Bioactivity-guided isolation of antiproliferative compounds from Centaurea jacea L

Bioassay-guided fractionation of the chloroform extract of Centaurea jacea L. afforded the isolation of cirsiliol, apigenin, hispidulin, eupatorin, isokaempferide, axillarin, centaureidin, 6-methoxykaempferol 3-methyl ether, trachelogenin, cnicin, 4'-acetylcnicin and three aliphatic glucose diesters, including the new natural product 1β-isobutanoyl-2-angeloyl-glucose. The structures of the compounds were established on the basis of spectroscopic analyses (UV, MS and NMR). All compounds were isolated for the first time from this species. The compounds were evaluated for their tumour cell growth inhibitory activities on HeLa, MCF-7 and A431 cells. Different types of secondary metabolites (flavonoids, sesquiterpenes) were found to be responsible for the antitumour effects of the extracts; the highest activity was exerted by centaureidin, in addition to moderately active compounds (cirsiliol, isokaempferide, apigenin, hispidulin, cnicin and 4'-acetylcnicin).     

Water cycle investigations in Hungarian forest ecosystems

From the biological point of view the value of autotrophy plant association is determined by the carbon fixation and the carbon cycle. Among the plant associations of Hungary, forest has the largest biological carbon fixation and carbon cycle.In general, the annual water cycle is the key factor in the organic material production of the Hungarian forests. The most intensive water consumption and organic material production take place from May till July, which period is named main water consumption and respectively main growing period. In Hungary the categories of the forest climate are characterized by main tree species and based on the characteristic meteorological data (Jaro and Tatraaljai, 1985). In Hungary the forest area covered by stand is 1,650,000 hm2. Beech forest climate covers 8% of the forest area, hornbeam-oak forest climate covers 22%, sessile oak-Turkey oak forest climate covers 48% and forest steppe climate covers 22%. Partly in the frame of ICP-Forests, the Department of Ecology in the Forest Research Institute carries out long term, complex ecophysiological investigations on several sample plots (so-called basic plots) throughout the whole country. The organic material production (growth), the nutrient and water cycle, the measurements of air pollutants and meteorological parameters, as well as chemical analyses are all part of the investigations. As a comparison the figure of two basic plots (Sopron-Piispokladany) shows the water cycles of a good growing beech stand in beech climate and a weak pedunculate oak stand in forest steppe climate in the hydrological year of 2001-2002. In the Hungarian forest 60%-70% of the precipitation is used for interception, evaporation, and in the vegetation season, for the transpiration both in beech and forest steppe climate. From other point of view, only 30%-40% of the open air precipitation infiltrates into the soil and can be utilized by the forest.     

Effects of ochratoxin A on some production traits, lipid peroxide and glutathione redox status of weaned piglets

The effect of feeding ochratoxin A (OTA) contaminated diet (379.6 and 338.1 microg/kg in starter and grower diets) on production traits, lipid peroxidation and some parameters of the glutathione redox system were investigated in weaned piglets over a seven-week period. Feed intake and feed conversion ratio (FCR) did not differ significantly, but in the first phase (0-28 days) the daily weight gain was significantly lower in the piglets fed the OTA-contaminated diet. Lipid peroxidation, as measured by the amount of malondialdehyde, glutathione content and glutathione peroxidase activity, did not change significantly in the blood plasma and red blood cell haemolysate in the OTA-loaded group, while malondialdehyde content increased significantly in the liver and markedly but not significantly in the kidney of piglets fed OTA-contaminated feed. Glutathione content did not differ significantly in the studied organs of the two groups while glutathione peroxidase activity of the OTA-loaded animals was significantly lower both in the liver and in the kidney. The results suggest that the use of feed-stuffs contaminated with low levels of OTA for seven weeks did not cause marked differences in the production traits or in lipid peroxidation and amount or activity of the glutathione redox system in the blood plasma, red blood cells and kidney, while significant changes occurred in the liver homogenate.     

