Instant Tranquil Ability™

1. Effects of chronic treatment with a water-alcohol extract from Erythrina mulungu on anxiety-related responses in rats.
Onusic GM, Nogueira RL, Pereira AM, Flausino Junior OA, Viana Mde B.Laboratory of Psychopharmacology, FFCLRP, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil. Biol Pharm Bull. 2003 Nov;26(11):1538-42.
PMID: 14600397 [PubMed - in process]
J Pharm Pharmacol. 2004 Mar;56(3):389-93.

2. Central activity of hydroalcoholic extracts from Erythrina velutina and Erythrina mulungu in mice.
Vasconcelos SM, Macedo DS, de Melo CT, Paiva Monteiro A, Rodrigues AC, Silveira ER, Cunha GM, Sousa FC,
Viana GS.Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Federal University of Ceara, Rua Cel. Nunes de Melo 1127,
CEP 60431-270, Fortaleza, Brazil. claussil@bol.com.br
PMID: 15025865 [PubMed - in process]
Braz J Med Biol Res. 2002 Apr;35(4):473-7.

3. Effect of acute treatment with a water-alcohol extract of Erythrina mulungu on anxiety-related responses in rats.
Onusic GM, Nogueira RL, Pereira AM, Viana MB.Laboratorio de Psicofarmacologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciencias e Letras de Ribeirao Preto, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Ribeirao Preto, SP, Brasil.
PMID: 11960198 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Biol Pharm Bull. 2003 Jul;26(7):946-9

4. Antinociceptive activities of the hydroalcoholic extracts from Erythrina velutina and Erythrina mulungu in mice.
Vasconcelos SM, Reboucas Oliveira G, Mohana de Carvalho M, Rodrigues AC, Rocha Silveira E, Maria Franca Fonteles
M, Florenco Sousa FC, Barros Viana GS.Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Federal University of Ceara,
Brazil.
PMID: 12843615 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Tayuya ‘Cayaponia tayuya’

5. Effect of stress and the adaptogen cucurbitacin R diglycoside on arachidonic acid metabolism [Article in Russian]
Panosian AG, Dadaian MA, Gevorkian GA.
PMID: 2497457 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

6. Prostaglandin E2 and F2 alpha and 5-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid levels in the blood of immobilized rats: effect of dihydrocucurbitacin D diglucoside]
[Article in Russian] Dadaian MA, Panosian AG, Karagezian KG, Gevorkian GA.
PMID: 3867195 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

7. Cucurbitacin R glycoside--a regulator of steroidogenesis and of the formation of prostaglandin E2--a specific modulator of the hypothalamus-hypophysis-adrenal cortex system [Article in Russian]
Panosian AG, Dadaian MA, Gabrielian ES.
PMID: 3479194 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Wild Lettuce ‘Lactuca virosa’

8. Analgesic and sedative activities of lactucin and some lactucin-like guaianolides in mice.
Wesolowska A, Nikiforuk A, Michalska K, Kisiel W, Chojnacka-Wojcik E.
Department of New Drugs Research, Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 12 Smetna Str., 31-343 Krakow, Poland.
PMID: 16621374 [PubMed - in process]

9. Lettuce, Lactuca spp., as a medicinal plant in polish publications of the 19th century [Article in Polish]
Trojanowska A.
Instytut Historii Nauki PAN Warszawa.
PMID: 17153150 [PubMed - in process]

10. Research on the preparation of lactucin and lactucopicrin from Lactuca virosa plants. 15. On the enzymatic and non-enzymatic oxidation of therapeutically active plant substances. [Article in German]

SCHENCK G, LOTH H, REUBERT W.
PMID: 13747469 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
California Poppy ‘Eschscholzia californica’

11. Alkaloids from Eschscholzia californica and their capacity to inhibit binding of [3H]8-Hydroxy-2-(di-N-propylamino)tetralin to 5-HT1A receptors in Vitro.
Gafner S, Dietz BM, McPhail KL, Scott IM, Glinski JA, Russell FE, McCollom MM, Budzinski JW, Foster BC, Bergeron C, Rhyu MR, Bolton JL.
Tom’s of Maine, 302 Lafayette Center, Kennebunk, Maine 04043, USA. stefang@tomsofmaine.com
PMID: 16562853 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

12. Knockdown of berberine bridge enzyme by RNAi accumulates (S)-reticuline and activates a silent pathway in cultured California poppy cells.
Fujii N, Inui T, Iwasa K, Morishige T, Sato F. Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology of Totipotency, Division of Integrated Life Science, Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan, fsato@lif.kyoto-u.ac.jp.
PMID: 17103244 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher

13. Biochemical evidence that berberine bridge enzyme belongs to a novel family of flavoproteins containing a bi-covalently attached FAD cofactor.
Winkler A, Hartner F, Kutchan TM, Glieder A, Macheroux P.
Graz University of Technology, Institute of Biochemistry, Austria.
PMID: 16728404 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Chu Chu Huasi ‘Maytenus macrocarpa’

14. New natural sesquiterpenes as modulators of daunomycin resistance in a multidrug-resistant Leishmania tropica line.
Perez-Victoria JM, Tincusi BM, Jimenez IA, Bazzocchi IL, Gupta MP, Castanys S, Gamarro F, Ravelo AG.
Instituto de Parasitologia y Biomedicina “Lopez-Neyra”, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas, Ventanilla, 11,18001 Granada, Spain.
PMID: 10543882 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

15. Chuchuhuasha - a drug used in folk medicine in the Amazonian and Andean areas. Achemical study of Maytenus laevis.
Gonzalez JG; delle Monache G; delle Monache F; Marini-Bettol GB
J Ethnopharmacol, 5: 1, 1982 Jan, 73-7
Astragalus ‘Astragalus membranaceous’

16. Preliminary study of traditional Chinese medicine treatment of minimal brain dysfunction: analysis of 100 cases [Article in Chinese]
Zhang H, Huang J.
Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou College of TCM.
PMID: 2397543 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

17. Studies on pharmacological junctions of hairy root of Astragalus membranaceus [Article in Chinese]
Jin R, Zhang X, Chen C, Sun Z, Shen Y, Liu D, Hu Z.
Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200032.
PMID: 12205961 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Cat’s Claw ‘Uncaria tomentosa’

18. Antioxidant activity of ethanolic and aqueous extracts of Uncaria tomentosa (Willd.)
DC.Pilarski R, Zielinski H, Ciesiolka D, Gulewicz K.
Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Noskowskiego str. 12/14, 61-704 Poznan, Poland.

19. Antiinflammatory actions of cat’s claw: the role of NF-kappa
B.Sandoval-Chacon M, Thompson JH, Zhang XJ, Liu X, Mannick EE, Sadowska-Krowicka H, Charbonnet RM, Clark DA, Miller MJ.
LSU Medical Center, Department of Paediatrics and Stanley S. Scott Cancer Center, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA.
PMID: 9882039 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Muira Puama ‘Liriosma ovata’

20. Memory retrieval improvement by Ptychopetalum olacoides in young and aging mice.
da Silva AL, Piato AL, Bardini S, Netto CA, Nunes DS, Elisabetsky E.
Laboratorio de Etnofarmacologia, ICBS, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Sarmento Leite 500/202, 90046-900
Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
PMID: 15507336 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

21. Neuroprotective effects of Ptychopetalum olacoides Bentham (Olacaceae) on oxygen and glucose deprivation induced damage in rat hippocampal slices.
Siqueira IR, Cimarosti H, Fochesatto C, Nunes DS, Salbego C, Elisabetsky E, Netto CA.
Departamento de Bioquimica Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. ionara@ufrgs.br
PMID: 15302233 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

22. Ptychopetalum olacoides, a traditional Amazonian “nerve tonic”, possesses anticholinesterase activity.
Siqueira IR, Fochesatto C, da Silva AL, Nunes DS, Battastini AM, Netto CA, Elisabetsky E.
Departamento de Bioquimica, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, RS, 90035-003, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
PMID: 12895682 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Mulungu ‘Erythrina mulungu’

1. Effects of chronic treatment with a water-alcohol extract from Erythrina mulungu on anxiety-related responses in rats.
Onusic GM, Nogueira RL, Pereira AM, Flausino Junior OA, Viana Mde B.Laboratory of Psychopharmacology, FFCLRP, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil. Biol Pharm Bull. 2003 Nov;26(11):1538-42.
We investigated the effects of chronic oral treatment with a water-alcohol extract from the inflorescence of Erythrina mulungu (Leguminosae-Papilionaceae) (EM, 50, 100, 200 mg/kg) in rats submitted to different anxiety models: the elevated T-maze (ETM, for inhibitory avoidance and escape measurements), the light/dark transition, and the cat odor test. These models were selected for their capacity to elicit specific subtypes of anxiety disorders as recognized in clinical practice. Treatment with EM impaired inhibitory avoidance latencies in a way similar to the reference drug, diazepam (DZP). Additionally, both EM and DZP increased the number of transitions and the time spent in the lighted compartment of the light/dark transition model. Furthermore, neither EM nor DZP altered behavioral responses of rats to a cloth impregnated with cat odor. In contrast to DZP, however, EM also altered ETM one-way escape. These results were not due to motor alterations since no significant effects were detected in the number of crossings or rearings in the arena. The present observations suggest that chronic EM exerts anxiolytic-like effects in defensive behaviors related to generalized anxiety and panic disorder. Although alkaloids appear to be one of the main constituents of EM, the possible mechanisms through which the extract exerts its anxiolytic action should be further investigated.
PMID: 14600397 [PubMed - in process]
J Pharm Pharmacol. 2004 Mar;56(3):389-93.

