Antimicrobial activity of Cassia alata.

The methanol extracts of leaves, flowers, stem and root barks of Cassia alata showed a broad spectrum of antibacterial activity. The activity was increased on fractionation (petrol, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate), the dichloromethane fraction of the flower extract being the most effective. No activity was shown against tested moulds.     

广东紫珠抑菌有效部位的筛选

以广东紫珠药材粉末为原料,探讨其不同提取部位的抑菌作用,并筛选其有效部位。对广东紫珠药材用不同极性大小溶剂（石油醚、二氯甲烷、乙酸乙酯、乙醇、70%乙醇、水）回流提取,获得广东紫珠粗提物,用滤纸片法测定其抑菌圈大小（金黄色葡萄球菌、大肠杆菌、奇异变形杆菌、甲型副伤寒沙门氏菌、乙型溶血性链球菌、白色念珠菌）,对抑菌活性明显的提取部位进行梯度萃取,并分别测定其抑菌圈大小,得到广东紫珠抑菌有效部位,并测定其有抑菌作用的有效部位的最小抑菌浓度。结果显示广东紫珠70%乙醇提取物对金黄色葡萄球菌、大肠杆菌、奇异变形杆菌、甲型副伤寒沙门氏菌、乙型溶血性链球菌均表现了不同程度的抑菌活性,初步判定为广东紫珠的抑菌活性部位,70%广东紫珠提取物经过萃取后,石油醚萃取物及二氯甲烷萃取物没有抑菌作用,乙酸乙酯萃取物、正丁醇萃取物及剩余的水部分均有不同程度的抑菌作用。70%乙醇广东紫珠提取物通过二氯甲烷萃取除去部分脂溶性杂质,即得到广东紫珠抑菌部位,可以此为基础寻找广东紫珠抑菌活性成分,为后期开发利用提供理论依据。     

Antimicrobial activity and cytotoxicity of Carthamus lanatus

Total dichloromethane, methanol and water extracts, their fractions as well as volatiles of Carthamus lanatus aerial parts were phytochemically screened and evaluated for antibacterial, antifungal and cytotoxic activity. The H(2)O/MeOH fraction of the CH(2)Cl(2) extract exhibited noticeable antibacterial activity. The same fraction and the volatiles showed significant cytotoxic activity.     

Antiinflammatory and analgesic effects of Carthamus lanatus aerial parts

Fractions of methanol, dichloromethane, water extracts and volatiles of Carthamus lanatus aerial parts given by oral route at a dose of 2 mg/kg showed significant antiinflammatory activities in rats. On the contrary, only the water fraction of MeOH extract possesses a significant analgesic activity.     

Antimicrobial activity of Newtonia hildebrandtii

Successive petroleum ether, dichloromethane and methanol extracts of Newtonia hildebrandtii stem bark were tested in vitro for their antifungal and antibacterial activity. The methanol extract was found to be the most effective against the tested pathogens.     

Toxicity and repellence of Taiwanese indigenous djulis, Chenopodium formosaneum, against Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) and Forcipomyia taiwana (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae)

The biological activity of djulis (Chenopodium formosaneum) extracts was evaluated against mosquitoes and biting midges. Djulis extracts were relatively nontoxic to Aedes albopictus larvae. However, they showed interesting repellence against adult mosquitoes as estimated by the median effective dosages (ED₅₀). ED₅₀ values for djulis extracts against mosquito adults in descending order were: seed extracted with methanol (0.83 %), seed extracted with dichloromethane (0.66 %), leaf extracted with methanol (0.50 %), and leaf extracted with dichloromethane (0.40 %). Field tests also suggested that djulis methanol extracts were effective at about a 1 % level against biting midges (Forcipomyia taiwana). A total of 15 and 20 compounds accounting for 88.8 and 79.9 % in the seed and leaf extract, respectively were identified by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC–MS). Among these, 9, 12-octadecadienoyl chloride, (Z, Z) was found in both as well as being the major constituent in the leaf extract (35.7 %). Further studies on the repellent property of the extracts against mosquitoes and biting midges are warranted.     

