In vitro anthelmintic activity of the essential oils of Zanthoxylum zanthoxyloides and Newbouldia laevis against Strongyloides ratti.

The need for new anthelmintic with no chemical residues is becoming urgent. In a program aiming at the evaluation of plant as sources of new active molecules, the anthelmintic activities of the essential oils (EOs) obtained from either Zanthoxylum zanthoxyloides seeds or Newbouldia laevis leaves were evaluated against Strongyloides ratti by analyzing the results of two in vitro bioassays. These two plants and their tested parts were retained after an ethnopharmacology survey that confirmed their use by small-scale farmers for treatment of small ruminants affected by digestive helminths. The plants were harvested in Benin, and their EO were obtained by hydrodistillation. The EO yield of extraction was 0.65% (w/w) of for Z. zanthoxyloides seeds and 0.05% (w/w) for N. laevis. The chemical compositions of the two EOs were analyzed by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. The major constituents of the EO from Z. zanthoxyloides consisted of the following compounds: γ-terpinene (18 %), undecane (15 %), valencene (8.3 %), decanal (8.3 %), and 3-carene (6.7 %). In contrast, the major constituents of the EO from N. laevis leaves consisted of the following compounds: ß-caryophyllene (36 %) and eugenol (5.8 %). An egg-hatching inhibition (EHI) assay was developed and a larval migration inhibition assay was used on S. ratti to examine the effects of the EOs and to evidence their inhibitory concentrations (IC(50) and IC(90)) values on this nematode. Furthermore, the toxicity of the two EOs on Vero cell line was evaluated. When tested on S. ratti egg hatching, the two EOs resulted in similar IC(50) values (19.5 and 18.2 µg/ml for Z. zanthoxyloides and N. laevis, respectively), which were about sevenfold higher than that of the control (thiabendazole, IC(50) = 2.5 µg/ml). Larval migration was inhibited at similar concentrations for: Z. zanthoxyloides (IC(50) = 46 µg/ml), N. laevis (IC(50) = 51 µg/ml), and the control [levamisole (IC(50) = 36 µg/ml)]. No cytotoxicity was found on Vero cells because both EOs had IC(50) values higher than 50 µg/ml. Therefore, we have concluded that the EOs from two plants, used in folk medicine, may contain compounds with anthelmintic activity and could be used as improved traditional medicines or, at least, as food additives in a combined treatment for the control of helminth infections.

[Study on the structure and activity of new phenolic acid compounds from Erigeron breviscapus].

AIM: To isolate and identify the active constituents of Erigeron brevisapus (Vant.) Hand.-Mazz. METHODS: The chemical constituents were isolated by silica gel column chromatography and two new compounds were obtained. Their structures were elucidated by IR, MS, 1HNMR, 13CNMR, DEPT and 2DNMR. The injury of BCMEC (bovine cerebral microvascular endothelial cell) was determined by lactic dehydrogenase (LDH), the ability of the drugs anti-oxidation and scavenging oxidation of free radical was measured by colorimetric method. RESULTS: Two new compounds have been identified as 1-O-methyl-3, 5-O-dicaffeoyl quinic acid methyl ester (III) and 5-O-caffeoyl quinic acid butyl ester (IV). CONCLUSION: Compounds III and IV are new compounds. Compound III can protect BCMEC injury by LPC.

New lanostanoids from Ganoderma lucidum that induce NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase in cultured hepalcic7 murine hepatoma cells.

Two new lanostanoids were isolated from the basidiocarp of Ganoderma lucidum and were identified as 26,27-dihydroxy-5 alpha-lanosta-7,9(11),24-triene-3,22-dione (1) and 26-hydroxy-5 alpha-lanosta-7,9(11),24-triene-3,22-dione (2) by their respective spectral data. Crude extracts and the isolated compounds were tested for their potential to induce NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase (QR), a phase 2 drug-metabolizing enzyme, as an approach to detect potential cancer chemopreventive activity. Compound 2 doubled the specific activity of QR at a concentration of 3.0 micrograms/ml, whereas compound 1 was significantly less active (1.7-fold induction at 20 micrograms/ml). In addition, both compounds weakly inhibited sheep vesicle cyclooxygenase 1 activity at a test concentration of 40 micrograms/ml.

Minor and trace sterols in marine invertebrates. 62. Novel coprostanols with unusual side chains from the marine sponge Calyx nicaeensis.

Seventeen stanols with a variety of unusual side chains and possessing the rare 5 beta-dihydro nucleus have been isolated from the sponge Calyx nicaeensis. These stanols probably result from bacterial metabolism of the endogenous sponge sterols.

Minor and trace sterols in marine invertebrates 53 (1): Further novel marine sterols resulting from triple and quadruple biomethylation of the cholesterol side-chain.

The isolation and structure elucidation of nine new trace sterols with highly branched side chains from a Pseudaxinyssa species from the Australian Great Barrier Reef are described.