Dietary phytosterols inhibit intestinal cholesterol absorption and regulate whole body cholesterol excretion and balance. However, they are biochemically heterogeneous and a portion is glycosylated in some foods with unknown effects on biological activity. We tested the hypothesis that phytosterol glycosides reduce cholesterol absorption in humans. Phytosterol glycosides were extracted and puri...

The mechanisms and conditions affecting expression of systemic induced resistance (SIR) in pine are not clearly understood. Two hypotheses were tested here: that SIR against a pathogen induced by either a pathogen or an insect involves coordinated shifts in phloem secondary metabolism; and that fertility affects the production of these compounds. To test these hypotheses, a tripartite system wa...

Controversy exists over the rapidity of onset of the inotropic effect of various digitalis glycosides. Shortening of the systolic time intervals (STI) provides a quantitative measure of the inotropic effect of digitalis glycosides in human subjects. Total electromechanical systole corrected for heart rate (QS2I) is the most sensitive of the STI since it combines the shortening effect of digital...

Cannabis sativa L. is one of the oldest plants known in medicine and one that has been most studied with respect to its phytochemistry (Turner et al., 1980). Currently, a total of 483 constituents have been identified in cannabis of which 66 are cannabinoids (Ross et al., 1995). About 20 flavonoids have been reported to be present in the cannabis plant as aglycones or as conjugated O-glycosides...

The well known and accepted mode of action of cardiac glycosides is inhibition of the ubiquitous plasma membrane Na+, K+-ATPase that leads to increased intracellular Ca2+ ion concentrations. Ca2+ ions play pivotal role in many signaling pathways including those regulating apoptosis. It has been suggested that some forms of cardiac glycosides inhibit proliferation and induce apoptosis in prostat...

There are four isoforms of the alpha subunit (alpha1-4) and three isoforms of the beta subunit (beta1-3) of Na,K-ATPase, with distinct tissue-specific distribution and physiological functions. alpha2 is thought to play a key role in cardiac and smooth muscle contraction and be an important target of cardiac glycosides. An alpha2-selective cardiac glycoside could provide important insights into ...

OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to determine the intestinal and microbial disposition of flavonoids and how these disposition processes affect their enteric recycling. DESIGN Studies were performed using a perfused rat intestinal model or using enrichment cultures and a pure isolate of Enterococcus avium (LY1). RESULTS In the rat intestine, aglycones, such as quercetin and apigeni...

Cytotoxic fractions obtained by purification of the ethanolic extract of Anasterias minuta contain sulfated hexasaccharide glycosides. These compounds show antifungal activity against Cladosporium cucumerinum. Introduction Extracts and saponins isolated from starfish show a broad spectrum of biological effects: cytotoxic, hemolytic, antifungal and antiviral activities [1]. Although a high numbe...