Induction of Biologically Active Flavonoids in Cell Cultures of Morus nigra and Testing their Hypoglycemic Efficacy

The antidiabetic activity of both leaves and MJ-treated cell cultures of Morus nigra was evaluated after their oral administration to streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. The antidiabetic activity of extracts from leaves given to streptozotocin (STZ)-diabetic rats for 10 days increased with increasing doses of leaves extract up to 500 mg/kg/day. The administration of 500 mg/kg/day of leaves extract reduced the concentration of glucose from 370 ± 7.31 mg/dl (control) to 154 ± 6.27 mg/dl, and a significant increase in the insulin level from 11.3 ± 0.31 μU/ml (control) to 14.6 ± 0.43 μU/ml was recorded. Cell suspension cultures were established from the young leaves of Morus nigra cultivated on modified MS medium supplemented with 2.0 mg/l 1-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA), 0.2 mg/l 6-(furfurylamino)purine (kinetin). The changes in cell weight and flavonoid content were monitored between day zero and 12. The linear increase in fresh weight was found to be parallel to flavonoids production. Cell cultures treated with 100 μM methyl jasmonate for 24 hours showed a noticeable increase in level of flavonoids and significant and more effective hypoglycemic activity than that for extract from leaves. The major flavonoids were isolated by TLC and HPLC and identified as rutin, quercetin, Morusin and cyclomorusin by co-chromatography and mass spectrometry in comparison to samples of authentic reference compounds

Arabidopsis Chy1 null mutants are deficient in benzoic acid-containing glucosinolates in the seeds

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/73307/1/j.1438-8677.2008.00160.x.pd

Muscle invasive bladder cancer in Upper Egypt: the shift in risk factors and tumor characteristics

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In Egypt, where bilharziasis is endemic, bladder cancer is the commonest cancer in males and the 2^ndin females; squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the commonest type found, with a peculiar mode of presentation. The aim of this study is to identify and rank the risk factors of muscle invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) in Upper Egypt and describe its specific criteria of presentation and histopathology.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>This is an analytical, hospital based, case controlled study conducted in south Egypt cancer institute through comparing MIBC cases (n = 130) with age, sex and residence matched controls (n = 260) for the presence of risk factors of MIBC. Data was collected by personal interview using a well designed questionnaire. Patients' records were reviewed for histopathology and Radiologic findings.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The risk factors of MIBC were positive family history [Adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 7.7], exposure to pesticides [AOR = 6.2], bladder stones [AOR = 5], consanguinity [AOR = 3.9], recurrent cystitis [AOR = 3.1], bilharziasis [odds ratio (OR) = 5.8] and smoking [OR = 5.3]. SCC represented 67.6% of cases with burning micturition being the presenting symptom in 73.8%.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>MIBC in Upper Egypt is usually of the SCC type (although its percentage is decreasing), occurs at a younger age and presents with burning micturition rather than hematuria. Unlike the common belief, positive family history, parents' consanguinity, exposure to pesticides and chronic cystitis seem to play now more important roles than bilharziasis and smoking in the development of this disease in this area.</p

A plant thiolase involved in benzoic acid biosynthesis and volatile benzenoid production

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/75036/1/TPJ_3953_sm_FigS3.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/75036/2/TPJ_3953_sm_figS1.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/75036/3/TPJ_3953_sm_FigS4.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/75036/4/j.1365-313X.2009.03953.x.pd

Expressed sequence tag analysis of khat (Catha edulis) provides a putative molecular biochemical basis for the biosynthesis of phenylpropylamino alkaloids

Khat (Catha edulis Forsk.) is a flowering perennial shrub cultivated for its neurostimulant properties resulting mainly from the occurrence of (S)-cathinone in young leaves. The biosynthesis of (S)-cathinone and the related phenylpropylamino alkaloids (1S,2S)-cathine and (1R,2S)-norephedrine is not well characterized in plants. We prepared a cDNA library from young khat leaves and sequenced 4,896 random clones, generating an expressed sequence tag (EST) library of 3,293 unigenes. Putative functions were assigned to > 98% of the ESTs, providing a key resource for gene discovery. Candidates potentially involved at various stages of phenylpropylamino alkaloid biosynthesis from L-phenylalanine to (1S,2S)-cathine were identified

