A new chalcone glucoside and cernuoside from the flowers ofAcacia dealbata

Summary A new chalcone glucoside has been isolated from the flowers ofAcacia dealbata and shown to be 4,2,4,6-tetrahydroxy-3-methoxychalcone 2-O--D-glucoside (1) by chemical degradations and spectroscopic methods. Cernuoside (4,6,3,4-tetrahydroxyaurone 4-O--D-glucoside), (2) has also been found in this plant material.Acknowledgments. The author thanks Prof. H. Wagner, Institut für pharmazeutische Arzneimittellehre der Universität München, for a sample of homoeriodictyol, and Prof. J.B. Harborne, University of Reading, for a sample of aureusidin.     

Biotransformation of the flavonoid tiliroside to 7-methylether tiliroside: bioactivity of this metabolite and of its acetylated derivative

Incubation of kaempferol-3-O-β-D-(6"-E-p-coumaroyl)-glucopyranoside (tiliroside) (1) with Aspergillus nidulans gives the 7-methyl ether of tiliroside (2) which is a new compound. Its structure is determined by spectroscopic methods. Cytotoxic studies of 2 and of its acetylated derivative 2a were carried out in vitro against fourteen human leukemic cell lines. Results clearly show that compound 2 is ineffective against all leukemic cell lines tested. On the contrary, compound 2a exhibited cytotoxic activity against four of the cell lines (HL60, DAUDI, HUT78 and MOLT3) and additionally, a dose- and time-dependent effect on DNA synthesis. Received 18 February 1997; received after revision 8 April 1997; accepted 6 May 1997     

Über eine frühe lateinische Bearbeitung der Algebra al-Khwārizmīs in MS Lyell 52 der Bodleian Library Oxford

Ohne Zusammenfassung Vorgelegt von A. P. Youschkevitch Herrn Professor Dr. Kurt Vogel, München, in dankbarer Verehrung zum 95. Geburtstag     

Silymarin,an inhibitor of lipoxygenase

Summary Silybin (I), silydianin (II) and, silychristin (III), the main constituents, of silymarin, non-competitively inhibit the lipoxygenase from soybeans (EC 1.13.11.12) in vitro.F. Fiebrich, Thesis, University of Vienna 1977.H. Koch, Dt. ApothZtg118, 1844 (1978); reported in part at the Colloquium Pharmaceuticum in Münster, 21 st November 1978.     

A simple synthesis of (E)-3-formylbut-2-enenitrile,and its use as a precursor of isotope-labelled zeatin and (±) dihydrozeatin

Summary (E)-3-Formylbut-2-enenitrile (4) is synthesized in 2 steps by reacting pyruvaldehyde dimethylacetal and acetonitrile in the presence of sodium methoxide, followed by acid hydrolysis to give 58% overall yield on distillation. The aldehyde4 can be stepwise and selectively reduced to (E)-3-hydroxymethylbut-2-enylamine (7a) in 37% total yield or exhaustivelyb reduced in 1 step to (±)-4-hydroxy-3-methylbutylamine (6) in 46% total yield. Compound7a and6 can be condensed with 6-chloropurine to give zeatin and (±)dihydrozeatin respectively. This provides a readily accessible method for isotope-labelled zeatin and its derivatives at side chain.Contribution No. 1064, Alberta Research CouncilProcess for the Preparation oftrans-3-formylbut-2-enenitrile S. Chen and J. MacTaggart, patent applicatioin registered in Canada and the United States of America.Acknowledgment. The author thanks Mr J. M. MacTaggart and Mrs C. M. Goulet for valuable experimental assistance and Dr R. M. Elofson for helpful discussions.     

Glucoacetyldigoxosid und Glucodigoxosid,neue genuine Glykoside aus den Blättern vonDigitalis schischkinii (Ivan.) Werner

Summary A new cardiotonic pentaglycoside with the structure glucoacetyldigoxoside (digoxigenin--D-glucosido-acetyltetradigitoxoside) was isolated from the leaves ofDigitalis schischkinii (Ivan.) Werner. Its desacetyl product, glucodigoxoside has also been found in the fraction of most polar glycosides.

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Wir danken Herrn Dr. F. Kaiser, Mannheim, für die Überlassung einer Probe von Digoxosid und Herrn Prof. Dr. H. Wagner, München, für die Durchführung der Elementaranalysen und optischer Drehungen.     

