Pharmacotherapeutic options for co-morbid depression and alcohol dependence

Introduction: Depression and alcohol dependence are frequently co-morbid and among the most prevalent mental disorders. They are a serious global health problem with social, interpersonal, and legal interpolations. Among pharmacological alternatives, anti-craving compounds as well as antidepressants, antipsychotics, anticonvulsants, benzodiazepines, and beta-blockers have shown efficacy for depression as well as alcohol consumption. The pharmacological treatment of both complex interwoven mental diseases is still challenging given the inconsistent results of open and double-blind randomized placebo-controlled studies with approved and open label medications.

Areas covered: The authors provide a systematic review of the literature with PubMed following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines to obtain an overview of the pharmacotherapeutic options for co-morbid depression and alcohol dependence.

Expert opinion: The effect of treating only depressive or alcohol-related symptoms appears limited. Therapies directly targeting the addiction are warranted among such dually diagnosed patients. Despite limited data, the reviewed pharmacotherapeutic treatments demonstrated efficacy in most but not in all relevant parameters of alcohol dependence and depression.     

基于斑马鱼模型三棱抗血栓活性部位筛选及其化学成分研究

目的：筛选中药三棱抗血栓活性部位并对其化学成分进行研究。方法：采用斑马鱼血栓模型对中药三棱80%乙醇提取物的石油醚部位、乙酸乙酯部位、正丁醇部位和水部位的抗血栓作用进行测试。以硅胶柱色谱等方法对抗血栓作用显著的部位进行分离纯化，通过NMR，MS等方法并结合文献数据鉴定化合物结构。结果：乙酸乙酯萃取物能显著增加斑马鱼血栓模型的心脏染色强度（P<0.01），其余各部位抗血栓作用不明显。在该部位分离得到11个化合物，分别鉴定为对羟基苯甲酸（1）、5-羟甲基糠醛（2）、对甲氧基苯甲醛（3）、对羟基苯甲醛（4）、对香豆酸（5）、阿魏酸（6）、香草酸（7）、原儿茶酸（8）、香兰素（9）、Methyl-3，6-dihydroxy-2-[2-（2-hydroxyphenyl）-ethynyl]benzoate （10）及1，3-O-二阿魏酰基甘油（11）。结论：三棱提取物的乙酸乙酯萃取部位具有显著的抗血栓作用，其主要化学成分为酚酸类化合物。     

Characterization of odor-active compounds in cooked meat of farmed obscure puffer (Takifugu obscurus) using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry–olfactometry

The volatile and odor-active compounds in cooked meat of farmed obscure puffer (Takifugu obscurus) were analyzed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry–olfactometry (GC–MS–O). The volatile compounds were extracted by the simultaneous distillation–extraction (SDE) method, then separated and identified by GC–MS. Odor-active compounds in the SDE extract were characterized by GC–MS–O. A total of 68 volatile compounds were found, including 23 aldehydes, 10 alcohols, nine ketones, 17 N- or S-containing compounds and aromatics, three acids, three alkanes, and three esters. Of these, 31 odor-active compounds were detected and identified. Trimethylamine (fishy), octanal (grassy, leafy, green), (E)-2-octenal (roast, fatty), 1-octen-3-ol (fishy, fatty, mushroom, grassy), 2-ethyl-1-hexanethiol (cooked fish), (E,E)-2,4-octadienal (cooked meat, sweet), 2-acetylthiazole (meaty, roast, nutty, sulfur), 2-acetylpyrrole (nutty, walnut, bread) were identified as the key odorants in the cooked meat of farmed obscure puffer based on posterior intensity and time-intensity methods.     

Occurrence,detection and ecotoxicity studies of selected pharmaceuticals in aqueous ecosystems- a systematic appraisal

Pharmaceutical compounds (PCs) have globally emerged as a significant group of environmental contaminants due to the constant detection of their residues in the environment. The main scope of this review is to fill the void of information on the knowledge on the African occurrence of selected PCs in environmental matrices in comparison with those outside Africa and their respective toxic actions on both aquatic and non-aquatic biota through ecotoxicity bioassays. To achieve this objective, the study focused on commonly used and detected pharmaceutical drugs (residues). Based on the conducted literature survey, Africa has the highest levels of ciprofloxacin, sulfamethoxazole, lamivudine, acetaminophen, and diclofenac while Europe has the lowest of all these PC residues in her physical environments. For ecotoxicity bioassays, the few data available are mostly on individual groups of pharmaceuticals whereas there is sparsely available data on their combined forms.     

