A study of electroencephalogram in meditators.

Electroencephalographic patterns were studied in 30 normal healthy individuals practicing meditation and compared with 10 normal healthy controls not practicing meditation. In this study, we found prominent alpha wave activity and increase it its voltage in meditators as compared to controls. Meditators had significantly more alpha rhythm as compared to control group. Percentage of alpha waves were higher in persons performing meditation with good coherence which suggested good homogenicity, uniformity and increased orderliness of brain.

Four acylated triterpenoid saponins from Albizia procera.

Four new oleanane-type triterpene glycosides, proceraosides A-D (1-4), were isolated from the seeds of Albizia procera. Their structures were established by extensive NMR experiments and chemical methods. Compounds 1-3 comprised acacic acid as the aglycon and a monoterpenic carboxylic acid linked to a monoterpene quinovoside as the acyl moiety at C-21. The common oligosaccharide moiety linked to C-28 in 1-3 was determined as alpha-l-arabino- furanosyl-(1-->4)-[beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->3)]-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosy l- (1-->2)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl ester. These compounds differed in the C-3-linked sugar unit or in the configuration of C-6' of the inner monoterpene moiety in the C-21-linked acyl unit. Compound 4 was established as the 16-deoxy analogue of 1.

Three acylated saponins and a related compound from Pithecellobium dulce.

Four new oleanane-type triterpene glycosides, pithedulosides H-K (1-4), were isolated from the seeds of Pithecellobium dulce. Their structures were established by extensive NMR experiments and chemical methods. Compounds 1-3 comprised acacic acid as the aglycon and either monoterpene carboxylic acid and its xyloside or monoterpene carboxylic acid as the acyl moiety at C-21. The oligosaccharide moieties linked to C-3 and C-28 were determined as alpha-L-arabinopyranosyl-(1-->2)-alpha-L-arabinopyranosyl-(1 -->6)- [beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->2)]-beta-D-glucopyranosyl and alpha-L-arabinofuranosyl-(1-->4)-[beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->3)]-alpha- rhamnopyranosyl-(1-->2)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl ester, respectively. Compound 4 was established as an echinocystic acid 3-O-glycoside having the same sugar sequences as 1-3. Also obtained in this investigation was the known compound 5, which was identified as echinocystic acid 3-O-beta-D-xylopyranosyl- (1-->2)-alpha-L-arabinopyranosyl-(1-->6)-[beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1 -->2)]- beta-D-glucopyranoside.

Saponins from three species of Mimusops.

Six saponins were isolated from the seed kernel of Mimusops elengi, M. hexandra and M. manilkara. Their structures were determined using a combination of 1H NMR, 13C NMR and mass spectroscopy. Three of them are new compounds: 3-O-(beta-D-glucuronopyranosyl) 28-O-(alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl (1-->3) beta-D-xylopyranosyl(1-->4) [alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl(1-->3)] alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl(1-->2) alpha-L-arabinopyranosyl) protobassic acid, 3-O-(beta-D-glucuronopyranosly) 28-O-(alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl(1-->3) beta-D-xylopyranosyl(1-->4) alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl(1-->2) alpha-L-arabinopyranosyl) 16-alpha-hydroxyprotobassic acid and 3-O-(beta-D-glucopyranosyl(1-->3) beta-D-glucopyranosyl) 28-O-(alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl(1-->3) beta-D-xylopyranosyl(1-->4) alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl(1-->2) alpha-L-arabinopyranosyl) protobassic acid.

The gastric antiulcer effects of the leaves of the neem tree.

The antiulcer effect of aqueous extracts of the leaves of the neem tree was investigated in rats exposed to 2-h cold-restraint stress or given ethanol orally for 1 h. Extracts were administered in doses of 10, 40, or 160 mg leaf/kg body weight, either as single- or five-dose pretreatment regimens. Neem dose-dependently reduced gastric ulcer severity in rats subjected to stress and also decreased ethanol provoked gastric mucosal damage. The extract appeared to prevent mast cell degranulation and to increase the amount of adherent gastric mucus in stressed animals. These effects may explain, at least in part, the mode of the antiulcer action of neem.

In Vitro Production of Essential Oil from Proliferating Shoots of Rosmarinus officinalis1.

The 40-day-old IN VITRO proliferating shoots of ROSMARINUS OFFICINALIS L. var. GENUINA forma ERECTUS produced an appreciable quantity of essential oil, i.e., 1.8% fw, which was similar in its constituents to that obtained from 1-year-old plants, whether naturally grown or IN VITRO-raised potted plants. However, the quantity of various constituents identified so far was generally, but marginally, less in the former case than the latter two kinds of 1-year-old plants with the exception of bornyl acetate and 1,8-cineole, the concentrations of which were higher in the proliferated shoots than the plants. The essential oil content of 1-year-old naturally grown plants was 2.4% fw, while it was 2.38% fw in the IN VITRO-raised potted plants of the same age.