Lutein and its cis -isomers occur in a lot of plants, including a variety of flowers. In this study, lutein isomers were produced via iodine-catalyzed isomerization, and four cis -isomers (9 Z -, 9' Z -, 13 Z -, and 13 Z ') were isolated by means of column chromatography and semipreparative HPLC. The structures of the 9' Z - and 13' Z -isomers were elucidated via NMR measurements. These compounds were used as standards for the HPLC-DAD-MS determination of the carotenoid composition of the flowers of 20 plant species, in which lutein and its geometrical isomers are the main components. The flowers showed great variation in their cis - and trans -lutein content, and also in the presence or absence of other carotenoids, such as violaxanthin, neoxanthin, β-cryptoxanthin, and β-carotene. Some of the investigated flowers were found to be rich sources of lutein without zeaxanthin.

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Cassia plants have a considerable position in conventional systems of medicine. The possible anti-nociceptive, anti-inflammatory, and anti-neuropathic properties of Cassia artemisiodes (CAD) extract were tested using the standard animal models. In this study, in vitro antioxidant, cyclooxygenase (COX-1 and 2), and 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX) inhibitory assays were performed. The anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated using carrageenan, histamine, and serotonin-induced paw edema models. Antipyretic activity, thermally and chemically-induced nociception, and naloxone antagonistic activities were carried out. The CAD extract was tested for anti-neuropathic activity in the streptozotocin-induced diabetic neuropathy model. Suppressing the effect of CAD extract on the mRNA level of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), COX-2, and pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6) was determined by performing RT-PCR. The CAD extract inhibited COX-2 and 5-LOX enzymes, paw inflammation, and reduced nociceptive behaviors. The mRNA gene expression of iNOS, COX-2, and inflammatory cytokines was reduced significantly with increased DPPH scavenging activity. The extract significantly reduced the diabetes-induced neuropathic pain. In a nutshell, these results recommended that the CAD extract has anti-nociceptive and anti-neuropathic activities due to inhibition of inflammatory and oxidative signaling.

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Phytate and phytases in seeds are the subjects of numerous studies, dating back as far as the early 20th century. Most of these studies concern the anti-nutritional properties of phytate, and the prospect of alleviating the effects of phytate with phytase. As reasonable as this may be, it has led to a fragmentation of knowledge, which hampers the appreciation of the physiological system at hand. In this review, we integrate the existing knowledge on the chemistry and biosynthesis of phytate, the globoid cellular structure, and recent advances on plant phytases. We highlight that these components make up a system that serves to store and-in due time-release the seed's reserves of the mineral nutrients phosphorous, potassium, magnesium, and others, as well as inositol and protein. The central component of the system, the phytate anion, is inherently rich in phosphorous and inositol. The chemical properties of phytate enable it to sequester additional cationic nutrients. Compartmentalization and membrane transport processes regulate the buildup of phytate and its associated nutrients, resulting in globoid storage structures. We suggest, based on the current evidence, that the degradation of the globoid and the mobilization of the nutrients also depend on membrane transport processes, as well as the enzymatic action of phytase.

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The phytochemical investigation of the root bark of Cassia artemisioides (Gaudich. Ex. DC) Randell resulted in the isolation of one new anthraquinone 1,1'-dihydroxy-3,3'-dimethyl-8,8'-dimethoxy-6,6'-O-bianthraquinone (1) along with four known anthraquinones 1,6-dihydroxy-8-methoxy-3-methylanthraquinone (2), 1-hydroxy-8-methoxy-3-methylanthraquinone (3), 1,8-dihydroxy-6-methoxy-3-methylanthraquinone (4), and 1,6,8-trihydroxy-3-methylanthraquinone (5). The structures of the compounds were elucidated using spectroscopic techniques including 1D and 2D NMR. The compounds were evaluated for antioxidant activity. 1,6,8-Trihydroxy-3-methyl anthraquinone (5) showed good activity among the tested compounds.

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