The Siberian pine growth dynamics in Altai Mountains, China / A dinâmica de crescimento do pinheiro siberiano nas montanhas de Altai, China

Climatic factors play an essential role in the growth of tree ring width. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the correlation between climatic variables and tree-ring growth characteristics of Pinus sibirica in Altai mountains, northwestern China. This study being is first of its kind on climate growth analysis of Pinus sibirica in northwestern China. The study showed great potential to understand the species growing under the specific climatic conditions. Total of 70 tree cores collected from three sites in the sampling area, out of which 63 tree cores considered for this study. The effect of climatic variables which was studied include precipitation, temperature and PDSI. Our results showed that Tree Ring Width chronology has a significantly positive correlation with the late winter (March) temperature and significant negative correlation with the July temperatures. A significant correlation was observed with the late summer precipitation whereas no significant relation found with the Palmer Drought Severity Index. These significant correlations with temperature and precipitation suggested that this tree species had the potential for the reconstruction of the past climate in the area.

Fatores climáticos desempenham papel essencial no crescimento da largura dos anéis das árvores. Neste estudo, objetivou-se avaliar a correlação entre variáveis climáticas e características de crescimento de anéis de árvores de Pinus sibirica nas montanhas de Altai, noroeste da China. Este estudo é o primeiro desse tipo na análise do crescimento climático de Pinus sibirica no noroeste da China. O estudo mostrou grande potencial para entender as espécies que crescem sob as condições climáticas específicas. Total de 70 testemunhos coletados em três locais na área de amostragem, dos quais 63 testemunhos considerados para este estudo. O efeito das variáveis climáticas estudadas incluem precipitação, temperatura e PDSI. Nossos resultados mostraram que a cronologia da Largura do Anel da Árvore tem uma correlação significativamente positiva com a temperatura do final do inverno (março) e uma correlação negativa significativa com as temperaturas de julho. Uma correlação significativa foi observada com a precipitação do final do verão, enquanto nenhuma relação significativa foi encontrada com o Índice de Severidade de Seca de Palmer. Essas correlações significativas com a temperatura e precipitação sugeriram que esta espécie de árvore tinha o potencial para a reconstrução do clima passado na área.

The Siberian pine growth dynamics in Altai Mountains, China

Abstract Climatic factors play an essential role in the growth of tree ring width. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the correlation between climatic variables and tree-ring growth characteristics of Pinus sibirica in Altai mountains, northwestern China. This study being is first of its kind on climate growth analysis of Pinus sibirica in northwestern China. The study showed great potential to understand the species growing under the specific climatic conditions. Total of 70 tree cores collected from three sites in the sampling area, out of which 63 tree cores considered for this study. The effect of climatic variables which was studied include precipitation, temperature and PDSI. Our results showed that Tree Ring Width chronology has a significantly positive correlation with the late winter (March) temperature and significant negative correlation with the July temperatures. A significant correlation was observed with the late summer precipitation whereas no significant relation found with the Palmer Drought Severity Index. These significant correlations with temperature and precipitation suggested that this tree species had the potential for the reconstruction of the past climate in the area.

RESUMO Fatores climáticos desempenham papel essencial no crescimento da largura dos anéis das árvores. Neste estudo, objetivou-se avaliar a correlação entre variáveis climáticas e características de crescimento de anéis de árvores de Pinus sibirica nas montanhas de Altai, noroeste da China. Este estudo é o primeiro desse tipo na análise do crescimento climático de Pinus sibirica no noroeste da China. O estudo mostrou grande potencial para entender as espécies que crescem sob as condições climáticas específicas. Total de 70 testemunhos coletados em três locais na área de amostragem, dos quais 63 testemunhos considerados para este estudo. O efeito das variáveis climáticas estudadas incluem precipitação, temperatura e PDSI. Nossos resultados mostraram que a cronologia da Largura do Anel da Árvore tem uma correlação significativamente positiva com a temperatura do final do inverno (março) e uma correlação negativa significativa com as temperaturas de julho. Uma correlação significativa foi observada com a precipitação do final do verão, enquanto nenhuma relação significativa foi encontrada com o Índice de Severidade de Seca de Palmer. Essas correlações significativas com a temperatura e precipitação sugeriram que esta espécie de árvore tinha o potencial para a reconstrução do clima passado na área.

