Phenolic enriched extract of Baccharis trimera presents anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities

Baccharis trimera is a plant popularly used as a tea and to treat gastrointestinal diseases and inflammatory processes as well. The total phenolic content was determined and the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of six extracts (dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, butanol, aqueous, saponin and phenolic) from B. trimera were evaluated. Using carrageenan-induced pleurisy as a model of acute inflammation, the phenolic extract at 15 mg/kg decreased significantly the analyzed parameters when compared to the carrageenan group ( p < 0.05), thus showing potential anti-inflammatory activity. The total phenolic content and antioxidant activity were evaluated by the Folin-Ciocalteau and DPPH methods, respectively. Phenolic and ethyl acetate extracts presented higher antioxidant activity ( p < 0.05) than ascorbic acid. The phenolic extract also showed the highest antioxidant potential in relation to the other extracts, thus suggesting that the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities were due to the presence of phenolic compounds.     

Antimicrobial and antioxidative activities of bioactive constituents from Hydnophytum formicarum Jack

Hydnophytum formicarum Jack. (Rubiaceae) is a medicinal plant whose tubers possesses cardiovascular, anti-inflammatory and antiparasitic effects and have been used for the treatment of hepatitis, rheumatism and diarrhea. Herein we report the isolation of its active constituents and the testing of their antimicrobial activity against 27 strains of microorganisms using an agar dilution method and of their antioxidative activity using the DPPH and SOD assays. The results show that the crude hexane, dichloromethane, ethylacetate and methanol extracts exert such activities. Particularly, the crude ethyl acetate extract exhibits antigrowth activity against many Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria with MIC 256 microg/mL. Shewanella putrefaciens ATCC 8671 is completely inhibited at a lower MIC (128 microg/mL). Interestingly, Corynebacterium diphtheriae NCTC10356 is inhibited by all the tested extracts. Significantly, the ethyl acetate extract is also the most potent antioxidant, showing 83.31% radical scavenging activity with IC50 8.40 microg/mL in the DPPH assay. The other extracts display weak to moderate antioxidative activities, ranging from 28.60-56.80% radical scavenging. The SOD assay shows that methanol extract exhibits the highest activity (74.19% inhibition of superoxide radical). The dichloromethane and ethyl acetate extracts display comparable SOD activity. The promising bioactivities of the crude ethyl acetate extract guided the first isolation of bioactive flavonoid and phenolic compounds: isoliquiritigenin (2), protocatechualdehyde(3), butin (4) and butein (5) from this species. Their structures have been fully established by 1D and 2D NMR. In addition, stigmasterol was isolated from the crude hexane and dichloromethane extracts. The antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities of compounds 3-5 were evaluated. The tested compounds were inactive against HuCCA-1 and KB cell lines,showing ED50> 10 microg/mL. Protocatechualdehyde (3) completely inhibits the growth of Plesiomonas shigelloides with MIC 相似文献   

Suppressive effect of the SOS-inducing activity of chemical mutagen by citric acid esters from Prunus mume Sieb. Et Zucc. using the Salmonella typhimurium TA1535/pSK1002 umu test

A methanol extract from Prunus mume Sieb. Et Zucc. showed a suppressive effect of the SOS-inducing activity on the mutagen 3-amino-1,4-dimethyl-SH-pyrido[4,3-b]indole(Trp-P-1) in the Salmonella typhimurium TA1535/pSK1002 umu test. The methanol extract was re-extracted with hexane, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, butanol and water. The dichloromethane and ethyl acetate fractions showed suppressive effect. Suppressive compounds were isolated by silica gel column chromatography and identified as trimethyl citrate (1) and dimethyl citrate (2) by GC-MS, IR and 1H and 13C-NMR spectroscopy. Compounds 1 and 2 suppressed 51 and 39% of the SOS-inducing activity at a concentration of 2.0 micromol/mL.     

Isolation and identification of a new neo-clerodane diterpenoid from Teucrium chamaedrys L.

