Farmacología de Terpenoides de Helianthus annuus L / Pharmacology of Terpenoids from Helianthus annuus L

Desde los albores de la humanidad, las plantas han sido fuente de interés porsus características nutricionales y medicinales. Por ello, se realizó un estudio farmacológicode terpenoides de Helianthus annuus L., optimizando un método deextracción, aislamiento y purificación de dichos metabolitos, para evaluar unaposible actividad farmacológica sobre modelos de inflamación. También se evaluóuna potencial actividad antiinflamatoria utilizando extractos (metanólico y acuoso)de la planta. Se aislaron tres diterpenos, dos kauranos y un traquilobano, mediantetécnicas cromatográficas, identificándose sus estructuras por RMN (1H, 13C) y evaluando su pureza por HPLC. Paralelamente se evaluó la variación estacional delácido grandiflorólico y de la mezcla de ácido kaurenoico y traquilobánico obtenida,en diferentes sumidades de la planta durante su desarrollo, con el fin de determinardónde y cuándo se produce una máxima acumulación del metabolito estudiado,para así obtener una extracción con un mayor rendimiento. Se encontrarondiferencias significativas útiles para el control de calidad de preparados a base deplantas medicinales que contengan algunos de estos metabolitos secundarios. Parael estudio de la actividad farmacológica de los terpenoides y de los extractos, setrabajó sobre dos modelos de inflamación (in vivo e in vitro). En el modelo in vivose evaluó la acción de los compuestos sobre el edema producido por aplicacióntópica de TPA en oreja de ratón, evaluando en paralelo la infiltración leucocitariaen términos de actividad mieloperoxidasa. En este modelo los ácidos kaurenoicoy traquilobánico demostraron actividad antiinflamatoria. En el modelo in vitro seutilizaron cultivos celulares de una línea de macrófagos, evaluando la actividad delos compuestos sobre la liberación de mediadores inflamatorios (NO, PGE2 y TNFa),y sobre la enzima COX, donde se observó que el ácido grandiflorólico y elextracto metanólico mostraron actividad inhibidora sobre la liberación de estosmediadores, además el ácido grandiflorólico mostró actividad inhibidora de laenzima COX. Sin embargo, no se descarta que en las actividades antiinflamatoriasde dichos compuestos estén implicados otros mediadores

Since the dawn of the humanity plants have been a source of interest becauseof their nutritional and medicinal characteristics. For that reason, a pharmacologicstudy of the terpenoids of Helianthus annuus L. was done, optimizing a method ofextraction, isolation and purification of these metabolites in order to evaluate apossible pharmacologic activity in inflammation models. Also, potentialantiinflammatory activity was evaluated using extracts (methanolic and watery) ofthe plant. Three diterpenes, two kauranes and a trachylobane were isolated, bymeans of chromatographic techniques; their structures were identified by RMN(1H, 13C) and their purity was evaluated by HPLC. Parallelly, the seasonal variationof grandiflorolic acid and kaurenoic and the trachylobanic acid mixture obtainedwas evaluated, in different above-ground parts from the plant during itsdevelopment, with the purpose of determining where and when the highestaccumulation of the studied metabolite occurs thus to obtain an extraction withthe greatest yield. Useful significant differences were found for the quality controlof preparations with medicinal plants that contain some of these secondarymetabolites. For the study of the pharmacologic activity of the terpenoids and theextracts, two models of inflammation (in vivo and in vitro) were worked on. In thein vivo model, the action of compounds was evaluated on edema produced by topical application of TPA in mouse ear, evaluating in parallel the leucocitaryinfiltration in terms of mieloperoxidase activity.In this model the kaurenoic and trachylobanic acids demonstratedantiinflammatory activity. In the in vitro model cellular cultures of a line ofmacrophages were used, the activity of compounds on the liberation ofinflammatory mediators (NO, PGE2 and TNF-a), and the COX enzyme wereevaluated, where it was observed that the grandiflorolic acid and the methanolicextract showed inhibiting activity on the liberation of these mediators. Also, thegrandiflorolic acid showed inhibiting activity on the COX enzyme. However, onedoes not rule out other mediators being implicated in the antiinflammatory activities of these said compounds