HPLC/QTOF-MS metabolomics analysis applied to identify skin biomarkers of UVC-induced skin injury in mice and preventive effects of abietic acid

Abietic acid (AA) is a main constituent from pine resin, which has definite therapeutical effects for treating skin ulcers and tumor. Here, we explored the metabolome changes in skin tissues of mice with UVC-induced skin injury treated with AA by a HPLC-QTOF-MS/MS method. Model mice were induced with UVC irradiation. Skin histopathological changes were examined by routine HE staining. Metabolomic analysis technology and pattern recognition statistical method were applied to analyze the metabolites in the skin tissues of mice to study the therapeutic effect of AA on UVC-induced skin injury in mice. Ceramides, sphingosines, glycyl-L-glutamine, dihydroorotic acid, adenosine, dCMP and lyso-phosphatidylcholines can be used as biomarkers of UVC-induced skin injury. AA can improve the pathological tissue from the pathway of skin lipid and purine pyrimidine metabolism to achieve the therapeutic effect. AA can effectively treat UVC-induced skin injury in mice

A new diterpenoid acid from the rosin of Pinus kesiya var. langbianensis (A.Chev.) Gaussen ex Bui / 药学学报

One undescribed diterpenoid acid and six compounds were isolated from the 95% ethanol fraction of Pinus kesiya var. langbianensis (A.Chev.) Gaussen ex Bui resin by using various chromatographic methods, including MCI Gel, Sephadex LH-20, ODS, silica gel and semi-preparative HPLC. The planar structures were identified by spectroscopy methods (1D, 2D NMR, UV, IR, MS, etc.), and the absolute configuration of the new compound was determined by ECD calculation. Compound 1 is a new compound, and compounds 2, 5-7 were isolated from Pinus kesiya var. langbianensis (A.Chev.) Gaussen ex Bui for the first time.

Protective effect of Pinus massoniana needle extract against oxidative stress in human dermal papilla cells via the nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2-antioxidant responsive element signaling pathway / 中华皮肤科杂志

Objective:To investigate protective effect of Pinus massoniana needle extract (PMNE) against oxidative stress in human dermal papilla cells (HDPC) , and to explore its mechanisms. Methods:As research objects, some cultured HDPC were treated with H 2O 2 at different concentrations of 0 (control group) , 0.1, 0.2, 0.4, 0.8 and 1.0 mmol/L, in order to establish the optimal condition for in vitro oxidative stress in HDPC; some other HDPC were transfected with nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) specific small interfering RNAs (siRNA1, siRNA2, siRNA3) or a Nrf2-overexpressing plasmid (pCMV6-XL5-Nrf2) , the HDPC transfected with a scrambled-siRNA and an empty plasmid pCMV6-XL5 served as the control siRNA group and control plasmid group respectively, and HDPC subjected to conventional culture served as the blank group; after the above treatment, real-time fluorescence-based quantitative PCR and Western blot analysis were performed to determine Nrf2 mRNA and protein expression, respectively; cell viability and apoptosis were detected in the above transfected cells after the treatment with H 2O 2 at an optimal concentration. In the subsequent experiment, some HDPC were divided into several groups: control group subjected to conventional culture, dihydrotestosterone group treated with 0.03 μg/ml dihydrotestosterone, proanthocyanidin group treated with 0.03 μg/ml dihydrotestosterone and 6.00 μg/ml proanthocyanidin B2, PMNE groups treated with 0.03 μg/ml dihydrotestosterone and PMNE at different concentrations of 1, 5, 25 and 100 μg/ml; after the above treatment, cell viability and apoptosis were detected, relative fluorescence intensity of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) , malondialdehyde (MDA) content, mRNA and protein expression of Nrf2, quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) , heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) , Kelch-like ECH-related protein 1 (Keap1) , transforming growth factor (TGF) -β1, Sma- and Mad-related protein 2/3 (Smad2/3) , phosphorylated Smad2/3 (p-Smad2/3) were determined in HDPC. One-way analysis of variance was used for comparisons among multiple groups, and least significant difference- t test for multiple comparisons. Results:The viability of HDPC ranged from 75% to 85% after the treatment with 0.4 mmol/L H 2O 2, which was selected as the optimal condition for in vitro oxidative stress in HDPC. Compared with the blank group and control siRNA group, the Nrf2-siRNA1, Nrf2-siRNA2, Nrf2-siRNA3 groups showed significantly decreased Nrf2 mRNA and protein expression (all P < 0.05) , but significantly increased apoptosis rate (Nrf2-siRNA1, Nrf2-siRNA2, Nrf2-siRNA3 groups, blank group and control group: 12.50% ± 0.05%, 26.07% ± 0.05%, 58.44% ± 1.03%, 10.38% ± 0.64%, 13.05% ± 0.12%, respectively; all P < 0.05) . Nrf2 protein expression was the lowest in the Nrf2-siRNA2 group, so Nrf2-siRNA2 was selected as the optimal interfering fragment for subsequent experiments. Compared with the blank group and control plasmid group, the Nrf2 overexpression group showed significantly increased Nrf2 mRNA and protein expression (both P < 0.05) , but a significantly decreased apoptosis rate (all P < 0.05) . After the treatment with 0.4 mmol/L H 2O 2, the Nrf2 overexpression group showed a significantly decreased apoptosis rate, but significantly increased cell viability compared with the empty vector group ( t = 3.66, 40.40, respectively, both P < 0.001) ; the Nrf2-siRNA2 group showed a significantly increased apoptosis rate, but significantly decreased cell viability compared with the control group ( t = 13.13, 67.37, respectively, both P < 0.001) . In the PMNE treatment experiment, the proanthocyanidin group and PMNE groups showed significantly increased cell viability, but significantly decreased apoptosis rates compared with the dihydrotestosterone group (all P < 0.01) ; proanthocyanidin and PMNE at different concentrations could significantly inhibit dihydrotestosterone-induced overexpression of ROS and MDA in HDPC (all P < 0.01) ; the protein expression of Nrf2, NQO1 and HO-1 was significantly higher in the proanthocyanidin group, 5-, 25- and 100-μg/ml PMNE groups than in the dihydrotestosterone group (all P < 0.05) , while the protein expression of Keap1 and TGF-β1, and the Smad2/3 phosphorylation level were significantly lower in the proanthocyanidin group, 25- and 100-μg/ml PMNE groups than in the dihydrotestosterone group (all P < 0.05) . Conclusion:Nrf2 plays an important role in protecting against oxidative damage in HDPC, and PMNE may exert marked protective effect on HDPC by activating the Nrf2-antioxidant responsive element signaling pathway.

