Transformations of Glycyrrhizic Acid: XV. Synthesis of Triterpene Saponins with Monosaccharide Residues Attached through Ester Bonds

Triterpene saponins, glycoside analogues of glycyrrhizic acid with a modified carbohydrate chain containing monosaccharide residues attached through ester bonds, were synthesized. To this end, peracetylated glycyrrhizic acid or its 30-methyl ester were glycosylated by 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl--D-gluco- or --D-galactopyranosyl bromide in dichloroethane in the presence of Ag₂CO₃. Glycerrhetinic acid saponin with D-Galp residues exhibited a higher antiulcer activity than glycyrrhizic acid in rats at a dose of 25 mg/kg.     

Inheritance of dense spike in diploid wheat and Aegilops squarrosa

The individuals of diploid wheat Triticum boeoticum, T. monococcum and T. sinskajae and goatgrass Aegilops squarrosa were picked out with screening the dense spike characteristics. The dense-spike accessions were discovered in diploid wheat (T. sinskajae) and Ae. squarrosa. Inheritance of the dense spike was studied. The trait was found to be controlled by a recessive gene in T. sinskajae and by an incomplete dominant gene in Ae. squarrosa. The dosage effect of dominant gene C was detected in interspecific pentaploid F1 hybrid plants T. compactum x T. palmovae (2n =35, A(u)A(b)BDD genome). The spike of pentaploid hybrid was not so dense as compared to hexaploid wheat T. compactum. This is the first report showing similarity of the expression of dominant gene C on D genome of the hexaploid wheat to that of dense spike gene in Ae. squarrosa. The existence of dense-spike accessions of Ae. squarrosa allows us to hypothesize that the origin of T. compactum is independent from that of common wheat.     

The Synthesis and Antiviral Activity of Glycyrrhizic Acid Conjugates with α-D-Glucosamine and Some Glycosylamines

Glycyrrhizic acid and its 30-methyl ester were conjugated with 2-amino-1,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-2-deoxy--D-glucopyranose, 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl--D-glucopyranosyl amine, 2,3,4-tri-O-acetyl--L-arabinopyranosyl amine, 2-acetamido-2-deoxy--D-glucopyranosyl amine, and -D-galactopyranosyl amine using N,N-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide and its mixtures with N-hydroxybenzotriazole. Structures of the conjugates were confirmed by IR, UV, ¹H, and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy. The glycoconjugate with the residues of 2-acetamido-2-deoxy--D-glucopyranosyl amine in the carbohydrate part of its molecule exhibited antiviral activity (ID₅₀ 4 g/ml) toward the herpes simplex type 1 virus (HSV-1) in the VERO cell culture. Two compounds demonstrated anti-HIV-1 activity (50–70% inhibition of p24) in a culture of MT-4 cells at concentrations of 0.5–20 g/ml.     

Fatty acid composition of Leptospira lipids as a taxonomic criterion

The fatty-acid composition of microbial cells in 17 pathogenic and saprophytic Leptospira strains, comprising 14 serovars and 10 serogroups, has been studied. The strains under investigation have proved to fall into 3 groups differing by this characteristic. The group of saprophytic strains is characterized by a comparatively high level of myristic acid and, consequently, by the ratio of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids with 14 carbon atoms approaching 1:1; besides, it is also characterized by a lower, in comparison with the pathogenic Leptospira strains belonging to the serogroups Icterohaemorrhagiae, Canicola, Ballum has a higher level of unsaturated fatty acids. The second group of pathogenic Leptospira strains including the serogroups Grippotyphosa, Hebdomadis, Pomona, Tarassovi, Pyrogenes, Australia has been found to occupy an intermediate position between the first group of pathogenic Leptospira strains and the group of saprophytic ones. As the difference in the content of myristic acid in pathogenic and saprophytic Leptospira strains is a stable characteristic, it can be used for the differentiation of these strains. The present investigation has revealed that the distribution of the main fatty acids in Leptospira phospholipids is similar to their distribution in Leptospira neutral lipids with the exception of unsaturated fatty acid with 14 carbon atoms, occurring mainly in phospholipids.     

Adrenergic receptors in the liver parenchyma in children with chronic hepatitis]

