Clausena Excavata Research Articles

Oxygen-functionalization of unique hierarchical carbon nanosheet fishtail-like for synergistically enhanced capacitive performance supercapacitor

The optimization of high-performance supercapacitors with enhanced electrochemical properties using biomass-based activated carbon is a challenging task. To overcome this, a novel strategy was used to create functional nanocarbon with a hierarchical-nanosheet structure based on bio-waste of Clausena Excavata Burm F (CEBF) leaves. The precursor was optimized through different chemical impregnation concentrations without the addition of any other substances. This resulted in a unique hierarchical carbon nanosheet fishtail-like with a specific surface area of 828.679 m2 g−1. The high carbon content of CEBF (up to 88.58%) and 4.46% oxygen as heteroatoms showed a beneficial pseudocapacitance effect. The electrochemical properties of CEBF-activated carbon were excellent, with a specific capacitance of 248 F g−1. The optimal energy density reached 33.8267 Wh kg−1, and the power density was 4.755 kW kg−1 at 10 A g−1. These findings suggest that CEBF biomass has significant potential as a source of hierarchical carbon nanosheet that enhances high-performance electrochemical supercapacitors.

α-Glucosidase Inhibitory Activity of Prenylated Pyranocoumarins from Clausena excavata: Mechanism of Action, ADMET and Molecular Docking.

Three naturally occurring prenylated pyranocoumarins, nordentatin (1), dentatin (2), and clausarin (3), isolated from the roots of Clausena excavata (Family Rutaceae), and O-methylclausarin (4) which was obtained by methylation of 3, were investigated for their α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. The mechanism of action and the in silico prediction of their physicochemical and ADMET properties as well as the molecular docking were also studied. Compounds 1-4 exhibited stronger α-glucosidase inhibitory activity than the positive control, acarbose, through a non-competitive mechanism. Among them, 3 exhibited the highest activity, with an IC50 of 8.36 μM, which is significantly stronger than that of acarbose (IC50=430.35 μM). The prenyl group on C-3 and the hydroxyl group on C-5 in 3 may play important roles in enhancing the activity. Calculated physicochemical and ADMET parameters of 1-4 satisfied the Lipinski's and Veber's rules. Molecular simulation analysis indicated they are promising drug candidates with no hepatotoxicity. Compound 3 exhibited potent activity in the experiment and demonstrated good drug properties based on the calculations. A molecular docking study revealed that 3 showed H-bonding and π-π stacking interactions with selective Phe321, as well as interactions with thirteen other amino acid residues of the α-glucosidase.

In Vivo Anti-Hepatocellular Carcinoma Effects of the Chloroform Root Extract of Clausena excavata Burm.

Liver cancer is the most common cancer among males in Africa. The disease has a poor prognosis and its treatment is associated with toxicity and resistance. For this reason, numerous herbal combinations are being subjected to anticancer screening to circumvent the shortcomings of the conventional anticancer drugs. In the current study, the in vivo anti-cancer effects of the chloroform root extract of the herb, Clausena excavata Burm were investigated. Liver cancer was induced in mice by a single intraperitoneal injection of diethylnitrosamine (DEN) followed by oral administration of the promoter of carcinogenesis, 2-aminoacetyl fluorine that was mixed with the mice feed. The cytotoxicity of the root extract of C. excavata on liver cancer cells was investigated using liver enzyme, histology, DNA fragmentation and caspases assays. Real time qPCR was conducted to evaluate the effect of the extract on apoptotic genes. The findings revealed that the extract of C. excavata significantly decreased the progression of hepatocarcinogenesis and the toxicity-induced production of the liver enzymes, alanine and aspartate aminotransferases. The histological analyses of the liver tissues revealed evidence of apoptotic cell death. The extract also provoked significant (p < .05) expressions of caspase 9 protein and gene as well as other apoptotic genes (P53, P27, Apaf-1, cytochrome C, bax and bid). Therefore, we postulate that the chloroform root extract of C. excavata induces apoptosis of liver cancer in mice.

