The chemical composition of the aerial parts essential oil of Ammi crinitum Guss. (Apiaceae) endemic of Sicily (Italy)
Ammi L. is a small genus of economically important plants belonging to Apiaceae family that includes only six taxa. In the present study the chemical composition of the essential oil from aerial parts of Ammi crinitum Guss., a very rare plant, endemic of Sicily, was analyzed by GC–MS. No previously paper has been published on this species. The results showed the presence of large quantity of monoterpene hydrocarbons with sabinene (63.9%), as the most abundant component. Other metabolites present in good quantity were γ-terpinene (8.0%), and 4-terpineol (3.7%). Based on the composition of the essential oil of all the other Ammi taxa, several considerations have been carried out.
Essential oil of Sicilian Prangos ferulacea (L.) Lindl. and its major component, β−ocimen, affect contractility in rat small and large intestine
Ethnopharmacological relevance: Prangos ferulacea (L.) Lindl is an Apiaceae plant, widely used in traditional medicine. Recently, chemical composition and biological activities of its essential oil (Prangroil) have been reported, but there are no studies on possible effects on intestinal contractility. Aims of the study: We investigated the effects of essential oil Sicilian Prangoil on the contractility of rat small (duodenum) and large (colon) intestine and the related action mechanism. Materials and methods: Responses to Prangoil and to its major component β-ocimen in intestinal segments were assessed in vitro as changes in isometric tension. Results: Prangoil, induced in duodenum, depend…
Anti-Inflammatory Potential of Brassicaceae-Derived Phytochemicals: In Vitro and In Vivo Evidence for a Putative Role in the Prevention and Treatment of IBD.
AbstractAbstract Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a group of intestinal disorders, of unknown etiology, characterized by chronic inflammation within the gut. They are gradually becoming critical because of the increasing incidence worldwide and improved diagnosis. Due to the important side effects observed during conventional therapy, natural bioactive components are now under intense investigation for the prevention and treatment of chronic illnesses. The Brassicaceae family comprises vegetables widely consumed all over the world. In recent decades, a growing body of literature has reported that extracts from the Brassicaceae family and their purified constituents have anti-inflammatory…
Chemical Characterization and Cytotoxic and Antioxidant Activity Evaluation of the Ethanol Extract from the Bulbs of Pancratium maritimun Collected in Sicily
P. maritimum L., belonging to the Amaryllidaceae family, is a species that grows on beaches and coastal sand dunes mainly on both sides of the Mediterranean Sea and Black Sea, the Middle East, and up to the Caucasus region. It has been largely investigated due to its several interesting biological properties. With the aim of providing new insights into the phytochemistry and pharmacology of this species, the ethanolic extract of the bulbs from a local accession, not previously studied, growing in Sicily (Italy), was investigated. This chemical analysis, performed by mono- and bi-dimensional NMR spectroscopy, as well as LC-DAD-MSn, allowed to identify several alkaloids, three of which were n…
Age-related differences of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic transmission in human colonic smooth muscle.
Background: Enteric neurons undergo to functional changes during aging. We investigated the possible age-associated differences in enteric γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic transmission evaluating function and distribution of GABAergic receptors in human colon. Methods: Mechanical responses to GABA and GABA receptor agonists on slow phasic contractions were examined in vitro as changes in isometric tension in colonic muscle strips from young (<65 years old) and aged patients (>65 years old). GABAergic receptor expression was assessed by quantitative RT-PCR. Key Results: In both preparations GABA induced an excitatory effect, consisting in an increase in the basal tone, antagonized by th…
Aging modifies receptor expression but not muscular contractile response to angiotensin II in rat jejunum
AbstractThe involvement of renin-angiotensin system in the modulation of gut motility and age-related changes in mRNA expression of angiotensin (Ang II) receptors (ATR) are well accepted. We aimed to characterize, in vitro, the contractile responses induced by Ang II, in jejunum from young (3–6 weeks old) and old rats (≥ 1 year old), to evaluate possible functional differences associated to changes in receptor expression. Mechanical responses to Ang II were examined in vitro as changes in isometric tension. ATR expression was assessed by qRT-PCR. Ang II induced a contractile effect, antagonized by losartan, AT1R antagonist, and increased by PD123319, AT2R antagonist, as well by neural block…
The ethnobotany, phytochemistry, and biological properties of genus Phagnalon (Asteraceae): a review
The genus Phagnalon Cass., included within the Asteraceae family, has a wide distribution, expanding from Macaronesia in the West to the Himalayas in the East, from S. France and N. Italy to Ethiopia and Arabian Peninsula. Various species of Phagnalon have been used in the popular medicine of several countries as medicinal herbs and food. This literature review, the first one of the Phagnalon genus, includes publications with the word ‘Phagnalon’, and considers the extracts and the single metabolites identified, characterized, and tested to evaluate their biological potential. The extracts and the secondary metabolites, have a varied application spectrum at a biological level, with antimicr…
The chemical composition of the aerial parts of Stachys spreitzenhoferi (Lamiaceae) growing in Kythira Island (Greece), and their antioxidant, antimicrobial, and antiproliferative properties
The Stachys L. genus has been used in traditional medicine to treat skin inflammations, stomach disorders, and stress. The aim of this study was to investigate the chemical profile and biological activity of the methanolic extract of Stachys spreitzenhoferi Heldr. (Lamiaceae) aerial parts, collected on the island of Kythira, South Greece. The analysis by liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization and high-resolution mass spectrometry [LC-(-)ESI/HRMSn] of the methanol extract revealed the occurrence of thirty-six compounds - flavonoids, phenylethanoid glycosides, iridoids, quinic acid derivatives, aliphatic alcohol glycosides, and oligosaccharides - highlighting the substanti…
Inhibition of uterine contractility by guanine-based purines in non-pregnant rats
Growing evidence pointed out that guanine-based purines are able to modulate smooth muscle contractile activity of blood vessels and gastrointestinal tract. Since, so far, possible guanine-based purine modulation of uterine musculature is unknown, the aim of the present study was to investigate in vitro, using organ bath technique, guanosine and guanine efects on spontaneous uterine contraction, and uterine contraction induced by K+-depolarization and oxytocin in a non-pregnant rat. Guanosine, but not guanine, reduced the amplitude of spontaneous contraction of the uterine muscle in a dose-dependent manner. The inhibitory response was antagonized by S-(4-nitrobenzyl)-6-thioinosine (NBTI), a…
APHAMAX® ATTENUATES INFLAMMATORY AND OXIDATIVE STRESS IN 2, 4-DINITROBENZENE SULFONIC ACID-INDUCED COLITIS IN RAT AMELIORATING INTESTINAL FUNCTIONALITY
Accumulating evidences indicate that inflammatory and oxidative stress play an essential role in the pathogenesis and progression of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). In IBD the excessive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nitrogen metabolites contribute to tissue injury and could have also a profound impact on gut functions, including motility. We characterised the inflammatory and oxidative condition and the impact on colon motility in an experimental rat model of colitis, the 2, 4-dinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (DNBS)- induced colitis, and we evaluated if oral treatment with a nat- ural extract of Aphanizomenon flos-aquae (AFA) AphaMax®, containing concentrated quantity of AFA…