Reduction in urinary organophosphate pesticide metabolites in adults after a week-long organic diet.

BACKGROUND: Conventional food production commonly uses organophosphate (OP) pesticides, which can have negative health effects, while organic food is deemed healthier because it is produced without these pesticides. Studies suggest that organic food consumption may significantly reduce OP pesticide exposure in children who have relatively higher pesticide exposure than adults due to their different diets, body weight, behaviour and less efficient metabolism. OBJECTIVES: A prospective, randomised, crossover study was conducted to determine if an organic food diet reduces organophosphate exposure in adults. METHODS: Thirteen participants were randomly allocated to consume a diet of at least 80% organic or conventional food for 7 days and then crossed over to the alternate diet. Urinary levels of six dialkylphosphate metabolites were analysed in first-morning voids collected on day 8 of each phase using GC-MS/MS with detection limits of 0.11-0.51 µg/L. RESULTS: The mean total DAP results in the organic phase were 89% lower than in the conventional phase (M=0.032 [SD=0.038] and 0.294 [SD=0.435] respectively, p=0.013). For total dimethyl DAPs there was a 96% reduction (M=0.011 [SD=0.023] and 0.252 [SD=0.403] respectively, p=0.005). Mean total diethyl DAP levels in the organic phase were half those of the conventional phase (M=0.021 [SD=0.020] and 0.042 [SD=0.038] respectively), yet the wide variability and small sample size meant the difference was not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: The consumption of an organic diet for one week significantly reduced OP pesticide exposure in adults. Larger scale studies in different populations are required to confirm these findings and investigate their clinical relevance.

Iridoid and phenylethanoid glucosides from Veronica lavaudiana.

From an extract of Veronica (sect. Hebe) lavaudiana we have identified mannitol and isolated 11 iridoid glucosides, the carbohydrate ester hebitol II, and four phenylethanoid glycoside esters. Five of the iridoid glycosides are new; of these, lavaudiosides A, B, and C (2a, 3a, and 4) are 1-mannityl esters of 8-epiloganic acid, while 7e and 7f are 6'-O-caffeoyl derivatives of catalpol. The new phenylethanoid glycoside esters, heliosides A, B, and C (8b-d), are 6'-xylosyl derivatives of aragoside. The structures of the new compounds were elucidated mainly by spectroscopic analysis, but also by chemical degradation. We also demonstrated that the structures of the known glycosides globularitol and hebitols I and II should be revised. These compounds are derivatives of mannitol and not glucitol as previously believed.

Phenylethanoid and iridoid glycosides in the New Zealand snow hebes (Veronica, Plantaginaceae).

Snow hebes are the alpine cushion-forming plants of New Zealand Veronica, formerly classified as Chionohebe. The chemical compositions of Veronica pulvinaris and Veronica thomsonii were studied and 33 water-soluble compounds were isolated. The structures of 14 previously unknown esters of phenylethanoid glycosides were elucidated by spectroscopic analyses. Further, eight known phenylethanoids, nine iridoids, 6'-feruloyl-sucrose and mannitol are also reported. It was found that the iridoid profile of the snow hebes was different from the other species of Veronica in New Zealand but similar to the alpine Northern Hemisphere representatives of the genus.

Phenylethanoids, iridoids and a spirostanol saponin from Veronica turrilliana.

From the aerial parts of Veronica turrilliana two phenylethanoid glycosides, turrilliosides A and B and a steroidal saponin, turrillianoside were isolated and their structures elucidated as beta-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)ethyl-4-O-E-caffeoyl-O-[beta-glucopyranosyl-(1-->4)-alpha-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-->6)]-beta-glucopyranoside, beta-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)ethyl-4-O-E-caffeoyl-[6-O-E-feruloyl-beta-glucopyranosyl-(1-->4)-alpha-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-->6)]-beta-glucopyranoside and (23S,25S)-12beta,23-dihydroxyspirost-5-en-3beta-yl O-alpha-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-->4)-beta-glucopyranoside, respectively. Furthermore, eight known glucosides are reported namely, catalpol, catalposide, verproside, amphicoside, isovanilloylcatalpol, aucubin, arbutin, and 6-O-E-caffeoylarbutin, the latter two for the first time in the genus Veronica. The two phenylethanoid glycosides were found to be potent DPPH radical scavengers. All of the tested compounds were inactive against the representative species of fungi and bacteria.

