Article

Bioactive compounds from Croton macrostachyus and Commiphora habessinica occurring in Ethiopia

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Abstract

Croton macrostachyus is traditionally used in Ethiopia for treating diabetes, cancers, digestive problems, dysentery, wounds, fevers, constipation, diarrhea, intestinal worms, malaria, pain ulcers, and inflammation. The aim of the present work is investigating the chemical constituents of C. macrostachyus and Commiphora habessinica. The powdered stem bark of C. macrostachyus was successively extracted with n-hexane, chloroform and methanol yielding 1.2, 0.72 and 6.04% respectively. Phytochemical screenings of the extracts revealed the presence of flavonoids, tannins, saponins, phenols, terpenoids, glycosides, steroids and absence of anthraquinones. The methanol extract of C. macrostachyus subjected to chromatographic separation resulted in the antimalarial, antiprotozoal, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antitumor and chemopreventive component lupeol (SED-1). The isolated compound was characterized using melting point, NMR and IR spectroscopy and by comparing experimentally obtained spectral data with previously reported literature. The essential oil of the resin from C. habessinica was isolated by hydro-distillation and a total of 21 components were identified by means of GC and GC/MS analysis. The main components of the essential oil were the medicinally important components α-copaene (27%), α-cadinol (25%), and trans-caryophyllene (15.3%).

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... According to studies, more than 80% of Ethiopians use plant-based traditional medicine as their primary healthcare system. Tis high adoption rate can be largely ascribed to the fact that it draws on locally accessible wild plant resources [13,14]. Tis is in part because the vast majority of rural residents cannot access modern medical services because of their high cost, lack of transportation, and scarcity of healthcare centers [15]. ...
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Caryophyllene oxide, an oxygenated terpenoid, well known as preservative in food, drugs and cosmetics, has been tested in vitro as an antifungal against dermatophytes. Its antifungal activity has been compared to ciclopiroxolamine and sulconazole, commonly used in onychomycosis treatment and chosen because of their very different chemical structures. So, a new model has been tested, utilizing sheep hoof plates in order to simulate human nails, which are almost unobtainable for in vitro tests. Three protocols were utilized: pre-treatment, simultaneous treatment and post-treatment. Among these, the post-treatment method was the best to simulate antifungal therapy, as it permitted testing and comparing the efficiency of different antifungal drugs.
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During the past decade, use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) by the American public increased from 34% in 1990 to 42% in 1995 with related out-of-pocket expenditures estimated at $27 billion. Among cancer patients, use of CAM ranges between 30 and 75% worldwide and includes dietary approaches, herbals and other biologically based treatments such as melatonin, mushrooms, shark cartilage and high dose vitamins and minerals. Concerns about herb-nutrient-drug interactions and product quality and standardization emphasize the need for rigorous research. In 1998, Congress mandated the creation of the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) to conduct and support such research of CAM therapies. The NCCAM portfolio for oncology is rapidly growing. As of July 2001, 26 projects are underway, two specialized centers are funded for cancer research and four botanical centers are cofunded with the Office of Dietary Supplements. Investigations are targeting herbals and complex herbal formulas; single dietary supplements and complex dietary regimens; biological agents; and mind-body, body-based and frontier approaches. Of these, biopharmacologic and herbal therapies are a major focus of research. The NCCAM portfolio illustrates how research of CAM, particularly studies of biopharmacologic and herbal approaches for cancer, is developing systematically and rigorously.
Article
Background: It has been proposed that antioxidants may prevent cellular damage in the retina by reacting with free radicals produced in the process of light absorption. Objectives: The objective of this review is to assess the effects of antioxidant vitamin and/or mineral supplementation on the progression of age-related macular degeneration. Search strategy: The Cochrane Eyes and Vision Group specialised registered, the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register - Central, MEDLINE, the Science Citation Index, and the reference lists of relevant articles were searched. Investigators of included studies were contacted. The most recent searches were performed in December 1999. Selection criteria: All randomised trials comparing an antioxidant vitamin and/or mineral supplement (alone or in combination) to control in people with age-related macular degeneration were included. Data collection and analysis: The reviewer extracted data and assessed trial quality. Due to the small number of trials identified, and variable methods of collecting and presenting outcome data, no statistical summary measure was calculated. Main results: Four published, two unpublished and two ongoing trials were identified. Published trials to date have been small and results inconsistent. Adverse effects and quality of life for people with age-related macular degeneration have not been addressed. Reviewer's conclusions: The question as to whether people with age-related macular degeneration should take antioxidant vitamin or mineral supplements to prevent progression of the disease has not been answered by research to date. The results of ongoing trials are awaited.
