Flavonoids from Cleome droserifolia suppress NO production in activated macrophages in vitro.

The effect of an Egyptian medicinal plant, Cleome droserifolia (Forssk.) Del. on nitric oxide (NO) production in bacillus Calmette-Guérin-induced mouse peritoneal macrophages activated by lipopolysaccharide was investigated in vitro. The methanol extract of C. droserifolia reduced the NO production, and two flavonoids were isolated as the active components. The new one was determined to be 5,4'-dihydroxy-6,7,8,3',5'-pentamethoxyflavone (1) and the other was identified as 5,4'-dihydroxy-6,7,8,3'-tetramethoxyflavone (8-methoxycirsilineol; 2). Compound 1 concentration-dependently suppressed the NO production and was effective at a non-toxic concentration (12.5 micrograms/ml). The suppressive activity of 2 was weaker than that of 1.     

Metabolomic profiling of Saposhnikoviae Radix from Mongolia by LC–IT–TOF–MS/MS and multivariate statistical analysis

Journal of Natural Medicines - Saposhnikoviae Radix (SR) is a commonly used crude drug that is obtained from the root and rhizome of Saposhnikovia divaricata which is distributed throughout China,...     

Flavonoids isolated from the flowers of Pulsatilla flavescens and their anti-piroplasm activity

Journal of Natural Medicines - Pulsatilla species are known as “Yargui”, and their flowers are traditionally used in Mongolia as a tonic and for the treatment of inflammatory diseases....     

Biological activity evaluations of chemical constituents derived from Mongolian medicinal forage plants and their applications in combating infectious diseases and addressing health problems in humans and livestock

Journal of Natural Medicines - Mongolian nomadic people possess traditional knowledge of wild plants that grow in their areas of habitation. Many of these are forage plants in nature and are...     

Characterization of metabolites in Saposhnikovia divaricata root from Mongolia

Journal of Natural Medicines - Saposhnikoviae Radix (SR), derived from the dried root and rhizome of Saposhnikovia divaricata, is a popular crude drug used in traditional Chinese and Japanese...     

Lanostane triterpenoids from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Fomitopsis officinalis</Emphasis> and their trypanocidal activity

Fomitopsis officinalis is a medicinal fungus, known as ‘Agarikon’, and is used traditionally in the treatment of asthma and rheumatism in Mongolia. The investigation of the chemical constituents of F. officinalis led to the isolation of 4 new lanostane triterpenoids together with 4 known triterpenoids. Inhibitory activity against Trypanosoma congolense, which causes fatal diseases in animals including livestock, was estimated for the isolated compounds. Compounds 2–5 and 8 exhibited moderate inhibition activities with IC₅₀ values ranging from 7.0?27.1 µM.     

Survey of Glycyrrhizae Radix resources in Mongolia: chemical assessment of the underground part of Glycyrrhiza uralensis and comparison with Chinese Glycyrrhizea Radix

In order to reveal the chemical characteristics of Glycyrrhiza uralensis growing in Mongolia and to clarify whether it can be the source of Glycyrrhizae Radix used in Japan, eight major bioactive constituents in the underground parts of G. uralensis collected in Mongolia were quantitatively analyzed and compared with Glycyrrhizae Radix produced in China. Most of the 15 samples from eastern, southern and western parts of Mongolia contained 26.95–58.55 mg/g of glycyrrhizin, exceeding the criterion (25 mg/g) assigned in the Japanese Pharmacopoeia. The sample collected in Tamsagiyn hooly, Dornod province, in eastern Mongolia was of the highest content 58.55 mg/g. The contents of three flavanone constituents (liquiritin apioside, liquiritin and liquiritigenin) and three chalcones (isoliquiritin apioside, isoliquiritin and isoliquiritigenin) varied significantly according to collection places; the subtotal of the three flavanones ranged from 3.00 to 26.35 mg/g, and the subtotal of the three chalcones ranged from 1.13 to 10.50 mg/g. The content of glycyrrhizin and subtotal contents of flavanones and chalcones in the underground parts of G. uralensis from Mongolia were obviously lower than wild samples, but higher than cultivated samples derived from the same species produced in China. Glycycoumarin, a species-specific constituent of G. uralensis, was detected in all Mongolian samples. Its contents in samples from eastern Mongolia, Sergelen and Tamsagiyn hooly of Dornod province were very high and were compatible with Tohoku-kanzo derived from wild Chinese G. uralensis. The present study suggested that Mongolian G. uralensis could be a source of Glycyrrhizae Radix, mostly of Japanese Pharmacopoeia grade. However, the producing area should be taken into consideration to ensure relatively high quality. In addition, planned use and promotion of cultivation must be advocated to avoid confronting Mongolian Glycyrrhiza with the same threat as its congener in China. Our study sheds some light on selecting cultivation areas and superior strains, which are important tasks to promote cultivation.     

