Antibacterial activity of some Moroccan medicinal plants

The extracts of 12 plants selected on the basis of the folk-medicine reports were examined for their antibacterial effects against eight pathogenic bacteria. The n-butanol extract of Calotropis procera flowers and the aqueous extract of Eugenia caryophyllata proved to be the most effective against the bacteria tested.     

Abortifacient activity of some Nigerian medicinal plants

The abortifacient effects of five plant species commonly used by Nigerian traditional birth attendants to achieve relatively painless delivery, hasten fetal delivery and evacuate retained placenta were investigated. Aqueous extracts of the plants were prepared and screened pharmacologically using isolated smooth muscle preparations and pregnant animals. The extracts were also subjected to toxicological and phytochemical studies. The extracts contracted isolated uterine smooth muscle preparation and potentiated oxytocin-induced responses of the uterus. In the whole animal, the extracts caused expulsion of fetuses in the third trimesters of pregnancy. These results appear to justify their traditional uses.     

Screening of some medicinal plants from cameroon for beta-lactamase inhibitory activity

In efforts to find new bioactive beta-lactamase inhibitors, this study investigated 16 Cameroonian plants belonging to 10 families which were evaluated for anti-beta-lactamase activity. The investigation showed that extracts 2, 6, 3 and 5 of the 16 plants investigated presented interesting in vitro beta-lactamase inhibition (over 90%), respectively, of the beta-lactamases TEM-1, OXA-10, IMP-1 and P99. These extracts were from Mammea africana (all beta-lactamases), Garcinia lucida, G. kola (OXA-10, IMP-1 and P99), Bridelia micrantha (OXA-10, P99), Ochna afzelii (OXA-10, P99), Prunus africana (IMP-1) and Adenia lobata (TEM-1). After elimination of tannins (according to the European Pharmacopoeia) the extracts from B. micrantha, G. lucida and M. africana were tested further for their anti-beta-lactamase activity. The extracts from B. micrantha and G. lucida exhibited potent inhibitory activity, respectively, of beta-lactamase OXA-10 (IC(50) = 0.02 mg/mL) and P99 (IC(50) = 0.01 mg/mL). The anti-beta-lactamase activity of M. africana extract was weak. The isolation and the structural elucidation of the active constituents of G. lucida and B. micrantha will provide useful leads in the development of beta-lactamase inhibitors.     

Anti-plasmodial activity of the extracts of some Kenyan medicinal plants

Ethnopharmacological relevance

The spread of drug resistant Plasmodium falciparum strains necessitates search for alternative newer drugs for use against malaria. Medicinal plants used traditionally in preparation of herbal medicines for malaria are potential source of new anti-malarial drugs.

Aim of the Study

To identify the anti-plasmodial potential of twelve plants used in preparing herbal remedies for malaria in Kilifi and Tharaka districts of Kenya.

Materials and Methods

Twelve plants used traditionally for anti-malarial therapy in Kilifi and Tharaka districts were extracted with water/methanol yielding twenty-three extracts. The extracts were tested against chloroquine sensitive (NF54) and resistant (ENT30) P. falciparum strains in vitro using ³Hypoxanthine assay.

Results

Seven (30%) extracts showed activity against P. falciparum with IC₅₀ values below 20 μg/ml. The remaining 16 extracts showed low or no activity. The most active extracts were from Zanthoxylum chalybeum (Rutaceae) with an IC₅₀ value of 3.65 μg/ml, Cyperus articulatus (Cyperaceae) with 4.84 μg/ml, and Cissampelos pareira (Menispermaceae) with 5.85 μg/ml.

Conclusions

This study revealed plants, that are potential sources of anti-malarial compounds. Anti-plasmodial activities of extracts of T. simplicifolia, C. pareira, and C. articulatus are reported for the first time.     

唇形科8种药用植物漆酶基因的发现与生物信息学分析

目的 分析漆酶在唇形科药用植物中的异同,以期为唇形科药用植物中漆酶的后续研究提供依据.方法 通过生物信息学方法从唇形科8种药用植物的转录组数据库中发掘了31个完整漆酶基因并解析其特征,包括序列的同源性、理化特征、信号肽、导肽、跨膜结构域、糖基化与磷酸化位点、二级结构和铜离子结构域等,并对它们的进化关系以及表达模式进行了...     

