Sulfated and Sulfur-Containing Steroids and Their Pharmacological Profile

The review focuses on sulfated steroids that have been isolated from seaweeds, marine sponges, soft corals, ascidians, starfish, and other marine invertebrates. Sulfur-containing steroids and triterpenoids are sourced from sedentary marine coelenterates, plants, marine sediments, crude oil, and other geological deposits. The review presents the pharmacological profile of sulfated steroids, sulfur-containing steroids, and triterpenoids, which is based on data obtained using the PASS program. In addition, several semi-synthetic and synthetic epithio steroids, which represent a rare group of bioactive lipids that have not yet been found in nature, but possess a high level of antitumor activity, were included in this review for the comparative pharmacological characterization of this class of compounds. About 140 steroids and triterpenoids are presented in this review, which demonstrate a wide range of biological activities. Therefore, out of 71 sulfated steroids, thirteen show strong antitumor activity with a confidence level of more than 90%, out of 50 sulfur-containing steroids, only four show strong antitumor activity with a confidence level of more than 93%, and out of eighteen epithio steroids, thirteen steroids show strong antitumor activity with a confidence level of 91% to 97.4%.     

Enhanced Phenol and Chlorinated Phenols Removal by Combining Ozonation and Biodegradation

Water treatment for wastewater containing phenols and their chlorinated variations has attracted important research efforts. Phenol??s high toxicity makes them a good model to test possible water treatment based on biological and/or chemical methods. High concentrations of phenols may be treated by pure biological schemes. However, chlorinated phenols are very toxic for many microorganisms. Therefore, mixed treatment trains can be proposed to solve the treatment of this class of organics. In this study, the ozonation was used as pretreatment to decompose chlorinated phenols. Besides, this study describes how the microbial consortiums were adapted to handle ozonation by-products. The biodegradation of different phenol concentrations from 50 to 1,500?mg/L was evaluated using preadapted microbial consortia in batch and in a trickling packed-bed reactor (TPBR). Under batch conditions, phenol was efficiently removed up to 500?mg/L. For every phenol concentration evaluated, higher degradation rates were obtained in TPBR. The chlorophenols were found to be poorly degraded by the pure biological treatment, 4-CPh was not degraded during the biological process and 2,4-DCPh was only 40?% degraded after 250?h of culture. By combining the chemical (as pretreatment) and the biological processes, 85?% of 4-CPh was removed, while the degradation of the 2,4-DCPh was enhanced from 40 to 87?%. The predominant bacteria found in the preadapted cultures were Xanthomonas sp., Ancylobacter sp., and Rhodopseudomonas. Total treatment period was reduced from several weeks to some days. This information reflects the benefits offered by the mixed water treatment train proposed in this paper.     

Neuritogenic and Neuroprotective Effects of Polar Steroids from the Far East Starfishes Patiria pectinifera and Distolasterias nipon

The neuritogenic and neuroprotective activities of six starfish polar steroids, asterosaponin Р₁, (25S)-5α-cholestane-3β,4β,6α,7α,8,15α,16β,26-octaol, and (25S)-5α-cholestane-3β,6α,7α,8,15α,16β,26-heptaol (1–3) from the starfish Patiria pectinifera and distolasterosides D₁–D₃ (4–6) from the starfish Distolasterias nipon were analyzed using the mouse neuroblastoma (NB) C-1300 cell line and an organotypic rat hippocampal slice culture (OHSC). All of these compounds enhanced neurite outgrowth in NB cells. Dose-dependent responses to compounds 1–3 were observed within the concentration range of 10–100 nM, and dose-dependent responses to glycosides 4–6 were observed at concentrations of 1–50 nM. All the tested substances exhibited notable synergistic effects with trace amounts of nerve growth factor (NGF, 1 ng/mL) or brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF, 0.1 ng/mL). Using NB cells and OHSCs, it was shown for the first time that starfish steroids 1–6 act as neuroprotectors against oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) by increasing the number of surviving cells. Altogether, these results suggest that neurotrophin-like neuritogenic and neuroprotective activities are most likely common properties of starfish polyhydroxysteroids and the related glycosides, although the magnitude of the effect depended on the particular compound structure.     

Resumption of ovary activity and normal estrus cycles in postpartum cows after inclusion of placenta‐containing additives in the diet

Food additives made of placenta tissues of healthy cattle, included in the diet of cows 23–38 days before calving and/or in different intervals of the postpartum period, stimulated the resumption of ovary activity and the manifestation of normal estrus cycles (with ovulation) in cows. The cow fertilization rates during 80 days after calving was 50–80%. These values increased more than twofold in comparison with the fertility level of cows fed a normal diet. The level of fertilization after inclusion of placenta‐containing additives in the diet of cows 5 days before ovulation, in estrus cycles that took place during 6 months after calving, increased 38 % on average, in comparison with that of cows fed a normal diet.     

n‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acids provoke a specific transcriptional profile in rabbit adipose‐derived stem cells in vitro

Adipose‐derived stem cells (ADSCs) possess multipotent properties, and their proper functionality is essential for further development of metabolic disorders. In the current study, we explored the impact of two n‐3 LC‐PUFAs (long‐chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, DHA—docosahexaenoic; C22:6, and EPA—eicosapentaenoic; C20:5) on a specific profile of lipolytic‐related gene expressions in the in vitro‐differentiated subcutaneous and visceral ADSCs from rabbits. The subcutaneous and visceral ADSCs were obtained from 28‐day‐old New Zealand rabbits. The primary cells were cultured up to passage 4 and were induced for adipogenic differentiation. Thereafter, the differentiated cells were treated with 100 µg EPA or DHA for 48 hr. The total mRNA was isolated and target genes expression evaluated by real‐time RCR. The results demonstrated that treatment of rabbit ADSCs with n‐3 PUFAs significantly enhanced mRNA expression of Perilipin A, while the upregulation of leptin and Rab18 genes was seen mainly in ADSCs from visceral adipose tissue. Moreover, the EPA significantly enhanced PEDF (Pigment Derived Epithelium Factor) mRNA expression only in visceral cells. Collectively, the results suggest activation of an additional lipolysis pathway most evident in visceral cells. The data obtained in our study indicate that in vitro EPA up‐regulates the mRNA expression of the studied lipolysis‐associated genes stronger than DHA mainly in visceral rabbit ADSCs.     

The effects of a prolonged photoperiod and light source on growth,sexual maturation,fin condition,and vulnerability to fungal disease in brook trout Salvelinus fontinalis

The effects of an artificially prolonged photoperiod on growth, survival rate, colouration, and sexual maturation in brook trout Salvelinus fontinalis during pre‐ and post‐spawning periods from 21 June to 06 November were investigated. Fish of mean initial weight ?150 g were reared at ambient photoperiod as well as with an artificially prolonged photoperiod produced by either a light‐emitting diode or a metal‐halide light. The fish groups subjected to a prolonged period of artificial light grew significantly larger and had a higher survival rate (p < 0.05), regardless of sex, and showed lower occurrence of fungal disease compared to controls reared in the natural photoperiod. We found a significantly higher number of sexually mature fish in the control groups compared with experimental groups. The increased photoperiod effectively delayed gonad development and increased somatic growth in both male and female brook trout, and also increased resistance to fungal disease. The increased photoperiod produced an observable difference in fish colouration, with control groups exhibiting more intensive spawning colouration.