ABSTRACT
Acaricidal activities of materials derived from Chamaecyparis obtusa leaves against Dermatophagoides farinae and Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus were examined using the dry film method and compared with that of commercial benzyl benzoate and N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide (DEET). The active constituent of the C. obtusa leaves was identified as beta-thujaplicin (C10H12(O2)) by spectroscopic analyses. Responses varied with dose. On the basis of a 24 h LC50 value, acaricidal activity against D. farinaewas more pronounced with beta-thujaplicin (72.2 mg/m2) than benzyl benzoate (89.9 mg/m2) and DEET (377 mg/m2). Acaricidal activity against D. pteronyssinus was more pronounced in beta-thujaplicin (62.1 mg/m2) than benzyl benzoate (72.4 mg/m2) and DEET (193 mg/m2). These results indicate that acaricidal activity of C. obtusa leaves likely results from by beta-thujaplicin. Beta-thujaplicin merits further study as potential house dust mite control agents or lead compounds.
Subject(s)
Insecticides , Plant Leaves/chemistry , Pyroglyphidae , Tracheophyta/chemistry , Tropolone/analogs & derivatives , Benzoates , DEET , Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry , Methanol , Monoterpenes/analysis , Plant Extracts , Tick Control/methods , Tropolone/analysisABSTRACT
1,2-Dihydroxyanthraquinone (1) was isolated from the seed of Cassia obtusifolia through bioassay-guided fractionation. 1,2-Dihydroxyanthraquinone strongly inhibited the growth of Clostridium perfringens and Escherichia coli. Structure-activity relationship revealed that 1,4-dihydroxyanthraquinone (2) and 1,8-dihydroxyanthraquinone (3) had strong growth-inhibition against C. perfringens. In growth-promoting activity, 1,2-, 1,4-, and 1,8-dihydroxyanthraquinones exhibited strong growth-promoting activity to Bifidobacterium bifidum.
Subject(s)
Anti-Infective Agents/pharmacology , Cassia , Phytotherapy , Plant Extracts/pharmacology , Anti-Infective Agents/administration & dosage , Anti-Infective Agents/therapeutic use , Clostridium perfringens/drug effects , Escherichia coli/drug effects , Humans , Microbial Sensitivity Tests , Plant Extracts/administration & dosage , Plant Extracts/therapeutic useABSTRACT
Fungicidal activity of Curcuma longa rhizome-derived materials against Botrytis cineria, Erysiphe graminis, Phytophthora infestans, Puccinia recondita, Pyricularia oryzae, and Rhizoctonia solani was tested using a whole plant method in vivo. It was compared with synthetic fungicides and four commercially available compounds derived from C. longa. The response varied with the tested plant pathogen. At 1000 mg/L, the hexane extract of C. longa showed fungicidal activities against E.graminis, P. infestans, and R. solani, and the ethyl acetate extract of C. longa showed fungicidal activities against B. cineria, P. infestans, Pu. recondita, and R. solani. Curcumin was isolated from the ethyl acetate fraction using chromatographic techniques and showed fungicidal activities against P. infestans, Pu. recondita, and R. solani with 100, 100, and 63% control values at 500 mg/L and 85, 76, and 45% control values at 250 mg/L, respectively. In the test with components derived from C. longa, turmerone exhibited weak activity against E. graminis, but no activity was observed from treatments with borneol, 1,8-cineole, sabinene, and turmerone. In comparison, potent fungicidal activity with chlorothalonil against P. infestans at 50 mg/L and dichlofluanid against B. cinerea at 50 mg/L was exhibited. These results may be an indication of at least one of the fungicidal actions of curcumin derived from C. longa.
Subject(s)
Curcuma/chemistry , Curcumin/pharmacology , Fungi/drug effects , Fungicides, Industrial/pharmacology , Plants/microbiology , Rhizome/chemistryABSTRACT
The inhibitory effects of Cinnamomum cassia bark-derived material on nitric oxide (NO) production in RAW 264.7 cells was determined through the evaluation of NO production and expression of inducible nitric oxide and compared to the effects of three commercially available compounds, cinnamyl alcohol, cinnamic acid, and eugenol. The biologically active constituents of C. cassia extract were characterized as trans-cinnamaldehyde by spectral analysis. The inhibitory effects varied with both chemical and concentration used. Potent inhibitory effects of cinnamaldehyde against NO production were 81.5 and 71.7% at 1.0 and 0.5 microg/microL, respectively, and a 41.2% inhibitory effect was revealed at 0.1 microg/microL. However, little or no activity was observed for cinnamic acid and eugenol. Suppression effects of cinnamaldehyde on inducible nitric oxide synthase expression were revealed by Western blot analysis. As a naturally occurring therapeutic agent, trans-cinnamaldehyde could be useful for developing new types of NO inhibitors.
Subject(s)
Acrolein/analogs & derivatives , Cinnamomum aromaticum/chemistry , Enzyme Inhibitors/pharmacology , Nitric Oxide Synthase/antagonists & inhibitors , Plant Bark/chemistry , Acrolein/isolation & purification , Acrolein/pharmacology , Animals , Blotting, Western , Cell Line , Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid , Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel , Enzyme Inhibitors/isolation & purification , Hexanes , Macrophages, Peritoneal/enzymology , Methanol , Mice , Nitric Oxide/biosynthesis , Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II , Plant Extracts/chemistryABSTRACT
Larvicidal activity of methanol extracts of 26 leguminous seeds and 20 grains against early 4th-stage larvae of Aedes aegypti and Culex pipiens pallens was examined. At 200 ppm of the extracts from Cassia obtusifolia, Cassia tora, and Vicia tetrasperma, more than 90% mortality was obtained in larvae of Ae. aegypti and Cx. pipiens pallens. Extract of C. tora gave 86.7 and 100% mortality in the larvae of Ae. aegypti and Cx. pipiens pallens at 40 ppm but 59.2 and 78.3% mortality against larvae of Ae. aegypti and Cx. pipiens pallens at 20 ppm, respectively. At 40 ppm, extract of C. obtusifolia caused 51.4 and 68.5% mortality of the 4th-stage larvae of Ae. aegypti and Cx. pipiens pallens, respectively. Larvicidal activity of extract of C obtusifolia was significantly reduced when used at 20 ppm. Further studies of these plants as possible agents for mosquito control are warranted.
Subject(s)
Aedes , Culex , Edible Grain/chemistry , Fabaceae/chemistry , Insecticides , Plant Extracts , Seeds/chemistry , Animals , LarvaABSTRACT
Mosquito larvicidal activity of Piper longum fruit-derived materials against the fourth-instar larvae of Aedes aegypti was examined. A crude methanol extract of P. longum fruits was found to be active against the larvae, and the hexane fraction of the methanol extract showed a strong larvicidal activity of 100% mortality. The biologically active component of P. longum fruits was characterized as pipernonaline by spectroscopic analyses. The LC(50) value of pipernonaline was 0.25 mg/L. The toxicity of pipernonaline is comparable to that of pirimiphos-methyl as a mosquito larvicide. In tests with available components derived from P. longum, no activity was observed with piperettine, piperine, or piperlongumine.
