种植模式对巴戟天生长的影响

为探讨种植模式对中药材巴戟天(Morinda officinalis)生长的影响,对两种种植模式下巴戟天生长性状进行了研究。结果表明,坡地连片种植基地(PLZ)的土壤有效矿质营养和有机质含量分别低于坡地围林种植基地(PWZ)的24%～28%和38%～43%,差异极显著(P 0.01)。PWZ种植3年的巴戟天茎、叶和肉质根形态指标均显著优于PLZ的(P 0.01);但随着栽培时间的延长,PLZ的巴戟天肉质根性状逐渐优于PWZ的,PLZ的6 a生巴戟天单株产量是PWZ的1.16～1.17倍;肉质根多糖、总黄酮和原花青素含量均显著高于PWZ的(P0.01),且有效成分含量均随种植时间的延长呈上升趋势(P0.01)。可见,巴戟天在PLZ模式下的肉质根质量好,入药更符合国家药典优品性状的要求。同时,建议合理增加肉桂围林种植基地的光照量,抑制藤苗生长,以提高巴戟天肉质根的产量和有效成分积累。     

Optimization of the Extraction Process and Antioxidant Activity of Polysaccharide Extracted from Centipeda minima

The purpose of this study is to optimize the extraction process and study antioxidant activity of Polysaccharide extracted from Centipeda minima. The Box-Behnken design-response surface methodology was adopted to optimize the extraction process of polysaccharides from Centipeda minima. We purified the crude polysaccharides from Centipeda minima, as well as determined the purity, monosaccharide composition, and molecular weight of the purified fraction. Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FT-IR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to analyze the structural features of the polysaccharides. Further, we investigated the antioxidant activities of different fractions of polysaccharides. Consequently, the results showed that the optimum extraction conditions for polysaccharides were: a liquid-solid ratio of 26 mL/g, extraction temperature of 85.5 °C, and extraction time of 2.4 h. Moreover, the yield of polysaccharides measured under these conditions was close to the predicted value. After purification, we obtained four components of Centipeda minima polysaccharides (CMP). The purity, monosaccharide composition, molecular weight, and structural characteristics of CMP were different, but with similar infrared absorption spectra. CMP exhibited a typical infrared absorption characteristic of a polysaccharide. Besides, CMP displayed good antioxidant activity, with potential to scavenge DPPH radical, hydroxyl radical, and superoxide radical. Therefore, this study provides a reference for future research on the structure and biological activity of CMP, and lays a theoretical foundation for food processing and medicinal development of CMP.     

In vitro Antioxidant Activity of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Valeriana officinalis</Emphasis> Against Different Neurotoxic Agents

Valeriana officinalis L. (Valerian) is widely used as a traditional medicine to improve the quality of sleep. Although V. officinalis have been well documented as promising pharmacological agent; the exact mechanisms by which this plant act is still unknown. Limited literature data have indicated that V. officinalis extracts can exhibit antioxidant properties against iron in hippocampal neurons in vitro. However, there is no data available about the possible antioxidant effect of V. officinalis against other pro-oxidants in brain. In the present study, the protective effect of V. officinalis on lipid peroxidation (LPO) induced by different pro-oxidant agents with neuropathological importance was examined. Ethanolic extract of valerian (0–60 μg/ml) was tested against quinolinic acid (QA); 3-nitropropionic acid; sodium nitroprusside; iron sulfate (FeSO₄) and Fe²⁺/EDTA induced LPO in rat brain homogenates. The effect of V. officinalis in deoxyribose degradation and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production was also investigated. In brain homogenates, V. officinalis inhibited thiobarbituric acid reactive substances induced by all pro-oxidants tested in a concentration dependent manner. Similarly, V. officinalis caused a significant decrease on the LPO in cerebral cortex and in deoxyribose degradation. QA-induced ROS production in cortical slices was also significantly reduced by V. officinalis. Our results suggest that V. officinalis extract was effective in modulating LPO induced by different pro-oxidant agents. These data may imply that V. officinalis extract, functioning as antioxidant agent, can be beneficial for reducing insomnia complications linked to oxidative stress.     

