Phenanthrene-Enriched Extract from Eulophia Macrobulbon Using Subcritical Dimethyl Ether for Phosphodiesterase-5A1 Inhibition

Eulophia macrobulbon (E.C.Parish & Rchb.f.) Hook.f. contains a natural PDE5A1 inhibitor, the phenanthrene, 1-(4'-hydroxybenzyl)-4,8- dimethoxyphenanthrene-2,7-diol (HDP) a potential treatment for erectile dysfunction. This investigation aimed to improve extraction efficiency of HDP from E. macrobulbon by using greener extraction methodology, subcritical fluid dimethyl ether extraction (sDME) rather than classical solvent extraction (CSE) and ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE). The efficiency and quality of obtained extracts were evaluated by: %process yield; solvent amount; extraction period; temperature; %HDP content by LC-MS assay, bioactivity as inhibition of phosphodiesterase-5A1 (PDE5A1) by radio-enzymatic assay; and chemical profiles by LC-QTOF-MS analysis. sDME yielded the highest content of HDP in the extract at 4.47%, much higher than using ethanol (0.4-0.5%), ethyl acetate (1.2-1.7%), or dichloromethane (0.7-1.4%). Process yield for sDME (1.5-2.7%) was similar or less than that observed with other solvents (0.9-17%), but providing that process yield is not prohibitively low, concentration is a more important metric for clinical application. Optimal sDME extraction conditions were: extraction period, 40 mins; 200% water as a cosolvent; sample-to-solvent ratio of 1:8; temperature, 35°C. Phenanthrene aglycone and glycoside derivatives were major constituents in sDME extracts and lesser amounts of phenolic compounds and sugars. Inhibition of PDE5A1 by sDME (IC50 0.67±0.22 µg/mL) was 10-fold more potent than the ethanolic extract and other extraction methods, suggesting a high likelihood of clinical efficacy. Thus, sDME was more efficient, faster, solvent-sparing, greener extraction methodology and more selective for phenanthrene when extracted from E. macrobulbon.

Assessment and Distribution of Damages Caused by the Trunk-Boring Insects Coraebus undatus (Fabricius) (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) and Reticulitermes grassei Clément (Blattodea: Rhinotermitidae) in Mediterranean Restored Cork-Oak Forests

This work assesses damage caused by Coraebus undatus (Fabricius) (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) and Reticulitermes grassei Clément (Blattodea: Rhinotermitidae) in managed cork oak forests from the southern Iberian Peninsula. Lesions were diagnosed and quantified in relation to the following features: height and orientation in the trunk, diameter at breast height, solar exposure, understory presence and orography. The distribution patterns of lesions in the study area across 12 plots and in the trunk of the trees were also analyzed. The study was performed in “Sa de Hornachuelos” Natural Park (Córdoba, Spain) and the research area encompassed 12 environmentally-restored sampling plots. Data were recorded from 2007 to 2014, with yearly sampling from late June to mid-September, corresponding to the cork extraction period, since lesions caused by these insects are well distinguishable promptly after bark removal. The results reveal that C. undatus has low population levels and a non-uniform distribution pattern in the study area as well as in the trunk of the tree. It shows preference for medium height but not by any trunk orientation. R. grassei also shows low infestation levels and a preference to affect the trunk’s base. Comparatively, C. undatus showed higher infestation levels than R. grassei. The location of damage was also different, since galleries made by C. undatus predominated at intermediate trunk heights while those of R. grassei were more frequent at lower heights. Our results further showed a low co-occurrence of both species in the same tree trunks, which could be explained in terms of overlapping in the distribution areas of both species. These results provide background information that will enable natural resources managers to detect changes and trends of these species and inform future management decisions.

The influence of extraction period on the characteristics of acid soluble collagen from sea catfish (Arius thalassinus) swim bladder

The sea catfish in Indonesia is commonly processed into smoked fish and salted fish. The processing of these two products leaves a by-product, namely a swim bladder of 2%. The study investigated the influence of extraction period on the characteristics of collagen from sea catfish (Arius thalassinus) swim bladder. Collagen was extracted from the swim bladder using 0.5 M citric acid with different extraction periods (8, 12, and 16 h). The extraction period of 12 h produced the highest yield of collagen, namely 40.33%. The results showed that the longer extraction, the more amino acids could be extracted from the swim bladder. Glycine was an amino acid that dominates collagen in the amount of 138544.9 to 175420.0 mg/kg. The electrophoresis pattern of protein fraction indicated that the collagen were of type I because it consists of α1 and α2 chains with a molecular weight of approximately 100 to 150 kDa and β chain of 250 kDa. Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectra of collagen showed the regions of amide A, B, I, II, and III. However, based on the results of the Differential Scanning Colorimetry (DSC), collagen extracted for 16 h had lower thermal stability than the extraction period of 8 and 12 h. Based on these data, sea catfish swim bladder can be used as an alternative raw material for collagen production because it has a higher thermal stability than mammalian collagen, also can be used in the food, pharmaceutical, and nutraceutical industries.

