Chemical Composition of Magonia pubescens Essential Oils and Gamma-Radiation Effects on Its Constituents and Cytotoxic Activity in Leukemia and Breast Cancer Model.

Magonia pubescens A. St.-Hil.

Effect of copaíba essential oil (Copaifera officinalis L.) as a natural preservative on the oxidation and shelf life of sheep burgers.

We evaluated the effects of the inclusion of copaíba (Copaifera officinalis L.) essential oil at 0.05 and 0.

Impact on cholinesterase-inhibition and in silico investigations of sesquiterpenoids from Amazonian Siparuna guianensis Aubl.

The plant popularly known as "negramina" (Siparuna guianensis Aubl.), member of the family Siparunaceae produces an essential oil that presents several biological activities reported in literature. Here, the essential oil was obtained by hydrodistillation from fresh leaves collected in the state of Roraima, far north of the Amazon.

The sensitivity of Demodex canis (Acari: Demodicidae) to the essential oil of Melaleuca alternifolia - an in vitro study.

The essential oil of the Melaleuca alternifolia (Maiden & Betche) (tea tree oil) has been effective in previous studies, in the treatment of infestation by Demodex mites in humans. The present study aimed at evaluating the in vitro acaricidal effect of this herbal medicine on Demodex canis. For the parasitological examination, samples were collected from a dog's skin and examined using optical microscopy.

Phytotoxic and antioxidant effects of dichloromethane fraction of Sprengel.

Dichloromethane (DCM) fraction and sub-fractions obtained from leaves were examined in order to determine their phytotoxic and antioxidant effects. The dichloromethane fraction was submitted to a preparative layer chromatography leading to seven sub-fractions (DCM1-DCM7). Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was performed on the dichloromethane sub-fractions.

Production of omega 3, 6, and 9 fatty acids from hydrolysis of vegetable oils and animal fat with lipase.

Hydrolysis of vegetable oils (Olive, corn, peanut, sesame, flaxseed, soy, canola, garlic, sunflower, almond, castor bean oils) and beef marrow bone oil by lipase was studied. The enzyme was capable of generating free fatty acids from all oils tested. The higher hydrolytic activity of the enzyme was towards olive (18.

Chemical composition, antioxidant and cytotoxic activities of extracts from the leaves of Smilax brasiliensis Sprengel (Smilacaceae).

The antioxidant and cytotoxic activities of petroleum ether and methanol extracts, fatty acids and methyl esters from leaves of Smilax brasiliensis were evaluated, and the composition of the extracts was determined. Palmitic, linoleic and linolenic acids were major components of the extracts. For antioxidant activity, all samples exhibited IC values lower than BHT (2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-methylphenol).

Larvicidal activity of essential oil of Peumus boldus Molina and its ascaridole-enriched fraction against Culex quinquefasciatus.

Culex quinquefasciatus (Say, 1823), known as the domestic mosquito, is a common and abundant species throughout the world, and a cosmopolitan species. The adults of this mosquito are important in terms of public and animal health since they display adaptability to different hosts. In humans, they are responsible for the transmission of various diseases.

Comparative presynaptic effects of the volatile anesthetics sevoflurane and isoflurane at the mouse neuromuscular junction.

Introduction: Sevoflurane and isoflurane are anesthetics that cause muscle relaxation and potentiate the effects of neuromuscular blocking agents. Their presynaptic mechanisms of action are not understood completely, especially at the motor nerve terminal.

Methods: We compared the presynaptic effects of these anesthetics on the exocytosis of synaptic vesicles labeled with the dye FM1-43 at the mouse neuromuscular junction.

Chemical characterization and antiherpes activity of sulfated polysaccharides from Lithothamnion muelleri.

We report herein the chemical characterization and antiherpes activity of polysaccharides from the red alga Lithothamnion muelleri (Hapalidiaceae). The polysaccharide-rich fractions B1 and B2 were obtained by extraction with Na2CO3 and were purified by size exclusion chromatography to afford Fra-B1 and Fra-B2. The polysaccharides were characterized by FT-IR and chemical analysis (total contents of carbohydrates, proteins, sulfate and uronic acid), whereas their average molecular weights were estimated by high performance gel permeation chromatography.

