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Tracing dynamic changes of heterogeneous cell wall components during xylem differentiation is essential for understanding the intricate architecture of wood cell walls at the individual secondary cell wall layer level. Here we employ histochemical- and immunological approaches to visualize the deposition of cellular polymers during xylem differentiation in Pinus bungeana. In axial tracheids, deposition of crystalline cellulose and glucomannan preceded xylan and lignin. Lignification was initiated in primary cell wall corners during development of the S 1 layer and intensified with cell wall thickening. Immunofluorescence labeling showed an earlier deposition of glucomannan than xylan with strong presence in S 1 layer corner regions at early stages of differentiation. Quantification of immunogold-labeled xylan and glucomannan showed distinct increasing trends during thickening of tracheid wall layers with xylan labeling of the S 1 and S 2 layers at the S 3 stage greater than the S 2 stage. Differential cell wall polymer deposition was evident in mature tracheid areas with glucomannan absent in warty layers. Pectins were highly concentrated in unlignified primary cell walls but decreased with axial tracheid wall differentiation. The sequence of polymer deposition in ray cells was similar but lagged behind axial tracheids with ray parenchyma remaining unlignified with thinner cell walls than ray tracheids., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Rosin, a natural resin obtained from conifer trees, has a long history of use in traditional folk medicine for treating abscesses, wounds, carbuncles, and burns, etc. It has been employed in ancient Egypt, China, Nordic countries, and Turkey as a therapeutic remedy. This comprehensive review examines the traditional uses, phytochemistry, and pharmacology of rosin, and it provides a critical update on current knowledge of rosin and identifies potential therapeutic opportunities. The chemical composition of rosin is known to vary depending on factors such as botanical sources, geographical locations, and processing methods. Rosin acids, which account for over 90% of its primary chemical constituents, have been identified as the predominant compounds in rosin. Researchers have isolated approximately 50 compounds from rosin, with terpenoid rosin acids being the most prevalent. Furthermore, the review highlights the potential pharmacological activities of rosin and its constituents. Crude extracts and isolated rosin acids have demonstrated promising properties, including antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, insecticidal, wound healing, and anti-obesity effects. However, the review emphasizes that further research is needed, as existing studies are predominantly preliminary. Many of the reported bioactivities require further verification, and the underlying mechanisms of action remain largely unexplored. In conclusion, rosin has been extensively used in traditional medicine across different cultures, and its chemical composition has been confirmed to a significant extent. The pharmacological activities observed in crude extracts and isolated rosin acids support its traditional uses. Nevertheless, additional research is necessary to deepen our understanding of the pharmacological mechanisms underlying its effects., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Bark beetles (family: Curculionidae; subfamily: Scolytinae) in the Dendroctonus and Ips genera are the most destructive forest pests in the Northern hemisphere. They use cytochromes P450 (P450s) to detoxify tree-produced terpenes to produce pheromones, in de novo pheromone production and to oxidize odorants on antennae. Many Dendroctonus spp. use trans-verbenol as an aggregation pheromone, and it is formed from host-tree produced α-pinene hydroxylated by CYP6DE1 during larval stages, stored as verbenyl ester of fatty acids, and then released when the female begins feeding on a new host tree. Ips spp. hydroxylate de novo produced myrcene to form ipsdienol. Subsequent steps form the appropriate enantiomeric composition of ipsdienol and convert ipsdienol to ipsenol. In this article we review recent progress in elucidating the functions of P450s in Ips and Dendroctonus species and in doing so provide insights into the role of these enzymes in host phytochemical detoxification and pheromone production., (Crown Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Ugonins are unique flavonoids with cyclohexyl motif from Helminthostachys zeylanica. Ugonins (1-6) from the target plant displayed significant inhibitions against both PTP1B (IC 50 s = 0.6-7.3 μM) and α-glucosidase (IC 50 s = 3.9-32.9 μM), which are crucial enzymes associated with diabetes. A cyclohexyl motif was proved to be the key functionality for PTP1B and α-glucosidase. For example, 1 was 26-fold effective to PTP1B and 15-fold to α-glucosidase than its mother compound, luteolin. This tendency was well elucidated with distinctive differences of binding affinities (K SV ) between ugonins and mother compounds to PTP1B enzyme. Inhibitory mechanisms