内蒙古产柽柳和多枝柽柳α-葡萄糖苷酶抑制活性

首次利用体外α-葡萄糖苷酶抑制模型以96微孔板法,对内蒙古产2种柽柳属植物不同溶剂提取物进行活性评价,并与阳性对照Acarbose比较,发现6种提取物均有较好的α-葡萄糖苷酶抑制作用,远远强于阳性对照Acarbose(IC50=1103.01μg·mL-1)的抑制活性。结果显示,同一植物不同溶剂提取物相比较,两者石油醚提取物α-葡萄糖苷酶抑制活性不及乙酸乙酯和正丁醇提取物;不同植物同一溶剂的提取物抑制活性也不同,6种提取物中,多枝柽柳的正丁醇和柽柳的乙酸乙酯提取物抑制活性最高(IC50=13.36和17.35μg·mL-1)。所有提取物对α-葡萄糖苷酶活性的抑制效果均很好,且多枝柽柳抑制活性整体上较柽柳好,具有良好的潜在开发价值。     

六种藜科植物提取物对植物病原菌的抑制活性

研究了角果藜（ Ceratocarpus arenarius）、盐穗木（ Halostachys caspica）、里海盐爪爪（ Kalidium caspicum） 、叉毛蓬（ Petrosimonia sibirica ）、盐角草（ Salicornia europaea ）和小叶碱蓬 （ Suaeda microphylla ）等六种新疆藜科植物提取物及其不同极性萃取部分对根癌土壤杆菌（Agrobacterium tumefaciens ）、黄瓜角斑病菌（P Pseudomonas lachrymarts）、番茄疮痂病菌（ Xanthomonas vesicatoria ） 等植物病原细菌以及杨树溃疡病菌（ Botryosphaeria dothidea ）、棉花枯萎病菌（Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. vasinfectum ）、稻纹枯病菌（Rhizoctonia solani）等病原真菌的抑制活性。结果显示角果藜、叉毛蓬和盐角草乙醇粗提物表现出一定抗细菌活性,其中以叉毛蓬和盐角草提取物对黄瓜角斑病菌的抑制活性最强。多数植物提取物及其不同极性萃取部分对杨树溃疡病菌表现出强的抑制活性。抗真菌活性成分主要存在于供试植物的石油醚、氯仿和正丁醇萃取部分中,提示活性成分为极性中等的化合物。角果藜和盐角草乙醇粗提物及其不同极性萃取部分对供试真菌有较好的抑制活性。     

Analysis of Diverse Plant Species using Mass Spectrometric Cleaved Amplified Polymorphic Sequences (MS-CAPS) and Improvement of PCR Efficiency by Addition of Cysteine

The applicability of mass spectrometric cleaved amplified polymorphic sequences (MS-CAPS) was evaluated in several plant species. This method consists of genomic DNA extraction from plant tissues, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of a specific genetic region, enzymatic digestion of amplicons, and followed by rapid analysis of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). Crude extracts obtained by homogenizing plant tissues in water were used as templates for short PCR amplifications for MS-CAPS analysis. For most plant species tested, these crude extracts could be used directly as templates for PCR. However, extracts from lettuce leaves and stems showed enzymatic browning as a result of polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity, and were not suitable PCR templates. The addition of cysteine to the homogenizing solution inhibited enzymatic browning and did not affect the other MS-CAPS procedures, including PCR amplification, uracil-DNA glycosylase treatments, or MALDI-TOF MS analysis. Thus, this method inhibits PPO in crude extracts, allowing them to be used directly for MS-CAPS analysis.     

Biological screening of Brazilian medicinal plants

In this study, we screened sixty medicinal plant species from the Brazilian savanna ("cerrado") that could contain useful compounds for the control of tropical diseases. The plant selection was based on existing ethnobotanic information and interviews with local healers. Plant extracts were screened for: (a) molluscicidal activity against Biomphalaria glabrata, (b) toxicity to brine shrimp (Artemia salina L.), (c) antifungal activity in the bioautographic assay with Cladosporium sphaerospermum and (d) antibacterial activity in the agar diffusion assay against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Bacillus cereus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Forty-two species afforded extracts that showed some degree of activity in one or more of these bioassays.     

