Lipophilic metabolite profiling of maize and sorghum seeds and seedlings, and their pest spotted stem borer larvae: A standardized GC-MS based approach.

In order to better understand the biochemical interactions and to identify new biomarkers for plant resistance against insects, we proposed a suitable lipophilic profiling method for insects and their host plants. The critical components of GC-MS based analysis are: sample amount, extraction, derivatization, temperature gradient, run time, and identification of peaks. For lipophilic metabolite profiling of maize and sorghum, and their insect pest, spotted stem borer larvae, we recommend 100 mg sample weight for seeds and insect samples (whole insect body), and 200 mg for seedlings. Maize and sorghum seeds required less time for fat extraction in comparison to their seedlings and the pest fed on these seedlings. GC-MS was standardized for better separation and intensity of peaks using different temperature gradients in the range of 180-300 C. A total of 48 lipophilic compounds encompassing various classes based on their functional groups such as fatty acids, fatty alcohols, hydrocarbons, sterols and terpenoids, vitamin derivative, etc. were separated in the seedlings (30), seeds (14), and the pest (26) in the retention time range of 3.22 to 29.41 min. This method could be useful to study nutritional aspects of different field crops in relation to various stresses apart from the analysis of lipophilic compounds for better understanding of insect-plant interactions.

In vitro antifungal activity of fatty acid methyl esters of the seeds of Annona cornifolia A.St.-Hil. (Annonaceae) against pathogenic fungus Paracoccidioides brasiliensis / Atividade antifúngica in vitro dos ésteres metílicos de ácidos graxos das sementes de Annona cornifolia A.St.-Hil. (Annonaceae) sobre o fungo patogênico Paracoccidioides brasiliensis

INTRODUCTION: Fatty acids are abundant in vegetable oils. They are known to have antibacterial and antifungal properties. METHODS: Antifungal susceptibility was evaluated by broth microdilution assay following CLSI (formerly the NCCLS) guidelines against 16 fungal strains of clinical interest. RESULTS: In this work, fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) was able to inhibit 12 clinical strains of the pathogenic fungus Paracoccidioides brasiliensis and were also active in the bioautographic assay against Cladosporium sphaerospermum. CONCLUSIONS: FAME was a more potent antifungal than trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole against P. brasiliensis under the experimental conditions tested.

INTRODUÇÃO: Os ácidos graxos são abundantes em óleos vegetais. Eles são conhecidos por suas propriedades antibacterianas e antifúngicas. MÉTODOS: A suscetibilidade a antifúngicos foi avaliada pelo ensaio de microdiluição em caldo de acordo com CLSI (anteriormente NCCLS) sobre 16 isolados de interesse clínico. RESULTADOS: Nesse trabalho, os ésteres metílicos de ácidos graxos (FAME) inibiram doze isolados clínicos do fungo patogênico Paracoccidioides brasiliensis, e também foi muito ativo no ensaio de bioautografia sobre o fungo Cladosporium sphaerospermum. CONCLUSÕES: FAME foi um antifúngico mais potente do que sulfametoxazol-trimetoprim contra P. brasiliensis, nas condições utilizadas no presente trabalho.

Fatty acid composition of echium amoenum fisch et. mey. seeds [Boraginaceae]

The seeds of Echium amoenum [Boraginaceae] are used in Iranian Traditional Medicine as diuretic, analgesic, hypotensive and diaphoretic. This study was designed to identification and quantification of composition of fatty acids in the seeds oil of E. amoenum. The seeds of the plant were extracted with n-hexane. After evaporating under reduced pressure, oil was get. Methanolysis of the oil glyceride was carried out in KOH medium and BF3, under reflux condition for 30 min. The esters passed into the upper hexane layer, then analyzed by GC-MS. The seeds of E. amoenum revealed the presence of four fatty acids including one saturated and three unsaturated. The unsaturated fatty acids were present in much greater proportion than saturated ones. Linolenic acid was found to be major unsaturated fatty acid and the palmitic acid as predominant saturated acid

Off-flavors removal and storage improvement of mackerel viscera by supercritical carbon dioxide extraction.

The oil in mackerel viscera was extracted by supercritical carbon dioxide (SCO2) at a semi-batch flow extraction process and the fatty acids composition in the oil was identified. Also the off-flavors removal in mackerel viscera and the storage improvement of the oils were carried out. As results obtained, by increasing pressure and temperature, quantity was increased. The maximum yield of oils obtained from mackerel viscera by SCO, extraction was 118 mgg(-1) (base on dry weight of freeze-dried raw anchovy) at 50 degrees C, 350 bar And the extracted oil contained high concentration of EPA and DHA. Also it was found that the autoxidation of the oils using SCO2 extraction occurred very slowly compared to the oils by organic solvent extraction. The off-flavors in the powder after SCO2 extraction were significantly removed. Especially complete removal of the trimethylamine which influences a negative compound to the products showed. Also other significant off-flavors such as aldehydes, sulfur-containing compounds, ketones, acids or alcohols were removed by the extraction.