Acidos grasos esenciales en la producción actual de oleaginosas de la República Argentina: posibilidades futuras de diversificación / Essential fatty acids in the present vegetable oils production of the República Argentina: future possibiities in the diversification trends production

Se presenta un resumen de los logros alcanzados durante casi 50 años en un tema fundamental del conocimiento de las características de composición acídica de aceites vegetales de producción masiva en la república Argentina. Su desarrollo, en parte coincidente con la evolución del conocimiento analítico, ha sido de utilidad a la nutrición, normalización, legislación alimentaria, tecnología, uso y contralor de aceites vegetales y de pulpa de frutos. El progreso observado en los avances de modernas técnicas de la Biotecnología tiende a una apertura en la diversificación de la producción

Acidos grasos esenciales en la producción actual de oleaginosas de la República Argentina: posibilidades futuras de diversificación / Essential fatty acids in the present vegetable oils production of the República Argentina: future possibiities in the diversification trends production

Se presenta un resumen de los logros alcanzados durante casi 50 años en un tema fundamental del conocimiento de las características de composición acídica de aceites vegetales de producción masiva en la república Argentina. Su desarrollo, en parte coincidente con la evolución del conocimiento analítico, ha sido de utilidad a la nutrición, normalización, legislación alimentaria, tecnología, uso y contralor de aceites vegetales y de pulpa de frutos. El progreso observado en los avances de modernas técnicas de la Biotecnología tiende a una apertura en la diversificación de la producción

Metabolic changes in healthy men using fat-modified diets. I. Disposition of serum cholesterol.

The effect of typical fat-modified diets on serum lipids, lipoproteins and apolipoproteins, on the intravenous fat-tolerance test and on fecal sterol excretion were observed in a group of men living at home and compared to that of their normal diets. Two 4-week-long diet periods alternated with four periods of 6 weeks' duration during which the men followed their normal dietary habits and accustomed life-styles. According to a randomized cross-over design sunflower oil and corn oil were used as the main fat sources for the fat-modified diets. Both diets lowered total cholesterol considerably acting mainly on LDL cholesterol, without affecting plasma triglycerides significantly. Apolipoprotein A-I and A-II concentrations in serum remained constant, and clearance of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins, as measured by an intravenous fat-tolerance test (Intralipid test), was not significantly affected. While changes of all measured parameters pointed in the same direction, serum total and LDL cholesterol levels were significantly lower with corn oil than with the sunflower oil. Excretion of endogenous sterols (fecal sterol balance) was higher with the fat-modified than with the normal diet. This increase in sterol excretion closely corresponded to the extent of serum cholesterol lowering.

Physicochemical properties of oilseed proteins.

This review attempts to consolidate the information on the physicochemical properties of proteins from groundnut, soybean, sesame seed, mustard seed, rapeseed, sunflower seed, cottonseed, and other oilseeds. It deals with the extraction and characterization of the oilseed proteins and describes the methods for isolation of the various protein fractions and determination of their physicochemical characteristics. Also discussed are the subunit composition of the oligomeric proteins, their hydrodynamic properties, and the effect of denaturants on these proteins. The similarity in the properties of the proteins from various oilseed materials is discussed. The review article aims to indicate the gaps in our knowledge about the physicochemical properties of oilseed proteins and suggests areas for future investigation.

Response of Japanese quail fed seed meal from sunflowers grown on a municipal sludge-amended soil: elevation of cadmium in tissues.

