Plantas medicinales de Argentina con actividad gastroprotectora

The gastro protective activity of aqueous extracts from 11 plants native to Argentina was evaluated on ethanol-inducedgastric ulcer model in mice: Aloysia gratissima, Artemisia annua, Calendula offi cinalis, Gaillardia megapotamica,Maytenus ilicifolia, Parthenium hysterophorus, Portulaca oleracea, Rumex obtusifolius, Solanum eleagnifolium,Solidago chilensis and Spartium junceum. The results were expressed in terms of an Ulcer Index (UI), based on themeasurement of the length of the gastric lesions produced. Pharmacological assays demonstrated that aqueous extractsfrom all the plants, administered in oral form, showed signifi cant antiulcerogenic activity (P < 0.01). It has already beenestablished that among other compounds, the fl avonoids possess, gastro protective properties. As some of the aqueousextracts contain these constituents, the partial antiulcer activity found could be attributed to their presence. The mechanisminvolved in this effect has not been entirely elucidated and as a fi rst stage in its analysis, extracts should befractionated in order to better determine the role of each component.Se evaluó la actividad gastroprotectora de extractos acuosos de 11 plantas que se desarrollan en Argentina: Aloysiagratissima, Artemisia annua, Calendula offi cinalis, Gaillardia megapotamica, Maytenus ilicifolia, Parthenium hysterophorus,Portulaca oleracea, Rumex obtusifolius, Solidago chilensis, Solanum eleagnifolium y Spartium junceum frentea un modelo de úlcera gástrica inducida por etanol en ratones. Los resultados se expresaron en términos de Indicede Ulcera (IU), el cual se estableció de acuerdo a la longitud de las lesiones gástricas. Los ensayos farmacológicosdemostraron que los extractos acuosos de todas las plantas, administrados oralmente, exhibieron una signifi cativaactividad antiulcerosa (P < 0,01). Es sabido que los fl avonoides, entre otros compuestos, poseen reconocidas propiedadesgastroprotectoras. Debido a que algunos de los extractos contienen dichos componentes, parte de la actividadantiulcerosa podría deberse a su presencia. El mecanismo involucrado en este efecto no está totalmente elucidado.Por lo tanto, en una primera etapa, los extractos deberán ser fraccionados y analizados para determinar su modode acción y evaluar adecuadamente la actividad gastroprotectora de estas planta

Antimicrobial activity of centaurea solstitialis and centaurea calcitrapa

Centaurea solstitialis y Centaurea calcitrapa (Asteraceae), son plantas conocidas vulgarmente como Abrepuño amarilloy Abrepuño colorado respectivamente. Son malezas que se desarrollan en la región pampeana, siendo la primera deellas la más abundante. Investigaciones realizadas en otros países han demostrado que el género Centaurea poseepropiedades antimicrobianas. El objetivo de este trabajo fue comprobar si esta actividad biológica se encuentrapresente en las malezas que crecen en la provincia de La Pampa (Argentina). Se evaluó la Concentración InhibitoriaMínima y la Concentración Bactericida Mínima mediante el método de dilución en caldo de extractos metanólicosde capítulos secos de ambas especies. Los resultados obtenidos demuestran que Centaurea calcitrapa, bajo nuestrascondiciones de trabajo, presenta actividad antimicrobiana en cuatro de las diez cepas ensayadas (Pseudomonasaeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus agalactiae y Salmonella typhimurium), mientras que Centaureasolstitialis muestra menor actividad antibacteriana inhibiendo sólo a dos cepas (Streptococcus agalactiae y Staphylococcusaureus).Centaurea solstitialis and Centaurea calcitrapa (Asteraceae), commonly known as Abrepuño amarillo and Abrepuñocolorado respectively, are weeds that grow in the Province of Pampea Argentina, the former of which being the mostabundantly encountered species. Research carried out in other countries has demonstrated that the genus Centaureapossesses antimicrobial properties. The objective of this work was to ascertain the extent to which such a biological activitymay be present in these species, found growing in this particular Argentinian Province. Minimum Inhibitory Concentrationand Minimum Bactericide Concentration was evaluated by means of the dilution method, in broth of methanolic extractsof dry heads of both species. The results obtained, under the working conditions of this study, demonstrated thatCentaurea calcitrapa, presents antimicrobial activity against four of the ten assayed strains: Pseudomonas aeruginosa,Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus agalactiae and Salmonella typhimurium, while Centaurea solstitialis showsantibacterial activity to a lesser extent, with inhibitory activity only being found against two strains: Streptococcusagalactiae and Staphylococcus aureus

Erythropoietin Attenuates Neurological and Histological Consequences of Toxic Demyelination in Mice

Erythropoietin (EPO) reduces symptoms of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis in rodents and shows neuroregenerative effects in chronic progressive multiple sclerosis. The mechanisms of action of EPO in these conditions with shared immunological etiology are still unclear. Therefore, we used a model of toxic demyelination allowing exclusion of T cell–mediated inflammation. In a double-blind (for food/injections), placebo-controlled, longitudinal four-arm design, 8-wk-old C57BL/6 mice (n = 26/group) were assigned to cuprizone-containing (0.2%) or regular food (ground chow) for 6 wks. After 3 wks, mice were injected every other day with placebo or EPO (5,000 IU/kg intraperitoneally) until the end of cuprizone feeding. Half of the mice were exposed to behavioral testing, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and histology immediately after treatment cessation, whereas the other half were allowed a 3-wk treatment-free recovery. Immediately after termination of cuprizone feeding, all toxin-exposed mice were compromised regarding vestibulomotor function/coordination, with EPO-treated animals performing better than placebo. Likewise, ventricular enlargement after cuprizone, as documented by MRI, was less pronounced upon EPO. After a 3-wk recovery, remarkable spontaneous improvement was observed in all mice with no measurable further benefit in the EPO group (“ceiling effect”). Histological analysis of the corpus callosum revealed attenuation by EPO of the cuprizone-induced increase in microglial numbers and amyloid precursor protein accumulations as a readout of inflammation and axonal degeneration. To conclude, EPO ameliorates neurological symptoms in the cuprizone model of demyelination, possibly by reduction of inflammation-associated axonal degeneration in white matter tracts. These findings underscore the value of future therapeutic strategies for multiple sclerosis based on EPO or EPO variants