Screening of Some European Medicinal Plants for Spasmolytic Activity on Isolated Guinea-Pig Trachea

Abstract

Eight European plants, used traditionally against diseases of the respiratory system, have been assayed for in vitro spasmolytic activity on guinea-pig trachea. The plants were collected or cultivated in the south of Sweden, and both water and 67% methanol extracts of the parts reported to be used in the traditional medicine were prepared and assayed. Five of the species did not show any significant activity at concentrations up to 0.6 mg extract per ml organ bath, the methanol extracts of 2 species (Glechoma hederacea and Hyssopus officinale) showed weak activity, while 0.6 mg/ml of the methanol extract of the aerial parts of Artemisia abrotanum relaxed the tone induced by 0.1 μmol/l carbachol almost (80%) as effectively as 2.2 mmol/l terbutaline.     

Screening and HPLC-Based Activity Profiling for New Antiprotozoal Leads from European Plants

Based on a survey of remedies used in Renaissance Europe to treat malaria, we prepared and screened a library of 254 extracts from 61 plants for antiplasmodial activity in vitro. HPLC-based activity profiling was performed for targeted identification of active constituents in extracts. One of the most remarkable results was the identification of onopordopicrin, a germacranolide sesquiterpene lactone isolated from Arctium nemorosum as a potent inhibitor of P. falciparum with an IC(50) of 6.9 μM. It was tested similarly against Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense, the parasite which causes African sleeping sickness. With an IC(50) of 0.37 μM, onopordopicrin was one of the most potent natural products reported so far. Cytotoxicity was determined against rat myoblast L6 cells (IC(50): 3.06).     

Antioxidant Activity of 13 Medicinal Plants

The aqueous extracts of 13 medicinal plants widely used in oriental medicine were examined for their reducing power, scavenging ability toward superoxide and hydroxyl radicals, and their inhibitory effect on lipid peroxidation. The reducing power of Herba Lycopi and Cortex Gleditsiae was more apparent than with other plants. All extracts tested were found to be highly active on scavenging of superoxide radicals. Among them, Fructus Crataegi, Herba Leonuri, Cortex Gleditsiae, and Herba Lycopi composed the highly active group. Although the overall level of hydroxyl radical scavenging activities tended to be lower than those for super-oxide radicals, Fructus Crataegi and Cortex Gleditsiae were found to act most effectively. Inhibitory effects on lipid peroxidation were examined using a rabbit erythrocyte-ghost system, and a high inhibition was obtained by Rhizoma Rhei, Fructus Crataegi, and Cortex Gleditsiae. Reversely, strong pro-oxidant activity was found in five medicinal plants including Semen Thujae Orientalis in this assay system.     

Screening of Iranian Plants for Antimicrobial Activity

The methanol extracts of 306 plants of 52 families obtained from Northeast of Iran (Khorasan Province), were tested for antimicrobial activity (in vitro) using the cylinder plate assay method. Activity against Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Salmonella typhi, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Morganella morganii (Gram negative), Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus (Gram positive) and Candida albicans is discussed.     

Anti-insect Screening of Medicinal Plants from Kukrail Forest,Lucknow, India

Ten medicinal plants were evaluated at a dose of 10mg/ml for insecticidal, ovicidal, feeding-deterrence, growth inhibition and morphogenetic effects against various life stages of a noxious lepidopteran insect-pest, Spilarctia obliqua Walker. The acetone extract of Ageratum conyzoides, methanol extract of Justicia adhatoda, and chloroform extract of Plumbago zeylanica showed strong feeding-deterrence, growth inhibition and ovicidal effects against eggs and larvae of S. obliqua. In addition, the chloroform extract of P. zeylanica also created strong morphogenetic disorders in treated pupae of S. obliqua. The methanol extracts of Chenopodium ambrosioides and Ailanthus excelsa showed only feeding-deterrence and growth inhibitory effects but no ovicidal effect, whereas all the five extracts (hexane, chloroform, acetone, methanol and water) of Catharanthus roseus exhibited strong growth inhibition towards larvae of S. obliqua. The acetone extract of Vitex negundo was found to exhibit all the activities tested against S. obliqua. Other plants tested, Ajuga remota, Andrographis paniculata and Clerodendrum inermre, were found to have low to moderate effects towards S. obliqua.     