Determination of compositional differences of lichens on Pinus brutia in different environmental conditions

Aim: Epiphytic lichens are biological indicators, which can give information about the environmental changes of the ecosystem. The differences in richness and community compositions of lichens can indicate the environmental quality of their location. This study was done in order to examine the possible differences in richness and in community composition of lichens that may have occurred in the research area, Kurşunlu Waterfall Nature Park and surroundings.Methodology: Kurşunlu Waterfall Nature Park and surroundings was divided into 4 sections; natural area near brook, natural pine forest area, planted pine forest area and agricultural greenhouses area. The study was planned to focus on epiphytic lichens living on Pinus brutia Ten. trees. European Guideline, which is a standardized method to assess lichen diversity (LDV) on tree bark for monitoring environmental stress, was used for monitoring quality of four different environmental conditions with lichens. In order to determine the differences of lichen community composition of these four conditions, some statistical analyses were performed. Results: Lichen richness of planted pine forest area was found poorer and statistically different than the other areas. In addition, the lichen community composition of natural pine forest area was found significantly different than the agricultural greenhouse area and the natural area near brook, partly different than the planted pine forest area. Statistical evaluations indicate that the natural pine forest area had natural or semi-natural habitat characteristics and there was no or less eutrophication in this region. Also it showed that other areas were affected by the presence of human damage and eutrophic pollution load in the environment. This eutrophic pollution load was related to non-ecological agriculture applications around the park. Interpretation: This study proves that epiphytic lichens change their community composition by adapting to changes in environmental conditions. Also this study showed that lichens are strong indicators of environmental quality.

Supercritical CO2 Extraction of Volatile Oil in Pine Needle of Pinus yunnanensis from Different Habitats and Analysis by GC-MS / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To analyze and compare the volatile oil components of pine needle of Pinus yunnanensis from different habitats. Method:The volatile oils of pine needle of P. yunnanensis from 12 different habitats were extracted by supercritical CO2 extraction （SFE-CO2），the components were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry （GC-MS），and relative percentage of each component was determined by peak area normalization method，and SPSS 20.0 software was used for principal component analysis. Result:The 137 compounds were isolated from the volatile oil of pine needle of P. yunnanensis from 12 different producing areas，with 1 sample identified 57 species，2 samples identified 57 species，3 samples identified 54 species，4 samples identified 48 species，5 samples to identify 58 species，6 samples identified 60 species，7 samples identified 53 species，8 samples identified 55 species，9 samples identified 56 species，10 samples to identify 58 species，11 samples identified 54 species and 12 samples to identify 50 species，composed of hydrocarbon，acid，alcohol，ester，aldehyde，ketone，phenol，ether 8 compounds，including 11 common composition including alpha pinene，beta pinene，beta caryophyllene，7C，10C，16C-hexadecatrienoic acid and palmitic acid methyl ester，palmitic acid，phthalic acid dibutyl do acid，alcohol，stearic acid，mountain，wood tar acid. Conclusion:In this study，supercritical CO2 extraction （SFE-CO2） was used to extract the volatile oil of pine needle of P. yunnanensis from different habitats. It was found that the volatile oil of pine needle of P. yunnanensis was mainly composed of hydrocarbons，acids，esters and alcohols. And the content and species of volatile oil of pine needle of P. yunnanensis from different producing areas differ greatly which lay a foundation for the further development and utilization of pine needle of P. yunnanensis resources.

