Ethnomedicinal Study of Plants in Begumganj, Noakhali, Bangladesh

This study is a record of ethnomedicinal knowledge in Begumganj province focussed on medicinal plants and their local uses for primary health care. The aim was to document and preserve the ethnomedicinal knowledge used by traditional healers of Begumganj upazila, Bangladesh, to treat human diseases and evaluate the relative efficacy of the medicinal plants. The uses of medicinal plants were documented as an ethnomedicinal data sheet using direct observation, field interview, plant interview and group interview techniques from December 2012 to January 2014 in the study area. Data were collected from 98 traditional healers through a questionnaire survey and analyzed through informant consensus factor and fidelity level. This study revealed comprehensive relationship among various diseases and families, forms and parts of plants and modes of preparation. Overall, 75 plant species under 71 genera of 47 families were documented, which are used to treat 41 diseases. Data analysis revealed that 41.33%, 14.67%, 36% and 8% of the medicinal plant species were herbs, shrubs, trees, and climbers, respectively. Leaves were the most used parts, followed by stem, root, fruit, bark, latex and rhizome. The most frequently treated diseases were dysentery, rheumatism and skin diseases. This is the first ethnobotanical survey, which recorded the importance of medicinal plants in Begumganj upazila, Bangladesh.This study can contribute to preserving the indigenous knowledge on the traditional use of medicinal plants in this region and new drug development with attracting future generations towards traditional healing practice.

Anti-Helicobacter pylori Activity of Compounds Isolated from Fraxinus mandshurica Bark

Helicobacter pylori is a well-known pathogen that is responsible for gastric disorders. Overcoming of the antibiotic-resistance is a main barrier to treat H. pylori infection. In our search for anti-H. pylori compounds from natural resources, bioactivity-guided isolation on the ethyl acetate fraction of Fraxinus mandshurica bark that had shown anti-H. pylori activity gave twelve compounds (1 - 12) of six coumarins, three phenylethanoids, two secoiridoids, and a lignan using silica gel column chromatography, Sephadex-LH 20, and recrystallization.The chemical structures were identified by spectroscopic data analysis, including 1D, 2D NMR, and mass spectrometry. Among them, compounds 2, 10, and 11 showed moderate growth inhibitory activity against three strains ofH. pylori, compared with positive controls of quercetin and metronidazole. Compounds 5, 6, 8, and 12 exhibited the inhibitory activity against strains 26695 or 43504. This is the first report on the anti-H. pylori activity of this plant and the isolated compounds.

Pharmaceutical Studies on “Dang-Gui” in Korean Journals

A crude drug “Dang-Gui”, belonging to the genus Angelica, has been used as a traditional herbal medicine in Asia. Various studies have investigated the chemical components and pharmacological activities of Dang-Gui worldwide. However, domestic research results published in Korean are undervalued in international academia due to language barriers. Therefore, it is necessary to summarize the domestic research findings systematically for greater accessibility. This review focuses on the results published in four Korean pharmaceutical journals between 1970 and 2018, which detail the botanical, phytochemical, and pharmacological properties of three Angelica species (A. gigas, A. sinensis, and A. acutiloba) used as “Dang-Gui” in Korea, China, and Japan.

Anti-Helicobacter pylori Compounds from Polygonum cuspidatum

Anti-Helicobacter pylori activity guided fractionation led to the isolation of five anthraquinones, two stilbenes and one naphthoquinone from the EtOAc fraction of Polygonum cuspidatum, using silica gel column chromatography, Sephadex-LH20, MPLC and recrystallization. The chemical structures were identified to be physcion (1), emodin (2), anthraglycoside B (3), trans-resveratrol (4), anthraglycoside A (5), polydatin (6), 2-methoxy-6-acetyl-7-methyljuglone (7) and citreorosein (8) by UV, ¹H-NMR, ¹³C-NMR and mass spectrometry. Anti-Helicobacter pylori activity including MIC values of each compound was evaluated. All of the isolates exhibited anti-H. pylori activity of which MIC values were lower than that of a positive control, quercetin. Compounds 2 and 7 showed potent growth inhibitory activity. Especially, a naphthoquinone, compound 7 displayed most potent antibacterial activity with MIC₅₀ value of 0.30 µM and MIC₉₀ value of 0.39 µM. Although anti-H. pylori activity of this plant was previously reported, this is the first report on that of compounds isolated from this species. From these findings, P. cuspidatum roots or its isolates may be useful for H. pylori infection and further study is needed to elucidate mechanism of action.

