Mechanism of Tibetan medicine Pterocephalus hookeri extract in treatment of rheumatoid arthritis based on serum metabonomics / 中国中药杂志

Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry(UPLC-Q-TOF/MS) was used to investigate the effect of Pterocephalus hookeri on serum metabolism of adjuvant arthritis(AA) model rats induced by complete Freund's adjuvant. After the AA model was properly induced, the serum of rats was collected 30 days after treatment. UPLC-Q-TOF-MS chromatograms were collected and analyzed by principal component analysis(PCA) and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis(OPLS-DA). The results revealed that compared with the control group, the model group showed increased content of 12 biomarkers in the serum(P<0.05) and reduced content of the other nine biomarkers(P<0.05). P. hookeri extract could recover the above-mentioned 19 biomarkers to a certain range. Pathway enrichment showed that these markers mainly involved eight metabolic pathways, including valine, leucine, and isoleucine degradation, arachidonic acid metabolism, arginine and proline metabolism, glycerol phospholipid metabolism, primary bile acid biosynthesis, bile acid biosynthesis, tryptophan metabolism, and unsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis. The findings of this study demonstrate that P. hookeri extract can regulate metabolic disorders and promote the regression of metabolic phenotype to the normal level to exert the therapeutic effect on AA rats. This study is expected to provide a certain scientific basis for the biological research on the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis by P. hookeri.

In vitro and in vivo antihypertensive and antioxidant activities of fermented roots of Allium hookeri / 中草药·英文版

Objective: To evaluate antihypertensive and antioxidant activities of Allium hookeri root (AHR) fermented with Lactobacillus plantarum, Leuconostoc mesenteroides, and Weissella cibaria. Methods: The novel fermented AHR products using L. plantarum, L. mesenteroides, and W. cibaria were developed and ACE inhibitory activity, DPPH radical scavenging activity, hydroxyl radical scavenging activity, superoxide anion radical scavenging activity, total phenolic content, and total thiosulfinate content were determined. The antihypertensive and antioxidant effects of fermented AHR were further investigated in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs). Results: Administration of fermented AHR to SHRs had an attenuating effect on both diastolic and systolic blood pressure. The SHRs treated with fermented AHR showed lower plasma ACE activity and higher plasma NO levels. Furthermore, fermented AHR administration led to parallel improvements in plasma oxidative stress biomarkers in SHRs. Conclusion: Our results highlight the potential usefulness of fermented AHR for the prevention of hypertension.

Correlation study on Tibetan medicine Pterocephalus hookeri of bitter taste receptors based on molecular docking technology / 中国中药杂志

In order to study the interaction between Pterocephalus hookeri and bitter taste receptors,three-dimensional structural models of bitter taste receptors TAS2 R16,TAS2 R14 and TAS2 R13 were established by homology modeling in this paper. Maestro software was used for docking the chemical constituents of P. hookeri with bitter taste receptors. The results showed that 25 chemical components of P. hookeri can regulate three bitter taste receptors. And these components were mainly iridoid glycosides and phenolic acids.This research focused on the comprehensive application of homology modeling and molecular docking technology to explore the interaction between bitter chemical constituents of P. hookeri and bitter taste receptors. This study provided assistance in revealing pharmacodynamic basis of bitter Tibetan medicine at molecular level. It also provided new ideas and methods for the study of Tibetan medicine.

Chemical constituents from Pterocephalus hookeri and their neuroprotection activities / 中成药

AIM To study the chemical constituents from Pterocephalus hookeri (C.B.Clarke) Hoeck and their neuroprotection activities.METHODS The 95％ ethanol extract from P.hookeri was isolated and purified by Sephadex LH-20,DM-130 macroporous resin,silica and HPLC,then the structures of obtained compounds were identified by physicochemical properties and spectral data.The neuroprotection activities were studied by establishment of Parkinson's disease model of genetically modified zebrafish.RESULTS Nine compounds were isolated and identified as triplostoside A (1),cantleyoside (2),sylvestroside Ⅰ (3),sylvestroside Ⅲ dimethyl acetal (4),sylvestroside Ⅲ (5),laciniatoside Ⅰ-7-dibutyl acetal (6),laciniatoside Ⅰ (7),laciniatoside Ⅱ (8),sylvestroside Ⅳ (9).The n-BuOH fraction of P.hookeri had good performance on neuroprotection in hydrogen peroxide model.CONCLUSION Compound 4 is isolated from this plant for the first time.P.hookeri has neuroprotection activities.