Inhibitory Effects of Some Spice and Herb Extracts Against Arcobacter butzleri, A. cryaerophilus, and A. skirrowii

Seventeen spice and medicinal plant extracts (methanol and chloroform) were assayed for their antimicrobial activity against Arcobacter butzleri, A. cryaerophilus, and A. skirrowii. In general, all of the tested extracts were able, to a different extent, to inhibit the growth of the selected Arcobacter species. Cinnamon, bearberry, chamomile, sage and rosemary extracts showed strong antimicrobial activity toward arcobacter strains tested. Overall, the methanol extracts showed better activity than the chloroform extracts (P < 0.05); however, enhanced antibacterial activity of chloroform extracts of cinnamon and rosemary has been observed in comparison with their methanol counterparts. The inhibitory dose of the most active extracts (the diameter of zone of inhibition ≥ 20 mm) was determined using the disc-diffusion method as well.     

Cytotoxic and antiviral activities of Colombian medicinal plant extracts of the Euphorbia genus

Forty-seven plant extracts of 10 species of the genus Euphorbia (Euphorbiaceae) used by Colombian traditional healers for the treatment of ulcers, cancers, tumors, warts, and other diseases, were tested in vitro for their potential antitumour (antiproliferative and cytotoxic) and antiherpetic activity. To evaluate the capacity of the extracts to inhibit the lytic activity of herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) and the reduction of viability of infected or uninfected cell cultures, the end-point titration technique (EPTT) and the MTT [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide] colorimetric assay were used, respectively. The therapeutic index of the positive extracts for the antiviral activity was determined by calculating the ratio CC50 (50% cytotoxic concentration) over IC50 (50% inhibitory concentration of the viral effect). Five of the 47 extracts (11%) representing 3 out of 10 Euphorbia species (30%) exhibited antiherpetic action; the highest activity was found in the leaf/stem water-methanol extracts from E. cotinifolia and E. tirucalli. The therapeutic indexes of these two plant species were > 7.1; these extracts exhibited no cytotoxicity. Six extracts (13%) representing 4 plant species (40%) showed cytotoxic activity. The highest cytotoxicity was found in the dichloromethane extract obtained from E. cotinifolia leaves and the CC50 values for the most susceptible cell lines, HEp-2 and CHO, were 35.1 and 18.1 microgram/ml, respectively.     

Antibacterial properties of tropical plants from Puerto Rico

In an effort to document the antibacterial properties of plants commonly used by the people of Puerto Rico, we studied the effects of 172 plant species, utilizing the disc diffusion method, against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. The methanolic extracts of 14 species showed antibacterial activities during this preliminary screen. These positive plant extracts were tested successively over 15 additional species. The results showed that extracts from Citrus aurantifolia (Rutaceae), Citrus aurantium (Rutaceae), Punica granatum (Punicaceae), Phyllanthus acidus (Euphorbiaceae) and Tamarindus indica (Caesalpiniaceae) possess strong in vitro antibacterial activity against the bacteria tested.     

Endogenous lectins of bovine pancreas

Affinity chromatography of salt and detergent extracts from bovine pancreas on glycosylated or glycoprotein-linked Sepharose 4B resulted in purification of different carbohydrate-binding proteins. Three species of proteins with molecular masses of 16 kDa, 35 kDa and 64 kDa exhibiting specificity for beta-galactosides, but none with preferential specificity for alpha-galactosides, were isolated from salt and detergent extracts. No Ca2+ was required for binding. Mannan-binding proteins of 37 kDa, 47 kDa and 94 kDa without Ca2+-requirement were only found in the salt extract. No other mannan-binding activity could be detected. Fucose-binding proteins of 34 kDa, 62 kDa and 70 kDa exhibiting Ca2+-requirement for binding were present in the salt extract and two proteins with 62 kDa and 70 kDa in detergent extract. The different fractions showed agglutination activity when assayed with rabbit erythrocytes. Thus they can be defined as lectins.     

