Phenolic compounds from Foeniculum vulgare (Subsp. Piperitum) (Apiaceae) herb and evaluation of hepatoprotective antioxidant activity.

OBJECTIVE: The study was designed to evaluate the antioxidant and hepatoprotective activities of the 80% methanolic extract as well as the ethyl acetate (EtOAc) and butanol (BuOH) fractions of the wild fennel (Foeniculum vulgare (Subsp; Piperitum)) and cultivated fennel (F. vulgare var. azoricum). In addition, quantification of the total phenolic content in the 80% methanol extract of fennel wild and cultivated herbs is measured. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An amount of 400 g of air dried powdered herb of wild and cultivated fennel were sonicated with aqueous methanol (80%), successively extracted with Hexane, EtOAc, and n-BuOH. The EtOAc and n-BuOH were subjected to repeated column chromatography on silica gel and Sephadex LH-20. The antioxidant effect was determined in vitro using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH). Hepatoprotective activity was carried out using a Wistar male rat (250-300 g). Total phenolic and flavonoid contents were determined as chlorogenic acid and rutin equivalents, respectively. RESULTS: Two phenolic compounds, i.e., 3,4-dihydroxy-phenethylalchohol-6-O-caffeoyl-ß-D-glucopyranoside and 3΄,8΄-binaringenin were isolated from the fennel wild herb, their structures were elucidated by spectral methods including 1D NMR, 2D NMR, and UV. The EtOAc and BuOH fractions of wild fennel were found to exhibit a radical scavenging activity higher than those of cultivated fennel. An in vitro method of rat hepatocytes monolayer culture was used for the investigation of hepatotoxic effects of the 80% methanol extract on the wild and cultivated fennel, which were >1000 and 1000 µg/mL, respectively. As well as, their hepatoprotective effect against the toxic effect of paracetamol (25 mM) was exerted at 12.5 µg/mL concentration. CONCLUSIONS: Fennel (F. Vulgare) is a widespread plant species commonly used as a spice and flavoring. The results obtained in this study indicated that the fennel (F. vulgare) herb is a potential source of natural antioxidant. Two phenolic compounds, i.e. 3,4-dihydroxy-phenethylalchohol-6-O-caffeoyl-ß-D-glucopyranoside (A) and 3΄,8΄-binaringenin (B) were isolated from the fennel wild herb for the first time.

Conjugation of a 3-(1H-phenanthro[9,10-d]imidazol-2-yl)-1H-indole intercalator to a triplex oligonucleotide and to a three-way junction.

A new intercalating nucleic acid monomer M comprising a 4-(1-indole)-butane-1,2-diol moiety was synthesized via a classical alkylation reaction of indole-3-carboxaldehyde followed by a condensation reaction with phenanthrene-9,10-dione in the presence of ammonium acetate to form a phenanthroimidazole moiety linked to the indole ring. Insertion of the new intercalator as a bulge into a Triplex Forming Oligonucleotide resulted in good thermal stability of the corresponding Hoogsteen-type triplexes. Molecular modeling supports the possible intercalating ability of M. Hybridisation properties of DNA/DNA and RNA/DNA three-way junctions (TWJ) with M in the branching point were also evaluated by their thermal stability at pH 7. DNA/DNA TWJ showed increase in thermal stability compared to wild type oligonucleotides whereas this was not the case for RNA/DNA TWJ.

Chemical composition and biological activity of ripe pumpkin fruits (Cucurbita pepo L.) cultivated in Egyptian habitats.

The chemical composition and biological activity of three parts (rind, flesh and seeds) of pumpkin fruits (Cucurbita pepo L.) cultivated in Egypt were studied. Chemical analysis of fibre, protein, ß-carotene, carbohydrates, minerals and fatty acids present in the rind, flesh, seeds and defatted seeds meal was conducted. Chemical, GC-MS and biological assays of organic extracts of the main fruit parts, rind and flesh established their unique constituents. Chromatographic purification of the extracts afforded triglyceride fatty acid mixture (1), tetrahydro-thiophene (2), linoleic acid (3), calotropoleanly ester (4), cholesterol (5) and 13(18)-oleanen-3-ol (6). GC-MS analysis of the extract's unpolar fraction revealed the existence of dodecane and tetradecane. Structures of the isolated compounds (1-6) were confirmed by NMR and EI-MS spectrometry. Antimicrobial, antiviral and antitumour activities of the fruit parts were discussed. The promising combined extract of rind and flesh was biologically studied for microbial and cytotoxic activities in comparison with the whole isolated components.

An efficient synthesis of pyrazolo[3,4-b]quinolin-3-amine and benzo[b][1,8]naphthyridine derivatives.

2-Oxo-4-phenyl-1,2,5,6,7,8-hexahydroquinoline-3-carbonitrile (10) reacted with hydrazine hydrate, phenylisothiocyanate or benzoyl chloride to give derivatives 12, 13 and 15, respectively. The latter two products were treated with hydrazine hydrate to afford pyrozole[3,4-b]quinolines derivatives 14 and 16, respectively. Compound 10 also reacted with acetonitrile dimer or malononitrile dimer to yield benzo[b][1,8]-naphthyridine derivatives. A single crystal X-ray crystallographic analysis was performed on compound 10, confirming its structure.