Anti-Helicobacter pylori activity and inhibition of gastritis by Allium hookeri extract / 한국실험동물학회지

Allium hookeri is widely consumed plant as a vegetable and herbal medicine in southeastern Asia. Allium hookeri has been reported antioxidant, improvement of bone health and antidiabetic effects. In the present study, we investigated the potential inhibitory effect of Allium hookeri extract (AHE) on Helicobacter pylori. The in vitro anti-bacterial activities of AHE were determined by disk agar diffusion method. Also, the inhibition effect of the AHE on H. pylori infection was investigated using a mouse model. H. pylori colonization was confirmed by rapid urease tests, as described previously. Mucosal damage was evaluated grossly and histologically according to previously described criteria. As the results of the disk agar diffusion assay, CLR, AMX and MTZ inhibited the bacterial growth with inhibition zone of 19.2, 15.2 and 7.5 mm, respectively. AHE 100 µg/mL showed an inhibition zone value of 20.6 mm. Rapid urease tests of the mice stomachs demonstrated a significant reduction in H. pylori colonization. In addition to the therapeutic effect against H. pylori infection, the AHE reduced mucosal inflammation and epithelial damages in the stomach of H. pylori-infected mice. These results demonstrate that the AHE successfully cured an H. pylori infection and treated the H. pylori infection. This AHE could be a promising treatment for patients with gastric complaints including gastritis caused by H. pylori.

Potential distribution of the traditional Tibetan herb Pterocephalus hookeri by Maxent model / 中国中药杂志

In order to study the ecology suitability of Pterocephalus hookeri, and provide a reference for GAP planting location and regional development, the Maxent model and GIS technology were used to investigate ecology suitability regions for P. hookeri based on the distribution points collected from Chinese virtual herbarium, the references and field trips. The potential distribution areas mainly concentrated in the eastern Tibet, western Sichuan, southern Qinghai, northwest Yunnan, and southern Gansu. There were 7 major environmental factors to have obvious influence on ecology suitability distributions of P. hookeri, including altitude (contribution rate of 62%), precipitation of warmest quarter (contribution rate of 14.4%), coefficient of variation of precipitation seasonality (contribution rate of 7.2%), mean temperature of driest quarter (contribution rate of 3.5%), the electrical conductivity of top and sub-soil (contribution rate of 3%), the total exchangeable bases in the top- and subsoil (contribution rate of 2.4%) and SD of temperature seasonality (contribution rate of 2.2%). The study of the ecological suitability regionalization of P. hookeri based on Maxent model can provide scientific basis for the selection of artificial planting base and GAP planting location.

Content Determination of Oleanolic Acid and Ursolic Acid from Different Medicinal Parts in Tibetan Medi-cine Pterocephalus hookeri by UPLC-PDA / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE:To establish the method for the determination of oleanolic acid and ursolic acid in different medicinal parts of Tibetan medicine Pteocephalus hookeri,and compare the differences among the different parts. METHODS:The contents of oleanolic acid and ursolic acid from different medicinal parts(whole plant,aerial part,underground part)of P. hookeri were de-termined by UPLC-PDA. The separation was performed on Acquity UPLC HSS T3 column(150 mm×2.1 mm,1.8 μm)with mobile phase consisted of methanol-0.1 mol/L ammonium acetate(88:12,V/V)at the flow rate of 0.2 mL/min. The detection wavelength was set at 210 nm,and column temperature was 30 ℃. The sample size was 5 μL. RESULTS:The linear ranges of oleanolic acid and ursolic acid were 10.65-1065 μg/mL (r=0.9996) and 18.8-1880 μg/mL (r=0.9994),separately. The recoveries were 96.95%(RSD=1.24%,n=9) and 98.12%(RSD=2.13%,n=9),separately. RSDs of precision,stability and reproducibility tests were all less than 3%. The contents of oleanolic acid and ursolic acid from different medicinal parts in P. hookeri were in de-scending order of aerial part>whole plant>underground part;the average total content of oleanolic acid and ursolic acid from whole plants was 0.35%,the aerial part reached 0.56% and underground part was 0.09%. CONCLUSIONS:The method is rapid, accurate and reproducible,and it is suitable for the content determination of oleanolic acid and ursolic acid in different medicinal parts of Tibetan medicine P. hookeri. The contents of oleanolic acid and ursolic acid from aerial part of P. hookeri are higher than whole plant and underground part. It is suggested to use aerial parts of medicine.

