BIO-ACTIVITIES AND PHYTOCHEMICAL INVESTIGATION OF CNESTIS PALALA (LOUR.) MERR.

Background: In traditional medicines, the root of Cnestis palala was used for the treatment of stomach ache, malaria, urinary track disorders and snakebite. The seed was used for poisoning rat and stray dogs. However, the bioactivities and chemical constituents have not been reported. So, this will be the first report. Material and Methods: Biological investigations of C. palala extracts against bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Propionibacterium acnes, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa), fungi (Trichophyton mentagrophytes, Trichophyton rubrum and Microsporum gypseum), yeast (Candida albicans), tuberculosis (Mycobacterium tuberculosis), malaria (Plasmodium falciparum) and cancer cell lines (MCF-7 and HT-29) were evaluated. The chromatographic and spectroscopic techniques were used for the isolation and identification of pure compounds. Results: The results showed that the ethanol leaf and bark extracts were active against S. aureus and S. epidermidis. The hexane leaf and seed extracts and petroleum ether bark and root extracts showed strongly inhibition values against MCF-7. Moreover, the petroleum ether bark extract exhibited high inhibition value against HT-29. Seven compounds were isolated as β-sitosterol-glucoside (CP1), hydroquinone (CP2), β-sitosterol (CP3), mixture of fatty acids (CP4) and ethyl caffeate (CP5), scopoletin (CP6) and 2-nonenal (CP7). The CP2 was strongly active against S. aureus and S. epidermidis, the MIC was showed 30.10 µg/ml and 15.05 µg/ml and the MBC was showed 15 µg/ml and 7.5 µg/ml, respectively. Conclusion: These results suggested that C. palala is a great potential source of anti-microbial agents. Hence, this is the first study, which will be the database for chemical constituents and bioactivities of C. palala

Limitation of mitragynine biosynthesis in mitragyna speciosa (Roxb.) Korth. through tryptamine availability

Plant science

Absolute configuration of fibaruretin B

The title furan­oditerpenoid, known as fibaruretin B (systematic name: 2β,3α-dihy­droxy-2,3,7,8α-tetra­hydro­penianthic acid lactone), C20H24O7, was isolated from the roots of Arcangelisia flava. The absolute configurations at positions 2, 3, 4, 4a, 7, 9, 10a and 10b of fibaruretin B are S, R, S, R, S, S, S and S, respectively. In the crystal structure, the mol­ecules are linked into infinite chains along the c axis by O—H⋯O hydrogen bonds and weak C—H⋯O inter­actions

Analysis of additivity and synergism in the anti-plasmodial effect of purified compounds from plant extracts

In the search for antimalarials from ethnobotanical origin, plant extracts are chemically fractionated and biological tests guide the isolation of pure active compounds. To establish the responsibility of isolated active compound(s) to the whole antiplasmodial activity of a crude extract, the literature in this field was scanned and results were analysed quantitatively to find the contribution of the pure compound to the activity of the whole extract. It was found that, generally, the activity of isolated molecules could not account on their own for the activity of the crude extract. It is suggested that future research should take into account the “drugs beside the drug”, looking for those products (otherwise discarded along the fractionation process) able to boost the activity of isolated active compounds

Studies on the bioactivity and alkaloids of three Thai alstonia species

SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre-DSC:DXN025818 / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo

Effects of the extracts from Mitragyna speciosa Korth. leaves on analgesic and behavioral activities in experimental animals

The leaves of Mitragyna speciosa Korth. (M. speciosa) were extracted with methanol to give methanol extract. The methanol extract was made in acid and then in alkaline and extracted with chloroform to give alkaloid extract. The effects of the methanol and alkaloid extracts on analgesic activities in hot plate test in mice and tail flick test in rats and behavioral activities in locomotor activity and pentobarbital-induced sleep in mice, were examined. In acute toxicity test, the LD50 values of oral administration of the methanol and alkaloid extracts of M. speciosa leaves in mice were 4.90 g/kg and 173.20 mg/kg, respectively. Oral administration (50, 100 and 200 mg/kg) of the methanol extract of M. speciosa leaves significantly prolonged the latency of nociceptive response on hot plate test in mice. The alkaloid extract of M. speciosa also increased the pain response latency at the dose of 20 mg/kg but less potent than those of the methanol extract (100 mg/kg) in mice (comparing 5-10 mg/kg alkaloid extract with corresponding to approximately 200 mg/kg of methanol extract). The antinociceptive action of either methanol extract (100 mg/kg, p.o.) or alkaloid extract (20 mg/kg, p.o.) of M. speciosa leaves was blocked by naloxone (2 mg/kg, i.p.) in mice. Neither the methanol extract nor the alkaloid extract significantly prolonged latency of nociceptive response on tail flick test in rats. Both of the extracts had no significant change on spontaneous motor activity or pentobarbital-induced sleep in mice, respectively. These results suggest that the methanol and alkaloid extracts of M. speciosa leaves possess the analgesic activity which partly acted at opioid receptors in the supraspinal opioid system

Cytotoxic and free radical scavenging activities of Zingiberaceous rhizomes

Methanol extracts, water extracts and volatile oils of the fresh rhizomes of Alpinia galanga, Boesenbergia pandurata, Curcuma longa, Kaempferia galanga and Zingiber officinale have been assessed for free radical scavenging activity against 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical and cytotoxic activity against MCF7 (breast adenocarcinoma) and LS174T (colon adenocarcinoma) cell lines. Methanol extract of C. longa exhibited the most pronounced radical scavenging activity with an EC50 value of 9.7 μg/ml, whereas the water extracts and volatile oils showed weak activity. All volatile oils and the methanol extract of C. longa showed strong activity against MCF7 and LS174T with IC50 less than 50 μg/ml. The oils of A. galanga (AGV), B. pandurata (BPV), C. longa (CLV), K. galanga (KGV) and Z. officinale (ZOV) were analyzed by GC/MS. Trans-3-acetoxy-1,8-cineole, camphor, ar-turmerone, ethyl cinnamate and geranial (E-citral) were detected as main compounds in AGV, BPV, CLV, KGV and ZOV, respectively. The novel compound, pcoumaryl- 9-methyl ether, was isolated from methanol extract of A. galanga. ar-Turmerone, curcumin, demethoxycurcumin and bisdemethoxycurcumin were isolated from the methanol extract of C. longa while 6-shogaol, 6-dehydrogingerdione (or 1-dehydrogingerdione) and 6-gingerol were isolated from the methanol extract of Z. officinale. Curcumin was the most potent compound for free radical scavenging activity with an EC50 value of 2.0 μg/ml. Demethoxycurcumin was found to be the most active compound against LS174T with an IC50 value of 0.8 μg/ml and 6-shogaol was the most potent compound against MCF7 with an IC50 value of 1.7 μg/ml