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Cytotoxic, antioxidative, and antimicrobial activities of Camellia annamensis , and its chemical compositions were first provided in the current study. Phenolic contents in the methanol extracts of its leaves and flowers were 222.73 ± 0.09 and 64.44 ± 0.08 mg GAE/g extract, whereas flavonoid contents in these parts were 108.80 ± 0.28 and 131.26 ± 0.39 mg rutin/g extract, respectively. By using HPLC-DAD analysis, gallic acid (43.72 ± 0.09 - 81.89 ± 1.83 mg/g) and (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (67.31 ± 1.26 - 70.68 ± 7.82 mg/g) were identified as the major compounds. C. annamensis leaf and flower extracts were moderately cytotoxic against A549, HT-29, SK-Mel-2, MCF-7, HepG2, HeLa, and MKN-7. Particularly, they are better than the standards trolox (IC 50 7.57 ± 0.23 µg/mL) in lipid peroxidation inhibitory evaluation, and streptomycin (IC 50 /MIC = 45.34-50.34/128-256 µg/mL) in antimicrobial assay against the Gram-positive bacteria Enterococcus faecalis ATCC299212, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC25923, and the Gram-negative bacterium Salmonella enterica ATCC13076.

The essential oils of five Vietnamese Syzygium species ( Syzygium levinei , S. acuminatissimum , S. vestitum , S. cumini , and S. buxifolium ) were first hydro-distilled and analyzed using GC-FID/MS (gas chromatography-flame ionization detection/mass spectrometry). Monoterpene hydrocarbons, sesquiterpene hydrocarbons, and oxygenated sesquiterpenoids were the main chemical classes in these oils. All these essential oils showed good-excellent antimicrobial activities against Gram-positive bacteria Enterococcus faecalis , Staphylococcus aureus , and Bacillus cereus , and the yeast Candida albicans. S. levinei leaf essential oil, rich in bicyclogermacrene (25.3%), ( E )- β -elemene (12.2%), ( E )-caryophyllene (8.2%), and β -selinene (7.4%), as well as S. acuminatissimum fruit essential oil containing ( E )-caryophyllene (14.2%), α -pinene (12.1%), caryophyllene oxide (10.9%), β -selinene (10.8%), α -selinene (8.0%), and α -humulene (5.7%), established the same MIC value of 8 µg/mL against E. faecalis and B. cereus , which were much better than the positive control streptomycin (MIC 128-256 µg/mL). The studied essential oils showed the potential to defend against mosquitoes since they caused the 24 and 48 h LC 50 values of less than 50 µg/mL against the growth of Culex quinquefasciatus and Aedes aegypti larvae. Especially, S. buxifolium leaf essential oil strongly inhibited Ae. aegypti larvae with 24 and 48 h LC 50 values of 6.73 and 6.73 µg/mL, respectively, and 24 and 48 h LC 90 values of 13.37 and 10.83 µg/mL, respectively. These findings imply that Vietnamese Syzygium essential oils might have potential for use as supplemental antibacterial agents or as "green" alternatives for the control of mosquitoes.

The current study describes the chemical identification, antimicrobial, and mosquito larvicidal activities of essential oils from Meistera caudata and Conamomum vietnamense , growing in Vietnam. Essential oils were extracted from the leaves and rhizomes, and characterized by the GC-FID/MS (gas chromatography-flame ionization detection/mass spectrometry) analysis. Monoterpenes (33.1-89.2 %) were the main chemical class found in these oils. β -Pinene (30.8 %) and α -pinene (23.8 %) were two major compounds in M. caudata leaf oil. C. vietnamense leaf and rhizome essential oils were dominated by 1,8-cineole (47.9-62.0 %) and limonene (10.3-16.2 %). With the same MIC (minimum inhibitory concentration) value of 25 μg/mL, C. vietnamense leaf and rhizome essential oils strongly inhibited the growth of Gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29213 and Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6501, respectively. For 24 and 48-h treatments, C. vietnamense leaf essential oil strongly controlled the growth of mosquito Aedes aegypti with the respective LC 50 values of 7.67 and 6.73 μg/mL, and the respective LC 90 values of 13.37 and 10.83 μg/mL. In the same manner, C. vietnamense rhizome essential oil also showed strong mosquito larvicidal activity against Aedes albopictus with the LC 50 values of 12.37 and 12.00 μg/mL, and the LC 90 values of 20.56 and 18.58 μg/mL, respectively. C. vietnamense essential essential oils containing a high amount of 1,8-cineole are generally better than M. caudata essential essential oils in both two biological assays., (© 2023 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston.)

The present study is the first to investigate the chemical composition, antimicrobial and larvicidal activities of the essential oils from the leaves of Syzygium attopeuense (Gagnep.) Merr. & L.M.Perry and Syzygium tonkinense (Gagnep.) Merr. & L.M.Perry collected in Vietnam. The essential oils were extracted by hydrodistillation and analyzed by GC and GC-MS. The study indicated the presence of a high percentage of sesquiterpenes in both investigated essential oils. The major components of S. attopeuense essential oil were bicyclogermacrene (24.26%), (E)-caryophyllene (11.72%), and (E)-β-ocimene (6.75%), whereas S. tonkinense essential oil was dominated by (E)-caryophyllene (80.80%). The antimicrobial activity of essential oils was evaluated by broth microdilution assay to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and median inhibitory concentration (IC50). Both essential oils exhibited remarkable inhibitory activity against all tested Gram-positive bacteria and yeast than Gram-negative bacteria. Among them, essential oils of S. attopeuense and S. tonkinense possessed the strongest activity against Enterococcus faecalis (MIC = 4.00 μg/mL; IC50 = 1.69 μg/mL) and Candida albicans (MIC = 16.00 μg/mL; IC50 = 8.67 μg/mL), respectively. Furthermore, the larvicidal activity of essential oils was tested using fourth-instar larvae of Aedes aegypti. Results from the larvicidal test revealed that both essential oils had an excellent inhibitory effect against A. aegypti larvae with LC50 values from 25.55 to 30.18 μg/mL and LC90 values from 33.00 to 39.01 μg/mL. Our findings demonstrate that the essential oil extracted from S. attopeuense and S. tonkinense are potential sources of natural antimicrobials and can act as inexpensive mosquito larvicidal agents.

