Research Journal of Pharmacognosy
Volume:4 Issue: 1, Winter 2017

Many members of the Amaryllidaceae are regarded as toxic. The toxic constituents that occur in the whole family are referred to as the Amaryllidaceae alkaloids. The main aim of this study was the identification of alkaloid compounds from Galanthus transcaucasicus Fomin, a medicinal plant from Amaryllidaceae.

Planar and column chromatography techniques were used for isolation of alkaloid components. GC/MS analysis was carried out for the identification of alkaloid compounds.

Silica gel column chromatography of the alkaloidal extract of G. transcaucasicus bulbs afforded seven fractions. Preparative thin layer chromatography of these fractions led to the isolation of compounds 1 (nerinine)and 2 (homolycorine). Galantamine was not detected in any of these fractions.

Our findings showed that G. transcaucasicus could be a new source of bioactive alkaloids for possible applications in pharmaceutical industries.

Traditional polyherbal oils are still in use in Persian Traditional Medicine (PTM). Most of these formulations are prepared via traditional procedures such as maceration of herbs in oils or evaporating aqueous herbal extracts in boiling or heating oils as the vehicle. Thus, their quality control, standardization and authentication are real challenges due to the lack of scientific studies.  The present study provided data and methods to authenticate some of these oils and has compared applicability of different fingerprinting methods for their authenticity.

Thirteen oils were prepared according to the traditional manuscripts. High performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC), ultraviolet (UV) and infrared (IR) fingerprinting data were analyzed using MATLAB software. For HPTLC fingerprints a special coding system was designed according to the Rf values. The fingerprinting data were subjected to principal components (PCs) analysis. Melting point and thermal behavior of the oils were obtained by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Also, the refractive indices, acid and peroxide values were obtained for the oils.

The designed coding system for HPTLC was successfully able to produce a discriminative unique fingerprint for each sample. Among UV, IR and HPTLC fingerprinting, the last one seemed more reliable than others to authenticate the oils. The acid values (0.22-3.85), peroxide values (2.31-34.35 meq/kg) and refractive indices (1.4622 - 1.4706) were in acceptable ranges for most of these oils.

Despite lack of knowledge about constituents of traditional polyherbal oils, this study was able to provide some data and fingerprinting methods for their authentication.

Primary dysmenorrhea has remained a health problem. This study has compared the effect of oral and topical ginger on severity and duration of primary dysmenorrhea.  

A single-blind randomized trial was conducted on 70 female students with moderate and severe primary dysmenorrhea. The participants were stratified randomized between two groups of oral and topical ginger. The oral group received 250 mg capsules of ginger powder and the topical group applied five drops of ginger oil topically every 6 hours from two days before through the first three days of menstruation for three cycles. The severity and duration of pain, and the number of mefenamic acid consumption were assessed in each cycle. Before-after changes were evaluated in each group and were compared between two groups.

The reduction of pain severity was 3(±3.2) in the topical compared to 2.6(±3.4) in the oral group (p<0.001). The reduction of pain duration was 14.5(±20.1) h in the topical compared to 14.5(±19.8) h in the oral group (p<0.001). The reduction of mefenamic consumption was 0.4(±1.6) in the topical (p=0.9) compared to 0.5(±1.3) in the oral group (p=0.006). The reduction in pain severity, duration and mefenamic consumption were similar between two groups (p>0.05). Complications were observed in 54.2% of participants in oral group.

This study showed that ginger in both oral and topical forms showed similar positive effects on decreasing the severity and duration of pain in primary dysmenorrhea; however, the topical ginger oil was a better choice because it showed no complications.

 Squill [Drimia maritima (L.) Stearn] is an important medicinal plant that has been used for medicinal purposes such as cardiovascular diseases and asthma since ancient times. Bufadienolides are the main compounds of this plant and are responsible for some reported adverse effects. In order to reduce adverse effects, different methods like boiling with vinegar were applied by traditional practitioners. In the present study, the acute oral toxicity, cytotoxic effects, proscillaridin A content and antibacterial properties of methanol and vinegar extracts of squill white variety were compared for exploring the efficacy of traditional processing method.

Different doses of extracts (1000-5000 mg/kg) were administered during oral gavage in rats to analyze the acute oral toxicity. Cytotoxicity against HT-29, Caco-2 and NIH3T3 cell lines and antibacterial activity (Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli) were investigated using MTT assay and conventional agar dilution method, respectively. Proscillaridin A content was evaluated in the extracts (vinager and methanol) by a validated high performance liquid chromatography method.

During the in vivo research no death or observed effect occurred in animals that received the extracts. Our results showed that all of the extracts exhibited no cytotoxic effects in experimented cell lines (IC50>1000 μg/mL). Proscillaridin A was only detected in the methanol extract and no significant antibacterial effect was detected in methanol extract.

According to results of the present study, processing squill with vinegar according to traditional experiences can reduce possible the side effects of bufadienolids.

Scrophularia umbrosa Dumort is used as a traditional herb in China. In this study, chemical profile, free radical suppression capability, general toxicity and cardiovascular activities of the volatile compounds from S. umbrosa were investigated. Moreover, methanol (MeOH) extract of rhizomes were analyzed to purify and identify the constituents. 

