A new lignan glycoside and other constituents from Cephalaria ambrosioides

A new lignan glycoside, 1,5-dihydroxy-2-(4"-beta-D-glucopyranosyloxy-3"-methoxyphenyl)-6-(4'-hydroxy-3'-methoxyphenyl)-3,7-dioxabicyclo[3.3.0]octane, named ambrosidine ([structure: see text]), along with seven known compounds (four iridoids and three hydroxycinnamic esters) were isolated from the roots of Cephalaria ambrosioides. The structures of these compounds were determined by use of NMR and MS techniques and by chemical transformations. The cytotoxic activity of the novel compound [structure: see text] was evaluated against five human solid tumour cell lines.     

Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids from Onosma leptantha

Three new pyrrolizidine alkaloids, leptanthine ( 2 ), its corresponding N‐oxide 1 , and N‐oxide of 3′‐O‐acetylechihumiline ( 3 ), were isolated from the aerial parts of Onosma leptantha, together with two known alkaloids of the same type, echihumiline ( 5 ) and echihumiline N‐oxide ( 4 ). Their structures and configurations were determined by chemical and spectroscopic methods, especially 1D and 2D NMR analyses, including long‐range ¹H,¹⁵N correlations at natural abundance.     

Ochraceopyronide,a Rare α-Pyrone-C-lyxofuranoside from a Soil-Derived Fungus Aspergillus ochraceopetaliformis

The fungal strain was isolated from a soil sample collected in Giza province, Egypt, and was identified as Aspergillus ochraceopetaliformis based on phenotypic and genotypic data. The ethyl acetate extract of the fungal strain exhibited promising activity levels against several pathogenic test organisms and through a series of ¹H NMR guided chromatographic separations, a new α-pyrone-C-lyxofuranoside (1) along with four known compounds (2–5) were isolated. The planar structure of the new metabolite was elucidated by detailed analysis of its 1D/2D NMR and HRMS/IR/UV spectroscopic data, while the relative configuration of the sugar moiety was determined by a combined study of NOESY and coupling constants data, with the aid of theoretical calculations. The structures of the known compounds—isolated for the first time from A. ochraceopetaliformis—were established by comparison of their spectroscopic data with those in the literature. All isolated fungal metabolites were evaluated for their antibacterial and antifungal activities against six Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria as well as against three human pathogenic fungi.     

Triterpenic derivatives of Achillea alexandri-regis BORNM. & RUDSKI

Investigation of the aerial parts of Achillea alexandri-regis led to the identification of 19 chemical constituents: twelve 3-O-fatty acid esters of triterpene alcohols arnidiol (1-4), maniladiol (5-8) and 16beta-hydroxylupeol (9-12), alpha-amyrin, beta-amyrin, beta-sitosterol, 3,4-O-dicaffeoyl quinic acid, cinnamic acid, pinoresinol-beta-D-glucoside and rutin. Among them, compounds 3, 4, 8, 11 and 12 are new natural products. The structures of all compounds have been elucidated on the basis of their spectral and chemical data.     

Determination of antimicrobial activity and resistance to oxidation of moringa peregrina seed oil

The antimicrobial activity of the oil extracted with n-hexane from the seeds of Moringa peregrina was tested against Staphylococcus aureus, S. epidermidis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Enterobacter cloacae, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Candida albicans, C. tropicalis and C. glabrata. The oil proved effective against all of the tested microorganisms. Standard antibiotics (netilmycin, 5-flucytocine, intraconazole and 7-amino-4-methylcoumarin-3-acetic acid) were used for comparison. The resistance to oxidation of the extracted seed oil was also determined.     

Chemical Constituents from Croton insularis

Three new clerodane‐type terpenoids, furocrotinsulolide A ( 1 ), furocrotinsulolide B ( 2 ), and crotinsulactone ( 3 ), as well as a new phenolic disaccharide ( 4 ) have been isolated from the aerial parts of Croton insularis, together with eight known compounds. Their structures were established by in‐depth 1D‐ and 2D‐NMR spectroscopy, mass spectroscopy, and quantum‐mechanical calculations.     

A MODEL FOR ESTIMATING PREMIUMS TO REDUCE IRRIGATION ON FARMS

Abstract This paper aims to determine the minimum agri‐environmental premium per hectare that farmers should receive to reduce crop irrigation. To this end, the authors develop a mixed‐integer quadratic model using a new methodology based on traditional positive mathematical programming, which allows the inclusion in the model of crop variants that are not present in the baseline situation of the farms. What is shown is that the results obtained with this new methodology, using the cost average approach of calibration, are the same as those obtained with an empirical method, when there is no change of crop distribution after the changeover from irrigated to nonirrigated farms. The theoretical results are compared with those obtained using the calibration with exogenous elasticities and are illustrated numerically for a representative farm of an area around Spain's Tablas de Daimiel in which the use of groundwater for crop irrigation has led to the ongoing deterioration of wetlands that depend on the same source of water, endangering the region's environmental sustainability.     

The 4 A 2→2 E transitions of 2[Cr(en)3Cl3]KCl. 6H2O in strong magnetic fields

The Zeeman effect of the R absorption lines for the pure compound 2[Cr(en)₃Cl₃]KCl.6H₂O has been measured photographically, using a strong pulsed magnet with fields of up to 200 000 gauss at 77 K. The results indicate g _∥ (⁴ A ₂) = 1·82 , g _⊥(⁴ A ₂) = 1·90 with g _∥(ē) = -1·82 and g _∥ (2ā) = 1·82. The uncertainties are of the order of ± 0·05.     

Megistoquinones I and II, two quinoline alkaloids with antibacterial activity from the bark of Sarcomelicope megistophylla

Two alkaloids, megistoquinone I (1) and megistoquinone II (2), were isolated from the bark of Sarcomelicope megistophylla. Their structures have been elucidated on the basis of MS and NMR data. Both belong to quinoline alkaloid series and should be considered as oxidation products of a furo[2,3-b]quinoline precursor. The two alkaloids showed antibacterial properties with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) ranging from 2.35 to 5.25 mg/ml for 1 and 0.73 to 1.23 mg/ml for 2.     

Evaluation of the antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of Origanum dictamnus extracts before and after encapsulation in liposomes

The antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of methanol or dichloromethane extracts of O. dictamnus, produced from wild and organic cultivated specimens, were determined. The Rancimat and malondialdehyde (MDA) by HPLC methods were used to measure the antioxidant action, in comparison with that of the common commercial antioxidants butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) and alpha-tocopherol. The extracts that presented high antioxidant activity were encapsulated in liposomes and their antioxidant action was again estimated using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Thermaloxidative decomposition of the samples (pure liposomes and encapsulated extracts) and the modification of the main transition temperature for the lipid mixture and the splitting of the calorimetric peak in the presence of the antioxidants were also studied by the DSC method. All extracts showed antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. Their action proved superior to alpha-tocopherol. The methanol extract of organic cultivated O. dictamnus (240 ppm) showed higher activity than butylated hydroxytoluene. After encapsulation in liposomes the antioxidant as well as antimicrobial activities proved to be higher than those of the same extracts in pure form.