Research Update:Allium ampeloprasum;Allium porrum

  seminal trace...Leek Extracts,Green Onions.10:1Extract...

 


   Phytochemical info of Allium porrum.

 Product Name:
 Synonym:
 Definition:Allium porrum are majorly composed of
 Chemical information disclosed as following table:


   Research Update:Allium ampeloprasum;Allium porrum,Chinese Leek

  Molecular characterization of Czech and Chinese leek yellow stripe virus isolates from garlic.:Acta Virol. 2006;50(3):207-10.Navr¨¢til M, Saf¨¢rov¨¢ D, Tkadlecov¨¢ E, Kluk¨¢ckov¨¢ J.Faculty of Sciences, Palack y University, 783 71 Olomouc, Czech Republic. milan.navratil@upol.cz

 Using an RT-PCR specific for nuclear inclusion b (NIb) and coat protein (CP) genes of Leek yellow stripe virus (LYSV) we detected two Czech (LYSV-5CZ and LYSV-22CZ) and one Chinese (LYSV-16) isolate of LYSV in garlic plants. The RT-PCR products were cloned and sequenced. Phylogenetic analysis based on deduced amino acid sequence of NIb-CP region placed the Czech isolates in the group I and the Chinese isolate in the group II of LYSV.

  Occurrence and taxonomic significance of cysteine sulphoxides in the genus Allium L. (Alliaceae).:Phytochemistry. 2006 Jun;67(11):1127-35. Epub 2006 Apr 19.Fritsch RM, Keusgen M.Institut f¨¹r Pflanzengenetik und Kulturpflanzenforschung, Corrensstrasse 3, D-06466 Gatersleben, Germany. fritschr@ipk-gatersleben.de

 Methiin was present in all investigated samples. In the genus Allium, methiin-dominated species (rarely used by man) were common, but the occurrence of the other cysteine sulphoxides was variable and was largely correlated with use as spices or vegetables. Two major chemical types (named according to the species where they occur) could be distinguished, and at least two more may be recognized. Isoalliin dominates in the widely used "onion-type", which includes chive (A. schoenoprasum) and top onion (A.xproliferum). Pearl onion and leek (A. ampeloprasum) have higher relative amounts of methiin and propiin, respectively. Alliin dominates in the widely used "garlic-type", which includes wild leek (A. obliquum) and sand leek (A. scorodoprasum). Alliin and isoalliin rarely co-dominate, being only found in the cultivated Chinese leek (A. tuberosum). A triple mix of almost equal amounts of methiin, alliin and isoalliin is present in ramson (A. ursinum). General trends in the three evolutionary lines of the genus Allium were apparent. In the first lineage, high amounts of methiin were more frequent, and propiin, although being a minor component in all three evolutionary lines, was present in the highest amounts. Most of the species in the second line showed only traces of cysteine sulphoxides. In the third line, the "onion-type" dominates, the "garlic type" is characteristic for subgenus Allium, and co-dominating alliin and isoalliin also occur. Generally, the total cysteine sulphoxide amount increased, and the complexity of cysteine sulphoxide patterns decreased in the transition from the first to the third evolutionary line.

  Antifungal effect in selected natural compounds and probiotics and their possible use in prophylaxis of vulvovaginitis.:Ceska Gynekol. 2005 Sep;70(5):395-9. Review. Czech.Hronek M, Vachtlov¨¢ D, Kudl¨¢ckov¨¢ Z, J¨ªlek P.Katedra biologickych a l¨¦karskych v?d Farmaceutick¨¦ fakulty v Hradci Kr¨¢lov¨¦, LF UK, Praha. Hronek@faf.cuni.cz

