The genus Myristica (Myristicaceae) consists of 120 species, which were distributed in South Asia, from west Polynesia, Oceania, eastern India to the Philippines. Phytochemical studies showed that 164 compounds including a majority of lignans, along with phenglpropanoids, flavonoids and phenolics, have been isolated from this genus, which exhibited anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, hyperglycemic and hepatic protective activities. This article summarizes research progress of the chemical compositions and their pharmacological activities from this genus, which could provide reference for the in-depth development and utilization of the Myristica plants.
Animals ; Drug Therapy ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Myristicaceae ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry

AIM: To study the effect of sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) on the increase in microvessel permeability induced by platelet activating factor (PAF). METHODS: The microvessel permeability was assessed by measuring hydraulic conductivity (Lp). To observe the effect of S1P and PAF on vascular endothelial-cadherin (VE-Cadherin), the microvessels were stained with immunofluorescence and examined by laser confocal microscopy. RESULTS: After giving PAF at concentration of 10 nmol/L, the Lp value of rat mesentery microvessel was significantly increased. However, after pretreatment with S1P, PAF did not give rise to a further significant change. The effect of PAF on microvascular endothelial cells could be seen: the formation of endothelial gap was induced, the microvascular fluorescence intensity significantly increased, a large number of fluorescent microspheres (FMs) distributed in the space among the endothelial cells. However, after pretreated with S1P, no obvious gap opening and the FMs accumulation were observed. Compared to normal control, no significant difference of the microvascular fluorescence intensity was found. CONCLUSION: PAF changes the structure of VE-Cadherin, leading to detachment of adherent junction, formation of intercellular gaps, which contributes to the increase in the permeability. S1P improves the increase in the microvessel permeability caused by PAF, which might be mediated by strengthening adherent junction and inhibiting the formation of endothelial gaps.

China ; Occupational Health Services ; Pilot Projects

AIM: To evaluate the preservation of anterior capsule during vitrectomy and lensectomy.ment (RD) and grade C proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR)underwent pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) and pars plana lensectomy (PPL) with preservation and polishing of the anterior capsule. Of the 15 eyes, 4 eyes had giant tear, 3 had recurrent rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD), 2 had diabetic retinopathy. Totally 6 eyes had gas and 9 had silicone oil tamponade. The surgeries were evaluated according to the visual acuity (VA) and the postoperative complications during the follow-up of at least 3 months.in all eyes, improved by 3± 3 lines overall. Eight eyes were implanted posterior chamber intraocular lens (PCIOL) successfully at 2-3 months after operation, including 6 having gas and 2 having silicone oil tamponade. No eyes had central anterior capsule opacity, corneal decompensation, puplillary block, retina redetachment or other complications.an intact anterior capsule in eyes with RD and PVR. Preserving the anterior capsule can help preventing intraoperative and postoperative complications of gas or silicone oil, simplify future PCIOL placement, and maintaining a normal iris appearance.

Aim To investigate the protective effects of nicorandil, glutamine and metoprolol used in single and combination on the antiapoptosis ability of cardio-cytes and the expression of HSP70 after myocardial is-chemia/reperfusion injury in rats. Methods Male Wistar rats were divided randomly into seven groups:( 1 ) Sham group:in which the coronary artery was not roped;(2) I/R group:in which only 30 min ischemia and 120 min reperfusion of LAD was executed; ( 3 ) Nicorandil group; ( 4 ) Glutamine group; ( 5 ) Meto-prolol group; ( 6 ) Nic + Glu + Met ( NGM ) group;(7) low dose of Nic+Glu+Met ( NGML) group. In the pharmacological precondition groups, correspond-ing drugs were administered 30 min before I/R proto-col, and the initial drug dose in each group was 1 mg ·kg-1 . Myocardial apoptotic rates were measured with TUNEL ( terminal dexynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling) , and the expression of apop-tosis related proteins-Bcl-2/Bax and protective pro-tein-HSP70 was detected by Western blot. ResultsIn I/R group, the apoptotic rate in ischemic region was very high ( 36.9% ± 10.3%) , and Bcl-2/Bax was very low ( 0.14 ±0.08 ) . Compared with I/R group, the apoptotic rate of pharmacological precondition groups was decreased significantly ( P <0.01 ) , and the ratio of Bcl-2 to Bax was raised ( P<0.01 ) . Com-pared with Sham group, the expression of HSP70 in-creased significantly ( P<0.01 ) in I/R group. Com-pared with IR group, the expression of HSP70 of phar-macological precondition groups was elevated ( P <0.01 ) , and the expression in NGM group was higher than in the single drug group ( P<0.01 ) . Conclusion Compared with single therapy after I/R in rat, the combination therapy of nicorandil, glutamine, meto-prolol can decrease the apoptotic rate, and the expres-sion of apoptosis related proteins is developed. In the mean time, the expression of protective protein HSP70 is elevated.

