Potential of the Desert Locust Schistocerca gregaria (Orthoptera: Acrididae) as an Unconventional Source of Dietary and Therapeutic Sterols.

Insects are increasingly being recognized not only as a source of food to feed the ever growing world population but also as potential sources of new products and therapeutic agents, among which are sterols. In this study, we sought to profile sterols and their derivatives present in the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria, focusing on those with potential importance as dietary and therapeutic components for humans. Using coupled gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), we analyzed and compared the quantities of sterols in the different sections of the gut and tissues of the locust.

A simple chemical method for synthesizing malonyl hemiesters of 21-hydroxypregnanes, potential intermediates in cardenolide biosynthesis.

A simple and versatile method for the chemical synthesis of 21-hydroxypregnane 21-O-malonyl hemiesters which may be important intermediates of cardenolide biosynthesis is described. Starting from commercial beta-methyldigitoxin, acid hydrolysis followed by 3beta-O-acetylation and ozonolysis with reductive cleavage of the ozonides afforded 3beta-acetoxy-5beta-pregnane-14beta,21-diol-20-one which was finally converted into the target compound by treatment with malonyl chloride. The malonylation protocol was optimized using deoxycorticosterone (DOC) as the pregnane educt.

Synthesis of a putative substrate for malonyl-coenzyme A: 21-hydroxypregnane 21-O-malonyltransferase and development of an HPLC method for the quantification of the enzyme reaction.

The butenolide ring is the main common characteristic of all cardenolides. Its formation is supposed to be initiated by the transfer of a malonyl moiety from malonyl-coenzyme A to an appropriate 21-hydroxypregnane. A new, reliable, fast and sensitive method to determine malonyl-coenzyme A: 21-hydroxypregnane 21-O-malonyltransferase activity had to be developed since previous attempts employing HPLC, TLC or GC did not prove successful.

Purification and characterization of malonyl-coenzyme A: 21-hydroxypregnane 21-O-malonyltransferase (Dp21MaT) from leaves of Digitalis purpurea L.

With respect to the cardenolide pathway and the characterization of enzymes involved in the formation of cardenolides, a malonyltransferase, termed malonyl-coenzyme A: 21-hydroxypregnane 21-O-malonyltransferase (Dp21MaT) has been purified. The enzyme catalyses the transfer of the malonyl moiety from malonyl-coenzyme A to 21-hydroxypregnane substrates. Malonyltransferase activity was checked in several potential starting materials including fresh leaves and cell suspension cultures from different plants.

Chemical composition and antidermatophytic properties of volatile fractions of hexanic extract from leaves of Cupressus lusitanica Mill. from Cameroon.

The chemical composition of five column fractions of hexanic leaf extract of Cupressus lusitanica were analysed by gas chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and then tested for their antidermatophytic activities using the agar dilution method. The first fraction (F(1)) has only hydrocabon monoterpenes with alpha-pinene (80.0%) as major component.