Clinical References on Brazil Nut (Bertholletia excelsa)
Ip C, et al. Bioactivity of selenium from Brazil nut for cancer prevention and selenoenzyme maintenance. Nutr Cancer, 1994
(Abstract Available)
Chang JC, et al. Selenium content of Brazil nuts from two geographic locations in Brazil. Chemosphere, 1995 Feb
(Abstract Available)
Sun SS, et al. Properties, biosynthesis and processing of a sulfur-rich protein in Brazil nut (Bertholletia excelsa H.B.K.). Eur J Biochem, 1987 Feb 2
(Abstract Available)
Ampe C, et al. The amino-acid sequence of the 2S sulphur-rich proteins from seeds of Brazil nut (Bertholletia excelsa H.B.K.). Eur J Biochem, 1986 Sep 15
(Abstract Available)
Nicaud JM, et al. Stabilization of methionine-rich protein in Saccharomyces cerevisiae: targeting of BZN protein into the peroxisome. Curr Genet, 1994 Nov-Dec
Saalbach I, et al. A chimeric gene encoding the methionine-rich 2S albumin of the Brazil nut (Bertholletia excelsa H.B.K.) is stably expressed and inherited in transgenic grain legumes. Mol Gen Genet, 1994 Jan
Gander ES, et al. Isolation, characterization and expression of a gene coding for a 2S albumin from Bertholletia excelsa (Brazil nut). Plant Mol Biol, 1991 Mar
Guerche P, et al. Expression of the 2S albumin from Bertholletia excelsa in Brassica napus. Mol Gen Genet, 1990 May
Thorn J, et al. Trace nutrients. Selenium in British food. Br J Nutr, 1978 Mar
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Bioactivity of selenium from Brazil nut for cancer prevention and selenoenzyme maintenance.
Ip C; Lisk DJ
Nutr Cancer, 21: 3, 1994, 203-12
Brazil nut (Bertholletia excelsa) is one of very few consumable products with exceptionally high levels of selenium. The mean selenium concentrations of two shipments of Brazil nut used in the present study were determined to be 16 and 30 micrograms/g. In contrast, most common foods contain much less selenium, from 0.01 to 1 micrograms/g. Previous research on selenium cancer chemoprevention invariably used a pure compound, whereas little information is available on the efficacy of selenium delivered naturally in a food form. This paper reports the results of two mammary cancer prevention experiments in the rat dimethylbenz[a]anthracene model by continuous feeding of selenium-rich Brazil nut (processed to a smooth-textured nut material for mixing in the diet). A dose-dependent inhibitory response was observed at dietary selenium concentrations of 1-3 micrograms/g. Interestingly, Brazil nut was found to be just as powerful as sodium selenite, if not more so, at similar levels of dietary selenium intake. Mammary cancer protection gland, and plasma. The magnitude of tissue selenium accumulation was proportional to the amount of Brazil nut added to the diet. The nutritional biopotency of selenium in Brazil nut was also evaluated by the repletion of two selenoenzymes, glutathione peroxidase and type I 5'-deiodinase, in selenium-deficient rats. Supplementation with Brazil nut as the sole source of selenium produced an efficient gradient of enzyme restoration at 0.05-0.2 microgram/g of dietary selenium. A parallel comparison with sodium selenite indicated that the selenium in Brazil nut and selenite selenium were equally bioactive. Although at this point it can only be inferred that the above biologic effects are likely to be attributable to the high selenium content of Brazil nut, there is persuasive evidence to suggest that the models under investigation are responding to the selenium rather than to the other components of Brazil nut.
Selenium content of Brazil nuts from two geographic locations in Brazil.
Chang JC; Gutenmann WH; Reid CM; Lisk DJ
Chemosphere, 30: 4, 1995 Feb, 801-2
Brazil nuts (Bertholletia excelsa) natively contain very high concentrations of selenium. Since dietary selenium, including Brazil nuts, have been associated with protection against tumor development in laboratory animal studies, it was of interest to determine the selenium content of the nuts from different nut-growing regions of Brazil. In the work reported, 162 nuts from each of two regions (Acre-Rondonia and Manaus-Belem) were individually analyzed for selenium. The average +/- standard deviation and range of selenium concentrations in ppm, fresh weight for nuts from Acre-Rondonia and Manaus-Belem regions were, respectively, 3.06 +/- 4.01 (0.03-31.7) and 36.0 +/- 50.0 (1.25-512.0). The toxicology of Brazil nut consumption is discussed.
