Propiedades anti-Helicobacter pylori de los extractos de Psidium guajava y Coptis chinensis / Atividade anti-Helicobacter pylori de los extractos de Psidium guajava e Coptis chinensis / Anti-Helicobacter pylori activity of extracts of Psidium guajava and Coptis chinensis

Se postula y fundamenta Ia utilidad de una mezcIa de extractos de plantas medicinales con propiedades sinérgicas compuesta por Psidium guajava L. estandarizado en su contenido de heterósidos flavónicos y Coptis chinensis Franch., estandarizado en su contenido de aIcaIoides benzofenantridínicos, para eI desarroIIo de un fitomedicamento útiI para eI tratamiento y prevención de Ia gastritis crónica provocada por Helícobacter pylori. EI estudio explora eI potencial que tiene Ia mezcIa para inhibir eI crecimiento in vitro de diversas cepas clínicas de H. pylori resistentes a los antibióticos convencionales, así como, su acción protectora deI epiteIio gástrico, al impedir Ia adherencia de Ia bacteria alas celulas AGS en cultivo (AU)

Descreve-se e fundamenta-se a utilidade de uma associagáo de extratos de plantas medicinais com propriedades sinergicas composta por Psidium guajava L., extracto padronizado em glicósidos flavónicos e Coptis chinensis Franch, extracto padronizado em alcalóides benzofenantridínicos, para o desenvolvimento de um medicamento a base de plantas para o tratamento e prevençáo da gastrite crónica provocada por Helicobacter pylori. O estudo explora o potencial que tem esta associaçáo para inibir o crescimento in vitro de diversas estirpes clinicas de H. pylori resistentes aos antibióticos convencionais, assim como, a sua acçáo protectora do epitelio gástrico, ao impedir a aderencia das bacterias ás culturas celulares de AGS (AU)

It is described the synergistic properties of a mixture of Psidium guajava L., extract standardized in its content of flavone glycosides and Coptis chinensis Franch, extract standardized in its content of benzophenantridinic alkaloids, for developing a phytodrug for the treatment and prevention of chronic gastritis induced by Helicobacter pylori. The study explores the properties of this combination of extracts by inhibiting in vitro growth of antibiotic-resistant clinical H. pylori strains and preventing adherence of the bacteria to human AGS cell cultures (AU)

Los "equibióticos" ni combate ni Resistencia / The "equibiotics": no combato resistance

Investigando las propiedades de plantas que suelen ser usadas con propósitos anti-infecciosos en las medicinas populares, postulamos que la acción de ciertas combinaciones de extractos con acción antimicrobiana se da a la par de un efecto de preservación y fortalecimiento del equilibrio normal de la microbiota local en el huésped. A tales fitomedicamentos proponemos denominarlos "equibióticos" (que equilibran la microbiota) y a las dos vías de actuación bajos las que actúan: "auferobiótica" (que inactiva a los microorganismos patógenos) y "alerebiótica" (que protege y reconstruye la conformación normal de la microbiota). Estos productos formarían parte de la nueva tendencia en la búsqueda de fitomedicamentos para detener y prevenir las infecciones, sustentada en un nuevo marco de referencia teóric-práctico en el que la recuperación del equilibrio de la microbioma del huésped suplanta a la idea de exterminación microbiana, generalmente aceptada en otros tiempos(AU)

Investigating the properties of plants often used in traditional medicines for anti.infective purposes, we postúlate the action of certain combinations of extracts that possess antimicrobial properties together with effects on the preservation and strengthening of the normal balance of the host microbiota. For such herbal medicines we propose the term "equibiotics" (that balance the microbiota), and to their two models of action :"auferobiotics" (that inactivate pathogens) and "alerebiotics" (that protect and restore the balance of the biota). Equibiotics have the peculiarity that their bimodal action influences and strengthens the natural ability of the host to regulate the microbiota. These products belong to the global new trend in the search for herbal medicinal products for stopping and preventing infections, based on a new theoretical and practical framework in which the recovery of the balance of the host microbiome substitutes, as goal, the idea of extermination of pathogens, generally accepted in the past(AU)

Nicolás Monardes (1493?-1580): el introductor de la flora medicinal americana en Europa / Nicolás Monardes (1493?-1580): the introducer of the American medicinal flora in Europe

