Cruciferous plants are known to produce over a hundred different mustard oil glycosides, which are derived from methionine, phenylalanine, or tryptophan. In oil-producing crops like Brassica napus (canola),...Full Text Available
Maytenus ilicifolia Mart. ex Reissek is traditionally used in Brazil for treatment of gastric ulcers. Here we report the phytochemical investigation of an ethanol extract of M. ilicifolia leaves (EEMIL) aiming at the isolation of constituents which were used as chemical markers to monitor an activity-guided fractionation of a lyophilized aqueous extract of M. ilicifolia leaves (LAEMIL). From EEMIL, four flavonoids were isolated, namely the tri-flavonoid glycosides mauritianin (1), trifolin, (2) hyperin (4), and epi-catechin (5). Fractionation of LAEMIL led to 5 fractions which afforded the tetra-glycoside kaempferol derivative (3), and galactitol (6). LAEMIL and its fractions were evaluated in rats for their effects on gastric secretion volume and pH. HPLC (High Performance Liquid Chromatography) analysis revealed that only fractions containing the tri- and tetra-flavonoid glycosides 1 and 3 caused significant increase of ...
The biosynthetic costs of phenylpropanoid-derived condensed tannins (CTs) and phenolic glycosides (PGs) are substantial. However, despite reports of negative correlations between leaf phenolic content...Full Text Available
Two new triterpene glycosides, patagonicosides B and C (2 and 3, resp.), together with the known patagonicoside A (1), have been isolated from the EtOH extract of the sea cucumber Psolus patagonicus. The structures of the new compounds were established on the basis of extensive NMR spectroscopic analysis ((1)H- and (13)C-NMR, (1)H,(1)H-COSY, HMBC, HSQC, TOCSY, and NOESY), HR-ESI-MS data, and chemical transformations. Compounds 1-3 and their desulfated analogs showed antifungal activities against the phytopathogenic fungus Cladosporium cladosporoides in a dose-dependent fashion. PMID:21404430
As a result of nuclear power plant accidents, large areas receive radioactive inputs of Cs-137. This cesium accumulates in herbs growing in such territories. The problem is whether the herbs contaminated by radiocesium may be used as a raw material for medicine. The answer depends on the amount of Cs-137 transfered from the contaminated raw material to the medicine. We have presented new results of the transfer of Cs-137 from contaminated Digitalis grandiflora Mill. and Convallaria majalis L. to medicine. We found that the extraction of Cs-137 depends strongly on the hydrophilicity of the solvent. For example 96.5%(vol.) ethyl alcohol extracts less Cs-137 (11.6%) than 40%(vol.) ethyl alcohol or pure water (66.2%). The solubility of the cardiac glycosides is inverse to the solubility of cesium, which may be of use in the technological processes for manufacturing ecologically pure herbal medicine.
We report here a many-year study of the qualitative and quantitative content of flavonoids in the reproductive organs of the showy tick trefoil (Desmodium canadense (L.) DC., Fabaceae) - stems, leaves, buds, inflorescences,pods, and seeds - collected at different phases of growth at the Department of Medicinal Plants, Kaunas Botanical Garden, Vytautas Magnus University. HPLC studies identified 15 aglycone and glycoside flavonoids: apigenin, apigenin-7-O-glycoside, luteolin, rutin, vicenin-2, vitexin, isovitexin, vitexin rhamnoside, orientin, homoorientin, quercetrin, quercetin, hyperoside, astralagin, and kaempferol. The largest quantities of flavonoids in the vegetative organs from year 2 to year 4 of plant growth were present in the leaves (2.64% and 2.61% at budding and flowering in the...
