Suppression of neutrophil recruitment in mice by geranium essential oil.

BACKGROUND: In aromatherapy, essential oils are used as anti-inflammatory remedies, but experimental studies on their action mechanisms are very limited. AIMS OF THE STUDY: To assess their anti-inflammatory activities, the effects of essential oils on neutrophil recruitment in mice were examined in vivo. METHOD: The effect of essential oils on leukocyte and neutrophil recruitment induced 6 h after intraperitoneal injection of casein in mice was examined. RESULTS: Leukocyte recruitment into the peritoneal cavity in mice was suppressed by intraperitoneal injections of geranium, lemongrass and spearmint oils at the dose of 5 microl/mouse, but was not by tea tree oil. This recruitment was inhibited dose-dependently by geranium oil. The suppression of leukocyte recruitment resulted from inhibition of neutrophil accumulation. CONCLUSION: Some essential oils used as anti-inflammatory remedies suppress neutrophil recruitment into the peritoneal cavity in mice

Suppression of Carrageenan- and Collagen II-Induced Inflammation in Mice by Geranium Oil

To obtain experimental evidence on the therapeutic efficacy of essential oils in aromatherapy for inflammatory diseases, we examined the effects of geranium oil on carrageenan-induced and collagen II-induced inflammation in mice, to assess acute and chronic anti-inflammatory activities of the oil. Single intraperitoneal injection of 5 μL of geranium oil clearly suppressed the carrageenan-induced footpaw edema and increase in tissue myeloperoxidase activity, and repeated administration of the oil suppressed collagen-induced arthritis. These results revealed that geranium oil suppressed both acute and chronic inflammatory responses in mice

Multi-scale processes of beech wood disintegration and pretreatment with 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate/water mixtures

Background: The valorization of biomass for chemicals and fuels requires efficient pretreatment. One effective strategy involves the pretreatment with ionic liquids which enables enzymatic saccharification of wood within a few hours under mild conditions. This pretreatment strategy is, however, limited by water and the ionic liquids are rather expensive. The scarce understanding of the involved effects, however, challenges the design of alternative pretreatment concepts. This work investigates the multi length-scale effects of pretreatment of wood in 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate (EMIMAc) in mixtures with water using spectroscopy, X-ray and neutron scattering. Results: The structure of beech wood is disintegrated in EMIMAc/water mixtures with a water content up to 8.6 wt%. Above 10.7 wt%, the pretreated wood is not disintegrated, but still much better digested enzymatically compared to native wood. In both regimes, component analysis of the solid after pretreatment shows an extraction of few percent of lignin and hemicellulose. In concentrated EMIMAc, xylan is extracted more efficiently and lignin is defunctionalized. Corresponding to the disintegration at macroscopic scale, SANS and XRD show isotropy and a loss of crystallinity in the pretreated wood, but without distinct reflections of type II cellulose. Hence, the microfibril assembly is decrystallized into rather amorphous cellulose within the cell wall. Conclusions: The molecular and structural changes elucidate the processes of wood pretreatment in EMIMAc/water mixtures. In the aqueous regime with >10.7 wt% water in EMIMAc, xyloglucan and lignin moieties are extracted, which leads to coalescence of fibrillary cellulose structures. Dilute EMIMAc/water mixtures thus resemble established aqueous pretreatment concepts. In concentrated EMIMAc, the swelling due to decrystallinization of cellulose, dissolution of cross-linking xylan, and defunctionalization of lignin releases the mechanical stress to result in macroscopic disintegration of cells. The remaining cell wall constituents of lignin and hemicellulose, however, limit a recrystallization of the solvated cellulose. These pretreatment mechanisms are beyond common pretreatment concepts and pave the way for a formulation of mechanistic requirements of pretreatment with simpler pretreatment liquors. © 2016 Viell et al

シンケイ ミエリン ショウ ノ Xセンテキ ケンキュウ

京都大学0048新制・課程博士薬学博士甲第2249号薬博第179号新制||薬||95(附属図書館)UT51-54-P308京都大学大学院薬学研究科薬学専攻(主査)教授 大崎 健次, 教授 高木 博司, 教授 中垣 正幸学位規則第5条第1項該当Kyoto UniversityDFA

Differential effects of Phe19 and Phe20 on fibril formation by amyloidogenic peptide AB16-22 (Ac-KLVFFAE-NH2)

The sequence KLVFFAE (Aβ16–22) in Alzheimer\u27s β-amyloid is thought to be a core β-structure that could act as a template for folding other parts of the polypeptide or molecules into fibrillar assemblies rich in β-sheet. To elucidate the mechanism of the initial folding process, we undertook combined X-ray fiber/powder diffraction and infrared (IR) spectroscopy to analyze lyophilized Aβ16–22 and solubilized/dried peptide containing nitrile probes at F19 and/or F20. Solubilized/dried wild-type (WT) Aβ16–22 and the peptide containing cyanophenylalanine at F19 (19CN) or at F20 (20CN) gave fiber patterns consistent with slab-like β-crystallites that were cylindrically averaged around the axis parallel to the polypeptide chain direction. The WT and 19CN assemblies showed 30-Å period arrays arising from the stacking of the slabs along the peptide chain direction, whereas the 20CN assemblies lacked any such stacking. The electron density projection along the peptide chain direction indicated similar side-chain dispositions for WT and 20CN, but not for 19CN. These X-ray results and modeling imply that in the assembly of WT Aβ16–22 the F19 side chain is localized within the intersheet space and is involved in hydrophobic contact with amino acids across the intersheet space, whereas the F20 side chain localized near the slab surface is less important for the intersheet interaction, but involved in slab stacking. IR observations for the same peptides in dilute solution showed a greater degree of hydrogen bonding for the nitrile groups in 20CN than in 19CN, supporting this interpretation

