Ginseng berry reduces blood glucose and body weight in db/db mice.

In this study, we observed anti-diabetic and anti-obesity effects of Panax ginseng berry in adult C57BL/Ks db/db mice and their lean littermates. Animals received daily intraperitoneal injections of Panax ginseng berry extract at 150 mg/kg body wt. for 12 consecutive days. On Day 5, the extract-treated db/db mice had significantly lower fasting blood glucose levels as compared to vehicle-treated mice (180.5+/-10.2 mg/dl vs. 226.0+/-15.3 mg/dl, P < 0.01). On day 12, the extract-treated db/db mice were normoglycemic (134.3+/-7.3 mg/dl) as compared to vehicle-treated mice (254.8+/-24.1 mg/dl; P < 0.01). Fasting blood glucose levels of lean mice did not decrease significantly after treatment with extract. After 12 days of treatment with the extract, glucose tolerance increased significantly, and overall blood glucose exposure calculated as area under the curve (AUC) decreased 53.4% (P < 0.01) in db/db mice. Furthermore, db/db mice treated with extract (150 mg/kg body wt.) showed weight loss from 51.0+/-1.9 g on Day 0, to 46.6+/-1.7 g on Day 5, and to 45.2+/-1.4 g on Day 12 (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01 compared to Day 0, respectively). The body weight of lean littermates also decreased at the same dose of extract. These data suggest that Panax ginseng berry extract may have therapeutic value in treating diabetic and obese patients.     

In vitro multiplication of Coleus forskohlii Briq.: An approach towards shortening the protocol

Summary A protocol has been developed that leads to the development of complete plantlets of Coleus forskohlii within 35–40 d by culturing stem tip explants in MS medium containing 0.57 μM indole-3-acetic acid and 0.46 μM kinetin through direct multiplication at the rate of 12.5 shoots per explant. About 100% shoots rooted and micropropagated plants were successfully established in soil after hardening with a high survival rate. The significance of the present micropropagation protocol of C. forskohlii is the formulation of growth regulators which effected very fast multiplication of the plant (time reduced to one-third of the hitherto known methods).     

Factors affecting the extraction and the relative proportions of multiple forms of plant α-galactosidases

The extractability of α-galactosidase activity from mature Vicia faba seeds and the conversion of the low molecular weight form II to the larger oligomer I, was examined over a range of salt concentrations. Specific and total activities of the preparations were high when strong salt solutions were used. Extraction of α-galactosidase I, in comparison with II, requires solutions with a high ionic strength (e.g. 0.5 M NaCl). Interpretation of gel filtration patterns are, however, complicated by conversion of II to I which occurs under these conditions. This conversion is also enhanced by routine procedures used for enzyme purification, such as citric acid precipitation.     

Blastocyst is the source of prostaglandins in the implantation site in the rabbit

The levels of prostaglandins (PGs) were measured by radioimmunoassay in the interimplantation and the implantation sites as well as in the implantation site without the blastocyst in the rabbit on day 7 of pregnancy (168h $\text{post coitum}$). The concentrations of PGs were also determined in the blastocyst (PGF:101.59_+?4.33 and PGE-A:29.74_+?3.11 ng/blastocyst, n=6) and the blastocel fluid (PGF:253.55_+?39.56 and PGE-A:83.29_+?6.60 ng/100 ul, n-4) on day 7. The levels of both PGF and PGE-A were significantly higher in the implantation site as compared to interimplantation site (PGF:73.63±6.68 vs. 0.59±0.21 and PGE-A:25.52±3.30 vs. 1.22±0.18 ng/100 mg wet weight n=8). The removal of the blastocyst from the implantation site drastically reduced the concentrations of PGs in this site (PGF:8.71±2.80 and PGE-A:1.64±0.12 ng/100 mg wet weight, n=8). The results provide evidence that the blastocyst is the major source of PGs which contribute to the hige concentration in the implantation site in the rabbit.     

Determination of cation exchange capacity of woody plant roots using ammonium acetate extractant

Summary A rapid exchange procedure using ammonium acetate as an extractant was developed for measurement of cation exchange capacity (CEC) of plant roots. The CEC values obtained with 1∶100 and 1∶200 root/solution ratios were almost equal, though the values increased with length of the time of immersion in both the root/solution ratios. The method gave higher CEC values with fresh roots as compared to dried roots. However, dried milled and dried unmilled roots gave identical values.     

Phosphatidyl inositol inhibition of a sperm cyclic AMP-independent protein kinase

Phosphatidyl inositol has been found to inhibit strongly the activity of a cyclic AMP-independent protein kinase located on the external surface of goat epididymal intact spermatozoa. Phosphatidyl inositol at a concentration as low as 10 micrograms/ml inhibited nearly 50% of the ecto-kinase activity for the phosphorylation of the exogenous protein substrate: casein. Phosphatidyl ethanolamine at a relatively high concentration (125 micrograms/ml) inhibited slightly (approx 25%) the activity of the enzyme whereas other phospholipids: phosphatidyl serine and choline, diacyl glycerol, phosphatidic acid and myo-inositol-2-phosphate had no appreciable effect on the kinase activity. Phosphatidyl inositol has also served as a potent inhibitor of the phosphorylation of sperm ecto-phosphoproteins by the endogenous kinase activity of intact spermatozoa. By thin layer chromatography it has been shown that the observed inhibitory effect of the phospholipid was not due to any impurities or degraded products of phosphatidyl inositol. Phosphatidyl inositol inhibited the kinase activity noncompetitively with respect to casein and Mg2+ but uncompetitively with respect to ATP. The results raised the possibility that phosphatidyl inositol-mediated high affinity inhibition of protein kinase(s), may constitute a novel mechanism for the regulatory actins of the phospholipid in mammalian cells.