Soy Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Soy, including details on soy milk, soy protein, soya bean, benefits, dangers.

Metabolic engineering for the production of clinically important molecules: Omega-3 fatty acids, artemisinin, and taxol.

Ye VM, Bhatia SK

Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.

Driven by requirements for sustainability as well as affordability and efficiency, metabolic engineering of plants and microorganisms is increasingly being pursued to produce compounds for clinical applications. This review discusses three such examples of the clinical relevance of metabolic engineering: the production of omega-3 fatty acids for the prevention of cardiovascular disease; the biosynthesis of artemisinic acid, an anti-malarial drug precursor, for the treatment of malaria; and the production of the complex natural molecule taxol, an anti-cancer agent. In terms of omega-3 fatty acids, bioengineering of fatty acid metabolism by expressing desaturases and elongases, both in soybeans and oleaginous yeast, has resulted in commercial-scale production of these beneficial molecules. Equal success has been achieved with the biosynthesis of artemisinic acid at low cost for developing countries. This is accomplished through channeling the flux of the isoprenoid pathway to the specific genes involved in artemisinin biosynthesis. Efficient coupling of the isoprenoid pathway also leads to the construction of an Escherichia coli strain that produces a high titer of taxadiene-the first committed intermediate for taxol biosynthesis. These examples of synthetic biology demonstrate the versatility of metabolic engineering to bring new solutions to our health needs.

Published 24 October 2011 in Biotechnol J.
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Articles on Soy published 24 October 2011:

Pressure cooker ownership and food security in Aurangabad, India.   Public Health Nutr.

OBJECTIVE: To explore associations between household food security and home gardening, use of soya and pressure cooker ownership in low-income households affected by HIV/AIDS in Aurangabad, India. DESIGN: Cross-sectional pilot study which assessed household food security using the validated US Department of Agriculture's food security core-module questionnaire. Questions were added to explore household environment, education, occupation, home gardening, use of soya and pressure cooker ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Comparative Quality Assessment of Buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) Semen Chilled (5°C) in Egg Yolk- and Soya Milk-Based Extenders.   Reprod Domest Anim.

Egg yolk-Tris is most commonly used semen extender; however, its use involves hygienic risk, interference with fertility and poor microscopic examination. Therefore, replacement of egg yolk with a plant-based component with protective effects on spermatozoa would be advantageous. In present study, we observed effect of soya milk-based extenders on dilution and liquid preservation of Murrah buffalo bull semen at 5°C up to 72 h in comparison with conventional egg yolk-Tris extender (Ext.1). In ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Chitosan functionalized magnetic particle-assisted detection of genetically modified soybeans based on polymerase chain reaction and capillary electrophoresis.   Anal Biochem, 420(1): 20-5.

The high quality of DNA template is one of the key factors to ensure the successful execution of polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Therefore, development of DNA extraction methods is very important. In this work, chitosan modified magnetic particles (MPs) were synthesized and employed for extraction of genomic DNA from genetically modified (GM) soybeans. The extraction protocol used aqueous buffers for DNA binding to and releasing from the surface of the MPs based on the pH inducing the charge ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Articles on Soy published 21 October 2011:

Lipid nanoparticles containing oryzalin for the treatment of leishmaniasis.   Eur J Pharm Sci.

Oryzalin is a dinitroaniline drug that has attracted recent interest for the treatment of leishmaniasis. Its use as an antiparasitic therapeutic agent is limited by the low water solubility associated with an in vivo rapid clearance, leading to the administration of larger and possibly toxic doses in in vivo studies, and the use of solvents that may lead to undesirable side effects. In the present work oryzalin-containing lipid nanoparticles were produced by a emulsion-solvent evaporation ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Dietary phospholipids ameliorate fructose-induced hepatic lipid and metabolic abnormalities in rats.   J Nutr, 141(11): 2003-9.

Overconsumption of fructose results in hepatic dyslipidemia, which has a documented correlation with metabolic syndrome. We examined whether the ingestion of phospholipids (PL) from soybeans prevents fructose-induced metabolic abnormalities. Rats were fed either a fructose-free diet (C), a 60% fructose diet (F), or a 60% fructose plus 3% PL diet (F-PL) for 10 wk. At wk 8, plasma glucose concentrations after glucose loading were significantly higher in rats fed the F diet than in rats fed the C ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Articles on Soy published 20 October 2011:

Study of quercetin-loaded liposomes as potential drug carriers: in vitro evaluation of human complement activation.   J Liposome Res.

Liposomes have been employed as potential drug carriers. However, after their in vivo administration, they can be destabilized by proteins of complement system, contributing to the clearance of vesicles from blood circulation. Antioxidant flavonoids such as quercetin have been reported to be beneficial to human health, but their low water solubility and bioavailability limit their enteric administration. Therefore, the development of appropriate flavonoid-carriers could be of great importance ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Articles on Soy published 19 October 2011:

Preparation of biodiesel catalysed by KF/CaO with ultrasound.   Nat Prod Res.

Biodiesel, chemically consists of fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) produced by methanolysis of natural triglycerides, such as animal fats and vegetable oils, is a kind of biomass energy, which is renewable and ecofriendly. In this article, KF/CaO was used as solid base catalyst for transesterification of soya bean oil and methanol, while ultrasound as supplementary means. Compared to mechanical stirring, ultrasound treatment is an effective method to increase the yield of FAME and shorten ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Evidence for shifts in the structure and abundance of the microbial community in a long-term PCB-contaminated soil under bioremediation.   J Hazard Mater, 195: 254-60.

Although the impact of bioremediation of PCB-contaminated sites on the indigenous microbial community is a key question for soil restoration, it remains poorly understood. Therefore, a small-scale bioremediation assay made of (a) a biostimulation treatment with carvone, soya lecithin and xylose and (b) two bioaugmentation treatments, one with a TSZ7 mixed culture and another with a Rhodococcus sp. Z6 pure strain was set up. Changes in the structure of the global soil microbial community and in ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

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