Gastroprotective and cicatrizing activity of the Ziziphus joazeiro Mart. leaf hydroalcoholic extract

Ziziphus joazeiro Mart., popularly known as 'juazeiro', is a species used in popular medicine for the treatment of bronchitis, gastric ulcers, skin wounds, and in the manufacture of cosmetic and food products. The objective of this study is to evaluate the gastroprotective and cicatrizing activity of the Z. joazeiro Mart. leaf hydroalcoholic extract (EHFZJ). The acute pre-clinical toxicity was determined by the single administration of the EHFZJ (2000 mg/kg/p.o.) and by assessing clinical signs of toxicity, according to established criteria by Malone, or mortality. Gastroprotective activity was identified through classical models of acute gastric lesions induced by indomethacin, absolute and acidified ethanol (100, 200 and 400 mg/kg/per os) and the physical barrier mechanism (400 mg/kg/per os or intraperitoneally). The cicatrizing activity of the EHFZJ was investigated by measuring the speed of wound closure and the percentage of contraction. The acute pre-clinical toxicity of EHFZJ showed no signs of toxicity and mortality. The EHFZJ demonstrated a gastroprotective effect at the 400 mg/kg dose in the classical models of acute gastric injury induced by indomethacin, absolute and acidified ethanol. The EHFZJ administration (orally) demonstrated significant inhibition, suggesting a possible physical barrier mechanism exists. The EHFZJ showed no significant differences in terms of percentage of contraction or the speed of wound closure during the observation times (0, 3, 7, 11 and 14 days). The results obtained in this study provide evidence of a potential gastroprotective activity for the Ziziphus joazeiro Mart. Leaf hydroalcoholic extract.

The antioxidative effects of bioactive products from Sargassum polycystum C. Agardh and Sargassum duplicatum J. Agardh against inflammation and other pathological issues

The present study was aimed to determine the phenol, total flavonoids and antioxidant potentials of Sargassum polycystum C. Agardh and Sargassum duplicatum J. Agardh from south east coast of Tamil Nadu and India using DPPH, phophomolybdenum and hydrogen peroxide scavenging activity. The total phenols, total flavonoids and antioxidant activities of S. polycystum and S. duplicatum were determined. Highest phenols (33.49 and 149.52 mg GAE/g) were observed in chloroform extracts of S. polycystum and methanolic extracts of S. duplicatum. The acetone extracts of S. polycystumand S. duplicatum demonstrated maximum amount of flavonoids compared to other studied extracts. Maximum amount of phosphomolybdenum reduction was observed in acetone extracts of S. polycystum and methanolic extracts of S. duplicatum. The DPPH radical scavenging activity of different extracts of S. polycystum and S. duplicatum were as follows acetone > chloroform > Petroleum ether > methanol and acetone > chloroform > methanol >Petroleum ether respectively. The H2O2 scavenging activity of S. polycystum extracts were as follows Petroleum ether extracts of S. polycystum (67.9%) > acetone (67.3%) > chloroform (58.6%) > methanol (51.78%). Acetone extracts of S. duplicatum showed maximum inhibition (90.39%) followed by petroleum ether, chloroform and methanolic extracts (75.11, 72.37 and 54.59%) respectively. The present study results confirmed the antioxidant properties of the two selected brown seaweeds viz., S. polycytum and S. duplicatum. The total phenols, flavonoids and alkaloids may be responsible for the antioxidant activities.

Larvicidal activity of some medicinal plant extracts against filariasis fever mosquito, Culex quinquefasciatus (Say.) (Diptera: Culicidae)

OBJECTIVES

The present study was aimed to find the larvicidal activity of petroleum ether, chloroform, acetone and methanolic extracts of Dichanthium foveolatum (Del.) Roberty, Leptochloa uniflora Hochst, Pancratium triflorum Roxb and Molineria trichocarpa (Wight) N.P.Balakr against Culex quinquefasciatus.

METHODS

The larvicidal potential of selected plant extracts were determined against 4th instar larvae of C. quinquefasciatus with various concentrations viz., 50, 100, 150, 200 and 250 mg/ml. The mortality counts were made after 24 h of incubation and LC₅₀ values were calculated.

RESULTS

Chloroform extracts of studied plants were showed highest larvicidal activity with remarkable irritant against the larva of C. quinquefasciatus. Highest larvicidal activity was observed in the chloroform extract of D. foveolatum against the larva of C. quinquefasciatus with LC50 = 277.03 mg/ml. The larvicidal activity of the studied plants as follows chloroform extract of D. foveolatum (LC50 = 277.03 mg/ml) >L. uniflora (LC50 = 300.56 mg/ml) >M. trichocarpa (LC50 = 306.60 mg/ml) >P. triflorum (LC50 318.42 mg/ml). The larvicidal potential of P. triflorum was as follows Chloroform > acetone > methanol > petroleum ether. The larvicidal activities of L. uniflora and M. trichocarpa were as follows Chloroform > petroleum ether > acetone > methanol respectively. The larvicidal potentials of D. foveolatum was as follows Chloroform > methanol > acetone > petroleum ether.

CONCLUSION

The chloroform extract of D. foveolatum find use as broad-spectrum larvicidal agent in the near future. It is hoped that more work would be undertaken to evaluate the utility of these plant extracts for field applications considering the promising leads given by the present study.

Antimicrobial activity and chemical composition of fixed oil extracted from the body fat of the snake Spilotes pullatus

CONTEXT

Ethnozoological studies have shown that Spilotes pullatus Linn. (Colubridae: Ophidia), is associated with medicinal and magic-religious uses in Brazil.

OBJECTIVES

This study was designed to determine the chemical composition of the oil extracted from the body fat of S. pullatus and to test its antimicrobial properties, alone and in association with aminoglycosides, against fungi and bacterial strains in concentrations ranging between 1024 and 0.5 µg/mL.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The snakes were collected in the Chapada do Araripe, county of Crato, Ceará State, Brazil. The oil was extracted in a Soxhlet apparatus using hexane. The methyl esters of the fatty acids present in the samples were identified using GC-MS. The antimicrobial and drug modulatory activities of oil were tested by microdilution against fungal and bacterial strains.

RESULTS

The chemical composition of the fixed oils of S. pullatus identified 10 constituents representing 94.97% of the total sample. The percentages of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids were 33.59 and 61.38%, respectively, with the most abundant components being elaidic (37.26%). The oil did not demonstrate any antimicrobial or antifungal activity when tested alone, presenting MIC values ≥ 1024 µg/mL. However, when associated with antibiotics, it demonstrated synergistic effects with gentamicin against all the bacterial lineages assayed, and antagonistic effects with amikacin and neomycin against strains of Escherichia coli.

CONCLUSIONS

Oil extracted from the body fat of S. pullatus did not demonstrate any inhibitory effects on bacterial or fungal activities, but was effective in modulating the effects of certain antibiotics.