New Antibacterial Dihydropyrones Induced by Co-Culture of Penicillium crustosum PRB-2 and Penicillium citrinum HDN11-186

Two new dihydropyrones,rhytismatones C(1)and D(2),and a known compound,penicillenol A1(3),were isolated from the co-culture broth of the deep-sea-derived fungus Penicillium crustosum PRB-2 and Suaeda salsa-derived endophytic fungus Peni-cillium citrinum HDN11-186.Their structures were elucidated through comprehensive analysis of nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR)spectra and mass spectra.The absolute configurations of new compounds were determined by calculating the electronic circular di-chroism(ECD)spectrum.UPLC-MS data showed that compounds 1–3 could only be detected in the media of co-culture,suggesting new biosynthetic pathways were activated in the co-cultured fungi.Compound 1 showed obvious antibacterial activities against Pro-teus sp.MMBC-1002 and Bacillus subtilis MMBC-1004 with minimum inhibitory concentration(MIC)both at 25μmolL^(-1).

Simple LC Isocratic Methods Development, Validation, and Application in the Analysis of Poor Quality Antimalarial Medicines

Liquid chromatographic methods in isocratic mode for the analysis of poor quality medicines are privileged due to their simplicity and facility in methods development. They are generally fast;do not need to be re-equilibrated between sample injections;have larger flexibility with acceptable changes on different column dimensions;and are applicable to LC systems equipped with simple or high developed pumps. In this study, we focused on developing simple isocratic methods using classical mobile phase composed by methanol and ammonium formate buffer for the analysis of most common antimalarial medicines marketed in malaria endemic countries and susceptible of being counterfeit/falsified, substandard and degraded. The selected medicines were quinine and related cinchona alkaloids in tablets and injectable forms;artemether/lumefantrine tablets;and artemisinin compounds (arteether, artemether, and artesunate) in injectable forms. The current methods were developed thanks to simple methodological approach consisting in sequential isocratic runs through adjustment or adaptation of existing methods to obtain optimal analytical conditions without complex design of experiments that might be long and costly. Then, the new methods presented shorter analysis time;allowed increase of sample analysis throughput;and obviously consumed little mobile phase solvents on classical analytical columns: 50 - 250 mm of length (L), 4.6 mm of internal diameter (I.D.), and 3.5 - 5.0 μm of particle size (dp).

Analytical Tools and Strategic Approach to Detect Poor Quality Medicines, Identify Unknown Components, and Timely Alerts for Appropriate Measures: Case Study of Antimalarial Medicines

Nowadays, the circulation of poor quality medicines is becoming an alarming worldwide phenomenon with serious public health and socio-economic concerns. The situation is particularly critical in developing countries where drug quality assurance and regulatory systems for drug manufacturing, importation, distribution and sales are weak. A sustained vigilance on poor quality medicines that regroup counterfeit/falsified, substandard and degraded medicines is therefore required to ensure patient safety and genuine medicines integrity. A case situation is illustrated including a strategic approach and analytical tools that were found useful to detect poor quality medicines, identify unknown components, and timely alerts for appropriate measures against the spread of those harmful products. Several suspected medicines randomly sampled in several strategic Rwandan areas were firstly check-controlled by means of visual inspection and then applying several analytical techniques from simple to more complex ones. The following medicines were studied: quinine sulfate tablets, artemisinin-based combination tablets, and artesunate powders for injection. Taking into account the pharmaceutical forms and the chemical characteristics, the following tests were applied: uniformity of mass, friability, disintegration, fluorescence, identification and assay. They were followed by more complex analytical techniques that allowed more comprehension of abnormal findings among which the presence of a wrong active pharmaceutical ingredient in quinine sulfate tablets which is mainly discussed in this paper to illustrate a strategic approach and various analytical tools that can be used in detecting and identifying unknown component in poor quality medicines.

Adsorption of Heavy Metal Ions,Dyes and Proteins by Chitosan Composites and Derivatives-A Review

Chitosan composites and derivatives have gained wide attentions as effective biosorbents due to their low costs and high contents of amino and hydroxyl functional groups.They have showed significant potentials of removing metal ions,dyes and proteins from various media.Chemical modifications that lead to the formation of the chitosan derivatives and chitosan composites have been extensively studied and widely reported in literatures.The aims of this review were to summarize the important information of the bioactivities of chitosan,highlight the various preparation methods of chitosan-based active biosorbents,and outline its potential applications in the adsorption of heavy metal ions,dyes and proteins from wastewater and aqueous solutions.

