Endettements, productions, compréhension économétrique

None

The determination of huperzine A in european Lycopodiaceae species by HPLC-UV-MS

A rapid qualitative HPLC-UV-MS method was developed for the detection of huperzine A in Lycopodiaceac species. HPLC coupled with mass spectrometry experiments allowed the identification of the alkaloid and enabled targeted analysis of complex matrices such as herbal extracts. Huperzine A was detected by single ion monitoring of the pseudomolecular ion [M + H](+) at m/z 243.2. The alkaloid was also detected on TLC in a bioautographic enzyme assay with acetylcholinesterase to show the activity of the compound. Four Lycopodiaceae species collected in Switzerland were tested by these methods and Huperzia selago (L.) Bernh. ex Schrank et Martius was the only species found to contain huperzine A. Copyright (c) 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

Natural product inhibitors of acetylcholinesterase

Various natural products, such as physostigmine, have long been recognized as inhibitors of the enzyme acetylcholinesterase. Since the recent approval of galanthamine for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease by the blockage of acetylcholine degradation, attempts to find other inhibitors of the enzyme have multiplied, leading to promising candidates such as huperzine A. In this review, a listing is presented of natural product inhibitors, both alkaloid and non-alkaloid in origin. These have been isolated from plant, animal and microbial sources. Details of current testing methods on cholinesterases are given, including solution assays and screening techniques by TLC and HPLC

Obésité infantile : nouveautés thérapeutiques ciblées [Obesity in infancy: new precision treatment]

Obesity is a chronical disease, which leads to multiple short- and long-term complications. 4% of Swiss children and adolescents are obese. A prompt diagnosis and multicomponent lifestyle intervention is mandatory to avoid persistence of the disease into adulthood. Growth and BMI charts are still the essential tools to diagnose and define the etiology of obesity. A precocious and severe obesity, accompanied by hyperphagia, will raise the suspicion of monogenic obesity. The precise molecular diagnosis enables in some patients the use of a specific treatment. Leptine in case of LEP gene defects, or setmelanotide when the affected gene is part of the MC4R signaling pathway (LEPR, POMC, PCSK1)

Défis de la transition de l’adolescent obèse aux soins adultes [Challenges of the transition for obese teenager towards adult care]

The prevalence of overweight and obesity among young patients increases with age, and affects one out of five at secondary school level. Ensuring continuous care of these young patients during their growth into adulthood is a true challenge, and requires a close collaboration of pediatric and adult care teams. Each step of this transition is precarious and needs specific attentions and competencies to be successful, as teenagers and young adults are simultaneously undergoing multiple changes and challenges. As each of these young patients present with their own individual development and life experiences, individualized care transitional care plans are necessary

Huperzine alkaloids from Australasian and southeast Asian Huperzia

Context: The pharmaceutical alkaloid huperzine A (HupA), currently used in herbal supplements and medicines worldwide, is predominantly sourced from the Chinese lycopod Huperzia serrata (Thunb. ex Murray) Trev. (Lycopodiaceae), which on average contains only 0.08mg HupA g−1 dry weight, and is experiencing a rapid decline in China due to over-harvesting.\ud \ud Objective: To find a high-yielding, natural source of HupA and/or the related huperzine B (HupB) that could potentially be used as the starting material in a commercial propagation program.\ud \ud Materials and methods: We surveyed 17 Huperzia species (15 indigenous to Australia and southeast Asia) for their foliar HupA and HupB concentrations. We also studied intra-specific variation for the huperzines in four species that were available in sufficient numbers, and determined tissue-specific accumulation in larger specimens.\ud \ud Results: HupA was detected in 11 Australasian and southeast Asian species, with eight also containing HupB, albeit at much lower concentrations. A H. elmeri (Herter) Holub plant from the Philippines had one of the highest HupA concentrations recorded (1.01mg g−1 dry wt) and it also had the highest HupB content of all plants surveyed (0.34mg g−1 dry wt). Intra-specific HupA and HupB concentrations were extremely variable, and at the intra-plant level, reproductive strobili were found to accumulate the highest HupA concentrations.\ud \ud Discussion and conclusion: Select Huperzia species from Australia and southeast Asia have potential as the starting material for establishing commercial HupA plantations, but the high intra-specific variability observed suggests that detailed screening is needed to isolate high huperzine-yielding individuals