Partition Fractions Research Articles

Electrochemical detection of cocaine metabolites (benzoylecgonine and ecgonine) at the miniaturized electrified liquid-liquid interface

The main urinary cocaine metabolites are benzoylecgonine and ecgonine methyl ester. These molecules possess two chemical functional groups that can be charged within the conventional pH range, this is the tertiary amine group (both) and the carboxylic group (benzoylecgonine). We have found that in the pH range from 2 to 6 (for benzoylecgonine) and pH from 2 to 4 (for ecgonine methyl ester) both molecules can be detected at the electrified liquid-liquid interface (eLLI) by following the interfacial ion transfer reactions triggered in the presence of the concerned metabolites in the aqueous phase. The presence of the benzene ring in the benzoylecgonine structure increases its hydrophobicity (on the formal Galvani potential difference scale) by around 200 mV as compared with ecgonine methyl ester which transfer is overlaid with the inorganic cations crossing the LLI at the positive end of the potential window. Macroscopic eLLI was used during physicochemical ecgonine methyl ester and benzoylecgonine characterization as we have defined their diffusion coefficients, ion partition, and concentration fraction diagrams (only for the latter). The miniaturized platform was used during electroanalytical studies focused on benzoylecgonine giving a few µM limit of detection. For this purpose, we have used the fused silica capillary as the eLLI support. All our findings allowed us to use this system first to develop the electroanalytical protocol for benzoylecgonine quantification to finally detect it in the spiked urine sample with nearly 100 % recovery.

Probing the multitargeting potential of n-hexane fraction of Gongronema latifolium leaves in neurodegeneration via in vitro, GC–MS and in silico studies

BackgroundNeurodegenerative disorders (NDDs) are associated with increased activities of brain acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) and monoamine oxidase (MAO) as well as Aβ-amyloid (Aβ) neurotoxicity; therefore, they offer a therapeutic option for the treatment of NDDs such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD). This study was aimed at identifying multi-targeting neurotherapeutics from Gongronema latifolium leaves using in vitro analysis, GC–MS profiling and computational methods.ResultsThe n-hexane solvent partition fraction of the methanol extract of Gongronema latifolium leaf (HF) exhibited concentration-dependent inhibitory activities against acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase but not against MOA in vitro. The GC–MS chemical profiling identified 17 phytochemicals from the HF; these were further screened against human AChE, BChE, β-secretase enzyme (BACE1) and amyloid-β (Aβ) fibrils using molecular docking, ensemble-based docking (EBD), molecular dynamics simulation (MDs) and binding free energy (BFG) coupled with predictive adsorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion and toxicity (ADMET) analysis. The lead phytochemicals (LPs) (dihydroactinidiolide and 1H-Indole-3-ethanamine), with mean binding energies (− 6.525 ± 0.895 and 6.475 ± 0.985; − 6.833 ± 0.461 and − 6.466 ± 0.577; − 6.2 ± 0.845 and − 5.95 ± 0.353 kcal/mol) exhibited multi-target binding tendencies to the catalytic residues of hAChE, hBChE and hBACE1, in addition to hAβ fibril-disruptive tendencies (− 6.325 ± 0.545 and − 5.95 ± 0.353 kcal/mol), respectively. These results corroborated the initial molecular docking and BFG computations. The lead phytochemical–protein complexes were stable during the period of MDs. The LP presented favorable drug-likeness and ADMET properties coupled with the capacity to traverse the BBB.ConclusionDihydroactinidiolide and 1H-Indole-3-ethanamine, in part or in synergy, are identified as neurotherapeutic constituents of Gongronema latifolium that may have been responsible for the ethnopharmacologically reported neurotherapeutic activities of the leaf, and hence they are suggested as potential drug candidates that can be useful for managing or treating neurodegenerative disease such as Alzheimer's disease, subject to further investigation.

