Biological Activities Of Ethanol Extracts Research Articles

Biological Activities of Ethanol Extracts of Hericium erinaceus Obtained as a Result of Optimization Analysis.

Mushrooms are one of the indispensable elements of human diets. Edible mushrooms stand out with their aroma and nutritional properties. In this study, some biological activities of the wild edible mushroom Hericium erinaceus were determined. In this context, firstly, the most suitable extraction conditions of the fungus in terms of biological activity were determined. First, 64 different experiments were performed with the Soxhlet device under 40-70 °C extraction temperature, 3-9 h extraction time, and 0.5-2 mg/mL extraction conditions. As a result, a total antioxidant status (TAS) analysis was performed, and the extraction conditions were optimized so that the objective function was the maximum TAS value. The data obtained from the experimental study were modeled with artificial neural networks (ANNs), one of the artificial intelligence methods, and optimized with a genetic algorithm (GA). All subsequent tests were performed using the extract obtained under optimum extraction conditions. The antioxidant capacity of the mushroom was assessed using Rel assay kits and the DPPH and FRAP techniques. The agar dilution method was used to measure the antimicrobial activity. The anti-Alzheimer activity was assessed based on the activities of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE). The antiproliferative activity was assessed against the A549 cancer cell line. The total phenolic content was measured using the Folin-Ciocalteu reagent. The measurement of total flavonoids was conducted using the aluminum chloride test. LC-MS/MS equipment was used to screen for the presence of standard chemicals. The optimum extraction conditions were found to be a 60.667 °C temperature, 7.833 h, and 1.98 mg/mL. It was determined that the mushroom has high antioxidant potential. It was determined that the substance was successful at combating common bacterial and fungal strains when used at dosages ranging from 25 to 200 µg/mL. The high antiproliferative effect of the substance was attributed to its heightened concentration. The anti-AChE value was found to be 13.85 μg/mL, while the anti-BChE value was confirmed to be 28.00 μg/mL. The phenolic analysis of the mushroom revealed the presence of 13 chemicals. This investigation found that H. erinaceus exhibits robust biological activity when extracted under appropriate circumstances.

Phytochemical analysis and antioxidant activities ethanol extract of propolis Trigona spp. from different vegetation in Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia

Abstract. Tirtasari K, Suwanti LT, Mufasirin, Hastutiek P, Indasari EN, Kurnijasanti R, Plumeriastuti H, Safitri E, Hestianah EP. 2024. Phytochemical analysis and antioxidant activities ethanol extract of propolis Trigona spp. from different vegetation in Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 25: 404-411. Propolis is a natural substance containing a resin that is collected by honey bees from various plants and has a significant effect on human health such as antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, anesthetic, antioxidant, antitumoural, antiprotozoal, anticancer, antihypertensive, anticarcinogenic, antihepatotoxic and has cytotoxic activity. Cultivation of Trigona spp. in Lombok is growing rapidly. Trigona spp. produces more propolis than honey bees of Apis spp., but bee products that are maximally utilized are only honey, and propolis has not been utilized optimally. Currently, there is no scientific validation of the phytochemical content, bioactive compounds, and biological activities of ethanol extract propolis Trigona spp. from Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara. So, this study aimed to determine the phytochemical compounds, bioactive compounds, and antioxidant activity of propolis. Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis was performed to determine the bioactive compounds of ethanol extract propolis. DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) was used to evaluate antioxidant activity. The composition of propolis compounds is different for each propolis depending on the bee species and the vegetation source from which the resin was collected. In this research, propolis was collected from different vegetation sources (cashews, moringa, coffee, and lote trees). This study used qualitative and quantitative phytochemical analysis and the antioxidant DPPH test. Different components and percentages cause significant variations in the results obtained from phytochemical tests. The content is different in various propolis, there are saponins, flavonoids, and tannins. The highest antioxidant activity was found in propolis with moringa resin 38.4150 (very strong), followed by lote tree resin -66.0420 (strong), cashew resin 81.8140 (strong), and coffee resin 100.7465 (moderate).