There is an ongoing interest to identify alternative pesticidal agents to avoid the chronic problems associated with synthetic pesticides. Essential oils have shown promise as botanical pest control agents. In the present study, the essential oils of four members of the Lamiaceae (Callicarpa candicans, C. erioclona, C. macrophylla, and Karomia fragrans; Vietnamese names: Nàng nàng, Tu châu lông mem, Tu châu lá to and Cà diện, respectively), obtained from wild populations in Vietnam, have been obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The essential oils were formulated into microemulsions and the essential oils and their microemulsions were screened for mosquito larvicidal activity against Aedes aegypti, Aedes albopictus, Culex quinquefasciatus, and for molluscicidal activity against Pomacea canaliculata. Atractylone and (E)-caryophyllene dominated the volatiles of C. candicans (CCEO) and C. erioclona (CEEO), while the major component in C. macrophylla (CMEO) and K. fragrans (KFEO) was (E)-caryophyllene. The essential oils and microemulsions of both C. candicans and C. erioclona exhibited excellent larvicidal activity against all three mosquito species (Ae. aegypti, Ae. albopictus, and Cx. quinquefasciatus) with LC 50 values <10 μg/mL. Additionally, the larvicidal activity of the microemulsions were significantly improved compared with their free essential oils, especially for C. candicans and C. erioclona. All four essential oils and their microemulsions showed excellent molluscicidal activity with LC 50 <10 μg/mL. In most cases, the essential oils and microemulsions showed greater pesticidal activity against target organisms than the non-target freshwater fish, Oreochromis niloticus. The in silico studies on physicochemical and ADMET properties of the major components in the studied essential oils were also investigated and most of the compounds possessed a favorable ADMET profile. Computational modeling studies of the studied compounds demonstrated a favorable binding interaction with the mosquito odorant-binding protein target and support atractylone, β-selinene, and caryophyllene oxide as potential inhibitors. Based on the observed pesticidal activities of the essential oils and their microemulsions, the Callicarpa species and K. fragrans should be considered for potential cultivation and further exploration as botanical pesticidal agents., (© 2023 Wiley-VHCA AG, Zurich, Switzerland.)

Mosquitoes, in addition to being a biting nuisance, are vectors of several pathogenic viruses and parasites. As a continuation of our work identifying abundant and/or invasive plant species in Vietnam for use as ecologically friendly pesticidal agents, we obtained the essential oils of Blumea lacera , Blumea sinuata , Emilia sonchifolia , Parthenium hysterophorus , and Sphaeranthus africanus ; analyzed the essential oils using gas chromatographic techniques; and screened the essential oils for mosquito larvicidal activity against Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus . The most active larvicidal essential oils were B. sinuata , which was rich in thymohydroquinone dimethyl ether (29.4%), ( E )-β-caryophyllene (19.7%), α-pinene (8.8%), germacrene D (7.8%), and α-humulene (4.3%), (24-h LC 50 23.4 and 29.1 μg/mL) on Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus , respectively, and Emilia sonchifolia , dominated by 1-undecene (41.9%) and germacrene D (11.0%), (24-h LC 50 30.1 and 29.6 μg/mL) on the two mosquito species. The essential oils of P. hysterophorus and S. africanus were also active against mosquito larvae. Notably, B. sinuata , P. hysterophorus , and S. africanus essential oils were not toxic to the non-target water bug, Diplonychus rusticus . However, E. sonchifolia essential oil showed insecticidal activity (24-h LC 50 48.1 μg/mL) on D. rusticus . Based on these results, B. sinuata , P. hysterophorus , and S. africanus essential oils appear promising for further investigations.

Essential oils are promising as environmentally friendly and safe sources of pesticides for human use. Furthermore, they are also of interest as aromatherapeutic agents in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease, and inhibition of the enzyme acetylcholinesterase (AChE) has been evaluated as an important mechanism. The essential oils of some species in the genera Callicarpa , Premna , Vitex and Karomia of the family Lamiaceae were evaluated for inhibition of electric eel AChE using the Ellman method. The essential oils of Callicarpa candicans showed promising activity, with IC 50 values between 45.67 and 58.38 μg/mL. The essential oils of Callicarpa sinuata, Callicarpa petelotii, Callicarpa nudiflora, Callicarpa erioclona and Vitex ajugifolia showed good activity with IC 50 values between 28.71 and 54.69 μg/mL. The essential oils Vitex trifolia subsp. trifolia and Callicarpa rubella showed modest activity, with IC 50 values of 81.34 and 89.38, respectively. trans -Carveol showed an IC 50 value of 102.88 µg/mL. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation were performed on the major components of the studied essential oils to investigate the possible mechanisms of action of potential inhibitors. The results obtained suggest that these essential oils may be used to control mosquito vectors that transmit pathogenic viruses or to support the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

Mosquito-borne infectious diseases are a persistent problem in tropical regions of the world, including Southeast Asia. Vector control has relied principally on synthetic insecticides, but these have detrimental environmental effects and there is an increasing demand for plant-based agents to control insect pests. Invasive weedy plant species may be able to serve as readily available sources of essential oils, some of which may be useful as larvicidal agents for control of mosquito populations. We hypothesize that members of the genus Conyza (Asteraceae) may produce essential oils that may have mosquito larvicidal properties. The essential oils from the aerial parts of Conyza bonariensis , C. canadensis , and C. sumatrensis were obtained by hydrodistillation, analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and screened for mosquito larvicidal activity against Aedes aegypti , Ae. albopictus and Culex quinquefasciatus . The essential oils of C. canadensis and C. sumatrensis , both rich in limonene (41.5% and 25.5%, respectively), showed notable larvicidal activities against Ae. aegypti (24-h LC 50 = 9.80 and 21.7 μg/mL, respectively) and Ae. albopictus (24-h LC 50 = 18.0 and 19.1 μg/mL, respectively). These two Conyza species may, therefore, serve as sources for alternative, environmentally-benign larvicidal control agents.

