European fossil fruits of Sphenotheca related to extant Asian species of Symplocos

We are compelled to sink the European fossil fruit genus Sphenotheca Kirchheimer into extant Symplocos based on newly recognized morphological and anatomical similarity with the fruits of extant Symplocos tanakae Matsum. of Japan and Symplocos henryi Brand of SW China. Recognition of Symplocos incurva (Kirchheimer) comb. nov. and Symplocos bornensis (Mai) comb. nov. increases the number of late Paleogene and Neogene European species of Symplocos to 13. The close relationship between this fossil species and extant species of the Symplocos lucida clade of eastern Asia suggests that migration of this group between Europe and Asia was facilitated by the closure of the Turgai Strait that commenced during the Oligocene.     

红树植物玉蕊的化学成分和药理活性

玉蕊属(Barringtonia)植物是一类应用较广的药用红树植物,文章综述了玉蕊属植物的化学成分和药理活性的研究概况。文献报道的玉蕊化学成分主要是萜类化合物特别是三萜类化合物及其皂苷;药理活性包括抗肿瘤和抗微生物作用。     

Phylogeny and infrageneric classification of Symplocos (Symplocaceae) inferred from DNA sequence data

Symplocos comprises ～300 species of woody flowering plants with a disjunct distribution between the warm-temperate to tropical regions of eastern Asia and the Americas. Phylogenetic analyses of 111 species of Symplocos based on the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and the chloroplast genes rpl16, matK, and trnL-trnF yielded topologies in which only one of the four traditionally recognized subgenera (Epigenia; Neotropics) is monophyletic. Section Cordyloblaste (subgenus Symplocos; eastern Asia) is monophyletic and sister to a group comprising all other samples of Symplocos. Section Palura (subgenus Hopea; eastern Asia) is sister to a group comprising all other samples of Symplocos except those of section Cordyloblaste. Symplocos wikstroemiifolia (eastern Asia) and S. tinctoria (southeastern United States), both of subgenus Hopea, form a clade that groups with S. longipes (tropical North America) and the species of subgenus Epigenia. The remaining samples of subgenus Hopea (eastern Asia) form a clade. Section Neosymplocos (subgenus Microsymplocos; Neotropics) is well nested within a clade otherwise comprising the samples of section Symplocastrum (subgenus Symplocos; Neotropics). Section Urbaniocharis (subgenus Microsymplocos; Antilles) groups as sister to the clade comprising Symplocastrum and Neosymplocos. The data support the independent evolution of deciduousness among section Palura and S. tinctoria. The early initial divergence of sections Cordyloblaste and Palura from the main group warrants their recognition at taxonomic levels higher than those at which they are currently placed. An inferred eastern Asian origin for Symplocos with subsequent dispersal to the Americas is consistent with patterns from other phylogenetic studies of eastern Asian-American disjunct plant groups but contrary to a North American origin inferred from the earliest fossil occurrences of the genus.     

Phenolic glyscosides, a new class of human recombinant nucleotide pyrophosphatase phosphodiesterase-1 inhibitors

Cytotoxicity and kinetic studies of phenolic glycosides, benzoyl salireposide (1) and salireposide (2), isolated from Symplocos racemosa, were performed against phosphodiesterase I enzyme from snake venom and human nucleotide pyrophosphatase phosphodiesterase-1. Lineweaver-Burk and Dixon plots and their secondary replots showed that these compounds are pure non-competitive inhibitors of both enzymes. K(i) Values of compounds 1 and 2 were found to be 360 and 1000 microM, respectively, against human nucleotide pyrophosphatase phosphodiesterase, and 525 and 1100 microM, respectively, against snake venom phosphodiesterase. IC(50) values of compounds 1 and 2 are 90 microM +/- 0.04 and 383 microM +/- 0.03, respectively, against human nucleotide pyrophosphatase phosphodiesterase and 171 microM +/- 0.02 and 544 microM +/- 0.021, respectively, against snake venom phosphodiesterase. Both compounds were found to be nontoxic up to concentration of 500 microM/mL as >90% cells were viable after 3 h of incubation. These compounds are potential candidates for the therapy of arthritis.     

