Current Bioactive Compounds - Volume 7, Issue 3, 2011

Mid of the 1980ies, effects of natural compounds with estrogenic activity (phytoestrogens) in humans were discussed for the first time. Due to the discussion about the pros and cons of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in menopausal and postmenpausal women, phytoestrogens have gained enormous scientific interest during the last two decades. The annual number of publications in this field raised from some thirty Read More

Phytoestrogens are highly bioactive compounds that modulate a wide range of signalling pathways. Among these are the aryl hydrocarbon receptor pathway and potential processes that are mediated by an activated aryl hydrocarbon receptor signalling cascade. Isoflavones and indoles have been reported to be dual modulators of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor and the estrogen receptor. The effect of these compounds Read More

In this article an overview of the analytical methods in lignan analysis is given. Sampling, sample preparation (including extraction and hydrolytic sample work up), chromatographic separation methods and several detection modes are discussed and validation parameters like limits of detection and quantitation, recoveries, repeatability and linear range are compared. The challenges of lignan analysis are discussed, ad Read More

Molecular and cellular effects of lifelong or even multigenerational exposure of phytoestrogens (PEs) are still controversially discussed and gain substantial public attention. While PE-rich diets may be preventive towards menopausal complications as well towards hormone dependent cancer formation, it seems as if late PE exposure at an advanced age results in increased risk of hormonal carcinogenesis in certain animal stu Read More

Muramyl dipeptide (MDP) is a synthetic immunoreactive peptide consisting of N-acetyl muramic acid attached to a short amino acid chain of L-Ala-D-isoGln. It was first identified in bacterial cell wall peptidoglycan as an active component in Freund's complete adjuvant. In the cell, MDP is detected by NOD2, a cytoplasmic receptor belonging to the human innate immune system. NOD2 mutations are frequently observed in Read More

The misfolding, aggregation and accumulation of proteins in the brain, represents a common feature of diverse neurodegenerative diseases among which Alzheimer's disease (AD). Important therapeutic strategies for this pathology aim at inhibiting the aggregation of misfolded amyloid β (Aβ) peptides into different species, particularly intermediate oligomeric assemblies, which are believed to be the most neurotoxic speci Read More

Gindarudine (GN), a morphine alkaloid isolated from the tubers of Stephania glabra (Menispermaceae), was evaluated for analgesic and antipyretic activities because of closely resembling structure to that of thebaine. The analgesic activity of GN was evaluated on albino mice by hot plate and tail immersion methods whereas antipyretic activity was studied on Brewer's yeast-induced pyrexia rats. Fever was induced by injecting Read More