Teucrium chamaedrys L. is an aromatic and medicinal plant used as traditional medicine. Aerial parts of the plant material were dried and extracted with hexane–dichloromethane (extract 1), ethyl acetate–dichloromethane (extract 2) and methanol–dichloromethane (extract 3) in a ratio of 1:1 at rt successively. The solvents were evaporated to give crude extracts. Extract 1 was suspended in water at 60°C then partitioned successively with hexane and ethyl acetate to give hexane and ethyl acetate portions. After the column chromatography (silica gel) of ethyl acetate extract, one new and four known compounds were isolated. The new compound was named as 1(12S,18R)-15,16-epoxy-2β,6β-dihydroxy-neo-cleroda-13(16),14-dien-20,l2-olide-l8,l9-hemiacetal (teuchamaedryn D) (4). The known compounds were teucrin A (1), dihydroteugin (2), teucroxide (3), syspirensin A (5). The chromatographic methods were also applied for extract 3 to isolate verbascoside (6) and teucrioside (7). The structure of isolated compounds was elucidated by spectroscopic methods including LC-TOF/MS, 1D NMR and 2D NMR.     

Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Peganum harmala Extracts: An In Vitro and In Vivo Study

Peganum harmala (P. harmala) belongs to the family Zygophyllaceae, and is utilized in the traditional medicinal systems of Pakistan, China, Morocco, Algeria, and Spain to treat several chronic health disorders. The aim of the present study was to identify the chemical constituents and to evaluate the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and toxicity effects of P. harmala extracts both in vitro and in vivo. Sequential crude extracts including 100% dichloromethane, 100% methanol, and 70% aqueous methanol were obtained and their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects evaluated both in vitro and in vivo. The anti-inflammatory effect of the extract was investigated using the carrageenan-induced paw edema method in mice, whereas the toxicity of the most active extract was evaluated using an acute and subacute toxicity rat model. In addition, we have used the bioassay-guided approach to obtain potent fractions, using solvent–solvent partitioning and reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography from active crude extracts; identification and quantification of compounds from the active fractions was achieved using electrospray ionization mass spectrometry and high performance liquid chromatography techniques. Results revealed that the 100% methanol extract of P. harmala exhibits significant in vitro antioxidant activity in DPPH assay with an IC₅₀ of 49 µg/mL as compared to the standard quercetin with an IC₅₀ of 25.4 µg/mL. The same extract exhibited 63.0% inhibition against serum albumin denaturation as compared to 97% inhibition by the standard diclofenac sodium in an in vitro anti-inflammatory assay, and in vivo anti-inflammatory against carrageenan-induced paw edema (75.14% inhibition) as compared to 86.1% inhibition caused by the standard indomethacin. Furthermore, this extract was not toxic during a 14 day trial of acute toxicity when given at a dose of 3 g/kg, indicating that the lethal dose (LD₅₀) of P. harmala methanol extract was greater than 3 g/kg. P. harmala methanolic fraction 2 obtained using bioassay-guided fractionation showed the presence of quinic acid, peganine, harmol, harmaline, and harmine, confirmed by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry and quantified using external standards on high performance liquid chromatography. Taken all together, the current investigation further confirms the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and safety aspects of P. harmala, which justifies its use in folk medicine.     

Antidepressant-like effect of Casimiroa pubescens root extracts

In this study, we investigated the antidepressant-like effects of the hexane (HCP), ethyl acetate (ECP) and methanol (MCP) extracts of the roots of Casimiroa pubescens Ramírez (Rutaceae) using the forced swim test (FST). In an initial experiment, each extract was orally administered to mice only once 60 min before to the FST. In a second experiment, doses were administered 24, 7 and 1 h before testing. Our results showed that the triple administration of the extracts provided a stronger effect than single administration. However, the combination of HCP at 7.5 mg/kg and imipramine (IMI) at 12.5 mg/kg showed the greatest effect. The coumarins 3-(1′,1′, dimethyl allyl)-herniarin, auraptene, 8-geranyl-oxy psoralen, isopimpinellin and the flavonoid zapotin were isolated from the extracts. The hexane extract of C. pubescens showed an antidepressant-like activity, which may inspire further studies on developing new antidepressant agents.     