湖北木林子保护区山矾属植物空间分布格局及其关联性

物种共存机制是生态学研究的重要问题。以同属物种山矾、光叶山矾为研究对象,分析其空间分布格局和种内、种间关联性特征。将山矾、光叶山矾分为4个径级,分别归属幼树、小树、中树和成年树4个生长阶段。采用单变量成对相关函数分析空间分布格局特征;双变量成对相关函数分析种内、种间关联性。结果显示：山矾和光叶山矾径级结构基本一致,均属增长型种群。在完全空间随机模型下,山矾和光叶山矾主要呈聚集分布,逐渐过渡为均匀分布;在异质泊松模型下,只在小尺度上聚集,较大尺度范围呈随机分布。种内关联上,山矾各生长阶段主要呈正关联,逐渐向无关联过渡,光叶山矾除小树与成年树外,其余均呈正关联;排除生境异质性影响后,小尺度呈正关联,其余尺度无关联。种间关联上,在幼树、小树物种对中主要呈负关联,中树、成年树物种对中多为无关联。研究表明,同属物种山矾和光叶山矾呈种内聚集、种间分离的空间构型,在竞争排除作用下实现同属共存,有利于亚热带常绿落叶阔叶混交林群落结构稳定和物种多样性维持。     

鸢尾属植物的化学成分及其生物活性

鸢尾科鸢尾属植物的主要化学成分是黄酮类化合物,这类化合物具有广泛的生物活性。本文对近年来该属植物的分布,化学成分的分类及生物活性进行了综述。     

Phenolic glycosides from Symplocos racemosa: natural inhibitors of phosphodiesterase I

One new phenolic glycoside named benzoylsalireposide (1) along with one known phenolic glycoside named salireposide (2) have been isolated from Symplocos racemosa. Four other known compounds i.e. beta-amyrin (3), oleonolic acid (4), beta-sitosterol (5) and beta-sitosterol glycoside (6) were also isolated from this plant. The structure elucidation of the isolated compounds was based primarily on 1D- and 2D-NMR analysis, including COSY, HMQC, and HMBC correlations. The compound 1 and 2 showed inhibitory activity against snake venom phosphodiesterase I.     

大黄属植物研究进展

本文对大黄属植物的化学成分和生物活性进行综述,为该属植物的进一步开发和利用提供科学依据。     

Traditional Uses,Chemical Constituents and Biological Activities of Plants from the Genus Thymus

The genus Thymus (Lamiaceae) comprises about 214 species throughout the world, mainly found in North Africa, Europe, and temperate Asia zone. They are traditionally used as food additives and folk medicines. This review comprehensively summarizes information about traditional uses, chemical constituents, and biological activities of this genus and provides recommendations for future investigations. All information was gathered from scientific databases including Google Scholar, Sci‐Finder, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and CNKI. Volatile oils are the most concerned constituents of this genus. Flavonoids, phenylpropanoids, tannins, organic acids, terpenoids, and phytosterols were also summarized. This genus plants possessed a variety of activities including antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti‐inflammatory, cytotoxic, analgesic, and antidiabetic. In brief, this review will be helpful to provide valuable data for explorations and create more interests towards Thymus genus in the future.     

Phytochemical and biological studies of Abies species

In the present review, the literature data on the phytochemical and biological investigations on the genus of Abies are summarized with 110 references. Up to now, 277 compounds were isolated from 19 plants of Abies species. The chemical constituents are mostly terpenoids, flavonoids, and lignans, together with minor constituents of phenols, steroids, and others. The crude extracts and metabolites have been found to possess various bioactivities including insect juvenile hormone, antitumor, antimicrobial, anti-ulcerogenic, anti-inflammatory, antihypertensive, antitussive, and CNS (central nervous system) activities.     

升麻属植物的化学成分与生物活性研究

本文简要综述了升麻属植物近 2 0年来的研究 ,列数了从升麻属植物中分到的 10 0多个化学成分 ,同时也对其药理学作用和生物活性进行了摘要总结。     

The Genus Pluchea: Phytochemistry,Traditional Uses,and Biological Activities

In this review, literature data on phytochemical and biological investigations on the genus Pluchea are compiled. Pluchea is a genus of flowering plants in the Asteraceae family and comprises ca. 80 species distributed mainly in Northern and Southern America, Africa, Asia, and Australia. Sesquiterpenoids and flavonoids are the main constituents of this genus. Compounds isolated from plants of the Pluchea genus display a variety of biological properties, viz., anticancer, antileishmanial, immunosuppressive, antioxidant, anti‐acetylcholinesterase, antimicrobial, trypanocidal, hepatoprotective, cytotoxic, larvicidal, anti‐ulcer, anti‐inflammatory, and antinociceptive activities.     