α-Galactosidases from thermophilic organisms have gained interest owing to their applications in the sugar industry. The α-galactosidases AgaA, AgaB and AgaA A355E mutant from Geobacillus...Full Text Available
1 Measurements of the binding of 12-alpha-[3H]-digoxin to the membranes of intact erythrocytes, erythrocytic 86rubidium uptake and intraerythrocytic sodium concentrations have been made in the red cells...Full Text Available
Partially purified UDPgalactosyltransferase (EC 2.4.1.22) from bovine milk has been used to synthesize millimolar amounts of compounds such as Gal#beta#(1#->#4)Glc, Gal#beta#(1#->#4)GlcNAc-#beta#-hexanolamine, and Gal#beta#(1#->#4)-GlcNAc#beta#(1#->#4)GlcNAc. The same method has been used to prepare similar compounds containing "1"3C-enriched galactopyranosyl moieties. Gal#beta#(1#->#4)GlcNAc-#beta#-hexanolamine was also synthesized in a solid-phase system in which the GlcNAc-#beta#-hexanolamine glycoside was covalently linked to agarose beads. At pH 7.0 and at 1 to 5 mM Mn"2"+"+ the yields of the galactosyl saccharides are greater than 90% by using 10% excess of UDPGal donor. The use of a 90% enriched [1-"1"3C]galactosyl residue allowed the determination of the most abundant conformer about the galactopyranosyl-glycoside linkage by analysis of the carbon-carbon coupling constants from Cl to Gal to the C3', C4', and C5' of GlcNAc ...
The aqueous fraction (AF) of an ethanolic extract from Chrysanthemum indicum was evaluated for analgesic activity in mice using chemical and thermal models of nociception. Given orally, AF at doses of 300 and 600 mg/kg produced significant inhibitions on chemical nociception induced by intraperitoneal acetic acid, subplantar formalin/capsaicin injections and on thermal nociception in the tail-flick test and in the hot plate test. In the pentobarbital sodium-induced sleeping time test and the open-field test, AF neither significantly enhanced the pentobarbital sodium-induced sleeping time nor impaired the motor performance, indicating that the observed analgesic activity was unlikely due to sedation or motor abnormality. In a measurement of core body temperature, AF did not affect temperature within 80 min. Moreover, the effective dose (600 mg/kg) also showed no toxicity within 7 days. These results suggested further that AF produced analgesic activity possibly related to the flavonoid ...
In the Institute of Nuclear Chemistry and Technology research on microbiological decontamination of medicinal herbs by irradiation has been carried out since 1996. It was shown that using ionizing radiation (a dose of 10 kGy) can obtain satisfactory results of microbiological decontamination of these products. The content of essential biologically active substances such as essential oils, flavonoids, glycosides, anthocyans, antra-compounds, poliphenoloacids, triterpene saponins, oleanosides and plants mucus did not change significantly after irradiation. Pharmacological activity of medicinal herbs has been found satisfactory after microbiological decontamination by irradiation.
This paper describes the chemical constituents isolated from aerial parts of the plant Galianthe brasiliensis. From a methanol extract, the iridoid glycosides asperuloside, deacetylasperuloside, mixture of Z- and E-6-O-p-coumaroylscandoside methyl ester, the triterpene ursolic acid and the steroids stigmasterol, campesterol, b-sitosterol and 3-O-b-glucopyranosyl sitosterol were isolated. The structures of the natural products were identified on the basis of spectral data, including 2D NMR experiments. The antiproliferative properties of the crude methanolic extract were investigated against a series of nine human cancer cell lines. (author)
In order to investigate the antioxidant properties of the polysaccharides from the brown alga Sargassum fusiforme, the crude polysaccharides from S. fusiforme (SFPS) were extracted in hot water, and the lipid peroxidation inhibition assay exhibited that SFPS possessed a potential antioxidant activity. Hence, two purely polymeric fractions, SFPS-1 and SFPS-2 were isolated by the column of DEAE (2-diethylaminoethanol)-Sepharose Fast Flow, with their molecular weights of 51.4 and 30.3 kDa determined by high performance gel permeation chromatography (HPGPC). They were preliminarily characterized using chemical analysis in combination of infrared (IR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopies and found to contain large amounts of uronic acids and ?-glycosidical linkages. The antioxida...