Multifunctional approaches to provide potential pharmacophores for the pharmacy shelf: Heracleum sphondylium L. subsp. ternatum (Velen.) Brummitt.

Heracleum sphondylium L. subsp. ternatum (Velen.) Brummitt. commonly known as “hogweed” is traditionally used to manage several human ailments. This investigation assessed, for the first time, the enzyme inhibitory properties, antioxidant activity, phytochemical profile, antimutagenic, and antimicrobial potential of the ethyl acetate, methanol, and water extracts of H. sphondylium. We also established the possible interactions of identified phenolic compounds with cholinesterases, amylase, glucosidase, and tyrosinase using in silico docking studies. Chlorogenic acid was found in high amounts in the methanol extract of H. sphondylium. The methanol extract was an effective inhibitor of acetylcholinesterase (1.70 mg galantamine equivalent (GALAE)/g extract) while the ethyl acetate extract showed pronounced inhibitory action against butyrylcholinesterase (1.77 mg GALAE/g extract). The extracts exhibited low inhibition against amylase (0.12-0.84 mmol acarbose equivalent (ACAE)/g extract) and a more pronounced inhibition against glucosidase (2.29–3.65 mmol ACAE/g extract). In silico results showed that rutin and quercetin (-70.4 and -72.2 Kcal/mol, for rutin and quercetin respectively) docked to the enzymatic cavity of acetylcholinesterase but these phenolic compounds showed less affinity with butyrylcholinesterase (-15.0 and -5.2 Kcal/mol, for rutin and quercetin respectively). The extracts did not induce any mutations on the bacterial strains, while they have excellent antimutagenic capacity against well-known mutagens (inhibition values 98%, 97% and 96%). The methanol extract (0.78 mg/ml) showed moderate antifungal activity while the ethyl acetate extract (0.78–3.12 mg/ml) showed weak to moderate antimicrobial activity. This study provides valuable baseline data which might serve for the development of future pharmacophores for the management of human ailments.     

Antioxidant,Anti-Inflammatory,and Inhibition of Acetylcholinesterase Potentials of Cassia timoriensis DC. Flowers

Despite being widely used traditionally as a general tonic, especially in South East Asia, scientific research on Cassia timoriensis, remains scarce. In this study, the aim was to evaluate the in vitro activities for acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitory potential, radical scavenging ability, and the anti-inflammatory properties of different extracts of C. timoriensis flowers using Ellman’s assay, a DPPH assay, and an albumin denaturation assay, respectively. With the exception of the acetylcholinesterase activity, to the best of our knowledge, these activities were reported for the first time for C. timoriensis flowers. The phytochemical analysis confirmed the existence of tannins, flavonoids, saponins, terpenoids, and steroids in the C. timoriensis flower extracts. The ethyl acetate extract possessed the highest phenolic and flavonoid contents (527.43 ± 5.83 mg GAE/g DW and 851.83 ± 10.08 mg QE/g DW, respectively) as compared to the other extracts. In addition, the ethyl acetate and methanol extracts exhibited the highest antioxidant (IC₅₀ 20.12 ± 0.12 and 34.48 ± 0.07 µg/mL, respectively), anti-inflammatory (92.50 ± 1.38 and 92.22 ± 1.09, respectively), and anti-AChE (IC₅₀ 6.91 ± 0.38 and 6.40 ± 0.27 µg/mL, respectively) activities. These results suggest that ethyl acetate and methanol extracts may contain bioactive compounds that can control neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease, through high antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-AChE activities.     