Purification and Characterization of a New Thermostable κ-CarrageenasefromtheMarineBacterium Pseudoalteromonas sp. QY203

A new extracellular κ-carrageenase, namely CgkP, 34.0 kDa in molecular weight, was purified from Pseudoalteromonas sp. QY203. CgkP showed relatively high activity at acidities ranging from pH6.0 to pH9.0 and temperatures ranging from 30℃ to 50℃ with the highest activity at 45℃ and pH7.2. Sodium chloride increased its activity markedly, and KC1 increased its activity slightly. The divalent and trivalent metal ions including Cu^2＋, Ni^2＋, Zn^2＋, Mn^2＋, Al^3＋ and Fe^3＋ significantly inhibited its activity, while Mg^2＋ did not. CgkP remained 70% of original activity after being incubated at 40℃ for 48h, and remained 80% of the activity after being incubated at 45℃ for 1 h. It exhibited endo-κ-carrageenase activity, mainly depolymerizing the κ-carrageenan into disaccharide and tetrasaccharide. CgkP was more thermostable than most of previously reported κ-carrageenases with a potential of being used in industry.

The Antioxidant Effects of Complexes of Tilapia Fish Skin Collagen and Different Marine Oligosaccharides

An excess of reactive oxygen species（ROS）leads to a variety of chronic health problems.As potent antioxidants,marine bioactive extracts containing oligosaccharides and peptides have been extensively studied.Recently,there is a growing interest in protein-polysaccharide complexes because of their potential uses in pharmaceutical and food industries.However,only few studies are available on the antioxidant activities of such complexes,in terms of their ROS scavenging capability.In this study,we combined and superoxide radicals,and to evaluate the influences on the activities of superoxide dismutase（SOD）,glutathione peroxidase（GSH-Px）and the level of malondialdehyde（MDA）in UV-induced photoaging models.The results indicated that the antioxidant activities of all the complexes were stronger than those of their individual components.Among the 11 complexes tested,two complexes,namely MA1000＋CP and κ-ca3000＋CP,turned out to be highly effective antioxidants.Although the detailed mechanisms of this improved scavenging ability are not fully understood,this work provides insights into the design of highly efficient peptide-oligosaccharide complexes for potential applications in pharmaceutical,cosmetics and food industries.

Properties of Polysaccharides in Several Seaweeds from Atlantic Canada and Their Potential Anti-Influenza Viral Activities

To explore the polysaccharides from selected seaweeds of Atlantic Canada and to evaluate their potential anti-influenza virus activities, polysaccharides were isolated from several Atlantic Canadian seaweeds, including three red algae (Polysiphonia lanosa, Furcellaria lumbricalis, and Palmaria palmata), two brown algae (Ascophyllum nodosum and Fucus vesiculosus), and one green alga (Ulva lactuca) by sequential extraction with cold water, hot water, and alkali solutions. These polysaccharides were ana-lyzed for monosaccharide composition and other general chemical properties, and they were evaluated for anti-influenza virus activities. Total sugar contents in these polysaccharides ranged from 15.4% (in U. lactuca) to 91.4% (in F. lumbricalis); sulfation level was as high as 17.6% in a polysaccharide from U. lactuca, whereas it could not be detected in an alikali-extract from P. palmaria. For polysaccharides from red seaweeds, the main sugar units were sulfated galactans (agar or carrageenan) for P. lanosa, F. lumbricalis, and xylans for P. palmata. In brown seaweeds, the polysaccharides largely contained sulfated fucans, whereas the polysaccharides in green seaweed were mainly composed of heteroglycuronans. Screening for antiviral activity against influenza A/PR/8/34 (H1N1) virus revealed that brown algal polysaccharides were particularly effective. Seaweeds from Atlantic Canada are a good source of marine polysaccharides with potential antiviral properties.

