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Lignans
The lignans are a large group of low molecular weight polyphenols found in plants, particularly seeds, whole grains, and vegetables. The name derives from the Latin word for "wood". Lignans are precursors to phytoestrogens. They may play a role as antifeedants in the defense of seeds and plants against herbivores. Biosynthesis and metabolism Lignans and lignin differ in their molecular weight, the former being small and soluble in water, the latter being high polymers that are undigestable. Both are polyphenolic substances derived by oxidative coupling of monolignols. Thus, most lignans feature a C18 cores, resulting from the dimerization of C9 precursors. The coupling of the lignols occurs at C8. Eight classes of lignans are: "furofuran, furan, dibenzylbutane, dibenzylbutyrolactone, aryltetralin, arylnaphthalene, dibenzocyclooctadiene, and dibenzylbutyrolactol." Many lignans are metabolized by mammalian gut microflora, producing so-called enterolignans. Food sources Flax se ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Enterolignan
Enterolignans are organic compounds formed by the action of gut microflora on lignans. They are thus the products of the combined action of both plants and of the animal gut. Prominent enterolignans are enterodiol and enterolactone Enterolactone is a organic compound classified as an enterolignan. It is formed by the action of intestinal bacteria on plant lignan precursors present in the diet. Sources Many dietary plant lignan precursors, such as secoisolariciresinol, mat .... Enterolignans are also called "mammalian lignans", although that term is self-contradictory since mammals do not produce lignans. . Enterolignans have attracted intense attention because of their potential beneficial roles in nutrition. Elevated levels of enterodiol in urine are attributed consumption of tea and other lignan-rich foods. References Polyols Lignans Phenols {{aromatic-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Secoisolariciresinol
Secoisolariciresinol is an organic compound. It is classified as a lignan, i.e., a type of phenylpropanoid. It is present in some cereals, e.g. rye, and together with matairesinol, has attracted much attention for its beneficial nutritional effects. Occurrence The water extract of silver fir wood contains more than 5% of secoisolariciresinol. It is also present in nettle brew. Its content in flaxseed (Linum usitatıssimum) was found to be 0.3%, which is the highest known content in food. Biomedical aspects In the intestine the gut microflora can form secoisolariciresinol from the secoisolariciresinol diglucoside and it can then be further transformed into the enterolignan enterodiol. Epidemiological studies showed associations between secoisolariciresinol intake and decreased risk of cardiovascular disease are promising, but they are yet not well established, perhaps due to low lignan intakes in habitual Western diets. At the higher doses used in intervention studies, association ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Soybean
The soybean, soy bean, or soya bean (''Glycine max'') is a species of legume native to East Asia, widely grown for its edible bean, which has numerous uses. Traditional unfermented food uses of soybeans include soy milk, from which tofu and tofu skin are made. Fermented soy foods include soy sauce, fermented bean paste, nattō, and tempeh. Fat-free (defatted) soybean meal is a significant and cheap source of protein for animal feeds and many packaged meals. For example, soybean products, such as textured vegetable protein (TVP), are ingredients in many meat and dairy substitutes. Soybeans contain significant amounts of phytic acid, dietary minerals and B vitamins. Soy vegetable oil, used in food and industrial applications, is another product of processing the soybean crop. Soybean is the most important protein source for feed farm animals (that in turn yields animal protein for human consumption). Etymology The word "soy" originated as a corruption of the Cantonese or ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lignin
Lignin is a class of complex organic polymers that form key structural materials in the support tissues of most plants. Lignins are particularly important in the formation of cell walls, especially in wood and bark, because they lend rigidity and do not rot easily. Chemically, lignins are polymers made by cross-linking phenolic precursors. History Lignin was first mentioned in 1813 by the Swiss botanist A. P. de Candolle, who described it as a fibrous, tasteless material, insoluble in water and alcohol but soluble in weak alkaline solutions, and which can be precipitated from solution using acid. He named the substance “lignine”, which is derived from the Latin word '' lignum'', meaning wood. It is one of the most abundant organic polymers on Earth, exceeded only by cellulose. Lignin constitutes 30% of non-fossil organic carbon on Earth, and 20 to 35% of the dry mass of wood. Lignin is present in red algae, which suggest that the common ancestor of plants and red algae ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Matairesinol
Matairesinol is an organic compound. It is classified as a lignan, i.e., a type of phenylpropanoid. It is present in some cereals, e.g. rye, and together with Secoisolariciresinol, has attracted much attention for its beneficial nutritional effects. Metabolism The plant lignans are precursors of the enterolignans (mammalian lignans). A number of plant lignans are metabolized to the enterolignans (enterodiol and enterolactone) that can potentially reduce the risk of certain cancers and cardiovascular diseases. Biomedical considerations Although some studies attribute disease preventative (cardio-protective and hormone associated cancers like breast cancer) benefits of lignans, the results are inconclusive. Matairesinol has been found to act as an agonist of the adiponectin receptor 1 Adiponectin receptor 1 (AdipoR1) is a protein which in humans is encoded by the ''ADIPOR1'' gene. It is a member of the progestin and adipoQ receptor (PAQR) family, and is also known as PAQR1. St ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Monolignol