Analgetic Activity of Papaya (Carica papaya L.) Leaves Extract

The analgetic activity of Carica papaya leaves (CPL) extracts (n-hexane, ethyl acetate, ethanol) was investigated in mice model using acetic acid induced pain (Siegmund method). Experimental animals were divided into 11 groups and received n-hexane, ethyl acetate, and ethanol extracts at doses of 0.175, 0.35, 0.70 mg/kg bw orally; CMC-Na 0.5% (control group); 50 mg/ kg bw of aspirin. The results showed that all extracts at the doses of 0.175, 0.35 and 0.70 mg/kg bw gave significant analgetic activity (p<0.05) compared to control group. Ethanol extract of CPL dose of 0.70 mg/kg bw showed the best analgetic activity that was comparable to aspirin.     

Gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric determination of oxolinic acid in fish using selected ion monitoring

A gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric (GC-MS) method is described for the determination of oxolinic acid in fish tissues. oxolinic acid is reduced with sodium tetrahydroborate to permit GC analysis. The sample is homogenized with phosphate buffer (pH 6) and extracted with ethyl acetate. The extract is partitioned between sodium hydrogencarbonate solution and the aqueous phase is acidified and re-extracted with ethyl acetate. The residue from the ethyl acetate extract is dissolved in methanol and reduced with sodium tetrahydroborate. The reduction product is extracted with diethyl ether and analysed by GC-MS in the selected ion monitoring mode for the ions at m/z 204, 219 and 176. The detection limit is 0.001 mg/kg and the recoveries were 95.6% [relative standard deviation (R.S.D.) 7.7%] at 0.1 mg/kg and 72.9% (R.S.D. 13.3%) at 0.01 mg/kg fortification levels in fish.     

Preliminary phytochemical screening and in vitro anti-helicobacter pylori activity of extracts of the stem bark of Bridelia micrantha (Hochst., Baill., Euphorbiaceae)

Helicobacter pylori is a major risk factor for gastritis, ulcers and gastric cancer. This study was aimed to determine the antimicrobial activity of the stem bark of Bridelia. micrantha on H. pylori isolated in South Africa. Extracts and clarithromycin were tested against 31 clinical strains, including a standard strain (NCTC 11638) of H. pylori, by measuring the diameters of the corresponding inhibition zones, followed by determination of the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) (using metronidazole, and amoxicillin as control antibiotics) and the rate of kill. Preliminary phytochemical screening was also done. Inhibition zone diameters which ranged from 0-23 mm were observed for all five of the extracts and 0-35 mm for clarithromycin. Marked susceptibility of strains (100%) was noted for the acetone extract (P < 0.05), followed by ethyl acetate extract (93.5%). The MIC?? values ranged from 0.0048 to 0.156 mg/mL for the ethyl acetate extract and 0.0048 to 0.313 mg/mL for the acetone extract. The MIC?? values ranged from 0.0048 to 2.5 mg/mL for the ethyl acetate extract and 0.078 to > 0.625 mg/mL for the acetone extract, respectively. Insignificant statistical difference in potency was observed when comparing the crude ethyl acetate extract to metronidazole and amoxicillin (P > 0.05). Complete killing of strain PE430C by the ethyl acetate extract was observed at 0.1 mg/mL (2 × MIC) and 0.2 mg/mL (4 × MIC) at 66 and 72 h. For strain PE369C, 100% killing was observed at 0.1 mg/mL (2 × MIC) in 66 and 72 h. The ethyl acetate extract could thus be a potential source of lead molecules for the design of new anti-Helicobacter pylori therapies as this study further confirmed the presence of phytochemicals including alkaloids, flavonoids, steroids, tannins and saponins.     

