tert-Butyl hydroperoxide-induced injury in isolated rat hepatocytes: a model for studying anti-hepatotoxic crude drugs.

Tert-butyl hydroperoxide induces in freshly isolated rat hepatocytes malonaldehyde formation and lacticodehydrogenase and aspartate amino-transferase leakage. This model, when adapted to crude extracts, permits the demonstration of both anti-lipoperoxidant and antihepatotoxic activity of reference products like quercetin and silymarin and plant extracts like Rosmarinus officinalis and Eschscholzia californica.

[Chemical composition and nutritive value of the protein of Amaranthus quintensis]. / Composición química y valor nutritivo de la proteína de Amaranthus quintensis.

An account is given of some considerations concerning the chemical recognition and evaluation by biological methods of the quality of the flour obtained from Amaranthus quitensis seeds, submitted to grinding and sifting. The protein content of the flour (21.70g/100g) can be considered as very important, as well as that of the available lysine (5.20g/16gN). The calcium content was also remarkable (500mg/100g), and the starch ratio reached 45.00g/100g. The amount of nitrates found was 20.00mg/100g, which is an acceptable limit. The research for organic nitro compounds was negative. As for the biologic quality of the protein, the experiments revealed that it has quite an acceptable availability, as demonstrated by the following values: NPU = 42.50 +/- 6.10, D = 68.50 +/- 5.30, VB = 62, NPR = 2.10 +/- 1.80 and RNPR = 42.

Antibacterial activity of the essential oil of Thymus serpylloides subspecies gadorensis.

The in vitro antibacterial activity of the essential oil obtained from the flowering apex of Thymus serpylloides ssp. gadorensis against various micro-organisms is reported. Moreover, the main chemical groups found in this essential oil are described.

Natural pesticides and bioactive components in foods.

In this review, some common food plants and their toxic or otherwise bioactive components and mycotoxin contaminants have been considered. Crucifers contain naturally occurring components that are goitrogenic, resulting from the combined action of allyl isothiocyanate, goitrin, and thiocyanate. Although crucifers may provide some protection from cancer when taken prior to a carcinogen, when taken after a carcinogen they act as promoters of carcinogenesis. The acid-condensed mixture of indole-3-carbinol (a component of crucifers) binds to the TCDD receptor and causes responses similar to those of TCDD. Herbs contain many biologically active components, with more than 20% of the commercially prepared human drugs coming from these plants. Onion and garlic juices can help to prevent the rise of serum cholesterol. Most herbs used in treatments may have many natural constituents that act oppositely from their intended use. Some herbs like Bishop's week seed contain carcinogens, and many contain pyrrolizidine alkaloids that can cause cirrhosis of the liver. The general phytoalexin response in plants (including potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, celery, and sweet potatoes) induced by external stimuli can increase the concentrations of toxic chemical constituents in those plants. In potatoes, two major indigenous compounds are alpha-solanine and alpha-chaconine, which are human plasma cholinesterase inhibitors and teratogens in animals. Because of its toxicity, the potato variety Lenape was withdrawn from the market. Celery, parsley, and parsnips contain the linear furanocoumarin phytoalexins psoralen, bergapten, and xanthotoxin that can cause photosensitization and also are photomutagenic and photocarcinogenic. Celery field workers and handlers continually have photosensitization problems as a result of these indigenous celery furanocoumarins. A new celery cultivar (a result of plant breeding to produce a more pest-resistant variety) was responsible for significant incidences of phytophotodermatitis of grocery employees. Since there is no regulatory agency or body designated to oversee potential toxicological issues associated with naturally occurring toxicants, photodermatitis continues to occur from celery exposure. Sweet potatoes contain phytoalexins that can cause lung edema and are hepatotoxic to mice. At least one of these, 4-ipomeanol, can cause extensive lung clara cell necrosis and can increase the severity of pneumonia in mice. Some phytoalexins in sweet potatoes are hepatotoxic and nephrotoxic to mice. The common mushroom Agaricus bisporus contains benzyl alcohol as its most abundant volatile, and A. bisporus and Gyromitra esculenta both contain hydrazine analogues. Mycotoxins are found in corn, cottonseed, fruits, grains, grain sorghums, and nuts (especially peanuts); therefore, they also occur in apple juice, bread, peanut butter, and other products made from contaminated starting materials.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Changes in carbohydrate and nitrogenous components and amylase activities during germination of grain amaranth.

