BackgroundIn recent years, the desire to adopt a healthy diet has drawn attention to legume seeds and food products derived from them. Mash bean is an important legume crop used in Pakistan however a systematic mapping of the chemical composition of mash bean seeds is lacking. Therefore seeds of four mash bean (Vigna mungo (L.) Hepper, family Leguminoseae) cultivars (NARC-Mash-1, NARC-Mash-2, NARC-Mash-3, NARC-Mash-97) commonly consumed in Pakistan have been analyzed for their chemical composition, antioxidant potential and biological activities like inhibition of formation of advanced glycation end products (AGE) activity and tyrosinase inhibition activity.ResultsThe investigated cultivars varied in terms of biochemical composition to various extents. Mineral composition indicated potassium and zinc in highest and lowest amounts respectively, in all cultivars. The amino acid profile in protein of these cultivars suggested cysteine is present in lowest quantity in all cultivars while fatty acid distribution pattern indicated unsaturated fatty acids as major fatty acids in all cultivars. All cultivars were found to be rich source of tocopherols and sterols. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) fingerprints of seed flour and extracts indicated major functional groups such as polysaccharides, lipids, amides, amines and amino acids. Results indicated that all investigated cultivars possessed appreciable antioxidant potential.ConclusionsAll cultivars are rich source of protein and possess sufficient content of dietary fiber, a balanced amino acid profile, low saturated fatty acids and antioxidant capacity that rationalizes many traditional uses of seeds of this crop besides its nutritional importance. The collected data will be useful for academic and corporate researchers, nutritionists and clinical dieticians as well as consumers. If proper attention is paid, it may become an important export commodity and may fetch considerable foreign exchange for Pakistan.

The present study was conducted to examine the effect of exogenously applied ascorbic acid (AsA) on osmoprotectants and the oxidative defense system in four cultivars (16171, 16183, 16207 and 16246) of safflower under well-watered and water deficit conditions. Water stress (60% field capacity) significantly decreased the shoot and root fresh and dry weights, shoot and root lengths and chlorophyll contents in all four safflower cultivars, while it increased the leaf free proline, total phenolics, total soluble proteins, hydrogen peroxide content and activities of catalase, superoxide dismutase and peroxidase enzymes. Foliar-applied (100 mg L−1 and 150 mg L−1) ascorbic acid caused a marked improvement in shoot and root fresh and dry weights, plant height, chlorophyll and AsA contents as well as the activity of peroxidase (POD) enzyme particularly under water deficit conditions. It also increased the accumulation of leaf proline, total phenolics, total soluble proteins and glycine betaine (GB) content in all four cultivars. Exogenously applied AsA lowered the contents of MDA and H2O2, and the activities of CAT and SOD enzymes. Overall, exogenously applied AsA had a positive effect on the growth of safflower plants under water deficit conditions which could be related to AsA-induced enhanced osmoprotection and regulation of antioxidant defense system.

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Pyruvate kinase (PK), a key enzyme that determines glycolytic activity, has been known to support the metabolic phenotype of tumor cells, and specific pyruvate kinase isoform M2 (PKM2) has been reported to fulfill divergent biosynthetic and energetic requirements of cancerous cells. PKM2 is overexpressed in several cancer types and is an emerging drug target for cancer during recent years. Therefore, this study was carried out to identify PKM2 inhibitors from natural products for cancer treatment. Based on the objectives of this study, firstly, plant extract library was established. In order to purify protein for the establishment of enzymatic assay system, pET-28a-HmPKM2 plasmid was transformed to E. coli BL21 (DE3) cells for protein expression and purification. After the validation of enzymatic assay system, plant extract library was screened for the identification of inhibitors of PKM2 protein. Out of 51 plant extracts screened, four extracts Mangifera indica (leaf, seed, and bark) and Bombex ceiba bark extracts were found to be inhibitors of PKM2. In the current study, M. indica (leaf, seed, and bark) extracts were further evaluated dose dependently against PKM2. These extracts showed different degrees of concentration-dependent inhibition against PKM2 at 90-360 μg/ml concentrations. We have also investigated the anticancer potential of these extracts against MDA-MB231 cells and generated dose-response curves for the evaluation of IC50 values. M. indica (bark and seed) extracts significantly halted the growth of MDA-MB231 cells with IC50 values of 108 μg/ml and 33 μg/ml, respectively. Literature-based phytochemical analysis of M. indica was carried out, and M. indica-derived 94 compounds were docked against three binding sites of PKM2 for the identification of PKM2 inhibitors. The results of in silico based screening have unveiled various PKM2 modulators; however, further studies are recommended to validate their PKM2 inhibitory potential via in vitro biochemical assay. The results of this study provide novel findings for possible mechanism of action of M. indica (bark and seed) extracts against TNBC via PKM2 inhibition suggesting that M. indica might be of therapeutic interest for the treatment of TNBC.

Secreted frizzled-related protein 4 (SFRP4) is a member of secreted protein family with sequence similarity to frizzled receptors of wingless-related integration site (Wnt) signaling pathways. These proteins control diverse functions from embryonic development to adults in many organisms including humans. Initially, SFRPs were recognized as antagonists of Wnt signaling and supposed to interact with Wnts. Further research demonstrated their interactions to frizzled receptors and a functional diversity was related to these proteins, Wnt signaling potentiation in addition to modulation. SFRP4 is the largest member of SFRP family and is implicated in many diseases including obesity, type 2 diabetes (T2D), and cancer. SFRP4 acts as a biomarker for T2D and was expressed several years before clinical diagnosis of disease. This review mainly focusses on the role of SFRP4 in obesity and how it can lead to β-cell failure and ultimately to T2D. The role of SFRP4 in adipose tissues causing increased production of adipokines lead to the oxidative stress in pancreas that particularly have low amount of antioxidant enzymes in pancreatic β-cells leading to failure in exocytosis of insulin containing granules causing T2D. Obesityinduced inflammation is a principal factor in pathogenesis of insulin resistance as well as metabolic syndrome. Pro-inflammatory cytokines have potential to cause insulin resistance in skeletal muscles, adipose tissue, and liver via inhibition of insulin signal transduction. Secretion of SFRP4 is mediated by interleukin 1-β (IL1-β). This review highlights the molecular mechanisms by which SFRP4 leads to T2D.Understanding of molecular mechanism and targeting SFRP4 could help to eradicate or reduce chances of developing T2D. K E Y W O R D S adipokines, obesity, SFRP4, type-2 diabetes, Wnt signaling 1 | INTRODUCTION Cellular activities and functions are coordinated through processing of biological information and communication between cells via different signaling molecules. These signaling molecules regulate gene expression in nucleus and in Abbreviations: C/EBP, CAAT/enhancer-binding protein; CRD, cystein rich domain; DKK, dickkopfs; FZD, frizzled receptors; IL, interleukin; LRP, low density lipoprotein receptor related protein; MCP1, monocyte chemotactic protein-1; MG, methylglyoxal; NLD, netrin-like domain; PKB, protein kinase B; Pparγ, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ; SFRP4, secreted frizzled-related protein 4; T2D, type 2 diabetes; WIF, Wnt inhibitory factors; Wnt, wingless-related integration site.