Protective Roles of Shilajit in Modulating Resistin, Adiponectin, and Cytokines in Rats with Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To evaluate the effect of Shilajit, a medicine of Ayurveda, on the serum changes in cytokines and adipokines caused by non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).@*METHODS@#After establishing fatty liver models by feeding a high-fat diet (HFD) for 12 weeks, 35 Wistar male rats were randomly divided into 5 groups, including control (standard diet), Veh (HFD + vehicle), high-dose Shilajit [H-Sh, HFD + 250 mg/(kg·d) Shilajit], low-dose Shilajit [L-Sh, HFD + 150 mg/(kg·d) Shilajit], and pioglitazone [HFD + 10 mg/(kg·d) pioglitazone] groups, 7 rats in each group. After 2-week of gavage administration, serum levels of glucose, insulin, interleukin 1beta (IL-1β), IL-6, IL-10, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), adiponectin, and resistin were measured, and insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR) was calculated.@*RESULTS@#After NAFLD induction, the serum level of IL-10 significantly increased and serum IL-1β, TNF-α levels significantly decreased by injection of both doses of Shilajit and pioglitazone (P<0.05). Increases in serum glucose level and homeostasis model of HOMA-IR were reduced by L-Sh and H-Sh treatment in NAFLD rats (P<0.05). Both doses of Shilajit increased adiponectin and decreased serum resistin levels (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#The probable protective role of Shilajit in NAFLD model rats may be via modulating the serum levels of IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-10, adipokine and resistin, and reducing of HOMA-IR.

One new cembranoid diterpene from gum resin of Boswellia carterii / 中国中药杂志

This study aims to study the chemical components from the gum resin of Boswellia carterii. Five cembranoid diterpenes were isolated from the gum resin of B. carterii by various of column chromatographies including silica gel, Sephadex LH-20, and semi-preparative HPLC. Their structures were identified on the basis of physicochemical properties, mass spectrometry(MS), nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR), Ultraviolet(UV) and infrared(IR) spectroscopic data. These compounds were identified as(1S,2E,4R,5S,7E,11E)-4-methoxy-5-hydroxycembrane(1),(1R~*,4R~*,5E,8E,12E,15E)-4-hydroxycembra-5,8,12,15-tetraene(2), cembrene A(3),(3S,4S,7R)-4-hydroxycembrane(4), and pavidolide D(5). Compound 1 was a new compound. Compounds 2, 4, and 5 were obtained from the gum resin of B. carterii for the first time. Compound 2 showed weak inhibition on the human liver cancer cell line HepG2.

DNA barcoding identification of original plants of a rare medicinal material Resina Draconis and related Dracaena species / 中国中药杂志

Resina Draconis, a rare and precious traditional medicine in China, is known as the "holy medicine for promoting blood circulation". According to the national drug standard, it's derived from the resin extracted from the wood of Dracaena cochinchinensis, a Liliaceae plant. In addition, a variety of Dracaena species all over the world can form red resins, and there is currently no molecular identification method that can efficiently identify the origin of Dracaena medicinal materials. In this study, seven species of Dracaena distributed in China were selected as the research objects. Four commonly used DNA barcodes(ITS2, matK, rbcL and psbA-trnH), and four highly variable regions(trnP-psaJ, psbK-psbI, trnT-trnL, clpP) in chloroplast genome were used to evaluate the identification efficiency of Dracaena species. The results showed that clpP sequence fragment could accurately identify seven species of Dracaena plants. However, due to the long sequence of clpP fragment, there were potential problems in the practical application process. We found that the combined fragment "psbK-psbI+ trnP-psaJ" can also be used for accurate molecular identification of the Resina Draconis origin plants and relative species of Dracaena, which were both relatively short sequences in the combined fragment, showing high success rates of amplification and sequencing. Therefore, the "psbK-psbI+ trnP-psaJ" combined fragment can be used as the DNA barcode fragments for molecular identification of Resina Dracon's origin plants and relative species of Dracaena. Research on the identification of Dracaena species, the results of this study can be used to accurately identify the original material of Resina Draconis, and providing effective means for identification, rational development and application of Resina Draconis base source.

