Biological activity and phytochemical study of Scutellaria platystegia

This study aimed to determine biological activity and phytochemical study of Scutellaria platystegia [family Labiatae]. Methanolic [MeOH] extract of aerial parts of S. platystegia and SPE fractions of methanolic extract [specially 20% and 40% methanolic fractions], growing in East-Azarbaijan province of Iran were found to have radical scavenging activity by DPPH [2, 2-diphenyl -1- pycryl hydrazyl] assay. Dichloromethane [DCM] extract of this plant exhibited animalarial activity by cell free method providing IC50 at 1.1876 mg/mL. Crude extracts did not exhibit any toxicity assessed by brine shrimp lethality assay. Phytochemical study of methanolic extract by using reverse phase HPLC method and NMR instrument for isolation and identification of pure compounds respectively, yielded 2-[4- hydroxy phenyl] ethyl-O- beta -D- glucopyranoside from 10% and apigenin 7-O-glucoside, verbascoside and martynoside from 40% SPE fraction. Occurance of verbascoside and martynoside as biochemical markers appeared to be widespread in this genus. Antioxidant and antimalarial activity of MeOH and DCM extracts, respectively, as well as no general toxicity of them could provide a basis for further in-vitro and in-vivo studies and clinical trials to develop new therapeutical alternatives

Phytochemistry and biologic activities of caulerpa peltata native to Oman sea

General toxicity, antiproliterative, antibacterial and antioxidant activities of Caulerpa peltata J.V.Lamouroux [Caulerpaceae] collected from Oman Sea were investigated. Dried, ground alga was Soxhlet-extracted with hexane. dichloromethane and methanol successively. The methanol extract was subjected to vacuum liquid chromatography [VLC] fractionation on silica gel using a step gradient of different mixture of solvents. A known alkaloid, caulerpin, was subsequently isolated from the fraction eluted by ethyl acatete 100%. The antioxidant activity of all extracts was assessed by using the [DPPH] assay. Antiprol iterative activity of the all extracts and caulerpin against the cancerous cell line was evaluated using MTT assay. General toxicity of extracts was determined using Brine Shrimp Lethality Assay [BSLA]. Based on our results, a weak activity observed for all extracts in MTT assay, while they were toxic toward brine shrimp nauplii comparing to the podophylotoxin. This is the first report on phytochemistry and bioactivity of C. peltata which collected from Oman Sea

Evaluation of antibacterial activities of some medicinal plants from north-West Iran

Aim of the present study was to screen the antibacterial activities of some medicinal plants extracts traditionally used in Azarbaijan area [Iran]. Thirty-six extracts obtained from different parts of ten plants including Tanacetum balsam ita L. [Copmositae], Muscari caucasicum Baker [Hyacinthaceae], Equisetum arvense L. [Equisetaceae], Achillea millefollum L. [Copmositae], Stachys fruticulosa M. Bieb. [Labiatae], Stachys schtschegleevii Sons. ex, Grossh. [Labiatae], Salvia sahendica Boiss and Buhse [Labiatae], Phlomis caucasica Rech. f. [Labiatae], Etchium italicum L. [Boraginaceae] and Thalictrum minus L. [Ranunculaceae] from north-west Iran with traditional medicinal use were examined for their antibacterial activities against some Gram-negative strains such as Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella paratyphi and Serratia marcescens, also, Gram-positive strains of Staphylococcus aureus, Micrococcus luteus, Staph. epidermidis, Streptococcus pneumoniae and Bacillus cereus. The filter paper disc diffusion method as well as broth serial dilution technique were applied to screen the antibacterial efficacy of the extracts and determination of minimum inhibitory values. Results indicated that the majority of tested plant extracts had antibacterial activity at least against one of the selected bacteria, with the exception of Muscari caucasicum. Methanol extract of the aerial part of Thalictrum minus L. [Ranunculaceae] showed the most potent antibacterial activity against Staph. Aureus with MIC value of 0.3125 mg/ml. The results of this study show that most of the studied plants are potentially a good source of antimicrobial agents and support the traditional applications of some of the tested plants

Screening of extracts and fractions from aerial parts of stachys schtschegleevii sosn. for anti-inflammatory activities

Stachys schtschegleevii Sosn. is a native plant widely distributed in Iran and belongs to family of Lamiaceae and genus of Stachys. The plant is used in Iranian folk medicine in infective, rheumatic and other inflammatory disorders. In the present study the anti-inflammatory properties of different extracts and components isolated from aerial parts of Stachys schtschegleevii Sosn. were investigated. Intraperitoneal injection of hydroalcoholic extract 60 min before the induction of carrageenan-induced rat paw oedema significantly reduced the maximal oedema response attained during 4 hr and the total oedema response. A low dose of chloroform extract [100 mg/kg] caused significant inhibition of the carrageenan-induced inflammation, whereas a high dose of 400 mg/kg produced a pro-inflammatory response. One of the ethyl acetate extract caused a potent and dose-related inhibition of inflammation. This extract was fractionated into 11 major fractions according to increasing polarity of solvent mixtures. These results suggest that the hydroalcoholic extract of aerial parts of Stachys schtschegleevii attenuate the inflammatory response. The compounds in different fractions have also been identified to exhibit anti-inflammatory activity through thin layer chromagoraphy

Effects of hydroalcoholic extract from aerial parts of the sterile stems of Stachys inflata on myocardial infarct size in rats

Recently a potent anti-inflammatory effect of hydroalcoholic extract of the aerial parts of the sterile stems of Stachys inflata has been reported. This study examined whether hydroalcoholic extract isolated from aerial parts of non-flowering stems of Stachys inflata [standardized to contain 4.5% caffeic acid derivatives] reduce myocardial infarct size arising from coronary artery occlusion [30min] and reperfusion [2 h] in anaesthetized rats. In addition, the extract was also tested on the incidence and severity of ischaemic arrhythmias. Infusion of the extract [1.35 micro g/kg/min] 5 min before coronary artery ligation and for the duration of the ischaemic [30 min] and reperfusion [2 h] periods resulted in a marked [p<0.001] decrease in infarct size [from 48.2 1% in control to 29.3 2.7% in treated rats]. However, an infarct size of 46.7 3.4% was seen with the higher dose of the extract [2.70 micro g/kg/min]. The extract had no effect either on the severity and incidence of ischaemic arrhythmias or on the blood pressure. These results suggest that the hydroalcoholic extract of aerial parts of Stachys inflata attenuates the infarct size following ischaemia and reperfusion without any effect on the cardiovascular system. Anti-inflammatory actions of the extract may play a major role in reducing the infarct size