Larvicidal activity of endocarp and seed crude extracts of Dracaena loureiri Gagnep against Aedes aegypti(L.) mosquito

Objective: To evaluate the larvicidal activity of the ethanolic and aqueous extracts of the endocarp and seeds of Dracaena loureiri(D. loureiri) against the dengue mosquito vector, Aedes aegypti.Methods: Bioassays were performed by exposing late third-stage to early fourth-stage larvae of Aedes aegypti to various concentrations of the extracts from D. loureiri. The larval mortality was observed after 24-and 48-h exposure.Results: The larvicidal bioassay in this study demonstrated that the ethanolic endocarp extract was the most effective with the LC50 value of 84.00 mg/L after 24 h exposure and< 50 mg/L after 48 h exposure. Extracts from the other parts of the plant were significantly less effective as a larvicide.Conclusions: The ethanolic endocarp extract of D. loureiri demonstrated effective larvicidal activity. It is an alternative source for developing a novel larvicide for controlling this mosquito species.

Chemo-type of essential oil of Ocimum basilicum L.from DR Congo and relative in vitro antioxidant potential to the polarity of crude extracts

Objective:To carry out a phyto-chemical characterization of essential oil from Ocimum basilicum L.(O.basilicum) harvested in DR Congo and to assess the antioxidant potential of crude extracts with respect to the polarity for comparison reason.Methods:The phyto-chemical characterization of essential oil produced by hydrodistillation was performed by coupled gas chromatography-mass spectrometer analysis and the antioxidant potential evaluation by in vitro 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl free radical scavenging activity method.Results:A previously weighed amount of fresh leaves of O.basilicum produced 0.65%of essential oil that led to the identification of a set of 84.44%out of 99.98%as major compounds(> 1.5%).The chemo-type of this essential oil was linalool-methyl chavicol.Chemical components of oil were characterized by oxygenated aromatic hydrocarbons(46.00%) and oxygenated monoterpenes(26.75%).With respect to the amount of components,methyl chavicol also known as estragole(35.72%) constituted the very large quantity afterward linalool(21.25%) and then epi-α-cadinol(8.02%),α-bergamotene(6.56%),eugenol(4.60%),1,8-cineole(4.04%),germacrene D(2.06%),thymol(1.64%),and(E)-citral(1.55%),respectively.Essential oil exhibited antioxidant potential and IC_(50) =(1.180 ± 0.015) mg/mL.Non-polar crude extracts yields were low compared to the one of polar extracts.Only methanol and ethyl acetate had considerably manifested antioxidant potential with IC_(50) values equal to(0.025 ± 0.013) mg/mL and(0.085 ± 0.012) mg/mL,respectively.As concerns to IC50 values,essential oil was less active than methanol and ethyl acetate extracts.The methanol crude extract exhibited the highest activity.Non-polar extracts showed insignificant radical scavenging ability that did not allow assessing IC50 values.These results highlighted the occurrence of antioxidant potential compounds in polar media.Conclusions:Essential oil and crude extracts of O.basilicum growing in DR Congo can be advocated as natural sources of antioxidant potential compounds not only in food but also in pharmaceutical industries.The high antioxidant potential of polar crude extracts highlights antioxidant character of its composition particularly butyl stearate and rosmarinic acid we isolated and identified,respectively in the methanol crude extract.

Antibacterial and Antioxidant Activity of Rhodomyrtus Tomentosa and Cinnamomum Zeylanicum Crude Extracts

The aim of this study was to investigate the extraction method for R.to­mentosa and C.zeylanicum leaves and the evaluation of antibacterial and antioxidant activities of crude extracts.The results of the study showed that the active ingredients of crude extracts were clearly separated by Thin-layer chromatography and the presence of rhodomyrtone in R.tomentosa crude extract and cinnamaldehyde in C.zeylanicum crude ex­tract.R.tomentosa crude extract was antibacterial activity against Staph­ylococcus aureus with 13.1 mm of inhibition zone,but is not effective against Salmonella Typhimurium.C.zeylanicum leaf extract did not show antibacterial activity on both S.aureus and S.Typhimurium.At a dilution of 1/2 of the R.tomentosa crude extract can completely inhibit S.aureus growth.This study also indicated the presence of antioxidant compounds such as flavonoids,tannins,phenols and terpenoids in C.zeylanicum and R.tomentosa crude extracts.The results showed that R.tomentosa and C.zeylanicum crude extracts should be used as a biotherapy alternative to antibiotic therapy.However,further study would be needed to investigate the antibacterial activity of crude extracts in vivo.