In the present study adrenergic receptors have been investigated in liver parenchyma, obtained at the resection of extrahepatic portal hypertension children without parenchymal affection (control group, n-7) and the resection of children in parenchymal affection (group of chronic hepatitis children, n-6). It has been shown, that the binding of beta-adrenergic radioligand 3H-dihydroalprenolol (3H-DHA) in liver parenchyma membranes of both control and chronic hepatitis groups was saturable and showed high affinity. The Scatchard analysis of the binding data indicated that the binding site was characterized by Kd and Bmax of 1.2 +/- 0.5 nM, 261.2 +/- 50 fmol/mg, respectively, for the control group; and 0.9 +/- 0.15 nM, 68.5 +/- 18.8 fmol/mg, respectively, for the group of chronic hepatitis patients; (mean+SEM). The binding of alpha 1-adrenergic antagonist 3H-prazosin (3H-PRZ) in liver parenchyma was also saturable and showed high affinity. The binding site is characterized by Kd = 0.6 +/- 0.12 nM, Bmax = 92.8 +/- 8.0 fmol/mg, for the control group; and Kd = 0.8 +/- 0.15 nM, Bmax = 195.0 +/- 22.0 fmol/mg, for the group of chronic hepatitis. It has been found that the number of binding sites of 3H-DHA significantly decreased and the number of binding sites of 3H-PRZ did not change in chronic hepatitis liver parenchyma in comparison with the control group. The results obtained suggest the important role of beta-adrenergic receptors in the pathogenesis of chronic hepatitis and in liver regeneration in children.     

Peptidergic modulation of the hippocampus synaptic activity

Effects of two newly synthesized nootropic and anxiolytic dipeptides: Noopept and Selank on inhibitory synaptic transmission in hippocampal CA1 pyramidal cells were investigated using patch-clamp technique in whole-cell configuration. Bath application of Noopept (1 microM) or Selank (2 microM) significantly increased the frequency of spike-dependent spontaneous m1PSCs, whereas spike-independent mlPSCs remained unchanged. It was suggested that both peptides mediated their effect sue to activation of inhibitory interneurons terminating on CA1 pyramidal cells. Results of current clamp recording of inhibitory interneurons residing in stratum radiatum confirmed this suggestion, at least for Noonent.     

Effect of toll-like receptors (TLR) ligands on in vitro synthesis of proinflammatory cytokines by peripheral blood mononuclear cells from healthy persons and from patients with common variable immunodeficiency

Production of citokines of tumor-necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha and interferon (IFN)-alpha by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from healthy men and from patients with common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) after stimulation with zymosan, lypopolysaccharides, flagellin and CpG, which are ligands of TLR 2/6, TLR 4, TLR 5, TLR 9 respectively, was studied in vitro. In healthy men production of TNF-alpha varied between individuals, whereas synthesis of IFN-alpha was similar. Spontaneous production of TNF-alpha by PBMC in patients with CVID was increased and accompanied by decrease in TNF-alpha production stimulated by each analyzed ligands except CpG. Observed changes in TLR-dependent TNF-alpha production can play important role in pathogenesis of CVID.     

Change of Mendelian ratios and meiotic recombination parameters in F<Subscript>1</Subscript> hybrid tomatoes under the influence of γ-irradiation

The effect of γ-irradiation treatment of seeds of intra- and interspecific F₁ hybrid tomatoes on distortion of Mendelian monohybrid segregation, crossover variability, and recombination frequency of unlinked marker genes of chromosomes 2 and 6 was studied. It was found that more significant distortion effect on the segregation of marker loci of studied chromosomes was detected for seed treatment with 130 Gy. The significant direct relationship between Mendelian segregation for m-2 gene and a rf _m-2c vaue for 60 Gy and for aw and m-2 genes and rf _{aw c} , _{aw m-2} values for 60 and 130 Gy treatment in combination Mo500 × var. cerasiforme was revealed. The latter corresponds to the effect of “quasirepulsion.”     

Restoration of vegetation around mining enterprises

This paper is devoted to the restoration of vegetation around mining areas on the example of two land-reclamation zones in the Borodinsky coal mine during spring-summer of 2011–2021. Analysis of vegetation in this area has shown that indicators of spontaneous plant diversity in plots No. 1 and No. 2 were considered moderate in both layers (H < 2.5). Underwood and seeding diversity indices at pre-mining sites were ranked high, reaching 4.01–4.25 and 3.78–3.82, respectively. The analysis of the biological diversity of the flora in the undergrowth of the 12-year-old plot revealed approximately 29 spontaneous plant species belonging to 25 genera and 18 families. The most significant number of species found was found from the family Euphorbia, Cereals, and Legumes. At the 18-year-old site, the number and diversity of plant species (38 species) belonging to 38 genera and 27 families are slightly larger, with the most significant number of species within Euphorbiaceae and Poaceae, Asteraceae, Rubiaceae and Leguminosae. Saplings of various tree species from the Euphorbia and Leguminous family, such as Euphorbia cyparissias L., E. fischeriana Steud., Desmodium triflorum L., Indigofera gerardiana (Wall.) Baker, Robinia viscosa Vent. grew well in both plots. Many other spontaneous species of trees were also found in small populations at the 18-year-old site, namely, Pinus sylvestris L., Salix alba L., Populus alba L., and P. tremula L. In contrast to the younger site, some seedlings of small trees like S. alba and P. tremula and terrestrial ferns such as common bracken (Pteridium aquilinum (L.) Kuhn) and adiantum capillus-veneris L. prevailed in the older site.