Chemical composition of different parts of ramie (Boehmeria nivea)

Le T.P., Nguyen N.H., Le V.K., Pham P., Duong T.B., Le Q.N., Nguyen T.C., Ung T.D., Pham A.T., Nguyen L.H., Mai N.X., Nguyen L.T., Pham N.K.

This study investigated CuO and ZnO nanoparticles and CuO/ZnO nanocomposites in a friendly environment with a low-cost and renewable biosynthesis method. This approach involved using Boehmeria nivea leaf extract to facilitate the growth and formation of nanocomposites with performance-enhancing phytochemicals released during the co-precipitation process. All nanoparticles/nanocomposites explored the microstructure, morphology, and point defects using FTIR, XRD, SEM, and PL characterization techniques. The synthesized CuO and ZnO nanoparticles and CuO/ZnO nanocomposites were evaluated for their antibacterial ability against both bacteria Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). Combining different copper and zinc salt ratios creates different arrangements and morphologies between the CuO sheets and the spherical ZnO nanoparticles. The heterojunction of CuO/ZnO samples enhances the antibacterial effects of nanocomposites compared to pure CuO and ZnO nanoparticles. The maximum antibacterial performance was achieved at 250 ppm against E. coli and 500 ppm against S. aureus in CuO50/ZnO50 nanocomposites. This study shows that a green synthesis of CuO/ZnO nanocomposites promises great potential for environmental treatment and biochemical applications.

Choi J., Nguyen Q.N., Baek J.Y., Cho D., Kang K.S., Hahm D., Jang T.W., Park J.H., Lee A.Y., Lee S.

Zhao L., Shan C., Shan T., Xu J., Zhang S., Tao Y., Wu J.

Boehmeria nivea (L.) Gaudich is used in traditional Chinese medicine. Chlorogenic acids are major medically active components of Boehmeria nivea, which can be used clinically to treat hyperglycemia, pneumonia, and cancer. To identify the genes involved in chlorogenic acid biosynthesis, we analyzed transcriptome data from leaf, root, and stem tissues of Boehmeria nivea using the Illumina Hi-Seq 4000 platform. A total of 146,790 unigenes were obtained from Boehmeria nivea, of which 106,786 were annotated in public databases. In analyses of the KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genome) database, 484 unigenes that encode the five key enzymes involved in chlorogenic acid biosynthesis were identified, and shikimate O-hydroxycinnamoyl transferase was spatially simulated. Some of these key enzyme unigenes expression levels were verified by RT-qPCR (real-time quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction). Furthermore, multiple genes encoding plant resistance proteins or transcription factors were identified and analyzed. Differentially expressed genes were identified by performing pairwise comparison of genes between tissues. This study increases the number of public transcript datasets of this species and identifies candidate genes related to the biosynthesis of chlorogenic acid, laying a foundation for the further exploration of this pathway in Boehmeria nivea.