Monolignols, also called lignols, are the source materials for biosynthesis of both lignans and lignin and consist mainly of paracoumaryl alcohol (H), coniferyl alcohol (G) and sinapyl alcohol (S). These monolignols differ in their degree of methoxilation of the aromatic ring. The monolignols are derived from the amino acid phenylalanine via the phenylpropanoid pathway involving various enzymes. Phenylalanine is first converted to paracoumaryl alcohol (H), which is subsequently elaborated to coniferyl alcohol (G) and sinapyl alcohol (S). This reaction happens in the cytosol, while the polymerization of the monolignols occurs in the apoplast to which the monolignols have to be transported to though the cell membrane. The monolignols have been found as monolignol-4-O-β-d-glucosides, which might be their major way of storage. Another theory for this conversion is that is improving the transportation of the monolignols. The polymerization consists of oxidative coupling reactions, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Podophyllotoxin
Podophyllotoxin (PPT) is the active ingredient in Podofilox, which is a medical cream that is used to treat genital warts and molluscum contagiosum. It is not recommended in HPV infections without external warts. It can be applied either by a healthcare provider or the person themselves. It is a non-alkaloid toxin lignin extracted from the roots and rhizomes of ''Podophyllum'' species. A less refined form known as podophyllum resin is also available, but has greater side effects. Podophyllotoxin was first isolated in pure form in 1880 by Valerian Podwyssotzki (1818 – 28 January 1892), a Polish-Russian privatdozent at the University of Dorpat (now: Tartu, Estonia) and assistant at the Pharmacological Institute there. It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines. Medical uses Podophyllotoxin possesses a large number of medical applications, as it is able to stop replication of both cellular and viral DNA by binding necessary enzymes. It can addit ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Steganacin
Steganacin is an dibenzocyclooctadiene lactone, an unusual type of lignan The lignans are a large group of low molecular weight polyphenols found in plants, particularly seeds, whole grains, and vegetables. The name derives from the Latin word for "wood". Lignans are precursors to phytoestrogens. They may play a role .... It exhibits some antileukemic properties. It has been isolated from '' Steganotaenia araliacea''. (−)-Steganacin is the natural form. Notes Lignans Antineoplastic drugs Cancer treatments Benzodioxoles Heterocyclic compounds with 5 rings Acetate esters Methoxy compounds Lactones {{aromatic-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pinoresinol
Pinoresinol is a tetrahydrofuran lignan found in ''Styrax sp.'', ''Forsythia suspensa, and in Forsythia koreana''. It is also found in the caterpillar of the cabbage butterfly, ''Pieris rapae'' where it serves as a defence against ants. In food, it is found in sesame seed, in ''Brassica'' vegetables and in olive oil. Pinoresinol has also been found to be toxic to larvae of the milkweed bug Oncopeltus fasciatus and of the haematophagous insect Rhodnius prolixus, which is a vector of chagas disease. Currently, pinoresinol is isolated from plants with low efficiency and low yield. Biosynthesis A first dirigent protein was discovered in ''Forsythia intermedia''. This protein has been found to direct the stereoselective biosynthesis of (+)-pinoresinol from coniferyl alcohol monomers. Recently, a second, enantiocomplementary dirigent protein was identified in ''Arabidopsis thaliana'', which directs enantioselective synthesis of (-)-pinoresinol. Pharmacology Pinoresinol inhibits ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Justicidin A
Justicidin A is a organic compound isolated from ''Justicia procumbens''. It is classified as a lignan. The compound may possess cytotoxic Cytotoxicity is the quality of being toxic to cells. Examples of toxic agents are an immune cell or some types of venom, e.g. from the puff adder (''Bitis arietans'') or brown recluse spider (''Loxosceles reclusa''). Cell physiology Treating cell ...effects. References {{organic-compound-stub Lactones Benzodioxoles Phenol ethers Lignans ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Secoisolariciresinol Diglucoside
Secoisolariciresinol diglucoside (SDG) is an antioxidant phytoestrogen present in flax, sunflower, sesame, and pumpkin seeds. In food, it can be found in commercial breads containing flaxseed. It is a precursor of mammal lignans which are produced in the colon from chemicals in foods. Extraction Secoisolariciresinol diglucoside can be isolated from de-fatted (hexane extraction) flaxseed by extraction of the lignan polymer precursor with a water/acetone mixture, followed by acetone removal and alkaline hydrolysis. Studies on biological effects Secoisolariciresinol diglucoside slows the growth of human breast cancer in mice. Secoisolariciresinol diglucoside may different roles in people. For example, due to 400-500Da size limit for Blood–Brain Barrier permeability, in one assessment of a Grade IV histology group of adult patients diagnosed with malignant glioma, high intake of secoisolariciresinol (for highest tertile compared to lowest tertile, in all cases) was associa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Barley
Barley (''Hordeum vulgare''), a member of the grass family, is a major cereal grain grown in temperate climates globally. It was one of the first cultivated grains, particularly in Eurasia as early as 10,000 years ago. Globally 70% of barley production is used as animal fodder, while 30% as a source of fermentable material for beer and certain distilled beverages, and as a component of various foods. It is used in soups and stews, and in barley bread of various cultures. Barley grains are commonly made into malt in a traditional and ancient method of preparation. In 2017, barley was ranked fourth among grains in quantity produced () behind maize, rice and wheat. Etymology The Old English word for barley was ', which traces back to Proto-Indo-European and is cognate to the Latin word ' "flour" (''see corresponding entries''). The direct ancestor of modern English ''barley'' in Old English was the derived adjective ''bærlic'', meaning "of barley". The first citation of t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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