Structural analogues of bradykinin and other vasoactive peptides in the venom of the wasp Polistes gallicus

Six vasoactive peptides have been isolated in the homogeneous state from the venom of the waspPolistes gallicus. Their full amino acid sequences have been determined. It has been shown that four of them are structural analogues of bradykinin with additional N- and C-terminal sequences and intramolecular substitutions of amino acids. Some structure-function relationships in bradykinin analogues are discussed.     

Bradykinin-potentiating peptide from venom of the spider Latrodectus tredecimguttatus

A bradykinin-potentiating peptide has been isolated from the venom of the spiderLatrodectus tredecimguttatus. Its physicochemical properties and amino acid composition have been investigated in detail. It has been shown by biological testing on isolated neck of the rat uterus that the peptide increases the contractile effect of bradykinin in in vitro experiments. The potentiating unit is 2 · 10^–3 mg/ml. A 50% increase in the hypotensive effect of bradykinin at a concentration of the bradykinin-potentiating peptide of 15 µg/kg of body weight has been found, the increase in the intensity of the effect being accompanied by a prolongation of its action.A. Sadykov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Uzbek SSR, Tashkent. Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 5, pp. 699–703, September–October, 1989.     

Synthesis and investigation of the biological activity of shortened analogues of luliberin

Five new luliberin analogues with shortened amino acid sequences have been synthesized. The different variants for obtaining the compounds under consideration are discussed. In an investigation of the biological activities of the analogues it was shown that they possess a pronounced action of the course of the ovulation processes in experimental animals.Scientific-Research Institute of Midwifery and Gynecology, USSR Academy of Medical Sciences, Leningrad. A. A. Zhdanov Leningrad State University. Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 4, pp. 590–595, July–August, 1987.     

Resistance of vasoactive peptides from venom of Vespa orientalis to action of proteolytic enzymes

The kinetics of the hydrolysis by proteolytic enzymes of vasoactive peptides isolated from the venom of the hornetVespa orientalis has been investigated. It has been found that the half-period of decomposition of the peptides exceeds that of bradykinin. These facts are in harmony with in vivo results on the prolonged hypotensive action of the peptides.A. S. Sadykov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Uzbek SSR Academy of Sciences, Tashkent. Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 5, pp. 658–661, September–October, 1988.     

Phytochemical study of Centaurea cyanus

Flavonoid aglycons (quercetin, kaempferol, isorhamnetin, apigenin, luteolin, hispidulin) and their glycosides, and caffeic, chlorogenic, neochlorogenic, and isochlorogenic acids have been isolated from the epigeal part of theCentaurea cyanus L. and have been identified, and ten amino acids have also been identified.Kursk State Medical Institute. Translated from Khimiya Prirodynkh Soedinenii, No. 6, pp. 792–795, November–December, 1988.     

Competitive bindings of histones with DNA in formation of plant nucleohistones

An acid form of ricin — ricin T — with a molecular weight of 58 kDa, an isoelectric point, pI, of 7.0–7.1, and a sedimentation coefficient of 4.60 S has been isolated from the seeds of the Central Asian castor-oil plantRicinus communis by gel filtration on Sephadex G-75 followed by ion exchange chromatography on DEAE- and CM-celluloses. The amino acid composition and the N-terminal amino acid residues of ricin T have been determined.Institute of the Chemistry of Plant Substances, Uzbek Academy of Sciences, Tashkent. Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 6, pp. 883–887, November–December, 1987.     

Phospholipase A2 from the venom of the spider Eresus niger

A phospholipase A₂ with a molecular mass of 12–14 kDa has been isolated from the venom of the spiderEresus niger by three-stage column chromatography. Asparagine has been identified as the N-terminal amino acid.Institute of Physiology, Academy of Sciences of the Uzbek SSR, Tashkent. Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 4, pp. 557–560, July–August, 1991.     

Inspect pheromones and their analogues XL1. Synthesis of fluorine-containing tetra- and hexadec-11E/Z-en-1-ols and the acetates corresponding to them — Analogues of components of insect pheromones

The synthesis of 13,13,14,14-tetrafluorotetradec-11E/Z-en-1-ol, and 13,13,14,14, 15,15,16,16-octafluorohexadec-11E/Z-en-1-ol and their acetates — analogues of components of the pheromones of many insect species of theLepidoptera order — has been achieved by the olefination of fluorinated aldehydes and the hydroboration of the fluorinated dienes obtained.Institute of Chemistry, Bashkir Scientific Center, Urals Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Ufa. Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, Nos. 3,4, pp. 429–433, May–August, 1992.     

