Search results for "plant extracts"
showing 10 items of 510 documents
Effect of the extract of Ginkgo biloba (EGb 761) on the circulating and cellular profiles of polyunsaturated fatty acids: correlation with the anti-o…
2000
Abstract Ginkgo biloba extract (EGb 761) has beneficial effects on cognitive functions in aging patients, and on various pathologies, including cardiovascular diseases. Although the extract is known to have antioxidant properties and improve membrane fluidity, the cellular mechanisms underlying these effects have not been determined. Here, we examined the in vivo effects of EGb 761 on circulating and cellular lipids. EGb 761 treatment induced significant increases in the levels of circulating polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), and a decrease in the saturation index SI (saturated/polyunsaturated species). Plasma triglycerides and cholesterol were not affected, while phospholipids were slig…
Protective Effects of Fruits and Vegetables against In Vivo Clastogenicity of Cyclophosphamide or Benzo[a]pyrene in Mice
1998
Seven fruits and 10 vegetables commonly consumed in Germany were investigated for their anticlastogenic potencies against cyclophosphamide (CP) and benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) in the in vivo mouse bone marrow micronucleus assay. We detected protective effects in 76.5% and 70.6% of the samples, respectively, and more or less distinct quantitative differences between the various plant materials and the two clastogens investigated. With respect to CP, moderate activities were exerted by sweet cherries, strawberries, cucumber, radish and tomatoes, average activities by bananas, oranges, peaches, asparagus and red beets and strong activities by yellow red peppers and especially spinach. Apples (cultiva…
Hepatoprotective and anti-inflammatory effects of total flavonoids of Qu Zhi Ke (peel of Citrus changshan-huyou) on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease…
2019
Abstract Background Citrus flavonoids, consisting of naringin, narirutin, neohesperidine, etc., have therapeutic activities for the treatment of lipometabolic disorders. The peel of Citrus changshan-huyou (Qu Zhi Ke, QZK) is a new source of flavonoids, but attracted little attention so far. Hypothesis QZK should possess therapeutic effects against lipometabolic disorders due to the flavonoids it contains. Study design In this study, we extracted and purified the flavonoids of QZK (TFCH) and established an obesity-induced non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) model of rats. TFCH was given orally for 8 weeks, and its anti-NAFLD effects and potential mechanism were evaluated. Methods The f…
Oxidative burst inhibitory and cytotoxic amides and lignans from the stem bark of Fagara heitzii (Rutaceae)
2009
Two amides, heitziamide A and heitziamide B and two phenylethanoids, heitziethanoid A and heitziethanoid B together with thirteen known compounds were isolated from F. heitzii (Letouzey). The structures of all compounds were established by spectroscopic analysis. Nine compounds were evaluated for oxidative burst inhibitory activity in a chemoluminescence assay and for cytotoxicity against PC-3 prostate cancer cells. All compounds exhibited a clear suppressive effect on phagocytosis response upon activation with serum opsonized zymosan at the range of IC50 = 2.0-6.5 mu M, but no cytotoxic effect was observed (IC50 > 100 mu M). (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Phospholipid breakdown and choline release under hypoxic conditions: inhibition by bilobalide, a constituent of Ginkgo biloba
1997
A marked increase of choline release from rat hippocampal slices was observed when the slices were superfused with oxygen-free buffer, indicating hypoxia-induced hydrolysis of choline-containing phospholipids. This increase of choline release was suppressed by bilobalide, an ingredient of Ginkgo biloba, but not by a mixture of ginkgolides. The EC50 value for bilobalide was 0.38 microM. In ex vivo experiments, bilobalide also inhibited hypoxia-induced choline release when given p.o. in doses of 2-20 mg/kg 1 h prior to slice preparation. The half-maximum effect was observed with 6 mg/kg bilobalide. A similar effect was noted after p.o. administration of 200 mg/kg EGb 761, a ginkgo extract con…
Inhibition of clastogenicity of benzo[a]pyrene and of its trans-7,8-dihydrodiol in mice in vivo by fruits, vegetables, and flavonoids.
2003
In the in vivo mouse bone marrow micronucleus assay, homogenates of spinach, artichoke, peaches, and blue grapes as well as commercial concentrates of these vegetables and fruits reduced induction of micronuclei by benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) by 43-50%. Concentrates of strawberries (31% reduction) and of cauliflower (20% reduction) were less potent. Inhibition of genotoxicity by spinach and peaches was not caused by any delay in maturation of micronucleated erythrocytes as shown by experiments with sampling times of 24, 48, and 72 h after dosing of BaP. Pre-treatment of the mice with spinach 48, 24, and 12h before application of BaP resulted in a 44% reduction of micronuclei while peaches generate…
A hypotensive procyanidin-glycoside from Rhamnus lycioides ssp. lycioides.
1990
A lyophilized hot water extract of the aerial parts of Rhamnus lycioides L. (Rhamnaceae) produced a lowering of systemic arterial blood pressure in normotensive anaesthetized Wistar rats. An activity-guided fractionation of the methanolic extract led to the isolation of a tetrameric procyanidin-glycoside which produced a clear dose-dependent hypotensive response (1.5-6 mg/kg i.v.). This principle was characterized using acid hydrolysis, thiolytic degradation and spectroscopic methods. It consisted of four flavanol units with a 2,3-cis configuration and with a O-beta-d-glucosylpyranoside function on the epicatechin terminal unit. The interflavan linkage was (4-8).
Effects of a quercetin-rich onion skin extract on 24 h ambulatory blood pressure and endothelial function in overweight-to-obese patients with (pre-)…
2015
AbstractThe polyphenol quercetin may prevent CVD due to its antihypertensive and vasorelaxant properties. We investigated the effects of quercetin after regular intake on blood pressure (BP) in overweight-to-obese patients with pre-hypertension and stage I hypertension. In addition, the potential mechanisms responsible for the hypothesised effect of quercetin on BP were explored. Subjects (n 70) were randomised to receive 162 mg/d quercetin from onion skin extract powder or placebo in a double-blinded, placebo-controlled cross-over trial with 6-week treatment periods separated by a 6-week washout period. Before and after the intervention, ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) and office BP were m…
Antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities of Acacia pennata wild (Mimosaceae)
2005
The butanolic fraction of dried leaves of Acacia pennata (Mimosaceae) was tested for analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities in animal models. It showed significant protective effects against chemical stimuli (acetic acid and formalin) in the mouse. It also produced a significant increase of the threshold of sensitivity to pressure-induced pain in the rats. The extract revealed an inhibitory effect in carrageenin-induced rat paw oedema in the late phase. The results suggested that a peripheral mechanism is involved in the analgesic, associated to anti-inflammatory effect (NSAIDs-like). Among the class of compounds characterized in this fraction, flavonoids may be mainly responsible for t…
The basal levels of 8-oxoG and other oxidative modifications in intact mitochondrial DNA are low even in repair-deficient (Ogg1(-/-)/Csb(-/-)) mice.
2007
Abstract Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is assumed to be highly prone to damage by reactive oxygen species (ROS) because of its location in close proximity to the mitochondrial electron transport chain. Accordingly, mitochondrial oxidative DNA damage has been hypothesized to be responsible for various neurological diseases, ageing and cancer. Since 7,8-dihydro-8-oxoguanine (8-oxoG), one of the most frequent oxidative base modifications, is removed from the mitochondrial genome by the glycosylase OGG1, the basal levels of this lesion are expected to be highly elevated in Ogg1−/− mice. To investigate this hypothesis, we have used a mtDNA relaxation assay in combination with various repair enzymes …