97.54% accuracy and 97.76% precision. We created a unique and next-generation database for bHLH transcription factors and made this database available to the world of science. We believe that the database will be a valuable tool in future studies of the bHLH family.
Biogenic platinum nanoparticles using black cumin seed and their potential usage as antimicrobial and anticancer agent
(2020-02-05) Aygun A.; Gülbagca F.; Ozer L.Y.; Ustaoglu B.; Altunoglu Y.C.; Baloglu M.C.; Atalar M.N.; Alma M.H.; Sen F.
Herein, the biogenic platinum nanoparticles (Pt NPs) were synthesized by using black cumin seed (Nigella sativa L.) extract as a reducing agent. The biogenic platinum nanoparticles synthesized by black cumin seed extract was characterized in detail by Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), UV–vis spectrophotometer, X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). According to TEM analysis, Pt nanoparticles have spherical shapes and sizes between 1–6 nm. Moreover, the biogenic Pt NPs was assessed for its cytotoxicity effect on MDA-MB-231 breast and HeLa cervical cancer lines and their antibacterial effect against selected strains of gram-positive and negative bacteria. The cytotoxicity and bacterial tests showed the effectiveness of biogenic Pt nanoparticles. Dose-dependent toxicity effects were shown in the MDA-MB-231 breast and HeLa cervical cancer lines (IC50: 36.86 μg/mL and 19.83 μg/mL, respectively). In addition, Pt NPs showed high zone diameters against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria at concentrations of 100 and 500 μg/ml. These results contribute to the development of the pharmaceutical industry as a potential antibacterial and anticancer agent.
Chemical characterization, computational analysis and biological views on Daphne gnidioides Jaub. & Spach extracts: Can a new raw material be provided for biopharmaceutical applications?
(2020-08-01) Can T.H.; Tufekci E.F.; Altunoglu Y.C.; Baloglu M.C.; Llorent-Martínez E.J.; Stefanucci A.; Mollica A.; Cichelli A.; Zengin G.
The scientific world tends to turn to natural products such as medicinal and aromatic plants because of the inadequacy of commercially available synthetic drugs as antibiotics or anticancer, and their adverse effects on healthy tissues. One of these plants is Daphne gnidioides Jaub. & Spach, which belongs to the Thymelaeaceae family, and there is no data in the literature on its biological activity. This study is aimed to elucidate the chemical profiles and in vitro anticancer, antibacterial and DNA protection and enzyme inhibitory properties of methanol extracts of root, stem, and leaf of D. gnidioides Jaub. & Spach. Polyphenolic components of the extracts were characterized by HPLC-MS/MS. The highest phenolic content was detected in the leaf extract (TIPC = 43.5 ± 0.5 mg/g DE), followed by stem (TIPC = 27.3 ± 0.7 mg/g DE) and root (TIPC = 18.3 ± 0.2 mg/g DE) extracts. Vicenin-2 and 3-O-p-coumaroyl-5-O-caffeoylquinic acid were the main identified compounds in leaf and both root and stem extracts, respectively. The extracts did not show any protective effect on DNA against experimental Fenton's reagent. The minimum inhibitory concentration and the minimum bactericidal concentration values for the root and leaf extracts against tested bacterial strains ranged from 31.25 to 500 μg/mL. After 48 h interaction of the cancer cell lines with the extracts, only the stem extract had significant cytotoxicity on HeLa cells (IC50 = 86.16 μg/mL). No remarkable activity of the extracts, which was tested against MDA-MB-231, was detected (IC50 > 1000 μg/mL). These data showed that D. gnidioides Jaub. & Spach stem extract inhibited the survival of HeLa cells in a time-dependent manner. After the treatment of IC50 concentration of stem extract with HeLa cells, an increase in LC3-II autophagic gene expression was detected. Also, the extracts exhibited significant tyrosinase inhibitory effects which were confirmed by molecular docking. To sum up, the tested extracts could be used as a starting point for the development of new multifunctional drugs.
Chemical fingerprints, antioxidant, enzyme inhibitory, and cell assays of three extracts obtained from Sideritis ozturkii Aytaç & Aksoy: An endemic plant from Turkey
(2019-07-15) Zengin G.; Uğurlu A.; Baloglu M.C.; Diuzheva A.; Jekő J.; Cziáky Z.; Ceylan R.; Aktumsek A.; Picot-Allain C.M.N.; Fawzi Mahomoodally M.