Antioxidant effects of different extracts from Melissa officinalis, Matricaria recutita and Cymbopogon citratus

Considering the important role of oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of several neurological diseases, and the growing evidence of the presence of compounds with antioxidant properties in the plant extracts, the aim of the present study was to investigate the antioxidant capacity of three plants used in Brazil to treat neurological disorders: Melissa officinalis, Matricaria recutita and Cymbopogon citratus. The antioxidant effect of phenolic compounds commonly found in plant extracts, namely, quercetin, gallic acid, quercitrin and rutin was also examined for comparative purposes. Cerebral lipid peroxidation (assessed by TBARS) was induced by iron sulfate (10 μM), sodium nitroprusside (5 μM) or 3-nitropropionic acid (2 mM). Free radical scavenger properties and the chemical composition of plant extracts were assessed by 1′-1′ Diphenyl-2′ picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) method and by Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC), respectively. M. officinalis aqueous extract caused the highest decrease in TBARS production induced by all tested pro-oxidants. In the DPPH assay, M. officinalis presented also the best antioxidant effect, but, in this case, the antioxidant potencies were similar for the aqueous, methanolic and ethanolic extracts. Among the purified compounds, quercetin had the highest antioxidant activity followed by gallic acid, quercitrin and rutin. In this work, we have demonstrated that the plant extracts could protect against oxidative damage induced by various pro-oxidant agents that induce lipid peroxidation by different process. Thus, plant extracts could inhibit the generation of early chemical reactive species that subsequently initiate lipid peroxidation or, alternatively, they could block a common final pathway in the process of polyunsaturated fatty acids peroxidation. Our study indicates that M. officinalis could be considered an effective agent in the prevention of various neurological diseases associated with oxidative stress.     

Protective properties of butanolic extract of the Calendula officinalis L.(marigold) against lipid peroxidation of rat liver microsomes and action as free radical scavenger

Abstract

Calendula officinalis (marigold) has many pharmacological properties. It is used for the treatment of skin disorders, pain and also as a bactericide, antiseptic and anti-inflammatory. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) are known to participate in the pathogenesis of various human diseases and may be involved in the conditions which C. officinalis is used to treat. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the beneficial properties of this plant and its antioxidant action. The butanolic fraction (BF) was studied because it is non-cytotoxic and is rich in a variety of bioactive metabolites including flavonoids and terpenoids. Superoxide radicals (O₂^?-) and hydroxyl radicals (HO^?) are observed in decreasing concentrations in the presence of increasing concentrations of BF with IC₅₀ values of 1.0 ± 0.09 mg/ml and 0.5 ± 0.02 mg/ml, respectively, suggesting a possible free radical scavenging effect. Lipid peroxidation in liver microsomes induced by Fe²⁺/ascorbate was 100% inhibited by 0.5 mg/ml of BF (IC₅₀ = 0.15 mg/ml). Its total reactive antioxidant potential (TRAP) (in μM Trolox equivalents) was 368.14 ± 23.03 and its total antioxidant reactivity (TAR) was calculated to be 249.19 ± 14.5 μM. The results obtained suggest that the butanolic fraction of C. officinalis possesses a significant free radical scavenging and antioxidant activity and that the proposed therapeutic efficacy of this plant could be due, in part, to these properties.     

