Variation of theanine, phenolic, and methylxanthine compounds in 21 cultivars of Camellia sinensis harvested in different seasons

This is the first study to use chemometric methods to differentiate among 21 cultivars of Camellia sinensis from China and between leaves harvested at different times of the year using 30 compounds implicated in the taste and quality of tea. Unique patterns of catechin derivatives were observed among cultivars and across harvest seasons. C. sinensis var. pubilimba (You 510) differed from the cultivars of C. sinensis var. sinensis, with higher levels of theobromine, (+)-catechin, gallocatechin, gallocatechin gallate and theasinensin B, and lower levels of (−)-epicatechin, (−)-epigallocatechin (EGC) and (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), respectively. Three cultivars of C. sinensis var. sinensis, Fuyun 7, Qiancha 7 and Zijuan contained significantly more caffeoylquinic acids than others cultivars. A Linear Discriminant Analysis model based on the abundance of 12 compounds was able to discriminate amongst all 21 tea cultivars. Harvest time impacted the abundance of EGC, theanine and afzelechin gallate

Is aristolochic acid nephropathy a widespread problem in developing countries? A case study of Aristolochia indica L. in Bangladesh using an ethnobotanical - phytochemical approach

Ethnopharmacological relevance: Species of Aristolochia are associated with aristolochic acid nephropathy (AAN), a renal interstitial fibrosis and upper urinary tract cancer (UUC). Aristolochic acid nephropathy has been reported in ten countries but its true incidence is unknown and most likely underestimated. By combining an ethnobotanical and phytochemical approach we provide evidence for the risk of AAN occurring in Bangladesh. More specifically, we assess the intra-specific variation of aristolochic acid analogues in medicinally used A. indica samples from Bangladesh. Materials and Methods: Ethnobotanical information was collected from 16 kavirajes (traditional healers) in different study locations in Bangladesh. Plant samples were obtained from native habitats, botanical gardens, herbal markets and pharmaceutical companies. The samples were extracted using 70% methanol and were analysed using LC-DAD-MS and 1H-NMR. Results: Roots as well as leaves are commonly used for symptoms such as snake bites and sexual problems. Among the informants knowledge about toxicity or side effects is very limited and A. indica is often administered in very high doses. Replacement of A. indica with other medicinal plants such as Rauvolfia serpentina (L.) Benth. ex Kurz was common. A. indica samples contained a variety of aristolochic acid analogues such as aristolochic acid I, aristolochic acid II, cepharadione A and related compounds. Conclusions: AAN cases are likely to occur in Bangladesh and more awareness needs to be raised about the health risks associated with the use of A. indica and other species of Aristolochia as herbal medicines

Mechanisms in mutualisms: a chemically mediated thrips pollination strategy in common elder

The concept of flower-feeding thrips as pollinating insects in temperate regions is rarely considered as thrips are more frequently regarded to be destructive florivores feeding on pollen and surrounding plant tissue. Combining laboratory and field-based studies we examined interactions between Sambucus nigra (elderflower) and Thrips major within their native range to ascertain the role of thrips in the pollination of this species and to determine if floral chemicals mediated flower visits. If thrips provide a pollination service to S. nigra, then this will likely manifest in traits that attract the pollinating taxa at temporally critical points in floral development. T. major were highly abundant in inflorescences of S. nigra, entering flowers when stigmas were pollen-receptive and anthers were immature. When thrips were excluded from the inflorescences fruit-set failed. Linalool was the major component of the inflorescence headspace with peak abundance coinciding with the highest number of adult thrips visiting flowers. Thrips were absent in buds and their numbers declined again in senescing flowers correlating with the concentration of cyanogenic glycosides recorded in the floral tissue. Our data show that S. nigra floral chemistry mediates the behaviour of pollen-feeding thrips by attracting adults in high numbers to the flowers at pre-anthesis stage, while producing deterrent compounds prior to fruit development. Taking an integrative approach to studying thrips behaviour and floral biology we provide a new insight into the previously ambiguously defined pollination strategies of S. nigra and provide evidence that suggests that the relationship between T. major and S. nigra is mutualistic

Filling in the gaps of the papilionoid legume phylogeny: The enigmatic Amazonian genus Petaladenium is a new branch of the early-diverging Amburaneae clade