Anti-fungal properties of 43 plant species against Alternaria solani and Botrytis cinerea

Investigation of plants containing natural anti-microbial metabolites for plant protection has been identified as a desirable method of disease control. Crude methanolic extracts of 43 plant species belonging to 27 families, which most of them are medicinal plants, mostly collected from the west of Iran were screened for anti-fungal activity against two economically important phytopathogenic fungi, Alternaria solani and Botrytis cinerea during 2010–2012. Bioassay of the extracts was conducted by agar diffusion method on agar plate cultures with five replications. Among all the 43 plant methanolic extracts, mycelia growth of A. solani and B. cinerea was reduced by 28 (65%) and 30 (70%) plant extracts when compared to the control, respectively. The strongest extracts with more than 50% inhibition against A. solani were Elaeagnus angustifolia, Dodonaea viscosa, Haplophyllum perforatum and inflorescence of Allium hirtifolium, respectively. Leaves of A. hirtifolium, H. perforatum, inflorescence of A. hirtifolium and D. viscosa showed highest inhibitory effect (≥50%) against B. cinerea. Moreover, complete inhibition of leaves of A. hirtifolium against B. cinerea was due to their fungistatic activity. The results of this experiment and high number of plants with anti-fungal activity showed that the flora in the west of Iran could be regarded as a rich source of plants with anti-fungal activity. Therefore, further screening of other plant species, identifying active fractions or metabolites and in vivo application of active extracts are warranted.     

Antibacterial activity of plant extracts on phytopathogenic Xanthomonas campestris pathovars

Aqueous extracts from leaves of 30 higher plants, collected from different localities, were screened in vitro for antibacterial activity against different pathovars of the phytopathogenic bacterium, Xanthomonas campestris. Eight plant species showed antibacterial activity, based on the zone of inhibition in a diffusion assay. Significant antibacterial activity was observed in the aqueous extracts of Prosopis juliflora , Oxalis corniculata and Lawsonia inermis. The susceptibility of different pathovars of X. campestris to these plant extracts varied. The antibacterial activity of extracts of a few plants was comparable with that of the synthetic antibiotics, bacterimycin and streptocycline. The study indicates the potential of these plant extracts in the management of diseases caused by X. campestris in several important crop plants.     

Fungitoxic properties of selected South African plant species against plant pathogens of economic importance in agriculture

Thirty‐nine plant species, representing 20 families from the subclasses Rosidae, Asteridae, Commelinidae and Liliidae, were collected from the Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve, Mpumalanga, South Africa. Crude extracts were prepared and bioassayed, at equal concentrations, for their antifungal potential by determining the inhibitory effects on the mycelial growth of seven economically important plant pathogenic fungi. Statistically significant differences between plants and plant parts were observed as well as the resistance of different fungi to treatment with different plant extracts. The most significant mycelial growth inhibition was obtained with extracts from two species of the subclass Liliidae, namely Aristea ecklonii and Agapanthus inapertus. The crude extract of A. ecklonii performed best of all extracts as it totally inhibited the mycelial growth of all seven of the plant pathogenic test organisms and outperformed the inhibition by a broad spectrum synthetic fungicide (carbendazim/difenoconazole). Crude extracts of A. inapertus showed complete inhibition of four and strong inhibition of the remaining three plant pathogenic fungi. Although not as efficient as the previous two species, the extract of Anisopappus junodii, from the subclass Asteridae, also showed promising antifungal activity by completely inhibiting mycelial radial growth of two and strongly inhibiting that of the remaining five fungi.     

Rapid TLC/GC-MS identification of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors in alkaloid extracts

Alkaloid extracts from 12 plant species of the families Amaryllidaceae, Fumariacae and Papaveraceae were studied with respect to their acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity and alkaloid patterns. Fifty-three alkaloids were identified by GC-MS, including known acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors such as galanthamine, epigalanthamine, sanguinine and epinorgalanthamine in extracts of Amaryllidaceae plants and protopine in extracts of Fumariaceae and Papaveraceae plants. The galanthamine-containing extracts of the amaryllidaceous plants were found to be the most active while the extract of Corydalis bulbosa was the most active among the extracts of the tested plants from the Fumariaceae and Papaveraceae plants. TLC bioautographic assay, preparative TLC and GC-MS analysis were combined to identify the active compounds in the studied extracts. Galanthamine was isolated from the known AChE inhibitors in the extracts of Amaryllidaceae plants. Corydaline, bulbocapnine and stylopine were found to be active in the extracts of plant species of the families Fumariaceae and Papaveraceae. Available standards of deshydrocorydaline--a precursor of corydaline, corydaline and stylopine--were tested for AChE inhibitory activity. Deshydrocorydaline and corydaline showed potent inhibitory activity comparable with that of the positive control galanthamine.     