Bioassay-Guided Isolation and Identification of Antiplasmodial Compounds from the Stem Bark of Clausena excavata.

Clausena excavata is a medicinal plant widely distributed in Southeast Asia. It is used for a variety of indications, including to treat malaria. In our present study, a phytochemical study of the methanol extract from the stem bark of C. excavata led to the isolation of five pyranocoumarins, nordentatin (1: ), dentatin (2: ), kinocoumarin (3: ), clausarin (4: ), and clausenidin (5: ), and a coumarin, 8-hydroxy-3″,4″-dihydrocapnolactone-2',3'-diol (6: ). The isolation of compound 6: from C. excavata and the antiplasmodial activities against a multidrug-resistant K1 strain of Plasmodium falciparum of 1, 3: , and 5: were reported for the first time. Compounds 3: and 4: exhibited potent antiplasmodial activities with EC50 values of 1.10 and 0.58 µM, respectively, while 1: and 5: had EC50 values of 5.62 and 7.15 µM, respectively. A prenyl group attached to the C-3 or C-12 position on the pyranocoumarin ring probably plays an important role on the activity. A hydroxyl group at the C-10 position is also likely to enhance the activity.

The potential of five wild growing aromatic plants from Hemaq Beniung Customary Forest on antidiabetic activity

Abstract. Kuspradini H, Putri AS, Kiswanto, Sa’adah H, Fajriansyah, Rizqullah MA, Larasati AG, Zulfa NA, Egra S, Yamauchi K, Mitsunaga T. 2023. The potential of five wild growing aromatic plants from Hemaq Beniung Customary Forest on antidiabetic activity. Biodiversitas 24: 2156-2162. Several aromatic plants have been used for millennia across the globe for their hyperglycemic properties. The in vitro inhibitory activity of extracts from Blumea balsamifera (L.) DC., Cinnamomum parthenoxylon (Jack) Meisn., Clausena excavata Burm.fil., Neouvaria acuminatissima (Miq.) AiryShaw, and Piper porphyrophyllum N.E.Br. were tested. The aim of this study was to determine the phytochemical constituent, total phenolic and flavonoid content of five aromatic plant extracts obtained from West Kutai, East Kalimantan as well as the antioxidant and antidiabetic activity via in vitro assays. Assays for total phenol and flavonoid content were based on Follin-Ciocalteu and aluminum chloride reagents, respectively. In this study, the antidiabetic activity was determined by measuring the inhibitory activity of ?-glucosidase enzyme, while the in vitro antioxidant activity was measured using the DPPH scavenger method. The order of inhibition of DPPH free radical was P. porphyrophyllum ethanol extract &gt; N. acuminatissima ethanol extract &gt; B. balsamifera ethyl acetate extract, which was found to be directly proportional to their total phenolic content. On the other hand, the order of inhibition of ?-glucosidase enzyme was found to be N. acuminatissima ethanol extract &gt; C. parthenoxylon ethanol extract &gt; N. acuminatissima ethyl acetate extract. Out of the 10 extracts studied, only 3 showed inhibition activity on ?-glucosidase. These findings indicate the aromatic plant extract's potential as a natural therapy for preventing and treating carbohydrate metabolic problems. As a result, the N. acuminatissima ethanol extract, which exhibits both antidiabetic and antioxidant activity, can be used in the pharmaceutical industry for the production of functional foods and herbal medicines. This is our first report on N. acuminatissima as an antioxidant and antidiabetic agent.