Iridoid glucosides in the genus Veronica (Plantaginaceae) from New Zealand.

Four simple iridoid glucosides, three known esters of catalpol, seven esters of aucubin, and two phenylethanoids were isolated from Veronica hookeri (syn. Hebe ciliolata; Plantaginaceae). Of these, none of four aromatic (p-methoxybenzoyl, isovanilloyl, veratroyl, caffeoyl) 6-O-esters of aucubin and 6″-O-benzoyl mussaenosidic acid, had been reported from nature before. Similarly, three simple iridoid glucosides, two esters of 6-O-rhamnopyranosylcatapol, and two phenylethanoid glucosides, as well as 1-O-benzoyl-3-α-glucuronosylglycerol, and 1-O-ß-benzoyl rutinoside were isolated from Veronica pinguifolia (syn. Hebe pinguifolia). The compound 3″-O-benzoyl-2″-O-caffeoyl 6-O-rhamnopyranosylcatalpol had not been reported previously. The pattern of the structural features of the iridoid glucosides is overlaid onto the latest molecular phylogenetic framework of Veronica sects. Hebe and Labiatoides, and discussed in the context of evolutionary trends.

Chemotaxonomy of Veroniceae and its allies in the Plantaginaceae.

In a chemosystematic investigation of tribe Veroniceae (Plantaginaceae), representatives of Camptoloma, Sibthorpia, Veronica subg. Pentasepalae and subg. Hebe, Veronicastrum, Wulfenia, and the related Ellisiophyllum and Globularia were examined for non-flavonoid glycosides. From the 14 species studied, 28 different iridoid glucosides and 10 caffeoyl phenylethanoid glucosides (CPGs), as well as salidroside and arbutin were isolated and characterized by NMR; of these, five compounds were previously unknown. It was found that the representatives of Veroniceae, as well as Globularia, were characterized by mannitol, aucubin, catalpol and catalpol esters. Each of the three studied species of Veronica subg. Hebe contained at least one of the 6-O-catalpol esters typical for Veronica s. str. (verminoside), supporting the inclusion of Hebe in Veronica. However, their main constituents were esters of 6-O-rhamnopyranosylcatalpol; a CPG, hebeoside (2'-beta-xylopyranosyl-verbascoside) was isolated from V. (Hebe) salicifolia. The two species of Veronicastrum also contained 6-O-rhamnopyranosylcatalpol esters, including the previously unknown 2'',3''- and 3'',4''-dicinnamoyl derivatives and, in contrast to the earlier reports, they lacked 6-O-catalpol esters. The main iridoid constituents in the three investigated species of Wulfenia were 10-O-aucubin and 10-O-catalpol esters (isoscrophularioside or globularin) while baldaccioside (10-O-cinnamoyl asystasioside E) was isolated from W. baldaccii. Globularia vulgaris contained 10-O-catalpol esters (e.g., globularin) and, in addition, asperuloside together with its benzoyl analogue named besperuloside. The representatives of Sibthorpia and Ellisiophyllum were almost completely devoid of iridoids; this, however, together with the CPGs present implied a close relationship between the two genera. Camptoloma lyperiiflorum lacked hexitols but contained esters of 6-O-rhamnopyranosylcatalpol different from those found in Veroniceae but known from Buddleja, Scrophularia and Verbascum (Scrophulariaceae s. str.).

Mitogenic effect of Carthamus lanatus extracts, fractions and constituents.

Extracts, fractions and constituents of Carthamus lanatus were tested for their mitogenic effect on bone marrow cells in mice. Most of the studied samples inhibited cell proliferation and only the flavonoid glycoside rutin caused increasing of mitotic activity.

A comparison of cell wall disruption techniques for the isolation of intracellular metabolites from Pleurotus and Lepista sp.

Different techniques were compared for their effectiveness in the disruption of the rigid cell walls of Basidiomycetes. Grinding under liquid nitrogen, stirred glass bead milling and enzymatic cell lysis were applied to the mycelia of Pleurotus sapidus and Lepista irina grown submerged. Each of the disruption procedures was evaluated by testing the quantity and quality of released intracellular metabolites: DNA, RNA, enzymes, and secondary metabolites. The most suitable method for nucleic acid isolation was grinding under liquid nitrogen, while bead mill homogenization was the superior technique for isolation of active enzymes. A new effective method is proposed for isolation of secondary metabolites with the aid of bead milling of fungal mycelia.

