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STUDIES AVAILABLE OF FENNEL
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Department of Applied Chemistry and Biochemistry, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan.
Chemical compositions and antioxidant activities of essential oils from nine different species of Turkish plants, namely Melissa officinalis L., Rosmarinus officinalis L., Cuminum cyminum L., Piper nigrum L., Lavandula stoechas spp., Foeniculum vulgare, Pimpinella anisum L., Thymus serpyllum and Liquidamber orientalis Mill., were studied. Essential oils were obtained by supercritical carbon dioxide (SCCO2) extraction and steam distillation, and were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The antioxidant activities of SCCO2 extraction and steam distillation extracts were tested by means of the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay. Essential oils extracted by SCCO2 and steam distillation showed different compositions in different species. In the DPPH assay, R. officinalis, C. cyminum, P. anisum, T. serpyllum and L. orientalis essential oils obtained by SCCO2 extraction showed higher antioxidant activity than steam distillation extracts, with radical scavenging activities ranging from 87.1 +/- 0.23% to 92.0 +/- 0.34% compared with the butylated hydroxytoluene positive control (91.4 +/- 0.21%).
PMID: 19382349 [PubMed - in process]
Department of Food Engineering, Faculty of Agricultural, Selçuk University, Konya. mozcan@selcuk.edu.tr
The antioxidant activity, total peroxide values, and total phenol contents of several medicinal and aromatic plant essential oil and extracts from Turkey were examined. Total phenolic contents were determined using a spectrophotometric technique and calculated as gallic acid equivalents. Total antioxidant activity of essential oil and extracts varied from 0.6853 to 1.3113 and 0.3189 to 0.6119 micromol of Trolox equivalents/g, respectively. The total phenolic content of essential oil ranged from 0.0871 to 0.5919 mg of gallic acid/g dry weight. However, the total phenolic contents of extracts were found to be higher compared with those of essential oils. The amount of total peroxide values of oils varied from 7.31 (pickling herb) to 58.23 (bitter fennel flower) mumol of H(2)O(2)/g. As a result, it is shown that medicinal plant derivatives such as extract and essential oils can be useful as a potential source of total phenol, peroxide, and antioxidant capacity for protection of processed foods.
PMID: 19298216 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Institut für Physik, Universität Rostock, 18051 Rostock, Germany. carsten.fortmann@uni-rostock.de
The spectral function for an electron one-component plasma is calculated self-consistently using the GW;{(0)} approximation for the single-particle self-energy. In this way, correlation effects that go beyond the mean-field description of the plasma are contained, i.e., the collisional damping of single-particle states, the dynamical screening of the interaction, and the appearance of collective plasma modes. Second, a nonperturbative analytic solution for the on-shell GW;{(0)} self-energy as a function of momentum is presented. It reproduces the numerical data for the spectral function with a relative error of less than 10% in the regime where the Debye screening parameter is smaller than the inverse Bohr radius, kappa<1a_{B};{-1} . In the limit of low density, the nonperturbative self-energy behaves as n;{14} , whereas a perturbation expansion leads to the unphysical result of a density-independent self-energy [Fennel and Wilfer, Ann. Phys. (Leipzig) 32, 265 (1974)]. The derived expression will greatly facilitate the calculation of observables in correlated plasmas (transport properties, equation of state) that need the spectral function as an input quantity. This is demonstrated for the shift of the chemical potential, which is computed from the analytical formulas and compared to the GW;{(0)} result. At a plasma temperature of 100eV and densities below 10;{21}cm;{-3} , the two approaches deviate by less than 10% from each other.
PMID: 19257145 [PubMed]
1School of Dietetics and Human Nutrition, McGill University, Montreal, Québec, Canada.