Suppression of NO production in activated macrophages in vitro and ex vivo by neoandrographolide isolated from Andrographis paniculata

In this study, we investigated the in vitro and ex vivo suppressive effects of Andrographis paniculata on nitric oxide (NO) production in mouse peritoneal macrophages elicited by bacillus Calmette-Guéin (BCG) and stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Incubation of BCG-induced macrophages with the methanol extract of A. paniculata reduced LPS stimulated NO production. The diterpene lactones andrographolide and neoandrographolide were isolated as active components from the extract. These compounds suppressed NO production in a concentration-dependent manner in the concentration range from 0.1 to 100 microM and their IC50 values were 7.9 and 35.5 microM. Neoandrographolide also suppressed NO production by 35 and 40% when the macrophages were collected after oral administration of neoandrographolide at doses of 5 and 25 mg/kg/d and LPS stimulated NO production was examined. However, andrographolide did not reduce NO production on oral administration at the same doses. These results indicate that neoandrographolide, which inhibited NO production both in vitro and ex vivo may play an important role in the use of A. paniculata as an anti-inflammatory crude drug.     

Screening of Mongolian plants for influence on amylase activity in mouse plasma and gastrointestinal tube

Mongolian plants were screened for their influence on alpha-amylase activity in mouse plasma. Methanolic extracts of Geranium pratense, Rhodiola rosea, Ribes pullchelum and Vaccinium uliginosum inhibited the enzyme activity in isolated mouse plasma by greater than 40% and the effect was concentration dependent. Vaccinium uliginosum also showed a depressive effect on elevation of postprandial blood glucose to some extent.     

Antigenotoxic and antioxidant effects of the Mongolian medicinal plant Leptopyrum fumarioides (L): An in vitro study

Ethnopharmacological relevance

Leptopyrum fumarioides has been used in the traditional medicine of Mongolia for the treatment of various diseases, including drug intoxications. However, since there is only sparse information about its chemistry, active components, and pharmacological and toxicological effects, the major aim of the present study employing mouse lymphoma cells was to evaluate the genotoxic and antigenotoxic/antioxidative effects of extracts and components isolated from this plant.

Material and methods

A crude methanol extract was separated into three different sub-extracts: dichloromethane, n-butanol, and water. The major constituent of the n-butanol extract, i.e., the flavone luteolin-7-O-glucoside and a mixture of the most abundant compounds in the dichloromethane sub-extract were then isolated. DNA damage was evaluated using the comet assay; the antioxidant activity was evaluated using the DPPH radical scavenging assay.

Results

The crude methanol extract, the dichloromethane sub-extract and the mixture of compounds isolated from the latter fraction, increased the level of DNA damage after three hours of exposure. In contrast, no increase in DNA damage was observed in the cells that had been exposed to the n-butanol and water sub-extracts, or to the pure flavone. When non-DNA damaging concentrations of extracts and compounds were tested together with the DNA damaging agent catechol, all sub-extracts were found to reduce the catechol-induced DNA damage (the flavone was then found to be the most effective protective agent). The n-butanol sub-extract and the flavone were also found to have the most prominent antioxidative effects.

Conclusion

Based on the results from the present study, components in Leptopyrum fumarioides were found to protect the DNA damage induced by catechol, probably by acting as potent antioxidants.