Preformulation studies for the development of a microemulsion formulation from Ambrosia peruviana All, with anti-inflammatory effect

Abstract Natural products are considered an important source of the therapeutic arsenal currently available. Among these alternatives are the seeds of Ambrosia peruviana (altamisa), whose extract has shown an anti-inflammatory effect. The main objective of this work was to perform a preformulation study of Ambrosia peruviana seeds ethanolic extract, where the main factors that affect the physical, chemical, and pharmacological stability of the extract were evaluated, as well as a compatibility study by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis against different excipients. A dry extract was obtained by rotary evaporation of the seeds macerated with 96% ethanol. The anti-inflammatory activity was determined by measuring its effect on NO production in RAW 264.7 macrophages, stimulated with LPS. The results showed that the dry extract maintained its stability over time when stored at a temperature of 4 and 25ºC, demonstrating its biological activity, the content of phenolic compounds, and its physicochemical parameters remain practically invariable. However, when exposed to high temperatures (60 ºC) it was affected. The thermal analysis revelated that the behavior of most of the selected excipients and the dry extract was maintained, which indicates that it did not present incompatibilities, therefore they can be candidates for formulating a microemulsion.

Genetic Diversity of Ambrosia trifida L. as Revealed by AFLP Markers

Aims: Invasion of alien species has become a global problem. Many invaders appear to thrive even with low levels of sequence-based genetic variation, and genetic patterns might congruent with the spatial arrangement of populations. Study Design: The genetic diversity of giant ragweed was investigated using amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP). There were 5 populations(100 samples), and the distance between the two populations was more than 20 kilometers along with the mainstream of Liaohe. Place and Duration of Study: Samples were collected from Liaohe Basin. Experiments were done in the College of Biological Science and Technology, between February 2016 and March 2017. Methodology: The distance between the two populations was more than 20 kilometers. We sampled five populations of Ambrosia trifida L. along Liaohe river in Liaoning province (north-east of China). Leaves for AFLP experiment were stored in discoloration silica gel. Genomic DNA was extracted following the CTAB protocol. Results: The genetic distances varied with the geographic distances. However, with the influence of many different situations, and many modes of transmission, the discrepancy of genetic distance was reflected. There was low genetic diversity during earlier period of invasion diversity. After a period of invasion, genetic diversity gradually increased. Panshanzha number of polymorphic bands and percentage of polymorphic bands was 98 and 64.47% respectively. Manduhu was 93 and 61.16%, Juliuhe was 100 and 65.79%, Shifosi was 98 and 64.47%, Shuanganqiao was 127 and 83.55%. Shuanganqiao possessed the highest polymorphism. Conclusion: The source of genetic variation of giant ragweed in Liaohe was gene flow of population. Shuanganqiao might be the spread center.

Actividad antibacterial y larvicida sobre Aedes aegypty L. de extractos de Ambrosia peruviana Willd (Altamisa) / Antibacterial and larvicidal activity against Aedes aegypti L. of extracts from Ambrosia peruviana Willd (altamisa)

Introducción: en la actualidad, nuevas tendencias tecnológicas e iniciativas se están presentando en el desarrollo de productos insecticidas derivados de productos naturales, y de nuevos agentes antimicrobianos, dado que poseen bioactivos que son selectivos, biodegradables y tienen menores efectos adversos. La especie Ambrosia peruviana Willd. es de gran interés en el estudio por su gran potencial biológico y etnobotánico. Objetivo: evaluar la actividad larvicida sobre Aedes aegypty L. y la actividad antibacteriana sobre bacterias Gram positivas y Gram negativas de extractos de A. peruviana. Métodos: a partir del material vegetal seco (hojas), se obtuvieron cinco extractos de diferente polaridad en hexano (H), diclorometano (D), acetato de etilo (A) y etanol (E) y aceites esenciales (AE), los cuales fueron evaluados mediante la inhibición del crecimiento de larvas por el método recomendado de la OMS y la inhibición de las bacterias por el método de difusión en agar de Kirby-Bauer. Resultados: la tasa de mortalidad encontrada a las 24 h a una concentración de 200 ppm para todos los extractos fue del 10 por ciento. Al evaluar el paso de los insectos de larvas a adultos a las 144 h se observó a esta misma concentración una mortalidad del 100 por ciento con todos los extractos. Por otra parte, los extractos de A. peruviana presentaron inhibición sobre Bacillus cereus Frankland & Frankland y Bacillus subtilis (Ehrenberg) Cohn con halos de inhibición del extracto de diclorometano (APExtD) de 10,5 y 15,0 mm de diámetro respectivamente, al contrario sobre las cepas Serratia marcescens Bizio, Proteus mirabilis Hauser, Enterobacter cloacae (Jordan) Hormaeche & Edwards y Staphylococcus aureus Rosenbach no se presentó actividad antibacteriana. Conclusiones: esta investigación es el primer reporte de actividad larvicida sobre A. aegypty y de actividad antibacteriana sobre B. cereus y B. subtilis de varios extractos de A. peruviana con promisorios resultados en estos modelos(AU)

