Tamizaje de alcaloides y saponinas en plantas que crecen en Cuba. II. Sierra del Rosario / Screening for alkaloids and saponins in Cuban plants. III. Sierra del Rosario

Se estudiaron 88 especies (90 muestras) pertenecientes a 42 familias de la flora cubana, a las cuales se les realizaron pruebas químicas de detección de alcaloides y saponinas. El porcentaje de pruebas positivas fue de 80,0 y 57,8 por ciento respectivamente

Efecto citoprotector y cicatrizante de la Lippia triphylla (Tiquil Tiquil): Taraxacum officinale(Diente de León) y Brassica campestris L.(nabo silvestre) sobre las ulceras Gástricas Experimentales inducidas por etanol en ratas, Arequipa 1995

El presente trabajo demuestra el estudio del efecto citoprotector y cicatrizante de tres plantas utilizadas en el tratamiento de la úlcera gástrica inducidas por etanol de ratas. Las plantas utilizadas fueron: la lippia triphylla "tiquil tiquil" (familia verbenaceae) y la brassica campestris "nabo silvestre" (familia brassicaceae); la primera recolectada en la irrigación Andamayo en el valle de Majes y las otras dos en el distrito de Cerro Colorado. Para el experimento se aplicó el extracto del polvo de las hojas. Las extracciones de los constituyentes químicos fueron obtenidos mediante el método de marcha fitoquímica simplificada. La investigación de principios activos e identificación se hizo mediante reacciones de coloración y pre3cipitación, se logro caracterizar: Sustancias tániucas y saponinas lo que hace suponer que intervienen tanto para el efecto citoprotector como cicatrizante. Se efectuó un ensayo biológico usando la solución del polvo estabilizado de las hojas del tiquil-tiquil, diente de león y del nabo silvestre. Para este ensayo se utilizó ratas albinas machos raza Holtzman aparentemente sanos; en número de 52; los cuales fueron sometidos a un periodo de estandarización en cuanto a las condiciones ambientales y de alimentación, para recientementye administrarles etanol al 45 por ciento y así inducir las lesiones gástricas. Posteriormente, se les administró los extractos acuosos de las plantas de las plantas en estudio con resultados positivos con el grupo control que recibió hidróxido de aluminio y con el grupo de animales que sólo recibieron placebo y ningún tipo de tratamiento. Se encontró similar actividad tanto citoprotectora como cicatrizante en las tres plantas experimentadas.

Effect of aqueous Neem (azadirachta indica) extract on testosterone and other blood constituents in male rats: a pilot study

Effect of oral administration of crude aqueous neem extract on serum testosterone and other blood constituents was studied in the male Wistar rats for 10 weeks. The neem treatment resulted in significant decreases (p,0.01) in total testosterone, total bilirubin and K+ in serum. There were also increases (p<0.05) in packed cell volume, mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration, red blood cell, white blood cell and lymphocyte counts without showing any cytotoxic effects in the body.

Estudo comparativo da Centella asiatica importada com C. erecta colhida no campus da UFJF / Comparative study of imported Centella asiatica with C. erecta from UFJF campus

A Centella asiatica (Linn) Urban (Hidrocotyle asiatica) pertence a familia Umbelliferae, e tambem conhecida como Cairussu, Pata de Cavalo, Coayrussu, Codagem, Centela e Centela da Asia (1). Originaria da India, e igualmente encontrada na Africa, Ilhas do Oceano Indico, principalmente em Madagascar (2) e em todo o Brasil, especialmente nos terrenos arenosos do litoral. Seu uso tem sido descrito nao somente como coadjuvante no tratamento de lesoes da pele e como diuretico, mas tambem no tratamento da sifilis e da lepra. Sua utilizacao como acelerador de cicatrizacao (3) e bioestimulante no combate a celulite tem sido justificada pela capacidade que apresenta de fixar dois aminoacidos fundamentais na estrutura do colageno - alanina e prolina - favorecendo o processo reparador do tecido, propriedade esta atribuida a fracao total triterpenica da Centella asiatica (4). A fracao total triterpenica da planta e constituida pelos acidos asiatico e madecassico e seus glicosideos, dos quais atribui-se maior importancia ao asiaticosideo - 2a, 3B, 23-trihydroxyurus-12-en-28-oico acido o-6-deoxy-a-L-mannopyranosyl-(1-4)-O-B-D-glycopiranosil-(1-6)-O-B-D-glicopyranosyl ester (5). No campus da Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora foi colhida amostra de uma especie identificada como Centella erecta (6) e sua comparacao com a C. asiatica foi efetuada. Buscou-se basicamente determinar a existencia dos componentes da fracao total triterpenica na especie brasileira, a concentracao dos mesmos e a possibilidade da utilizacao da planta em preparacoes farmaceuticas, em substituicao aquela importada

Efeito da temperatura e de ativadores no processo de extracao da bromelina / Effect of temperature and of activators on the extraction process of bromelain

