In the study on constituents present in woody material of

Bursera

, aroma components responsible for the characteristic spicy, sweet and balsamic odor were examined by gas chromatography/olfactometry (GC/O) and GC/MS. Compounds 1-4 were isolated from volatile oil obtained by ether extraction of

Bursera

wood chips and structural determination was conducted by spectroscopic analysis and synthesis as (6S ,7aS )-5,6,7,7a-tetrahydro-7a-hydroxy-3,6-dimethyl-2(4H )-benzofuranone 1, (6S)-5,6-dihydro-3,6-dimethyl-2(4H )-benzofuranone 2, (+)-mintlactone 3 and (-)-isomintlactone 4.

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In the course of studies on the constituents of the woody material of

Bursera

, the aroma components that provide its characteristic spicy, sweet and balsamic odor were investigated using gas chromatography/olfactometry (GC/O) and GC/MS. Four compounds 1-4 were isolated from the volatile oil obtained by diethyl ether extraction of B. wood chips, and their structures were elucidated by means of NMR studies. Their structures were determined as (-)-juneol (1), dihydrojuneol (2), 6β-hydroxy-4(15)-eudesmen-1-one (3) and 6β-hydroxynoreudesman-4-one (4). The presence of these compounds in B. is reported for the first time.

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A new 4α-aryltetralin-type lignan called burseranin (1) and a known analogous lignan picropolygamain (2) were isolated along with known triterpenes, lupeol and epi-lupeol from the methanol extract of stems of

Bursera

, which showed a remarkable inhibitory activity against human HT1080 fibrosarcoma cells. The whole structure of 1 was established based on combined spectral studies and the absolute structure for 2 was first confirmed by CD spectral evidence. In addition, cytotoxic activities of the stem (methanol) extract and its components are evaluated in this paper.

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Three new triterpenoids, 2,3-seco-3-oxours-12-en-2-oic acid, 2,3-seco-3-oxoolean-12-en-2-oic acid, and betulin 3-O-palmitate, have been isolated from the rhizomes and roots of Gentiana lutea, together with five known ones. The structures of the new compounds were determined by spectral and chemical methods.

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The essential oils from aerial parts of Scutellaria laeteviolacea was analyzed by gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The characteristic odor components were also detected in the oil using gas chromatography-olfactometry (GC-O) analysis and aroma extraction dilution analysis (AEDA). As a result, 100 components (accounting for 99.11 %) of S. laeteviolacea, were identified. The major components of S. laeteviolacea oil were found to be 1-octen-3-ol (27.72 %), germacrene D (21.67 %),and β-caryophyllene (9.18 %). The GC-O and AEDA results showed that 1-octen-3-ol, germacrene D, germacrene B, and β-caryophyllene were the most characteristic odor components of the oil. These compounds are thought to contribute to the unique flavor of this plant.

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The leaves of the endemic Philippine plant, Dillenia philippinensis yielded 11 compounds including one new sulfated glucoside and a new seco-A-ring oleanane-type triterpenoid. The molecular structures of these compounds were elucidated by means of NMR, MS and other spectroscopic techniques, as well as by comparison with literature data. Anti-Leishmania activity and cytotoxic activity against A549 human lung adenocarcinoma cells were also examined.

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In the present study, the essential oil from seven common spices, Anethum , Cuminum cyminum, Illicium verum, Myristica fragrans, Nigella sativa, Piper nigrum and Trachyspermum ammi was isolated and its insecticidal, oviposition, egg hatching and developmental inhibitory activities were determined against pulse beetle, Callosobruchus chinensis. Essential oils were isolated by hydrodistillation method using Clevenger apparatus. These essential oils caused death of adults and larvae of Callosobruchus chinensis when fumigated. The 24-h LC₅₀ values against the adults of the insect were 8.9 μl, 10.8 μl, 11.0 μl, 12.5 μl, 13.6 μl, 14.8 μl and 15.6 μl for N. sativa, A. , C. cyminum, I. verum, P. nigrum, M. fragrans and T. ammi oils respectively. On the other hand, against larval stage these values were 6.4 μl, 7.9 μl, 8.9 μl, 11.1 μl, 11.7 μl, 12.2 μl and 13.5 μl for N. sativa, A. , C. cyminum, I. verum, P. nigrum, M. fragrans and T. ammi respectively. These essential oils reduced the oviposition potential, egg hatching rate, pupal formation and emergence of adults of F₁ progeny of the insect when fumigated with sublethal concentrations. These essential oils also caused chronic toxicity as the fumigated insects caused less damage to the stored grains. The essential oil of N. sativa was found most effective against all the different stages of the Callosobruchus chinensis followed by A. , C. cyminum, I. verum, P. nigrum, M. fragrans and T. ammi oils. All the responses were found concentration-dependent. The toxic and developmental inhibitory effects may be due to suffocation and inhibition of various biosynthetic processes of the insects at different developmental stages.

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In order to determine the absolute configuration of thujaplicatin methyl ether (I) from Thuja standishii (GORD.) CARR., the circular dichroism (CD) curve of I was discussed. As a result the absolute configuration of I was assigned to be 2R, 3R-configuration. In addition to the absolute configuration of the related lignan, (-)-trans-2-(3, 4, 5-trimethoxybenzyl)-3-(3, 4-methylenedioxybenzyl) butyrolactone (II) from schlechiendalii was discussed. 2R, SR-configuration was assigned to that of II, judging from the structural relation between I and II reported by McDoniel, et al. Moreover the conversion of dihydroanhydropodorhizol (V) to II gave the chemical proof to this assignment.

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Extraction of rutin from Ruta

L. leaves was performed in choline chloride based deep eutectic solvents (DESs). Firstly, rutin extraction was performed in five different DESs; pure DESs and with different amounts of water added (25% and 50% v/v), for different times (1 h, 3 h and 6 h) in order to find the best DES for further optimization. Choline chloride plus citric acid (1 : 1) was shown to be best DES and optimization of rutin extraction was performed using response surface methodology (RSM) based on the selected solvent and applying different extraction parameters: extraction time, temperature and water content. The rutin content was determined by HPLC and varied from 0.55 g/100 g of plant to 1.81 g/100 g of plant depending on the applied conditions. The best conditions for rutin extraction were found to be: a temperature of 70°C, an extraction time of 52 min and a water content of 27 % for the extraction of 1.88 g /100 g plant.

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　A case of poisoning by an agaric species was noticed in Aomori Prefecture, northern Japan, in September 1994. The fungus was identified as Lepista

, previously known from Hokkaido, Japan. One hour after consumption of the cooked fruiting bodies with alcohol, the victim (a 68-year-old man) first experienced a twist in his tongue, then paralysis of the hands and feet and finally difficulty in walking, but returned to normal next day. The morphological characters of the fungus are fully described based on the Aomori materials.

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Chromosomes of six varieties of Apium of the family Umbelliferae were studied, collected from different nurseries of Calcutta after evolving suitable schedules. The somatic number in all of them was 2n=22. These varieties differ in the number of chromosomes bearing secondary constrictions. One pair of chromosomes with supernumerary constrictions is missing in two varieties (Sutton's Golden Self Balancing and Verma's Golden Plume) but is present in the others. Meiotic irregularities are frequent but bivalent formation has been found to be universal, indicating that homozygosity for structural changes has been attained in these varieties through selection in cultivation. Sutton's Turnip Rooted variety with longest chromosomes might represent one of the primitive varieties.

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The chromosomal break points were reduced (from 0.31/cell to 0.12) significantly when essential oil of A. was administered to mice of Lacca strain intoxicated with carbontetrachloride. This shows the anticlastogenic effect of A. .

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