Total phenolic and flavonoid contents,antioxidant, antidiabetic and antiplasmodial activities of Garcinia forbesii King: A correlation study

Garcinia forbesii King belongs to Clusiaceae is a source of secondary metabolites especially xanthones with various biological activities. G. forbesii King is also known for its empirical use for malaria and diabetes. This study investigated the total phenolic and flavonoid contents, in vitro antioxidant, antidiabetic and antiplasmodial activities of four extracts attained from the stem bark of G. forbesii King. The total phenolic and flavonoid contents were determined by spectrophotometric methods and antioxidant activity was evaluated by DPPH, ABTS, FRAP assays. In vitro antidiabetic activity was assessed by α-glucosidase and α-amylase assays and antiplasmodial activity was studied against chloroquine sensitive Plasmodium falciparum strain 3D7. The highest value of total phenolic (187.37 ± 0.06 mg GAE/g) and flavonoid (35.97 ± 0.02 mg QE/g) contents were recorded in n-hexane and methanolic extracts. n-Hexane extract showed the highest DPPH activity with IC₅₀ of 8.12 ± 0.02 μg/mL. Ethyl acetate extract exhibited better scavenging ability for ABTS with IC₅₀ of 3.88 ± 0.04 μg/mL. The FRAP assay showed better activity in methanol extract with an inhibition value of 73.68 ± 3.66 µM Fe²⁺/g. The strong inhibition against α-glucosidase and α-amylase were displayed by dichloromethane extract with IC₅₀ of 35.13 ± 2.01 μg/mL and 4.83 ± 0.20 μg/mL. n-Hexane and methanol extracts showed significant antiplasmodial activity with IC₅₀ of 0.23 ± 0.01 μg/mL and 0.73 ± 0.01 μg/mL, respectively. The correlation analysis indicated a positive relationship of total phenolic and flavonoid contents with antiplasmodial activity. The results revealed that n-hexane and methanol extracts could be used as a potential natural antiplasmodial, while dichloromethane extract is a promising natural antidiabetic.     

A new multi-residue method for analysis of pesticide residues in fruit and vegetables using liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometric detection

A new multi-residue method for determination of pesticide residues in a wide variety of fruit and vegetables, using the National Food Administration (NFA) ethyl acetate extraction and determination by means of LC-MS/MS, is presented. The method includes pesticides normally detected by LC-UV or LC-fluorescence such as benzimidazoles, carbamates, N-methylcarbamates and organophosphorus compounds with an oxidisable sulphide group as well. After extraction with ethyl acetate, the extract is concentrated and an aliquot of the extract is evaporated to dryness and redissolved in methanol before injection on LC-MS/MS. The method has been validated for 57 different pesticides and metabolites. Representative species from different commodity groups were chosen as matrices in order to study the influence from different matrices on recoveries. The fortification levels studied were 0.01-0.5 mg kg(-1). Matrix effects were tested for all matrices by means of standard addition to blank extracts. The matrix effect, expressed as signal in solvent compared to signal in matrix, was in general found to be small. The obtained recoveries are, with a few exceptions, in the range 70-100%. The proposed method is quick and straightforward and no additional clean-up steps are needed. The method can be used for the analysis of all 57 pesticides in one single determination step at 0.01 mg kg(-1).     

Antiliperoxidant activity of pomegranate peel extracts on lard

Phenolics were extracted from powdered pomegranate peel using water, methanol, acetone and ethyl acetate (EtOAc), respectively. The antiliperoxidant activity of the extracts on lard was studied by peroxide value method. All the extracts showed enhanced inhibitory effect on lard peroxidation with the increase of phenolic concentrations. Acetone extract exhibited the highest antiliperoxidant activity followed by water, methanol and EtOAc extracts. Acetone extract at 0.1% (w/w) and water extract at 0.2% (w/w) demonstrated an antiliperoxidant effect close to that of tea polyphenols (0.02%, w/w) and higher than that of BHT (0.02%, w/w). At 0.2% (w/w), acetone extract showed a higher inhibitory activity on lard oxidation than that of tea polyphenols and BHT. Owing to the high antiliperoxidant property, acetone extract may have possible application in the food industry.     

