Portrait of an act: Aesthetics and ethics in The 'Portrait of a Lady' (Henry James)

Five tetrahydrofuran lignans and two known flavones were isolated from the aerial parts of Peperomia blanda. The structures of the isolated lignans were elucidated by interpretation of their spectroscopic data, including by gHMQC and gHMBC. The relative and absolute configurations of the isolates were determined from NOESY interactions and optical properties, respectively. Four of the lignans were diastercomeric whilst one was of mixed biosynthetic origin. All but one of the lignans exhibited high in vitro trypanocidal activity when assayed against epimastigotes of Trypanosoma cruzi strain Y. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Estudo metabolômico e proteômico em Peperomia blanda (Piperaceae)

O estudo químico das partes aéreas de Peperomia blanda resultou no isolamento de quinze substâncias, incluindo cinco lignanas tetraidrofurâncias (rel-(7R,8S,7’S,8’S)- 4,5,4’,5’-dimetilenodioxi-3,3’-dimetoxi-7,7’-epoxilignana, rel-(7R,8S,7’S,8’S)-4’,5’- metilenodioxi-3,4,5,3’-tetrametoxi-7,7’-epoxilignana, rel-(7R,8S,7’S,8’S)-4-hidroxi- 4’,5’-metilenodioxi-3,5,3’-trimetoxi-7,7’-epoxilignana, rel-(7R,8S,7’S,8’S)-4’-hidroxi- 3,4,5,3’,5’-pentametoxi-7,7’-epoxilignana, rel-(7R,8S,7’S,8’S)-9-hidroxi-4’,5’-metilenodioxi- 3,4,5,3’-tetrametoxi-7,7’-epoxilignana), cinco secolignanas ((2S,3R)-2-metil-3- [bis(4’,5’-metilenodioxi-3’-metoxifenil)metil]butirolactona, rel-(2S,3R)-2-metil-3-[bis (3’,4’,5’-trimetoxifenil)metil]butirolactona, rel-(2R,3R)-2-metil-3-[bis(3’,4’,5’-trimetoxifenil) metil]butirolactona, (2S,3R,5R)-2-metil-3-[5-(3’,4’,5’-trimetoxifenil)-5-(4’’,5’’- metilenodioxi-3’’-metoxifenil)metil]butirolactona, (2R,3R,5R)-2-metil-3-[5-(3’,4’,5’-trimetoxifenil)- 5-(4’’,5’’-metilenodioxi-3’’-metoxifenil)metil]butirolactona), duas flavonas (5-hidroxi-4’,7,8-trimetoxiflavona,5-hidroxi-3’,4’,7,8-tetrametoxiflavona) e três policetídeos (proctoriona C, surinona A, surinona C). As estruturas químicas das substâncias foram determinadas utilizando técnicas espectrométricas, incluindo RMN 1D e 2D. As estereoquímicas relativas das lignanas tetraidrofurânicas e das secolignanas foram determinadas através de experimentos de NOESY 1D e as estereoquímicas absolutas das secolignanas foram determinadas através de dicroísmo circular. Todas as substâncias estão sendo descritas pela primeira vez nessa espécie vegetal, sendo que as lignanas tetraidrofurânicas apresentaram estruturas químicas com estereoquímicas inéditas e as secolignanas haviam sido obtidas...The phytochemical investigation of aerial parts of Peperomia blanda yielded fifteen compounds, identified as five tetrahydrofuran lignans (rel-(7R,8S,7’S,8’S)- 4,5,4’,5’-dimethylenedioxy-3,3’-dimethoxy-7,7’-epoxylignan, rel-(7R,8S,7’S,8’S)-4’,5’- methylenedioxy-3,4,5,3’-tetramethoxy-7,7’-epoxylignan, rel-(7R,8S,7’S,8’S)-4-hydroxy- 4’,5’-methylenedioxy-3,5,3’-trimethoxy-7,7’-epoxylignan, rel-(7R,8S,7’S,8’S)-4’- hydroxy-3,4,5,3’,5’-pentamethoxy-7,7’-epoxylignan, rel-(7R,8S,7’S,8’S)-9-hydroxy- 4’,5’-methylenedioxy-3,4,5,3’-tetramethoxy-7,7’-epoxylignan), five secolignans ((2S,3R)-2-methyl-3-[bis(4’,5’-methylenedioxy-3’-methoxyphenyl)methyl]butyrolactone, rel-(2S,3R)-2-methyl-3-[bis(3’,4’,5’-trimethoxyphenyl)methyl]butyrolactone, rel- (2R,3R)-2-methyl-3-[bis(3’,4’,5’-trimethoxyphenyl)methyl]butyrolactone, (2S,3R,5R)-2- methyl-3-[5-(3’,4’,5’-trimethoxyphenyl)-5-(4’’,5’’-methylenedioxy-3’’-methoxyphenyl) methyl]butyrolactone and (2R,3R,5R)-2-methyl-3-[5-(3’,4’,5’-trimethoxyphenyl)-5- (4’’,5’’-methylenedioxy-3’’-methoxyphenyl)methyl]butyrolactone), two flavones (5- hydroxy-4’,7,8-trimethoxyflavone, 5-hydroxy-3’,4’,7,8-tetramethoxyflavone) and three polyketides (proctorione C, surinone A, surinone C). The chemical structures were elucidated by interpretation of their spectroscopic data, including 1D and 2D NMR. The relative configurations of tetrahydrofuran lignans and secolignans were determined using NOESY analyses and the absolute configurations were defined by CD spectra. All compounds were described at the first time in this species and all tetrahydrofuran lignans showed novel stereoisomers and the secolignans were previously published as synthetic products. The tetrahydrofuran lignans showed powerful trypanocidal... (Complete abstract click electronic access below)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP

Estudo das lignanas de Peperomia blanda (Piperaceae): abordagem de aspectos estruturais, metabólitos e biossintéticos

O estudo fitoquímico precedente da espécie Peperomia blanda culminou no isolamento de lignanas tetraidrofurânicas e secolignanas. Alguns isômeros destas secolignanas apresentaram configurações absolutas diferentes daquelas já relatadas, as quais foram determinadas por comparação dos espectros experimentais de dicroísmo circular vibracional e eletrônico com aqueles preditos por cálculos mecânico-quânticos ab initio. A peperomina B teve a configuração absoluta assinalada como (2S,3S,5S), confirmando a estrutura química descrita na literatura, a substância 2-metil-3-[bis(3′,4′-metilenodioxi-5′-metoxifenil) metil]butirolactona foi assinalada como (2R,3S) e a substância 2-metil-3-[5-(3′,4′-metilenodioxi-5′-metoxifenil)-5-(3′,4′,5′-trimetoxifenil)metil]butirolactona foi assinalada como (2R,3S,5S). As dinâmicas metabólicas sazonais de três lignanas tetraidrofurânicas e três secolignanas foram determinadas a partir de análise por CLAE-DAD dos extratos metanólicos de partes aéreas e raízes de duas populações de P. blanda, utilizando planejamento experimental e validação do método cromatográfico. O maior acúmulo destas substâncias foi observado nas raízes, especialmente nos meses de julho e em espécies coletada na Reserva Florestal da Ripasa. Alguns fatores climáticos, como a disponibilidade hídrica, foram determinantes para a produção destes metabólitos. Uma das lignanas tetraidrofurânicas, com oxidação na posição C-9, bem como as secolignanas, tiveram alguns aspectos biossintéticos abordados pela incorporação de precursores em extratos enzimáticos. Os estudos das vias biossintéticas envolvidas na formação dessas lignanas foram iniciados com a investigação e otimização das reações catalíticas da enzima fenilalanina amônia liase (PAL). A condição ótima reacional foi determinada por...The previous phytochemical study of Peperomia blanda species culminated in the isolation of secolignans and tetrahydrofuran lignans. Some of these secolignans isomers showed different absolute configurations from those reported in the literature, which were determined by comparison of experimental vibrational and electronic circular dichroism spectra with those calculated using ab initio quantum mechanical methods. The stereochemistry of peperomin B was assigned as (2S,3S,5S) confirming the previous related structure, the compound 2-methyl-3-[bis(3′,4′-methylenedioxy-5′-methoxyphenyl)methyl] butyrolactone was assigned as (2R,3S) and the compound 2-methyl-3-[5-(3′,4′-methylenedioxy-5′-methoxyphenyl)-5-(3′,4′,5′-trimethoxyphenyl)methyl] butyrolactone was assigned as (2R,3S,5S). The seasonal metabolic dynamic of three tetrahydrofuran lignans and three secolignans were determined by HPLC-DAD analysis of methanolic extracts of aerial parts and roots of two populations of P. blanda, using experimental design and validation of the chromatographic method. The largest accumulation of these substances was observed in the roots, specially in July and in the species collected in the Ripasa's Forest Reserve. Some climatic factors such as water availability were critical for the production of these metabolites. One of the tetrahydrofuran secolignans with oxidation at C-9 as well as the secolignans were studied from the biosynthetic point of view using cell free extracts. These studies were started with the investigation and optimization of catalytic reactions of the enzyme phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL). The optimum reaction condition was determined by experimental design which showed better conversion of L-phenylalanine to trans-cinnamic acid at 51 °C and pH 9.2. The... (Complete abstract click electronic access below

