August 2011
In vitro antigiardial activity of Citrullus lanatus Var. citroides extracts and cucurbitacins isolated compounds
The present study was conducted to investigate the antigiardial activities of Citrullus lanatusvar. citroides (wild watermelon) fruits, petroleum ether, ethyl acetate, butanol crude extracts as well as Cucurbitacin E and Cucurbitacin L 2-O-β-glucoside pure isolated compounds from C. lanatus var. citroides. Cucurbitacin E and Cucurbitacin L 2-O-β-glucoside were revealed to...
August 2011
Prevention of CCl4 induced adrenal oxidative stress in rat by Sonchus asper
Sonchus arvensis is used as salad, vegetable and as a human diet in Pakistan, traditionally used in the treatment of various ailments. This study was designed to investigate the mathanol extract of S. arvensis was evaluated against CCl4-induced adrenal oxidative stress in rat. The extract was administered to rats after 48 h of CCl4 treatment (3 ml/kg b.w., 30% in olive oil) twice a week for 4 weeks....
August 2011
Thymoquinone rich fraction from Nigella sativa and thymoquinone are cytotoxic towards colon and leukemic carcinoma cell lines
Nigella sativa has been used for centuries in Asia, Middle East and Africa to promote health and fight diseases. In this study, the anti-cancer effects of thymoquinone rich fraction (TQRF) extracted from N. sativa seeds using supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) system and commercially available thymoquinone (TQ) on colon cancer (HT29), lymphoblastic leukemia (CEMSS) and promyelocytic leukemia (HL60)...
August 2011
The study of planting area on components of Baishouwu anti-tumor effective fraction by RP-HPLC
Baishouwu glycosides (CGB) is an anti-tumor effective fraction that has been extracted and isolated from Cynanchum auriculatum Royle ex Wight. To study the differences on components of CGB from 3 main planting areas, we extracted materia medica, isolated and purified CGB from the extract. Physical and chemical identification of CGB indicated that components in CGB had 2-deoxysugar steroids. The results of TLC...
August 2011
Evaluating the effects of ginger extract on knee pain, stiffness and difficulty in patients with knee osteoarthritis
The present study was aimed to evaluate the effects of ginger extract on knee pain, stiffness and difficulty in patients with knee osteoarthritis. 204 patients with knee osteoarthritis were enrolled in a randomized clinical trial. After a 1-week washing period, the groups received ginger extract (103 cases) or placebo (101 cases). A responder was defined by a reduction in pain of > 15 mm on a visual analog scale...
August 2011
Screening of Acacia modesta for antifungal, anti-termite, nitric oxide free radical scavenging assay and brine shrimp cytotoxic activities
A variety of useful bioactive products are produced by the self generating machines, that is, plants. This make us interested in screening the crude methanolic extract and various fractions of Acacia modesta for antifungal, anti-termite, nitric oxide free radical scavenging and brine shrimp cytotoxic activities. The chloroform (CHCl3) fraction exhibited low activity (15%) against Fusarium oxysporum. The...
August 2011
Evaluation of anti-diabetic activity and toxic potential of Lycium shawii in animal models
The powder and decoction of Lycium shawii Roem and Schult (Solonaceae) aerial part are used as a folklore remedy in the treatment of diabetes by the local community in various parts of Saudi Arabia. In the present study, attempts were made to scientifically justify the alleged anti-diabetic efficacy of this plant and to evaluate its toxic potential. The 80% ethanol extract of L. shawii aerial parts...
August 2011
Co-overexpression of the HMGR and FPS genes enhances artemisinin content in Artemisia annua L.
Artemisinin, a sesquiterpene lactone endoperoxide derived from the plant Artemisia annuaL., is considered to be the most effective antimalarial drug. To increase the production of artemisinin, the hmgr and fps genes which encode two key enzymes involved in artemisinin synthesis, were cloned from A. annua, respectively. The genes were inserted between the cauliflower mosaic virus 35S...
August 2011
The traditional medicinal and food uses of four plants in Oaxaca, Mexico
Rural and urban populations in Valles Centrales, Oaxaca, Mexico, use certain plant species for therapeutic and dietary purposes. The wild-growing plants most commonly consumed during the rainy season by those with scarce economic resources are Portulaca oleraceaL., Galinsoga quadriradiata Ruiz and Pavon and Anoda cristata (L.) Schltdl. (vernacular names: verdolaga, piojito and violeta,...
August 2011
Epoxyaurapten inhibition of smooth muscle contraction and phosphorylation of myosin light chain by myosin light chain kinase
Epoxyaurapten is a component of coumarin, which was isolated from Aurantii Fructus Immaturus. The objective of this study was to determine the inhibition of epoxyaurapten on smooth muscle in vitro. The experiment of smooth muscle contraction directly monitored the contractions of the isolated proximal duodenum by frequency and amplitude at different epoxyaurapten concentrations and under different incubation times....
