María José Abad

The Artemisia L. Genus: A Review of Bioactive Essential Oils

Numerous members of the Anthemideae tribe are important as cut flowers and ornamental crops, as well as being medicinal and aromatic plants, many of which produce essential oils used in folk and modern medicine and in the cosmetics and pharmaceutical industry. Essential oils generally have a broad spectrum of bioactivity, owing to the presence of several active ingredients that work through various modes of action. Due to their mode of extraction, mostly by distillation from aromatic plants, they contain a variety of volatile molecules such as terpenes, phenol-derived aromatic and aliphatic components. The large genus Artemisia L., from the tribe Anthemideae, comprises important medicinal plants which are currently the subject of phytochemical attention due to their biological and chemical diversity. Artemisia species, widespread throughout the world, are one of the most popular plants in Chinese traditional preparations and are frequently used for the treatment of diseases such as malaria, hepatitis, cancer, inflammation and infections by fungi, bacteria and viruses. Extensive studies of the chemical components of Artemisia have led to the identification of many compounds as well as essentials oils. This review summarizes some of the main reports on the chemistry and anti-infective activities of Artemisia. Li. essential oils from the data in the recent literature (2000–2011).

Antiviral activity of Bolivian plant extracts

Ethanolic and aqueous extracts of seven plant species used in the traditional medicine of Bolivia have been tested for their antiviral activity against herpes simplex type I (HSV-1), vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), and poliovirus type 1. The aqueous extracts of most of the species investigated showed antiviral activity. Two of these plants-namely, Satureja boliviana and Baccharis genistelloides-were active against two different viruses-HSV-1 and VSV.

Intensification of Antiretroviral Therapy with a CCR5 Antagonist in Patients with Chronic HIV-1 Infection: Effect on T Cells Latently Infected

Objective The primary objective was to assess the effect of MVC intensification on latently infected CD4+ T cells in chronically HIV-1-infected patients receiving antiretroviral therapy. Methods We performed an open-label pilot phase II clinical trial involving chronically HIV-1-infected patients receiving stable antiretroviral therapy whose regimen was intensified with 48 weeks of maraviroc therapy. We analyzed the latent reservoir, the residual viremia and episomal 2LTR DNA to examine the relationship between these measures and the HIV-1 latent reservoir, immune activation, lymphocyte subsets (including effector and central memory T cells), and markers associated with bacterial translocation. Results Overall a non significant reduction in the size of the latent reservoir was found (p = 0.068). A mean reduction of 1.82 IUPM was observed in 4 patients with detectable latent reservoir at baseline after 48 weeks of intensification. No effect on plasma residual viremia was observed. Unexpectedly, all the patients had detectable 2LTR DNA circles at week 24, while none of them showed those circles at the end of the study. No changes were detected in CD4+ or CD8+ counts, although a significant decrease was found in the proportion of HLA-DR+/CD38+ CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells. LPS and sCD14 levels increased. Conclusions Intensification with MVC was associated with a trend to a decrease in the size of the latent HIV-1 reservoir in memory T cells. No impact on residual viremia was detected. Additional studies with larger samples are needed to confirm the results. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00795444

Anti-HIV activity of medicinal plant extracts

As part of our screening of anti-AIDS agents from natural sources, ethanolic and aqueous extracts of 15 medicinal plants widely used in the folk medicine of the Iberian Peninsula were evaluated in vitro. Most of the extracts tested were relatively nontoxic to human lymphocytic MT-2 cells, but only the extracts of Tuberaria lignosa and Sanguisorba minor magnolii exhibited anti-HIV activity in an in vitro MTT assay. The aqueous extracts of these plants showed inhibitory effects against HIV-1 induced infections in MT-2 cells at concentrations ranging from 12.5 to 50 microg/ml and 50 microg/ml, respectively. Both extracts showed no appreciable cytotoxicity at these concentrations.

Search for antiviral activity in higher plant extracts

In the course of our search for plant natural products as antiviral agents, extracts of ten plants from the Iberian Peninsula were tested for antiviral activity against herpes simplex type I (HSV‐ 1), vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) and poliovirus type 1. Aqueous extracts of five of these medicinal plants, namely Nepeta nepetella (150–500 µg/mL), Nepeta coerulea (150–500 µg/mL), Nepeta tuberosa (150–500 µg/mL), Dittrichia viscosa (50–125 µg/mL) and Sanguisorba minor magnolii (50–125 µg/mL), showed a clear antiviral activity against two different DNA and RNA viruses, i.e. HSV‐1 and VSV. Only the medicinal plant Dittrichia viscosa was active against an additional virus, poliovirus type 1. Copyright

Natural Marine Anti-inflammatory Products

The marine environment has been shown to be the source of a great diversity of chemical structures with promising biological activities. The isolation, biological evaluation, chemical properties and synthetic elaborations of the products of marine organisms and microorganisms have attracted the attention of organic chemists, medicinal chemists, biologists and pharmacists. Marine organisms and microorganisms have provided a large proportion of the natural anti-inflammatory products over the last years. Marine organisms include green algae, brown algae, red algae, sponges, coelenterates, bryozoans, molluscs, tunicates, echinoderms, miscellaneous marine organisms and marine microorganisms and phytoplankton. This review describes current progress in the development of a selection of new anti-inflammatory agents from marine sources. The chemistry and biological evaluation are discussed.

