Structure and antioxidant activity of polysaccharide POJ-U1a extracted by ultrasound from Ophiopogon japonicus

An ultrasonic technique was employed to extract polysaccharides from Ophiopogon japonicus. The ultrasonic extracted polysaccharides (POJ-U) were purified, and POJ-U1a (a homogeneous fraction) was obtained. The structural characteristics of POJ-U1a were investigated by infrared spectra, gas chromatography, high performance liquid chromatography, periodate oxidation, Smith degradation, methylation analysis, gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The results indicated that the relative molecular weight of POJ-U1a was 4.02 × 10³ Da. POJ-U1a was an α-configuration polysaccharide with a highly branched structure, and consisted of pyranoside and funanside. The backbone of POJ-U1a consisted of 1,6-α-d-glucopyranose and 1,3,6-α-d-glucofuranose in the molar ratio of 7:3, while the branched chains were mainly composed of 1,3-α-d-glucopyranose and 1-α-d-glucopyranose in the molar ratio of 1:3. The branched structure of POJ-U1a was proved intuitively by AFM. Significant antioxidant activity of POJ-U1a has been proved as shown by its DPPH radical scavenging, hydrogen radical scavenging and superoxide anion scavenging activities, which indicated that POJ-U1a showed strong antioxidant activity.     

An anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory polysaccharide from Orbignya phalerata

A polysaccharide, a glucan with mean M_r of 1.0×10⁶ (MP1), was isolated from the mesocarp of fruits of Orbignya phalerata. Chemical and spectroscopic studies indicated that MP1 has a highly branched glucan type structure composed of α-(1→4) linked -glucopyranose residues with (3→4), (4→6), and with (3→6) branching points. MP1 enhanced phagocytosis in vivo and exhibited anti-inflammatory activity.     

Antimicrobial activity of flowers from Anthemis cotula

The flavonoid containing total extract of Anthemis cotula flowers, tested at the concentration of 200 μg/ml, showed interesting antimicrobial activity against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive microorganisms.     

Antifeedant activity of vicolides from Pentanema indicum

Vicolides A–D (0.2–2000 ppm) from Pentanema indicum showed antifeedant activity against Euproctes fraterna and Pericallia ricini V stage larvae.     

Gastrointestinal activity of Ficus sur

The gastroprotective effects of some extracts of the dried leaves of Ficus sur in animals were investigated in order to validate the use of the plant in traditional medicine. The water and methanol extracts showed antiulcer activity, the hot water extract being the most effective. These extracts had also spasmolytic effects on the rabbit jejunum. LD₅₀ values ranged from 900 to 1200 mg/kg in mice. These results show that F. sur has potential in the treatment of ulcers.     

Antimicrobial activity of Securinega leucopyrus

Extracts of the leaves of Securinega leucopyrus exhibited a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity.     

Antibacterial activity of Urena lobata root

The methanol extract of Urena lobata root showed a broad spectrum of antibacterial activity.     

Cassine, an antimicrobial alkaloid from Senna racemosa

The leaves of Senna racemosa yielded the piperidine alkaloid cassine and an inositol methyl ether. Antimicrobial screening of the compounds revealed antibacterial activity of cassine with minimum inhibitory concentrations of 2.5 mg/ml for Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis and 5.0 mg/ml for Candida albicans.     

Anxiolytic activity of aerial and underground parts of Passiflora incarnata

The petroleum ether, chloroform, methanol, and water extracts of Passiflora incarnata whole plant and sorted out plant parts have been evaluated for their anxiolytic activity using the elevated plus-maze model in mice. The methanol extracts of leaves, stems, flowers, and whole plant exhibited anxiolytic effects at 100, 125, 200 and 300 mg/kg, respectively. The roots were practically devoid of anxiolytic effects. These results show that roots and flowers of P. incarnata act as natural adulterants by causing a significant increase in the anxiolytic dose. Therefore, separation of these parts is recommended prior to any pharmacological, phytochemical and standardization studies on P. incarnata.     