Se ha escrito mucho sobre el oro y la plata que obtuvo la Corona Española de las colonias de América a partir del siglo XVI, así como sobre el cambio que produjeron estas riquezas en la dinámica económica del Viejo Continente. Sin embargo, se ha escrito poco respecto a otro valor igualmente importante que llegó de las tierras conquistadas: el “oro verde de América”. Es decir, las plantas medicinales que contribuyeron a modificar la medicina y la farmacia en toda Europa. Menos aún se sabe hoy, de los personajes que en el siglo XVI hicieron posible la introducción de esos recursos vegetales americanos en la medicina de su tiempo y de quienes iniciaron el desarrollo de una actividad que adquiriría gran importancia siglos después: la industria farmacéutica. En este artículo se relata someramente la vida y actividades de uno de esos personajes: Nicolás Monardes, una de las más lúcidas mentes renacentistas de la medicina española y a quien debiéramos considerar el Introductor de la Herbolaria Americana en la Medicina Europa del siglo XVI (AU)

A lot has been written on the subject of the gold and silver obtained by the Spanish Crown from the American colonies since the 16thcentury, and about the changes that this richness caused in the dynamics of the economy of the Old Continent. However, little has been written concerning another equally important value that came from the conquered territory: the “green gold of America”, the medicinal plants that contributed to change medicine and pharmacy in all Europe. Least is still known today on the persons that in the 16thcentury made possible the introduction of these American plants in the medicine of his time and of those who initiated the development of an activity that, centuries later, will take a great importance: the pharmaceutical industry. The present paper deals with the life and activities of one of these persons: Nicolás Monardes. He was one of the clearest minds of the Spanish medicine during the Renaissance, and he ust be considered as the introducer of the American medicinal plants in the European medicine of the 16thcentury (AU)

Therapeutic effectiveness of a Mimosa tenuiflora cortex extract in venous leg ulceration treatment.

The cortex of Mimosa tenuiflora is a popular remedy utilized in Mexico for the treatment of skin lesions. Modern studies support the existence in this cortex of compounds with cicatrizing properties. In the present study the therapeutic effectiveness of an extract elaborated with this bark in the treatment of venous leg ulceration disease was explored. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted with ambulatory patients distributed into two groups, one receiving a hydrogel containing 5% of a crude extract standardized in its tannin concentration (1.8%), while the control group, was administered the same hydrogel but without addition of the extract. In both aseptic washings were performed initially followed by topical application of the corresponding hydrogel and dressing. Follow-up lasted 13 weeks and ulcer healing was determined through measurement of the lesion area by digital-photographic parameters. Therapeutic effectiveness occurred in all patients of the extract group; after the 8th treatment week, ulcer size was reduced by 92% as mean value in this group, whereas therapeutic effectiveness was observed only in one patient of the control group (chi(2), p=0.0001). No side effects were observed in any patient in either group.

Effect of a Psidii guajavae folium extract in the treatment of primary dysmenorrhea: a randomized clinical trial.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy of two different doses of a Psidii guajavae folium extract in the management of primary dysmenorrhea. METHODOLOGY: A double-blinded randomized clinical trial was conducted in 197 women with primary dysmenorrhea. Four intervention groups were defined: two extract doses (3 and 6 mg/day); ibuprofen (1200 mg/day); placebo (3mg/day). Participants were followed-up individually for 4 months. The main outcome variable was abdominal pain intensity measured according to a visual analogue scale (VAS). RESULTS: The average age of participants was 19 years; menarche occurred around age 12 years. Participants had menstrual cycles of 28 or 29 days, with menstruation lasting 5 days and mean of pain intensity of 8.2 on the VAS. During each successive treatment cycle, participants experienced a lower pain intensity score. Multiple regression analysis, after adjusting each cycle for baseline pain, treatment compliance and other variables, showed that the group receiving 6 mg/day extract had significantly reduced pain intensity (p<0.001). This effect was maintained in cycles 2 and 3, although the reduction in the mean of pain intensity was lower. The group receiving the 3mg/day extract did not show a consistent effect throughout the three cycles. CONCLUSION: At a dose of 6 mg/day, the standardized phyto-drug (Psidii guajavae folium extract) reduced menstrual pain significantly compared with conventional treatment and placebo.

Effect of Gnaphalium conoideum HBK on guinea pig airway smooth muscle: role of L-type Ca2+ channels.

