Stigmast-4-ene-3,6-dione an unusual phytotoxic sterone from the roots of Echium vulgare L.

Echimidine was isolated from Echium rauwolfii and Echium horridum and identified by MS, 1H- and 13C NMR as a major alkaloid. In addition, structures of 12 minor alkaloids were inferred from GLC and GLC-MS analyses: 7-angeloylretronecine, 7-tigloylretronecine, lycopsamine, 7-acetyllycopsamine, uplandicine, 7-angeloyllycopsamine, 7-tigloyllycopsamine, tigloyl isomer of echimidine, 7-angeloyl-9-(2...

Changes in the composition of fatty acids (FA) were determined in lipid extracts isolated from developing ovaries containing ovules and developing seeds of Echium vulgare L. The samples were collected successively over 20 days beginning with the first day after flowering. The contents of the n-6 FA family members, i.e., γ-linolenic (GLA) (C18 : 3) and linoleic (LA) (C18 : 2) acids changed in a ...

Vegetable oils containing stearidonic acid (SDA, 18 : 4n-3) are considered better precursors of long-chain n-3 PUFA (LC n-3 PUFA) than those with only α-linolenic acid (ALA, 18 : 3n-3). The present study re-examined this premise using treatments where added ALA from linseed oil was matched with ALA plus SDA from echium oil. Lambs (n 6) were abomasally infused with saline (control (C), 25 ml), e...

BACKGROUND Therapy-induced mucositis and dysphagia puts head and neck (H&N) cancer patients at increased risk for developing cachexia. Omega-3 fatty acids (n-3 FA) have been suggested to protect against cachexia. We aimed to examine if echium oil, a plant source of n-3 FA, could reduce weight loss in H&N cancer patients undergoing radio(chemo)therapy with curative intent. METHODS In a double-...

A new semi-theoretical thin-layer model of the fluidized bed drying of Echium amoenum Fisch. & C.A. Mey. petals has been developed. Experiments were conducted under different conditions: temperatures of 40, 50 and 60 °C, and air velocities of 0.5, 0.75 and 1.0 m/s, until the moisture content decreased to 0.04.-0.06 kg of water per kg of dry matter. Drying processes in the fluidized bed were com...

The anxiolytic effect of the flower of Echium. amoenum was shown in several experimental studies in mice. The present study was aimed to determine whether tolerance develops to anxiolytic action of E. amoenum in mice. NMRI male mice were injected intraperitoneal with hydroalcoholic extract (12.5, 25 and 50 mg/kg) or saline once each day (8 am) for period of 7 days and then tested on light/dark ...

Numerous island-inhabiting species of predominantly herbaceous angiosperm genera are woody shrubs or trees. Such "insular woodiness" is strongly manifested in the genus Echium, in which the continental species of circummediterranean distribution are herbaceous, whereas endemic species of islands along the Atlantic coast of north Africa are woody perennial shrubs. The history of 37 Echium specie...

Changes in diet over the past century have markedly altered the consumption of fatty acids. The dramatic increase in the ingestion of saturated and n-6 fatty acids and concomitant decrease in n-3 fatty acids are thought to be a major driver of the increase in the incidence of inflammatory diseases such as asthma, allergy, and atherosclerosis. The central objective of the Center for Botanical Li...