Mycochemical study of polysaccharides from the edible mushroom Cortinarius caperatus (Gypsy mushroom)

Among basidiomycete molecules, cell wall polysaccharides have been recognized as a major class of bioactive constituents. [1] They are safe molecules and they have a wide spectrum of biological activities, such as immunostimulatory and antioxidant, therefore they possess a prominent role in health benefits coming from mushroom consumption. These properties make mushroom polysaccharides potential candidates for nutraceutical applications and bioactive ingredients production. [2] Fractionation of the hot aqueous extract of Cortinarius caperatus led to isolation of two fractions characterized by spectroscopic analyses (1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, DEPT, 1H-1H COSY, DQCOSY, TOCSY, HSQC, HMBC and HMQC), mass spectrometry (EI-MS, ESI-MS), infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), chemical reactions of hydrolysis and derivatization followed by GC and HPLC analyses. [3] This mycochemical study revealed a water-soluble fraction characterized as a \u3b2-(1\uf0e06)-D-glucan, whose presence inside C. caperatus has never, to the best of our knowledge, been reported before. Moreover, a water insoluble fraction purified has been characterized as a branched \uf061, (1\u21926) glucan which structure is assumed to be: [\u21926)-\u3b2-D-Glcp(1\u21926)]4-\u3b1-D-Glcp(1\u21924)-\u3b2-D-Glcp(1\u2192 6 \u2191 1 \u3b1-D-Glcp The antioxidant activity of the soluble polysaccharide fraction has been evaluated as radical-scavenging activity with the DPPH test, the \u3b2-(1\uf0e06)-D-glucan showed significative antioxidant activity

Multimeric, Multifunctional Derivatives of Poly(ethylene glycol)

Abstract: This article reviews the use of multifunctional polymers founded on high-molecular weight poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG). The design of new PEG derivatives assembled in a dendrimer-like multimeric fashion or bearing different functionalities on the same molecule is described. Their use as new drug delivery systems based on the conjugation of multiple copies or diversely active drugs on the same biocompatible support is illustrated. Keywords: poly(ethylene glycol); multifunctional polymers; conjugation; drug delivery 1. Introduction For the application of biopharmaceuticals in human therapy, the covalent coupling of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) chains to drugs, or PEGylation, has been an outstanding innovation. Important pioneering work in this field was performed by Davis and Abuchowski, laying the cornerstone for the commercial success of this technology [1]. Even though many attempts have been undertaken to develop new polymers with improved properties, none of these new substances have been able to compete with poly(ethylene glycol) for this application. This can be explained by the biocompatibility of PEG and the good experience with PEG as a low-cost additive for the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industry over the last decades. An ideal PEG reagent fulfills at least the following criteria: (a)

CHOLANE AND LANOSTANE DERIVATIVES: ANTIMICROBIAL EVALUATION

Steroids are natural compounds with several important applications in many fields of research, such as medicinal chemistry, pharmacology, supramolecular chemistry and nanotechnology.In particular, bile acids such as lithocholic acid (LCA) and ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) have been considered quite useful as starting points for a rich and different set of medicinal chemistry activities. Besides, the discovery of bioactive ingredients from plants and fungi is always the main target in medicinal chemistry. The lanostane-type triterpenoid 3b-hydroxylanosta-8,24-diene-21-oic acid (Trametenolic acid, TMA) was the main bioactive component of Gloeophyllum odoratum, which was reported to possess widely bioactivities, including tumor cell anti-proliferation effects (for example, human HL-60 leukemia, human KB epidermoid carcinoma, murine L1210 leukemia cells, Caski, HT-3, T-24, etc.), inhibition of enzyme activity (human thrombin, bovine trypsin and so on).Nevertheless, trametenolic acid was scarcely investigated as antimicrobial agent. Structurally, bile acids (LCA and UDCA) and trametenolic acid are similar since they may be regarded as consisting of two components, a rigid steroid nucleus and an aliphatic side chain possessing a carboxyl group. On the basis of these considerations, six new compounds bearing a guanidine moiety in their side chain were synthesized using LCA, UDCA and TMA as starting materials. The parent bile acids, TMA and their resulting derivatives were evaluated for antimicrobial activity against S. aureus, B. subtilis and M. smegmatis. The derivative 3a-hydroxy-23-guanidino-5b-cholane showed the best activity, with MIC values of 12.5 \u3bcM against S. aureus, 5 \u3bcM against B. subtilis and 50 \u3bcM against M. smegmatis. The cytotoxic activity of bile acids, trametenolic acid and derivatives was also evaluated against HT-29 cell lin

Conjugated PDT drug: photosensitizing activity and tissue distribution of PEGylated pheophorbide a.

The design of new photosensitizers with enhanced phototoxicity and pharmacokinetic properties remains a central challenge for cancer photodynamic therapy (PDT). In this study, Pheophorbide a (Pba) has been pegylated to methoxypolyethylene glycol (mPE G-Pba) to produce a soluble photosensitizer that exhibits a higher tissue distribution than free Pba. In vitro studies have shown that mPE G-Pba promotes a fairly strong photosensitizing effect in cancer cells, as previously observed for the unpegylated molecule. mPE G-Pba targets the mitochondria where, following photoactivation, ROS are produced which cause a cellular injury by lipid peroxidation. The effect of pegylation on the photosensitizer biodistribution has been examined in different selected organs of female mice, at different time points after intraperitoneal administration of the drug (50 μmol/Kg body weight). Other than free Pba, which showed a low tissue accumulation, mPE G-Pba has been detected in significant amounts (8 to 16 μg/ml) in liver, spleen, duodenum and kidney and, 3-5 hours after intraperitoneal injection, in moderate amounts (3 to 8 μg/ml) in brain and lung. In vivo optical imaging performed on living female C57/BL6 mice bearing a subcutaneous melanoma mass, showed that injected mPEG-Pba distributes all over the body, with an higher uptake in the tumor respect to free Pba. Our results indicate that although pegylation somewhat decreases the phototoxicity, it significantly increases the drug solubility and tissue distribution and tumor uptake of mPE G-Pba, making the conjugate an interesting photosensitizer for PDT

Isolation and Structure Elucidation of Cerebrosides from Euphorbia Platyphyllos L.

