The cyanogenic glucoside, prunasin (D-mandelonitrile-beta-D-glucoside), is a novel inhibitor of DNA polymerase beta. (1/26)

A DNA polymerase beta (pol. beta) inhibitor has been isolated independently from two organisms; a red perilla, Perilla frutescens, and a mugwort, Artemisia vulgaris. These molecules were determined by spectroscopic analyses to be the cyanogenic glucoside, D-mandelonitrile-beta-D-glucoside, prunasin. The compound inhibited the activity of rat pol. beta at 150 microM, but did not influence the activities of calf DNA polymerase alpha and plant DNA polymerases, human immunodefficiency virus type 1 reverse transcriptase, calf terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase, or any prokaryotic DNA polymerases, or DNA and RNA metabolic enzymes examined. The compound dose-dependently inhibited pol. beta activity, the IC(50) value being 98 microM with poly dA/oligo dT(12-18) and dTTP as the DNA template and substrate, respectively. Inhibition of pol. beta by the compound was competitive with the substrate, dTTP. The inhibition was enhanced in the presence of fatty acid, and the IC(50) value decreased to approximately 40 microM. In the presence of C(10)-decanoic acid, the K(i) value for substrate dTTP decreased by 28-fold, suggesting that the fatty acid allowed easier access of the compound to the substrate-binding site.  (+info)

Pharmacological properties of traditional medicines (XXVII). Interaction between Ephedra Herb and Gypsum under hyperthermal conditions in rats. (2/26)

There are many important considerations in the interactions among the herbal constituents in a prescription of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Ephedra Herb [Chinese characters: see text] (Eph) is described a warm and acrid agent in TCM. The combination of Eph and Gypsum [Chinese characters: see text] (Eph-Gyp) shows specific actions in patients with different body temperatures. Previous reports suggested that Gypsum prevents the thermogenesis effect induced by ephedrine at an ambient temperature of 22 degrees C. In this investigation, the properties of Eph-Gyp in hyperthermal rats were studied in detail. It was shown that Gypsum Extract (GyE) enhanced the thermogenesis of Eph in hyperthermal rats, although not in normal rats. The results support not only the opposite actions of Eph-GyE but also the clinical differences in the symptomatic patterns of body temperature for Makyo-Kanseki-To [Chinese characters: see text] and Dai-Seiryu-To [Chinese characters: see text].  (+info)

Reverse-phase HPLC separation of D-amygdalin and neoamygdalin and optimum conditions for inhibition of racemization of amygdalin. (3/26)

In boiling aqueous solution, D-amygdalin usually begins to convert into neoamygdalin in 3 min and more than 30% of the initial D-amygdalin is found as neoamygdalin after 30 min. In this report, we establish methods for simple HPLC analysis and the inhibition of D-amygdalin conversion. D-Amygdalin and its conversion product, neoamygdalin, were clearly separated on reverse-phase column chromatography by an optimized eluent of 10 mM sodium phosphate buffer (pH 3.8) containing 6% acetonitrile. Linearity for analyzing D-amygdalin and neoamygdalin was observed in the range from 0.05 to 0.5 mM. The detection limits for D-amygdalin and neoamygdalin were ca. 5 microM per injected amount. We found that D-amygdalin conversion was completely inhibited by adding 0.05% citric acid to the aqueous solution before boiling. To prevent the loss of pharmaceutical potency of Tonin, we applied this method to measure the conversion rate of D-amygdalin. We confirmed that D-amygdalin conversion in Tonin is effectively inhibited by acidic boiling solution with 0.1% citric acid.  (+info)

Failure of amygdalin to arrest B16 melanoma and BW5147 AKR leukemia. (4/26)

Parenteral amygdalin was found to be ineffective in C57BL/6 mice with B16 melanoma and in AKR mice with BW5147 lymphatic leukemia, in doses ranging from 50 to 5000 mg/kg.  (+info)

Cellulase of Neurospora crassa. (5/26)

