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At least 145 records · Page 8Linked to original sources
PubMed2005

The flavoring agent dihydrocoumarin reverses epigenetic silencing and inhibits sirtuin deacetylases.

Sirtuins are a family of phylogenetically conserved nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide-dependent deacetylases that have a firmly established role in aging. Using a simple Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast heterochromatic derepression assay, we tested a number of environmental chemicals to address the possibility that humans are exposed to sirtuin inhibitors. Here we show that dihydrocoumarin (DHC), a compound found in Melilotus officinalis (sweet clover) that is commonly added to food and cosmetics, disrupted heterochromatic silencing and inhibited yeast Sir2p as well as human SIRT1 deacetylase activity. DHC exposure in the human TK6 lymphoblastoid cell line also caused concentration-dependent increases in p53 acetylation and cytotoxicity. Flow cytometric analysis to detect annexin V binding to phosphatidylserine demonstrated that DHC increased apoptosis more than 3-fold over controls. Thus, DHC inhibits both yeast Sir2p and human SIRT1 deacetylases and increases p53 acetylation and apoptosis, a phenotype associated with senescence and aging. These findings demonstrate that humans are potentially exposed to epigenetic toxicants that inhibit sirtuin deacetylases.

Aging↗
PubMed1975

Multielement residues in tissues of guinea pigs fed sweet clover grown on fly ash.

Yellow sweet clover (Melilotus officinalis) was harvested from fly ash dumped in a landfill site at Lansing, NY. This clover was chopped, dried, and formulated at 45% into an otherwise purified diet and fed to six guinea pigs for 90 days. Control sweet clover was harvested from gravelly subsoil and processed and fed to another group of guinea pigs for the same period. Samples of fly ash, gravelly subsoil, sweet clover, liver, kidneys, and left-rear gastrocnemius muscle of all guinea pigs were freeze-dried and analyzed for 35 elements by neutron activation analysis. The fly ash contained 28 elements at higher levels than the gravelly subsoil, while the clover harvested from fly ash contained 19 elements in increased amounts over those in the clover harvested from the gravel soil. Growth rate of both groups of guinea pigs was similar. Rubidium and selenium were present at higher levels in the tissues of guinea pigs fed the fly ash clover.

Agriculture↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Recent plant poisoning in ruminants of northern and eastern Germany. Communication from the practice for the practice].

It is reported of botanical intoxications in 1379 ruminants (dairy cattle, beef cattle and ewes) in north-eastern Germany. The intoxications of these animals were caused by consumption of the following plants: meadow saffron (Colchicum autumnale L.), cowbane (Cicuta virosa L.), sweet clover (Melilotus alba MED.), sheep's sorrel (Rumex acetosella L.), bracken (Pteridium aquilinum KUHN) and St. John's wort (Hypericum perforatum L.). In all the five described cases animals died as a result of plant intoxications. The authors come to the conclusion that periodical inspections of the meadows are necessary, checking the plants in cooperation with veterinary surgeons.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Effects of clinorotation and microgravity on sweet clover columella cells treated with cytochalasin D.

The cytoskeleton of columella cells is believed to be involved in maintaining the developmental polarity of cells observed as a reproducible positioning of cellular organelles. It is also implicated in the transduction of gravitropic signals. Roots of sweet clover (Melilotus alba L.) seedlings were treated with a microfilament disrupter, cytochalasin D, on a slowly rotating horizontal clinostat (2 rpm). Electron micrographs of treated columella cells revealed several ultrastructural effects including repositioning of the nucleus and the amyloplasts and the formation of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) whorls. However, experiments performed during fast clinorotation (55 rpm) showed an accumulation (but no whorling) of a disorganized ER network at the proximal and distal pole and a random distribution of the amyloplasts. Therefore, formation of whorls depends upon the speed of clinorotation, and the overall impact of cytochalasin D suggests the necessity of microfilaments in organelle positioning. Interestingly, a similar drug treatment performed in microgravity aboard the US Space Shuttle Endeavour (STS-54, January 1993) caused a displacement of ER membranes and amyloplasts away from the distal plasma membrane. In the present study, we discuss the role of microfilaments in maintaining columella cell polarity and the utility of clinostats to simulate microgravity.

Actin Cytoskeleton↗
PubMed2001

[Study of surface properties of chloroplasts of some beans using a binary phase polymer system].

The surface properties of chloroplasts in leaves of some leguminous plants--Pisum sativum, Trifolium paratense, Melilotus album, and Vicia cracca--were investigated, based on the analysis of phase formation kinetics of the aqueous polymeric two-phase system dextrane-500/polyethyleneglycol-6000. The surface properties of chloroplasts have been shown to display both species- and sort-specificity. A specific influence of chloroplasts of melilot and non-chlorophyllic pea lines on phase formation kinetics has been noticed.

Chloroplasts↗
PubMed1992

A PCR-based method of identifying species-specific repeated DNAs.