Introduction: New technological trends and initiatives are currently being put forth concerning the development of insecticidal products and antimicrobial agents of natural origin, since their bioactive components are selective and biodegradable, and cause fewer adverse effects. The species Ambrosia peruviana Willd. was of great interest to the present study, due to its great biological and ethnobotanical potential. Objective: Evaluate the larvicidal activity of A. peruviana extracts against Aedes aegypti L., and its antibacterial activity against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. Methods: Dry plant material (leaves) was processed to obtain five extracts of different polarity in hexane (H), dichloromethane (D), ethyl acetate (A), ethanol (E) and essential oils (AE), which were evaluated for larval growth inhibition with the method recommended by WHO, and for bacterial inhibition with the Kirby-Bauer agar diffusion method. Results: The mortality rate at 24 h and a concentration of 200 ppm was 10 percent for all extracts. Examination of the transition of larvae into adults at 144 h and the same concentration revealed a mortality of 100 percent with all extracts. On the other hand, the extracts of A. peruviana displayed inhibition capacity against Bacillus cereus Frankland & Frankland and Bacillus subtilis (Ehrenberg) Cohn with inhibition haloes for the dichloromethane extract (APExtD) of 10.5 and 15.0 mm in diameter, respectively, whereas no antibacterial activity was found against the strains Serratia marcescens Bizio, Proteus mirabilis Hauser, Enterobacter cloacae (Jordan) Hormaeche & Edwards and Staphylococcus aureus. Conclusions: This study is the first report of larvicidal activity againstA. aegypti and antibacterial activity against B. cereus and B. subtilis by several extracts of A. peruviana with promising results in these models(AU)

Clotting and fibrinogenolysis inhibition by essential oils from species of the Asteraceae family

ABSTRACT Essential oils are pharmacologically active and unexplored compounds. The inhibitory properties of essential oils from Baccharis dracunculifolia, Conyza bonariensis, Tithonia diversifolia and Ambrosia polystachya were evaluated in the coagulation and fibrinogenolysis induced by snake venoms. The essential oil from Conyza bonariensis extended the clotting time of Lachesis muta from 52.2 to 115.2 seconds and that of Bothrops moojeni from 108.3 to 2340.0 seconds, when pre-incubated with the venoms. The longest clotting times for Bothrops atrox venom were observed after incubation with the essential oils from Conyza bonariensis and Tithonia diversifolia: the times increased from 100.8 to 264.0 and 227.7 seconds, respectively. The prior incubation of the essential oils with plasma and subsequent addition of Lachesis muta venom resulted in a pro-clotting effect. The oils from Ambrosia polystachya and Baccharis dracunculifolia caused 100% of inhibition on the fibrinogenolysis induced by Bothrops moojeni and Lachesis muta venoms (the oils were previously incubated with the venom). The results indicate that the essential oils show promise as adjuvants for the treatment of snakebites.

Application of flexible ambrosia for body weight control among youths / 军事医学

Objective To evaluate whether flexible ambrosia,by which people can take special prebiotics instead of dining to alleviate their sense of hunger is a healthy, safe and effective weight loss method by analyzing the effects of flexible ambrosia on body weight, body composition, physiological and chemical indexes of young volunteers.Methods Young volunteers were tested on flexible ambrosia for seven days using special prebiotics instead of normal food.Body weight, waist circumference, body composition and blood biochemical indexes ( blood pressure, blood glucose, liver function, renal function, blood electrolyte, and blood lipid ) were measured and recorded before and after the test respectively.The volunteers′subjective feelings ( hunger, energy, fatigue, etc) were recorded during the test every day by way of e-form records.Results All volunteers of the flexible ambrosia test reduced their body weight, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, visceral fat index (VAI) and body fat rate (Fat,%)significantly (P<0.01)in seven days, while the body water rate, muscle mass, body protein and bone did not significantly change or rise.There was no significant functional abnormity of the liver kidney, or blood electrolytes and blood lipid.All volunteers were in good physical condition, high-spirited and slept well, high quality sleep, without any obvious hunger and fatigue response in seven days.Conclusion Flexible ambrosia seems to be a healthy, safe and effective method, and provides an important scientific basis and reference for weight loss in the military.