Multi-scale processes of beech wood disintegration and pretreatment with 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate/water mixtures

Background: The valorization of biomass for chemicals and fuels requires efficient pretreatment. One effectivestrategy involves the pretreatment with ionic liquids which enables enzymatic saccharification of wood within a fewhours under mild conditions. This pretreatment strategy is, however, limited by water and the ionic liquids are ratherexpensive. The scarce understanding of the involved effects, however, challenges the design of alternative pretreatmentconcepts. This work investigates the multi length-scale effects of pretreatment of wood in 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazoliumacetate (EMIMAc) in mixtures with water using spectroscopy, X-ray and neutron scattering.Results: The structure of beech wood is disintegrated in EMIMAc/water mixtures with a water content up to 8.6 wt%.Above 10.7 wt%, the pretreated wood is not disintegrated, but still much better digested enzymatically compared tonative wood. In both regimes, component analysis of the solid after pretreatment shows an extraction of few percentof lignin and hemicellulose. In concentrated EMIMAc, xylan is extracted more efficiently and lignin is defunctionalized.Corresponding to the disintegration at macroscopic scale, SANS and XRD show isotropy and a loss of crystallinity inthe pretreated wood, but without distinct reflections of type II cellulose. Hence, the microfibril assembly is decrystallizedinto rather amorphous cellulose within the cell wall.Conclusions: The molecular and structural changes elucidate the processes of wood pretreatment in EMIMAc/watermixtures. In the aqueous regime with >10.7 wt% water in EMIMAc, xyloglucan and lignin moieties are extracted,which leads to coalescence of fibrillary cellulose structures. Dilute EMIMAc/water mixtures thus resemble establishedaqueous pretreatment concepts. In concentrated EMIMAc, the swelling due to decrystallinization of cellulose, dissolutionof cross-linking xylan, and defunctionalization of lignin releases the mechanical stress to result in macroscopicdisintegration of cells. The remaining cell wall constituents of lignin and hemicellulose, however, limit a recrystallizationof the solvated cellulose. These pretreatment mechanisms are beyond common pretreatment concepts and pavethe way for a formulation of mechanistic requirements of pretreatment with simpler pretreatment liquors.Keywords: Ionic liquid, Lignocellulose, EMIMAc, XRD, SANS, Pretreatment, Crystallinity, Disintegration, Microfibril

Research Communication Suppression of Carrageenan-and Collagen II-Induced Inflammation in Mice by Geranium Oil

To obtain experimental evidence on the therapeutic efficacy of essential oils in aromatherapy for inflammatory diseases, we examined the effects of geranium oil on carrageenan-induced and collagen II-induced inflammation in mice, to assess acute and chronic anti-inflammatory activities of the oil. Single intraperitoneal injection of 5 μL of geranium oil clearly suppressed the carrageenan-induced footpaw edema and increase in tissue myeloperoxidase activity, and repeated administration of the oil suppressed collagen-induced arthritis. These results revealed that geranium oil suppressed both acute and chronic inflammatory responses in mic

Suppression of neutrophil accumulation in mice by cutaneous application of geranium essential oil

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Previous studies suggested that essential oils suppressed the adherence response of human neutrophils <it>in vitro </it>and that intraperitoneal application of geranium oil suppressed the neutrophil accumulation into peritoneal cavity <it>in vivo</it>. Usually, essential oils are applied through skin in aromatherapy in inflammatory symptoms. The purpose of this study is to assess the effects of cutaneous application of essential oils on the accumulation of neutrophils in inflammatory sites in skin of mice.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Inflammation with accumulation of inflammatory cells was induced by injection of curdlan, a (1→3)-β-D-glucan in skin or peritoneal cavity of mice. Essential oils were applied cutaneously to the mice immediately and 3 hr after intradermal injection of curdlan. The skin with inflammatory lesion was cut off 6 hr after injection of curdlan, and the homogenates were used for myeloperoxidase (MPO: a marker enzyme of neutrophil granule) assay.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The MPO activity of the skin lesion induced by curdlan was suppressed dose-dependently by cutaneous application of geranium oil. Other oils such as lavender, eucalyptus and tea tree oils also suppressed the activity, but their activities seemed weaker than geranium. Juniper oil didn't suppress the activity</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Cutaneous application of essential oils, especially geranium oil, can suppress the inflammatory symptoms with neutrophil accumulation and edema.</p