Lignocellulose is a major biomass resource for the production of biofuel ethanol. Due to its abundance, environmental friendliness and renewability, the utilization of lignocellulose is promising to solve energy shortage. Surfactant can effectively promote the enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulose. By discussing the influence and mechanism of different surfactants on the enzymatic hydrolysis, we provide references for finding appropriate surfactants in enzymatic hydrolysis process.
Biofuels ; Biomass ; Hydrolysis ; drug effects ; Lignin ; metabolism ; Sugars ; metabolism ; Surface-Active Agents ; pharmacology

This assay was aimed to evaluate the influence of different contact ways and extracting conditions on the hemolytic effect of biomaterials. Using direct contact method and extract contact method, we assessed the hemolytic effect of PDLLA and PVC. The extracting conditions included: 37 degrees C 24 h, 37 degrees C 72 h, 37 degrees C 120 h, 50 degrees C 72 h, and 70 degrees C 24 h. After the material or extract had been in contact with the diluted blood of rabbit for certain times, the hemolysis rate was calculated. The results for PDLLA showed there were some differences between direct contact and extract contact at 37 degrees C for different extraction time (P < 0.05), but the hemolysis rates, lower than 5%, were in accord with the requirements of medical devices. However, under the condition of 50 degrees C and 70 degrees C, there were significant differences when extract contact method was compared with direct method (P < 0.01). For PVC, there was no statistically significant difference under all conditions (P > 0.05). Our conclusions: (1) Under the extracting condition of 37 degrees C from 24 h to 120 h, the soluble part of PDLLA and PVC that might influence erythrocyte did not dissolve considerably. (2) Under the extracting condition of 50 degrees C and 70 degrees C, the hemolysis rate may remarkably vary with the chemical characteristics of tested materials; (3) As to an unknown material, it is advisable to adopt two methods at the same time, one for direct contact and the other for extracontact. Thus the hemolytic effect of biomaterials can be evaluated from physical and chemical angles. (4) In case that the chemical property of the sample can endure the test, the extracting condition at 50 degrees C and 70 degrees C may be of benefit to assessing the hemolytic effect of biomaterials. (5) The extract contact method as a supplemental test of direct contact method is of realistic significance.
Animals ; Biocompatible Materials ; toxicity ; Hydrolysis ; drug effects ; In Vitro Techniques ; Materials Testing ; methods ; Rabbits ; Temperature ; Time Factors

OBJECTIVETo study the optimizal hydrolysis process for C21 steroidal glycoside of Bai Shou Wu by acetic acid.

METHODThe effects of acetic acid concentration, reaction temperature and reaction time had been investigated using orthogonal design and the contents of kidjoranin 3-O-beta-digitoxopyranoside, caudatin, kidjoranin 3-O-alpha-L-diginopyranosyl-(1 --> 4)-beta-cymaropyranoside and caudatin 3-O-beta-cymaropyranoside as response indexs were determined by the high performance liquid chromatography.

RESULTThe factors influencing acetic extraction efficiency were as follows: A > B > C (A. reaction temperature; B. reaction time; C. acetic acid concentration). The optimal hydrolysis condition obtained was: refluxing for 6 hours with 5.0% dilute CH3COOH solution at 100 degrees C.

CONCLUSIONThe content of antitumor active ingredients under the optimum hydrolysis condition is raised obviously and has a great part in studying this antitumor drug.

Acetates ; pharmacology ; Cynanchum ; chemistry ; metabolism ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; metabolism ; Glycosides ; analysis ; chemistry ; metabolism ; Hydrolysis ; drug effects ; Temperature ; Time Factors

OBJECTIVETo optimize the conditions for enzymolysis of Icariin by snail hydrolase.

METHODTake conversion rate as index, the effects of pH, temperature, reaction time, dosage of enzyme, concentration of Icariin and metal ion on hydrolysis were studied by single-factor designs and a L9 (3(4)) orthogonal design. The product was characterized through MS, 1H-NMR and 13C-NMR methods.

RESULTThe optimum enzymolysis conversion rate was achieved at 37 degrees C, pH 6.0 acetic acid-sodium acetate buffer solution and 48 h. The Ca2+, Mg2+ and Zn2+ had activation on helicase slightly but the Fe2+ inhibited enzymolysis significantly. The production was presumed as icaritin on the basis of spectral evidences.

CONCLUSIONSnail hydrolase can be used for preparing of icaritin. The condition is mildness and suitable for industrialization.

