Introduction of Eucalyptus into Europe

This paper provides insights into the arrival of Eucalyptus in Spain and other parts of Europe. These insights are based on our examination of historical documents and research carried out in different countries of Europe. The first eucalypt in Europe (Eucalyptus obliqua) was planted in the greenhouses of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (Kew Gardens) in 1774 from seed donated by Captain Tobias Furneaux, whereas the first eucalypt (Eucalyptus robusta) to be planted outdoors was in the English Garden of the Royal Palace of Caserta (Italy) in 1792 by Johann Andreas Graefer, probably with seeds donated by Sir Joseph Banks. This paper also confirms the hypothesis of eucalypts being introduced into Spain before Fr Rosendo Salvado began sending seeds from Australia, with the first known plantation being sited in Santa Marta de Ortigueira (A Coruña) around 1850. The origin of these seeds is uncertain but they were probably Eucalyptus globulus or E. obliqua. The species introduced from 1868 onwards through shipments from Salvado was E. marginata, which is abundant in the south of Western Australia where the Galician Benedictine monk lived. Salvado mentions eucalypts of good size growing in Cape Town in 1867. We establish a chronology of the introduction of different species of Eucalyptus into Europe and in other parts of the world.     

Chemical composition and vascular and intestinal smooth muscle relaxant effects of the essential oil from Psidium guajava fruit

Context: Psidium guajava L. (Myrtaceae) is widely used in traditional medicine for the treatment of various ailments including cardiovascular and gastrointestinal disorders.

Objectives: The current study investigated the chemical composition and cardiovascular and gastrointestinal effects of the essential oil of P. guajava.

Materials and methods: The chemical composition of the essential oil was investigated using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) technique. The biological activity of the essential oil was tested on rabbit aorta and jejunum. All changes in isometric tension were recorded through a force transducer coupled with a bridge amplifier data acquisition system.

Results and discussion: GC-MS analysis showed the presence of butanoic acid methyl ester, 3-methyl glutaric anhydride, 1-butanol, 3-hexenal, cinnamyl alcohol, 1-hexanol and hexane as the major components. In isolated rabbit aorta preparations, the essential oil showed vasorelaxation at doses of 3-10?mg/mL against high K^+?and phenylephrine pre-contractions with EC₅₀ values of 5.52 (5–6.04) and 6.23?mg/mL (5.0–7.46). The essential oil inhibited spontaneous and high K^+?induced contractions in isolated rabbit jejunum with EC₅₀ values of 0.84 (0.3–1.38) and 0.71?mg/mL (0.3–1.12) and shifted Ca?⁺?² concentration curves to the right, similar to verapamil, suggesting spasmolytic activity mediated possibly through Ca?⁺?² channel blockade.

Conclusions: In summary, the data indicated the presence of seven different phytoconstituents in the essential oil of P. guajava and calcium channel blocking activity, which provides a pharmacological base to the traditional use of P. guajava in cardiovascular and gastrointestinal disorders. Further studies are suggested to explore the molecular nature of these effects.     

Effect of Water Extracts from Edible Myrtaceae Plants on Uptake of 2‐(n‐(7‐nitrobenz‐2‐oxa‐1,3‐diazol‐4‐yl)amino)‐2‐deoxyglucose in TNF‐α‐Treated FL83B Mouse Hepatocytes

This study investigated the glucose uptake activity of the water extracts from the leaves and fruit of edible Myrtaceae plants, including guava (Psidium guajava Linn.), wax apples [Syzygium samarangense (Blume) Merr. and L.M. Perry], Pu‐Tau [Syzygium jambo (L.) Alston], and Kan‐Shi Pu‐Tau (Syzygium cumini Linn.) in FL83B mouse hepatocytes. The fluorescent dye 2‐(n ‐(7‐nitrobenz‐2‐oxa‐1,3‐diazol‐4‐yl)amino)‐2‐deoxyglucose was used to estimate the uptake ability of the cells. Glucose uptake test showed that pink wax apple fruit extract (PWFE) exhibits the highest glucose uptake activity, at an increment of 21% in the insulin‐resistant FL83B mouse hepatocytes as compared with the TNF‐α‐treated control group. Vescalagin was isolated using column chromatography of PWFE. This compound, at the concentration of 6.25 µg/mL, exhibits the same glucose uptake improvement in insulin‐resistant cells as PWFE at a 100‐µg/mL dose. We postulate that vescalagin is an active component in PWFE that may alleviate the insulin resistance in mouse hepatocytes. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Alkaloids of Sternbergia clusiana and their Analgesic Effects

Sternbergia clusiana of Turkish origin has yielded four alkaloids, lycorine, haemanthamine, haemanthidine, and tazettine. The alkaloids were separated using chromatographic methods and purified by crystallization. Their structures have been elucidated by spectroscopic studies. The analgesic activity of lycorine and haemanthidine was determined using modified Koster’s test. Lycorine and haemanthidine showed a significant analgesic effect. The analgesic activities of lycorine and haemanthidine are higher than those of aspirin.     