The restricted partition and q-partial fractions

The restricted partition and q-partial fractions

Influence of the mixing of Au with D and T upon alpha heating in hot dense plasmas

AbstractThe influence of the mixing of Au with D and T (DT) upon alpha heating is studied in the wide ranges of plasma temperatures from 0.1 to 100.0 keV, under the assumption that all the charged particles in the mixture are in the same temperature. Two cases of mixture densities 4.15 and 415 g/cc are discussed, where the average ionization degree of Au ions and the partial densities of different ions in the mixture are determined by the average atom model. It is found that the mixing decreases the energy partition fraction for DT ions significantly even if the number of Au ions is 1.0% of that for DT ions. The mixing also lengthens the range of alpha particles in the plasmas, which is more prominent when Au ion is in a low ionized state. Moreover, the heating of Au ions by alpha particles is found much easier than that of DT ion All these are very harmful to the controlled fusion. All the results about energy partition fractions are mainly because that the heavy Au ion is usually in a highly charged state in the plasmas. This makes the nuclear stopping due to Au ions much bigger than that due to DT ions and cover the incident energy range for the heating of DT ions by alpha particles. The similar work in Phys. Plasmas 21,102,307 (2014) is found doubtful since its nuclear stopping due to high Z ions was obtained by means of perturbation theory.

Identification of neurotherapeutic constituents in Ocimum gratissimum with cholinesterase and mono amine oxidase inhibitory activities, using GC-MS analysis, in vitro, and in silico approaches

Neuroprotective activities of various extracts of Ocimum gratissimum (OG), have been reported, but there is paucity of information on its neurotherapeutic constituents. This study is aimed at identifying the neurotherapeutic constituents in OG leaves using in vitro assays, GC-MS chemical investigation and in silico studies including molecular docking, ensemble-based docking, molecular dynamics (MD) simulation, clustering and ADMET filtering analysis. Methanol extract of O gratissimum (MEOG) and solvent-partition (n-hexane, ethylacetate, and methanol residue fraction) of MEOG were investigated for in vitro acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) and monoamine oxidase B (MAO-B) inhibition at concentration of 0.65, 12.5, 2.5, 5, and 10 mg/mL, using donepezil, phenazine methosulfate and selegiline as reference inhibitors for AChE, BChE and MAO B respectively. n-hexane solvent partition fraction was further investigated using GC-MS analysis. Identified compounds were screened against human AChE, BChE and MAO-B activities using molecular docking and molecular dynamics. The lead phytochemicals were further analysed for ADMET in silico analysis. MEOG and the 3 fractions (n-hexane, ethylacetate, and methanol residue fraction) inhibited the activities of AChE, BChE and MAO-B in a concentration-dependent manner with AChE (IC50 = 2.380, 2.022, 2.066 and 1.079 mg/mL respectively), BChE (IC50 = 2.261, 2.126, 2.630 and 1.465 mg/mL respectively) and MAO-B (IC50 = 2.345, 1.584, 2.933 and 2.935 mg/mL respectively). From the 38 GC-MS identified compounds, 7 hit compounds were further subjected to ensemble-docking, the lead phytochemicals (LP): cholestane and 3-methoxy-morphanin presented highest multiple binding tendencies to the three enzymes. Cholestane had the highest binding energies of −9.9, −9.0 and −11 kcal/mol, while 3-methoxy-morphanin presented the second-best binding energies of −9.3, −8.2 and −10.1 kcal/mol respectively. When compared with the binding pattern of reference inhibitors of the enzyme, lead phytochemicals were orientated in the catalytic sites of the enzyme and interacted with important catalytic residues. The LP-enzyme complexes were stable during the MD simulation analysis. Cholestane and 3-methoxy-morphanin presented favorable ADMET properties over several molecular descriptors and filters, with druggable properties and ability to cross the blood-brain barrier. Hence, cholestane and 3-methoxy-morphanin, in part, or in synergy with other hit phytochemicals, may be responsible for the neurotherapeutic activities of MEOG leaves.