Cloning and Characterization of a New κ-Carrageenase Gene from Marine Bacterium Pseudoalteromonas sp. QY203

kappa-carrageenan oligosaccharides exhibit various biological activities. Enzymatic degradation by kappa-carrageenase is safe and controllable. Therefore, kappa-carrageenases have captured more and more attentions. In this study, a kappa-carrageenase encoding gene, cgkX, was cloned from Pseudoalteromonas sp. QY203 with degenerate and inverse PCR. It comprised an ORF of 1194 bp in length, encoding a protein with 397 amino acid residues. CgkX is a new member of glycoside hydrolase family 16. The deduced amino acid sequence shared a high similarity with CgkX of Pseudoalteromonas kappa-carrageenase; however, the recombinant CgkX showed different biochemical characteristics. The recombinant enzyme was most active at pH 7.0 and 55A degrees C in the presence of 300 mmol L-1 NaCl. It was stable in a broad range of acidity ranging from pH 3.0 to pH 10.0 when temperature was below 40A degrees C. More than 80% of its activity was maintained after being incubated at pH 3.6-10.0 and 4A degrees C for 24 h. CgkX retained more than 90% of activity after being incubated at 40A degrees C for 1 h. EDTA and SDS (1 mmol L-1) did not inhibit its activity. CgkX hydrolyzed kappa-carrageenan into disaccharide and tetrasaccharide as an endo-cleaver. All these characteristics demonstrated that CgkX is applicable to both kappa-carrageenan oligosaccharide production and kappa-carrageenase structure-function research.

Protective effect of Tetracera scandens L.leaf extract against CCl_4-induced acute liver injury in rats

Objective:To investigate the protective potential of ethanolic extracts of Tetracera scandens L.(T.scandens) against CCl_4 induced oxidative stress in liver tissues.Methods:Dried leaf powder of T.scandens was extracted with ethanol and concentrated to yield a dry residue.Rats were administered with 100 mg/kg of ethanolic extracts orally once daily for one week.Animals were subsequently administered with a single dose of CCl_4(I mL/kg body weight,intraperitoneal injection).Various assays,such as serum levels of alanine aminotransferase,aspartate aminotransferase,lipid peroxidation,protein oxidation(carbonyl protein group),tumor necrosis factor alpha,catalase,superoxide dismutase,and glutathione peroxidase,were used to assess damage caused by CCl_4 and the protective effects of the ethanol extract on liver tissues.Results:Hepatotoxicity induced by CCl_4 was evidenced by a significant increase in serum aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase level,lipid peroxidation,protein carbonyl group,and tumor necrosis factor alpha,as well as decreased activity of the hepatic antioxidant enzymes(catalase.superoxide dismutase.and glutathione peroxidase).Treatment with ethanolic T.scandens extracts prevented all of these typically observed changes in CCl_4-treated rats.Conclusions:Our findings indicate that T.scandens has a significant protective effect against CCl_4 induced hepatotoxicity in rat.which may be due to its antioxidant properties.

Structure and Anti-influenza A(H1N1) Virus Activity of Three Polysaccharides from Eucheuma denticulatum

Three polysaccharides （EW, EH and EA） were prepared from a red alga Eucheuma denticulatum by sequential extraction with cold water, hot water and sodium hydroxide water solution. Their monosaccharide compositions, relative molecular mass and structural characterization were determined by gas chromatography, high performance liquid chromatography, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy methods. EW was hybrid l/k/v-carrageenan （701/17k/13v-car- rabiose）, EH was mainly t-carrageenan, and EA was mainly α-1,4-Glucan （88%） but mixed with small amount of t-carrageenan （12%）. The relative molecular mass ofEW, EH and EA was 480, 580 and 510kDa, respectively. The anti-influenza A （H1N1） virus activity of these three polysaccharides was evaluated using the Madin-Darby canine kidney cells model. EW showed good anti-H1N1 virus activity, its ICso was 276.5 μg mL-1, and the inhibition rate to H1N1 virus was 52% when its concentration was 250 μgmL-1. The ICs0 of t-carrageenan EH was 366.4 μgmL1, whereas EA showed lower anti-H1N1 virus activity （IC50〉430μgmL-1）. Available data obtained give positive evidence that the hybrid carrageenan EW from Eueheuma denticulatum can be used as potential anti-H1N1 virus inhibitor in future.