Determination of Sodium Fluoroacetate in Dairy Powders by Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry: Single-Laboratory Validation, First Action 2015.02.

A single-laboratory validation (SLV) study was conducted for the determination of sodium fluoroacetate in dairy powders by LC-tandem MS (LC-MS/MS). Linearity of response was confirmed by analysis of samples fortified over the concentration range 0.10-100 µg/kg. The LOD was estimated to be 0.028 µg/kg (0.028 ppb) from the SD of the measured concentrations of infant formula samples fortified at 0.10 µg/kg. The corresponding LOQ calculates at 0.085 µg/kg (0.085 ppb), which ensures excellent reliability of quantification at the limit of reporting of 1.0 µg/kg (1 ppb). Repeatability and intermediate precision were estimated from the SD of the recovery of samples fortified at 0.075, 0.10, 0.20, 0.50, 1.0, and 10.0 µg/kg. The previously mentioned method performance values were established using a representative stage 2 (6-12 months) bovine infant formula, and the robustness of the method was tested by the analysis of 107 unique dairy powders and formulations fortified at 1.0 µg/kg. The data collected in this study satisfy the requirements of SLV studies established by the AOAC Stakeholder Panel on Infant Formula and Adult Nutritionals (SPIFAN), and the method was awarded First Action Official Method(SM) status by the AOAC Expert Review Panel on SPIFAN Nutrient Methods (Contaminants) on March 17, 2015.

Chemotaxonomic markers in Digitalideae (Plantaginaceae).

In a chemosystematic investigation of Digitalideae (Plantaginaceae), the water-soluble part of extracts of two species of Digitalis, two species of Isoplexis, as well as Erinus alpinus and Lafuentea rotundifolia were studied with regard to their content of main carbohydrates, iridoids and caffeoyl phenylethanoid glycosides (CPGs). Digitalis and Isoplexis contained sorbitol, cornoside and a number of other phenylethanoid glycosides including the new tyrosol beta-D-mannopyranoside, sceptroside but were found to lack iridoid glucosides. Erinus contained mainly glucose, the new 8,9-double bond iridoid, erinoside, and a number of known iridoid glucosides including two esters of 6-rhamnopyranosylcatalpol, as well as the CPG poliumoside. Finally, Lafuentea was characterized by the presence of glucose, aucubin and cryptamygin B but apparently lacked CPGs. The chemosystematic significance of the isolated compounds is discussed.

Benzoxazinoids and iridoid glucosides from four Lamium species.

A new class of compounds for the plant family Lamiaceae, benzoxazinoids, was found in Lamium galeobdolon. From the aerial parts of the species were isolated the new 2-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-6-hydroxy-2H-1,4-benzoxazin-3(4H)-one (6-hydroxy blepharin) together with four known benzoxazinoids, DHBOA-Glc, blepharin, DIBOA, DIBOA-Glc, as well as harpagide, 8-O-acetyl-harpagide and salidroside. Eight known iridoid glucosides, 24-epi-pterosterone and verbascoside were isolated from Lamium amplexicaule, L. purpureum and L. garganicum. The iridoids, 5-deoxylamiol and sesamoside, as well as the phytoecdysone, 24-epi-pterosterone, were found for the first time for the genus Lamium. The phytochemical data are discussed from a systematic and evolutionary point of view.

Antimicrobial activity and cytotoxicity of Carthamus lanatus.

Total dichloromethane, methanol and water extracts, their fractions as well as volatiles of Carthamus lanatus aerial parts were phytochemically screened and evaluated for antibacterial, antifungal and cytotoxic activity. The H(2)O/MeOH fraction of the CH(2)Cl(2) extract exhibited noticeable antibacterial activity. The same fraction and the volatiles showed significant cytotoxic activity.

Bioactive phenolics from Carthamus lanatus L.

Two flavonoid aglycons, eight flavonoid glycosides, chlorogenic acid and syringin were isolated from aerial parts of Carthamus lanatus. Isorhamnetin 3-O-beta-D-glucoside and chlorogenic acid were found for the first time in the genus Carthamus and respectively, quercimeritrin, astragalin, kaempferol 3-O-beta-D-sophoroside and syringin in the species. The ethyl acetate fraction of the methanol extract exhibited a higher antioxidant activity than the butanol fraction measured by the alpha,alpha-diphenyl-beta-picrazylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging assay. Cytotoxicity and antioxidant activities of the main constituent, luteolin 7-O-beta-D-glucoside, were evaluated.

