Anti-inflammatory activities of 6β-acetoxy-7α-hydroxyroyleanone from Taiwania cryptomerioides Hayata ex vivo and in vivo

Excess production of nitric oxide (NO) by inducible NO synthase (iNOS) in activated macrophages is linked to acute and chronic inflammation. Thus, it would be valuable to develop inhibitors of NO production and/or iNOS for potential therapeutic use. This study investigated the anti-inflammatory effects of 6β-acetoxy-7α-hydroxyroyleanone (AHR), a compound isolated from the bark of Taiwania cryptomerioides Hayata, using lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated mouse macrophage (RAW 264.7) ex vivo and carrageenan (Carr)-induced mouse paw edema model in vivo. When RAW 264.7 macrophages were treated with different concentrations of AHR (0, 0.31, 0.62, 1.25, and 2.50 μg/mL) together with LPS (100 ng/mL), a significant concentration-dependent inhibition of NO production was detected. Western blotting revealed that AHR blocked protein expression of iNOS and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages, significantly. In the anti-inflammatory test, AHR (1.25 and 2.50 mg/kg) decreased paw edema at 4 and 5 h after λ-carrageenan (Carr) administration and increased the activities of catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) in the liver tissue. It was also demonstrated that AHR significantly attenuated the malondialdehyde (MDA) level in the edema paw at 5 h after Carr injection. AHR (0.62, 1.25, and 2.50 mg/kg) decreased the NO levels on both edema paw and serum at 5 h after Carr injection. Also, AHR diminished the serum tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) at 5 h after Carr injection. Western blotting revealed that AHR (2.50 mg/kg) decreased Carr-induced iNOS and COX-2 expressions at 5 h in the edema paw. An intraperitoneal (ip) injection treatment with AHR also diminished neutrophil infiltration into sites of inflammation, as did indomethacin (Indo). The anti-inflammatory activities of AHR might be related to the decrease in the levels of MDA, iNOS, and COX-2 in the edema paw and to the increase in the activities of CAT, SOD, and GPx in the liver through the suppression of TNF-α and NO.     

In vitro assessment of the bioaccessibility of fatty acids and tocopherol from soybean oil body emulsions stabilized with ι-carrageenan

The present investigation aimed to expand the knowledge of the in vitro bioaccessibility of fatty acids and tocopherol from natural soybean oil body emulsions stabilized with different concentrations of ι-carrageenan. Several physicochemical parameters including proteolysis of the interfacial layer, interfacial composition, and microstructure were evaluated with regard to their impact on the bioaccessibility of fatty acids and tocopherol. Results from simulated human digestion in vitro indicated that the bioaccessibility of total fatty acids and tocopherol decreased (62.7-8.3 and 59.7-19.4%, respectively) with the increasing concentration of ι-carrageenan. During the in vitro digestion procedure, ι-carrageenan affected physicochemical properties of the emulsions, thereby controlling the release of fatty acids and tocopherol. These results suggested that soybean oil body emulsions stabilized with ι-carrageenan could provide natural emulsions in foods that were digested at a relatively slow rate, the important physiological consequence of which might be increasing satiety.     

Potential nitrification, nitrate reductase, and β-galactosidase activities as indicators of restoration of ecological functions in a Zn-contaminated soil

The present study was conducted to assess the possible restoration of different ecological functions in a Zn-contaminated soil. Experiments were conducted in a soil microcosm contaminated with 350?mg?kg^?1 of Zn and in an uncontaminated control microcosm, both incubated for 4?months. At regular intervals, potential nitrification, nitrate reductase, and β-galactosidase activity were determined. All these activities were significantly reduced just after Zn contamination in contaminated microcosms compared to the activities of the control, but then increased. In order to confirm that the restoration of ecological functions was not due to an aging phenomenon, a reinoculation protocol was also applied. A significant restoration was found for β-galactosidase activity, while for nitrate reductase activity and potential nitrification, there was a clear shift of dose–response curves but with partial overlap of the EC₅₀ ranges estimation, thus indicating that different ecological functions are restored over time in Zn-contaminated soils.     