Biofouling attractants from a brown marine alga Ecklonia cava.

In recent years, industrial pollutants and the mountain forest fire ashes released into seawater cause damage to the marine environment, mainly it reduces the algal productivity in the inter tidal region. To get recover from the stress due to pollutants and to increase the growth and development of biofouling algae (benthic organisms), Ecklonia cava extract was investigated for its biofouling attracting efficiency. Bioactive guided fractions of E. cava extract derived from column chromatography were tested against spore attachment of a fouling alga, Ulva pertusa. Fraction B showed increased spore attachment rate with a maximum of 92 +/- 5%. This fraction was further analysed on HPLC, GC-Mass and NMR, deduced as pentadecanoic acid.

Composición de la grasa láctea en la sabana de Bogotá con énfasis en ácido ruménico - CLA cis-9, trans-11 / Composition of the fat milk of the Bogotá´s savannah with emphasis on rumenic acid (cis-9, trans-11 CLA)

Los ácidos linoleicos conjugados (CLAs) son microcomponentes naturales de la grasa láctea de los rumiantes que han ganado un creciente interés por sus efectos potenciales sobre la salud humana. El ácido ruménico (CLA cis-9, trans-11 C18:2) es la iso-forma de CLA más importante por su abundancia y por sus efectos. Nuestro objetivo fue la identificación y cuantificación del ácido ruménico en la grasa láctea de la sabana de Bogotá, y la búsqueda de algunas relaciones entre la dieta y las concentraciones de A. ruménico, utilizando diecisiete muestras de leche de diferentes fincas de la sabana de Bogotá y cuatro muestras de leches de marcas comerciales. Para esto, se estandarizó un método de cromatografía de gases que permitió separar y cuantificar más de 30 ácidos grasos, desde el butírico (C4:0) hasta el araquídico (C20:0) y el ruménico (C18:2). La concentración promedio de ácido ruménico fue 13.6 mg/g de grasa, y varió desde 6.38 mg hasta 19.54 mg/g. Estos resultados son coherentes con otros reportes de literatura realizados bajo pastoreo y se ubican dentro de los valores esperados para condiciones de alimentación como las de este estudio. La suplementación de MS, el consumo de forrajes conservados, el consumo de ensilaje de maíz, y el consumo de semilla de algodón tuvieron una correlación negativa con la concentración de ácido ruménico (valores de r de -0.66, -0.54, -0.48 y -0.7, respectivamente), sin embargo, los valores de los coeficientes de determinación (r2) fueron bajos para estas variables, sugiriendo que cada variable puede tener efectos, pero, de manera individual, ninguna explica completamente la variación en la concentración de ácido ruménico. Se observó una disminución del contenido de ácido ruménico con el aumento de la suplementación bajo pastoreo, especialmente cuando esta incluye ensilaje de maíz y una tendencia a la disminución del contenido de ácido ruménico con el aumento en el consumo de semilla de algodón.

Conjugated linoleic acids are natural micro-components of ruminant’s fat milk, which have gained an increasing interest because of their valuable potential effects on human health. Rumenic acid (CLA cis-9, trans-11 C18:2) is the most important of the CLA iso-forms because of its abundance and its effects. Our main objective was the identification and quantification of the rumenic acid content of fat in milks of the Bogotá savannah. Additionally, we looked for associations between dietary factors and rumenic acid concentration. In this study, seventeen milk samples coming from the Bogotá savannah and four commercial milk samples were used. A gas chromatography method that allowed us to separate and quantify more than thirty fatty acids, from butyric (C4:0) to araquidic (C20:0) and rumenic acid (conjugated 18:2) was standardized. The mean rumenic acid content of the samples was 13.6 mg/g of fat, and ranged from 6.38 mg to 19.54 mg/g of fat (3 fold variation). These results showed similar values to other literature reports conducted under grazing conditions and are in the expected range for the amount consumed by the cows. The correlation (r) values were significant for dry matter supplementation, conserved forages supplementation, silage intake, and cotton seed intake and had a negative correlation with the rumenic acid content of fat milk (r values of -0.62, -0.54, -0.48 and -0.7, respectively). However, the values for the determination coefficients (r2) of these variables were very low, suggesting that each variable had individual effect, although none of them explains completely the variation of the rumenic acid content in fat milk. In general, a clear tendency to a decrease in rumenic acid content was observed with an increase in supplementation under grazing conditions, especially when corn silage was included.