Investigating the use of pine needle extract as biological herbicide for weed control in bean crop

Aim: The study was undertaken to investigate the inhibitory effect of pine needle extract (Pinus eldarica) on the vegetative growth of weeds found in bean fields. Methodology: Aqueous extracts [25, 50, 75 and 100% of pine needles were applied to common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) and weeds (prosomillet and redroot pigweed). The effect extract on seedling growth, physiological and biochemical characteristics were subsequently investigated. The experiment was carried out completely a randomized design with three replicates. Phytochemical compounds of pine needle extracts were determined spectrophotometrically. Results: Extracts of pine needles increased the Chl a, Chl b, total Chl and carotenoid contents of bean varieties in comparison to control; while the level of these pigments were considerably low in weeds. The lowest content of proline and phenolic compounds, as well as the highest peroxidation of biomembrane lipids was detected in redroot pigweed treated with 100% needle extract. Although peroxidase and catalase activities dramatically increased in bean varieties proportional to the extract concentration applied. Auxin oxidase and nitrate reductase activities in both weeds significantly (p<0.05) decreased due to treatment. The sensitivity of weeds to allelochemicals was higher as compared to bean varieties. Content of phenolics and proanthocyanidins were also high in pine needle extracts, which was correlated to the inhibitory effect on the weeds studied. Interpretation: The results of this investigation point to a positive effect of the use of Eldar pine needle extracts as a natural herbicide in comparison to the chemical counter parts.

Adsorção do azul de metileno em serragem de Pinus elliottii (pinus) e Drepanostachyum falcatum (bambu) / Methylene blue adsorption in Pinus elliottii (pine) and Drepanostachyum falcatum (bamboo) sawdust

RESUMO A cinética, o equilíbrio e os parâmetros termodinâmicos de adsorção foram investigados para a adsorção do corante azul de metileno (AM) por meio dos biossorventes Pinus elliottii (pinus) e Drepanostachyum falcatum (bambu). A cinética de adsorção foi descrita mais precisamente pelo modelo de pseudossegunda ordem, os dados de equilíbrio monocomponente foram mais bem representados pela isoterma de Langmuir, para as três temperaturas estudadas (15, 25 e 35°C), e os parâmetros termodinâmicos demonstraram que o processo de adsorção é exotérmico, de natureza química e não espontâneo. A máxima capacidade adsortiva do pinus foi de 47 mg L-1 e a do bambu, de 38 mg L-1 para os ensaios de adsorção realizados com AM (100 mg L-1 a 35°C). Por fim, os biossorventes foram considerados promissores para a remoção do adsorvato AM em matriz aquosa sob valor de pH próximo à neutralidade (6,5).

ABSTRACT Kinetics, equilibrium and thermodynamic adsorption parameters were investigated for the adsorption of the methylene blue dye (MB) by means of the biosorbents Pinus elliottii (pinus) and Drepanostachyum falcatum (bamboo). The adsorption kinetics were described more precisely by the pseudo-second order model; the monocomponent equilibrium's data were better represented by the Langmuir isotherm for the three temperatures studied (15, 25 and 35°C) and the thermodynamic parameters showed the adsorption process is exothermic, of a chemical nature and not spontaneous. The maximum adsorptive capacity of pinus was 47 mg L-1 and 38 mg L-1 bamboo for adsorption tests performed with MB (100 mg L-1 at 35°C). Finally, the biosorbents were considered promising for the adsorbate MB removal in aqueous matrix under pH value close to neutrality (6.5).

Antiproliferative activity of biomass extract from Pseudomonas cedrina

Background: The study of plant-associated microorganisms is very important in the discovery and development of bioactive compounds. Pseudomonas is a diverse genus of Gammaproteobacteria comprising more than 60 species capable of establishing themselves in many habitats, which include leaves and stems of many plants. There are reports of metabolites with diverse biological activity obtained from bacteria of this genus, and some of the metabolites have shown cytotoxic activity against cancer cell lines. Because of the high incidence of cancer, research in recent years has focused on obtaining new sources of active compounds that exhibit interesting pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic properties that lead to the development of new therapeutic agents. Results: A bacterial strain was isolated from tumors located in the stem of Pinus patula, and it was identified as Pseudomonas cedrina. Extracts from biomass and broth of P. cedrina were obtained with chloroform:methanol (1:1). Only biomass extracts exhibited antiproliferative activity against human tumor cell lines of cervix (HeLa), lung (A-549), and breast (HBL-100). In addition, a biomass extract from P. cedrina was fractioned by silica gel column chromatography and two diketopiperazines were isolated: cyclo-(L-Prolyl-L-Valine) and cyclo-(L-Leucyl-L-Proline). Conclusions: This is the first report on the association of P. cedrina with the stems of P. patula in Mexico and the antiproliferative activity of extracts from this species of bacteria against human solid tumor cell lines.

