Chemical modification of Cassia occidentalis seed gum: carbamoylethylation

The seeds of Cassia occidentalis, an annual weed occurring throughout India, is a rich source of galactomannan gum. The gum derived from seed endosperm can be potentially utilized in a number of industries to replace the conventional gums. With a view to utilize the gum for broader applications, carbamoylethylation of C. occidentalis seed gum was carried out with acrylamide in presence of sodium hydroxide under different reaction conditions. Variables studied were concentration of sodium hydroxide, acrylamide, gum–solvent ratio, reaction time and temperature. The nitrogen content, carboxyl content and total ether content were determined. The optimum condition for preparing carbamoylethyl C. occidentalis seed gum (%N=2.57) comprised concentration of acrylamide (0.070 mol), sodium hydroxide (0.125 mol), C. occidentalis seed gum (0.03 mol) at 30 °C for 3 h. Rheological properties of carbamoylethyl C. occidentalis seed gum solution showed non-Newtonian pseudo-plastic behavior, relatively high viscosity, cold water solubility and solution clarity vis-à-vis unmodified C. occidentalis seed gum.     

Fumigant toxicity of cassia bark and cassia and cinnamon oil compounds to <Emphasis Type="Italic">Dermatophagoides </Emphasis><Emphasis Type="Italic">farinae </Emphasis>and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus</Emphasis> (Acari: Pyroglyphidae)

The toxicity to adults of the American house dust mite, Dermatophagoides farinae, and the European house dust mite, Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, of cassia bark and cassia and cinnamon oil compounds was examined using residual contact and vapour-phase toxicity bioassays. Results were compared with those of the currently used acaricides: benzyl benzoate and dibutyl phthalate. The acaricidal principles of cassia bark were identified as (E)-cinnamaldehyde and salicylaldehyde. In fabric-circle residual contact bioassays with adult D. farinae, salicylaldehyde (17.3 mg/m²) and (E)-cinnamaldehyde (25.8 mg/m²) were 2.5 and 1.7 times more toxic than benzyl benzoate (43.7 mg/m²), respectively, based on 24-h LD₅₀ values. The acaricidal activity was more pronounced in benzaldehyde, menthol, α-terpineol, and thymol (70.8–234.3 mg/m²) than in dibutyl phthalate (281.0 mg/m²). Against adult D. pteronyssinus, salicylaldehyde (17.3 mg/m²) and (E)-cinnamaldehyde (19.3 mg/m²) were 2.4- and 2.2-fold more active than benzyl benzoate (41.9 mg/m²). The toxicity of benzaldehyde, menthol, α-terpineol, and thymol (75.3–179.2 mg/m²) was higher than that of dibutyl phthalate (285.1 mg/m²). In vapour-phase toxicity tests with adult D. farinae, the test compounds described were much more effective in closed—but not in open—containers, indicating that the effect of these compounds was largely a result of action in the vapour phase.     

广东两种决明属（Cassia）植物根瘤菌的生物学特性

调查了广东地区１０种Ｃａｓｓｉａ植物结瘤状况,仅山扁豆（Ｃ．ｍｉｍｏｓｏｉｄｅｓ）和圆叶决明（Ｃ．ｒｏｔｕｎｄｉｆｏｌｉａ）结瘤,从山扁豆和圆叶决明各分离到１株根瘤菌并鉴定为慢生型．在所试的１０种Ｃａｓｓｉａ植物中,２株Ｃａｓｓｉａ植物根瘤菌除了与山扁豆和圆叶决明结瘤外,均不与其余８种Ｃａｓｓｉａ植物结瘤;同样,３株蝶形花科植物根瘤菌和３株含羞草科植物根瘤菌除了与山扁豆和圆叶决明结瘤外,也均不与其余８种Ｃａｓｓｉａ植物结瘤．此外,２株Ｃａｓｓｉａ植物根瘤菌均能与所试５种蝶形花科和４种含羞草科植物结瘤．２株Ｃａｓｓｉａ植物根瘤菌在碳源利用、耐盐性、耐酸碱度及５种酶的活性等特性方面,与３株蝶形花科植物根瘤菌和３株含羞草科植物根瘤菌极为相似．     

