A new secoiridoid glucoside from Olea europaea.

A new phenolic glucoside (1), olerikaside, and other known secoiridoid glucosides [oleuropein (2), demethyl oleuropein (3), oleoside 11-methyl ester (4), oleoside 7, 11-dimethyl ester (5), 7-ß-D-glucopyranosyl 11-methyl oleoside (6), secoxyloganin (7), ilicifolioside B (8), hydroxytyrosol (9), and hydroxytyrosol glucosides (10-12)] were isolated from unprocessed olive fruits of Olea europaea cv. "Lucca". The chemical structure of olerikaside (1) was clarified based on spectroscopy and chemical analysis data.

Hypericum perforatum extract and hyperforin inhibit the growth of neurotropic parasite Toxoplasma gondii and infection-induced inflammatory responses of glial cells in vitro.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Hypericum perforatum L. has been widely used as a natural antidepressant. However, it is unknown whether it is effective in treating infection-induced neuropsychiatric disorders. AIM OF THE STUDY: In order to evaluate the effectiveness of H. perforatum against infection with neurotropic parasite Toxoplasma gondii, which has been linked to neuropsychiatric disorders, this study investigated the anti-Toxoplasma activity using in vitro models. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Dried alcoholic extracts were prepared from three Hypericum species: H. perforatum, H. erectum, and H. ascyron. H. perforatum extract was further separated by solvent-partitioning. Hyperforin and hypericin levels in the extracts and fractions were analyzed by high resolution LC-MS. Anti-Toxoplasma activities were tested in vitro, using cell lines (Vero and Raw264), murine primary mixed glia, and primary neuron-glia. Toxoplasma proliferation and stage conversion were analyzed by qPCR. Infection-induced damages to the host cells were analyzed by Sulforhodamine B cytotoxicity assay (Vero) and immunofluorescent microscopy (neurons). Infection-induced inflammatory responses in glial cells were analysed by qPCR and immunofluorescent microscopy. RESULTS: Hyperforin was identified only in H. perforatum among the three tested species, whereas hypericin was present in H. perforatum and H. erectum. H. perforatum extract and hyperforin-enriched fraction, as well as hyperforin, exhibited significant anti-Toxoplasma property as well as inhibitory activity against infection-induced inflammatory responses in glial cells. In addition, H. perforatum-derived hyperforin-enriched fraction restored neuro-supportive environment in mixed neuron-glia culture. CONCLUSIONS: H. perforatum and its major constituent hyperforin are promising anti-Toxoplasma agents that could potentially protect neurons and glial cells against infection-induced damages. Further study is warranted to establish in vivo efficacy.

Hypericum erectum alcoholic extract inhibits Toxoplasma growth and Entamoeba encystation: an exploratory study on the anti-protozoan potential.

Hypericum erectum is an important ethnobotanical medicine in East Asian tradition. To explore the anti-parasitic potential of H. erectum, inhibitory effects on the growth of intracellular parasite Toxoplasma and on the encystation of intestinal parasite Entamoeba were examined. The constituents in H. erectum alcoholic extracts and fractions separated by solvent-partitioning were analysed by high resolution LC-MS. Toxoplasma gondii growth inhibition assay was performed using GFP-labelled T. gondii strain PTG-GFP by measuring the fluorescence intensity. Anti-Toxoplasma drug pyrimethamine was used as a positive control. T. gondii-induced immune reaction was assessed by quantitative PCR and fluorescence microscopy, using co-culture of PTG-GFP and monocyte-macrophage cell line Raw264. The inhibitory effect on the encystation of Entamoeba invadens was measured by flow-cytometry, where paromomycin was used as a positive control. H. erectum methanol (MeOH) extract (50 µg/mL) and ethyl acetate (EtOAc) fraction (50 µg/mL) inhibited the growth of T. gondii, while 50%MeOH extract and hydrophilic fractions were ineffective. Co-culture with T. gondii reduced the viability of macrophages, however macrophages were protected in the presence of H. erectum MeOH extract or EtOAc fraction (above 10 µg/mL). The MeOH extract and EtOAc fraction also effectively suppressed the encystation of E. invadens at 1 mg/mL. Hypericine, a major constituent in MeOH extract and EtOAc fraction, inhibited T. gondii growth and E. invadens encystation. Our results demonstrated that H. erectum effectively inhibited Toxoplasma growth and Entamoeba encystation. These activities are partly mediated by hypericin. In addition, it was suggested the extract and fraction may protect innate immune cells from Toxoplasma-induced damages, thereby enhancing parasite clearance. Further investigation is warranted to address the in vivo effectiveness of H. erectum as an anti-protozoal medicine.

Ferulic-Acid Esters of Oligo-glucose from A-ilium macrostemon.