GC/MS was used to identify chemical combination of the volatile oil. Suppression of free radicals of the volatile oil was examined by DPPH method. Also, the essential oil was evaluated for its general toxicity and cardiovascular activity using brine shrimp lethality bioassay and organ bath method, respectively. Preparative HPLC and NMR were applied for investigating the MeOH extract composition. 

Forty one Ingredients were recognized, displaying about 93.08 % of the total volatile oil constituents Ketones (38.49%) with hexahydrofarnesyl acetone (26.18%), phytol (11.86%), palmitic acid (8.92%), β-damascenone (4.1%) and copaene (3.82%) were the main components. The essential oil showed weak free radical scavenging activity (RC50=13.71±0.75 mg/mL). Relatively high levels of toxicity were observed with the essential oil of S. umbrosa in comparison with podophyllotoxin. Likewise, the essential oil was able to induced vasorelaxantion in isolated rat aortic rings both in presence and absence of endothelium at a similar rate. An iridoid compounds (sesamoside) was isolated from the MeOH extract of S. umbrosa.

Chemical diversity is probably responsible for various pharmacological activities. However, the essential oil of this plant showed toxicity in preliminary toxicity test;  so its toxic effect should be more investigated by various cell lines.

Otostegia persica (Burm.) Boiss. is an endemic plant of Iran with various applications in traditional medicine which contains of several antioxidant constituents. This research was aimed to investigate the effect of hydroalcoholic extract from O. persica aerial parts in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) using hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) as an inducer of oxidative damage.

The total phenolics content of the extract was estimated using Folin-Ciocalteu method. The probable cytotoxicity of O. persica extract and also its cytoprotective effect on HUVEC cells against oxidative stress was assessed using 3-(4,5- Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The intra and extra-cellular hydroperoxides concentration and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) were determined in pretreated cells.

Total phenolics content was found to be 42.41±0.1 mg tanic acid equivalent/g of thedried extract. No cytotoxic effect was observed from O. persica extract in the range of 25-250 µg/mL. Pretreatment of HUVECs with O. persica extract with the concentrations of 50-250 µg/mL significantly reduced the cytotoxic effect of H2O2. Otostegia persica extract attenuated the concentration of hydroperoxides and increased FRAP value in intra- and extra-cellular fluids at different concentration ranges.

This study indicated the antioxidant and cytoprotective activities of O. persica extract against H2O2-induced oxidative stress in HUVEC cells; however, more researches are required for finding the precise mechanism and assessing its clinical value.

The seedsof Sophora alopecuroides L. var. alopecuroides may benefit treatment of opioid dependence. Therefore, the plant alkaloid composition, toxicity and effects on morphine withdrawal were studied.

The alkaloid composition was determined by GC and GC/MS analysis. Mice were made dependent by morphine injected 3 times a day for 3 days. The withdrawal jumping and diarrhea were induced by administration of naloxone 2 h after the 10th injection of morphine on the day 4. The ethanol 90% extract (100, 200, 300 mg/kg), alkaloid fraction (5, 10, 20 mg/kg), morphine (50 mg/kg) or saline were injected 30 min before naloxone. All drugs were injected subcutaneously to groups each consisting of 10 mice. To assess toxicity, different doses of the ethanol or aqueous extracts dissolved in normal saline were gavaged once to groups each consisting of 30 mice. Afterward, the numbers of dead animals within 72 h after gavage were counted and LD50 was calculated.

Matrine, cytisine, sophoridine, n-methyl cytisine, sophocarpine and sophoramine were the major alkaloids. All doses of the total extract, alkaloid fraction and morphine decreased jumping and diarrhea significantly compared to the saline (p<0.001). The effects of the total extract and alkaloid fraction were not significantly different from morphine (p>0.05). The ethanol and aqueous extracts LD50 were 355 mg/kg and 540 mg/kg, respectively.

The plant inhibited opioid withdrawal with efficacy comparable to morphine. The alkaloids may be involved in the effect. The ethanol and aqueous extracts are moderately and slightly orally toxic, respectively.

Quercus brantii subsp. persica is used in folk medicine to treat infections in Iran. There is not available report on the anti-biofilm activity of Quercus brantii subsp.  persica. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of Quercus brantii subsp. persica against bacterial biofilms.

Eighty biofilm producing strains of Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were collected. Quercus brantii subsp. persica fruits aqueous extraction (QBAE) was prepared though maceration method. Chemical analysis to distinguish the main components of the QBAE was carried out using thin-layer chromatography. The antibacterial effects of QBAE on bacterial isolates were determined by the Kirby-Bauer and broth microdilution methods. The antibiofilm effects of QBAE on bacterial isolates were determined using a microtiter assay.

The Quercus brantii subsp. persica exhibited bacterial growth inhibition and bactericidal activity on the majority of the strains at concentrations between 0.2 and 1.2 mg/mL. The average of biofilm formation inhibition by Quercus brantii subsp. persica at a minimum inhibitory concentration MIC50 in Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Staphylococcus aureus strains were 35%, 45%, 57% and 61%, respectively. coumarins, phenols, terpenes and steroids were found in the QBAE by TLC.

The results showed that Quercus brantii subsp. persica aqueous extraction was effective against the tested microorganisms and showed anti-biofilm activity which can be a basis for future studies to investigate for new anti-biofilm drugs.