Eugenia Caryophyllata Thunb Research Articles

Ethnopharmacological Insights into the Use of Chenopodium ambrosioides for Cough Treatment among Togolese Traditional Healers

Togo has an ethnobotanical potential with a great diversity of medicinal plants widely used to treat human diseases. Cough associated with respiratory diseases is one of the pathologies traditionally treated with medicinal plants in Togo. Chenopodium ambrosioides (L.) is a species used in the traditional treatment of cough in Togo. The aim of this study was to document the ethnopharmacological uses of Chenopodium ambrosioides in Togolese traditional medicine for treatment of cough. An ethnopharmacological survey was conducted using the semi-structured interview method among Traditional Medicine Practitioners (TMPs) from six health districts spread across four health regions. The ethnopharmacological and ethnobotanical data collected were analyzed using the User Value (UV) and Frequency of Citation (FC) of medicinal plants associated with the species. A total of 127 TMPs participated in this study and 96 (76%) of them were male and 31 (34%) were female. 73% of the informants claimed usually use Chenopodium ambrosioides in the cough treatment compared to 27% who claimed to not use it to treat cough. Chenopodium ambrosioides was used in combination with fifty-two (52) other botanical species in the treatment of cough and in the study area, Abrus precatorius Linn. (13.59%) followed by Ocimum gratissimum Linn. (11.58%), Zingiber officinale Rosc. Trans. Linn. (9.73%), Mangifera indica Linn. (6.21%), Eucalyptus citriodora Hooker (4.87%), Xylopia aethiopica (Dunal) A. Rich. (4.36%) and Eugenia caryophyllata Thunb. (4.19%) were the most popular plants used for cough treatment among the plants recorded. Sixteen (16) other pathologies including pulmonary infections are also treated by Chenopodium ambrosioides (L.). Abscesses, intestinal parasitic diseases, incurable wounds, stomach aches and headaches are the most pathologies commonly treated by this plant. The whole plant (72%) and leaves (22%) are the primary parts utilized for medicinal purposes. Decoction (77.50%) is the main preparation method, with oral (80.83%) and cutaneous (10.83%) routes being the most common modes of administration. The findings from this study provide a solid ethnopharmacological foundation for future pharmacological and toxicological investigations into Chenopodium ambrosioides (L.).

The Use of Essential Oil-based Pharmaceutical Products to Control Cattle Ticks

The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy of six essential oils obtained from sour orange (Citrus aurantium L.), ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe), lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus (DC.) Stapf.), litsea (Litsea cubeba (Lour.) Pers.), clove (Eugenia caryophyllata Thunb.) and curcumin (Curcuma longa Linn.) against cattle ticks. Two essential oils demonstrated the greatest significant efficiency and were chosen for further testing on the cattle skin. The results showed that the 8% lemongrass essential oil had the most significant inhibiting effect on the oviposition of engorged female cattle ticks, whereas ginger oil, curcumin oil, sour orange, litsea oil and clove oil, showed lesser effect respectively (p<0.05). There was a significant inverse relationship between lemongrass essential oil concentration and the tick’s oviposition index. It was observed that the higher the essential oil concentration (16%), the higher the mortality rate of the larva-stage ticks. Nevertheless, the 4, 8 and 16% of lemongrass essential oil concentrations were also effective against adult ticks, causing a 100% mortality rate. Lemongrass oil can reduce tick number from day 1 after spraying on cattle skin and the tick number was under control for at least 14 days, which is significantly different, comparing to the control group.

Clove essential oil confers antioxidant activity and lifespan extension in C. elegans via the DAF-16/FOXO transcription factor

Clove (Eugenia caryophyllata Thunb.) essential oil (CEO) has been extensively utilized and well-recognized due to its wide medicinal activities. In our study, the gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) technology was applied in characterizing the CEO chemical composition. Altogether 58 volatile components were discovered from bud CEO. To further clarify the antioxidant and anti-aging activities of CEO in vivo, the nematode C. elegans was used as an animal model. The results suggested that, chronic CEO treatment significantly extended the lifespan and promoted the production and health. As expected, CEO possessed antioxidant activities against the reactive oxygen species (ROS) through inducing the expression of SOD-3 or GST-4. Meanwhile, it was found that CEO treatment induced the DAF-16/FOXO nuclear translocation from the cytoplasm. Finally, the results indicated that CEO caused the apoptosis of germ cells in acep-1 and daf-16 dependent manner. Overall, our research suggests that CEO possesses antioxidant and anti-aging activities, and that DAF-16 may be essential for its biological functions.