Screening Of Plants From New Caledonia And Vanuatu For Inhibitory Activity Of Xanthine Oxidase And Elastase

A series of 38 plants (55 plant extracts) from New Caledonia and 22 plants (40 plant extracts) from Vanuatu (Efate and Erromango islands) were screened for xan-thine oxidase (XOD) and elastase inhibitory activity. Of the crude extracts 82% were found to possess xanthine oxidase inhibitory activity, and 23% were active against elastase, at a concentration of 50 µg/ml. The methanol extracts of Cunonia montana Schlechter (Cunoniaceae) and Amyema scandens Danser (Loranthaceae), bark and leaves, respectively, exhibited the highest activity in both the assays. C. montana bark extract at 50 µg/ml exhibited 85 and 84% inhibition of XOD and elastase, respectively. IC 50 values were 23 ± 0.82 and 41 ± 3 µg/ml, respectively, for XOD and elastase. A. scandens leaf extract, at 50 µg/ml, exhibited 88 and 71% inhibition of XOD and elastase, respectively. IC 50 values were 13 ± 0.48 and 44 ± 2.2 µg/ml respectively, for XOD and elastase.     

Screening of traditionally used Tanzanian medicinal plants for antifungal activity

Fungal infections represent a significant cause of morbidity and mortality especially in immunocompromised patients in the world today. Dichloromethane (DM) and aqueous (W) extracts of nine plants used traditionally for the treatment of fungal infections in Bukoba rural district in Tanzania were screened for antifungal activity against Candida albicans, Cryptococcus neoformans, and Aspergillus niger using agar well and disk diffusion methods. Dichloromethane extracts of Capparis erythrocarpos [CE] Isert (Capparaceae), Cussonia arborea [CA] Hochst. Ex A. Rich (Araliaceae), Dracaena steudneri [DS] Engl. (Dracaenaceae), Lannea schimperi [LS] (A. Rich) Engl. (Anacardiaceae), Rauvolfia vomitoria [RV] Afz (Apocynaceae), and Sapium ellipticum [SE] (Krauss) Pax (Euphorbiaceae) showed activity against all three fungi. Extracts of Rumex usambarensis [RU] (Dammer) Dammer (Polygonaceae) and Zehneria scabra [ZS] (L.f.) Sond. (Cucurbitaceae) had an activity limited to only one or two of the test organisms. Rhoicissus tridentata [RT] (L.f.) Wild & Drum (Vitaceae) was the only plant without activity. Fractions of the active extracts CE, CA, DS, LS, and SE exhibited higher antifungal activity against one or more of the three fungi. Four compounds isolated from S. ellipticum also exhibited antifungal activity against one or more of the three fungi. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) and minimum fungicidal concentrations (MFCs), determined using the microplate assay method, ranged between 0.4 and 50.0 μg/mL for crude extracts, 1.6 and 50.0 μg/mL for semi-purified fractions, and 0.12 and 1.0 μg/mL for pure compounds, as compared to 0.016–1.5 μg/mL for fluconazole. We confirm the potential of traditionally used plants as a source of new drugs for treatment of fungal infections.     

