Effect of a seaweed concentrate on acclimatization of in vitro grown plantlets of Kniphofia pauciflora and Scilla krausii

Kelpak, a seaweed concentrate prepared from Ecklonia maxima (Osbeck) Papenfuss, applied as a soil drench following the planting out of in vitro grown plantiets of Scilla kraussii Bak. and Kniphofia pauciflora Bak. significantly increased root growth and promoted plantlet establishment. It is suggested that seaweed concentrate can be used successfully and economically to aid in the acclimatization of in vitro grown plantlets

The rational usage of Drimia robusta Bak. in traditional medicine

Drimia robusta was screened for biological activity using an antibacterial, the cyclooxygenase, and the angiotensin-converting enzyme assays. Ethanolic bulb extracts exhibited anti-inflammatory activity Antibacterial activity was present in the ethyl acetate bulb extract. A phytochemical screening of D. robusta for alkaloids, saponins and cardiac glycosides was carried out. D. robusta does not contain alkaloids. Bulb and leaf extracts exhibited haemolytic activity, which is characteristic of saponins. The bulb contains 2-deoxy sugars, common components in the sugar moieties of cardiac glycosides. Chromatographic screening showed that the bulbs do not contain cardenolides Bufadienolides were detected, one of which was identified as proscillaridin A

In vitro activity of Aloe extracts against Plasmodium falciparum

The antiplasmodial activity and toxicity data of 34 Aloe species and their main constituents were determined. A number of the methanol extracts possessed antimalarial activity where 50% of the parasite growth was inhibited (IC50 value) by 32 to 77μgml-1 of the extract. The chemical common to the most active species is the anthrone C-glucoside homonataloin which inhibited the chloroquine-resistant Plasmodium falciparum strain with an IC50 value of 13.46±1.36μgml-1. Homonataloin was a more potent inhibitor of parasite growth than aloin (IC50 value of 107.20±4.14μgml-1). The Aloe extracts tested did not exhibit any toxicity towards transformed human kidney epithelium cells at the concentrations (0.5-50μgml-1) used in the antimalarial assay

Antimicrobial studies on three Hypericum species from Turkey

The antimicrobial activity of several extracts and fractions of some Hypericum species (H. rupestre Jaub. & Spach, H. vacciniifolium Hayek & Siehe and H. imbricatum Poulter) was investigated using the disc diffusion method against Escherichia coli ATCC 11230, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538P, Klebsiella pneumoniae UC57, Micrococcus luteus La 2971, Bordetella bronchiseptica ATCC 19395, Proteus vulgaris ATCC 8427, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853, Corynebacterium xerosis CCM 7064, Mycobacterium smegmatis CCM 2067, Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6633, Aeromonas hydrophila ATCC 49803, Candida albicans ATCC 10231, Saccharomyces cerevisiae ATCC 9730, Kluyveromyces fragilis NRRL 2415 and Rhodotorula rubra CCY. The methanol extract and chloroform fraction of H. vacciniifolium, as well as the methanol extracts, butanol and chloroform fractions of both H. rupestre and H. imbricatum, showed good antimicrobial activity against especially Gram-positive bacteria and the Gram-negative bacterium Bordetella bronchiseptica. The methanol extracts and fractions did not have antifungal activity. The results of the study support the use of these specimens in Turkish traditional medicine to treat skin and eye infections

Morphological and biochemical variation in Sea buckthorn Hippophae rhamnoides ssp. turkestanica, a multipurpose plant for fragile mountains of Pakistan

Sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides ssp. turkestanica) a member of family Elaeagnaceae, is a very important multipurpose plant in the northern areas of Pakistan. It is an ideal plant for preventing soil erosion and land reclamation, can withstand extremes of temperature ranging from −43°C to 55°C and grows well under drought conditions and variable soil pH. The fruit is rich in nutrients and medicinal compounds such as vitamins, carotene, flavonoids, essential oil, carbohydrates, organic acids, amino acids, and soluble sugars. The plants are also important as fuel wood, fencing, fodder, soil erosion control, to make soil fertile by nitrogen fixation in roots and for the purpose of shelterbelts. In order to compare various populations of Sea buckthorn for morphological and biochemical composition, ten populations from different areas of northern Pakistan were compared using plant and fruit characters. The purpose of the investigation was to identify the variable populations for different valuable characteristics to develop improved varieties for commercial cultivation and easy fruit harvesting. The comparison indicated a significant amount of variability on morphological and biochemical basis. The variability will be utilised to develop commercial varieties of the plant utilising the conventional techniques of selection and hybridisation for economic activities on degraded land of mountainous regions of Pakistan

Purification and identification of antibacterial compounds from Euclea crispa subsp. crispa (Ebenaceae) leaves

