Evaluation of Cymbopogon schoenanthus essential oil in lambs experimentally infected with Haemonchus contortus.

Hematophagous gastrointestinal parasites cause significant economic losses in small ruminant grazing systems. The growing reports of multi-drug resistant parasites call for intensive research on alternative treatments for anthelmintics to help small ruminants cope with these parasites. Two-month-old lambs with mean body weight (BW) of 22.5 kg were experimentally infected with a multidrug-resistant Haemonchus contortus strain. Infected animals were dosed orally with Cymbopogon schoenanthus essential oil to evaluate its anthelmintic potential. Eighteen animals were allocated into three groups of six animals, and each received one of the following treatments: Group 1 - control (10 mL of water), Group 2 - C. schoenanthus essential oil (180 mg/kg BW); and Group 3 - C. schoenanthus essential oil (360 mg/kg BW). Animals received the oil once a day for 3 consecutive days. Lambs were evaluated clinically for blood biochemistry before, at 1, 5, 10, 15 and 20 days after treatment, and then were euthanized to assess the total worm burden. No statistically significant reduction in fecal egg count, packed cell volume or total worm count was observed after treatments. Also, no statistical difference among group means for blood levels of urea, creatinine, albumin, alkaline phosphatase, aspartate aminotransferase and gamma glutamyl transferase was found. Larval development assay (LDA) and egg hatch assay (EHA) were performed from feces of treated animals at 1, 5, 10 and 15 days after essential oil administration. An inhibition in LDA was observed 1 day after the 3-day treatment in larvae from feces of animals treated with 360 mg/kg essential oil. In conclusion, the essential oil at the doses of 180 mg/kg and 360 mg/kg was safe to sheep, but failed as an anthelmintic treatment when applied to young sheep artificially infected with a multidrug-resistant H. contortus strain.

Chemistry and quality of Hibiscus (Hibiscus sabdariffa) for developing the natural-product industry in Senegal.

The objectives of this study were to assess and improve the quality of the hibiscus calyces from Senegal over 2 production seasons (2004 to 2005), to develop and adapt new procedures for the determination of hibiscus anthocyanins and analysis of the 2 major ones, delphinidin-3-sambubioside and cyanidin-3-sambubioside. The foreign matter, total ashes, and acid insoluble ashes showed that the calyces harvested in 2005 were produced following hygienic practices, while the color assessment of the calyces and analysis of hibiscus active principles also showed higher amounts of anthocyanins in 2005. A protocol to measure anthocyanins by pH-differential UV-Vis spectrophotometry was adapted to measure the hibiscus anthocyanins from a water extract. The spectrophotometric method for quantitation of total anthocyanins showed a close correlation (r(2)= 0.82) when compared with the HPLC method, suggesting the use of the colorimetric method in quality control programs as an affordable alternative method to assess anthocyanin content in hibiscus. New and raised standards for the cleanliness and active principle content in hibiscus are also proposed. This study demonstrated that the implementation of a quality control program and the application of agricultural good practices in the production and processing of hibiscus calyces can lead to higher quality natural plant products.

Chemical constituents of the essential oil of Lippia laxibracteata (Verbenaceae)

The oil from the aerial parts of Lippia laxibracteata Herzog (Verbenaceae) was obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by GC and GC/MS. The major component of the oil was thymol (67%) with minor amounts of p-cymene (10%), cis-beta-ocimene (7%) and carvacrol (4.5%).

Inhibition of human lens aldose reductase by flavonoids, sulindac and indomethacin.

The inhibition of human lens aldose reductase by flavonoids has been studied. Quercetin, the major pentahydroxyflavone, was observed to inhibit human lens aldose reductase by 50% at a concentration of 5 X 10(-6) M. The inhibitory activity of its 3-O-glucoside was similar to that of the parent aglycon. Glycosidation with L-sugar (quercitrin and guaijaverin), however, improved the inhibitory activity (the IC50 values being 1 X 10(-6) M and 2.5 X 10(-6) M respectively). The improvement in inhibitory activity with glycosidation with L-sugar was also apparent from the high inhibitory activity of myricitrin as compared to myricetin, although the improvement in this case of hexahydroxy flavone glycosidation was significantly less than in the case of penthahydroxy flavone glycosidation. The structure-activity relationship observed for human lens enzyme was similar to that reported previously for rat lens enzyme. Inhibitory activity on the whole however, was lower with human lens enzyme. Some known inhibitors of cyclo-oxygenase such as indomethacin, aspirin and sulindac also inhibited human lens aldose reductase. Thus, an inhibitor of one of the enzymes may actually inhibit both and, when administered, may exert mixed physiological effects.