黄连属药用植物的数量分类学研究

 以黄连属药用植物７种２变种和１个待定种为１０个分类单位，以形态为主兼顾组织结构，列出３３项性状，对这些植物进行了数量分类。用单链法、全链法、中间距离法（β＝０，一０．２５）、重心法、类平均法等系统聚类方法，探索了这些植物彼此间的亲缘关系，认为西藏黄连与云南黄连有别，云南黄连应予成立。本研究结果为黄连属药用植物的分类和鉴定作参考。     

The effects of storage on the biological activity of medicinal plants from Nepal

The in vitro biological activity of 19 medicinal plants from Nepal was re-assessed after 6 years of storage. Methanol extracts from the plants were assayed for activity against six strains of bacteria and three strains of fungi. The extracts were tested with and without exposure to UV light in order to identify photoactivity. Out of the 19 plants tested, three lost all activity, six retained all activity, and ten had partial activity. The results will be of interest to traditional healers in Nepal, and may impact the sustainable harvesting of these medicinal plants.     

Screening of Korean medicinal plants for lipase inhibitory activity

The pancreatic lipase inhibitory activity of the aqueous ethanol extracts obtained from 19 medicinal plants was evaluated in vitro by a continuous-monitoring pH-Stat technique using tributyrin as a substrate. Of the extracts tested, those of Juniperus communis (bark) and Illicium religiosum (wood) exhibited the strongest activity with an IC50 value of 20.4 and 21.9 microg/mL, respectively.     

Phytochemical screening and antiviral activity of some medicinal plants from the island Soqotra

Methanol and hot-aqueous extracts of 25 different plant species, used in Yemeni traditional medicine and growing, partly as endemic plants, on the island Soqotra have been investigated for their antiviral activity. In addition, the phytochemical identification of the main chemical constituents was performed. The extracts were assayed in two in vitro viral systems, which used influenza virus type A/MDCK cells and herpes simplex virus type 1/Vero cells, at non-cytotoxic concentrations. The herpes simplex virus type 1 showed more sensitivity than the influenza virus type A against the extracts investigated. The methanol extracts of Boswellia ameero, Boswellia elongata, Buxus hildebrandtii, Cissus hamaderohensis, Cleome socotrana, Dracaena cinnabari, Exacum affine, Jatropha unicostata and Kalanchoe farinacea showed anti-influenza virus type A activity with 50% inhibition (IC50) concentrations ranging from 0.7 to 12.5 microg/mL. In addition, 17 plants of the 25 investigated exhibited anti-HSV-1 activity. The antiviral activity of some active extracts was also observed on a molecular level.     

药用植物黄酮类化合物代谢合成途径及相关功能基因的研究进展

黄酮类化合物是广泛存在于药用植物中的一类化合物,大多与糖类结合为苷存在。黄酮类成分具有调血脂、扩张冠脉、止血、镇咳、祛痰、降低血管脆性等药理作用,备受研究者的关注。黄酮类化合物的生物合成途径的研究开始较早,并取得了很大进展,对黄酮化合物生物合成步骤、催化各步反应的酶及其基因都有初步研究。对药用植物黄酮类化合物代谢合成途径及功能基因的研究进展进行综述,以期为黄酮类化合物进一步研究提供参考。     

Screening of some kenyan medicinal plants for antibacterial activity

Eleven medicinal plants used by traditional healers in Machakos and Kitui District were screened, namely: Ajuga remota Benth, Aloe secundiflora Engl, Amaranthus hybridus L, Cassia didymobotrya Fes, Croton macrostachyus Del, Entada leptostachya Harms, Erythrina abyssinica DC, Harrisonia abyssinica Oliv, Schkuhria pinnata O. Ktze, Terminalia kilimandscharica Engl and Ziziphus abyssinica Hochst for potential antibacterial activity against four medically important bacterial strains, namely: Bacillus cereus ATCC 11778, Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Micrococcus lutea ATCC 9341 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853. The antibacterial activity of methanol extracts was determined as the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). The plant extracts were more active against Gram‐positive (G+) than Gram‐negative (G?) bacteria. The positive controls were streptomycin and benzylpenicillin for G? and G+ bacteria, respectively, both had a significant MIC at <1 mg/mL. The most susceptible bacteria were B. cereus, followed by M. lutea, while the most resistant bacteria were Ps. aeruginosa, followed by E. coli. The present study supports the use of these plants by the herbalists in the management of bacterial ailments. H. abyssinica and T. kilimandscharica showed the best antibacterial activity; hence these plants can be further subjected to phytochemical and pharmacological evaluation. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

