Hot Extract Research Articles

Neuritogenic and in vitro antioxidant activities of Malaysian Gracilaria manilaensis Yamamoto & Trono

Numerous marine-based compounds have been identified as having diverse biological activities. Gracilaria manilaensis Yamamoto & Trono is a red agarophyte endemic to the Malaysia coastal area. It is used as a gelling and thickening agent for food industries. In this study, the rat pheochromocytoma cell line (PC-12Adh) was employed as in vitro model to investigate the neuritogenic activities in hot aqueous, methanol, and ethanol extracts of G. manilaensis. Phytochemical contents and in vitro antioxidant activities of the extracts were also determined. All G. manilaensis extracts were found to increase the percentage of neurite-bearing cells and upregulated the neuronal cytoskeleton of PC-12Adh cells with no inhibition across the tested concentration range (0–0.15 mg mL−1). The methanol and ethanol extracts had higher phenolic and flavonoid contents than the hot aqueous extract. They also showed higher antioxidant activities against 2,2-diphenyl-1-pircryhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS) free radicals and higher reducing power compared to the hot aqueous extract. It is believed that G. manilaensis may possess potent bioactive compounds that mimic the neuroactivity of the nerve growth factor (NGF) for neuronal survival, development, and differentiation. It has been suggested that agar producer G. manilaensis might be a promising dietary supplement for cognitive health in the prevention of neurological disorders.

Susceptibility of Selected Multi-Drug Resistant Clinical Isolates to Leaves of Carpolobia lutea.

The decline in the production of new effective antibiotics coupled with the constantly evolving antimicrobial resistance remains a public health concern. This study thus evaluated the antibacterial and antifungal effects of the ethanolic, n-hexane and hot aqueous extracts of Carpolobialutea leaves. The extracts were tested using agar well diffusion method against selected clinical isolates: Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhi, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans. Antibiogram profile of the isolates were deduced by disc diffusion method. Multi-drug resistance was confirmed in all bacteria with a notable pandrug resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Ofloxacin, Erythromycin and Gentamicin were effective on two or three organisms, notably on Salmonella typhi and Escherichia coli. The preliminary antibacterial assay marked the efficacy of the ethanol and n-hexane extracts except on E. coli, with zero activity for hot water extracts at the stock concentration (200 mg/ml). Pseudomonas aeruginosaand Candida albicans were susceptible to lesser concentrations of the ethanol extracts at 5 mg/ml and 25 mg/ml respectively. None of the isolates showed sensitivity to lesser concentrations of n-hexane extract. Carpolobia lutea leaves proved to be effective over the use of antibiotics in inhibiting the activity of Pseudomonas aeruginosa which was resistant to the latter. The Minimum Inhibitory concentration of the ethanolic extract was considerably low (≤5mg/ml for P. aeruginosa and 25mg/ml for C. albicans). However, there was no Minimum Bactericidal concentration for the extracts against the clinical isolates. Carpolobia lutea shelters bioactive components with pharmacological potentials that could show efficiency in the treatment of bacterial infections.

Anti-Inflammatory and Anti-Oxidative Effects of Danggwisusan on Macrophages

Background: Danggwisusan is a herbal medicine which is used to treat bruises, static blood, external injuries, and somatalgia in Korean medicine. The objectives of this study were to investigate whether Danggwisusan hot aqueous extract had an inhibitory effect upon inflammatory cytokine production and oxidation. Methods: Cytotoxic activity of Danggwisusan extract was examined by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. The amount of nitric oxide produced was measured using Griess reagent. Prostaglandin E2 production was measured using an enzyme immunoassay. Inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α) were measured by an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. The anti-oxidative effect of Danggwisusan was measured by the 1,1-Diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl method. The amount of polyphenol and flavonoid contents were measured by Folin and Ciocalteauea phenol reagent and aluminum nitrate. Results: Danggwisusan hot aqueous extracts did not show significant toxicity at 10, 20, 50, and 100 μg/ mL. At a dose of 100 μg/mL, Danggwisusan hot aqueous extract significantly inhibited nitric oxide and PGE2 production, and significantly reduced IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α production. At a dose of 100 μg/mL, 1,1-Diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl free radical scavenging capability was over 50%. Conclusion: This study showed that Danggwisusan hot aqueous extract may have anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative effects on macrophages. ⓒ2018 Korean Acupuncture & Moxibustion Medicine Society. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