Insecticidal Activity of Crude Extracts of Hyptis suaveolens(Bush Mint)on Anopheles Mosquitoes Collected from Lafia,Nasarawa State,Nigeria

Anopheles gambiae is a vector that is responsible for the transmission of malaria parasites which causes high morbidity and mortality in Nigeria and the world at large.Human-vector contact can be reduced by the use of conventional repellents being sold in the market,though some of these repellent are not environmentally friendly and An.gambiae have developed resistance to some of these repellents.To this end,the phytochemical constituents and insecticidal activity of crude extracts of Hyptis suaveolens(bush mint)was determined on adult An.gambiae mosquitoes collected from Lafia,Nasarawa State,Nigeria to evaluate its effect in controlling them.Here,70%ethanolic and diethyl ether fat crude extracts were made from H.suaveolens dried leaves and used to carry out the experiment.The phytochemical screening of the ethanol extract revealed the presence of alkaloids,flavonoid,saponins,tannins,steroids and reducing sugar.Glycoside was not detected in the ethanol extract.Only steroids was detected in diethyl ether extract the rest of the phytochemical tested were absent.An.gambiae larvae were collected from the field and were raised to F1 progeny adults that were used for the study.WHO protocol for carrying out human bait repellency cage test was used.Human hand treated with the extracts was exposed to a cage containing 30 female mosquitoes for each of the extracts respectively.The ethanolic crude extract treatment proved to be more effective in repelling mosquitoes with 0%(0/30)mosquito landing than diethyl ether extract which had 40%(12/30)mosquitoes landing and the control hand(untreated left hand)had the highest landing rate 63.3%(19/30)which showed very high significant difference(χ^(2)=27.2619,df=2,P<0.00001)in relation to the treatments.After 24 hours holding period,the mortality rate of exposed mosquitoes was observed to be highest in the ethanolic treatment 73.3%(22/30).In conclusion,H.suaveolens extracts have repellency potential in controlling adult An.gambiae.

Studies on free-radical scavenging activity and identification of active ingredients of different plant crude extracts of Mentha piperita collected from Sur,Sultanate of Oman

Objective:To determine free radical scavenging activity and active chemical ingredients of different plant crude extracts of Mentha piperita(M.piperita).Methods:The dried powder leaves of M.piperita were extracted with polar organic solvent by Soxhlet extractor.The crude extract and its fractions of hexane,chloroform,ethyl acetate and butanol crude extracts were prepared.The antioxidant activity of different crude extracts from M.piperita was carried out by DPPH method with minor modification,and the active chemical ingredients of different plant crude extracts of M.piperita were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry(GC-MS).Results:Qualitative analysis of different polarities crude extracts by GC-MS found different types of active organic compounds.The antioxidant activity of different crude extracts were found to be in the order of chloroform extract>butanol extract>ethyl acetate extract>hexane extract>methanol extract.Majority identified compounds in the plant crude extracts by GC-MS were biologically active.Conclusions:Therefore,the isolation,purification,identification and characterization of bioactive compounds from various crude extracts of M.piperita might have ecological significance.

