Ethnobotanical, Phytochemical, and Pharmacological Aspects of Hemidesmus indicus

Hemidesmus indicus (L.) R. Br. is commonly known as Indian Sarsaparilla or Anantmula. Traditionally, it has been utilised as a vital herb for the treatment of several disorders. Indian Sarsaparilla is rich in a wide range of phytoconstituents such as pregnane glycosides, steroids, terpenoids, aromatic aldehydes, lignans, saponins, flavonoids and aliphatic acids which may further contribute to its pharmacological properties. This chapter gathers and compiles the traditional ethnobotanical and ayurvedic aspects of H. indicus and recently updated knowledge regarding the pharmacology, phytochemistry, adulteration, and current trends of this medicinally important herb in the field of modern phytomedicine. It also presents the ayurvedic pharmacology of this herb and summarizes the biomedical researches in as much as it helps glean a better understanding of H. indicus safety and effectiveness in humans, and describes the various natural products and polyherbal medicines containing H. indicus.

Effects of superheated steam processing on the physicochemical properties of sea rice bran

Sea rice bran powder is a new type of instant food additive. Currently, its solubility is low, and its flavor is not pleasant. Superheated steam cooking is a promising treatment in cellulose-rich substances, which essentially improves quality. To gain better sea rice bran powder, physicochemical properties of sea rice bran were investigated using 100 °C, 110 °C, 120 °C, and 130 °C superheated steam treatments for 10, 20, 30, and 40 min. After the treatment, these samples were cooled down, dried, and milled to assess sea rice bran powder's product qualities. Profiles of odor, taste, aroma, and aliphatic acids were determined using e-nose, e-tongue, and gas chromatography–mass spectroscopy. Results revealed that superheated steam brought new profiles of odors and tastes for consumers. Superheated steam treatment was found to decrease swelling capacity. Methane (2,2,4,6,6-pentamethyl, heptane) was seen as a significant odor component, whereas umami and bitterness were considered considerable taste components. Superheated steam treatment retained higher content of aliphatic acids: saturated fatty acids 218–204 mg/100 g and unsaturated fatty acids 830–781 mg/100 g. This study discovered that superheated steam is suitable for processing rice bran as food ingredients; 100 °C-120°C and 10-30 min could be suggested for suitable cooking sea rice bran.

Manganese-mediated reductive functionalization of activated aliphatic acids and primary amines

Alkyl carboxylic acids as well as primary amines are ubiquitous in all facets of biological science, pharmaceutical science, chemical science and materials science. By chemical conversion to redox-active esters (RAE) and Katritzky’s N-alkylpyridinium salts, respectively, alkyl carboxylic acids and primary amines serve as ideal starting materials to forge new connections. In this work, a Mn-mediated reductive decarboxylative/deaminative functionalization of activated aliphatic acids and primary amines is disclosed. A series of C-X (X = S, Se, Te, H, P) and C-C bonds are efficiently constructed under simple and mild reaction conditions. The protocol is applicable to the late-stage modification of some structurally complex natural products or drugs. Preliminary mechanistic studies suggest the involvement of radicals in the reaction pathway.

Method development and validation for the quantification of organic acids in microbial samples using anionic exchange solid-phase extraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

Organic acids play a key role in central metabolic functions of organisms, are crucial for understanding regulatory processes and are ubiquitous inside the cell. Therefore, quantification of these compounds provides a valuable approach for studying dynamics of metabolic processes, in particular when the organism faces changing environmental conditions. However, the extraction and analysis of organic acids can be challenging and validated methods available in this field are limited. In this study, we developed a method for the extraction and quantification of organic acids from microbial samples based on solid-phase extraction on a strong anionic exchange cartridge and gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric analysis. Full method validation was conducted to determine quality parameters of the new method. Recoveries for 12 of the 15 aromatic and aliphatic acids were between 100 and 111% and detection limits between 3 and 272 ng/mL. The ranges for the regression coefficients and process standard deviations for these compound classes were 0.9874–0.9994 and 0.04–0.69 μg/mL, respectively. Limitations were encountered when targeting aliphatic acids with hydroxy, oxo or enol ester functions. Finally, we demonstrated the applicability of the method on cell extracts of the bacterium Escherichia coli and the dinoflagellate Prorocentrum minimum.

STUDYING OF THE CONDITIONS OF ERYTHRITOL, MANNITOL, SORBITOL, XYLITOL, TARTARIC AND CITRIC ACIDS ESTERIFICATION BY USING HIGH ALIPHATIC CARBOXYLIC ACIDS AND ALCOHOLS

A comparative study of the esterification reactions of erythritol, mannitol, sorbitol, xylitol, citric and tartaric acids with higher aliphatic acids and alcohols without catalysts and under conditions for acid catalysis at temperatures of 150–200ºC has been carried out. Optimum temperatures and conditions for the expediency of using solvents and acid catalysts to increase the yields of esters were determined.