Apteniols A-F, oxyneolignans from the leaves of Aptenia cordifolia.

Abstract—Investigation of the organic extract of Aptenia cordifolia leaves revealed six new oxyneolignans named apteniols A–F. The structures were determined by means of spectroscopic methods. The C6C3 units are linked by an oxygen atom at C4–C40 or C4–C20 and they are dihydrophenylpropanoid acid units. Their effects on germination and growth of Lactuca sativa L. have been studied in the range concentration 10K4–10K7 M

Gymnema sylvestre R. Br., an Indian medicinal herb: traditional uses, chemical composition, and biological activity

Gymnema sylvestre R. Br. is one of the most important medicinal plants that grows in tropical forests in India and South East Asia. Its active ingredients and extracts of leaves and roots are used in traditional medicine to treat various ailments and they are present in the market for pharmaceutical and parapharmaceutical products. Commercial products based on substances of plant origin that are generally connoted as natural have to be subjected to monitoring and evaluation by health authorities for their potential impacts on public health. The monitoring and evaluation of these products are critical because the boundary between a therapeutic action and a functional or healthy activity has not yet been defined in a clear and unambiguous way. Therefore, these products are considered borderline products, and they require careful and rigorous studies, in order to use them as complement and/or even replacement of synthetic drugs that are characterized by side effects and high economic costs. This review explores the traditional uses, chemical composition and biological activity of G. sylvestre extracts, providing a general framework on the most interesting extracts and what are the necessary studies for a complete definition of the range of activities

Effects of Dried Blood Spot Storage on Lipidomic Analysis

During the lipidomic analysis of red blood cell membranes, the distribution and percentage ratios of the fatty acids are measured. Since fatty acids are the key constituents of cell membranes, by evaluating their quantities it possible to understand the general health of the cells and to obtain health indicators of the whole organism. However, because the analysis is precise, it is necessary to ensure that the blood does not undergo significant variations between the point of collection and analysis. The composition of the blood may vary dramatically weeks after collection, hence, here an attempt is made to stabilize these complex matrixes using antioxidants deposited on the paper cards on which the blood itself is deposited

Scavenging Effect of Various Extracts of the Gymnema sylvestre R. Br. and Antioxidant Activity of the Isolated Triterpenes

Gymnema sylvestre has been used in Asian traditional medicine for its anti-microbial, antihypercholesterolemic, hepatoprotective and sweet suppressing properties and activities. G. sylvestre has also been used extensively in chewing gum, as a health food for preventing obesity and diabetes, and as a tea. This study has evaluated the total phenolic content and antioxidant activity of the aqueous and organic G. sylvestre extracts and their sub-fractions for the initial characterization of the biological properties of the isolated compounds. An in vivo cell model was used to calculate the concentration inhibiting cell growth by 50% and the ability to exert antioxidant activity. All compounds inhibit cell growth in a dose-dependent manner, with an IC50 value ranging between 29 and 1462 μM. The effects on intracellular ROS levels are extremely variable, but it is of interest that some of the compounds appear to display an antioxidant effect

Synthesis of Oligonucleotide Conjugates and Phosphorylated Nucleotide Analogues: An Improvement to a Solid Phase Synthetic Approach

An improvement to our solid phase strategy to generate pharmacologically interesting molecule libraries is proposed here. The synthesis of newo-chlorophenol-functionalised solid supports with very high loading (0.18–0.22 meq/g for control pore glass (CPG) and 0.25–0.50 meq/g for TG) is reported. To test the efficiency of these supports, we prepared nucleotide and oligonucleotide models, and their coupling yields and the purity of the crude detached materials were comparable to previously available results. These supports allow the facile and high-yield preparation of highly pure phosphodiester and phosphoramidate monoester nucleosides, conjugated oligonucleotides, and other yet unexplored classes of phosphodiester and phosphoramidate molecules

Herbicidal potential of phenolic and cyanogenic glycoside compounds isolated from Mediterranean plants

This study was conducted to test five phenolic and cyanogenic glycoside compounds for growth regulating activity on the germination and seedling growth of Portulaca oleracea L., Amaranthus retroflexus L., and Lactuca sativa L. at different concentrations. Overall, the tested compounds revealed growth-regulating activity in species-specific and concentration dependent manner. The most powerful effects were much pronounced on seedling growth rather than on germination. In fact, the compounds 1 (amygdalin) and 2 (salicylic acid) were the most phytotoxic on root growth of  P. oleracea, and they caused, respectively, an inhibition of 55% and 85% at 10-6 M and 10-4 M. On the other hand, the lettuce seedling growth was more sensitive than weeds growth to the compounds 4 (3,4,5-trihydroxybenzoic acid) and 5 (7-hydroxycoumarin), which exhibited a moderate inhibition at the highest concentration. This selectivity and specificity of these active allelopathic compounds could be very useful for the development of new application of natural substances to control the aggressive weeds. Thus, our findings suggest that the integration of these compounds may maintain irrigation system and reduce the massive use of agrochemicals in agro-ecosystems

Silymarin from Silybum marianum by Naviglio’s extractor: a new and very efficient approach

