Cytotoxicity screening of Thymus vulgaris L. essential oil in brine shrimp nauplii and cancer cell lines.

Among natural products, essential oils from aromatic plants have been reported to possess potent anticancer properties. In this work, we aimed to perform the cytotoxic concentration range screening and antiproliferative activity screening of chemically characterized Thymus vulgaris L. essential oil. In vivo bioassay was conducted using the brine shrimp lethality test (BSLT). In vitro evaluation of antiproliferative activity was carried out on three human tumor cell lines: breast adenocarcinoma MCF-7, lung carcinoma H460 and acute lymphoblastic leukemia MOLT-4 using MTT assay. Essential oil components thymol (36.7%), p-cymene (30.0%), γ-terpinene (9.0%) and carvacrol (3.6%) were identified by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Analyzed essential oil should be considered as toxic/highly toxic with LC50 60.38 µg/mL in BSLT and moderate/weakly cytotoxic with IC50 range 52.65-228.78 µg/mL in vitro, according to evaluated cytotoxic criteria. Essential oil induced a dose-dependent inhibition of cell proliferation in all tested tumor cell lines and showed different sensitivity. Dose dependent toxicity observed in bioassay as well as the in vitro assay confirmed that brine shrimp lethality test is an adequate method for preliminary toxicity testing of Thymus vulgaris L. essential oil in tumor cell lines.

Efficacy and safety of three plant extracts based formulations of vagitories in the treatment of vaginitis: a randomized controlled trial.

Aim There are more and more herbal preparations that are used for the purpose of treatment and improvement of the clinical manifestation of vaginitis not only by patients themselves, but also by healthcare professionals. Plant species, St. John's wort, chamomile, calendula, yarrow, shepherd's purse and tea tree oil are all well known for their anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and wound healing activity. This paper presents the results of a clinical study in which three herbal formulations/vagitories, based on extracts of St. John's wort, chamomile, calendula, yarrow, shepherd's purse and tea tree oil, were investigated for their effectiveness on vaginitis. Methods This was a randomized controlled clinical study that included 210 women with diagnosed vaginitis. Patients were divided into two basic groups, women in reproductive period and postmenopausal period. Three subgroups including 30 patients each received one of the three vagitorie formulations for 5 days, after which the effects on subjective and objective symptoms were monitored. Results Three types of vagitories based on plant extracts had a positive effect in the treatment of vaginitis. Vagitories based on tea tree oil showed better efficiency compared to vagitories with St. John's wort and vagitories based on extracts of five plants. Women in postmenopausal group reported better tolerability of St. John's wort-based and five herbs-based vagitories compared to tea tree oil based vagitories. Conclusion Investigated vagitories showed a positive effect on both objective and subjective symptoms of vagitnis. No serious side effects were reported.

Studying Mass Balance and the Stability of (Z)-Ligustilide from Angelica sinensis Helps to Bridge a Botanical Instability-Bioactivity Chasm.

Numerous reports assigning (Z)-ligustilide (1) the role of a major bioactive principle in Apiaceae botanicals are called into question by the recurrent demonstrations of 1 being an unstable, rapidly degrading compound, ultimately leading to dynamic residual complexity. While Angelica sinensis is recognized for its therapeutic value in (peri-)menopausal symptom management, its purported active principle, 1, represents a typical example of the instability-bioactivity chasm of botanicals. To help bridge the gap, this study used both the essential oil and purified 1 obtained from A. sinensis to investigate the factors that influence the chemical transformation of 1, the products formed, and the rationale for monitoring 1 in natural product preparations. Countercurrent separation was used to purify 1 from a supercritical fluid extract of A. sinensis, achieving 93.4% purity in a single step. Subsequent purification by preparative HPLC afforded 1 with a 98.0% purity. Providing a mass balance setting, we monitored chemical changes occurring to highly purified 1 under various conditions and at different time points, in sealed NMR tubes by quantitative 1H NMR (qHNMR). The nondestructive nature of NMR enabled a comprehensive assessment of degradation products. Moreover, in being a mole-based determination, the total intensity (integral) of all NMR signals intrinsically represents the theoretical mass balance within the sample solution. The results demonstrated that 1 is most stable while within the original plant material. Exposure to light had a profound impact on the chemical transformation of 1, leading to the formation of ligustilide dimers and trimers, as verified by both NMR and LC-HRMS studies. Moreover, the results shown for 1, augmented by other recent outcomes, have serious implications for the meaningful biological evaluation of NPs that exhibit instability/reactivity, while having a plethora of "promising" bioactivities reported in the literature and being frequently associated with unsubstantiated health claims.

