RESUMO
The dichloromethane-methanol extract, the essential oil obtained by hydrodistillation from Nepeta parnassica, and the isolated 4aα,7α,7aß-nepetalactone were evaluated for their repellent effect against the mosquitoes Aedes (Stegomyia) cretinus Edwards and Culex pipiens pipiens biotype molestus Forskål. The chemical analysis of N. parnassica essential oil, dominated by oxygenated monoterpenes (87 %), revealed 4aα,7α,7aß-nepetalactone (36.8%), 1,8-cineole (25.5%), and 4aα,7ß,7aß-nepetalactone (11.1%) as the major constituents. The results of the insect bioassays showed that the essential oil and the dichloromethane-methanol extract of N. parnassica were very active against Aedes cretinus for up to 3 h and against Culex pipiens for up to 2 h post application. The isolated 4aα,7α,7aß-nepetalactone showed very high mosquito repellency for periods of at least 2 h against both species.
Assuntos
Culicidae/efeitos dos fármacos , Ciclopentanos/farmacologia , Repelentes de Insetos , Nepeta/química , Óleos Voláteis/farmacologia , Óleos de Plantas/farmacologia , Pironas/farmacologia , Aedes/efeitos dos fármacos , Animais , Culex/efeitos dos fármacos , Monoterpenos Ciclopentânicos , Humanos , Componentes Aéreos da Planta/química , Extratos Vegetais/farmacologiaRESUMO
Calamintha officinalis Moench (Lamiaceae) is an aromatic plant used since ancient times for its preservative and medicinal properties. The plant, known as 'Mentuccia' in Central Italy, is used in cooking as an aromatizant and to impart aroma and flavour to food. The methanol extract of the leaves was subjected to phytochemical and biological investigations. The extract contains polyphenols, catechic tannins and terpenes and shows radical scavenger activity. By means of HPLC analysis, eriocitrin, eriodyctiol, acacetin, linarin, benzoic acid and some phenolic acids, such as caffeic, chlorogenic, p-coumaric, were determined. The gastroprotective activity of the extract was investigated using ethanol-induced ulcer in rats, with sucralfate as a reference drug. Samples of gastric mucosa, stained by PAS and haematoxylin/eosin, were observed by light microscopy. The efficacy of the extract was comparable to that of the reference drug. Probably the gastroprotective effect depends on a synergistic action of all the compounds occurring in C. officinalis leaves, even if the antioxidant potential of the leaves plays an important role by removing damaging agents from the gastric mucosa.
Assuntos
Etanol/efeitos adversos , Mucosa Gástrica/lesões , Lamiaceae/química , Folhas de Planta/química , Úlcera Gástrica/induzido quimicamente , Animais , Antiulcerosos/química , Antiulcerosos/uso terapêutico , Comportamento Animal/efeitos dos fármacos , Cromatografia Líquida de Alta Pressão , Avaliação Pré-Clínica de Medicamentos , Sinergismo Farmacológico , Amarelo de Eosina-(YS) , Feminino , Flavanonas/química , Flavanonas/uso terapêutico , Sequestradores de Radicais Livres/química , Mucosa Gástrica/efeitos dos fármacos , Mucosa Gástrica/patologia , Hematoxilina , Masculino , Metanol , Camundongos , Fitoterapia , Extratos Vegetais/química , Extratos Vegetais/uso terapêutico , Polifenóis/química , Polifenóis/uso terapêutico , Substâncias Protetoras/química , Substâncias Protetoras/uso terapêutico , Ratos , Ratos Wistar , Padrões de Referência , Úlcera Gástrica/tratamento farmacológico , Úlcera Gástrica/patologia , Sucralfato/uso terapêutico , Terpenos/química , Terpenos/uso terapêuticoRESUMO
Plants of the genus Hypericum are widely used in folk medicine for the treatment of gastric ailments (including pectic ulcers), burns, swelling, inflammation, anxiety, as well as for bacterial and viral infections. The aerial parts of Hypericum rumeliacum Boiss. subsp. apollinis (Boiss. & Heldr.) Robson & Strid (Guttiferae), a perennial herb growing wild in Greece, were subjected to biological and phytochemical studies. The H. rumeliacum methanol extract showed, on the DPPH test, antioxidant activity (IC(50) = 23.61 microg/mL). The antiinflammatory activity of the extract (70 mg/kg, i.p.), in the carrageenan-induced paw oedema in rat, was studied. In this experimental model an inhibition of paw oedema, significant from the first to third hour, was observed. The histological examination confirmed resolution of the inflammatory process observed in vivo. Through HPLC analysis of the H. rumeliacum methanol extract, the naphthodianthrones hypericin, pseudohypericin and some polyphenol compounds, such as chlorogenic acid, rutin and isoquercitrin, were identified and quantified. The antioxidant activity of H. rumeliacum could be chiefly related to polyphenol compounds that are well known as the main contributors to the free radical-scavenging effects. The antiinflammatory effect of the methanol extract of the aerial parts could be due to the synergic action both of hypericin and polyphenol compounds.