Mosquito-borne diseases are a large problem in Vietnam as elsewhere. Due to environmental concerns regarding the use of synthetic insecticides as well as developing insecticidal resistance, there is a need for environmentally-benign alternative mosquito control agents. In addition, resistance of pathogenic microorganisms to antibiotics is an increasing problem. As part of a program to identify essential oils as alternative larvicidal and antimicrobial agents, the leaf, stem, and rhizome essential oils of several Zingiber species, obtained from wild-growing specimens in northern Vietnam, were acquired by hydrodistillation and investigated using gas chromatography. The mosquito larvicidal activities of the essential oils were assessed against Culex quinquefasciatus , Aedes albopictus , and Ae. aegypti , and for antibacterial activity against a selection of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, and for activity against Candida albicans . Zingiber essential oils rich in α-pinene and β-pinene showed the best larvicidal activity. Zingiber nudicarpum rhizome essential oil showed excellent antibacterial activity against Enterococcus faecalis , Staphylococcus aureus , and Bacillus cereus , with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of 2, 8, and 1 μg/mL, respectively. However, the major components, α-pinene and β-pinene, cannot explain the antibacterial activities obtained.

Essential oils have emerged as viable alternatives to synthetic insecticides for control of mosquito-borne pathogens. The leaf essential oils of eight species of Premna (Lamiaceae) growing in central Vietnam have been obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Sesquiterpene hydrocarbons dominated most of the Premna essential oils, with the notable exception of Premna mekongensis from Ngoc Linh Nature Reserve, which had α-pinene as the major component. Larvicidal activities against Aedes aegypti have been determined and all of the Premna essential oils showed larvicidal activity with 24-h LC 50 < 65 μg/mL. The leaf essential oils of Premna cambodiana from Chu Mom Ray National Park and Premna mekongensis from Ngoc Linh Nature Reserve showed the best larvicidal activities with 24-h LC 50 of 16.8 and 18.0 μg/mL, respectively. The essential oil compositions and larvicidal activities of P. cambodiana , Premna flavescens , Premna maclurei , P. mekongensis , and Premna puberula are reported for the first time. Although the larvicidal activities of Premna leaf essential oils are promising, the essential oil yields are relatively low (0.10-0.25%).

The Lauraceae is a family rich in aromatic and medicinal plants. Likewise, essential oils derived from members of this family have demonstrated a myriad of biological activities. It is hypothesized that members of the Lauraceae from Vietnam will yield essential oils that may be useful in controlling mosquito populations and treating microbial infections. In this work, the leaf essential oils of eleven species of Lauraceae ( Beilschmiedia erythrophloia , B. robusta , B. yunnanensis , Cryptocarya concinna , C. impressa , C. infectoria , Litsea viridis , Machilus balansa , M. grandifolia , Neolitsea ellipsoidea , and Phoebe angustifolia ) have been obtained by hydrodistillation and the chemical compositions analyzed by gas chromatography - mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and gas chromatography with flame ionization detection (GC-FID). The essential oils were screened for larvicidal activity against Aedes aegypti , Ae. albopictus , and Culex quinquefasciatus , and for antimicrobial activity against Enterococcus faecalis , Staphylococcus aureus , Bacillus cereus , Escherichia coli , Pseudomonas aeruginosa , Salmonella enterica , and Candida albicans . The leaf essential oil of N. ellipsoidea , rich in ( E )-β-ocimene (87.6%), showed excellent larvicidal activity against Ae. aegypti with a 24 h LC 50 of 6.59 μg/mL. The leaf essential oil of C. infectoria , dominated by germacrene D (55.5%) and bicyclogermacrene (11.4%), exhibited remarkable larvicidal activity against Cx. quinquefasciatus (48 h LC 50 = 0.40 μg/mL). N. ellipsoidea leaf essential oil also demonstrated notable antibacterial activity against E. faecalis and B. cereus with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of 16 μg/mL, while the leaf essential oil of C. impressa showed excellent anticandidal with an MIC of 16 μg/mL. Leaf essential oils from the Lauraceae should be considered for utilization as alternative agents for controlling mosquito populations and as antimicrobial agents.

Mosquitoes are important vectors of several diseases, and control of these insects is imperative for human health. Insecticides have proven useful in controlling mosquito populations, but insecticide resistance and environmental concerns are increasing. Additionally, emerging and re-emerging microbial infections are problematic. Essential oils have been shown to be promising mosquito larvicidal agents as well as antimicrobial agents. In this work, the essential oils from four species of Myrtaceae ( Baeckea frutescens , Callistemon citrinus , Melaleuca leucadendra , and Syzygium nervosum ) growing wild in central Vietnam have been obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by gas chromatographic techniques. The essential oils have been screened for mosquito larvicidal activity against Aedes aegypti , Aedes albopictus , and Culex quinquefasciatus , and for antimicrobial activity against Enterococcus faecalis , Staphylococcus aureus , and Candida albicans . Callistemon citrinus fruit essential oil, rich in α-pinene (35.1%), 1,8-cineole (32.4%), limonene (8.2%), and α-terpineol (5.8%) showed good larvicidal activity with 24-h LC 50 = 17.3 μg/mL against both Ae. aegypti and Cx. quinquefasciatus , and good antibacterial activity against E. faecalis (minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) = 16 μg/mL) The 48-h larvicidal activities of M. leucadendra leaf essential oil, rich in α-eudesmol (17.6%), guaiol (10.9%), linalool (5.1%), ( E )-caryophyllene (7.0%), and bulnesol (3.6%) were particularly notable, with LC 50 of 1.4 and 1.8 μg/mL on Ae. aegypti and Cx. quinquefasciatus . Similarly, M. leucadendra bark essential oil, with α-eudesmol (24.1%) and guaiol (11.3%), showed good antibacterial activity against. E. faecalis . Both B. frutescens and C. citrinus leaf essential oils demonstrated anti- Candida activities with MIC values of 16 μg/mL. The results of this investigation suggest that essential oils derived from the Myrtaceae may serve as "green" alternatives for the control of mosquitoes and/or complementary antimicrobial agents., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Members of the genus Cinnamomum (Lauraceae) have aromatic volatiles in their leaves and bark and some species are commercially important herbs and spices. In this work, the essential oils from five species of Cinnamomum ( C. damhaensis , C. longipetiolatum , C. ovatum , C. polyadelphum and C. tonkinense ) growing wild in north central Vietnam were obtained by hydrodistillation, analyzed by gas chromatography and screened for antimicrobial and mosquito larvicidal activity. The leaf essential oil of C. tonkinense , rich in β-phellandrene (23.1%) and linalool (32.2%), showed excellent antimicrobial activity (MIC of 32 μg/mL against Enterococcus faecalis and Candida albicans ) and larvicidal activity (24 h LC 50 of 17.4 μg/mL on Aedes aegypti and 14.1 μg/mL against Culex quinquefasciatus ). Cinnamomum polyadelphum leaf essential oil also showed notable antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive bacteria and mosquito larvicidal activity, attributable to relatively high concentrations of neral (11.7%) and geranial (16.6%). Thus, members of the genus Cinnamomum from Vietnam have shown promise as antimicrobial agents and as potential vector control agents for mosquitoes.