Study on the Active Components Targets of Tibetan Medicine Pterocephalus hookeri in Anti-rheumatoid Ar-thritis Based on Network Pharmacology / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE:To explore the multi-component,multi-target,multi-channel mechanism of Tibetan medicine Ptero-cephalus hookeri in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS:The selected target compounds (10 chemical struc-tures of P. hookeri)were imported and stored by related software;target prediction and filtering were conducted by PharmMapper and DrugBank databases. The pathways of targets were acquired and analyzed by MAS 3.0 database. Finally P. hookeriactive com-ponent-targeting-pathwaynetwork was constructed by Cytoscape 3.4.0 software. RESULTS:The target information obtained in the PharmMapper database were compared with that of the DrugBank database for inflammation-related drugs,26 potential targets for the treatment of RA were obtained,in which MAPK14,RXRA,ALB,PDE4D,VDR may be the main potential target gene group in the treatment of RA. 57 functional pathways were obtained after 26 functional targets were annotated by pathway. In addition to 27 RA-related pathways,30 other pathways such as endocrine regulation and immune were involved. CONCLUSIONS:Base on the study of network pharmacology,P. hookeri plays the role in the treatment of RA by acting on inflammation,immune,endo-crine and related targets and pathways.

Simultaneous determination of ten major compounds including iridoid glycosides and phenolic acids in Pterocephalus hookeri by UPLC-PDA / 中国中药杂志

This study is to develop an UPLC-PDA method for determination of 10 major components in Pterocephalus. The UPLC-PDA assay was performed on a Waters Acquity UPLCR BEH C₁₈（2.1 mm ×100 mm,1.7 μm）, and the column temperature was at 30 ℃. The mobile phase consists of water containing 0.2% phosphoric acid (A) and acetonitrile (B) in gradient elution at a flow rate of 0.4 mL•min⁻¹. The detection wave length was set at 237 and 325 nm, and the injection volume was 1 μL in the UPLC system. The linear range of 10 detected compounds were good (r≥0.999 7), and the overall recoveries ranged from 96.30% to 103.0%, with the RSD ranging from 0.72% to 2.9%. The method was simple, accurate and reproducible, which can be used for the simultaneous determination of the content of ten major components in P. hookeri.

Study on genetic-chemical relation of Pterocephali Herba based on DNA barcode and UFLC / 中国中药杂志

DNA barcoding technique in combination with UFLC analysis technology was used to evaluate the quality of Tibetan medicine Pterocephalus hookeri from species identification and chemical qualitative and other aspects. Hybrid identification was established by DNA barcoding; UFLC-PDA was adopted to analyse fingerprint of different parts of Pterocephali Herba, and SPSS and Grey relation software were used for data analysis. The result showed that DNA barcoding is an accurate and reliable method in origin identification of Pterocephalus hookeri. The compounds in overground is more than underground by analysis of the different part fingerprint by UFLC. The genetic gene may be involved in the secondary metabolites of iridoid glycosides. Pertinence between gene and chemical component, as a new model established, could be suited for quality evaluation and resources protection.

Study to Evaluate the Antioxidant and Hepatoprotective Activities of Roots Extracts of Doronicum hookeri in CCl4 Treated Rats.

Aims: To screen the hepatoprotective and antioxidant activity of ethanol (EDH) and aqueous (ADH) extracts of roots of Doronicum hookeri Hook. f.(Asteraceae). Study design: Animal study Place and Duration of Study: Department of Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Anatomy (Histology section), J N Medical College, AMU, Aligarh, India, between July 2010- July 2012. Methodology: The extracts were subjected to antioxidant tests (Total reducing power and Total phenolic content) and preliminary phytochemical screening. The rats were divided into 7 groups. The Control groups comprising of normal control (Saline 1ml/kg), negative control group (CCl4) and positive control group (Silymarin 50mg/kg). The Test drugs were given in a dose of 300mg/kg and 500 mg/kg for both EDH and ADH extract. Blood was collected for assaying biochemical parameters (AST, ALT, ALP, Total Bilirubin). The liver tissue was used for histopathological examination and in vivo antioxidant tests [Catalase (CAT), Glutathione Reductase (GSH) and Malonlydialdehyde (MDA)]. Results: The phytochemical study showed the presence of flavanoids, alkaloids, saponins, cardiac glycosides. EDH 500mg/kg showed a significant (p<0.01) increased in levels of AST, ALT and ALP as compared to negative while EDH 300 mg/kg (p<.05) and ADH group showed minimal activity. The GSH (p<0.001) and CAT (p<0.05) in EDH 500 mg/kg were significantly increased while MDA levels were decreased (P< 0.01) as compared negative control. The findings were confirmed histopathological examination. Conclusion: The ethanol extract of Doronicum hookeri showed dose dependent partial hepatoprotection against CCl4 toxicity.