Assuntos
Anti-Inflamatórios/farmacologia , Antioxidantes/farmacologia , Hypericum/química , Extratos Vegetais/farmacologia , Animais , Antracenos , Anti-Inflamatórios/análise , Anti-Inflamatórios/química , Antioxidantes/análise , Antioxidantes/química , Ácido Clorogênico/análise , Ácido Clorogênico/química , Chondrus , Cromatografia Líquida de Alta Pressão , Edema/induzido quimicamente , Edema/tratamento farmacológico , Flavonoides/análise , Flavonoides/química , Membro Posterior , Masculino , Metanol/química , Perileno/análogos & derivados , Perileno/análise , Perileno/química , Fenóis/análise , Fenóis/química , Componentes Aéreos da Planta/química , Extratos Vegetais/análise , Extratos Vegetais/química , Polifenóis , Quercetina/análogos & derivados , Quercetina/análise , Quercetina/química , Ratos , Ratos Wistar , Rutina/análise , Rutina/químicaRESUMO
The essential oils of the flower heads and leaves of Santolina rosmarinifolia L. (Compositae) cultivated in Romania were obtained through hydrodistillation and analysed by GC-MS. Forty-two components were identified, representing 92.3-94.0% of the whole composition of the samples. Their in vitro antimicrobial activity against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria strains and the fungus Candida albicans was determined using the agar-diffusion method and the broth dilution method.
Assuntos
Antibacterianos/isolamento & purificação , Antifúngicos/isolamento & purificação , Asteraceae/química , Óleos Voláteis/química , Sesquiterpenos/isolamento & purificação , Antibacterianos/química , Antibacterianos/farmacologia , Antifúngicos/química , Antifúngicos/farmacologia , Bactérias , Candida albicans/efeitos dos fármacos , Flores/química , Cromatografia Gasosa-Espectrometria de Massas , Testes de Sensibilidade Microbiana , Óleos Voláteis/isolamento & purificação , Folhas de Planta/química , Romênia , Sesquiterpenos/química , Sesquiterpenos/farmacologiaRESUMO
The sedative, anticonvulsant and analgesic activity of ursolic acid, a terpenoid bioassay-isolated from Nepeta sibthorpii Bentham, was evaluated in mice. The oral administration of ursolic acid (2.3 mg/kg) produced a significant depressant effect on CNS by reducing spontaneous motor activity and the number and lethality of pentylenetetrazol (PTZ)-induced seizures. Two models of nociception, the writhing test and the hot plate test, were also used to examine the analgesic effect of ursolic acid. At a dose of 2.3 mg/kg, ursolic acid caused an inhibition of acetic acid-induced abdominal constriction, but was inactive in the hot plate test. Treatment at a higher dose (20 mg/kg) significantly increased the reaction time in the hot plate test. This effect, reversed by naloxone, evidently involves opioid receptors, but the analgesic activity of ursolic acid may be related also to the antiinflammatory and antioxidant properties of this compound.
Assuntos
Fármacos do Sistema Nervoso Central/isolamento & purificação , Nepeta/química , Triterpenos/isolamento & purificação , Ácido Acético , Analgésicos/isolamento & purificação , Animais , Anticonvulsivantes/isolamento & purificação , Temperatura Alta , Hipnóticos e Sedativos/isolamento & purificação , Masculino , Camundongos , Ácido UrsólicoRESUMO
Several species of Nepeta genus are utilized in folk medicine for treatment of contusions, rheumatic pains, fever, cutaneous eruptions. Some species are employed for their anti-inflammatory properties. In this paper, we report the results of phytochemical studies on aerial parts of Nepeta sibthorpii Bentham (Lamiaceae), an endemic plant of Greece. The bioassay-guided fractionation of methanol extract led to the isolation of ursolic acid and polyphenol fraction. By HPLC, we determined some phenolics: chlorogenic acid (0.315 mg/g) and the flavonoids rutin (0.091 mg/g), luteolin-7-O-glucoside (0.387 mg/g) and a luteolin derivative. We assayed the radical scavenging activity of Nepeta sibthorpii methanol extract by the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) method. Moreover, we studied the anti-inflammatory activity of Nepeta sibthorpii methanol extract (50 mg/kg, os), ursolic acid and polyphenol fraction (dose corresponding to 50 mg/kg of methanol extract, os) in the carrageenan-induced paw oedema in rat. In this experimental model, we observed a significant inhibition of paw oedema. We suppose that the anti-inflammatory effect of methanol extract could be related to the free radical scavenging activity and that it depends on a synergic action of all the components of the methanol extract, even if ursolic acid can be considered the main responsible for this activity.