Antiviral activity of some South American medicinal plants

Folk medicinal plants are potential sources of useful therapeutic compounds including some with antiviral activities. Extracts prepared from 10 South American medicinal plants (Baccharis trinervis, Baccharis teindalensis, Eupatorium articulatum, Eupatorium glutinosum, Tagetes pusilla, Neurolaena lobata, Conyza floribunda, Phytolacca bogotensis, Phytolacca rivinoides and Heisteria acuminata) were screened for in vitro antiviral activity against herpes simplex type I (HSV‐1), vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) and poliovirus type 1. The most potent inhibition was observed with an aqueous extract of B. trinervis, which inhibited HSV‐1 replication by 100% at 50–200 µg/mL, without showing cytotoxic effects. Good activities were also found with the ethanol extract of H. cuminata and the aqueous extract of E. articulatum, which exhibited antiviral effects against both DNA and RNA viruses (HSV‐1 and VSV, respectively) at 125–250 µg/mL. The aqueous extracts of T. pusilla (100–250 µg/mL), B. teindalensis (50–125 µg/mL) and E. glutinosum (50–125 µg/mL) also inhibited the replication of VSV, but none of the extracts tested had any effect on poliovirus replication. Copyright

Antiviral activity of medicinal plant extracts

Dichloromethane and ethanol extracts of 12 plants with a history of use in traditional medicine, were tested for antiviral activity against herpes simplex type I. The most potent inhibition was shown by ethanol extracts of Eugenia jambos, Cistus populifolius, Lippia alba, Chiranthodendron pentadactylon and Tuberaria lignosa. These extracts, and others that had no effect, were chosen for more extensive studies against poliovirus type 1 and vesicular stomatitis virus. It was found that the ethanol extracts of Eugenia jambos, Chiranthodendron pentadactylon and Santolina oblongifolia inhibited the replication of VSV, but none of the extracts investigated had any effect on poliovirus replication.

Effects of six diterpenes on macrophage eicosanoid biosynthesis.

Six diterpenes (three clerodanes, two abietanes and one rosane) were tested for interactions with the cyclooxygenase and 5-lipoxygenase pathways of arachidonate metabolism and for effects of nitric oxide production. Two abietane diterpenes, aethiopinone and 11,12-dihydroxy-6-oxo-8,11,13-abietatriene and the rosane lagascatriol showed a remarkable effect on COX-1 pathway of PGE2 release in calcium ionophore A23187-stimulated peritoneal macrophages. Only the two latter diterpenes showed inhibition on COX-2 pathway of PGE2 release in E. coli LPS-stimulated peritoneal macrophages. In addition, all compounds assayed were inhibitors of LTC4 release with IC50 < or = 10 microM. Clerodane diterpenes were inactive in COX assay. None of the diterpenes assayed, except 11,12-dihydroxy-6-oxo-8,11,13-abietatriene, affected NO production. The results obtained suggest that the cellular mechanisms of action of some of these substances may involve inhibition of cyclooxygenase/lipoxygenase pathways and nitric oxide production.

Effects of furocoumarins from Cachrys trifida on some macrophage functions.

Phytochemical and biological studies aimed at the discovery and development of novel antiinflammatory agents from natural sources have been conducted in our laboratory for a number of years. In this communication, three naturally occurring furocoumarins (imperatorin, isoimperatorin and prantschimgin) were evaluated as potential inhibitors of some macrophage functions involved in the inflammatory process. These furocoumarins have been tested in two experimental systems: ionophore‐stimulated mouse peritoneal macrophages serve as a source of cyclooxygenase‐1 and 5‐lipoxygenase, and mouse peritoneal macrophages stimulated with E. coli lipopolysaccharide are the means of testing for anti‐cyclooxygenase‐2 and nitric‐oxide‐synthase activity. All above‐mentioned furocoumarins showed significant effect on 5‐lipoxygenase (leukotriene C4) with IC50 values of < 15 μM. Imperatorin and isoimperatorin exhibited strong‐to‐medium inhibition on cyclooxygenase‐1‐ and cyclooxygenase‐2‐catalysed prostaglandin E2 release, with inhibition percentages similar to those of the reference drugs, indometacin and nimesulide, respectively. Of the three furocoumarins, only imperatorin caused a significant reduction of nitric oxide generation. Imperatorin and isoimperatorin can be classified as dual inhibitors, since it was evident that both cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase pathways of arachidonate metabolism were inhibited by these compounds. However, selective inhibition of the 5‐lipoxygenase pathway is suggested to be the primary target of action of prantschimgin.