Chemical investigation of a biologically active schinus molle L. leaf extract

The pepper tree Schinus molle L. is an evergreen ornamental plant belonging to the Anacardiaceae family, native to South America and widespread throughout the world. It has biological activities and is used in folk medicine. This paper aims to contribute to a deeper knowledge of its chemical composition and biological properties. S. molle leaf extracts were obtained by sequential extraction with solvents of different polarities and subsequently tested on the HL-60 human leukaemia cell line to define a possible cytotoxic activity. Among the investigated extracts, the petroleum ether extract revealed a high cytotoxic activity, and its chemical composition was further investigated. By a silica column chromatography, eight fractions were obtained, and their compositions were determined by GC-MS analysis. Compounds and relative abundance differed widely among the fractions; sesquiterpenes resulted the main component and alcoholic sesquiterpenes the most abundant

Uso de produtos naturais para proteção de mudas na arborização de pastagens.

Os sistemas de produção convencional têm esgotado os recursos ambientais, o que torna o agroecossistema frágil e insustentável. Sistemas silvipastoris podem ser alternativas viáveis na recuperação de pastagens degradadas. Este estudo foi desenvolvido com o objetivo de avaliar produtos naturais na implantação de espécies arbóreas em pastagens com presença constante de bovinos, sem proteção física das mudas. O experimento foi conduzido na Embrapa Gado de Corte, Campo Grande, MS, no período de 02/02/2005 a 28/03/2005. O delineamento utilizado foi de parcelas subdivididas inteiramente ao acaso, com dez repetições. As parcelas foram: 1) fezes bovinas ao redor da muda, 2) sangue bovino seco, 3) ovo sem casca e 4) testemunha sem proteção. As subparcelas foram cinco especies arbóreas: Myroxylon peruiferum (Bálsamo), Dipteryx alata (Cumbaru), Schizolobium parahyba (Guapuruvu), Genipa americana (Jenipapo) e Mimosa caesalpineaefolia (Sansão do campo). A herbivoria foi intensa em todos os tratamentos. A S. parahyba apresentou taxa de sobrevivência de 72,5%, enquanto 100% das plantas da M. caesalpineafolia morreram. Há indícios de que a maior proteção, embora parcial, foi dada pela aplicação de fezes ao redor da muda. As aspersões de sangue ou de ovo não ofereceram proteção às árvores jovens. A concentração e a freqüência de aplicação das fezes é uma alternativa que merece maiores estudos

Antiproliferative properties of papaver rhoeas ovule extracts and derived fractions tested on HL60 leukemia human cells

Papaver rhoeas plant is common in many regions worldwide and contributes to the landscape with its red flower. In the present study we first carried out morphological investigation by optical and scanning electron microscopy of the ovules within the ovary. After ovules’ isolation we prepared extracts to test possible cytotoxic activities on HL60 leukemia human cells and investigated the extracts using thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and gas-chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC-MS). P. rhoeas ovules showed an elongated, round shape and the presence of ordered sculptures on the ovule surface. The ovule extracts showed cytotoxic activity on HL60 human cells mainly found in some TLC-isolated spots. Compounds consisting of active spots were identified by GC-MS investigations. Our findings on the P. rhoeas ovule compounds open perspectives for further investigations of TLC-isolated spots on other human cancer cell lines

Interactions of melatonin with mammalian mitochondria. Reducer of energy capacity and amplifier of permeability transition.

Melatonin, a metabolic product of the amino acid tryptophan, induces a dose-dependent energy drop correlated with a decrease in the oxidative phosphorylation process in isolated rat liver mitochondria. This effect involves a gradual decrease in the respiratory control index and significant alterations in the state 4/state 3 transition of membrane potential (ΔΨ). Melatonin, alone, does not affect the insulating properties of the inner membrane but, in the presence of supraphysiological Ca2+, induces a ΔΨ drop and colloid-osmotic mitochondrial swelling. These events are sensitive to cyclosporin A and the inhibitors of Ca2+ transport, indicative of the induction or amplification of the mitochondrial permeability transition. This phenomenon is triggered by oxidative stress induced by melatonin and Ca2+, with the generation of hydrogen peroxide and the consequent oxidation of sulfydryl groups, glutathione and pyridine nucleotides. In addition, melatonin, again in the presence of Ca2+, can also induce substantial release of cytochrome C and AIF (apoptosis-inducing factor), thus revealing its potential as a pro-apoptotic agent

Competição de cultivares de brócolos tipo cabeça única em Campo Grande.

O experimento foi conduzido na horta da UNIDERP, Campo Grande-MS, de junho a setembro de 2005. Objetivou-se avaliar o desempenho de diferentes cultivares de brócolos tipo cabeça única disponíveis no mercado para as condições edafoclimáticas de Campo Grande. Foram avaliadas oito cultivares comerciais: BRO68 (Rogers), Marathon (Sakata), Green Parasol (Takii), Centenário (Takii), Legacy (Asgrow), Magestic Crown (Asgrow), AF649 (Sakata) e Brócolis de Cabeça (Topseed). O delineamento experimental utilizado foi em blocos casualizados completos, com quatro repetições, sendo cada parcela composta por dez plantas. Foram realizadas seis colheitas, a partir de 89 dias após a semeadura, de acordo com formação da inflorescência e o ponto de colheita, independente do tamanho. Foram avaliadas as características massa fresca (g) e diâmetro da inflorescência (cm) e produtividade (t ha-1). Para cultivo em Campo Grande, as cultivares Centenário, AF649, BRO68 e Marathon são as mais indicadas para plantio entre junho a setembro, pela maior produtividade

Dysgraphia in patients with primary lateral sclerosis: a speech-based rehearsal deficit?