The present paper describes the phytochemical investigation and biological activities of the chloroform, ethyl acetate and methanol extracts of leaf decocts of M. truncata Reiss (Celastraceae). Our studies afforded two flavonoid glycosides, quercetin-3-O-rhamnopyranosyl-O-glucopyranosyl- O-rhamnopyranosyl-O-galactopyranoside (1) and kampferol-3-O-rhamnopyranosyl-O-glucopyranosyl- O-rhamnopyranosyl-O-galactopyranoside (2) from the methanolic extract and dulcitol (3) from the ethyl acetate extract. Ethyl acetate and methanol extracts exhibited considerable antiulcerogenic and analgesic activities. The results of the phytochemical studies suggest that the healing activity of methanol extracts can be related to the presence of glycosyl flavonoids. (author)
1,3-Dienes derived from steroidal D-ring C17-ketones undergo Ni(II)-catalyzed hydrovinylation to give 1,2- or 1,4-addition of ethylene. Using finely tuned phosphoramidite ligands it is possible to synthesize either the C20 (R)- or the C20 (S)-derivatives without mutual contamination. The proportion of the 1,4-adduct, which is also formed stereoselectively, can be minimized by optimizing the reaction conditions. Since the two alkenes in the resultant dienes have differing steric demands for many potential reactions, and are ideally juxtaposed for further D-ring functionalization, these intermediates could be useful for the preparation of biologically important compounds such as vitamin D analogs and various antitumor steroidal glycosides.
Kundur [Benincasa hispida (Thunb.) Cogn.], a member of the family Cucurbitaceae, is one of the famous crops that are grown primarily for its fruits and usually recognized with its nutritional and medicinal properties especially in Asian countries. Kundur fruit has been valued as a nutritious vegetable as it provides a good source for natural sugars, amino acids, organic acids, mineral elements and vitamins. A number of medicinal properties such as anti-diarrheal, anti-obesity, anti-ulcer, and antioxidant and diuretic have been ascribed to this fruit of high economic value. As a rich source of functionally important bioactives and therapeutics such as triterpenes, phenolics, sterols, and glycosides, the fruit has been widely used for the treatment of epilepsy, ulcer, and other nervous disor...
Glycyrrhizin is a triterpene glycoside, a major active constituent of licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) root and numerous pharmacological effects like anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, anti-tumour and hepatoprotective activities has been attributed to it. In this study we evaluated the anti-inflammatory activities of glycyrrhizin in mice model of acute inflammation, carrageenan-induced pleurisy. We report here that glycyrrhizin (given at 10mg/kg i.p. 5min prior to carrageenan) exerts potent anti-inflammatory effects in this model. Injection of carrageenan into the pleural cavity of mice elicited an acute inflammatory response characterized by fluid accumulation in the pleural cavity which contained a large number of neutrophils (PMNs) as well as an infiltration of PMNs in lung tissues and subsequ...
The ability to cope with plant defense chemicals differs between specialist and generalist species. In this study, we examined the effects of the concentration of the two main iridoid glycosides (IGs) in Plantago lanceolata, aucubin and catalpol, on the performance of a specialist and two generalist herbivores and their respective endoparasitoids. Development of the specialist herbivore Melitaea cinxia was unaffected by the total leaf IG concentration in its host plant. By contrast, the generalist herbivores Spodoptera exigua and Chrysodeixis chalcites showed delayed larval and pupal development on plant genotypes with high leaf IG concentrations, respectively. This result is in line with the idea that specialist herbivores are better adapted to allelochemicals in host plants on which they...
The paper describes the chemical constituents isolated from aerial parts of the plant Galianthe brasiliensis. From a methanol extract, the iridoid glycosides asperuloside, deacetylasperuloside, mixture of Z- and E-6-O-p-coumaroylscandoside methyl ester, the triterpene ursolic acid and the steroids stigmasterol, campesterol, b-sitosterol and 3-O-b-glucopyranosyl sitosterol were isolated. The structures of the natural products were identified on the basis of spectral data, including 2D NMR experiments. The antiproliferative properties of the crude methanolic extract were investigated against a series of nine human cancer cell lines. (author)
Eremostachys laciniata (L) Bunge (family: Lamiaceae alt. Labiatae; subfamily: Lamioideae) is one of the 15 endemic Iranian herbs of the genus Eremostachys. A decoction of the roots and flowers of E. laciniata has traditionally been taken orally for the treatment of allergies, headache and liver diseases. Three antibacterial iridoid glucosides, phloyoside I (1), phlomiol (2) and pulchelloside I (3) have been isolated from the rhizomes of this plant. The structures of these compounds were elucidated unequivocally by a series of 1D and 2D NMR analyses. The antibacterial activity and brine shrimp toxicity of these compounds were assessed using the resazurin microtitre assay and the brine shrimp lethality assay, respectively. All three iridoid glycosides 1-3 exhibited from low to moderate level...