Animals ; Flavonoids ; metabolism ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Hydrolases ; metabolism ; Hydrolysis ; drug effects ; Kinetics ; Metals ; pharmacology ; Snails ; enzymology ; Temperature

Nicotinamide at millimolar concentrations affects cell survival in various conditions, and is being utilized therapeutically in many human diseases. However, the effect of an acute treatment of nicotinamide at such high dose on gene expression and cellular metabolism has rarely been determined previously. In this study, we found that levels of O-N-acetylglucosamin(O- GlcNAc)ylated proteins including Sp1 acutely decreased upon treatment of 10 mM nicotinamide. Concomitantly, Sp1 protein level decreased rapidly through accelerated proteasome-mediated proteolysis. Cotreatment of glucosamine or 2-deoxyglucose, which inhibits protein deGlcNAcylation, effectively blocked the decrease induced by nicotinamide. Interestingly, the decline in the levels of Sp1 and protein O- GlcNAcylation was only transient lasting for two days post treatment, and this pattern matched closely the rapid fluctuation of the cellular [NAD(+)]. Our results suggest a possible link between cellular nicotinamide metabolism and protein O-GlcNAcylation, and an existence of cellular [NAD(+)] homeostasis.
Acetylglucosamine/*metabolism ; Blotting, Western ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Down-Regulation/*drug effects ; Humans ; Hydrolysis ; Niacinamide/*pharmacology ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sp1 Transcription Factor/metabolism

OBJECTIVETo study the transfer of paralytic shellfish toxins (PST) using four simulated marine food chains: dinoflagellate Alexandrium tamarense --> Artemia Artemia salina --> Mysid shrimp Neomysis awatschensis; A. tamarense --> N. awatschensis; A. tamarense --> A. salina --> Perch Lateolabrax japonicus; and A. tamarense --> L. japonicus.

METHODSThe ingestion of A. tamarense, a producer of PST, by L. japonicus, N. awatschensis, and A. salina was first confirmed by microscopic observation of A. tamarense cells in the intestine samples of the three different organisms, and by the analysis of Chl.a levels in the samples. Toxin accumulation in L. japonicus and N. awatschensis directly from the feeding on A. tamarense or indirectly through the vector of A. salina was then studied. The toxicity of samples was measured using the AOAC mouse bioassay method, and the toxin content and profile of A. tamarense were analyzed by the HPLC method.

RESULTSBoth A. salina and N. awatschensis could ingest A. tamarense cells. However, the ingestion capability of A. salina exceeded that of N. awatschensis. After the exposure to the culture of A. tamarense (2000 cells x mL(-1)) for 70 minutes, the content of Chl.a in A. salina and N. awatschensis reached 0.87 and 0.024 microg x mg(-1), respectively. Besides, A. tamarense cells existed in the intestines of L. japonicus, N. awatschensis and A. salina by microscopic observation. Therefore, the three organisms could ingest A. tamarense cells directly. A. salina could accumulate high content of PST, and the toxicity of A. salina in samples collected on days 1, 4, and 5 of the experiment was 2.18, 2.6, and 2.1 MU x g(-1), respectively. All extracts from the samples could lead to death of tested mice within 7 minutes, and the toxin content in artemia sample collected on the 1st day was estimated to be 1.65 x 10(-5) microg STX equal/individual. Toxin accumulation in L. japonicus and N. awatschensis directly from the feeding on A. tamarense or indirectly from the vector of A. salina was also studied. The mice injected with extracts from L. japonicus and N. awatschensis samples that accumulated PST either directly or indirectly showed PST intoxication symptoms, indicating that low levels of PST existed in these samples.

CONCLUSIONParalytic shellfish toxins can be transferred to L. japonicus, N. awatschensis, and A. salina from A. tamarense directly or indirectly via the food chains.

Animals ; Artemia ; drug effects ; Cell Count ; Chlorophyll ; metabolism ; Eukaryota ; drug effects ; Feeding Behavior ; drug effects ; Fishes ; Food Chain ; Hydrolysis ; Marine Toxins ; analysis ; metabolism ; toxicity ; Mice ; Models, Biological ; Mollusca ; chemistry ; Paralysis ; chemically induced

OBJECTIVETo investigate antitumor constituents from n-butyl alcohol extract of Alternanthera philoxeroides.

METHODThe constituents were isolated with silica gel, gel permeation chromatography, and purified by HPLC. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopy and acid hydrolysis. The antitumor effects of extracts and isolated compounds were tested by MTH method in vitro.