Anti-Helicobacter pylori Compounds from Maackia amurensis

Eight isoflavonoid compounds were isolated from the EtOAc fraction of Maackia amurensis which had shown the highest anti-Helicobacter pylori activity among the fractions, using medium pressure liquid chromatography and recrystallization. Based on the spectroscopic data including 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, HMBC and MS data, the chemical structures of the isolates were determined to be (-)-medicarpin (1), afromosin (2), formononetin (3), tectorigenin (4), prunetin (5), wistin (6), tectoridin (7) and ononin (8). Anti-H. pylori activity of each compound was evaluated with broth dilution assay. As a result, (-)-medicarpin (1), tectorigenin (4) and wistin (6) showed anti-H. pylori activity. (-)-Medicarpin (1) exhibited the most potent growth inhibitory activity against H. pylori with the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC)90 of 25 microM, and tectorigenin (4) with MIC90 of 100 microM ranked the second. This is the first study to show the anti-H. pylori activity of M. amurensis, and it is suggested that the stem bark of M. amurensis or the EtOAc fraction or the isolated compounds can be a new natural source for the treatment of H. pylori infection.

The Effect of Lidocaine on the Onset Time of Rocuronium-induced Neuromuscular Blockade in Adults / 대한마취과학회지

BACKGROUND: Rapid-sequence intubation is a common technique to reduce anesthetic complication. Due to side effects of succinylcholine, nondepolarizing muscle relaxants have been tried. Rocuronium is a new nondepolarizing muscle relaxant with a brief onset of action, but devoid of the adverse reaction associated with succinylcholine. Most local anesthetics decrease neuromuscular transmission and pontentiate neuromuscular blocks of muscle relaxants. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of lidocaine on the onset time of rocuronium-induced neuromuscular blockade in adults. METHODS: Fourty five patients, ASA physical status I or II, were randomly divided into three groups. Anesthetic induction with thiopental 5 mg/kg was made. Succinylcholine (1.0 mg/kg) was administered intravenously in group 1. Rocuronium (0.6 mg/kg) was given in group 2, additional lidocaine (1.0 mg/kg) was given intravenously 1 minute prior to the administration of rocuronium in group 3. Neuromuscular blockade was assessed by train-of-four at the adductor pollicis muscle with supramaximal stimulation of the ulnar nerve (2 Hz, 0.2 msec) every 10 seconds. The condition of intubation, the appearance of arrhythmias, side effects of drugs, and the changes of mean arterial pressure and heart rate were checked and compared in peri-induction periods. RESULTS: The onset time of group 1 (55.1 14.9 sec) was faster than that of group 2 (137.8 46.0 sec) and group 3 (139.3 41.0 sec), but there was no difference between the onset time of group 2 and that of group 3. Intubating conditions were good or excellent in all groups, but group 1 and 3 were better than group 2. There was no difference between the three groups in hemodynamics. More adverse effects were observed in group 1, that of group 2 and 3 were observed in only one case. CONCLUSIONS: The authors concluded that lidocaine is not effective on the onset time of rocuronium, but improves the intubating condition. Rocuronium is devoid of side effects of succinylcholine, but not a alternative to succinylcholine because its onset time is too slow when compared with succinylcholine.

The Effect of Lidocaine on the Onset Time of Rocuronium-induced Neuromuscular Blockade in Adults / 대한마취과학회지

BACKGROUND: Rapid-sequence intubation is a common technique to reduce anesthetic complication. Due to side effects of succinylcholine, nondepolarizing muscle relaxants have been tried. Rocuronium is a new nondepolarizing muscle relaxant with a brief onset of action, but devoid of the adverse reaction associated with succinylcholine. Most local anesthetics decrease neuromuscular transmission and pontentiate neuromuscular blocks of muscle relaxants. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of lidocaine on the onset time of rocuronium-induced neuromuscular blockade in adults. METHODS: Fourty five patients, ASA physical status I or II, were randomly divided into three groups. Anesthetic induction with thiopental 5 mg/kg was made. Succinylcholine (1.0 mg/kg) was administered intravenously in group 1. Rocuronium (0.6 mg/kg) was given in group 2, additional lidocaine (1.0 mg/kg) was given intravenously 1 minute prior to the administration of rocuronium in group 3. Neuromuscular blockade was assessed by train-of-four at the adductor pollicis muscle with supramaximal stimulation of the ulnar nerve (2 Hz, 0.2 msec) every 10 seconds. The condition of intubation, the appearance of arrhythmias, side effects of drugs, and the changes of mean arterial pressure and heart rate were checked and compared in peri-induction periods. RESULTS: The onset time of group 1 (55.1 14.9 sec) was faster than that of group 2 (137.8 46.0 sec) and group 3 (139.3 41.0 sec), but there was no difference between the onset time of group 2 and that of group 3. Intubating conditions were good or excellent in all groups, but group 1 and 3 were better than group 2. There was no difference between the three groups in hemodynamics. More adverse effects were observed in group 1, that of group 2 and 3 were observed in only one case. CONCLUSIONS: The authors concluded that lidocaine is not effective on the onset time of rocuronium, but improves the intubating condition. Rocuronium is devoid of side effects of succinylcholine, but not a alternative to succinylcholine because its onset time is too slow when compared with succinylcholine.