The essential oil of Scutellaria barbata was extracted using a steam distillation and then evaluated via fumigant and contact toxicity bioassays against Dermatophagoides farinae, Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, and Tyrophagus putrescentiae. The acaricidal toxicities of 1-hydroxynaphthalene from S. barbata oil and its derivatives were determined and compared with those of benzyl benzoate. Based on the LD50 values of 1-hydroxynaphthalene derivatives against D. farinae, D. pteronyssinus, and T. putrescentiae, obtained using a fumigant toxicity bioassay, the acaricidal activity of 1-hydroxynaphthalene (2.11, 2.37, and 4.50 µg/cm2) was 4.76, 6.00, and 2.68 times higher than that of benzyl benzoate (10.05, 9.50, and 12.50 µg/cm2) in the corresponding order, which was followed by that of 2-hydroxynaphthalene (9.50, 9.00, and 11.50 µg/cm2). On the contact toxicity bioassay, the acaricidal activity of 1-hydroxynaphthalene (0.79, 0.92, and 2.50 µg/cm2) was 9.49, 6.52, and 3.76 times higher than that of benzyl benzoate (7.50, 6.00, and 9.41 µg/cm2), which was followed by that of 2-hydroxynaphthalene (4.21, 4.80, and 6.50 µg/cm2). In conclusion, our results indicate that S. barbata oil and 1-hydroxynaphthalene derivatives might be effective natural agents for the management of house dust and storage mites.

The ever-increasing occurrence of cancer and the severe side effects and limited efficacy of current cancer chemotherapy based on chemical drugs shift the attention toward drugs of plant origin. The Cactaceae family comprises more than 1500 species, but until recently only a few of them have been tested for their chemopreventive and anticancer attributes, leaving a wide unexplored area still waiting for researchers to investigate. Considering this fact, and also the promising results obtained with the relatively few plants of this family already tested, it should justly be expected that some plants of the Cactaceae family yet unexplored might possess outstanding anticancer attributes, exceeding those displayed by the plants already tested. This review presents in vitro and in vivo experimental evidence on cancer chemopreventive and therapeutic potential of bioactive phytoconstituents and extracts derived from cactus plants. It also examines the underlying biochemical and molecular mechanisms involved in the antineoplastic effects of plants of the Cactaceae family. Current limitation and future directions of research towards effective use of cacti to develop efficient and side effect-free future cancer-preventive and anticancer drugs are also discussed.

Six new phenolic diglycosides, named gymnetinosides A-F (1-6), were isolated from the ethanolic extract of Gymnema tingens, together with three known diglycosides, sequinoside K (7), khaephuoside B (8), and albibrissinoside A (9). The structures of the new compounds were determined by spectroscopic techniques including 1D-, 2D NMR, mass spectroscopy, and circular dichroism. Compounds 1, 5, and 6 showed hepatoprotective activities against D-galactosamine-induced HL-7702 cell damage.

Chemical investigation of the aerial parts of Xanthium sibiricum led to the isolation of four new xanthanolide-type sesquiterpene lactones, including two xanthanolide dimers, pungiolide D (1) and pungiolide E (2), and two xanthanolide monomers, 8-epi-xanthatin-1α,5α-epoxide (3) and 1β-hydroxyl-5α-chloro-8-epi-xanthatin (4), together with four known compounds, pungiolide A (5), 8-epi-xanthatin-1β,5β-epoxide (6), xanthatin (7), and 11α,13-dihydro-8-epi-xanthatin (8). The structures of these compounds were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic data analysis. Pungiolide D (1) displayed an unusual structure featuring a 5/5/6-fused tricyclic system in the unit B. Compound 4 was shown to be a rare sesquiterpene lactone containing halogen, and its absolute configuration was determined by X-ray crystallographic analysis. The evaluation of the cytotoxic activities of the isolated new compounds against the SNU387 liver and A-549 lung human cancer cell lines showed that compound 4 possessed significant in vitro cytotoxicity with an IC50 value of 5.1 µM against SNU387 liver cells.

The traditional Chinese medicinal herb Danshen (Salvia miltiorrhiza), first recorded in the "Shen Nong's Herbal Classic", has long been used to treat cardiovascular conditions, although the mechanism(s) underlying its effects remain unclear. Here, an iron dextran injection (50 mg · kg-1 per day) was delivered intraperitoneally to establish a mouse model for investigating the ameliorative effects of Danshen injection (low dose at 3 g · kg-1 per day or high dose at 6 g · kg-1 per day) on iron overload-induced cardiac damage. The iron-chelating agent deferoxamine (100 mg · kg-1 per day) was administered as a positive control. The main constituents of Danshen injection, salvianic acid A (danshensu), protocatechuic aldehyde, and salvianolic acid B, were quantified at concentrations of 2.15, 0.44, and 1.01 mg · mL-1, respectively, using HPLC with UV detection. Danshen injection significantly lowered cardiac iron deposition and the concentration of the lipid oxidation product malondialdehyde, as well as improved cardiac superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase levels in iron-overloaded mice. Serum levels of creatine kinase, creatine kinase isoenzyme, and lactate dehydrogenase in the iron-overloaded mice were significantly elevated (up to ~ 160 %), whereas their activities were downregulated by Danshen injection by 25 ~ 35 % at the high dose and by ~ 20 % at the low dose. Morphological changes of cardiac tissue analyzed by hematoxylin and eosin staining indicated that lesions induced by iron overload could be ameliorated by Danshen injection dose-dependently. Altogether, these results illustrated that the protective effects of Danshen injection were at least in part due to decreased iron deposition and inhibition of lipid peroxidation.