This study was geared towards assessing the possible antioxidant, enzyme inhibitory, and cytotoxic activities of ethyl acetate, methanol, and water extracts of Sideritis ozturkii Aytaç & Aksoy. The phytochemical profiles of the studied extracts were characterised by HPLC-MS/MS. The methanol extract, rich in phenolics (78.04 mg gallic acid equivalent/g), exhibited the strongest antioxidant activities. However, the ethyl acetate extract was the most active extract in the enzyme inhibitory assays. The water extract of S. ozturkii (1 mg/ml, 48 h incubation) slightly inhibited (22%) growth of human breast cancer cell line (MDA-MB-231 cells). On the other hand, the ethyl acetate and methanol extracts showed strong inhibition (98% and 97%, respectively) of MDA-MB-231 cells and caused apoptotic cell death. Scientific data generated from this study further appraises the multiple biological activities of plants belonging to the Sideritis genus. In addition, preliminary evidence gathered from the current investigation advocates for further studies geared towards the preparation of therapeutic formulations from S. ozturkii.
Comparative bioinformatics analysis and abiotic stress responses of expansin proteins in Cucurbitaceae members: watermelon and melon
(2023-03-01) İncili Ç.Y.; Arslan B.; Çelik E.N.Y.; Ulu F.; Horuz E.; Baloglu M.C.; Çağlıyan E.; Burcu G.; Bayarslan A.U.; Altunoglu Y.C.
Watermelon and melon are members of the Cucurbitaceae family including economically significant crops in the world. The expansin protein family, which is one of the members of the cell wall, breaks down the non-covalent bonds between cell wall polysaccharides, causing pressure-dependent cell expansion. Comparative bioinformatics and molecular characterization analysis of the expansin protein family were carried out in the watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) and melon (Cucumis melo) plants in the study. Gene expression levels of expansin family members were analyzed in leaf and root tissues of watermelon and melon under ABA, drought, heat, cold, and salt stress conditions by quantitative real-time PCR analysis. After comprehensive searches, 40 expansin proteins (22 ClaEXPA, 14 ClaEXPLA, and 4 ClaEXPB) in watermelon and 43 expansin proteins (19 CmEXPA, 15 CmEXPLA, 3 CmEXPB, and 6 CmEXPLB) in melon were identified. The greatest orthologous genes were identified with soybean expansin genes for watermelon and melon. However, the latest divergence time between orthologous genes was determined with poplar expansin genes for watermelon and melon expansin genes. ClaEXPA-04, ClaEXPA-09, ClaEXPB-01, ClaEXPB-03, and ClaEXPLA-13 genes in watermelon and CmEXPA-12, CmEXPA-10, and CmEXPLA-01 genes in melon can be involved in tissue development and abiotic stress response of the plant. The current study combining bioinformatics and experimental analysis can provide a detailed characterization of the expansin superfamily which has roles in growth and reaction to the stress of the plant. The study ensures detailed data for future studies examining gene functions including the roles in plant growth and stress conditions.
Comparative Content, Biological and Anticancer Activities of Heracleum humile Extracts Obtained by Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction Method
(2022-07-01) Ocal M.; Altunoglu Y.C.; Angeloni S.; Mustafa A.M.; Caprioli G.; Zengin G.; Paksoy M.Y.; Baloglu M.C.
As the safety and effectiveness of synthetic drugs remain in doubt, researchers are trying to develop natural medicines from medicinal plants. Herein, ethyl acetate, methanol and water extracts from the Heracleum humile plant were obtained by an ultrasonic-assisted extraction process and the aim was to evaluate some biological effects of the extracts due to the limited data on the pharmacological properties of Heracleum humile in the literature. Weak antibacterial activity was observed on tested bacterial species. The minimum inhibitory concentration and the minimum bactericidal concentration values ranged from 250 to 500 μg/mL. In addition, cytotoxic activity was determined using the MTT test. The strongest findings were determined for ethyl acetate extract on the MDA-MB-231 cell lines at the 48th hour (IC50:97.94 μg/mL), followed by the MCF-7 cell lines at the 24th hour (IC50:103.9 μg/mL). All extracts of Heracleum humile contained mainly flavonoids, phenolic acids and their derivatives, i. e., well-known compounds that possess numerous biological activities such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antimicrobial etc. The study results could provide important information that Heracleum humile could be a potential candidate as a natural enzyme inhibitor. It can be concluded that these extracts could be useful in the elementary step of improving novel plant-derived multifunctional pharmaceuticals.