Acute and Sub-acute Toxicity Studies of Ethanol Seed Extract of Raphia hookeri on Swiss Albino Rats.

Aim: To evaluate the acute and sub-acute toxicities of Raphia hookeri (Rh) seed hydroethanolic extract on experimental animals. Materials and Methods: Acute toxicity study was evaluated on Swiss albino mice of both sexes. Administration of a single dose of 4000mg/kg of Rh seed extract by gavages to five mice showed no mortality, hence, its 1/20th dose was used as the highest therapeutic dose. The intra-peritoneal administration produced dose dependent mortality with median lethal dose (LD50) of approximately 323.6mg/kg body weight (bwt). In subacute toxicity study, Wistar rats received daily administration of the extract in the dose range of 50 to 200mg/kgbwt for 30 days. The effects on biochemical, histological and haematological parameters were evaluated. Results: The animals exhibited dose dependent body weight changes. There were some organs weight gains with the exception of the liver and testes which showed comparably lower weight compared to the control. There was a significant (p<0.05) increase in total protein, aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and albumin levels compared to the control while bilirubin and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels decreased appreciably at the highest extract dose. The urea level decreased while the creatinine level increased in dose dependent manner. In lipid profile study, total cholesterol, triglycerides and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-cholesterol) levels showed significant (p<0.05) decrease in value. There was significant (p<0.05) increase in high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-cholesterol). Marked decrease in red blood cells, haemoglobin and haematocrit occurred. The white blood cells also decreased while neutrophil and lymphocytes increased appreciably. The extract caused marked deleterious effect on the testes leading to drastic reduction in sperm cells. Conclusion: The extract caused undesirable effect on the male reproductive organ of the animals making it unsafe for consumption by males of reproductive age.

Simultaneous Determination of Five Active Chemical Components in Tibetan Medicine Pterocephalus Hookeri Hoeck by UFLC-PDA / 世界科学技术-中医药现代化

This study was aimed to establish an Ultra Fast Liquid Chromatography-Photo Diode Array (UFLC-PDA) method for the simultaneous determination of five chemical components, which included chlorogenic acid, loganin, sweroside, evodia rutaecarpa glycosides and triplostoside A, in Pterocephalus hookeri h eck. Agilent Poroshell 120 SB-C18 (100 mm í 4.6 mm, 2.7 μm) was adopted, with acetonitrile-0.2% phosphoric acid solution in gradient elution as the mobile phase at the flow rate of 1.0 mL·min-1. And the injection volume was 0.4 μL. The detection wavelength was set up at 237 nm and 325 nm. And the column temperature was 30℃. The results showed that the calibration curve was linear within the range of 8.72~218.0, 1.52~38.0, 2.44~61.0, 29.36~734.0, 3.00~75.0μg·mL-1 (r > 0.999 6, n=9) for chlorogenic acid, loganin, sweroside, evodia rutaecarpa glycosides and triplostoside A, respectively. The average recovery rates were 99.46%, 99.41%, 100.14%, 98.89%, and 99.42%, respectively. The RSD was 0.69%, 0.66%, 0.60%, 1.21%, and 0.64%, respectively (n = 9). It was concluded that this method was simple, accurate and reproducible, which can be used for the simultaneous determination of the content of five chemical components in P. hookeri.

Mixed terpenoids from an endophyte Alternaria sp. Ly81 cultivated on Maytenus hookeri / 中国药学杂志

OBJECTIVE: To study the secondary metabolites and their cytotoxic activities of an endophytic fungus Alternaria sp. Ly81 cultivated on Maytenus hookeri. METHODS: Column chromatography by RP-18, Sephadex LH - 20 and silica gel was used to isolate and purify the chemical constituents, and their structures were identified by spectroscopic analysis. Cytotoxic activities were evaluated by MTT method. RESULTS: Nine compounds were isolated and identified as tricycloalternarene 2a(1), tricycloalternarene 1a(2), tricycloalternarene 1b(3), tricycloalternarene 2b(4), tricycloalternarene 3b(5), tricycloalternarene 4b(6), tricycloalternarene 5b(7), tricycloalternarene-H(8) and tricycloalternarene F(9). CONCLUSION: Compounds 1 - 9 were isolated from the Alternaria sp. Ly81 for the first time. The absolute configuration of compound 1 is elucidated by Mosher's method. Compound 3 shows strong inhibitory activity against Lewis lung carcinoma cells 3LL.

