Wort Herb Research Articles

ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY OF GERANIUM PRATENSE PREPARATIONS

s. PHYTOPHARM 2012 M 64 Obzory po kliniceskoj farmacologii i lekarstvennoj terapii [Reviews of clinical pharmacology and drug therapy] ТОМ 10/2012/2 ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY OF GERANIUM PRATENSE PREPARATIONS © Burakova M. A., Karavaeva A.V, Kauhova I. E., Razaryonova K. N., Zhokhova E. V. St. Petersburg State Chemical-Pharmaceutical Academy, Russia Geranium pratense is a perennial herb with horizontal rootstock, palmately lobed leaves and pentamerous zygomorphic bluish flowers, widespread in Russia. The chemical composition of the aerial part and root part of G. pratense includes hydrolysable and condensed tannins, phenolic acids, flavonoids. herb, rhizome and root of G. pratense in powder or by infusion or decoction are reportedly used in folk medicine in treatment of periodontal diseases and stomatitis. The aim of the present investigation was to determine optimal conditions for extraction of biologically active compounds from G. pratense, to evaluate antimicrobial activity of powdered extracts obtained from its aerial part and root part and to validate scientifically its use in traditional medicine. The plant matter (herb or rhizome and root of G. pratense, collected in 2010–2011 in Northwest Russia) was extracted with 40 % ethanol. Trials varying in methods of extraction, particle size, extraction time and solvent to solid ratio were performed. The quantitative evaluation of tannins and flavonoids in 40 % ethanol aqueous extracts and powdered extracts was carried out by spectrophotometric method. Results of assays were reported in gallic acid equivalents for tannins and rutin equivalents for flavonoids. broth dilution method followed by subculturing to agar media without antibacterial agent was employed to assess minimal inhibition concentration (MiC) and minimal bactericidal concentration (MbC). Optimal conditions for extraction of phenolic constituents from raw material were evaluated. Powdered herb extract (PhE) was reported to contain 33.05 % of tannins and 9.74 % of flavonoinds. Antimicrobial studies suggested that PhE had inhibitory effect against S. aureus and B. cereus: the MiC was found to be 2 mg/ml against S. aureus, the Mib against B. cereus was 1 mg/ml. The total content of tannins in powdered extract of G. pratense root part (PRE) is 41.56 %. PRE exhibited growth inhibitory activity against S. aureus, B. cereus and P. aeruginosa with Mib value of 0.5 mg/ml, 1 mg/ml and MiC value of 2 mg/ml respectively. PhE and PRE revealed antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive bacteria. The existence of microorganisms in particular Streptococcus sp. in an oral biofilm and dental plaque has profound implications for the etiology of periodontal disease. So the results indicate that the studied G. pratense preparations could become a new effective agent in a wide range of oral care products used in treatment-and-profilactic of periodontitis, gingivitis and stomatitis. DEVELOPMENT OINTMENT AND SUPPOSITORY WITH HYPERICUM PERFORATUM HERB POLYEXTRACT © Teslev A. A., Vainshtein V. A., Kaukhova I.Ye., Tsygankova M. I., Hazzaa I. H. St. Petersburg State Chemical-Pharmaceutical Academy, Russia hypericum perforatum herb (John’s wort) contains a variety of biologically active substances (bAS), such as hypericin, pseudohypericin, hyperforin, flavonoids, carotenoids, vitamins, etc. Great “ensemble” of St. John’s wort’s bAS causes a wide range of its therapeutic action. There are not technologies a soft pharmaceutical form with hydroalcoholic and oil extracts of the hypericum perforatum herb. The aim of the study is to develop the technology the composition of ointments and suppositories with St. John’s wort herb extracts in the amount of 1:1 or more in dosage forms. The first stage is the extraction of dry St. John’s wort herb by solvents with increasing polarity — acetone, aqueous solutions of different concentrations of ethanol. in this case сhlorophylls, anthracene derivatives, flavonoids are extracted. liquid extracts were pooled and evaporated in the rotary vacuum evaporator until one-third of the volume. The components of ointment or suppository bases (COSb) (there are oils, polyethylene oxide, emulsifiers: Mhd, tween-80, apian wax, witepsol etc.) were added in the evaporator flask. The total amount of the COSb was selected according to the source of plant material to obtain the desired module of the extract — 1:1 or 1:2. The evaporation was stopped when the distillation of volatile fraction was over. The residue after distillation of the extractant is a thick mass with soft or solid consistency, which can be easily melted and added into the ointments or suppositories. The content in the extract anthracenederivarives COSb was from 30 to 130 mg %, and flavonoids — from 0.30 to 2.0 % depending on the module of extraction.