抗骨质疏松症的单味中药及药用植物研究进展

综述了近年来用于治疗骨质疏松症的常用单味中药及药用植物的研究进展以及机制,希望能为新药开发及中药走向世界提供帮助。     

Screening of tropical medicinal plants for antiinflammatory activity

The antiinflammatory activity of different extracts from 16 tropical plant species belonging to 15 different families has been determined. They were administered topically on TPA-induced mouse ear oedema and orally on carrageenan-induced mouse paw oedema. In the latter, extracts from Diospyros leucomelas, Erythrospermum monticolumn, Ficus polita, Heteromorpha trifoliata, Hypericum lalandii, Kirkia acuminata, Pterocarpus angolensis and Zanha africana significantly reduced the oedema 3 h after carrageenan injection. All the extracts were considerably active when assayed topically with only three exceptions.     

Screening of some indigenous Qatari medicinal plants for antimicrobial activity

Aqueous, ethanol and butanol crude extracts of the aerial parts of ten plants exhibited variable degrees of antimicrobial activity against four bacterial and two fungal species. Aqueous extracts had low antimicrobial activity against E.coli, P.aeruginosa, B. cerreus, S.aureus, C.albicans and A.flavus. Avicennia marina (AM) aqueous extract exhibited a moderate antifungal activity. Ethanol and butanol crude extracts exhibited an improved antimicrobial activity. However, butanol exhibited a superior antimicrobial activity compared with aqueous and ethanol crudes. Compared with the standard antibiotics tested the butanol extract had the highest activity. Butanol extracts at 2000 microg/disc of AM, Lotus halophilus (LA), Pulicaria gnaphaloides (PG) and Capparis spinosa (CS) had a very good antibacterial activity against both gram-positive and -negative bacteria as well as moderate to good antifungal activity against C. albicans and A. flavus. Medicago laciniata (ML), Limonium axillare (LA) and (PG) butanol crude extract compared with standard chloramphenicol, tetracycline and nalidixic acid exhibited a superior antifungal activity.     

Screening of some African medicinal plants for antiulcerogenic activity: Part 1

Aqueous extracts of six plant species used in Cameroonian ethnomedicine for the relief of stomach complaints were tested for antiulcer activity. An HCl/EtOH solution was used to induce gastric lesions in male Wistar rats (140–190 g). The extracts of Voacanga africana, Eremomastax speciosa, Emilia praetermissa, Spilanthes filicaulis and Centella asiatica produced complete mucosal cytoprotection at a dose of 1000, 190, 500, 2000 and 500 mg/kg respectively. The extract of Clerodendrum splendens (500, 750, 1000 mg/kg) showed significant (p <0.01) dose-dependent cytoprotection (50%–75%) compared with the controls. A combination of C. asiastica and S. filicaulis (1:1) (250–500 mg/kg) did not reveal the therapeutic advantage of combining both plant extracts in the clinical management of stomach ulcers. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Screening of Indian medicinal plants for acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity

The cholinergic hypothesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) has provided the rationale for the current pharmaco-therapy of this disease, in an attempt to reduce the cognitive decline caused by cholinergic deficits. Nevertheless, the search for potent and long-acting acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors that exert minimal side effects in AD patients is still ongoing. AChE inhibitors are currently the only approved therapy for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease; only a limited number of drugs are commercially available. Hydroalcohol extracts of six herbs, Andrographis paniculata, Centella asiatica, Evalvulus alsinoides, Nardostachys jatamansi, Nelumbo nucifera, Myristica fragrans used in Indian systems of medicine, were tested for in vitro acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity based on Ellman's method in 96-well microplates using AChE obtained from bovine erythrocytes. The results showed that the hydroalcohol extract from Centella asiatica, Nardostachys jatamansi, Myristica fragrans, Evalvulus alsinoides inhibited 50% of AChE activity at concentrations of 100-150 microg/mL. Andrographis paniculata and Nelumbo nucifera extracts showed a weak inhibition of acetylcholinesterase with IC(50) values of 222.41 +/- 19.87 microg/mL and 185.55 +/- 21.24 microg/mL, respectively. Physostigmine was used as a standard and showed inhibition of acetylcholinesterase with an IC(50) value of 0.076 +/- 0.0042 microg/mL.     

