Crude Extracts of Pleurotus Spp. and the Presence of Their Proteins in the Ovicidal and Larvicidal Activity of Haemonchus contortus

Mushrooms of the genus Pleurotus have shown nematophagous activity as it produces many chemical compounds and enzymes affecting parasitic nematodes. This study aimed to extract the inhibitory activity of the five strains of the fungus Pleurotus spp. It was evaluated against eggs and larvae of Haemonchus contortus. The extract of P. ostreatus obtained the highest level of inhibition of eggs at 97.6% (1341 μg/mL) followed by P. pulmonarius (EPP) at 81.2% (774 μg/mL). The extract selected for evaluation against larvae was P. pulmonarius, showing no effect for L3 larvae, but for L4 larvae an immobility effect of 56.93% was observed at 900 μg/mL. The protein profile showed the presence of 23 protein bands in the extract. The crude extract of P. pulmonarius showed degradation of tissues both inside the eggs and larvae L1. Metabolites produced by Pleurotus mushrooms can consider using in agriculture sustainable by utilizing in producing of ovicidal and larvicidal against H. contortus instead of chemical compounds.

Potential Use of Agave Genus in Neuroinflammation Management

Agavaceae contains about 480 species, commonly used in the production of alcoholic beverages such as tequila and mezcal, making it a resource of economic and cultural importance. Uses of this plant rely mainly on the stem; other components such as the leaves are discarded, generating agro-industrial waste, despite being a source of bioactive and nutraceutical products. Reports show anti-inflammatory and anti-neuroinflammatory effects of these species, with flavonoids and saponins being mainly responsible. Neuroinflammation is a brain process that plays a key role in the pathogenesis of various neurodegenerative disorders and its effects contribute greatly to mortality and morbidity worldwide. This can be triggered by mechanisms such as glial reactions that lead to the release of inflammatory and oxidative molecules, causing damage to the CNS. Treatments do not cure chronic disease associated with inflammation; they only slow its progression, producing side effects that affect quality of life. Plant-based therapy is promising for treating these diseases. Pharmacological activities have been described for the Agavaceae family; however, their role in neuroinflammation has not been fully investigated, and represents an important target for study. This review synthesizes the existing literature on the biologically active compounds of Agave species that are related in some way to inflammation, which will allow us to propose a line of research with this genus on the forefront to orient experimental designs for treating neuroinflammation and associated diseases.

Improving the production of podophyllotoxin in hairy roots of Hyptis suaveolens induced from regenerated plantlets

Ten Hyptis suaveolens hairy root lines were established by infecting nodal explants with K599+pGus-GFP+ and ATCC15834+pTDT strains from Agrobacterium rhizogenes. Genetic transformation was confirmed by epifluorescence and plagiotropic hairy root growth in absence of growth regulators. Cytotoxicity was determined using the sulforhodamine B method, and the production of podophyllotoxin (PTOX) was measured by high performance thin layer chromatography scanning. Through these methodologies, HsTD10 was identified as the hairy root line with the highest cytotoxicity and PTOX production, which was corroborated by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and micrOTOF-Q II. A suspension culture of HsTD10 was established in which PTOX and carbohydrate consumption during growth kinetics were quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography. Procedures to increase the production and retrieval of PTOX in the HsTD10 line included selection of culture medium, addition of thiamine, and modification of the PTOX extraction method. The best combination of these variables was MS medium at 75% of its components with the addition of 2 mg L^-1 of thiamine, extraction with methanol-dichloromethane, and sonication at 40 ± 5°C. During kinetics, growth-associated PTOX accumulation was observed. The specific growth rate (μ) was 0.11 d^-1. The highest concentration of PTOX obtained with HsTD10 (5.6 mg g^-1 DW) was 100 times higher than that reported for roots of wild plants and 56 times higher than that for in vitro nontransformed roots of H. suaveolens.

DNA barcoding and TLC as tools to properly identify natural populations of the Mexican medicinal species Galphimia glauca Cav

Galphimia glauca is a plant that is endemic to Mexico and has been commonly used since pre-Hispanic times to treat various illnesses, including central nervous system disorders and inflammation. The first studies investigating a natural population of G. glauca in Mexico showed that the plant has anxiolytic and sedative activities in mice and humans. The plant's bioactive compounds were isolated and identified, and they belong to a family of nor-secofriedelanes called galphimines. The integration of DNA barcoding and thin-layer chromatography analysis was performed to clarify whether the botanical classification of the populations in the study, which were collected in different regions of Mexico, as G. glauca was correct or if the populations consist of more than one species of the genus Galphimia. We employed six DNA barcodes (matK, rbcL, rpoC1, psbA-trnH, ITS1 and ITS2) that were analyzed individually and in combination and then compared each other, to indicate differences among the studied populations. In the phylogenetic analysis, ITS1 and ITS2 markers as well as the combination of all DNA regions were the most efficient for discriminating the population studied. The thin-layer chromatography analysis exhibited four principal chemical profiles, one of which corresponded to the populations that produced galphimines. DNA barcoding was consistent and enabled us to differentiate the populations that produce galphimines from those that do not. The results of this investigation suggest that the studied populations belong to at least four different species of the genus Galphimia. The phylogenetic analysis and the thin-layer chromatography chemical profiles were convenient tools for establishing a strong relationship between the genotype and phenotype of the studied populations and could be used for quality control purposes to prepare herbal medicines from plants of the genus Galphimia.