Antibacterial Activity of Piqueria trinervia., a Mexican Medicinal Plant Used to Treat Diarrhea

Abstract

Intestinal infectious diseases are among the top 10 causes of mortality in Mexico. Children under 5 years of age and adults over 65 years are the most affected; the incidence is greater in rural and indigenous communities. Traditional remedies based on medicinal plants are commonly used; however, the biological activity of many of them has been poorly studied. Thus, we evaluated the antimicrobial activity of the hexane, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, and methanol extracts of aerial parts and roots of the Piqueria trinervia. Cav. (Asteraceae) plant used to treat diarrhea in Mexico. The extracts were tested in vitro. against 11 strains: Escherichia coli., E. coli. multidrug resistant (MDR), Salmonella typhi., Shigella boydii., Staphylococcus aureus., Staphylococcus epidermidis., Yersinia enterocolitica., Vibrio cholerae. not toxic, Bacillus subtilis., Enterobacter aerogenes., and Enterobacter agglomerans.. The hexane extract obtained from the thick roots was active against the 11 strains. The ethyl acetate extract from the thin roots was active against eight of the strains; poor activity was detected in dichloromethane and methanol extracts.     

泰能的体外抗菌活性试验

目的:考察泰能(亚胺培南/西司他丁)的体外抗茵活性.方法:采用琼脂二倍稀释法测定泰能和其他3种药物对136株临床分离茵的体外抗茵活性.结果:泰能对金黄色葡萄球茵、绿脓杆菌、大肠杆菌、肺炎克雷伯氏茵、表皮葡萄球菌、β-溶血性链球菌、阴沟肠杆菌和微球菌的抗茵活性优于海舒必、他唑西林和头孢他啶,对肺炎球菌的抗茵活性较海舒必和头孢他啶弱.结论:泰能对本试验中所有的受试菌有较强的抗茵活性.     

Screening of Ethanol, Petroleum Ether and Chloroform Extracts of Medicinal Plants, Lawsonia inermis L. and Mimosa pudica L. for Antibacterial Activity

Organic extracts (ethanol, petroleum ether and chloroform) of two medicinal plants Lawsonia inermis L. and Mimosa pudica L. were proven for antibacterial properties against 15 Gram-positive and Gram-negative human pathogenic bacteria. Among the three types of extracts tested, ethanol extract was found to possess maximum antibacterial activity. The diameter of the zone of inhibition of bacterial growth showed that Gram-negative bacteria are more sensitive than Gram-positive bacteria to plant extracts. Between the two plants species studied, Lawsonia inermis extract showed more antibacterial activity compared to Mimosa pudica extract.     

Screening of Panamanian Plants for Molluscicidal Activity

A total of 153 crude extracts of Panamanian plants (28 species from 21 families) have been screened for molluscicidal activity against Biomphalaria glabrata, one of the intermediate hosts of schistosomiasis. When tested at 400 ppm, 15 extracts were active. The most potent of these came from Cyperus luzulae (Cyperaceae) and Hymenaea courbaril (Leguminosae).     

Pharmacological Evaluation of Bangladeshi Medicinal Plants for Antioxidant Activity

A growing body of evidence suggests that cellular damage or oxidative injury arising from production of free radicals or reactive oxygen species (ROS) are critical causative factors in the pathogenesis of many neurodegenerative disorders, inflammatory conditions, autoimmune diseases, diabetes, and gastrointestinal disorders. Results from biological and phytochemical studies indicate that medicinal plants have profound antioxidant potential that can be exploited further in the prevention and treatment of these devastating disorders. Here we have summarized the pharmacological and phytochemical investigations of 49 Bangladeshi medicinal plants representing 36 families with proven strong antioxidant properties. The medicinal plants were found to have profound antioxidant effect that can explain and justify some of their use in traditional medicine. These antioxidant medicinal plants may be considered as future leads to novel drug development for the management of various neurodegenerative and inflammatory disorders associated with oxidative cellular damage.     

Antibacterial Activity of Medicinal Plants Against Pathogens causing Complicated Urinary Tract Infections

Seventeen Indian folklore medicinal plants were investigated to evaluate antibacterial activity of aqueous, ethanol and acetone extracts against 66 multidrug resistant isolates of major urinary tract pathogens (Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterococcus faecalis) by disc diffusion method. Ethanol extract of Zingiber officinale and Punica granatum showed strong antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli. Ethanol extracts of Terminalia chebula and Ocimum sanctum exhibited antibacterial activity against Klebsiella pneumoniae. Ethanol extract of Cinnamomum cassia showed maximum antibacterial activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa while ethanol extract of Azadirachta indica and Ocimum sanctum exhibited antibacterial activity against Enterococcus faecalis. The results support the folkloric use of these plants in the treatment of urinary tract infections by the tribals of Mahakoshal region of central India.     