Eugenol Attenuates Scopolamine-Induced Hippocampal Cholinergic, Glutamatergic, and Mitochondrial Toxicity in Experimental Rats.

Eugenol is one of the essential chemical constituents of several functional food plants including Eugenia caryophyllata Thunb. (Family: Myrtaceae). Eugenol exhibits neuroprotective and anti-stress activities through multimodal mechanisms of action. Further, eugenol exerts anti-amnesic activity in Alzheimer's disease (AD)-like animals perhaps through anti-oxidant mechanism to date. Hence, the present study was designed to elaborate the anti-amnesic activity of eugenol in scopolamine-challenged rodents. Scopolamine (3mg/kg/day, i.p.) and eugenol (12.5, 25.0, and 50.0mg/kg) were administered to male rats for 14 consecutive days of the experimental schedule at a time lag of 30min. Eugenol (25.0 and 50.0mg/kg) attenuated scopolamine-induced loss in learning ability in terms of increased escape latency at day-4 (D-4) and memory function in terms of decreased time spent in target quadrant at D-5 of Morris water maze test protocol. Moreover, eugenol attenuated scopolamine-induced loss in spatial memory in terms of decreased percentage of spontaneous alteration behavior in Y-maze test. Additionally, eugenol attenuated scopolamine-induced hippocampal cholinergic dysfunction (decrease in acetylcholine level, increase in acetylcholinesterase activity, and decrease in density and affinity of M1 and total muscarinic receptor), glutamate neurotoxicity (increase in levels of glutamate, calcium, calcium-dependent calpain-2, and brain-derived neurotropic factor), and mitochondrial dysfunction (decrease in formazan produced, membrane potential, and oxidative stress) in rats. Thus, it could be considered as an alternate candidate in the management of AD. Moreover, inclusion of functional foods containing eugenol could be a better option to manage memory formation in neurological disorders.

Influence of Essential Oils on Post-infection Botrytis Damage in Cut Roses1

Abstract We assessed the degree to which 16 post-infection treatments controlled Botrytis (Botrytis cinerea Pers. ex. Fr.) damage in cut roses (Rosa × hybrida). Additional experiments examined whether essential oils (EO) of cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum Blume) leaf (CLO), clove (Eugenia caryophyllata Thunb.) bud (CBO), and thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.) (TO) could reduce damage in Botrytis-infected cut roses. The 16 treatments applied to ‘Light Orlando' cut roses differed in reducing Botrytis damage and causing phytotoxicity damage. Only the synthetic fungicide fludioxonil [applied as 0.23 g · L−1 (0.00024 oz · fl oz−1) Medallion®] resulted in the desirable combination of greatly reduced stem termination frequency due to Botrytis damage and relatively minor flower phytotoxicity. When applied to cut rose ‘Freedom' or cultivars with light colored flowers (‘Cool Water', ‘Jessika', ‘Polar Star', ‘Tiffany'), all EO aqueous solutions caused pronounced phytotoxicity damage, but only TO reduced Botrytis damage significantly compared to untreated flowers. Roses exposed to EO vapor rather than an aqueous solution tended to exhibit less phytotoxicity. Vapors of CLO and CBO tended to reduce Botrytis damage less and caused greater flower phytotoxicity than TO vapor and aqueous fludioxonil. Thyme oil vapor exposures of 4.6 and 9.1 ppm warrant further investigation. Index words: Botrytis blight, Botrytis cinerea Pers. ex. Fr., cut flowers, floriculture, fungicide, gray mold, Rosa × hybrida. Chemicals used in this study: Bacillus subtilis (Cease®), bleach (Clorox®), chlorothalonil (Daconil®), copper sulphate (Phyton® 27), fenhexamide (Elevate®), fludioxonil (Medallion®), hydrogen peroxide (ZeroTol® 2.0), iprodione (Chipco® 26019 Flo), potassium bicarbonate (Milstop®), pyraclostrobin + boscalid (Pageant® Intrinsic®). Species used in this study: Rose (Rosa × hybrida) ‘Cool Water', ‘Freedom', ‘Jessika', ‘Polar Star', ‘Tiffany', Botrytis (Botrytis cinerea Pers. ex. Fr.).

