Histological and immunohistochemical effects of Curcuma longa on activation of rat hepatic stellate cells after cadmium induced hepatotoxicity

The liver is a target for toxic chemicals such as cadmium (Cd). When the liver is damaged, hepatic stellate cells (HSC) are activated and transformed into myofibroblast-like cells, which are responsible for liver fibrosis. Curcuma longa has been reported to exert a hepato-protective effect under various pathological conditions. We investigated the effects of C. longa administration on HSC activation in response to Cd induced hepatotoxicity. Forty adult male albino rats were divided into: group 1 (control), group 2 (Cd treated), group 3 (C. longa treated) and group 4 (Cd and C. longa treated). After 6 weeks, liver specimens were prepared for light and electron microscopy examination of histological changes and immunohistochemical localization of alpha smooth muscle actin (αSMA) as a specific marker for activated HSC. Activated HSC with a positive αSMA immune reaction were not detected in groups 1 and 3. Large numbers of activated HSC with αSMA immune reactions were observed in group 2 in addition to Cd induced hepatotoxic changes including excess collagen deposition in thickened portal triads, interlobular septa with hepatic lobulation, inflammatory cell infiltration, a significant increase in Kupffer cells and degenerated hepatocytes. In group 4, we observed a significant decrease in HSC that expressed αSMA with amelioration of the hepatotoxic changes. C. longa administration decreased HSC activation and ameliorated hepatotoxic changes caused by Cd in adult rats.     

不同产地姜黄属植物中姜黄素类成分及矿质元素分析

以福建泉州地区种植的12个姜黄(Curcuma longa)和莪术(Curcuma zedoaria)种质的成熟根茎为试材, 采用正交设计法优化姜黄素(CCM)、单脱甲氧基姜黄素(DMC)和双脱甲氧基姜黄素(BDMC)的提取工艺条件, 比较不同产地姜黄属种质的3种姜黄素类化合物和16种矿质元素的含量。结果表明, 姜黄素类化合物提取工艺为: 100%甲醇, 1:5 (g·mL^-1)固液比, 超声提取2分钟, 提取率达到最高值。CCM、DMC和BDMC的最大吸收波长分别为424、418及414 nm; 回归方程分别为Y=0.170 3X+0.024 3 (CCM), Y=0.173 8X+0.041 (DMC), Y=0.140 6X+0.051 4 (BDMC)。GY03种质中CCM、DMC和BDMC含量分别为1.23%、1.22%与1.50%, 总姜黄素类含量最高, 达3.95%; GY01种质的总姜黄素次之(为3.82%); GY03和GY01可在栽培地推广种植; 12个姜黄属种质的16种矿质元素中, 以Mg、Mn、Al、Fe和Zn含量较为丰富。     

Six new species of the genus Dicranosepsis Duda (Diptera, Sepsidae) from Vietnam, with a revised key to the species

The flies of the genus Dicranosepsis from Vietnam were investigated and classified taxonomically. Six new species (D. longa sp. nov., D. kurahashii sp. nov., D. monoseta sp. nov., D. sinuosa sp. nov., D. barbata sp. nov., and D. vietnamensis sp. nov.) are described and illustrated. Dicranosepsis is redefined and a revised key to the species is also provided.     

Triosephosphate isomerase genes in two trophic modes of euglenoids (euglenophyceae) and their phylogenetic analysis

Two different length cDNAs encoding triosephosphate isomerase (TIM) were identified in the two trophic modes of euglenoids, the phototrophic Euglena gracilis and Euglena intermedia and the saprotrophic Astasia longa. Sequence analyses and presequence prediction indicated that the shorter cDNA encodes a cytosolic TIM and the longer cDNA encodes a plastid TIM (pTIM). The typical presequence of the putative A. longa pTIM and the high sequence similarity between A. longa pTIM and E. gracilis pTIM imply that A. longa pTIM is targeted to plastids. Therefore, although the plastids of A. longa have lost the ability of photosynthesis, they might retain other TIM-related function(s), such as glycolysis and the synthesis of isopentenyl diphosphate or fatty acids. Including the TIM sequences obtained by us from chlorophytes and rhodophytes, our phylogenetic analyses indicated that euglenoid TIMs group neither with TIMs of kinetoplastids, which share the nearest common ancestor with euglenoids, nor are closely related to TIMs of chlorophytes, which are considered to be the donors of euglenoid plastids through secondary endosymbiosis. Instead, they group with TIMs of rhodophytes. In addition, our amino acid sequence alignment and structure modeling showed that TIMs of euglenoids and rhodophytes share a unique 2-aa insertion within their loop-4 areas. Therefore, either tim convergent evolution or lateral gene transfer (more probably) might have occurred between euglenoids and rhodophytes after the divergence of euglenoids with kinetoplastids.     