Investigating the Effectiveness of St John's Wort Herb as an Antimicrobial Agent against Mycobacteria

A persistent need exists for effective treatment agents for mycobacterial infections. This research investigated the effectiveness of the Hypericum perforatum herb (commonly known as St John's wort; SJW) in its growth inhibition of mycobacteria. A SJW extract was effective at inhibiting five nonpathogenic Mycobacterium isolates and Bacillus subtilis, but not Escherichia coli. Quantitative studies of concentration sensitivity to the SJW extract were performed with minimal bactericidal concentrations (MBC) ranging from 0.33 to 2.66 mg extract/mL. The SJW compounds hyperforin (Hfn), hypericin (Hpn), and pseudohypericin (Phn) were quantified in the extract using HPLC. The SJW extract solution of 133 mg extract/mL used in this study contained 2.3 mg Hfn/mL, 0.8 mg Hpn/mL, and 2.1 mg Phn/mL. Purified Hfn, Hpn, and Phn were tested for inhibitory activity against Mycobacterium JLS (M. JLS) at similar concentrations used in the crude extract. While Hfn was inhibitory at 46 µg/mL, none of the purified SJW constituents were bactericidal at concentrations corresponding to SJW treatments. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis of SJW-treated M. JLS cells showed changes in cell surface morphology.

Polysaccharides of St. John’s Wort Herb Stimulate NHDF Proliferation and NEHK Differentiation via Influence on Extracellular Structures and Signal Pathways

St. John's Wort herb extracts often contain undesirable or volitional polysaccharides. As polysaccharides exhibit structure-dependent biological functions in the present study water-soluble polysaccharides were extracted from herb material, fractionated by anion exchange chromatography into four main polysaccharide fractions (denominated as Hp1, Hp2, Hp3 and Hp4) and characterized by HPAEC-PAD, CE, IR and GC-MS. Biological activity on human skin keratinocytes and fibroblasts was assessed by investigation of their effect on proliferation, metabolism, cytotoxicity, apoptosis and differentiation. The underlying mechanisms were investigated in gene expression studies. Polysaccharide fraction Hp1 was mainly composed of β-D-glucose. Hp2, Hp3 and Hp4 contained pectic structures and arabinogalactan proteins varying in composition and quantity. Polysaccharides of Hp1 induced the keratinocyte differentiation by inhibiting the gene expression of the epidermal growth factor and insulin receptor. While the collagen secretion of fibroblasts was stimulated by each polysaccharide fraction only Hp1 stimulated the synthesis. The fibroblast proliferation was reduced by Hp1 and increased by Hp4. This effect was related to the influence on genes that referred to oxidative stress, metabolism, transcription processes and extracellular proteins. In conclusion polysaccharides have been shown as biologically active ingredients of aqueous St. John's Wort extracts with a relation between their structural characteristics and function.

Flavonoid, tannin and hypericin concentrations in the leaves of St. John’s wort ( Hypericum perforatum L.) are affected by UV-B radiation levels

St. John’s wort ( Hypericum perforatum L.) herb is used as a herb-tea or as a food supplement because of its antidepressive properties. St. John’s wort, grown under different levels of UV-B radiation, was analysed for its concentrations of flavonoids, tannins and hypericin. A high level of UV-B radiation increased leaf concentrations of flavonoids from 6.31 to 9.00/100 g in dry matter (DM) and of tannins from 26.6 to 31.4/100 g in DM. The concentration of hypericin in leaves exposed to enhanced UV-B radiation (0.08/100 g in DM) was lower than that of leaves exposed to reduced UV-B radiation (0.09/100 g in DM). We conclude that the concentrations of bioactive substances in St. John’s wort herb can be altered by regulating the environment during plant growth.

A Pilot Randomised, Open, Uncontrolled, Clinical Study of Two Dosages of St John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum) Herb Extract (LI-160) as an Aid to Motivational/Behavioural Support in Smoking Cessation

There is an association between smoking and depression, yet the herbal antidepressant St John's wort (Hypericum perforatum L.; SJW) herb extract has not previously been investigated as an aid in smoking cessation. In this open, uncontrolled, pilot study, 28 smokers of 10 or more cigarettes per day for at least one year were randomised to receive SJW herb extract (LI-160) 300 mg once or twice daily taken for one week before and continued for 3 months after a target quit date. In addition, all participants received motivational/behavioural support from a trained pharmacist. At 3 months, the point prevalence and continuous abstinence rates were both 18%, and at 12 months were 0%. Fifteen participants (54%) reported 23 adverse events up to the end of the 3-month follow-up period. There was no statistically significant difference in the frequency of adverse events for participants taking SJW once or twice daily (p > 0.05). Most adverse events were mild, transient and non-serious. This preliminary study has not provided convincing evidence that a SJW herb extract plus individual motivational/behavioural support is likely to be effective as an aid in smoking cessation. However, it may be premature to rule out a possible effect on the basis of a single, uncontrolled pilot study, and other approaches involving SJW extract may warrant investigation.

Physiological postharvest responses of Common Saint-John's wort herbs (Hypericum perforatum L.)

