Biological activity of Glechoma hederacea

The n-hexane, dichloromethane and methanol extracts of the aerial parts of Glechoma hederacea have been screened for antibacterial and free radical scavenging activity. General toxicity (brine shrimp lethality assay) of these extracts has also been assessed.     

Biological activity of Euonymus europaeus

The n-hexane, dichloromethane and methanol extracts of the seeds of Euonymus europaeus have been screened for antibacterial and free radical scavenging activity. General toxicity (brine shrimp lethality assay) of these extracts has also been assessed.     

Activity of blue green microalgae extracts against in vitro generated Staphylococcus aureus with reduced susceptibility to vancomycin

Blue green microalgae have been identified as one of the promising groups of organism from which biochemically active natural products have been isolated. Aqueous and organic extracts of nine blue green microalgae strains were screened against in vitro generated vancomycin intermediate resistant Staphylococcus aureus (VISA) strains. Aqueous extracts of all the blue green microalgae cultures were found to be inactive, while all the organic (hexane, chloroform and methanolic) extracts of Anabaena virabilis and Anabaena sp. showed activity against VISA strains with MIC of 32-64 mug/ml.     

Antimicrobial activity of four species of Berberidaceae

Ethanolic extracts of the stems and leaves of Nandina domestica, Mahonia fortunei, Mahonia bealei and Berberis thunbergii were tested for their antibacterial and antifungal activity. Most of the extracts have been proved to be active against Gram(+) bacteria.     

A HPTLC densitometric determination of luteolin in Thymus vulgaris and its extracts

Luteolin content in Thymus vulgaris and its extracts have been compared. Luteolin was separated on a thin- layer of silica gel with three-step gradient elution and determined by HPTLC-photodensitometry. The proposed method is simple and sensitive and can be used for the routine assay of luteolin in phytomedicines containing thyme extracts.     

Antinociceptive activity of Euphorbia heterophylla roots.

Following an identified use of the plant as analgesic in traditional medicine, the hexane, chloroform and ethyl acetate extracts of Euphorbia heterophylla root have been tested for antinociceptive activity in rats. All extracts showed significant effects at doses of 150-300 mg/kg i.p.     

Antimicrobial activity of Bryum argenteum

The antimicrobial activity of Bryum argenteum ethanol extracts was evaluated by microdilution method against four bacterial (Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, Micrococcus luteus and Staphilococcus aureus) and four fungal species (Aspergillus niger, Penicillium ochrochloron, Candida albicans and Trichophyton mentagrophyes). All the investigated ethanol extracts have been proved to be active against all bacteria and fungi tested.     

Analysis of beech wood fatty acids by supercritical acetone extraction

Summary Soxhlet and supercritical fluid extracts of freshly cut oriental beech (Fagus orientalis) have been obtained using acetone. While the yield of the Soxhlet extract was 2.54% the yield of the supercritical acetone extract obtained at 240°C and 6.0–6.5 MPa was 9.55% (dry wood basis). The fatty acids present in the extracts were separated by chemical and Chromatographic methods and analysed by combined gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. Linoleic acid was the major fatty acid in both extracts.     

马尾松抽出物对盐水虾幼体的致死活性

盐水虾（Ａｒｔｅｍｉａｓａｌｉｎａ．Ｌ）法是一种简单、易行,对多种生物学活性都有效的生物测定法。通过实验测出活性成分和抽出物在盐水培养基中的中央致死浓度ＬＣ５０（μｇ／ｍｌ）,结果表明马尾松抽出物对盐水虾幼体具致死活性。     

单宁用于带锈钢铁防蚀处理的研究

用栲胶及其增纯产物和相应的单宁－铁螯合物代替工业单宁酸成功地用于带锈钢铁的抗蚀处理，研究了处理剂的配方、配制方法，并对其性能进行了测试，指标均达到或超过了工业单宁酸。     

Applications of novel drug delivery system for herbal formulations

Over the past several years, great advances have been made on development of novel drug delivery systems (NDDS) for plant actives and extracts. The variety of novel herbal formulations like polymeric nanoparticles, nanocapsules, liposomes, phytosomes, nanoemulsions, microsphere, transferosomes, and ethosomes has been reported using bioactive and plant extracts. The novel formulations are reported to have remarkable advantages over conventional formulations of plant actives and extracts which include enhancement of solubility, bioavailability, protection from toxicity, enhancement of pharmacological activity, enhancement of stability, improved tissue macrophages distribution, sustained delivery, and protection from physical and chemical degradation. The present review highlights the current status of the development of novel herbal formulations and summarizes their method of preparation, type of active ingredients, size, entrapment efficiency, route of administration, biological activity and applications of novel formulations.     

Antioxidant effects of Gongronema latifolium in hepatocytes of rat models of non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus

Gongronema latifolium is a rainforest plant, which has been traditionally used in the South Eastern part of Nigeria for the management of diabetes. The effects of oral administration of aqueous and ethanolic G. latifolium leaf extracts for 2 weeks on streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats were investigated. Both extracts were shown to significantly increase the activity of superoxide dismutase and the level of reduced glutathione. The aqueous extract further increased the activity of glutathione reductase while the ethanolic extract caused a significant increase in the activity of glutathione peroxidase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and a significant decrease in lipid peroxidation. These results suggest that the extracts from G. latifolium leaves could exert their antidiabetic activities through their antioxidant properties.     

