Undescribed Amaryllidaceae Alkaloids from and Their Cytotoxicity.

This phytochemical study presents the isolation of eight alkaloids from Baker. The structures of the new alkaloids, zephycitrine () and 6-oxonarcissidine (), were established by analysis of spectroscopic and spectrometric data. Processing the EtOH extract under acid-base conditions yielded the unreported isolation artifacts and .

Patients with Type 2 Diabetes, Higher Blood Pressure, and Infrequent Fundus Examinations Have a Higher Risk of Sight-Threatening Retinopathy.

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is the most common cause of preventable blindness among working-age adults. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of the regularity of fundus examinations and risk factor control in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) on the prevalence and severity of DR. One hundred and fifty-six T2DM patients were included in this cross-sectional study.

Diagnostic Accuracy of Hand-Held Fundus Camera and Artificial Intelligence in Diabetic Retinopathy Screening.

Our study aimed to assess the role of a hand-held fundus camera and artificial intelligence (AI)-based grading system in diabetic retinopathy (DR) screening and determine its diagnostic accuracy in detecting DR compared with clinical examination and a standard fundus camera. This cross-sectional instrument validation study, as a part of the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) Diabetic Retinopathy Screening Project, included 160 patients (320 eyes) with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). After the standard indirect slit-lamp fundoscopy, each patient first underwent fundus photography with a standard 45° camera VISUCAM Zeiss and then with a hand-held camera TANG (Shanghai Zhi Tang Health Technology Co.

Systolic and Diastolic Blood Pressure Are Independent Risk Factors for Diabetic Retinopathy in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes.

Background And Aims: Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a microvascular complication of diabetes and represents the leading cause of blindness in working-age adults. The aim of this study was to investigate the risk factors for DR in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) with and without diabetic nephropathy (DN).

Methods: A total of 160 patients with T2DM were included in the study.

Derivatives of Amaryllidaceae Alkaloid Ambelline as Selective Inhibitors of Hepatic Stage of Infection In Vitro.

The incidence rate of malaria and the ensuing mortality prompts the development of novel antimalarial drugs. In this work, the activity of twenty-eight Amaryllidaceae alkaloids () belonging to seven different structural types was assessed, as well as twenty semisynthetic derivatives of the β-crinane alkaloid ambelline () and eleven derivatives of the α-crinane alkaloid haemanthamine () against the hepatic stage of infection. Six of these derivatives (, , and ) were newly synthesized and structurally identified.

Natural Alkaloids as Multi-Target Compounds towards Factors Implicated in Alzheimer's Disease.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia in elderly people; currently, there is no efficient treatment. Considering the increase in life expectancy worldwide AD rates are predicted to increase enormously, and thus the search for new AD drugs is urgently needed. A great amount of experimental and clinical evidence indicated that AD is a complex disorder characterized by widespread neurodegeneration of the CNS, with major involvement of the cholinergic system, causing progressive cognitive decline and dementia.

Amaryllidaceae Alkaloids from (Lindl.) Bosse (Amaryllidaceae): Isolation, Structural Elucidation, and Biological Activity.

(Amaryllidaceae) is an herbaceous evergreen flowering plant that is endemic to South Africa and Swaziland and belongs to one of the top-10 traded medicinal plants in informal medicine markets in South Africa. The species has been reported as the most important component of a traditional healer's pallet of healing plants. Eighteen known Amaryllidaceae alkaloids (AAs) of various structural types, and one undescribed alkaloid of homolycorine-type, named clivimine B (), were isolated from .

BLOOD PRESSURE IS ASSOCIATED WITH DIABETIC RETINOPATHY IN TYPE 1 BUT NOT IN TYPE 2 DIABETES.

The aim of this study was to investigate the role of systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) in the development of diabetic retinopathy (DR) in type 1 and type 2 diabetes and to determine the differences between these two types of diabetes. This cross-sectional study included 84 patients with type 1 diabetes (T1DM) and 107 patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). Ophthalmologic retinal examination included indirect slit-lamp fundoscopy, color fundus photography according to EURODIAB (EUROpe and DIABetes) protocol and optical coherence tomography.

Alkaloids of (Papaveraceae) and Berberine Derivatives as a New Class of Antimycobacterial Agents.

Tuberculosis (TB) is a widespread infectious disease caused by . The increasing incidence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) strains has created a need for new antiTB agents with new chemical scaffolds to combat the disease. Thus, the key question is: how to search for new antiTB and where to look for them? One of the possibilities is to search among natural products (NPs).