Inorganic Elemental Determinations of Marine Traditional Chinese Medicine Meretricis concha from Jiaozhou Bay:The construction of Inorganic Elemental Fingerprint Based on Chemometric Analysis

The goal of this paper is to explore the relationship between the inorganic elemental fingerprint and the geographical origin identification ofMeretricis concha, which is a commonly used marine traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） for the treatment of asthma and scald bums. For that, the inorganic elemental contents ofMeretricis concha from five sampling points in Jiaozhou Bay have been determined by means of inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry, and the comparative investigations based on the contents of 14 inorganic elements （A1, As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Se and Zn） of the samples from Jiaozhou Bay and the previous reported Rushan Bay were performed. It has been found that the samples from the two bays are ap- proximately classified into two kinds using hierarchical cluster analysis, and a four-factor model based on principle component analysis could explain approximately 75% of the detection data, also linear discriminant analysis can be used to develop a prediction model to distinguish the samples from Jiaozhou Bay and Rushan Bay with accuracy of about 93%. The results of the present investi- gation suggested that the inorganic elemental fingerprint based on the combination of the measured elemental content and chemom- etric analysis is a promising approach for verifying the geographical origin ofMeretricis concha, and this strategy should be valuable for the authenticity discrimination of some marine TCM.

Study on Antithrombotic and Antiplatelet Activities of Low Molecular Weight Fucoidan from Laminaria japonica

The antithrombotic and antiplatelet effects of two fucoidan fractions with low molecular weight and different sulfate content from Laminaria japonica were compared in order to examine the influence of chemical character on their antithrombotic activity and the possible mechanism. Both LMW fucoidan fractions exhibited favorable antithrombotic activity in an Fecl3-induced arterial thrombosis. The antithrombotic activity of LMW fucoidan was related with decrease of TXB2 and whole blood viscosity and hematocrit. LMW fucoidan showed a correlation between anticoagulant, antiaggregant and antithrombotic effects in vivo. For LMW fucoidan, antithrombotic activity required high dose of 5-10 nmol kg-1, concomitantly with increase in anticoagulant activity and inhibition of platelet aggregation. Administration of LMW fucoidan significantly promoted the 6-keto-PGF1α content and decreased the TXB2 content, indicating its inhibition of tissue factor pathway and regulation of metabolism of arachidonic acid. By comparison, highly sulfated fucoidan LF2 with Mw 3900 seemed to be a more suitable choice for antithrombotic drug for its antithrombotic activity accompanied with specific inhibitory activity on platelet aggregation, low anticoagulant activity and low hemorrhagic risk in vivo.

Application of Principal Component Analysis(PCA)to the Evaluation and Screening of Multiactivity Fungi

Continued innovation in screening methodologies remains important for the discovery of high-quality multiactive fungi,which have been of great significance to the development of new drugs.Mangrove-derived fungi,which are well recognized as prolific sources of natural products,are worth sustained attention and further study.In this study,118 fungi,which mainly included Aspergillus spp.(34.62%)and Penicillium spp.(15.38%),were isolated from the mangrove ecosystem of the Maowei Sea,and 83.1%of the cultured fungi showed at least one bioactivity in four antibacterial and three antioxidant assays.To accurately evaluate the fungal bioactivities,the fungi with multiple bioactivities were successfully evaluated and screened by principal component analysis(PCA),and this analysis provided a dataset for comparing and selecting multibioactive fungi.Among the 118 mangrove-derived fungi tested in this study,Aspergillus spp.showed the best comprehensive activity.Fungi such as A.clavatonanicus,A.flavipes and A.citrinoterreus,which exhibited high comprehensive bioactivity as determined by the PCA,have great potential in the exploitation of natural products and the development of new drugs.This study demonstrated the first use of PCA as a time-saving,scientific method with a strong ability to evaluate and screen multiactive fungi,which indicated that this method can affect the discovery and development of new drugs.

