Astragalus Species Research Articles

Phylogeny of some species of Astragalus (Fabaceae) based on morphological data

Phylogeny of some species of Astragalus (Fabaceae) based on morphological data

New Flavone Glycosides from Astragalus tanae Endemic to Georgia

The new flavone glycosides tanoside I and II in addition to three known flavonoids and daucosterol were isolated from the Georgian endemic species Astragalus tanae Sosn. Their structures were elucidated as chrysoeriol-7-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-4′ -O-α-L-rhamnopyranoside, chrysoeriol-4′ -O-α-Lrhamnopyranoside, kaempferol-3-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl(2→1)-O-α-L-rhamnopyranoside (kaempferol-3-O-β-D-neohesperidoside), tamarixin, apigenin, and β-sitosterol-3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (daucosterol).

Species identification in complex groups of medicinal plants based on DNA barcoding: a case study on Astragalus spp. (Fabaceae) from southwest China

Species from the genus Astragalus L. (Fabaceae) are distributed throughout the world, with southwest China being one of the distribution centers of this genus. Many Astragalus species are used by local Chinese people as traditional medicines for enhancing immunity. However, the complexity of morphological characters in many Astragalus species makes it difficult to correctly identify them. DNA barcoding is a useful tool for species identification based on standardized DNA markers. In this study, internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and three chloroplast regions (matK, rbcL, and trnH–psbA) were used for the identification of Astragalus species from SW China. The ITS region showed a high success rate of PCR amplification and bidirectional sequencing, as well as a high discriminatory ability (72%). The matK region also possessed relatively perfect university and had a high discriminatory ability (61%); while the rbcL region, the most popular cpDNA marker, showed good university but low discriminatory ability (44%). We found that the trnH–psbA region was not suitable for identifying Astragalus species because of its low success rate of DNA sequencing. In the studied species, combination of multiple DNA barcodes could improve the discriminatory ability. The ITS region was able to identify frequently used Astragalus species in SW China, such as A. yunnanensis, A. acaulis, A. bhotanensis, and A. camptodontoides, and we concluded that this region could be listed as the core barcode for species identification of medicinal Astragalus species from SW China.

Microbial Transformation of Cycloastragenol and Astragenol by Endophytic Fungi Isolated from Astragalus Species.

Biotransformation of Astragalus sapogenins (cycloastragenol (1) and astragenol (2)) by Astragalus species originated endophytic fungi resulted in the production of five new metabolites (3, 7, 10, 12, 14) together with 10 known compounds. The structures of the new compounds were established by NMR spectroscopic and HRMS analysis. Oxygenation, oxidation, epoxidation, dehydrogenation, and ring cleavage reactions were observed on the cycloartane (9,19-cyclolanostane) nucleus. The ability of the compounds to increase telomerase activity in neonatal cells was also evaluated. After prescreening studies to define potent telomerase activators, four compounds were selected for subsequent bioassays. These were performed using very low doses ranging from 0.1 to 30 nM compared to the control cells treated with DMSO. The positive control cycloastragenol and 8 were found to be the most active compounds, with 5.2- (2 nM) and 5.1- (0.5 nM) fold activations versus DMSO, respectively. At the lowest dose of 0.1 nM, compounds 4 and 13 provided 3.5- and 3.8-fold activations, respectively, while cycloastragenol showed a limited activation (1.5-fold).

Detection of swainsonine-producing endophytes in Patagonian Astragalus species

Swainsonine has been identified as the toxin in legumes belonging to the genera Astragalus and Oxytropis throughout the world including China, North America, and South America. Several South American Astragalus species have been reported to contain swainsonine; however, data is lacking to support the presence of a fungal symbiont in South American Astragalus species as has been shown for North American and Chinese Astragalus and Oxytropis species. The objective of this study was to investigate several South American species that have been reported to contain swainsonine for the presence of the fungal symbiont using culturing and PCR. Swainsonine was detected in field collections of A. pehuenches, A. illinii and A. chamissonis but not A. moyanoi, which is consistent with reports of toxicity regarding these species. The symbiont Alternaria section Undifilum was detected by PCR in all three species that contained swainsonine but not in A. moyanoi. A fungal symbiont was isolated from seeds of Astragalus pehuenches and A. illinii. The isolated symbiont from both respective species produced swainsonine in vitro, and was demonstrated to belong to the genus Alternaria section Undifilum by analysis of the nuclear ribosomal DNA. It is highly likely that Alternaria section Undifilum isolates will be associated with other South American Astragalus species that are reported to contain swainsonine.

