Phytochemistry and biological activities of Heracleum persicum: a review / 中西医结合学报

Heracleum persicum Desf. ex Fisch is used in Iranian traditional medicines, for the treatment of various diseases including neurological, gastrointestinal, respiratory, rheumatological and urinary tract diseases. In phytochemical analysis of H. persicum, several classes of natural chemicals including volatile (aliphatic esters, carbonyls, phenyl propenes and terpenes) and nonvolatile (flavonoids, furanocoumarins, tannins and alkaloids) constituents as well as different minerals have been identified. Scientific studies on H. persicum proved that it has a wide range of biological and pharmacological activities. This article has provided comprehensive information on Iranian traditional uses, phytochemistry and pharmacological activities of H. persicum.

[ protective effects of Iranian golpar [Heracleum persicum] essential oil in liver damages induced by CCl4 in Wistar rats]

Background: Nowadays, liver disorders are one of the most serious and threatening problems of the health. Persian Golpar [Heracleum [H.] persicum] as an endemic medicinal plant with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties was used [noted] in the study for reducing the live injuries

Objective: This experiment -for the first time- was conducted to consider the effects of the oils obtained from fruits of Persian Golpar on the liver toxicity induced by the injection of tetrachloride carbon [CCl4] in the Wistar rats

Methods: In this study, 100 male Wistar rats were divided into 20 groups [n=5]. Negative control group [NC] received DMSO and olive oil for two weeks and the positive control group [C] received DMSO as i.p injection in 14 days following CCl4 [2 ml/kg b.w] at day 15th. The standard group [BHT], The treatment groups received H. persicum essential oils at both doses 100 and 200 mg/kg b.w as i.p injection following CCl4 [2 ml/kg b.w] at day 15th. Then, the levels of the glutathione [GSH], total antioxidant capacity of plasma [FRAP], proxidasion lipids [MDA] and glutathione stransferase [GST] and also liver enzymes for instance alanin teransferase [ALT] and aspartate teransferase [AST] were estimated at 4, 8, 16 and 24 h after CCL4 injection

Results: The injection of the essential oils [at the both doses] obtained from Persian Golpar could surprisingly modulate the changes of the antioxidant/oxidative parameters as well as liver enzymes induced by CCL4 administration

Conclusion: These results indicated the protective effect of Iranian Golpar essential oils on the liver. These effects are probably due to its antioxidant capacity

Chemical compositions and antioxidant activity of Heracleum persicum essential oil

ABSTRACT In this study essential oil of the aerial parts of Heracleum persicum a spice widely used in Iran was isolated by conventional hydrodistillation (HD) and microwave-assisted hydrodistillation (MAHD) techniques. The extraction yield was determined and the chemical compositions of essential oils were identified by the application of gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The antioxidant activity was determined by two different methods: 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging and oven test methods. Although the main compounds of essential oils by the both extraction methods were similar, the essential oil extracted by HD with lower extraction efficiency showed more diverse compounds. The evaluation of antioxidant activity of the essential oil measured by delay in sunflower oil oxidation indicated that the antioxidant activity was dependent on the concentration which increased when higher concentrations of the essential oils were applied. The results of DPPH radical assay also indicated that the percentage of inhibition increased with increasing of essential oil concentration and IC50 value for essential oil extracted by MAHD method was obtained 1.25 mg/mL. Therefore the Heracleum persicum essential oil might be recommended for use as a flavoring agent and a source of natural antioxidants in functional foods, formulation of the supplements and in medicinal due to numerous pharmacological activities.

A new 3, 4-epoxyfurocoumarin from Heracleum moellendorffii Roots

Activity-guided isolation of Heracleum moellendorffii roots led to four coumarin derivatives as acetylcholinesterase inhibitors. The structures of these isolates were characterized by spectroscopic method to be angelicin (1), isobergapten (2), pimpinellin (3), and (3S, 4R)-3, 4-epoxypimpinellin (4). All the isolated compounds 1, 2, 3, and 4 showed moderate inhibition activities against acetylcholinesterase with the IC₅₀ values of 10.2, 18.1, 21.5 and 22.9 µM, respectively. (3S, 4R)-3, 4-Epoxypimpinellin (4) was newly isolated from the plant source.