OBJECTIVES: Wild edible plants (WEP) play the dual role of securing food diversity and promoting health in traditional societies. Current simplified dietary habits contribute to increasing population health risks. Since WEP are integral to the diet of traditional communities, identifying their significance as foods to people provides further evidence to conserve them and promote their consumption. Six species of WEP were identified as integral to the diet of rural Lebanese communities. We investigated their patterns of consumption and knowledge regarding their health and medicinal properties. DESIGN: An ethnobotanical survey, employing a qualitative questionnaire, was conducted among thirty informants. The identified species were Cichorium intybus, Eryngium creticum, Foeniculum vulgare, Malva sylvestris, Thymus syriacus and Gundelia tournifortii. RESULTS: Most informants consumed the six plants as a regular part of their diet. Seasonal variability in consumption was evident. C. intybus was renowned for its digestive and blood strengthening properties. F. vulgare was used as a digestive stimulant. M. sylvestris was distinguished for its anti-inflammatory qualities. T. syriacus was popular for its digestive and anti-poisonous properties. E. creticum was attributed less pronounced health benefits. G. tournifortii was considered a nutritious food. CONCLUSIONS: All six species were popular for their edible uses as well as their health and/or medicinal benefits. These properties are supported by scientific evidence. Our results highlight the importance of these plants for local people and support efforts for their conservation. However, we noticed a decline in indigenous knowledge. We encourage efforts to record it for other plants and in other communities.
PMID: 19232151 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Department of Pharmacognosy, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran. bnickavar@yahoo.com
Antioxidative activities (IC(50)) of ethanol extracts from seven Umbelliferae fruits (Bunium persicum, Coriandrum sativum, Cuminum cyminum, Foeniculum vulgare, Heracleum persicum, Pimpinella anisum and Trachyspermum copticum) have been studied by the DPPH (2,2'-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging test. All the studied extracts showed antioxidant capability and P. anisum extract exhibited the strongest activity. The scavenging activity of the extracts in decreasing order was: P. anisum> T. copticum> C. cyminum> F. vulgare > or = B. persicum > or = C. sativum> H. persicum. The extracts were also investigated regarding their total flavonoid contents by the AlCl3 technique. The decreasing order of the flavonoid content of the extracts was: C. cyminum > T. copticum> P. anisum > or = H. persicum > or = B. persicum > or = F. vulgare > or = C. sativum. However, a favorable correlation was not found between the antioxidant activity and the total flavonoid content of the extracts. As well, the most active extract (i.e. P. anisum) was partitioned with n-hexane, chloroform and ethyl acetate to yield three organic fractions together with the remaining aqueous fraction. The antioxidative activities (IP%) and flavonoid contents of the fractions were also determined. The ethyl acetate fraction exhibited the highest activity and content. A positive correlation was found between the antioxidant potency and flavonoid content of the fractions.
PMID: 19168417 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
The ethnopharmacology for treatment of parasitic infections facilitates and directs the search for new chemical entities. In this direction, this study evaluated the cytotoxicity in vitro, against trophozoites of Giardia lamblia, of aqueous extracts of leaves Achyrocline satureioides (Lam.) DC., barks of Eugenia uniflora L., aerial parts of Foeniculum vulgare Miller, and barks of Psidium guajava L. These plants are traditionally used for the treatment of diarrhea by the indigenous population Mbyá-Guarani, located at the Lomba do Pinheiro, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The in vitro susceptibility qualitative analysis of G. lamblia to aqueous extracts was performed in serial dilutions from 2.5 to 0.02 mg/mL. Results revealed the minimal inhibitory concentrations: 0.313 mg/mL for A. satureioides and E. uniflora, 0.02 mg/mL for P. guajava, and F. vulgare did not present any cytotoxic effect. Quantitative assays of viable trophozoites, showed that A. satureioides presented the highest cytotoxic effect (93.5%), followed by P. guajava (82.2%), and E. uniflora (67.3%). Indigenous Guarani use mainly A. satureioides for the treatment of diarrhea, revealing the conformity with results obtained in vitro. Bioguided assays are necessary to identify the compounds responsible for the activity of the aqueous extract of A. satureioides.
PMID: 19153765 [PubMed - in process]
Andrade-Cetto A.
Laboratorio de Etnofarmacología, Fac.
Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Apartado Postal
70-359, 04511, México, DF, Mexico. aac@fciencias.unam.mx
The people in Mexico still depend upon the use of medicinal plants to treat simple health problems, including those who live in regions like Tlanchinol Hidalgo, where it is still possible to find people who speak the pre-Hispanic Nahua language. This area is surrounded by rain forest, which is more or less well conserved, so ethnopharmacological field studies are quite relevant. The cultural knowledge about the use of medicinal plants converge with the richness in the surrounding flora making this region ideal for the selection of traditionally used medicinal plants. AIM OF THE STUDY: To present the results of an ethnopharmacological field survey conducted in the municipality of Tlanchinol Hidalgo, Mexico analyzed with two different quantitative tools, with the aim of selecting the most important species used in traditional medicine. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Direct interviews with the people were performed in several short visits to the municipality of Tlanchinol Hidalgo. The plants were collected, and the species were determined. The interviews were analyzed with two quantitative tools. First, the factor informant consensus highlighted the agreement in the use of plants and the fidelity level defined as: the ratio between the number of informants who independently suggested the use of a species for the same major purpose and the total number of informants who mentioned the plant for any use. Furthermore, we analyzed the use-mentions for the plants. RESULTS: The results of the factor informant consensus showed that the gastrointestinal category had the greatest agreement, followed by the respiratory and dermatological categories. The most important species according to their fidelity are: Coleus blumei, Plantago australis and Lippia dulcis for the gastrointestinal category; Borago officinalis, Foeniculum vulgare, and Eucalyptus globulus for the respiratory category; and Ageratum houstonianum and Solanum nigrescens for the dermatological category. CONCLUSION: As a result of the present study, we recommend the plants listed in Table 2 for further ethnopharmacological studies, especially Lippia dulcis var Mexicana.
PMID: 19146936 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, UAE University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates. yousef@uaeu.ac.ae
This study was undertaken to determine how mothers soothed their crying infants. A total of 1137 mothers of different cultural backgrounds were approached, 998 agreed to participate in the study, but only 716 completed the questionnaire through a telephone interview. Analysis was restricted to 702 mothers from the UAE nationality, other Arabs, other Muslims, Indians and Philippinos. The questionnaire contained 23 questions on different soothing methods. The most common soothing method was breast-feeding (99.1%), followed by holding and carrying the infant (96.9%), letting infant suck on his thumb or finger (87.3%), herbal tea (65%), night bottle (42.1%) and swaddling infant (19.5%). Over 90% of mothers of all nationalities, preferred not to use pacifiers. Soothing herbs were often used, with the commonest being anise (165 mothers used anise). Fennel tea was also used by a substantial number of mothers (75), with gripe water (64), cumin (33), chamomile (32), mint (22) and fenugreek (16) making up most of the rest. CONCLUSION: Mothers' ethnicity and nationality strongly impacted on the soothing methods used, with Arabs more often using herbal tea, prone positioning and swaddling to calm infants and illustrate the importance of culture in the upbringing of children from a very early age.
PMID: 19143669 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad, India.
Activation of polyol pathway due to increased aldose reductase activity is one of the several mechanisms that have been implicated in the development of various secondary complications of diabetes. Though numerous synthetic aldose reductase inhibitors have been tested, these have not been very successful clinically. Therefore, a number of common plant/ natural products used in Indian culinary have been evaluated for their aldose reductase inhibitory potential in the present study. The aqueous extracts of 22 plant-derived materials were prepared and evaluated for the inhibitory property against rat lens and human recombinant aldose reductase. Specificity of these extracts towards aldose reductase was established by testing their ability to inhibit a closely related enzyme viz, aldehyde reductase. The ex vivo incubation of erythrocytes in high glucose containing medium was used to underscore the significance in terms of prevention of intracellular sorbitol accumulation. Among the 22 dietary sources tested, 10 showed considerable inhibitory potential against both rat lens and human recombinant aldose reductase. Prominent inhibitory property was found in spinach, cumin, fennel, lemon, basil and black pepper with an approximate IC50 of 0.2 mg/mL with an excellent selectivity towards aldose reductase. As against this, 10 to 20 times higher concentrations were required for 50% inhibition of aldehyde reductase. Reduction in the accumulation of intracellular sorbitol by the dietary extracts further substantiated their in vivo efficacy. The findings reported here indicate the scope of adapting life-style modifications in the form of inclusion of certain common sources in the diet for the management of diabetic complications.