to PTP1B and α-glucosidase were fully characterized to be competitive, non-competitive and mixed type I according to the position of cyclohexyl functionality. In particular, the ugonin J (1) has a cyclohexyl on the B ring was estimated as a reversible, competitive and a slow binding inhibitor with parameters: K i app  = 0.1234 μM, k 3  = 0.5713 μM -1  min -1 , and k 4  = 0.0705 min -1 . In-depth molecular docking experiments disclosed the specific binding sites and residues of competitive inhibitor (1) and non-competitive inhibitor (4) to PTP1B enzymes. As well, all six ugonins (1-6) also inhibited α-glucosidase effectively, in which cyclohexyl motif was also the key functionality of inhibitions., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most malignant central nervous system tumor, with poor prognosis. Temozolomide (TMZ) has been used as a first-line drug for the treatment of GBM for over a decade, but its treatment benefits are limited by acquired resistance. Polysaccharides from Cibotium barometz (CBPs) are polysaccharides purified from the root of Cibotium barometz (L.) J. Sm., possessing sensitizing activity. The purpose of this study was to investigate the anti-cancer effect of CBP from different processing methods on U87 cells using a 1 H NMR-based metabolic approach, complemented with qRT-PCR and flow cytometry, to identify potential markers and discover the targets to explore the underlying mechanism. Cibotium barometz is usually processed under sand heating in clinical applications. Polysaccharides from both the processed (PCBP) and raw (RCBP) C. barometz were prepared, and the effect on enhancing the sensitivity to TMZ was investigated in vitro. CBP can significantly increase the toxicity of TMZ to the U87 cell line, promote apoptosis, enhance cell cycle changes, and arrest cells in S phase, and RCBP demonstrated better activity. Multivariate statistical analyses, such as principal component analysis (PCA) and orthogonal projection to latent structure with discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA), were used to identify metabolic biomarkers, and 12 metabolites in the cell extract samples were clearly identified as altered after RCBP exposure. NMR-based cell metabolomics provided a holistic method for the identification of CBP's apoptosis-enhancing mechanisms and the exploration of its potential applications in preclinical and clinical studies., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing Interest These authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Data pre-processing is an important strategy in chemometrics and related fields because in many cases the transformation of data has a great effect on the performance of the method (model). However, a careful examination of the literature clearly points out that only very few systematic studies are dedicated to the effect of the derivative spectra on the performance of the pattern recognition methods. This comprehensive study compares the impact of the order of derivative spectra and other data pre-processing procedures (normalization and standardization) on the performance of cluster analysis, principal component analysis and discriminant analysis applied for characterization and classification of medicinal plants according to their phylum using UV spectra. The efficiency of the pre-processing methods was estimated by comparing the accuracy of classification and prediction measured by internal cross-validation. Derivatization method (1st order) resulted in the best classification (100%) of medicinal plants according to their phylum (Pteridophyte, Magnoliophyte and Spermatophyte) as compared to other pre-processing methods (normalized spectra-71.4%, standardized spectra-76.2% and original spectra-78.6%)., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Meiofauna can play an important role in the carbon fluxes of soft-bottom coastal habitats. Investigation of their feeding behavior and trophic position remains challenging due to their small size. In this study, we determine and compare the food sources used by nematodes and benthic copepods by using stable isotope compositions, fatty acid profiles and compound specific isotope analyses of fatty acids in the mudflats, seagrass beds and a sandflat of the Marennes-Oléron Bay, France, and the Sylt-Rømø Bight, Germany. Suspended particulate organic matter was much more 13 C-depleted than other food sources and meiofauna, highlighting its poor role in the different studied habitats. The very low proportions of vascular plant fatty acid markers in meiofauna demonstrated that these consumers did not rely on this food source, either fresh or detrital, even in seagrass beds. The combined use of stable isotopes and fatty acids emphasized microphytobenthos and benthic bacteria as the major food sources of nematodes and benthic copepods. Compound specific analyses of a bacteria marker confirmed that bacteria mostly used microphytobenthos as a substrate., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