基于Pacbio第三代测序技术的厚朴基因组测序分析

厚朴为著名的传统药用植物,归于木兰科、木兰属,于我国广泛种植,其树皮、根皮、枝皮、叶片、花、果实均能入药或食用。为获取厚朴全基因组序列信息,该文以厚朴叶片DNA为材料,采用Pacbio Sequel第三代测序技术构建厚朴全基因组数据库,并利用生物信息学方法对获得的核苷酸序列进行组装、功能注释以及进化分析研究。结果表明:(1)原始测序数据过滤后获得140.91 Gb三代数据,Read N50约为13 784bp,经过组装得到厚朴基因组大小为1.68 Gb,Contig N50约为222 069 bp,单拷贝基因完整性为81.0%。(2)组装后的序列通过与NR、KOG、KEGG等功能数据库比对,共有98.40%的基因得到了功能注释,其中KOG功能注释结果发现厚朴的蛋白功能主要集中在一般功能预测、翻译后修饰、蛋白质转换、伴侣以及信号转导机制; GO功能分类表明厚朴的基因集中在细胞组分及生物学过程; KEGG分析发现厚朴参与代谢通路的基因占主要地位。(3)通过与葡萄、拟南芥、水稻、杨树、银杏、无油樟、茶树及牛樟基因组的比对分析,发现厚朴23 424个基因中有20 801个基因可以分类到12 129个家族,其中有515个基因家族为厚朴所特有,而厚朴与牛樟(樟科)亲缘关系较近,两者的分化时间约在122.5百万年前(mya)。该研究首次利用第三代测序技术对厚朴全基因组解析,有利于对其进一步进行深入的开发与利用,也为研究其他药用植物全基因组奠定了基础。     

Wound healing effects of methanol extract of Laurocerasus officinalis roem

Laurocerasus officinalis Roem. (syn: Prunus laurocerasus L.) is a member of Rosaceae family. We investigated the antimicrobial and antioxidant activity of L. officinalis Roem in wound healing both in vivo and in vitro using an excisional wound model model in mice. We used four groups of eight mice as follows: untreated (control), empty gel, extract + gel (L. officinalis + gel), and Madecassol® groups. All treatments were applied topically once daily. The scar area, percentage wound closure and epithelization time were measured. L. officinalis promoted wound healing and increased granulation tissue, epidermal regeneration and angiogenesis. L. officinalis extract, which is known for its antioxidant and antimicrobial activities, may be useful for promoting wound healing.     

In vitro antioxidant activities of sulfated polysaccharide fractions extracted from Corallina officinalis

Sulfated polysaccharides (F1, F2) from seaweed Corallina officinalis were isolated through anion-exchange column chromatography. Their chemical characteristics were determined by GC, HPLC, FT-IR and UV spectra. F1 and F2 contained only two monosaccharides, namely galactose and xylose. The antioxidant activities of F1, F2 and the de-sulfated polysaccharides (DF-1, DF-2) in vitro were investigated, including hydroxyl radicals scavenging effect, superoxide radical scavenging capacity, DPPH radical activity and reducing power. As expected, antioxidant assay showed that the two sulfated polysaccharide fractions (F1, F2) possessed considerable antioxidant properties and had more excellent abilities than de-sulfated polysaccharides (DF-1, DF-2).     

Microbiological and toxicological quality of dried herbs

Aims: The microbiological and toxicological quality of 51 samples of dried herbs (Melissa officinalis, Salvia officinalis, Malva sylvestris, Matricaria chamomilla, Alchemilla vulgaris and Centaurea cyanus) cultivated in family‐managed farms in Molise Region (Italy) was evaluated. Methods and Results: All the samples were analysed by using conventional methods, and for samples preparation, an alternative Washing and Shaking (WaS) protocol was developed to reduce release of antimicrobial compounds. None of the samples were of unsatisfactory quality with respect to aflatoxin B1, and only three samples from Malva sylvestris exceeded the limit of total aflatoxins according to Recommendation 2004/24/EC. The International Commission on Microbiological Specifications for Foods limits for mesophilic bacteria and total coliforms were exceeded in the 29·4 and 3·9% of samples, respectively: 7·8% of samples also exceeded the limit for Escherichia coli established by European Spice Association. When the ‘WaS’ method was used, higher microbial counts were obtained, especially for A. vulgaris, S. officinalis and M. officinalis. Conclusions: Herbs cultivated in family‐managed small agricultural areas showed a good microbiological and toxicological quality, irrespectively of preliminary washing or selection procedures. Significance and Impact of the Study: Herb matrices may contain antimicrobial activity which should be considered when applying the conventional microbiological methods for sample preparation. Alternative preparation protocols may have advantages to reduce antimicrobial effects and should be further evaluated.     

