[Flavonoids from the seeds of Alpinia galanga Willd].

PubMed

Bian, Meng-Qin; Wang, Hong-Qing; Kang, Jie; Chen, Ruo-Yun; Yang, Yan-Fang; Wu, He-Zhen

2014-03-01

Ten flavonoids were isolated from the 95% ethanol extract of the seeds of Alpinia galanga Willd. with a combination of various chromatographic techniques, including silica gel, Sephadex LH-20 and preparative HPLC. On the basis of spectroscopic data analysis, they were elucidated as (2R, 3S)-pinobaksin-3-cinnamate (1), (2R, 3R)-pinobaksin-3-cinnamate (2), pinocembrin (3), pinobaksin (4), 3-O-acetylpinobaksin (5), galangin (6), galangin-3-methylether (7), kumatakenin (8), 3-methylkaempferol (9) and (2R, 3R)-3, 5-dihydroxy-7-methoxyflavanone (10). Among them, compound 1 is a new compound, compounds 2, 5 and 10 were isolated from the genus Alpinia for the first time, and others were isolated from this plant for the first time.

Anti-ageing effects of protocatechuic acid from Alpinia on spleen and liver antioxidative system of senescent mice.

PubMed

Zhang, Xiuli; Shi, Gui-Fang; Liu, Xiu-zhen; An, Li-jia; Guan, Shui

2011-06-01

The effects of Alpinia protocatechuic acid (PCA) on spleen and liver antioxidant system in aged rats have been studied. Alpinia PCA, a phenolic compound, was first isolated from the dried fruits of Alpinia Oxyphylla Miq. in our laboratory. Young and aged rats were injected intraperitoneally with Alpinia PCA at single doses of 5 mg kg(-1) (low dose) or 10 mg kg(-1) (high dose) per day for 7 days. The activities of endogenous antioxidants and the content of lipid peroxide in spleen and liver were assayed. Compared with young group, aged rats had significantly lower splenic weights, lower activities of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX) and catalase (CAT), higher level of malondialdehyde (MDA) in spleen and liver. The results proved that Alpinia PCA significantly elevated the splenic weights, increased the activities of GSH-PX and CAT and decreased the MDA level of aged rats. All these suggested that Alpinia PCA was a potential anti-ageing agent, and its effects on spleen and liver were achieved at least partly by promoting endogenous antioxidant enzymatic activities and normalizing age-associated alterations. It may be therapeutically useful to minimize age-associated disorders where oxidative damage is the major cause. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Regeneration of Acer caudatifolium Hayata plantlets from juvenile explants.

PubMed

Durkovic, J

2003-07-01

Juvenile and fully mature Acer caudatifolium Hayata explants were assayed for their organogenic capacity. A protocol for multiple shoot culture formation and in vitro plant regeneration was developed for juvenile axillary bud cultures. Mature explants failed in shoot regeneration. Shoot multiplication was achieved by releasing apical dominance of the single elongated shoot on woody plant medium (WPM) supplemented with 0.7 mg l(-1) 6-benzylaminopurine and 0.05 mg l(-1) alpha-naphthaleneacetic acid. The highest rooting percentage was recorded on half-strength WPM containing 1.0 mg l(-1) indole-3-butyric acid. Regenerated plantlets were successfully hardened to ex vitro conditions and continued to grow after transfer to soil. No morphological aberrations were observed in the regenerates.

Effect of Alpinia calcarata on glucose uptake in diabetic rats-an in vitro and in vivo model

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Diabetes mellitus is a heterogeneous metabolic disorders characterized by abnormally high levels of blood glucose The main objective of the present work is to study the effect of Alpinia calcarata on glucose uptake in streptozotocin (STZ) induced diabetic rats. Methods The diabetes was induced by single dose of STZ (45 mg/kg) in citrate buffer, while the normal control group was given the vehicle (citrate buffer) only. After induction of diabetes, the diabetic animals were treated with ethanolic extract of Alpinia calcarata (200 mg/kg) and glibenclamide (2 mg/kg) for 30 days. Blood glucose estimation was performed every week of the study. At the end of study period, animals were sacrificed for biochemical studies. Results Streptozotocin induced diabetic rats shows the altered levels of various biochemical profiles. Those levels were brought back to near normal upon treatment with ethanolic extract of Alpinia calcarata and standard drug glibanclamide. No significant changes were observed on treatment with plant extract alone group indicated that there are no toxic substances present in Alpinia calcarata. The antidiabetic activity of plant extract was also further confirmed by histopathological studies. The ethanolic extract of Alpinia calcarata shows significant inhibition of alpha glucosidase activity and also enhancing the glucose uptake in rat hemidiaphragm. Conclusions In conclusion, the ethanolic extract of Alpinia calcarata ameliorates the condition associated with diabetes. PMID:24502532

A new bis-labdanic diterpene from the rhizomes of Alpinia pahangensis.

PubMed

Sivasothy, Yasodha; Ibrahim, Halijah; Paliany, Audra Shaleena; Alias, Siti Aisyah; Md Nor, Nurur Raudzah; Awang, Khalijah

2013-12-01

The rhizomes of Alpinia pahangensis yielded a new bis-labdanic diterpene for which the name pahangensin C (1) was proposed along with twelve known analogues (2-13). The structure of 1 was elucidated via spectroscopic methods including 1D and 2D NMR techniques and LCMS-IT-TOF analysis. Compounds 2 and 12 were isolated for the first time from the genus Alpinia. This is the second occurrence of compounds 2 and 12 in the Zingiberaceae family. Selected analogues exhibited moderate to strong inhibitory activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Inhibition of venom serine proteinase and metalloproteinase activities by Renealmia alpinia (Zingiberaceae) extracts: comparison of wild and in vitro propagated plants.

PubMed

Patiño, Arley Camilo; Benjumea, Dora María; Pereañez, Jaime Andrés

2013-09-16

The plant Renealmia alpinia has been used in folk medicine to treat snakebites in the northwest region of Colombia. In addition, it has been shown to neutralize edema-forming, hemorrhagic, lethal, and defibrin(ogen)ating activities of Bothrops asper venom. In this work, extracts of Renealmia alpinia obtained by micropropagation (in vitro) and from specimens collected in the wild were tested and compared in their capacity to inhibit enzymatic and toxic activities of a snake venom metalloproteinase isolated from Bothrops atrox (Batx-I) venom and a serine proteinase (Cdc SII) from Crotalus durissus cumanensis venom. We have investigated the inhibition capacity of Renealmia alpinia extracts on enzymatic and toxic actions of isolated toxins, a metalloproteinase and a serine proteinase. The protocols investigated included inhibition of proteolytic activity on azocasein, inhibition of proteolytic activity on fibrinogen, inhibition of pro-coagulant activity, inhibition of hemorrhagic activity and inhibition of edema-forming activity. Colorimetric assays detected the presence of terpenoids, flavonoids, tannins and coumarins in Renealmia alpinia extracts. Renealmia alpinia extracts inhibited the enzymatic, hemorrhagic and fibrinogenolytic activities of Batx-I. Extracts also inhibited coagulant, defibrin(ogen)ating and edema-forming activities of Cdc SII. Results highlight that Renealmia alpinia in vitro extract displayed comparable inhibitory capacity on venom proteinases that Renealmia alpinia wild extract. No alteration was observed in the electrophoretic pattern of venom proteinases after incubation with Renealmia alpinia extracts, thus excluding proteolytic degradation or protein denaturation/precipitation as a mechanism of inhibition. Our results showed that Renealmia alpinia wild and in vitro extracts contain compounds that neutralize metallo- and serine proteinases present in snake venoms. The mechanism of inhibition is not related to proteolytic degradation of the

Antinociceptive activity of extracts and secondary metabolites from wild growing and micropropagated plants of Renealmia alpinia

PubMed Central

Gómez-Betancur, Isabel; Cortés, Natalie; Benjumea, Dora; Osorio, Edison; León, Francisco; Cutler, Stephen J.

2015-01-01

Ethnopharmacological relevance Renealmia alpinia is native to the American continent and can be found from Mexico to Brazil, and in the Caribbean islands. It is known as “matandrea” in Colombia, and it has been commonly used in traditional medicine to treat painful diseases and ailments. Based on its traditional uses, it is of interest to evaluate the pharmacologic effects of this plant and its secondary metabolites. Materials and methods Methanol and aqueous extracts of wild and micropropagated R. alpinia (leaves) were obtained and chemically compared by High Performance Thin Layer Chromatography (HPTLC). The antinociceptive activity of these extracts was examined using an in vivo assay (Siegmund test). Additionally, the dichloromethane extract of R. alpinia was fractionated and pure compounds were isolated by chromatographic methods. The structure elucidation of isolated compounds was performed by NMR experiments and spectroscopic techniques and comparison with the literature data. Purified compounds were evaluated for their in vitro binding affinity for opioids and cannabinoids receptors. Results The dichloromethane extract of the plant’s aerial part afforded sinostrobin (1), naringenin 7,4′-dimethyl ether (2), 2′,6′-dihydroxy-4′-methoxychalcone (3), 4-methoxy-6-(2-phenylethenyl)-2H-pyran-2-one (4), naringenin 7-methyl ether (5) and 3,5-heptanediol, 1,7-diphenyl (6), which were isolated using chromatographic methods. Their chemical structures were established by physical and spectroscopic techniques. The antinociceptive effects observed in mice by extracts of wild and micropropagated plants were similar. The compounds isolated from R. alpinia do not show affinity to opioid or cannabinoid receptors. Conclusion Aqueous and methanol extracts of R. alpinia provide antinociceptive and analgesic effects in an in vivo model. These results contribute additional insight as to why this plant is traditionally used for pain management. Also, this is the first

Essential Oil Composition and Antimicrobial Activities of Two Closely Related Species, Alpinia mutica Roxb. and Alpinia latilabris Ridl., from Peninsular Malaysia

PubMed Central

Sivasothy, Yasodha; Nagoor, Noor Hasima; Jamil, Natasha; Awang, Khalijah

2014-01-01

The essential oils obtained by hydrodistillation of the unripe and ripe fruits of Alpinia mutica Roxb. and Alpinia latilabris Ridl. were analysed by capillary GC and GC-MS. The oils were principally monoterpenic in nature. The unripe and ripe fruit oils of A. mutica were characterized by camphor (21.0% and 15.8%), camphene (16.6% and 10.2%), β-pinene (8.6% and 13.5%), and trans,trans-farnesol (8.0% and 11.2%), respectively. The oils of the unripe and ripe fruits were moderately active against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Trichophyton mentagrophytes, and Trichophyton rubrum. 1,8-Cineole (34.2% and 35.9%) and β-pinene (20.2% and 19.0%) were the two most abundant components in the unripe and ripe fruit oils of A. latilabris. The oil of the unripe fruits elicits moderate activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Trichophyton mentagrophytes while Candida glabrata was moderately sensitive to the oil of the ripe fruits. PMID:24987733

Essential oil composition and antimicrobial activities of two closely related species, Alpinia mutica Roxb. and Alpinia latilabris Ridl., from Peninsular Malaysia.

PubMed

Ibrahim, Halijah; Sivasothy, Yasodha; Syamsir, Devi Rosmy; Nagoor, Noor Hasima; Jamil, Natasha; Awang, Khalijah

2014-01-01

The essential oils obtained by hydrodistillation of the unripe and ripe fruits of Alpinia mutica Roxb. and Alpinia latilabris Ridl. were analysed by capillary GC and GC-MS. The oils were principally monoterpenic in nature. The unripe and ripe fruit oils of A. mutica were characterized by camphor (21.0% and 15.8%), camphene (16.6% and 10.2%), β-pinene (8.6% and 13.5%), and trans,trans-farnesol (8.0% and 11.2%), respectively. The oils of the unripe and ripe fruits were moderately active against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Trichophyton mentagrophytes, and Trichophyton rubrum. 1,8-Cineole (34.2% and 35.9%) and β-pinene (20.2% and 19.0%) were the two most abundant components in the unripe and ripe fruit oils of A. latilabris. The oil of the unripe fruits elicits moderate activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Trichophyton mentagrophytes while Candida glabrata was moderately sensitive to the oil of the ripe fruits.

Alpinia oxyphylla Miq. fruit extract activates IGFR-PI3K/Akt signaling to induce Schwann cell proliferation and sciatic nerve regeneration.

PubMed

Chang, Yung-Ming; Chang, Hen-Hong; Tsai, Chin-Chuan; Lin, Hung-Jen; Ho, Tsung-Jung; Ye, Chi-Xin; Chiu, Ping-Ling; Chen, Yueh-Sheng; Chen, Ray-Jade; Huang, Chih-Yang; Lin, Chien-Chung

2017-03-31

It is known that the medicinal herb Alpinia oxyphylla Miq. is widely used as a remedy for diarrhea as well as the symptoms accompanying hypertension and cerebrovascular disorders. Moreover, it has also been reported that Alpinia oxyphylla Miq. has beneficial effects on anti-senescence and neuro-protection. This study focuses on the molecular mechanisms by which the Alpinia oxyphylla Miq. fruits promote neuron regeneration. A piece of silicone rubber was guided across a 15 mm gap in the sciatic nerve of a rat. This nerve gap was then filled with various doses of Alpinia oxyphylla Miq. fruits to assess their regenerative effect on damaged nerves. Further, we investigated the role of Alpinia oxyphylla Miq. fruits in RSC96 Schwann cell proliferation. Our current results showed that treatment with the extract of Alpinia oxyphylla Miq. fruits triggers the phosphorylated insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor- phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/serine-threonine kinase pathway, and up-regulated the proliferating cell nuclear antigen in a dose-dependent manner. Cell cycle analysis on RSC96 Schwann cells showed that, after exposure to Alpinia oxyphylla Miq. fruit extract, the transition from the first gap phase to the synthesis phase occurs in 12-18 h. The expression of the cell cycle regulatory proteins cyclin D1, cyclin E and cyclin A increased in a dose-dependent manner. Transfection with a small interfering RNA blocked the expression of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and induced down-regulation both on the mRNA and protein levels, which resulted in a reduction of the expression of the survival factor B-cell lymphoma 2. We provide positive results that demonstrate that Alpinia oxyphylla Miq. fruits facilitate the survival and proliferation of RSC96 cells via insulin-like growth factor-1 signaling.

Three new norsesquiterpenoids from the seeds of Alpinia galanga.

PubMed

Bian, Meng-Qin; Kang, Jie; Wang, Hong-Qing; Zhang, Qing-Jian; Liu, Chao; Chen, Ruo-Yun

2014-01-01

From the seeds of Alpinia galanga Willd., three new norsesquiterpenoid racemic mixtures, galanols A-C (1-3) were isolated, along with three known sesquiterpenoids (4-6). Their structures were elucidated by means of UV, IR, HR-ESI-MS, 1D NMR and 2D NMR spectroscopic data.

Chemical composition and bioactivity studies of Alpinia nigra essential oils

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Free radical scavenging, bactericidal and bitting deterrent properties of Alpinia nigra essential oils (EOs) were investigated in the present study. Chemical composition of the EOs were analyzed using GC-MS/GC-FID which revealed the presence of 63 constituents including ß-caryophyllene as major comp...

[The compounds from n-butanol fraction of Alpinia oxyphylla].

PubMed

Xie, Bin-Bin; Hou, Lei; Guo, Bao-Lin; Huang, Wen-Hua; Yu, Jing-Guang

2014-11-01

Nine compounds were isolated from the n-butanol fraction of 95% ethanol extract of the fruit of Alpinia oxyphylla Miq. with a combination of various chromatographic approaches, including MDS resin, silica gel, reverse phase C18 and preparative HPLC. On the basis of spectroscopic data analysis, they were elucidated as (1R, 4R, 10R)-1β, 4α-dihydroxy-11, 12, 13-trinor-5, 6-eudesmen-7-one (1), 1β, 4β-dihydroxy-11, 12, 13-trinor-8, 9-eudesmen-7-one (2), oxyphyllenone A (3), oxyphyllenone B (4), rhamnocitrin (5), staphylionoside D (6), benzyl-1-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (7), 2-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1S)-phenylethylene glycol (8), and (S)-1-phenylethyl-β-D-glucopyranoside (9). Among them, compound 1 is a new sesquiterpene, named as oxyphyllenone C; compounds 8 and 9 are new natural products; compounds 2 and 6 were isolated from the genus Alpinia for the first time, and compound 7 was isolated from A. oxyphylla for the first time.

Multi-elements determination in medical and edible Alpinia oxyphylla and Morinda officinalis and their decoctions by ICP-MS.

PubMed

Zhao, Xiangsheng; Wei, Jianhe; Shu, Xiaoyan; Kong, Weijun; Yang, Meihua

2016-12-01

Contents of twenty elements (Mg, K, Ca, Na, Fe, Al, Zn, Ba, Mn, Cu, Mo, Cr, Ni, As, Se, Cd, Hg, Tl, Pb and V) in two medical and edible plant species, Alpinia oxyphylla and Morinda officinalis were simultaneously determined by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) method after microwave digestion with HNO 3 -H 2 O 2 (6:1, v/v) as the digestion solvent. Certified standard reference material Poplar leaf was used to assess the accuracy of the method. The greatest contents of Mg, K, Ca, Al, Fe and Na were found in dried Alpinia oxyphylla and Morinda officinalis samples. The contents of five heavy metals including Pb, Cd, As, Hg and Cu in Alpinia oxyphylla did not exceed the limits. The contents of Pb in 76.67% samples and Cd in two batches of Morinda officinalis samples exceeded the limits set by Chinese Pharmacopeia. The contents of the selected elements in different parts (leaves, stems, roots and fruits) of Alpinia oxyphylla varied considerably. The highest concentrations of Mg, Ca, Mn and Se were found in the leaves of Alpinia oxyphylla, at the same time, while, the contents of 9 elements including Cd, Cr, Cu, As, Pb in the roots were the highest. The transfer ratios of selected elements from both species of herbs into their decoctions were reduced. Especially for the heavy metals, the transfer ratios were below 30% except As (79.73%) in Morinda officinalis. The results showed that decoction of the samples may reduce the intake of heavy metals. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Viewpoint: A Contributory Role of Shell Ginger (Alpinia zerumbet) for Human Longevity in Okinawa, Japan?

PubMed Central

Teschke, Rolf

2018-01-01

The longevity of the population in the Okinawa Islands of Japan has been ascribed to genetic factors and the traditional Okinawa cuisine, which is low in calories and high in plant content. This diet includes shell ginger (Alpinia zerumbet (Pers.) B.L. Burtt & R.M. Sm) of the ginger family (Zingiberaceae). Due to its local popularity, Alpinia zerumbet has become the subject of a good deal of study at the University of the Ryukyus in Okinawa. Personal local experience and review of the literature now suggest that culinary shell ginger may contribute to longevity among the population in Okinawa. This is supported by its abundant phytochemical content, with antioxidant and anti-obesity properties. The major bioactive phytochemicals are dihydro-5,6-dehydrokawain (DDK; 80–410 mg g−1 fresh weight), 5,6-dehydrokawain (DK; ≤100 mg g−1), and essential oils, phenols, phenolic acids, and fatty acids (≤150 mg g−1 each). Further, Alpinia zerumbet extends the lifespan in animals by 22.6%. In conclusion, culinary shell ginger may significantly contribute to human longevity in Okinawa. PMID:29385084

Development and validation of HPTLC fingerprints of three species of Alpinia with biomarker Galangin.

PubMed

Upadhye, Anuradha S; Rajopadhye, Anagha; Dias, Lourelle

2018-01-16

Alpinia galanga (L.) Willd. commonly called as Rasna, Greater galangal or Kulinjan is a medicinally important rhizome used in Indian traditional system of medicine to cure a number of ailments. A. galanga is the main source of a galangin -a medicinally important flavanol which has a number of pharmacological properties viz. anti-mutagenic, and anti-inflammatory. Due to the high demand for the rhizome of A. galanga traders are now substituting it with rhizomes of A. calcarata and A. officinarum. The present study aims to develop high performance thin layer chromatographic (HPTLC) fingerprinting of A. galanga with its adulterants or substitutes and to quantify bioactive galangin present thereof. Methanolic extracts were obtained from rhizomes of the three species of Alpinia used for HPTLC analysis using silica gel 60 F254 plates and hexane: ethyl acetate: acetic acid (6.2: 2.8: 1.0 v/v/v); the densitometric analysis was performed at 272 nm. By comparison of Rf values and of the spectra of the bands with those of the standard galangin was identified in all three samples. HPTLC quantitative analysis of the methanolic extracts showed the decline trend in the quantity of the galangin in the three species of Alpinia as A. galanga (7.67 ± 0.36 mg/g) > A. officinarum (5.77 ± 0.71 mg/g) > A. calcarata (4.31 ± 0.44 mg/g). The HPTLC method was validated using International Conference on Harmonization (ICH) guidelines. The HPTLC method showed good linearity, recovery and high precision of biomarker. Rapid and reproducible method is useful for routine analysis of galangin and quality control of Alpinia galangal along with its adulterants or substitutes.

Evaluation of in vitro enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant properites of leaf extract from Alpinia Purpurata (Vieill.) K. Schum.

PubMed

Raj, Chinthamony Arul; Ragavendran, Paramasivam; Sophia, Dominic; Starlin, Thangarajan; Rathi, Muthian Ahalliya; Gopalakrishnan, Velliyur Kanniappan

2016-09-01

To evaluate the enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants of leaf extract from Alpinia purpurata. One gram of fresh leaf of Alpinia purpurata was grinded in 2 mL of 50% ethanol and centrifuged at 10,000×g at 4°C for 10 min. The supernatant obtained was used within 4 h for various enzymatic antioxidants assays like superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione S-transferase (GST), ascorbate oxidase, peroxidase, polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and non-enzymatic antioxidants such as vitamin C, total reduced glutathione (TRG) and lipid peroxidation (LPO). The leaf extract of Alpinia purpurata possess antioxidants like vitamin C 472.92±6.80 μg/mg protein, GST 372.11±5.70 μmol of 1-chloro 2,4 dinitrobenzene (CDNB)-reduced glutathione (GSH) conjugate formed/min/mg protein, GPx 281.69±6.43 μg of glutathione oxidized/min/mg protein, peroxidases 173.12±9.40 μmol/g tissue, TRG 75.27±3.55 μg/mg protein, SOD 58.03±2.11 U/mg protein, CAT 46.70±2.35 μmol of H2O2 consumed/min/mg protein in high amount whereas ascorbate oxidase 17.41±2.46 U/g tissue, LPO 2.71±0.14 nmol/L of malondialdehyde formed/min/mg protein and PPO 1.14±0.11 μmol/g tissue in moderate amount. Alpinia purpurata has the potential to scavenge the free radicals and protect against oxidative stress causing diseases. In future, Alpinia purpurata may serve as a good pharmacotherapeutic agent.

Extracts of Renealmia alpinia (Rottb.) MAAS Protect against Lethality and Systemic Hemorrhage Induced by Bothrops asper Venom: Insights from a Model with Extract Administration before Venom Injection.

PubMed

Patiño, Arley Camilo; Quintana, Juan Carlos; Gutiérrez, José María; Rucavado, Alexandra; Benjumea, Dora María; Pereañez, Jaime Andrés

2015-04-30

Renealmia alpinia (Rottb.) MAAS, obtained by micropropagation (in vitro) and wild forms have previously been shown to inhibit some toxic activities of Bothrops asper snake venom if preincubated before injection. In this study, assays were performed in a murine model in which extracts were administered for three days before venom injection. R. alpinia extracts inhibited lethal activity of B. asper venom injected by intraperitoneal route. Median Effective Dose (ED50) values were 36.6 ± 3.2 mg/kg and 31.7 ± 5.4 mg/kg (p > 0.05) for R. alpinia wild and in vitro extracts, respectively. At a dose of 75 mg/kg, both extracts totally inhibited the lethal activity of the venom. Moreover, this dose prolonged survival time of mice receiving a lethal dose of venom by the intravenous route. At 75 mg/kg, both extracts of R. alpinia reduced the extent of venom-induced pulmonary hemorrhage by 48.0% (in vitro extract) and 34.7% (wild extract), in agreement with histological observations of lung tissue. R. alpinia extracts also inhibited hemorrhage in heart and kidneys, as evidenced by a decrease in mg of hemoglobin/g of organ. These results suggest the possibility of using R. alpinia as a prophylactic agent in snakebite, a hypothesis that needs to be further explored.

Neuroprotective effect of Alpinia galanga (L.) fractions on Aβ(25-35) induced amnesia in mice.

PubMed

Hanish Singh, J C; Alagarsamy, V; Diwan, Prakash V; Sathesh Kumar, S; Nisha, J C; Narsimha Reddy, Y

2011-10-31

The rhizomes of Alpinia galanga (L.) Willd (Zingiberaceae), a ginger substitute for flavouring food was traditionally used as nervine tonic and stimulant. This investigation is designed to screen cognitive improvement of Alpinia galanga (AG) fractions in Alzheimer's type of amnesia in mice induced by Aβ((25-35)). Alzheimer's disease induced mice treated with fractions (n-hexane, chloroform and ethyl acetate) of AG in 200 and 400mg/kg. Neurotoxicity was induced by intracerebroventricular injection of Aβ((25-35)) on the 14th day of 21 days drug treatment. Open field and water maze were carried to determine habituation memory and hippocampal memory. Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase, acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and antioxidant enzymes (SOD, GPx, catalase and vitamin C) were determined in brain tissue homogenate to estimate the brain biochemical changes and its anti-amnesic potential with intensity of oxidative stress signaling. Further bioactive (chloroform) fraction was eluted through column chromatography to identify the lead molecules. Increased habituation memory and decreased escape latency in behavioral parameter are the indicative of the cognitive enhancement after treatment with Alpinia galanga fractions. Increment in Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase and antioxidant activity depicts brain membrane integrity improvement and free radical scavenging property. AChE level was decreased to improve the cognition by enhancing cholinergic transmission. Anti-amnesic effect was exerted by various fractions of Alpinia galanga. Among all fractions, preeminent neuroprotection was exerted by chloroform fraction, which has compound, 1'δ-1'-acetoxyeugenol acetate and it may be a potential therapeutic agent for Alzheimer's type of amnesia. These results further motivate us to explore the activity of lead compound's anti-amnesic effect on transgenic mice model of AD. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Extracts of Renealmia alpinia (Rottb.) MAAS Protect against Lethality and Systemic Hemorrhage Induced by Bothrops asper Venom: Insights from a Model with Extract Administration before Venom Injection

PubMed Central

Patiño, Arley Camilo; Quintana, Juan Carlos; Gutiérrez, José María; Rucavado, Alexandra; Benjumea, Dora María; Pereañez, Jaime Andrés

2015-01-01

Renealmia alpinia (Rottb.) MAAS, obtained by micropropagation (in vitro) and wild forms have previously been shown to inhibit some toxic activities of Bothrops asper snake venom if preincubated before injection. In this study, assays were performed in a murine model in which extracts were administered for three days before venom injection. R. alpinia extracts inhibited lethal activity of B. asper venom injected by intraperitoneal route. Median Effective Dose (ED50) values were 36.6 ± 3.2 mg/kg and 31.7 ± 5.4 mg/kg (p > 0.05) for R. alpinia wild and in vitro extracts, respectively. At a dose of 75 mg/kg, both extracts totally inhibited the lethal activity of the venom. Moreover, this dose prolonged survival time of mice receiving a lethal dose of venom by the intravenous route. At 75 mg/kg, both extracts of R. alpinia reduced the extent of venom-induced pulmonary hemorrhage by 48.0% (in vitro extract) and 34.7% (wild extract), in agreement with histological observations of lung tissue. R. alpinia extracts also inhibited hemorrhage in heart and kidneys, as evidenced by a decrease in mg of hemoglobin/g of organ. These results suggest the possibility of using R. alpinia as a prophylactic agent in snakebite, a hypothesis that needs to be further explored. PMID:25941768

Anti-inflammatory effects of alpinone 3-acetate from Alpinia japonica seeds.

PubMed

Kakegawa, Tomohito; Miyazaki, Aya; Yasukawa, Ken

2016-07-01

We aimed to investigate the bioactive components of Alpinia japonica as anti-inflammatory compounds using searches of the Alpinia genus, and subsequently demonstrated that alpinone 3-acetate markedly inhibits 12-O-tetradecanoyiphorbol 13-acetate-induced inflammation in a mouse model of ear edema. To assess other bioactivities of alpinone 3-acetate, we performed translatome analyses and compared them with those of hydrocortisone. Polysome-associated mRNAs were prepared from alpinone 3-acetate- or hydrocortisone-treated and control cells from 12-O-tetradecanoyiphorbol 13-acetate-induced THP-1-derived macrophages cultured in the presence of Escherichia coli O-111 lipopolysaccharide. Subsequent microarray analysis revealed that alpinone 3-acetate and hydrocortisone upregulated and downregulated the same 155 and 41 genes, respectively. Moreover, direct comparisons of translationally regulated genes indicated 5 and 10 gene probes that were upregulated and downregulated by alpinone 3-acetate and hydrocortisone, respectively. In conclusion, assays of 12-O-tetradecanoyiphorbol 13-acetate-induced inflammation ear edema in mice and polysome profiling of alpinone 3-acetate bioactivities indicated similar medicinal possibilities to those of hydrocortisone.

Antioxidant potential, cytotoxic activity and total phenolic content of Alpinia pahangensis rhizomes.

PubMed

Phang, Chung-Weng; Malek, Sri Nurestri Abd; Ibrahim, Halijah

2013-10-01

Alpinia pahangensis, a wild ginger distributed in the lowlands of Pahang, Malaysia, is used by the locals to treat flatulence. In this study, the antioxidant and cytotoxic activities of the crude aqueous methanol and fractionated extracts of Alpinia pahangensis against five different cancer and one normal cell lines were investigated. The total phenolic content of each extract and its fractions were also quantified. This is the first report on the antioxidant and cytotoxic activities of Alpinia pahangensis extract. In the current study, the crude methanol and fractionated extract of the rhizomes of Alpinia pahangensis were investigated for their antioxidant activity using four different assays namely, the DPPH scavenging activity, superoxide anion scavenging, β-carotene bleaching and reducing power assays whilst their phenolic contents were measured by the Folin-Ciocalteu's method.In vitro neutral red cytotoxicity assay was employed to evaluate the cytotoxic activity against five different cancer cell lines, colon cancer (HCT 116 and HT-29), cervical cancer (Ca Ski), breast cancer (MCF7) and lung cancer (A549) cell lines, and one normal cell line (MRC-5). The extract that showed high cytotoxic activity was further investigated for its chemical constituents by GC-MS (gas chromatography-mass spectrometry) analysis. The ethyl acetate fraction showed the strongest DPPH radical scavenging (0.35 ± 0.094 mg/ml) and SOD activities (51.77 ± 4.9%) whilst the methanol extract showed the highest reducing power and also the strongest antioxidant activity in the β-carotene bleaching assays in comparison to other fractions. The highest phenolic content was found in the ethyl acetate fraction, followed by the crude methanol extract, hexane and water fractions. The results showed a positive correlation between total phenolic content with DPPH radical scavenging capacities and SOD activities. The hexane fraction showed potent cytotoxic effect against KB, Ca Ski and HCT 116 cell

Antioxidant potential, cytotoxic activity and total phenolic content of Alpinia pahangensis rhizomes

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Alpinia pahangensis, a wild ginger distributed in the lowlands of Pahang, Malaysia, is used by the locals to treat flatulence. In this study, the antioxidant and cytotoxic activities of the crude aqueous methanol and fractionated extracts of Alpinia pahangensis against five different cancer and one normal cell lines were investigated. The total phenolic content of each extract and its fractions were also quantified. This is the first report on the antioxidant and cytotoxic activities of Alpinia pahangensis extract. Methods In the current study, the crude methanol and fractionated extract of the rhizomes of Alpinia pahangensis were investigated for their antioxidant activity using four different assays namely, the DPPH scavenging activity, superoxide anion scavenging, β-carotene bleaching and reducing power assays whilst their phenolic contents were measured by the Folin-Ciocalteu’s method. In vitro neutral red cytotoxicity assay was employed to evaluate the cytotoxic activity against five different cancer cell lines, colon cancer (HCT 116 and HT-29), cervical cancer (Ca Ski), breast cancer (MCF7) and lung cancer (A549) cell lines, and one normal cell line (MRC-5). The extract that showed high cytotoxic activity was further investigated for its chemical constituents by GC-MS (gas chromatography–mass spectrometry) analysis. Results The ethyl acetate fraction showed the strongest DPPH radical scavenging (0.35 ± 0.094 mg/ml) and SOD activities (51.77 ± 4.9%) whilst the methanol extract showed the highest reducing power and also the strongest antioxidant activity in the β-carotene bleaching assays in comparison to other fractions. The highest phenolic content was found in the ethyl acetate fraction, followed by the crude methanol extract, hexane and water fractions. The results showed a positive correlation between total phenolic content with DPPH radical scavenging capacities and SOD activities. The hexane fraction showed potent cytotoxic

New chalcones bearing a long-chain alkylphenol from the rhizomes of Alpinia galanga.

PubMed

Yang, Wan-Qiu; Gao, Yuan; Li, Ming; Miao, De-Ren; Wang, Fei

2015-01-01

Three novel chalcones bearing a long-chain alkylphenol, galanganones A-C (1-3), were isolated from the rhizomes of Alpinia galanga. Their structures were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic analysis including 2D NMR experiments. Compounds 1-3 represent the first examples of long-chain alkylphenol-coupled chalcone.

Chemical Compositions and Insecticidal Activities of Alpinia kwangsiensis Essential Oil against Lasioderma serricorne.

PubMed

Wu, Yan; Zhang, Wen-Juan; Huang, Dong-Ye; Wang, Ying; Wei, Jian-Yu; Li, Zhi-Hua; Sun, Jian-Sheng; Bai, Jia-Feng; Tian, Zhao-Fu; Wang, Ping-Juan; Du, Shu-Shan

2015-12-08

The essential oil obtained by hydrodistillation from Alpinia kwangsiensis rhizomes was investigated by GC-MS. A total of 31 components representing 92.45% of the oil were identified and the main compounds in the oil were found to be camphor (17.59%), eucalyptol (15.16%), β-pinene (11.15%) and α-pinene (10.50%). These four compounds were subsequently isolated and the essential oil and four isolated compounds exhibited potent insecticidal activity against Lasioderma serricorne adults. During the assay, it was shown that the essential oil exhibited both potential contact (LD50 = of 24.59 μg/adult) and fumigant (LC50 = of 9.91 mg/L air) toxicity against Lasioderma serricorne. The study revealed that the insecticidal activity of the essential oil can be attributed to the synergistic effects of its diverse major components, which indicates that oil of Alpinia kwangsiensis and its isolated compounds have potential to be developed into natural insecticides to control insects in stored grains and traditional Chinese medicinal materials.

Rapid extraction and determination of 25 bioactive constituents in Alpinia oxyphylla using microwave extraction with ultra high performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Sun, Zhi; Kong, Xiangzhen; Zuo, Lihua; Kang, Jian; Hou, Lei; Zhang, Xiaojian

2016-02-01

A novel and rapid microwave extraction and ultra high performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry method was developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of 25 bioactive constituents (including two new constituents) in Fructus Alpinia oxyphylla. The optimized conditions of the microwave extraction was a microwave power of 300 W, extraction temperature of 80°C, solvent-to-solid ratio of 30 mL/g and extraction time of 8 min. Separation was achieved on a Waters ACQUITY UPLC(®) HSS C18 column (2.1 mm× 50 mm, 1.8 μm) using gradient elution with a mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile and 1 mM ammonium acetate at a flow rate of 0.2 mL/min. This is the first report of the simultaneous determination of 25 bioactive constituents in Fructus Alpinia oxyphylla by ultra high performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. The method was validated with good linearity, acceptable precision and accuracy. The validated method was successfully applied to determine the contents of 25 bioactive constituents in Fructus Alpinia oxyphylla from different sources and the analysis results were classified by hierarchical cluster analysis, which indicated the effect of different cultivation regions on the contents of constituents. This study provides powerful and practical guidance in the quality control of Alpinia oxyphylla and lays the foundation for further research of Alpinia oxyphylla. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

New sesquiterpenoids and a diterpenoid from Alpinia oxyphylla.

PubMed

Hou, Lei; Ding, Gang; Guo, Baolin; Huang, Wenhua; Zhang, Xiaojian; Sun, Zhiyong; Shi, Xiangfen

2015-01-16

The new compounds 2-methyl-6-isopropyl-7-hydroxymethyl naphthalene (1), oxyphyllenone H (2), epi-oxyphyllenone (6), (E)-labda-12,14-dien-15(16)-olide-17-oic acid (3), and two new natural products 4 and 5 were isolated from the ethyl acetate part of 95% ethanol extract of Alpinia oxyphylla, together with six known compounds 7-12. The inhibitory effects of compounds 1-12 on α-glucosidase were evaluated, and compounds 1, 3 and 6 showed moderate bioactive effect, with inhibitory rates of 10.3%, 10.0% and 11.5%, respectively, compared to the positive control acarbose (41.9%) at 20 µg/mL.

Effects of hirami lemon, Citrus depressa Hayata, leaf meal in diets on the immune response and disease resistance of juvenile barramundi, Lates calcarifer (bloch), against Aeromonas hydrophila.

PubMed

Shiu, Ya-Li; Lin, Hsueh-Li; Chi, Chia-Chun; Yeh, Shinn-Pyng; Liu, Chun-Hung

2016-08-01

The present study was conducted to evaluate the dietary supplementation of leaf meal from Citrus depressa Hayata on the growth, innate immune response, and disease resistance of juvenile barramundi, Lates calcarifer. Four diets were formulated to contain 0% (control), 1% (C1), 3% (C3), and 5% (C5) leaf meal, respectively. During a 56 d feeding trial, fish survival, growth performance, and feed efficiency were not significantly different among all groups. For immune response, respiratory burst, superoxide dismutase and lysozyme activities were not significantly different among all groups. However, fish fed the C5 diet for 56 d had significantly higher phagocytic activity. Also, fish fed C3 and C5 diets had significantly higher Mx gene expressions in spleens and head kidneys with nerve necrosis virus injections after 24 h. Disease resistance against Aeromonas hydrophila was increased by the C5 diet. In this study, barramundi fed on a diet containing 5% C. depressa Hayata leaf meal had significantly better innate immune response and disease resistance against A. hydrophila. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hispidin and related herbal compounds from Alpinia zerumbet inhibit both PAK1-dependent melanogenesis in melanocytes and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in adipocytes.

PubMed

Be Tu, Pham Thi; Chompoo, Jamnian; Tawata, Shinkichi

2015-06-01

Recently several compounds from Okinawa plants including Alpinia zerumbet (alpinia) were shown to inhibit directly the oncogenic/ageing kinase PAK1 (p21-activated kinase 1). Furthermore, it was recently revealed that both PAK1 and PAK4 (p21-activated kinase 4) are equally essential for the melanogenesis in melanoma cells. Thus, in this study, we tested if several alpinia compounds inhibit the melanogenesis in melanoma (B16F10) cells, as well as the PAK1-dependent up-regulation of both reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nitric oxide (NO) in cultured adipocytes (3T3-L1) without any cytotoxicity. The effect of alpinia compounds on the melanogenesis was measured by both the melanin content and intracellular tyrosinase activity in melanoma cells treated with 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IBMX), a melanogenesis stimulating hormone. We found that (1E,3E,5E)-6-methoxyhexa-1,3,5-trien-1-yl)-2,5-dihydrofuran (MTD), 5,6-dehydrokawain (DK), labdadiene, hispidin and dihydro-5,6-dehydrokawain (DDK) at 50 μg/mL reduced the melanin content by 63-79%. The MTD, DK and hispidin, at 50 μg/mL, inhibited tyrosinase activity by 70-83% in melanoma cells. Among these compounds, labdadiene, MTD, (E)-2,2,3,3-Tetramethyl8-methylene-7-(oct-6-en-1-yl)octahydro-1H-quinolizine (TMOQ) and hispidin strongly inhibited the ROS production. Hispidin, labdadiene and MTD at 20 μg/mL inhibited NO production by over 70%. These findings altogether suggest that some of these alpinia compounds could be potentially useful for the prevention or treatment of hyperpigmentation and obesity.

Antimelanoma and Antityrosinase from Alpinia galangal Constituents

PubMed Central

Liu, Po-Len; Lin, Li-Ching; Chen, Yen-Ting; Hseu, You-Cheng; Wen, Zhi-Hong

2013-01-01

Two compounds, 1,7-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-1,4,6-heptatrien-3-one (BHPHTO) and bisdemethoxycurcumin (BDMC) they have been isolated from the rhizomes of Alpinia galangal, and the structures of both pure constituents were determined using spectroscopic analyses. The study examined the bioeffectivenesses of the two compounds on the human melanoma A2058 and showed that significantly inhibited the proliferation of melanoma cells in the cell viability assay. This research was also taken on the tests to B16-F10 cell line and showed minor inhibitory consequences of cellular tyrosinase activities and melanin contents. Our results revealed the anticancer effects of A. galangal compounds, and therefore, the target compounds could be potentially applied in the therapeutic application and the food industry. PMID:24027439

Hair Growth Promoting and Anticancer Effects of p21-activated kinase 1 (PAK1) Inhibitors Isolated from Different Parts of Alpinia zerumbet.

PubMed

Taira, Nozomi; Nguyen, Binh Cao Quan; Tawata, Shinkichi

2017-01-14

PAK1 (p21-activated kinase 1) is an emerging target for the treatment of hair loss (alopecia) and cancer; therefore, the search for PAK1 blockers to treat these PAK1-dependent disorders has received much attention. In this study, we evaluated the anti-alopecia and anticancer effects of PAK1 inhibitors isolated from Alpinia zerumbet (alpinia) in cell culture. The bioactive compounds isolated from alpinia were found to markedly promote hair cell growth. Kaempferol-3- O -β-d-glucuronide (KOG) and labdadiene, two of the isolated compounds, increased the proliferation of human follicle dermal papilla cells by approximately 117%-180% and 132%-226%, respectively, at 10-100 μM. MTD (2,5-bis(1 E ,3 E ,5 E )-6-methoxyhexa-1,3,5-trien-1-yl)-2,5-dihydrofuran) and TMOQ (( E )-2,2,3,3-tetramethyl-8-methylene-7-(oct-6-en-1-yl)octahydro-1 H -quinolizine) showed growth-promoting activity around 164% and 139% at 10 μM, respectively. The hair cell proliferation induced by these compounds was significantly higher than that of minoxidil, a commercially available treatment for hair loss. Furthermore, the isolated compounds from alpinia exhibited anticancer activity against A549 lung cancer cells with IC 50 in the range of 67-99 μM. Regarding the mechanism underlying their action, we hypothesized that the anti-alopecia and anticancer activities of these compounds could be attributed to the inhibition of the oncogenic/aging kinase PAK1.