Mycelia and ungerminated conidia of Neurospora crassa were found to secrete extracellular endocellulase (EC 3.2.1.4). A simple induction system of potassium phosphate buffer (ph 6.0) plus inducer relied on the internal metabolic reserves of conicia or mycelia to provide energy and substrates for protein synthesis. Buffer concentration for optimum enzyme production was 100 mM, but at higher buffer concentrations enzyme production was inhibited. Cellobiose was clearly the best inducer, with an optimum effect from 0.05 to 1 mM. In deionized water, cellulase remained mostly associated with the cell, but a variety of salts stimulated the release of cellulase into the medium.  (+info)

Positive selection on a high-sensitivity allele of the human bitter-taste receptor TAS2R16. (6/26)

BACKGROUND: During periods of human expansion into new environments, recognition of bitter natural toxins through taste may have conferred an important selective advantage. The G protein-coupled receptor encoded by TAS2R16 mediates response to salicin, amygdalin, and many bitter beta-glucopyranosides. beta-glucopyranosides are ubiquitous in nature, with many having a highly toxic cyanogenic activity. RESULTS: We examined evidence for natural selection on the human receptor TAS2R16 by sequencing the entire coding region, as well as part of the 5' and 3' UTRs, in 997 individuals from 60 human populations. We detected signatures of positive selection, indicated by an excess of evolutionarily derived alleles at the nonsynonymous site K172N and two linked sites and significant values of Fay and Wu's H statistics in 19 populations. The estimated age range for the common ancestor of the derived N172 variant is 78,700-791,000 years, placing it in the Middle Pleistocene and before the expansion of early humans out of Africa. Using calcium imaging in cells expressing different receptor variants, we showed that N172 is associated with an increased sensitivity to salicin, arbutin, and five different cyanogenic glycosides. CONCLUSION: We have detected a clear signal of positive selection at the bitter-taste receptor gene TAS2R16. We speculate that the increased sensitivity that is shown toward harmful cyanogenic glycosides and conferred by the N172 allele may have driven the signal of selection at an early stage of human evolution.  (+info)

Amygdalin inhibits genes related to cell cycle in SNU-C4 human colon cancer cells. (7/26)

AIM: The genes were divided into seven categories according to biological function; apoptosis-related, immune response-related, signal transduction-related, cell cycle-related, cell growth-related, stress response-related and transcription-related genes. METHODS: We compared the gene expression profiles of SNU-C4 cells between amygdalin-treated (5 mg/mL, 24 h) and non-treated groups using cDNA microarray analysis. We selected genes downregulated in cDNA microarray and investigated mRNA levels of the genes by RT-PCR. RESULTS: Microarray showed that amygdalin downregulated especially genes belonging to cell cycle category: exonuclease 1 (EXO1), ATP-binding cassette, sub-family F, member 2 (ABCF2), MRE11 meiotic recombination 11 homolog A (MRE11A), topoisomerase (DNA) I (TOP1), and FK506 binding protein 12-rapamycin-associated protein 1 (FRAP1). RT-PCR analysis revealed that mRNA levels of these genes were also decreased by amygdalin treatment in SNU-C4 human colon cancer cells. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that amygdalin have an anticancer effect via downregulation of cell cycle-related genes in SNU-C4 human colon cancer cells, and might be used for therapeutic anticancer drug.  (+info)

Isolation and quantitation of amygdalin in Apricot-kernel and Prunus Tomentosa Thunb. by HPLC with solid-phase extraction. (8/26)

Apricot-kernel and Prunus Tomentosa Thunb. are traditional Chinese herb medicines that contain amygdalin as their major effective ingredient. In this report, three methods for the extraction of amygdalin from the medicinal materials are compared: ultrasonic extraction by methanol, Soxhlet extraction by methanol, and reflux extraction by water. The results show that reflux extraction water containing 0.1% citric acid is the best option. The optimal reflux is 2.5 h and water bath temperature is 60 degrees C. The solid-phase extraction method using C18 and multiwalled carbon nanotube as adsorbents is established the pretreatment of reflux extract, and the result shows that the two adsorbents have greater adsorptive capacity for amygdalin and good separation effect. In order to quantitate amygdalin in Apricot-kernel and Prunus Tomentosa Thunb., a reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography method using methanol-water (15:85, for 30 min and pure methanol after 30 min) as mobile phase is developed and a good result is obtained.  (+info)