Antifungal activity of essential oils from leaves and flowers of Inula viscosa (Asteraceae) by Apulian region

Some essential oils from several plants (Artemisia verlotorum, Lavandula augustifolia, Ocimum gratissimum) have proved to have acaricidal, antifungal and antibacterial activity. Inula viscosa Ait. (Asteraceae), a plant growing spontaneously in the Mediterranean area, is currently used by popular medicine for its therapeutic effects. Flavonoids, azulenes, sesquiterpenes, and essential oils have been isolated and identified from its leaves. This paper reports the results of the composition and antifungal activity in vitro against dermatophytes and Candida spp. of the four essential oils obtained by steam distillation of the leaves, flowers, whole plant and whole plants without flower extracts of I. viscosa. All the extracts proved to have a significant antifungal activity against dermatophytes even at low concentrations (0.01 mg/ml). The leaf extracts exhibited the greatest antifungal efficacy. The high concentration of the sesquiterpene (carboxyeudesmadiene), occurring in the leaf extracts, may explain its greater antifungal activity.     

Leaf structure and cytochemical investigation of secretory tissues in Inula viscosa

Leaves of Inula viscosa have been used in medicine from ancient times. Structures or cells with secreting activity were localized and a spectrum of products was histochemically identified within them. Leaf extracts were investigated with gas chromatography – mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and thin-layer chromatography (TLC). Calluses produced from leaf-cell cultures were also subjected to histochemical reagents and tested with GC-MS and TLC to investigate their secreting ability compared with that in leaves. Little-differentiated callus cells are synthetically active and produce, as do its leaf cells, numerous polar compounds that could be of pharmaceutical interest.  © 2004 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2004, 144 , 437–448.     

Research on antifungal activity of flowers and leaves of Inula viscosa (Asteraceae)

The authors carried out a preliminary screening about the in vitro antifungal activity of some extracts of flowers and leaves of Inula viscosa obtained with different solvents. All extracts showed antifungal activity against dermatophytes and Candida species. The best results were obtained with Inula viscosa flowers extracts. These results may be ascribed to the different flavonoids and different flavonoid concentrations in our samples.     

Isolation and identification of acaricidal compounds in Inula japonica (Asteraceae)

We identified acaricidal compounds in Inula japonica Thunberg (Asteraceae) that were effective against carmine spider mite, Tetranychus cinnabarinus (Boisduval). Petroleum-ether extracts from I. japonica were toxic to T. cinnabarinus, with a 50% lethal concentration (LC50) value of 1.18 mg/ml. Silica gel column chromatography was used to separate the acaricidal components. Seventeen of 38 fraction groups had mite mortality rates >50%, nine fraction groups had rates >60%, and three fraction groups had rates >80% at 2 mg/ml. The major volatile compounds in the bioactive fraction groups were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy, and beta-sitosterol (1), stigmasterol (2), lupeol (3), and alpha-amyrin (4) were identified and determined to have acaricidal activity against T. cinnabarinus in vitro.     

Identification of As accumulation plant species growing on highly contaminated soils

Soils from the alluvial flats of the Turia River, Valencia, Spain, which were highly contaminated by decades of industrial activity, were surveyed for native plant species that could be candidates useful in phytoremediation. Concentrations of heavy metals and arsenic (As) in soils reached 25,000 mg Kg(-1) Pb, 12,000 mg Kg(-1) Zn, 70 mg Kg(-1) Cd, and 13500 mg Kg(-1) As. The predominant vegetation was collected and species identified. Soil samples and the corresponding plant shoots were analyzed to determine the amount of As accumulated by the various plant species. Several were able to tolerate more than 1000 mg Kg(-1) As in the soil. Bassia scoparia (Chenopodiaceae) survive in soil with 8375 mg Kg(-1) As. Arsenic accumulation in shoots of the various plant species investigated ranged from 0.1 to 107 mg Kg(-1) dw. Bassia scoparia (Chenopodiaceae), Inula viscosa (Asteraceae), Solanum nigrum (Solanaceae), and Hirschfeldia incana (Brassicaceae) had the highest values for As accumulation.     

Antimicrobial effects of aqueous plant extracts on the fungi Microsporum canis and Trichophyton rubrum and on three bacterial species

Aqueous extracts of 10 plants were tested for their ability to inhibit Trichophyton rubrum and Microsporum canis, the aetiological agents of dermal fungal infections in humans. These extracts were also evaluated for their activity against some bacteria. Aqueous extracts from the leaves of Inula viscosa produced detectable antifungal activity against these dermatophytes.     