Recent deep-level phylogenies of the basal papilionoid legumes (Leguminosae, Papilionoideae) have resolved many clades, yet left the phylogenetic placement of several genera unassessed. The phylogenetically enigmatic Amazonian monospecific genus Petaladenium had been believed to be close to the genera of the Genistoid Ormosieae clade. In this paper we provide the first DNA phylogenetic study of Petaladenium and show it is not part of the large Genistoid clade, but is a new branch of the Amburaneae clade, one of the first-diverging lineages of the Papilionoideae phylogeny. This result is supported by the chemical observation that the quinolizidine alkaloids, a chemical synapomorphy of the Genistoids, are absent in Petaladenium. Parsimony and Bayesian phylogenetic analysis of nuclear ITS/5.8S and plastid matK and trnL intron agree with a new interpretation of morphology that Petaladenium is sister to Dussia, a genus comprising ~18 species of trees largely confined to rainforests in Central America and northern South America. Petaladenium, Dussia, and Myrospermum have papilionate flowers in a clade otherwise with radial floral symmetry, loss of petals or incompletely differentiated petals. Our phylogenetic analyses also revealed well-supported resolution within the three main lineages of the ADA clade (Angylocalyceae, Dipterygeae, and Amburaneae). We also discuss further molecular phylogenetic evidence for the undersampled Amazonian genera Aldina and Monopteryx, and the tropical African Amphimas, Cordyla, Leucomphalos, and Mildbraediodendron. © 2015 Elsevier Inc

Oral Abstracts 7: RA ClinicalO37. Long-Term Outcomes of Early RA Patients Initiated with Adalimumab Plus Methotrexate Compared with Methotrexate Alone Following a Targeted Treatment Approach

Background: This analysis assessed, on a group level, whether there is a long-term advantage for early RA patients treated with adalimumab (ADA) + MTX vs those initially treated with placebo (PBO) + MTX who either responded to therapy or added ADA following inadequate response (IR). Methods: OPTIMA was a 78- week, randomized, controlled trial of ADA + MTX vs PBO + MTX in MTX-naïve early (<1 year) RA patients. Therapy was adjusted at week 26: ADA + MTX-responders (R) who achieved DAS28 (CRP) <3.2 at weeks 22 and 26 (Period 1, P1) were re-randomized to withdraw or continue ADA and PBO + MTX-R continued randomized therapy for 52 weeks (P2); IR-patients received open-label (OL) ADA + MTX during P2. This post hoc analysis evaluated the proportion of patients at week 78 with DAS28 (CRP) <3.2, HAQ-DI <0.5, and/or ΔmTSS ≤0.5 by initial treatment. To account for patients who withdrew ADA during P2, an equivalent proportion of R was imputed from ADA + MTX-R patients. Results: At week 26, significantly more patients had low disease activity, normal function, and/or no radiographic progression with ADA + MTX vs PBO + MTX (Table 1). Differences in clinical and functional outcomes disappeared following additional treatment, when PBO + MTX-IR (n = 348/460) switched to OL ADA + MTX. Addition of OL ADA slowed radiographic progression, but more patients who received ADA + MTX from baseline had no radiographic progression at week 78 than patients who received initial PBO + MTX. Conclusions: Early RA patients treated with PBO + MTX achieved comparable long-term clinical and functional outcomes on a group level as those who began ADA + MTX, but only when therapy was optimized by the addition of ADA in PBO + MTX-IR. Still, ADA + MTX therapy conferred a radiographic benefit although the difference did not appear to translate to an additional functional benefit. Disclosures: P.E., AbbVie, Merck, Pfizer, UCB, Roche, BMS—Provided Expert Advice, Undertaken Trials, AbbVie—AbbVie sponsored the study, contributed to its design, and participated in the collection, analysis, and interpretation of the data, and in the writing, reviewing, and approval of the final version. R.F., AbbVie, Pfizer, Merck, Roche, UCB, Celgene, Amgen, AstraZeneca, BMS, Janssen, Lilly, Novartis—Research Grants, Consultation Fees. S.F., AbbVie—Employee, Stocks. A.K., AbbVie, Amgen, AstraZeneca, BMS, Celgene, Centocor-Janssen, Pfizer, Roche, UCB—Research Grants, Consultation Fees. H.K., AbbVie—Employee, Stocks. S.R., AbbVie—Employee, Stocks. J.S., AbbVie, Amgen, AstraZeneca, BMS, Celgene, Centocor-Janssen, GlaxoSmithKline, Lilly, Pfizer (Wyeth), MSD (Schering-Plough), Novo-Nordisk, Roche, Sandoz, UCB—Research Grants, Consultation Fees. R.V., AbbVie, BMS, GlaxoSmithKline, Human Genome Sciences, Merck, Pfizer, Roche, UCB Pharma—Consultation Fees, Research Support. Table 1.Week 78 clinical, functional, and radiographic outcomes in patients who received continued ADA + MTX vs those who continued PBO + MTX or added open-label ADA following an inadequate response ADA + MTX, n/N (%)a PBO + MTX, n/N (%)b Outcome Week 26 Week 52 Week 78 Week 26 Week 52 Week 78 DAS28 (CRP) <3.2 246/466 (53) 304/465 (65) 303/465 (65) 139/460 (30)*** 284/460 (62) 300/460 (65) HAQ-DI <0.5 211/466 (45) 220/466 (47) 224/466 (48) 150/460 (33)*** 203/460 (44) 208/460 (45) ΔmTSS ≤0.5 402/462 (87) 379/445 (86) 382/443 (86) 330/459 (72)*** 318/440 (72)*** 318/440 (72)*** DAS28 (CRP) <3.2 + ΔmTSS ≤0.5 216/462 (47) 260/443 (59) 266/443 (60) 112/459 (24)*** 196/440 (45) 211/440 (48)*** DAS28 (CRP) <3.2 + HAQ-DI <0.5 + ΔmTSS ≤0.5 146/462 (32) 168/443 (38) 174/443 (39) 82/459 (18)*** 120/440 (27)*** 135/440 (31)** aIncludes patients from the ADA Continuation (n = 105) and OL ADA Carry On (n = 259) arms, as well as the proportional equivalent number of responders from the ADA Withdrawal arm (n = 102). bIncludes patients from the MTX Continuation (n = 112) and Rescue ADA (n = 348) arms. Last observation carried forward: DAS28 (CRP) and HAQ-DI; Multiple imputations: ΔmTSS. ***P < 0.001 and **iP < 0.01, respectively, for differences between initial treatments from chi-squar

