Etile Dolores Spegazzini

Anti-inflammatory activity of flavonoids from Cayaponia tayuya roots.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Taiuiá or tayuya (Cayaponia tayuya, Cucurbitaceae) is a climbing, lignified plant with a large swollen root that has traditionally been used as an anti-inflammatory and anti-rheumatic agent in the folk medicine of Brazil, Peru, and Colombia. THE AIM OF THE STUDY We have assayed the pharmacological properties of a flavonoid fraction obtained from the butanol extract of Cayaponia tayuya roots using two models of topical mouse ear oedema, paying special attention to its influence on the induction on pro-inflammatory enzymes and peptidic mediators. MATERIAL AND METHODS The in vivo experiments involved both the acute oedema induced by a single application of TPA and the subchronic inflammation brought on by repeated applications of TPA. The effects on the induction of pro-inflammatory enzymes and peptidic mediators in RAW 264.7 macrophages were analyzed with the aid of Western blot analysis. RESULTS The extract was identified as a mixture of flavonoids in which vicenin-2, spinosin, isovitexin, and a mixture of swertisin and isoswertisin were found. In acute TPA-induced oedema in mouse ears, the flavonoid-enriched fraction (at a dose of 0.5mg/ear) inhibited the oedema by 66% (4.2+/-0.6 mg vs. 12.3+/-1.4 mg, P<0.01) while in the subchronic model, the inhibition reached 37% at a dose of 0.5mg/ear x 7 applications (7.5+/-0.6 mg vs. 11.9+/-1.3mg, P<0.05). When assayed in vitro, the flavonoid showed no toxicity at 33.45 microg/mL on RAW 264.7 macrophages. Although the nitric oxide production in these cells was moderately reduced (42%) at 33.45 microg/mL, the flavonoid-enriched fraction had no effect on TNF-alpha production. In addition, at 22.30 microg/mL, the test sample inhibited both iNOS and COX-2 expression by 98% and 49%, respectively. CONCLUSION These results indicate that the anti-inflammatory activity of flavonoids from tayuya roots most likely stems from their inhibition of the induction of the enzymes COX-2 and iNOS.

Anti-inflammatory and apoptotic activities of pomolic acid isolated from Cecropia pachystachya.

The dichloromethane extract and pomolic acid ( 5) obtained from leaves of Cecropia pachystachya both reduced carrageenan-induced paw oedema in mice. Interestingly, while the triterpenoid inhibited the in vivo production of interleukin-1beta by 39 %, it had no effect on tumour necrosis factor-alpha production. We also demonstrated that both the dichloromethane extract and 5 inhibited the viability of human polymorphonuclear (PMN) cells in a time- and dose-dependent fashion. The PMN membrane integrity was determined with the aid of flow cytometry by means of the exclusion of propidium iodide as assay. Although the cell membrane integrity was altered, neither the extract nor 5 produced cellular necrosis. Moreover, the development of hypodiploid nuclei and DNA fragmentation in the PMN cells were both dependent on dose and time. Finally, in the annexin V-FITC binding assay, compound 5 increased the total of apoptotic cells by 42 % at 100 microM and by 71 % at 200 microM with respect to the control group. In conclusion, both the dichloromethane extract of ambay and isolated compound 5 inhibit the viability of PMN cells through apoptosis. Since they can regulate human neutrophil functions in this way, it is likely that these substances can also limit inflammation.

Glutathione produced by Rhizobium tropici is important to prevent early senescence in common bean nodules

In this paper, we examine the importance of glutathione in symbiosis, using a glutathione biosynthetic gshB mutant derived from Rhizobium tropici CIAT899, a common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) endosymbiont. Plants infected with the mutant strain presented a delayed nodulation phenotype and a reduction in the dry weight of aerial part of plants, suggesting diminished nitrogen-fixation activity. In addition, bacterial gshB expression was assayed in wild-type infected nodules, during the different steps of nodulation, and found to increase in mature and early senescent nodules. Conspicuously, nodules induced by gshB mutant bacteria presented an early senescent pattern, which was associated with increased levels of superoxide accumulation. These results provide a direct evidence of the role of bacterial glutathione in protecting nodules from reactive oxygen species, which may determine nodule senescence.

Antifungal activity of Terminalia australis

Dichloromethane, methanol and aqueous extracts of the aerial parts of Terminalia australis were evaluated for their antifungal activity. The methanol and aqueous extracts were found to be effective against the tested Aspergillus and Candida strains.

Composition of Essential Oils of Gaillardia megapotamica and Gaillardia cabrerae from Argentina

Abstract The composition of the essential oil obtained by water distillation of the aerial parts of Gaillardia megapotamica var. scabiosoides, collected in two different regions of Argentina, was compared with the composition of the oil of Argentinean G. megapotamica var. radiata and G. cabrerae. In total, 53 compounds were identified, of which α-pinene, β-pinene, limonene, 1,8-cineole, β-caryophyllene, spathulenol and caryophyllene oxide were found as the major components. The oils of the different Gaillardia species analyzed were rather similar. The total yield of volatiles from G. megapotamica var. radiata was considerably lower than that from G. megapotamica var. scabiosoides.

Taxonomic Determination of Therapeutic Argentine Species of Ilex

This is comparative study of Ilex paraguariensis St. Hil. var. paraguariensis Loes., and cogeneric Argentine adulterants: I. dumosa Reissek var. dumosa Reissek, I. dumosa var. guaranina Loes., I. brevicuspis Reissek, I. theezans Reissek and I. argentina Lillo. The anatomy and quantitative micrographic parameters (proportional magnitudes, stomata index and palisade ratio) of these leaves was studied to the establish standards in agreement with the WHO for the vegetables drugs. A micrographic parameters table is presented for control quality of the raw material, fragmentary or powdered.

Micrographic Parameters of Primary Stem, Flower, Fruit, and Seed of Terminalia australis.

ABSTRACT Terminalia australis. Cambess (Combretaceae), known as palo amarillo., is an arboreal species, less frequently shrubby, and native of Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Argentina. Antimicrobial activity was verified through investigations carried out with aqueous extracts from leaves. The purpose of the current work is to study the exo-endomorphology of the aerial organs (primary stem, flower, fruit, and seed) of the mentioned species in order to establish micrographic parameters for a future pharmacopeic monograph. Fresh and dry materials were studied. Sections and macerations were obtained. Designs were obtained with light microscope equipped with a drawing tube, and photomicrographs were generated with scanning electron microscope. Numerical values were determined: lineal magnitude for the species that are presented together with the data typical of the histoanatomy of the aerial organs.