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Biomedical subjects

F R Stermitz

Publications and source records attributed to F R Stermitz.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1995

Verbascoside derivatives and iridoid glycosides from Penstemon crandallii.

The new phenylethanoid glycosides 2-O-acetyl-3'''-O-methylverbascoside and 2,4"-di-O-acetyl-3'''-O-methylverbascoside were isolated and identified from Penstemon crandallii. The major iridoid glycoside was plantarenaloside and no aucubin type iridoids were found. This contrasted with a previous analysis of P. teucrioides, from the same Penstemon subsection, which was dominated by aucubin derivatives.

Carbohydrate Conformation↗
PubMed1995

Addition of methyl thioglycolate and benzylamine to (Z)-ligustilide, a bioactive unsaturated lactone constituent of several herbal medicines. An improved synthesis of (Z)-ligustilide.

(Z)-Ligustilide [1] is a dihydrophthalide purported to be the active ingredient of Ligusticum plant species widely used as herbal medicines in the Orient and in Native American and Hispanic cultures. It readily underwent 1,6-conjugate addition with methyl thioglycolate in the presence of triethylamine. The methyl thioglycolate reaction also yielded a product from addition to the C-6-C-7 double bond and a diadduct from both 1,6-addition and addition to the C-6-C-7 bond. Reaction of 1 with benzylamine did not afford a 1,6-adduct, but yielded instead an N-benzyllactam, presumably formed by rearrangement from initial 1,2-addition to the carbonyl. An improved total synthesis of 1 was developed. (Z)-Ligustilide had weak antiviral properties and weak antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive, Gram-negative, and yeast microorganisms. The broad biological activity of 1 and its electrophilic reactivity are consistent with the use of Ligusticum species in folk medicine.

4-Butyrolactone↗
PubMed1995

Pyrrolizidine alkaloid-induced DNA-protein cross-links.

Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) are potent carcinogenic and anti-mitotic compounds produced by a large number of plant species. In this study, we investigated in vitro the DNA-protein cross-linking activity of several structurally diverse PAs. The DNA cross-linked proteins induced by PAs were also isolated and characterized in mammalian cells. At 300 and 500 microM, the pyrrolic PAs (dehydrosenecionine, dehydromonocrotaline, dehydroseneciphylline, dehydroriddelliine) induced potent DNA cross-links. Protein-associated DNA cross-links accounted for approximately 50% of the total cellular DNA cross-links at 300 microM. The simple necine pyrrole dehydroretronecine induced few DNA--protein cross-links and none were detected with indicine N-oxide. The major proteins cross-linked to DNA from either PA-exposed cells or pyrrolic PA-exposed nuclei were in the molecular weight 40-60 kDa range and were primarily acidic in nature (Ca. pI 4.2-5.0). The patterns of the proteins cross-linked to DNA were similar to that induced by standard bifunctional alkylating agents mitomycin C, cisdichlorodiammine platinum(II) and nitrogen mustard. The macrocyclic pyrrole dehydrosenecionine induced DNA cross-links in pBR322 plasmid DNA with BSA as a protein target. Our data indicated that pyrrolic PAs with a macrocyclic diester such as dehydrosenecionine, dehydroseneciphylline, dehydroriddelliine and dehydromonocrotaline were more potent cross-linkers than the simple necine pyrrolic dehydroretronecine. Cross-linking potency of the PAs examined here coincides with known potency differences in animal toxicity and led us to conclude that DNA--protein cross-linking activity is probably involved in PA-related

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Toxicity of field bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis) to mice.

The effects of feeding high and low doses of field bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis) to mice were investigated. Bindweed contains several alkaloids, including pseudotropine, and lesser amounts of tropine, tropinone, and meso-cuscohygrine. Mice fed bindweed exclusively died or were euthanized after 4-7 d and had severe hepatic necrosis and gastritis with ulceration or erosions. Mice fed low doses of bindweed along with standard laboratory mouse diet for 6 or 8 w had no clinical disease or gross lesions on necropsy examination but did have histologic lesions of mild multifocal hepatitis and gastritis.

