Inventing a herbal tradition: The complex roots of the current popularity of Epilobium angustifolium in Eastern Europe

Ethnopharmacological relevance: Currently various scientific and popular sources provide a wide spectrum of ethnopharmacological information on many plants, yet the sources of that information, as well as the information itself, are often not clear, potentially resulting in the erroneous use of plants among lay people or even in official medicine. Our field studies in seven countries on the Eastern edge of Europe have revealed an unusual increase in the medicinal use of Epilobium angustifolium L., especially in Estonia, where the majority of uses were specifically related to “men's problems”. The aim of the current work is: to understand the recent and sudden increase in the interest in the use of E. angustifolium in Estonia; to evaluate the extent of documented traditional use of E. angustifolium among sources of knowledge considered traditional; to track different sources describing (or attributed as describing) the benefits of E. angustifolium; and to detect direct and indirect influences of the written sources on the currently documented local uses of E. angustifolium on the Eastern edge of Europe. Materials and methods: In this study we used a variety of methods: semi-structured interviews with 599 people in 7 countries, historical data analysis and historical ethnopharmacological source analysis. We researched historical and archival sources, and academic and popular literature published on the medicinal use of E. angustifolium in the regions of our field sites as well as internationally, paying close attention to the literature that might have directly or indirectly contributed to the popularity of E. angustifolium at different times in history. Results: Our results show that the sudden and recent popularity in the medical use of E. angustifolium in Estonia has been caused by local popular authors with academic medical backgrounds, relying simultaneously on “western” and Russian sources. While Russian sources have propagated (partially unpublished) results from the 1930s, “western” sources are scientific insights derived from the popularization of other Epilobium species by Austrian herbalist Maria Treben. The information Treben disseminated could have been originated from a previous peak in popularity of E. angustifolium in USA in the second half of the 19th century, caused in turn by misinterpretation of ancient herbals. The traditional uses of E. angustifolium were related to wounds and skin diseases, fever, pain (headache, sore throat, childbirth), and abdominal-related problems (constipation, stomach ache) and intestinal bleeding. Few more uses were based on the similarity principle. The main theme, however, is the fragmentation of use and its lack of consistency apart from wounds and skin diseases. Conclusions: Historical ethnobotanical investigations could help to avoid creating repeating waves of popularity of plants that have already been tried for certain diseases and later abandoned as not fully effective. There is, of course, a chance that E. angustifolium could also finally be proven to be clinically safe and cost-effective for treating benign prostatic hyperplasia, but this has not yet happened despite recent intensive research. Documented traditional use would suggest investigating the dermatological, intestinal anti-hemorrhagic and pain inhibiting properties of this plant, if any

Karyotype and inversion polymorphism of non-biting midge Chironomus aprilinus Meigen, 1818 (Diptera: Chironomidae) from the Central Caucasus

The set of inversion sequences and its frequency of Chironomus aprilinus Meigen, 1818 (Diptera: Chironomidae) on the Central Caucasus is low polymorphic. Probably endemic for populations of the Caucasus new sequence in arm A – apr A3 is described. This sequence differs from apr A1 by one simple inversion on the site 18ef6d-а5-42c-а. The previously established trend – the presence in the south of Russia and Kazakhstan heterozygous individuals apr G1.2 and fixation of apr G2 in the homozygous state are supported. The sequence apr G1 in population of the Caucasus is absent. The presence of polymorphism in arms A (present in European populations and absent in populations of Kazakhstan) and arm G (on the contrary, is present in populations of Kazakhstan and absent in European populations) can indicate on mediate position of population of the Caucasus between Western Europe and Kazakhstan

Karyotype characteristics and polymorphism peculiarities of Chironomus bernensis Wülker & Klötzli, 1973 (Diptera, Chironomidae) from the Central Caucasus and Ciscaucasia

Data about the karyotype characteristics, features of chromosomal polymorphism and larval morphology of populations of Chironomus bernensis Wülker & Klötzli, 1973 (Diptera, Chironomidae) from the Central Caucasus (the northern macroslope) and Ciscaucasia are presented. The characteristics of the pericentromeric regions of the long chromosomes of this species from Caucasian populations were very similar to the ones from some European populations (from Poland and Italy), but differed from Swiss and Siberian populations. In the North Caucasian populations 10 banding sequences were found: two in arms A, C, and E, and one in arms B, D, F, and G. Nine of them were already known for this species, and one, berC2, is described for the first time. Cytogenetic distances between all the studied populations of Ch. bernensis show that close geographical location of all studied populations from the Central Caucasus and Ciscaucasia is reflected in their similar cytogenetic structure, but on the other hand, that they are more closely related to populations from Europe than to populations from Western Siberia. At the same time, all studied larvae from Caucasian populations have a four-bladed premandible, instead of a two-bladed one, as in the description of Ch. bernensis from Switzerland (Wülker and Klötzli 1973, Polukonova 2005c). These peculiarities may indicate the relative isolation of the Caucasus from the viewpoint of microevolution. Further research on karyological and morphological characteristics of Chironomus bernensis from geographically distant regions is necessary as there is a possibility that the presently known species is actually polytypic and consists of several sibling species