Phytochemical studies of various polarities leave crude extracts of Omani Datura metel L.and evaluation of their antimicrobial potential

Objective:To identify the chemical constituents and evaluate antimicrobial potential of various crude extracts from leaves of Datura metel grown in Oman.Methods:The leaf samples were collected from the University of Nizwa and extracted with methanol by using Soxhlet extractor.The isolated crude extract was defatted with distilled water and extracted with solvents of different polarities including hexane,chloroform,ethyl acetate and butanol.Chemical compositions of the crude extracts were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometer and their antimicrobial potential was evaluated by agar disc diffusion method against one Gram positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and two Gram negative bacteria Escherichia coli and Pseudomonus aeruginosa.Results:The crude extracts were composed of different organic compounds such as alkaloids,hydrocarbons,aromatic hydrocarbons,organic acids,terpenoids,vitamin etc.The methanol and its fractionated crude extracts showed antimicrobial potential with inhibition zone in the range of 0-13 mm.Conclusions:The selective crude extract from the leaves of Datura metel could be used as natural antibiotics.

Larvicidal efficacy of crude and fractionated extracts of Dracaena loureiri Gagnep against Aedes aegypti, Aedes albopictus, Culex quinquefasciatus, and Anopheles minimus mosquito vectors

Objective:To evaluate the larvicidal efficacy of crude and fractionated extracts of Dracaena loureiri endocarp against Aedes aegypti,Aedes albopictus,Culex quinquefasciatus,and Anopheles minimus mosquitos.Methods:Larvicidal activity was tested according to World Health Organization standard protocol.The third-stage larvae of each mosquito species were exposed to various concentrations of Dracaena loureiri crude extract and six groups of Dracaena loureiri fractionated extracts(RC-DT 009-014).Larval mortality rates were observed after 24 h and48 h of exposure.Then,a computerized probit analysis of the mortality data was performed to determine lethal concentration 50(LC_(50))and lethal concentration 90 values.Results:Anopheles minimus larvae(24-h LC_(50)77.88 mg/L)had the highest susceptibility to crude extract,whereas others(Aedes aegypti,24-h LC_(50)224.73 mg/L;Aedes albopictus,24-h LC_(50)261.75 mg/L;and Culex quinquefasciatus,24-h LC_(50)282.86 mg/L)were significantly less susceptible.The most effective groups of fractionated extracts were RC-DT 012 and RC-DT 013.The mosquito species most susceptible to fractionated extracts was Culex quinquefasciatus,with 24-h LC_(50)values of 0.66 and 0.94 mg/L for RC-DT 012 and RC-DT 013,respectively.Conclusions:The larvicidal activity of fractionated extracts is more effective than that of crude extract against all tested mosquito species.For the most effective alternative larvicide,purification and a phytochemical constituent analysis must be performed.

Crude Extract of Detergent⁃Like Gleditsia sinensis lam Exhibiting Self⁃Organization for Protection of Mild Steel in Harsh Hydrochloric Acid Solution:How to Seek Crude Natural Plant Extracts as Green Corrosion Inhibitors

This study proposes a thought to employ detergent⁃like renewable low⁃cost crude extract of Gleditsia sinensis lam(GSL)as green corrosion inhibitor for mild steel in HCl solution.Crude Gleditsia sinensis lam extract(GSLE)was gained at mild conditions by simply refluxing in ethanol with a Soxhlet extractor.The target GSLE extract exhibited regular self⁃organization in mixed solvents of organic solvents/H2O such as ethanol/H2 O(v/v,50/50)at room temperature,which was evidenced by different means including scanning electron microscopy,transmission electron microscopy,and dynamic light scattering.The study demonstrates that the yielded assemblies of the crude extract of GSLE displayed chemical adsorption on the studied mild steel sample surfaces.Furthermore,the formed stable crude extract assemblies of GSL presented outstanding anti⁃corrosion capability in 1.0 mol/L HCl aqueous solution based on electrochemical measurements including polarization curves and impedance spectroscopy.It is discovered that the maximal corrosion inhibition efficiency could reach approximate 95%.The molecular modeling was performed to acquire the nature of frontier orbitals of the main representative chemical components of crude GSLE for deep understanding of chemical interactions with iron.The results presented herein would guide us to seek sustainable environmentally friendly low⁃cost detergent⁃like plant crude extracts for corrosion inhibition of various metals in aggressive acid environments.

