Analiza teobromina i srodnih spojeva pomoću visokodjelotvorne tekućinske kromatografije obrnutih faza s UV-detekcijom (Pregled literature od 1992. do 2011. godine)

Theobromine and its related compounds, such as caffeine and theophylline, are secondary metabolites that belong to the alkaloids and have economic and cultural importance. These alkaloids have demonstrated stimulatory effects on the central nervous, gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, renal and respiratory systems, resulting in \u27energy arousal\u27, increased motivation to work, increased alertness and increased cognitive function. Several analytical methods have been used to analyse these compounds, but reversed phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) is the most commonly applied because of its efficiency, sensitivity, specificity and speed. This review describes the analyses of theobromine-related compounds by RP-HPLC with ultraviolet detection (UV) in four sources: food, beverages, biological fluids and plants. Many RP-HPLC methods have been developed and optimized for the detection and quantification of these natural compounds. Elution under isocratic conditions is the most frequent method, with a water, methanol and acetonitrile mixture modified with acetic, phosphoric or formic acid as the mobile phase. For xanthine analysis, the use of reversed phase high-performance liquid chromatography with an ultraviolet/diode array detector (UV/DAD) is particularly suitable as derivation is not required; it allows the analysis of absorbance at all wavelengths, it is simple and rapid.Teobromin i srodni spojevi, kao što su kafein i teofilin, su sekundarni metaboliti koji pripadaju u skupinu alkaloida te imaju ekonomsko i kulturno značenje. Ti alkaloidi djeluju stimulativno na središnji živčani sustav, ali i na probavni, krvožilni, urinarni te dišni sustav, odnosno podižu energiju, motivaciju za rad i poboljšavaju kognitivne funkcije. Za analizu tih spojeva primijenjeno je nekoliko metoda, među kojima se visokodjelotvorna tekućinska kromatografija obrnutih faza (RP-HPLC) pokazala najosjetljivijom, najučinkovitijom i najbržom. U ovom je radu opisana analiza teobromina i srodnih spojeva u hrani, piću, biološkim tekućinama i biljkama pomoću visokodjelotvorne tekućinske kromatografije obrnutih faza s UV-detekcijom. Razvijene su i optimirane različite metode tekućinske kromatografije za analizu prirodnih spojeva. Najčešća je metoda ekstrakcije u izokratskim uvjetima otopinom vode, metanola i acetonitrila modificiranom pomoću mobilne faze (octena, fosforna ili mravlja kiselina). Primjena visokodjelotvorne tekućinske kromatografije s UV/DAD detektorom za analizu ksantina osobito je prikladna jer je jednostavna, brza i omogućuje mjerenje apsorpcije na svim valnim duljinama

Ocotea daphnifolia: phytochemical investigation, in vitro dual cholinesterase inhibition, and molecular docking studies

This study aimed to evaluate the anticholinesterase activities of extracts and fractions of Ocotea daphnifolia in vitro and characterize its constituents. The effects of hexane, ethyl acetate, and ethanolic extracts on acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) activity were determined with a spectrophotometry assay. All extracts inhibited cholinesterase activity, and the ethanolic extract (2 mg/mL) exhibited the highest inhibition of both enzymes (99.7% for BuChE and 82.4% for AChE). The ethanolic extract was fractionated by column chromatography resulting in 14 fractions that were also screened for their anticholinesterase effects. Fraction 9 (2 mg/mL) showed the highest activity, inhibiting AChE and BuChE by 71.8% and 90.2%, respectively. This fraction was analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography high-resolution mass spectrometry which allowed the characterization of seven glycosylated flavonoids (containing kaempferol and quercetin nucleus) and one alkaloid (reticuline). In order to better understand the enzyme-inhibitor interaction of the reticuline toward cholinesterase, molecular modeling studies were performed. Reticuline targeted the catalytic activity site of the enzymes. Ocotea daphnifolia exhibits a dual cholinesterase inhibitory activity and displays the same pattern of intermolecular interactions as described in the literature. The alkaloid reticuline can be considered as an important bioactive constituent of this plant