Effect of Some Aromatic Plant Extracts, Silica Nanoparticles and Imidacloprid on the Cotton Whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Genn.) and its Associated Parasitoid, Eretmocerus mundus Mercet on Tomato

This study was conducted at the Experimental Farm belonging to Sakha Agricultural Research Station, Kafr El-Sheikh, ARC, during 2016 and 2017 seasons to investigate the role of aqueous extracts of nine aromatic plants, silica nanoparticle, and the insecticide Imidacloprid (admire) on Bemisia tabaci (Genn.) infesting tomato plants . Results showed that the highest value of unhatched B. tabaci eggs was 84.40 and 84.60 %respectively on tomato plants treated with the highest concentration of geranium extract, which was significantly different from the other treatments. Silica nano particles killed90.99 and 91.00 %resp. of early nymphal stage , which was not significantly different from mortality caused by admire . Silica nano particles, spurge and geranium extracts prevented adult development and killed adults at levels that were not significantly different from admire . However, the extracts of four plants; geranium, peppermint, spurge and rosemary had high repellent effect against whitefly adults . The highest parasitism percentage (93.88 and 93.63% respectively) was recorded on tomato plants treated with the highest concentration of hot pepper extract, followed by 86.23 and 86.04%resp. on tomato plants sprayed with the highest concentration of sweet basil extract. While the lowest parasitism percentage (16.53 %in both the two seasons) was obtained on tomatoplants treated with imidacloprid.

Comparative analysis of Hibiscus sabdariffa (roselle) hot and cold extracts in respect to their potential for α-glucosidase inhibition

Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa) is a functional food with potential health benefits, consumed either as hot or cold beverage. To ensure quality control of its various products, accurate measurement of active metabolites is warranted. Herein, we propose a combination of ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analytical platforms for the untargeted characterization of metabolites in two roselle cultivars, Aswan and Sudan-1. The analyses revealed 33 metabolites, including sugars, flavonoids, anthocyanins, phenolic and aliphatic organic acids. Their relative contents in cultivars were assessed via principle component analysis (PCA) and orthogonal projection to latent structures analysis (OPLS). Impact of the different extraction methods (decoction, infusion and maceration) was compared by quantitative 1H NMR spectroscopy, revealing cold maceration to be optimal for preserving anthocyanins, whereas infusion was more suited for recovering organic acids. The metabolite pattern revealed by the different extraction methods was found in good correlation for their ability to inhibit α-glucosidase enzyme.

Evaluation of antibacterial activity and qualitative phytochemical analysis of Enteromorpha ralfsii

Filamentous specie of algae (Enteromorpha ralfsii) was isolated from Baher AL-Najaf region Iraq were tested against some bacterial species. methanolic (Hot and Cold) Extracts of Enteromorpha ralfsii were screened to show the antibacterial activity. Four different concentrations (w/vol.) 12.5, 25, 50 and 100 mg/ml were made in each of the above Extracts were loaded on agar plates, containing test bacteria, staphylococcus aureus, staphylococcus epidermidis, Bacillus substilis, Escherichia coli, Klebseilla sp. and pseudomonas aeruginosa. The hot methanolic extract was efficiency for making extract that showed good zone of inhibition in bacterial species maximum up to 23 mm than the lower value was 9 mm. Chemical analyses showed that the active chemical compounds for hot methanolic extract alga (Enteromorpha ralfsii) extract was contains Tannins, Terpenoid, Flavonoids and Saponins. While Alkaloids, Glycosides and Phenols, were absent. The methanolic extract was further chemically characterized by using GC-MS in order to be tentative identify the compounds responsible for such activities, The main compositions were found in hot methanolic crud extract, these were: Nonadecane (16.2%) is an alkane hydrocarbon, Alkanes while Pentadecane represented (39.6%) this compounds which had antimicrobial activity. These results indicate that the methanolic extract of Enteromorpha ralfsii exhibited appreciable antimicrobial activity and could be a source of valuable bioactive materials for health products.

Cell Proliferation and DNA Repair Ability of Ganoderma neo-japonicum (Agaricomycetes): An Indigenous Medicinal Mushroom from Malaysia.

