Lignan Derivatives from Krameria lappacea Roots Inhibit Acute Inflammation in Vivo and Pro-inflammatory Mediators in Vitro

The roots of Krameria lappacea are used traditionally against oropharyngeal inflammation. So far, the astringent and antimicrobial properties of its proanthocyanidin constituents are considered to account for the anti-inflammatory effect. The aim of the present study was to characterize pharmacologically a lipophilic extract of K. lappacea roots and several isolated lignan derivatives (111) in terms of their putative anti-inflammatory activity. The dichloromethane extract (ID50 77 \u3bcg/cm2) as well compounds 111 (ID50 0.310.60 \u3bcmol/cm2) exhibited topical antiedematous properties comparable to those of indomethacin (ID50 0.29 \u3bcmol/cm2) in a mouse ear in vivo model. Two of the most potent compounds, 2-(2-hydroxy-4-methoxyphenyl)-5-(3-hydroxypropyl)benzofuran (5) and (+)-conocarpan (7), were studied regarding their time-dependent edema development and leukocyte infiltration up to 48 h after croton oil-induced dermatitis induction, and they showed activity profiles similar to that of hydrocortisone. In vitro studies of the isolated lignan derivatives demonstrated the inhibition of NFkB, cyclooxygenase-1 and -2, 5-lipoxygenase, and microsomal prostaglandin E2 synthase-1 as well as antioxidant properties, as mechanisms possibly contributing to the observed in vivo effects. The present findings not only support the ethnopharmacological use of K. lappacea roots but also reveal that the isolated lignan derivatives contribute strongly to the anti-inflammatory activity of this herbal drug

Il sovrappeso: una battaglia persa?

Video della lezione universitaria nel roseto del Parco di san Giovannilezione universitaria nel roseto del Parco di San Giovanni (Trieste) sul tema del sovrappeso: un problema di salute pubblica che porta all’aumento delle malattie cardiache, al diabete, all’ipertensione, ai tumori e a varie altre patologie

Rapid HPLC Analysis for Quantitative Determination of the Two Isomeric Triterpenic Acids, Oleanolic acid and Ursolic acid, in Plantago Major

Plantago major has been used in traditional medicine for the treatment of various diseases. In order to evaluate the quality of P. major, a simple, rapid and accurate high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method was developed for the assessment of the two bioactive triterpenic acids: oleanolic acid (OA) and ursolic acid (UA). A LiChrosorb octadecylsilyl silica (ODS) column with methanol, tetrahydrofuran and aqueous acetic acid as mobile phase and detection at 220 nm were employed for HPLC analysis. The method is precise with relative standard deviations for these two constituents that ranged between 0.5–1.1% (intraday) and 0.8–1.8% (interday). The contents of these two phytochemicals in the leaves of P. major growing in Friuli Venezia Giulia Region were determined in order to establish an effective and reproducible method

Ecotoxicological Impact of the Marine Toxin Palytoxin on the Micro-Crustacean Artemia franciscana

Palytoxin (PLTX) is a highly toxic polyether identified in various marine organisms, such as Palythoa soft corals, Ostreopsis dinoflagellates, and Trichodesmium cyanobacteria. In addition to adverse effects in humans, negative impacts on different marine organisms have been often described during Ostreopsis blooms and the concomitant presence of PLTX and its analogues. Considering the increasing frequency of Ostreopsis blooms due to global warming, PLTX was investigated for its effects on Artemia franciscana, a crustacean commonly used as a model organism for ecotoxicological studies. At concentrations comparable to those detected in culture media of O. cf. ovata (1.0–10.0 nM), PLTX significantly reduced cysts hatching and induced significant mortality of the organisms, both at larval and adult stages. Adults appeared to be the most sensitive developmental stage to PLTX: significant mortality was recorded after only 12 h of exposure to PLTX concentrations > 1.0 nM, with a 50% lethal concentration (LC50) of 2.3 nM (95% confidence interval = 1.2–4.7 nM). The toxic effects of PLTX toward A. franciscana adults seem to involve oxidative stress induction. Indeed, the toxin significantly increased ROS levels and altered the activity of the major antioxidant enzymes, in particular catalase and peroxidase, and marginally glutathione-S-transferase and superoxide dismutase. On the whole, these results indicate that environmentally relevant concentrations of PLTX could have a negative effect on Artemia franciscana population, suggesting its potential ecotoxicological impact at the marine level

Improving the appropriateness of antibiotic prescription in hospitals: a pilot study assessing the effectiveness of an infectious diseases specialist's consultation programme

Antimicrobial treatment is one of the therapies most widely prescribed to hospitalised patients but it is widely accepted that the quality of prescription is often inadequate. Abuse and misuse of antibiotics invariably lead to the emergence and spread of antimicrobial-resistant microorganisms as well as to increased adverse events and health-related costs. Antimicrobials are unique drugs, being the only class of drug therapy that affects not only the patient to whom it is prescribed but also other current and future patients, by influencing the bacterial ecosystem. We performed a study to determine whether implementation of an infectious diseases specialist's consultation programme improves the appropriateness of antibiotic prescription in hospital, leading to reduction of overall costs for antimicrobial drugs

Topical anti-inflammatory activity of flavonoids and a new xanthone from Santolina insularis

Bioactivity-guided fractionation of the methanol extract from the leaves of Santolina insularis led to the isolation of one new xanthone, (E)-3-{6-[(E)-3-hydroxy-3-oxo-1-propenyl]-9-oxo-9H-xanthen-2-yl}-2-propenoic acid, together with six known flavonoids: hispidulin, nepetin, cirsimaritin, rhamnocitrin, luteolin and luteolin 7-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside. The structures were elucidated by means of 1D-, 2D-NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. The topical anti-inflammatory activity of all isolated compounds and extracts was investigated employing the croton oil-induced dermatitis in mouse ear. The most active compound, luteolin, showed an ID50 of 0.3 mu mol/cm(2) and prevented ear oedema more effectively than an equimolar dose of indomethacin within 24