Properties, biosynthesis and processing of a sulfur-rich protein in Brazil nut (Bertholletia excelsa H.B.K.).
Sun SS; Altenbach SB; Leung FW
Eur J Biochem, 162: 3, 1987 Feb 2, 477-83
An abundant seed protein, which is exceptionally rich in the sulfur-containing amino acids, methionine (18%) and cysteine (8%), is synthesized in Brazil nut embryos about 9 months after flowering. This sulfur-rich protein consists of two low-molecular-mass polypeptide components, a 9-kDa polypeptide and a 3-kDa polypeptide. The two-subunit polypeptides associate through disulfide linkage(s) to form a 12-kDa protein molecule. We have demonstrated through in vitro translation studies, using RNA from 9-month-old embryos, that the sulfur-rich protein is synthesized as a larger precursor polypeptide of 18 kDa. In addition,data from in vivo labelling studies of 9-month-old Brazil nuts suggest that there are two intermediate precursors of the sulfur-rich protein, one of 15 kDa and another of 12 kDa. One of these precursors, the 12-kDa polypeptide, accumulates for a 2-month period in the developing embryos. From these data we infer that at least three stepwise cleavages are involved in the maturation of the sulfur-rich protein from its 18-kDa precursor.
The amino-acid sequence of the 2S sulphur-rich proteins from seeds of Brazil nut (Bertholletia excelsa H.B.K.).
Ampe C; Van Damme J; de Castro LA; Sampaio MJ; Van Montagu M; Vandekerckhove J
Eur J Biochem, 159: 3, 1986 Sep 15, 597-604
Storage proteins of the albumin solubility fraction from seeds of Bertholletia excelsa H.B.K. were separated by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography and their primary structures were determined by gas-phase sequencing on intact polypeptides and on the overlapping tryptic and thermolysin peptides. The 2S storage proteins consist of two subunits linked by disulphide bridges. The large subunit (8.5 kDa) is expressed in at least six different isoforms while the small subunit (3.6 kDa) consists of only one form. These proteins are extremely rich in glutamine, glutamic acid, arginine and the sulphur-containing amino acids cysteine and methionine. One of the variants even contains a sequence of six methionine residues in a row. Comparison with known sequences of 2S proteins of other dicotyledonous plants shows limited but distinct sequence homology. In particular, the positions of the cysteine residues relative to each other appear to be completely conserved, suggesting that tertiary structure constraints imposed by disulphide bridges dominate sequence conservation. It has been proposed that the two subunits of a related protein (the Brassica napus storage protein) is cleaved from a precursor polypeptide [Crouch, M. L., Tenbarge, K. M., Simon, A. E. & Ferl, R. (1983) J. Mol. Appl. Genet. 2,273-283]. The amino acid sequence homology of the Brazil nut protein with the former suggests that a similar protein processing event could occur.
Clinical References on Brazilian Peppertree (Schinus molle)
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Antimicrobial activity of essential oil from Schinus molle Linn.
Gundidza M
Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Zimbabwe, Harare.
Cent Afr J Med 1993 Nov;39(11):231-234
The essential oil from the fresh leaves of Schinus molle isolated by hydrodistillation was tested for
antibacterial activity using the hole plate diffusion method and for antifungal activity using the
mycelium or single cell growth inhibition method. Results obtained showed that the volatile oil
exhibited significant activity against the following bacterial species: Klebsiella pneumoniae,
Alcaligenes faecalis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Leuconostoc cremoris, Enterobacter aerogenes,
Proteus vulgaris, Clostridium sporogenes, Acinetobacter calcoacetica, Escherichia coli, Beneckea
natriegens, Citrobacter freundii, Serratia marcescens, Bacillus subtilis and Brochothrix
thermosphacata. The fungal species Aspergillus ochraceus, Aspergillus parasiticus, Fusarium
culmorum and Alternaria alternata exhibited significant sensitivity to the volatile oil.