In vitro Antiproliferative activity of Melissa officinalis L. (Lamiaceae) leaves essential oil / Actividad antiproliferativa in vitro de aceite esencial de hojas de Melissa officinalis L (Lamiaceae)

In the present study, we investigated the antiproliferative activity of essential oil from leaves of Melissa officinalis L. grown in Southern Bosnia and Herzegovina. In vitro evaluation of antiproliferative activity of the M. officinalis essential oil was carried out on three human tumor cell lines: MCF-7, NCI-H460 and MOLT-4 by MTT assay. M. officinalis essential oil was characterized by high percentage of monoterpenes (77,5%), followed by the sesquiterpene fraction (14,5%) and aliphatic compounds (2,2%). The main constituents of the essential oil of M. officinalis are citral (47,2%), caryophyllene oxide (10,2%), citronellal (5,4%), geraniol (6,6%), geranyl acetate (4,1%) and ß- caryophyllene (3,8%). The essential oil showed significant antiproliferative activity against three cancer cell lines, MOLT-4, MCF-7, and NCI-H460 cells, with GI50 values of <5, 6±2 and 31±17 µg/mL, respectively. The results revealed that M. officinalis L. essential oil has a potential as anticancer therapeutic agent.

En el presente estudio, investigamos la actividad antiproliferativa del aceite esencial de las hojas de Melissa officinalis L. cultivadas en el sur de Bosnia y Herzegovina. La evaluación in vitro de la actividad antiproliferativa del aceite esencial de M. officinalis se llevó a cabo en tres líneas celulares de tumores humanos: MCF-7, NCI-H460 y MOLT-4 utilizando el ensayo de MTT. El aceite esencial de M. officinalis se caracterizó por un alto porcentaje de monoterpenos (77,5%), seguido de la fracción sesquiterpénica (14,5%) y compuestos alifáticos (2,2%). Los principales constituyentes del aceite esencial de M. officinalis fueron citral (47,2%), óxido de cariofileno (10,2%), citronelal (5,4%), geraniol (6,6%), acetato de geranilo (4, 1%), y ß-cariofileno (3,8%). El aceite esencial mostró una actividad antiproliferativa significativa contra las líneas celulares de cáncer MOLT-4, MCF-7 y NCI-H460, con valores GI50 de <5, 6±2 y 31±17 µg/mL, respectivamente. Los resultados revelaron que el aceite esencial de M. officinalis L. tiene potencial como agente terapéutico contra el cáncer.

9-(4'-dimethylaminophenyl)-2,6,7-trihydroxy-xanthene-3-one is a Potentially Novel Antiplatelet Drug which Antagonizes the Effect of Thromboxane A2.

BACKGROUND: Currently, used oral antiplatelet drugs are both limited and associated with the risk of treatment failure/resistance. Research in this area is hence highly desired. A series of xanthene-3-ones derivatives, we had synthesized, showed us that these derivatives had antiplatelet activity. As far as we know, no research on the effects of xanthen-3-ones in this area has been done. OBJECTIVE: The aim was to study the antiplatelet potential of a series of synthesised 9-phenylxanthene- 3-ones and to find the ideal structural feature(s) for antiplatelet potential and determine the mechanism of action. METHODS: The compounds were synthesized from 1,2,4-triacetoxybenzene and various benzaldehydes. The reaction proceeded smoothly under acidic alcoholic conditions, furnishing the desired products in good yields. The compounds were first screened in whole human blood where platelet aggregation was induced by arachidonic acid. Further analysis was targeted at search of the mechanism of action. RESULTS: Initial screening showed that a majority of the synthesized derivatives had substantial antiplatelet potential. None of the compounds were able to block cyclooxygenase 1 or thromboxane synthase. The mechanism appeared to be based on antagonism of thromboxane effects. The most potent compound 9-(4'-dimethylaminophenyl)-2,6,7-trihydroxy-xanthene-3-one had better potential to block collagen induced platelet aggregation than clinically used acetylsalicylic acid. CONCLUSION: The last mentioned derivative is promising for further in vivo testing.