Research progress on anti-tumor effect of Chinese dragon's blood / 中国中药杂志

As a traditional Chinese medicine, Chinese dragon's blood has multiple effects, such as activating blood to remove blood stasis, softening and dispelling stagnation, astringent and hemostasis, clearing swelling and relieving pain, regulating menstruation and rectifying the blood, so it is called "an effective medicine of promoting blood circulation". It has been widely used clinically to treat a variety of diseases. With the further research on Chinese dragon's blood, its anti-tumor medicinal value is gradually emerging. Modern pharmacological studies have shown that Chinese dragon's blood exerts anti-tumor effects mainly by inhibiting cell proliferation, inducing apoptosis, inducing DNA damage and cell cycle arrest, inducing senescence and autophagy of tumor cells, inhibiting metastasis and angiogenesis, as well as reversing multidrug resistance. This article focuses on the research progress on anti-tumor effects of Chinese dragon's blood extract and its chemical components, with a view to provide new references for the in-depth research and reasonable utilization of Chinese dragon's blood.

Experimental skin wound treatment with Copaifera langsdorffii Desf Kuntze (Leguminosae) extract and oil-resin in horses / Tratamento experimental de feridas cutâneas com extrato e óleo resina de Copaifera langsdorffii Desf Kuntze (Leguminosae) em equinos

Copaifera langsdorffii is a Brazilian native plant that is used for wound healing or as an anti-inflammatory agent. Non-healing wounds are an important health problem, particularly in horses, because they can cause the animal invalidity or even lead to death. In addition, horses respond to skin wounds with chronic inflammatory response and intense wound granulation, thereby delaying the healing process. By this way, our aim was to evaluate the healing potential of Copaifera langsdorffii hydroalcoholic extract (HE) and oil-resin creams (OR) in horse skin wounds. Four wounds were performed bilaterally in the lumbar region of six horses with a 2 cm punch and treated daily with the respective treatments: saline solution, vehicle, 10% HE creams or 10% OR cream. Daily planimetry analyses were performed to measure the wound area and clinical parameters. In four different experimental periods (3, 7, 14 and 21 d), wound biopsies were removed and used for microscopic analyses. SS wounds presented a significant small area at day 3 and 7, OR wounds presented significant small area in comparison with HE at 14 d, and no significant difference was observed between treatments at 21 d. A better microscopic and clinical healing activity of HE and OR was identified in comparison with the controls. The OR group showed better healing quality, specifically after 7 d of treatment. Therefore, Copaifera langsdorffii formulations demonstrated their wound healing potential in horse skin lesions, exhibiting an improvement of the macro- and microscopic parameters.(AU)

Copaifera langsdorffii é uma planta nativa brasileira usada para cicatrização de feridas e como agente anti-inflamatório. As feridas que não cicatrizam são um importante problema de saúde em equinos, devido à possibilidade de afastamento da carreira atlética ou até mesmo levar à morte. Além disso, os cavalos respondem às feridas com resposta inflamatória crônica e intensa granulação, atrasando o processo cicatricial. Dessa forma, o presente trabalho avaliou o potencial do extrato hidroalcoólico (EH) e cremes de óleo resina (OR) de Copaifera langsdorffii em feridas cutâneas de equinos. Quatro feridas de 2 cm foram realizadas bilateralmente na região lombar de seis equinos e tratadas diariamente com: solução salina, veículo, creme EH 10% ou creme OR 10%. Diariamente foi efetuada a análise macroscópica das feridas e planimetria para mensurar a área da ferida. Em quatro períodos experimentais diferentes (3, 7, 14 e 21 dias), as biópsias foram realizadas e utilizadas para análises microscópicas. As análises microscópica e clínica indicaram melhor resposta cicatricial nas feridas tratadas com HE e OR em comparação com os controles. O grupo OR apresentou melhor qualidade de cicatrização, especificamente após sete dias de tratamento. Portanto, as formulações de Copaifera langsdorffiiutilizadas apresentaram potencial de cicatrização de feridas em lesões de pele de cavalo, exibindo uma melhora nos parâmetros macro e microscópicos.(AU)

