Antibacterial,antioxidant and antiproliferation activities of essential oils and ethanolic extracts from Chinese mugwort(Artemisia vulgaris L.)leaf in Shanxi

Background:Artemisia vulgaris,a medicinal aromatic plant,is widely used as a food item,tonic pharmaceutical,and cosmetic industry additive owing to its antibacterial,antihypertensive,hepatoprotective,antioxidant,and antispasmodic properties.But the effect of different geographic locations on the chemical composition and bioactivities of its extracts is unclear.Methods:Biological activities of essential oils and ethanol extracts of three varieties of Artemisia vulgaris leaves,which are grown in Shanxi province China,were studied.Results:Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis revealed that the main components of essential oils were terpenes and ketones.Essential oils and ethanol extract of Artemisia vulgaris leaves possessed good antioxidant activities,and their half maximal inhibitory concentrations determined using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl and 2,2’-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonate)assays were 57.0 and 22.9μg/mL,respectively.The essential oils also exhibited remarkable antibacterial activity against three foodborne pathogenic bacterial strains.The ethanol extract presented a high anticancer activity against the MGC-803 human gastric cancer cell line.Conclusion:These biological activities were well correlated with the composition of the extract and EOs,which in turn is affected by the genetic composition of Artemisia vulgaris and geographic location and diverse climatic condition under which it is grown.These findings demonstrate the remarkable potential of Artemisia vulgaris as a valuable source of antioxidant,antibacterial,and anticancer agents.

Effect of Light on Stability of Anthocyanins in Ethanolic Extracts of Rubus fruticosus

Blackberry (Rubus fructicosus) is one of the fruit with the highest concentration of anthocyanins;however, its use is limited for making jams, jellies and liqueur, and recently, fruit concentrates in combination with pomegranate, blueberry and grape. One of the main problems with these pigments is their poor stability in solution, mainly in beverages as liqueur and juices, which depends on factors such as chemical structure, pH, temperature, light, water activity, and presence of oxygen. The effect of light on total monomeric anthocyanins content as well as the degradation rates and browning of two blackberry ethanolic extracts is to establish the conditions for storage of liqueur without adding artificial food coloring. The initial content of anthocyanins on extract without storage was 106 mg?l-1. The study assessed the light irradiation effect on the anthocyanins of blackberry ethanolic extract. The anthocyanins degradation followed the second order reaction kinetics with respect to illuminance of the light source. The t1/2 value at high illuminance (3968.30 lx) was 28.20 hours.

Protective effect of Solanum Nigrum Linn green fruit ethanolic extract on alcoholic liver injury in mice

Alcoholic liver injury is a liver disease caused by excessive alcohol consumption,which can lead to chronic liver disease death.Solanum Nigrum Linn taste bitter,cold,has the effect of clearing heat and detoxification,promoting blood and detumescence.Solanum Nigrum Linn fruit contains a variety of antioxidant enzymes,can remove the body produced by aerobic metabolism harmful substances.In this paper,a model of alcohol-induced liver injury in C57BL/6 mice was established to evaluate the protective effect of Solanum Nigrum Linn green fruit(SNGF)ethanolic extract on alcohol-induced liver injury.H&E staining and oil red O(ORO)staining showed that hepatic lobules were clearly demarcated,vacuoles were significantly reduced and lipid droplets were reduced in SNGF ethanolic extract treatment group.Serum levels of TC,TG,LDH,TBA,AKP,ALT and AST were decreased in the SNGF ethanolic extract treatment group,and SNGF ethanolic extract could clear reactive oxygen species(ROS)in time.MDA content was signifi cantly decreased after SNGF ethanolic extract treatment,while superoxide dismutase(SOD)and GSH-Px contents were increased after SNGF ethanolic extract treatment.These results suggest that SNGF ethanolic extract has a protective effect on alcohol-induced liver injury.

