Quantification of hepatotoxic pyrrolizidine alkaloid adonifoline in traditional Chinese medicine preparations containing Senecionis Scandentis Herba / 中国中药杂志

Pyrrolizidine alkaloids(PAs) are a kind of natural toxins, which can cause severe hepatotoxicity, pulmonary toxicity, genotoxicity, neurotoxicity, embryotoxicity and even death. Therefore, international organizations and countries such as World Health Organization have paid great attention to herbal medicines and preparations containing PAs. PAs are widely distributed in Chinese herb medicines and contained in hundreds of traditional Chinese medicine preparations. The content of adonifoline, the main PAs in Senecionis Scandentis Herba, shall be less than 0.004% in herbal medicines as described in Chinese pharmacopeia. However, there is no guidance in preparations which contain Senecionis Scandentis Herba. In this study, 14 preparations were analyzed by an UPLC-MS method. Among them, 8 preparations were found to contain adonifoline much higher than the content limits of such countries as Germany, Netherlands and New Zealand. And the highest contents of adonifoline were found in Qianbai Biyan Tablets and Qianbai Biyan Capsules, which are officially recorded in Chinese Pharmacopeia. The contents of adonifoline varied in different batches of the same preparations. The highest content was 156.10 μg·g~(-1) Qianbai Biyan Tablets, whose daily intake of adonifoline was up to 1 030.26 μg according to the recommended dosage of the preparation. Our results showed the potential risk of these preparations, and the content limit of adonifoline shall be inspected Chinese medicine preparations containing Senecionis Scandentis Herba.

Adaptive variation of Patagonian Senecio patagonicus Hook. & Arn., Adesmia boronioides Hook.F. and Lepidophyllum cupressiforme (Lam.) Cass. as a plant response to environmental stress / Variación adaptativa en respuesta al estrés ambiental de Senecio patagonicus, Adesmia boronioides y Lepidophyllum cupressiforme que habitan en dos localidades de la Patagonia chilena

Different analyses were carried out on the following plant species: Adesmia boronioides Hook.F., Senecio patagonicus Hook. & Arn. and Lepidophyllum cupressiforme (Lam.) Cass. in order to compare the photosynthetic pigment, carotenoid and phenylpropanoid contents. Total phenolic content and antioxidant capacity were measured by using common established reagents: Folin-Ciocalteau and ABTS respectively. Plant samples were collected from specimens growing inside the National Park Pali Aike and the Botanic Garden Carl Skottsberg in Punta Arenas city. The results showed no marked tendencies between photosynthetic pigments. Nevertheless, a good correlation was found among the antioxidant capacity and phenolic compounds. Furthermore, species growing in the Pali Aike National Park seem to be more adapted to the environmental conditions.

Se realizaron diferentes análisis al contenido de pigmentos fotosintéticos, carotenoides y fenilpropanoides. El contenido de fenoles totales y la capacidad antioxidante se midieron usando reactivos ampliamente conocidos: Folin-Ciocalteau y ABTS respectivamente en las siguientes especies: Adesmia boronioides, Senecio patagonicus y Lepidophyllum cupressiforme. Estas plantas se encuentran en el Parque Nacional Pali Aike y en el Jardín Botánico Carl Skottsberg en la ciudad de Punta Arenas. Los resultados no muestran una tendencia clara entre las muestras de pigmentos fotosintéticos. Sin embargo, se pudo observar una buena correlación entre la capacidad antioxidante y el contenido de compuestos fenólicos. Además, aparentemente las especies que crecen en el Parque Nacional Pali Aike están más adaptadas a esas condiciones ambientales.

Biological activity of a furanoeremophilane isolated from Senecio filaginoides var. filaginoides / Actividad biológica de un furanoeremofilano aislado de Senecio filaginoides var. filaginoides

Compound, 10H-9-oxofuranoeremophilane was isolated from Senecio filaginoides var. filaginoides, and its structure established on the basis of spectral analysis and and comparison with literature data. Antimicrobial activity was demonstrated against Candida spp but not against bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Pseudomona aeruginosa). Besides, the compound showed antifungal activity and effect on mycelial growth of the phytopathogenic fungus Botrytis cinerea. and comparison with literature data.

Un compuesto, 10H-9-oxofuranoeremofilano fue aislado de Senecio filaginoides var. filaginoides, esta estructura fue establecida sobre la base del análisis espectral y comparación con datos bibliográficos. La actividad antimicrobiana fue demostrada contra Candida spp pero no contra las bacterias (S.aureus, E.coli y P. aeruginosa). Además el compuesto mostró actividad antifúngica y efectos sobre el crecimiento micelial del hongo fitopatógeno Botrytis cinerea.

Protein electrophoretic patterns and antifreezing activity in the leaf apoplast in the tropical andean species Senecio niveoaureus

Tropical high mountain plants have different adaptations to survive extreme daily temperature fluctuations and specially freezing night conditions. In winter plant species, survival to low temperatures is related to the ability of the cell to produce specific low molecular weight proteins (antifreezing proteins) and to export them to the apoplast. In order to see if high mountain tropical plants survive to low temperatures through the same mechanism we collected, during a 24 hourperiod, leaves from Senecio niveoaureus growing at 3,300 and 3,600 m.o.s.l, in the Páramo de Palacio, Chingaza, Colombia. Leaf apoplast proteins had MW between 3512 kDa. Electrophoretic patterns were different depending on the altitude and the time of sampling. However the observed variations could not be linked to changes in temperature or to the altitudinal gradient. Antifreeze activity was detected in leaf apoplast of plants at different altitudes. This is the first report of antifreeze activity in a high mountain tropical species.

Estudio taxonómico del grupo de especies Solanum confine de la sección Geminata (solanaceae) / Taxonomic study of the group of species Solanum confine of the section Geminata (Solanaceae)

La Sección Geminata es una de las más grandes del género Solanum, incluyendo un total de 126 especies que han sido separadas en 16 grupos, de los cuales 12 están representados en Venezuela con 35 especies. El objetivo de este trabajo fue hacer la revisión taxonómica de las especies S. capillipes, S. dissimile, S. erosomarginatum, S. ombrophilum y S. tenuiflagellatum pertenecientes al Grupo de Especies Solanum confine y presentes en Venezuela. Se utilizó material fresco y de los herbarios HERZU, MER, MERF, MO, MY, PORT, US y VEN, procesado para su estudio según las técnicas taxonómicas convencionales. Se incluye descripción, distribución geográfica, hábitat e ilustración de cada una de las especies, asimismo se ofrece una clave para las especies registradas.

The Section Geminata is one of the biggest of the genus Solanum, including a total of 126 species that have beenseparated in 16 groups of which 12 are represented in Venezuela with 35 species. The objective of this work was to make the taxonomic revision of the species S. capillipes, S. dissimile, S. erosomarginatum, S. ombrophilum and S. tenuiflagellatum belonging to the Group of Species Solanum confine and present in Venezuela. Fresh material was used and dried belonging to the herbaria HERZU, MER, MERF, MO, MY, PORT, US and VEN, processed for its study according to the taxonomic conventional technical. Description, geographical distribution, habitat and illustration of each one of the species is included, also a key for the registered species.