Acute and subacute toxicity of Cassia occidentalis L. stem and leaf in Wistar rats

Ethnopharmacological relevance

Cassia occidentalis L. (syn. Senna occidentalis; Leguminosae) has been used as natural medicine in rainforests and tropical regions as laxative, analgesic, febrifuge, diuretic, hepatoprotective, vermifuge and colagogo. Herein, we performed a pre-clinical safety evaluation of hydroalcoholic extract of Cassia occidentalis stem and leaf in male and female Wistar rats.

Materials and methods

In acute toxicity tests, four groups of rats (n = 5/group/sex) were orally treated with doses of 0.625, 1.25, 2.5 and 5.0 g/kg and general behavior, adverse effects and mortality were recorded for up to 14 days. In subacute toxicity assays, animals received Cassia occidentalis by gavage at the doses of 0.10, 0.50 or 2.5 g/kg/day (n = 10/group/sex) for 30 days and biochemical, hematological and morphological parameters were determined.

Results

Cassia occidentalis did not produce any hazardous symptoms or death in the acute toxicity test, showing a LD₅₀ higher than 5 g/kg. Subacute treatment with Cassia occidentalis failed to change body weight gain, food and water consumption and hematological and biochemical profiles. In addition, no changes in macroscopical and microscopical aspect of organs were observed in the animals.

Conclusions

Our results showed that acute or subacute administration of Cassia occidentalis is not toxic in male and female Wistar rats, suggesting a safety use by humans.     

Chemical and biological analyses of Nigerian Cassia species for laxative activity

The leaves of 10 Cassia species (Leguminosae), cultivated in Nigeria, were assayed spectrophotometrically for combined anthraquinone content and also pharmacologically for their laxative properties in male albino rats using official senna leaves (Cassia acutifolia Del.) as the reference standard. Leaves of C. podocarpa Guill. and Perr. and of senna had identical laxative potency. The results of both the chemical and the biological experiments suggested that C. alata L. and C. podocarpa are the most likely candidates for drug development in Nigeria. The use of a laxative index is proposed for the comparative study of Cassia (or any plant species) and its possible application to the quality control of these drugs is discussed.     

Cycloartane-type triterpenoids from Sphaerophysa salsula

Four novel cycloartanes, named sphaerophysone A (1), B (2), C (3) and D (4), were isolated from the ethanol extract of Sphaerophysa salsula (Pall.) DC. The structures were elucidated on the basis of spectral evidence, and the stereochemistry of compound 1 was defined by X-ray crystallographic analysis. Sphaerophysone B (2) may be an artifact formed in the isolation procedure.     

Flavonoids of crotalaria sessiliflora

Phytochemical investigation of the whole plants of Crotalaria sessiliflora L. led to the isolation of four flavonoids. The structures of these compounds were identified as 2',4',5,7-tetrahydroxyisoflavone (1), 2',4',7-trihydroxyisoflavone (2), 4',7-dihydroxyflavone (3), and isovitexin (4) using spectroscopic analysis. Among these, compounds 2, and 3 have not been reported from Crotalaria species, whereas compounds 1, and 4 were reported from this plant for the first time.     

Hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic effects of tectorigenin and kaikasaponin III in the streptozotocin-induced diabetic rat and their antioxidant activityin vitro

Tectorigenin and kaikasaponin III from the flowers of Pueraria thunbergiana showed potent hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic effects in the streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Intraperitoneal administration of these two compounds with 5 and 10 mg/kg, respectively, for seven days to streptozotocin-induced rats significantly reduced the blood glucose, total cholesterol, LDL- and VLDL-cholesterol and triglyceride levels when compared with those of control group. Glycitein in which 5-OH is unlinked and tectoridin (7-O-glycoside of tectorigenin) isolated from the flowers of P. thunbergiana did not improve hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia. In addition, tectorigenin showed in vitro antioxidant effects on 1,1diphenyl-2-pirylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical, xanthine-xanthine oxidase superoxide anion radical, and lipid peroxidation in rat microsomes induced by enzymatic and non-enzymatic methods. We further found that tectorigenin and kaikasaponin III protected the Vero cell line (normal monkey kidney) from injury by hydrogen peroxide. From these findings, it seems likely that the antioxidant action of tectorigenin and kaikasaponin III may alleviate the streptozotocin-induced toxicity and contribute to hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic effects.     