Caesalpinia palmeri: First Report on the Phenolic Compounds Profile, Antioxidant and Cytotoxicity Effect.

This study aimed to determine the phenolic compounds profile, antioxidant potential and cytotoxicity of extracts and fractions of Caesalpinia palmeri. Methanolic extracts were generated from C. palmeri berries, stems and flowers. The latter was subjected to liquid-liquid partition, obtaining hexane, ethyl acetate and residues fractions. Results showed that the flower extract and ethyl acetate fraction had a larger concentration of phenolic compounds (148.9 and 307.9 mg GAE/g, respectively), being ellagic acid (6233.57 and 19550.08 μg/g, respectively), quercetin-3-β-glycoside (3023.85 and 8952.55 μg/g, respectively) and gallic acid (2212.98 and 8422.34 μg/g, respectively) the most abundant compounds. Flower extract and ethyl acetate fraction also presented the highest antioxidant capacity on all tested methods (DPPH, ABTS, ORAC and FRAP) and low cytotoxicity against ARPE-19 cells (IC50 >170 μg/mL). C. palmeri possessed high antioxidant potential, associated with the presence of phenolic compounds and low cytotoxicity, suggesting that they could represent an option to counter oxidative stress.

Antioxidant potentials of the pod extract of Caesalpinia pulcherrima Swartz (Fabeace) and the theoretical evaluation of the antioxidant property of the isolated compounds

Various diseases associated with oxidative stress have necessitated the need to investigate plants for antioxidant agents. This study aims to investigate the antioxidant potential of the extract and fractions of C. pulcherrima and estimate the quantum chemical properties of polyphenolic compounds isolated from its most active antioxidant fraction. Methanolic extract and partition fractions of the pods of the plant were assayed for their antioxidant activity using four models: 1,1-diphenyl-2-dipicrylhydrazyl radical scavenging, ferric reducing antioxidant power, total antioxidant capacity and hydroxyl radical scavenging activity. Total phenolic and flavonoid contents of the extract and fractions were also investigated. Furthermore, the quantum chemical properties of two polyphenolic compounds were calculated to predict the antioxidant potential. The extract exhibited good antioxidant activity with IC50 = 45.63 µg/ml comparable to ascorbic acid of IC50 = 37.94 µg/ml, high reducing power with value at 376.74 ± 6.78, total antioxidant capacity obtained at ascorbic acid equivalence of 383 ± 8.16 mgAAE/g and potent hydroxyl radical scavenging activity with value at 580.97 µg/ml with ascorbic acid at 30.7 µg/ml. The total phenol and flavonoid contents values at 540.53 ± 3.71 and 347.87 ± 7.13 respectively. Furthermore, the results obtained from the quantum chemical calculations reveals polyphenolic compounds; 5(4-hydroxyphenyl)-3-hydroxy-2-methoxyphenol and 3(4-methanetriiol-2,6-dihydroxyphenoxy)-3’, 4’, 5’, 5, 7-pentahydroxy flavonol as promising antioxidant agents. The study concluded that C. pulcherrima pods have good antioxidant activity. Also, the polyphenolic compounds are among the chemical constituents responsible for the antioxidant activity obtained for the extract and ethyl acetate fraction.

LC-HRMS-Based Profiling: Antibacterial and Lipase Inhibitory Activities of Some Medicinal Plants for the Remedy of Obesity