Clinical and pathological comparison of Astragalus lentiginosus and Ipomoea carnea poisoning in goats

The indolizidine alkaloid swainsonine, found in some Astragalus and Oxytropis (i.e., locoweed) species, is a potent cellular glycosidase inhibitor that often poisons livestock. Other toxic genera such as some Ipomoea species also contain swainsonine as well as calystegines which are similar polyhydroxy alkaloids. The toxicity of calystegines is poorly characterized; however, they are also potent glycoside inhibitors capable of intestinal and cellular glycoside dysfunction. The objective of this study was to directly compare A. lentiginosus and I. carnea poisoning in goats to better characterize the role of the calystegines. Three groups of four goats each were treated with ground alfalfa (control), I. carnea or A. lentiginosus to obtain daily doses of 0.0, 1.5, and 1.5 mg swainsonine/kg bw per day, respectively, for 45 days. Animals were observed daily and weekly body weights, serum enzyme activities, and serum swainsonine concentrations were determined. At day 45 all animals were euthanized and necropsied. Goats treated with A. lentiginosus and I. carnea developed clinical disease characterized by mild intention tremors and proprioceptive deficits. Goats treated with A. lentiginosus developed clinical disease sooner and with greater consistency. No differences in body weight, serum swainsonine concentrations and serum enzyme activity were observed between goats treated with A. lentiginosus and I. carnea. Additionally, there were no differences in the microscopic and histochemical studies of the visceral and neurologic lesions observed between goats treated with A. lentiginosus and I. carnea. These findings suggest that I. carnea-induced clinical signs and lesions are due to swainsonine and that calystegines contribute little or nothing to toxicity in goats in the presence of swainsonine.

Ethnopharmacology, Phytochemistry, Pharmacology, Toxicology and Clinical Applications of Radix Astragali.

Radix Astragali (RA), a traditional Chinese medicine from the dried root of Astragalus species, is widely distributed throughout the temperate regions of the world. The major bioactive constituents of RA are triterpene glycosides, flavonoids, saponins, and alkaloids, and these compounds mostly exert pharmacological activities on the cardiovascular, immune, respiratory, and hepatic systems. This review summarizes the recent studies on RA and provides a comprehensive summary regarding the status of resources, ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry, pharmacology, toxicology, clinical application, and patent release of RA. We hope this review can provide a guidance for further development of therapeutic agents from RA.

Ecological-anatomical comparative adaptability of two gypsophylic Astragalus species of gypsum soils

Ecological-anatomical comparative adaptability of two gypsophylic Astragalus species of gypsum soils

The complete chloroplast genome sequence of Oxytropis bicolor Bunge (Fabaceae)

The first complete chloroplast genome of Oxytropis bicolor Bunge is reported and characterized in this study. The whole chloroplast genome was 122,461 base pairs in length with 110 genes, including 76 protein-coding genes, 30 tRNAs, and 4 rRNAs. In addition, the atpF intron was absent. Maximum-likelihood (ML) phylogenetic analysis indicated that O. bicolor and species of Astragalus were closely related, which is congruent with previous studies.

GC-MS analysis of apolar extract of Astragalus sibthorpianus

Astragalus species are widely distributed in Turkey. There are 445 species in the Flora of Turkey. Plenty of species of Astragalus are used in traditional medicine in many countries such as European Countries, Turkey, China, India etc. They are used for treatment of diabetes, nephritis, leukaemia, and uterine cancer. In addition, they are used as an antiperspirant, diuretic, and tonic drug. Astragalus sibthorpianus is endemic to Uludag mountain in Turkey. In this study for the first time, the chemical composition of n-hexane extract of plant material was investigated using GC-MS. The whole plant material was dried and powdered and macerated with MeOH at room temperature. The concentrated MeOH layer was extracted with n-hexane for the apolar constituents. The crude n-hexane extract was derivatized and identification of each component was exhibited by Wiley library data search.

