Isolation and Characterization of Stigmasterol and Bis-(5, 7-diacetyl-catechin-4’-α- rhamnopyranoside) from the Stem bark of Neocarya macrophylla (Sabine) Prance (Chrysobalanaceae)

Neocarya macrophylla belongs to the Chrysobalanaceae family and is extensively used in folk medicine as an antibacterial, antivenin, antiasthmatic, anticancer, analgesic and anti-inflammatory agent. This study was aimed at isolation and characterization of compounds from the stem bark of Neocarya macrophylla.  Pulverized plant material was exhaustively extracted with methanol using maceration method and concentrated invacuo with the aid of rotary evaporator at 40oC to afford a reddish brown crude methanol extract (ME). The methanol extract was successively partitioned into hexane, dichloromethane, ethylacetate, n-butanol and aqueous fractions. Stigmasterol was isolated from the hexane fraction and a catechin glycoside, Bis-(5,7-diacetyl-catechin-4’-α- rhamnopyranoside) was  isolated from the ethylacetate soluble fraction using a combination of silica gel column, gel filtration (sephadex LH-20) and preparative thin layer chromatography. The structures of the compounds were established on the basis of chemical tests, spectroscopic analysis and by comparison with reference spectral data.Keywords: Neocarya macrophylla, phytochemical, stigmasterol, Bis-(5, 7-diacetyl-catechin-4’-α-rhamnopyranoside)

Growing woody biomass for bioenergy in southern Ontario, Canada : a case study using tree-based intercropping

Paper presented at the 12th North American Agroforesty Conference, which was held June 4-9, 2011 in Athens, Georgia.In Ashton, S. F., S.W. Workman, W.G. Hubbard and D.J. Moorhead, eds. Agroforestry: A Profitable Land Use. Proceedings, 12th North American Agroforestry Conference, Athens, GA, June 4-9, 2011.During the spring of 2006, three willow varieties from SUNY-ESF (SV1, SX67 and 9882-41) were established on a marginal land in an agroforestry tree-intercropping arrangement where plots of short rotation willow were planted between rows (spaced 15 m apart) of 20-year-old mixed tree species. As a control, the same varieties were established on an adjacent piece of land without established tree rows. The study investigated the distribution of carbon and nitrogen pools, fine root biomass and clone yields in both tree-based intercropping (agroforestry) and conventional monocropping systems. Willow biomass yield was significantly higher in the agroforestry field, 4.86 and 3.02 odt ha-1 y-1 for the agroforestry and control fields, respectively. SV1 and SX67 had the highest yields and 9882-41 had the lowest. Willow fine root biomass in the top 20 cm of soil was significantly higher in the intercropping system (3000 kg ha-1) than in the conventional system (2500 kg ha-1). Differences in fine root biomass between clones followed the same order that was observed for differences in biomass yield: SV1 [greater than] SX67 [greater than] 9882-41. Leaf input was higher in the intercropping system (1900 kg ha-1) than in the monocrop system (1700 kg ha-1). Clonal differences in leaf inputs followed the same trends as those for root biomass and yield: SV1 [greater than] SX67 [greater than] 9882-41. Soil organic carbon was significantly higher in the agroforestry field (1.94 [percent]) than in the control field (1.82 [percent]). A significant difference was found between the three clones; 9882-41 had the lowest soil organic carbon of 1.80 [percent]. In December 2009, both fields were harvested (1st cycle) with Anderson bio-baler harvester. Harvesting process and bale yield data, harvest moisture content, field drying and loss of moisture etc. will also be discussed.R�mi Cardinael (1), Naresh Thevathasan (2), Andrew Gordon (2), Rachelle Clinch (3) and Idris Mohammed (2) ; 1. AgroParisTech, Paris, France. 2. School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, ON, Canada. 3. Golder Associates Ltd., Mississauga, ON, Canada.Includes bibliographical references

Nitric oxide overcomes Cd and Cu toxicity in in vitro-grown tobacco plants through increasing contents and activities of rubisco and rubisco activase

AbstractToxic heavy metals such as cadmium (Cd) and copper (Cu) are global problems that are a growing threat to the environment. Despite some heavy metals are required for plant growth and development, others are considered toxic elements and do not play any known physiological role in plant cells. Elevated doses of Cd or Cu cause toxicity in plants and generate damages due to the stress condition and eventually cause a significant reduction in quantity and quality of crop plants. The nitric oxide (NO) donor sodium nitroprusside (SNP) is reported to alleviate the toxicity of some heavy metals like Cd and Cu. In the current study, the role of NO in alleviating stresses of Cd and Cu was investigated in in vitro-grown tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) Based on plant growth, total chlorophyll contents, contents and activities of rubisco and rubisco activase. According to the results of this study, the growth and total chlorophyll contents of Cd/Cu stressed plants were hugely decreased in the absence of SNP, while the supplementation of SNP resulted in a significant increase of both fresh weight and total chlorophyll contents. Remarkable reductions of Rubisco and rubisco activase contents and activities were observed in Cd and Cu-induced plants. SNP supplementation showed the highest contents and activities of rubisco and rubisco activase compared to the control and Cu/Cd-stressed plants. Taken together, our findings suggest that SNP could play a protective role in regulation of plant responses to abiotic stresses such as Cd and Cu by enhancing Rubisco and Rubisco activase

Air pollution and its association with cervical cancer: a scoping review

Kanser serviks adalah salah satu kanser wanita yang utama di dunia. Punca kanser serviks adalah 'human papillomavirus' (HPV), namun faktor risiko lain seperti faktor persekitaran turut mempunyai kaitan dengan penyakit ini. Pencemaran udara adalah penyebab utama kematian akibat kanser. Walaupun ia telah lama dikaitkan dengan kanser paru-paru, terdapat kajian-kajian yang telah membuktikan ianya merupakan faktor risiko untuk kanser lain di kalangan manusia, termasuklah kanser serviks. Kajian skop ini bertujuan untuk mengenal pasti dan meneliti literatur sedia ada yang mengkaji perkaitan antara pencemaran udara dengan perkembangan kanser serviks. Protokol 'Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews' (PRISMA-ScR) telah digunakan untuk membimbing kajian ini. Tujuh penerbitan yang membincangkan pencemaran udara dan kaitannya dengan kanser serviks telah dipilih berdasarkan kriteria tertentu. Huraian tentang punca pencemaran udara, jenis bahan pencemar udara, dan kesan pendedahannya terhadap kejadian kanser serviks telah dibincangkan. Beberapa bahan pencemar udara dikaitkan dengan pelbagai kesan pendedahannya yang berhubungkait dengan kanser serviks, termasuklah perkembangan pra-kanser serviks, serta peningkatan dalam kejadian dan kematian kanser serviks. Kajian ini menekankan perkaitan antara pencemar udara yang bertindak sebagai faktor risiko bersama dalam perkembangan kanser serviks. Dengan mengenalpasti bahan pencemar udara yang mempengaruhi perkembangan kanser serviks, kajian ini seterusnya dapat dijadikan panduan untuk penyelidikan berkaitan mekanisma faktor-faktor risiko pencemar udara yang menyebabkan kanser serviks di masa hadapan

The genome of the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus

We report the sequence and analysis of the 814-megabase genome of the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus, a model for developmental and systems biology. The sequencing strategy combined whole-genome shotgun and bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) sequences. This use of BAC clones, aided by a pooling strategy, overcame difficulties associated with high heterozygosity of the genome. The genome encodes about 23,300 genes, including many previously thought to be vertebrate innovations or known only outside the deuterostomes. This echinoderm genome provides an evolutionary outgroup for the chordates and yields insights into the evolution of deuterostomes

Advancing brain barriers RNA sequencing: guidelines from experimental design to publication

Background: RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) in its varied forms has become an indispensable tool for analyzing differential gene expression and thus characterization of specific tissues. Aiming to understand the brain barriers genetic signature, RNA seq has also been introduced in brain barriers research. This has led to availability of both, bulk and single-cell RNA-Seq datasets over the last few years. If appropriately performed, the RNA-Seq studies provide powerful datasets that allow for significant deepening of knowledge on the molecular mechanisms that establish the brain barriers. However, RNA-Seq studies comprise complex workflows that require to consider many options and variables before, during and after the proper sequencing process.Main body: In the current manuscript, we build on the interdisciplinary experience of the European PhD Training Network BtRAIN (https://www.btrain-2020.eu/) where bioinformaticians and brain barriers researchers collaborated to analyze and establish RNA-Seq datasets on vertebrate brain barriers. The obstacles BtRAIN has identified in this process have been integrated into the present manuscript. It provides guidelines along the entire workflow of brain barriers RNA-Seq studies starting from the overall experimental design to interpretation of results. Focusing on the vertebrate endothelial blood–brain barrier (BBB) and epithelial blood-cerebrospinal-fluid barrier (BCSFB) of the choroid plexus, we provide a step-by-step description of the workflow, highlighting the decisions to be made at each step of the workflow and explaining the strengths and weaknesses of individual choices made. Finally, we propose recommendations for accurate data interpretation and on the information to be included into a publication to ensure appropriate accessibility of the data and reproducibility of the observations by the scientific community.Conclusion: Next generation transcriptomic profiling of the brain barriers provides a novel resource for understanding the development, function and pathology of these barrier cells, which is essential for understanding CNS homeostasis and disease. Continuous advancement and sophistication of RNA-Seq will require interdisciplinary approaches between brain barrier researchers and bioinformaticians as successfully performed in BtRAIN. The present guidelines are built on the BtRAIN interdisciplinary experience and aim to facilitate collaboration of brain barriers researchers with bioinformaticians to advance RNA-Seq study design in the brain barriers community