Abstract Chinese yam (Rhizoma Dioscoreas Oppositae) has been recorded in Traditional Chinese Medicine and is utilized as a common food delicacy in China. This study was carried out to evaluate effects of superfine grinding at variable mesh sizes on physicochemical, thermal, microstructural attributes, bioactive compounds and radical scavenging activities (RSA’s) of yam flour powders (YFP). Physical, color, hydration, total phenolic, flavonoid contents, RSA’s and absorption characteristics were significantly influenced by exhibiting increasing trends with reduction of YFP particle sizes. YFP fraction obtained at M400 size showed obviously improved specific surface area as compared to M60 fraction. Generally, it may be implied from the results that free-form phenolic compounds exhibited increasing trends whereas cell-wall bound phenolic compounds showed particle size-dependent decreases with corresponding increases in mesh size. ESEM micrographs endorsed the finding of reduction of YFP particle sizes with corresponding increases in sieve mesh sizes. ESEM analysis evidently showed that mechanical shear significantly led to enhancement of surface area. Differential scanning calorimetry showed that melting temperature of YFP with reduced particle size were lower. Conclusively, it may be implied that YFP superfine powders might be utilized in food formulations with improved functional properties and uniformity.

Abstract Purpose Patients with diabetes are vulnerable to myocardial I/R (ischaemia/reperfusion) injury, but are not responsive to IPO (ischaemic post-conditioning). We hypothesized that decreased cardiac Adiponectin (APN) is responsible for the loss of diabetic heart sensitivity to IPO cardioprotecton. Methods Diabetic rats were subjected to I/R injury (30 min of LAD occlusion followed by 120 min of reperfusion). Myocardial infarct area was determined by TTC staining. Cardiac function was monitored by a microcatheter. ANP, 15-F2t-isoprostane, nitrotyrosine and MDA were measured by assay kits. Levels of p-Akt, total-Akt and GAPDH were determined by Western Blot. Results Diabetic rats subjected to myocardial IR exhibited severe myocardial infarction and oxidative stress injury, lower APN in the plasma and cardiac p-Akt expression ( P <0.05). IPO significantly attenuated myocardial injury and up-regulated plasma APN content and cardiac p-Akt expression in non-diabetic rats but not in diabetic rats. Linear correlation analysis showed that the expression of adiponectin was positively correlated with p-Akt and negatively correlated with myocardial infarction area ( P <0.01). Conclusion Protective effect of IPO was tightly correlated with the expression of adiponectin, exacerbation of I/R injury and ineffectiveness of IPO was partially due to the decline of adiponectin and inactivation of Akt in diabetes mellitus.

A novel [FeII2L3]4+ metallo-organic helicate results from subcomponent self-assembly of a C3-symmetric triamine (4,4',4''- (1,3,5-triazine-2,4,6-triyl) trianiline), octahedral iron(II) and 2-formyl pyridine in CH3CN solution. The constitution of this supramolecular helicate was confirmed by ESI-MS and 1H NMR spectra. Different planar aromatic guests were selected to investigate host-guest interactions by shifts of 1H NMR signals. The results show that electron-rich aromatic molecules with matched size and symmetry, such as pyrene, are subject to be bound with the outstretched arms of the helicate ligand via aromatic p–p interactions.

Abstract: Desmodium caudatum (Thunb.) DC, is an ever-green plant widely used in the central and southern China with great economic value for their medical values on fever, dysentery, gastroenteritis, rectal prolapse, snake bites, mastitis, and boils carbuncle. Despite its extensive uses as a traditional Chinese medicine, no systematic research on the identification of Desmodium caudatum has been reported. In this study, traditional pharmacognostical identification including the botanical origin and morphological characters, medicinal material characters, microscopic characters, physicochemical parameters determination and phytochemical screening, and DNA barcoding analysis were employed to establish an accurate and effective identification system of Desmodium caudatum. In addition, the molecular pharmacognosy study was adopted in order to identify the samples more accurately. The ITS loci of the nuclear genome and psbA-trnH loci of the chloroplast genome were selected and evaluated, which were the most variable loci. The study will be beneficial to the development of the quality standard and the identification of species.

Abstract Various traditional systems of medicine enlightened the importance of Premna microphylla Turcz., Lamiaceae, medicinally. The present study was carried out to provide a scientific basis of the identification and the authenticity of P. microphylla with the help of pharmacognostical parameters, which is not done before. Roots, stems, and leaves of P. microphylla were collected for pharmacognostical studies involving macros, microscopic evaluation, physicochemical parameters analysis like fluorescence analysis and thin layer chromatography, in addition with DNA barcodes of internal transcribed spacer and psbA-trnH regions. Transverse section of root indicated the presence of stone cell bands. Transverse section of stem showed the presence of stone cells and vessels. Transverse section of leaf midrib revealed the presence of shaft type of porosity. Microscopic studies of powder revealed the presence of cork cells, fibers, vessels, nonglandular hairs, stone cells and glandular scale cells. Thin layer chromatography of the extract revealed the presence of oleanolic acid in P. microphylla with specific R f values. Identification through DNA barcode showed the sequence of internal transcribed spacer region was novel while the sequence of psbA-trnH region displayed no differences from known sequence. The observations confirmed that P. microphylla has an obvious pharmacognostical characteristics, which will be useful toward providing a reliable basis for identification, purity, quality and classification of the plant.