Aims To investigate the protective effects of noninvasive limb ischemic preconditioning (LIPC) on myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (I /R)injury,and to explore the mechanism.Methods Healthy male Wistar rats were divided randomly into I /R,I /R +LIPC,I /R +5-Hydroxydecanoate (5-HD)and I /R +LIPC +5-HD groups.The I /R +LIPC and I /R +LIPC-5-HD groups of rats were subjected to three cy-cles of LIPC induction per day with 5 min of reperfu-sion after occlusion for 5 min at the left hind limb for 3 days.All rats were subjected to myocardial I /R injury on the fourth day.The I /R +5-HD and I /R +LIPC-5-HD groups of rats were given the inhibitor of ATP-sen-sitive potassium channel 5-HD before and during myo-cardial I /R injury. Results Compared with I /R group,LIPC reduced myocardial infarct size (P <0.05),lowered cardiocyte apoptosis index and Fas, FasL positive cell number (P <0.01 ),increased the reduced nitric oxide (NO)/endothelin (ET)-1 ratio (P <0.05)in serum in I /R +LIPC group.5-HD a-bolished the protective effects induced by LIPC in I /R+LIPC-5-HD group.Compared with normal myocardi-al tissue,expression of mir-30a-3p was increased in I /R group (P <0.01 )and was decreased in LIPC group (P <0.01 ).Conclusion LIPC alleviates myocardial I /R injury and improves endothelial function. The mechanism may be related with the opening of ATP-sensitive potassium channel,regulating the balance be-tween NO and ET-1 and decreasing the expression of myocardial mir-30a-3p.

OBJECTIVETo study the chemical constituents from n-BuOH portion of ethanolic extract from the stem of Luculia pinceana.

METHODThe column chromatographic techniques were applied to isolate constituents. A combination of IR, FAB-MS, NMR and 2D NMR spectroscopy was used to identify structures.

RESULTSeven compounds were isolated from the n-BuOH fraction and their structures were elucidated as vogeloside (1), epi-vogeloside (2), loganoside (3), loganin (4), cincholic acid 28-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl ester (5), cincholic acid-3-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside, 28-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl ester (6), cincholic acid-3-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (7).

CONCLUSIONCompounds 1-7 were isolated from the genus for the first time.

Glucosides ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Iridoids ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Plant Stems ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Rubiaceae ; chemistry ; Saponins ; chemistry ; isolation & purification

This paper presents and discusses the liquid density sensing potential of a delay line Lamb-wave sensor configuration, where Lamb wave is excited only by interdigital transducer (IDT), without membrane when fabricated. An optimized cut orientation and the normalized thickness of substrate by using genetic algorithm is presented to improve the sensitivity of the sensor and to get low noise. Experimental measurements performed on Lamb-wave device fabricated from Y-Z LiNbO3 in a delay line configuration are found to be in agreement with theoretical calculations.
Algorithms ; Biosensing Techniques ; instrumentation ; methods ; Equipment Design ; Models, Theoretical ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Transducers ; Ultrasonics ; Water ; analysis ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo study the inhibitory activity of Aeschynanthus maculatus on alpha-glucosidase.

METHODThe inhibilitory model of in vitro alpha-glucosidase was established. Active extracts of A. maculatus were isolated and identified bymultiple chromatographic methods, and their molecular structures were identifiied by spectral techniques.

RESULTSeven coumpounts were isolated from A. maculatus and isolated as lupeol(1), stigmasterol(2), ursolic acid(3), stigmast-5,22(E)-diene-3beta-ol(4), beta-daucosterol(5), 3-hydroxy-12-taraxasten-28-oic-acid(6) and oleanic acid(7). Compounds 1 (IC50 25.41 mg x L(-1)),3(IC0 4.42 mg L(-1)),4(IC50 11.50 mg x L(-1)),6(IC50 14.17 mg x L(-1)) and 7(IC50 2.88 mg x L(-1)) had higher inhibitory activities than that of acarbose (IC50 1103.01 mg x L(-1)) as the positive control drug.

CONCLUSIONCompound 1-7 were isolated from this plant for the first time. Compound 6 was isolated from Gesneriaceae family for the first time. Compound 7 was isolated from Aeschynanthus genus for the first time.

Enzyme Inhibitors ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Ferns ; chemistry ; Glycoside Hydrolase Inhibitors ; Plant Exudates ; chemistry ; pharmacology

OBJECTIVETo analyze and compare the volatile constituents from M. biondii and M. liliflora.

METHODThe volatile constituents were extracted by head-space solid-phase microextraction, and analyzed by GC-MS.

RESULTSeventy two constituents were identified from M. biondii and M. liliflora, the content of the 25 constituents in both samples were similar, while the kinds of the constituents were obviously different.

CONCLUSIONThe volatile constituents were different between M. biondii and M. liliflora.

Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry ; Magnolia ; chemistry ; Solid Phase Microextraction ; Volatilization