Secondary metabolites from Dipterocarpus obtusifolius Teijsm. Ex Miq

Six known compounds daphneresinol (1), (+)-neo-olivil (2), methyl gallate (3), bergenin (4), asiatic acid (5) and blumenol A (6) were obtained from the organic extract of the leaves of Dipterocarpus obtusifolius Teijsm. Ex Miq. by various chromatographic techniques. Structural elucidation of the metabolites was carried out by analysis of their spectroscopic data and by comparison with those reported in the literature. Compounds 1-4 and 6 were isolated from this plant for the first time

GLUCOSIDES AND UREA DERIVATIVES FROM THE SEEDS OF SCAPHIUM MACROPODUM (MIQ.) BEUMÉE

Five known compounds {carbonylbis[imino(6-methyl-3,1-phenylenel)]}bis[carbamic acid] dimethyl ester (1), (1'R,3'S,5'R,8'S,2E,4E-dihydrophaseic acid) 3'-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (2), 3-methylbutan-1-ol beta-D-glucopyranoside (3), astragalin (4) and daucosterol (5) were isolated from the methanol extract of the seeds of Scaphium macropodum (Miq.) Beumée. The structures of the isolated compounds were elucidated by the spectroscopic methods including NMR and MS, and also by comparison with the literature data. Compounds 1-3 were isolated from this plant for the first time

The Endo-α(1,4) Specific Fucoidanase Fhf2 From Formosa haliotis Releases Highly Sulfated Fucoidan Oligosaccharides

Fucoidanases are endo-fucoidanases (also known as endo-fucanases) that catalyze hydrolysis of α-glycosidic linkages in fucoidans, a family of sulfated fucose-rich polysaccharides primarily found in the cell walls of brown seaweeds. Fucoidanases are promising tools for producing bioactive fucoidan oligosaccharides for a range of biomedical applications. High sulfation degree has been linked to high bioactivity of fucoidans. In this study, a novel fucoidanase, Fhf2, was identified in the genome of the aerobic, Gram-negative marine bacterium Formosa haliotis. Fhf2 was found to share sequence similarity to known endo-α(1,4)-fucoidanases (EC 3.2.1.212) from glycoside hydrolase family 107. A C-terminal deletion mutant Fhf2∆484, devoid of 484 amino acids at the C-terminus, with a molecular weight of approximately 46 kDa, was constructed and found to be more stable than the full-length Fhf2 protein. Fhf2∆484 showed endo-fucoidanase activity on fucoidans from different seaweed species including Fucus evanescens, Fucus vesiculosus, Sargassum mcclurei, and Sargassum polycystum. The highest activity was observed on fucoidan from F. evanescens. The Fhf2∆484 enzyme was active at 20–45°C and at pH 6–9 and had optimal activity at 37°C and pH 8. Additionally, Fhf2∆484 was found to be calcium-dependent. NMR analysis showed that Fhf2∆484 catalyzed hydrolysis of α(1,4) linkages between L-fucosyl moieties sulfated on C2 (similar to Fhf1 from Formosa haliotis), but Fhf2∆484 in addition released oligosaccharides containing a substantial amount of 2,4-disulfated fucose residues. The data thus suggest that the Fhf2∆484 enzyme could be a valuable candidate for producing highly sulfated oligosaccharides applicable for fucoidan bioactivity investigations

Evaluation of the effectiveness of Eladi Keram for the treatment of acne vulgaris: a randomised controlled pilot study

Introduction: Acne is a multifactorial and common skin disease which can significantly affect the quality of life of sufferers. In this study, a topical herbal preparation traditionally used in Ayurvedic medicine was evaluated as a treatment for individuals with acne on their shoulders and backs. Methods: Study participants were randomly assigned either to treatment (Eladi Keram) or vehicle control (coconut oil) groups under double blind conditions and instructed on its daily home application. Standardised lesion counting and acne grading were conducted in accordance with US Food and Drug Administration guidelines and with reference to the Leeds Acne Grading Technique. Participants were assessed for severity of the condition at commencement and on day 28 of treatment. Results: The treatment group showed improvements of 42% (p < 0.005) on the Investigators Global Assessment scale, a 60% (p < 0.05) reduction in inflammatory lesions, a 59% (p < 0.05) reduction in non-inflammatory lesions, and a 59% (p < 0.005) reduction in combined lesion count. The control group showed no statistically significant changes for these criteria. Conclusion: This study is the first reported clinical evaluation of Eladi Keram as a treatment for acne and findings suggest that it could be effective in reducing inflammatory and non-inflammatory lesions, warranting further investigation by means of a larger scale clinical trial