Iridoid patterns of genus Plantago L. and their systematic significance.

The distribution of 14 iridoid glucosides in 14 Plantago L. species (44 samples corresponding to 18 taxa) was shown. P. tenuiflora and P. gentianoides were studied for iridoids for the first time. The iridoid patterns showed a good correlation with morphological and other chemical features of the representatives of genus Plantago. The studied species are grouped together according to the iridoid patterns: species containing mainly aucubin (P. major, P. cornuti, P. gentianoides); species containing aucubin and aucubin derivatives (P. subulata, P. media); species containing aucubin and catalpol (P. lanceolata, P. altissima, P. argentea, P. lagopus, P. atrata); species containing aucubin and plantarenaloside (P. afra, P. scabra).

Clastogenic effect of Carthamus lanatus L. (Asteraceae).

The clastogenic effect of total dichloromethane, methanol and water extracts, four bioactive fractions and three individual constituents from Carthamus lanatus aerial parts were evaluated in mice by bone marrow chromosome aberration assay with mitomycin C as positive control. Significant differences in the percentage of aberrant mitosis of the extracts were observed. The dichloromethane extract exhibited a considerable clastogenic effect and the water extract a negligible one. Different types of chromosome aberrations and time-dependant effects for the active fractions and individual compounds were found.

Oxygenated bisabolane fucosides from Carthamus lanatus L.

The aerial parts of Carthamus lanatus (Asteraceae) afforded four new oxygenated bisabolane fucosides, 10-hydroperoxy-bisabola-2,11-diene 7-O-beta-D-fucopyranoside, 11-hydro-peroxy-bisabola-2,9-diene 7-O-beta-D-fucopyranoside, 10-hydroxy-bisabola-2,11-diene 7-O-beta-D-fucopyranoside and 11-hydroxy-bisabola-2,9-diene 7-O-beta-D-fucopyranoside together with the known compounds a-bisabolol beta-D-fucopyranoside, asperuloside, sitosterol 3-O-beta-D-glucoside and stigmasterol 3-O-beta-D-glucoside. Asperuloside appears to be the second representative of the iridoid monoterpene group found in the plant family Asteraceae, which until recently was considered to lack iridoids. The main constituent a-bisabolol fucoside exhibited noticeable antibacterial and cytotoxic activities.

In vitro anti-inflammatory effect of Carthamus lanatus L.

The anti-inflammatory activity of four total extracts, their fractions and two main constituents (alpha-bisabolol beta-D-fucopyranoside and luteolin 7-O-glucoside) of Carthamus lanatus L. aerial parts, were assessed in vitro by determining the inhibitory effects on induced human neutrophils. The dichloromethane extract and its water-alcoholic part exhibited the most significant inhibitory effects.

GC/MS analysis of some bioactive constituents from Carthamus lanatus L.

Sterols, triterpenes, volatiles, polar and other constituents in aerial parts of Carthamus lanatus were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Over 90 compounds were identified most of them new for the species. Sitosterol and stigmasterol were the most abundant of 10 sterols identified in the sterol fraction. Taraxasterol, alpha- and beta-amyrine prevailed in the triterpene fraction. Volatiles, sterols and a fraction of the dichloromethane extract showed strong cytotoxicity (Artemia salina assay).

Iridoid and phenylethanoid glycosides in the New Zealand sun hebes (Veronica; Plantaginaceae).

The sun hebes are a small clade of New Zealand Veronica formerly classified as Heliohebe. The water-soluble compounds of Veronica pentasepala, Veronica raoulii and Veronica hulkeana were studied and 30 compounds including 15 iridoid glucosides, 12 phenylethanoid glycosides, the acetophenone glucoside pungenin, the mannitol ester hebitol II and mannitol were isolated. Of these, five were previously unknown in the literature: dihydroverminoside and 3,3',4,4'-tetrahydroxy-α-truxillic acid 6-O-catalpyl diester, named heliosepaloside, as well as three phenylethanoid glycoside esters heliosides D, E and F, all derivatives of aragoside. The esters of cinnamic acid derivatives with iridoid and phenylethanoid glycosides and an unusually high concentration of verminoside were found to be the most distinctive chemotaxonomic characters of the sun hebes. The chemical profiles of the species were compared and used to assess the phylogenetic relationships in the group.