The present study aims to demonstrate that errors when writing are more common than expected in patients affected by primary lateral sclerosis (PLS) with severe dysarthria or complete mutism, independent of spasticity. Sixteen patients meeting Pringle's et al. [34] criteria for PLS underwent standard neuropsychological tasks and evaluation of writing. We assessed writing abilities in spelling through dictation in which a set of words, non-words and short phrases were presented orally and by composing words using a set of preformed letters. Finally, a written copying task was performed with the same words. Relative to controls, PLS patients made a greater number of spelling errors in all writing conditions, but not in copy task. The error types included: omissions, transpositions, insertions and letter substitutions. These were equally distributed on the writing task and the composition of words with a set of preformed letters. This pattern of performance is consistent with a spelling impairment. The results are consistent with the concept that written production is critically dependent on the subvocal articulatory mechanism of rehearsal, perhaps at the level of retaining the sequence of graphemes in a graphemic buffer. In PLS patients a disturbance in rehearsal opportunity may affect the correct sequencing/assembly of an orthographic representation in the written process

Association Of Postalimentary Lipemia With Atherosclerotic Manifestations.

We identified different lipemic and metabolic responses after the ingestion of a standardized meal by healthy adults and related them to atherosclerotic markers. Samples from 60 normolipidemic adults were collected before and after a liquid meal (40 g fat/m² body surface) at 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8 h for measurements of lipids, free fatty acids (FFA), insulin, cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP), autoantibodies to epitopes of oxidized LDL (oxLDL Ab), lipolytic activities, and apolipoprotein E polymorphism. Mean carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) was determined by Doppler ultrasound. The volunteers were classified into early (N = 39) and late (N = 31) triacylglycerol (TAG) responders to the test meal. Late responders showed lower HDL cholesterol concentration at fasting and in the TAG peak, lower insulin and higher FFA concentrations compared to early responders. Multivariate regression analyses showed that mean cIMT was associated with gender (male) and age in early responders and by cholesterol levels at the 6th hour in late responders. oxLDL Ab were explained by lipoprotein lipase and negatively by hepatic lipase and oxLDL Ab (fasting period) by CETP (negative) and FFA (positive). This study is the first to identify a postalimentary insulin resistance state, combined with a reduced CETP response exclusively among late responders, and the identification of the regulators of postalimentary atherogenicity. Further research is required to determine the metabolic mechanisms described in the different postalimentary phenotypes observed in this study, as well as in different pathological states, as currently investigated in our laboratory.451086-9

Association between Vascular Remodelling and Necrotic Core in Coronary Arteries: Analysis by Intracoronary Ultrasound with Virtual Histology®

ABSTRACTBackgroundAnatomopathological studies suggest an association of positive vascular remodeling and vulnerable coronary plaques. The objective of this study was to verify whether there is a correlation between positive vascular remodeling and necrotic core in atherosclerotic coronary lesions.MethodsWe studied 270 cross sections obtained by Virtual Histology® in 30 patients who had positive remodeling in coronary artery segments with lesions > 50%, identified by coronary angiography. Seven cross sections were assessed per segment of coronary artery, including the cross section with the highest remodeling index, denominated cross section of interest (cross section 4).ResultsMean age was 60.8±8.8 years, 80% were male and 30% were diabetic. Unstable angina was the most frequent clinical presentation (56.6%) and the left anterior descending artery was the most analyzed vessel (43%). The vessel reference area was 15.5±4.9mm2 and the remodeling index in cross section 4 was 1.2±0.1. Repeated measures analysis of variance showed a higher percentage of necrotic core in the cross section of interest (P < 0.001). We observed a positive correlation of coronary artery remodeling and necrotic core (r = 0.79; P < 0.001).ConclusionsPositive coronary artery remodeling is associated to the presence of necrotic core, which characterizes vulnerable atherosclerotic plaques. The search for positive arterial remodeling may be a useful strategy for detecting vulnerable plaques before rupture

Molecular Analysis of Relapses or Reinfections of Clostridium difficile-Associated Diarrhea

Recurrence is a major complication of Clostridium difficile associated diarrhoea and occurs in 15 to 20% of patients after discontinuation of therapy. Strains from 53 patients with Clostridium difficile recurrences were fingerprinted by PCR ribotyping. Reinfection with a different strain occurred in 15 of 53 patients (28,3 %), while 38 patients relapsed. These data suggest the need to perform molecular typing for implementation of infection control procedures and for a more appropriate therapeutic strategy

Realization of the farad from the dc quantum Hall effect with digitally-assisted impedance bridges

A new traceability chain for the derivation of the farad from dc quantum Hall effect has been implemented at INRIM. Main components of the chain are two new coaxial transformer bridges: a resistance ratio bridge, and a quadrature bridge, both operating at 1541 Hz. The bridges are energized and controlled with a polyphase direct-digital-synthesizer, which permits to achieve both main and auxiliary equilibria in an automated way; the bridges and do not include any variable inductive divider or variable impedance box. The relative uncertainty in the realization of the farad, at the level of 1000 pF, is estimated to be 64E-9. A first verification of the realization is given by a comparison with the maintained national capacitance standard, where an agreement between measurements within their relative combined uncertainty of 420E-9 is obtained.Comment: 15 pages, 11 figures, 3 table