2. Central activity of hydroalcoholic extracts from Erythrina velutina and Erythrina mulungu in mice.
Vasconcelos SM, Macedo DS, de Melo CT, Paiva Monteiro A, Rodrigues AC, Silveira ER, Cunha GM, Sousa FC,
Viana GS.Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Federal University of Ceara, Rua Cel. Nunes de Melo 1127,
CEP 60431-270, Fortaleza, Brazil. claussil@bol.com.br
This work studied the central behavioural effects of hydroalcoholic extracts from the stem bark of Erythrina velutina and Erythrina mulungu on the elevated plus maze, open field, and rota rod tests in mice. These medicinal plants belong to the Fabaceae family and are popularly used in Brazil for their effects on the central nervous system. Single doses of the extracts were administered orally (200, 400 or 800 mg kg(-1)) or intraperitoneally (200 or 400 mg kg(-1)) to female mice. A reduction of the locomotor activity was observed in the open field test with both hydroalcoholic extracts after intraperitoneal treatment with all doses, but only with the highest dose after oral administration. In addition, oral and intraperitoneal administration of the extracts decreased the incidence of rearing and grooming. Decreases in the number of entries in the open (NEOA) and closed (NECA) arms of the elevated plus maze were observed after the administration of the highest dose (800 mg kg(-1), p.o.) of both hydroalcoholic extracts, and this effect may be due to the decrease in locomotor activity. These hydroalcoholic extracts failed to affect the motor coordination in the rota rod test. In conclusion, we showed that the hydroalcoholic extracts of E. velutina and E. mulungu have depressant effects on the central nervous system, which, at least partially, corroborates the popular use of these species as tranquilizers in Brazilian popular medicine.
PMID: 15025865 [PubMed - in process]
Braz J Med Biol Res. 2002 Apr;35(4):473-7.

3. Effect of acute treatment with a water-alcohol extract of Erythrina mulungu on anxiety-related responses in rats.
Onusic GM, Nogueira RL, Pereira AM, Viana MB.Laboratorio de Psicofarmacologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciencias e Letras de Ribeirao Preto, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Ribeirao Preto, SP, Brasil.
We investigated the effect of acute oral treatment with a water-alcohol extract of the inflorescence of Erythrina mulungu (EM, Leguminosae-Papilionaceae) (100, 200 and 400 mg/kg) on rats submitted to different anxiety models: the elevated T-maze (for inhibitory avoidance and escape measurements), the light/dark transition, and the cat odor test. These models were selected for their presumed capacity to demonstrate specific subtypes of anxiety disorders as recognized in clinical practice. Treatment with 200 mg/kg EM impaired avoidance latencies (avoidance 1 - 200 mg/kg EM: 18 +/- 7 s, control group: 40 +/- 9 s; avoidance 2 - 200 mg/kg EM: 15 +/- 4 s, control group: 110.33 +/- 38 s) in a way similar to the reference drug diazepam (avoidance 1: 3 +/- 0.79 s; avoidance 2: 3 +/- 0.76 s), without altering escape. Additionally, the same treatments increased the number of transitions (200 mg/kg EM: 6.33 +/- 0.90, diazepam: 10 +/- 1.54, control group: 2.78 +/- 0.60) between the two compartments and the time spent in the lighted compartment in the light/dark transition model (200 mg/kg EM: 39 +/- 7 s; diazepam: 61 +/- 9 s; control group: 14 +/- 4 s). The dose of 400 mg/kg EM also increased this last measurement (38 +/- 8 s). These results were not due to motor alterations since no significant effects were detected in the number of crossings or rearings in the arena. Furthermore, neither EM nor diazepam altered the behavioral responses of rats to a cloth impregnated with cat odor. These observations suggest that EM exerts anxiolytic-like effects on a specific subset of defensive behaviors, particularly those that have been shown to be sensitive to low doses of benzodiazepines.
PMID: 11960198 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Biol Pharm Bull. 2003 Jul;26(7):946-9