Cardiac glycosides from shoot cultures of Cryptostegia grandiflora

Cardiac glycosides in shoot cultures of Cryptostegia grandiflora were identified when grown in modified MS medium. The change in shoot segments and cardiac glycosides content was followed between day zero and day 12 at 2-day intervals. The content of cardiac glycosides in leaves and shoot cultures of Cryptostegia grandiflora was monitored by HPLC. Two major compounds were detected and isolated from shoot cultures extract, named oleandrigenin 3-O-β – glucopyranosyl-(1→4) – β-cymaropyranosyl-(1→4)-β-digitoxopyranoside (cryptostigmin I) and oleandrigenin 3-O-β – glucopyranosyl-(1→4)-α-rhamnopyranoside (cryptostigmin II). The structures of the isolated compounds were verified by means of MS and NMR spectral analysis, as well as by comparison with authentic samples. The leaves and shoot cultures were analyzed for their cardiac glycosides content. The shoot cultures inoculated into MS-based culture media supplemented with 0.1 mg L-1 BA, 30 g L-1 sucrose, 0.1 g L-1 myo-inositol and 0.1 g L-1 ascorbic acid were found to contain a quantity of cardiac glycosides that was about four fold the cardiac glycosides content of leaves extract

Usage of treated rice straw with exogenous anaerobic bacterial enzymes (ZAD) for Ossimi sheep

AbstractThe objectives of this study were to verify the potential benefits of growing green barley on anaerobic enzyme (ZAD) treated rice straw. In addition, the work intended to investigate the effect of this treatment on digestibility parameters in Ossimi sheep. A complete random design was used to distribute twelve mature male of Ossimi sheep (45.0+0.5kg wt.) on the following treatments: Rice straw with grown barley (RSGB) without either ZAD or orange pulp (control, T1), RSGB plus ZAD (T2), RSGB plus orange pulp (T3) and RSGB+ZAD+orange pulp (T4). The obtained results could be summarized as follow:1.Significant decreases were observed in %CF from 38.09 for T1 to 32.01 and 30.02 for rations T4 and T2 respectively (P<0.05). Percentage values of NDF were 70.01, 72.10 and 76.01 for rations T4, T2 and T1 respectively (P<0.05); while %ADF values were 50.05, 52.10 and 58.10 for rations T4, T2 and T1 respectively (P<0.05) %ADL was 6.01 for T4 versus 8.01for T1. Significant increases in %CP content to 7.96, 7.10, 7.95 were observed for rations T4, T3, T2 respectively compared to the control ration which was 5.75 (P<0.05).2.Adding ZAD to RSGB significantly increased (P<0.05) %TDN to 55.02 and 59.02 for treatments T2 and T4 respectively and increased digestibility coefficients of CP to 72.43 and 77.70 respectively.3.Rams fed rations T2, T3 and T4 had significantly higher values of ruminal ammonia-N 3h post feeding values were 25.41, 25.03, 25.96mg/100ml respectively and total volatile fatty acids 3h. Post feeding values were 8.20, 8.13 and 8.26meq/100ml respectively.4.Adding either ZAD, orange pulp or both to RSGB significantly increased (p<.05) plasma total protein values were 6.43, 6.23, 5.82g/dl for treatments T4, T3, and T2 respectively, while treating rations with ZAD reflected low level of GPT 6h. Post feeding values were 20.64 and 20.61 for treatments T2 and T4 respectively versus T1 (20.90μ/l).It could be concluded that the anaerobic enzyme matrix (ZAD) improved the nutritive value of soilless green barley and improved their digestibility coefficients in Ossimi sheep

Xanthones in cell cultures of Hypericum androsaemum.

Cell cultures of Hypericum androsaemum contain an array of prenylated xanthone aglycones and their glucosides, when grown in modified B5 medium in the dark. Derivatives of 1,3,6,7-tetrahydroxyxanthone prevail over compounds with the 1,3,5,6-oxygenation pattern. 1,7-Dihydroxyxanthone was also isolated. Xanthone accumulation parallels cell growth, is repressed by light and strongly influenced by the culture medium used