Safety Evaluation of Myricetin and Crude Extract from Myrica rubra Leaves on Non-target Organisms

[ Objective] The study aimed to supply important basis for developing environment-friendly pesticides with myricetin and crude extract of Myrica rubra leaves as effective components. [ Method] According to ＂Test guidelines for environmental safety evaluation on chemical pesticides＂, the toxicity of myricetin and crude extract of M. rubra leaves on non-target organisms was determined and the safety evaluation was carried out. [Result] MyriceUn and crude extract of M. rubra leaves had low toxicity on non-target organisms, such as earthworm, silkworm and soil microbes. Myricetin showed low toxicity and the crude extract of M. rubra leaves showed middle toxicity on tadpole. The high-concentration crude extract of M. rubra leaves had some antifeedant effect on silkworm. [ Conclusion] Myricetin and crude extract of M. rubra leaves had low toxicity on non-tar- get organisms in environment and they were relatively safe.

Antibacterial Activity of Bacillus subtilis and Properties of Protein Crude Extract

In order to get biological drugs with no resistance or toxic side effects and to reduce the use of antibiotics, a strain of Baci//us subtilis was isolated from animal intestine, and the isolate was identified by molecular biological method; in vitro an- tibacterial test of the isolate was performed using agar diffusion method; the optimal fermentation condition of the isoJate was screened by conventional culture method; the antibacterial crude protein of the isolate was extracted by saturated ammonium sulfate method; the physicochemical properties of antibacterial crude protein was de- tected by comparison method; The results showed that the isolate was B. subti/is, which had antibacterial effects on Staphy/ococcus aureus, streptococcus and swine erysipelas. The fermentation effect of the isolate was the best under the condition of temperature 30 ~C, pH 7, liquid volume 75 ml/250 ml, inoculation volume 20% and culture time 48 h. The antibacterial effect of the isolate was the best when extract- ed by 80% saturated ammonium sulfate. The antibacterial crude protein had strong resistance to heat and acid. Organic solvent and UV irradiation had some influences on antibacterial crude protein. Proteases had hydrolytic effects on antibacterial crude protein. The isolated B. subti/is can be used to prevent and control the diseases caused by S. aureus, streptococcus and swine erysipelas, and can regulate intesti- nal microecology by adding into expanded feeds.

Field trial on use of soybean crude extract for carbonate precipitation and wind erosion control of sandy soil

Wind erosion is a major cause of land desertification and sandstorm formation in arid and semi-arid areas.The objective of this study was to evaluate the potential of soybeans crude extract induced calcium carbonate precipitation(SICP)on reducing wind erosion risk of sandy soil.Field tests were carried out in Ulan Buh Desert,Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region,China.Results showed that the SICP method could significantly enhance the surface strength and wind erosion resistance of the topsoil.The optimal cementation solution(urea-CaCl2)concentration and spraying volume,according to experiments conducted on sandy land,were 0.2 mol/L and 4 L/m^2,respectively.Under this condition,the CaCO3 content was approximately 0.45%,the surface strength of sandy soil could reach 306.2 kPa,and the depth of wind erosion was approximately zero,after 30 d completion of SICP treatment.Soil surface strength declined with the increase of time,and long-term sand fixation effects of SICP treatment varied depending on topography.Whereas wind erosion in the top area of the windward slope was remarkable,sandy soils on the bottom area of the windward slope still maintained a relatively high level of surface strength and a low degree of wind erosion 12 month after SICP treatment.Scanning electron microscopy(SEM)tests with energy dispersive X-ray(EDX)confirmed the precipitation of CaCO3 and its bridge effect.These findings suggested that the SICP method is a promising candidate to protect sandy soil from wind erosion in desert areas.

