The NAMASTE project is developing new theoretical approaches and new diagnostic tools to analyse the structural properties of the climate system, work which could help improve our understanding of the global climate, its properties in past and present conditions, and how it may evolve in the future. We spoke to scientific coordinator Professor Valerio Lucarini about the project’s research and h...

The isolation of chemically pure tumor-promoting agents from croton oil in this laboratory facilitated the exploration of a number of areas concerning their mode of action and the role of tumor-promoting agents in chemical carcinogenesis. Our recent studies have centered on the mode of action of these phorbol esters on cellular and intracellular membranes. The use of tumor-promoting agents in t...

The influence of adrenal hormonal imbalance on separate stages of skin carcino genesis was investigated in SWR mice, with a single feeding of 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene given as initiating stimulus and twice-weekly paintings of 5 per cent croton oil to the skin, for 20 weeks, as promoting stimulus. An excess of hormonal action was achieved by the addition of hydrocortisone to the standard d...

In order to explore novel anti-inflammatory agents, some novel mefenamic acid derivatives as potential non-steroidal antiinflammatory agents (NSAIDs) were synthesized and characterized by IR, H-NMR, C-NMR, mass and elemental analysis. The anti-inflammatory activities of the target compounds were evaluated via the croton oil-induced ear oedema test in mice. According to screened results, compoun...

Through bioactivity-guided fractionation, eight phorbol diesters, including five new ones (1-5), were isolated from the seeds of Croton tiglium collected in Egypt. 12-O-Acetylphorbol-13-decanoate (6) and 12-O-decanoylphorbol-13-(2-methylbutyrate) (4) potently inhibited the HIV-1-induced cytopathic effect on MT-4 cells (IC100 values of 7.6 ng/ml and 7.81 micrograms/ml, and CC0 values of 62.5 mic...

The aim of the study was to evaluate the anti-inflammatory activity of the S. paranense crude extract, S. paranense alkaloid fraction, and solanine alkaloid. These samples reduce the croton oil-induced ear edema in a dose-dependent manner and a maximum inhibition of 81%, 98%, and 80% in the doses of 1.0, 0.73, and 0.37 mg/ear, respectively. Moreover, the samples inhibit the MPO activity with an...

In the present study, we induced melanomas in C57BL/6 mice by a single application of 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene to the scapular region of 4-day-old mice, followed by twice-weekly applications of croton oil. Of 20 mice treated, melanomas arose in two female littermates. The first melanoma (JB/MS) arose 16 weeks after initiation of treatment, and the second melanoma (JB/RH) arose 23 weeks la...

Four extracts at increasing polarity were prepared from the leaves of Thymus satureioides Coss. (Labiatae) and assayed for the in vivo topical anti-inflammatory effect using the croton oil ear test in mice, and for in vitro both antioxidant (DPPH degrees test) and anti-bacterial (broth microdilution method) activities. The chloroform extract showed a topical anti-inflammatory activity (ID50=282...