Efeitos dos picnogenol® na doença aterosclerótica crônica / Effects of picnogenol® on chronic atherosclerosis

A doença aterosclerótica crônica (DAC) é uma condição bastante prevalente em nosso meio e uma das principais doenças cardiovasculares ligadas ao envelhecimento. Dentre as opções terapêuticas adjuvantes, o Picnogenol ®, extrato da casca do Pinus pinaster, tem sido alvo de estudo em decorrência de função antioxidante, anti-inflamatória e antiplaquetária. Este artigo é uma revisão narrativa, cujo objetivo é avaliar o uso do Picnogenol® como opção terapêutica da DAC. Os estudos incluídos foram pesquisados nas bases de dados: PubMed, Scielo, The Cochrane Library, Scopus e LILACS, sendo excluídos, considerando suas restrições para avaliação terapêutica, os relatos de caso e séries de caso com n ≤ 5. Como resultado, os estudos têm apontado vantagens do uso Picnogenol® no tratamento da DAC, assim como de outras doenças cardiovasculares, porém, o número de pesquisas ainda é pequeno (principalmente ensaios clínicos) e há importantes limitações de tamanho amostral, o que dificulta sua atual recomendação na prática clínica

Chronic atherosclerosis is a highly prevalent condition and one of the main cardiovascular diseases linked to the aging process. Among the adjuvant therapeutic options, Pycnogenol® (Pinus pinaster bark extract) has been studied because of its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antiplatelet functions. This article is a narrative review aimed at evaluating the use of Pycnogenol® as a therapeutic option in the treatment of chronic atherosclerosis. The studies included were obtained from the following databases: PubMed, Scielo, The Cochrane Library, Scopus and LILACS. Case reports and case series with n≤5 were excluded due to their restrictions for therapeutic evaluation. As a result, the studies have indicated advantages in the use of Pycnogenol® in the treatment of chronic atherosclerosis as well as other cardiovascular diseases. However, the number of studies is still small (particularly clinical trials), and there are important sample size limitations, which restricts its current recommendation in clinical practice

Chemical composition of Mentha suaveolens and Pinus halepensis essential oils and their antibacterial and antioxidant activities

Objective: To determin the chemical compounds of Mentha suaveolens (M. suaveolens) and Pinus halepensis (P. halepensis) essential oils (Eos) and evaluate their antioxidant and antibacterial activities. Methods: The chemical composition of P. halepensis and M. suaveolens EOs was determined by GC-MS analysis. The antioxidant activity was evaluated using DPPH, ABTS and FRAP assays. The antibacterial effect was tested against 6 bacterial strains using the well diffusion method and micro-dilution assay. Results: The major components of P. halepensis EOs were β-caryophyllene (28.04%), myrcene (23.81%) and α-pinene (12.02%). However, piperitenone oxid (56.28%), piperitenone (11.64%) and pulegone (6.16%) were the major components of M. suaveolens EOs. M. suaveolens EOs showed remarkable antioxidant activities compared with P. halepensis EOs, showing antioxidant capacity values of IC50=(64.76±2.24) μg/mL, IC50=(82.73±3.34) μg/mL, and IC50=(93.35±4.45) μg/mL, revealed by DPPH, ABTS and FRAP assays, respectively. However, P. halepensis EOs showed interesting antibacterial effects against all bacterial strains. The most sensible strains to P. halepensis EOs were Staphylococcus aureus [(34.00±0.50) mm], Listeria monocytogenes [(31.00±1.50)] mm and Proteus mirabilis [(29.00±2.25)mm]. Furthermore, the lowest minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC) values were revealed by P. halepensis EOs against Staphylococcus aureus [MIC=MBC=0.125% (v/v)] and Listeria monocytogenes [MIC=MBC=0.25% (v/v)]. Conclusions: P. halepensis and M. suaveolens EOs contain bioactive compounds that could have potential applications against bacterial infections and oxidative stress related diseases as well as for food conservation. However, further investigations are necessary to isolate and investigate the action mechanisms of these bioactive compounds.

Effect of an extraction solvent on the antioxidant quality of Pinus densiflora needle extract / 药物分析学报

Pinus densiflora needle extract (PDNE) is widely reported to have many pharmacological activities including antioxidant potential. However, the solvent system used for extraction greatly affects its antioxidant quality. Hence, in the present study, we investigated the effect of a different ratio (vol/vol) of ethanol to water (0-100％) in the extraction of PDNE with potent antioxidant capacity. The chemical assays, 2,2-diphenyl-1 picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS), were conducted to assess the antioxidant potential of PDNE. Subsequently, the cytoprotective effect of PDNE was determined using tert-butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP)-challenged HepG2 cellular model. The needle extracts from 40％ ethanol (PDNE-40) showed greater radical scavenging activity followed by 60％, 20％, 80％, 0％ and 100％ ethanol extracts. EC50 value of the most active extract, PDNE-40, was 8.56 ± 0.51 μg/mL, relative to 1.34 ± 0.28 μg/mL of the standard trolox (for ABTS radical), and 75.96 ± 11.60 μg/mL, relative to 4.83 ± 0.26 μg/mL of the standard trolox (for DPPH radical). Either PDNE-20 or PDNE-40 pretreatment remarkably decreased the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), lipid peroxides and protein carbonyls in TBHP-challenged HepG2 cells. In addition, both PDNE-20 and PDNE-40 significantly reversed the decreased ratio of reduced (GSH) to oxidized (GSSG) glutathione. Moreover, these two extracts showed a significant inhibitory effect on TBHP-induced nuclear damage and loss of cell viability. In summary, the inclusion of 40％ ethanol in water for extraction of Pinus densiflora needle greatly increases the antioxidant quality of the extract.