[BIO-INSECTICIDAL ACTIVITY OF ALPINIA GALANGA (L.) ON LARVAL DEVELOPMENT OF SPODOPTERA LITURA (LEPIDOPTERA: NOCTUIDAE).

PubMed

Pumchan, A; Puangsomchit, A; Temyarasilp, P; Pluempanupat, W; Bullangpoti, V

2015-01-01

The aim of the study was to assess the bio-efficacy of four Alpinia galanga rhizome crude extracts against the second and third instars of Spodoptera litura, an important field pest. The growth of younger larvae was significantly affected while that of the older larval stage was less influenced. In both stages, the methanol crude extract showed the greatest efficiency which caused the highest number of abnormal adults to occur and produced a large LD₅₀ value (12.816 µg/ larvae) pupicidal percentage after treatment, whereas, hexane extract caused the highest mortality during the larval-pupal stage after treatment with an LD₅₀ value of 6.354 µg/ larvae. However, the larval development was not significantly different among all treated larvae compared to the control. This study suggests that secondary larval instars of S. litura are more susceptible to the larval growth inhibitory action of Alpinia galanga extracts and these extracts could also be applied for use in the management of pests.

A new labdane diterpene from the rhizomes of Alpinia officinarum.

PubMed

Zou, Qiong-Yu; Wu, Hai-Feng; Tang, Yu-Lian; Chen, Di-Zhao

2016-01-01

A new labdane diterpene, (Z)-12,14-labdadien-15(16)-olide-17-oic acid (1), and a new natural cadinane sesquiterpene, 4-isopropyl-6-methyl-1-naphthalenemethanol (2), were isolated from the ethanolic extract of the rhizomes of Alpinia officinarum, together with three other products, galangin (3), kaempferol (4) and quercetin (5). Their structures were elucidated by using extensive spectroscopic methods. Compounds 1 and 2 showed no remarkable cytotoxic activity against HeLa and HepG2 cancer cell lines with IC50>50 μg mL(- 1).

Volatile aroma components and antioxidant activities of the flavedo peel extract of unripe Shiikuwasha (Citrus depressa Hayata).

PubMed

Asikin, Yonathan; Taira, Ikuko; Inafuku, Sayuri; Sumi, Hidekazu; Sawamura, Masayoshi; Takara, Kensaku; Wada, Koji

2012-04-01

The flavedo peel extracts of unripe Shiikuwasha (Citrus depressa Hayata) fruits were extracted using steam distillation (SD) or a cold-press (CP) system. Volatile aroma content and composition were determined using gas chromatography (GC) and each compound was identified using gas chromatography-mass spectrophotometry (GC-MS). The major constituents of the extracts were monoterpene hydrocarbons (91.75-93.75%[709.32-809.05 mg/100 g of fresh flavedo peel]) including limonene (43.08-45.13%[341.46-379.81 mg/100 g of fresh flavedo peel]), γ-terpinene (27.88-29.06%[219.90-245.86 mg/100 g of fresh flavedo peel]), and p-cymene (8.13-11.02%[61.47-97.22 mg/100 g of fresh flavedo peel]). The extraction process used was determined to be a decisive factor that affects the composition of key citrus aroma components, as well as the antioxidant activities of the Shiikuwasha fruit. Antioxidant capabilities of the extracts were examined by assay of 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical-scavenging activity and β-carotene bleaching inhibition. The cold-press extraction system may better retain the total phenolic content of the flavedo peel and display superior antioxidant activities, compared to the steam distillation extraction method. Shiikuwasha (Citrus depressa Hayata) is a type of small citrus fruit, and has been used as raw material for beverage and food additive productions in Japan. It had a unique aroma composition in which the limonene content of its peels is lower than that of other commonly known citrus peels. The present study detailed the volatile aroma composition, as well as antioxidant capabilities of Shiikuwasha peel extracts of different extraction methods, that are cold-press and steam distillation methods. The results of this study may provide a basis for selection of Shiikuwasha peel extracts in food industry for citrus flavor production. © 2012 Institute of Food Technologists®

8-9' linked neolignans with cytotoxicity from Alpinia conchigera.

PubMed

Xu, Jun-Ju; Zeng, Guang-Zhi; Yang, Sheng-Chao; Shen, Yong; Tan, Ning-Hua

2013-12-01

Five new 8-9' linked neolignans conchigeranals A-E (1-5), together with three known compounds galanganal (6), galanganols A (7) and B (8), were isolated from the whole plant of Alpinia conchigera. Their structures were established by spectroscopic analysis, including 2D-NMR spectroscopic techniques. Cytotoxicities of compounds 1-8 were tested against two cancer cell lines A549 and Hela. Results showed that 4, 5, 7 and 8 exhibited cytotoxicity against A549 with the IC50 values of 12.36, 9.72, 10.26, 13.05 μg/ml, respectively, and 1-8 against Hela with the IC50 values from 1.53 to 5.29 μg/ml. © 2013.

[Evaluation of the inhibitory effect of extracts from leaves of Renealmia alpinia Rottb. Maas (Zingiberaceae) on the venom of Bothrops asper (mapaná)].

PubMed

Patiño, Arley Camilo; López, Jéssica; Aristizábal, Mónica; Quintana, Juan Carlos; Benjumea, Dora

2012-09-01

Traditional medicine is an invaluable source of research into new medicines as a supplement for the treatment of snakebite, considered as a serious public health problem worldwide. The extracts of the medicinal plant, Renealmia alpina, have been used traditionally by indigenous people of Chocó (Colombia) against Bothrops asper snakebite, a snake responsible for the majority of snakebite accidents in Colombia. The ability of extracts of R. alpinia leaves was tested for its ability to neutralize the hemorrhagic, coagulant and proteolytic effects of the snakebite venom of B. asper. The acute toxicity tests and analgesic activity of R. alpina were evaluated in vivo. In addition, tests were undertaken in in vitro conditions to demonstrate inhibition of coagulant, haemolytic and proteolytic activity of the B. asper venom. Results. Renealmia alpinia extracts had no toxic effects in experimental animals and also provided analgesic and antiophidian effects and protection against the lethal effects of the venom of B. asper. Renealmia. alpinia was an effective therapeutic alternative in association with antivenom treatment in the event of a B. asper snakebite accident. It was demonstrated to protect against the lethal effects and provided analgesic properties as well.

Anticoagulant flavonoid oligomers from the rhizomes of Alpinia platychilus.

PubMed

Shen, Chuan-Pu; Luo, Jian-Guang; Yang, Ming-Hua; Kong, Ling-Yi

2015-10-01

Two pairs of enantiomers of flavonoid oligomers (1a and 1b, 2a and 2b) along with one known chalcone (3) were isolated from the rhizomes of Alpinia platychilus. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic data (MS and 1D/2D NMR). The absolute configurations of the flavonoid oligomers were established by their ECD spectra. Separation of the enantiomeric mixtures (1a and 1b, 2a and 2b) was achieved on a chiral column using hexane:isopropyl alcohol:ethanol (7:2:1) as eluents. The anticoagulant assay showed that 2a, 2b and 3 exhibited potent activities to prolong the prothrombin times (PT) and the thrombin times (TT). Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Chemical constituents of the leaf of Alpinia mutica Roxb.

PubMed

Sirat, Hasnah Mohd; Jani, Nor Akmalazura

2013-01-01

Hydrodistillation of the fresh leaves of Alpinia mutica afforded 0.005% colourless essential oil. GC and GC-MS analysis revealed the presence of 33 components accounting for 92.9% of the total oil, dominated by 20 sesquiterpenes (76.7%) and 10 monoterpenes (8.3%). The major constituent was found to be β-sesquiphellandrene which was 29.2% of the total oil. Soxhlet extraction, followed by repeated column chromatography of the dried leaves yielded two phenolic compounds, identified as 5,6-dehydrokawain and aniba dimer A, together with one amide assigned as auranamide. The structures of these compounds were determined by using spectroscopic analysis. Antibacterial screening of the essential oil, the crude and isolated compounds showed weak to moderate inhibitory activity.

Intermedin A, a New Labdane Diterpene Isolated from Alpinia intermedia, Prolonged the Survival Time of P-388D1 Tumor-Bearing CDF1 Mice.

PubMed

Chen, Lih-Geeng; Su, Pei-Jung; Tsai, Po-Wei; Yang, Ling-Ling; Wang, Ching-Chiung

2017-01-01

Eight ethanolic extracts of indigenous Taiwanese plants of the genus Alpinia were tested for tumor cytotoxicity against AGS, Hep G2, HeLa, KB, and HL-60 cells. Among the 50 % and 95 % EtOH extracts of eight Alpinia species, the cytotoxic effects of Alpinia intermedia leaves were the strongest. When the leaf extract of A. intermedia was partitioned using n -hexane and aqueous solvents, the n -hexane layer showed a greater cytotoxic effect and could prolong the survival time of P-388D 1 tumor-bearing CDF1 mice. Two new labdane diterpene derivatives, intermedin A ( 1 ) and intermedin B ( 2 ), and coronarin E ( 3 ) were isolated from the n -hexane layer of A. intermedia . Intermedin A induced apoptosis in HL-60 cells at 30 µg/mL and significantly prolonged the survival time of P-388D 1 tumor-bearing CDF 1 mice by 48.7 % at 20 mg/kg of body weight. We suggest that intermedin A is a major compound of A. intermedia and has a cytotoxic effect on HL-60 and P-388D 1 cells. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

The Effects of Aqueous Extract of Alpinia Galangal on Gastric Cancer Cells (AGS) and L929 Cells in Vitro

PubMed Central

Hadjzadeh, Mosa-Al-Reza; Ghanbari, Habib; Keshavarzi, Zakieh; Tavakol-Afshari, Jalil

2014-01-01

Background Although the incidence of gastric cancer is declining during the last half century, this cancer still is the second morbid cancer in the world after lung cancer. The incidence of gastric cancer is 26 per 100,000 in Iran. This study evaluated the effect of Alpinia galangal on AGS cells (human gastric adenocarcinoma epithelial cell line) and L929 cells (as a standard cell line originated from mouse fibroblast cells). Methods After culturing the cells in Roswell Park Memorial Institute (RPMI) medium, the cells were incubated with different doses of Alpinia galangal (0 (control), 125, 250, 500, 750 and 1000 µg/ml) in 24, 48 and 72 hour periods and then, cells viability were assessed using MTT based cell proliferation assay. Results After 24 hours, the percentage of living AGS cells compared to the control group showed no significant decrease at the concentrations of 125 and 250µg/ml. But in the rest concentrations were significant (p<0.05). Only, the percentage of surviving L929 cells at concentration of 125µg/ml of the extract was not significant, but these percentages in the other concentrations were significant. After 48 and 72h incubation, in the last three extract concentrations, the percentage of living AGS and L929 cells significantly decreased compared to control cells (p<0.05). Conclusion We have demonstrated, using cell culture model, anti-proliferative effect of aqueous extract of Alpinia galangal on human gastric tumor (AGS) and L929 cell lines. This effect was prominent in high concentrations. PMID:25250165

Chemical Composition, Antimicrobial and Insecticidal Activities of Flowers Essential Oils of Alpinia zerumbet (Pers.) B.L.Burtt & R.M.Sm. from Martinique Island.

PubMed

Kerdudo, Audrey; Ellong, Emy Njoh; Burger, Pauline; Gonnot, Vanessa; Boyer, Laurent; Chandre, Fabrice; Adenet, Sandra; Rochefort, Katia; Michel, Thomas; Fernandez, Xavier

2017-04-01

Alpinia species, used as ornamental plants and flavoring agents, are renowned for their therapeutic properties and their subsequent use in traditional medicines throughout the world. Alpinia zerumbet (Pers.) B.L.Burtt & R.M.Sm. is the most common Alpinia species encountered in Martinique. Several essential oils (EOs) obtained by hydrodistillation of A. zerumbet flowers collected in various locations on the island at different seasons were analysed to evaluate the influence of the collection period and area on the EOs' chemical compositions and to assess their bioactivity. A combination of GC-FID and GC/MS techniques was used to examine the volatile constituents, leading to the identification of a total of 71 components accounting for 97.8 - 99.3% of the respective total GC-FID areas: among them, nineteen compounds were characterized for the first time in A. zerumbet EOs. The antimicrobial activity of these EOs was assessed against eight bacterial, yeast and fungal strains and two multi-resistant strains: some significant bacteriostatic and fungistatic activities of A. zerumbet flower oils were evidenced. Finally, an interesting insecticidal activity of the flower EO was highlighted for the first time against Aedes aegypti. © 2017 Wiley-VHCA AG, Zurich, Switzerland.

Anti-obesity effects of hispidin and Alpinia zerumbet bioactives in 3T3-L1 adipocytes.

PubMed

Tu, Pham Thi Be; Tawata, Shinkichi

2014-10-15

Obesity and its related disorders have become leading metabolic diseases. In the present study, we used 3T3-L1 adipocytes to investigate the anti-obesity activity of hispidin and two related compounds that were isolated from Alpinia zerumbet (alpinia) rhizomes. The results showed that hispidin, dihydro-5,6-dehydrokawain (DDK), and 5,6-dehydrokawain (DK) have promising anti-obesity properties. In particular, all three compounds significantly increased intracellular cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) concentrations by 81.2% ± 0.06%, 67.0% ± 1.62%, and 56.9% ± 0.19%, respectively. Hispidin also stimulated glycerol release by 276.4% ± 0.8% and inhibited lipid accumulation by 47.8% ± 0.16%. Hispidin and DDK decreased intracellular triglyceride content by 79.5% ± 1.37% and 70.2% ± 1.4%, respectively, and all three compounds inhibited glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GPDH) and pancreatic lipase, with hispidin and DDK being the most potent inhibitors. Finally, none of the three compounds reduced 3T3-L1 adipocyte viability. These results highlight the potential for developing hispidin and its derivatives as anti-obesity compounds.

Alpinia Essential Oils and Their Major Components against Rhodnius nasutus, a Vector of Chagas Disease

PubMed Central

de Souza, Thamiris de A.; Lopes, Marcio B. P.; Ferreira, José Luiz P.; Queiroz, Margareth M. C.; Araújo, Kátia G. de Lima

2018-01-01

Species of the genus Alpinia are widely used by the population and have many described biological activities, including activity against insects. In this paper, we describe the bioactivity of the essential oil of two species of Alpinia genus, A. zerumbet and A. vittata, against Rhodnius nasutus, a vector of Chagas disease. The essential oils of these two species were obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by GC-MS. The main constituent of A. zerumbet essential oil (OLALPZER) was terpinen-4-ol, which represented 19.7% of the total components identified. In the essential oil of A. vittata (OLALPVIT) the monoterpene β-pinene (35.3%) was the main constituent. The essential oils and their main constituents were topically applied on R. nasutus fifth-instar nymphs. In the first 10 min of application, OLALPVIT and OLALPZER at 125 μg/mL provoked 73.3% and 83.3% of mortality, respectively. Terpinen-4-ol at 25 μg/mL and β-pinene at 44 μg/mL provoked 100% of mortality. The monitoring of resistant insects showed that both essential oils exhibited antifeedant activity. These results suggest the potential use of A. zerumbet and A. vittata essential oils and their major constituents to control R. nasutus population. PMID:29643755

Comparative Study on Volatile Compounds of Alpinia japonica and Elettaria cardamomum.

PubMed

Asakawa, Yoshinori; Ludwiczuk, Agnieszka; Sakurai, Kazutoshi; Tomiyama, Kenichi; Kawakami, Yukihiro; Yaguchi, Yoshihiro

2017-08-01

The volatile compounds obtained from the ether extracts, headspace gases and steam distillates of Alpinia japonica and Elettaria cardamomum were analyzed by GC/MS. Both species were rich sources of naturally rare fenchane-type monoterpenoids, fenchene, fenchone, fenchyl alcohol and its acetate, together with 1,8-cineole. The distributions of volatile sesquiterpenoids were very poor in both species. Chiralities of fenchone in A. japonica and E. cardamomum were 99% of (1S,4R)-(+)-form. Camphor in A. japonica is composed of a mixture of (1R,4R)-(+)-form (94.3%) and (1S,4S)-(-)-form (5.7%). On the other hand, E. cardamomum produced only (1R,4R)-(+)-camphor (99%).

Dihydro-5,6-dehydrokavain (DDK) from Alpinia zerumbet: Its Isolation, Synthesis, and Characterization.

PubMed

Xuan, Tran Dang; Teschke, Rolf

2015-09-09

Dihydro-5,6-dehydrokavain (DDK) is the major and most promising component of the tropical plant Alpinia zerumbet (shell ginger), a species of the ginger family Zingiberaceae. Alpinia zerumbet is known for its human use as a traditional herbal medicine, food, and dietary supplement. With its α-lactone ring, DDK belongs to the large chemical group of kavalactones, which are also found in kava (Piper methysticum), another herbal medicine; DDK is characterized by a double-bond linkage at positions 5,6 and the absence of a double-bond linkage at positions 7,8. This dissociates DDK from other kavalactones with their linkages at positions 7,8 and 5,6 that are both either completely saturated or unsaturated, or may have an unsaturated bond at the position 7,8 as well as a saturated bond at the position 5,6. DDK is easily identified and quantified by HPLC and GC. DDK contents in fresh leaves, stems and rhizomes range from 80 to 410 mg/g, requiring solvent extraction procedures to ensure high DDK yield. This is best achieved by hexane extraction from fresh rhizomes that were previously boiled in water, allowing DDK yields of up to 424 mg/g. Successful synthesis of DDK can be achieved by asymmetric pathways, whereas its simple chemical structure facilitates the synthesis of DDK derivatives by HCl hydrolysis. Thus, all synthesized products may be used for various commercial purposes, including the potential development of promising antiobesity pharmaceutical drugs, preparation of specific and safe dietary supplements, and use as effective natural herbicides or fungicides.

New cytotoxic diarylheptanoids from the rhizomes of Alpinia officinarum Hance.

PubMed

Liu, Dan; Liu, Yan-Wen; Guan, Fu-Qin; Liang, Jing-Yu

2014-07-01

Two new dimeric diarylheptanoids, named Alpinin C (1) and D (2), a new natural product of diarylheptanoid (3) along with three known diarylheptanoids (4-6) were isolated from the rhizomes of Alpinia officinarum Hance. Their structures were elucidated based on extensive spectroscopic analyses (1D and 2D NMR, HRTOFMS, IR). The isolated compounds were evaluated for their cytotoxicity against human tumor cell lines HepG2, MCF-7, T98G and B16-F10. Compound 1 showed selective cytotoxicity against cell lines of MCF-7 and T98G, while compound 6 showed significant cytotoxicity to the all tested tumor cell lines with IC50 in the range from 8.46 to 22.68 μmol/L. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Antiproliferative activity and induction of apoptotic by ethanolic extract of Alpinia galanga rhizhome in human breast carcinoma cell line.

PubMed

Samarghandian, Saeed; Hadjzadeh, Mousa-Al-Reza; Afshari, Jalil Tavakkol; Hosseini, Mohadeseh

2014-06-17

We investigated the potential of galangal rhizomes to induce cytotoxic and apoptotic effects in the cultured human breast carcinoma cell line, (MCF-7) in compare with the non-malignant (MRC-5) cells. Both cells were cultured in DMEM medium and treated with galangal rhizomes for three consecutive days. The percentage of apoptotic cells was determined by flow cytometry using Annexin-V fluorescein isothiocyanate. The results showed that the ethanolic extract of galangal rhizomes decreased cell viability in the malignant cells as a concentration- and time- dependent manner. The IC50 values against MCF-7 were determined at 400.0 ± 11.7 and 170.0 ± 5.9 μg/ml after 48 and 72 h respectively. The morphology of MCF-7 cells treated with the ethanolic extract confirmed the cell proliferation assay results. Alpinia galanga induced apoptosis in MCF-7 cells, as determined by flow cytometry. We concluded that the extract of Alpinia galanga exerts pro-apoptotic effects in a breast cancer-derived cell line and could be considered as a potential chemotherapeutic agent in breast cancer.

Anti-diarrheal constituents of Alpinia oxyphylla.

PubMed

Zhang, Junqing; Wang, Sheng; Li, Yonghui; Xu, Peng; Chen, Feng; Tan, Yinfeng; Duan, Jinao

2013-09-01

Isolation, screening and in vivo assays have been used for evaluating anti-diarrhea bioactive of Alpinia oxyphylla. Preliminary experimental results showed that 95% ethanol extract and 90% ethanol elution significantly extended the onset time of diarrhea and reduced the wet feces proportion, however 50% ethanol election had no effect on diarrhea. Chemical analysis results displayed that Nootkatone, Tectochrysin and yakuchinone A may be bioactive ingredients for curing diarrhea. Duodenum in vitro experiment showed that Tectochrysin 50, 100 μM reduces carbachol-induced contraction, while yakuchinone A and Nootkatone had no effect. Bioinformatic computational method as molecular docking has been complementary to experimentally work to explore the potential mechanism. The study of pathogenesis of diarrhea in humans and animal models suggested that Na(+)/H(+) exchanger3 (NHE3) and aquaporin4 (AQP4) are causative agents of diarrhea. The analysis was done on the basis of scoring and binding ability and the docking analysis showed that Tectochrysin has maximum potential against NHE3 (PDB ID: 2OCS) and AQP4 (PDB ID: 3GD8). Tectochrysin indicated minimum energy score and the highest number of interactions with active site residues. These results suggested that A. oxyphylla might exhibit its anti-diarrhea effect partially by affecting the proteins of NHE3 and AQP4 with its active ingredient Tectochrysin. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Antiproliferative activity and induction of apoptotic by ethanolic extract of Alpinia galanga rhizhome in human breast carcinoma cell line

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background We investigated the potential of galangal rhizomes to induce cytotoxic and apoptotic effects in the cultured human breast carcinoma cell line, (MCF-7) in compare with the non-malignant (MRC-5) cells. Methods Both cells were cultured in DMEM medium and treated with galangal rhizomes for three consecutive days. The percentage of apoptotic cells was determined by flow cytometry using Annexin-V fluorescein isothiocyanate. Results The results showed that the ethanolic extract of galangal rhizomes decreased cell viability in the malignant cells as a concentration- and time- dependent manner. The IC50 values against MCF-7 were determined at 400.0 ± 11.7 and 170.0 ± 5.9 μg/ml after 48 and 72 h respectively. The morphology of MCF-7 cells treated with the ethanolic extract confirmed the cell proliferation assay results. Alpinia galanga induced apoptosis in MCF-7 cells, as determined by flow cytometry. Conclusions We concluded that the extract of Alpinia galanga exerts pro-apoptotic effects in a breast cancer-derived cell line and could be considered as a potential chemotherapeutic agent in breast cancer. PMID:24935101

Pahangensin A and B, two new antibacterial diterpenes from the rhizomes of Alpinia pahangensis Ridley.

PubMed

Sivasothy, Yasodha; Ibrahim, Halijah; Paliany, Audra Shaleena; Alias, Siti Aisyah; Awang, Khalijah

2013-12-01

The rhizomes of Alpinia pahangensis Ridley yielded a new bis-labdanic diterpene for which the name pahangensin A (1) was proposed along with a new labdane diterpene, pahangensin B (2). Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods including, 1D and 2D NMR techniques and LCMS-IT-TOF analysis. Pahangensin A (1) was found to be an antibacterial agent against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus and Bacillus subtilis with MIC values less than 100 μg/mL, respectively. Pahangensin B (2) exhibited antibacterial activity (MIC <100 μg/mL) against B. cereus. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Adaptive Significance of Flexistyly in Alpinia blepharocalyx (Zingiberaceae): A Hand-pollination Experiment

PubMed Central

Sun, Shan; Gao, Jiang-Yun; Liao, Wan-Jin; Li, Qing-Jun; Zhang, Da-Yong

2007-01-01

Background and Aims Flexistyly is a sexual dimorphism where there are two morphs that differ in the temporal expression of sexual function and also involve reciprocal movement of the stigmatic surface through a vertical axis during the flowering period. The adaptive significance of flexistyly has been interpreted as a floral mechanism for outcrossing, but it may also function to reduce sexual interference in which styles and stigmas impede the pollen export. Here these two explanations of flexistyly were tested in Alpinia blepharocalyx through a hand-pollination experiment. Methods Hand-pollinations were performed in two temporal morphs and consisted of two sequential pollination treatments, namely self-pollination in the morning and inter-morph pollination in the afternoon (treatment 1) or conversely inter-morph pollination in the morning and self-pollination in the afternoon (treatment 2), and two simultaneous self- and inter-morph cross-pollination treatments either in the morning (treatment 3) or in the afternoon (treatment 4). Seed paternity was then determined to assess relative success of self- versus cross-pollen using allozyme markers. Key Results In the sequential pollination treatments, whether the stigmas of recipients are receptive in the morning is crucial to the success of the pollen deposited. When the cataflexistylous (protandrous) morph served as pollen recipient, early-arriving pollen in the morning can sire only a very small proportion (<15%) of seeds because the stigmas were then unreceptive. However, when the anaflexistylous (protogynous) morph served as pollen recipient, early pollen did gain a large competitive advantage over the late pollen, particularly when cross-pollen arrived first. Simultaneous self- and inter-morph cross-pollination indicated that outcross-pollen is more competitive than self-pollen on receptive stigmas. Conclusions Differential maturing of male and female organs in Alpinia blepharocalyx is sufficient for selfing

Application of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi during the Acclimatization of Alpinia purpurata to Induce Tolerance to Meloidogyne arenaria

PubMed Central

da Silva Campos, Maryluce Albuquerque; da Silva, Fábio Sérgio Barbosa; Yano-Melo, Adriana Mayumi; de Melo, Natoniel Franklin; Maia, Leonor Costa

2017-01-01

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the tolerance of micropropagated and mycorrhized alpinia plants to the parasite Meloidogyne arenaria. The experimental design was completely randomized with a factorial arrangement of four inoculation treatments with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) (Gigaspora albida, Claroideoglomus etunicatum, Acaulospora longula, and a non-inoculated control) in the presence or absence of M. arenaria with five replicates. The following characteristics were evaluated after 270 days of mycorrhization and 170 days of M. arenaria inoculation: height, number of leaves and tillers, fresh mass of aerial and subterranean parts, dry mass of aerial parts, foliar area, nutritional content, mycorrhizal colonization, AMF sporulation, and the number of galls, egg masses, and eggs. The results indicated a significant interaction between the treatments for AMF spore density, total mycorrhizal colonization, and nutrient content (Zn, Na, and N), while the remaining parameters were influenced by either AMF or nematodes. Plants inoculated with A. longula or C. etunicatum exhibited greater growth than the control. Lower N content was observed in plants inoculated with AMF, while Zn and Na were found in larger quantities in plants inoculated with C. etunicatum. Fewer galls were observed on mycorrhized plants, and egg mass production and the number of eggs were lower in plants inoculated with G. albida. Plants inoculated with A. longula showed a higher percentage of total mycorrhizal colonization in the presence of the nematode. Therefore, the association of micropropagated alpinia plants and A. longula enhanced tolerance to parasitism by M. arenaria. PMID:28592951

Involvement of the catecholaminergic system on the antidepressant-like effects of Alpinia zerumbet in mice.

PubMed

Bevilaqua, Fernanda; Mocelin, Ricieri; Grimm, Celso; da Silva Junior, Nairo Stefanello; Buzetto, Thales Luis Brust; Conterato, Greicy M Marafiga; Roman, Walter Antonio; Piato, Angelo L

2016-01-01

The traditional uses of Alpinia zerumbet (Pers.) B.L.Burtt & R.m.SM (Zingiberaceae), popularly known as colonia or pacová, suggest that the species has antihypertensive, diuretic, and sedative properties. We previously reported that an ethanol extract of Alpinia zerumbet (HEA) significantly reduced the immobility time in the tail suspension test (TST), similar to the tricyclic antidepressant imipramine. Moreover, HEA presented antioxidant and anxiolytic-like effects in mice. The objective of this study is to investigate the involvement of monoaminergic and glutamatergic systems in the antidepressant-like effects of this species. A hydroethanolic extract prepared with the leaves of A. zerumbet was assayed in the TST in male Swiss mice (800 mg/kg, p.o.). Synthesis inhibitors (AMPT, inhibitor of tyrosine hydroxylase, 100 mg/kg, i.p.; and PCPA, irreversible tryptophan hydroxylase inhibitor, 100 mg/kg, i.p.) and a specific glutamate antagonist (AMPA receptor antagonist NBQX, 10 mg/kg, i.p.) were used prior testing. Pre-treatment with the noradrenergic/dopaminergic inhibitor AMPT fully abolished the anti-immobility effects of HEA, with the two-way ANOVA yielding a significant interaction between pre-treatment and treatment (F1,32 = 10.0, p < 0.01); no interaction was observed with the serotonergic inhibitor PCPA (F1,32 = 0.33, p > 0.05) or NBQX (F1,32 = 0.21, p > 0.05). These results indicated that HEA most likely acts through the dopaminergic and/or noradrenergic system but not through the serotoninergic or glutamatergic systems. This study reinforces the idea that the available biodiversity in Brazil can serve as a basis for innovation in the development of new drugs.

The effects of sesquiterpenes-rich extract of Alpinia oxyphylla Miq. on amyloid-β-induced cognitive impairment and neuronal abnormalities in the cortex and hippocampus of mice.

PubMed

Shi, Shao-Huai; Zhao, Xu; Liu, Bing; Li, Huan; Liu, Ai-Jing; Wu, Bo; Bi, Kai-Shun; Jia, Ying

2014-01-01

As a kind of medicine which can also be used as food, Alpinia oxyphylla Miq. has a long clinical history in China. A variety of studies demonstrated the significant neuroprotective activity effects of chloroform (CF) extract from the fruits of Alpinia oxyphylla. In order to further elucidate the possible mechanisms of CF extract which mainly contains sesquiterpenes with neuroprotection on the cognitive ability, mice were injected with Aβ(1-42) and later with CF in this study. The results showed that the long-term treatment of CF enhanced the cognitive performances in behavior tests, increased activities of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-px) and decreased the level of malondialdehyde (MDA), acetylcholinesterase (AChE), and amyloid-β (Aβ), and reversed the activation of microglia, degeneration of neuronal acidophilia, and nuclear condensation in the cortex and hippocampus. These results demonstrate that CF ameliorates learning and memory deficits by attenuating oxidative stress and regulating the activation of microglia and degeneration of neuronal acidophilia to reinforce cholinergic functions.

The Effects of Sesquiterpenes-Rich Extract of Alpinia oxyphylla Miq. on Amyloid-β-Induced Cognitive Impairment and Neuronal Abnormalities in the Cortex and Hippocampus of Mice

PubMed Central

Shi, Shao-Huai; Zhao, Xu; Liu, Bing; Li, Huan; Liu, Ai-Jing; Wu, Bo; Bi, Kai-Shun

2014-01-01

As a kind of medicine which can also be used as food, Alpinia oxyphylla Miq. has a long clinical history in China. A variety of studies demonstrated the significant neuroprotective activity effects of chloroform (CF) extract from the fruits of Alpinia oxyphylla. In order to further elucidate the possible mechanisms of CF extract which mainly contains sesquiterpenes with neuroprotection on the cognitive ability, mice were injected with Aβ 1−42 and later with CF in this study. The results showed that the long-term treatment of CF enhanced the cognitive performances in behavior tests, increased activities of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-px) and decreased the level of malondialdehyde (MDA), acetylcholinesterase (AChE), and amyloid-β (Aβ), and reversed the activation of microglia, degeneration of neuronal acidophilia, and nuclear condensation in the cortex and hippocampus. These results demonstrate that CF ameliorates learning and memory deficits by attenuating oxidative stress and regulating the activation of microglia and degeneration of neuronal acidophilia to reinforce cholinergic functions. PMID:25180067

Diarylheptanoids from Rhizomes of Alpinia officinarum Inhibit Aggregation of α-Synuclein.

PubMed

Fu, Guangmiao; Zhang, Wei; Du, Dongsheng; Ng, Yu Pong; Ip, Fanny C F; Tong, Rongbiao; Ip, Nancy Y

2017-08-09

Two new diarylheptanoids, alpinin A (1) and alpinin B (2), together with 18 known diarylheptanoids (3-20), were isolated from the rhizomes of Alpinia officinarum. Their structures were elucidated by comprehensive spectroscopic analysis, including high-resolution mass spectrometry, infrared spectroscopy, and one- and two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Structurally, alpinin A is a new member of the small family of oxa-bridged diarylheptanoids and contains the characteristic 2,6-cis-configured tetrahydropyran motif (C 1 -C 5 oxa bridge). The absolute configuration of alpinin A was confirmed by asymmetric total synthesis of the enantiomer (ent-1), corroborating the assignment of the molecular structure. The absolute configuration of alpinin B was determined on the basis of the analysis of the circular dichroism exciton chirality spectrum. We evaluated the inhibitory activity of all isolated diarylheptanoids against α-synuclein aggregation at 10 μM. Alpinins A and B significantly inhibited α-synuclein aggregation by 66 and 67%, respectively.

A new dimeric diarylheptanoid from the rhizomes of Alpinia officinarum.

PubMed

Liu, Dan; Qu, Wei; Zhao, Ling; Guan, Fu-Qin; Liang, Jing-Yu

2014-02-01

To study the chemical constituents of the rhizomes of Alpinia officinarum Hance. Compounds were isolated by repeated column chromatography, and their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectral analysis. The cytotoxic activities of these compounds were evaluated with the T98G and B16F10 cell lines by the MTT assay. A dimeric diarylheptanoid, named alpinin B (1), along with three known diarylheptanoids were obtained, and their structures were identified as alpinin B (1), 1, 7-diphenyl-3,5-heptanedione (2), (4E)-1, 7-diphenylhept-4-en-3-one (3) and (4E)-7- (4-hydroxyphenyl)-1-phenylhept-4-en-3-one (4). Compound 1 is a new dimeric diarylheptanoid. The biosynthetic pathway of 1 was speculated to originate from a Michael reaction between compounds 2 and 3. Compound 3 showed cytotoxicity against the human glioblastoma T98G cell line with IC50 of 27 μmol·L(-1). Copyright © 2014 China Pharmaceutical University. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A novel diarylheptanoid-bearing sesquiterpene moiety from the rhizomes of Alpinia officinarum.

PubMed

Wei, Na; Zhou, Zhonglin; Wei, Qing; Wang, Yong; Jiang, Jun; Zhang, Junqing; Wu, Lixiang; Dai, Shuiping; Li, Youbin

2016-10-01

A new diarylheptanoid analogue-bearing sesquiterpene moiety, named Alpinisin A, was isolated from the rhizomes of Alpinia officinarum Hance. The new structure was determined by various spectroscopic techniques (1)H-nuclear magnetic resonance ((1)H NMR), (13)C-attached proton test ((13)C-APT), heteronuclear single quantum coherence (HSQC), heteronuclear multiple bond correlation (HMBC), (1)H-(1)H correlation spectroscopy ((1)H-(1)HCOSY), nuclear overhauser effect spectroscopy (NOESY) and high resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (HR-ESI-MS). The compound was tested for cytotoxic activity in vitro against human tumour cell lines (gastric carcinoma cell -7901 (SGC-7901), Michigan Cancer Foundation-7 (MCF-7) and Caski), which showed significant inhibitory effects with IC50 levels of 11.42, 15.14 and 14.78 μM, respectively. The novel chemical structure characterised with a diarylheptanoid linked to a chain-like sesquiterpenoid should be highlighted.

Water extract of the fruits of Alpinia oxyphylla inhibits osteoclast differentiation and bone loss.

PubMed

Ha, Hyunil; Shim, Ki-Shuk; Kim, Taesoo; Lee, Chung-Jo; Park, Ji Hyung; Kim, Han Sung; Ma, Jin Yeul

2014-09-23

Excessive bone resorption by osteoclasts causes pathological bone destruction, seen in various bone diseases. There is accumulating evidence that certain herbal extracts have beneficial effects on bone metabolism. The fruits of Alpinia oxyphylla has been traditionally used for the treatment of diarrhea and enuresis. In this study, we investigated the effects of water extract of the fruits of Alpinia oxyphylla (WEAO) on osteoclast differentiation and osteoclast-mediated bone destruction. For osteoclast differentiation assay, mouse bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMMs) were cultured in the presence of RANKL and M-CSF. RANKL signaling pathways and gene expression of transcription factors regulating osteoclast differentiation were investigated by real-time PCR and Western blotting. A constitutively active form of NFATc1 was retrovirally transduced into BMMs. Bone resorbing activity of mature osteoclast was examined on a plate coated with an inorganic crystalline calcium phosphate. The in vivo effect against bone destruction was assessed in a murine model of RANKL-induced osteoporosis by micro-computed tomography and bone metabolism marker analyses. WEAO dose-dependently inhibited RANKL-induced osteoclast differentiation from BMMs by targeting the early stages of osteoclast differentiation. WEAO inhibited RANKL-induced expression of NFATc1, the master regulator of osteoclast differentiation. Overexpression of a constitutively active form of NFATc1 blunted the inhibitory effect of WEAO on osteoclast differentiation, suggesting that NFATc1 is a critical target of the inhibitory action of WEAO. WEAO inhibited RANKL-induced expression of c-Fos, an upstream activator of NFATc1, by suppressing the classical NF-κB signaling pathway. WEAO also inhibited RANKL-induced down-regulation of Id2 and MafB, negative regulators of NFATc1. WEAO does not directly affect bone resorbing activity of mature osteoclasts. In accordance with the in vitro results, WEAO attenuated RANKL

Chemical constituents of essential oils from the leaves, stems, roots and fruits of Alpinia polyantha.

PubMed

Huong, Le T; Thang, Tran D; Ogunwande, Isiaka A

2015-02-01

The essential oils obtained from the leaves, stems, roots and fruits of Alpinia polyantha D. Fang (Zingiberaceae) have been studied. The leaf oil was comprised mainly of camphor (16.1%), α-pinene (15.2%) and β-agarofuran (12.9%), while the major constituents of the stem oil were α-pinene (12.4%), β-cubebene (10.6%), β-agarofuran (10.3%) and globulol (8.8%). However, β-cubebene (12.6%), fenchyl acetate (10.8%), β-maaliene (9.0%), aristolone (8.8%) and α-pinene (8.2%) were the compounds occurring in higher amounts in the root oil. The quantitatively significant compounds of the fruit oil were δ-cadinene (10.9%), β-caryophyllene (9.1%), β-pinene (8.7%) and α-muurolene (7.7%).

Terpenoids from rhizomes of Alpinia japonica inhibiting nitric oxide production.

PubMed

Li, Qiang-Ming; Luo, Jian-Guang; Yang, Ming-Hua; Kong, Ling-Yi

2015-03-01

A new sesquiterpenoid, 1, and three new diterpenoids, 3-5, along with five known compounds, 2 and 6-9, were isolated from rhizomes of Alpinia japonica. The structures of the new compounds were determined as (1R,4R,6S,7S,9S)-4α-hydroxy-1,9-peroxybisabola-2,10-diene (1), methyl (12E)-16-oxolabda-8(17),12-dien-15-oate (3), (12R)-15-ethoxy-12-hydroxylabda-8(17),13(14)-dien-16,15-olide (4), and methyl (11E)-14,15,16-trinorlabda-8(17),11-dien-13-oate (5) by means of spectroscopic data. The absolute configurations at C(4) in 1 and C(12) in 4 were deduced from the circular dichroism (CD) data of the in situ-formed [Rh2 (CF3 COO)4 ] complexes. Inhibitory effects of the isolates on NO production in lipopolysaccharide-induced RAW264.7 macrophages were evaluated, and 2-4, 6, and 7 were found to exhibit inhibitory activities with IC50 values between 14.6 and 34.3 μM. Copyright © 2015 Verlag Helvetica Chimica Acta AG, Zürich.

Multi-residue analysis of 26 organochlorine pesticides in Alpinia oxyphylla by GC-ECD after solid phase extraction and acid cleanup.

PubMed

Zhao, Xiangsheng; Zhou, Yakui; Kong, Weijun; Gong, Bao; Chen, Deli; Wei, Jianhe; Yang, Meihua

2016-04-01

A simple and effective multi-residue method was developed and validated for the analysis of 26 organochlorine pesticide residues in Alpinia oxyphylla by a gas chromatography with an electron capture detector (GC-ECD). The target pesticides were extracted by sonication and cleaned up with florisil solid phase extraction and sulphuric acid. Some crucial parameters, including extraction solvent and time, sorbent type, elute solvent and concentration of sulphuric acid were optimized to improve the performance of sample preparation procedure. The optimized method gave high sensitivity with detection limit ranging from 0.1 to 2.0μg/kg. Matrix-matched calibration was employed for the quantification, and a wide linear range (from 1.0 to 1000μg/kg) with r(2) values ranging from 0.9971 to 0.9998 was obtained. For the majority of the tested pesticides, the average recoveries were in acceptable range (between 70% and 110%) with relative standard deviation values below 15.0%. Matrix effect was evaluated for target compounds through the study of ratio of peak area obtained in the solvent and blank matrix. The proposed method was applied to simultaneously analyze 26 pesticides in 55 batches of Alpinia oxyphylla samples. 3 samples were found to be positive with four pesticides (α-BHC, quintozene, trans-chlordane and op'-DDD), which were confirmed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) in selective ion monitoring (SIM) mode. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Phytochemistry and pharmacology of ornamental gingers, Hedychium coronarium and Alpinia purpurata: a review.

PubMed

Chan, Eric Wei Chiang; Wong, Siu Kuin

2015-11-01

In this review, the phytochemistry and pharmacology of two ornamental gingers, Hedychium coronarium (butterfly ginger) and Alpinia purpurata (red ginger), are updated, and their botany and uses are described. Flowers of H. coronarium are large, showy, white, yellow or white with a yellow centre and highly fragrant. Inflorescences of A. purpurata are erect spikes with attractive red or pink bracts. Phytochemical investigations on the rhizomes of H. coronarium generated research interest globally. This resulted in the isolation of 53 labdane-type diterpenes, with little work done on the leaves and flowers. Pharmacological properties of H. coronarium included antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal, cytotoxic, chemopreventive, anti-allergic, larvicidal, anthelminthic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, anti-urolithiatic, anti-angiogenic, neuro-pharmacological, fibrinogenolytic, coagulant and hepatoprotective activities. On the contrary, little is known on the phytochemistry of A. purpurata with pharmacological properties of antioxidant, antibacterial, larvicidal, cytotoxic and vasodilator activities reported in the leaves and rhizomes. There is much disparity in terms of research effort within and between these two ornamental gingers.

Agrobacterium-mediated transformation in Alpinia galanga (Linn.) Willd. for enhanced acetoxychavicol acetate production.

