Antiulcerogenic activity of Satavari mandur--an Ayurvedic herbo-mineral preparation

Satavari mandur (SM) is a herbo-mineral preparation containing Asparagus racemosus, which finds mention in ancient Indian texts for treatment of gastric ulcers. The ulcer protective effect of SM, 125-500 mg/kg given orally, twice daily for three, five and seven days, was studied on cold restraint stress-induced gastric ulcer in rats. The effective regimen was found to be 250 mg/kg given for five days and hence was used for further experiments. SM showed significant protection against acute gastric ulcers induced by pyloric ligation but was ineffective against aspirin- and ethanol-induced ulcers. Further, gastric juice studies showed that, SM significantly increased the mucosal defensive factors like mucus secretion, but had little or no effect on offensive factors like acid and pepsin secretion.     

Effect of mercury on algal growth rates

In experiments with one freshwater (Chlorella pyrenoidosa) and three marine organisms (Phaeodactylum tricornutum, Cyclotella nana, and Chaetoceros galvestonensis), mecury was more toxic than the other metals tested (silver, cadmium, lead, and copper); and its toxicity is comparatively irreversible. Growth was monitored by changes in fluorescence of the cultures over a 3-day test period. The toxicity of the mercury varied inversely with the concentrations of nutrients present. Preliminary experiments indicate that mercury in the form of mercuric chloride is more than as dimethylmercury.     

Zinc deficiency in geriatric patients. A study on a geriatric department's wheeling and dealing

We studied the prevalence of zinc deficiency in patients who were hospitalised in a geriatric ward and its association with risk factors for this deficiency and the possible symptoms. The serum zinc level was measured from 45 consecutive admissions to a geriatric ward and patient characteristics were collected. A peer group of healthy subjects originating from a population survey was used as a control group. The serum zinc measured in the admitted patients was significantly lower than the reference value for adults (65.8% had a lowered zinc level) and the serum zinc for healthy elderly. There was no association found with possible causes of zinc deficiency. In an univariate analysis lethargy was the only significant association to zinc deficiency. There was a reverse relationship between the sum of the number of present symptoms and the zinc proportion A lower zinc level is associated with symptoms of zinc deficiency. As more symptoms appear the probability of zinc deficiency is greater. The importance for the clinical practice based on present knowledge is discussed.     

Effect of post-learning sleep versus wakefulness on advantageous decision-making: A preliminary study

This study evaluates the effect of sleep on learning-based decision-making. Twenty-four healthy volunteers were allocated randomly to two groups: a sleep group and a wake group. A modified Iowa gambling task was administered before and after a 12-h period in which the sleep group slept about 8 h and the other group remained awake. The two groups’ advantageous decision-making during the initial learning phase did not differ, but the advantageous choices of the sleep group improved more than that of the wake group after the 12-h period, suggesting that sleep may have facilitated and/or retained advantageous decision-making.

     

Effect of rosuvastatin on obesity-induced cardiac oxidative stress in Wistar rats--a preliminary study

The prevalence of obesity has been rising alarmingly and it has now become a global concern causing an enormous economic burden on the health care system. Obesity is generally linked to complications in lipid metabolism and oxidative stress. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of rosuvastatin (10 mg/kg, po) on obesity-induced oxidative stress in high fat-fed Wistar rats. Oral administration of rosuvastatin (10 mg/kg) for 21 days along with high fat diet brought about significant elevation in serum high density lipoprotein and cardiac antioxidant enzymes levels (superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione peroxidase-, glutathione reductase- and glutathione-S-transferase) while decreasing in serum lactate dehydrogenase, apolipoprotein-B, lipids (triglycerides, total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein-cholesterol, very low density lipoprotein-cholesterol and atherogenic index) and cardiac thiobarbituric acid reactive substances levels. The results were comparable with orlistat, a standard antiobesity drug. These preliminary results for the first time demonstrate that administration of rosuvastatin can be beneficial for the suppression of obesity-induced oxidative stress and dyslipidemia in high fat-fed Wistar rats.     

