Aluminum n-octacosoxide

GC-MS Analysis and Preliminary Antimicrobial Activity of Albizia adianthifolia (Schumach) and Pterocarpus angolensis (DC).[Pubmed:28930113]

Medicines (Basel). 2016 Jan 28;3(1). pii: medicines3010003.

The non-polar components of two leguminoceae species Albizia adianthifolia (Schumach), and Pterocarpus angolensis (DC) were investigated. GC-MS analysis of the crude n-hexane and chloroform extracts together with several chromatographic separation techniques led to the identification and characterization (using NMR) of sixteen known compounds from the heartwood and stem bark of Albizia adianthifolia and Pterocarpus angolensis respectively. These constituents include, n-hexadecanoic acid (palmitic acid) 1, oleic acid 2, chondrillasterol 3, stigmasterol 4, 24S 5alpha-stigmast-7-en-3beta-ol 5, 9,12-octadecadienoic acid (Z,Z)-, methyl ester 6, trans-13-octadecanoic acid, methyl ester 7, tetradecanoic acid 8, hexadecanoic acid, methyl ester 9, octadecanoic acid 10, tetratriacontane 11, 7-dehydrodiosgenin 12, lupeol 13, stigmasta-3,5-diene-7-one 14, friedelan-3-one (friedelin) 15, and 1-octacosanol 16. Using agar over lay method, the preliminary antimicrobial assay for the extracts was carried out against bacterial (E. coli, P. aeruginosa, B. subtilis, S. aueus) and a fungus/yeast (C. albicans) strains. The n-hexane and chloroform extracts of A. adianthifolia showed the best activity against E. coli with minimum inhibition quantity (MIQ) of 1 microg each while the remaining exhibited moderate-to-weak activity against the test microorganisms.

Antioxidant, Antibacterial, and Cytotoxic Activities of the Ethanolic Origanum vulgare Extract and Its Major Constituents.[Pubmed:27051475]

Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2016;2016:1404505.

Oregano is a perennial shrub that grows in the mountains of the Mediterranean and Euro/Irano-Siberian regions. This study was conducted to identify the major constituents of the ethanolic Origanum vulgare extract and examine the cytotoxic, antioxidant, and antibacterial properties of the extract but more importantly the contribution of its specific major constituent(s) or their combination to the overall extract biological activity. Gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy analysis showed that the extract contained monoterpene hydrocarbons and phenolic compounds, the major ones being carvacrol and thymol and to a lesser extent p-cymene, 1-octacosanol, creosol, and phytol. A549 epithelial cells challenged with the extract showed a concentration-dependent increase in cytotoxicity. A combination of thymol and carvacrol at equimolar concentrations to those present in the extract was less cytotoxic. The A549 cells pretreated with nonlethal extract concentrations protected against hydrogen-peroxide-induced cytotoxicity, an antioxidant effect more effective than the combination of equimolar concentrations of thymol/carvacrol. Inclusion of p-cymene and/or 1-octacosanol did not alter the synergistic antioxidant effects of the carvacrol/thymol mixture. The extract also exhibited antimicrobial properties against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains including clinical isolates. In conclusion, the oregano extract has cytotoxic, antioxidant, and antibacterial activities mostly attributed to carvacrol and thymol.

New lipoxygenase and cholinesterase inhibitory sphingolipids from Carthamus oxyacantha.[Pubmed:26285908]

Nat Prod Res. 2016 Aug;30(16):1787-95.

Two new sphingolipids: oxyacanthin A [(2S,3S,4R)-2-{[(2R,5E)-2-hydroxyoctadec-5-enoyl]amino}hexaeicosane-1,3,4-triol; 1] and B [(2S,3S,4R)-2-{[(2R,5E)-2-hydroxyoctadec-5-enoyl]amino}hexaeicosane-1,3,4-triol-1 -O-beta-D-glucopyranoside; 2], together with 1-octacosanol, beta-sitosterol, beta-sitosterol 3-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside and luteolin 7-O-beta-glucopyranoside were isolated from the methanolic extract of the whole plant of Carthamus oxyacantha. Their structures were elucidated using (1)H and (13)C NMR spectra and 2D NMR analyses (HMQC, HMBC and COSY) in combination with mass spectrometry (EI-MS, HR-EI-MS, FAB-MS and HR-FAB-MS) experiments and in comparison with the literature data of the related compounds. Both the compounds 1 and 2 showed inhibitory potential against lipoxygenase (LOX) in a concentration-dependent manner with IC50 values 83.3 +/- 1.3 and 245.7 +/- 1.1 microM, whereas compound 2 showed inhibition against enzymes acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) with IC50 values 65.3 +/- 0.1 and 93.6 +/- 0.1 microM, respectively.