Anti-Inflammatory,Antidiabetic Properties and In Silico Modeling of Cucurbitane-Type Triterpene Glycosides from Fruits of an Indian Cultivar of Momordica charantia L.

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease and one of the fastest-growing health challenges of the last decades. Studies have shown that chronic low-grade inflammation and activation of the innate immune system are intimately involved in type 2 diabetes pathogenesis. Momordica charantia L. fruits are used in traditional medicine to manage diabetes. Herein, we report the purification of a new 23-O-β-d-allopyranosyl-5β,19-epoxycucurbitane-6,24-diene triterpene (charantoside XV, 6) along with 25ξ-isopropenylchole-5(6)-ene-3-O-β-d-glucopyranoside (1), karaviloside VI (2), karaviloside VIII (3), momordicoside L (4), momordicoside A (5) and kuguaglycoside C (7) from an Indian cultivar of Momordica charantia. At 50 µM compounds, 2–6 differentially affected the expression of pro-inflammatory markers IL-6, TNF-α, and iNOS, and mitochondrial marker COX-2. Compounds tested for the inhibition of α-amylase and α-glucosidase enzymes at 0.87 mM and 1.33 mM, respectively. Compounds showed similar α-amylase inhibitory activity than acarbose (0.13 mM) of control (68.0–76.6%). Karaviloside VIII (56.5%) was the most active compound in the α-glucosidase assay, followed by karaviloside VI (40.3%), while momordicoside L (23.7%), A (33.5%), and charantoside XV (23.9%) were the least active compounds. To better understand the mode of binding of cucurbitane-triterpenes to these enzymes, in silico docking of the isolated compounds was evaluated with α-amylase and α-glucosidase.     

Investigation of nu(N-H) and nu(C-N) stretching modes of propylamine (C3H7NH2) in a binary system C3H7NH2 + CH3OH via concentration dependent Raman study and ab initio calculations

Raman spectra of propylamine (C3H7NH2) and its binary mixtures, C3H7NH2 + CH3OH with varying mole fractions of the reference system, C3H7NH2, C were recorded in two widely apart wavenumber regions, 3100-3600 cm(-1) and 1225-1325 cm(-1). In the former region, the two Raman bands at approximately 3305 and approximately 3326 cm(-1), obtained after the line shape analysis, which were assigned to symmetric nu(N-H) and anti-symmetric nu(N-H) stretching modes, respectively, show a downshift upon dilution. However, whereas the nu(N-H) anti-symmetric mode shows a shift of 18.6 cm(-1), the nu(N-H) symmetric mode shows a much smaller shift (5.7 cm(-1)) between neat liquid and high dilution, C = 0.1. This aspect has been explained using the optimized geometries calculated employing ab initio theory (MP2 level) for the neat C3H7NH2 and its different hydrogen-bonded complexes. The linewidth versus concentration plot for the nu(N-H) anti-symmetric stretching mode, however exhibits a distinct maxima at C = 0.4, which has been explained as a slight departure from the concentration fluctuation model. In the latter region, a symmetric peak is observed, which corresponds to nu(C-N) stretching mode, which shows an upshift upon dilution and an almost linear concentration dependence. This has also been explained in terms of the parameters obtained from the optimized geometries of the different hydrogen-bonded complexes.     

Performances and limitations of the HRMS method for dioxins, furans and dioxin-like PCBs analysis in animal feedingstuffs: Part I: Results of an inter-laboratory study

The European strategy for dioxin monitoring of the food chain has defined high-resolution gas chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRGC/HRMS) method as the confirmatory method that can provide reliable and comparable results at sub-parts per trillion (ppt) level. This paper describes the first inter-laboratory study on dioxins, furans and dioxin-like PCBs by HRGC/HRMS method in animal feedingstuffs. Two different statistical approaches (ISO 5725 and Cofino’s statistics) were used for the statistical evaluation. For this particular study, the performances of the HRGC/HRMS method seem to be congener-independent in repeatability and reproducibility conditions over a concentration range covering more than four orders of magnitude. Results clearly show the effect of precision loss below 0.1 ppt level per congener in repeatability conditions and below 0.2 ppt level per congener in reproducibility conditions. LODs reported by the laboratories give median values of 0.02 ng/kg for most of the toxic congeners. Relative standard deviation between the laboratories’ mean values using upper-bound approach for TEQ calculation is 6.2%, more than twice the maximum level set at 0.75 ng TEQ/kg of product.     