Effect of Soy Isoflavone Crude Extract Supplementation on High Fat Diet-induced Insulin Resistance in Ovariectomized Rats

Female Wister rats aged 8 weeks were randomly divided into sham operation group, ovariectomized （OVX） control group, and 20VX groups fed with soy isoflavone crude extract supplementation. The rats had free access to high fat diet and water for 9 weeks. No significant difference was found in body weight （BW）, total abdominal fat, food intake and food utilization rate between OVX control group and 20VX groups. However, the fasting blood glucose and blood lipid levels were significantly higher in 20VX groups than in OVX control group （P〈0.05）. Intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test （IGTI＂） showed that the area under AUC was smaller in 20VX groups than in OVX control group （P〈0.05）. These findings showed that soy isoflavone crude extract supplementation can improve glucose tolerance and prevent high fat diet-induced insulin resistance in ovariectomized rats.

A Study on the Pyrolytic Characteristics of Xanthoceras Sorbifolia Husk and Its Crude Cellulose Extract

Huge amounts of Xanthoceras sorbifolia husks(XSH)are typically discarded after oil extraction.Since pyrolysis represents a promising solution to harness the bio-energy of XSH,in the present work the pyrolytic and kinetic characteristics of XSH and related crude cellulose extract(CCE)were studied considering different rates of heating(10,30 and 50℃ min^(-1)).The pyrolysis activation energy,pre-exponential factors and mechanism function were computed using different models namely Popescu,FWO(Flynn-Wall-Ozawa)and KAS(Kissinger-Akahira-Sunose).The pyrolysis process was articulated into three stages:dehydration(Stage I),primary devolatilization(Stage II),residual decomposition(Stage III).Marked variations in the average activation energy,thermal stability,final residuals and rate of reaction were noted.Stage II of XSH and CCE could be described by the Avramic-Erofeev equations.The average activation energies of XSH and CCE were found to be 269 and 296 kJ mol^(-1),respectively.

Stability of Antimicrobial Active Ingredients of Bacillus subtilis B26

[Objective] The stability of antimicrobial active ingredients of Bacillus subtilis B26 was studied. [Method] The Fermentation broth of B. subtilis B26 was passed through porous membrane after centrifugation,70% （NH4）2SO2 was used to carry out precipitation,and the sterile crude extracts with resistance against Fusarium decemcellulare Brick were still obtained after dialysis. Plate coated perforated method was adopted to detect the treatment stability towards crude extracts on temperature,pH,ultraviolet radiation,organic solvents and protease. [Result] The inhibition diameter of crude extracts of B. subtilis B26 after treatment at 100 ℃ was 78.2% of the treatment at room temperature,but the crude extracts of B. subtilis B26 completely lost their activity after treatment at 121 ℃; the crude extracts of B. subtilis B26 all had antimicrobial activity in the pH value range of 3-10,and the antimicrobial activity was the largest when the pH value was 7.0; when the crude extract of B. subtilis B26 was irradiated by UV light （power 20 W） for 80 min from 40 cm distance away,the antimicrobial activity of which was 78.1% of the control; when it was treated with ether,chloroform,methanol and acetone for 30 min,the antimicrobial activities of crude extracts of B. subtilis B26 were 96.4%,85.7%,82.1% and 81.5% of the control,respectively; when it was treated with proteinase K,trypsin and pepsin,the inhibition diameters of crude extracts of B. subtilis B26 were 15.2,16.2 and 16.3 mm,the antimicrobial activities were 76.7%,81.8% and 83.3% of the control,respectively. [Conclusion] The crude extracts of B. subtilis B26 had higher antimicrobial stability.