Antioxidant acitivity in vitro and in vivo of the capsule polysaccharides from Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus

Crude capsule polysaccharides (CCP) were prepared from the culture of Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus C55129 and were partially purified through an anion-exchange column chromatography to afford partially purified capsule polysaccharides (PCP). The main component of CCP and PCP was hyaluronic acid. In vitro antioxidant assay, the capsule polysaccharides showed strong inhibition of lipid peroxidation and hydroxyl radical scavenging activity and moderate 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryldydrazyl radical scavenging activity. In addition, CCP exhibited much stronger reductive power than PCP. For antioxidant testing in vivo, CCP and PCP were orally administrated over a period of 15 days in a d-galactose induced aged mice model. As results, administration of capsule polysaccharides inhibited significantly the formation of malondialdehyde in mice livers and serums and raised the activities of antioxidant enzymes and total antioxidant capacity in a dose-dependent manner. However, the antioxidant activity of CCP was lower than that of PCP. The results suggest that the capsule polysaccharides from Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus C55129 have direct and potent antioxidant activities.     

Total phenolic content and antioxidant activity of plants used in traditional Romanian herbal medicine

A number of herbal plants from Romania widely used as natural food additives or for health promotion in traditional medicine were investigated for their antioxidant activity. Methanol extracts were obtained from plants belonging to the Lamiaceae family (lavender Lavandula angustifolia L.; lemon balm Melissa officinalis; sage Salvia officinalis; oregano Origanum vulgare L.; rosemary Rosmarinus officinalis L.; thyme Thymus vulgaris L.; mullein Verbascum phlomoides; mint Mentha longifolia), Clusiaceae family (St John’s wort Hypericum perforatum L.), and Compositae family (elecampane Inula helenium). Total phenolic concentration was determined using the Folin-Ciocalteu phenol reagent method, while total flavonoids were measured using the aluminium chloride colorimetric method. Relationships between total antioxidant activity and composition of plant extracts were evaluated. Origanum vulgare extract showed the highest antioxidant activity and total phenolic content compared to the other plants extracts. A positive correlation was observed between total antioxidant activity and total phenolic content of the analyzed extracts.     

Preparation,Structural Analysis and Antioxidant Activity of Polysaccharides and Their Derivatives from Pueraria lobata

Pueraria lobata polysaccharides (PLPs) were obtained by hot water extraction using Pueraria lobata as raw material. Structural analysis revealed that PLPs may have a repetitive backbone units of →4) -α-D-Glcp (1→4-α-D-Glcp (1→. Phosphorylated Pueraria lobata polysaccharides (P-PLPs), carboxymethylated Pueraria lobata polysaccharides (CM-PLPs) and acetylated Pueraria lobata polysaccharides (Ac-PLPs) were obtained by chemical modifications of PLPs, respectively. The physicochemical properties and antioxidant activities of these four Pueraria lobata polysaccharides were studied in comparison. In particular, the clearance rate of P-PLPs exceeded 80 %, and was expected to achieve the same effect as V_c. The results showed that the effects of different chemical modifications on the antioxidant activity of PLPs varied greatly.     

