Xanthium strumarium - a potential cheap resource of plant substances for medicinal use

Xanthium strumarium L. (Asteraceae) is an annual herb which reproduces solely by seed. So far its centre of origin was considered Central or South America. Recent archeological research revealed that the burs of X. strumarium were used in Yuergou site (400-200 cal BC) in the Turpan Basin of northwestern China. This plant adventive to Europe reduces germination of various crops and behaves like and aggressive invasive species. X. strumarium is the most frequently recorded plant in the field borders between the crop land and adjacent territories the agricultural areas in Bulgaria. We aim of this study is to reveal the potential of X. strumarium as a cheap source of compounds with valuable pharmacological activities. Here we analyse: 1) the traditional ethnobotanical data from its native habitats; 2) the modern investigations of pharmacological activity and essential secondary compounds. Traditionally the plant is used as febrifuge drug and an immunostimulant, as a diaphoretic agent and against malaria, as well as dysentry cure, astringent, sedative, analgesic, diuretic, against leucorrhoea and urinary diseases, eczema and skin disease, bleeding, insect bite, to treat boils and pimples, against smallpox and stomach diseases, earache and strumous disease, leprosy, headache, fever, etc. X. strumarium contains sesquiterpene lactones, thiazinediones, phenolic acids etc. and posses anticancer, antitussive, antifungal, antiinflammatory, antinociceptive, hypoglycaemic, antioxidant, antitrypanosomal, and antidepressant-like activity, diuretic effects, insecticidal and herbicidal activities as well as antitrypanosomal effect. A pharmaceutical application of this plant in the future would reduce its populations and thus would contribute to the biodiversity conservation

Flavonol glycosides from aerial parts of Astragalus thracicus Griseb

Plant science

Cytotoxic activity of a podophyllotoxin-like lignan from Linum tauricum Willd

The present study describes the preliminary evaluation of the cytotoxic activity of a podophyllotoxin-like compound 4’-demethyl-6-methoxypodophyllotoxin (4’-DM-6-Mptox), isolated as one of the main lignans of Linum tauricum Willd. ssp. tauricum. The cytotoxic effects 4’-DM-6-Mptox were assessed by the MTT-dye reduction assay against the human leukemic cell lines HL-60, BV-173 and LAMA-84. DNA-fragmentation analysis and NF-kB inhibition assay were performed in order to elucidate some of the mechanistic aspects of the cytotoxic action of the investigated compound. 4’-DM-6-Mptox was found to exert prominent cytotoxicity, with IC50 values being several-fold lower than those of the referent antineoplastic agent etoposide. The DNA-fragmentation analysis revealed that 4’-DM-6-Mptox treatment triggered apoptosis in BV-173 and HL-60 cells. In our hands 4’-DM-6-Mptox was found to induce concentration-dependent NF-kB inhibition in HeLa cells as assessed by the IL-6 luciferase gene reporter assay, which though not quite prominent, at least partly contributes to the cytotoxic potential of the tested lignan. On the basis of the results obtained it could be concluded that 4’-DM-6-Mptox necessitates further pharmacological and toxicological evaluation as a possible chemotherapeutic agent. Furthermore due to its relatively high concentrations in the described plant source the possibility for its use as a precursor for the semisynthetic production of lignan-based drugs, could be considered