Immune enhancement of 30% ethanol elution fraction of Artemisia absinthium ethanol extract with macroporous resin / 国际生物医学工程杂志

Objective:To investigate the effects of 30% ethanol elution fraction of Artemisia absinthium extract with macroporous resin (AAEM-30%) on the dendritic cell (DC) and immunity of mice. Methods:AAEM-30% was obtained from the alcoholic extracts of A. absinthium by AB-8 macroporous resin, and its polysaccharide, flavonoid, and terpenoid contents were determined. The expressions of AAEM-30% on DC surface molecular cluster of differentiation (CD) 40, CD80 and CD86 were detected in vitro by flow cytometry, and the expressions of DC cytokines IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The effect of AAEM-30% on the immune function of ICR mice was measured in vivo with different doses (50 and 100 mg/kg) and different administration methods (subcutaneous injection, intraperitoneal injection, and gavage). Results:The contents of polysaccharides, flavonoids, and terpenoids in AAEM-30% were 24.30%, 22.50% and 28.19%, respectively. AAEM-30% significantly enhanced the expression of CD40, and CD86 and the secretion of IL-6 and TNF-α (all P<0.001). Compared with the control group, no statistically significant differences were found in the body mass of mice compared with the three administration methods (all P>0.05). The thymus index in the 50 and 100 mg/kg AAEM-30% intraperitoneal injection groups and the spleen index in the 50 mg/kg AAEM-30% gavage group were increased (all P<0.05). CD19 + cells increased in the 100 mg/kg AAEM-30% intraperitoneal injection group ( P<0.01) and in the 50 mg/kg AAEM-30% gavage group ( P<0.05). The CD11b + and CD11c + counts increased in the 100 mg/kg AAEM-30% gavage group ( P<0.05). The number of CD4 + and CD8 + T lymphocytes was increased by both gavage and intraperitoneal administration (all P<0.05). Conclusions:AAEM-30% can promote the maturation of DC and enhanced the immunity of mice without obvious side effects.

Eco-Friendly Solution Based on Rosmarinus officinalis Hydro-Alcoholic Extract to Prevent Biodeterioration of Cultural Heritage Objects and Buildings.

Biodeterioration of cultural heritage is caused by different organisms capable of inducing complex alteration processes. The present study aimed to evaluate the efficiency of Rosmarinus officinalis hydro-alcoholic extract to inhibit the growth of deteriogenic microbial strains. For this, the physico-chemical characterization of the vegetal extract by UHPLC-MS/MS, its antimicrobial and antibiofilm activity on a representative number of biodeteriogenic microbial strains, as well as the antioxidant activity determined by DPPH, CUPRAC, FRAP, TEAC methods, were performed. The extract had a total phenol content of 15.62 ± 0.97 mg GAE/mL of which approximately 8.53% were flavonoids. The polyphenolic profile included carnosic acid, carnosol, rosmarinic acid and hesperidin as major components. The extract exhibited good and wide spectrum antimicrobial activity, with low MIC (minimal inhibitory concentration) values against fungal strains such as Aspergillus clavatus (MIC = 1.2 mg/mL) and bacterial strains such as Arthrobacter globiformis (MIC = 0.78 mg/mL) or Bacillus cereus (MIC = 1.56 mg/mL). The rosemary extract inhibited the adherence capacity to the inert substrate of Penicillium chrysogenum strains isolated from wooden objects or textiles and B. thuringiensis strains. A potential mechanism of R. officinalis antimicrobial activity could be represented by the release of nitric oxide (NO), a universal signalling molecule for stress management. Moreover, the treatment of microbial cultures with subinhibitory concentrations has modulated the production of microbial enzymes and organic acids involved in biodeterioration, with the effect depending on the studied microbial strain, isolation source and the tested soluble factor. This paper reports for the first time the potential of R. officinalis hydro-alcoholic extract for the development of eco-friendly solutions dedicated to the conservation/safeguarding of tangible cultural heritage.

