Seven kinds of hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives identified as 3-caffeoylquinic acid (3-CQA), 4-caffeolyquinic acid (4-CQA), 5-caffeoylquinic acid (5-CQA), 5-feruloylquinic acid (5-FQA), 3,4-dicaffeoylquinic acid (3,4-diCQA), 3,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid (3,5-diCQA), and 4,5-dicaffoylquinic acid (4,5-diCQA) by MS, 1H NMR, and HPLC analyses were isolated from low-quality (immature) and commercial quality green coffee beans. The quantity of chlorogenic acid isomers (10.4 g/100 g), especially 5-CQA, in commercial green coffee beans [West Indische Bereiding (West India processing beans from Sumatra Island, Indonesia, WIB)] was higher than that in low-quality beans [9.1 g/100 g, Eerste Kwaliteit (Export low-quality beans from Java Island, Indonesia, EK-1, grade 4)], whereas little difference in diCQAs was detected between the two kinds of beans. The free radical scavenging activity of these isolates was evaluated in assay systems using DPPH free radicals and superoxide anion radicals generated by xanthine-XOD. The diCQAs showed strong (1.0-1.8-fold) free radical scavenging activity compared to commonly used antioxidants such as alpha-tocopherol and ascorbic acid. The potency order of superoxide anion radical scavenging activity was diCQAs > caffeic acid, CQAs > 5-FQA. The activities of the diCQAs were twice as effective as those of CQAs and 4 times as effective as that of 5-FQA. The diCQAs also exhibited more potent (2.0-2.2-fold) tyrosinase inhibitory activities compared to CQAs, arbutin, and ascorbic acid. The isolates exhibited antiproliferation activities in four cancer cell lines, U937, KB, MCF7, and WI38-VA. Among these, KB cells were most sensitive (IC50 = 0.10-0.56 mM).

Summary:It is widely accepted that seroconversion of HBsAg to HBsAb indicates clearance of hepatitis B virus. We describe a 50-year-old man with chronic myelocytic leukemia who developed lethal hepatitis B 22 months after allo-BMT. He had been negative for HBsAg and positive for HBsAb before BMT. Hepatitis B virus latently existing in the liver cells before BMT proliferated during the immunosuppressed period causing fatal hepatitis. Recipients with positive HBsAb should be considered to have the potential for active hepatitis B to emerge after BMT. Bone Marrow Transplantation (2000) 25, 105-108. Keywords: bone marrow transplantation; hepatitis B; HBsAg-negative The risk of hepatitis B caused in patients positive for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) by reactivation of the virus after bone marrow transplantation (BMT) has been well recognized. 1-3 However, hepatitis occurring in patients who had been positive for anti-hepatitis B surface antibody (HBsAb) before BMT is rarely reported. [4][5][6] We report here lethal hepatic failure that developed in an immunosuppressed patient after allo-BMT due to reactivation of latent hepatitis B virus (HBV) despite having HBsAb and no virus DNA detected in the serum before transplantation. MethodsEIA enzyme immunoassay kits AxSYM (Dinabot, Tokyo, Japan) were used for detection of HBsAg, HBsAb, anti-HBV core antibody (HBcAb), HBV e antigen (HBeAg) and anti-HBV e antibody (HBeAb). Serum HBV was measured by the branched DNA probe method using commercial Quantiplex HBV-DNA (Chiron, Emeryville, CA, USA). All procedures were performed according to the manufacturer's recommendations. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays were performed as described previously. 7 Case reportA 50-year-old man consulted our hospital in April 1995 for leukocytosis that had been found on a regular checkup at his company and which was accompanied by abdominal fullness. He had splenomegaly 16 cm below the left costal margin and the peripheral blood showed a leukocytosis with basophilia. Bone marrow aspiration and biopsy revealed a hypercellular marrow with a very low G/E ratio and an increased percentage of blast cells, although the value remained under 30%, and myelofibrosis. The karyotype of all bone marrow cells examined was 46XY, t(9;22) (q34;q11). BCR-ABL fusion mRNA was also detected by the PCR method. He was diagnosed as having a chronic myelocytic leukemia in accelerated phase and was treated with hydroxyurea and interferon-␣. Because stable hematological remission was not obtained and his disease was considered to be very close to blast crisis, he underwent unrelated bone marrow transplantation from an HLA one locus mismatched 43-year-old female donor in April 1996. He was given buslfan 3.6 mg/kg over 4 days, cytarabin 50 mg/kg over 3 days, and cyclophosphamide 60 mg/kg over 3 days without total body irradiation as conditioning therapy. FK506 and short-term methotrexate were used for prophylaxis of acute GVHD. Engraftment was confirmed on day 13 by X-chromosomal examination (FISH). The level of...

