56 research outputs found
Anticancer Meroterpenoids from Centrapalus pauciflorus leaves: Chromone- and 2,4-Chromadione-Monoterpene Derivatives
Eight previously undescribed chromones, named pauciflorins F–M and two 5-methyl-2,4-chromadione derivatives named as pauciflorins N and O, were isolated from the methanol extract of the leaves of Centrapalus pauciflorus (Willd.) H.Rob. together with the known (+)-spiro-ethuliacoumarin. The structures were determined via extensive spectroscopic analyses, including HRESIMS, 1D NMR (1H, 13C JMOD), and 2D NMR (HSQC, HMBC, 1H–1H COSY, and NOESY) experiments. Through an MTT assay, seven isolated compounds were tested for their antiproliferative properties against human adherent breast (MCF-7, MDA-MB-231), cervical (HeLa, SiHa), and ovarian (A2780) cancer cell lines. Pauciflorin F was effective against MCF-7 breast cancer cells, its activity (IC50 5.78 μM) was comparable to that of the reference agent cisplatin (IC50 5.78 μM)
Degradation of linuron in soil by two fungi
Two fungal strains were applied to soil polluted with herbicide in order to
determine their degradation potential. Three experimental setups were used.
In the first setup, the soil in pots was contaminated by linuron in final
concentration of 1 ppm. Suspensions of Phanerocheate chrysosporium and
Trichoderma asperellum were applied separately or in combination. Tomato
plantlets were transplanted and chlorophyll content in their leaves was
determined at two time points during plant growth. In the second setup in
pots, the final concentration of linuron was lower, 0.45 ppm. In the third
setup 0.1 ppm of linuron was applied in the field plot. Plantlets of lettuce
were transplanted and chlorophyll content was measured as indicator of plant
stress. The content of linuron in soil was determined by HPLC. The applied
fungal strains significantly reduced toxic effect of 0.45 ppm linuron on
plants, which was not the case for 1 ppm linuron. Both fungi, applied
separately or in combination, were effective in decreasing the linuron
content in the soil. However, in field conditions the combination of both
fungi was the most effective. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije,
br. III43010
Qualitative and quantitative characterization of a coal power plant waste by TG/DSC/MS, XRF and XRD
SO2 removal from coal-fired power plant flue gases can be done by dry, semi-dry or wet desulphurization processes, using limestone or lime-containing products as sorbents. In a Brazilian coal power plant, there is a dry desulphurization unit to capture SO2 with hydrated lime from the combustion gases. A part of the flying ashes produced is mixed with the bottom coal ashes and the spent sulphated product generated after SO2 capture. This residual solid blend is then buried in a non-productive area, from which coal was already extracted and is studied in this work. According to the authors’ experience in the development and characterization of adsorbents for low temperature dry desulphurization processes and in thermogravimetric analysis, this paper shows and discusses a method which was developed to characterize qualitatively and quantitatively the chemical and mineral composition of this waste by using thermogravimetry coupled with mass spectrometry, X-ray fluorescence and X-ray diffraction, to preview new potential industrial applications for this waste.We are thankful to the University of Cantabria for the financial support under the Project: 51.VP61.64005, to the Brazilian Research Council, under the project CNPq no. 407005/2013-7, and to the Brazilian Education Council CAPES
Finding needles in haystacks: Linking scientific names, reference specimens and molecular data for Fungi
DNA phylogenetic comparisons have shown that morphology-based species recognition
often underestimates fungal diversity. Therefore, the need for accurate DNA sequence
data, tied to both correct taxonomic names and clearly annotated specimen data, has
never been greater. Furthermore, the growing number of molecular ecology and microbiome
projects using high-throughput sequencing require fast and effective methods for
en masse species assignments. In this article, we focus on selecting and re-annotating a
set of marker reference sequences that represent each currently accepted order of Fungi.
The particular focus is on sequences from the internal transcribed spacer region in the
nuclear ribosomal cistron, derived from type specimens and/or ex-type cultures. Reannotated
and verified sequences were deposited in a curated public database at the
National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), namely the RefSeq Targeted Loci
(RTL) database, and will be visible during routine sequence similarity searches with
NR_prefixed accession numbers. A set of standards and protocols is proposed to improve
the data quality of new sequences, and we suggest how type and other reference
sequences can be used to improve identification of Fungi.B.R. and C.L.S. acknowledge support from the Intramural Research
Program of the National Institutes of Health, National Library of
MedicinePeer Reviewe
Application of panoramic annular lens for motion analysis tasks: surveillance and smoke detection
Semi-Synthetic Ecdysteroid 6-Oxime Derivatives of 20-Hydroxyecdysone Possess Anti-Cryptococcal Activity
Cryptococcosis, a life-threatening fungal infection, frequently occurs in patients suffering from AIDS. The treatment of the disease is hampered by the limited number of the effective drugs and the increasing resistance; therefore, to find new active substances is needed. As meningitis is the most serious infection affecting the AIDS patients, effective drugs have to be capable of entering to the central nervous system. Ecdysteroids are natural bioactive molecules with considerable anabolic activity and without toxic side effects on humans. The aim of this work was to study the anti-cryptococcal activity of a natural ecdysteroid, 20E, and its three semi-synthetic derivatives obtained by structural modification of the original molecule. We established the minimum inhibitory concentration of the compounds with microdilution method and demonstrated their fungicidal activity by flow cytometry and cultivation of the drug-treated cells. The interaction of the compounds with each other and efflux transporter inhibitors was assessed by checkerboard titration method. Two derivatives, 20E-EOx and 20E-ZOx, inhibited the growth of Cryptococcus neoformans with minimum inhibitory concentration 2 mg/mL and 1 mg/mL, respectively; both compounds possess fungicidal effect. A combination of the ecdysteroids with each other and verapamil resulted in additive interaction. This study confirmed that structural modification of an originally non-antimicrobial molecule can enhance its effectiveness
Application of panoramic annular lens for motion analysis tasks: surveillance and smoke detection
Isolation and characterization of Xanthophyllomyces dendrorhous mutants with altered carotenoid content
Cells of the astaxanthin-producing yeast
Xanthophyllomyces dendrorhous
were subjected to successive 60
Co and UV irradiation. Colonies exhibiting increased pigmentation were recovered from different non-selective plates. Mutant strains were subcultured to ensure their genetic homogeneity and their pigment production was characterized. Analysis of the metabolic patterns of 7 pigment-overproducing mutants (derived from 3 wild-type parental isolates) revealed different patterns of carotenoid production: the greatest increase in astaxanthin production (6.7-fold) was found for
X. dendrorhous
strain ATCC 24229/S119 (274 μ g g−1 dry weight). Mutant strains with increased total carotenoid content, but without significant change in astaxanthin production, were also isolated
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