Cytotoxic activity of vitex trifolia purpurea extracts

Defatted 85% crude hot aqueous methanol extract of Vitex trifolia purpurea [AME] successively extracted with, chloroform and ethyl acetate. Cytotoxicity of [AME], chloroform methanol extract [CE], ethyl acetate methanol extract [EE] and the residue obtained from methanol extract after successive extraction [RME] have been evaluated on brine shrimp [Artemia salind] and Hep-G2 cell lines as well. In brine shrimp lethality bioassay the results revealed that the [RME] is the most potent one with LC[50] value 173 microg/ml while LC[50] values of [AME], [CE] and [EE] was 180, 199 and 286 |microg/ml, respectively. As well as the results of cyto-toxic assay against Hep-G2 cell lines are in full agreement with previous results, with IC50 values 6, 10.7, 20.8 and 65.8 microg/ml for [RME], [AME], [CE] and [EE], respectively

Effect of Ficus sycomorus and Azadirachta indica extracts on liver state of mice infected with Schistosoma mansoni

The potential role of hepatoprotective and antipathological effect of Ficus sycomorus and Azadirachta indica extracts was evaluated for scavenging the reactive oxygen species [ROS] and reduced the oxidative damage and pathological changes in the liver of S. mansoni infected mice. The levels of alanine aminotransferase [ALT], asparate aminotransferase [AST] and gamma glutamyl transferase [GGT] were evaluated in the infected mice and treated orally with each plant extract 12 weeks post infection [P.I.] in a dose of 500 mg/kg of each plant extract for five consecutive days and sacrificed two weeks P.I. The infection of mice showed an elevation of ALT, AST and GGT. Treatment of mice with 70% methanol extract of each plant extract reduced significantly ALT, AST and GGT elevation. The highest reduction was with the methanolic extract of F. sycomorus [42%, 35% and 44% for ALT, AST and GGT respectively]. Fractionation of the methanolic extract of each plant was carried out. The effect of ethyl acetate and butanolic fractions of each plant was also evaluated. The result showed that the two fractions lowered the levels of the tested enzymes and decreased the number and size of granuloma diameters with an increased in the percentage of degenerated ova

Molluscicidal steroidal saponins from Yucca elephantipes

Three spirostanol and two furostanol saponins have been isolated from the methanol extract of the leaves of Yucca elephantipes. The structures of these saponins were established as 3-O-beta-D-xylopyranosyl [1->2] [-beta-D-glucopyranosyl- [1->3]]- beta-D-glucopyranoside yamogenin [I], 3-O-beta-D-xylopyranosyl- [1->2] [beta-D-glucopyranosyl- [1->3]], 26-beta-D- glncopyranoside [25 S]- furost-5-ene-3,22,26-triol [II], 3-O-alpha-L- rhamnopyranosyl [1->2]- [beta-D-xylopyranosyl- [1->3]]- beta-D-glucopyranosyl- [1->4]-beta-D-galactopyranoside gitogenin [III], 3-O-beta-D-xylopyranosyl- [1-> 3]-[beta-D-glucopyranosyl- [1->2]- beta-D-glucopyranosyl- [1->4]- beta-D-galactopyranoside gitogenin [IV], and 26-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-22-O-methyl [25R]-5-furostan- 2,3,26-tetrol-3-O- [alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl- [1->3]]- beta-D-glucopyranosyl- [1->2]- beta-D-glucopyranosyl [1->4]- beta-D-galactopyranoside [V]. Saponins I, III and IV showed high molluscicidal activities against Biomphalaria alexandrina snails after 24 hours exposure [LC90 = 4,9 and 7 ppm] whereas saponins II and V were inactive up to 50 ppm

Saponins of yucca aloifolia as molluscicidal agents

Due to the high molluscicidal activity of the crude saponin of Yucca aloifolia [Agavaceae] against Biomphalaria alexandrina and Bulinus truncatus [LC90 = 35 and 30 ppm, respectively], a phytochemical study of the crude saponin was carried out through determination of both aglycones and sugar moieties. Chromatographic separation of aglycones mixtures gave five steroidal sapogenin. All sapogenins are fully inactive as molluscicidal up to 300 ppm. The structures of these sapogenins have been established by IR, 1HNMR and mass spectra