Dissolved organic matter quality, hydrological connectivity and microbial activity shape phosphorus buffering in river-floodplain systems.

High loads of nutrients like phosphorus (P) persistently degrade water quality in floodplain waterbodies and cause eutrophication, i.e., elevated algae production.

Nutrition Claims on Fruit Drinks Are Inconsistent Indicators of Nutritional Profile: A Content Analysis of Fruit Drinks Purchased by Households With Young Children.

Background: Fruit drinks are the most commonly consumed sugar-sweetened beverage among young children. Fruit drinks carry many nutrition-related claims on the front of package (FOP). Nutrition-related claims affect individuals' perceptions of the healthfulness of products and purchase intentions, often creating a "health halo" effect.

Advice on lifestyle changes (diet, red wine and physical activity) does not affect internal carotid and middle cerebral artery blood flow velocity in patients with carotid arteriosclerosis in a randomized controlled trial.

Background: A Mediterranean diet, with and without small daily amounts of red wine, and physical activity reduce the risk of cerebrovascular disease and improve cognition. An increase in cerebral blood flow may be the underlying mechanism. Under normal conditions, cerebral blood flow velocity changes in the internal carotid arteries and in large basal cerebral arteries correlate closely with cerebral blood flow changes, as the diameter of these vessels hardly changes and only the smaller vessels downstream change their diameter.

A daily glass of red wine and lifestyle changes do not affect arterial blood pressure and heart rate in patients with carotid arteriosclerosis after 4 and 20 weeks.

Background: Regular consumption of small amounts of red wine improves blood lipids. However, there is concern whether this beneficial effect might be counterbalanced by an increase in blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR), which are risk factors for cerebro-cardiovascular disease. In particular, we studied whether regular consumption of red wine with and without lifestyle changes (LC; healthy diet and physical activity advice) results in an increase in BP and HR.

A daily glass of red wine associated with lifestyle changes independently improves blood lipids in patients with carotid arteriosclerosis: results from a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Physical exercise and a Mediterranean diet improve serum lipid profile. The present work studied whether red wine has an effect on top of a lipid-lowering lifestyle in patients with carotid atherosclerosis.

Methods: A prospective randomised unblinded trial was performed from 2009 to 2011 in 108 patients with carotid atherosclerosis, 65% of whom were already on statin therapy with a low mean LDL of 104.

Therapeutic activity of two xanthones in a xenograft murine model of human chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Background: We previously reported that allanxanthone C and macluraxanthone, two xanthones purified from Guttiferae trees, display in vitro antiproliferative and proapoptotic activities in leukemic cells from chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and leukemia B cell lines.

Results: Here, we investigated the in vivo therapeutic effects of the two xanthones in a xenograft murine model of human CLL, developed by engrafting CD5-transfected chronic leukemia B cells into SCID mice. Treatment of the animals with five daily injections of either allanxanthone C or macluraxanthone resulted in a significant prolongation of their survival as compared to control animals injected with the solvent alone (p = 0.

Globulixanthone F, a new polyoxygenated xanthone with an isoprenoid group and two antimicrobial biflavonoids from the stem bark of Symphonia globulifera.

Bioassay-guided fractionation of the stem bark of Symphonia globulifera has yielded three known xanthones, ugaxanthone (1), mbarraxanthone (2) and gentisein (3), two biflavonoid derivatives named GB2 (4) and manniflavanone GB3 (5), and one new polyoxygenated xanthone with an isoprenoid group, named globulixanthone F (6). The structures of these compounds were elucidated by means of spectroscopic methods. The spectral data of 1 and 2 are reported here for the first time, as well as the antimicrobial activity of globulixanthone F against a range of microorganisms.

An antiplasmodial new (bis)indole alkaloid from the hard coral Tubastraea sp.

