UNA STORIA POCO NOTA. LE LEGGI RAZZIALI E LA CHIMICA. MILANO 1941

The racial laws inhibited the access to universities. The Israelite community in Milan reacted by establishing a special course, perfectly matching a university course, and chose a curriculum in chemistry. This highly successful attempt is presented in the frame of the scientific and academic situation of the time

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

An Unprecedented High Content of the Bioactive Flavone Tricin in Huperzia Medicinal Species Used by the Saraguro in Ecuador.

The flavone tricin (5,7,4′-trihydroxy-3′,5′-dimethoxyflavone) is considered to be a selective potent inhibitor of different cancer cell lines and a potential colorectal cancer chemopreventive agent. In this paper we describe a reliable UHPLC-UV-ESIMS method for the determination of tricin in Huperzia plants used in the traditional medicine of the Saraguro community living in Southern Ecuador. An unusually high amount of tricin was found in H. brevifolia and H. compacta, which exceeded the content of this flavone determined so far in other plants

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

Structural Characterisation of Metabolites from Pholiota spumosa (Basidiomycetes)

Three compounds of different biosynthetic origin were isolated from the fruiting bodies of the gilled mushroom Pholiota spumosa (Basidiomycetes, Strophariaceae). Fasciculol E, a lanostane triterpenoid conjugated to a depsipeptide unit, was isolated for the first time from genus Pholiota. In addition, the first isolation of putrescine-1,4-dicinnamamide as a natural compound is reported: its structure was established by single crystal X-ray diffraction, and by spectroscopic methods. Crystallographic analysis indicated the presence of a co-crystallised related dicinnamamide, namely the new compound (E)-2,3-dehydroputrescine-1,4-dicinnamamide, whose occurrence was confirmed by LC-MS analysis. An interesting evolutionary issue arises, following the observation that the cinnamamides produced by Pholiota spumosa bear an unsubstituted benzene ring, contrarily to those found in plants, which have always phenolic functionalities, and as such perform a variety of biological roles

Structural Characterisation of Metabolites from Pholiota spumosa (Basidiomycetes)

Three compounds of different biosynthetic origin were isolated from the fruiting bodies of the gilled mushroom Pholiota spumosa (Basidiomycetes, Strophariaceae). Fasciculol E, a lanostane triterpenoid conjugated to a depsipeptide unit, was isolated for the first time from genus Pholiota. In addition, the first isolation of putrescine-1,4-dicinnamamide as a natural compound is reported: its structure was established by single crystal X-ray diffraction, and by spectroscopic methods. Crystallographic analysis indicated the presence of a co-crystallised related dicinnamamide, namely the new compound (E)-2,3-dehydroputrescine-1,4-dicinnamamide, whose occurrence was confirmed by LC-MS analysis. An interesting evolutionary issue arises, following the observation that the cinnamamides produced by Pholiota spumosa bear an unsubstituted benzene ring, contrarily to those found in plants, which have always phenolic functionalities, and as such perform a variety of biological roles

Antihepatotoxic and Antioxidant Activities of Methanol Extract and Isolated Compounds from Ficus chlamydocarpa

Free radicals, in particular radical oxygen species (ROS), play an important role in the aetiology and pathogenesis of various diseases. Current research in many countries focuses on the use of local medicinal plants as a promising source of liver protective agents. This paper describes the hepatoprotective effects of the methanol extract and four isolated compounds from Ficus chlamydocarpa on CCl4-induced liver damage, as well as the possible antioxidant mechanisms involved in this protection. The DPPH test, along with the ß-Carotene-Linoleic Acid Model System and Ferric-Reducing Antioxidant Power assays, as well as the inhibition of microsomal lipid peroxidation were used to measure radical-scavenging and antioxidant activities. Pretreatment of rats with the methanol extract of F. chlamydocarpa before CCl4administration, significantly prevented serum increase of hepatic enzyme markers, glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (GOT) and glutamate pyruvate transaminase (GPT), in a dose-dependent manner. The hepatoprotection was also associated with a significant enhancement in hepatic reduced glutathione (GSH) and a marked decrease of liver malondialdehyde (MDA). Among the four compounds 1-4, isolated from the methanol extract, α-amyrin acetate (1) and luteolin (4) showed a significant hepatoprotective activity, as indicated by their ability to prevent liver cell death and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) leakage during CCl4intoxication

Productos naturales: investigación y perspectivas en Ecuador

Ecuador es un país privilegiado por su riqueza en organismos vivos íntimamente relacionados con su alta biodiversidad. En los últimos 20 años, las universidades públicas y privadas, así como los institutos de investigación, han invertido en la formación de sus docentes-investigadores como en tecnología de última generación relacionada con este tema. Este texto refleja los avances en la producción científica que se han generado en el país. Tres capítulos son revisiones exhaustivas del uso tradicional y el potencial de las plantas medicinales en problemas de salud y aplicaciones puntuales. Un capítulo analiza las plantas medicinales y sus metabolitos en una determinada área biogeográfica del Ecuador. Una revisión se centra en el aceite esencial de una especie nativa de elevado potencial bio-económico como la Psidium guajava. Dos estudios experimentales confirman la riqueza fitoquímica y el potencial medicinal de especies de nuestra biodiversidad como la Persea americana y Chuquiraga jussiuei. Y finalmente, un capítulo analiza la importancia del control en los productos naturales procesados con base en su calidad microbiológica y la relación con las correctas prácticas de manufactura. Este texto confirma que Ecuador tiene mucho que mostrar al mundo de la ciencia

Giorgio Errera, il chimico che non giurò - Giorgio Errera the chemist who refused the fascist oath

Giorgio Errera (1860-1933) studied chemistry at the university of Torino in the research group of Michele Fileti, a very well-known organic chemist that had a great influence on him. After the degree he remained to work in the same Institute. Working very hard could publish many papers that allow him to get the “libera docenza” and therefore to teach in different courses as for example General Chemistry, Optics in chemistry a new subject. In 1892 won a chair at the university of Messina. Most of his published research results have been done in Messina and he became a very well-known chemist not only in Italy. However, at the end of 1908 an earthquake destroyed the town, and he lost his wife, the house and everything in the university. In the following years 1909-1917 he was professor at the university of Palermo and in 1917-1931 at the university of Pavia, where he published important books of Inorganic and Organic Chemistry. He was antifascist and had a very liberal mind so that in 1923 he refused to be appointed rector of the university and then, in 1931, he refused to swear to fascism and was forced to ask to be retired. He died two years later

Determinazione degli spettri di massa di furanosesquiterpeni con l'aiuto di un calcolatore Apple IIe

Gli spettri di massa dei furanosequiterpeni presentano segnali caratteristici, i dati esistenti sono numerosi ma frammentari e sparsi; è stato messo a punto un programma di riconoscimento utilizzabile su un personal computer tipo Apple IIe, strutturato come una base di dati classica su un insieme di 10 coppie m/z - intensità con rimandi alla fonte bibliografica originale