Antioxidant, Anti-inflammatory, and Analgesic Activities of Alcoholic Extracts of Ephedra nebrodensis From Eastern Algeria

Objectives: Ephedra nebrodensis (Ephedraceae) presents a wide range of biological activities. It is used to treat respiratory problems and hepatic pathologies in traditional medicine. The aim of this study is to evaluate the antioxidant, in vitro and in vivo anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties of two hydro-alcoholic extracts of E. nebrodensis in mice. Materials and Methods: The antioxidant capacity of hydro-methanolic (HM) and hydro-ethanolic (HE) extracts of E. nebrodensis was evaluated via assays of their superoxide radical scavenging capacity and ferrous ion chelating activity. The in vitro anti-inflammatory activity of the extracts (5, 10, and 20 mg/kg) was also determined using the bovine serum albumin denaturation test. Croton oil-induced ear edema was then employed to evaluate the in vivo anti-inflammatory effect of the extracts (200 and 400 mg/kg). Finally, the analgesic activity of the extracts (200 and 400 mg/kg) was determined by the acetic acid-induced torsion test. Results: The hydro-alcoholic extracts of E. nebrodensis present significant antioxidant activity. The HE and HM could inhibit protein denaturation by 82.99%±20.21% and 56.25%±2.12%, respectively. The extracts (HM and HE) also show strong anti-inflammatory effects in vivo and could reduce ear edema by 70.37%±2.00% and 72.22%±1.94%, respectively. The HM extract (72.51%±2.43%) demonstrates greater pain inhibitory effects than HE (70.76%±2.58%). Conclusion: The hydro-alcoholic extracts of E. nebrodensis produce antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic effects. These results confirm the traditional use of the herb in the treatment of various diseases.

Immune responses to HIV-1 polytope vaccine candidate formulated in aqueous and alcoholic extracts of Propolis: Comparable immune responses to Alum and Freund adjuvants.

Today's, vaccination is the most cost-effective approaches for preventing infectious diseases. In this strategy, adjuvants play an important role. Propolis from honey bee can stimulate the immune system and several studies have shown the modulating effects of Propolis on the immune responses. Here, the adjuvant effects of aqueous and alcoholic extracts of Propolis were studied on the multi-epitope vaccines against HIV-1. A recombinant vaccine against HIV-1 was prepared and BALB/c mice were immunized. subcutaneously on day 0 with 100 µl of candidate vaccine (10 µg) formulated in an alcoholic extract of Propolis. The second group of mice was immunized with the vaccine (10 µg) formulated in aqueous extract of Propolis. Also, candidate vaccine was formulated in Freund's and Alum adjuvants in the third and fourth groups. Experimental mice were immunized three times with two week intervals under the same conditions and suitable control groups. After final injection, lymphocyte proliferation was measured by BrdU method, IL-4 and IFN-γ cytokines, specific total IgG antibodies, IgG1 and IgG2a isotypes were evaluated using ELISA. The results show that the aqueous and alcoholic extracts were able to enhance lymphocyte proliferation, IL-4 and IFN-γ cytokines and antibody responses with dominant IgG1 pattern and comparable to Freund's and Alum adjuvants. It seems that aqueous and alcoholic extracts of Propolis show adjuvant activity and may be useful for vaccine formulation.

Are the fatty acids responsible for the higher effect of oil and alcoholic extract of Nigella sativa over its aqueous extract on Trichomonas vaginalis trophozoites?

Trichomoniasis, the disease caused by the flagellate protozoan Trichomonas vaginalis is the sexually transmitted infection with the largest annual incidence. Metronidazole is the drug of choice recommended for the treatment of human trichomoniasis but it can lead to drug resistance and many other adverse effects. So, it is necessary for new alternatives for the treatment of this infection. Medicinal plants or herbs could be good alternative regimens to be inexpensive, effective and safe to use. In the present study, the therapeutic potential of Nigella sativa aqueous and alcoholic extracts as well as seeds oil was examined. Different concentrations of these plant preparations were incubated in vitro with cultivated T. vaginalis trophozoites and its effect on growth was compared with metronidazole under the same conditions. Both the alcoholic extract and oil proved to be valuable agents as efficient as metronidazole in treating T. vaginalis infection. The remarkable effect of N. sativa oil may be attributed to the fact that the active principles extracted from N. sativa seeds are mostly from its essential oil (omega 3, 6, 9 as well as 7 fatty acids). However, further experimental and clinical investigations are needed to evaluate and standardize the doses of these natural products to be safe and efficient.

Polyphenolic Profile and Targeted Bioactivity of Methanolic Extracts from Mediterranean Ethnomedicinal Plants on Human Cancer Cell Lines.