Bioassay screening of the essential oil and various extracts from 4 spices medicinal plants

Four commonly used spices plants in Iran were evaluated for cytotoxicity effect using Brine Shrimp Lethality [BSL] assay. Essential oils and various extracts of Heracleum persicum, Nigella arvensis, Cinnamomum zeylanicum and Zingiber officinale were assessed by two methods of disk and solution of BSL. Data were processed in probit-analysis program to estimate LC50 values. All of the tested fractions have exhibited more cytotoxicity in the solution method. Essential oils of H. persicum and C. zeylanicum have shown the most cytotoxicity with LC50 values 0.007 and 0.03 microg/ml respectively. None of aqueous extracts showed significant cytotoxicity. The analysis of the essential oil of H. persicum showed the hexyl butyrate and octyl acetate as the main compounds. These results suggest some limitation for using of these spices in diet. Furthermore, these plants could be considered as a source of cytotoxic compounds which might be studied in more details

ethnopharmacological study on antibacterial activity of some selected plants used in Iranian traditional medicine

Iran is a land of great heritage of ancient medical scholars. Herbal medicines, as a basement of treatment of diseases have been clearly described in the medical texts of these scholars including Rhazes, Avicenna, and others. Numerous plants are introduced in these texts to treat those diseases likely to be infective ones. Few attempts have been made to evaluate ethnopharmacological aspects of these plants. In the present study selected specimens of plants described in ancient Iranian medical texts to treat infective conditions were evaluated for antibacterial activity. The hypothesis of this study was that the plants described in the ancient medical texts possess antibacterial properties. In this study, ten specimens of these plants were selected from various texts. Their scientific terminologies were prepared based on various respected sources. The antibacterial activity of hydroalcoholic extracts of these herbs, as well as their MICs and MBCs were evaluated according to standard techniques. Results of this study showed that almost all of 10 specimens showed considerable antibacterial activity. The MIC and MBC of some herbs showed strong activity against gram positive and gram negative microorganisms. MICs and MBCs of Heracleum persicum and antibacterial activity of Zea mays are reported for the first time in this study. The antibacterial activity of the selected plants supports their old uses as anti-infective agents. The results of this survey also showed antibacterial activity of Arnebia euchroma [Royle] Johst. and Teucrium polium L. traditionally used as poultice for infective wounds. H. persicumi traditionally used in Iran as spice can play a valuable role in preventing food poisoning. The data of this study supported the importance of ethnopharmacological approach and opened also the new doors to future researches in this field

Studies on chemical constituents in roots of Heracleum rapula / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the chemical constituents in roots of Heracleum rapula.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>The constituents were isolated by column chromatography on silica gel and ODS, and identified by spectroscopic methods.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>Nine compounds, osthol ( I ), bergapten (II), xanthotoxin (III), isopimpinellin (IV), imperatorin (V), isoimperatorin (VI), cnidilin (VII), phellopterin (VIII), rivulobirin A (IX) were isolated and identified.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Compounds VI, VII, VIII, IX were isolated from this plant for the first time.</p>

Studies on chemical constituents in roots of Heracleum rapula / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the chemical constituents in roots of Heracleum rapula.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>The constituents were isolated by column chromatography on silica gel and ODS, and identified by spectroscopic methods.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>Eight compounds, xanthotoxol (I), 8-geranyloxypsoralen (II), (+)-marmesin (III), beta-sitosterol (IV), stigmasterol (V), oleanolic acid (VI), ferulic (VII), scopoletin (VIII) were isolated and identified.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Compounds IV, V, VI, VII, VIII were isolated from this plant for the first time.</p>