A preliminary study on Sabiaceae of China

This paper is a preliminary study on the Sabiaceae in aspects of its morphology, taxonomy and geography. We propose that the Sabioideae and Meliosmoideae as two new subfamilies of Sabiaceae according to the external morphology, flower structure and geographical distribution of these two genera respectively. This paper follows the taxonomic concepts of Luetha Chen on Sabia and C. F. van Beusekom on Meliosma. We agree with them for their classification of these two genera above the specific rank. As to the revision work of Sabia by van de Water and C. F. van Beusekom’s work on Meliosma we disagree for their unduly broad specific concepts. We rather treat the species of these two genera according to their habitats in regions on a relatively narrower sense. The genus Sabia of China are classified into 2 tribes, with 16 species, 5 subspecies and 2 varieties in which 4 subspecies and l variety are as new combinations, the genus of Meliosma in China are classified into 2 subgenera with 29 species, and 7 varieties of which 4 varieties are new combinations. After examining the affinity of the species of Sabia and Meliosma in China and its neighboring nations such as Burma, Japan and Bhutan, we found that their migration initiated from China, as the primitive species of these two genera occured in northeast and central part of Yunnan, sou theast of Sichuan, north of Guizhou and west of Hubei, the region may probably be the main origin of these two genera. As shown in tables 1 & 2, the localities where the species of these two genera densely populate they are from Yunnan, Guangxi, and Guangdong coinciding with the concepts of C. F. van Beusekom and van de Water about the distribution of exotic species of these two genera, it may reasonable be pointed out that the center of distribution of these two genera is Yunnan, Guangxi, Guangdong and nieghboring nations, upper Burma and northern Vietnam. Futhermore, it may be seen that starting from this center the number of species become less and less as they proceed far and far awaybut become more advance in evolution.     

水淹干扰对羊草草地地上生物量影响的初步研究

为在一定程度上揭示水淹干扰后草地净初级生产力变化的机制,对松嫩平原羊草草地水淹干扰梯度上的地上生物量进行了测定和比较,并对经历水淹干扰后土壤水分及主要养分(N、P)的变化以及植被物种组成的变化作了比较分析。结果表明,轻度和重度水淹干扰样带的地上生物量显著高于未受水淹干扰的对照样带,分别高出对照样带89．54％和113.45％,表明水淹干扰消除了对草地生产力起限制作用的因素,使草地净初级生产力有了大幅度提高,水淹干扰首先改变了土壤的水分状况,而水分状况是限制草地生产力的最主要的因素,尤其是在干旱年份,消除了干旱对草地生产力的限制;土壤水分的增加导致土壤养分(N、P等)的有效性显著增加,消除了原来土壤养分匮乏对草地生产力造成的限制;在水淹干扰作用下,群落的物种组成由相对低矮的物种组合趋向于向形态高大的、具有更高生产力潜力的物种组合转变。     

Effect of mercury and organomercurials on cellular glucose utilization: a study using resting mercury-resistant yeast cells

AIMS: Mercury compounds are highly toxic to all types of living cells. Isolated yeast strains of Rhodotorula rubra showed high and low resistance pattern towards mercury and organomercurial compounds. To investigate the basis of differential sensitivity of these two types of strains, glucose utilization was measured in the presence of mercury compounds. METHODS AND RESULTS: Glucose utilization process remained unaffected in resting cells of highly Hg(2+)-resistant strain in the presence of HgCl(2) but not in the presence of phenylmercuric acetate and thimerosal. However, HgCl(2) significantly affected glucose utilization in the case of low-resistant cells. The Hg-retaining ability of the cell wall of highly Hg(2+)-resistant yeast strain was greater than that of the weakly Hg(2+)-resistant strain. The spheroplast-bound Hg(2+) was also significantly less in the highly Hg(2+)-resistant strain than in the weakly Hg(2+)-resistant strain. CONCLUSIONS: Glucose uptake machinery was not affected in the presence of toxic metal ions in the case of high-resistant strains. But in the case of low Hg(2+)-resistant strain, glucose transport system may be affected either by inactivation of sensor proteins containing -SH group associated with glucose uptake. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Cell wall of mercury-resistant yeast cells may play an important role in heavy metal bioremediation process.     

Effect of light intensity on Opisthorchis viverrini cercarial shedding levels from Bithynia snails--a preliminary study

Opisthorchis viverrini requires Bithynia snails as the first intermediate host and cyprinid fish as the second intermediate host. Very low natural infection rates have been reported in Bithynia snails, but very high rates have been found in cyprinid fish in the same endemic region. This study investigated the effect of light intensity, the most important stimulus, on the quantity of O. viverrini cercariae shed from naturally infected Bithynia (Digoniostoma) siamensis goniomphalos snails. Snails were evaluated for cercariae output every hour after exposure to various light intensities for a total period of 7 h. The same infected snail was tested under different intensities of light: in the dark, and at 1000, 3000 and 5000 lx. The data showed that under exposure to 1000 and 3000 lx of light, the average percentage and number of cercariae released were higher than that exposed to 5000 lx during the first 2 h of the experiment. In contrast, under higher illumination (5000 lx) a longer time (6 h) was required to stimulate the peak emergence of cercariae. Darkness was not able to induce O. viverrini cercariae emergence. Among the three intensities of light, exposure at 1000 lx induced the highest average number of released cercariae per snail and the highest percentage of cercarial emergence within the first 2 h (125, 54.86%), followed by exposure at 3000 lx (69, 25.58%) and 5000 lx (12, 7.78%). The results suggest that the light intensity of 1000 lx for 2 h would be optimal for O. viverrini cercarial shedding from naturally infected B. (D.) siamensis goniomphalos snails.     