柠檬香蜂草对铜的耐性及其积累特征研究

以柠檬香蜂草(Melissa officinalis)幼苗为材料,设置不同浓度Cu~(2+)胁迫(CK、200、400、800和1 000mg·kg~(-1))盆栽实验,测定胁迫0、7、14、21、28d后植物生物量、叶绿素含量、抗氧化酶活性、可溶性蛋白含量、丙二醛(MDA)含量以及植物体内Cu含量等指标,探讨柠檬香蜂草对Cu~(2+)的耐受性及其积累特征。结果表明:(1)相同处理时间下,柠檬香蜂草除MDA含量外其他所有指标均随着Cu~(2+)胁迫处理浓度的增加呈低浓度促进、高浓度抑制的变化趋势,且高浓度组(800和1 000mg·kg~(-1))与低浓度组(200和400mg·kg~(-1))之间差异显著(P0.05);MDA含量在1 000mg·kg~(-1)浓度下持续增长至第14天后开始下降。(2)柠檬香蜂草体内Cu的积累量随Cu胁迫浓度的升高呈先增加后减少的趋势,并在浓度为400mg·kg~(-1)时达到最高值(0.71mg/盆)。(3)在整个胁迫过程中,柠檬香蜂草植株的铜富集系数及其耐性系数均随Cu浓度的增加而减小,各处理浓度对Cu的耐性系数均大于0.5,富集系数均大于1。研究发现,柠檬香蜂草对Cu胁迫具有一定耐受性和富集能力,具有成为铜污染土壤修复植物的潜力。     

Enzyme assisted extraction of polysaccharides from the fruit of Cornus officinalis

Process of enzyme assisted extraction (EAE) of polysaccharides from Cornus officinalis was optimized by response surface methodology (RSM). The influence of four different factors on the yield of C. officinalis polysaccharides (COP) was studied. Results showed that the optimal conditions were compound enzyme amount of 2.15%, extraction pH of 4.2, extraction temperature of 55 °C and extraction time of 97 min. Under these conditions, the COP yield was 9.29 ± 0.31%, which was well in agreement with the value predicted by the model. The three methods, EAE, hot water extraction (HWE), ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) for extracting COP by RSM were further compared. Results showed that EAE had the largest yield of polysaccharides with lower equipment cost.     

Fomitopsis officinalis: a Species of Arboreal Mushroom with Promising Biological and Medicinal Properties

Medicinal mushrooms of the order Polyporales have a long history of use, which is evidenced by the finding of dissected fruiting bodies with Ötzi, who lived over 5000 years ago. Because of its valuable biological properties and its use in 18th and 19th‐century pharmacy, Fomitopsis officinalis used to be mass‐collected. Moreover, the large demand for larch wood and non‐wood materials (resin) caused an excessive exploitation of larch forests, which directly contributed to the disappearance of F. officinalis from its natural environment. The qualities of medicinal preparations obtained from the F. officinalis fruiting bodies are determined by the unique composition of its bioactive compounds, such as: triterpenoids, polysaccharides, organic acids, coumarins and phenolic compounds. It has been proved that both crude extracts and the compounds isolated from F. officinalis have a wide spectrum of therapeutic effects, including anti‐inflammatory, cytotoxic, and antimicrobial effects.     

LIBS-Based Detection of Antioxidant Elements in Seeds of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Emblica officinalis</Emphasis>

The aim of the study was to determine the effect of the elements of the extract of seed from Emblica officinalis on antioxidant enzymes and osmotic fragility of erythrocytes membrane in normal as well as streptozotocin-induced severely diabetic albino Wister rats. The results revealed that the untreated diabetic rats exhibited increase in oxidative stress as indicated by significantly diminished activities of free radical scavenging enzymes such as catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) by 37.5% (p < 0.001) and 18.6% (p < 0.01), respectively. However, the E. officinalis seed extract treatment showed marked improvements in CAT and SOD activities by 47.09% (p < 0.001) and 21.61% (p < 0.001), respectively. The enhanced lipid peroxidation by 30.87% (p < 0.001) in erythrocytes of untreated diabetic rats was significantly accentuated in the extract treated animals by 23.72% (p < 0.001). The erythrocytes showed increased osmotic fragility due to diabetes in terms of hemolysis. It attained the normal level in diabetic treated group. The findings thus suggest that E. officinalis seed extract has the potential to be exploited as an agent to boost the antioxidant system in the diabetic animal model. Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy has been used as an analytical tool to detect major and minor elements like Mg, Fe, Na, K, Zn, Ca, H, O, C, and N present in the extract. The higher concentration of Ca (II), Mg (II) and Fe (II) as reflected by their intensities are responsible for the antioxidant potential of E. officinalis.     

