In order to identify natural products for plant disease control, the essential oil of star anise (Illicium verum Hook. f.) fruit was investigated for its antifungal activity on plant pathogenic fungi. The fruit essential oil obtained by hydro-distillation was analyzed for its chemical composition by gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). trans-Anethole (89.5%), 2-(1-cyclopentenyl)-furan (0.9%) and cis-anethole (0.7%) were found to be the main components among 22 identified compounds, which accounted for 94.6% of the total oil. The antifungal activity of the oil and its main component trans-anethole against plant pathogenic fungi were determined. Both the essential oil and trans-anethole exhibited strong inhibitory effect against all test fungi indicating that most of the observed antifungal properties was due to the presence of trans-anethole in the oil, which could be developed as natural fungicides for plant disease control in fruit and vegetable preservation.

tKGF and IGF-I markedly accelerate the healing of colonic anastomoses in rats. However, combined administration of the two growth factors does not show additional benefit. Both growth factors may be acting to accelerate host reparative processes as well as to enhance protection of the anastomotic wound bed.

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Five spirobisnaphthalenes, namely palmarumycin CP 17 (1), diepoxin κ (2), diepoxin η (3), diepoxin ζ (4), and diepoxin γ (5), were isolated from the endophytic fungus Dzf12 associated with the medicinal plant Dioscorea zingiberensis C. H. Wright. Their structures were identified by physicochemical and spectrometric analysis. Among these spirobisnaphthalenes, 2 was found to have antibacterial activity, and the mixture of 3 and 4 was detected to have both antibacterial and antifungal activities.

The expression of DOC-2 is down-regulated in primary tumors and metastases of colorectal cancer, which suggests that DOC-2 functions as a tumor suppressor in this malignancy.

Background: Artesunate, extracted from Artemisia annua, has been proven to have anti-cancer potential. Allicin, diallyl thiosulfinate, the main biologically active compound derived from garlic, is also of interest in cancer treatment research. This object of this report was to document synergistic effects of artesunate combined with allicin on osteosarcoma cell lines in vitro and in vivo. Methods: After treatment with artesunate and allicin at various concentrations, the viability of osteosarcoma cells was analyzed by MTT method, with assessment of invasion and motility, colony formation and apoptosis. Western Blotting was performed to determine the expression of caspase-3/9, and activity was also detected after drug treatment. Moreover, in a nude mouse model established with orthotopic xenograft tumors, tumor weight and volume were monitored after drug administration via the intraperitoneal (i.p.) route. Results: The viability of osteosarcoma cells in the combination group was significantly decreased in a concentration and time dependent manner; moreover, invasion, motility and colony formation ability were significantly suppressed and the apoptotic rate was significantly increased through caspase-3/9 expression and activity enhancement in the combination group. Furthermore, suppression of tumor growth was evident in vivo. Conclusion: Our results indicated that artesunate and allicin in combination exert synergistic effects on osteosarcoma cell proliferation and apoptosis.

An antimicrobial sesquiterpene was separated by bioassay-guided isolation from the petroleum ether fraction of the ethanol crude extract of Eucalyptus globulus Labill (Myrtaceae) fruits, and was identified as globulol by physicochemical properties and spectroscopic analysis. Mycelial growth method revealed that the median effective inhibitory concentration (IC50) values of globulol on Alternaria solani, Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. niverum, F. graminearum, Rhizoctonia solani and Venturia pirina were 47.1 microg mL(-1), 114.3 microg mL(-1), 53.4 microg mL(-1), 56.9 microg mL(-1), 32.1 microg mL(-1) and 21.8 microg mL(-1), respectively. MTT-colorimetric assay revealed that IC50 values of globulol on Xanthomonas vesicatoria and Bacillus subtilis were 158.0 microg mL(-1) and 737.2 microg mL(-1), respectively. The results indicated that globulol could be a main antimicrobial compound in the ethanol crude extract of E. globulus fruits.

One novel isocoumarin, named Sg17-1-4, along with two known isocoumarins AI-77-B and AI-77-F were obtained from a marine fungus Alternaria tenuis Sg17-1. Their structures were elucidated based on detailed NMR analysis. The cytotoxicities of these compounds were evaluated in vitro.