Mosquitoes are the deadliest animals on earth and are the vectors of several neglected tropical diseases. Recently, essential oils have emerged as potential renewable, cost-effective, and environmentally benign alternatives to synthetic pesticides for control of mosquitoes. In this work, thirteen species of Piper were collected from different areas of central Vietnam. The essential oils were obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The essential oils were screened for mosquito larvicidal activity against Aedes aegypti . Four of the Piper essential oils showed outstanding larvicidal activity against Ae. aegypti , namely P. caninum , P. longum , P. montium , and P. mutabile , with LC 50 and LC 90 values less than 10 µg/mL. Multivariate analysis has correlated concentrations of β-caryophyllene, β-bisabolene, α-pinene, and β-pinene with mosquito larvicidal activity.

Mosquito-borne infections are a constant problem in Vietnam, and mosquito vector control is a primary approach to control these infections. Essential oils represent environmentally friendly alternatives to synthetic pesticides for mosquito control. The essential oils of two weedy species in Vietnam, Erechtites hieraciifolius and E. valerianifolius , have been obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by gas chromatography⁻mass spectrometry. The essential oils have been screened for mosquito larvicidal activity against Aedes albopictus , Ae. aegypti , and Culex quinquefasciatus . The essential oil from the aerial parts of E. hieraciifolius was rich in α-pinene (14.5%), limonene (21.4%), and caryophyllene oxide (15.1%), while E. valerianifolius essential oil was dominated by myrcene (47.8%) and α-pinene (30.2%). Both essential oils showed good larvicidal activity against Ae. albopictus (24-h LC 50 10.5 and 5.8 μg/mL, respectively) and Ae. aegypti (24-h LC 50 10.6 and 12.5 μg/mL, respectively). The essential oil of E. valerianifolius also showed good activity against Cx. quinquefasciatus larvae (24-h LC 50 = 40.7 μg/mL). Thus, Erechtites essential oils may serve as low-cost vector control agents for mosquito-borne infections.

Objective: To analyze the accuracy of cyclopexy on traumatic cyclodialysis cleft guided by anterior segment optic coherence tomography (AS-OCT). Methods: Fifty-six eyes of 56 consecutive patients[41 males, 15 females, with a mean age of (43.14±13.85) years]who diagnosed with traumatic cyclodialysis cleft confirmed by ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM) and underwent cyclopexy surgery at Shanxi Eye Hosiptal from July 2013 to February 2016 were included in the study. Patients were measured with the AS-OCT system before cyclopexy. AS-OCT findings of the cyclodialysis clefts were recorded. Localizing and suturing the clefts was guided by AS-OCT imaging. Preoperative and postoperative visual acuity (VA), intraocular pressure (IOP) and anterior chamber depth (ACD) were recorded and analyzed. Results: Imaging of preoperative AS-OCT of the 56 eyes showed an annular ciliary body detachment, a cyclodialysis cleft and shallow anterior chamber. The ciliary body detachment detected by AS-OCT showed an echo free zone between the annular ciliary body and the sclera. The cyclodialysis cleft showed a new pathway between the anterior chamber and the suprachoroidal space. AS-OCT imaging showed that the extent of cyclodialysis clefts ranged from 30 degrees to 240 degrees, which had a 0 degree to 20 degrees difference compared with UBM imaging. Localizing and suturing of the cyclodialysis clefts was guided by AS-OCT imaging. The best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was 0.21±0.17 at baseline and 0.29±0.21 at five days postoperatively. The initial and final BCVA showed a remarkable difference after treatment ( t =-4.98, P <0.01). The mean intra-ocular pressure (IOP) was (8.33±2.29) mmHg before surgery and (15.40±2.34) mmHg at five days postoperatively. There was a significant difference of IOP between preoperative and postoperative period ( t =-16.590, P <0.01). The mean ACD was (1.94±0.45) mm preoperatively and (2.69±0.44) mm at five days postoperatively. There was also a significant difference of ACD between preoperative and postoperative period ( t =-10.276, P <0.01). The postoperative reexamination found that ciliary body detachment or cyclodialysis clefts was not observed in the 56 eyes by AS-OCT. Conclusions: As a non-invasive method, AS-OCT is accurate, correlating well with UBM in the examination of cyclodialysis cleft, and can localize the extent of clefts before cyclopexy.

The sodium pump Na + /K + ATPase a1 subunit(NKA a1), an attractive cancer-related biomarker and therapeutic target, is closely related to the development and progression of several cancers including breast cancer. Currently, a NKA a1 inhibitor, UNBS1450, has already evidenced its great therapeutic potential in personalized cancer treatment. The ability of non-invasive imaging of NKA a1 expression would be useful for selecting cancer patients who may benefit from this drug. Here, we identified an S3 peptide that is specifically homed to breast cancer by phage display. All data of in vitro and in vivo experiments suggested the excellent targeting character of the S3 peptide. As the binding activity of the S3 phage was positively correlated to the level of NKA α1 expression in various breast cancer cells, NKA α1 was validated as the primary target of the S3 peptide. Based on immunohistochemistry staining result of 107 breast cancer patients, NKA α1 was verified to be a novel tracking marker and a prognostic predictor for breast cancer. Importantly, we proposed and validated an S3 peptide-based radiotracer 18 F-ALF-NOTA-S3 for PET (Positron Emission Tomography) imaging of breast cancer and other NKA α1-overexpressing cancers, including hepatocellular carcinoma and non-small cell lung cancer, in mouse models. Our findings demonstrated the potential application of 18 F-ALF-NOTA-S3 for visualization of NKA α1-positive lesions, which provide a new approach to character tumor phenotypic imaging., (Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

The chemical constituents identified in the essential oils hydrodistilled from the leaves of Amomum gagnepainii T.L.Wu, K.Larsen and Turland and Amomum repoense Pierre ex Gagnep (Zingiberaceae) of Vietnam origin are reported. The chemical analyses were performed by means of gas chromatography-flame ionisation detector (GC-FID) and gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The main compounds of A. gagnepainii were farnesyl acetate (18.5%), zerumbone (16.4%) and β-caryophyllene (10.5%). On the other hand, Amomum repoense comprised of monoterpenes dominated by β-pinene (33.5%), (E)-β-ocimene (9.6%), γ-terpinene (9.1%) and α-pinene (8.4%). This is the first report on the essential oils of A. gagnepainii and A. repoense grown in Vietnam or elsewhere.