Rendimento, composição e teor de ácidos graxos da carcaça de frangos de corte alimentados com diferentes fontes lipídicas / Carcass yield, composition and fat acid percentage of carcass for broiler fed on different lipid source diets

Avaliou-se o efeito de diferentes fontes de lipídios da dieta (óleo degomado de soja, óleo de vísceras de aves, óleo ácido de soja, mistura de 50 por cento de óleo de soja e 50 por cento de óleo de vísceras e mistura de 50 por cento de óleo de soja e 50 por cento de óleo ácido de soja) sobre rendimento, composição de peito, coxa e carcaça inteira e perfil de ácidos graxos da carcaça inteira de frangos de corte. O delineamento experimental foi o inteiramente ao acaso, com cinco tratamentos e seis repetições de uma ave cada. Não houve diferenças entre os tratamentos (P>0,05) para rendimentos de carcaça e cortes, composição de proteína bruta, umidade e extrato etéreo da carcaça inteira e da musculatura da coxa e do peito. As aves alimentadas com dietas com óleo de vísceras apresentaram maior percentual de ácidos graxos monoinsaturados na carcaça do que as alimentadas com dietas contendo as demais fontes lipídicas. A deposição de ácidos graxos poliinsaturados foi influenciada pela fonte lipídica das dietas. O perfil de ácidos graxos da carcaça inteira de frangos de corte foi influenciado pela fonte lipídica da dieta.

A completely randomized design, with six replicates of one bird per experimental unit was used to evaluate the effect of different fat sources of diets (soybean oil, poultry fat, acidulated soybean oil soapstock and a mix of soybean oil plus poultry fat and soybean oil plus acidulated soybean oil soapstock) on carcass yield, composition of the breast, thigh and whole chicken and fatty acid profile of the whole carcass of broilers. No effects of fat source on carcass yield and cuts, composition of crude protein, humidity and ether extract of the whole chicken, whole leg and breast were observed (P>0,05). The birds fed on poultry fat diet showed a higher percentage of monounsaturated fatty acid on the carcass than birds fed on diets with the others fat sources. The deposition of polyunsaturated fatty acids was influenced by fat source added to the diet. The fatty acid profile of the whole carcass of broilers was influenced by the fat source added to the diets.

Fatty acids derived from a marine crustacean Diogenes avarus (Heller) and their antiangiogenic activity.

An organic extract from a marine crustacean D. avarus was examined for antiangiogenic activity by using the chick embryo chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay. The methanol extract (HCM) inhibited angiogenesis in a dose dependent manner. The extract was further fractionated by bioactivity-guided separation to purify the active fractions successively. This resulted in three fractions HCM1, HCM2 and HCM3. The 50% inhibition shown by HCM was 600 ng/disc, HCM1 was 100 ng/disc and of HCM3 was 2.7ng/disc. HCM3 which was separated by column chromatography and showed single spot on TLC was analysed by GLC and showed the presence of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids such as lauric, myristic, palmitic, stearic, oleic, linoleic. The antiangiogenic activity of the fatty acids obtained from a marine crustacean is reported for the first time.

Cecropia peltata l. (I) Estudios farmacognósticos y de la composición de ácidos grasos libres / Cecropia peltata L.(1) Pharmacognostic studies and studies of the composition of free fatty acids

Se inició el estudio de la yagruma (Cecropia peltata L.) de uso medicinal en Cuba, con la descripción de los índices farmacognósticos mínimos necesarios para establecer la calidad de las hojas de la planta como droga, así como el estudio de la fracción de desengrase de donde se cristaliza una mezcla de 11 ácidos grasos metilados en forma libre, los cuales se caracterizan mediante cromatografía gaseosa acoplada a masas. El 50 porciento de estos ácidos son insaturados, lo cual puede favorecer el fundamento del uso de la planta popularmente con fines antiasmáticos

Constituintes de Sorocea bomplandii Baillon / Constituents from Sorocea bomplandii Baillon

O estudo químico dos extratos das folhas de Sorocea bomplandii Baillon (Moraceae) levou à identificaçäo de triterpenos pentacíclicos, éster de ácido graxo e isoprenóides. Comparaçäo cromatográfica entre os chás de S. bomplandii com o de Maytenus aquifolium - uma Celastracea com comprovada atividade antiúlcera gástrica - mostrou que os dois possuem composiçöes químicas diferentes: o primeiro é baseado em açúcares e o último, em flavonóides glicosilados.

