Inhibition of Helicobacter pylori growth by an Asteraceae family plant methanol extract.

Helicobacter pylori is a spiral Gram-negative bacterium associated with inflammation of the gastric mucosa, peptic ulcer, and gastric adenocarcinoma; it is one of the leading causes of cancer death worldwide. Treatment prescribed to patients with gastric ulcer has failed in many cases mainly due to antibiotic resistance and important side effects such as taste disturbances, vaginal candidiasis, and pseudomembranous colitis. Interest in botanical medicine is increasing as a viable alternative to the traditional one. Plant leaves of the Asteraceae family are used to treat diarrhea, ulcers and rheumatism. The aim of this study was to evaluate the activity of aqueous and methanolic extracts from plants of the Asteraceae family against H. pylori growth in vitro, using the colorimetric tetrazolium bromide (MTT) reduction assay. We observed that methanolic extracts from plants of the Asteraceae family showed up to 82% H. pylori growth inhibition (MIC at 500 µg/mL).The results of the present study contribute to the body of knowledge of medicinal plants with antimicrobial potential, particularly against H. pylori

Evaluación in vitro de extractos de plantas medicinales contra Trypanosoma cruzi, agente causal de la enfermedad de Chagas

La enfermedad de Chagas, causada por Trypanosoma cruzi, representa un importante problema de salud pública en América Latina ya que afecta entre 6-7 millones de personas. El tratamiento común para esta enfermedad es el uso de nifurtimox y benznidazol. No obstante, estos fármacos presentan diversos efectos adversos y baja eficacia según la fase de la enfermedad y el genotipo del parásito; por lo cual es necesaria la búsqueda de nuevos tratamientos alternativos. En este trabajo se evaluó la actividad tripanosomicida de los extractos acuosos y metanólicos de Trigonella foenum-graecum y Haematoxylum brasiletto sobre epimastigotes de las cepas Y y Nuevo León de T. cruzi mediante el método del bromuro de 3-(4,5-dimetiltiazol-2- ilo)-2,5-difeniltetrazol (MTT) y conteo en cámara de Neubauer. Todos los extractos mostraron tener buena actividad tripanosomicida al ser las concentraciones letales encontradas menores que las reportadas contra otros microorganismos, además estos extractos han sido reportados como no tóxicos en otras investigaciones.Chagas disease, caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, represents an important public health problem in Latin America, affecting between 6-7 million people. The common treatment for this disease is the use of nifurtimox and benznidazole. However, these drugs produce adverse side effects and present low efficacy according to the stage of the disease and the parasite genotype; therefore, the search for new alternative treatments is necessary. For this reason, in this work we evaluated the trypanosomicidal activity of the aqueous and methanolic extracts of Trigonella foenum-graecum and Haematoxylum brasiletto on epimastigotes of the strains Y and Nuevo Leon of T. cruzi, using the colorimetric method of the 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazolyl-2)-2,5-Diphenyl Tetrazolium Bromide (MTT) and the Neubauer chamber. All the extracts showed good trypanosomicidal activity, being the lethal concentrations found lower than those reported against other microorganisms, in addition, these extracts have been reported as non-toxic according to the established in other investigations

Evaluación de la actividad tóxica de extractos metanólicos de plantas en Triatoma pallidipennis (hemiptera: reduviidae), vector de la enfermedad de Chagas

La enfermedad de Chagas es una zoonosis compleja causada por el protozoario flagelado Trypanosoma cruzi (Kinetoplastida: Trypanosomatidae). En su ciclo de transmisión interviene vectores invertebrados perteneciente a la Familia [Reduviidae. En triatominos se ha reportado resistencia a insecticidas como deltametrina, betacipermetrina, etc. El objetivo de este es evaluar la actividad tóxica de extractos metanólicos de plantas en Triatoma pallidipennis. Se aplicó un volumen de 0.5 µL en los tergos abdominales de 10 ninfas, se realizaron 3 repeticiones para cada extracto, se aplicaron dosis desde 3 a 164 mg/mL de cada planta, así como para el control. De acuerdo a los resultados obtenidos, las mejores alternativas a los insecticidas comerciales se encontraron en el extracto del pirul, Shinnus molle DL₅₀ de 25.47 mg/ml), y en el extracto de la ruda, Ruta chalepensis (DL₅₀ y DL₉₀ de 43.65-140.9 mg/mL respectivamente), de acuerdo a las mortalidades obtenidas superiores al 90 % en las ninfas.Chagas disease is a complex zoonosis caused by the flagellated protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi (Kinetoplastida: Trypanosomatidae). In the cycle of transmission intervene invertebrate vectors belonging to the Family Reduviidae. Triatomines have reported resistance to insecticides such as deltamethrin, betacypermethrin, etc. The objective of this work was to provide a viable alternative for the control of triatomines with which the risk of cross resistance is reduced. A volume of 0.5 µL was applied in the abdominal tergos of 10 nymphs. Three repetitions were made for each extract, applying doses from 3 to 164 mg/mL of each plant, as well as for the control. According to the results obtained, the best alternatives to commercial insecticides were found at the American pepper (Shinnus molle) (LD₅₀ of 25.47 mg/mL) and the bougainvillea plant, Ruta chalepensis (DL₅₀ and DL₉₀ of 43.65-140.9 mg/mL, respectively), which were obtained a higher mortalities over 90 % in nymphs