Chemical Constituents of Plants from the Genus Eupatorium (1904–2014)

Eupatorium (family: Compositae), which comprises nearly 1200 species, is distributed throughout tropical America, Europe, Africa, and Asia. Up to now, the reported constituents from the genus Eupatorium involve flavonoids, terpenoids, pyrrolizidine alkaloids, phenylpropanoids, quinonoids, essential oils, and some others, altogether more than 300 compounds. Studies have shown that Eupatorium and its active principles possess a wide range of pharmacological activities, such as cytotoxic, antifungal, insecticidal, antibacterial, anti‐inflammatory, and antinociceptive activities. Currently, effective monomeric compounds or active parts have been screened for pharmacological activities from Eupatorium in vivo and in vitro. Increasing amount of data supports application and exploitation for new drug development.     

九节属药用植物化学成分及药理作用研究进展

九节属植物(Psychotria)是我国南方常用中草药。文献调研表明,关于我国境内本属植物相关化学成分及药理作用研究报道很少。为进一步研究开发Psychotria属药用植物资源,对其化学成分及药理作用进行综述,为其深入开发打下基础。     

A comparative study of cobra (Naja) venom enzymes

1. The L-amino acid oxidase, hyaluronidase, alkaline phosphomonoesterase, protease, phosphodiesterase, acetylcholinesterase, phospholipase A and 5'-nucleotidase activities of 47 samples of venoms from all the six species of cobra (Naja), including five subspecies of Naja naja, were examined. 2. The results demonstrated interspecific differences in the venom contents of phospholipase A, acetylcholinesterase, hyaluronidase and phosphodiesterase. These differences in venom enzyme contents can be used for the differentiation of species of the genus Naja. 3. Thus, our results revealed a correlation between the enzyme composition of venom and the taxonomic status of the snake at the species level for the genus Naja.     

菊三七属植物化学成分及药理作用的研究进展

菊科菊三七属植物中含有生物碱类、黄酮类、香豆素类、三萜类、甾体类及其皂苷、倍半萜类、酚酸类、脑苷脂类等化学成分,具有良好的止血、降血糖、降血压、抗肿瘤、抗炎、抗凝血等药理活性。可见,该属植物化学成分丰富,药理活性多样,极具药用及食用保健价值。本文就近年来菊三七属植物的化学成分和药理作用研究进展作一综述。     

Glycerylphosphorylcholine phosphodiesterase in rat liver. Subcellular distribution and localization in plasma membranes

1. A simple new assay for glycerylphosphorylcholine phosphodiesterase is described, in which radioactive glycerylphosphorylcholine is used as substrate and the reaction products are separated by adsorption on an anion-exchange resin. 2. Rat liver subcellular fractions contained both particulate (58%) and soluble (42%) glycerylphosphorylcholine phosphodiesterase. Both activities released free choline from glycerylphosphorylcholine. 3. The particulate glycerylphosphorylcholine phosphodiesterase was recovered mainly in the nuclear and microsomal fractions and showed a distribution similar to those of 5'-nucleotidase and alkaline phosphodiesterase I, both of which are constituents of the liver plasma membrane. 4. During purification of plasma membranes glycerylphosphorylcholine phosphodiesterase, 5'-nucleotidase and alkaline phosphodiesterase I showed largely similar behaviour, indicating that glycerylphosphorylcholine phosphodiesterase is also localized in liver plasma membranes. Slight differences in the distributions of these three enzymes in density-gradient separations are discussed in relation to the possibility that they are unevenly distributed on different areas of the cell surface. 5. The differences between glycerylphosphorylcholine phosphodiesterase and alkaline phosphodiesterase I indicate that these two activities are not functions of a single enzyme. 6. The glycerylphosphorylcholine phosphodiesterase of liver plasma membranes has a pH optimum of 8.5 and a K(m) for glycerylphosphorylcholine of 0.95mm. It is inhibited by EDTA and fully reactivated by a variety of bivalent cations (and Fe(3+)).     

Four new species and new records of Symplocos (Symplocaceae) from Peru and Bolivia, and a key to all species of Symplocos known to occur in Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia

Four new species of Symplocos (Symplocaceae) are described from montane forests in Peru. Symplocos cuscoënsis Ståhl (from Dept Cusco) is distinguished inter alia by enlarged floral bracts and anthers that are longer than wide, S. excoriata Ståhl (Dept Amazonas and Cajamarca) by the exfoliating bark on young shoots, S. serratifolia Ståhl (Dept Cajamarca and Cusco) by tomentulose young shoots and lower leaf surfaces as well as long petioles, and S. trichocarpa Ståhl (Dept Cajamarca) by its tuberculate young shoots and pilose fruits. Symplocos guianensis (Aubl.) Gürke is reported as new to Bolivia and S. nitens (Pohl) Benth. is reported as new to Bolivia and Peru. A key to all 67 species of Symplocos known from Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia is provided.