A PCR-based method is described to facilitate the identification of DNA fragments that are highly repeated and species-specific. The precision of the technique was demonstrated by cloning a fragment that occurred in a high number of copies in the plant species Medicago granadensis but in a low number of copies in 17 other Medicago species and Melilotus officinalis. This method should greatly accelerate the isolation and cloning of short and long interspersed nuclear elements with species-specific distributions. Such clones should prove useful in studies of phylogenetic relationships in the identification of interspecific hybrids, as in situ chromosome markers and other applications.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1989

[Dormancy in Vicia loiseleurii seeds. Observations of the seminal tegument].

Seed coat structure has been examined in Vicia loiseleurii (M. Bieb.) Litw. on sections and phytoglyphs. The structure is the typical one of the Papilionaceae, with malpighian (= palisade) layer, hour-glass cell layer and hypodermis. An apparently non-cellular thick strip separates the seed coat from the cotyledons of the embryo. The malpighian cell of V. loiseleurii, with its cone-shaped cap or dome, is very similar to the well studied one of the Melilotus alba seed. Histochemical tests reveal the hydrophobic nature of the cap, which is stained by Sudan Blck B, Nile Blue and rendered highly fluorescent in its basal part by Auramine O. Aniline blue evidentiates callose in the wall below the cap. It is suggested that the impermeability of the coat, cause of the dormancy of the V. loiseleurii seed, is dependent on both the hydrophobic caps and the callose-containing radial walls of its malpighian cells.

Fabaceae↗
PubMed1998

Sweet clover poisoning in dairy cattle in California.

Eight of 600 Holstein heifers and cows died after ingestion of sweet clover silage (Melilotus sp) that contained excessive concentrations of dicumarol caused by mold infestation. The cattle developed subcutaneous hemorrhages and bled from the vagina, became weak, were unable to move, and died. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of sweet clover poisoning in cattle from California and is discussed in light of previous findings in the Midwest and Canada. Sweet clover poisoning is caused by dicumarol, a fungal metabolite produced from substrates in sweet clover, and is a common livestock problem in the Northern Plains and Canada. Sweet clover poisoning should be considered in livestock animals with clinical evidence of hemostatic dysfunction, prolonged coagulation times, subcutaneous hemorrhages, and hemorrhagic abortions. Definite diagnosis of moldy sweet clover poisoning can be accomplished by analysis of serum and feed samples for dicumarol concentrations.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Weed control in rose-scented geranium (Pelargonium spp).

Abstract: Field investigations were carried out during 1999 and 2000 to identify effective chemical/ cultural methods of weed control in rose-scented geranium (Pelargonium spp). The treatments comprised pre-emergence applications of oxyfluorfen (0.15, 0.20 and 0.25 kg AI ha(-1)) and pendimethalin (0.50, 0.75 and 1.00kg AI ha(-1)), successive hand weeding, hoeing and mulching using spent of lemon grass (at 5 tonnes ha(-1)) 45 days after planting (DAP), three hand-weedings 30, 60 and 90 DAP, weed-free (frequent manual weeding) and weedy control. Broad-leaf weeds were more predominant than grass and sedge weeds, accounting for 85.8% weed density and 93.0% weed dry weight in 1999 and 77.2% weed density and 93.9% weed dry weight in 2000. Unrestricted weed growth significantly reduced geranium oil yield, by 61.6% and 70.6% in 1999 and 2000, respectively. Pre-emergence application of pendimethalin (0.75-1.00 kgAI ha(-1)) or oxyfluorfen (0.25 kg AI ha(-1)), successive hand-weeding, hoeing and mulching and three hand-weedings were highly effective in reducing weed density and dry weight and gave oil yield comparable to the weed-free check. Application of oxyfluorfen (0.15 or 0.20 kg AI ha(-1)) and pendimethalin (0.50 kg AI ha(-1)) were less effective in controlling the weed species in geranium. None of the herbicides impaired the quality of rose-scented geranium oil measured in terms of citronellol and geraniol content.

Acyclic Monoterpenes↗
PubMed2006

Effect of polysaccharides on the blood system in rats.

Natural plant polysaccharides stimulated hemopoiesis, increased the content of some macroglobulins in blood plasma, modulate the weight and cellular composition of lymphoid and hemopoietic organs, activated lymphopoiesis, and enhanced enzyme activity in healthy animals.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Troxerutin protects the isolated perfused rat liver from a possible lipid peroxidation by coumarin.