The isolation, purification and identification of antibacterial compounds from Euclea crispa subsp. crispa reported here, is a continuation of earlier work. Most of the antimicrobial activity was located in an ethyl acetate fraction obtained by means of liquid–liquid extraction. Subsequent purification of this fraction, by means of multiple preparative thin layer chromatography using different solvent systems, revealed the presence of essential oils, bitter principles and saponins, all terpenoid derivatives, as well as alkaloids and phenolic compounds. A terpenoid that tested positive for bitter principles and for saponins, and possessed a steroidlike structure, was isolated and purified from the ethyl acetate fraction. This compound was active against the Gram-negative Moraxella catarrhalis. Also isolated from the ethyl acetate fraction, and showing antimicrobial activity as individual compounds, were five flavonoids identified as catechin, epicatechin, gallocatechin, hyperoside and quercitrin. Of these epicatechin and hyperoside were most active in inhibiting the growth of M. catarrhalis (−), Streptococcus pneumoniae (+) and Haemophilus influenza (−). The isolated flavonoids seemed, in general, to have less activity than the entire ethyl acetate fraction, suggesting that these compounds function in synergy

Serotonin transporter affinity of (−)-loliolide, a monoterpene lactone from Mondia whitei

AbstractMondia whitei (Apocynaceae) is used in traditional medicine to treat nervous disorders. Previous studies have shown in vivo antidepressant-like activity in the forced swimming test and affinity to the serotonin transporter of an ethanolic leaf extract of M. whitei. The aim of this study was to isolate the compound(s) responsible for in-vitro serotonin transporter affinity in M. whitei. Bioassay guided isolation lead to the identification of the monoterpene lactone (−)-loliolide. An ethanol extract was prepared from dry leaves. The residue was dissolved in ethyl acetate, extracted with water by liquid–liquid partitioning. This was followed by VLC fractionation. Through HPLC-UV separation the active compound was isolated and characterized by GC-MS, LC-MS and 1H-NMR. The activity of (−)-loliolide was tested in a serotonin transporter binding assay using [3H]-citalopram as ligand, giving an IC50-value of 997µM, corresponding to a Ki-value of 409µM. Loliolide is a non-nitrogenous compound and might bind to the transporter in a different way to nitrogen-containing inhibitors. The results provide a rationale for the use of M. whitei in the treatment of depression and other central nervous system diseases in traditional medicine

In vitro antibacterial activity of Venda medicinal plants

Ethanolic and aqueous extracts of ten medicinal plants used in folklore medicine in Venda (South Africa) were screened for their in vitro activity against some Grampositive and Gram-negative pathogenic bacteria using the disc diffusion method. Root and stembark extracts of Datura stramonium at a concentration of 50mgml-1 were inhibitory to most of the organisms with a diameter of zone of inhibition of growth ranging from 12–19mm. Warburgia salutaris was also inhibitory to most of the bacteria with a diameter of zone of inhibition of growth ranging from 8–17mm at a concentration of 50mgml-1. A range of 10–16mm was observed for Peltophorum africanum at a concentration of 40mgml-1 against the Gram-negative bacteria tested. Other plants showed moderate or no activity, compared to a 30μgml-1 oxytetracycline control antibiotic. The use of these plants by the indigenes of Venda against diseases apparently caused by these organisms may be of some value

Nonlinear porous medium flow with fractional potential pressure

We study a porous medium equation, with nonlocal diffusion effects given by an inverse fractional Laplacian operator. We pose the problem in n-dimensional space for all t>0 with bounded and compactly supported initial data, and prove existence of a weak and bounded solution that propagates with finite speed, a property that is nor shared by other fractional diffusion models.Comment: 32 pages, Late

Effects of Aronia melanocarpa fruit juice on exploratory behaviour and locomotor activity in rats

The main bioactive substances in Aronia melanocarpa fruit juice (AMFJ) are polyphenols (flavonoids, procyanidins, and phenolic acids). A great number of polyphenols are able to traverse the blood-brain barrier. In recent years more attention is drawn to the ability of these substances to influence central nervous system functions. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of AMFJ on exploratory behaviour and locomotor activity in male Wistar rats. AMFJ was administered orally for 7, 14, 21, and 30 days at three increasing doses (2.5, 5, and 10 ml kg−1). The changes in exploratory behaviour and locomotor activity were recorded in an Opto Varimex apparatus. It was found that the low doses of AMFJ (2.5 and 5 ml kg−1) for all treatment periods did not significantly affect exploratory behaviour and locomotor activity of rats compared to the saline-treated controls. AMFJ at the highest dose of 10 ml kg−1 had no significant effect on exploration and locomotion for the treatment periods of 7 and 14 days, while for the periods of 21 and 30 days it significantly decreased the number of horizontal and vertical movements, which might be the result of a sedative effect. At all the doses and testing periods, AMFJ did not disturb the progressive decrease in motor behaviour, suggesting habituation