Globally, obesity is a serious health concern that causes numerous diseases, including type 2 diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, etc. Medicinal plants have been used to aid in weight loss since ancient times. Thus, this research is focused on the exploration of pancreatic lipase inhibitory activity and secondary metabolite profiling of Bergenia ciliata, Mimosa pudica, and Phyllanthus emblica, selected based on an ethnobotanical survey. The lipase inhibition was investigated using 4-nitrophenyl butyrate (p-NPB) as a substrate. To uncover further therapeutic potentials of these medicinal plants, antimicrobial activity and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the extracts were also determined. The ethyl acetate plant extracts showed higher antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhi, and Shigella sonnei. The MIC of ethyl acetate extracts of medicinal plants considered in this study ranges from 1.56 to 6.25 mg/mL. The hexane fraction of Mimosa pudica and Phyllanthus emblica showed a higher lipase inhibitory activity as compared to others, with IC50 values of 0.49 ± 0.02 and 2.45 ± 0.003 mg/mL, respectively. In the case of Bergenia ciliata, the methanolic extract inhibited lipase more effectively than others, with an IC50 value of 1.55 ± 0.02 mg/mL (IC50 value of orlistat was 179.70 ± 3.60 µg/mL). A mass spectrometry analysis of various solvent/solvent partition fractions (extracts) revealed 29 major secondary metabolites. The research offers a multitude of evidence for using medicinal plants as antiobesity and antimicrobial agents.

Polyphenolic Contents, Free Radical Scavenging and Cholinesterase Inhibitory Activities of Dalbergiella welwitschii Leaf Extracts.

A decoction of Dalbergiella welwitschii leaves has been used ethnomedicinally for the treatment of mental illness and inflammatory diseases amongst other diseases. In this study, the leaf methanol extract of D. welwitschii and its partition fractions: n-hexane, ethyl acetate and aqueous, were tested and evaluated for their polyphenolic contents, free radical scavenging and cholinesterase inhibitory activities. The total phenolic (TPC), flavonoid (TFC) and proanthocyanidin (TPA) contents were determined using standard colorimetric methods. The anti-radical activity of the extracts against the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), ferric ion and nitric oxide (NO) radicals as well as their effects on lipid peroxidation were monitored spectrophotometrically. The cholinesterase enzyme (AChE and BuChE) inhibitions by the extracts were determined by a modified method of Ellman. The result showed a concentration-dependent increase in inhibition of the free radicals and the cholinesterase enzymes, except for that of lipid peroxidation. The ethyl acetate (EtOAc) fraction exhibited the highest polyphenolic contents among the fractions, with a TPC of 1.08 mgGAE/g, TFC of 0.38 mgQuE/g and TPA of 0.21 mgGAE/g. It also demonstrated the highest free radical scavenging activities with 72.63% and 65.43% inhibitions of DPPH and NO, respectively. The EtOAc fraction inhibited AChE and BuChE enzymes with IC50 values of 0.94 and 8.49 mg/mL, respectively. Our findings show that the plant may have polyphenol contents, in particular in the methanol extract and EtOAc fraction. These extracts showed considerable free radical scavenging and cholinesterase inhibitory properties. Thus, the observed bioactivities may serve as a justification for its folkloric use as a remedy for mental illness. The study also provides relevant information that could help in the search for lead cholinesterase inhibitors from medicinal plants that can be exploited against neurodegenerative disorders.

El jasmonato de metilo potencia los efectos antiinflamatorios de las raíces adventicias de Abeliophyllum distichum al aumentar la producción de compuestos polifenólicos

Abeliophyllum distichum has been demonstrated to possess anticancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-osteoporotic, and anti-obesity effects. However, there is a limitation to using this shrub as a beneficial material, because this shrub had been listed as endangered. Thus, we established an adventitious root culture of A. distichum (AdAR) to overcome this limitation. Solvent-solvent partition fractions from methanol extract of methyl jasmonate (MeJA)-elicited AdAR were used, and the ethyl acetate fraction of MeJA-treated AdAR (EtOAc/MeJA) exhibited strong anti-inflammatory effects in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated RAW264.7 cells. EtOAc/MeJA downregulated the transcription of pro-inflammatory genes and mediators by inhibiting the LPS-activated MEK/ERK signaling pathway. In addition, the results of the phytochemical analysis suggested that MeJA induced the accumulation of polyphenolic compounds, including p-coumaric and ferulic acids, by inducing phenylpropanoid biosynthetic genes in AdAR. These results suggested that AdAR is a viable source for overcoming limitations in the industrial use of A. distichum.

