An extract of Commiphora erythraea: a repellent and toxicant against ticks

A hexane extract of the gum of an African plant, Commiphora erythraea Engler (Burseraceae), has larvicidal and repellent activity against the lone star tick, Amblyomma americanum (L.) and the American dog tick, Dermacentor variabilis (Say). Adult deer ticks, Ixodes dammini Spielman, Clifford, Piesman and Corwin, were also repelled by the extract. Concentrations of 0.02 mg/cm² of the extract impregnated onto filter paper killed 96.15 (±3.56)% of A. americanum larvae exposed to it for 24h. A concentration of 0.16 mg/cm² was needed to kill 80.3% of D. variabilis larvae. The extract was less effective as a larvicide against A. americanum and D. variabilis than permethrin. Less than 15.5% of A. americanum larvae and adults and D. variabilis and I. dammini adults entered and remained for 2 or 3 min on areas of cloth strips treated with the extract at the rate of 0.2 mg/cm². However, 73.3 to 83.3% of the ticks tested entered and remained in areas treated with hexane. Permethrin was about 1 or 2 orders of magnitude more effective against A. americanum larvae as a repellent than the extract.

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Résumé Un extrait à l'hexane de la gomme de la plante africaine, C. erythraea Engler (Burseraceae) a des effets larvicides et répulsifs contre les tiques, Amblyomma americanum L. et Dermacentor variabilis Say; les adultes de Ixodes dammini Spielman, Clifford, Piesman & Corwin, ont été aussi éloignés par l'extrait. Une concentration de 0,02 mg/cm² de l'extrait imprégnant du papier filtre a tué 96,15% (±3,56) larves de A. americanum exposées pendant 24 h. Une concentration de 0,16 mg/cm² a été nécessaire pour tuer 80,3% des larves de D. variabilis. L'extrait a été moins efficace que la perméthrine comme larvicide contre A. americanum et D. variabilis. Moins de 15,5% des larves et des adultes de A. americanum et des adultes de D. variabilis et de I. dammini pénétrèrent et séjournèrent 2 à 3 minutes dans des morceaux de tissu traités avec l'extrait à raison de 0,2 mg/cm², contre 73,3 et 83,3% qui pénétrèrent et restèrent lors de traitement avec de l'hexane. Contre A. americanum, la perméthrine est un répulsif d'un ordre de grandeur une à deux fois supérieur à l'extrait de C. erythraea.

     

Sesquiterpenoids from the Resina Commiphora Promoting the Apoptotic Activity of PC-3 Prostate Cancer Cells

Four new germacrane-type sesquiterpenes commiphoranes M1-M4 ( 1 - 4 ) together with eighteen sesquiterpenes were isolated from the Resina Commiphora. The structures and relative configurations of new substances were determined by using spectroscopic methods. Biological activity investigation revealed that nine compounds including 7 , 9 , 14 , 16 , (+)- 17 , (−)- 17 , 18 , 19 , and 20 could induce the apoptosis of prostate cancer originated PC-3 cells, through classic apoptosis signaling pathway, even using flow cytometry showed that the compound (+)- 17 caused apoptosis of PC-3 cells more than 40 %, suggesting their potential therapeutic application in the development of novel drugs against prostate cancer.     

Effect of hypocholesterolemic agents of plant origin on catecholamine biosynthesis in normal and cholesterol fed rabbits

The effect of lipid lowering agents of plant origin garlic oil and guggulipid on the levels of catecholamine and dopamine Β-hydroxylase activity of normal and cholesterol fed rabbit tissues has been studied. The catecholamine levels and enzyme activity were found to be decreased in cholesterol (500 mg/kg body wt) fed animals. The feeding of garlic oil (5 mg/kg body wt) and guggulipid (100 mg/kg body wt) an exudate ofCommiphora mukul, to normal rabbits caused significant increase in the dopamine-Β-hydroxylase activity and catecholamine levels, while the feed helped the hypercholesterolemic rabbits to recover the decrease in catecholamine biosynthesis C.D.R.I. Communication No. 3435.     

Guggulsterone production in cell suspension cultures of the guggul tree, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Commiphora wightii</Emphasis>, grown in shake-flasks and bioreactors

Cell suspension cultures of Commiphora wightii, grown in modified MS medium containing 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (0.5 mg l⁻¹) and kinetin (0.25 mg l⁻¹), produced ∼5 μg guggulsterone g⁻¹ dry wt. In a 2 l stirred tank bioreactor, the biomass was 5.5 g l⁻¹ and total guggulsterone was 36 μg l⁻¹.     