The methanol extracts of the aerial part of four ethnomedicinal plants of Mediterranean region, two non-seed vascular plants, Equisetum hyemale L. and Phyllitis scolopendrium (L.) Newman, and two Spermatophyta, Juniperus communis L. (J. communis) and Cotinus coggygria Scop. (C. coggygria), were screened against four human cells lines (A549, MCF7, TK6 and U937). Only the extracts of J. communis and C. coggygria showed marked cytotoxic effects, affecting both cell morphology and growth. A dose-dependent effect of these two extracts was also observed on the cell cycle distribution. Incubation of all the cell lines in a medium containing J. communis extract determined a remarkable accumulation of cells in the G2/M phase, whereas the C. coggygria extract induced a significant increase in the percentage of G1 cells. The novelty of our findings stands on the observation that the two extracts, consistently, elicited coherent effects on the cell cycle in four cell lines, independently from their phenotype, as two of them have epithelial origin and grow adherent and two are lymphoblastoid and grow in suspension. Even the expression profiles of several proteins regulating cell cycle progression and cell death were affected by both extracts. LC-MS investigation of methanol extract of C. coggygria led to the identification of twelve flavonoids (compounds 1-11, 19) and eight polyphenols derivatives (12-18, 20), while in J. communis extract, eight flavonoids (21-28), a α-ionone glycoside (29) and a lignin (30) were found. Although many of these compounds have interesting individual biological activities, their natural blends seem to exert specific effects on the proliferation of cell lines either growing adherent or in suspension, suggesting potential use in fighting cancer.

Evaluation of Anti-diarrheal Potential of Hydro-alcoholic Extracts of Leaves of Murraya koenigii in Experimental Animals.

BACKGROUND: The indigenous medical system of India mentions the use of Murraya koenigii leaves for the treatment of different types of diarrheas over ages. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the anti-diarrheal activity of hydro-alcoholic extracts of leaves of Murraya koenigii and to check its effects on intestinal transits in experimental rat model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The hydro-alcoholic extract of Murraya koenigii leaves was obtained with Soxhlet extraction method. Animals were divided into four groups (n = 6) receiving daily for three consecutive days: vehicle, standard drug atropine (3mg/kg, i.p.), leaf extracts 200 & 400 mg/kg respectively in oral route. Effects of the drugs on normal defecation were noted and then castor oil induced diarrhea was used to measure the effects of leaf extract on stool frequency and consistency. Finally, charcoal meal test was used to evaluate the effect of the extract on intestinal transit. Statistical evaluation was done using SPSS version 17, one way ANOVA followed by Dunnett's t-test was done and P< 0.001 was considered as significant. RESULTS: Murraya koenigii leaf extracts in 200 and 400 mg/kg dose reduced stool frequency, increased stool consistency and increased small intestinal transit time. CONCLUSION: Hydro-alcoholic extract of Murraya koenigii leaves possesses significant anti-diarrheal activity due to its inhibitory effect on gastrointestinal motility, making it useful for a wide number of gastrointestinal diseases.

Atividade antibacteriana de extratos de folhas de Montrichardia linifera (Arruda) Schott (Araceae) / Antibacterial activity of leaf extracts of Montrichardia linifera (Arruda) Schott (Araceae)

RESUMO O uso de plantas medicinais no tratamento de doenças é uma estratégia antiga utilizada por praticamente todas as populações do mundo, e, embora novos antibióticos tenham sido desenvolvidos para o controle de micro-organismos infecciosos, às vezes são ineficazes. Diversos extratos de plantas medicinais têm efeitos antimicrobianos, principalmente quando associados à antibióticos de uso clínico, representando alternativa terapêutica para doenças infecciosas. Montrichardia linifera, conhecida popularmente como aninga, é espécie macrófita, aquática emergente de hábito herbáceo, pertencente a família Araceae e ocorre em áreas alagáveis. A utilidade farmacológica desta espécie é diversificada tendo sido relatada como cicatrizante, antirreumático, antidiurético e expectorante. Devido à relevância no campo etnofarmacológico, ampla utilização na medicina popular e escassez de trabalhos relacionados à atividade antibacteriana desta espécie, objetivou-se com este trabalho avaliar a atividade antibacteriana de extratos alcoólicos de folhas de Montrichardia linifera, coletadas na margem do rio Igaraçu, Parnaíba-PI. O extrato foi testado em oito cepas de bactérias: Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae e Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Foram utilizadas as técnicas de verificação da formação de halos de inibição e determinação das concentrações inibitórias e bactericidas mínimas. Os testes antibacterianos evidenciaram como principais resultados que o extrato metanólico seco (EMS), extrato metanólico fresco (EMF), e o extrato etanólico seco (EES), apresentaram ação antibacteriana, enquanto o extrato etanólico fresco (EEF) não apresentou atividade para as bactérias testadas. O EMS foi o mais eficiente, inibindo o crescimento bacteriano na concentração de 200 μg/mL para E. faecalis, 400 μg/mL para S. aureus, 400 μg/mL para S. epidermidis e 2.000 μg/mL para P. aeruginosa. O EMF obteve CIM de 2.000 μg/mL para E. faecalis e EES obteve CIM de 250 μg/mL para E. faecalis. Os resultados demonstraram que M. linifera constitui fonte eficiente de compostos bioativos antibacterianos. Os estudos sobre as propriedades farmacológicas de plantas da família Araceae são escassos, e os resultados deste trabalho são pioneiros em relação a atividade antibacteriana desta espécie.