Identification of possible bioactive compounds and a comparative study on in vitro biological properties of whole hemp seed and stem

Industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) is a crop with potential applications in the food industry. Hemp seed is the most promising functional food item from hemp plant, which displays a number of applications in foods. However, there is a limited knowledge regarding its health benefits. This study aimed to investigate the metabolite profile and in vitro biological activities of ethanol extracts of ‘Cheongsam’ hemp seed and stem. In vitro antioxidant capacity (measured by DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP), anti-obesity, anti-diabetic, and anti-inflammatory activities of ethanol extracts of hemp seed and stem were evaluated. Hemp seed extract exhibited higher antioxidant and anti-inflammation capacities than hemp stem (61.20% versus 38.73%). Similarly, the lipase inhibitory activity (83.70% versus 70.19%) and α-glucosidase inhibitory activity (76.14% versus 61.61%) were significantly higher in the seed than in the stem extract. Moreover, phytochemical profiling of the ethanol extracts revealed that total phenolic, condensed tannin, and saponin contents were significantly higher in hemp seed than in hemp stem. Quercetin (42.50 μg/g), apigenin (15.55 μg/g), and rutin (5.22 μg/g) were considered the major polyphenolic compounds in hemp seed, whereas ferulic acid (1.71 μg/g), caffeic acid (0.25 μg/g), and p-coumaric acid (2.85 μg/g) were the minor polyphenols in the seed extract. The results obtained in this study demonstrate that ‘Cheongsam’ hemp seed is rich in beneficial bioactive compounds and also possesses antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-obesity, and anti-diabetic activities, which could make it applicable as a suitable raw material in the food industry.

Antimycobacterial, cytotoxic, and anti-inflammatory activities of Artemisialudoviciana

Ethnopharmacological relevanceA third part of the world population has been exposed to the pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the etiological agent of tuberculosis (TB). TB is a deadly disease, and its treatment has been hampered because of the lack of new antibiotics or the development of new antimycobacterial agents against this pathogen. The situation is aggravated because of the appearance of multidrug-resistant strains. In Mexican traditional medicine, records showed Artemisia ludoviciana for the treatment of TB. Thus, the combination of antibiotics and plant extracts might represent new antimycobacterial agents as an attractive alternative. Materials and methodsThe biological activities of ethanol extract obtained from A. ludoviciana were evaluated for its antimycobacterial activities using an M. tuberculosis clinical isolate. Also, the toxicity of the extracts was assessed ex vivo and in vivo using the human-derived macrophages cell line (THP-1) and the Artemia spp. model, respectively. Lastly, the inflammatory response of macrophages exposed to the extracts was also evaluated. ResultsThe ethanol extract of A. ludoviciana showed antimycobacterial activity with a MIC of 250 μg/mL against a clinical strain of M. tuberculosis. Ex vivo cytotoxicity using the THP-1 cell line incubated with the ethanol extract showed an IC50 of 20 μg/mL. On the other hand, the Artemia model's toxicity test showed moderate toxicity when the A. ludoviciana extract was tested with LC50 of 195.64 μg/mL. Analysis of the inflammatory response of THP-1 cells exposed to the same extract showed no increase in secreted interleukine-6 and -10. Also, no effect was observed in the pro-inflammatory tumor necrosis factor-α cytokine level. Moreover, a chemical profile of the extracts identified achillin as the major component in the ethanol extract, along with other minor components such as thujone and stigmasterol. ConclusionsWe showed that the ethanol extract of A. ludoviciana possessed antimycobacterial activity and could potentially be used to supplement the antibiotic treatment of TB.

Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometric Analysis, Isolation, Characterization and Biological Activity of Ethanolic Extract of Moss Fabronia secunda Mont.

The chemical and biological profile of the ethanolic extract of Fabronia secunda examined for the first time. The gas chromatography-mass spectrometric analysis of ethanolic extract of Fabronia secunda identified 200 components, which mainly composed of lup-20(29)-ene-3,28-diol (4.01 %), guanosine (3.99 %), and 1,2-benzene-dicarboxylic acid (3.79 %). Also, the chromatographic analysis yielded three compounds, namely stigmasterol (1), β-sitosterol (2) and lupeol (3). The ethanolic extract of Fabronia secunda exhibited superior inhibition of superoxide and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radicals with an half maximal inhibitory concentration value of 33.5 and 34.5 μg/ml respectively. Additionally, ethanolic extract of Fabronia secunda depicted prominent inhibitory profiles against alpha-glucosidase and pancreatic alpha-amylase with half maximal inhibitory concentration values of 48.5 and 58.0 μg/ml respectively. To conclude, this preliminary chemical analysis provides a piece of evidence to know the metabolism of mosses and the biological investigation proved the therapeutic importance of mosses like Fabronia secunda.