Antimicrobial activity of some Hypericum species

The crude methanolic extracts of six species of Hypericum [H. caprifoliatum Cham. & Schlecht., H. carinatum Griseb., H. connatum Lam., H. ternum A. St. Hil., H. myrianthum Cham. & Schlecht. and H. polyanthemum Klotzsch ex Reichardt] growing in southern Brazil were analyzed for antimicrobial activity against several microorganisms (bacteria and fungi). The most active plant was H. caprifoliatum, which showed activity against Staphylococcus aureus. Only H. polyanthemum and H. ternum extracts were active against Bacillus subtilis. None of the crude methanolic extracts showed activity against S. epidermidis, Escherichia coli or Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Extracts from these species were evaluated chemically and tannin, flavonoid and phenolic acids were the prominent compounds. The plants contained quercitrin, hyperoside (except H. connatum) and, less frequently, isoquercitrin and chlorogenic acid. In contrast to H. perforatum, which has high concentrations of rutin, these species do not produce this flavonoid or it appears as traces. The tannin concentration varied between 5.1 and 16.7% in H. myrianthum and H. ternum, respectively.     

Plant and algal interference in bacterial beta-D-galactosidase and beta-D-glucuronidase assays.

Several commonly occurring freshwater and marine plants and algae were screened for beta-D-galactosidase and beta-D-glucuronidase activities by using a 60-min enzyme assay based on the hydrolysis by these enzymes of 4-methylumbelliferyl-beta-D-galactoside and 4-methylumbelliferyl- beta-glucuronide, respectively. All freshwater plant extracts tested showed beta-D-galactosidase activity several at relatively high levels, and a number also showed beta-D-glucuronidase activity. A number of the macroalgae showed no activity of either enzyme, but those showing beta-D-galactosidase activity also showed beta-D-glucuronidase activity. The majority of microalgae showed some beta-D-galactosidase activity, but few showed beta-D-glucuronidase activity. Further studies, using the commercial Colilert test and the marine water formulation of Colilert, revealed that 2 of 11 of the microalgal species and several of the plant extracts tested caused positive reactions. It was concluded that several plant extracts and algae could significantly interfere with the detection of coliform bacteria and Escherichia coli with the use of rapid assays, on the basis of their production of beta-D-galactosidase and beta-D-glucuronidase, respectively. The significance of the plant and algal interferences in tests such as Colilert is dependent on the levels of enzymes released under natural conditions, the dilution which they may undergo, and the numbers of algal cells present. This also applies to interferences in rapid enzyme assays.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Plant Sources of Chinese Herbal Remedies: Effects on Pratylenchus vulnus and Meloidogyne javanica

More than 500 plant species, used alone or in combination, are documented in Chinese traditional medicine to have activity against helminth and micro-invertebrate pests of humans. We subjected 153 candidate medicines or their plant sources to multilevel screening for effectiveness against plant-parasitic nematodes. For extracts effective in preliminary screens, we determined time-course and concentration-response relationships. Seventy-three of the aqueous extracts of medicines or their plant sources killed either Meloidogyne javanica juveniles or Pratylenchus vulnus (mixed stages), or both, within a 24-hour exposure period. Of 64 remedies reported as antihelminthics, 36 were effective; of 21 classi- fied as purgatives, 13 killed the nematodes; of 29 indicated as generally effective against pests, 13 killed the nematodes. Sources of extracts effective against one or both species of plant-parasitic nematodes are either the whole plant or vegetative, storage or reproductive components of the plants. Effective plants include both annuals and perennials, range from grasses and herbs to woody trees, and represent 46 plant families.     

Screening of Indian plants for biological activity: Part XIV

Alcoholic extracts of 300 botanically identified plant materials from 275 plant species have been tested for various biological activities including chemotherapeutic and pharmacological screenings. Biological activities have been observed in 111 extracts. Follow-up studies have been carried out in some plants with confirmed activity. The active principles and results of these studies are reported.     