Antiviral evaluation of plants from Brazilian Atlantic Tropical Forest

The antiviral activity of six medicinal plants from Brazilian Atlantic Tropical Forest was investigated against two viruses: herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and poliovirus type 2 (PV-2). Cuphea carthagenensis and Tillandsia usneoides extracts showed the best antiherpes activity. T. usneoides dichloromethane, ethyl acetate and n-butanol extracts, and Lippia alba n-butanol extract showed inhibition of HSV-1, strain 29R/acyclovir resistant. In addition, only L. alba ethyl acetate extract showed antipoliovirus activity. These results corroborate that medicinal plants can be a rich source of potential antiviral compounds.     

Chemical constituents of Lychnophora pohlii and trypanocidal activity of crude plant extracts and of isolated compounds

Crude extracts of Lychnophora pohlii were tested in vitro against trypomastigote forms of Trypanosoma cruzi, and the dichloromethane and methanol crude extracts from leaves plus inflorescences were found to have trypanocidal activity. The bioassay-guided fractionation of the extracts yielded seven active compounds: the sesquiterpene lactones lychnopholide, centratherin, goyazensolide and 15-desoxygoyazensolide in the dichloromethane extract, and caffeic acid and the flavonoids luteolin and vicenin-2 in the methanol extract. One active caffeoyl quinic acid derivative was isolated from the inactive hydroalcoholic extract of leaves plus inflorescences. Chemically, the plant has sesquiterpene lactone type furanoheliangolides, flavonoids, caffeic acid, a caffeoyl quinic acid derivative, which are characteristic of the Vernonieae.     

Preliminary assay on the radical scavenging activity of olive wood extracts

The dichloromethane and ethanol extracts of Olea europaea wood (picual olive cultivar) were screened for antioxidant activity, determined by the DPPH free radical scavenging assay. The ethanol extract displayed potent antioxidant activity.     

Topical anti-inflammatory activity of Gentianella achalensis

The anti-inflammatory activity of the petrol, dichloromethane and methanol extracts from Gentianella achalensis flowering plant were studied using 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol acetate (TPA)-induced ear edema in mice and carrageenan-induced paw edema in rats. Only the dichloromethane extract and its F2 fraction (at 1 mg/ear) showed marked anti-inflammatory activity in TPA-induced ear edema test. No effects were seen on carrageenan-induced edema. Oleanolic and ursolic acid, isolated from F2, may account for the observed topical anti-inflammatory effects.     

A new lupene triterpenetriol and anticholinesterase activity of Salvia sclareoides

A new lupene triterpenetriol was isolated from the acetone extract of the aerial parts of Salvia sclareoides and characterised as (1beta,3beta)-lup-20(29)-ene-1,3,30-triol (1). In addition, nepetidin (2), nepeticin (3), lupendiol (4), (1beta,11alpha)-dihydroxy-lup-20(29)-en-3-one (5), ursolic acid (6), sumaresinolic acid (7) and hederagenin (8), were identified in this Salvia sp. To the best of our knowledge, the compounds 2 and 7 are new constituents in Salvia spp. The acetone, ethanol, butanol and water extracts of the plant were screened for the in vitro inhibitory activity of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrilcholinesterase (BChE), enzymes which play a role in the Alzheimer disease. All extracts inhibited acetylcholinesterase activity at 10 microg/ml, a remarkable activity since the standard drug rivastigmine does not inhibit acetylcholinesterase at the same concentration. Regarding the butyrilcholinesterase, the acetone extract at 1000 microg/ml was able to inhibit completely the enzyme activity and the butanol and ethanol extracts, at this concentration, produced a potent inhibition of BchE.     

Insecticidal activity of Vitex mollis

Organic extracts from the leaves of Vitex mollis were assessed for their toxic effect on fall armyworm neonate larvae (Spodoptera frugiperda), an important insect pest of corn. The extracts showed insecticidal and insect growth regulatory activity, being CHCl(3)-MeOH (1:1) extract the most active, also found to be toxic in the Artemia salina test.     

Preliminary study on antifertility activity of Calotropis procera roots in female rats

The effect of ethanolic extract of the roots of Calotropis procera has been studied in albino rats to explore its antifertility and hormonal activities. A strong antiimplantation (inhibition 100%) and uterotropic activity was observed at the dose level of 250 mg/kg (1/4 of LD(50)). No antiestrogenic activity could be detected.     