Insecticidal Effect of Different Plant Extracts against Tribolium confusum （du val） （Coleoptera：Tenebrionidae）

Ethanolic extracts of five plant material from Eucalyptus gluaca, Melia azadrach, Mentha arvensis, Olea europaea leaves and periearp of Punica granatum were investigated for insecticidal activity against the confused flour beetle Tribolium confusum DuVal in the laboratory. Different concentrations 2.5%, 5%, 7.5%, 10% using filter paper test were implemented in the experiment. Mortality was assessed after 24, 48, 72 hrs of treatment and LDs0 were calculated at respective time intervals. Data analysis was made by using factorial Complete Randomized Design （CRD）. The results revealed that all of the tested materials with some variations had lethal effects against the pest as compared with the untreated check. The time 24 h showed higher insecticidal effect with the tested concentrations for the larvae and adult of Tribolium confusum. Strong toxicity effect was observed at concentration 5% of M.. arvensis for adult followed by E. gluaca, O. europaea, M.. azedrach and P. granatum. For larval stage the extract of O. europaea and E. gluaca with concentration 7.5%, 1%, respectively caused high mortality followed by M. arvensis, M. azedrach and P. granatum. The LDs0 values for adults and larvae were calculated to be 1.33 and 1.42 with M.. arvensis and O. europaea, respectively.

Effects of ethanol extracts of scorpion on hippocampal apoptosis and caspase-3 expression in lithium chloride-pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus rats

BACKGROUND： Previous studies have demonstrated that scorpion venom in the scorpion can inhibit epilepsy and apoptosis. However, it remains unclear whether ethanol extracts of scorpion （EES） exhibit similar effects. OBJECTIVE： To investigate the effects of EES on hippocampal apoptosis and caspase-3 expression, and to compare the effects on sodium valproate （positive control drug） in a rat model of status epilepticus induced by lithium chloride-pilocarpine. DESIGN, TIME AND SETTING： This randomized, controlled study was conducted at the Drug Research and Development Center, Kanghong Pharmaceuticals Group, and the Department of Pathology, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences ＆ Sichuan Provincial People＇s Hospital, China from May 2007 to April 2008. MATERIALS： EES were prepared by Huashen Pharmaceutical, China. Sodium valproate （Hunan Xiangzhong Pharmaceutical, China） and lithium chloride-pilocarpine （Sigma, USA） were also used in the present study. METHODS： From a total of 156 rats, six served as normal controls. The remaining rats were intraperitoneally injected with lithium chloride-pilocarpine to establish status epileptlcus models, and then assigned to five groups （n = 30, respectively）. Animals in each group were administered drugs at 15 minutes after epileptic seizure by gavage, i.e. in the normal control and model groups, rats were treated with 1 mL/0.1 kg saline. The sodium valproate group was administered 120 mg/kg/d sodium valproate. The low-, moderate-, and high-dose EES groups received treatments of 290, 580 and 1 160 mg/kg/d EES. The dispensed concentration was 1 mL/0.1 kg. Rat seizure behavior was observed. If status epilepticus did not terminated after 1 hour, the rats were intraperitoneally administered atropine （1 mg/kg） and diazepam （10 mg/kg） to terminate seizure. These rats were continuously observed for 6 hours to ensure seizure termination. Then rats were treated with the above-mentioned drugs at 8：00 am each day until sacrifice, which took place 4 hours after drug administration. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES： Terminal dUTP nick end labeling （TUNEL）-positive cells and caspase-3 expression were, respectively, determined by TUNEL and immunohistochemistry at 6, 24 48, and 72 hours, as well as 7 days, after status epilepticus. Behavioral changes were also measured. RESULTS： A few caspase-3-positive cells were observed. TUNEL- and caspase-3-positive ceils were mainly visible in the hippocampal CA1 and CA3 regions 6 hours following status epilepticus in the model and drug intervention groups. The number of TUNEL-positive cells reached a peak at 48 hours following status epilepticus in the sodium valproate group, as well as the moderate- and high-dose EES groups, and number of TUNEL-positive cells reached a peak at 72 hours in the model and low-dose EES groups. The number of caspase-3-positive cells reached a peak at 48 hours in each group. Following treatment of sodium valproate and EES, the number of TUNEL- and caspase-3-positive cells significantly decreased compared with the model group at various time points （P 〈 0.05）. The number of TUNEL- and caspase-3-positive cells was greatest in the low-dose EES group, followed by the moderate- and high-dose EES groups. The number of TUNEL- and caspase-3-positive cells was similar between the sodium valproate and high-dose EES groups. Epileptic seizure was significantly improved in the sodium valproate group, as well as the moderate- and high-dose EES groups, compared with the model group （P〈 0.05 or P〈 0.01）. Treatment with sodium valproate and high-dose EES resulted in the best outcome, although the results were similar （P 〉 0.05）. CONCLUSION： A dose of 1 160 mg/kg/d EES significantly inhibited status epilepticus. This outcome corresponded to a decreased number of apoptotlc cells and caspase-3-positive cells, which was similar to sodium valproate. These results suggest that it is not necessary to extract a component from the scorpion for the treatment of epilepsy. The high dose of EES significantly inhibited epilepsy, which correlated with decreased hippocampal caspase-3 expression.