Comparative study on differences of resin-containing drugs in Dracaena from different appearance based on HS-GC-MS and chemometrics / 中国中药杂志

Resin-containing drugs in Dracaena from four different appearances were analyzed by headspace sampling-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry(HS-GC-MS) metabolomics technique and hierarchical clustering analysis(HCA) chemometrics method. This study was to analyze differential volatile components in resin-containing drugs in Dracaena from different appearance and metabolic pathways. The results of partial least squares discriminant analysis(PLS-DA) and HCA analysis indicated that there was little difference in volatile components between fiber-rich sample and hollow cork cambium sample, however, the volatile components in the two samples compared with whole body resin-containing sample and resin-secreting aggregated sample had a large metabolic difference. Twenty differential metabolites were screened by VIP and P values of PLS-DA. The content of these differential metabolites was significantly higher in whole body resin-containing sample and resin-secreting aggregated sample than in fiber-rich sample and hollow cork cambium sample. Sixteen significant metabolic pathways were obtained through enrichment analysis(P<0.05), mainly involved in terpenoids biosynthesis and phenylpropanoid metabolism. This result provided a reference for further study of resin formation mechanism of resin-containing drugs in Dracaena from different appearances. At the same time, it also provided a reference for establishing a multi-index quality evaluation system.

Analysis of bacterial community structure and diversity during mountain-agarwood formation / 中国中药杂志

As an important substitute for agarwood, mountain-agarwood, belonging to the family Oleaceae, comes from the root, stem and thick branch of Syringa pinnatifolia, which has a wide range of application in Inner Mongolia, China. It has good clinical efficacy in the use of cardiovascular diseases. However, the formation speed of mountain-agarwood is extremely slow, and its cultivated seedlings have low resin content. Therefore, how to speed up the formation of mountain-agarwood and increase the resin content is a hot research topic in this field. In this work, 16 S rDNA amplicon sequencing method was used to systematically analyze the bacterial communities of different samples of mountain-agarwood. Our data revealed that the samples of mountain-agarwood had more obvious species diversity than the ones of non-mountain-agarwood, especially the wild mountain-agarwood samples. By analysis of bacterial community composition and species abundance, Sphingomonas, Modestobacter and unidentified Cyanobacteria genus were three dominant bacterial genera in all samples. In addition, there are two identified genera of dominant bacteria, namely Actinoplanes and Microbacterium in both wild and cultivated mountain-agarwood, by bacterial community composition and species richness analysis. Meanwhile, Roseomonas was the dominant bacterial genus in both wild and cultivated non-mountain-agarwood samples. Our work could provides basic data for exploring the mechanism of the mountain-agarwood formation, and help to exploit resource of endophytic bacteria reasonably.

Herbalogical study on olibanum(Ruxiang) / 中国中药杂志

As a representative foreign medicinal material, olibanum(Ruxiang) was imported to China since the Qin and Han Dynasties. Olibanum was first described as a medicinal by the name "Xunluxiang" in Miscellaneous Records of Famous Physicians(Ming Yi Bie Lu). This study investigated historical records on olibanum and conducted the herbalogical study. It was found that olibanum came from the resin mainly obtained from the bark of Pistacia lenticus before the Tang Dynasty. With the prosperity of the Maritime Silk Road, instead, the resin obtained from the bark of Boswellia carterii was mainly used as olibanum. In ancient time, the oleo-gum-resin secreted from the cut bark was collected in spring and summer, and the quality was judged based on transparency and shape. The processing methods of olibanum went through many evolutions, which changed from simple methods such as grinding and frying to complex methods such as levigating and grinding with wine, and now to frying and processing with vinegar. The usage of olibanum included alchemy, folk and religious incense, bathing, cosmetic and medicinal since ancient times. From the Song Dynasty, olibanum had been mainly used as medicinal because of its good effect to treat wounds. In traditional Chinese medicine, olibanum unblocks menstruation, relieves pain and reduces swelling and generated muscles. The medicinal efficacy of olibanum is not much different from ancient to modern. Only the efficacy of replenishing energy and promoting the movement of Qi was rarely mentioned in modern reference. In this article, the historical evolutions of olibanum about original plants, processing and medicinal efficacy were sorted out. The results could provide historical basis for the further development and clinical utilization of olibanum.