A new method of simultaneous determination of atmospheric amines in gaseous and particulate phases by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

As more attention is being paid to the characteristics of atmospheric amines, there is also an increasing demand for reliable detection technologies. Herein, a method was developed for simultaneous detection of atmospheric amines in both gaseous and particulate phases using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The amine samples were collected with and without phosphoric acid filters, followed by derivatization with benzenesulfonyl chloride under alkaline condition prior to GC-MS analysis. Furthermore, the method was optimized and validated for determining 14 standard amines. The detection limits ranged from 0.0408-0.421 µg/mL (for gaseous samples) and 0.163-1.69 µg/mL (for particulate samples), respectively. The obtained recoveries ranged from 68.8%-180% and the relative standard deviation was less than 30%, indicating high precision and good reliability of the method. Seven amines were simultaneously detected in gaseous and particulate samples in an industrial park using the developed method successfully. Methylamine, dimethylamine and diethylamine together accounted for 76.7% and 75.6% of particulate and gaseous samples, respectively. By comparing the measured and predicted values of gas-particle partition fractions, it was found that absorption process of aqueous phase played a more important role in the gas-partition of amines than physical adsorption. Moreover, the reaction between unprotonated amines and acid (aq.) in water phase likely promoted water absorption. Higher measured partition fraction of dibutylamine was likely due to the reaction with gaseous HCl. The developed method would help provide a deeper understanding of gas-particle partitioning as well as atmospheric evolution of amines.

Fouquieria splendens: A source of phenolic compounds with antioxidant and antiproliferative potential

Fouquieria splendens commonly named "ocotillo", is a native plant from Mexico, used in folk medicine against different illnesses. However, scientific evidence about its biological activities is limited. The objective of this study was to determine phenolic composition, antioxidant and antiproliferative effect of F. splendens . Amethanolic extract from F. splendens leaves extract ( F. splendens extract) was obtained and fractioned by liquid-liquid partition, obtaining hexane, ethyl acetate, and residual fractions. Phenolic compounds were determined by the Folin Ciocalteu method, and the phenolic profile was assessed by UPLC-DAD. Antioxidant activity was determined by DPPH, TEAC, ORAC, and FRAP assays. Antiproliferative activity was performed by MTT assay against C33-A and HeLa cell lines. The ethyl acetate fraction exhibited the highest ( p < 0.0001) amount of phenolic compounds (479.9 mg GAE/g) and the predominant compounds were gallic acid ( 25.949 mg/g), ellagic acid ( 17.439 mg/g), and kaempferol-3-β-glucoside ( 7.336 mg/g). Similarly, ethyl acetate fraction exhibited the highest ( p < 0.0001) antioxidant potential (DPPH: 2430.1 µmol TE/g; TEAC: 60.4 µmol TE/g; ORAC: 4948.4 µmol TE/g; FRAP: 7803 µmol Fe(II)/g). An antiproliferative assay evidenced that the F. splendens extract was the most effective ( p < 0.0002) to inhibit proliferation of cervical cancer cell lines, particularly HPV negative cells (C33-A IC 50 : 9.06 µg/mL; HeLa IC 50 : 74.7 µg/mL). The results showed a promissory biological potential of F. splendens , associated with phenolic compounds, besides the first report on the identification of some phenolic compounds in this plant.

