Evaluation of the antitussive effect of stigma and petals of saffron (Crocus sativus) and its components, safranal and crocin in guinea pigs

The antitussive activity of Crocus sativus stigma and petal extracts and its components, safranal and crocin, was evaluated using the nebolized solution of citric acid 20% in guinea pigs. The extract and agents were injected intraperitoneally. The ethanolic extract of C. sativus (100-800 mg/kg) and safranal (0.25-0.75 ml/kg) reduced the number of cough. The ethanolic and aqueous extracts of petal and crocin did not show antitussive activity.     

Antimicrobial activity of the leaves and flowering tops of Acanthospermum hispidum

The ethanolic extracts of the leaves and flowering tops of Acanthospermum hispidum showed varying degrees of activity against a wide range of pathogenic bacteria. The activity resided mostly in the polar fractions of the alcoholic extract, being only slight in the non-polar fractions. No activity was observed for the aqueous extract of the fresh plant material.     

喜树叶提取物的抗菌活性研究

采用滤纸片法研究喜树叶乙醇提取物和水提物对金黄色葡萄球茼（Staphylococcus aureus）、大肠杆菌（Escherichia coli）、枯草杆茼（Bacillus subtilis）、八叠球菌（Sarcina ventriculi）、黑曲霉（aspergillus niger）、木霉（Trichoderma virid）和青霉（Penicillium chrysogenum）的抗菌活性。结果表明,喜树叶乙醇提取物和水提物对细菌有明显的抑制作用,浓度越大抑制效果越好;喜树叶乙醇提取物对3种霉菌都有抑茼效果,水提物对霉菌没有抑制作用。     

Hypoglycemic and antidiabetic activities on the stem bark aqueous and ethanol extracts of Musanga cecropioides in normal and alloxan-induced diabetic rats

Daily oral administration of the aqueous and ethanolic extracts of Musanga cecropioides stem bark in normal and diabetic rats at doses of 250, 500 and 1000 mg/kg/day, for 14 days significantly lowered the fasting plasma glucose levels in normal and alloxan-induced diabetic rats in dose-dependent fashion. The ethanol extract induced more significant antidiabetic effect than the aqueous extract.     

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.     

Hepatoprotective activity of Clerodendrum inerme against CCl4 induced hepatic injury in rats

The ethanolic extract of Clerodendrum inerme leaves were screened for its hepatoprotective activity in CCl(4) (0.5 ml/kg, i.p) induced liver damage in Swiss albino rats at a dose of 200 mg /kg bw. The ethanolic extract of C. inerme significantly (P<0.001) decreases the serum enzyme alanine amino transferase (ALT), asparate amino transferase (AST), alkaline phosphates (ALP), triglycerides (TGL), total cholesterol (TC) and significantly increased the glutathione level. Silymarin (25 mg/kg), a known hepatoprotective drug used for comparison exhibited significant activity (P<0.001). The extract did not shown any mortality up to a dose of 2000 g/kg bw.     

Antimicrobial activity of Sternbergia sicula and Sternbergia lutea

n-Hexane, ethyl acetate, ethanolic and aqueous extracts of the bulbs and aerial parts of Sternbergia sicula and Sternbergia lutea were tested for their antimicrobial and antifungal activity.     

Phytochemical and antimicrobial activities of the Daniellia oliveri leaves

The n-butanol soluble part and four chromatographic fractions of the aqueous ethanolic extract of the leaves of Daniellia oliveri were investigated for antimicrobial properties. All fractions showed activity against Staphylococcus aureus. A chromatographic fraction showed significant activity against the fungus Tricophyton rubrum.     

Pesticidal Activity of the Leaf and Bark Extracts of Giliricidia sepium on Callosobrucus maculatus

Abstract

The effects of different concentrations of cold and hot aqueous extracts of G. sepium on C. maculatus, the storage pest of cow-pea were examined. The extracts had a killing effect on the weevils. The percentage mortality of the weevils increased with the increase in the extract concentrations. Statistical analyses at 5% level revealed that significant differences abound in the efficacies of the cold and hot aqueous extracts. The hot aqueous leaf and bark extracts tend to have more toxic effect than the cold aqueous extracts. Also, extracts from the bark tend to be more toxic to the weevils than those of the leaves.     

Antimicrobial activity of some Indian mosses

The present study was designed to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of ethanolic extracts of 15 Indian mosses. The antibacterial activity of ethanolic extracts was investigated against five G(+) and six G(-) bacterial strains. Antimycotic activity was assayed against 8 fungi. Sphagnum junghuhnianum, Barbula javanica, Barbula arcuata, Brachythecium populeum, Brachythecium rutabulum, Mnium marginatum and Entodon cf rubicundus were found to be most active against all the organisms.     