PubMed

Rao, Kiranmayee; Chodisetti, Bhuvaneswari; Mangamoori, Lakshmi Narasu; Giri, Archana

2012-09-01

Agrobacterium-mediated transformations ensure elevated amounts of secondary metabolite accumulation with genetic and biosynthetic stability. In the present study, Alpinia galanga rich in bioactive compounds was genetically transformed using different strains of Agrobacterium rhizogenes viz. LBA 9402, A(4), 532, 2364 and PRTGus. Even though a higher growth rate was obtained with the LBA 9402 strain, maximum acetoxychavicol acetate accumulation (ACA) was seen in the PRTGus transformant. PRTGus root line has shown 10.1 fold higher ACA content in comparison to the control roots. The lowest ACA production was shown by the A(4) transformant (4.9 fold). The quantification of ACA in the transformed roots was carried out by using HPLC, which was found to be in the order of PRTGus > LBA 9402 > 2364 > 532 > A(4). The fast growth rate of hairy roots, genetic stability and their ability to synthesize more than one metabolite offer a promising system for the production of valuable secondary metabolites.

Repellent and Contact Toxicity of Alpinia officinarum Rhizome Extract against Lasioderma serricorne Adults.

PubMed

Lü, Jianhua; Ma, Dan

2015-01-01

The repellent and contact toxicities of Alpinia officinarum rhizome extract on Lasioderma serricorne adults, and its ability to protect stored wheat flour from L. serricorne adults infestation were investigated. The A. officinarum extract exhibited strong repellent and contact toxicities against L. serricorne adults. The toxicities enhanced significantly with the increasing treatment time and treatment dose. The mean percentage repellency value reached 91.3% at class V at the dose of 0.20 μL/cm2 after 48 h of exposure. The corrected mortality reached over 80.0% at the dose of 0.16 μL/cm2 after 48 h of exposure. The A. officinarum extract could significantly reduce L. serricorne infestation level against stored wheat flour. Particularly, the insect infestation was nil in wheat flour packaged with kraft paper bags coated with the A. officinarum extract at the dose of above 0.05 μL/cm2. The naturally occurring A. officinarum extract could be useful for integrated management of L. serricorne.

Repellent and Contact Toxicity of Alpinia officinarum Rhizome Extract against Lasioderma serricorne Adults

PubMed Central

Lü, Jianhua; Ma, Dan

2015-01-01

The repellent and contact toxicities of Alpinia officinarum rhizome extract on Lasioderma serricorne adults, and its ability to protect stored wheat flour from L. serricorne adults infestation were investigated. The A. officinarum extract exhibited strong repellent and contact toxicities against L. serricorne adults. The toxicities enhanced significantly with the increasing treatment time and treatment dose. The mean percentage repellency value reached 91.3% at class V at the dose of 0.20 μL/cm2 after 48 h of exposure. The corrected mortality reached over 80.0% at the dose of 0.16 μL/cm2 after 48 h of exposure. The A. officinarum extract could significantly reduce L. serricorne infestation level against stored wheat flour. Particularly, the insect infestation was nil in wheat flour packaged with kraft paper bags coated with the A. officinarum extract at the dose of above 0.05 μL/cm2. The naturally occurring A. officinarum extract could be useful for integrated management of L. serricorne. PMID:26292097

Anti-angiogenic effects and mechanisms of zerumin A from Alpinia caerulea.

PubMed

He, Zhi-Heng; Gilli, Christian; Yue, Grace Gar-Lee; Lau, Clara Bik-San; Greger, Harald; Brecker, Lothar; Ge, Wei; But, Paul Pui-Hay

2012-05-01

Alpinia caerulea (R.Br.) Bentham, a perennial herb growing in tropical and subtropical Australia, is used as a flavouring spice and a ginger substitute. Its fruit has been used as indigenous food among the aboriginal Australians; 95% ethanol extracts of the dried fruits, leaves, rhizomes and roots of this plant were investigated in a zebrafish model by quantitative endogenous alkaline phosphatase assay. Only the fruit extract showed potential anti-angiogenic effect, inhibiting vessel formation by 25% at 20μg/ml. Two diterpenoids were isolated and identified as zerumin A and (E)-8(17),12-labdadiene-15,16-dial. Zerumin A, which had mainly accumulated in the fruits and bearing a carboxylic group, could dose-dependently inhibit vessel formation, in both wild-type and Tg(fli1a:EGFP)y1 zebrafish embryos. The semi-quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction assay on wild type zebrafish embryos suggested that zerumin A affected multiple molecular targets related to angiogenesis. Further investigation, by human umbilical vein endothelial cell assays, revealed that zerumin A specifically inhibited the proliferation and migration steps, to prevent angiogenesis progress. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Direct and indirect organogenesis of Alpinia galanga and the phytochemical analysis.

PubMed

Rao, Kiranmayee; Chodisetti, Bhuvaneswari; Gandi, Suryakala; Mangamoori, Lakshmi Narasu; Giri, Archana

2011-11-01

Alpinia galanga is a rhizomatous herb rich in essential oils and various other significant phytoconstituents. Rapid direct regeneration was obtained from the rhizome explants (15.66 ± 0.57 shoots) on MS media supplemented with zeatin at a concentration of 2 mg/l. The callus cultures of A. galanga were initiated from the rhizome explants on MS media supplemented with 2 mg/l each of BAP, 2,4-D, and NAA. The callus was analyzed for the presence of a vital phytoconstituent--acetoxychavicol acetate (ACA) associated with various biological properties. ACA was detected in the young friable callus as well as the stationary phase callus. Moreover, the induction of morphogenetic response in callus resulted in higher accumulation of ACA. The phytohormone withdrawal from the propagation media and the subsequent transfer of callus to BAP (2 mg/l) containing MS media has resulted in multiple shoot induction. The regenerated (indirect) plants have shown 1.6-fold higher ACA content (1.253%) when compared to the control plant (0.783%). Micropropagation of such conventionally propagated plants is very essential to meet the commercial demand as well as to ensure easy storage and transportation of disease free stocks.

Characterization of Canna yellow mottle virus in a New Host, Alpinia purpurata, in Hawaii.

PubMed

Zhang, Jingxin; Dey, Kishore K; Lin, Birun; Borth, Wayne B; Melzer, Michael J; Sether, Diane; Wang, Yanan; Wang, I-Chin; Shen, Huifang; Pu, Xiaoming; Sun, Dayuan; Hu, John S

2017-06-01

Canna yellow mottle virus (CaYMV) is an important badnavirus infecting Canna spp. worldwide. This is the first report of CaYMV in flowering ginger (Alpinia purpurata) in Hawaii, where it is associated with yellow mottling and necrosis of leaves, vein streaking, and stunted plants. We have sequenced CaYMV in A. purpurata (CaYMV-Ap) using a combination of next-generation sequencing and traditional Sanger sequencing techniques. The complete genome of CaYMV-Ap was 7,120 bp with an organization typical of other Badnavirus species. Our results indicated that CaYMV-Ap was present in the episomal form in infected flowering ginger. We determined that this virus disease is prevalent in Hawaii and could potentially have significant economic impact on the marketing of A. purpurata as cut flowers. There is a potential concern that the host range of CaYMV-Ap may expand to include other important tropical plants.

Transfer factor of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K from soil to Alpinia Galangal plant grown in northern Thailand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kritsananuwat, R.; Chanyotha, S.; Kranrod, C.; Pengvanich, P.

2017-06-01

This paper reports the activity concentration of three natural radionuclides, 226Ra, 232Th and 40K, found in Alpinia Galangal plants which are widely used in various Asian cuisines and traditional medicine. The galangal plants and their relevant soils were collected from four provinces in the north of Thailand under natural field conditions. The activity concentration of radionuclides was determined using gamma-ray spectrometry. Soil-to-plant transfer factors (TFs) for 226Ra, 232Th and 40K were investigated in rhizome and aerial parts of the galangal plants. The activity concentration in the soils ranged from 22 to 88 Bq kg-1 for 226Ra, 27 to 157 Bq kg-1 for 232Th and 58 to 1157 Bq kg-1 for 40K. In Alpinia Galangal, the concentration ranged from < 0.2 to 2.0 Bq kg-1 for 226Ra, < 0.1 to 2.9 Bq kg-1 for 232Th and 205 to 2247 Bq kg-1 for 40K. The TF ranged from < 0.002 to 0.073 for 226Ra, < 0.001 to 0.061 for 232Th and 0.26 to 7.9 for 40K. The TFs in the aerial parts were higher than those for the rhizomes. The obtained values can be considered as a baseline data for activity concentrations of natural radionuclides and their TFs in Thailand for future environmental radiation monitoring. The Annual effective ingestion dose due to ingestion of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K in galangals is significantly below the worldwide value reported by UNSCEAR 2000.

Alpinia officinarum Stimulates Osteoblast Mineralization and Inhibits Osteoclast Differentiation.

PubMed

Shim, Ki-Shuk; Lee, Chung-Jo; Yim, Nam-Hui; Gu, Min Jung; Ma, Jin Yeul

2016-01-01

Alpinia officinarum rhizome has been used as a traditional herbal remedy to treat inflammatory and internal diseases. Based on the previously observed inhibitory effect of A. officinarum rhizome in an arthritis model, we evaluated whether a water extract of A. officinarum rhizome (WEAO) would enhance in vitro osteoblast mineralization using calvarial osteoblast precursor cells or would inhibit in vitro osteoclast differentiation and bone resorption using bone marrow derived macrophages. In osteoblasts, WEAO enhanced the mRNA levels of transcription factor (runt-related transcription factor 2, smad1, smad5, and junB) and marker (bone morphogenetic protein-2, collagen type 1alpha1, and osteocalcin) genes related to osteoblast mineralization, consistent with increased alizarin red S staining intensity. WEAO markedly inhibited osteoclast differentiation by suppressing the receptor activator for nuclear factor-[Formula: see text]B ligand-induced downregulation of inhibitor of DNA binding 2 and V-maf musculoaponeurotic fibrosarcoma oncogene homolog B and the phosphorylation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase, p38, nuclear factor-[Formula: see text]B, c-Src, and Bruton's tyrosine kinase to induce nuclear factor of activated T cells cytoplasmic 1 expression. WEAO also suppressed the resorbing activity of mature osteoclasts by altering actin ring formation. Therefore, the results of this study demonstrate that WEAO stimulates osteoblast mineralization and inhibits osteoclast differentiation. Thus, WEAO may be a promising herbal candidate to treat or prevent pathological bone diseases by regulating the balance between osteoclast and osteoblast activity.

Effects of the essential oil of Alpinia zerumbet (Pers.) B.L. Burtt & R.M. Sm. on healing and tissue repair after partial Achilles tenotomy in rats.

PubMed

Santos-Júnior, Luciano; Oliveira, Tassia Virgínia de Carvalho; Cândido, Janaína Farias; Santana, Danielle Souza de; Pereira, Rose Nely; Pereyra, Beatriz Benny Sungaila; Gomes, Margarete Zanardo; Lima, Sônia Oliveira; Albuquerque-Júnior, Ricardo Luiz Cavalcanti de; Cândido, Edna Aragão Farias

2017-06-01

To investigate the cellular response to injury, analyzing histopathologic changes associated with increased cellularity, degeneration and disorganization of collagen fibers. Thirty wistar rats were divided in two groups after partial Achilles tenotomy: the right hind paw were treated with the essential oil of Alpinia zerumbet (EOAz), diluted to 33% (0.3 mL kg-1), and the left hind paw received sunflower oil for 3, 14, 30 and 90 days. Statistical significance was determined using a Chi-square and Pearson Correlation qualitative variables test. Moreover, Mann-Whitney U-test test for comparison between different groups of the same cell, one-way ANOVA, and Tukey's test of quantitative measurement. A decrease hyperemia (p < 0.001) was observed in the acute phase of inflammatory cell number (p < 0.001), whereas sub-acute phase was marked by significant correlation with macrophages in fibroblasts (r = 0.17, p = 0.03), with probable induction a dense and modeled tissue. At chronic phase, it was found an increase in the number of fibroblasts and a higher percentage of type I collagen fibers (78%) compared with control collagen fibers (55%). Oil of Alpinia zerumbet stimulated the process of maturation, organization and tissue repair which gave it greater resistance.

Analysis of the essential oils of Alpiniae Officinarum Hance in different extraction methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yuan, Y.; Lin, L. J.; Huang, X. B.; Li, J. H.

2017-09-01

It was developed for the analysis of the essential oils of Alpiniae Officinarum Hance extracted by steam distillation (SD), ultrasonic assisted solvent extraction (UAE) and supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) via gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) combined with retention index (RI) method. There were multiple volatile components of the oils extracted by the three above-mention methods respectively identified; meanwhile, each one was quantified by area normalization method. The results indicated that the content of 1,8-Cineole, the index constituent, by SD was similar as SFE, and higher than UAE. Although UAE was less time consuming and consumed less energy, the oil quality was poorer due to the use of organic solvents was hard to degrade. In addition, some constituents could be obtained by SFE but could not by SD. In conclusion, essential oil of different extraction methods from the same batch of materials had been proved broadly similarly, however, there were some differences in composition and component ratio. Therefore, development and utilization of different extraction methods must be selected according to the functional requirements of products.

Effect of cultivation line and peeling on food composition, taste characteristic, aroma profile, and antioxidant activity of Shiikuwasha (Citrus depressa Hayata) juice.

PubMed

Asikin, Yonathan; Fukunaga, Hibiki; Yamano, Yoshimasa; Hou, De-Xing; Maeda, Goki; Wada, Koji

2014-09-01

Shiikuwasha (Citrus depressa Hayata) juice from four main cultivation lines subjected to two peeling practices (with or without peeling) were discriminated in terms of quality attributes, represented by sugar and organic acid composition, taste characteristic, aroma profile, and antioxidant activity. Shiikuwasha juice from these lines had diverse food compositions; 'Izumi kugani' juice had lower acidity but contained more ascorbic acid than that of other cultivation lines. The composition of volatile aroma components was influenced by fruit cultivation line, whereas its content was affected by peeling process (20.26-53.73 mg L(-1) in whole juice versus 0.82-1.58 mg L(-1) in flesh juice). Peeling also caused Shiikuwasha juice to be less astringent and acidic bitter and to lose its antioxidant activity. Moreover, the total phenolic and ascorbic acid content of Shiikuwasha juice positively influenced its antioxidant activity. Each fruit cultivation line had a distinct food composition, taste characteristic, and aroma profile. Peeling in Shiikuwasha juice production might reduce aftertaste, and thus might improve its palatability. Comprehensive information on the effect of cultivation line and peeling on quality attributes will be useful for Shiikuwasha juice production, and can be applied to juice production of similar small citrus fruits. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry.

GC-FID coupled with chemometrics for quantitative and chemical fingerprinting analysis of Alpinia oxyphylla oil.

PubMed

Miao, Qing; Kong, Weijun; Zhao, Xiangsheng; Yang, Shihai; Yang, Meihua

2015-01-01

Analytical methods for quantitative analysis and chemical fingerprinting of volatile oils from Alpinia oxyphylla were established. The volatile oils were prepared by hydrodistillation, and the yields were between 0.82% and 1.33%. The developed gas chromatography-flame ionization detection (GC-FID) method showed good specificity, linearity, reproducibility, stability and recovery, and could be used satisfactorily for quantitative analysis. The results showed that the volatile oils contained 2.31-77.30 μL/mL p-cymene and 12.38-99.34 mg/mL nootkatone. A GC-FID fingerprinting method was established, and the profiles were analyzed using chemometrics. GC-MS was used to identify the principal compounds in the GC-FID profiles. The profiles of almost all the samples were consistent and stable. The harvesting time and source were major factors that affected the profile, while the volatile oil yield and the nootkatone content had minor secondary effects. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A new diarylheptanoid from Alpinia officinarum promotes the differentiation of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes.

PubMed

Zhang, Xuguang; Zhang, Xiaopo; Wang, Yong; Chen, Feng; Li, Youbin; Li, Yonghui; Tan, Yinfeng; Gong, Jingwen; Zhong, Xia; Li, Hailong; Zhang, Junqing

2018-03-01

A new diarylheptanoid, namely trans-(4R,5S)-epoxy-1,7-diphenyl-3-heptanone (1), and a new natural product, 7-(4″-hydroxy-3″-methoxyphenyl)-1-phenyl-hepta-4E,6E-dien-3-one (2), were obtained from the aqueous extract of Alpinia officinarum Hance, together with three other diarylheptanoids, 5-hydroxy-1,7-diphenyl-3-heptanone (3), 1,7-diphenyl-4E-en-3-heptanone (4) and 5-methoxy-1,7-diphenyl-3-heptanone (5). The structures were characterised mainly by analysing their physical data including IR, NMR and HRMS. This study highlights that the 4,5-epoxy moiety in 1 is rarely seen in diarylheptanoids. In addition, the five isolates were tested for their differentiation activity of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. The results showed that these compounds could dose-dependently promote adipocyte differentiation without cytotoxicity (IC 50  > 100 μM).

Unveiling the mode of action of antibacterial labdane diterpenes from Alpinia nigra (Gaertn.) B. L. Burtt seeds.

PubMed

Ghosh, Sudipta; Indukuri, Kiran; Bondalapati, Somasekhar; Saikia, Anil K; Rangan, Latha

2013-08-01

The labdane diterpene, (E)-labda-8(17), 12-diene-15, 16-dial (compound A) and its epoxide analogue, (E)-8β, 17-Epoxylabd-12-ene-15, 16-dial (compound B) were isolated from the seeds of Alpinia nigra for the first time. The antibacterial activities of both compounds were evaluated against three Gram-positive and four Gram-negative bacteria, and flow cytometric analysis revealed that these compounds caused significant damage to the bacterial cell membranes. Further, field emission scanning electron microscope imaging and cell leakage analysis confirmed that the labdane diterpenes were responsible for bacterial cell membrane damage and disintegration. Our findings provide new insight into the broad-spectrum effects of two natural labdane diterpenes that may be useful in the future development of herbal antibiotic products. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Identification of volatiles in leaves of Alpinia zerumbet 'Variegata' using headspace solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Chen, Jian Yan; Ye, Zheng Mei; Huang, Tian Yi; Chen, Xiao Dan; Li, Yong Yu; Wu, Shao Hua

2014-07-01

Alpinia zerumbet 'Variegata' is an aromatic medicinal plant, its foliage producing an intense, unique fragrant odor. This study identified 46 volatile compounds in the leaf tissue of this plant using headspace solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS). The major compounds included 1, 8-cineole (43.5%), p-cymene (14.7%), humulene (5.5%), camphor (5.3%), linalool (4.7%), (E)-methyl cinnamate (3.8%), gamma-cadinene (3.3%), humulene oxide II (2.1%) and a-terpineol (1.5%). The majority of the volatiles were terpenoids of which oxygenated monoterpenes were the most abundant, accounting for 57.2% of the total volatiles. Alcohols made up the largest (52.8%) and aldehydes the smallest (0.2%) portions of the volatiles. Many bioactive compounds were present in the volatiles.

5,6-Dehydrokawain from Alpinia zerumbet promotes osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cell differentiation.

PubMed

Kumagai, Momochika; Mishima, Takashi; Watanabe, Akio; Harada, Teppei; Yoshida, Izumi; Fujita, Kazuhiro; Watai, Masatoshi; Tawata, Shinkichi; Nishikawa, Keisuke; Morimoto, Yoshiki

2016-07-01

Bone homeostasis is maintained by balancing bone formation and bone resorption, but an imbalance between them is associated with various bone-related diseases such as osteoporosis and rheumatoid arthritis. We found that 5,6-dehydrokawain (DK) and dihydro-5,6-dehydrokawain (DDK), which were isolated as promising compounds from Alpinia zerumbet rhizomes, promote differentiation of osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells. DK and DDK increased the alkaline phosphatase activity and matrix mineralization of MC3T3-E1 cells. DK exerts larger effects than DDK. The gene expression of runt-related transcription factor 2 and osterix, which are essential transcription factors in the early period of osteoblast differentiation, was significantly increased by DK treatment. The mRNA level of distal-less homeobox 5 was also enhanced by DK treatment, and DK activated the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway. Therefore, DK may have clinical potential for preventing osteoporosis, and could be considered as a potential anabolic therapeutic agent.

Gas chromatography with flame photometric detection of 31 organophosphorus pesticide residues in Alpinia oxyphylla dried fruits.

PubMed

Zhao, Xiangsheng; Kong, Weijun; Wei, Jianhe; Yang, Meihua

2014-11-01

A simple, rapid and effective gas chromatography-flame photometric detection method was established for simultaneous multi-component determination of 31 organophosphorus pesticides (OPPs) residues in Alpinia oxyphylla, which is widely consumed as a traditional medicine and food in China. Sample preparation was completed in a single step without any clean-up procedure. All pesticides expressed good linear relationships between 0.004 and 1.0 μg/mL with correlation coefficients higher than 0.9973. The method gave satisfactory recoveries for most pesticides. The limits of detection varied from 1 to 10 ng/mL, and the limits of quantification (LOQs) were between 4 and 30 ng/mL. The proposed method was successfully applied to 55 commercial samples purchased from five different areas. Five pesticide residues were detected in four (7.27%) samples. The positive samples were confirmed by gas chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS). Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Effect of Alpinia zerumbet Essential Oil on Post-Stroke Muscle Spasticity.

PubMed

Maia, Maurício Oliva Nascimento; Dantas, Camila Gomes; Xavier Filho, Lauro; Cândido, Edna Aragão Farias; Gomes, Margarete Zanardo

2016-01-01

The essential oil of Alpinia zerumbet (EOAz) presents myorelaxant and antispasmodic actions on cardiac and smooth muscles. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of EOAz on the skeletal muscle contraction in post-stroke spasticity. Fifteen adults with unilateral hemiparesis and spasticity resulting from stroke were submitted to surface electromyography readings of the gastrocnemius muscle, before and after 10 daily applications (dermal 0.05 mL per muscle belly) of EOAz. The healthy contralateral muscles without applying the oil were used as controls. The analysis showed that, in both lateral and medial gastrocnemius, the values of all studied variables (root mean square, maximum amplitude and median power frequency) were significantly decreased in pathological legs during muscle contraction (Wilcoxon test, p < 0.05). Moreover, spastic muscles presented different results before and after dermal application of EOAz: The mean values of root mean square and median power frequency were significantly increased in lateral and medial gastrocnemius, and also, the maximum amplitude increased in medial gastrocnemius (Mann-Whitney test, p < 0.05). The results suggest that EOAz acts in the skeletal spastic muscle contraction by promoting relaxation and improvement of the muscular performance. Thus, the EOAz can be useful for the clinical management of secondary effects in patients with cerebral vascular disease. © 2015 Nordic Association for the Publication of BCPT (former Nordic Pharmacological Society).

Protective effect of n-butanol extract from Alpinia oxyphylla on learning and memory impairments.

PubMed

Shi, Shao-huai; Zhao, Xu; Liu, Ai-jing; Liu, Bing; Li, Huan; Wu, Bo; Bi, Kai-shun; Jia, Ying

2015-02-01

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is one of the major neurological diseases of the elderly. How to safely and effectively remove the toxic Aβ42 peptide through blood-brain barrier (BBB) is considered to be an effective method for the prevention and treatment of AD. The compounds whose molecule weight is less than 400 Da and the number of hydrogen bonding is less than 10 are more likely to permeate BBB. In our previous study, we have several small molecule compounds which are isolated from n-butanol (NB) extract of Alpinia oxyphylla that are similar with this kind of compounds This study explored the neuroprotective effects of the NB significantly protected against learning and memory impairments induced by Aβ(1-42) in Y-maze test, active avoidance test and Morris water maze test. Besides, NB (180 mg/kg, 360 mg/kg) was able to attenuate the neuronal damage and apoptosis in the frontal cortex and hippocampus in mice. In addition, the inhibition of β-secretase and the level of Aβ(1-42) are also involved in the action mechanisms of NB in this experimental model. This study provided an experimental basis for clinical application of A. oxyphylla Miq. in AD therapy. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Characterization of nucleobases and nucleosides in the fruit of Alpinia oxyphylla collected from different cultivation regions.

PubMed

Song, Wenjing; Li, Yonghui; Wang, Jianguo; Li, Zeyou; Zhang, Junqing

2014-03-01

The fruit of Alpinia oxyphylla, known as Yizhi, Yakuchi and Ikji in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean, respectively, has been utilized as an important drug for the treatment of diarrhea, dyspepsia, spermatorrhea, kidney asthenia and abdominal pain in East Asian traditional medicine for thousands of years. Since the therapeutic effects of A. oxyphylla are attributed to multiple components and nucleobases and nucleosides exhibit various bioactivities, it is necessary to explore the chemical characterization of nucleobases and nucleosides in this herb. Herein, 10 common nucleobases and nucleosides, including cytidine, adenosine, thymidine, inosine, guanosine, 2'-deoxyinosine, guanine, adenine, cytosine, and hypoxanthine, were quantified simultaneously in the fruit of A. oxyphylla collected from different geographical regions. Changes in their contents were discussed, and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) was performed to classify all samples on the basis of the contents of the investigated analytes. The results indicated that there was a large variation in the contents of nucleobases and nucleosides among the herbs from different regions, and the samples collected from the same cultivation region were mostly classified in one cluster. The method can be used for comprehensive quality evaluation of A. oxyphylla. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Self-microemulsifying drug delivery system and nanoemulsion for enhancing aqueous miscibility of Alpinia galanga oil.

PubMed

Khumpirapang, Nattakanwadee; Pikulkaew, Surachai; Müllertz, Anette; Rades, Thomas; Okonogi, Siriporn

2017-01-01

Alpinia galanga oil (AGO) possesses various activities but low aqueous solubility limits its application particularly in aquatic animals. AGO has powerful activity on fish anesthesia. Ethanol used for enhancing water miscible of AGO always shows severe side effects on fish. The present study explores the development of self-microemulsifying drug delivery systems (SMEDDS) and nanoemulsions (NE) to deliver AGO for fish anesthesia with less or no alcohol. Pseudoternary phase diagrams were constructed to identify the best SMEDDS-AGO formulation, whereas NE-AGO were developed by means of high-energy emulsification. The mean droplet size of the best SMEDDS-AGO was 82 ± 0.5 nm whereas that of NE-AGO was 48 ± 1.6 nm. The anesthetic effect of the developed SMEDDS-AGO and NE-AGO in koi (Cyprinus carpio) was evaluated and compared with AGO ethanolic solution (EtOH-AGO). It was found that the time of induction the fish to reach the surgical stage of anesthesia was dose dependent. NE-AGO showed significantly higher activity than SMEDDS-AGO and EtOH-AGO, respectively. EtOH-AGO caused unwanted hyperactivity in the fish. This side effect did not occur in the fish anesthetized with SMEDDS-AGO and NE-AGO. In conclusion, SMEDDS and NE are promising delivery systems for AGO.

Self-microemulsifying drug delivery system and nanoemulsion for enhancing aqueous miscibility of Alpinia galanga oil

PubMed Central

Khumpirapang, Nattakanwadee; Pikulkaew, Surachai; Müllertz, Anette; Rades, Thomas

2017-01-01

Alpinia galanga oil (AGO) possesses various activities but low aqueous solubility limits its application particularly in aquatic animals. AGO has powerful activity on fish anesthesia. Ethanol used for enhancing water miscible of AGO always shows severe side effects on fish. The present study explores the development of self-microemulsifying drug delivery systems (SMEDDS) and nanoemulsions (NE) to deliver AGO for fish anesthesia with less or no alcohol. Pseudoternary phase diagrams were constructed to identify the best SMEDDS-AGO formulation, whereas NE-AGO were developed by means of high-energy emulsification. The mean droplet size of the best SMEDDS-AGO was 82 ± 0.5 nm whereas that of NE-AGO was 48 ± 1.6 nm. The anesthetic effect of the developed SMEDDS-AGO and NE-AGO in koi (Cyprinus carpio) was evaluated and compared with AGO ethanolic solution (EtOH-AGO). It was found that the time of induction the fish to reach the surgical stage of anesthesia was dose dependent. NE-AGO showed significantly higher activity than SMEDDS-AGO and EtOH-AGO, respectively. EtOH-AGO caused unwanted hyperactivity in the fish. This side effect did not occur in the fish anesthetized with SMEDDS-AGO and NE-AGO. In conclusion, SMEDDS and NE are promising delivery systems for AGO. PMID:29190663

Vasorelaxant and antihypertensive effects of methanolic fraction of the essential oil of Alpinia zerumbet.

PubMed

da Cunha, Gilmara Holanda; de Moraes, Manoel Odorico; Fechine, Francisco Vagnaldo; Frota Bezerra, Fernando Antônio; Silveira, Edilberto Rocha; Canuto, Kirley Marques; de Moraes, Maria Elisabete Amaral

2013-01-01

Alpinia zerumbet is used in folk medicine in Brazil to treat hypertension. However, several pathways involved in the mechanism of vasorelaxation are still unclear. This study was designed to verify the antihypertensive effect of the methanolic fraction of the essential oil of A. zerumbet (MFEOAz) and to characterize its mechanism of action. The thoracic aortic rings from the Wistar rats were perfused in the organ chambers filled with Kreb's solution, where the tension of each ring was measured. The antihypertensive effect of MFEOAz was assessed in rats submitted to chronic hypertension by inhibition of nitric oxide synthesis by indirect measurement of blood pressure with indirect tail cuff method. MFEOAz relaxed phenylephrine and KCl-induced contraction of either endothelium-intact or endothelium-denuded rat aortic rings in a concentration-dependent manner. Pre-incubation with MFEOAz (100 and 300 μg/mL) in Ca(2+)-free Krebs solution attenuated phenylephrine- or caffeine-induced contraction. Pre-incubation with L-NAME, ODQ, wortmannin, atropine, indomethacin, catalase, SOD, TEA, 4-aminopyridine, glibenclamide, apamin, charybdotoxin, or iberiotoxin did not affect MFEOAz-induced relaxation. The intragastric administration of MFEOAz induced an antihypertensive effect. MFEOAz it seems inhibited the calcium influx via voltage-operated calcium channels and receptor-operated calcium channels, as well as inhibition of calcium mobilization from intracellular stores. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A Review on the Pharmacological Activities and Phytochemicals of Alpinia officinarum (Galangal) Extracts Derived from Bioassay-Guided Fractionation and Isolation

PubMed Central

Basri, Aida Maryam; Taha, Hussein; Ahmad, Norhayati

2017-01-01

The rhizomes of Alpinia officinarum Hance have been used conventionally for the treatment of various ailments, triggering a wide interest from the scientific research community on this ethnomedicinal plant. This review summarizes the phytochemical and pharmacological properties of the extracts and fractions from A. officinarum, a plant species of the Zingiberaceae family. Different parts of the plant – leaves, roots, rhizomes, and aerial parts – have been extracted in various solvents – methanol, ethanol, ethyl acetate, hexane, dichloromethane, aqueous, chloroform, and petroleum ether, using various techniques – Soxhlet extraction, maceration, ultrasonication, and soaking, whereas fractionation of the plant extracts involves the solvent–solvent partition method. The extracts, fractions, and isolated compounds have been studied for their biological activities – antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antiproliferative, inhibition of enzymes, as well as the inhibition of nitric oxide production. More findings on A. officinarum are certainly important to further develop potential bioactive drug compounds. PMID:28503054

Novel purification of 1'S-1'-Acetoxychavicol acetate from Alpinia galanga and its cytotoxic plus antiproliferative activity in colorectal adenocarcinoma cell line SW480.

PubMed

Baradwaj, R G; Rao, M V; Senthil Kumar, T

2017-07-01

Alpinia galanga (L.) Willd. is a valuable medicinal crop found in specific tropical regions of southeast Asia. Its crude extracts are well known for their wide medicinal properties and many compounds identified from these extracts are of great interest currently. 1'S-1'-Acetoxychavicol acetate (ACA) obtained from rhizomes of A.galanga is one such well-illustrated compound. This study strives to progress and simplifies the purification protocol for ACA from A.galanga rhizomes. It also studies the cytotoxicity and antiproliferative activity of ACA against Dukes' type B, colorectal adenocarcinoma (SW480). HPLC standardisation was carried out for purification of ACA from rhizomes of Alpinia galanga. MTT assay was executed to estimate the IC 50 value of ACA against SW480 cell line. This value was used to study the apoptosis, nuclear morphological changes and mitochondrial membrane permeability using Acridine orange/ethidium bromide, DAPI, and JC-1 staining. The DNA fragmentation assay was used to substantiate the nuclear fragmentation of DNA observed in the DAPI staining. Further, cell cycle analysis was performed using flow cytometry to study the exact stage of the cell cycle where SW480 cells are arrested due to ACA, western blot analysis of relevant genes were done to further understand at molecular level. A comprehensive 1.89g of 1'S-1'-Acetoxychavicol acetate (ACA) was recovered from 500g of A.galanga rhizomes. ACA significantly suppressed the proliferation of SW480 cells at an IC 50 of 80μM (48h). The mode of SW480 cell death due to ACA was initially identified as apoptosis and cell cycle halted at G 0 /G 1 checkpoint with considerable DNA damage and mitochondrial depolarization. The expression of p21 was increased and concomitantly Cyclin D was downregulated in ACA treated in comparison to control. This study suggests that 1'S-1'-Acetoxychavicol acetate has potent anti-colorectal adenocarcinoma activity. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

A review on the ethnomedicinal uses, phytochemistry and pharmacology of Alpinia officinarum Hance.

PubMed

Abubakar, Ibrahim Babangida; Malami, Ibrahim; Yahaya, Yakubu; Sule, Sahabi Manga

2018-05-25

Alpinia officinarum Hance is a perennial plant that has been traditionally used for many decades to treat several ailments including inflammation, pain, stomach-ache, cold, amongst others. Pharmacological studies over the years have demonstrated remarkable bioactivities that could be further explored for development of new therapeutic agents against various ailments. The paper critically reviewed the ethno-medicinal uses, pharmacology, and phytochemistry of A. officinarum. Keywords including A. officinarum and its synonyms were searched using electronic databases including ISI web of knowledge, Science direct, Scopus, PubMed, Google scholar and relevant database for Masters and Doctoral theses. A. officinarum is prepared in Asia, Turkey, Morocco and Iran as a decoction, infusion or juice as a single preparation or in combination with other herbs, food or drinks for the treatment of general health problems including cold, inflammation, digestive disorders, etc. Pharmacological studies revealed the potent in vitro and in vivo bioactivities of various parts of A. officinarum that include anti-inflammatory, cytotoxicity, homeostasis, lipid regulation, antioxidant, antiviral, antimicrobial, antiosteoporosis, etc. Over 90 phytochemical constituents have been identified and isolated from A. officinarum comprising vastly of phenolic compounds especially diarylheptanoids isolated from the rhizome and considered the most active bioactive components. In vitro and in vivo studies have confirmed the potency of A. officinarum. However, further studies are required to establish the mechanisms mediating its bioactivities in relation to the medicinal uses as well as investigating any potential toxicity for future clinical studies. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Impact of Striped-Squirrel Nectar-Robbing Behaviour on Gender Fitness in Alpinia roxburghii Sweet (Zingiberaceae).

PubMed

Deng, Xiaobao; Mohandass, Dharmalingam; Katabuchi, Masatoshi; Hughes, Alice C; Roubik, David W

2015-01-01

Nectar-robbing has the potential to strongly affect male and female reproductive fitness of plants. One example of nectar theft is that shown by striped-squirrels (Tamiops swinhoei) on a number of ginger species, including Alpinia roxburghii and A. kwangsiensis (Zingiberaceae). In this study, we used a fluorescent dye as a pollen analogue, and measured fruit and seed output, to test the effect of squirrel nectar-robbing on A. roxburghii reproductive fitness. Pollen transfer between robbed and unrobbed flowers was assessed by comparing 60 randomly established plots containing robbed and unrobbed flowers. The frequency of squirrel robbing visits and broken styles were recorded from a number of flowers for five consecutive days. Two bee species (Bombus eximius and Apis cerana), were the primary pollinators, and their visitation frequency was recorded for six consecutive days. The results showed that fluorescent powder from unrobbed flowers was dispersed further, and to a greater number of flowers than that placed on robbed flowers. Additionally, robbing flowers caused significant damage to reproductive organs, resulting in lower fruit and seed sets in robbed than in unrobbed flowers and influencing both male and female fitness. The frequency of the primary pollinator visits (B. eximius) was significantly higher for unrobbed plants than for robbed plants. The present study clearly shows the negative impact of squirrel robbing on A. roxburghii male reproductive fitness and neutral impact on female reproductive fitness.

Izalpinin from fruits of Alpinia oxyphylla with antagonistic activity against the rat bladder contractility.

PubMed

Yuan, Yuan; Tan, Yin-Feng; Xu, Peng; Li, Hailong; Li, Yong-Hui; Chen, Wen-Ya; Zhang, Jun-Qing; Chen, Feng; Huang, Guo-Jun

2014-01-01

Alpinia oxyphylla (Zingiberaceae), an herbaceous perennial plant, its capsular fruit is commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of different urinary incontinence symptoms including frequency, urgency and nocturia. These symptoms are similar to the overactive bladder syndrome. In our lab, we found that the 95% ethanol extract of the capsular fruits exhibited significant anti-muscarinic activity. Some constituents in capsular fruits including flavonoids (e.g., izalpinin and tectochrysin), diarylheptanoids (e.g., yakuchinone A and yakuchinone B) and sesquiterpenes (e.g., nootkatone), are regarded as representative chemicals with putative pharmacological activities. This study aimed to evaluate the in vitro antagonistic actions of izalpinin on carbachol-induced contraction of the rat detrusor muscle. In vitro inhibition of rat detrusor contractile response to carbachol was used to study the functional activity of izalpinin. The isolated detrusor strips of rats were mounted in organ baths containing oxygenated Krebs' solution. The cumulative consecutive concentration-response curves to carbachol-evoked contractions in strips of rat bladder were obtained. Carbachol induced concentration-dependent contractions of isolated rat bladder detrusor strips. The vehicle DMSO had no impact on the contraction response. The contraction effects were concentration-dependently antagonized by izalpinin, with a mean EC50 value of 0.35 µM. The corresponding cumulative agonist concentration-response curves shifted right-ward. Izalpinin exhibits inhibitory role of muscarinic receptor-related detrusor contractile activity, and it may be a promising lead compound to treat overactive bladder.

Inhibition of Swarming motility of Pseudomonas aeruginosa by Methanol extracts of Alpinia officinarum Hance. and Cinnamomum tamala T. Nees and Eberm.

PubMed

Lakshmanan, Divya; Nanda, Jishudas; Jeevaratnam, K

2018-06-01

Bacterial drug resistance is a challenge in clinical settings, especially in countries like India. Hence, discovery of novel alternative therapeutics has become a necessity in the fight against drug resistance. Compounds that inhibit bacterial virulence properties form new therapeutic alternatives. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic, nosocomial pathogen that infects immune-compromised patients. Swarming motility is an important virulence property of Pseudomonas which aids it in reaching host cells under nutrient limiting conditions. Here, we report the screening of five plant extracts against swarming motility of P. aeruginosa and show that methanol extracts of Alpinia officinarum and Cinnamomum tamala inhibit swarming motility at 5 μg mL -1 without inhibiting its growth. These extracts did not inhibit swimming and twitching motilities indicating a mode of action specific to swarming pathway. Preliminary experiments indicated that rhamnolipid production was not affected. This study reveals the potential of the two plants in anti-virulence drug discovery.

Synthesis and characterization of silver nanoparticles from Alpinia calcarata by Green approach and its applications in bactericidal and nonlinear optics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pugazhendhi, S.; Kirubha, E.; Palanisamy, P. K.; Gopalakrishnan, R.

2015-12-01

Development of green route for the synthesis of nanoparticles with plant extracts plays a very important role in nanotechnology without any toxicity chemicals. Herein we report a new approach to synthesize silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using aqueous extract of Alpinia calcarata root as a reducing as well as stabilizing agent. The crystal structure and purity of the synthesized AgNPs were studied using Powder X-ray Diffraction analysis. The Surface Plasmon Resonance bands of synthesized silver nanoparticles have been obtained and monitored using UV-Visible spectrum. The morphologies of the AgNPs were analyzed using High resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The elements present in the A. calcarata extract were determined by the inductively coupled plasma-optical emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Silver nanoparticles from A. calcarata possess very good antimicrobial activity which was confirmed by resazurin dye reduction assay method and thus it is a potential source of antimicrobial agent. The synthesized Ag nanoparticles exhibit good optical nonlinearity and the nonlinear optical studies have been carried out by Z-scan technique.

Ethnoveterinary study for antidermatophytic activity of Piper betle, Alpinia galanga and Allium ascalonicum extracts in vitro.

PubMed

Trakranrungsie, N; Chatchawanchonteera, A; Khunkitti, W

2008-02-01

Crude ethanolic extracts of Piper betle leaves (Piperaceae), Alpinia galanga rhizomes (Zingiberaceae) and Allium ascalonicum bulbs (Liliaceae) were tested against selected zoonotic dermatophytes (Microsporum canis, Microsporum gypseum and Trichophyton mentagrophyte) and the yeast-like Candida albicans. A broth dilution method was employed to determine the inhibitory effect of the extracts and compared to those of ketoconazole and griseofulvin. All extracts suppressed the growth of the fungi in a concentration-dependent manner. Among the extracts tested, P. betle exhibited more effective antifungal properties with average IC(50) values ranging from 110.44 to 119.00 microg/ml. Subsequently, 10% Piper betle (Pb) cream was formulated, subjected to physical and microbial limit test and evaluated for antifungal effect. The disc diffusion assay revealed comparable zones of inhibition between discs of Pb cream containing 80 microg P. betle extract and 80 microg ketoconazole against tested fungi at 96 h after incubation. Thereafter, the inhibitory effect of Pb cream markedly decreased and completely lost effectiveness by day 7. In summary, the results supported the traditional wisdom of herbal remedy use and suggested a potential value-addition to agricultural products. It was suggested that the Pb cream has potential therapeutic value for treatment of dermatophytosis. However, clinical testing as well as improving the Pb cream formulation with greater efficacy and duration of action would be of interest and awaits further investigation.

Chemical Constituents of Supercritical Extracts from Alpinia officinarum and the Feeding Deterrent Activity against Tribolium castaneum.

PubMed

Xin, Mintong; Guo, Shanshan; Zhang, Wenjuan; Geng, Zhufeng; Liang, Junyu; Du, Shushan; Deng, Zhiwei; Wang, Yongyan

2017-04-18

Alpinia officinarum has been confirmed to possess bioactivities against some pests. In this work, a sample was obtained from A. officinarum rhizomes by supercritical fluid CO₂ extraction (SFE). According to GC-MS analysis, the main chemical components for SFE-sample included benzylacetone (26.77%), 1,7-diphenyl-5-hydroxy-3-heptanone (17.78%), guaiacylacetone (10.03%) and benzenepropanal (7.42%). The essential oil of A. officinarum rhizomes (LD 50 = 20.71 μg/adult) exhibited more contact toxicity than SFE extract (LD 50 = 82.72 μg/adult) against Tribolium castaneum . From SFE extracts, one new compound, 1-phenyl-4-(16,17-dimethyl-9,13-octadiene)-5-isopentenyl-7-(4"-methoxyl-3"-hydroxyl-phenyl)-3-heptanone ( 3 ), together with five known compounds identified as 5-hydroxy-1,7-diphenyl-3-heptanone ( 1 ), 1,7-diphenyl-4-hepten-3-one ( 2 ), galangin ( 4 ), galangin-3-methyl ether ( 5 ) and pinocembrin ( 6 ), were isolated and their feeding deterrent activities against T. castaneum adults were assessed. It was found that compounds 1 - 6 had feeding deterrent activities against T. castaneum with feeding deterrent indices of 18.21%, 18.94%, 19.79%, 26.99%, 20.34%, and 35.81%, respectively, at the concentration of 1500 ppm. Hence, the essential oil and SFE extracts/compounds of A. officinarum rhizomes represent promising alternatives in the control of T. castaneum adults.