Structure analysis of water-soluble polysaccharide CPPS3 isolated from Codonopsis pilosula

Codonopsis pilosula is a perennial species of flowering plants propagated in Northeast Asia. A water-soluble polysaccharide, CPPS₃, was extracted from the root of Codonopsis pilosula by boiled water extraction and ethanol precipitation. The molecular weight was estimated to be 7.4 × 10⁴ Da determined by using Gel permeation chromatography. Monosaccharide composition and the structure of the polysaccharide were determined by gas spectroscopy, Fourier transform IR (FT-IR) spectroscopy, NMR spectroscopy and mass spectroscopy and some chemical method analysis was made. The components were galactose, arabinose and rhamnose in the molar ratio of 1.13:1.12:1. The main chain of CPPS₃ is illustrated to be (1→3)-linked-β-GalpNAc, (1→3)-linked-α-Rhap and (1→2,3)-β-Galp.     

Antiulcer activity of Mikania cordata

The alkaloidal fraction obtained from an ethanolic extract of the leaves of Mikania cordata exhibited significant in vivo antiulcer activity in diclofenac sodium-induced gastric erosions in Long Evans rats.     

Antibacterial activity of Parmelia kamstchandalis

The ethanol extract of P. kamstchandalis as well as ethyl haematommate, ethyl-2,4-dihydroxy-6-methylbenzoate and methyl-β-orsellinate isolated from it exhibited varying degrees of antibacterial activity.     

Artoindonesianin L, a new prenylated flavone with cytotoxic activity from Artocarpus rotunda

A new prenylated flavone, named artoindonesianin L (1), was isolated from Artocarpus rotunda (Hout) Panzer (Moraceae). Its structure was elucidated as on the basis of spectroscopic evidence. Along with this new compound, four known phenolic compounds were also isolated from this plant and identified as artonins M (2) and E (3), cycloartobiloxanthone (4) and artonin O (5). All these compounds showed significant cytotoxicity against murine P388 leukemia cells.     

Aripuanin, a megastigmane skeleton from Ficus aripuanensis

The isolation and NMR spectra of aripuanin (1), a sesquiterpene from Ficus aripuanensis, are reported.     

Immunomodulatory activity in vitro and in vivo of polysaccharide from Potentilla anserina

The polysaccharide (PAP) from Potentilla anserina was evaluated for modulating effects by using mouse peritoneal macrophage and the immunosuppressed-model cyclophosphamide-induced. Phagocytotic and mononuclear phagocytic system function assays showed that PAP stimulated the phagocytosis of phagocyte. Splenocyte proliferation assay showed that PAP acted the effect combining Con A or LPS in splenocyte proliferation. The parameters detected showed that PAP increased thymus and spleen indices, the levels of LDH and ACP in the spleen, and IL-10and IFN-γ in serum in immunosuppressed mice. The results suggest that PAP is involved in immunomodulatory effects leading to the exploration for PAP as a potential immunostimulant.     

基于cpDNA rps16序列分析兰考泡桐与白花泡桐和毛泡桐的遗传关系

【目的】通过测序法分析兰考泡桐与白花泡桐和毛泡桐在叶绿体rps16序列上的遗传差异,旨在分析三者之间在叶绿体基因上的变化特点和规律,探讨其种间的遗传关系。【方法】选取兰考泡桐、白花泡桐和毛泡桐各15个样本,对其提取的DNA用PCR扩增获得特异片段,并将其纯化与测序。利用软件Clustal X 2.0对所得序列进行排序;运行MEGA 4软件,进行多序列比对,分析其序列特征,并计算出K2P遗传距离。【结果】(1)对获得的rps16序列进行测定分析,得兰考泡桐序列长度分别为932 933 bp;白花泡桐序列长度为932 bp;毛泡桐序列长度分别为916918 bp。对所得rps16序列进行排序后的长度为938 bp,平均GC含量为34.31%。3个种所代表的个体之间共有10个变异位点,占整个序列长度的1.07%。其中有9个变异位点属于碱基插入或缺失类型,占变异位点总数的90%,占整个序列长度的0.96%。有1个变异位点属于碱基替换类型,占整个变异位点总数的10%,占整个序列长度的0.11%。(2)整个rps16片段的序列共有10个变异位点,其中兰考泡桐与白花泡桐在总的变异位点上,具有一致的碱基位点9个,占总变异的90%。而兰考泡桐与毛泡桐相比,没有相同的碱基。【结论】根据三种泡桐的rps16序列的序列特征和变异位点的分析,表明在叶绿体遗传方面,兰考泡桐具有与白花泡桐更多相似的遗传物质,其亲缘关系较近。综上所述,推测兰考泡桐与白花泡桐可能来自同一母系遗传。     

