Antimicrobial, Antioxidant Activities, and HPLC Determination of the Major Components of Verbena carolina (Verbenaceae).

Verbena carolina L. (Verbenaceae) is used as a decoction in Mexican folk medicine with applications against digestive problems and for dermatological infections. The present work firstly reported HPLC analysis, as well as the free radical scavenging capacity of the extracts and isolated compounds. Antimicrobial analyses of these substances against the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhi and the fungi Candida albicans, Trichophyton mentagrophytes and T. rubrum were also tested, as well as the acute oral toxicity in mice of aqueous extracts. Major secondary metabolites in V. carolina extracts were isolated by conventional phytochemical methods which consisted of three terpenoids ((1), (3) and (4)) and four phenolic compounds ((2), (4)-(6)). Their contents were determined by HPLC in six different samples from different locations. The results indicated that ursolic acid (1), hispidulin (2), verbenaline (3), hastatoside (4), verbascoside (5), hispidulin 7-O-ß-d-glucuronopyranoside (6) and pectolinaringenin-7-O-α-d-glucuronopyranoside (7) were the main constituents and ranged from 0.17 to 3.37 mg/g of dried plant, with verbascoside being the most abundant and with a significant antioxidant activity in reactive oxygen species (ROS). Hispidulin was the only active compound against T. mentagrophytes and T. rubrum. The aqueous extract showed no significant toxicity (LD50: > 5000 mg/mL). To our knowledge, this is the first comprehensive report of the chemical characterization of V. carolina and also of the activity of its constituents towards reactive oxygen species and dermatophytes, and its safety for consumption.

Aqueous extract of Sedum oxypetalum induces mineralization and osteogenic differentiation by human Periodontal Ligament-Derived cells.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: The medicinal plant Sedum oxypetalum Kunth (Crassulaceae), locally known as Jiote or in general Siempreviva (always alive) has been traditionally used by people of the Mexican community of Tenango del Valle as a home remedy to treat periodontal diseases, inducing teeth strengthening. Consequently, the aim of this work was to investigate its capacity directed to mineralized tissues regeneration. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The aerial parts of the plant were processed and its aqueous extract (AE) was chemically characterized. The AE and its components sedoheptulose and syngenite were tested for either osteogenic differentiation or mineral-nucleation induction respectively. RESULTS: The AE and one of its components (sedoheptulose) were shown to promote the proliferation and/or osteogenic differentiation by Human Periodontal Ligament-Derived Cells (hPDLs), while inducing the mineralization process. The AE also promoted the nucleation of octacalcium phosphate and its component syngenite, the hydroxyapatite crystals formation in vitro. CONCLUSION: The findings reported herein support the traditional use of S. oxypetalum due to its potential capacity to promote the regeneration of mineralized tissues.