Chemical quality of leachates and enzymatic activities in Technosols with gossan and sulfide wastes from the São Domingos mine

Journal of Soils and Sediments - São Domingos mine area (Portuguese Iberian Pyrite Belt) contains several mine wastes with different environmental hazard which are disposed irregularly over a...     

Boron partitioning in B‐sprayed and unsprayed fruiting twigs of hazelnut

Abstract

Following B sprays, fruit set increase in ‘Barcelona’ hazelnut was accompanied by a decrease in dry‐matter accumulation for the entire fruiting twig. In unsprayed controls prior to 5 June, leaves constituted 80% of the total dry weight of a fruiting twig. Later in the season (5 Aug.) the percent dry weight was maximum in the nut tissue (66%), followed by leaves (17%), and then husks (13%). Leaves contained 87% of the total B in a fruiting twig early in the season, indicating that the leaf was a major sink for B at that time. Of the net B increases over a 2 months period, 24% was in the leaves, 38% in the nuts, and 37% in the husks. By 5 Aug., compared to other tissues, stem dry matter (3%) and B content (32) was negligible; hence, the stem was of little importance in overall partitioning. Boron sprays did not alter B partitioning in the fruiting twigs.     

Erratum to: Chemical quality of leachates and enzimatic activities in Technosols with gossan and sulfide wastes from the São Domingos mine

Journal of Soils and Sediments -     

Effect of the substrate concentration and water activity on the yield and rate of the transfer reaction of β-galactosidase from Bacillus circulans

Prebiotic galactosyl oligosaccharides (GOS) are produced from lactose by the enzyme β-galactosidase. It is widely reported that the highest GOS levels are achieved when the initial lactose concentration is as high as possible; however, little evidence has been presented to explain this phenomenon. Using a system composed of the commercial β-galactosidase derived from Bacillus circulans known as Biolacta FN5, lactose and sucrose, the relative contribution of water activity, and substrate availability were assessed. Oligosaccharide levels did not appear to be affected by changes in water activity between 1.0 and 0.77 at a constant lactose concentration. The maximum oligosaccharide concentration increased at higher initial concentrations of lactose and sucrose, while initial reaction rates for transfer increased but remained constant for hydrolysis. This suggests that the high oligosaccharide levels achieved at the raised initial saccharide concentration are due to increases in reactions that form oligosaccharides rather than decreases in concurrent reactions, which degrade oligosaccharides. There were different effects from changing the initial concentration of lactose compared to sucrose, suggesting that the ability of lactose to act as a donor saccharide may be more important for increasing maximum oligosaccharide concentrations than the combined ability of both saccharides to act as galactosyl acceptors.     

Interaction of Lolium perenne and Hyphomicrobium sp. GHH enhances the removal of 17α-ethinyestradiol (EE2) from soil

Journal of Soils and Sediments - The increasing land application of sewage sludge and animal manure has accelerated the input of 17α-ethynylestradiol (EE2) into soils and environment, which...     

Extracts of Maqui ( Aristotelia chilensis ) and Murta ( Ugni molinae Turcz.): sources of antioxidant compounds and α-Glucosidase/α-Amylase inhibitors

The objective of this work was to evaluate the antioxidant and antihemolytic activities of crude, aqueous, and organic-aqueous extracts of maqui ( Aristotelia chilensis ) and murta ( Ugni molinae Turcz.), together with their inhibiting effect on enzymes involved in the metabolism of carbohydrates. Radical scavenging activity, inhibition of linoleic acid oxidation in a micellar system, antihemolytic activity, and inhibition of α-amylases and α-glucosidases were analyzed. Crude extracts of maqui leaves and fruits were found to be important sources of polyphenolic compounds, showing 69.0 ± 0.9 and 45.7 ± 1.1 mg GAE/g dm, respectively. Polyphenols from maqui leaves were active as antioxidants and antihemolytic compounds (p < 0.05), showing a noncompetitive inhibiting effect on α-glucosidase. Flavan-3-ol polymers and glycosylated flavonols, such as quercetin glucoside and kaempferol glucoside, were tentatively identified in extracts. This preliminary observation provides the basis for further examination of the suitability of polyphenol-enriched extracts from maqui and murta as nutritional or medicinal supplements with potential human health benefits.     