Three resin glycosides isolated from Argyreia acuta, including two isomers / 中国天然药物

In the present study, three compounds were isolated from Argyreia acuta, among them, compounds 1 and 2 were new and Compounds 1 and 3 were isomers. They were separated by several types of columns, such as normal phase, RP, size exclusion and preparative HPLC, and their structures were elucidated by several spectroscopic methods, such as 1D- and 2D-NMR and HR-TOF-MS.

Three resin glycosides isolated from Argyreia acuta, including two isomers / 中国天然药物

In the present study, three compounds were isolated from Argyreia acuta, among them, compounds 1 and 2 were new and Compounds 1 and 3 were isomers. They were separated by several types of columns, such as normal phase, RP, size exclusion and preparative HPLC, and their structures were elucidated by several spectroscopic methods, such as 1D- and 2D-NMR and HR-TOF-MS.

Acaricidal activity of ethanolic extracts of Stryphnodendron adstringens and Lafoensia pacari and oil resins from Copaifera sp. and Pterodon emarginatus against Sarcoptes scabiei var. suis / Atividade acaricida dos extratos etanólicos de Stryphnodendron adstringens Mart. e Lafoensia pacari A. St Hil., bem como das óleo-resinas de Copaifera sp. e Pterodon emarginatus Vogel, 1837 contra Sarcoptes scabiei var. suis

In vitro bioassay using Sarcoptes scabiei as a test microorganism is a viable method of study for diverse drugs with acaricidal properties. A great amount of assays proves the diverse and efficient biological activity of extracts and compounds from Brazilian savanna plants. This study had as main object, test and compare the acaricidal activity of four Brazilian Cerrado bioproducts: Stryphnodendron adstringens Mart., Copaifera sp., Lafoensia pacari A. St Hil. and Pterodon emarginatus Vogel, 1837. To perform this test S. scabiei mites were collected from crusts removed on ears of highly infected sows. The mites were selected and separated in Petri dishes with three different concentrations (25, 50 and 75%) of each bioproduct, to evaluate their potential acaricidal activity. The mortality of the mites was counted in each Petri dish every hour, during five hours. The statistical analyses demonstrated differences between the bioproducts tested. The oleoresin of Copaifera sp. and P. emarginatus presented the best results with 100% of mites mortality after treatment. The ethanolic extracts of S. adstringens and L. pacari demonstrated lower acaricidal activity when compared to the oleoresins, with little or no difference among the control groups tested. This bioassay demonstrated to be efficient, reliable, low cost and easy accomplishment. Oil resins from Copaifera sp. and P. emarginatus have in vitro acaricidal activity against adult females of S. scabiei var. suis.(AU)

O uso de Sarcoptes scabiei como microrganismo teste para bioensaio in vitro é um método de estudo viável para diversas drogas acaricidas. Muitos ensaios comprovam a diversidade e eficiência de atividade biocida de extratos e componentes presentes em plantas do cerrado brasileiro. Este trabalho objetivou testar e comparar a atividade acaricida de quatro bioprodutos do cerrado brasileiro: Stryphnodendron adstringens Mart., Lafoensia pacari A. St Hil., Copaifera sp. e Pterodon emarginatus Vogel, 1837. Para este estudo, ácaros S. scabiei foram colhidos em crostas removidas de orelhas de fêmeas suínas altamente infestadas. Os ácaros foram selecionados, separados e colocados em placas de Petri com três diferentes concentrações (25, 50 e 75%) de bioprodutos, para avaliar o potencial de atividade acaricida de cada um. Foi realizada a contagem da mortalidade dos ácaros em cada placa de Petri a cada hora, durante cinco horas. As análises estatísticas demonstraram diferenças entre os bioprodutos testados. As óleo-resinas de Copaifera sp. e P. emarginatus apresentaram os melhores resultados, com 100% de mortalidade dos ácaros após tratamento. Os extratos etanólicos de S. adstringens Mart. e L. pacari demonstraram menor atividade acaricida quando comparados as óleo-resinas, com pequena ou nenhuma diferença entre os resultados dos grupos controle. Este ensaio demonstrou ser uma ferramenta eficiente, confiável, de baixo custo e de fácil realização. As óleo-resinas Copaifera sp. e P. emarginatus possuem atividade acaricida in vitro sobre fêmeas adultas de S. scabiei var. suis.(AU)