Sunflowers were grown on soil amended with 224 metric tons/ha of municipal sewage sludge from Syracuse, N.Y. The yield of sunflower seeds was reduced by 47.2% by the sludge addition. The harvested seeds contained 1.71 ppm dry weight of cadmium. Deoiled seed meal was incorporated as 25 and 50% of semipurified diet and fed to male and female Japanese quail. The concentrations of cadmium were higher in kidney, liver, muscle, and eggs of birds fed the sludge-grown seed meal as compared to control quail. Tissue concentrations of cadmium increased with increasing dietary levels of sludge-grown seed meal. No significant differences (p greater than 0.05) were observed between dietary treatments in the activity of hepatic microsomal p-nitroanisole O-demethylase or aminopyrine N-demethylase in the male birds. Additionally, no mutagenic activity, either direct or with metabolic activation, was found in quail eggs. No observable changes in tissue ultrastructure were observed under electron microscopy in any of the treatment groups. There were no significant (p greater than 0.05) differences among the dietary treatment groups in feed intake, growth rate, egg production, or egg hatchability.

Preparation and application of vegetable proteins, especially proteins from sunflower seed, for human consumption. An approach.

About 80% of the world protein production are of vegetable origin. More than half the vegetable protein is fed to animals, whereas merely 10 kg protein per capita are obtained from meat, milk and eggs per year. Therefore, and because of rising prices for raw materials and energy the production and the firsthand utilisation of proteinacous plants for foodstuffs are a worldwide problem. As future source of protein for human nutrition sunflower seed and oil extraction residues from sunflower seed, respectively, are of great significance. Sunflower seed does not contain anti-nutritive and toxical compounds. After crossing of species having a high oil content, the today cultivated sunflower hybrids bring seeds containing 17-22% crude protein and 30-52% oil. The cultivation also has led to a considerable reduction of the hull content. In processing of sunflower proteins colour problems occur resulting from finely ground particles of dark hulls and from polyphenolic acids which are easily oxidized and converted into brown polymerics. Essential components of the sunflower protein production are, therefore, the at least 98% dehulling before processing as well as the separation of polyphenolic acids and/or the prevention of their oxidation. In principle, the variation and combination of technological steps in pre-treating and defatting of sunflower seed, in extracting, precipitating, washing and drying of proteins, the chemical modification of proteins obtained, the interaction with neutral salts or complexing agents, and the admixture of lysine or proteins of high lysine content allow to adapt sunflower proteins to each type of application.

Nutritional evaluation of sunflower-seed protein products.

Defatted sunflower-seed meal, sunflower-seed protein concentrate and protein isolate were fed to protein-depleted chicks. The effect of the enrichment of meal and of protein isolate with lysine, methionine, or a mixture of both on the nutritional value was investigated. Sunflower-seed protein products are primarily limited in lysine. Food consumption, weight gain and protein/efficiency ratio reveal superior performance of lysine- and methionine-enriched meal or protein isolate, as compared to the corresponding non-enriched products. Methionine enrichment does not improve the nutritional quality and even result in inferior performance. Non-enriched protein isolate supports better growth than non-enriched meal specially at later stages of chick growth.

[Method of determining and the makeup of the aliphatic hydrocarbon fractions of sunflower, cottonseed and soya oils and of oil cakes]. / Metod opredeleniia i sostav fraktsii alifaticheskikh uglevodorodov podsolnechnykh, khlopkovykh, soevykh masel i shrotov.

To determine the content and composition of aliphatic carbohydrates in vegetable oils and oil cakes a method including alkaline hydrolysis, partition and thin-lower chromatography, gas-liquid chromatography and chromate-mass-spectrometry was devised. The content of n-isoalkans, isoprenoids, monocycloparaffins, bi-and tricyclic naphthenes, steranes and terpenes, olifines, squalene and other polyenes in sunflower, cotton, soya oils and oilcakes was measured.

The sterol hydrocarbons in edible oils.

Since 1957 we have published the results of our research on the transformation of sterols in vegetable oils due the industrial treatment. During bleaching sterol hydrocarbons are formed which are partly removed due the deodorising. Hardening transforms them partly into other steroids. Thus the sterol hydrocarbons are also present in margarine. We have found that the content of those compounds amounted to a quantity of 0.023%. The apolar steroids are highly sensitive to the conditions of autoxidation. All margarines and edible oils contain not only steroid hydrocarbons but also the products of their oxidation and hydrogenation.