Development of adjuvant nanocarrier systems for seasonal influenza A (H3N2) vaccine based on Astragaloside VII and gum tragacanth (APS)

Adjuvants are chemical/biological substances that are used in vaccines to increase the immunogenicity of antigens. A few adjuvants have been developed for use in human vaccines because of their limitations including lack of efficacy, unacceptable local or systemic toxicity, the difficulty of manufacturing, poor stability, and high cost. For that reasons, novel adjuvants/adjuvant systems are under search. Astragaloside VII (AST-VII), isolated from Astragalus trojanus, exhibited significant cellular and humoral immune responses. The polysaccharides (APS) obtained from the roots of Astragalus species have been used in traditional Chinese medicine and possess strong immunomodulatory properties. In the present study, the immunomodulatory effects of a newly developed nanocarrier system (APNS: APS containing carrier) and its AST-VII containing formulation (ANS: AST-VII + APNS), on seasonal influenza A (H3N2) vaccine were investigated. Inactivated H3N2 alone or its combinations with test compounds/formulations were intramuscularly injected into Swiss albino mice. Four weeks after immunization, the immune responses were evaluated in terms of antibody and cytokine responses as well as splenocyte proliferation. APNS demonstrated Th2 mediated response by increasing IgG1 antibody titers, whereas ANS showed response towards Th1/Th2 balance and Th17 by producing of IFN-γ, IL-17A and IgG2a. Based on these results, we propose that APNS and ANS are good candidates to be utilized in seasonal influenza A vaccines as adjuvants/carrier systems.

Spectroscopic Characterization and Cytotoxicity Assessment towards Human Colon Cancer Cell Lines of Acylated Cycloartane Glycosides from Astragalus boeticus L.

In several European countries, especially in Sweden, the seeds of the species Astragalus boeticus L. were widely used as coffee substitutes during the 19th century. Nonetheless, data regarding the phytochemistry and the pharmacological properties of this species are currently extremely limited. Conversely, other species belonging to the Astragalus genus have already been extensively investigated, as they were used for millennia for treating various diseases, including cancer. The current work was addressed to characterize cycloartane glycosides from A. boeticus, and to evaluate their cytotoxicity towards human colorectal cancer (CRC) cell lines. The isolation of the metabolites was performed by using different chromatographic techniques, while their chemical structures were elucidated by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) (1D and 2D techniques) and electrospray-ionization quadrupole time-of-flight (ESI-QTOF) mass spectrometry. The cytotoxic assessment was performed in vitro by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assays in Caco-2, HT-29 and HCT-116 CRC cells. As a result, the targeted phytochemical study of A. boeticus enabled the isolation of three new cycloartane glycosides, 6-O-acetyl-3-O-(4-O-malonyl)-β-d-xylopyranosylcycloastragenol (1), 3-O-(4-O-malonyl)-β-d-xylopyranosylcycloastragenol (2), 6-O-acetyl-25-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl-3-O-β-d-xylopyranosylcycloastragenol (3) along with two known compounds, 6-O-acetyl-3-O-β-d-xylopyranosylcycloastragenol (4) and 3-O-β-d-xylopyranosylcycloastragenol (5). Importantly, this work demonstrated that the acetylated cycloartane glycosides 1 and 4 might preferentially inhibit cell growth in the CRC cell model resistant to epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitors.

Effect of natural antioxidants and important herbal medicines on blood infections and sepsis: A systematic review

Phytochemical and pharmaceutical studies have shown that medicinal plants are rich sources of antioxidant and biologically active compounds. The medicinal plants can have inhibitory effects on various types of parasitic diseases, microbial infections, blood infections, and sepsis. This review was done to report important medicinal plants effective on the prevention and treatment of blood infections and sepsis. Based on the results obtained from the review of numerous articles, indexed in the databases Information Sciences Institute, Scopus, PubMed, and Google Scholar etc., the most important medicinal plants effective in the treatment and prevention of sepsis and parasitic, microbial, and viral blood infections are Veronica officinalis, Allium sativum, Paeonia lactiflora, Angelica Sinensis, Hippophae rhamnoides, Melissa officinalis, Ziziphus Spina-Christi, Astragalus species, Salvia miltiorrhiza, Rheum palmatum, Sophora flavescens, Scutellaria species, Phyllanthus amarus, Calendula officinalis, Scrophularia striata, Lawsonia inermis, Artemisia species, and Plantago major. Sterolic, luteolin, tannins, quercetin, saponins and some other bioactive ingredients are the most important bioactive compounds and flavonoids of these medicinal plants that may be used in producing new anti-blood infections and anti-sepsis drugs.

Characterization of Emulsion Stabilization Properties of Gum Tragacanth, Xanthan Gum and Sucrose Monopalmitate: A Comparative Study.