Efficacy of Ethanolic plant extracts of Zingiber officinale, Raphanus sativus, Rosa indica and Aloe vera against Heterotermes indicola

Present study was performed to evaluate the anti-termitic potential of four common plant species of Zingiber officinale, Raphanus sativus, Rosa indica and Aloe vera. During laboratory bioassay, the biological activity of ethanolic extracts of these plants was evaluated. The ethanol extract of Z. officinale caused highest mortality (100%) while least mortality (68%) was observed in R. indica extract. The LT50 for Z. officinale were 24.34, 40.40 and 64.7 h for concentrations of 10%, 5% and 3% respectively. Present findings suggested that these plant extracts can provide environmental friendly management of H. indicola. In A. vera, also resulted in significant mortality against H. indicola i.e. 94%, 64% and 44% on exposure of 10%, 5% and 3% concentraions. While LT50 were 34.66, 65.59, and 100.1 hours against 10%, 5% and 3% concentrations. In R. sativus, mortality of H. indicola was 76%, 50% and 30% while LT50 against were 59.10, 86.20, and 127.3 h, against concentration of 10%, 5% and 3%. Least mortality was observed in R. indica i.e. 68%, 44% and 30% while LT50 were 64.17, 94.58 and 125.5 h at 10%, 5% and 3% respectively. This study revealed that the extracts of Z. officinale, A.vera and R. Sativus have a potential to be used for termite control especially Heterotermes indicola to minimize the damage.
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Phenolic Content and Biological Activities of Ethanol Extracts from Medicinal Plants in East Kalimantan, Indonesia

The Dayak tribe are the indigenous people of West Kutai, East Kalimantan, Indonesia, and they have experiences in using plants for traditional medicine and the commonly used plants include Baccaurea macrocarpa (Miq.) Müll.Arg., Entada phaseoloides (L.) Merr., Goniothalamus macrophyllus (Blume) Hook.f. & Thomson, Gynura crepidioides Benth., Helicia robusta (Roxb.) R. Br var. robusta, Litsea elliptica, Pogostemon cablin (Blanco) Benth, and Rhodomyrtus tomentosa (Aiton) Hassk. Therefore, the present study aimed to analyze these plant species for their phenolic content, and antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-tyrosinase, and anticancer activities. The total phenolic content and total antioxidant capacity were analyzed using Folin-Ciocalteu reagent and the phosphomolybdenum method, respectively. The antioxidant activities were evaluated by DPPH and ABTS assays. The antibacterial activity was determined by agar well diffusion and microdilution methods against six bacterial strains. The anticancer activity of the plant extracts was assayed against MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells. Based on the ethanol extraction, the highest yield was obtained from L. elliptica (10.42%), while H. robusta extract contained the highest phenolic content, antioxidant capacity, and antioxidant activities. All the extracts exhibited antibacterial activities against all the tested strains of bacteria, with the highest activity found in R. tomentosa extract, which also showed the highest activity against the cancer cells. The ethanol extract from E. phaseoloides exhibited tyrosinase inhibition activity (IC50 = 543.83 ± 51.06 µg/mL). The results herein suggested that the ethanol extracts from some medicinal plants from East Kalimantan have potential as antioxidant, antibacterial, anticancer, and anti-tyrosinase agents.

Some Biological activities of ethanol extract of Marrubium globosum

Plants have been used for centuries to treat various diseases. In this study, Marrubium globosum Montbret & Aucher ex Benth. plant was used as a material. The extract of the plant was extracted with the help of soxhlet device using ethanol, which is a good polar solvent, and Rel Assay kits were used to determine the oxidant and antioxidant levels in the plant extract. Antifungal and antibacterial activities of M. globossum were tested against standard bacteria and fungus strains by agar dilution method. As a result of the analysis, TAS value of plant extract was determined as 7.677±0.231, TOS value as 12.387±0.083 and OSI value as 0.162±0.004. In this context, it has been observed that the plant has an important antioxidant potential. In addition, the plant extract was found to be effective against test microorganisms at 50-200 μg/mL extract concentrations. As a result, it has been determined that M. globossum can be a natural antioxidant and antimicrobial source.

Inhibition of melanin production and promotion of collagen production by the extract of Kuji amber.

