Anticonvulsant effects of aerial parts of Passiflora incarnata extract in mice: involvement of benzodiazepine and opioid receptors

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Passion flower (<it>Passiflora incarnata</it>) is used in traditional medicine of Europe and South America to treat anxiety, insomnia and seizure. Recently, it has shown antianxiety and sedative effects in human.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>In this study, anticonvulsant effects of hydro- alcoholic extract of Passiflora, Pasipay, were examined by using pentylentetrazole model (PTZ) on mice. Pasipay, diazepam, and normal saline were injected intraperitoneally at the doses 0.4–0.05 mg/kg, 0.5–1 mg/kg and 10 ml/kg respectively 30 minutes before PTZ (90 mg/kg, i.p). The time taken before the onset of clonic convulsions, the duration of colonic convulsions, and the percentage of seizure and mortality protection were recorded. For investigating the mechanism of Pasipay, flumazenil (2 mg/kg, i.p) and naloxone (5 mg/kg, i.p) were also injected 5 minutes before Pasipay.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>An ED₅₀value of Pasipay in the PTZ model was 0.23 mg/kg (%95 CL: 0.156, 0.342). Pasipay at the dose of 0.4 mg/kg prolonged the onset time of seizure and decreased the duration of seizures compared to saline group (p < 0.001). At the dose of 0.4 mg/kg, seizure and mortality protection percent were 100%. Flumazenil and naloxone could suppress anticonvulsant effects of Pasipay.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>It seems that Pasipay could be useful for treatment absence seizure and these effects may be related to effect of it on GABAergic and opioid systems. More studies are needed in order to investigate its exact mechanism.</p

Telas de sombreamento na produção de morangueiro em ambiente protegido Shading screens in the production of strawberry in greenhouse

Analisou-se a produção de duas cultivares de morangueiro, conduzido sob diferentes telas de sombreamento (coberturas) em ambiente protegido. O experimento foi realizado em estufa agrícola de aço galvanizado, com teto semicircular, coberta com filme de polietileno de baixa densidade (PEBD) de 150 &#956;m de espessura, no Setor de Horticultura da Universidade de Passo Fundo, RS. Os tratamentos constaram de um fatorial duplo com duas cultivares (Camarosa e Oso Grande) e 4 coberturas (testemunha sem tela e telas termo-refletora metálica, azul e vermelha com 40% de sombreamento) que foram distribuídas em delineamento de blocos casualizados, com 3 repetições com 20 plantas por parcela em área útil de 3 m². Foram determinados o número total e comercial de frutos e a massa fresca total e comercial e de frutos deformados por planta. Monitorou-se a temperatura do ar e a radiação fotossinteticamente ativa (RFA), sendo essa verificada em dois dias típicos (dia ensolarado e dia nublado). Considerando as médias obtidas sob a ausência e presença de telas e o total das colheitas, as produções das cultivares Oso Grande e Camarosa foram semelhantes. Na tela azul essas cultivares apresentaram a menor massa fresca.<br>The production of two strawberry cultivars achieved under different shading screens (covers) in protected environment was evaluated. The experiment was set up in galvanized steel closed greenhouse with semicircular ceiling covered with low-density polyethylene (LDPE) films 150 &#956;m thickness, in the University of Passo Fundo, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil. The treatments consisted of a double factorial with two cultivars (Camarosa and Oso Grande) and four covers (control without screen and metalic, blue and red thermo-reflective screens with 40% shading) which were distributed in randomized blocks lining with three repetitions with 20 plants per plot in an useful area of 3m². The total and commercial number of fruits and the total and commercial fresh mass of deformed fruits per plant were determined. Also, the air temperature and the photossintetically active radiation (PAR) were monitored, being verified in two typical days (sunny and cloudy day). Considering the averages obtained under the absence and presence of screens and the total of the crops the production of the cvs. Oso Grande and Camarosa were similar. Under the blue screen these cultivars showed the lowest fresh mass

Cholesterol-dependent hemolytic activity of Passiflora quadrangularis leaves

Plants used in traditional medicine are rich sources of hemolysins and cytolysins, which are potential bactericidal and anticancer drugs. The present study demonstrates for the first time the presence of a hemolysin in the leaves of Passiflora quadrangularis L. This hemolysin is heat stable, resistant to trypsin treatment, has the capacity to froth, and acts very rapidly. The hemolysin activity is dose-dependent, with a slope greater than 1 in a double-logarithmic plot. Polyethylene glycols of high molecular weight were able to reduce the rate of hemolysis, while liposomes containing cholesterol completely inhibited it. In contrast, liposomes containing phosphatidylcholine were ineffective. The Passiflora hemolysin markedly increased the conductance of planar lipid bilayers containing cholesterol but was ineffective in cholesterol-free bilayers. Successive extraction of the crude hemolysin with n-hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, and n-butanol resulted in a 10-fold purification, with the hemolytic activity being recovered in the n-butanol fraction. The data suggest that membrane cholesterol is the primary target for this hemolysin and that several hemolysin molecules form a large transmembrane water pore. The properties of the Passiflora hemolysin, such as its frothing ability, positive color reaction with vanillin, selective extraction with n-butanol, HPLC profile, cholesterol-dependent membrane susceptibility, formation of a stable complex with cholesterol, and rapid erythrocyte lysis kinetics indicate that it is probably a saponin