The relaxing effect of Poncirus fructus and its flavonoid content on porcine coronary artery / 한국실험동물학회지

Coronary artery disease is a common occurrence in human, and causes enormous social cost. Poncirus fructus (PF), the dried immature fruits of Poncirus trifoliata Rafinesquem, is used in the treatment of womb contraction and dyspepsia, as a prokinetic, and in improving blood circulation. This study was performed to investigate the effects of PF and some of its flavonoids components on the coronary from the pig. The arterial ring was suspended by a pair of stainless steel stirrups in an organ bath. The end of the upper stirrup was connected to an isometric force transducer. A dose-dependent induction of relaxation was observed by both water and 70% ethanol extracts of PF in the porcine coronary artery precontracted with U46619 (100 nM), a stable analogue of the potent vasoconstrictor thromboxane A2. The 70% ethanol extract showed more efficacy than the water extract. Pretreatment of the artery with L-NAME (100 microM), a nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, resulted in a significant reduction in the relaxation induced by PF extract. In addition, ODQ (10 microM), a soluble guanylate cyclase inhibitor, also significantly reduced the effects of PF extracts. Hesperidin, a flavonoid present in PF, induced very weak relaxation of the porcine coronary artery at a high concentration (100 microM), while its aglycone, hesperetin, demonstrated a dose-dependent relaxation. In conclusion, PF extracts induced relaxation in the porcine coronary artery, partially through the nitric oxide-cGMP pathway, and the aglycones of flavonoids might be also involved in the relaxation of the same artery.

A study of the lipoprotein lipase inhibitory mechanism of Poncirus trifoliata water extracts / 한국영양학회지

PURPOSE: Poncirus trifoliata has been reported to have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and immune activities. However, its anti-obesity activity and the mechanism by which the water extract of dried, immature fruit of Poncirus trifoliata (PF-W) acts are not clear. This study suggests a potential mechanism associated with the anti-obesity activity of PF-W. METHODS: We measured the effect of PF-W on lipoprotein lipase (LPL) regulation using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and an activity assay. The LPL regulation mechanism was examined by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to measure the mRNA expression of biomarkers related to protein transport and by western blot for analysis of the protein expression of the transcription factor CCAAT-enhancer-binding protein (C/EBPbeta) RESULTS: The total polyphenol and flavonoid content of PF-W was 52.15 +/- 4.02 and 6.56 +/- 0.47 mg/g, respectively. PF-W treatment decreased LPL content in media to 58 +/- 5% of that in control adipocyte media, and increased LPL content to 117 +/- 3.5% of that in control adipocytes, but did not affect the mRNA expression of LPL. PF-W also increased the mRNA expression of sortilin-related receptor (SorLA), a receptor that induces endocytosis and intracellular trafficking of LPL, in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. Finally, cell fractionation revealed that PF-W treatment induced the expression of C/EBPbeta, a SorLA transcription factor, in the nuclei of 3T3-L1 adipocytes. CONCLUSION: The LPL secretion and activity assay showed PF-W to be an LPL secretion inhibitor, and these results suggest the potential mechanism of PF-W involving inhibition of LPL secretion through C/EBPbeta-mediated induction of SorLA expression.

Controle químico do cancro cítrico em plantas jovens sob manejo convencional e orgânico / Quemical control of citrus canker in young plants managed in conventional and organic systems

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o desenvolvimento de porta-enxertos de Poncirus trifoliata Raf. e de enxertos de laranjeira "Valência" (Citrus sinensis Osb.), os índices de ataque de cancro cítrico, causado pela bactéria Xanthomonas citri pv. citri, artificialmente inoculada, e o controle dessa moléstia, com pulverizações cúpricas em sistemas de cultivo, convencional e orgânico, no Centro de Formação da EMATER, situado no município de Montenegro, Estado do Rio Grande do Sul. Foram testadas pulverizações cúpricas a cada 7, 14 e 21 dias, com concentrações de 0,15 e 0,30 por cento de cobre metálico, utilizando calda bordalesa no sistema orgânico e oxicloreto de cobre no sistema convencional. Foram avaliados o crescimento do diâmetro do caule das plantas, a produção de matéria seca da parte aérea dos porta-enxertos, o número de folhas com lesões de cancro cítrico e o número de lesões presentes por folha atacada. Verificou-se que em ambos os sistemas de cultivo, no convencional e no orgânico, o desenvolvimento dos porta-enxertos foi semelhante, mas os enxertos cresceram mais no sistema convencional. Com elevada presença de fontes de inóculo, os tratamentos cúpricos não controlaram o cancro cítrico nos porta-enxertos. Já nos enxertos, com baixa presença de fontes de inóculo, tanto a calda bordalesa como o oxicloreto de cobre controlaram a doença, com melhor resposta na concentração de 0,3 por cento de cobre metálico, aplicada em intervalos de 14 dias. Para melhorar o controle do cancro cítrico, com calda bordalesa, em sistemas orgânicos de cultivo, devem ser desenvolvidas medidas eficazes de controle da larva-minadora.