Sweet spot matching: A thin-layer chromatography-based countercurrent solvent system selection strategy.

TLC-based strategies were proposed in 1979 (Hostettmann et al.) and 2005 (Friesen & Pauli; GUESS method) to minimize the number of partitioning experiments required for countercurrent separation (CCS) solvent system selection. As semi-empirical approaches, both proposed that the K values defining the sweet spot of optimal CCS corresponded to a matching Rf value range from the silica gel TLC plate developed in the organic phase of a biphasic or a corresponding monophasic solvent system. Despite their simplicity, there has been an absence of theoretical support and a deficiency of reported experimental evidence. The present study explores the theory required to develop correlations between Rf and K. All theoretical models surmise that the optimal Rf value range should be centered at 0.5. In order to validate the feasibility of the concept of matching Rf and K values, 43 natural products and six solvent system families were investigated. Out of 62 correlations, 45 resulted in matched Rf and K values. Based on this study, practical guidelines for the TLC-based prediction strategy are provided. These approaches will equip CCS users with an updated understanding of how to apply the TLC-based solvent system selection strategy to accelerate a targeted selection of CCS conditions.

Anticoagulant activity of some Artemisia dracunculus leaf extracts.

Platelet hyperactivity and platelet interaction with endothelial cells contribute to the development and progression of many cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclerosis and thrombosis. The impact of platelet activity with different pharmacological agents, such as acetylsalicylic acid and coumarin derivatives, has been shown to be effective in the prevention of cardiovascular disease. Artemisia dracunculus, L. Asteraceae (Tarragon) is used for centuries in the daily diet in many Middle Eastern countries, and it is well known for its anticoagulant activity. The present study investigates the presence of coumarins in tarragon leaves and subsequently determines the extract with a major amount of coumarin derivatives. The solvents of different polarities and different pH values were used for the purpose of purifying the primary extract in order to obtain fractions with the highest coumarin content. Those extracts and fractions were investigated for their anticoagulant activity by determining prothrombin time (PT) and the international normalized ratio (INR), expressed in relation to the coagulation time of the healthy person. Purified extracts and fractions obtained from plant residue after essential oil distillation, concentrated in coumarin derivatives, showed the best anticoagulant activity, using samples of human blood. INR maximum value (2.34) and consequently the best anticoagulant activity showed the methanol extract at concentration of 5%.  The INR value of normal plasma in testing this extract was 1.05.

Identification and isolation of pharmacologically active triterpenes in Betuale cortex, Betula pendula Roth., Betulaceae.

Betulae cortex, Betula pendula Roth., Betulaceae, comprise triterpene substances which are confirmed to posses very important pharmacological activities such as anti-inflammatory, anticancer and antiviral. In this study, extraction of triterpene substances from both, inner and external birch bark was carried out and after that qualitative analysis on betulin, betulinic acid, oleanolic acid and lupeol was performed by method of thin layer chromatography. By this separation method, applying system for development benzene-ethyl acetate-formic acid (36:12:5), is gained a good separation of examined triterpene substances from methanol extracts of inner and external birch bark as well as used standards. From obtained row triterpene mixtures, certain triterpene substances are isolated using method of dry column chromatography. To those substances infrared (IR) spectra were recorded and compared with IR spectra of adequate standards. The study encloses all obtained IR spectra and interpretations on the basis of which can be concluded that triterpene substances, betulin, betulin acid and lupeol isolated from external birch bark give identical characteristic signals and absorbance as referent standards. Method of dry column chromatography has resulted as simple, efficient, repeatable and economical for laboratory conditions. Beside this, a sufficient quantity of examined triterpene substances is also obtained for continuation of their further analytical analysis.