Assessment of Chemical Composition and Therapeutic Acti-vities of Clausena excavata Burm.: An Important Medicinal Plant of Eastern Ghats of India

Clausena excavata Burm. is an important medicinal plant belonging to the family Rutaceae. It is well known for its ethnomedicinal uses and therapeutic activities. This plant has been used in different traditional systems of medicine for the treatment of various diseases worldwide. In the present study, the chemical composition of essential oil and phytochemical contents of methanol extract of C. excavata leaf were performed. Further, the therapeutic activities of essential oil and methanol extract of C. excavata leaf were evaluated. The chemical composition of essential oil was analyzed by Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS). Myristicin (33.92%), terpinolene (21.29%), and sabinene (13.65%) were found to be the major compounds in leaf essential oil. Similarly, the phytochemical composition of the methanol extract of C. excavata leaf was analyzed using standard procedures. The phenolic content (165.23 mg GAE/g DW) was found to be the major phytoconstituents followed by alkaloids (89.30 mg/g DW) in leaf methanol extract. Furthermore, the antioxidant, antidiabetic, anticancer, and antimicrobial activities of the essential oil and methanol extract were evaluated. C. excavata essential oil showed more antioxidant activity (DPPH IC50 15.92 μg/mL; ABTS IC50 41.85 μg/mL; FRAP IC50 39.9 μg/mL) compared to leaf methanol extract. Similarly, essential oil exhibited higher antidiabetic activity (in terms of α-amylase inhibitory capacity) (IC50 97.50 μg/mL) compared to methanol extract and lower antidiabetic activity in comparison to the standard (IC50 71.9 μg/mL). The anticancer activity of essential oil was found to be more effective against the PC-3 cell line (IC50 39.1 μg/mL) while leaf methanol extract was more effective against OVCAR-3 (IC50 47.5 μg/mL), MCF-7 (IC50 48.1 μg/mL), and h-1299 (IC50 45.9 μg/mL). C. excavata essential oil exhibited lower antimicrobial activity compared to leaf methanol extract. In summary, this study on the characterization of phytoconstituents and pharmacological activities of C. excavata leaf essential oil could be helpful in exploiting its therapeutic potential sustainably as well as the discovery of new lead molecules.

IMMUNOMODULATORY POTENTIAL OF CLAUSENA EXCAVATA LEAVES FRACTIONS VIA DECREASING THE PRODUCTION OF REACTIVE OXYGEN SPECIES FROM IMMUNE CELLS

Objective: Clausena excavata is known to possess anti-oxidant property. However, this property through which mechanism it affects the immune cells and suppresses the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) has not been explored. Material and Method: This study evaluated the immunomodulatory activities of ethyl acetate, petroleum ether, chloroform, and methanol C. excavata leaf extracts by decreasing the production of ROS from whole blood, polymorphonuclears (PMNs) cells and macrophages. Result and Discussion: Among the fractions tested, ethyl acetate C. excavate extract (EACE) showed potent anti-oxidant property and significantly (p &amp;lt; 0.001) suppressed intracellular and extracellular phagocytic oxidative ROS burst produced by the zymosan and PMA-activated whole blood, PMNs, and macrophages cells with 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) values of 5.7 ± 0.01, 1.3 ± 0.01, and 0.7 ± 0.03 µg/mL respectively. This study provides information regarding the mechanism behind its anti-oxidant property and its herbal use in treating various higher oxidative stress associated diseases.

Identifikasi Dan Analisis Senyawa Metabolit Sekunder Ekstrak Daun Sicerek (Clausena excavata)

Clausenaexcavata is a plant that is widespread in tropical regions including Indonesia. This study aims to identify the compounds of secondary metabolites found in clausenaexcavata leaf extract as a reference for Indonesian medicinal plant halls and possible applications in the field of engineering like corrosion inhibitors. FTIR analysis has been used to determine the functional groups contained in the methanol extract of Sicerek (Clausena excavata) leaves. The results of identification and analysis of FTIR spectrum showed that the methanol extract of Clausenaexcavata contained O-H, N-H, C-N, C-H, C-O functional groups leaves contained phenolic compounds, flavonoids, coumarin, alkaloids, saponins and terpenoids.