Assuntos
Anti-Inflamatórios/isolamento & purificação , Medicina Tradicional , Nepeta , Extratos Vegetais/isolamento & purificação , Animais , Anti-Inflamatórios/uso terapêutico , Carragenina/toxicidade , Edema/induzido quimicamente , Edema/tratamento farmacológico , Etnofarmacologia , Sequestradores de Radicais Livres , Grécia , Masculino , Fitoterapia , Extratos Vegetais/uso terapêutico , Folhas de Planta , Ratos , Ratos WistarRESUMO
The essential oil composition from Thymus striatus collected from Mountain Orjen (Montenegro) has been investigated by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Thymol, gamma-terpinene and p-cymene were found to be the major components. Furthermore, the oil and its major component, thymol, were analysed for potential antifungal activity against plant, animal and human pathogenic fungi from different genera by a macrodilution test. The oil exhibited a strong inhibitory effect against all fungi investigated.
Assuntos
Antifúngicos/farmacologia , Fungos Mitospóricos/efeitos dos fármacos , Fitoterapia , Óleos de Plantas/farmacologia , Timol/farmacologia , Thymus (Planta)/química , Antifúngicos/administração & dosagem , Antifúngicos/química , Antifúngicos/uso terapêutico , Cromatografia Gasosa-Espectrometria de Massas , Humanos , Óleos de Plantas/administração & dosagem , Óleos de Plantas/química , Óleos de Plantas/uso terapêutico , Timol/administração & dosagem , Timol/uso terapêuticoRESUMO
Nineteen methanolic crude plant extracts of Labiatae family, collected in Greece from different locations, were evaluated for cytotoxic activity against brine shrimps and three human cancer cell lines along with a normal mouse cells as a control cell line. In the brine shrimp lethality test, Mentha pulegium was the only sample found to be active with an LC(50) value 347.3 micro g/ml, while all remaining samples had LC(50) values greater than 1000 micro g/ml. In case of Caco-2 and HepG2 cell lines, only one sample, namely Thymus parnassicus Halacsy, was active with LC(50) values 44.6 and 50.3 micro g/ml respectively, while against MCF-7 cell line, two samples, namely, Clinopodium vulgare L. (LC(50): 60.4 micro g/ml), and Thymus parnassicus Halacsy (LC(50): 54.7 micro g/ml), were found active.
Assuntos
Antineoplásicos Fitogênicos/farmacologia , Lamiaceae , Extratos Vegetais/farmacologia , Animais , Artemia/efeitos dos fármacos , Células CACO-2/efeitos dos fármacos , Grécia , Humanos , Camundongos , Células Tumorais Cultivadas/efeitos dos fármacosRESUMO
The composition and the antimicrobial activity of the aerial parts of Hypericum rumeliacum are reported. Analysis was carried out by GC/MS. The major constituents were alpha-pinene (43.80%), beta-pinene (9.82%), dehydro-aromadendrene (6.81%) and alpha-copaene (5.41%). The essential oil showed a moderate in vitro activity against the six Gram negative and positive bacteria and a stronger one against the three-tested pathogenic activity.
Assuntos
Antibacterianos/farmacologia , Bactérias Gram-Negativas/efeitos dos fármacos , Bactérias Gram-Positivas/efeitos dos fármacos , Hypericum , Fitoterapia , Óleos de Plantas/farmacologia , Antibacterianos/administração & dosagem , Antibacterianos/química , Antibacterianos/uso terapêutico , Monoterpenos Bicíclicos , Compostos Bicíclicos com Pontes/administração & dosagem , Compostos Bicíclicos com Pontes/química , Compostos Bicíclicos com Pontes/farmacologia , Compostos Bicíclicos com Pontes/uso terapêutico , Cromatografia Gasosa-Espectrometria de Massas , Humanos , Testes de Sensibilidade Microbiana , Monoterpenos/administração & dosagem , Monoterpenos/química , Monoterpenos/farmacologia , Monoterpenos/uso terapêutico , Óleos de Plantas/administração & dosagem , Óleos de Plantas/química , Óleos de Plantas/uso terapêutico , Caules de PlantaRESUMO
Essential oils of Origanum onites, Satureja thymbra, Salvia fruticosa (Greek sage), and Salvia pomifera subsp. calycina plants growing wild in Greece and their components carvacrol, camphor, and 1,8-cineole, were assayed for antifungal activity against 13 fungal species. Among the fungi tested were food poisoning, plant, animals and human pathogenic species. The oils presented various degrees of inhibition against all the fungi investigated. The highest and broadest activity was shown by the carvacrol content oils (O. onites and S. thymbra), while the oil of sage was the least effective. Carvacrol exhibited the highest and 1,8-cineole the lowest level of antifungal activity among the components tested.