Kaempferol Glycosides in the Seed-Coat of Ophiopogon jaburan (Kunth) Lodd.

Blue seed-coats of Ophiopogon jaburan have been found to contain kaempferol, kaempferol 3-glucoside (astragalin), two new glucosides of kaempferol, and a trace amount of an unknown flavonol-like compound. One of the new glucosides was determined to be kaempferol 4′-glucoside and the other to be kaempferol 3, 4′-diglucoside by means of paper-chro-matographic and spectral analyses.     

Rikkunshi-to attenuates adverse gastrointestinal symptoms induced by fluvoxamine

Background  

The α-EEG anomaly during sleep, originally associated with chronic pain, is noted in several psychiatric and medical conditions and is also present in some normal subjects. The exact significance of the α-EEG anomaly is uncertain, but it has been suggested to be a nonspecific response to a variety of noxious stimuli. We propose that attachment insecurity, which is often associated with a state of hypervigilance during wakefulness, may be associated with the α-EEG anomaly during sleep.     

An N-acetylmuramidase induced by PL-1 phage infection of Lactobacillus casei

A lytic enzyme was isolated and purified from PL-1 phage-induced lysates of the host Lactobacillus casei ATCC 27092. The molecular weight of the enzyme was about 30000. Maximum activity on the lysis of the host cell walls occurred at pH 6.0-6.5 and at 45 degrees C. The enzyme activity was inhibited by heavy metal ions, SH- and serine-enzyme inhibitors and o-phenanthroline. The reducing end of the enzymic digest was muramic acid and the enzyme was considered to be an endo-N-acetylmuramidase. However, the enzyme differed from the other known N-acetylmuramidases including hen's egg-white lysozyme in several enzymic properties.     

Evaluation of the reticuloendothelial system function by the vascular clearance of chondroitin sulfate iron colloid

Vascular clearance of chondroitin sulfate iron colloid (CSFe) was evaluated as a test for the reticuloendothelial system (RES) in rabbits. Injected CS59Fe was taken up by the RES in the liver (49%) and bone marrow (41%) after 60 min, suggesting its application for the RES function test. The clearance rate (K-value) of CSFe from the blood was calculated by measuring serum Fe concentrations after releasing iron from CSFe at certain intervals after injection. Depending upon different injected doses, K-values were varied and the phagocytic velocity, computed by multiplying K-values by corresponding injected doses, reached a plateau at high doses, indicating the phagocytosis of CSFe by the RES takes a saturation process. Double-reciprocal plotting of the dose and the phagocytic velocity showed a linear relationship, which provided the data on the maximum phagocytic velocity (Vmax), 0.122 mg/kg/min, and the CSFe concentration producing 1/2 Vmax (Kp), 0.426 mg/kg. Thus, this CSFe clearance test can be used for the evaluation of the RES function.     

Physiological Properties of Yeast Cells Grown in the Proteolipid-Supplemented Media

Koji mold proteolipid (PL), a high concentration alcohol-producing factor, promoted yeast growth, and also affected the physiological properties of yeast cells: in the conditions of statical cultures, the cells grown anaerobically in PL-supplemented media showed the highest fermentative activity and the highest alcohol-durability by the dipping method in 20% alcohol for 48 hr, at 20°C, that was similar to moromi (main mash) yeasts in Japanese sake brewing; the cells grown in the stationary culture (with cotton plug) supplemented with PL showed the lowest fermentative activity and relatively low alcohol-durability, similar to moto (seed mash) yeasts; the cells grown anaerobically in PL-unsupplemented media showed high fermentative activity but the lowest alcohol-durability.     

Baculoviral mid-gut gland necrosis (BMN) of kuruma shrimp(Penaeus japonicus) larvae in Japanese intensive culture systems

In many shrimp farms in the Kyushu and Chugoku areas of Japan, the so-called mid-gut gland cloudy disease of kuruma shrimp larvae(Penaeus japonicus) has occurred since 1971. The pathological changes associated with this baculoviral mid-gut gland necrosis (BMN) are extensive cellular necrosis, collapse of mid-gut gland cells, nuclear hypertrophy and finally karyorrhexis. Electron microscopic examination revealed the presence of virions and virogenic stages in the affected nuclei. Average length and diameter of the virions detected was 310 and 72 nm, respectively; nucleocapsids were 250 nm in size. Virions enclosing 2 nucleocapsids within a single envelope were rarely found. The spirally arranged capsomeres were at an angle of 37 to 38° to a horizontal line meeting at right angles with the long axis of the virion. Infectivity trials resulted in high mortality of healthy mysis and juveniles (2nd post-larval stage). Juveniles at the 9th post-larval stage showed no mortality, although they could be infected easily by the agent. Hypertrophied nuclei in squashed and stained preparations of the affected gland cells can be considered to be of reliable presumptive diagnostic character, and fluorescent antibody staining can be employed to confirm the diagnosis of BMN.