Sesquiterpenes of Lactarius and Russula (Mushrooms): An Update[1]:

In this review the biogenesis, structures, and bioactivities of all sesquiterpenoids isolated from Russula and Lactarius species in the last decade are critically discussed, and divided into sections according to their skeletons. A brief chemotaxonomic overview of the family Russulaceae is reported in the final part of the review

Lipophilic components from the Ecuadorian plant Schistocarpha eupatorioides.

Phytochemical investigation of secondary metabolites of the Ecuadorian plant Schistocarpha eupatorioides (Fenzl) Kuntze (Asteraceae) afforded three phytyl fatty acid esters along with a mixture of unidentified polyprenols, the very well known sterols β-sitosterol and stigmasterol, and their corresponding fatty acid esters and glucosyl derivatives. The structures of the compounds were elucidated on the basis of various spectroscopic means. In addition, a volatile fraction was separated the composition of which, comprising sesquiterpene hydrocarbons as the main fraction, was determined by GC-MS

Análisis químico de aceites esenciales amazónicos de una comunidad Shuar ecuatoriana

This research was carried out with the aim of determining the chemical composition of the essential oils of four Amazonian species from the Antuash community, Morona canton, province of Morona Santiago. These species belong to the main aromatic families of Ecuador. The essential oils (EO) of Critoniopsis pycnantha (Benth.) H. Rob., Myrcia aliena McVaugh, Piper macrotrichum C. DC. and Siparuna schimpffii Diels were obtained from the dry leaves by analytical steam distillation; a percentage yield of 0.24%, 0.80%, 0.44%, and 0.32% was achieved respectively. EO were qualitatively analyzed by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and quantitatively analyzed by gas chromatography coupled to flame ionization detector (GC-FID) with a DB-5ms apolar column. The compounds were identified based on mass spectra and the Van Den Dool and Kratz retention indices. They were quantified by calculating the relative response factors based on the combustion enthalpies. M. aliena and P. macrotrichum resulted rich in monoterpenes, and C. pycnantha and S. schimpffii in sesquiterpenes. The major compounds for the essential oils of C. pycnantha were g-muurolene, bicyclogermacrene, (E)-caryophyllene a-ylangene and a-humulene; M. aliena: a-pinene and b-pinene; P. macrotrichum d-3-carene, eugenol and chavibetol acetate; and S. schimpffii: spathulenol, 2-undecanone, bicyclogermacrene and (E)-Isocroweacin.La presente investigación se realizó con el propósito de determinar la composición química de los aceites esenciales de cuatro especies amazónicas del centro shuar Antuash en el cantón Morona, provincia de Morona Santiago; las cuales pertenecen a las principales familias aromáticas del Ecuador. Los aceites esenciales de Critoniopsis pycnantha (Benth.) H. Rob., Myrcia aliena McVaugh, Piper macrotrichum C. DC. y Siparuna schimpffii Diels, fueron obtenidos de las hojas secas mediante destilación analítica por arrastre de vapor, determinándose un rendimiento por peso con respecto a las hojas secas de 0,24%, 0,80%, 0,44% y 0,32%, respectivamente. Estos fueron analizados cualitativamente mediante cromatografía de gases acoplada a espectrometría de masas (GC-MS) y cuantitativamente mediante cromatografía de gases acoplada a detector de ionización de llama (GC-FID), con columna apolar DB-5ms. Se realizó la identificación de los compuestos en base a los espectros de masas y los índices de retención de Van Den Dool Kratz, y se cuantificó calculando los factores de respuesta relativos con base a las entalpías de combustión. Así se determinó riqueza en monoterpenos para el aceite de M. aliena y P. macrotrichum y riqueza en sesquiterpenos para el aceite de C. pycnantha y S. schimpffii. Los compuestos mayoritarios en el aceite esencial de C. pycnantha fueron g muuroleno, biciclogermacreno, (E)-cariofileno a-ylangeno y a-humuleno; para M. aliena a-pineno y b-pineno; para P. macrotrichum d-3-careno, eugenol y acetato de chavibetol; y, para S. schimpffii espatulenol, 2-undecanona, biciclogermacreno y (E)-Isocroweacina

Phytochemistry and Ethnopharmacology of the Ecuadorian Flora. A Review.