One new flavanonol, demethylmatteucinol (1), and nine new flavanone glucoside derivatives, matteflavosides H-J (2-4) and matteuinterates A-F (5-10), were isolated from the rhizomes of Matteuccia intermedia C.Chr., along with 21 known flavanones (11-31). Notably, all of them contain C-methylation in the A-ring. The structures of the compounds were elucidated by spectroscopic methods and chemical derivatization. The α-glycosidase inhibition assay indicated that compounds 12-17 showed potent inhibitory activity with IC 50 values of 12.4-69.7 μM, which suggested their hypoglycemic effect., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

A new iridoid glycoside, named camptoside (1), together with three known compounds as dehydrodiconiferyl alcohol-9'-O-β-d-glucopyranoside (2), aesculetin (3) and vajicoside (4), have been isolated from Camptosorus sibiricus Rupr. (Aspleniaceae). Their structures were established on the basis of spectroscopic analysis, especially 1D- and 2D-NMR data, and by comparison of their spectroscopic and physical data with those reported in the literature. Compounds 1-3 exhibited inhibitions of nitric oxide production in lipopolysaccharide-induced RAW 264.7 macrophages with IC 50 values of 11.2, 8.3 and 9.4 μM, respectively., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Enzyme-assisted extraction (EAE) possesses the advantages of being environmentally friendly and easily operated owing to relatively mild reaction conditions. Thus, mucilage from Asplenium australasicum was extracted with xylanase, glucanase and simultaneous application of both enzymatic preparations then investigated for their physicochemical properties. It was observed that compared to the control, the yield of mucilage increased significantly by EAE (from 3.64% to 6.04-6.86%), while the average molecular weight also increased slightly. SEM results showed that enzymes can erode the raw material which contributed to the higher extraction efficiency of polysaccharide. Furthermore, EAE modified the monosaccharide composition profile of A. australasicum mucilage considerably, especially there was a significant increase in glucose and galacturonic acid content. Although the FT-IR fingerprint did not change pronouncedly due to the action of the enzymes, but the degree of polysaccharide branching seemed to be more complicated, thus significantly reducing the intrinsic viscosity and water holding capacity of mucilage., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In this work, the fifth part of an ongoing phytochemical study on Wollemia nobilis was reported. The attention was now focused on the male reproduction organs of which the content in both primary and secondary metabolites was analyzed. Twenty compounds, belonging to seven different classes of natural compounds, were identified from the ethanolic extract by means of Column Chromatography and NMR and MS Spectroscopy. They all represent new compounds for the studied organ whereas some of them are also new constituents of the genus or even previously undescribed phytochemicals. Their presence was able to display a general overview of these organs from the phytochemical standpoint and to provide more elements in confirmation with the current botanical classification of the species. Moreover, they add a further experimental evidence of the tendency of this species to accumulate different metabolites in different organs. This characteristic as well as the occurrence of several compounds with added value, make this plant a possible candidate for large scale cultivation with extractive purposes to obtain useful phytochemicals for botanicals and pharmaceutical fields. Moreover, they offer the opportunity to develop an additional method of conservation and protection for this endangered and very rare species., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

An undescribed labdane-like diterpene with a rare spiro-β-lactone function was identified from the ethanol extract of the male cones of the coniferous tree Wollemia nobilis. This spirolabdadienolide (IUPAC name: syn-ent-8(17),13-labdadien-19,18-olid-15-oic acid methyl ester; trivial name: wollemolide), was isolated by means of traditional and high performance chromatography techniques and structurally elucidated through NMR and MS. In addition, six further known metabolites were evidenced in the extract. Wollemolide, which may be considered an additional chemotaxonomic marker, and 4'-O-methyl-scutellarein, a simple flavonoid, had not been isolated in our previous phytochemical study on the same plant organ. This demonstrates how the molecular pattern of a plant species is in continuous movement and changes with the passing of time according to the climate of the year., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