Two new ferulic acid esters of oligo-glucose, 1-Ο-(E)-feruloyl-ß--D-gentiobioside (1) and 1-Ο-(E)feruloyl-{ß-D-glucopyranosy (1->6)-[ß-D-glucopyranosyl (I--2)]}-ß-D-glucopyranoside.(allimacronoid D, 2) were isolated together with 1-Ο-(E)-feruloyl-ß-D-glucopyranoside (3) and trans-ferulic acid (4) from the leaves of Allium macrostemon Bunge. The chemical structures were elucidated based on the analyses of the spectroscopic and chemical data.

Red/Far Red Light Controls Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Colonization via Jasmonic Acid and Strigolactone Signaling.

Establishment of a nitrogen-fixing symbiosis between legumes and rhizobia not only requires sufficient photosynthate, but also the sensing of the ratio of red to far red (R/FR) light. Here, we show that R/FR light sensing also positively influences the arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) symbiosis of a legume and a non-legume through jasmonic acid (JA) and strigolactone (SL) signaling. The level of AM colonization in high R/FR light-grown tomato and Lotus japonicus significantly increased compared with that determined for low R/FR light-grown plants. Transcripts for JA-related genes were also elevated under high R/FR conditions. The root exudates derived from high R/FR light-grown plants contained more (+)-5-deoxystrigol, an AM-fungal hyphal branching inducer, than those from low R/FR light-grown plants. In summary, high R/FR light changes not only the levels of JA and SL synthesis, but also the composition of plant root exudates released into the rhizosphere, in this way augmenting the AM symbiosis.

Structural relaxation of vapor-deposited molecular glasses and supercooled liquids.

Molecular glasses prepared by vapor deposition have been revealed in recent years to have properties which the glasses prepared by ordinary liquid-quenching methods do not have. Thus the vapor-deposition method of material preparation has attracted increasing attention in the context of its possible application in manufacturing functional organic devices. The remarkable nature of vapor-deposited molecular glasses is that their properties depend very much on the deposition temperature and deposition rate. This suggests that the microscopic structure formed at the sample surface in the vapor deposition plays an important role in determining the sample properties. However, little of the structure of vapor-deposited molecular glasses has been clarified yet. In this article, we summarize first the research history of vapor-deposited molecular glasses, the concepts of amorphous solid and glass, and the methods for studying molecular glasses. We then summarize the research results reported to date for molecular glasses and related supercooled liquids. We also include in this article our recent research results in this field, and mention our present view on vapor-deposited molecular glasses.

Molar volumes of ethylcyclohexane and butyronitrile glasses resulting from vapor deposition: dependence on deposition temperature and comparison to alkylbenzenes.

Molar volumes (Vm) of vapor-deposited ethylcyclohexane (ECH) and butyronitrile (BN, sometimes called butanenitrile) glasses were studied as a function of deposition temperature (Td). ECH glasses deposited at Td sufficiently below their glass-transition temperature (Tg) exhibited changes in Vm on heating similarly to alkylbenzenes. At Td close to Tg, ECH formed dense glasses as alkylbenzenes do, although these glasses were only slightly more dense than its supercooled liquid (SCL) states at the same temperatures. For BN, no indication of the formation of dense glasses was observed even at Td close to Tg, and the variations in Vm with the temperature elevation were different from those of alkylbenzenes. Analysis of the initial Vm of the deposited glasses of different compounds demonstrated that its Td-dependence was well correlated with the steepness index (m) of the corresponding SCL. Quantum-chemical calculations concerning dimer formation by the studied compounds showed that the hydrogen bond between a C-H bond in the alkyl group and π-electrons in the phenyl ring stabilizes the alkylbenzene dimers, suggesting the possibility of the dense glass formation and large m of these compounds. The small m value of BN was also discussed on the basis of the calculation results.

New phenolic compounds from Camellia sinensis L. fermented leaves.

Two new phenolic compounds (1 and 2, named as teasperol and teasperin, respectively) were isolated from fermented tea (Camellia sinensis L.) products, together with known phenolic compounds. Teasperol (1) was isolated from Chinese traditional post-fermented tea leaves (Liu-pao tea) and teasperin (2) was from a Japanese tea product which was selectively fermented with Aspergillus sp. The chemical structures of 1 and 2 were elucidated based on the analyses of their spectroscopic data.