Electrochemical behavior of cocaine cutting agents at the polarized liquid-liquid interface

In this work, we have used cyclic voltammetry to investigate the interfacial behavior of cocaine cutting agents at the electrified liquid-liquid interface formed between a solution of the water and 1,2-dichloroethane phases. Among 27 chemical species used to adulterate cocaine street samples, only 8 were detectable in the available potential window. These include procaine, lidocaine, levamisole, hydroxyzine, caffeine, phenylethylamine, diltiazem, and diphenhydramine. From the calibration curves obtained using voltammetric data, we have extracted the electroanalytical parameters such as detection sensitivities, limits of detection, and limits of quantifications. Also, for each electrochemically active drug, we have calculated diffusion coefficients and plotted the ion partition and concentration fraction diagrams. All this information is discussed in a view of the cocaine sensors development focused on its detection from demanding matrix defined by the street samples composition.

Investigation on the antimalarial properties of Plumeria alba Linn (apocynaceae) cultivated in Nigeria

Many of the African antimalarial ethno medicinal plants are good sources of promising antimalarial compounds. The stem bark of Plumeria alba Linn, was evaluated for in vivo chemosuppressive antimalarial activities in order to identify the most active solvent fraction from which antimalarial constituents can be isolated. The stem-bark of Plumeria alba Linn, family Apocynaceae was collected, air-dried, powdered, macerated in methanol and the extract concentrated in vacuo. The acute toxicity study was performed on the extract using Lorke’s method. The extract was thereafter tested for chemosuppressive antiplasmodial activities against Plasmodium berghei berghei NK65- infected mice using Peter’s four-day test at doses 100-800 mg /kg with normal saline (0.2 ml) and chloroquine (10 mg/kg) as negative and positive control drugs respectively. The average percentage parasitaemia, percentage chemosuppression and effective doses (ED50 and ED90), the survival times and percentage survivors elicited in all the mice were determined as indices of antimalarial activity. The active extract was subsequently partitioned successively into n-hexane, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate and butanol. The respective partitioned fractions with the aqueous phase were also tested as above at doses 0-80 mg/kg. All results were subjected to statistical analysis using ANOVA with Student Newman Keul’s post hoc test. Crude extracts of P. alba gave considerable reduction of percentage parasitaemia up to 200 mg/kg. The percentage chemosuppression at all doses, were significantly higher (p&lt;0.05) than the negative but lower than the positive control with 200 mg/kg dose showing the highest activity of 65.88 %. The effective doses, ED50 and ED90 were 305.82±9.99 and 389.74± 9.60, respectively. The most active n-hexane partitioned fraction elicited a percentage chemosuppression of 67.75 and a significantly lower (p&lt;0.05) ED50 and ED90 of 31.27±0.85 and 54.80±1.75 mg/kg. The butanol and ethyl acetate partitioned fractions gave significantly higher (p&lt;0.05) survival time value than those of the crude extract, other partition fractions and the positive control, while the n-hexane, dichloromethane and the aqueous, just like chloroquine, gave high percentage survivors. The study concluded that Plumeria alba stem-bark extract was active as an antimalarial drug with its antiplasmodial and the survival time–enhancing activity concentrated in the n-hexane and ethyl acetate with butanol partitioned fractions respectively, thus confirming and justifying its ethnomedical application in malaria.

Oriented magneto-conjugate heat transfer and entropy generation in an inclined domain having wavy partition

Energy transmission in an efficient mode has become a crucial challenge in both industrial and biomedical systems because of the worldwide energy crisis. An initiative has been taken by the present research for designing energy-efficient industrial and biomedical systems using different fluids. This numerical study focuses on investigating magneto-hydrodynamic conjugate natural convection and entropy generation of a hybrid nanofluid (Ag-MgO-water) in a differentially heated square domain including heat-generating sinusoidal solid partition. The partition is mid-positioned with a finite thickness and divides the computational regime into two flow domains. The FEM has been applied for solving the governing PDEs. The effects of magnetic field intensity and orientation, cavity inclination, heat generation from the partition and volume fraction of hybrid nanoparticles on temperature distribution, flow field and local entropy generation have been investigated and displayed by isotherms, streamlines and isentropic lines, respectively. The contours have been plotted at the highest Rayleigh number for better visualization of thermo-fluid interaction. Considering a wide variation of free convection, thermal performance is determined through the computation of the average Nusselt number along the hot wall and system energy loss has been evaluated through the calculation of average total entropy generation as well as average Bejan number in both fluid zones. The obtained numerical results show that thermal performance and entropy generation are significantly influenced by the magnetic field intensity and cavity inclination. Thermo-fluid energy transfer is reduced by 11.62% for the highest magnetic field strength whereas the increase of cavity tilting is responsible for a 56.72% decrease in thermal performance. A new regression equation has been derived from the obtained results. The numerical study carried out in this research has superior results compared to the existing methodology and/or experimental/ numerical research.