Bioactive Dimeric Acylphloroglucinols from the Mexican Fern Elaphoglossum paleaceum

Two new prenylated acylphloroglucinols, paleacenins A (1) and B (2), were isolated from the rhizome n-hexane and chloroform extracts of the fern Elaphoglossum paleaceum. Both compounds were found to possess the same geranylated filicinic acid moiety but have a different phloroglucinol ring substituent. Their structures were determined using ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectroscopic, HRMS, and ECD analysis. The plant extracts and purified compounds were assayed for inhibition of monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity, and the n-hexane and chloroform extracts displayed 25.0% and 26.5% inhibition of MAO-A, respectively, as well as 42.5% and 23.7% inhibition of MAO-B, respectively. Compounds 1 and 2 exhibited IC₅₀ values of 31.0 (1.3) μM for MAO-A and 4.7 (4.4) μM for MAO-B. Paleacenin A (1) showed a higher selective index (SI) toward MAO-B (SI_MAO-B/MAO-A 0.1), and paleacenin B (2) exhibited selectivity to MAO-A (SI_MAO-B/MAO-A, 3.5). The extracts showed cytotoxicity against a panel of prostate, cervix, breast, and colon cancer cell lines (IC₅₀ values between 1.7 and 10.6 μg/mL); the pure compounds were more active against the prostate, cervix, and colon cancer cell lines. Paleacenins A (1) and B (2), with IC₅₀ values of 46 and 41 μM, respectively, inhibited nitric oxide production by the RAW264.7 murine macrophage model.

Multidisciplinary Investigations on Galphimia glauca: A Mexican Medicinal Plant with Pharmacological Potential

Galphimia glauca (Cav.) Kuntze is an important endemic plant species, which possesses many medicinal properties and has been used in the Mexican traditional medicine for its sedative, anxiolytic, anticonvulsant, antiasthmatic and antiallergic properties. The therapeutic properties of this plant are mainly due to the presence of diverse bioactive compounds such as flavonoids, triterpenoids, and phenolics. Several triterpenoids and flavonoids compounds have been isolated and identified. Modern studies have demonstrated many biological activities such as anti-inflammatory, antidiarrheal, gastroenteritis, antimalarial and cytotoxic activities. Nevertheless, many studies are restricted to the crude extract, and many bioactive compounds are yet to be identified and validated according to its traditional use. However, its commercial exploitation and use are highly limited due to the non-availability of enough plant material and lack of knowledge about its agronomical practices. Moreover, the misinterpretation and mislabeling of closely related species of the genus Galphimia Cav. as G. glauca or G. gracilis is a common problem for its rigorous scientific study and commercial exploitation. The present review provides comprehensive knowledge based on the available scientific literature. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first review on G. glauca. This comprehensive information will certainly provide a guide for the better understanding and utilization of G. glauca for its scientific and industrial exploitation.

Antibacterial activities of medicinal plants used in Mexican traditional medicine

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

We provide an extensive summary of the in vitro antibacterial properties of medicinal plants popularly used in Mexico to treat infections, and we discuss the ethnomedical information that has been published for these species.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We carried out a bibliographic investigation by analyzing local and international peer-reviewed papers selected by consulting internationally accepted scientific databases from 1995 to 2014. We provide specific information about the evaluated plant parts, the type of extracts, the tested bacterial strains, and the inhibitory concentrations for each one of the species. We recorded the ethnomedical information for the active species, as well as their popular names and local distribution. Information about the plant compounds that has been identified is included in the manuscript. This review also incorporates an extensive summary of the available toxicological reports on the recorded species, as well as the worldwide registries of plant patents used for treating bacterial infections. In addition, we provide a list with the top plant species with antibacterial activities in this review RESULTS: We documented the in vitro antibacterial activities of 343 plant species pertaining to 92 botanical families against 72 bacterial species, focusing particularly on Staphylococcus aureus, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The plant families Asteraceae, Fabaceae, Lamiaceae and Euphorbiaceae included the largest number of active species. Information related to popular uses reveals that the majority of the plants, in addition to treating infections, are used to treat other conditions. The distribution of Mexican plants extended from those that were reported to grow in just one state to those that grow in all 32 Mexican states. From 75 plant species, 225 compounds were identified. Out of the total plant species, only 140 (40.57%) had at least one report about their toxic effects. From 1994 to July 2014 a total of 11,836 worldwide antibacterial patents prepared from different sources were recorded; only 36 antibacterial patents from plants were registered over the same time period. We offered some insights on the most important findings regarding the antibacterial effects, current state of the art, and research perspectives of top plant species with antibacterial activities in vitro.

