ABSTRACT
Peperomia hispidula (Sw.) A. Dietr. is used in Mexican traditional medicine for treating respiratory illnesses such as asthma. The latter disorder results from an excessive and inappropriate constriction of airway smooth muscle. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the relaxant activity of P. hispidula on isolated rat tracheal rings contracted with carbachol. The methyleugenol was identified as the main active constituent in the dichloromethane extract. To explore the possible mechanism of action, concentration-response curves were constructed in the presence and absence of propranolol (3 µM), indomethacin (10 µM), glibenclamide (1 µM), and L-NAME (300 µM), finding that neither reduced methyleugenol-induced smooth muscle relaxation. In conclusion, P. hispidula herein displayed relaxant activity on rat tracheal rings. The effect of methyleugenol, was probably not related to the activation of ß2-adrenoceptors, prostaglandins, K+ATP channels or nitric oxide.
Peperomia hispidula (Sw.) A. Dietr. es utilizada en la medicina tradicional mexicana para tratar enfermedades respiratorias como el asma. Este uÌltimo trastorno es el resultado de una contraccioÌn excesiva e inapropiada del muÌsculo liso de las viÌas respiratorias. El objetivo del presente estudio fue evaluar la actividad relajante de P. hispidula sobre anillos aislados de traÌquea de rata contraiÌdos con carbacol. El metileugenol fue identificado como el principal constituyente activo en el extracto de diclorometano. Para explorar el posible mecanismo de accioÌn, se construyeron curvas concentracioÌn-respuesta en presencia y ausencia de propranolol (3 µM), indometacina (10 µM), glibenclamida (1 µM), y L-NAME (300 µM), encontrando que ninguno redujo la relajacioÌn del muÌsculo liso inducida por metileugenol. En conclusioÌn, P. hispidula muestra actividad relajante en anillos de traÌquea de rata. El efecto de metileugenol, al parecer no estaÌ implicado con la activacioÌn de los receptores ß2-adreneÌrgicos, prostaglandinas, canales de K+ATP u oÌxido niÌtrico.
Subject(s)
Animals , Male , Rats , Trachea/drug effects , Eugenol/analogs & derivatives , Eugenol/pharmacology , Plant Extracts/pharmacology , Peperomia , Asthma/metabolism , Tracheal Stenosis/chemically induced , Eugenol/isolation & purification , Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid , Tandem Mass Spectrometry , Methylene Chloride/chemistry , Muscle Relaxation/drug effectsABSTRACT
ABSTRACT Phoradendron mucronatum and P. microphyllum are plants that found in tropical and subtropical areas, used in traditional medicine and popularly known as mistle-thrush. The aim of this study was to identify the chemical constituents of different leaf extracts from P. mucronatum and P. microphyllum and assess cytotoxic activity against strains from a human tumour cells. Extracts obtained with hexane, dichloromethane, chloroform and ethyl acetate from the leaves were analysed by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and the cytotoxicity was assessed by the MTT method (bromide (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide)). The tested human tumour cells were NCI-H292 (human pulmonar mucoepidermoid carcinoma), MCF-7 (human breast adenocarcinoma) and HEp-2 (epidermoid carcinoma of the larynx). Analysis by GC/MS of the extracts from leaves of P. microphyllum and P. mucronatum detected 51 different compounds, such as alkaloids, diterpenes, triterpenes, sterols, alcohols, aldehydes, fatty acids and hydrocarbons. In the cytotoxic evaluation, hexane and ethyl acetate extracts from the leaves P. microphyllum inhibited cell growth of NCI-H292 strains (72.97%) and HEp-2 (87.53%), respectively. The extracts of P. mucronatum species showed an inhibitory effect towards NCI-H292 (83.19%/hexane), MCF-7 (88.69%/dichloromethane) and HEp-2 (93.40%/hexane). The extracts showed cytotoxic activity against the tested strains, especially the P. mucronatum, which presented the highest percentages of inhibition of cell growth.
