Two new oleanane-type triterpene saponins, adianthifoliosides A (1) and B (2), were isolated from a 95% ethanolic extract of roots of Albizia adianthifolia. Their structures were elucidated mainly by using a combination of 600 MHz 1D and 2D NMR techniques (COSY, NOESY, TOCSY, HSQC, and HMBC) and by FABMS and HRESIMS. Compounds 1 and 2 were characterized as glycosides of acacic acid acylated by an o-hydroxybenzoyl unit. The crude saponin mixture (CSM), compounds 1 and 2 together with 3 and 4 (prosapogenins obtained from the mild alkaline hydrolysate of the CSM), were evaluated for immunomodulatory activity on the Jurkat T cell line and for hemolytic property against sheep erythrocytes. Compound 2 and, to a lesser extent, 1 and 3 were found to exhibit a dose-dependent immunomodulatory effect in the concentration range 10(-2)-10 microM, whereas 4 showed a lymphoproliferative activity in the same concentration range. Among the compounds tested, only 1 and 2 were found to be hemolytic.

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Members of the Curcuma plant species (Zingiberaceae) have been used for centuries in cooking, cosmetics, staining and in traditional medicine as "omnipotent" remedies. Herbal preparations made with, and molecules extracted from, Curcuma have been shown to possess a wide variety of pharmacological properties against malignant proliferation, hormonal disorders, inflammation, and parasitosis among other conditions. This review evaluates Curcuma and its associated bioactive compounds, particularly focusing on studies examining the parasiticidal activity of these components against the tropical parasites Plasmodium, leishmania, Trypanosoma, Schistosoma and more generally against other cosmopolitan parasites (nematodes, Babesia, Candida, Giardia, Coccidia and Sarcoptes).

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Methylglyoxal (MG) and glyoxal (GO) are suggested to be associated with the development of neurodegenerative pathologies. However, their peripheral levels in relation to cognitive decline and their effects on key factors in neuronal cells are poorly investigated. The aim of this study was to determine their serum levels in MCI (mild cognitive impairment) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients, to analyze their effects on the neurotrophic and inflammatory factors, on neurodegenerative markers in neuronal cells and in neuronal derived-extracellular vesicles (nEVs). Our results show that MG and GO levels in serum, determined by HPLC, were higher in MCI. ROC (receiver-operating characteristic curves) analysis showed that the levels of MG in serum have higher sensitivity to differentiate MCI from controls but not from AD. Meanwhile, serum GO levels differentiate MCI from control and AD groups. Cells and nEVs levels of BDNF, PRGN, NSE, APP, MMP-9, ANGPTL-4, LCN2, PTX2, S100B, RAGE, Aβ peptide, pTau T181 and alpha-synuclein were quantified by luminex assay. Treatment of neuronal cells with MG or GO reduced the cellular levels of NSE, PRGN, APP, MMP-9 and ANGPTL-4 and the nEVs levels of BDNF, PRGN and LCN2. Our findings suggest that targeting MG and GO may be a promising therapeutic strategy to prevent or delay the progression of AD.

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is considered one of the most important public health problems. Several and controversial studies showed that the role of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and their receptor in the development of metabolic syndrome and therapeutic pathways is still unsolved. We have investigated whether plasma pentosidine, carboxymethyl-lysine (CML), and soluble receptor for advanced glycation end products (sRAGE) levels were increased in patients with MetS and the effect of metformin in plasma levels of pentosidine, CML, and sRAGE. 80 control subjects and 86 patients were included in this study. Pentosidine, CML, and sRAGE were measured in plasma by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Plasma pentosidine, CML, and sRAGE levels were significantly increased in patients compared to control subjects (P < 0.001, P < 0.001, and P = 0.014, resp.). Plasma levels of pentosidine were significantly decreased in patients who received metformin compared to untreated patients (P = 0.01). However, there was no significant difference between patients treated with metformin and untreated patients in plasma CML levels. Plasma levels of sRAGE were significantly increased in patients who received metformin and ACE inhibitors (P < 0.001 and P = 0.002, resp.). However, in a multiple stepwise regression analysis, pentosidine, sRAGE, and drugs treatments were not independently associated. Patients with metabolic syndrome showed increased levels of AGEs such as pentosidine and CML. Metformin treatment showed a decreased level of pentosidine but not of CML. Therapeutic pathways of AGEs development should be taken into account and further experimental and in vitro studies merit for advanced research.

Twelve oleanane saponins, zebiriosides A-L, were isolated from the roots of Dendrobangia boliviana Rusby, together with two known saponins, talunùmoside I and 3-O-β-d-glucuronopyranosyl serjanic acid. These saponins are glycosides of serjanic or phytolaccinic acid. Their structures were established on two basis: first, their spectral data, mainly HR-TOFESIMS, 1D-NMR ((1)H, (13)C, DEPT) and 2D-NMR ((1)H(1)H COSY, TOCSY, HSQC, HMBC, and ROESY), and second by comparison with literature data. These compounds were evaluated for their cytotoxic, antileishmanial and hemolytic activities. No antileishmanial or hemolytic activities were revealed, however zebirioside C and zebirioside I showed cytotoxicity against fibroblasts with IC50 of 6.4 and 5.6 μM, respectively.

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