PMID: 19114390 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Department of Psychology, Graduate School of Letters, Kyoto University, Yoshida-Honmachi, Sakyo, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan. htsubomi@fennel.rcast.u-tokyo.ac.jp
Top-down attention affects even the early stages of visual processing. For example, several studies have reported that instructions prior to the presentation of visual stimuli can both enhance and reduce visual masking. The finding that top-down processing influences perceptual processing is called the attentional effect. However, the magnitude of the attentional effect differs between individuals, and how these differences relate to brain activation remains to be explained. One possibility would be that activation intensity predicts the magnitude of the attentional effect. Another possible explanation would be that effective connectivity among activated areas determines the attentional effect. In the present study, we used structural equation modeling to analyze individual differences in the attentional effect on visual masking, in relation to the signal and connectivity strength of activated brain regions prior to presentation of the visual stimuli. The results showed that signal intensity was positively correlated with attentional effect in the occipital areas, but not in fronto-parietal areas, and the effect was also positively correlated with connective efficiency from the right intraparietal sulcus (IPS) to the bilateral fusiform gyrus (GF). Furthermore, a higher degree of effective connections from the right IPS to the GF led to greater neural activity in the GF. We therefore propose that the effective modulator in the parietal areas and strong activation in the visual areas together and in cooperation predict higher attentional effects in visual processing.
PMID: 19103296 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Department of Botany, Udai Pratap Autonomous College, Varanasi, UttarPradesh 221002, India. Singhanurag21@gmail.com
AIM OF THE STUDY: Chandauli district is one of the less studied regions of India for its ethnobotanical values. The present paper synthesizes the first report related to the documentation and conservation of ethnomedicinal plants of Chandauli district and their socio-economic relationship with the forests and its resources. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ethnobotanical data were collected using semi-structured interviews, field observations, preference and direct matrix ranking with traditional medicine practitioners. RESULTS: The use of 40 medicinal plants belonging to 27 families was documented in the tribal communities of Chandauli district in India. These species were used in combination of some exotic species such as Foeniculum vulgare, Prosopis spicigera, Crataeva nurvala, Curcuma longa, Punica granatum, Aloe vera, Cocos nucifera, Ocimum sanctum and Allium cepa and some medicinal stones, minerals, salts, etc. Most of the plants (94.6%) were reportedly used to treat human diseases. CONCLUSIONS: Documenting the eroding plants and associated indigenous knowledge can be used as a basis for developing management plans for conservation and sustainable use of medicinal plants in the area. The principal threatening factors reported were deforestation (90%), agricultural expansion (85%) and overgrazing (53%).
PMID: 19022368 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Institut Universitaire Européen de la Mer, Université de Bretagne Occidentale, 29280 Plouzané, France. laetitia.meot@univ-brest.fr
Sea fennel (Crithmum maritimum L.) is an edible halophyte with various economical interests because of its high secondary metabolite content. However, little is known about water-soluble compounds in that species. Here, we have studied major solutes in C. maritimum leaves. Among these solutes, carbohydrates (sucrose, glucose) were the most abundant, followed by organic acids (malate and quinate) and a phenolic compound never described in a halophyte before: chlorogenic acid (CGA). Total phenols and chlorogenic acid contents were followed throughout one year, as well as antioxidant activity, in two populations of C. maritimum growing in contrasting habitats: sand hills and cliffs. Sea fennel leaves appeared to be rich in phenolic compounds, particularly in chlorogenic acid. On that point, differences between the two populations were found, sand hill plants accumulating more CGA than those growing on cliffs. Moreover, the former presented a higher radical-scavenging activity, and the two observations were positively correlated. These results indicate that sea fennel can be considered as a valuable source of antioxidant products, especially of chlorogenic acid.
