Chemical composition and cytotoxic and antimicrobial activity of Calycotome villosa (Poiret) link leaves.

The chemical composition of the essential oil and methanol extract of Calycotome villosa (Poiret) Link leaves collected in Sardinia (Italy) has been studied by analytical and spectroscopic methods. Falcarinol and some alcohols, terpenes, furan derivatives, and paraffins have been isolated from the essential oil. Thirteen alkaloids and falcarinol have been identified in the chloroform fraction of the basic methanol extract. Six flavonoids and four anthraquinones have been isolated in the chloroform fraction after acidification of the basic methanol extract. The cytotoxic and antimicrobial activities have also been evaluated. The essential oil, the methanol extract in toto, and the fraction of the basic extract showed strong cytotoxicity, whereas the fraction of the acid extract showed lower cytotoxicity. Furthermore, this fraction showed good antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus lentus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Providencia rettgeri, and Morganella morganii. It can therefore be stated that this plant's cytotoxicity is prevalently due to falcarinol.

Antimicrobial evaluation of coumarins and flavonoids from the stems of Daphne gnidium L.

The antimicrobial activity of stems methanol extract from Daphne gnidium L. collected from Sardinia (Italy) was evaluated against 6 strains of standard and clinical isolated gram (+/-) bacteria. The antimicrobial effect on two strains of fungi was also tested. The extract in toto exhibited antibacterial activity against Bacillus lentus and Escherichia coli, but was inactive against fungi. Four coumarins (daphnetin, daphnin, acetylumbelliferone, daphnoretin) and seven flavonoids (luteolin, orientin, isoorientin, apigenin-7-O-glucoside, genkwanin, 5-O-beta-D-primeverosyl genkwanine, 2,5,7,4'-tetrahydroxyisoflavanol) present in the plant extract were also investigated against the same strains of bacteria and fungi assayed for the crude extract. The most active compounds were daphnetin, genkwanin, and 2,5,7,4'-tetrahydroxyisoflavanol.

Natural killer cell regeneration after transplantation with mafosfamide purged autologous bone marrow.

Autologous bone marrow transplantation (ABMT) is used increasingly for the treatment of acute leukemias, lymphomas and solid tumors. Since ABMT is burdened by high risk of relapse, mafosfamide or 4-hydroperoxycyclophosphamide chemical marrow purging is employed. Mafosfamide acts by exerting a potent cytotoxic effect and by promoting apoptosis of leukemic cells. A third proposed mechanism of action involves an effect on immune regeneration in vivo. It was the aim of this study to investigate natural killer (NK) cell regeneration in a group of patients undergoing mafosfamide-purged ABMT. Fifteen patients (8 acute myelogenous leukemia, AML; 4 acute lymphoblastic leukemia, ALL; 3 non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, NHL) were treated with high-dose chemotherapy followed by transplantation with marrow purged with mafosfamide. Prior to ABMT and at different intervals thereafter, NK cell number and function were studied by evaluating the percentage of circulating CD16 positive cells and cytotoxic activity against the leukemic cell line, K562. In comparison to pre-ABMT values, AML patients showed a significant increase in cytotoxic activity, expressed as percentage of chromium release (42.5 +/- 3 vs 32.5 +/- 6, P < or = 0.025 at 4 months) which still persisted at 12 months post-ABMT (54 +/- 6, P < or = 0.05). The behavior of NK functional activity was paralleled by an increase of the percentage of CD16-positive cells (8.4 +/- 2.2 vs 5 +/- 1.3, P < or = 0.05 at 4 months; 12.8 +/- 2.4, P < or = 0.005 at 12 months post-ABMT). Similar significant and long-lasting increments in NK cells were also found in NHL patients.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)