HDL cholesterol is a protective predictor in the development and progression of retinopathy in type 1 diabetes: A 15-year follow-up study.

Aims: To evaluate the 15-year incidence of development and progression of diabetic retinopathy (DR) in type 1 diabetic patients (T1DM) and determine the associated risk factors.

Methods: 123 T1DM were included in this prospective cohort study and followed for 15 years. Demographic, clinical, laboratory parameters, and retinal photographs were collected and analyzed.

Plasma homocysteine is associated with nonproliferative retinopathy in patients with type 2 diabetes without renal disease.

Background And Aims: This study aimed to assess the role of plasma homocysteine (Hcy) in the development of nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) without chronic kidney disease.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study that included 94 T2DM. Hcy, serum 25-hydroxy (25-OH) vitamin D, vitamin B12, and folate were determined by the CMIA method.

Monoterpene indole alkaloids from Vinca minor L. (Apocynaceae): Identification of new structural scaffold for treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

One undescribed indole alkaloid together with twenty-two known compounds have been isolated from aerial parts of Vinca minor L. (Apocynaceae). The chemical structures of the isolated alkaloids were determined by a combination of MS, HRMS, 1D, and 2D NMR techniques, and by comparison with literature data.

Recent Progress on Biological Activity of Amaryllidaceae and Further Isoquinoline Alkaloids in Connection with Alzheimer's Disease.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive age-related neurodegenerative disease recognized as the most common form of dementia among elderly people. Due to the fact that the exact pathogenesis of AD still remains to be fully elucidated, the treatment is only symptomatic and available drugs are not able to modify AD progression. Considering the increase in life expectancy worldwide, AD rates are predicted to increase enormously, and thus the search for new AD drugs is urgently needed.

Hypertension and Hypercholesterolemia are Associated with Cataract Development in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes.

Introduction: Patients with diabetes have up to five times higher incidence of cataract, mainly at a younger age, and cataract in these patients progresses more rapidly than senile cataract, especially in eyes affected with sight-threatening diabetic retinopathy (DR).

Aim: This study aimed to investigate the risk factors associated with cataract development in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM).

Methods: This case-control cross-sectional study included 90 T2DM (56M/34F).

Systemic inflammation and dyslipidemia are associated with retinopathy in type 2 but not in type 1 diabetes.

The aim of this study was to investigate risk factors and role of systemic inflammation, dyslipidemia and obesity in development of diabetic retinopathy (DR) in type 1 and type 2 diabetes and determine the differences in risk factors between these two types of diabetes. Eighty-four type 1 and 107 type 2 diabetic patients were included in this cross-sectional study. Diabetes duration, body mass index (BMI) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) were assessed.

Diabetic Macular Edema: Traditional and Novel Treatment.

Diabetes is one of the leading public health problems worldwide. Diabetic macular edema (DME) is the main cause of vision loss in patients with diabetes. Ideal metabolic control of diabetes is the primary goal of treatment and the basic way of preventing and stopping the progression of DME.

[Correlation of photodynamic therapy outcome with choroidal neovascular membrane size].

Aim: To show the results of photodynamic therapy according to the size of choroidal neovascular membrane size.

Patients And Methods: A retrospective analysis included 94 patients undergoing photodynamic therapy at University Department of Ophthalmology, Sestre MilosrdniceUniversity Hospital from 2001 till 2005. There were 61 patients with age related macular degeneration (AMD) and 33 patients with high myopia.

Ocular findings in patients with chronic renal failure undergoing haemodialysis.

The aim of this paper was to evaluate the ocular findings in patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) undergoing haemodialysis (HD). In 64 patients undergoing haemodialysis (30 female and 34 male), aged 24-83 years (mean 58 years) on haemodialysis 1-213 months (mean 47 months) complete ocular examination were performed: visual acuity (VA), intraocular pressure (IOP), biomicroscopic examination and fundoscopy. On right eye sixty-nine percent of patents had VA 0.

[Flexional adduction contracture of the thumbs in distal arthrogryposis type I.].

The authors discuss diagnostic and therapeutic aspects of flexion adduction contractures of the thumb - so-called congenital clasped thumb - in patient with distal arthrogryposis type I. The diagnosis is based on classification of distal arthrogryposis elaborated by Hall et al. in 1982.

Humoral antibodies against skin allografts.

Using the collodion agglutination method the authors studied antibody formation against skin allografts in severely burned patients. They succeeded in detecting antibodies which start appearing on the third day following transplantation at the earliest. Later their titers increase reaching the maximum a few days before first signs of graft rejection.