The aim of this work is to compare new and traditional extraction methods to obtain silymarin from Silybum marianum, a biennial herbaceous plant of the Asteraceae family, present throughout the Mediterranean basin and used to treat several diseases. Silymarin primarily contains flavonolignans and flavonoids and is used in some pharmaceutical preparations to improve of liver function and as a protective against some hepatotoxins. In six extracts obtained by new and traditional extraction methods, the total contents of silymarin and its main flavonolignans, total phenols and condensed tannins were evaluated in addition to their respective antioxidant capacities. By the Naviglio extractor, that is a rapid solid-liquid dynamic extraction method, it is possible to obtain a fraction quantitatively more abundant than other methods, and with a lower content of tannins and phenolic compounds but with a higher content of flavonolignans, rare and expensive, and therefore easier to separate and purify

Serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) subclasses in a cohort of systemic sclerosis patients

Objectives: To assess serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) subclasses in a cohort of systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients and to evaluate the influence of IgG subclasses in the main complications of the disease. Methods: The serum level of IgG subclasses was evaluated in 67 SSc patients and 48 healthy controls (HC), matched for sex and age. Serum samples were collected and measured IgG1–4 subclasses by turbidimetry. Results: SSc patients had lower median total IgG [9.88 g/l (IQR 8.18–11.42 g/l) vs. 12.09 g/l (IQR 10.24–13.54 g/l), p < 0.001], IgG1 [5.09 g/l (IQR 4.25–6.38 g/l) vs. 6.03 g/l (IQR 5.39–7.90 g/l), p < 0.001], and IgG3 [0.59 g/l (IQR 0.40–0.77 g/l) vs. 0.80 g/l (IQR 0.46–1 g/l), p < 0.05] serum levels compared to HC. The logistic regression analysis showed IgG3 as the only variable associated with the diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (DLco) ≤60% of the predicted [OR 9.734 (CI 95%: 1.312–72.221), p < 0.05] and modified Rodnan skin score (mRSS) [OR 1.124 (CI 95%: 1.019–1.240), p < 0.05], anti-topoisomerase I [OR 0.060 (CI 95%: 0.007–0.535), p < 0.05], and IgG3 [OR 14.062 (CI 95%: 1.352–146.229), p < 0.05] as variables associated with radiological interstitial lung disease (ILD). Conclusion: SSc patients have reduced levels of total IgG and an altered IgG subclass distribution compared to HC. Moreover, SSc patients show different serum IgG subclasses profiles according to the main involvement of the disease

Syncope and sudden death from the emergency physician's perspective: is there room for new biomarkers?

Syncope is a transient loss of consciousness due to temporary global cerebral hypoperfusion characterized by rapid onset, short duration, and spontaneous complete recovery. Syncope represents 1-2% of emergency department (ED) visits and is coupled with a high risk for mortality, prolonged hospital admission, and immediate false diagnosis. Many patients who present to the ED with aspecific symptoms are mainly hospitalized because of diagnostic uncertainty. It is always very important to immediately distinguish syncope of cardiac and non-cardiac origins. Cardiac syncope has higher risk for mortality especially for sudden cardiac death, while non-cardiac one shows risk of repeated events of syncope with poor quality of life. Sudden cardiac death is defined as rapid and unexpected natural death due to cardiac etiology. Researchers from the GREAT Network hypothesized to evaluate some novel biomarkers in order to test acute cardiac condition that can suggest the presence of heart structural diseases, heart failure, and electrical disorders. The primary objective of this study is to test the diagnostic performance from patient history, clinical judgment, and novel biomarkers in the diagnosis of cardiac syncope in patients admitted to the ED. The trial is designed as a prospective international multicenter observational study accounting for 730 patients aged over 40 admitted to the ED with syncope within the last 12 h. A multimarker approach combining markers of different origin and mode of relapse, should add diagnostic information to correctly identify the cardiac conditions and to therefore be pertinent in the early diagnosis of cardiac syncope and in the prediction of cardiac events including sudden death. Future data should be needed to confirm the hypothesis presented here

Antarctic ecosystems in transition – life between stresses and opportunities

Important findings from the second decade of the 21st century on the impact of environmental change on biological processes in the Antarctic were synthesised by 26 international experts. Ten key messages emerged that have stakeholder-relevance and/or a high impact for the scientific community. They address (i) altered biogeochemical cycles, (ii) ocean acidification, (iii) climate change hotspots, (iv) unexpected dynamism in seabed-dwelling populations, (v) spatial range shifts, (vi) adaptation and thermal resilience, (vii) sea ice related biological fluctuations, (viii) pollution, (ix) endangered terrestrial endemism and (x) the discovery of unknown habitats. Most Antarctic biotas are exposed to multiple stresses and considered vulnerable to environmental change due to narrow tolerance ranges, rapid change, projected circumpolar impacts, low potential for timely genetic adaptation, and migration barriers. Important ecosystem functions, such as primary production and energy transfer between trophic levels, have already changed, and biodiversity patterns have shifted. A confidence assessment of the degree of 'scientific understanding' revealed an intermediate level for most of the more detailed sub-messages, indicating that process-oriented research has been successful in the past decade. Additional efforts are necessary, however, to achieve the level of robustness in scientific knowledge that is required to inform protection measures of the unique Antarctic terrestrial and marine ecosystems, and their contributions to global biodiversity and ecosystem services