CHROMOSOME DIFFERENTIATION IN SEVERAL SPECIES OF MELILOTUS

Shastry , Sishta V. S., William K. Smith , and Delmer C. Cooper . (U. Wisconsin, Madison.) Chromosome differentiation in several species of Melilotus. Amer. Jour. Bot. 47(8) : 613–621. Illus. 1960.—Two species of the section Eumelilotus (M. alba and M. officinalis), 2 of Micromelilotus (M. messanensis and M. segetalis), 2 F₁ hybrids (M. officinalis × M. alba and M. messanensis × M. segetalis), 2 autotetraploids (M. alba and M. officinalis), and 1 allotetraploid (M. officinalis × M. alba), were utilized during the course of this investigation. The 4 species and F₁ hybrids have 16 somatic chromosomes and the tetraploids have twice that number (32). The 2 Eumelilotus species are completely isolated because of seed failure after cross pollination. The F₁ hybrid (M. officinalis × M. alba), obtained elsewhere by the use of embryo-culture techniques, was intermediate between the parents in certain morphological characters and was ca. 75% pollenfertile whereas the parents approached complete fertility. No structural differences between the chromosomes were evident at pachytene. Disturbances which led to the reduced fertility occurred at later stages of meiosis. The Micromelilotus species are cross compatible, but the F₁ hybrid (M. messanensis × M. segetalis) is highly sterile. Despite chromosome structural differences of various types evident at pachytene, bivalents regularly occur at metaphase I. Irregular distribution of the chromosomes at later stages of meiosis leads to high sterility. Species which readily cross but produce a hybrid of very low fertility are likely to compound chromosomal structural differences, because of abnormalities in meiosis, in contrast with species that are completely incompatible.     

Characterization and bioactivities of M. arvensis,V. officinalis and P. glabrum: In-silico modeling of V. officinalis as a potential drug source

In current study the pharmaceutically active herbs was used against coccidiosis, caused by a protozoan: Eimeria, lead to $ 3 billion loss annually. The aqueous and methanolic extracts of whole plants were applied in-vitro to assess sporulation inhibition (spi) assay and calculated the inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀). For in-vivo study 9 groups of 14 day old broiler chicks were infected with Eimeria tenella and three groups were treated different concentrations of methanolic extracts of Verbena officinalis and Polygonum glabrum post infection. The mean weight gain, oocyst count, diarrhea, biochemical tests, hematology, and histopathology of all groups were analyzed. The herbs were characterized by antioxidant assay, phytochemical screening, Fourier transmission and infrared (FT-IR), Ultra Violet-visible (UV–Vis) spectroscopy and Gas chromatography and mass spectroscopy (GC–MS). The GC–MS identified phyto-compounds of V. officinalis were docked with S-Adenosyl methionine (SAM) synthetase. The in-vitro study revealed that V. officinalis and P. glabrum have minimum IC₅₀ of 0.14 and 12 mg/ml respectively. The in-vivo experiment showed that V. officinalis had significantly high anticoccidial potential with significant hematological profile like drug treated controls. The histology of treated chicks also showed recovery in the studied tissues. The antioxidant assay showed that V. officinalis have 4.19U/mg Superoxide dismutase (SOD) and 33.96 µM/mg Glutathione (GSH) quantities. The chemical characterization confirmed the presence of large number of organic compounds, however Flavonoids found only in V. officinalis, which suggests the anticoccidial potential of V. officinalis because flavonoids as antagonist of thiamine (Prinzo, 1999), because it promotes the carbohydrate synthesis required. Strychane, 1-acetyl-20a-hydroxy-16-methylene has best binding of with target protein with lowest binding score (-6.4 Kcal/mol), suggests its anticoccidial potential in poultry.     