Constituintes químicos de Cambessedesia espora DC - Melastomataceae / Chemical contituents from Cambessedesia espora DC - Melastomataceae

O fracionamento cromatográfico do extrato hexânico das partes aéreas de Cambessedesia espora DC - Melastomataceae levou ao isolamento dos ácidos palmítico, mirístico e esteárico, ß-Silosterol e do triterpeno fern-9(11)-en-3ß-ol. As substâncias foram identificadas por métodos espectroscópicos usuais (RMN, IV, CG/EM).

Caracterización de ácidos grasos y productos de degradación de ácidos micólicos en especies micobacterianas de mayor incidencia en Argentina / Characterization of fatty acids and mycolic acid cleavage products in mycobacteria of major incidence in Argentina

El virus de la inmunodeficiencia humana (HIV) causa un profundo impacto sobre el problema de la tuberculosis tanto en los países industrializados como en los en vías de desarrollo. Enfermedades graves causadas por micobacterias no tuberculosas, la mayoría correspondiente al complejo Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare (MAC), se han vuelto muy comunes en asociación con la inmunosupresión severa. El aumento de la complejidad de las enfermedades micobacterianas ha estimulado el desarrollo de métodos de diagnóstico más rápidos y eficientes. En el presente estudio se caracterizaron los ácidos grasos y los productos de degradación de los ácidos micólicos celulares de las especies micobacterianas más frecuentes en la Argentina empleando cromatografía gaseosa (CG), para luego poder desarrollar una técnica rápida de identificación de especies. Los ácidos grasos y los ácidos micólicos de las células micobacterianas saponificadas fueron analizados como ésteres metílicos por CG capilar. Los principales ácidos grasos detectados en todas las especies estudiadas, con excepción de M. smegmatis, fueron los ácidos octadecenoico (18:1) y hexadecanoico (16:0). Los perfiles cromatográficos presentaron diferencias cuantitativas y no cualitativas entre las distintas especies. El ácido tuberculoesteárico se detectó en todas las micobacteias analizadas. Se observaron diferencias significativas (p<0,01) en las medias de las cantidades relativas de algunos ácidos grasos entre aislamientos clínicos de M. tuberculosis, M. bovis y MAC. Se detectaron trazas de 2-elcosanol en cepas de M. tuberculosis H37Rv. Aunque se estudió un número limitado de cepas y de especies, los resultados preliminares indican que este método podría ser usado para caracterizar cultivos micobacterianos

Myristate exchange in glycolipid A and VSG of African trypanosomes

The variant surface glycoprotein (VSG) of T. brucei is anchored to the plasma membrane via a glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchor which is unique in that its fatty acids are exclusively myristate (a fourteen carbon saturated fatty acid). We showed that the myristate is added to the GPI precursor in a remodeling reaction involving deacylation and reacylation. We now demonstrate that trypanosomes have a second pathway of myristoylation for GPI anchors that we call "myristate exchange" which is distinct from the fatty acid remodeling pathway. We propose that this is an exchange of [3H]myristate into both sn-1 and sn-2 positions of glycolipid A, which already contains myristate, and have demonstrated this using inhibitors and a variety of other methods. We have partially characterized myristate exchange with respect to specificity and susceptibility to some inhibitors. The apparent Km for myristoyl CoA is 7 nM. This myristate-specific process may represent a proof-reading system to ensure that the fatty acids on VSG are exclusively myristate. Although myristate exchange was first discovered for glycolipid A, we now believe that VSG is the true substrate of this reaction. VSG is efficiently labeled by exchange in the presence of cycloheximide, which prevents anchoring of newly synthesized protein. Although its location is not yet know, we have evidence that exchange does not localize to either the endoplasmic reticulum or the plasma membrane. We will present data indicating that surface VSG may be internalized and undergo myristate exchange

The role of glycolipid C in the GPI biosynthetic pathway in Trypanosoma brucei bloodstream forms

The glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) biosynthetic pathway in Trypanosoma brucei bloodstream forms includes the formation of glycolipid C. This molecule is the inositol-acylated form of the GPI anchor precursor, glycolipid A. There is no evidence for the transfer of glycolipid C to protein in vivo and the role of glycolipid C is unclear. In this paper we show that glycolipid C is not synthesised in the presence of phenylmethylsulphonyl fluoride (PMSF) and that glycolipid C is not an obligatory intermediate on the pathway to the formation of glycolipid A. Using pulse-chase experiments we show that glycolipid A and glycolipid C are in a dynamic equilibrium and we suggest that only the forward reaction (glycolipid A conversion to glycolipid C) is inhibited by PMSF

Comparative study of fatty acids of three varieties of prunus armeniaca [apricot] seeds

Thin layer chromatograph was applied for the separation of sterol esters fatty acids, triglycerides and cholesterol in order to separate the fractions of neutral lipids while GLC was employed to determine the fatty acid composition of the fatty acids fraction obtained from Prunus arminiaca L seeds