Effect of Raphia hookeri Seed Extract on Blood Glucose, Glycosylated Haemoglobin and Lipid Profile of Alloxan Induced Diabetic Rats.

Aim: To examine the effect of Raphia hookeri (RH) seed extract on blood glucose, glycosylated haemoglobin and lipid profile of alloxan induced diabetic rats. Materials and Methods: In the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), the animals received the extract (1 g/kg) or glibenclamide (0.01 mg/kg) or vehicle and 30 min later they received oral glucose load (1 g/kg). Glucose was estimated at 30min, 1, 2, 3 and 4 h. In hypoglycaemic study, the extract was administered at doses of 100, 250 and 500 mg/kg body weight (bwt) doses. In fasting blood glucose study (FBG), diabetic Wister rats, 5 per group, received graded doses (50, 100 and 200 mg/kg) of the extract or glibenclamide (10 mg/kg) or vehicle for 15 days. Blood was collected on days 0, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15 for glucose estimation. Lipid profile was analyzed using modified enzymatic procedure. Insulin assay was done by Diagnostic Automation Kit and HbA1C by standard protocol. The studies lasted for three weeks. Results: The diabetic animals treated with the extract showed appreciable weight gain. In oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), RH seed extract and glibenclamide treated rats blood glucose significantly (P<0.05) decreased in the peak values and the area under curve after 4 h of oral load with decreased values of 48.3±1.0 mg/dL (63.3%) and 62.0±0.8 mg/dL (51.6%) respectively. The hypoglycaemic activity at 250 and 500 mg/kg body weight (bwt) doses showed lowest plasma glycaemic decrease of 50.1% and 54.4% respectively after 8 h of oral administration. In FBG study, after 15 days of extract/glibenclamide treatment, the animals’ blood glucose exacerbated by alloxan challenge returned to normal glycaemia with glycaemic decrease of 87.2±2.3 (79.3%); 57.0±1.7 (86.3%) and 55.0±0.3 mg/dL (87.1%) respectively while glibenclamide showed a maximum glycaemic decrease of 167.4±1.1 mg/dL (60.1%). The tissue morphology of the extract treated showed significant beta cells survivor. The extract ameliorated dislipidaemia and exerted significant (p<0.05) decrease in plasma HbA1C while marked increase in plasma insulin level occurred. Conclusion: The extract effectively attenuated hyperglycaemia, caused marked decrease in HbAIC concentration and ameliorated dislipidaemia.

Comparative karyotypic analysis in the Alstroemeria hookeri Lodd. (Alstroemeriaceae) complex sensu Bayer (1987)

Alstroemeria L. (Alstroemeriaceae) is an American genus of monocots with two principal distribution centers in Chile and Brazil. In Chile, it is represented by about 32 species, most of them in central Chile, an area known for its high level of endemism. The "complex" Alstroemeria hookeri is endemic to Chile, where it is distributed from the Coquimbo to the Bío-Bío Region. We analyzed the karyotypes of 36 populations of this complex along its natural distribution. Ten metaphases per population were used for chromosome measurements. All analyzed subspecies presented a well defined asymmetric karyotype. The populations of A. hookeri subsp. hookeri collected in the coastal range of the Bío-Bío Region and the populations from the Central Valley of this Region (Pangal del Laja) presented striking morphological differences in the karyotype, mainly on chromosome 3. The population of A. hookeri subsp. recumbens from Pichicuy showed a polymorphism on chromosome 7, which differed from the other analyzed populations of this subspecies. Phenetic analysis suggested that A. hookeri subsp. cummingiana, which showed a more symmetrical karyotype and did not grow in sandy soil, should be alocated to A. cummingiana rather than considered as part of the hookeri complex.