Effect Analysis of Removing Lead and Arsenic from contaminated soil by Selected Eluents

In order to reduceof the amount of lead and arsenic in contaminated soil, CA(citric acid), PA(polyepoxysuccinic acid), MA(malic acid) and EDTA were used to remove as chemical extractor. The experiments showed that the extraction ability of lead was EDTA>CA>MA>PA, and of arsenic was MA>CA>PA=EDTA. The eluents concentration, reaction period and liquid/solid ratio were the key factor of extraction effect. It was evident that the optimal condition was 0.1 mol/L eluent and 2h of extraction period.

A comprehensive comparison of four methods for extracting lipids from Arabidopsis tissues

Background The plant lipidome is highly complex, and the composition of lipids in different tissues as well as their specific functions in plant development, growth and stress responses have yet to be fully elucidated. To do this, efficient lipid extraction protocols which deliver target compounds in solution at concentrations adequate for subsequent detection, quantitation and analysis through spectroscopic methods are required. To date, numerous methods are used to extract lipids from plant tissues. However, a comprehensive analysis of the efficiency and reproducibility of these methods to extract multiple lipid classes from diverse tissues of a plant has not been undertaken. Results In this study, we report the comparison of four different lipid extraction procedures in order to determine the most effective lipid extraction protocol to extract lipids from different tissues of the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. Conclusion While particular methods were best suited to extract different lipid classes from diverse Arabidopsis tissues, overall a single-step extraction method with a 24 h extraction period, which uses a mixture of chloroform, isopropanol, methanol and water, was the most efficient, reproducible and the least labor-intensive to extract a broad range of lipids for untargeted lipidomic analysis of Arabidopsis tissues. This method extracted a broad range of lipids from leaves, stems, siliques, roots, seeds, seedlings and flowers of Arabidopsis. In addition, appropriate methods for targeted lipid analysis of specific lipids from particular Arabidopsis tissues were also identified.

“Evacuate everyone south of that line” Analyzing structural communication patterns during natural disasters

In this paper, we analyze more than 16 million tweets that have been sent from 6.1 million Twitter accounts and are related to nine natural disasters. As part of our analysis, we identify eight basic emotions conveyed in these tweets. We found that during natural disasters, social media messages at first predominantly express fear, while sadness and positive emotions increase in the immediate aftermath of the event. In this context, positive emotions contribute to the social phenomenon of emotional bonding and are often related to compassion, gratitude, as well as donations for disaster relief. In our analysis, we found that the users’ emotional expressions directly contribute to the emergence of the underlying communication network. In particular, we identified statistically significant structural patterns that we call emotion-exchange motifs and show that: (1) the motifs 021U and 021D are common for the communication of all eight emotions considered in this study, (2) motifs which include bidirectional edges (i.e. online conversations) are generally not characteristic for the communication of surprise, sadness, and disgust, (3) the structural analysis of a set of emotions (rather than a single emotion) leads to the formation of more complex motifs representing more complex social interactions, and (4) the messaging patterns emerging from the communication of joy and sadness show the highest structural similarity, even reaching a perfect similarity score at some point during the data-extraction period.

A comparison of different lipid extraction methods for different tissue types of Arabidopsis thaliana

Background: The plant lipidome is highly complex, and the composition of lipids in different tissues as well as their specific functions in plant development, growth and stress responses have yet to be fully elucidated. To do this, efficient lipid extraction protocols which deliver target compounds in solution at concentrations adequate for subsequent detection, quantitation and analysis through spectroscopic methods are required. To date, numerous methods are used to extract lipids from plant tissues. However, a comprehensive analysis of the efficiency and reproducibility of these methods to extract multiple lipid classes from diverse tissues of a plant has not been undertaken. Results: In this study, we report the comparison of four different lipid extraction procedures in order to determine the most effective lipid extraction protocol to extract lipids from different tissues of the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. Conclusion: While particular methods were best suited to extract different lipid classes from diverse Arabidopsis tissues, overall a single-step extraction method with a 24 h extraction period, which uses a mixture of chloroform, isopropanol, methanol and water, was the most efficient, reproducible and the least labor-intensive to extract a broad range of lipids for untargeted lipidomic analysis of Arabidopsis tissues. This method extracted a broad range of lipids from leaves, stems, siliques, roots, seeds, seedlings and flowers of Arabidopsis. In addition, appropriate methods for targeted lipid analysis of specific lipids from particular Arabidopsis tissues were also identified.

