The effect of passion fruit, the fruit of Passiflora edulis , on melanin inhibition and collagen synthesis was studied using cultured human melanoma and fibroblast cells. Passion fruit was divided into three parts, rind (PF-R), pulp (PF-P), and seed (PF-S), and each part was extracted using 80% ethanol. The concentration of polyphenols was higher in PF-S than in PF-R or PF-P. Treatment of melanoma cells with PF-S led to inhibition of melanogenesis. In addition, the production of total soluble collagen was elevated in dermal fibroblast cells cultured in the presence of PF-S. PF-R and PF-P did not yield these effects. Furthermore, the removal of polyphenols from PF-S led to the abolishment of the effects described above. We discovered that piceatannol (3,4,3',5'-tetrahydroxy-trans-stilbene) is present in passion fruit seeds in large amounts and that this compound is the major component responsible for the PF-S effects observed on melanogenesis and collagen synthesis.

No abstract

Benifuuki is a tea cultivar with an antiallergic effect stronger than that of Yabukita tea, the most popular green tea cultivar consumed in Japan. The effective compound is (-)-epigallocatechin-3-O-(3-O-methyl)gallate (EGCG3''Me), an O-methylated derivative of EGCG. This study examined the antihypertensive effects of EGCG3''Me and Benifuuki tea. First, it was determined that EGCG3''Me has a significant inhibitory effect on the activity of angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE). Second, clinical trials showed that Benifuuki tea suppressed high blood pressure to a greater extent than green tea that did not contain EGCG3''Me after equal amounts of tea catechins were consumed for 8 weeks. The effect of Benifuuki tea on human hypertension is mainly the result of the strong inhibitory effect of EGCG3''Me on ACE activity, its high rate of absorption, and its stability in the blood.

Hymenopteran endoparasitoids produce nuclear secretions from ovarian glands, which are deposited into the host insect together with the egg, protecting the developing parasitoid against the host's defence reactions. In the ichneumonid Venturia canescens, virus-like particles (VLPs), are attached to the egg surface and provide passive protection against encapsulation by the host. One of the four major particle proteins (p40) is expressed not only in the calyx gland but also in tissues that are not involved in particle production. The p40 coding DNA from V. canescens was cloned and sequenced. Within the coding DNA a tandem repeat sequence, coding for a putative proteolytic cleavage site of the PEST type, is rearranged in a significant portion of the wasp population. A corresponding polymorphism was also detected in the protein. The amino-terminal region of the deduced protein contains a putative type II transmembrane domain. The carboxy-terminal region shows similarity to the phospholipid hydroxyperoxide glutathione peroxidase (PHGPX) of vertebrates. A peroxidase function of the p40, although not ruled out, is unlikely due to the absence of a reactive centre which is typical for many vertebrate peroxidases. The overall conservation of the hydropathic region is discussed in the context of the formation of the viral envelope and its possible function in the immune protection.

Drinking cocoa activates natural immunity and enhances vaccination-induced immune response, providing stronger protection against influenza virus infection and disease onset.