Assessment of Cucurbita spp. Peel Extracts as Potential Sources of Active Substances for Skin Care and Dermatology

By-products of cultivated plants are one of the major environmental concerns worldwide. Due to the high concentration of bioactive chemicals, such waste may be considered hazardous due to the interference with the plant growth, deterioration of the drinking water quality or toxic effects on sensitive marine organisms. Moreover, plant-derived by-products, with proper handling, may represent a low-cost source of bioactive compounds potentially important for pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries. The aim of the study was to evaluate the phytochemical composition, antioxidant activity, the influence of tyrosinase activity, in vitro sun protecting factor and cytotoxicity of 15 extracts from peels of five cultivars of Cucurbita maxima and C. moschata. The extracts were prepared using “green solvents” (water, 50% propylene glycol, and 20% ethanol) and ultrasound-assisted extraction. The performed analysis showed that the peel extracts from various cultivars differ significantly in respect to the phytochemical content and activity. The type of solvent also had a significant impact on the extract’s composition and bioactivity. Aqueous peel extracts contained the highest amounts of flavonoids, showed the greatest antioxidant potential and the most significant in vitro SPF values. In vitro studies showed that the analyzed peel extracts are not cytotoxic for human keratinocytes up to the concentration of 1000 µg/mL and thus might be considered as non-irritant for the skin. The study confirms the potential application of peel extracts from Cucurbita spp. cultivars in cosmetic products.     

抗、感病杨树与溃疡病菌互作中活性氧及相关酶的动态

测定了接种溃疡病菌(Botryosphaeria dothidea)后两种抗性水平不同的杨树(Populus spp.)树皮中超氧阴离子(O2.-)、过氧化氢(H2O2)、超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)、过氧化物酶(POD)、过氧化氢酶(CAT)、抗坏血酸过氧化物酶(APX)及膜脂过氧化产物丙二醛(MDA)含量的动态变化,分析了杨树与溃疡病菌互作中活性氧(Reactive Oxygen Species,ROS)的产生、抗氧化酶活性及膜脂过氧化水平的变化规律及与杨树抗病性的关系。结果表明,随接种时间的延长,两种杨树O2.-产生速率和H2O2含量均有上升趋势,抗病杨树毛白杨(P. tomentosa Carr.)出现了较明显的"氧化爆发",感病杨树北京杨(P. beijingensis Hsu)则不明显;POD活性持续上升,毛白杨的上升幅度大于北京杨的;SOD、CAT活性先上升后下降,北京杨两种酶活性在后期受到的抑制更明显;APX活性则在两种杨树中变化较大,毛白杨的变幅明显比北京杨的大;MDA含量增加,表明"氧化爆发"启动了膜脂过氧化,北京杨在接种后期MDA含量大幅上升,并且MDA含量与O2.-产生速率呈显著正相关。     

Rapid hydrogen peroxide release in cell suspensions ofCapsicum spp. elicited by fungal preparations

The release of H₂O₂ by plant cell suspensions elicited with crude hyphal wall preparations has been studied in a complex of plant genotypes (two cvs ofCapsicum annuum and one of C.frutescens) and fungus species(Phytophthora capsici, Ph. parasitica andVerticillium dahliae), representing several combinations of compatibility and both host and nonhost resistance. Production of H₂O₂ was revealed as peroxidasedependent and catalase-inhibited fluorescence quenching of an extracellular probe (Pyranine). All the plant genotypes responded to at least one elicitor, but the cell sensitivity showed a great age-dependent variability. Riboflavine and Mn²⁺ added in the incubation medium acted to some extent as primers for activated cell response, as well as a high Na⁺ concentration. Cell rest condition, however, was not removed. Some quantitative features of responsive plant/elicitor combinations (dose-response relation and lasting time) have been recorded. The complex PO/H₂O₂ of elicited cells could perform detectable lignin-like polymerization of an exogenous natural substrate (coniferyl alcohol). The time-course of pyranine oxidation and lignin-like polymer formation could be recorded by adopting a fluorimetric procedure that allowed sequential observations on the same cell sample. In one instance, the cell reaction seemed associated with thein planta host/parasite incompatibility.     

希金斯炭疽菌GPCR蛋白生物信息学分析

希金斯炭疽菌可以侵染诸多十字花科植物引起炭疽病,给各国农业生产造成了巨大经济损失.GPCR作为生物体内G蛋白信号转导途径中的重要感知蛋白,在信号传递过程中发挥着重要作用.本研究基于酿酒酵母中已经报道的3个典型GPCR序列,利用Blastp以及关键词对炭疽菌蛋白质数据库进行比对、搜索,以及通过TMHMM、HMMTOP跨膜结构域分析,明确该菌存在4个典型的GPCR;同时,通过对上述氨基酸序列进行细胞信号肽、亚细胞定位以及二级结构等生物信息学分析,明确上述GPCR均具有较高比例的α螺旋结构以及均不含有明显的信号肽序列;在定位方面,4个GPCR均定位在质膜上.此外,通过对希金斯炭疽菌中的4个GPCR与其他物种中的23个同源序列进行遗传关系比较分析,发现该菌中的GPCR与C.graminicola、C.fioriniae等炭疽菌属中的病菌具有较高的同源序列以及较近的亲缘关系.该研究为深入开展希金斯炭疽菌GPCR功能研究打下坚实的理论基础,同时,也为进一步开展其他炭疽菌的研究提供重要的理论指导.     

