Persistence of microbial communities including Pseudomonas aeruginosa in a hospital environment: a potential health hazard.

Background: The persistence of microbial communities and how they change in indoor environments is of immense interest to public health. Moreover, hospital acquired infections are significant contributors to morbidity and mortality. Evidence suggests that, in hospital environments agent transfer between surfaces causes healthcare associated infections in humans, and that surfaces are an important transmission route and may act as a reservoir for some of the pathogens.

Isolation and identification of antioxidants from Pedilanthus tithymaloides.

A bioassay-guided methodology utilizing 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), the trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC), and reducing power assays, as well as an assessment of scavenging properties against O (2) (.-) , H(2)O(2), HOCl, ROO., .

A new C9 nor-isoprenoid glucoside from Rantherium suaveolens.

The new C(9) nor-isoprenoid 3-methyl-octa-1,5-diene-7-one-3-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside, named as ranthenone glucoside (1), together with the previously known 9-hydoxylinaloyl glucoside (2), sitosterol-3beta-O-[6'-palmitoyl-beta-D-glucopyranoside] (3), scopoletin (4), fraxetin (5), and scopolin (6), were isolated from the aerial parts of Rantherium suaveolens. The structures of these compounds were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic analysis.

Antioxidant compounds from Ebenus pinnata.

Activity-guided fractionation of the methanol extract of Ebenus pinnata aerial parts led to the isolation of ombuoside (1), kaempferol 3-O-rutinoside (2), rutin (3), catechin (4), and picein (5), along with beta-sitosterol and beta-sitosterol glucoside. Compounds 1-4 showed significant antioxidant activity in the DPPH, and TEAC, reducing power assays.

Phytochemical constituents from Salsola tetrandra.

The new norisoprenoid 3beta-hydroxy-5alpha,6alpha-epoxy-beta-ionone-2alpha-O-beta-d-glucopyranoside (1) and the long-chain hydroxy fatty acids 9,12,13-trihydroxyoctadeca-10(E),15(Z)-dienoic acid (2) and 9,12,13-trihydroxyoctadeca-10(E)-dienoic acid (3) were isolated from Salsola tetrandra aerial parts, together with 3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl-beta-d-glucopyranoside (4), 9-hydroxylinaloyl glucoside (5), taxiphyllin (6), trans-N-feruloyltyramine (7), and S-(-)-trans-N-feruloyloctopamine (8). Their structures were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic analysis and chemical methods. Compounds 6 and 8 displayed mild antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, whereas compound 6 showed the highest activity in the Artemia salina bioassay.

Euphoportlandols A and B, tetracylic diterpene polyesters from Euphorbia portlandica and their anti-MDR effects in cancer cells.

Two new tetracyclic diterpene polyesters, euphoportlandols A (1) and B (2), have been isolated along with 12 known tetracyclic triterpenes from an acetone extract of Euphorbia portlandica. Their structures were established as 5alpha,11alpha,14alpha,17-tetraacetoxy-3beta-benzoyloxy-6beta,15beta-dihydroxy-9-oxoseget-8(12)-ene (1) and 5alpha,11alpha,14alpha,17-tetraacetoxy-3beta-benzoyloxy-6beta,15beta-dihydroxy-9-oxosegetane (2), respectively, by spectroscopic data interpretation. Compounds 1 and 2 were evaluated for their ability to inhibit multidrug resistance in cancer cells.

New macrocyclic lathyrane diterpenes, from Euphorbia lagascae, as inhibitors of multidrug resistance of tumour cells.

The new macrocyclic lathyrane diterpenes latilagascenes A and B ( 1 and 2), the diacetylated derivative of 2, latilagascene C ( 3), and the known diterpenes ent-16alpha,17-dihydroxyatisan-3-one ( 4) and ent-16alpha,17-dihydroxykauran-3-one ( 5), isolated from the methanol extract of Euphorbia lagascae, were examined for their effects on the reversal of multidrug resistance (MDR) on mouse lymphoma cells. Among the active lathyrane derivatives 1 - 3, compound 2 displayed the highest inhibition of rhodamine 123 efflux of human MDR1 gene transfected mouse lymphoma cells when compared to the untreated cells or the positive control verapamil. The new compounds are the first macrocyclic lathyrane diterpenes showing oxidation at C-16, whose structures were characterized by extensive spectroscopic methods, including 2D NMR experiments ( (1)H- (1)H COSY, HMQC, HMBC and NOESY).