Investigation of the free radical scavenging activity of Ginkgo biloba L. leaves

The free radical scavenging activity of methanolic, ethanolic and aqueous extracts from Ginkgo biloba leaves, has been determined by EPR (electron paramagnetic resonance) using the DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging method. The investigation has also included selected constituents of G. biloba leaves, protocatechuic and p-coumaric acids, quercetin, rutin, isoginkgetin and (+)-catechin.     

Hypolipidemic activity of Acorus calamus L. in rats

The rhizomes of Acorus calamus are empirically used in the treatment of a wide variety of human diseases. Administration of the 50% ethanolic extract (100 and 200 mg/kg) as well as saponins (10 mg/kg) isolated from the extract demonstrated significant hypolipidemic activity. On the contrary, the aqueous extract showed hypolipidemic activity only at a dose of 200 mg/kg.     

Leishmanicidal activity of Maytenus illicifolia roots

In vitro evaluation of leishmanicidal activity of aqueous and ethanolic extracts of Maytenus illicifolia against three species of Leishmania. The root extracts showed differential activity against parasites, whereas the aerial part of the extracts was inactive.     

Antimicrobial activity of the leaves and seeds of Bixa orellana

The ethanolic extracts of the leaves and seeds of Bixa orellana showed a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity. The activity of the leaf extract was more pronounced.     

Evaluation of antimicrobial activity of Cleome viscosa and Gmelina asiatica

The ethanolic extracts of the leaves and flowers of Cleome viscosa and roots of Gmelina asiatica were tested for antimicrobial activity. The two plants exhibited a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity, particularly significative against Escherichia coli , Proteus vulgaris and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The leaf extract of C. viscosa showed moderate activity against pathogenic fungi.     

Biological effects of indigenous medicinal plants Curcuma longa and Alpinia galanga

The ethanolic extracts of Curcuma longa and Alpinia galanga exhibited excellent (100%) phytotoxic activity against Lemma minor. These extracts were also found to possess good antifungal activities against Trichophyton longifusus (65% and 60%, respectively), while in the brine shrimp lethality bioassay were found to be toxic with LD50 of 33 and 109 mincrog/ml, respectively. These extracts were found quite inert in antibacterial bioassay, while the extract from C. longa, tested for insecticidal activity, was also found to be devoid of any activity.     

Antiproliferative activity of Goldfussia psilostachys ethanolic extract on K562 leukemia cells

A dose-dependent and significant (P<0.01) antiproliferative effect of Goldfussia psilostachys ethanolic extract was observed on K562 cells. The IC(50) is ca. 0.5 microg/ml. The extract markedly increases the proportion of cell in G2/M phases and decreases the population of cells in G0/G1 phases. Moreover, the antimitotic effect is correlated with polymerization of microtubule assembly. These results indicate that G. psilostachys ethanolic extract inhibits the proliferation of K562 cells and disrupts the normal dynamic of microtubules during mitosis.     

alpha-Glucosidase inhibitory activity of Mangifera indica bark.

The ethanolic extracts of Lawsonia inermis leaves, Holarrhena antidysenterica bark, Swertia chirata whole plant and Mangifera indica bark were tested (in-vitro) for alpha-glucosidase inhibitory activity. M. indica extract was found to be the most potent, with an IC(50) value of 314 microg/ml.     

紫茎泽兰水浸提液对慈竹种子萌发及幼苗生长的影响

以浓度为0(对照)、0.25%、1.00%、2.00%、3.00%的紫茎泽兰水浸提液处理慈竹种子,研究其水浸提液对慈竹种子萌发和幼苗生长的化感作用。研究结果表明,紫茎泽兰水浸提液对慈竹种子的萌发和生长都起到显著影响。在低浓度处理下,浸提液具有低剂量刺激效应,可提高慈竹种子的发芽率、发芽势;随着浓度的升高,慈竹种子发芽率、发芽势显著降低,同时,幼苗的鲜重、根冠比先增加后降低;丙二醛含量、SOD酶活性与浸提液的浓度呈正相关;POD酶活性则先上升,后下降,但均高于对照组。这说明较高浓度的紫茎泽兰水浸提液可显著抑制慈竹种子萌发和幼苗的生长,其入侵林地后对竹林的生产和经营存在潜在威胁。     

Evaluation of antioxidant effect of extracts of Symphyopappus casarettoi

The ethanolic extract of Symphyopappus casarettoi syn. Eupatorium casarettoi was partionated in hexanic, chloroformic and methanolic fractions. Extract and fractions were tested for their antioxidant activity in vitro and ex vivo assays. The methanolic fraction showed a higher antioxidant potential compared to the others fractions, which was correlated with its total phenol content. In addition, the ethanolic extract and the methanolic fraction attenuated ex vivo iron-induced cell death, quantified by lactate dehydrogenase leakage, and effectively protected against lipid damage induced by iron. These findings suggest that the ethanolic extract of S. casarettoi inflorescence and its methanolic fraction have in vitro and ex vivo antioxidant properties.