Contribution to the traditional uses of medicinal plants of Turgutlu (Manisa – Turkey)

Ethnobotanical relevanceThe aim of this study is to document and describe important ethnobotanical features of 14 villages of Turgutlu (Manisa – Turkey). Materials and methodsThe regular ethnobotanical surveys were carried out during different seasons in the years 2009 and 2010 in 14 villages of Turgutlu. The data was collected from 91 village inhabitants using semi-structured interviews. Use value (UV) was used to calculate the relative importance of species known by the inhabitants. Informant Consensus Factor (FIC) was used to calculate the level of homogeneity of diseases. ResultsTwenty-nine plant families and 54 plant species were found in this ethnobotanical survey. Among them, 22 (40.7%) species were wild and 32 (59.3%) species were cultivated plants. Rosaceae (14.8%), Asteraceae (9.3%), Lamiaceae (9.3%), Apiaceae (5.6%) and Brassicaceae (5.6%) were the most common plant families. According to results of the use value (UV) calculations, Agropyron repens (L.) P.Beauv., Lactuca sativa L., Beta vulgaris L. var. crassa (Alef.) Helm, Spinacia oleracea L., Brassica nigra (L.) Koch, Capsella bursa-pastoris L. and Eugenia caryophyllata Thunb. yielded the highest use value. Consensus Informants Factor (FIC) ranges were between 0.87 and 0.95. Blood disorders, wounds, dermatological diseases and chest infections were 0.95, 0.93, 0.92, 0.90 while both gastrointestinal and skeletomuscular ailments were 0.87 informant consensus values, respectively. ConclusionsThe usage of medicinal plants for traditional healers is still popular among the inhabitants of the village. This study documents valuable information for traditional remedies and contributes to the usage of medicinal plants in the research area.

Protective effect of eugenol against restraint stress-induced gastrointestinal dysfunction: Potential use in irritable bowel syndrome

Context: Eugenol, an essential constituent found in plants such as Eugenia caryophyllata Thunb. (Myrtaceae) is reported to possess neuroprotective and anti-stress activities. These activities can potentially be useful in the treatment of stress-induced irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).Objective: The protective effect of eugenol was assessed against restraint stress (RS)-induced IBS-like gastrointestinal dysfunction in rats. Further, its centrally mediated effect was evaluated in this model.Materials and methods: Eugenol (12.5, 25, and 50 mg/kg), ondansetron (4.0 mg/kg, p.o.), and vehicle were administered to rats for 7 consecutive days before exposure to 1 h RS. One control group was not exposed to RS-induction. The effect of eugenol (50 mg/kg) with and without RS exposure was evaluated for mechanism of action and per se effect, respectively. The hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal cortex (HPA)-axis function was evaluated by estimating the plasma corticosterone level. The levels of brain monoamines, namely serotonin, norepinephrine, dopamine, and their metabolites were estimated in stress-responsive regions such as hippocampus, hypothalamus, pre-frontal cortex (PFC), and amygdala. Oxidative damage and antioxidant defenses were also assessed in brain regions.Results: Eugenol (50 mg/kg) reduced 80% of RS-induced increase in fecal pellets similar to that of ondansetron. Eugenol attenuated 80% of stress-induced increase in plasma corticosterone and modulated the serotonergic system in the PFC and amygdala. Eugenol attenuated stress-induced changes in norepinephrine and potentiated the antioxidant defense system in all brain regions.Conclusion: Eugenol protected against RS-induced development of IBS-like gastrointestinal dysfunction through modulation of HPA-axis and brain monoaminergic pathways apart from its antioxidant effect.