Ecuador owns many high quantity and wealthy ecosystems that contain an elevated biodiversity in flora and fauna. The use of native medicinal plants has been maintained by at least 18 different indigenous cultures; furthermore, this country has been the witness of the discovery of important medicinal plants, such as Cinchona, and is an understudied resource of new natural products. The objective of this review is to update the ethnopharmacological and phytochemical studies accomplished on the Ecuadorian flora, pointing to the 253 native families and more than 15,000 species registered at present

Iridoids Isolation from a Phytochemical Study of the Medicinal Plant Teucrium parviflorum Collected in Iraqi Kurdistan

Herbal medicines are still widely practiced in Kurdistan Region-Iraq, especially by people living in villages on mountainous regions. Among plants belonging to the genus Teucrium (family Lamiaceae), which are commonly employed in the Kurdish traditional medicine, we have analyzed, for the first time, the methanol and aqueous methanol extracts of T. parviflorum aerial parts. The plant is mainly used by Kurds to treat jaundice, liver disorders and stomachache. We aimed to determine the phytochemical profile of the extracts and the structures of the main components, so to provide a scientific rationale for the ancient use of the plant in the ethno-pharmacological field. TLC analysis of the two extracts on silica gel and reversed phase TLC plates, using different visualization systems, indicated similar contents and the presence of phenolics, flavonoids, terpenoids and sugars. The chlorophyll-free extracts exhibited weak/no antimicrobial activities against a panel of bacteria (MICs = 800–1600 µg/mL) and fungal strains (MICs ≥ 5 mg/mL). At the concentration of 600 µg/mL, the methanol extract showed moderate antiproliferative effects against A549 and MCF-7 cancer cell lines in the MTS assay. Moreover, both extracts exhibited a significant dose-dependent free radical scavenging action against the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical (EC50 = 62.11 and 44.25 μg/mL, respectively). In a phytochemical study, a high phenolic content (77.08 and 81.47 mg GAE/g dry extract, respectively) was found in both extracts by the Folin–Ciocalteu assay. Medium pressure liquid chromatographic (MPLC) separation of the methanol extract on a reversed phase cartridge eluted with a gradient of MeOH in H2O, afforded two bioactive iridoid glucosides, harpagide (1) and 8-O-acetylharpagide (2). The structures of 1 and 2 were established by spectral data, chemical reactions, and comparison with the literature. Interestingly, significant amounts of hepatotoxic furano neo-clerodane diterpenoids, commonly occurring in Teucrium species, were not detected in the extract. The wide range of biological activities reported in the literature for compounds 1 and 2 and the significant antiradical effects of the extracts give scientific support to the traditional use in Iraqi Kurdistan of T. parviflorum aerial parts for the preparation of herbal remedies

Relaxant Effects of Essential Oils Of Eucalyptus Camaldulensis on Aortic Rings in Male Albino Rats

The essential oil (EO) produced a potent dilation in aortic rings with percentage of relaxation 95.659%.The significant relaxant effect on thoracic aortic rings was inhibited by GLIB (10-5) and 4-AP (1mM)with percentages of relaxation, 74.577% and 51.494%, respectively. On the other hand, vasorelaxation in aortic rings did not influenced by pretreatment with TEA and BaCl2. Pretreatment of aortic rings with nifedipine, significantly blocked the relaxation to 38.7%. On the other hand, the dose-response shifted to the right in endothelium denuded preparation. The percentage of relaxation in endothelium-denuded was 82.28%. Preincubation of aortic rings with L-NAME and Indomethacin altered the dilation from control significantly, and the percentage of relaxation found to be 60.18% and 77.077%, respectively. The present study suggest that the EO of E .camaldulensis depresses the aortic force development, probably acting as a Ca++ channel antagonism and partially via NO and cyclooxygenase pathways, the involvement of KATP and KV channels in the vasorelaxatoin induced by EO

Phytochemical researches and antimicrobial activity of Clinopodium nubigenum Kunth (Kuntze) raw extracts