From the roots of the West African liana Ancistrocladus abbreviatus (Ancistrocladaceae), ten new naphthylisoquinoline alkaloids (7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, and 9-14), displaying three different coupling types (5,1', 5,8', and 7,8'), were isolated, among them a series of five 5,1'-linked representatives and four metabolites belonging to the rare group of 7,8'-coupled alkaloids. Two of the alkaloids, the ancistrobrevines I (13) and J (14), are only the fourth and fifth examples of 7,8'-linked naphthyldihydroisoquinolines ever found in nature. The stereostructures of the new plant metabolites were determined by spectroscopic, chemical (oxidative degradation), and chiroptical (electronic circular dichroism) methods. For the assignment of the axial configuration of 13 and 14 relative to the stereocenter at C-3, which is too far away for significant NOE long-range interactions, these 7,8'-coupled naphthyldihydroisoquinolines were stereoselectively converted into the respective cis-configured tetrahydroisoquinoline analogs. The newly generated 'auxiliary' stereocenter at C-1 permitted decisive NOE interactions between the isoquinoline and the naphthalene parts, and thus a reliable attribution of the axial configuration of 13 and 14. In addition, five known compounds (3, 5, 16, 17, and 20), previously discovered in related African and Asian Ancistrocladus species, have now for the first time been identified in A. abbreviatus. All of these alkaloids are S-configured at C-3 and bear an oxygen function at C-6, and are, thus, typical Ancistrocladaceae-type compounds. Some of the alkaloids of A. abbreviatus exhibited promising activities against the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum and PANC-1 human pancreatic cancer cells., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The ultrasound-assisted extraction method for isolation of 17 sugars and sugar alcohols from conifers with a subsequent hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method for their determination is proposed. The optimization of extraction parameters was carried out using Taguchi - L 9 (3 4 ) orthogonal array experimental design for the following parameters-a methanol concentration in the extraction solution, an extraction time, a type of plant sample and an extraction temperature. The optimal ultrasound-assisted extraction conditions were-MeOH concentration - 30% (water - 70%), extraction time - 30 min, type of plant sample - II (grinded leaves 2-4 mm long), extraction temperature - 60 °C. Pure water and acetonitrile were used as eluents in gradient elution mode to separate the analytes. Direct determination of multiple sugars and sugar alcohols was carried out using a mass spectrometric detector operated in a multiple reaction monitoring mode, providing detection limits in the range between 0.1 and 20 ng/mL and good analytical characteristics of the method without derivatization. The developed approach was validated by multiple successive extraction method applied to test its performance on a series of 10 samples, i.e. 2 samples per each of 5 genera: Abies, Larix, Picea, Pinus (Pinaceae) and Juniperus (Cupressaceae), widely distributed in the boreal conifer forests of Eurasia. The novel strategy can be used for profiling of sugars and sugar alcohols in a wide range of plant species., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Four new compounds, sabianin A (1), sabianin B (2), sabianin C, (3) and sabianin D (4) together with seven known compounds (5-11) were isolated from the stems of Sabia parviflora. The structures of these compounds were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic analysis and by comparing their NMR data with those of related compounds. Their absolute configurations were determined by comparing the calculated and experimental electronic circular dichroism spectra. The lipid-lowering effect of all the compounds was evaluated using a cell model of steatosis induced by oleic acid and palmitic acid. Compounds 3, 6, and 10 showed statistically significant lipid-lowering effect., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In recent years, considerable attention has been given to plant colorants for use in dyeing applications because of their newly discovered properties such as insect repellency, deodorizing, antioxidant, sun protection, and antibacterial activity. In view of their better biocompatibility, biodegradability, less-toxicity, natural colorants are gaining worldwide interest for producing elegant hues and highly functional value-added textiles. In the present work, we investigated the coloring and functional finishing of wool with Tectona grandis L. leaves extract with the emphasis on effect of metallic salt mordants on colorimetric potential, fastness, radical scavenging potential, and antibacterial activity in an attempt to develop bioactive fibres for use in health care applications. The pretreatment of wool with ferrous sulfate, potassium aluminium sulfate and stannous chloride provided a significant enhancement in CIELa*b* parameters and fastness properties. Antioxidant tests showed that the control dyed wool had excellent radical scavenging activity than mordanted samples. In addition, metal mordants particularly ferrous sulfate enhanced the durability of antibacterial efficacy to several laundering cycles. It can be concluded that the extract of Tectona grandis may be developed as multifunctional finishing agent to impart simultaneous color, antioxidant and antibacterial properties to wool based fabrics., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Four selected grains (brown rice, oat, sorghum, and millet) were subjected to germinate and changes in granule morphology, molecular structure, crystalline structure, and physicochemical properties of isolated starch were investigated. The germinated starches showed pits and holes on the surface of the starch granules and the particle size distributions shifted slightly to smaller size as the germination time increased. Germination led to decrease in amylose content, while molecular weights of the germinated starches showed no significant changes. The relative crystallinity of all selected grain starches decreased significantly during germination. Compared to the native starches, the germinated starches had lower retrogradation enthalpy. Brown rice and oat starches exhibited marginal increases in peak viscosities, whereas those of sorghum and millet starches decreased significantly during germination. Amylose leaching of brown rice and oat starches decreased after germination, whereas sorghum and millet starches showed an increase in amylose leaching., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Five previously undescribed hemiterpene glycosides, cibotiumbarosides E-I, and two known hemiterpene glucosides, were isolated from the rhizome of Cibotium barometz (L.) J. Sm. The structures of cibotiumbarosides E-I were established by 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopic analyses and HRMS. The absolute configuration of the aglycone of cibotiumbaroside E was assigned by calculated ECD with the TDDFT method. Cibotiumbarosides F and I both exhibited remarkable hepatoprotective activity against APAP-induced acute liver damage in vitro, which were more effective than the positive control, bicyclol. On the other hand, seven hemiterpene glycosides were all inactive in assays of cytotoxicity, neuroprotection, antidiabetes and anti-inflammation., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Litter decomposition is a biological process fundamental to element cycling and a main nutrient source within forest meta-ecosystems, but few studies have looked into this process simultaneously in individual ecosystems, where environmental factors can vary substantially. A two-year field study conducted in an alpine forest meta-ecosystem with four litter species (i.e., willow: Salix paraplesia, azalea: Rhododendron lapponicum, cypress: Sabina saltuaria, and larch: Larix mastersiana) that varied widely in chemical traits showed that both litter species and ecosystem type (i.e., forest floor, stream and riparian zone) are important factors affecting litter decomposition, and their effects can be moderated by local-scale environmental factors such as temperature and nutrient availability. Litter decomposed fastest in the streams followed by the riparian zone and forest floor regardless of species. For a given litter species, both the k value and limit value varied significantly among ecosystems, indicating that the litter decomposition rate and extent (i.e., reaching a limit value) can be substantially affected by ecosystem type and the local-scale environmental factors. Apart from litter initial acid unhydrolyzable residue (AUR) concentration and its ratio to nitrogen concentration (i.e., AUR/N ratio), the initial nutrient concentrations of phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), and magnesium (Mg) were also important litter traits that affected decomposition depending on the ecosystem type., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Natural products are among one of the most promising fields in finding new molecular targets in cancer therapy. Laryngeal carcinoma is one of the most common cancers affecting the head and neck regions, and is associated with high morbidity rate if left untreated. The aim of this study was to examine the antiproliferative effect of Araucaria angustifolia on laryngeal carcinoma HEp-2 cells. The results showed that A. angustifolia extract (AAE) induced a significant cytotoxicity in HEp-2 cells compared to the non-tumor human epithelial (HEK-293) cells, indicating a selective activity of AAE for the cancer cells. A. angustifolia extract was able to increase oxidative damage to lipids and proteins, and the production of nitric oxide, along with the depletion of enzymatic antioxidant defenses (superoxide dismutase and catalase) in the tumor cell line. Moreover, AAE was able to induce DNA damage, nuclear fragmentation and chromatin condensation. A significant increase in the Apoptosis Inducing Factor (AIF), Bax, poly-(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) and caspase-3 cleavage expression were also found. These effects could be related to the ability of AAE to increase the production of reactive oxygen species through inhibition of the mitochondrial electron transport chain complex I activity and ATP production by the tumor cells. The phytochemical analysis of A. angustifolia, performed using High Resolution Mass Spectrometry (HRMS) in MS and MS/MS mode, showed the presence of dodecanoic and hexadecanoic acids, and phenolic compounds, which may be associated with the chemotherapeutic effect observed in this study., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The deposition of Fukushima-derived radiocesium via falling litter in a coniferous forest 180 km downwind immediately following the nuclear power plant accident was investigated. The litterfall contribution to the transfer of radiocesium from the forest canopy to the forest floor was determined, and this pathway was compared with hydrological pathways. The results demonstrated that during the observation period, a total of approximately 5.5 kBq m(-2) of Fukushima-derived radiocesium was deposited on the forest floor through throughfall (53%), stemflow (2.3%) and litterfall (45%) routes. The data revealed that the contributions of hydrological pathways became less important as time passed. However, the litterfall route, which transferred approximately 31% (2.5±0.6 kBq m(-2)) of the local fallout within the observation period, continued depositing radiocesium onto the forest floor., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Ten terpenoid indole alkaloids, mappiodines A-C and mappiodosides A-G, together with eight known compounds, were isolated from stems of Mappianthus iodoides Hand.-Mazz. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic analyses including 1D, 2D NMR, MS and CD methods. The ten compounds were evaluated for their cytotoxic activity, but were inactive., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Iteamine, o-aminobenzyl β-D-glucopyranoside, is the first alkaloid to be isolated from Itea virginica. Itea is the sole plant source of D-psicose, a rare sugar likely to be a major dietary supplement. The structure of iteamine was established by NMR and confirmed by total synthesis. Iteamine and its galacto-analog (which was not found in Itea plants) showed no strong inhibition of any of the 15 glycosidases tested; unnatural galacto-iteamine was a weak inhibitor of chicken liver α-N-acetylgalactosaminidase., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Cell wall polysaccharides in the petioles and pedicels of Qian (Euryale ferox Salisb.) (EFPP) were extracted using ultrasound-assisted technique. Response surface methodology (RSM) based on Box-Behnken design (BBD) was employed to optimize extraction parameters for the maximum purity of polysaccharides. The results showed that the optimum extraction conditions were extraction temperature of 80 °C, extraction time of 32 min, ultrasonic power of 270W and liquid-to-solid ratio of 40 mL/g. Under the optimal conditions, the experimental purity of polysaccharides was 62.57% ± 1.68%, which was very close to the predicted. The crude EFPP were isolated using DEAE-52 column and four major fractions (EFPP-1, EFPP-2, EFPP-3 and EFPP-4) were obtained. Typical functional groups of polysaccharides were characteristic for EFPP-1, EFPP-3 and EFPP-4 from FT-IR spectrum. Furthermore, the crude EFPP and three fractions (EFPP-1, EFPP-3 and EFPP-4) possessed appreciable in vitro antioxidant effects on α,α-diphenyl-β-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2'-azinobis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS), hydroxyl radical scavenging and reducing powers. Then, the crude EFPP and EFPP-4 could effective against H2O2-induced injury on HUVEC and VSMC through enhancement of T-AOC, SOD and CAT activities and decrease of MDA content., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Pulp and paper wood feedstocks have been previously implicated as a source of chemicals with the ability to interact with or disrupt key neuroendocrine endpoints important in the control of reproduction. We tested nine Canadian conifers commonly used in pulp and paper production as well as 16 phytochemicals that have been observed in various pulp and paper mill effluent streams for their ability to interact in vitro with the enzymes monoamine oxidase (MAO), glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD), and GABA-transaminase (GABA-T), and bind to the benzodiazepine-binding site of the GABA(A) receptor (GABA(A)-BZD). These neuroendocrine endpoints are also important targets for treatment of neurological disorders such as anxiety, epilepsy, or depression. MAO and GAD were inhibited by various conifer extracts of different polarities, including major feedstocks such as balsam fir, black spruce, and white spruce. MAO was selectively stimulated or inhibited by many of the tested phytochemicals, with inhibition observed by a group of phenylpropenes (e.g. isoeugenol and vanillin). Selective GAD inhibition was also observed, with all of the resin acids tested being inhibitory. GABA(A)-BZD ligand displacement was also observed. We compiled a table identifying which of these phytochemicals have been described in each of the species tested here. Given the diversity of conifer species and plant chemicals with these specific neuroactivities, it is reasonable to propose that MAO and GAD inhibition reported in effluents is phytochemical in origin. We propose disruption of these neuroendocrine endpoints as a possible mechanism of reproductive inhibition, and also identify an avenue for potential research and sourcing of conifer-derived neuroactive natural products., (© 2013.)