The Effects of Pharmacopuncture(Eugenia caryophyllata THUNB.) on the High Fat Diet-induced Obese ICR Mice

Objectives : The purpose on this study is to show the anti-obesity effect of Eugenia caryophyllata Thunb. pharmacopuncture in mice fed a high fat diet. Methods : Male ICR mice were divided into three groups, which were fed a normal AIN diet(N), a high fat diet(CT), a high fat diet and injected with 50 mg/kg of Eugenia caryophyllata Thum. pharmacopuncture(EC) for 8 weeks. Results : 1. The levels of body weight gains were significantly increased in CT compared with N and decreased in EC compared with CT. 2. The levels of absolute liver weight and adipose-tissue weight were significantly decreased in EC compared with CT. The levels of relative adipose-tissue weight were significantly decreased in EC compared with CT. 3. The levels of total cholesterol(TG), triglycerid(TC), high density lipoprotein(HDL) cholesterol and low density lipoprotein(LDL) cholesterol were significantly increased in CT compared with N and decreased in EC compared with CT. The levels of HDL/LDL ratio were shown there were no significant differences in all groups. 4. The levels of adiponectin in serum were remarkably decreased in CT compared with N and significantly increased in EC compared with CT. 5. The levels of measuring adipocyte number in adipose tissue was significantly decreased in CT compared with N and increased in EC compared with CT. Conclusions : These results suggest that Eugenia Caryophyllata Thunb. has an anti-obesity effect in mice and that the effect is mediated by inhibition of fat gain. Key Words: Eugenia caryophyllata Thunb.; Pharmacupuncture; Obesity.

Antifungal activity in plants from Chinese traditional and folk medicine

Ethnopharmacological relevanceFrom over 100 Chinese clinical trial publications, we retrieved 22 commercial preparations and 17 clinical prescriptions used as Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for treating mycotic vaginitis, typically caused by Candida albicans. The 8 most frequently used plants as well as another 7 TCM and 18 folk medicinal plants used in the South of China for antifungal therapy were investigated for in vitro antifungal activity. Materials and methodsFor each plant we tested 4 extracts prepared with different solvents (water, ethanol, acetone, and n-hexane) for inhibition of Candida albicans and Saccharomyces cerevisiae growth in liquid culture. ResultsSome plants have quite strong antifungal activity, such as Tujinpi (Pseudolarix kaempferi Gord.), of which each extract could significantly inhibit the growth of both tested fungi. In addition, the acetone extract of Kushen (Sophora flavescens Ait.), the ethanol, acetone, and hexane extracts of Guanghuoxiang (Pogostemon cablin (Blanco) Benth.) and Gaoliangjiang (Alpinia officinarum Hance), the hexane extract of Dingxiang (Eugenia caryophyllata Thunb.), and the ethanol and acetone extracts of Kulianpi (Melia toosendan Sieb. et Zucc.) and Laliao (Polygonum hydropiper L.), all inhibited Candida albicans growth by more than 50%. In some cases growth inhibition was even comparable to that by the clinically used antifungal miconazole, which we used as our positive control. ConclusionsThe majority of plants, whose clinical use for antifungal treatment is well supported within TCM or Chinese folk medicine, show in vitro antifungal activity against Candida albicans. Since Candida species represent the most common fungal pathogen of humans, these results provide more scientific evidence supporting the clinical application of these plants, and can serve as a starting point for new drug discovery from TCM and Chinese folk medicine.