Simultaneous densitometric determination of shikonin,acetylshikonin, and β‐acetoxyisovaleryl‐shikonin in ultrasonic‐assisted extracts of four Arnebia species using reversed‐phase thin layer chromatography

A simple, precise, and rapid high‐performance thin‐layer chromatographic (HPTLC) method for the simultaneous quantification of pharmacologically important naphthoquinone shikonin ( 1 ) together with its derivatives acetylshikonin ( 2 ), and β‐acetoxyisovalerylshikonin ( 3 ) in four species of genus Arnebia (A. euchroma, A. guttata, A. benthamii, and A. hispidissima) from the Indian subcontinent has been developed. In addition, the effect of solvents with varying polarity (hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, and methanol) for the extraction of these compounds was studied. HPTLC was performed on precoated RP‐18 F_254S TLC plates. For achieving good separation, mobile phase consisting of ACN/methanol/5% formic acid in water (40:02:08 v/v/v) was used. The densitometric determination of shikonin derivatives was carried out at 520 nm in reflection/absorption mode. The method was validated in terms of linearity, accuracy, precision, robustness, and specificity. The calibration curves were linear in the range of 100–600 ng for shikonin and acetylshikonin, and 100–1800 ng for β‐acetoxyisovalerylshikonin. Lower LOD obtained for compounds 1 – 3 were 18, 15, and 12 ng, respectively, while the LOQ obtained were 60, 45, and 40 ng, respectively.     

Simultaneous determination of naphthoquinone derivatives in Boraginaceous herbs by high-performance liquid chromatography

A high-performance liquid chromatographic method using diode-array detection (HPLC-DAD) has been developed for the simultaneous quantification of eight naphthoquinone derivatives namely shikonin, acetylshikonin, deoxyshikonin, β-acetoxyisovalerylshikonin, isobutylshikonin, β,β-dimethylacrylshikonin, 2-methyl-n-butyrylshikonin and isovalerylshikonin in nine species of the Boraginaceae family. These species, coming from different areas of China, are all used as interchangeable sourcing plants for the Chinese Materia Medica known as “Zicao”, and are Arnebia euchroma (Royle) Johnston., A. guttata Bunge, Lithospermum erythrorhizon Sieb. et Zucc., Onosma paniculatum Bur. et Franch., O. exsertum Hemsl., O. confertum W.W. Smith, O. hookerii Clarke var. longiflorum Duthie, O. hookerii Clarke and O. waltonii Duthic. Quantification of the eight naphthoquinones in all the Zicao samples are reported and compared with each other. Furthermore, two positional isomers, 2-methyl-n-butyrylshikonin and isovalerylshikonin, were successfully separated and quantified for the first time in the present study. The results showed that, besides the three officially used species (namely, A. euchroma, A. guttata and L. erythrorhizon) that were listed in Chinese pharmacopoeia as interchangeable sourcing plants for Zicao, other six species of Onosma used by native peoples in Tibet and Yunnan Province also contain various types and considerable amounts of naphthoquinones and that O. waltonii contains the most. Therefore, these species of Onosma could be developed as new sources of naphthoquinones. The entire analytical procedure is reproducible and suitable for the quantification of naphthoquinones in all related Boraginaceous plants for quality assessment purposes.     

不同树脂对瓜果腐霉代谢产物中除草活性成分的吸附分析

利用HPD400、HPD500、HPD600、HPD700、HPD850、ADS-17、D101、DM130大孔吸附树脂对瓜果腐霉培养滤液中除草活性成分的吸附情况进行了研究,通过对树脂吸附后的流出液和洗脱液的浓缩物进行HPLC检测分析,确定了其除草活性成分。实验发现,在所选择的8种树脂中以HPD500、HPD850、HPD600、ADS-17对除草活性成分的吸附能力最强,其中以HPD500和HPD600树脂的10%的乙醇洗脱液中除草活性成分含量最高。综合结果表明,以HPD500树脂作为吸附瓜果腐霉培养滤液中除草活性成分的适宜树脂。研究发现,HPD500树脂对除草活性成分吸附和解吸附的最佳条件是:吸附最适温度为20℃,树脂吸附饱和度为33.75mL/g,较适宜吸附流速为2BV/h,较适宜脱附流速为1BV/h,洗脱剂浓度为10%乙醇,洗脱剂用量为2.5BV。     

■鱼养殖中的疾病及其防治

综述了国内外鱼养殖中的疾病22种，其中病毒性病5种，细菌性病6种，真菌性病1种，寄生虫病10种。分别描述了这22种病的病原、症状、流行情况以及防治方法。还叙述了鱼疾病的预防的综合措施，提出了今后鱼病害研究的主要方向。     

腐霉属分类学数据库的研究

将ＰＣ－ＴＡＸＯＮ数据库系统运用于中国腐霉属（Ｐｙｔｈｉｕｍ）真菌的研究，并建立腐霉属分类学数据库。研究表明，计算机数据库技术在我国真菌学研究中有着广阔的应用前景。同时指出，分类学资料描述中的非规范化是影响计算机应用的重要问题。     

山东栎林的物种多样性

本文采用了 Simpson.Shannon-Wiener 和 PIE 三个物种多样性指数及以前两者指数为基础的均匀度公式,研完分析了山东栎林的物种多样性.其结果表明:物种多样性明显地反映了栎林的类型、结构、动态以及生境条件等特征:在反映栎林组织结构水平时,以 Shannon-Wiener 指数相对较佳.