Ganoderma neo-japonicum is an annual polypore that grows on decaying bamboo in the forests of Malaysia. The indigenous Temuan tribe uses this species as a medicinal mushroom to cure fever and epilepsy and to improve body strength. The potential use of G. neo-japonicum in genoprotection and DNA repair was established using a single-cell gel electrophoresis (comet) assay. The effects of the ethanol and hot aqueous extracts from wild and cultivated basidiocarps, solid substrate-fermented (SSF) wheat grains, and mycelia via submerged culture on H2O2-damaged murine RAW264.7 macrophages were investigated. An ethanol extract from wild basidiocarps showed the most significant protective effect on murine RAW264.7 macrophages, followed by ethanol and hot water extracts of cultivated basidiocarps, and this effect was dose dependent. However, only the ethanol extracts from SSF and submerged culture showed significant protective effects compared with the control. As for DNA repair ability, only the ethanol extract from wild and cultivated basidiocarps showed significant results when compared with the negative control. The findings suggest the potential therapeutic use of G. neo-japonicum in genome protection and as a DNA repair stimulator.

Variation in Antioxidant Activity of a Rattan Species, Plectocomia himalayana Griff. by DPPH assay based on two different methods of Methanol Extraction.

Antioxidant plays an important role in inhibiting and scavenging free radicals, which provides protection to human against infection and degenerative diseases. At present research is directed towards “natural antioxidants” from the plants due to safe therapeutic. Therefore, in the present paper we have investigated antioxidant activity by DPPH method from the shoot extracts of Plectocomia himalayana. The solvent extracts of its shoots were found to have free radical scavenging activity by DPPH (2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) assay. Hot methanol and cold methanol extracts of the dried powder of the shoots of Plectocomia himalayana were used as sample for antioxidant profiling which was compared with two standards namely BHT (Butylated Hydroxyl Toluene) and Ascorbic acid. Studies suggested that the percentage inhibition at 100 μg/μl which was the lowest concentration was higher in cold extract and that of 800 μg/μl was slightly higher in case of hot extract. In general, shoot extracts of Plectocomia himalayana showed a relatively good free radical scavenging activity even when compared to BHT and ascorbic acid. Furthermore, the IC50 value, the half maximal inhibitory concentration, for cold methanol extract and hot methanol extract of the shoots of Plectocomia himalayana was found to be 117.73 (μg/μl) and 163.16 (μg/μl) respectively.

Antibacterial, Anti-virulence factors of Hibiscus sabdariffa extracts in Staphylococcus aureus isolated from patients with urinary tract infection

Introduction and Aim: herpalmecine have been the most interesting in therapy field of some disease, Urinary tract infection (UTI) is considered the most known bacterial diseases occurrence in healthcare and community setting for this the present study was carred out to detection antibacterial and antivrulancefactors activities of Hibiscus sabdariffa (H. sabdariffa) calyces extract against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) isolated from UTI infected patients. Materials and Methods: All bacterial isolates was identified bycolonydescription, gram staining and biochemical test. Antibiotic susceptibility was tested to all the isolate. The cold and hot aqueous crude extracts was done by agar well diffusion method, MIC was found by using modified broth macro-dilution method. Results: All S.aureus isolates were completely resistant (100%) to Ampicillin, followed by Cefoxitin (91.3%) and Oxacillin (86.9 %). The isolates showed the highest sensitivity to Imipenem( 95.5%) and Clindamycin (78.2%).The percentage of resistance of S. aureus for amikacin are (39.1%).While (47.8%) and (73.9%)of isolates showedresistance to Tetracyclin and cefotaxime respectively. The result of the cold aqueous extract of H.sabdariffa calyces exhibit significant differences in their antimicrobial activities against testing bacteria in comparison with hot aqueous extract .MIC of cold aqueous extract were 25 mg/ml. The cold aqueous extract of H. sabdariffa at concentration 40mg/ml was exhibiting the best action as an inhibitor agent against S. aurous isolates. There were 8 isolates from 14 isolates lost their ability to produce protease after incubated bacteria with MIC of testing plant extract. Also the result showed that the hydrolytic and fibrinolytic activity of staphyllokiase were decreased after dealing with this extract. Conclustion: the cold aqueous extract was the best extract have antibacterial activity and effected in the production and activityof the virulence factors.