Antihyperglycemic effect of orthosiphon stamineus benth leaves extract and its bioassay-guided fractions

Preliminary investigations were carried out to evaluate the antidiabetic effects of the leaves of O. stamineus extracted serially with solvents of increasing polarity (petroleum ether, chloroform, methanol and water); bioassay-guided purification of plant extracts using the subcutaneous glucose tolerance test (SbGTT) was also carried out. Only the chloroform extract, given at 1 g/kg body weight (b.w.), significantly reduced (P < 0.05) the blood glucose level of rats loaded subcutaneously with 150 mg/kg (b.w.) glucose. The active chloroform extract of?O. stamineus was separated into five fractions using a dry flash column chromatography method. Out of the five fractions tested, only chloroform fraction 2 (C?2), at the dose of 1 g/kg (b.w.) significantly inhibited (P < 0.05) blood glucose levels in SbGTT. Active C?2 was split into two sub-fractions C?2-A and C?2-B, using a dry flash column chromatography method. The activities C?2-A and C?2-B were investigated using SbGTT, and the active sub-fraction was then further studied for anti-diabetic effects in a streptozotocin-induced diabetic rat model. The results clearly indicate that C?2-B fraction exhibited a blood glucose lowering effect in fasted treated normal rats after glucose-loading of 150 mg/kg (b.w.). In the acute streptozotocin-induced diabetic rat model, C?2-B did not exhibit a hypoglycemic effect on blood glucose levels up to 7 hours after treatment. Thus, it appears that C?2-B functions similarly to metformin, which has no hypoglycemic effect but demonstrates an antihyperglycemic effect only in normogycemic models. The effect of C?2-B may have no direct stimulatory effects on insulin secretion or on blood glucose levels in diabetic animal models. Verification of the active compound(s) within the active fraction (C?2-B) indicated the presence of terpenoids and, flavonoids, including sinensitin.     

Evaluation of in vivo and in vitro biological activities of different extracts of Cuscuta arvensis

In the present study, the potential effects of extracts from the whole plant of Cuscuta arvensis were studied in mice using the carrageenan-induced hind paw edema model for antiinflammatory activity and the p-benzoquinone-induced writhing reflex for the assessment of antinociceptive activity. In order to obtain the extracts, the whole plant of C. arvensis was extracted with different solvents such as n-hexane, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, methanol and distilled water. Antioxidant activity was evaluated by the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging assay. The methanolic and water extracts inhibited the carrageenan-induced paw edema and p-benzoquinone-induced writhing reflex, whereas the other extracts showed only mild inhibitory antinociceptive and antiinflammatory activities in these in vivo models. Additionally, the methanol and ethyl acetate extracts had higher scavenging ability then the non polar extracts.     

Phytochemical screening and metabolomic approach based on Fourier transform infrared (FTIR): Identification of α-amylase inhibitor metabolites in Vernonia amygdalina leaves

ContextVernonia amygdalina has been reported as a potential antidiabetic agent. One of the mechanisms in diabetes mellitus treatment is the inhibition of the α-amylase enzyme’s action.ObjectiveThis study is aimed to identify the presence of secondary metabolites in Vernonia amygdalina leaf extract, which has the potential as α-amylase inhibitors through phytochemical screening combined with metabolomic analysis.Materials and methodsMethanol extract from Vernonia amygdalina leaf was partitioned into n-hexane, dichloromethane (DCM), and ethyl acetate. From this process, methanol, hexane, DCM, and ethyl acetate extracts were obtained. These extracts were then being tested for phytochemical screening, α-amylase inhibition, and FTIR. Then FTIR data were used for metabolomic analysis (PCA and PLS).ResultsThe results of the α-amylase inhibition test showed that the ethyl acetate extract had the smallest IC50 average value, which was 3.00 μg/mL. Based on the phytochemical screening test results, the extract showed positive for the presence of compounds such as flavonoids, phenols, tannins, alkaloids, and saponins. From the PCA analysis (Bi-plot), the wavenumbers that were influential in the ethyl acetate extract were 1436 to 1681 and 3341 to 3348 cm^?1. In theory, functional groups such as CH, CC, CO, NH, and OH appeared on the absorption. From the PLS analysis, these wavenumbers affected the activity.ConclusionThe most potential extract as an α-amylase inhibitor was the ethyl acetate extract. Based on phytochemical screening tests and metabolomic analysis, it was proven that this extract contained compounds as hypoglycemic agents.     

