Sesquiterpene lactone and friedelane derivative from drypetes molunduana.

A new sesquiterpene lactone, drypemolundein A and a new friedelane derivative, drypemolundein B, along with seven known compounds have been isolated from the whole stems of Drypetes molunduana Pax and Hoffm. Their structures were established on the basis of one- and two-dimensional NMR, homo- and hetero-nuclear spectroscopic evidence.

Anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties of the stem bark extracts of Erythrophleum suaveolens (Caesalpiniaceae), Guillemin & Perrottet.

The MeOH stem bark extract of Erythrophleum suaveolens dissolved in water and shaken up with ethylacetate (EtOAc) and fractionated on a polyamide column with methanol as eluent produced five principal fractions. These fractions were designated as fraction A (74.8 mg yield and rich in alkaloids), fraction B (36.6 mg), fraction C (7.8 mg yield, monomeric procyanidin), fraction D (26.6 mg yield, rich in monomeric and oligomeric procyanidin), and fraction E (18.1 mg yield, rich in polymeric procyanidin). The original MeOH extract administered (100 mg/kg po) produced about 47% inhibition of carrageenin-induced paw oedema 1 h after administration. Fraction D, obtained from the ethylacetate extract and rich in procyanidins produced over 33% inhibition of carrageenan-induced paw oedema while a dose of 19.2 microg/ml produced 100% inhibitory effect on 5-lipoxygenase. A dose of 100 mg/kg of the MeOH extract also produced over 30% reduction of the sensitivity to pain while 50 mg/kg of fraction D rich in procyanidins produced over 45% analgesic effects. These results were judged significant compared to those obtained with indomethacin and acetylsalicylic acid. These findings suggest that extracts of the bark of Erythrophleum suaveolens possess potent anti-inflammatory and analgesic property and that the procyanidins lead to the observable pharmacological effects.

Anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties of the stem bark extract of Mitragyna ciliata (Rubiaceae) Aubrév. & Pellegr.

Mitragyna ciliata is widely used in traditional medicine for the treatment of inflammation, hypertension, headache, rheumatism, gonorrhoea and broncho-pulmonary diseases. In the present study, the anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties of the stem bark extract of M. ciliata were investigated. The stem bark of this plant was extracted over Soxhlet with hexane followed by another extraction with methanol. The resulting methanol extract was used for the pharmacological test. Anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated on the basis of the inhibitory effect of the extract on 5-lipoxygenase, and carrageenin-induced hind paw oedema in the rat. The methanol extract, at a dose of 19.2 microg/ml, exhibited no inhibition on 5-lipoxygenase. However, this extract administered per os (50 mg/kg) produced about 70% inhibition of carrageenin-induced paw oedema 1 h after administration. This inhibition was maintained to about 50% 2 h after administration. The dose of 50 mg/kg of MeOH extract significantly decreased sensitivity to pain from 78.75 to 107.5 g These findings suggest that extracts of the bark of M. ciliata, possess potent anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects. Chemical analysis of the extract showed the presence of alkaloids and kaempferol derivative which may be responsible for the anti-inflammatory properties.

Association study of eight candidate genes with renin status in mild-to-moderate hypertension in patients of African ancestry.

AIM: We evaluated whether any one variant of genes that encode for substances that could modulate renin-angiotensin-aldosterone (RAA) system activity can account for a substantial proportion of the variability of plasma RAA system profiles in black South African hypertensives (HTs). METHODS: Plasma renin activity (PRA) and aldosterone concentrations (ALD) were determined in 59 black subjects with mild-to-moderate HT off therapy on an ad libitum diet. Patients were genotyped for the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene insertion/deletion, angiotensinogen (AGT) gene M235T, A-20C and G-6A, aldosterone synthase (CYP11B2) gene C-344T, G protein beta3-subunit (GNB3) gene C825T, G(s) protein gene C131T, atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) gene exon 3 stop condon and intron 2, alpha-adducin gene Gly460Trp, and epithelial Na(+) channel (eNa(+) (c)) gene T594M polymorphisms. RESULTS: Risk genotype frequencies for the G(s) (7%), ANP intron 2 (0%), and eNa(+)(c)(7%) variants were too low for each to account for a substantial portion of the variability of plasma RAA profiles in the group studied. Moreover, assuming either recessive or dominant inheritance models, neither ACE, AGT, GNB3, CYP11B2, ANP exon 3 nor alpha-adducin polymorphisms were significantly associated with the variance of PRA, ALD or ALD/PRA. CONCLUSIONS: These results do not support a substantial individual role for the gene candidates studied in contributing to plasma RAA system profiles in black South African HTs. However, a potential small role for some loci may exist, and epistasis or genotype-phenotype interactions as well as alternative inheritance models and variants still need to be evaluated.