Grain amaranth (Amaranthus hypochondriacus), Yercaud local variety, was soaked overnight and germinated for 192 h taking the soaked grains as the zero time (0 h) sample. The changes in the activities of alpha- and beta-amylases, starch, sugar, protein and lysine contents during germination are reported. Activity of alpha-amylase was high in the 0 h soaked grains, while beta-amylase activity was high in 72 h germinated grains. The joint action of the amylases resulted in a decrease of starch content from 0 to 192 h in germinated grains and an increase in total sugars during the initial period of germination. Protein nitrogen was found to decrease from 48 h to 192 h accompanied by an increase in free amino acid and non-protein nitrogen contents. Total lysine content was found to be increased by 31% in 24 h germinated grain amaranth. Protein fractionation of raw, soaked and 24 h germinated grain amaranth showed that the distribution of different types of proteins varied during germination of the grains. An increase of water soluble protein content was noticed in 24 h germinated grains.

Dry heat popping of amaranth seed might damage some of its essential amino acids.

Amaranth was a major crop among the Aztecs. In Mexico the seed is popped and eaten with brown sugar. The crude protein content of the seed is 14 +/- 2% but its contents of lysine and tryptophan are 6.2 and 1.6 g/16 g N respectively. We developed a popping method based on a fluid bed system (FBS) whereas the traditional method (TM) is just to pop the seeds manually in a hot plate. Assays carried out were evaluation of racemization of the amaranth protein due to heat treatment, amino acid composition of the raw and heat treated seeds and a biological experiment testing whether leucine was the most limiting amino acid of amaranth protein. Male rats were fed both popped amaranths and roasted amaranth. Parboiled amaranth and casein were controls. The results were: (a) Lys, Arg and Cys were damaged in the heat treated seeds; (b) Asp, Met, Glu, Ala and Phe were racemized in that decreasing order in the seeds popped and roasted by the TM; (c) the estimated net protein retention (NPR) and estimated net protein utilization (NPU) of popped amaranths by either method were not different, but were lower than for the parboiled amaranth. The parboiled amaranth was not different from casein; (d) Leu was not the most limiting amino acid in any of the amaranth seeds tested. After Lys, sulfur amino acids appear to be the next most limiting in severely heat treated amaranth. The FBS seems to be a promising method for popping amaranth at industrial level.

A comparative study on the hepatic toxicity and metabolism of Crotalaria assamica and Eupatorium species.

The oral LD50 of Crotalaria assamica, which contains mainly monocrotaline, was found to be 154 mg/kg in mice. Neither liver necrosis nor morbidity was demonstrated with Eupatorium extract at a dose level of 144 mg/kg, which was equivalent to the LD20 of Crotalaria. Pretreatment with phenobarbitone enhanced the toxicity of both plant extracts in mice. In in vitro studies, "metabolic pyrrole" was formed by incubating Eupatorium japonicum extracts with liver microsomes. The rate of "pyrrole" formation was similar to that of Crotalaria extract and pure monocrotaline alkaloid, but was much slower than retrorsine. The rate of N-oxide formation was, in descending order, retrorsine, Eupatorium japonicum and Crotalaria/monocrotaline. It is concluded that the alkaloid in Eupatorium species is metabolized to "pyrrole" and an N-oxide metabolite in the liver, but hepatotoxicity is much lower when compared with that caused by Crotalaria.

Effect of water extracts of aloe and some herbs in decreasing blood ethanol concentration in rats. II.

Oral administration of ethanol to rats at a dose of 3 g/kg decreased alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) activity and metabolism of lactate to pyruvate in the liver. The effects of water extracts of Aloe and some other herbs on blood ethanol concentration and on ADH activity in liver cytosol were examined. The water extracts of these herbs caused a faster elimination of ethanol from blood of normal rats when administered orally 30 min before oral administration of ethanol. The rapid elimination of ethanol seems to be due to a protection of ADH activity and the supply of nicotinamide dinucleotide, both of which are reduced by high ethanol concentration. The effects of ethanol in decreasing the enzyme activities relating to its own metabolism occur when high concentrations of ethanol pass through the liver, and thus may primarily appear during the absorption of alcohol from the gastrointestinal tract, when portal concentration of ethanol are very high.

