0000000000160835
AUTHOR
A. M. Villar
Antimicrobial activity of selected plants employed in the Spanish mediterranean area. Part II
The antimicrobial properties of 59 plants used in folk medicine to treat general infectious diseases were studied. The in vitro antimicrobial activity of chloroform and methanol plant extracts were assayed using the agar-streak method and 38 of them showed activity against some of the microorganisms tested. Bioautography established the probable active compounds. Inhibition bands were identified as containing terpenoids and polyphenolic compounds.
CNS depressant effects, anti-inflammatory activity and anti-cholinergic actions ofSantolina chamaecyparissus extracts
The pharmacological activity of several extracts together with the lyophilized infusion of S. chamaecyparissus ssp. squarrosa were investigated. The lethal dose 50% (LD50), effect on animal metabolism, mechanical and thermic analgesia and spontaneous, anti-inflammatory, and anti-ulcer activity have been determined. Studies on isolated organs (rat duodenum and rat uterus) were also carried out. The hexanic and chloroformic extracts were potent antagonists of the thermic analgesia test; the former extract was also active in the mechanical analgesia test. The chloroformic extract and, to a lesser extent, the ethyl acetate extract and lyophilized infusion demonstrated noteworthy activity as ant…
Isolation and identification of an antiinflammatory principle from santolina chamaecyparissus
The chloroform extract from Santolina chamaecyparissus squarrosa exhibited a potent anti-inflammatory effect on carrageenan-induced oedema in the rat hind paw. β-Sytosteryl 3-β-D-glucoside, isolated by fractionating this extract, was anti-inflammatory in the above test, with intraperitoneal and oral ED50 values of 70 and 146 mg/kg, respectively.
Effect of tormentic acid on insulin secretion in isolated rat islets of langerhans
Tonnentic acid was isolated as the hypoglycemic agent of Poterium ancistroides Desf. The present study reports effects of this compound on isolated islets of Langerhans. We demonstrate that tormentic acid in the presence of 1.66 mM glucose initiates insulin secretion by isolated rat islets of Langerhans in a dose-dependent fashion at concentrations ranging from 0.05 to 0.5 mM. However, the compound has no effect on the insulin-releasing capacity of 16.6 mM glucose. Similar results were obtained with the sulfonylurea glibenclamide (0.01 mM) used as a reference. These results suggest that the hypoglycemic effect of tormentic acid is due to a diect effect of the compound in vitro.
Isolation and identification of the antibacterial compounds from Helichrysum stoechas.
Fractionation of the dicholoromethane extract of the aerial parts of Helichrysum stoechas yielded seven isolates (1-7), which exhibited varying antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive bacteria. Pure compounds 1-3 have been previously reported in the same species and 4 and 5 were identified as italipyrone and plicatipyrone, previously isolated from H. italicum and H. plicatum. The two other isolates are helipyrone (6) and homoarenol (7) mixed with related substances. Compound 6c (4,4'-dihydroxy-5,6,5',6'-tetramethyl-3,3'-methylen-di-pyr-2-one) and 6b helipyrone with one methyl substitution, have not been previously reported in other species.