Cystatin SN (CST1) belongs to the type 2 cystatin (CST) superfamily, which restricts the proteolytic activities of cysteine proteases. CST1 has been recently considered to be involved in the development of several human cancers. However, the prognostic significance and function of CST1 in breast cancer remains unknown. In the current study, we found that CST1 was generally upregulated in breast cancer at both mRNA and protein level. Furthermore, overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) in the low CST1 expression subgroup were significantly superior to the high CST1 expression subgroup (OS, p < 0.001; DFS, p < 0.001), which indicated that CST1 expression level was closely correlated to the survival risk of these patients. Univariate and multivariate analyses demonstrated that CST1 expression was an independent prognostic factor, the same as ER status and nodal status. Next, CST1 overexpression promoted breast cancer cell proliferation, clonogenicity, migration, and invasion abilities. By contrast, knockdown of CST1 attenuated these malignant characteristics in breast cancer cells. Collectively, our study indicates that CST1 cannot only serve as a significant prognostic indicator but also as a potential therapeutic target for breast cancer., Key Messages: High CST1 expression is negatively correlated with survival of breast cancer patients. CST1 promotes cell proliferation, clone formation, and metastasis in breast cancer cells. CST1 is a novel potential prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for breast cancer.

The seed oils of twenty-six species of Apiaceae belonging to the genera Bunium, Cnidium, Ferula, Ferulago, Heracleum, Hippomarathrum, Malabaila, Myrrhoides, Olymposciadium, Pimpinella, Prangos, Szovitsia, Trigonasciadium, Trinia and Zosima, collected in Turkey, were investigated for their oil content, and amount of petroselinic acid (PA), as well as for the composition of their fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) by GC-MS. Seed oil content ranged from 7.1% in Szovitsia callicarpa to 29.3% in Ferda haussknechtii. The results showed that the seed oils of the studied species contained high amounts of PA (1.2-72.2%), followed by significant amounts of linoleic (LA, 13.8-50.8%) and oleic (OA, 4.2-61.6%) acids. PA was found in all the analyzed species, except for Olymposciadium caespitosum, which belongs to a monotypic endemic genus of the family. According to data from our study, PA was found to be predominantly in the seed oils of Hippomarathrum cristatum (72.2%), Trinia glauca (64.9%) and Bunium microcarpum (59.7%) and, therefore these species might be considered as new sources of PA, and represent a potential oleochemical raw material. This is the first extensive study of the composition ofTurkish Apiaceae species. The high amounts of PA may also have chemotaxonomic significance.

Cinnamomum rigidifolium, Dasymaschalon longiusculum, Fissistigma maclurei and Goniothalamus albiflorus were collected from different landscapes in Vietnam and hydro distilled to produce essential oils with yields from 0.15 - 0.35%. The oils were analyzed by GC-MS-FID and rechecked by measurements on two different instrumentation configurations. The main components of the studied essential oils were for Cinnamomum rigidifolium linalool (19.4%), α-pinene (13.8%), verbenone (9.9%) and cis-verbenol (8.9%), total identified 90.5%; for Dasymaschalon longiusculum spathulenol (21.4%), caryophyllene oxide (17.6%), a-pinene (5.5%) and β-pinene (5.2%), total identified 70.1%; for Fissistigma maclurei spathulenol (17.8%), guaia-6,10(14)-diene-40-ol (10.3%), (E)-β-caryophyllene (7.3%) and caryophyllene oxide (7.0%), total identified 75.3% and for Goniothalamus albiflorus 1,8-cineole (13.2%), α-pinene (10.6%), ledol (7.5%) and caryophyllene oxide (7.3%), total identified 78.0%.

The present study evaluates the chemical composition and olfactory description of the essential oils of Asarum glabrum Merr., Calocedrs macrolepis Kurz, Cunninghamia lanceolata (Lamb.) Hook. and Glyptostrobus pensilis (Stainton ex D.Don) K. Koch. The essential oils were obtained by hydrodistillation in a Clevenger-type apparatus and analyzed by GC-FID and GC-MS. Concerning their chemical composition, 66, 42, 57 and 21 volatile compounds were identified from dried leaves in the case of Asarum glabrum Merr. and wood for the other three, representing 98.7%, 67.2%,,92.0% and 87.5 % of the total composition, respectively. The main compounds of Asarum glabrum oil were safrole (38.1%), apiole (10.8%) and myristicin (8.0%); of Calocedrus macrolepis verbenone (9.3%), piperitone (8.6 %), a-terpineol (6.0%) and (Z)-p-terpineol (5.3%); of Cunninghamia lanceolata oil cedrol (26.3%), a-terpineol (24.1%) and camphor (7.0%); and of Glyptostrobus pensilis oil dihydro-eudesmol isomer (assumed) (18.3%), cedrol (16.4%), occidentalol (13.2%) and elemol (9.0%).

The essential oil constituents of the leaves of Jasminum subtriplinerve (Oleaceae) and Vitex quinata (Verbanaceae) cultivated in Vietnam were analysed by gas chromatography--flame ionisation detector (GC-FID) and gas chromatography--mass spectrometry (GC-MS) techniques. The main constituents identified in J. subtriplinerve were mainly oxygenated monoterpenes represented by linalool (44.2%), α-terpineol (15.5%), geraniol (19.4%) and cis-linalool oxide (8.8%). The quantitative significant components of V. quinata were terpene hydrocarbons comprising of β-pinene (30.1%), β-caryophyllene (26.9%) and β-elemene (7.4%). The chemical compositions of the essential oils are being reported for the first time.

