The Standardized Wood Extract of Albizia myriophylla: Its Potential as an Active Ingredient in an Anti-inflammatory Herbal Gel Formulation.

Albizia myriophylla has been used in Thai folk medicine for treating inflammation-related diseases. The wood of this medicinal plant is traditionally used as a single herbal drug in the form of an aqueous decoction and as a component in several Thai herbal formulations for the remedy of fever, sore throat, and aphthous ulcers. This study aimed to evaluate in vivo the anti-inflammatory potential and possible mechanism of action of the standardized wood extract of A. myriophylla as well as to investigate the anti-inflammatory activity and physicochemical properties of the developed herbal gel formulation containing standardized wood extract of A. myriophylla. Results of quantitative HPLC analysis demonstrated that the standardized wood extract of A. myriophylla contained 22.95 mg/g of 8-methoxy-7,3',4'-trihydroxyflavone, a bioactive marker compound of A. myriophylla. The standardized wood extract of A. myriophylla (1% w/v) exhibited remarkable inhibition (54.4 - 80.3%) in the croton oil model of topical inflammation at all assessment times, comparable to standard indomethacin (55.3 - 63.6%). Real-time quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction was performed to clarify the anti-inflammatory mechanism of standardized wood extract of A. myriophylla, and the result showed that this standardized extract decreased lipopolysaccharide-induced nitric oxide synthase mRNA levels in a dose-dependent manner. The developed herbal gel containing standardized wood extract of A. myriophylla (1% w/w) had good physicochemical characteristics and exhibited potent inhibition (51.4 - 77.8%) of inflammation in a rat ear edema model at all assessment times, comparable to indomethacin gel (33.3 - 40.5%). The notable anti-inflammatory activity of standardized wood extract of A. myriophylla and its developed herbal gel formulation indicates their potential application as natural anti-inflammatory agents.

Chemical composition and antiproliferative activity of Croton campestris A.St.-Hil. essential oil.

Herein, the antiproliferative potential of the essential oil obtained from fresh leaves of Croton campestris against human tumour cell lines was investigated for the first time. Furthermore, the essential oil obtained by hydrodistillation had the composition determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Ten major components were identified that comprised 91.59% of the total content, with 23.8% consisting of (Z)-caryophyllene and 16.08% consisting of γ-elemene as main components. The cytotoxic activity was observed mainly for breast (MCF-7) and colon (HT-29) human tumour cell lines, with GI50 (50% growth inhibition) concentration of 8.61 and 9.94 µg/mL, respectively. The results of this study showed that the essential oil obtained from Croton campestris A.St.-Hil. represents a potential source for the search of new antitumour agents.

Identification of minor secondary metabolites from the latex of Croton lechleri (Muell-Arg) and evaluation of their antioxidant activity.

Dragon's blood (Sangre de drago), a viscous red sap derived from Croton lechleri Muell-Arg (Euphorbiaceae), is extensively used by indigenous cultures of the Amazonian basin for its wound healing properties. The aim of this study was to identify the minor secondary metabolites and test the antioxidant activity of this sustance. A bioguided fractionation of the n-hexane, chloroform, n-butanol, and aqueous extracts led to the isolation of 15 compounds: three megastigmanes, four flavan-3-ols, three phenylpropanoids, three lignans, a clerodane, and the alkaloid taspine. In addition to these known molecules, six compounds were isolated and identified for the first time in the latex: blumenol B, blumenol C, 4,5-dihydroblumenol A, erythro-guaiacyl-glyceryl-beta-O-4'- dihydroconiferyl ether, 2-[4-(3-hydroxypropyl)-2-methoxyphenoxy]-propane-1,3-diol and floribundic acid glucoside. Combinations of spectroscopic methods ((1)H-, (13)C- NMR and 2D-NMR experiments), ESI-MS, and literature comparisons were used for compound identification. In vitro antioxidant activities were assessed by DPPH, total antioxidant capacity and lipid peroxidation assays. Flavan-3-ols derivatives (as major phenolic compounds in the latex) exhibited the highest antioxidant activity.

Analysis of traditional Chinese anticancer drugs by capillary electrophoresis.

The results reported in this communication demonstrate that capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) can be used easily for the quantitative determination of the potential anticancer drugs berberine and isoguanosine in the extract of the traditional Chinese medicinal herb. Isoguanosine and berberine can be monitored selectively and sensitively at 254 nm within 14 min in the plant extract using a 100-mM sodium citrate running buffer (adjusted to pH 2.7; applied voltage 12 kV). The concentration range of 0.1-50 micrograms ml-1 proved to be sufficient for exact quantification and the peak profile showed good reproducibility [relative standard deviations (n = 32); for the migration time 0.22% (isoguanosine) and 1.32% (berberine); for the peak area 2.8% (isoguanosine) and 3.2% (berberine)]. The measured concentrations in the crude extract were 1.3 micrograms ml-1 for isoguanosine and 8.7 micrograms ml-1 for berberine. In addition to the better separation performance, CZE shows several other remarkable advantages over high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), such as rapidity of analysis, small sample volume, no requirement of organic solvent in the running buffer and low cost of reagents.

Effects of the gut-stimulating principle in Croton penduliflorus seed oil on the central nervous system.

The gut-stimulating principle in Croton penduliflorus seed oil isolated as white crystals (CP crystals) significantly reduced pentobarbitone-induced sleeping time in mice at doses of 3 and 6 mg/kg intraperitoneally. Indomethacin (4 mg/kg) and atropine (0.044 mg/kg) significantly reversed the action of CP crystals on pentobarbitone sleeping time with indomethacin having a profound reversal effect. CP crystals significantly reduced the mean onset of convulsions and the mean death time in mice treated with a surely convulsive dose of strychnine. CP crystals significantly reduced the intensity of morphine and pethidine analgesia and prolonged the duration of pethidine analgesia. Most actions of CP crystals suggest that it stimulates the CNS and reduces the intensity of opioids (except codeine) while prolonging their duration of analgesic action.

The extraction, isolation and identification of the purgative component of Croton penduliflorus seed oil.

The purgative principles in Croton penduliflorus seed oil were isolated as white crystals by a bioassay-guided chromatographic separation process. The crystals were recovered in 7% w/w yield and identified (IR, 1H-NMR, GC-MS) as a mixture of palmitic, stearic and arachidic acids in approximately equimolar concentration.

Croton macrostachys, a plant used in traditional medicine: purgative and inflammatory activity.

Croton macrostachys seeds are widely used in Somalia as a purgative. In the present study, pharmacologic and chemical investigations confirm the laxative effect of the seeds and indicate the presence of phorbolesters. There appears to be no direct correlation between phorbolester content and laxative effect.

Antileukemic principles isolated from euphorbiaceae plants.

Extracts of Euphorbia esula L. and Croton tiglium L., two members of the Euphorbiaceae which have been used widely in folk medicine for treating cancers, showed antileukemic activity against the P-388 lymphocytic leukemia in mice. Systematic fractionation of the extract of Euphorbia esula L. led to characterization of a major antileukemic component as the new diterpenoid diester, ingenol 3,20-dibenzoate. Similar fractionation of Croton oil led to characterization of phorbol 12-tiglate 13-decanoate as an active principle.

Dry-column chromatographic isolation of fatty acid esters of phorbol from croton oil.

The family of mixed fatty acid esters of 4,9,12,13,20-pentahydroxy-tiglia-1,6-dien-3-one (phorbol) has been isolated from croton oil by column chromatography on silica gel and preparative dry-column chromatography on silica gel HF/254 packed in a cellophane membrane. The tumorpromoting agents are obtained rapidly and with minimum difficulty.