A quick and convenient 1H quantitative NMR method for determination of bioactive pyranocoumarins from Clausena excavata

Clausena excavata, a shrub in the Rutaceae family, has been used in traditional medicine to alleviate cold, malaria, abdominal pain, bacterial infection, and HIV infection. The major biologically active constituents in the rhizomes and roots of C. excavata are the three pyranocoumarins; clausenidin, dentatin, and nordentatin. Due to the medicinal values of this plant, we have developed a quick and convenient qHNMR method to quantify clausenidin, dentatin, and nordentatin from the rhizomes and roots of C. excavata collected from six geographical locations throughout Thailand. The dried and powdered samples were extracted with deuterated methanol. The parameters for 1H NMR measurements were optimized according to the measured T1 relaxation time of the protons from the bioactive pyranocoumarins and of 2,3,5,6-tetrachloronitrobenzene (TCNB), the internal standard. HPLC assays were also conducted to verify the results obtained from the qHNMR method. The amount of clausenidin, dentatin, and nordentatin varied from different geographical locations, and the results from the qHNMR method were comparable to those obtained from the HPLC assays. The reported qHNMR method was quick, more convenient, and more applicable to large-scale quality control or screening than conventional HPLC methodology. The method developed herein is beneficial to the pharmaceutical and health industries.

Chemical constituents from Clausena excavata and their inhibitory activities against proliferation of synoviocytes

The chemical constituents from the stems and leaves of Clausena excavata were isolated and purified by column chromatography with silica gel, ODS, Sephadex LH-20 and RP-HPLC. The chemical structures of the isolated compounds were identified on the basis of physicochemical properties, spectroscopic analysis, as well as the comparisons with the data reported in literature. Nineteen compounds were isolated from the 90% ethanol extract of the stems and leaves of C. excavata, which were identified as methyl orsellinate(1), syringaresinol(2), lenisin A(3), scopoletin(4), osthenol(5), N-benzoyltyrarnine methyl ether(6), N-p-coumaroyltyramine(7), aurantiamide acetate(8), 1H-indole-3-carboxaldehyde(9), furostifoline(10), clausenalansine E(11), 3-formylcarbazole(12), clausine L(13), clausine E(14), methyl carbazole-3-carboxylate(15), glycosinin(16), murrayafoline A(17), clausine H(18) and 2,7-dihydroxy-3-formyl-1-(3'-methyl-2'-butenyl)carbazole(19). Among these isolated compounds, compounds 1-11 were isolated from C. excavata for the first time, and compounds 1, 2 and 10 were isolated from the genus Clausena for the first time. In addition, this study evaluated the anti-rheumatoid arthritis activities of compounds 1-19 by measuring their anti-proliferative effects on synoviocytes in vitro according to MTS method. Compounds 10-19 displayed remarkable anti-rheumatoid arthritis activities, which exhibited the inhibitory effects on the proliferation of MH7 A synovial fibroblast cells with the IC_(50) values ranging from(27.63±0.18) to(235.67±2.16) μmol·L~(-1).

Ethyl acetate extract of Clausena excavata induces growth inhibition of non-small-lung cancer, NCI-H460, cell line via apoptosis.

Clausena excavata Burm. f is a plant used in folklore medicine for the treatment of various ailments in South East Asia. The plant parts contain chemical components that are cytotoxic to many cancer cells. The study investigated the cytotoxic effects of ethyl acetate, methanol and chloroform C. excavata leaf extracts on the non-small-lung cancer, NCI-H460, cell line. Based on the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5,-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, among extracts, ethyl acetate C. excavata leaf extract (EACE) was the most potent anti-NCI-H460 cells, with IC50 value of 47.1 ± 6.1 μg/ml. The effects of EACE on NCI-H460 cells were also determined by clonogenic, 4', 6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI), and annexin-V-fluorescein isothiocyanate/propidium iodide-PI flow cytometric assays. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and apoptotic gene expressions was determined via flow cytometry and real-time quantitative PCR, respectively. EACE-treated NCI-H460 cells after 48 h underwent apoptosis as evident by loss of cell viability, cell shrinkage, and chromatin condensation. The results also showed EACE mediated increase in ROS production by the NCI-H460 cells. After 48 h treatment, EACE increased the pro-apoptotic BAX and decreased the anti-apoptotic Bcl-2, Survivin and c-Myc gene expressions. EACE is a potential anti-lung cancer by increasing cancer cell ROS production and apoptosis.