Effects of Chinese herbal cataplasm Xiaozhang Tie on cirrhotic ascites

BackgroundConventional methods of treating cirrhotic ascites are inadequate. We sought to identify a novel, effective approach to relieve the suffering of patients with cirrhotic ascites. Aim of the studyTo investigate the efficacy of Xiaozhang Tie, a traditional Chinese herbal cataplasm composed of dahuang (Rheum palmatum L.), laifuzi (Raphanus sativus L.), concocted gansui (Euphorbia kansui T.N. Liou ex T.P. Wang), chenxiang [Aquilaria sinensis (Lour.) Gilg], dingxiang (Eugenia caryophyllata Thunb.), bingpian (Borneolum syntheticum) and shexiang (artificial Moschus), as an adjuvant in treating cirrhotic ascites. Materials and methodsA multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled trial was conducted. One hundred patients with cirrhotic ascites were divided into two groups of equal size. The test group took an umbilical compress with Xiaozhang Tie for 30 days while the control group was administered an umbilical compress with placebo, in addition to primary therapy. Efficacy was evaluated according to the criteria including ascites volume, urine 24-h volume, abdominal circumference, body weight, abdominal distention, appetite, flatus and defecation. ResultsNinety-two patients completed the study, 7 were withdrawn and 1 was excluded. The effective rate of grades I and II was 63.3% for the test group (n=49) and 38.0% for the control one (n=50). Both groups showed decreased body weight and abdominal circumference, increased urine volume and improved symptoms after treatment. However, the differences between pre-treatment and post-treatment in body weight, abdominal circumference and urine volume were 8.7±5.8kg, 12.4±8.3cm and 683±644ml respectively in the test group, noticeably higher than those in the control group, which were 5.3±4.6kg, 8.0±6.5cm and 372±697ml, respectively. The ranking orders of the symptoms of the test group were significantly lower than those of the control group after treatment. No severe adverse reactions were seen. ConclusionXiaozhang Tie as an adjuvant to primary therapy of cirrhotic ascites is safe and shows a remarkable efficacy on relieving abdominal distention.

정향(Eugenia caryophyllata Thunb.) Eugenol 및 그 유도체의 항산화 및 항염증활성

Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of eugenol and its derivatives from clove (Eugenia caryophyllata Thunb.) were evaluated using in vitro assay systems by measuring 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical, cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and 15-lipoxygenase (15-LOX). Among eight different crude medicinal drugs tested, volatile extracts of clove extracted by steam distillation extraction (SDE) showed potent DPPH radical scavenging activity (IC 50 =8.85 μg/mL) as well as strong inhibitory activity against COX-2 (58.15%) and 15-LOX (86.15%) at 10 μg/mL and 25 μg/mL, respectively. Major volatile components of clove were identified as eugenol, trans-caryophyllene, and acetyleugenol by GC-MS analysis. Out of three eugenol derivatives, eugenol, methyl eugenol, and acetyl eugenol, eugenol showed the strongest DPPH radical scavenging activity and COX-2 in-hibitory activity, whereas methyl eugenol exhibited the strongest 15-LOX inhibitory activity. Finally, the contents of the three eugenol derivatives in clove were quantified by analytical HPLC. Contents of eugenol and acetyl eugenol in clove were 6.95% and 1.85% per dry weight, respectively. These results suggest that eugenol and its derivatives in steam distilled extract of clove may be useful as potential antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agents.

Antiproliferative effects, apoptosis induction and cell cycle alterations by trail and Berberin in MCF7 and MDA-MB-468 breast cancer cell lines

The aim of this study is to document and describe important ethnobotanical features of 14 villages of Turgutlu (Manisa – Turkey).The regular ethnobotanical surveys were carried out during different seasons in the years 2009 and 2010 in 14 villages of Turgutlu. The data was collected from 91 village inhabitants using semi-structured interviews. Use value (UV) was used to calculate the relative importance of species known by the inhabitants. Informant Consensus Factor (FIC) was used to calculate the level of homogeneity of diseases.Twenty-nine plant families and 54 plant species were found in this ethnobotanical survey. Among them, 22 (40.7%) species were wild and 32 (59.3%) species were cultivated plants. Rosaceae (14.8%), Asteraceae (9.3%), Lamiaceae (9.3%), Apiaceae (5.6%) and Brassicaceae (5.6%) were the most common plant families. According to results of the use value (UV) calculations, Agropyron repens (L.) P.Beauv., Lactuca sativa L., Beta vulgaris L. var. crassa (Alef.) Helm, Spinacia oleracea L., Brassica nigra (L.) Koch, Capsella bursa-pastoris L. and Eugenia caryophyllata Thunb. yielded the highest use value. Consensus Informants Factor (FIC) ranges were between 0.87 and 0.95. Blood disorders, wounds, dermatological diseases and chest infections were 0.95, 0.93, 0.92, 0.90 while both gastrointestinal and skeletomuscular ailments were 0.87 informant consensus values, respectively.The usage of medicinal plants for traditional healers is still popular among the inhabitants of the village. This study documents valuable information for traditional remedies and contributes to the usage of medicinal plants in the research area.

