Assessment of chemical, biological and immunological properties of "Damiana de California" Turnera diffusa Willd extracts in Longfin yellowtail (Seriola rivoliana) leukocytes.

In Mexican herbal medicines or natural remedies, Turnera diffusa (Turneraceae) known as "Damiana de California", has ethnopharmacological relevance, including aphrodisiac, diuretic, and antimicrobial activities. To explore the immunological effect of infusion and methanolic extracts from Damiana de California, this study investigated its chemical, biological, antimicrobial and immunological properties in Longfin yellowtail Seriola rivoliana leukocytes. The analysis of chemical compounds revealed a considerable level of total phenolic and flavonoid contents in the infusion compared with methanolic extract. Furthermore, the antioxidant activity showed high hydroxyl radical scavenging activity in infusion extract compared with BHT positive control. Superoxide radical scavenging activity and ion chelation were higher in methanolic extract followed by infusion treatment. Interestingly, notable antimicrobial activity was observed in both extracts of T. diffusa against Vibrio parahaemolyticus. An in vitro study was performed using leukocytes of S. rivoliana treated with infusion or methanolic extracts at 12.5, 25 and 50 µg/mL for 24 h. Remarkably, infusion extract induced proliferation at any concentration but not the methanolic extract, which was diminished in a dose-dependent fashion. The immunostimulation study demonstrated that the phagocytosis activity increased in those leukocytes stimulated with methanolic extract but diminished the respiratory burst activity, in contrast to the activity observed in those leukocytes stimulated with infusion treatment. Finally, leukocytes incubated with the extracts and confronted with V.parahaemolyticus up-regulated the transcription of proinflammatory cytokine IL-1ß gene in a dose response relationship. These findings suggest that the infusion treatment has potential therapeutic properties, promoting the antioxidant capacity and enhancing immune parameters in Longfin yellowtail S. rivoliana.

Synthesis of Polyheterocyclic Pyrrolo[3,4-b]pyridin-5-ones via a One-Pot (Ugi-3CR/aza Diels-Alder/N-acylation/aromatization/SN2) Process. A Suitable Alternative towards Novel Aza-Analogues of Falipamil.

We describe the one-pot synthesis of twenty polyheterocyclic pyrrolo[3,4-b]pyridin-5-ones via a cascade process (Ugi-3CR/aza Diels-Alder/N-acylation/aromatization) in 20 to 95% overall yields, as well as four pharmacologically promising analogues via an improved cascade process (Ugi-3CR/aza Diels-Alder/N-acylation/aromatization/SN2): two piperazine-linked pyrrolo[3,4-b]pyridin-5-ones in 33 and 34%, and a couple of Falipamil aza-analogues in 30 and 35% overall yields. It is worth highlighting the good substrate scope found, because final products are furnished with alkyl, aryl, and heterocyclic substituents. The use of chain-ring tautomerizable isocyanides (as key reagents for the Ugi-type three component reaction) allowed for a rapid and efficient assembly of the polysubstituted oxindoles, which were used in situ toward the complex products, conferring features like robustness, sustainability, and the one-pot approach to this synthetic methodology.

The use of index teeth vs. full mouth in erosive tooth wear to assess risk factors in the diet: A cross-sectional epidemiological study.

OBJECTIVE: To assess common dietary erosive-tooth-wear (ETW) risk in university students from an exotic-fruit country comparing index teeth vs. full mouth ETW assessment. METHODS: A risk factors' questionnaire was applied on 601 18-25 years old subjects in Bogotá-Colombia. Trained examiners assessed clinically: ETW (BEWE) on all buccal, occlusal and lingual surfaces and ICDAS caries experience (ICDAS-DMFS). Full-arch and index-teeth (buccal of upper-central incisors and occlusal of lower-first molars) maximum-BEWE score categorized patients into: with- (2-3) and without wear (0-1). These were compared in terms of demographic, clinical, dietary and other factors with crude and logistic regression models. RESULTS: Students' mean age was 20.0 ±â€¯1.9 (77.7% females). Most consumed fruits were erosive/extremely erosive (57%). Prevalence of wear was 73% (full-mouth) vs. 19.6% (index-teeth). Full-mouth-BEWE correlated significantly with teeth-index-BEWE score but low (0.31, p < 0.001). Besides anterior-teeth incisal surfaces, occlusal of lower molars (16%) and buccal of upper central incisors (3.3%) showed highest wear frequency. Straw use or 1 -h waiting for toothbrushing didn't show a protective effect. ETW was significantly associated on index teeth with frequent intakes of dietary acids (≥3 daily-acidic drinks and ≥4 daily-fruit portions) (single-variable-logistic regression: OR 4.41, p = 0.22 and OR 1.60, p = 0.035; multivariable-logistic regression: OR 4.47, p = 0.022 and OR 1.63, p = 0.036 respectively). No significant differences were noticed between groups when the full-mouth maximum score was used. CONCLUSION: This young cohort showed dietary ETW associated with frequent dietary acids' intakes and grading ETW on index teeth vs. full mouth was a more sensitive measurement method to assess underlying ETW risk factors. The teeth index has promising usefulness for the clinic and epidemiology. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Using index teeth (buccal of upper central incisors and occlusal of lower first molars) for ETW (BEWE) assessment allowed to show association in young adults between frequent daily exotic fruits/fruit juices dietary-acid consumption and ETW, representing a less time consuming clinical/epidemiological method of ETW measurement than a full mouth examination.