湖北省卷柏科药用植物调查与研究

目的:掌握湖北省卷柏科药用植物的种类、分布、疗效应用。方法:通过野外调查采集标本,参考已收藏的部分标本及文献,进行分类鉴定研究。结果:发现湖北省卷柏科植物共有15种,其中药用14种,新记录1种;掌握了其资源分布与疗效应用;对部分种的形态描述作了补充。结论:研究结果为该科药用植物的开发推广利用提供了资源学基础。     

The in vitro antioxidative activity of some traditional Zulu medicinal plants

Methanol extracts prepared separately from the roots, stems and leaves of four traditional Zulu medicinal plants (Rhoicissus digitata, R. rhomboidea, R. tomentosa and R. tridentata) were tested for their antioxidant activity. The extracts of R. rhomboidea and R. tridentata inhibited the activities of the 1, 1'-diphenyl-2-picryhydrazyl free radical, xanthine oxidase, and also prevented production of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances and free radical mediated DNA sugar damage. The extracts had a strong chelating effect on Fe(2+) ions. R. digitata and R. tomentosa extracts, however, possessed some prooxidative properties at high concentrations. In view of these results, it is apparent that the antioxidative activity of these Zulu medicinal plants plays an important role in the healing of the various diseases that they are used for.     

Antioxidant activities of coumarins from Korean medicinal plants and their structure–activity relationships

The aim of this work was to study the structure–activity relationships of the antioxidant activity of natural coumarins isolated from four Korean medicinal plants (1–17) and four purchased coumarins (18–21). The free radical scavenging and lipid peroxidation assays revealed that five phenolic coumarins, scopoletin (1), aesculetin (2), fraxetin (3), umbelliferone (18) and daphnetin (19), possessed considerable antioxidant activities. The coumarins having a catechol group, 2, 3 and 19, showed significant free radical scavenging activity and inhibitory effects on lipid peroxidation, indicating that the catechol group significantly contributed to the antioxidant activities of coumarins. In contrast, the sugar moiety markedly reduced the activities of coumarin glycosides. The results also demonstrate that the α‐pyrone ring of coumarins significantly enhanced the capacity of inhibiting oxidative reactions of coumarins. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Naturally derived anti-inflammatory compounds from Chinese medicinal plants

Ethnopharmacological relevance

Though inflammatory response is beneficial to body damage repair, if it is out of control, it can produce adverse effects on the body. Although purely western anti-inflammatory drugs, orthodox medicines, can control inflammation occurrence and development, it is not enough. The clinical efficacy of anti-inflammation therapies is unsatisfactory, thus the search for new anti-inflammation continues. Chinese Material Medica (CMM) remains a promising source of new therapeutic agents. CMM and herbal formulae from Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), unorthodox medicines, play an improtant anti-inflammatory role in multi-targets, multi-levels, and multi-ways in treating inflammation diseases in a long history in China, based on their multi-active ingredient characteristics. Due to these reasons, recently, CMM has been commercialized as an anti-inflammation agent which has become increasingly popular in the world health drug markets. Major research contributions in ethnopharmacology have generated vast amount of data associated with CMM in anti-inflammtion aspect. Therefore, a systematic introduction of CMM anti-inflammatory research progress is of great importance and necessity.

Aim of the study

This paper strives to describe the progress of CMM in the treatment of inflammatory diseases from different aspects, and provide the essential theoretical support and scientific evidence for the further development and utilization of CMM resources as a potential anti-inflammation drug through a variety of databases.

Material and methods

Literature survey was performed via electronic search (SciFinder^®, Pubmed^®, Google Scholar and Web of Science) on papers and patents and by systematic research in ethnopharmacological literature at various university libraries.

Results

This review mainly introduced the current research on the anti-inflammatory active ingredient, anti-inflammatory effects of CMM, their mechanism, anti-inflammatory drug development of CMM, and toxicological information.

Conclusion

CMM is used clinically to treat inflammation symptoms in TCM, and its effect is mediated by multiple targets through multiple active ingredients. Although scholars around the world have made studies on the anti-inflammatory studies of CMM from different pathways and aspects and have made substantial progress, further studies are warranted to delineate the inflammation actions in more cogency models, establish the toxicological profiles and quality standards, assess the potentials of CMM in clinical applications, and make more convenient preparations easy to administrate for patients. Development of the clinically anti-inflammatory drugs are also warranted.