The chemical composition of the essential oils obtained from the hydrodistillation of different parts of Etlingera yunnanensis (T.L. Wu & S.J. Chen) R.M. Sm. and Hornstedtia sanhan M.F. Newman (Zingiberaceae) grown in Vietnam are reported. The analysis was performed by means of a gas chromatography-flame ionization detector (GC-FID) and gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The essential oil of the leaves of E. yunnanensis comprised mainly germacrene D (19.2%), β-pinene (11.6%), and α-amorphene (11.2%), while that of the stems was rich in β-pinene (23.7%), 1,8-cineole (11.0%) and α-pinene (9.6%). The major components of the root oil of E. yunnanensis were β-pinene (31.9%), α-pinene (13.7%) and 1,8-cineole (9.4%). However, α-pinene (25.9%, 36.3% and 14.1% for leaves, stems and roots, respectively), β-pinene (9.7%, 11.8% and 7.2% for leaves, stems and roots, respectively) and limonene (22.1%, 24.6% and 16.2% for leaves, stems and roots, respectively) were the major compounds of H. sanhan. In addition, α-humulene (15.9%) was present in larger amounts in the leaf oil while the root oil contained the largest proportion of methyl chavicol (43.7%).

The chemical composition of essential oils obtained from the hydrodistillation of different parts of Amomum maximum Roxb and Amomum muricarpum C. F. Liang & D. Fang (Zingiberaceae) grown in Vietnam are reported. The analysis was performed by means of gas chromatography-flame ionisation detectoorand gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. The major compounds identified in the oils of A. maximum were β-pinene (20.4-40.8%), α-pinene (6.8-15.0%), β-elemene (2.5-12.8%) and β-caryophyllene (2.3-10.3%). Moreover, β-phellandrene (11.6%) was present in the root oil. The main compound identified in all the oil samples of A. muricarpum was α-pinene (24.1-54.7%) and β-pinene (9.2-25.9%). In addition, limonene (7.4%) and δ-3-carene (9.4%) were present in the leaves and stem oils, respectively. However, while β-phellandrene (8.3%) could be seen prominent in the root oil, the fruits contained significant amount of zingiberene (6.3%). The largest amount of τ-muurolol (13.0%) was found in the flower oil.

Fresh leaves of Actephila excelsa (Dazl.) Muell. from Vietnam were steam distilled to produce an oil in a yield of 0.15% (v/w). The essential oil was analyzed by a combination of capillary gas chromatography-flame ionization detection (GC-FID) and gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The main constituents of the oil were the sesquiterpenes γ-elemene (25.7%) and β-caryophyllene (11.2%). Other significant compounds were methyl salicylate (5.8%), benzyl benzoate (5.2%), (E,E)-farnesylacetone (4.9%), anisole (4.7%), sabinene (4.1%) and menthone (4.0%). This is the first report on the volatile constituents of this plant.

Background: Vietnam is a country blessed with many medicinal plants widely used as food and for medicinal purposes, and they contain a host of active substances that contribute to health. However, the analysis of chemical constituents of these plant species has not been subject of literature discussion., Results: In this study, the chemical compositions of essential oils of four Hedychium species, obtained by hydrodistillation, were determined by means of gas chromatography-flame ionization detector (GC-FID) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) techniques. Individually, α-pinene (52.5%) and β-pinene (31.8%) were present in the leaf oil of Hedychium stenopetalum Lodd., while linalool (45.2%), (E)-nerolidol (8.7%) and α-pinene (5.0%) were identified in the root. The leaf of Hedychium coronarium J. König was characterized by β-pinene (20.0%), linalool (15.8%), 1,8-cineole (10.7%), α-pinene (10.1%) and α-terpineol (8.6%); while β-pinene (23.6%), α-humulene (17.1%) and β-caryophyllene (13.0%) were identified in the root. Hedychium flavum Roxb., gave oil whose major compounds were β-pinene (22.5%), α-humulene (15.7%) and β-caryophyllene (10.4%) in the leaf; α-humulene (18.9%), β-caryophyllene (11.8%) and β-pinene (11.2%) in the stem, as well as β-pinene (21.8%), linalool (17.5%) and 1,8-cineole (13.5%) in the root. The main constituents of Hedychium ellipticum Buch.-Ham. ex Smith were (E)-nerolidol (15.9%), β-pinene (11.8%) and bornyl acetate (9.2%) in the leaf with 1,8-cineole (40.8%), α-pinene (18.3%) and β-pinene (11.0%) occurring in the root., Conclusions: Ubiquitous monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes were identified as characteristic markers for Hedychium species. This work is of great importance for the evaluation of Hedychium essential oils grown in Vietnam.

This article reports the compounds identified in the leaf oils of five Clauseana species growing in Vietnam. The hydrodistilled oils were analysed for their chemical constituents by using gas chromatography-flame ionisation detector and gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. The major compounds identified in Clausena dentata (Willd.) M. Roem. were α-pinene (21.7%), sabinene (18.3%) and β-myrcene (14.3%). Clausena dimidiata Tanaka comprised mainly of safrole (56.9%) and α-terpinolene (22.1%). However, 1-menthone (70.6%) and β-phellandrene (13.0%) were the most abundant compounds of Clausena indica (Dalz.) Oliver. Sesquiterpene compounds represented mainly by β-caryophyllene (16.7%), spathulenol (11.9%) and bicyclogermacrene (7.5%) were the major constituents of Clausena excavata Burm. f., while those of Clausena engleri Tanaka include bicycloelemene (12.1%), bicyclogermacrene (11.0%) and (E)-nerolidol (6.6%). This is the first report on the chemical analysis of essential oils of C. dimidiata and C. engleri.

Chemical profiles of essential oils from four Fissistigma species: Fissistigma bracteolatum Chatt., Fissistigma villosissimum Merr., Fissistigma latifolium (Dunal) Merr. and Fissistigma glaucescens (Hance) Merr. were analysed by gas chromatography-flame ionisation detector and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Fissistigma essential oils consist mainly of sesquiterpenes (48.7-83.8%), monoterpenes (3.2-30.9%) and fatty acids (0.5-33.4%). Data on the essential oil composition of F. villosissimum, F. latifolium and F. glaucescens are reported for the first time.