酶制剂研制的国内外进展和发展策略

简述了酶工程的研究范围,国际上酶制剂工业发展的研究,特点。概述了近年来我国酶制剂工业发展中存在的问题,包括产品结构,技术含量,研发能力。提出我国酶制剂工业今后发展的一些建议：充分发挥资源优势,加强现代生物技术的应用,调整酶制剂产品的结构。     

The single source preparation of rod-like mercury sulfide nanostructures via hydrothermal method

High-quality and high-yield rod-like HgS dendrites with cubic structure was synthesized by a wet chemical route, without using any surfactant and organic solvents at 180 °C for 5 h, by using Hg(NO₃)₂·H₂O and thioglycolic acid (TGA) as starting reagents. The obtained HgS with different morphologies and sized were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The effects of reaction parameters, such as temperature, precursor concentration and reaction time on the morphology and particle size of products were investigated. Our experimental results showed that temperature reaction played key role in the final morphology of HgS. The morphology of HgS nanostructures could be changed from rod-like dendrites to nanoparticles by only decreased temperature reaction to 110 °C. In the present study the possible mechanism of HgS nanoparticles growth to dendrites in the aqueous solution was also discussed and the optical properties rod-like HgS dendrites were investigated by ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy.     

Phytochemical evaluation of selected antioxidant-containing medicinal plants for use in the preparation of a herbal formula--a preliminary study

Oxidative damage is implicated in the pathogenesis of a number of diseases. Scientific research shows positive links between accumulated free-radical damage and age-related diseases such as atherosclerosis, Alzheimer, and osteoarthritis. There are reports that plant-derived phenolic compounds such as flavonoids have antioxidant properties capable of reducing the risk of developing these diseases. This work aims to evaluate the antioxidant activity of selected medicinal plants traditionally used by herbalists, in particular for the treatment of arthritis, with a view to developing a formula for treating age and age-related diseases. Thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analyses of each plant confirmed the presence of a number of flavonoids reported in the literature, as well as unidentified compounds. The antioxidant activities of these plants were determined by DPPH (= '1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl') radical scavenging, and by inhibition of linoleic acid peroxidation. All the crude plant extracts showed marked antioxidant activities in both assays. The extracts' inhibitory effects on linoleic acid peroxidation was concentration-dependent, with the highest activity shown at 0.1% (w/v). These results suggest that the phenolic compounds, particularly the flavonoids, may, in part, be responsible for the antioxidant activity of traditional plant extracts.     

Effect of supplementation with organic selenium on mercury status as measured by mercury in pubic hair.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of four months of yeast-based selenium supplementation on selenium and mercury status in subjects with low serum selenium. The study was carried out in Rakvere, Estonia. Pubic hair mercury, serum selenium and blood selenium concentrations in 23 subjects (serum selenium < 90 micrograms/l) were investigated before and after selenium supplementation. Thirteen subjects were randomized into the selenium supplementation group and ten into the placebo group. The selenium supplementation group received daily 100 micrograms of selenomethionine. Selenium supplementation reduced pubic hair mercury level by 34% (p = 0.005) and elevated serum selenium by 73% and blood selenium by 59% in the supplemented group (p < 0.001 for both). The study indicates that mercury accumulation in pubic hair can be reduced by dietary supplementation with small daily amounts of organic selenium in a short range of time.     

水稻抗草品种选育研究初报

利用PI312777抗草稻种材料,与本单位优质稻核心种质及其衍生系统材料广泛杂交配组,创建一批以PI312777衍生系统为主的新型育种材料。建立水稻抗草育种圃,重点针对抗草特性和综合农艺性状,通过田间抑草效应筛选,培育水稻抗草苗头株系,在稳定世代(F4代以上)应用以水稻特征次生物质为标记评价水稻品种(系)化感潜力的方法,辅助选育水稻抗草新品种(系)。初步提出适合华南稻区的以田间筛选和评价为主,以特征次生物质标记评价水稻品种(系)化感潜力的方法为辅,田间与实验室相结合,操作性强、简便有效的水稻抗草育种方法。