Chemical composition and antimicrobial activities of essential oils of some coniferous plants cultivated in Egypt

Family Cupressaceae is the largest coniferous plant family. Essential oils of many species belonging to family Cupressaceae are known to have several biological activities specially antimicrobial activity. The essential oils from aerial parts of Calocedrus decurrens Torr., Cupressus sempervirens stricta L. and Tetraclinis articulata [Vahl] Mast. were prepared by hydrodistillation. The chemical composition of the essential oils has been elucidated by gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy analysis. The prepared essential oils were examined against selected species of Gram-positive, Gram-negative bacteria and Candida species. Broth dilution methods were used to detect minimum inhibitory concentration [MIC], minimum bactericidal concentration [MBC] and minimum fungicidal concentration [MFC]. Sixteen compounds were identified in the essential oils of both Calocedrus decurrens and Cupressus sempervirens L. and fifteen compounds were identified in the essential oil of Tetraclinis articulata. delta-3-Carene [43.10%], [+]-Cedrol [74.03%] and Camphor [21.23%] were the major constituents in the essential oils of Calocedrus decurrens, Cupressus sempervirens L. and Tetraclinis articulata, respectively. The essential oils showed strong antimicrobial activities against the selected microorganisms in concentration range 0.02 3- 3.03 micro L/mL. This study could contribute to the chemotaxonomic characterization of family Cupressaceae. In addition, it proved that the essential oils under investigation possess potential antimicrobial properties

New ellagic acid derivative from the fruits of heat-tolerant plant Conocarpus lancifolius Engl. and their anti-inflammatory, cytotoxic, PPAR agonistic activities

Conocarpus lancifolius [Combretaceae], " ÏãÓ ÓäÇäí " in Arabic, is distributed in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It is a heat-tolerant Saudi medicinal plant, demonstrates prominent antidiabetic potential and the fruit extract fruits showed cytotoxicity against MRC-5 cancer cell line, as well as prominent antiprotozoal and antibacterial activities. The objective of this study is to isolate the compounds and evaluate the anti-inflammatory, cytotoxic, PPAR agonistic and antioxidant activities of extracts and pure constituents from C. lancifolius. A new trimethoxyellagic acid derivative 1 and two compounds, kaempferol 3-O-rutinoside 2 and beta-sitosterol glucoside 3 were isolated from the fruits of Conocarpus lancifolius, a heat-tolerant plant. Compound 2 showed strong dual activation for PPAR alpha and PPAR gamma with 2.6 fold increment in PPAR alpha activity, while 2.2 fold increment in PPAR gamma at 25 micro g/mL. This is first report on isolation and screening of different biological activities of extract and pure constituents from fruits of C. lancifolius

Isolation of flavonoids from Delonix elata and determination of its rutin content using capillary electrophoresis

Delonix elata [L.] Gamble [Fabaceae] is an important, traditionally used plant in Saudi Arabia. It is used to relieve rheumatic pain, flatulence and the seeds are employed as purgatives. The aim of the present study was to isolate chemical constituents of the n-butanol fraction [BF] of D. elata and to find out, by capillary electrophoresis [CE], percentage of rutin present in this BF. Three quercetin glycosides and one kaempferol rutinoside were isolated from the BF of aerial parts of D. elata; namely, Quercetin 3-O-rutinoside-7-O-glucoside [1], Quercetin 3,7-diglucoside [2], Quercetin 3-0-rutinoside [RUT] [3] and Kaempferol 3-0-rutinoside [4]. Rutin, an active constituent has been reported to possess good pharmacological as well as therapeutic potentials. A sensitive and rapid procedure for quantitative determination of RUT by capillary electrophoresis was developed and its content was found to be 7.349 mg/gm, relative to n-butanol fraction and 18.373 mg%, relative to the dry powder of D. elata. The method could be recommended for approval and use in the pharmaceutical and food industries

Molecular mechanisms that underlie the sexual stimulant actions of Avicennia marina [Forssk.] Vierh. and Crocus sativus L