Composición química, análisis estructural y factores antinutricionales de filocladios de Epiphyllum Phyllanthus (l.): Haw. Var. Hookeri (link & otto) kimn. (cactaceae) / Chemical composition, structural analysis and antinutritional factors of Epiphyllum Phyllanthus (l.): Haw. Var. Hookeri (link & otto) kimn. (cactaceae) phyllocladia / Composição química, análise estrutural e fatores antinutricionais de filocládios de Epiphyllum Phyllanthus (l.): Haw. Var. Hookeri (link & otto) kimn. (cactaceae)

Se realizó un muestreo a filocladios de Epiphyllum hookeri en tres hospederos de las plantas en las inmediaciones de la Universidad Simón Rodríguez, Canoabo, estado Carabobo, Venezuela. Las muestras obtenidas en cada hospedero fueron consideradas como muestras independientes y se llevaron a cabo análisis de composición química, de componentes estructurales y de algunos factores antinutricionales. Los filocladios presentaron una humedad de 85,63 ±0,12g/100g de masa fresca y en comparación con otras especies de la familia Cactaceae, se obtuvieron valores (en g/100g materia seca) similares de proteína (7,86 ±0,01), extracto etéreo (2,95 ±0,07), fósforo (0,19 ±0,07) y digestibilidad in vitro de la materia seca (57,14 ±1,28); menores en contenido de cenizas (7,23 ±0,28), calcio (1,13 ±0,06), potasio (0,94 ±0,02), pectina (0,10 ±0,01) y azúcares reductores (0,45 ±0,01), mientras que fueron mayores los contenidos de hierro (37,2 ±0,2mg/100gMS), de energía (434,5 ±0,2kcal/100gMS) y de fibras estructurales. El análisis de factores antinutricionales reveló presencia moderada de saponinas y alcaloides y ausencia de taninos y cianógenos. Los resultados indican que los filocladios de Epiphyllum hookeri pueden ser considerados como fuentes potenciales de suplementos alimentarios en dietas.

Epiphyllum hookeri phyllocladia were sampled from three hosts from plants in the surrounding area of the Simón Rodríguez University, "Los Naranjos" sector, Canoabo, Carabobo state, Venezuela. Samples from each host were considered as independent samples and analyses of chemical composition, structural components and some antinutritional factors were carried out. The phyllocladia showed a humidity value of 85.63 ±0.12 g/100g of fresh mass and in comparison with other species of the Cactaceae family, had similar values (in g/100g of dry matter) of protein (7.86 ±0.01), ether extract (2.95 ±0.07), phosphorus (0.19 ±0.07) and in vitro dry matter digestibility (57.14 ±1.28); a lower content of ashes (7.23 ±0.28), calcium (1.13 ±0.06), potassium (0.94 ±0.02), pectin (0.10 ±0.01) and reducing sugars (0.45 ±0.01), while the contents of iron (37.2 ±0.2mg/100gDM) of energy (434.5 ±0.2kcal/100gDM) and of structural fibers were higher. The analysis of antinutritional factors revealed moderate presence of saponins and alkaloids and absence of tannins and cyanogens. The results indicate that Epiphyllum hookeri phyllocladia can be considered as potential sources of food supplements in diets.

Realizou-se uma amostragem a filocládios de Epiphyllum hookeri em três hospedeiros das plantas nas imediações da Universidade Simón Rodríguez, Canoabo, estado Carabobo, Venezuela. As amostras obtidas em cada hospedeiro foram consideradas como amostras independentes e se realizaram análises de composição química, componentes estruturais e de alguns fatores antinutricionais. Os filocládios apresentaram uma umidade de 85,63 ±0,12g/100g de massa fresca e em comparação com outras espécies da familia Cactaceae, se obtiveram valores (em g/100g matéria seca) similares de proteína (7,86 ±0,01), extrato etéreo (2,95 ±0,07), fósforo (0,19 ±0,07) e digestibilidade in vitro da matéria seca (57,14 ±1,28); menores em conteúdo de cinzas (7,23 ±0,28), cálcio (1,13 ±0,06), potássio (0,94 ±0,02), pectina (0,10 ±0,01) e açúcares redutores (0,45 ±0,01), enquanto que foram maiores os conteúdos de ferro (37,2 ±0,2mg/100gMS), de energia (434,5 ±0,2kcal/100gMS) e de fibras estruturais. A análise de fatores antinutricionais revelou presença moderada de saponinas e alcalóides e ausência de taninos e cianógenos. Os resultados indicam que os filocládios de Epiphyllum hookeri podem ser considerados como fontes potenciais de suplementos alimentares em dietas.