Protective effects of fractional extracts from Panellus serotinus on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in obese, diabetic db/db mice.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is emerging as the most common liver disease in industrialised countries. Various mushrooms have been used in Eastern folk medicine for the treatment of lifestyle diseases. We previously found that the dietary intake of powdered whole Panellus serotinus (Mukitake) alleviates NAFLD in obese, diabetic db/db mice. In the present study, we investigated the influence of Mukitake fractional extracts on the development of NAFLD in db/db mice. A significant reduction in the hepatic TAG content, macrovesicular hepatocytes and activities of key enzymes for de novo synthesis of the fatty acid was observed in both the water-soluble Mukitake extract (WE) diet and the ethanol-soluble Mukitake extract (EE) diet groups compared with the control diet group of the db/db mice. The serum level of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), which is known to exacerbate insulin resistance, was significantly decreased in the WE group. On the other hand, the serum level of adiponectin, which plays a protective role against the metabolic syndrome, was significantly increased in the EE group. Additionally, differential analysis between Mukitake and Shiitake, mycelia from the same family, using liquid chromatography time-of-flight MS technology revealed that only seven and five compounds exist in WE and EE from Mukitake, respectively. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that Mukitake displays at least two different physiological actions that alleviate NAFLD: one through the reduction in inflammatory damage by its suppression in MCP-1 production and the other through an increase in level of serum adiponectin and the prevention of visceral fat accumulation.

Nonequilibrium and relaxation in deeply supercooled liquid of isopropylbenzene obtained through glass transition from vapor-deposited glass.

Change in the light interference in film samples of isopropylbenzene was studied in the supercooled liquid (SCL) state. Samples were originally formed as glass by vapor deposition on a cold substrate and the intensity of laser light reflection from them was monitored as the temperature was raised with a constant rate up to the region of the SCL state above the glass-transition temperature. Two types of periodic changes in the light intensity were observed in the SCL state. One was attributed to the interference condition change accompanying the structural relaxation from the low-density SCL to the equilibrium SCL state, and the other was due to the gradual expansion of the high-density SCL. Analysis of the latter change revealed that the initial density of the high-density glass was larger than that estimated in our previous paper.

Character of devitrification, viewed from enthalpic paths, of the vapor-deposited ethylbenzene glasses.

Enthalpic path and enthalpy-relaxation rates of ethylbenzene glasses prepared by vapor deposition at various temperatures, T(D), were examined on heating intermittently with a high-precision adiabatic calorimeter. It was confirmed that when T(D) is in the range 0.79-0.96T(g), the enthalpies elucidated at their preparation temperatures, i.e., T(D), are lower than those of the liquid-cooled glass. The fictive temperature T(f) at which the enthalpy path of each glass crosses the enthalpy curve expected for the equilibrium supercooled liquid was observed to be lowest when T(D) = 0.92T(g) = 105 K. The glasses revealed two remarkable characteristics: first, the temperature of the peak in the endothermic effect, which corresponds to the temperature T(g,dev) of the steepest devitrification, was observed to increase in correlation with the low-enthalpic nature of the glasses. Second, the devitrification manner was quite different between the glasses with T(D) < 0.92T(g) and T(D) ≥ 0.92T(g), even if the two glasses have the same T(f); the former devitrified gradually and the latter relatively sharply.

Enhancement of Structural fluctuation in the region connecting two kinds of critical points in temperature-pressure-composition three-dimensional phase diagram: Raman studies of benzene/CO2 binary systems up to supercritical region.

Pressure dependence of Raman spectra of benzene/CO2 two-component systems was systematically studied at different temperatures and compositions. We estimated the magnitude of inhomogeneous component in Raman bandwidth to get information on the structural fluctuation in the system. It was found that the inhomogeneous bandwidth attains a maximum on an isothermal plane in the temperature-pressure-composition three-dimensional phase diagram when the state point crosses the line connecting the region where the density fluctuation is large (the vicinity of the critical point of neat CO2) and the region where the concentration fluctuation in a binary system is enhanced (the vicinity of the critical solution point). By accumulating such data, we found that the points of large structural fluctuation comprise a sheet that includes the extension line of the gas-liquid equilibrium line in the phase diagram of neat CO2 and the line connecting critical solution points of the two-component system at different temperatures. Interaction between benzene and CO2 molecules in the supercritical region is briefly discussed.

Structural relaxation in amorphous 1,2-dichloroethane studied by transformation between conformation isomers.

Structural relaxation in amorphous 1,2-dichloroethane (DCE) samples prepared by vapor deposition on cold substrates were studied by Raman scattering. The gauche and trans molecules of DCE were found to coexist in amorphous states immediately after the deposition, and structural relaxation occurred with temperature elevation before crystallization. Mole fraction of the gauche isomer increased during this relaxation process, although trans is the stable isomer in gaseous and crystalline states. At the final amorphous stage immediately before crystallization, the gauche mole fraction was close to the mole fraction of the supercooled liquid state. It was also found that trans molecules located at positions with lower density were more easily transformed into the gauche conformation, while the distribution of the local structure around the resultant gauche molecules remained almost unchanged during the structural relaxation. Such behaviors of amorphous DCE are discussed from the viewpoint of the characteristic molecular structure of DCE.