Aromatic Plant Oils as Fungicide for Organic Corn Production

The planting date for organic corn (Zea mays L.) is delayed in the spring to avoid cold and wet soils. Conventional farmers can use fungicide seed treatments to protect the emerging seedlings, but few organic fungicides are available. The objective of this research was to determine whether essential oils can be used as a contact fungicide seed treatment for organic corn. The essential oils of 18 plants were screened for their fungicidal properties against three common corn pathogens: Penicillium, Fusarium, and Pythium Five oils—cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum Blume), clove (Eugenia caryophyllata Thunb.), oregano (Origanum minutiflorum O. Schwarz and P.H. Davis), savory (Satureja montana L.), and thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.)—completely controlled all three pathogens in vitro. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) for all pathogens was 800 μL L−1 and seedlings presented no phytotoxicity symptoms in the germination test at rates up to 64 μL kg−1 active ingredient (MIC × 20). Field emergence of inbred and hybrid seeds treated with the essential oils were significantly lower than seeds treated with the commercial fungicides Maxim XL {fludioxonil [4‐(2,2‐difluoro‐1,3‐benzodioxol‐4‐yl)‐1H‐pyrrole‐3‐carbonitrile] 21.4%; mefenoxam [(R)‐2‐[(2,6‐dimethylphenyl) methoxyacetylamino] propionic acid methyl ester] 8.4%}, which is a conventional fungicide; and Natural 2 (proprietary ingredients), which is an organic fungicide, but were not different from the organic fungicide Yield Shield (Bacillus pumilus GB34 0.28%) or an untreated control.

Seasonal dynamics of mineral N pools and N-mineralization in soils under homegarden trees in South Andaman, India

Agroforestry trees are now well known to play a central role in the build up of nutrients pools and their transformations similar to that of forest ecosystem, however, information on the potential of homegarden trees accumulating and releasing nitrogen (mineralization) is lacking. The present study reports seasonal variations in pool sizes of mineral N (NH4+-N and NO3−-N), and net N-mineralization rate in relation to rainfall and temperature under coconut (Cocos nucifera L.), clove (Eugenia caryophyllata Thunb) and nutmeg (Myristica fragrans Houtt. Nees) trees in a coconut-spice trees plantation for two annual cycles in the equatorial humid climate of South Andaman Island of India. Concentration of NH4+-N was the highest during wet season (May–October) and the lowest during post-wet season (November–January) under all the tree species. On the contrary, concentration of NO3−-N was the lowest in the wet season and the highest during the post-wet season. However, concentrations of the mineral N were the highest under the nutmeg and the lowest under the coconut trees. Like the pool sizes, mean annual mineralization was the highest under the nutmeg (561 mg kg−1 yr−1) and the lowest under the coconut trees (393 mg kg−1 yr−1). Rate of mineralization was the highest during the post-wet season and the lowest during the dry season (February–April) under all the tree species. High rainfall during the wet season, however, reduced the rate of nitrification under all the tree species. The mean annual mineralization was logarithmically related with rainfall amount and mean monthly temperature.

High-boiling constituents of clove oil (Eugenia caryophyllata Thunb.) and hop oil (Humulus lupulus Linn.).

High-boiling constituents of clove oil (Eugenia caryophyllata Thunb.) and hop oil (Humulus lupulus Linn.).

High-boiling constituents of clove oil (Eugenia caryophyllata THUNB.) and hop oil (Humulus lupulus LINN.).

High-boiling constituents of clove oil (Eugenia caryophyllata THUNB.) and hop oil (Humulus lupulus LINN.).