Aranorosinol A and aranorosinol B, two new metabolites from Pseudoarachniotus roseus: production, isolation, structure elucidation and biological properties

Two new secondary metabolites, aranorosinol A (1) and aranorosinol B (2), were isolated from a strain of Pseudoarachniotus roseus. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of their spectral properties and chemical transformations and were found to be similar to aranorosin (3) isolated from the same strain.

Are there any differences between bipolar and unipolar melancholia?

Although it is now more than 30 years since Leohard originally proposed the distinction between bipolar and monopolar (unipolar) forms of affective disorder, there have been relatively few studies which have investigated clinical features which may differentiate the depressed phase of bipolar disorder from unipolar depression. In this study we examined the value of a new scale for rating depressive mental state signs (the 'core' score system), and a large series of symptoms and risk factors, in distinguishing between 27 age and sex-matched pairs of bipolar and unipolar patients diagnosed as melancholic on several diagnostic criteria. In general, we found a marked similarity between the groups on clinical features of the depressive episode when allowance was made for multiple tests. Bipolar patients, however, had shorter episodes of depression and were less likely to demonstrate 'slowed movements' than unipolar subjects. There were also consistent trends on other items for psychomotor retardation to be less common and agitation to be more likely in the bipolar patients. At the least, these findings suggest that the widely-held belief that bipolar depressed patients typically have psychomotor retardation is not as clear-cut as has been previously described.

Deoxymulundocandin--a new echinocandin type antifungal antibiotic

A new echinocandin type antifungal antibiotic, deoxymulundocandin, C48H77N7O15, was isolated from the culture filtrate and mycelia of a fungal culture, Aspergillus sydowii (Bainier and Sartory) Thom and Church var. nov. mulundensis Roy (Culture No. Y-30462). The structure was established by comparative GC-MS analyses of the derivatized acid hydrolysates of deoxymulundocandin and mulundocandin as well as by the high field NMR experiments (COSY, NOESY and DEPT).

Psychotic (delusional) depression: a meta-analysis of physical treatments

Literature reviews have suggested that combination antidepressant/antipsychotic drug therapy and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) are of comparable efficacy in treating psychotic depression, and distinctly superior to antidepressant alone or antipsychotic alone. We undertook a meta-analysis of 44 studies, and focussed on those three principal treatment options. There was a trend for ECT to be superior to combination drug therapy, with bilateral ECT being suggested as distinctly more effective than unilateral, and ECT was demonstrated to be significantly superior to tricyclic drug alone. Combination drug therapy ranked as more effective than antipsychotic alone and than antidepressant alone, but that greater efficacy was not significant.

Psychosocial risk factors distinguishing melancholic and nonmelancholic depression: a comparison of six systems

We examined six systems or scales designed to distinguish melancholia from residual nonmelancholic depressive disorders in a sample of 305 patients. A count of the number of significant psychosocial risk factors showed that a clinical diagnosis was the most differentiating (19 significant risk factors), followed by the Newcastle index (13), DSM-III (10), and the CORE system (10)--the last essentially assessing psychomotor change; Research Diagnostic Criteria (RDC) (7) and an endogeneity symptom scale (2) were the least differentiating. A subsample of "composite melancholics" was derived, comprising 138 who met "melancholia" criteria for DSM-III, RDC, and CORE, and they were contrasted with residual depressives. The composite melancholics were older, had had a briefer depressive episode, and differed significantly on 12 risk factors, essentially being less likely to report deprivational experiences such as deficient parenting and dysfunctional marital relationships. We suggest that such a risk factor strategy is of potential use in refining the clinical definition of melancholia.

Acivicin: a highly active potential chemotherapeutic agent against visceral leishmaniasis

Acivicin, a chlorinated amino acid antibiotic, is found to be remarkably effective in killing both the vector and the host form of the parasitic protozoa, Leishmania donovani, the causative agent for visceral leishmaniasis or Kala-azar. The ED50 (50 nM) for the pathogenic amastigote form in in vitro screening system is significantly lower than the reported values for other drugs under trial. The drug irreversibly inactivates both in vitro and in vivo carbamyl phosphate synthetase II, the first enzyme of the pyrimidine biosynthetic pathway. The irreversible inactivation of this sensitive target enzyme and lack of effective reversal by glutamine makes acivicin a preferred candidate for potential chemotherapy against increasing number of Kala-azar cases that are reported to be unresponsive to pentavalent antimonials.

Aranorosin, a novel antibiotic from Pseudoarachniotus roseus. II. Structure elucidation

Aranorosin, a new antifungal antibiotic, has been isolated from the culture filtrate and mycelium of a strain of Pseudoarachniotus roseus Kuehn. The antibiotic, C23H33NO6, contains a novel 1-oxaspiro[4,5]decane ring system. The structure (I) has been elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic and chemical analysis.

Aranorosin, a novel antibiotic from Pseudoarachniotus roseus. I. Taxonomy, fermentation, isolation, chemical and biological properties

A novel antibiotic, aranorosin, was isolated from the fermentation broth of a new fungal isolate identified as Pseudoarachniotus roseus. The antibiotic showed a wide spectrum of activity.

Mulundocandin, a new lipopeptide antibiotic. I. Taxonomy, fermentation, isolation and characterization

Mulundocandin, a new lipopeptide antibiotic, was isolated from the culture broth of a strain of Aspergillus sydowi No. Y-30462. The antibiotic, obtained as a colorless amorphous powder having the molecular formula C48H77N7O16, is an antifungal antibiotic active against yeasts and filamentous fungi.

A test of the bay-region mechanism in carcinogenesis for monomethyl benz[a]anthracenes in a self-consistent-field molecular orbital theory

The relative carcinogenic activity of the isomeric monomethyl derivatives of benz[a]anthracene has been studied on the basis of their bay-region reactivity, and the subsequent ease of carbonium ion formation, as obtained from a suitable 'self-consistent-field' molecular orbital theory for the mobile pi-electrons. The predicted order of carcinogenic activity of these molecules is compared with the available experimental data.