Circadian rhythm in locomotor activity in the burrower crayfish Procambarus acanthophorus (Villalobos 1948)

Crayfish Procambarus acanthophorus is a burrower that spends long periods building deep tunnels to reach the water table during the dry season; thus, its survival entertains a close ecological relationship with the sediment. The aim of this work was to determine whether the properties of the circadian rhythm of locomotor activity could be modified by the sediment availability. Experiments were conducted in both aquaria filled with sediment or filled with water, under cycles of Bright and Dim Illumination (BI:DI, 12:12 h) or under continuous DI:DI. The rhythm of locomotor activity was entrained with the photoperiod in aquaria with sediment or water; however, statistical differences between conditions were obtained comparing the period and the level of activity under free-running. These data suggest that the substrate’s sensorial perception could be encoded as a significant ecological parameter that exerts influence in the physiological mechanisms that control the temporal order in P. acanthophorus.     

番茄‘Ls-89’和‘坂砧2号’幼苗活性氧代谢对南方根结线虫侵染的反应

为了解番茄(Lycopersicon esculentum)砧木幼苗活性氧代谢与抗南方根结线虫(Meloidogyne incognita)的关系,以高感品种‘Ls-89’与高抗品种‘坂砧2号’为材料,采用盆栽人工接种法,研究了南方根结线虫侵染对番茄砧木幼苗活性氧代谢的影响。结果表明,未接种南方根结线虫的番茄砧木幼苗,其根系与叶片活性氧水平及相关酶活性在品种间没有显著差异。接种南方根结线虫后,两品种幼苗根系与叶片的O_2·~–生成速率和H_2O_2含量均升高,且‘坂砧2号’显著高于‘Ls-89’,但‘Ls-89’的MDA含量则显著高于‘坂砧2号’。两品种幼苗根系与叶片的SOD活性均在侵染早期降低,以‘坂砧2号’降幅较大;但POD、CAT活性在侵染早期变化不大,至侵染中后期则显著升高。因此,番茄抗性品种砧木幼苗的膜脂抗氧化能力较强,活性氧水平较高,且SOD活性对南方根结线虫侵染敏感。     

UV-B辐射对鲜土贝母中主要成分和抗氧化活性的影响

为探讨UV-B辐射对鲜土贝母有效成分和抗氧化活性的影响,对土贝母(Bolbostemma paniculatum)新鲜块茎的有效成分含量和抗氧化活性进行了研究。结果表明,100 k J m–2的高剂量UV-B辐射使鲜土贝母的还原糖含量升高60.17%,大黄素含量升高209.60%。辐射后还原能力及清除DPPH·自由基能力均显著高于对照(P0.01)。这说明UV-B辐射可显著提高土贝母鲜品的有效成分含量和抗氧化活性,因此鲜土贝母加工前进行UV-B辐射可望提高药材质量。     

漳江口红树林沉积物真菌多样性分析及抗茶叶致病真菌生物活性筛选

以福建漳江口红树林国家级自然保护区红树林沉积物分离的真菌为对象,研究红树林沉积物真菌的多样性和筛选抗茶叶病原真菌活性的菌株。将分离纯化的135株真菌通过形态学和Ribosomal DNA-Internal Transcribed Spacer(rDNAITS)序列测定进行鉴定及多样性分析,归为40个种类型,分别属于17个属,其中青霉属(25%)为优势菌,木霉属(15%)、曲霉属(10%)和镰刀属(10%)次之,表明红树林沉积物真菌具有丰富的多样性;利用平板对峙法对真菌的发酵粗提物抗茶叶病原真菌生物活性研究,结果发现,共有17株(占42.5%)真菌具有抗茶叶病原真菌活性,其中15株能够抑制茶叶轮斑病(Pestalotiopsis theae)LH13,12株能够抑制茶叶炭疽病(Colletotrichum gloeosporioides)LH30,8株能够抑制茶叶溃疡病(Neofusicoccumsp.)LH107,有两株对这三种茶叶致病菌均有较强活性。这些活性菌株分布在6个属中,分别是青霉属(7株)、木霉属(3株)、镰孢属(2株)、枝孢属(2株)、白地霉属(2株)和球腔菌属(1株)。由此可见,红树林沉积物真菌抗菌活性菌株的种属分布具有多样性。     

壳寡糖对大肠杆菌抑菌活性研究

分析壳寡糖对大肠杆菌抑菌效果的影响因素.采用摇瓶法和ELISA板法对不同浓度的壳寡糖进行抑菌试验;比较不同pH、不同脱乙酰度的壳寡糖对大肠杆菌抑菌效果的差异;比较不同聚合度的单一聚合度壳寡糖抑菌效果的差异.壳寡糖浓度大于5 mg/mL时抑菌效果与同浓度苯甲酸钠相近;pH为4时,0.156 mg/mL的壳寡糖溶液抑菌活性即能超过90%;pH为7时,5 mg/mL的壳寡糖才能达到90%抑菌活性.脱乙酰度为95%时,5 mg/mL的壳寡糖溶液抑菌活性能超过97%;脱乙酰度为45%时,40 mg/mL的壳寡糖溶液抑菌活性仅有56%;聚合度大于4的单一聚合度壳寡糖40 mg/mL时抑菌活性能达到99%.结果表明:提高壳寡糖溶液浓度、降低pH、提高脱乙酰度,能提高壳寡糖的抑菌活性,单一聚合度壳寡糖聚合度越高,对大肠杆菌的抑制作用越强.此外,采用ELISA板的方法进行实验,即节省试药又方便快捷.     