Secondary metabolites from Commiphora opobalsamum and their antiproliferative effect on human prostate cancer cells

A cycloartane-type triterpenoid (1), an aliphatic alcohol glycoside (2), an eudesmane-type sesquiterpenoid (3), and a guaiane-type sesquiterpenoid (4) were isolated from the resinous exudates of Commiphora opobalsamum along with six known sesquiterpenoids (5-10). Their structures were established by extensive analysis of their 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopic data and chemical methods. The isolated compounds 1-3 and 5-9 were tested against human prostate cancer cell PC 3 and LNCaP. Among them, 1 and 2 showed moderate antiproliferative effects on human prostate cancer cell lines with IC50 values ranging from 5.7 to 23.6 microM; they were also able to inhibit the expression of androgen receptor (AR) in LNCaP cells. The six sesquiterpenoids were inactive in the bioassays.     

细菌、真菌共代谢转化龙血树木质形成黄酮类化合物

利用龙血树产脂部位获得的真菌菌株和细菌菌株共同转化龙血树白木质,形成了木质成分中原来没有的黄酮类化合物,表明龙血树体内存在着一类能被转化成黄酮类化合物的前体物质,龙血树这种独特的抗性机制,可能与血竭形成有关。     

枫香树属二种香树脂类生药——苏合香与枫香脂的研究概况

本文对金缕梅科枫香树属两时树脂类生药苏合香和枫香脂的研究作了总结和比较,主要包括它们的分类学、化学成分、药理作用等,并对今后的工作提出设想。     

枫香脂和苏合香的心血管药理学研究

本文比较了苏合香及枫香脂生药、精制枫香脂、枫香脂挥发油的毒性及其对心血管系统的药理作用。结果表明 ,枫香脂毒性小于苏合香。 4种样品均能提高小鼠常压下的心肌耐缺氧能力 ,其中精制枫香脂及枫香脂挥发油的作用最强 ;均可显著降低氯仿诱导的小鼠室颤发生率 ,其中精制枫香脂作用最强 ;对体外血栓干重的抑制率 ,精制枫香脂的作用强于苏合香 ;均可提高冠脉流量 ,其中精制枫香脂及枫香脂挥发油的作用强度及作用维持时间均优于苏合香 ;对离体豚鼠心功能的影响基本相似。提示以精制枫香脂取代苏合香应用于心血管疾病是可能的。     

Analysis of pharmaceutical samples of Resina Draconis by HPLC-PAD

Introduction: The quality evaluation of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) represents a particular challenge owing to the complexity of the matrix, which renders separation and identification of the individual components extremely difficult. In recent years, fingerprinting of TCMs has played a dominant role in quality control. Resina Draconis was authorised as a new TCM in 1991, but a satisfactory HPLC fingerprint method for this preparation has not yet been published. Objective: To develop a simple and reliable protocol for the quality control of Resina Draconis using an HPLC‐PAD method. Methodology: The TCM was extracted with methanol at room temperature. Chromatography was carried out using a Lichrospher C₁₈ column eluted with a linear gradient of acetonitrile (A) and water containing 0.1% phosphoric acid (B), initially at 30:70 (A:B) and changing to 60:40 in 90 min. UV (PAD) spectra were acquired in the range 210–400 nm. Results: Four chromatograms of samples of Resina Draconis obtained from different pharmaceutical factories showed 20 peaks in common. The average chromatogram was taken as a template from which the correlation coefficients and cosine ratios of the samples were determined. Whereas the contents of individual components in each sample were different, overall the samples were extremely similar one to another, and the products from different pharmaceutical factories were consistent. Conclusion: A reliable and validated HPLC method has been developed for the fingerprint analysis of Resina Draconis that can be applied for the quality control of this TCM. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Variation in E- and Z-guggulsterones of Commiphora wightii

The seasonal and geographical variations in guggulsterone content in oleo-gum resin have been examined in order to determine the optimum collection time and to identify suitable locations for large-scale cultivation of Commiphora wightii. The results clearly showed that E- and Z-guggulsterones varied significantly on seasonal basis. A higher guggulsterone concentration was observed during summer (May–July) and this was lower during winter (November–March). A wide variation in guggulsterone content was also observed in the different geographical regions in Rajasthan. The southern part of the state produced the lowest guggulsterone (< 1.19%) whereas the central, northern and western regions had higher yields (1.87–2.76%). The guggulsterone yield exhibited a positive correlation with annual rainfall between 15 and 55 cm and declined in the regions with higher rainfall (> 60 cm). Plants with high guggulsterone content can be utilized for mass multiplication and genetic improvement.