The apoptotic activity of flavonoid-containing Gratiola officinalis extract in cell cultures of human kidney cancer

Objective ― The discovery of the apoptosis-inducing effects of flavonoid vagonin allowed to make an assumption of existence of similar effect in others flavonoids. This study is devoted to the effects of Gratīola officinālis extract on cell culture of the human kidney cancer. Methods ― Cell cultures of human kidney carcinoma – Caki-1 and SN12c were used in the study. The cells were stained with Hoechat 33258 dye. The number of living cells, cells in a state of apoptosis and mitosis were counted. The Cramer-Welch criterion (T) was used to compare the obtained data. Results ― The activation of apoptosis was noted at all concentrations of the Gratiola officinalis L. extract during the first day of exposure. The apoptotic activity increased with increasing of extract concentration. After 48 hours, this activity was maintained only at a Gratiola officinalis L. extract concentration of 0.9 mg/ml. After 24 hours, the apoptotic activity of the extract was more expressed in the culture of CaKi-1. However, after 48 hours the extract induces more pronounced apoptosis in the culture of Sn12c cells. The cytotoxic activity of the extract was not differ after 24 hours in both cultures, after 48 hours it was more pronounced in the culture of CaKi-1. Conclusion ― We revealed a pronounced antitumor and apoptotic activity of the Gratiola officinalis L. extract against the cultures of the kidney cancer Caki-1 and Sn12c. Apoptosis of tumor cells can be manifested in the form of pycnosis of the nucleus, the formation of apoptotic bodies and the emergence of cellular debris resulting from complete degradation of tumor cells. The apoptotic activity of the Gratiola officinalis extract depends on their concentration

Internal organs morphology and tumors in laboratory rats with transplanted liver cancer PC-1 by oral intoduction containing extract of Gratiola (Gratiola Officinalis L.) and Anthocyan Maize (Zea Mays L.)

The purpose of the work is to study antitumor activity of flavonoid-containing extracts of anthocyan maize and gratiola in experiments in vivo and to estimate their effects on the internal organs, tumors and blood of rats with transplanted liver cancer PC-1. Materials and methods: Effect of extracts of anthocyan maize and gratiola has been studied in experiments in vivo in 30 laboratory rats with transplanted liver cancer PC-1 using morphological and biochemical methods. Results: It has been found that extract of gratiola received by a certain way has selective cytotoxic effect on tumor cells. Anthocyan maize extract reduces endogenous intoxication. Conclusion: These results open the prospect of further study of the extract of gratiola in various experimental models of cancer and anthocyan maize extract use may be developed as a means of endogenous intoxication reducing for application in the treatment of cancer. Investigation of anthocyan maize extract may assist in the development of drugs that reduce the endogenous intoxication at the treatment of cancer

Antitumor Effects of Microencapsulated <i>Gratiola officinalis</i> Extract on Breast Carcinoma and Human Cervical Cancer Cells In Vitro

Flavonoid-containing Gratiola officinalis extract has been studied in relation to breast carcinoma and human cervical cancer cells in encapsulated and native form. Encapsulation was realized in polymer shells, which were formed by the layer-by-layer method using sequential adsorption of poly(allylamine hydrochloride) and poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate) on the destructible cores. The extract was prepared by the author’s method and characterized using high performance liquid chromatography. By means of optical and fluorescent microscopy, cell changes under the action of pure and encapsulated extracts were comprehensively studied, and statistical analysis was carried out. Cells were stained with propidium iodide, acridine orange, and Hoechst 33258. A fluorescence microscope with a digital video camera were used for cell imaging. The encapsulated extract caused 100% death of breast cancer SKBR-3 cells and 34% death of cervical cancer HeLa cells and prevented the formation of autophagosomes in both cultures. Analysis of the viability and morphological features of tumor cells under the action of microencapsulated extract allows us to consider microencapsulation as an effective strategy for delivering Gratiola officinalis extract to tumor cells and a promising way to overcome the protective autophagy