We investigated through which mechanisms ceramide increased oxidative damage to induce leukemia HL-60 cell apoptosis. When 5 M N-acetylsphingosine (C 2 -ceramide) or 20 M H 2 O 2 alone induced little increase of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation as judged by the 2-7-dichlorofluorescin diacetate method, 20 M H 2 O 2 enhanced oxidative damage as judged by ROS accumulation, and thiobarbituric acid-reactive substance production after pretreatment with 5 M C 2 -ceramide at least for 12 h. The treatment with a catalase inhibitor, 3-amino-1h-1,2,4-triazole, increased oxidative damage and apoptosis induced by H 2 O 2 , and in contrast, purified catalase inhibited the enhancement of oxidative damage by H 2 O 2 in ceramide-pretreated cells, suggesting that the oxidative effect of ceramide is involved in catalase regulation. Indeed, C 2 -ceramide inhibited the activity of immunoprecipitated catalase and decreased the levels of catalase protein in a time-dependent manner. Moreover, acetyl-Asp-Met-Gln-Asp-aldehyde, which dominantly inhibited caspase-3 and blocked the increase of oxidative damage and apoptosis due to C 2 -ceramideinduced catalase depletion at protein and activity levels. In vitro, active and purified caspase-3, but not caspase-6, -8, and -9, inhibited catalase activity and induced the proteolysis of catalase protein whereas these in vitro effects of caspase-3 were blocked by acetyl-AspMet-Gln-Asp-aldehyde. Taken together, it is suggested that H 2 O 2 enhances apoptosis in ceramide-pretreated cells, because ceramide increases oxidative damage by inhibition of ROS scavenging ability through caspase-3-dependent proteolysis of catalase.Sphingolipid ceramide has been recognized as one of important molecules to mediate proapoptotic signaling in cell death induced by a diverse array of stresses (1, 2). Oxidative damage caused by reactive oxygen species (ROS) 1 was shown to increase ceramide generation to induce apoptosis (3, 4). In contrast, the relief of oxidative damage by the ROS scavenging system consisting of N-acetylcysteine, glutathione (GSH), catalase, and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) was reported to inhibit ceramide generation in tumor necrosis factor-␣, interleukin-1␤, hypoxia, and daunorubicin-induced apoptosis (5-10). Activation of a cysteine protease, called caspase-3, is indispensable for ceramide generation by nitric oxide and H 2 O 2 to induce apoptosis (11, 12), and it is known that ROS generation in mitochondria activates caspase-3 via cooperation of cytochrome c, Apaf-1, and caspase-9 (13, 14) and increases ceramide generation through sphingomyelinase in the cell-reconstruction system (11). Therefore, these results suggest that oxidative damage caused by ROS increases ceramide generation through caspase-3 activation for the induction of apoptosis.On the other hand, ceramide was reported to induce oxidative damage by increasing ROS generation (15-21) or by inhibiting ROS scavenger glutathione (22,23), and addition of exogenous N-acetylsphingosine (C 2 -ceramide) and generation of intracellul...

We assayed in vitro the biological activities of caffeic acid phenethyl esters that had been enzymatically synthesized from 5-chlorogenic acid and phenethyl alcohol. Caffeic acid phenethyl esters showed antioxidant and hyaluronidase-inhibitory activities similar to those of chlorogenic acid and caffeic acid, and markedly higher antibacterial, antimutagenic, and antiviral activities than chlorogenic acid. The antimicrobial activities of caffeic acid phenylethyl esters against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtiiis, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MIC; 0.22-0.44, 0.44-0.88, and 0.44-0.88 mM, respectively) were higher than those of 5-chlorogenic acid and caffeic acid. 2-Caffeic acid phenylethyl ester showed potent antimutagenic activity against quinoline compounds, aromatic amines, and heterocyclic compounds. In addition, 2-caffeic acid phenylethyl ester at concentrations of less than 35 uM promoted the proliferation of normal human pulmonary fibroblasts (WI-38 cells) in culture, but inhibited the proliferation of virus-transformed fibroblasts (WI-38 VA cells; IC50 of 60 uM). 1and 2-Caffeic acid phenylethyl esters at a concentration of 8.8 uM inhibited the growth of type A influenza virus by 95% and 96%, respectively, and that of type B influenza virus by 92% and 94%, respectively. These results indicate that caffeic acid phenylethyl esters have higher antimutagenic and anti-influenza virus activities than chlorogenic acid and caffeic acid.

The objective of this investigation was to assess the antihyperglycemic effects of an extract of decaffeinated green coffee beans (EDGCB). Despite the potential properties attributed to this compound, little is known about its action in vivo. In rats, EDGCB significantly decreased postprandial blood glucose levels when administered with each of the 4 carbohydrate types (sucrose, maltose, glucose, and soluble starch). An optimum effect was observed when EDGCB was administered at the beginning of the carbohydrate challenge. In the clinical trial, plasma glucose levels were significantly reduced by administering doses of 100 and 300 mg EDGCB after ingestion of 200 g carbohydrate, particularly in subjects with a high glycemic response. No significant differences were observed in plasma insulin profiles, however, over the course of the experiment.

A decaffeinated green coffee bean extract (DGCBE) inhibited porcine pancreas lipase (PPL) activity with an IC50 value of 1.98 mg/mL. Six different chlorogenic acids in DGCBE contributed to this PPL inhibition, accounting for 91.8% of the inhibitory activity. DGCBE increased the droplet size and decreased the specific surface area of an olive oil emulsion.

Coffee "silverskin" (CS) is a by-product of the roasting procedure for coffee beans. A CS extract (CS-ext) was found to have a high inhibitory effect against hyaluronidase. It seems that the higher-molecular-weight substances in CS-ext contributed most to the hyaluronidase inhibition, while acidic polysaccharides mainly composed of uronic acid played a major role in this hyaluronidase inhibition by CS-ext.

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