Plants from the Gnaphalium genus have been used in the Mexican traditional medicine for digestive and respiratory complaints. In the present study, the effect of methanolic extract from Gnaphalium conoideum HBK on the responses to contractile agonists was assessed in guinea pig tracheas, and the possible role of L-type Ca2+ channels was explored in tracheal guinea pig isolated myocytes. Cumulative concentration-response curves to carbachol or histamine, as well as contractile responses to 60 mM KCl were evaluated with or without 30 min preincubation with 20 or 100 microg ml(-1) Gnaphalium conoideum. Likewise, intracellular Ca2+ concentrations were measured by microfluorometric method (fura-2 AM) in isolated tracheal myocytes with or without preincubation with 0.1, 0.31 or 1 microg ml(-1)Gnaphalium conoideum. We found that methanolic extract from Gnaphalium conoideum significantly diminished the contractile responses to histamine, but not to carbachol or KCl. In isolated myocytes, Gnaphalium conoideum significantly reduced the intracellular Ca2+ rise induced by 60 mM KCl. Because histamine contractile responses are largely dependent on extracellular Ca2+, and KCl responses are mainly mediated through L-type Ca2+ channels, our results suggested that methanolic extract from Gnaphalium conoideum might be acting as a partial blocker of these Ca2+ channels.

Effect of Ginkgo biloba extract EGb 761 on the nonspecific and humoral immune responses in a hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activation model.

We evaluated the immune response of healthy control and stressed Wistar rats submitted to hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activation. Rats were treated with Ginkgo biloba extract (EGb 761) orally (100 mg/kg per day for 7 days). EGb 761 stimulated the digestion index of peritoneal and alveolar macrophages (PM and AM) of stressed rats. Likewise, the cellular immune response measured using the delayed-type hypersensitivity response to sheep red blood cells (SRBC) and the humoral immune response (measured through an anti-SRBC response), were also restored in stressed rats. Thus, this G. biloba extract possesses immunostimulatory activity in addition to its broad spectrum of pharmacological effects.

Effect of Ginkgo biloba extract, EGb 761, on the cellular immune response in a hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activation model in the rat.

We evaluated the effects of Ginkgo biloba extract (EGb 761) on the cellular immune response of rats with immunosuppression induced by activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Groups of five rats were subjected to chronic stress by the application of daily electric shocks (ES) over 7 days. This stress produced a significant decrement in the delayed-type hypersensitivity response (DTH) to dinitrofluorobenzene (DNFB), and a decrease in the proliferation index of splenocytes. Treatment with oral doses of the phytopharmaceutical EGb 761 (100 mg/kg per day over 7 days) restored both the DTH response to DNFB and the proliferation index. EGb 761 has stress-alleviating properties through its moderation of corticosterone levels. It also possesses antioxidant activity that may contribute to its effects on the immune response. Our observations indicate that the phytopharmaceutical EGb 761 possesses immunostimulatory properties.

Intestinal anti-spasmodic effect of a phytodrug of Psidium guajava folia in the treatment of acute diarrheic disease.

Ancestral medicinal use of guava (Psidium guajava L. Fam. Myrtaceae) is today supported by numerous biomedical studies concerning the properties of leaf extracts. However, insufficient clinical studies are reported on the use of this plant resource in the treatment of gastrointestinal ailments. The present work reports a randomized, double-blinded, clinical study performed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a phytodrug (QG-5) developed from guava leaves, standardized in its content of quercetin and orally administered to a group of adult patients with acute diarrheic disease. Capsules containing 500 mg of the product were administered to 50 patients every 8 h during 3 days. Results obtained showed that the used guava product decreased the duration of abdominal pain in these patients.

Comparative study of two Ginkgo biloba extracts on the phagocytic activity and DTH response of healthy mice.

The phagocytic activity and delayed-type Hypersensitivity (DTH) response to dinitrofluorobenzene (DNFB) of healthy BALB/c mice treated orally (100 mg/kg/day for 7 days) using two Ginkgo biloba extracts were studied. The phytopharmaceuticals Gb 30 (Alban Muller International, France) and EGb 761 (Schwabe, Germany) administered orally stimulated the phagocytic activity of peritoneal and alveolar macrophages. Likewise, the DTH response was found to be increased only with Gb 30 treatment. These results suggest that Ginkgo biloba possesses immunological activity in addition to the biological activity reported. The different chemical concentration of the components of the Ginkgo biloba extracts mentioned above may be responsible for the differences in the observed findings.

Antimicrobial compounds detected in Bocconia arborea extracts by a direct bioautographic method

Background. Among the numerous in vitro methods for studying the antimicrobial activity of plant drugs, bioautography has found widespread applications, especially for the detection of new compounds in complex plant extracts. Methods. This paper describes the results obtained during the application of the bioautographic method to detect antimicrobial compounds in a chloroformic extract of leaves and steams of Bocconia arborea, a plant used profusely in traditional medicine for the treatment of diverse infectious disease. Results and Conclusions. The method allows for the detection of spots of growth inhibition of cultures directly in the extract thin layer chromatographic plate previously dispersed with a broth culture containing the microorganisms. The procedure also allowed for the detection of the presence of several products in the B. arborea extract with considerable activity against five different microorganisms. Additonally, the method allowed the determiantion that the antimicrobial activity is due to compounds of probable alkaloid origin

Historia natural y herbolaria medicinal / Natural history and medicinal herbaria

Ensayo dividido en tres tiempos, que intenta un análisis comparativo sobre la forma en que miraban a la naturaleza las dos culturas enfrentadas en el siglo XVI: los exploradores y los naturalistas.