Sequential fractionation of chromium and nickel from some serpentinite‐derived soils from the eastern Transvaal

Abstract

Soils derived from ultramafic serpentinitic rocks are inherently infertile. These soils support plant species that are able to hyperaccumulate both chromium (Cr) and nickel (Ni). This study was conducted to determine the efficacy of a sequential extraction technique in explaining sources of Cr and Ni that are taken up by plant species growing on these soils. The sequential extraction of soil samples obtained from the eastern Transvaal involved the following reagents: H₂O and 0.5M KNO₃, 0.5M NaOH, 0.05M Na₂EDTA, and 4M HNO₃. More than 95% of the total Cr was extracted by HNO₃ while the remaining extractants fell into the order NaOH > EDTA ? KNO₃ + H₂O. There would appear to be a loose correlation between easily soluble Cr (KNO₃ + H₂O) and the uptake of Cr by the plant. A somewhat higher proportion of Ni was extracted prior to the HNO₃ treatment although amounts removed by KNO₃ + H₂O were all less than 1% of the total. It would appear that plant species growing on these soils are able to accumulate these elements from sources other than those considered easily available. A highly significant coefficient of determination was obtained between Ni extracted by oxalate and EDTA extractable. The fraction extracted by the steps in the sequential procedure can be related to exchangeable and sorbed (KNO₃ and H₂O) and an easily acid soluble inorganic fraction (HNO₃). The NaOH and EDTA fractions are probably related to the Cr and Ni bound in the form of organic complexes and associated with iron oxides.     

β-Glucosidase involvement in the formation and transformation of oleuropein during the growth and development of olive fruits (Olea europaea L. cv. Arbequina) grown under different farming practices

The present study investigates oleuropein metabolism, as well as the involvement of β-glucosidase during the growth, development, and ripening of olive fruit. The results show that in olive fruit the in vivo formation and transformation of oleuropein takes place in three different stages. The first one is characterized by a net accumulation of oleuropein and occurs in the immature fruit. In the second stage, associated with the green and light-green fruits, oleuropein content is maintained practically constant, and finally, a third stage that begins in the green-yellow fruit is characterized by a progressive decline of the oleuropein concentration. Our findings confirm that in the absence of β-glucosidase the Damtoft-proposed pathway is active and that net synthesis of oleuropein is unquestionable. β-Glucosidase activity plays a key role in the oleuropein metabolism catalyzing its in vivo hydrolysis.     

β-carboline derivatives and diphenols from soy sauce are in vitro quinone reductase (QR) inducers

A murine hepatoma (Hepa 1c1c7) cellular bioassay was used to guide the isolation of phase II enzyme inducers from fermented soy sauce, using quinone reductase (QR) as a biomarker. A crude ethyl acetate extract, accounting for 8.7% of nonsalt soluble solids of soy sauce, was found to double relative QR specific activity at 25 μg/mL (concentration required to double was defined as a "CD value"). Further silica gel column fractionation yielded 17 fractions, 16 of which exhibited CD values for QR induction of <100 μg/mL. The four most potent fractions were subfractionated by column and preparative thin layer chromatography, leading to the isolation and identification of two phenolic compounds (catechol and daidzein) and two β-carbolines (flazin and perlolyrin), with respective CD values of 8, 35, 42, and 2 μM. Western blots confirmed that the increases in QR activity corresponded to dose-dependent increases in cellular levels of NAD[P]H:quinone oxidoreductase 1 protein by these four QR inducers. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report on the ability of β-carboline-derived alkaloids to induce phase II enzymes.     

