Myrna A Deseo

Improvement of penile erection, sperm count and seminal fructose levels in vivo and nitric oxide release in vitro by ayurvedic herbs

In the present study, the effect of four Vajikaran Rasayana herbs on penile erection, sperm count, seminal fructose content in vivo and nitric oxide (NO) release in vitro was assessed. Lyophilised aqueous extracts of Asparagus racemosus Willd. (AR), Chlorophytum borivilianum Sant. F. (CB), Curculigo orchioides Gaertn. (CO), and Dactylorhiza hatagirea (D. Don) Soo (DH) were orally administered at 100 mg/kg body weight to Wistar strain male albino rats. Penile erection index and sperm count were determined by visual observation; the seminal fructose concentration was measured spectrophotometrically using resorcinol reagent; and NO release was assessed in a mouse macrophage cell line (RAW264) spectrophotometrically using a commercial Griess reagent kit. Penile erection index, sperm count, seminal fructose concentration and in vitro NO release were the parameters measured. A significant effect on the sperm count, seminal fructose content and penile erection index was observed upon treatment with the extracts. The effect of extracts on inducible NO release in vitro directly correlated with the enhanced erectile function in vivo. The aphrodisiac claims attributed to the four Vajikaran Rasayana herbs were tested and a distinctive effect of all extracts tested was observed, with C. borivilianum showing a highly significant response for all parameters measured in vivo and in vitro. The present study also provides a good correlation between the in vivo improvement of penile erection and in vitro NO releasing activity of the extracts. Increase in seminal fructose levels and sperm count further validates the role of these herbs in improving reproductive function.

Immunomodulatory Polysaccharide from Chlorophytum borivilianum Roots

Chlorophytum borivilianum Santapau & Fernandes (Liliaceae) is an ayurvedic Rasayana herb with immunostimulating properties. The polysaccharide fraction (CBP) derived from hot water extraction of C. borivilianum (CB), comprising of ∼31% inulin-type fructans and ∼25% acetylated mannans (of hot water-soluble extract), was evaluated for its effect on natural killer (NK) cell activity (in vitro). Human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), isolated from whole blood on a Ficoll-Hypaque density gradient, were tested in the presence or absence of varying concentrations of each C. borivilianum fraction for modulation of NK cell cytotoxic activity toward K562 cells. Preliminary cytotoxicity evaluation against P388 cells was performed to establish non-cytotoxic concentrations of the different fractions. Testing showed the observed significant stimulation of NK cell activity to be due to the CBP of C. borivilianum. Furthermore, in vivo evaluation carried out on Wistar strain albino rats for humoral response to sheep red blood cells (SRBCs) and immunoglobulin-level determination using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), exhibited an effectiveness of C. borivilianum aqueous extract in improving immune function. Present results provide useful information for understanding the role of CBP in modulating immune function.

Phytochemical Study of Fagraea spp. Uncovers a New Terpene Alkaloid with Anti-Inflammatory Properties1

Phytochemical investigation of the stem bark of F. racemosa JACK ex WALL (Loganiaceae) from East Java, Indonesia, has resulted in the isolation of a new alkaloid fagraeoside along with the iridoid glycoside secologanoside. Fagraeoside may be derived from the condensation of secologanin with L-asparagine, and represents a rare example of a terpene alkaloid in which the amino acid component is non-aromatic. Investigation of three additional species of Fagraea provided known lignans, iridoid or secoiridoid glycosides, and flavanol-6-C-glucosides, thus it is likely that iridoid and secoiridoid glucosides are chemotaxonomic markers for the Fagraea genus. Fagraeoside inhibited the production of prostaglandin E2 in 3T3 murine fibroblasts (IC50 ~5.1 µM), and was not cytotoxic to this cell line or to a P388 murine leukaemia cell line. Selected isolated compounds, including fagraeoside, showed low to moderate activity in anti-acetylcholinesterase screening.

Discovery and development of a new semiochemical biopesticide for cotton pest management: assessment of extract effects on the cotton pest Helicoverpa spp.

The Australian cotton production system is dominated by transgenic Bt (Bollgard II®) cotton varieties, Gossypium hirsutum L. (Malvaceae). These provide good control of lepidopteran pests (Helicoverpa spp.; Noctuidae) but are not effective against sucking pests. Recent trends in the frequency of resistance alleles in Helicoverpa spp. indicate the threat of pest resistance. Therefore, new technologies are required to manage the development of resistance and the resurgence of sucking pests. Consequently, the study was aimed to develop a semiochemical product able to deter feeding and oviposition of Helicoverpa spp., as well as cause direct mortality to the pest on transgenic and non‐transgenic crops. Plants including sorghum, sweet corn, pigeon pea, and lucerne (used as refuge crops in cotton), various cotton genotypes (MHR11, Lumein, and Sicala VII), and the native plant Clitoria ternatea L. (Fabaceae) were cultivated within cotton crops and in cages, and assessed for the occurrence of oviposition by Helicoverpa spp. and survival of the pest larvae. The results indicated that pigeon pea, cotton, sorghum, and sweet corn were most preferred for Helicoverpa spp. oviposition and feeding, whereas C. ternatea was least preferred. We used a solid phase extraction technique to obtain six fractions of an extract of C. ternatea, which we assessed for bioactivity against Helicoverpa spp. We found that fractions 2, 3, 4, and 6 had oviposition and feeding deterrence as well as direct toxicity to Helicoverpa spp. Clitoria ternatea fractions 2, 3, 4, and 6 have been developed into a product (Sero‐X®) that is effective against Helicoverpa spp. and sucking pests, and is in an advanced stage of commercialisation.