Novel aromatic carboxamides from dehydroabietylamine as potential fungicides: Design,synthesis and antifungal evaluation

The present study was carried out to design and synthesize a number of novel aromatic carboxamide derivatives of dehydroabietylamine. The preliminary antifungal assay indicated that most of title compounds displayed moderate to good antifungal activity toward the six fungal strains in vitro. Compounds 3i, 3q, 4b and 4d showed significant antifungal activity against Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, with EC₅₀ values ranging from 0.067 ～ 0.393 mg/L. Compounds 3i, 4b and 4d also showed pronounced mycelial growth inhibition activities against B. cinerea and A. solani. Furthermore, in the in vivo assay, compound 4b exhibited brilliant protective activity against S. sclerotiorum-infected rape leaves. Meanwhile, the in vivo bioassay on tomato plants infected by B. cinerea showed that compound 3i and 4d displayed excellent protective activity at 200 mg/L, which were near to boscalid. Primary mechanistic study revealed that 4b could inhibit sclerotia formation as well as reduce the exopolysaccharide level. SEM and TEM analysis indicated that 4b possessed a strong ability to destroy the surface morphology of mycelia, cell structure and seriously interfere with the growth of the fungal pathogen. In addition, 4b exhibited good inhibitory activity (IC₅₀ = 23.3 ± 1.6 μM) toward succinate dehydrogenase (SDH). Molecular modeling study confirmed the binding modes between compound 4b and SDH. The above antifungal results and fungicidal mechanism study revealed that this class of dehydroabietylamine derivatives could be potential SDH inhibitors and lead compounds for novel fungicides development.     

SARS冠状病毒的系统发育基因组研究

对SARS冠状病毒(SARS Coronavirus,SARS-CoV)进行了系统发育基因组研究.应用CLUSAL-X1.83程序,将来自GenBank数据库的全部102条SARS-CoV全基因组序列记录做多序列联配,然后采用MEGA3软件包进行系统发育基因组分析,使用邻接法构建系统发育树.根据该系统树,SARS-CoV全基因组记录可以分为2类.第1类包括2个来源于动物的分离株;第2类则覆盖了所有的人源分离株,并且可进一步分为2组,其中第1组包括5个来自于广东省的分离株,而第2组则覆盖了其他的来自于香港、内地和海外的分离株.这一分支格局代表了SARS-CoV从兽到人、从广东到全球的传播过程,并且基因组的替代变异幅度在传播过程中由大到小,逐渐稳定下来.还详细地给出了区分上述2群和2组的分子标签,为新毒株的鉴定和分型提供了理论依据.     

释光测年在应用研究方面的新进展

根据释光测年是地质学研究和考古学研究领域重要的研究手段和断代方法，总结出了在近十多年来应用该方法在以下几个方面所取得的成果及进展：（1）主要包括激发光源、晒退光源、辐射源以及操作软件等技术设备方面的巨大进展，以及由于释光测年技术设备精度的提高而由此极大地降低了释光测年的系统误差；（2）以单片再生测年技术和线性调整技术为代表的多种测年方法的快速发展，使得不同类型样品等效剂量的测定更加准确，而且测年流程更加简单易于操作；（3）测年材料不仅包括经受热过（主要是陶瓦）和经充足曝光的物质，同时对未经充足曝光的物质（如水积物和崩积物等）和其他经受热过的物质（如断层泥等）等也进行了大量的测年研究，从而极大地拓展了释光测年的应用领域；（4）各种年剂量测定方法的相互补充降低了在年剂量测定方面的不确定性．     

高校学生耐力跑教学方案的研究

耐力跑是高校学生身体素质达标的项目，也是学生体育成绩考核的重要内容之一．但是近几年来学生的耐力素质却呈下降趋势．本文运用综合分析的方法，对大学生耐力跑教学方案进行研究，以寻求更加科学合理的教学途径。     

网络环境下研究性学习的教学设计研究

基于网络环境下的研究性学习具有学习内容问题化、学习过程探究化和学习活动网络化的特点.因此,教师在进行教学设计时一定要重视学习任务的设计、学习组织形式的设计、学习基本步骤的设计和教师指导策略的设计,只有如此,才能使学生学习的主体性在网络环境下得以实现.     

高校大学生对体育课厌学现状成因分析

素质教育是当今中国乃至世界教育改革与发展的主流.倡导健康第一体育理念,养成终身锻炼的习惯,是体育教学改革的重要内容,接受体育教育是大学生培养体育文化素养的途径.但目前高校大学生中存在着十分普遍的体育课厌学现象,严重影响了体育教学的质量.本文从实际出发,在调研的基础上对大学生厌学成因进行了详细的分析,认为主要包括大学生在对体育课认识上存在偏差;体育课的评价体系不科学;体育教师专业教学水平不足等原因,希望能为高校体育教育事业走出这一困境提供借鉴.     

关于当代大学生信念问题的调查及对策探究

介绍了由于多种思想观念的冲击及大学生自身心理特点的影响，使当代大学生的信念问题出现了前所未有的困惑。在对大学生的信念问题调查研究的基础上，提出了加强大学生信念教育的几点对策，以期为高校德育工作提供一些参考。