Improved high-performance liquid chromatographic method for GABA and glutamate determination in regions of the rodent brain.

A C18 reversed-phase column and isocratic fluorescence HPLC method for the simultaneous detection of glutamate and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is described. In this article a fast and more efficient method for the extraction of these neurotransmitters in rat brain tissue is also presented. The supernatant was derivatized with o-phthalaldehyde (OPA) and analyzed by HPLC with fluorescence detection.

Double use of microwaves in fatty acid preparation for elaidic acid determination as phenacyl ester using high-performance liquid chromatography in Brazilian fat products.

Brazilian samples of fat products like margarines, butters and chocolates were prepared to reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography analysis, using a domestic microwave oven for fat hydrolysis and derivatization with phenacyl chloride. The total reaction time was 6 min, recoveries were above 94%. Total reproducibility for whole procedure were 3.

Coffee oil as a potential feedstock for biodiesel production.

A preliminary evaluation of the feasibility of producing biodiesel using oil extracted from defective coffee beans was conducted as an alternative means of utilizing these beans instead of roasting for consumption of beverage with depreciated quality. Direct transesterifications of triglycerides from refined soybean oil (reference) and from oils extracted from healthy and defective coffee beans were performed. Type of alcohol employed and time were the reaction parameters studied.

Age-related deficit in behavioural extinction is counteracted by long-term ethanol consumption: correlation between 5-HIAA/5HT ratio in dorsal raphe nucleus and cognitive parameters.

We investigated age-related changes in learning and memory performance and behavioural extinction in the water maze; and in endogenous levels of serotonin (5-HT) and 5-hydroxyindole acetic acid (5-HIAA) in the neocortex, hippocampus, thalamus and dorsal raphe nucleus of Wistar rats. Another aim was to assess the correlation between behavioural and biochemical parameters, which were measured in rodents of two different ages: 5 months (adults) and 16 months (middle-aged). The middle-aged subjects succeeded in learning the behavioural task, albeit with significantly worse performance when compared to adult animals.

Correlation between phosphorylation level of a hippocampal 86kDa protein and extinction of a behaviour in a model of Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome.

The effects of chronic ethanol and thiamine deficiency, alone or associated, on hippocampal protein phosphorylation profiles ranging in molecular weight from 30 to 250kDa molecular weight, in stimulated (high K(+) concentration) and unstimulated (basal) conditions were investigated. These treatments significantly changed the phosphorylation level of an 86kDa phosphoprotein. Thiamine deficiency, but not chronic ethanol, induced a decrease in a behavioural extinction index, which is significantly correlated to the phosphorylation level of the p86 protein.

Thiamine deficiency decreases glutamate uptake in the prefrontal cortex and impairs spatial memory performance in a water maze test.

Using an animal model of Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, in which rats were submitted to a chronic ethanol treatment with or without a thiamine deficiency episode, the glutamate uptake in the prefrontal cortex and spatial memory aspects were studied. It was found that (i) thiamine deficiency, but not chronic ethanol consumption, induced a significant decrease of glutamate uptake; (ii) thiamine-deficient subjects showed an impaired performance in the water maze spatial memory test though these animals were able to learn the task during the acquisition. In spite of the fact that thiamine deficiency affects both glutamate uptake and spatial reference memory, there was no significant correlation between these two data.

Production of the radioactive antitumoral cisplatin.

This work presents the preparation of radiolabelled cis-dichlorodiammineplatinum (II), CDDP*, sealed in a cadmium capsule. The irradiation of CDDP covered by cadmium, employing exposure times longer than 2 h, demonstrated good chemical purity and high specific activity. This finding allowed a better detection of in vivo CDDP* and suggests that it may be a good tool for studies of long-term biodistribution of pharmaceutical formulations containing this drug.