Three gedunin-type limonoids, gedunin (1), 6α-acetoxygedunin (2), and 7-deacetoxy-7-oxogedunin (3), which were isolated from the seed and flower oils of andiroba (Carapa guianensis Aublet, Meliaceae), exhibited hepatoprotective effects at doses of 25 mg/kg, p.o. against d-galactosamine (d-GalN)/lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced liver injury in mice. To characterize the mechanisms of action of 1-...

Introduction: Remote-Raman [e.g.,1-5] and micro-Raman spectroscopy [e.g., 6-10] are being evaluated on geological samples for their potential applications on Mars rover or lander. The Raman lines of minerals are sharp and distinct. The Raman fingerprints of minerals do not shift appreciably but remain distinct even in sub-micron grains and, therefore, can be used for mineral identification in f...

BACKGROUND Jatropha curcas is thought to be a promising biofuel material, but its yield is restricted by a low ratio of instaminate/staminate flowers (1/10-1/30). Furthermore, valuable information about flower sex differentiation in this plant is scarce. To explore the mechanism of this process in J. curcas, transcriptome profiling of flower development was carried out, and certain genes relate...

Diverse supramolecular assemblies ranging from nanometres to micrometers of small aromatic π-conjugated functional molecules have attracted enormous research interest in light of their applications in optoelectronics, chemosensors, nanotechnology, biotechnology and biomedicines. Here we study the mechanism of the formation of a flower-shaped supramolecular structure of phosphonic acid appended ...

The edible flowers of Caragana sinica are used in China a kind of healthpromoting vegetable. In this study, the antioxidant activities of its ethanol extract, as well as its petroleum ether, ethyl acetate, n-butanol and water fractions, were evaluated through in vitro model systems including the DPPH, FRAP and β-carotene bleaching methods. Among the C. sinica flower extracts the ethyl acetate f...

The essential oils obtained by hydrodistillation from the stem, leaf and flower of Phlomis aucheri Boiss., which is endemic to Iran, stem, leaf and root of Teucrium polium L. and solvent free microwave extraction oil from leaf of Ajuga chamaecistus Ging. subsp. chamaecistus were analyzed by GC and GC/MS. Germacrene D (11.1%, 28.3% and 21.1%) was the main constituent in the stem, leaf and flower...

Flower-like WO(3) particles with high specific surface area were synthesized via a template/surfactant-free way. Scanning and transmission microscopies and X-ray diffraction were applied to investigate the formation mechanism of the morphology. Gas sensing characterization showed an enhanced sensitivity (70 Hz/ppm) to dimethyl methylphosphonate (DMMP) as compared with previously reported WO(3) ...

Flower-like ZnO nanostructures were synthesized by a facile wet chemical method. Structural, optical and photocatalytic properties of these nanostructures have been studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), photoluminescence (PL) and UV-vis absorption spectroscopy. SEM and TEM studies revealed flower-like structures consistin...