Is earthworms' dispersal facilitated by the ecosystem engineering activities of conspecifics?

In this work, we documented the influence of earthworm's galleries on their speed of movements during dispersal events in the soil. We quantified, by using X-rays, the dispersal behaviour of earthworms in the soil. The observations were conducted in mesocosms in controlled conditions for 12?h. Our experiments revealed that during a dispersal sequence of a batch of individuals of the species Aporrectodea terrestris (Savigny 1826): (a) individuals used preferentially existing conspecifics' galleries, (b) individual velocity increased after each dispersal event and (c) the lag time before each dispersal event did not seem to be influenced by previous dispersers. Therefore, dispersal seems to be facilitated by conspecifics' activity, which strongly supports the hypothesis of a feedback between ecosystem engineers' activity and their dispersal speed.     

Which polyphenolic compounds contribute to the total antioxidant activities of apple?

The antioxidant activities of eight apple cultivars were studied by using the ferric reducing/antioxidant power (FRAP), the beta-carotene-linoleic acid model system (beta-CLAMS), and the photochemiluminescent (PCL) assays. The antioxidant activity of apples is highly correlated to the total phenolic content (TPC) measured by the Folin-Ciocalteu method and the total polyphenolic index (TPI) obtained by HPLC. Extracts of the peel and flesh were analyzed and assayed separately. The FRAP activities of both peel and flesh extracts correlate well with the TPC (r = 0.95 and 0.99, respectively) and the TPI (r = 0.82 and 0.99, respectively). Similar results were found in the beta-CLAMS activities, showing correlation coefficients of r = 0.90 and 0.91 with the TPC for the peel and flesh extracts and of r = 0.90 and 0.84 with the TPI for the peel and flesh extracts, respectively. The antioxidant activity measured by the PCL assay was not correlated with TPC or TPI due to the lack of integratable lag phase in this method with the flavan-3-ols/procyanidins. Among the five major polyphenolic groups, flavan-3-ols/procyanidins had the highest positive correlation with the FRAP and beta-CLAMS activities: r = 0.84 and 0.88 for the peel extracts, respectively; and r = 0.98 and 0.87 for the flesh extracts, respectively. At individual compound level, epicatechin and procyanidin B2 were the major contributors to the antioxidant activity of apple. Hydroxycinnamic acids may have a significant role in the flesh.     

Consequences of hydrological events on the delivery of suspended sediment and associated radionuclides from the Rh?ne River to the Mediterranean Sea

Purpose

Almost 20 nuclear reactors are situated along the Rh?ne valley, representing Europe??s largest concentration of nuclear power plants. The fate of suspended sediments and natural and artificial particle-bound radionuclides in relation to extreme hydrological events was assessed at the lower course of the Rh?ne River, which provides the main source of water and sediment inputs to the northwestern Mediterranean Sea.

Materials and methods

We sampled water at a high frequency over the period 2001?C2008 and measured suspended particulate matter (SPM) loads and particle-bound natural and artificial radionuclide concentrations at the SORA observatory station in Arles, France. We monitored various hydrological events (either natural or anthropogenic origin) and characterize their influence on concentrations and fluxes.

Results and discussion

The relationship between SPM concentration and the very wide range of water discharges did not differ significantly from previous periods, indicating no significant shift in the average sediment delivery over the last 20?years. Unexpected hydrological events of anthropogenic origin, in particular those associated with flushing of reservoirs that are generally not captured by sampling strategies, were recorded and were shown to transfer significant additional sediment and associated contaminants towards the marine environment. Concentrations of anthropogenic radionuclides associated with sediment (i.e., ¹³⁷Cs, ⁶⁰Co, ⁵⁴Mn, ^110mAg, and Pu isotopes) varied over two to three orders of magnitude during periods of low and moderate flow due to variations in the liquid release from nuclear facilities. Except for Pu isotopes, the concentrations of the various particle-bound radionuclides generally showed a decreasing trend with increasing discharge, revealing the geochemical or anthropogenic background values, and providing a useful flood fingerprint for this large fluvial system before its entry into the marine environment.