Publication Overview of Sumbe Khamba Ishbaljir and Wonder of his Mindset / Монголын Анагаах Ухаан

Introduction: It is significant to translate medical texts having a beginning source of Ayurveda and identifyMongolian doctors, maaramba’s works and books on prescription as well as treatment methods that meetour culture, living condition and climate. Especially, we should clarify the new ideas includes innovatedtheories, which became paradigm not only Traditional Mongolian Medicine but also in Tibetan Medicine.Thus, it has become important to introduce and use in the training for students and practitioners the “FourAmbrosia Essences” and “Dictionary of Drug Identification” by Sumbe Khamba Ishbaljir (1704-1788).Goal: The aim of this study is to investigate “Four Ambrosia Essences” and “Dictionary of Drug Identificationby Sumbe Khamba Ishbaljir and to clarify the new idea of theory and treatment methods created by him.Materials and Method: “Source of Spring” (བདདུ ་ར་ིྩ ཆ་ུ རནུྱྒ ), “White Dew of Spring” (བདདུ ་ར་ིྩ ཟལི ་དཀར), “Drop of Spring”(བདདུ ་ར་ིྩ ཐགི ་པ), “Wedding of Spring” (བདདུ ་ར་ིྩ དགའ་སནོྟ ” by the Sumbe Khamba Ishbaljir were the main materials in thisstudy. In addition, we used to take some sort of sources and manuscripts that related to our studies andcomparative historical method, analysis and synthesis method were used in the studies.Results: According to resources we found, Sumbe khamba Ishbaljor detailed a number of new theoreticaland practical concepts which were never or seldom mentioned in The Four Medical Tantras, in his bookRashaany Dusal (“Drop of Spring”). He expanded the list of common diseases from three wind (khii), bile(shar), phlegm (badgan) to 6 (wind, bile, phlegm, blood, yellow fluid (shar us), nyan or khorkhoi (virus andbacteria) and prescribed treatments for each of them. In addition, he established a concept of 10 importantdiseases and gave them satiric names making them easy to read and understand as well as taught theways to treat them.Ishbaljir developed the traditional medicine and made a reform in it by the discovery of three more causesof diseases blood, bile us and bacteria in addition to the existing causes wind, bile and phlegm. His theorywas that disease causes are wind, bile, phlegm, blood, yellow fluid, and bacteria or virus individually and\or combined. Wind, bile, phlegm, blood, yellow fluid, and bacteria or virus called as diseases. Ishbaljir’sconcept of bacteria duplicates that of some Noble Prize laureates. At the beginning of the 20 century, anAustralian scholar Barry J. Marshall and J. Robin Warren won the Noble Prize for their discovery of the“Bacterium Helicobacter pylori and its role in gastritis and peptic ulcer disease” in 2005.Conclusions:1. Sumbe Khamba Ishbaljir expanded the list of common diseases from 3 wind (khii), bile (shar), phlegm(badgan) to 6 (wind, bile, phlegm, blood, yellow fluid (shar us), nyan or khorkhoi (virus and bacteria)and prescribed treatments for each of them.2. Sumbe Khamba Ishbaljir established a concept of 10 important diseases and gave them satiric namesmaking them easy to read and understand as well as taught the ways to treat them.3. The Four Medical Tantras did not mention stomach bacteria. It is pity that Sumbe Khamba Ishbaljirfound out the stomach bacteria disease in the 18th century.

Identification of IgE binding components of two major weed pollens, ragweed and mugwort