Physicochemical analysis of a protein with nerve growth activity from the muscle tissue of Rana ridibunda

A protein nerve growth factor has been isolated in the pure form from the muscles of the lake frogRana ridibunda. The individuality of the substance obtained has been shown, its molecular mass (106.0–110.0 kDa) and pI value (9.2–9.4) have been determined, and lysine and valine have been found as the N- and C-terminal amino acid residues of its polypeptide chain. In view of the detection of the presence of sugars (about 1%), the substance has been identified as a glycoprotein. Its absorption spectra in the UV region has been obtained and the amino acid composition of the isolated protein has been determined. Information on the amino acid composition of various proteins with nerve growth activity has been subjected to comparative analysis with the aid of computer programs, and on this base their phylogenetic tree has been constructed.Institute of Biochemistry, Uzbekistan Academy of Sciences, Tashkent. Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 2, pp. 251–257, March–April, 1992.     

Investigation of the biological properties of Central Asian sea buckthorn growing in the province of Kansu (China)

The Central Asian sea buckthorn growing in the province of Kansu in China (Hippophaë rhamnoides L.,subsp. turkestanica Rousi) [1] has been studied for the presence of biochemical substances: amino acids, microelements, proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, free fatty acids, vitamins A and C, and flavonoids. A comparison of it with Chinese sea buckthorn in relation to a number of biochemical components has been made.Analytical and Experimental Center, Kansu Province, Lan-chow, China. Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 1, pp. 135–137, January–February, 1991.     

The seed oils of some species of the family Cruciferae

Summary The physicochemical properties of the oils of the seeds of seven plants of the family Cruciferae —Cakile maritima, Sisymbrium altissimum, Sisymbrium Loeselii, Descurainia Sophia, Erysimum cheiranthoides, Brassica amoracioides andCrambe pontica — have been studied and their fatty acid compositions have been determined. The results obtained showed no marked differences from those given in the literature.Zaporozhe Medical Institute. Ukrainian Scientific-Research Institute of the Oils and Fats Industry. Zaporozhe Oils and Fats Combine. Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 1, pp. 15–18, January–February, 1973.     

Esters of Ferula karakalensis. Structure and stereochemistry of karaferin and karaferinin

Two new guaiane esters — karaferin and karaferinin — have been isolated fromFerula karakalensis, and their structures and stereochemistry have been established. It has been shown that theFerula sesquiterpene alcohols angrendiol, ugamdiol, and karaferol are biogenetically interconnected and are products of a single chain of the biogenesis of terpenoids in plants.Institute of Chemistry of Plant Substances, Uzbekistan Republic Academy of Sciences, Tashkent; Botanical Garden of Moscow State University. Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 2, pp. 227–231, March–April, 1993.     

Characteristics of the glucose isomerase from Streptomyces atratus

The molecular mass (Mr) of highly purified glucose isomerase fromStreptomyces atratus has been determined. The native glucose isomerase, which has affinity for xylose, consists of an oligomeric protein containing 1552 amino acid residues and formed of four subunits. The enzyme is stable in the range of temperatures from 40 to 80°C and at pH values of from 6.0 to 11.0.Institute of Microbiology, Uzbek Academy of Sciences, Tashkent. Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 6, pp. 833–837, November–December, 1991.     

Lipids of the fruit ofAcanthopanax sessiliflorus

In the lipids of the seeds and pericarp of the introduced speciesAcanthopanax sessiliflorus (Rupr. et Maxim.) Seem (familyAraliaceae), 23 classes of compounds have been detected, of which 19 have been identified. Sixteen of the classes have been studied. The lipids of the pericarp contain a more complex set of components than the seeds. Hydroxyacyldiacylglycerides, fatty acid methyl esters, and a complex group of pthalicacidesters have been detected in the familyAraliaceae for the first time. The fatty acid compositions of the seed and pericarp lipids are characterized by a high level of petroselinic acid.Institute of the Chemistry of Plant Substances, Academy of Sciences of the Uzbek SSR, Tashkent. Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 6, pp. 760–766, November–December, 1985.     

