Copaifera langsdorffii Desf.: in vitro investigation on anti-Helicobacter pylori and anti-inflammatory activities of oleoresin and fruit methanolic extract

Abstract

Copaifera langsdorffii Desf. has been used in the traditional medicine of Brazil for centuries to treat a wide range of conditions, including infections, wounds and inflammation. The aim of this study is to compare the effects of C. langsdorffii bark oleoresin and a methanolic extract of the fruit for their anti-Helicobacter pylori (HP) activity and gastroprotective effects. We analyzed the in vitro anti-HP activity against three HP strains: CCUG 39500 (cagA+) and two clinical isolates, G21 and 10?K (cagA?+?and cagA–, respectively). The effect of C. langsdorffii products on IL-6 release in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated human peripheral blood mononuclear cells was also evaluated. Finally, the toxicity of the samples was evaluated in vitro and in vivo. Both the samples showed an interesting anti-HP activity, acting on different virulence strains, with the oleoresin reaching a minimum bactericidal concentration of 98?μg/ml against cagA– strain. Moreover, an interesting reduction in IL-6 release was observed, which could be helpful for reducing HP-induced inflammation, thus, preventing complications such as ulcer and irritation of the gastric mucosa. Toxicity was not observed up to 2000?µg/ml. Even if more studies must be conducted, this work supports the use of C. langsdorffii in the management of HP-related gastric disorders.     

Antileishmanial activity of diterpene acids in copaiba oil

Leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease. According to the World Health Organization, there are approximately 1.5-two million new cases of cutaneous leishmaniasis each year worldwide. Chemotherapy against leishmaniasis is based on pentavalent antimonials, which were developed more than a century ago. The goals of this study were to investigate the antileishmanial activity of diterpene acids in copaiba oil, as well as some possible targets of their action against Leishmania amazonensis. Methyl copalate and agathic, hydroxycopalic, kaurenoic, pinifolic and polyaltic acids isolated from Copaifera officinales oleoresins were utilised. Ultrastructural changes and the specific organelle targets of diterpenes were investigated with electron microscopy and flow cytometry, respectively. All compounds had some level of activity against L. amazonensis. Hydroxycopalic acid and methyl copalate demonstrated the most activity against promastigotes and had 50% inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) values of 2.5 and 6.0 µg/mL, respectively. However, pinifolic and kaurenoic acid demonstrated the most activity against axenic amastigote and had IC₅₀ values of 3.5 and 4.0 µg/mL, respectively. Agathic, kaurenoic and pinifolic acid caused significant increases in plasma membrane permeability and mitochondrial membrane depolarisation of the protozoan. In conclusion, copaiba oil and its diterpene acids should be explored for the development of new antileishmanial drugs.     

合并与不合并：两个相似性聚类分析方法比较

以山西省4638种昆虫在7个地理小区的分布、内蒙古7766种昆虫在14个地理小区的分布和中国16804属昆虫在67个生态区域的分布3组数据为样本,用传统的层层合并的相似性聚类分析法(SCA)和新的不需合并的多元相似性聚类分析法(MSCA)进行运算分析,对比结果表明,不合并法都能得到既符合统计学逻辑,又符合地理学、生物学逻辑的结果;合并法在参与小区较少时,还能够得到与不合并法类似的结果,随着参与小区的增多,聚类结构发生变化,以致聚类功能彻底丧失.无论两种聚类结果差异大小,其性质都迥然不同:不合并法的相似性系数是固有的、互相独立的、同时存在的,聚类结果是所有小区之间关系亲疏、距离远近的状态;合并法的每个相似性系数都是合并的依据或结果,前一个系数是后一个系数产生的条件,后一个系数是前一个系数消亡的结果,严格按照顺序,当最后一个系数产生时,前面所有系数和所有小区都已不复存在,聚类结果只是记录不断合并、不断消亡的过程.因此在肯定合并法历史价值的同时,认为申效诚等创建的多元相似性系数公式及多元相似性聚类分析法摈弃合并降阶这一产生偏差和错误的根源,能够得出相对客观的聚类结果,是生物地理学研究领域有效的聚类分析工具,必将推动生物地理学定量研究迈入一个新阶段.     

HYMENAEA和COPAIFERA幼树叶内倍半萜类化合物昼夜和季节性变化

运用气相色谱对在温室栽培的Hymenaea courbaril和Copaifera officinalis及C. pubiflora幼树叶内倍半萜类化合物昼夜和季节性变化进行了分析测定。Hymenaea和Copaifera这二个属植物叶内具有基本相同的一组倍半萜类化合物,对认为具有生态意义的它的主要成分:石竹烯(caryophyllene),α,β-瑟林烯(selinene)和树脂含量进行了分析统计。在三个季节和昼夜的资料中,这二个属植物的石竹烯、α,β-瑟林烯和树脂含量昼夜变化是很小的,而在植株间(遗传型)和不同的季节里它们有明显而有意义的变化。     

Mathematical methods for the acquisition of changes in vecps

Procedures such as principal component analysis, autocorrelation and cross-correlation, Fourier analysis, Wiener filtering, which have been used so far for the mathematical analysis of VECP mainly serve purpose of quantization and frequency analysis of signals and the evaluation of their intraindividual and interindividual variability. Although some of the above methods are also employed for the differentiation of VECPs, it seems that methods of primarily comparative character are better suited for the classification of different signal forms. This paper reports on results obtained by multivariate analysis of variance.     

The distribution of zooplankton in the Sanyati Bay,Lake Kariba; A multivariate analysis

A principal component and discriminant function analysis of zooplankton from the Sanyati Bay, Lake Kariba, indicated that the distribution of plankton was associated with the riverine in-flow into the lake.     

稀有濒危植物翅果油树种群黄酮类化合物多样性研究

以稀有濒危植物翅果油树叶中黄酮类化合物为标记,探索翅果油树种群与其生境的相互关系。通过对濒危植物翅果油树的主要分布区,山西省的乡宁、翼城、平陆等三种群及环境的调查,并采集三个种群的24个样品。用水提法、甲醇提法,经聚酰胺薄层层析法分离,并将层析结果作1/0的二元数据化处理,用于聚类分析和PCA排序。结果表明:1)翅果油树叶中黄酮类化合物的种类比较稳定,可以作为研究种群分化的标记物;2)聚类分析表明乡宁、翼城、平陆三个种群间所含的黄酮类化合物已有分化,乡宁种群与翼城种群之间的相异性较小,在截取值为20时,乡宁与翼城种群首先聚为一支,当截取值为25时,平陆种群归并,表明平陆种群与其他种群的相异性较大;3)各种群内个体间的共享率有明显的差异4)PCA分析表明:不同种群内的黄酮类化合物的差异与其地理位置、温度、地形地貌及土壤养分等因子有关。     

一点红黄酮成分的分析及含量测定

对一点红中黄酮类成分进行了定性分析和定量测定,结果表明,在一点红中含有黄酮、黄酮醇、二氢黄酮、二氢黄酮醇等多种黄酮类化合物,并以芦丁为标样,用分光光度法测出总黄酮含量为4．02％。