1′-Acetoxychavicol Acetate Isolated from Alpinia galanga Ameliorates Ovalbumin-Induced Asthma in Mice

PubMed Central

Park, Sang-Joon; Lee, Eun-Ji; Lee, Jong-Hwa; Han, Sang-Seop; Pyo, Byeong Sik; Park, Dae-Hun; Kim, Bong-Hee

2013-01-01

The World Health Organization reports that 235 million people are currently affected by asthma. This disease is associated with an imbalance of Th1 and Th2 cells, which results in the upregulation of cytokines that promote chronic inflammation of the respiratory system. The inflammatory response causes airway obstruction and can ultimately result in death. In this study we evaluated the effect of 1′-acetoxychavicol acetate (ACA) isolated from Alpinia galanga rhizomes in a mouse model of ovalbumin (OVA)-induced asthma. To generate the mouse model, BALB/c mice were sensitized by intraperitoneal injection of OVA and then challenged with OVA inhalation for 5 days. Mice in the vehicle control group were sensitized with OVA but not challenged with OVA. Treatment groups received dexamethasone, 25 mg/kg/day ACA, or 50 mg/kg/day ACA for 5 days. Asthma-related inflammation was assessed by bronchoalveolar lavage fluid cell counts and histopathological and immunohistochemical analysis of lung tissues. Our results showed that ACA reduced the infiltration of white blood cells (especially eosinophils) and the level of IgE in the lungs of mice challenged with OVA and suppressed histopathological changes such as airway remodeling, goblet-cell hyperplasia, eosinophil infiltration, and glycoprotein secretion. In addition, ACA inhibited expression of the Th2 cytokines interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-13, and Th1 cytokines IL-12α and interferon-γ. Because asthmatic reactions are mediated by diverse immune and inflammatory pathways, ACA shows promise as an antiasthmatic drug candidate. PMID:23451048

Impact of Striped-Squirrel Nectar-Robbing Behaviour on Gender Fitness in Alpinia roxburghii Sweet (Zingiberaceae)

PubMed Central

Deng, Xiaobao; Mohandass, Dharmalingam; Katabuchi, Masatoshi; Hughes, Alice C.; Roubik, David W.

2015-01-01

Nectar-robbing has the potential to strongly affect male and female reproductive fitness of plants. One example of nectar theft is that shown by striped-squirrels (Tamiops swinhoei) on a number of ginger species, including Alpinia roxburghii and A. kwangsiensis (Zingiberaceae). In this study, we used a fluorescent dye as a pollen analogue, and measured fruit and seed output, to test the effect of squirrel nectar-robbing on A. roxburghii reproductive fitness. Pollen transfer between robbed and unrobbed flowers was assessed by comparing 60 randomly established plots containing robbed and unrobbed flowers. The frequency of squirrel robbing visits and broken styles were recorded from a number of flowers for five consecutive days. Two bee species (Bombus eximius and Apis cerana), were the primary pollinators, and their visitation frequency was recorded for six consecutive days. The results showed that fluorescent powder from unrobbed flowers was dispersed further, and to a greater number of flowers than that placed on robbed flowers. Additionally, robbing flowers caused significant damage to reproductive organs, resulting in lower fruit and seed sets in robbed than in unrobbed flowers and influencing both male and female fitness. The frequency of the primary pollinator visits (B. eximius) was significantly higher for unrobbed plants than for robbed plants. The present study clearly shows the negative impact of squirrel robbing on A. roxburghii male reproductive fitness and neutral impact on female reproductive fitness. PMID:26689684

Molecular docking and inhibition kinetics of α-glucosidase activity by labdane diterpenes isolated from tora seeds (Alpinia nigra B.L. Burtt.).

PubMed

Ghosh, Sudipta; Rangan, Latha

2015-02-01

Current approach against type 2 diabetes involves α-glucosidase inhibitors like acarbose associated with many side effects. Therefore, as an alternative to the existing drug, many natural products mainly from plant sources have been investigated which inhibit α-glucosidase. Here, we have selected medicinally important Alpinia nigra to explore its α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. Organic extracts of seeds and two purified natural diterpenes I: (E)-labda-8(17), 12-diene-15, 16-dial and II: (E)-8β, 17-epoxylabd-12-ene-15, 16-dial from A. nigra were investigated towards inhibition of α-glucosidase activity. Dose-dependent inhibition pattern were observed for seed extracts and both the compounds. Further, inhibition kinetics studies of the diterpenes indicated a non-competitive type of inhibition against α-glucosidase. Docking studies were carried out which revealed that both the diterpenes interacted within the active site of N-terminal and C-terminal domain of human maltase-glucoamylase enzyme, respectively. This is the first report of α-glucosidase inhibitory activity of these isolated diterpenes and their higher inhibitory potential than any terpenoids studied till date against α-glucosidase.

Metabonomic study of the fruits of Alpinia oxyphylla as an effective treatment for chronic renal injury in rats.

PubMed

Li, Yong-Hui; Tan, Yin-Feng; Cai, Hong-Die; Zhang, Jun-Qing

2016-05-30

Alpinia oxyphylla (Zingiberaceae) is a well-known medicinal plant. Its fruit ("Yi-Zhi-Ren" in Chinese) is used as an anti-diuretic and traditionally used for the treatment of enuresis and reduce urination. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a disease with the characteristic of the slowly loss of kidney function and has a prevalence of up to 7-10% in adults. Recent advances in its etiology and pathogenesis are providing more speculative hypotheses focused on integral systems. Using a UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS-based metabolomic platform, we explored the changes of metabolic profiling in plasma/urine simultaneously between chronic kidney disease (CKD) induced from adenine excess and the protective effects of A. oxyphylla extract (AOE). The total twenty-one metabolites (twelve in urine and nine in plasma), up-regulated or down-regulated, were identified and contributed to CKD progress. Among these biomarkers, agmatine, CAMP, 7-methylguanine, hippuric acid, indoxyl sulfate, asparagines, kynurenic acid and p-cresol sulfate were restored back to the control-like level after the treatment of AOE (p<0.05 or 0.01), These findings may be promising to yield a valuable insight into the pathophysiology of CKD and serve as characteristics to explain the mechanisms of AOE. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

In vitro effects of Coriandrum sativum, Tagetes minuta, Alpinia zerumbet and Lantana camara essential oils on Haemonchus contortus.

PubMed

Macedo, Iara Tersia Freitas; de Oliveira, Lorena Mayana Beserra; Camurça-Vasconcelos, Ana Lourdes Fernandes; Ribeiro, Wesley Lyeverton Correia; dos Santos, Jessica Maria Leite; de Morais, Selene Maia; de Paula, Haroldo Cesar Beserra; Bevilaqua, Claudia Maria Leal

2013-01-01

Phytotherapy can be an alternative for the control of gastrointestinal parasites of small ruminants. This study evaluated the efficacy of Alpinia zerumbet, Coriandrum sativum, Tagetes minuta and Lantana camara essential oils by two in vitro assays on Haemonchus contortus, an egg hatch test (EHT) and larval development test (LDT). No effect was observed for L. camara in the EHT. A. zerumbet, C. sativum and T. minuta essential oils exhibited a dose-dependent effect in the EHT, inhibiting 81.2, 99 and 98.1% of H. contortus larvae hatching, respectively, at a concentration of 2.5 mg mL-1. The effective concentration to inhibit 50% (EC50) of egg hatching was 0.94, 0.63 and 0.53 mg mL-1 for A. zerumbet, C. sativum and T. minuta essential oils, respectively. In LDT, L. camara, A. zerumbet, C. sativum and T. minuta at concentration of 10 mg mL-1 inhibited 54.9, 94.2, 97.8 and 99.5% of H. contortus larval development, presenting EC50 values of 6.32, 3.88, 2.89 and 1.67 mg mL-1, respectively. Based on the promising results presented in this in vitro model, it may be possible use of these essential oils to control gastrointestinal nematodes. However, their anthelmintic activity should be confirmed in vivo.

Melanogenesis inhibitory activity of a 7-O-9'-linked neolignan from Alpinia galanga fruit.

PubMed

Manse, Yoshiaki; Ninomiya, Kiyofumi; Nishi, Ryosuke; Kamei, Iyori; Katsuyama, Yushi; Imagawa, Takahito; Chaipech, Saowanee; Muraoka, Osamu; Morikawa, Toshio

2016-12-01

An aqueous acetone extract from the fruit of Alpinia galanga (Zingiberaceae) demonstrated inhibitory effects on melanogenesis in theophylline-stimulated murine B16 melanoma 4A5 cells (IC 50 =7.3μg/mL). Through bioassay-guided separation of the extract, a new 7-O-9'-linked neolignan, named galanganol D diacetate (1), was isolated along with 16 known compounds including 14 phenylpropanoids (2-15). The structure of 1, including its absolute stereochemistry in the C-7 position, was elucidated by means of extensive NMR analysis and total synthesis. Among the isolates, 1 (IC 50 =2.5μM), 1'S-1'-acetoxychavicol acetate (2, 5.0μM), and 1'S-1'-acetoxyeugenol acetate (3, 5.6μM) exhibited a relatively potent inhibitory effect without notable cytotoxicity at effective concentrations. The following structural requirements were suggested to enhance the inhibitory activity of phenylpropanoids on melanogenesis: (i) compounds with 4-acetoxy group exhibit higher activity than those with 4-hydroxy group; (ii) 3-methoxy group dose not affect the activity; (iii) acetylation of the 1'-hydroxy moiety enhances the activity; and (iv) phenylpropanoid dimers with the 7-O-9'-linked neolignan skeleton exhibited higher activity than those with the corresponding monomer. Their respective enantiomers [1' (IC 50 =1.9μM) and 2' (4.5μM)] and racemic mixtures [(±)-1 (2.2μM) and (±)-2 (4.4μM)] were found to exhibit melanogenesis inhibitory activities equivalent to those of the naturally occurring optical active compounds (1 and 2). Furthermore, the active compounds 1-3 inhibited tyrosinase, tyrosine-related protein (TRP)-1, and TRP-2 mRNA expressions, which could be the mechanism of melanogenesis inhibitory activity. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Anti-diabetic activity of methanolic extract of Alpinia galanga Linn. aerial parts in streptozotocin induced diabetic rats

PubMed Central

Verma, Ramesh Kumar; Mishra, Garima; Singh, Pradeep; Jha, Keshri K.; Khosa, Ratan L.

2015-01-01

Introduction: Alpinia galanga Linn. belongs to the family Zingiberaceae has been used as a traditional medicine in China for relieving stomach ache, treating cold, invigorating the circulatory systems, diabetes, and reducing swelling. Aim: To evaluate the antidiabetic activity of methanolic extract of A. galanga aerial parts on streptozotocin (STZ) induced diabetic rats. Materials and Methods: Diabetes was induced by single intraperitoneal injection of STZ at a dose of 60 mg/kg bodyweight. Test drug methanolic extract of A. galanga (200 and 400 mg/kg b.w.) and glibenclamide (10 mg/kg b.w.) as standard drug was administered orally for 21 consecutive days in STZ-induced diabetic rats. Fasting blood glucose level, serum lipid profiles, as well as initial and final changes in body weight were assessed along with histopathology. All the parameters were statistically analyzed by using one-way ANOVA followed by Bonferroni t-test. Results: Experimental findings showed significant dose dependent antidiabetic potential of methanolic extract in terms of reduction of fasting blood glucose level and various biochemical parameters in diabetic rats when compared with that of the diabetic control group, which might be due to the stimulatory effect of methanolic extracts on the regenerating β-cells and also on the surviving β-cells. Conclusion: Methanolic extract of aerial parts of A. galanga was effective in controlling blood glucose level and improve lipid profile in euglycemic as well as diabetic rats. PMID:26730146

Antimicrobial constituents and synergism effect of the essential oils from Cymbopogon citratus and Alpinia galanga.

PubMed

Tadtong, Sarin; Watthanachaiyingcharoen, Rith; Kamkaen, Narisa

2014-02-01

From the fresh leaf sheathes of lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) and rhizomes of galanga (Alpinia galanga) light yellow and colorless oils, respectively, were obtained by hydrodistillation and microwave assisted extraction (MAE) in yields of 0.24% and 0.03%, and 0.11% and trace (w/w), respectively. By GC/MS analysis, five major constituents were identified in lemongrass oil, E-citral, Z-citral, beta-myrcene, selina-6-en-4-ol, and cis-ocimene, and five in galanga oil, 1,8-cineole, phenol 4-(2-propenyl)-acetate, dl-limonene, alpha-pinene, and a-terpineol. Three major components of the combined lemongrass and galanga oils (ratio 7:3, 1:1, 3:7) were 1,8-cineole (46.3%, 31.5%, 19.3%), E-citral (12.8%, 22.7%, 32.8%) and Z-citral (8.5%, 15.2%, 21.6%). The MICs of lemongrass and galanga oils were: against Staphylococcus aureus 0.5% and 4%, v/v, against Pseudomonas aeruginosa 40% and >40%,v/v, against Streptococcus bovis 0.25% and 0.5%, v/v, and against Candida albicans 0.25% and 0.5%, v/v. Citral (from lemongrass oil) gave greater potentiation than 1,8-cineole (from galanga oil). The combination profiles of galanga oil with lemongrass oil (volume ratios 3:7, 1:1, and 7:3) were tested against the four pathogenic microorganisms. Synergistic activity was best noted for only one ratio (volume ratio 3:7) as the sigmafic< 1 against all tested microorganisms. The present investigation provides evidenc that the utilization of two essential oils in combination should be assessed for synergistic antimicrobial activity in order to reduce their minimum effective dose.

In vitro antioxidant and cytotoxic properties of ethanol extract of Alpinia oxyphylla fruits.

PubMed

Wang, Cheng-zhong; Yuan, Hui-hui; Bao, Xiao-li; Lan, Min-bo

2013-11-01

Alpinia oxyphylla Miquel (Zingiberaceae) is a traditional Chinese herbal medicine widely used for the treatment of intestinal disorders, urosis and diuresis. However, information about antioxidant and cytotoxic properties of its fruits remains to be elucidated. The ethanol crude extract (CE) and its fractions [petroleum ether fraction (PF), ethyl acetate fraction (EF), n-butanol fraction (BF) and water fraction (WF) extracted by petroleum ether, ethyl acetate, n-butanol and water, respectively] of A. oxyphylla fruits were investigated for their antioxidant activity and cytotoxicity. The total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant activity of the extracts were determined by Folin-Ciocalteu reagent, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH(•)), Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity and reducing power assay. Cytotoxicity of the extracts (0-200 μg/mL) was tested on six human cancer cell lines (breast cancer cell line, cervix carcinoma cell line, lung adenocarcinoma cell line, liver carcinoma cell line, gastric cancer cell line and colon cancer cell line) using the sulforhodamine B assay. The TPC of extracts varied from 8.2 to 20.3 mg gallic acid equivalents/g dry weight. DPPH radical scavenging effect of extracts decreased in the order of EF > BF > CE > PF > WF, with IC50 values ranging from 74.7 to 680.8 μg/mL. 2,2-azo-bis(3-Ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfoic acid) diammonium salt scavenging activity ranged from 0.118 to 0.236 mmol Trolox equivalence/mg extract. The extracts exhibited concentration-dependent reducing power, and EF showed the highest reducing ability. A satisfactory correlation (R(2) > 0.826) between TPC and antioxidant activity was observed. In addition, EF, PF and CE exhibited potent anticancer effects on six cancer cell lines with IC50 values ranging from 40.1 to 166.3 μg/mL. The ethanol extract of A. oxyphylla fruit, especially the EF, was found to possess potent antioxidant and anticancer activities, and thus a great

Effect of Alpinia zerumbet components on antioxidant and skin diseases-related enzymes

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background The skin is chronically exposed to endogenous and environmental pro-oxidant agents, leading to the harmful generation of reactive oxygen species. Antioxidant is vital substances which possess the ability to protect the body from damage cause by free radicals induce oxidative stress. Alpinia zerumbet, a traditionally important economic plant in Okinawa, contains several interesting bioactive constituents and possesses health promoting properties. In this regard, we carried out to test the inhibitory effect of crude extracts and isolated compounds from A. zerumbet on antioxidant and skin diseases-related enzymes. Methods The antioxidant activities were examined by DPPH, ABTS and PMS-NADH radical scavenging. Collagenase, elastase, hyaluronidase and tyrosinase were designed for enzymatic activities to investigate the inhibitory properties of test samples using a continuous spectrophotometric assay. The inhibitory capacity of test samples was presented at half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50). Results The results showed that aqueous extract of the rhizome was found to have greater inhibitory effects than the others on both of antioxidant and skin diseases-related enzymes. Furthermore, 5,6-dehydrokawain (DK), dihydro-5,6-dehydrokawain (DDK) and 8(17),12-labdadiene-15,16-dial (labdadiene), isolated from rhizome, were tested for antioxidant and enzyme inhibitions. We found that DK showed higher inhibitory activities on DPPH, ABTS and PMS-NADH scavenging (IC50 = 122.14 ± 1.40, 110.08 ± 3.34 and 127.78 ± 4.75 μg/ml, respectively). It also had stronger inhibitory activities against collagenase, elastase, hyaluronidase and tyrosinase (IC50 = 24.93 ± 0.97, 19.41 ± 0.61, 19.48 ± 0.24 and 76.67 ± 0.50 μg/ml, respectively) than DDK and labdadiene. Conclusion Our results indicate that the rhizome aqueous extract proved to be the source of bioactive compounds against enzymes responsible for causing skin diseases

Isolation and identification of ingredients inducing cancer cell death from the seeds of Alpinia galanga, a Chinese spice.

PubMed

Zeng, Qiao-hui; Lu, Chuan-Li; Zhang, Xue-wu; Jiang, Jian-Guo

2015-02-01

This study was carried out to isolate ingredients from the seeds of a Chinese spice (Alpinia galangal) and to evaluate their cytotoxic activity on cancer cell lines. Isolation and purification of the phytochemical constituents were conducted using silica gel, Sephadex LH-20 and ODS columns. After extraction using 95% ethanol, the total extracts were re-extracted, resulting in petroleum ether (PE), ethyl acetate (EA) and water fractions, respectively. Activity tests showed that the EA fraction exhibited obvious (p < 0.05) protective effects on H2O2 damaged PC-12 cells at 20 μg mL(-1), and showed much higher (p < 0.05) cytotoxic activity on cancer cell lines than other fractions. Five compounds, 1'-S-1'-acetoxyeugenol acetate (I), 1'-S-1'-acetoxychavicol acetate (II), 2-propenal, 3-[4-(acetyloxy)-3-methoxyphenyl] (III), isocoronarin D (IV) and caryolane-1, 9β-diol (V), were obtained from the EA fraction and identified by HPLC, UV, MS, and NMR spectroscopic analyses. Compounds III and V were isolated from A. galangal for the first time. Moreover, compounds I, II, IV and V were the main active ingredients for inducing death of the tested cancer cells, and their IC50 values ranged from 60 to 90 μg mL(-1), indicating that these compounds possessed a wide anti-cancer capability. Therefore, A. galangal seeds could be a potential source of healthy food for tumor prevention.

Anti-Oxidant, Anti-Aging, and Anti-Melanogenic Properties of the Essential Oils from Two Varieties of Alpinia zerumbet.

PubMed

Tu, Pham Thi Be; Tawata, Shinkichi

2015-09-14

Here, we investigated the anti-oxidant and anti-aging effects of essential oils (EOs) from the leaves of Alpinia zerumbet (tairin and shima) in vitro and anti-melanogenic effects in B16F10 melanoma cells. The anti-oxidant activities were performed with 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH); 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS); nitric oxide; singlet oxygen; hydroxyl radical scavenging; and xanthine oxidase. The inhibitory activities against collagenase, elastase, hyaluronidase, and tyrosinase were employed for anti-aging. The anti-melanogenic was assessed in B16F10 melanoma cells by melanin synthesis and intracellular tyrosinase inhibitory activity. The volatile chemical composition of the essential oil was analyzed with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The EO was a complex mixture mainly consisting of monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes. The results revealed that tairin and shima EOs showed strong anti-oxidant activities against DPPH and nitric oxide, hydroxyl radical scavenging activity, and xanthine oxidase inhibition. Compared to shima EO; tairin EO exhibited strong anti-aging activity by inhibiting collagenase, tyrosinase, hyaluronidase, and elastase (IC50 = 11 ± 0.1; 25 ± 1.2; 83 ± 1.6; and 213 ± 2 μg/mL, respectively). Both EOs inhibited intracellular tyrosinase activity; thus, reducing melanin synthesis. These results suggest that tairin EO has better anti-oxidant/anti-aging activity than shima EO, but both are equally anti-melanogenic.

In vitro antiplasmodial activity, macronutrients and trace metals in the medicinal plants: Phyllanthus spp. and Alpinia conchigera Griff.

PubMed

Haslinda, M S; Aiyub, Z; Bakar, N K A; Tohar, N; Musa, Y; Abdullah, N R; Ibrahim, H; Awang, K

2015-03-01

An antiplasmodial screening of Phyllanthus debilis and Phyllanthus urinaria was carried out. The medicinal plants were extracted and evaluated for in vitro antiplasmodial activity against D10 (chloroquine-sensitive, CQS) and Gombak A (chloroquine-resistant, CQR) strains of Plasmodium falciparum. The methanolic crudes from the soxhlet extraction were active against both strains however, P. urinaria (IC50 8.9 μg/ml with CQR strain) exhibited better anti-malarial activity compared to P. debilis (IC50 12.2 μg/ml with CQR strain). Furthermore, the methanolic crude of P. urinaria obtained by the cold extraction has good anti-malarial activity towards CQS (IC50 4.1 μg/ml). The concentration of macronutrients (calcium and magnesium) and trace metals (copper, manganese, iron and zinc) from three Phyllanthus species i.e. P. debilis Klein ex Wild., Phyllanthus niruri L., P. urinaria L. and Alpinia conchigera Griff. were determined using microwave digestion method and analyzed by Flame Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy. Standard Reference Material 1547 (peach leaves) was used to validate the method throughout this study. The recovery values were in the range of 80% to 120% which were in very good agreement with the certified values. The three Phyllanthus species and leaves of A. conchigera showed the highest concentration of calcium compared to other metals and macronutrients studied. The significant presence of all the important macronutrients and trace metals which are essential for human health and well-being substantiate their use medicinally in traditional practices.

Purification of kavalactones from Alpinia zerumbet and their protective actions against hydrogen peroxide-induced cytotoxicity in PC12 cells.

PubMed

Rao, Yerra Koteswara; Shih, Hui-Nung; Lee, Yi-Ching; Cheng, Wen-Tai; Hung, Hui-Chin; Wang, Huang-Chi; Chen, Ching Jung; Tzeng, Yew-Min; Lee, Meng-Jen

2014-12-01

This study found that fruit shells of shell ginger (Alpinia zerumbet) are a rich source of the kavalactones dihydro-5,6-dehydrokavain (DDK) and 5,6-dehydrokavain (DK). The fruit shell extraction with hexane resulted in good purity and higher yields of DDK and DK than did chloroform, ethanol, 10% ethanol, methanol or water. Additionally, this study examined the neuroprotective effects of DDK and DK against H2O2-induced cytotoxicity in PC12 cells and the possible molecular mechanisms involved. 16 h after stimulation with 400 μM H2O2, the viability (MTT reduction) of PC12 cells decreased while membrane damage (LDH release) was noticeably increased. However, pretreatment for 6 h with DDK and DK (1 μM, 5 μM, 10 μM and 50 μM) rescued PC12 cells from H2O2-induced cytotoxicity, as evidenced by decreased LDH release and increased cell viability. DDK and DK inhibit the MAPK family member p38, activate AKT, and reduce caspase-3 activity. DDK also reduced the oxidative status in H2O2-treated PC12 cells. Together, our data indicate that the A. zerumbet constituents, DDK and DK, exert a protective effect against oxidative stress-induced PC12 cell death and that the regulation of p-Akt and the p38 MAPK, and of oxidative states may be involved. Copyright © 2014 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Amelioration of atopic-like skin conditions in NC/Tnd mice by topical application with distilled Alpinia intermedia Gagnep extracts.

PubMed

Amagai, Yosuke; Katsuta, Chihiro; Nomura, Yoshihiro; Oida, Kumiko; Matsuda, Kenshiro; Jang, Hyosun; Ahn, Ginnae; Hamasaki, Tetsuyoshi; Matsuda, Hiroshi; Tanaka, Akane

2017-11-01

Alpinia intermedia, a perennial plant that belongs to the Zingiberaceae family, has been used in folk medicine for a long time in the southern region of Japan. Because skin care is an effective approach that enables patients to manage their atopic dermatitis (AD), various herbal ingredients with few adverse effects have been evaluated for use in AD patients in recent years. In this study, we examined whether distilled extracts obtained from A. intermedia were beneficial for AD-like skin conditions in NC/Tnd mice. Topical application with the A. intermedia extracts significantly reduced the severity of AD, transepidermal water loss and scratching behavior in the mice. Supplementation of the extracts to cell cultures suppressed the expression of Tslp mRNA in PAM212 keratinocytes, degranulation in bone marrow-derived cultured mast cells (BMCMC), and neurite outgrowth in PC12 cells and dorsal root ganglia. In addition, the component analysis revealed that β-pinene was a major constituent of the A. intermedia extracts. The inhibitory effects of β-pinene both in vivo and in vitro were also demonstrated. These results indicate that topical application with the A. intermedia extract to the skin of NC/Tnd mice improved the condition of the skin by suppressing multiple inflammatory responses. The extracts may become novel skin-care remedies for AD patients. © 2017 The Authors. The Journal of Dermatology published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Japanese Dermatological Association.

Crude Extracts, Flavokawain B and Alpinetin Compounds from the Rhizome of Alpinia mutica Induce Cell Death via UCK2 Enzyme Inhibition and in Turn Reduce 18S rRNA Biosynthesis in HT-29 Cells

PubMed Central

Abdullah, Rasedee; Kassim, Nur Kartinee Bt; Rosli, Rozita; Yeap, Swee Keong; Waziri, Peter; Etti, Imaobong Christopher; Bello, Muhammad Bashir

2017-01-01

Uridine-cytidine kinase 2 is an enzyme that is overexpressed in abnormal cell growth and its implication is considered a hallmark of cancer. Due to the selective expression of UCK2 in cancer cells, a selective inhibition of this key enzyme necessitates the discovery of its potential inhibitors for cancer chemotherapy. The present study was carried out to demonstrate the potentials of natural phytochemicals from the rhizome of Alpinia mutica to inhibit UCK2 useful for colorectal cancer. Here, we employed the used of in vitro to investigate the effectiveness of natural UCK2 inhibitors to cause HT-29 cell death. Extracts, flavokawain B, and alpinetin compound from the rhizome of Alpinia mutica was used in the study. The study demonstrated that the expression of UCK2 mRNA were substantially reduced in treated HT-29 cells. In addition, downregulation in expression of 18S ribosomal RNA was also observed in all treated HT-29 cells. This was confirmed by fluorescence imaging to measure the level of expression of 18S ribosomal RNA in live cell images. The study suggests the possibility of MDM2 protein was downregulated and its suppression subsequently activates the expression of p53 during inhibition of UCK2 enzyme. The expression of p53 is directly linked to a blockage of cell cycle progression at G0/G1 phase and upregulates Bax, cytochrome c, and caspase 3 while Bcl2 was deregulated. In this respect, apoptosis induction and DNA fragmentation were observed in treated HT-29 cells. Initial results from in vitro studies have shown the ability of the bioactive compounds of flavokawain B and alpinetin to target UCK2 enzyme specifically, inducing cell cycle arrest and subsequently leading to cancer cell death, possibly through interfering the MDM2-p53 signalling pathway. These phenomena have proven that the bioactive compounds could be useful for future therapeutic use in colon cancer. PMID:28103302

Crude Extracts, Flavokawain B and Alpinetin Compounds from the Rhizome of Alpinia mutica Induce Cell Death via UCK2 Enzyme Inhibition and in Turn Reduce 18S rRNA Biosynthesis in HT-29 Cells.

PubMed

Malami, Ibrahim; Abdul, Ahmad Bustamam; Abdullah, Rasedee; Kassim, Nur Kartinee Bt; Rosli, Rozita; Yeap, Swee Keong; Waziri, Peter; Etti, Imaobong Christopher; Bello, Muhammad Bashir

2017-01-01

Uridine-cytidine kinase 2 is an enzyme that is overexpressed in abnormal cell growth and its implication is considered a hallmark of cancer. Due to the selective expression of UCK2 in cancer cells, a selective inhibition of this key enzyme necessitates the discovery of its potential inhibitors for cancer chemotherapy. The present study was carried out to demonstrate the potentials of natural phytochemicals from the rhizome of Alpinia mutica to inhibit UCK2 useful for colorectal cancer. Here, we employed the used of in vitro to investigate the effectiveness of natural UCK2 inhibitors to cause HT-29 cell death. Extracts, flavokawain B, and alpinetin compound from the rhizome of Alpinia mutica was used in the study. The study demonstrated that the expression of UCK2 mRNA were substantially reduced in treated HT-29 cells. In addition, downregulation in expression of 18S ribosomal RNA was also observed in all treated HT-29 cells. This was confirmed by fluorescence imaging to measure the level of expression of 18S ribosomal RNA in live cell images. The study suggests the possibility of MDM2 protein was downregulated and its suppression subsequently activates the expression of p53 during inhibition of UCK2 enzyme. The expression of p53 is directly linked to a blockage of cell cycle progression at G0/G1 phase and upregulates Bax, cytochrome c, and caspase 3 while Bcl2 was deregulated. In this respect, apoptosis induction and DNA fragmentation were observed in treated HT-29 cells. Initial results from in vitro studies have shown the ability of the bioactive compounds of flavokawain B and alpinetin to target UCK2 enzyme specifically, inducing cell cycle arrest and subsequently leading to cancer cell death, possibly through interfering the MDM2-p53 signalling pathway. These phenomena have proven that the bioactive compounds could be useful for future therapeutic use in colon cancer.

Ginger species in Besiq Bermai forest, East Borneo: Inventory and collection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trimanto

2017-05-01

This research is aimed to inventory and collect ginger species from Borneo, especially from Besiq Bermai forest, East Borneo forest. This research was conducted by surveys and using a purposive sampling method. The characterization of Borneo gingers also used a guide to ginger of Borneo. The results showed that there are 19 species which have been recorded in this forest. Amomum, Alpinia, Plagiostachys, Globba, Hornstedtia, Plagiostachys, Zingiber, is genus that found in the forest. The life collections are conserved in Purwodadi Botanical Gardens. The species of Zingiberaceae are Alpinia pubiflora (Benth.) K. Schum., Alpinia aquatica (Retz.) Roscoe, Alpinia capitellata Jack, Alpinia beamanii R.M.Sm. Amomum oliganthum K. Schum, Etlingera pauciflora (Ridl.) R.M.Sm, Elettaria surculosa (K.Schum) B.L. Burrt&R.M. Sm, Hornstedtia rumphii (Sm.) Valeton, Hornstedtia conica Ridl, Hornstedtia reticosa Valeton, Globba pumila Ridl, Plagiostachys bracteolata R.M. Sm, Plagiostachys albiflora Ridl, Plagiostachysbreviramosa Cowley, Zingiber aromaticum Noronha, Zingiber zerumbet (L.) Roscoe ex Sm, Zingiber officinale Roscoe, Zingiber montanum (J.Koenig) Link ex A. Dietr, and Zingiber leptostachyum Valeton.

Alpinia oxyphylla Miquel fruit extract activates MAPK-mediated signaling of PAs and MMP2/9 to induce Schwann cell migration and nerve regeneration.

PubMed

Chang, Yung-Ming; Ye, Chi-Xin; Ho, Tsung-Jung; Tsai, Te-Neng; Chiu, Ping-Ling; Tsai, Chin-Chuan; Lin, Yueh-Min; Kuo, Chia-Hua; Tsai, Fuu-Jen; Tsai, Chang-Hai; Huang, Chih-Yang

2014-05-01

This study investigates the molecular mechanisms by which Alpiniae oxyphyllae fructus (AOF) promotes neuron regeneration. A piece of silicone rubber was guided across a 15 mm gap in the sciatic nerve of a rat. This nerve gap was then filled with different concentrations of AOF extract (0-200 mg/ml). We investigated the role of MAPK (ERK1/2, JNK and p38) pathways for AOF-induced matrix-degrading proteolytic enzyme (PAs and MMP2/9) production in RSC96 Schwann cells. The results showed that AOF increased the expressions of uPA, tPA, MMP-9, and MAPKs in vivo. In vitro, our results show that treatment with AOF extract induces ERK1/2, JNK, and p38 phosphorylation to activate the downstream PAs and MMPs signaling expression. AOF-stimulated ERK1/2, JNK, and p38 phosphorylation attenuated by individual pretreatment with siRNAs or inhibitors (U0126, SP600125 and SB203580), resulting in migration and uPA-related signal pathway inhibition. Taken together our data suggests the MAPKs (ERK1/2, JNK and p38), PAs (uPA, tPA), MMP (MMP2, MMP9) regenerative and migration signaling pathway of Schwann cells regulated by AOF extract might play a major role in Schwann cell migration and damaged peripheral nerve regeneration.

Anti-diabetic effect of Alpinia oxyphylla extract on 57BL/KsJ db-/db- mice

PubMed Central

Xie, Yiqiang; Xiao, Man; Li, Dan; Liu, Hongqin; Yun, Fenglin; Wei, Yi; Sang, Shenggang; Du, Guankui

2017-01-01

Diabetes mellitus is characterized by high blood glucose levels. Increased levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) may disrupt insulin signaling and result in insulin resistance. The Alpinia oxyphylla extract (AOE) possesses powerful antioxidant activity and may therefore inhibit the development of insulin resistance. The objective of the present study was to determine the effects of AOE on blood glucose, insulin and lipid levels in a type II diabetic nephropathy animal model (C57BIKsj db-/db-). All experiments were performed on male C57BL/Ks DB/DB and db-/db- mice that were left to acclimatize for 1 week prior to the experimental period. AOE was administered to these mice at different dosages (100, 300 and 500 mg/kg) for 8 weeks. The results demonstrated that AOE did not affect mouse weight, while blood glucose concentrations were found to significantly decrease in a dose-dependent manner (P<0.05). The effect of administering 500 mg/kg AOE (AOE500) to db-/db- mice was tested further. Treatment with AOE500 for 8 weeks led to improved glucose tolerance and reduced plasma insulin concentrations (P<0.05), as well as a significant decrease in triglyceride concentrations (P<0.05) and levels of total cholesterol (P<0.05) in db-/db- mice. Furthermore, treatment with AOE500 decreased the concentration of malondialdehyde, elevated the concentration of glutathione and increased the activities of the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase and peroxidase (P<0.05) in the livers of db-/db- mice. Meanwhile, AOE-treated mice exhibited significantly reduced urine albumin, creatinine and blood urea nitrogen excretion (P<0.05). In parallel, the upregulated expression of phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) in the liver and kidneys of db-/db- mice was impaired following AOE500 treatment. The results of the present study suggest that AOE regulates blood glucose and lipid levels and improves renal function by mediating oxidative stress and PTEN expression at the onset of type II

7-(4-Hydroxyphenyl)-1-phenyl-4E-hepten-3-one, a Diarylheptanoid from Alpinia officinarum, Protects Neurons against Amyloid-β Induced Toxicity.

PubMed

Huang, Xiaojie; Tang, Genyun; Liao, Yumei; Zhuang, Xiaoji; Dong, Xiao; Liu, Hui; Huang, Xiao-Jun; Ye, Wen-Cai; Wang, Ying; Shi, Lei

2016-12-01

Amyloid-β (Aβ) is one of the major causative agents of Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most common neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive cognitive impairment. While effective drugs for AD are currently limited, identifying anti-Aβ compounds from natural products has been shown as a promising strategy which may lead to breakthroughs for new drug candidate discovery. We have previously reported that 7-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-1-phenyl-4E-hepten-3-one (AO-1), a diarylheptanoid extracted from the plant Alpinia officinarum, has strong effects on neuronal differentiation and neurite outgrowth in vitro and in vivo. The present study further uncovers that AO-1 exerts neuroprotective effects against the neurotoxicity caused by Aβ. Under the damage of Aβ oligomers, the major pathological forms of Aβ, dendrites of neurons become atrophic and simplified, but such impairments were substantially alleviated by AO-1 treatment. Moreover, AO-1 reduced apoptotic levels and oxidative stress triggered by Aβ. Further analysis showed that the anti-caspase and dendrite protective effects of AO-1 were dependent on activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)-mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathways. These findings collectively identify AO-1 as a beneficial compound to ameliorate the deleterious effects of Aβ on dendrite integrity and cell survival, and may provide new insights on drug discovery of AD.

Anti-inflammatory activities and glycerophospholipids metabolism in KLA-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophage cells by diarylheptanoids from the rhizomes of Alpinia officinarum.

PubMed

Zhang, Guogai; Zhao, Lifang; Zhu, Jiancheng; Feng, Yifan; Wu, Xia

2018-02-01

Alpinia officinarum is used for its anti-inflammatory activity historically in China. Diarylheptanoids isolated from A. officinarum play important biological roles in the prevention and treatment of inflammatory disorders. Seven diarylheptanoids (1-7) were isolated from A. officinarum. The cell viabilities and anti-inflammatory activities of diarylheptanoids were evaluated by MTT assay and tumor necrosis factor-α production in Kdo2-lipid A-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells in vitro. The relationships between their anti-inflammatories and structure-activities are discussed. The results indicated that compounds 1 and 3-7 had significant anti-inflammatory activities. The relationships between inflammation and phospholipids metabolism were elucidated by multivariate data analysis. Twenty-two potential biomarkers were identified in inflammatory group vs. blank group, and 11 potential biomarkers were identified for inflammatory group vs. drug-treatment groups. Ten common phospholipids were characterized. On the basis of a previous study in our laboratory, we found that phosphatidylethanolamine (18:0/18:1) might be the important glycerophospholipid biomarker in inflammation. In this study, we firstly combined anti-inflammatory activities and glycerophospholipids changes of traditional Chinese medicine. This work suggests that the anti-inflammatory activities of diarylheptanoids might be significantly related to glycerophospholipids and could provide a useful database for investigating the anti-inflammatory effects of traditional Chinese medicine. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Antioxidant, anti-adipocyte differentiation, antitumor activity and anthelmintic activities against Anisakis simplex and Hymenolepis nana of yakuchinone A from Alpinia oxyphylla

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Alpinia oxyphylla is a common remedy in traditional Chinese medicine. Yakuchinone A is a major constituent of A. oxyphylla and exhibits anti-inflammatory, antitumor, antibacterial, and gastric protective activities. Methods Antioxidant and antitumor characteristics of yakuchinone A in skin cancer cells as well as novel mechanisms for the inhibition of adipocyte differentiation, cestocidal activities against Hymenolepis nana adults, and nematocidal activities against Anisakis simplex larvae are investigated. Results Yakuchinone A presents the ability of the removal of DPPH·and ABTS+ free radicals and inhibition of lipid peroxidation. Yakuchinone A suppresses intracellular lipid accumulation during adipocyte differentiation in 3 T3-L1 cells and the expressions of leptin and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ). Yakuchinone A induces apoptosis and inhibits cell proliferation in skin cancer cells. The inhibition of cell growth by yakuchinone A is more significant for non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) cells than for melanoma (A375 and B16) and noncancerous (HaCaT and BNLCL2) cells. Treatment BCC cells with yakuchinone A shows down-regulation of Bcl-2, up-regulation of Bax, and an increase in cleavage poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP). This suggests that yakuchinone A induces BCC cells apoptosis through the Bcl-2-mediated signaling pathway. The anthelmintic activities of yakuchinone A for A. simplex are better than for H. nana. Conclusions In this work, yakuchinone A exhibits antioxidative properties, anti-adipocyte differentiation, antitumor activity, and anthelmintic activities against A. simplex and H. nana. PMID:24070160

Permanent Genetic Resources added to Molecular Ecology Resources Database 1 October 2011 – 30 November 2011

PubMed Central

ABREU, ALUANA G.; ALBAINA, A.; ALPERMANN, TILMAN J.; APKENAS, VANESSA E.; BANKHEAD-DRONNET, S.; BERGEK, SARA; BERUMEN, MICHAEL L.; CHO, CHANG-HUNG; CLOBERT, JEAN; COULON, AURÉLIE; DE FERAUDY, D.; ESTONBA, A.; HANKELN, THOMAS; HOCHKIRCH, AXEL; HSU, TSAI-WEN; HUANG, TSURNG-JUHN; IRIGOIEN, X.; IRIONDO, M.; KAY, KATHLEEN M.; KINITZ, TIM; KOTHERA, LINDA; LE HÉNANFF, MAXIME; LIEUTIER, F.; LOURDAIS, OLIVIER; MACRINI, CAMILA M. T.; MANZANO, C.; MARTIN, C.; MORRIS, VERONICA R. F.; NANNINGA, GERRIT; PARDO, M. A.; PLIESKE, JÖRG; POINTEAU, S.; PRESTEGAARD, TORE; QUACK, MARKUS; RICHARD, MURIELLE; SAVAGE, HARRY M.; SCHWARCZ, KAISER D.; SHADE, JESSICA; SIMMS, ELLEN L.; SOLFERINI, VERA N.; STEVENS, VIRGINIE M.; VEITH, MICHAEL; WEN, MEI-JUAN; WICKER, FLORIAN; YOST, JENNIFER M.; ZARRAONAINDIA, I.

2017-01-01

This article documents the addition of 139 microsatellite marker loci and 90 pairs of single-nucleotide polymorphism sequencing primers to the Molecular Ecology Resources Database. Loci were developed for the following species: Aglaoctenus lagotis, Costus pulverulentus, Costus scaber, Culex pipiens, Dascyllus marginatus, Lupinus nanus Benth, Phloeomyzus passerini, Podarcis muralis, Rhododendron rubropilosum Hayata var. taiwanalpinum and Zoarces viviparus. These loci were cross-tested on the following species: Culex quinquefasciatus, Rhododendron pseudochrysanthum Hay. ssp. morii (Hay.) Yamazaki and R. pseudochrysanthum Hayata. This article also documents the addition of 48 sequencing primer pairs and 90 allele-specific primers for Engraulis encrasicolus. PMID:22296658

Protocatechuic Acid from Alpinia oxyphylla Induces Schwann Cell Migration via ERK1/2, JNK and p38 Activation.