Isolation and characteristics of the protamine fromAcipenser stellatus

Conclusions A protamine, which has been named stellin, has been isolated from the mass of sperm of the sevruga(Acipenser stellatus).Stellin is heterogeneous and consists of a mixture of peptides differing in amino acid composition and in chain length. There is great similarity between stellin and sturin both with respect to amino acid composition and with respect to N-terminal amino acids.Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, Vol. 6, No. 1, pp. 119–123, 1970     

The polybuffer separation of the alkaloids of Vinca erecta

Summary By separating the total alkaloids ofV.erecta according to their basicities in an APS, in addition to bases known previously we have isolated ervincidine, apovincamine, (+)-quebrachamine, dl-eburnamine, (–)-1,2-dehydroaspidospermidine, and kopsanone. This is the first time that these alkaloids have been obtained from this plant. Thin-layer chromatography showed the presence of another 10–12 uncharacterized alkaloids.The region of the passage into the buffer solutions of some alkaloids has also been established.Institute of the Chemistry of Plant Substances, Academy of Sciences of the Uzbek SSR. Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 6, pp. 713–717, November–December, 1970.     

Oils of the seeds of Ziziphora pedicellata and Eremostachys molluceloides

Summary The fatty oils of the seeds of the wild speciesZiziphora pedicellata andEremostachys molluceloides (Labiatae) have been investigated. The glyceride, pigment, and hydrocarbon compositions of these oils and the fatty-acid composition of the oil ofZ. pedicellata have been determined.The oil ofE. molluceloides contains laballenic acid.Institute of the Chemistry of Plant Substances, Academy of Sciences of the Uzbek SSR. Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 3, pp. 324–328, May–June, 1975.     

Phospholipids of the seeds of two species of Erysimum

Summary The phospholipid complexes of the seeds ofErysimum diffusum andE. sylvestris have been investigated. It has been found that the amount of phospholipids in the seeds ofE. diffusum is lower than in those ofE. sylvestris, but their qualitative compositions are similar. The fatty-acid compositions of the triglycerides and of the total phospholipids of the two plants investigated have been studied. It has been established that the total phospholipids of the species ofErysimum under consideration and individual fractions of them differ by the degree of saturation and the qualitative and quantitative composition of the acids that they contain and, consequently, the phospholipids present in greatest amount differ in their molecular compositions.Institute of the Chemistry of Plant Substances, Academy of Sciences of the Uzbek SSR, Tashkent. Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 5, pp. 623–627, September–October, 1977.     

Terpenoids of the oleoresin of Pinus pumila

Summary 1. The composition of the acid fraction of the oleresin ofPinus pumila (Pall.) Regel. has been studied, and from it has been isolated, in addition to known compounds, the methyl ester of a new labdane acetoxy acid.2. In the hydrocarbon fraction of the oleoresin 11 monoterpenes and 26 sesquiterpenes have been found (and 17 of the latter have been identified).3. The composition of the fraction of neutral oxygen-containing diterpenoids fromP. pumila differs considerably in its diterpenoid components from the corresponding fractions of the oleoresins of botanically related species-P. sibirica andP. koraiensis. Novosibirsk Institute of Organic Chemistry, Siberian Branch of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR. Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 3, pp. 299–302, May–June, 1976.     

Neutral diterpenoids of oleoresins of five species of conifers of Transcarpathia

The compositions of the neutral diterpenoids of the oleoresins of five species of conifers growing in the Transcarpathia have been studied. It has been found that the oleoresins ofAbies alba M.,Larix decidua M., andPicea excelsa L. contain more than 50% of neutral diterpenoids. The group and qualitative compositions of the oxygen-containing diterpenoids have been determined. In the oleoresins ofAbies alba,Picea excelsa, andPicea abies tertiary alcohols — cis-abienol and isocembrol — predominate, while inLarix decidua the main component is the hydroxy ester larixyl acetate. Primary alcohols related to the resin acids have been found in all the oleoresins investigated. Features of the distribution of diterpenoids according to the species of conifers have been revealed. The results obtained are necessary for the chemotaxonomy of conifers of the family Pinceae.Novosibirsk Institute of Organic Chemistry, Siberian Branch, Academy of Sciences of the USSR. Translated from Khimiya Prirodynkh Soedinenii, No. 6, pp. 812–816, November–December, 1988.