Three new acyl glycosides with rare β-D-apiofuranosyl-(1→2)-[β-D-apiofuranosyl-(1→6)]-β-D-glucopyranosyl moieties, 2-O-[2,6-O-bis(5-O-syringoyl-β-D-apiofuranosyl)-β-D-glucopyranosyl]-isopropyl alcohol (1), 1-O-[2,6-O-bis(5-O-syringoyl-β-D-apiofuranosyl)-β-D-glucopyranosyl]-isoamyl alcohol (2), and 1-O-[2,6-O-bis(5-O-vanilloyl-β-D-apiofuranosyl)-β-D-glucopyranosyl]-3,4,5-trimethoxyphenol (3) were obtained from Erycibe hainanesis. Their structures were determined by UV, IR, HRESIMS, (1)D and (2)D NMR data, and by chemical methods. Compounds 1-3 were evaluated against D-galactosamine induced toxicity in WB-F344 rat hepatic epithelial stem-like cells, and compounds 1 and 3 showed moderate hepatoprotective activities., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Eight compounds, nagilactone C 7-O-α-L-arabinopyranosyl-(1→4)-β-D-xylopyranoside, nagilactone C 7-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→4)-β-D-xylopyranoside, nagilactone C 7-O-β-D-xylopyranoside, nagilactone A 7-O-α-L-arabinopyranosyl-(1→4)-β-D-xylopyranoside, 2β,15S,16,17,19-pentahydroxy-isopimar-8(14)-ene 17-O-β-D-glucopyranoside, 2β,15R,16,17,19-pentahydroxy-isopimar-8(14)-ene 17-O-β-D-glucopyranoside, 1-(2,6,6-trimethyl-4-hydroxycyclohexenyl)-1-hydroxy-buta-1-en-3-one 4-O-β-D-glucopyranoside, and vitexin 2″-O-β-D-(6'''-acetyl)-glucopyranoside together with 13 known compounds, were isolated from the leaves of Podocarpus elongatus. Structures were elucidated by 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy as well as by ESI mass spectrometry and chemical methods. The absolute configurations of the 15,16-diol moieties in two compounds were determined using Snatzke's method., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Arabinogalactan-proteins (AGPs), found in the culture medium of suspension cells of Araucaria angustifolia grown in plant growth regulator-free and plant growth regulator-containing BM media, BM0 and BM2, respectively, were evaluated quantitatively and qualitatively. The concentrated extracellular fractions (CEFs), obtained from suspension cell cultures grown for 20 days in BM0 and BM2 media yielded two fractions, CEF-0 and CEF-2, respectively. CEF-0 and CEF-2 was submitted to selective precipitation using the beta-glucosyl Yariv reagent (beta-GlcY) to isolate AGPs for structural characterization; this yielded fractions designated CEF-0YPF and CEF-2YPF, respectively. The monosaccharide composition analysis established that samples were composed of Rha, Ara, Gal and uronic acid in a molar ratio 3:37:55:5 (CEF-0YPF) and 1:37:58:4 (CEF-2YPF), although trace amounts (<0.5 mol%) of Xyl were also found. Methylation analysis of CEF-YPF fractions showed similar results for both CEF-0YPF and CEF-2YPF, with non-reducing terminal units of Araf, Arap, Galp, Rhap and Xylp, as well as 3-O-substituted and 5-O-substituted Araf units and 3-O-substituted, 6-O-substituted and 3,6-di-O-substituted Galp units. The amino acid composition analysis established Ser, Ala, and Hyp as major amino acids in both samples. In conclusion, this investigation has shown that CEF-0YPF and CEF-2YPF contain macromolecules having typical AGP characteristics, including a Hyp/Ala/Ser-rich protein moiety, a (1-->3) and/or (1-->6) linked beta-d-galactopyranosyl main chain substituted by Gal, Ara, Rha and Xyl residues, and binding affinity for beta-GlcY and monoclonal anti-AGP antibodies., (Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Ultraviolet radiation is one of the most deleterious forms of radiation to terrestrial organisms and is involved in formation of mutagenic pyrimidine dimers and oxidized nucleotides. The biflavonoid fraction (BFF), extracted from needles of Araucaria angustifolia was capable of protecting calf thymus DNA from damage induced by UV radiation. This occurred through prevention of cyclobutane thymine dimer and 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine formation, this being quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) in a multiple reaction monitoring mode (MRM) and by HPLC-coulometric detection, respectively.

