Composition and herbicidal effect of Heracleum sosnowskyi essential oil

Plants of Heracleum sosnowskyi Manden. are rich in essential oil which might be of herbicidal potential. In this study, we examined 1) the content and chemical composition of H. sosnowskyi essential oil (EO) distilled from seeds and 2) the herbicidal effect of EO in a bioassay against germination of maize and five weed species. As a result, a 5.1% EO yield was obtained from the seeds of H. sosnowskyi. We identified sixty-two compounds of EO that constituted 96% of the total oil. Aliphatic esters were the main constituents of the EO, followed by aliphatic alcohols. The tested seeds showed different susceptibilities to the tested concentrations of EO (0.2 – 7.2 g L

Serum TRAIL levels in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer or primary peritoneal cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy. A pilot study

AIMS

The study attempted to evaluate the kinetics of changes in serum TRAIL levels as a potential predictive and prognostic factor in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) or primary peritoneal carcinoma (PPC), eligible for an interval debulking surgery (IDS).

MATERIAL AND METHODS

17 patients with primary inoperable EOC or PPC in FIGO Stage IIIC or IV who underwent an exploratory operation were enrolled to the study. Serum TRAIL levels were determined by ELISA method (DIACLONE, Besancon Cedex, France) before and after two courses of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) based on paclitaxel and platinum analogue (cisplatin or carboplatin). The control group consisted of six healthy volunteers. The median difference in concentration of TRAIL (dTRAIL) between the initial marking and after two courses of NAC in each patient was 192 pg/ml and it was used for dichotomization of the test group.

RESULTS

Suboptimal interval debulking surgery (IDS) was performed in 23.5% (4/17) and optimal IDS in 76.5% (13/17) patients. TRAIL concentration before chemotherapy did not differ significantly between patients with EOC or PPC [1426.96 +/- 321.06 pg/ml (mean +/- SD) (U = 26, p = 0.08)] and the control group [1160.40 +/- 256.39 pg/ml (mean +/- SD. After two courses of NAC serum TRAIL concentration level was 1247.49 +/- 378.46 pg/ml (mean +/- SD). The difference was significant (Z = 2.44, p = 0.0147). Statistical analysis showed that dTRAIL did not significantly influence either extent of IDS (U = 35, p = 0.0962) or time to progression (log-rank test, p = 0.1185), overall survival (log-rank test, p = 0.1973) and response to treatment according to RECIST criteria (U = 35.5, p = 0.9616).

CONCLUSIONS

Serum TRAIL concentration levels changed significantly during NAC. However, it seems that the concentration of this protein has no critical value as a predictive or prognostic factor in patients with EOC or PPC.

Low temperatures in post-operative knee rehabilitation in rheumatoid arthritis patients

Low temperatures were applied (in addition to kinesitherapy), in the form of injected air cooled to -75 C and CO2, to 22 patients (34 knees) recovering from total knee alloplasty or synovectomy. Each procedure lasted 5-7 minutes. The control group consisted o 22 patients (34 knees) treated with kinesitherapy only.<br /> The range of active and passive flexion and extension in the operated knee joint was tested twice, once before the experiment began and once after the third week. During this period the subjective feeling of pain was also observed.<br /> The results were analyzed statistically using the t-Student test. Upon comparison of the results obtained by patients from both tested groups, it can be stated that the addition of low temperatures to the program of post-operative rehabilitation of the knee enables:<br /> - faster and more effective pain relief;<br /> - faster increase in the range of movement, especially flexion, in the operated knees.<br /> These results justify the conclusion that this method should be recommended in rehabilitation of the knee after surgery.