Historia natural y herbolaria medicinal / Natural history and medicinal herbaria

Ensayo dividido en tres tiempos, que intenta un análisis comparativo sobre la forma en que miraban a la naturaleza las dos culturas enfrentadas en el siglo XVI: los exploradores y los naturalistas.(AU)

Quercetin glycosides in Psidium guajava L: leaves and determination of a spasmolytic principle

The traditional herbal remedy from Psidium guajava leaves had been medically proposed in mexico as effective treatment of acute diarrhea. A methanolic leaf extract was subjected to a bioassay-guided isolation of spasmolytic constituents. Six fractions were separated on a polyvinylpolypyrrolidine (PVPP) columm using a water methanol-gradient. The fraction containing flavonols inhibited peristalsis of guinea pig ileum in vitro. A trace of quercetin aglycone together with five glycosides was isolated from this active fraction and identified as quercentin 3-O-alpha-L-arabinoside (guajaravin); quercetin 3-O-ß-D-glucoside (isoquercetin); quercetin 3-O-ß-D-galactoside (hyperin); quercetin 3-O-ß-L-rhamnoside (quercitrin) and quercetin 3-O-gentobioside. Biological activity of each pure compound was studied in the same bioassay. Obtained results suggets that the spasmolytic activity of the Psidium guajava leaf remedy is mainly due to the aglycone quercetin, present in the leaf and in the extract mainly in the form of live flavonols, and whose effect is produced when these products are hydrolyzed by gastrointestinal fluid

Calcium-antagonist effect of quercetin and its relation with the spasmolytic properties of Psidium guajava L

The antidiarrheal properties of water ad methanolic extracts of Psidium guajava leaves have been demonstrated with anteriority and their spasmolytic effect was attributed to quercetin, a flavonoid conatined in this plant. The present paper reports the intestinal smooth muscle relaxation produced by quercetin on isolated guinea pig ileum previously contracted by a depolarizing KCl solution. Quercetin also inhibited intestinal contraction induced by different concentrations of calcium, shifting the contraction curve to the right showing a clear clacium-antagonistic efecct. Quercetin effect on ileal and aortic smooth muscles ar compared, the ileum being more sensitive to this flavonoid. The clacium antagonist property of quercetin is discussed and also its contribution to explain the spasmolytic effect of this popular herbal remedy

Modelo de perfusión intraluminal del íleon del cobayo in vitro en el estudio de propiedades antidiarréicas de la guayaba (Psidium guajava) / Intraluminal perfusion model of in vitro guinea pig's ileum as a model of study of the antidiarrheic properties of the guava (Psidium guajava)

Este trabajo describe un modelo in vitro para valorar extractos de plantas medicinales a los que se les atribuyen propiedades antidiarréicas. La preparación se realiza con un segmento de ileón de cobayo que se coloca en una cámara de perfusión especialmente diseñada para hacer pasar por la luz intestinal el producto bajo estudio, mientras se estímula eléctricamente el tejido. Cuando el producto posee acción espasmolítica se registra la modificación que provoca sobre la amplitud del reflejo peristáltico. El modelo se ensayó en el estudio de las propiedades antidiarréicas de diversos extractos de hojas de guayaba (Psidium guajava Linn.). Se discuten las ventajas de esta preparación particularmente útil para el estudio de extractos íntegros de plantas medicinales que suelen administrarse por vía oral

Propiedades farmacológicas in vitro de algunos extractos de Mimosa tenuiflora (tepescohuite) / In vitro pharmacological properties of some extracts of Mimosa tenuiflora (tepescohuite)

Se investigaron las propiedades de varios extractos de corteza de tepescohuite, Mimosa tenuiflora (Willd.) Poir. utilizando modelos biológicos in vitro, se observó que el extracto de acetato de etilo, cuyo contenido en taninos fue elevado, presentó actividad antimicrobiana; el extracto butanólico, rico en alcaloides, modificó de manera importante la excitabilidad de la musculatura lisa. Los extractos butanólico y metanólico produjeron hemólisis, posiblemente atribuible a su contenido en saponinas. Se discute la variedad de compuestos con propiedades biodinámicas que contiene este producto natural