4. Antinociceptive activities of the hydroalcoholic extracts from Erythrina velutina and Erythrina mulungu in mice.
Vasconcelos SM, Reboucas Oliveira G, Mohana de Carvalho M, Rodrigues AC, Rocha Silveira E, Maria Franca Fonteles
M, Florenco Sousa FC, Barros Viana GS.Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Federal University of Ceara, Brazil.
This work studied the antinociceptive effects of the hydroalcoholic extracts (HAEs) from Erythrina velutina (Ev) and Erythrina mulungu (Em) in three experimental models of nociception in mice. The extract was administered intraperitoneally to female mice at the doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg. Inhibitions of abdominal contractions were observed with the doses of 200 (88.6%; 86.8%) and 400 (95.5%; 83.5%) mg/kg of E. velutina and E. mulungu, respectively, as compared to controls. E. velutina and E. mulungu, at both doses, reduced the nociception produced by formalin in the 1st and 2nd phases and this effect was not reversed by the pretreatment with naloxone. In the hot plate test an increase of the reaction time was observed only at 60 (Ev=18.0+/-2.2; Em=20.8+/-2.52) and 90 min (Ev=20.4+/-1.71; Em=23.7+/-2.32) after the treatment with E. velutina and E. mulungu at the dose of 400 mg/kg as compared to controls (T60=11.1+/-0.74; T90=11.9+/-0.86). This effect was not reversed by naloxone. We conclude that E. velutina and E. mulungu presents antinociceptive effects, which are independent of the opioid system.
PMID: 12843615 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Tayuya ‘Cayaponia tayuya’

5. Effect of stress and the adaptogen cucurbitacin R diglycoside on arachidonic acid metabolism [Article in Russian]
Panosian AG, Dadaian MA, Gevorkian GA.
Rat leukocytic lipoxygenase activity is decreased in stress. The production of 12-hydroxy-5z, 8z, 10E heptadecatrienic acid (12-HHT) (the product of cyclooxygenase metabolism of arachidonic acid-AA) is increased. Cucurbitacin R diglucoside (CRD), an adaptogen, raising working capacity and corticosteroid secretion, produces a similar effect on leukocytes. Preliminary injection of CRD to animals prevents changes caused by stress, which indicates a CRD adaptogenic effect on the body.
PMID: 2497457 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

6. Prostaglandin E2 and F2 alpha and 5-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid levels in the blood of immobilized rats: effect of dihydrocucurbitacin D diglucoside]
[Article in Russian] Dadaian MA, Panosian AG, Karagezian KG, Gevorkian GA.
Content of prostaglandin E2 was decreased more than 6-fold in blood plasma of immobilized rats; on the other hand, concentration of 5-hydroxytetraenoic acid was increased more than 3-fold. No distinct alterations were noted in the prostaglandin F2 alpha content. Intraperitoneal preadministration of 0.1 mg/kg of 2 beta, 25-di (beta-D-glucopyranosyl)-16 alpha; 20-dihydroxy-3, 11, 22-trioxo-cucurbit-5-en into the animals, which as far as is known to augment the working capacity of mice, prevented the stress-induced alterations in the eicosanoid contents in blood plasma.
PMID: 3867195 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

7. Cucurbitacin R glycoside--a regulator of steroidogenesis and of the formation of prostaglandin E2--a specific modulator of the hypothalamus-hypophysis-adrenal cortex system [Article in Russian]
Panosian AG, Dadaian MA, Gabrielian ES.
2 beta,25-di(0-beta-D-glucopyranosyloxy)-16 alpha,20-dihydroxycucurbit-5-en-3,11,22-trione (cucurbitacin R glucoside--CRG), isolated from Bryonia alba roots, stimulates corticosterone secretion in the adrenal cortex of rats and augments the working capacity of mice. If rats after CRG injections were exposed to immobilization stress, the level of corticosterone in the adrenal cortex and blood plasma was not increased, like in the control groups of rats not receiving CRG. The level of prostaglandin E2 in the adrenal cortex was increased during stress and after CRG administration. These findings indicate that CRG regulates steroidogenesis by influencing the activity of prostaglandin G2-prostaglandin E2 isomerase.
PMID: 3479194 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Wild Lettuce ‘Lactuca virosa’

8. Analgesic and sedative activities of lactucin and some lactucin-like guaianolides in mice.
Wesolowska A, Nikiforuk A, Michalska K, Kisiel W, Chojnacka-Wojcik E.
Department of New Drugs Research, Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 12 Smetna Str., 31-343 Krakow, Poland.
Lactucin (1) and its derivatives lactucopicrin (2) and 11beta,13-dihydrolactucin (3), which are characteristic bitter sesquiterpene lactones of Lactuca virosa and Cichorium intybus, were evaluated for analgesic and sedative properties in mice. The compounds showed analgesic effects at doses of 15 and 30 mg/kg in the hot plate test similar to that of ibuprofen, used as a standard drug, at a dose of 30 mg/kg. The analgesic activities of the compounds at a dose of 30 mg/kg in the tail-flick test were comparable to that of ibuprofen given at a dose of 60 mg/kg. Lactucopicrin appeared to be the most potent analgetic of the three tested compounds. Lactucin and lactucopicrin, but not 11beta,13-dihydrolactucin, also showed sedative properties in the spontaneous locomotor activity test.
PMID: 16621374 [PubMed - in process]