Sterility in tsetse flies (Glossina morsitans Westwood) caused by loss of symbionts

Summary Tsetse flies fed on blood containing oxytetracycline, sulphaquinoxaline or lysozyme do not reproduce. It could be proved that primarily the symbionts in flies are damaged, which secondarily leads to sterility.I thank Dr.A. M. Jordan, Tsetse Research Laboratory at Bristol, for providing me with pupae ofG. morsitans, Dr.H. Wetzel, International Atomic Energy Authority, Vienna, for providing antibiotictreated flies and the Gesellschaft für Strahlen und Umweltforschung, München, for financial support.     

Silymarin,an inhibitor of prostaglandin synthetase

Summary Silybin (I), silydianin (II) and silychristin (III), the main constituents of silymarin, inhibit the formation of prostaglandins in vitro. The inhibition is log-linearly dependent on the concentration of the effectors.F. Fiebrich, Thesis, University of Vienna 1977.H. Koch, Dt. ApothZtg118, 1844 (1978); reported in part at the Colloquium Pharmaceuticum in Münster, 21st November 1978.     

A new simple temperature-controlled membrane oxygenator for the perfusion of isolated rat livers

Summary A new temperature-controlled membrane oxygenator for perfusing isolated rat livers was assembled using a combination of heat-exchangeable rubber tubing and silicon rubber tubing. The apparatus supplied enough oxygen to satisfy the requirements of hemoglobin-free perfused livers.Acknowledgment. One of the authors (MO) would like to thank to Prof. Dr R. Scholz, Institut für Physiologische Chemie der Universität München, for his kind permission to observe his perfusion experiments and also for his valuable discussion.     

Luffariellolide,an anti-inflammatory sesterterpene from the marine spongeLuffariella sp.

Summary Luffariellolide (2) is a sesterterpene from the Palauan spongeLuffariella sp. that has useful anti-inflammatory properties. In contrast with the irreversible action of manoalide (1) on phospholipase A₂, luffariellolide (2) is a slightly less potent but partially reversible PLA₂ inhibitor.30 December 1986Acknowledgment We thank Edward Luedtke, Elise Clason and Ellen Snideman for performing some of the assays reported above. The sponge was identified by Dr. Klaus Rützler, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. The research was supported by grants from Allergan Pharmaceuticals and the California Sea Grant College Program (Projects R/MP-30 and R/MP-31).     

Furan fatty acid steryl esters from the marine spongeDictyonella incisa which show inflammatory activity

Summary Three new furan fatty acids, (9Z, 19Z)-3, 6-epoxyhexacosa-3,5,19-tetraenoic acid (1a), (8Z, 11Z, 14Z, 17Z)-3, 6-epoxyeicosa-3,5,8,11,14,17-hexaenoic acid (2a), and (8Z, 11Z, 14Z, 17E)-3, 6-epoxyeicosa-3,5,8,11,14,17-hexaenoic acid (3a), and a new polyunsaturated fatty acid (5Z, 8Z, 11Z, 14Z, 17E)-eicosa-5,8,11,14,17-pentaenoic acid (6a), present in the spongeDictyonella incisa as the respective steryl esters, have been isolated as methyl esters and their structures have been determined by spectral and chemical analysis. The furan fatty acid esters have shown a high inflammatory activity, which suggests their potential role as feeding deterrents.     

Transformation of progesterone byCaldariella acidophila,an extreme thermophilic bacterium

Summary Caldariella Acidophila, a thermophilic bacterium, converts porgesterone (1) to pregn-4-en-3,6,20-trione (2), 5a-pregnan-3, 6, 20-trione (3), pregn-4-en-20a-ol-3-one (4), pregn-4-6-ol-3, 20-dione (5) and pregn-4-en-6a-ol-3, 20-dione (6). Different patterns of these metabolites were obtained by modifying the incubation conditions and using differently treated biocatalysis.     

Stimulation of locomotor activity of genetically obese mice by amphetamine

Zusammenfassung Die motorische Aktivität von genetish obesen (ob/ob) und diabetischen (db/db) Mäusen wurde durchd-Amphetamin stärker gesteigert als bei normalen Mäusen, wobei das Regulationszentrum für die motorische Aktivität intakt zu sein scheint.     