Cloning, Purification, and Partial Characterization of Bacillus subtilis Urate Oxidase Expressed in Escherichia coli

Urate oxidase (EC 1.7.3.3) is an enzyme involved in purine metabolism which is used in the treatment of gout and as diagnostic reagent for detection of uric acid. In order to produce this enzyme in large quantities for biotechnological purposes, the gene coding for the Bacillus subtilis urate oxidase was cloned and heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli. Time course induction in E. coli showed an induced protein with an apparent molecular mass of ∼60 kDa. Soluble recombinant enzyme was purified in a single-step procedure using Ni-NTA column. The enzyme was purified 2.1-fold with a yield of 56% compared to the crude extract. MALDI-TOF analysis revealed an ion with a mass of 58675 Da which is in agreement with the expected mass of the recombinant protein. The purified enzyme showed an optimal pH and temperature of 8.0 and 37°C, respectively, and retained 90% of its activity after 72 hours of incubation at −20°C and 4°C

Antimicrobial activity of wax and hexane extracts from Citrus spp. peels

Antibacterial and antifungal properties of wax and hexane extracts of Citrus spp. peels were tested using bioautographic and microdilution techniques against three plant pathogenic fungi (Penicillium digitatum, Curvularia sp., and Colletotrichum sp.), two human pathogens (Trichophyton mentagrophytes and Microsporum canis), and two opportunistic bacteria (Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus). Two polymethoxylated flavonoids and a coumarin derivative, were isolated and identified from peel extracts, which presented antimicrobial activity especially against M. canis and T. mentagrophytes: 4',5,6,7,8-pentamethoxyflavone (tangeritin) and 3',4',5,6,7,8-hexamethoxyflavone (nobiletin) from C. reticulata; and 6,7-dimethoxycoumarin (also known as escoparone, scoparone or scoparin) from C. limon

Evidence for the Involvement of Spinal Cord-Inhibitory and Cytokines-Modulatory Mechanisms in the Anti-Hyperalgesic Effect of Hecogenin Acetate, a Steroidal Sapogenin-Acetylated, in Mice

Hecogenin is a steroidal sapogenin largely drawn from the plants of the genus Agave, commonly known as ‘sisal’, and is one of the important precursors used by the pharmaceutical industry for the synthesis of steroid hormones. Hecogenin acetate (HA) is a steroidal sapogenin-acetylated that produces antinociceptive activity. Thus, we evaluate the antihyperalgesic profile of HA in mice in inflammatory models, as well as its possible involvement with c-fos expression on spinal cord area and cytokines to produces analgesic profile. Acute pretreatment with HA (5, 10, or 20 mg/kg; i.p.) inhibited the development of mechanical hyperalgesia induced by carrageenan, TNF-α, dopamine and PGE2. Additionally, the immunofluorescence data demonstrated that acute pretreatment with HA, at all doses tested, significantly inhibited Fos-like expression in the spinal cord dorsal horn normally observed after carrageenan-inflammation. Moreover, HA did not affect the motor performance of the mice as tested in the Rota rod test. This antinociceptive profile seems to be related, at least in part, to a reduction of pro-inflammatory cytokines, as IL-1β. The present results suggest that HA attenuates mechanical hyperalgesia by blocking the neural transmission of pain at the spinal cord levels and by cytokines-inhibitory mechanisms

CGAR E CGAR-EM na análise dos constituintes químicos isolados do extrato hexanico de Sebastiania argutidens (Euphorbiaceae) HRGC and HRGC-MS in the analysis of the chemical constituents isolated from hexanic extract of Sebastiania argutidens (Euphorbiaceae)

<abstract language="eng">The fractionation column with SiO2 of the hexane extract of Sebastiania argutidens (Euphorbiaceae) yielded fractions containing hydrocarbons, carboxylic acids, sterols and pentacyclic triterpenes. Besides, one fraction showed the presence of several methyl esters, including four uncommon long chain palmitate esthers as minor components. The characterization of these chemical constituents have been done by High Resolution Gas Chromatography (HRGC) and HRGC coupled to Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS). Campesterol, stigmasterol, b-sitosterol, glutin-5-en-3-ol were identified by HRGC co-injection with standards