Structural features of a new heteropolysaccharide from the fruit bodies of Melia azedarach and its effect on cytotoxic activity

Water-soluble polysaccharides were extracted from the fruit pulps of Melia azedarach and some columns were undertaken to isolate the major polysaccharide (MPS-III). Its structural features were elucidated by IR analysis, carbohydrate analysis, periodate oxidation, Smith degradation, methylation analysis and NMR spectroscopy. Then it was evaluated for the cytotoxic activity in vitro against four human cell lines, using the sulphorhodamine B assay. The data obtained indicated that MPS-III contains a α(1→4) main chain backbone composed of arabinose, mannose in a molar ratio of 1.31:1.0 and has α(1→6) branch structure. And MPS-III showed a strong cytotoxic activity in the BGC-823 cell line.     

小陇山锐齿栎天然林结构动态分析

[目的]为了解锐齿栎天然林群落动态变化过程。[方法]采用每木定位监测样地重复观测的方法,对甘肃小陇山林区百花林场王安沟营林区内的锐齿栎天然林进行研究,从树种组成及多样性结构、径级结构、空间结构等几方面分析了锐齿栎天然林群落的结构动态特征。[结果]表明:2次调查群落树种组成和优势树种的重要值排序变化不大,有2个稀少种退出群落,死亡林木40株,死亡率8.3%;群落乔木层的物种丰富度和树种空间多样性下降,优势树种的集中性变大,物种个体数目分配的均匀程度下降。林分径级结构由典型的反"J"型分布变化为左偏的单峰状曲线;群落的空间结构没有发生显著变化,林木分布格局仍为随机分布,中林层和上林层林木个体增加,垂直结构更趋复杂;树种隔离程度下降,建群种锐齿栎的优势度增强,膀胱果、白桦和青榨槭种群的优势度下降。[结论]锐齿栎天然林群落组成和结构变化是一个复杂和缓慢的过程,6年间仅发生了一些微小的波动。     

滇南苏铁种群结构与分布格局研究

滇南苏铁(Cycas diannanensis)是云南特有种,为国家一级重点保护植物。通过样方法对滇南苏铁种群及其所在群落进行调查,分析其群落结构和物种多样性,以及其种群密度、年龄结构、存活曲线、空间分布格局与森林郁闭度的关系。结果表明,森林中林下植物主要伴生种与其群落物种的组成极具相关性,恐龙河州级自然保护区森林郁闭度整体为0.6以下的次生林是滇南苏铁生长的主要生境,共分布有61科127属196种维管束植物,滇南苏铁种群密度为0.23/m²;受不同森林郁闭度以及种间关系影响,滇南苏铁种群在Ⅰ~Ⅵ龄级整体表现出种群数量逐渐减少的趋势,年龄结构呈金字塔型,其存活曲线趋近于Deevey-II型;滇南苏铁种群呈聚集分布,各指标中k值随着森林郁闭度的增加而逐渐变小,说明其种群密度受森林郁闭度影响。     

Phytochemical and antifungal studies on Terminalia mollis and Terminalia brachystemma

Phytochemical investigation of the stem bark of Terminalia mollis afforded friedelin (1), catechin with epicatechin (2), gallocatechin with epigallocatechin (3) and 3-O-methylellagic acid 4'-O-α-rhamnopyranoside (4). Arjunolic acid with 2α, 3β, 23-trihydroxy-urs-12-en-28-oic acid (5), 2α-hydroxyursolic acid (6), gallic acid (7), chebulanin (8) and 2'-O-galloylvitexin (9) were isolated from the leaf. Chebulanin (8), betulinic acid (10), ursolic acid (11), catechin (12), isoorientin (13), orientin (14), isovitexin (15) and punicalagin (16) were isolated from Terminalia brachystemma leaf. The first full unambiguous NMR assignments for (4) and (8), and revised assignments for (9), are reported. Compound (16) showed good activity against three Candida species.