August 2011
Toxicity studies of alkaloids of seeds of Datura stramonium and synthesis alkaloids in male rats
The effects of acute, subacute and chronic administration of alkaloids atropine and scopolamine, the main constituents of the active principle of Datura stramonium, with toxic properties, were studied in male Albino-Wistar rats. After acute i.p administration of dose 100 mg/kg (1/4 DL50) of total alkaloids to the seeds of D. stramonium, there were no remarkable changes in general appearance and no deaths...
August 2011
The influence of organ and post-harvest drying period on yield and chemical composition of the essential oils of Etlingera elatior (Zingiberaceae)
Four different parts from Etlingera elatior (Jack) R. M. Smith plant were subjected to four different post-harvest drying times (6, 24, 48 and 72 h, respectively) to study the effect of post-harvest drying period on its essential oil yield and composition. The essential oils were extracted using the hydrodistillation method for 5 h. The oils were analyzed by capillary GC and GC/MS. The highest yield was...
August 2011
A new source of natural D-borneol and its characteristic
The essential oils from leaves of Mei Pian tree (a Cinnamomun burmannii physiological type), were obtained by hydro-distillation and analyzed by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Forty compounds representing 99.61% of the total oil containing D-borneol (78.6%) as the major component were obtained. D-borneol was purified by sublimation, and the characteristic of the refined D-borneol...
August 2011
Antiproliferative activity of different extracts from Daphne altaica Pall. on selected cancer cells
Daphne altaica Pall. (Thymelaeaceae) is a medicinal plant that has long been used to treat cancer and respiratory ailments in Traditional Kazakh Medicine. In order to systematically evaluate its potential anticancer activity, six extracts of different polarity, namely: aqueous, n-butanol, ethyl acetate, chloroform, petroleum ether and ethanol extracts were obtained from this plant and they were tested for their...
August 2011
Antimicrobial activity of essential oil extract of Ocimum basilicum L. leaves on a variety of pathogenic bacteria
As in the recent years the usage of the herbal materials has been increased, it seems necessary to study the antibacterial effects of them. The basil herb, which is easily cultured worldwide, may be a potentially good candidate to be used as a plant with antibacterial activity. The essential oil was distilled using a Clevenger-type apparatus and extracted from plant leaves. The antibacterial properties of basil...
August 2011
Composition of the essential oil of Teucrium parviflorum L. (Lamiaceae) from Turkey
The essential oil of the aerial parts of Teucrium parviflorum L. (Lamiaceae) from Turkey was analyzed by GC and GC/MS system. The oil was obtained by hydrodistillation with clevenger apparatus. Thirty three components, representing (80.7%) of the oils, were characterized. The main components were β-caryophyllene (18.6%), germacrene D (9.2%), caryophyllene oxide (8.8%) and bicyclogermacrene...
August 2011
Effect of the route of garlic treatment on modulation of liver and spleen redox status in rats
Garlic is a widely used medicinal plant exhibiting beneficial health effects such as antidiabetic, antioxidant or hypolipidemic. However several controversies persist about the beneficial or toxic effects of garlic according to its mode of administration in rat. We analyzed the ability of high dosage garlic administered per orally (p.o.) or through intraperitoneal (i.p.) route to act on liver and spleen...
August 2011
Discrimination of the medicinal plant Fallopia multiflora and its adulterants by diagnostic polymerase chain reaction (PCR)
The roots of Fallopia multiflora are widely used in Chinese medicine for their anti-inflammatory prosperities. While recently, F. multiflora has been found to be adulterated with some species with similar morphologies but little or different biological activity due to its natural resource deficiency. The discrimination of F. multiflora from its adulterants is currently limited to...
August 2011
Influence of quercetin on transforming growth factor b1 in the uterus following Lps-induced abortion in pregnant mice
To investigate the significance of transforming growth factor b1(TGF-b1) in the uterus in early embryo loss (or resorption) and to elucidate the anti-abortive effect and the immunological modulation at the maternal-fetal interaction of quercetin (Que). Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (0.10 μg/mouse) was injected via the tail vein in order to induce abortion in 7-day-gestation mice which also received quercetin at days...
August 2011
Using DNA markers and barcoding to solve the common problem of identifying dried medicinal plants with the examples of Smilax and Cissus in Thailand
Medicinal herbs called Khao-Yen Nuer and Khao-Yen Tai in Thai traditional medicines have been used as common ingredients in several preparations. They were claimed to be Smilax china or Smilax glabra. In order to identify the dried medicines, fresh samples of S. chinaand S. glabra were collected. Another two fresh samples with the same local names were also collected...
