Antioxidative and acute antiinflammatory effects of Torreya grandis.

The present study was undertaken to investigate the antioxidative and antiinflammatory activities of the ethanolic extract of seeds of Torreya grandis (EST). Exposure of human dermal fibroblasts to the extract at 50 and 250 microg/ml showed significant protective effect against hydrogen peroxide (300 microM). EST not only protected cell survival from H(2)O(2)-induced toxicity, but also inhibited the H(2)O(2)-induced LDH release significantly. It was also found that EST at 100 and 1000 microg/ml showed scavenging activities of radicals and reactive oxygen species with 29.8% and 100.0% of inhibition against DPPH radical and 41.2% and 98.4% against superoxide radicals in the xanthine/xanthine oxidase system, respectively. Topically applied EST dose-dependently inhibited arachidonic acid (AA)- and 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-induced ear edema in mice.

Antioxidative and acute anti-inflammatory effects of Campsis grandiflora flower.

The present study was undertaken to investigate the antioxidative and anti-inflammatory activities of the extract of the flower of Campsis grandiflora (Thunb.) K. Schum. Exposure of human dermal fibroblasts to 50% EtOH extract of Campsis grandiflora flower (ECG) at 10 and 100 microg/ml showed significant protective effect against hydrogen peroxide (300 microM). ECG not only protected cell survival from H(2)O(2)-induced toxicity, but also inhibited the H(2)O(2)-induced leakage of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) enzyme release and DNA fragmentation significantly. It was also found that ECG showed scavenging activities of radicals and reactive oxygen species with IC(50) values of 20 microg/ml against 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical and 52 microg/ml against superoxide radicals in the xanthine/xanthine oxidase system, respectively. Topically applied ECG dose-dependently inhibited arachidonic acid (AA)- and 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA)-induced ear edema in mice. Consistent with its antioxidative properties in vitro, the present results suggest the therapeutic potential of ECG for acute skin inflammation that may involve oxidative tissue damage.

Tetrandrine, a bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloid from Chinese herb Radix, augmented the hypnotic effect of pentobarbital through serotonergic system.

This is the first study of hypnotic activity of tetrandrine (a major component of Stephania tetrandrae) in mice by using synergism with pentobarbital as an index for the hypnotic effect. The results showed that tetrandrine potentiated pentobarbital (45 mg/kg, i.p.)-induced hypnosis significantly by reducing sleep latency and increasing sleeping time in a dose-dependent manner, and this effect was potentiated by 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP). In the subhypnotic dosage of pentobarbital (28 mg/kg, i.p.)-treated mice, tetrandrine (60 and 30 mg/kg, p.o.) significantly increased the rate of sleep onset and also showed synergic effect with 5-HTP. Pretreatment of p-chlorophenylalanine (PCPA, 300 mg/kg, s.c.), an inhibitor of tryptophan hydroxylase, significantly decreased pentobarbital-induced sleeping time and tetrandrine abolished this effect. From these results, it should be presumed that serotonergic system may be involved in the augmentative effect of tetrandrine on pentobarbital-induced sleep.