EVALUATION OF GARCINIA CAMBOGIA PLANT EXTRACTS ANTIFUNGAL, ANTIBACTERIAL AND ANTIOXIDANT

In the present investigation, the antioxidant, antifungal and antibacterial activities of Garcinia cambogia plant extracts were studied. Hot and cold of aqueous extracts of 5, 7.5 and10% (w/v) concentrations were used as a natural preservative beverage. These prepared extracts were used for evaluation of their antifungal (against Fusarium moniliforme and Aspergillus flavus) and antibacterial properties (against gram-negative bacterial strains, Escherichia coli and gram-positive bacterial strains, Bacillus cereus). Such materials have a high content of polyphenol compounds such as pyrogallol, catechin, catechol, epicatechein, chlorogenic and salycilic acid in addition to flavonoides and isoflavonoides compounds. Garcinia cambogia contains considerable amounts of water and fat soluble vitamins. Sensory evaluation of Guava nectar supplemented with Garcinia cambogia extracts (7.5 and10% w/v) as a natural preservative, showed no significant difference in taste, colour, texture, flavour and appearance compared with control. The data showed no microbial spoilage in guava nectar supplemented with different Garcinia cambogia (cold and hot) extract concentrations and control at zero time. After one and two weeks of storage nectar in the refrigerator showed an increase in total bacterial counts in the control, meanwhile, guava nectar containing Garcinia cambogia extracts (7.5% and 10%) cold and hot showed a slight increase in bacterial count. It could be concluded that Garcinia cambogia plants has high antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal activity properties which have some beneficial effects on health and can be used as natural preservative substances in food and beverages.

CULTIVATION AND ECONOMICAL PERSPECTIVES OF GRACILLARIA: MARINE SEAWEED

For decades, seaweed has been of biological, industrial, and pharmaceutical importance. Because of their nutraceutical potential, seaweed has been used as a food throughout Asia. Traditional Chinese medicine used aqueous hot extracts of certain seaweeds in the treatment of cancer. Further, the Japanese and Chinesecultures have used seaweeds to treat goiter and other glandular problems since 300 BC. The Romans used seaweeds in the treatment of wounds, burns, and rashes. The Celts noted that ordinary seaweed contracted as it dried and then expanded with moisture. In Scotland during the 18th century, physicians used dried seaweed stem to successfully drain abdominal wall abscesses. They also inserted seaweed into the cervix in an attempt to treat dysmenorrhea. Many reports outline the use of seaweed to induce abortion. Seaweed was employed intravaginally for ripening of the cervix and was used rectally for strictures. In this juncture, culture and therapeutic potential of Gracilaria was reviewed. Gracilaria is a genus of red algae notable for its economic importance as an agarophyte, as well as its use as a food for humans and various species of shellfish. Various species within the genus are cultivated among Asia, South America, Africa and Oceania. Gracilaria is used as a food in Japanese, Hawaiian, and Filipino cuisine. In Japanese cuisine, it is called ogonori or ogo. In thePhilippines, it is called gulaman and used to make gelatin. In Jamaica, it is known as Irish moss. The moisture content is 12% and protein is 8%. The species are used by local people as salad, preparation of various curries and industrially many by products are synthesized from this sea weed. Medicinally as microbicidal, antiinflammatory, antimetastatic and immuno modulatory potential.

Hot Aqueous of Matricaria chamomilla Extract Modulate Nephritic Toxicity Induced By Methomyl In Male Mice

This projects was planning to evaluate the effects of oral administration of hot aqueous extract of (Matricaria chamomillaplant) on the chemical parameters of the kidney in male mice treated with different dose of metomil (methomyl insecticide). Eighteen mice was parting into 6 groups of 3 animals in every one. The study was performed for 28 days and the alterations of the parameters were measured any changings in the weight of kidney , urea and creatninin concentration. The study was revealed a significant increasing in the kidneys weight, levels of serum urea and creatinin of mice treated with methomyl only when compared with control. The results also show the increasing recorded above began to decrease gradually after the mice treated with hot aqueous extract of chamomile with (5 and 7mg/kg b.w) concentrations . This result draw attention to the ability of chamomile extract to modulate the toxic effects of methomyl on kidney.