Kuji amber is fossilized tree resin of the Late Cretaceous in Japan. In this study, new biological activities of ethanol extract of Kuji amber (EtOH ext.) and supercritical carbon dioxide fluid extract of Kuji amber (scCO2 ext.) were examined. Both EtOH ext. and scCO2 ext. inhibited melanin production in B16 mouse melanoma cells and promoted collagen production in human skin fibroblast SF-TY cells. The scCO2 ext. had more potent activity than that of EtOH ext. and may depend on the efficiency of the extraction. The main new biologically active compound in Kuji amber, kujigamberol had no activities against melanin production, however, it promoted collagen production at low concentrations. A biologically active compound having a different structure, spirolactone norditerpenoid, showed both the inhibition activity against melanin production and the promotion activity of collagen production in a dose dependent manner. EtOH ext. and scCO2 ext., which include both kujigamberol and spirolactone norditerpenoid, have not only anti-allergy activity, but also inhibit melanin production and promote collagen production.

In Vitro Antifungal and Antivirulence Activities of Biologically Synthesized Ethanolic Extract of Propolis-Loaded PLGA Nanoparticles against Candida albicans

Propolis is a natural substance and consists of bioactive compounds, which gives it antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. However, the use of propolis is limited by the low solubility in aqueous solutions. Thus, nanoparticles may be likely to accomplish enhanced delivery of poorly water-soluble phytomedicine. The aim of the present study was to fabricate and evaluate the biological activity of ethanolic extract of propolis-loaded poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) nanoparticles (EEP-NPs). The EEP-NPs were prepared using the oil-in-water (o/w) single-emulsion solvent evaporation technique. The physicochemical properties of EEP-NPs were characterized and tested on their cytotoxicity, antifungal activity, and impact on key virulence factors that contribute to pathogenesis of C. albicans. EEP-NPs were successfully synthesized and demonstrated higher antifungal activity than EEP in free form. Moreover, EEP-NPs exhibited less cytotoxicity on Vero cells and suppressed the virulence factors of C. albicans, including adhesion, hyphal germination, biofilm formation, and invasion. Importantly, EEP-NPs exhibited a statistical decrease in the expression of hyphal adhesion-related genes, ALS3 and HWP1, of C. albicans. The results of this study revealed that EEP-NPs mediates a potent anticandidal activity and key virulence factors by reducing the gene-encoding virulence-associated hyphal- adhesion proteins of C. albicans and, thereby, disrupting the morphologic presence and attenuating their virulence.

The Cumulative Effects of Plant Extract Tavri Shrub (Daphne Mucronata) on Some Biological Aspects of Mosquito Culex Molestus Forskal

The present study was performed to evaluate the toxicity and biological activity of ethanolic extract of the plant tavri shrub (Daphne mucronata) which is widely abundant in Iraqi Kurdistan region against the mosquito (Culex molestus Forskal) using different concentrations (0.25- 7.5 mg/ml). The plant extract significantly affected the survival rate of all immature stages, prolonged their developmental period, preoviposition period, reduced egg productivity and hatchability, caused growth abnormalities, led to the appearance of intermediates and the adult failed to emerge. The cumulative effect of the Plant extract significantly affected the hatchability of eggs, mortality rate and elongation the duration of the larvae and pupae of C. molestus. The adult emergence and most of the vital biological activities of the emerging females including preoviposition period, fecundity and fertility were obviously affected. Also the extract caused various morphological deformations at different developmental stages.

Bee bread - perspective source of bioactive compounds for future

Bee bread is product with long history used mainly in folk medicine. Nowadays, bee bread is growing in commercial interest due to its high nutritional properties. The objective of this study was to determine biological activity of ethanolic extract of bee bread obtained from selected region of Ukraine - Poltava oblast, Kirovohrad oblast, Vinnica oblast, Kyiv oblast, Dnepropetrovsk oblast. The antioxidant activity was measured with the radical scavenging assays using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical as well as phosphomolybdenum assay. Total polyphenol content was determined with Folin-Ciocalteau reagent and total flavonoid content by aluminium-chloride method. Secondary was also evaluated antimicrobial activity in bee bread samples with disc diffusion method and minimum inhibitory concentrations. Antioxidant activity expressed as mg TEAC per g of dry weight (Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity) was the highest in bee bread from Poltava oblast in DPPH and also phosphomolybdenum method. Samples of bee bread contained high levels of total polyphenols (12.36 - 18.24 mg GAE - gallic acid equivalent per g of dry weight) and flavonoids (13.56 - 18.24 μg QE - quercetin equivalent per g of dry weight) with the best values of bee bread from Poltava oblast. An elevated level of antioxidant potential in the bee bread determines its biological properties, which conditioned of the biological active substances. The best antibacterial activity of bee bred with disc diffusion method was found against Bacillus thuringiensis CCM 19. The antibacterial activity inhibited by the bee bread extract in the present study indicate that best minimal inhibition concentration was against bacteria Escherichia coli CCM 3988 and Salmonella enterica subs. enterica CCM 3807.

