Location: Natural Products Utilization Research
2018 Annual Report
Accomplishments
1. Evaluating species for double utilization is a new approach to add value to lignocellulosic feedstock production. ARS researchers at Oxford, Mississippi, evaluated selected essential oil crops peppermint (Mentha x piperita L.), ‘Scotch’ spearmint (M. x gracilis Sole), Japanese cornmint (M. canadensis L.), sweet sagewort (Artemisia annua L.), and compared them to switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) as lignocellulosic feedstock for ethanol production and for production of high-value natural products. For each crop, the field experiment had a split-plot experimental design nested in year, with 3 blocks, 2 levels of irrigation, and 4 N application rates (0, 60, 120, and 180 kg ha-1). The biomass yields range (in kg ha-1) were 9,500 - 43,430 in Japanese cornmint, 9,300 - 33,870 in peppermint, 7,190 - 33,830 in ‘Scotch’ spearmint, and 11,867 in sweet sagewort. Oil content was 0.31 - 0.4% in Japanese cornmint, 0.23 - 0.26% in peppermint, 0.38 to 0.5% in spearmint, and 0.34% in sweet sagewort, and oil yields were (in kg ha-1) 34- 165 in Japanese cornmint, 25 - 108 in peppermint, 29.3 - 126 in spearmint, and 39.7 in sweet sagewort. Treatments affected the concentration of essential oil constituents, however, the oil composition remained within the normal range for the respective species. Estimated ethanol production from the alternative crops were similar to the one from switchgrass. Additional incomes from the essential oil sells would be $1,055 - 5,132 ha-1 from peppermint, $1,309 - 5,580 ha-1 from spearmint, $510 - 2,460 ha-1 from Japanese cornmint, and $3,613 ha-1 from sweet sagewort. The tested species could be used as supplemental crops for biofuel feedstock in irrigated areas. The advantage of the proposed crops over other lignocellulosic species is the production of high-value natural products, which may offset production costs, foster the development of new value-added products, and be more attractive to growers.
Review Publications
Morimoto, M., Cantrell, C.L., Khan, S., Tekwani, B.L., Duke, S.O. 2017. Antimalarial and antileishmanial activities of phytophenolics and their synthetic analogues. Chemistry and Biodiversity. DOI: 10.1002/cbdv.201700324.
Ren, G., Rimando, A.M., Mathews, S.T. 2018. AMPK activation by pterostilbene contributes to suppression of hepatic gluconeogenic gene expression and glucose production in H4IIE cells. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications. 498:640-645.
Allen, E.N., Potdar, S., Tapias, V., Parmar, M., Mizuno, C.S., Rimando, A.M., Cavanaugh, J.E. 2017. Resveratrol and pinostilbene confer neuroprotection against aging-related deficits through an ERK1/2 dependent-mechanism. Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry. 54:77-86.
Butt, N.A., Kumar, A., Dhar, S., Rimando, A.M., Akhtar, I., Hancock, J.C., Lage, J.M., Pound, C.R., Lewin, J.R., Gomez, C.R., Levenson, A.S. 2017. Targeting MTA1/HIF-1a signaling by pterostilbene in combination with histone deacetylase inhibitor attenuates prostate cancer progression. Cancer Medicine. 6(11):2673-2685.
Nakano, H., Seiji, K., Mamonov, L.K., Cantrell, C.L. 2016. 8-0-Acetyl-7-0-Methylgossypetin from Atraphaxis laetevirens. Chemistry of Natural Compounds. 52(1):127-129. doi: 10.1007/s10600-016-1567-x.
Gadetskaya, A.V., Mohamed, S.M., Tarawneh, A.H., Mohamed, N.M., Ma, G., Ponomarev, B.N., Zhusupova, G.E., Cantrell, C.L., Cutler, S.J., Ross, S.A. 2017. Phytochemical characterization and biological activity of secondary metabolites from three Limonium species. Medicinal Chemistry Research. 26:2743-2750. 10.1007/s00044-017-1973-z.
Ferreira, M.C., Cantrell, C.L., Wedge, D.E., Goncalves, V.N., Jacob, M.R., Khan, S., Rosa, C.A., Rosa, L.H. 2017. Antimycobacterial and antimalarial activities of endophytic fungi associated with the ancient and narrowly endemic neotropical plant Vellozia gigantea from Brazil. Memorias Do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. 112(10):692-697.
Labruzzo, A., Cantrell, C.L., Carrubba, A., Ali, A., Wedge, D.E., Duke, S.O. 2018. Phytotoxic Lignans from Artemisia arborescens. Natural Product Communications. 13(3):237-240.
Meepagala, K.M., Estep, A.S., Clausen, B.M., Becnel, J.J. 2018. Mosquitocidal activity of a naturally occurring isochroman and synthetic analogs from the plant pathogenic fungus, Diaporthe eres against Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae). Journal of Medical Entomology. 55(4):969–974. doi:10.1093/jme/tjy016.
Meepagala, K.M., Briscoe, W.E., Techen, N., Johnson, R.D., Clausen, B.M., Duke, S.O. 2017. Isolation of a phytotoxic isocoumarin from Diaporthe eres-infected Hedera helix (English Ivy) and synthesis of its phytotoxic analogs. Pest Management Science. 74:37-45.
Jeliazkov, V.D., Cantrell, C.L. 2016. Medicinal and aromatic crops: Production, phytochemistry, and utilization. In: ACS Symposium Series. Ed(s) Jeliazkov and Cantrell, American Chemical Society, Washington, DC., Volume 1218.
Carvalho, C.R., D'Silva, A.F., Wedge, D.E., Cantrell, C.L., Rosa, L.H. 2018. Antifungal activities of cytochalasins produced by Diaporthe miriciae, an endophytic fungus associated with tropical medicinal plants. Canadian Journal of Microbiology. 64:835-843. https://doi.org/10.1139/cjm-2018-0131.
Stappen, I., Tabanca, N., Ali, A., Wedge, D.E., Wanner, J., Gochev, V., Jaitak, V., Lal, B., Kaul, V.K., Schmidt, E., Jirovetz, L. 2017. Biological activity of Bunium persicum essential oil from western Himalaya. Planta Medica International Open. e52-e58. https://dx.doi.org/10.1055/s-0043-106857.
Shen, Z., Sun, Z., Becnel, J.J., Estep, A.S., Wedge, D.E., Tan, C., Weng, J., Liu, X. 2018. Synthesis and mosquiticidal activity of novel hydrazone containing pyrimidine derivatives against Aedes aegypti. Letters in Drug Design & Discovery. 15(9):951-956. doi:10.2174/1570180815666180102141640.
Meepagala, K.M., Schrader, K.K. Antibacterial activity of constituents from Mangosteen Garcinia mangostana fruit pericarp against several channel catfish pathogens. Journal of Aquatic Animal Health. 2018;30:179-184. https://doi.org/10.1002/aah.10021.