For more than 40 years coumarin has been successfully used in the therapy of chronic venous insufficiency (CVI). The occurrence of liver injuries is rather rare and happens predominantly when doses are administered which are significantly higher than necessary for therapeutical use. Such effects caused by high coumarin concentrations are reproducible in in vivo experiments in mice or rats and HepG2-cells. In order to characterize the mechanism of liver injuries, the isolated perfused rat liver has been chosen as model. Since liver injuries are quite rare, if coumarin is used in co-medication with troxerutin, a possible protective influence of this flavonoid has been investigated. In concentrations higher than 4 mmol/l, coumarin alone is effective in the isolated perfused rat liver. Then the release of the enzymes alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) increases and there is a measurable reduction of perfusion flow, oxygen consumption and rate of bile secretion. Additionally, the concentrations of hepatic adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and oxidized and total glutathione (GSSG/GSH) decrease. In the livers of fasting animals, coumarin doubles the concentration of hepatic malondialdehyde (MDA). This effect cannot be detected if troxerutin is added. In general, troxerutin reduces the concentration of all coumarin-metabolites in the perfusate and bile and changes the ratio of the main metabolites, coumarin: 3-hydroxycoumarin: 7-hydroxycoumarin. An analysis of the metabolic steps also shows that the amount of coumarin eliminated via faeces does not stem from absorbed coumarin, because the amount of orally applied coumarin detectable in the bile is less than 1%. The study demonstrates that troxerutin has hepatoprotective properties and thus protects the liver from a possible lipid peroxidation caused by coumarin. However, it is necessary to point out that these adverse effects caused by coumarin can be detected only in very high concentrations considerably above the regular therapeutical dosage. This allows the conclusion that troxerutin is a beneficial cofactor in coumarin preparations used for the therapy of chronic venous insufficiency.

Alanine Transaminase↗
PubMed2005

Discovery of ximelagatran in an historical perspective.

The oral direct thrombin inhibitor ximelagatran is the first oral anticoagulant since the introduction of the vitamin K antagonists in the early 1940s. A comparison of the discovery and early clinical development of the two classes of oral anticoagulants reveals some similarities but also several differences that illustrate the change in drug discovery over the last half century.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

The bactericidal effect of TiO2 photocatalysis involves adsorption onto catalyst and the loss of membrane integrity.

The bactericidal effect of photocatalysis with TiO2 is well recognized, although its mode of action is still poorly characterized. It may involve oxidation, as illuminated TiO2 generates reactive oxygen species. Here we analyze the bactericidal effect of illuminated TiO2 in NaCl-KCl or sodium phosphate solutions. We found that adsorption of bacteria on the catalyst occurred immediately in NaCl-KCl solution, whereas it was delayed in the sodium phosphate solution. We also show that the rate of adsorption of cells onto TiO2 is positively correlated with its bactericidal effect. Importantly, adsorption was consistently associated with a reduction or loss of bacterial membrane integrity, as revealed by flow cytometry. Our work suggests that adsorption of cells onto aggregated TiO2, followed by loss of membrane integrity, is key to the bactericidal effect of photocatalysis.

Adsorption↗
PubMed2006

Relationship among several key cell cycle events in the developmental cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. strain PCC 7120.

When grown in the absence of a source of combined nitrogen, the filamentous cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. strain PCC 7120 develops, within 24 h, a differentiated cell type called a heterocyst that is specifically involved in the fixation of N(2). Cell division is required for heterocyst development, suggesting that the cell cycle could control this developmental process. In this study, we investigated several key events of the cell cycle, such as cell growth, DNA synthesis, and cell division, and explored their relationships to heterocyst development. The results of analyses by flow cytometry indicated that the DNA content increased as the cell size expanded during cell growth. The DNA content of heterocysts corresponded to the subpopulation of vegetative cells that had a big cell size, presumably those at the late stages of cell growth. Consistent with these results, most proheterocysts exhibited two nucleoids, which were resolved into a single nucleoid in most mature heterocysts. The ring structure of FtsZ, a protein required for the initiation of bacterial cell division, was present predominantly in big cells and rarely in small cells. When cell division was inhibited and consequently cells became elongated, little change in DNA content was found by measurement using flow cytometry, suggesting that inhibition of cell division may block further synthesis of DNA. The overexpression of minC, which encodes an inhibitor of FtsZ polymerization, led to the inhibition of cell division, but cells expanded in spherical form to become giant cells; structures with several cells attached together in the form of a cloverleaf could be seen frequently. These results may indicate that the relative amounts of FtsZ and MinC affect not only cell division but also the placement of the cell division planes and the cell morphology. MinC overexpression blocked heterocyst differentiation, consistent with the requirement of cell division in the control of heterocyst development.

Anabaena↗
PubMed2003

Allelopathy as a new strategy for sustainable ecosystems development.

Natural products involved in plant-plant and plant-microorganism ecological interaction (Allelochemicals) are an important potential source for alternative agrochemicals and pharmaceuticals, in order to solve the many problems derived from inadequate culture practices and abuse of synthetic herbicides. Isolation, structural determination, bioassay techniques and applicability for these compounds in crop protection and pharmaceutical research are discussed, and future trends on Allelochemicals applications are examined. The new strategies for sustainable ecosystems controlled by allelochemicals offer a particular interest for the development of human bases in space, since these products can stimulate or inhibit plant germination and growth, and permit to develop crops with low residue amounts in water, facilitating wastewater treatment and recycling.

Agriculture↗