Abstract This study aimed to develop a simple and rapid method to detect KRAS gene mutations for conventional clinical applications under laboratory conditions. The genotype of mutation sites was determined based on the occurrence of target bands in the corresponding lanes of the reaction tubes through polymerization-conjunction of the probes, probe purification and amplification, and agarose gel electrophoresis. Circulating DNA samples were obtained from the plasma of 72 patients with lung cancer, which were identified based on six mutation sites (G12S, G12R, G12C, G12D, G12A, and G12V) of codon 12 of the KRAS gene. The detection results were compared with direct sequencing data. The proposed detection method is characterized by simple operation, high specificity, and high sensitivity (2%). This method can detect the mutations of three samples at G12S, G12R, and G12A. In the direct sequencing spectra of these samples, the genotype could not be determined due to the lack of evident sequencing peaks that correspond to the basic group of mutations. In conclusion, a simple and rapid method was established based on probe polymerization-conjunction-agarose gel electrophoresis for detecting KRAS gene mutations. This method can be applied to the conventional mutation detection of inhomogeneous samples.

RESUMO: Colza ( Brassica napus L.) de folhas vermelho-púrpura é um recurso valioso para os produtores. Foi utilizada em programas de melhoramento como um marcador morfológico ao gene de resistência a estresses abióticos, bióticos ou devido ao seu teor de antocianinas (AC). No entanto, a herança da AC e a correlação com o teor de clorofila (CC) na folha de colza ainda são desconhecidos. Este estudo teve como objetivo investigar a ação dos genes e hereditariedade da CA e CC em 10 Zi006 × 10-4438 colza, usando geração de análise. Os resultados indicaram que CA e CC foram controladas por efeito do gene principal e interacções não-alélicas. O AC foi controlado principalmente por efeito genético. No entanto, os efeitos genético e não genético foram ambos importantes para CC. Além disso, o total de efeitos gênicos solucionáveis foi maior do que os efeitos de genes para AC, mas os resultados opostos foram encontrados para CC. Correlações negativas e positivas entre CA e CC foram obtidas em diferentes gerações.

ABSTRACT: Rapeseed ( Brassica napus L.) with purple-red leaf is a valuable resource for plant breeder. It was utilized in breeding program as a morphological marker, and the source of resistance gene to biotic or abiotic stress due to its anthocyanin content (AC). However, the inheritance of AC and the correlation with chlorophyll content (CC) in rapeseed leaf are still unknown. This study aimed to investigate the gene action and heritability of AC and CC in a 10-Zi006 × 10-4438 rapeseed cross using generation mean analysis. The results indicated that AC and CC were controlled by main gene effect and non-allelic interactions. The AC was mainly controlled by genetic effect. However, the genetic effect and non-genetic effect were both important for CC. In addition, the total fixable gene effects was higher than unfixable gene effects for AC, but opposite results was found for CC. Both negative and positive correlations between AC and CC were obtained in different generations.

Camptothecin and its derivatives are monoterpenoid indole alkaloids exhibiting significant anti-tumor actions. With the aim of improving the production of these pharmaceuticals, the contents of camptothecin and 10-hydroxycamptothecin in different tissues including roots, stems, leaves, young flower buds, opening flowers, fading flowers and seeds from Camptotheca acuminata, were investigated. The young flower buds had the highest alkaloid concentrations (camptothecin, 2.46 mg/g of dry weight; 10-hydroxycamptothecin, 1.41 mg/g of dry weight). Callus showed lower concentrations but it should also be considered as a potential source of these pharmaceuticals. In the present study, the growth rate of Camptotheca acuminata cells in culture did not correlate with contents of camptothecin and 10-hydroxycamptothecin. Alkaloid accumulation by cells under various treatments (heavy metal ions, UV-B), methyl-jasmonate, abscisic acid, salicylic acid and hydrogen peroxide was examined, and the most notable effects appeared in the cells induced by UV-B light (which showed an 11-fold increase in camptothecin concentration) and by salicylic acid (which showed a 25-fold increase in 10-hydroxycamptothecin concentration). These results are significant in the context of the production of both pharmaceuticals.

Making use of the gene resources of wild type peanuts is a way to increase the genetic diversity of the cultivars. Marker assisted selection (MAS) could shorten the process of inter-specific hybridization and provide a possible way to remove the undesirable traits. However, the limited number of molecular markers available in peanut retarded its MAS process. We started a peanut ESTs (Expressed Sequence Tags) project aiming at cloning genes with agronomic importance and developing molecular markers. In this study we found 610 ESTs that contained one or more SSRs from 12,000 peanut ESTs. The most abundant SSRs in peanut are trinucleotides (66.3%) SSRs and followed by dinucleotide (28.8%) SSRs. AG/TC (10.7%) repeat was the most abundant and followed by CT/GA (9.0%), CTT/GAA (7.4%), and AAG/TTC (7.3%) repeats. Ninety-four SSR containing ESTs were randomly selected for primer design and synthesis, of which 33 pairs could generate good amplification and were used for polymorphism assessment. Results showed that polymorphism was very low in cultivars, while high level of polymorphism was revealed in wild type peanuts.

Extracellular Ca2+ influx was blocked by L-type Ca2+ channel blocker nifedipine to observe the effects of 15-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid on the constriction of rabbit pulmonary artery rings and on the changes of Ca2+ level in the rabbit pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells, and further to investigate the mechanism of the calcium mobilization induced by the 15-HETE under hypoxic conditions. The effect of extracellular Ca2+ on tension of the rabbit PA rings was also studied. Nifedipine (10 µ mol/L) had no effect on 1 µ mol/L 15-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid induced vasoconstriction under normoxic and hypoxic conditions. Intracellular Ca2+ increased markedly in the 15-HETE group (cells were exposed to 1 µ mol/L 15-HETE for 8 min during culture) compared to the control group (P < 0.05). The study demonstrated that the 15-HETE could induce the elevation of Ca2+ in the pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells and the elevated calcium came from the release of the intracellular calcium.