Phytochemical analysis with the antioxidant and aldose reductase inhibitory capacities of Tephrosia humilis aerial parts’ extracts

The aerial parts of Tephrosia humilis were tested about their antioxidant potential, their ability to inhibit the aldose/aldehyde reductase enzymes and their phenolic content. The plant material was exhaustively extracted with petroleum ether, dichloromethane and methanol, consecutively. The concentrated methanol extract was re-extracted, successively, with diethyl ether, ethyl acetate and n-butanol. All extracts showed significant antioxidant capacity, but the most effective was the ethyl acetate extract. As about the aldose reductase inhibition, all fractions, except the aqueous, were strong inhibitors of the enzyme, with the n-butanolic and ethyl acetate fractions to inhibit the enzyme above 75%. These findings provide support to the ethnopharmacological usage of the plant as antioxidant and validate its potential to act against the long-term diabetic complications. The phytochemical analysis showed the presence of 1,4-dihydroxy-3,4-(epoxyethano)-5-cyclohexene(1), cleroindicin E(2), lupeol(3), methyl p-coumarate(4), methyl 4-hydroxybenzoate(5), prunin(6), 5,7,2?,5?-tetrahydroxyflavanone 7-rutinoside(7), protocatechuic acid(8), luteolin 7-glucoside(9), apigenin(10), naringin(11), rhoifolin(12) and luteolin 7-glucuronate(13).     

In vitro hypoglycemic and antimicrobial activities of Senecio leucanthemifolius Poiret

This study reports on the alpha-amylase inhibitory and antimicrobial activities of Senecio leucanthemifolius Poiret. Extracts of S. leucanthemifolius were tested for their antimicrobial and antifungal activities against seven different pathogenic microorganisms using the microdilution technique. The ethyl acetate extract exhibited a strong antibiotic activity against Staphylococcus aureus with a MIC value of 31.25 microg mL(-1), while the n-hexane extract showed a significant activity against dermatophytic fungi. S. leucanthemifolius extracts were tested also for their potential hypoglycemic activity through the in vitro inhibition of alpha-amylase. The dichloromethane extract inhibited alpha-amylase with a value of 56.6% at 0.05 mg mL(-1) and the n-butanol extract showed a value of 89.2% at 1 mg mL(-1).     

Bioassay-guided antidiabetic study of Phaleria macrocarpa fruit extract

An earlier anti-hyperglycemic study with serial crude extracts of Phaleria macrocarpa (PM) fruit indicated methanol extract (ME) as the most effective. In the present investigation, the methanol extract was further fractionated to obtain chloroform (CF), ethyl acetate (EAF), n-butanol (NBF) and aqueous (AF) fractions, which were tested for antidiabetic activity. The NBF reduced blood glucose (p < 0.05) 15 min after administration, in an intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test (IPGTT) similar to metformin. Moreover, it lowered blood glucose in diabetic rats by 66.67% (p < 0.05), similar to metformin (51.11%), glibenclamide (66.67%) and insulin (71.43%) after a 12-day treatment, hence considered to be the most active fraction. Further fractionation of NBF yielded sub-fractions I (SFI) and II (SFII), and only SFI lowered blood glucose (p < 0.05), in IPGTT similar to glibenclamide. The ME, NBF, and SFI correspondingly lowered plasma insulin (p < 0.05) and dose-dependently inhibited glucose transport across isolated rat jejunum implying an extra-pancreatic mechanism. Phytochemical screening showed the presence of flavonoids, terpenes and tannins, in ME, NBF and SFI, and LC-MS analyses revealed 9.52%, 33.30% and 22.50% mangiferin respectively. PM fruit possesses anti-hyperglycemic effect, exerted probably through extra-pancreatic action. Magniferin, contained therein may be responsible for this reported activity.