Tubastarea sp., a stony coral (Dendrophylliidae) from the Great Hanish in the Archipelago of the Hanish Islands, Yemen, contains, in addition to the known aplysinopsin (1) and 6-bromo-3'-deimino-3'-oxoaplysinopsin (2), the new bis(indole) alkaloid (3). The structures of compounds (1-3) were elucidated by interpretation of spectral data.

Xanthones from the seeds of Allanblackia monticola and their apoptotic and antiproliferative activities.

Phytochemical investigations of the seeds of ALLANBLACKIA MONTICOLA have led to the isolation and characterization of one new xanthone derivative, named allanxanthone E ( 1), together with seven known compounds, including five xanthones, 1,7-dihydroxy-3-methoxy-2-(3-methylbut-2-enyl)xanthone ( 2), alpha-mangostin ( 3) , garciniafuran ( 4) , allanxanthone C ( 5), and 1,6-dihydroxy-2,4-diprenylxanthone ( 6), and two pentacyclic triterpenes, friedelin and lupeol. The structures of these compounds were established on the basis of one- and two-dimensional NMR homo- and heteronuclear correlation evidence. Some of these compounds were evaluated for their apoptotic and antiproliferative activities against human leukemic B lymphocytes, such as the hairy cell leukemia-derived ESKOL cell line and cells from B-CLL (B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia) patients.

Antimicrobial activity of the methanolic extracts and compounds from Vismia laurentii De Wild (Guttiferae).

Methanolic extracts prepared from the leaves, twigs and the roots of Vismia laurentii De Wild as well as nine compounds isolated from these crude extracts, were tested for their antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive bacteria (six species), Gram-negative bacteria (12 species) and two Candida species using disc diffusion and well micro-dilution methods. The disc diffusion assay indicated that the crude extract was active against all the pathogens tested, whereas isolated compounds showed selective activities. The degree of sensitivity of the test organisms to purified compounds varied from 25 to 90%.

Alkaloids from the stem bark of Turraeanthus africanus (Meliaceae).

Fractionation of the methanol extract of the stem bark of Turraeanthus africanus led to the isolation of two new alkaloids designated turraeanthin A and B, together with two known alkaloids. The structures of the new alkaloids were elucidated by means of spectroscopic analysis and characterized as 10-O-demethyl-17-O-methyl isoarnottianamide and 11-demethoxyl-12-methoxyl oxynitidine respectively.

Laurentixanthones A and B, antimicrobial xanthones from Vismia laurentii.

A phytochemical investigation of the constituents of the roots of Vismia laurentii has resulted in the isolation of two xanthone derivatives named laurentixanthone A (1) (6-hydroxy-3,3-dimethyl-11-(3-methylbut-2-enyl)pyrano[2,3-c]xanthen-7(3H)-one) and laurentixanthone B (2) (1-hydroxy-5,6,7,8-tetramethoxyxanthone), along with 11 known compounds: 1,7-dihydroxyxanthone, vismiaquinone, vismiaquinone B, bivismiaquinone, 3-geranyloxy-6-methyl-1,8-dihydroxyanthraquinone, O(1)-demethyl-3',4'-deoxypsorospermin-3',4'-diol, 6-deoxyisojacareubin, 1,8-dihydroxy-6-methoxy-3-methylanthraquinone, kaempferol, friedelin and stigmasterol. The structures of compounds were established by means of spectroscopic methods. Furthermore, the compounds were screened for antimicrobial activities in vitro.

Prenylated xanthone derivatives with antiplasmodial activity from Allanblackia monticola STANER L.C.

Further study of the methanol extract of the stem bark of Allanblackia monticola STANER L.C. resulted in the isolation of a new prenylated xanthenedione, designated allanxanthone C, together with the five known xanthones, garciniafuran, tovophyllin A, rubraxanthone, norcowanin and mangostin and one saponin, stigmasterol-3-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside.

Antimicrobial and cytotoxic agents from Calophyllum inophyllum.