Screening and Characterization of Nitrite-Degrading Bacterial Isolates Using a Novel Culture Medium

In this study,a novel culture medium that simulates shrimp pond conditions was established to screen nitrite-degrading isolates.The medium was supplemented with nitrite as a nitrogen source and shrimp feed as the major carbon source,to achieve the high nitrogen and low carbon nutritional status found in shrimp farming ponds.Screening using this medium identified potent denitrifying Bacillus isolates,among which Bacillus subtilis M7-1 was considered best.M7-1 was able to completely degrade nitrite-N in 24 h without much consumption of dissolved oxygen.Efficient denitrification activity took place in liquid cultures within a set of non-stringent ranges of pH(5.0–9.0),salinity(0–30)and temperature(25–35℃).The denitrifying enzyme gene was amplified,sequenced and further identified as nirS type.In biosecurity assessments,M7-1 had no negative effects on shrimps at a dose of 106 cfu mL−1.M7-1 could therefore be used in aquaculture to reduce and control the nitrogen concentration,and to promote the development of sustainable and healthy culture systems.

Anticancer effects of saponin and saponin–phospholipid complex of Panax notoginseng grown in Vietnam

Objective:To evaluate the antitumor activity both in vitro and in vivo of saponin–phospholipid complex of Panax notoginseng.Methods:The in vitro cytotoxic effect of saponins extract and saponin–phospholipid complex against human lung cancer NCI-H460 and breast cancer cell lines BT474 was examined using MTS assay.For in vivo evaluation of antitumor potential,saponin and saponin–phospholipid complex were administered orally in rats induced mammary carcinogenesis by 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene,for 30 days.Results:Our data showed that saponin–phospholipid complex had stronger anticancer effect compared to saponin extract.The IC50 values of saponin–phospholipid complex and saponin extract for NCI-H460 cell lines were 28.47 mg/m L and 47.97 mg/mL,respectively and these values for BT474 cells were 53.18 mg/mL and 86.24 mg/mL,respectively.In vivo experiments,administration of saponin,saponin–phospholipid complex and paclitaxel(positive control) effectively suppressed 7,12-dimethylbenz(a) anthracene-induced breast cancer evidenced by a decrease in tumor volume,the reduction of lipid peroxidation level and increase in the body weight,and elevated the enzymatic antioxidant activities of superoxide dismutase,catalase,glutathione peroxidase in rat breast tissue.Conclusions:Our study suggests that saponin extract from Panax notoginseng and saponin–phospholipid complex have potential to prevent cancer,especially breast cancer.

Secondary Metabolites of a Deep Sea Derived Fungus Aspergillus versicolor CXCTD-06-6a and Their Bioactivity

In order to obtain novel secondary metabolites, a deep sea inhabiting fungus Aspergillus versicolor CXCTD-06-6a was investigated. One new diketopiperazine brevianamide W(1a), as well as five known diketopiperazine alkaloids, diketopiperazine V(1b), brevianamide Q(2), brevianamide R(3), brevianamide K(4), and brevianamide E(5), were isolated from the Et OAc extract of the fermentation broth. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopy techniques(NMR, MS). The six compounds exhibited moderate radical scavenging activity against DPPH with clearance ratio of 55.0%(1a and 1b), 53.7%(2), 46.2%(3), 61.4%(4) and 19.3%(5) at a concentration of 13.9 μmol L-1, respectively; while the positive control ascorbic acid showed a ratio of 70.3% at the concentration of 28.4 μmol L-1.

Isolation and Neuroprotective Activity of Phenolic Derivatives from the Marine-Derived Fungus Penicillium janthinellum

A new phenolic compound, 6-(2-acetyl-3,5-dihydroxybenzyl)-4-hydroxy-3-methyl-2H-pyran-2-one(1), along with other six known phenolic derivatives(2-7), were isolated from the mangrove rhizosphere fungus Penicillium janthinellum HK1-6 cultured in potato dextrose broth medium containing 30 g L^(-1) of natural sea salt. The structure of the new compound(1) was elucidated by comprehensive analysis of spectroscopic data including 1D and 2D NMR spectra. The proposed biosynthetic pathway of compound 1 was also studied in this research. Interestingly, a brominated phenolic derivative, aryl bromide(compound 8), was obtained from this fungal strain cultured in medium containing 30 g L^-1 of NaBr instead of natural sea salt. Compound 8 is proposed as a new natural product and formed through bromination of compound 7 when the fungus was cultured with NaBr. The neuroprotective effect of compound 1 on oxygen-glucose deprivation(OGD)-induced injury was investigated in rat spinal cord astrocytes. MTT assay demonstrated that compound 1 can attenuate OGD-induced cell viability loss in rat spinal cord astrocytes.