Superior disintegrating properties of calcium cross-linked Cassia fistula gum derivatives for fast dissolving tablets

The present investigation was aimed at evaluating the feasibility of using calcium salts of carboxymethylated (CaCOG) or carbamoylethylated (CaCEG) derivatives of Cassia fistula gum as superdisintegrant while formulating fast disintegrating tablets (FDTs) exhibiting lowest disintegration time (DT) at highest mechanical strength. FDTs prepared with CaCOG (5%, w/w) or CaCEG (5%, w/w) were directly compressible and showed superior disintegrating property due to decreased water sorption time, increased particle packaging index, without any significant change in swelling index and effective pore radius. The mechanisms of superdisintegration suggested that probably the presence of Ca²⁺ resulted in intra and/or inter cross-linked bridges in the CaCOG or CaCEG that supported water transporting system even when the aqueous channels in the FDTs were blocked. Thus, the findings indicated great potential for using CaCOG or CaCEG as superdisintegrants in FDTs with high mechanical strength and low DT.     

决明查尔酮合成酶基因的克隆及序列分析

以决明(Cassia tora)为实验材料,利用RT-PCR和RACE技术,从决明嫩叶中克隆出查尔酮合成酶(Chal-one synthase,CHS)基因,其cDNA全长为1 459 bp,编码一个由390个氨基酸残基组成的多肽.氨基酸序列分析表明,决明CHS基因的氨基酸序列中含有44.61%的中性疏水氨基酸,29.74%的中性亲水氨基酸,12.56%的酸性氨基酸和13.O8%的碱性氨基酸.决明CHS基因的氨基酸序列中具有CHS家族酶系的氨基酸保守残基,包括结合底物CoA的结合残基及催化聚酮合成的催化残基,表明其可能参与聚酮化合物的合成.决明与其它植物CHS的氨基酸序列的进化分析表明,其与同为豆科决明属的翼叶决明(Cassia alata)的同源性较近,并且CHS家族可以分为CHS亚家族与非CHS亚家族.将得到的序列提交GenBank,登录号为EU430077.     

神黄豆化学成分研究

对神黄豆Cassia agnes Brenan茎部的化学成分进行了研究。从其甲醇提取物的乙酸乙酯萃取部分分离得到了10个化合物,根据理化性质和波谱数据鉴定其结构分别为:(–)-表阿夫儿茶精(1)、12,13-dihydromicromeric acid(2)、白桦脂醇(3)、8(17),12E,14-labdatrien-19-ol(4)、β-谷甾醇(5)、胡萝卜苷(6)、二十四烷酰单甘油酯(7)、sitoindoside I(8)、9Z,12Z-octadecadienoic acid(9)和间苯三酚(10)。以上化合物均为首次从神黄豆中发现。     

Effect of Cassia auriculata Linn. Root extract on cisplatin and gentamicin-induced renal injury

The ethanol extract of the roots of Cassia auriculata was studied for its nephroprotective activity in cisplatin- and gentamicin-induced renal injury in male albino rats. In the cisplatin model, the extract at doses of 300 and 600 mg/kg body wt. reduced elevated blood urea and serum creatinine and normalized the histopathological changes in the curative regimen. In the gentamicin model, the ethanol extract at a dose of 600 mg/kg body wt. reduced blood urea and serum creatinine effectively in both the curative and the preventive regimen. The extract had a marked nitric oxide free-radical-scavenging effect. The findings suggest that the probable mechanism of nephroprotection by C. auriculata against cisplatin- and gentamicin-induced renal injury could be due to its antioxidant and free-radical-scavenging property.     

决明子胰蛋白酶抑制剂COTI对菜青虫生长抑制作用的研究

从决明子中分离得到胰蛋白酶抑制剂COTI,利用其缓冲液浸泡油菜叶片饲喂菜青虫(Pieris rapae L)幼虫后,幼虫体重明显下降,分析显示菜青虫中肠提取物中蛋白酶活性受到COTI的抑制,表明决明子胰蛋白酶抑制剂对菜青虫的生长具有明显的抑制作用。