Search Results (3)

The functional exploration of natural foods, coupled with the increasing prevalence of gastrointestinal motility disorders and the associated therapeutic challenges, has generated significant interest in this field. This study aims to investigate the ameliorative effects of the extract from Pugionium cornutum (L.) Gaertn (EAEPC), a traditional edible vegetable in northwest China’s desert region, on atropine-induced gastroparesis in mice, as well as to elucidate its mechanism in terms of the gut microbiota and major metabolites. The findings indicate that EAEPC effectively reduces the rate of pigment residual in the stomach while shortening the gastrointestinal transit time and alleviating other symptoms associated with atropine-induced gastroparesis. These effects may be mediated through modulation of the expression levels of major intestinal metabolites, such as short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), bile acids (BAs), and L-tryptophan, alongside remodeling of both the diversity and relative abundance of the gut microbiota. Furthermore, correlation analyses were conducted on significantly altered strains and metabolites to clarify their interactions. Moreover, the chemical constituents of EAEPC were identified by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS, and the key active components responsible for improving gastroparesis were predicted through network pharmacology approaches and validated experimentally. These results provide a foundation for further research into the functions of Pugionium and offer scientific support for developing natural plant-based strategies aimed at treating gastrointestinal motility disorders. Full article

In recent years, the problem of crop yield reduction caused by drought has become increasingly serious in countries around the world. China, in particular, is facing a pressing issue of water resource scarcity that is limiting agricultural production and food security. To address this, studying the drought resistance of plants is crucial to understanding the limitations of cultivated plants in dealing with drought. It can also contribute to an improvement in plant drought resistance theory and provide a theoretical foundation for sustainable agricultural development. In this study, we used Pugionium corntum (L.) Gaertn. as the experimental material and analyzed the transcriptome data of P. corntum under drought stress using high-throughput Illumina sequencing technology. Under the simulated drought environment, we compared P. corntum with the control and observed that the number of differentially expressed genes involved in the carbon fixation pathway in photosynthetic organisms was 14 and 30 under moderate and severe drought stress, respectively. Our findings revealed the presence of genes related to the C₄ cycle pathway in P. corntum, which effectively explains its adaptation mechanism to arid desert environments. This adaptation mechanism alleviates the negative impact of drought on photosynthesis in seedlings. Full article

The xerophyte Pugionium cornutum adapts to salt stress by accumulating inorganic ions (e.g., Cl⁻) for osmotic adjustment and enhancing the activity of antioxidant enzymes, but the associated molecular basis remains unclear. In this study, we first found that P. cornutum could also maintain cell membrane stability due to its prominent ROS-scavenging ability and exhibits efficient carbon assimilation capacity under salt stress. Then, the candidate genes associated with the important physiological traits of the salt tolerance of P. cornutum were identified through transcriptomic analysis. The results showed that after 50 mM NaCl treatment for 6 or 24 h, multiple genes encoding proteins facilitating Cl⁻ accumulation and NO₃⁻ homeostasis, as well as the transport of other major inorganic osmoticums, were significantly upregulated in roots and shoots, which should be favorable for enhancing osmotic adjustment capacity and maintaining the uptake and transport of nutrient elements; a large number of genes related to ROS-scavenging pathways were also significantly upregulated, which might be beneficial for mitigating salt-induced oxidative damage to the cells. Meanwhile, many genes encoding components of the photosynthetic electron transport pathway and carbon fixation enzymes were significantly upregulated in shoots, possibly resulting in high carbon assimilation efficiency in P. cornutum. Additionally, numerous salt-inducible transcription factor genes that probably regulate the abovementioned processes were found. This work lays a preliminary foundation for clarifying the molecular mechanism underlying the adaptation of xerophytes to harsh environments. Full article