RESUMEN
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: The roots of Rubia tibetica are chewed as an antidote to anaphylaxis caused by bites of the tick Ornithodoros lahorensis by the Wakhi people in Afghanistan. AIMS OF THE STUDY: To test whether Rubia tibetica possess anti-histamine effect. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Water and ethanol extracts of roots of Rubia tibetica were tested for anti-histamine effect on the H1-receptor in the guinea pig ileum assay. Fixed concentrations of plant extract with increasing concentrations of histamine were examined. Mepyramine was used as control. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The ethanol extract of Rubia tibetica showed dose-dependent anti-histamine effect, whereas the water extract had little activity. The chewing of Rubia tibetica roots may alleviate the fatal swelling of the tongue during anaphylaxis.
Asunto(s)
Antagonistas de los Receptores Histamínicos/farmacología , Músculo Liso/efectos de los fármacos , Extractos Vegetales/farmacología , Rubia , Afganistán , Anafilaxia , Animales , Mordeduras y Picaduras/tratamiento farmacológico , Etanol/química , Cobayas , Histamina/farmacología , Íleon/efectos de los fármacos , Íleon/fisiología , Técnicas In Vitro , Contracción Muscular/efectos de los fármacos , Músculo Liso/fisiología , Raíces de Plantas , Receptores Histamínicos H1/fisiología , Solventes/química , Garrapatas , Agua/químicaRESUMEN
Plants used to treat inflammatory ailments, pain, fever and infections in the Pamir Mountains in northeastern Afghanistan, were tested for antibacterial and COX-1 inhibitory activity. Water and ethanol extracts of 20 species were tested for antibacterial activity against two gram positive and two gram negative bacteria. The ethanol extract of Arnebia guttata inhibited Staphylococcus aureus with a MIC of 6 µg/mL. Water and ethanol extracts of Ephedra intermedia and the ethanol extracts of Lagochilus cabulicus and Peganum harmala inhibited Staphylococcus aureus at 0.5 mg/mL, and the P. harmala extract further inhibited the growth of Bacillus subtilis and E. coli, also with MICs of 0.5 mg/mL. Ethanol extracts of Artemisia persica (IC50: 0.5 µg/mL), Dragocephalum paulsenii (IC50: 0.5 µg/mL), Ephedra intermedia (IC50: 3.8 µg/mL), Hyoscyamus pusillus, Nepeta parmiriensis (IC50: 0.7 µg/mL) and Rumex patientia subsp. pamiricus (IC50: 3.5 µg/mL) exhibited COX-1 inhibitory activity. The observed in vitro activities support the use of some of the plant species in the traditional medicine systems of the Pamir Mountains.