Immunostimulatory activity in mammalian cells of 3, 5-dihydroxy-7-methoxyflavanone ((-)-alpinone) isolated from Heliotropium huascoense resinous exudate / Actividad inmunoestimulante en células de mamífero de 3, 5-dihidroxi-7-metoxiflavanona ((-)-alpinona) aislada del exudado resinoso de Heliotropium huascoense

The flavonoid 3,5-dihydroxy-7-methoxyflavanone ((-)-alpinone) isolated from sticky resinous exudate of Heliotropium huascoense was evaluated as immunostimulatory in mammalian cells . Preliminary observations had showed that (-)-alpinone had increased the expression levels of pro-inflammatory cytokine transcripts in salmonid. Due to high morbidity and mortality that infectious diseases cause in humans, we evaluate the effect of (-)-alpinone as an immunostimulant in mammalian cells. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are produced by macrophages activators for the destruction of pathogens; we evaluated (-)-alpinone effect in ROS generation and the proliferation of macrophages. The results showed that proliferation in Raw 264.7 cells treated with 10 and 25 µg/mL of (-)-alpinone had a significant increase in macrophage proliferation. In relation to ROS formation, cells treated with 1 and 5 µg/mL of (-)-alpinone, induce ROS formation in macrophages.

El flavonoide 3,5-dihidroxi-7-metoxiflavanona ((-)-alpinona) aislado del exudado resinoso de Heliotropium huascoense se evaluó como inmunoestimulador en células de mamíferos. Resultados preliminares habían demostrado que (-)-alpinona aumentaba los niveles de expresión de transcritos de citoquinas proinflamatorias en salmónidos. Debido a la alta morbilidad y mortalidad que causan las enfermedades infecciosas en los humanos, evaluamos el efecto de (-)-alpinona como inmunoestimulante en células de mamíferos. Dado que las especies de oxígeno reactivo (ROS) son producidas por macrófagos activados para la destrucción de patógenos, se evaluó el efecto de (- )-alpinona en la generación de ROS y la proliferación de macrófagos. Los resultados mostraron que la proliferación en células Raw264.7 tratadas con 10 y 25 µg / mL del flavonoíde tuvo un aumento significativo en la proliferación de macrófagos. En relación con la formación de ROS, las células tratadas con 1 y 5 µg/mL de (-)-alpinona, inducen la formación de ROS en los macrófagos.

Avaliação da transmissibilidade ultrassônica do gel fitoterápico de Copaifera duckei Dwyer / Evaluation of ultrasonic transmission of Copaifera duckei Dwyer herbal gel

Esse estudo teve por objetivo avaliar o potencial de transmissibilidade ultrassônica de um gel fitoterápico de copaíba da espécie Copaifera duckei Dwyer na concentração de 10%. A pesquisa foi registrada junto ao Sistema Brasileiro de Biodiversidade. O gel fitoterápico de Copaifera duckei 10% foi manipulado de acordo diretrizes da Farmacopéia Brasileira e testado em um aparelho de Ultrassom (US) operado na faixa de 1 MHz. Como grupos controle foram selecionados a água destilada e o gel hidroalcoólico. A análise ocorreu de forma qualitativa e quantitativa através do modelo proposto na literatura. O US foi programado para modos de corrente pulsado/contínuo e testados nas intensidades (0,2/0,4/0,6/0,8/1,0W/cm2), em 1mim/cm2. Os dados receberam tratamento estatístico pelo software BioEstat 5.3 e foi admitido um nível de significância de ≥0,05. No modo contínuo e na intensidade de 0.2W/cm2 o gel foi considerado "Bom transmissor", na intensidade de 0.4 W/cm2 e 0.6W/cm2 um "Transmissor moderado" e nas intensidades de 0.8W/cm2 e 1.0W/cm2 um "Transmissor pobre". Concluiu-se que o gel de C. duckei 10% não atenuou as ondas de US em nenhum modo ou intensidade testado. E pode assim ser adicionado a esse para tratamentos sendo considerado transmissor bom ou moderado de acordo com a intensidade do US.(AU)