Analysis and processing of Chinese herbal drugs. VIII: The study of sophorae floe.

The quantities of active constituents in commercially available Sophora japonica L. (huai-hua) and its processed samples were analyzed using high performance liquid chromatography. Rutin, quercetin, sophoricoside, sophorabioside and genistein were found. Sophora flower buds (huai-mi) contained a great deal of rutin, while the immature fruits (huai-chiao) contained sophoricoside and sophorabioside. When Sophora flower bud was stir-fried for short periods using low heat, the extracted rate of rutin and quercetin increased slightly, decreasing with longer cooking periods at higher temperatures. When stir-fried with vinegar, it quickly blackened, but when cooked with honey, it changed very little. Immature Sophora fruit, however, exhibits less variation in its active constituents after processing. All huai-hua processed samples give forth a pronounced aroma and could be more easily extracted with water than that of the unprocessed herbs.

Chromatographic analysis of polyphenols of some Iberian Thymus.

A comparative chromatographic analysis of polyphenols of some Iberian Thymus species of the sections Pseudothymbra, Thymus and Serpyllum was carried out by means of HPLC and TLC, in order to investigate their pharmacological interest. The purified leaf extracts were analysed and compared with authentic samples of 15 flavones, one flavonol, four flavanones, two dihydroflavonols, and caffeic and rosmarinic acids. The taxa belonging to the section Pseudothymbra and some of those in the section Thymus showed the highest content of methoxylated flavonoids, which are known to have antispasmodic properties.

Nitrate levels in edible wild herbs and vegetables common in Jordan.

Forty six selected species of wild edible herbs and vegetables common in Jordan were collected from their natural growing places; twelve of them were collected from more than one location. The nitrate contents of the edible parts, and in some cases non-edible parts, were determined using the cadmium reduction method. The nitrate level varied widely ranging from 29 mg/kg in the leaves of tetragonolbus (Tetragonolobus Palaestinus) to 6743 mg/kg in star fenugreek (Trigonella Stellata). With the exception of the families of Araceae and Cruciferae, there was a wide variation in the nitrate concentrations within the species of each family. In general, the nitrate content of the stems was higher than that of the leaves which in turn was higher than that of the roots and bulbs. The same species collected from irrigated (presumably fertilized) farms were generally of higher nitrate content than those collected from pasture, forest or non-irrigated farms. However, many of the studied plants remain of relatively high nitrate content regardless of where they were grown.

Separations of flavonoids and alkaloids in medicinal herbs by high-speed counter-current chromatography.

Counter-current chromatography is a new liquid-liquid partition chromatography without using solid support. Recently, the technique has been remarkably improved in both partition efficiency and separation time. In this paper the capability of this high-speed counter-current chromatography was demonstrated on separation of two sets of samples obtained from medicinal herbs: a synthetic mixture of 3'-hydroxygenkwanin, luteolin and apigenin was separated on a two-phase solvent system composed of chloroform-methanol-water (4:3:2, v/v/v) and a crude ethanol extract from Anisodus tangulicus (Maxin) Pasch on chloroform-0.07 M sodium phosphate (pH 6.4) (1:1, v/v). In the light of chromatograms obtained from these samples, advantages of high-speed counter-current chromatography over other chromatographic methods were discussed in terms of partition efficiency, peak resolution, separation time, sample loading capacity, etc.

[Biochemical study of pollens of the genus Artemisia]. / Contribution à l'étude biochimique des pollens du genre Artemisia.

Pollens of three Artemisia: Artemisia vulgaris, Artemisia absinthium, Artemisia annua were separated by ion exchange chromatography and amino acids concentrations were measured. In any cases, the most important amino acid was proline, then asparagine + glutamine group, then gamma aminobutyric acid and alanine. An important level of histidine (8.1%) and hydroxyproline (6.2%) was found in Artemisia annua relative to the two other Artemisia species. The high histidine level, the precursor of histamine, found in the three kinds of Artemisia might be correlated with allergenic power of these weeds.