The Brazilian pine-fruit shell (Araucaria angustifolia) is a food residue, that was used as biosorbent for the removal of non-hydrolyzed reactive red 194 (NRR) and hydrolyzed reactive red 194 (HRR) forms from aqueous solutions. Chemical treatment of Brazilian pine-fruit shell (PW), with chromium (Cr-PW), with acid (A-PW), and with acid followed by chromium (Cr-A-PW) were also tested as alternative biosorbents for the removal of NRR and HRR from aqueous effluents. It was observed that the treatment of the Brazilian pine-fruit shell with chromium (Cr-PW and Cr-A-PW) leaded to a remarkable increase in the specific surface area and average porous volume of these biosorbents when compared to unmodified Brazilian pine-fruit shell (PW). The effects of shaking time, biosorbent dosage and pH on biosorption capacity were studied. In acidic pH region (pH 2.0) the biosorption of NRR and HRR were favorable. The contact time required to obtain the equilibrium was 24h at 25 degrees C. The equilibrium data were fitted to Langmuir, Freundlich, Sips and Redlich-Peterson isotherm models. For NRR reactive dye the equilibrium data were best fitted to the Sips isotherm model using PW and A-PW as biosorbents, and Redlich-Peterson isotherm model using Cr-PW and Cr-A-PW as biosorbents. For HRR reactive dye the equilibrium data were best fitted to the Sips isotherm model using PW, A-PW and Cr-A-PW and the Redlich-Peterson isotherm model for Cr-PW as biosorbent.

We developed a method for the direct identification and quantification of carbohydrates in raw vegetable extracts using (13)C NMR spectroscopy without any preliminary step of precipitation or reduction of the components. This method has been validated (accuracy, precision and response linearity) using pure compounds and artificial mixtures before being applied to authentic ethanolic extracts of pine needles, pine wood and pine cones and fir twigs. We determined that carbohydrates represented from 15% to 35% of the crude extracts in which pinitol was the principal constituent accompanied by arabinitol, mannitol, glucose and fructose.

Despite evidence that lignin associates under both aqueous and organic media, the magnitude and nature of the underlying driving forces are still a matter of discussion. The present paper addresses this issue by examining both solution properties and size exclusion behaviour of lignins isolated from five different species of softwoods, as well as from the angiosperms Eucalyptus globulus and wheat straw. This investigation has used the recently described protocol for isolating enzymatic mild acidolysis lignin (EMAL), which offers lignin samples highly representative of the overall lignin present in the wood cell wall. The molecular weight distributions of these EMALs were found to be dependent upon the wood species from which they were isolated and upon the incubation conditions used prior to size exclusion chromatography. While the chromatograms of EMALs isolated from softwoods displayed a bimodal behaviour, the elution profiles of EMAL from E. globulus and straw were nearly unimodal. A marked tendency to dissociate prevailed under incubation at room temperature for all examined species with the exception of the straw lignin preparation; furthermore, lignin solutions incubated at 4 degrees C showed an associative behaviour manifested by an increase in the weight and number average molecular weights for some species. The extent of such association/dissociation, as well as the time needed for the process to reach completion, was also found to depend upon the wood species, i.e. lignins from softwoods were found to associate/dissociate to a greater extent than lignins from E. globulus and straw. The origin of such effects within the lignin structure is also discussed.

Diamond crystal ATR FTIR spectroscopy is a rapid technique with virtually no sample preparation which requires small sample amounts and showed potential in the study of ambers. FTIR spectra of ambers present discriminating patterns and can be used to distinguish amber from immature resins as copal, to determine local or Baltic origin of archaeological ambers and to detect most of the falsifications encountered in the amber commercialisation.

Diterpene resin acids are a significant component of conifer oleoresin, which is a viscous mixture of terpenoids present constitutively or inducibly upon herbivore or pathogen attack and comprises one form of chemical resistance to such attacks. This review focuses on the recent discoveries in the chemistry, biosynthesis, molecular biology, regulation, and biology of these compounds in conifers.

Comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled to time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC x GC-TOF-MS) was applied in the identification of organic compounds in atmospheric aerosols from coniferous forest. The samples were collected at Hyytiälä, Finland, as part of the QUEST campaign, in Spring 2003. Manual and automated search procedures were compared in the identification. An automated procedure is preferable when a large number of data files need to be processed; but manual search was more accurate with the present samples, where the number of compounds was large and most of the compounds of interest were present at trace level. Altogether, about 50 compounds were identified on the basis of mass spectra and linear retention indices. The identified compounds included oxidised monoterpenes, acyclic alkanes, alkenes, ketones and aldehydes, as well as a few alcohols, acids, and aromatic compounds.

The main component presents in the epicuticular waxes of needles of Pinus halepensis and the most of conifers, the secondary alcohol nonacosan-10-ol, has been investigated by X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry. The results obtained from these physical techniques permitted to establish a definitive structural model of the molecular arrangement of this wax, basically in good agreement with the model formulated by other authors from theoretical formulations. Biological implications of the proposed structure have been also formulated.