Emulsification effect of gum tragacanth (GT) obtained from Astragalus species is gaining particular interest in recent years. In this study, stabilization effect of GT, xanthan gum (XG), and sucrose monopalmitate (SMP) was investigated by keeping their concentration constant (0.5% w/v) for the oil-in-water emulsions containing 20% (v/v) sun flower oil and 2% (w/v) whey protein isolate. Emulsification was achieved by using high shear homogenization. Particle size and T2 (spin-spin relaxation time) measurements were performed for the characterization and repeated over the course of 28days. Emulsion stability index (ESI [%]) was measured and rheological characterization was also performed. The lowest particle size was found for the XG emulsions and this was attributed to the pseudoplastic behavior of xanthan compared to GT (nXanthan = 0.188 ≪ nGT = 0.721). Xanthan emulsions thinned out dramatically when sheared during homogenization, and consequently, floccules formed could have been disrupted more resulting in smaller particle size. Result of rheological experiments showed that SMP emulsions were fit to Newtonian model, while XG and GT showed shear thinning behavior and fit to a power law model. Apparent viscosity of XG emulsions was found significantly higher than the GT ones. The most stable emulsions were the ones prepared by XG and they remained stable during 28days. Although GT emulsions could not protect their stability during 28days, ESI (%) results were found similar with XG indicating promising emulsification effect of GT. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Gum tragacanth, xanthan gum, and sucrose monopalmitate have been used to formulate oil-in-water emulsions. The final formulated products can be used in emulsion-based food products to increase their stability and shelf life.

HPLC Kullanarak Bazı Astragalus Türlerinin Yağda Çözünen Vitamin İçerikleri

The aim of this study is to contribute the biochemical studies of five Astragalus (Astragalus anthlloides, Astragalus hirsutus, Astragalus campylorhynchus, Astragalus cephalotes var. cephalotes, Astragalus odaratus) species by determining the lipide-soluble vitamin contents based on HPLC analyse. Current study showed that A. anthlloides (208,95±4,09 µg/g) and A. hirsutus (200,9±2,8 µg/g) have high ϒ-tocopherol content. Also, D3 vitamin content of studied Astragalus species were found between 2,94±0,18 µg/g (Astragalus odaratus) and 12,53±,495 µg/g (Astragalus anthlloides). On the other hand, α-tocopherol content of Astragalus species have detected between 3,99±0,14 µg/g (Astragalus campylorhynchus) and 11,9±0,66 µg/g (Astragalus cephalotes var. cephalotes). However, it was found that A. hirsutus only have beta caroten content (3,55±0,43 µg/g) among studied species. On the other hand, it was found that r-tocopherol, a-tocopherol acetate, D2, K1, retinol and retinol acetate contents were lowest amounts or absent.

Germination Ecology of Two Troublesome Weeds of Arid Chickpea: Euphorbia dracunculoides and Astragalus Species

ABSTRACT: The species Euphorbia dracunculoides and Astragalus are problematic weeds of arid chickpea in the chickpea mono-cropping system in Pakistan. The influence of various ecological factors on germination and seedling emergence characteristics of these weeds was determined under laboratory conditions. The results suggested that seed germination of both species was 50% at 15 oC under light conditions, and germination decreased when the temperature was increased. The increase in drought stress from 2.5 to 15% significantly decreased germination of E. dracunculoides and Astragalus spp. Both species failed to germinate at the osmotic potential of -3.02 MPa. The increase in field capacity from 25 to 100% increased emergence percentage and emergence index of both weeds. A pH range of 6 to 9 did not influence seed germination of both species and they were able to germinate at a wide range of pH conditions. Both weeds were very sensitive to salinity; however, a few seeds (10%) of Astragalusspp. germinated even at a 150 mM sodium chloride concentration. To check the effect of burial depth, seeds were placed in pots under seeding depths of 0 to 6 cm at an interval of 1 cm, respectively. Maximum emergence was attained at the soil surface and emergence declined with increasing depths. Seedling emergence of E. dracunculoides was higher than that of Astragalusspp. at all burial depths. Studies on germination ecology of these two weeds will offer insights into their behavior under different environmental conditions. Their germination responses and growth patterns under different ecological factors will help us to design an efficient management strategy to control these two troublesome weeds.