Heavy and light beer: a carbon isotope approach to detect C(4) carbon in beers of different origins,styles, and prices

The carbon isotope ratios (delta(13)C) of 160 beers from around the world ranged from -27.3 to -14.9 per thousand, primarily due to variation in the percentage of C(3) or C(4) plant carbon in the final product. Thirty-one percent of beers had a carbon signature of C(3) plants (barley, rice, etc.), whereas the remaining 69% contained some C(3)-C(4) mixture (mean of mixtures, 39 +/- 11% C(4) carbon). Use of C(4) carbon (corn, cane sugar, etc.) was not confined to beers from any particular region (Pacific Rim, Mexico, Brazil, Europe, Canada, and the United States). However, the delta(13)C of European beers indicated mostly C(3) plant carbon. In contrast, U.S. and Canadian beers contained either only C(3) or C(3)-C(4) mixtures; Brazilian, Mexican, and Pacific Rim beers were mostly C(3)-C(4) mixtures. Among different lagers, U.S.-style lagers generally contained more C(4) carbon than did imported pilsners. Among different ales, those brewed by large high-production breweries contained significant proportions of C(4) carbon, while C(4) carbon was not detected in microbrewery or home-brew ales. Furthermore, inexpensive beers generally contained more C(4) carbon than expensive beers.     

Amount and chemical element content of rhizomorphs in the stemflow and throughfall areas of beech stands on different soil types

Rhizomorphs of Armitlaria mellea Karst s.l. were collected in the stemflow and throughfall areas of beech stands on four soil types in Hungary in order to compare their chemical element contents. The amount of rhizomorphs found in the samples increased with decreasing pH of the soil types as well as with decreasing pH caused by the influence of stemflow water. Least rhizomorphs were collected in the Ranker, whereas most were found in the stemflow areas of the pod- zolized Brown Earth. Rhizomorph and beech root samples, collected for comparison, showed highly significant differences in their chemical element contents. Rhizomorphs contained less B, Fe. Ga, Li, Mg, Mn, Ti and V, but more Cd, Co, P, Pb, Si and Zn in all soil types than comparable beech root samples. Remarkable was the high Pb content of rhizomorphs, which is not characteristic of mushroom fruiting bodies collected in unpolluted areas.     

Expression of claudin-5 in canine pancreatic acinar cell carcinoma - An immunohistochemical study

Claudin-5 is an endothelium-specific tight junction protein. The aim of the present study was to detect the expression pattern of this molecule in intact pancreatic tissues and in well-differentiated and poorly differentiated pancreatic acinar cell carcinomas from dogs by the use of cross-reactive humanised anticlaudin-5 antibody. The necropsy samples taken from dogs included 10 nonneoplastic pancreatic tissues, 10 well-differentiated pancreatic acinar cell carcinomas, 10 poorly differentiated pancreatic acinar cell carcinomas, 5 intrahepatic metastases of well-differentiated and 5 intrahepatic metastases of poorly differentiated acinar cell carcinomas. A strong lateral membrane claudin-5 positivity was detected in exocrine cells in all intact pancreas samples. The endocrine cells of the islets of Langerhans and the epithelial cells of the ducts were negative for claudin-5. The endothelial cells of vessels and lymphatic channels in the stroma of the intact pancreas showed strong membrane positivity for this claudin. All well-differentiated exocrine pancreas carcinomas and all poorly-differentiated pancreatic acinar cell carcinoma samples showed a diffuse loss of claudin-5 expression. The claudin-5-positive peritumoural vessels and lymphatic channels facilitated the detection of vascular invasion of the claudin-5-negative cancer cells. In liver metastasis samples, the pancreatic carcinomas were negative for claudin-5. It seems that the loss of expression of claudin-5 may lead to carcinogenesis in canine exocrine pancreatic cells.     

Validation of a disease model in Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) with the use of Escherichia coli serogroup O2 isolated from a turkey

This study established a disease model and protocol for bacterial challenge with Escherichia coli serogroup O2 strain EC317 in Japanese quail. Five groups of 10 birds each were injected subcutaneously in the breast with 200 μL of a brain-heart infusion (BHI) culture containing 1 × 10(8), 1 × 10(7), 1 × 10(6), 1 × 10(5), or 1 × 10(4) colony-forming units/mL of the test organism, which had been isolated from a turkey with cellulitis and septicemia. Birds in a 6th group were controls that received sterile BHI alone. Localized lesions of cellulitis developed in all of the birds that received E. coli. The morbidity and mortality rates were highest (100%) in the birds receiving the highest dose of E. coli and decreased linearly with decreasing dose (P < 0.05). Severity of disease, including lesions of pericarditis and perihepatitis, was also directly proportional to the dose of E. coli. These findings indicate that this disease challenge protocol can be used to study disease resistance and immunologic consequences of contaminant exposure or other stressors in birds.     

Economic and management value of weed maps at harvest in semi-arid cropping systems of the US Pacific Northwest

Precision Agriculture - Weed maps created late in the growing season are potentially useful in regions where late maturing weeds are problematic and need to be controlled before they produce seed....