PubMed

Ju, Da-Tong; Kuo, Wei-Wen; Ho, Tsung-Jung; Paul, Catherine Reena; Kuo, Chia-Hua; Viswanadha, Vijaya Padma; Lin, Chien-Chung; Chen, Yueh-Sheng; Chang, Yung-Ming; Huang, Chih-Yang

2015-01-01

Alpinia oxyphylla MIQ (Alpinate Oxyphyllae Fructus, AOF) is an important traditional Chinese medicinal herb whose fruits is widely used to prepare tonics and is used as an aphrodisiac, anti salivary, anti diuretic and nerve-protective agent. Protocatechuic acid (PCA), a simple phenolic compound was isolated from the kernels of AOF. This study investigated the role of PCA in promoting neural regeneration and the underlying molecular mechanisms. Nerve regeneration is a complex physiological response that takes place after injury. Schwann cells play a crucial role in the endogenous repair of peripheral nerves due to their ability to proliferate and migrate. The role of PCA in Schwann cell migration was determined by assessing the induced migration potential of RSC96 Schwann cells. PCA induced changes in the expression of proteins of three MAPK pathways, as determined using Western blot analysis. In order to determine the roles of MAPK (ERK1/2, JNK, and p38) pathways in PCA-induced matrix-degrading proteolytic enzyme (PAs and MMP2/9) production, the expression of several MAPK-associated proteins was analyzed after siRNA-mediated inhibition assays. Treatment with PCA-induced ERK1/2, JNK, and p38 phosphorylation that activated the downstream expression of PAs and MMPs. PCA-stimulated ERK1/2, JNK and p38 phosphorylation was attenuated by individual pretreatment with siRNAs or MAPK inhibitors (U0126, SP600125, and SB203580), resulting in the inhibition of migration and the uPA-related signal pathway. Taken together, our data suggest that PCA extract regulate the MAPK (ERK1/2, JNK, and p38)/PA (uPA, tPA)/MMP (MMP2, MMP9) mediated regeneration and migration signaling pathways in Schwann cells. Therefore, PCA plays a major role in Schwann cell migration and the regeneration of damaged peripheral nerve.

[Cloning and expression regulation of 1-deoxy-D-xylulose-5-phosphate reductoisomerase cDNA from Alpinia officinarum].

PubMed

Zhang, Chun-Rong; Yang, Quan; Chen, Hu-Biao; Pang, Yu-Xin; Tang, Xiao-Min; Cheng, Xuan-Xuan; Wu, Wen-Ya; Chen, Shi-Min

2012-11-01

The rhizome of Alpinia officinarum is a widely used Chinese herbal medicine. The essential oil in A. officinarum rhizome is mainly composed of 1, 8-cineole and other monoterpenes, as the major bioactive ingredients. In plants, monoterpenes are synthesized through the methylerythritol phosphate (MEP) pathway in the plastids, and 1-deoxy-D-xylulose 5-phosphate reductoisomerase (DXR) is an enzyme catalyzing a committed step of the MEP pathway. In the present study, the full-length cDNA encoding DXR was cloned from the rhizome of A. officinarum, using homology-based RT-PCR and rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) techniques. The new cDNA was designated as AoDXR and submitted to GenBank to be assigned with an accession number HQ874658. The full-length cDNA of AoDXR was 1 670 bp containing a 1 419 bp open reading frame encoding a polypeptide of 472 amino acids with a calculated molecular mass of 51.48 kDa and an isoelectric point of 6.15. Bioinformatic analyses revealed that AoDXR showed extensive homology with DXRs from other plant species and contained a conserved plastids transit peptide, a Pro-rich region and two highly conserved NADPH-binding motifs in its N-terminal region characterized by all plant DXRs. The phylogenetic analysis revealed that AoDXR belonged to angiosperm DXRs. The structural modeling of AoDXR showed that AoDXR had the typical V-shaped structure of DXR proteins. The tissue expression pattern analysis indicated that AoDXR expressed strongly in leaves, weak in rhizomes of A. officinarum. Exogenous methyl jasmonate (MeJA) could enhance the expression of AoDXR and the production of 1, 8-cineole in A. officinarum rhizomes. The cloning and characterization of AoDXR will be helpful to reveal the molecular regulation mechanism of monoterpene biosynthesis in A. officinarum and provides a candidate gene for metabolic engineering in improving the medicinal quality of A. officinarum rhizome.

Anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic activities of Alpinia oxyphylla on HepG2 cells through ROS-mediated signaling pathway.

PubMed

Zhang, Qiao; Cui, Can; Chen, Cong-Qin; Hu, Xiao-Long; Liu, Ya-Hui; Fan, Yan-Hua; Meng, Wei-Hong; Zhao, Qing-Chun

2015-07-01

Fructus Alpiniae oxyphyllae (A. oxyphylla) is a traditional herb which is widely used in East Asian for the treatment of dyspepsia, diarrhea, abdominal pain, poor memory, inflammatory conditions and cancer. The cytotoxic activities of ethanol extract (EE) and five extract layers including petroleum ether (PE), dichloromethane (DCLM), acetoacetate (EtOAc), n-Butanol (n-Bu) and water fractions (WF) of A. oxyphylla were tested on HepG2, SW480, MCF-7, K562 and HUVEC cell lines using MTT assay and LDH release assay. The component analysis was performed on HPLC with gradient elution. Hoechst 33342 staining, DCFH-DA fluorescence microscopy, flow cytometry analysis, western blot and migration assays were carried out to determine the anti-cancer mechanisms of PE. MTT analysis showed that EE, PE and DCLM could inhibit cell proliferation on HepG2, SW480, MCF-7, K562 and HUVEC cell lines, especially PE fraction. HPLC analysis pointed out five main components which may contribute to the anti-proliferative activity of PE. Further study showed that PE increased LDH release, induced apoptosis, disrupted mitochondrial membrane potential and elevated intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) in HepG2 cells, whereas the antioxidant N-acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC) prevented PE-induced ROS generation. The results of western blot revealed that PE induced apoptosis in HepG2 cells by enhancing Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, increasing cytochrome c in cytosol and activating caspase-3/9. Meanwhile, high levels of ROS could induce DNA damage-mediated protein expression, AKT, ERK inactivation and SAPKs activation. Furthermore, PE conspicuously blocked the migration of HUVEC cells. The present results demonstrated that PE induced apoptosis in HepG2 cells may be via a ROS-mediated signaling pathway. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluating the anti Mycobacterium tuberculosis activity of Alpinia galanga (L.) Willd. axenically under reducing oxygen conditions and in intracellular assays

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background In tuberculosis (TB), the steadily increasing bacterial resistance to existing drugs and latent TB continue to be major concerns. A combination of conventional drugs and plant derived therapeutics can serve to expand the antimicrobial spectrum, prevent the emergence of drug resistant mutants and minimize toxicity. Alpinia galanga, used in various traditional medicines, possesses broad spectrum antibacterial properties. The study was undertaken to assess the antimycobacterial potential of A. galanga in axenic (under aerobic and anaerobic conditions) and intracellular assays. Methods Phytochemical analysis was done using HPTLC. The acetone, aqueous and ethanolic extracts (1, 10, 25, 50 and 100 μg/ml) of A. galanga were tested axenically using Microplate Alamar Blue Assay (MABA) against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) H37Rv and three drug sensitive and three multi drug resistant clinical isolates. The activity of the extracts was also evaluated intracellularly in A549 cell line against these strains. The extracts active under intracellular conditions were further tested in an axenic setup under reducing oxygen concentrations using only H37Rv. Results 1´ acetoxychavicol acetate, the reference standard used, was present in all the three extracts. The acetone and ethanolic extracts were active in axenic (aerobic and anaerobic) and intracellular assays. The aqueous extract did not demonstrate activity under the defined assay parameters. Conclusion A. galanga exhibits anti M.tb activity with multiple modes of action. Since the activity of the extracts was observed under reducing oxygen concentrations, it may be effective in treating the dormant and non-replicating bacteria of latent TB. Though the hypothesis needs further testing, A. galanga being a regular dietary component may be utilized in combination with the conventional TB therapy for enhanced efficacy. PMID:24592852

Fungal Endophytes of Alpinia officinarum Rhizomes: Insights on Diversity and Variation across Growth Years, Growth Sites, and the Inner Active Chemical Concentration

PubMed Central

Shubin, Li; Juan, Huang; RenChao, Zhou; ShiRu, Xu; YuanXiao, Jin

2014-01-01

In the present study, the terminal-restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) technique, combined with the use of a clone library, was applied to assess the baseline diversity of fungal endophyte communities associated with rhizomes of Alpinia officinarum Hance, a medicinal plant with a long history of use. A total of 46 distinct T-RFLP fragment peaks were detected using HhaI or MspI mono-digestion-targeted, amplified fungal rDNA ITS sequences from A. officinarum rhizomes. Cloning and sequencing of representative sequences resulted in the detection of members of 10 fungal genera: Pestalotiopsis, Sebacina, Penicillium, Marasmius, Fusarium, Exserohilum, Mycoleptodiscus, Colletotrichum, Meyerozyma, and Scopulariopsis. The T-RFLP profiles revealed an influence of growth year of the host plant on fungal endophyte communities in rhizomes of this plant species; whereas, the geographic location where A. officinarum was grown contributed to only limited variation in the fungal endophyte communities of the host tissue. Furthermore, non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) analysis across all of the rhizome samples showed that the fungal endophyte community assemblages in the rhizome samples could be grouped according to the presence of two types of active indicator chemicals: total volatile oils and galangin. Our present results, for the first time, address a diverse fungal endophyte community is able to internally colonize the rhizome tissue of A. officinarum. The diversity of the fungal endophytes found in the A. officinarum rhizome appeared to be closely correlated with the accumulation of active chemicals in the host plant tissue. The present study also provides the first systematic overview of the fungal endophyte communities in plant rhizome tissue using a culture-independent method. PMID:25536070

Fungal endophytes of Alpinia officinarum rhizomes: insights on diversity and variation across growth years, growth sites, and the inner active chemical concentration.

PubMed

Shubin, Li; Juan, Huang; RenChao, Zhou; ShiRu, Xu; YuanXiao, Jin

2014-01-01

In the present study, the terminal-restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) technique, combined with the use of a clone library, was applied to assess the baseline diversity of fungal endophyte communities associated with rhizomes of Alpinia officinarum Hance, a medicinal plant with a long history of use. A total of 46 distinct T-RFLP fragment peaks were detected using HhaI or MspI mono-digestion-targeted, amplified fungal rDNA ITS sequences from A. officinarum rhizomes. Cloning and sequencing of representative sequences resulted in the detection of members of 10 fungal genera: Pestalotiopsis, Sebacina, Penicillium, Marasmius, Fusarium, Exserohilum, Mycoleptodiscus, Colletotrichum, Meyerozyma, and Scopulariopsis. The T-RFLP profiles revealed an influence of growth year of the host plant on fungal endophyte communities in rhizomes of this plant species; whereas, the geographic location where A. officinarum was grown contributed to only limited variation in the fungal endophyte communities of the host tissue. Furthermore, non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) analysis across all of the rhizome samples showed that the fungal endophyte community assemblages in the rhizome samples could be grouped according to the presence of two types of active indicator chemicals: total volatile oils and galangin. Our present results, for the first time, address a diverse fungal endophyte community is able to internally colonize the rhizome tissue of A. officinarum. The diversity of the fungal endophytes found in the A. officinarum rhizome appeared to be closely correlated with the accumulation of active chemicals in the host plant tissue. The present study also provides the first systematic overview of the fungal endophyte communities in plant rhizome tissue using a culture-independent method.

Different accumulation profiles of multiple components between pericarp and seed of Alpinia oxyphylla capsular fruit as determined by UFLC-MS/MS.

PubMed

Chen, Feng; Li, Hai-Long; Tan, Yin-Feng; Guan, Wei-Wei; Zhang, Jun-Qing; Li, Yong-Hui; Zhao, Yuan-Sheng; Qin, Zhen-Miao

2014-04-10

Plant secondary metabolites are known to not only play a key role in the adaptation of plants to their environment, but also represent an important source of active pharmaceuticals. Alpinia oxyphylla capsular fruits, made up of seeds and pericarps, are commonly used in traditional East Asian medicines. In clinical utilization of these capsular fruits, inconsistent processing approaches (i.e., hulling pericarps or not) are employed, with the potential of leading to differential pharmacological effects. Therefore, an important question arises whether the content levels of pharmacologically active chemicals between the seeds and pericarps of A. oxyphylla are comparable. Nine secondary metabolites present in A. oxyphylla capsular fruits, including flavonoids (e.g., tectochrysin, izalpinin, chrysin, apigenin-4',7-dimethylether and kaempferide), diarylheptanoids (e.g., yakuchinone A and B and oxyphyllacinol) and sesquiterpenes (e.g., nootkatone), were regarded as representative constituents with putative pharmacological activities. This work aimed to investigate the abundance of the nine constituents in the seeds and pericarps of A. oxyphylla. Thirteen batches of A. oxyphylla capsular fruits were gathered from different production regions. Accordingly, an ultra-fast high performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry (UFLC-MS/MS) method was developed and validated. We found that: (1) the nine secondary metabolites were differentially concentrated in seeds and fruit capsules; (2) nootkatone is predominantly distributed in the seeds; in contrast, the flavonoids and diarylheptanoids are mainly deposited in the capsules; and (3) the content levels of the nine secondary metabolites occurring in the capsules varied greatly among different production regions, although the nootkatone levels in the seeds were comparable among production regions. These results are helpful to evaluating and elucidating pharmacological activities of A. oxyphylla capsular

Antidiarrheal effect of Alpinia oxyphylla Miq. (Zingiberaceae) in experimental mice and its possible mechanism of action.

PubMed

Wang, Sheng; Zhao, Yang; Zhang, Junqing; Huang, Xiaoxing; Wang, Yifei; Xu, Xiaotao; Zheng, Bin; Zhou, Xue; Tian, Huajie; Liu, Li; Mei, Qibing

2015-06-20

The fructus Alpinia oxyphylla Miq. (AOM) has been used for treating diarrhea with spleen deficiency and gastralgia for thousands of years. A number of traditional Chinese medicine formulae provide AOM as an alternative herbal treatment for diarrhea, but the scientific basis for this usage has not been well defined. In this study, we tried to investigate the antidiarrheal activity and possible mechanisms of Fructus AOM, aiming to enrich our understanding to the scientific meanings and theoretical significance of Fructus AOM in clinical practice. The fructus of AOM collected from Hainan province in China were macerated in the 95% ethanol to obtain the crude 95% ethanol extract, followed by subjected to chromatographic separation over a Diaion HP20 column to obtain 90% and 50% ethanol eluted fractions. The activities of the crude extract and fractions on castor oil induced acute diarrhea, rhubarb induced chronic diarrhea, gastrointestinal transit (GIT) in mice, and contractions of isolated guinea-pig ileum were evaluated. Additionally, nitric oxide (NO), gastrointestinal peptides gastrin (GAS), motilin (MTL) and somatostatin (SS) levels that related to gastrointestinal motilities were detected to demonstrate the potential mechanisms. Ultimately, LC-MS/MS method was utilized to ensure the chemical consistency. The 95% ethanol extract and 90% ethanol eluted fraction significantly delayed the onset time and decreased the wet faeces proportion compared with control group in the castor oil induced acute diarrhea mice. In terms of further evaluation of antidiarrheal activity, the 95% ethanol extract and 90% ethanol elution displayed significant inhibition of the intestinal propulsion at the two highest oral doses of 20 g crude drug/kg and 1g/kg. Moreover the 95% ethanol extract (10 and 20 g crude drug/kg) and 90% ethanol elution (0.5 and 1g/kg) could significantly inhibit the GIT, which was partially attributed to the increase in NO and SS levels, and the decreased MTL. In

[Diversity and tissue distribution of fungal endophytes in Alpinia officinarum: an important south-China medicinal plant].

PubMed

Zhou, Ren-Chao; Huang, Juan; Li, Ze-En; Li, Shu-Bin

2014-08-01

In the present study, terminal-restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) technique was applied to assess the diversity and tissue distribution of the fungal endophyte communities of Alpinia officinarum collected from Longtang town in Xuwen county, Guangdong province, China, at which the pharmacological effect of the medicine plant is traditional considered to be the significantly higher than that in any other growth areas in China. A total of 28 distinct Terminal-Restriction Fragment (T-RFs) were detected with HhaI Mono-digestion targeted amplified fungal nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer region sequences (rDNA ITS) from the root, rhizome, stem, and leaf internal tissues of A. officinarum plant, indicating that at least 28 distinct fungal species were able to colonize the internal tissue of the host plant. The rDNA ITS-T-RFLP profiles obtained from different tissues of the host plant were obvious distinct. And the numbers of total T-RFs, and the dominant T-RFs detected from various tissues were significantly different. Based on the obtained T-RFLP profiles, Shannon's diversity index and the Shannon's evenness index were calculated, which were significantly different among tissues (P < 0.05). Furthermore, two types of active chemicals, total volatile oils by water vapor distillation method and galangin by methanol extraction-HPLC method, were examined in the each tissue of the tested plant. Both of tested components were detected in all of the four tissues of the medicine plant with varying contents. And the highest was in rhizome tissue. Correlation analysis revealed there were significant negative correlations between both of the tested active components contents and calculated Shannon's diversity index, as well as the Shannon's evenness index of the fungal endophyte communities of the host plant (P = 0, Pearson correlation coefficient ≤ -0.962), and significant positive correlations between both of the tested active components contents and

Isolates of Alpinia officinarum Hance as COX-2 inhibitors: Evidence from anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and molecular docking studies.

PubMed

Honmore, Varsha S; Kandhare, Amit D; Kadam, Parag P; Khedkar, Vijay M; Sarkar, Dhiman; Bodhankar, Subhash L; Zanwar, Anand A; Rojatkar, Supada R; Natu, Arun D

2016-04-01

Inflammation triggered by oxidative stress can cause various ailments, such as cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, diabetes etc. In the last few years, there has been a renewed interest in studying the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory action of plant constituents such as flavonoids and diarylheptanoids. To evaluate the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory activity and the total phenolic content of isolated compounds from Alpinia officinarum rhizomes. Furthermore, molecular docking was performed to study the binding mode of these compounds into the active site of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). A. officinarum rhizomes were extracted by maceration, using methanol. This extract was further fractionated by partitioning with hexane, chloroform and ethyl acetate and these fractions on further purification resulted in isolation of five pure compounds. Characterization was carried out by using (1)H NMR, (13)C NMR and MS. They were further evaluated for antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity using carrageenan-induced paw edema model in rats. Molecular docking study was performed using Glide module integrated in Schrodinger molecular modeling software. The compounds were identified as 1,7-diphenylhept-4-en-3-one (1), 5-hydroxy-1,7-diphenyl-3-heptanone (2), 3,5,7-trihydroxyflavone (Galangin, 3), 3,5,7-trihydroxy-4'-methoxyflavone (Kaempferide, 4) and 5-hydroxy-7-(4″-hydroxy-3″-methoxyphenyl)-1-phenyl-3-heptanone (5). The compound-3 and compound-5 (10mg/kg) showed significant (p<0.001) antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potential. Moreover, total phenolic content was detected as 72.96 mg and 51.18 mg gallic acid equivalent respectively. All the five isolates were found to be good binders with COX-2 (average docking score -9.03). Galangin and 5-hydroxy-7-(4″-hydroxy-3″-methoxyphenyl)-1-phenyl-3-heptanone exhibited anti-inflammatory and in-vitro antioxidant activity which may be due to presence of phenolic content in it. The molecular docking study revealed that these

Cytotoxic effect of Alpinia scabra (Blume) Náves extracts on human breast and ovarian cancer cells

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Alpinia scabra, locally known as 'Lengkuas raya’, is an aromatic, perennial and rhizomatous herb from the family Zingiberaceae. It is a wild species which grows largely on mountains at moderate elevations in Peninsular Malaysia, but it can also survive in the lowlands like in the states of Terengganu and Northern Johor. The present study reports the cytotoxic potential of A. scabra extracts from different parts of the plant. Methods The experimental approach in the present study was based on a bioassay-guided fractionation. The crude methanol and fractionated extracts (hexane, chloroform and water) from different parts of A. scabra (leaves, rhizomes, roots and pseudo stems) were prepared prior to the cytotoxicity evaluation against human ovarian (SKOV-3) and hormone-dependent breast (MCF7) carcinoma cells. The identified cytotoxic extracts were then subjected to chemical investigations in order to identify the active ingredients. A normal human lung fibroblast cell line (MRC-5) was used to determine the specificity for cancerous cells. The cytotoxic extracts and fractions were also subjected to morphological assessment, DNA fragmentation analysis and DAPI nuclear staining. Results The leaf (hexane and chloroform) and rhizome (chloroform) extracts showed high inhibitory effect against the tested cells. Ten fractions (LC1-LC10) were yielded after purification of the leaf chloroform extract. Fraction LC4 which showed excellent cytotoxic activity was further purified and resulted in 17 sub-fractions (VLC1-VLC17). Sub-fraction VLC9 showed excellent cytotoxicity against MCF7 and SKOV-3 cells but not toxic against normal MRC-5 cells. Meanwhile, eighteen fractions (RC1-RC18) were obtained after purification of the rhizome chloroform extract, of which fraction RC5 showed cytotoxicity against SKOV-3 cells with high selectivity index. There were marked morphological changes when observed using phase-contrast inverted microscope, DAPI nuclear staining and also DNA

Integrated Process for Production of Galangal Acetate, the "Wasabi-Like" Spicy Compound, and Analysis of Essential Oils of Rhizoma Alpinia officinarum (Hance) Farw.

PubMed

Lin, Li-Yun; Shen, Kun-Hung; Yeh, Xiang-Yü; Huang, Bou-Yü; Wang, Hui-Er; Chen, Kuan-Chou; Peng, Robert Y

2016-06-01

Rhizoma Alpinia officinarum (Hance) Farw, Zingiberaceae (AO), a ginger family herb exhibiting stimulant and a carminative bioactivity, is widely used in European and Asian countries as spicy condiment and medicinal uses. Allyl isothiocyanate (AITC) is the main pungent taste of native Wasabi (Wasabia japonica). The cytotoxicity of AITC has been implicated in thymus, adrenals, and white blood cells. Considering food safety, apparently a safer substitute for wasabi is worthy commercialized. Previously, we found AO crude paste to be rather feasible for use as a "Wasabi-substitute" in fresh meat and cold salads. A process linking cold ethyl acetate (EtAc) extraction with silica gel adsorption and reversed phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) (mobile phase, 75% methanol) was used to isolate galangal acetate, the Wasabi-like taste constituent. AO contained abundant galangal acetate (3.84 ± 0.07%) compared to A. galangal (0.57 ± 0.16%), and as already confirmed by thin layer chromatography (TLC), gas chromatography (GC)/mass spectrometry (MS)/MS and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (NMR), galangal acetate was particularly thermally labile. The steam distilled essential oil (SDEO) of AO (0.14% on wet basis) contained 80 compounds (number of component, %): monoterpene hydrocarbon (21, 13.83%); oxygenated monoterpene (17, 27.08%); sesquiterpene hydrocarbon (20, 31.03%), and oxygenated sesquiterpene (20, 21.85%), respectively. However, no spicy wasabi-like constituent remained in SDEO. Alternatively, n-hexane, EtAc, and methanol extracts of AO all showed potent DPPH- and superoxide anion-scavenging activity. Conclusively, SDEO although contains 80 volatiles, galangal acetate is absent due to thermal instability. Galangal acetate exhibits pleasant "Wasabi-like taste" for which we have successively developed an integrated process for mass production. © 2016 Institute of Food Technologists®

Chemical composition, antifeedant, repellent, and toxicity activities of the rhizomes of galangal, Alpinia galanga against Asian subterranean termites, Coptotermes gestroi and Coptotermes curvignathus (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae).

PubMed

Abdullah, Fauziah; Subramanian, Partiban; Ibrahim, Halijah; Abdul Malek, Sri Nurestri; Lee, Guan Serm; Hong, Sok Lai

2015-01-01

Dual choice bioassays were used to evaluate the antifeedant property of essential oil and methanolic extract of Alpinia galanga (L.) (locally known as lengkuas) against two species of termites, Coptotermes gestroi (Wasmann) and Coptotermes curvignathus (Holmgren) (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae). A 4-cm-diameter paper disc treated with A. galanga essential oil and another treated with either methanol or hexane as control were placed in a petri dish with 10 termites. Mean consumption of paper discs (miligram) treated with 2,000 ppm of essential oil by C. gestroi was 3.30 ± 0.24 mg and by C. curvignathus was 3.32 ± 0.24 mg. A. galanga essential oil showed significant difference in antifeedant effect, 2,000 ppm of A. galanga essential oil was considered to be the optimum concentration that gave maximum antifeedant effect. The essential oil composition was determined using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The major component of the essential oil was 1,8-cineol (61.9%). Antifeedant bioassay using 500 ppm of 1,8-cineol showed significant reduction in paper consumption by both termite species. Thus, the bioactive agent in A. galangal essential oil causing antifeeding activity was identified as 1,8-cineol. Repellent activity shows that 250 ppm of 1,8-cineol caused 50.00 ± 4.47% repellency for C. gestroi, whereas for C. curvignathus 750 ppm of 1,8-cineol was needed to cause similar repellent activity (56.67 ± 3.33%). C. curvignathus is more susceptible compare to C. gestroi in Contact Toxicity study, the lethal dose (LD50) of C. curvignathus was 945 mg/kg, whereas LD50 value for C. gestroi was 1,102 mg/kg. Hence 1,8-cineol may be developed as an alternative control against termite in sustainable agriculture practices. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Entomological Society of America.

Chemical Composition, Antifeedant, Repellent, and Toxicity Activities of the Rhizomes of Galangal, Alpinia galanga Against Asian Subterranean Termites, Coptotermes gestroi and Coptotermes curvignathus (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae)

PubMed Central

Abdullah, Fauziah; Subramanian, Partiban; Ibrahim, Halijah; Abdul Malek, Sri Nurestri; Lee, Guan Serm; Hong, Sok Lai

2015-01-01

Dual choice bioassays were used to evaluate the antifeedant property of essential oil and methanolic extract of Alpinia galanga (L.) (locally known as lengkuas) against two species of termites, Coptotermes gestroi (Wasmann) and Coptotermes curvignathus (Holmgren) (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae). A 4-cm-diameter paper disc treated with A. galanga essential oil and another treated with either methanol or hexane as control were placed in a petri dish with 10 termites. Mean consumption of paper discs (miligram) treated with 2,000 ppm of essential oil by C. gestroi was 3.30 ± 0.24 mg and by C. curvignathus was 3.32 ± 0.24 mg. A. galanga essential oil showed significant difference in antifeedant effect, 2,000 ppm of A. galanga essential oil was considered to be the optimum concentration that gave maximum antifeedant effect. The essential oil composition was determined using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The major component of the essential oil was 1,8-cineol (61.9%). Antifeedant bioassay using 500 ppm of 1,8-cineol showed significant reduction in paper consumption by both termite species. Thus, the bioactive agent in A. galangal essential oil causing antifeeding activity was identified as 1,8-cineol. Repellent activity shows that 250 ppm of 1,8-cineol caused 50.00 ± 4.47% repellency for C. gestroi, whereas for C. curvignathus 750 ppm of 1,8-cineol was needed to cause similar repellent activity (56.67 ± 3.33%). C. curvignathus is more susceptible compare to C. gestroi in Contact Toxicity study, the lethal dose (LD50) of C. curvignathus was 945 mg/kg, whereas LD50 value for C. gestroi was 1,102 mg/kg. Hence 1,8-cineol may be developed as an alternative control against termite in sustainable agriculture practices. PMID:25688085

Cardiovascular effects of the essential oil of Alpinia zerumbet leaves and its main constituent, Terpinen-4-ol, in rats: role of the autonomic nervous system.

PubMed

Lahlou, Saad; Galindo, Charles Antonio Barros; Leal-Cardoso, José Henrique; Fonteles, Manassés Claudino; Duarte, Gloria Pinto

2002-12-01

Cardiovascular effects of intravenous ( i. v.) treatment with the essential oil of Alpinia zerumbet (EOAZ) were investigated in rats. Additionally this study examined (I) whether the autonomic nervous system is involved in the mediation of EOAZ-induced changes in mean aortic pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR), and (II) whether these changes could be, at least in part, attributed to the actions of terpinen-4-ol (Trp-4-ol), the major constituent of EOAZ. In both pentobarbitone-anaesthetised and conscious rats, i. v. bolus injections of EOAZ (1 to 20 mg/kg) elicited immediate and dose-dependent decreases in MAP. In anaesthetised rats, EOAZ decreased HR only at higher doses (10 and 20 mg/kg), while changes of this parameter were not uniform in conscious rats. Hypotensive responses to EOAZ were of the same order of magnitude or duration, irrespective of whether the animal was under general anaesthesia. Pretreatment of anaesthetised rats with bilateral vagotomy did not modify significantly the hypotensive and bradycardic responses to EOAZ. In conscious rats, i. v. injections of bolus doses (1 to 10 mg/kg) of Trp-4-ol also elicited immediate and dose-dependent decreases in MAP. However, these hypotensive effects were significantly greater than those evoked by the same doses of EOAZ (1 to 10 mg/kg). Intravenous pretreatment of conscious rats with either methylatropine (1 mg/kg) or hexamethonium (30 mg/kg) had no significant effects on the EOAZ-induced hypotension. These data show that i. v. treatment with the EOAZ in either anaesthetised or conscious rats induced an immediate and significant hypotension, an effect that could be partially attributed to the actions of Trp-4-ol. The hypotension appears independent of the presence of an operational sympathetic nervous system, suggesting that the EOAZ may be a direct vasorelaxant agent.

Discovery, Synthesis, and Functional Characterization of a Novel Neuroprotective Natural Product from the Fruit of Alpinia oxyphylla for use in Parkinson's Disease Through LC/MS-Based Multivariate Data Analysis-Guided Fractionation.

PubMed

Li, Guohui; Zhang, Zaijun; Quan, Quan; Jiang, Renwang; Szeto, Samuel S W; Yuan, Shuai; Wong, Wing-Tak; Lam, Herman H C; Lee, Simon Ming-Yuen; Chu, Ivan K

2016-08-05

Herein we report the discovery of a novel lead compound, oxyphylla A [(R)-4-(2-hydroxy-5-methylphenyl)-5-methylhexanoic acid] (from the fruit of Alpinia oxyphylla), which functions as a neuroprotective agent against Parkinson's disease. To identify a shortlist of candidates from the extract of A. oxyphylla, we employed an integrated strategy combining liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry, bioactivity-guided fractionation, and chemometric analysis. The neuroprotective effects of the shortlisted candidates were validated prior to scaling up the finalized list of potential neuroprotective constituents for more detailed chemical and biological characterization. Oxyphylla A has promising neuroprotective effects: (i) it ameliorates in vitro chemical-induced primary neuronal cell damage and (ii) alleviates chemical-induced dopaminergic neuron loss and behavioral impairment in both zebrafish and mice in vivo. Quantitative proteomics analyses of oxyphylla A-treated primary cerebellar granule neurons that had been intoxicated with 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium revealed that oxyphylla A activates nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2)-a master redox switch-and triggers a cascade of antioxidative responses. These observations were verified independently through western blot analyses. Our integrated metabolomics, chemometrics, and pharmacological strategy led to the efficient discovery of novel bioactive ingredients from A. oxyphylla while avoiding the nontargeting, labor-intensive steps usually required for identification of bioactive compounds. Our successful development of a synthetic route toward oxyphylla A should lead to its availability on a large scale for further functional development and pathological studies.

Ethanol extract and its dichloromethane fraction of Alpinia oxyphylla Miquel exhibited hepatoprotective effects against CCl4-induced oxidative damage in vitro and in vivo with the involvement of Nrf2.

PubMed

Zhang, Qiao; Hu, Xiaolong; Hui, Fuhai; Song, Qi; Cui, Can; Wang, Changli; Zhao, Qingchun

2017-07-01

Alpinia oxyphylla Miq. (A. oxyphylla), as a kind of medicine which also be used as food, is widely used in East Asian for the treatment of dyspepsia, diarrhea, abdominal pain and deficiency cold of spleen and stomach. This study aimed to investigate the protective effects of ethanol extract (EE) and its dichloromethane fraction (DM) of A. oxyphylla, which are rich in phenolic compounds, against CCl 4 -induced hepatic injury in vitro and in vivo. EE, DM and silymarin ameliorated CCl 4 -induced decrease of cell viability and increase of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in HepG2 cells. The CCl 4 -induced changes of glutathione (GSH) and methane dicarboxylic aldehyde (MDA) levels, and the decrease of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities were all restored with the pretreatment of EE, DM and silymarin. The results in liver injury model in rats showed that EE, DM and silymarin could significant decrease the levels of serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and total bilirubin than the model group. Liver histopathology revealed that EE and DM attenuated the incidence of liver lesions triggered by CCl 4 intoxication. They also effectively relieved CCl 4 -induced oxidative damage. Western blot analysis indicated NF-E2-related factor (Nrf2) pathway played an critical role in the protection of EE and DM against CCl 4 -induced oxidative stress. In conclusion, the extracts from A. oxyphylla might be used as hepatoprotective agents. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Diarylheptanoids suppress proliferation of pancreatic cancer PANC-1 cells through modulating shh-Gli-FoxM1 pathway.

PubMed

Dong, Guang-Zhi; Jeong, Ji Hye; Lee, Yu-Ih; Lee, So Yoon; Zhao, Hui-Yuan; Jeon, Raok; Lee, Hwa Jin; Ryu, Jae-Ha

2017-04-01

Pancreatic cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer, and it has the lowest 5-year survival rates. It is necessary to develop more potent anti-pancreatic cancer drugs to overcome the fast metastasis and resistance to surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and combinations of these. We have identified several diarylheptanoids as anti-pancreatic cancer agents from Alpinia officinarum (lesser galangal) and Alnus japonica. These diarylheptanoids suppressed cell proliferation and induced the cell cycle arrest of pancreatic cancer cells (PANC-1). Among them, the most potent compounds 1 and 7 inhibited the shh-Gli-FoxM1 pathway and their target gene expression in PANC-1 cells. Furthermore, they suppressed the expression of the cell cycle associated genes that were rescued by the overexpression of exogenous FoxM1. Taken together, (E)-7-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-1-phenylhept-4-en-3-one (1) from Alpinia officinarum (lesser galangal) and platyphyllenone (7) from Alnus japonica inhibit PANC-1 cell proliferation by suppressing the shh-Gli-FoxM1 pathway, and they can be potential candidates for anti-pancreatic cancer drug development.

Anti-inflammation activity of fruit essential oil from Cinnamomum insularimontanum Hayata.

PubMed

Lin, Chien-Tsong; Chen, Chi-Jung; Lin, Ting-Yu; Tung, Judia Chen; Wang, Sheng-Yang

2008-12-01

In this study, the fruit essential oil of Cinnamomum insularimontanum was prepared by using water distillation. Followed by GC-MS analysis, the composition of fruit essential oil was characterized. The main constituents of essential oil were alpha-pinene (9.45%), camphene (1.70%), beta-pinene (4.30%), limonene (1.76%), citronellal (24.64%), citronellol (16.78%), and citral (35.89%). According to the results obtained from nitric oxide (NO) inhibitory activity assay, crude essential oil and its dominant compound (citral) presented the significant NO production inhibitory activity, IC(50) of crude essential oil and citral were 18.68 and 13.18microg/mL, respectively. Moreover, based on the results obtained from the protein expression assay, the expression of IKK, iNOS, and nuclear NF-kappaB was decreased and IkappaBalpha was increased in dose-dependent manners, it proved that the anti-inflammatory mechanism of citral was blocked via the NF-kappaB pathway, but it could not efficiently suppress the activity on COX-2. In addition, citral exhibited a potent anti-inflammatory activity in the assay of croton oil-induced mice ear edema, when the dosage was 0.1 and 0.3mg per ear, the inflammation would reduce to 22% and 83%, respectively. The results presented that the fruit essential oil of C. insularimontanum and/or citral may have a great potential to develop the anti-inflammatory medicine in the future.

[Chemical constituents from the aerial part of Stauntonia obovatifoliola Hayata subsp. urophylla].

PubMed

Peng, Xiao-bing; Gao, Wei-lue; Hu, Dong-qun; Ma, Fang-fang; Fu, Li-gang; Deng, Qian; Wei, Ying

2013-11-01

To study the chemical constituents of the aerial part of Stauntonia obovatifoliola. The chemical constituents of ethyl acetate fraction were isolated and purified by several chromatography. Their structures were elucidated by their physiochemical properties and spectral methods. Six known compounds were isolated and identified as lupeone(1), lupeol(2), stigmasterol(3),3beta-O-acetyloleanolic acid(4), resinone(5) and daucosterol(6). Compounds 1-6 are isolated from this plant for the first time.

Medicinal plants from the Yanesha (Peru): evaluation of the leishmanicidal and antimalarial activity of selected extracts.

PubMed

Valadeau, Céline; Pabon, Adriana; Deharo, Eric; Albán-Castillo, Joaquina; Estevez, Yannick; Lores, Fransis Augusto; Rojas, Rosario; Gamboa, Dionicia; Sauvain, Michel; Castillo, Denis; Bourdy, Geneviève

2009-06-25

Ninety-four ethanolic extracts of plants used medicinally by the Yanesha, an Amazonian Peruvian ethnic group, for affections related to leishmaniasis and malaria were screened in vitro against Leishmania amazonensis amastigotes and against a Plasmodium falciparum chloroquine resistant strain. The viability of Leishmania amazonensis amastigote stages was assessed by the reduction of tetrazolium salt (MTT) while the impact on Plasmodium falciparum was determined by measuring the incorporation of radio-labelled hypoxanthine. Six plant species displayed good activity against Plasmodium falciparum chloroquine resistant strain (IC(50) < 10 microg/ml): a Monimiaceae, Siparuna aspera (Ruiz & Pavon), A. DC., two Zingiberaceae, Renealmia thyrsoidea (Ruiz & Pavon) Poepp. & Endl. and Renealmia alpinia (Rottb.), two Piperaceae (Piper aduncum L. and Piper sp.) and the leaves of Jacaranda copaia (Aubl.) D. Don (Bignoniaceae). Eight species displayed interesting leishmanicidal activities (IC50 < 10 microg/ml): Carica papaya L. (Caricaceae), Piper dennisii Trel (Piperaceae), Hedychium coronarium J. König (Zingiberaceae), Cestrum racemosum Ruiz & Pav. (Solanaceae), Renealmia alpinia (Rottb.) Zingiberaceae, Lantana sp. (Verbenaceae), Hyptis lacustris A. St.-Hil. ex Benth. (Lamiaceae) and Calea montana Klat. (Asteraceae). Most of them are used against skin affections by Yanesha people. Results are discussed herein, according to the traditional use of the plants and compared with data obtained from the literature.

Evolutionary significance of seed structure in Alpinioideae (Zingiberaceae): Seed Structure in Alpinioideae

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Benedict, John C.; Smith, Selena Y.; Collinson, Margaret E.

Alpinioideae is the largest of the four subfamilies of Zingiberaceae and is widely distributed throughout the New and Old World tropics. Recent molecular studies have shown that, although Alpinioideae is a strongly supported monophyletic subfamily with two distinct tribes (Alpinieae and Riedelieae), large genera, such as Alpinia and Amomum, are polyphyletic and are in need of revision. Alpinia and Amomum have been shown to form seven and three distinct clades, respectively, but, for many of these clades, traditional vegetative and floral synapomorphies have not been found. A broad survey of seeds in Alpinioideae using light microscopy and synchrotron-based X-ray tomographicmore » microscopy has shown that many clades have distinctive seed structures that serve as distinctive apomorphies. Tribes Riedelieae and Alpinieae can be distinguished on the basis of operculum structure, with the exception of three taxa analysed. The most significant seed characters were found to be various modifications of the micropylar and chalazal ends, the cell shape of the endotesta and exotesta, and the location of an endotestal gap. A chalazal chamber and hilar rim are reported for the first time in Zingiberaceae. In addition to characterizing clades of extant lineages, these data offer insights into the taxonomic placement of many fossil zingiberalean seeds that are critical to understanding the origin and evolution of Alpinioideae and Zingiberales as a whole.(c) 2015 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2015, 178, 441-466..« less

2',3-dihydroxy-5-methoxybiphenyl suppresses fMLP-induced superoxide anion production and cathepsin G release by targeting the β-subunit of G-protein in human neutrophils.

PubMed

Liao, Hsiang-Ruei; Chen, Ih-Sheng; Liu, Fu-Chao; Lin, Shinn-Zhi; Tseng, Ching-Ping

2018-06-15

This study investigates the effect and the underlying mechanism of 2',3-dihydroxy-5-methoxybiphenyl (RIR-2), a lignan extracted from the roots of Rhaphiolepis indica (L.) Lindl. ex Ker var. tashiroi Hayata ex Matsum. & Hayata (Rosaceae), on N-formyl-L-methionyl-L-leucyl-L-phenylalanine (fMLP)-induced respiratory burst and cathepsin G in human neutrophils. Signaling pathways regulated by RIR-2 which modulated fMLP-induced respiratory burst were evaluated by an interaction between β subunit of G-protein (Gβ) with downstream signaling induced by fMLP and by immunoblotting analysis of the downstream targets of Gβ-protein. RIR-2 inhibited fMLP-induced superoxide anion production (IC 50 :2.57 ± 0.22 μM), cathepsin G release (IC 50 :18.72 ± 3.76 μM) and migration in a concentration dependent manner. RIR-2 specifically suppresses fMLP-induced Src family kinases phosphorylation by inhibiting the interaction between Gβ-protein with Src kinases without inhibiting Src kinases activities, therefore, RIR-2 attenuated the downstream targets of Src kinase, such as phosphorylation of Raf/ERK, AKT, P38, PLCγ2, PKC and translocation Tec, p47 ph ° x and P40 ph ° x from the cytosol to the inner leaflet of the plasma membrane. Furthermore, RIR-2 attenuated fMLP-induced intracellular calcium mobilization by inhibiting the interaction between Gβ-protein with PLCβ2. RIR-2 was not a competitive or allosteric antagonist of fMLP. On the contrary, phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA)-induced phosphorylation of Src, AKT, P38, PKC and membrane localization of p47 ph ° x and P40 ph ° x remained unaffected. RIR-2 specifically modulates fMLP-mediated neutrophil superoxide anion production and cathepsin G release by inhibiting the interaction between Gβ-protein with downstream signaling which subsequently interferes with the activation of intracellular calcium, PLCγ2, AKT, p38, PKC, ERK, p47 ph ° x and p40 phox . Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Biosorption of B-aflatoxins Using Biomasses Obtained from Formosa Firethorn [Pyracantha koidzumii (Hayata) Rehder

PubMed Central

Ramales-Valderrama, Rosa Adriana; Vázquez-Durán, Alma; Méndez-Albores, Abraham

2016-01-01

Mycotoxin adsorption onto biomaterials is considered as a promising alternative for decontamination without harmful chemicals. In this research, the adsorption of B-aflatoxins (AFB1 and AFB2) using Pyracantha koidzumii biomasses (leaves, berries and the mixture of leaves/berries) from aqueous solutions was explored. The biosorbent was used at 0.5% (w/v) in samples spiked with 100 ng/mL of B-aflatoxin standards and incubated at 40 °C for up to 24 h. A standard biosorption methodology was employed and aflatoxins were quantified by an immunoaffinity column and UPLC methodologies. The biosorbent-aflatoxin interaction mechanism was investigated from a combination of zeta potential (ζ), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The highest aflatoxin uptakes were 86% and 82% at 6 h using leaves and the mixture of leaves/berries biomasses, respectively. A moderate biosorption of 46% was attained when using berries biomass. From kinetic studies, the biosorption process is described using the first order adsorption model. Evidence from FTIR spectra suggests the participation of hydroxyl, amine, carboxyl, amide, phosphate and ketone groups in the biosorption and the mechanism was proposed to be dominated by the electrostatic interaction between the negatively charged functional groups and the positively charged aflatoxin molecules. Biosorption by P. koidzumii biomasses has been demonstrated to be an alternative to conventional systems for B-aflatoxins removal. PMID:27420096

Biosorption of B-aflatoxins Using Biomasses Obtained from Formosa Firethorn [Pyracantha koidzumii (Hayata) Rehder].