Additive effects on the improvement of insecticidal activity: Design,synthesis, and insecticidal activity of novel pymetrozine derivatives

A series of new pymetrozine analogues containing both methyl on the imine carbon and phenoxy group at the pyridine ring were designed and synthesized. Their insecticidal activities against bean aphid (Aphis craccivora), mosquito larvae (Culex pipiens pallens), cotton bollworm (Helicoverpa armigera), corn borer (Ostrinia nubilalis) and oriental armyworm (Mythimna separata) were evaluated. The results of bioassays indicated that most of the target compounds showed good insecticidal activity against bean aphid; especially, IIIf (80%) and IIIl (80%) exhibited higher aphicidal activity than pymetrozine (30%) at 5 mg/kg, and the two compounds still showed 20% and 30% mortality at 2.5 mg/kg, respectively, whereas pymetrozine displayed no activity at the same concentration. These compounds exhibited a completely different structure–activity relationship to that of known pymetrozine derivatives, in which it is thought introducing alkyl group on the imine carbon could be detrimental to the activities. Our new result suggested that the methyl on the imine carbon and phenoxy group at the pyridine ring of phenoxy group may play additive effects on the improvement of aphicidal activity. Besides this, compound IIIs, containing an allyl at the para position of phenoxy group, exhibited excellent insecticidal activity against mosquito larvae, lepidoptera pests cotton bollworm, corn borer and oriental armyworm.     

Novel nicotine analogues with potential anti-mycobacterial activity

Tuberculosis (TB) is the second leading lethal infectious disease in the world after acquired immuno deficiency (AIDs). We have developed a series of twenty-five novel nicotine analogues with de-addiction property and tested them for their activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB). In an effort to increase the specificity of action and directing nicotine analogues to target MTB, four promising compounds were further optimized via molecular docking studies against the Dihydrofolate reductase of MTB. After lead optimization, one nicotine analogue [3-(5-(3fluorophenyl)nicotinoyl)-1-methylpyrrolidin-2-one] exhibited minimum inhibitory concentration of 1 μg/mL (2.86 nM) against M. tuberculosis (H37Rv strain), a human pathogenic strain of clinically significant importance. Pharmacokinetic analysis of [3-(5-(3fluorophenyl)nicotinoyl)-1methylpyrrolidin-2-one] with lowest MIC value via oral route in Wistar rats revealed that at a dosage of 5 mg/kg body weight gave a maximum serum drug concentration (C_max) of 2.86 μg/mL, T_max of one hour and a half-life (T_1/2) of more than 24 h and Volume of distribution (V_d) of 27.36 L. Whereas the parenteral (intra venous) route showed a C_max of 3.37 μg/mL, T_max of 0.05 h, T_1/2 of 24 h and V_d equivalent to 23.18 L. The acute oral toxicity and repeated oral toxicity studies in female Wistar rats had an LD₅₀ > 2000 mg/kg body weight. Our data suggests that nicotine derivatives developed in the present study has good metabolic stability with tunable pharmacokinetics (PK) with therapeutic potential to combat MTB. However, further in vivo studies for anti-tuberculosis activity and elucidation of mode of action could result in more promising novel drug for treating MTB. To the best of our knowledge this is the first report revealing the anti-mycobacterial potential of nicotine analogue at potential therapeutic concentrations.     

Synthesis,activity and docking studies of phenylpyrimidine–carboxamide Sorafenib derivatives

Two series of Sorafenib derivatives bearing phenylpyrimidine–carboxamide moiety (16a–g and 17a–p) were designed, synthesized and evaluated for the IC₅₀ values against three cancer cell lines (A549, MCF-7 and PC-3). Two selected compounds (17f and 17n) were further evaluated for the activity against VEGFR2/KDR kinase. More than half of the synthesized compounds showed moderate to excellent activity against three cancer cell lines. Compound 17f showed equal activity to Sorafenib against MCF-7 cell line, with the IC₅₀ values of 6.35 ± 0.43 μM. Meanwhile, compound 17n revealed more active than Sorafenib against A549 cell line, with the IC₅₀ values of 3.39 ± 0.37 μM. Structure–activity relationships (SARs) and docking studies indicated that the second series (17a–p) showed more active than the first series (16a–g). What’s more, the introduction of fluoro atom to the phenoxy part played no significant impact on activity. In addition, the presence of electron-donating on aryl group was benefit for the activity.     

Novel benzimidazol-2-ylidene carbene precursors and their silver(I) complexes: Potential antimicrobial agents

Novel benzimidazolium salts were synthesized as N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) precursors, these NHC precursors were metallated with Ag₂O in dichloromethane at room temperature to give novel silver(I)–NHC complexes. Structures of these benzimidazolium salts and silver(I)–NHC complexes were characterized on the basis of elemental analysis, ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, IR and LC–MS spectroscopic techniques. A series of benzimidazolium salts and silver(I)–NHC complexes were tested against standard bacterial strains: Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and the fungal strains: Candida albicans and Candida tropicalis. The results showed that benzimidazolium salts inhibited the growth of all bacteria and fungi strains and all silver(I)–NHC complexes performed good activities against different microorganisms.