Effect of polyacetylenic acids from Prunella vulgaris on various plant pathogens.

AIMS: This study is aiming at characterizing antifungal substances from the methanol extract of Prunella vulgaris and at investigating those substances' antifungal and antioomycete activities against various plant pathogens. METHODS AND RESULTS: Two polyacetylenic acids were isolated from P. vulgaris as active principles and identified as octadeca-9,11,13-triynoic acid and trans-octadec-13-ene-9,11-diynoic acid. These two compounds inhibited the growth of Magnaporthe oryzae, Rhizoctonia solani, Phytophthora infestans, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. raphani, and Phytophthora capsici. In addition, these two compounds and the wettable powder-type formulation of an n-hexane fraction of P. vulgaris significantly suppressed the development of rice blast, tomato late blight, wheat leaf rust, and red pepper anthracnose. CONCLUSIONS: These data show that the extract of P. vulgaris and two polyacetylenic acids possess antifungal and antioomycete activities against a broad spectrum of tested plant pathogens. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: This is the first report on the occurrence of octadeca-9,11,13-triynoic acid and trans-octadec-13-ene-9,11-diynoic acid in P. vulgaris and their efficacy against plant diseases. The crude extract containing the two polyacetylenic acids can be used as a natural fungicide for the control of various plant diseases.

Intense pulsed light vs. pulsed-dye laser in the treatment of facial acne: a randomized split-face trial.

BACKGROUND: Various laser and light therapy have been increasingly used for the treatment of acne vulgaris. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twenty patients with facial acne were treated using intense pulsed light (IPL) on one side of the face and pulsed dye laser (PDL) on the other to compare the efficacy and safety of IPL and PDL. Treatment was performed 4 times at 2-week intervals. Treatment effectiveness was determined using lesion counts, acne severity, patient subjective self-assessments of improvement, and histopathological examinations, which included immunohistochemical staining for transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta). RESULTS: Numbers of total acne lesions decreased following both treatments. For inflammatory lesions such as papules, pustules and nodules, IPL-treated sides showed an earlier and more profound improvement than PDL-treated sides. However, at 8 weeks after the 4th treatment, a rebound aggravation of acne was observed on IPL-treated sides. On the contrary, PDL produced gradual improvements during the treatment sessions and these improvements lasted 8 weeks after the 4th treatment. Non-inflammatory lesions as open and closed comedones also showed improvement following both treatments and PDL-treated sides showed better improvement as the study proceeded. Histopathological examinations showed amelioration in inflammatory reactions and an increase in TGF-beta expression after both treatments, which were more prominent for PDL-treated sides. CONCLUSION: Both PDL and IPL were found to treat acne effectively, but PDL showed a more sustained effect. TGF-beta might play a key role in the resolution of inflammatory acne lesions.

Effect of dimethyl-4,4'-dimethoxy-5,6,5',6'-dimethylenedioxybiphenyl-2,2'- dicarboxylate (DDB) on chemical-induced liver injury.

The effects of orally administered dimethyl-4,4'-dimethoxy-5,6,5',6'-dimethylene-dioxybiphenyl-2,2'-d icarboxylate (DDB) on the hepatotoxicity induced by carbon tetrachloride, acetaminophen or ethanol were investigated in rats and mice. Either single or repeated DDB pretreatment (50 or 200 mg/kg) did not alter the hepatotoxicity induced by carbon tetrachloride (0.2 or 1.0 ml/kg, i.p.) in female rats as indicated by increases in the activity of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and sorbitol dehydrogenase (SDH) in serum. The hepatotoxicity of acetaminophen (350 mg/kg, i.p.) was also unaffected in male mice pretreated with DDB (50 mg/kg/d) for a week. However, DDB administration (50 mg/kg/d for 7 d) decreased the hepatic fatty degeneration induced by repeated ethanol treatment (0.75 g/kg, i.p., x2 times a day for a week) in rats as shown by the accumulation of triglycerides and cholesterol in the liver. Malondialdehyde (MDA) formation in liver homogenates was inhibited by DDB treatment. The significance of the action of DDB on alcoholic fatty liver generation in clinical settings is discussed.