New ceramides from Rantherium suaveolens.

A mixture of five new ceramides was isolated from the aerial parts of Rantherium suaveolens and characterized by spectroscopic and chemical methods. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic and chemical methods as (2S,3S, 4R,2'R, 14E)-2-(2'-hydroxydocosanoylamino) - 14 - octadecene -1,3,4-triol (1), (2S,3S,4R,2'R, 14E)-2-(2'-hydroxytricosanoylamino)-14-octadecene-1,3,4-triol (2), (2S,3S,4R,2'R, 14E)-2-(2'-hydroxytetracosanoylamino)- 14 - octadecene - 1,3,4 - triol (3), (2S, 3S,4R,2'R, 14E) - 2 - (2'- hydroxypentacosanoylamino) - 14 - octadecene - 1,3,4-triol (4), and (2S,3S,4R,2'R,14E)-2-(2'-hydroxyhexacosanoylamino)-14-octadecene-1,3,4-triol (5).

QSAR analysis of phenolic antioxidants using MOLMAP descriptors of local properties.

Molecular maps of atom-level properties (MOLMAPs) were developed to represent the diversity of chemical bonds existing in a molecule. Chemical reactivity, being related to the ability for bond breaking and bond making, is primarily determined by the properties of bonds available in a molecule. In order to use physicochemical properties of individual bonds for an entire molecule, and at the same time having a fixed-length molecular representation, all the bonds of a molecule are mapped into a fixed-size 2D self-organizing map (MOLMAP).

Antioxidant phenolic glycosides from Moricandia arvensis.

The new phenolic glycosides quercetin 3,4'-di-O-beta-d-glucopyranoside-7-O-alpha-l-rhamnopyranoside (moricandin) (1), beta-d-glucopyranosyl 4-O-beta-d-glucopyranosylcaffeate (2), methyl 3-O-beta-d-glucopyranosyl-5-hydroxycinnamate (3), and beta-d-glucopyranosyl 4-O-beta-d-glucopyranosylbenzoate (4), together with the previously known beta-d-glucopyranosyl 4-hydroxybenzoate (5), methyl 4-O-beta-d-glucopyranosylcaffeate (6), 1-O-caffeoyl-beta-d-glucopyranoside (7), and 2-phenylethyl-beta-d-glucopyranoside (8), were isolated from the flowers of Moricandia arvensis. Their structures were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic analysis and chemical methods. Compounds 1-8 were evaluated for antioxidant activity using DPPH, TEAC, and reducing power assays, where the caffeic acid derivative 7 and the quercetin triglycoside 2 proved to possess the most potent scavenging activity.

A new sesquiterpene-coumarin ether and a new abietane diterpene and their effects as inhibitors of P-glycoprotein.

A new sesquiterpene-coumarin ether (5'beta,9'alpha,10'alpha)-7-0-(3alpha-methoxy-8'(12')-drimen-11'-yl)-scopoletin, designated driportlandin (1) and a new abietane quinoid diterpene 16-hydroxy-abieta-8,12-diene-11,14-dione, named portlanquinol (2) together with lupeol, nepehinol, wrightial, formonetin and davidigenin were isolated and characterized from the Me2CO extract of whole dried plant of Euphorbia portlandica. The structures of the new compounds were elucidated from spectral data including 2D-NMR experiments of COSY, HMQC, HMBC and NOESY. When examined for their effects on the reversal of multidrug resistance(MDR) on mouse lymphoma cells, compound 1 proved to be more active than the positive control verapamil and compound 2 was found to be toxic.

Bioactive diterpenoids, a new jatrophane and two ent-abietanes, and other constituents from Euphorbia pubescens.

