Uran-Prospektion in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland

Two deposits that can be considered economically minable have been found during the last twenty years of prospecting for uranium in the Federal Republic of Germany. These deposits, Menzenschwand and Müllenbach, are situated in the northern and southern Black Forest, respectively. In addition, favorable indications have been found in Paleozoic granites of northeastern Bavaria, of the Black Forest, and Odenwald, as well as in Permian and Triassic sediments of Rheinland-Palatinate, Franconia, and Württemberg. The uranium resources that can be expected from all these deposits are insufficient to meet the domestic demand.     

Cercaricidal activity of some essential oils of plants from Brazil

Extended screening tests on the cercaricidal activity of various plants from northeast Brazil have shown that the extracts of the leaves and fruits ofPiper marginatum,Protium heptaphyllum, andCapsicum annuum show a remarkable effect on the cercaria ofSchistosoma mansoni. In the case of the oils ofPiper marginatum andCapsicum annuum, 90–96% of the cercaria ofSchistosoma mansoni were killed within 15 min. According to the NMR spectra, the active principles of the extracts seem to be water-soluble unsaturated compounds from the oils or their hydrolysis products. Natural substances provide an attractive alternative for preventive actions against schistosomiasis, as the perturbation of the ecological equilibrium of natural waters can be avoided in this manner.