Formulation of an antiseptic topical cream based on chitosan extracted from the scales of the Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus).

The Nile tilapia is a widely consumed fish, its scales dumped in nature as waste have been recovered in the formulation of antiseptic creams because of its high content in chitin, precursor of chitosan. Creams have the advantage of being more comfortable on the skin and allow prolonged administration of the active ingredient. Chitosan is obtained with a yield of 21.2%. FTIR analysis of chitosan showed numerous bands of phase groups present and a successful deacetylation assessed on the intensity of the bands at 1650 cm-1 and 1315 cm-1 and confirm by SEM analysis with an abundance of Carbone followed by EDS analysis. Solubilisation of chitosan in 2% acetic acid at 96% and the antibacterial activity test revealed antibacterial activity on Escherichia coli. The viscosity and the optimum spreading capacity of the cream base has been obtained at 14.65% for sesame oil, 9.08% for lanette and 1.26% for glycerine.

Schweinfurthiamide, a new alkaloid isolated from the tuber roots of Asparagus flagellaris Baker (Liliaceae).

The phytochemical investigations of the tuber roots of Asparagus flagellaris led to the isolation of a new alkaloid, schweinfurthiamide (1) and eight known compounds. The structures of the isolated compounds were elucidated using spectroscopic techniques 1D and 2D NMR (1H, 13C, COSY, HMBC, HMQC, HSQC-TOCSY). The absolute configuration of 1 was unambiguously determined using DP4+ calculations. Compound 1 showed significant cytotoxicity against MCF-7 (breast cancer), NCI-H460 (lung cancer), and Hela (cervical cancer) cancer cell lines with IC50 values of 1.18 ± 0.02 µM, 2.25 ± 0.19 µM, and 4.23 ± 0.26 µM, respectively and no toxicity against normal human fibroblast (BJ).

Extraction, Identification and Photo-Physical Characterization of Persimmon (Diospyros kaki L.) Carotenoids.

Carotenoid pigments were extracted and purified from persimmon fruits using accelerated solvent extraction (ASE). Eleven pigments were isolated and five of them were clearly identified as all-trans-violaxanthine, all-trans-lutein, all-trans-zeaxanthin all-trans-cryptoxanthin and all-trans-ß-carotene. Absorption and fluorescence spectra were recorded. To evaluate the potential of ¹O2 quenching of the purified carotenoids, we used a monocarboxylic porphyrin (P1COOH) as the photosensitizer to produce ¹O2. The rate constants of singlet oxygen quenching (Kq) were determined by monitoring the near-infrared (1270 nm) luminescence of ¹O2 produced by photosensitizer excitation. The lifetime of singlet oxygen was measured in the presence of increasing concentrations of carotenoids in hexane. Recorded Kq values show that all-trans-ß-cryptoxanthin, all-trans-ß-carotene, all-trans-lycopene and all-trans-zeaxanthin quench singlet oxygen in hexane efficiently (associated Kq values of 1.6 × 108, 1.3 × 108, 1.1 × 108 and 1.1 × 108 M-1·s-1, respectively). The efficiency of singlet oxygen quenching of ß-cryptoxanthin can thus change the consideration that ß-carotene and lycopene are the most efficient singlet oxygen quenchers acting as catalysts for deactivation of the harmful ¹O2.