Anthraquinone profile,antioxidant and enzyme inhibitory effect of root extracts of eight Asphodeline taxa from Turkey: can Asphodeline roots be considered as a new source of natural compounds?

Plant-based foods have become attractive for scientists and food producers. Beneficial effects related to their consumption as dietary supplements are due to the presence of natural occurring secondary metabolites. In this context, studies on these products are important for natural and safely food ingredients evaluation. The aim of this study was to evaluate root extract of eight Asphodeline species as antioxidants, enzyme inhibitors and phytochemical content. Spectrophotometric antioxidant and enzyme inhibitory assays were performed. Total phenolic and flavonoids contents as well as the chemical free-anthraquinones profiles were determined using routinely procedure (HPLC-PDA). Data show that Asphodeline roots can be considered as a new source of natural compounds and can be used as a valuable dietary supplement. Some differences related to biological activities can be inferred to other phytochemicals that can be considered in the future for their synergic or competitive activities.     

A family with two different chromosomal translocations

The proband was a 22-year-old woman who had two spontaneous abortions in the first trimester of pregnancy. She had a consanguineous marriage with no history of malformation or developmental disorders in the family. Her gynecological examination was normal. Chromosome analysis of the family showed two different katyotypes 46,XY,t(1;16)(p22;p13) and 46,XX,t(1;16)(q24;q24) using high-resolution banding (HRB). Proband's family was also examined for chromosome analysis. A t(1;16)(p22;p13) was found in the husband's father and other relatives, and a t(1;16)(q24;q24) translocation in the proband's family. This second tanslocation is not found in her parents.     

The effects of streptozotocin-induced diabetes on brucellosis of rats

It is believed that an infection is more common and runs a more protracted course in people with diabetes. In clinical practice, it is important to be aware of these associations, as the prognosis is often dependent upon prompt recognition and appropriate treatment. To show the course of brucellosis in the diabetic state, a model of Brucella melitensis infection was used in the setting of streptozotocin-induced diabetes in rat. B. melitensis infection proceeded more severely in diabetic rats and the severity of diabetes affected the prognosis. However, no association was found between B. melitensis and insulin using in vitro and in vivo experiments. Our study illustrates that B. melitensis infection in diabetes should be taken seriously.     

Reaction conditions for laccase catalyzed polymerization of catechol

Poly(catechol) was synthesized in batch runs with laccase from Trametes versicolor (ATCC 200801). The polymerization reaction was conducted in a closed, temperature controlled system containing acetone and sodium acetate buffer for pH control. The effects of the solvent mixture, monomer (catechol), enzyme, medium pH and temperature on the polymerization rate were investigated with respect to initial reaction conditions and depletion rate of dissolved oxygen in the medium. Maximum initial reaction rate was attained with 10% (v/v) acetone-sodium acetate buffer at pH 5.0, 25 degrees C, 0.02 U/ml enzyme and 250 mg/l initial catechol and 10 mg/l dissolved oxygen. A general saturation enzyme kinetics response was observed for catechol substrate. Temperature rise supported the rate increase up to 45 degrees C, after which the rate tended to be stable due to a drop in dissolved oxygen concentration as well as enzyme instability.     

Post‐translational modifications of transthyretin affect the triiodonine‐binding potential

Transthyretin (TTR) is a visceral protein, which facilitates the transport of thyroid hormones in blood and cerebrospinal fluid. The homotetrameric structure of TTR enables the simultaneous binding of two thyroid hormones per molecule. Each TTR subunit provides a single cysteine residue (Cys₁₀), which is frequently affected by oxidative post‐translational modifications. As Cys₁₀ is part of the thyroid hormone‐binding channel within the TTR molecule, PTM of Cys₁₀ may influence the binding of thyroid hormones. Therefore, we analysed the effects of Cys₁₀ modification with sulphonic acid, cysteine, cysteinylglycine and glutathione on binding of triiodothyronine (T3) by molecular modelling. Furthermore, we determined the PTM pattern of TTR in serum of patients with thyroid disease by immunoprecipitation and mass spectrometry to evaluate this association in vivo. The in silico assays demonstrated that oxidative PTM of TTR resulted in substantial reorganization of the intramolecular interactions and also affected the binding of T3 in a chemotype‐ and site‐specific manner with S‐glutathionylation as the most potent modulator of T3 binding. These findings were supported by the in vivo results, which indicated thyroid function‐specific patterns of TTR with a substantial decrease in S‐sulphonated, S‐cysteinylglycinated and S‐glutathionylated TTR in hypothyroid patients. In conclusion, this study provides evidence that oxidative modifications of Cys₁₀ seem to affect binding of T3 to TTR probably because of the introduction of a sterical hindrance and induction of conformational changes. As oxidative modifications can be dynamically regulated, this may represent a sensitive mechanism to adjust thyroid hormone availability.     

Anoxybacillus sp. SO B1–Immobilized Amberlite XAD-16 for Solid-Phase Preconcentration of Cu(II) and Pb(II) and Their Determinations by Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrometry

A new method for the determination of Cu(II) and Pb(II) by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS) after preconcentrating on a column containing Anoxybacillus sp. SO B1–immobilized Amberlite XAD-16 was developed. The functional groups of Anoxybacillus sp. SO B1 immobilized on Amberlite XAD-16 were characterized in KBr tablets by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrometry. Various parameters such as pH, amount of the adsorbent, eluent type and volume, and flow rate of the sample solution were studied. The optimum pH values of quantitative sorption for Cu(II) and Pb(II) were found to be pH 7.0 and 5.0 and Cu(II) and Pb(II) ions could be quantitatively eluted with 5.0 ml of 1.0 mol L^?1 HCI and 10.0 ml of 0.25 mol L^?1 HNO₃, respectively. Recoveries of Cu(II) and Pb(II) were found to be 100.9 ± 1.57% and 100.3 ± 0.49% (N = 5), the limits of detection of Cu(II) and Pb(II) in the determination by FAAS (3 s, N = 10) were found to be 0.8 and 1.6 μg L^?1, respectively. The proposed enrichment method was applied for metal ion determination from water samples such as two parts of Tigris River water in Diyarbak?r and Elaz??, Lake of Hazar in Elaz??, and tap water in Diyarbak?r. Furthermore, the accuracy of the proposed method was verified by studying the analytical recovery and by analyzing certified reference material (NCS-DC 73350 leaves of poplar).     

Mutations in SLC34A2 cause pulmonary alveolar microlithiasis and are possibly associated with testicular microlithiasis

Pulmonary alveolar microlithiasis (PAM) is a rare disease characterized by the deposition of calcium phosphate microliths throughout the lungs. We first identified a PAM locus by homozygosity mapping to 4p15, then identified, by a candidate-gene approach, the gene responsible for the disease as SLC34A2 (the type IIb sodium-phosphate cotransporter gene), which is involved in phosphate homeostasis in several organs. We identified six homozygous exonic mutations in the seven unrelated patients with PAM we studied. Three of the mutations were frameshifts, one was a chain termination, one was an amino acid substitution, and one was a deletion spanning the minimal promoter and the first exon. Absence of functional protein product of the gene is compatible with calcium phosphate deposition in alveolar airspaces. We show that impaired activity of the phosphate transporter is presumably responsible for the microliths and that PAM is a recessive monogenic disease with full penetrance. Testicular microlithiasis (TM) is a disease that is more common than PAM. It is often associated with cancer and infertility. Since the gene we identified is also expressed in testis, we searched for mutations in subjects with TM. In 2 of the 15 subjects with TM we studied, we identified two rare variants, one synonymous and the other noncoding, that are possibly associated with the condition.