PMID: 18980846 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Radiation and Cancer Biology Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Lab No. 215, New Delhi 110067, India. singh.bimala@gmail.com
The chemopreventive effect of different doses of test diet of Foeniculum vulgare Mill (Fennel) seeds was examined on DMBA-induced skin and B(a)P-induced forestomach papillomagenesis in Swiss albino mice. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of Fennel seeds exhibiting a significant reduction in the skin and the forestomach tumor incidence and tumor multiplicity as compared to the control group. Further, biochemical assays showed a significant increase in the content/activities of phase I enzymes especially in the case of 6% test diet. A concomitant increase in the activities of the phase II enzymes were observed with all the doses of test diet under study. A significant enhancement in the activities of antioxidant enzymes were observed especially at 4% and 6% test diets of Fennel. Glyoxalase I activity and the content of reduced glutathione were significantly elevated. Expectedly, the levels of peroxidative damage along with lactate dehydrogenase activity, exhibited a significant reduction at all three doses of test diets. These findings were indicative of chemopreventive potential of Fennel against carcinogenesis.
PMID: 18976688 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Department of Pediatric Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Gazi University, Keçiören, Ankara, Turkey. zafertrk@yahoo.com
Isolated premature thelarche is a common disorder characterized by breast development, usually younger than 2 years, with no other signs of puberty. Although it is usually associated with adrenal or ovarian disorders, hypothyroidism, and use of exogenous hormones or drugs, it may also be associated with long-term use of herbal medicine. Thus, long-term use of preparations such as Foeniculum vulgare, which is used to eliminate gas and regulate intestinal function in children, may cause premature thelarche, and thus, the use of such preparations should be limited.
PMID: 18970951 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Analytical Chemistry Division, Faculty of Sciences, University of Córdoba, E-14004 Córdoba, Spain.
A subcritical extractor equipped with a three-way inlet valve and an on/off outlet valve has been used for performing subcritical water extractions (SWE) in a continuous manner for the isolation of the essential oil of fennel, a medicinal plant. The target compounds were removed from the aqueous extract by a single extraction with 5 ml hexane, determined by gas-chromatography-flame ionization (GC-FID) and identified by mass spectrometry (MS). The proposed extraction method has been compared with both hydrodistillation and dichloromethane manual extraction. Better results have been obtained with the proposed method in terms of rapidity, efficiency, cleanliness and possibility of manipulating the composition of the extract.
PMID: 18967949 [PubMed - in process]
ABSTRACT Nematicidal activity of essential oils extracted from 27 spices and aromatic plants were evaluated in vitro and in pot experiments. Twelve of the twenty-seven essential oils immobilized more than 80% of juveniles of the root-knot nematode Meloidogyne javanica at a concentration of 1,000 mul/liter. At this concentration, most of these oils also inhibited nematode hatching. Essential oils of Carum carvi, Foeniculum vulgare, Mentha rotundifolia, and Mentha spicata showed the highest nematicidal activity among the in vitro tested oils. These oils and those from Origanum vulgare, O. syriacum, and Coridothymus capitatus mixed in sandy soil at concentrations of 100 and 200 mg/kg reduced the root galling of cucumber seedlings in pot experiments. The main components of these essential oils were tested for their nematicidal activity. Carvacrol, t-anethole, thymol, and (+)-carvone immobilized the juveniles and inhibited hatching at >125 mul/liter in vitro. Most of these components mixed in sandy soil at concentrations of 75 and 150 mg/kg reduced root galling of cucumber seedlings. In 3-liter pot experiments, nematicidal activity of the essential oils and their components was confirmed at 200 and 150 mg/kg, respectively. The results suggest that the essential oils and their main components may serve as nematicides.
PMID: 18944489 [PubMed - in process]
Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Agrarias (IVIA), Carretera Moncada-Náquera, km 4.5. Moncada, 46113, Valencia, Spain.