PURPOSE: Ragweed and mugwort pollens are the major weed allergens that cause pollinosis in Korea. The IgE-binding components to these 2 pollens and their cross-reactivity have not been reported in Korea, while several reports had been made in Western countries. We investigated IgE-binding components to ragweed and mugwort pollens and their allergenic relationship in patients sensitive to the 2 pollens. METHODS: We enrolled 33 allergic rhinitis patients with typical seasonal pollinosis symptoms in autumn and elevated serum specific IgE levels to ragweed and/or mugwort pollens (>10 kU/L by ImmunoCAP). The protein bands of the 2 pollen extracts were determined using sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and IgE immunoblot analysis was performed to determine the IgE-binding components of each pollen extract. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) inhibition and immunoblot inhibition tests were performed to evaluate the cross-reactivity between ragweed and mugwort pollen extracts. RESULTS: Eight IgE-binding components (9, 10, 11, 12, 27, 30, 38, and 80 kDa) were found in ragweed pollen extracts, of which 4 (38, 11, 27, and 80 kDa) were major IgE-binding components. Eight IgE-binding components (10, 14, 16, 20-24, 26-30, 42, 60-66, and 80-90 kDa) were found in mugwort pollen extracts, of which 2 components (26-30 and 20-24 kDa) were major IgE-binding components. No significant inhibitions were noted between ragweed and mugwort pollen extracts by the ELISA inhibition test. No significant changes were noted in IgE immunoblot inhibition analysis. CONCLUSION: We identified 4 major IgE-binding components (38, 11, 35, 27, and 80 kDa) in ragweed pollens and 2 major IgE-binding components (26-30 and 20-24 kDa) in mugwort pollens. No cross-reactivity was found between ragweed and mugwort pollens.

Mycological analysis of ambrosia and creamy dulce de leche / Análise micológica de ambrosia e doce de leite pastoso

Creamy dulce de leche is a product made from concentrated milk by heating, and adding sucrose. Ambrosia is a variety of dulce de leche prepared by adding eggs and sugar in to milk. Aiming at identifying the genera of filamentous fungi isolated from creamy dulce de leche and ambrosia, 40 ambrosia and 20 creamy dulce deleche samples were analyzed in the present study. Filamentous fungi and yeast counts and the identification of genera of the isolated filamentous fungi were performed. Thirty-nine samples (65 per cent) showed filamentous fungi and yeast counts that exceeded the accep table limits. Six fungus genera were identified, and amongthem the Penicillium was the most frequent. These findings are a warning of the requirement for strict control on good manufacturing practices as well as on the inspection and monitoring of ambrosia andcreamy dulce de leche trading.

Efecto insecticida in vitro del extracto etanólico de algunas plantas sobre la mosca adulta Haematobia irritans / In vitro insecticidal effect of the ethanolic extract from some plants on the adult fly Haematobia irritans

Introducción: por el constante desarrollo de resistencia a los grupos de insecticidas comercializados a nivel mundial, en agricultura y ganadería, se ha tenido la necesidad de buscar nuevas alternativas para el control de insectos que además sean seguros para el ecosistema, los animales y el hombre. Desde la medicina popular se reconocen varias plantas con efecto insecticida, pero no se han estudiado por completo. Objetivos: determinar el efecto insecticida de los extractos etanólicos de 5 plantas Ambrosia cumanensis Kunth, Bidens pilosa L., Brugmansia arborea (L.) Lagerh., Sambucus nigra L. y Nicotiana tabacum L. sobre la mosca adulta Haematobia irritans. Métodos: los extractos se obtuvieron por el método de extracción Soxhlet y concentrados por medio de un rotoevaporador Buchi; de modo adicional se identificaron los metabolitos secundarios responsables del efecto insecticida con evaluaciones preliminares cualitativas y confirmándose mediante cromatografía en capa fina. Las moscas se capturaron de bovinos parasitados naturalmente. Resultados: después de asperjar los extractos diluidos sobre las moscas, se encontró mayor actividad insecticida con Nicotiana tabacum, con un porcentaje de mortalidad de 100, 96,6, 80 y 60 por ciento, con diluciones de 5:10; 2,5:10; 1,25:10 y 0,62:10, respectivamente; seguida por Brugmansia arborea y Sambucus nigra. Los extractos que mostraron menor efectividad resultaron Bidens pilosa y Ambrosia cumanensis. Conclusiones: bajo las condiciones propuestas en este estudio se demuestra que las 5 plantas tienen acción sobre la mosca Haematobia irritans aunque con diferentes grados de eficacia.

