Cefalu: Project 3; Moringa Isothiocyanates for Metabolic Resilience Moringa (Raskins)

G.项目概要/摘要：项目3 本项目的总体目标是检验叶片中产生异硫氰酸酯（ITCs）的假设 辣木（Moringa oleifera Lam）的化学特性提供了一种有效、化学稳定和实用的替代不稳定的 和由十字花科（菊科）植物产生的用于建立弹性的挥发性ITC， 维持正常的新陈代谢。 在十字花科植物中，与“超级食物”相关的植物产生的ITC是其中一些最重要的 从植物中分离的生物活性化合物。然而，在十字花科植物中形成的ITC，如花椰菜， 这使它们在人类医学中应用变得非常复杂。 有趣的是，辣木ITC（MIC）含有额外的糖残基，赋予更大的稳定性， 在室温下呈固体状。稳定的ITC在自然界中极其罕见，几乎未被探索， 替代有益的十字花科ITCs。我们开发了一种简单的单步提取/生物转化 一种有效地将辣木芥子油苷转化为MIC从而得到辣木浓缩物（MC）的方法， 我们的初步数据表明，MC及其分离的MIC具有潜在的抗- 抗炎、抗糖尿病和抗肥胖作用。 拟议项目的早期阶段将集中在辣木提取物的优化，表征和 建立质量标准和植物学鉴定标准（目标1）。后续研究将聚焦 在其生物利用度和行动所涉及的分子和生理机制，使用全球 基于代谢串扰、肠道微生物组和转录组学的方法（目标2和3）。通过密切 与植物学和综合生物学核心的整合，并与我们拥有的其他项目充分合作， 设计这些旨在测试是否增强的稳定性，结合高生物利用度和生物活性， 使辣木ITCs和MC有希望的植物剂，用于维持和促进基于 健康代谢和肠道微生物组。

G. Program Summary/Abstract: Project 3 The overarching goal of this project is to test the hypothesis that isothiocyanates (ITCs) produced in the leaves of moringa (Moringa oleifera Lam) provide an effective, chemically stable and practical alternative to instable and volatile ITCs produced by plants of the crucifer family (Brassicaceae) for building resiliency and maintaining normal metabolism. Plant-produced ITCs associated with “superfoods” in the crucifer family are among some of the most biologically active compounds isolated from plants. However, ITCs formed in crucifers, such as broccoli, share inherent thermolability and chemical instability that greatly complicate their use in human medicine. Interestingly, moringa ITCs (MICs) contain an additional sugar residue, conferring much greater stability and appear as solids at room termperature. Stable ITCs are extremely rare in nature and virtually unexplored as alternatives to beneficial crucifer ITCs. We have developed a simple, single-step extraction/biotransformation method which effectively converts moringa glucosinolates into MICs resulting in a moringa concentrate (MC) containing 3% MICs. Our preliminary data have shown that MC and its isolated MICs have potential anti- inflammatory, anti-diabetic and anti-obesity effects. Early stages of the proposed project will concentrate on moringa extract optimization, characterization and establishment of quality standards and botanical authentication criteria (Aim 1). Subsequent research will focus on the molecular and physiological mechanisms involved in its bioavailability and action using global approaches based on metabolic crosstalk, gut microbiome and transcriptomics (Aim 2 & 3). Through close integration with the Botanical and Integrative Biology Cores and in full collaboration with other projects we have designed these aims to test whether the enhanced stability, combined with high bioavailability and bioactivity, makes moringa ITCs and MC promising botanical agents for maintaining and promoting resilience based on healthy metabolism and gut microbiome.