RESULTSeven compounds were isolated and elucidated as followings: oleanolic acid 3-O-beta-D-glucuronopyranoside (1), oleanolic acid 28-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (2), oleanolic acid 3-O-beta-D-glucuronopyranoside-6'-O-methyl ester (3), chikusetsusaponin IV a methyl ester (4), hederagenin 3-O-beta-D-glucuronopyranoside-6'-O-methyl ester (5), 4,5-dihydroblumenol (6), 6S,7E,9R-6,9-di-hydroxymegastigma-4,7-dien-3-one-9-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (7). Compound 1 showed significant inhibitory effect against Hela and L929 with inhibitive ratios 91.3% and 92.9% at 30 mg x L(-1), respectively.

CONCLUSIONCompounds 4, 5 and 7 were isolated from this genus for the first time. Compound 1 showed significant inhibitory effect against Hela and L929 at 30 mg x L(-1).

Amaranthaceae ; chemistry ; Antineoplastic Agents ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Hydrolysis

A novel reaction-enzymatic ammonolysis discovered in the mid of 1990s has been demonstrated to be a very promising alternative in the preparation of optically pure compounds. The effects of organic solvent, initial water activity, temperature and additives on lipase Novozym435-catalyzed enantioselective ammonolysis of racemic phenylglycine methyl ester were investigated systematically in this paper. Enzymatic reaction of ammonolysis showed higher activity and enantioselectivity than the corresponding reaction of hydrolysis and alcoholysis.
Alcohols ; Ammonia ; Catalysis ; Dimethylformamide ; pharmacology ; Esters ; Glycine ; analogs & derivatives ; metabolism ; Hexoses ; pharmacology ; Hydrolysis ; Lipase ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Organic Chemicals ; Solvents ; Surface-Active Agents ; pharmacology ; Temperature ; Water

OBJECTIVETo observe the biochemical characters and antibiotic susceptibility of isolated Staphylococcus aureus (S. auerus) strains against some conventional and traditional antibiotics.

METHODSThirty post operative pathogenic isolated S. aureus strains were used in this study. Bacterial culture was done in Mueller-Hinton broth at 37 °C. Characters of these strains were determined by traditional biochemical tests such as hydrolysis test of gelatin, urea, galactose, starch and protein, and fermentation of lactose and sucrose. Antibiotic susceptibility were carried out by minimum inhibitory concentration test, minium bactericidal concentration test, disc agar diffusion test and brain heart infusion oxacillin screening agar.

RESULTSFrom this study, it was observed that 100% S. aureus isolates showed positive results in gelatin, urea and galactose hydrolysis test, 50% isolates were positive in starch hydrolysis test, 35% in protein hydrolysis test, 100% isolates in lactose fermenting test, but no isolate was positive in sucrose fermenting test. Antibiotic susceptibility testing suggested that 20% of isolates were resistant to kanamycin and 46.67% were resistant to oxacillin.

CONCLUSIONSThese findings show that all these isolates have gelatin, urea, galactose hydrolysis and lactose fermenting activity. 20% of these isolates were resistant to kanamycin and 46.67% were resistant to oxacillin.

Anti-Bacterial Agents ; pharmacology ; Disk Diffusion Antimicrobial Tests ; Galactose ; metabolism ; Gelatin ; metabolism ; Hydrolysis ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Staphylococcus aureus ; drug effects ; isolation & purification ; metabolism ; Starch ; metabolism ; Urea ; metabolism

Ginsenosides, belonging to a group of saponins with triterpenoid dammarane skeleton, show a variety of pharmacological effects. Among them, some ginsenoside derivatives, which can be produced by acidic and alkaline hydrolysis, biotransformation and steamed process from the major ginsenosides in ginseng plant, perform stronger activities than the major primeval ginsenosides on inhibiting growth or metastasis of tumor, inducing apoptosis and differentiation of tumor and reversing multidrug resistance of tumor. Therefore ginsenoside derivatives are promising as antitumor active compounds and drugs. In this review, the derivatization methods, ginsenoside derivatives and their anti-tumor structure-activity relationship have been summarized for providing useful information for the research and development of novel antitumor drugs.
Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; metabolism ; pharmacology ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Ginsenosides ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; metabolism ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Hydrolysis ; Neoplasms ; pathology ; Panax ; chemistry ; classification ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Structure-Activity Relationship