Where Is Bacosine in Commercially Available Bacopa monnieri?

Bacopa monnieri is an Ayurvedic plant with rising interest in the pharmacological effects of its extract and constituents, including flavonoids, saponins, and triterpenes such as cucurbitacins, betulinic acid, and bacosine. The latter two compounds are isomeric 3-hydroxy lupenoic acids, which vary only in the arrangement of the carboxylic acid group and the methyl group at C-27 and C-28 and the orientation of the hydroxy group at C-3. In this study, we have reinvestigated the contents of betulinic acid and bacosine, respectively, in extracts from various commercially available B. monnieri powders and food supplements. To our surprise, HPLC-ion trap time-of-flight analyses identified only betulinic acid, but not bacosine, in all extracts under study, which was verified by GC-MS, HPLC-ELSD, 1D NMR (1H,13C), and 2D NMR (1H,1H COSY, 1H,13C HMBC, 1H,13C HSQC, 1H,1H NOESY) experiments. Moreover, it turned out that commercially available reference samples of bacosine were structurally identical with betulinic acid.

Mobile patient monitoring: the MobiHealth system.

The forthcoming wide availability of high bandwidth public wireless networks will give rise to new mobile health care services. Towards this direction the MobiHealth project has developed and trialed a highly customisable vital signals' monitoring system based on a Body Area Network (BAN) and an m-health service platform utilizing next generation public wireless networks. The developed system allows the incorporation of diverse medical sensors via wireless connections, and the live transmission of the measured vital signals over public wireless networks to healthcare providers. Nine trials with different health care cases and patient groups in four different European countries have been conducted to test and verify the system, the service and the network infrastructure for its suitability and the restrictions it imposes to mobile health care applications.

Wireless body area networks for healthcare: the MobiHealth project.

The forthcoming wide availability of high bandwidth public wireless networks will give rise to new mobile health care services. Towards this direction the MobiHealth project has developed and trialed a highly customisable vital signals' monitoring system based on a Body Area Network (BAN) and an m-health service platform utilizing next generation public wireless networks. The developed system allows the incorporation of diverse medical sensors via wireless connections, and the live transmission of the measured vital signals over public wireless networks to healthcare providers. Nine trials with different health care cases and patient groups in four different European countries have been conducted to test and verify the system, the service and the network infrastructure for its suitability and the restrictions it imposes to mobile health care applications.