Article
A novel quinonoid terpenoid, (-)- alpha-tocospirone, a new chromanone, (-)-gynuraone, as well as three new steroids, (22 E,24 S)-7 alpha-hydroperoxystigmasta-5,22-dien-3 beta-ol, (22 E,24 S)-stigmasta-1,4,22-trien-3-one, and (24 R)-stigmasta-1,4-dien-3-one, together with 15 known components, were isolated from the rhizome of Formosan Gynura japonica. Structures of the new compounds were determined through spectral analyses and chemical evidence. Several of the isolated compounds, caryophyllene oxide, 6-acetyl-2,2-dimethylchroman-4-one, vanillin, 2,6-dimethoxy-1,4-benzoquinone, and benzoic acid exhibited significant anti-platelet aggregation activity in vitro.
Article
In a search for new plant-derived biologically active compounds against malaria parasites, five essential oils extracted from the Cameroonian plants Xylopia phloiodora, Pachypodanthium confine, Antidesma laciniatum, Xylopia aethiopica, and Hexalobus crispiflorus were evaluated in regard to their anti-plasmodial activity against the W2 strain of Plasmodium falciparum. The oils were obtained from the plants with 0.12, 0.13, 0.18, 0.6 and 0.1% yields (relatively to dried material weight) respectively. Analysis by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry identified mainly terpenoids, among which alpha-copaene, gamma-cadinene, delta-cadinene, alpha-cadinol, spathulenol and caryophyllene oxide were most commonly found. The five oils were active against Plasmodium falciparum in culture. The most effective was the oil of Hexalobus crispiflorus, with an IC50 of 2 microg/ml.
Article
We have investigated the effect of lupeol (lup-20(29)-ene-3beta-ene-3-ol) isolated from mokumen (Gossampinus malabarica L. Merr) on DNA of human promyelotic HL-60 leukemia cells. Induction of apoptosis by lupeol was observed in human leukemia HL-60 cells. Morphological change showing apoptotic bodies was observed in the HL-60 cells treated with lupeol. The fragmentation of DNA by lupeol to oligonucleosomal-sized fragments that is a characteristic of apoptosis was observed to be concentration- and time-dependent in the HL-60 cells. Flow cytometric analysis showed that the hypodiploid nuclei of HL-60 cells were increased to 28.5, 42.0 and 70.9% after a 3-day treatment with 75, 100 and 150 micro M lupeol, respectively. The data of the present study show that the suppression by lupeol of growth of the HL-60 cells results from the induction of apoptosis by this compound.
Article
Calocedrus formosana Florin (Cupressaceae) is an endemic tree species in Taiwan; its timber is recognized for natural decay resistance. To examine the antitermitic and antifungal activities of leaf essential oil and its main constituents, C. formosana leaves were extracted and the essential oils analyzed by GC-MS. Bioactivity tests against the termite Coptotermes formosanus demonstrate that the LC50 value of leaf essential oil is 27.6 mg/g. Furthermore, exposure to T-muurolol caused 100% mortality at a dosage of 5 mg/g after 14 d. Leaf oil constituents displayed activity against four fungi, Lenzites betulina, Pycnoporus coccineus, Trametes versicolor, and Laetiporus sulphureus. Two compounds, alpha-cadinol and T-muurolol, exhibited the strongest antifungal activity. The LC50 values of alpha-cadinol against L. sulphureus, L. betulina, and T. versicolor are 9.9, 28.6, and 30.4 microg/ml, respectively.
Article
The study was conducted around Debre Libanos monastery from October 2005 to June 2006. A total of 250 villagers, 13 monks and 3 nuns were interviewed using semistructured questionnaire on the knowledge and use of medicinal plants. The informant consensus factor (ICF) and the fidelity level (FL) of the species were determined. Eighty medicinal plant species were reported. The average medicinal plant reported by a female is 1.67+/-0.33 and a male is 5.77+/-0.71 with significant difference between them (alpha=0.05, p=0.023). The ICF values demonstrated that local people tend to agree more with each other in terms of the plants used to treat 'Mich' and headache (0.69) and intestinal illness and parasites (0.68) but a much more diverse group of plants are cited to treat problems related to rabies (0.14) and unidentified swelling and cancer (0.11). The FL values are also similar to ICF values. The knowledge of the villagers close to the monastery is found to be higher than those distant from the monastery and the correlation between Abichu and Telaye (r=0.970, alpha=0.05, p=0.001), and Zegamel and Doreni (r=0.745, alpha=0.05, p=0.027) is significant indicating the relationships between the number of plants reported by the informants and the distance from the monasteries to the villages. This study was not able to determine the knowledge difference between the villagers and the monastery dwellers because the monks and nuns were not willing to give information on the knowledge and use of medicinal plants. This may result in the long run in loss of local knowledge in the surrounding area and the country at large for preparation of pharmacologically effective remedies.