Identification of phytochemical compounds in Calophyllum inophyllum leaves

Objectives: To investigate the proximate composition, mineral content, and phytochemical compounds in Calophyllum inophyllum(C. inophyllum) leaves. Moreover,isolation and identification of pyrene were also performed.Methods: C. inophyllum leaves were extracted with methanol by percolation methods.The proximate composition of C. inophyllum leaves was analyzed by standard methods.Mineral contents in this plant were analyzed by using atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Phytochemical screening and analysis of this plant were performed by spectrophotometric method. Washing method with carbon disulfide was used for isolating dihydropyrene compound from C. inophyllum leaves extracts.Results: The result revealed that C. inophyllum leaves contained 11.24% moisture,4.75% ash, 6.43% crude protein, 23.96% crude fiber, 9.91% carbohydrate, and energy(79.17 kcal/100 g). The leaves also contained 0.007% iron, 1.240% calcium, 0.075%sodium, 0.195% magnesium, 0.100% ppm potassium, and 0.040% phosphorus. Moreover, 11.51% alkaloid, 2.48% triterpenoid, 2.37% flavonoid, 7.68% tannin, 2.16%saponin, 2.53% polyphenol, were identified in the methanolic crude extracts of C. inophyllum leaves. It was found that trans-2-[2-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]-10 b,10 c-dimethyl-10 b,10 c-dihydropyrene was obtained at purity of 79.18%(22.17% yield)from C. inophyllum leaves.Conclusions: C. inophyllum leaves may be used as a good source of fiber. It was found that C. inophyllum leaves have the potential as herbal drugs due to their phytochemical content. The separation, isolation, and purification of bioactive compounds from this methanolic crude extract and their biological activity are under further investigation.

Exploration of Antifouling Potential of the Brown Algae Laminaria ‘Sanhai’

Seaweeds are one of the largest producers of biomass in the marine environment. It has been well known that marine algae, especially brown algae was a rich source of biogeinc compounds with antifouling potential that could be ideal alternatives of tributyltin （TBT）. In this paper, antifouling potential of the brown algae Laminaria ＇sanhai＇ was explored. Firstly, the dried alga was extracted and the antialgal and antilarval activities were investigated. The EC50 and LC50 values of crude extract of Laminaria ＇sanhai＇ against diatom （Skeletonema costatum） and barnacle larval （Chthamalus challengeri） were 8.9 μg·mL -1 and 12.0 μg·mL -1 respectively. Then, guided by bioassay, the bioactive substances were isolated by liquid-liquid extraction. The antialgal and antilarval activities of isolated fraction were improved with the EC50 value of 7.4 μg· mL -1 against S. costatum and LC50 value of 9.7 μg mL 1 against C. challengeri larvae. Identification by IR, Q-TOFMS and GC-MS of the isolated bioactive substances revealed the abundance of fatty acids. These fatty acids, most with 16, 18 or 20 carbon atoms, contained myristic, hexadecanoic, oleic, linolenic, arachidonic and eicosapentaenoic acids. The results indicated that both the crude extract and the isolated bioactive substances had high antialgal and antilarval activities with no highlighted cytotoxicity which made the brown algae Laminaria ＇sanhai＇ a promising source of the environmentally friendly antifoulants.

Screening and Characterization of Antibiotic Producing Organisms from Waste Dump Soil Sample

This study was designed to screen and characterize antibiotic producing bacteria and fungi from soil samples from a waste dump site in Enugu. The molecular characterization of the isolates was performed by using Zymo Research Quick-DNA fungi/bacteria miniprep kit. The bacteria isolates were Providencia stuartii, Providencia alcalifaciens. Bacillus sp., Streptococcus sp., Micrococcus sp., and Staphylococcus sp while Aspergillus fumigatus and Aspergillus niger were fungal isolates. The efficacy of the Crude Extract (CE) of the antibiotics produced was tested against species of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. The CE of antibiotics when compared with a conventional antibiotic (Ciprofloxacin) showed lower antimicrobial activity. The minimum inhibitory concentration of the crude extracts ranged between 12.5% and 25% concentrations while the minimum bactericidal concentration ranged from 25% and 50% concentrations. The findings suggest that these organisms have the potential to produce antibiotics and could be harnessed by pharmaceutical industries for the production of newer antibiotics.