Corrosion resistance of UNS S41426 stainless steel in acid media and its relation to chemical partition and austenite fraction

The present work evaluates the impact of tempering treatment on austenite reversion and corrosion resistance of UNS S41426 in 0.5 M H2SO4 solution. Higher austenite fraction was related to higher tempering temperature, engendering lower hardness degrees. Despite a reduction in corrosion rates in immersion tests, Ni-rich austenite decreased corrosion resistance in more oxidizing environments. Cr-depleted regions created a secondary anodic peak in polarization tests. Chemical partitioning is presented to be the main feature that influences corrosion in supermartensitic stainless steel. Finally, tempering at 650 °C presented the best results as it had ten times less corrosion rate than as-quenched state.

Crude and Partition Extracts of Newbouldia laevis Leaves Attenuate Excitotoxin-induced Stereotypy in Mice

Aims: This study was designed to investigate the effects of crude ethanol and partition extracts of Newbouldia laevis leaves on excitotoxin-induced stereotypy in mice.&#x0D; Place and Duration of Study: The study was carried out in the Laboratory of the Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, College of Health Sciences, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Nigeria, between July and October, 2020.&#x0D; Methodology: Following pretreatment of mice with graded doses (150 - 600 mg/kg b.w) of crude extract (NLE) and partition fractions [n-butanol partition fraction (BPE), n-hexane partition fraction (HPE) and ethylacetate partition fraction (EAPE)] of Newbouldia laevis leaves, stereotypy was induced by the administration of methamphetamine (35 mg/kg b.w) and apomorphine (5mg/kg b.w.), and stereotypy scores were recorded thereafter. The effects of BPE and NLE on catalepsy were also determined. Statistical significance was taken at P&lt;0.05&#x0D; Results: In both apomorphine and methamphetamine models, stereotyped behavior was significantly decreased (P&lt;0.05) in the treated mice compared to the control. The degree of protection offered by Newbouldia laevis extracts against excitotoxin-induced stereotypy was in the order: BPE&gt;NLE&gt;EAPE&gt;HPE. In the catalepsy test, BPE (600 mg/kg b.w) significantly potentiated haloperidol-induced catalepsy compared to control (P&lt;0.05). Likewise, NLE significantly increased catalepsy compared to control (P&lt;0.05).&#x0D; Conclusion: Findings from this study indicate that crude and partition extracts of Newbouldia laevis leaves attenuated stereotypy in methamphetamine and apomorphine models, and thus could be effective remedy for schizophrenia-like psychosis.

Isolation and Characterization of Two New Polyphenols from the Anti-Diabetic Fraction of Pod Extract of Caesalpinia pulcherrima Swartz