索氏法提取姜黄挥发油及其成分的研究

本文以广西那坡县种植的姜黄为原料,分别以沸点为30-60℃,60-90℃的石油醚以及石油醚与乙醚的混合物作为溶剂,采用索氏提取法提取挥发油,并采用GC-MS分析法研究了这几种姜黄挥发油的主要成分,比较了不同的加工办法对挥发油的加工得率、主要成分、含量的影响。研究表明：用索氏提取法提取的广西姜黄挥发油其得率在7％以上,主要成分为：α-姜黄烯、（-）-姜烯、β-倍半水芹烯、芳姜黄酮、β-姜黄酮、α-姜黄酮、β-没药烯。     

Studies on antidermatophytic activity of waste leaves of Curcuma longa L.

During antidermatophytic screening of some essential oils, Curcuma longa L. exhibited the strongest antifungal activity, completely inhibiting the mycelial growth of ringworm, caused by the fungi- Microsporum gypseum and Trichophyton mentagrophytes. The essential oil from leaves of Curcuma longa was fungicidal at 2.5 μl/ml at which it tolerated heavy doses of inoculum. The fungicidal activity of the oil was thermostable up to 80 °C and self life up to 24 months in storage. The oil also showed a broad fungitoxic spectrum, inhibiting the mycelial growth of other fungi, viz., Epidermophyton floccosum, M. nanum, T. rubrum, T. violaceum. Moreover, up to 5 % concentration it did not exhibit any adverse effect on mammalian skins. The oil has been formulated in the form of an ointment, 1 % w/v and subjected to topical testing on patients of the Out Patient Department (OPD) at Moti Lal Nehru Medical College, Allahabad. Patients were selected on the basis of KOHpositive results and diagnosed tenia corporis. After the second week of treatment, all patients were KOH- negative. At the end of medication, 75 % of patients recovered completely while 15 % showed significant improvement from the disease. The ointment thus, can be exploited commercially after ongoing successful clinical trials. Relationship of the dermatophytes to the toxicity of the oil vis-a-vis phylogeny using molecular data of the pathogens have also been discussed.     

郁金化学成分的研究

从郁金块根中分离得到10个化合物,经化学方法和光谱分析,分别鉴定为环二十二酸内酯(1),阿魏酸乙酯(2),6—methyl-7-(3-oxobutyl)-bicyclo[4.1.0]heptan-3-one(3),异莪术烯醇(4),莪术烯醇(5),阿魏酸(6),姜黄素(7),去甲氧基姜黄素(8),二去甲氧基姜黄素(9)和胡罗卜苷(10),其中1为新化合物,3为新的天然产物,2,3和6为首次从该属植物中分得。     

Separation and free radical-scavenging activity of major curcuminoids of Curcuma longa using HPTLC-DPPH method

A direct HPTLC assay was developed for the determination of total curcuminoids and three individual curcuminoids, curcumin, demethoxycurcumin and bisdemethoxycurcumin. In addition, a new procedure was developed to separate and quantitative the free radical-scavenging activity of individual compounds from the rhizome of Curcuma longa L. (Zingiberaceae) based on the combination of HPTLC with a diode array detector (DAD) and post chromatographic DPPH(*) radical derivatisation. It was established that both individual curcuminoids and the extract of C. longa were capable of scavenging DPPH(*) radicals. From the estimated ID(50) values, it can be seen that the order of activity was curcumin > demethoxycurcumin > bisdemethoxycurcumin > ascorbic acid. However, the ID(50) values of curcuminoids were not significantly different. The data indicates the presence of a synergistic mechanism of antiradical activity of curcuminoids.