The leaf essential oils of seven Vietnamese species of the genus Cinnamomum were analyzed by gas chromatography-flame ionization detector (GC-FID) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The results showed that the species fall into three groups in which one group contains aromatic components, while the second group contains both terpenes and aromatic constituents and the third group contains only terpene constituents. The first group had only Cinnamomum curvifolium as its member and produced oil rich in benzyl cinnamate and benzyl benzoate. The second group producing mixture of phenylpropanoids and oxygenated monoterpene components includes leaves of Cinnamomum kunstleri (methyl eugenol, terpinen-4-ol and 1,8-cineole) and Cinnamomum mairei (eugenol, 1, 8-cineole, neryl acetate and eugenol acetate). The third group rich in terpene constituents could also be divided into two classes. The first class produced oils rich in monoterpene components and includes Cinnamomum damhaensis (linalool, α-pinene, β-pinene and 1,8-cineole), Cinnamomum cambodianum (linalool and terpinen-4-ol) and Cinnamomum caryophyllus (1,8-cineole, α-pinene and camphene). The second class contains oil with abundance of sesquiterpene compounds and peculiar to Cinnamomum rigidifolium (α-selinene, β-caryophyllene and α-copaene). This paper discusses further the chemotaxonomic importance of these results and previous data on essential oils of Cinnamomum species analysed from Vietnam.

This article reports the chemical components identified in the essential oil from the leaf and stem barks of Polyalthia harmandii (Pierre) Fin. and Gagnep., Polyalthia jucunda (Pierre) Fin. and Gagnep. and Polyalthia thorelii (Pierre) Fin. and Gagnep. The compounds identified in all the samples were α-pinene (0.2-3.2%), myrcene (0.3-4.1%), (E)-β-ocimene (0.2-9.6%), bicycloelemene (0.2-18.0%), β-elemene (0.3-4.9%), β-caryophyllene (0.1-17.8%), germacrene D (4.4-20.1%), bicyclogermacrene (4.2-27.9%) and δ-cadinene (0.2-4.5%). Besides, benzyl benzoate (9.7%) and ishwarane (8.0%), respectively, were the other prominent compounds in the leaf and stem of P. harmandii. In addition, δ-3-carene (8.2%), α-amorphene (6.5%), β-phellandrene (5.5%) and β-pinene (5.1%) were identified in P. jucunda leaf, while sabinene (30.9%) and β-phellandrene (10.2%) occurred largely in the stem. Moreover, γ-elemene (22.3% and 12.3%), germacrene D (10.5% and 6.9%) and spathulenol (9.1% and 11.8%) were identified in the leaf and stem of P. thorelii, while α-terpinene (7.8%) and β-gurjunene (5.2%) were identified only in the leaf oil.

The chemical constituents of essential oils from the leaf, stem bark and resins of Canarium parvum Leen., and Canarium tramdenanum Dai et Yakovl. (Burseracea) grown in Vietnam are being reported. The hydrodistilled oils were analysed for their chemical constituents by means of gas chromatography-flame ionisation detector and gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. The main compounds of C. parvum were β-caryophyllene (18.7%), (E)-β-ocimene (12.9%), (Z)-β-ocimene (11.9%), germacrene D (8.8%) and α-humulene (8.4%) in the leaf; β-caryophyllene (30.4%), α-copaene (20.5%) and (E)-β-ocimene (7.7%) in the stem. However, germacrene D (23.2%), α-amorphene (14.9%), α-copaene (9.8%) and β-elemene (8.6%) were present in the resin. The leaf of C. tramdenanum comprises β-caryophyllene (16.8%), α-phellandrene (15.9%), γ-elemene (13.1%) and limonene (11.8%), while limonene (25.7%), α-phellandrene (21.7%), α-pinene (12.3%) and β-caryophyllene (10.9%) were present in the stem. However, δ-elemene (14.6%) and bulnesol (16.0%) are the main constituents in the resin.

The compositions of essential oils of the leaves and stem barks of three Vietnamese species of Dasymaschalon J. D. Hooker & Thomson. (Annonaceae) were determined by means of gas chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Dasymaschalon longiusculum (Bân) yielded oils in which the major components were α-pinene (28.9% and 12.5%, respectively), β-pinene (26.5% and 13.3%, respectively), β-myrcene (12.0% and 6.0%, respectively) for the leaf and stem. The main compounds of the leaf and stem oils of Dasymaschalon glaucum Merr. & Chun. were α-pinene (14.4% and 10.5%, respectively), β-pinene (14.4% and 10.3%, respectively) and bicycloelemene (5.2% and 30.0%, respectively). The essential oil of Dasymaschalon robinsonii Jovet-Ast was different, mainly comprising α-copaene (12.7% and 16.6%, respectively), germacrene B (11.3% and 7.5%, respectively), δ-cadinene (5.6% and 5.3%, respectively) for the leaf and stem.

Together with twelve known compounds (2-13), melodamide A (1), a new phenolic amide possessing p-quinol moiety, was purified and characterized from the methanolic extracts of the leaves of Melodorum fruticosum. The structure of melodamide A (1) was established with a combination of 2D NMR experiments, HR-ESI-MS and X-ray analyses. The other known compounds were identified by comparison of their spectroscopic and physical data with those reported in the literature. Moreover, some isolated compounds were examined for their inhibitory activity towards superoxide anion generation and elastase release in human neutrophils. Among the tested compounds, 1, 3, and 5 exhibited strong inhibition of superoxide anion generation with IC50 values ranging from 5.25 to 8.65 µM. Furthermore, synthesis and biological evaluation of melodamide A (1) and its analogs (14a-p) were described., (Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.)

The essential oils obtained by hydrodistillation from the leaves of five species of Annonaceace grown in Vietnam were analyzed by gas chromatography (GC) coupled with mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The main constituents of Artabotrys hongkongensis Hance were the sesquiterpenes spathulenol (13.1%), beta-caryophyllene (6.6%), gamma-elemene (6.3%) and delta-cadinene (6.3%). beta-Caryophyllene (12.1%), bicycloelemene (11.2%) and bicyclogermacrene (11.6%) were the predominant components of the oil of Melodorum fruticosum Lour, whereas the oil of Polyalthia longifolia var. pendula Hort was comprised mainly of beta-caryophyllene (30.0%), alpha-zingiberene (21.7%), aromadendrene (15.2%) and beta-selinene (9.1%). The main constituents of Fissistigma maclurei Merr. were germacrene D (26.1%), alpha-terpinene (8.2%), spathulenol (10.0%), and bicyclogermacrene (6.6%), while alpha-santalene (14.3%), beta-caryophyllene (6.3%), terpinen-4-ol (6.3%), caryophyllene oxide (5.7%), trans-alpha-bergamotene (5.3%) and allo-ocimene (5.3%) were identified in significant quantity from Fissistigma rufinerve (Hook.f. & Thomson) Merr.