Anti-Enterococcus Faecalis, Cytotoxicity, Phytotoxicity, and Anticancer Studies on Clausena excavata Burum. f. (Rutaceae) Leaves.

Background Clausena excavata Burum. f. has long been applied in ethnomedicine for the treatment of various disorders like rhinitis, headache, cough, wound healing, fever, and detoxification. This study is aimed at investigating the antibacterial activity against Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 49532 using AlamarBlue assay and atomic force microscopy (AFM) as well as the cytotoxicity, anticancer, and phytotoxicity of C. excavata. Method Bacterial cell viability was performed by using microplate AlamarBlue assay. Atomic force microscopy was used to determine morphological changes in the surface of bacterial cells. Cytotoxicity and phytotoxicity were determined by brine shrimp lethality and Lemna minor bioassay. Caco-2 (colorectal adenocarcinoma) cell line was used for the evaluation of the anticancer effects. Result Among the fractions tested, ethyl acetate (EA) fraction was found to be active with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 750 μg/mL against E. faecalis, but other fractions were found to be insensitive to bacterial growth. Microscopically, the EA fraction-treated bacteria showed highly damaged cells with their cytoplasmic content scattered all over. The LC50 value of the EA fraction against brine shrimp was more than 1000 μg/mL showing the nontoxic nature of this fraction. Chloroform (CH), EA, and methanol (MOH) fractions of C. excavata were highly herbicidal at the concentration of 1000 μg/mL. EA inhibited Caco-2 cell line with an IC50 of 20 μg/mL. Conclusions This study is the first to reveal anti-E. faecalis property of EA fraction of C. excavata leaves, natural herbicidal, and anticancer agents thus highlight the potential compound present in its leaf which needs to be isolated and tested against multidrug-resistant E. faecalis.

Coumarins and Carbazole Alkaloid from Clausena excavata Roots and Investigation of their ?-glucosidase Inhibitory Activity

Clausena excavata Burm.f. has long been associated with medicinal benefits in folk medicine. This study isolated three known compounds which are two coumarins, umbelliferone (1),clausenidin (2) and one carbazole alkaloid, (2-hydroxy-3-formyl-7-methoxycarbazole (3) from the root of the plant. The compounds were characterized using their 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, COSY, HSQC and HMBC spectra and confirmed by literature data. The α-glucosidase inhibitory activity of the extract, fractions, compounds 2 and 3 were evaluated. The methanol extract exhibited higher inhibition against maltase α-glucosidase with IC50 value 0.020 mg/mL than the n-hexane fraction which IC50 value was 0.041 mg/mL.

Ethnobotanical survey of plants traditionally used against hematophagous invertebrates by ethnic groups in the mountainous area of Xishuangbanna, Southwest China

Hematophagous invertebrates such as mosquitoes, leeches, mites, ticks, lice and bugs cause various problems for humans. Considering reports on insecticide resistance and requirements for improved environmental and toxicological profiles, there is a continuing need to discover and develop new insecticides and repellents. Ethnobotanical surveys of traditional plant-based repellents provide a direct method of identifying plants for potential use. During five field surveys in Bulang, Jinuo and Lahu villages between August 2018 and July 2019, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 237 informants (151 male, 86 female; mean age 63). Frequency of citation, use value, informant consensus factor and Jaccard index were employed to statistically analyze the collected data. A total of 709 use reports relating to 32 plant species and 71 remedies were collected. Similarities and differences between the three groups, as well as the Dai and Hani of Xishuangbanna, who were studied earlier, were shown through network analysis. These five ethnic groups living in the same area have a common understanding of traditional botanical knowledge against hematophagous invertebrates, but each group also possesses unique knowledge. Recording and protecting this traditional knowledge is potentially useful for protecting this cultural diversity and related biodiversity and can also have important practical applications. In this study, traditional knowledge provided us with many new potential plants for follow-up research for the development of new insecticides and repellents, among which Artemisia indica, Nicotiana tabacum and Clausena excavata are the most promising.