The effects of extracts and sub-fractions of Avicennia marina, Crocus sativus and sildenafil on the sexual behavior of male rats and their effects on the intracavernosal pressure [I.CV], intracavernosal cyclic GMP and dihydrotestosterone plasma level were examined. The sexual behavior was followed for four hours using infra-red video cameras to quantify the effects on various male sexual behaviors. The results revealed that the active sub-fraction in case of A. marina was the hexane fraction of the chloroform extracts [C/H] whereas that of C. sativus was the hexane fraction of the alcoholic extract [A/H]. [C/H], [A/H] and sildenafil significantly increased the total sexual stimulation index from 53.8 +/- 2.7 [control] to 406 +/- 7.8, 225 +/- 4 and 401 +/- 30.1, respectively [P<0.001, N=6]. They significantly increased the index of successful mounting and ejaculation from 2.6 +/- 0.5 [control] to 40 +/- 2.7, 21 +/- 2.3 and 18 +/- 1.7, respectively [P<0.01, N=6]. They significantly increased the cyclic GMP level from 0.94 +/- 0.07 [control] to 3.1 +/- 0.13, 1.59 +/- 0.11 and 3.66 +/- 0.19 ng/mg wet tissue, respectively [P<0.05, N=7]. They did not affect dihydrotestosterone plasma level. [C/H], [A/H] and sildenafil increased the [I.CV] pressure by 4.8 +/- 0.3, 1.4 +/- 0.8 and 4.2 +/- 0.9 mmHg. The [C/H] seemed to be more active than sildenafil and twice active than [A/H]. Both extracts and sildenafil acted via an increase in cyclic GMP

Cytotoxic flavonoid glycosides from rapistrum rugosum l

Five flavonoid glycosides were isolated from the-butanol soluble fraction of the ethanolic extract of Rapistrum rugosum and their structures were assigned from 'H- and [13]C-NMR spectra [DEPT] with 2D NMR as quercetin-3-[9-a-L-rhamnopyranoside [1], quercetin-3-<9-/?-D-xyloside [2], quercetin, 3-0-a-L-arabinopyranoside, 7-0-a-L-rhamnopyranoside [3], kaempferol 3-0-a-L-arabinopyranoside, 7-0-a-L-rhamnopyranoside [4] and rutin [5]. The SRB cytotoxic assay was used to investigate the antitumor activities of "-butanol extract, compound 3 and its hexaacetate 3a, for the first time. Compounds 3 and 3a showed cytotoxic activity against the human cancer cell line, namely, HepG2 [hepatocellular carcinoma cell line] with IC[50] [concentration of compound required to reduce cell survival by 50%] 0.86 microg/mL and 3.50 microg/mL, respectively. These results proved that compound 3, the major flavonoid of the ft-butanol soluble fraction, has significant cytotoxic activity compared with the standard antitumor drug doxorubicin [0.60 microg/mL]

Overcoming the MDG 4 implementation challenges: redefining the role of LHS in structured supportive supervision of lhws

Millennium Development Goal [MDG] 4 calls for a two-thirds reduction in under-five mortality from 1990 levels by 2015. Of the 68 countries with the highest burden of child mortality, 52 will not achieve MDG 4. Pakistan is among the 52 countries that are not on track to achieve MDG 4. Despite the deployment of some 120,000 Lady Health Workers [LHWs], under-five mortality in Pakistan has remained stagnant over the last decade. With 2015 around the corner, it is time to reassess current implementation challenges and generate new evidence on how to strengthen the National Program for Family Planning and Primary Health Care to accelerate the pace towards achieving MDG 4. The Fourth Evaluation of the LHW program [FENP] identifies deficient knowledge and skills of LHWs in community case management of pneumonia and diarrhea and weak supervision by Lady Health Supervisors [LHSs] as significant shortcomings of the Program. The evaluation also notes persistent issues with key health behaviors of primary caregivers [mothers] related to these childhood illnesses and suggests that an association exists between LHS supervisory competencies, LHW knowledge and skills and key health practices of primary caregivers related to pneumonia and diarrhea in children under five. In the context of Pakistan's weak health system, structured supportive supervision of LHWs by LHSs through LHS trainings and augmentation of existing LHS monitoring tools might be a key step in reducing Pakistan's target gap for MDG 4.