TY  - JOUR
AB  - Extracts of . Cyclopia species, indigenous South African fynbos plants used for the production of honeybush tea, have potential as anti-obesity nutraceutical ingredients. Previously, we demonstrated that aqueous extracts of . C. maculata and . C. subternata exhibited anti-obesity effects in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. In this study, we further explored these anti-obesity effects of . C. maculata and . C. subternata as well as . C. intermedia for the first time. Extracts were prepared using a 40% methanol-water mixture (40% MeOH) in order to enhance the polyphenolic content of the extracts. Moreover, these extracts were separated into aqueous and organic fractions using liquid-liquid partitioning with . n-butanol and water to further enrich the polyphenol content of the organic fractions. Extracts of all three . Cyclopia species decreased the lipid content in 3T3-L1 adipocytes, although differences in bioactivity of their aqueous and organic fractions were observed. The organic fraction of . C. intermedia was further investigated. This fraction dose-dependently decreased the lipid content in 3T3-L1 adipocytes without affecting cell viability, while increasing mRNA expression of . HSL (1.57-fold, P. <. 0.05), . SIRT1 (1.5-fold, P. =0.07), . UCP3 (1.5-fold, P. <. 0.05) and . PPARγ (1.29-fold, P. <. 0.05). Daily treatment of obese db/db mice with 351.5. mg/kg bodyweight of the organic . C. intermedia fraction for 28. days decreased bodyweight gain by 21% (P. <. 0.05) without any effect on food or water consumption. The organic fraction was enriched in phenolic content relative to the extract with neoponcirin, a flavanone not previously identified in . Cyclopia species, mangiferin, isomangiferin and hesperidin comprising 17.37% of the organic fraction of . C. intermedia compared to 4.96% of its large scale prepared 40% MeOH extract. Their specific roles as anti-obesity agents in these models needs to be studied to guide product development.
AU  - Jack, B.U.*
AU  - Malherbe, C.J.*
AU  - Huisamen, B.*
AU  - Gabuza, K.*
AU  - Mazibuko-Mbeje, S.
AU  - Schulze, A.E.*
AU  - Joubert, E.*
AU  - Muller, C.J.F.*
AU  - Louw, J.*
AU  - Pheiffer, C.*
C1  - 50035
C2  - 41981
TI  - A polyphenol-enriched fraction of Cyclopia intermedia decreases lipid content in 3T3-L1 adipocytes and reduces body weight gain of obese db/db mice.
JO  - S. Afr. J. Bot.
PY  - 2016
SN  - 0254-6299
ER  - 

TY  - JOUR
AB  - Through employing [14C]-PER exposure experiments it was shown for the first time that PER taken up by drought-stressed spruce needles via the air/needle pathway is preferably degraded to trichloroacetic acid (TCA) in the chloroplasts.TCA formed by oxidative biotransformation is mineralised to CO2 and HCl via various degradation routes. HCl contributes to increased proton concentration in the chloroplast, inducing a pH shift leading to a pathophysiological effect on H+ transport from the thylakoid interior into the stroma. As a result of their high degree of dissociation and related protonation, the PER metabolites, TCA and HCl, cause a change in protein structures. In addition to this, the TCA anions created in the process may lead to destabilisation of the thylakoid membrane potential. The damage to the chloroplasts inflicted by protons and trichloroacetate ions subsequently leads to an impairment of photosynthesis, most particularly to uncoupling of photosynthetic electron transport. Since progressive aridity as consequence of the climate change observed throughout the world is predicted, a regionally variable marked enhancement of the phytotoxic risk caused by PER emission is anticipated.
AU  - Weissflog, L.*
AU  - Kruger, G.H.J.*
AU  - Forczek, S.T.*
AU  - Lange, C.A.*
AU  - Kotte, K.*
AU  - Pfennigsdorff, A.*
AU  - Rohlenova, J.*
AU  - Fuksová, K.*
AU  - Uhlirova, H.*
AU  - Matucha, M.*
AU  - Schröder, P.
C1  - 2376
C2  - 24716
SP  - 89-96
TI  - Oxidative biodegradation of tetrachloroethene in needles of Norway spruce (Picea abies L.).
JO  - S. Afr. J. Bot.
VL  - 73
IS  - 1
PB  - Elsevier
PY  - 2007
SN  - 0254-6299
ER  -