Comparative chemical and biological investigations of three Saudi Astragalus species

Aim: the chemical profile and biological activities of alcoholic extracts of the arial parts of three Saudi Astragalus species have been comparatively investigated in this research. Materials and methods: Three Saudi Astragalus species (A. spinosus Vahl, A. armatus Willd and A. sieberi DC.) were collected from the wild area of Rafhaa city, Northern border region in Saudi Arabia. phytochemical screening was carried out using the general standard procedure, Total Flavonoid (TFC) and total polyphenolic (TPC) contents were determined by AlCl3 Colorimetric Method and Folin–Ciocalteu reagent method, respectively. Flavonoid markers (kaempferol, apigenin, rutin, luteolin and quercetin) and phenolic compounds (gallic, caffeic, coumaric, ferulic, cinnamic, syringic and chlorogenic acids) were quantitatively traced for the first time in these Saudi Astragalus species using HPLC method. The antibacterial and antifungal studies were carried out by well diffusion method. Cytotoxic activities studies were carried out against Hep G-2, HCT-116 and A-549 cancer cell lines using MTT assay procedure. Antioxidant activities were measured using DPPH method. Immunostimulant Activity were examined using lymphocyte proliferation method. Results: The chemical screening confirmed the presence of triterpenes, flavonoids, sterols, glycosides, saponins and polyphenolic compounds and absence of anthraquinones in all species, while A. spinosus shows the highest percentages of TFC and TPC. ethyl acetate fractions of A. spinosus and A. sieberi showed potent cytotoxic activities IC50 = 50.2, 22.6 and 29.1 µg/ml for A. spinosus and 39.8,28.8 and 47.2 µg/ml for A. sieberi against tumor cell lines, HepG-2, HCT-116 and A-549 respectively. A. spinosus showed a DPPH radical scavenging effect (IC50) = 69 μg/ml, compared with other two species (IC50) = 161, and 313 μg/ml for A. armatus and A. sieberi respectively. The Astragalus samples showed mild antimicrobial activities, and imunomodulating activities. Conclusion: The present research shows the quality control testing, for the first time, of three Saudi Astragalus species and Astragalus-containing recipes. The present work provides valuable information for new drug or food supplement research and development.

Structure of vegetation and phytomass and mortmass stocks in Mongun-Taiga mountain tundra-steppe ecosystems

The species composition and quantitative indicators of fractions aboveground and underground phytomass and mortmass of tundra-steppe ecosystems of the northern macroslope of the Mongun-Taiga Mountain. Steppe communities are submitted to such mountain-steppe species as Koeleria altaica, Bupleurum multinerve, Carex ediformis, Festuca kryloviana, Potentilla sericea, Artemisia commutata, Aster alpinus. Tundra formations are high-mountain meadow and tundra species Astragalus adsurgens, Oxytropis intermedia, Stellaria petraea, Festuca altaica u Artemisia frigida. The total stock of plant matter and the main stock of green phytomass are formed by the types of dominants, such as Oxytropis intermedia, Carex rupestris u Festuca altaica. The ecological interpretation of the values of species composition in the formation of stocks of plant matter and the features of the functioning of tundra-steppe ecosystems is presented on the basis of established values of the ratio of aboveground and underground phytomass and mortmass fractions.

Using the mixture design approach to predict the rheological properties of low-calorie dairy desserts containing gum tragacanth exuded by three Iranian Astragalus species.

In this study, the flow behavior and creep parameters of saffron desserts containing gum tragacanth combinations of three species were modeled by the mixture design approach. Flow behavior and creep-recovery experiments were performed and models were predicted for apparent viscosity, consistency index, flow index, instantaneous compliance, and viscoelastic compliance. Five representative samples regarding the range of apparent viscosity at the shear rate of 50s-1 were subjected to sensory evaluation. According to rheological measurements, the addition of GT species of A. gossypinus led to the production of a dessert with a strong structure. Then, two samples with the highest consistency index and the lowest creep parameters were compared with two commercial saffron desserts. The results revealed that the overall acceptance of the two selected samples [containing 4% (w/w) A. gossypinus or 2.66% (w/w) A. gossypinus and 1.33% (w/w) A. fluccosus] was similar to those of the two commercial samples.

Scythris aerariella (Herrich-Schäffer, 1855) (Lepidoptera: Scythrididae): discovery of the larva, in Croatia, and observations on the male genitalia

An account is given of the discovery of the larva of Scythris aerariella (Herrich-Schäffer, 1855), in Croatia feeding on leaves of an Astragalus species. A description and photograph of the larva are provided. The larva was previously unknown. Observations are made on the male genitalia and sternite VIII.