August 2011
Development of a stable male-sterile line and its utilization in high yield hybrid of Platycodon Grandiflorum
Bell flower (Platycodon grandiflorum (Jacq.) A. DC.) has been widely cultivated for medicinal, edible and ornamental purposes. In this study, a stable male-sterile line, GP1BC1-12, was developed based on the discovery of original male-sterile plants of bell flower from cultivated populations in 2004. And three hybrid cultivars, “Zhonggeng No. 1”, “Zhonggeng No. 2” and “Zhonggeng No....
August 2011
Leaf epidermal anatomy as an aid to the identification of genus Setaria weeds, tribe paniceae (Poaceae), from the salt range of Pakistan
Leaf epidermal anatomy of 5 species of Setaria weeds collected from salt range was carried out to identify and differentiate these species, as there is confusion in identification of these species on the basis of morphology. Variations in different leaf epidermal characters are observed in different Setaria species. Setaria glauca is identified by the absence of prickles on the abaxial side, while...
August 2011
Woody plants and herbs as bioindicators of the current condition of the natural environment in Serbia
Being the inhabitants of all parts of the environment (water, air, soil) plants can very precisely point to the ecological conditions of the environment. Vascular plants are often used for biomonitoring of heavy metals. The analyses are most often performed on plant leaves. The results of this research clearly indicate that pollution with lead on the locations of Avala (locations 1, 2 and 3), although being of an...
August 2011
Agrimoniin induced SGC7901 cell apoptosis associated mitochondrial transmembrane potential and intracellular calcium concentration
Agrimoniin, a form of tannin separated from Agrimonia pilosa ledeb, causes cancer cell death through induction of apoptosis. The present study was designed to investigate the effects ofagrimoniin on mitochondrial transmembrane potential and the reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in human gastric cancer cell SGC-7901. In addition, the concentration of intracellular calcium was measured by laser confocal...
August 2011
Wild edible plants used by the Kattunaikka, Paniya and Kuruma tribes of Wayanad District, Kerala, India
Wayanad district is with a hilly terrain on the southern Western Ghats and located in the northeast part of Kerala state. The ethnic diversity of the district is very impressive as evidenced by ten different tribal groups. Ethnobotanical studies in the district resulted in the documentation of information on 165 edible plants used by Kattunaikka, Paniya and Kuruma tribes. The Paniya community possesses knowledge...
August 2011
Inhibitory effect of caffeic acid and its derivatives on human liver cytochrome P450 3A4 activity
Effects of caffeic acid (CAF) and its derivatives on human liver CYP3A4 activity were evaluated by using diazepam as a substrate. It was found that CAF inhibited CYP3A4 activity by uncompetitive inhibition with IC50 0.72 µM, whereas ester and amide analogues inhibited CYP3A4 by competitive inhibition with IC50 value of 0.31, 0.37, 0.46, 0.49, 0.53, 0.58, 0.75 and 0.82 µM for ethyl 1-...
August 2011
Physicochemical composition of hydro-distilled essential oil from coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.) seeds cultivated in Pakistan
This experiment describes the physiochemical composition of the essential oil derived from the seeds of coriander (Coriandrum sativum) cultivated in Pakistan. Hydrodistilled essential oil content from coriander seeds was found to be 0.15%. The physicochemical properties namely density (25°C), refractive index (25°C), acid value, ester value, and optical rotation (25°C) determined for the essential oil were...
August 2011
Arbutus unedo L. (Strawberry tree) selection in Turkey Samanli mountain locations
August 2011
Simultaneous determination of atropine and scopolamine in different parts of Hyoscyamus arachnoideus Pojark plants by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)
A reverse phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) equipped with UV-PDA detector was used for the analysis of main tropane alkaloids, scopolamine and atropine, in the roots, aerial parts and seeds of Hyoscyamus arachnoideus Pojark plants collected from five different parts of Iran. Results showed that scopolamine was only the main alkaloid of two H. arachnoideus populations seeds, while...
August 2011
Phenolic acids in some Indian cultivars of Momordica charantia and their therapeutic properties
Bitter gourd (Momordica charantia) is an important medicinal plant consumed mostly as vegetable. Often the whole plant is used in different forms for improving human health. Phenolic acid analysis by high performance liquid chromatograph (HPLC) of three cultivars of M. charantia (viz., Pusa Vishesh, Kalyanpur Barasati and Priya) has been done. Kalyanpur Barasati was rich in some phenolic acids (six...
August 2011
Bioactive compounds and antimicrobial efficacy of the extracts of Combretum pincianum Hook
Combretum pincianum Hook is a shrub that is wide spread in the tropics. Its leaves are widely used in Africa as herbal remedies for treating typhoid fever, tonsillitis, conjunctivitis and gastrointestinal disorders. Its extract was obtained by cold extraction of its powdered dry leaves in a mixture of methanol and water at the ratio 3:2. The antimicrobial activity of the extract at a concentration of 25 mg/ml was...
August 2011
In vitro culture and plant regeneration from shoot tip and lateral bud explants of Gypsophila paniculata L.
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