No processo de extracao de bromelina de caules de abacaxi Zeiro ananas comosus cultivar Cayenne, a acetona mostrou menor eficiencia que sulfato e amonio, em relacao ao balanco material. O estudo da estabilidade em diferentes temperaturas, durante 90 dias, das amostras obtidas indicou resultados mais favoraveis na amostra preparada a partir de extrato filtrado a 40 graus centigrados e preciptado por sulfato de amonio

Comportamiento "in vitro" de la spergularia ramosa ("choque takarpo") sobre el mycobacterium tuberculosis / Spergularia ramosa cabessedes in vitro behavior (\"choque takarpo\") with Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Esta investigación sobre propiedades inhibitorias de la planta Spergularia ramosa cabessedes (Choque takarpo) en el crecimiento in vitro del Mycobacterium tuberculosis, demuestra que no cuenta con ningún producto activo en su composición con potencia de inhibir Mycobacterias

Identificacao cromatografica e acao farmacologica de extratos de Styrax camporum Pohl e Caesalpinia ferrea Martius / Chromatographic identification and pharmacologic action of Styrax camporum Pohl and Caesalpina ferrea Martius

As cascas das especies vegetais Styrax camporum Pohl, conhecida popularmente por estoraque do campo ou cuia do brejo, e Caesalpinia ferrea Martius ou pau-ferro, sao ha muito utilizadas em medicina popular como cicatrizantes e no tratamento de ulceras gastroduodenais, recentemente comprovados em trabalhos de experimentacao animal. Em funcao da dificuldade de caracterizacao dos extratos destas especies, foram padronizadas condicoes cromatograficas, que poderao ser uteis em sua identificacao. Tendo em vista que o local da ulceracao encontra-se geralmente inflamado, propoe o presente trabalho verificar se os extratos, alem da acao antiulcera, apresentam tambem acao antiinflamatoria. Como na ulceracao podem estar envolvidos tambem receptores H2 e H1, realizou-se teste de permeabilidade vascular, em que ha envolvimento de histamina, com o objetivo de verificar o possivel mecanismo de acao destes extratos

Evaluation of DNA-binding activity of hydroxyanthraquinones occurring in Rubia tinctorum L.

The naturally-occurring anthraquinones (AQs), alizarin (1,2-dihydroxyanthraquinone) and lucidin (1,3-dihydroxy-2-hydroxymethylanthraquinone), were incubated with DNA in the presence of S9 mix. The isolated DNA was analysed by 32P-postlabelling for the presence of aromatic adducts. Only lucidin formed up to five different DNA adducts in the range from 0.995 to 3.05 adducts/10(8) nucleotides. Lucidin was also incubated with polynucleotides poly[d(A-T)] and polydG*polydC in the presence of S9 mix. Analysis of polydG*polydC revealed a similar adduct pattern to that obtained with lucidin-modified DNA. Alizarin, lucidin, a glycoside mixture containing alizarinprimeveroside and lucidinprimeveroside, and Rubia Teep (a herbal drug made from Rubia tinctorum containing lucidin) were incubated with primary rat hepatocytes for 24 h and the isolated DNA was analysed by 32P-postlabelling. Lucidin, the glycoside mixture and Rubia Teep gave rise to DNA adducts, but alizarin did not. Male Parkes mice were treated orally for 4 days with alizarin (10 mg/d), lucidin (2 mg/d), the glycoside mixture (20 mg/d) or Rubia Teep (1/2 tablet/d) and DNA was isolated from liver, kidney, duodenum and colon. Analysis by 32P-postlabelling revealed that lucidin, the glycoside mixture and Rubia Teep, but not alizarin, formed DNA adducts in all the tissues examined but that the adduct patterns were organ-specific.

Structure and in vitro antiviral activity of triterpenoid saponins from Calendula arvensis.

A reinvestigation of the aerial parts of Calendula arvensis afforded, in addition to the oleanolic acid glycosides 1-4 (4), the new glycoside 5 whose structure was elucidated by spectral and chemical studies and determined as 3-O-(beta-D-galactopyranosyl-(1----3) [beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1----4)]-beta-D-glucopyranosyl) oleanolic acid (28----1)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl ester. Furthermore, some antiviral tests were performed on glycosides 1-5 and on 5a, the hydrolysis product of 5, towards vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) and rhinovirus (HRV) infection in cell cultures. An inhibitory effect against VSV multiplication was observed for all the compounds tested while HRV replication was significantly affected only by compound 3.

[Chemical constituents of the aerial parts of six species of Bupleurum genus medicinally used in south-west region of China].

The chemical constituents of the aerial parts of six species of Bupleurum genus (B. kunmingense, B. polyclonum, B. wenchuanense, B. longicaule var. franchetii, B. rockii and B. chaishoui) medicinally used in south-west region of China have been investigated with the results of obtaining eight flavonoid compounds and six triterpenoid saponins. The aglycones of these eight flavonoid compounds are quercetin and isorhamnetin, which are different from the aglycones of the flavonoid compounds isolated from the aerial parts of B. chinense, the official species in Chinese Pharmacopoeia. In the latter case, the aglycone is kaempferol. This difference may be of chemotaxonomic value in Bupleurum genus.