9. Lettuce, lactuca sp., as a medicinal plant in polish publications of the 19th century [Article in Polish]
Trojanowska A.
Instytut Historii Nauki PAN Warszawa.
Mentions of lettuce Lactuca sp. that have appeared since antiquity contained similar information on its curative properties, but such properties were ascribed to different species or varieties. Apart from the wild and poisonous lettuce, also garden or common lettuce were identified as having curative action, and some publications lacked information enabling the precise identification of the lettuce in question. In the 19th century, attempts were made to put some order into the knowledge of lettuce as a medicinal plant. Information contained in Polish medical studies of the 19th century on lettuce points to the poisonous species, Lactuca virosa, and the common or garden lettuce, Lactuca sativa v. Lactuca hortensis, as being used as a medicinal plant. In that period, lettuce and especially the the desiccated lactescent juice obtained from it, lactucarium, were considered to be an intoxicant, and were used as a sedative and an analgesic. The action of the substance was weaker than that of opium but free of the side-effects, and medical practice showed that in some cases lactucarium produced better curative effects than opium. To corroborate those properties of lettuce and its lactescent juice, studies were undertaken to find the substance responsible for the curative effects of the juice. However, such studies failed to produce the expected results, and the component responsible for the curative properties of letuce was not identified. Medical practice thus had to restrict itself to the uses of the desiccated lactescent juice and extracts obtained from it. The possibility of obtaining lactucarium from plants cultivated in Poland caused Polish pharmacists and physicians to take an interest in the stuff and launch their own research of lettuce and the lactescent juice obtained from it. Results of research on lettuce were published in 19th-century journals by, among others, Jan Fryderyk Wolfgang, Florian Sawiczewski and Jozef Orkisz.
PMID: 17153150 [PubMed - in process]

10. Research on the preparation of lactucin and lactucopicrin from Lactuca virosa plants. 15. On the enzymatic and non-enzymatic oxidation of therapeutically active plant substances. [Article in German]
SCHENCK G, LOTH H, REUBERT W.
PMID: 13747469 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
California Poppy ‘Eschscholzia californica’

11. Alkaloids from Eschscholzia californica and their capacity to inhibit binding of [3H]8-Hydroxy-2-(di-N-propylamino)tetralin to 5-HT1A receptors in Vitro.
Gafner S, Dietz BM, McPhail KL, Scott IM, Glinski JA, Russell FE, McCollom MM, Budzinski JW, Foster BC, Bergeron C, Rhyu MR, Bolton JL.
Tom’s of Maine, 302 Lafayette Center, Kennebunk, Maine 04043, USA. stefang@tomsofmaine.com
A 70% ethanol extract of California poppy (Eschscholzia californica) was able to bind to 5-HT(1A) and 5-HT(7) receptors at 100 mug/mL. The subsequent isolation procedure yielded the known alkaloids californidine (1), escholtzine (2), N-methyllaurotetanine (3), caryachine (4), and O-methylcaryachine (5), along with a new pavine alkaloid, 6S,12S-neocaryachine-7-O-methyl ether N-metho salt (7). The structure of 7 was determined by spectroscopic data interpretation, while the absolute stereochemistry was determined by means of circular dichroism. From the results obtained from the radioligand-binding assay of the pure compounds, including the commercially available protopine (6), it was evident that the activity on the 5-HT(1A) receptor was at least partly due to the presence of the aporphine alkaloid 3, which showed the highest inhibition of [(3)H]8-hydroxy-2-(di-N-propylamino)tetralin ([(3)H]8-OH-DPAT) binding with an EC(50) value of 155 nM and a K(i) of 85 nM.
PMID: 16562853 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

12. Knockdown of berberine bridge enzyme by RNAi accumulates (S)-reticuline and activates a silent pathway in cultured California poppy cells.
Fujii N, Inui T, Iwasa K, Morishige T, Sato F. Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology of Totipotency, Division of Integrated Life Science, Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan, fsato@lif.kyoto-u.ac.jp.
Reticuline is a key compound in the biosynthetic pathway for isoquinoline alkaloids in plants, which include morphine, codeine and berberine. We established cultured California poppy (Eschscholzia californica) cells, in which berberine bridge enzyme (BBE) was knocked down by RNA interference, to accumulate the important key intermediate reticuline. Both BBE mRNA accumulation and enzyme activity were effectively suppressed in transgenic cells. In these transgenic cells, end-products of isoquinoline alkaloid biosynthesis, such as sanguinarine, were considerably reduced and reticuline was accumulated at a maximum level of 310 mug/g-fresh weight. In addition, 1 g-fresh weight of these cells secreted significant amounts of reticuline into the medium, with a maximum level of 6 mg/20 mL culture medium. These cells also produced a methylated derivative of reticuline, laudanine, which could scarcely be detected in control cells. We discuss the potential application of RNAi technology in metabolic modification and the flexibility of plant secondary metabolism.
PMID: 17103244 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher

13. Biochemical evidence that berberine bridge enzyme belongs to a novel family of flavoproteins containing a bi-covalently attached FAD cofactor.
Winkler A, Hartner F, Kutchan TM, Glieder A, Macheroux P.
Graz University of Technology, Institute of Biochemistry, Austria.
Berberine bridge enzyme (BBE) is involved in the transformation of (S)-reticuline to (S)-scoulerine in benzophenanthridine alkaloid biosynthesis of plants. In this report, we describe the high level expression of BBE encoded by the gene from Eschscholzia californica (California poppy) in the methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris employing the secretory pathway of the host organism. Using a two-step chromatographic purification protocol, 120 mg of BBE could be obtained from 1 liter of fermentation culture. The purified protein exhibits a turnover number for substrate conversion of 8.2 s(-1). The recombinant enzyme is glycosylated and carries a covalently attached FAD cofactor. In addition to the previously known covalent attachment of the 8alpha-position of the flavin ring system to a histidine (His-104), we could also demonstrate that a covalent linkage between the 6-position and a thiol group of a cysteine residue (Cys-166) is present in BBE. The major evidence for the occurrence of a bi-covalently attached FAD cofactor is provided by N-terminal amino acid sequencing and mass spectrometric analysis of the isolated flavin-containing peptide. Furthermore, it could be shown that anaerobic photoirradiation leads to cleavage of the linkage between the 6-cysteinyl group yielding 6-mercaptoflavin and a peptide with the cysteine residue replaced by alanine due to breakage of the C-S bond. Overall, BBE is shown to exhibit typical flavoprotein oxidase properties as exemplified by the occurrence of an anionic flavin semiquinone species and formation of a flavin N(5)-sulfite adduct.
PMID: 16728404 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Chu Chu Huasi ‘Maytenus macrocarpa’

14. New natural sesquiterpenes as modulators of daunomycin resistance in a multidrug-resistant Leishmania tropica line.
Perez-Victoria JM, Tincusi BM, Jimenez IA, Bazzocchi IL, Gupta MP, Castanys S, Gamarro F, Ravelo AG.
Instituto de Parasitologia y Biomedicina “Lopez-Neyra”, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas, Ventanilla, 11,18001 Granada, Spain.
The effects produced by nine dihydro-beta-agarofuran sesquiterpenes isolated from Crossopetalum tonduzii (1-8) and Maytenus macrocarpa (9) (Celastraceae) on the reversion of the resistant phenotype on a multidrug-resistant Leishmania line and their binding to recombinant C-terminal nucleotide-binding domain of Leishmania P-glycoprotein-like transporter were studied. The structures of the new compounds (1-5) were elucidated by spectroscopic methods, including (1)H-(13)C heteronuclear correlation (HMQC), long-range correlation spectra with inversal detection (HMBC), ROESY experiments, and chemical correlations. The absolute configuration of one of them (1) was determined by CD studies. The structure-activity relationship is discussed.
PMID: 10543882 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

15. Chuchuhuasha - a drug used in folk medicine in the Amazonian and Andean areas. Achemical study of Maytenus laevis.
Gonzalez JG; delle Monache G; delle Monache F; Marini-Bettol GB
J Ethnopharmacol, 5: 1, 1982 Jan, 73-7
In the high Amazonian basin a plant named chuchuasha, (or chuchuaso) is used in traditional medicine for several purposes in the form of an alcoholic extract. This plant, a Maytenus species, most probably Maytenus laevis, grows in the subandean region of the Amazonian basin (Peru, Ecuador, Colombia). Antitumor and anti-inflammatory properties were recently attributed to the extracts of the root bark of the plant. The composition of the extract of M. laevis from the Putumayo area of Colombia was studied in order to establish the active principle responsible for these activities. The presence of phenoldienones (tingenone, 22-hydroxytingenone), a catechin (4’-methyl-(-)-epigallocatechin) and proanthocyanidins (Ouratea-proanthocyanidins A and B) was established. The biological activities of these compounds confirm the properties of the extracts of the plant claimed by traditional medicine.
Astragalus ‘Astragalus membranaceous’