This study aimed to evaluate the potential of transmissibility of an herbal gel of Copaifera duckei Dwyer at a concentration of 10%. The research was registered with the Brazilian Biodiversity System. The gel of Copaifera duckei 10% was guidelined by the Brazilian Pharmacopoeia and tested on an Ultrasound device (US) operated in the range of 1 MHz. The control groups were selected distilled water and hydro alcoholic gel. The analysis was qualitatively and quantitatively using the model proposed in the literature. The US was scheduled to current modes pulsed/continuous and tested in the intensities (0.2/0.4/0.6/0.8/1.0W/cm2) in 1mim/cm2. The data received statistical treatment by BioEstat software 5.3 and was admitted to a significance level of ≥0.05. In continuous mode and intensity of 0.2W/cm2 gel was considered "good transmitter" at the intensity of 0.4W/cm2 and 0.6W/cm2 a "moderate Transmitter" and the intensity of 0.8W/cm2 and 1.0W/cm2 a "poor transmitter". It was concluded that the 10% gel C. duckei US did not attenuate US waves in any form or intensity tested; it can thus be used for this treatment being considered a good or moderate transmitter according to the intensity of US.(AU)

Elaboración de una biorresina intercambiadora de cationes a partir de cáscara de plátano o guineo para eliminar metales pesados en agua contaminada / Preparation of a cation exchanger bioresin start from banana peel or guineo to remove heavy metals in polluted water

Esta investigación tuvo por objetivo obtener una bio-resina intercambiadora de cationes utilizando cáscaras de guineo o plátano, la cual reduzca la concentración de metales pesados en agua contaminada. A esta bio-resina se le realizaron pruebas fisicoquímicas: densidad seca aparente, pH y solubilidad en agua y solventes orgánicos. Se evaluó su efectividad filtrando agua contaminada con metales pesados, tales como hierro, cromo y níquel (Fe3+, Cr6+ y Ni2+), variando las condiciones de tiempo de contacto, temperatura y el tipo de cáscara. La cuantificación de la concentración de los metales en el agua filtrada se llevó a cabo por espectrofotometría visible. Se llegó a la conclusión que la bio-resina obtenida es efectiva para disminuir la concentración de metales pesados en agua, teniendo especial afinidad química por el cromo hexavalente; metal pesado que logró remover arriba del 90%. Las condiciones óptimas de operación de la bio-resina son a 30°C y 90 minutos de tiempo de contacto con la muestra. Además, las pruebas fisicoquímicas, permitieron tipificarla preliminarmente como una resina de intercambio catiónico débil con un grado de entrecruzamiento bajo.

This research aimed to obtain a cation exchange bio-resin, using plantain or banana peels, that reduces the concentration of heavy metals in contaminated water. The bio-resin underwent physico-chemical tests like apparent dry density, pH, solubility in water and organic solvents. Its effectiveness was tested by filtering contaminated water with heavy metals such as iron, chromium and nickel (Fe3+, Cr6+ y Ni2+) and by varying contact time conditions, temperature and type of peel. The measure of concentration of metals in filtered water was taken through visible spectrophotometry. We concluded that the resulting bio-resin is effective in reducing the concentration of heavy metals in water, showing special chemical affinity with hexavalent chromium, a heavy metal that was able to remove above 90%. The bio-resin optimum working conditions are 30°C and 90 minutes of contact with the sample. Also, the physico-chemical tests allowed to preliminary typify it as a weak cation exchange resin with a low degree of crosslinking.