PubMed

Ramales-Valderrama, Rosa Adriana; Vázquez-Durán, Alma; Méndez-Albores, Abraham

2016-07-13

Mycotoxin adsorption onto biomaterials is considered as a promising alternative for decontamination without harmful chemicals. In this research, the adsorption of B-aflatoxins (AFB₁ and AFB₂) using Pyracantha koidzumii biomasses (leaves, berries and the mixture of leaves/berries) from aqueous solutions was explored. The biosorbent was used at 0.5% (w/v) in samples spiked with 100 ng/mL of B-aflatoxin standards and incubated at 40 °C for up to 24 h. A standard biosorption methodology was employed and aflatoxins were quantified by an immunoaffinity column and UPLC methodologies. The biosorbent-aflatoxin interaction mechanism was investigated from a combination of zeta potential (ζ), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The highest aflatoxin uptakes were 86% and 82% at 6 h using leaves and the mixture of leaves/berries biomasses, respectively. A moderate biosorption of 46% was attained when using berries biomass. From kinetic studies, the biosorption process is described using the first order adsorption model. Evidence from FTIR spectra suggests the participation of hydroxyl, amine, carboxyl, amide, phosphate and ketone groups in the biosorption and the mechanism was proposed to be dominated by the electrostatic interaction between the negatively charged functional groups and the positively charged aflatoxin molecules. Biosorption by P. koidzumii biomasses has been demonstrated to be an alternative to conventional systems for B-aflatoxins removal.

Chemical Constituents and Bioactivities of Several Indonesian Plants Typically Used in Jamu.

PubMed

Widyowati, Retno; Agil, Mangestuti

2018-01-01

This article reviews the chemical constituents and bioactivities of several Indonesian plants typically used in Jamu prescriptions in Indonesia. Jamu is Indonesia traditional medicine: it consists of either a single ingredient or a mixture of several medicinal plants. One plant family always used in Jamu is Zingiberaceae (ginger), such as Curcuma domestica/C. longa, C. xanthorrhizae, C. heyneana, C. zedoaria, C. aeruginosa, Zingiber aromaticum, Alpinia galanga. We also report other commonly used plant families such as Justicia gendarussa and Cassia siamea, whose activities have been extensively explored by our department.

Platelet-activating factor (PAF) receptor-binding antagonist activity of Malaysian medicinal plants.

PubMed

Jantan, I; Rafi, I A A; Jalil, J

2005-01-01

Forty-nine methanol extracts of 37 species of Malaysian medicinal plants were investigated for their inhibitory effects on platelet-activating factor (PAF) binding to rabbit platelets, using 3H-PAF as a ligand. Among them, the extracts of six Zingiberaceae species (Alpinia galanga Swartz., Boesenbergia pandurata Roxb., Curcuma ochorrhiza Val., C. aeruginosa Roxb., Zingiber officinale Rosc. and Z. zerumbet Koenig.), two Cinnamomum species (C. altissimum Kosterm. and C. pubescens Kochummen.), Goniothalamus malayanus Hook. f. Momordica charantia Linn. and Piper aduncum L. are potential sources of new PAF antagonists, as they showed significant inhibitory effects with IC50 values ranging from 1.2 to 18.4 microg ml(-1).

The soapberry bug, Jadera haematoloma (Insecta, Hemiptera, Rhopalidae): First Asian record, with a review of bionomics

PubMed Central

Tsai, Jing-Fu; Hsieh, Yi-Xuan; Rédei, Dávid

2013-01-01

Abstract The soapberry bug, Jadera haematoloma (Herrich-Schäffer, 1847) (Insecta: Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Rhopalidae: Serinethinae), a species native in tropical and subtropical regions of the New World and accidentally introduced to Hawaii, is reported for the first time from Asia (Taiwan). This record represents the first occurrence of the species in Asia. Stable populations composed of hundreds of specimens were found in seven localities of Kaohsiung City and one locality in Tainan City, and a single specimen was observed in Chiayi County. Aggregating adults and larvae fed in large numbers on the sapindacean plants Cardiospermum halicacabum L. and Koelreuteria elegans (Seem.) A. C. Smith ssp. formosana (Hayata) F. G. Meyer. Diagnostic characters of adults and larvae of Jadera haematoloma are discussed. A review of its bionomics and a bibliography are provided. Initial observations on the populations in southern Taiwan are presented. The species is potentially invasive, and further extension of its range is anticipated in Southeast Asia. PMID:23794880

Phytotelmatrichis, a new genus of Acrotrichinae (Coleoptera: Ptiliidae) associated with the phytotelmata of Zingiberales plants in Peru.

PubMed

Darby, Michael; Chaboo, Caroline S

2015-12-01

Phytotelmatrichis, gen. n. a new genus of Ptiliidae: Acrotrichinae with two species Phytotelmatrichis peruviensis sp. n. and Phytotelmatrichis osopaddington sp. n. is described and illustrated. The new species were found during a survey of insects in the aquatic environments that form in the hollows (phytotelmata) in the leaves and floral bracts of Zingiberales plants. The new taxa were found in the the Zingiberales genera Calathea (Marantaceae), Heliconia (Heliconiaceae), and Alpinia and Renealmia (Zingiberaceae) in southern Peru. Sampling of other habitats in the same areas over five years and using a range of different techniques did not yield more specimens of this new genus. This suggests that the new species are restricted to phytotelmata.

Cepharanthine attenuates lipopolysaccharide-induced mice mastitis by suppressing the NF-κB signaling pathway.

PubMed

Ershun, Zhou; Yunhe, Fu; Zhengkai, Wei; Yongguo, Cao; Naisheng, Zhang; Zhengtao, Yang

2014-04-01

Cepharanthine (CEP), a biscoclaurine alkaloid isolated from Stephania cepharantha Hayata, has been reported to have potent anti-inflammatory properties. However, the anti-inflammatory effects of CEP on a mouse model of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced mastitis and its underlying molecular mechanisms remain to be elucidated. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of CEP on LPS-induced mouse mastitis. The mouse model of mastitis was induced by inoculation of LPS through the canals of the mammary gland. CEP was administered intraperitoneally at 1 h before and 12 h after induction of LPS. The results show that CEP significantly attenuates the infiltration of neutrophils, suppresses myeloperoxidase activity, and reduces the levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 in LPS-induced mouse mastitis. Furthermore, CEP inhibited the phosphorylation of NF-κB p65 subunit and the degradation of its inhibitor IκBα. All the results suggest that CEP exerts potent anti-inflammatory effects on LPS-induced mouse mastitis. Accordingly, CEP might be a potential therapeutic agent for mastitis.

Chemical markers of shiikuwasha juice adulterated with calamondin juice.

PubMed

Yamamoto, Kenta; Yahada, Ayumi; Sasaki, Kumi; Ogawa, Kazunori; Koga, Nobuyuki; Ohta, Hideaki

2012-11-07

Detection of shiikuwasha (Citrus depressa Hayata) juice adulterated with calamondin (Citrus madurensis Lour.) juice was investigated by the analyses of (1) phloretin dihydrochalcone glucoside, 3',5'-di-C-β-glucopyranosylphloretin (PD) detected by thin-layer chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), (2) polymethoxylated flavones (PMFs), included nobiletin, tangeretin, and sinensetin, detected by HPLC, and (3) γ-terpinene peak percentage obtained by headspace solid-phase microextraction gas chromatography with cryofocusing. PD was detected in calamondin juice (25.5 mg/100 mL) but not in shiikuwasha juice. Shiikuwasha juice contained higher levels of nobiletin (48.8 mg/100 mL) than calamondin juice (2.4 mg/100 mL). Shiikuwasha juice was characterized by containing a higher percentage of γ-terpinene (12.3%) than calamondin juice (0.7%). A discrimination function obtained by a linear discriminant analysis with PMFs and a peak ratio of [nobiletin/tangeretin] and γ-terpinene detected the adulteration with accuracies of 91.7%. These three chemical markers were useful to detect shiikuwasha juice that is suspected of being adulterated with calamondin juice.

Cluster analysis of Pinus taiwanensis for its ex situ conservation in China.

PubMed

Gao, X; Shi, L; Wu, Z

2015-06-01

Pinus taiwanensis Hayata is one of the most famous sights in the Huangshan Scenic Resort, China, because of its strong adaptability and ability to survive; however, this endemic species is currently under threat in China. Relationships between different P. taiwanensis populations have been well-documented; however, few studies have been conducted on how to protect this rare pine. In the present study, we propose the ex situ conservation of this species using geographical information system (GIS) cluster and genetic diversity analyses. The GIS cluster method was conducted as a preliminary analysis for establishing a sampling site category based on climatic factors. Genetic diversity was analyzed using morphological and genetic traits. By combining geographical information with genetic data, we demonstrate that growing conditions, morphological traits, and the genetic make-up of the population in the Huangshan Scenic Resort were most similar to conditions on Tianmu Mountain. Therefore, we suggest that Tianmu Mountain is the best choice for the ex situ conservation of P. taiwanensis. Our results provide a molecular basis for the sustainable management, utilization, and conservation of this species in Huangshan Scenic Resort.

Phylogeography and conservation genetics of Hygrophila pogonocalyx (Acanthaceae) based on atpB-rbcL noncoding spacer cpDNA.

PubMed

Huang, Jao-Ching; Wang, Wei-Kuang; Peng, Ching-I; Chiang, Tzen-Yuh

2005-02-01

Genetic variation in the atpB-rbcL intergenic spacer region of chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) was investigated in Hygrophila pogonocalyx Hayata (Acanthaceae), an endangered and endemic species in Taiwan. In this aquatic species, seed dispersal from capsules via elasticity is constrained by gravity and is thereby confined within populations, resulting in limited gene flow between populations. In this study, a total of 849 bp of the cpDNA atpB-rbcL spacer were sequenced from eight populations of H. pogonocalyx. Nucleotide diversity in the cpDNA is low (theta = 0.00343+/-0.00041). The distribution of genetic variation among populations agrees with an "isolation-by-distance" model. Two geographically correlated groups, the western and eastern regions, were identified in a neighbor-joining tree and a minimum-spanning network. Phylogeographical analyses based on the cpDNA network suggest that the present-day differentiation between western and eastern groups of H. pogonocalyx resulted from past fragmentation. The differentiation between eastern and western populations may be ascribed to isolation since the formation of the Central Mountain Range about 5 million years ago, which is consistent with the rate estimates based on a molecular clock of cpDNA.

Galangin inhibits proliferation of HepG2 cells by activating AMPK via increasing the AMP/TAN ratio in a LKB1-independent manner.

PubMed

Zhang, Haitao; Li, Ning; Wu, Jun; Su, Lijuan; Chen, Xiaoyi; Lin, Biyun; Luo, Hui

2013-10-15

Galangin, a flavonol derived from Alpinia officinarum Hance and used as food additives in southern China, induces apoptosis and autophagy to suppress the proliferation of HepG2 cells. In this study, we demonstrated that galangin induced autophagy by increasing the ratio of AMP/TAN in HepG2 cells. It stimulated the phosphorylation of adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and LKB1, but inhibited the phosphorylation of AKT and mTOR. Inhibition of AMPK activation suppressed the dephosphorylation of mTOR to block galangin-induced autophagy. AMPK activation by galangin appeared to be independent of the LKB1 signaling pathway because the down-regulation of LKB1 by its siRNA failed to affect galangin-induced autophagy. Collectively, the findings demonstrated a novel mechanism of how galangin induces autophagy via activating AMPK in a LKB1- independent manner. The induction of autophagy can thus reflect the anti-proliferation effect of galangin in HCC cells. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Screening of anti-Helicobacter pylori herbs deriving from Taiwanese folk medicinal plants.

PubMed

Wang, Yuan-Chuen; Huang, Tung-Liang

2005-02-01

In this study, extracts from 50 Taiwanese folk medicinal plants were examined and screened for anti-Helicobacter pylori activity. Ninety-five percent ethanol was used for herbal extraction. Paederia scandens (Lour.) Merr. (PSM), Plumbago zeylanica L. (PZL), Anisomeles indica (L.) O. Kuntze (AIOK), Bombax malabaricum DC. (BMDC) and Alpinia speciosa (J. C. Wendl.) K. Schum. (ASKS) and Bombax malabaricum DC. (BMDC) all demonstrated strong anti-H. pylori activities. The minimum inhibitory concentration values of the anti-H. pylori activity given by the five ethanol herb extracts ranged from 0.64 to 10.24 mg ml(-1). Twenty-six herbs, including Artemisia argvi Levl. et Vant (AALEV), Phyla nodiflora (Linn.) Greene (PNG) and others, showed moderate anti-H. pylori activity. The additional 19 herbs, including Areca catechu Linn. (ACL), Euphorbia hirta Linn. (EHL) and Gnaphalium adnatum Wall. ex DC. (GAWEDC), possessed lower anti-H. pylori effects. About half of the Taiwanese folk medicinal plants tested, demonstrated to possess higher anti-H. pylori activity.

A Systematic Review of the Anxiolytic-Like Effects of Essential Oils in Animal Models.

PubMed

de Sousa, Damião Pergentino; de Almeida Soares Hocayen, Palloma; Andrade, Luciana Nalone; Andreatini, Roberto

2015-10-14

The clinical efficacy of standardized essential oils (such as Lavender officinalis), in treating anxiety disorders strongly suggests that these natural products are an important candidate source for new anxiolytic drugs. A systematic review of essential oils, their bioactive constituents, and anxiolytic-like activity is conducted. The essential oil with the best profile is Lavendula angustifolia, which has already been tested in controlled clinical trials with positive results. Citrus aurantium using different routes of administration also showed significant effects in several animal models, and was corroborated by different research groups. Other promising essential oils are Citrus sinensis and bergamot oil, which showed certain clinical anxiolytic actions; along with Achillea wilhemsii, Alpinia zerumbet, Citrus aurantium, and Spiranthera odoratissima, which, like Lavendula angustifolia, appear to exert anxiolytic-like effects without GABA/benzodiazepine activity, thus differing in their mechanisms of action from the benzodiazepines. The anxiolytic activity of 25 compounds commonly found in essential oils is also discussed.

Volatile and Nonvolatile Constituents and Antioxidant Capacity of Oleoresins in Three Taiwan Citrus Varieties as Determined by Supercritical Fluid Extraction.

PubMed

Chen, Min-Hung; Huang, Tzou-Chi

2016-12-17

As local varieties of citrus fruit in Taiwan, Ponkan ( Citrus reticulata Blanco), Tankan ( C. tankan Hayata), and Murcott ( C. reticulate × C. sinensis ) face substantial competition on the market. In this study, we used carbon dioxide supercritical technology to extract oleoresin from the peels of the three citrus varieties, adding alcohol as a solvent assistant to enhance the extraction rate. The supercritical fluid extraction was fractionated with lower terpene compounds in order to improve the oxygenated amounts of the volatile resins. The contents of oleoresin from the three varieties of citrus peels were then analyzed with GC/MS in order to identify 33 volatile compounds. In addition, the analysis results indicated that the non-volatile oleoresin extracted from the samples contains polymethoxyflavones (86.2~259.5 mg/g), limonoids (111.7~406.2 mg/g), and phytosterols (686.1~1316.4 μg/g). The DPPH (1,1-Diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl), ABTS [2,2'-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)] scavenging and inhibition of lipid oxidation, which test the oleoresin from the three kinds of citrus, exhibited significant antioxidant capacity. The component polymethoxyflavones contributed the greatest share of the overall antioxidant capacity, while the limonoid and phytosterol components effectively coordinated with its effects.

Vegetation recovery patterns assessment at landslides caused by catastrophic earthquake: a case study in central Taiwan.

PubMed

Chou, Wen-Chieh; Lin, Wen-Tzu; Lin, Chao-Yuan

2009-05-01

The catastrophic earthquake, 7.3 on the Richter scale, occurred on September 21, 1999 in Central Taiwan. Much of standing vegetation on slopes was eliminated and massive, scattered landslides were induced at the Jou-Jou Mountain area of the Wu-Chi basin in Nantou County. We evaluated three methods for assessing landslide hazard and vegetation recovery conditions. (1) Self-organizing map (SOM) neural network coupled with fuzzy technique was used to quickly extract the landslide. (2) The NDVI-based vegetation recovery index derived from multi-temporal SPOT satellite images was used to evaluate vegetation recovery rate in the denudation sites. (3) The spatial distribution index (SDI) based on land-cover topographic location was employed to analyze vegetation recovery patterns, including the invading, surviving and mixed patterns at the Jou-Jou Mountain area. On September 27, 1999, there were 849.20 ha of landslide area extracted using the self-organizing map and fuzzy technique combined model. After six years of natural vegetation succession, the landslide has gradually restored, and vegetation recovery rate reached up to 86%. On-site observation shows that many native pioneer plants have invaded onto the denudation sites even if disturbed by several typhoons. Two native surviving plants, Arundo formosana Hack and Pinus taiwanensis Hayata, play a vital role in natural vegetation succession in this area, especially for the sites on ridgeline and steep slopes.

New Whitening Constituents from Taiwan-Native Pyracantha koidzumii: Structures and Tyrosinase Inhibitory Analysis in Human Epidermal Melanocytes.

PubMed

Lin, Rong-Dih; Chen, Mei-Chuan; Liu, Yan-Ling; Lin, Yi-Tzu; Lu, Mei-Kuang; Hsu, Feng-Lin; Lee, Mei-Hsien

2015-12-02

Nontoxic natural products useful in skin care cosmetics are of considerable interest. Tyrosinase is a rate-limiting enzyme for which its inhibitor is useful in developing whitening cosmetics. Pyracantha koidzumii (Hayata) Rehder is an endemic species in Taiwan that exhibits tyrosinase-inhibitory activity. To find new active natural compounds from P. koidzumii, we performed bioguided isolation and studied the related activity in human epidermal melanocytes. In total, 13 compounds were identified from P. koidzumii in the present study, including two new compounds, 3,6-dihydroxy-2,4-dimethoxy-dibenzofuran (9) and 3,4-dihydroxy-5-methoxybiphenyl-2'-O-β-d-glucopyranoside (13), as well as 11 known compounds. The new compound 13 exhibited maximum potency in inhibiting cellular tyrosinase activity, the protein expression of cellular tyrosinase and tyrosinase-related protein-2, as well as the mRNA expression of Paired box 3 and microphthalmia-associated transcription factor in a concentration-dependent manner. In the enzyme kinetic assay, the new compound 13 acted as an uncompetitive mixed-type inhibitor against the substrate l-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine and had a Km value against this substrate of 0.262 mM, as calculated using the Lineweaver-Burk plots. Taken together, our findings show compound 13 exhibits tyrosinase inhibition in human melanocytes and compound 13 may be a potential candidate for use in cosmetics.

New Whitening Constituents from Taiwan-Native Pyracantha koidzumii: Structures and Tyrosinase Inhibitory Analysis in Human Epidermal Melanocytes

PubMed Central

Lin, Rong-Dih; Chen, Mei-Chuan; Liu, Yan-Ling; Lin, Yi-Tzu; Lu, Mei-Kuang; Hsu, Feng-Lin; Lee, Mei-Hsien

2015-01-01

Nontoxic natural products useful in skin care cosmetics are of considerable interest. Tyrosinase is a rate-limiting enzyme for which its inhibitor is useful in developing whitening cosmetics. Pyracantha koidzumii (Hayata) Rehder is an endemic species in Taiwan that exhibits tyrosinase-inhibitory activity. To find new active natural compounds from P. koidzumii, we performed bioguided isolation and studied the related activity in human epidermal melanocytes. In total, 13 compounds were identified from P. koidzumii in the present study, including two new compounds, 3,6-dihydroxy-2,4-dimethoxy-dibenzofuran (9) and 3,4-dihydroxy-5-methoxybiphenyl-2ʹ-O-β-d-glucopyranoside (13), as well as 11 known compounds. The new compound 13 exhibited maximum potency in inhibiting cellular tyrosinase activity, the protein expression of cellular tyrosinase and tyrosinase-related protein-2, as well as the mRNA expression of Paired box 3 and microphthalmia-associated transcription factor in a concentration-dependent manner. In the enzyme kinetic assay, the new compound 13 acted as an uncompetitive mixed-type inhibitor against the substrate l-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine and had a Km value against this substrate of 0.262 mM, as calculated using the Lineweaver–Burk plots. Taken together, our findings show compound 13 exhibits tyrosinase inhibition in human melanocytes and compound 13 may be a potential candidate for use in cosmetics. PMID:26633381

Cytotoxic chalcones from some Indonesian Cryptocarya

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurniadewi, F.; Syah, Y. M.; Juliawaty, L. D.; Hakim, E. H.; Koyama, K.; Kinoshita, K.

2017-07-01

Malignant tumors are one of the main causes of death in the world. Until now the search for cytotoxic (antitumor) compounds from nature, particularly from plants, is being a continuation activities. One group of plants that produce potential cytotoxic compounds is the Cryptocarya, one of the large genera of the Lauraceae family. As a part of our chemical and cytotoxic evaluation of the Cryptocarya species, we examined three species of Indonesian Cryptocarya. The sample of the wood of C. konishii hayata was collected from Cibodas Botanical Garden, West Java while the stem bark of C. phoebeopsis and C. cagayanensis were obtained from Sorong, Papua. Our investigation of flavonoid constituents on these species afforded three chalcone compounds i.e. desmethylinfectocaryone (1), infectocaryone (2) and cryptocaryone (3). The molecular structures of the isolated compounds were determined based on spectroscopic data, including UV, IR, 1D and 2D NMR. Cytotoxic effects of the compounds were evaluated using MTT [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazolyl-2)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide] assay. Compound 1, 2 and 3 displayed strong cytotoxic properties (IC50 < 2 μg/mL) against Murine Leukemia P388 and HL 60 (blood premyelocytic leukemia) cells whereas 2 and 3 exhibited strong cytotoxicity properties against HCT116 (colon cancer). Cryptocaryone (3) also showed moderate cytotoxic properties (IC50 < 10 μg/mL) towards A549 (human lung adenocarcinoma epithelial) cells.

Neuroprotective effect and mechanism of daucosterol palmitate in ameliorating learning and memory impairment in a rat model of Alzheimer's disease.

PubMed

Ji, Zhi-Hong; Xu, Zhong-Qi; Zhao, Hong; Yu, Xin-Yu

2017-03-01

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an age-related neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive memory decline and cognitive impairment. Amyloid beta (Aβ) has been proposed as the causative role for the pathogenesis of AD. Accumulating evidence demonstrates that Aβ neurotoxicity is mediated by glutamate excitotoxicity. Daucosterol palmitate (DSP), a plant steroid with anti-glutamate excitotoxicity effect, was isolated from the anti-aging traditional Chinese medicinal herb Alpinia oxyphylla Miq. in our previous study. Based on the anti-glutamate excitotoxicity effect of DSP, in this study we investigated potential benefit and mechanism of DSP in ameliorating learning and memory impairment in AD model rats. Results from this study showed that DSP administration effectively ameliorated Aβ-induced learning and memory impairment in rats, markedly inhibited Aβ-induced hippocampal ROS production, effectively prevented Aβ-induced hippocampal neuronal damage and significantly restored hippocampal synaptophysin expression level. This study suggests that DSP may be a potential candidate for development as a therapeutic agent for AD cognitive decline. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Advances in Studies on Natural Preservativesfor Fruits and Vegetables

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Haisheng; Shi, Pengbao; Zhao, Yuhua

The author introduced g eneral research and application situations of natural preservatives for fruits and vegetables all over the world these years, and summarized application of vegetation of Murraya in Rutaceae, Cinnamomum in Lauraceae, Artemisia in Compositae and other families and genera on fruits and vegetables preservation and fresh-keeping. Decoction or extraction of Chinese traditional medicine, such as Alpinia Officinarum, Amarphalus Konjac K., stemona etc, could be used in fresh-keeping for orange, apple, strawberry, edible fungi and so on. Garlic could be used in fresh-keeping for orange. Phytic acid and fresh-keeping agents compounded with Phytic acid could extend storage periods of easily rotting fruits and vegetables, such as strawberry, banana, cantaloup, edible fungi and so on, and better keep original fresh condition. Extraction of Snow Fresh, Semper Fresh, Arthropod shell extraction, and halite also had better effect on preservation and fresh-keeping for fruits and vegetables. Main problems exsited in the application of natural preservatives for fruits and vegetables were showed in this article and the applying prospect were discussed too.

In Silico Discovery of Potential Uridine-Cytidine Kinase 2 Inhibitors from the Rhizome of Alpinia mutica.

PubMed

Malami, Ibrahim; Abdul, Ahmad Bustamam; Abdullah, Rasedee; Bt Kassim, Nur Kartinee; Waziri, Peter; Christopher Etti, Imaobong

2016-04-08

Uridine-cytidine kinase 2 is implicated in uncontrolled proliferation of abnormal cells and it is a hallmark of cancer, therefore, there is need for effective inhibitors of this key enzyme. In this study, we employed the used of in silico studies to find effective UCK2 inhibitors of natural origin using bioinformatics tools. An in vitro kinase assay was established by measuring the amount of ADP production in the presence of ATP and 5-fluorouridine as a substrate. Molecular docking studies revealed an interesting ligand interaction with the UCK2 protein for both flavokawain B and alpinetin. Both compounds were found to reduce ADP production, possibly by inhibiting UCK2 activity in vitro. In conclusion, we have identified flavokawain B and alpinetin as potential natural UCK2 inhibitors as determined by their interactions with UCK2 protein using in silico molecular docking studies. This can provide information to identify lead candidates for further drug design and development.

Antibacterial activity of Thai herbal extracts on acne involved microorganism.

PubMed

Niyomkam, P; Kaewbumrung, S; Kaewnpparat, S; Panichayupakaranant, P

2010-04-01

Ethyl acetate and methanol extracts of 18 Thai medicinal plants were investigated for their antibacterial activity against Propionibacterium acnes, Stapylococcus aureus, and S. epidermidis. Thirteen plant extracts were capable of inhibiting the growth of P. acnes and S. epidermidis, while 14 plant extracts exhibited an inhibitory effect on S. aureus. Based on the broth dilution method, the ethyl acetate extract of Alpinia galanga (L.) Wild. (Zingiberaceae) rhizome showed the strongest antibacterial effect against P. acnes, with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) values of 156.0 and 312.0 microg/mL, respectively. On the basis of bioassay-guided purification, the ethyl acetate extract was isolated to afford the antibacterial active compound, which was identified as 1'-acetoxychavicol acetate (1'-ACA). 1'-ACA had a strong inhibitory effect on P. acnes with MIC and MBC values of 62.0 and 250.0 microg/mL, respectively. Thus, 1'-ACA was used as an indicative marker for standardization of A. galanga extract using high performance liquid chromatography. These results suggest that A. galanga extract could be an interesting agent for further studies on an alternative treatment of acne.

Medicinal and ethnoveterinary remedies of hunters in Trinidad

PubMed Central

Lans, Cheryl; Harper, Tisha; Georges, Karla; Bridgewater, Elmo

2001-01-01

Background Ethnomedicines are used by hunters for themselves and their hunting dogs in Trinidad. Plants are used for snakebites, scorpion stings, for injuries and mange of dogs and to facilitate hunting success. Results Plants used include Piper hispidum, Pithecelobium unguis-cati, Bauhinia excisa, Bauhinia cumanensis, Cecropia peltata, Aframomum melegueta, Aristolochia rugosa, Aristolochia trilobata, Jatropha curcas, Jatropha gossypifolia, Nicotiana tabacum, Vernonia scorpioides, Petiveria alliacea, Renealmia alpinia, Justicia secunda, Phyllanthus urinaria,Phyllanthus niruri,Momordica charantia, Xiphidium caeruleum, Ottonia ovata, Lepianthes peltata, Capsicum frutescens, Costus scaber, Dendropanax arboreus, Siparuma guianensis, Syngonium podophyllum, Monstera dubia, Solanum species, Eclipta prostrata, Spiranthes acaulis, Croton gossypifolius, Barleria lupulina, Cola nitida, Acrocomia ierensis (tentative ID). Conclusion Plant use is based on odour, and plant morphological characteristics and is embedded in a complex cultural context based on indigenous Amerindian beliefs. It is suggested that the medicinal plants exerted a physiological action on the hunter or his dog. Some of the plants mentioned contain chemicals that may explain the ethnomedicinal and ethnoveterinary use. For instance some of the plants influence the immune system or are effective against internal and external parasites. Plant baths may contribute to the health and well being of the hunting dogs. PMID:11737880

Phytochemical Characteristics, Free Radical Scavenging Activities, and Neuroprotection of Five Medicinal Plant Extracts

PubMed Central

Chang, Chia Lin; Lin, Che San; Lai, Guia Hung

2012-01-01

The objective of this study was to determine phytochemical characteristics, chemiluminescence antioxidant capacities, and neuroprotective effects on PC12 cells for methanol extracts of Spatholobus suberectus, Uncaria rhynchophylla, Alpinia officinarum, Drynaria fortunei, and Crataegus pinnatifida. The C. pinnatifida extract (CPE) afforded the greatest yield and total phenolic content. The S. suberectus extract (SSE) yielded the greatest total flavonoid content. The U. rhynchophylla extract (URE) produced the greatest total tannin content, and the A. officinarum extract (AOE) produced the greatest total triterpenoid content. The D. fortunei extract, assayed using horseradish peroxidase-luminol-hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and AOE using pyrogallol-luminol assay each exhibited better antioxidant activity than the L-ascorbic acid and 6-hydroxy-2,5,7,8-tetramethylchroman-2-carboxylic acid did. The CPE, SSE, and URE presented neurogrowth effects and neuroprotective activities on H2O2-induced PC12 cell death at 0.5–5.0 μg/mL. The CPE represents a promising medicinal plant source for the treatment of H2O2-induced neurodegenerative disease, because of its useful phytochemical characteristics. PMID:21845204

Antrodia cinnamomea Prevents Obesity, Dyslipidemia, and the Derived Fatty Liver via Regulating AMPK and SREBP Signaling.

PubMed

Peng, Chiung-Huei; Yang, Mon-Yuan; Yang, Yi-Sun; Yu, Chieh-Chou; Wang, Chau-Jong

2017-01-01

Antrodia cinnamomea (AC), a protogenic fungus that only grows on the heartwood of endemic Cinnamomum kanehirae Hayata in Taiwan, is used to treat a variety of illness including liver disease. However, little is known about the benefit of AC against obesity and the related hepatic disorder. Using high-fat-diet (HFD) feed mice, we aimed to investigate whether the extract of AC (ACE) could reduce excessive weight, body fat, and serum lipids and prevent the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver (NAFLD). C57BL/6 mice were divided into five groups fed with different diets: control, HFD, and HFD with 0.5%, 1%, or 2% of ACE, respectively. After 10 weeks the animals were sacrificed, with serum and liver collected. HFD-induced elevation of body weight gain, body fat deposition, and serum free fatty acid (FFA), triacylglycerol (TGs), total cholesterol, and ratio of LDL cholesterol (LDL-C)/HDL cholesterol (HDL-C), were significantly restored by ACE. ACE reduced aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and hepatic lipid deposits increased by HFD. ACE increased p-AMP activated protein kinase (pAMPK) but decreased Sterol regulatory element binding protein (SREBP), fatty acid synthase (FAS), 1-acylglycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase (AGPAT), and 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMGCoA) reductase. The chemical analysis reveals ACE is full of triterpenes, the most abundant of which is Antcin K, followed by sulphurenic acid, eburicoic acid, antcin C, dehydrosulphurenic acid, antcin B, and propanoic acid. In conclusion, ACE should be used to prevent obesity and derived fatty liver. The applicability of ACE on NAFLD deserves further investigation.

Characterization and Comparative Expression Profiling of Browning Response in Medinilla formosana after Cutting.

PubMed

Wang, Yan; Wang, Yiting; Li, Kunfeng; Song, Xijiao; Chen, Jianping

2016-01-01

Plant browning is a recalcitrant problem for in vitro culture and often leads to poor growth of explants and even failure of tissue culture. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying browning-induced physiological processes remain unclear. Medinilla is considered one of the most difficult genera for tissue culture owning to its severe browning. In the present study, intact aseptic plantlets of Medinilla formosana Hayata previously obtained by ovary culture, were used to explore the characteristics and molecular mechanism of the browning response. Successive morphological and anatomical observations after cutting showed that the browning of M. formosana was not lethal but adaptive. De novo transcriptome and digital gene expression (DGE) profiling using Illumina high-throughput sequencing were then used to explore molecular regulation after cutting. About 7.5 million tags of de novo transcriptome were obtained and 58,073 unigenes were assembled and annotated. A total of 6,431 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) at three stages after cutting were identified, and the expression patterns of these browning-related genes were clustered and analyzed. A number of putative DEGs involved in signal transduction and secondary metabolism were particularly studied and the potential roles of these cutting-responsive mRNAs in plant defense to diverse abiotic stresses are discussed. The DGE profiling data were also validated by quantitative RT-PCR analysis. The data obtained in this study provide an excellent resource for unraveling the molecular mechanisms of browning processes during in vitro tissue culture, and lay a foundation for future studies to inhibit and eliminate browning damage.

Characterization and Comparative Expression Profiling of Browning Response in Medinilla formosana after Cutting

PubMed Central

Wang, Yan; Wang, Yiting; Li, Kunfeng; Song, Xijiao; Chen, Jianping

2016-01-01

Plant browning is a recalcitrant problem for in vitro culture and often leads to poor growth of explants and even failure of tissue culture. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying browning-induced physiological processes remain unclear. Medinilla is considered one of the most difficult genera for tissue culture owning to its severe browning. In the present study, intact aseptic plantlets of Medinilla formosana Hayata previously obtained by ovary culture, were used to explore the characteristics and molecular mechanism of the browning response. Successive morphological and anatomical observations after cutting showed that the browning of M. formosana was not lethal but adaptive. De novo transcriptome and digital gene expression (DGE) profiling using Illumina high-throughput sequencing were then used to explore molecular regulation after cutting. About 7.5 million tags of de novo transcriptome were obtained and 58,073 unigenes were assembled and annotated. A total of 6,431 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) at three stages after cutting were identified, and the expression patterns of these browning-related genes were clustered and analyzed. A number of putative DEGs involved in signal transduction and secondary metabolism were particularly studied and the potential roles of these cutting-responsive mRNAs in plant defense to diverse abiotic stresses are discussed. The DGE profiling data were also validated by quantitative RT-PCR analysis. The data obtained in this study provide an excellent resource for unraveling the molecular mechanisms of browning processes during in vitro tissue culture, and lay a foundation for future studies to inhibit and eliminate browning damage. PMID:28066460

Promoting role of an endophyte on the growth and contents of kinsenosides and flavonoids of Anoectochilus formosanus Hayata, a rare and threatened medicinal Orchidaceae plant.

PubMed

Zhang, Fu-sheng; Lv, Ya-li; Zhao, Yue; Guo, Shun-xing

2013-09-01

Anoectochilus formosanus, commonly known as "Jewel Orchid", is a Chinese folk medicine used to treat hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease. The existence of A. formosanus is currently threatened by habitat loss, human and animal consumption, etc. The highly potent medicinal activity of A. formosanus is due to its secondary metabolites, especially kinsenosides and flavonoids. This orchid also has a unique mycorrhizal relationship. Most adult orchids rely on endophytes for mineral nutrition and have complex interactions with them, which are related to plant growth, yield and changes in secondary metabolites. This study investigated the promoting role of F-23 fungus (genus Mycena) on the biomass and contents of kinsenosides and flavonoids of A. formosanus in pot culture. The following were observed after 10 weeks of symbiotic cultivation: increased shoot height, shoot dry weight, and leaf numbers by 16.6%, 31.3%, and 22.5%, respectively; increased contents of kinsenosides, isorhamnetin-3-O-β-D-rutinoside, and isorhamnetin-3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside by 85.5%, 226.1%, and 196.0%, respectively; some hyphae in epidermal cells dyed red and/or reddish brown by safranine; and, significantly reduced number of starch grains in cortical cells. Moreover, F-23 fungus significantly improved the kinsenoside and flavonoid contents of A. formosanus. These findings supported the reports that endophytes can alter the production of secondary metabolites in their plant hosts, although further physiological, genetic and ecological analyses are warranted.

Promoting role of an endophyte on the growth and contents of kinsenosides and flavonoids of Anoectochilus formosanus Hayata, a rare and threatened medicinal Orchidaceae plant*

PubMed Central

Zhang, Fu-sheng; Lv, Ya-li; Zhao, Yue; Guo, Shun-xing

2013-01-01

Anoectochilus formosanus, commonly known as “Jewel Orchid”, is a Chinese folk medicine used to treat hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease. The existence of A. formosanus is currently threatened by habitat loss, human and animal consumption, etc. The highly potent medicinal activity of A. formosanus is due to its secondary metabolites, especially kinsenosides and flavonoids. This orchid also has a unique mycorrhizal relationship. Most adult orchids rely on endophytes for mineral nutrition and have complex interactions with them, which are related to plant growth, yield and changes in secondary metabolites. This study investigated the promoting role of F-23 fungus (genus Mycena) on the biomass and contents of kinsenosides and flavonoids of A. formosanus in pot culture. The following were observed after 10 weeks of symbiotic cultivation: increased shoot height, shoot dry weight, and leaf numbers by 16.6%, 31.3%, and 22.5%, respectively; increased contents of kinsenosides, isorhamnetin-3-O-β-D-rutinoside, and isorhamnetin-3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside by 85.5%, 226.1%, and 196.0%, respectively; some hyphae in epidermal cells dyed red and/or reddish brown by safranine; and, significantly reduced number of starch grains in cortical cells. Moreover, F-23 fungus significantly improved the kinsenoside and flavonoid contents of A. formosanus. These findings supported the reports that endophytes can alter the production of secondary metabolites in their plant hosts, although further physiological, genetic and ecological analyses are warranted. PMID:24009198

Proteomic and transcriptomic analyses to explain the pleiotropic effects of Ankaferd blood stopper

PubMed Central

Simsek, Cem; Selek, Sebnem; Koca, Meltem; Haznedaroglu, Ibrahim Celal

2017-01-01

Ankaferd blood stopper is a standardized mixture of the plants Thymus vulgaris, Glycyrrhiza glabra, Vitis vinifera, Alpinia officinarum, and Urtica dioica and has been used as a topical hemostatic agent and with its clinical application established in randomized controlled trials and case reports. Ankaferd has been successfully used in gastrointestinal endobronchial mucosal and cutaneous bleedings and also in abdominal, thoracic, dental and oropharyngeal, and pelvic surgeries. Ankaferd’s hemostatic action is thought to form a protein complex with coagulation factors that facilitate adhesion of blood components. Besides its hemostatic action, Ankaferd has demonstrated pleiotropic effects, including anti-neoplastic and anti-microbial activities and tissue-healing properties; the underlying mechanisms for these have not been well studied. Ankaferd’s individual components were determined by proteomic and chemical analyses. Ankaferd also augments transcription of some transcription factors which is shown with transcriptomic analysis. The independent effects of these ingredients and augmented transcription factors are not known precisely. Here, we review what is known of Ankaferd blood stopper components from chemical, proteomic, and transcriptomic analyses and propose that individual components can explain some pleiotropic effects of Ankaferd. Certainly more research is needed focusing on individual ingredients of Ankaferd to elucidate their precise and effects. PMID:28839937

Isolation and screening of endophytes from the rhizomes of some Zingiberaceae plants for L-asparaginase production.

PubMed

Krishnapura, Prajna Rao; Belur, Prasanna D

2016-01-01

Endophytes are described as microorganisms that colonize the internal tissues of healthy plants without causing any disease. Endophytes isolated from medicinal plants have been attracting considerable attention due to their high biodiversity and their predicted potential to produce a plethora of novel compounds. In this study, an attempt was made to isolate endophytes from rhizomes of five medicinal plants of Zingiberaceae family, and to screen the endophytes for L-asparaginase activity. In total, 50 endophytes (14 bacteria, 22 actinomycetes, and 14 fungi) were isolated from Alpinia galanga, Curcuma amada, Curcuma longa, Hedychium coronarium, and Zingiber officinale; of these, 31 endophytes evidenced positive for L-asparaginase production. All the L-asparaginase-positive isolates showed L-asparaginase activity in the range of 54.17-155.93 U/mL in unoptimized medium. An endophytic fungus isolated from Curcuma amada, identified as Talaromyces pinophilus, was used for further experiments involving studies on the effect of certain nutritional and nonnutritional factors on L-asparaginase production in submerged fermentation. Talaromyces pinophilus initially gave an enzyme activity of 108.95 U/mL, but gradually reduced to 80 U/mL due to strain degeneration. Perhaps this is the first report ever on the production of L-asparaginase from endophytes isolated from medicinal plants of Zingiberaceae family.

The spliced leader RNA gene array in phloem-restricted plant trypanosomatids (Phytomonas) partitions into two major groupings: epidemiological implications.