The chemical composition and protein quality of amaranth grain germ plasm in Guatemala.

The present research was carried out for the purpose of collecting part of the germ plasm of grain amaranth in Guatemala, as well as to evaluate it in terms of yield, chemical composition and nutritive value. A total of 27 Guatemalan selections, one from Mexico and seven from Peru were planted in June 1982 in 7.5 m2 experimental plots replicated four times. The harvest seed was utilized for analysis of protein, ether extract, crude fiber, tannin content and trypsin inhibitors, as well as for NPR assays. A group of five pooled samples was made based on protein content for amino acid analyses; 10 samples were selected for a second NPR and protein digestibility assay. A preliminary assay on amino acid supplementation of raw grain flour is also reported. The selections were significantly different in grain yield. In general, selections which flowered at a short height and were harvested also at short height, tended to yield more seed. Findings revealed a negative relationship between plant height and grain yield, but a positive relationship between plant height and dry vegetable residue. Protein content of the grain averaged 15.0% with values ranging from 12.8 to 17.4%. Fat content varied from 5.6 to 10.6% with an average of 8.4%. Amaranth grain with a higher protein content contained greater amounts of amino acids on a weight basis, but when these were expressed on a nitrogen basis, differences disappeared. Based on the FAO/WHO amino acid reference pattern, grain amaranth protein was deficient in sulfur amino acids. Although the biological trial corroborated this deficiency, more studies should be undertaken. The NPR values of the samples from Peru averaged 2.30, the one from Mexico 2.04 and those from Guatemala, 2.36. Protein digestibility was 80, 82 and 74%, respectively. The data suggest that there is sufficient variability to select materials of a higher chemical composition, nutritive value, and yield.

[Yield and chemical composition of the vegetal parts of the amaranth (Amaranthus hypochondriacus, L.) at different physiological stages]. / Rendimiento y composición química de las partes vegetativas del amaranto (Amaranthus hypochondriacus, L.) en diferentes etapas fisiológicas.

The genus Amaranthus comprises species which, consumed as vegetables, provide essential nutrients to man; they also have a high acceptability among the population. These two factors justify the need to increase their cultivation. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to establish the most adequate physiological state of maturity, to harvest the leaves for human consumption. The field experiment utilized a randomized block design with three treatments and eight replications. These treatments consisted in harvesting the plants at 25, 40 and 60 days after emergence of the seedlings, samples which served to evaluate: plant height, number of leaves, leaf surface area, gross weight (leaves and stems), net weight (leaves), green matter and dry matter yield, as well as protein. The chemical composition of the harvested material was evaluated also in terms of moisture, protein, crude fiber, ether extract, ash, carbohydrate, calcium, phosphorus, iron, beta-carotene and oxalates. The results obtained in the agronomic study were subjected to analysis of variance for the respective design, with significant differences found between treatments for all the variables studied. In its turn, the results of the chemical analysis were analyzed by a completely randomized design, with significant differences obtained for most of the variables studied, except for ether extract, calcium, iron and oxalates. From the nutritional point of view, the first harvest was the most acceptable due to the chemical composition of the plant, in particular protein (29.5%), beta-carotene (33.7 mg%), calcium (2,356.1 mg%), phosphorus (759.1 mg%) and due to its low crude fiber content, only 11.1 g%. It did not occur so from the agronomic point of view, since during this stage, very low yields of green matter (575.9 kg/ha), dry matter (66.6 kg/ha) and protein (19.7 kg/ha) were obtained. At the second harvest, besides obtaining adequate yields of green matter (6,530.4 kg/ha), dry matter (681.8 kg/ha) and protein 154.3 kg/ha), an acceptable composition in its protein content (22.7 g%), beta-carotene (24.1 mg%), calcium (2,279.8 mg%), phosphorus (740.9 mg%) and iron (52.7 mg%) was also obtained. The crude fiber content, on the other hand, was not excessively increased (14.3 g%), from which findings it was concluded that this is the best stage for harvesting, in comparison with the harvests carried out 25 and 60 days after emergence. Finally, it was observed that harvesting at 60 days gave the highest yields in green matter (24,272.8 kg/ha), dry matter (3,452.0 kg/ha) and protein (510.7 kg/ha).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)