Application of on-line and off-line heart-cutting LC in determination of secondary metabolites from the flowers of Lonicera caerulea cultivar varieties.

Lonicera caerulea is a shrub native to the Northen Hemisphere, with its fruits having a long tradition of being used in traditional medicine. The flowers, although a potential source of diverse phenolic compounds have not been studied in terms of phenolic content. In this paper, a 2D LC heart-cutting system, operating in both on-line and off-line modes, was developed and successfully employed in identification and quantification of secondary metabolites in the flowers of L. caerulea. A total of 51 compounds have been resolved and identified as either flavonoids, phenolic acids or iridoids. Flavonoids were the dominating group of compounds, alongside substantial levels of both phenolic acids and iridoids. A comparison between three varieties of L. caerulea flowers revealed that 'Wojtek' contained markedly more flavonols and phenolic acids than the remaining two varieties, whereas iridoids were at similar levels. Heart-cutting 2D LC method used in this study offers a convenient approach and an effective tool for secondary metabolite analysis in L. caerulea flowers, and possibly other species from the genus.

Two-dimensional liquid chromatography (LC) of phenolic compounds from the shoots of Rubus idaeus 'Glen Ample' cultivar variety.

In this study the application of two-dimensional LC (2D LC) for qualitative analysis of polyphenols and simple phenols in the shoots of Rubus idaeus 'Glen Ample' variety is presented. In the preliminary analysis, the methanol extract of the shoots was analyzed by one-dimensional LC. One-dimensional LC separation profiles of phenolics from R. idaeus 'Glen Ample' shoots were dependent on column type, mobile phase composition and gradient program used. Two-dimensional LC system was built from connecting an octadecyl C-18 silica column in the first dimension and pentafluorophenyl column in the second dimension, coupled with DAD and MS (ESI, APCI, DUIS ionization) detectors. A total of 34 phenolic compounds belonging to the groups of phenolic acids, ellagitannins, flavan-3-ols, flavonols and ellagic acid conjugates were identified in the shoots of R. idaeus 'Glen Ample'. The established 2D LC method offers an effective tool for analysis of phenolics present in Rubus species.

Rubus occidentalis: The black raspberry--its potential in the prevention of cancer.

Rubus occidentalis is a black-fruited raspberry originating from North America. Its popularity and demand has been growing over the years, as studies outline its high anthocyanin and ellagitannin content and significance for human health. Interaction between chemical composition and pharmacological activity, mechanisms of action at cellular and molecular levels are all active areas of study. The vast majority of research concerning black raspberries is focused on chemoprevention and anticancer effects. This review summarizes the data on chemical composition and anticancer activity of black raspberry fruits throughout the years.

Chemical composition and biological activity of Rubus idaeus shoots--a traditional herbal remedy of Eastern Europe.

BACKGROUND: The young shoots of Rubus idaeus are traditionally used as a herbal remedy in common cold, fever and flu-like infections yet there is no research concerning this plant material. The aim of the study was to evaluate the chemical composition and biological properties of raspberry shoots from 11 cultivar varieties. METHODS: The methanol extracts were subjected to chromatographic analysis using HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS, and two-dimensional 'comprehensive' LCxLC techniques. The biological activity of the shoot extract from the 'Willamette' cultivar variety was evaluated. Antioxidant activity was tested using DPPH and phosphomolybdenum assay. Antimicrobial activity was estimated towards 15 strains of human pathogenic bacteria using broth microdilution method. Cytotoxic activity was tested using MTT cell viability assay. RESULTS: The dominating compounds identified in the shoots of R. idaeus were ellagic acid (26.1 - 106.8 mg/100 g) and sanguiin H-6 (139.2 - 633.1 mg/100 g). The best separation of compounds present in the analysed polyphenol complex, was achieved by 'comprehensive' LCxLC method using Nucleodur Sphinx RP column in the first dimension and Chromolith Performance column in the second dimension. The shoot extract was found to be a strong antioxidant (EC50 19.4 µg/ml, AAE 427.94 mg/g) and displayed the strongest bactericidal properties towards Corynebacterium diphtheriae. The extract revealed higher cytotoxic activity towards the HL-60 cells (IC50 110 µg/ml) than HeLa (IC50 300 µg/ml). CONCLUSIONS: The shoots of R. idaeus stand out as a valuable source of sanguiin H-6 and ellagic acid and possess a number of biological properties including antioxidative, antimicrobial and cytotoxic.

Threshold serum concentrations of tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) as a potential marker of the presence of microangiopathy in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM).

The aim of this study was to estimate the threshold serum concentrations of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and their soluble receptors (sRAGE) as well as tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFα), vascular endothelial growth factor(165) (VEGF(165)) and interleukin-12 (IL-12) in predicting the occurrence of microangiopathy in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). We studied 88 children and adolescents (age range: 6-20 yrs) with T1DM and 32 control subjects (age range: 7-20 yrs). All study participants had their daily urinary albumin excretion, HbA1c and serum creatinine levels measured, and underwent an eye examination and 24-h blood pressure monitoring. Moreover, serum concentrations of AGEs, sRAGE, TNFα, VEGF(165) and IL-12 were measured. In order to calculate the threshold values of the studied parameters, the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used. The results of our study have shown that among all the studied parameters a discriminative ability was found for TNFα, VEGF(165), duration of the disease, serum AGEs concentrations and daily urinary albumin excretion. However, the highest value of the area under the ROC curve (AUC(ROC)) in predicting the occurrence of diabetic microangiopathy was found for serum TNFα concentrations with its threshold value of 1.7 pg/ml [AUC(ROC) = 0.88 (95% CI: 0.79-0.97)]. The sensitivity and specificity for this variable was at the level of 85.7% and 94.3%, respectively. In conclusion, according to our results serum TNFα concentrations over 1.7 pg/ml may point to the presence of diabetic microangiopathy in children and adolescents T1DM.