Visualizing bioactive ceramides

Wheat germ-derived Ceramides

Biophysics (and sociology) of ceramides.

In the past decade, the long-neglected ceramides (N-acylsphingosines) have become one of the most attractive lipid molecules in molecular cell biology, because of their involvement in essential structures (stratum corneum) and processes (cell signalling). Most natural ceramides have a long (16-24 C atoms) N-acyl chain, but short N-acyl chain ceramides (two to six C atoms) also exist in Nature, ...

Thin-layer chromatography of ceramides.

Ceramides with mono-, di-, and trihydroxy long-chain bases, and normal (saturated and unsaturated), branched-chain, and 2-hydroxy fatty acids have been analyzed by thin-layer chromatography. In most cases the compounds were also run as acetates. Borate, arsenite, and silver ions were used as complexing agents, and the effects of number, position, and stereochemistry of hydroxy groups, and of un...

Two Ceramides from Tanacetum artemesioides

Tanacetum artemisioides, a pale green annual shrub with several branches from the woody rootstock, grows in different parts of Pakistan [1]. The genus Tanacetum has several important medicinal applications. Some of its species such as T. parthenium have been used traditionally in the treatment of migraine and arthritis; T. vulgare has beneficial effects in gastroduodenal diseases while T. micro...

In situ label-free imaging for visualizing the biotransformation of a bioactive polyphenol

Although understanding the high-resolution spatial distribution of bioactive small molecules is indispensable for elucidating their biological or pharmacological effects, there has been no analytical technique that can easily detect the naïve molecular localization in mammalian tissues. We herein present a novel in situ label-free imaging technique for visualizing bioactive small molecules, usi...