Removal of Lead Ions from Ginseng Ethanol Extracts by Dynamic Adsorption in a Fixed-bed Column

The removal of lead from ginseng ethanol extracts by a fixed-bed column filled with an adsorbent bearing amine and carboxyl groups was investigated. The Pb2+ content was determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. When the flowrate increased from 0.12 to 0.34 ml·min-1 , the column exhibited a marked increase in percentage of lead removal from 54.9% to 92.3%. Further increase in the flowrate did not bring evident changes to the lead removal, whereas an increase in the temperature could reinforce adsorption further, suggesting that the adsorption process was controlled by external film diffusion below the flowrate of 0.34 ml·min-1 , and by the intraparticle pore diffusion of lead ions when the flowrate exceeded it. A low remaining lead amount in extracts such as 0.11 mg·kg-1 (extracts powder) was achieved. The adsorbents also adsorbed effective constituents to some extent. But 88% of constituents adsorbed were taken off using a 70% ethanol aqueous solution.

Preliminary Screening of Plant Ethanol Extracts Inhibiting IBV Proliferation

[ Objective] The paper was to study the inhibition effects of ethanol extracts from different plants on imCcctious bronchitis virus （ IBV ）. [Method ] Certain amount of plant ethanol extract was mixed with the recombinant virus IBV-3ab-luc inosculating luciferase gene at room temperature for 20 rain, and then added in H1299 cell culture system together. The activity of luciferase was detected after 24 h, to compare the inhibition effects of ethanol extracts from different plants on the virus. [ Result ] The logarithms of Gynura segetum leaf, Prunella vulgaris powder, Plantago asiatica leaf, Ophiopogon japonicus root, Lycium barba- rum fruit and Citrus reticulata were 4, 3,3,2,0 and 0, respectively. [ Conclusion] The ethanol extract from G. segetum leaf had the best inhibitory effect against IBV, followed by P. vulgaris powder, P. asiatica leaf, and O. japonicus root had relatively poor inhibition effect, whereas L. barbarum fruit and C. reticulata almost had no inhibition effect.

<i>In Vivo</i>Study of Healing Effects of Sida acuta Leaf Extracts on <i>Helicobacter pylori</i>Induced Ulceration in Mice