Bio-activities of the methanol extracts from some species belonging to the genus Polygonum in Lam Dong province

The methanol extracts from the aerial parts of eight species (Polygonum odoratum Lour., P. pesicaria L., P. chinensis L., P. perfoliatum L., P. alatum Buch.-Ham. ex D. Don, P. strigosum R. Br., P. orientale L., P. hydropiper L.) collected in Lam Dong province were submitted to bio-tests in order to evaluate the antibacterial, antioxidant and cytotoxic effects. All of these extracts had antimicrobial activities, especially P. strigosum R. Br. could resist to E. coli, S. aureus, F. oxysporum, A. niger and S. cerevisiae; P. orientale L. could resist to S. aureus, B. subtillis, F. oxysporum and A. niger; P. hydropiper could resist E. coli, S. aureus, B. subtillis, F. oxysporum, A. niger and S. cerevisiae. As far as DPPH test, the MeOH extracts from P. chinensis L., P. perfoliatum L. and P. alatum Buch.-Ham. ex D. Don were found to be the most active extracts. The MeOH extracts from these eight species had antioxydant and antimicrobial activities, therefore they had been used to cure the skin desease in the traditional medicine

Subacute thyroiditis after receiving the vaccine for COVID-19: a case report and literature review

International audienc

Short-Term Adverse Effects Immediately after the Start of COVID-19 Booster Vaccination in Vietnam

Background: Risk communication is necessary to improve the booster vaccination rate, but Vietnam does not have a system to collect and disclose such information. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to clarify adverse reactions and their frequency in the early period after booster vaccination, and to obtain primary data for improving the booster vaccination rate. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among adults aged ≥18 years. Clinical data were collected 14 days after booster vaccination by using a standard questionnaire. Results: A total of 1322 participants were included with median age = 23 and sex ratio (Male/Female) = 0.53. AstraZeneca was the most commonly used vaccine for the first and second doses, while Pfizer was the most commonly used vaccine for booster shots. Injection site pain, fatigue, and myalgia were the most common side effect reported (71.9%, 28.1%, and 21.8%, respectively). Compared to previous COVID-19 vaccine injections, 81.9% of participants reported that their symptoms were similar or milder after receiving the booster dose. They were more likely to present injection site pain (OR = 1.43, p p p p = 0.002) were less often reported after booster shots compared to the first and second injections. The severity of symptoms occurring after booster dose versus first and second doses increased significantly with each additional year of age and among participants receiving the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. Conclusion: Adverse reactions to booster vaccination are minor and their incidence is the same as for the first or the second vaccination. Multicenter studies with larger sample sizes on the side effects and safety of COVID-19 vaccine booster shots need to be conducted to make the population less worried, in order to increase the vaccination rate, to protect individuals’ and communities’ health

Simultaneously Utilizing Excited Holes and Electrons for Piezoelectric-Enhanced Photoproduction of H2O2 from S-Scheme 2D S-doped VOx/g-C3N4 Nanostructures

The simultaneous use of excited holes and electrons in photocatalytic research has become a strong driving force for rationalizing materials in design and development. As a promising strategy, step-scheme (S-scheme) photocatalysts have enormously ignited the photocatalytic community in recent decades. Introducing piezoelectric fields under light irradiations to generate valuable chemical products, such as hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), has also gained current interest in enhancing the large-scale production of these chemicals. In the research, we reported the fabrication of 2D S-doped VOx deposited on 2D g-C3N4 to produce H2O2 via the piezo-photocatalytic process. The finding pointed out that adding sulfur to VOx can help improve the catalytic outcomes by modifying the electronic and morphological properties of pristine VOx. In addition, when coupled with g-C3N4, the presence of sulfur limits the formation of graphene in the VOx/g-C3N4 composites, causing shielding effects in the materials. Besides, the research also sheds light on the charge transportation between g-C3N4 and S-VOx under irradiation and how the composites work to trigger the formation of H2O2. It turned out that the formation of H2O2 significantly relies on the reduction of oxygen to generate oxygenic radical species at g-C3N4 sites. Meanwhile, S-VOx provides oxidative sites in the composites to oxidize water molecules to generate H2O2. This study confirms the validation of S-scheme piezo-photocatalysts, thus encouraging further research on developing heterojunction materials with high catalytic efficiency, which can be used in practical conditions