Ralstonia solanacearum causes bacterial wilt in numerous plant species worldwide. Although biovar 2 mostly affects solanaceous crops, identification of new hosts remains a matter of concern since there is still no clear-cut distinction between host and nonhost plants. In this work we provide data based on histological studies on the status of 20 plant species, most of them of potential interest in crop rotation. Plants were watered with a beta-glucuronidase-expressing derivative of R. solanacearum biovar 2, and after a month of incubation, sections of roots and stems were analyzed to localize the pathogen on surface, in cortex and/or xylem. Depending on whether the xylem was colonized or not, plants were classified as hosts or nonhosts, respectively. Hosts generally affected in a few xylem vessels or occasionally in all xylem bundles were classified as tolerant. These included some cabbage, kidney bean, and rutabaga cultivars, and the weed bittersweet nightshade (Solanum dulcamara). Nonhosts were the cultivars tested of alfalfa, barley, black radish, carrot, celery, colocynth, fennel, fiber flax, field bean, field pea, horseradish, maize, and zucchini. However, barley and maize, though nonhosts, may act as reservoirs for the pathogen. The present work constitutes a basis for further studies on cropping systems in fields where R. solanacearum has been detected.
PMID: 18943239 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Biology department, Faculty of Science, Taif University, Saudi Arabia. P.B. abouzeid_alaa@hotmail.com
Twenty two plants were collected from Taif Governorate and identified as: Euphorbia glomerifera, Juniperus procera, Launaea mucronata, Capparis dcidua, Punica granatum, Opuntia ficus, Prunus persica, Eucalyptus globulus, Medicago sativa, Artemisia monosperma, Trichodesma calathiforme, Artemisia judaica, Foeniculum vulgare, Phagnalon sinaicum, Rumex dentatus, Asphodelus aestives, Pulicaria crispa, Launae sonchoides, Forsskaolea tenacissima, Arnebia hispidissima, Avena spp and Aerva lanata. Pathogenic fungi were isolated from some of these plants and identified as Alternaria alternate, Ulocladium botrytis, Cladosporium spp, Cephalosporium spp, Penicillium chrysogenum, Fusarium oxysporum and Humicola grisea. Four antagonistic isolates were tested, 2 from Gliocladium fungus and 2 from Trichoderma fungus. We found that all the four antagonistic isolates (G. deliquescens, G. virens, T. viride and T. hamatum) significantly inhibited the radial growth of the pathogenic fungi tested, with different ratios. The results indicated that the antibiotics produced by the antagonists were more effective than the fungus itself and differ with different fungi.Coating plant stems with antagonists or with antagonist extracts reduce the severity of the disease but not prevent it in all tested pathogens.
PMID: 18928069 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Delhi Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences & Research, Pushp Vihar, Sector-3, New Delhi--110 017.
PURPOSE: Evaluation of oculohypotensive activity of single drop application of aqueous extract of Foeniculum vulgare in experimental models of glaucoma. METHODS: The evaluation of oculohypotensive activity of Foeniculum vulgare was done in rabbits with normal intraocular pressure (IOP) and with experimentally elevated IOP. The experimental increase in IOP was achieved using water loading and steroid induced glaucoma models. RESULTS: The aqueous seed extract of Foeniculum vulgare exhibited 17.49, 21.16 and 22.03% reduction of intraocular pressure (IOP) in normotensive rabbits at 0.3%, 0.6% and 1.2% (w/v) concentrations respectively. The 0.6% concentration was further evaluated in acute and chronic models of glaucoma. A maximum mean difference of 31.20% was observed between vehicle treated and extract treated eyes in water loading model while a maximum mean IOP lowering of 31.29% was observed in steroid induced model of glaucoma. CONCLUSIONS: The aqueous extract of Foeniculum vulgare possesses significant oculohypotensive activity, which was found to be comparable to that of timolol. Further investigations into the mechanism of action, possible toxicity and human clinical trials are warranted before the Foeniculum vulgare finds place in the arsenal of antiglaucoma drugs prescribed by physicians.
PMID: 18831355 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
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