Helicobacter pylori is a human pathogen that is widely distributed and known to cause peptic ulcer, gastritis and gastric cancer. Treatment is usually by combination of acid inhibitory therapy and antibiotics because of drug resistance problems. Studies now focus on the use of medicinal plants for treatment of H. pylori induced ulcers because they are inexpensive and have limited side effects. This study was undertaken to determine the effects of cold water and ethanol extracts of Sida acuta leaves on H. pylori induced ulcer in mice. Oral administration with the aid of a feeding tube of 0.5 ml of 107 CFU/ml of H. pylori (Accession number LT799736) in phosphate buffer saline (pH 6.8) was used to induce ulcer in mice. Effects of various concentrations of cold water and ethanol extracts of S. acuta leaves on the ulcer parameters and histology examinations of stomach tissues of mice were investigated after 2 weeks of administration of extracts into the mice. Mice treated with clarithromycin served as positive control while mice administered with H. pylori but not treated served as negative control. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used for data analysis and results were considered significant if p < 0.05. Bacterial load of stomach tissue showed significant reduction from 15.4 × 106 CFU/ml to 3.5 × 106 CFU/ml and 2.6 × 106 CFU/ml for cold water and ethanol extracts respectively. Reduction in ulcer severity (2.00 ± 0.10 to 0.080 ± 0.05), ulcer index (8.50 ± 1.10 to 4.26 ± 0.03) and gastric volume (1.32 ± 0.12 to 0.54 ± 0.13) were observed. Histology of stomach tissues of mice treated with extracts revealed clear granulation indicating tissue repair and wound healing. S. acuta extracts were observed to enhance ulcer healing in a mice model.

Methanolic pomegranate dried peel extract improves cryopreserved semen quality and antioxidant capacity of rams

Objective:To select the appropriate concentrations of methanolic pomegranate extract supplemented in rams’semen extender for obtaining the best-cryopreserved semen quality.Methods:Tris-based semen extender was supplemented with 0.0,0.40,0.48,and 0.56 mg/mL pomegranate peel methanolic extract to extend semen collected from five native rams twice weekly for two months(n=80).Pooled(n=16)post-thaw semen characteristics were determined.Thawed seminal plasma of all supplemented and control groups were used to measure malondialdehyde(MDA),nitric oxide(NO),glutathione peroxidase(GPx),superoxide dismutase(SOD),ascorbic acid,zinc,copper,total cholesterol,low-density lipoproteins(LDL),lactate dehydrogenase(LDH),and alkaline phosphatase(ALP).Results:The supplementation of Tris-based semen extender with 0.48 mg/mL semen extender resulted in the highest post-thaw sperm total motility(P<0.001),sperm progressive motility(P<0.001),live sperm(P<0.001),sperm plasma membrane integrity(P<0.001),acrosome integrity(P<0.001),SOD(P<0.05),zinc(P<0.001),total cholesterol(P<0.001),and LDL(P<0.001)with the lowest percentage of abnormal sperm morphology(P<0.001),the lowest lipid peroxidation(MDA,P<0.01),ascorbic acid(P>0.05),and LDH(P>0.05).Conclusions:Pomegranate peel methanolic extract 0.48 mg/mL supplemented to Tris-based semen extender of rams is the best enrichment in preserving the sperm post-thaw characteristics via improving biochemical profiles and antioxidant capacity.

Phenolic Profile and Antioxidant, Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Annona senegalensis, Ipomoea batatas, Terminalia superba and Psidium guajava Linn Extracts Used in Benin

The purpose of this study is to quantify the polyphenolic content and evaluated anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity of four plants extracts of Annona senegalensis, Ipomoea batatas, Terminalia superba and Psidium guajava. Phenolic and flavonoid contents were determined by Folin-Ciocalteu and aluminum trichloride methods, respectively with ethanolic extract. The antioxidant activity was accessed by DPPH and FRAP methods. The results of the analysis of this study indicate that the ethanol extracts of the test plants (A. senegalensis, I. batatas, P. guajava and T. superba) are potential source of natural antioxidant and anti-inflammatory.