Two new pterocarpenes from Hedysarum multijugum

Two new pterocarpenes were isolated from the roots of Hedysarum multijugum, and their structures were elucidated as hedysarimpterocarpene B (1) and hedysarimpterocarpene C (2) on the basis of spectroscopic data.     

苦马豆果皮中的环阿尔廷型三萜成分

目的研究豆科苦马豆属植物苦马豆SphaerophysasalsulaDC 果皮中的化学成分。 方法利用硅胶柱色谱进行分离纯化 ,根据理化性质和光谱数据进行结构鉴定。结果从苦马豆果皮中得到3个环阿尔廷型三萜化合物 ,分别鉴定为 :(2 4S) 9,19 cycloart 2 5 ene 3β ,2 4 diol (Ⅰ ) ;(2 3Z) 9,19 cycloart 2 3 ene 3β ,2 5 diol (Ⅱ ) ;(2 4R) 7β ,2 4 ,2 5 trihydroxyl 9,19 cycloart 1 en 3 one(sphaero physoneA ,Ⅲ )。 结论化合物Ⅰ、Ⅱ为该属植物中首次分得     

New dibenz[b, f]oxepins from Cercis chinensis Bunge

Three new dibenz[b,f]oxepins: 6-methoxy-7-methyl-8-hydroxydibenz[b, f]oxepin (1), 1,8-dimethoxy-6-hydroxy-7-methyldibenz[b, f]oxepin (2), and 1-hydroxy-6,8-dimethoxy-7-methyldibenz[b,f]oxepin (3), along with two known dibenz[b,f]oxepins pacharin (4) and bauhiniastatin 4 (5), were isolated from Cercis chinensis Bunge (Leguminosae). Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic evidence (EI-MS, UV, IR, ¹H, ¹³C and 2D NMR). Compounds 1-5 were isolated from the Cercis genus for the first time.     

红绒毛羊蹄甲中的二氢黄酮醇苷和黄烷醇类成分

目的：研究红绒毛羊蹄甲Bauhinia aurea的化学成分。方法：应用各种色谱技术进行分离纯化,用MS和NMR分析确定化合物结构。结果：从红绒毛羊蹄甲90%乙醇提取物的醋酸乙酯萃取部位中分离得到8个化合物,分别鉴定为异黄杞苷(1)、落新妇苷(2)、新落新妇苷(3)、异落新妇苷(4)、新异落新妇苷(5)、(2R,3S)-儿茶精 6)、(2R,3R)-表儿茶精(7)和(2R,3R)-3-O-没食子酰表儿茶精(8)。结论：除化合物2,6和8外,其余5个化合物均属首次从该属植物中发现。     

藏药镰形棘豆中黄酮类化学成分研究

目的：对藏药镰形棘豆Oxytropis falcata的黄酮类化学成分进行研究。方法：通过正相硅胶柱色谱,Sephadex LH-20柱色谱,ODS反相色谱分离﹑纯化,用NMR,MS鉴定结构。结果：从镰形棘豆的氯仿萃取部分分离鉴定了8个黄酮类化合物,分别为2′,4′-二羟基-4-甲氧基查尔酮(1),2′,4′-二羟基查尔酮(2),5,7-二羟基-4′-甲氧基黄酮醇(3),7-羟基-4′-甲氧基二氢黄酮(4),3′,7-二羟基-2′,4′-二甲氧基异黄烷(5),2′-羟基-4′-甲氧基查尔酮(6),2′-甲氧基-4′-羟基查尔酮(7),2′,4′-二羟基二氢查尔酮(8)。结论：这些化合物均为首次从该植物中分离得到。