In this study, three phenolic compounds were isolated from the seeds of Zizyphus spina-christi for the first time. The compounds were identified by means of 1 H-NMR-, UV and GC-MS as p-hydroxybenzoic acid, kaempferol, quercetin-3-O--L-rhamnosyl--D-glucopyranoside (rutin).

A flow injection analysis (FIA) system was developed for the determination of phosphate efflux from wine lactic acid bacteria (Oenococus oeni and Lactobacillus hilgardii) as an indication of cell membrane damage. The system allowed the direct injection of the cell suspension, avoiding the filtration step, with minimum sample treatment and minimized reagent consumption. The developed system is c...

Extracts of four species of seaweeds, Ulva lactuca L. (green), Liagora farinosa Lamouroux (red), Padina pavonia L. and Turbinaria ornata Turn (brown), were screened for their antimicrobial, and antimalarial activities, and binding affinity for human opioid receptors. Phytochemical analysis led to the isolation and identification of 10 constituents: fucosterol, stearic acid, palmitic acid, palmi...

The degradation of several alkyl ethers of vanillic acid, of 3-ethoxy-4-hydroxybenzoic acid, and of syringic acid, by the lignin-decomposing fungus Polyporus dichrous included (i) 4-dealkylation (e.g., 3-ethoxy-4-isopropoxybenzoic acid was in part dealkylated to 3-ethoxy-4-hydroxybenzoic acid), (ii) hydroxylation of the 4-alkoxyl groups (e.g., 3-ethoxy-4-isopropoxybenzoic acid was oxidized in p...

The photosynthetic procaryote Anacystis nidulans converts L-phenylalanine and L-tyrosine into benzoic acid and p-hydroxybenzoic acid, respectively. Results obtained with thylakoid fractions support the hypothesis that the reaction sequence is catalyzed by thylakoid-bound enzyme complexes consisting of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase and benzoate synthase of tyrosine ammonia-lyase and p-hydroxybenzo...

Strain A81 of Nocardia corallina hydroxylates or demethylates p-anisic acid to p-hydroxybenzoic acid and isovanillic acid. It demethylates veratric acid to a mixture of vanillic and isovanillic acids. These are both demethylated to protocatechuic acid, which undergoes ring cleavage to afford beta-carboxy-cis-cis-muconic acid. The intermediacy of protocatechuic acid in the catabolic pathway of v...

Investigation of the aerial parts of the medicinal plant Hypericum laricifolium led to the isolation of two new natural products, hentriacontanyl caffeate (1a), nonacosanyl caffeate (1b). In addition, stigmasterol, beta-sitosterol, 3-epi-betulinic acid (2), caffeic acid (3), ferulic acid, docosanol, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, 3,4-dimethoxy benzoic acid, quercetin (4), quercetin-3-O-galactoside (5),...

Terahertz spectroscopy of benzoic acid (BA) and two of its derivatives, 2-hydroxybenzoic acid (2OH-BA) and 3-hydroxybenzoic acid (3OH-BA), has been investigated in the spectral region 200 to 500 cm(-1) (6.06 to 15.15 THz). The spectra show distinct absorption features. There is agreement between some of the absorption lines observed for these compounds, despite a shift in energy, which is attri...