Lyophilized extracts from vegetable flours as valuable alternatives to purified oxygenases for the synthesis of oxylipins.

In this work, the whole aqueous extracts of soybean flour and oat flour have been used as valuable alternatives to purified oxygenase enzymes for the preparation of oxylipins derived from (5Z,8Z,11Z,14Z,17Z)-eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). The lipoxygenase activity in the aqueous extracts of soybean (Glycine max. L.) flour was monitored with linoleic acid as substrate and compared with the commercially available purified enzyme (LOX-1). Oat flour extracts (Avena sativa L.) were evaluated for their peroxygenase activity by comparing different enzyme preparations in the epoxidation of methyl oleate. It was found that lyophilization of the aqueous extracts from these vegetable flours offers advantages in terms of enzyme stability, reproducibility and applicability to preparative organic synthesis. The lyophilized enzyme preparations were tested for the oxyfunctionalization of EPA and the formed products were isolated in satisfactory yields. In the presence of lyophilized extract from soybean, EPA gave 15S-hydroxy-(5Z,8Z,11Z,13E,17Z)-eicosapentaenoic acid in enantiopure form as exclusive product. Peroxygenase from oat flour was less selective and catalyzed the formation of different epoxides of EPA. However, the biocatalyzed epoxidation of EPA under controlled conditions allowed to obtain optically active (17R,18S)-epoxy-(5Z,8Z,11Z,14Z)-eicosatetraenoic acid (65% ee) as the main monoepoxide, among the five possible ones.

Nutrition rehabilitation of undernourished children utilizing Spiruline and Misola.

BACKGROUND: Malnutrition constitutes a public health problem throughout the world and particularly in developing countries. AIMS: The objective of the study is to assess the impact of an elementary integrator composed of Spiruline (Spirulina platensis) and Misola (millet, soja, peanut) produced at the Centre Medical St Camille (CMSC) of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, on the nutritional status of undernourished children. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 550 undernourished children of less than 5 years old were enrolled in this study, 455 showed severe marasma, 57 marasma of medium severity and 38 kwashiorkor plus marasma. We divided the children randomly into four groups: 170 were given Misola (731 +/- 7 kcal/day), 170 were given Spiruline plus traditional meals (748 +/- 6 kcal/day), 170 were given Spiruline plus Misola (767 +/- 5 kcal/day). Forty children received only traditional meals (722 +/- 8 kcal/day) and functioned as the control group. The duration of this study was eight weeks. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Anthropometrics and haematological parameters allowed us to appreciate both the nutritional and biological evolution of these children. The rehabilitation with Spiruline plus Misola (this association gave an energy intake of 767 +/- 5 kcal/day with a protein assumption of 33.3 +/- 1.2 g a day), both greater than Misola or Spiruline alone, seems to correct weight loss more quickly. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that Misola, Spiruline plus traditional meals or Spiruline plus Misola are all a good food supplement for undernourished children, but the rehabilitation by Spiruline plus Misola seems synergically favour the nutrition rehabilitation better than the simple addition of protein and energy intake.

Nutrition rehabilitation of HIV-infected and HIV-negative undernourished children utilizing spirulina.

The objective of this study was to assess the impact of an alimentary integrator composed of spirulina (Spirulina platensis; SP), produced at the Centre Médical St Camille of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, on the nutritional status of undernourished HIV-infected and HIV-negative children. We compared two groups of children: 84 were HIV-infected and 86 were HIV-negative. The duration of the study was 8 weeks. Anthropometric and haematological parameters allowed us to appreciate both the nutritional and biological effect of SP supplement to traditional meals. Rehabilitation with SP shows on average a weight gain of 15 and 25 g/day in HIV-infected and HIV-negative children, respectively. The level of anaemia decreased during the study in all children, but recuperation was less efficient among HIV-infected children. In fact 81.8% of HIV-negative undernourished children recuperated as opposed to 63.6% of HIV-infected children (Z: 1.70 (95% CI -0.366, -0.002, p = 0.088)). Our results confirm that SP is a good food supplement for undernourished children. In particular, rehabilitation with SP also seems to correct anaemia and weight loss in HIV-infected children, and even more quickly in HIV-negative undernourished children.

Dihydrostilbene derivatives from Glycyrrhiza glabra leaves.

Four new dihydrostilbenes, alpha,alpha'-dihydro-3,5-dihydroxy-4'-acetoxy-5'-isopentenylstilbene (1), alpha,alpha'-dihydro-3,3',4'-trihydroxy-5-O-isopentenyl-6-isopentenylstilbene (2), alpha,alpha'-dihydro-3,5,3'-trihydroxy-4'-methoxystilbene (3), and alpha,alpha'-dihydro-3,3'-dihydroxy-5beta-d-O-glucopyranosyloxy-4'-methoxystilbene (4), together with seven known flavonoids, glabranin isomer, naringenin, lupiwighteone, pinocembrin 7-O-glucoside, astragalin, isoquercitrin, vicenin II, and the inositol, pinitol, were isolated from the leaves of Glycyrrhiza glabra grown in Sicily. The structures of 1-4 were elucidated by spectroscopic methods.

New dihydrostilbene derivatives from the leaves of Glycyrrhiza glabra and evaluation of their antioxidant activity.

Five new prenylated dihydrostilbenes, alpha,alpha'-dihydro-3,5,4'-trihydroxy-4,5'-diisopentenylstilbene (1), alpha,alpha'-dihydro-3,5,3',4'-tetrahydroxy-4,5'-diisopentenylstilbene (2), alpha,alpha'-dihydro-3,5,4'-trihydroxy-5'-isopentenylstilbene (3), alpha,alpha'-dihydro-3,5,3'-trihydroxy-4'-methoxy-5'-isopentenylstilbene (4), and alpha,alpha'-dihydro-3,5,3',4'-tetrahydroxy-5'-isopentenyl stilbene (5), along with four known flavonoids, glabranin (6), pinocembrin, (7), licoflavone (8), and wighteone (9), were isolated from a lipid extract of the leaves of Sicilian Glycyrrhiza glabra. The structures of the compounds were elucidated by spectroscopic methods. The antioxidant activities of the crude extracts and the isolated compounds were tested.