Acetone↗
PubMed1994

Acute hepatitis associated with the Chinese herbal product jin bu huan.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the hepatotoxicity associated with ingestion of the Chinese herbal product Jin Bu Huan Anodyne Tablets (Lycopodium, serratum) and to propose possible mechanisms of injury. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis. SETTING: Academic hepatology units and private practice facilities. PATIENTS: Seven previously healthy patients. MEASUREMENTS: Clinical, laboratory, radiologic, and histologic studies. RESULTS: Acute hepatitis occurred after a mean of 20 weeks (range, 7 to 52 weeks) of Jin Bu Huan ingestion and resolved in six patients within a mean of 8 weeks (range, 2 to 30 weeks); another patient is currently improving. Hepatitis was associated with symptoms of fever, fatigue, nausea, pruritus, and abdominal pain and with signs of jaundice and hepatomegaly. Biopsy specimens showed that one patient had hepatitis with eosinophils (consistent with a drug reaction) and the other had mild hepatitis, moderate fibrosis, and microvesicular steatosis. Decreasing the Jin Bu Huan dose in one patient improved liver test results. Reusing Jin Bu Huan in two other patients caused abrupt recrudescence of hepatitis. CONCLUSION: Jin Bu Huan can cause liver injury. Although the hepatotoxic mechanisms are not defined, they may include hypersensitive or idiosyncratic reactions or direct toxicity to active metabolites. Hepatotoxicity caused by herbal products underscores the toxicity caused by herbal products underscores the importance of national surveillance programs and quality control of the manufacture of these products.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1994

Antimicrobial isoflavans from Astragalus species.

Two new antimicrobial isoflavans, 1-[(3R)-7,8-dimethoxybenzopyranyl]-4- hydroxybenzoquinone (astragaluquinone) and (3S)-7,1'-dihydroxy-8,3'-dimethoxyisoflavan (8-methoxyvestitol), and the known 7-hydroxy-2',3',4'-trimethoxyisoflavan were isolated from roots of Astragalus alexandrinus and A. trigonus. The structures of the new isoflavans were established by spectroscopic methods.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed1993

Structural influences on pyrrolizidine alkaloid-induced cytopathology.

Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs), which are common constituents of hundreds of plant species around the world, have been reported to have cytotoxic, carcinogenic, antineoplastic, and genotoxic activity in vivo and in vitro. The exact mechanism of these biological toxicities is not yet clear. The ability of eight PA congeners to inhibit mitosis and induce megalocyte formation in cultured bovine kidney epithelial cells was studied to examine possible structural influences on these endpoints. Representatives of the three PA structural groups, the macrocycles (seneciphylline, senecionine, riddelliine, retrorsine, monocrotaline), open diesters (heliosupine, latifoline), and a necine base (retronecine), were cocultured for 2 hr with a NADPH-generating system and rat liver S9. Macrocyclic PAs with alpha,beta-unsaturation (seneciphylline, senecionine, riddelliine, retrorsine) showed a dose-dependent inhibition of colony formation at 50, 100, and 300 microM and induction of megalocytosis at 500 microM. Colony growth resumed 3 weeks after removal of PAs at 50 and 100 microM, and normal cellular morphology returned 5 or 6 weeks after removal of PAs at 500 microM. The saturated macrocyclic (monocrotaline) and open diesters (heliosupine, latifoline), elicited only a slight inhibition of colony formation and had no effect on cellular morphology at 500 microM. The necine base (retronecine) had no effect on either colony formation or cell morphology. Pyrrolic PAs (dehydrosenecionine, dehydromonocrotaline, dehydroretronecine) were more active in inhibition of colony formation than their parent compounds and were potent inducers of abnormal cellular morphology at 500 microM. An N-oxide metabolite, indicine N-oxide, was completely inactive. The results support previous studies showing that there are structural influences on PA-induced cytopathological effects.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

DNA cross-linking in mammalian cells by pyrrolizidine alkaloids: structure-activity relationships.

Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) are common constituents of many species of flowering plants which possess carcinogenic as well as anticarcinogenic activity in vivo. Pyrrolizidine alkaloids are genotoxic in various short-term assays. The mechanisms by which these compounds exert these effects is still unclear. In this study, we characterized the ability of eight bifunctional PAs, with differing stereochemistry and functional groups, to cross-link cellular DNA in cultured bovine kidney epithelial cells. PAs representative of three major structural classes, the macrocycles (seneciphylline, riddelline, retrorsine, senecionine, monocrotaline), the open diesters (heliosupine, latifoline), and pyrrolizidine base (retronecine) were cultured for 2 hr with cells and an external metabolizing system. Every PA induced DNA cross-links which consisted primarily of proteinase-sensitive cross-links (DPC), but also to a smaller extent, DNA interstrand cross-links (ISC). None of the PAs induced detectable amounts of DNA single-strand breaks. The PAs which produced DPC and/or ISC (ranked from most potent to least) were: seneciphylline (DPC greater than ISC); riddelline (DPC greater than ISC); retrorsine (DPC greater than ISC); senecionine (DPC greater than ISC); heliosupine (DPC greater than ISC); monocrotaline (ISC = DPC); latifoline (DPC greater than ISC); and retronecine (ISC greater than DPC). Although the PAs induced DNA cross-linking to varying degrees, cell viabilities for all treatment groups were greater than 90% as determined by trypan blue dye exclusion. Since the cross-linking ability of these PAs paralleled their ability to inhibit colony formation, cross-link formation may be involved in the biological activity of these compounds. Two structural determinants of biological activity appear to be the presence of both a macrocyclic necic acid ester and an alpha,beta-unsaturated ester function since the cross-linking ability of seneciphylline, riddelline, retrorsine, and senecionine far exceeded that of monocrotaline, heliosupine, latifoline, and retronecine. In addition, the stereochemical orientation of the ester linkage was found to have no effect on biological activity.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Cynoglossum officinale (hound's-tongue)--a cause of pyrrolizidine alkaloid poisoning in horses.

The death of 10 horses was attributed to feeding dried grass hay containing hound's-tongue, Cynoglossum officinale. Affected horses developed weight loss, icterus, photosensitization, and hepatic encephalopathy. Histologic examination of the liver of 3 of the horses revealed megalocytosis, biliary hyperplasia, and fibrosis characteristic of pyrrolizidine alkaloid poisoning. Hound's-tongue was found to contain large quantities (0.6% to 2.1%, dry matter basis) of toxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids, which, when fed to a pony for 20 days, caused liver fibrosis and biliary hyperplasia.

Animal Feed↗
PubMed1982

Abscisic Acid transport coefficients of phaseolus root systems.

Diffusive and convective transport coefficients of Phaseolus vulgaris L. cv. Ouray root systems for abscisic acid for (ABA) were measured. The convective coefficient (reflection coefficient or osmotic efficiency factor) sigma was determined to be 0.96 for ABA while the diffusive coefficient, omega, was found to be 1.44 x 10(-11) mole per square centimeter per second per bar. Steady-state concentrations of ABA in the root system exudates were not achieved until at least three hours after the applications suggesting either a slow saturation of binding sites or equilibration with tissues surrounding the xylem.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1975

Synthesis and biological activity of some antitumor benzophenanthridinium salts.

A facil synthesis of benzophenanthridinium salts has been developed and used for preparing a number of these compounds. The antitumor activities in mouse leukemia L1210 (LE) and P388 (PS) were determined as well as some selected antimicrobial activities. Although antitumor activity was exhibited by several of the derivatives, none was as active as the naturally occurring alkaloid fagaronine. Fagaronine was made available as a synthetic by an improved procedure. Some structure-activity relationships among antitumor benzophenanthridinium salts are discussed.

Animals↗