Antibacterial activities of ethanolic extract of four species of Rutaceae family

In this study, the antibacterial activity of ethanolic extract from the leaves of four Rutaceae species, including Acronychia pedunculata, Clausena excavata, Glycosmis pentaphylla and Luvunga scandens, were performed using the agar disk diffusion method for the first time. The ethanolic extracts from the leaves of A. pedunculata and G. pentaphylla were able to resist against all six bacterial strains with zones of inhibition for Bacillus cereus (17.3±2.1 mm, 20.8±1.0 mm) Staphylococcus aureus (8.5±0.5 mm, 17.6±0.3 mm) Escherichia coli (16.7±2.1 mm, 15.3±1.2 mm), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (11.7±0.6 mm, 14.0±1.7 mm), Salmonella enteritidis (22.3±0.6 mm, 24.6±0.5 mm) and Salmonella typhimurium (9.5±0.9 mm, 8.3±0.6 mm). On the other hand, the ethanolic extract of C. excavata leaf was resistant to B. cereus (12.3±0.6 mm), S. aureus (11.6±0.5 mm), E. coli (11.5±2.1 mm), P. aeruginosa (10.6±0.3 mm) while B. cereus (8.2±0.3 mm), S. aureus (9.3±0.6 mm), E. coli (8.5±0.5 mm) and S. typhimurium (8.3±0.6 mm) were inhibited by the ethanolic extract of L. scandens leaf. This study could provide necessary information for further application of these species in medicine.

3-week repeated dose oral toxicity study of Clausena excavata extract in ICR mice

핑크왐피는 피부병, 말라리아, 복통, 이질 및 장염 치료를 위한 약용 식물로 사용되고 있다. 본 연구의 목적은 핑크왐피의 안전성을 확인하기 위하여, 수컷 ICR 마우스를 이용하여 핑크왐피를 3주 반복 경구 투여하여 최대무독성용량을 평가했다. 핑크왐피를 100, 250, 500, 1000, 및 2000 mg/kg으로 투여한 결과, 모든 시험물질 투여군에서 이상이 관찰되지 않았다. 사망률, 임상 증상, 체중 변화, 혈액 학적 검사 및 혈청 생화학 검사에서 유의적인 차이는 없었고, 경미한 변동은 핑크왐피의 투여로 인한 영향이 아닌 정상 범위 내에서의 변화로 간주 되어진다. 결과적으로, 핑크왐피는 모든 시험물질 투여군에서 독성 영향을 미치지 않았으며, 핑크왐피의 최대무독성용량은 2000 mg/kg 이상으로 간주되었다.

ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY, MOSQUITOCIDAL ACTIVITY, ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY OF SOLVENT EXTRACT AND SYNTHESIZED NANOPARTICLES OF CLAUSENA EXCAVATA (BURM.) F. (RUTACEAE) AGAINST SELECTED MOSQUITOES AND PATHOGENIC BACTERIA

In the present investigation, Clausena excavata an indegeous plant was sequentially extracted with hexane, ethyl acetate and methanol and their bio efficacy in terms of Antioxidant activity, mosquitocidal activity and antibacterial activity was tested. Among the three-extract methanol extract of C. excavata displayed significant antioxidant, larvicidal, ovicidal, pupicidal activities against Aedes aegypti and Culex quinquefasciatus. Similarly, methanol extract also showed pronounced antibacterial activity against the selected human pathogenic bacteria. Thus, the methanol extract of C. excavata was used to synthesize silver mediated nanoparticles and its (C. excavata AgNPs) bio efficacy was also tested with the selected vector mosquitoes and selected human pathogenic bacteria. This present investigation envisages the possible utilization of C. excavata as a potent candidate as green pesticides in the near future. Article DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.20319/lijhls.2019.51.1939 This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Non-commercial 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, PO Box 1866, Mountain View, CA 94042, USA.