Investigating the Efficiency of Simple Aqueous Extract of Nigella Sativa Activity Against Serratia Marcescens Bactria

Nigella sativa seeds is considered as a very effective treatment for a variety of human diseases in traditional medicine worldwide with low human toxicity. Serratia marcescens pathogenic species, a Gram-negative, opportunistic bacteria, are widespread and distributed in the human environment with considered resistance to different types of antibiotics. Extraction was performed on 12.5 gm. /150 ml of Nigella seeds using rotary evaporator. Different time periods for extraction were applied (1-4 hours) with different temperature ranges of 50 °C to 60 °C performed separately for each time period. The 3 and 4 hours extraction period at 60 °C for seeds was effective against Serratia marcescens with inhibition zone of 11.18 and 12.27 mm respectively. Nigella seeds could be a promising inhibitor with enhanced activity against Serratia marcescens. Water extraction was efficient and effective at 60 °C, with extraction period of 2-3 hours for seeds. No activity recorded below this temperature.

Comparison of different lipid extraction methods for different tissue types of Arabidopsis thaliana

Background: The plant lipidome is highly complex, and the composition of lipids in different tissues as well as their specific functions in plant development, growth and stress responses have yet to be fully elucidated. To do this, efficient lipid extraction protocols which deliver target compounds in solution at concentrations adequate for subsequent detection, quantitation and analysis through spectroscopic methods are required. To date, numerous methods are used to extract lipids from plant tissues. However, a comprehensive analysis of the efficiency and reproducibility of these methods to extract multiple lipid classes from diverse tissues of a plant has not been undertaken. Results: In this study, we report the comparison of four different lipid extraction procedures in order to determine the most effective lipid extraction protocol to extract lipids from different tissues of the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana . Conclusion: While particular methods were best suited to extract different lipid classes from diverse Arabidopsis tissues, overall a single-step extraction method with a 24 h extraction period, which uses a mixture of chloroform, isopropanol, methanol and water, was the most efficient, reproducible and the least labor-intensive to extract a broad range of lipids for untargeted lipidomic analysis of Arabidopsis tissues. This method extracted a broad range of lipids from leaves, stems, siliques, roots, seeds, seedlings and flowers of Arabidopsis. In addition, appropriate methods for targeted lipid analysis of specific lipids from particular Arabidopsis tissues were also identified.

Evaluating the Effect of Complete Dentures on Signs and Symptoms of Temporomandibular Disorders Analyzed by Craniomandibular Index in Completely Edentulous Patients: A Study Protocol (Preprint)

BACKGROUND Temporo-mandibular disorder (TMD) is a collective term for conditions that involve pain and/or dysfunction of the TMJ and the related structures. Tooth loss is a major cause of developing TMD. The prevalence of signs and symptoms of TMD in completely edentulous patients has been reported to be as high as in dentulous patients. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effect of complete dentures on signs and symptoms of temporomandibular disorders with Craniomandibular Index in completely edentulous patients. METHODS A prospective interventional study will be conducted for two year. The subjects, who are non-denture wearer and completely edentulous for a post-extraction period of 6 months to 5 years without any complaint of TMD will be screened for signs and symptoms of TMD with the help of anamnestic component of the Helkimos Index. 110, such patients with mild to severe signs and symptoms of TMD will be involved in the study as study participants after informed consent. They will be grouped into Group A (subjects with mild symptoms, n=55) and Group B (subjects with severe symptoms, n=55). The craniomandibular index will be used to score the intensity of signs and symptoms of TMD in these subjects before starting the clinical steps in fabrication of complete denture and three months after the denture insertion. RESULTS Descriptive and analytical statistics will be done. SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) Version 20.1 will be used as statistical software. The statistical significance between the two groups before and after three months will be evaluated at P<.05. CONCLUSIONS We expect improvement or drop in the severity of the signs and symptoms of TMD in completely edentulous subjects after intervention with complete dentures. If this Hypothesis fails, then the prevalences of TMD in completely edentulous patients should be correlated with other factors such as anatomic or pathologic changes in TMJ and not with the loss of teeth or vertical dimensions.