PubMed

Dollet, M; Sturm, N R; Campbell, D A

2001-03-01

The arbitrary genus Phytomonas includes a biologically diverse group of kinetoplastids that live in a wide variety of plant environments. To understand better the subdivisions within the phytomonads and the variability within groups, the exon, intron and non-transcribed spacer sequences of the spliced leader RNA gene were compared among isolates of the phloem-restricted members. A total of 29 isolates associated with disease in coconut, oil palm and red ginger (Alpinia purpurata, Zingibreaceae) were examined, all originating from plantations in South America and the Caribbean over a 12-year period. Analysis of non-transcribed spacer sequences revealed 2 main groups, I and II; group II could be further subdivided into 2 subgroups, IIa and Ilb. Three classes of spliced leader (SL) RNA gene were seen, with SLI corresponding to group I, SLIIa to group lIa, and SLIIb to group IIb. Two isolates showed some characteristics of both major groups. Group-specific oligonucleotide probes for hybridization studies were tested, and a multiplex amplification scheme was devised to allow direct differentiation between the 2 major groups of phloem-restricted Phytomonas. These results provide tools for diagnostic and molecular epidemiology of plant trypanosomes that are pathogenic for commercially important flowers and palms.

Synergistic anti-cancer effects of galangin and berberine through apoptosis induction and proliferation inhibition in oesophageal carcinoma cells.

PubMed

Ren, Kewei; Zhang, Wenzhe; Wu, Gang; Ren, Jianzhuang; Lu, Huibin; Li, Zongming; Han, Xinwei

2016-12-01

Galangin is an active pharmacological ingredient from propolis and Alpinia officinarum Hance, and has been reported to have anti-cancer and antioxidative properties. Berberine, a major component of Berberis vulgaris extract, exhibits potent anti-cancer activities through distinct molecular mechanisms. However, the anticancer effect of galangin in combination with berberine is still unknown. In the present study, we demonstrated that the combination of galangin with berberine synergistically resulted in cell growth inhibition, apoptosis and cell cycle arrest at G2/M phase with the increased intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in oesophageal carcinoma cells. Pretreatment with ROS scavenger promoted the apoptosis dramatically induced by co-treatment with galangin and berberine. Treatment with galangin and berberine alone caused the decreased expressions of Wnt3a and β-catenin. Interestingly, combination of galangin with berberine could further suppress Wnt3a and β-catenin expression and induce apoptosis in cancer cells. Additionally, in nude mice with xenograft tumors, the combinational treatment of galangin and berberine significantly inhibited the tumor growth without obvious toxicity. Overall, galangin in combination with berberine presented outstanding synergistic anticancer role in vitro and in vivo, indicating that the beneficial combination of galangin and berberine might provide a promising treatment for patients with oesophageal carcinoma. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.

Intraarticular Ankaferd blood stopper application increases cartilagedegeneration: an experimental study.

PubMed

Kaya, İbrahim; Gülabi, Deniz; Yilmaz, Murat; Baş, Ali; Çeçen, Gültekin Sıtkı Çeçen; Şener, Nurullah

2016-01-05

Ankaferd blood stopper (ABS) is a mixture of certain ratios of 5 different plant roots (Thymus vulgaris, Glycyrrhiza glabra, Vitis vinifera, Alpinia officinarum, and Urtica dioica). The aim of this study is to evaluate the histopathological effects of ABS on articular cartilage in vitro. Twenty-one albino Sprague Dawley rats were randomly allocated to 3 groups: 0.1 mL of saline was injected in the first group, 0.1 mL of ABS was injected in the second group, and 0.1 mL of blood and 0.1 mL of ABS were injected in the third group. One month later all rats were sacrificed. Specimens were obtained for histopathological evaluation. Significant results were detected in the groups with respect to International Cartilage Repair Society and synovial proliferation scores (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01). According to inflammatory cell infiltration and fibrin formation scores, there was no significant difference between group 1 and group 2 (P < 0.01), although there was significant difference between group 3 and the other groups (P > 0.05). ABS and hemarthrosis had toxic effects on knee cartilage. The side effects were increased with the combination of hemarthrosis and ABS. As a result, ABS had unexpected effects on experimental hemarthrosis.

A natural diarylheptanoid promotes neuronal differentiation via activating ERK and PI3K-Akt dependent pathways.

PubMed

Tang, G; Dong, X; Huang, X; Huang, X-J; Liu, H; Wang, Y; Ye, W-C; Shi, L

2015-09-10

Neuronal differentiation is a critical developmental process that determines accurate synaptic connection and circuit wiring. A wide variety of naturally occurring compounds have been shown as promising drug leads for the generation and differentiation of neurons. Here we report that a diarylheptanoid from the plant Alpinia officinarum, 7-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-1-phenyl-4E-hepten-3-one (Cpd 1), exhibited potent activities in neuronal differentiation and neurite outgrowth. Cpd 1 induced differentiation of neuroblastoma Neuro-2a cells into a neuron-like morphology, and accelerated the establishment of axon-dendrite polarization of cultured hippocampal neurons. Moreover, Cpd 1 promoted neurite extension in both Neuro-2a cells and neurons. We showed that the effects of Cpd 1 on neuronal differentiation and neurite growth were specifically dependent on the activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERKs) and phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)-Akt signaling pathways. Importantly, intraperitoneal administration of Cpd 1 promoted the differentiation of new-born progenitor cells into mature neurons in the adult hippocampal dentate gyrus. Collectively, this study identifies a naturally occurring diarylheptanoid with beneficial effects on neuronal differentiation and neurite outgrowth in vitro and in vivo. Copyright © 2015 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Auraptene, a citrus coumarin, inhibits 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate-induced tumor promotion in ICR mouse skin, possibly through suppression of superoxide generation in leukocytes.

PubMed

Murakami, A; Kuki, W; Takahashi, Y; Yonei, H; Nakamura, Y; Ohto, Y; Ohigashi, H; Koshimizu, K

1997-05-01

Coumarin-related compounds, auraptene and umbelliferone, have been isolated from the cold-pressed oil of natsumikan (Citrus natsudaidai HAYATA), and tested as inhibitors of tumor promoter 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-induced Epstein-Barr virus activation in Raji cells. The 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) of auraptene (18 microM) was almost equal to that of genistein. Umbelliferone, which lacks a geranyloxyl group present in auraptene, was less active (IC50 = 450 microM). In a two-stage carcinogenesis experiment with 7,12-dimethylbenz[a] anthracene (topical application at 0.19 mumol) and TPA (topical application at 1.6 nmol) in ICR mouse skin, topical application of auraptene (at 160 nmol) significantly reduced tumor incidence and the numbers of tumors per mouse by 27% (P < 0.01) and 23% (P < 0.05), respectively. Auraptene at a concentration of 50 microM markedly suppressed superoxide (O2-) generation induced by 100 microM TPA in differentiated human promyelocytic HL-60 cells. Having no O2(-)-scavenging potential, auraptene may inhibit the multicomponent NADPH oxidase system. Inhibition of intracellular hydroperoxide formation in differentiated HL-60 cells by auraptene was also confirmed by flow-cytometric analysis using 2',7'-dichlorofluorescein diacetate as a fluorescence probe. Quantitative analyses using high-performance liquid chromatography showed the occurrence of auraptene not only in both the peels and sarcocarps of natsumikan, but also in those of hassaku orange (C. hassaku) and grapefruit (C. paradisi), and even in their bottled fresh juice form. These results indicate that auraptene is a chemopreventer of skin tumorigenesis, and implies that suppression of leukocyte activation might be the mechanism through which it inhibits tumor promotion.

Recent advances in herbal medicines treating Parkinson's disease.

PubMed

Li, Xu-Zhao; Zhang, Shuai-Nan; Liu, Shu-Min; Lu, Fang

2013-01-01

Herbal medicines have attracted considerable attention in recent years, which are used to treat Parkinson's disease (PD) in China based on traditional Chinese medicine or modern pharmacological theories. We summarized and analyzed the anti-Parkinsonian activities of herbal medicines and herbal formulations investigated in PD models and provide future references for basic and clinical investigations. All the herbal medicines and herbal formulations were tested on PD models in vitro and in vivo. The relevant compounds and herbal extracts with anti-Parkinsonian activities were included and analyzed according to their genera or pharmacological activities. A total of 38 herbal medicines and 11 herbal formulations were analyzed. The relevant compounds, herbal extracts and formulations were reported to be effective on PD models by modulating multiple key events or signaling pathways implicated in the pathogenesis of PD. The plant species of these herbal medicines belong to 24 genera and 18 families, such as Acanthopanax, Alpinia and Astragalus, etc. These herbal medicines can be an alternative and valuable source for anti-Parkinsonian drug discovery. The plant species in these genera and families may be the most promising candidates for further investigation and deserve further consideration in clinical trials. Active components in some of the herbal extracts and the compatibility law of herbal formulations remain to be further investigated. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Nutritional Compositions and Phytochemical Properties of the Edible Flowers from Selected Zingiberaceae Found in Thailand

PubMed Central

Rachkeeree, Apinya; Kantadoung, Kuttiga; Suksathan, Ratchuporn; Puangpradab, Ratchadawan; Page, Paul Alexander; Sommano, Sarana Rose

2018-01-01

The nutritional compositions and phytochemical properties of eight edible flowers of the ginger family (Zingiberaceae) commonly found in Thailand are reported herein. The plant genera investigated were Zingiber (Ginger, Phlai Dam, Krathue), Hedychium (two morphological filament forms), Curcuma (Ao), Etlingera (Torch ginger), Amomum (Chi Kuk), and Alpinia (Galangal), which are eaten fresh or cooked as ingredients in the preparation of many Thai dishes. The proximate compositions (moisture, ash, fiber, protein, fat, and carbohydrate contents) varied among the different genera. The plants sampled were generally low in fat content (<1%), which contributed as little as 30% of the total caloric energy. Edible plant parts contained substantially high amounts of potassium (max. 737.21 mg/100 g), calcium (max. 140.15 mg/100 g), and iron (~0.32 mg/100 g). Among the tested samples, torch ginger had the highest vitamin C content (1.05 mg/100 g), total phenolic and total flavonoid contents, as well as 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl activity. On the other hand, the 2,2′-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) assay suggested that Hedychium species possessed the highest antioxidant activity (~5.38 mg TEAC/g extract). Our results prove that edible plants of the Zingiberaceae family found in Thailand are rich sources of potentially important nutrients. PMID:29450200

In vitro efficacy of essential oils with different concentrations of 1,8-cineole against Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus.

PubMed

Castro, Karina Neoob de Carvalho; Canuto, Kirley Marques; Brito, Edy de Sousa; Costa-Júnior, Lívio Martins; Andrade, Ivanilza Moreira de; Magalhães, João Avelar; Barros, Dhiéssica Morgana Alves

2018-05-24

The aim of this study was to evaluate the acaricidal activity of essential oils from three species of plants with intermediary concentrations of 1,8-cineole against the tick species Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus. For this purpose, five serial concentrations (100.0, 50.0, 25.0, 12.5, 6.2 mg/mL) of essential oils from Mesosphaerum suaveolens (L.) Kuntze, Ocimum gratissimum L. and Alpinia zerumbet (Pers.) B. L. Burtt & R. M. Sm. were used on larval packet and adult immersion tests. The essential oils were analysed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and gas chromatography-flame ionization detection (GC-FID), being detected 35.8, 24.7 and 24.0% of 1.8-cineol in the oils of M. suaveolens, O. gratissimum and A. zerumbet, respectively. The lethal concentration (LC 50) of each oil for larvae and engorged females was calculated through Probit analysis. All essential oils showed high efficacy (≥ 95.0%) on engorged females at the 100.0 mg/mL concentration. In regards to larvae, O. gratissimum (LC 50 = 11.9 mg/mL) was the most potent, followed by the A. zerumbet (LC50 = 19.7 mg/mL) and the M. suaveolens (LC50 = 51.6 mg/mL) essential oils. These results show that other compounds interfere with 1,8-cineole action.

Bactericidal activity of herbal volatile oil extracts against multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii

PubMed Central

Intorasoot, Amornrat; Chornchoem, Piyaorn; Sookkhee, Siriwoot; Intorasoot, Sorasak

2017-01-01

Aim: The aim of the study is to investigate the antibacterial activity of 10 volatile oils extracted from medicinal plants, including galangal (Alpinia galanga Linn.), ginger (Zingiber officinale), plai (Zingiber cassumunar Roxb.), lime (Citrus aurantifolia), kaffir lime (Citrus hystrix DC.), sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum Linn.), tree basil (Ocimum gratissimum), lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus DC.), clove (Syzygium aromaticum), and cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum) against four standard strains of Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter baumannii, and 30 clinical isolates of multidrug-resistant A. baumannii (MDR-A. baumannii). Materials and Methods: Agar diffusion, minimum inhibitory concentration, and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) were employed for the determination of bactericidal activity of water distilled medicinal plants. Tea tree oil (Melaleuca alternifolia) was used as positive control in this study. Results: The results indicated the volatile oil extracted from cinnamon exhibited potent antibacterial activity against the most common human pathogens, S. aureus, E. coli, P. aeruginosa, and A. baumannii. Most of volatile oil extracts were less effective against non-fermentative bacteria, P. aeruginosa. In addition, volatile oil extracted from cinnamon, clove, and tree basil possessed potent bactericidal activity against MDR-A. baumannii with MBC90 of 0.5, 1, and 2 mg/mL, respectively. Conclusions: The volatile oil extracts would be useful as alternative natural product for the treatment of the most common human pathogens and MDR-A. baumannii infections. PMID:28512603

Inhibition of chemiluminescence and chemotactic activity of phagocytes in vitro by the extracts of selected medicinal plants.

PubMed

Jantan, Ibrahim; Harun, Nurul Hikmah; Septama, Abdi Wira; Murad, Shahnaz; Mesaik, M A

2011-04-01

The methanol extracts of 20 selected medicinal plants were investigated for their effects on the respiratory burst of human whole blood, isolated human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) and isolated mice macrophages using a luminol/lucigenin-based chemiluminescence assay. We also tested the effect of the extracts on chemotactic migration of PMNs using the Boyden chamber technique. The extracts of Curcuma domestica L., Phyllanthus amarus Schum & Thonn and C. xanthorrhiza Roxb. were the samples producing the strongest oxidative burst of PMNs with luminol-based chemiluminescence, with IC(50) values ranging from 0.5 to 0.7 μg/ml. For macrophage cells, the extracts which showed strong suppressive activity for luminol-based chemiluminescence were C. xanthorrhiza and Garcinia mangostana L. Among the extracts studied, C. mangga Valton & Vazsjip, Piper nigrum L. and Labisia pumila var. alata showed strong inhibitory activity on lucigenin-amplified oxidative burst of PMNs, with IC(50) values ranging from 0.9 to 1.5 μg/ml. The extracts of Zingiber officinale Rosc., Alpinia galangal (L.) Willd and Averrhoa bilimbi Linn showed strong inhibition on the chemotaxic migration of cells, with IC(50) values comparable to that of ibuprofen (1.5 μg/ml). The results suggest that some of these plants were able to modulate the innate immune response of phagocytes at different steps, emphasizing their potential as a source of new immunomodulatory agents.

Bactericidal activity of herbal volatile oil extracts against multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii.

PubMed

Intorasoot, Amornrat; Chornchoem, Piyaorn; Sookkhee, Siriwoot; Intorasoot, Sorasak

2017-01-01

The aim of the study is to investigate the antibacterial activity of 10 volatile oils extracted from medicinal plants, including galangal ( Alpinia galanga Linn.), ginger ( Zingiber officinale ), plai ( Zingiber cassumunar Roxb.), lime ( Citrus aurantifolia ), kaffir lime ( Citrus hystrix DC.), sweet basil ( Ocimum basilicum Linn.), tree basil ( Ocimum gratissimum ), lemongrass ( Cymbopogon citratus DC.), clove ( Syzygium aromaticum ), and cinnamon ( Cinnamomum verum ) against four standard strains of Staphylococcus aureus , Escherichia coli , Pseudomonas aeruginosa , Acinetobacter baumannii , and 30 clinical isolates of multidrug-resistant A. baumannii (MDR- A. baumannii ). Agar diffusion, minimum inhibitory concentration, and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) were employed for the determination of bactericidal activity of water distilled medicinal plants. Tea tree oil ( Melaleuca alternifolia ) was used as positive control in this study. The results indicated the volatile oil extracted from cinnamon exhibited potent antibacterial activity against the most common human pathogens, S. aureus , E. coli , P. aeruginosa , and A. baumannii . Most of volatile oil extracts were less effective against non-fermentative bacteria, P. aeruginosa . In addition, volatile oil extracted from cinnamon, clove, and tree basil possessed potent bactericidal activity against MDR- A. baumannii with MBC 90 of 0.5, 1, and 2 mg/mL, respectively. The volatile oil extracts would be useful as alternative natural product for the treatment of the most common human pathogens and MDR- A. baumannii infections.

Biogenic volatile organic compounds - small is beautiful

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Owen, S. M.; Asensio, D.; Li, Q.; Penuelas, J.

2012-12-01

degradation rate in soil of the persistant organic pollutants, likely acting as analogues for the cometabo-lism of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) Flowers of a ginger species (Alpinia kwangsiensis) and a fig species (Ficus hispida) showed different bVOC signals pre- and post pollination. For Ficus hispida, there are three floral stages of a fig-wasp dependency mechanism: receptive, post pollinator and interfloral. Of 28 compounds detected, transcaryophyllene with trans-β-farnesene were the most important at the receptor stage, trans-caryophyllene was the most abundant at the post-pollinator stage, and isoprene was the most abundant in the interfloral stage. Alpinia kwangsiensis presents two morphologies for the reproductive parts of the flower. The "anaflexistyle" morphology has the flower style lowered in the morning and raised in the afternoon. This is reversed for the "cataflexistyle" morphology. The bVOC mixture emitted by each morphology in morning and afternoon was complex. However for compounds showing a difference (cis-ocimene and Z + E epoxy -ocimene), the emissions from the anaflexistyle were greater than from the cataflexistyle, and were greater in the afternoon compared with the morning emissions. Where large flowering plant species are abundant, big changes in monoterpene emissions at < 2m above ground level over relatively small periods of time during pollination are likely to be missed in larger scale integrated flux measurements.

Cambial variations of Piper (Piperaceae) in Taiwan.

PubMed

Yang, Sheng-Zehn; Chen, Po-Hao

2017-12-01

Cambial variations in lianas of Piperaceae in Taiwan have not been studied previously. The stem anatomy of seven Piper species from Taiwan was examined to document cambial variations and better distinguish the species when leaves are absent. A key for the seven species is provided, based on the internal stem anatomy. The seven Piper species climb via adventitious roots, and in cross section, the stems were generally eccentric and oblate, although a transversely elliptic stem was found in P. kadsura (Choisy) Ohwi and P. sintenense Hatus. A cambial variant with secondary growth of external primary vascular bundles and xylem in plates was observed in all species except Piper betle L., which developed another cambium variant with xylem furrowed deeply by parenchyma proliferation. The sclerenchymatous ring surrounding the medullary vascular bundles was always continuous except in P. betle, where it was discontinuous. Mucilage canals varied from absent to present in the center of the pith, or present in the pith and inner cortex. Different sizes of vessels dispersed throughout the stem were ring or diffuse porous. The numbers of medullary and peripheral vascular bundles were distinctive and the widths of rays were noticeably different in each species. Differences in the growth rate of the medullary vascular bundles produced two development types of vascular bundles, although in both types, the peripheral vascular bundles gradually lengthen and become separated from each other by wide rays. We documented the internal stem anatomy of six previously unstudied species of Piper, including three endemic species, P. kwashoense Hayata, P. sintenense, and P. taiwanense Lin and Lu, and found that P. betle had deeply furrowed xylem, which had not been reported for the species before. The descriptions and photographs of seven Piper species will also provide a basis for further morphological studies.

The complete chloroplast genome sequence of the relict woody plant Metasequoia glyptostroboides Hu et Cheng.

PubMed

Chen, Jinhui; Hao, Zhaodong; Xu, Haibin; Yang, Liming; Liu, Guangxin; Sheng, Yu; Zheng, Chen; Zheng, Weiwei; Cheng, Tielong; Shi, Jisen

2015-01-01

Metasequoia glyptostroboides Hu et Cheng is the only species in the genus Metasequoia Miki ex Hu et Cheng, which belongs to the Cupressaceae family. There were around 10 species in the Metasequoia genus, which were widely spread across the Northern Hemisphere during the Cretaceous of the Mesozoic and in the Cenozoic. M. glyptostroboides is the only remaining representative of this genus. Here, we report the complete chloroplast (cp) genome sequence and the cp genomic features of M. glyptostroboides. The M. glyptostroboides cp genome is 131,887 bp in length, with a total of 117 genes comprised of 82 protein-coding genes, 31 tRNA genes and four rRNA genes. In this genome, 11 forward repeats, nine palindromic repeats, and 15 tandem repeats were detected. A total of 188 perfect microsatellites were detected through simple sequence repeat (SSR) analysis and these were distributed unevenly within the cp genome. Comparison of the cp genome structure and gene order to those of several other land plants indicated that a copy of the inverted repeat (IR) region, which was found to be IR region A (IRA), was lost in the M. glyptostroboides cp genome. The five most divergent and five most conserved genes were determined and further phylogenetic analysis was performed among plant species, especially for related species in conifers. Finally, phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that M. glyptostroboides is a sister species to Cryptomeria japonica (L. F.) D. Don and to Taiwania cryptomerioides Hayata. The complete cp genome sequence information of M. glyptostroboides will be great helpful for further investigations of this endemic relict woody plant and for in-depth understanding of the evolutionary history of the coniferous cp genomes, especially for the position of M. glyptostroboides in plant systematics and evolution.

The complete chloroplast genome sequence of the relict woody plant Metasequoia glyptostroboides Hu et Cheng

PubMed Central

Chen, Jinhui; Hao, Zhaodong; Xu, Haibin; Yang, Liming; Liu, Guangxin; Sheng, Yu; Zheng, Chen; Zheng, Weiwei; Cheng, Tielong; Shi, Jisen

2015-01-01

Metasequoia glyptostroboides Hu et Cheng is the only species in the genus Metasequoia Miki ex Hu et Cheng, which belongs to the Cupressaceae family. There were around 10 species in the Metasequoia genus, which were widely spread across the Northern Hemisphere during the Cretaceous of the Mesozoic and in the Cenozoic. M. glyptostroboides is the only remaining representative of this genus. Here, we report the complete chloroplast (cp) genome sequence and the cp genomic features of M. glyptostroboides. The M. glyptostroboides cp genome is 131,887 bp in length, with a total of 117 genes comprised of 82 protein-coding genes, 31 tRNA genes and four rRNA genes. In this genome, 11 forward repeats, nine palindromic repeats, and 15 tandem repeats were detected. A total of 188 perfect microsatellites were detected through simple sequence repeat (SSR) analysis and these were distributed unevenly within the cp genome. Comparison of the cp genome structure and gene order to those of several other land plants indicated that a copy of the inverted repeat (IR) region, which was found to be IR region A (IRA), was lost in the M. glyptostroboides cp genome. The five most divergent and five most conserved genes were determined and further phylogenetic analysis was performed among plant species, especially for related species in conifers. Finally, phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that M. glyptostroboides is a sister species to Cryptomeria japonica (L. F.) D. Don and to Taiwania cryptomerioides Hayata. The complete cp genome sequence information of M. glyptostroboides will be great helpful for further investigations of this endemic relict woody plant and for in-depth understanding of the evolutionary history of the coniferous cp genomes, especially for the position of M. glyptostroboides in plant systematics and evolution. PMID:26136762

Localization, Concentration, and Transmission Efficiency of Banana bunchy top virus in Four Asexual Lineages of Pentalonia aphids

PubMed Central

Watanabe, Shizu; Greenwell, April M.; Bressan, Alberto

2013-01-01

Banana bunchy top virus (BBTV) is the most destructive pathogenic virus of banana plants worldwide. The virus is transmitted in a circulative non-propagative manner by the banana aphid, Pentalonia nigronervosa Coquerel. In this work, we examined the localization, accumulation, and transmission efficiency of BBTV in four laboratory-established lineages of Pentalonia aphids derived from four different host plants: taro (Colocasia esculenta), heliconia (Heliconia spp.), red ginger (Alpinia purpurata), and banana (Musa sp.). Mitochondrial sequencing identified three and one lineages as Pentalonia caladii van der Goot, a recently proposed species, and P. nigronervosa, respectively. Microsatellite analysis separated the aphid lineages into four distinct genotypes. The transmission of BBTV was tested using leaf disk and whole-plant assays, both of which showed that all four lineages are competent vectors of BBTV, although the P. caladii from heliconia transmitted BBTV to the leaf disks at a significantly lower rate than did P. nigronervosa. The concentration of BBTV in dissected guts, haemolymph, and salivary glands was quantified by real-time PCR. The BBTV titer reached similar concentrations in the guts, haemolymph, and salivary glands of aphids from all four lineages tested. Furthermore, immunofluorescence assays showed that BBTV antigens localized to the anterior midguts and the principal salivary glands, demonstrating a similar pattern of translocations across the four lineages. The results reported in this study showed for the first time that P. caladii is a competent vector of BBTV. PMID:23435241

Quantitative analysis of the major constituents in Chinese medicinal preparation SuoQuan formulae by ultra fast high performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background The SuoQuan formulae containing Fructus Alpiniae Oxyphyllae has been used to combat the urinary incontinence symptoms including frequency, urgency and nocturia for hundreds of years in China. However, the chemical information was not well characterized. The quality control marker constituent only focused on one single compound in the current Chinese Pharmacopeia. Hence it is prudent to identify and quantify the main constituents in this herbal product. This study aimed to analyze the main constituents using ultra-fast performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (UFLC-MS/MS). Results Fourteen phytochemicals originated from five chemical classes constituents were identified by comparing the molecular mass, fragmentation pattern and retention time with those of the reference standards. A newly developed UFLC-MS/MS was validated demonstrating that the new assay was valid, reproducible and reliable. This method was successfully applied to simultaneously quantify the fourteen phytochemicals. Notably, the content of these constituents showed significant differences in three pharmaceutical preparations. The major constituent originated from each of chemical class was isolinderalactone, norisoboldine, nootkatone, yakuchinone A and apigenin-4’,7-dimethylther, respectively. The variation among these compounds was more than 1000 times. Furthermore, the significant content variation between the two different Suoquan pills was also observed. Conclusion The proposed method is sensitive and reliable; hence it can be used to analyze a variety of SuoQuan formulae products produced by different pharmaceutical manufacturers. PMID:23899222

Localization, concentration, and transmission efficiency of Banana bunchy top virus in four asexual lineages of Pentalonia aphids.

PubMed

Watanabe, Shizu; Greenwell, April M; Bressan, Alberto

2013-02-22

Banana bunchy top virus (BBTV) is the most destructive pathogenic virus of banana plants worldwide. The virus is transmitted in a circulative non-propagative manner by the banana aphid, Pentalonia nigronervosa Coquerel. In this work, we examined the localization, accumulation, and transmission efficiency of BBTV in four laboratory-established lineages of Pentalonia aphids derived from four different host plants: taro (Colocasia esculenta), heliconia (Heliconia spp.), red ginger (Alpinia purpurata), and banana (Musa sp.). Mitochondrial sequencing identified three and one lineages as Pentalonia caladii van der Goot, a recently proposed species, and P. nigronervosa, respectively. Microsatellite analysis separated the aphid lineages into four distinct genotypes. The transmission of BBTV was tested using leaf disk and whole-plant assays, both of which showed that all four lineages are competent vectors of BBTV, although the P. caladii from heliconia transmitted BBTV to the leaf disks at a significantly lower rate than did P. nigronervosa. The concentration of BBTV in dissected guts, haemolymph, and salivary glands was quantified by real-time PCR. The BBTV titer reached similar concentrations in the guts, haemolymph, and salivary glands of aphids from all four lineages tested. Furthermore, immunofluorescence assays showed that BBTV antigens localized to the anterior midguts and the principal salivary glands, demonstrating a similar pattern of translocations across the four lineages. The results reported in this study showed for the first time that P. caladii is a competent vector of BBTV.

Analysis of Indonesian Spice Essential Oil Compounds That Inhibit Locomotor Activity in Mice

PubMed Central

Muchtaridi; Diantini, Adjeng; Subarnas, Anas

2011-01-01

Some fragrance components of spices used for cooking are known to have an effect on human behavior. The aim of this investigation was to examine the effect of the essential oils of basil (Ocimum formacitratum L.) leaves, lemongrass (Cymbopogon citrates L.) herbs, ki lemo (Litsea cubeba L.) bark, and laja gowah (Alpinia malaccencis Roxb.) rhizomes on locomotor activity in mice and identify the active component(s) that might be responsible for the activity. The effect of the essential oils was studied by a wheel cage method and the active compounds of the essential oils were identified by GC/MS analysis. The essential oils were administered by inhalation at doses of 0.1, 0.3, and 0.5 mL/cage. The results showed that the four essential oils had inhibitory effects on locomotor activity in mice. Inhalation of the essential oils of basil leaves, lemongrass herbs, ki lemo bark, and laja gowah rhizomes showed the highest inhibitory activity at doses of 0.5 (57.64%), 0.1 (55.72%), 0.5 (60.75%), and 0.1 mL/cage (47.09%), respectively. The major volatile compounds 1,8-cineole, α-terpineol, 4-terpineol, citronelol, citronelal, and methyl cinnamate were identified in blood plasma of mice after inhalation of the four oils. These compounds had a significant inhibitory effect on locomotion after inhalation. The volatile compounds of essential oils identified in the blood plasma may correlate with the locomotor-inhibiting properties of the oil when administered by inhalation.

Characterizing the Status (Disturbed, Hybrid or Novel) of Swamp Forest Fragments in a Caribbean Ramsar Wetland: The Impact of Anthropogenic Degradation and Invasive Plant Species.

PubMed

Prospere, Kurt; McLaren, Kurt P; Wilson, Byron

2016-10-01

The last remaining Amazonian-type swamp forest fragments in Black River Lower Morass, Jamaica, have been subjected to a myriad of anthropogenic disturbances, compounded by the establishment and spread of several invasive plant species. We established 44 permanent sample plots (covering 3.92 ha) across 10 of these swamp forest fragments and sampled all non-woody plants and all trees ≥2 cm DBH found in the plots. These data were used to (1) identify thresholds of hybridity and novelty, (2) derive several diversity and structural descriptors used to characterize the swamp forest fragments and (3) identify possible indicators of anthropogenic degradation. These were incorporated into a framework and used to determine the status of the swamp forest fragments so that appropriate management and conservation measures can be implemented. We recorded 43 woody plant species (9 endemic, 28 native and 4 non-native) and 21 non-tree species. The composition and structure of all the patches differed significantly due to the impact of the herbaceous invasive plant Alpinia allughas, the presence and diversity of other non-native plants, and differing intensities of anthropogenic disturbance (e.g., burning, cutting and harvesting of non-timber forest products). We ranked forest patches along a continuum representing deviations from a historical proxy (least disturbed) swamp forest to those with dramatically altered structural and floristic attributes (=novel swamp forests). Only one fragment overrun with A. allughas was classified as novel. If effective conservation and management does not come to the BRLM, the remaining swamp forest fragments appear doomed to further degradation and will soon disappear altogether.

Ankaferd hemostat in the management of gastrointestinal hemorrhages

PubMed Central

Beyazit, Yavuz; Kekilli, Murat; Haznedaroglu, Ibrahim C; Kayacetin, Ertugrul; Basaranoglu, Metin

2011-01-01

Gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding refers to any hemorrhage ascribed to the pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract, extending from the mouth to the anal canal. Despite the recent improvements in the endoscopic, hemostatic and adjuvant pharmacologic techniques, the reported mortality is still around 5%-10% for peptic ulcer bleeding and about 15%-20% for variceal hemorrhages. Although endoscopic management reduces the rates of re-bleeding, surgery, and mortality in active bleeding; early recurrence ratios still occur in around 20% of the cases even with effective initial hemostatic measures. In this quest for an alternative pro-hemostatic agent for the management of GI bleedings, Ankaferd blood stopper (ABS) offers a successful candidate, specifically for “difficult-to-manage” situations as evidenced by data presented in several studies. ABS is a standardized mixture of the plants Thymus vulgaris, Glycyrrhiza glabra, Vitis vinifera, Alpinia officinarum, and Urtica dioica. It is effective in both bleeding individuals with normal hemostatic parameters and in patients with deficient primary and/or secondary hemostasis. ABS also modulates the cellular apoptotic responses to hemorrhagic stress, as well as hemostatic hemodynamic activity. Through its effects on the endothelium, blood cells, angiogenesis, cellular proliferation, vascular dynamics, and wound healing, ABS is now becoming an effective alternative hemostatic medicine for gastrointestinal bleedings that are resistant to conventional anti-hemorrhagic measurements. The aim of this review is to outline current literature experience suggesting the place of ABS in the management of GI bleeding, and potential future controlled trials in this complicated field. PMID:22046083

Characterizing the Status (Disturbed, Hybrid or Novel) of Swamp Forest Fragments in a Caribbean Ramsar Wetland: The Impact of Anthropogenic Degradation and Invasive Plant Species

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prospere, Kurt; McLaren, Kurt P.; Wilson, Byron

2016-10-01

The last remaining Amazonian-type swamp forest fragments in Black River Lower Morass, Jamaica, have been subjected to a myriad of anthropogenic disturbances, compounded by the establishment and spread of several invasive plant species. We established 44 permanent sample plots (covering 3.92 ha) across 10 of these swamp forest fragments and sampled all non-woody plants and all trees ≥2 cm DBH found in the plots. These data were used to (1) identify thresholds of hybridity and novelty, (2) derive several diversity and structural descriptors used to characterize the swamp forest fragments and (3) identify possible indicators of anthropogenic degradation. These were incorporated into a framework and used to determine the status of the swamp forest fragments so that appropriate management and conservation measures can be implemented. We recorded 43 woody plant species (9 endemic, 28 native and 4 non-native) and 21 non-tree species. The composition and structure of all the patches differed significantly due to the impact of the herbaceous invasive plant Alpinia allughas, the presence and diversity of other non-native plants, and differing intensities of anthropogenic disturbance (e.g., burning, cutting and harvesting of non-timber forest products). We ranked forest patches along a continuum representing deviations from a historical proxy (least disturbed) swamp forest to those with dramatically altered structural and floristic attributes (=novel swamp forests). Only one fragment overrun with A. allughas was classified as novel. If effective conservation and management does not come to the BRLM, the remaining swamp forest fragments appear doomed to further degradation and will soon disappear altogether.

Inhibitory effect on nitric oxide production and free radical scavenging activity of Thai medicinal plants in osteoarthritic knee treatment.

PubMed

Anuthakoengkun, Areeya; Itharat, Arunporn

2014-08-01

Thai medicine plants used for Osteoarthritis of knee (OA) treatment consist of twelve plants such as Crinumn asiaticum, Cleome viscosa, Drypetes roxburghii, Piper longum, Piper nigrum, Plumbago indica, Alpinia galanga, Curcuma aromatica, Globba malaccensis, Zingiber montanum, Zingiber officinale andZingiberzerumbet. They showedhighfrequency in OA formula. To investigate inhibitory effect on LPS-induced nitric oxide (NO) release from RAW264. 7 cell and free radical scavenging activity usingDPPH assay of these ethanolic plant extracts. Plant materials were extracted by maceration in 95% ethanol. Anti-inflammatory activity were tested on LPS-induced NO production. Free radical scavenging activity was performed by DPPH assay. All of ethanolic extracts exhibited potent inhibitory effect on NO release. The ethanolic extract of Z. zerumbet exhibited the highest inhibitory effect followed by Z. montanum and G. malaccensis, respectively. Except A. galanga and C. viscosa, all extracts possessed more influential than indomethacin (IC50 = 20.32±3.23 μLg/ml), a positive control. The investigation on antioxidant activity suggested that the ethanolic extracts of D. roxburghii, Z. officinale, Z. montanum, C. aromatic, A. galanga, P indica, G malaccensis, P nigrum exhibited antioxidant activity. By means ofD. roxburghii had the highest electron donating activity,followed by Z. officinale. Moreover both extracts were more effective than BHT apositive control (EC50 = 14.04±1.95 μg/ml). Thai medicinal plants had anti-inflammatory activity and could inhibit destruction of articular cartilage that corresponded to the traditional medicine and supported using these medicinal plants for OA treatment.

Incidence of 'Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus'-Infected Plants Among Citrandarins as Rootstock and Scion Under Field Conditions.

PubMed

Boava, Leonardo Pires; Sagawa, Cíntia Helena Duarte; Cristofani-Yaly, Mariângela; Machado, Marcos Antonio

2015-04-01

Huanglongbing (HLB), caused by the bacterium 'Candidatus Liberibacter' spp., is currently one of the most serious diseases of citrus plants and has caused substantial economic losses. Thus far, there is no source of genetic resistance to HLB in the genus Citrus or its relatives. However, several studies have reported Poncirus trifoliata and some of its hybrids to be more tolerant to the disease. The main objective of this study was to report differences in the incidence of 'Ca. L. asiaticus' infection in citrandarin plants, hybrids from Sunki mandarin (Citrus sunki (Hayata) hort. ex Tanaka), and trifoliate orange Rubidoux (P. trifoliata (L.) Raf.)), after conducting an extensive survey under field conditions. These hybrid plants were established for approximately 7 years in an area with a high incidence of 'Ca. L. asiaticus'-infected plants. We selected two experimental areas (area A and area B), located approximately 10 m apart. Area A consists of Pera sweet orange (C. sinensis (L.) Osb.) grafted onto 56 different citrandarin rootstocks. Area B consists of citrandarin scions grafted onto Rangpur lime (C. limonia Osb.) rootstock. Bacteria in the leaves and roots were detected using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The incidence of 'Ca. L. asiaticus'-infected plants was 92% in area A and 14% in area B. Because infected plants occurred in both areas, we examined whether the P. trifoliata hybrid rootstock influenced HLB development and also determined the distribution of 'Ca. L. asiaticus' in Citrus tree tissues. Although this survey does not present evidence regarding the resistance of P. trifoliata and its hybrids in relation to bacteria or psyllids, future investigation, mainly using the most promising hybrids for response to 'Ca. L. asiaticus', will help us to understand the probable mechanism of defense or identifying compounds in P. trifoliata and its hybrids that are very important as strategy to combat HLB. Details of these results are

Laser surgery and medicine including photodynamic therapy in China today

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Junheng

2000-10-01

The development of laser medicine in China is correlated with the development of laser science in China. After the first Chinese laser, ruby laser came into being in 1961, Chinese medical scientists began to do the studies about laser medicine in the middle 1960s. For example, ruby laser was adopted for the retina coagulation experiment in 1965. Since 1970s, through the free choice of utilizing Co2, He-Ne, Nd:YAG argon, ruby lasers, laser surgery and medicine has been widely applied to the treatment for diseases of the eyes, ENT, dermatology, surgery, gynecology, tumors and diseases suitable to physical therapy or acupuncture with satisfactory effects. In June 1977, a nation-wide laser medicine symposium was held at Wuhan, Hubei Province with 200 participants including medical doctors and laser technologies from 23 provinces and municipal towns. Till the end of seventies, utilization of lasers has been extended to Nd glass laser, N laser and tunable dye lasers. The scope covered most of the clinical sections. After Dr. Thomas J. Dougherty developed the PDT for cancers in Roswell Park Memorial Institute in Buffalo in late 1970s and Professor Yoshihiro Hayata successfully applied the PDT in clinical treatment for lung cancer in 1980, Chinese pharmacists successfully produced the Chinese HpD and the first case of PDT, a lower eyelid basal cell carcinoma patient was treated with the Chinese laser equipment in 1981 in Beijing. Its success brought attention establishing a research group supported by the government in 1982. The members of the group consisted the experts on preclinical and clinical research, pharmaceutical chemistry, laser physicists and technologists. A systemic research on PDT was then carried out and obvious result was achieved. The step taken for PDT also accelerated the researchers on other kinds of laser medicine and surgery because the medical doctors had begun to master the knowledge about laser science. The prosperous situation of rapid

The chalcone flavokawain B induces G2/M cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis in human oral carcinoma HSC-3 cells through the intracellular ROS generation and downregulation of the Akt/p38 MAPK signaling pathway.

PubMed

Hseu, You-Cheng; Lee, Meng-Shiou; Wu, Chi-Rei; Cho, Hsin-Ju; Lin, Kai-Yuan; Lai, Guan-Hua; Wang, Sheng-Yang; Kuo, Yueh-Hsiung; Kumar, K J Senthil; Yang, Hsin-Ling

2012-03-07

Chalcones have been described to represent cancer chemopreventive food components that are rich in fruits and vegetables. In this study, we examined the anti-oral cancer effect of flavokawain B (FKB), a naturally occurring chalcone isolated from Alpinia pricei (shell gingers), and revealed its molecular mechanism of action. Treatment of human oral carcinoma (HSC-3) cells with FKB (1.25-10 μg/mL; 4.4-35.2 μM) inhibited cell viability and caused G(2)/M arrest through reductions in cyclin A/B1, Cdc2, and Cdc25C levels. Moreover, FKB treatment resulted in the induction of apoptosis, which was associated with DNA fragmentation, mitochondria dysfunction, cytochrome c and AIF release, caspase-3 and caspase-9 activation, and Bcl-2/Bax dysregulation. Furthermore, increased Fas activity and procaspase-8, procaspase-4, and procaspase-12 cleavages were accompanied by death receptor and ER-stress, indicating the involvement of mitochondria, death-receptor, and ER-stress signaling pathways. FKB induces apoptosis through ROS generation as evidenced by the upregulation of oxidative-stress markers HO-1/Nrf2. This mechanism was further confirmed by the finding that the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC) significantly blocked ROS generation and consequently inhibited FKB-induced apoptosis. Moreover, FKB downregulated the phosphorylation of Akt and p38 MAPK, while their inhibitors LY294002 and SB203580, respectively, induced G(2)/M arrest and apoptosis. The profound reduction in cell number was observed in combination treatment with FKB and Akt/p38 MAPK inhibitors, indicating that the disruption of Akt and p38 MAPK cascades plays a functional role in FKB-induced G(2)/M arrest and apoptosis in HSC-3 cells.

1'-Acetoxychavicol acetate ameliorates age-related spatial memory deterioration by increasing serum ketone body production as a complementary energy source for neuronal cells.