CONCLUSIONS

Studies of the antibacterial in vitro activity of medicinal plants popularly used in Mexico to treat infections indicate that both the selection of plant material and the investigation methodologies vary. Standardized experimental procedures as well as in vivo pharmacokinetic studies to document the effectiveness of plant extracts and compounds are necessary. This review presents extensive information about the medicinal plants possessing antibacterial activity that has been scientifically studied and are popularly used in Mexico. We anticipate that this review will be of use for future studies because it constitutes a valuable information tool for selecting the most significant plants and their potential antibacterial properties.

Preclinical evaluation of anti-Helicobacter spp. activity of Hippocratea celastroides Kunth and its acute and sub-acute toxicity

Background

Hippocratea celastroides Kunth, commonly known as “cancerina”, is used in Mexican Traditional Medicine for the treatment of gastric and intestinal infections, systemic and skin inflammation, injuries and gastritis. The aim of this research was to assess the anti-Helicobacter pylori activities of hydro-ethanolic root-bark extracts from Hippocratea celastroides Kunth in naturally infected dogs, after testing their acute and subacute toxicities in mice.

Methods

To determine in vivo acute toxicity, a hydro-ethanolic extract was obtained and administered orally in female and male Balb-C mice, at doses ranging from 2000 to 5000 mg/kg. For the subacute study, a hydro-ethanolic extract was given to male and female Balb-C mice at doses ranging from 200 to 2000 mg/kg body weight. The animals were observed daily over a period of 42 days for signs of toxicity. In the pre-clinical anti-Helicobacter spp. assay, 60 dogs were included. Eighteen and 19 dogs for the experimental and control groups respectively, concluded the study. The experimental treatment consisted of H. celastroides hydro-ethanolic extract and the control treatment of amoxicillin-clarithromycin-omeprazole.

Results

Oral LD₅₀ (lethal dose 50) values for hydro-ethanolic extract were indeterminable at the highest tested doses. Under the subacute administration, neither mortality nor any sign of toxicity were observed when the hydro-ethanolic extract was administered. There were no significant alterations in biochemical parameters. The prevalence of Helicobacter spp. infection in dogs was 97.1 % for the experimental group and 100 % for the control group. Effectiveness was of 33.3 and 55 % in the experimental and control group respectively. The oral administration of H. celastroides was well-tolerated and safe.

Conclusion

The root-bark of H. celastroides produced no signs of toxicity, and manifested pharmacological activity that indicated the possibility of an alternative treatment for H. pylori infection. Effectiveness is still low so it is necessary to continue research.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12906-016-1412-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Production of podophyllotoxin from roots and plantlets of Hyptis suaveolens cultivated in vitro

BACKGROUND

Hyptis suaveolens was an important source of food and medicines in pre-hispanic Mιxico and is actually used popularly to treat respiratory and skin diseases, fever, pain, and cramps, between other ailments. In 2008 the presence of podophyllotoxin (PTOX) was reported in this plant.

OBJECTIVE

To establish in vitro cultures of H. suaveolens able to produce PTOX.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Explants of H. suaveolens were cultivated in Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with different concentrations of the phytohormones 6-benzylaminopurine (6-BAP), 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), 1-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) and kinetin (Kin), in order to induce the production of podophyllotoxin. Root cultures without hormones were also established and the quantification of PTOX was performed by HPLC analysis.

RESULTS

The presence of growth regulators during in vitro cultivation of H. suaveolens, provoked morphological variations in explants, and induced the accumulation of different levels of PTOX. Roots grown without phytohormones accumulated PTOX at 0.013% dry weight (DW), while in three of the callus cultures cell lines growing together with roots, PTOX accumulated at concentrations of 0.003, 0.005 and 0.006% DW when NAA was combined with either Kin or BAP. In wild plant material PTOX was present in trace amounts in the aerial parts, while in the roots it was found at 0.005% DW.

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrated that although it is possible to obtain PTOX in a variety of in vitro cultures of H. suaveolens, in vitro roots grown without the addition of growth regulators were better producers of PTOX.