Essential Oils from Clausena Species in China: Santalene Sesquiterpenes Resource and Toxicity against Liposcelis bostrychophila

To develop natural product resources from the Clausena genus (Rutaceae), the essential oils (EOs) from four Clausena plants (Clausena excavata, C. lansium, C. emarginata, and C. dunniana) were analyzed by GC-MS. Their lethal (contact toxicity) and sublethal effects (repellency) against Liposcelis bostrychophila (LB) adults were also evaluated. Santalene sesquiterpene was the precursor substance of santalol, a valuable perfumery. It was found that plenty of α-santalol (31.7%) and α-santalane (19.5%) contained in C. lansium from Guangxi Province and α-santalene (1.5%) existed in C. emarginata. Contact toxicity of the four EOs was observed, especially C. dunniana (LD50 = 37.26 µg/cm2). Santalol (LD50 = 30.26 µg/cm2) and estragole (LD50 = 30.22 µg/cm2) were the two most toxic compounds. In repellency assays, C. excavate, C. lansium, and C. emarginata exhibited repellent effect at the dose of 63.17 nL/cm2 2 h after exposure (percentage repellencies were 100%, 98%, and 96%, respectively). Four Clausena EOs and santalol had an excellent potential for application in the management of LB. Clausena plants could be further developed to find more resources of natural products.

Anti-obesity effects of Clausena excavata in high-fat diet-induced obese mice

Clausena excavata (C. excavata) has been used as a traditional medicine for the treatment of abdominal pain, enteritis, dysentery, and malaria. The present study was designed to evaluate the effect of a 50% ethanol extract of C. excavata (ECE) on weight loss, adipocyte size, and obesity-related biochemical parameters in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese mice. After 6 weeks of HFD + ECE administration, HFD-induced total fat, subcutaneous fat, and visceral fat were evaluated by micro-computed tomography. The serum levels of triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TCH), high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol were evaluated with a biochemical analyzer, and leptin and adiponectin levels in the serum were assessed via enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA). Moreover, adipocyte size and lipid formation in the liver were examined. We found that weight gain, epididymal fat pad weight, adipocyte size, and lipid formation were markedly attenuated in the livers of HFD-induced obese mice treated with ECE. Furthermore, TG, TCH, and leptin decreased in the serum, whereas adiponectin increased. In conclusion, our data show that ECE has potent anti-obesity activity in vivo and support the development of ECE as a potential therapeutic agent for the treatment of obesity.

Clausenidin Induces Caspase 8-Dependent Apoptosis and Suppresses Production of VEGF in Liver Cancer Cells

Clausena excavata Burm f. is used by traditional healers to treat cancer patients in South East Asia. The use of the plant and its compounds is based on Asian folklore with little or no scientific evidence supporting the therapeutic efficacy The current study aimed to determine the effect of pure clausenidin isolated from C. excavata on caspase-8-induced cell death as well as angiogenesis in the HepG2 hepatocellular carcinoma cell line. Caspase-8 and extrinsic death receptor protein expression was determined using spectrophotometry and protein profile arrays, respectively. Ultrastructural analysis of clausenidin-treated cells was conducted using transmission electron microscopy. In addition, anti-angiogenic effects of clausenidin were investigated by Western blot analysis. Clausenidin significantly (p<0.05) increased the activity of caspase-8 and expression of protein components of the death inducing signaling complex (DISC) in HepG2 cells. Ultrastructural analysis of the clausenidin-treated HepG2 cells revealed morphological abnormalities typical of apoptosis. Furthermore, clausenidin significantly (p<0.05) decreased the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Therefore, clausenidin is a potential anti-angiogenic agent which may induce apoptosis of hepatocellular carcinoma cells.