The essential oil of the species Clinopodium nubigenum (Kunth) Kuntze, Lamiaceae, was analyzed by GC-MS and GC-FID, taking into account the more recent literature. Among the seventy compounds identified, the majority are oxygenated monoterpenoids. The essential oil, tested for antimicrobial activity, resulted effective in vitro against Candida albicans. From the aqueous MeOH extract of the aerial parts of the plant two nonvolatile compounds, named schizonepetoside A and schizonepedoside C, have been isolated. They are rare glycosyl terpenoids, which were previously isolated from only one plant, but never found before in the genus Clinopodium

Análisis químico de aceites esenciales amazónicos de una comunidad Shuar ecuatoriana

La presente investigación se realizó con el propósito de determinar la composición química de los aceites esenciales de cuatro especies amazónicas del centro shuar Antuash en el cantón Morona, provincia de Morona Santiago; las cuales pertenecen a las principales familias aromáticas del Ecuador. Los aceites esenciales de Critoniopsis pycnantha (Benth.) H. Rob., Myrcia aliena McVaugh, Piper macrotrichum C. DC. y Siparuna schimpffii Diels, fueron obtenidos de las hojas secas mediante destilación analítica por arrastre de vapor, determinándose un rendimiento por peso con respecto a las hojas secas de 0,24%, 0,80%, 0,44% y 0,32%, respectivamente. Estos fueron analizados cualitativamente mediante cromatografía de gases acoplada a espectrometría de masas (GC-MS) y cuantitativamente mediante cromatografía de gases acoplada a detector de ionización de llama (GC-FID), con columna apolar DB-5ms. Se realizó la identificación de los compuestos en base a los espectros de masas y los índices de retención de Van Den Dool Kratz, y se cuantificó calculando los factores de respuesta relativos con base a las entalpías de combustión. Así se determinó riqueza en monoterpenos para el aceite de M. aliena y P. macrotrichum y riqueza en sesquiterpenos para el aceite de C. pycnantha y S. schimpffii. Los compuestos mayoritarios en el aceite esencial de C. pycnantha fueron g muuroleno, biciclogermacreno, (E)-cariofileno a-ylangeno y a-humuleno; para M. aliena a-pineno y b-pineno; para P. macrotrichum d-3-careno, eugenol y acetato de chavibetol; y, para S. schimpffii espatulenol, 2-undecanona, biciclogermacreno y (E)-Isocroweacina

Observation of channeling for 6500 GeV/c protons in the crystal assisted collimation setup for LHC

Two high-accuracy goniometers equipped with two bent silicon crystals were installed in the betatron cleaning insertion of the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC) during its long shutdown. First beam tests were recently performed at the LHC with 450 GeV/c and 6500 GeV/c stored proton beams to investigate the feasibility of beam halo collimation assisted by bent crystals. For the first time channeling of 6500 GeV/c protons was observed in a particle accelerator. A strong reduction of beam losses due to nuclear inelastic interactions in the aligned crystal in comparison with its amorphous orientation was detected. The loss reduction value was about 24. Thus, the results show that deflection of particles by a bent crystal due to channeling is effective for this record particle energy.peer-reviewe

Strong reduction of the off-momentum halo in crystal assisted collimation of the SPS beam

A study of crystal assisted collimation has been continued at the CERN SPS for different energies of stored beams using 120 GeV/. c and 270 GeV/. c protons and Pb ions with 270 GeV/. c per charge. A bent silicon crystal used as a primary collimator deflected halo particles using channeling and directing them into the tungsten absorber. A strong correlation of the beam losses in the crystal and off-momentum halo intensity measured in the first high dispersion (HD) area downstream was observed. In channeling conditions, the beam loss rate induced by inelastic interactions of particles with nuclei is significantly reduced in comparison with the non-oriented crystal. A maximal reduction of beam losses in the crystal larger than 20 was observed with 270 GeV/. c protons. The off-momentum halo intensity measured in the HD area was also strongly reduced in channeling conditions. The reduction coefficient was larger than 7 for the case of Pb ions. A strong loss reduction was also detected in regions of the SPS ring far from the collimation area. It was shown by simulations that the miscut angle between the crystal surface and its crystallographic planes doubled the beam losses in the aligned crystal.peer-reviewe