Uptake of heavy metals by native species growing in a mining area in Sardinia, Italy: discovering native flora for phytoremediation

This study assessed the distribution and availability of plant uptake of Zn, Pb, and Cd present in an abandoned mine at Ingurtosu, Sardinia (Italy). Geological matrix samples (sediments, tailings, and soil from a nearby pasture site) and samples of the predominant plant species growing on sediments and tailings were collected. Mean values of total Zn, Pb and Cd were respectively (mg kg(-1)) 7400, 1800, and 56 in tailings, 31000, 2900, and 100 in sediments, and 400, 200, and 8 in the pasture soil. The metal concentration values were high even in the mobile fractions evaluated by simplified sequential extraction (Zn 7485-103, Pb 1015-101, Cd 47-4 mg kg(-1)). Predominant native species were identified and analyzed for heavy metal content in various tissues. Among the plant species investigated Inula viscosa, Euphorbia dendroides, and Poa annua showed the highest metal concentration in aboveground biomass (mean average of Zn: 1680, 1020, 1400; Pb: 420, 240, 80; Cd: 28, 7, 19 mg kg(-1), respectively). The above mentioned species and A. donax could be good candidates for a phytoextraction procedure. Cistus salvifolius and Helichrysum italicus generally showed behavior more suitable for a phytostabilizer.     

Antioxidant activity of anti-inflammatory plant extracts

The antioxidant properties of twenty medical herbs used in the traditional Mediterranean and Chinese medicine were studied. Extracts from Forsythia suspensa, Helichrysum italicum, Scrophularia auriculata, Inula viscosa, Coptis chinensis, Poria cocos and Scutellaria baicalensis had previously shown anti-inflammatory activity in different experimental models. Using free radical-generating systems H. italicum. I. viscosa and F. suspensa protected against enzymatic and non-enzymatic lipid peroxidation in model membranes and also showed scavenging property on the superoxide radical. All extracts were assayed at a concentration of 100 microg/ml. Most of the extracts were weak scavengers of the hydroxyl radical and C. chinensis and P. cocos exhibited the highest scavenging activity. Although S. baicalensis inhibited the lipid peroxidation in rat liver microsomes and red blood cells, the extract showed inhibitory actions on aminopyrine N-demethylase and xanthine oxidase activities as well as an pro-oxidant effect observed in the Fe3+-EDTA-H2O2 system. The results of the present work suggest that the anti-inflammatory activities of the same extracts could be explained, at least in part, by their antioxidant properties.     

红根草中的新二萜——红根草酮内酯和新红根草酮

由红根草(Salvia prionitis Hance)中分得三个abietane类二萜成分:红根草酮内酯(prioketolactone,1)、新红根草酮(neoprionitone,2)和二氢异丹参酮1(dihydroisotanshinone1,3)。经波谱分析确定了它们的化学结构。其中,1,2为新化合物,1是鼠尾草植物中首次发现的具有七元环内酯结构的二萜醌类化合物,3为首次从红根草中发现。     

中药马蓝叶及其混乱品的比较鉴别

马蓝叶是加工传统中药青黛的主要原料。为了确保药材质量,作者对中药马蓝叶及其混乱品种球花马蓝、疏花马蓝、广西马蓝的原植物、药材性状、叶组织显微特征和薄层层析鉴别等进行了研究。指出其混乱品种虽与马蓝叶是同属植物,但不含马蓝叶的有效成分靛玉红,应仔细鉴别,不宜混用。     

鹊肾树树皮的化学成分和抗炎作用研究

通过药理实验确定了鹊肾树树皮的乙酸乙酯萃取物为抗炎活性部位,并利用色谱技术从该部位中分离得到了7个化合物,通过UV、IR、NMR、MS等现代谱学方法鉴定化合物的结构分别为:丁二酸(1)、6-乙基-5-羟基-2,7-二甲氧基-1,4-萘醌(2)、3β,20-二羟基-5β-孕甾烷(3)、5-羟基麦芽酚(4)、双[5-甲酰基...     