The study of the chemical constituents of the root bark and the nut of Calophyllum inophyllum has resulted in the isolation and characterization of a xanthone derivative, named inoxanthone, 3, together with 12 known compounds: caloxanthones A, 4 and B, 5, macluraxanthone, 6, 1,5-dihydroxyxanthone, 7, calophynic acid, 8, brasiliensic acid, 9 inophylloidic acid, 10, friedelan-3-one, 11, calaustralin, 12, calophyllolide, 13, inophyllums C, 14 and E, 15. Their structures were established on the basis of spectral evidence. Their in vitro cytotoxicity against the KB cell line and their antibacterial activity and potency against a wide range of micro organisms were evaluated.

Allanxanthone B, a polyisoprenylated xanthone from the stem bark of Allanblackia monticola Staner L.C.

In addition to five known compounds including three xanthones, tovophyllin A, rubraxanthone and garciniafuran, one pentacyclic triterpene, lupeol and one phytosterol, stigmasterol, a polyisoprenylated xanthone named allanxanthone B was isolated from the stem bark of Allanblackia monticola. The structure of the new compound was assigned as 2-geranyl-1,3,6-trihydroxy-2',2'-dimethyl[5',6':7,8]xanthone by means of spectroscopic analysis. The antimicrobial activities of some of these compounds against a range of micro-organisms are also reported.

Facile protection of phenols and hydroxypyridines: key components of natural products--a new pathway to orellanine.

The (1,3,6-trioxa-heptyl) aromatic compounds are easily prepared from various phenols and hydroxypyridines. Protection by 2-methoxyethoxymethyl chloride (MEM-Cl) was achieved by phase transfer catalysis with Aliquat 336, subsequent removal of the protecting group was completed with Amberlyst 15. The 2-bromo-3-hydroxy-pyridine 3o constitutes the appropriate starting material for the synthesis of orellanine, the most potent nephrotoxin found in some Cortinarius mushrooms species.

5,9,23-Triacontatrienoic methyl ester, an elastase inhibitor from the marine sponge Chondrilla nucula.

A polyethylenic fatty ester was isolated from the marine sponge Chondrilla nucula. The structure was elucidated through NMR spectral data and MS analysis as 5,9,23-triacontatrienoic methyl ester 1. Compound 1 is an elastase inhibitor [ID50 = 10 microg/mL (2 x 10(-5) M)].

New sphingosines from the marine sponge Grayella cyatophora.

The marine sponge Grayella cyatophora furnished several new homologous sphingosines having the same acyl substituent. Structure elucidations were achieved by spectroscopic methods and chemical transformations.

Globulixanthones C, D and E: three prenylated xanthones with antimicrobial properties from the root bark of Symphonia globulifera.

Two prenylated xanthone derivatives, named globulixanthones C and D and one bis-xanthone, designated globulixanthone E, have been isolated from the root bark of Symphonia globulifera. The structures of these compounds were elucidated by a detailed spectroscopic analysis. They have been shown to exhibit in vitro significant antimicrobial activity against a range of micro-organisms.

Globulixanthones A and B, two new cytotoxic xanthones with isoprenoid groups from the root bark of Symphonia globulifera.

Bioassay-guided fractionation of a root bark extract of Symphonia globulifera has yielded, in addition to stigmasterol, two new xanthones with isoprenoid units, named globulixanthones A (1) and B (2). The structures of these compounds have been elucidated by spectroscopic means. They possess significant cytotoxicity in vitro against the KB cell line.

Production of taxoids with biological activity by plants and callus culture from selected Taxus genotypes.

Twenty seven different yew trees belonging to various genotypes and hybrids have been screened for their capacity to produce significant amounts of taxoids provided with biological activity in the tubulin test. From the three best genotypes selected, Taxus x media "Sargentii" proved to be able to produce viable calluses from excised roots placed in vitro. Taxoid composition at various times of the in vitro culture was determined and the carcinostatic efficiency of the extracts was established using the KB cell cytotoxicity test.