Investigation of Argentinean Plant Extracts for Their Antibacterial Activity

Plants of Baccharis （Asteraceae） genus are commonly known in Argentina as ＂carqueja＂. The antimicrobial activity and minimal inhibitory concentration of B. articulata, B. trimera and B. crispa aqueous and ethanolic extracts were evaluated by using the micro-well dilution method. Previously, the components of extracts were analyzed by spectroscopial means. Gram-positive bacteria were more sensitive to Baccharis species extracts than Gram-negative bacteria. Out of 3 plant species, B. trimera showed significant antibacterial activity and aqueous and ethanolic extracts were active against Staphylococcus aureus （MIC = 2,500 μg/mL and 1,250 μg/mL, respectively） and Listeria monocytogenes （MIC = 625 μg/mL and 625 μg/mL, respectively）. All ethanolic extracts inhibited the growth of the selected Gram-positive （MIC values ranged between 625 μg/mL and 1,250 μg/mL）. Therefore, all Gram-negative bacteria were resistant to the ethanolic and aqueous extracts tested. One flavone, genkawanin, was identified from the three ethanolic extracts as the responsible of antibacterial activity. Two terpenes, hawtriwaic acid and bacrispine, were identified from ethanolic extract of B. crispa and B. trimera as the responsibles of antibacterial activity. These preliminary studies corroborated the antimicrobial activity of the selected plants used in folklore medicine. Therefore, they could be potential sources of new antimicrobial agents used in treatment of infectious diseases.

Antibacterial Activities of the Ethanolic Extract of <i>Crateva adansonii</i>DC. (Capparidaceae) Harvested in Dassa-Zoumèin Central Bénin

Objective: The present was initiated to study the antibacterial properties of the Crateva adansonii DC extract on germs commonly identified in skin and digestive infections in Benin as well as the reversion of resistance to these aforementioned germs. Method: The bacteria’s sensitivity test to extracts was carried out by the microdilution method in liquid medium as well as the MIC and the reversion of bacterial resistance. For the determination of the MBC, this technique is used coupled with spreading on agar medium. Results: The results show an antibacterial activity of the extract with MICs between 0.625 - 5 mg/ml. The CMB of Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 29212 is 2.5 mg/ml while that of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis CIP 8039 is 5 mg/ml. The reversion of bacterial resistance has shown a synergy of action between our extract and conventional antibiotics.

Ethanolic extract of Abrus precatorius leaves protected against mercury chloride-induced hepatocellular damage and cerebral Na+/K+-ATPase dysfunction in wistar rats

Plants are sources of medicinal compounds,and they play a crucial role in human health maintenance.Abrus precatorius is one of the important medicinal plants that have been alleged for their medicinal properties.This research unraveled the pharmacological effect of ethanolic extract of Abrus precatorius on lipid peroxidation,liver parameters,and Na^(+)/K^(+)-ATPase activity in HgCl_(2) treated wistar rats.Twenty-four(24)albino wistar rats weighing between 150-200 g were distributed into four groups of 6 animals each.Group A(control)received normal saline(0.9% NaCl),group B received 400 mg/kg of the extract only,group C received 4 mg/kg HgCl_(2) only,and group D received 400 mg/kg of extract+4 mg/kg of HgCl_(2).The treatment lasted for two weeks,and the animals were sacrificed on the 15th day.The blood,brains and livers were collected and used for assay of lipid peroxidation,liver function,and sodium pump activity.The results of liver function test revealed an elevated(P<0.05)level of serum aspartate transaminase,alanine transaminase,alkaline phosphatase,and total bilirubin in the group that received HgCl_(2) only(group C)when compared with the normal control(group A)that received normal saline only.However,the administration of extract in group D led to a marked(P<0.05)reduction in the activities of these enzymes and the level of total bilirubin when compared to the negative control(group C).On the contrary,HgCl_(2) caused a significant(P<0.05)reduction in serum total protein and albumin levels,but the extract reversed the effect of HgCl_(2) by elevating their concentrations.Nonetheless,the effect elicited by this extract is comparable to group A which received normal saline.Moreso,the result of lipid peroxidation revealed that HgCl_(2) treatment caused a marked(P<0.05)increase in the formation of lipid peroxidation adducts in both liver and brain homogenates in group C.On the contrary,administration of Abrus precatorius extract profoundly(P<0.05)inhibited HgCl_(2)-induced lipid peroxidation in group D.In addition,HgCl_(2) inhibited the activity of cerebral Na^(+)/K^(+)-ATPase,but the extract restored normalcy by increasing the activity of the enzyme in group D.Consequently,the results obtained justify the traditional use of Abrus precatorius and suggest that Abrus precatorius leaves may be used for management of liver diseases,oxidative stress-linked diseases and some neurodegenerative ailments.

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.

Exploring the Protective Effect of the Ethanolic Extract of Rosa laevigata Michx.Fruit on Rats with Mesangial Proliferative Glomerulonephritis Based on NLRP3 Inflammasome Pathway

Objective:To investigate the effect of the ethanolic extract of Rosa laevigata Michx.fruit on rats with mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis based on the NLRP3 inflammasome pathway.Methods:Thirty Wistar rats were divided into three groups,a blank control group,a diabetic nephropathy(DN)model group,and an ethanolic extract intervention group,according to the random number table method,with 10 rats in each group.One day before the experiment,basic feeding was initiated for all the rats;the changes in activity and weight of each group of rats were observed and recorded after 7 d,and a rat model of renal function injury was established after 1 d.Results:Compared with the control group,the model group had significantly higher kidney/body ratio,24 h urine protein,serum creatinine(SCr),blood urea nitrogen(BUN),glomerular mesangial cell(GMC)count,and extracellular matrix(ECM)positive area ratio(P<0.05);the same indicators were significantly lower in the intervention group than in the model group(P<0.05).The NLRP3 inflammasome pathway in renal intrinsic cells was activated in the intervention group.The overactivation of NLRP3 inflammasome is known to promote interleukin(IL)-1βrelease,which was inhibited in the intervention group.Conclusion:The ethanolic extract of Rosa laevigata Michx.fruit has a protective effect on renal intrinsic cells and may be related to NLRP3 inflammasome pathway,suggesting that the fruit of Rosa laevigata Michx.has a potential role in protecting renal intrinsic cells from inflammatory damage.NLRP3 inflammasomes are involved in the development of various chronic inflammatory diseases,such as acute and chronic glomerulonephritis and renal fibrosis.

Extraction and Content Determination of Shikimic Acid in Pinus elliottii Engelm

[Objective] The aim was to provide scientific basis for development and utilization of Pinus elliottii Engelm resources.[Method] The extraction process of shikimic acid in Pinus elliottii Engelm was studied,and the content of shikimic acid was determined by HPLC.The HPLC conditions were as follows;Alltima NH2 （5 μm,4.6 mm × 150 mm） column separation;the mobile phase was acetonitrile-2%H3PO4 （90：10）;the flowing velocity was 1 ml/min;test wavelength was 213 nm,the width of belt was 16 nm;reference wavelength was 300 nm,the width of belt was 80 nm.[Result] By the single factor and orthogonal tests,the optimum conditions were found as follows：ethanol concentration 60%,extraction temperature 75 ℃,solid-liquid ratio 1：25,extraction time 2.5 h.The extraction rate of shikimic acid was 1.49%.[Conclusion] Shikimic acid in Pinus elliottii Engelm could be used as a new resource to develop and utilize.

Sedative and Hypnotic Effects of Tartary Buckwheat Ethanol Extract

[Objective]The aim was to study the sedative and hypnotic effects of Tartary Buckwheat ethanol extract and lay a foundation for further expanding the application of Tartary Buckwheat. [Method]The effects of Tartary Buckwheat ethanol extract on pentobarbital sodium and mice spontaneous action times were recorded. [Result]Ethanol extract of Tartary Buckwheat could prolong mice sleep duration caused by pentobarbital sodium （suprathreshold dosage）,increase mice sleep number caused by pentobarbital sodium （subthreshold dosage）,and obviously inhibit mice spontaneous action times. [Conclusion]Ethanol extract of Tartary Buckwheat has a function of sedation.

Comparison of Molluscicide Activity of Ethanol Extract of Sapium sebiferum,Pterocarya stenoptera and Cryptomeria fortunei

[Objective] The aim was to compare the molluscicide activity of ethanol extract of Sapium sebiferum,Pterocarya stenoptera and Cryptomeria fortunei.[Method] The molluscicide activity of ethanol extract of S.sebiferum,P.stenoptera and C.fortunei was determined through poison test of Oncomelania hupensis in laboratory.[Result] S.sebiferum,P.stenoptera and C.fortunei had certain molluscicide effect,and S.sebiferum and C.fortunei had better effect with little difference than P.stenoptera;ethanol could extract the effective molluscicide component from plant more completely,and its molluscicide effect was better than that of plant infusion.[Conclusion] Our study could provide theory reference for the plant selection of controlling O.hupensis ecologically.

A Comparative Study on the Effect of <i>Massularia acuminata</i>Fractions against Bacterial and Fungal Isolates from the Oral Cavity

The research aimed at carrying out a comparative study on the effect of Massularia acuminata fractions against bacterial and fungi isolates from the oral cavity. The Antimicrobial assay was carried on the following test organism;Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pnuemoniae,Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli and Enterobacter aerogenes. From antifungal result, it was observed that the highest inhibition was observed in the ethanolic extract of Massularia acuminata on Rhyzopus stolonifer, Candida albican and Fusarium solani. The ethanolic and methanolic extracts were also observed from the results to have an intermediate sensitivity to Aspergillus favus, Candida tropicalis, Candida albican, Rhyzopus stolonifer, Fusarium solani, while it was observed to be resistant to Fusarium solani, Rhyzopus stolonifer, Candida tropicalis, Aspergillus favus for all the partitions of the extracts. From the antifungal effect of the M. acuminata fractions, it could be inferred that the ethanolic and methanolic extracts were quite effective in the inhibition of the fungi infections and the methanolic extract proved very infective on Candida albican, Rhyzopus stolonifer and Fusarium solani. From the result of the antibacterial effect of M. acuminata fractions, the highest inhibition was observed by the methanolic extract of Massularia acuminata against all the Gram negative bacteria and Staphylococcus aureus. Also the aqueous extract also had a less sensitivity against all the test microbes, as all proved resistant. It could be inferred that the fractions of the extracts were unable to inhibit the growth of the strain of gram positive bacteria and probably, the potency could be increased, if the concentrations of the methanolic, ethanolic extracts of Massularia acuminata and the standard drug, tetracycline are increased. Results obtained showed that ethanol was a better and more powerful solvent than water. Whereas, the methanolic extract and the standard drug were quite effective in the inhibition of some gram negative bacteria, Klebsiella pnuemoniae and Enterobacter aerogenes. From the results obtained, it can be deduced that the ethanolic and methanolic extracts of Massularia acuminta possess antifungal and antibacterial potentials, compared with the aqueous extract and its potency as an inhibitor of bacterial and fungi organism found in the oral cavity.

A Study on the Protective Effect of Cynodon dactylon Leaves Extract in Diabetic Rats

Objective To investigate the antidiabetic, antioxidant and hypolipidemic efficacy of Cynodon dactylon in diabetic rats. Methods The experimental rats were randomly divided into three groups： Group I： control; Group II： Alloxan diabetic, untreated; and Group III： Alloxan diabetic treated with ethanolic extract of C. dactylon leaves （450 mg/kg bw）. Experimental diabetes was induced by alloxan in a single dose of 150 mg/kg bw. Results A Significant diminution of fasting blood sugar level was observed and also significant increase in HDL and decrease （P0.05） in cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL and VLDL were observed after 15 days of treatment. The investigation also revealed, the activities of AST, ALT, ALP, AP, LDH, and CPK （P0.05） were decreased in the extract‐supplemented group. The significant decrease in protein content and SOD, CAT, GPx, and GSH （P0.05） activity and increase in LPO in plasma were found to be ameliorated after treatment. Conclusion Our result supports the fact that administration of extract of C. dactylon leave is able to reduce hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia risk and also reduced the oxidative stress in diabetic rats.