Conclusions

Our approach produced key data on the level and fate of suspended solids and radionuclide concentrations during flood events occurring in a large river system that could be contaminated by chronic or accidental radioactive releases. These results are of fundamental importance for further interpretations of sediment dynamics at the river mouth.     

Inhibitory effects of muscadine anthocyanins on α-glucosidase and pancreatic lipase activities

Inhibitory effects of the Noble muscadine grape extracts and the representative phytochemicals for anthocyanins (i.e., cyanidin and cyanidin-3,5-diglucoside) on two enzymes, that is, α-glucosidase and pancreatic lipase, were investigated regarding their antidiabetic activities. The study demonstrated that the anthocyanin extracts and the selected chemicals obeyed the competitive mode against the enzymes. The methanolic extracts of whole fruit and skin of the muscadine showed inhibitory activities against the α-glucosidase with their IC(50) values at 1.50 and 2.73 mg/mL, and those against the lipase at 16.90 and 11.15 mg/mL, respectively, which indicated that the muscadine extracts possessed strong antidiabetic activities. Particularly, the ethyl acetate (EtoAc) extract and the butanol (BuOH) extract exhibited much higher inhibitory activities against both enzymes than the CHCl(3) and water extracts, while the majority of anthocyanins existed in the BuOH fractions. Moreover, cyanidin exhibited a much stronger antidiabetic activity than cyanidin-3,5-diglucoside, suggesting that anthocyanins may have higher inhibitory activities after being digested. Further chromatographic analysis by high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry identified five individual anthocyanins, including cyanidin, delphinidin, petunidin, peonidin, and malvidin glycosides.     

Adenosine diphosphatase and adenosine triphosphatase activities of maize tonoplast‐enriched vesicles

Microsomal fraction enriched with tonoplast vesicles was obtained from maize root (Zea mays L. FRB 73) by sucrose step gradient centri‐fugation. The vesicles contained an adenosine diphosphatase (ADPase) activity as determined by the hydrolysis of Mg‐ADP. The ADPase and adenosine triphospha‐tase (ATPase) of the fraction have different sensitivities toward several modifiers. ADPase activity was not sensitive to nitrate, N,N'‐dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCCD), diethylstilbestrol (DES), and azide, but partially sensitive to vanadate and molybdate. In contrast, ATPase was very sensitive to nitrate, DCCD, and DES, but not to vanadate, azide, and molybdate. The presence of 2'‐or (3')‐trinitrophenol adenosine 5'‐diphosphate (TNP‐ADP) significantly reduced ADPase activity but not that of the ATPase activity. On the other hand, the addition of TNP‐ATP abolished ATPase activity but not the ADPase activity. Since the influence of these modifiers to the activities are different, the binding and the hydrolysis of ADP and ATP in maize tonoplast vesicles may occur at different sites.     

Studies on microörganisms and their activities in soil Part. 2. Virgin and cultivated soil of the same origin

The nature of soil is modified differently depending upon the artificial condition such as its utilization or management. It is therefore expected that the microbiological characteristic of soil is changed also. Greaves¹⁾ and Williams²⁾ reported that the reclamation of virgin soil brought about a change of bacterial count. Suzuki et al³⁾ observed that the kind of fungi differed between a virgin and a cultivated soil and that the vegetative mycelium was numerous in the former than in the latter. On the other hand, according to W aksman and Starkey⁴⁾, the bacterial count differed depending upon the fertility of soil. Singh⁵⁾ reported also that the number of fungi and actinomycetes was higher in a fertile than in an infertile soil. Lochhead⁶⁾, and Lochhead and Chasen studied the bacterial flora of a fertile (long-continued application of manure) and an infertile (no fertilizer for many years) soil and found that a certain difference could be observed when morphological, physiological and nutritional classification are tried.