Partially purified UDPgalactosyltransferase (EC 2.4.1.22) from bovine milk has been used to synthesize millimolar amounts of compounds such as Gal..beta..(1..-->..4)Glc, Gal..beta..(1..-->..4)GlcNAc-..beta..-hexanolamine, and Gal..beta..(1..-->..4)-GlcNAc..beta..(1..-->..4)GlcNAc. The same method has been used to prepare similar compounds containing /sup 13/C-enriched galactopyranosyl moieties. Gal..beta..(1..-->..4)GlcNAc-..beta..-hexanolamine was also synthesized in a solid-phase system in which the GlcNAc-..beta..-hexanolamine glycoside was covalently linked to agarose beads. At pH 7.0 and at 1 to 5 mM Mn/sup 2 + +/ the yields of the galactosyl saccharides are greater than 90% by using 10% excess of UDPGal donor. The use of a 90% enriched (1-/sup 13/C)galactosyl residue allowed the determination of the most abundant conformer about the galactopyranosyl-glycoside linkage by analysis of the carbon-carbon coupling constants from ...
Poncirin, flavanone glycoside, isolated from the fruit of Poncirus trifoliata, has anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory activities. In this study, the effects of poncirin on the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells were investigated. The C3H10T1/2 mesenchymal stem cells and primary bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells were studied. In the C3H10T1/2 cells, poncirin prevented adipocyte differentiation, as demonstrated by inhibition of cytoplasm lipid droplet accumulation and peroxisome proliferator-activating receptor-? (PPAR-?) and CCAAT-enhancer-binding protein-? (C/EBP-?) mRNA expression. By contrast, poncirin enhanced the expression of the key osteogenic transcription factors, runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2) and transcriptional coactivator with PDZ-binding motif (TAZ). Poncirin also enhanced expression of the osteogenic marker genes including alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and osteocalcin (OC). Poncirin increased mineral nodule formation in primary ...
In order to follow some of the changes induced by ultraviolet-B (UV-B, 280-320 nm) radiation in Phaseolus vulgaris and Brassica napus, experiments were designed to localize sites of changes in leaves and to correlate some of the physiological and biochemical changes with penetration of UV-B radiation. B.napus was exposed to 8.9 kJ m"-"2 day"-"1 biologically effective UV-B radiation (UV-B_B_E). The penetration of UV-B radiation into the leaf was followed using a quartz fibre optic microprobe. Monochromatic radiation at 310 nm was decreased by ca 50 and 34% in the adaxial and abaxial epidermis, respectively, in plants not exposed to UV-B, whereas the radiation was decreased by ca 70 and 42%, respectively, in the same region in UV-treated plants. Polychromatic radiation showed a wavelength dependent change mainly for the collimated radiation. The results correlated with the distribution of phenolic compounds analysed from 40 #mu#m paradermal leaf sections. The first adaxial section ...
Adenine DNA glycosylase catalyzes the glycolytic removal of adenine from the promutagenic A {center_dot} oxoG base pair in DNA. The general features of DNA recognition by an adenine DNA glycosylase, Bacillus stearothermophilus MutY, have previously been revealed via the X-ray structure of a catalytically inactive mutant protein bound to an A:oxoG-containing DNA duplex. Although the structure revealed the substrate adenine to be, as expected, extruded from the DNA helix and inserted into an extrahelical active site pocket on the enzyme, the substrate adenine engaged in no direct contacts with active site residues. This feature was paradoxical, because other glycosylases have been observed to engage their substrates primarily through direct contacts. The lack of direct contacts in the case of MutY suggested that either MutY uses a distinctive logic for substrate recognition or that the X-ray structure had captured a noncatalytically competent state in lesion recognition. To gain further ...