Chemical characterization, nematicidal and antioxidant activities of Thymus linearis Benth.

Thymus linearis and its essential oil (EO) are used to cure a range of diseases in traditional medicine. GC-MS analysis of Thymus linearis EO revealed the presence of sixty-four components. Thymol (50.62%), carvacrol (13.23 %), carvacrol acetate (7.72%), -bisabolene (5.47%) and o-cymene (5.47%) are the only five basic constituents in the oil which accounts for 82.07% of oil. When compared to other compounds, the EO and its primary components thymol and carvacrol had the largest proportion of mortality in Meloidogyne javanica. Carvacrol has also been proven to be helpful in suppressing the hatching of M. javanica eggs. This is the first time T. linearis EO and its constituents, such as borneol and caryophyllene, have been studied for nematicidal action. The antioxidant activity of EO components and active compounds was assessed using the ABTS radical scavenging method. Thymol and carvacrol were found to exhibit high antioxidant activity. The IC50 of thymol and carvacrol are found to be 38.18 g/ml and 49.65 g/ml, respectively and are comparable to the positive control trolox (47.12 g/ml). Results clearly showed high potency for EO and its constituents, thymol and carvacrol as nematicidal and antioxidant agents.

Report: Safety and toxicological evaluation of herbal formulation on rodents.

Herbal medicines are still most popular, abundant and affordable remedies for curing various ailments. Garlina is one of the herbal formulations of Hamdard Laboratories (waqf) Pakistan used to treat cardiovascular diseases and elevated sugar level. However, there is no scientific data available regarding the potential toxicity. Therefore, the present study was to assess the acute and sub-chronic toxicity in rats. The single dose of Garlina 5000mg/kg were administered orally and observed for 14 days. A sub-chronic toxicity test was performed at 2000mg/kg of Garlina daily for 30 days. Control rats received saline. The biochemical, hematological and histopathological analysis was carried out. The acute toxicity LD50 was determined to be <5000mg/kg. The result of acute and sub-chronic toxicity revealed no mortality and sign of toxicity. Garlina did not elicit any significant change in body weight, hematological and histopathology analysis when compared to saline treated rats. The relative weight of organs was not affected by the treatment. While the daily dose of Garlina for humans is 20mg/kg. However, the sub-chronic toxicity at 2000mg/kg dose of Garlina exhibited significant increase in gamma glutamyltransferase while total protein significantly decreased. Results obtained from study demonstrated that there is wide margin of safety for the therapeutic use of Garlina and significant decrease in LDL, atherogenic index, GGT and bilirubin direct at the dose of 5000mg/kg further strengthen the use as hypolipidemic and hypoglycemic agent.

NMR study of O and N, O-substituted 8-quinolinol derivatives.

The (1)H and (13)C NMR spectral study of several biologically active derivatives of 8-quinolinol have been made through extensive NMR studies including homodecoupling and 2D-NMR experiments such as COSY-45°, NOESY, and HeteroCOSY. Electron donating resonance and electron withdrawing inductive effect of several groups showed marked changes in chemical shifts of nuclei at the seventh positions of O-substituted quinolinols (2-15). Although in N-alkyl, 8-alkoxyquinolinium halides (16-21), ring A rightly showed low frequency chemical shift values.

Antihypertensive effect of patulitrin and other constituents from Tagetes patula L. (French marigold) in acute L-NAME induced hypertensive rats.

The work is aimed to evaluate the blood pressure reducing effect of constituents from methanol extract and associated constituents of Tagetes patula flowers in normotensive and L-NAME induced hypertensive rats. The HPLC analysis of methanol extract of Tagetes patula flowers (JFM) resulted in the quantitative identification and percent comparison of four phenolic constituents, protocatechuic acid (PA), methyl protocatechuate (MPA), patulitrin (TRIN) and patuletin (PAT). All the extracts, fractions and compounds examined showed significant blood pressure lowering activity. Patulitrin (TRIN) which has emerged as the major constituent (15.33%) of T. patula flowers showed significant 30% and 68% fall in blood pressure in normotensive and L-NAME induced hypertensive rats respectively. The patuletin (PAT), which is an aglycone of TRIN displayed high percentage (84%) of antihypertensive activity. Further, comprehensive and advanced studies on these constituents may result in preparation of an effective blood pressure lowering medicine with active precious rare flavonoids, patuletin and patulitrin.

Healing potential of cream containing extract of Sphaeranthus indicus on dermal wounds in Guinea pigs.

A cream containing ethanolic extract of aerial parts of Sphaeranthus indicus, Linn. (Asteraceae) was evaluated for wound healing activity in guinea pigs. The cream was applied in vivo on the paravertebral area of six excised wounded models once a day for 15 days. The cream significantly enhanced the rate of wound contraction and the period of epithelialization comparable to neomycin.

Hypotensive and toxicological study of citric acid and other constituents from Tagetes patula roots.