Freshly harvested Common Saint-John's wort, variety “Topaz” has a relatively high rate of respiration, which is clearly influenced by the crop temperature at the time of harvest. In an average of six experiments, the rate reached 670±69.7 W t −1 at 10 °C, 1744±234 W t −1 at 20 °C and 3371±398 W t −1 at 30 °C. The Q 10 was estimated to be 2.60 over the range 10–20 °C and 1.93 over the range 20–30 °C. The senescence-related decrease depended on storage time according to a function with a declining negative exponent. The mean decrease in respiration rate over an 80 h postharvest period relative to the baseline value at the time of harvest was 39.9% at 10 °C, 45.5% at 20 °C and 50.4% at 30 °C. The rate of respiration influenced the transpiration rate noticeably and led to high losses in fresh weight (2.18%/24 h) and dry matter (1.44%/24 h on a dry basis) at 10 °C. Exterior quality of the stored plants was well maintained for 70 h at ≈10 °C. Levels of the principal therapeutic ingredients, hypericin and flavonoids, calculated on balance trials, remained generally stable over the 80 h postharvest period at the temperatures examined, except that physiologically young plants (first year of cultivation, first cut) showed a pre-mortal increase caused by new synthesis, which reached 88% in some cases during 80 h of postharvest time. In practical terms, for quality to be maintained, it is essential to ensure effective ventilation and cooling after harvesting.

INFLUENCE OF SOME SOIL CHARACTERISTICS ON HEAVY METAL CONTENT IN HYPERICUM PERFORATUM L. AND ACHILLEA MILLEFOLIUM L.

INFLUENCE OF SOME SOIL CHARACTERISTICS ON HEAVY METAL CONTENT IN HYPERICUM PERFORATUM L. AND ACHILLEA MILLEFOLIUM L.

A new approach to the complex processing of dry st. John’s wort herbs

The common St. John's wort herbs (Hypericum perforatum L.) is a perennial medicinal plant of the Hypericaceae family. Valuable raw materials are found in the grass and flowers of St. John's won, which contain a combination of biologically active substances including flavonoids, anthracene derivatives, tannins, considerable amounts of chlorophyll, etc. [1- 3]. Drug preparations based on St. John's wort extract exhibit antiseptic, vasotonic, styptic, antibiotic, and antidepressant properties [4, 5]. Dry St. John's wort grass is used to obtain a number of preparations, including tinctures, aqueous decoctions, dry extracts, hyperin (glucoside), and a complex drug Etrad representing a combination of sequential ethanol and aqueous tinctures of St. John's wort grass residues upon primary extraction with ethanol [6]. Also developed were the technologies for two other preparations called Imanin and Novoimanin [7]. In folk medicine, the grass and flower extracts of St. John's wort mixed with white grape wine and turpentine is used as a "composite oil" for the treamaent of burns. At present, the only galenic preparation of this plant available from the domestic pharmaceutical industry is the grass extract of St. John's wort [9]. Most of the lipophilie biologically active substances are not extracted antl are lost with pulp residues. According to the published data, St. John's wort oil is obtained by extracting dry grass with hot vegetable oil taken in

Influence of aqueous extracts of medicinal plants on surface hydrophobicity of Escherichia coli strains of different origin

The adhesion of microbes on host cells is of decisive importance in the development of Gram-negative microbe-induced infections and can be influenced by the surface hydrophobicity of the microbial cell. The hydrophobicity of 155 Escherichia coli strains of different origin was determined by the salt aggregation test (SAT). Among the strains isolated from faecal samples of healthy persons only 16.7% showed aggregative properties, whereas among the strains isolated from the urine of patients with pyelonephritis and the faecal samples of calves and pigs with diarrhoea some 40.0%-60.0% were aggregative. The influence of aqueous extracts prepared from bearberry leaves, St. John's wort herbs, wild camomile and marigold flowers on hydrophobicity of 40 E. coli and 20 Acinetobacter baumannii strains was investigated. The decoctions of bearberry and St. John's wort increased remarkably the hydrophobicity of both microbial species. The infusions of wild camomile and marigold completely blocked the aggregative properties of the investigated strains. Bactericidal action was relatively low in the case of bearberry and St. John's wort and completely lacking in the case of wild camomile and marigold. Thus, one of the probable and potentially important action mechanisms of the four medicinal plants studied is their ability to influence the surface characteristics of the microbial cells and thereby their putative virulence properties.

Placebo-controlled, randomized double-blind clinical trial with Sinupret® sugar coated tablets on the basis of a therapy with antibiotics and decongestant nasal drops in acute sinusitis

On the basis of therapy with antibiotics and nasal decongestants the efficacy of an additional treatment with the herbal combination Sinupret containing gentian root, cowslip flowers, sour dock herbs, elder flowers and shop vervain wort herbs was assessed in a randomized, placebo-controlled double-blind clinical trial involving 160 patients with acute bacterial sinusitis. Primary outcome criteria were radiographic findings and patient assessment. Secondary variables were several clinical symptoms of sinusitis which served as indicators of the pharmacological profile. The results showed that, according to the radiographic findings and the patient assessments, therapy with antibiotic and decongestants achieved a significant improvement in the treatment group; changes in clinical signs showed good correlation with the radiographic findings and the patient assessments. Conventional therapy for acute bacterial sinusitis can be improved markedly by including Sinupret in the therapeutic regimen.