 OBJECTIVE: a survey of effective natural compounds and probiotics with antifungal activity and their possible use in vulvovaginitis as a prophylactic or therapeutic drug. DESIGN: review of literature. SETTING: Charles University at Prague, Pharmaceutical Faculty at Hradec Kralove. METHODS: and review of literature and publications from medical data-bases. CONCLUSIONS: certain natural compounds were proved to exert antimycotic effects. The efficiency of garlic extract under in vitro conditions against yeast of C. albicans family becomes manifest within one hour. Essential oils present in the Cayenne pepper (Capsodum frutescens) exert considerable antifungal activity against C. albicans as well. Clove exerts lower antimycotic effects. The effects of Chinese leek are similar to garlic. Propolis also possesses antifungal properties, and sensitivity of the yeast strains decreases in the following order: C. albicans > C. tropicalis > C. crusei > C. guilliermondii. Its efficiency depends on the composition and place of origin. Tea trea oil (Melalauca alternifolia) is inhibiting strains of Candida family (genus) in minimal inhibiting concentration, higher concentrations are necessary for C. crusei and C. norvengensis. In the prophylaxis of vaginal candidoses, oral administration of the strains of Lactobacilus rhamnosus GR-1 and L. fermentum RC-14, B-54 may be recommended. Moreover there are suitable strains of L. brevis CD-2, L. salivarius FV-2, L. gasseri MB 335, L. plantarum, useful in the form of gel capsules (L. plantarum) or vaginal tablets (L. gasseri). The strains of L. acidophilus CRL 1294 and L. salivarius CRL 1328 display the capacity of self aggregation and co-aggregation with Candida. It should be pointed out that the probiotic strain of Lactobacillus (especially L. casei and L. rhamnosus) may, in exceptional cases, cause bacteriemia and sepsis, especially in immunodeficient patients and those who underwent surgery of alimentary tract. No protective effect against yeast infection was detected with vitamin E, any positive effect was not unequivocally confirmed with zinc, but adjusting zinc levels to normal may be recommended.

  In vitro inhibitory activity of Chinese leek extract against Campylobacter species.:Int J Food Microbiol. 2004 Jul 15;94(2):169-74.Lee CF, Han CK, Tsau JL.Department of Food Science, Yuanpei University of Science and Technology, Hsinchu, 300, Taiwan. leecf@mail.yust.edu.tw

 Three aqueous extracts of dietary materials of Chinese leek (leek flower stem, soft leek and green leek) and two other reference extracts of Allium plants were used to investigate the antibacterial effects against Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli. All the tested strains of Campylobacter species were isolated from chickens. The minimum concentration of aqueous leek extracts (ALEs) required to inhibit the bacterial growth was 2.0 mg/ml. Among the plant extracts tested, ALEs shared the lowest value of minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), and soft leek significantly demonstrated the strongest inhibitory activities (P < 0.05). All the Allium plants tested shared similar characteristics of heat and pH susceptibility. Heat treatment (>75 degrees C) of the extracts reduced the inhibitory activity. The boiled ALEs revealed significant loss of inhibition (P < 0.05), but they retained some inhibitory effect. The antibacterial activities of the ALEs were stable between pH 2.0 and 8.0, while the effects were significantly decreased (P < 0.05) when pH of the ALEs were adjusted to 1.0 or 9.0 above. The results indicated that the antibacterial activities of the ALEs against Campylobacter species were more effective than that of aqueous garlic extract.

  A pilot study on anticancer activities of Chinese leek.:J Altern Complement Med. 2001 Oct;7(5):517-22.Shao J, Dai J, Ma JK.Department of Pharmacy and Administrative Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions, St. John's University, Jamaica, NY 11439, USA. shaoj@stjohns.edu