Syzygium cumini (L.) Skeels: A review of its phytochemical constituents and traditional uses

Syzygium cumini (S. cumini) (L.) Skeels (jambolan) is one of the widely used medicinal plants in the treatment of various diseases in particular diabetes. The present review has been primed to describe the existing data on the information on botany, phytochemical constituents, traditional uses and pharmacological actions of S. cumini (L.) Skeels (jambolan). Electronic database search was conducted with the search terms of Eugenia jambolana, S. cumini, jambolan, common plum and java plum. The plant has been viewed as an antidiabetic plant since it became commercially available several decades ago. During last four decades, numerous folk medicine and scientific reports on the antidiabetic effects of this plant have been cited in the literature. The plant is rich in compounds containing anthocyanins, glucoside, ellagic acid, isoquercetin, kaemferol and myrecetin. The seeds are claimed to contain alkaloid, jambosine, and glycoside jambolin or antimellin, which halts the diastatic conversion of starch into sugar. The vast number of literatures found in the database revealed that the extracts of different parts of jambolan showed significant pharmacological actions. We suggest that there is a need for further investigation to isolate active principles which confer the pharmacological action. Hence identification of such active compounds is useful for producing safer drugs in the treatment of various ailments including diabetes.     

Lipid peroxidation inhibitory activity of some constituents isolated from the stem bark ofEucalyptus globulus

Twelve compounds with lipid peroxidation inhibitory activity were isolated from the stem bark of E. globulus. Their structures were assigned as a new aromatic monoterpene (1) and eleven known compounds, pinoresinol (2), vomifoliol (3), 3,4,5-trimethoxyphenol 1-O-beta-D-(6'-O-galloyl)glucopyranoside (4), methyl gallate (5), rhamnazin (6), rhamnetin (7), eriodictyol (8), quercetin (9), taxifolin (10), engelitin (11), and catechin (12) on the basis of UV, mass, and NMR spectroscopic analyses. These compounds except vomifoliol significantly inhibited lipid peroxidation in rat liver microsome.     

Hypoglycaemic activity of Hexachlamys edulis (‘Yvahai’) extract in rats

The hypoglycaemic activity of the extract of the crude drug ‘Yvahai’ (Hexachlamys edulis, Myrtaceae) was assessed on normoglycaemic and alloxan-diabetic rats. After 7 days of oral treatment at 100 mg extract/kg body weight, Yvahai significantly reduced glycaemia in normal (p<0.02) and diabetic (p<0.05) rats during an oral glucose tolerance test. The maximum effect was observed between 1.5 and 2.5 h after glucose administration in normoglycaemic rats, and at 1.0 h in diabetic animals. The extract, however, did not have a statistically significant effect on the basal glycaemia of untreated compared with treated rats. A single oral dose of 500 mg extract/kg administered to normoglycaemic rats 1 h before glucose, elicited a significant reduction (p < 0.02) in the percent increase in glycaemia compared with vehicle-treated animals. The effect was comparable to a single oral dose of 100 mg/kg tolbutamide. During the oral toxicity study, animals exhibited no symptoms of drug-induced toxicity with doses up to 5 g/kg.     

Antihyperglycaemic flavonoids from Syzygium samarangense (Blume) Merr. and Perry

2',4'-Dihydroxy-3',5'-dimethyl-6'-methoxychalcone 1, its isomeric flavanone 5-O-methyl-4'-desmethoxymatteucinol 2 and 2'4'-dihydroxy-6'-methoxy-3'-methylchalcone 3 were isolated from the leaves of S. samarangense using a bioassay-directed scheme. In an oral glucose tolerance test, at a dosage of 1.0 mg/20 g mouse, 1 and 2 significantly (alpha = 0.05) lowered the blood glucose levels (BGLs) in glucose-hyperglycaemic mice when administered 15 min after a glucose load. When co-administered with glucose, only 1 showed a significant lowering of BGLs 45 min after its oral administration. When administered 15 min before glucose, none of the flavonoids showed a positive effect. Only 1 decreased significantly, at alpha = 0.05, the BGLs of alloxan-diabetic mice at t = 90-150 min.     

Phytochemical analysis and biological screening of leaf and twig extracts from Kunzea ericoides

Kunzea ericoides is a member of the Myrtle group of tea trees. Leaf and twig material of K. ericoides was extracted with different solvents to afford terpene (including the essential oil), flavonoid and lipid classes (but no alkaloid class), which were subsequently screened for antibacterial, antitumour, cytotoxic, antioxidant and antiinflammatory activity. Differences were observed in the biological activity for the chemical classes tested, and in general, the leaf extracts were comparatively more bioactive than the twig extracts. The leaf lipid extract was the most bioactive fraction, exhibiting antibacterial, antitumour and antiinflammatory activity. Thin layer chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy analysis of each extract revealed previously identified phytochemicals that may be responsible for the observed bioactivities.