Estrogenic activity of the dichloromethane extract from Pueraria mirifica

Pueraria mirifica and its extracts are widely used as the ingredient(s) in many rejuvenating products. Up to now, the extract of P. mirifica roots that has been used in most studies, is the alcoholic extract. In the present study, we investigated the estrogenic activity using uterotropic and MCF-7 cell proliferation models of the dichloromethane extract as well as the water extract which was obtained from partitioning the ethanolic extract. The results indicated that among the three extracts, i.e. the ethanolic extract (PM1), the water extract (PM2) and dichloromethane extract (PM3), PM3 exhibited the most potent estrogenic activity in both models, followed by PM1. The extracts produced uterotropic activity associated with the increase of water content while uterotropic activity of 17beta-estradiol was related to the increase of muscle mass. The two isoflavonoids, genistein and daidzein, were not the major active phytoestrogens involving the estrogenic activity of these extracts.     

植物源提取物木材防腐剂的研究现状与展望

自然界的许多植物中均含有抑菌性和防虫性物质, 如果将这部分资源开发并用于木材防腐, 来替代和部分替代现有的合成类木材防腐剂, 将会促进人居和生态环境的改善。随着发展绿色、环保型木材保护技术的呼声越来越高, 世界范围内的很多学者广泛开展了植物提取物木材防腐剂的研究。文中对国内外植物源木材防腐剂的研究及其在木材和木制品保护中的利用进行概述, 并对今后的植物源木材防腐剂研究进行展望。     

A simple HPLC-UV method for the assay of ginkgolic acids in Ginkgo biloba extracts

Extracts from the leaves of Ginkgo biloba are among the most widely used phytotherapeutics. Some alkylphenols (ginkgolic acids, cardanols and cardols) have been described as potentially hazardous constituents in Ginkgo extracts. Accordingly, a requirement for a maximum concentration of ginkgolic acids has been proposed in the UE and US pharmacopoeias Ginkgo monographs establishing a limit value of 5 ppm. A novel HPLC-UV method, developed by the use of HPLC-APCI-MS HPLC-DAD techniques and allowing the identification of ginkgolic acids and related phenols, is described. The new analytical method, not requiring enrichment procedures, can be used for the quantification of ginkgolic acids in Ginkgo extracts.     

Antibacterial and free radical scavenging activity of the seeds of Agrimonia eupatoria

n-Hexane, dichloromethane and methanol extracts of the seeds of Agrimonia eupatoria have been assessed for antibacterial and free radical scavenging activity.     

Phytocomplexes from liquorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra L.) leaves--chemical characterization and evaluation of their antioxidant, anti-genotoxic and anti-inflammatory activity

Three extracts of different polarities of Glycyrrhiza glabra L. leaves were characterized and evaluated for their antioxidant, anti-genotoxic and anti-inflammatory activity. In total, thirty components have been identified and quantified through the use of liquid chromatography (LC) with ultraviolet-visible diode-array-detector (UV-vis-DAD) and mass spectrometry (MS). The main components belong to the polyphenols family, being flavonoid and dihydrostilbene derivatives. The extracts have been investigated for their antioxidant, anti-genotoxic and anti-inflammatory activities, which are fundamental requirements of efficacious chemo-preventive agents. The ethyl acetate extract proved to be the most valuable, evidently for the conspicuous presence of several polyphenols, namely flavonoids and dihydrostilbenes.     

A comparative study of Ferula hermonis root extracts and sildenafil on copulatory behaviour of male rats

The effect of 600 mg/kg given by oral route to rats of Ferula hermonis roots extracts (petroleum ether, ethyl acetate, methanol and water) was evaluated on sexual behaviour of male rats. Petroleum ether and ethyl acetate extracts produced a significant decrease in both the mount rate (MR) and the intromission rate (IR), significant prolongation of intromission latency (IL) was observed when these extracts were compared with both controls and sildenafil. Methanolic extract produced a significant increase in MR while no effect has been observed on IR or IL in comparison with control. The effect of water extract was not significantly different from controls for the MR and IR, but there was a significant prolongation in the IL.     

Free radical scavenging activity of Achillea alexandri-regis extracts

The antioxidative potential of Achillea alexandri-regis has been studied by measuring the influence of herb extracts on hydroxyl and superoxide radicals' quantity in different in vitro systems. The ethyl acetate extract exhibited hydroxyl radical scavenging activity in all tested biological system (liver homogenate, hemolyzed blood, serum and postmitochondrial liver fraction), whereas butanol extract reduced hydroxyl radicals significantly only in the postmitochondrial liver fraction. Both extracts showed superoxide radical scavenging effect only in hemolyzed blood.     

Antimicrobial activity and cytotoxicity of Zanthoxylum budrunga

The petroleum ether, chloroform and methanol extracts of the leaves and barks of Zanthoxylum budrunga have been evaluated for their antibacterial, antifungal and cytotoxic properties.