Two new alkaloids from the sepals of Solanum melongena L.

Two new alkaloids named Melongenamides H-I (1-2), together with twenty-one known compounds (3-23), were isolated from the 70% ethanol extract of the sepals of Solanum melongena L. The structures of all isolated compounds were determined by 1D and 2D NMR spectra and by comparing their spectroscopic and physical data with values from the published literatures. All the isolated compounds were evaluated the cytotoxicity against three human canner lines (Hela, Ishikawa and MGC-803) by CCK8 assay.

Sesquiterpenoids with diverse carbon skeletons from the sepals of Solanum melongena L.

Eight new sesquiterpenoids named melongenaterpenes M-T (1-8), together with nine known compounds (9-17), were isolated from the 70% ethanol extract of the sepals of Solanum melongena L. The structures of all isolated compounds were elucidated based on 1D and 2D NMR spectra and a comprehensive comparison of their spectroscopic and physical data with values from the published literatures. Meanwhile, the cytotoxicity of all the isolated compounds was evaluated on the three human cancer lines of Hela, Ishikawa and MGC-803 by CCK8 assay, respectively.

Melongenaterpenes A-L, Vetispirane-Type Sesquiterpenoids from the Roots of Solanum melongena.

Melongenaterpenes A-L (1-12), 12 new sesquiterpenoids with rare spiro[4.5]decane skeletons, were isolated from the roots of Solanum melongena. Their 2D structures and relative configurations were determined based on NMR and HRESIMS data. The absolute configuration of melongenaterpene A (1) was defined by X-ray crystallographic analysis. The absolute configurations of the remaining compounds were determined by comparison of their NMR data with 1 and consideration of the biosynthetic pathway. This is the first report of the crystal structure of a vetispirane-type sesquiterpenoid. None of the compounds exhibited cytotoxic activity against the three human cancer cell lines HepG2, HeLa, and MCF-7.

New steroidal saponins from the roots of Solanum melongena L.

Phytochemical investigation of the roots of Solanum melongena L. resulted in the isolation of six new steroidal saponins, including five new cholestane saponins (1-5) and one new steroidal alkaloid (6), along with one new natural product (7) and three know steroids (8-10). The structures of all isolated compounds were determined by 1D and 2D NMR experiments and by comparison of their spectroscopic and physical data with literature values. The inhibitory activities on nitric oxide (NO) production stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in a RAW 264.7 cell line were assayed for all the isolated compounds. Compounds 1, 2 and 4-9 exhibited moderate inhibition of NO production with IC50 values ranging from 12.6 to 59.5 µM.

[Early rehabilitation intervention reduces the incidence of extrauterine growth retardation in preterm infants].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of early rehabilitation intervention on the incidences of extrauterine growth retardation (EUGR) and early diseases in preterm infants. METHODS: The appropriate-for-gestational-age preterm infants with a gestational age of <34 weeks and a birth weight of 1 000 to <2 000 g who were admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) within 24 hours after birth were enrolled in a prospective randomized controlled trial. These infants were randomly divided into rehabilitation intervention group and control group. The infants in the rehabilitation intervention group were given early rehabilitation after their vital signs became stable, including oral sensory and muscle strength training and pressure touching of the head, chest, abdomen, extremities, hands, and feet. The primary outcome measures were the time to independent oral feeding, length of hospital stay, and incidence rate of EUGR. The secondary outcome measures were the incidence rates of related diseases in preterm infants, such as apnea, feeding intolerance, and sepsis. RESULTS: A total of 97 preterm infants who met the inclusion criteria and had complete data were enrolled, with 48 in the control group and 49 in the rehabilitation intervention group. The rehabilitation intervention group had a shorter time to independent oral feeding than the control group (P<0.05). Compared with the control group, the rehabilitation intervention group had a shorter length of hospital stay and a lower corrected gestational age at discharge (P<0.05), as well as a lower incidence rate of EUGR (P<0.05). The rehabilitation intervention group ONCLUSIONS: Early rehabilitation intervention for preterm infants in the NICU may reduce the incidence rates of apnea, feeding intolerance, and EUGR and help them to achieve independent oral feeding early.

Paraburkholderia caffeinitolerans sp. nov., a caffeine degrading species isolated from a tea plantation soil sample.

A Gram-stain negative, facultatively anaerobic, non-sporulating, non-motile and rod-shaped bacterium, designated CF3T, was isolated from a tea plantation soil sample and its taxonomic position was determined using polyphasic taxonomy. Strain CF3T displayed optimum growth at 25 °C, pH 5.0 and in the presence of 0-1 % NaCl. Comparative phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA, recA and gyrB gene sequences showed that the isolate belongs to the genus Paraburkholderia, showing high levels of similarity with respect to Paraburkholderia oxyphila OX-01T (98.3, 95 and 93 %, respectively) and Paraburkholderia sacchari IPT101T (98.2, 95 and 95 %, respectively). The predominant ubiquinone was determined to be Q-8, and the polar lipids are phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol, one unidentified amino-phospholipid, three unidentified amino-lipids and three unidentified polar lipids. The major fatty acids were found to be C16:0, C17:0 cyclo, summed feature 8 (C18:1 ω7c and/or C18:1 ω6c) and summed feature 3 (C16:1 ω7c and/or C16:1 ω6c). The DNA G+C content was found to be 63.8 mol% and the DNA-DNA relatedness values between strain CF3T and its two close relatives P. oxyphila OX-01T and P. sacchari IPT101T was 41 and 40 %, respectively. Based on phylogenetic analysis, phenotypic and genotypic data, it is concluded that the isolate represents a novel species of the genus Paraburkholderia, for which the name Paraburkholderia caffeinitolerans sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is CF3T (= LMG 28688T = CGMCC 1.15105T).

[Risk factors for extrauterine growth restriction in preterm infants with gestational age less than 34 weeks].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the correlated factors contributed to extrauterine growth restriction (EUGR) in preterm infants with the gestational age less than 34 weeks. METHODS: A total of 694 preterm infants with the gestational ages less than 34 weeks were enrolled. They were classified into EUGR and non-EUGR groups by weight on discharge. The perinatal data, growth data, nutritional information and morbidities during hospitalization were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: EUGR on discharge occurred in 284 (40.9%) out of the 694 infants. The incidence of EUGR in intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) infants was significantly higher than in non-IUGR infants (P<0.01). The very low birth weight (VLBW) infants had a higher incidence of EUGR than non-VLBW infants (P<0.01). The incidence of EUGR increased with the decreases of gestational age at birth and birth weight (P<0.01). Compared with the non-EUGR group, the fasting time, the duration of parenteral nutrition, the time beginning to feed and the age to achieve full enteral feeds were significantly greater in the EUGR group (P<0.01). The cumulative protein deficit and cumulative caloric deficit in the first week of life in the EUGR group were higher than in the non-EUGR group (P<0.05). The incidences of respiratory distress syndrome, apnea, necrotizing enterocolitis and septicemia in the EUGR group were higher than in the non-EUGR group (P<0.05). The logistic regression analysis showed that birth weight, gestational age at birth and IUGR were the independent risk factors for EUGR. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of EUGR in infants with gestational age less than 34 weeks is high, especially in IUGR or VLBW infants. Early and aggressive nutritional strategy and prevention of apnea and septicemia may facilitate to reduce the occurrence of EUGR.