Introduction: the constant development of resistance to several groups of insecticides marketed worldwide in the fields of agriculture and livestock breeding has led to the urgent search of new alternatives to control insects in a safe way for the ecosystem, the animals and the man. Several plants with insecticidal effect have been recognized in herbal medicine, although they have not been fully studied. Objectives: to determine the insecticidal effect of ethanolic extracts from five plants, that is, Ambrosia cumanensis Kunth, Bidens pilosa L., Brugmansia arborea (L.) Lagerth., Sambucus nigra L. and Nicotiana tabacum L. on the adult fly Haematobia irritans. Methods: the extracts were obtained using the Soxhlet extraction methods and then concentrated by the rotoevaporator Buchi; additionally, the secondary metabolites responsible for the insecticidal effect were identified with preliminary qualitative evaluations and confirmed through thin-layer chromatography. The flies were captured from cattle having natural parasites. Results: after sprinkling the flies with the diluted extracts, the highest insecticidal activity was found in Nicotiana tabacum, with a mortality rate of 100, 96.6, 80 and 60 percent at dilution ratios of 5:10; 2.5:10; 1,25:10 and 0.62:10 respectively, followed by Brugmansia arborea and Sambucus nigra. The extracts from Bidens pilosa and Ambrosia cumanensis showed the lowest effectiveness. Conclusions: under the suggested conditions in this study, it was proved that the five plants had some insecticidal effect on fly Haematobia irritans, but at different levels of effectiveness.

Detección de metabolitos secundarios en Ambrosia peruviana Willd y determinación de la actividad antibacteriana y antihelmíntica / Secondary metabolite detection in Ambrosia peruviana Willd and determination of antibacterial and antihelmintic activity

En el conocimiento etnofarmacológico, Ambrosia peruviana es conocida como una planta antiinfecciosa y antihelmíntica. Dados los altos índices de resistencia bacteriana y parasitaria, se realizó la tamización fitoquímica preliminar siguiendo la metodología de Sanabria, y ensayos biológicos frente a aislamientos clínicos bacterianos, parásitos caninos y Artemia salina. Los ensayos de citotoxicidad en A. salina se realizaron por exposición de los adultos a concentraciones variables de los extractos. La actividad antibacteriana se realizó por los métodos de difusión en disco y concentración inhibitoria mínima (CIM). Se determinó el porcentaje de huevos que tenían el embrión del parásito, en el medio de cultivo se mantuvieron en lactato de Ringer con suplemento al 10% de RPMI y 1X ATM. Se determinó el porcentaje de huevos con embrión, o fecundados, liberados en el medio de cultivo con adición de extracto etanólico y acuoso secos de A. peruviana. Los ensayos de la especie vegetal frente a helmintos se realizaron al sumergir los adultos en medio con suplemento de extracto etanólico seco (usando diferentes concentraciones) y con fracciones ricas en alcaloides. Se identificó la presencia de alcaloides, glucósidos cardiotónicos, quinonas, flavonoides, carbohidratos, taninos y saponinas. La concentración letal media para el extracto etanólico seco fue 64,2 µg/ml, mientras que para el extracto acuoso fue de 840,4 µg/ml. Los extractos no presentaron actividad antibacteriana. Los ejemplares adultos de T. canis presentaron disminución de la motilidad frente a extractos secos, mientras que en la fracción de alcaloides murieron luego de 4 horas de exposición. Los extractos de A. peruviana sobre huevos de T. canis permitieron una disminución en el porcentaje de huevos con embrión que no dependía del extracto observado sino de la concentración empleada.

Ambrosia peruviana has been reported as an anti-infective and anti-parasitic plant in the ethno-pharmacological environment. Given the high rates of bacterial and parasitic resistance against commercial drugs recorded, we performed the preliminary phytochemical screening following Sanabria´s method and biological tests against clinical bacterial isolates, dog parasites, and Artemia salina. Cytotoxicity tests in Artemia salina were carried out by exposing adults to extracts of varied concentrations. The antibacterial activity was performed using the disk diffusion method and CIM. Toxocara canis nematodes were kept in Ringer´s lactate supplemented with 10% RPMI and 1X ATM. The embryo generation percentage of eggs released into the culture medium was evaluated adding ethanol and aqueous extracts of dried A. peruviana. The tests of A. peruviana against helminths were performed by immersing adults in a medium supplemented with dried ethanol extract (at various concentrations) and fractions rich in alkaloids. Phytochemical screening allowed preliminary identification of alkaloids, cardiotonic glucosides, quinones, flavonoids, carbohydrates, tannins and saponins. The LC50 for dry ethanol extract was 64.2µg/ml, while for the aqueous extract was 840.4µg/ml. The extracts did not show antibacterial activity. T. canis adults showed motility decrease against dried extracts, not so in alkaloid fraction where they died after a 4h exposure. The use of extracts from A. peruviana over Toxocara canis eggs caused a decrease in the percentage of embryo generation, which did not depend on the extract observed but on the concentration used.