 OBJECTIVES: To investigate the anticancer activities of Chinese leek (Allium tuberosum Rottler; [CL]). DESIGN: Fresh CL was extracted and reconstituted in phosphate-buffered saline. The in vitro antiproliferation activities of the extract were tested with two murine cancer cell lines and four human cancer cell lines. The in vivo anticancer effects were tested in C57BL mice with lung metastases of B16-F10 melanoma. The mice were inoculated with B16-F10 melanoma cells by intravenous (IV) injection on day 1. CL extract was given on days 6-8 by either IV injection or oral gavage. The lung metastases were examined on day 16. RESULTS: The extract inhibited the in vitro growth of all six cancer cell lines studied. The dose-response curves were sigmoidal with IC50 (50% inhibition concentrations) in the range of 2.5-13.0 mg of raw material per milliliter for the six cancer cell lines. At the CL concentration of 8-100 mg of raw material per milliliter, all the cells underwent apoptosis, and no live cells were left after being exposed to CL for 4-6 hours. Typical apoptosis-specific cell morphology changes were observed under a microscope. The induction of cancer cell apoptosis by CL extract was further verified by the DNA ladder assay. Treatment with a daily oral dose of the extract (equivalent to 2.5 or 12.5 mg of raw material per gram of body weight) reduced the B16-F10 melanoma lung metastatic colonies in mice by 40% (p < 0.03). IV injection of the extract (equivalent to 1.25 or 6.25 mg of raw material per gram of body weight) did not show any effect. CONCLUSIONS: CL extract inhibited cancer cell growth and induced apoptosis in vitro. Oral administration of CL extract significantly reduced lung metastases in the present animal model.


  In-vitro antimicrobial activity of four diallyl sulphides occurring naturally in garlic and Chinese leek oils.:J Med Microbiol. 2001 Jul;50(7):646-9.Tsao SM, Yin MC.Department of Internal Medicine, Chungshan Hospital, Taichung,Taiwan, ROC.

 The in-vitro antimicrobial activity of garlic oil, Chinese leek oil and four diallyl sulphides occurring naturally in these oils against Staphylococcus aureus, methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), three Candida spp. and three Aspergillus spp. (total of 276 clinical isolates) was studied. The magnitude of activity of the four diallyl sulphides followed the order diallyl tetrasulphide > diallyl trisulphide > diallyl disulphide > diallyl monosulphide. These results suggest that disulphide bonds are an important factor in determining the antimicrobial capabilities of these sulphides. The concentration of four diallyl sulphides in garlic and Chinese leek oils was in the range 41.7-52.7% of total sulphides. Garlic oil, with a higher concentration of four diallyl sulphides, showed greater antimicrobial activity than Chinese leek oil. Diallyl disulphide, diallyl trisulphide, diallyl tetrasulphide and the oils rich in these sulphides may have a role in the prevention or treatment of infections.

  Nitrate and nitrite in vegetables on the Danish market: content and intake.:Food Addit Contam. 1999 Jul;16(7):291-9.Petersen A, Stoltze S.Danish Veterinary and Food Administration, Institute of Food Research and Nutrition, S?borg, Denmark. ap@vdf.dk

 The contents of nitrate and nitrite in lettuce, leek, potato, beetroot, Chinese cabbage and white cabbage on the Danish market were determined for 3 years in the period 1993-1997 as part of the Danish food monitoring programme. These vegetables are supposed to provide the major contribution to the intake of nitrate from the diet. Results for nitrate and nitrite in fresh and frozen spinach are also shown. The highest content of nitrate was found in lettuce followed by beetroot, Chinese cabbage, fresh spinach, leek, frozen spinach, white cabbage and potatoes. For all the products a great variation in the content of nitrate was found. For lettuce a characteristic variation throughout the year is clearly seen with the highest content in the winter period the lowest content in the summer period. Generally, the content of nitrite was low but in spinach high contents were found, probably due to improper storage conditions during transportation. The intake of nitrate and nitrite from these vegetables is calculated on the basis of two different consumption surveys. For both surveys the average intake of nitrate from the vegetables included in the monitoring programme is estimated to be approximately 40 mg day-1, whereas for nitrite the average intake is approximately 0.09 mg day-1. The total intake of nitrate and nitrite is estimated to be respectively 61 mg day-1 and 0.5 mg day-1.

  Inhibitory effect of seven Allium plants upon three Aspergillus species.:Int J Food Microbiol. 1999 Aug 1;49(1-2):49-56.Yin MC, Tsao SM.Institute of Nutritional Science, Chungshan Medical & Dental College, Taichung, Taiwan, ROC.