ABSTRACT For a long time, medicinal herbs have been used in the treatment of diseases by almost all populations in the world, and although new antibiotics have been developed for the control of infectious micro-organisms, they are sometimes ineffective. Many herbal extracts have antimicrobial effects and represent a potential alternative therapy for infectious diseases, especially when associated with the clinical use of antibiotics. The Montrichardia linifera, popularly known as Aninga, is a robust, herbaceous, emergent aquatic macrophyte belonging to the Araceae family, appearing along rivers and stream margins in the tropical America. The pharmacological application of this species are several ones, having been reported to own a healing, antirheumatic, anti-diuretic and expectorant effect. Due to the relevance in the ethnopharmacological field, the spread use in popular medicine and the few researches related to the antibacterial activity of this specie, the study aimed to evaluate the antibacterial activity of alcoholic leaf extracts of plants of Montrichardia linifera collected along the margins of Rio Igaraçu, Parnaíba, Piauí, Brazil. The extract was tested in eight strains of ATCC bacterial standards: Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumonia and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The verification techniques used were the formation of inhibition halos, and the determination of minimum inhibitory and bactericidal concentrations (MIC). The antibacterial tests showed, as main results, that dried methanol extract (EMS), fresh methanol extract (EMF) and dry ethanol extract (EES) exhibited antibacterial activity, while the fresh ethanol extract (EEF) was inactive against the tested bacteria. The EMS was the most efficient one, inhibiting bacterial growth at a concentration of 200 µg/mL for E. faecalis, 400 µg/mL for S. aureus 400 µg/mL for S. epidermidis and 2.000 µg/mL for P. aeruginosa. The EMF obtained a MIC of 2.000 µg/mL for E. faecalis and EES obtained a MIC of 250 µg/mL for E. faecalis. The results showed that M. linifera is an efficient source of bioactive antibacterial compounds. Studies about the pharmacological properties of plants of the family Araceae are scarce, and the results of this work are pioneer in regard to the antibacterial activity of this species.

Avaliação in vitro da atividade fungitóxica de extratos de condimentos na inibição de fungos isolados de pães artesanais / In vitro evaluation of the fungitoxic activity of seasonings on the inhibition of fungi isolated from homemade breads

Objetivou-se, na presente pesquisa, avaliar a atividade antifúngica in vitro de alho, gengibre, orégano, cravo, canela e tomilho sobre a inibição e o desenvolvimento de Aspergillus ochraceus, Penicillium roqueforti, Rhizopus stolonifer, desenvolvidos em pães artesanais. Para cada planta foram preparados extratos alcólicos (EA10%, EA20% e EA25%), extrato aquoso (EAQ10%), extrator alcoólico puro (EAP) e testemunha sem extrato e álcool. Para alho, gengibre, orégano incluiu-se o extrato alcoólico da planta fresca (EAF 10%). Os experimentos foram instalados no Laboratório de Fitopatologia do EcoCentro/EPAMIG, Lavras, MG e no Laboratório de Fitopatologia do Incaper/CRDS-CS, em Domingos Martins, ES. Os tratamentos foram aplicados sobre os fungos inoculados em placas de petri, em meio BDA. Calcularam-se médias do Índice de Velocidade de Crescimento Micelial (IVCM) e esporulação. Os EA de plantas desidratadas a 10%, 20% e 25% inibiram totalmente o crescimento micelial dos fungos estudados, com exceção do EA 25% de alho sobre o Penicillium roqueforti e o EA 25% de gengibre sobre o desenvolvimento do Aspergillus ochraceus que não se diferenciaram da testemunha. O EA de alho teve um efeito não inibitório sobre P. roqueforti. Os EA, EAF e EAP apresentaram menor esporulação em relação à testemunha, exceto com gengibre e cravo sobre a esporulação do R. stolonifer e o EAQ apresentou um efeito semelhante ao da testemunha.