PubMed

Kojima-Yuasa, Akiko; Yamamoto, Tomiya; Yaku, Keisuke; Hirota, Shiori; Takenaka, Shigeo; Kawabe, Kouichi; Matsui-Yuasa, Isao

2016-09-25

1'-Acetoxychavicol acetate (ACA) is naturally obtained from the rhizomes and seeds of Alpinia galangal. Here, we examined the effect of ACA on learning and memory in senescence-accelerated mice prone 8 (SAMP8). In mice that were fed a control diet containing 0.02% ACA for 25 weeks, the learning ability in the Morris water maze test was significantly enhanced in comparison with mice that were fed the control diet alone. In the Y-maze test, SAMP8 mice showed decreased spontaneous alterations in comparison with senescence-accelerated resistant/1 (SAMR1) mice, a homologous control, which was improved by ACA pretreatment. Serum metabolite profiles were obtained by GC-MS analysis, and each metabolic profile was plotted on a 3D score plot. Based upon the diagram, it can be seen that the distribution areas for the three groups were completely separate. Furthermore, the contents of β-hydroxybutyric acid and palmitic acid in the serum of SAMP8-ACA mice were higher than those of SAMP8-control mice and SAMR1-control mice. We also found that SAMR1 mice did not show histological abnormalities, whereas histological damage in the CA1 region of the hippocampus in SAMP8-control mice was observed. However, SAMP8-ACA mice were observed in a similar manner as SAMR1 mice. These findings confirm that ACA increases the serum concentrations of β-hydroxybutyric acid and palmitic acid levels and thus these fuels might contribute to the maintenance of the cognitive performance of SAMP8 mice. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Antiproliferative activities of lesser galangal (Alpinia officinarum Hance Jam1), turmeric (Curcuma longa L.), and ginger (Zingiber officinale Rosc.) against acute monocytic leukemia.

PubMed

Omoregie, Samson N; Omoruyi, Felix O; Wright, Vincent F; Jones, Lemore; Zimba, Paul V

2013-07-01

Acute monocytic leukemia (AML M5 or AMoL) is one of the several types of leukemia that are still awaiting cures. The use of chemotherapy for cancer management can be harmful to normal cells in the vicinity of the target leukemia cells. This study assessed the potency of the extracts from lesser galangal, turmeric, and ginger against AML M5 to use the suitable fractions in neutraceuticals. Aqueous and organic solvent extracts from the leaves and rhizomes of lesser galangal and turmeric, and from the rhizomes only of ginger were examined for their antiproliferative activities against THP-1 AMoL cells in vitro. Lesser galangal leaf extracts in organic solvents of methanol, chloroform, and dichloromethane maintained distinctive antiproliferative activities over a 48-h period. The turmeric leaf and rhizome extracts and ginger rhizome extracts in methanol also showed distinctive anticancer activities. The lesser galangal leaf methanol extract was subsequently separated into 13, and then 18 fractions using reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. Fractions 9 and 16, respectively, showed the greatest antiproliferative activities. These results indicate that the use of plant extracts might be a safer approach to finding a lasting cure for AMoL. Further investigations will be required to establish the discriminatory tolerance of normal cells to these extracts, and to identify the compounds in these extracts that possess the antiproliferative activities.

Inhibitory activity of Asian spices on heterocyclic amines formation in cooked beef patties.

PubMed

Puangsombat, Kanithaporn; Jirapakkul, Wannee; Smith, J Scott

2011-10-01

Heterocyclic amines (HCAs) are mutagenic compounds formed when foods are cooked at high temperatures. Numerous reports have shown that natural antioxidants from spices, fruits, chocolate, and tea can inhibit formation. In this study, we evaluated HCA formation in the presence of 5 of Asian spices: galangal (Alpinia galangal), fingerroot (Boesenbergia pandurata), turmeric (Curcuma longa), cumin (Cuminum cyminum), and coriander seeds (Coriandrum sativum). HCA levels were compared to patties containing rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), of which the inhibitory effect is well documented. Inhibition of HCA formation by the spices was evaluated in beef patties cooked at 204 °C (400 °F) for 10 min. All spices were mixed into patties at 0.2% before cooking, and HCAs levels were measured in the final product. All patties, including the control, contained 2-amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo [4,5-f]quinoxaline (MeIQx) and 2-amino-1-methyl -6-phenylimidazo [4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP). The average HCA content of the control patties was 7 ng/g MeIQx and 6.53 ng/g PhIP. Turmeric (39.2% inhibition), fingerroot (33.5% inhibition), and galangal (18.4% inhibition) significantly decreased HCAs compared with the control. But, only turmeric and fingerroot were as effective as rosemary in preventing HCA formation. The HCA inhibition in patties containing spices was significantly correlated to the total phenolic content (R(2) = 0.80) and the scavenging activity (R(2) = 0.84) of the spices as measured by the 2,2-diphenyl-β-picrylhydrazyl assay. Results of this study suggest that addition of Asian spices can be an important factor in decreasing the levels of HCAs in fried beef patties. © 2011 Institute of Food Technologists®

Anti-inflammatory activity of p-coumaryl alcohol-γ-O-methyl ether is mediated through modulation of interferon-γ production in Th cells

PubMed Central

Yu, E-S; Min, H-J; Lee, K; Lee, M-S; Nam, J-W; Seo, E-K; Hong, J-H; Hwang, E-S

2009-01-01

Background and purpose: p-Coumaryl alcohol-γ-O-methyl ether (CAME) was isolated from Alpinia galanga and shown to contain a phenylpropanoid structure similar to p-coumaryl diacetate (CDA). CDA is known to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity, but the biochemical activities of CAME are unknown. Inflammation is mediated by inflammatory cytokine production, in particular, by CD4+ T helper cells (Th cells), but it is unclear whether phenylpropanoids affect cytokine production in Th cells. In this study, we decided to investigate the functions of CAME and CDA in CD4+ Th cells. Experimental approach: Mouse CD4+ Th cells were isolated from C57BL6 mice and stimulated with an antibody against T cell receptors in the presence of phenylpropanoids. Cytokine production was measured by elisa and intracellular cytokine staining. Gene knockout mice and tetracycline-inducible transgenic mice were used to examine the molecular mechanisms of phenylpropanoids on modulation of cytokine production. Key results: CAME potently reduced intracellular reactive oxygen species in Th cells, as does CDA. However, although CDA was cytotoxic, CAME selectively and potently suppresses interferon-γ (IFNγ) production in CD4+ Th cells, without toxicity. This effect was caused by attenuated expression of the transcription factor, T-box protein expressed in T cells (T-bet), and T-bet was essential for CAME to inhibit IFNγ production in CD4+ Th cells. Conclusions and implications: CAME selectively and substantially suppresses IFNγ production in CD4+ Th cells by decreasing T-bet expression. As increased IFNγ production by CD4+ Th cells can mediate inflammatory immune responses, a selective IFNγ suppressor, such as CAME may be an effective, naturally occurring, compound for modulating inflammatory immune disorders. PMID:19226286

Snakebites and ethnobotany in the northwest region of Colombia. Part III: neutralization of the haemorrhagic effect of Bothrops atrox venom.

PubMed

Otero, R; Núñez, V; Barona, J; Fonnegra, R; Jiménez, S L; Osorio, R G; Saldarriaga, M; Díaz, A

2000-11-01

Thirty-one of 75 extracts of plants used by traditional healers for snakebites, had moderate or high neutralizing ability against the haemorrhagic effect of Bothrops atrox venom from Antioquia and Chocó, north-western Colombia. After preincubation of several doses of every extract (7.8-4000 microg/mouse) with six minimum haemorrhagic doses (10 microg) of venom, 12 of them demonstrated 100% neutralizing capacity when the mixture was i.d. injected into mice (18-20 g). These were the stem barks of Brownea rosademonte (Caesalpiniaceae) and Tabebuia rosea (Bignoniaceae); the whole plants of Pleopeltis percussa (Polypodiaceae), Trichomanes elegans (Hymenophyllaceae) and Senna dariensis (Caesalpiniaceae); rhizomes of Heliconia curtispatha (Heliconiaceae); leaves and branches of Bixa orellana (Bixaceae), Philodendron tripartitum (Araceae), Struthanthus orbicularis (Loranthaceae) and Gonzalagunia panamensis (Rubiaceae); the ripe fruits of Citrus limon (Rutaceae); leaves, branches and stem of Ficus nymphaeifolia (Moraceae). Extracts of another 19 species showed moderate neutralization (21-72%) at doses up to 4 mg/mouse, e.g. the whole plants of Aristolochia grandiflora (Aristolochiaceae), Columnea kalbreyeriana (Gesneriaceae), Sida acuta (Malvaceae), Selaginella articulata (Selaginellaceae) and Pseudoelephantopus spicatus (Asteraceae); rhizomes of Renealmia alpinia (Zingiberaceae); the stem of Strychnos xinguensis (Loganiaceae); leaves, branches and stems of Hyptis capitata (Lamiaceae), Ipomoea cairica (Convolvulaceae), Neurolaena lobata (Asteraceae), Ocimum micranthum (Lamiaceae), Piper pulchrum (Piperaceae), Siparuna thecaphora (Monimiaceae), Castilla elastica (Moraceae) and Allamanda cathartica (Apocynaceae); the macerated ripe fruits of Capsicum frutescens (Solanaceae); the unripe fruits of Crescentia cujete (Bignoniaceae); leaves and branches of Piper arboreum (Piperaceae) and Passiflora quadrangularis (Passifloraceae). When the extracts were independently administered

Volatile oils of Chinese crude medicines exhibit antiparasitic activity against human Demodex with no adverse effects in vivo.

PubMed

Liu, Ji-Xin; Sun, Yan-Hong; Li, Chao-Pin

2015-04-01

Demodex is a type of permanent obligatory parasite, which can be found on the human body surface. Currently, drugs targeting Demodex usually result in adverse effects and have a poor therapeutic effect. Thus, the aim of the present study was to investigate the use of Chinese crude medicine volatile oils for targeting and inhibiting Demodex in vitro . The volatile oils of six Chinese crude medicines were investigated, including clove, orange fruit, Manchurian wildginger, cinnamon bark, Rhizome Alpiniae Officinarum and pricklyash peel, which were extracted using a distillation method. The exercise status of Demodex folliculorum and Demodex brevis and the antiparasitic effects of the volatile oils against the two species were observed using microscopy. A skin irritation test was used to examine the irritation intensity of the volatile oils. In addition, an acute toxicity test was utilized to observe the toxicity effects of the volatile oils on the skin. Xin Fumanling ointment was employed as a positive control to identify the therapeutic effects of the volatile oils. The results indicated that all six volatile oils were able to kill Demodex efficiently. In particular, the clove volatile oil was effective in inducing optimized anti- Demodex activity. The lethal times of the volatile oils were significantly decreased compared with the Xin Fumanling ointment (P<0.05). Furthermore, the skin irritation test results indicated that the clove volatile oil did not trigger any irritation (0.2 and 0.3 points for intact and scratched skin, respectively), and had a safety equal to that of distilled water. There were not any adverse effects observed following application of the clove volatile oil on the intact or scratched skin. In conclusion, the volatile oils of Chinese crude medicines, particularly that of clove, demonstrated an evident anti- Demodex activity and were able to kill Demodex effectively and safely in vivo .

Life cycle of Raoiella indica (Acari: Tenuipalpidae) on ornamental plants, mostly Arecaceae.

PubMed

Vásquez, C; Colmenárez, Y; de Moraes, G J

2015-02-01

The red palm mite, Raoiella indica Hirst, has been primarily found associated with coconut and musaceous plants in the New World. However, it has also been recorded on several other palms, heliconiaceous and zingiberaceous species. This study was conducted to evaluate the suitability of different botanical families on which R. indica has been collected in the field and of arecaceous plants of the natural vegetation of the neotropics. In total, ten species of Arecaceae as well as Heliconia psittacorum [Heliconiaceae] and Alpinia purpurata [Zingiberacae] were evaluated, using coconut as a control. The study was carried out under controlled conditions (29 ± 0.5 °C, 60 ± 10% RH and photoperiod 12 h of light). Raoiella indica was able to complete immature development only on coconut, Adonidia merrillii, Ptychosperma macarthurii, H. psittacorum and A. purpurata. Duration of the immature phase (egg-adult) ranged between 21.5 days on coconut to 34.1 days on A. purpurata. Longevity was at least 50% greater and oviposition at least 38% higher on coconut than on other plants. Intrinsic rate of increase (rm) was higher on coconut (0.166) and A. merrillii (0.042), but negative on the other two plant species. Raoiella indica could not reach adulthood on any of the other ten arecaceous species considered in the study. The results suggested R. indica to be a threat to A. merrillii in addition to coconut, but not to other evaluated plants. However, complementary studies should be conducted to investigate whether the experimental procedures adopted in this study could not have prevented the mite from a better performance than it could have been under field conditions, especially in relation to Mauritia flexuosa, one of the dominant arecaceous plants in South America.

Pre-treatment with cardamonin protects against cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity in rats: impact on NOX-1, inflammation and apoptosis.

PubMed

El-Naga, Reem N

2014-01-01

Cisplatin is an effective anti-cancer drug; however, its clinical use is usually associated with nephrotoxicity as a dose-limiting side effect. Several molecular mechanisms have been found to be involved in this nephrotoxicity such as oxidative stress, inflammation and apoptosis. The aim of this study was to explore the potential nephroprotective effect of cardamonin, a flavone found in Alpinia plant, in a rat model of cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity. The possible mechanisms underlying this nephroprotective effect were investigated. Cardamonin was given at two different doses; 10 and 30mg/kg orally for two weeks, starting one week before giving a single nephrotoxic dose of cisplatin (7mg/kg). Acute nephrtoxicity was evident by significantly increased blood urea nitrogen and serum creatinine levels. Also, cisplatin increased lipid peroxidation and depleted reduced glutathione level and superoxide dismutase. Additionally, cisplatin showed a marked pro-inflammatory response as evidenced by significant increase in tissue levels of IL-1β, TNF-α, NF-kB, iNOS, ICAM-1 and MCP-1. Pre-treatment with cardamonin significantly attenuated the nephrotoxic effects, oxidative stress and inflammation induced by cisplatin, in a dose-dependent manner. Also, cardamonin decreased caspase-3 expression and Bax/Bcl-2 ratio as compared to cisplatin group. Besides, cradamonin reversed cisplatin-induced decrease in EGF. Furthermore, up-regulation of NOX-1 was found to be involved in cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity and its expression was significantly reduced by cardamonin. Histopathological examination further confirmed the nephroprotective effect of cardamonin. Moreover, pre-treatment with subtoxic concentration of cardamonin has significantly enhanced cisplatin cytotoxic activity in four different human cancer cell lines; hela, hepG2, PC3 and HCT116 cancer cell lines. In conclusion, these findings suggest that cardamonin improves therapeutic index of cisplatin and that NOX-1 is

The effects of galangin on a mouse model of vitiligo induced by hydroquinone.

PubMed

Huo, Shi-Xia; Liu, Xin-Ming; Ge, Chun-Hui; Gao, Li; Peng, Xiao-Ming; Zhao, Ping-Ping; Yan, Ming

2014-10-01

Galangin, the main active component of Alpinia officinarum Hance, was tested in a mouse model of vitiligo induced in C57BL/6 mice by the topical application of 2 mL of 2.5% hydroquinone daily to shaved areas (2 × 2 cm) of dorsal skin for 60 days. Thirty days after the final application of hydroquinone, galangin (0.425, and 4.25 mg/kg) was administered orally for 30 days. The hair colour darkened when it grew back after treatment, and histological analysis showed that the number of melanin-containing hair follicles had increased after treatment with all doses of galangin groups and 8-methoxypsoralen (8-MOP, the positive control) compared with the untreated vitiligo group (p < 0.05). The number of skin basal layer melanocytes and melanin-containing epidermal cells had also increased significantly with the application of 4.25 mg/kg of galangin. The concentration of tyrosinase (TYR) in serum was found to have increased, whereas the content of malondialdehyde and the activity of cholinesterase had decreased after treatment with all doses of galangin and 8-MOP, compared with control (p < 0.05). The expression of TYR protein in treated areas of skin also increased with the application of 4.25 mg/kg galangin and 8-MOP. In conclusion, the results showed that galangin was able to improve vitiligo induced by hydroquinone in mice, with the activity related to concentrations of TYR, expression of TYR protein, activity of malondialdehyde and content of cholinesterase. Galangin may therefore be a potential candidate for the treatment of vitiligo, subject to further investigation. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Repellent effect of microencapsulated essential oil in lotion formulation against mosquito bites.

PubMed

Misni, Norashiqin; Nor, Zurainee Mohamed; Ahmad, Rohani

2017-01-01

Many essential oils have been reported as natural sources of insect repellents; however, due to high volatility, they present low repellent effect. Formulation technique by using microencapsulation enables to control the volatility of essential oil and thereby extends the duration of repellency. In this study, the effectiveness of microencapsulated essential oils of Alpinia galanga, Citrus grandis and C. aurantifolia in the lotion formulations were evaluated against mosquito bites. Essential oils and N,N-Diethyl-3-methylbenzamide (DEET) were encapsulated by using interfacial pre- cipitation techniques before incorporation into lotion base to form microencapsulated (ME) formulation. The pure essential oil and DEET were also prepared into lotion base to produce non-encapsulated (NE) formulation. All the prepared formulations were assessed for their repellent activity against Culex quinquefasciatus under laboratory condition. Field evaluations also were conducted in three different study sites in Peninsular Malaysia. In addi- tion, Citriodiol® (Mosiquard®) and citronella-based repellents (KAPS®, MozAway® and BioZ Natural®) were also included for comparison. In laboratory conditions, the ME formulations of the essential oils showed no significant difference with regard to the duration of repellent effect compared to the microencapsulated DEET used at the highest con- centration (20%). It exhibited >98% repellent effect for duration of 4 h (p = 0.06). In the field conditions, these formulations demonstrated comparable repellent effect (100% for a duration of 3 h) to Citriodiol® based repellent (Mosiguard®) (p = 0.07). In both test conditions, the ME formulations of the essential oils presented longer duration of 100% repellent effect (between 1 and 2 h) compared to NE formulations. The findings of the study demonstrate that the application of the microencapsulation technique during the preparation of the formulations significantly increases the duration of the

An Extract of Pomegranate Fruit and Galangal Rhizome Increases the Numbers of Motile Sperm: A Prospective, Randomised, Controlled, Double-Blinded Trial

PubMed Central

Fedder, Maja D. K.; Jakobsen, Henrik B.; Giversen, Ina; Christensen, Lars P.; Parner, Erik T.; Fedder, Jens

2014-01-01

Pomegranate fruit (Punica granatum) and galangal (Alpinia galanga) have separately been shown to stimulate spermatogenesis and to increase sperm counts and motility in rodents. Within traditional medicine, pomegranate fruit has long been used to increase fertility, however studies on the effect on spermatogenesis in humans have never been published. With this study we investigated whether oral intake of tablets containing standardised amounts of extract of pomegranate fruit and powder of greater galangal rhizome (Punalpin) would increase the total number of motile spermatozoa. The study was designed as a prospective, randomized, controlled, double-blinded trial. Enrolment was based on the mean total number of motile spermatozoa of two ejaculates. The participants delivered an ejaculate after 4–8 days of tablet intake and two ejaculates just before they stopped taking the tablets. Seventy adult men with a semen quality not meeting the standards for commercial application at Nordic Cryobank, but without azoospermia, were included in the study. Participants were randomized to take tablets containing extract of pomegranate fruit (standardised with respect to punicalagin A+B, punicalin and ellagic acid) and freeze-dried rhizome of greater galangal (standardised with respect to 1′S-1′-acetoxychavicol acetate) or placebo on a daily basis for three months. Sixty-six participants completed the intervention (active treatment: n = 34; placebo: n = 32). After the intervention the total number of motile spermatozoa was increased in participants treated with plant extracts compared with the placebo group (p = 0.026). After three months of active treatment, the average total number of motile sperm increased by 62% (from 23.4 to 37.8 millions), while for the placebo group, the number of motile sperm increased by 20%. Sperm morphology was not affected by the treatment. Our findings may help subfertile men to gain an improved amount of motile ejaculated sperm by

An extract of pomegranate fruit and galangal rhizome increases the numbers of motile sperm: a prospective, randomised, controlled, double-blinded trial.

PubMed

Fedder, Maja D K; Jakobsen, Henrik B; Giversen, Ina; Christensen, Lars P; Parner, Erik T; Fedder, Jens

2014-01-01

Pomegranate fruit (Punica granatum) and galangal (Alpinia galanga) have separately been shown to stimulate spermatogenesis and to increase sperm counts and motility in rodents. Within traditional medicine, pomegranate fruit has long been used to increase fertility, however studies on the effect on spermatogenesis in humans have never been published. With this study we investigated whether oral intake of tablets containing standardised amounts of extract of pomegranate fruit and powder of greater galangal rhizome (Punalpin) would increase the total number of motile spermatozoa. The study was designed as a prospective, randomized, controlled, double-blinded trial. Enrolment was based on the mean total number of motile spermatozoa of two ejaculates. The participants delivered an ejaculate after 4-8 days of tablet intake and two ejaculates just before they stopped taking the tablets. Seventy adult men with a semen quality not meeting the standards for commercial application at Nordic Cryobank, but without azoospermia, were included in the study. Participants were randomized to take tablets containing extract of pomegranate fruit (standardised with respect to punicalagin A+B, punicalin and ellagic acid) and freeze-dried rhizome of greater galangal (standardised with respect to 1'S-1'-acetoxychavicol acetate) or placebo on a daily basis for three months. Sixty-six participants completed the intervention (active treatment: n = 34; placebo: n = 32). After the intervention the total number of motile spermatozoa was increased in participants treated with plant extracts compared with the placebo group (p = 0.026). After three months of active treatment, the average total number of motile sperm increased by 62% (from 23.4 to 37.8 millions), while for the placebo group, the number of motile sperm increased by 20%. Sperm morphology was not affected by the treatment. Our findings may help subfertile men to gain an improved amount of motile ejaculated sperm by taking tablets

Anti-inflammatory and cytoprotective effects of selected Pakistani medicinal plants in Helicobacter pylori-infected gastric epithelial cells.

PubMed

Zaidi, Syed Faisal; Muhammad, Jibran Sualeh; Shahryar, Saeeda; Usmanghani, Khan; Gilani, Anwarul-Hassan; Jafri, Wasim; Sugiyama, Toshiro

2012-05-07

Helicobacter pylori infection is associated with gastritis, peptic ulcer, and gastric cancer. Due to its high global prevalence and uprising resistance to available antibiotics, efforts are now directed to identify alternative source to treat and prevent associated disorders. In the present study, effect of selected indigenous medicinal plants of Pakistan was evaluated on the secretion of interleukin-8 (IL-8) and generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in a bid to rationalize their medicinal use and to examine the anti-inflammatory and cytoprotective effects in gastric epithelial cells. AGS cells and clinically isolated Helicobacter pylori strain (193C) were employed for co-culture experiments. Anti-Helicobacter pylori activity and cytotoxic effects of the selected plants were determined by serial dilution method and DNA fragmentation assay respectively. ELISA and flow cytometry were performed to evaluate the effect on IL-8 secretion and ROS generation in Helicobacter pylori-infected cells. At 100μg/ml, extracts of Alpinia galangal, Cinnamomum cassia, Cinnamomum tamala, Mentha arvensis, Myrtus communis, Oligochaeta ramose, Polygonum bistorta, Rosa damascena, Ruta graveolens, Syzygium aromaticum, Tamarix dioica, and Terminalia chebula exhibited strong inhibitory activity against IL-8 secretion. Of these, four extracts of Cinnamomum cassia, Myrtus communis, Syzygium aromaticum, and Terminalia chebula markedly inhibited IL-8 secretion at both 50 and 100μg/ml. Cinnamomum cassia was further assessed at different concentrations against Helicobacter pylori and TNF-α stimulated IL-8 secretion, which displayed significant suppression of IL-8 in a concentration-dependent-manner. Among the plants examined against ROS generation, Achillea millefolium, Berberis aristata, Coriandrum sativum, Foeniculum vulgare, Matricaria chamomilla and Prunus domestica demonstrated significant suppression of ROS from Helicobacter pylori-infected cells (p<0.01). Results of the study

Large Scale Screening of Ethnomedicinal Plants for Identification of Potential Antibacterial Compounds.

PubMed

Panda, Sujogya Kumar; Mohanta, Yugal Kishore; Padhi, Laxmipriya; Park, Young-Hwan; Mohanta, Tapan Kumar; Bae, Hanhong

2016-03-14

The global burden of bacterial infections is very high and has been exacerbated by increasing resistance to multiple antibiotics. Antibiotic resistance leads to failed treatment of infections, which can ultimately lead to death. To overcome antibiotic resistance, it is necessary to identify new antibacterial agents. In this study, a total of 662 plant extracts (diverse parts) from 222 plant species (82 families, 177 genera) were screened for antibacterial activity using the agar cup plate method. The aqueous and methanolic extracts were prepared from diverse plant parts and screened against eight bacterial (two Gram-positive and six Gram-negative) species, most of which are involved in common infections with multiple antibiotic resistance. The methanolic extracts of several plants were shown to have zones of inhibition ≥ 12 mm against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The minimum inhibitory concentration was calculated only with methanolic extracts of selected plants, those showed zone of inhibition ≥ 12 mm against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Several extracts had minimum inhibitory concentration ≤ 1 mg/mL. Specifically Adhatoda vasica, Ageratum conyzoides, Alangium salvifolium, Alpinia galanga, Andrographis paniculata, Anogeissus latifolia, Annona squamosa, A. reticulate, Azadirachta indica, Buchanania lanzan, Cassia fistula, Celastrus paniculatus, Centella asiatica, Clausena excavate, Cleome viscosa, Cleistanthus collinus, Clerodendrum indicum, Croton roxburghii, Diospyros melanoxylon, Eleutherine bulbosa, Erycibe paniculata, Eryngium foetidum, Garcinia cowa, Helicteres isora, Hemidesmus indicus, Holarrhena antidysenterica, Lannea coromandelica, Millettia extensa, Mimusops elengi, Nyctanthes arbor-tristis, Oroxylum indicum, Paederia foetida, Pterospermum acerifolium, Punica granatum, Semecarpus anacardium, Spondias pinnata, Terminalia alata and Vitex negundo were shown to have significant antimicrobial activity. The species

Ethnobotanical survey of herbal tea plants from the traditional markets in Chaoshan, China.

PubMed

Li, Dong-Lin; Zheng, Xi-Long; Duan, Lei; Deng, Shuang-Wen; Ye, Wen; Wang, Ai-Hua; Xing, Fu-Wu

2017-06-09

Herbal tea, which refers to "cooling tea", "cool beverage", or "liáng chá" in China, includes a range of drinks with heat-clearing and detoxification qualities. Herbal tea plants are great contributive to the health and prosperity of Chaoshan people. The aim of the study was to document herbal tea plant species used and commercialized as "liáng chá" in Chaoshan area, to facilitate the use and development of herbal tea enterprises, and to promote the further development of national herbal tea. Information and data were obtained from all 83 stall holders in 12 traditional markets, semi-structured informant interviews were carried out individually with the stall holders, 10 questions were asked. In this study, 186 species of herbal tea plants belonging to 65 families and 156 genera were indicated by 83 stall holders, with Asteraceae being the most prevalent family with 22 species. Herbs are main sources of herbal tea plants in Chaoshan area, with whole plants (97 species) being the most used parts. Herbal drinks are mostly consumed for heat-clearing and detoxification, and a large number of plant species were reported to treat coughs, colds, dysentery, dampness and sore throats. The most cited species were Hedyotis corymbosa (L.) Lam. (47 times mentioned), Hedyotis diffusa Willd. (46), Plantago asiatica L. (43), Houttuynia cordata Thunb (42), Centella asiatica (L.) Urban (36), Desmodium styracifolium (Osbeck) Merr. (35) and Morus alba L. (31), and 5 protected species were recorded in the list of the nationally protected species of China: Dendrobium officinale Kimura et Migo, Dendrobium nobile Lindl., Anoectochilus formosanus Hayata, Bulbophyllum odoratissimum (J. E. Smith) Lindl. and Pholidota chinensis Lindl. The selling price of most fresh herbal tea plants in the market varied from￥10-16/kg, with the profit margin of sales ranging from 12.5% to 20%. The consumption of herbal tea for one family costs about ￥3-5/day. Chaoshan herbal teas, prepared by diverse

Unexpected presence of Fagus orientalis complex in Italy as inferred from 45,000-year-old DNA pollen samples from Venice lagoon

PubMed Central

Paffetti, Donatella; Vettori, Cristina; Caramelli, David; Vernesi, Cristiano; Lari, Martina; Paganelli, Arturo; Paule, Ladislav; Giannini, Raffaello

2007-01-01

Background Phylogeographic analyses on the Western Euroasiatic Fagus taxa (F. orientalis, F. sylvatica, F. taurica and F. moesiaca) is available, however, the subdivision of Fagus spp. is unresolved and there is no consensus on the phylogeny and on the identification (both with morphological than molecular markers) of Fagus Eurasiatic taxa. For the first time molecular analyses of ancient pollen, dated at least 45,000 years ago, were used in combination with the phylogeny analysis on current species, to identify the Fagus spp. present during the Last Interglacial period in Italy. In this work we aim at testing if the trnL-trnF chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) region, that has been previously proved efficient in discriminating different Quercus taxa, can be employed in distinguishing the Fagus species and in identifying the ancient pollen. Results 86 populations from 4 Western Euroasistic taxa were sampled, and sequenced for the trnL-trnF region to verify the efficiency of this cpDNA region in identifying the Fagus spp.. Furthermore, Fagus crenata (2 populations), Fagus grandifolia (2 populations), Fagus japonica, Fagus hayatae, Quercus species and Castanea species were analysed to better resolve the phylogenetic inference. Our results show that this cpDNA region harbour some informative sites that allow to infer relationships among the species within the Fagaceae family. In particular, few specific and fixed mutations were able to discriminate and identify all the different Fagus species. Considering a short fragment of 176 base pairs within the trnL intron, 2 transversions were found able in distinguishing the F. orientalis complex taxa (F. orientalis, F. taurica and F. moesiaca) from the remaining Fagus spp. (F. sylvatica, F. japonica, F. hayataea, F. crenata and F. grandifolia). This permits to analyse this fragment also in ancient samples, where DNA is usually highly degraded. The sequences data indicate that the DNA recovered from ancient pollen belongs to the F

Recombinant human alpha fetoprotein synergistically potentiates the anti-cancer effects of 1'-S-1'-acetoxychavicol acetate when used as a complex against human tumours harbouring AFP-receptors.

PubMed

Arshad, Norhafiza M; In, Lionel L A; Soh, Tchen Lin; Azmi, Mohamad Nurul; Ibrahim, Halijah; Awang, Khalijah; Dudich, Elena; Tatulov, Eduard; Nagoor, Noor Hasima

2015-06-30

Previous in vitro and in vivo studies have reported that 1'-S-1'-acetoxychavicol acetate (ACA) isolated from rhizomes of the Malaysian ethno-medicinal plant Alpinia conchigera Griff (Zingiberaceae) induces apoptosis-mediated cell death in tumour cells via dysregulation of the NF-κB pathway. However there were some clinical development drawbacks such as poor in vivo solubility, depreciation of biological activity upon exposure to an aqueous environment and non-specific targeting of tumour cells. In the present study, all the problems above were addressed using the novel drug complex formulation involving recombinant human alpha fetoprotein (rhAFP) and ACA. To study the synergistic effect of both agents on human cancer xenografts, athymic nude (Nu/Nu) mice were used and treated with various combination regimes intraperitoneally. Serum levels of tumour markers for carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and prostate specific antigen (PSA) were assessed using sandwich ELISA. IHC and Western blotting were also conducted on in vivo tumour biopsies to investigate the involvement of NF-κB regulated genes and inflammatory biomarkers. Quantification and correlation between drug efficacies and AFP-receptors were done using IF-IC and Pearson's correlation analysis. Mice exposed to combined treatments displayed higher reductions in tumour volume compared to stand alone agents, consistent with in vitro cytotoxicity assays. Milder signs of systemic toxicity, such as loss in body weight and inflammation of vital organs were also demonstrated compared to stand alone treatments. Tumour marker levels were consistent within all rhAFP/ACA treatment groups where levels of CEA and PSA were initially elevated upon commencement of treatment, and consecutively reduced corresponding to a decrease in tumour bulk volume. Both IHC and Western blotting results indicated that the combined action of rhAFP/ACA was not only able to down-regulate NF-κB activation, but also reduce the expression of NF

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

El-Naga, Reem N., E-mail: reemelnaga@hotmail.com

Cisplatin is an effective anti-cancer drug; however, its clinical use is usually associated with nephrotoxicity as a dose-limiting side effect. Several molecular mechanisms have been found to be involved in this nephrotoxicity such as oxidative stress, inflammation and apoptosis. The aim of this study was to explore the potential nephroprotective effect of cardamonin, a flavone found in Alpinia plant, in a rat model of cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity. The possible mechanisms underlying this nephroprotective effect were investigated. Cardamonin was given at two different doses; 10 and 30 mg/kg orally for two weeks, starting one week before giving a single nephrotoxic dose ofmore » cisplatin (7 mg/kg). Acute nephrtoxicity was evident by significantly increased blood urea nitrogen and serum creatinine levels. Also, cisplatin increased lipid peroxidation and depleted reduced glutathione level and superoxide dismutase. Additionally, cisplatin showed a marked pro-inflammatory response as evidenced by significant increase in tissue levels of IL-1β, TNF-α, NF-kB, iNOS, ICAM-1 and MCP-1. Pre-treatment with cardamonin significantly attenuated the nephrotoxic effects, oxidative stress and inflammation induced by cisplatin, in a dose-dependent manner. Also, cardamonin decreased caspase-3 expression and Bax/Bcl-2 ratio as compared to cisplatin group. Besides, cradamonin reversed cisplatin-induced decrease in EGF. Furthermore, up-regulation of NOX-1 was found to be involved in cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity and its expression was significantly reduced by cardamonin. Histopathological examination further confirmed the nephroprotective effect of cardamonin. Moreover, pre-treatment with subtoxic concentration of cardamonin has significantly enhanced cisplatin cytotoxic activity in four different human cancer cell lines; hela, hepG2, PC3 and HCT116 cancer cell lines. In conclusion, these findings suggest that cardamonin improves therapeutic index of cisplatin and that NOX-1

Suppression of microRNA-629 enhances sensitivity of cervical cancer cells to 1'S-1'-acetoxychavicol acetate via regulating RSU1.

PubMed

Phuah, Neoh Hun; Azmi, Mohamad Nurul; Awang, Khalijah; Nagoor, Noor Hasima

2017-01-01

Cervical cancer is the fourth most frequent malignancy affecting women worldwide, but drug resistance and toxicities remain a major challenge in chemotherapy. The use of natural compounds is promising because they are less toxic and able to target multiple signaling pathways. The 1'S-1'-acetoxychavicol acetate (ACA), a natural compound isolated from wild ginger Alpinia conchigera , induced cytotoxicity on various cancer cells including cervical cancer. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short noncoding RNAs that regulate numerous biological processes, such as apoptosis and chemosensitivity. Past studies reported that miR-629 is upregulated in many cancers, and its expression was altered in ACA-treated cervical cancer cells. However, the role of miR-629 in regulating sensitivity toward ACA or other anticancer agents has not been reported. Hence, this study aims to investigate the role of miR-629 in regulating response toward ACA on cervical cancer cells. The miR-629 expression following transfection with miR-629 hairpin inhibitor and hairpin inhibitor negative control was measured using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). The 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay was used to investigate sensitivity toward ACA. Apoptosis was detected using Annexin V/propidium iodide and Caspase 3/7 assays. The gene target for miR-629 was identified using miRNA target prediction programs, luciferase reporter assay and Western blots. Gene overexpression studies were performed to evaluate its role in regulating response toward ACA. Transfection with miR-629 hairpin inhibitor downregulated its expression in both cervical cancer cell lines. Suppression of miR-629 increased sensitivity toward ACA by reducing cell proliferation and inducing apoptosis. Luciferase reporter assay confirmed RSU1 as a direct target of miR-629. Overexpression of miR-629 decreased RSU1 protein expression, while inhibition of miR-629 increased RSU1 protein expression

Recombinant human alpha fetoprotein synergistically potentiates the anti-cancer effects of 1′-S-1′-acetoxychavicol acetate when used as a complex against human tumours harbouring AFP-receptors

PubMed Central

Arshad, Norhafiza M.; In, Lionel L.A.; Soh, Tchen Lin; Azmi, Mohamad Nurul; Ibrahim, Halijah; Awang, Khalijah; Dudich, Elena; Tatulov, Eduard; Nagoor, Noor Hasima

2015-01-01

Purpose Previous in vitro and in vivo studies have reported that 1′-S-1′-acetoxychavicol acetate (ACA) isolated from rhizomes of the Malaysian ethno-medicinal plant Alpinia conchigera Griff (Zingiberaceae) induces apoptosis-mediated cell death in tumour cells via dysregulation of the NF-κB pathway. However there were some clinical development drawbacks such as poor in vivo solubility, depreciation of biological activity upon exposure to an aqueous environment and non-specific targeting of tumour cells. In the present study, all the problems above were addressed using the novel drug complex formulation involving recombinant human alpha fetoprotein (rhAFP) and ACA. Experimental Design To study the synergistic effect of both agents on human cancer xenografts, athymic nude (Nu/Nu) mice were used and treated with various combination regimes intraperitoneally. Serum levels of tumour markers for carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and prostate specific antigen (PSA) were assessed using sandwich ELISA. IHC and Western blotting were also conducted on in vivo tumour biopsies to investigate the involvement of NF-κB regulated genes and inflammatory biomarkers. Quantification and correlation between drug efficacies and AFP-receptors were done using IF-IC and Pearson's correlation analysis. Results Mice exposed to combined treatments displayed higher reductions in tumour volume compared to stand alone agents, consistent with in vitro cytotoxicity assays. Milder signs of systemic toxicity, such as loss in body weight and inflammation of vital organs were also demonstrated compared to stand alone treatments. Tumour marker levels were consistent within all rhAFP/ACA treatment groups where levels of CEA and PSA were initially elevated upon commencement of treatment, and consecutively reduced corresponding to a decrease in tumour bulk volume. Both IHC and Western blotting results indicated that the combined action of rhAFP/ACA was not only able to down-regulate NF-κB activation

Culture-Bound Syndromes of a Brazilian Amazon Riverine population: Tentative correspondence between traditional and conventional medicine terms and possible ethnopharmacological implications.

PubMed

Pagani, E; Santos, J de F L; Rodrigues, E

2017-05-05

hypothetical correlations between CBS as described by the riverine population studied and some "etic" terms. The main importance of this is to help the proposition of target-oriented pharmacological studies of the natural resources used by these communities. Accordingly, the following plants are suggested to be submitted to further studies for antidepressant and anxiolytic activities: Siparuna guianensis, Mansoa alliacea, Leucas martinicensis, Petiveria alliacea, Annona montana and Alpinia nutans; for anti-seizure activity: Protium amazonicum, Protium aracouchini and Protium heptaphyllum; finally for antispasmodic activity: Leucas martinicensis. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Radiation leukaemogenesis at low doses DE-FG02-05 ER 63947 Final Technical Report 15 May 2005; 14 May 2010

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bouffler, Simon

2010-07-28

This report provides a complete summary of the work undertaken and results obtained under US Department of Energy grant DF-FG02-05 ER 63947, Radiation leukaemogenesis at low doses. There is ample epidemiological evidence indicating that ionizing radiation is carcinogenic in the higher dose range. This evidence, however, weakens and carries increasing uncertainties at doses below 100-200 mSv. At these low dose levels the form of the dose-response curve for radiation-induced cancer cannot be determined reliably or directly from studies of human populations. Therefore animal, cellular and other experimental systems must be employed to provide supporting evidence on which to base judgementsmore » of risk at low doses. Currently in radiological protection a linear non-threshold (LNT) extrapolation of risk estimates derived from human epidemiological studies is used to estimate risks in the dose range of interest for protection purposes. Myeloid leukaemias feature prominently among the cancers associated with human exposures to ionising radiation (eg UNSCEAR 2006; IARC 2000). Good animal models of radiation-induced acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) are available including strains such as CBA, RFM and SJL (eg Major and Mole 1978; Ullrich et al 1976; Resnitzky et al 1985). Early mechanistic studies using cytogenetic methods in these mouse models established that the majority of radiation-induced AMLs carried substantial interstitial deletions in one copy of chromosome (chr) 2 (eg Hayata et al 1983; Trakhtenbrot et al 1988; Breckon et al 1991; Rithidech et al 1993; Bouffler et al 1996). Chr2 aberrations are known to occur in bone marrow cells as early as 24 hours after in vivo irradiation (Bouffler et al 1997). Subsequent molecular mapping studies defined a distinct region of chr2 that is commonly lost in AMLs (Clark et al 1996; Silver et al 1999). Further, more detailed, analysis identified point mutations at a specific region of the Sfpi1/PU.1 haemopoietic transcription

TEMEL ETİK KURAMLAR AÇISINDAN ADALET ve SAĞLIK HAKKI KAVRAMLARININ DEĞERLENDİRMESİ1,2

PubMed Central

Ekmekçi, Perihan Elif; Arda, Berna

2015-01-01

Sağlık hakkı temel bir insan hakkıdır. Ancak günümüzde sağlık hakkının hayata geçmesi, sağlık sunumunda gereksinim duyulan kaynakların kısıtlı olması nedeniyle engeller ile karşılaşmaktadır. Ayrıca tıp alanındaki hızlı teknolojik ilerlemeler, tanı ve tedavi imkânlarının her geçen gün gelişmesine yol açmaktadır. Bu durum, sağlık hizmetlerinin sunumunu dağıtıcı adaletin bir süjesi haline getirmektedir. Adalet kavramının tanımlanabilmesi için öncelikle, birey ya da toplulukların bir şeye ilişkin hak talebinde bulunmalarının koşullarını tanımlanmalı daha sonra hak edilenin kim tarafından ve nasıl verileceğinin belirlenmelidir. Etik kuramlar, etik açıdan doğru eyleyebilmek için hangi dayanak noktalarından yola çıkarak hangi değerleri önceleyerek karar vermek gerektiği konusunda kendi paradigmalarını oluşturmuşlardır. Adalet ve sağlık hakkı gibi temel kavramlar, temel etik kuramlar tarafından, o kuramın bağlamı içinde değerlendirilmekte ve anlam kazanmaktadır. Sağlık hakkı bazı etik kuramlar tarafından insan varlığının doğal bir bileşeni olarak tanımlanırken, bazı etik kuramlar tarafından bağlamsal olarak kabul edilmekte bazıları tarafından ise reddedilmekte, adalet kavramı ve bağlantılı olarak adaletin materyal ve formal ilkeleri gibi kavramların içerikleri ve taşıdıkları değerler içinden bakılan etik kuramın paradigmasına bağlı olarak farklıklar içermektedir. Etik kuramların paradigmaları sadece kavramların tanımlanmasında değil, aynı zamanda pratik uygulamalarda da farklı yaklaşımları gerektirmektedir. Bu çalışmada, erdem etiği, faydacı etik kuram, ödev etiği, liberal etik kuram ve kommuniteryan etik kuramın adalet ve sağlık hakkını nasıl kavramsallaştırdıklarını ortaya konmaktır. Bu amaçla öncelikle her bir etik kuramın genel çerçevesi tanımlanmış ve bu çerçevenin çizdiği teorik paradigma i