[Pre-operative nutritional status as a morbidity factor in surgical patients]. / Preoperativni nutritivni status pacijenta kao faktor morbiditeta kod hirurskih pacijenata.

Malnutrition is very common in critically ill patients. According to the available data, a high percentage of patients (30-60%) suffers from some degree of malnutrition, and in 10-15% of patients malnutrition can be very severe. Patient's nutritional status usually worsens during hospitalization. In malnutrition, the functions of all organ systems change. Surgical treatment is a stress for the body, which leads to the predominant catabolic response with accelerated decomposition of the non-fat tissue, resulting in enhanced gluconeogenesis and negative nitrogen balance, which further compromise body's vital functions. Due to such physiological effects, malnutrition is followed by increased number of complications of the underlying disease, higher mortality rate, prolonged hospitalization and increased treatment costs. Malnutrition is common in clinical practice, so at the time of the admission, all patients should be checked for signs of malnutrition. After noticing the presence of the increased risk, it is necessary to make a plan for preoperative nutritional support, in order to prepare the patient optimally for the surgical procedure. It is also necessary to check the factors which might lead to further worsening of the nutritional status of the patient. With adequate screening and therapy, it is possible to improve patients' general condition and the outcome, as well as to reduce the percentage of complications, mortality rate and treatment costs.

Potential antimicrobial effects of pharmacognostic drugs.

Pharmacognostic aspect, in treating of natural medicinal materials and medicinal of natural origin, is presented by very complex group of analytical and applicative methods. They are applied by means of identification, purities and quality of natural medicinal materials of vegetal, animal or mineral origin, more precisely of pharmacognostic drugs. A great number of drugs and their isolated products show the antimicrobial activities. The chemical substances, which are present in drugs, are currier of antimicrobial activities manifested by action on different bacteria, fungus, parasites and even viruses. The whole series of methods for analyzing of antimicrobial effects of drugs and the medicines in general are treated by scientific discipline microbiology. In order to complete the pharmacognostic analyses of drugs and there medicinal products, the microbiological analyses take a very important role. The antimicrobial and antifungal effects of series of plant materials, of pharmacognostic drugs against the large number of bacteria and fungus Candida have been carried out. The drugs we analyzed were treated from their chemical point of view and that is the presence of: coumarins, mucus and anthraquinones. The contents of these substances in plant material were analyzed by method of thin layer chromatography that was published preliminary. The antimicrobial effects of analyzed drugs were determinate by using dilution method in antimicrobial analyses which have been carried out with decocts of drugs.

Thin layer chromatography-application in qualitative analysis on presence of coumarins and flavonoids in plant material.

Drugs, natural medicinal plant, animals and mineral materials, have a large and various application in official pharmacy and medicine. Carriers of multilateral pharmacological effects that those drugs shown, are chemically define as active components that are present in them. Methods of qualitative and quantitative analysis are used for the chemical investigation of components that drugs contain. Method of thin layer chromatography has been shown as very reliable. According to the chemical investigation of single drugs, it is possible to define a group of compound or single compound comparing them with standards. Relating to the usage of method of thin layer chromatography, it has been carried out investigation on presence of coumarins and flavonoids in domestic plant material that have wide everyday usage. Coumarins and flavonoids from the point of view of chemical belonging are phenol derivatives with important pharmacological effects. Applying method of thin layer chromatography, it is detected presence of coumarins and flavonoids substances in plant material that has been tested. Anethi graveolens fructus et folium (fruit and leaf of dill), Anethum graveolens L., Apiaceae, Avenae sativae fructus (fruit of oats), Avena sativa L., Poaceae and Asperulae odoratae herba (sweet woodruff), Asperula odorata L., Rubiaceae. Chromatograms are developed in systems cyclohexane-ethylacetat (13:7) and toluene-ether (1:1) saturated with 10% acetic acid, and visualisation by observing on UV lamp (254 and 366 nm), spraying with reagents KOH (10% ethanol solution) and diphenylboryloxyethylamine (1% methanol solution).