A new jatrophane diterpene, pubescenol (1), known ent-abietane lactones, helioscopinolide A (2) and B (3), and taraxerone, 24-methylenecycloartanol, and vanillin have been isolated from Euphorbia pubescens. Diterpenes 1-3 and previously described pubescene D (4) were shown to be moderate inhibitors of the growth of MCF-7, NCI-H460, and SF-268 human tumor cell lines, whereas compounds 2 and 3 also exhibited significant antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus.

Effect of cycloartanes on reversal of multidrug resistance and apoptosis induction on mouse lymphoma cells.

The ability of fifteen cycloartanes, isolated from Euphorbia species, to reverse multidrug resistance (MDR) and apoptosis induction in L5178Y mouse lymphoma cells, including its multidrug-resistant subline, was studied by flow cytometry. Reversion of MDR was investigated using a standard functional assay with rhodamine 123 as a fluorescent substrate analogue. For the evaluation of apoptosis, the cells were stained with FITC-labeled annexin V and propidium iodide.

Euphopubescenol and euphopubescene, two new jatrophane polyesters, and lathyrane-type diterpenes from Euphorbia pubescens.

The structures of euphopubescenol and euphopubescene, two new macrocyclic jatrophane diterpene polyesters, isolated from the whole dried plant of Euphorbia pubescens, were established as 5alpha,8alpha,15beta-triacetoxy-3alpha-benzoyloxy -4alpha-hydroxy -9,14-dioxo-13beta H-jatropha-6(17),11 E-diene ( 1) and 3beta,7beta,8beta,9alpha,14alpha,15beta-hexaacetoxy-2beta H-jatropha-5 E,11 E-diene ( 2) by 1D- and 2D-NMR (COSY, HMQC, HMBC and NOESY), IR, EI-MS and EI-FTICR-MS. Two known lathyrane derivatives, jolkinol A ( 3) and jolkinol A ( 4), whose (13)C-NMR spectra were assigned, were also isolated. Compounds 1 - 3 have been evaluated for their ability to inhibit the in vitro growth of three human tumour cell lines representing different tumour types, MCF-7 (breast adenocarcinoma), NCI-H460 (non-small cell lung cancer) and SF-268 (CNS cancer).

Pubescenes, jatrophane diterpenes, from Euphorbia pubescens, with multidrug resistance reversing activity on mouse lymphoma cells.

The macrocyclic jatrophane diterpene polyesters, pubescenes A - D ( 1 - 4) were isolated from the whole dried plant of Euphorbia pubescens, and evaluated for multidrug resistance (MDR) reversing activity on mouse lymphoma cells. All the compounds displayed very strong activity compared with the positive control verapamil. Pubescene D ( 4) is a new compound, whose structure was established as 3beta,9alpha,-diacetoxy-7beta-benzoyloxy-15beta-hydroxy-14-oxo-2beta H-jatropha-5 E,12 E-diene by spectroscopic methods, including (1)H- (1)H COSY, HMQC, HMBC and NOESY.

Rearranged jatrophane-type diterpenes from euphorbia species. Evaluation of their effects on the reversal of multidrug resistance.

The rearranged jatrophane-type diterpenes ( 1 - 3), isolated from the Me (2)CO extracts of Euphorbia portlandica and Euphorbia segetalis, were examined for their effects on multidrug resistance (MDR) in mouse lymphoma cells. Compounds 2 and 3 revealed to be active with the latter being more active than the positive control verapamil, a known resistance modifier. The new compound 1, named portlandicine, was isolated from Euphorbia portlandica and its structure characterised by high-field NMR spectroscopic methods including 2D NMR techniques: COSY, HMQC, HMBC and NOESY.

Three new jatrophane-type diterpenes from Euphorbia pubescens.

Three new macrocyclic jatrophane diterpene polyesters, named pubescenes A ( 1), B ( 2), and C ( 3), and the known compounds indole-3-aldehyde and scopoletin have been isolated and characterised from the whole dried plant of Euphorbia pubescens. The structures of the new compounds were established by spectroscopic means including 2D-NMR techniques such as COSY, HMQC, HMBC and NOESY experiments. Compounds 1 - 3 were evaluated for their in vitro effect on the growth of three human cancer cell lines MCF-7 (breast), NCI-H460 (lung) and SF-268 (CNS) as well as for their capacity to interfere with the proliferation of human peripheral blood lymphocytes.