Chemical composition of Mentha suaveolens and Pinus halepensis essential oils and their antibacterial and antioxidant activities

Objective: To determin the chemical compounds of Mentha suaveolens (M. suaveolens) and Pinus halepensis (P. halepensis) essential oils (Eos) and evaluate their antioxidant and antibacterial activities. Methods: The chemical composition of P. halepensis and M. suaveolens EOs was determined by GC-MS analysis. The antioxidant activity was evaluated using DPPH, ABTS and FRAP assays. The antibacterial effect was tested against 6 bacterial strains using the well diffusion method and micro-dilution assay. Results: The major components of P. halepensis EOs were β-caryophyllene (28.04%), myrcene (23.81%) and α-pinene (12.02%). However, piperitenone oxid (56.28%), piperitenone (11.64%) and pulegone (6.16%) were the major components of M. suaveolens EOs. M. suaveolens EOs showed remarkable antioxidant activities compared with P. halepensis EOs, showing antioxidant capacity values of IC

Tijolos leves para alvenaria produzidos a partir de resíduos da indústria madeireira / Lightweight masonry bricks produced from wood industry waste

RESUMO O objetivo deste trabalho foi verificar a possibilidade de utilização de compósitos cimento-madeira na fabricação de componentes leves para alvenaria, visando reduzir os prejuízos ambientais causados pela disposição final da serragem proveniente do desdobro da madeira. Primeiramente foram analisadas as propriedades físicas (teor de umidade, absorção de água, índice de vazios e massa específica) e mecânicas (resistência à compressão e módulo de elasticidade dinâmico) de diferentes traços cimento:areia, cimento:areia:serragem e cimento:serragem. A partir de traços selecionados foram fabricados tijolos maciços de alvenaria com dimensões 90 × 90 × 190 mm, submetidos a ensaios para determinação da massa específica, teor de umidade, absorção de água e resistência à compressão. As propriedades físicas e mecânicas desses componentes foram comparadas com as exigências de normas brasileiras prescritivas referentes a componentes de alvenaria. Foram obtidos resultados satisfatórios, indicando que resíduos da indústria madeireira têm potencial para serem utilizados na produção de componentes leves de alvenaria, podendo ser aplicados como material de construção alternativo.

ABSTRACT The main objective of this work was to investigate the use of cement-wood composites to produce lightweight masonry elements, aiming to reduce environmental damages arising from the disposal of the sawdust originated from wood sawing process. Physical (moisture content, water absorption, void ratio and specific gravity) and mechanical (compressive strength and dynamic Young's modulus) properties of different cement:sand, cement:sand:sawdust and cement:sawdust mix proportions were evaluated. Specific gravity, moisture content, water absorption and compressive strength of 90 × 90 × 190 mm bricks, produced from selected mix proportions, were determined and compared to the requirements of the Brazilian standards for masonry elements. The satisfactory results obtained indicate that lightweight masonry bricks produced with wastes from wood industry have the potential to become an alternative for traditional building materials.

Cuban flora species as a potential source of DNA protective compounds / Especies de la flora cubana cómo fuente potencial de compuestos protectores del DNA

Environmental exposure to genotoxic agents represents a major health concern for modern society. DNA damage could lead to mutations, which accumulative effect is closely related to degenerative and lethal diseases, such as cancer. Because of their structural and chemical diversity natural products play a fundamental role in pharmaceutical sciences for novel drug discovery. The present review article focuses on pre-clinical studies done with some species from Cuban flora that have been tested with positive antigenotoxic properties against different genotoxins. Special emphasis regarding molecular mechanisms suggested, from antioxidant activity to DNA repair modulation, a critical discussion of the state of art and the perspectives in the use of these plants as a new and promising strategy for genoprotection in the 21st Century are included.

La exposición ambiental a agentes genotóxicos representa un problema de salud significativo en la sociedad actual. El daño al ADN puede generar mutaciones, cuyo efecto acumulativo se encuentra estrechamente relacionado con enfermedades degenerativas y letales como el cáncer. Debido a su diversidad estructural y química los productos naturales juegan un papel fundamental en las ciencias farmacéuticas en el descubrimiento de nuevas drogas. El presente artículo de revisión puntualiza estudios pre-clínicos realizados con determinadas especies de la flora cubana que han sido estudiadas con una respuesta antioxidante positiva frente a diferentes genotoxinas. Se enfatizan especialmente los mecanismos moleculares sugeridos, desde actividad antioxidante hasta modulación de la reparación del ADN, así como una discusión crítica del estado del arte y las perspectivas en el empleo de estas plantas como una estrategia nueva y prometedora para la genoprotección en el siglo 21.

Chemical constituents of essential oils from three Vietnamese species of Pinus / Constituyentes químicos de los aceites esenciales de tres especies Vietnamitas de Pinus

This paper reports the chemical composition of essential oils obtained from Pinus dalatensis Ferré, Pinus kwangtungensis Chun ex. Tsiang and Pinus armandii subsp. xuannhaensis L.K. Phan. The oils were studied by gas chromatograpgy (GC) and gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The main constituents of P. dalatensis were the terpene hydrocarbons namely α-pinene (38.2%), ß- pinene (25.3%), ß-myrcene (11.0%) and ß-caryophyllene (10.5%), while α-cedrol (19.2%) was the only significant compound of P. armandi subsp. xuannhaensis. P. kwangtungensis showed ß-pinene (26.3%), α-pinene (18.0%), limonene (16.1%) and ß-myrcene (10.4%) as the dominant compounds. The volatile constituents of P. dalatensis and P. armandi subsp. xuannhaensis are being reported for the first time.

En este artículo se reportan los constituyentes químicos de los aceites esenciales de Pinus dalatensis Ferré, Pinus kwangtungensis Chun ex. Tsiang y Pinus armandii subsp. Xuannhaensis L.K. Phan que se analizaron mediante cromatografía de Gases (GC) y por Cromatografía de Gases acoplada a la Espectrometría de Masas (GC-EM). Los principales constituyentes de P. dalatensis fueron los hidrocarburos terpénicos, a saber, α-pineno (38.2%), ß-pineno (25.3%), ß-mirceno (11.0%) y ß-cariofileno (10.5%). Por otro lado, α- cedrol (19.2%) fue el único compuesto significativo de P. armandi subsp. Xuannhaensis mientras que el aceite de P. kwangtungensis estuvo dominado por ß-pineno (26.3%), α-pineno (18.0%), limoneno (16.1%) y ß-mirceno (10.4%). Los constituyentes volátiles de P. dalatensis y P. armandi subsp. xuannhaensis se informa por primera vez.

Sealing effects of pinus massoniana bark extract on dentin tubule and its wear resistance in vitro / 西安交通大学学报(医学版)

Objective To observe the sealing effect of transient pinus massoniana bark extract (PMBE)pre-coating on dentin tubules and its wear resistance so as to provide an experimental basis for PMBE to be used to prevent and treat dentin hypersensitivity.Methods The model of dentin hypersensitivity was established by acid etching method.The samples were transient pre-coating with 80 g/L of PMBE ethanol solution,and then some of them experienced brushing wear treatment with ethanol group and fluorine vanish group as negative and positive controls.The surface and profile morphologies of the samples were observed using field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM)in each group.The area of dentin tubular openings (ADTO)and percentage area of dentin tubular openings (PADTO)were also measured.Results The dentin tubules were opened completely and the lumen of dentin tubules was empty in ethanol group.The dentin tubules were completely or basically closed and some films or plugging could be seen in the lumen of dentin tubules in fluorine vanish/immediate group and PMBE/immediate group.The dentin tubules were partly opened and some wear marks could be seen on the dentin surface in fluorine vanish/wear groups,PMBE/wear groups.ADTO and PADTO in ethanol group were significantly higher than those in fluorine vanish groups and PMBE groups (P＜0.05).ADTO and PADTO did not significantly differ between fluorine vanish/wear groups and PMBE/wear groups (P＞0.05),which were all significantly higher than those in fluorine vanish/immediate group and PMBE/immediate group (P＜0.05).Conclusion Local transient pre-coating of PMBE ethanol solution can achieve fine immediate sealing effect of dentin tubules and some degree of wear resistance.

Content Determination of Total Flavonoids and Shikimic Acid in Pine Needles of Pinus massoniana Lamb. in Wudang Area / 中国中医药信息杂志

Objective To establish a method to determine the contents of total flavonoids and shikimic acid in pine needles of Pinus massoniana Lamb.in Wudang Area.Methods Rutin was used as reference standard,and the content of total flavonoids in pine needles of Pinus massoniana Lamb. was determined by UV spectrometry at wavelength of 500 nm. The content of shikimic acid was determined by HPLC-DAD. The Fortis Xi C8 column (5 μm, 250 mm × 4.6 mm) was adopted with acetonitrile - 0.4% phosphoric acid solution (8:92, V/V) as mobile phase at the flow rate of 0.9 mL/min. The detection wavelength was 213 nm; the column temperature was 30 ℃; the injection volume was 20 μL. Results The linear range was 8.26-49.54 μg for rutin (r=0.999 4) with an average recovery of 99.2%, RSD=1.94%. The linear range was 10.26-61.56 μg for shikimic acid (r=0.999 4) with an average recovery of 99.5%,RSD=1.93%.The contents of total flavonoids in pine needles of Pinus massoniana Lamb.was 28.33 mg/g, and shikimic acid was 15.25 mg/g, respectively. Conclusion The method is simple, rapid, accurate and reproducible. It can be used for the content determination of total flavonoids and shikimic acid in pine needles of Pinus massoniana Lamb. in Wudang Area.