efficacy of three medicinal plants; garlic, ginger and mirazid and a chemical drug metronidazole against cryptosporidium parvum: II- histological changes

Cryptosporidiosis parvum is a zoonotic protozoan parasite infects intestinal epithelial cells of man and animals causing a major health problem. This study was oriented to evaluate the protective and curative capacity of garlic, ginger and mirazid in comparison with metronidazole drug [commercially known] against Cryptosporidium in experimental mice. Male Swiss Albino mice experimentally infected with C. parvum were treated with medicinal plants extracts [Ginger, Mirazid, and Garlic] as compared to chemical drug Metronidazole. Importantly, C. parvum- infected mice treated with ginger, Mirazid, garlic and metronidazole showed a complete elimination in shedding oocysts by 9[th] day PI. The reduction and elimination of shedding oocysts in response to the treatments might be attributable to a direct effect on parasite growth in intestines, sexual phases production and/ or the formation of oocysts. The results were evaluated histopathological examination of ileum section of control mice [uninfected, untreated] displayed normal architecture of the villi. Examination of infected mice ileum section [infected, untreated] displayed histopathological alterations from uninfected groups. Examination of ileum section prepared from mice treated with garlic, ginger, mirazid, and metronidazole displayed histopathological alterations from that of the control groups, and showed marked histologic correction in the pattern with the four regimes used in comparison to control mice. Garlic successfully eradicated oocysts of infected mice from stool and intestine. Supplementation of ginger to infected mice markedly corrected elevation in the inflammatory risk factors and implied its potential antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory capabilities. Infected mice treated with ginger, mirazid, garlic and metronidazole showed significant symptomatic improvements during treatment

Two novel resin glycosides isolated from Ipomoea cairica with α-glucosidase inhibitory activity / 中国天然药物

In the present study, two new compounds from Ipomoea cairica were identified and demonstrated to have α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. They were isolated by column chromatography on silica gel and sephadex LH-20 and finally purified by prep-HPLC, with their structures being elucidated by spectroscopic methods, such as 1D- and 2D-NMR and HR-TOF-MS, and chemical methods. Compounds 1 and 2, named cairicoside A and cairicoside B, were evaluated for α-glucosidase inhibitory activity by the MTT method, with the IC50 values being 25.3 ± 1.6 and 28.5 ± 3.3 μmol·L(-1), respectively.

Espectro polínico da própolis de Scaptotrigona aff. postica (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Meliponini) em Barra do Corda, MA, Brasil / Pollen spectrum of Scaptotrigona aff. postica (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Meliponini) propolis from Barra do Corda, MA, Brazil

Propolis is a resinous substance collected by bees from different parts of a plant. Therefore, its quality is related to its botanical origin. The objective of the study was to verify whether the pollen types found indicate the botanical origin of their resins and contribute to understand the relationship of these bees with the vegetation surrounding the meliponary. Thirty one samples were collected over 12 months at seven day intervals. Pollen grains were extracted from the propolis and used to prepare microscope slides, after which identification, counting and determination of frequency classes was undertaken. A total of 94 pollen types were identified belonging to 35 plant families. Borreria verticillata (34.17%) was the most frequent pollen type, followed by Anadenanthera sp. (13.65%) and Mimosa caesalpiniifolia (10.5%). Fabaceae (38.37%) and Rubiaceae (34.18%) were the families with the highest pollen frequencies. There were also found 34 unique pollen types, i.e. types that only occur on a given month of the year which may be characterised as seasonal indicators for flowering species and thus infer data on their phenology. The results obtained were not enough to determine the botanical origin of the resins; however the wide variety of pollen types found in the propolis samples indicated a broad interaction between bees and plants and contributed toward the phytogeographic characterisation of the propolis.