Cytotoxic, antioxidant, iNOS, AChE, BChE inhibitory and antimicrobial activities of ethanol extract of Cyprus endemic plant Salvia veneris

Salvia veneris Hedge (Lamiaceae) is an endemic species of Cyprus. This species finds use as an herbal tea in the region by the misidentification instead of S. officinalis. There is no information on the biological activity of S. veneris in the literature. Here we report the biological activities of ethanol extract of this species. The cytotoxicity of the extract was evaluated against PC3, HeLa, CaCo-2, MCF-7, U87MG, HEK293, mPanc-96 cell lines. Highest activity was observed against PC3, mPanc-96 and HeLa cell lines 6.158, 8.704 and 9.907 µg/mL (IC50) respectively. The extract produced 11.00 µg/mL iNOS inhibitory activity which is higher concentration than the positive control parthenolide 0.6 µg/mL (IC50). Low AChE and BChE enzyme inhibitory activity was observed at 10 mg/mL concentration which produced 26.54 ± 0.58% and 35.87 ± 0.53 respectively (n = 3). Additionally the extract produced highest antimicrobial activity against C. albicans, S. epidermis, and E. faecium microorganisms with 15.6, 31.25, 31.25 µg/mL MIC values respectively. Highest DPPH scavenging activity was observed at 10 mg/mL concentration 90.83 ± 0.0% (n = 3) which is lower than positive control (α-tocopherol at 10 mg/mL; 92.38 ± 0.01% (n = 3)). The PRAP activity was 0.92 ± 0.04 AU at 10 mg/mL which corresponds to the activity observed for 2.1 mg/mL α-tocopherol (y = 0.2251x+0.4354; R2= 0.9932; n = 3). The FRAP activity of the 10 mg/mL extract corresponds to activity observed for 5.70 ± 0.10 mg/mL α-tocopherol concentration (n = 3; y = 0.1268x+0.0548; R2= 0.9922). The extract showed high potential for most of the activity tests studied. According to the presented activity results identification of the active compounds is currently under investigation.

Biological Activity of Ethanol Extracts from Fermented Opuntia humifusa with 3 Different Mushroom Mycelia

Biological Activity of Ethanol Extracts from Fermented Opuntia humifusa with 3 Different Mushroom Mycelia

Biological Activities of Ethanol Extracts of Phellinus baumii (Higher Basidiomycetes) Obtained by Different Fermentation Methods.

Phellinus baumii was used for fermentation, and 3 corresponding ethanol extracts were obtained by 3 different methods: extract I, liquid fermentation; extract II, solid fermentation in polypropylene plastic bags with medium mainly consisting of sawdust and wheat bran; and extract III, solid fermentation in culture bottles with medium mainly consisting of rice. Ethanol extract I presented the best inhibition ability on HepG2 cell growth; inhibiting rates were 48.2% and 65.0% at doses of 10 and 100 µg/mL, respectively. Ethanol extracts II and III had a better regeneration effect on injured PC12 neural cells than extract I. The superoxide radical, hydrogen peroxide radical, and DPPH radical scavenging activities of ethanol extract III was better than those of the other 2 extracts.

Avaliação da toxicidade dos extratos do Araribá (Centrolobium tomentosum) com utilização do bioensaio com Artemia salina

Since the dawn of medicine, man has used natural products for the treatment of disease. There has been a recent increase in studies of the therapeutic characteristics plants in popular use in many places of the world. In this context, the species Centrolobium tomentosum, Fabaceae, known popularly as Arariba or Araruva, is used in Brazilian folk medicine as an astringent for wound treatment and bruises due to the large amount of tannins contained in the bark. This work used toxicity tests to assess the biological activity of ethanolic extracts from C. tomentosum with the specific objectives of obtaining concentrated extracts from the bark and wood of this species and determining the total phenols and tannins present in these extracts. We collected arariba samples in order to obtain ethanolic extracts through the percolation process. We then made a qualitative chemical identification of hydrolysable tannins and condensed tannins. We used the Folin-Ciocalteu method for the phenols quantification and the casein precipitation method for the tannins determination. The toxicity of extracts was evaluated using the brine shrimp bioassay (Artemia salina), in which the C. tomentosum bark extract showed moderate toxicity, with estimated LC50 = 416 μg.ml-1, whereas the leaves and wood extracts of this species showed low toxicity with LC50 = 537 μg.ml-1 and 826 μg.ml-1, respectively.

