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The phytochemical study of Virola sebifera leaves led to the isolation of three lignans: (+)-sesamin, (-)-hinokinin, and (-)- kusunokinin and three flavonoids: quercetin-3-O-α-L-rhamnoside, quercetin-3-O-β-D-glucoside, and quercetin-3-methoxy-7-O- β-D-glucoside by using techniques as high-speed counter-current chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography. The crude extracts, fractions, and isolated compounds were evaluated for their insecticidal and fungicidal potential against Atta sexdens rubropilosa and its symbiotic fungus Leucoagaricus gongylophorus. The bioassay results showed a high insecticidal activity for the methanol crude extract of the leaves of V. sebifera and its n-hexane, dichloromethane and ethyl acetate fractions. The fungicidal bioassay revealed high toxicity of the lignans against L. gongylophorus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we have investigated the stability of the antigenotoxic properties of dried of Lentinula edodes (Berk.) Singer mushroom powder stored at room and at− 20C. Mice were pretreated by gavage for 15 consecutive days with 0.6 mL/day of an aqueous extract of dried L. edodes powder prepared at 60C. On day 15, the mice were intraperitoneally injected with 50 mg/kg N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU); 3 h later, peripheral blood was withdrawn from the animals and used to evaluate DNA damage using the comet assay. The mice were sacrificed 24 h after the ENU treatment and the bone marrow used to measure the frequency of micronucleated polychromatic erythrocytes. The results indicated that storage at both room temperature and at− 20C significantly reduced the antigenotoxic effects of the mushroom powder. In addition, whereas freshly dried mushroom powder was nongenotoxic, storage of the powder at− 20C resulted in genotoxic activity (P < 0.05). Taken together, our data indicate that constituents ofL. edodes powder are altered during storage, resulting in both genotoxicity and a reduction in antigenotoxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]