Schinus molle: a new source of natural fungitoxicant.
Dikshit A, Naqvi AA, Husain A
Appl Environ Microbiol 1986 May;51(5):1085-1088
The oil of Schinus molle exhibited the maximum fungitoxic activity during the screening of some
essential oils against some common storage and animal pathogenic fungi. It showed absolute
toxicity against animal pathogens and mild activity against storage fungi. The effective
concentrations of the oil varied from 200 to 900 ppm. The toxicity of the oil persisted up to 80
degrees C and 90 days of storage but declined when autoclaved. It withstood heavy inoculum
density. The oil exhibited a narrow range of activity and was found to be more effective than
Multifungin, an antifungal drug. The oil was characterized by its various physicochemical
properties. It was found to comprise 50 constituents. It appeared that some changes in the oil
constituents during storage affected its fungitoxic potency.
Clinical References on Catuaba (Erythroxylum catuaba)
Manabe H., et.al Effects of Catuaba extracts on microbial and HIV infection. In Vivo, 6: 2, 1992 Mar-Apr, 161-5
(Abstract Available)
Graf E., et.al., [Alkaloids from Erythroxylum vacciniifolium MARTIUS, II: The structures of catuabine A, B, and C] Arch Pharm (Weinheim), 311: 2, 1978 Feb, 139-52
Agar JT, et.al., Alkaloids of the genus Erythroxylum. Part 1. E. monogynum Roxb. roots.
J Chem Soc [Perkin 1], 14, 1976, 1550-8
Graf E., et.al. [Alkaloids from Erythroxylum vaccinifolium Martius,I: Isolation of catuabine A, B, and C] Arch Pharm (Weinheim), 310: 12, 1977 Dec, 1005-10
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Effects of Catuaba extracts on microbial and HIV infection.
Manabe H; Sakagami H; Ishizone H; Kusano H; Fujimaki M; Wada C; Komatsu N; Nakashima H; Murakami T; Yamamoto N
In Vivo, 6: 2, 1992 Mar-Apr, 161-5
Abstract:
Pretreatment of mice with hot water and alkaline extracts of Catuaba casca (Erythroxylum catuaba Arr. Cam.) effectively protected them from lethal infection of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. The extracts significantly inhibited both the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-induced cytopathic effect and the expression of HIV antigen in HIV-1HTLV-IIIB or HIV-2ROD infected human lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-1) positive MT-4 cells. The 50% effective concentrations of the active fractions (21-263 micrograms/ml) were 1/4 - 1/43 of their 50% cytotoxic concentrations. Their anti-HIV activity was shown to be induced, at least in part, via the inhibition of HIV adsorption to the cells. The data suggest a medicinal potential of Catuaba extracts against opportunistic infection in HIV patients.
Clinical References on Cocona (Solanum sessiflorum)
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Chemical and pharmacological investigation of Solanum species of Brazil--a search for solasodine and other potentially useful therapeutic agents.
Barbosa-Filho JM; Agra MF; Oliveira RA; Paulo MQ; Trolin G; Cunha EV; Ataide JR; Bhattacharyya J
Laboratório de Tecnologia Farmacêutica, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, João Pessoa, Brasil.
Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz, 86 Suppl 2:1991, 189-91
A systematic search for solasodine, an important starting material for the partial synthesis of steroidal hormones as well as other potentially bioactive constituents of various Solanum species of Brazil has been undertaken. Thus, the fruits of S. paludosum, S. asperum, S. sessiliflorum and Solanum sp. were found to contain significant amounts of solasodine. The root bark of S. paludosum which showed curare like activity yielded tomatidenol and another yet unidentified alkaloid responsible for the biological activity. The fruits of S. asperum yielded a new spirosolane alkaloid, solaparnaine. The stem bark of S. pseudo-quina showed convulsive and excitatory activity from which (25S)-isosolafloridine was identified as the active principle. In addition, the latter alkaloid was also found to show antimicrobial activity.
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