Anti-microbial activity of Bidens pilosa, Bischofia javanica, Elmerillia papuana and Sigesbekia orientalis.

The ethanol extracts of Bidens pilosa (whole plant), Bischofia javanica (leaves), Elmerillia papuana (root bark) and Sigesbekia orientalis (whole plant) were partitioned (petrol, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate). The crude ethanolic extracts and all the obtained fractions showed a broad spectrum of antibacterial activity, the ethyl acetate fractions and the petrol fraction of E. papuana being the most effective. No activity was observed against the tested moulds.     

Antibacterial and antifungal activities of Dracontomelon dao

The crude methanolic extracts of the leaves, stem and root barks of Drancantomelon dao and their subsequent partitioning (petrol, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, butanol) gave fractions which demonstrated a very good level of broad spectrum antibacterial activity. The dichloromethane and butanol fractions of the leaf were the most active. Only the leaf fractions had antifungal activity, particularly the dichloromethane and butanol.     

Antioxidant activity of extracts from the wood and bark of Port Orford cedar

Heartwood, sapwood, and inner and outer bark of Port Orford cedar were extracted with methanol, and the extracts evaluated for antioxidant activity. The total phenol content (TPC) of the extracts was determined by the Folin-Ciocalteu method and expressed as gallic acid equivalent (GAE). Butylated hydroxytoluene was used as a positive control in the free-radical-scavenging activity tests and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid dihydrate disodium salt served as a positive control in the metal-chelating activity assay. All wood extracts showed significant freeradical-scavenging activity. In the radical-scavenging assay of 2,2-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt (the ABTS assay), the inner bark extracts exhibited the strongest free-radical-scavenging activity. The 50% inhibitory concentrations (IC₅₀) in the radical-scavenging assay against 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl hydrate radical (DPPH) of the heartwood, sapwood, and inner and outer bark extracts were 64.77, 29.03, 10.31, 19.87 μg·ml⁻¹, respectively. In the metal-chelating activity system, the sapwood extract demonstrated significant activity. The greatest TPC, 537.5 mg GAE/g dry extract, was detected in the inner bark. The lowest TPC of 136.9 mg GAE/g dry extract was observed in the heartwood dry extract. The results indicate that the antioxidant activities of the extracts are in accordance with the amounts of phenolics present; the inner and outer barks of Port Orford cedar are rich in phenolics and may provide good sources of antioxidants.     

黄花蒿提取物对菜蚜的杀虫活性研究

以丙酮、乙醇及水作溶剂，研究了黄花蒿全株干粉的3种溶剂提取物及其提取物不同浓度对菜蚜的触杀和胃毒活性。结果表明3种提取物对蚜虫都具有较强的毒杀活性，回归分析表明随着浓度升高杀虫时间缩短。LD50结果说明丙酮提取物的杀虫活性最强，乙醇提取物次之，最次是水提取物。独立样本t检验比较触杀效果和胃毒效果，表明黄花蒿各提取物均是触杀效果高于胃毒作用。     

Antibacterial activity of Cichorium intybus

Antibacterial activity of the water, ethanol and ethyl acetate extracts of Cichorium intybus was investigated. All the tested extracts showed antibacterial activity, the ethyl acetate extract being the most active. Water extract inhibits Agrobacterium radiobacter sp. tumefaciens, Erwinia carotovora, Pseudomonas fluorescens and P. aeruginosa.     

Molluscicidal activity against Oncomelania hupensis of Ginkgo biloba

In search for molluscicidal active components, petroleum ether, ethyl acetate, ethanol, and water extracts from Ginkgo sarcotesta were evaluated against the snail Oncomelania hupensis. The bioassay-oriented showed that the activity concentrates in the petroleum ether extract (LD(50) 7.81 ppm). Ginkgolic acids, isolated from the petroleum ether extract, exhibited strong molluscicidal activity (LD(50) 1.49 ppm), gingkgolic acid C15:1 having the strongest molluscicidal activity.     

Antimicrobial activity of Castanopsis acuminatissima

The methanol extracts of Castanopsis acuminatissima leaves, stem and root barks were partitioned (petrol, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate). Though all of the crude methanolic extracts and obtained fractions from them, showed a broad spectrum of antibacterial activity, in most cases the activity was decreased on fractionation. None was active against tested moulds.