A própolis é uma substância resinosa coletada por abelhas de diferentes partes de uma planta, portanto, sua qualidade é relacionada à sua origem botânica. O objetivo deste trabalho foi verificar se os tipos polínicos encontrados indicam a origem botânica de suas resinas e contribuir com o conhecimento da relação destas abelhas com a vegetação do entorno do meliponário. Foram realizadas 31 coletas ao longo de 12 meses, com intervalo de sete dias entre elas. Os grãos de pólen foram extraídos da própolis e utilizados para confecção de lâminas para microscopia, posteriormente procedeu-se a identificação, contabilização e determinação das classes de frequência. Foram encontrados 94 tipos polínicos oriundos de 35 famílias botânicas. Borreria verticillata (34,17%) foi o tipo polínico mais frequente, seguido por Anadenanthera sp. (13,65%) e Mimosa caesalpiniifolia (10,5%). Fabaceae (38,37%) e Rubiaceae (34,18%) foram as famílias que apresentaram as maiores frequências polínicas. Foram encontrados também 34 tipos polínicos exclusivos, ou seja tipos ocorrentes somente em um determinado mês do ano, podendo ser indicadores da caracterização sazonal de floração das espécies e assim inferir dados sobre sua fenologia. Os resultados obtidos não possibilitaram a determinação da origem botânica das resinas, entretanto a grande variedade de tipos polínicos encontrados nas amostras de própolis indicou uma ampla interação entre as abelhas e as plantas e contribuíram para a caracterização fitogeográfica da própolis.

efficacy of three medicinal plants: garlic, ginger and mirazid and a chemical drug metronidazole against Cryptosporidium Parvum. I- immunological response

Cryptosporidisis parvum is a zoonotic protozoan parasite infects intestinal epithelial cells causing a major health problem for man and animals. Experimentally the immunologic mediated elimination of C. parvum requires CD4+ T cells and IFN-Gamma. But, the innate immune responses also have a significant protective role in both man and animals. the mucosal immune response to C. parvum in C57BL/6 neonatal and GKO mice shows a concomitant Th1 and Th2 cytokine mRNA expression, with a crucial role for IFN-Gamma in the resolution of the infection.NK cells and IFN-Gamma have been shown to be important components in immunity in T and B cell-deficient mice, but IFN-Gamma-dependent resistance is demonstrated in alymphocytic mice. Epithelial cells may play a vital role in immunity as once infected these cells have increased expression of inflammatory chemokines and cytokines and demonstrate anti-infection killing mechanisms. C. parvum immunological response was used to evaluate the efficacy of anti-cryptospori- disis agents of Garlic, Ginger, Mirazid and Metronidazole in experimentally infected mice

Effects of extracts of Dragon's blood on fibroblast proliferation and extracellular matrix hyaluronic acid / 中华整形外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effects of Dragon' s blood extract on proliferation and secret extracellular matrix function of fibroblasts in vitro.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Dragon' s blood was extracted by chloroform, acetoacetic ester, alcohol. Human fibroblast were cultured in vitro in media containing gradient dilutions of Dragon' s blood extracts (0.002, 0.02, 0.2, 2, 20 mg/ml) , which was followed by cell proliferation assessed with MTT assay on 0, 12, 24, 36, 48, 60, 72 h. Under the optimal concentration, the cell growth curves were drawn and the flow cytometry (FCM) was used to determine the changes of cell cycle. On 0, 12, 24, 36, 48, 60, 72 h, the concentration of hyaluronic acid in the supernatant of fibroblast culture was measured by radioimmunoassay.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>0.2-2 mg/ml Dragon' s blood extracts enhanced the proliferation of fibroblasts in a dose-dependent manner. 2 mg/ml was the optimal dilution of Dragon's blood extract, and it increased the ratio of S cells in cell cycle [(25.80 ± 3.10)%] than control group [(7.50 ± 0.70)%, P < 0.01]. From 12 h to 72 h, in 2 mg/ml Dragon's blood group, concentration of Hyaluronic acid secreted by fibroblasts gradually increased, but were less than control (P < 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Dragon's blood acetoacetic ester extract improved the proliferation of cultured human fibroblasts in vitro, might be beneficial to promote wound healing.</p>