Ultraviolet-B radiation effects on the Mediterranean ruderal Dittrichia viscosa

Young seedlings of Dittrichia viscosa L. (syn. Inula viscosa (L.) Aiton) (Asteraceae) were extensively treated with artificial rain in order to remove the water soluble component of their epicuticular UV-B absorbing compounds. As a result, 75% of the epicuticular absorbing capacity at 300 nm was lost. The seedlings were subsequently grown in a naturaly lit glasshouse for 80 days under 0.06, 6.41 and 10.14 kJ m^-2 day ^-1 biologicaly effective UV-B radiation doses. The initial, pre-rain values of the water soluble, epicuticular UV-B absorbing potential was restored in about three weeks. During this transient period the plants were exposed to the enhanced UV-B radiation doses with part of their UV-B radiation screen removed. Although a trend for increased accumulation of epicuticular UV-B absorbing capacity was observed with increasing UV-B radiation doses, the allelopathic potential of the epicuticular material remained unchanged. Internal (cellular) UV-B absorbing compounds and chlorophylls were unaffected, but total carotenoids were increased, indicating a possible protective role against UV-B radiation damage. Leaf, stem and root dry mass were the same under all treatments but UV-B radiation caused a reduction in the dry mass invested per unit leaf area with a concomitant increase in leaf area. The importance of this UV-B radiation induced selective allocation of photosynthate to the production of assimilative surfaces is discussed.     

Isolation and characterisation of selected germander diterpenoids from authenticated Teucrium chamaedrys and T. canadense by HPLC, HPLC-mS and NMR

Teucrium species, such as germander, are rich in neo-clerodane diterpenoids and have been used in traditional folk medicine for their stimulant, diuretic, antipyretic and antiseptic properties. However, the furano neo-clerodane diterpenoids present in germander have been implicated in the in vivo hepatotoxicity of this botanical. In this study, authenticated germander (Teucrium chamaedrys L. and Teucrium canadense L.) was used as the source material. Methanol extracts of powdered plant mate rial were prepared and analysed by HPLC using Synergi Max-RP columns with monitoring at 220 nm. Limited amounts of teucrin A and other diterpenoid standards were analysed on a Synergi Max-RP column in order to determine their retention times and to generate calibration curves. The same standards were subjected to concurrent mass spectral analysis. Teucrin A and diterpenoids such as dihydroteugin, teuflin, teuflidin and teucvidin were tentatively identified in the plant extracts by HPLC-MS and 1H-NMR experiments. For the isolation of teucrium diterpenoids on a semipreparative scale, a solid-phase extraction method was developed for the first time using styrene divinylbenzene and strata-X sorbents for teucrin A and teuflin, respectively. Semi-preparative HPLC of the methanol extract of the powdered aerial parts of Teucrium plants was carried out on a semipreparative Synergi Max-RP column with photodiode array detection in order to confirm the identities of some diterpenoids by HPLC-MS and NMR.     

Analysis of the nuclear proteome of the resurrection plant Xerophyta viscosa in response to dehydration stress using iTRAQ with 2DLC and tandem mass spectrometry

Xerophyta viscosa Baker (family Velloziaceae) is a desiccation tolerant plant which survives extremes of dehydration down to 5% relative water content (RWC) and resumes full physiological activity within 80h of rehydration. The nuclear proteome of Xerophyta viscosa and its response to dehydration at 35% RWC as compared to fully hydrated plants was analysed using iTRAQ together with 2DLC and ESI-MS/MS. RWC at 35% is unique for desiccation tolerant species as it represents a distinct phase of the dehydration process where induction of late protection mechanisms are initiated. We reproducibly identified 122 proteins with confidence≥95% (ρ<0.05). In response to dehydration, 65% of the identified proteins had the same protein abundance as the hydrated, 22% were shown to be more abundant while 9.8% were less abundant. Classification of the nuclear proteins according to GO annotation showed that most proteins were part of cellular processes (77.43%) and had binding activity (85.47%) respectively. Ontological classification according to Interpro and Pfam databases categorized most nuclear proteins as part of gene regulation (21%) while the functions of the mapped proteins using MapMan showed involvement in protein synthesis (22%), degradation (9%), DNA structure (8%) and regulation (8%).     