DNA barcoding of the Mexican sedative and anxiolytic plant Galphimia glauca

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY RELEVANCE

Galphimia glauca (Malpighiaceae) is a Mexican plant popularly used as a tranquilizer in the treatment of nervous system disorders, although it is also used to treat other common illnesses.

AIM OF THE STUDY

The aim of this investigation is to find out if populations of Galphimia glauca collected in different regions and ecosystems in Mexico actually belong to the same species by using the contemporary technique of DNA barcodes. Our previous metabolic profiling study demonstrates that different collections of this plant obtained from various geographical areas exhibited diverse chemical profiles in terms of the active compounds named Galphimines. We expected the DNA barcodes apart from indicating the different species of Galphimia would indicate the active populations.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We employed matK, rpoC1 and rbcL DNA barcodes to indicate the different species. Furthermore to investigate the possible impact of the several different ecosystems where the seven populations were collected, thin layer chromatography was employed to create a partial chemical profile, which was then compared with the metabolic profiles obtained by (1)H-NMR and multivariate data analysis.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS

This study showed that the seven populations here analyzed contain at least three different species of the genus Galphimia, although each individual population is homogeneous. Interestingly our TLC analysis clearly showed that the active populations displayed a distinctively unique chemical profile. This work also showed that the use of DNA barcodes combined with chemical profile analysis is an excellent approach to solve the problems of quality control in the development of Galphimia-based medicines as well as for any breeding programs for this species.

A comparison on the metabolic profiling of the Mexican anxiolytic and sedative plant Galphimia glauca four years later

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Galphimia glauca has a long traditional use, and continues to be used in Mexico as a natural tranquilizer for the treatment of Central Nervous System disorders as well as for other illnesses.

AIM OF THE STUDY

In 2005 the initial use of metabolic profiling to populations of Galphimia glauca resulted in two of the six collected populations being producers for galphimines, the markers for sedative and anxiolytic activities. The aim of this investigation was to confirm the previously established metabolic profile, as well as the previous in vivo results on mice. Additionally in this study we wanted to investigate potential anti-inflammatory properties.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Four years later, we collected samples in the five localities designated for the first-stage investigation in 2005, and in two new locations. Metabolic profiling was carried out by means of (1)H NMR spectroscopy and multivariate data analysis applied to crude extracts from wild plant specimens. HPLC analysis was performed to confirm and quantify the presence of galphimines. Two neuropharmacological in vivo assays on mice were employed to study anxiolytic (elevated plus maze test) and sedative (sodium pentobarbital-induced hypnosis model) activities in the extracts. Anti-inflammatory activity was determined by using the tetradecanoylphorbol acetate-induced mouse ear inflammation model (TPA).

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS

The results for the 2009 collected species were similar to the 2005 collection, confirming the metabolic profiles and that galphimines are consistent good markers for CNS activity. Galloylquinic acid levels varied between the years without, as of yet, known effects. In vivo anti-inflammatory activity was similar for all plants and thus not linked with galphimines, requiring further studies to identify the active compound(s). Areas of collection affect neuropharmacological activities but not anti-inflammatory action.

Transformed cell suspension culture of Galphimia glauca producing sedative nor-friedelanes

The Mexican species GALPHIMIA GLAUCA (Cav.) Kuntze (Malphigiaceae) synthesises a family of sedative and anxiolytic nor-secofriedelanes, designated as galphimines. These active principles accumulate at low concentration in the aerial parts of plants from wild populations. Transformed calluses and cell suspension cultures of this species were established in order to induce a greater production of nor-friedelanes. The cell suspension line GgBa was selected and grown over a period of two years of continuous subculturing in MS nutrient medium in the absence of growth regulators. PCR and Southern blot analyses were employed in order to confirm that the ROL A gene had been integrated into the plant genome. Batch cultures of the GgBa cell line were grown over a 32-day period and first-order growth kinetics was observed, reaching a specific growth rate (micro) of 0.13 d (-1). The production of glaucacetalin A ( 10), a triterpenoid related to the known galphimines, was quantified in the nutrient medium by HPLC. The transformed cell suspension culture GgBa also synthesised a novel nor-friedelane, given the name glaucacetalin D ( 13). High-resolution spectroscopic and spectrometric techniques were employed to elucidate the structure of 13. This triterpene has never been observed in wild plant tissues or in other IN VITRO cultures. Maslinic acid ( 14) was identified in cell biomasses. The triterpene production of the cell line GgBa was as follows: glaucacetalin A, 2.7 mg/L; glaucacetalin D, 2.9 mg/L and maslinic acid, 2.4 mg/g dry weight. The sedative activity of compounds 10 and 13 was demonstrated in ICR mice by using the sodium pentobarbital-induced hypnosis model. No cytotoxicity of 10 and 13 was exhibited against KB, MCF-7 and HF6 human cancer cell lines.