Comparative genomic analysis of expansin superfamily gene members in zucchini and cucumber and their expression profiles under different abiotic stresses
(2021-12-01) Arslan B.; İncili Ç.Y.; Ulu F.; Horuz E.; Bayarslan A.U.; Öçal M.; Kalyoncuoğlu E.; Baloglu M.C.; Altunoglu Y.C.
Zucchini and cucumber belong to the Cucurbitaceae family, a group of economical and nutritious food plants that is consumed worldwide. Expansin superfamily proteins are generally localized in the cell wall of plants and are known to possess an effect on cell wall modification by causing the expansion of this region. Although the whole genome sequences of cucumber and zucchini plants have been resolved, the determination and characterization of expansin superfamily members in these plants using whole genomic data have not been implemented yet. In the current study, a genome-wide analysis of zucchini (Cucurbita pepo) and cucumber (Cucumis sativus) genomes was performed to determine the expansin superfamily genes. In total, 49 and 41 expansin genes were identified in zucchini and cucumber genomes, respectively. All expansin superfamily members were subjected to further bioinformatics analysis including gene and protein structure, ontology of the proteins, phylogenetic relations and conserved motifs, orthologous relations with other plants, targeting miRNAs of those genes and in silico gene expression profiles. In addition, various abiotic stress responses of zucchini and cucumber expansin genes were examined to determine their roles in stress tolerance. CsEXPB-04 and CsEXPA-11 from cucumber and CpEXPA-20 and CpEXPLA-14 from zucchini can be candidate genes for abiotic stress response and tolerance in addition to their roles in the normal developmental processes, which are supported by the gene expression analysis. This work can provide new perspectives for the roles of expansin superfamily genes and offers comprehensive knowledge for future studies investigating the modes of action of expansin proteins.
Comparative identification and evolutionary relationship of fatty acid desaturase (FAD) genes in some oil crops: the sunflower model for evaluation of gene expression pattern under drought stress
(2018-07-04) Celik Altunoglu Y.; Unel N.M.; Baloglu M.C.; Ulu F.; Can T.H.; Cetinkaya R.
Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) and some oil crops have considerable economic value, making them important for commercial use. The fatty acid content of their seeds is crucial for proper nutrition. Additionally, the desaturation reaction via fatty acid desaturases (FADs) leads to formation of double bonds in fatty acids and is an essential step in fatty acid biosynthesis. This study aimed to identify and compare some fatty acid desaturase gene members in sunflower and other oil crops. Totally, 33 FAD genes from sunflower, 19 from sesame, 20 from canola, 25 from cacao and 46 from flax were analysed. The FAD members had roles in oxidation–reduction processes, fatty acid biosynthetic processes or lipid metabolic processes. Comparative phylogenetic and motif analysis revealed a conserved structure among FAD members belonging to various oil crops. The average Ka/Ks rates calculated on the basis of orthologous gene analysis were 0.04, 0.05 and 0.05 between sunflower and, respectively, canola, cacao and sesame. The most recent divergence time between sunflower and cacao was estimated at an average of 100 million years ago (MYA). This was followed by flax, sesame and canola with an average of 101 MYA, 114 MYA and 149 MYA, respectively. Alpha-helices were dominant in the predicted 3D structures of FAD proteins. The FAB2 expression levels from a drought tolerant sunflower variety were not affected by drought. The characterisation of desaturase family members in economically valuable oil crops could be useful for functional cloning studies to enhance the unsaturated fatty acid contents of the plants.
Comparative identification, characterization, and expression analysis of bZIP gene family members in watermelon and melon genomes
(2019-03-02) Unel N.M.; Cetin F.; Karaca Y.; Celik Altunoglu Y.; Baloglu M.C.
The family of basic leucine zipper (bZIP) transcription factors plays diverse crucial roles in numerous biological processes. Despite the identification of bZIP genes in several plants, to our knowledge, bZIP members in watermelon and melon are yet to be comprehensively investigated. The genomes of watermelon and melon encode 59 ClabZIP and 75 CmbZIP putative genes, respectively. Both bZIP protein family members were phylogenetically grouped into seven subfamilies. The majority of bZIP genes in the same subfamily shared similar gene structures and conserved motifs. Chromosome distribution and genetic analysis revealed that 21 duplication events between ClabZIP genes and 106 duplication events between CmbZIP genes have occurred. Further, the three-dimensional structure and functional annotation of bZIP proteins was predicted. For evaluating the expression patterns of ClabZIP and CmbZIP genes, RNA-seq data available in public databases were analyzed. The expression profiles of selected ClabZIP and CmbZIP genes in root and leaf tissues of drought-stressed watermelon and melon were also examined using qRT-PCR. ClabZIP-57, CmbZIP-52, and CmbZIP-31 genes exhibited the highest expression levels after stress exposure in leaf and root tissues. Gene identification studies like the present study offer new perspectives in the analysis of bZIP protein family members and their functions in plants.