Screening of Spanish Medicinal Plants for Antioxidant and Antifungal Activities

Abstract

Dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, methanol, and aqueous extracts obtained from 16 Spanish medicinal plants were screened for their antioxidant and antifungal activities. The radical scavenging capacity was evaluated by the DPPH method using a rapid screening by TLC and a spectrophotometric assay. Polar extracts obtained from Jasonia glutinosa L. (Lamiaceae), Tanacetum parthenium (L.) Schultz (Lamiaceae), Equisetum telmateia Ehrh. (Equisetaceae), Verbena officinalis L. (Verbenaceae), and Lythrum salicaria L. (Lythraceae) showed high antioxidant properties. Among them, the methanol extract of Lythrum salicaria showed the strongest antiradical capacity with an IC₅₀ value similar to the positive control ascorbic acid. On the contrary, the best antifungal properties against Rhizopus stolonifer were produced by ethyl acetate or dichloromethane extracts from Anthemis arvensis L. subsp. arvensis (Asteraceae), Tanacetum parthenium, Santolina chamaecyparissus L. subsp. squarrosa Nyman (Asteraceae), Anagallis arvensis L. (Primulaceae) and the methanol extract of Anagallis foemina Miller (Primulaceae). The dichloromethane extract of Anthemis arvensis subsp. arvensis was the best inhibitor of fungus growth.     

乳酸左氧氟沙星体外抗菌作用的研究

目的 :研究乳酸左氧氟沙星的体外抗菌活性。方法 :采用两倍稀释法对临床分离的 8种细菌进行体外抗菌试验。结果 :该药对金黄色葡萄球菌、肺炎链球菌甚为敏感 ,其MIC50 为 0 0 5mg·L-1,MIC90 为 0 2 0mg·L-1,MBC50 为 0 0 5mg·L-1,MBC90 为 0 39mg·L-1。结论 :乳酸左氧氟沙星比氧氟沙星的抗菌活性强     

薯蓣皂苷元A环和F环的结构改造及其抗肿瘤活性初探

目的提高薯蓣皂苷元类衍生物的抗肿瘤活性以及进一步研究其构效关系。方法基于薯蓣皂苷元结构,运用Autodock 4.2进行对接设计,合成了一系列全新A环、F环结构改造的氨基酸酰胺,内酰胺杂环薯蓣皂苷元类衍生物。采用MTT法对人肝癌细胞HepG-2、人恶性黑色素瘤细胞A375和人肺癌细胞A549进行体外抗肿瘤活性实验。结果合成13个新化合物,结构经1HNMR、13CNMR确定,体外抗肿瘤活性结果表明化合物8～13具有一定活性。结论化合物8～13都具有一定的体外抗肿瘤活性,化合物13的药理学活性与阳性对照品紫杉醇活性相近。     

小叶锦鸡儿中异黄酮及其苷类化合物的体外抗肿瘤活性研究

目的研究小叶锦鸡儿中异黄酮及其苷类化合物的体外抗肿瘤细胞增殖作用。方法利用四唑盐比色法检测,观察小叶锦鸡儿中分离出的3种异黄酮及其苷类化合物:雁靛黄素(Ⅰ)、高丽槐树-7-O-β-D-吡喃葡萄糖苷(Ⅱ)和芒柄花素-7-O-β-D-吡喃葡萄糖苷(Ⅲ)对人乳腺癌细胞株、宫颈癌细胞株、人肝癌细胞株生长的影响。结果化合物Ⅰ对人乳腺癌细胞株、宫颈癌细胞株的增殖均有明显的抑制作用,IC50分别为20.2、16.9μg.mL-1;化合物Ⅱ对乳腺癌细胞株、肝癌细胞株均有不同强度的抑制作用,IC50分别为17.9、18.8μg.mL-1;化合物Ⅲ对乳腺癌细胞株的增殖有抑制作用,但不呈现浓度依赖关系,对其他两个细胞株的增殖不显示抑制活性。结论化合物Ⅰ、Ⅱ对两种细胞株有不同程度的抗肿瘤活性,化合物Ⅲ不具抗肿瘤活性。     