This study was planned and executed to validate the anti-diabetic ethno-medicinal claim of Caesalpinia pulcherrima (Fabaceae) pods and the isolation of potential chemical compounds responsible for the activity.The anti-diabetic activity of the extract was assayed using oral glucose tolerance test and streptozotocin induced hyperglycaemic rats. The partition fractions of the extract were evaluated for their anti-hyperglycaemic activity using oral glucose tolerance test. The most active fraction was subjected to chromatographic separations that led to the isolation and characterisation of two new polyphenolic compounds. The structures of these compounds were elucidated and characterized using IR, 1D- and 2D-NMR and MS techniques.The extract gave comparable (p&gt;0.05) activity to glibenclamide (5 mg/kg) at 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg at 4 h in oral glucose tolerance test and streptozotocin induced diabetic model on day 21. The most active ethyl acetate fraction (200 mg/kg) elicited comparable activity to the positive control at 0.5-4 h with blood glucose reduction of 52.9 % as compared with glibenclamide (5 mg/kg) of 38.9 % at 4 h. The isolated compounds were identified to be 5-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-3-hydroxy-2-methoxyphenol and 3-(4-methanetriol-2,6-dihydroxyphenyl)-3',4',5',5,7-pentahydroxyflavanonol.The significant anti-diabetic property shown by the pods of C. pulcherrima justified its anti-diabetic ethno-medicinal use and the two new polyphenolic compounds isolated from its most active fraction could have contributed to the observed activity.

A fitting formula for electron–ion energy partition fraction of 3.54-MeV fusion alpha particles in hot dense deuterium–tritium plasmas* *Project supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (Grant Nos. 2017YFA0402300 and 2017YFA0403200), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 11574034), the Innovation Development Foundation of China Academy of Engineering Physics (CAEP) (Grant No. CX20200029), and

Based on our previous work (Phys. Plasmas 25 012704 (2018)), a fitting formula is given for electron–ion energy partition fraction of 3.54-MeV fusion alpha particles in deuterium–tritium (DT) plasmas as a function of plasma mass density ρ, electron temperature T e, and ion temperature T i. The formula can be used in a huge range of the plasma state, where ρ varies between 1.0 g/cc ∼ 10.03 g/cc and both T e and T i change from 0.1 keV to 100.0 keV. Relativistic effect for electrons is investigated including the effect of the projectile recoil in the plasmas at T e ≥ 50.0 keV. The partition fraction for T e > T i is found to be close to that for T e = T i. The comparisons with other fitting results are made at some plasma densities when T e = T i, and the difference is explained. The fitting result is very close to the calculated one in most cases, which is convenient for the simulation of alpha heating in hot dense DT plasmas for inertial confined fusion.

Isolation, characterization and in vitro anti-salmonellal activity of compounds from stem bark extract of Canarium schweinfurthii

BackgroundBacteria belonging to the Salmonella genus are major concern for health, as they are widely reported in many cases of food poisoning. The use of antibiotics remains a main stream control strategy for avian salmonellosis as well as typhoid and paratyphoid fevers in humans. Due to the growing awareness about drug resistance and toxicities, the use of antibiotics is being discouraged in many countries whilst advocating potent benign alternatives such as phyto-based medicine. The objective of this work was to isolate, characterise the bioactive compounds of Canarium schweinfurthii; and evaluate their anti-salmonellal activity.MethodsThe hydro-ethanolic extract of Canarium schweinfurthii was fractionated and tested for their anti-salmonellal activity. The most active fractions (i.e. chloroform and ethyl acetate partition fractions) were then explored for their phytochemical constituents. Fractionation on normal phase silica gel column chromatography and size exclusion chromatography on Sephadex LH-20 led to the isolation of four compounds (maniladiol, scopoletin, ethyl gallate and gallic acid) reported for the first time in Canarium schweinfurthii.ResultsResult indicated that scopoletin and gallic acid had greater activity than the crude extracts and partition fractions. Among the isolated compounds, scopoletin showed the highest inhibitory activity with a MIC of 16 μg/ml against Salmonella Typhimurium and Salmonella Enteritidis.ConclusionsThe overall results of this study indicates that the hydro-ethanolic extract as well as some of isolated compounds have interesting anti-salmonellal activities that could be further explored for the development of potent therapy for salmonellosis. Furthermore, the study adds credence to the folkloric applications of the plant.