This research was carried out to evaluate the in vitro anti-fungus activity of alcoholic extracts of garlic, ginger, oregano, clove, cinnamon, and thyme on the inhibition and development of Aspergillus ochraceus, Penicillium roqueforti, and Rhizopus stolonifer, which develop in homemade breads. For each commercial seasoning, alcoholic extracts (AE) were prepared (AE10%, AE20% and AE25%) as well as aqueous extract (AQE) at 10%, pure alcoholic extract (PAE), and control without extract and alcohol. For garlic, ginger and oregano, a fresh plant alcoholic extract (FAE10%) was included. The experiments were installed at Plant Pathology Laboratories, EcoCentro/EPAMIG, MG and at Incaper/CRDS-CS in Domingos Martins, ES. The treatments were applied to thefungi inoculated on Petri dishes, on BDA medium. Mycelial Index Growth Speed (MIGS) and sporulation were calculated. All of the AE from dehydrated plants (10%, 20%, and 25%) showed significant inhibitory effect on the mycelial growth and fungus sporulation,and an unstable performance was observed when the AE seasoning concentration was 0%. The control presented higher MIGS and sporulation. Garlic AE25% on Penicillium roqueforti and ginger AE25% on Aspergillus ochraceus did not differ from the control.Garlic AE did not present an inhibitory effect on P. roqueforti. The AE, FAE and PAE presented lower sporulation in relation to the control, exception made to ginger and clove on the sporulation of R. stolonifer, and the AQE showed an effect similar to the control.

Effect of alcoholic extracts of Indian medicinal plants on the altered enzymatic activities of diabetic rats.

In present study, the effect of alcoholic extract of Momordica charantia, Aegle marmelos and Eugenia jambolana was studied on serum glutamic oxaloacetate transminase and serum glutamic pyruvate transminase activities and on serum urea, total protein and albumin concentrations of streptozotocin diabetic rats. Diabetes in rats was induced by single dose of streptozotocin (30 mg/kg i. p.). On confirming the diabetes after 48 h of injection, alcoholic extracts of three plants were administered orally in doses of 250 mg and 500 mg/kg/d for 30 d. Glibenclamide (300 mug/kg/d) was used as a reference drug for comparison. Streptozotocin diabetic rats showed a significant increase in serum glutamic oxaloacetate transminase and serum glutamic pyruvate transminase activities and serum urea concentration but a significant decrease in serum total protein and albumin concentrations and albumin/globulin ratio. Oral administration of alcoholic extract of Momordica charantia, Aegle marmelos and Eugenia jambolana in daily doses of 250 mg and 500 mg/kg for a period of 1 mo produced dose- and duration-dependent decrease in serum glutamic oxaloacetate transminase and serum glutamic pyruvate transminase activities as well as decrease in serum urea concentration and restored the serum total protein and albumin concentration and albumin/globulin ratio to a great extent in streptozotocin diabetic rats. The beneficial effects of these plants in 500 mg/kg dose in streptozotocin diabetic rats were comparable to that of glibenclamide (300 mug/kg), a standard oral hypoglycaemic drug used in clinical practice.

Antimicrobial Activities Screening of 47 Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine Extracts / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE:To determine the antimicrobial activity of alcoholic e xtracts of47traditional Chinese herbal medicines in vitro.METHODS:Antibiotic drug sensitive tests of Escherichia coli and Bacillus pyocyaneus were conducted,al?coholic extracts of47Chinese herbal medicines were prepared,which were subjected to bicteriostatic tests in vitro by agar spread routine method.RESULTS:Among the47traditonal Chinese herbal medicines alcoholic extracts,11of which did have antimicrobial activity against escherichia coli,pseudomonas aeruginosa and blastomyces albicans in different degree;among which,the antimicrobial activity of the alcoholic extracts of paeoniae radix and granatum to drug resistance bacteria were the highest,the alcoholic extracts of paeoniae radix showed strong inhibitory activities to the above3bacterium,especially to the resistant organisms with the minimum inhibitory concentrations(MIC)at1.3,1.1and1.8mg/ml respectively;The antimi?crobial activities of alchoholic extracts of granatum against the above3bacterium were also high with the MIC at8.3,3.6and2.3mg/ml respectively.CONCLUSION:The alcoholic extracts of paeoniae radix and granatum have broad spectrum of an?timicrobial activity and which have antimicrobial effect to drug resistance bacteria.