The finding that depression was an independent predictor of the waiting-list outcome clinical improvement suggests that considering patients’ psychological attributes in addition to their medical characteristics is advisable.”
“Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) is a key target in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease ( AD). We studied the potential

anti-AChE activities of Acacia nilotica (Leguminosae) and Rhamnus prinoides (Rhamnaceae) plants that have previously been shown to affect see more central nervous system activities. Sonicated aqueous extracts of A. nilotica and R. prinoides displayed significant AChE inhibition by about 56 and 53%, respectively, after 5 min incubation at 0.1mg/ml final assay concentration. Inhibition kinetics showed both plant preparations to be mixed inhibitors (specifically non-competitive uncompetitive type). Galanthamine was assayed as a positive control and was found to be a very potent mixed type (competitive MK5108 research buy non-competitive) inhibitor; IC(50) of 0.0004 mg/ml compared to 0.079 mg/ml for A. nilotica and 0.201 mg/ml for

R. prinoides. We conclude that although the AChE inhibition by A. nilotica and R. prinoides is not as potent as that of galanthamine, in addition to their known antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities these plants could provide novel poly-pharmacological leads of potential benefit to the treatment of AD and therefore warrant further investigation.”
“P>Polyamines (PAs) are ubiquitous, polycationic biogenic amines that are implicated in many biological

processes, including plant growth and development, but their precise roles remain to be determined. Most of the previous studies have involved three biogenic amines: putrescine (Put), spermidine (Spd) and spermine (Spm), and their derivatives. We have expressed a yeast spermidine synthase (ySpdSyn) gene under constitutive (CaMV35S) and fruit-ripening specific (E8) promoters in Solanum 3-deazaneplanocin A lycopersicum (tomato), and determined alterations in tomato vegetative and fruit physiology in transformed lines compared with the control. Constitutive expression of ySpdSyn enhanced intracellular levels of Spd in the leaf, and transiently during fruit development, whereas E8-ySpdSyn expression led to Spd accumulation early and transiently during fruit ripening. The ySpdSyn transgenic fruits had a longer shelf life, reduced shriveling and delayed decay symptom development in comparison with the wild-type (WT) fruits. An increase in shelf life of ySpdSyn transgenic fruits was not facilitated by changes in the rate of water loss or ethylene evolution. Additionally, the expression of several cell wall and membrane degradation-related genes in ySpdSyn transgenic fruits was not correlated with an extension of shelf life, indicating that the Spd-mediated increase in fruit shelf life is independent of the above factors.