Article
The isolation and structure determination of a new bisabolene, 2-methyl-5-(5'-hydroxy-1',5'-dimethyl-3'-hexenyl)phenol, together with known bisabolene, xanthorrhizol and furanosesquiterpenoids, 2- O-acetyl-8,12-epoxygermacra-1(10),4,7,11-tetraene and 2- O-methyl-8,12-epoxygermacra-1(10),4,7,11-tetraene, from gum exudate of Commiphora kua are reported.
Article
A new dimeric aporphine alkaloid, bidebiline E (1), and a new natural product, octadeca-9,11,13-triynoic acid (2), along with three known sesquiterpenes, alpha-humulene (3), caryophyllene oxide (4), and (-)-alpha-cadinol (5), and four known isoquinoline alkaloids, laudanosine (6), codamine (7), laudanidine (8), and reticuline (9), were isolated from the roots of Polyalthia cerasoides. The structures of compounds 1 and 2 were established on the basis of their 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopic data. Among these isolates, 1, 2, 4, 7, and 8 exhibited antimalarial activity against Plasmodium falciparum, while 1- 3 showed antimycobacterial activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis using in vitro assays.
Article
Resistance to conventional fungicides causes the poor disease control of agriculture. Natural products from plants have great potential as novel fungicide sources for controlling pathogenic fungi. In this study antipathogenic activity of the leaf essential oil and its constituents from Calocedrus macrolepis var. formosana Florin were evaluated in vitro against six plant pathogenic fungi. Chemical analysis of leaf oil by GC/MS allowed identification of alpha-pinene (44.2%), limonene (21.6%), beta-myrcene (8.9%), beta-caryophyllene (8.2%), caryophyllene oxide (2.4%), alpha-cadinol (1.6%), beta-pinene (1.2%), and T-muurolol (1.1%) as main components. Sesquiterpenoid components of the oil were more effective than monoterpenoid components of the oil. In particular, T-muurolol and alpha-cadinol strongly inhibited the growth of Rhizoctonia solani and Fusarium oxysporum, with the IC(50) values < 50 microg ml(-1). These compounds also efficiently inhibited the mycelial growths of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, P. funerea, Ganoderma australe and F. solani. These results showed that T-muurolol and alpha-cadinol possess antifungal activities against a broad spectrum of tested plant pathogenic fungi and could be used as potential antifungal agents for the control of fungal diseases in plants.
Article
The mechanism of ixodid tick (Acari: Ixodidae) repellency by gum haggar, a resin produced by Commiphora holtziana (Burseraceae), was investigated by evaluating activity against the cattle tick, Boophilus microplus. In an arena bioassay, a hexane extract of the resin of C. holtziana exhibited a repellent effect lasting up to 5h. The hydrocarbon fraction of the resin extract was shown to account for the repellent activity, and was analysed by coupled gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Major sesquiterpene hydrocarbons were tentatively identified as germacrene-D, delta-elemene and beta-bourbonene. The identity and stereochemistry of the former compound was confirmed as the (+)-isomer by peak enhancement using enantioselective GC, whereas the latter 2 compounds, which are most likely degradation products of germacrene-type precursors, were identified through isolation by preparative gas chromatography followed by microprobe-NMR spectroscopy. GC comparison of gum haggar with another resin, C. myrrha, which was inactive in the tick bioassay, showed that the latter contained much lower levels of these hydrocarbons. To assess the suitability of the gum haggar resin as a general acarine repellent, further tests were made on a major acarine pest of European and US animal husbandry systems, the red poultry mite, Dermanyssus gallinae (Acari: Dermanyssidae). Gum haggar extract, and the isolated hydrocarbon fraction, showed strong repellent effects in an olfactometer assay, and again gum myrrh showed no effect. These findings provide a scientific basis for the observed anti-tick properties of gum haggar, and demonstrate the potential for its development as a general acarine repellent for use in animal husbandry systems.
A survey of oil of myrrh
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The scope of pharmacognosy
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Phytochemical analysis of Acanthus ilicifolius and Avicennia officinalis by GC-MS
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A review on phytochemical screening and extraction in medicinal plants
  • T Prashant
  • K Bimlesh
  • K Mandeep
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Phytochemical investigation of Withania somnifera and Commiphora kataf
  • T T Tole
  • Y T Saifu
Non-wood forest products 1. Flavours and fragrances of plant origin
  • Jjw Coppen
The National Herbarium Addis Ababa University
  • K Vollesen