Bioefficacy of powdery formulations based on kaolin powder and cashew (<i>Anacardium occidentale</i> L.) balms to control <i>Callosobruchus maculatus</i> F. (Coleoptera, Chrysomelideae: Bruchidae) in stored cowpea (<i>Vigna unguiculata </i>L.)

In this study, the bioefficacy of the powdery formulations were evaluated. Thus powdery insecticide Antouka®, kaolin powder and powdery formulations based on kaolin powder and various cashew balms were tested against, cowpea bruchid in storage. For each balm, it was formulated 10 g of powdery formulation, which were obtained with 10 g of kaolin and 1 mL of cashew balm. Antouka® insecticide was applied at recommended dose; powdery formulations were tested at 0.5 g; 1 g, for 50 g of cowpea seeds in jars. Twenty (20) cowpea weevils at 24 h old were introduced in each jar. The jars, covered with wire mesh, were kept outdoors during forty five (45) days using a randomized block design with four replicates. Therefore, parameters of mortality and F1 progeny of Callosobruchus maculatus, weight losses, seeds damaged and germination rate were assessed. Results obtained indicated that Antouka® insecticide and the formulated powders caused a significant mortality rate and improved the germination rate of seeds. Nevertheless, the cold extracts had less seeds damaged than hot extracts. F1 progeny decreased with increased dose, (25.50±7.96 insects to 44.50±7.67 insects for 0.5 g; and 11.25±4.62 insects to 29.50±3.22 insects for 1 g). According to calculated LD50 and their confidence intervals, formulated powders have significant toxicity on C. maculatus. These results revealed the bioefficacy of powdery formulations. They can be recommended as alternatives insecticides.Keywords: Callosobruchus maculatus, cowpea, bioinsecticides, toxicity, Benin.

Cubic liquid crystalline nanoparticles containing a polysaccharide from Ulva fasciata with potent antihyperlipidaemic activity

The present study involves the preparation of cubic liquid crystalline nanoparticles (cubsomes) for liver targeting to assess the potential of a formulated bioactive polysaccharide isolated from the hot aqueous extract of Ulva fasciata as an alternative natural agent with anti-hyperlipidaemic activity. Cubosomal nanoparticles were prepared by disrupting the cubic gel phase of the polysaccharide and water in the presence of a surfactant. Different lipid matrices and stabilizers were tested. All the formulations were in the nanosize range and showed sufficient negative charge to inhibit the aggregation of the cubosomes. Drug entrapment efficiencies (EEs%) were determined and in vitro release studies were performed. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and differential scanning calorimetry were used to analyze the loaded cubosomal nanoparticles containing glyceryl monostearate (GMO 2.25 g), poloxamer 407 (0.25 g) and 50 mg of the polysaccharide. A preclinical study comparing the cubic liquid crystalline nanoparticles containing polysaccharide to fluvastatin as a reference drug in hyperlipidaemic rats was conducted. The rats treated with the polysaccharide- loaded cubosomes showed significant decreases in total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG) and total lipid (TL) compared to the untreated HL rats. In addition, oxidative stress and antioxidant biomarkers were measured in the HL rats. Compared to the untreated HL rats, the cubosome treated rats showed a significant reduction in malondialdehyde (MDA), whereas insignificant changes were detected in nitric oxide (NO), glutathione (GSH) levels and total antioxidant capacity (TAC). Further, vascular and intercellular adhesion molecules (VCAM, ICAM), and myeloperoxidase were demonstrated. A histopathological examination was conducted to study the alterations in histopathological lesions and to document the biochemical results. In conclusion, this study demonstrates the superiority of using a natural lipid regulator such as polysaccharide loaded cubosomes instead of fluvastatin.

Polyphenols extracted from red grape pomace by a surfactant based method show enhanced collagenase and elastase inhibitory activity

AbstractBACKGROUNDThe aim of this study is to separate polyphenols from grape pomace using a surfactant‐based separation, colloidal gas aphrons (CGA) and to investigate their inhibitory activity against skin relevant enzymes, collagenase and elastase. Ethanolic (EE) and hot water crude extracts (HWE) were produced first and then the CGA generated using TWEEN20 were applied resulting in polyphenols enriched fractions (CGA‐EE and CGA‐HWE, ethanol and hot water extracts derived fractions, respectively).RESULTSBoth crude extracts inhibited the enzymes in a dose‐dependent manner, however, further extraction by CGA led to fractions with higher inhibitory efficiency against collagenase. Although gallic acid was the main component of the CGA‐HWE, others such as kaempferol must have contributed to its potency which was more than six times that of gallic acid. The CGA‐EE was found to be about four times more efficient than its crude extract and more than six times more efficient than gallic acid for collagenase inhibition; quercetin was the major polyphenol in this fraction.CONCLUSIONIt is evident that ethanol and hot water extraction processes led to different polyphenols composition and thus different inhibitory activity against collagenase and elastase. Further separation with CGA increased the inhibitory potency of both extracts against collagenase. Overall the results here showed the potential for application of CGA fractions from grape extracts in cosmetics. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry

Cymbopogon citratus and Camellia sinensis extracts selectively induce apoptosis in cancer cells and reduce growth of lymphoma xenografts in vivo.

Cancer cells are reported to have elevated levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and are highly dependent on cellular defense mechanisms against oxidative stress. Numerous nutraceuticals and natural polyphenolic compounds have a wide range of abilities to alter cellular redox states with potential implications in various diseases. Furthermore, therapeutic options for cancers are mostly nonselective treatments including genotoxic or tubulin-targeting compounds. Some of the natural extracts, containing multiple bioactive compounds, could target multiple pathways in cancer cells to selectively induce cell death. Cymbopogon citratus (lemongrass) and Camellia sinensis (white tea) extracts have been shown to have medicinal properties, however, their activity against lymphoma and leukemia, as well as mechanistic details, have not been fully characterized. Herein, we report potent anti-cancer properties in dose and time-dependent manners of ethanolic lemongrass and hot water white tea extracts in lymphoma and leukemia models. Both extracts were able to effectively induce apoptosis selectively in these human cancer cell types. Interestingly, ethanolic lemongrass extract induces apoptosis primarily by the extrinsic pathway and was found to be dependent on the generation of ROS. Conversely, apoptotic induction by hot water white tea extract was independent of ROS. Furthermore, both of these extracts caused mitochondrial depolarization and decreased rates of oxygen consumption in lymphoma and leukemia cells, leading to cell death. Most importantly, both these extracts were effective in reducing tumor growth in human lymphoma xenograft models when administered orally. Thus, these natural extracts could have potential for being nontoxic alternatives for the treatment of cancer.

Archaeometric and Chemometric Studies Involved in the Authentication of Old Heritage Artefacts II. Old linden and poplar wood put into work

The paper presents the results obtained in the study of new archaeometric and chemometric characteristics for old linden wood (Tillia cordata Mill.) and poplar wood (Populus robusta), put into work. Therefore, based on elemental chemical composition data, humidity, pH, ash and those related to wood extraction components, which are characteristics with low arteriometric potential, the chemometric characteristics with an archeometric value were evaluated. Samples used in this study, both linden and poplar wood, the following near-linear ratios were observed in the next reports: C/O, (C+H)/O, (C+H)/Norganic, pH/Humidity, Nmineral/Ash, extract in NaOH/extract in hot water and extract in ethyl alcohol/extract in ether, which can be used in establishing an archaeometric reference.

Distribution of Aliphatic Amines in CO, CV and CK Carbonaceous Chondrites and Relation to Mineralogy and Processing History.

The analysis of water-soluble organic compounds in meteorites provides valuable insights into the prebiotic synthesis of organic matter and the processes that occurred during the formation of the solar system. We investigated the concentration of aliphatic monoamines present in the hot acid-water extracts of the unaltered Antarctic carbonaceous chondrites DOM 08006 (CO3) and MIL 05013 (CO3), and the thermally altered meteorites Allende (CV3), LAP 02206 (CV3), GRA 06101 (CV3), ALH 85002 (CK4), and EET 92002 (CK5). We have also reviewed and assessed the petrologic characteristics of the meteorites studied here, to evaluate the effects of asteroidal processing on the abundance and molecular distributions of monoamines. The CO3, CV3, CK4, and CK5 meteorites studied here contain total concentrations of amines ranging from 1.2 to 4.0 nmol/g of meteorite; these amounts are one to three orders of magnitude below those observed in carbonaceous chondrites from the CI, CM and CR groups. The low amine abundances for CV and CK chondrites may be related to their extensive degree of thermal metamorphism and/or to their low original amine content. Although the CO3 meteorites DOM 08006 and MIL 05013 do not show signs of thermal and aqueous alteration, their monoamine contents are comparable to those observed in moderately/extensively thermally altered CV3, CK4, and CK5 carbonaceous chondrites. The low content of monoamines in pristine CO carbonaceous chondrites suggests that the initial amounts, and not asteroidal processes, play a dominant role in the content of monoamines in carbonaceous chondrites. The primary monoamines, methylamine, ethylamine and n-propylamine constitute the most abundant amines in the CO3, CV3, CK4, and CK5 meteorites studied here. Contrary to the predominance of n-ω-amino acid isomers in CO3 and thermally altered meteorites, there appears to be no preference for the larger n-α-amines.

Antioxidant and hepatoprotective effects ofAsparagus albusleaves in carbon tetrachloride-induced liver injury rats

The antioxidant and hepatoprotective activities of hot aqueous extract from Asparagus albus (A. albus) leaf against CCl4-induced liver damage in rats were investigated. The total phenolic, flavonoid, and condensed tannin contents of hot aqueous extract from A. albus leaf were determined. The antioxidant activity of hot aqueous extract from A. albus leaf was evaluated using the antioxidant capacity, DPPH free radical-scavenging ability and reducing power assays. Different polyphenolic compounds, namely gallic acid, vanillic acid, 3,4 dimethoxybenzoic acid, catechin, rutin, and quercetin were identified. Oral administration of hot aqueous extract from A. albus leaf to male Wistar, intoxicated with CCl4, demonstrated a significant protective effect by lowering the levels of hepatic marker enzymes (aspartate and lactate transaminases) and by improving the histological architecture of the rat liver. The hot aqueous extract from A. albus leaf attenuated oxidative stress by restoring the activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase. This study demonstrated that the hot aqueous extract from A. albus leaf protects rat liver from CCl4-induced injury and suggests a potential therapeutic use for A. albus plant. Practical applications The hepatoprotective effects of plant extracts are mainly related to their richness in phenolic compounds. Phenolic compounds are secondary metabolites widely found in plants, mostly represented by phenolic acids and flavonoids. The growing interest in these bioactive antioxidant components is principally due to their antioxidant potential and the association between their consumption and the prevention of some diseases. In this study, a remarkable hepatoprotective effect of the hot aqueous leaf extract obtained from Asparagus albus was detected against CCl4-induced liver injury in rat and its mechanism was related, at least in part, to its free radical scavenging and antioxidant activity on account of the presence of polyphenols.

Extraction and Demonstration of Uterotonic Activity from the Root of Steganotaenia Araliacea Hochst

Background: The root of Steganotaenia araliacea is used for assisting labour in folk medicine. Recent reports indicate that the root could possess uterotonic substances.
 Objectives: The study aimed to evaluate three methods for the extraction of uterotonic principles from the root of S. araliacea growing in Zambia.
 Methods: Roots of the plant were collected from Chongwe District of Zambia. The air-dried roots were size-reduced, and the powdered material extracted with hot ethanol, hot distilled water, and cold distilled water. The solvent extracts were concentrated and dried at 110 0C. Solutions of the hot aqueous and cold aqueous extracts were prepared in distilled water and used for organ bath experiments to demonstrate uterotonic activities using strips of pregnant rat uterus. The frequencies and amplitude of contractile forces were recorded. The amplitudes were plotted against log concentration of extract with GraphPad Prism software, and the EC50 values determined.
 Results: The percentage yields were 31.3 % for the hot aqueous extract, 8.15 % for the ethanolic extract, and 3.27 % for the cold aqueous extract. The cold aqueous extract showed higher potency (EC50 of 0.54 mg/ml) compared to the hot aqueous extract (EC50 of 2.09 mg/ml).
 Conclusion: Root extracts of S. araliacea possess demonstrable uterotonic effects. Extraction of the roots for this purpose could benefit from preliminary defatting with organic solvents, followed by successive extraction with hot and cold water.