Isoprenylated phenolic compounds with tyrosinase inhibition from Morus nigra

A new isoprenylated sanggenon-type flavanone, nigrasin K (1), together with three known analogs (2–4) and five known Diels–Alder adducts (5–9), were isolated from the twigs of Morus nigra. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods. Sanggenon M (2), chalcomoracin (5), sorocein H (6), kuwanon J (7), sanggenon C (8), and sanggenon O (9) showed significant inhibitory effects on mushroom tyrosinase.     

Amino acid metabolism in uremia.

The uremic syndrome is multifactorial, and affects most tissues and organs. Disturbances in protein and amino acid metabolism may play important roles, especially in chronic uremia, either directly or by production of toxic metabolites, with resultant negative nitrogen (N) balance, muscle wasting, reduced protein synthesis, and characteristically abnormal intracellular free amino acid concentrations. There are also grossly abnormal amino acid levels in the plasma of uremic patients, e.g., increases in conjugated amino acids, high levels of several nonessential and low levels of essential amino acids. The ratios of tyrosine/phenylalanine and of valine/glycine are decreased. The low tryptophan levels may contribute to encephalopathy as a result of an imbalance in neurotransmitter synthesis. Citrulline is found in excess; the explanation is unresolved. There are elevated concentrations of the sulfur-containing amino acids: cystine, taurine, cystathionine, and homocysteine. Excess of the latter is implicated in the atherogenesis of renal failure. Disturbed metabolism and interorgan exchange of amino acids in the uremic state explains some of the abnormalities in tissue and plasma concentrations of individual amino acids. Enzymatic defects are involved in the disturbed metabolism of branched chain amino acids (BCAA), with possible antagonism among them, which impairs growth and amino acid utilization. Carbohydrate intolerance, associated with insensitivity of peripheral tissues to insulin and hyperinsulinemia, elicits decreased plasma BCAA. Protein synthesis rates in normal and pathological conditions are more closely related to the intracellular amino acid pool than to plasma amino acid levels. Concentrations of individual amino acids in the plasma pool are poor indicators of their intracellular concentrations. Muscle contains the largest pool of protein and free amino acids in the body. In chronic renal failure patients, the intracellular concentrations of valine, threonine, lysine, and carnosine are low. With low protein diets and in hemodialysis, serine, tyrosine, and taurine often are also low. The low taurine may be related to fatigue and to uremic cardiomyopathies. The commonly used amino acid supplements generally fail to correct the intracellular amino acid deficits. A “New Formula” has been developed to correct these intracellular amino acid abnormalities, and to supplement a low protein diet. It provides more valine than leucine, increased tyrosine and threonine, and less histidine, leucine, isoleucine, lysine, methionine, and phenylalanine than in formulas customarily used for patients with chronic renal failure. It is uncertain whether other ap     

同时测定水中10种卤代有机挥发物的顶空气相色谱法

目的建立同时测定生活饮用水中10种挥发性卤代化合物的顶空-气相色谱方法。方法水中10种有机物经CP-Sil 5CB毛细管色谱柱分离,电子捕获检测器(ECD)检测,外标法定量。结果 10种有机物的线性相关系数为0.999 1～0.999 9,平均加样回收率为89.3%～105%(n=6),RSD为1.5%～5.5%,最低检出浓度为0.30～20.16μg/L。结论该方法操作简单,快速,准确,灵敏度较高,适用于水中卤代有机物的测定。     

Formation of harmful compounds in biotransformation of lilial by microorganisms isolated from human skin

Abstract

Context: The biotransformation of lilial results in an acid that is used in the dairy industry, in perfumery, as an intermediate in the manufacture of pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, and as a food additive for enhancing taste.

Objective: This study investigates the biotransformation of lilial by Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis, two bacterial species isolated from human skin.

Materials and methods: Both species of Staphylococcus were isolated in samples taken from the skin of individuals living in a rural area of Iran. The pH of the culture medium was optimized, and after culturing the microorganisms, the bacteria were added to a flask containing a nutrient broth and incubated for several hours. The flasks of bacteria were combined with lilial, and various biochemical tests and diagnostics were performed, including Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry (UV–Vis), and gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS).

Results: The S. aureus produced isobutyric acid (2-methylpropanoic acid) after 72?h (71% of the total products yielded during biotransformation), whereas the S. epidermidis produced terpenoid alcoholic media after 24?h (90% of total products obtained).

Discussion and conclusion: The results obtained indicate that biotransformation of lilial by S. aureus is more desirable than by S. epidermidis due to the highly efficient production of a single product. Bourgeonal and liliol were two toxic compounds produced during biotransformation, which indicates that the use of lilial in cosmetics can be harmful to the skin.