The isolation and structure of 13,18-dehydroglaucarubinone,a new antineoplastic quassinoid fromSimarouba amara

Summary An investigation of the Guyana plantSimarouba amara Aubl. (Simaroubaceae) for antineoplastic quassinoids led to isolation and structural determination of the new quassinoids 2-acetylglaucarubine (1a) and 13,18-dehydroglaucarubinone (2). The previously known 2-acetylglaucarubinone (3a) and glaucarubinone (3b) were also obtained. The new quassinoid2 was found significantly to inhibit growth of the murine lymphocytic leukemia P388.Antineoplastic agents 59. For part 58 refer to M. T. Edgar, G.R. Pettit and T.H. Smith, J. org. Chem., in preparation.Acknowledgments. We wish to thank Mr B. Septe for providing the¹³C-NMR-data. Dr Jean H. Schmidt and Miss Linda M. Lange for assistance with biological studies.—G.R. Pettit is grateful to the National Cancer Institute (performed pursuant to contract No. N01-67048 with the Division of Cancer Treatment, NCI, National Institutes of Health, Dept. of Health, Education and Welfare), Public Health Services Research grant No. CA 16049-03 from the National Cancer Institute, the Fannie E. Rippel Foundation, Talley Industries, and the Phoenix Coca-Cola Bottling Co., for partial support of this investigation.     

The antifertility action ofa-chlorohydrin: Enzyme inhibition bya-chlorohydrin phosphate

Summary Preparations of the enzymes glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase and triosephosphate isomerase are shown to be inhibited bya-chlorohydrin phosphate (II) in a competitive and non-competitive manner, respectively.a-Chlorohydrin (I), glycidol and epi-chlorohydrin have no inhibitory activities suggesting that their antifertility actions are due to their metabolism in vivo toa-chlorohydrin phosphate.     

A farnesyl arabinoside as an enhancer of glucose transport in rat adipocytes from a soft coral,Sinularia sp.

Separation of a lipophilic extract of a soft coral,Sinularia sp., assayed by enhancement of glucose transport in rat adipocytes, gave farnesyl 4-O--D-arabinopyranosyl--D-arabinopyranoside-2,2,3-triacetate (1a) whose structure was determined by spectroscopy. Enhancers of glucose transport may be useful for the prevention and treatment of diabetic disorders.     

Zum Mechanismus der Immuncytolyse durch heterologe Antikörper und Komplement

Summary Heterologous antibodies of the Ehrlich ascites tumor, in the presence of complement, cause a rapid drop of the ATP in the cells of this tumor. Probably there is a relation between this effect and the immune cytolysis.

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FräuleinMarianne Kaestner und FrauChrista Duba danke ich für ihre gewissenhafte Mitarbeit. Die Untersuchungen wurden 1957–1959 am Max-Planck-Institut für Virusforschung in Tübingen und am Pathologischen Institut der Universität München, zum Teil mit Mitteln der Deutschen Forschungsgemeinschaft, durchgeführt.     

The assessment of the rate of digestion of serum proteins in mosquito by gel-diffusion and immunoelectrophoresis

Zusammenfassung Die Verdauungsgeschwindigkeit von Serumproteinen im Darm von Mücken (Armigeres subalbatus) wurde mit Gel-Diffusion und Immunoelektrophorese bestimmt. Es konnten wenigstens 2 Bänder mit Gel-Diffusion in einer Mücke nachgewiesen werden, die menschliches Blut gesaugt hatte. Während das äussere Band nach 12–18 h verschwindet, konnte das innere noch nach 48–56 h als Albuminfraktion des menschlichen Serums bestimmt werden.     

Enantiomeric cannabinoids: stereospecificity of psychotropic activity

Summary The 1,1-dimethylheptyl homolog of (–)-(3R,4R)-7-hydroxy-delta-6-tetrahydrocannabinol (compoundII) is highly psychotropic in mice, rats and pigeons. The (+)-(3S,4S) enantiomer (III) was found to be psychotropically inactive at doses up to several thousand times those of the ED₅₀ of (II).We thank Dr A. Breuer and Mrs H. Amsalem for help with the syntheses. The research reported above was supported in Tucson by NIH grant NS 15441; in Uppsala by grants from the Swedish Medical Research Council (5757) and the Swedish Council for the Planning and Coordination of Research (84/2082); in Jerusalem by the Szold Foundation.Presented in part at a meeting at the US National Institute on Drug Abuse, Washington, D.C., October 1986, see NIDA Research Monographs79 (1987) 15.     

Influences of light on activity of the small mammals,Peromyscus spp.,Tamias striatus,andMustela rixosa

Zusammenfassung Die Aktivität des Backenhörnchens (Tamias striatus) und des Wiesels (Mustela rixosa) wurde im Laufrad bei künstlicher Dämmerung und abruptem Tag-Nacht-Wechsel untersucht. Sowohl die Geschwindigkeit als auch die gesamte Laufzeit war bei diesen Tieren genau wie bei nachtaktiven Mäusen (GattungPeromyscus) von der Beleuchtungsstärke abhängig. Die Bedeutung dieser Befunde für das zirkadische Gesetz und die Evolution von Tages- und Nachtaktivität wird diskutiert.