[Analysis of volatile oil in pericarpium Zanthoxyli].

Essential oils were extracted from the pericarp of Zanthoxylum bungeanum and Z. schinifolium. The chemical constituents were analysed by means of GC-MS and 33 compounds were identified. Their contents in the essential oil were also determined.

6-Pentadecylsalicylic acid: an antithrombin component isolated from the stem of Rhus semialata var. roxburghii.

Bioassay-directed fractionation of the n-hexane extract of the stem of Rhus semialata Murr. var. roxburghii DC (Anacardiaceae) has led to the isolation of 6-pentadecylsalicylic acid. It showed antithrombin activity at 50 micrograms/ml in the amidolytic method. It also prolonged the clotting time in a dose-dependent manner in the clotting assay of thrombin-fibrinogen interaction.

Cytotoxic principles of Securinega virosa: virosecurinine and viroallosecurinine and related derivatives.

Virosecurinine (1) and viroallosecurinine (2) were isolated as two cytotoxic alkaloids from the leaves of Securinega virosa. A comparison of the cytotoxicity of 1 and several of its derivatives indicates that an alpha,beta- and a gamma,delta-unsaturated lactone located in a strained ring system, such as rings -B, -C, and -D of 1, is structurally required for significant cytotoxicity.

Can ethnopharmacology contribute to the development of antiviral drugs?

In recent years, many compounds having potent antiviral activity in cell cultures and in experimental animals have been detected, but only a few have been approved by Western health authorities for clinical use. Nevertheless, some of these compounds are currently undergoing either preclinical or clinical evaluation, and perspectives for finding new interesting antiviral drugs are promising. Among these antiviral substances are several natural compounds isolated from plants used in traditional medicine including polysaccharides, flavonoids, terpenes, alkaloids, phenolics and amino acids. Some of these plant compounds exhibit a unique antiviral mechanism of action and are good candidates for further clinical research. What follows is a brief summary of the selection methods of plants for antiviral screening and in vitro and in vivo assays, which are currently used for detecting this activity in plant extracts. The importance of the plant kingdom as a source of new antiviral substances will be illustrated by presenting a survey on plant-derived antirhinovirus and anti-HIV agents.

A cytotoxic substance from Sangre de Grado.

Taspine has been isolated as a cytotoxic substance from Sangre de Grado, sap of Croton palanostigma (Euphorbiaceae), by bioassay guided fractionation. The cytotoxicity (IC50) of taspine was found to be 0.39 microgram/ml against KB cells and 0.17 microgram/ml against V-79 cells.

Hypoglycemic effect of swerchirin from the hexane fraction of Swertia chirayita.

A xanthone was isolated from the hexane fraction of the Swertia chirayita plant and identified as 1,8-dihydroxy-3,5-dimethoxyxanthone (swerchirin). It has a very significant blood sugar lowering effect in fasted, fed, glucose loaded, and tolbutamide pretreated albino rat models. The ED50 for 40% blood sugar lowering in CF male albino rats (body weight 140-165 g) is 23.1 mg/kg/oral. The possibility of its application in clinical therapy for diabetes mellitus needs exploration.

Neurotropic action of the hydroalcoholic extract of Melissa officinalis in the mouse.

A lyophilised hydroalcoholic extract of Melissa officinalis L. (Lamiaceae) has been evaluated for behavioral effects in mice. According to the traditional use of M. officinalis, sedative properties have been confirmed for low doses by the decrease of behavioral parameters measured in a non-familiar environment test (staircase test) and in a familiar environment test (two compartment test). With high doses, a peripheral analgesic activity was obtained by reducing the acetic acid-induced pain (writhing test); moreover, the plant extract induced the sleep in mice after treatment with an infrahypnotic dose of pentobarbital and potentialised the sleep induced by a hypnotic dose of pentobarbital.

Hepatoprotective and anti-inflammatory effects of a traditional medicinal plant of Chile, Peumus boldus.

Dried hydro-alcoholic extract of Peumus boldus (Monimiaceae) has been evaluated for hepatoprotective, choleretic and anti-inflammatory effects in mice and rats, in order to validate or to invalidate traditional therapeutic indications. This extract exerted a significant hepatoprotection of tert-butyl hydroperoxide-induced hepatotoxicity in isolated rat hepatocytes (in vitro technique) by reducing the lipid peroxidation and the enzymatic leakage of LDH; this in vitro efficacy was reinforced by a significant hepatoprotection on CCl4-induced hepatotoxicity in mice (in vivo technique), the plant extract reducing the enzymatic leakage of ALAT. Boldine, the main alkaloid of P. boldus appears to be implicated in this hepatoprotective activity. Choleretic effects, often mentioned in traditional indications, have not been confirmed in rats. Finally, significant and dose-dependent anti-inflammatory effects were obtained on an acute inflammatory process (carrageenan-induced edema test in rats). Boldine does not appear to be involved in such properties.