A new cerebroside (1), together with three known ones (2–4) have been isolated from the whole plants of Euphorbia platyphyllos L. The structures were established by FT-IR spectroscopy, FAB-MS, advanced two-dimensional NMR, including 1H-NMR, 1H,1H-COSY, HMQC and HMBC experiments and chemical reactions. The structures of the cerebrosides were characterized as 1-O-β-D-glycosides of phytosphingosines, which comprised a common long-chain base, (2S,3S,4R,8Z)-2-aminooctadec-8-ene-1,3,4-triol (1–3) and (2S,3S,4E,8E)-2-aminooctadeca-4,8-diene-1,3-diol (4) with 2-hydroxy fatty acids of varying chain lengths (C16, C24, C26:1, C28:1) linked to the amino group. The isolated compounds have been evaluated for their antifungal and antitubercular activities

Improvement of Chemical and Physical Properties and Antioxidant Evaluation of Eugenol \u2013 PEG adduct

Eugenol (EU) \u2013 PEG adduct was synthesized to improve the chemical and physical properties of eugenol. The phenolic group was covalently bound to the carboxyl group of PEG and the release kinetics were studied in vitro in buffer solution at pH 7.4, in simulated gastric fluid and in mouse plasma. Studies in vitro on the release of the parent drug from the prodrug in various media indicate that the adduct may be sufficiently stable to pass intact into the gastrointestinal tract and release EU into the circulation. The antioxidant activity of PEG-EU adduct was also evaluated. Scavenging activity was absent in the original PEG-EU adduct but gradually increased on the basis of drug delivery

Synthesis and controlled drug delivery studies of a novel Ubiquinol-Polyethylene glycol-Vitamin E adduct

CoQ10 and Vitamin E are used in medicinal applications, but they are both lipophilic molecules and the poor solubility in aqueous media results in an inefficient administration, poor bioavailability and potential toxicity. A mixed conjugate Ubiquinol-Polyethylene glycol-Vitamin E was synthesized and characterized to improve the bioavailability of CoQ10 and Vitamin E. The synthesized mixed PEG conjugate was characterized by 1H NMR spectroscopy and MALDI spectrometry. The in vitro release of the conjugate was measured at various pH conditions and in human plasma and the evaluation of free CoQ10 and Vitamin E were also conducted. The obtained results demonstrated that more CoQ10 and Vitamin E were released from PEG conjugate at pH 7.4 and in plasma within the 24 h. The antioxidant activity evaluation was carried out by DPPH assay. Our results indicated that the chemical modification after esterification with PEG of the two drugs Ubiquinol and Vitamin E doesn\u2019t significantly affected their antioxidant potential

Chemosystematic value of aristolochic acids in the genus aristolochia l. in Friuli-Venezia Giulia (NE Italy)

The composition of aristolochic acids from different populations of four Aristolochia species was analysed by HPLC; quantitative data were submitted to discriminant and statistical analyses. The interspecific variability was confirmed, and significant differences were detected by canonical discriminant functions. The aristolochic acid II and the ratio AAII/AAI are significant in the discrimination of the examined species

Chemical composition and functional characterization of commercial pumpkin seed oil

The commercial oil of the seeds of pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo L.) has been investigated. The oil is a common product in Slovenia, Hungary and Austria and is considered for its health promoting properties. Therefore, the pumpkin seed oil is considered a preventing agent for different pathologies, particularly for prostate diseases. These properties are related to the carotenoids and liposoluble vitamins high content. The carotenoids (lutein and zeaxantine), vitamin E (\u3b1-tocopherol) and fatty acids content has been investigated. Furthermore, the composition of the volatile fraction due to roasting process has been investigated. The preliminary extraction of volatile compounds was obtained by dynamic headspace, while the analyses were performed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The results of this study show that the aromatic profile obtained from the commercial analyzed samples is directly related to the intensity of the roasting process of the crushed pumpkin seeds: the temperature of the roasting process plays a crucial role on the concentration of volatiles substances, originated from Strecker degradation, lipid peroxidation and Maillard reaction. Therefore, high temperature roasting processes lead to the production of an oil with intense aromatic characteristics, while mild conditions, generally employed to obtain an oil with professed therapeutic characteristics, would lead to a product with minor characteristics pumpkin seed oil aroma. The nutraceutic properties of the product are confirmed by the high content in a-tocoferol and carotenoids: in particular, the content in lutein and zeaxanthin is one order of magnitude higher to the virgin olive oil

Multimeric, Multifunctional Derivatives of Poly(ethylene glycol)

This article reviews the use of multifunctional polymers founded on high-molecular weight poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG). The design of new PEG derivatives assembled in a dendrimer-like multimeric fashion or bearing different functionalities on the same molecule is described. Their use as new drug delivery systems based on the conjugation of multiple copies or diversely active drugs on the same biocompatible support is illustrated