16. Preliminary study of traditional Chinese medicine treatment of minimal brain dysfunction: analysis of 100 cases [Article in Chinese]
Zhang H, Huang J.
Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou College of TCM.
This paper reports the clinical treatment of 100 patients with minimal brain dysfunction (MBD), their age ranged from 7-14.2 years, and the average age was 10.5. Patients were divided into TCM and WM group randomly. The TCM group (80 cases) were treated with the therapy of subdueing hyperactivity of the Liver and invigorating the function of the Spleen by using: Bupleurum chinense, Scutellaria baicalensis, Astragalus membranaceus, Codonopsis pilosula, Ligustrum lucidum, Lophatherum gracile and thread of ivory. The WM group (20 cases) were treated with retalin 5-15 mg twice daily. One course of treatment lasted one month, and effects were evaluated after 1-3 courses of treatment. The results were as follows: In the TCM group, 23 cases were cured (clinical symptom and sign disappeared, 10 IQ units were raised in their intelligence, abnormal electroencephalogram was recovered and there was no recurrence during the first six months after recovery). 46 cases were improved (clinical symptom and sign markedly improved, 4 IQ units raised in intelligence and electroencephalogram improved), and 11 cases ineffective. The effective rate was 86.25%. In the WM group, 6 cases were cured, 12 cases improved and 2 cases ineffective, the clinical effective rate being 90.0%. There was no significant difference between the two groups in this study, but, the side-effects of the TCM group was less than the WM group, and the TCM group had more beneficial effects to improve intelligence, enuresis and the black of orbits. The study showed that the Verbal Scale in Wechsler Intelligence Scale for children is one of the indications of diagnosis and evaluating of the curative effect of MBD.
PMID: 2397543 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

17. Studies on pharmacological junctions of hairy root of Astragalus membranaceus [Article in Chinese]
Jin R, Zhang X, Chen C, Sun Z, Shen Y, Liu D, Hu Z.
Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200032.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of hairy root of Astragalus membranaceus(HRA). METHOD: HRA were given 10 g/kg per day for 50 days to aged mice treated with D-galactose, and the effect on memory and antioxidant functions were estimated. After administration of HRA 10 g/kg for four days, anti-ischemia-reperfusion kidney model of rat was prepared. The kidney function, activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and content of malondialdehyde(MDA) in kidney were examined. Mice with immunosuppression induced by cyclophosphamide were given orally HRA 10 g/kg for 12 days. The activity of natural killer (NK) cells was measured. RESULT: HRA improved the memory, raised SOD activity in brain and liver, decreased the MDA content in the liver of aged mice, reduced the MDA content in ischemia-reperfusion kidney, decreased the creatinine level in blood of rats, and promoted the activity of NK cells in immunosuppressed mice. CONCLUSION: Similar to the natural A. membranaceus, HRA has senility-preventing, antioxidizing and immunomodulating functions.
PMID: 12205961 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Cat’s Claw ‘Uncaria tomentosa’

18. Antioxidant activity of ethanolic and aqueous extracts of Uncaria tomentosa (Willd.)
DC.Pilarski R, Zielinski H, Ciesiolka D, Gulewicz K.
Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Noskowskiego str. 12/14, 61-704 Poznan, Poland.
The antioxidant properties of aqueous and ethanolic extracts of the Uncaria tomentosa bark were evaluated. The analysis included trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC), peroxyl radical-trapping capacity (PRTC), superoxide radical scavenging activity (SOD) and quantitation of total tannins (TT) and total phenolic compounds (TPC). The obtained results indicate high antioxidant capacity of the studied materials in comparison to the other extracts of fruits, vegetables, cereals and medicinal plants. Higher antioxidant activity and total phenolic compounds of the alcoholic preparations -- TEAC=0.57 mmol of Trolox/g, PRTC=0.52 mmol of Trolox/g and SOD=0.39 U/mg than of the aqueous preparation -- TEAC=0.34 mmol of Trolox/g, PRTC=0.19 mmol of Trolox/g and SOD=0.10 U/mg were observed. These results might suggest higher medical suitability of alcoholic extracts. However, the highly elevated level of tannins in alcoholic extracts may cause undesirable gastric effects.
PMID: 16202551 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