Phenolic composition and antioxidant properties of some traditionally used medicinal plants affected by the extraction time and hydrolysis

Introduction – Polyphenolic phytochemicals in traditionally used medicinal plants act as powerful antioxidants, which aroused an increasing interest in their application in functional food development. Objective – The effect of extraction time (5 and 15 min) and hydrolysis on the qualitative and quantitative content of phenolic compounds and antioxidant capacity of six traditionally used medicinal plants (Melissa officinalis L., Thymus serpyllum L., Lavandula officinalis Miller, Rubus fruticosus L., Urtica dioica L., and Olea europea L.) were investigated. Methodology – The content of total phenols, flavonoids, flavan‐3‐ols and tannins was determined using UV/Vis spectrophotometric methods, while individual phenolic acids, flavones and flavonols were separated and detected using HPLC analysis. Also, to obtain relevant data on the antioxidant capacity, two different assays, (2,2‐azino‐bis(3‐ethylbenzthiazoline‐6‐sulphonic acid) (ABTS) radical scavenging and ferric reducing/antioxidant power (FRAP) assays were used. Results – The extraction efficiency of phenolics, as well as the antioxidant capacity of plant extracts, was affected by both prolonged extraction and hydrolysis. The overall highest content of phenolic compounds was determined in hydrolyzed extract of blackberry leaves (2160 mg GAE/L), followed by the non‐hydrolyzed extract of lemon balm obtained after 15 min of extraction (929.33 mg GAE/L). The above extracts also exhibited the highest antioxidant capacity, while extracts of olive leaves were characterized with the lowest content of phenolic compounds, as well as the lowest antioxidant capacity. The highest content of rosmarinic acid, as the most abundant phenolic compound, was determined in non‐hydrolyzed extract of lemon balm, obtained after 15 min of extraction. Although the hydrolysis provided the highest content of polyphenolic compounds, longer extraction time (15 min) was more efficient to extract these bioactives than shorter extraction duration (5 min). Conclusion – The distribution of detected phenolic compounds showed a wide variability with regard to their botanical origin. Examined medicinal plants showed to be a valuable supplement to a daily intake of bioactive compounds. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Evaluating the possible anticoagulant and antioxidant effects of sulfated polysaccharides from the tropical green alga Caulerpa cupressoides var. flabellata

Seaweeds are a source of several biopolymers widely used in cosmetics, food, and pharmaceuticals. Among them are sulfated polysaccharides, which have several biological/pharmacological activities, such as antioxidant and anticoagulant activities. In the present study, four sulfated polysaccharides, denominated CCB-F0.3, CCB-F0.5, CCB-F1.0, and CCB-F2.0, were obtained from the chlorophyte Caulerpa cupressoides var. flabellata through proteolytic digestion, followed by acetone fractionation and molecular sieving in Sephadex G-100. Chemical analyses showed that CCB-F0.5 had the highest sulfate/sugar ratio (0.73), whereas CCB-F1.0 exhibited the lowest ratio (0.23). Polysaccharides from C. cupressoides displayed a heterogeneous constitution of monosaccharides, with galactose as the main sugar unit (except for CCB-F2.0). The presence of sulfated polysaccharides was confirmed by electrophoretic and infrared analyses. Sulfated polysaccharides showed no activity in superoxide and hydroxyl radical scavenging; however, they did demonstrate total antioxidant capacity and ferrous chelating activity. Caulerpa polysaccharides also exhibited anticoagulant activity in the intrinsic (activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) test) and extrinsic pathway (prothrombin time (PT) test). In the aPTT test, all polysaccharides displayed considerable dose-dependent activity. A significant result was the aPTT activity of the polysaccharides CCB-F0.3 and CCB-F0.5, which was similar to that of Clexane?, a commercial low molecular weight heparin. In addition, CCB-F0.3 and CCB-F0.5 showed PT activity. Sulfated polysaccharides from C. cupressoides are therefore promising antioxidant agents in preventing the formation of reactive oxygen species and for their possible use in anticoagulant therapy.