Subject(s)
Humans , Plant Extracts/chemistry , Plant Leaves/chemistry , Viscaceae/chemistry , Phoradendron/chemistry , Tetrazolium Salts , Thiazoles , Plant Extracts/pharmacology , Chloroform/chemistry , Reproducibility of Results , Toxicity Tests , Cell Line, Tumor , Cell Proliferation/drug effects , MCF-7 Cells , Hexanes/chemistry , Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry , Methylene Chloride/chemistry , Acetates/chemistryABSTRACT
Berberine and palmatine are two of the main bioactive components in Huangbai, a major Chinese medicinal herb. The current methods to extract these compounds usually involving the usage of inorganic acid and base, are not only complex and time-consuming, but have a low selectivity. In this paper, it was reported that hexane, ethyl acetate and dichloromethane were tested to extract berberine and palmatine from Huangbai powder. The results showed that dichloromethane extracted selectively and effectively berberine and palmatine from Huangbai powder among the examined solvents. In addition, dichloromethane can be recycled and reused, making it a potential candidate for large scale extraction of berberine and palmatine from Huangbai
Subject(s)
Neuroprotective Agents/chemistry , Berberine Alkaloids/analysis , Chemical Fractionation , Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid , Hexanes/chemistry , Methylene Chloride/chemistry , Powders , Solvents/chemistryABSTRACT
Dental caries is considered a multi-factorial, infectious, chronic, localized, post-eruptive, transmissible disease that leads to the destruction of dental hard tissue. The recognition of Streptococcus mutans as the major bacterial species involved in dental caries has led to the implementation of prevention and control measures for eliminating or reducing it in oral cavity. The main goal of research on medicinal plants is the search for substances or compounds with antimicrobial activity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of fractions obtained by two methods from Isertia laevis against S. mutans and S. sobrinus. The plant material was collected in Medina (Colombia), at an elevation of 550 meters above sea level. From the ethanol extract of leaves of I. laevis, fractions were obtained by two methods: extraction by column vacuum chromatography (CVC) and extraction by continuous liquid / liquid partitioning (CLLP). The evaluation of the antimicrobial activity of fractions against S. mutans and S. sobrinus was performed by well diffusion and bioautography assays. From the CVC technique, only the methanol and methanol-dichloromethane fractions showed activity against S. mutans and S. sobrinus, with a minimum inhibitory concentration of 2 mg/well. From the CLLP technique, only the dichloromethane fraction showed activity against both microorganisms, with a minimum inhibitory concentration of 1 mg/well. Compounds C1 and C2 were isolated from the three active fractions, and showed a minimum inhibitory concentration of 0.4 mg/well for S. mutans and S. sobrinus, with zones of inhibition measuring 6.5 and 6.2 mm, respectively. In conclusion: 1) the three active fractions of I. laevis showed activity against S. mutans and S. sobrinus, 2) compounds C1 and C2 were present equally in the three active fractions showing activity against the two bacteria, 3) compounds C1 and C2 may be triterpenoid and/or steroidal saponin structures, and 4) the two extraction methods lead equally to obtaining the active fractions.
La caries dental es considerada una enfermedad infecciosa multifactorial, cronica, localizada, poseruptiva y transmisible que conlleva a la destruccion del tejido dental duro. El claro reconocimiento de Streptococcus mutans como la principal especie bacteriana implicada en caries dental, ha conducido a la implementacion de medidas de prevencion y control para la eliminacion o disminucion de este microorganismo en cavidad oral. El objetivo fundamental de la investigacion en plantas medicinales, es la busqueda de sustancias o compuestos con actividad antimicrobiana para ser utilizadas en el control o prevencion de enfermedades infecciosas. En este sentido, en salud bucal muchas sustancias obtenidas de plantas han mostrado actividad antimicrobiana. El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar la actividad antimicrobiana de fracciones obtenidas de la planta Isertia laevis mediante dos metodologias contra S. mutans y S. sobrinus. El material vegetal se colecto en el municipio de Medina (Cundinamarca- Colombia) situado a una altura de 550 metros sobre el nivel del mar. A partir del extracto etanolico de hojas de I. laevis se obtuvieron fracciones mediante dos metodologias, extraccion por cromatografia en columna al vacio (CCV) y extraccion por fraccionamiento liquido/liquido continuo (FLLC). La evaluacion de la actividad antimicrobiana de las fracciones frente a S. mutans y S. sobrinus se realizo por el metodo de difusion en pozo y bioautografico. De las fracciones obtenidas por CCV, solamente las fracciones metanol y metanol-diclorometano presentaron actividad antimicrobiana sobre S. mutans y S. sobrinus, con una concentracion minima inhibitoria de 2 mg/pozo. De las fracciones obtenidas por FLLC solamente la fraccion diclorometano presento actividad antimicrobiana sobre S. mutans y S. sobrinus, con una concentracion minima inhibitoria de 1 mg/pozo. De las 3 fracciones activas se aislaron los compuestos C1 y C2, que presentaron una concentracion minima inhibitoria de 0.4 mg/pozo tanto para S. mutans como para S. sobrinus con halos de inhibicion, respectivamente, de 6.5 y 6.2 mm. En conclusion, 1. Las fracciones metanol y diclorometano obtenidas por CCV y la fraccion diclorometano obtenida por FLLC de hojas de I. laevis presentaron actividad antimicrobiana sobre S. mutans y S. sobrinus; 2. Los compuestos C1 y C2 presentes por igual en las tres fracciones activas tuvieron accion inhibitoria sobre las dos bacterias en evaluacion; 3. Las pruebas quimicas cualitativas para los compuestos C1 y C2 indican que posiblemente corresponden a estructuras de saponinas triterpenicas y/o esteroidales; y 4. Las dos metodologias de extraccion conducen por igual a la obtencion de las fracciones activas.