Retraction Note: Effect of gamma irradiation on color characteristics and biological activities of ethanol extract of Lonicera japonica

Retraction Note: Effect of gamma irradiation on color characteristics and biological activities of ethanol extract of Lonicera japonica

Effect of gamma irradiation on color characteristics and biological activities of ethanol extract of Lonicera japonica

Effects of gamma irradiation on color characteristic and biological activities of ethanol extract of Lonicera japonica irradiated at 0, 10, 20, and 30 kGy were investigated. Hunter color L*- and a*-value increased by irradiation in a dose-dependent manner, resulting in lighter color than the nonirradiated, whereas Hunter color b*-value decreased with increasing irradiation dosage (p <0.05). The L. japonica extract showed inhibition effects against tyrosinase, xanthine oxidase, and nitrite-scavenging ability. Tyrosinase inhibition effect of L. japonica was higher in the gamma-irradiated sample than in the nonirradiated sample, and the effect was increased by increasing irradiation dosages. The L. japonica extracts had a higher inhibitory effect against xanthine oxidase, and the effect was not greatly changed by irradiation. Nitrite-scavenging activity was the highest in L. japonica extract at pH 1.2. Overall, the gamma irradiation may not greatly influence the xanthine oxidase inhibition effect and nitrite-scavenging ability of the L. japonica extract, except for the tyrosinase inhibition effect when irradiated up to 30 kGy.

산수유 에탄올 추출물의 생리활성

산수유를 기능성식품 소재로서 이용하기 위하여 산수유 에탄올추출물의 생리활성을 조사하였다. 산수유 에탄올추출물의 수소공여능은 농도 의존적으로 증가되었으며, 300 및 500 ㎍/mL 농도에서 각각 64, 73%의 활성을 나타내었다. 대식세포 RAW264.7에 산수유 에탄올추출물을 100, 300 및 500 ㎍/mL의 농도로 처리하였을 때 산수유추출물은 농도 의존적으로 NO(nitric oxide)의 생성을 유도하였다. 또한 산수유 에탄올추출물을 유방암세포에 다양한 농도로 처리하여 24, 48, 72시간 반응시킨 결과 농도 및 시간에 의존적으로 유방암세포의 증식을 억제하였으며, 500 ㎍/mL 농도로 72시간 처리 시 60% 이상의 높은 증식억제율을 보여주었다. 또한, MCF-7 유방암 세포에 bisphenol과 17β-estradiol과 같은 환경호르몬을 0.1 μM의 농도로 처리하였을 때 세포의 증식이 유도되었으며, 이 세포에 산수유 에탄올추출물을 농도별로 72시간 처리하였을 때 유방암 세포의 증식이 억제되었다. 따라서 본 연구결과는 산수유의 기능성식품 소재로서의 활용 가능성을 시사한다.

Laboratory Evaluation of Bioactivity of Ethanolic Extracts of Plants Used for Protection of Stored Maize AgainstSitophilus zeamaisMotschulsky in Cameroon

The maize weevil, Sitophilus zeamais Motschulsky (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), is an important cause of stored maize losses in the Western highlands of Cameroon. Chemical insecticides for rapid control are expensive and not readily available. In search for cheap and easily available natural products to control this insect pest, the biological activity of ethanolic extracts of some traditionally used plant materials were evaluated against the weevil. Laboratory studies on toxicity against F1 progeny, contact toxicity and repellency against S. zeamais were conducted with ethanolic extracts of Vetiveria zizanioides roots, and Cupressus arizonica, Ocimum gratissimum, Eucalyptus grandis leaves. The ethanolic extracts of the last three plant species had significant toxicity (P = 0.01) on S. zeamais and against the F1 progeny. Percentage repellency was significant across the four plant extracts but highest in grains treated with V. zizanioides. Repellency was concentration-dependent and greater than 50 % at the lowest V. zizanioides extract concentration of 12 500 ppm. Vetiveria zizanioides could be a potential repellent for the protection of stored products against S. zeamais.