Composición florística, estructura y biomasa de los bosques de pino-encino en la reserva Santa Rosa, Tisey, Estelí, Nicaragua / Floristic composition, structure and biomass of pine-oak forests in the reserve Santa Rosa, Tisey, Estelí, Nicaragua

ResumenLos bosques de Pino-Encino se distribuyen desde el centro de México hasta el norte de Nicaragua y representan un ecosistema de importancia para la conservación en Mesoamérica. En Nicaragua, diferentes áreas protegidas fueron creadas para la preservación de este ecosistema tal como la reserva natural Tisey-Estanzuela, pero son considerados susceptibles a la degradación debido a la deforestación y la agricultura, así como presentarse en un nicho ecológico estrecho (700 a 1 500 msnm). En este trabajo, estudiamos la estructura y composición florística en un gradiente de altitud en un bosque mixto de PinusQuercus de tierras altas en Estelí, en el norte de Nicaragua. Un inventario de vegetación en 15 parcelas rectangulares (0.1 ha 20X50 m) fue llevado a cabo para identificar patrones de densidad de árboles, diversidad de especies y almacenamiento de carbono. En cada parcela todos los fustes con diámetro mayor o igual a 2.5 cm fueron identificados a especie y medidos (diámetro a la altura del pecho y altura total). Un total de 1 081 individuos de 24 especies (17 familias y 21 géneros) fueron registrados, siendo Q. sapotifolia, P. maximinoi, C. vicentina, M. coriacea y S. gladulosum las especies más abundantes representando 92 % de los individuos. Tres asociaciones vegetales fueron definidas basadas en la abundancia y dominancia de Q. sapotifolia, P. maximinoi y las otras especies, dos de estas asociaciones fueron dominadas por Pinus (Bosque de Pino y Bosques de Pino-encino) a altitudes entre 1 300 a 1 400 msnm, mientras la tercera asociación por encinos y otras especies (Cletha vicentina, Myrsine coriaceae, Sapium glandulosum) fue encontrada principalmente a altitudes mayores de 1 400 msnm. La composición y diversidad de especies fue influenciada significativamente por la dominancia de Pinus, mostrando una correlación negativa entre la dominancia y la riqueza de especies de árboles latifoliados diferentes de Quercus spp. Sin embargo, la asociación dominada por Pinus presentó un volumen y biomasa de fustes mayor comparado con las otras asociaciones. Los resultados de este estudio sugieren que los bosques dominados por doseles de encinos o pino-encino presentan la diversidad más alta, mientras bosques dominados por Pinus presentan menor diversidad arbórea por mayor biomasa aérea y almacenamiento de carbono. Por tal razón, se sugiere que estrategias de pagos por servicios ambientales como secuestro de carbono o conservación de la biodiversidad tomen en cuenta las diferencias de las asociaciones encontradas.

AbstractThe pine-oak forest is distributed from Central Mexico to the North of Nicaragua and represent an important ecosystem for conservation in Mesoamerica. In Nicaragua, several protected areas were established for the preservation of this ecosystem, such as the natural reserve Tisey-Estanzuela; however, this forest is considered susceptible to degradation, due to increasing deforestation and agricultural activities, besides being a narrow ecological niche (700 to 1 500 masl). We studied the floristic composition, forest structure and biomass along an altitude gradient dominated by Pinus-Quercus in forest stands on the highlands of Esteli, Northern Nicaragua. A vegetation survey on 15 plots (0.1 ha = 20x50 m) was carried out to identify patterns of tree density and diversity, and carbon stocks. In each plot, all the woody stems with diameter greater or equal to 2.5 cm were identified to species and the diameter at breast height and total height were measured. A total amount of 1 081 individuals of 24 species (17 families and 21 genera) were registered, being Q. sapotifolia, P. maximinoi, C. vicentina, M. coriacea and S. gladulosum the most abundant species representing 92 % of the individuals. Three forest associations were defined based on the abundance and dominance of Q. sapotifolia, P. maximinoi and the other species, two of those associations were dominated by Pinus (pine forest and pine-oak forest) at altitudes between 1 300 to 1 400 masl, while the third association, dominated by oak and other species (Cletha vicentina, Myrsine coriaceae and Sapium glandulosum), was found mainly at altitudes higher than 1 400 masl. Tree composition and species richness was influenced significantly by the dominance of Pinus, showing a negative correlation between the dominance and species richness of broadleaved trees other than Quercus spp. with the dominance of Pinus spp. (P < 0.001). However, the association dominated by Pinus, presented higher stem volume and biomass compared with other associations. The results from this study suggest that stands with both, an oak- or oak-pine-dominated canopy, presented the highest diversity, while Pinus dominated stands presented lower tree diversity, but higher aerial biomass and carbon storage. For this reason, we suggest that the strategies for ecosystem service payments as carbon sequestration or biodiversity conservation, must take into account differences in the type of forest associations found in this work.