Furanocoumarins from Ruta chalepensis with Amebicide Activity

Entamoeba histolytica (protozoan; family Endomoebidae) is the cause of amoebiasis, a disease related to high morbidity and mortality. Nowadays, this illness is considered a significant public health issue in developing countries. In addition, parasite resistance to conventional medicinal treatment has increased in recent years. Traditional medicine around the world represents a valuable source of alternative treatment for many parasite diseases. In a previous paper, we communicated about the antiprotozoal activity in vitro of the methanolic (MeOH) extract of Ruta chalepensis (Rutaceae) against E. histolytica. The plant is extensively employed in Mexican traditional medicine. The following workup of the MeOH extract of R. chalepensis afforded the furocoumarins rutamarin (1) and chalepin (2), which showed high antiprotozoal activity on Entamoeba histolytica trophozoites employing in vitro tests (IC50 values of 6.52 and 28.95 µg/mL, respectively). Therefore, we offer a full scientific report about the bioguided isolation and the amebicide activity of chalepin and rutamarin

ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF GYMNOSPERMA GLUTINOSUM (SPRENG.) LESS. (ASTERACEAE) METHANOL EXTRACTS AGAINST HELICOBACTER PYLORI

Background: Prolonged use of antibiotics may lead to the selection of drug-resistant bacteria; as a result, efforts are being made to identify new and effective antimicrobial agents, particularly, from medicinal plants, against bacterial infections. Antimicrobial activity of Gymnosperma glutinosum against Helicobacter pylori has not yet been reported. Materials and methods: The antibacterial in vitro effect of Gymnosperma glutinosum methanol leaf extracts against Helicobacter pylori (ATCC 43504) was evaluated in liquid medium by the colorimetric 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) reduction assay and in solid medium by the colony forming units (CFU) method. Results: Methanol extracts significantly (

In Vitro Cytotoxic Activity of Methanol Extracts of Selected Medicinal Plants Traditionally Used in Mexico against Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Medicinal plants are traditionally used in Mexico to treat diseases such as cancer. The present study aimed to evaluate the cytotoxic, antioxidant, and anti-hemolytic activity of 15 plants of ethnopharmacological use in Mexico. For this, plant methanol extracts were prepared by the Soxhlet method, after which their cytotoxic activity was evaluated against human hepatocellular carcinoma (HEP-G2) and monkey kidney epithelial (Vero) cells by the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) reduction colorimetric assay. The selectivity index (SI) of each extract was then determined by the IC50 ratio of normal to tumor cells. We showed that Ruta chalepensis extract possessed an IC50 of 1.79 µg/mL and 522.08 µg/mL against HEP-G2 and Vero cells, respectively, resulting in an SI of 291.50. Furthermore, antioxidant activity was evaluated by the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging technique, where the best antioxidant potential was shown by the Heterotheca inuloides extract (IC50 = 19.24 µg/mL). Furthermore, the hemolytic potential was determined against human erythrocytes, which showed that the extracts with the highest anti-hemolytic activity were Smilax aspera (IC50 = 4.41 µg/mL) and Amphipterygium adstringens (IC50 = 5.35 µg/mL). In conclusion, we observed that R. chalepensis methanol extract possesses cytotoxic activity against HEP-G2 cells, without affecting non-tumorigenic Vero cells. Our results indicated the antitumor potential of medicinal plants used in Mexico

Estudios mecanísticos en la formación de indoloquinolizinas

Las indoloquinolizinas1 son compuestos tetracíclicos relacionados con los alcaloides indólicos, los cuales pueden aislarse a la forma de sales o de compuestos zwiteriónicos. El interés en estudiar este tipo de compuestos radica en los reportes de la actividad antitumoral2,3 mostrada por cierto tipo de productos naturales con estructura de indoloquinolizina. El presente trabajo tiene como finalidad el reunir evidencia experimental sobre el mecanismo de la reacción descubierta por Teuber y sus colaboradores para obtener el cloruro de 3-acetil-7,12- dihidro-2-metil-6H-indolo[2,3-a]-quinolizinio 1, una de las pocas reacciones existentes hasta ahora para obtener directamente el sistema tetracíclico de la indoloquinolizina. Para tal efecto se procedió a la síntesis y caracterización de algunos de los intermediarios que se postulan en el mecanismo de formación de 1. La caracterización de los compuestos se llevó a cabo utilizando espectroscopía de infrarrojo y de Resonancia Magnética Nuclear (1H, 13C, COSY, DEPT)