头孢西酮钠的体外抗菌活性

目的评价头孢西酮钠(第1代头孢类抗生素)对临床分离社区感染细菌的体外抗菌活性。方法头孢西酮钠与头孢唑啉钠、头孢氨苄、头孢呋辛钠、阿奇霉素作比较,用纸片药敏法进行药物敏感性试验,用琼脂稀释法测定最低抑菌浓度。结果对肺炎链球菌、β溶血链球菌、甲氧西林敏感的金黄色葡萄菌和凝固酶阴性的葡萄球菌,4种头孢菌素均显示良好的抗菌活性,均优于阿齐霉素。其中,头孢西酮钠对肺炎链球菌的MIC50分别为头孢唑啉钠和头孢呋辛钠的1/2、头孢氨苄的1/8;头孢丙酮钠对β溶血链球菌的MIC50为头孢氨苄的1/4;其对葡萄球菌的MIC50分别为头孢唑啉钠的1/2、头孢氨苄的1/16、头孢呋辛钠的1/4。4种头孢菌素和阿齐霉素对流感嗜血杆菌和卡他莫拉菌的敏感性,都在96.4%以上。结论头孢西酮钠对社区呼吸道和泌尿道感染中常见致病菌,均有较好的抗菌活性。     

Phytochemical Screening and Antimicrobial Activity of Some Medicinal Plants Against Multi-drug Resistant Bacteria from Clinical Isolates

The in vitro antibacterial activity of various solvents and water extracts of aloe vera, neem, bryophyllum, lemongrass, tulsi, oregano, rosemary and thyme was assessed on 10 multi-drug resistant clinical isolates from both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and two standard strains including Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923 and Escherichia coli ATCC 25922. The zone of inhibition as determined by agar well diffusion method varied with the plant extract, the solvent used for extraction, and the organism tested. Klebsiella pneumoniae 2, Escherichia coli 3 and Staphylococcus aureus 3 were resistant to the plant extracts tested. Moreover, water extracts did not restrain the growth of any tested bacteria. Ethanol and methanol extracts were found to be more potent being capable of exerting significant inhibitory activities against majority of the bacteria investigated. Staphylococcus aureus 1 was the most inhibited bacterial isolate with 24 extracts (60%) inhibiting its growth whereas Escherichia coli 2 exhibited strong resistance being inhibited by only 11 extracts (28%). The results obtained in the agar diffusion plates were in fair correlation with that obtained in the minimum inhibitory concentration tests. The minimum inhibitory concentration of tulsi, oregano, rosemary and aloe vera extracts was found in the range of 1.56-6.25 mg/ml for the multi-drug resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolates tested whereas higher values (6.25-25 mg/ml) were obtained against the multi-drug resistant isolates Klebsiella pneumoniae 1 and Escherichia coli 1 and 2. Qualitative phytochemical analysis demonstrated the presence of tannins and saponins in all plants tested. Thin layer chromatography and bioautography agar overlay assay of ethanol extracts of neem, tulsi and aloe vera indicated flavonoids and tannins as major active compounds against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.     

肤康洗剂的体外抗菌作用

[目的]研究肤康洗剂的体外抗菌活性。[方法]以炉甘石洗剂为对照品，用2倍稀释法比较肤康洗剂对临床分离的6种细菌的体外抗菌活性。[结果]肤康洗剂对表皮葡萄球菌、乙型溶血性链球菌及其他常见的皮肤病菌株的抗菌活力比炉甘石洗剂更强。[结论]作为医院制剂，肤康洗剂有一定的应用前景。