Cyclooxygenase-inhibitory and antioxidant constituents of the aerial parts of Antirhea acutata.

Two new compounds, (6S)-hydroxy-29-nor-3,4-seco-cycloart-4(30),24-dien-3-oic acid (1) and 8-[1-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-3-methoxy-3-oxopropyl]epicatechin (3), were isolated by bioassay-guided fractionation from the aerial parts of Antirhea acutata (DC.) Urb. (Rubiaceae). Compound 1 showed moderate inhibitory activities in cyclooxygenase-1 and -2 assays (IC(50) 43.7 and 4.7 microM, respectively), while compound 3 was active in 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl free-radical and cytochrome c reduction antioxidant assays (IC(50) 29.1 and 16.3 microM, respectively). Additionally, one further new compound was isolated, (3S,24S)-25-trihydroxy-9,19-cycloartane-29-oic acid (2), but this was inactive in the bioassay systems used. Compound 1 is based on the unprecedented 29-nor-3,4-seco-cycloartane skeleton.

A new procedure for the isolation of anti-HIV compounds (polysaccharides and polyphenols) from the marine alga Fucus vesiculosus.

Anti-HIV-active polysaccharides and polyphenols were isolated from the brown seaweed Fucus vesiculosus by hot H2O extraction of both the intact and the homogenized algae. This was followed by XAD2 chromatography and by sequential precipitation of the non-adsorbed compounds with glacial HOAc and thereafter with EtOH. The precipitate was solubilized, dialyzed against distilled H2O, and chromatographed on SP-Sephadex C25 and on QAE-Sephadex A25. This was followed by gel filtration on Sephadex G50 and Sephadex G100 and finally by hplc on a Shodex Ionpak S-804 column. For comparison, the commercial product fucoidan, a sulfated algal polysaccharide, was also further purified by the chromatographic techniques mentioned above. The isolated freeze-dried fractions obtained by these procedures were tested for inhibition of both HIV-induced syncytium formation and HIV reverse transcriptase enzyme activity. Some of these fractions inhibited both of these activities at concentrations that were not cytotoxic.

Use of medicinal plants by ambulatory patients in Puerto Rico.

The use of medicinal plants by the patients at the outpatient clinics of five health-care centers in Puerto Rico was evaluated. Medication histories were obtained for 802 patients ranging in age from two months to 91 years. The most frequent medical diagnosis was cardiovascular disease (54% of the patients). Respiratory and digestive disorders were the least frequent conditions, identified in only 9% and 6% of the cases, respectively. Medicinal plants were used by 57% of the population. Patients 65 years or older tended to use herbal remedies more often. Seven of the 11 most commonly used plants were used to treat gastrointestinal disorders. Other medicinal uses given were for sedation, sleep disorders, elevated blood pressure, kidney disorders, and respiratory ailments. The most frequently used plant was Citrus aurantium L. (sour orange), which was used as a sedative by 39% of the patients and for gastrointestinal disorders by 17%. Two potentially toxic plants, Solanum americanum and Annona muricata, were among the most commonly used plants. Medicinal plants were used widely by the outpatient population studied. Most herbs were used to treat self-limiting conditions but some were used to treat potentially serious medical problems, such as hypertension.