Natural compounds isolated from Brazilian plants are potent inhibitors of hepatitis C virus replication in vitro

Compounds extracted from plants can provide an alternative approach to new therapies. They present characteristics such as high chemical diversity, lower cost of production and milder or inexistent side effects compared with conventional treatment. The Brazilian flora represents a vast, largely untapped, resource of potential antiviral compounds. In this study, we investigate the antiviral effects of a panel of natural compounds isolated from Brazilian plants species on hepatitis C virus (HCV) genome replication. To do this we used firefly luciferase-based HCV sub-genomic replicons of genotypes 2a (JFH-1), 1b and 3a and the compounds were assessed for their effects on both HCV replication and cellular toxicity. Initial screening of compounds was performed using the maximum non-toxic concentration and 4 compounds that exhibited a useful therapeutic index (favourable ratio of cytotoxicity to antiviral potency) were selected for extra analysis. The compounds APS (EC50 = 2.3 lM), a natural alkaloid isolated from Maytrenus ilicifolia, and the lignans 3⁄ 43 (EC50 = 4.0 lM), 3⁄ 20 (EC50 = 8.2 lM) and 5⁄ 362 (EC50 = 38.9 lM) from Peperomia blanda dramatically inhibited HCV replication as judged by reductions in luciferase activity and HCV protein expression in both the subgenomic and infectious systems. We further show that these compounds are active against a daclatasvir resistance mutant subgenomic replicon. Consistent with inhibition of genome replication, production of infectious JFH-1 virus was significantly reduced by all 4 compounds. These data are the first description of Brazilian natural compounds possessing anti-HCV activity and further analyses are being performed in order to investigate the mode of action of those compounds.Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP

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Immunomodulatory effect of crude leaf extract of <i>Piper gaudichaudianum</i> on LPS-stimulated human monocytes.

<p>The results of the controls (medium and ketoprofin, unstimulated and LPS stimulated) were used in the analyses for all extract evaluated. Data are expressed as median ± SEM (pg/mL). ANOVA with Bonferroni post-test; p < 0.05; *: significantly different from placebo treatment, #: significantly different from ketoprofen treatment.</p

Immunomodulatory effect of crude leaf extract of <i>Piper fuligineum</i> on LPS-stimulated human monocytes.

<p>The results of the controls (medium and ketoprofin, unstimulated and LPS stimulated) were used in the analyses for all extract evaluated. Data are expressed as median ± SEM (pg/mL). ANOVA with Bonferroni post-test; p < 0.05; *: significantly different from placebo treatment, #: significantly different from ketoprofen treatment.</p

Immunomodulatory effect of crude leaf extract of <i>Peperomia obtusifolia</i> on LPS-stimulated human monocytes.

<p>The results of the controls (medium and ketoprofin, unstimulated and LPS stimulated) were used in the analyses for all extract evaluated. Data are expressed as median ± SEM (pg/mL). ANOVA with Bonferroni post-test; p < 0.05; *: significantly different from placebo treatment, #: significantly different from ketoprofen treatment.</p