A new sesquiterpene from South African wild ginger (Siphonochilus aethiopicus (Schweinf) B.L. Burtt).

A new eusdesmane sesquiterpenoid, characterised as 5-acetoxy-9aß-hydroxy-4aαH-3,5α, 8aß-trimethyl-4, 4a, 6, 7, 8a, 9-hexahydronaphtho-([2, 3 b]-dihydrofuran-2-one)-8-one or phaeusmane F acetate (1) has been isolated from the rhizomes of the South African variety of wild ginger (iphonochilus aethiopicus (Schweinf) B.L. Burtt). The compound was obtained after a series of column and gel filtration chromatography. Its structure was elucidated by NMR and Mass-Spectrometric analyses, including 1 D-, 2 D-NMR and HR-LCMS. This is an initial report of the compound from a Siphonochilus sp. Previously isolated similar compounds from the plant material were 4aαH-3,5α,8aß-trimethyl-4,4a,8a,9-tetrahydronaphtho[2,3b]-furan-8-one (siphonochilone) (2), 9aß-hydroxy-4aαH-3,5α,8aß-trimethyl-4,4a,8a,9-tetrahydronaphtho-([2,3b]-dihydrofuran-2-one)-8-one (3), 4aαH-3,5α,8aß-trimethyl-4,4a,8a,9-tetrahydronaphtho-([2,3b]-dihydrofuran-2-one)-8-one (4), 2-hydroxy-4aαH-3,5α,8aß-trimethyl-4,4a,8a,9-tetrahydro-naphtho[2,3b]- furan-8(5H)-one (5), 4aαH-3,5α,8aß-trimethyl-4,4a,8a-trihydronaphtho-([2,3b]-dihydrofuran-2-one)-8-one (6).[Formula: see text].

Metabolomics profiling of plasma, urine and saliva after short term training in young professional football players in Saudi Arabia.

Metabolomics profiling was carried out to observe the effect of short-term intensive physical activity on the metabolome of young Saudi professional football players. Urine, plasma and saliva were collected on 2 days pre- and post-training. An Orbitrap Exactive mass spectrometer was used to analyze the samples. A reversed-phase (RP) column was used for the analysis of non-polar plasma metabolites, and a ZIC-pHILIC column was used for the analysis of plasma, saliva and urine. mzMine was used to extract the data, and the results were modelled using Simca-P 14.1 software. There was no marked variation in the metabolite profiles between pre day 1 and 2 or between post day 1 and 2 according to principal components analysis (PCA). When orthogonal partial least squares (OPLSDA) modelling was also used, and then models could be fitted based on a total number of metabolites of 75, 16 and 32 for urine, plasma and saliva using hydrophilic interaction chromatography (HILIC) and 6 for analysis of plasma with reversed-phase (RP) chromatography respectively. The present study concludes that acylcarnitine may increase post-exercise in football players suggesting that they may burn fat rather than glucose. The levels of carnitine metabolites in plasma post-exercise could provide an important indicator of fitness.

Plasma Free Fatty Acids Metabolic Profile with LC-MS and Appetite-Related Hormones in South Asian and White European Men in Relation to Adiposity, Physical Activity and Cardiorespiratory Fitness: A Cross-Sectional Study.

South Asians have a greater cardiovascular disease (CVD) and type 2 diabetes (T2D) risk than white Europeans, but the mechanisms are poorly understood. This study examined ethnic differences in free fatty acids (FFAs) metabolic profile (assessed using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry), appetite-related hormones and traditional CVD and T2D risk markers in blood samples collected from 16 South Asian and 16 white European men and explored associations with body composition, objectively-measured physical activity and cardiorespiratory fitness. South Asians exhibited higher concentrations of five FFAs (laurate, myristate, palmitate, linolenic, linoleate; p ≤ 0.040), lower acylated ghrelin (ES = 1.00, p = 0.008) and higher leptin (ES = 1.11, p = 0.004) than white Europeans; total peptide YY was similar between groups (p = 0.381). South Asians exhibited elevated fasting insulin, C-reactive protein, interleukin-6, triacylglycerol and ratio of total cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and lower fasting HDL-C (all ES ≥ 0.74, p ≤ 0.053). Controlling for body fat percentage (assessed using air displacement plethysmography) attenuated these differences. Despite similar habitual moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (ES = 0.18, p = 0.675), V ˙ O2max was lower in South Asians (ES = 1.36, p = 0.001). Circulating FFAs in South Asians were positively correlated with body fat percentage (r2 = 0.92), body mass (r2 = 0.86) and AUC glucose (r2 = 0.89) whereas in white Europeans FFAs were negatively correlated with total step counts (r2 = 0.96). In conclusion, South Asians exhibited a different FFA profile, lower ghrelin, higher leptin, impaired CVD and T2D risk markers and lower cardiorespiratory fitness than white Europeans.