Comprehensive approaches on chemical composition and biological properties of Daphne pontica L. extracts
(2022-01-01) Celik Altunoglu Y.; Can T.H.; Tufekci E.F.; Altunoglu B.D.; Baloglu M.C.; Llorent-Martínez E.J.; Zengin G.
The genus Daphne presents great interest as a valuable source of natural agents in traditional medicine of various countries, including Turkey. In the current work, we investigated the phytochemical composition and biological properties of Daphne pontica L. extracts. Methanol extracts of roots, stems and leaves were prepared. The chemical characterization was performed by HPLC-ESI-MSn, observing that flavonoids and phenolic acids were the main compounds. Biological properties were studied in terms of antimicrobial, DNA protection, anticancer, and enzyme inhibitory properties (cholinesterases, tyrosinase, amylase and glucosidase). Methanol extracts of roots, leaves, and stems of D. pontica had antimicrobial effects against a broad range of bacteria. In addition, methanol extract of roots of D. pontica exhibited a promising anticancer activity that was shown to be dose- and time-dependent for HeLa cells with an IC50 value of 203.9 μg/mL. Generally, the leaf extracts exhibited the best enzyme inhibitory properties on the tested enzymes. According to our results, D. pontica might be regarded as a valuable source of natural agents to combat cancer, infectious diseases, and metabolic diseases.
Comprehensive investigation of cucumber heat shock proteins under abiotic stress conditions: A multi-omics survey
(2023-09-10) Unel N.M.; Baloglu M.C.; Altunoglu Y.Ç.
CRISPR/Cas-mediated genome editing in sorghum — recent progress, challenges and prospects
(2021-08-01) Parikh A.; Brant E.J.; Baloglu M.C.; Altpeter F.
Sorghum is a versatile crop with great potential as a sustainable food, feed, and bioenergy source. To mitigate the severely negative impact of climate change and population growth on food and energy security, further elevation of the crops stress tolerance is urgently needed. Genome editing technologies such as CRISPR/Cas have great potential to accelerate functional genomics and crop improvement by supporting targeted modification of almost any crop gene sequence. We describe the recent progress in genome editing of sorghum. In addition, we review remaining challenges and prospects of emerging gene editing technologies for rapid precision breeding of this crop.
CRISPR/Cas9 mediated targeted mutagenesis of LIGULELESS-1 in sorghum provides a rapidly scorable phenotype by altering leaf inclination angle
(2021-11-01) Brant E.J.; Baloglu M.C.; Parikh A.; Altpeter F.
Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) is one of the world's most cultivated cereal crops. Biotechnology approaches have great potential to complement traditional crop improvement. Earlier studies in rice and maize revealed that LIGULELESS-1 (LG1) is responsible for formation of the ligule and auricle, which determine the leaf inclination angle. However, generation and analysis of lg1 mutants in sorghum has so far not been described. Here, we describe CRISPR/Cas9 mediated targeted mutagenesis of LG1 in sorghum and phenotypic changes in mono- and bi-allelic lg1 mutants. Genome editing reagents were co-delivered to sorghum (var. Tx430) with the nptII selectable marker via particle bombardment of immature embryos followed by regeneration of transgenic plants. Sanger sequencing confirmed a single nucleotide insertion in the sgRNA LG1 target site. Monoallelic edited plantlets displayed more upright leaves in tissue culture and after transfer to soil when compared to wild type. T1 progeny plants with biallelic lg1 mutation lacked ligules entirely and displayed a more severe reduction in leaf inclination angle than monoallelic mutants. Transgene-free lg1 mutants devoid of the genome editing vector were also recovered in the segregating T1 generation. Targeted mutagenesis of LG1 provides a rapidly scorable phenotype in tissue culture and will facilitate optimization of genome editing protocols. Altering leaf inclination angle also has the potential to elevate yield in high-density plantings.