Antibacterial potential and synergistic interaction between natural polyphenolic extracts and synthetic antibiotic on clinical isolates

Emergence of antimicrobial resistance complicates treatment of infections by antibiotics. This has driven research on novel and combination antibacterial therapies. The present study evaluated synergistic antimicrobial activity of plant extracts and cefixime in resistant clinical isolates. Preliminary susceptibility profiling of antibiotics and antibacterial activity of extracts was done by disc diffusion and microbroth dilution assays. Checker-board, time-kill kinetics and protein content studies were performed to validate synergistic antibacterial activity. Results showed noteworthy quantities of gallic acid (0.24–19.7 µg/mg), quercetin (1.57–18.44 µg/mg) and cinnamic acid (0.02–5.93 µg/mg) in extracts of plants assessed by reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC). Gram-positive (4/6) and Gram-negative (13/16) clinical isolates were intermediately susceptible or resistant to cefixime, which was used for synergistic studies. EA and M extracts of plants exhibited total synergy, partial synergy and indifferent characteristics whereas aqueous extracts did not show synergistic patterns. Time-kill kinetic studies showed that synergism was both time and concentration-dependent (2–8-fold decrease in concentration). Bacterial isolates treated with combinations at fractional inhibitory concentration index (FICI) showed significantly reduced bacterial growth, as well as protein content (5–62 %) as compared to extracts/cefixime alone treated isolates. This study acknowledges the selected crude extracts as adjuvants to antibiotics to treat resistant bacterial infections.     

Evaluation of the biological activity of crude extracts from plants used in Yucatecan traditional medicine. Part II. DNA-interacting activity.

Extracts from leaves, stems, and roots of twelve plants used commonly in Yucatecan traditional medicine were evaluated in the DNA-methyl green assay. Twenty one extracts showed DNA-interacting activity, and nine of them, belonging to five plant species, presented a displacement activity of 5% or higher. The highest activity (17.6%) was detected in the leaf extract of Heliotropium angiospermum.     

Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activity in Some Indian Herbal Plants: Protective Effect against Free Radical Mediated DNA Damage

Indian herbal plant species Lantana indica, Adhatoda vasica, Pandanus furcatus, Tylophora indica and Centella asiatica, traditionally used in ethno medicines to treat common infections and various disorders, have been studied for their antimicrobial and antioxidant activity. The methanolic extracts of the plant leaves exhibited significant and dose-dependent antioxidant activities in DPPH radical scavenging, ferric ion reducing and phosphomolybdate assays. These leaf extracts showed antimicrobial activity against selected Gram +ve and Gram ?ve bacterial strains. A. vasica and L. indica extracts possessed maximum antioxidant and antimicrobial activity, respectively. The activities could be correlated to phenolics and flavonoid content of the leaf extracts which ranged from 30.25 to 91.98 mg GAE g^?1 dw leaf extract and 2.67 to 96.45 mg RE g^?1 dw leaf extract respectively. The aqueous extracts of plant leaves significantly protected the DNA damage against the oxidative damage caused by hydroxyl radicals.     

Poplar stem blister canker and its control strategies by plant extracts

Stem blister canker is a serious stem disease in the Populus genus in China. The pathogen was confirmed as Botryosphaeria dothidea (Moug. ex Fr.) Ces. et de Not. based on its morphological, pathological and molecular features. Seven selected plant species Artemisia annua, Gleditsia sinensis, Lonicera japonica, Macleaya cordata, Phyllodendron chinense, Polygonum cuspidatum and Scutellaria baicalensis, belonging to different families from China, were extracted with the solvent 95% (v/v) ethanol to yield ethanol extracts which were used to evaluate their antifungal activity against poplar stem canker pathogen by a mycelial radial growth inhibition test. Of them, the extracts of M. cordata, P. cuspidatum and S. baicalensis showed stronger antifungal activity, the median inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) was 0.3125, 1.0219 and 0.9675 mg ml⁻¹ separately. The control effect of extracts of M. cordata, P. cuspidatum and S. baicalensis on poplar stem canker disease was between 62% and 85%. The inhibitory effect of the extracts indicated the importance of some plant species as possible natural source of fungicidal material.