旋覆花的化学成分研究(英文)

通过应用硅胶柱色谱,Sephadex LH-20柱色谱,以及高效液相制备色谱等手段,从旋覆花地上部分分离纯化得到10个化合物,再通过光谱学方法,并结合化合物的理化性质鉴定为泽兰内酯(1)、7-羟基香豆素(2)、瑞香素(3)、东莨菪素(4)、蟛蜞菊内酯(5)、枸橼苦素(6)、杜仲树脂酚(7)、丁香酸(8)、香草酸(9)和异丁香酸(10)。化合物1～10均为首次从旋覆花属植物中分离得到。     

湖北旋覆花化学成分及抗结核活性研究

为进一步研究湖北旋覆花花序中的化学成分及抗结核活性。实验采用硅胶柱色谱、反相硅胶柱色谱以及制备型高相液相等方法进行了成分系统研究,肉汤二倍稀释法测定化合物的体外抗结核分支杆菌活性。从其花序中分离得到10个化合物。应用波谱学方法分别鉴定为:7,8-epoxy-9-(isobutyryloxy)thymolisobutyrate(1)、10-(2-methylbutyloxy)-8,9-epoxythymolisobutyrate(2)、stigmasterol(3)、ayapin(4)、ergolide(5)、5,10-epi-2,3-dihydroaromatin(6)、xanthalongin(7)、bigelovin(8)、carpesiolin(9)、aromaticin(10)。化合物1、2、5、6、8～10均为首次从该植物中分离得到。其中化合物5～10均为倍半萜类化合物。化合物5、6、8～10对结核分枝杆菌细胞株具有较好的抑制活性,最小抑制浓度MIC值分别为10.00、30.00、5.00、3.15、3.15μM,9和10的活性效果显著。     

Fungal Assemblages Associated with Roots of Halophytic and Non-halophytic Plant Species Vary Differentially Along a Salinity Gradient

Structure of fungal communities is known to be influenced by host plants and environmental conditions. However, in most cases, the dynamics of these variation patterns are poorly understood. In this work, we compared richness, diversity, and composition between assemblages of endophytic and rhizospheric fungi associated to roots of two plants with different lifestyles: the halophyte Inula crithmoides and the non-halophyte I. viscosa (syn. Dittrichia viscosa L.), along a spatially short salinity gradient. Roots and rhizospheric soil from these plants were collected at three points between a salt marsh and a sand dune, and fungi were isolated and characterized by ITS rDNA sequencing. Isolates were classified in a total of 90 operational taxonomic units (OTUs), belonging to 17 fungal orders within Ascomycota and Basidiomycota. Species composition of endophytic and soil communities significantly differed across samples. Endophyte communities of I. crithmoides and I. viscosa were only similar in the intermediate zone between the salt marsh and the dune, and while the latter displayed a single, generalist association of endophytes, I. crithmoides harbored different assemblages along the gradient, adapted to the specific soil conditions. In the lower salt marsh, root assemblages were strongly dominated by a single dark septate sterile fungus, also prevalent in other neighboring salt marshes. Interestingly, although its occurrence was positively correlated to soil salinity, in vitro assays revealed a strong inhibition of its growth by salts. Our results suggest that host lifestyle and soil characteristics have a strong effect on endophytic fungi and that environmental stress may entail tight plant-fungus relationships for adaptation to unfavorable conditions.     

Changes in leaf hexokinase activity and metabolite levels in response to drying in the desiccation-tolerant species Sporobolus stapfianus and Xerophyta viscosa.

The phosphorylation of glucose and fructose is an important step in regulating the supply of hexose sugars for biosynthesis and metabolism. Changes in leaf hexokinase (EC 2.7.1.1) activity and in vivo metabolite levels were examined during drying in desiccation-tolerant Sporobolus stapfianus and Xerophyta viscosa. Leaf hexokinase activity was significantly induced from 85% to 29% relative water content (RWC) in S. stapfianus and from 89% to 55% RWC in X. viscosa. The increase in hexokinase corresponded to the region of sucrose accumulation in both species, with the highest activity levels coinciding with region of net glucose and fructose removal. The decline of hexose sugars and accumulation of sucrose in both plant species was not associated with a decline in acid and neutral invertase. The increase in hexokinase activity may be important to ensure that the phosphorylation and incorporation of glucose and fructose into metabolism exceeded production from potential hydrolytic activity. Total cellular glucose-6-phosphate (Glc-6-P) and fructose-6-phosphate (Fru-6-P) levels were held constant throughout dehydration. In contrast to hexokinase, fructokinase activity was unchanged during dehydration. Hexokinase activity was not fully induced in leaves of S. stapfianus dried detached from the plant, suggesting that the increase in hexokinase may be associated with the acquisition of desiccation-tolerance.