Publications by authors named "Jorge Z"

A study on the electrophile-induced rearrangement of two 15-hydroxygermacranolides, salonitenolide and artemisiifolin, was carried out. These compounds underwent electrophilic intramolecular cyclizations or acid-mediated rearrangements to give sesquiterpene lactones with different skeletons such as eudesmanolides, guaianolides, amorphanolides, or other germacranolides. The cyclization that gives guaianolides can be considered a biomimetic route to this type of sesquiterpene lactones.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

A methodology to build (E)-β-alkoxy- and (E)-β-aryloxyacrylate moieties from acetate and formate esters promoted by the TiCl/EtN system is presented. The reaction is compatible with a broad range of structural skeletons and elapses through an unusual condensation pathway. Taking into account the obtained results, we propose a plausible mechanism involving a bimetallic titanium intermediate for this type of transformation.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Intragastric balloon is a temporary treatment for weight loss with proven safety and efficacy when associated with lifestyle intervention. It is indicated in the super--obese who are candidates for bariatric surgery to lose weight and to reduce their high surgical risk. Our aim was to retrospectively evaluate the results of the patients in whom this device was inserted during a three-year period from the beginning of this practice in the Hospital de Santa Maria.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

A review of our latest developments in the synthesis of sesquiterpenolides isolated from plants of the Umbelliferae family is presented.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Nutritional deficiences are common in patients who have undergone bariatric surgery for morbid obesity. There are limited data on nutritional status before surgery. We now begin to realize the importance and the high frequency of that situation in the morbidly obese who have never undergone any invasive procedure.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

A phenylpropanoid 1, a slovenolide 2, and two germacranes bearing a methylthiopropenoate moiety, 3 and 4, along with twenty known metabolites have been isolated from the roots of Thapsia villosa var. villosa L. The structures of two known phenylpropanoids 5 and 6 have been corrected.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Four meroterpenoids (3a, 3b, 4 and 5), a prenylated pyran-2-one (2) along with the known compounds 7-O-geranylscopoletin (1), and thapsitranstagin (6) have been isolated from the roots of Thapsia transtagana. The presence of 1 and 2 supports the biogenetic hypothesis that transtaganolides, a group of bioactive metabolites, are meroterpenoids which come from an O-prenylated coumarin via successive pericyclic reactions.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: Thyroid diseases are an area of particular interest to this Department, constituting 30% of the 3561 patients observed over the last 5 years (when group consultations were set up and outpatient data computerised).

Objectives: To determine the prevalence and aetiologies of Hyperthyroidism (HT) in outpatient clinic and characterise diagnostic and therapy practice.

Methodology: All files of patients diagnosed with HT treated in the department over the last 5 years were reviewed.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Obesity is considered one of the most relevant health problems of modern societies, as it constitutes a predominant risk factor in the development of various other diseases. The negative impact of obesity on the quality of life of individuals has been the subject of diverse research. The results of a test carried out at Gothenburg University in Sweden suggest that severe obesity is a debilitating factor both for health and psychosocial functioning.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Nine new eudesmanolides (1-9), two new guaianolides (12 and 13), and a new germacrane (10), along with a previously reported guaianolide (11), have been isolated from the roots of Thapsia nitida var. meridionalis. Thapsia nitida var.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

[reaction: see text] The enantioselective synthesis of a 7,11-dihydroxyguaianolide bearing the stereochemistry present in thapsigargin, a potent and selective inhibitor of the Ca(2+) SERCA-ATPase pumps, is described. Starting from (+)-dihydrocarvone, the synthesis presents two key steps. The first one involves the photochemical rearrangement of a gamma,delta-unsaturated ketone eudesmane into the corresponding guaiane.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Sarcoidosis is a granulomatous disease of unknown etiology that can affect all organs and systems, including the central nervous system in approximately 5% of patients. Although the hypothalamo-hypophyseal system may be one of the areas affected by neurosarcoidosis, pseudotumoral lesions are very rare. This paper reports the case of a 42-year-old male Caucasian patient followed by the Pneumology and Dermatology services for pulmonary and cutaneous sarcoidosis.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: Over the last decades, a progressive increase in height and weight has been observed throughout Europe. Increase in weight has been more marked however, with a resulting increase in overweight and obesity prevalence. RESULTS published have analyzed the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and educational level.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Five phenylpropanoids have been isolated from the roots of Thapsia transtagana. Their structures have been elucidated by spectroscopic means.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Autoimmune thyroid disease is the most common cause of subclinical thyroid dysfunction (hypo and hyperthyroidism) in the western countries. Autoimmune thyroid diseases with clinical relevance (Graves' disease and autoimmune hypothyroidism) are common and can present with a large clinical and laboratorial spectrum. Hypo and hyperthyroidism can exist in the same patient, on different times.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

We describe the case of a 22-year old male undergoing a total thyroidectomy for euthyroid multi-nodular goitre (TSH: 1.6 microUI/ml). He was discharged treated with LT4 100 mg id.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: Slight weight losses (5%) are consensually accepted as important in the treatment of obesity today. Some authors also consider that maintaining weight is an indicator of success in the treatment of this condition.

Objective: Characterisation and assessment of changes in weight in obese patients monitored at an obesity clinic in a hospital endocrinology department.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Obesity and the associated mortality and morbidity constitute one of the major problems and challenges for Public Health systems in Western countries. The majority of published studies show a progressive increase of obesity prevalence, that assumes even an higher importance in younger groups. This study aims to assess the trends in height, weight and body mass index (BMI) in young men in Portugal, in the last ten years.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Four new C-19 compounds, called transtaganolides A-D, have been extracted from the plant Thapsia transtagana.
  • Their chemical structures were confirmed using physical techniques, particularly X-ray analysis for compounds A and B.
  • This discovery marks the first instance of a 7-methoxy-4,5-dihydro-3H-oxepin-2-one ring being identified in a natural product.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

We designed a study to assess the prevalence of type 1 diabetes mellitus among the Portuguese population. The study was based on a cohort of young Portuguese men inspected at the different recruitment Centres of the Portuguese Armed Forces in 1995 and 1999. We found a prevalence of 1.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF