Solidago Chilensis Meyen Research Articles

Solidago chilensis Meyen and Kageneckia oblonga Ruiz & Pav.: a minireview on their antioxidant profile

Ethnopharmacological information on endemic Chilean medicinal plants suggest that their traditional use could be related to their capacity to contrast the deleterious effects of oxidative stress. Therefore, on the base of these observations, we carried out an investigation on the pharmacological activities of Chilean medicinal plants demonstrating that their antioxidant properties can explain and justify their traditional use.There are no ethnopharmacological studies available for some species, which would instead be necessary in order to confirm the validity of the properties attributed to them by traditional medicine. In addition to Peumus boldus Mol., which is recognized as a herbal remedy by a number of pharmacopoeias, Solidago chilensis Meyen and Kageneckia oblonga Ruiz & Pav., proved in vivo to have pharmacological effects relevant to their traditional use, together with a strong antioxidant activity.

The anti-inflammatory modulatory role of Solidago chilensis Meyen in the murine model of the air pouch

The aim of this study was to investigate the anti-inflammatory efficacy of an aqueous extract (AE), and its butanolic (BuOH) and aqueous residual (AR) fractions, derived from the rhizome of Solidago chilensis in inflammation caused by carrageenan in mice. Solidago chilensis Meyen rhizome was extracted using hot water at 90 degrees C under infusion. The extract was filtered and lyophilized. Part of the aqueous extract was fractionated with n-BuOH, resulting in butanolic (BuOH) and aqueous residual (AR) fractions. Adult Swiss mice were used in the in-vivo experiments. We evaluated the effect of rhizome aqueous extract of Solidago chilensis and these two derived fractions on the inflammation induced by carrageenan in the mouse model of the air pouch. The aqueous extract and its derived fractions significantly inhibited leucocytes, neutrophils, exudation, myeloperoxidase and adenosine deaminase activity, as well as nitric oxide, interleukin-1 beta (IL-1beta), neutrophil chemokine (KC) and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) levels (P < 0.05). Indometacin and dexamethasone inhibited all the studied inflammatory parameters (P < 0.01) with the exceptions that indometacin did not inhibit TNF-alpha levels and dexamethasone did not inhibit KC levels (P > 0.05). These results indicate that Solidago chilensis has a significant anti-inflammatory action on acute inflammatory responses and that its inhibitory activity may be due not only to the inhibition of proinflammatory mediators, but also to the inhibition of leucocyte infiltration.

Host Range of the Argentine Root Borer Carmenta haematica (Ureta) (Lepidoptera: Sesiidae), a Potential Biocontrol Agent for Snakeweeds (Gutierrezia spp) in the United States

Abstract The Argentine root-boring sesiid moth Carmenta haematica (Ureta) is restricted in Argentina to plants of two genera, Grindelia and Gutierrezia (Asteraceae: Astereae). Field examination of 51,622 plants of 67 species of Asteraceae at 286 locations revealed that larvae completed their development only in Grindelia chiloensis (Corn.) Cabrera, Grindelia tehuelches Cabrera, Gutierrezia solbrigii Cabrera, Gutierrezia spathulata (Phil.) Kurtz., and Gutierrezia mandonii (Sch. Bip.) Solbrig. In multiple-choice tests in the laboratory, using cut stems of 37 species in 27 genera and eight tribes of Asteraceae, 93.5% of the neonate larvae that entered stems entered those of 4 species of Grindelia and Gutierrezia and 95.7% entered these plus the 1 other species of the subtribe Solidagininae tested. In no-choice tests using potted plants in the laboratory garden, neonate larvae placed in holes drilled in the stems of 28 species of plants developed to the adult stage only in Gr. chiloensis but reached the fourth instar also in Grindelia pulchella Dun., Gu. solbrigii, and Solidago chilensis Meyen. The no-choice and multiple-choice laboratory tests, interpreted through the three basic elements of host specificity of insects, support the host range observed in the field. C. haematica is the most specific insect yet tested for biological control of snakeweed. It is sufficiently host specific for introduction into quarantine in the United States for further testing and possible future release in the field.