19. Antiinflammatory actions of cat’s claw: the role of NF-kappa
B.Sandoval-Chacon M, Thompson JH, Zhang XJ, Liu X, Mannick EE, Sadowska-Krowicka H, Charbonnet RM, Clark DA, Miller MJ.
LSU Medical Center, Department of Paediatrics and Stanley S. Scott Cancer Center, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA.
BACKGROUND: Uncaria tomentosa is a vine commonly known as cat’s claw or ‘una de gato’ (UG) and is used in traditional Peruvian medicine for the treatment of a wide range of health problems, particularly digestive complaints and arthritis. PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to determine the proposed anti-inflammatory properties of cat’s claw. Specifically: (i) does a bark extract of cat’s claw protect against oxidant-induced stress in vitro, and (ii) to determine if UG modifies transcriptionally regulated events. METHODS: Cell death was determined in two cell lines, RAW 264.7 and HT29 in response to peroxynitrite (PN, 300 microM). Gene expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in HT29 cells, direct effects on nitric oxide and peroxynitrite levels, and activation of NF-kappaB in RAW 264.7 cells as influenced by UG were assessed. Chronic intestinal inflammation was induced in rats with indomethacin (7.5 mg/kg), with UG administered orally in the drinking water (5 mg/mL). RESULTS: The administration of UG (100 microg/mL) attenuated (P < 0.05) peroxynitrite-induced apoptosis in HT29 (epithelial) and RAW 264.7 cells (macrophage). Cat’s claw inhibited lipopolysaccharide-induced iNOS gene expression, nitrite formation, cell death and inhibited the activation of NF-kappaB. Cat’s claw markedly attenuated indomethacin-enteritis as evident by reduced myeloperoxidase activity, morphometric damage and liver metallothionein expression. CONCLUSIONS: Cat’s claw protects cells against oxidative stress and negated the activation of NF-kappaB. These studies provide a mechanistic evidence for the widely held belief that cat’s claw is an effective anti-inflammatory agent.
PMID: 9882039 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Muira Puama ‘Liriosma ovata’

20. Memory retrieval improvement by Ptychopetalum olacoides in young and aging mice.
da Silva AL, Piato AL, Bardini S, Netto CA, Nunes DS, Elisabetsky E.
Laboratorio de Etnofarmacologia, ICBS, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Sarmento Leite 500/202, 90046-900
Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
Amazonian peoples use traditional remedies prepared with Ptychopetalum olacoides (PO) roots for treating various age-related conditions. This study shows that a single intraperitoneally (i.p.) administration of Ptychopetalum olacoides ethanol extract (POEE, 50 and 100mg/kg) improved memory retrieval in step-down inhibitory avoidance (P
PMID: 15507336 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

21. Neuroprotective effects of Ptychopetalum olacoides Bentham (Olacaceae) on oxygen and glucose deprivation induced damage in rat hippocampal slices.
Siqueira IR, Cimarosti H, Fochesatto C, Nunes DS, Salbego C, Elisabetsky E, Netto CA.
Departamento de Bioquimica Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. ionara@ufrgs.br
Alcoholic infusions of Ptychopetalum olacoides Bentham (PO, Olacaceae) are used in traditional medicine by patients presenting age associated symptoms and those recovering from stroke. The aim of this study is to evaluate the neuroprotective properties of PO ethanol extract (POEE) using hippocampal slices from Wistar rats exposed to oxygen and glucose deprivation (OGD, followed by reoxygenation). Mitochondrial activity, an index of cell viability, was assessed by the MTT assay; in addition, the free radicals content was estimated by the use of dichlorofluorescein diacetate as probe. The OGD ischemic condition significantly impaired cellular viability, and increased free radicals generation. In non-OGD slices, incubation with POEE (0.6 microg/ml) increased (approximately 40%) mitochondrial activity, without affecting free radicals levels. In comparison to OGD controls, slices incubated with POEE (0.6 microg/ml) during and after OGD exposure had significantly increased cellular viability. In addition, at this same concentration, POEE prevented the increase of free radicals content induced by OGD. In view of the fact that respiratory chain inhibition and increased generation of free radicals are major consequences of the ischemic injury, this study suggests that Ptychopetalum olacoides contains useful neuroprotective compounds and, therefore, deserves further scrutiny.
PMID: 15302233 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

22. Ptychopetalum olacoides, a traditional Amazonian “nerve tonic”, possesses anticholinesterase activity.
Siqueira IR, Fochesatto C, da Silva AL, Nunes DS, Battastini AM, Netto CA, Elisabetsky E.
Departamento de Bioquimica, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, RS, 90035-003, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
The cholinergic hypothesis of Alzheimer disease (AD) has provided the rationale for the current pharmacotherapy of this disease, in an attempt to downgrade the cognitive decline caused by cholinergic deficits. Nevertheless, the search for potent and long-acting acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors that exert minimal side effects to AD patients is still an ongoing effort. Amazonian communities use traditional remedies prepared with Ptychopetalum olacoides (PO, Olacaceae) roots for treating various central nervous system conditions, including those associated with aging. The fact that PO ethanol extract (POEE) has been found to facilitate memory retrieval in the step down procedure in young and aged mice prompt us to evaluate its effects on AChE activity in memory relevant brain areas. POEE significantly inhibited AChE activity in vitro in a dose- and time-dependent manner in rat frontal cortex, hippocampus and striatum; a significant inhibition was also found in these same brain areas of aged (14 months) mice after acute administration of POEE (100 mg/kg ip). We propose that such AChE inhibitory activity is a neurochemical correlate of a number of therapeutic properties traditionally claimed for P. olacoides, particularly those associated with cognition.
PMID: 12895682 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]