Study of the effects of the methanolic extract of Tagetes patula roots on blood pressure led to the isolation of well known citric (1) and malic acid (7) as hypotensive, and pyridine hydrochloride (4) as hypertensive constituents of the plant along with a new constituent, 2-hydroxy, 5-hydroxymethyl furan (9). Citric acid and malic acid caused 71% and 43% fall in Mean Arterial Blood Pressure (MABP) of rats at the doses of 15 mg/kg and 30 mg/kg respectively while pyridine hydrochloride produced 34% rise in the MABP of rats at the dose of 30 mg/kg. LD50 and LD100 of citric acid in mice have been determined as 545 mg/kg and 1000 mg/kg, respectively.

GC/GCMS analysis of the petroleum ether and dichloromethane extracts of Moringa oleifera roots.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the phytochemical constituents from petroleum ether and dichloromethane extracts of Moringa oleifera (M. oleifera) roots using GC/GC-MS. METHODS: A total of 5.11 kg fresh and undried crushed root of M. oleifera were cut into small pieces and extracted with petroleum ether and dichloromethane (20 L each) at room temperature for 2 d. The concentrated extracts were subjected to their GC-MS analysis. RESULTS: The GC-MS analysis of the petroleum ether and dichloromethane extracts of M. oleifera roots, which showed promising biological activities, has resulted in the identification 102 compounds. These constituents belong to 15 classes of compounds including hydrocarbons, fatty acids, esters, alcohols, isothiocyanate, thiocyanate, pyrazine, aromatics, alkamides, cyanides, steroids, halocompounds, urea and N-hydroxyimine derivatives, unsaturated alkenamides, alkyne and indole. GC/GC-MS studies on petroleum ether extract of the roots revealed that it contained 39 compounds, belonging to nine classes. Cyclooctasulfur S8 has been isolated as a pure compound from the extract. The major compounds identified from petroleum ether extract were trans-13-docosene (37.9%), nonacosane (32.6%), cycloartenol (28.6%) nonadecanoic acid (13.9%) and cyclooctasulfur S8 (13.9%). Dichloromethane extract of the roots was composed of 63 compounds of which nasimizinol (58.8%) along with oleic acid (46.5%), N-benzyl-N-(7-cyanato heptanamide (38.3%), N-benzyl-N-(1-chlorononyl) amide (30.3%), bis [3-benzyl prop-2-ene]-1-one (19.5%) and N, N-dibenzyl-2-ene pent 1, 5-diamide (11.6%) were the main constituents. CONCLUSIONS: This study helps to predict the formula and structure of active molecules which can be used as drugs. This result also enhances the traditional usage of M. oleifera which possesses a number of bioactive compounds.

Effect of cream containing Melia azedarach flowers on skin diseases in children.

A herbal cream containing a methanolic HPLC-standardized extract of Melia azedarach flowers has been prepared and found potent against bacterial skin diseases like cellulitis, pustules, pyogenic infections, etc. in children. The results obtained are comparable to those with neomycin.

Hypotensive activity, toxicology and histopathology of opuntioside-I and methanolic extract of Opuntia dillenii.

Methanolic extract of Opuntia dillenii cladodes and its pure compound alpha-pyrone glycoside, opuntioside-I showed potent hypotensive activity in normotensive rats. Both the extract and opuntioside-I showed comparable effect of 44-54% fall in Mean Arterial Blood Pressure (MABP) at the dose of 10 mg/kg. No mortality was observed in rats even at the doses of 1000 mg/kg/d and 900 mg/kg/d per oral of extract and opuntioside-I respectively. However, histopathology revealed adverse effects of high doses on liver and spleen of the experimental animals.

Hypotensive activity and toxicology of constituents from root bark of Polyalthia longifolia var. pendula.

A defatted extract of Polyalthia longifolia var. pendula root bark (PRB) in 50% methanol showed a significant ability to reduce blood pressure. It caused a 22% and 47% fall in mean arterial blood pressure (MABP) in rats at doses of 3 mg/kg and 30 mg/kg, respectively. Compounds purified from this extract include kolavenic acid (3), clerodane (1) and its isomer (2), liriodenine (4), lysicamine (5) and bisclerodane imide (6) and its isomer (7). Of these, only kolavenic acid produced a 22% fall in MABP, at a dose of 30 mg/kg. PRB showed a decrease in blood pressure of normotensive and egg yolk induced hypertensive rats. The LD50 of PRB was determined as 100 mg/kg in mice.

Antibacterial effect of Melia azedarach flowers on rabbits.

A methanol extract of Melia azedarach flowers showed potent antibacterial action in rabbits suffering from a skin infection produced by Stapyhlococcus aureus. The healing effects were found comparable to neomycin.

Hypotensive activity and toxicology of constituents from Bombax ceiba stem bark.

A novel constituent, shamimicin, 1"', 1"""'-bis-2-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-3,4-dihydro-3,7-dihydroxy-5-O-xylopyranosyloxy-2H-1-benzopyran along with lupeol, which possesses potent hypotensive activity, has been isolated from Bombax ceiba stem bark. BCBMM--one of the most active hypotensive fractions has revealed its adverse effects on heart, liver and kidneys of mice at the dose of 1000 mg/kg/d.