 Antifungal activity and minimal fungicidal concentration (MFC) of extracts of garlic, bakeri garlic, Chinese leek, Chinese chive, scallion, onion bulb and shallot bulb against Aspergillus niger, A. flavus and A. fumigatus were examined. These Allium plants possessed antifungal activity, with garlic showing the lowest MFC. With the exception of scallion, the inhibitory effect of Allium plants against three Aspergillus species decreased with increasing incubation and heating temperature (P < 0.05). Acetic acid treatments of the extracts increased the inhibitory effect for all plants against three fungi (P < 0.05), and there was no significant difference in this effect among the three pH (2, 4, 6) treatments (P > 0.05) investigated. Acetic acid, at pH = 4, plus heat treatments of the extracts resulted in a greater inhibitory effect for all Allium plants against the three fungi than heat treatment alone (P < 0.05). Treatments of the extracts with NaCl, at concentrations of 0.2 and 0.4 M, did not affect the inhibitory effect of the plant extracts. The combination of acetic acid plus Allium plants was indicated to be an effective way to inhibit fungal growth.

  Driving out the 'toothworm' in today's China.:J Hist Dent. 1998 Nov;46(3):111-5.Hsu TL, Ring ME.

 For thousands of years people have tried to explain toothache as the result of a worm residing in a carious tooth. Fumigation of the carious tooth, with the smoke from burning henbane or leek seeds, was used to drive the "toothworm" out of the tooth. A quack in modern China adopted the same ruse and supposedly drove the worms out of student's tooth. This duplicitous procedure was captured on film by a dentist who witnessed it.

  Antimutagenic activity of vegetable and fruit extracts against in-vitro benzo(a)pyrene.:Z Gesamte Hyg. 1990 Mar;36(3):144-7. German.Edenharder R, John K, Ivo-Boor H.Hygiene-Institut, Johannes-Gutenberg-Universit?t Mainz

 About 80% of the juices from twenty vegetables and fruits showed antimutagenic activity when tested in the presence of the mutagen and carcinogen benzo[a]pyrene using the Ames' Salmonella/microsome assay. In a standardized test system juices from raw celeriac, broccoli, red cabbage, carrots, green, peppers, lettuce, asparagus, apricots, red-currants, gooseberries, raspberries, and pineapple showed more than 50% inhibition. Leek, kohlrabi, cucumber, zucchini, French beans, fennel leaves, rhubarb, and sweet cherries were less effective. No antimutagenic activity was detected in onions, Chinese cabbage, radish, and white cabbage. Cooking considerably reduced the antimutagenic activity of celeriac, leek, broccoli, French beans, carrots, asparagus, cherries, and pineapple, but was ineffective or only moderately effective with kohlrabi, zucchini, cucumber, fennel leaves, lettuce, apricots, red-currants, gooseberries, and raspberries.


  Nucleic acid components in carbohydrate-rich food.:Z Lebensm Unters Forsch. 1990 Jan;190(1):17-21. German.Lassek E, Montag A.Institut f¨¹r Biochemie und Lebensmittelchemie, Universit?t Hamburg, Bundesrepublik Deutschland.

 The content of nucleic acid components in numerous foods, especially carbohydrate-rich ones, has been investigated. The data obtained for bases (purines and pyrimidines) were calculated as nucleic-acid equivalents (RNA or DNA); the IMP content was calculated from the measured content of hypoxanthine. Not only did cultivated plants such as cereals and pulses show a high RNA-equivalent content but also vegetables such as spinach, leek, broccoli, Chinese cabbage and cauliflower. We found the same results in mushrooms including oyster, flat, button (whitecaps) and cep mushrooms. In many vegetarian instant meals, the addition of autolysed or hydrolysed yeast caused a large increase in the purine content. Most natural foods which contain resting cell tissue, such as grains of seed, have only high-molecular-mass nucleic acid components with different concentrations; however, growing cell tissue (e.g. soya-bean sprouts) show, as well as the nucleic acids, some lower-molecular-mass compounds.


  Scientific References:

  1.Research Update:Allium ampeloprasum;Allium porrum