Phenolic Compounds from Allium schoenoprasum, Tragopogon pratensis and Rumex acetosa and Their Antiproliferative Effects

Experimental studies have shown that phenolic compounds have antiproliferative and tumour arresting effects. The aim of this original study was to investigate the content of phenolic compounds (PhC) in flowers of Allium schoenoprasum (chive), Tragopogon pratensis (meadow salsify) and Rumex acetosa (common sorrel) and their effect on proliferation of HaCaT cells. Antiproliferative effects were evaluated in vitro using the following concentrations of phenolic compounds in cultivation medium: 100, 75, 50 and 25 µg/mL. Phenolic composition was also determined by HPLC. The results indicate that even low concentrations of these flowers’ phenolic compounds inhibited cell proliferation significantly and the possible use of the studied herb’s flowers as sources of active phenolic compounds for human nutrition

SLOVAK FOLKLORE: AN ANTHOLOGY

The main body of this work consists of a cross-section of Slovak sayings, songs, poems and folktales that have been translated from Slovak into English and made available to English-speaking readers for the first time. The pieces chosen for translation cover the long chronology of Slovak folklore--from ancient magical incantations and prognostications, through lyrical songs, proverbs and lengthier folktales, to the working-class and partisan songs and poems of twentieth century Slovakia. These materials have been drawn from collections of Melichercik and Dobsinsky. Although all aspects of life and nature are represented in the rich oral tradition of Slovakia, themes of love and marriage, health and successful agriculture are most prevalent, because of Slovakia\u27s predominantly agrarian history and culture. Slovakia\u27s political and social subjugation to other national groups, especially the Hungarians and the Turks, is another common theme in Slovak songs and poems, many of which appear in the present anthology. The translations are preceded by an introduction, which describes the historical, cultural and literary context of the works contained in the anthology. The special problems of translating mostly oral poetry and songs from regional or archaic Slovak into modern English defy easy solutions. The introductory section addresses the linguistic and poetic differences between the two languages, and explains how this translator has attempted to handle these differences. The introduction and footnotes draw attention as well to the more prominent aspects of the cultural gap between the traditions of rural Slovakia and those of America

Electrospun polyurethane membrane with Ag/ZnO microparticles as an antibacterial surface on polyurethane sheets

A method of antibacterial modification of the polyurethane (PU) surface is presented in this article. An electrospun PU membrane with an incorporated antibacterial agent was applied as a coating of the PU sheets. As an antibacterial agent, a hybrid bimetallic filler was used; it combined the antibacterial effects of silver and zinc oxide. With an electrospun submicrometer-fiber membrane, the filler was uniformly and thinly applied on the PU surface by compression molding. The antibacterial activities of three filler concentrations were tested, and they demonstrated an effective antibacterial action against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.Operational Program Research and Development for Innovations; European Regional Development Fund; national budget of the Czech Republic within the framework of the Centre of Polymer Systems project [CZ.1.05/2.1.00/03.0111