Polyguluronate Sulfate,Polymannuronate Sulfate,and Their Oligosaccharides Have AntithrombinⅢ-and Heparin CofactorⅡ-independent Anticoagulant Activity

Cardiovascular disease is the leading causes of death.However,the complications can be treated with heparin and heparinoids,such as heparin pentasaccharide Fondaparinux,dermatan sulfate,and PSS made from alginate extracted from brown seaweeds by chemical sulfation.Alginate is composed of a linear backbone of polymannuronate(PM),polyguluronate(PG),and alternate residues of mannuronic acid and guluronic acid.It is unknown if heparin and sulfated PG(PGS)/PM(PMS) have the same or different anticoagulant molecular targets.In the current study,the anticoagulant activities of PGS,PMS,and their oligosaccharides were directly compared to that of heparin,Fondaparinux,and dermatan sulfate by the activated partial thrombinplastin time(aP TT) assay using normal,antithrombin III(ATIII)-deficient,heparin co-factor II(HCII)-deficient,and ATIII-and HCII-double deficient human plasmas.Our results showed that PGS,PMS,and their oligosaccharides had better anticoagulant activity than that of Fondaparinux in all four human plasmas tested.As expected,heparin was the best anticoagulant in normal plasma.Moreover,PGS,PGS6,PGS12,PGS25,PMS6,PMS12,and PMS25 were better anticoagulants than dermatan sulfate in HCII-deficient plasma.Most strikingly,PGS,PGS12,PGS25,PMS6,PMS12,and PMS25 were better anticoagulants than that of heparin in ATIII-and HCII-double deficient human plasma.The results revealed for the first time that sulfated alginate had ATIII-and HCII-independent anticoagulant activities.Therefore,developing PGS and PMS-based anticoagulants might require to discover their major molecular targets and to develop target-specific anticoagulant assays.

Preparation, Characterization and Pharmacokinetics of Fluorescence Labeled Propylene Glycol Alginate Sodium Sulfate

A rapid and sensitive fluorescence labeling method was developed and validated for the microanalysis of a sulfated polysaccharide drug,namely propylene glycol alginate sodium sulfate(PSS), in rat plasma. Fluorescein isothiocyanate(FITC) was selected to label PSS, and 1, 6-diaminohexane was used to link PSS and FITC in order to prepare FITC-labeled PSS(F-PSS) through a reductive amination reaction. F-PSS was identified by UV-Vis, FT-IR and 1H-NMR spectrum. The cell stability and cytotoxicity of F-PSS were tested in Madin-Darby canine kidney(MDCK) cells. The results indicated that the labeling efficiency of F-PSS was 0.522% ± 0.0248% and the absolute bioavailability was 8.39%. F-PSS was stable in MDCK cells without obvious cytotoxicity. The method was sensitive and reliable; it showed a good linearity, precision, recovery and stability. The FITC labeling method can be applied to investigating the absorption and metabolism of PSS and other polysaccharides in biological samples.

Structures and Antiviral Activities of Butyrolactone Derivatives Isolated from Aspergillus terreus MXH-23

A new butyrolactone derivative,namely butyrolactone Ⅷ （1）,and six known butyrolactones （2-7） were separated from the ethyl acetate （EtOAc） extract of the fermentation broth of a fungus,Aspergillus terreus MXH-23.The chemical structures of these metabolites were identified by analyzing their nuclear magnetic resonance （NMR） and mass spectrometry （MS）.Known butyrolactone derivatives contain an α,β-unsaturated γ-lactone ring with α-hydroxyl and y-benzyl,and butyrolactone Ⅷ （1） was the first butyrolactones contains α-benzyl and γ-hydroxyl on α,β-unsaturated lactone ring.All of the butyrolactone derivatives were tested for their anti-influenza （H 1N 1） effects.Derivatives 4 and 7 showed moderate antiviral activities while the newly-identified,derivative 1,did not.