Icariin is a major active component isolated from the traditional Chinese herb Epimedium brevicornum, with a wide range of pharmacological and biological activities. In this paper, we investigated the effects of icariin on hyperlipidemia, and further evaluated whether icariin could improve unfavorable hemorheological parameters, attenuate platelet activation and facilitate the balance between plasmic plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 and tissue-type plasminogen activator activities in rabbits fed a high-cholesterol diet. Icariin reduced the levels of serum total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, as well as the atherosclerotic burden. In addition, this compound has been found to improve the imbalance between plasmic plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 and tissue-type plasminogen activator activities, reduce platelet adhesiveness and aggregation and modulate unfavorable hemorheological variables in hypercholesterolemia. In conclusion, icariin has lipid-lowering effects and may be used in the treatment and prevention of thrombosis in the atherosclerotic process.

A liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry method with multiple reaction monitoring was established for simultaneous quantification of 18 bioactive constituents from the stem and root of Tripterygium wilfordii Hook. f. collected from different places in China and various commercial preparations. The chromatographic separations were achieved on an Agilent Poroshell SB-C18 column (150 × 4.6 mm, 3.5 µm) with gradient elution using acetonitrile and 0.03 % formic acid aqueous solution in 45 min. Detection was performed in the positive ionization mode by monitoring the precursor-product combination. The validation of the method included tests of linearity, sensitivity, precision, repeatability, stability, and accuracy. All calibration curves showed good linearity (r > 0.9990) within the test range. The established method showed good precision and accuracy with intraday and interday variations of 2-5 % and 1-4 %, respectively, and recoveries of 95.5-104.5 %.

Matrine and arsenic trioxide are monomers used in traditional Chinese medicine possessing anti-myeloma activities. In this study, we evaluated the effects and mechanisms of matrine, arsenic trioxide, and their combination therapy on the proliferation and apoptosis of the myeloma cell lines RPMI8226 and U266. The effects of growth inhibition were measured by MTT, and apoptotic cells were analyzed by Hoechst 33258 staining and flow cytometry. The levels of caspase-3, poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (a DNA repair enzyme), Bcl-2 and survivin (antiapoptotic signaling proteins), Bim (a proapoptotic signaling protein), total AKT, and phosphorylated AKT were evaluated by Western blot. Matrine significantly inhibited proliferation of RPMI8226 and U266 cell lines in a dose- and time-dependent manner with an IC50 at 24 h of 2.25 g/L and 2.18 g/L, and at 48 h of 1.64 g/L and 1.58 g/L, respectively. Arsenic trioxide also displayed a dose- and time-dependent inhibition of growth of multiple myeloma cell lines, and synergistic effects occurred when the two were combined. Matrine (0.5, 1.0 g/L) and arsenic trioxide (2, 4 ug/mL) induced the apoptosis of myeloma cells; more early-stage apoptotic cells were seen with the combination therapy (matrine 0.5 g/L plus arsenic trioxide 2 ug/mL and matrine 1.0 g/L plus arsenic trioxide 4 ug/mL). Activation of caspase-3 and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase, upregulation of Bim expression, downregulation of Bcl-2, survivin expression, as well as inhibition of phosphorylated AKT related to matrine (0, 0.25, 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 g/L)-mediated apoptosis, and the effects were enhanced when arsenic trioxide (8 ug/mL) was combined with matrine (1.0 g/L). In conclusion, matrine displayed anti-myeloma effects through apoptotic induction, and arsenic trioxide had synergistic effects with matrine enhancing matrine-induced apoptosis.

The present investigation is an attempt to scientifically validate the traditional use of the roots of the plant Albizzia lebbeck in Ayurvedic system of medicine for curing wounds. The study included phytochemical standardization of the ethanol root extract of A. lebbeck, which was further subjected to oral acute toxicity study. Wound-healing activity of the ethanol root extract was evaluated using incision and excision wound models. Biochemical parameters such as hydroxyproline, hexuronic acid, hexosamine, and antioxidant enzymes like superoxide dismutase, reduced glutathione and free radical parameters including lipid peroxidation and nitric oxide were evaluated on the 10th post-wounding day following dead space method. For confirmation of activity, histopathology of the wounds and granulation tissues from excision and dead space wound model were performed. The study also included assessment of antibacterial activity of ethanol root extract against strains implicated in wound infection. The ethanol root extract was found to be highly rich in flavonoids, saponins, phenols, and tannins, while the amount of rutin was found to be 4.66 % w/w. It significantly increased the wound breaking strength showing a ceiling effect at 500 mg/kg p. o. The ethanol root extract at 500 mg/kg p. o. depicted an optimum wound contraction on the 18th day, while complete wound contraction was observed at the 22nd post wound day. It also demonstrated a significant increase in dry tissue weight, total protein, hydroxyproline, hexosamine, hexuronic acid, superoxide dismutase, and reduced glutathione levels, whereas a decrease in the levels of lipid peroxidation and nitric oxide was also observed with a potential antibacterial activity. Histopathological studies revealed a normal epithelization and fibrosis which was evidenced through an increase in collagen density. Thus, the study scientifically validated the wound-healing activity of the ethanol root extract along with a potential antibacterial property which may be attributed to the enhanced collagen synthesis and a potential antioxidant activity.