Essential oils hydrodistilled from the leaves and stem barks of Goniothalamus macrocalyx Ban., Goniothalamus albiflorus Ban. and Goniothalamus tamirensis Pierre ex Fin. & Gagnep. growing in Vietnam were analysed by gas chromatography (GC) and GC-coupled with mass spectrometry. α-Pinene (1.7-50.0%), β-pinene (tr-6.8%), β-myrcene (tr-1.5%), (E)-β-ocimene (tr-4.6%), β-caryophyllene (9.9-12.8%), aromadendrene (0.2-6.0%), α-humulene (1.7-6.9%), α-cadinol (1.2-14.5%), δ-cadinene (0.1-10.3%) and n-hexadecanoic acid (0.2-1.9%) were common to the oil samples. α-Pinene (50.0%) was the most abundant single constituent of the leaf oil of G. macrocalyx, whereas the major compounds of the stem were α-cadinol (14.5%), β-caryophyllene (10.3%) and octadecanoic acid (8.2%). Benzoic acid (18.4%), β-caryophyllene (12.4%) and α-pinene (10.3%) were present in the leaf of G. albiflorus, whereas limonene (21.2%), β-caryophyllene (12.8%) and α-phellandrene (9.3%) were identified in the stem. The leaf oil of G. tamirensis was characterised by abundance of α-pinene (33.4%), viridiflorol (18.5%) and β-caryophyllene (12.4%), whereas γ-gurjunene (11.2%), β-caryophyllene (10.9%) and δ-cadinene (10.3%) predominates in the stem oil.

Essential oils isolated from the air-dried leaves of Alphonsea philastreana and Alphonsea gaudichaudiana growing in Vietnam have been studied for their constituents by means of gas chromatography with flame ionization detector and gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. Sesquiterpenes were the most prominent class of compound identified in the oils. The quantitatively significant constituents of the oils were (E)-β-ocimene (6.9% and 8.5%), bicycloelemene (8.9% and 6.3%), β-caryophyllene (5.1% and 5.9%), α-humulene (5.8% and 4.6%), bicyclogermacrene (9.3% and 6.3%), guaiol (9.0% and 5.2%) and α-eudesmol (8.3% and 5.5%), respectively, for A. philastreana and A. gaudichaudiana. This is the first comprehensive report on the volatile oil constituents of the studied species.

The volatile compounds identified from four species of Annona from Vietnam are being reported. The oils were obtained from aliquots of plant samples by steam distillation and subjected to GC and GC-MS analysis. The main compounds of Annona glabra L., were β-caryophyllene (21.5%) germacrene D (17.7%), α-cadinol (5.4%) and β-elemene (5.2%). Annona squamosa L., comprised mainly of α-pinene (1.0-11.9%), limonene (0.8-11.7%), β-cubebene (0.5-13.0%), β-caryophyllene (11.6-24.5%), spathulenol (0.8-9.0%), caryophyllene oxide (1.0-10.6%) and α-cadinol (3.3-7.8%). The significant constituents of Annona muricata L., were α-pinene (9.4%), β-pinene (20.6%), ρ-mentha-2,4(8)-diene (9.8%), β-elemene (9.1%) and germacrene D (18.1%). However, camphene (0.2-6.6%), α-copaene (2.0-7.3%), β-elemene (5.9-16.6%), β-caryophyllene (8.3-14.9%), β-bisabolene (0.4-10.2%), δ-cadinene (1.7-4.8%) and germacrene D (9.3-22.8%) were the main compounds common to samples of Annona reticulata L. There were significant amounts of sabinene (11.2% and 2.7%; leaf and stem bark) and bicycloelemene (9.6% and 6.1%; stem and bark).

The leaf essential oils of five Desmos species from Vietnam have been extracted by steam distillation and subjected to GC and GC-MS analyses. The plant samples were Desmos cochinchinensis Lour., D. penduculosus (A. DC.) Ban, D. penducolosus var. tonkinensis Ban, D. chinensis Lour., and D. dumosus (Roxb.) Saff. The oils were rich in sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (65.9%-88.9%) and monoterpene hydrocarbons (6.3%-30.9%). The oxygenated counterparts were less common. The quantitatively significant constituents of the oils were alpha-pinene (2.4%-12.1%), beta-elemene (2.2-39.5%), beta-caryophyllene (13.9-26.3%), germacrene D (9.9-15.5%), bicyclogermacrene (2.0-11.4%) and alpha-humulene (3.8-7.5%). The studied oils could be classified into two chemical forms: oils with abundance of beta-caryophyllene, germacrene D and alpha-pinene (D. cochinchinensis, D. penducolosus var. tonkinensis, D. chinensis and D. Dumosus) and oil with high amounts of beta-elemene, beta-caryophyllene and germacrene D (D. penduculosus).

Further investigation of the methanolic extract of Fissistigma latifolium resulted in two new compounds whose structures were assigned as 2,5,6,7-tetramethoxyflavan (1) and 2'-hydroxy-4',5',6'-trimethoxybenzil (2). These two compounds were determined on the basis of chemical and spectroscopic evidences. Compound 2 is the first report of benzil from Fissistigma species. 2,5,6,7-Tetramethoxyflavan (1) showed a potent inhibitory effect on superoxide anion production in formyl-L-methionyl-L-leucyl-L-phenylalanine (fMLP)/cytochalasin B (CB)-activated human neutrophils.

The effect of sulfisoxazole, sodium salicylate, sodium cholate, urea and dimethyl sulfoxide on the kinetics of the bilirubin to human serum albumin at 24 degrees C and pH 7.40 was investigated. A marked decrease of the association constant was obtained. It was due mainly to that of the association rate constant, and might be an additional risk factor to the icteric newborn: when blood bilirubin increases, unbound bilirubin which cannot rapidly associate to albumin may reach a dangerous level, even when its equilibrium concentration is low.