Indole alkaloid sulfonic acids from an aqueous extract of Isatis indigotica roots and their antiviral activity

Six new indole alkaloid sulfonic acids (1–6), together with two analogues (7 and 8) that were previously reported as synthetic products, were isolated from an aqueous extract of the Isatis indigotica root. Their structures including the absolute configurations were determined by spectroscopic data analysis, combined with enzyme hydrolysis and comparison of experimental circular dichroism and calculated electronic circular dichroism spectra. In the preliminary assay, compounds 2 and 4 showed antiviral activity against Coxsackie virus B3 and influenza virus A/Hanfang/359/95 (H3N2), respectively.     

Development and feasibility of a sedentary behavior intervention for stroke: a case series

Background and Objective: High levels of sedentary behavior are prevalent among people with stroke and contribute to elevated risk for recurrent stroke. Few interventions reduce sedentary behavior post-stroke. The ABLE intervention aims to reduce sedentary behavior using activity monitoring, activity scheduling, problem-solving, and self-assessment to promote engagement in meaningful daily activities. The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility (tolerability, acceptability, reliability, safety) of the ABLE intervention after stroke and describe trends in sedentary behavior at baseline and 4 weeks.

Clinical Presentation: Participants (n = 5) who were 6 months to 2 years post-stroke, ambulatory, and reported ≥6 h of daily sitting time.

Intervention: Twelve ABLE intervention sessions (3x/week for 4 weeks) conducted in participants’ homes. The ABLE intervention includes activity monitoring, activity scheduling, self-assessment, and collaborative problem-solving.

Results: All feasibility benchmarks were met for three participants. Two participants met tolerability and safety benchmarks but did not meet acceptability and reliability benchmarks. Variability in feasibility and sedentary behavior outcomes may be related to baseline levels of sedentary behavior and social support.

Conclusions: The ABLE intervention was tolerable and safe. The intervention protocol was refined to enhance reliability and acceptability. Future studies should estimate the effects of the ABLE intervention.     

不同浓度的外源NO对刺五加种子激素及酶含量变化的影响

目的:研究外源NO对刺五加种子解除休眠及萌发过程中内源激素及酶的变化规律,为打破刺五加种子休眠和人工栽培提供依据。方法:考察不同浓度(1,5,10,20 mmol·L~(-1))的外源NO供体硝普钠(SNP)处理刺五加种子,而后进行变温层积处理。采用高效液相色谱法检测出在不同层积时间(0,30,50,80,100,130 d)的内源激素赤霉素(GA3),脱落酸(ABA),吲哚乙酸(IAA),吲哚丁酸(IBA)及水杨酸(SA)含量变化。采用酶标仪全程监测体内酶[过氧化氢酶(CAT),超氧化物歧化酶(SOD),过氧化物酶(POD),丙二醛(MDA)]水平的变化。结果:在刺五加种子萌发过程中,GA3,IAA,IBA和SA的含量逐渐增大,脱落酸的含量逐渐减小。POD和MDA水平显著下降,CAT和SOD的酶活力显著上升。外源NO可以提高刺五加种子萌发率,缩短种子萌发时间,20 mmol·L~(-1)SNP促进种子萌发效果最为明显,10 mmol·L~(-1)SNP促进种子萌发效果最弱,呈"V"型变化。结论:SNP促进刺五加种子萌发可能通过提高种子萌发过程中的激素和酶的含量,以提高种子内源NO含量而实现。     

Antioxidant Activity in Extracts of 27 Indigenous Taiwanese Vegetables

The objectives of this study were to identify the antioxidants and antioxidant axtivity in 27 of Taiwan’s indigenous vegetables. Lycium chinense (Lc), Lactuca indica (Li), and Perilla ocymoides (Po) contained abundant quercetin (Que), while Artemisia lactiflora (Al) and Gynura bicolor (Gb) were rich in morin and kaempferol, respectively. Additionally, Nymphoides cristata (Nc) and Sechium edule (Se)-yellow had significantly higher levels of myricetin (Myr) than other tested samples. Cyanidin (Cyan) and malvidin (Mal) were abundant in Gb, Abelmoschus esculentus Moench (Abe), Po, Anisogonium esculentum (Retz.) Presl (Ane), Ipomoea batatas (Ib)-purple, and Hemerocallis fulva (Hf)-bright orange. Relatively high levels of Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC), oxygen radical absorption capacity (ORAC), and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenger were generated from extracts of Toona sinensis (Ts) and Po. Significant and positive correlations between antioxidant activity and polyphenols, anthocyanidins, Que, Myr, and morin were observed, indicating that these phytochemicals were some of the main components responsible for the antioxidant activity of tested plants. The much higher antioxidant activity of Po, Ts, and Ib (purple leaf) may be related to their higher Cyan, Que, and polyphenol content.     

Effects of Fructus Ligustri Lucidi Extracts on Concanavalin A-Stimulated Proliferation of Isolated Murine Splenocytes

Fructus Ligustri Lucidi (FLL), the fruit of Ligustrum lucidum Ait., was fractionated into petroleum ether (FLL-Pe), chloroform (FLL-Ch), butanol (FLL-Bu) and aqueous (FLL-Aq) fractions. The effects of FLL fractions and oleanolic acid (OLA), an active ingredient of FLL, on concanavalin A (Con A)-stimulated proliferation of murine splenocytes were examined under both in vitro and ex vivo conditions. In vitro administration of FLL-Pe could produce an immunostimulatory effect, as evidenced by the significant enhancement of the Con A-stimulated mitogenic response of splenocytes in culture. While FLL-Ch and OLA did not produce any detectable effect on the mitogenic response, FLL-Bu and FLL-Aq inhibited the in vitro ConA-stimulated splenocyte proliferation. In ex vivo experiments, pretreatment with FLLPe, FLL-Ch or OLA was found to enhance the extent of Con A-stimulated splenocyte proliferation to a varying degree as assessed under in vitro conditions, with FLL-Pe being more potent. The ensemble of results indicates that both FLL-Pe and FLL-Ch were able to produce immunostimulatory action under ex vivo assay conditions, but only FLL-Pe produced a similar effect under in vitro conditions. The immunostimulatory action produced by FLL-Pe could not be fully explained by the presence of OLA.     

Fabrication and design of transdermal fluconazole spray

The objective of the present study was to formulate fluconazole transdermal spray for obtaining modified drug transport using eutectic mixture, ethyl cellulose, polyethylene oxide and alcohol. The formulated products were characterized. The selection of the optimized batch was done considering the results of drug transport in the first hour, the time required for 90% drug transport, viscosity and spray angle of the formulations. The inclusion of eutectic mixture, consisting of equal parts of camphor and menthol, showed improved drug transport through rat skin. The optimized batch exhibited larger mean zone of inhibition (antifungal activity), efficient in vivo activity and short term stability.