Anticancer Effects of Crude Extract from Melia toosendan Sieb.et Zucc on Hepatocellular Carcinoma In Vitro and In Vivo

Objective： To investigate the anti-cancer effects of crude extract from Melia toosendan Sieb. et Zucc and its possible molecular mechanisms in vitro and in vivo. Methods： Transonic alcohol-chloroform extraction method was used to extract toosendanin from the bark of Melia toosendan Sieb. et Zucc, and the content of toosendanin in the crude extract was measured by high performance liquid chromatography （HPLC）. Anti-cancer effects of crude extract from Melia toosendan Sieb. et Zucc were investigated in in vivo and in vitro studies. In the in vitro experiment, human hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines SMMC-7721 and Hep3B were co-incubated with toosendanin crude extract of different concentrations, respectively. In the in vivo experiment, BALB/c mice were subcutaneously inoculated with mouse hepatocellular carcinoma H22 cells and treated with crude extract. Results： HPLC revealed the content of toosendanin was about 15%. Crude extract from Melia toosendan Sieb. et Zucc inhibited cancer cells growth in a dose- and time-dependent manner. The 50% inhibitory concentration （IC50, 72 h） was 0.6 mg/L for SMMC-7721 cells and 0.8 mg/L for Hep3B cells. Both high-dose [0.69 mg/（kg·d）] and low-dose [0.138 mg/（kg·d）] crude extract could markedly suppress cancer growth, and the inhibition rate was greater than 50%. Hematoxylin and eosin staining showed necrotic area in cancers and transmission electron microscopy displayed necrotic and apoptotic cancer cells with apoptotic bodies. Immunohistochemistry showed that the expression of Bax and Fas increased and the expression of Bcl-2 reduced. Conclusions： Toosendanin extract has potent anti-cancer effects via suppressing proliferation and inducing apoptosis of cancer cells in vivo and in vitro. The mechanism of apoptosis involves in mitochondrial pathway and death receptor pathway.

Effects of the crude extract of Polygala tenuifolia Willd on human sperm in vitro

The aim of the present study is to analyze sperm membrane changes and the spermicidal effect in treatment with the crude extract from Polygala tenuifo/ia Willd （PTW） in vitro. The root of PTW was extracted in distilled water. Normal human spermatozoa were used to assess the spermicidal activity （Sander-Cramer assay） of the extract from the PTW root. The hypo-osmotic swelling （HOS） test and the eosin Y （EY） staining were used to detect the integrity of sperm membrane and vitality. The sperm chromatin dispersion （SCD） test was performed to determine sperm DNA integrity. N-9 was used as a reference standard and semen added to physiological saline was used as the control. Semen samples were donated by 42 healthy fertile men. The crude extract from the root of PTW could immobilize and kill 100% spermatozoa within 20 s in vitro at the concentrations of 20.0 and 10.0 mg/ml; at the concentration of 5.0 mg/ml, spermatozoa were immobilized in （39.5±3.2） s. In the groups of the crude extract from the root of PTW and N-9 solution the rate of the normal HOS （tails swollen） and the white head （unstained） was 0%, and the rate of the abnormal HOS （tails unswollen） and red head （stained） was 100%. Sperm DNA fragmentation showed no change in exposure to the crude extract from the root of PTW and N-9 solution. The sperm revival test did not show any spermatozoa that recovered their motilities. The rapid spermicidal activity of the crude extract from the root of PTW in vitro may occur by the disruption of the sperm membrane integrity.

Antioxidant and antitumor effects and immunomodulatory activities of crude and purified polyphenol extract from blueberries

The antioxidant and antitumor effects as well as the immunomodulatory activities of crude and purified polyphenol extract from blueberries were investigated. The antioxidant and antitumor effects of the polyphenol extract were measured both in vitro and in vivo, and their effect on the immune systems of CD-1 tumor-bearing mice were also analyzed. In vitro assays demonstrated that blueberry purified polyphenol extract （BBPP） exhibited higher antioxidant activities than blueberry crude polyphenol extract （BBCP）, but the opposite effect was observed in vivo. Both the in vitro and in vivo antitumor activity and the immunity assay showed that BBCP not only inhibited tumor growth, but also significantly improved the immunity of the mice. According to physical and histological studies, the CD-1 tumor-bearing mice treated with the polyphenol extract, especially high doses of BBCP experienced a higher quality of life than the positive control group （treated with cyclophosphamide）. These results indicate that BBCP has significant antioxidant and antitumor activities and that it can enhance the immunity of CD-1 tumor-bearing mice.