Bacterial microbiome of root-associated endophytes of Salicornia europaea in correspondence to different levels of salinity.[Pubmed: 29951760]

The halophytes have evolved several strategies to survive in saline environments; however, an additional support from their associated microbiota helps combat adverse conditions. Hence, our driving interests to investigate the endophytic bacterial community richness, diversity, and composition associated to roots of Salicornia europaea from two test sites with different origins of soil salinity. We assumed that salinity will have a negative effect on the diversity of endophytes but simultaneously will permit the high occurrence of halophylic bacteria. Further, to establish the role of the host and its external environment in determining the endophytic diversity, we analyzed the physico-chemical parameters of root zone soil and the concentration of salt ions in the plant roots. The results based on the Miseq Illumina sequencing approach revealed a higher number of endophytic bacterial OTUs at naturally saline test site with a higher level of soil salinity. Proteobacteria and Bacteriodetes were the dominant endophytic phyla at both analyzed sites; additionally, the high occurrence of Planctomycetes and Acidobacteria at more saline site and the occurrence of Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, and Chloroflexi at less saline site were recorded. The salinity in the root zone soil was crucial in structuring the endophytic community of S. europaea, and the significant prevalence of representatives from the phyla Deltaproteobacteria, Acidobacteria, Caldithrix, Fibrobacteres, and Verrucomicrobia at the more saline test site suggest domination of halophylic bacteria with potential role in mitigation of salt stress of halophytes.

Ameliorative potential of desalted Salicornia europaea L. extract in multifaceted Alzheimer's-like scopolamine-induced amnesic mice model.[Pubmed: 29740000]

The Salicornia europaea L. (SE) plant is a halophyte that has been widely consumed as a seasoned vegetable, and it has been recently reported to counteract chronic diseases related to oxidative and inflammatory stress. In this study, we performed an initial phytochemical analysis with in vitro biochemical tests and chromatographic profiling of desalted and enzyme-digested SE ethanol extract (SE-EE). Subsequently, we evaluated the anti-neuroinflammatory and ameliorative potential of SE-EE in LPS-inflicted BV-2 microglial cells and scopolamine-induced amnesic C57/BL6N mice, respectively. SE-EE possess considerable polyphenols and flavonoids that are supposedly responsible to improve its bio-efficacy. SE-EE dose-dependently attenuated LPS-induced inflammation in BV-2 cells, significantly repressed behavioural/cognitive impairment, dose-dependently regulated the cholinergic function, suppressed oxidative stress markers, regulated inflammatory cytokines/associated proteins expression and effectively ameliorated p-CREB/BDNF levels, neurogenesis (DCX stain), neuron proliferation (Ki67 stain) in scopolamine-administered mice. Thus, SE-EE extract shows promising multifactorial disease modifying activities and can be further developed as an effective functional food, drug candidate, or supplemental therapy to treat neuroinflammatory mediated disorders.

Desalted Salicornia europaea powder and its active constituent, trans-ferulic acid, exert anti-obesity effects by suppressing adipogenic-related factors.[Pubmed: 29521146]

Salicornia europaea (Amaranthaceae) (SE) has been shown to reduce obesity, but it remains a problem as a food supplement because of its high salt content (25-35% NaCl).

Desalted Salicornia europaea extract attenuated vascular neointima formation by inhibiting the MAPK pathway-mediated migration and proliferation in vascular smooth muscle cells.[Pubmed: 28778046]

Salicornia europaea L. (SE) has been used as folk medicine for the treatment of various diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and cancer. However, its effects on atherosclerotic events in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) remain unknown. The present study explored the effects of the ethyl acetate fraction of desalted SE hot water extract (SEWEAF) on atherosclerotic responses (especially migration and proliferation) in VSMCs and vascular neointima formation. Treatment with the SEWEAF significantly suppressed the platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-BB-induced VSMC migration and proliferation as well the phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) such as the p38 MAPK and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 1/2. Moreover, oral administration of the SEWEAF resulted in the attenuation of neointima formation in balloon-injured rat carotid arteries. Additionally, HPLC analysis showed that the major components in the two subfractions of the SEWEAF were five phenolic acids and four flavonols. In the SEWEAF components, for which atherosclerosis-linked responses in VSMCs have not been known, p-coumaric acid, quercetin-3-β-d-glucoside, and isorhamnetin-3-β-d-glucoside inhibited both PDGF-BB-induced migration and proliferation and isorhamnetin attenuated only PDGF-BB-stimulated VSMC proliferation. These results suggest that the SEWEAF may suppress PDGF-BB-induced VSMC migration by downregulating the phosphorylation of p38 MAPK and ERK1/2, thus leading to the reduction of neointimal hyperplasia during vascular remodeling. Therefore, the desalted SE extract, SEWEAF may be a potential ingredient for dietary supplements or nutraceuticals to ameliorate and/or prevent vascular remodeling-related disorders.

Establishment of a gene function analysis system for the euhalophyte Salicornia europaea L.[Pubmed: 28466186]

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