Characterisation of phenylethanoid glycosides by multiple‐stage mass spectrometry

Rationale: Although phenylethanoid glycosides (PhGs) occur widely in plants, their characterisation by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) is less well studied than other phenolic glycosides such as flavonoid glycosides. The multiple‐stage mass spectrometry (MSn) experiments required to improve the annotation of common verbascoside‐type PhGs are described here. Methods: Deprotonated, ammoniated and sodiated molecules of nine PhGs were subjected to low‐energy collision‐induced dissociation (CID) in a hybrid ion trap/orbitrap mass spectrometer. Most experiments were recorded at nominal mass using the linear ion trap analyser for wider applicability in the plant metabolomics community. Data interpretation was supported by high‐resolution orbitrap scanning of product ions. Comparative data was acquired on the same instrument by performing higher‐energy collisional dissociation (HCD) in the C‐trap. Results: Low energy CID‐MS2 of the deprotonated and ammoniated molecules generated diagnostic product ions from which the molecular masses of the phenolic acid and phenylethanoid moieties, respectively, could be determined. The sugar at C‐3' of the core glucose was preferentially lost from the sodiated molecule following CID‐MS2, while CID‐MSn produced a sodiated product ion from ring cleavage of the core glucose bearing the sugar at C‐6'. Evidence of a disaccharide substitution came from a sodiated disaccharide residue in CID‐MSn spectra. Conclusions: The consistency of PhG dissociation following low‐energy CID‐MSn of various ions is sufficient to enable annotation of verbascoside‐type PhGs in LC/MS analyses of crude plant extracts. This can be achieved on a low‐resolution instrument capable of MSn

Chemical composition of the inflorescence odor of Malaxis rzedowskiana (Orchidaceae) Composición química del olor de la inflorescencia de Malaxis rzedowskiana (Orchidaceae)

Malaxis rzedowskiana R.González (Malaxideae, Orchidaceae) from Mexico produces a pleasant floral odor reminiscent of violets in contrast to the unpleasant odors noted for several other members of Malaxideae. Analysis of the floral odor of M. rzedowskiana by headspace trapping and thermal desorption-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry revealed the presence of kaurene (76%), (E)-&beta;-ionone (18%) and (E)-&alpha;-ionone (4%) as the main components. This is the first report of a floral odor containing a high proportion of kaurene.<br>Malaxis rzedowskiana R.González (Malaxideae, Orchidaceae) de México produce un agradable olor floral reminiscente del de violetas, en contraste con los olores desagradables que han sido detectados en varios otros miembros de Malaxideae. El análisis del olor floral deM. rzedowskiana a partir del aire que rodeaba la inflorescencia en un espacio cerrado ("headspace trapping") y cromatografía de gases-espectrometía de masas por deabsorción térmica reveló la presencia de kaureno (76%), (E)-&beta;-ionona (18%) y (E)-&alpha;-ionona (4%) como sus principales constituyentes. Éste es el primer registro de un olor floral conteniendo una alta proporción de kaureno